Chapter 5: An Awakening
"Helios," Chibi-usa muttered in her sleep as tears streamed down her cheeks. Even now she couldn't escape the image of him slipping away from her. She woke up sweating. She stood and carefully walked over the sleeping senshi as she crept towards Mamoru's bathroom.
She turned on the light and filled the sink with water. She splashed water on her face and gently tried to wash away her tears to no avail. As hard as she tried to silence them they kept falling. She looked up in the mirror disgusted with herself. She saw Rei in the mirror scowling down at her legs, "Moon, Crisis," she began startled.
"Chibi-usa it's me!" Rei yelled, "Calm down."
Chibi-usa spun around, "Rei?" she asked, her voice was cracked and dry from crying.
"Who else?" Rei couldn't stand being pinned down.
"What, what are you doing here?" she wiped her tears trying to hide them.
"Uranus broke Firesnake's legs which broke mine. The water is good for me it takes away the pain until I can heal my wounds.
"But what's wrong with you little rabbit?" Rei inquired seeing her tears.
"Helios…" Chibi-usa tried to begin.
"Don't worry he won't stay mad at you," Rei smiled, she had no clue what this was about.
Chibi-usa shook her head and looked down, "That's not what's wrong. Helios, Helios, he's, he," she couldn't bring herself to say the word.
Rei looked at her worried by her expression.
"Firesnake killed him, he's dead. He was trying to protect me to save me, and…and," Chibi-usa sobbed sinking to her knees.
"Oh my god," Rei tried to move, but it pulled her legs. She winced in pain, but the water quickly doused it.
"She stole him from me, then those stupid tramps stole my revenge from me," Chibi-usa wanted to curl into a ball on that floor and die, and for a minute considered doing just that.
"Chibi-usa don't cry, Helios wouldn't want to see you unhappy," Rei wanted to console her, but she couldn't move.
"No," Chibi-usa sniffed, "You're right, but could I stay and talk?"
Rei smiled, "Of course little rabbit, I'm not going anywhere."
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"What?!" King Endymion roared.
"Chibi-usa tried to revive him, there was no stopping it," Haruka explained Helios' death to him.
"You two were there, tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning," he ordered Mamoru who stood in front of him, and Ami who stood in one corner afraid to come nearer.
Ami shook her head, "Mamoru was there, he'll tell you," she told him running from the room.
Next thing they knew they heard a door shut and footsteps pounding down stairs.
Mamoru glared at King Endymion who ignored it and instructed Haruka and Michiru to go find Ami, "Oh, and Haruka?"
She turned waiting for him to speak.
"Try not to injure anymore of the senshi."
She scowled and walked out Michiru following her.
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Ami didn't know where she was going, she was just getting out of there, away from him. What had she done wrong? What was so bad about her that King Endymion wanted to destroy her? Question upon question, piled up in her mind as she ran faster and farther away. She ran through center Tokyo, not noticing anything. It was early morning now, the sun was just beginning to rise, and people on their way to work saw her running and holding her hands to her ears as she did, trying to stop the questions, trying more to stop their answers.
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Chibi-usa explained everything to Rei, it took her awhile, and many choke ups before she did, but she managed.
"It was good to get it out, do you feel better?" Rei asked Chibi-usa who sat next to the tub her fingers swirling the fire water.
Chibi-usa shook her head, "How can I?" she questioned.
"But you've stopped crying," Rei told her to look on the bright side.
"Only because I've run out of tears," Chibi-usa could barely breathe the pain hurt so much.
"You need to sleep small rabbit, before the sun comes up, please try," Rei begged her to get some rest.
Chibi-usa nodded, she was tired, she crept back into the living room not even noticing three missing senshi.
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"Now you've scared her, she'll never trust you, and she'll never trust me!" Mamoru shouted at King Endymion.
"Good, I don't care what Haruka and Michiru think, if worse comes to worse, I will not sacrifice Chibi-usa," King Endymion responded.
"What does that have to do with Ami?!" Mamoru demanded.
"Everything!" the King shouted.
"What?" Mamoru questioned.
"Ami is destined to be the only senshi able to revive the Ocean's Rose," he told him, "If she dies Chibi-usa will not."
Mamoru looked at him dumbstruck, "Are you sure?"
"Everything changes now doesn't it?"
Mamoru couldn't respond, he couldn't even begin to imagine what the King was going through now, how could anyone make a choice like that? And he was being forced to.
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Chibi-usa's face twisted in pain as she slept, "No, come back," she whispered over and over, her voice barely audible.
Warm hands took hers, and gentle lips kissed her forehead. As he left something in her palm and whispered, "Sleep now small maiden, I'll see you in the sun."
Knowing subconsciously what was going on she stopped sweating and turning and fell into a deep dreamless sleep, a small smile showing in her lips.
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Ami ran right into Seaharmony and fell to the ground, knocking the Dark Senshi down. She looked up and saw who it was, she calmed her expression and gave her the most regretful face she could, "I'm so sorry, can I help you up?" she offered Seaharmony her hand.
She took it spitefully and a connection flowed through them.
"Mercury," Seaharmony's grip grew tighter as she threw Ami to the ground.
"I really am sorry for knocking you over, it was my fault, I'll watch where I'm going next time," Ami tried not to give herself away.
"Save it! I know who you are Sailor Mercury," Seaharmony snickered.
Ami got up quickly and ran into a dark alley. Oh great Ami get yourself trapped like a rat, good move, she told herself harshly.
Seaharmony followed her and did a flip over her landing in front of her, "Running from me?" she asked viciously.
"I don't know who you are or what's going on, but leave me alone!" Ami shouted clenching her fists.
"Ha ha ha, good try Mercury," Seaharmony laughed.
Ami filled with rage, how could this happen? She remembered Helios, and saw the pain in Chibi-usa's face. She would destroy her, but first she had to get out of this alley, "Stop calling me that!" she shouted. With her anger and fear her symbol showed on her forehead, and let out a beam of blue light that knocked Seaharmony away long enough for Ami to run out of the alley and into an abandoned store. Even better, for all you know this store doesn't even have an exit! she shouted at herself.
"Not Sailor Mercury huh?" Seaharmony demanded satisfied.
"Mercury Crystal Power Make Up!" Ami shouted raising her hand.
Seaharmony laughed as she transformed, "Finally, someone to play with, okay senshi of water, come and get me, make the first move," Seaharmony challenged.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury shouted releasing her string of water.
Seaharmony moved out of the way just in time.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury shouted as Seaharmony watched the water go past her. Mercury's frozen wave hit Seaharmony and she was so cold she couldn't move.
"Mercury Aqua Mirage!" Mercury shouted hitting Seaharmony dead on, "Shabon Spray!" she created a fog and ran from the store. She didn't even turn to see what she had done to her opponent, just ran, but before she could go far she collapsed. She had used too much of her energy trying to defeat Seaharmony, too much of her strength.
Michiru and Haruka came upon the collapsed Ami. Haruka picked her up, and they began to walk back towards Mamoru's apartment.
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When Chibi-usa woke up she felt much better, must have been the sleep. She sat up and stretched, pulling her hands apart. When she did something fell out of one of her hands. It landed on her pillow, and she looked at it staring horrified. It was her healing stone, how?
"Helios!" she screamed at the top of her lungs waking everyone up.
"Chibi-usa!" Makoto growled aggravated.
She disregarded it and ran out onto Mamoru's balcony where Helios stood watching the morning sun.
She couldn't believe her eyes, and rubbed them hard, but yet he was there, wasn't he? "Helios?" she whispered.
He turned around and smiled warmly, "Small maiden."
Chibi-usa ran up to him and grabbed his neck holding on, "Helios," she whispered into his shoulder, "You came back, am I dreaming?"
"No, you saved me, your healing stone, it just took longer to work because it wasn't mine," Helios explained.
"Don't ever do that again!" Chibi-usa let go and yelled at him.
He laughed, "Okay," he agreed.
"Good," Chibi-usa smiled happily; she couldn't believe this was happening.
"Helios?!" Hotaru squeaked walking out, "How?" she and the other senshi had been told of what happened by Mamoru and Minako.
"To make a long story short, Chibi-usa saved me her healing stone healed me," Helios explained quickly.
"I can't believe this! This is so great!" Hotaru shouted happy for her friend. She smiled, something she rarely did.
Chibi-usa beamed, and Helios smiled.
"Chibi-usa, Hotaru, Helios!?" Minako shook her head, "I'm sure you'll explain, but you're needed inside, Michiru and Haruka just brought Ami back."
Helios and Hotaru's faces grew grim, and it worried Chibi-usa. Something was going on here, and she didn't know what.
They slowly walked inside and sat down.
Rei laid on the couch obviously in great pain.
Michiru brought her a glass of water, "Here drink this, it'll last for about an hour," she instructed.
Rei drank it hungrily, and it eased the pain almost immediately. She relaxed a bit, and everyone looked around curious.
"What is this about?" Makoto demanded grumpily. Chibi-usa had decided she wasn't a morning person.
"This is what it's about," King Endymion walked in, Ami laying limp in his arms.
"You bastard what did you do to her!?" Makoto shouted horrified.
"She's…she's…not…not…" Minako stuttered.
"Dead? No, and I didn't do anything to her Makoto, she did it to herself," the King set her down on the floor.
"What?!" Rei demanded worried for her friend.
"She was most likely fighting the enemy and passed out because she used too much energy. For being so smart she's pretty dumb," the King commented.
"I don't know what you have against her, but don't insult her," Makoto warned him.
"She of all the senshi should have known her limit, but she refused to follow it, and kept fighting, and see where she ended up?" the King glared at Makoto.
"She was most likely fighting for her life; she had no choice," Rei snapped.
"There are always choices Rei, it's which one is right that's the problem," King Endymion didn't even look at her, but instead looked at Mamoru.
Hotaru crawled up to Ami and was about to heal her when the King stopped her, "Don't! It will be less painful if she's asleep," he told her.
Hotaru backed off.
"No!" Setsuna shouted.
"It's her or Chibi-usa!" Endymion shouted.
"Uranus took down Firesnake, if we pulled together, we could get them. We don't even know how bad Mercury got whoever she was fighting, that's at least one down, and there's still five of us as soon as Rei is healed," Minako spoke quickly.
"And what if they attack while Rei is still down? What then?" the King questioned.
"We'll wait and see, until then you won't lay a hand on her," Mamoru said viciously.
Usagi turned her head at his tone. He shook his head and walked out.