Sailor Moon O: Orion's Story

by Merry Shannon

The senshi meet Sailor Orion, a mysterious new Sailor known as the Sacrificial Soldier. Together Orion and the senshi must race against time to find the legendary Silver Dagger in order to save the world from Negaverse invasion. In the process secrets f

6. The universal language of love! Ami's sc...

Part Six: The universal language of love! Ami's school troubles

"We really ought to talk about Sailor Orion," Mizuno Ami pointed out calmly to the other girls seated around the table. So far the Sailor Scout meeting hadn't been terribly productive. Usagi and Chibiusa had gotten into another argument, as usual. Makoto had been too distracted by preparing snacks for everybody to really participate. Rei was exhausted from yesterday's exertion at the Autumn Festival, and Minako was not really paying attention, because she was too busy reading through one of her fashion magazines. Even Haruka and Michiru, who normally didn't even attend the meetings, were being unusually quiet.
But Orion's name worked like magic. Usagi and Chibiusa immediately broke off in mid-howl, and turned to face the table. Makoto set the tray of cookies she was carrying down in front of them and took a seat. Minako dropped her magazine, and Rei looked up. Haruka and Michiru, too, seemed to suddenly take a little more interest in the meeting. It was true that they were all a bit awed and curious about the new Sailor Senshi that had appeared in their midst.
Ami smiled a bit at the sudden response. "Well, I for one would like to know exactly what she's doing here," she began, looking down at the flickering screen of her mini-computer. "It must be more than coincidence that she showed up just when the first jaki attacked."
Haruka frowned. "I don't trust her."
Everyone turned to look at the deep-voiced racer with surprise.
"Haruka-san! She's a Sailor Soldier! And she's saved our lives several times already. Why would you say something like that?" Usagi wanted to know.
Haruka shook her sandy hair. "I just don't trust her. She's not She's not really like us, is she? I mean, we don't know anything about her. What if she's an agent of the Negaverse, too, and she's just here to manipulate us into doing something for her?"
Chibiusa frowned at this. "But, Haruka-san," she protested, "Sailor Saturn even came and told us we could trust her. I don't think Saturn would lie to us."
The scowl did not leave Haruka's brow. "Maybe Sailor Saturn doesn't know the whole truth either." She looked up, and her great gray eyes met Usagi's openly. "Sailor Orion obviously knows a lot that she is not telling us, and under the circumstances I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Lord Narcissus said that we should ask Orion for the answers. But she's not telling."
"Haruka-san." Minako's voice was gentle. "Have you forgotten that when we first met you two, you also had some very important secrets that you refused to share with us?"
Michiru nodded in Minako's direction. "That's true. But we did it for the safety of our mission."
"You mean you did it because you didn't want us to try and stop you from sacrificing innocent people." Makoto's green eyes glinted, and Ami could see where this conversation was heading.
"We've already been through that, Mako-chan," she pointed out. "And it's pretty clear that we're never going to be able to agree on that particular subject, so let's just drop it, okay?" Ami turned to the rest of the girls. "What we need to discuss is whether or not the secrets Sailor Orion is keeping from us are really for our own protection or not. I mean, here we are having to fight these ugly evil spirits that keep popping up everywhere, and we don't know where they come from or what it is they want. I've run every single analysis I can think of, trying to find some answers, and all I end up with are more questions."
"Why don't you just tell us what you've got so far?" Makoto suggested. "Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with more possibilities."
Ami nodded. "My thinking exactly, Mako-chan." She looked down at her computer screen. "Okay, here's what we do know. The jaki are evil spirits under the authority of Lord Narcissus, who claims to be an admiral from the Negaverse serving someone called the Avatar. The jaki are drinking human blood, randomly, throughout Toyko, for some reason that hasn't yet been made clear to us. Sailor Orion is, somehow, connected to Lord Narcissus and this Avatar person, but it seems that they are on opposing sides. Sailor Orion knows an awful lot about each of us, even though we don't know anything about her. And apparently, she possesses a power that is greater than any of ours, except perhaps Sailor Moon's."
Usagi nodded. "And it's really weird, the way she always calls me 'Princess', never Sailor Moon. It's like the fact that I'm the Moon Princess is really important to her for some reason."
Ami's eyes widened. "That's right, Usagi. I hadn't thought of that."
Usagi beamed, quite pleased with herself.
Then Chibiusa chimed in. "And we can't forget about Sailor Saturn." Everyone turned to look at her for a minute.
"What do you mean, Chibiusa-chan?" Michiru asked.
"Well, Sailor Saturn took the time and energy to appear to us after we first met Sailor Orion," the littlest scout pointed out. "She seemed to know quite a bit about her, and she said that we've had lots of past lives with Sailor Orion, and that even though we've lost our memories from them, Sailor Orion hasn't."
Makoto nodded. "That would explain why she knows so much about us."
"And Sailor Saturn also talked about a sacrifice. That Sailor Orion was the Sacrificial Soldier, here to save Sailor Moon from some kind of death," Minako reminded them all. "She said that Orion's powers were from the same realm as Sailor Moon's."
"I wonder what she meant by that," Rei mused. "I mean, she said that Orion was the only other Sailor Soldier with power in Sailor Moon's realm, and she called it the Realm of Soul."
"Perhaps that means that each of us Sailor Soldiers have power from a different sort of realm," Ami concluded slowly. "But if that were true, why aren't we aware of these realms, and what they mean?"
Rei cocked her head thoughtfully. "Well, that 'realm' theory would explain a lot about our powers. I mean, you've noticed that each of us seems to have power over different elements of nature and spirituality."
It was quiet in the room for a moment, and Usagi noticed that Haruka was sitting in sullen silence across the table, looking very displeased with the whole topic. "Haruka-san," she spoke up. "You look upset. What's the matter?"
Haruka rose to her feet in one smooth motion. "I just don't want to talk about Sailor Orion anymore. I don't think we're going to find any answers until we get them out of her." The intense gray eyes narrowed considerably. "And we're going to have to get them out of her, one way or another."
Usagi frowned. Haruka's oddly negative reaction confused her. "Is something wrong, Haruka-san?" Her crystal blue eyes shimmered with concern for her friend. "It seems like you really hate Sailor Orion, or something."
Haruka closed her eyes for a minute, and Michiru reached up to gently touch her partner's hand. Usagi wondered if she'd said something to hurt her, so serious was the young racer's expression. Without thinking, the Sailor leader jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around Haruka's waist, the only part of the tall girl that Usagi could reach. "I'm sorry, Haruka-san. Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to."
Haruka's eyes opened, startled at the feel of the petite girl's arms around her, and she looked down with a mixture of surprise and then tenderness. Her smile, slight as usual, softened her features as she gazed at the top of the tiny senshi's dumpling-crowned head. For some reason, Tsukino Usagi had a way of reaching her heart like no one else ever had, filling Haruka with a strange combination of parental protectiveness and awed respect. She had difficulty determining whether she ought to be patting Usagi's head maternally or kneeling at her feet. Shaking her head gently, she responded, "I'm fine, Usagi-chan. Really. I've just got some things I'm trying to figure out right now."
Usagi looked up at her. "Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked innocently. "Maybe I could help"
Haruka looked down and met Michiru's deep aqua eyes, then returned her gaze to Usagi's. "No. I have to figure this out for myself."
Usagi still looked concerned, but she gave Haruka another hug anyway. "All right," she conceded a bit hesitantly.
Ami broke in at that moment. "I'm sorry, guys, but I have to get to the library before it closes. I have an Advanced English Literature test tomorrow morning." She closed up her computer and began to gather her papers together. "But I'm going to think about what you all said, and run a few more diagnostics to see if we can manage to gather more information."
Rei looked at the blue-haired scholar with concern. "Ami-chan, you've already got dark circles under your eyes from studying too much. Aren't you the one who's always telling us that cramming is unhealthy?"
Ami sighed. "I know, Rei-chan. But this class is especially difficult, and I have to study extra hard for it if I'm going to get a good grade."
Usagi frowned and leaned across the table, putting her face only a few inches from Ami's. "Ami-chan! If you make yourself sick with studying, I will not forgive you!" she declared with a scowl.
Ami looked up, and she had to smile at her academically challenged friend. "It's all right, Usagi-chan. It's just a little extra work. I don't mind. I'll be just fine, really." Then she turned to Michiru. "But I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to come to the pool tomorrow for that swimming match we were going to have. I simply must study."
Michiru nodded gracefully. "I understand. Perhaps another time."
"Sure." Ami finished sliding her papers into her backpack, and stood up. "I'll see all of you tomorrow. Have a good afternoon, everybody!" This was said with a cheerful wave as Ami headed for the front door and left the temple.
"Well, I guess we should probably go, too," Usagi announced brightly to Chibiusa, and made as if to leave. Four pairs of hands reached out to grab her and pull her back to the table.
Rei shook her head. "Oh no you don't, Usagi. You're staying here to study with us. If I remember correctly, you also have a test tomorrow."
Usagi groaned. "But"
Makoto touched her friend's arm. "Hey, whatever happened to your resolve to study more?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I thought you were going to try and do better in school."
"But"
"You did say you wanted to be more serious and mature," Minako reminded her.
"But"
"Who cares how she does on that dumb test?" Chibiusa broke in, and Usagi looked at her future daughter gratefully. But the gratitude quickly dissipated at the little girl's next comment. "I mean, hey, if she keeps on getting bad grades Mamo-chan won't take her on dates anymore. And that means he'll have time to go shopping with me." Chibiusa grinned happily.
Usagi spun around to Rei. "Rei-chan. Hand me that algebra book," she ordered.
Michiru and Haruka exchanged smiles as Rei handed her the requested item, and they rose to their feet. "We'll take Chibiusa home for you, Usagi-chan," Michiru offered, an idea which pleased Chibiusa very much.
Usagi didn't even look up from the algebra book. "Okay," she agreed, not really even paying attention. She was glaring at the pages of equations with determination. The two older girls looked at each other again, and Chibiusa tugged on their hands.
"Come on, Haruka-san, Michiru-san. Can we go?"
Haruka grinned down at the pink-haired, dumpling-headed child. "How about we get ice cream first?" she offered, already knowing what her response would be. Chibiusa clapped her hands, and her russet eyes danced with delight. Haruka chuckled and swung the little girl up onto her shoulders. "Let's go, then."
The three waved goodbye to the remaining scouts, and Usagi was still too absorbed in the math book to even acknowlege they were leaving. Haruka and Michiru grinned at each other again, and Michiru shook her head good-naturedly. Then they approached the door, with Chibiusa chattering excitedly as they left the temple.

"Where are you, my jaki? Come forward." The chilling voice seemed to evoke a response from the black liquid oozing about the edges of the slowly expanding hole, which was now about the size of a basketball. A drop of the gooey stuff gathered and fell, striking the shiny black surface of the monument.
A moment later, another jaki had made its appearance. This one was even uglier than its predecessors, possessing three twisted, curling horns that emerged from his glistening black forehead. The creature turned towards the hole in space, its yellow eyes sparkling in a most unpleasant way.
"Jaki here, Lord Narcissus."
"Good." The Negaverse admiral's voice was as spiteful as ever. "Now listen to me. The Avatar is quite displeased with our recent failures. We must bring him results soon, or he may run out of patience. You will find the humans and drain their blood, and find me that blasted Dagger! Do you understand?"
The monster nodded and licked its lips. "Human juice Dagger. Understand."
"I want that Dagger, jaki. The Negaverse must be freed! Now go go and complete our mission!"
The evil spirit grinned, exposing sharp white teeth that contrasted starkly with the darkness of its face. It slid off the ornately carved black monument, and landed softly in the grass. Rolling itself into a smooth ebony ball, the jaki rose into the air and bounced against the ground. It landed and bounced again, and again, and then soared into the blue Japanese sky, tracing the now-familiar curved trajectory towards the city.
The darkness beyond the tear in space seemed to swell a little, as if someone behind it was testing the strength of its edges. A peal of wicked, bloodcurdling laughter resounded through the empty plain, causing the monument beneath to shudder slightly at the sound. "Soon, Child soon victory will be ours, and your pitiful little sacred sacrifices will come to an end!" Lord Narcissus laughed again, and the gaping hole appeared to stretch just a little bigger.

Ami stared at the book in front of her, then closed her eyes wearily and rubbed her aching temples. I don't understand! Why is this so difficult? It's just poetry. I should be able to do this! She opened her eyes again and looked down in frustration at the English words on the page. Then she drew out a paper from one of her folders and gazed at it sadly. In red ink, a huge 72% had been circled at the top of the page. Next to it, in her teacher's sprawling Japanese handwriting, there was a little note. "Ami, this is not the quality of your usual work. Perhaps you should speak with me."
Ami sighed, and ran her fingers through her short blue locks. What am I going to do? She could feel tears pricking behind her eyes as she stared again at that horrible, ugly 72% marked so boldly on her paper. It doesn' t matter how much I study, I just don't get it. She shook her head. A flash of guilt ran through her when she thought of her friends. I didn't tell them the whole truth. I don't want them to know. How on earth can I tell them I'm having trouble in school? They all look up to me. I just couldn't stand to have them disappointed in me. Ami could picture the shock and pity in Usagi's face if she was told, and then she envisioned her friend's inevitable shrug of carelessness.
"Don't worry about it," Usagi would say with a sweet smile and a well meaning hug. "School's not that important, Ami-chan."
"It is to me," Ami whispered, tears blurring her vision. "It's important to me." She lowered her head onto her arms, and a tear slid down her nose and soaked the red ink on her paper. Studying-it's all I've got. I study hard, because the things I know help me to protect my friends. If I can't succeed in this class, how can I hope to succeed as Sailor Mercury and protect them all? Another tear followed the first. I have to work on this until I get it. I have to. But right now it doesn't feel like I'll ever understand. I've been up until two in the morning every night this week, and these poems still don't make any sense. A shuddering sob escaped her.
"Is everything all right?"
Ami sat up quickly and wiped her eyes, trying not to look like she'd been crying. The young woman who had come up to her took a seat across the table from her, and her golden retriever, who was easily identified as a guide dog for the blind by the harness he wore, sat next to her. Ami returned her gaze to her book and did her best to make her voice sound light and cheery.
"Oh, yes. Just fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
The vacant eyed girl tilted her head, her keen hearing catching the hidden tears in Ami's tone. "You're Mizuno Ami, right?"
Ami looked up in surprise. "That's right. Do I know you?"
"Not exactly. I'm Giseino Shinzui."
"Oh, you're the Giseino Shinzui my friends have been telling me about," Ami realized, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "Hino Rei told me you're a musician."
"Of sorts," Shinzui smiled at the young girl. "And you're the academic genius."
"Not too genius lately, I'm afraid," Ami commented before she could stop herself. Then she frowned. Why did I just say that?|
Shinzui picked up on the break in the other girl's voice, and her face suddenly got very soft. "What's the matter?" she inquired gently.
Ami stared at the pale-haired young woman curiously. I get the strangest feeling around her like I know her from someplace else. Why do I suddenly feel like telling her everything? Ami shook her head. "Nothing, really," she started to lie. "I'm just tired" But looking at Shinzui's face, Ami could tell that the other girl didn't believe that for a minute, and what was more, the blind woman looked so open and sincere that Ami couldn't keep up the pretense. Without realizing what she was doing, Ami began to talk about the class that was giving her trouble.
"Well, to tell the truth, I'm having trouble in my Advanced English Lit class. I just can't make sense of this poetry, no matter how hard I try. But I don't know what else to do-I've tried everything I can think of and they still don't make sense to me. I've been staying up late every night, and I've read these poems so many times I could probably recite them by heart. Nothing helps I still don't understand." Ami could feel the tears rise in her eyes again. "The worst part is, I can't tell my friends about any of this."
"Why not?" Shinzui wanted to know, her tone very soft.
"Because. I'm supposed to be the one with all the answers. They count on me. How could I disappoint them like that? Being smart is the one thing I can do really well, the one way I can help them and" Ami couldn't finish her sentence as her voice broke. "How do I tell them I'm not what they think? How do I tell them I'm a failure?"
Shinzui smiled a little, and reached out to touch Ami's hand gently. Ami felt a charge of something strange run through her at the contact and her dark blue eyes widened. She's so familiar! I'm certain I know her from somewhere
"Mizuno-san. You must have more faith in yourself. You must have more faith in your friends. If they are true friends, then they like you for who you are, not what you can do for them." Shinzui's tinkling voice filled Ami with a warmth that she could not explain. "Everyone struggles, even in the areas where they are most talented. Those struggles are what help us to grow, to expand our gifts. Your friends will understand that."
Ami gazed at Shinzui. "Tell me, Giseino-san. Do you ever struggle with your music?"
Shinzui nodded, and her voice was very honest. "Every single day." A faint smile curved her lips. "There were many times when I wanted to give it up altogether. I was so frustrated because I could not see the notes on the page. I could not see the keys on the piano, or the strings of the guitar. I could not even see the faces of the people who were hearing my music."
Ami raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"
"I opened my heart to the music. I forgot about trying to read notes or play the right chords, and I let the music speak to me instead. Once I did that, the other aspects just fell into place."
Ami looked down at the poem in front of her. "I wish I knew how to do that with this poetry."
"Which poem is it?"
Ami gave a half-laugh. "Oh, you've probably never even heard of it."
"Try me." Shinzui's face was quite serious now, and as Ami looked at her, she felt certain that the blind woman was not just teasing her.
"Well, actually, it's a series of poems by a Scottish poet named Robert Burns. They're written in English, but that's not the difficult part. It's that they're written in a Scottish accent, so that there are words in it that don't mean the same thing as they usually do in English. Some of the words aren't even real words!" Ami pointed to a particular line on the page. "Like here, where it says, 'Til a' the seas gang dry'. It doesn't make any sense to me at all."
Shinzui cocked her head. "Maybe you're looking at it the wrong way."
"What do you mean?"
"You're trying to decipher the poem, like it's written in a secret code that must be cracked. But poetry is not like science, Mizuno-san." The blind girl smiled. "Poetry is meant to be read with feeling, not with analyzation."
Ami shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand."
"Well, take Robert Burns, for instance. Did you know that he wrote most of his poems to be sung?"
Ami nodded. "Well, yes, my teacher did tell us that. But I still don't see"
"Many of his poems were difficult for his own people to read, because they are indeed written in an unusual language. But they made perfect sense once they were sung, because they then sound exactly the way the people of his country speak. For instance, the song that many people sing on New Year's Eve, 'Auld Lang Syne'. He wrote that."
"Really?" Ami was surprised. "I've heard that song I didn't know he wrote it."
Shinzui nodded. "Many of his other poems, like 'Sweet Afton' and 'A Red, Red Rose' were also written as songs. And it's true that they are quite difficult to understand, until you hear them set to music." The girl's empty gaze was nearly glowing with enthusiasm. "To tell the truth, Robert Burns is one of my favorite poets. Once you understand the meaning of his work, it is very moving."
Ami looked doubtfully at the lines of English writing on the page in front of her. "I don't think I'll ever be able to understand it like that, Giseino-san."
"Sure you will." Ami looked up, catching a note of mischief in Shinzui's tone. The fair-haired young woman closed her eyes for a moment, and then began to sing. The purity and sweetness of her voice, even without instrumental accompaniment, enveloped Ami with its shimmering spirit. Ami felt herself being absorbed into the melody, as Shinzui sang the English words in a perfect Scottish brogue. And for the first time it didn't matter that Ami didn't understand them. The emotions that flowed from the melodic syllables didn't need definitions in order to be understood. Ami closed her eyes, too, as the poem that had plagued her for so long unveiled itself in all its deep-hearted glory
"Oh, my luv's like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in Joon
Oh, my luv's like a melodie
That's sweetly playd in toon
So fare art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luv am I
I weel luv thee steel, m' dear,
'Til a' the seas gang dry
'Til the seas gang dry, m' dear,
And rocks melt wi'the sun
I weel luv thee steel, m' dear
While the sands of life shall run
Now feer thee weel, my bonnie lass
Now feer thee weel, the while
I weel come to thee m' luv
Though it were ten thousand mile."
The passion and devotion of the music was unmistakeable, and Ami could feel the meaning of the words penetrate her soul. My love, you are a rose, a perfect song. I will love you until the seas dry up, and rocks melt in the sun. I will love you as long as I live, and no matter how far apart we are, I will travel any distance to be with you. Shinzui's angelic voice gave each word life, and Ami found herself wondering how she ever could have missed the power and beauty that this poem had to offer.
Ami opened her eyes to see tears on Shinzui's cheeks as she finished the last notes, crystalline and clear, and she realized that this was more than just another song. This song held meaning for Shinzui some very deep meaning. The blind girl with the sweet voice was singing this song, not for herself or for Ami, but for someone else. Someone who was obviously very special.
"Who is he?" Ami asked, so enraptured in the moment that she forgot that this question might sound terribly rude.
Shinzui opened her vacant eyes, and this time her smile held a touch of bitterness. She did not have to ask what Ami meant; she already knew, and she shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she responded softly. "It makes no difference. The destiny of eternity will forever dictate our separate paths." Then she seemed to snap out of her melancholy, and her smile turned much more genuine. "Do you understand the poem now?"
Ami nodded, her blue bangs bouncing into her eyes. "Yes. I do and you were right. I was trying to decipher the poem instead of really hearing what it had to say." Her blue eyes sparkled. "But now it makes sense. I really do understand! And it's beautiful." Ami was so relieved and excited that she felt like giggling uncontrollably. But instead she just turned and touched Shinzui's hand. "Thank you so much, Giseino-san."
"Call me Shinzui," the other girl grinned. "And any time you need help with Robert Burns or any other poet for that matter, you can come talk to me. Poetry is one of my favorite subjects, next to music, of course."
Ami smiled at the young blind woman, and then started to ask her a question. But before she could say a single word, Shinzui stiffened and a very odd expression crossed her face. The fair haired girl suddenly reached down and gripped Centauri's harness tightly.
"Shinzui-san, is something wrong?" Ami looked at her with concern.
Shinzui shook her head. "I'm terribly sorry, but I have to go." She rose to her feet. "I'll see you later, Mizuno-san."
"Oh, you can call me" suddenly Ami realized that the tall young woman had vanished. "Ami," she finished quietely, looking around her to see if she could find where Shinzui had gone. But there was no trace of the blind girl or her dog. "That's really odd," Ami mused to herself. "I wonder where she"
Suddenly there was a very loud crash near the front of the library, as if an entire shelf of books had been knocked over. Ami heard a familiar hissing sound,and her blood froze. A jaki! In the library! Ami's transformation pen was in her hand before she even stood up. Looking around to make sure no one was there watching, Ami waved the pen in the air. "Mercury Star Power, Makeup!" she cried.
Streams of light blue water and cascades of bubbles swirled around her as her Sailor fuku miraculously appeared around her, and she fell into her automatic defensive stance as the transformation completed. Sailor Mercury reached for her wrist communicator to call the others for help, but a terrified scream from the front of the room made her decide she'd better do that later. Sprinting towards the front of the library, Sailor Mercury caught sight of the evil spirit with its three twisted horns. It was holding the librarian, its long, sharp fangs embedded in the woman's wrist.
"Let her go!" Sailor Mercury ordered.
The jaki looked up to see the blue and white senshi staring at it with a challenge in her eyes. It withdrew its fangs and dumped the lifeless body of the woman on the floor. "Human juice," it hissed, looking greedily at Sailor Mercury. The creature opened its mouth, sending a bolt of black lightning towards the Sailor Scout. Mercury dodged, and the powerful dark energy crashed into a bookshelf behind her, knocking it over with a very loud noise. Rising to her feet, Sailor Mercury could see a group of frightened library patrons huddled together in a corner.
"Get out of here!" she called to them. "Right now! It's all right."
Putting herself between the monster and its would-be victims, Mercury pointed a finger straight at the ugly spirit. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" she exclaimed, powering up her shimmering liquid attack and firing it at the creature.
The jaki attempted to dodge the glimmering blast of water, but tripped over the body of the woman it had just drained. The attack hit it full force, knocking it backwards for a moment and temporarily stunning it. This gave Sailor Mercury the opportunity to quickly escort the group of scared young people safely out the door. But as she turned to face the creature again, she was struck full in the face by one of its dark power bolts. Mercury cried out in pain as the paralyzing power screamed through her body, rendering her completely immobile.
Sailor Mercury fell to the floor, and the monster grinned wickedly. Its form began to shiver, and turn purple, as Lord Narcissus took over the jaki's body. Strolling over to the quivering Sailor senshi, the lavender-haired Lord smiled mockingly.
"Well, what have we here," he exulted. "Looks like I've caught myself a Sailor brat."
It took almost all of Mercury's strength, but she glared at him. Lord Narcissus produced a small knife from the folds of his lavender cape, and brandished it gleefully. "Well, little lady, let's just see if you're the one." He reached out and seized Sailor Mercury's hand, and she was unable to resist him because of the paralyzing effects of the jaki's attack. Lord Narcissus drew the sharp little blade across Mercury's palm, and she would have cried out if she had the voice to cry out with. A line of blood welled up from the cut, a brilliant scarlet color. Lord Narcissus frowned. "Well, it's not you, that's for certain." He raised the knife again. "But it's time for me to get rid of you. One less Sailor Brat to worry about."
"Stop right there."
The purple-clad admiral turned to find the owner of the tinkling, sweet voice, and as he moved away, Sailor Mercury could see Sailor Orion seated on top of one of the shelves. The silver-eyed senshi was watching Lord Narcissus with a dangerous glitter in her eyes.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Narcissus," she warned him, her voice still sounding light and cheerful, a tone which belied the deadly force behind her words. Orion slid off the shelf and landed softly on the library carpet, still keeping her eyes fastened to Lord Narcissus'. "It's not a good idea to go around attacking Sailor Soldiers. Where there is one, there are always more."
Sailor Mercury summoned up every bit of strength she had, and managed to move one arm over to the other, where she could press the call button on her wrist communicator. She didn't have any strength left after that action to even remain concious, much less call for help. But she hoped that at least one of the other Sailor Scouts would turn on their communicator and see her lying there. Good thing I told them I was going to the library This was her last thought as conciousness left her and she slipped into blackness.
Lord Narcissus had completely forgotten about Sailor Mercury. "Well, Miss Orion," the admiral said with a cocked eyebrow. "Nice to see you again. The Avatar has been looking forward to having a little chat with you."
"Has he?" A wickedly amused gleam flashed in the peach-clad scout's eyes. "That's funny, because I have no intention of ever speaking to him again."
"We're going to find the Dagger first, this time, Sailor Brat. You'll never defeat us. You and your little Sailor friends, and that ridiculous 'Sacred Child' with her three equally ridiculous Guardians all of you are going to be the first sacrifices in the glorious return of the Negaverse!" The amythysts on Lord Narcissus' eyepatch twinkled at her.
Sailor Orion tilted her head. "You sound terribly confident about that, Narcissus. It will be such a shame to see you disappointed when the Sacred Child's soul returns to seal the gate again." Then she smiled. "Although, at the rate we're going, I'm not sure you're going to get to see it at all." Orion cocked an eyebrow at him. "How about it, Narcissus? I'll even give you a fighting chance. No powers, no tricks. Just you and me." Her smile grew a bit wider. "It's been a long time since I last had the chance to beat up some Negaverse scum the old fashioned way."
Lord Narcissus snorted. "You want to fight me? Okay, fine. Your funeral."
Sailor Orion took up a defensive position. "We'll see," was all she responded.
The two began to circle each other warily. Finally Narcissus struck first, lashing out at Sailor Orion with a well-aimed punch that she dodged under, coming up and landing one of her own in his midsection. Narcissus doubled for a moment as the wind was knocked out of him, but he quickly straighted, trying not to let on that he'd been hurt at all. Sailor Orion just watched him with that halfway mocking smile, and waited. After a few moments he attacked again, this time bringing one fist down over his head. Orion blocked the blow with an unexpected strength, and Narcissus attempted to bring his other fist up underneath to hit her in the midsection as she had just done to him. To his surprise, his fist found only air as Sailor Orion spun around, out of reach, and a moment later her boot connected with his face as she completed a spinning kick that knocked the Negaverse admiral back against the wall. His head struck the bricks of the library wall with a resounding crack that made his vision fuzzy.
He shook his head to clear it, and moved away from the wall, beginning to circle Sailor Orion again. She was faster and stronger than he had expected. She made no move to attack him, waiting instead for him to come to her. And all the while, her face still carried that little mocking smile. She was actually enjoying this. Lord Narcissus struck again, maneuvering himself this time so that he was behind her in the hopes of striking her back where she might be more vulnerable. But this proved to be another mistake, as Orion raised her foot and landed another kick, backwards this time, in the center of his chest. The five-inch heel on her boot left a welt on Narcissus' perfect, chiseled pectoral muscles. This time Sailor Orion followed up the attack, spinning around to add insult to injury by punching the lavender Lord across the face and then, with the other hand, coming up into his abdomen again. There was a satisfying crack as a couple of ribs broke, and Narcissus gasped in pain. Clutching his side, the admiral backed away from the colossal Sailor Senshi.
Orion sneered at him. "Had enough yet, Captain Hook?" she inquired mockingly.
Lord Narcissus glared at her, and straightened, stubbornly ignoring the pain that shot through him with that motion. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting started," he boasted.
"My, my. Such a stubborn ego," Sailor Orion shook her head, clucking her tongue condescendingly. "You're as bad as the Avatar. Well, all right then. You want a little more? You shall have it."
For the first time, Orion struck first, a volley of punches and kicks that came with lighting speed. They were so quick and hard that Narcissus could not dodge them fast enough. Sailor Orion rained blows on his head, shoulders, back, abdomen, knees-and finally swung one foot beneath him, knocking Lord Narcissus flat on his back. For a moment, Narcissus could not see anything. The whole world swam in a wash of colors, and every single molecule in his body ached. When his vision finally did clear, Sailor Orion's amused smile was the first thing that came into focus as she bent over him.
"Well, that was fun," she commented sweetly.
Narcissus attempted to make a biting reply, but all he could do was moan.
Sailor Orion's eyes widened innocently. "Are you in pain, dear Narcissus? Perhaps this will help." Suddenly the library was filled with the sound of gentle humming, as Orion's Music Sphere floated up from behind her. "Allow me to heal your wounds."
Narcissus' one visible eye grew round. "No," he croaked out, remembering the terrible beauty of the melody that had come from that Sphere the last time they met. "You said you said no powers, remember?"
Sailor Orion gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, all right then. Have it your way." She straightened up to allow Narcissus to stand.
After several moments of struggle, the lavender-caped admiral managed to regain his footing, and he glared at Orion rebelliously. Orion shook her head.
"Dear, dear. Are you still going to insist that I beat you into the ground? You're more foolish than I thought."
"You're forgetting one thing, Miss Orion." This was said in a haughty tone.
"Oh?"
"The body you are damaging is not mine." Lord Narcissus pointed this out gleefully. "All I have to do is call another jaki and take its body instead. I can stand here and fight you forever, until you exhaust yourself, and then do as I like with you."
"But the real question is, can you then fight each of us, until we're exhausted?"
Lord Narcissus spun around to find the source of this new voice. It was Sailor Jupiter, who was standing just inside the door with all seven of the other Sailor Scouts, and Tuxedo Mask as well. Noting the determined looks on each of their faces, and the disturbing way with which Sailor Jupiter was cracking her knuckles, the Negaverse's admiral lost much of his courage.
He turned back to Sailor Orion, the bruises on his handsome face already causing his skin to turn a shade of purple that perfectly complemented his lavender hair. "This isn't over," he growled at her.
Orion's silver eyes widened. "Oh, I hope not. I've had fun."
With another growl, Lord Narcissus' form began to dissolve back into the shiny, wet-looking black skin of the jaki. Sailor Orion actually looked at the bruised monster with something akin to pity. "A shame your master is such a coward," she said to the evil spirit, again summoning her sphere. "Those bruises weren't meant for you." The Orion Music Sphere began to glow. "I'm going to put you out of your misery now, poor creature. Heavenly Symphony!"
As the sweet, life-giving melody swelled through the room, the jaki gave a little cry of pain and tossed its head. The three curved horns melted first, soon followed by the rest of it, until the only thing left was a small drop of greasy black liquid that absorbed into the carpet and disappeared.
"Sailor Mercury!" Sailor Moon cried, as she rushed to her friend's side. "Mercury, are you all right?"
Sailor Mercury moaned a little as the music of the Sphere poured energy back into her. The cut on her palm suddenly seemed to mend itself, the edges of the parted skin melding together again until no trace of the injury could be seen any more. The blue-haired senshi opened her eyes and sat up slowly. "Sailor Moon! What happened" her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Sailor Orion smiling down at her.
"I'm glad you are all right, Sailor Mercury." The tinkling sound of her voice was like music. "Your courage should be commended. Singlehandedly you managed to save all the library patrons from that evil spirit." Orion turned to look at the librarian, who was just beginning to revive. "We should all leave before she wakes up," Orion suggested. "Sailor Scouts always did heal faster than the other humans."
Sailor Uranus caught Orion's arm, and another wave of inexplicable revulsion washed over her, causing her to tighten her grip. "Hang on just a second," Uranus ordered coldly. "You're not going anywhere until you give us some answers."
Orion looked down at where the tomboyish Sailor senshi gripped her wrist, and then she met Uranus' gray eyes with her own silvery ones, swimming with sadness. "I'm sorry, Uranus," she said very gently. "But now is not the time." She turned and indicated Sailor Moon, who was still bending over Mercury with concern. "If I tell you too much now, the Princess will be in danger. Would you really have me put her in danger just to satisfy your curiosity?"
Sailor Uranus' gaze flickered over to Sailor Moon, and despite her dislike of Sailor Orion, she had to shake her head. "No."
Sailor Orion nodded with a melancholic, sweet smile. "I promise, one day soon you will know all that you need to know." Reaching out with one hand, she touched Sailor Uranus' cheek tenderly. "Please, Uranus. I know it is very difficult, but please trust me."
The deep sadness in Orion's gaze kept Sailor Uranus from wiping the feel of the taller girl's touch from her face. Confusion warred within her as the unreasonable feelings of hate were attacked by a flash of guilt and even pity. Uranus didn't understand it. There was something in her that made her want to feel sorry for Sailor Orion, even as another part of her felt like hitting her. As if she could sense her confused emotions, Sailor Orion's smile grew even sadder.
"You don't have to fight it, you know," she spoke softly. "It's okay if you don't like me."
Sailor Uranus dropped her grip on the other girl's arm and stared at her in shock. This gave Orion the chance she needed. Making a slight bow to Sailor Moon, she pressed the peach stone in her bracelet and disappeared.

"So how did your exam go?"
Ami looked up as Shinzui slid into the chair across the library table from her, and she smiled. "See for yourself." She held out the paper she'd been examining.
A smile spread across the blind woman's face. "I'm afraid you're just going to have to tell me, Ami-san."
Ami blushed, remembering that Shinzui, being blind, could not see the grade written at the top of the page. "Oh, I'm sorry I forgot," she apologized. "I got 100%. And my teacher said it was much better. But he didn't know that the only reason I was able to understand these poems finally was because of you."
Shinzui smiled gently. "But that's not entirely true, Ami-san. I only presented the poem to you in a way that was easier to hear. You still had to listen to it with your heart." She cocked her head. "Whenever you struggle with something like this, you must remember that it does not matter what language the poem is written it. Music is a universal language, something everyone can understand if they open their hearts to it. Keep your heart open, Ami-san, and you'll find that suddenly everything has a meaning."
Ami nodded. "Thank you, Shinzui-san."
The older girl nodded sweetly, and then gripped her guide dog's harness yet again. "I have to get to the university now, to teach my class. But if any time you need my help, please don't hesitate to come talk to me." She rose to her feet, but continued to face Ami. "And one more thing. It's true that you are brilliant, and that your gifts in school are extraordinary. But you mustn't allow what you are able to do to define who you are. You are a wonderful person, Ami, just because you're you. Even if you could never study again that would not change." She smiled again. "I'll see you later, Ami-san."
Ami could not think of an appropriate reply, as the blind girl was led away by her beautiful golden retriever. She smiled to herself, though, as she considered Shinzui's words. "Yes. See you later," she said quietly to the now empty room. She gazed down at the paper in front of her, where the words of Robert Burns' poem stared back up at her. Softly, she began to hum to herself.

Back to Part Five
On to Part Seven
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