Part Twenty-Three: Cooking, competition, fun! Jupiter's silver lightning
The pipes hissed, and a cloud of steam billowed into the dim, echoing expanse of the ancient tunnels. A moment later the Child emerged through it, her long white gown seeming to glow as it reflected the pale blue light from the electric torches fixed to the walls. Her silvery hair also glittered with blue highlights, making her appear to be some sort of avenging angel gliding serenely towards them. As she drew nearer the three Guardians could make out the symbol of Orion shining softly on her forehead as it always did in this form. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe that this was the same person who, millennia before, had murdered millions of people and threatened the existence of existence itself.
The Guardians bowed to her at her approach, and she greeted them all in the manner which had been their custom for thousands of years. "Guardian Father." She leaned forward to place a kiss on his forehead. "Guardian Friend." She extended her hand, and he took it into his own in a warm handshake. Then she turned to the central figure. "Guardian Brother." And she reached out to pull him into a hug.
As usual when she embraced him, Demetrius felt his heart nearly stop. There was nothing in the world that he could imagine that was quite so wonderful as holding this girl, this amazing, wonderful girl, in his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of her hairsoft and clean, like the smell in the air after it rains. He would never again be able to see her as a monster, not this beautiful, pure thing in front of him. If only he could tell herbut he knew the time was not right. It would never be right, for she would never be able to see him as more than a dear brother. Not so long as there was someone else in her heart.
The Sacred Child pulled back then, and regarded the Guardians seriously. "We must talk," she said quietly. "I have met with the Senshi to discuss Lady Slipper's recent attack on Sailor Saturn. We have hypothesised, and I concur, that Lady Slipper now believes it is one of the Senshi who carries the Silver Dagger."
"If this is true," Guardian Father mused, "then she will be coming back after each one of you. You must all be on your guard at all times."
The Child nodded. "However, we do have the advantage now. During our meeting, Uranus and Neptune said that they had already been tested by Lord Narcissus and Lady Slipper in the Doomsday Gate, and were found not to be the carriers. So I used the Orion Fire Opal to test all the other girlsand none of them is the carrier, either."
Demetrius raised an eyebrow. "You mean you drew their blood?"
"With their permission, yes. All except the Princess. She was too squeamish."
Guardian Friend was shaking his head slowly. "The Moon Princess has the most powerful constitution of all of you. If the Dagger was reabsorbed into one of the Sailor Planets, she would be the most likely prospect. You must test her."
"Not without her permission," the girl replied firmly. "I swore to protect the Princess with my life. I will not draw her blood without her consent."
Neophilus straightened. "Child, I understand your devotion to Princess Serenity. We all do. But Oberon is right. She must be tested."
"No." There was silence for a moment as that emphatic response echoed against the hollow metal pipes overhead. The Child's voice softened then. "The Dagger has always come to us when we needed it," she declared, her tinkling silver tones sounding like small bells all around them. "If it is within the Princess I believe it will come to us in its own time. I will not violate her wishes. If she does not want to be tested she shall not be tested. Not by me, nor by Lady Slipper. I will die before I allow it to happen."
The Guardians looked at one another. There was no mistaking that definitive tone in her voicethey knew it all too well. She only took that tone when defending Serenity and the Moon Family; and they had learned from millennia of experience that it was useless to try and convince her otherwise. Guardian Brother tilted his head to the side.
"But, Child," he began. "What happens if she does carry the Dagger in her bloodstream, and the vernal equinox arrives without the Dagger's extraction? Are you willing to allow the end of the world, the Posiverse, and everything we fight for, because you do not want to draw blood from a friend?"
The girl's silver eyes shimmered fathomlessly. "I do not believe that will happen," she insisted. "The Silver Dagger was created with the sole purpose of performing the Eternal Sacrifice. It will fulfill its purpose. It will come to us." She narrowed her eyes a bit. "However, knowing that the Senshi are not carriers gives us an advantage; it buys us some time. Lady Slipper does not know. She will have to attack each one of us individually in order to test our blood, and this will take her a while. In the meantime we can continue our own search for the Dagger."
The Guardians nodded thoughtfully, but Neophilus was still concerned. "This does, however, place each of you at a very great risk," he pointed out. "If you are Lady Slipper's targets you must be very careful. She is not like Lord Narcissus; she is a Sailor Constellation. Her powers are nearly equal to your own, and certainly are stronger than most of the other Senshi. You will all have to take extreme caution not to be caught alone with her."
She inclined her head. "Yes, we have discussed this amongst ourselves, and agreed to stay in groups of at least two in order to protect one another. However, the risk to us is not nearly as great as the risk would be to civilians. The Senshi can at least fight back. It is better to keep Lady Slipper preoccupied with us than to encourage her to send the jaki against innocent and defenseless people."
"True," Guardian Friend agreed.
Demetrius took a step forward. "I will help," he declared. "Lady Slipper would have a very difficult time dealing with a Guardian in addition to Senshi. I can protect you."
The Child smiled fondly at him. "Thank you, Guardian Brother, but we do not need your protection as much as we need the Dagger. It would be better if you were to stay at the hospital and continue your work there."
Demetrius appeared disappointed, but Guardian Father clapped him on the shoulder. "The Sacred Child is right, Demetrius. You will be more useful to us at the hospital. We must all continue our current work, but remain more alert than ever."
The Child smiled at him. "Yes." She looked down at her belt where the Orion Opal was mounted at her waist. It was not yet pulsing or humming. "They are not tracking us yet," she stated. "Perhaps Lady Slipper has decided it is not worth the effort to try and keep tabs on the location of my Fire Opal anymore, now that she knows I am in Tokyo. But we ought to disperse, regardless. I do not want any surprise attacks to deal with today." She met their eyes solemnly. "Safe questing, my Guardians."
"Safe questing, Child."
"Well done, Lady Slipper." The deep, unpleasant voice growled through the dim throne room. The young woman in the center of the floor smiled gleefully, and made a low curtsy. Her long rose-colored braid touched the floor and then was lifted again as she straightened.
"Thank you, Avatar." Lady Slipper's venomous sea green eyes glittered. "I am most gratified that you are pleased."
The Avatar nodded slowly from his seat on the grotesque dark throne. "Yes. You are proving rather competent. You have succeeded in your first mission, and we now know that Sailor Saturn does not possess the Dagger. Tell me, which of the Planet Senshi shall be your next target?"
The evil woman bowed again. "I have selected Sailor Jupiter to be tested next, Avatar," she responded. "Her powers glow with silver strength, just the sort that could be enhanced by the energy of the Silver Dagger. I believe she is a very good candidate."
"I see."
"I wish to ask your advice, my lord," Lady Slipper continued. "What do you suppose would be the best method for drawing Jupiter out? As yet we do not know the human identities of many of the Senshi in this lifetime. How shall I isolate Jupiter from the others?"
There was a black chuckle. "Why, Lady Slipper, I would have thought you were a bit more clever than that. You cannot tell me that you have forgottenthe Senshi may be reborn each thousand years, but though their names and even their appearances change, you know as well as I that they maintain the same personality from lifetime to lifetime."
"With the exception of Uranus, my lord," Lady Slipper corrected hesitantly, knowing that she must sound humble with this statement or risk the Avatar's fury. However she was in luck, as the Avatar nodded in agreement.
"Very true. But Uranus is an exception to the rule, thanks to that worthless son of mine." The Avatar spit out the last words angrily, but after a moment he regained his composure and continued. "At any rate, Lady Slipper, it is Jupiter we are concerned with at the moment, and her personality has been one of the least mutable of all the Senshi. So you tell mewhat will the Soldier of Protection respond to, hmm?"
Lady Slipper considered this for a moment, thinking back over her previous experience with Jupiter, and her eyes lit up. "Food," she responded quickly. "Sailor Jupiter was always quite enthusiastic about the wasteful human habit of eating. And that is how I shall catch her."
There was another chuckle. "Make it a competition," the Avatar ordered with cruel amusement. "If my memory serves me, and it always does, Jupiter has a strong competitive streak in her. One we can use to our advantage. I want you to arrange a food preparation contest in Tokyo. Make it the biggest, most talked-about event of the year. If I know Jupiter she will be unable to resist the opportunity to show off her skill, and you should be able to locate her easily. She'll be the one whose dishes taste of thousands of lifetimes of experience."
Lady Slipper giggled then. "Yes, Avatar. I shall do exactly as you instruct. Never fearthe Dagger will be ours very soon."
This time the Avatar did not smile, however. "You had better be correct, Lady Slipper," he commanded gravely. "The vernal equinox draws closer with each passing day. I will not tolerate failure. I will not wait another thousand years to take back what is mine."
"Yes, my lord." Lady Slipper bowed once more, and then took three steps backwards, away from the throne, before turning on her heel and leaving the room.
The Avatar sat in silence for a moment, stroking his chin. His eyes, as black and fathomless as those of his son, bore an inscrutable expression. And then, slowly, a smile curved the thin, bloodless lips. "Yes, Orion, the time of my revenge is near. I will repay you for your treacheryand you will suffer dearly for what you have cost me. Then I will cause your screams of agony to ring throughout the Negaverse and Posiverse alike, and all will know what it means to defy me, the Avatar of all existence." A low, dark chuckle resonated through the throne room, and even the grasping, bony black hands of the throne seemed to tremble at the sound of it.
Ami looked up from her astrophysics lab manual, and there was an expression of unusual tension on her face. Shinzui could sense it from across the room, and her head also came up. "What is it, Ami-chan?" she inquired softly. Although her voice was quiet, the musical tones immediately silenced the rest of the room. Minako and Chibiusa paused their Nintendo game, and Usagi and Rei ceased their current argument over whether or not Usagi had returned the last manga issue that Rei had lent to her. Even Makoto turned down the volume on the television where she was watching a popular young soap star. They all turned to stare at Ami, who blushed furiously.
"It's um" The gentle blue-haired girl sighed as the worry lines again appeared on her forehead. "Shinzui-san. Are you really going to die?"
The quiet that spread through the room was so absolute that one could have heard a butterfly sneeze. Shinzui's vacant eyes went wide for a moment, and Centauri turned to his mistress and nuzzled her knee reassuringly. The blind girl ruffled the soft fur of his ear for a moment, and sighed. She'd known that this subject was bound to come up, but it always fazed her a bit. She hated to talk about the eternal Sacrifice while the Princess was in the room, knowing how sensitive the girl could be at the thought of the death of a friend. There would be much pain, before there would be happiness, and Shinzui was not eager to begin the suffering. But it was something that had to be done at some point. The others would have to be prepared for what was coming, and she knew that now was probably as good a time as any. So she took a deep breath and nodded slowly, gathering her thoughts. "Yes, Ami-chan. I am going to die."
"But why? Why does it have to be you?" Rei demanded. "What's so important about this sacrifice of yours, anyway? Can't we just blast the Doomsday Gate with all our power and reseal it?"
Shinzui shook her head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Rei-chan. The Doomsday Gate is a rift between universes. It cannot be held together by Realm energy alone. Only the Realm of Soul has the strength to create a seal that will not be broken by the evil from the Negaverse side. And only a soul from the Realm of Soul has the purity required to maintain the integrity of the seal."
Usagi shook her head stubbornly. "There's got to be another way," she insisted. "I will never believe that the only way to save the Posiverse is to sacrifice a Senshi."
The young blind woman sighed again, sadly, as she turned to face her. "I realize how difficult this is for you, Princess. And I'm afraid that it will only get more difficult as the vernal equinox draws near. But I want you to understand that I chose this fate. I am happy to give up my life for youfor all of this." She swept her arm around the room. "You, Princess, taught me that there are things worth living for. And that means those same things are worth dying for. It is my destiny, and I embrace it, for it means that I can protect the ones that I love. I can protect love itself. That is a great honor for someone like me."
Makoto rose to her feet and came over to the table where she could join the conversation. Sinking to her knees with clouded eyes, she stated firmly, "That still doesn't make it right. You shouldn't have to die, Shinzui-chan. There are so many of us. We have so much power. Surely if we stand together and fight"
"It would not accomplish anything," Shinzui interrupted gently. "Sometimes power just isn't enough. Sometimes energy is not the essence of life at all. Life goes deeper than mere energy, Mako-chan. There is a spirit, a core, a soul there, that is the foundation for all. It is what makes us human. It is what you, Princess, gave to me when you cleansed me from the evil corrupting my heart. And it is that core that can seal the Doomsday Gate. Believe me when I say that we have searched for millennia, ever since the very first Sacrifice, to find another waybut we never discovered one."
"Shinzui no gisei," Minako said under her breath. "Soul of sacrifice. And that's what you are?"
Shinzui shook her head slightly with a melancholic smile. "No, Minako-chan. That's who I am."
"Well, I won't accept that." All eyes turned to stare with surprise at Ami, whose worried look had been replaced by one of sheer determination. Ami's blue eyes narrowed and she lifted a fist defiantly. "I am the super-genius, right? And I am going to find another answer. You just watch me." She snapped the astrophysics book shut and shoved it into her bag. Then she stood up and marched out of the temple room. After a moment, the girls could see her striding purposefully down the shrine steps and out to the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the library.
Shinzui let out a breath. Poor Ami. She'd always struggled so much with the fact that her academic mind could not find a solution to a seemingly mathematical problem. And it was always so much more difficult during these lifetimes when she'd actually developed a relationship with the Senshi's human personalities. The sensitive, gentle Soldier of Air had, in the past, been one of the Senshi who had the hardest time accepting her fate. And while Shinzui had complete faith in Ami's intelligence, she knew that the search would be hopeless. After all, the Guardians had been searching for another answer for thousands of years, and they had not found one yet. Centauri nuzzled her knee again.
"She'll be all right, Shinzui-san. She always is."
The blind girl nodded again and turned back to the group. She could sense the emotions running high through all of them; a mixture of horror and awe and helplessness and confusion that broke her heart. These were her friends, the people she loved most in all the world; and she was causing them pain. It was nearly unbearable. So she forced herself to push all her own concerns away, and smiled sweetly at all of them. "Please, my friends. Let's not ruin this afternoon with such dark thoughts. Things will be what they will be let's talk about something else." She turned towards Makoto. "I wanted to discuss with you the plans for the cooking competition you're entering," she said brightly.
Makoto's eyes lit up, just a little. "Yes, it's supposed to be the biggest culinary and cultural event in Tokyo all year!" she informed them. Her voice began to rise with excitement as she spoke. "There are famous chefs coming from all over the world to take part in the competition. And the prizes for the winners are amazingone person is going to get to go to Paris for a year and study cooking under Paul Lavoisier, the most respected chef in the world. It's an amazing opportunity."
"Are you really going to Paris, Mako-chan?" Chibiusa wanted to know, scrunching up her nose. "You can't speak French. How will you know what the chef-guy is saying?"
Makoto laughed and shook her head. "Oh, I'm not going to Paris, Chibiusa-chan. There's no way I'd win grand prize in that contest with all the other already world-famous cooks there. I'm just going so I can learn some things from them, and do the very best that I can. I'm not going to win."
"Of course you are," Usagi retorted indignantly. "Our Mako-chan is the very best cook in the entire universe!! She's going to win every prize there."
Makoto blushed a little at this fervent praise, but did not get the chance to respond as Shinzui broke in softly. "Mako-chan, who is going with you to the competition? You can't go alone. It wouldn't be safe." Her faded eyes darkened. "I have a bad feeling about this contest, my friends. There is something about it that just does not seem right. Lady Slipper has a finger in this, I'm certain of it. And if she's involved, Mako-chan, it most likely means that you are her next target. We must be extremely careful."
Makoto grinned wickedly. "If that frou-frou little flower blossom shows up to spoil my fun, I'll just whip up a little something special for her," she declared, green eyes dancing.
Shinzui smiled as well, but shook her head. "Mako-chan, you must understand. Lady Slipper is Tuxedo Kamen's Negaverse counterpart, and her powers are very great. They exceed your own. You cannot afford to underestimate her." The vacant gray eyes narrowed. "And I will warn you. Lady Slipper's favorite weapon is the organic poisons she cultivates in the Negaverse. While you are at the competition, Mako-chan, you must not eat anything offered to you by a stranger." Makoto gave a nod to show she understood.
Minako giggled. "It sounds like fun," she said. "And I'll bet there will be just flocks of adorable guys there, looking for a beautiful, talented girlfriend like me. I'll go with you, Mako-chanum, to keep you safe, of course."
Rei sighed. "I'm afraid I can't be there, everyone," she admitted. "I already promised Grandpa Hino and Yuuichiro that I'd help set up the shrine for our festival celebration next week."
"I can't go either." Usagi sounded so enormously cheerful about this that the other girls looked at her curiously. It was certainly not like her to be so pleased about missing out on an opportunity to eat exotic foods and watch boys all day long. But the petite blonde had stars in her eyes. "I have a date with Mamo-chan that day! He got a special holiday from his university classes and so we're spending it together. He's going to take me out on a boat. We're going to watch the sunset and the stars coming out and he's going to put his arm around me and tell me how much he loves me and we'll listen to soft music and talk and"
"And kiss a lot," Chibiusa tossed in, resulting in Usagi tossing her seat cushion into her future daughter's face, ensuing in a haphazard pillow fight between all the girls. But amid the giggling, Shinzui sat quietly at the table, her chin in her hand. There was a slight smile on her face, as she heard the sounds of her friends enjoying themselves. At least they weren't consumed with thoughts of her death for the moment. But her smile slowly dropped into a frown. There was a blackness, a heavy poisonous feeling, that seemed to be suspended ominously above their heads, and Shinzui was certain that there was danger directly ahead of them. Lady Slipper was no fool. Shinzui knew that her former Negaverse partner was well aware of the hobbies and inclinations of the Senshi. If Lady Slipper is going to waste time and energy on testing Jupiter, that's fine, she mused to herself. But I know hershe won't stop there. She'll try and kill us all if she can. I'm going to have to go along and make sure that doesn't happen.
The three girls made their way through the tightly knit crowd. Shinzui held firmly to Centauri's harness, trusting him to guide her safely in and around the surging people. The air was filled with the rich scents of baking and cooking, and each time they passed a booth Shinzui could identify the chef's specialty with a few whiffs of their cuisine. There was every sort of food imaginable being presented here today, some so exotic that it had been hundreds of lifetimes since Shinzui had last encountered them. On one side of her was Makoto. The tall brunette was carefully carrying a large wicker basket which contained her entry for the cooking competition; some of the spiciest and most delicious vegetable curry that Shinzui had ever tasted. The blind girl smiled to herself, knowing that Makoto had made the vegetable curry especially for her benefit, as she did not eat meat. The curry was so good, however, that Shinzui was concerned. Anyone who had lived as long as she and the other Senshi had would recognize in Makoto's food the distinct flavor of experience. There was no question that Makoto would win the contest. But if she did, Lady Slipper would surely find them out.
Minako was skipping along on Shinzui's other side. She was chattering gaily and munching on some pork-and-vegetable kabobs. Every few seconds her arm would come up to point at some young man in the crowd that she found attractive, and Makoto would nod and respond with equal enthusiasm. Shinzui had to shake her head. One thing that living a blind life had taught her, was that people should not be judged by the way that they looked. She actually found it so much easier, being blind, to uncover the truth about others. The way that they behaved, and treated other people, and the kindness in their heart was what was important. Having a handsome face had nothing to do with it whatsoever. But then again, she chided herself, sometimes even a sweet spirit does not matter when it comes to love. Sometimes, love is your destiny. One you cannot fight, but can only endure. Regardless of whether or not the one you love can ever love you back. For a moment her heart constricted, and she was lost in her own turbulent emotions. So distracted was she that she failed to notice the approaching presence.
"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" Shinzui's clouded gray eyes flew wide at Minako's happy exclamation. Her attention snapped back to the here and now, where her mental sensitivity was instantly bombarded with the familiar feelings of intense loathing and spite. Inwardly she cursed herself for not having paid more attention. No one was more aware than she of how Haruka struggled each time they met. Knowing that any word or movement from her would only serve to add coal to the fire, she lowered her head quickly and stopped moving.
The blond racer and her graceful partner approached them through the crowds. Haruka could feel her muscles tensing as they drew closer to the pretty blind girl and her friends, and her grip on Michiru's hand tightened without her realizing it. That same, inexplicable, infuriating rage began to bubble up inside, and she wanted more than anything to turn around and leave. She could feel the beast within beginning to awake, and her jaw clenched. She didn't need this today. Michiru looked up at her with worry lining her beautiful features.
"Haruka. Are you all right?" she asked quietly. Her hand was beginning to ache, Haruka was squeezing it so hard, but she did not pull away. She knew that Haruka was unaware that she was hurting her and she didn't want to upset her partner further. So she bit her lip slightly but did not complain.
Haruka nodded tersely. "I'll be fine. I can do this." She willed herself to relax. This is so ridiculous. What the hell is wrong with me?
Shinzui sensed the battle raging within the boyish girl and pain shot through her heart. It wasn't fair. Haruka shouldn't have to fight like this. It was all her fault, and Haruka was suffering for it. Shinzui knew it probably wouldn't help much, but she began to hum a soothing melody, ever so softly, sending waves of her own peace and self control through the music towards the approaching girls. It was so quiet that no one could hear her over the noise of the crowd; but it didn't matter. The strength would still be carried to those who needed it.
Suddenly Haruka felt calmer. Not by much, but it was enough to give her the will that she needed to force her body to relax a little. She loosened her grip on Michiru's hand, and it was then that she realized how tightly she'd been holding it. A flash of regret went through her. She hadn't been paying enough attentioneven though Michiru hadn't said a word, Haruka knew that she'd been hurting her hand, and mentally she shook herself. She had to be more careful. As subtly as she could, she let go of her partner's fingers and pretended to scratch a nonexistent itch under her eye. Michiru was not fooled, but she gave no sign that anything was wrong.
"Hello, Minako-chan. Mako-chan. Shinzui-san." Michiru greeted the girls warmly. Only Shinzui, who had known the Elegant Soldier for countless years, recognized the carefully veiled strain in the other girl's voice, and she knew that Michiru was worried about Haruka as well. Shinzui gave a slight nod but did not lift her head. Makoto and Minako, completely oblivious to the tension surrounding the other girls, smiled and greeted them excitedly.
"So, you're entering the competition, Mako-chan?" Michiru questioned lightly.
"She's made the best curry in the whole world!" Minako interrupted happily. "Even Shinzui-san said it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. Mako-chan's going to win for sure." Makoto blushed modestly.
"Well, I did my best," the brunette responded humbly. "But I'm really not here to win the competition. I just want to learn all I can from the real professionals." Her green eyes shone.
Haruka snorted. "What good is a competition if you don't win?" she demanded. All eyes flew over to the biker in surprise. Haruka had always been such a good sport in her races. No one had ever heard her talk like that before. Shinzui cringed, but did not respond.
Makoto's eyes widened. "Why, Haruka-san, winning isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is having fun and encouraging others to do their best. You know that."
"That's right," Minako asserted confidently. "Competitions aren't about winning, they're about challenging yourself to do your best. Right, Shinzui-san?" Everyone turned to look at the blind girl. Shinzui could feel Haruka's eyes burning into her and she knew she had no choice but to respond.
"Winning can be fun," she said quietly, her silvery voice tinkling so that the others could scarcely hear her. "But in order for someone to win, someone else must lose. Sometimes you will be the winner, sometimes not. But the joy of a journey is not the final destination, it's the path one takes to get there. What you learn from the competition is more important than whether or not you walk away with a medal."
She kept her head lowered, but could still sense the rebellious fury swelling up inside Haruka at her words. In a split second the blond tomboy's hand was at her throat, and her keen gray eyes were sparking with rage. Shinzui did not move as the racer seized her by the neck in a chokehold.
"Haruka!" Michiru gasped in shock.
"Haruka-san, what are you doing?" Minako demanded, her blue eyes the size of odangos.
Makoto reached out and gripped Haruka's arm firmly. "Let her go this instant," she ordered. "What's your problem, anyway?" Even Centauri bared his teeth and began to growl deep in his throat.
At Makoto's touch, Haruka's vision cleared. She looked in surprise down at her own hand, wrapped around the blind girl's throat. Shinzui was standing perfectly still, like a rag doll, and Haruka was suddenly struck with the realization that the taller girl had no intention of fighting back. She could snap her neck right now and Shinzui would not stop her. A look of complete horror spread across her features as she withdrew her hand. She shook her head dazedly as she backed away a few steps, and then suddenly she spun around and sprinted off through the crowd as fast as she could run.
"Haruka!" Michiru cried after her. She turned back to the other three girls. "Shinzui-san, I'm so sorry. I don't know what could have set her off like that. Are you all right?"
"Don't apologize," Shinzui responded, finally lifting her head. The others could see a single silver tear slide down her cheek. Her voice was trembling. "Haruka is fighting a battle within that is more difficult than anything she's ever known. Go to her, Michiru. She needs her friends right now." The aqua-haired girl nodded and turned to leave. "And Michirutell her that it's not her fault."
"Good luck, Mako-chan," Minako whispered to her friend in excitement. Makoto nodded back at her, green eyes dancing, and took a small container of the vegetable curry in her hand. Shinzui smiled.
"Good luck," the blind girl said softly. Makoto grinned, and began to walk towards the judges' table. Shinzui's smile disappeared as soon as Makoto's back was turned, though, and she bent towards Minako. "Minako-chankeep your eyes open. Lady Slipper is here."
The blond girl gasped. "Buthow do you know?" she questioned, looking around. "I don't see her anywhere."
"She's here," Shinzui repeated firmly. "I can feel her." It was true. The poisonous evil aura she'd been sensing all day long was concentrated now, and it was very, very close. Shinzui could not yet identify where it was coming from, but its source was unmistakeable.
"Excuse me, ladies," a voice interrupted. The two girls were greeted by a little rotund man with a white chef's cap on. He was carrying a tray of sushi. "Could I convince you to take a taste of my latest creation? You've never tasted finer sushi in your lives, I promise you."
Shinzui smiled and accepted a roll of the fish from his tray. Minako also took one, and raised it to her lips, but the blind girl reached out and held her arm. She nodded at the chef. "Arigatou, sir. I'm certain it is delicious." The round man nodded, pleased, and waddled off to another member of the crowd.
Minako looked down at her arm, which Shinzui was holding so that she could not taste the sushi roll in her hand. "Shinzui-san," she complained. "What's wrong?"
Shinzui shook her head. "Lady Slipper," she reminded her. "She works with poison, remember? We must not eat anything offered to us by a stranger. We cannot risk it."
Minako sighed as Shinzui took the roll of fish from her hand, and tossed both samples into a nearby trash can. But she did not respond because her attention was caught by something else. "Ooh, Shinzui, it's Mako-chan's turn now!" she exclaimed happily, snatching up Shinzui's free hand and dragging her towards the front of the crowd, with Centauri being pulled alongside. After a minute of awkward bumping and squeezing and hasty apologies, they reached the front where they'd have a clear view. Minako began to describe the scene for Shinzui, who could not see it.
"Okay, there are five judges three men and two women. Mako-chan's going to the first one now. He's kind of a big guy, looks really stern. He's using his chopsticks and trying her curry Hang on just a second. Okay, he's chewinghe doesn't look too unhappy, but it's hard to tell if he likes it. Now he's writing something down. I think he might be noddingthat's good, isn't it? And Mako-chan's moving on to the next judge now." Minako wriggled with excitement and Shinzui had to smile. "This one's a lady. Kind of old. She might not like Mako-chan's spicy foodoh, dear. Okay, she's tasting it. She's chewingshe's smiling!! Really smiling! I think she likes it. And she's saying something to Mako-chan but I can't tell what it is. Now she's writing on her paper. I think those must be the scorecards." Shinzui nodded to show that she was listening. "All right, judge number three and number four are young guys. Ooh, they're cute!! And one of them just winked at Mako-chan!" The blond girl grumbled. "Man, maybe I should learn to cook. It's not fair that Mako-chan should get all the attention today." Shinzui giggled a little.
"Ah, Minako-chan, perhaps you should just tell me what they think of the curry, hmm?"
Minako blushed a bit. "Oh, all right. They're tasting it they're winking at her AGAIN. Ooh, this is so not fair. And they're writing some stuff down. Okay, so the last judge then is another lady. She's real young and pretty. Boy, does she have great hair! I love that long braid. I should try my hair like that sometime. Anyway, Mako-chan's holding out the currythe lady's got her chopsticks and she's trying it. Hey, that's weird. She smiled really fast, and then she started frowning a little." Minako tilted her head to the side. "Okay, now she's asking for another taste! Mako-chan's still holding the containershe's tasting it again. Still frowning. This can't be good. She's saying something to Mako-chan. Oh, she just pulled a little salt shaker out of her purse! She's putting it on the curry. That's so rude!!" Minako bristled with indignation. "Our Mako-chan's food is perfect just the way it is. Now she's stirring it with her chopsticks and picking up another bite."
A shadow crossed Shinzui's face then. "Minako-chan," she asked urgently. "What color is the judge's hair?"
Minako was too excited to reply right away. "She's offering the bite to Mako-chan. Of all the nerve"
"Minako-chan, please, it's important. Her hair."
The blond girl scowled but looked at the woman's hair. "Oh, it's pink. Dark pink, kinda like a rose. Can you believe the gall of that woman? Salting Mako-chan's food right here in front of everyone. That's just not done in Japan. She ought to know that." Minako looked up, expecting Shinzui to agree with her, but the blind girl had vanished. Minako blinked in confusion. "Shinzui-san? Shinzui-san, where'd you go?"
Suddenly there was a gasp from the crowd, and Minako looked up to see her friend onstage crumple to the ground, holding a pair of empty chopsticks. The lady judge rose to her feet and laughed, and there was a flash of bright pink light. When it had faded, Minako could see that the judge had transformed. It was Lady Slipper. "Oh, my lord," Minako gasped. "It's hershe poisoned Mako-chan's curry!" Quickly Minako lunged forward, ducking underneath the fabric drape of the stage. Her henshin pen materialized in her hand.
The crowd gave a unified roar as the evil Negaverse woman appeared on the stage, and they surged forward. But Lady Slipper only cackled again, and drew out her knife. A black, oily looking drop formed at its tip, and fell to the ground between her and the angry mob. As it struck earth, the thick liquid began to swell and grow, taking on a very ugly shape.
"It's a monster!" shrieked someone in the crowd as the jaki solidified, opening its hideous yellow eyes. The people began to panic. Many ran away and several children started screaming in terror. A few of the braver souls picked up chairs or anything else they could find and began to brandish them as weapons. From underneath the stage, the now-transformed Sailor Venus whipped out her communicator.
"Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, Ami-chan everyone! There's big trouble over here. Lady Slipper's got Mako-chan!" The three faces of her friends crackled into view.
"We're on our way!" Rei and Ami promised immediately. Venus saw Mamoru's face pop in over Usagi's shoulder.
"So are we," he declared firmly, ignoring Usagi's protests at the interruption of their date. Venus nodded in satisfaction and snapped the communicator shut. She could hear the screams of the crowd outside as the jaki began to fire its black lightning at the ones who dared to defend the others. Sailor Venus grinned to herself, and rolled out from underneath the stage. She rose to her feet, directly behind the creature, and tapped it on the shoulder.
"Hey, ugly. Why not pick on someone your own size?" she taunted. The jaki swung around and Sailor Venus began to regret her hasty words. This thing was huge. And she suddenly remembered that Lady Slipper's jaki were just a bit more difficult to defeat than Narcissus' had been. Venus swallowed hard as she stared the creature in the eyes. It opened its mouth and she caught a glimpse of the long, black, snakelike tongue. She stared, mesmerized, as the monster prepared to blast her point-blank.
"Heavenly Symphony!" The familiar, energizing melody filled the air, and the jaki, distracted, turned to find Sailor Orion standing above it on the stage, her Music Sphere pulsing with breathtaking light. The silver-haired soldier grinned down at it wickedly. "Well, hello, there," she greeted the thing. "Did your mommy finally let you out to play?" She cast a glance over at Lady Slipper and winked at her.
Lady Slipper smiled back, venomously. "Looks like you have a choice to make, Orion," she sneered. "Either save your little friend there and all those pitiful humans from my jaki, or try and stop me from taking the Silver Dagger from Miss Jupiter, here." She indicated the fallen Makoto who lay crumpled on the stage. "I knew it was her the minute I tasted that curry. A thousand lifetimes as a cook certainly leave their mark, no?"
Sailor Orion's eyes narrowed as she gazed down at the poisoned girl. "What did you give her, Lady Slipper?" she demanded in a low voice.
Lady Slipper giggled. "Oh, nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about, Orion," she responded gleefully. "Just a little neurotoxin I've been working onyou know, in my spare time. It's a paralyzing poison. Your little Senshi friend won't be able to see or hear or move for the next two or threeyears." She giggled again. "That is, of course, if she's lucky and doesn't die first."
Orion cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Your poison is that powerful?" Lady Slipper gave a haughty nod, but was not allowed the opportunity to answer. "Because it looks to me like she's waking up now."
Lady Slipper spun around. Sure enough, Makoto was beginning to stir. "Impossible," the evil woman screeched.
Sailor Orion laughed. "Amazing what a little music can do, hmm? Medicine for the soul." The Orion Music Sphere began to pulse just a little brighter and Lady Slipper glowered at her. Orion grinned back. "Better be quick about it, Lady Slipper," she warned. "When Jupiter wakes up she's not going to be happy." With another mocking chuckle, Orion somersaulted off the stage, landing at Venus' side to face the jaki. Lady Slipper turned away and held out her knife. She bent over Makoto's prostrate form, and the young girl's eyes fluttered. Orion was right, she'd have to hurry.
Swiftly she drew the sharp, shiny little blade over the tanned, muscled arm. A thin red line welled up, and Lady Slipper waved the opal over the bloody cut. There was no change, not even a hint of silver. "Damn," Lady Slipper sighed in frustration. "Another blank." She looked up and watched for a moment as back to back, the two Sailor Senshi fought off the evil spirit. Her eyes narrowed in thought as Sailor Venus cracked her golden chain of hearts between the jaki and some innocent bystanders. The jaki grabbed the chain and pulled on it, so that Venus was yanked forward, then struck her across the face so that she skidded several feet on the rough pavement. But despite her bleeding lip and badly scratched legs, Venus rose to her feet and attacked the creature again, continuing to protect the people in the crowd as they made their escape. Lady Slipper smiled to herself, slowly.
"Such passion," she mused. "Such life and vigor. The Silver Dagger might belong to one such as this." She stood up, wanting very much to go and wave the opal over Venus' bleeding legs. But she knew that now was not the time. She would have to wait.
"Find what you were looking for?" Orion tossed over her shoulder as the Negaverse woman straightened.
Lady Slipper scowled. "Jupiter is not the carrier," she spat back, watching as Orion ducked a blast of black lightning, then spun around and landed a punch to the jaki's midsection.
"What a shame," Sailor Orion responded with a grin as Venus blasted the creature with her Crescent Beam, right between the eyes. "Better luck next time, I suppose." Again she dove out of the way of a bolt of power, cracking the monster on the back of the head as she went.
Lady Slipper growled. "And there will be a next time, Orion. You can count on that."
"Looking forward to it," Sailor Orion retorted, then grunted as the jaki slashed into her shoulder with its razor-like claws. A grin spread over her face as the pain shot through her body. "Now that's more like it," she declared to no one in particular. "NOW we're having fun." And she spun around and landed a kick with her booted heel that punched a deep hole into the evil spirit's leg. It hissed loudly with fury and pain, and Lady Slipper had to shake her head.
Such a waste, really. All that fabulous warrior spirit, completely useless in the hands of that mealy-mouthed little Moon Princess. There had been a time when Orion and I, we were unstoppable. We could have ruled the universe together. And now look. She watched as Orion, still bleeding profusely from the shoulder, threw herself on top of Sailor Venus to roll her out of the way of an unexpected blast of dark energy. Orion's gone soft. A weakling. Fallen prey to the Posiverse fables of "love" and "honor". It's disgusting. Lady Slipper sighed, though, as Orion picked herself up off the ground and turned to face the evil spirit again, her silver eyes burning fire. Still, woman or man, positive or negative, she is truly magnificent. Why should Sailor Moon get to have her, and waste all that glorious strength? Orion was mine in the beginning, and she will be mine again. I will get her back. With that last thought, Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction. She could see Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, and the other two running towards the fight, and knew that it would be over soon. So with a final, longing look at Sailor Orion, she strengthened her resolve. She had to leave for now, but this was far from over. She was going to bring Sailor Orion back to the Negaverse if it took every last drop of power she had. A smile curved the sensual lips, and the Negaverse woman disappeared.
"Mako-chan! Mako-chan, are you okay?" Makoto felt hands at her shoulders, and opened her eyes. Very slowly, a figure with two blond dumpling-topped ponytails came into focus, and Makoto could make out the golden tiara and red hair gems.
"Sailor Moon" she struggled to sit up, but a hand gently pressed her down.
"Not yet, Mako-chan. Allow yourself to recover your strength more fully."
Makoto blinked as another face, this one surrounded by shining white hair, appeared in her vision. "Sailor Orion?" The figure nodded.
"Yes." Makoto recognized the bell-like voice. "Lady Slipper has poisoned you with one of her Negaverse toxins. I have cleansed most of the effect but you'll have to give it a few hours or so to completely work its way out of your system."
"Lady Slipper?" the brunette girl exclaimed, trying to sit up again. "Where?"
"It's okay, she's gone now," Sailor Mercury responded. "Sailor Moon and Sailor Orion got rid of the jaki by combining their powers again."
"You mean you guys all did battle with the jaki and I missed it?" Makoto asked, disappointment in her voice. "Man, that stinks." She heard Sailor Venus giggling, and the distinct sound of Tuxedo Kamen's chuckling.
"But the worst part is that the contest was canceled," Sailor Mars spoke up. "So you'll never know if you won or not, Mako-chan."
Makoto sighed, but then shook her head with a small smile. "That's not quite true, Mars. I did win." The others looked at one another in confusion, and Makoto's smile widened. "Orion, didn't you say that it's the path that counts, not the destination? Well, I have friends that believe in me, and people that are worth fighting for. As long as I've got you guysI can't lose."
The other Senshi met each other's eyes and nodded in agreement. Sailor Moon turned back to Makoto and took her hand. "And as long as we've got you, Mako-chan, we're all winners." She then helped Makoto to sit up, very slowly. "Come on, everybody," Sailor Moon declared. "We've had enough fighting for today. Let's go home."
In a few minutes, four girls in school uniforms and one handsome young man were walking out of the square, away from the shambles of what had been, that morning, the biggest cultural event of the year. Between them they supported a fifth girl, a tall brunette, who was stumbling a little like she was uncertain of her legs. She had an enormous smile on her face, however. She was very grateful that she had so many wonderful and caring friends to lean on.
Behind them, a tall, pale haired girl with sightless dove gray eyes stood alone in the center of the square, a beautiful golden retriever by her side. And even though she could not see the backs of her retreating friends, any one observing the gentle, tender expression on her face would have sworn that she was watching them go.