Part Twenty-Five: Death in the water! Mercury's turn under the knife
Guardian Friend looked up from the heavy book on the table with a scowl. "Demetrius. You're going to wear tracks in the floor with all your pacing." The youthful Guardian turned to face him, and Oberon could see the unhappiness in the sapphire eyes. He sighed. "The Child again," he stated knowingly, closing the book. "What is it, Guardian Brother?"
Demetrius shook his head. "It's getting harder for her, Oberon. The Curse, I mean. It's causing her more and more pain every day and I just can't stand it." He returned to his pacing.
Guardian Friend looked down at the cover of the book in front of him. "I know how hard it is for you, Demetrius. But you know as well as I that there is nothing any of us can do about the Curse. The Child brought it upon herself, and she's the only one who can lift it. She has to forgive herself before she will be free from it, you know that."
The smaller Guardian frowned. "But it's been so long, Oberon over a thousand lifetimes of it. Don't you think she's done enough penance by now? She doesn't deserve this."
"I agree with you, Guardian Brother." Oberon took a deep breath. "But it doesn't matter that you and I think she's suffered enough. The Child doesn't think soand that's what counts."
"But" Demetrius gave a small growl of frustration. "To spend entire lifetimes desperately in love with someone who will never love you back! I can't imagine anything worse. And it doesn't seem to matter how many lifetimes the Child goes through. The Curse is always there. Why can't she forgive herself for the past? It was over a million years ago, Guardian Friend. It's about time that she realizes what a wonderful, beautiful person she is. There's no one in the universe with such courage and nobility. She isn't even a shadow of what she used to bewhy can't she see that?"
A small smile crossed Oberon's face as he watched his overwrought friend. "Perhaps, Demetrius, she knows herself better than you do."
"Impossible." Guardian Brother shook his head. "I've watched over her all her lives. I feel what she feels. She's with me, here, always." He placed a hand over his heart. "The Child is too selfless to know herself like I do. She feels darkness inside and assumes it's the Prince of Darkness, rising up to conquer her again. She just doesn't understand that some humans have a natural dark side. It's to be expected, especially in a human who was originally ALL darkness. And she doesn't realize that the Prince could never take her over nowthere's too much light, and too much love of the light in her for that to happen. She doesn't have to be afraid anymore." Demetrius stopped pacing for a moment and stood before the table. "I've told her this over and over, but she doesn't believe me. I wish she could know herself through my eyes. The Eternal Curse wouldn't last for a second if she could."
The intellectual Guardian chuckled. "Demetrius, we all know you've been in love with the Child for millennia. Why don't you just tell her how you feel? Perhaps if she was aware of your feelings for her, she might begin to see herself as you say, the way that you do."
There was sadness in the youthful face as Guardian Brother shook his head. "No. She's not like that, Oberon. I know her too wellthe Curse fills her heart so that there's no room for me. She could never love me as long as she's in love with the mistakes of her past." He suddenly pounded the table with his fist. "It's just not right! The one person in existence that she's in love with is the one person who can never love her back. And the people who DO love her can't get close to her."
"Meaning you."
"Meaning me." Demetrius rubbed his temples wearily, his features obscured in the darkness of his hooded cloak. "I do love her, Oberon. I always willshe's the most amazing person I've ever known. But telling her wouldn't do any good. She wouldn't even hear me."
"Are you sure?" The quiet response caused Demetrius to look up. Guardian Friend was thoughtful. "This lifetime, Guardian Brother, is different from all the ones before. We have talked about it, remember? Something is happening here. There is a sort of movement in the Posiforce that we've never sensed before. Perhaps, Demetrius, you should tell her, and see what happens. It could be that this lifetime will change everything."
There was doubt in the spiritual Guardian's face, but Oberon could also see a new glimmer of hope which made him smile. "Do you really think so, Guardian Friend?"
Oberon gave a slow nod. "I do. Tell her, Demetrius. It couldn't hurt anythingand it will make you feel better getting it into the open. And at least the Child will have the encouragement of knowing that there is someone who loves her, even if it is not the love she's looking for."
A rueful grin appeared on Demetrius' face. "I'm not sure that makes me feel much better, Guardian Friend," he remarked wryly. "But you're right. Even if I'm not the one she wants, it might be a comfort to her to know that there is someone in the Posiverse who would be hers for the taking. Maybe someday she'll get tired of her love being unreturned and she'll come to me, hmm?"
Oberon gave an equally rueful smile. "You never know." He opened his book again. "Now, if you don't mind, Demetrius, I'd appreciate it if you'd give me a little time alone. I'm still working on finding a solution to the Sacrifice before the vernal equinox, and it's very difficult to get work done with you moping about like a lovesick sheep."
Guardian Brother laughed and took his leave of the library, and Oberon, with another bemused chuckle, returned to his studies.
**********
The figure on the twisted throne glowered down at the woman before him. "Lady Slipper. Will you please explain to me what you were doing with that aphrodisiac lotion and my wretched son? What precisely were you trying to accomplish with such foolishness?"
Lady Slipper's sea-green eyes widened. "Avatar, I was trying to bring him back to us," she replied. "I thought you would be pleased."
"Pleased?!" the Avatar roared, rising out of his throne. A wave of black energy burst from his eyes, slamming into Lady Slipper and tossing her against the opposite wall like a rag doll. Lady Slipper cried out in pain and surprise as the burning power scorched her skin and hair. The Avatar continued to glare at her. "Pleased?!!" he repeated in rage. "Why, pray tell, would you think that returning that traitorous, cowardly, impudent, asinine, idiotic excuse for a son to the Negaverse would in any way please me? He was no good when he was here, always daydreaming and mooning after that human girlhe was a waste of power and a waste of time, and we're better off without him. We're trying to KILL Orion, not restore him, Lady Slipper, and don't you forget it."
The battered woman winced and nodded humbly. "Yes, Avatar." He's scared. Lady Slipper's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He always did feel threatened by Orion, I recallOrion has so much power. Sailor Orion was the original Avatar at the dawn of timeand the Avatar now was only supposed to be a temporary replacement, just like Sailor Moon's daughter ChibiMoon. She did her best to keep the smug smile from her face as she picked herself up off the floor. No wonder he doesn't want Orion back. The Avatar is drunk with power, and if Orion comes back he'll take that power away. Keeping her head down, she stood before the throne again. The Avatar seemed to have calmed himself at her display of humility, and he sat back down.
"Now. I want to return to the task at handfinding that Silver Dagger. You've eliminated five of the possibilities, correct?"
Lady Slipper nodded. "Yes, Avatar. Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus. I will be testing Sailor Mercury next. She has a self-sacrificing spirit which coincides well with the Dagger's purpose, and I think that she could be the carrier."
"Very good," the Avatar affirmed with satisfaction. "Am I correct in assuming that you will be targeting Tokyo's water supply, then?"
Lady Slipper gave a cruel smile and her eyes lit. "That is correct. Mercury is the Senshi of Air, but her powers come from light water and she has always had an affinity for the Realm of Water as well. I'm going to slip a little something special into the water supply that is guaranteed to get her attention."
The Avatar tilted his head to the side with amusement. "Try not to have too much fun," he commented dryly. "You have my permission to go. Bring me that Dagger."
The Negaverse woman gave a low bow, and left the throne room. There was a little extra bounce in her stepyet another excuse to play around in her labs with the poisons she loved so much. Now, what should she use? A hallucinogen? A narcotic? Perhaps a little strychninea gleeful smile curved her lips as she strode down the hall towards her laboratories. This was going to be fun.
**********
Usagi snatched Minako's arm and inspected it carefully. "Are you sure you're all better now, Minako-chan?" she inquired anxiously. "Lady Slipper cut your arm, didn't she?"
Minako laughed. "I'm fine, Usagi-chan. Lady Slipper wasn't as gentle as Shinzui-san was when she tested me, but the cut healed just as fast thanks to her Music Sphere." She laid back on the grass. The girls had agreed to meet in the park rather than at the temple after school, as today was much warmer than previous weeks and they wanted to enjoy the sunshine as much as possible before the cold came back.
Usagi shook her head, blue eyes wide. "I don't know how you did that, Minako-chan," she breathed. "Just standing there and letting her cut you open! I couldn't do that."
Rei snorted. "We know. We were there when Shinzui-san asked to test you, remember? I've never seen such a ridiculous display of tears in my life."
The petite blond bristled. "It's not my fault if I don't like needles!" she howled. "I don't even like getting flu shotsI don't want anyone sticking pins in my fingers."
"It's all right, Princess." The girls turned to see the blind girl standing behind them with a smile.
"Shinzui-san!" Usagi exclaimed happily, looking up at her.
"I know you don't like the sight of blood, Princess. And like I told you at the timeI will always respect your wishes. If you do not want me to test you, I will not." The blind girl patted Centauri's head as she spoke and Usagi looked at her gratefully.
Makoto shook her head, though. "But Shinzui-san, what if Usagi is the carrier of the Dagger? How will you get it if she isn't tested?"
"The Dagger will come to us when it is time, I am certain of it," came the reply.
"What happens if it doesn't?" Ami wanted to know.
Shinzui shrugged. "I really don't knowthat's never happened before. I suppose if the Dagger is not found, the Sacrifice would have to take place without it."
"Is that possible?" Rei asked.
"I don't knowthe Dagger is the only weapon which has the power to separate my soul from my body while preserving my soul's strength for the battle with the opposing forces of the Gate. If the Sacrifice were to take place without it, there's no way of knowing whether or not I would have enough strength to form the seal." The blind girl tipped her head. "But I'm not going to worry about it. We'll find the Daggerit is an item of Realm energy. It cannot resist its own destiny. The Silver Dagger will come to us."
Ami frowned. "I've been working on an algorithm for calculating the amount of energy that it requires to seal the Gate," she told them. "So far, the results I'm seeing indicate that the required energy is significant, but not astronomical. So I don't understand why a soul is necessary to form a seal."
Shinzui gave a small smile. "It's not a matter of mathematical calculations, Ami-chan," she responded softly. "The Gate is not a mathematical problem. It follows no natural laws. When I" she paused and rethought her words, "when the Prince of Darkness created the Doomsday Gate, he used the full power of his Realm, the Realm of Soul, to form it. It is a thing not of the physical world. It can't be solved like a simple equation." There was a sudden soft beeping at her wrist, and the girls could see that Shinzui's Fire Opal bracelet was pulsing with faint light. The blind girl's eyebrows went up. "It sounds like the Guardians wish to meet with me," she told them. "I'd better gobut I'll stop by the temple later, Rei-chan, if that's all right. I could use a little calming meditation today."
Rei tilted her head curiously. "That's every day this week," she commented. "Is something bothering you, Shinzui-san?"
Shinzui smiled, but Rei could sense it againthat dark cloud hanging ominously over the blind girl's heart. "I'm all right," she replied sweetly. "Justa little tired, I suppose. It's not uncommon at this point, so close to the Sacrifice. I need to bolster my spirit a bit." She offered another gentle smile that did not fool Rei in the slightest. "Have a lovely afternoon, girls. Princess." She inclined her head ever so slightly towards Usagi. And then she was gone.
**********
As Shinzui stepped into the heated, steaming darkness of the tunnels, she felt the transformation as her silk blouse and long, flowered skirt merged and flowed into the long white sacrificial gown she always wore in the presence of the Guardians. After a moment, her blindness faded away until she was able to see the rising billows of stem hissing from the pipes overhead. Her pale silvery hair released itself from the neat bun at the base of her neck, cascading down her shoulders softly like a cloud, and her forehead tingled, reminding her that the Orion symbol was now glowing there. The Sacred Child blinked then, pausing a moment to allow her newly recovered vision to adjust to the sudden sensation of sight. She turned to her canine companion. "Stay here, Centauri." The retriever nodded, and she began to glide over the cold cemented floor of the tunnels towards the meeting place.
She was coming. He could feel her approaching presence and a knot of anxiety balled his chest. Maybe this was a mistake. Things were just finethey'd been just fine for millennia. Was it really necessary to risk the truth now? Wouldn't it be easier, and wiser, to just let everything remain the way it was? Demetrius briefly considered returning to the Celestial Hall. He didn't feel ready. What if she was confused, or angered, by the revelation of his feelings? Or worse, what if she didn't care at all? He had fallen in love with the Child from the moment she entered the Celestial Hall, a frightened and bedraggled waif of a girl, hopeless and tortured with guilt. He'd watched her struggling to right the deeds of her past self with an almost religious zeal, and it broke his heart. From the very beginning he'd been closely, oddly attached to the Child; he could feel what she was feeling, sometimes so keenly that it almost felt as if he was reading her mind. The power of her soul was so keen and so overpowering that he could never quite rid himself of it. Over the years she'd become a part of him, connected in a way that even the Guardian of spirit could not quite explain or understand. He knew the depth of her pain, the pain that she never showed to anyone. He knew how much life hurt her. He knew how much the Eternal Curse cost her. It was one of the only things that made the Sacrifice bearable for him, realizing that the physical pain of the Sacrifice was a welcome release from the internal pain of the Curse. No one, not even the other Guardians, had any inkling of how much she suffered in loving someone she could not have. And she had never complained.
It was too late for a retreat now. He could see her coming towards him, her feet scarcely seeming to touch the ground as if she were floating rather than walking. The white of her dress, the silver of her hair and eyes, made her appear to be a sort of ethereal goddess. His heart for a moment ceased to beat and it was as if everything was moving in slow motion, and she consumed his senses. But his fortitude returned to him as her tinkling voice broke the hollow quiet. "Guardian Brother. What is it? Is something wrong?"
Demetrius sighed. There was no turning back. "Yes, Child. But not with me." He looked at her pointedly, the brilliant sapphire eyes piercing into her silver ones.
The Child flushed a little. She should have known that her internal struggles would not go unnoticed by the Guardian of Spirit, and she berated herself for not having kept a tighter control on the pain. She hadn't meant to involve Demetrius in her own personal battles. Guardian Brother felt the flash of guilt that went through her, and he shook his head quickly. "No, don't do that," he ordered firmly. "Your pain cannot be locked inside forever, Child. And I want you to let me share it with you."
Her eyes were tender. "But you shouldn't have to, Demetrius." The sadness in her face made his heart heavy. "I brought this on myself. You know that. And it's no more than I deserve."
"I don't believe that. You've paid your debt in blood and tears, Child. You've suffered more than enough."
"I could never suffer enough." She shook her head. "Billions of lives, Guardian Brother. Billionsthat I wiped out for the rest of eternity in the blink of an eye. To make up for it I would have to live and die a billion lives myself. And even then, it won't bring a single one of them back." He could see tears on her cheeks now. "I curse myself every day for what I've done."
"And that's the problem," Guardian Brother sighed. "You've placed the Eternal Curse on your own head, and you've lived with it for so long that you don't know how to live without it. It causes you so much pain." He could feel tears in his own eyes now. "It's not fair. You've given up everything, trying to atone for something which can never be undone. You're the most selfless person I've ever known, Childyou shouldn't have to endure all this hurt and loneliness."
A slight smile curved the young woman's lips. "Not the most selfless, Demetrius. There is one much more selfless than I, and every time I see her I am reminded of what I truly want to be." The smile grew a bit. "The Princess is everything that I would like to be. How do you think she would react if she were in my place?"
Demetrius cocked an eyebrow. "I think we'd be hearing her wailing all the way to the Celestial Hall," he commented wryly. But at the Child's frown, he sighed. "She'd do what she had to do," he admitted seriously. "With a cheerful heart."
The Child nodded slowly. "That's what I want-- a cheerful heart. Maybe that's why I must sufferto teach my heart to find cheer in what's really important. Before the Princess, my only cheer was in causing death and pain to others. Now, I'm trying to learn to find cheer in my own death and my own pain for the sake of others. It's poetic justice."
Demetrius gazed at her beautiful, sad face, and reached up to touch her cheek. "I love you so much," he said suddenly, without thinking.
She smiled. "I know. I love you tooyou Guardians are my best friends in the world. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"That's not what I meant." The butterflies in his stomach were gone now. This felt right and he was no longer afraid. She needed to hear this. "I mean, I love you." His voice was very gentle, and he held her eyes with his own, watching her face as the meaning of his words reached her. He held his breath for her reaction. To his surprise, her tear-filled eyes spilled over, and she turned away from him without speaking. "Child?"
After a moment he could hear her bell-like voice, clouded with sorrow. "Don't, Guardian Brother. Don't waste your emotion on me like that. I'm not worth it."
"You're more than worth it," Demetrius insisted. He could feel guilt welling up in her again. "I don't expect anything from you," he said quietly. "I just wanted you to know how I feel, Child. It's all right. You don't have to love me in return, I understand."
"I can't love you that way, Demetrius. And you know it. You know I'm cursed to love someone else." Her voice was despairing. "But I've spent millennia in love with a person who can never return my feelings. I don't want to put you through that too."
"I don't think either of us has a choice," he answered softly, and she turned towards him then, meeting his eyes. They were gentle and full of compassion, and she realized that he was right. He loved her; she could see it in his eyes, a sweet haunted look that she recognized all too well, and she knew that he could not control it any more than she could. She broke into uncontrollable tears then.
"I'm sorry, Guardian Brother," she sobbed, turning away again. "I'm so sorry." The Child took a step away. She had to leave, to get out of there before she caused both of them any more pain. But as she stepped forward, her knees buckled underneath her, unable to support the weight of her heart. She would have crumpled to the floor but for his strong arms which suddenly materialized around her, drawing her up and holding her against him. She could not fight it anymore, and she gave into the pain for the first time in thousands of years. He held her to his heart, marveling at the sudden release he felt from her. Never before had he seen her do this, make herself so vulnerable and open. She had always kept such a tight reign over her sorrow, one that he could feel in a sort of pained tension all the time. The other Guardians had been right, he realized. There was something very different in this cycle of the Sacrifice. Things were happening that had never occurred in any of the previous ones. He held onto the girl in his arms, letting her cling to him, absorbing her pain eagerly as he'd wanted to do for thousands of lifetimes. She was finally sharing it with him, and he was going to take up as much of it as he could during this rare lapse in her control.
The Child felt a sort of peace flowing into her, and she knew where it was coming from. After a few minutes her tears subsided. Guardian Brother was projecting his comfort and love to her in soothing, calming waves, and she was finally able to pull back and look him in the face. "I am sorry, Demetrius," she said, her voice still quavering but noticeably steadier. "I wish I wish I could love you the way that you want me to. It would make everything so much easier."
Guardian Brother shook his head, with a tender smile. "Someday, Childsomeday we will find the answer. Someday you will be able to break the Curse with forgiveness. And then, maybe, we can be together. I can wait for you. I've waited millennia already." He tilted his head. "I just want you to remember, whenever you are despairing of unrequited love, that there is someone else in the Posiverse who loves youvery much."
She nodded, and pulled him into a hug. The familiar farewell brought a lump to his throat. "Thank you, Demetrius," she whispered sincerely. He did not trust his voice to respond; but held her a few moments longer than usual.
We will find the answers, Child, he vowed silently. For both of us.
*********
"MomI don't feel so good." Usagi flopped down on the couch in the living room, and Tsukino Ikuko came out of the kitchen with a slight smile.
"Well, Usagi-chan, maybe you shouldn't have eaten that entire pie I made this morning," she teased, coming over to look at her daughter. "But you do look unusually pale." She reached out and laid a hand on Usagi's forehead.
"I didn't eat it allChibiusa had at least three pieces."
"You're burning up!!" Ikuko exclaimed, feeling the heat radiating from the girl's skin. She pulled her hand away. "Come with me. We need to take you to the emergency room. You've probably caught the flu, all this running around in the snow and wind without a coat."
Luna, who was perched on the edge of the couch, had to stifle a snicker. She'd only warned Usagi about her carelessness a thousand times. Served her right if she'd caught cold. But that snicker quickly dissipated as Chibiusa entered the room, also looking very pale and sick. "Ikuko-mommymy head hurts."
Ikuko frowned worriedly. "Well, it looks like you two girls have caught the same bug," she declared. "Let's goif Dr. Mizuno is at the hospital, we can ask her about it. There must be something going around." The Tsukino women headed for the garage, with Usagi and Chibiusa both trying to outmoan one another all the way.
**********
"What's going on?" Ikuko marveled, looking around the hospital waiting room in surprise. It was full of people who seemed to have the same symptoms as her girls. They were all sitting in chairs against the wall, skin blanched and sweat pouring. Through the double doors that led into the hall she caught sight of Dr. Mizuno, Ami's mother, in her white lab coat. She turned to her daughter. "Usagi-chan, stay here and watch over Chibiusa-chan. I'm going to go see if I can find out what all of this is about." She headed down the hall towards the pretty doctor.
"Usagi-chan!" Usagi looked up to see Ami coming towards them with an expression of worry on her face.
"Ami-chanwhat's happening? Why is everybody sick?"
"Did you drink any water today?" the blue haired girl inquired.
Usagi nodded. "Mom says we're supposed to drink six glasses a day. It's good for you," she answered, trying to sound intelligent. The effect was somewhat diminished, however, as her head began to pound a little harder and she whimpered pitifully. "Ow, I hate headaches," she whined, putting her fingers to her temples.
Ami shook her head. "As far as they can tell, someone has been poisoning the water supply in different districts around Tokyo," she told them, her blue eyes narrowing. "Minako and Makoto just came in a few minutes before you, and they're both sick too. I even saw Setsuna-san down the hall getting treated for it. The only reason that I'm not affected is because my mother always insists bottled water is healthier." She handed Usagi a bottle of pre-purified water. "Here, Usagi-chan. If you get thirsty, drink thisdon't use the water fountains until we find out what's happening."
Luna poked her head out of Usagi's shoulder bag, which was sitting on the floor. "It sounds like the work of the Negaverse to me," she declared. "Ami-chan, do you suppose that Lady Slipper is behind all this? She seems to specialize in poisons."
Ami scowled. "If it is her, she's gone too far this time." Her fist clenched. "In the name of Mercury I will punish her for defiling our waters with her evil." She straightened her shoulders. "If you see any of the others who aren't sick, Usagi-chan, tell them to meet me at the Tokyo water treatment center."
Chibiusa's eyes widened. "What are you going to do, Ami-chan?"
The blue eyes glittered. "I'm going to get to the bottom of all of this."
"Ami-chan, wait" Usagi tried to say, but Ami was already marching out the waiting room doors. Usagi shook her head and tried to stand up. "She can't fight Lady Slipper alone," she said, but nearly fell as a wave of dizziness overtook her.
"Usagi-chan, you can't go anywhere," Chibiusa pointed out. "We can barely stand up."
Usagi's face was still determined, and she pulled out her communicator. "Rei-chan? Haruka-san? Michiru-san? Is anybody there?"
After a second Rei's face crackled into view. "Hey, Usagi-chan. Wow, you look terrible."
Usagi stuck her tongue out at the screen, and so Chibiusa snatched the communicator away. "Rei-chan, there's something weird going on. Everybody's getting sick and Ami-chan says that someone's been poisoning the water. She went to investigate, and Luna thinks it might be Lady Slipper behind all this. If it turns out to really be Lady Slipper Ami-chan is going to need some helpcan you meet her at the water treatment center?" The little girl rattled all of this off in one breath.
Rei's violet eyes darkened. "I thought I was sensing something strange around here. Yuuichiro brought me a glass of water this morning and I didn't drink it because I felt an evil presence." She turned to look over her shoulder. "Shinzui-san is here. I think she wants to talk to you." There was a sudden shaking of the image on the screen and Usagi was treated to a panoramic view of the Hikawa Shrine's meditation room as Rei handed the communicator to their tall blind friend. A moment later the older girl's pretty, sightless face appeared on the viewscreen.
"Small LadyPrincess. You're sick." It was more of a statement than a question, and Usagi, now peering over Chibiusa's shoulder, could see little lines of worry creasing the smooth forehead.
"I'm okay, Shinzui-san. We're at the hospital. But Ami-chan needs helpshe's gone to investigate this by herself. I'm afraid if Lady Slipper is there she might get hurt," Usagi responded.
Shinzui nodded, her expression grave. "Rei-chan will go to help hold her off. I'm coming to the hospital to help you and the others. The Orion Music Sphere can purify the toxins from your system. There's no doubt in my mind that Lady Slipper is the one responsible for this, and we two must work together to destroy her jaki. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury can at least hold it off long enough for us to get there."
Usagi nodded. "Okay."
Suddenly the screen split down the center as Michiru appeared on the other side, responding to Usagi's call. "Usagi-chan. Haruka's very sickwhat's going on?"
Usagi nodded. "Tokyo's water has been poisoned," she explained. "Michiru-san, don't drink anything unless it's been bottled, okay?" The teal haired woman nodded.
Shinzui looked concerned. "Michiru, bring Haruka to the Tenth Street Community Hospital. I'm on my way there now to purify the patients thereand then we need to get to the water treatment center and help Sailor Mercury. She's gone to stop Lady Slipper from causing any more damage." Her voice softened. "You might not want to tell Haruka I'm going to be at the hospital," she said quietly.
Michiru's eyes deepened. "I understand, Shinzui-san," she responded quietly. "Don't worryI'll get her there if I have to sling her over my shoulder and carry her every step of the way." She offered a mischievous smile, and Shinzui smiled back, knowing that the stubborn violinist would probably make good her threat if necessary.
"All right, everyone let's do this," Rei declared firmly.
The communicator hummed as the displays snapped out of sight, and Usagi flipped it shut, sinking back into the chair. "I sure hope Shinzui-san hurries," she sighed, wincing as another burst of pain exploded behind her eyes.
**********
Sailor Mercury walked through the silent halls of the treatment center, and with every step her trepidation grew. She'd found the front receptionist lying unconscious on the floor, with a very faint pulse and shallow breathingand the further she traveled through the center the more workers she found in precisely the same condition. The scans from her VR visor assured her that it had been the work of a sophisticated poison, and from what she could tell it was a highly specialized one at that, designed to induce a state that was as close to death as one could possibly be without actually ceasing brain waves. Lady Slipper was behind all of this. She was certain of it now. Mercury knew that she could never hope to defeat the Negaverse woman on her own, but she was not about to retreat. Her blood boiled as she considered how casually Lady Slipper played with the body chemistry of human beings. And to use the basic life giving element of water itself to cause such pain and destruction was close to sacrilege. As far as Mercury was concerned, Lady Slipper was going to answer for it.
She paused as her mini-computer beeped softly. The scans of the building were now complete, and a map of the floor plan popped up on the screen. There at the very center of the building was a large circular room that the computer said was the main water reservoir. There was a small red dot blinking along the north side of the rooma heavy concentration of evil energy. It was Lady Slipper. Pursing her lips, Mercury turned left and strode down the corridor, following the map on the screen to the reservoir's entry doors. After taking two other turns down different hallways, she made her way to the heart of the treatment center and located the doors. There was a simple plaque posted by the doorframe which read "Reservoirs" in flowing Hiragana. Mercury nodded to herself, clicking her computer off and pressing her earring to cause her VR visor to retract. Without hesitation she pushed the heavy metal doors open and stepped out onto the iron catwalk.
The room was actually more like a very deep well. About ten feet below her she could see the glinting surface of the water, reflecting the bright white glare of the electric lights strung across the domed ceiling at intervals. The catwalk on which she was standing circled all the way around the reservoir; it was about three feet wide with a four foot guard rail. In the very center of the reservoir a wide column rose up out of the water, and at the top of the column was a control booth, connected to the catwalk by suspended iron walkways. Here and there a ladder plunged from the catwalk down into the water below, used for maintenance. She could see pipes jutting out from the wall below her, where the newly purified water was being poured into and pumped out of the reservoir. But what disturbed Mercury the most was the pale green, glowing tinge to the water beneath her feet. That wasn't supposed to be there.
"Welcome, Sailor Mercury. I've been waiting for you."
The blue haired senshi's head snapped up as Lady Slipper came gliding towards her over the catwalk. "Lady Slipper. You're responsible for poisoning our water, aren't you?"
A rose colored eyebrow lifted. "Of course. I wanted to do something a little more impressive you know. I have this one very special blend of toxins that causes fascinating skin color changes, some fabulous convulsions and fevers, excessive hair loss and all sorts of other maladies before finally inducing death." She frowned petulantly. "But the Avatar didn't want me to kill anyone. He said this would be enough to get your attention and he wants as many of the humans as possible to be left alive to serve him after we conquer your little planet." She sighed. "Well, you're here, so I suppose he was right. Still, it would have been fun to come up with something a touch more creative."
Mercury glared at her. "This isn't a game, Lady Slipper. You can't just play with people's bodies like that."
"Of course I can," the evil woman responded sweetly. "I can do anything I want to. You just don't understand that yet." She tilted her head to the side. "Now, I have a job to do. I need to take a look at your blood, Miss Mercury, and we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
Sailor Mercury balled a fist. "I'm not going to make it easy for you, if that's what you mean."
Lady Slipper was delighted. "I was hoping you'd say that." She waved her hand, and a wave of black energy shot towards Mercury, who flattened herself onto the metal floor of the catwalk to avoid it. The attack went over her head and instead struck one of the fastenings holding the catwalk to the wall; a shower of sparks fell down over the blue senshi and into the water below. "By the way, I forgot to mention something. The poison that I've put into the water is diluted enough by the time it reaches your homes that it only causes sicknessbut down there," she pointed to the shimmering sea green liquid below, "it's at a much higher concentration. If you fall, I'm afraid your skin will be dissolved in approximately twenty seven seconds. Just thought you might like to know." She batted her eyes with saccharine sweetness that made Mercury want to retch.
Carefully Mercury rose to her feet. "But then you'd never know if I carry the Dagger, now would you?" she pointed out calmly, bringing her hands over her head. "Shine Aqua Illusion!"
Lady Slipper, remembering that the last time she'd faced this attack she had been doused with cold water, suddenly disappeared. Mercury stared in surprise at the spot where the Negaverse woman had been standing only moments ago as her attack was harmlessly absorbed into the wall. A moment later her head was jerked back, and she realized too late that Lady Slipper had rematerialized behind her, and seized her hair and arms. She struggled, but quickly found herself immobilized by the taller, stronger woman. "Now, Miss Mercury," Lady Slipper hissed in her ear. "Let's see what runs through your veins, hmm?" Mercury could feel the cold blade of the little knife being drawn lightly across the base of her neck, not hard enough to break the skin. "Perhaps I should just slit your throat while I'm at it," Lady Slipper purred. "Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." Sailor Mercury didn't dare to breathe. Any motion on her part would result in death, and so she remained perfectly still.
"Let her go, you prissy sissy!" Sailor Mars suddenly exploded through the doors behind them, elbowing Lady Slipper so that she was forced to release Mercury. The knife flew out of her hand and fell with a splash into the water below them. Lady Slipper turned to face this newcomer in surprise, and Sailor Mars slapped her across the face, eyes blazing. "No one touches my friends," she growled.
Lady Slipper straightened, her hand coming up to cover her stinging cheek and her sea-green eyes widening in surprise. "Well, Sailor Mars. That was quite an entrance," she sneered. "But I'm in the middle of something at the moment and I'm afraid I can't allow you to interrupt." With a movement so fast that Mars didn't even see it, Lady Slipper had grabbed the front of her fuku and flung her over the side of the guard rail.
"Mars!" Mercury screamed, then gave a little shriek of relief as the senshi of fire caught the edge of the catwalk with one hand, barely managing to avoid tumbling into the venomous water below. "Mars, don't let go! The water's acidic."
Sailor Mars grunted and twisted her head around at an awkward angle. "Thanks for the warning." She swung her other arm upwards to get a better grip.
Lady Slipper turned towards Mercury with a grin. "Well, now," she giggled. "This is very interesting. You realize, of course, that I can destroy your little senshi friend down there with a snap of my fingers." She tipped her head to the side. "So, are you going to be a good little girl and come over here where I can test you? Or is it bye-bye for little Miss Mars?" She held up her fingers as if to snap them.
Sailor Mercury looked at her friend dangling from the catwalk, and then met Lady Slipper's gloating eyes. She took a step forward and extended her palm. "Here," she answered quietly. "Do it."
Lady Slipper rolled her eyes. "You senshi are so predictable," she commented wryly. "Well, thanks to your friend here, I no longer have my knife. We'll have to do this in a slightly lesscivilized way." And with that, she seized Mercury's hand. Before Mercury had the chance to react, Lady Slipper had sunk her teeth into her wrist, piercing the skin with a sudden and explosive pain. Sailor Mercury cried out in shock and hurt, but when Lady Slipper pulled away there were two small puncture holes in her wrist that were quickly filling with blood. Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction, licking the specks of blood from her lips while taking the opal hanging at her waist and waving it over the wound. There was no response, and she sighed. "Ah well. Another dud." She turned to gaze at Sailor Mars, who was still clinging to the slippery edge of the catwalk for dear life. "You know, I haven't tested you yet, Sailor Mars. I suppose I can't let you just dissolve away, now can I?" She snapped her fingers, but instead of knocking Mars from the catwalk, the crackling negative energy enclosed the senshi's body and lifted her up onto the iron grating, though not without quite a bit of pain. Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction. "You'll be next," she decided, eyeing the red senshi's prostrate form. "Such spirit and courage could very well be an indication of the Dagger's presence." She turned back to face Mercury. "And I don't need you anymore." She waved her hand, and this time it was Sailor Mercury who was flung over the side of the guard rail.
"No!" Sailor Mars cried, watching helplessly as the blue senshi catapulted over the edge towards the toxic reservoir.
"Venus Lovely Chain!" a voice cried out, and in an instant the long stream of golden hearts had wrapped itself around Mercury's waist, rescuing her from the dangerous water.
"Sailor Venus," Mars breathed in relief.
Lady Slipper sneered as Sailors Venus, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune and Uranus all appeared at the door, with Sailor Moon and Sailor Orion right behind. "Welcome, senshi. What took you so long?" She ignored Venus as the golden senshi began to pull Mercury back up to the catwalk.
Neptune's eyes narrowed. "We had to make a detour to the hospital."
Lady Slipper nodded. "Of course." She stepped towards them, her eyes meeting Orion's, then moving to Uranus' face. "Well, Sailor Uranus. How are you getting along with my ex-husband?" She reached out as if to caress the soldier's cheek, but Orion's arm shot out and caught her hand.
"Don't," she hissed dangerously, "touch her."
Lady Slipper met Orion's eyes again with a smug look, and Uranus frowned as she turned to look at the Sacrificial Soldier. There was something passing between her and the Negaverse woman that Uranus didn't understand, and she had the uneasy feeling that it involved her somehow. Lady Slipper clucked her tongue. "Gets on your nerves, doesn't she?" she commented to Sailor Uranus, who bristled. Lady Slipper giggled. "I know. Try living with it for millennia." She sighed dramatically, ignoring Orion's deadly glare. "Well, I wish I had a jaki for you ladies to play with todaybut I seem to have dropped my knife. So sorry to disappoint. I know you were all looking forward to it."
Uranus snorted. "What I'm looking forward to is the look on your face when it meets my fist."
Lady Slipper's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, girl. You have no idea who you're dealing with. I ought to teach you to have a little respect for your superiors." She then winced as Orion's grip on her wrist tightened.
"If you lay a finger on her I'll personally sever it from your hand, Lady Slipper. Do I make myself clear?" Lady Slipper met the icy silver eyes and a shiver went through her. Orion was not teasing. She mustered a smile.
"Of course, Orion. Anything you say. Would you mind releasing me now?" Sailor Orion slowly and purposefully let go. Lady Slipper's first impulse was to rub the throbbing limb, but she didn't want to give Orion the satisfaction. "I suppose my mission is accomplished for today. Have a lovely afternoon, girls." She took a step backwards and vanished into thin air.
Uranus spun around and glared at Orion. "Why did you do that?" she demanded furiously. "We had her right there I could have ended all of this."
Orion shook her head slowly. "Uranus, you don't understand. Lady Slipper is too powerful to be defeated by your attacks. It wouldn't be worth it."
Every muscle in Sailor Uranus' body clenched. "At least I wouldn't have just stood there like a coward and let her get away," she growled. Sailor Moon stared at Uranus in confusionthe senshi of earth looked like she was about to explode, she was so tense.
"Uranus, it's all right," Sailor Moon interrupted, laying a hand on her forearm. "I'm sure that Sailor Orion is just trying to--"
"Get us all killed!!" Uranus raged, jerking her arm away and nearly hitting Usagi's face in the process. "You know what I think? I think you're probably still in love with that Negaverse witch, Orion. For all we know you're working with your ex-wife!" She spat out the last words with contempt and Neptune watched her partner with worry written all over her pretty face. She'd never seen Uranus this out of control before, and the other senshi had never seen Orion look so sad. The pain in the silver eyes was enough to give even Uranus a moment of pause.
"I promise you," the colossal soldier said quietly. "it is not Lady Slipper that I love." She could feel the surging power of the spite in the other girl, and also the near-desperation with which she was struggling to hold it back. "Uranus, I just want you to know that's it's all right if you hate me." Two shimmering tears, one after the other, trailed down her face. "I deserve it, whether you know it or not. Please don't be sorry." She turned to look at Sailor Mercury. "Are you all right, Mercury?" The small blue haired senshi nodded, struck dumb by the barely contained agony in the tinkling voice. Orion closed her eyes for a moment, causing more tears to fall, and opened them to look at Mars. "You're the next target, Sailor Mars," she stated softly. "Be careful." Finally she turned to Sailor Moon. "Princess." Her voice was on the breaking point now. "Do you think you can take care of the rest of this on your own?" She indicated the glowing green water below them.
Sailor Moon nodded, but she wasn't paying much attention to the question. "Shinzui-san, are you okay?" she asked with puzzlement and worry. She flashed a frown at Uranus, and Shinzui shook her head.
"No, Princess, don't blame her. It's my faultit always has been." She stepped backwards toward the door. "It's best if I leave now. I'll finish up my work at the hospital, all right?" She forced herself to look at Uranus again, but did not trust her voice any longer. Mars looked from one to the other and her eyebrows lowered. That dark cloud that she'd been sensing around Shinzui now seemed to have its source in the tomboyish soldier. It was as if there were long, heavy chains wrapped around Sailor Orion's heart, and Uranus was holding the other end. Sailor Mars didn't understand it but she knew that their very tall friend was suffering. After a moment Orion gave one last, resigned little nod, then lifted her arm, pressed the stone on her bracelet, and disappeared.
The instant that she was gone from their presence Uranus felt her rage subsiding. She gazed down in a sort of numb shock at the stricken looks on the younger girls' faces, and the worry and hurt on her beloved partner's face, and it was almost too much. With a heavy sigh, her body finally relaxed and she shook her head. Now that Orion was gone and the fury was gone all she had left was a deep sense of guilt. What on earth had possessed her to say such things to the older senshi? Why the hell can't I control this? She met Neptune's eyes with a sort of desperation. "I I'm sorry I don't know what" She stammered a bit but could not for the life of her come up with an explanation for her behavior. Finally she just spun on her heel and walked away.
The other senshi let out a collective breath and looked at one another. It was plain as day that something important was going on here, and something had to be done about it. Right now, however, they had a more pressing matter to attend to. They all looked over the railing of the catwalk to the poisoned water supply beneath them, and finally Sailor Venus voiced what everyone else was thinking.
"I get the feeling this is going to be a very long day."