Part Twenty-Seven: Disturbed time, stolen friendship. Baiting a time trap
Shinzui tilted her head towards Centauri with an almost imperceptible nod, and the golden retriever understood. He lifted his nose and called out her transformation phrase.
"Orion Constellation Power, Make Up!"
The soft dancing lights began to whirl. The blind girl was lifted from the ground, bathed in peachy light and surrounded by an energizing melody as her blue jeans and black angora sweater were replaced with her tall boots, black miniskirt, sailor collar and streaming peach ribbons. Her hair flew out of its neatly plaited bun and floated around her face, gathering itself into the two black clips that would hold it out of her face. For an instant the Orion symbol was glowing on her forehead, soon replaced by a shiny peach colored stone and golden tiara. Long white gloves wrapped themselves around her arms, and the opal on her bracelet glowed brightly as it drew the transformation power into itself, gently setting Sailor Orion down on the ground in a lunging, defensive posture. As the lights faded away, she opened her eyes, and they flashed keen and silver.
Sailor Orion drew herself up and moved to the edge of the building at the corner of the alley. She peered around the corner to look again at the chaos going on in the street. The jaki had apparently become bored with destroying the furniture store, because it had now moved into the adjoining glass-blower's shop and was happily tossing the fragile, shimmering glass pieces out into the street. The black pavement was glittering with the tiny glass shards, and the crashing and shattering racket the creature was making was nearly deafening. Orion looked down at Centauri.
"Something's wrong," the dog said quietly. "The jaki have been targeting the senshi, but this one is randomly destroying things. There doesn't seem to be a purpose to it."
Her silver eyes narrowed. "It's a trap." She looked up and down the street, but there was no sign of Lady Slipper. Still, she knew that her former partner was out there, and felt quite certain that they were being watched. "I don't know what Lady Slipper's up to, but we all need to keep our eyes open."
Centauri's shaggy brows lowered. "Be careful, Sailor Orion. If it's a trap, perhaps you should have a plan before you go out there."
Orion shook her head. "There's no time, Centauri. Besides, I cannot plan a defense if I do not know what Lady Slipper's intentions are." She grinned mischievously. "But if all else fails, I can always blast my way through whatever she's got planned."
Centauri gave an amused chuckle. "And you'd probably prefer to do it that way."
"You know me too well, my friend."
The retriever laughed again and nodded. "Well, whatever she's up to, I have faith in you, Orion. You can stop her."
The tall soldier smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Centauri," she said sincerely. Gazing at him, she suddenly realized how very dear he was to her. Centauri had been with her longer and more faithfully than anyone else in existence. He'd served her in the Negaverse, and when she'd left the Negaverse he'd chosen to leave everything—his mate, his family, and everything that he'd known, to follow her into the unknown. Centauri had been there to watch over her for thousands of lifetimes, serving as a friend and guide and helpmate, and often the only soul that she had to talk to, besides the Guardians. He gave her such support and encouragement, and without him, Orion was certain she never would have been able to endure her destiny. She reached down and stroked his ears tenderly. "You're a wonderful friend, you know that?"
Centauri colored a little, though it was hard to see beneath his silky golden fur. But he did not reply, because a particularly loud crash from the street caused them both to jump. The jaki had knocked over an entire display case of delicate wedding-cake toppers, tossing it through the broken plate glass of the shop's picture window to shatter on the sidewalk. There was a shout, and Sailor Moon came running up, followed by Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus. The girls began making their introduction speeches to distract the monster, and the golden retriever turned back to his mistress. "You'd better go."
She nodded. "I suppose that's my cue." Pressing the Orion Fire Opal on her bracelet, the stone shone slightly and she experienced a familiar tingling sensation as the opal's power rendered her body invisible. The effect could only be maintained for an hour at the most, but she would only be needing it for a few seconds this morning…just enough to give her the element of surprise.
Orion maneuvered herself into the street, and took up a position behind the jaki as it was distracted by the attacks of the other five senshi. The creature fired a stream of dark lightning towards Sailor Jupiter, who was countering it with her own opposing power. Jupiter ducked and rolled out of the way, and Sailor Orion chuckled and pressed her opal again to reveal herself.
"Good morning, Sunshine!" she called out cheerfully to the jaki. It turned towards her, and immediately received a mini-sphere in the face. The creature stumbled backwards as the explosion rocked the ground, and it hissed in pain and fury. Though the mini-sphere could not physically destroy the evil spirit, it could still make a definite impression; and it bought the senshi some time so that Sailor Moon could make her way over to where Orion was standing. The other Sailor Soldiers kept the jaki busy with their attacks, released one after the other in quick succession so that the confused monster could not retaliate.
Sailor Moon reached Orion's side, and smiled up—way up—at her. "Ready?" she inquired. The Sacrificial Soldier nodded, and Sailor Moon held out her Spiral Heart Moon Rod. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she cried, spinning quickly and powering up the rod.
Sailor Orion, at the same time, sent the Orion Music Sphere up into the sky as she called out her own attack. "Heavenly Symphony!"
A pink stream of light shot from the Moon Rod and was absorbed into the Music Sphere. The Sphere's glow intensified as the purifying energy was magnified within it, and the lovely music of their combined attacks filled the air as the power concentrated itself and then burst from the Sphere to focus upon the jaki. The monster shrieked as the cleansing light enveloped it, wiping out the negative energy that gave it life, and it liquified. The glistening black form melted down until there was nothing left but a puddle of the dark gooey substance; in a matter of moments that too had vanished into the pavement without a trace.
Sailor Jupiter shook her head, staring at the spot where the creature had just disappeared. "That was too easy," she remarked suspiciously.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sailor Jupiter. I suppose next time I'll have to try a little harder to provide you with a greater challenge."
The soldiers turned towards the saccharine voice, and found Lady Slipper smiling unpleasantly at them. Sailor Orion's pale eyebrows lowered dangerously. Lady Slipper had Centauri with her. The poor animal was restrained with a heavy leather muzzle and thick chokechain. Orion stepped forward.
"Lady Slipper, I'm only going to say this once." The silvery eyes glittered. "Let Centauri go."
The Negaverse woman's smile only widened. "I'm sorry, Sailor Orion. But I'm afraid I have need of your little doggy. I want you to tell Sailor Pluto that if she doesn't meet me at the Gate of Time in one hour, I'm going to kill your furry friend here."
"WHAT?!!" Sailor Venus exclaimed. "You can't do that!"
"Centauri has nothing to do with any of this, Lady Slipper," Mercury pointed out. "Killing him would not achieve anything."
Lady Slipper arched a rosy brow. "You underestimate his importance," she sneered. "Centauri is an eternal soul like the rest of you. If he dies before his time, Orion cannot transform into her new soldier form. She'll either have to stop fighting as a senshi altogether, or transform on her own power alone. You all know what that means."
"The Prince of Darkness," Sailor Mars mumbled, almost to herself.
Lady Slipper giggled. "I have a feeling your friend Pluto would take great issue with the death of this particular canine. The time stream would certainly be affected…and as the guardian of time I'm sure she'll want to negotiate."
Sailor Orion took another step forward, her fist clenched and her jaw tight. "Lady Slipper—," she growled, but the Negaverse woman merely winked at her coquettishly, and then vanished.
As Centauri disappeared along with her, Sailor Orion could feel the power of her transformation being drawn away as well. Her vision faded and clouded over, and her sailor fuku dissolved back into her regular street clothes. When the other girls looked up, they saw the blind girl standing alone in the street. Luckily, the streets were still empty and everyone remained in hiding; so they were reasonably certain that no one had seen the detransformation. But she made such a sad figure, so helpless and vulnerable without her guide.
"Shinzui-san," Sailor Moon breathed sympathetically.
Jupiter was the first of them to move. She walked to Shinzui's side and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, Shinzui-san," she encouraged. "We'll get Centauri back."
Mercury and Venus nodded in agreement and also came to lay hands on their friend, and Sailor Mars patted her hand. Shinzui smiled gratefully at all of them. "I think we need to pay Setsuna a visit," she said quietly. She could hear the increasing bustle as the frightened shopkeepers and pedestrians finally began to emerge from their hiding places, seeing that the danger was over. "And we should go now, before you're all mobbed with fans."
The girls nodded, and Jupiter and Mars each took one of Shinzui's arms. "Hang on," Sailor Jupiter grinned, and then all the senshi jumped. Using their enhanced soldier powers they carried themselves and the blind girl up and over the heads of the gathering crowd. The soldiers of fire and lightning held Shinzui fast, and together the girls made their way across the rooftops of Tokyo toward the other side of the city.
**********
Guardian Father scowled as he gazed down at the pages of the Book of Balance, watching Lady Slipper disappear with Centauri in tow. He met the eyes of his fellow Guardians. "Well. What are we going to do about this?" he asked, the cascading strength of his voice filling the library of the Celestial Hall.
The blue sashed Guardian rose to his feet excitedly. "Go after Lady Slipper," he answered. "There's no other way. We can't let anything happen to the Sacred Child's guide. It could endanger everything."
But Oberon shook his head slowly. "No. Sailor Pluto watches over the Gate of Time. She still has a part to play in all of this. We must not intervene yet."
Guardian Brother disagreed. "This is too important, Guardian Friend. We can't affort the risk. We must help."
Neophilus laid a hand on the agitated young man's shoulder. "Never fear, Guardian Brother. We will not allow the risk to become too great. But for the moment, Oberon is right. There is a fate at work here that we must see through. We must not directly intervene." Looking again at the Book's shimmering pages, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But perhaps we might step in to help…indirectly."
"What do you mean?" Demetrius wanted to know.
Neophilus did not answer, but the longer he stared down at the pages, the bigger his smile grew.
**********
The comfortable whirr of the sewing machine was interrupted by the doorbell, which was one of those older models that sound like cathedral bells and resonated through the entire house. Setsuna stood up and arched her back a little. She'd been sitting in front of her machine all morning, and a little break would be welcome.
"I'll be right there," she called as she switched her machine off and left the sewing room. It was probably Professor Tomoe. He'd promised to bring baby Hotaru over today so Setsuna could check the fit of the new school uniform she was working on for the little girl. She smiled a little as she made her way down the hall of her large house.
Once she'd been certain that her continual presence would be required on Earth for the time being, she'd arranged for the ownership of the old Yamato place. Setsuna wasn't quite sure why she'd known it was important for her to buy this particular house, especially when it was so enormous and she was living there alone. Perhaps because it was close to the Tomoe's…but then, she could just as easily have taken a small apartment nearby as Haruka and Michiru had. Perhaps she should ask the two of them to move in with her. It would probably save them all some money, not to mention making their meetings much more convenient. But she pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind as she reached the door.
Setsuna smoothed back a stray strand of dark green hair, and opened the front door. Her garnet eyes widened in surprise to see, not Professor Tomoe and the baby, but Shinzui, Usagi, and the four other younger girls standing on her doorstep. Chibiusa was with them as well, and the pink-haired child flew into Setsuna's arms, giggling.
"Puu!"
Setsuna caught the girl with a bemused smile. "Small Lady. Princess. What are you doing here?"
Chibiusa pulled back a bit and regarded her gravely. "Lady Slipper did a bad thing and we need your help."
The woman lifted an eyebrow. "You do?" she asked with some curiosity. Her eyes went to Shinzui's face, and the expression there told her that whatever was going on, it was very serious. Setsuna had the sinking feeling that she wasn't going to like this very much. "Come in, all of you," she said quietly, straightening up.
The girls filed inside without speaking, and Setsuna led them into her parlor, which was a pretty, simple little room with several soft couches and large windows. They took seats on the couches, with Makoto guiding Shinzui by the arm. Setsuna settled herself in an armchair by the east window, and instinctively turned to the blind girl for an explanation.
"Shinzui. What's happened?"
Shinzui took a deep breath. "Lady Slipper sent a jaki downtown today," she began. "It was meant to be a distraction. While we were fighting it off, she captured Centauri, and she's taken him to the Time Gate."
Setsuna's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Why?"
"She says she's gonna kill him!" Usagi interrupted anxiously. "If you don't go to the Gate with her she said she'd kill him."
The garnet eyes narrowed. "That must not be allowed to happen. It is not Centauri's time, and without him the future may be drastically altered." Setsuna stood up. "I must stop her." The long silver staff, with her garnet orb talisman, shimmered into view in her hand. But Shinzui shook her head.
"You must understand," she stated seriously. "Lady Slipper is setting a trap for you, Setsuna. She wants to test your blood for the presence of the Silver Dagger, but once she finds that it is not in you, she will try to kill you. Lady Slipper is extremely powerful. She has the ability to take your life, and if she were to succeed it would harm the timeline more than Centauri's death could." Shinzui sighed. "Without Centauri's power I cannot transform. I will not be able to travel to the Time Gate with you."
Setsuna nodded. "I understand," she replied with equal gravity. "But the Gate is my responsibility. I cannot allow the integrity of the time stream to be comprimised, even if it costs my life." She lifted her staff and waved it slightly, and the space above them near the ceiling began to warp and twist and roil. The girls recognized the phenomenon; they'd seen it before on rare occasions, when Chibiusa arrived from the future, and when they'd all traveled to the Time Gate themselves to face the Black Moon family.
Usagi looked up at the dark vortex and then back down at Setsuna, with trepidation in her pretty features. "Setsuna-san, don't. Don't go alone. There has to be some other way."
Setsuna gave a faint smile. "If Professor Tomoe drops by, tell him I was called away by an emergency. Ask him to return tomorrow." With that, she made a leap straight up, and was drawn into the swirling portal. Space itself seemed to swallow her, and as her feet disappeared the vortex closed itself and calmed. The girls found themselves standing in the empty room as if Setsuna had never been there at all.
There was concern in the blind girl's face, which they all noticed. "It's all right, Shinzui-san," Rei reassured her hesitantly. "Sailor Pluto is stronger than most of us. She'll get Centauri back for you."
"She should have let us go with her," Makoto grinned. "I wouldn't mind facing off with that prissy Negaverse queen again."
Ami looked up from her mini-computer. "I've calculated Pluto's chance of success, given that the Time Gate is her territory. There's a forty-eight point six percent likelihood that she'll be able to overcome Lady Slipper."
Chibiusa's chin trembled. "I don't like those odds," she declared. "Can't we help her somehow?"
There was a sigh from Shinzui. "Those odds are better than I would have predicted," she admitted, her tinkling, bell-like voice unusually tense. Abruptly she rose to her feet and used her arm to knock over an antique lamp on the endtable with great force. The china lamp fell to the hardwood floor with a crash, and the other girls stared at Shinzui in shock. She'd done that on purpose. The blind girl's face was hard, an expression that they recognized on Sailor Orion but seemed completely out of place for Giseino Shinzui. Usagi blinked in surprise. She'd never seen Shinzui get angry like that before. "When I get my hands on Lady Slipper…" Shinzui seethed, clenching her fists, completely oblivious to the shattered china at her feet.
Minako touched the taller girl's hand hesitantly. "Shinzui-san," she began, but she wasn't sure how to finish. None of them knew how to respond to this.
At Minako's touch, however, Shinzui suddenly sensed her friend's concern, and she calmed a bit, though her voice retained its tension. "Centauri is my friend," she said quietly. "He's always been there for me and I don't intend to abandon him now."
"What are you going to to?" Rei wanted to know.
"I don't know yet. But I'm not going to let Lady Slipper harm him, or Pluto either." She traced the edge of the opal in her bracelet. "I'm not completely out of options, you know."
The others took a step back in apprehension. "No, Shinzui-san. You musn't," Ami warned, knowing what the older girl was thinking. "You said yourself that the Prince of Darkness is difficult to control."
Shinzui nodded tersely. "I know. But there may be no other way."
Usagi stared at her in horror. "You'd really put yourself through that?"
"If it will save the life of a friend, yes."
"If you transform without Centauri you'll be giving Lady Slipper exactly what she wants," Makoto pointed out gently. "She wants the Prince back, remember? You'll play right into her hands."
"I don't like the mean guy," Chibiusa chimed in stubbornly. "Don't turn into him, Shinzui. He scares me."
Shinzui gave a wry smile, and patted the rabbit ear odangos. "He scares me too, Small Lady."
Usagi narrowed her blue eyes. "What if I order you not to transform?" she demanded.
"Please, Princess." The blind girl turned towards her with a sad expression. "Please don't do that. You know that I will do anything for you, if you command. And if you order me not to transform I will not. But that order may cost me two of my dearest friends."
Guiltily Usagi flushed. She'd forgotten for a moment that the issue was Pluto and Centauri's survival. But her embarassment, and their dilemma, was quickly alleviated as the three Guardians unexpectedly materialized in the center of the parlor.
Chibiusa's eyes grew large as she recognized the three golden-robed figures, and Shinzui, regardless of her blindness, sensed their presence immediately. "Guardians," she greeted them with a tip of her head.
Guardian Brother looked down at the floor, which was covered in broken bits of china and glass from the lamp, and he arched an eyebrow. "Trouble, Child?" he asked with irony in his tone.
Shinzui smiled ruefully. "I think I owe Setsuna a new lamp," she replied. "But I'll worry about that later. Right now we have a bigger problem."
Guardian Father nodded. "We know. That's why we're here."
"I knew it! You're gonna stop Lady Slipper and get Centauri back, right?" Chibiusa broke in happily.
Guardian Friend shook his head. "Not exactly, Small Lady."
"We must not interfere directly," Guardian Father added. "But we're here to help, nonetheless."
Shinzui nodded. "What do you have in mind?"
"We're going to send you to the Time Gate," Demetrius answered immediately.
"But there is a danger," Oberon countered quietly, before Demetrius' exuberance proved too contagious. "You will be going to the Gate in your untransformed state. In order to defeat Lady Slipper, you must get Centauri to help you once you've arrived."
Neophilus laid a hand on her shoulder. "It is a risk," he agreed. "And you must be aware of it before you go."
The blind girl's face was set. "Pluto knew the risks, and was willing to take them for Centauri's sake. I will do no less for both of them. Let's do it."
Makoto grinned and nudged Minako with her elbow. "Somehow I knew she'd say that."
Shinzui stepped forward into the center of the room, and the three Guardians gathered around her. Neophilus bent down so that she could kiss his forehead tenderly. "Safe questing, Child," he rumbled warmly.
She turned and clasped Guardian Friend's hand, and he inclined his head to her. "Safe questing, Child," Oberon whispered.
And then she turned to Demetrius, who put his arms around her in a close embrace. "Safe questing, Child." He held her a few moments longer than was necessary, and when he pulled back to gaze into her vacant eyes, she could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, knowing what he wanted to say. Shinzui lifted her hand and placed a finger on his lips.
"Shh." Her vacant eyes were gentle, but warned him not to express what she knew he was thinking. "I know."
He nodded. She was right, there was no use in perpetuating something that could never be. But he squeezed her arm gently instead. "Be careful."
"Always." Her smile was genuine this time, as she turned to all of them and lifted her arms. "All right then, friends. I'm ready." She closed her eyes, knowing what she needed to do. Without her senshi power, she would have to use the Guardians' to open the portal to the Time Gate.
The robed figures looked at one another, nodding, and then each of them extended a hand. Beams of jewel-colored power streamed from the fingertips of each, combining over Shinzui's head in a swirl of red, blue and purple. Shinzui could feel the energy entering her, and she nodded to herself. It would be enough. Concentrating, she took a deep breath, and began to sing. The words helped her to focus on her goal; saving Centauri's life. The song came to her easily, as if there was something inside other than her own mind that was forming the music .
*"You are the one, my closest friend,
That guides me on a journey through my life.
Never letting me down, never letting it end,
A pure and golden heart you try to mend.
"Friends forever, never apart,
Nothing comes between us.
Friends forever, that's all I can say,
You are my shining star.
"Through wind and rain,
Through times when I'm blue.
Teaching me to live through pain,
Helping my life to gain.
"Friends forever, never apart,
Nothing comes between us.
Friends forever, that's all I can say,
You are my shining star.
"As times go by, I still trust in you,
For you've helped me find my way.
Hope can be found, I know it's true,
It comes from trusting in you.
"Friends forever, never apart,
Nothing comes between us.
Friends forever, that's all I can say,
You are my shining star.
"I'd despair forever if you were gone,
But throughout my life I'd search.
From dusk of a day 'till the shining dawn,
Yes through the dawn, if you were gone.
"Because we're
Friends forever, never apart,
Nothing comes between us,
Friends forever, that's all I can say,
You are my shining star."*
The music was beautiful, and Usagi and the other girls were held breathless in awe as the colored energies flowing from the three golden figures seemed to gather themselves into a circle above the blind girl's head. It was as if the song gave Shinzui control of the Guardians' power. The bright circle expanded and swelled with the melody, and even through there was no instrumental accompaniment, everyone in the room could still feel the potency of the words, so that no accompaniment was needed. This was Shinzui's gift, and she used it now to her fullest ability. The balancing powers in the center of the circle seemed to grab onto the edges of space, peeling it back so that the portal through which Setsuna had disappeared was made visible. Shinzui could sense the opening above her, and shivered a little as she sang. She'd forgotten how cold it was at the Gate of Time.
The vortex, dark and clouded, was fully open above her by the time she'd reached the final chorus. With her eyes still closed and her arms uplifted, Shinzui was drawn upwards into the whirling space. Her feet left the ground, and her last words faded away as she vanished through the portal of time.
With a soft whooshing sound, the portal closed itself after her, and the colored streams receded from the Guardians' fingers. The girls were left staring at the three huge men, and the room was silent.
"What now?" Chibiusa demanded, her little voice rippling through the quiet like a stone dropped into a pond.
Guardian Father turned his wise ruby eyes upon her. "Now, Small Lady…we wait."
**********
As Setsuna passed through the vortex, she could feel her lavender suit-dress being replaced by her sailor fuku. The air around her grew colder. At the Time Gate, where the streams of time converged and paused, it was always cold. It was a chill that she felt inwardly, not so much on the outside, and she both welcomed and despised it. The Time Gate represented her greatest privilege, and also her greatest trial. It was her duty to guard the Gate from those who would misuse its power, and while she was aware of the honor that this bestowed upon her, she was also aware that it was a heavy responsibility. At times she felt chained to the Gate, and even on the rare occasions that she took respite among the other Senshi, she still could not rid herself of the constant feeling that she was neglecting her duties by doing so.
Mentally she berated herself for having stayed away so long this time. She'd told herself that the Senshi needed her more, and that her presence on Earth was more important for the time being. But she wasn't sure of that now. If she'd only kept up with her work at the Time Gate, Lady Slipper wouldn't have had access to it.
But even as she scolded herself she knew that it wasn't entirely true. She knew that Lady Slipper had the power to overcome all of Pluto's defenses if she so desired. Shinzui had been right in saying that Lady Slipper was more powerful than she was. Sailor Pluto's grip on her staff tightened a little. She was going to be in for a very tough battle, that much was certain.
In a matter of seconds, her travel to the Gate was complete. She saw the starry blackness rushing down to greet her, and then she was pushed through the last of the clouds, and found herself standing before the great silver gates. Lady Slipper was there, waiting for her.
"Welcome, Sailor Pluto," the Negaverse woman sneered. "I wasn't sure you were coming. I had half made up my mind to forget the whole thing and kill him now." In one hand she held a small knife, which she waved towards the dog lying in front of her.
Pluto looked down at Centauri with concern. The poor animal seemed to be dead already; he was unconcious, lying on his side at Lady Slipper's feet. "What did you do to him?" she asked, moving towards them.
"Just a little chloroform. He was starting to get nasty. Bit right through that muzzle." She indicated the now useless straps of leather lying nearby that showed definite wear from a set of sharp and angry teeth. "It was either sedate him or kill him." She lifted an eyebrow. "It would be such a shame if the currents of time were disturbed so much, you know. I wonder what would happen to your precious little Posiverse without him. Amazing, isn't it, to think of what the possibilities might bring…if Centauri dies, it could destroy the entire universe. Then again, it might be nothing more than another sad doggie funeral in the backyard. Who can say?"
Pluto shook her head. "You realize that I cannot allow you to disturb time this way. You are intruding upon the Gate of Time, and the punishment for all trespassers is death."
Lady Slipper giggled. "I know, I know, and next you're going to tell me to prepare myself for the afterlife." She shook her head. "Perhaps you are the one who should be making those preparations, Miss Pluto. You'll never defeat me, let alone take my life. You're the oldest of the Sailor Planets; surely you understand that I am infinitely more powerful than you are."
"Time belongs to infinity, Lady Slipper," Sailor Pluto responded calmly. "And you are in my realm now. Return Centauri to me and leave."
"You want him?" A smile curved the evil woman's lips. "Come and get him."
Pluto gripped her Garnet Rod and took a deep breath. "Very well." She held the Rod out and closed her eyes, concentrating her considerable power. "Dead Scream," she whispered intensely. Gray clouds swirled around her body, lifting her long dark hair and ruffling her skirt before gathering into a small planet-shaped ball of energy. The dark red orb at the tip of her rod flashed, and the energy was launched towards Lady Slipper.
The Negaverse woman extended her arm as the positive power came hurtling towards her, and seemed to pluck the garnet colored planet from the air effortlessly, halting its advance. She held the shimmering energy in her hand for a moment, concentrating until the rich red color was replaced with a sickly pale green, the same shade as her venomous eyes. Once all the Posiforce had been tainted with her own negative power, Lady Slipper met Pluto's gaze with a cruel smile, and held the little planet up in her palm, blowing on it as one would blow a kiss to a friend.
Pluto scarcely had time to blink before the painful attack exploded in her face. It had moved so fast she wasn't able to dodge it, and stars swam before her eyes as she felt herself lifted into the air and slammed backwards. It felt like needles were being jabbed into her eyes and cheeks, so sharp was the Negaforce that she'd absorbed, and as she fell she raised her hands to her face, trying to determine whether she was bleeding. There was no indication of blood there but it hurt so much that it was hard for Pluto to believe that the injuries were all internal. When she hit the ground, there was another burst of pain. For a moment she was too stunned to move at all. She lay blinking into the fathomless starry blackness above her, trying to focus. The stars were blackened out suddenly as Lady Slipper's face loomed over her with an expression of mock concern.
"Oh dear. Are you all right, Miss Pluto?" The lovely features twisted into a sneer. "I most sincerely hope not."
Pluto blinked again, and the blurry lines of Lady Slipper's face began to clear up just a little. She struggled to sit up, but Lady Slipper shoved her back down again with the heel of her hand. Pluto's head struck the ground a second time and she groaned with the pain. Lady Slipper clucked her tongue.
"Not yet, dear. I'm not finished with you yet." Pluto could make out a flash of silver as Lady Slipper produced the small knife she carried. "You're going to give me that Dagger the Avatar wants. Then, I promise, I'll put you out of your misery."
The pain in Sailor Pluto's head was so overwhelming that Pluto didn't even feel the sting as her skin parted underneath the sharp blade. Lady Slipper smiled as the scarlet line materialized on the Revolutionary Soldier's arm. "There we are," she cooed sweetly, and reached for the fire opal at her waist. "Let's just retrieve that Dagger, shall we?" The opal was waved over the trickle of blood.
Nothing happened.
"Damn!" Lady Slipper shrieked, rising to her feet and kicking the prostrate Pluto in the abdomen in her fury. "It was supposed to be you! Why does this keep happening to me? Damn it!"
Pluto curled up and gasped as another kick knocked the wind out of her. Lady Slipper began to pace. "I've tested all you little Sailor brats now except for Sailor Moon and…" she stopped there, and froze. "No. It can't be him," she whispered to herself, fear creeping into her voice. "It can't be. It's got to be that pitiful Princess of theirs. I should have tested her first to begin with. She's the one with all the power." Lady Slipper glared down at Pluto scornfully. "A waste of time," she muttered. "This is becoming tedious." She turned her glare upon Centauri, lying only about a foot away from the fallen soldier. "And you…worthless traitor, just like Orion. Following her around like a mindless jaki. Wonder how she's going to get along without you?"
The unconcious animal did not respond, of course, and Lady Slipper snorted with disgust, holding up her little knife. "I guess we'll find out," she snarled, taking a step towards the two helpless beings.
"Lady Slipper."
The Negaverse woman spun around in surprise at the familiar voice. There was Shinzui, standing before the Gate, all alone and untransformed. Lady Slipper's mouth fell open in surprise. "You…how did you get here?"
Shinzui's lips quirked at one corner, her vacant eyes focused on some spot far beyond Lady Slipper's face. "The Guardians sent me. Now, return my friends."
Lady Slipper stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. "And who's going to make me?" she managed to choke out between chuckles. "You? A poor little blind girl who can't take three steps on her own without her trusty little guide dog? What are you going to do, Orion, sing me to death?" She laughed again.
Shinzui's face was hard, and she lifted one arm to display the opal bracelet on her wrist. "I can do much more than that, Lady Slipper, and you know it."
Lady Slipper was still grinning from ear to ear. "Go ahead. Transform. It's always nice to see you in your true form." Shinzui hesitated, and Lady Slipper giggled, taking a step towards her. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she demanded with amusement. "I'm looking forward to having you back again."
Shinzui frowned. "You know that if I release the Prince of Darkness he'll kill you," she reminded Lady Slipper.
The rosy-haired woman arched an eyebrow. "You speak as if you're different people. YOU are the Prince of Darkness, Orion. Don't tell me you've forgotten that. And if you kill me…" she shrugged. "I'll be reborn eventually. It would be a small price to pay if it gets you to finally give up that nauseating piety you keep parading around."
Shinzui shook her head. "You don't understand, Lady Slipper."
"I understand perfectly. You're blind in more ways than one, Orion. You only see what you want to see. You think you belong to them? That you're one of them? That you fit in with them? All that sugary Posiverse nonsense is making you delusional." Lady Slipper took another step towards her, raising a hand to cup Shinzui's cheek. "You're mine, Orion. You always have been and you always will be. You can run around with those little twits all you want, and pat yourself on the back for being such a good girl. But deep down you haven't changed. You still crave the fight, the violence, the blood." She rose on tiptoe so that her lips were a mere inch from the taller girl's ear. "The kill." Lady Slipper felt the tremor that ran through Shinzui's body and she smiled as she pulled back, regarding the vulnerable blind woman with wolfish eyes. "You're not so different from me."
Behind them, Pluto could catch snatches of the conversation. She wasn't sure how Shinzui had managed to follow them to the Time Gate, but it was obvious that the younger girl was in trouble now. She rolled her head to try and catch a better view of them, and realized that Centauri was lying within arm's reach. Shinzui needed his help if she was going to be able to defend herself against Lady Slipper, but the animal was still sedated under the influence of the chloroform. As quietly as she could, Pluto put her hand out and made contact with one silky paw. She still had a little energy left, enough perhaps for one more Dead Scream attack and that was all. Knowing just how useless Dead Scream had proved to be against Lady Slipper, Pluto understood that her power would be better used elsewhere. If she could just transfer enough to Centauri in order to wake him up…
Pluto closed her eyes and forced her throbbing brain to concentrate. She felt a slight burning on her forehead as her planetary symbol started to glow, indicating the gathering of energy. With every last bit of strength she could muster, Sailor Pluto sent her remaining power into the golden retriever. As it left her body, Pluto felt herself collapsing into unconciousness. Her sight faded and she blacked out before she had the chance to determine whether or not her attempt to awaken the dog had succeeded.
Shinzui forced herself to pull away from Lady Slipper's warm hand on her face. "We ARE different, Lady Slipper. You cannot feel things the way that I do. You're never struck with the wickedness of what you are doing. And perhaps that is fortunate; you do not have to answer to your conscience. I do." She shook her head, the vacant eyes sorrowful. "This struggle is between you and me. Let my friends go."
Lady Slipper arched a rosy eyebrow. "No."
Shinzui sighed. "Then you give me no choice." She held up her braceleted fist. "Orion--"
"Wait, Shinzui!"
Both women turned towards Centauri's voice as the retriever, still a little groggy but finally awake, stumbled to his feet. Lady Slipper growled her displeasure, but could not move fast enough to prevent Shinzui's guide dog from calling out her transformation phrase for her.
"Orion Constellation Power, Make Up!" The glowing power streamed from Centauri's eyes to Shinzui's bracelet, and in a whirl of music and light the blind girl rose into the air and was changed into her Senshi form. As Orion was transforming, Lady Slipper glared at Centauri and delivered a sharp kick to the animal's ribs.
"Meddlesome mutt," she hissed, lifting her foot again.
Sailor Orion came up behind her. "One more kick like that and I'll break your leg," she stated icily, so that Lady Slipper turned towards her. The Negaverse woman giggled.
"You're so wonderful when you're angry," she teased, batting her sea-green eyes at her former partner.
Orion continued to stare down at her with that unnerving silver gaze, until Lady Slipper was forced to look away. "One day you're going to push me too far," she finally declared, her voice low and dangerous. "Be careful, Lady Slipper." The colossal soldier tilted her head to the side. "I'll make this easy for you. You have five seconds to leave this place before I start detonating things."
Lady Slipper swallowed uncertainly, and then forced a flippant smile. "Fine. My business here is finished anyway." She flipped her long rose colored braid over her shoulder. "But you'd better keep a close eye on that precious little princess of yours, Orion. She's next." Lady Slipper winked impudently and then vanished out of sight.
Sailor Orion stood for a moment looking into empty space. "Over my dead body," she muttered. Then she turned towards her fallen friends. Centauri moved his head as his mistress knelt beside him, and he attempted to stand but the soreness in his ribs was too much for him and he fell back with a whimper of pain. Orion stroked the golden fur gently. "Easy, old friend," she soothed. "You'll be all right in a moment." She checked on Sailor Pluto, noting that the Revolutionary Soldier had lost conciousness from lack of energy. Summoning her Music Sphere, Sailor Orion closed her eyes and concentrated.
"Heavenly Symphony," she sang softly, and the humming sphere filled the air with a soft melody. Without opening her eyes, the pale haired soldier absentmindedly began to sing to the music.
"Friends forever, never apart,
Nothing comes between us.
Friends forever, that's all I can say,
You are my shining star."
The sweet, healing song worked its magic on both the golden retriever and the senshi of death, and after a minute Sailor Pluto was able to sit up. She could feel the bruises on her head and back fading away, and sighed with relief as the throbbing aches were alleviated. Centauri, too, was soon feeling much better. The Orion Music Sphere quieted, its work complete, and Sailor Orion smiled at her friends.
Pluto took a brief glance around, noting that Lady Slipper was gone. She nodded at Orion. "Well done."
Sailor Orion shook her head. "I couldn't have done it without you two. Thank you for helping me." She offered a hand to Pluto to help her up.
Sailor Pluto took the hand and rose to her feet, picking her staff up and brushing off her dark skirt. "You do so much for us, Orion," she said quietly. "I was glad for the opportunity to return the favor." She regarded the taller soldier for a moment with her garnet eyes. "You are very important to the Sailor Senshi, Orion. You're part of our family and we love you."
Orion's lips curved into a smile, and she gave a little nod. "And I love all of you," she replied, her tinkling voice gentle. She reached down and stroked the retriever's ears. "You too."
Centauri looked up at her. "We should go back now," he suggested with a smile. "Sailor Moon has most likely run out of patience by now. We don't want to worry her."
Pluto nodded, and turned to Orion. "Ready?" she inquired. At Orion's nod, Pluto raised her staff. A portal opened in the space in front of them, a dark, cloudy, swirling opening in the fabric of the air itself.
Sailor Orion patted Centauri's head affectionately. "Come, friends. Let's go home."
* - *: These lyrics were written by Carol Dazmin, the winner of the Refuge's poetry contest. Thank you so much for the wonderful song, Carol, and congratulations!