Part Thirty-One: Orion must die

Part Thirty-One: Orion must die! Vengeance for the dead

When Uranus looked up, she found herself kneeling on the asphalt outside the racing garage. The shock of what she had just remembered shook her so badly that she could scarcely remember how to control her own body; her arms were wrapped around her stomach and she hugged herself tightly, trying to contain the pain, and the memories. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings; the cool night air against her bare arms and legs, the faint, sweet, smoky smell of the residual exhaust still clearing from the garage, and a presence at her back that made her skin crawl.
With trembling muscles she stood up, arms still wrapped protectively around her middle. She felt like crying and screaming and tearing her hair out all at the same time, and a slight breeze that ruffled her bangs reminded her that she had already essentially done the latter, hundreds of lifetimes ago. She could remember it all now, as clearly as if the destruction of her planet and family had taken place only last week. Now she understood what Orion had meant when she'd said this would hurt more than anything she'd ever felt; even the thought of what she had done to Usagi no longer pained her as much as the loss and terror eating through her insides. The thought of Orion reminded her, unpleasantly, that the tall senshi was still there, behind her, standing at her back. She could feel the silver eyes penetrating the back of her head and she didn't dare turn around.
The rage was back. The hate was back. And if Uranus had thought it was powerful before, it was ten times so now. And she didn't bother to try and fight it back. Why should she? Orion deserved to die. Orion deserved eternal death, eternal torture, eternal damnation to hell for what she had done. No death could ever be enough, actually. No pain could ever be enough to make up for the six billion lives, the children and husbands and wives and friends and sisters and brothers and parents that had been annihilated. And nothing could ever achieve vengeance for the eternal death of Gayen. Gayen was supposed to be her soulmate, her reborn life partner for the rest of eternity. He was supposed to be immortal, just like her. And Orion had stolen him away, destroyed him not only once but infinite times, because he would never come back. He was lost forever and Uranus would spend the rest of eternity alone because of that one day millennia ago when Orion dissolved his soul.
But Uranus remembered her promise. Her body was shaking so badly that she could barely maintain her balance, and when she spoke her voice was heavy with emotion.
"Be glad you made me swear not to kill you, Orion," she breathed dangerously, not turning around. If she caught sight of that pretty little face she would be unable to control the fury gripping her heart. "I will walk away this time, but I swear something else to you now. If I ever see you again, you will die."
Sailor Orion nodded, tears on her cheeks, but she did not speak. Uranus was too close to the edge; any sound from her would be too much. Without another word, and without looking back, Uranus strode away, stubbornly forcing her quivering body to respond. She had to get away before she exploded. She had to keep her promise, for Michiru's sake. She needed to regain control. There would be time for revenge.
Centauri approached Orion cautiously, and nudged her hand with his nose. She snatched it away. "Don't, Centauri. Don't touch me right now."
The golden retriever gazed up at his mistress sadly. He knew how much sharing the memories had cost her; knew that for her, it was happening all over again. The last time, it had transformed Orion into a different person, causing the Prince of Darkness to question everything he existed for. Heaven only knew what it would do to Shinzui this time around.

**********

"Oh my god." Guardian Father gazed down at the pages of the Book of Balance in shock. "What has she done?"
Guardian Friend could not reply. He just shook his head from side to side in stunned silence. This was completely unexpected. The memories of the Prince of Darkness' destruction and genocide had gone buried for millennia; ever since the end of that cycle of lifetimes no one but Orion herself had been able to remember the event. The Guardians had mutually agreed it was better that way; no one needed to have to relive those memories. It was in the past, over and done with, and could not be taken back. Of all people, Orion herself would be the last person to want that pain reopened. And yet she had done just that, to the one person she'd hurt the most.
Guardian Father rubbed his temples. "Uranus changed so much after that. She cut her hair, always wore it short. Became so cold, so hard, it was almost like a reflection of Orion himself. She forgot how to love. If it hadn't been for Neptune she would have forgotten everything." He sighed. "It's taken hundreds of lifetimes, thousands of years, and the infinitely patient love of Sailor Moon and the other senshi to allow her to finally begin to soften again. The past few years have been some of the best she's had in centuries…it seemed like Neptune was finally getting through to her again, and she was remembering gentleness...and now this."
Guardian Friend traced the image on the page, of Uranus' retreat across the racetrack. "She was so close, Neophilus," he whispered sadly. "So close to forgiveness. And now everything must start over."
"Maybe it's not so bad," Guardian Brother offered, though his tone was as dismal as the others'. "The Sacred Child knows what she's doing. She wouldn't have reopened the past if she didn't think it was absolutely necessary."
Something in the younger man's voice raised Neophilus' suspicion, and he stared at Demetrius quizzically. "You knew she was going to do this, didn't you?" he said quietly.
Guardian Brother flushed and lowered his head, but nodded. "Yes. She told me."
"And you didn't tell us." Oberon reproached.
"She asked me not to."
Guardian Father sighed again. "Demetrius, we know you love the Child. But she is not perfect, and you know it. She makes mistakes. And she's made a big one today." He looked back down at the glowing pages. "She's just destroyed millennia of development and work."
"But Uranus was going to kill herself," Demetrius protested. "I had to stop her twice, and if the Child had not arrived when she did it would have been a third time. The Child told me that it was the only way to ease Uranus' suffering."
"You cannot ease suffering by adding more to it," Guardian Friend pointed out flatly. "Uranus' pain has not been eased, only redirected. Now the Child has even more to bear."
Guardian Father nodded. "If Uranus had succeeded in her suicide attempt, it would not have been the end of the world. She would be reborn eventually. That would have been preferable to this." The powerful voice was glum.
Demetrius sank down in a chair at the library table. "I know." His voice was despondent. For a few moments the Celestial Hall library was silent as each of the Guardians pondered this latest turn of events. Finally Guardian Brother shook his head. "So what are we going to do?"
"That would seem to be the question," Guardian Friend responded darkly. "What can we do? We must not ask Pluto to break her vows at the Time Gate. We dare not. Everything happens for a reason, and this cycle…"
"Is dangerously different," Guardian Father finished for him with a nod. "So many things, large and small, are changing this time around. If there is a purpose to it we cannot intervene."
"What if that purpose means the destruction of the Posiverse?" Demetrius inquired. "Surely we can't stand by and blindly allow everything we have fought to protect to be destroyed."
Oberon closed the Book with a soft thud. "We are Guardians, my friends. Not gods. There is a force greater than we are; we are merely the instruments of destiny. If the world as we know it is to come to an end, no amount of effort on our part will be effectual in stopping it."
Guardian Brother stared at him. "So what your saying is that there's nothing we can do."
Neophilus clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Without knowing what we're doing…no. There's nothing we can do."
An unsettling quiet filled the library as each Guardian of the Balance became absorbed in his own disturbed thoughts.

**********

Michiru opened the door, and opened her arms. Haruka fell into them without a word, and for several moments they stood as if turned to stone. Warm tears soaked the racer's hair and neck as Michiru held her, squeezing almost a little too tightly. The whiteness of Haruka's face, the agonized gray eyes, were enough for Michiru to know that Orion had succeeded in her intent to remind her of the past; Michiru herself was having a difficult time accepting it, and she knew that her partner would be experiencing the memories with far more intensity. She'd almost lost Haruka, and at the same time felt like blessing and cursing Orion for what she had done. Obviously the plan had worked; Haruka was here, in her arms, instead of in a coffin. But the suffering she had glimpsed on the other young woman's face was enough to break her heart.
The sandy-haired racer leaned on her, limply, and Michiru had never sensed so much sorrow and loss from her partner before. Shinzui had warned her that the truth would wound Haruka more deeply than any of them could imagine, but the reality of that pain was so much more powerful than the warning. Michiru had thought she was prepared for this; but as she supported the taller girl she realized that she hadn't expected it to hurt this much. When Haruka suffered, so did she.
Michiru lifted one hand to run it through her partner's hair, softly, and pressed a kiss to the clammy temple. With one arm, she pushed the door shut, and half-carried Haruka over to the couch. She sat down at one corner, pulling Haruka down towards her, and the racer laid her head in Michiru's lap wearily. In a moment, she was asleep.
Michiru sat silently, stroking the soft sandy hair. Haruka had been awake for more than twenty-four hours straight, and they were probably the most tumultuous twenty-four hours of her life. In the space of a day she had nearly killed Usagi, Orion and Neptune; she had jumped from a sixty-story building, defeated a jaki entirely on her own and tried to suffocate herself in a garage. And as if that weren't enough, she'd just been transported approximately one million years back in time to be reminded of a family she had forgotten, and a planet that had been destroyed. The poor girl needed sleep.
Absentmindedly her fingers strayed over the single gold hoop that Haruka always wore in her right ear. She remembered all the times she'd teased her partner for what seemed like a silly fetish; and all the times that Haruka had laughed and teased right back, even though she didn't really understand it herself. Now it made sense. Shinzui had told her about the Bonding ceremony with Gayen, about how the earring was, in Uranian culture, the equivalent of a wedding ring. Michiru didn't have any direct memories of the ceremony, though Shinzui had said that she had been present. She didn't remember Gayen or Jutei either, but found herself wondering what they would have looked like, this family that had claimed Haruka's heart. She had to smile at herself as a flash of jealousy went through her. Here it was, thousands of lifetimes later, and even though the people themselves had been forgotten Haruka still wore the Bonding ring. Michiru wondered if Haruka would remember her with such fondness, if something ever happened to her.
Her turquoise eyes washed over the features of her friend, the small, straight nose and delicate jawline, the strength and sensuality of the lips. With her eyes closed, there was something incongruously childlike about the tough soldier that tugged at Michiru's heart.
"What would I do without you, hmm?" she whispered tenderly. "Why do you always have to be the strong one? Maybe, for once, you should let me take care of you."
Michiru had no idea how long she sat there with the sleeping racer in her lap. It had been long past midnight when Haruka had returned to their apartment, and the morning sun had risen and brightened by the time that a knock on the door disturbed both girls.
Haruka stirred and blinked sleepily, and Michiru found herself wishing that whoever was at the door would go away for a while. Her partner still needed more sleep. However, the person at the door seemed to have no intention of going away, as a second knock followed the first, this time louder and more energetic. Haruka was awake now, and sat up dazedly. Michiru sighed and, after making sure Haruka was all right, rose to answer the persistent knocking.
She immediately understood the reason for it as Usagi burst into the room, worry written all over the pretty face. "Where is she? Haruka-san!" The tiny Sailor leader, one arm wrapped and in a sling, launched herself at the still-waking racer with very little regard for her healing arm. She sprang into Haruka's lap with a boldness that startled both of the older girls, and threw her good arm around Haruka's neck fiercely. "You're not dead! I'm so glad you're not dead. Rei-chan said you jumped off the roof…" The blond girl began to wail. "You can't do that, Haruka-san, I won't let you. If you're dead then no one will take me out for ice cream or play games at the arcade or give me rides in your car or call me odango…" She burst into tears then, clinging to Haruka's neck. "It was an accident!"
Haruka met Michiru's eyes with surprise, and Michiru tried to stifle a giggle. The surprise melted into amusement and she awkwardly patted the shoulder of the hysterical girl in her lap until Usagi ceased her howling. The Sailor leader pulled back to glare at Haruka with brilliant blue eyes. "Don't ever do that again," she warned vehemently. "I don't care if you break both my arms, don't you ever try to get yourself killed again, or I'll…" She paused. "I'll…" Haruka lifted an eyebrow quizzically, and Usagi scowled petulantly. "I'll kill you myself."
Michiru raised a hand to her mouth to hold back the laughter that rose with this final nonsensical declaration, and Haruka, too, had to take a moment before replying to avoid chuckling. She composed her face, with a little difficulty, and managed to respond in a serious tone. "You have my word, Princess."
Usagi nodded with satisfaction. Haruka's amusement dissipated a little, though, as she caught sight of the sling around the smaller girl's neck. "Your arm," she said hesitantly. "How is it?"
Usagi shrugged. "Doesn't hurt," she answered. "Shinzui-san's been fixing it with her Music Sphere. And Demetrius-sama says that I was very brave." She grinned proudly. "See what he gave me?" With a happy giggle, she brandished a yellow lollipop under Haruka's nose. "He says my arm should be good as new by tomorrow."
Despite the flashes of guilt, Haruka had to return the grin. "I'm glad," she replied. "And…" she took a breath. "I'm so sorry, odango. I never meant to hurt you."
The blond girl nodded. "I know that, silly. You'd never hurt me." She gave the racer another abrupt, choking hug. "It was an accident, that's all."
It was a little more than that, Haruka mused, but looking at the delighted, tearstained face of her little princess she would not argue. Usagi would be all right. Just knowing that made her feel better. As far as Usagi was concerned, the entire event had been forgiven and forgotten; Haruka would never be able to forget, but it felt good to know she had forgiveness. From both of them. She met Michiru's eyes again, and this time a message of gratitude that needed no words flowed between the two.
Michiru sighed with relief, watching her partner with their beloved leader. Usagi's presence was like magic; it always had been. Something about the lively younger girl seemed to bring out the best in Haruka, a maternal side that Michiru had always found amusing. Now that she knew the story of Haruka's lost family, that maternal instinct did not seem so strange anymore. But seeing the two of them together, Michiru was reassured. Haruka was going to be all right. The tenderness with which her partner responded to the excited, hyper girl in her lap only reinforced the assertions she had made to Shinzui the day before. Haruka was not incapable of forgiveness. She was a better person than that.
Usagi was chattering enthusiastically. "Everybody wants to know if you want to come on a picnic with us today, Haruka-san. And Michiru-san too. They all want to see you to make sure you're okay. You gotta come, you just gotta. Mako-chan's cooking and Ami-chan even promised not to bring any schoolbooks. It'll be lots of fun." She paused to gaze at Haruka expectantly, and as an afterthought, added, "Shinzui-san won't be there."
Haruka's eyes darkened at the name. She exchanged glances with Michiru, and then smiled, a little forcibly. "Sure, we'll come. We'll meet you there."
There came a squeal of happiness and another violent hug. Usagi sprang off the racer's lap and did a little dance in place. "Yay! We're all meeting in the park in an hour, okay? I'm gonna go get the cookies Mom's making before Chibiusa-chan eats them all." The little blond made a determined fist, giggled, and dashed out the apartment door. A second later, her head popped back around the doorframe. "Bye!" she called, and then they heard her scampering down the hall.
Michiru and Haruka looked at one another and laughed, and Michiru shut the door. She moved back to the couch and perched herself on one arm, looking down at her partner fondly. She reached out and rubbed Haruka's strong shoulders. "So," she began, her voice growing more reserved. "Are you going to tell me about it?"
Haruka blinked, remembering the events of the night before, and a shadow crossed her face. "Orion said she already told you."
Michiru nodded. "She told me about your family, and what happened to Uranus…" she felt the muscles under her fingers tense at the reminder, and she caressed them soothingly. "She said she was going to take you into the Music Sphere and show it to you."
"She did." The rich, low voice was sad now. "I saw them, Michiru. Gayen and Jutei and Anika…I had a sister, did you know that? A sister. And my parents. And Gayen…" She broke off, and took a second to breathe. "I loved him, Michiru. I would never have thought it possible, but I loved him. We were supposed to be together forever." Her gray eyes swam with confusion. "I had a husband, and a son. A family. Do you know how long it's been since I've had a family?" The hands on her shoulders squeezed sympathetically, and now Haruka shrugged them away with frustration, and stood up. "Orion decided he had the right to play God with my life. With all their lives. You should have heard him, Michiru, you should have heard what he said to me. He said I ought to thank him for eliminating my weaknesses." Haruka gave short, barking laugh. "I'll thank him all right."
"What do you mean?"
Haruka caught sight of the blue and gold valentine laying on the coffee table, the one that Shinzui had sent to her the day before. Deliberately she picked it up, and with a slow, measured motion, she tore the paper heart in half. Glitter fell in a shimmering shower onto the carpet. When she turned to face Michiru again, the steely coldness in her gray eyes was her answer. The teal-haired girl shook her head. "No, Haruka, that's not going to solve anything."
A bitter laugh was the response. "You were right, you know, to have Orion make me promise not to kill her afterwards. If it hadn't been for that I would have torn her throat out right there. But I told her if I ever saw her face again I'd kill her."
"Haruka, you didn't."
"I did. And I meant it." She leveled her gaze at her beautiful partner. "Orion deserves to die for what she's done, Michiru. I swore a long time ago I would repay her. It's a promise I intend to keep." Michiru was gazing at her sorrowfully, but Haruka would not be moved. "They were my responsibility, you know. My parents, my sister, my family, my people. Six billion souls depending on me for protection and safety. I failed them all once. I won't fail them again. There must be vengeance for the dead."
"I believe it was Ghandi who said that an eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind." Michiru's reply was gentle.
Haruka stared at her for a moment. "Interesting choice of words, isn't it?" she asked pointedly. "Wonder what Ghandi would think if he knew that the man who dissolved the souls of an entire planet had been reborn as a blind girl." She shook her sandy waves. "Michiru, I'm only telling you this because if and when the time comes, I want you out of the way." Her eyes clouded. "And I want you to keep the others out of the way. I might not be able to recognize you, if the rage takes over like…" the strong voice faltered, but only for a moment. "Like last time."
The room was silent for a moment. Michiru couldn't help feeling disappointed. Haruka wasn't as out of control as she believed, Michiru was certain of it. And she knew without a doubt that killing Shinzui wasn't going to make her partner feel any better. It wouldn't bring them back. She wanted to argue with Haruka, declare that vengeance was an overrated notion, that Shinzui was a different person now, that the person Shinzui had been had died a long time ago. But she knew that none of this would make any difference to the racer. Haruka's sense of honor and justice had always been black and white. And as much as Michiru admired Shinzui personally, there was a part of her that was angry with the older girl, angry because she had brought back all the pain and made Haruka suffer through it again.
Haruka interpreted the silence as disapproval and sighed, stepping forward to clasp Michiru's hands in her own. "Try to understand, Michiru. They were all I had."
Michiru raised a teal brow, and a melancholic smile quirked one corner of her lips. "You had me," she stated quietly. "You've always had me."
Haruka blinked, startled, as her partner gently extricated their hands, and walked away into the bedroom. The door closed with a soft click, and the racer was left to consider these words alone.

**********

Usagi rearranged the containers of food on the picnic blanket for the fiftieth time, deciding that perhaps it would be better to put the salad closer to her right, because she planned on seating Haruka there next to her and she suddenly remembered that the racer loved salads. Makoto watched the agitated blond with amusement.
"Usagi-chan, calm down. They'll be here." The brunette laid a friendly hand on the smaller girl's shoulder, effectively halting her nervous activity.
Usagi looked at her sharply. "Of course they'll be here," she retorted defensively, as if trying to reassure herself at the same time. "Haruka-san promised to come." She reached out to adjust the angle of the salad plate with her good arm.
Minako and Rei exchanged glances. Their friend had been distraught ever since she regained consciousness in the hospital; her first question had been whether or not Shinzui had been killed, and the second had been whether Haruka was all right. Rei had updated her on the state of events, and from that moment on scarcely a second had gone by where Usagi was not worrying about their racer friend. They were all very glad that Haruka and Michiru had agreed to come to the picnic; perhaps now Usagi would finally be able to stop worrying. Of course, that would only happen if the two older girls actually showed up.
"Hi, odango."
There was a collective sigh of relief as the rich voice greeted them, and Haruka and Michiru approached the little group arm in arm. They both looked, for all intents and purposes, remarkably well; Haruka wore her usual tan sportcoat and jeans, and Michiru, in her simple lavender dress and turquoise ponytail, was smiling pleasantly at everyone.
Usagi jumped up quickly. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" She ran towards them and seized Haruka's free arm. "Come on. Sit by me." She dragged Haruka over to the end of the blanket and plopped herself down in front of the picnic basket, then looked up at the older girls expectantly. With a grin, Haruka folded her long frame onto the ground, criss-crossing her legs at Usagi's side. In a cloud of lavender cotton Michiru gracefully settled herself next to her partner, and the other girls followed suit. Chibiusa, however, moved in to give Haruka's neck a quick hug before squeezing herself in on Usagi's other side.
The food was delicious, but as Makoto had been the cook no one was surprised. The girls laughed and chattered together, and despite Haruka's tension she found herself relaxing considerably in the presence of the younger girls. None of them had looked at her strangely or seemed to hold any hard feelings. It would seem that, like their leader, they had all chosen to forgive and forget the events of the day before. Surrounded by their smiles and giggles, Haruka felt more and more glad that she and Michiru had come.
No one mentioned Shinzui. Haruka wondered, fleetingly, if Usagi had instructed them all to avoid the subject, but whatever the cause she was grateful for it. She didn't want to think about that filthy murderer right now. She didn't have to think about her. She could just be safe here with her friends and pretend, if only for a few hours, that Sailor Orion did not exist.
They ate slowly, the younger girls filling in the older ones on current school events, including Minako's crush of the week and Ami's latest stunning test scores. Even the serene blue-haired genius was remarkably chatty and light-hearted. Michiru laughed and teased the girls as they asked her for makeup advice, and even Haruka was drawn into the conversation as Michiru revealed it was her tomboyish partner who usually picked out the stylish clothes she was known for. The others were astounded at Haruka's seemingly uncharacteristic good taste, and she was immediately prevailed upon in a chorus of giggles to host a shopping spree the following weekend. She agreed to this with a quiet amusement nearly bordering on shyness.
After eating, Minako and Makoto dragged them all to the volleyball court, insisting on a game (or two, or three). Haruka removed her sportcoat, and Michiru sat with it, smiling, on the sidelines. The smile on her partner's face, and the low, delighted laughter that greeted her ears from the court, relieved Michiru considerably. Haruka was definitely going to be all right. The other girls had accepted her back among them with scarcely a blink; all was forgiven and forgotten. Michiru could only hope that some of this benevolence would rub off on her partner when it came to dealing with Sailor Orion in the future. She was certain that the Sacrificial Soldier would take great pains to avoid them, but at the same time she knew that avoidance would not be entirely possible. They still had that Silver Dagger to find.

**********

From across the park, Lady Slipper watched the group of frolicking girls with disgust written all over her beautiful features. It was now the fourth day of her banishment from the Avatar's presence, for she did not dare to return to him without the Dagger in hand. It had taken too long, and she knew the Avatar's patience had run out. If she did not succeed in producing the Dagger very, very soon, it would mean her life. It would also mean the end of their ambitions for yet another millennia; they would not get another chance at reopening the Doomsday Gate for another thousand years. Besides, this might just be their last chance.
Everything was so bizarre this time around. The Negaverse had always been thwarted in its previous attempts to retake the Gate, but it had never seemed so tenuous, so possible, as it did now. Orion was obviously in a muddle, with revelations of past deeds that had been buried for over a million years coming to light suddenly and painfully and in a rush. Lady Slipper could almost taste the blood of the Posiverse between her teeth. She could almost hear its last dying screams, and the thought filled her with a greed and desperation that she hadn't felt in such a very, very long time. She relished the empowering evil feelings that were beginning to resurface. When the Posiverse fell, what glory! What power! What beautiful destruction would come to them all.
She had been queen once, before Orion's betrayal. Together they had ruled the Negaverse, the most powerful source of power in existence. They had made the Guardians tremble, shook the foundations of the planets, terrorized the weak and could demand everything from everyone without being obligated to give in return. There was a time when she bowed her knee to no one, and now…ever since he'd left…she'd become displaced, unwelcome, oddly out of the loop. Her powers still qualified her as a Sailor Constellation, but she had lost the title and influence that had gone with it. For a while she had considered seducing ChibiOri, Orion's father and perversely, her son from a former life, but she found him too abominably stupid to be of any use to her. Even if she had succeeded in marrying him, the Avatar was too full of himself to realize how he could benefit from making her his queen. He would keep her titleless, out of selfish foolishness, thinking it would keep her subservient.
Lady Slipper gritted her teeth. She was tired of being the underling. Her only hope for a reclamation of her former power would be to return either the Dagger or Orion himself to the Negaverse; and since it was becoming more and more clear that Orion would never return willingly, it left her only one other option. She needed that Dagger.
Sea-green eyes watched Usagi with an almost hungry expression. The girl had broken her arm only the day before, but it was easy to see that Orion's healing influence was at work as the bones were nearly healed. Lady Slipper cursed herself for having missed the chance to test the girl's blood when Uranus had so conveniently spilled it for her. It was of no consequence now, however. The past was in the past, and she did not have the time for regrets. She needed that girl's blood and she needed it now. Keeping her eyes fastened on the petite blond, she rose to her feet. Her fingers fell to the small knife at her belt, and she smiled coldly, taking a step forward.
"Going somewhere, my love?" Orion's deceptively sweet, bell-like voice tinkled from above her, and Lady Slipper looked up to see Sailor Orion perched in the tree branches over her head. In a liquid smooth motion, the colossal soldier dropped from the tree, landing directly in front of the Negaverse woman with a dangerous expression in her silver eyes.
Lady Slipper arched an eyebrow. "My, my…haven't we recovered from our little foray into the past rather quickly, Orion? As I recall, you didn't speak to anyone for weeks after our glorious victory at Uranus."
"I'd hardly call it glorious," Orion spat out bitterly. "And had I the time and safety, I'd much rather be locked up alone right now to suffer the guilt I deserve. But I don't have the time. And with you still threatening the Princess, I certainly don't have the safety."
Lady Slipper sighed. "I never will understand why you idolize that little brat so, Orion. She's the one responsible for your fall from power."
"She's the one responsible for giving me a reason to live," Orion retorted firmly.
"Some life," Lady Slipper snorted derisively. "Tell me, does she even know about the Curse you endure? Or the pain of the Eternal Sacrifice? Does she have any idea how much you suffer on her account?"
"I suffer on my own account." The silvery gray eyes glinted. "I can never atone for what I was. But I can make sure that the evil I did is never repeated. I will protect this universe, this planet, and that girl over there, with my life."
Lady Slipper rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, the tragic heroine. I'm getting rather bored of this innocent act." She turned to gaze in Usagi's direction again. "But I really don't have the time to stand here arguing with you, Orion. I need that Dagger."
"You realize I'm not going to let you touch the Princess. You'll have to kill me first." This was said quietly, and with such deep conviction that it threw Lady Slipper off guard.
But only for a moment. With a shrug and a smile that she did not feel, the rose-haired woman nodded. "If you say so." She narrowed her eyes then, and send out a burst of negative power and brilliant pink light that momentarily engulfed Orion, the tree, the nearby park bench, and several onlookers, who were immediately rendered unconscious. When the light had passed, Orion remained standing. Her Music Sphere had appeared, humming calmly, and surrounded the Sacrificial Soldier with a soft peachy energy shield.
Lady Slipper was not surprised. She hadn't really expected her attack to have much effect…not on Orion, anyway. She glanced over to where the other girls had been playing their game, and grinned as Haruka caught sight of the tall Sailor Senshi. Orion followed Lady Slipper's gaze and she too watched the racer's face darken with hate. Lady Slipper giggled. "Looks like I won't have to kill you, Orion. I think your little friend will be more than happy to do it for me."
Orion's eyes widened as she turned back to her former wife. "Lady Slipper…" her tone was halfway between a threat and a plea, and the rose-haired woman batted her eyes.
"While you two discuss your differences, my jaki and I will just meander over there to take a little blood sample," she simpered, extending her knife out over the grass so that a drop of black liquid rolled down the blade.
Sailor Orion didn't have time to watch the jaki form itself. She dodged as Haruka's fist swept past her face, scarcely missing her chin, and spun around to see the tomboyish girl, chest heaving with rage, staring at her with murder in her eyes. "I told you, Orion, didn't I?" The deep, mannish voice ripped from her throat like the growl of an infuriated animal. "I told you if I ever saw you again I would kill you."
The pretty soldier's face was pained, feeling the anger and disgust rising from the other girl in waves that burned her very soul. It hurt just standing a few feet away from her. She could not keep the tears from dropping onto her cheeks, and they too burned. "Uranus," she whispered desperately.
A cruel grin spread across the racer's face. "You know, for the Scourge of the Posiverse you sure cry a hell of a lot." Without waiting for a reply, and without caring who was watching, Haruka thrust her fist into the sky, henshin pen in hand. "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
As the golden power of Earth swept around the enraged senshi, Orion turned to check on Usagi. The small girl had been whisked into the public bathrooms, of all places, and she could already see Sailors Venus and Mars emerging from the small wooden building, ready to defend the Princess against Lady Slipper and the jaki. She had to get over there and help them; without her power Sailor Moon would be unable to destroy the evil spirit.
But she didn't have the chance to move. She felt a rush of wind at her back and the trembling of the ground under her feet, and as she turned to face Sailor Uranus the full force of a very powerful World Shaking attack struck her in the face. Orion felt herself lifted into the air, the strength of the Earth-based energy racking her body with pain so severe that she scarcely felt the blow when she was dropped to the grass. A soft groan escaped her lips as she tried to rise. The Princess…I have to help the Princess… She struggled to her knees and then to her feet, the impossibly high heels of her boots making it difficult for her to maintain her balance. Without looking back at Uranus she took a few steps towards the other senshi, who were battling valiantly against the jaki. They had formed a circle with Sailor Moon at the very center, protecting their precious leader who was the target of the creature's attack. But they'd never be able to destroy it without her help.
Sailor Neptune was running towards them, calling out Uranus' name, but before she reached them Orion felt a powerful blow at her back that snapped her head backwards forcefully and drove her to her knees. Uranus grabbed the silvery white hair at the top of Orion's scalp and pulled her up, landing another sideways punch into the taller soldier's ribcage that resulted in the unmistakable cracking of bone. Orion moaned again as the pain exploded in her side. Her soldier training kicked in, fired by the pain, and she seized Uranus' fist, pinning it with her own body weight and spinning around, her free arm poised to deliver a blow of her own and the other prepared to snap the Magnificent Soldier's wrist. But one look at the agonized, hating gray eyes and she released her hold. She'd caused enough pain to this girl. She would not do it any more.
Uranus' eyes widened as Orion suddenly seized her wrist, and despite the broken ribs spun around in true warrior form to defend herself. Adrenaline rushed through her veins; she would finally have the fight she'd waited millennia for. But then it was as if all the fight died out of the older soldier. Orion dropped her arm, released her hold, and Uranus experienced a wave of fury oddly akin to disappointment. "Don't go feeling sorry for me now, Orion," she hissed. "It's a little late for that." She drew back and punched the Sacrificial Soldier across the jaw, with force almost powerful enough to burst the silver eye out of its socket. Not that it would make much difference to Orion, who was blind most of the time anyway.
Sailor Orion stumbled back, a stream of blood flowing from her nose, and when she opened her mouth it was to spit out blood and several teeth. Her vision suddenly filled with red, and she knew that the blow had ruptured something in her eye; a vein, perhaps, or possibly even the eye itself. It hurt too much to be able to determine the source of the pain. If the Princess had not been in danger, she would have curled up on the ground right then and there and allowed Uranus to beat her to death, but under the circumstances she could not. She had to help Sailor Moon and the others. With the excruciating grinding of bone tearing through her side, she nonetheless forced herself to straighten and stagger in the direction of the battle with the jaki.
Neptune reached Uranus' side with an expression of horror. She stared down at her partner's gloved fist, stained red with Orion's blood, and shook her head. "Uranus, stop this. Please. You're better than this."
"I'm going to kill her," was the only response, and it was a half growl. Uranus snatched her arm away from Neptune and stared down at her with cold, expressionless eyes. "Stay out of it, Neptune. Stay out of my way." She shoved the Elegant Soldier aside, managing to control the fire in her blood enough to prevent dealing out any bruises, but still making the motion powerful enough to get the message across. She was not going to be stopped, not even by her most beloved friend. Images of her son's cherubic, bright face, and of Gayen's gentle smile and glowing red mane, flashed before her eyes in a haze of suffering and spite. She could practically hear the millions of anguished voices, screaming to her from across time, demanding vengeance. It was time to make Orion pay.
Uranus launched herself at the crippled soldier again, this time landing a flying kick to the Sacrificial Soldier's right knee. More bones snapped, louder this time, and Sailor Orion fell to the ground with a moan of pain. Even in her broken and battered state, Orion still had the strength and superior power necessary to defeat Uranus, and Uranus was well aware of it. "Fight me, you murdering son of a--" the soldier of Earth demanded, fury choking back the end of the phrase as she fell on top of Orion and deliberately crushed the girl's abdomen with her knee as they connected with the ground. But Orion would not strike back. Her left eye was so swollen and bloodied that it was impossible to locate under the purpled flesh; the right one rolled anxiously towards the other senshi, who were fighting off Lady Slipper's jaki with a determination that was admirable but nonetheless ineffectual. It was only a matter of time before the creature wore them all down, knocked them all out, and then Sailor Moon would be at the mercy of the Negaverse. "Uranus, please…" she moaned, every word causing her to spit blood. "The Princess… let me help the Princess, and you can do anything you want to me."
The Magnificent Soldier's eyes narrowed. "We don't need you," she snarled, delivering another blow to the other side of Orion's face. "We never needed you." She hit her again. "The Sailor Planets can defend Sailor Moon on our own. You don't belong here. You're a monster." She accentuated each sentence with another punch. "Come on, you're not fooling me. I know you can still fight back, so fight."
Orion's head shook from side to side weakly. "No."
"Hit me, damn it!" Uranus bellowed, rising to her feet and kicking the fallen soldier in the stomach. "Get up and hit me."
"No."
"Get up." She delivered another kick. Orion shook her head, and Uranus gritted her teeth, hauling the taller girl up by the hair again, forcing her to her feet. "I said get up and hit me."
"I won't." Orion met Uranus' eyes with a quiet, sad expression that only served to anger the soldier more. "Just let me help the…"
"I told you, we don't need you," Uranus screeched, striking out again. This time, blood from Orion's mouth actually spattered across her face as her fist connected. "We can take care of our own. What right do you have to show up in our world, to show your face here, to dare to call yourself one of us? You're an animal, you always have been. You don't deserve to protect her. You deserve to die."
"You're right." Orion remained hunched over, balancing on her left leg, the front sections of her white hair stained scarlet with blood and saliva. The soft, tortured tones surprised Uranus. The older girl sounded so exhausted, so pained, in a way that went far deeper than the beating she was receiving. "I'm tired, Uranus. I'm so sick and tired of myself that I wish I could die. But maybe…" she moved slightly, so that her one good eye regarded the other soldier through a mist of reddened hair, "maybe letting you kill me will help. It's no more than what I deserve. Just promise me you'll take care of the Princess."
"Oh, no. You're not going to get away with that," Uranus snapped, bringing her elbow down on the back of Orion's neck. "You're not going to go making yourself the innocent victim here. You murdered billions of people, Orion, and you're going to pay for it. If you really want atonement…then fight me."
For a second it seemed as if time had frozen. And then, with a slow movement, Orion straightened her shoulders and met Uranus square in the eye. The sorrow in her tinkling voice resounded in sharp contrast to her words. "Okay, Uranus. If that's what you want."
Uranus grinned bitterly, and lunged at her. This time Orion caught the fist aimed at her nose, and with a motion quick as lightning struck out against Uranus' face, bloodying her nose. Uranus grunted in satisfaction. Now that was more like it. Orion wasn't holding back…that had been a good punch. Uranus recovered swiftly with an undercutting blow to Orion's abdomen that doubled the taller girl over, and Orion allowed herself to drop to the ground. She used her good leg to sweep Uranus' out from under her, so that both soldiers would be fighting on the grass; with her broken leg it was the only way to even the field. For a few moments the girls rolled and struggled, landing blows here and there, until finally Uranus managed to get Orion pinned to the ground underneath her. She wrapped her fingers around the girl's neck in a posture that was ironically reminiscent of a similar encounter a thousand lifetimes ago. She'd had Orion in this position once before, and had made the mistake of letting go. This time she'd finish the job.
Orion went limp in the other girl's hands. She wouldn't have to fight back anymore; Uranus now felt sufficiently justified for killing her, as she was ostensibly no longer the innocent victim. She only hoped that the strength Uranus' depression had lent to her, allowing her to kill the jaki at the hospital, would repeat itself so that Sailor Moon would not fall into Lady Slipper's hands. She offered up a silent prayer to the Guardians, begging them to watch over Sailor Moon for her, and apologizing for having failed in her mission to complete the Sacrifice this cycle. It couldn't be helped. Uranus was right; there must be vengeance for the dead, and six billion souls had gone unavenged for far too long. Closing her eye, she felt the heavy, sharp pain of asphyxiation as her body ran out of oxygen. In a few more moments, she lost consciousness.
Uranus watched the other soldier's face in a euphoria of hate, grinning maniacally as Orion's eye rolled back in her head and closed, and the body beneath her went completely limp. She was going to do it, this time. She was really going to have her revenge. Gayen and Jutei and all the others would finally be able to rest peacefully. Just a few more seconds…
A sudden flash of piercing blue light blinded her, and she turned, startled. The jaki had succeeded in breaking through the other senshi's defenses; she could see the forms of her fallen friends littered across the grass, and her eyes widened when she realized that Sailor Moon was being held aloft by the hideous black creature. However the blue light she had noticed before seemed to be erupting from the inside of the spirit itself, a light of such purity and power that it was painful to look at. The light found the seams of the creature, bursting from its joints, dividing and tearing it into pieces which dissolved almost spontaneously from the intensity. As Sailor Moon was lowered carefully to the ground in a transcluscent blue bubble of the same strong light, Uranus blinked in surprise. The figure striding towards her was familiar; long golden robe, shock of white hair, sapphire eyes blazing with an expression of anger like she'd never seen before from the youngest of the Guardians. With a cry, Demetrius extended one hand, releasing a stream of blue light directly at Sailor Uranus. She found that her hands were forcibly removed from Orion's neck, and a sudden burst of power caused her to lose consciousness.
Demetrius stood for what seemed like an eternity, gazing down at the soldiers of Earth and Music. Finally he waved one hand, and with yet another blue flash every Sailor Senshi in the park, as well as the Guardian himself, vanished. The light faded and they were all gone. Nothing was left but the grass, the sky, and the solitary tree. There was no breeze, but the thick leaves trembled as though they understood the tragedy of the scene they had just witnessed.
As always happens after a cataclysmic battle for the safety of the world, it took approximately ten seconds for life to return to normal. The birds resumed their twittering, and the park visitors shrugged off the strange occurrence as yet another bizarre supernatural event that was beyond their comprehension. The only remaining traces were a few wet crimson streaks across the soft grass.