The Crystal Of Illusion
Author's Ramblings: Okay, to pick up where we left off... I swear, if I
get in any trouble because of the danged thing with Tara, I will come
after all flamers with a flame-THROWER. I am not trying to sound mean,
but I know what you're all thinking will end up happening--the end of
Tara--but trust me, alright?! Jeez!
-Ambriel uses a line that is blatantly from another anime. Name the
anime and the person, earn Butler Brownie Points! Heck, I'll even send
you a cute picture of the Senshi of your choice!-
-I do not own Joan. Joan owns Joan. But expect a bit of her here-and-
there to add...spice...to the Galactic party!-
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Last time:
Ara and Galileo got in a fight. Amy and Greg's marriage is over. Ginnie
made "tasty coffee." Sailor Earth was charged with crimes against crown
and country and was punished by having her Scout powers revoked.
Cassiopeia told Mina off for using her as a spy for Richard and Lyra.
And that, my friends, is where the story beings...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Let's go, Scouts!" exclaimed Sailor Polaris, bolting out of her
chair almost as soon as the words slipped from Captain Keimeko's lips.
All eyes turned to her and the other Galactic Sailors as they rose,
suddenly thirsting for the excitement of battle.
It was not Serenity but the tall, stocky Captain of the Guard who
drew to stop them with a raise of her hand. "We cannot have the Galactic
Sailors risking their lives, it is far too dangerous." Her brown eyes
sparked with a profound amount of sorrow as she caught the gaze of the
Princess, Sailor Moon. "We have already lost many men in trying to hold
this creature back. We cannot lose the children as well."
There was a clatter of armor as the only man of the room struggled
to get out of his chair and to his feet. "It's a creature of magic!" he
roared at the melancholy woman, green eyes angry. "Steal cannot defeat
the ways of magic, as every soldier knows!" He gestured hastily toward
the women who sat in his row. "These six will tell you the same!
Serenity will tell you the same!"
"Terence!" shot the Queen angrily, her ponytails whipping through
the air as she turned to glare daggers at him. "You have no right to
speak on the behalf of the Mistresses or myself!" Her blue eyes lowered
further. "You are here in the place of Mistress Pluto, and I am certain
that, were she here, she would understand the Captain's logic."
A little girl, only looking seven years of age, slowly stepped
forward, her normally colorful eyes a dark, foreboding tone of black as
she glanced at the Queen of the Earth. Then, still without words, she
blinked.
The eyes turned red, just like her mother's.
"Mistress Pluto, the Guardian of Time, has departed to the past,"
she stated, as though no one in the room knew. She stared at the
beautiful Queen, almost smiling and the slight worry lines around the
pursed lips of the woman. "Do you trust the judgement of the Guardian of
Time?"
Furrowing her brow, Serenity stared at the small girl. "Excuse
me?" The question was repeated, more slowly than before, and she managed
a weak sigh and a nod. "More than anything, I respect the opinions of
Pluto."
A smile sprung across the girl's face, an odd event. "It is
written that only one person has the right to stand in for the Guardian
of Time," she told the room, pulling her Key Staff from null-space and
leaning up against it. "And that is the heiress of Time; her daughter."
Everyone gaped at the girl as she let the smile slowly fade. The
stony expression that they all recognized once again cemented in place
before she spoke.
"And, as the Guardian of Time in place of my mother, I agree with
Terrence." Sailor Chibi-Pluto pulled her gaze form the Queen and focused
it instead on Captain Keimeko. The woman was nervously running her
fingers through her low orange ponytail, obviously apprehensive about
the entire situation. It nearly brought a second smile to the child's
face.
"Captain, the ways of the sword are powerful," she assured the
adult pleasantly. "But they do not stand a chance against the powers of
sorcery. And we, as the ready warriors, must use both." She pointed
toward Sailor Moon, who immediately recognized that finger to not be
focused on her as much as the Moon Saber. "And we must fight alongside
your men and women. It is the way of the Sailor Soldier."
A devious, if not happy, smile crossed her small face as she
turned back toward the Queen. "Now, Your Highness, I have a plan if you
would like it."
Rubbing the bridge of her nose gently, the blonde Queen glanced at
the child, annoyed expression not missed by any of the people in the
room.
"It's been an odd day," she sighed, resting her fists on her hips
and gazing down at the temporary Guardian of Time. "And I suppose it's
going to get odder."
Sailor Chibi-Pluto's devious grin was replaced by a proud one.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I don't BELIEVE him," she grumbled, resting her forehead in one
hand as the other flipped the pages in a rather thick volume of
Elysionian history. "He runs off to Earth and sends ME on a wild goose
chase for something that probably doesn't exist!" She gripped a few sky-
blue tresses in annoyance. Her expression was pained.
There was a gentle knock at the door and she jumped involuntarily,
yelping as she accidentally pulled her own long hair.
A young man, probably only twenty years old, poked his head
through the doorway, smiling pleasantly at her. "Mistress Abigail?"
She immediately thought of thirty ways she could kill the man
without rising, but she pushed them from her mind. Still, the icy glaze
in her silver eyes proved her annoyance, and she relished in the fact
that his smile slipped quickly from his face.
"Yes, Brice?" she questioned, faking a smile as she rose and
smoothed her long white robes over her hips. "Have you found any
references to this crystal that Master invented?"
He gulped, still frightened by the coldness in her eyes, but
managed a weak nod. Walking into the room, he deposited a large, water-
stained book on her desk and flipped quickly through it. "Oh, Mistress
Abigail, you will NOT believe this!"
Leaning against the wall, her eyes staring out the window at the
lush, thick forests that surrounded the Keep of the Priests, she sighed.
"Really?" she questioned half-heartedly, rubbing her sore elbow idly.
She HAD been leaning on it too long.
She was at a distinct disadvantage, she had decided that morning.
The only Priestess their Master had allowed in the Keep, she was already
one thin ice with half the younger priests. She'd rose the ranks so much
faster than they did, that they expected that she'd 'charmed' the Master
into it. No such luck, of course, because he pined for that Maiden of
his; Abigail's success had been pure and decent, unlike the foul play
the priests had attempted to use... She chuckled inwardly.
And, soon, she would finally be able to complete her mission. She
would finally be able to show them all why she had risen so quickly.
Destiny had determined that already.
"Mistress?" asked Brice, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Gasping, the young woman smiled at him, not entirely forcing the
reaction, and nodded. He, face already ashen, pursed his pink lips.
"Mistress, I have found what you wanted me to find."
She followed him to the thick tome, both of them leaning over the
pages so he could point out the correct references. It was in
Lunatarian, not a language she was completely familiar with, and she
strained her eyes to read the tiny handwriting.
Running a hand through his shaggy moss-colored hair, the young man
stifled a gulp. "There." His finger jabbed at a paragraph.
There was no sound as silver eyes crossed the page. Then, she
gasped. All color drained from Abigail's face as she glanced doubtfully
at Brice. She even reread the section. Nothing could hide her surprise
as she stared at the book.
"There's such a crystal in existence?"
"So says Selene's histories of the galaxy," responded the young
man in a soft tone. "She was the first Lunatarian queen, and..."
Nodding weakly, the woman glanced at him, her eyes large and full
of concern. "I want you to send the lower priests and all their first
year students to the vaults at Master's mansion and see if you cannot
find more histories with this crystal in it." She took in a deep,
shuddering breath and took a parting look at the words before her before
slamming the book shut. "Then, once that is finished, you and I are
going to try and send a message to the Master."
Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Abigail, we've been
friends since you came here. Are you alright?"
She immediately turned on him. "No! I'm not!" She clenched her
fists. "That crystal can END the universe if Ginnie uses it right!" Her
tone hushed as she caught the hurt look on his face. She sighed and
walked around her desk, collapsing into her seat and burying her head in
her hands. There was a shuffle of paper as her companion, her friend,
took his book and started to the door.
"Wait..." Raising her face, she forced a smile and wiped away her
tears. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, but..." She took a deep breath.
"Brice, this could be the end of the galaxy as we know it. We must
tell Master as soon as we're able."
All he could do was nod.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Galactic Sailors and the Mistresses stood in two single-file
lines at the gate of the giant wall that surrounded the Palace, flanked
by soldiers and Royal Guard members on each side. The seven women and
the nine children all wore emotionless expressions as they stood in
place, watching the giant creature attack the quartz wall. Its pursuits
did little more than char some of the sections of the barrier, and other
than that, it remained steadfast in its place.
Sailor Phoenix's slender fingers speed across the keys of the
Mercury computer as she stared at the monster, her mother's data goggles
scanning over the monster. The rest of the warriors, whether they be the
Mistresses, Galactic Sailors, or Chibi-Scouts, watched in amazement as
the giant thing breathed fire.
And it was an amazing creature. No bigger than a typical emu-
monster, it had the arms and feet of a human being but the body and neck
of an emu. Feathers covered all of the body, including the human
features, and the face seemed to share qualities of both species. It was
a terrible sight, but also an awesome thing to behold.
Suddenly, the computer beeped, and Phoenix pulled the visor from
her face and glanced at the others. "She was right," she announced,
letting out a long breath that she'd been holding. "Half-human, half-
monster, just like the others have been before."
"Are you sure this will work, Chibi-Pluto?" asked the Mistress of
Jupiter softly, her emerald eyes staring down the child who was leading
all of the Galactic Sailors in lieu of Sailor Moon. "It's a lot to put
on the line..."
She was silenced by a hardened glare from the small leader. "It
will either work or it will not," she responded coolly, gripping her
Time Key more tightly than before.
The Mistresses exchanged wary glances.
"Whatever happens," vowed Sailor Moon suddenly, her fist clapped
over her heart as she started at the monster from her vintage point at
the back of the line, "we will either save the world or die trying."
Everyone nodded.
"Mistresses, set!" screamed Chibi-Pluto, raising her Key in the
air as she spoke. "Ready..."
The seven women, their velvet gowns sparkling in the bright
noonday sun, took deep breaths.
It was time. Destiny awaited.
"GO!"
Rushing out into the open, the soldiers surrounding them drawing
swords and hollering obscenities, the Planet Mistresses stared up at the
giant creature. They were easily dwarfed by both the monster and its
shadow, but that did not stop them. They stood tall, vigilant, and
linked hands quickly.
Human eyes, large and chestnut-colored, glanced down at the women.
A small smile snaked across the human mouth and feathery face.
Suddenly, white light erupted from the women. Slowly,
deliberately, a bright shield appeared right in front of themselves,
blocking any attack that the creature might throw. The barrier was as
tall as the wall, if not taller.
The monster roared, trying to use its breath of fire to break down
the shield. Smoke poured from its mouth, but not fire.
By then, the emu-person realized that the shield did not only
protect the seven Mistresses and the gate behind them, but also sucked
the powers straight out of its mouth. It roared in agony and tried once
again. Nothing.
A frightful call went up from behind the white, sheen surface.
"Sailor Scouts, GO!"
Eight girls, ranging from ages nineteen to about five, and one
little boy suddenly raced out form behind the Mistresses. Sailor battle
fukus blew in the wind as, one by one, they all set up for their
attacks.
The monster was not, by any means, stupid. It knew what was about
to occur, and stumbled backward.
But it was too late. The girls (and one boy) were already shouting
attacks in rapid-fire order, too quick and accurate to be dodged.
Roaring, writhing, the creature fell to its knees. Tears streamed
down its feather-covered cheeks as it stared at the young warriors and
their predecessors. The white shield slowly faded into nothingness as
the emu-human hybrid collapsed onto its front. The tears still fell.
And then, it spoke.
"Please... Don't kill me..." It begged, clenching the brown eyes
shut as it whispered to the last girl, the one with the drawn sword.
"I'm sorry..."
Phoenix gasped. "It's Tina!" she announced, her jaw dropping open
as she stared. "It's got to be! She's the one with the bird-monsters as
it is!"
The other Scouts all glanced at her, unable to speak. They were
absolutely shocked.
Rolling her green eyes, the Mistress of Uranus freed her Space
Sword from its invisible scabbard in null-space and took a long step
forward. "If you won't," she growled, sending a steady, stern glance to
the leader of the Galactic Sailors, "then I will."
"No." Sailor Moon breathed in through her nose and then exhaled
quickly before taking one last step toward the monster. A cool wind blew
through the area, and her pigtails billowed out behind her. She sighed
and pointed the tip of the silver blade straight toward what had once
been Tina. "This is something that I must do, as the bringer of
destiny."
She closed her eyes and focused her energy into the sword.
"Moon...Saber...Illumination..."
The emu-human roared out in pain and then, slowly, crumbled to a
pile of dust. Nothing moved for a moment.
And then, there was a glow of orange. A small orb, about the size
and shape of an egg, descended from the Heavens and floated above the
dust. For a few seconds, it remained motionless, as though it was
looking the pile over as part of an inspection.
Then the dust and the orange ball both blinked out of existence.
A cheer went up from the surrounding Royal Guard members and the
Japanese soldiers. A cheer which was, of course, aimed at the Scouts and
Mistresses.
Her red gown blowing in the wind, she was the only one not to
smile.
Instead, high-heeled shoes echoing on the pavement, she started
almost reluctantly down the street, her long hair flapping behind her.
"Wait! Mistress Mars!" called Sailor Polaris, gulping as she
watched the mother of her 'lost' friend beat her hasty retreat. "Where
are you going?"
Teary-eyed, the adult turned around to gaze at the short, curly-
haired Sailor Scout. Her face was a mask of iron, just as she and all
the others had been taught, but her fierce purple eyes hid nothing.
Behind the young woman and the saddened adult, the other
Mistresses exchanged hugs with their daughters. Mercury and Phoenix were
alongside the Pluto twins, analyzing the energy levels that the dust and
orange glowing had left in their wake. Sailor Moon and Saturn seemed to
be talking about something personal, and were having a good time of it.
Mistress Venus, Sailor Chibi-Star, and the young Master of Time were all
busying themselves in a discussion as Angel Moon stood by, occasionally
chiming in. Aurora Borealis, Uranus, and Jupiter were all talking about
something interesting, and the young woman was bright red. And Neptune
and Comet were just smiling at one another.
Sighing, the Mistress of Fire wiped away the tears and set her
mask back as it had been. "I'm going home to the daughter. The one who
betrayed us all, in case you've forgotten about her." She saw the hurt
spark in the eyes of the blonde, but she couldn't feel guilt. "Goodbye."
Sailor Polaris' ponytail blew in the breeze as she watched the
woman go.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Evil Queen Ginnie slowly strode down the hall, holding her nose as
she walked. Her lips were curled in a sneer as she quickly punched the
green open button on the wall. It flashed at her briefly, and then the
door slid quickly slid open.
Her boots echoed through the large 'stables,' as Tina called them,
but she ignored the noise she was making and crossed right to the small
room that Norton usually occupied.
She didn't need to look at the fallen body of the giant emu to
know he was dead. The stank had radiated throughout the darkened palace
from about noon that day. It was nearly seven, now.
"Kevin!" she called out, cupping her hands to the sides of her
mouth as she spoke. "Arthur and Rob! Come and clean this mess up!"
Her voice reverberated through the darkened stable and rang in her
own ears. Suddenly, she dropped her hands and held back the strong
depression that welled in her heart.
She was alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Abigail, how nice to see you," sighed the silver-haired man,
folding his hands in his lap as he spoke. The sound of a girl laughing
and a woman yelling echoed through the large chamber he was in, and a
stressed expression crossed his face. "But I have pressing matters to
attend to, so..."
Sighing, the young woman rested her elbows on the surface of her
large desk, bright eyes staring directly at her Master. Even though the
contact was only through a hologram, the glance put the young man on
edge. It was rare that the priestess, Elysion's first, shot anyone such
an annoyed, angry glance. It was enough to send shivers up his spine.
The younger man, probably only twenty years old, sat beside
Abigail. His messy greenish-brown tresses hung into deep brown eyes as
he looked through the hologram and at his Master, the high priest of
Elysion. "It's my fault, sir," he stated nervously, clasping his hands
together and trying to act as adult as I possibly can. "I was going
through a history of the galaxy and found..."
"Helios-papa, what's that?" questioned a little voice, and both
Elysion residents raised eyebrows as a little girl with long red hair
popped into view. Helios scowled as she grinned and waved. "Hey! Who are
you?"
Her silver-haired 'papa' tried to push her away, blue eyes
narrowing at her. "Ambriel! Doesn't your mother want you?"
"I'm Ambry!" announced the child merrily, flashing a peace sign
toward the two people beyond the hologram. "How are you talking? What's
this dish?"
A loud, feminine voice screamed out the girl's name, and a woman
rushed forward. Pink, cone-shaped buns perched high on her head, and
pigtails fell from these buns to the floor. She reached forward and
seized the child by the hand, her red eyes angry. "Helios is trying to
make a call to Elysion, and you're bothering him!" she scolded, tugging
on the girl's arms and nearly tripping over the hem of her long white
gown. "It's bath time!"
Pouting, the little girl harrumphed and allowed herself to be
dragged away by the young woman. Letting out a sigh, the Master of
Elysion watched them leave. "And you were saying?"
Abigail, who was holding back a chuckle by this point, let her
smile fade from her lips and sighed miserably. "This is Brice," she
introduced, gesturing to the young man beside her. He bowed his head
reverently. "He is a second level priest."
"Impressive," drawled Helios, leaning back in his seat and resting
his chin in a hand. "And I suppose that something important has
happened?"
"Selene once wrote a history of the galaxy," Brice informed the
man in a soft voice. "And, within this history, was the tale of the
Crystal of Illusion. The crystal that now belongs to the Queen of
Darkness, Ginnie."
Slack-jawed, the young man on the other side of the hologram
gulped and glanced at the two priests of his world. "And?"
Brushing a strand of sky-colored hair from her deep eyes, the
woman fiddled with a sleeve of her white robes, adverting eye contact.
"The Lunatarian translation leaves much to be desired, Master, and it is
rather amazing that, between both Brice and myself, we were able to
deceiver it... But we could be wrong..."
Helios felt a shiver run up his spine. He'd known that woman, who
was now the most powerful person in Elysion, since she was a toddler.
And, in all those years, he'd never seen her afraid.
Until now.
"Is it that bad?" he managed, the color draining from his face as
he pursed his lips. "Have you inquired the translations from the nuns
and other scholars in my library? Have you checked with the Abbess and
Abbot? Have you done it all?"
She nodded weakly, her voice coming in a shaky whisper. "We have
sent all priests of the fourth, fifth, and sixth level down to the
vaults to search for more. We have sent students do the same. Nothing
rebukes what we have found."
"We are waiting for the final translations," put in Brice in a
hopeful tone, forcing a smile. "But it looks as though we're right on
this. Not that we want to be."
"And?"
Taking a deep breath, Abigail, a first-level priestess and the
first female to ever set foot in the Keep of the Priests, closed her
eyes and pressed her lips together. "This crystal is called the Crystal
of Illusion. It was created to bring one's deepest, most powerful wish
into existence." She sighed. "There are words of power that must be
used, and no one living knows these words. Or so it is written.
"But, if Queen Ginnie has obtained the words, all she needs is the
Crystal."
He felt his resolve waver. Weakly, he leaned forward and rested
his elbows on his own desk, burying his hands in his hair as he stared
at the desktop. "Then, there is nothing we can do," he finally said
after a pause that seemed to last for an eternity. "The Earth is to be
destroyed as soon as the Crystal returns. The Sailor Scouts cannot
help."
Abigail, biting back tears, nodded.
But Brice did not. Enlightenment dawned on his face as he slammed
a fist down on the table. "But if someone with a PURE heart uses the
Crystal, their darkest wish will not be evil!" he announced rather
loudly. The other two glanced at him in annoyance, but he remained
determined. "If the Sailor Scouts can find the Crystal, then one of
them can use it and bring out their worst, which would be for the best!"
Putting a hand on his forearm, the priestess shook her head
slowly. "I know you're just as upset as the rest of us, but you have to
look at this the right way..."
"I think he has a point," responded Helios pensively, his tone
soft as he spoke. "The Chibi-Scouts, four children, are quite innocent
and pure. If they were to find the Crystal, we might be able to invoke
the powers of the Crystal before Ginnie does."
"That is, of course, assuming she does not have the Crystal
already," chimed in another voice, and the pink-haired one was back,
settling herself onto the arm of her prince's chair. "But I'm sure she
doesn't."
Both of the Elysionian priests lowered their heads devoutly toward
the woman. "Princess Serenity," they both greeted, eyes studying
everything but the face of the newcomer. "We are humbled in your light."
She rolled red eyes and snorted. "Oh, stop it," she commanded,
annoyed. "I'm not much of a Princess, as it is." They both glanced up
but she could see, even through the hologram, that they were weary of
making eye contact with a Princess. She sighed. "The name is Reeny."
"Pr... Reeny," stumbled Abigail nervously, her silver eyes
reluctantly meeting the gaze of the beautiful Princess before her, "why
do you think that this is true?"
"It keeps appearing in Tokyo," she responded casually, running a
hand through Helios' hair as she spoke. "It did even today, when the
Galactic Sailors defeated yet another minion of the Evil Queen. I think
we can catch it."
There was silence as the duo in Elysion exchanged silent words.
The Princess of the Earth sighed and leaned closer to her Prince, who
responded by taking one of her small hands and giving it a reassuring
squeeze.
Then, the High Priestess of Elysion rose to her feet quickly, the
lower-level priest following her movement. "I hope that the Galactic
Sailors find the crystal before Ginnie does, in that case," she stated
with a slight bow. "I will gather the nuns and Abbess and try to aid
your quest from here."
"And I'll do the same with the Abbot and the monks," put in Brice
helpfully, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "Between two worlds,
we will defeat this Queen and save the Earth."
With a slight smile touching his lips, Helios leaned forward and
stared directly at the young priest. "Brice, when we finally have the
galaxy safe from harm, I will advance you to the rank of first priest
and you'll be able to rule Elysion at Abigail's side."
The young man blushed and quickly began to babble his thanks.
Reeny stifled a giggle at his antics, and the amused smile on the
priestess' face was unmistakable.
"Good luck, Sailor Moon," smiled the woman of Elysion. "I hope the
Galactic Sailors succeed."
"So do I."
Switching off the small dish atop the desk, Abigail sighed and
leaned her hands on the cool wooden surface, staring across the room at
the doorway. "Will they really be able to do it?" she questioned warily,
picking up one hand to bury it in her mane of sky-blue tresses. "Or will
Ginnie find the crystal and someday be able to rule the world?"
Brice laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to hold a smile on his
face. "I'm sure that they'll do the most they can," he replied, trying
to hold back the nervousness in his tone. "They've done a good job up
until now."
Abigail just nodded, not saying a word, before bursting into
tears.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"A Crystal of Illusion," breathed the child, resting her chin on
the fluffy pillows as she stared at her headboard, gray eyes worried. "I
wonder what it all means..."
The kitten, who was curled into a tight ball beside her, opened a
single blue eye. "What in the world are you talking about?" she asked
sleepily, staring at her small charge. "You're never like this."
Without responding, the girl slid out of bed, crossing to her
vanity and pulling the many small, white bows from her hair. "I have GOT
to tell Aeris and Peter," she stated, fumbling with one of the ribbons
as she spoke. "They have to know about this..."
"Whoa!" protested the cat, jumping up and padding across the cold
marble floor to glare at the redheaded girl with tired eyes. "It's past
midnight! You can't very well sneak out of Crystal Palace and walk all
the way to the Ten'ou house!" Her argument did little good, for the
child had already pulled off her nightgown and was now tugging on a
white blouse. "You'll get both me AND Diana AND probably Lisa in trouble
with your Mama!"
Sighing, Ambriel slipped on a blue jumper over her blouse and
zipped it up slowly. "If you're not with me, that's fine," she stated,
sitting on the floor to put socks on her small feet. "But I have to do
this, Carina, with or without you."
The Guardian growled and hopped between the girl's legs, watching
nervously as small black shoes were buckled over the thin anklets.
"PLEASE, Ambry, think this through!" she stressed, her blue eyes bright
and worried as she spoke. Moonlight reflected off the silver marking
atop her brow, and caught the child's attention for a brief second. "You
could get hurt, wandering through downtown Tokyo at night!"
With a slight chuckle, she patted the animal's head and stood,
tucking her transformation wand away in a pocket. "I'll be fine, Carina.
You worry too much." She sighed and turned her face skyward, staring out
of the skylight and at the great white orb that was the moon. Her slight
smile faded as she breathed in a long breath.
"Good Serenity, protect me," she whispered. "Good Mother, look
down on me."
And, with that, she started out the door.
Carina watched as the oak barrier was gently shut, and a scowl
immediately appeared on the small animal's features. "I'm toast," she
grumbled. "Definitely."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ring.
She groaned and pulled her wife's pillow over her ears. It wasn't
even one in the morning.
Ring.
"Get that," grumbled the aqua-haired musician, half-asleep as she
snatched her pillow back and rolled over.
Ring.
The blonde made a face. "Make me."
Ring.
"Do you want a 'scolding' tomorrow night or NOT, Alex?"
Climbing from her bed, the world famous F1 racer Alexandra Ten'ou
wondered why she had ever gotten married. Casting one last, long glance
at the sleeping woman, she grabbed the cordless receiver from her
dresser and barked into it.
"Good morning."
The voice on the other end was frantic. "Mistress Uranus? Is that
you, Mistress?"
Her brow furrowed as she stared down at the odd number on her
caller ID. "How do you know who I am?" she questioned gruffly,
unconsciously searching null-space for her sword with her free hand. "I
don't like games and--"
"This is Lisa Warner, personal handmaiden of the Princess," the
woman on the other end quickly responded before she could upset the
Mistress any more than she already had. "I have been informed that
Ambriel Chiba--Angel Moon--is on her way to your house to find Aeris and
Peter."
Alex bristled. "By herself? In the dark?"
"She's a head-strong girl," sighed Lisa from the other end of the
phone, voice concerned. "I fear for her."
Grabbing her car keys and Mistress beads, the blonde nodded to
herself. "I'll go find the child," she replied, "and bring her here for
the night."
The woman on the other end of the phone line breathed a sigh of
relief at the Mistress' words. "Thank you," she smiled slightly. "The
Royal Family is in debt to you."
"I know," chuckled the blonde, tossing on sweatshirt over the
ratty tank top she wore as pajamas. "But most of that debt has nothing
to do with Ambriel."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
With a yawn, she rested her chin atop a fist and tried desperately
to keep her eyes open. The professor in the front of the room drawled on
about economics and other things she found unimportant. She was a
Princess. Since when did Princesses need to know about economic theories
and principals?
She felt her head start to bob and sat straight up. Five minutes
left, she told herself with a glance at the clock. Five minutes.
Brushing a pink tress from her face, she glanced down at her notebook.
Little Galactic Sailors chased a ball around the page, leaving room for
notes in the middle. She sighed and sketched a rose flying from the
Starlit Prince's hand. What a way to spend a perfectly fine spring
Monday...
"I'll let you all out early today," announced the man in the front
of the room, leaning against the edge of his desk as he spoke. Some of
the students cheered, and there was a bustle of activity. He cleared his
throat, and they all froze. "But, I need to see two students: Serenity
Chiba and Richard Umino."
The two 'chosen' students paled noticeably as soon as the balding
man said this, and Reeny almost dropped her notebook on the floor. Why
in the world did THEY--
"Class dismissed."
--have to stay after? Why in the world did SHE have to stay after?
That was a better question.
After running a hand through his red hair, Richard gathered up his
belongings and started down toward the desk, shooting the young woman a
confused, doubtful look. She ignored him and indignantly stuck her nose
in the air, annoyed. He sighed.
With a smile, the Professor waited until both students were in
front of the room, standing straight and tall just as they had been
taught in grade school, before him. "Good morning, Serenity. Richard."
The pink-haired one clenched her fists further around the handle of her
schoolbag as he used her formal name. The annoyance in her expression
and, more obviously, in her bright red eyes was hard to miss. The man
wiped the smile from his face. "Can I ask why the both of you miss so
much school?"
Slightly tossing of her head, the young woman shot him a bright,
sweet smile. "I'm the Princess of the Earth!" she responded cheerily,
"and I have work I must do at the Palace, Professor Johnson!"
"Work that cannot possibly wait for two hours on Mondays,
Thursdays, and Saturdays?"
She gulped and felt a small blush creep across her cheeks. Her
eyes immediately flew to the floor and she began to study her shoes.
Richard rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very guilty.
"I...uhh..." He managed a weak smile. "Would you believe that I'm a
prince?"
"No." The professor of business did not look amused.
Sighing, he pursed his lips for a long moment, trying to think of
a clever retort... Or, if not a clever retort, just a plausible retort.
Nothing came to mind.
He held his head high. Time for truth.
"Professor Johnson," he said bravely, blue eyes staring directly
at the round, slightly bald man, "I need you to hold what I'm about to
tell you in the highest regard. And I need you to keep it a secret."
Johnson raised an eyebrow. Reeny, who knew what was coming,
pinched her companion hard, catching the delicate flesh on his upper arm
between two fingernails. Amazingly, he didn't flinch or yell up, but
instead just pushed her arm away.
"I am the Starlit Prince," he revealed with a daring smile,
adjusting his grip on his bag as he watched the professor's eyes widen.
"And Reeny here is Sailor Moon. We miss school because we fight for love
and justice alongside the other Sailor Scouts."
There was a long pause as the man took in the statement of his
student. Richard gulped and became increasingly nervous as he was stared
at by the adult. The young woman had already lost all the color in her
face and was now staring, shocked, at their teacher. The man in the
front of the room, however, did something unexpected.
He burst out laughing.
"Mister Umino," Johnson chortled after a long moment of loud
guffaws, "I have taught at this college for well over twenty years, and
that is, by FAR, the most original excuse I have ever heard!" He wiped
tears from his eyes and held back another outburst of chuckles. "You're
the Starlit Prince and SHE'S Sailor Moon!" He began to laugh again.
From his spot, staring at the amused man, Richard could hear Reeny
let out a long sigh of relief. He didn't move, though, too shocked by
the reaction that the truth had elicited.
"Well, I wanted to give you both this," the professor finally said
after all his laughter had subsided, drawing two packets of paper from
atop the desk. He handed one to each of the students, who just stared
down at the papers.
The pink-haired one brushed a pigtail from her shoulder and stared
down at the packet. "The spending and gains of the typical college
student for one month?" she gasped, reading the title. "I can't possibly
do this project!"
Johnson smiled. Richard KNEW what he was getting at.
"I figured that much, because you're the Princess of the Earth,
after all," the teacher replied, leaning against the desk as he spoke.
"That's why I paired you up with another student."
She glanced at the young man beside her. He blanched.
Then, there was an outburst of arguments.
"I can't work with HIM!"
"Professor, I have an...interesting...living arrangement and I
already pay for two people!"
"He's living with his GIRLFRIEND, that's what!"
"Don't use that tone! You're talking about Lyra, you know!"
"I can use 'that tone'! I'm the Princess!"
"She's one of your best friends!"
"So?"
"How could you talk about her like that?"
"I'm not! I just said that she's your GIRLFRIEND!"
"There you go again!"
"What?"
They were halted from their fighting by the sound of someone
clearing a throat. Both college students turned to glance at their
teacher. Blushes crept across both of their faces as they avoided each
other's glances and turned to the teacher.
"I understand that this could be...interesting..." he stated,
observing both of the students with his dark blue eyes, "but you do not
have to live together or anything of the kind." Turning to the young
man, he watched as Richard nervously stared at the ceiling. "Does your
girlfriend usually help with finances?"
Reeny snorted and tossed her head. He nodded.
Johnson clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled! For one
month, when...Lyra, was it?" He received a nod. "Alright. For a month,
when Lyra is going to help with finances, you have to say no and have
Serenity here do it." He turned to the Princess. "What says you?"
She wrinkled her nose. "This is stupid."
"This is a fourth of your semester grade."
The answer, then, was obvious.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"At least I have YOU, my dear creature of the night," she purred,
stroking the neon-green skin of her frog lovingly. Brown eyes were
filled with unshed tears as she sat in the large, black-marble throne,
her dark hair rimming her face as she stared down at the small creature
in her hands. "You will make my dreams come true, won't you, Norbert?"
The frog croaked loudly, black eyes staring up at her without
comprehension.
Ginnie, Queen of Darkness, slumped back in her seat, staring out
across the throne room. It was a large cave with black rocks and
dripping stalactites, just as she'd imagined a truly evil lair to be.
Once a week, she and Tina had painstakingly scrubbed the floor ever
since they'd moved into the headquarters. It had been nearly a year
since they'd started that tradition... She sighed and picked her frog
up, raising it to stare eye-to-eye with the creature.
"I'm sorry," she told the animal with a slight wrinkle of her
nose. "I'm sorry that this isn't the perfect plan we thought up..."
It croaked in response.
She placed the animal in a small aquarium that was attached to
the arm of her throne. It had been her Christmas present... "I will take
over this damned planet!" she announced, drawing a handful of crystal
shards from a pouch at her waist and staring at them. "Or I will go down
trying!"
The green shards sparkled as she threw them high into the air.
"Go, my pretties!" she cried as the small pieces hit the ground
and turned into small frogs. "Go and kill the Sailor Scouts!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Groaning, she opened her tired gray eyes. A skylight opened above
the bed, casting warm light on her face. Normally, she would have smiled
and stretched, bathing herself in the sweet light of day.
Instead, she frowned miserably.
"An unfamiliar ceiling," she whispered, almost afraid to move from
her spot in the big double bed.
A door creaked open, and she turned her head. Her soft, red
tresses fell into her eyes as she glanced at the woman in the doorway.
She was undeniably young, with shoulder-length locks that were
neither completely black nor completely purple. Bright eyes, large and
violet, peeked out from under thick bangs. Though dressed rather plainly
in a short-sleeved sweater and a pair of jeans, the woman appeared to
have a strangely timeless quality, and a shiver ran down the spine of
the child in the bed.
"Well, Miss Ambriel, it's good to see that you've finally woke
up," chortled the woman with a smile on her face, crossing the room to
the bed and perching on the edge of it. "I suppose you're confused to
how you got here."
Sitting up, the girl smoothed her shirt. Glancing down at herself,
she found she wasn't wearing the outfit that she had left in but a pair
of blue pajamas a size too big. "I remember that Mistress Uranus came to
get me when I was on my way," she commented with a slight furrow of her
brow. "And then, I got in the car with her and..." She yawned a little
and blushed. "I don't know, Mistress Saturn. I guess I fell asleep..."
With a chuckle, the woman ruffled the girl's hair, which was
nothing more than a tangled mass of red ringlets. "My name is Hannah,"
she told the child sweetly, smiling down on her. "Not 'Mistress'
anything. And yes, you fell asleep, and Alexandra got an older pair of
Aeris' pajamas for you." She glanced down at the small child, suddenly
noticing the mismatch of the clothes to the little girl. She pursed her
lips and held back a chuckle. Ambriel was nearly drowning in the
pajamas. "But, she's Alex, and not exactly perfect..."
There was a pause, during which the girl fell back into the
pillows, letting out a sad sigh. Hannah raised an eyebrow, confused by
the behavior, but didn't question it.
"I should be at home," she admitted regretfully, staring up at the
skylight. "My family's probably worried. I was just so...excited...by
the news what that crystal does..." Ambriel wrinkled her tiny nose and
sighed a second time.
"Well, the twins are at school," stated the adult, glancing at the
girl, "but you are more than welcome to stay here until they get back."
She pursed her lips in thought. "As for your family... Well, let's just
say that Lisa is staging a cover-up for you." A smile crossed the
child's face at this comment, and Hannah felt herself smiling as well.
"It's amazing how lucky you are," she informed her companion, crossing
her legs as she sat.
Ambriel cocked her head to the side, gray eyes sparkling in
merriment and a bit of confusion. "What do you mean?"
Shaking her head, the woman rose and brushed off her jeans. "It's
just me, you, and the baby," she told the girl, thrusting her hands in
her back pockets. "Up for some pancakes, Ambriel?"
"Sure!" exclaimed the girl, clambering out of the bed and nearly
tripping over the clothes she wore. "Sounds great!"
With a smile, Hannah took the hand of her new little friend and
led her downstairs.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Damn it, Richard!" screamed the young woman, bending over the
spreadsheet, pencil in hand as she read over the numbers. "Have you ever
actually BALANCED this thing?"
There was a chuckle from the cat on the couch. He sighed and ran a
hand through his hair. He also working on a similar sheet. It took all
his will to not turn and scream at his partner across the table.
"Reeny," he said coolly, glancing at her with annoyed cobalt eyes, "I
know that it's not balanced. Lyra was working on that one, but with
school and everything..."
She huffed. Richard tightened his grip on the pencil.
Suddenly, there was a muffled beeping sound coming from one of the
two schoolbags on the table. Both of the students reached into their
bags. He pulled out a single cell phone. She pulled out three cellular
phones, a beeper, and a hand-held computer.
"Hello?" barked Richard, a bit annoyed at the untimely call.
"Star? WHAT? At your school? And you're sure? Uh-huh. Did you call the
others? A BUSY SIGNAL WITH THE MERCURY COMPUTER? HOW CAN THERE... Oh.
Alright. On it. Yeah. Bye."
He hung up, the color already draining from his face as he quickly
stood and rushed to the front door.
"Richard, what--" The Princess of the Earth jumped as her own cell
phone went off. She ignored it and scurried after the young man. "What
in the world is going on?"
He bent down to tie his tennis shoes, looking quite displeased.
"There's a bunch of little, day-glow-green frogs gathering outside
Crossroads," he stated quickly, switching feet to pull the other laces
tight. "It's the consensus between Scouts that this is definitely the
next monster from Ginnie."
Reeny, who was already slipping on her black shoes, paused and
gaped at him. "And we're not transforming... why?"
"Because we don't KNOW," he countered, standing a tugging his
blazer on over his dress shirt, "and nothing makes people more nervous
than a bunch of Sailor Scouts appearing at the drop of a hat." Opening
the door, he pocketed his keys. "Now, let's go!"
She nodded. "Right!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
"PLEASE forgive me."
"No. I can't."
There was a pause. Brother stared at sister, red eyes large and
sad. Lavender stared back.
"But..."
The tall, thin kitten took a long step toward her chubby, tan
counterpart. Their noses touched gently. Neither spoke for a long moment
as they stood, frozen, in place.
Then, Ara sighed. "I can't forgive you because I believe I am the
one who should be begging." A slight smile dawned across her green-
furred face as she let the glare in her eyes melt away. Slowly, she
lowered her front paws and her head in a mock bow. "Please forgive me,
Galileo," she begged, utmost seriousness in her voice. "I have wronged
you, sent you away, and hurt you. Please, allow me to extend my most
gracious apologies..."
He suppressed a giggle. "It's alright, Sis..."
She smiled just the tiniest bit, glancing to her littermate with
doubt in her gaze. "You sure?" she asked softly, not standing from her
bow quite yet. "I have not done something unforgivable?"
"Well, you have," he said, her face falling dreadfully as he told
her that much, "but I have, too. I figure we're even."
And, for one of the first times since she had become a Guardian,
Ara beamed a truly happy smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"This is STUPID," she grumbled, standing on the little ledge
around the school roof as she spoke. Slowly, she raised one leg until it
was almost parallel to the rest of her body. Her expression never
changed, but she was obviously concentrating as she continued. "I mean,
I have a BIG test in music theory today, and I had to look Miss Kaioh--"
"Mrs. Ten'ou, actually," corrected the brunette who was sitting
cross-legged on the roof.
"--in the eye and say, 'Hey, there's frogs coming to Lyra's school
and I must protect the Galactic Sailors.'" She hopped down from her
perch, blue braids bouncing, and settled herself on the ledge, looking
out at the group of neon-green frogs without interest. "I don't know
what was more pathetic--me saying it, or her letting me out of class!"
Wrinkling her nose, the single blonde girl on the roof glanced up
from the little Mercury computer and glowered at her friend. "Would YOU
like to take a nice long look at these readings?" she barked, annoyed.
The taller girl craned her neck to see the screen, and then blanched.
Lyra just nodded in response to the reaction. "That's right,
Phoebe," she stated blandly, hitting a few more keys as she spoke.
"Those frogs have the same type of brain waves that all the other
monster we've faced have had. They're mini-monsters."
"They're still a waste of time and effort," muttered the auburn-
haired one, swinging her legs back and forth as she, too, sat on the
ledge with two of her fellow Scouts. "What can a frog that size do? Lick
Crossroads to death? Unbalance the ecosystem by eating all the flies in
Tokyo?" She laughed and her own suggestion, and both the one sitting on
the dirty surface of the roof and the blue-haired one laughed at the
joke. Lyra, however, did not laugh. Alice rolled her eyes at the
makeshift leader and continued. "You all worry too much! Really, lighten
up!"
Leaning back on her elbows, Haley nodded in solemn agreement.
"She's right, you know," she pointed out to the curly-haired one as her
hair was ruffled by the light wind. "There is really no risk in a group
of mini-monsters lurking around the city, and--"
She was cut off by a scream.
All four Galactic Sailors clambered to their feet and peered over
the edge of the roof, not sure of what to expect. There, right in front
of the building's entrance, were all of the frogs--a good fifty of
them--and they were slowly melting. The girl who had screamed, a tiny
seventh-grader who had obviously been late to class, stumbled backwards,
toward the doors, crying out again.
Then, in a flash of green-yellow light, the smaller frogs melded
into one giant frog. It was a good twenty feet tall, with shining black
eyes and skin that almost appeared to be sequined. It glanced down at
the girl, a slight smile on its lips, and croaked loudly.
The entire building shook with the force of the noise.
Clutching the ledge as the school shook, Lyra tossed her blonde
hair and lowered her chestnut eyes toward the creature. Her navy skirt
billowed out in the wind as she glanced at the others.
They nodded, and lockets flashed in the noonday sun.
"Polaris Galactic Power..."
"Phoenix Galactic Power..."
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power..."
"Comet Galactic Power..."
Four girls' voices united as one.
"Make UP!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
She felt it.
Sitting, silently, in the classroom, she felt it as she had
before, but it hurt, this time. Gripping her pencil with all her
strength, she focused on the old man's lecture.
Her green eyes fell away from the chalkboard and turned to face a
single empty desk near the front of the classroom. A bookbag leaned,
abandoned, against the vacant chair. She gulped. Something was going
on...
"Miss Yuuichirou?" questioned the tall, elderly teacher, placing
his pointer on his desk and glancing at her. "Are you paying any
attention?"
Straightening up with a start, Tara folded her hands atop her desk
and nodded politely, flashing a slight smile at the other students. Some
boys in the back of the room snickered, and she knew instinctively that
she was scowling something awful. "Yes sir!" she responded quickly,
trying to look resolved and calm. "I was just...thinking...and..."
He snorted slightly, as though he didn't believe. "Well, you have
a pass," he commented, picking up a little slip of paper from his desk
and waving it toward her. "It's a dean's pass, so I'd suggest you
hustle."
"Yes, sir," she nodded, standing quickly and grabbing her bag. She
swore she could hear the Student Counsel President, who sat nearby,
giggle. She ignored it and bowed, starting straight toward the door,
pass in hand.
As she strode down the hall, her shoes echoing on the tile as she
walked, she could feel her heart start to break in pieces. A monster was
out there. A monster was fighting them.
She could do nothing.
The pain, mixed with her salty, steaming tears, burned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
They raced down the sidewalk, heartbeats pounding in both pairs of
ears, knowing what was happening but yet unsure.
She sighed slightly between furious pants, brushing a piece of
green hair out of her face. Already, the single bun she had pulled her
tresses into was coming loose. She knew that she looked a mess.
Beside her, the younger boy--well, younger by six minutes, but
still younger--was huffing just as she was. His red eyes were focused on
the ground, and she silently wondered what he was thinking.
She closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on running. The
others were in danger. They were needed. They... They were Scouts and
they needed to do this!
They kept running.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"A Crystal with powers like that..." She bit her lower lip in
thought, still staring at the Lunatarian words. Her silver eyes burned.
She didn't quite understand how...
A small cup was placed in front of her. "Tea?" offered Brice,
pushing the steaming beverage toward her. Sitting down on the edge of
the desk, he glanced down at the page before sighing. "Master said that
we should be doing more research than just focusing on that silly
passage, Abigail..."
"I know," she admitted bitterly, thrusting the drink away and
slamming shut the book in noticeable frustration. "But what can I do?
I'm stuck, damn it!" She crossed her arms on the desktop and buried her
face from view. "I don't know what to do! Some leader I am!"
He shook his head without sympathy and patted her light blue head
of hair. "Maybe we can't do anything," he stated blandly, standing and
starting for the door. "Maybe we have to rely on the Scouts for a time."
She didn't look up.
The door closed softly behind him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What is it with these badguys and animals?" growled Sailor Comet
in annoyance, rolling away from a long, bright pink tongue as it slammed
into the concrete sidewalk. The walk cracked, the tongue leaving a small
ditch upon impact. The brunette Sailor Scout raised a fist into the air
and glowered at the giant frog-monster. "But, then again, you're going
to meet your maker! Fiery..."
The monster croaked, and the whole area shook. It was all Comet
could do to stay on her feet, and even then, her balanced wavered and
she fell backward, landing on her rear end with a resounding thump.
Groaning, she glanced over at the others, who were also sprawled about.
It was one strong monster.
Aurora Borealis looked to her blue-haired friend. "What do you
think about this?"
"I think I don't like it one bit!" announced Phoenix loudly,
rolling onto her stomach in the place she'd fallen and pulling the VR
goggles that matched her computer from null-space. "There is NO weak
point!"
Sailor Polaris' face lost all color as she clambered to her feet.
"None?" she repeated in doubt, gazing up at the enormous creature before
her. Her stony, resolute Sailor Scout face faded away and was replaced
with a nervous pallor. "Oh, my..."
"You wimps!" came a new voice, and a beam of silver light erupted
in the area, running into the frog. It fell backwards, calling out in
agony.
Four Galactic Sailors turned to see their leader, sword drawn,
standing between her Prince and the tuxedo-garbed Starlit Prince. "Need
some HELP?" she questioned, brandishing the sword and bathing in the
bright gleam of the silvery blade. "Or should I let you flounder?"
The Starlit Prince waved a hand in the air, and a rose appeared in
his grasp. Sending an angry glare at the now-revived monster, he threw
the rose and let it pierce the wet, neon-green skin of the frog
creature. "A school is a beautiful place for learning and
socialization!" he scolded the creature in an annoyed tone. "And I, the
Starlit Prince, will not forgive you for trying to destroy a place of
enlightenment!"
The Galactic Sailors all snickered, and it was obvious that Sailor
Moon was struggling to breathe from her chortles. He frowned.
"What?"
Helios glanced at the sky, also amused. "Did you take lessons from
the original Tuxedo Mask, dear Prince?" he managed, the smile on his
face growing as he made the statement.
Crossing his arms, the Starlit Prince's scowl darkened.
By this time, the monster had climbed back to its feet and seemed
to be ready for battle. It croaked loudly, and the ground shook.
"Starburst Shimmer!"
"Double Dead Scream!"
Suddenly, the frog tumbled over itself, howling out in pain. Its
black eyes rolled back in its head and then, a handful of crystal shards
appeared in its place.
The Sailor Scouts all climbed to their feet to see three of the
four Chibi-Scouts standing in front of the school, faces drawn and
gaunt.
There was silence for a long moment. No one moved or spoke.
Suddenly, there was a flash of orange and the shards were gone, to the
obvious disappointment of the Pluto twins. The calm face of the Chibi-
Scout leader turned to a grimace as she saw the event. She blinked, and
then spoke.
"We must find the Crystal," stated Chibi-Star blandly, holding out
a hand. A shimmer of gold later, the Staff of the Nebulae appeared in
her fist, and her purple-and-yellow fuku faded into a suit of bright
gold. "We must do it now, and we must be fierce in our attempts."
Everyone stared at her, and she paled, gulping back the lump in
her throat. "Ummm... That is to say..."
"She's right!" Sailor Moon chimed in, sheathing her sword as she
called out. "That thing's dangerous, and we've got to find it!"
Helios, remembering the conversation of the previous night, nodded
solemnly.
Phoenix rubbed her hands together. "Then what are we waiting for?"
she asked eagerly, a spark of excitement flying into her icy eyes.
"Let's go!"
The Keeper of the Nebulae shook her head slowly. "It is not that
simple," she put in. Opening the palm of her free hand, she whispered
arcane words. A few marble-sized crystal appeared in her palm, the
colors bright in the afternoon sun. "If you are to do this, these will
be needed." She gestured to the Scouts with her staff, her green eyes
timeless and her voice low. "You must pair off and split up. Each team
shall get a crystal. You must throw it, allow it to shatter, and wait."
She raised her face to the skies, her expression bleak. "The Crystal
will appear to take the remains, as it has before. You must try to
capture the Crystal of Illusion." Her face snapped down and she stared
straight at Sailor Moon. "Do you understand?"
The leader nodded and took her Prince's hand. Polaris strode
straight toward the Starlit Prince. Aurora Borealis looked to Phoenix.
The Pluto twins glanced at their older cousin and all three warriors
smiled at each other.
"Done, then." The gold-garbed child passed out one crystal to each
of the four groups. "Good luck."
She faded out of existence, leaving the others.
All nine of the destined soldiers gulped separately.
The search was on.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I see..." She brushed a single silver lock from her bright blue
eyes. "There is a problem with this...this Crystal, you say?" She seated
herself in a small throne that seemed to be shaped of clouds, her white
gown unwrinkled even as she sat. "And I can help?"
The gold-garbed one nodded slightly, her tight twist at the nape
of her neck bobbing slightly as she did so. "I believe that we can use
this Crystal for good," she told her companion, resting her staff on the
white, soft ground as she spoke. "The others do not know... Or, rather,
I do not believe they know..."
She laughed, her giggle like the twinkling of a million tiny bells
as she raised the back of her hand to her lips and smiled sweetly. "You
do not believe they know?" she repeated with another chuckle, tossing
her head of silver tresses as she spoke. "My, you have changed!"
Lowering her bright green eyes, the smaller of the two scowled
lightly and shot an icy glare at her companion. "As have you," she
grumbled darkly.
"Now, now, my dear Keeper, do not maintain such annoyance with
me!" laughed the other one with a lilt of amusement to her voice. "I did
not mean anything by it and you know, as do I, that I am simply
jesting."
"Of course," responded the blonde one, smoothing the skirt of her
golden battle fuku, unconvinced. "You have always been so free spirited,
and I often forget."
With a wistful sigh, the silver-haired woman leaned back in her
seat and smiled gently at her companion. "Do you not see that spirit in
my daughter?" she asked softly. A slight nod and a shared smile was all
the response she received, but it was enough to put the gleeful sparkle
back into the blue eyes. "I often forget, too," she admitted
reluctantly, cupping her chin in a dainty hand. "I forget that you, as a
mortal, are close to her."
The Keeper of the Nebulae nodded slowly, her small smile fading
slowly as she thought of the younger girl. "She has much to learn before
she can take in all of the Silver Moon," she responded softly, her pale
lips turned into a frown. "She is still but a child."
"As are you, my Keeper," came the brief but amused reply as the
azure orbs roamed over the nine-year-old form that the younger woman
held. "You are Celeste Ann Mokoti, are you not?" she asked without
sarcasm, still staring. The Keeper gave her a slightly confused glance.
"That is the child who is your mortal form, correct?"
A timid blush crept across the Keeper's face. "Well...yes..." she
softly answered, not looking up. "On Earth, I am but a normal child,
enrolled in elementary school..." She pulled her head up and focused on
the pale face of the white-garbed woman. "Is it not embarrassing, Angel?
I control so much, and yet I am but a girl!"
Shaking her head, the Angel of the Moon turned her face skyward,
the silver sigil on her forehead glimmering in the bright sunlight that
flowed down from the heavens. "You are a lucky one, my friend," she
countered, her face reflective, if sad. "You are able to live a life
alongside other children... You are able to be what mortals call
'normal...'"
There was a long pause as the golden-garbed one stared at her
solemn friend, unsure what she was saying. Green eyes also glanced
toward the firmament, and the sweet glow of the sun stared down at her.
The warm rays touched her face and she smiled slightly, taking in a
long, deep breath of the air and letting her worries fade.
For a moment.
"Well, now, was there not a crystal we were discussing?"
questioned the adult quickly, pulling her gaze from the sky. Her eyes
met those of her friend, and neither spoke for a moment. Then, a smile
crossed her face. "And I can help you with this crystal, no?"
The Keeper of the Nebulae let a broad smile cross her face,
forcing it to stay in place as she nodded toward the other. "Why, yes,"
she responded, pursing her lips together. "There is."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, what are we supposed to do?" she asked with a bit of doubt in
her voice, staring down at the little blue crystal in the palm of her
hand.
The one with the auburn tresses laughed merrily at her friend,
leaning back against the trunk of a large oak tree as her walnut eyes
stared at the lithe dancer. "Weren't you paying attention, Pheebs?" she
asked with a raise of an eyebrow, a bit of sarcastic chiding in her
tone. "We're supposed to let it shatter and then wait."
A slight breeze ruffled the aquamarine school skirt of the blue-
haired one as she continued to focus on the small pebble-like sphere in
her hand. "Well, then," she breathed, pursing her lips together. There
was a pause before her icy eyes snapped up and caught the gaze of her
friend. "Hey, Alice," she inquired nervously, "what's the crystal going
to do to us?"
"Like I know!" retorted the older of the two girls with a flip of
her wavy tresses, still leaning languidly against the tree, seemingly
without a care in the world. Her bright smile, however, failed after a
brief moment, and the happy expression was replaced with worry. She
gulped and pursed her lips together. "Honestly, I don't know..." she
whispered, voice almost lost in the windy afternoon. "I'm worried about
it, too, because if Evil Ginnie wants it so bad..."
Nodding, Phoebe turned the little ball in circles, watching the
sun sparkle down on it. Behind the two girls loomed the four-story
structure that was Crystal Music Academy, still filled with students...
Students who were lucky enough to be unaware of the danger that lurked
around every corner...
"They lucked out, you know," sighed she, tossing the crystal up
into the air and catching it easily. "They don't have to worry."
"Who?" came the confused question.
A thumb jerked toward the building as the little sphere continued
to be tossed up and down. "They did," she responded softly. "All the
other students... All the other people in the world... They'll never
have the pain of being destined, or the nervousness of really NOT
knowing what happens next..." Pink lips pursed together for a brief
moment as, turning slowly in a circle, Phoebe turned her face to the
blue sky. "But this is our life, right?"
The crystal flew up into the air, sparkling all the while as it
slowly neared the ground.
"Ready?" asked Alice nervously, hiking up her navy-blue skirt as
she crouched slightly. Brown eyes stared at the shards that shone on the
grass.
"Set!" came the quick response as the other girl rested her hands
on her knees, staring.
Suddenly, a bright orange glow radiated down from the sky, and an
orb appeared. It was really only as big as the fist of an average
person, but something about the bright sphere seemed powerful and
majestic.
Slowly descending toward the ground, the crystal brightened. Both
girls bristled noticeably as the distance between the grass and the orb
decreased.
And then, it stopped.
To the average eye, it appeared that the orange ball of light was
pausing to examine the tiny pieces of blue glass embedded in the dirt.
That was enough for the duo of superheroes.
"GO!"
Alice leapt into the air with all her might, heading straight for
the still-hovering crystal. Her blue-haired companion dove, performing a
somersault in the exact direction of the orange sphere.
There was a blink of light, and a collision.
With a grunt, the smaller of the two teens opened her bright ice-
blue eyes--only to find that a larger, auburn-headed form was atop her,
pressing her body to the damp grass. She wrinkled her nose in disgust
and groaned, trying to push her friend off her.
Shaking her head, the wavy-haired one slowly stood and brushed the
dust from her school uniform, glancing down at the still body of her
companion. "Damn it!" she growled, annoyed. "What was THAT?"
An angry glare was received in response. "How is this MY fault?"
Phoebe spat, tossing her braids as she stood. "You're the idiot who
landed on ME!"
"I didn't try to ROLL into the crystal!" retorted Alice, lowering
her eyes. The temperature around her seemed to drop a few dozen degrees.
"What were you sniffing when you did THAT?"
"Sniffing? What kind of druggie do you take me for?"
"I resent that!"
"Why would YOU resent that?"
And, as the bickering continued, the slight flicker of orange on
the horizon blinked out of existence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Girls suck," he muttered in a dark tone, leaning against the bank
of lockers as he spoke. Gold-brown hair was limp and messy, as it had
been for a few days, and his copper eyes were both restless and listless
at the same time.
He was mostly alone, excepting the rather tall brunette girl who
stood beside him, fishing through her locker. Between grunts of effort
as she pulled out her schoolbooks, she glanced at her companion. "Eric,
you seem to be in a pretty horrible mood," she noted aloud, her glasses-
covered eyes focusing on his face as her Irish accent echoed through the
busy hall. She paused in her efforts to pull a stuffed frog out of her
locker and toss it to the male. "Here! Humphry will cheer you right up!"
Taking the little toy reluctantly, the high school senior raised
his eyebrows toward the teen with the brown uniform. "You exchange
students are awfully strange, you know," he commented aloud, looking
down at the green animal. "VERY weird."
"And just for that, take Ethel!" A toy chicken was quickly tossed
his way, and it was all Eric could do to catch it. Tossing her head, the
girl slammed her locker shut and placed her hands on her hips, seeming
to be perfectly in place amongst the sea of blue-and-white garbed teens.
She smiled triumphantly. "I am not odd, whether you like it or not!"
Then, seeing that the downtrodden expression on her companion's face
wouldn't melt, she frowned. "Is something wrong? Did your parents get
mad and said that I can't stay as the exchange student?" Getting no
response, she stamped her foot on the ground. "WHAT?"
Sighing, Eric returned Humphry and Ethel and trudged down the
hall, the Irish girl on his heels. "Joan, you understand women, don't
you?" She didn't respond with anything more than a confused blink. "And
you understand relationships, right?"
The chuckle carried through the air as she pushed through the open
doors and followed the host down the steps toward the student parking
lot. "I prefer wild affairs with men whose languages I don't speak," she
retorted casually as she rested her bag on her shoulder. "But, I guess
I'm stuck understanding women because I am one..."
"So, then, why are they so weird?" he questioned conversationally
as the duo walked toward Eric's car, weaving through empty spaces and
toward the back of the parking lot. There was no response from the
exchange student, so he kept walking. "I mean, I've been in love with
this girl for three years, and it's only when she says goodbye that I
realize I love her..." He sighed and stopped, not at all phased when she
started to stride straight past him. Catching the girl by the shoulder,
Eric turned her to face him, and colorful eyes gazed through glasses
right into his soul. "Is that bad?"
The befuddled look, a normal Joanian feature, disappeared quickly
and was replaced by a knowing, understanding expression. "Some things
cannot be changed," she responded coolly, suddenly sounding extremely
wise, "unless you truly wish for them to be changed."
A gust of wind whistled through the trees as she pursed her lips,
suddenly silent. School uniforms were ruffled, hair was quickly mused,
but still neither made an attempt to move. Ethel and Humphry were still
eccentrically perched on Joan, one stuffed animal per shoulder.
Then, she cocked her head to one side and grinned happily. "Now,
come ON," she insisted, snatching the car keys from the front pocket of
his shirt and starting toward the small black vehicle without him. "I'm
going to miss El Hazard if you don't hurry up!"
He chuckled slightly at her antics, the wise words echoing in his
ears.
'Unless you truly wish for them to be changed...'
Eric smiled and started after his exchange student.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What a waste of time!" groaned Haley, pushing a piece of brown
hair from her bright teal eyes as she turned the corner onto Carillon
Plaza, heading toward the Chiba-Ten'ou-Hartford house. "I don't BELIEVE
that turned out so badly!"
From the backseat of her cousin's silver Ford Taurus, the young
boy nodded solemnly. "I'll say," he sighed, red eyes gazing out the
window as trees and mailboxes seemingly flew past the car. "The stupid
Crystal didn't even appear!"
His sister remained silent, her bright eyes closed in what seemed
to be deep thought.
Nodding, the young woman stopped at a traffic signal and leaned
back in her seat, making eye contact with the child through her rearview
mirror. "It's really odd that it DIDN'T show up, too," she commented
with a slight wrinkle of her nose before refocusing on the bust road.
"It's almost as if that thing KNEW we were coming for it..."
"Perhaps the Crystal was aware," spoke a calm voice, and both the
other passengers glanced at the previously silent girl. Her hands were
folded in her lap, creasing the otherwise wrinkle-free blue school
skirt, but her now-opened and usually colorful eyes had turned an
emotionless black. "I wonder if, upon foiling an attempt at its own
capture, the small orb realized our plot and chose to protect itself
from harm."
Haley raised an eyebrow and stepped on the gas. "A crystal with a
brain?" she asked softly, her face draining of color as she actually
considered what the smaller girl was saying. "That does make sense..."
"A Scout meeting?" suggested Peter uncertainly, chewing on his
lower lip.
Pulling into the driveway at 687 Carillon Plaza, the brunette
adult stopped the car and turned herself to face the two children. "I'll
call Reeny and see what we can do," she told them both, forcing a smile.
"And don't worry--we'll get through all this and save the world."
Aeris forced a brave smile and opened her door. "I know," she
replied sweetly.
Two car doors slammed and a silver vehicle sped off. Multicolored
eyes turned bright blue, a color of hope, peace, and love. And the
Guardian of Time smiled.
"After all, we always do."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"First, you break Serenity's law," growled the woman with a toss
of her raven tresses, turning the small red car onto Sendai Hill as she
spoke. "And NOW I find out that you skipped a day of school?" A glare of
purple was sent through the mirror and toward the girl. "What the Hell
were you thinking, young lady?"
Light green eyes, bloodshot and teary at the same time, focused
not on the speaker but out the window. Her tanned face was streaked with
tears that she didn't quite remember crying; they had fallen after she'd
called her mother but before the Dean informed them both of her three-
day suspension... She gulped back the bile that rose in her throat and
pressed her eyes shut. So tried... So scared... So...alone...
For the first time, that morning, she had told off the group of
blonde cheerleaders. She didn't want to be one of them, reading their
beauty magazines and talking about boys. No longer.
She wanted to be Tara.
"Mother, I..." Her voice caught in her throat and cracked,
catching the attention of the woman in the front seat. She pursed her
lips and swallowed tears. Truth. "I want to be a priestess again,
Mother," she said softly, gazing down at her folded hands. She lacked
the bravery to glance up at the woman in the front seat. "I want to
study in the ways of the Shinto, just as you have always hoped for
me..."
Raye didn't look at her child but kept her eyes focused on the
road, silent. Neither woman spoke for a long moment; neither of them
truly wanted to. The High Priestess wasn't exactly sure what to say:
saying yes would be a sign that her past resolve had failed, but saying
no would break the girl's heart.
Pulling up to the curb slowly, the adult stopped the car in front
of the temple and turned around to face her daughter. "I don't have an
answer," she told the child solemnly, her bright eyes lowered as she
spoke. "If you truly want to be a priestess again, you must start at the
beginning, as though you're only a child."
With a long sigh, Tara slowly closed her eyes and nodded her
assent. "Then, I will," she responded in a shaky tone, a single tear
trailing down her cheek. "My training begins again. Today."
"Right." There was a pause before her mother smiled slightly.
"But...
She froze. "But?" she croaked nervously.
"You're still grounded for skipping school."
Despite the iron tone of her mother's voice, the girl smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It does THAT?"
"You have GOT to be kidding!"
"Has Celeste been informed yet?"
"Did Helios and Reeny have any intention of telling us about
this?"
"Are you completely certain that you heard both of the Elysionian
Priests correctly? In all the time I have known you, it has seemed as
though you--"
"Yes, yes, YES!" interrupted the red-haired child, tugging on her
jumper as she spoke. The large guestroom was empty except for the two
other children, but she was still frantic and hurried. "Now, we have to
get back to the Palace for that Scout Meeting that Haley's going to
call!"
Peter scratched his head confusedly, red eyes wide as he watched
the smaller of the two girls haphazardly pull her clothing on. "Ummm..."
he stammered, blushing slightly as she replaced Aeris' old pajama top
with her white blouse. "Are you feeling alright, Ambriel?"
She nodded quickly, chubby fingers quickly buttoning up her shirt
with an odd amount of finesse. "If there's a Scout Meeting, that means
something really important is happening!" she told them matter-of-
factly, the excitement in her voice ebbing as she spoke each word. "If
my mother actually announces what the Crystal does, anarchy is going to
ensue! TRUST me!"
"The darkest, deepest desire of the one who utters the words,"
breathed the green-haired one softly, leaning against the wall. "What
kind of demon creates such a powerful, dangerous crystal?"
"Someone evil," replied her brother thoughtfully as he glanced at
the silent redhead. "I mean, if someone good wanted their deepest wish
to come true, then..."
A nod. Silence.
Then, standing, the girl otherwise known as Angel Moon clicked the
heels of her black shoes together, catching the waning attentions of her
two friends. "Shall we teleport?" she asked, tugging her transformation
stick from her pocket and holding it above her head.
Suddenly, a silver glimmer enveloped Ambriel. She gasped, and her
whole face went pale. Aeris and Peter both scrambled forward, but she
was already beginning to rise into the air.
"No!" she screamed, kicking her legs and flailing her arms as she
was lifted toward the ceiling. "Get me out of here!"
Pulling her Time Key from null-space, the green-haired girl jumped
toward the shaft of silver light, her eyes black with anger. "In the
name of Pluto!"
The light disappeared as a beam of red energy escaped from the
Garnet Orb.
Aeris slammed into the hardwood floor with a resounding thump, her
small body shaking with tears even before she landed. Blue eyes stared
at where the light had been, and it was all she could do to punch the
ground with a tiny fist.
"AMBRIEL!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"We came here," sighed Abigail, brushing a strand of blue hair
from her bright eyes as she spoke, "for the sake of the Galactic Sailor
Scouts. Not for the sake of you, nor ourselves. Master, do you
understand?"
Helios was awestruck as he stared at the duo of priests. They both
stood in the middle of the bedchamber, their purely white robes fitting
in with the marble surrounds. She was tall, lean, and strikingly
beautiful, with straight sky-blue tresses down to her waist and
impossibly silver eyes. Her companion, a slim yet shorter man, had
shaggy green-brown tresses and wary-filled chestnut eyes. While the
woman looked regal and adult, he looked both sheepish and young. Each
carried a thick book, and that was it. Perhaps, were it not for the
young man's nervous expression, they would not have appeared to be
travelers.
Glowering at the two priests, the silver-haired man rested his
hands on his hips. "There is to be a Sailor Scout Meeting here in a
matter of moments," he growled, azure eyes glancing toward the closed
chamber doors as he spoke. "As your Master and High Priest of Elysion, I
command that--"
"You listen HERE," spat the woman, jabbing a long finger straight
at his chest as she spoke. Eyes lowered, and her normally sweet voice
fell to a deep, domineering tone. "Because you now live on Earth, I am
the Master of Elysion." She faked a smile briefly before frowning once
again. "I am THE most powerful priest in my world, you understand? Maybe
you're stronger, but I'm in charge." The young man behind her gulped
nervously as he watched. A mad Abigail was a dangerous Abigail, that was
certain. "And, as the High Priestess of Elysion, I say that I stay RIGHT
HERE until I feel like leaving." She straightened up and tossed her long
hair. "Brice, why don't you sit down at the Princess' desk and find the
pages in our books?"
The moss-haired man gulped. "But..."
An icy glare sent him on his way.
Running a slightly apprehensive hand through his wavy locks,
Helios forced a small smile. "I don't like or understand your logic,
Mistress," he told the woman hesitantly, the coolness in his tone
belying his otherwise happy disposition. "For now, you can boss me
around. But you will regret this stunk once I return to Elysion..."
"This is AWFUL!" whined a voice, and the doors suddenly burst open
as five teen girls and a young man filed into the room, followed closely
by a young blonde child. The speaker, who wore a dirt-covered school
uniform and six long, blue braids in her hair, walked right over to the
bed and collapsed. "The stupid Crystal didn't let me catch it!"
The auburn-haired young woman who took a seat behind the
complaining one just mumbled something under her breath, only to have a
pillow thrown at her.
Chaos ensued, with all the young people talking at once. Abigail
stared, amazed, as the group of girls and the tall redheaded man all
chatted about mundane things. Helios' fingers rose to his temples as he
closed his eyes, obviously annoyed. And Brice, books before him, just
STARED...
It was the young girl, though, who the young priestess found the
most interesting. She was only perhaps nine years of age, and she wore a
rather boring blue-and-white school uniform. Long blonde hair was pulled
halfway behind her head by an enormous navy bow, and large green eyes
stared at the loud, laughing group. She was silent and--while she seemed
to be neither surprised nor annoyed by the antics of her fellow Scouts--
she wore a mask of stone on her pale features.
Her voice was soft as she spoke, but everyone heard. And listened.
"I believe that we have guests here today." The motion in the room
ended quickly as she turned her large eyes on the two white-garbed
strangers. Both were near the silver-haired Prince, and both were
staring at the girl, shocked by her timeless voice.
But it was the pink-haired Princess of the Earth who first
responded to the child's comment. "Abigail and Brice?" she gaped,
surprised by the two priests' appearances. "What in the world are THEY
doing here?"
Helios pursed his lips for a moment. "Well, you see--"
Suddenly, two flashes of red light appeared in the chamber. From
the light came two children, both dressed in school uniforms. Their
faces were masks of fear and concern as they stepped from the bath of
crimson glow and faced the group.
"Aeris? Peter?" gulped the longhaired brunette who was leaning
against the wall, her teal eyes looking over the two children with a
spark of nervousness.
The girl just sighed and hung her head, usually bright eyes dark
and sad. Her brother took a deep breath.
"Uhh..." he stuttered as he glanced from the Princess of the Earth
to her silver-haired boyfriend. "We have a little problem..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clouds, clouds of all colors and shapes, surrounded her body as
the last of the silver light dimmed away. Soft white robes, just like
those of her Angel Moon outfit, covered her body. Large, feathery wings
sprouted from her back and fluttered in the slight, surreal breeze. The
air was cold, but yet she was not; it was the strangest sensation, and
it frightened her.
Suddenly, a woman appeared before her, basked in a bright white
light. Her robes were the same as that of the child, but she looked to
be about twenty years older. Silver locks, wavy and yet straight at the
same time, cascaded down her shoulders and to her waist, seemingly
unhindered by the large white wings that, too, came from the back of the
woman. Blue eyes gazed down at the girl, timeless and yet teary, and
ivory skin was wrinkled slightly by a pink-lipped smile. But perhaps the
thing that most struck the child was the bright silver crescent moon
that glittered on the brow of the woman.
And, then, she knew.
"You are called Ambriel," whispered the young woman, slowly
sinking to her knees in the clouds as she spoke, her bright eyes meeting
the nervous yet awestruck gaze of the small girl. "You are a guardian
angel. Did you know that?"
There was a slight nod as a response as the girl took a hesitant
step forward. Reaching out a hand, she traced her fingers along the
silver moon upon the stranger's brow. Then, just as reluctantly, she
touched her own brow.
She knew what was there. And she knew what it meant.
"Mother?"
"I have never been called that," the woman stated plainly, resting
her hands in her lap as her expression turned sad. "I have been called
Priestess and friend, but never... Never mother..."
Ambriel gulped nervously and held back tears. "But you... You are
my mother, yes?" she asked weakly, her voice catching with every passing
syllable.
With a slight smile, the woman--no, the angel, the child told
herself--held out a hand toward the girl. There was a glimmer of light
and a perfectly white rose appeared in its palm. "Yes, my dear child,"
she whispered, offering forth the flower toward the frightened redhead.
"You are the daughter of myself, the Angel of the Moon, and a human."
She shook her head slowly, as though she was disappointed in herself.
"I, too, am half human. My mother had fallen from Heaven, and..." She
forced a smile, and all sadness fell away from her expression. "Well,
that is not to be spoken of." Holding the gift further toward her child,
she cocked her head to one side. "You do not want it?"
Frozen for a moment, the girl stared at the perfect rose before
slowly accepting it. "What... What is your name?" she queried softly,
still staring at the bloom she held. "You are the Ambriel, the Angel of
the Moon, but surely you--"
"Serenity once called me Amber," responded her mother with a
gentle smile. "Is that what you would like to call me?"
"It suits you, Mot--Amber," stumbled the child, brushing a single
strand of red hair from her face. Then, realizing where she was once
again, her expression suddenly paled and her manner became frantic. "The
others!" she yelped, tucking the rose into a pocket as she glanced
quickly about the cloudscape. "Where are my friends?" she demanded
angrily. "I--"
Putting a single finger to her own rosy lips, Amber shook her
head. "I am certain they miss you, my dear, but this is important."
Gray eyes met blue, and the nervous girl froze immediately. There
was ice and iron in those eyes.
"Ambriel," the Angel of the Moon began, "the Crystal of Illusion
was created millennia ago, and is only made for evil." She pursed her
lips and paused for a moment, and a small glimmer of orange appeared
between her palms. It was a sphere, only the size of an average orange,
but it sparkled and shone like something powerful. She was suddenly
reminded of her mother's Silver Imperium Crystal, and she was about to
say so when the orange died and the orb faded out of existence.
There was silver and, for a brief moment in time, the angel's face
lost all its color. Then, before Ambriel could bat an eyelash, the stony
resolve reappeared, and the blue eyes were once again cold.
"I cannot even control the Crystal for a full minute," admitted
Amber hesitantly as she ran a hand through her thick silver hair, "and I
certainly would not be able to save the world by taking it away." She
took in a deep breath and stared straight at the child, the unsaid words
in her eyes those of a very scared, very lost young woman. "Ambriel, you
have the purest heart of all the Sailor Scouts." A gasp escaped the lips
of the girl. She ignored it and continued. "When the time comes, you
must seize the Crystal and, despite the pain, you must say the words and
use the Crystal. YOU, and no one else, must summon your deepest wish."
Her jaw moved, but the words faltered. She gulped and tried once
again. "What..." She clenched her eyes shut, and tears escaped and slid
down her cheeks. "What if I am not pure enough?" she choked, her tiny
fists tightening around the cloth of her white robes. "What then?"
Putting a warm hand on the shoulder of the small, shaking girl,
the Angel of the Moon sighed deeply and forced a smile. "My daughter,
you are all you must be," she assured the girl, though her tone wavered
as she said so. "Just have faith in yourself and, when the time comes,
you will know all."
There was a glimmer of silver, and Ambriel felt herself start to
fade away, out of existence. "Wait!" she yelled, reaching out for her
mother. "Don't send me away again, Mother! Don't do this!"
With teary azure eyes, the woman gazed at the little girl and
slowly shook her head once again. "I am sorry, Ambriel," she whispered,
her voice just loud enough to be heard. "But I do love you, whether you
believe it or not."
And, with that, the child's world went black.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"That damned angel!" she snarled in annoyance, her black form
hardly noticeable as she perched on the edge of the giant thunderhead.
Lightning crackled about her, and thunder boomed in her ears, but never
did she flinch. Instead, she sat motionless, her deeply brown eyes
focused on the young woman with the silver hair and the white clothes.
Slowly, the beautiful vixen, the bringer of all things so pure,
stood and turned, her blue eyes staring straight toward the
thundercloud. Those eyes, so beautiful and large, did not see the woman.
And yet, they stared right at them.
"You have tried this before, have you not?" questioned the strong,
soprano lilt as the woman a silver tress behind her shoulders. "You have
tried to win, but I have foiled you before, Ginnie." She smiled widely,
her eyes glinting triumphantly. "And I will again, just you wait."
Floating across the gap between clouds, the Queen of Evil snapped
her fingers and lifted the shield of invisibility from around her. Her
adversary, the Angel Ambriel, started a bit, but she didn't let her fear
show on the outside. Ginnie smirked. After all those years, she was
still as cold as ice.
The shorter of the two sighed and smoothed her black gown
casually. "That girl isn't old enough to do much to someone as strong as
me," she scoffed, her wavy brown-black locks swaying in the breeze that
flowed from the nearby storm. "You are signing your own death
certificate, Ambriel, and you know it."
"Haven't we had this discussion before?" she questioned
tauntingly, glancing down at her white-painted fingernails as she spoke.
"Who won the last battle?"
A hand raised. A crackling bolt of yellow energy shot from the
outstretched forefinger of the black-garbed woman and shot across the
ten feet toward the angel. Before it hit her, the energy disappeared.
Ginnie scowled.
"Good luck beating the Scouts, my dear Ginnie," smiled the woman
as she slowly faded away. "You'll need it."
Evil Queen Ginnie frowned and lowered her eyes.
And, from the storm behind her, thunder roared.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"She's out there? In THIS mess?" Reeny paced up and down the
windowed wall of her chamber, red eyes staring out at the city of
Crystal Tokyo. Less than five minutes ago, the skies had opened up and
it had started to rain. Now, the storm didn't seem ready to stop.
The two Pluto twins glanced at their feet, feeling everyone else's
eyes on them. Neither spoke for a long moment. Then, suddenly, red eyes
glanced toward the Princess of the Earth. "It was not in our hands," the
boy stated calmly, his face devoid of both color and emotion. "We tried
to save her, but the light held powers that we could not fight against."
A challenging spark entered the cinnamon eyes of the monarch, but
the voice of the green-haired girl cut off her ensuing retort.
"I'm sorry..." Aeris' tone was week as teary blue eyes peered up
through thick eyelashes and long hunter-colored bangs to look at her
Princess. She dropped quickly to one knee in an elaborate bow, tucking
her head down to advert eye contact. "I tried desperately to protect
her, but I wasn't fast enough..." She gulped back tears and took a deep,
shuddering breath. Her brother motioned to comfort her, but the hand of
his destined caught him by surprise.
Celeste just shook her head reproachfully.
Still shuddering, the Guardian of Time picked her head up to stare
at the pink-haired woman. "I will do whatever I am to do, in order to
make up for this mistake." She turned to look at all the others in the
room, including the duo of Elysionian priests. She did not smile, nor
frown, but her expression was grave despite that. "I will even face the
penalty of death, if I must."
"You must NOT," chuckled a voice, and there was a glimmer of
silver light. Slowly, a form appeared in the bright glow... A form with
a long red braid of hair and a smiling face... A form wearing a jumper
and a blouse... A form with bright red locks and sparkling gray eyes.
"Ambriel?" gasped Reeny in doubt, rushing toward the girl.
She nodded and the light disappeared. "I think," she stated
roughly as every person in the room turned to stare at her, "that its
time we discuss how to evade our coming doom."
No one tried to argue otherwise.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Galactic Sailors... (Suddenly, the words are crossed out...)
(Scribbled in red crayon:)
GINNIE SAYS!
Ginnie: (appears) Today, I have to tell you something grave.
(Cue solemn, severe music. The room darkens.)
Ginnie: Something serious.
(The Kanji for "she's finally serious!" scrolls behind her darkened
form.)
(Dramatic pause.)
Ginnie: I am a real badguy.
(Silence. Crickets chirp. Cue sweatdrop.)
Ginnie: (scowls) I am! I am really evil!
(Light laughter echoes through the room. Ginnie's face reddens.)
Ginnie: (angry) I am truly cruel!
(More laughter. Ginnie miraculously grows sharp fangs and devil horns.)
Ginnie: (livid) I WILL DEFEAT THE SAILOR SCOUTS!
(Out-and-out guffaws. Ginnie facevaults.)
Ginnie: (picking herself up off the ground; beyond livid, but not yet
rabid) You just wait! All of you! You will be very, VERY sorry!
(Flash of yellow energy. Laughter subsides. Ginnie is gone.)
(Butler, writer-goddess, appears, smiling knowingly.)
Butler: I'm sorry. That was not supposed to happen. She's a bit...
confused...
(Kanji for "dulling down the truth, are we?" scrolls behind her head.
Butler pulls out a bottle of inter-dimensional Windex and a sponge and
wipes it away.)
Butler: (smiling once again) Now, if you'll excuse me...
(Pause.)
Butler: (sigh) See ya!
(Cheering as she walks off the stage. Suddenly, a mighty roar echoes
through the air...)
Butler's voice: I SAID no Sailor Says! What part of 'no' don't you
understand? You're toast, girl! TOAST! (Pause.) What do you mean the
camera's not turned off?! Bags!
(Static.)
-I Know-
Look around...
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)
So many things aren't clear...
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified
expressions)
Don't worry, though...
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)
You know that I'll be there...
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)
The future's on its way...
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)
Look into my crying eyes...
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)
Don't take your love away!
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
Times will change...
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)
People will change, too...
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)
But deep inside...
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)
I always will love you...
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)
The answers are so far...
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)
But look at me and smile now...
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)
I am your guiding star!
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the
sunset)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
I know...
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)
All you need is love...
(All nine girls stand together)
All you need...is...love...
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Okay, I know: not the best story, ever. I was just...burnt out and... I
wanted to start 26, but... ::sigh:: Well, as Shakespeare once said:
"Never excuse."
::snort::
He wasn't a fanfic author, now WAS he?
Till next time!
--Kate
Quote of the Episode (credit "Tenchi Muyo!"):
"Eat enough of those, and you'll grow up to be a spaceship!" -Tenchi to
Ryo-Ohki
Author's Ramblings: Okay, to pick up where we left off... I swear, if I
get in any trouble because of the danged thing with Tara, I will come
after all flamers with a flame-THROWER. I am not trying to sound mean,
but I know what you're all thinking will end up happening--the end of
Tara--but trust me, alright?! Jeez!
-Ambriel uses a line that is blatantly from another anime. Name the
anime and the person, earn Butler Brownie Points! Heck, I'll even send
you a cute picture of the Senshi of your choice!-
-I do not own Joan. Joan owns Joan. But expect a bit of her here-and-
there to add...spice...to the Galactic party!-
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Last time:
Ara and Galileo got in a fight. Amy and Greg's marriage is over. Ginnie
made "tasty coffee." Sailor Earth was charged with crimes against crown
and country and was punished by having her Scout powers revoked.
Cassiopeia told Mina off for using her as a spy for Richard and Lyra.
And that, my friends, is where the story beings...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Let's go, Scouts!" exclaimed Sailor Polaris, bolting out of her
chair almost as soon as the words slipped from Captain Keimeko's lips.
All eyes turned to her and the other Galactic Sailors as they rose,
suddenly thirsting for the excitement of battle.
It was not Serenity but the tall, stocky Captain of the Guard who
drew to stop them with a raise of her hand. "We cannot have the Galactic
Sailors risking their lives, it is far too dangerous." Her brown eyes
sparked with a profound amount of sorrow as she caught the gaze of the
Princess, Sailor Moon. "We have already lost many men in trying to hold
this creature back. We cannot lose the children as well."
There was a clatter of armor as the only man of the room struggled
to get out of his chair and to his feet. "It's a creature of magic!" he
roared at the melancholy woman, green eyes angry. "Steal cannot defeat
the ways of magic, as every soldier knows!" He gestured hastily toward
the women who sat in his row. "These six will tell you the same!
Serenity will tell you the same!"
"Terence!" shot the Queen angrily, her ponytails whipping through
the air as she turned to glare daggers at him. "You have no right to
speak on the behalf of the Mistresses or myself!" Her blue eyes lowered
further. "You are here in the place of Mistress Pluto, and I am certain
that, were she here, she would understand the Captain's logic."
A little girl, only looking seven years of age, slowly stepped
forward, her normally colorful eyes a dark, foreboding tone of black as
she glanced at the Queen of the Earth. Then, still without words, she
blinked.
The eyes turned red, just like her mother's.
"Mistress Pluto, the Guardian of Time, has departed to the past,"
she stated, as though no one in the room knew. She stared at the
beautiful Queen, almost smiling and the slight worry lines around the
pursed lips of the woman. "Do you trust the judgement of the Guardian of
Time?"
Furrowing her brow, Serenity stared at the small girl. "Excuse
me?" The question was repeated, more slowly than before, and she managed
a weak sigh and a nod. "More than anything, I respect the opinions of
Pluto."
A smile sprung across the girl's face, an odd event. "It is
written that only one person has the right to stand in for the Guardian
of Time," she told the room, pulling her Key Staff from null-space and
leaning up against it. "And that is the heiress of Time; her daughter."
Everyone gaped at the girl as she let the smile slowly fade. The
stony expression that they all recognized once again cemented in place
before she spoke.
"And, as the Guardian of Time in place of my mother, I agree with
Terrence." Sailor Chibi-Pluto pulled her gaze form the Queen and focused
it instead on Captain Keimeko. The woman was nervously running her
fingers through her low orange ponytail, obviously apprehensive about
the entire situation. It nearly brought a second smile to the child's
face.
"Captain, the ways of the sword are powerful," she assured the
adult pleasantly. "But they do not stand a chance against the powers of
sorcery. And we, as the ready warriors, must use both." She pointed
toward Sailor Moon, who immediately recognized that finger to not be
focused on her as much as the Moon Saber. "And we must fight alongside
your men and women. It is the way of the Sailor Soldier."
A devious, if not happy, smile crossed her small face as she
turned back toward the Queen. "Now, Your Highness, I have a plan if you
would like it."
Rubbing the bridge of her nose gently, the blonde Queen glanced at
the child, annoyed expression not missed by any of the people in the
room.
"It's been an odd day," she sighed, resting her fists on her hips
and gazing down at the temporary Guardian of Time. "And I suppose it's
going to get odder."
Sailor Chibi-Pluto's devious grin was replaced by a proud one.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I don't BELIEVE him," she grumbled, resting her forehead in one
hand as the other flipped the pages in a rather thick volume of
Elysionian history. "He runs off to Earth and sends ME on a wild goose
chase for something that probably doesn't exist!" She gripped a few sky-
blue tresses in annoyance. Her expression was pained.
There was a gentle knock at the door and she jumped involuntarily,
yelping as she accidentally pulled her own long hair.
A young man, probably only twenty years old, poked his head
through the doorway, smiling pleasantly at her. "Mistress Abigail?"
She immediately thought of thirty ways she could kill the man
without rising, but she pushed them from her mind. Still, the icy glaze
in her silver eyes proved her annoyance, and she relished in the fact
that his smile slipped quickly from his face.
"Yes, Brice?" she questioned, faking a smile as she rose and
smoothed her long white robes over her hips. "Have you found any
references to this crystal that Master invented?"
He gulped, still frightened by the coldness in her eyes, but
managed a weak nod. Walking into the room, he deposited a large, water-
stained book on her desk and flipped quickly through it. "Oh, Mistress
Abigail, you will NOT believe this!"
Leaning against the wall, her eyes staring out the window at the
lush, thick forests that surrounded the Keep of the Priests, she sighed.
"Really?" she questioned half-heartedly, rubbing her sore elbow idly.
She HAD been leaning on it too long.
She was at a distinct disadvantage, she had decided that morning.
The only Priestess their Master had allowed in the Keep, she was already
one thin ice with half the younger priests. She'd rose the ranks so much
faster than they did, that they expected that she'd 'charmed' the Master
into it. No such luck, of course, because he pined for that Maiden of
his; Abigail's success had been pure and decent, unlike the foul play
the priests had attempted to use... She chuckled inwardly.
And, soon, she would finally be able to complete her mission. She
would finally be able to show them all why she had risen so quickly.
Destiny had determined that already.
"Mistress?" asked Brice, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Gasping, the young woman smiled at him, not entirely forcing the
reaction, and nodded. He, face already ashen, pursed his pink lips.
"Mistress, I have found what you wanted me to find."
She followed him to the thick tome, both of them leaning over the
pages so he could point out the correct references. It was in
Lunatarian, not a language she was completely familiar with, and she
strained her eyes to read the tiny handwriting.
Running a hand through his shaggy moss-colored hair, the young man
stifled a gulp. "There." His finger jabbed at a paragraph.
There was no sound as silver eyes crossed the page. Then, she
gasped. All color drained from Abigail's face as she glanced doubtfully
at Brice. She even reread the section. Nothing could hide her surprise
as she stared at the book.
"There's such a crystal in existence?"
"So says Selene's histories of the galaxy," responded the young
man in a soft tone. "She was the first Lunatarian queen, and..."
Nodding weakly, the woman glanced at him, her eyes large and full
of concern. "I want you to send the lower priests and all their first
year students to the vaults at Master's mansion and see if you cannot
find more histories with this crystal in it." She took in a deep,
shuddering breath and took a parting look at the words before her before
slamming the book shut. "Then, once that is finished, you and I are
going to try and send a message to the Master."
Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Abigail, we've been
friends since you came here. Are you alright?"
She immediately turned on him. "No! I'm not!" She clenched her
fists. "That crystal can END the universe if Ginnie uses it right!" Her
tone hushed as she caught the hurt look on his face. She sighed and
walked around her desk, collapsing into her seat and burying her head in
her hands. There was a shuffle of paper as her companion, her friend,
took his book and started to the door.
"Wait..." Raising her face, she forced a smile and wiped away her
tears. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, but..." She took a deep breath.
"Brice, this could be the end of the galaxy as we know it. We must
tell Master as soon as we're able."
All he could do was nod.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Galactic Sailors and the Mistresses stood in two single-file
lines at the gate of the giant wall that surrounded the Palace, flanked
by soldiers and Royal Guard members on each side. The seven women and
the nine children all wore emotionless expressions as they stood in
place, watching the giant creature attack the quartz wall. Its pursuits
did little more than char some of the sections of the barrier, and other
than that, it remained steadfast in its place.
Sailor Phoenix's slender fingers speed across the keys of the
Mercury computer as she stared at the monster, her mother's data goggles
scanning over the monster. The rest of the warriors, whether they be the
Mistresses, Galactic Sailors, or Chibi-Scouts, watched in amazement as
the giant thing breathed fire.
And it was an amazing creature. No bigger than a typical emu-
monster, it had the arms and feet of a human being but the body and neck
of an emu. Feathers covered all of the body, including the human
features, and the face seemed to share qualities of both species. It was
a terrible sight, but also an awesome thing to behold.
Suddenly, the computer beeped, and Phoenix pulled the visor from
her face and glanced at the others. "She was right," she announced,
letting out a long breath that she'd been holding. "Half-human, half-
monster, just like the others have been before."
"Are you sure this will work, Chibi-Pluto?" asked the Mistress of
Jupiter softly, her emerald eyes staring down the child who was leading
all of the Galactic Sailors in lieu of Sailor Moon. "It's a lot to put
on the line..."
She was silenced by a hardened glare from the small leader. "It
will either work or it will not," she responded coolly, gripping her
Time Key more tightly than before.
The Mistresses exchanged wary glances.
"Whatever happens," vowed Sailor Moon suddenly, her fist clapped
over her heart as she started at the monster from her vintage point at
the back of the line, "we will either save the world or die trying."
Everyone nodded.
"Mistresses, set!" screamed Chibi-Pluto, raising her Key in the
air as she spoke. "Ready..."
The seven women, their velvet gowns sparkling in the bright
noonday sun, took deep breaths.
It was time. Destiny awaited.
"GO!"
Rushing out into the open, the soldiers surrounding them drawing
swords and hollering obscenities, the Planet Mistresses stared up at the
giant creature. They were easily dwarfed by both the monster and its
shadow, but that did not stop them. They stood tall, vigilant, and
linked hands quickly.
Human eyes, large and chestnut-colored, glanced down at the women.
A small smile snaked across the human mouth and feathery face.
Suddenly, white light erupted from the women. Slowly,
deliberately, a bright shield appeared right in front of themselves,
blocking any attack that the creature might throw. The barrier was as
tall as the wall, if not taller.
The monster roared, trying to use its breath of fire to break down
the shield. Smoke poured from its mouth, but not fire.
By then, the emu-person realized that the shield did not only
protect the seven Mistresses and the gate behind them, but also sucked
the powers straight out of its mouth. It roared in agony and tried once
again. Nothing.
A frightful call went up from behind the white, sheen surface.
"Sailor Scouts, GO!"
Eight girls, ranging from ages nineteen to about five, and one
little boy suddenly raced out form behind the Mistresses. Sailor battle
fukus blew in the wind as, one by one, they all set up for their
attacks.
The monster was not, by any means, stupid. It knew what was about
to occur, and stumbled backward.
But it was too late. The girls (and one boy) were already shouting
attacks in rapid-fire order, too quick and accurate to be dodged.
Roaring, writhing, the creature fell to its knees. Tears streamed
down its feather-covered cheeks as it stared at the young warriors and
their predecessors. The white shield slowly faded into nothingness as
the emu-human hybrid collapsed onto its front. The tears still fell.
And then, it spoke.
"Please... Don't kill me..." It begged, clenching the brown eyes
shut as it whispered to the last girl, the one with the drawn sword.
"I'm sorry..."
Phoenix gasped. "It's Tina!" she announced, her jaw dropping open
as she stared. "It's got to be! She's the one with the bird-monsters as
it is!"
The other Scouts all glanced at her, unable to speak. They were
absolutely shocked.
Rolling her green eyes, the Mistress of Uranus freed her Space
Sword from its invisible scabbard in null-space and took a long step
forward. "If you won't," she growled, sending a steady, stern glance to
the leader of the Galactic Sailors, "then I will."
"No." Sailor Moon breathed in through her nose and then exhaled
quickly before taking one last step toward the monster. A cool wind blew
through the area, and her pigtails billowed out behind her. She sighed
and pointed the tip of the silver blade straight toward what had once
been Tina. "This is something that I must do, as the bringer of
destiny."
She closed her eyes and focused her energy into the sword.
"Moon...Saber...Illumination..."
The emu-human roared out in pain and then, slowly, crumbled to a
pile of dust. Nothing moved for a moment.
And then, there was a glow of orange. A small orb, about the size
and shape of an egg, descended from the Heavens and floated above the
dust. For a few seconds, it remained motionless, as though it was
looking the pile over as part of an inspection.
Then the dust and the orange ball both blinked out of existence.
A cheer went up from the surrounding Royal Guard members and the
Japanese soldiers. A cheer which was, of course, aimed at the Scouts and
Mistresses.
Her red gown blowing in the wind, she was the only one not to
smile.
Instead, high-heeled shoes echoing on the pavement, she started
almost reluctantly down the street, her long hair flapping behind her.
"Wait! Mistress Mars!" called Sailor Polaris, gulping as she
watched the mother of her 'lost' friend beat her hasty retreat. "Where
are you going?"
Teary-eyed, the adult turned around to gaze at the short, curly-
haired Sailor Scout. Her face was a mask of iron, just as she and all
the others had been taught, but her fierce purple eyes hid nothing.
Behind the young woman and the saddened adult, the other
Mistresses exchanged hugs with their daughters. Mercury and Phoenix were
alongside the Pluto twins, analyzing the energy levels that the dust and
orange glowing had left in their wake. Sailor Moon and Saturn seemed to
be talking about something personal, and were having a good time of it.
Mistress Venus, Sailor Chibi-Star, and the young Master of Time were all
busying themselves in a discussion as Angel Moon stood by, occasionally
chiming in. Aurora Borealis, Uranus, and Jupiter were all talking about
something interesting, and the young woman was bright red. And Neptune
and Comet were just smiling at one another.
Sighing, the Mistress of Fire wiped away the tears and set her
mask back as it had been. "I'm going home to the daughter. The one who
betrayed us all, in case you've forgotten about her." She saw the hurt
spark in the eyes of the blonde, but she couldn't feel guilt. "Goodbye."
Sailor Polaris' ponytail blew in the breeze as she watched the
woman go.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Evil Queen Ginnie slowly strode down the hall, holding her nose as
she walked. Her lips were curled in a sneer as she quickly punched the
green open button on the wall. It flashed at her briefly, and then the
door slid quickly slid open.
Her boots echoed through the large 'stables,' as Tina called them,
but she ignored the noise she was making and crossed right to the small
room that Norton usually occupied.
She didn't need to look at the fallen body of the giant emu to
know he was dead. The stank had radiated throughout the darkened palace
from about noon that day. It was nearly seven, now.
"Kevin!" she called out, cupping her hands to the sides of her
mouth as she spoke. "Arthur and Rob! Come and clean this mess up!"
Her voice reverberated through the darkened stable and rang in her
own ears. Suddenly, she dropped her hands and held back the strong
depression that welled in her heart.
She was alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Abigail, how nice to see you," sighed the silver-haired man,
folding his hands in his lap as he spoke. The sound of a girl laughing
and a woman yelling echoed through the large chamber he was in, and a
stressed expression crossed his face. "But I have pressing matters to
attend to, so..."
Sighing, the young woman rested her elbows on the surface of her
large desk, bright eyes staring directly at her Master. Even though the
contact was only through a hologram, the glance put the young man on
edge. It was rare that the priestess, Elysion's first, shot anyone such
an annoyed, angry glance. It was enough to send shivers up his spine.
The younger man, probably only twenty years old, sat beside
Abigail. His messy greenish-brown tresses hung into deep brown eyes as
he looked through the hologram and at his Master, the high priest of
Elysion. "It's my fault, sir," he stated nervously, clasping his hands
together and trying to act as adult as I possibly can. "I was going
through a history of the galaxy and found..."
"Helios-papa, what's that?" questioned a little voice, and both
Elysion residents raised eyebrows as a little girl with long red hair
popped into view. Helios scowled as she grinned and waved. "Hey! Who are
you?"
Her silver-haired 'papa' tried to push her away, blue eyes
narrowing at her. "Ambriel! Doesn't your mother want you?"
"I'm Ambry!" announced the child merrily, flashing a peace sign
toward the two people beyond the hologram. "How are you talking? What's
this dish?"
A loud, feminine voice screamed out the girl's name, and a woman
rushed forward. Pink, cone-shaped buns perched high on her head, and
pigtails fell from these buns to the floor. She reached forward and
seized the child by the hand, her red eyes angry. "Helios is trying to
make a call to Elysion, and you're bothering him!" she scolded, tugging
on the girl's arms and nearly tripping over the hem of her long white
gown. "It's bath time!"
Pouting, the little girl harrumphed and allowed herself to be
dragged away by the young woman. Letting out a sigh, the Master of
Elysion watched them leave. "And you were saying?"
Abigail, who was holding back a chuckle by this point, let her
smile fade from her lips and sighed miserably. "This is Brice," she
introduced, gesturing to the young man beside her. He bowed his head
reverently. "He is a second level priest."
"Impressive," drawled Helios, leaning back in his seat and resting
his chin in a hand. "And I suppose that something important has
happened?"
"Selene once wrote a history of the galaxy," Brice informed the
man in a soft voice. "And, within this history, was the tale of the
Crystal of Illusion. The crystal that now belongs to the Queen of
Darkness, Ginnie."
Slack-jawed, the young man on the other side of the hologram
gulped and glanced at the two priests of his world. "And?"
Brushing a strand of sky-colored hair from her deep eyes, the
woman fiddled with a sleeve of her white robes, adverting eye contact.
"The Lunatarian translation leaves much to be desired, Master, and it is
rather amazing that, between both Brice and myself, we were able to
deceiver it... But we could be wrong..."
Helios felt a shiver run up his spine. He'd known that woman, who
was now the most powerful person in Elysion, since she was a toddler.
And, in all those years, he'd never seen her afraid.
Until now.
"Is it that bad?" he managed, the color draining from his face as
he pursed his lips. "Have you inquired the translations from the nuns
and other scholars in my library? Have you checked with the Abbess and
Abbot? Have you done it all?"
She nodded weakly, her voice coming in a shaky whisper. "We have
sent all priests of the fourth, fifth, and sixth level down to the
vaults to search for more. We have sent students do the same. Nothing
rebukes what we have found."
"We are waiting for the final translations," put in Brice in a
hopeful tone, forcing a smile. "But it looks as though we're right on
this. Not that we want to be."
"And?"
Taking a deep breath, Abigail, a first-level priestess and the
first female to ever set foot in the Keep of the Priests, closed her
eyes and pressed her lips together. "This crystal is called the Crystal
of Illusion. It was created to bring one's deepest, most powerful wish
into existence." She sighed. "There are words of power that must be
used, and no one living knows these words. Or so it is written.
"But, if Queen Ginnie has obtained the words, all she needs is the
Crystal."
He felt his resolve waver. Weakly, he leaned forward and rested
his elbows on his own desk, burying his hands in his hair as he stared
at the desktop. "Then, there is nothing we can do," he finally said
after a pause that seemed to last for an eternity. "The Earth is to be
destroyed as soon as the Crystal returns. The Sailor Scouts cannot
help."
Abigail, biting back tears, nodded.
But Brice did not. Enlightenment dawned on his face as he slammed
a fist down on the table. "But if someone with a PURE heart uses the
Crystal, their darkest wish will not be evil!" he announced rather
loudly. The other two glanced at him in annoyance, but he remained
determined. "If the Sailor Scouts can find the Crystal, then one of
them can use it and bring out their worst, which would be for the best!"
Putting a hand on his forearm, the priestess shook her head
slowly. "I know you're just as upset as the rest of us, but you have to
look at this the right way..."
"I think he has a point," responded Helios pensively, his tone
soft as he spoke. "The Chibi-Scouts, four children, are quite innocent
and pure. If they were to find the Crystal, we might be able to invoke
the powers of the Crystal before Ginnie does."
"That is, of course, assuming she does not have the Crystal
already," chimed in another voice, and the pink-haired one was back,
settling herself onto the arm of her prince's chair. "But I'm sure she
doesn't."
Both of the Elysionian priests lowered their heads devoutly toward
the woman. "Princess Serenity," they both greeted, eyes studying
everything but the face of the newcomer. "We are humbled in your light."
She rolled red eyes and snorted. "Oh, stop it," she commanded,
annoyed. "I'm not much of a Princess, as it is." They both glanced up
but she could see, even through the hologram, that they were weary of
making eye contact with a Princess. She sighed. "The name is Reeny."
"Pr... Reeny," stumbled Abigail nervously, her silver eyes
reluctantly meeting the gaze of the beautiful Princess before her, "why
do you think that this is true?"
"It keeps appearing in Tokyo," she responded casually, running a
hand through Helios' hair as she spoke. "It did even today, when the
Galactic Sailors defeated yet another minion of the Evil Queen. I think
we can catch it."
There was silence as the duo in Elysion exchanged silent words.
The Princess of the Earth sighed and leaned closer to her Prince, who
responded by taking one of her small hands and giving it a reassuring
squeeze.
Then, the High Priestess of Elysion rose to her feet quickly, the
lower-level priest following her movement. "I hope that the Galactic
Sailors find the crystal before Ginnie does, in that case," she stated
with a slight bow. "I will gather the nuns and Abbess and try to aid
your quest from here."
"And I'll do the same with the Abbot and the monks," put in Brice
helpfully, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "Between two worlds,
we will defeat this Queen and save the Earth."
With a slight smile touching his lips, Helios leaned forward and
stared directly at the young priest. "Brice, when we finally have the
galaxy safe from harm, I will advance you to the rank of first priest
and you'll be able to rule Elysion at Abigail's side."
The young man blushed and quickly began to babble his thanks.
Reeny stifled a giggle at his antics, and the amused smile on the
priestess' face was unmistakable.
"Good luck, Sailor Moon," smiled the woman of Elysion. "I hope the
Galactic Sailors succeed."
"So do I."
Switching off the small dish atop the desk, Abigail sighed and
leaned her hands on the cool wooden surface, staring across the room at
the doorway. "Will they really be able to do it?" she questioned warily,
picking up one hand to bury it in her mane of sky-blue tresses. "Or will
Ginnie find the crystal and someday be able to rule the world?"
Brice laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to hold a smile on his
face. "I'm sure that they'll do the most they can," he replied, trying
to hold back the nervousness in his tone. "They've done a good job up
until now."
Abigail just nodded, not saying a word, before bursting into
tears.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"A Crystal of Illusion," breathed the child, resting her chin on
the fluffy pillows as she stared at her headboard, gray eyes worried. "I
wonder what it all means..."
The kitten, who was curled into a tight ball beside her, opened a
single blue eye. "What in the world are you talking about?" she asked
sleepily, staring at her small charge. "You're never like this."
Without responding, the girl slid out of bed, crossing to her
vanity and pulling the many small, white bows from her hair. "I have GOT
to tell Aeris and Peter," she stated, fumbling with one of the ribbons
as she spoke. "They have to know about this..."
"Whoa!" protested the cat, jumping up and padding across the cold
marble floor to glare at the redheaded girl with tired eyes. "It's past
midnight! You can't very well sneak out of Crystal Palace and walk all
the way to the Ten'ou house!" Her argument did little good, for the
child had already pulled off her nightgown and was now tugging on a
white blouse. "You'll get both me AND Diana AND probably Lisa in trouble
with your Mama!"
Sighing, Ambriel slipped on a blue jumper over her blouse and
zipped it up slowly. "If you're not with me, that's fine," she stated,
sitting on the floor to put socks on her small feet. "But I have to do
this, Carina, with or without you."
The Guardian growled and hopped between the girl's legs, watching
nervously as small black shoes were buckled over the thin anklets.
"PLEASE, Ambry, think this through!" she stressed, her blue eyes bright
and worried as she spoke. Moonlight reflected off the silver marking
atop her brow, and caught the child's attention for a brief second. "You
could get hurt, wandering through downtown Tokyo at night!"
With a slight chuckle, she patted the animal's head and stood,
tucking her transformation wand away in a pocket. "I'll be fine, Carina.
You worry too much." She sighed and turned her face skyward, staring out
of the skylight and at the great white orb that was the moon. Her slight
smile faded as she breathed in a long breath.
"Good Serenity, protect me," she whispered. "Good Mother, look
down on me."
And, with that, she started out the door.
Carina watched as the oak barrier was gently shut, and a scowl
immediately appeared on the small animal's features. "I'm toast," she
grumbled. "Definitely."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ring.
She groaned and pulled her wife's pillow over her ears. It wasn't
even one in the morning.
Ring.
"Get that," grumbled the aqua-haired musician, half-asleep as she
snatched her pillow back and rolled over.
Ring.
The blonde made a face. "Make me."
Ring.
"Do you want a 'scolding' tomorrow night or NOT, Alex?"
Climbing from her bed, the world famous F1 racer Alexandra Ten'ou
wondered why she had ever gotten married. Casting one last, long glance
at the sleeping woman, she grabbed the cordless receiver from her
dresser and barked into it.
"Good morning."
The voice on the other end was frantic. "Mistress Uranus? Is that
you, Mistress?"
Her brow furrowed as she stared down at the odd number on her
caller ID. "How do you know who I am?" she questioned gruffly,
unconsciously searching null-space for her sword with her free hand. "I
don't like games and--"
"This is Lisa Warner, personal handmaiden of the Princess," the
woman on the other end quickly responded before she could upset the
Mistress any more than she already had. "I have been informed that
Ambriel Chiba--Angel Moon--is on her way to your house to find Aeris and
Peter."
Alex bristled. "By herself? In the dark?"
"She's a head-strong girl," sighed Lisa from the other end of the
phone, voice concerned. "I fear for her."
Grabbing her car keys and Mistress beads, the blonde nodded to
herself. "I'll go find the child," she replied, "and bring her here for
the night."
The woman on the other end of the phone line breathed a sigh of
relief at the Mistress' words. "Thank you," she smiled slightly. "The
Royal Family is in debt to you."
"I know," chuckled the blonde, tossing on sweatshirt over the
ratty tank top she wore as pajamas. "But most of that debt has nothing
to do with Ambriel."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
With a yawn, she rested her chin atop a fist and tried desperately
to keep her eyes open. The professor in the front of the room drawled on
about economics and other things she found unimportant. She was a
Princess. Since when did Princesses need to know about economic theories
and principals?
She felt her head start to bob and sat straight up. Five minutes
left, she told herself with a glance at the clock. Five minutes.
Brushing a pink tress from her face, she glanced down at her notebook.
Little Galactic Sailors chased a ball around the page, leaving room for
notes in the middle. She sighed and sketched a rose flying from the
Starlit Prince's hand. What a way to spend a perfectly fine spring
Monday...
"I'll let you all out early today," announced the man in the front
of the room, leaning against the edge of his desk as he spoke. Some of
the students cheered, and there was a bustle of activity. He cleared his
throat, and they all froze. "But, I need to see two students: Serenity
Chiba and Richard Umino."
The two 'chosen' students paled noticeably as soon as the balding
man said this, and Reeny almost dropped her notebook on the floor. Why
in the world did THEY--
"Class dismissed."
--have to stay after? Why in the world did SHE have to stay after?
That was a better question.
After running a hand through his red hair, Richard gathered up his
belongings and started down toward the desk, shooting the young woman a
confused, doubtful look. She ignored him and indignantly stuck her nose
in the air, annoyed. He sighed.
With a smile, the Professor waited until both students were in
front of the room, standing straight and tall just as they had been
taught in grade school, before him. "Good morning, Serenity. Richard."
The pink-haired one clenched her fists further around the handle of her
schoolbag as he used her formal name. The annoyance in her expression
and, more obviously, in her bright red eyes was hard to miss. The man
wiped the smile from his face. "Can I ask why the both of you miss so
much school?"
Slightly tossing of her head, the young woman shot him a bright,
sweet smile. "I'm the Princess of the Earth!" she responded cheerily,
"and I have work I must do at the Palace, Professor Johnson!"
"Work that cannot possibly wait for two hours on Mondays,
Thursdays, and Saturdays?"
She gulped and felt a small blush creep across her cheeks. Her
eyes immediately flew to the floor and she began to study her shoes.
Richard rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very guilty.
"I...uhh..." He managed a weak smile. "Would you believe that I'm a
prince?"
"No." The professor of business did not look amused.
Sighing, he pursed his lips for a long moment, trying to think of
a clever retort... Or, if not a clever retort, just a plausible retort.
Nothing came to mind.
He held his head high. Time for truth.
"Professor Johnson," he said bravely, blue eyes staring directly
at the round, slightly bald man, "I need you to hold what I'm about to
tell you in the highest regard. And I need you to keep it a secret."
Johnson raised an eyebrow. Reeny, who knew what was coming,
pinched her companion hard, catching the delicate flesh on his upper arm
between two fingernails. Amazingly, he didn't flinch or yell up, but
instead just pushed her arm away.
"I am the Starlit Prince," he revealed with a daring smile,
adjusting his grip on his bag as he watched the professor's eyes widen.
"And Reeny here is Sailor Moon. We miss school because we fight for love
and justice alongside the other Sailor Scouts."
There was a long pause as the man took in the statement of his
student. Richard gulped and became increasingly nervous as he was stared
at by the adult. The young woman had already lost all the color in her
face and was now staring, shocked, at their teacher. The man in the
front of the room, however, did something unexpected.
He burst out laughing.
"Mister Umino," Johnson chortled after a long moment of loud
guffaws, "I have taught at this college for well over twenty years, and
that is, by FAR, the most original excuse I have ever heard!" He wiped
tears from his eyes and held back another outburst of chuckles. "You're
the Starlit Prince and SHE'S Sailor Moon!" He began to laugh again.
From his spot, staring at the amused man, Richard could hear Reeny
let out a long sigh of relief. He didn't move, though, too shocked by
the reaction that the truth had elicited.
"Well, I wanted to give you both this," the professor finally said
after all his laughter had subsided, drawing two packets of paper from
atop the desk. He handed one to each of the students, who just stared
down at the papers.
The pink-haired one brushed a pigtail from her shoulder and stared
down at the packet. "The spending and gains of the typical college
student for one month?" she gasped, reading the title. "I can't possibly
do this project!"
Johnson smiled. Richard KNEW what he was getting at.
"I figured that much, because you're the Princess of the Earth,
after all," the teacher replied, leaning against the desk as he spoke.
"That's why I paired you up with another student."
She glanced at the young man beside her. He blanched.
Then, there was an outburst of arguments.
"I can't work with HIM!"
"Professor, I have an...interesting...living arrangement and I
already pay for two people!"
"He's living with his GIRLFRIEND, that's what!"
"Don't use that tone! You're talking about Lyra, you know!"
"I can use 'that tone'! I'm the Princess!"
"She's one of your best friends!"
"So?"
"How could you talk about her like that?"
"I'm not! I just said that she's your GIRLFRIEND!"
"There you go again!"
"What?"
They were halted from their fighting by the sound of someone
clearing a throat. Both college students turned to glance at their
teacher. Blushes crept across both of their faces as they avoided each
other's glances and turned to the teacher.
"I understand that this could be...interesting..." he stated,
observing both of the students with his dark blue eyes, "but you do not
have to live together or anything of the kind." Turning to the young
man, he watched as Richard nervously stared at the ceiling. "Does your
girlfriend usually help with finances?"
Reeny snorted and tossed her head. He nodded.
Johnson clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled! For one
month, when...Lyra, was it?" He received a nod. "Alright. For a month,
when Lyra is going to help with finances, you have to say no and have
Serenity here do it." He turned to the Princess. "What says you?"
She wrinkled her nose. "This is stupid."
"This is a fourth of your semester grade."
The answer, then, was obvious.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"At least I have YOU, my dear creature of the night," she purred,
stroking the neon-green skin of her frog lovingly. Brown eyes were
filled with unshed tears as she sat in the large, black-marble throne,
her dark hair rimming her face as she stared down at the small creature
in her hands. "You will make my dreams come true, won't you, Norbert?"
The frog croaked loudly, black eyes staring up at her without
comprehension.
Ginnie, Queen of Darkness, slumped back in her seat, staring out
across the throne room. It was a large cave with black rocks and
dripping stalactites, just as she'd imagined a truly evil lair to be.
Once a week, she and Tina had painstakingly scrubbed the floor ever
since they'd moved into the headquarters. It had been nearly a year
since they'd started that tradition... She sighed and picked her frog
up, raising it to stare eye-to-eye with the creature.
"I'm sorry," she told the animal with a slight wrinkle of her
nose. "I'm sorry that this isn't the perfect plan we thought up..."
It croaked in response.
She placed the animal in a small aquarium that was attached to
the arm of her throne. It had been her Christmas present... "I will take
over this damned planet!" she announced, drawing a handful of crystal
shards from a pouch at her waist and staring at them. "Or I will go down
trying!"
The green shards sparkled as she threw them high into the air.
"Go, my pretties!" she cried as the small pieces hit the ground
and turned into small frogs. "Go and kill the Sailor Scouts!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Groaning, she opened her tired gray eyes. A skylight opened above
the bed, casting warm light on her face. Normally, she would have smiled
and stretched, bathing herself in the sweet light of day.
Instead, she frowned miserably.
"An unfamiliar ceiling," she whispered, almost afraid to move from
her spot in the big double bed.
A door creaked open, and she turned her head. Her soft, red
tresses fell into her eyes as she glanced at the woman in the doorway.
She was undeniably young, with shoulder-length locks that were
neither completely black nor completely purple. Bright eyes, large and
violet, peeked out from under thick bangs. Though dressed rather plainly
in a short-sleeved sweater and a pair of jeans, the woman appeared to
have a strangely timeless quality, and a shiver ran down the spine of
the child in the bed.
"Well, Miss Ambriel, it's good to see that you've finally woke
up," chortled the woman with a smile on her face, crossing the room to
the bed and perching on the edge of it. "I suppose you're confused to
how you got here."
Sitting up, the girl smoothed her shirt. Glancing down at herself,
she found she wasn't wearing the outfit that she had left in but a pair
of blue pajamas a size too big. "I remember that Mistress Uranus came to
get me when I was on my way," she commented with a slight furrow of her
brow. "And then, I got in the car with her and..." She yawned a little
and blushed. "I don't know, Mistress Saturn. I guess I fell asleep..."
With a chuckle, the woman ruffled the girl's hair, which was
nothing more than a tangled mass of red ringlets. "My name is Hannah,"
she told the child sweetly, smiling down on her. "Not 'Mistress'
anything. And yes, you fell asleep, and Alexandra got an older pair of
Aeris' pajamas for you." She glanced down at the small child, suddenly
noticing the mismatch of the clothes to the little girl. She pursed her
lips and held back a chuckle. Ambriel was nearly drowning in the
pajamas. "But, she's Alex, and not exactly perfect..."
There was a pause, during which the girl fell back into the
pillows, letting out a sad sigh. Hannah raised an eyebrow, confused by
the behavior, but didn't question it.
"I should be at home," she admitted regretfully, staring up at the
skylight. "My family's probably worried. I was just so...excited...by
the news what that crystal does..." Ambriel wrinkled her tiny nose and
sighed a second time.
"Well, the twins are at school," stated the adult, glancing at the
girl, "but you are more than welcome to stay here until they get back."
She pursed her lips in thought. "As for your family... Well, let's just
say that Lisa is staging a cover-up for you." A smile crossed the
child's face at this comment, and Hannah felt herself smiling as well.
"It's amazing how lucky you are," she informed her companion, crossing
her legs as she sat.
Ambriel cocked her head to the side, gray eyes sparkling in
merriment and a bit of confusion. "What do you mean?"
Shaking her head, the woman rose and brushed off her jeans. "It's
just me, you, and the baby," she told the girl, thrusting her hands in
her back pockets. "Up for some pancakes, Ambriel?"
"Sure!" exclaimed the girl, clambering out of the bed and nearly
tripping over the clothes she wore. "Sounds great!"
With a smile, Hannah took the hand of her new little friend and
led her downstairs.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Damn it, Richard!" screamed the young woman, bending over the
spreadsheet, pencil in hand as she read over the numbers. "Have you ever
actually BALANCED this thing?"
There was a chuckle from the cat on the couch. He sighed and ran a
hand through his hair. He also working on a similar sheet. It took all
his will to not turn and scream at his partner across the table.
"Reeny," he said coolly, glancing at her with annoyed cobalt eyes, "I
know that it's not balanced. Lyra was working on that one, but with
school and everything..."
She huffed. Richard tightened his grip on the pencil.
Suddenly, there was a muffled beeping sound coming from one of the
two schoolbags on the table. Both of the students reached into their
bags. He pulled out a single cell phone. She pulled out three cellular
phones, a beeper, and a hand-held computer.
"Hello?" barked Richard, a bit annoyed at the untimely call.
"Star? WHAT? At your school? And you're sure? Uh-huh. Did you call the
others? A BUSY SIGNAL WITH THE MERCURY COMPUTER? HOW CAN THERE... Oh.
Alright. On it. Yeah. Bye."
He hung up, the color already draining from his face as he quickly
stood and rushed to the front door.
"Richard, what--" The Princess of the Earth jumped as her own cell
phone went off. She ignored it and scurried after the young man. "What
in the world is going on?"
He bent down to tie his tennis shoes, looking quite displeased.
"There's a bunch of little, day-glow-green frogs gathering outside
Crossroads," he stated quickly, switching feet to pull the other laces
tight. "It's the consensus between Scouts that this is definitely the
next monster from Ginnie."
Reeny, who was already slipping on her black shoes, paused and
gaped at him. "And we're not transforming... why?"
"Because we don't KNOW," he countered, standing a tugging his
blazer on over his dress shirt, "and nothing makes people more nervous
than a bunch of Sailor Scouts appearing at the drop of a hat." Opening
the door, he pocketed his keys. "Now, let's go!"
She nodded. "Right!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
"PLEASE forgive me."
"No. I can't."
There was a pause. Brother stared at sister, red eyes large and
sad. Lavender stared back.
"But..."
The tall, thin kitten took a long step toward her chubby, tan
counterpart. Their noses touched gently. Neither spoke for a long moment
as they stood, frozen, in place.
Then, Ara sighed. "I can't forgive you because I believe I am the
one who should be begging." A slight smile dawned across her green-
furred face as she let the glare in her eyes melt away. Slowly, she
lowered her front paws and her head in a mock bow. "Please forgive me,
Galileo," she begged, utmost seriousness in her voice. "I have wronged
you, sent you away, and hurt you. Please, allow me to extend my most
gracious apologies..."
He suppressed a giggle. "It's alright, Sis..."
She smiled just the tiniest bit, glancing to her littermate with
doubt in her gaze. "You sure?" she asked softly, not standing from her
bow quite yet. "I have not done something unforgivable?"
"Well, you have," he said, her face falling dreadfully as he told
her that much, "but I have, too. I figure we're even."
And, for one of the first times since she had become a Guardian,
Ara beamed a truly happy smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"This is STUPID," she grumbled, standing on the little ledge
around the school roof as she spoke. Slowly, she raised one leg until it
was almost parallel to the rest of her body. Her expression never
changed, but she was obviously concentrating as she continued. "I mean,
I have a BIG test in music theory today, and I had to look Miss Kaioh--"
"Mrs. Ten'ou, actually," corrected the brunette who was sitting
cross-legged on the roof.
"--in the eye and say, 'Hey, there's frogs coming to Lyra's school
and I must protect the Galactic Sailors.'" She hopped down from her
perch, blue braids bouncing, and settled herself on the ledge, looking
out at the group of neon-green frogs without interest. "I don't know
what was more pathetic--me saying it, or her letting me out of class!"
Wrinkling her nose, the single blonde girl on the roof glanced up
from the little Mercury computer and glowered at her friend. "Would YOU
like to take a nice long look at these readings?" she barked, annoyed.
The taller girl craned her neck to see the screen, and then blanched.
Lyra just nodded in response to the reaction. "That's right,
Phoebe," she stated blandly, hitting a few more keys as she spoke.
"Those frogs have the same type of brain waves that all the other
monster we've faced have had. They're mini-monsters."
"They're still a waste of time and effort," muttered the auburn-
haired one, swinging her legs back and forth as she, too, sat on the
ledge with two of her fellow Scouts. "What can a frog that size do? Lick
Crossroads to death? Unbalance the ecosystem by eating all the flies in
Tokyo?" She laughed and her own suggestion, and both the one sitting on
the dirty surface of the roof and the blue-haired one laughed at the
joke. Lyra, however, did not laugh. Alice rolled her eyes at the
makeshift leader and continued. "You all worry too much! Really, lighten
up!"
Leaning back on her elbows, Haley nodded in solemn agreement.
"She's right, you know," she pointed out to the curly-haired one as her
hair was ruffled by the light wind. "There is really no risk in a group
of mini-monsters lurking around the city, and--"
She was cut off by a scream.
All four Galactic Sailors clambered to their feet and peered over
the edge of the roof, not sure of what to expect. There, right in front
of the building's entrance, were all of the frogs--a good fifty of
them--and they were slowly melting. The girl who had screamed, a tiny
seventh-grader who had obviously been late to class, stumbled backwards,
toward the doors, crying out again.
Then, in a flash of green-yellow light, the smaller frogs melded
into one giant frog. It was a good twenty feet tall, with shining black
eyes and skin that almost appeared to be sequined. It glanced down at
the girl, a slight smile on its lips, and croaked loudly.
The entire building shook with the force of the noise.
Clutching the ledge as the school shook, Lyra tossed her blonde
hair and lowered her chestnut eyes toward the creature. Her navy skirt
billowed out in the wind as she glanced at the others.
They nodded, and lockets flashed in the noonday sun.
"Polaris Galactic Power..."
"Phoenix Galactic Power..."
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power..."
"Comet Galactic Power..."
Four girls' voices united as one.
"Make UP!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
She felt it.
Sitting, silently, in the classroom, she felt it as she had
before, but it hurt, this time. Gripping her pencil with all her
strength, she focused on the old man's lecture.
Her green eyes fell away from the chalkboard and turned to face a
single empty desk near the front of the classroom. A bookbag leaned,
abandoned, against the vacant chair. She gulped. Something was going
on...
"Miss Yuuichirou?" questioned the tall, elderly teacher, placing
his pointer on his desk and glancing at her. "Are you paying any
attention?"
Straightening up with a start, Tara folded her hands atop her desk
and nodded politely, flashing a slight smile at the other students. Some
boys in the back of the room snickered, and she knew instinctively that
she was scowling something awful. "Yes sir!" she responded quickly,
trying to look resolved and calm. "I was just...thinking...and..."
He snorted slightly, as though he didn't believe. "Well, you have
a pass," he commented, picking up a little slip of paper from his desk
and waving it toward her. "It's a dean's pass, so I'd suggest you
hustle."
"Yes, sir," she nodded, standing quickly and grabbing her bag. She
swore she could hear the Student Counsel President, who sat nearby,
giggle. She ignored it and bowed, starting straight toward the door,
pass in hand.
As she strode down the hall, her shoes echoing on the tile as she
walked, she could feel her heart start to break in pieces. A monster was
out there. A monster was fighting them.
She could do nothing.
The pain, mixed with her salty, steaming tears, burned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
They raced down the sidewalk, heartbeats pounding in both pairs of
ears, knowing what was happening but yet unsure.
She sighed slightly between furious pants, brushing a piece of
green hair out of her face. Already, the single bun she had pulled her
tresses into was coming loose. She knew that she looked a mess.
Beside her, the younger boy--well, younger by six minutes, but
still younger--was huffing just as she was. His red eyes were focused on
the ground, and she silently wondered what he was thinking.
She closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on running. The
others were in danger. They were needed. They... They were Scouts and
they needed to do this!
They kept running.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"A Crystal with powers like that..." She bit her lower lip in
thought, still staring at the Lunatarian words. Her silver eyes burned.
She didn't quite understand how...
A small cup was placed in front of her. "Tea?" offered Brice,
pushing the steaming beverage toward her. Sitting down on the edge of
the desk, he glanced down at the page before sighing. "Master said that
we should be doing more research than just focusing on that silly
passage, Abigail..."
"I know," she admitted bitterly, thrusting the drink away and
slamming shut the book in noticeable frustration. "But what can I do?
I'm stuck, damn it!" She crossed her arms on the desktop and buried her
face from view. "I don't know what to do! Some leader I am!"
He shook his head without sympathy and patted her light blue head
of hair. "Maybe we can't do anything," he stated blandly, standing and
starting for the door. "Maybe we have to rely on the Scouts for a time."
She didn't look up.
The door closed softly behind him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What is it with these badguys and animals?" growled Sailor Comet
in annoyance, rolling away from a long, bright pink tongue as it slammed
into the concrete sidewalk. The walk cracked, the tongue leaving a small
ditch upon impact. The brunette Sailor Scout raised a fist into the air
and glowered at the giant frog-monster. "But, then again, you're going
to meet your maker! Fiery..."
The monster croaked, and the whole area shook. It was all Comet
could do to stay on her feet, and even then, her balanced wavered and
she fell backward, landing on her rear end with a resounding thump.
Groaning, she glanced over at the others, who were also sprawled about.
It was one strong monster.
Aurora Borealis looked to her blue-haired friend. "What do you
think about this?"
"I think I don't like it one bit!" announced Phoenix loudly,
rolling onto her stomach in the place she'd fallen and pulling the VR
goggles that matched her computer from null-space. "There is NO weak
point!"
Sailor Polaris' face lost all color as she clambered to her feet.
"None?" she repeated in doubt, gazing up at the enormous creature before
her. Her stony, resolute Sailor Scout face faded away and was replaced
with a nervous pallor. "Oh, my..."
"You wimps!" came a new voice, and a beam of silver light erupted
in the area, running into the frog. It fell backwards, calling out in
agony.
Four Galactic Sailors turned to see their leader, sword drawn,
standing between her Prince and the tuxedo-garbed Starlit Prince. "Need
some HELP?" she questioned, brandishing the sword and bathing in the
bright gleam of the silvery blade. "Or should I let you flounder?"
The Starlit Prince waved a hand in the air, and a rose appeared in
his grasp. Sending an angry glare at the now-revived monster, he threw
the rose and let it pierce the wet, neon-green skin of the frog
creature. "A school is a beautiful place for learning and
socialization!" he scolded the creature in an annoyed tone. "And I, the
Starlit Prince, will not forgive you for trying to destroy a place of
enlightenment!"
The Galactic Sailors all snickered, and it was obvious that Sailor
Moon was struggling to breathe from her chortles. He frowned.
"What?"
Helios glanced at the sky, also amused. "Did you take lessons from
the original Tuxedo Mask, dear Prince?" he managed, the smile on his
face growing as he made the statement.
Crossing his arms, the Starlit Prince's scowl darkened.
By this time, the monster had climbed back to its feet and seemed
to be ready for battle. It croaked loudly, and the ground shook.
"Starburst Shimmer!"
"Double Dead Scream!"
Suddenly, the frog tumbled over itself, howling out in pain. Its
black eyes rolled back in its head and then, a handful of crystal shards
appeared in its place.
The Sailor Scouts all climbed to their feet to see three of the
four Chibi-Scouts standing in front of the school, faces drawn and
gaunt.
There was silence for a long moment. No one moved or spoke.
Suddenly, there was a flash of orange and the shards were gone, to the
obvious disappointment of the Pluto twins. The calm face of the Chibi-
Scout leader turned to a grimace as she saw the event. She blinked, and
then spoke.
"We must find the Crystal," stated Chibi-Star blandly, holding out
a hand. A shimmer of gold later, the Staff of the Nebulae appeared in
her fist, and her purple-and-yellow fuku faded into a suit of bright
gold. "We must do it now, and we must be fierce in our attempts."
Everyone stared at her, and she paled, gulping back the lump in
her throat. "Ummm... That is to say..."
"She's right!" Sailor Moon chimed in, sheathing her sword as she
called out. "That thing's dangerous, and we've got to find it!"
Helios, remembering the conversation of the previous night, nodded
solemnly.
Phoenix rubbed her hands together. "Then what are we waiting for?"
she asked eagerly, a spark of excitement flying into her icy eyes.
"Let's go!"
The Keeper of the Nebulae shook her head slowly. "It is not that
simple," she put in. Opening the palm of her free hand, she whispered
arcane words. A few marble-sized crystal appeared in her palm, the
colors bright in the afternoon sun. "If you are to do this, these will
be needed." She gestured to the Scouts with her staff, her green eyes
timeless and her voice low. "You must pair off and split up. Each team
shall get a crystal. You must throw it, allow it to shatter, and wait."
She raised her face to the skies, her expression bleak. "The Crystal
will appear to take the remains, as it has before. You must try to
capture the Crystal of Illusion." Her face snapped down and she stared
straight at Sailor Moon. "Do you understand?"
The leader nodded and took her Prince's hand. Polaris strode
straight toward the Starlit Prince. Aurora Borealis looked to Phoenix.
The Pluto twins glanced at their older cousin and all three warriors
smiled at each other.
"Done, then." The gold-garbed child passed out one crystal to each
of the four groups. "Good luck."
She faded out of existence, leaving the others.
All nine of the destined soldiers gulped separately.
The search was on.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I see..." She brushed a single silver lock from her bright blue
eyes. "There is a problem with this...this Crystal, you say?" She seated
herself in a small throne that seemed to be shaped of clouds, her white
gown unwrinkled even as she sat. "And I can help?"
The gold-garbed one nodded slightly, her tight twist at the nape
of her neck bobbing slightly as she did so. "I believe that we can use
this Crystal for good," she told her companion, resting her staff on the
white, soft ground as she spoke. "The others do not know... Or, rather,
I do not believe they know..."
She laughed, her giggle like the twinkling of a million tiny bells
as she raised the back of her hand to her lips and smiled sweetly. "You
do not believe they know?" she repeated with another chuckle, tossing
her head of silver tresses as she spoke. "My, you have changed!"
Lowering her bright green eyes, the smaller of the two scowled
lightly and shot an icy glare at her companion. "As have you," she
grumbled darkly.
"Now, now, my dear Keeper, do not maintain such annoyance with
me!" laughed the other one with a lilt of amusement to her voice. "I did
not mean anything by it and you know, as do I, that I am simply
jesting."
"Of course," responded the blonde one, smoothing the skirt of her
golden battle fuku, unconvinced. "You have always been so free spirited,
and I often forget."
With a wistful sigh, the silver-haired woman leaned back in her
seat and smiled gently at her companion. "Do you not see that spirit in
my daughter?" she asked softly. A slight nod and a shared smile was all
the response she received, but it was enough to put the gleeful sparkle
back into the blue eyes. "I often forget, too," she admitted
reluctantly, cupping her chin in a dainty hand. "I forget that you, as a
mortal, are close to her."
The Keeper of the Nebulae nodded slowly, her small smile fading
slowly as she thought of the younger girl. "She has much to learn before
she can take in all of the Silver Moon," she responded softly, her pale
lips turned into a frown. "She is still but a child."
"As are you, my Keeper," came the brief but amused reply as the
azure orbs roamed over the nine-year-old form that the younger woman
held. "You are Celeste Ann Mokoti, are you not?" she asked without
sarcasm, still staring. The Keeper gave her a slightly confused glance.
"That is the child who is your mortal form, correct?"
A timid blush crept across the Keeper's face. "Well...yes..." she
softly answered, not looking up. "On Earth, I am but a normal child,
enrolled in elementary school..." She pulled her head up and focused on
the pale face of the white-garbed woman. "Is it not embarrassing, Angel?
I control so much, and yet I am but a girl!"
Shaking her head, the Angel of the Moon turned her face skyward,
the silver sigil on her forehead glimmering in the bright sunlight that
flowed down from the heavens. "You are a lucky one, my friend," she
countered, her face reflective, if sad. "You are able to live a life
alongside other children... You are able to be what mortals call
'normal...'"
There was a long pause as the golden-garbed one stared at her
solemn friend, unsure what she was saying. Green eyes also glanced
toward the firmament, and the sweet glow of the sun stared down at her.
The warm rays touched her face and she smiled slightly, taking in a
long, deep breath of the air and letting her worries fade.
For a moment.
"Well, now, was there not a crystal we were discussing?"
questioned the adult quickly, pulling her gaze from the sky. Her eyes
met those of her friend, and neither spoke for a moment. Then, a smile
crossed her face. "And I can help you with this crystal, no?"
The Keeper of the Nebulae let a broad smile cross her face,
forcing it to stay in place as she nodded toward the other. "Why, yes,"
she responded, pursing her lips together. "There is."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, what are we supposed to do?" she asked with a bit of doubt in
her voice, staring down at the little blue crystal in the palm of her
hand.
The one with the auburn tresses laughed merrily at her friend,
leaning back against the trunk of a large oak tree as her walnut eyes
stared at the lithe dancer. "Weren't you paying attention, Pheebs?" she
asked with a raise of an eyebrow, a bit of sarcastic chiding in her
tone. "We're supposed to let it shatter and then wait."
A slight breeze ruffled the aquamarine school skirt of the blue-
haired one as she continued to focus on the small pebble-like sphere in
her hand. "Well, then," she breathed, pursing her lips together. There
was a pause before her icy eyes snapped up and caught the gaze of her
friend. "Hey, Alice," she inquired nervously, "what's the crystal going
to do to us?"
"Like I know!" retorted the older of the two girls with a flip of
her wavy tresses, still leaning languidly against the tree, seemingly
without a care in the world. Her bright smile, however, failed after a
brief moment, and the happy expression was replaced with worry. She
gulped and pursed her lips together. "Honestly, I don't know..." she
whispered, voice almost lost in the windy afternoon. "I'm worried about
it, too, because if Evil Ginnie wants it so bad..."
Nodding, Phoebe turned the little ball in circles, watching the
sun sparkle down on it. Behind the two girls loomed the four-story
structure that was Crystal Music Academy, still filled with students...
Students who were lucky enough to be unaware of the danger that lurked
around every corner...
"They lucked out, you know," sighed she, tossing the crystal up
into the air and catching it easily. "They don't have to worry."
"Who?" came the confused question.
A thumb jerked toward the building as the little sphere continued
to be tossed up and down. "They did," she responded softly. "All the
other students... All the other people in the world... They'll never
have the pain of being destined, or the nervousness of really NOT
knowing what happens next..." Pink lips pursed together for a brief
moment as, turning slowly in a circle, Phoebe turned her face to the
blue sky. "But this is our life, right?"
The crystal flew up into the air, sparkling all the while as it
slowly neared the ground.
"Ready?" asked Alice nervously, hiking up her navy-blue skirt as
she crouched slightly. Brown eyes stared at the shards that shone on the
grass.
"Set!" came the quick response as the other girl rested her hands
on her knees, staring.
Suddenly, a bright orange glow radiated down from the sky, and an
orb appeared. It was really only as big as the fist of an average
person, but something about the bright sphere seemed powerful and
majestic.
Slowly descending toward the ground, the crystal brightened. Both
girls bristled noticeably as the distance between the grass and the orb
decreased.
And then, it stopped.
To the average eye, it appeared that the orange ball of light was
pausing to examine the tiny pieces of blue glass embedded in the dirt.
That was enough for the duo of superheroes.
"GO!"
Alice leapt into the air with all her might, heading straight for
the still-hovering crystal. Her blue-haired companion dove, performing a
somersault in the exact direction of the orange sphere.
There was a blink of light, and a collision.
With a grunt, the smaller of the two teens opened her bright ice-
blue eyes--only to find that a larger, auburn-headed form was atop her,
pressing her body to the damp grass. She wrinkled her nose in disgust
and groaned, trying to push her friend off her.
Shaking her head, the wavy-haired one slowly stood and brushed the
dust from her school uniform, glancing down at the still body of her
companion. "Damn it!" she growled, annoyed. "What was THAT?"
An angry glare was received in response. "How is this MY fault?"
Phoebe spat, tossing her braids as she stood. "You're the idiot who
landed on ME!"
"I didn't try to ROLL into the crystal!" retorted Alice, lowering
her eyes. The temperature around her seemed to drop a few dozen degrees.
"What were you sniffing when you did THAT?"
"Sniffing? What kind of druggie do you take me for?"
"I resent that!"
"Why would YOU resent that?"
And, as the bickering continued, the slight flicker of orange on
the horizon blinked out of existence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Girls suck," he muttered in a dark tone, leaning against the bank
of lockers as he spoke. Gold-brown hair was limp and messy, as it had
been for a few days, and his copper eyes were both restless and listless
at the same time.
He was mostly alone, excepting the rather tall brunette girl who
stood beside him, fishing through her locker. Between grunts of effort
as she pulled out her schoolbooks, she glanced at her companion. "Eric,
you seem to be in a pretty horrible mood," she noted aloud, her glasses-
covered eyes focusing on his face as her Irish accent echoed through the
busy hall. She paused in her efforts to pull a stuffed frog out of her
locker and toss it to the male. "Here! Humphry will cheer you right up!"
Taking the little toy reluctantly, the high school senior raised
his eyebrows toward the teen with the brown uniform. "You exchange
students are awfully strange, you know," he commented aloud, looking
down at the green animal. "VERY weird."
"And just for that, take Ethel!" A toy chicken was quickly tossed
his way, and it was all Eric could do to catch it. Tossing her head, the
girl slammed her locker shut and placed her hands on her hips, seeming
to be perfectly in place amongst the sea of blue-and-white garbed teens.
She smiled triumphantly. "I am not odd, whether you like it or not!"
Then, seeing that the downtrodden expression on her companion's face
wouldn't melt, she frowned. "Is something wrong? Did your parents get
mad and said that I can't stay as the exchange student?" Getting no
response, she stamped her foot on the ground. "WHAT?"
Sighing, Eric returned Humphry and Ethel and trudged down the
hall, the Irish girl on his heels. "Joan, you understand women, don't
you?" She didn't respond with anything more than a confused blink. "And
you understand relationships, right?"
The chuckle carried through the air as she pushed through the open
doors and followed the host down the steps toward the student parking
lot. "I prefer wild affairs with men whose languages I don't speak," she
retorted casually as she rested her bag on her shoulder. "But, I guess
I'm stuck understanding women because I am one..."
"So, then, why are they so weird?" he questioned conversationally
as the duo walked toward Eric's car, weaving through empty spaces and
toward the back of the parking lot. There was no response from the
exchange student, so he kept walking. "I mean, I've been in love with
this girl for three years, and it's only when she says goodbye that I
realize I love her..." He sighed and stopped, not at all phased when she
started to stride straight past him. Catching the girl by the shoulder,
Eric turned her to face him, and colorful eyes gazed through glasses
right into his soul. "Is that bad?"
The befuddled look, a normal Joanian feature, disappeared quickly
and was replaced by a knowing, understanding expression. "Some things
cannot be changed," she responded coolly, suddenly sounding extremely
wise, "unless you truly wish for them to be changed."
A gust of wind whistled through the trees as she pursed her lips,
suddenly silent. School uniforms were ruffled, hair was quickly mused,
but still neither made an attempt to move. Ethel and Humphry were still
eccentrically perched on Joan, one stuffed animal per shoulder.
Then, she cocked her head to one side and grinned happily. "Now,
come ON," she insisted, snatching the car keys from the front pocket of
his shirt and starting toward the small black vehicle without him. "I'm
going to miss El Hazard if you don't hurry up!"
He chuckled slightly at her antics, the wise words echoing in his
ears.
'Unless you truly wish for them to be changed...'
Eric smiled and started after his exchange student.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What a waste of time!" groaned Haley, pushing a piece of brown
hair from her bright teal eyes as she turned the corner onto Carillon
Plaza, heading toward the Chiba-Ten'ou-Hartford house. "I don't BELIEVE
that turned out so badly!"
From the backseat of her cousin's silver Ford Taurus, the young
boy nodded solemnly. "I'll say," he sighed, red eyes gazing out the
window as trees and mailboxes seemingly flew past the car. "The stupid
Crystal didn't even appear!"
His sister remained silent, her bright eyes closed in what seemed
to be deep thought.
Nodding, the young woman stopped at a traffic signal and leaned
back in her seat, making eye contact with the child through her rearview
mirror. "It's really odd that it DIDN'T show up, too," she commented
with a slight wrinkle of her nose before refocusing on the bust road.
"It's almost as if that thing KNEW we were coming for it..."
"Perhaps the Crystal was aware," spoke a calm voice, and both the
other passengers glanced at the previously silent girl. Her hands were
folded in her lap, creasing the otherwise wrinkle-free blue school
skirt, but her now-opened and usually colorful eyes had turned an
emotionless black. "I wonder if, upon foiling an attempt at its own
capture, the small orb realized our plot and chose to protect itself
from harm."
Haley raised an eyebrow and stepped on the gas. "A crystal with a
brain?" she asked softly, her face draining of color as she actually
considered what the smaller girl was saying. "That does make sense..."
"A Scout meeting?" suggested Peter uncertainly, chewing on his
lower lip.
Pulling into the driveway at 687 Carillon Plaza, the brunette
adult stopped the car and turned herself to face the two children. "I'll
call Reeny and see what we can do," she told them both, forcing a smile.
"And don't worry--we'll get through all this and save the world."
Aeris forced a brave smile and opened her door. "I know," she
replied sweetly.
Two car doors slammed and a silver vehicle sped off. Multicolored
eyes turned bright blue, a color of hope, peace, and love. And the
Guardian of Time smiled.
"After all, we always do."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"First, you break Serenity's law," growled the woman with a toss
of her raven tresses, turning the small red car onto Sendai Hill as she
spoke. "And NOW I find out that you skipped a day of school?" A glare of
purple was sent through the mirror and toward the girl. "What the Hell
were you thinking, young lady?"
Light green eyes, bloodshot and teary at the same time, focused
not on the speaker but out the window. Her tanned face was streaked with
tears that she didn't quite remember crying; they had fallen after she'd
called her mother but before the Dean informed them both of her three-
day suspension... She gulped back the bile that rose in her throat and
pressed her eyes shut. So tried... So scared... So...alone...
For the first time, that morning, she had told off the group of
blonde cheerleaders. She didn't want to be one of them, reading their
beauty magazines and talking about boys. No longer.
She wanted to be Tara.
"Mother, I..." Her voice caught in her throat and cracked,
catching the attention of the woman in the front seat. She pursed her
lips and swallowed tears. Truth. "I want to be a priestess again,
Mother," she said softly, gazing down at her folded hands. She lacked
the bravery to glance up at the woman in the front seat. "I want to
study in the ways of the Shinto, just as you have always hoped for
me..."
Raye didn't look at her child but kept her eyes focused on the
road, silent. Neither woman spoke for a long moment; neither of them
truly wanted to. The High Priestess wasn't exactly sure what to say:
saying yes would be a sign that her past resolve had failed, but saying
no would break the girl's heart.
Pulling up to the curb slowly, the adult stopped the car in front
of the temple and turned around to face her daughter. "I don't have an
answer," she told the child solemnly, her bright eyes lowered as she
spoke. "If you truly want to be a priestess again, you must start at the
beginning, as though you're only a child."
With a long sigh, Tara slowly closed her eyes and nodded her
assent. "Then, I will," she responded in a shaky tone, a single tear
trailing down her cheek. "My training begins again. Today."
"Right." There was a pause before her mother smiled slightly.
"But...
She froze. "But?" she croaked nervously.
"You're still grounded for skipping school."
Despite the iron tone of her mother's voice, the girl smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It does THAT?"
"You have GOT to be kidding!"
"Has Celeste been informed yet?"
"Did Helios and Reeny have any intention of telling us about
this?"
"Are you completely certain that you heard both of the Elysionian
Priests correctly? In all the time I have known you, it has seemed as
though you--"
"Yes, yes, YES!" interrupted the red-haired child, tugging on her
jumper as she spoke. The large guestroom was empty except for the two
other children, but she was still frantic and hurried. "Now, we have to
get back to the Palace for that Scout Meeting that Haley's going to
call!"
Peter scratched his head confusedly, red eyes wide as he watched
the smaller of the two girls haphazardly pull her clothing on. "Ummm..."
he stammered, blushing slightly as she replaced Aeris' old pajama top
with her white blouse. "Are you feeling alright, Ambriel?"
She nodded quickly, chubby fingers quickly buttoning up her shirt
with an odd amount of finesse. "If there's a Scout Meeting, that means
something really important is happening!" she told them matter-of-
factly, the excitement in her voice ebbing as she spoke each word. "If
my mother actually announces what the Crystal does, anarchy is going to
ensue! TRUST me!"
"The darkest, deepest desire of the one who utters the words,"
breathed the green-haired one softly, leaning against the wall. "What
kind of demon creates such a powerful, dangerous crystal?"
"Someone evil," replied her brother thoughtfully as he glanced at
the silent redhead. "I mean, if someone good wanted their deepest wish
to come true, then..."
A nod. Silence.
Then, standing, the girl otherwise known as Angel Moon clicked the
heels of her black shoes together, catching the waning attentions of her
two friends. "Shall we teleport?" she asked, tugging her transformation
stick from her pocket and holding it above her head.
Suddenly, a silver glimmer enveloped Ambriel. She gasped, and her
whole face went pale. Aeris and Peter both scrambled forward, but she
was already beginning to rise into the air.
"No!" she screamed, kicking her legs and flailing her arms as she
was lifted toward the ceiling. "Get me out of here!"
Pulling her Time Key from null-space, the green-haired girl jumped
toward the shaft of silver light, her eyes black with anger. "In the
name of Pluto!"
The light disappeared as a beam of red energy escaped from the
Garnet Orb.
Aeris slammed into the hardwood floor with a resounding thump, her
small body shaking with tears even before she landed. Blue eyes stared
at where the light had been, and it was all she could do to punch the
ground with a tiny fist.
"AMBRIEL!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"We came here," sighed Abigail, brushing a strand of blue hair
from her bright eyes as she spoke, "for the sake of the Galactic Sailor
Scouts. Not for the sake of you, nor ourselves. Master, do you
understand?"
Helios was awestruck as he stared at the duo of priests. They both
stood in the middle of the bedchamber, their purely white robes fitting
in with the marble surrounds. She was tall, lean, and strikingly
beautiful, with straight sky-blue tresses down to her waist and
impossibly silver eyes. Her companion, a slim yet shorter man, had
shaggy green-brown tresses and wary-filled chestnut eyes. While the
woman looked regal and adult, he looked both sheepish and young. Each
carried a thick book, and that was it. Perhaps, were it not for the
young man's nervous expression, they would not have appeared to be
travelers.
Glowering at the two priests, the silver-haired man rested his
hands on his hips. "There is to be a Sailor Scout Meeting here in a
matter of moments," he growled, azure eyes glancing toward the closed
chamber doors as he spoke. "As your Master and High Priest of Elysion, I
command that--"
"You listen HERE," spat the woman, jabbing a long finger straight
at his chest as she spoke. Eyes lowered, and her normally sweet voice
fell to a deep, domineering tone. "Because you now live on Earth, I am
the Master of Elysion." She faked a smile briefly before frowning once
again. "I am THE most powerful priest in my world, you understand? Maybe
you're stronger, but I'm in charge." The young man behind her gulped
nervously as he watched. A mad Abigail was a dangerous Abigail, that was
certain. "And, as the High Priestess of Elysion, I say that I stay RIGHT
HERE until I feel like leaving." She straightened up and tossed her long
hair. "Brice, why don't you sit down at the Princess' desk and find the
pages in our books?"
The moss-haired man gulped. "But..."
An icy glare sent him on his way.
Running a slightly apprehensive hand through his wavy locks,
Helios forced a small smile. "I don't like or understand your logic,
Mistress," he told the woman hesitantly, the coolness in his tone
belying his otherwise happy disposition. "For now, you can boss me
around. But you will regret this stunk once I return to Elysion..."
"This is AWFUL!" whined a voice, and the doors suddenly burst open
as five teen girls and a young man filed into the room, followed closely
by a young blonde child. The speaker, who wore a dirt-covered school
uniform and six long, blue braids in her hair, walked right over to the
bed and collapsed. "The stupid Crystal didn't let me catch it!"
The auburn-haired young woman who took a seat behind the
complaining one just mumbled something under her breath, only to have a
pillow thrown at her.
Chaos ensued, with all the young people talking at once. Abigail
stared, amazed, as the group of girls and the tall redheaded man all
chatted about mundane things. Helios' fingers rose to his temples as he
closed his eyes, obviously annoyed. And Brice, books before him, just
STARED...
It was the young girl, though, who the young priestess found the
most interesting. She was only perhaps nine years of age, and she wore a
rather boring blue-and-white school uniform. Long blonde hair was pulled
halfway behind her head by an enormous navy bow, and large green eyes
stared at the loud, laughing group. She was silent and--while she seemed
to be neither surprised nor annoyed by the antics of her fellow Scouts--
she wore a mask of stone on her pale features.
Her voice was soft as she spoke, but everyone heard. And listened.
"I believe that we have guests here today." The motion in the room
ended quickly as she turned her large eyes on the two white-garbed
strangers. Both were near the silver-haired Prince, and both were
staring at the girl, shocked by her timeless voice.
But it was the pink-haired Princess of the Earth who first
responded to the child's comment. "Abigail and Brice?" she gaped,
surprised by the two priests' appearances. "What in the world are THEY
doing here?"
Helios pursed his lips for a moment. "Well, you see--"
Suddenly, two flashes of red light appeared in the chamber. From
the light came two children, both dressed in school uniforms. Their
faces were masks of fear and concern as they stepped from the bath of
crimson glow and faced the group.
"Aeris? Peter?" gulped the longhaired brunette who was leaning
against the wall, her teal eyes looking over the two children with a
spark of nervousness.
The girl just sighed and hung her head, usually bright eyes dark
and sad. Her brother took a deep breath.
"Uhh..." he stuttered as he glanced from the Princess of the Earth
to her silver-haired boyfriend. "We have a little problem..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clouds, clouds of all colors and shapes, surrounded her body as
the last of the silver light dimmed away. Soft white robes, just like
those of her Angel Moon outfit, covered her body. Large, feathery wings
sprouted from her back and fluttered in the slight, surreal breeze. The
air was cold, but yet she was not; it was the strangest sensation, and
it frightened her.
Suddenly, a woman appeared before her, basked in a bright white
light. Her robes were the same as that of the child, but she looked to
be about twenty years older. Silver locks, wavy and yet straight at the
same time, cascaded down her shoulders and to her waist, seemingly
unhindered by the large white wings that, too, came from the back of the
woman. Blue eyes gazed down at the girl, timeless and yet teary, and
ivory skin was wrinkled slightly by a pink-lipped smile. But perhaps the
thing that most struck the child was the bright silver crescent moon
that glittered on the brow of the woman.
And, then, she knew.
"You are called Ambriel," whispered the young woman, slowly
sinking to her knees in the clouds as she spoke, her bright eyes meeting
the nervous yet awestruck gaze of the small girl. "You are a guardian
angel. Did you know that?"
There was a slight nod as a response as the girl took a hesitant
step forward. Reaching out a hand, she traced her fingers along the
silver moon upon the stranger's brow. Then, just as reluctantly, she
touched her own brow.
She knew what was there. And she knew what it meant.
"Mother?"
"I have never been called that," the woman stated plainly, resting
her hands in her lap as her expression turned sad. "I have been called
Priestess and friend, but never... Never mother..."
Ambriel gulped nervously and held back tears. "But you... You are
my mother, yes?" she asked weakly, her voice catching with every passing
syllable.
With a slight smile, the woman--no, the angel, the child told
herself--held out a hand toward the girl. There was a glimmer of light
and a perfectly white rose appeared in its palm. "Yes, my dear child,"
she whispered, offering forth the flower toward the frightened redhead.
"You are the daughter of myself, the Angel of the Moon, and a human."
She shook her head slowly, as though she was disappointed in herself.
"I, too, am half human. My mother had fallen from Heaven, and..." She
forced a smile, and all sadness fell away from her expression. "Well,
that is not to be spoken of." Holding the gift further toward her child,
she cocked her head to one side. "You do not want it?"
Frozen for a moment, the girl stared at the perfect rose before
slowly accepting it. "What... What is your name?" she queried softly,
still staring at the bloom she held. "You are the Ambriel, the Angel of
the Moon, but surely you--"
"Serenity once called me Amber," responded her mother with a
gentle smile. "Is that what you would like to call me?"
"It suits you, Mot--Amber," stumbled the child, brushing a single
strand of red hair from her face. Then, realizing where she was once
again, her expression suddenly paled and her manner became frantic. "The
others!" she yelped, tucking the rose into a pocket as she glanced
quickly about the cloudscape. "Where are my friends?" she demanded
angrily. "I--"
Putting a single finger to her own rosy lips, Amber shook her
head. "I am certain they miss you, my dear, but this is important."
Gray eyes met blue, and the nervous girl froze immediately. There
was ice and iron in those eyes.
"Ambriel," the Angel of the Moon began, "the Crystal of Illusion
was created millennia ago, and is only made for evil." She pursed her
lips and paused for a moment, and a small glimmer of orange appeared
between her palms. It was a sphere, only the size of an average orange,
but it sparkled and shone like something powerful. She was suddenly
reminded of her mother's Silver Imperium Crystal, and she was about to
say so when the orange died and the orb faded out of existence.
There was silver and, for a brief moment in time, the angel's face
lost all its color. Then, before Ambriel could bat an eyelash, the stony
resolve reappeared, and the blue eyes were once again cold.
"I cannot even control the Crystal for a full minute," admitted
Amber hesitantly as she ran a hand through her thick silver hair, "and I
certainly would not be able to save the world by taking it away." She
took in a deep breath and stared straight at the child, the unsaid words
in her eyes those of a very scared, very lost young woman. "Ambriel, you
have the purest heart of all the Sailor Scouts." A gasp escaped the lips
of the girl. She ignored it and continued. "When the time comes, you
must seize the Crystal and, despite the pain, you must say the words and
use the Crystal. YOU, and no one else, must summon your deepest wish."
Her jaw moved, but the words faltered. She gulped and tried once
again. "What..." She clenched her eyes shut, and tears escaped and slid
down her cheeks. "What if I am not pure enough?" she choked, her tiny
fists tightening around the cloth of her white robes. "What then?"
Putting a warm hand on the shoulder of the small, shaking girl,
the Angel of the Moon sighed deeply and forced a smile. "My daughter,
you are all you must be," she assured the girl, though her tone wavered
as she said so. "Just have faith in yourself and, when the time comes,
you will know all."
There was a glimmer of silver, and Ambriel felt herself start to
fade away, out of existence. "Wait!" she yelled, reaching out for her
mother. "Don't send me away again, Mother! Don't do this!"
With teary azure eyes, the woman gazed at the little girl and
slowly shook her head once again. "I am sorry, Ambriel," she whispered,
her voice just loud enough to be heard. "But I do love you, whether you
believe it or not."
And, with that, the child's world went black.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"That damned angel!" she snarled in annoyance, her black form
hardly noticeable as she perched on the edge of the giant thunderhead.
Lightning crackled about her, and thunder boomed in her ears, but never
did she flinch. Instead, she sat motionless, her deeply brown eyes
focused on the young woman with the silver hair and the white clothes.
Slowly, the beautiful vixen, the bringer of all things so pure,
stood and turned, her blue eyes staring straight toward the
thundercloud. Those eyes, so beautiful and large, did not see the woman.
And yet, they stared right at them.
"You have tried this before, have you not?" questioned the strong,
soprano lilt as the woman a silver tress behind her shoulders. "You have
tried to win, but I have foiled you before, Ginnie." She smiled widely,
her eyes glinting triumphantly. "And I will again, just you wait."
Floating across the gap between clouds, the Queen of Evil snapped
her fingers and lifted the shield of invisibility from around her. Her
adversary, the Angel Ambriel, started a bit, but she didn't let her fear
show on the outside. Ginnie smirked. After all those years, she was
still as cold as ice.
The shorter of the two sighed and smoothed her black gown
casually. "That girl isn't old enough to do much to someone as strong as
me," she scoffed, her wavy brown-black locks swaying in the breeze that
flowed from the nearby storm. "You are signing your own death
certificate, Ambriel, and you know it."
"Haven't we had this discussion before?" she questioned
tauntingly, glancing down at her white-painted fingernails as she spoke.
"Who won the last battle?"
A hand raised. A crackling bolt of yellow energy shot from the
outstretched forefinger of the black-garbed woman and shot across the
ten feet toward the angel. Before it hit her, the energy disappeared.
Ginnie scowled.
"Good luck beating the Scouts, my dear Ginnie," smiled the woman
as she slowly faded away. "You'll need it."
Evil Queen Ginnie frowned and lowered her eyes.
And, from the storm behind her, thunder roared.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"She's out there? In THIS mess?" Reeny paced up and down the
windowed wall of her chamber, red eyes staring out at the city of
Crystal Tokyo. Less than five minutes ago, the skies had opened up and
it had started to rain. Now, the storm didn't seem ready to stop.
The two Pluto twins glanced at their feet, feeling everyone else's
eyes on them. Neither spoke for a long moment. Then, suddenly, red eyes
glanced toward the Princess of the Earth. "It was not in our hands," the
boy stated calmly, his face devoid of both color and emotion. "We tried
to save her, but the light held powers that we could not fight against."
A challenging spark entered the cinnamon eyes of the monarch, but
the voice of the green-haired girl cut off her ensuing retort.
"I'm sorry..." Aeris' tone was week as teary blue eyes peered up
through thick eyelashes and long hunter-colored bangs to look at her
Princess. She dropped quickly to one knee in an elaborate bow, tucking
her head down to advert eye contact. "I tried desperately to protect
her, but I wasn't fast enough..." She gulped back tears and took a deep,
shuddering breath. Her brother motioned to comfort her, but the hand of
his destined caught him by surprise.
Celeste just shook her head reproachfully.
Still shuddering, the Guardian of Time picked her head up to stare
at the pink-haired woman. "I will do whatever I am to do, in order to
make up for this mistake." She turned to look at all the others in the
room, including the duo of Elysionian priests. She did not smile, nor
frown, but her expression was grave despite that. "I will even face the
penalty of death, if I must."
"You must NOT," chuckled a voice, and there was a glimmer of
silver light. Slowly, a form appeared in the bright glow... A form with
a long red braid of hair and a smiling face... A form wearing a jumper
and a blouse... A form with bright red locks and sparkling gray eyes.
"Ambriel?" gasped Reeny in doubt, rushing toward the girl.
She nodded and the light disappeared. "I think," she stated
roughly as every person in the room turned to stare at her, "that its
time we discuss how to evade our coming doom."
No one tried to argue otherwise.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Galactic Sailors... (Suddenly, the words are crossed out...)
(Scribbled in red crayon:)
GINNIE SAYS!
Ginnie: (appears) Today, I have to tell you something grave.
(Cue solemn, severe music. The room darkens.)
Ginnie: Something serious.
(The Kanji for "she's finally serious!" scrolls behind her darkened
form.)
(Dramatic pause.)
Ginnie: I am a real badguy.
(Silence. Crickets chirp. Cue sweatdrop.)
Ginnie: (scowls) I am! I am really evil!
(Light laughter echoes through the room. Ginnie's face reddens.)
Ginnie: (angry) I am truly cruel!
(More laughter. Ginnie miraculously grows sharp fangs and devil horns.)
Ginnie: (livid) I WILL DEFEAT THE SAILOR SCOUTS!
(Out-and-out guffaws. Ginnie facevaults.)
Ginnie: (picking herself up off the ground; beyond livid, but not yet
rabid) You just wait! All of you! You will be very, VERY sorry!
(Flash of yellow energy. Laughter subsides. Ginnie is gone.)
(Butler, writer-goddess, appears, smiling knowingly.)
Butler: I'm sorry. That was not supposed to happen. She's a bit...
confused...
(Kanji for "dulling down the truth, are we?" scrolls behind her head.
Butler pulls out a bottle of inter-dimensional Windex and a sponge and
wipes it away.)
Butler: (smiling once again) Now, if you'll excuse me...
(Pause.)
Butler: (sigh) See ya!
(Cheering as she walks off the stage. Suddenly, a mighty roar echoes
through the air...)
Butler's voice: I SAID no Sailor Says! What part of 'no' don't you
understand? You're toast, girl! TOAST! (Pause.) What do you mean the
camera's not turned off?! Bags!
(Static.)
-I Know-
Look around...
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)
So many things aren't clear...
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified
expressions)
Don't worry, though...
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)
You know that I'll be there...
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)
The future's on its way...
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)
Look into my crying eyes...
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)
Don't take your love away!
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
Times will change...
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)
People will change, too...
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)
But deep inside...
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)
I always will love you...
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)
The answers are so far...
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)
But look at me and smile now...
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)
I am your guiding star!
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the
sunset)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
I know...
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)
All you need is love...
(All nine girls stand together)
All you need...is...love...
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Okay, I know: not the best story, ever. I was just...burnt out and... I
wanted to start 26, but... ::sigh:: Well, as Shakespeare once said:
"Never excuse."
::snort::
He wasn't a fanfic author, now WAS he?
Till next time!
--Kate
Quote of the Episode (credit "Tenchi Muyo!"):
"Eat enough of those, and you'll grow up to be a spaceship!" -Tenchi to
Ryo-Ohki
