The Past, the Present, and the Future
Author's Ramblings: Has everyone been watching the Sailor Moon dub? And
what do you think of Tenchi Muyo? I like Tenchi, and my favorite character
is easily Sasami... Or maybe Ryoko... No, I take that back; it's Washuu...
And cat-bunnies are cool!
Yes, I know, Episode 25 was pretty boring and long and obnoxious... Well,
this one will be much better, and probably more interesting, too. And
maybe, JUST MAYBE, Ginnie will stop acting like she's one screw loose of a
hardware store. Or not.
MP3 of the day: "Yume no Naka e" from His and Her Circumstance.
Miko: priestess-in-training
Ofuda: Raye's "akuryo taisan" thingies. You know, the post-it notes?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Last time...
Ambriel talked to Angel Moon about the Crystal of Illusion. We found out
what the Crystal did (FINALLY!), and two Elysionian priests came to inform
the Scouts about the Crystal. La, la, la, it was a boring story, but
Ginnie actually acted like a real badguy for all of a scene. It WAS an
awful story, but it wasn't as bad as 13, praise the Gods!
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Dead silence.
The room was filled with an eerie calm, and that was nothing that
any of its members particularly wanted.
No one knew just how to respond to the little girl, however, so not
one of the group dared speak. Eyes focused on the child as she slowly
walked over to the desk. The moss-haired one glanced nervously up from his
book, almost afraid to meet the gray-eyed gaze of the tiny girl.
Certainly, she was only a child, but the sparkle of determination and the
eerily peaceful expression on her pale face was almost frightening. She
didn't seem to be a child, any longer.
"That kid is sure looking freaky," hissed one of the teens on the
bed. There was a grunt as the braid-headed one received a stern elbow in
the stomach from her auburn-headed companion.
And then, sliding a large, dust covered book out from under the
Lunatarian history that Brice was reading, the redheaded child sat down,
cross-legged, on the floor. From the front pocket of her jumper, she
pulled a small pair of reading glasses and, slipping them onto her tiny
nose, she opened the book.
"This," Ambriel informed the group in a stern, adult voice, "is a
book of Prophesy, called 'Galactia.'" She slowly flipped a few pages of
the volume, her intense gaze never leaving the book as she spoke. "It is
the story of the Galactic Sailors, written almost a millennia ago by the
Queen of the Earth, Serenity."
Suddenly, she wrapped her fingers around what appeared to be half
the pages and flipped those over and away. Now, she was staring at the
approximate middle of the tome. She nodded to herself upon looking over
the page.
"You see," she continued toward the group, adjusting her glasses as
she spoke, "Prophesy is like a storybook that's written in advance. And
this is just one of the hundreds of volumes that are kept in the Palace."
She glanced up at the silver-haired Master of Elysion and the woman beside
him. "There is Prophesy in your world as well, right Papa?" Helios nodded,
and she continued.
"I just finished translating this book." She did not smile, nor
frown, but kept her pink lips perfectly straight. Her expression was
impassive and completely lacked emotion. She looked frighteningly adult.
"But I would like to read to you a single passage from it."
If the room had been frozen before, it was now at absolute zero.
Neither Scout nor Prince nor Priest dared to bat even an eyelash as the
child slowly raised the book onto her lap. Gray eyes lowered, focusing on
the small words before her.
Then, she began.
"Darkness and light will mingle in a battle of eternity," she read
aloud, her soprano lilt more timeless than ever before. "The light will
hold a sword high, and grant forgiveness; the darkness will hold a sword
low and run the light through. But another light, glimmering silver, will
hope and lead all from harm.
"But the light is not to be. Orange will appear and threaten the
light, and only that silver glisten of life may save the peace of the
Earth. All must battle as one before darkness is destroyed. Words must be
said, wishes granted, and then...
"Then, the orange will fade into oblivion, and the light will
reappear, leading the silver and gold to hold the world in their hearts."
Silence swept over the room as she spoke the last line. Gray eyes
slowly glanced up at the group of motley soldiers. Pink lips pursed.
The book slammed shut.
"Do you know what that means?" gaped Abigail softly as she tucked a
strand of sky-blue hair behind one of her dainty ears. "Because, if the
orange..."
"Is the Crystal of Illusion, we could be destroyed," finished the
girl for the adult, slowly rising with her book in one hand. She turned
her face up to meet the silvery gaze of the Priestess and nodded solemnly.
"I understand every last word of that passage, Mistress."
Snorting, Alice Kino leaned back on her elbows as she sat on the
Princess' bed, her deep brown eyes staring at the child. "Well, WE don't
know, Ambry," she reminded the girl in an annoyed tone, "so you could tell
us."
Cold, angry glares shot toward the auburn-haired one, but she chose
to ignore them all.
No one responded to the teen's comment for a long moment, and then
Ambriel smiled and cocked her head to one side. "Of course you don't
understand..." she grinned, flipping a strand of red hair from her eyes.
"I didn't explain it yet!"
Sighs all around. The tension lifted. The normal, happy-go-lucky
child was back, much to everyone's relief.
"Well, I guess it IS mighty confusing," continued the little girl as
she sandwiched herself between Aeris and Peter on the little pink couch.
Gray eyes darted about the room, still eerily intense, but they didn't
seem as downright frightening as before. She chewed on her lower lip for a
moment.
And then, that strange, solemn quality to her expression returned.
She was once again the timeless Angel of the Moon instead of the foundling
daughter of the Earth's Princess.
"Evil and good will fight to either end or save the world. Good will
use a 'high sword,' or be righteous, and will give forgiveness for sins.
And then the evil will use a 'low sword,' or be under-handed, and kill the
good." She paused, almost dramatically, as the warriors exchanged nervous
glances. Death was not something that any of the group was familiar with.
And they did not, rightfully, yearn to be familiar with it. And they were
worried.
And, inwardly, so was she.
Priestess... Angel... Daughter... Friend... Scout...
Destiny or not, so was she.
"But the one in silver--either the Silver Star or Silver Moon--" she
shivered inwardly, knowing which one it would be even before the battle
began "--will bring goodness anew and save the world in her own way."
Pause. She'd said 'her.' Half the Silver Star was out of the question now,
and already Richard was reaching for his young love. Oh, how she hoped
they'd see through the 'either' and know the truth!
She continued.
"This new goodness will do no good. The Crystal of Illusion will
appear, and it will threaten the goodness. The silver will be forced to
save everything--the Earth, the peace, our destinies..." She gulped and
took a deep breath. "But all power must unite as one to win.
"Then, one of the warriors will recite the magical words and invoke
the Crystal of Illusion to action. And it will work, either for good or
bad, and then--"
"What does the Crystal do?" interrupted a hasty Haley Ten'ou. She
received sorted, annoyed glares at her question, but she shook them off.
Ambriel smiled. She hadn't had to finish. She figured as much; they
didn't care if the Prophesy had a happy ending or not.
But, inwardly, she frowned.
Now one knew if the end WAS happy, yet.
"I believe," stated the white-garbed Abigail with a long sigh as she
scratched her slender fingers through her hair, "that it is time we
explain."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Dammit!" she cursed, kicking the stone wall in bitter anger as she
spoke.
Above, thunder roared and lightning flashed. Not that she could
tell. Not that it mattered. A little storm was no great threat to the city
of Tokyo.
And, obviously, she was not a threat, either.
'Having a bad day?' chided a sweet voice as a memory swept through
her mind. Tina and the others had smiled sweetly from around the kitchen
table as they all dined on instant ramen and pre-packaged iced tea. She'd
smiled and lied to all five of her minions, not wanting to seem to be
unhappy. Of course, she had been pretty angry, because...
Because...
She clenched her fists. Yellow energy crackled around her black-
garbed body. Anger seared through her.
Because of those damned Sailor Scouts! Because of THEM!
She kicked the wall again, her deep brown eyes glinting in anger,
frustration, hatred, and every other emotion known to man.
She, Evil Queen Ginnie, would have her revenge.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
He sat on the covered porch, watching the rain pour down. Every few
moments, thunder would cackle in its normal, foreboding way, and then the
lightning would flash across the sky and shed blazingly bright light over
the entire city.
From his seat, he could see the ancient brick building that was his
school. It looked so old and alone, even on a school night. Behind that
building were the silhouettes of quartz spires, shooting high into the
overcast sky. And beyond those spires were places he cared for, like
Crystal Music Academy and the Ten'ou residence.
And it was not that he cared about those places, really. He just
cared about HER, and she was connected to those places...
"You're thinking about that girl again, aren't you?" questioned a
decidedly Irish voice. He glanced straight up to see a pair of glasses-
covered eyes staring down at him.
He jumped, surprised, and dashed straight from his seat. One hand
clutched his chest as he panted, leaning against the damp porch railing
for support.
"Don't DO that!"
With an amused chuckle, Joan cocked her brown-haired head to one
side and smiled. "Well, aren't WE Mister Sunshine?" she asked
sarcastically, hopping into the now-vacant lawn chair. Her gray-green-
blue-brown (also known as hazel) eyes studied his confused expression for
a long moment, as though they'd never before seen anything like him. Then,
cupping her chin in one hand, the exchange student sighed. "At LEAST tell
me her name!"
Eric Hartford furrowed his brow. "How DO you do it?" he inquired,
unable to hid the shock in his voice.
"Do...what?" she prompted, completely lost.
"How do you ALWAYS know what I'm thinking before I flat-out say it?"
Smiling sagely, the teen crossed her legs and continued to stare at
him. "Well, we Irish-folk are quite perceptive..." Receiving no response
to the comment, she rolled her eyes and buzzed her lips, annoyed. "You've
got it written all over your face! You look like a lovesick puppy! Jeez!"
The curve of a slight smile dawned across Eric's otherwise unhappy
face. Still, he turned away from the other teen and stared out across his
lawn, watching as the giant drops of rain plopped into the swimming pool.
"Haley," he stated. "Haley Jordan Ten'ou, nineteen years old..." A sigh
escaped his lips. "And so beautiful..."
With a loud, though mocked, gagging noise, Joan pulled herself from
the single chair and crossed to the porch railing. Then, wordlessly, she
perched herself on the small, thin slat of wood, seemingly unconcerned by
her precarious balancing act. Those eyes of hers, bright and intense,
stared at his unhappy expression.
Silence...
He fidgeted just slightly, aware of the gaze that studied him so
intently. He HATED people staring at him...
Silence...
Suddenly, the collar of his school dress shirt was very tight. He
ran a finger around his neck just under the band, taking a long and deep
breath to calm his fizzling nerves.
She still stared, right next to him. He felt like a worm that had
just wriggled from the soil, only to be caught in the sights of a ravenous
robin.
Silence...
"What?!" he exclaimed nervously, springing away from the girl and
turning his copper eyes to meet her gaze. It was still eerily silent
despite the pouring rain and the occasional deep rumbling that was
lightning, but... But...
With her normal, happy chuckle, Joan grinned a toothy smile at Eric.
"Well, well, well, you think I know something, don't you?" He just stared,
completely blank, at her. "Well, I don't know anything, because YOU DON'T
TELL ME ANYTHING!" She caught him by his red school tie and dragged his
face toward hers. "And I want to know all about this girl so that I can
get you two back together!"
The grip on his tie loosened and he smiled gently at the Irish girl,
silent for a moment. Then, back to the falling rain, he stared through a
window into his family kitchen. His mother was bent over the sink, no
doubt washing dishes or doing something else of the sort. And he was
certain that his father, in his same old fashion, was sitting in the
recliner in the next room, reading the newspaper.
He imagined himself and Haley in the same way, sharing an old,
married life.
He liked that fantasy.
"I met her because my brother was marrying her sister," he began,
copper eyes smiling in memory. "And that was the beginning of
everything..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"'It is not just a crystal,'" read Brice aloud, his dark brown eyes
focused on the words of the book with a strange sort of stealth that could
really not be described in words. Everyone in the room paid rapt
attention, even as he paused to mentally translate the ancient words. "It
was created for good, I believe, but not even I can be certain. All I know
is that, now, it is truly dangerous.'"
The turn of a page. No one moved.
With every word and every breath, Abigail felt her heart begin to
break into pieces. The Sailor Scouts would undoubtedly panic at the coming
information, and she knew it. She was dreadfully worried about what would
happen... How would the five teenaged-girls and the one young man react?
And the children... She gulped as she glanced at the blonde girl, who
seemed overly knowing, and then at the Pluto twins. None of the three
seemed all too worried... THAT bothered her...
"'I cannot say that I am completely sure how this creation works,
because I do not. But, from the research both the others and I have slaved
over, I can make but one verdict: it cannot fall into the wrong hands.'"
More silence. Brice was obviously stuck on a Lunatarian word or
two, and Abigail had to truly restrain herself from just telling him to
forget it all. They couldn't very well FORGET it. This entire case was
imperative. At best.
"'This Crystal of Illusion, as I have decided to name it, brings
forth the deepest, darkest wish of the holder.'" He brushed his bangs from
deep brown eyes. "'There is a saying, though I don't know what, which will
open the gateway to this happening. The user must cradle said crystal in
their hands and then say the words of magic, and the gate will open.'" He
pursed his lips for a long moment, not bringing his eyes up from the book.
"'If one who is good uses the Crystal, then peace and perfection will
grace this planet. And, if evil uses the Crystal...'" He froze and closed
the tome solemnly. "And then, the entry ends."
Snickering and rolling her icy blue eyes, Phoebe flipped a long
braid over her slender shoulders. "Oh, yeah RIGHT," she snorted, almost
indignant as she spoke. "Like some ancient woman from the moon would
know..."
A throat cleared as Abigail forced a brave little smile and perched
herself on the edge of Brice's desk. "I wish that I could dismiss that
entry as you can, Miss Phoenix," she sighed with a slight shake of her
head, "but as a scholar of ancient lore, I cannot. Selene is known to be
bitterly accurate in her histories..."
"Meaning?" prompted Lyra, her chin resting in the palm of one of her
hands as she sat on the floor beneath Richard's chair.
Abigail pursed her lips. "Meaning," she responded softly, "that this
entry is true. And that the crystal does just as we suppose it does."
A dull silence fell over the room as all the Sailor Scouts glanced
nervously at one another. Wordlessly, the Princess of the Earth made her
way over to her Prince and buried herself in his open arms. Haley
nervously chewed on a thumbnail as the two other Galactic Sailors on the
bed just exchanged wary glances. The red-haired Prince of the Silver Star
reached out to lay a hand on the shoulder of his Princess. The three
Chibi-Scouts on the small couch all reached for each other's hands. Even
Abigail and Brice, the only two in the room how had been completely
prepared for the news, stared at one another, talking without words.
It seemed as though only Celeste, the little blonde who sat alone
and apart from the group, was completely calm. No one even seemed to
notice as she slowly rose from her seat and smoothed the fabric of her
school uniform.
"We must take the Crystal into our possession before the Evil Queen
does," she stated, the timeless quality in her voice signifying that, once
again, the Keeper of the Nebulae was doing the speaking. "We must have one
of ours use their powers to call open the power of the Crystal. It is the
only way."
"Only way?" echoed a visibly nervous Ambriel from her spot between
the two Pluto twins. She gaped at her leader, the expression on her face
one of a girl impossibly surprised. "You mean to say that we must...must
risk one of our lives to save the rest of the world?"
One of Reeny's hands gently touched her chest. She could remember
the sacrifice that was to be the Outer Senshi of the twentieth century...
Her heart ached suddenly, but she gulped the pain away.
That time, there had been no sacrifice.
"Yes." Celeste slowly pushed a golden strand of hair from her face;
she'd worn her hair that day up like her mother always had, with a single
large bow, though no one was sure why. "We must do this for the sake of
the world."
And, with that, she turned and started for the door.
"Wait!" protested Lyra as she scrambled to her feet. Her ponytail of
messy curls bobbed behind her as she shot to her feet and reached out to
the small girl who was her sister. The room fell silent as the child
turned to send her green-eyed gaze toward the young woman.
No one spoke. Eleven pairs of eyes watched as the two sisters stared
at each other, wordless for a long moment.
Then, bright forest-colored eyes lowered and the little girl sighed.
"And how, pray tell, are we to do it if we don't follow my suggestion?
More silence, eerie and cool.
And the door slammed loudly behind her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Morning dawned on Crystal Tokyo, bringing the sweet, warm kiss of
the morning sun. It was a bright, wonderful Saturday morning, one of those
days where the world seemed at both peace and rest at the exact same time.
It was beautiful and lovely and even the air throbbed with life...
A snickering brunette leaned against the mailbox of a small house on
that said Saturday, enjoying her existence immensely. Through glasses
smiled two bright eyes that resembled those of a cat. She wore a pair of
rather boring black pants and an equally nondescript T-shirt; a single
stud earring, hardly noticeable, shone in the sun from one earlobe.
She was watching the tall woman who was perched on the porch bench.
This stranger had nearly chest-length brown tresses that fell in waves
around her face and down her front. Teal eyes gazed down at a book that
was opened on her lap, and she seemed to be intently that very book. And
she didn't notice the odd, relaxed young woman who was leaning against her
mailbox.
"Haley Ten'ou," grinned the teen, brushing a strand of hair from her
face, her Irish accent cutting through the air. "Perfect..."
Standing tall, she began to stride toward the front of the house.
She let a strong, happy grin cross her face and began to wave, calling
out: "Haley! Oh my gosh, Haley, it's you!"
The older woman brushed a few strands of wavy hair from her blue-
green eyes and glanced up, staring blankly at the brunette rushing toward
her. She'd never before seen the glasses-wearing, nondescript stranger
rushing toward her, and her expression made that fact unerringly obvious.
Still, she forced a smile and tried to clear the confusion from her eyes.
"I know you!" exclaimed the Irish Joan, her smile growing with a
certain false elation that came across as real. "You're that wonderful
girl who coaches one of the Peewee Soccer teams, aren't you?"
A slight nod. A slight bit of true happiness in the otherwise fake
smile. A slight hint of understanding in her expression.
"I went to one of your games!" she continued cheerily, plopping down
on the wooden bench beside the still befuddled brunette. "You see, I'm a
schoolmate of Eric Hartford, and--"
There it was! She'd been waiting for that single spark in Haley's
bright eyes--the hint of sadness and reluctant remorse. It was only a tiny
glimmer of a tear, but Joan could see...
Where Eric still loved Haley, Haley still loved Eric.
Still, Haley managed to hold onto that certain aura of coolness and
calm that the aforementioned young man had always been amazed by. She
brushed another brown strand from her face and glanced away from the
stranger for a brief moment. "Well, that's nice..."
The Irish girl never halted in her ramblings. "--so, when he coached
your little team, I came and watched!" She smiled inwardly--a little lying
never hurt anyone. "Of course, he's a real sweetie, but I think that he
really needs a girlfriend..."
Bingo! That slight sadden washed away to hope and need and want...
If ever Joan had smiled, she was smiling her widest now. It was obvious,
even without words, that Haley was only inches away from running into the
wide open arms of her ex-boyfriend, even if she did have to cross all of
Crystal Tokyo again.
Inwardly doing a jig of complete elation, the brunette teen ran a
hand through her hair and feigned a glance at her nonexistent watch. She
was so glad that she had taught herself to read people so well as a girl.
It was really making her exchange time more...fun, to say the least.
"Oh, look at the time!" she gasped, pretending to be direly
surprised at whatever the number on her wrist was. "I must be going, but
why don't you meet me at North Street Café in an hour?" Before her
newfound "friend" could either accept or decline, she began to trot down
the driveway and toward the street. "That's a date, then! Bye!"
Haley just stared at the strange teen with the Irish voice, even
after she faded from view. Her brow wrinkled in thought; that girl, who
hadn't even given her NAME, had to be at least two years her junior, and
she couldn't have gone to Crystal Music Academy. And, as a coach, she
didn't often give out her name...
Pursing her lips, the brunette gathered up her book and started into
the house, pondering all the while.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Manic laughter echoed through the room as she sat in front of the
desk, dark eyes boring into the computer screen. Maybe it was the fact
that she'd not slept for days, but for some reason, she was feeling
very...disturbed.
The empty shells of what had once been cups of fast-food coffee were
scattered about the living room floor haphazardly, spilled over from a
garbage can that had obviously not been emptied in a few weeks. Atop the
computer desk were two carafes, but one was empty and tipped over. Steam
poured from the other pitcher, this one lidless, and a half-full mug of
the brown liquid sat beside it.
Still, all the while, there was the eerie, repetitive clatter of
fingers on the keyboard as she sat typing, her maniacal, insane giggles of
laughter echoing through the room with no end. Occasionally, a single
hand would fly from the keys to grip the mug and coffee would be sloshed
into a mouth, but even those slight reprieves from the clicking were few
and far between.
Then, there was a resounding CLUNK! and she, for the first time,
pulled her hands from the computer and paused in her giggling.
"There." The statement rang through the room as she folded her hands
in her lap and stared at the monitor, calm for the first time in days.
"Done."
A sparkle of a smile lit up her otherwise dark expression as the
woman flicked a single brown-black tress from her face and snorted at
herself. "I have finally devised a way to kill off those pesky--"
Suddenly, music began to blare through the speakers and a bright
black screen covered her fine work. She froze and watched as a little Ryo-
oh-ki began to chase a carrot around the screen. Her smile crashed into a
frown.
"Damn screen saver," she mumbled, shoving the mouse clear off the
desk. Then, she allowed her impossibly demonic grin to reappear and she
once again folded her hands. "I have finally devised a way to kill off
those pesky Sailor Scouts!" She began to laugh again, but this time it was
a time-honored devious laughter. It echoed loudly through the room.
On a map of Tokyo glittered six tiny green circles, spread about the
city.
And then, once again, she pressed the enter key.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sissy!" called a little voice as the child ran across the Cherry
Hill Temple courtyard, his blue-and-cream robes flapping in the breeze.
Purple eyes lit up as he saw the tall, slender teen standing atop the
steps, armed with a broom. "Sissy!"
Pausing in her yard-work long enough to drag the sleeve of her
kimono across her forehead, Tara forced a smile toward her small brother.
Her normally happy olive-colored eyes, however, weren't really their
normal mirth-filled selves. After all, she had been demoted to the lowest
level of miko there was. Even he, had he been a girl, would have been
beyond her training at the young age of three.
She couldn't read fire. She could only study the basic materials.
And she certainly could NOT use an ofuda, even in dire danger.
It was an unfair situation indeed. She was a Shinto again...
But at what cost?
"Sissy," panted Josh, running a shaky hand through his messy, dark
hair, "Mama says that you've gotta baby-sit for me!" He grinned proudly
and looped his thumbs in the waistband of his robes. "And that means that
we're gonna PLAY!"
Tara wrinkled her nose in annoyance. It was Saturday, the day when
both Yuuichirou adults ran off to do grocery shopping and left their two
lovely children alone.
GRAND...
"Fine," she stated blandly, twirling her bamboo broom in one hand as
she spoke. "I'll play with you..." Green eyes sparkled deviously as she
dropped said broom and hiked up her ankle-length robes to her knees.
"We'll play TAG!"
The boy screeched and began to run, screaming in mock horror, around
the temple, his older sister almost straight on his heels. She laughed,
all her depression washing away as the wind ruffled her chin-length hair.
She tore through the area after the boy, a smile dawning on her face.
And then, she ran into something large and soft.
With an audible grunt, Tara fell flat on her wrong end and went
skidding backward a bit. There was a giggle from the front of the temple,
and she didn't need to glance up to know exactly what had happened.
They'd received a patron.
Joshua had avoided a collision.
She hadn't.
"Sorry," she apologized quickly, scrambling to her feet and staring
straight at her temple sandals. "I wasn't watching where I was going,
and..." A blush crept across her face, furthering her embarrassment.
A deep, rumbling chuckle was her first response, and her guilty
coloration deepened. "Hey, it's not your fault," a masculine voice stated
comfortingly. "I should have watched, too, but it's not every day that a
Shinto Priestess nearly bowls you over..." Another laugh.
She smiled. "I'm just a lowly miko, but thank you for the
compliment..." Bringing her face up from her dirt-covered shoes, she
readied herself to glance into the eyes of a young man...
Only to find herself looking at the top portion of a man's well-
built, shirt-covered chest.
Her brow furrowed. Chest? She was five-foot-seven; chests were NOT
in her realm of possible things to see.
Tara looked up.
Blue eyes from a tanned face stared down at her. Blonde hair, wind-
blown and slightly messy, topped his head. The young man--he could be no
older than eighteen--was HUGE! He HAD to be six-foot-five, at the
least... He would have even dwarfed Richard! Then again, SHE was only a
few inches shorter than Richard...
"Sebastian Yoshiko," he introduced himself, bowing slightly. "I need
to buy one...no, TWO...charms for the prayer tree."
She gulped and pursed her lips, gaping at him. He was GORGEOUS...
Perfect azure-blue eyes... Mused blonde hair... A charming, sweet smile...
Trying to gulp back the blush that warmed her face, she grinned.
"Tara Yuuichirou..." she greeted with a similar bow. "I'm here to sell you
those two...charms..." She made a face. "I sound stupid, don't I?"
"Quite on the contrary," he responded sweetly, "you sound awfully
smart to me."
She blushed again and started toward the temple, the young man in
tow.
And Joshua giggled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"In an HOUR?" he gasped as the younger teen collapsed on the
Hartford family couch, a proud smile across her face.
Glancing at the wall clock, she shook her head slowly. He let out a
wary breath and nervously smoothed his mused gold-brown hair. Crisis
avoided... If he'd had only an hour to get ready, surely...
"She'll be there in half an hour," stated Joan in a relaxed tone,
playing with the blonde strands of her hair right at her temples. "Traffic
was awful on the way back here, so I ran late..."
Eric felt all the color drain from his face as his companion spoke.
"HALF an hour?" he gulped, immediately rushing toward the door to the
hallway. "WHY didn't you tell me this sooner?"
Surprisingly, she grabbed him by the wrist and held him back. Her
grip was strong and almost painful, and he whirled around with an annoyed
glare in his copper eyes. "What now?" he grumbled, annoyed. "If I'm going
to salvage my rel--"
"Don't fret." Her once laid-back tone of voice was now that of a
sage adult, and it sent silent shivers down his spine. "Just say what you
mean." She raised her free hand to touch his forehead lightly, the two
fingertips like ice against his skin. Then, her fingers drifted down to
lay right above his heart. "Follow your love for Haley, not your
rationale. That's what hurt her in the first place."
For a moment, he could have sworn she looked exactly like Haley. But
that was completely irrational.
Then again, rationale...
Eric leaned forward and landed a gentle, plutonic peck on her cheek,
trying desperately to burn the words into his mind. "Thank you," he
smiled, pulling free of her death-grip and starting back toward the door.
And then, the happy-go-lucky and slightly confused Joan was back,
sending him a wink. "Good luck!" she called after him.
The door shut, and she sighed in relief. "Knowing Haley," she
muttered under her breath, "you'll need it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
She stood, leaning against the side of the temple, as she watched
the young man scrawl his prayers across the two small slips of paper. The
kanji seemed to be difficult for him--he paused several times the
process--but she didn't dare ask.
Sebastian... She'd heard that name before once, in an old cartoon
movie that her mother had. But then, the Sebastian had been a tiny, red,
singing crab, and NOT a tall, blonde, gorgeous young man with bright blue
eyes and an enchanting smile...
"Miss Tara?" he questioned, interrupting her thoughts abruptly...
Not that she much minded, because it kept her from drooling over her. "Is
this the correct kanji for 'aunt?'"
Immediately pulling herself away from the building, she strode over
toward him. He was still standing at the unofficial "business counter" of
the shrine, where she had set him up to write his prayers almost a half-
hour before. But he was awkward at what he was doing, that was certain,
and...
"Completely correct!" she praised him, flashing her most dazzling
smile in his general direction. "But how come you needed to ask?"
Beginning to fold the sheets into short, long strips, he sighed. "I
live here with my mother and step-father," he explained with a slight hint
of sadness in his voice. "My real father died when I was twelve..." He
sighed sadly and shook his head a bit. "I grew up in Sweden, but my mom
moved here for work when I was fourteen and found my step-dad..." He
shrugged and started over toward the large, budding prayer tree, only
partially cognizant that the miko was still behind him. "Which is okay, I
suppose... Still, even if I DO speak extremely good Japanese, kanji is all
Greek to me!"
She laughed at his comment, a single hand flying to cover her mouth.
"Sorry," she apologized, glancing at her feet for what seemed to be the
hundredth time that day. "I shouldn't laugh at your troubles..."
"Laugh all you want!" he retorted, blue eyes sparkling as he glanced
down at the significantly shorter girl. "Like I'm not used to it!"
He pulled one of the strips of paper from his closed fist and raised
his hands to the tree branch. All of Tara's mirth faded as she watched his
fingers slowly tie the sheet into a knot around the tiny bough. He was so
serious about it... So careful...
"I wish," breathed Sebastian softly, staring up at the new prayer
he'd just added, "that aunt Yukino will get better soon..." He smiled
slightly and pulled out the second sheet.
Tara furrowed her brow. Had he needed help on that second paper? No.
How...odd... Well, if he had been able to write all that about his aunt
without a major problem, perhaps he was more expert at kanji than he'd
admitted...
"And I wish that this beautiful shrine maiden, though she's 'only a
miko,' will grace my presence at dinner tonight."
As he turned to send her a long, imploring glance with bright,
smiling eyes, the young woman felt her face go completely crimson. She
gulped and looked down at her feet yet AGAIN. "Uhh...well..."
Suddenly, the world seemed to shake. A giant, booming rumbling that
sounded something like the croaking of a bullfrog echoed through their
ears as both teens were thrown from their feet.
And then, it appeared...
A giant frog, bright green and almost fifteen feet tall, was
standing in the middle of the courtyard of the temple!
She bristled noticeably and glanced from the frog toward her house.
The little living area that jutted out from the temple proper was too far
for even her to run; the Sailor Scouts would never be able to get a phone
call in time, and she would probably get fried in the process. She
scrambled to her feet in time to be knocked sideways by another mighty
croak, and she landed with a THUMP! next to her newfound blonde friend.
"Get Josh," she growled, clambered back onto her feet and clutching
at a branch of the prayer tree for support as the ground once again
shuddered beneath them. "Go into the temple and have him call Reeny."
Sebastian, also standing shakily on his feet, knees almost knocking
in fear, just blinked.
Her light green eyes lowered dangerously into the hardened glare of
a Sailor Soldier, and it was a glare that she hadn't used for months. A
lump grew in her throat as she saw the genuine worry and concern in her
companion's face.
"Please," she begged, her voice softening and angry glower melting
away, "take my brother and protect yourself..." She forced a smile as,
once again, the entire temple shook. "I'll go out with you and buy you a
steak dinner if you do..."
Grinning, he ran off toward the front of the shrine. She knew, of
course, that it was a fake smile, but...
Tara clenched her fists and started right for the monster, her
strides lacking all fear as she neared it. She really didn't have much to
live for, anyway... So, why not?
"You threaten the happiness of youth!" she screamed at the large
frog, never slowing her quick steps. Her robes fluttered in the breeze, as
did her hair, but she never wavered. Her eyes were locked in a glare,
even as the monster turned to gape at her.
This was the real her. The Sailor Scout. With or without the powers
and the Locket.
So be it.
"Agent of love and justice, I am the pretty ex-Sailor Soldier Sailor
Earth!" She dug into her pocket and pulled out the forbidden fruit of her
past days of a priestess--an ofuda. She wasn't supposed to have it, but
she could deal with that at a later date. Right now...
"And, in the name of the Earth, I will punish you! Akuryo taisan!"
The slip of paper soar through the air and magically adhered to the
brow of the huge frog monster. She stood, motionless, at its feet,
waiting.
Silence. Not a croak came from the giant frog. She could feel her
heart pounding in her ears. It hurt dreadfully, and she could feel a
headache slowly building. Her muscles loosened slowly, and she let out her
held breath.
Suddenly, the ofuda fell from the monster and collapsed to the
ground, bursting into flames. Tara gasped and stumbled backward, but it
was too late.
The frog took one of its huge forelegs and kicked out. She grunted
as the green foot slammed into her gut and threw her against the far fence
of the temple. She coughed and closed her eyes.
"Earth Galactic Power!" screamed a small, childish voice. "Don't
give up, Sissy!"
Slowly, she willed her heavy eyelids to crack open. There, in front
of the prayer tree, were both Sebastian and Joshua. The tall man was
trying desperately to drag the little boy toward the temple proper, but it
did not good. The dark-haired child was both stubborn and quick, wriggling
just enough to cause the blonde teen trouble.
She wasn't a Sailor Scout.
Still...
Climbing carefully to her feet, the teen grabbed onto the fence and
glared up at the staring frog-creature. Her legs were weak, but she
managed to stay standing. "You're...punished..." she coughed, raising one
hand aloft.
"Go Sissy!" Josh was still fighting, but it was now a losing battle;
in only moments, he would be in the safe-haven of the temple.
In just as much time, she'd be dead.
So be it.
"Earth... Galactic... Power..." she stammered, her chest aching from
the blow she'd received.
The frog readied what would be her fatal croak.
"MAKE UP!"
There was a flash of green from the heavens.
And the world went black.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"I TOLD you, Helios!" scolded Sailor Moon in her best 'mother hen'
voice as the duo made their way to the front doors of the Palace. "Tara's
in trouble! Some guy called from the temple and said there was a monster!"
The young, silver-haired man sighed and shook his head slowly.
They'd been in an IMPORTANT meeting with the two Elysion priests when
she'd insisted on rushing off. The day he understood that girl was far
away...
He hoped it would at least come before the wedding.
"It was an IMPORTANT meeting, Maiden!" he stressed in the same tone
he'd used on Abigail when she'd shown up at the Palace. "We can't just
walk out on things like--"
Helios was interrupted by the dull thundering sound of something
smacking straight into Crystal Palace. The entire building trembled with
the force of impact, sending him onto his posterior before he could think
of balancing himself.
Sailor Moon, however, seized one of the ornate candleholders that
adorned the walls and used it to steady herself.
Then, as suddenly as it had began, the shaking ended.
"Monster attack," breathed the young woman, pushing a pink pigtail
out of her face as she stared toward the large marble doors at the front
of the hallway.
He clambered to his feet and grabbed onto a similar candleholder
without thought. "You've GOT to be kidding!" he gaped, still unsure about
his standing position. "You MEAN to say that something attacked us AGAIN?"
"You bet your tunic, dear," she retorted quickly, pulling her sword
free of the scabbard and starting toward the main entry doors. Her quick
trot caused her heeled boots to echo on the floor. "And I bet that's what
Tara's up against, too!"
Gulping back the fear and bile that mixed in his throat, the young
man followed.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"WHOSE bright idea was it for us to take a long walk in the park?"
he grumbled, dodging yet another ball of fire.
His companion let fly a bright silver ball of stardust and send a
glare right toward her tuxedo-clad destined. "Can't we argue LATER?" she
growled as the giant frog-monster picked up a park bench and tossed it
straight toward her. She dove away from it and grunted. "Call the Scouts
on your cell phone or something!"
The Starlit Prince threw a few roses and watched as they were
deflected right off the sinewy skin of the frog-creature. He grimaced.
"I think," he called to Sailor Polaris after a rain of fireballs
nearly pummeled him into the ground, "that we need a Princess!"
Hands on hips, the young woman tossed her blonde curls. "What about
her PRINCE, Richard?" she growled, her tone icy.
"Star, I really don't..."
Another fireball flew from the frog's mouth, and it was all the
blonde teen could do to dive out of its way. She landed in a large pine
bush, not the ideal place, but it could have been worse...
Climbing from her landing place, she brushed her fuku off a flashed
him a dazzling smile. One hand flew into the air above her head as she
slowly focused her energy.
Then, she closed her eyes.
"In the name of the Silver Star!"
There was a flash as glittering blanket of silver enveloped her
body. Stardust flew around her body as she opened bright brown orbs and
glared straight at the frog.
In the open palm above her head, the stardust about her began to
gather into a ball. The blanket of silver turned into a gown of the same,
perfect color. Her tiara faded into nothingness, and a glimmering, five-
pointed star appeared in the center of the forehead. She looked almost
terrifying as she pulled the orb of dust down toward her chest and pointed
the palm of her hand at the frog.
With a resounding gulp, the frog hopped backward, only to run into
the trunk of an enormous oak tree. In fact, the small cleared area that
created the path was so shockingly narrow that it had no escape route to
speak of; it was either through the trees or through one of the two
soldiers.
It didn't like either option.
"Starlight..."
Black eyes closed.
Richard smiled slightly. He'd be hearing about his lack of help for
the rest of the week.
"STREAK!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
He scuffed his sneakers together nervously, his sweaty hands almost
unbearable. Five minutes... Five minutes... Five...
The radio that played outside the tiny café was blaring the news: a
monster had appeared near Crystal Palace once again, threatening the lives
of the Royal Family. He'd tried to remain curiously aloof to the news, but
he knew that she was friends with the Princess, and that worried him. What
if she didn't come because of the monster?
Laughing at himself, he sniffed at the twelve red roses he was
holding. For her, this was the least that could be done. For her, he would
traverse the galaxy and beyond. For her...
There! Only a block down, not even, was the brown-haired angel that
the world called Haley Ten'ou. Her stride was quick and frantic, a
completely abnormality to his mind. In fact, in the past three years, he'd
NEVER seen the sporty young woman the least bit nervous.
Then, she ducked into the nearest alley.
That was it! Eric Hartford dropped the roses on the ground and
rushed toward the place that she'd last stood. Haley hadn't even noticed
his presence, and usually she could downright SENSE him when he was near.
What was going on?
The radio continued its less-than optimistic telling of the monster
attacks, stating that three more creatures had been reported in the last
half-hour. Eric didn't listen; he was a bit too worried about the brunette
woman who he yearned to call his own.
Slowly, cautiously, he peered around the corner of the building...
"Comet Galactic Power, MAKE UP!"
His breath catching in his throat, the young man watched as bright
orange and silver ribbons exploded in midair. Surely, this couldn't be HIS
Haley!
But the voice...
But the long, brown hair that flowed about her like an angel's
wings...
But the bright teal eyes that glanced his way, staring...
Sailor Comet appeared and did not hesitate in stomping right over to
the young man and seizing him by the collar. "Listen, you," she growled
angrily, her large eyes boring straight into his soul, "I told you to
leave me alone and get out of my life." Her scowl darkened. "And now..."
The tone of her voice lowered another five or six octaves, until she
sounded more angry and vengeful than ever before. "Now, you know my only
secret."
Eric shivered involuntarily. Never had he seen the sweet, kind young
woman so mad. It was seriously frightening... But then again, this wasn't
Haley; THIS was Sailor Comet, her unknown alter ego.
And he wouldn't be loving her if he didn't love this soldier before
him, too...
"Don't get yourself killed, Haley," he whispered, copper eyes soft
and caring as he stared right into her glare. "I...I love you, and nothing
in the world will ever change that."
The teal-eyed glower melted, softening into a kind, loving gaze.
Tears welled up, and her breathing quickened. He... He loved her? He
finally realized that he loved her?
She blinked away the tears and loosed her grip on his shirt,
bringing back her stoic Sailor Scout mask of an expression. "I won't," she
quickly assured him, pulling her gaze from his. Then, wordlessly, she
brought her head back up and caressed one of his cheeks with a gloved
hand. "Just don't leave me ever again, Eric." Her voice wavered slightly.
"Never again," he vowed, taking her hand in his and landing a
gentle kiss in the cloth-covered palm. A slight smile crept across his
face. "I've lost you enough times to last all eternity, and I've had
enough of it."
Sailor Comet smiled as well, her teal eyes once again welling up
with tears. She leaned forward and gently brushed her lips across his
before leaping high into the air and starting toward whatever evil had
appeared.
Sighing, Eric leaned against the cool brick of a nearby building and
touched his lips. "I finally found her again," he whispered to himself, a
smile crossing his face slowly. "I found her and she's forever mine..."
And, from where she leaned against a phone booth across the street,
Joan grinned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What is going ON?" yelled Sailor Phoenix from her perch in a large
oak tree as she furiously punched buttons on her tiny computer. "Moon,
Polaris, the Starlit Prince, Helios, Comet, Chibi-Pluto, Angel Moon,
Chibi-Star, and the Master of Time are all caught up in battle, too!" Her
ice-colored eyes lowered toward the screen. "And a massive eruption of
energy was released at Cherry Hill just moments ago!" She glanced down at
her companion, confused. "What do you think?"
Sailor Aurora Borealis sent out a mighty rainbow wave before turning
to glare up at her fellow Scout. The giant frog-creature was thrown
halfway across the courtyard of Crossroads School, roaring out in agony
all the way. Massive, boulder-sized lumps of ice were scattered about the
area, along with what was left of part of a science classroom. The
annoyance in the auburn-haired Scout's voice was unmistakable as she
spoke.
"I think you should help me fight, THAT'S what!"
Rubbing the back of her neck guiltily, the younger Scout hopped out
of the tree. "Uh... Good idea?" she questioned.
As she began to stalk toward the monster, Aurora Borealis just
rolled her brown eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"How'd I get stuck fighting with YOU, again?" asked the girl
sarcastically as she watched the giant frog-monster attempt climb out of
drained community pool. Its webbed feet kept slipping from the deck's
smooth tiles, and it kept crashing back into the large hole. For the first
time in her young life, she was grateful that the pool was so deep.
The little boy snorted and leaned on his Time Key, a habit that he'd
picked up from watching his mother. "Some destined love YOU are," he
snorted in annoyance, tossing his head of messy brown hair indignantly.
"How come the Prophesy stuck US together, anyway?"
Tossing a golden pigtail, the older of the two cast her tuxedo-clad
companion a dirty look. "Well, ex-CUSE me, Mister Master of Time!" she
exclaimed as she folded her arms across her chest. "I was just curious to
why WE'RE always stuck fighting off monsters--just me and you--without the
other Chibi-Scouts!" Her green-eyed gaze focused uncertainly on her
sandal-covered feet. "I didn't mean it like you took it..."
The genuine apologetic twang to her tone sent shivers down his
spine. Aeris had often chided him about jumping to conclusions, and now
he'd hurt the girl he was supposed to fall in love with... He wrinkled his
nose. Four-year-olds weren't supposed to worry about love! What WAS it
with that Prophesy, anyway?
"I'm sorry, 'Leste," he whispered, crossing the ten feet between
them and laying a hand on one of her shoulders. "I thought... And with the
monster..."
Turning toward the young boy, the blonde-haired Scout smiled gently
and swallowed hard. Before, she had looked as though she was going to cry,
but no longer. "I'm sorry too, Peter," she responded, uncrossing her arms
and drawing him into a tight hug before he could even think to protest. "I
didn't mean to offend you..."
Suddenly, a roar from behind them heralded one fact: the frog had
escaped its little prison that was the waterless pool. Both Chibi-Scouts
whirled around and took up battle-ready poses as the creature threw out
giant balls of crackling lightning.
Diving out of the way of an attack, Sailor Chibi-Star called out to
her partner. "How about we make up later?" she yelled, thrusting a hand
into the air and pulling out the Staff of Nebulae.
"Good idea!" agreed the boy right before letting a Dead Scream cut
through the air. "Right now, we've got a butt to kick!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I cannot say that I completely understand what is occurring,"
commented Sailor Chibi-Pluto sternly, her high-pitched voice echoing
through the air as she repelled a water attack with a swing of her Key
Staff. "But I cannot say that I enjoy it, either!"
Angel Moon fluttered her wings as she soared above the monster,
sending a shower of silver bolts from her hands onto the creature's large
back. "Well, why not discuss that LATER?" she yelled, dodging a stream of
steaming water as she spoke. "Right now, we're fighting!"
"Comet Crater Close!" The brunette Galactic Sailor dove away from
where a giant hole had opened in the pavement. "And we're winning!" she
exclaimed excitedly, raising a fist skyward and closing her teal eyes.
"What are you doing, Sailor Comet?" questioned the green-haired
Scout of Time hesitantly, watching her older cousin's motions.
The eldest of the three did not respond, even as she heard the frog
attempt to climb out of the large pit in the concrete of Crystal Music
Academy's parking lot. "By the name of the Comets," she breathed, an
invisible wind flowing around her body and musing her long hair, "I pray
you to banish this creature to the other world."
She opened her hand. Bright orange light poured down from the
heavens and surrounded her.
"Comet..."
A giant ball of what seemed to be rock and fire appeared in the sky
above her head.
"Eternal..."
The pit that had become the parking lot's center opened farther and
began to fill with what appeared to be molten lava.
"Fiery..."
Orange light died. The ball began to waver. The frog roared out in
pain and fury.
"CRATER!"
There was a crash as the boulder of fire and rock slammed into the
large, round crater that had appeared. Lava and rock fragments splashed
out of the gorge and landed about the lot. Smoke billowed out of the mess
and encircled the area.
When the dust and haze had cleared, nothing was left of the monster
except a colossal, steaming pit in the center of what had once been the
Academy's parking lot.
"Wow!" exclaimed tiny Angel Moon with a gasp as she gaped, gray eyes
wide, at the hole. She landed daintily beside the brown-haired Scout, red
hair blowing in the slight breeze. "I didn't know you were THAT strong!"
"Quite odd indeed," nodded Chibi-Pluto as she strode over to her two
'partners,' Key Staff in hand. "What is an eternal fiery crater, dear
Comet?"
The Sailor Scout of the Comets just shook her head slowly, still
staring in complete disbelief at the aftermath that her attack had caused.
"I don't know what I did," she replied to the small girl, "but I do know
one thing."
The young Guardian of Time glanced up at her companion. "Which is?"
she prompted.
"My parents are going to KILL me."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Hannah climbed into the small, banana-yellow convertible quickly,
avoiding the bright gazes of the two other women. Settling herself into
the backseat, she prayed that her parents didn't attempt to strike up a
conversation.
It didn't work.
"You know what this means, don't you?" questioned the blonde without
turning around as she pulled the vehicle away from the curb.
She tried to respond as quickly and nonchalantly as possible. She
didn't want to discuss this. The memories from the last time were still
burnt into her mind. "I do."
"And?" The voice of the aqua-haired beauty was almost lost by the
sound of the wind rushing about.
Almost. Yet she could still hear her mother's prompt, and it echoed
through her ears.
She sighed and leaned against the black leather of the backseat,
considering what reaction her answer would receive.
Then again, she had to answer as anyone in her place would.
"I believe that they need to do it alone this time," she stated, her
purple eyes focusing on the bright sunshine that flowed down from the
heavens. "I think that the only destiny they have is to stand up for
themselves."
The spark of a smile crossed the face of her blonde mother. "You
know what, Hannah?"
"What?"
"I think that, this time, you're right."
She smiled in return. The Outers were decided.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, only to see bright white. White?
Nothing was white in her home! Where in the world was she?
Her entire body ached something awful as she attempted to sit up.
Twisting and writhing, she tried to get her bearings... But her sides
burned, and there was something sharp plunged into her hand. An attempt to
pull it out did nothing more than send the sharp feeling of pure pain
shooting up her arm.
She yelped out in pain and looked at the evil, pain-causing
implement.
It was an I.V.
And it all made sense, suddenly.
And, much to her absolute horror, she knew exactly where she was.
"How the Hell did I get in the hospital?!" roared Tara, brushing her
messy hair from her face as she searched her room desperately for someone
who would know what was going on. "When I find the IDIOT who--"
"And she rejoins the world of the living," sighed a deep, masculine
voice from the doorway.
The teen quickly turned her head toward the source and held back a
gasp. The young man's tall form crossed the room toward a small, plastic
chair beside the bed. And he offered forth a brown paper bag.
Snatching it away, Tara tossed her hand indignantly. "You called the
hospital on me?" she snorted, trying to sound as angry as possible...
despite the fact she was actually flattered. "I've taken worse shots than
THAT before..."
"I would guess so, Sailor Earth," stated Sebastian with a slight
smile, leaning back in his seat as he folded his hands in his lap. The
pallor that quickly covered her face caused him to smile amusedly. "What?
Did you think I wouldn't have figured it out once that giant bolt of green
obliterated the monster, Tara?" He chuckled. "You have GOT to be kidding!"
She held back her urge to start shaking and, instead, clutched the
paper bag in her fists.
Green light? That was impossible! There was no such thing that
could... Unless...
Slowly, Tara began to open the large bag, her breath coming in
ragged gasps. She could feel the blue eyes of her companion staring, but
she ignored it.
The only thing with those magical properties was...
And she wasn't...
But, could it be that...
Within the dark recesses of the bag, laying atop her tattered temple
robes, was the Locket of the Earth.
For a moment, she could swear that her heart stopped. A trembling
hand cautiously reached toward the tiny tan-and-green disc. She was
frightened that it would disappear if she moved too quickly. But...
The metal was cool against her skin. An amazed smile crossed her
face as she pulled it from the bag and shoved the rest of her belongings
off the bed. She entire self was trembling, and yet...
Yet...
"Where did you get this?" she inquired of the young man beside her,
bright eyes staring adoringly at him. "Surely..."
"It appeared," he told her softly, reaching out and taking her free
hand in one of his and squeezing it gently. "When you said the words,
there was a flash of green light." He gestured toward the locket. "THAT,
Tara, is what killed the monster and saved you." He slowly reached up and
brushed a tear from one of her delicate cheeks. "Is something wrong?"
All Tara could do for a moment was shake her head; her voice was
caught in her chest, and it would not come. Then, after a long bout with
silence, she chuckled.
"I never thought," she whispered, the tears still falling down her
face, "that this day would come. I never thought I would see this locket
again."
Sebastian raised a blonde eyebrow. "May I ask...why?"
She sent him a sweet smile and shook her head once again. "Another
time..." Then, she wiped the smile away and glanced about. "Where's Josh?"
she questioned frantically, suddenly aware that she was missing her little
sibling. "Is he okay? Is--"
"Yes, he's FINE," stressed the blonde man, trying to calm her down
as quickly as possible. "He went over to a friend's house... Someone named
Mokoti, I think..." The relief that washed over her expression was too
obvious to be missed. "Your father will be here shortly, and your mother
has a meeting..." He furrowed his brow for a moment. "Something about
Mistresses, maybe?"
"A MEETING OF THE MISTRESSES?!" gasped Tara, trying desperately to
pull the needle from her hand while climbing out of the bed. "Oh, Kami! I
have to tell the others! And the cats and--"
Her tall companion caught her around the waist and gently placed her
back in the hospital bed. "You have three cracked ribs, Tara," Sebastian
pointed out quickly before she had a chance to protest. "I don't want to
see you hurt any more than you already are."
She crossed her arms indignantly, completely annoyed. He didn't
understand that it was a MISTRESS Meeting... He didn't comprehend...
But he was looking out for her, which was...sweet...
"Why not?" she spat, tossing her head of raven tresses as she spoke.
Sighing, the young man set himself down on the bed beside her and
wrapped an arm around her waist. "Because I feel a strange...pull...toward
you, Miss Miko." A gasp escaped her lips, and he smiled. "And then, of
course..."
"What?"
Sebastian leaned toward her and brought his lips toward her ear.
"You also," he whispered in a low tone, "owe me a steak dinner."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"To think that there's a Meeting of Mistresses going on right this
moment," sighed Phoebe, hugging a stuffed Kermit the Frog to her chest as
she stared out her bedroom window. "I thought that we were beyond the
point of relying on the Mistresses for everything." She shook her head
slowly and laid down on her bed, hiding her head in her thick crimson
quilt. "I guess I was wrong."
Of her five companions, the first to respond was a rather average-
looking teen with wavy auburn tresses. She glanced at the depressed braid-
haired teen and snorted in annoyance. "You need to stop worrying about
stuff like that!" exclaimed Alice with a roll of her bright walnut-colored
eyes. "Whatever happens, happens! We can't stop those ridiculous women
that we call our mothers any more than we can stop the wind or the rain!"
Ice-blue eyes blinked in confusion. The Kino teen just muttered
less-than-kind things under her breath, not trying to clarify her point.
"I THINK," put in Haley quickly before an argument, as mock as it
would be, broke out between the two, "that she meant to say...uhh..." She
wrinkled her nose. "What exactly DID you mean this time, Al?"
With a chuckle, Orion raised her furry head and glanced up at the
brunette. "What Alice meant," she told the Sailor Scout of the Comets,
"was that we can't stop the Mistresses." She rolled onto her stomach to
turn her green eyes toward the indignant girl in the desk chair. "She
meant that they, as you, are creatures born of free will."
She flashed a charming smile at the teen in question. "Right,
Alice?"
"Something like that..." came the dejected reply.
A teary-eyed Orb sniffled and adjusted his position on Phoebe's
pillows. "I am just so proud of you girls," he croaked, trying vainly to
wipe his running nose with a fuzzy paw. "Three years ago you were horrible
excuses for warriors of love and justice--"
Three teens glared, annoyed, at the orange-and-white ball of fur.
"--but you're now actually proud, powerful Scouts!" He let a single
tear escape his copper eyes. "I can't describe how pleased I am to see
your improvement!"
Sitting up, Phoebe clobbered him with the stuffed animal and sent
him an annoyed glare. "Thanks for your faith, dear Guardian," she grumbled
sarcastically.
"Mercifully, the angel of cynicism appears," retorted the cat under
his breath, receiving another smack in the head with a pillow in response.
"Ow!" he exclaimed as the blow cracked him right across the nose. "Watch
it, would you?"
"Enough." The calico's command was stern and stubborn, as all
commands had to be when centered on her Moon Cat mate. "We're here to
discuss the Meeting of the Mistresses, NOT to beat Orb silly."
The navy-haired teen crossed her arms over her chest and pouted
playfully. "Phooey."
With an haughty huff into his whiskers, the aforementioned Guardian
glared at his charge. "Listen you, I--"
A glare from his mate silenced him.
Haley sighed and leaned back against the wall, her teal eyes staring
contemplatively up at the ceiling. "In watching my parents," she commented
half-heartedly, "I think that they believe in us."
"Misplaced enthusiasm," grunted the auburn-haired smugly from her
seat. She turned her half-closed eyes toward her older friend. "I heard my
mother talking to Mrs. Mokoti today, and--"
"Where IS Lyra, by the way?" interrupted the tomcat from his spot on
the bed. Everyone turned to look at him, glances ranging from confused to
annoyed. He shrugged off the looks and shrugged. "Just wondering! I
haven't seen her in days!"
Chewing on a thumbnail, the braid-headed teen cocked her head to one
side. "She's been out of sorts ever since Tara abandoned us," she sighed,
shaking her head a bit. "I worry about her..." She sent a meaningful
glance at the auburn-haired one. "Or am I the only one who noticed?"
Alice nearly fell off her seat as she tried to feign innocence.
"She's a big girl!" she pleaded frantically, all color quickly draining
from her face. "I didn't think that it was that big of a problem, given
that she's just like that anyway and...and..." She batted her eyelashes
innocently and snatched a pair of large, pink-rimmed sunglasses from
Phoebe's desk, throwing them on haphazardly. "You wouldn't kill a Senshi
in glasses, now would you?"
"Give me those!" commanded the brunette on the floor. Deftly, she
sprung to her feet and pulled the eyewear from her friend's face. Turning
to face the youngest of the threesome, she glared daggers at Phoebe.
"These are MINE!"
Paling, the actress tried to hide herself under the quilt of her
bed, inadvertently throwing her Guardian onto the floor. "I was going to
give them back," she cowered, her icy eyes glancing at the floor. "I
didn't think..."
Haley grabbed a pillow and dove for her friend, instigating a
scuffle. Alice, seeing that she was being ignored, took the opportunity to
boot up the blue-haired girl's laptop computer and play video solitaire.
From their places on the floor, the two Guardian Cats sighed and
hung their heads.
"Sometimes," grumbled Orion, "I wonder if they'll EVER make it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It has been three years," stated the Queen of the Earth softly, her
tiny hands folded demurely on the tabletop, "since we have been together
in this room. And now, we must make the same decision."
All seven of the present Planet Mistresses adverted their gazes as
their young Queen glanced about the room, trying to read expressions and
pull emotions from eyes. While they'd all been taught as Senshi to hide
their feelings under a mask of stone, it was hard hiding from Serenity.
She wasn't just the Queen of the Earth; she was their friend and princess,
a woman that each of them had, separately, died for.
Smiling slightly, the blonde woman leaned back in her large oak
chair. They could play these games for ages; in the end, she would win.
"However, before we begin this Meeting of the Mistresses, I have an
announcement."
That statement caught their waning attentions. Each of the women
raised a head, a sea of colorful eyes turning right toward the small, if
powerful, woman. Serenity's smile was almost a smirk, and it made one fact
blatantly obvious...
Mistress Jupiter tossed her ponytail and reclined in her seat, arms
crossed at the chest. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"
A nod, and then:
"Sailor Earth has returned."
The response lacked in both dramatic pause and overall delivery, but
the words meant enough to them all, regardless.
For a reason left unexplained, the purple-garbed Mistress of Saturn
went unsurprised by the announcement. The other Mistresses, however, were
shocked past words.
"Re...returned?" gaped Venus, always the first to recover, as she
stared in shock at the Queen. "How on Earth could she have returned?"
Silently, the Mistress of Destruction mouthed...
"Miraculous Crisis Make Up," Serenity stated, words in perfect sync
with the silent comment that the youngest Mistress was making. "We all
remember that, do we not? In a time of desperation and need, I--"
"Then how the HELL did it work for Earth?" interrupted the masculine
woman from her spot between Neptune and Jupiter, not particularly noticing
that she had entirely missed the point.
Her aqua-haired wife shook her head slowly, sighing in exasperation
as she placed a small hand on her partner's forearm. "'In a time of
desperation and need,' dear," she repeated gently. "If Tara was in
trouble--"
"There was a monster," cut in Mars softly as she ran a shaking hand
through her long, raven tresses. "I was told it just vanished, but now, it
all makes sense."
Silence washed over the room as the seven Mistresses pondered the
meaning of their Queen's words. There was a question that all ached to
ask, but not one could find their voice...
Then, calmly, the Mistress of Mercury raised her navy eyes up from
the table and glanced across the expanse of oak to stare her Queen
straight in the face. "What does it mean?" she inquired timidly, as though
afraid to speak.
Neo-Queen Serenity smiled sadly and straightened her spine. Golden
pigtails cascaded down her back as she took a deep breath and answered.
"It means that the Galactic Sailors are ready to fight. And that
means that this Meeting of Mistresses is now in order."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I feel like we're the silent cheering section," grumbled Terrence
miserably, his chin resting on a fist as he stared out the big picture
window. "The people we love are about to go off to battle and we're stuck
staring at the sunset."
Rolling his bright green eyes, Chad leaned back in the recliner and
held out his empty glass toward the single woman in the room. "Oh, Miss
Urawa..."
Marie flipped a strand of silver hair and snatched the cup away, but
not before shooting Terry an EXTREMELY dirty look. "I don't believe you
invited me over to serve you apes at YOUR OWN HOUSE," she growled in a low
tone, her deep brown eyes sparkling dangerously.
"It's not OUR fault," protested Brian as he juggled the baby in his
arms. "All the women are out for the day."
Muttering things to herself, she stormed out, glass in hand.
Eric chuckled. "Did Hannah know what she was getting into BEFORE she
married you?"
The retort from his brother was low and quick in coming. "Does Haley
know what SHE'S getting into?"
All the men, both the young and the eternal, laughed at the blonde
man's joke. Still, it was a nervous, forced laugh, and they all knew that
someone would say 'it,' the thing they feared most.
The man of choice was Ken. He rested his hands behind his head and
sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Do you think that they'll fight
again?" he questioned softly, looking to all the others for an answer. "We
all remember LAST time."
"They have to do it, though," put in Chad as he glanced at the
auburn-haired adult. "They're fighting for so much this time."
The Prince of Pluto nodded solemnly. "They're fighting for the
past..."
"And the present," put in Eric.
The blonde with the fussy daughter sighed and gulped back tears.
"And the future."
A sigh sounded from the doorway, and the group of men turned their
heads as one to focus on the silver-haired young woman who was leaning
against the doorframe. Absently, she sipped some sort of pink liquid from
a glass and stared out at the setting sun through the window.
"I hope they win," she stated in a mournful tone. "I can't live
without them."
"Hey!" protested the shaggy haired temple-dweller as he watched the
woman down the rest of her drink. "That's MY lemonade!"
Marie tossed him the glass and rolled her brown eyes. "If you want
it so bad," she responded, "get it yourself."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The room was silent. None of the Mistresses spoke. From Serenity's
news of Sailor Earth's remarkable recovery, they knew that it was true.
It was time for the Galactic Sailors to fight.
On their own.
"This is the hardest thing I will ever say," sighed Mistress Mercury
in a hesitant tone as she raked a hand through her short hair, "but I
think that the girls have to go this on their own."
Her statement earned no response from the group of silent, apathetic
women. Even Venus, who was usually both emotional and illogical during
such meetings, had a certain calm, assured manner about her that was
almost unsettling in nature.
The Queen of the Earth had to physically hold back a smile,
something that she had never done. Throughout her life, both Scout and
Mistress Meetings had been filled with a certain...nervousness...that
washed over all that attended. They'd oft forced smiles, trying to
reassert their hopeful attitudes on life. And those smiles oft did no
good.
But, this time, Serenity knew. She could feel her whole self tingle
with the excitement and certainty of this one decision. It was the first
time in her thousand years of life that she could predict the outcome of
their meeting.
The Galactic Sailors would fight.
"Yeah!" chimed in Uranus after a long pause. She slammed her hand
into the tabletop for emphasis as she spoke. "Those girls are slightly
bratty, especially the blue-haired one--"
Mercury's pointed glare could be seen miles away.
"--but they're confident and will certainly do well for our world!"
Her gray-green eyes sparkled as she settled back into her chair. "And,"
she continued, her voice a bit less eager, "though I hate to say it..."
She shrugged. "If it meant saving the world, I would gladly let Haley have
her death at Ginnie's hands."
Neptune reached for her mate's hand and squeezed it gently, the
silent pain in her bright, sea-colored eyes mixed with a certain amount of
understanding. She would have said the same, certainly...
"Alex is right," said Venus quite plainly as she played with a loose
thread on her long, orange gown. Her azure eyes were filled with tears as
she glanced up from her hands to gaze around the room at her fellow
Mistresses. "I may not be very close to Lyra, anymore, but I have faith in
her." She chuckled slightly at herself, wiping away a single, falling tear
as she did so. "It's funny," she chortled, nearly hysteric, "but this
reminds me of a song that I learned in junior high... 'No one told you
that having faith is half the battle...'" Her head fell into her hands as
she collapsed into tears.
Hesitantly, Jupiter reached out and laid a hand on her friend's
shoulder. "But they have to do this," the brunette softly reminded her.
"All we can do, now, is watch..."
"And that's the hardest part," Serenity put in as she forced back
her own, slowly coming tears. "But we must let the Galactic Sailors
fight." She gulped. "Because, if we don't..."
"Then we die." The Mistress of Destruction said the words that no
one else dared to say.
And the other Mistresses all nodded.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hello?"
The tension in the air was almost tangible as the two teens watched
their younger friend answer the phone. Though it had only been an hour,
they knew that the truth was coming.
"Yeah. Mmm-hmm."
The oldest of the threesome ran a hand through her long, brown
tresses. Her teal eyes stared right at the girl with the braids,
unblinking. This was it... The end--or beginning--of everything.
"I understand."
Auburn waves of hair cascaded about her face as she watched her
blue-haired friend talking on the phone. Chestnut eyes were almost filled
up with tears as she realized that it was time. Time to either fight or
die...
There was a click as Phoebe returned the burgundy receiver to its
base. Leaning against the edge of the desk, she closed her icy eyes and
sighed.
"Well," drawled Alice with a wrinkle of her nose as she settled into
her chair, "I suppose that we should have figured as much. They--"
"Said we're to fight," finished the one with the navy tresses. She
slowly opened one of her eyes and grinned. "They have faith enough to let
us kill her, once and for all."
The brunette had to physically suppress the urge to jump up and
scream in elation. "Finally!" she announced, grinning widely. "I've been
waiting my whole life for this! It's the beginning of everything!"
From the bed, two Guardian cats sighed in unison. All three girls
turned to glance at the furry beings that were their guardians, expecting
either a rebuke or a congratulation.
It was Orion who spoke, and they received neither.
"This isn't necessarily the beginning of ANYTHING, girls," she
reminded them in a considerate tone, deep green eyes staring directly at
them in an effort, it seemed, to delve into the trio of young souls. "It
could very well be the END of everything, including the world."
Her mate nodded in agreement, golden Moon symbol glittering in the
sunlight that was sneaking through the thick drapes. "You forget, girls,
that you are warriors." He sighed and raised his copper eyes to glance at
the ceilings. "And no one can go into a battle knowing the outcome, even
if they ARE the Sailor Scouts."
Haley's smile faded from her face as she understood what they meant.
"So, we still have to a damned good job, right?"
The calico rolled her eyes. "Not my choice of words, but yes."
"And if this is the end of everything, then..." Alice pursed her
lips uncertainly, a bit of apprehension in her tone.
"Then at least we'll go out with a bang!" chimed in the blue-haired
one, raising a single fist into the air. "After all, if WE go down, then
we get to take the world down WITH us!" She grinned a toothy grin and
winked at the last teen, who was still seated on the floor. "We won't miss
a heartbeat of action either way, right?"
Haley sighed miserably and hid her head in her hands. "Are we SURE
that I belong here?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, that's that," the girl stated softly as she rested her head on
the shoulder of the young boy beside her. "We're to fight against Queen
Ginnie and save the world from the darkness."
The four Chibi-Scouts all sat amongst the pillows and stuffed
animals atop Ambriel's impossibly large canopy bed, holding what could
have very well been their last meeting. Celeste, the ever-mature leader of
the Chibi-Scouts, was using Peter was a living pillow whilst Ambriel and
Aeris both spread out on the bed, laying on their stomachs.
For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the redheaded child, her
expression placid and slightly unhappy, rested her chin in a hand and
sighed.
"I'm the silver in the Prophesy, you know," she casually volunteered
as she wrinkled her small nose. "I'm the one who will go berserk when the
light is slain."
Nearly falling off the bed in shock, Aeris clambered to a sitting
position and stared down at the older, though smaller, girl. "Why did you
not tell us sooner?" she demanded in an angry tone, gaping at her fellow
Scout and friend. "Why did you not reassure Richard and Lyra that--"
She was silenced by a raised hand from the blonde. All eyes drifted
to the oldest of the small Scouts as she closed her large forest-colored
eyes and took a deep breath. "She figured that telling them would only
worry us all," she responded to Aeris' ranting. A single eye cracked open
once again. "Right?"
Ambriel nodded slowly, the gray of her bright eyes sparkling with
guilty tears.
"And her mother WOULD be worried," pointed out the single boy as he
raked a hand through his short hair. "Still, I don't see why you wouldn't
tell US, your fellow Chibi-Scouts."
The little Priestess chuckled and shook her head. "I wasn't sure how
you would take the news," she replied softly, afraid to make eye contact
with the still-fuming heiress of Pluto. "The light is most definitely
Mother, as I've found from other references, and I didn't know..." She
sighed and closed her eyes, holding in tears. "I'm going to loose my
mother, and I might die as well."
"But..." Peter bit his lower lip in thought, prompting his destined
to rest a gentle hand on his knee. "But, the light will overcome the
darkness...right?" The uncertainty in his voice belittled the hopeful
quality of the question.
"The Prophesy is not necessarily going to come true," his sister
stated softly, a nervousness in her tone that was quite unbecoming of the
Keeper of Time. "There can always be false prophecies, and with them can
come false hopes." She gulped and forced a smile, but the sorrow--and
fear--in her bright, colorful eyes did nothing to wipe away the trembling
in her words. "We had best be careful on our mission to defeat that which
is called the darkness." There was a pause, and then she smiled slightly.
"And," she added as an afterthought, "we had best protect Ambriel, as
well. She is, after all, our light of hope."
The Master of Time nodded and leaned back against the sea of pillows
at the front of the bed. "We have to do this, or else..."
"Or else," supplied the Keeper of the Nebulae, "we're toast."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
She fidgeted in annoyance, not a habit she was entirely happy about
having. Where were they? A glance at her watch revealed that it was, after
all, only four in the afternoon, so it wasn't as though the couple would
be out and about. And no monsters had appeared after the Mistress
Meeting...
Making a face, she depressed the buzzer button once again, holding
it down and letting the annoying, mechanical sound echo through her ears.
Her icy eyes glared at the closed door.
Then, it FINALLY swung open.
"Thank GOD, Lyra," she sighed, brushing a blue braid from her eyes
and stepping into the foyer of the apartment without invitation. "I've
been waiting for a long time!" She slipped off her shoes quickly, not
really looking at her companion. "I just HAD to tell you that the
Mistresses have made their decision and--"
Then, she froze.
Before her, in all her curly-haired glory, stood young Lyra Mokoti.
Her chest-length ringlets cascaded sloppily around her face and down her
front, tangled and mused. A large terrycloth robe, probably Richard's,
hung limply from her small form. The belt was tied into a loose, messy
knot, and was already slowly slipping undone. Ivory skin showed at the
long V-neck of the robe, and was so close to...
Phoebe paled and backed up. "Am I interrupting...something?" she
gulped nervously.
Shaking her head very, very quickly, the blonde blushed a tiny bit
and ran a hand through her mane of hair. "No, no," she responded
sheepishly, not bringing her brown eyes to meet the gaze of her friend.
"I was just...uhh...getting ready to take a shower. Yeah, a shower, a nice
long one and--"
"There's not water running," pointed out the teen with the navy
locks, a slightly devious grin creeping across her face.
Lyra's blush deepened. "I...turned the water off!" she exclaimed as
swiftly as she could, casting brief glances down the hall with every
passing statement. "I didn't want to waste the water because of the little
fishies in the sea and you know what they say about the deep blue oceans
drying up and what would Sailor Neptune do without her sea, I mean, she'd
be lost and she'd have to use Shallow Submerge or something and..."
Laughter cut her off as the braid-headed one clutched her sides and
doubled over, giggling almost helplessly. Chestnut eyes lowered
dangerously at the dramatic girl as she fell to her knees, absolutely
guffawing. A scowl crossed a pale face.
"WHAT?"
"Star..." whined a new voice, and both heads snapped to see a boxer-
clad Richard standing beside his girlfriend. His red hair was just as
messy as those tresses of his destined, and he looked rather...smug, was
it?
Phoebe coughed and straightened up, staring at him with increasing i
nterest. The young man didn't catch the wolfish grin and wrapped an arm
around his sweetheart's waist. 'Star' paled and hid her head in her hands.
"Explain THIS one, Lyra," chuckled the actress with a wink.
He suddenly understood.
Scratching his head, he feigned a yawn. "I was going to take a
nap," he managed rater smoothly, pulling his arm away from his girlfriend
and starting back toward the hall. "Boy, am I sleepy..."
"Don't look too sleepy to me, Princey-boy," grinned Phoebe, looking
him over very slowly.
He looked himself over as well...and then paled. "Ummmm... Bye!"
Lyra held back a sob. Her friend flashed her a brilliant smile.
"Be seein' ya... Have...fun..."
As the door closed, with laughter echoing down the hall of the
apartment building, Lyra clenched her fists and started toward the
hallway. "You HAD to blow our cover, didn't you?" she screamed. "You just
HAD to show up and open your FAT mouth and..."
Her voice carried through the apartment and, as she heard the yells
from the far side of the door, Phoebe smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Thunder crackled as the black-garbed woman slowly landed on the
thick, fluffy whiteness of the cumulus cloud. Her tall, leather boots shot
up from her thin ankles to meet the hem of her short, thigh-length skirt.
Her shirt, tunic light with long sleeves and certain, sorceress type flare
to it fluttered in the strong, stormy wind. Behind her, a black
thunderhead sent bolts of lightning toward the Earth. She ignored the
sounds of thunder and pelting rain as a single word came her lips.
"Sister."
There was a glittering flash of light as the Angel of the Moon
appeared, her shimmering silver tresses whipping about her in the breeze
as she glared at the shorter, black-covered woman. The disdain in her gaze
was utterly impossible to hide as she clamped her hands together at waist
level, trying to seem as composed as possible.
But the ice in her voice was frightening. "You have come to tell me
that the Sailor Scouts will come to your lair, no?" she asked bitterly,
her tone almost that of a mother rebuking her small child. "Well, Ginnie,
I knew of that before you even turned up near my realm, so I would
appreciate if--"
She was cut off by a deep, throaty laugh coming from the dark one.
Brushing strands of windswept brown-black hair away from her face, the
Queen of Evil shook her head, eyes filled with mirth. "No, no, dear
Amber," she responded rebukingly, leaning back into midair and yet not
falling. "I just came to remind you that I will win."
"I think not, SISTER," the Angel spat, the last word like flint to
both sets of airs. "I will not let you win. My daughter and the daughter
of the Gold Moon will triumph, as you will soon see." Her azure eyes
lowered to slits as she took a single step forward and caught the shorter,
muscular woman by the shirt-collar. "You have lost before, to me, and now
you will do so again!"
There was a flicker of bright yellow as the black-clothed one
disappeared and reappeared behind the Angel, Amber. With a single kick,
she tripped the woman and smiled as the taller, lithe woman fell right
onto the ground. She landed hard on her posterior with a yelp, blue eyes
immediately welling up with tears.
"Says you!" chuckled Ginnie right before she disappeared.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well," sighed Sailor Moon as she leaned against the large oak tree,
"it looks like it's time to stage a full infiltration." She buffed her
long, magenta-painted fingernails on her fuku, a casual cool about her
that was almost frightening. "Are we all ready?"
The Galactic Sailors, missing only their 'lost Scout' Earth and the
Chibi-Scouts, nodded in startling unison. Even the Starlit Prince and
Helios were present, though each man chose to keep a strange closeness to
their destined loves.
But, as always, the red-and-orange garbed Phoenix was the first to
respond. "There's only one thing that could make me MORE ready," she
stated languidly as she admired her slightly scuffed orange ballet
slippers, "and her name is T--"
"Ow!" yelped a voice from across the area, interrupting the glib
commentary from the actress. All heads turned to see a familiar teen,
clad in a tan-and-green Sailor fuku, limping across the gardens. Helping
her walk was an impossibly tall, tanned young man with bright, smiling
blue eyes.
No one needed to ask to know who it was.
"Tara!" screamed Sailor Polaris in disbelief, her jaw dropping as
she saw the taller girl at the other end of the gardens. A raven-haired
head snapped up and green eyes clashed with brown as the two Scouts stared
at one another.
And then, without warning, Sailor Earth let go of her male companion
and rushed toward the shortest Galactic Sailor, catching her in a tight
hug.
The auburn-haired teen blinked a few times, and her mouth hung open.
"Oh my God," she gaped, wide-eyed. "I don't believe it."
"If you open your mouth any further," kidded Comet with a wink,
"you'll catch some flies."
Her only response was an elbow in the ribs.
It was a long moment before the Sailor Scout of the North Star
released her friend, only to find that Earth's face had contorted in pain
and the younger girl was clutching her ribs in agony. "You alright, Tara?"
questioned the curly-haired blonde as she watched her friend double over.
"Cracked...ribs..." grunted Earth, and it was only a matter of
seconds before the strange young man rushed to her side and wrapped an
arm around her waist.
Pulling herself away from the tree trunk, Sailor Moon pushed a pink
pigtail from her pale face and circled the tall teen and her masculine
companion, giving the entire scene a stern once-over. Her red eyes lowered
slightly in the direction of the blonde man. "And who, pray tell, are
YOU?" she demanded of the stranger.
Helios sighed in exasperation; she was obviously trying to scare the
poor boy. "Maiden..."
But the tall young man didn't miss a heartbeat as he offered forth a
hand. "Sebastian Yoshiko," he introduced himself with a brave smile. His
blue eyes twinkled. "I'm Sailor Earth's dinner date for next week."
The raven-haired Scout blushed deeply and stared at the ground. But
Moon took the hand and shook it proudly, her glare and stony expression
fading to a huge smile and excited cinnamon eyes. "Well then, pleased to
meet you!"
All the other Scouts let out breaths they hadn't noticed that they'd
been holding.
"I wouldn't figure that Tara would have a boyfriend," whispered the
braid-headed Phoenix to Aurora Borealis as they watched the goings-on from
under a ginkgo tree.
The auburn-haired one cocked her head to one side, raising a single,
thin eyebrow. "And why exactly wouldn't she?" asked she, a bit confused.
Her companion shrugged. "I just figured that a Shinto priestess
might...hmmm..." She fumbled her sentence as she tried to search for the
perfect word. "Um... Might... 'blow the other way,' so to speak."
Snorting, the Sailor Scout of Light tossed her head and let a
devious smile cross her face. "You'd like that, now wouldn't you?"
Phoenix paled slightly and would have spat a quick retort had not
another person spoken first.
"The time has come," stated a young, strong voice from behind the
group, "to fight or be killed."
Heads turned to see a girl, no older than nine, dressed in a fuku of
the purest gold. Her perfectly blonde tresses were pulled into a tight
bun at the nape of her neck. With her golden staff clutched in one white-
gloved hand, the child was the very picture of maturity.
The Starlit Prince blinked blue eyes through his mask, staring.
"Celeste?" he asked, amazed.
From behind the Keeper of the Nebulae came the two Pluto twins and
Angel Moon. The slight breeze ruffled the hair of the other three
children, but none of them seemed all too concerned.
"It is time," stated Sailor Chibi-Pluto as she stepped forward,
toward the group. The Garnet Orb of her Key Staff glittered in the
sunlight as her colorful eyes glanced from one Scout to another. "As the
Guardian of Time, I suggest we depart immediately."
Aurora Borealis snorted in amusement and tossed her head. "And, as a
freaky little girl, what do you suggest?" she mumbled under her breath.
Black eyes turned her way, peering at her through half-lowered,
tanned eyelids. "I heard that," the green-haired girl growled in a low
tone. The teen immediately began to squirm under the intense gaze, which
caused the heiress of Pluto to grin. Black turned to blue as she closed
her eyes and cocked her head to one side. "And I suggest the exact same
thing!" she laughed, a certain peppiness to her voice that was
frighteningly unusual.
The Galactic Sailors laughed, taken in by the girl's antics.
However, they all knew it to be a clever façade, designed to help hide
their waning faith.
But they let the façade sink in, and even continued to smile once
the overall effect of the joke had worn off. Even the stern, stone-faced
Keeper smiled slightly, letting her other self take the reigns for just a
brief second.
And then, Sebastian shared a gentle hug with Sailor Earth and backed
away from the group, wishing all the warriors luck... And sending a threat
to the returning Scout, did she NOT come back...
As the Scouts fell into a circle and joined hands, Angel Moon sighed
and poked her mother, Sailor Moon, in the ribs. "You know what this place
needs, Mama?" she questioned off-handedly, as though the thought had just
popped into her head.
"What is that?" came the return from the pink-pigtailed Scout.
"Birds." The statement was short and precise. "This place is really
lacking in birds."
Sailor Moon chuckled and reached down, ruffling the child's hair
before taking her hand.
Silence washed over the group, and the uncertainty that they had
tried, so hard, to push away came bubbling back to the surface. Still, one
by one, they joined hands, friendship and love mingling together with
destiny for one long moment.
Then, forcing a smile, Sailor Polaris winked at the raven-haired
one beside her. "Once we beat Ginnie," she commented cheerily, "you'll
have to explain how you came back."
"But first, we've got to teach her a lesson!" grinned Sailor Phoenix
with a flip of her messy braids.
The Scout next to her rolled brown eyes and shook her head. "You
hope, don't you?" she questioned as the wind pressed her navy skirt
against her thighs.
"It'll be a total take-over!" Comet announced brightly.
"The end of evil!" chimed in the Princess of the Earth with a
charming, if fake, smile.
Sailor Polaris nodded solemnly, her grin fading away as she looked
to her friends. "This," she stated plainly, "is for the world."
"And," nodded Tara, "for us."
There was a collective nod as twelve sets of eyes closed. Invisible,
powerful energy began to crackle about the area as the warriors prepared
to travel to the hardest battle yet. The wind picked up, ruffling skirts,
hair, and capes, but yet they stayed still and focused.
"Moon Galactic Power!"
"Earth Galactic Power!"
"Polaris Galactic Power!"
"Phoenix Galactic Power!"
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power!"
"Comet Galactic Power!"
"Small Star Galactic Power!"
"Pluto Galactic Power!"
"Angel Moon Galactic Power!"
"In the name of the Silver Star!"
"In the name of Elysion!"
"In the name of Time!"
Colors shot out from each and every of the bodies, flying high into
the air and mingling together. The soil beneath their feet spilt and then
broke, with grass rising in the air as twelve voices united as one.
"Sailor Teleport!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sailor Pluto hesitated as she saw the giant helicopter looming
before her. As many times as she had lived through these goings-on, it was
always hard. She was signing her death certificate.
But she'd done so before. And she'd do it again.
"Pluto?" questioned the young aqua-haired woman.
Smiling, the Senshi of Time climbed into the Ten'oumaru and forced
back her sigh. Deep in the marrow of her bones, she could feel the pull of
destiny.
The Galactic Sailors were going to defeat the darkness.
Drawing in a sharp breath, she let the lurching of the helicopter
into the air take over her entire consciousness. She could not worry for
them.
But, nonetheless, she managed to mumble two words into the breeze.
"It starts."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
No Galactic Sailors Say, today. Once again, I got a little too
long-winded. ^_^
-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)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Alright! Next time, we fight Ginnie! Hotcha!
Side note: Haruka's helicopter in the manga is named the "Ten'oumaru."
I'm guessing that it means "Ten'ou copter." Whatever the case, I borrowed
that. And I'm sure you ALL know what's going to happen with Susan, because
they got that far in the dubbed S, but ha-ha-ha, maybe you don't!
--Kate
Author's Ramblings: Has everyone been watching the Sailor Moon dub? And
what do you think of Tenchi Muyo? I like Tenchi, and my favorite character
is easily Sasami... Or maybe Ryoko... No, I take that back; it's Washuu...
And cat-bunnies are cool!
Yes, I know, Episode 25 was pretty boring and long and obnoxious... Well,
this one will be much better, and probably more interesting, too. And
maybe, JUST MAYBE, Ginnie will stop acting like she's one screw loose of a
hardware store. Or not.
MP3 of the day: "Yume no Naka e" from His and Her Circumstance.
Miko: priestess-in-training
Ofuda: Raye's "akuryo taisan" thingies. You know, the post-it notes?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Last time...
Ambriel talked to Angel Moon about the Crystal of Illusion. We found out
what the Crystal did (FINALLY!), and two Elysionian priests came to inform
the Scouts about the Crystal. La, la, la, it was a boring story, but
Ginnie actually acted like a real badguy for all of a scene. It WAS an
awful story, but it wasn't as bad as 13, praise the Gods!
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Dead silence.
The room was filled with an eerie calm, and that was nothing that
any of its members particularly wanted.
No one knew just how to respond to the little girl, however, so not
one of the group dared speak. Eyes focused on the child as she slowly
walked over to the desk. The moss-haired one glanced nervously up from his
book, almost afraid to meet the gray-eyed gaze of the tiny girl.
Certainly, she was only a child, but the sparkle of determination and the
eerily peaceful expression on her pale face was almost frightening. She
didn't seem to be a child, any longer.
"That kid is sure looking freaky," hissed one of the teens on the
bed. There was a grunt as the braid-headed one received a stern elbow in
the stomach from her auburn-headed companion.
And then, sliding a large, dust covered book out from under the
Lunatarian history that Brice was reading, the redheaded child sat down,
cross-legged, on the floor. From the front pocket of her jumper, she
pulled a small pair of reading glasses and, slipping them onto her tiny
nose, she opened the book.
"This," Ambriel informed the group in a stern, adult voice, "is a
book of Prophesy, called 'Galactia.'" She slowly flipped a few pages of
the volume, her intense gaze never leaving the book as she spoke. "It is
the story of the Galactic Sailors, written almost a millennia ago by the
Queen of the Earth, Serenity."
Suddenly, she wrapped her fingers around what appeared to be half
the pages and flipped those over and away. Now, she was staring at the
approximate middle of the tome. She nodded to herself upon looking over
the page.
"You see," she continued toward the group, adjusting her glasses as
she spoke, "Prophesy is like a storybook that's written in advance. And
this is just one of the hundreds of volumes that are kept in the Palace."
She glanced up at the silver-haired Master of Elysion and the woman beside
him. "There is Prophesy in your world as well, right Papa?" Helios nodded,
and she continued.
"I just finished translating this book." She did not smile, nor
frown, but kept her pink lips perfectly straight. Her expression was
impassive and completely lacked emotion. She looked frighteningly adult.
"But I would like to read to you a single passage from it."
If the room had been frozen before, it was now at absolute zero.
Neither Scout nor Prince nor Priest dared to bat even an eyelash as the
child slowly raised the book onto her lap. Gray eyes lowered, focusing on
the small words before her.
Then, she began.
"Darkness and light will mingle in a battle of eternity," she read
aloud, her soprano lilt more timeless than ever before. "The light will
hold a sword high, and grant forgiveness; the darkness will hold a sword
low and run the light through. But another light, glimmering silver, will
hope and lead all from harm.
"But the light is not to be. Orange will appear and threaten the
light, and only that silver glisten of life may save the peace of the
Earth. All must battle as one before darkness is destroyed. Words must be
said, wishes granted, and then...
"Then, the orange will fade into oblivion, and the light will
reappear, leading the silver and gold to hold the world in their hearts."
Silence swept over the room as she spoke the last line. Gray eyes
slowly glanced up at the group of motley soldiers. Pink lips pursed.
The book slammed shut.
"Do you know what that means?" gaped Abigail softly as she tucked a
strand of sky-blue hair behind one of her dainty ears. "Because, if the
orange..."
"Is the Crystal of Illusion, we could be destroyed," finished the
girl for the adult, slowly rising with her book in one hand. She turned
her face up to meet the silvery gaze of the Priestess and nodded solemnly.
"I understand every last word of that passage, Mistress."
Snorting, Alice Kino leaned back on her elbows as she sat on the
Princess' bed, her deep brown eyes staring at the child. "Well, WE don't
know, Ambry," she reminded the girl in an annoyed tone, "so you could tell
us."
Cold, angry glares shot toward the auburn-haired one, but she chose
to ignore them all.
No one responded to the teen's comment for a long moment, and then
Ambriel smiled and cocked her head to one side. "Of course you don't
understand..." she grinned, flipping a strand of red hair from her eyes.
"I didn't explain it yet!"
Sighs all around. The tension lifted. The normal, happy-go-lucky
child was back, much to everyone's relief.
"Well, I guess it IS mighty confusing," continued the little girl as
she sandwiched herself between Aeris and Peter on the little pink couch.
Gray eyes darted about the room, still eerily intense, but they didn't
seem as downright frightening as before. She chewed on her lower lip for a
moment.
And then, that strange, solemn quality to her expression returned.
She was once again the timeless Angel of the Moon instead of the foundling
daughter of the Earth's Princess.
"Evil and good will fight to either end or save the world. Good will
use a 'high sword,' or be righteous, and will give forgiveness for sins.
And then the evil will use a 'low sword,' or be under-handed, and kill the
good." She paused, almost dramatically, as the warriors exchanged nervous
glances. Death was not something that any of the group was familiar with.
And they did not, rightfully, yearn to be familiar with it. And they were
worried.
And, inwardly, so was she.
Priestess... Angel... Daughter... Friend... Scout...
Destiny or not, so was she.
"But the one in silver--either the Silver Star or Silver Moon--" she
shivered inwardly, knowing which one it would be even before the battle
began "--will bring goodness anew and save the world in her own way."
Pause. She'd said 'her.' Half the Silver Star was out of the question now,
and already Richard was reaching for his young love. Oh, how she hoped
they'd see through the 'either' and know the truth!
She continued.
"This new goodness will do no good. The Crystal of Illusion will
appear, and it will threaten the goodness. The silver will be forced to
save everything--the Earth, the peace, our destinies..." She gulped and
took a deep breath. "But all power must unite as one to win.
"Then, one of the warriors will recite the magical words and invoke
the Crystal of Illusion to action. And it will work, either for good or
bad, and then--"
"What does the Crystal do?" interrupted a hasty Haley Ten'ou. She
received sorted, annoyed glares at her question, but she shook them off.
Ambriel smiled. She hadn't had to finish. She figured as much; they
didn't care if the Prophesy had a happy ending or not.
But, inwardly, she frowned.
Now one knew if the end WAS happy, yet.
"I believe," stated the white-garbed Abigail with a long sigh as she
scratched her slender fingers through her hair, "that it is time we
explain."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Dammit!" she cursed, kicking the stone wall in bitter anger as she
spoke.
Above, thunder roared and lightning flashed. Not that she could
tell. Not that it mattered. A little storm was no great threat to the city
of Tokyo.
And, obviously, she was not a threat, either.
'Having a bad day?' chided a sweet voice as a memory swept through
her mind. Tina and the others had smiled sweetly from around the kitchen
table as they all dined on instant ramen and pre-packaged iced tea. She'd
smiled and lied to all five of her minions, not wanting to seem to be
unhappy. Of course, she had been pretty angry, because...
Because...
She clenched her fists. Yellow energy crackled around her black-
garbed body. Anger seared through her.
Because of those damned Sailor Scouts! Because of THEM!
She kicked the wall again, her deep brown eyes glinting in anger,
frustration, hatred, and every other emotion known to man.
She, Evil Queen Ginnie, would have her revenge.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
He sat on the covered porch, watching the rain pour down. Every few
moments, thunder would cackle in its normal, foreboding way, and then the
lightning would flash across the sky and shed blazingly bright light over
the entire city.
From his seat, he could see the ancient brick building that was his
school. It looked so old and alone, even on a school night. Behind that
building were the silhouettes of quartz spires, shooting high into the
overcast sky. And beyond those spires were places he cared for, like
Crystal Music Academy and the Ten'ou residence.
And it was not that he cared about those places, really. He just
cared about HER, and she was connected to those places...
"You're thinking about that girl again, aren't you?" questioned a
decidedly Irish voice. He glanced straight up to see a pair of glasses-
covered eyes staring down at him.
He jumped, surprised, and dashed straight from his seat. One hand
clutched his chest as he panted, leaning against the damp porch railing
for support.
"Don't DO that!"
With an amused chuckle, Joan cocked her brown-haired head to one
side and smiled. "Well, aren't WE Mister Sunshine?" she asked
sarcastically, hopping into the now-vacant lawn chair. Her gray-green-
blue-brown (also known as hazel) eyes studied his confused expression for
a long moment, as though they'd never before seen anything like him. Then,
cupping her chin in one hand, the exchange student sighed. "At LEAST tell
me her name!"
Eric Hartford furrowed his brow. "How DO you do it?" he inquired,
unable to hid the shock in his voice.
"Do...what?" she prompted, completely lost.
"How do you ALWAYS know what I'm thinking before I flat-out say it?"
Smiling sagely, the teen crossed her legs and continued to stare at
him. "Well, we Irish-folk are quite perceptive..." Receiving no response
to the comment, she rolled her eyes and buzzed her lips, annoyed. "You've
got it written all over your face! You look like a lovesick puppy! Jeez!"
The curve of a slight smile dawned across Eric's otherwise unhappy
face. Still, he turned away from the other teen and stared out across his
lawn, watching as the giant drops of rain plopped into the swimming pool.
"Haley," he stated. "Haley Jordan Ten'ou, nineteen years old..." A sigh
escaped his lips. "And so beautiful..."
With a loud, though mocked, gagging noise, Joan pulled herself from
the single chair and crossed to the porch railing. Then, wordlessly, she
perched herself on the small, thin slat of wood, seemingly unconcerned by
her precarious balancing act. Those eyes of hers, bright and intense,
stared at his unhappy expression.
Silence...
He fidgeted just slightly, aware of the gaze that studied him so
intently. He HATED people staring at him...
Silence...
Suddenly, the collar of his school dress shirt was very tight. He
ran a finger around his neck just under the band, taking a long and deep
breath to calm his fizzling nerves.
She still stared, right next to him. He felt like a worm that had
just wriggled from the soil, only to be caught in the sights of a ravenous
robin.
Silence...
"What?!" he exclaimed nervously, springing away from the girl and
turning his copper eyes to meet her gaze. It was still eerily silent
despite the pouring rain and the occasional deep rumbling that was
lightning, but... But...
With her normal, happy chuckle, Joan grinned a toothy smile at Eric.
"Well, well, well, you think I know something, don't you?" He just stared,
completely blank, at her. "Well, I don't know anything, because YOU DON'T
TELL ME ANYTHING!" She caught him by his red school tie and dragged his
face toward hers. "And I want to know all about this girl so that I can
get you two back together!"
The grip on his tie loosened and he smiled gently at the Irish girl,
silent for a moment. Then, back to the falling rain, he stared through a
window into his family kitchen. His mother was bent over the sink, no
doubt washing dishes or doing something else of the sort. And he was
certain that his father, in his same old fashion, was sitting in the
recliner in the next room, reading the newspaper.
He imagined himself and Haley in the same way, sharing an old,
married life.
He liked that fantasy.
"I met her because my brother was marrying her sister," he began,
copper eyes smiling in memory. "And that was the beginning of
everything..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"'It is not just a crystal,'" read Brice aloud, his dark brown eyes
focused on the words of the book with a strange sort of stealth that could
really not be described in words. Everyone in the room paid rapt
attention, even as he paused to mentally translate the ancient words. "It
was created for good, I believe, but not even I can be certain. All I know
is that, now, it is truly dangerous.'"
The turn of a page. No one moved.
With every word and every breath, Abigail felt her heart begin to
break into pieces. The Sailor Scouts would undoubtedly panic at the coming
information, and she knew it. She was dreadfully worried about what would
happen... How would the five teenaged-girls and the one young man react?
And the children... She gulped as she glanced at the blonde girl, who
seemed overly knowing, and then at the Pluto twins. None of the three
seemed all too worried... THAT bothered her...
"'I cannot say that I am completely sure how this creation works,
because I do not. But, from the research both the others and I have slaved
over, I can make but one verdict: it cannot fall into the wrong hands.'"
More silence. Brice was obviously stuck on a Lunatarian word or
two, and Abigail had to truly restrain herself from just telling him to
forget it all. They couldn't very well FORGET it. This entire case was
imperative. At best.
"'This Crystal of Illusion, as I have decided to name it, brings
forth the deepest, darkest wish of the holder.'" He brushed his bangs from
deep brown eyes. "'There is a saying, though I don't know what, which will
open the gateway to this happening. The user must cradle said crystal in
their hands and then say the words of magic, and the gate will open.'" He
pursed his lips for a long moment, not bringing his eyes up from the book.
"'If one who is good uses the Crystal, then peace and perfection will
grace this planet. And, if evil uses the Crystal...'" He froze and closed
the tome solemnly. "And then, the entry ends."
Snickering and rolling her icy blue eyes, Phoebe flipped a long
braid over her slender shoulders. "Oh, yeah RIGHT," she snorted, almost
indignant as she spoke. "Like some ancient woman from the moon would
know..."
A throat cleared as Abigail forced a brave little smile and perched
herself on the edge of Brice's desk. "I wish that I could dismiss that
entry as you can, Miss Phoenix," she sighed with a slight shake of her
head, "but as a scholar of ancient lore, I cannot. Selene is known to be
bitterly accurate in her histories..."
"Meaning?" prompted Lyra, her chin resting in the palm of one of her
hands as she sat on the floor beneath Richard's chair.
Abigail pursed her lips. "Meaning," she responded softly, "that this
entry is true. And that the crystal does just as we suppose it does."
A dull silence fell over the room as all the Sailor Scouts glanced
nervously at one another. Wordlessly, the Princess of the Earth made her
way over to her Prince and buried herself in his open arms. Haley
nervously chewed on a thumbnail as the two other Galactic Sailors on the
bed just exchanged wary glances. The red-haired Prince of the Silver Star
reached out to lay a hand on the shoulder of his Princess. The three
Chibi-Scouts on the small couch all reached for each other's hands. Even
Abigail and Brice, the only two in the room how had been completely
prepared for the news, stared at one another, talking without words.
It seemed as though only Celeste, the little blonde who sat alone
and apart from the group, was completely calm. No one even seemed to
notice as she slowly rose from her seat and smoothed the fabric of her
school uniform.
"We must take the Crystal into our possession before the Evil Queen
does," she stated, the timeless quality in her voice signifying that, once
again, the Keeper of the Nebulae was doing the speaking. "We must have one
of ours use their powers to call open the power of the Crystal. It is the
only way."
"Only way?" echoed a visibly nervous Ambriel from her spot between
the two Pluto twins. She gaped at her leader, the expression on her face
one of a girl impossibly surprised. "You mean to say that we must...must
risk one of our lives to save the rest of the world?"
One of Reeny's hands gently touched her chest. She could remember
the sacrifice that was to be the Outer Senshi of the twentieth century...
Her heart ached suddenly, but she gulped the pain away.
That time, there had been no sacrifice.
"Yes." Celeste slowly pushed a golden strand of hair from her face;
she'd worn her hair that day up like her mother always had, with a single
large bow, though no one was sure why. "We must do this for the sake of
the world."
And, with that, she turned and started for the door.
"Wait!" protested Lyra as she scrambled to her feet. Her ponytail of
messy curls bobbed behind her as she shot to her feet and reached out to
the small girl who was her sister. The room fell silent as the child
turned to send her green-eyed gaze toward the young woman.
No one spoke. Eleven pairs of eyes watched as the two sisters stared
at each other, wordless for a long moment.
Then, bright forest-colored eyes lowered and the little girl sighed.
"And how, pray tell, are we to do it if we don't follow my suggestion?
More silence, eerie and cool.
And the door slammed loudly behind her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Morning dawned on Crystal Tokyo, bringing the sweet, warm kiss of
the morning sun. It was a bright, wonderful Saturday morning, one of those
days where the world seemed at both peace and rest at the exact same time.
It was beautiful and lovely and even the air throbbed with life...
A snickering brunette leaned against the mailbox of a small house on
that said Saturday, enjoying her existence immensely. Through glasses
smiled two bright eyes that resembled those of a cat. She wore a pair of
rather boring black pants and an equally nondescript T-shirt; a single
stud earring, hardly noticeable, shone in the sun from one earlobe.
She was watching the tall woman who was perched on the porch bench.
This stranger had nearly chest-length brown tresses that fell in waves
around her face and down her front. Teal eyes gazed down at a book that
was opened on her lap, and she seemed to be intently that very book. And
she didn't notice the odd, relaxed young woman who was leaning against her
mailbox.
"Haley Ten'ou," grinned the teen, brushing a strand of hair from her
face, her Irish accent cutting through the air. "Perfect..."
Standing tall, she began to stride toward the front of the house.
She let a strong, happy grin cross her face and began to wave, calling
out: "Haley! Oh my gosh, Haley, it's you!"
The older woman brushed a few strands of wavy hair from her blue-
green eyes and glanced up, staring blankly at the brunette rushing toward
her. She'd never before seen the glasses-wearing, nondescript stranger
rushing toward her, and her expression made that fact unerringly obvious.
Still, she forced a smile and tried to clear the confusion from her eyes.
"I know you!" exclaimed the Irish Joan, her smile growing with a
certain false elation that came across as real. "You're that wonderful
girl who coaches one of the Peewee Soccer teams, aren't you?"
A slight nod. A slight bit of true happiness in the otherwise fake
smile. A slight hint of understanding in her expression.
"I went to one of your games!" she continued cheerily, plopping down
on the wooden bench beside the still befuddled brunette. "You see, I'm a
schoolmate of Eric Hartford, and--"
There it was! She'd been waiting for that single spark in Haley's
bright eyes--the hint of sadness and reluctant remorse. It was only a tiny
glimmer of a tear, but Joan could see...
Where Eric still loved Haley, Haley still loved Eric.
Still, Haley managed to hold onto that certain aura of coolness and
calm that the aforementioned young man had always been amazed by. She
brushed another brown strand from her face and glanced away from the
stranger for a brief moment. "Well, that's nice..."
The Irish girl never halted in her ramblings. "--so, when he coached
your little team, I came and watched!" She smiled inwardly--a little lying
never hurt anyone. "Of course, he's a real sweetie, but I think that he
really needs a girlfriend..."
Bingo! That slight sadden washed away to hope and need and want...
If ever Joan had smiled, she was smiling her widest now. It was obvious,
even without words, that Haley was only inches away from running into the
wide open arms of her ex-boyfriend, even if she did have to cross all of
Crystal Tokyo again.
Inwardly doing a jig of complete elation, the brunette teen ran a
hand through her hair and feigned a glance at her nonexistent watch. She
was so glad that she had taught herself to read people so well as a girl.
It was really making her exchange time more...fun, to say the least.
"Oh, look at the time!" she gasped, pretending to be direly
surprised at whatever the number on her wrist was. "I must be going, but
why don't you meet me at North Street Café in an hour?" Before her
newfound "friend" could either accept or decline, she began to trot down
the driveway and toward the street. "That's a date, then! Bye!"
Haley just stared at the strange teen with the Irish voice, even
after she faded from view. Her brow wrinkled in thought; that girl, who
hadn't even given her NAME, had to be at least two years her junior, and
she couldn't have gone to Crystal Music Academy. And, as a coach, she
didn't often give out her name...
Pursing her lips, the brunette gathered up her book and started into
the house, pondering all the while.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Manic laughter echoed through the room as she sat in front of the
desk, dark eyes boring into the computer screen. Maybe it was the fact
that she'd not slept for days, but for some reason, she was feeling
very...disturbed.
The empty shells of what had once been cups of fast-food coffee were
scattered about the living room floor haphazardly, spilled over from a
garbage can that had obviously not been emptied in a few weeks. Atop the
computer desk were two carafes, but one was empty and tipped over. Steam
poured from the other pitcher, this one lidless, and a half-full mug of
the brown liquid sat beside it.
Still, all the while, there was the eerie, repetitive clatter of
fingers on the keyboard as she sat typing, her maniacal, insane giggles of
laughter echoing through the room with no end. Occasionally, a single
hand would fly from the keys to grip the mug and coffee would be sloshed
into a mouth, but even those slight reprieves from the clicking were few
and far between.
Then, there was a resounding CLUNK! and she, for the first time,
pulled her hands from the computer and paused in her giggling.
"There." The statement rang through the room as she folded her hands
in her lap and stared at the monitor, calm for the first time in days.
"Done."
A sparkle of a smile lit up her otherwise dark expression as the
woman flicked a single brown-black tress from her face and snorted at
herself. "I have finally devised a way to kill off those pesky--"
Suddenly, music began to blare through the speakers and a bright
black screen covered her fine work. She froze and watched as a little Ryo-
oh-ki began to chase a carrot around the screen. Her smile crashed into a
frown.
"Damn screen saver," she mumbled, shoving the mouse clear off the
desk. Then, she allowed her impossibly demonic grin to reappear and she
once again folded her hands. "I have finally devised a way to kill off
those pesky Sailor Scouts!" She began to laugh again, but this time it was
a time-honored devious laughter. It echoed loudly through the room.
On a map of Tokyo glittered six tiny green circles, spread about the
city.
And then, once again, she pressed the enter key.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sissy!" called a little voice as the child ran across the Cherry
Hill Temple courtyard, his blue-and-cream robes flapping in the breeze.
Purple eyes lit up as he saw the tall, slender teen standing atop the
steps, armed with a broom. "Sissy!"
Pausing in her yard-work long enough to drag the sleeve of her
kimono across her forehead, Tara forced a smile toward her small brother.
Her normally happy olive-colored eyes, however, weren't really their
normal mirth-filled selves. After all, she had been demoted to the lowest
level of miko there was. Even he, had he been a girl, would have been
beyond her training at the young age of three.
She couldn't read fire. She could only study the basic materials.
And she certainly could NOT use an ofuda, even in dire danger.
It was an unfair situation indeed. She was a Shinto again...
But at what cost?
"Sissy," panted Josh, running a shaky hand through his messy, dark
hair, "Mama says that you've gotta baby-sit for me!" He grinned proudly
and looped his thumbs in the waistband of his robes. "And that means that
we're gonna PLAY!"
Tara wrinkled her nose in annoyance. It was Saturday, the day when
both Yuuichirou adults ran off to do grocery shopping and left their two
lovely children alone.
GRAND...
"Fine," she stated blandly, twirling her bamboo broom in one hand as
she spoke. "I'll play with you..." Green eyes sparkled deviously as she
dropped said broom and hiked up her ankle-length robes to her knees.
"We'll play TAG!"
The boy screeched and began to run, screaming in mock horror, around
the temple, his older sister almost straight on his heels. She laughed,
all her depression washing away as the wind ruffled her chin-length hair.
She tore through the area after the boy, a smile dawning on her face.
And then, she ran into something large and soft.
With an audible grunt, Tara fell flat on her wrong end and went
skidding backward a bit. There was a giggle from the front of the temple,
and she didn't need to glance up to know exactly what had happened.
They'd received a patron.
Joshua had avoided a collision.
She hadn't.
"Sorry," she apologized quickly, scrambling to her feet and staring
straight at her temple sandals. "I wasn't watching where I was going,
and..." A blush crept across her face, furthering her embarrassment.
A deep, rumbling chuckle was her first response, and her guilty
coloration deepened. "Hey, it's not your fault," a masculine voice stated
comfortingly. "I should have watched, too, but it's not every day that a
Shinto Priestess nearly bowls you over..." Another laugh.
She smiled. "I'm just a lowly miko, but thank you for the
compliment..." Bringing her face up from her dirt-covered shoes, she
readied herself to glance into the eyes of a young man...
Only to find herself looking at the top portion of a man's well-
built, shirt-covered chest.
Her brow furrowed. Chest? She was five-foot-seven; chests were NOT
in her realm of possible things to see.
Tara looked up.
Blue eyes from a tanned face stared down at her. Blonde hair, wind-
blown and slightly messy, topped his head. The young man--he could be no
older than eighteen--was HUGE! He HAD to be six-foot-five, at the
least... He would have even dwarfed Richard! Then again, SHE was only a
few inches shorter than Richard...
"Sebastian Yoshiko," he introduced himself, bowing slightly. "I need
to buy one...no, TWO...charms for the prayer tree."
She gulped and pursed her lips, gaping at him. He was GORGEOUS...
Perfect azure-blue eyes... Mused blonde hair... A charming, sweet smile...
Trying to gulp back the blush that warmed her face, she grinned.
"Tara Yuuichirou..." she greeted with a similar bow. "I'm here to sell you
those two...charms..." She made a face. "I sound stupid, don't I?"
"Quite on the contrary," he responded sweetly, "you sound awfully
smart to me."
She blushed again and started toward the temple, the young man in
tow.
And Joshua giggled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"In an HOUR?" he gasped as the younger teen collapsed on the
Hartford family couch, a proud smile across her face.
Glancing at the wall clock, she shook her head slowly. He let out a
wary breath and nervously smoothed his mused gold-brown hair. Crisis
avoided... If he'd had only an hour to get ready, surely...
"She'll be there in half an hour," stated Joan in a relaxed tone,
playing with the blonde strands of her hair right at her temples. "Traffic
was awful on the way back here, so I ran late..."
Eric felt all the color drain from his face as his companion spoke.
"HALF an hour?" he gulped, immediately rushing toward the door to the
hallway. "WHY didn't you tell me this sooner?"
Surprisingly, she grabbed him by the wrist and held him back. Her
grip was strong and almost painful, and he whirled around with an annoyed
glare in his copper eyes. "What now?" he grumbled, annoyed. "If I'm going
to salvage my rel--"
"Don't fret." Her once laid-back tone of voice was now that of a
sage adult, and it sent silent shivers down his spine. "Just say what you
mean." She raised her free hand to touch his forehead lightly, the two
fingertips like ice against his skin. Then, her fingers drifted down to
lay right above his heart. "Follow your love for Haley, not your
rationale. That's what hurt her in the first place."
For a moment, he could have sworn she looked exactly like Haley. But
that was completely irrational.
Then again, rationale...
Eric leaned forward and landed a gentle, plutonic peck on her cheek,
trying desperately to burn the words into his mind. "Thank you," he
smiled, pulling free of her death-grip and starting back toward the door.
And then, the happy-go-lucky and slightly confused Joan was back,
sending him a wink. "Good luck!" she called after him.
The door shut, and she sighed in relief. "Knowing Haley," she
muttered under her breath, "you'll need it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
She stood, leaning against the side of the temple, as she watched
the young man scrawl his prayers across the two small slips of paper. The
kanji seemed to be difficult for him--he paused several times the
process--but she didn't dare ask.
Sebastian... She'd heard that name before once, in an old cartoon
movie that her mother had. But then, the Sebastian had been a tiny, red,
singing crab, and NOT a tall, blonde, gorgeous young man with bright blue
eyes and an enchanting smile...
"Miss Tara?" he questioned, interrupting her thoughts abruptly...
Not that she much minded, because it kept her from drooling over her. "Is
this the correct kanji for 'aunt?'"
Immediately pulling herself away from the building, she strode over
toward him. He was still standing at the unofficial "business counter" of
the shrine, where she had set him up to write his prayers almost a half-
hour before. But he was awkward at what he was doing, that was certain,
and...
"Completely correct!" she praised him, flashing her most dazzling
smile in his general direction. "But how come you needed to ask?"
Beginning to fold the sheets into short, long strips, he sighed. "I
live here with my mother and step-father," he explained with a slight hint
of sadness in his voice. "My real father died when I was twelve..." He
sighed sadly and shook his head a bit. "I grew up in Sweden, but my mom
moved here for work when I was fourteen and found my step-dad..." He
shrugged and started over toward the large, budding prayer tree, only
partially cognizant that the miko was still behind him. "Which is okay, I
suppose... Still, even if I DO speak extremely good Japanese, kanji is all
Greek to me!"
She laughed at his comment, a single hand flying to cover her mouth.
"Sorry," she apologized, glancing at her feet for what seemed to be the
hundredth time that day. "I shouldn't laugh at your troubles..."
"Laugh all you want!" he retorted, blue eyes sparkling as he glanced
down at the significantly shorter girl. "Like I'm not used to it!"
He pulled one of the strips of paper from his closed fist and raised
his hands to the tree branch. All of Tara's mirth faded as she watched his
fingers slowly tie the sheet into a knot around the tiny bough. He was so
serious about it... So careful...
"I wish," breathed Sebastian softly, staring up at the new prayer
he'd just added, "that aunt Yukino will get better soon..." He smiled
slightly and pulled out the second sheet.
Tara furrowed her brow. Had he needed help on that second paper? No.
How...odd... Well, if he had been able to write all that about his aunt
without a major problem, perhaps he was more expert at kanji than he'd
admitted...
"And I wish that this beautiful shrine maiden, though she's 'only a
miko,' will grace my presence at dinner tonight."
As he turned to send her a long, imploring glance with bright,
smiling eyes, the young woman felt her face go completely crimson. She
gulped and looked down at her feet yet AGAIN. "Uhh...well..."
Suddenly, the world seemed to shake. A giant, booming rumbling that
sounded something like the croaking of a bullfrog echoed through their
ears as both teens were thrown from their feet.
And then, it appeared...
A giant frog, bright green and almost fifteen feet tall, was
standing in the middle of the courtyard of the temple!
She bristled noticeably and glanced from the frog toward her house.
The little living area that jutted out from the temple proper was too far
for even her to run; the Sailor Scouts would never be able to get a phone
call in time, and she would probably get fried in the process. She
scrambled to her feet in time to be knocked sideways by another mighty
croak, and she landed with a THUMP! next to her newfound blonde friend.
"Get Josh," she growled, clambered back onto her feet and clutching
at a branch of the prayer tree for support as the ground once again
shuddered beneath them. "Go into the temple and have him call Reeny."
Sebastian, also standing shakily on his feet, knees almost knocking
in fear, just blinked.
Her light green eyes lowered dangerously into the hardened glare of
a Sailor Soldier, and it was a glare that she hadn't used for months. A
lump grew in her throat as she saw the genuine worry and concern in her
companion's face.
"Please," she begged, her voice softening and angry glower melting
away, "take my brother and protect yourself..." She forced a smile as,
once again, the entire temple shook. "I'll go out with you and buy you a
steak dinner if you do..."
Grinning, he ran off toward the front of the shrine. She knew, of
course, that it was a fake smile, but...
Tara clenched her fists and started right for the monster, her
strides lacking all fear as she neared it. She really didn't have much to
live for, anyway... So, why not?
"You threaten the happiness of youth!" she screamed at the large
frog, never slowing her quick steps. Her robes fluttered in the breeze, as
did her hair, but she never wavered. Her eyes were locked in a glare,
even as the monster turned to gape at her.
This was the real her. The Sailor Scout. With or without the powers
and the Locket.
So be it.
"Agent of love and justice, I am the pretty ex-Sailor Soldier Sailor
Earth!" She dug into her pocket and pulled out the forbidden fruit of her
past days of a priestess--an ofuda. She wasn't supposed to have it, but
she could deal with that at a later date. Right now...
"And, in the name of the Earth, I will punish you! Akuryo taisan!"
The slip of paper soar through the air and magically adhered to the
brow of the huge frog monster. She stood, motionless, at its feet,
waiting.
Silence. Not a croak came from the giant frog. She could feel her
heart pounding in her ears. It hurt dreadfully, and she could feel a
headache slowly building. Her muscles loosened slowly, and she let out her
held breath.
Suddenly, the ofuda fell from the monster and collapsed to the
ground, bursting into flames. Tara gasped and stumbled backward, but it
was too late.
The frog took one of its huge forelegs and kicked out. She grunted
as the green foot slammed into her gut and threw her against the far fence
of the temple. She coughed and closed her eyes.
"Earth Galactic Power!" screamed a small, childish voice. "Don't
give up, Sissy!"
Slowly, she willed her heavy eyelids to crack open. There, in front
of the prayer tree, were both Sebastian and Joshua. The tall man was
trying desperately to drag the little boy toward the temple proper, but it
did not good. The dark-haired child was both stubborn and quick, wriggling
just enough to cause the blonde teen trouble.
She wasn't a Sailor Scout.
Still...
Climbing carefully to her feet, the teen grabbed onto the fence and
glared up at the staring frog-creature. Her legs were weak, but she
managed to stay standing. "You're...punished..." she coughed, raising one
hand aloft.
"Go Sissy!" Josh was still fighting, but it was now a losing battle;
in only moments, he would be in the safe-haven of the temple.
In just as much time, she'd be dead.
So be it.
"Earth... Galactic... Power..." she stammered, her chest aching from
the blow she'd received.
The frog readied what would be her fatal croak.
"MAKE UP!"
There was a flash of green from the heavens.
And the world went black.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"I TOLD you, Helios!" scolded Sailor Moon in her best 'mother hen'
voice as the duo made their way to the front doors of the Palace. "Tara's
in trouble! Some guy called from the temple and said there was a monster!"
The young, silver-haired man sighed and shook his head slowly.
They'd been in an IMPORTANT meeting with the two Elysion priests when
she'd insisted on rushing off. The day he understood that girl was far
away...
He hoped it would at least come before the wedding.
"It was an IMPORTANT meeting, Maiden!" he stressed in the same tone
he'd used on Abigail when she'd shown up at the Palace. "We can't just
walk out on things like--"
Helios was interrupted by the dull thundering sound of something
smacking straight into Crystal Palace. The entire building trembled with
the force of impact, sending him onto his posterior before he could think
of balancing himself.
Sailor Moon, however, seized one of the ornate candleholders that
adorned the walls and used it to steady herself.
Then, as suddenly as it had began, the shaking ended.
"Monster attack," breathed the young woman, pushing a pink pigtail
out of her face as she stared toward the large marble doors at the front
of the hallway.
He clambered to his feet and grabbed onto a similar candleholder
without thought. "You've GOT to be kidding!" he gaped, still unsure about
his standing position. "You MEAN to say that something attacked us AGAIN?"
"You bet your tunic, dear," she retorted quickly, pulling her sword
free of the scabbard and starting toward the main entry doors. Her quick
trot caused her heeled boots to echo on the floor. "And I bet that's what
Tara's up against, too!"
Gulping back the fear and bile that mixed in his throat, the young
man followed.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"WHOSE bright idea was it for us to take a long walk in the park?"
he grumbled, dodging yet another ball of fire.
His companion let fly a bright silver ball of stardust and send a
glare right toward her tuxedo-clad destined. "Can't we argue LATER?" she
growled as the giant frog-monster picked up a park bench and tossed it
straight toward her. She dove away from it and grunted. "Call the Scouts
on your cell phone or something!"
The Starlit Prince threw a few roses and watched as they were
deflected right off the sinewy skin of the frog-creature. He grimaced.
"I think," he called to Sailor Polaris after a rain of fireballs
nearly pummeled him into the ground, "that we need a Princess!"
Hands on hips, the young woman tossed her blonde curls. "What about
her PRINCE, Richard?" she growled, her tone icy.
"Star, I really don't..."
Another fireball flew from the frog's mouth, and it was all the
blonde teen could do to dive out of its way. She landed in a large pine
bush, not the ideal place, but it could have been worse...
Climbing from her landing place, she brushed her fuku off a flashed
him a dazzling smile. One hand flew into the air above her head as she
slowly focused her energy.
Then, she closed her eyes.
"In the name of the Silver Star!"
There was a flash as glittering blanket of silver enveloped her
body. Stardust flew around her body as she opened bright brown orbs and
glared straight at the frog.
In the open palm above her head, the stardust about her began to
gather into a ball. The blanket of silver turned into a gown of the same,
perfect color. Her tiara faded into nothingness, and a glimmering, five-
pointed star appeared in the center of the forehead. She looked almost
terrifying as she pulled the orb of dust down toward her chest and pointed
the palm of her hand at the frog.
With a resounding gulp, the frog hopped backward, only to run into
the trunk of an enormous oak tree. In fact, the small cleared area that
created the path was so shockingly narrow that it had no escape route to
speak of; it was either through the trees or through one of the two
soldiers.
It didn't like either option.
"Starlight..."
Black eyes closed.
Richard smiled slightly. He'd be hearing about his lack of help for
the rest of the week.
"STREAK!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
He scuffed his sneakers together nervously, his sweaty hands almost
unbearable. Five minutes... Five minutes... Five...
The radio that played outside the tiny café was blaring the news: a
monster had appeared near Crystal Palace once again, threatening the lives
of the Royal Family. He'd tried to remain curiously aloof to the news, but
he knew that she was friends with the Princess, and that worried him. What
if she didn't come because of the monster?
Laughing at himself, he sniffed at the twelve red roses he was
holding. For her, this was the least that could be done. For her, he would
traverse the galaxy and beyond. For her...
There! Only a block down, not even, was the brown-haired angel that
the world called Haley Ten'ou. Her stride was quick and frantic, a
completely abnormality to his mind. In fact, in the past three years, he'd
NEVER seen the sporty young woman the least bit nervous.
Then, she ducked into the nearest alley.
That was it! Eric Hartford dropped the roses on the ground and
rushed toward the place that she'd last stood. Haley hadn't even noticed
his presence, and usually she could downright SENSE him when he was near.
What was going on?
The radio continued its less-than optimistic telling of the monster
attacks, stating that three more creatures had been reported in the last
half-hour. Eric didn't listen; he was a bit too worried about the brunette
woman who he yearned to call his own.
Slowly, cautiously, he peered around the corner of the building...
"Comet Galactic Power, MAKE UP!"
His breath catching in his throat, the young man watched as bright
orange and silver ribbons exploded in midair. Surely, this couldn't be HIS
Haley!
But the voice...
But the long, brown hair that flowed about her like an angel's
wings...
But the bright teal eyes that glanced his way, staring...
Sailor Comet appeared and did not hesitate in stomping right over to
the young man and seizing him by the collar. "Listen, you," she growled
angrily, her large eyes boring straight into his soul, "I told you to
leave me alone and get out of my life." Her scowl darkened. "And now..."
The tone of her voice lowered another five or six octaves, until she
sounded more angry and vengeful than ever before. "Now, you know my only
secret."
Eric shivered involuntarily. Never had he seen the sweet, kind young
woman so mad. It was seriously frightening... But then again, this wasn't
Haley; THIS was Sailor Comet, her unknown alter ego.
And he wouldn't be loving her if he didn't love this soldier before
him, too...
"Don't get yourself killed, Haley," he whispered, copper eyes soft
and caring as he stared right into her glare. "I...I love you, and nothing
in the world will ever change that."
The teal-eyed glower melted, softening into a kind, loving gaze.
Tears welled up, and her breathing quickened. He... He loved her? He
finally realized that he loved her?
She blinked away the tears and loosed her grip on his shirt,
bringing back her stoic Sailor Scout mask of an expression. "I won't," she
quickly assured him, pulling her gaze from his. Then, wordlessly, she
brought her head back up and caressed one of his cheeks with a gloved
hand. "Just don't leave me ever again, Eric." Her voice wavered slightly.
"Never again," he vowed, taking her hand in his and landing a
gentle kiss in the cloth-covered palm. A slight smile crept across his
face. "I've lost you enough times to last all eternity, and I've had
enough of it."
Sailor Comet smiled as well, her teal eyes once again welling up
with tears. She leaned forward and gently brushed her lips across his
before leaping high into the air and starting toward whatever evil had
appeared.
Sighing, Eric leaned against the cool brick of a nearby building and
touched his lips. "I finally found her again," he whispered to himself, a
smile crossing his face slowly. "I found her and she's forever mine..."
And, from where she leaned against a phone booth across the street,
Joan grinned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What is going ON?" yelled Sailor Phoenix from her perch in a large
oak tree as she furiously punched buttons on her tiny computer. "Moon,
Polaris, the Starlit Prince, Helios, Comet, Chibi-Pluto, Angel Moon,
Chibi-Star, and the Master of Time are all caught up in battle, too!" Her
ice-colored eyes lowered toward the screen. "And a massive eruption of
energy was released at Cherry Hill just moments ago!" She glanced down at
her companion, confused. "What do you think?"
Sailor Aurora Borealis sent out a mighty rainbow wave before turning
to glare up at her fellow Scout. The giant frog-creature was thrown
halfway across the courtyard of Crossroads School, roaring out in agony
all the way. Massive, boulder-sized lumps of ice were scattered about the
area, along with what was left of part of a science classroom. The
annoyance in the auburn-haired Scout's voice was unmistakable as she
spoke.
"I think you should help me fight, THAT'S what!"
Rubbing the back of her neck guiltily, the younger Scout hopped out
of the tree. "Uh... Good idea?" she questioned.
As she began to stalk toward the monster, Aurora Borealis just
rolled her brown eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"How'd I get stuck fighting with YOU, again?" asked the girl
sarcastically as she watched the giant frog-monster attempt climb out of
drained community pool. Its webbed feet kept slipping from the deck's
smooth tiles, and it kept crashing back into the large hole. For the first
time in her young life, she was grateful that the pool was so deep.
The little boy snorted and leaned on his Time Key, a habit that he'd
picked up from watching his mother. "Some destined love YOU are," he
snorted in annoyance, tossing his head of messy brown hair indignantly.
"How come the Prophesy stuck US together, anyway?"
Tossing a golden pigtail, the older of the two cast her tuxedo-clad
companion a dirty look. "Well, ex-CUSE me, Mister Master of Time!" she
exclaimed as she folded her arms across her chest. "I was just curious to
why WE'RE always stuck fighting off monsters--just me and you--without the
other Chibi-Scouts!" Her green-eyed gaze focused uncertainly on her
sandal-covered feet. "I didn't mean it like you took it..."
The genuine apologetic twang to her tone sent shivers down his
spine. Aeris had often chided him about jumping to conclusions, and now
he'd hurt the girl he was supposed to fall in love with... He wrinkled his
nose. Four-year-olds weren't supposed to worry about love! What WAS it
with that Prophesy, anyway?
"I'm sorry, 'Leste," he whispered, crossing the ten feet between
them and laying a hand on one of her shoulders. "I thought... And with the
monster..."
Turning toward the young boy, the blonde-haired Scout smiled gently
and swallowed hard. Before, she had looked as though she was going to cry,
but no longer. "I'm sorry too, Peter," she responded, uncrossing her arms
and drawing him into a tight hug before he could even think to protest. "I
didn't mean to offend you..."
Suddenly, a roar from behind them heralded one fact: the frog had
escaped its little prison that was the waterless pool. Both Chibi-Scouts
whirled around and took up battle-ready poses as the creature threw out
giant balls of crackling lightning.
Diving out of the way of an attack, Sailor Chibi-Star called out to
her partner. "How about we make up later?" she yelled, thrusting a hand
into the air and pulling out the Staff of Nebulae.
"Good idea!" agreed the boy right before letting a Dead Scream cut
through the air. "Right now, we've got a butt to kick!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I cannot say that I completely understand what is occurring,"
commented Sailor Chibi-Pluto sternly, her high-pitched voice echoing
through the air as she repelled a water attack with a swing of her Key
Staff. "But I cannot say that I enjoy it, either!"
Angel Moon fluttered her wings as she soared above the monster,
sending a shower of silver bolts from her hands onto the creature's large
back. "Well, why not discuss that LATER?" she yelled, dodging a stream of
steaming water as she spoke. "Right now, we're fighting!"
"Comet Crater Close!" The brunette Galactic Sailor dove away from
where a giant hole had opened in the pavement. "And we're winning!" she
exclaimed excitedly, raising a fist skyward and closing her teal eyes.
"What are you doing, Sailor Comet?" questioned the green-haired
Scout of Time hesitantly, watching her older cousin's motions.
The eldest of the three did not respond, even as she heard the frog
attempt to climb out of the large pit in the concrete of Crystal Music
Academy's parking lot. "By the name of the Comets," she breathed, an
invisible wind flowing around her body and musing her long hair, "I pray
you to banish this creature to the other world."
She opened her hand. Bright orange light poured down from the
heavens and surrounded her.
"Comet..."
A giant ball of what seemed to be rock and fire appeared in the sky
above her head.
"Eternal..."
The pit that had become the parking lot's center opened farther and
began to fill with what appeared to be molten lava.
"Fiery..."
Orange light died. The ball began to waver. The frog roared out in
pain and fury.
"CRATER!"
There was a crash as the boulder of fire and rock slammed into the
large, round crater that had appeared. Lava and rock fragments splashed
out of the gorge and landed about the lot. Smoke billowed out of the mess
and encircled the area.
When the dust and haze had cleared, nothing was left of the monster
except a colossal, steaming pit in the center of what had once been the
Academy's parking lot.
"Wow!" exclaimed tiny Angel Moon with a gasp as she gaped, gray eyes
wide, at the hole. She landed daintily beside the brown-haired Scout, red
hair blowing in the slight breeze. "I didn't know you were THAT strong!"
"Quite odd indeed," nodded Chibi-Pluto as she strode over to her two
'partners,' Key Staff in hand. "What is an eternal fiery crater, dear
Comet?"
The Sailor Scout of the Comets just shook her head slowly, still
staring in complete disbelief at the aftermath that her attack had caused.
"I don't know what I did," she replied to the small girl, "but I do know
one thing."
The young Guardian of Time glanced up at her companion. "Which is?"
she prompted.
"My parents are going to KILL me."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Hannah climbed into the small, banana-yellow convertible quickly,
avoiding the bright gazes of the two other women. Settling herself into
the backseat, she prayed that her parents didn't attempt to strike up a
conversation.
It didn't work.
"You know what this means, don't you?" questioned the blonde without
turning around as she pulled the vehicle away from the curb.
She tried to respond as quickly and nonchalantly as possible. She
didn't want to discuss this. The memories from the last time were still
burnt into her mind. "I do."
"And?" The voice of the aqua-haired beauty was almost lost by the
sound of the wind rushing about.
Almost. Yet she could still hear her mother's prompt, and it echoed
through her ears.
She sighed and leaned against the black leather of the backseat,
considering what reaction her answer would receive.
Then again, she had to answer as anyone in her place would.
"I believe that they need to do it alone this time," she stated, her
purple eyes focusing on the bright sunshine that flowed down from the
heavens. "I think that the only destiny they have is to stand up for
themselves."
The spark of a smile crossed the face of her blonde mother. "You
know what, Hannah?"
"What?"
"I think that, this time, you're right."
She smiled in return. The Outers were decided.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, only to see bright white. White?
Nothing was white in her home! Where in the world was she?
Her entire body ached something awful as she attempted to sit up.
Twisting and writhing, she tried to get her bearings... But her sides
burned, and there was something sharp plunged into her hand. An attempt to
pull it out did nothing more than send the sharp feeling of pure pain
shooting up her arm.
She yelped out in pain and looked at the evil, pain-causing
implement.
It was an I.V.
And it all made sense, suddenly.
And, much to her absolute horror, she knew exactly where she was.
"How the Hell did I get in the hospital?!" roared Tara, brushing her
messy hair from her face as she searched her room desperately for someone
who would know what was going on. "When I find the IDIOT who--"
"And she rejoins the world of the living," sighed a deep, masculine
voice from the doorway.
The teen quickly turned her head toward the source and held back a
gasp. The young man's tall form crossed the room toward a small, plastic
chair beside the bed. And he offered forth a brown paper bag.
Snatching it away, Tara tossed her hand indignantly. "You called the
hospital on me?" she snorted, trying to sound as angry as possible...
despite the fact she was actually flattered. "I've taken worse shots than
THAT before..."
"I would guess so, Sailor Earth," stated Sebastian with a slight
smile, leaning back in his seat as he folded his hands in his lap. The
pallor that quickly covered her face caused him to smile amusedly. "What?
Did you think I wouldn't have figured it out once that giant bolt of green
obliterated the monster, Tara?" He chuckled. "You have GOT to be kidding!"
She held back her urge to start shaking and, instead, clutched the
paper bag in her fists.
Green light? That was impossible! There was no such thing that
could... Unless...
Slowly, Tara began to open the large bag, her breath coming in
ragged gasps. She could feel the blue eyes of her companion staring, but
she ignored it.
The only thing with those magical properties was...
And she wasn't...
But, could it be that...
Within the dark recesses of the bag, laying atop her tattered temple
robes, was the Locket of the Earth.
For a moment, she could swear that her heart stopped. A trembling
hand cautiously reached toward the tiny tan-and-green disc. She was
frightened that it would disappear if she moved too quickly. But...
The metal was cool against her skin. An amazed smile crossed her
face as she pulled it from the bag and shoved the rest of her belongings
off the bed. She entire self was trembling, and yet...
Yet...
"Where did you get this?" she inquired of the young man beside her,
bright eyes staring adoringly at him. "Surely..."
"It appeared," he told her softly, reaching out and taking her free
hand in one of his and squeezing it gently. "When you said the words,
there was a flash of green light." He gestured toward the locket. "THAT,
Tara, is what killed the monster and saved you." He slowly reached up and
brushed a tear from one of her delicate cheeks. "Is something wrong?"
All Tara could do for a moment was shake her head; her voice was
caught in her chest, and it would not come. Then, after a long bout with
silence, she chuckled.
"I never thought," she whispered, the tears still falling down her
face, "that this day would come. I never thought I would see this locket
again."
Sebastian raised a blonde eyebrow. "May I ask...why?"
She sent him a sweet smile and shook her head once again. "Another
time..." Then, she wiped the smile away and glanced about. "Where's Josh?"
she questioned frantically, suddenly aware that she was missing her little
sibling. "Is he okay? Is--"
"Yes, he's FINE," stressed the blonde man, trying to calm her down
as quickly as possible. "He went over to a friend's house... Someone named
Mokoti, I think..." The relief that washed over her expression was too
obvious to be missed. "Your father will be here shortly, and your mother
has a meeting..." He furrowed his brow for a moment. "Something about
Mistresses, maybe?"
"A MEETING OF THE MISTRESSES?!" gasped Tara, trying desperately to
pull the needle from her hand while climbing out of the bed. "Oh, Kami! I
have to tell the others! And the cats and--"
Her tall companion caught her around the waist and gently placed her
back in the hospital bed. "You have three cracked ribs, Tara," Sebastian
pointed out quickly before she had a chance to protest. "I don't want to
see you hurt any more than you already are."
She crossed her arms indignantly, completely annoyed. He didn't
understand that it was a MISTRESS Meeting... He didn't comprehend...
But he was looking out for her, which was...sweet...
"Why not?" she spat, tossing her head of raven tresses as she spoke.
Sighing, the young man set himself down on the bed beside her and
wrapped an arm around her waist. "Because I feel a strange...pull...toward
you, Miss Miko." A gasp escaped her lips, and he smiled. "And then, of
course..."
"What?"
Sebastian leaned toward her and brought his lips toward her ear.
"You also," he whispered in a low tone, "owe me a steak dinner."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"To think that there's a Meeting of Mistresses going on right this
moment," sighed Phoebe, hugging a stuffed Kermit the Frog to her chest as
she stared out her bedroom window. "I thought that we were beyond the
point of relying on the Mistresses for everything." She shook her head
slowly and laid down on her bed, hiding her head in her thick crimson
quilt. "I guess I was wrong."
Of her five companions, the first to respond was a rather average-
looking teen with wavy auburn tresses. She glanced at the depressed braid-
haired teen and snorted in annoyance. "You need to stop worrying about
stuff like that!" exclaimed Alice with a roll of her bright walnut-colored
eyes. "Whatever happens, happens! We can't stop those ridiculous women
that we call our mothers any more than we can stop the wind or the rain!"
Ice-blue eyes blinked in confusion. The Kino teen just muttered
less-than-kind things under her breath, not trying to clarify her point.
"I THINK," put in Haley quickly before an argument, as mock as it
would be, broke out between the two, "that she meant to say...uhh..." She
wrinkled her nose. "What exactly DID you mean this time, Al?"
With a chuckle, Orion raised her furry head and glanced up at the
brunette. "What Alice meant," she told the Sailor Scout of the Comets,
"was that we can't stop the Mistresses." She rolled onto her stomach to
turn her green eyes toward the indignant girl in the desk chair. "She
meant that they, as you, are creatures born of free will."
She flashed a charming smile at the teen in question. "Right,
Alice?"
"Something like that..." came the dejected reply.
A teary-eyed Orb sniffled and adjusted his position on Phoebe's
pillows. "I am just so proud of you girls," he croaked, trying vainly to
wipe his running nose with a fuzzy paw. "Three years ago you were horrible
excuses for warriors of love and justice--"
Three teens glared, annoyed, at the orange-and-white ball of fur.
"--but you're now actually proud, powerful Scouts!" He let a single
tear escape his copper eyes. "I can't describe how pleased I am to see
your improvement!"
Sitting up, Phoebe clobbered him with the stuffed animal and sent
him an annoyed glare. "Thanks for your faith, dear Guardian," she grumbled
sarcastically.
"Mercifully, the angel of cynicism appears," retorted the cat under
his breath, receiving another smack in the head with a pillow in response.
"Ow!" he exclaimed as the blow cracked him right across the nose. "Watch
it, would you?"
"Enough." The calico's command was stern and stubborn, as all
commands had to be when centered on her Moon Cat mate. "We're here to
discuss the Meeting of the Mistresses, NOT to beat Orb silly."
The navy-haired teen crossed her arms over her chest and pouted
playfully. "Phooey."
With an haughty huff into his whiskers, the aforementioned Guardian
glared at his charge. "Listen you, I--"
A glare from his mate silenced him.
Haley sighed and leaned back against the wall, her teal eyes staring
contemplatively up at the ceiling. "In watching my parents," she commented
half-heartedly, "I think that they believe in us."
"Misplaced enthusiasm," grunted the auburn-haired smugly from her
seat. She turned her half-closed eyes toward her older friend. "I heard my
mother talking to Mrs. Mokoti today, and--"
"Where IS Lyra, by the way?" interrupted the tomcat from his spot on
the bed. Everyone turned to look at him, glances ranging from confused to
annoyed. He shrugged off the looks and shrugged. "Just wondering! I
haven't seen her in days!"
Chewing on a thumbnail, the braid-headed teen cocked her head to one
side. "She's been out of sorts ever since Tara abandoned us," she sighed,
shaking her head a bit. "I worry about her..." She sent a meaningful
glance at the auburn-haired one. "Or am I the only one who noticed?"
Alice nearly fell off her seat as she tried to feign innocence.
"She's a big girl!" she pleaded frantically, all color quickly draining
from her face. "I didn't think that it was that big of a problem, given
that she's just like that anyway and...and..." She batted her eyelashes
innocently and snatched a pair of large, pink-rimmed sunglasses from
Phoebe's desk, throwing them on haphazardly. "You wouldn't kill a Senshi
in glasses, now would you?"
"Give me those!" commanded the brunette on the floor. Deftly, she
sprung to her feet and pulled the eyewear from her friend's face. Turning
to face the youngest of the threesome, she glared daggers at Phoebe.
"These are MINE!"
Paling, the actress tried to hide herself under the quilt of her
bed, inadvertently throwing her Guardian onto the floor. "I was going to
give them back," she cowered, her icy eyes glancing at the floor. "I
didn't think..."
Haley grabbed a pillow and dove for her friend, instigating a
scuffle. Alice, seeing that she was being ignored, took the opportunity to
boot up the blue-haired girl's laptop computer and play video solitaire.
From their places on the floor, the two Guardian Cats sighed and
hung their heads.
"Sometimes," grumbled Orion, "I wonder if they'll EVER make it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It has been three years," stated the Queen of the Earth softly, her
tiny hands folded demurely on the tabletop, "since we have been together
in this room. And now, we must make the same decision."
All seven of the present Planet Mistresses adverted their gazes as
their young Queen glanced about the room, trying to read expressions and
pull emotions from eyes. While they'd all been taught as Senshi to hide
their feelings under a mask of stone, it was hard hiding from Serenity.
She wasn't just the Queen of the Earth; she was their friend and princess,
a woman that each of them had, separately, died for.
Smiling slightly, the blonde woman leaned back in her large oak
chair. They could play these games for ages; in the end, she would win.
"However, before we begin this Meeting of the Mistresses, I have an
announcement."
That statement caught their waning attentions. Each of the women
raised a head, a sea of colorful eyes turning right toward the small, if
powerful, woman. Serenity's smile was almost a smirk, and it made one fact
blatantly obvious...
Mistress Jupiter tossed her ponytail and reclined in her seat, arms
crossed at the chest. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"
A nod, and then:
"Sailor Earth has returned."
The response lacked in both dramatic pause and overall delivery, but
the words meant enough to them all, regardless.
For a reason left unexplained, the purple-garbed Mistress of Saturn
went unsurprised by the announcement. The other Mistresses, however, were
shocked past words.
"Re...returned?" gaped Venus, always the first to recover, as she
stared in shock at the Queen. "How on Earth could she have returned?"
Silently, the Mistress of Destruction mouthed...
"Miraculous Crisis Make Up," Serenity stated, words in perfect sync
with the silent comment that the youngest Mistress was making. "We all
remember that, do we not? In a time of desperation and need, I--"
"Then how the HELL did it work for Earth?" interrupted the masculine
woman from her spot between Neptune and Jupiter, not particularly noticing
that she had entirely missed the point.
Her aqua-haired wife shook her head slowly, sighing in exasperation
as she placed a small hand on her partner's forearm. "'In a time of
desperation and need,' dear," she repeated gently. "If Tara was in
trouble--"
"There was a monster," cut in Mars softly as she ran a shaking hand
through her long, raven tresses. "I was told it just vanished, but now, it
all makes sense."
Silence washed over the room as the seven Mistresses pondered the
meaning of their Queen's words. There was a question that all ached to
ask, but not one could find their voice...
Then, calmly, the Mistress of Mercury raised her navy eyes up from
the table and glanced across the expanse of oak to stare her Queen
straight in the face. "What does it mean?" she inquired timidly, as though
afraid to speak.
Neo-Queen Serenity smiled sadly and straightened her spine. Golden
pigtails cascaded down her back as she took a deep breath and answered.
"It means that the Galactic Sailors are ready to fight. And that
means that this Meeting of Mistresses is now in order."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I feel like we're the silent cheering section," grumbled Terrence
miserably, his chin resting on a fist as he stared out the big picture
window. "The people we love are about to go off to battle and we're stuck
staring at the sunset."
Rolling his bright green eyes, Chad leaned back in the recliner and
held out his empty glass toward the single woman in the room. "Oh, Miss
Urawa..."
Marie flipped a strand of silver hair and snatched the cup away, but
not before shooting Terry an EXTREMELY dirty look. "I don't believe you
invited me over to serve you apes at YOUR OWN HOUSE," she growled in a low
tone, her deep brown eyes sparkling dangerously.
"It's not OUR fault," protested Brian as he juggled the baby in his
arms. "All the women are out for the day."
Muttering things to herself, she stormed out, glass in hand.
Eric chuckled. "Did Hannah know what she was getting into BEFORE she
married you?"
The retort from his brother was low and quick in coming. "Does Haley
know what SHE'S getting into?"
All the men, both the young and the eternal, laughed at the blonde
man's joke. Still, it was a nervous, forced laugh, and they all knew that
someone would say 'it,' the thing they feared most.
The man of choice was Ken. He rested his hands behind his head and
sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Do you think that they'll fight
again?" he questioned softly, looking to all the others for an answer. "We
all remember LAST time."
"They have to do it, though," put in Chad as he glanced at the
auburn-haired adult. "They're fighting for so much this time."
The Prince of Pluto nodded solemnly. "They're fighting for the
past..."
"And the present," put in Eric.
The blonde with the fussy daughter sighed and gulped back tears.
"And the future."
A sigh sounded from the doorway, and the group of men turned their
heads as one to focus on the silver-haired young woman who was leaning
against the doorframe. Absently, she sipped some sort of pink liquid from
a glass and stared out at the setting sun through the window.
"I hope they win," she stated in a mournful tone. "I can't live
without them."
"Hey!" protested the shaggy haired temple-dweller as he watched the
woman down the rest of her drink. "That's MY lemonade!"
Marie tossed him the glass and rolled her brown eyes. "If you want
it so bad," she responded, "get it yourself."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The room was silent. None of the Mistresses spoke. From Serenity's
news of Sailor Earth's remarkable recovery, they knew that it was true.
It was time for the Galactic Sailors to fight.
On their own.
"This is the hardest thing I will ever say," sighed Mistress Mercury
in a hesitant tone as she raked a hand through her short hair, "but I
think that the girls have to go this on their own."
Her statement earned no response from the group of silent, apathetic
women. Even Venus, who was usually both emotional and illogical during
such meetings, had a certain calm, assured manner about her that was
almost unsettling in nature.
The Queen of the Earth had to physically hold back a smile,
something that she had never done. Throughout her life, both Scout and
Mistress Meetings had been filled with a certain...nervousness...that
washed over all that attended. They'd oft forced smiles, trying to
reassert their hopeful attitudes on life. And those smiles oft did no
good.
But, this time, Serenity knew. She could feel her whole self tingle
with the excitement and certainty of this one decision. It was the first
time in her thousand years of life that she could predict the outcome of
their meeting.
The Galactic Sailors would fight.
"Yeah!" chimed in Uranus after a long pause. She slammed her hand
into the tabletop for emphasis as she spoke. "Those girls are slightly
bratty, especially the blue-haired one--"
Mercury's pointed glare could be seen miles away.
"--but they're confident and will certainly do well for our world!"
Her gray-green eyes sparkled as she settled back into her chair. "And,"
she continued, her voice a bit less eager, "though I hate to say it..."
She shrugged. "If it meant saving the world, I would gladly let Haley have
her death at Ginnie's hands."
Neptune reached for her mate's hand and squeezed it gently, the
silent pain in her bright, sea-colored eyes mixed with a certain amount of
understanding. She would have said the same, certainly...
"Alex is right," said Venus quite plainly as she played with a loose
thread on her long, orange gown. Her azure eyes were filled with tears as
she glanced up from her hands to gaze around the room at her fellow
Mistresses. "I may not be very close to Lyra, anymore, but I have faith in
her." She chuckled slightly at herself, wiping away a single, falling tear
as she did so. "It's funny," she chortled, nearly hysteric, "but this
reminds me of a song that I learned in junior high... 'No one told you
that having faith is half the battle...'" Her head fell into her hands as
she collapsed into tears.
Hesitantly, Jupiter reached out and laid a hand on her friend's
shoulder. "But they have to do this," the brunette softly reminded her.
"All we can do, now, is watch..."
"And that's the hardest part," Serenity put in as she forced back
her own, slowly coming tears. "But we must let the Galactic Sailors
fight." She gulped. "Because, if we don't..."
"Then we die." The Mistress of Destruction said the words that no
one else dared to say.
And the other Mistresses all nodded.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hello?"
The tension in the air was almost tangible as the two teens watched
their younger friend answer the phone. Though it had only been an hour,
they knew that the truth was coming.
"Yeah. Mmm-hmm."
The oldest of the threesome ran a hand through her long, brown
tresses. Her teal eyes stared right at the girl with the braids,
unblinking. This was it... The end--or beginning--of everything.
"I understand."
Auburn waves of hair cascaded about her face as she watched her
blue-haired friend talking on the phone. Chestnut eyes were almost filled
up with tears as she realized that it was time. Time to either fight or
die...
There was a click as Phoebe returned the burgundy receiver to its
base. Leaning against the edge of the desk, she closed her icy eyes and
sighed.
"Well," drawled Alice with a wrinkle of her nose as she settled into
her chair, "I suppose that we should have figured as much. They--"
"Said we're to fight," finished the one with the navy tresses. She
slowly opened one of her eyes and grinned. "They have faith enough to let
us kill her, once and for all."
The brunette had to physically suppress the urge to jump up and
scream in elation. "Finally!" she announced, grinning widely. "I've been
waiting my whole life for this! It's the beginning of everything!"
From the bed, two Guardian cats sighed in unison. All three girls
turned to glance at the furry beings that were their guardians, expecting
either a rebuke or a congratulation.
It was Orion who spoke, and they received neither.
"This isn't necessarily the beginning of ANYTHING, girls," she
reminded them in a considerate tone, deep green eyes staring directly at
them in an effort, it seemed, to delve into the trio of young souls. "It
could very well be the END of everything, including the world."
Her mate nodded in agreement, golden Moon symbol glittering in the
sunlight that was sneaking through the thick drapes. "You forget, girls,
that you are warriors." He sighed and raised his copper eyes to glance at
the ceilings. "And no one can go into a battle knowing the outcome, even
if they ARE the Sailor Scouts."
Haley's smile faded from her face as she understood what they meant.
"So, we still have to a damned good job, right?"
The calico rolled her eyes. "Not my choice of words, but yes."
"And if this is the end of everything, then..." Alice pursed her
lips uncertainly, a bit of apprehension in her tone.
"Then at least we'll go out with a bang!" chimed in the blue-haired
one, raising a single fist into the air. "After all, if WE go down, then
we get to take the world down WITH us!" She grinned a toothy grin and
winked at the last teen, who was still seated on the floor. "We won't miss
a heartbeat of action either way, right?"
Haley sighed miserably and hid her head in her hands. "Are we SURE
that I belong here?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, that's that," the girl stated softly as she rested her head on
the shoulder of the young boy beside her. "We're to fight against Queen
Ginnie and save the world from the darkness."
The four Chibi-Scouts all sat amongst the pillows and stuffed
animals atop Ambriel's impossibly large canopy bed, holding what could
have very well been their last meeting. Celeste, the ever-mature leader of
the Chibi-Scouts, was using Peter was a living pillow whilst Ambriel and
Aeris both spread out on the bed, laying on their stomachs.
For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the redheaded child, her
expression placid and slightly unhappy, rested her chin in a hand and
sighed.
"I'm the silver in the Prophesy, you know," she casually volunteered
as she wrinkled her small nose. "I'm the one who will go berserk when the
light is slain."
Nearly falling off the bed in shock, Aeris clambered to a sitting
position and stared down at the older, though smaller, girl. "Why did you
not tell us sooner?" she demanded in an angry tone, gaping at her fellow
Scout and friend. "Why did you not reassure Richard and Lyra that--"
She was silenced by a raised hand from the blonde. All eyes drifted
to the oldest of the small Scouts as she closed her large forest-colored
eyes and took a deep breath. "She figured that telling them would only
worry us all," she responded to Aeris' ranting. A single eye cracked open
once again. "Right?"
Ambriel nodded slowly, the gray of her bright eyes sparkling with
guilty tears.
"And her mother WOULD be worried," pointed out the single boy as he
raked a hand through his short hair. "Still, I don't see why you wouldn't
tell US, your fellow Chibi-Scouts."
The little Priestess chuckled and shook her head. "I wasn't sure how
you would take the news," she replied softly, afraid to make eye contact
with the still-fuming heiress of Pluto. "The light is most definitely
Mother, as I've found from other references, and I didn't know..." She
sighed and closed her eyes, holding in tears. "I'm going to loose my
mother, and I might die as well."
"But..." Peter bit his lower lip in thought, prompting his destined
to rest a gentle hand on his knee. "But, the light will overcome the
darkness...right?" The uncertainty in his voice belittled the hopeful
quality of the question.
"The Prophesy is not necessarily going to come true," his sister
stated softly, a nervousness in her tone that was quite unbecoming of the
Keeper of Time. "There can always be false prophecies, and with them can
come false hopes." She gulped and forced a smile, but the sorrow--and
fear--in her bright, colorful eyes did nothing to wipe away the trembling
in her words. "We had best be careful on our mission to defeat that which
is called the darkness." There was a pause, and then she smiled slightly.
"And," she added as an afterthought, "we had best protect Ambriel, as
well. She is, after all, our light of hope."
The Master of Time nodded and leaned back against the sea of pillows
at the front of the bed. "We have to do this, or else..."
"Or else," supplied the Keeper of the Nebulae, "we're toast."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
She fidgeted in annoyance, not a habit she was entirely happy about
having. Where were they? A glance at her watch revealed that it was, after
all, only four in the afternoon, so it wasn't as though the couple would
be out and about. And no monsters had appeared after the Mistress
Meeting...
Making a face, she depressed the buzzer button once again, holding
it down and letting the annoying, mechanical sound echo through her ears.
Her icy eyes glared at the closed door.
Then, it FINALLY swung open.
"Thank GOD, Lyra," she sighed, brushing a blue braid from her eyes
and stepping into the foyer of the apartment without invitation. "I've
been waiting for a long time!" She slipped off her shoes quickly, not
really looking at her companion. "I just HAD to tell you that the
Mistresses have made their decision and--"
Then, she froze.
Before her, in all her curly-haired glory, stood young Lyra Mokoti.
Her chest-length ringlets cascaded sloppily around her face and down her
front, tangled and mused. A large terrycloth robe, probably Richard's,
hung limply from her small form. The belt was tied into a loose, messy
knot, and was already slowly slipping undone. Ivory skin showed at the
long V-neck of the robe, and was so close to...
Phoebe paled and backed up. "Am I interrupting...something?" she
gulped nervously.
Shaking her head very, very quickly, the blonde blushed a tiny bit
and ran a hand through her mane of hair. "No, no," she responded
sheepishly, not bringing her brown eyes to meet the gaze of her friend.
"I was just...uhh...getting ready to take a shower. Yeah, a shower, a nice
long one and--"
"There's not water running," pointed out the teen with the navy
locks, a slightly devious grin creeping across her face.
Lyra's blush deepened. "I...turned the water off!" she exclaimed as
swiftly as she could, casting brief glances down the hall with every
passing statement. "I didn't want to waste the water because of the little
fishies in the sea and you know what they say about the deep blue oceans
drying up and what would Sailor Neptune do without her sea, I mean, she'd
be lost and she'd have to use Shallow Submerge or something and..."
Laughter cut her off as the braid-headed one clutched her sides and
doubled over, giggling almost helplessly. Chestnut eyes lowered
dangerously at the dramatic girl as she fell to her knees, absolutely
guffawing. A scowl crossed a pale face.
"WHAT?"
"Star..." whined a new voice, and both heads snapped to see a boxer-
clad Richard standing beside his girlfriend. His red hair was just as
messy as those tresses of his destined, and he looked rather...smug, was
it?
Phoebe coughed and straightened up, staring at him with increasing i
nterest. The young man didn't catch the wolfish grin and wrapped an arm
around his sweetheart's waist. 'Star' paled and hid her head in her hands.
"Explain THIS one, Lyra," chuckled the actress with a wink.
He suddenly understood.
Scratching his head, he feigned a yawn. "I was going to take a
nap," he managed rater smoothly, pulling his arm away from his girlfriend
and starting back toward the hall. "Boy, am I sleepy..."
"Don't look too sleepy to me, Princey-boy," grinned Phoebe, looking
him over very slowly.
He looked himself over as well...and then paled. "Ummmm... Bye!"
Lyra held back a sob. Her friend flashed her a brilliant smile.
"Be seein' ya... Have...fun..."
As the door closed, with laughter echoing down the hall of the
apartment building, Lyra clenched her fists and started toward the
hallway. "You HAD to blow our cover, didn't you?" she screamed. "You just
HAD to show up and open your FAT mouth and..."
Her voice carried through the apartment and, as she heard the yells
from the far side of the door, Phoebe smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Thunder crackled as the black-garbed woman slowly landed on the
thick, fluffy whiteness of the cumulus cloud. Her tall, leather boots shot
up from her thin ankles to meet the hem of her short, thigh-length skirt.
Her shirt, tunic light with long sleeves and certain, sorceress type flare
to it fluttered in the strong, stormy wind. Behind her, a black
thunderhead sent bolts of lightning toward the Earth. She ignored the
sounds of thunder and pelting rain as a single word came her lips.
"Sister."
There was a glittering flash of light as the Angel of the Moon
appeared, her shimmering silver tresses whipping about her in the breeze
as she glared at the shorter, black-covered woman. The disdain in her gaze
was utterly impossible to hide as she clamped her hands together at waist
level, trying to seem as composed as possible.
But the ice in her voice was frightening. "You have come to tell me
that the Sailor Scouts will come to your lair, no?" she asked bitterly,
her tone almost that of a mother rebuking her small child. "Well, Ginnie,
I knew of that before you even turned up near my realm, so I would
appreciate if--"
She was cut off by a deep, throaty laugh coming from the dark one.
Brushing strands of windswept brown-black hair away from her face, the
Queen of Evil shook her head, eyes filled with mirth. "No, no, dear
Amber," she responded rebukingly, leaning back into midair and yet not
falling. "I just came to remind you that I will win."
"I think not, SISTER," the Angel spat, the last word like flint to
both sets of airs. "I will not let you win. My daughter and the daughter
of the Gold Moon will triumph, as you will soon see." Her azure eyes
lowered to slits as she took a single step forward and caught the shorter,
muscular woman by the shirt-collar. "You have lost before, to me, and now
you will do so again!"
There was a flicker of bright yellow as the black-clothed one
disappeared and reappeared behind the Angel, Amber. With a single kick,
she tripped the woman and smiled as the taller, lithe woman fell right
onto the ground. She landed hard on her posterior with a yelp, blue eyes
immediately welling up with tears.
"Says you!" chuckled Ginnie right before she disappeared.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well," sighed Sailor Moon as she leaned against the large oak tree,
"it looks like it's time to stage a full infiltration." She buffed her
long, magenta-painted fingernails on her fuku, a casual cool about her
that was almost frightening. "Are we all ready?"
The Galactic Sailors, missing only their 'lost Scout' Earth and the
Chibi-Scouts, nodded in startling unison. Even the Starlit Prince and
Helios were present, though each man chose to keep a strange closeness to
their destined loves.
But, as always, the red-and-orange garbed Phoenix was the first to
respond. "There's only one thing that could make me MORE ready," she
stated languidly as she admired her slightly scuffed orange ballet
slippers, "and her name is T--"
"Ow!" yelped a voice from across the area, interrupting the glib
commentary from the actress. All heads turned to see a familiar teen,
clad in a tan-and-green Sailor fuku, limping across the gardens. Helping
her walk was an impossibly tall, tanned young man with bright, smiling
blue eyes.
No one needed to ask to know who it was.
"Tara!" screamed Sailor Polaris in disbelief, her jaw dropping as
she saw the taller girl at the other end of the gardens. A raven-haired
head snapped up and green eyes clashed with brown as the two Scouts stared
at one another.
And then, without warning, Sailor Earth let go of her male companion
and rushed toward the shortest Galactic Sailor, catching her in a tight
hug.
The auburn-haired teen blinked a few times, and her mouth hung open.
"Oh my God," she gaped, wide-eyed. "I don't believe it."
"If you open your mouth any further," kidded Comet with a wink,
"you'll catch some flies."
Her only response was an elbow in the ribs.
It was a long moment before the Sailor Scout of the North Star
released her friend, only to find that Earth's face had contorted in pain
and the younger girl was clutching her ribs in agony. "You alright, Tara?"
questioned the curly-haired blonde as she watched her friend double over.
"Cracked...ribs..." grunted Earth, and it was only a matter of
seconds before the strange young man rushed to her side and wrapped an
arm around her waist.
Pulling herself away from the tree trunk, Sailor Moon pushed a pink
pigtail from her pale face and circled the tall teen and her masculine
companion, giving the entire scene a stern once-over. Her red eyes lowered
slightly in the direction of the blonde man. "And who, pray tell, are
YOU?" she demanded of the stranger.
Helios sighed in exasperation; she was obviously trying to scare the
poor boy. "Maiden..."
But the tall young man didn't miss a heartbeat as he offered forth a
hand. "Sebastian Yoshiko," he introduced himself with a brave smile. His
blue eyes twinkled. "I'm Sailor Earth's dinner date for next week."
The raven-haired Scout blushed deeply and stared at the ground. But
Moon took the hand and shook it proudly, her glare and stony expression
fading to a huge smile and excited cinnamon eyes. "Well then, pleased to
meet you!"
All the other Scouts let out breaths they hadn't noticed that they'd
been holding.
"I wouldn't figure that Tara would have a boyfriend," whispered the
braid-headed Phoenix to Aurora Borealis as they watched the goings-on from
under a ginkgo tree.
The auburn-haired one cocked her head to one side, raising a single,
thin eyebrow. "And why exactly wouldn't she?" asked she, a bit confused.
Her companion shrugged. "I just figured that a Shinto priestess
might...hmmm..." She fumbled her sentence as she tried to search for the
perfect word. "Um... Might... 'blow the other way,' so to speak."
Snorting, the Sailor Scout of Light tossed her head and let a
devious smile cross her face. "You'd like that, now wouldn't you?"
Phoenix paled slightly and would have spat a quick retort had not
another person spoken first.
"The time has come," stated a young, strong voice from behind the
group, "to fight or be killed."
Heads turned to see a girl, no older than nine, dressed in a fuku of
the purest gold. Her perfectly blonde tresses were pulled into a tight
bun at the nape of her neck. With her golden staff clutched in one white-
gloved hand, the child was the very picture of maturity.
The Starlit Prince blinked blue eyes through his mask, staring.
"Celeste?" he asked, amazed.
From behind the Keeper of the Nebulae came the two Pluto twins and
Angel Moon. The slight breeze ruffled the hair of the other three
children, but none of them seemed all too concerned.
"It is time," stated Sailor Chibi-Pluto as she stepped forward,
toward the group. The Garnet Orb of her Key Staff glittered in the
sunlight as her colorful eyes glanced from one Scout to another. "As the
Guardian of Time, I suggest we depart immediately."
Aurora Borealis snorted in amusement and tossed her head. "And, as a
freaky little girl, what do you suggest?" she mumbled under her breath.
Black eyes turned her way, peering at her through half-lowered,
tanned eyelids. "I heard that," the green-haired girl growled in a low
tone. The teen immediately began to squirm under the intense gaze, which
caused the heiress of Pluto to grin. Black turned to blue as she closed
her eyes and cocked her head to one side. "And I suggest the exact same
thing!" she laughed, a certain peppiness to her voice that was
frighteningly unusual.
The Galactic Sailors laughed, taken in by the girl's antics.
However, they all knew it to be a clever façade, designed to help hide
their waning faith.
But they let the façade sink in, and even continued to smile once
the overall effect of the joke had worn off. Even the stern, stone-faced
Keeper smiled slightly, letting her other self take the reigns for just a
brief second.
And then, Sebastian shared a gentle hug with Sailor Earth and backed
away from the group, wishing all the warriors luck... And sending a threat
to the returning Scout, did she NOT come back...
As the Scouts fell into a circle and joined hands, Angel Moon sighed
and poked her mother, Sailor Moon, in the ribs. "You know what this place
needs, Mama?" she questioned off-handedly, as though the thought had just
popped into her head.
"What is that?" came the return from the pink-pigtailed Scout.
"Birds." The statement was short and precise. "This place is really
lacking in birds."
Sailor Moon chuckled and reached down, ruffling the child's hair
before taking her hand.
Silence washed over the group, and the uncertainty that they had
tried, so hard, to push away came bubbling back to the surface. Still, one
by one, they joined hands, friendship and love mingling together with
destiny for one long moment.
Then, forcing a smile, Sailor Polaris winked at the raven-haired
one beside her. "Once we beat Ginnie," she commented cheerily, "you'll
have to explain how you came back."
"But first, we've got to teach her a lesson!" grinned Sailor Phoenix
with a flip of her messy braids.
The Scout next to her rolled brown eyes and shook her head. "You
hope, don't you?" she questioned as the wind pressed her navy skirt
against her thighs.
"It'll be a total take-over!" Comet announced brightly.
"The end of evil!" chimed in the Princess of the Earth with a
charming, if fake, smile.
Sailor Polaris nodded solemnly, her grin fading away as she looked
to her friends. "This," she stated plainly, "is for the world."
"And," nodded Tara, "for us."
There was a collective nod as twelve sets of eyes closed. Invisible,
powerful energy began to crackle about the area as the warriors prepared
to travel to the hardest battle yet. The wind picked up, ruffling skirts,
hair, and capes, but yet they stayed still and focused.
"Moon Galactic Power!"
"Earth Galactic Power!"
"Polaris Galactic Power!"
"Phoenix Galactic Power!"
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power!"
"Comet Galactic Power!"
"Small Star Galactic Power!"
"Pluto Galactic Power!"
"Angel Moon Galactic Power!"
"In the name of the Silver Star!"
"In the name of Elysion!"
"In the name of Time!"
Colors shot out from each and every of the bodies, flying high into
the air and mingling together. The soil beneath their feet spilt and then
broke, with grass rising in the air as twelve voices united as one.
"Sailor Teleport!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sailor Pluto hesitated as she saw the giant helicopter looming
before her. As many times as she had lived through these goings-on, it was
always hard. She was signing her death certificate.
But she'd done so before. And she'd do it again.
"Pluto?" questioned the young aqua-haired woman.
Smiling, the Senshi of Time climbed into the Ten'oumaru and forced
back her sigh. Deep in the marrow of her bones, she could feel the pull of
destiny.
The Galactic Sailors were going to defeat the darkness.
Drawing in a sharp breath, she let the lurching of the helicopter
into the air take over her entire consciousness. She could not worry for
them.
But, nonetheless, she managed to mumble two words into the breeze.
"It starts."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
No Galactic Sailors Say, today. Once again, I got a little too
long-winded. ^_^
-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)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Alright! Next time, we fight Ginnie! Hotcha!
Side note: Haruka's helicopter in the manga is named the "Ten'oumaru."
I'm guessing that it means "Ten'ou copter." Whatever the case, I borrowed
that. And I'm sure you ALL know what's going to happen with Susan, because
they got that far in the dubbed S, but ha-ha-ha, maybe you don't!
--Kate
