Meaning Of Life
Part 5
New Warriors
"Are you girls all right?" Ami asked when they came to the castle.
"Yes," Joy answered, "Rowena was the only one that got hurt."
Masked Phoenix walked in carrying a semi-conscious Rowena. "She'll be all right."
"You should've seen her," Phyllis said, "She was all bruised until Chloe healed her."
"Who's Chloe?" Rowen asked.
"Hotaru's and Anubis' daughter," she replied.
"The War Ladies saved us," Robyn explained.
"Give her to me," Rowen said and Masked Phoenix placed his love into her father's arms.
Rowen left to place her in her room.
Yuli came out of the infirmary.
"Is Rini all right?" Vincent asked.
He nodded, "Yes, the bruises are gone. How's Rowena?"
"She's healed now," Vincent replied, "Fortunately I didn't see her when she was in pain. I'm going to check on my sister now."
Yuli shrugged, "go ahead, she's asking for you anyway."
Vincent thanked Yuli and went to Rini's room.
"Are you sure you girls are fine?" Lita asked, "want me to make you some cherry pie?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Phyllis said. "Good thing the war ladies came when they did."
"Hmm, let me see," Ami walked to Joy and placed two fingers on the inside of her wrist.
"Uh, mother, why are you checking my pulse?" Joy asked irritably.
"Sweetie, you look rather flushed," Ami said without answering. She turned and called to Sai, "Could you make her something?"
"But I feel fine!" Joy half-yelled.
"Sure," he went into the kitchen.
Rochelle put her hands on her hips and laughed, "Don't be so sore, Joy. They're only watching out for you."
"Oh, be quiet!" Joy snapped.
"Rochelle, where's your ribbon?" Mina demanded.
"It's around my knee, see," Rochelle said, pointing at her knee.
"You're knee? What is it doing around your knee?"
Kento whistled and looked around. "Kids these days."
*****************
"Zircon, I want you to do me a favor," Jade said.
"What makes you think I'll do a favor for you?" he demanded, trying to wriggle out of the shackles on his wrists and ankles.
"I will not be spoken to that way!" she hissed. "Now, I want you to bring Princess Purity here."
"I wouldn't do such a thing!" he cried. "I won't be part of your evil scheme!"
"You do what I say or die!" she yelled, holding an ice shard underneath his chin. "Bring Princess Purity to me!"
"Do it yourself," he muttered.
"No, I believe she would come to you if you needed help instead of me," she said. "It won't be hard. You won't even have to leave my castle. You'll be the bait to lure her in."
'I can't do this,' Zircon thought. 'It's wrong. But if I did it then maybe together we can make a plan to get out of here.'
"Yes, I'll do it," Zircon said. "Just don't hurt me or Princess Purity."
"That's more like it," Jade said.
*************************
"How is my sister?" Rini asked Vincent. "Will she be all right?"
"Yes, Rini," he said sitting at her bedside, "the war ladies came to save the girls and one of them healed Rowena."
Rini smiled, "that must explain why my bruises are gone."
"Would you like something?" he questioned.
"Can I see Rowena?"
He frowned, "well, she's resting. But I'll let her know you want to see her when she wakes."
"I'd like that," she smiled.
Vincent smiled back and kissed her temple. "You get some rest too, all right?"
"Oh, all right," she groaned.
Vincent laughed and went out of her room and found Yuli sitting at the kitchen. "Let her rest for a while."
Yuli nodded, "okay. We need to talk anyway."
"Talk?"
"Yeah," Yuli laughed, "Lita's making the wedding cake but I'm not sure which sample is best!"
Lita smiled modestly, "ah, come on."
Vincent looked somewhat confused and then Lita pushed a forkful of white cake in his mouth.
"What do you think of this one?" she asked.
"They all taste great to me," Yuli said, "We need a second opinion. Lita, how do you get that fruit jelly in the cake?"
******************************
As Rini slept, she heard someone speaking to her. It was a male's voice but it didn't belong to someone she recognized. It was not Yuli, nor Vincent or her father. It was a young male's voice.
"Help me," he said. "Help me."
Rini could hear his voice so clear that it echoed in her mind. She woke up and looked around the room. "Hello?"
"Help me, please help me."
Rini got off her bed, "where are you?"
"Look out your window."
Rini unlocked her window and pushed it open. Ten feet away stood a man surrounded by a dark aura. He had blue and white hair and wore a white fancy suite.
"You look familiar," she said, "do I know you?" Rini crawled out her window and landed onto the grass.
"Perhaps."
"What's wrong?" she asked, "what do you need help with?"
"She has me," he answered.
"Who?" She stepped closer and he grabbed her hand. "Why, you're hurting me! Let go!"
"I'm sorry," he said, "she gave me no other choice."
"Whom are you talking about?" she questioned and the next moment they were no longer standing outside, but in a dark fortress.
He pulled her close and leaned to her ear. "I didn't want to do it but she gave me no choice." He whispered. "I'm sorry. But maybe together we'll find a way to get out of here. I'm her prisoner too."
"I don't understand," she said.
"Ah, my new sister," Jade walked up, "well done, Zircon. I would've gotten her myself but you know how sisters fight."
"What?" Rini shouted, "You are not my sister! Rowena is my sister!"
"That girl?" she asked, "but she doesn't care about you."
"You are lying!" she marched up to her to slap her but Jade held her still with an invincible force. "What?"
"Resistance is futile!" she growled, her green eyes glowing and threw her back to the wall.
"You cannot keep us here for long," Zircon said, helping Rini up. "Our friends will come for us and we can still escape."
"You're Zircon?" Rini asked, "Diamond and Kayura's son?"
He nodded, "yes. Jade kidnapped me because I'm the last of the ancient clan and she forced me to kidnap you. I'm sorry, Rini."
"Don't worry, you wanted help and now you have it," she said.
"You will serve me," Jade said, walking up to them as her eyes changed from green to blood red. They glowed, staring into the pairs of crimson and blue eyes. "And I have three people here to help you join me!"
Three women dressed up as Beryl's generals stepped forth.
"I can't move," Zircon muttered.
"Neither can I," Rini groaned.
Jade held her hands up, "your friends will not come for you. They do not love you. They are no longer your friends. I am your friend. You are evil now. Join me."
Zircon and Rini blinked and their eyes were frozen, hazy. They spoke in monotone, "join you, yesssss. Yessss, we willll joiiiiiinnnnn yooouuuuu…."
*******************
"Hey, Rini, try this cake--" Yuli and Vincent stepped into her room. Everything was there, except for her.
"Where is she?" Vincent asked. "She couldn't have left without us knowing."
"Rini?" Yuli sounded.
Vincent felt a chill and walked to Rini's window, "Hey, Yuli, come look at this. I don't remember Rini's window being open."
"Neither do I," Yuli said, "Maybe someone kidnapped her."
"And I think I know who did it," Vincent muttered and together they said.
"Jade!"
*****************************
'Why did you give up?' a voice echoed in her mind.
'It just seemed easier,' she replied back.
'Don't you want to know the meaning of life?'
'There is no meaning' she said
'But there is. You know it. Look harder.' The voice said.
'No, you're playing with my mind. I am not strong enough. Don't push me any harder. I can't do it.'
'What have you been fighting for this whole time?'
'I thought I knew.'
'Go on child, look within yourself. You do know why. What is it that you want more than anything?'
'I'm not sure, I don't' know.'
'Sure you do. You know the meaning of life. You know what your meaning in life is. You know. What has been inside of you since the day you were born?'
'It's…It's…"
'Yes. Yes, that's it. What is it?'
'The meaning of life is. My meaning in life is…'
'Go on. Go on.'
'My meaning in life is….'
"To live!" Rowena cried out as she sat up in bed, holding her orb in her hand. "My meaning in life is to live." She smiled and held it to her forehead, "To live. Thank you Luther. Now I know. I know my true meaning in life."
'Now go child. Live and let your soul of life glow.'
She got up and went down stairs where the others were.
"Well look who's up!" Robyn snarled.
"Robyn," Phyllis said, "go easy on her, okay? She almost died."
"Well, maybe if she fought harder then she wouldn't have gotten in herself hurt!"
"Listen, Robyn," Rowena said, "you haven't been a scout as long as I have. We should have kept going. I remember something my father told me what the Ancient told him. The key is to go through the middle. If we hurried we could have made it."
"And if I was the leader then we will be celebrating our victory right now!" Robyn muttered, "You self-righteous, arrogant bitch!"
"Robyn," Joy mumbled.
"We can't transform now!" she shouted to Joy. "C'mon Joy, how does that make you feel?"
"You actually liked those tight mini skirts?" Rochelle demanded, close to laughter, "They kept giving me a wedgie!"
"Hey, we could still transform if we wanted to," Phyllis said, "We still have our transformation pens."
"That's right, and the power to transform is inside us," Rowena said.
"I've heard enough out of you!" Robyn punched Rowena in the face.
"Hey, don't you know that Princess Purity feels Rowena's pain?" Rochelle demanded with a sneer, "hitting Rowena in the face is like hitting the princess in the face! Robyn, you mean little twit, I'm going to punch you in the face and see how you like it!"
"Rochelle!" Joy grabbed her wrist, "let's not fight!"
"Come on, Joy, lemme atter!" Rochelle growled.
"Don't worry, Rochelle, I'm fine," Rowena groaned. Rowena reached her finger to her mouth and wiped the blood away. "You're still angry because my sister made me leader, aren't you?"
"Yes!" Robyn hissed. "I still don't understand why! She's so biased!"
"You want to know why?" Rowena muttered, "Do you? You want to know why my sister chose me instead of you? I'll tell you."
"Why?"
"Because I can do this!" she did a triple kick into Robyn's chest, making her fall down, "and that's not all! I can kick your ass even more right now if I wanted too! My father may not have been the leader of the ronins, but he was a valuable part of the team. They never would have made it out alive it weren't for Rowen of the Strata! That was then, this is now!" she grabbed Robyn and pushed her up on the wall, "Air came before the fire, Robyn, so don't you forget it!" she dropped Robyn and stepped back.
Robyn looked at her guiltily, rubbing her arm.
"Air before fire, huh?" Rochelle said, "before the--"
"Yes, before the rock and the water and---"
"Actually, Rowena," Phyllis said, "I think the light was first."
"No, space existed even before the light," Rowena said.
Phyllis grinned, "but why would I want to be leader anyway?" she shrugged.
"Space existed before water or fire or earth or light." Rowena continued. "And before wisdom and trust and justice and even virtue, there was life. Life and Air came first. Still think you're supposed to be the leader, Robyn?"
"But I thought--," Robyn mumbled.
"Just because your father led the ronins doesn't mean you can lead the rest of us. He was the first to find his armor," Rowena said, "that's why he was the leader!"
"Don't forget Whiteblaze!" Rochelle said, "I'm assuming if a white tiger was his companion, he'd be the leader!"
Joy sighed, "Oh Rochelle."
"Well, I'm right!" Rochelle said.
"And which one of us received an armor first?" Rowena asked.
"You," Robyn said irritably.
"That's right," Rowena said, "I was. Now please, don't let that make you think that I don't need you guys. You're still a part of the team. We're sailor scouts and I'll still need you. Even you, Robyn, you jerk!"
"Gee, I'm sorry, Rowena," Robyn frowned, "I just didn't understand. Maybe it's better this way. I mean it had to be hard for my dad to have all that responsibility. He wouldn't want me to go through the same things he did. My mom and dad would get so mad at me if I messed up. You're right. I'm so sorry." Her eyes filled up with tears and she laughed a bit. "I'm such an idiot!" She embraced Rowena in a big hug. "I didn't mean it! I shouldn't be so jealous! You're the best for the job and I really am happy for you!"
Rowena curled up in surprise. "Just leave the leadership stuff to me, okay?" she asked weakly.
"Okay!"
The girls looked on with brilliant smiles. "Oh, I can't help it," Rochelle said, sniffling. "Big sailor group hug!"
"We're glad you're our friend, Rowena!" Joy said.
"We thought you were gonna die on us," Phyllis said and the four all embraced Rowena.
"You guys are the best," Rowena mumbled.
"There you are!" Rowen walked in, "Are you okay?"
The four girls let go of Rowena. "Sure she is!" Phyllis said.
"Yeah, I am after you all tried to choke me," Rowena joked.
The other warriors came behind Rowen, "Hey Rochelle, I have a surprise for you!" Kento cried.
"You mean?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Oh, yes!" she ran up and hopped on his back.
"Whoa!" Kento moaned.
"And not a moment too soon," Vincent ran in panting with Yuli close behind him.
"What do you mean?" Rowena asked.
"It's Rini," Yuli answered for him, "She's gone! She escaped through her window."
"Jade has her," Vincent muttered.
"She's scared," Rowena whispered, "I can sense it. She's doing something to her."
"I do too," Vincent nodded, "they also have Zircon."
"Zircon's the last of the ancient clan," Phyllis said, "if Jade has both Zircon and Rini in her possession, who knows what she's doing to them."
"Probably trying to turn them against us, no doubt," Robyn muttered.
"We have to hurry," Rowena muttered.
"Yeah, I want to see those shiny armor orbs!" Rochelle shouted.
Rowen opened a case holding three orbs and Rochelle hurried to grab hers, followed by Robyn, Phyllis and Joy.
"Time to kick some butt," Rowena said, holding her orb, "Ronin style!"
