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"Redemption"
Chapter 15
Soon the blinding smoke of the explosions cleared and the four figures of the fallen sisters appeared littered on the ground. The estate of the Palace had been destroyed and everything was covered in intense blackness. Even the waters of the fountain pool were dark-with blood, tears, and hatred.
"How is this possible? Curse you!" Glacier screamed. Her eyes blazed with anger, as she lay wounded on the ground. Her braid had come undone and the errant platinum locks sprayed along the ground.
It seemed as though the attack of the sun scouts had deeply affected the women, and perhaps the war would soon be over and they would make it out alive. But the battle was far from over and the soldiers could feel it in their souls. Even then it felt as if an eternity had past, and for that entire period they spent their moments fighting to the very death.
Sailor Venus smiled bitterly as the familiar, all-too-fitting phrase entered her mind. "The show-must go on…" she spoke aloud hoarsely, clutching her wounded arm. The others looked to her in confusion.
"M-Mina?" Sailor Jupiter whispered, her forest-green eyes full of questioning.
"We have to," Venus answered almost inaudibly, "keep fighting for her. She's gone…but we have to keep going." A silent wind whipped through her blonde hair, tearing the already tattered red bow from atop her head.
Several nods answered her in unison and the scouts continued to regroup, checking over their fallen fellow soldiers. Mercury was no longer comatose, but her breathing became increasingly ragged, her chest rising and falling uneasily. Uranus supported her body, lifting her back from the ground and holding her in a sitting position.
'Come on, Amy. Wake up,' Uranus pleaded, her dark eyes oscillating nervously. 'Time rips us apart and slams us back together. We have to stay strong.' The young girl's blue hair was plastered to her forehead, where blood and sweat had faded with the passing of the hours. Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter helped Sunrise and Sunset to stand after they regained full consciousness. Neptune and the guardian felines kept a close watch on the sisters. How long this would continue for, none of them could decide.
The remaining soldiers couldn't bear to lose anymore of their own-they were like a family and though full of diversity, loved one another like sisters. Already connected by blood were Sabrina and Eve, but they all felt as if a deep cord had been struck within each of them-binding them to each other. It was a bond they were thankful for. It was in this time of remembrance and thanksgiving that the soldiers entered a state of peace, all the while forgetting their fallen nemeses.
A hallow groan escaped the icy lips of the eldest sister, as she lay sprawled. She blinked once or twice, clearing her cloudy vision. 'Those sisters…those soldiers…all of them…'
Silently and suddenly, Glacier shot up into the air with lightening speed. A stream of blood flowed down her arm, but nevertheless she was quickly gaining back her strength. "I will…finish this!"
Her hands shot upwards to the black skies above, and within her hands materialized enormous orbs of ebony energy. With a quick thrust, the masses of black fire rained down upon the soldiers, and the echoing of their terrified and pained screams filled the air.
Taking note of Glacier's actions, Glimmer and the others eventually joined in her the air. Almost as if on cue, they formed a circle and held hands midair, about ten feet from the ground. Their eyes closed and a trance fell over them.
"Glacia!"
"Boreal!"
"Aurore!"
"Glimmeur!"
Upon calling their sacred birth names, their black star emblems began to glow. And soon, one by one, four black energy beams shot straight out, locking at a solitary point in the middle of the mid-air circle. From this common point in the air, a thicker, singular beam shot down to the ground. In astonishment, the scouts breathlessly regained their bearings and assembled.
"They're regrouping! You guys!" Sailor Mars cried, her raven locks flying behind her with an unfelt wind. Uranus gently lay Mercury's body back down against the pavement, nestling her resting body in a nook for protection.
"Be ready for anything! This is it!" Sailor Venus shouted.
Within moments, the stale air was filled with the satanic chanting of the four. Their eyes closed, the ceremony began. "Banished to darkness and withheld in its foreboding prison, we call you from beyond. The shadows of conquest reign supreme and obscure the paths of power…" Glimmer began, her star now wholly glowing with power.
"Arise from your tormented sleep and cast away the sorrows of eternity. An unforgiving love has held you prisoner-forsake your pain and denounce its hold…" Aurora continued, her star following suit.
Borealis focused deeply, and she sustained the ancient ceremony, "Force down opposition and ascend the throne that was stolen from you. In light of the past, a new future shall be created and in its midst a vast empire. The fate of the world rests in your silken palm…"
"Vows through the time folds, our quest to resurrect thee has become our fate! In the name of our heritage…in the name of your glory: Empress of the Nemesis Star, iced heir to the universal throne…arise!" Glacier finished with a conviction. Four pairs of eyes shot open, and suddenly their expressions became blank as their eyes darkened to pure black. Their entire essence was being placed within the ceremony.
The four energy beams broke, but the single beam remained, coursing with power as it surged towards the sky. From where it met with the ground, appeared a black portal. A ribbon of black light engulfed the area and a form, slowly and ominously, rose from its depths. Even slightly obscured, she was beautiful, slim, and of average height. Her hair was styled into odangoes, streams of silver hair sweeping the ground from them. Gowned in a long dress, like a billowing sheet of glimmering, glossy icy, her features could be made out. A golden crescent moon graced her milky forehead and she finally arose from the portal completely. It closed beneath her crystalic heel-clad feet and the sisters discontinued the beam energy. Instead of standing, the form was seated upon the ground from where she had risen; her gown spilled out onto the earth around her. The four remained above, hands still joined and floated in silence as if regaining their power through the silence.
"Could it be?" the scouts whispered in tension. Sailor Sunrise forced herself to her feet and put her right fist to her chest.
"Princess Serenity?" she murmured, her emerald eyes hopeful. The Marsian scout rose beside the other girl, clutching her other arm in pain. Her voice strained and her violet eyes fearful she spoke.
"Princess Serenity?" Sailor Mars pleaded. "Can it possibly be you?" Several gulps could be heard as they awaited her answer.
The woman's hands were clasped and she remained silent. A gentle breeze passed through, mingling with her silvery streams of hair and dancing lightly with them. After a few moments that seemed like hours, the beautiful form opened her eyes. But what the scouts saw struck fear straight into their souls…for her eyes were not crystalic blue like their beloved queen; they were an oasis of purple hell. Her eyes were deep violet, the deepest violet ever known to man. Soft gasps escaped the scouts and they stood frozen in fear.
She blinked gently once or twice, as if allowing her eyes to adjust. The lips of the woman parted and from them echoed a soft laugh-a laugh so haunting it sent chills up their spines. She blinked her deep purple eyes, enticing the scout's anger and playing off of their hope. Within moments, her true form burned through. The woman's hair slid out of the odangoes and on its own, twisted the top up into a braid and the rest hung loose down her back. The crescent moon of prominent gold smoldered to one of black and remained in that shape as opposed to a black star.
"I am afraid you are mistaken," she replied, her voice soft. It was not menacing and hateful, as the Sailor soldiers had expected. Her eyes closed again and a mournful sigh escaped her. "I never thought that I would live to see this world again."
The sisters quickly dropped to the ground and knelt before their Empress, who too remained in a seated position upon the ground. "My Empress, it is a pleasure to serve you again. Lady Deva," Glacier said bowing on her knees once she floated back to the ground with the others.
The seemingly fragile woman offered a warm smile that betrayed her cold appearance. "Glacier, my dear friend, Glacia, it has been so long," she replied, taking the eldest sister's hand.
"Queen Deva, we have long awaited your return," Glimmer offered gently, her grey eyes full of sincerity.
"Your Queen-ship, I am at your service," Aurora added loyally, her silver eyes bright with recognition.
"Royal Queen, we have opened the gateways to your success. To be in your presence is an honor," Borealis finished. Deva's expression became thankful and sincere, nothing compared to what the Sailors would have figured. The Queen had a downcast aura, one that was hopeless and sad. Perhaps something would change within the progress of the situation.
"I left this world with a broken heart, and I am grateful to return to my friends and guardians. Thank you so very much, each of you. The foundation for our new empire has been laid and together we can create the world that was meant for Diamond and I."
The Sailor Scouts quickly regained their equilibrium and prepared. "I am Sailor Venus, Senshi of love and beauty. On behalf of the White Moon, we are prepared to fight to the death in the name of our beloved Queen."
Deva looked up suddenly, her eyes of royal purple pleading with a sullen, endless pain. She looked as if she'd break into tears. Her clasped hands fell to her sides and she locked gazes with Sailor Venus.
"You must wonder why I bear the emblem of the Dark Moon Family," she spoke gently, her tone imposing no threat. The irrelevance of her remark was disconcerting-her very mindset was scattered. Perhaps she had lost her mind. "To be locked away for eternity and to cry yourself to a meager sleep is the greatest torture. To lose the love of your life…to watch him walk away from you and refuse to even offer a measuring glance. I bear his family emblem in honor of their demise…to keep their memory alive within the souls that will flourish here. We were meant for one another…our wedding would have been so beautiful…"
Sailor Mars swallowed the lump in her throat. "You mean to tell me that your intentions are all out of love? That you want to create a happy future where one was once stolen from you?"
Deva neither accepted nor denied the accusation. "My family of the Nemesis Star has resurrected me and given me a second chance that I shall not waste. Your beloved Serenity is no longer alive, and the future requires a leader. For my dear Diamond, and for all of those who were lost…I will acquire the position and reinstate the Nemesis Families to their rightful place at the head of the universe."
"No!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed out of the blue, her voice hoarse and strained. Standing soldiers whipped around in surprise, and their eyes went wide with horror as the Mercurian scout fought to stand.
"Sailor Mercury, don't!" Luna and Artemis advised in worry.
Deva allowed her pained gaze to slowly shift to the rising scout. It was obvious her condition was poor and that she was on the verge of collapse. But her eyes-Deva realized mysteriously-were filled with tears and an undeniable determination.
"I am Sailor Mercury, Princess of my planet! I will not allow for you to destroy this universe after so cruelly stealing away its rightful and loving ruler. For this you will pay, you ugly witch!" she screamed completely out of character. The fear and the hatred that boiled within her were undeniable.
"Mercury, no!" Neptune cried out. "Be careful!" The oceanic scout was wary of this Queen, and did not trust her self-deprecating appearance.
Queen Deva's deep eyes fell upon Mercury, a sad expression on her face. "I believe that you and I share quite a bit in common, my Mercurian Princess." The blue scout's face contorted, slightly confused but more so insulted.
"You and I bear no resemblance what so ever!" Sailor Mercury replied hastily.
A tiny chuckle escaped the woman, though it was not dark and patronizing. "I was locked away for eternity…surrounded by mirrors. And in each reflection I watched as my own tears fell and constant images of Neo Queen Serenity flashed everywhere about that room…over and over and over. It was a constant reminder and punishment from the Wise Man, even in his death, that I had lost Diamond forever. All I ever felt was insecure and empty. I was alone and forsaken. I know you better than you know yourself, Mercury, and this is because I understand. You, the scout of ice, understand my peril as I do yours. Our own element has become a prison-
"Stop! Perhaps I am not the strongest person…but I know better than to be fooled by a manipulative witch like you. You play innocent, forsaken, and broken-but it is all a façade." Sailor Mercury's bright eyes were dark, and rings of fatigue surrounded them. "You
"I loved him, you know. With my soul I loved him. Diamond lives within me…" Deva answered. Her eyes dropped and a stream of tears began to fall. "I still love him. None of you could possibly understand the pain I have suffered for this long."
"How do you think I felt when your demonettes manipulated Darien…giving him false affection for me and turning his love for Serenity against him? You killed a beautiful person because of your jealousy. She never hurt you, you inflicted your own pain!" Sailor Sunset shouted, her hazel eyes aflame.
Deva looked up, her arms flailing and her servants around her trying to offer comfort. "I was blind to his deception…and still I loved him. Do you know what it's like to care for someone so much, and know that it will never be returned? To know that each time your eyes meet, he feels nothing? He was never lost in my eyes as I was in his. I knew he never felt fireworks when his arm brushed mine."
"We all feel that way sometimes, but you can't blame the world for it and vow vengeance against innocent people!" Sailor Neptune protested.
It seemed that their shouts were lost on the Queen as she continued in her painful reverie. "The first time we kissed…it was passionless and cold. He was forceful and harsh; not tender and warm. I wanted more, but if not that, I wanted only for him to look at me the way I did him. Though it was not to be. He loved Serenity and died with her in his heart."
Her voice silenced and suddenly her eyes went blank.
Sailor Mercury had fallen silent moments before, and suddenly became the subject of Deva's thoughts. "Oh no! The ice!" Mercury yelled, her blue eyes wide with terror. A thick sheet of glossy ice was quickly covering the ground and snaking up her legs, freezing her solidly in place. It was too strong and Mercury was far too weak to resist the force. "I won't give up-I won't be stopped. Mercury Star Power!" Mercury's planet sign burned through her tiara, glowing brightly upon her forehead. As its frosty blue light beamed brilliantly, it began to fight back against the ice sheets, desperately forcing it back. The sheets, however, were incredibly strong and were quickly beginning to overpower Mercury's planet power. The sign continued to glow, but less brightly now, and someone had to do something-before Mercury lost all hope.
"Mars Fire, Ignite!" Mars cried out trying to aid her. But the flames died away immediately when touching the ice, leaving a cloud of wispy fog in its wake.
"Princess Serena…Rini…I'm sorry," she whispered as the ice froze her mid-sentence. A silence ensued as the soldiers realized they'd lost yet another.
"Sailor Mercury!" Mars and the others cried out, fresh streams of tears flowing. Now three of their friends had been lost. What would become of them now?
"I want you to feel the chill in my heart…how I have felt for centuries," Deva murmured, gazing upon the newly frozen figure with a small, but sad smile.
"Mercury!" Sailor Venus sobbed, falling to her knees.
"I've been alone for so long, Diamond. I didn't want you to die, as I watched from afar as you left this world. She held you in her arms, and cried when you passed on. It should have been me." Deva hugged herself tightly, fearful to let the tears fall. "I want you to feel the cold, all of you."
"Serenity, Rini," Sailor Mars whispered, allowing herself to drop to the ground as she looked up into the starless sky. "My god…"
The frosty woman rose gracefully from the broken earth, her royal purple eyes oscillating wildly. "It's so calm and peaceful, the frozen death," she whispered incoherently, long silver locks trailing the ground and rustling in the soft breeze.
"Stop!" a forceful voice cried from out of nowhere, an authoritative and commanding tone in its shout.
Queen Deva paused for a moment, confused. "Diamond? Have you come back to me?" she pleaded, hands clasped. "No…why did you take him?"
The four sisters and the scouts whipped around, desperately searching for the owner of the voice. A soft crackling sound began to fill the air as the ice melted from Mercury's body, setting her free from the frozen prison. With a gasp, Sailor Mars leapt forward and caught the scout as she fell to the ground, breathing once again.
"Sailor Mercury!"
Deva bowed her head, her confusion gone. "Not Diamond, why did you take him? Who said that?" Deva demanded a bit forcefully, but the tone of sadness in her voice remained.
"I did," came the simple, commanding reply. A silence fell over the battlefield, and each soldier remained perplexed. No one could figure out who it was.
It was unexpectedly surreal as a tiny golden flash of light appeared amidst the intense blackness. It was incredibly small, and seemed to be quite a distance away. Growing every so slightly, it appeared to be coming closer towards them and each held their breath, filled with wonder and fear. The light grew brighter and brighter until finally everyone stopped breathing completely in shock. The light exploded before them in a curtain of beauty and the source became clear. "Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you, Glimmer?"
