GoldenRuleChapter4.html
The GoLden Rule

"I am the edge on which the collective dangerously waltzes...."
-MJ Stone, 'Zero in the Tarot'




Chapter 4: The Angel Who Trumpets the Dead


In the background, Chibiusa heard the sounds of people screaming. It wasn't the horrible, terrified screaming she was growing accustomed to; this was the excited screaming of people cheering on a young boy, who hit a baseball with a satisfying smack. The bat was flung to the ground, and he took off running, churning up mud as he ran to first base. Intermurals were in full swing at the elementary, and a group of children were running around and jumping as their classmate reached first base. A teacher called for them to calm down, laughing slightly at their excitement.
"You really believe she'll show up?" Diana asked, crouching down beside the pink haired girl. Chibiusa nodded once, determinedly. All day, she had been leaping over small things. Momo and Kyusuke kept asking her, over and over again, if everything was all right. Chibiusa sighed, settling down, watching a plastic bag pirouette idly in the parking lot. She was just off to the side of the brick building, a spot of light pink against the dark brown brick of the side of the school. Bushes obscured her view to the right, and the baseball diamond lay to her left. Diana had snuck along in her bookbag that morning, insisting that there was no way Small Lady was going by herself, in such a situation as she believed. So the kitten had been hiding around the schoolyard most of the day, worrying and watching. At first, devotion to her Princess had kept her from questioning her reasoning, but as the day wore on, Diana became more dubious.
"Hai," Chibiusa said calmly. "The baseball game is still going. She'll show up. There's still people here." She leaned against the wall, feeling her pigtails stick slightly to the rough surface of the brick, which scratched her skin. She closed her eyes, feeling the darkening sun on her eyelids. "We just have to be-"
"There!" Diana exclaimed, leaping to all fours. Chibiusa opened her eyes, and watched a spot on the surface of the school parking lot. It was a ring of wind, kicking away dust from the concrete. Then floating objects formed, an array spiraling in a globe around a solitary figure in their center. It grew solid, and the girl's hair and dress settled around her shoulders and knees, the cards settling into her hands, half the deck in each palm. She turned halfway, hearing another cheer go up from the playing children. The cheer intensified, and Yume turned, beginning to walk towards the game. "Small Lady! Henshin yo!"
"Hai!" Chibiusa ducked to a side, between the decorative shrubbery and the side doors into the school. "Diana," she took off her communicator, and tossed it down to the kitten. Diana caught it in her mouth, and set it down, preparing to call for backup. "Superman I am not, but..." She lifted her hand into the air. "Pink Moon Crystal Power!" Bright light burst from her, a dazzling display of pink and silver light, wrapping itself around her in a flurry of feathery brightness. White boots hit the ground, and once again, Sailor Chibi Moon appeared, this time in Eternal form.

Yume approached the baseball diamond, one step at a time. She took her time, lazily observing a girl go up to bat, and the jeers of the other team, and the cheering of her own. The pitcher threw the ball; swing, miss. The umpire shouted, 'Strike!' and the ball was thrown back. Again, the pitcher threw, and this time the ball was hit, popping up into the cloudy sky. Outfielders backpedaled, eyes up, searching for the spot. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Yume whispered quietly, in a sing-songy voice.
"Stop right there!"
Yume smiled, and did as the voice commanded. The young one stood there, all pink and white and defiant, going though the motions that the elder Moon did.
"Agent of Love and Justice, Sailor Chibi Moon! And in the name of the future moon," she turned, bringing her hands up and around in the familiar pattern, "I will punish you!" she finished.
"Strange thing, your punishing me," Yume began, watching her opponent drop into a more battle-ready pose, hands up and ready to summon her own Moon Scepter. She brought up her cards, and began to turn the uppermost over idly, tapping her finger on the top of it. Flip, flip. "No trial, no jury. You say you're going to punish me. Am I not doing the same as you?" "To innocent people?" Chibi Moon demanded, and her own Chibi Moon Scepter formed in her hands. To her surprise, it now mirrored the appearance of Sailor Moon's Eternal Rod. "That is nothing like what I do!"
"Really?" Yume asked, turning over her topmost card. "You don't see why people behave why they do? I demand justice as well. Is that so different?"
Chibi Moon watched the card flip over and over in Yume's hands. The patient gesture, as though pacing, waiting for something else to happen. The others, Chibi Moon realized. She's waiting for the other senshi...but why? She'd be hopelessly outnumbered against them- it would make no sense. Something...something to throw her off balance! Chibi Moon lifted her Rod to the air, and used a low power attack to distract her. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"
To Chibi Moon's surprise, the weak line of hearts blasted out many times stronger than she had expected, and Yume's eyes widened enormously as she leapt up into the air, backing away rapidly from the energy pulse. As time went by, her heart had strengthened, and her powers had grown, reflecting her experience and changing. The blast impacted in the ground Yume had stood on, buckling the concrete and sending chunks of black pavement up into the air. Looking up from her crouching position, Yume spread her deck of cards in the air in a smooth motion, sending them in a whirlwind about herself, a single card left in her hands. "I wanted to spare you, you two little ones. Children shouldn't have to suffer so. Was right about you, too? We'll let the cards decide!" Yume seemed sad, and Chibi Moon saw tears in those distant eyes. But the distance increased into hardness, and Yume recovered, shouting and pointing in command, "Five of Pentacles!" One of the floating cards stilled, the others flying into a circle around it as it flipped around, the the image painted on the front becoming visible. Five stars, with shining pointed edges, flew out of the image in rapid succession as the card swung around and away, joining the others into Yume's hands again.
Chibi Moon leapt up and aside, flipping her body back and forth, though one, two, three four of the stars. The fifth tore into the bubble-like sleeve of her fuku, and slid across the surface of the skin of her shoulder. Crimson droplets of blood flowed to the surface. It stung, but was little more than a scratch. She brought her own Eternal Rod to bear, this time preparing a more powerful attack. "Starlight Honeymoon...."
"Judgment!"
"Therapy..." Chibi Moon never finished, as the single card Yume had retained in her hands was thrown, flying rapidly towards her. Justice, blindfolded and carrying the scales, raced straight towards her, a stream of cards following suit, spiraling up around her. Against her will, her body stopped moving, and the final word died on her lips, not even a whisper. There was no pain, only immobility. Yume watched as the girl dropped her scepter, and watched as it dissolved before it hit the ground, returning to the subspace it was summoned from. Her head tilted back, and the Judgment card settled on her forehead, creating a blinding pink nimbus of aural light around the girl. Her feet left the ground, floating as the cards spiraled endlessly around her.
"Judgment...open your mind. Show me your part in the battle of the Lady of the Mirror," Yume commanded, stepping forward to finish her spell. The High Priestess card appeared in her hand, symbol of knowledge, secrets and magic. But before she could move forward another step, a rose struck her uplifted hand, and forced her to release the card between her fingers. The tip embedded itself in the ground, a red petal fluttering onto the serene face of the High Priestess.
Yume whirled to see Tuxedo Kamen, standing with a new rose readied, just to her side. With a sharp motion of her hand, the cards abandoned Chibi Moon, and the light vanished like a candle gone out. The girl collapsed to the ground in a heap, and a small grey kitten streaked out across the parking lot, intent on getting to her fallen Princess. "Perfect timing, as usual," Yume began, looking at the back of her hand. Blood was pooling on the surface, in a thin, fine line that stung. She took her cards in hand again, and blood stained the corners of some, fallen from the tiny wound. "Chiba Mamoru," she concluded quietly, but still loud enough for Tuxedo Kamen to hear. Behind the mask, she saw his face register shock. He was a more dangerous enemy than she had originally expected, and much of this little ploy would rely on her ability to manipulate him in the next few moments. "Your girlfriend's little cousin...or sister? Never did quite clear that all up- put up a lovely little fight," she antagonized, barbing her words carefully. His reaction was quick: he threw the rose in hand, and Yume was ready, side stepping even as he drew his hand back. With quick reflexes, she snatched the thrown rose out of the air, feeling the thorns bite into her skin. They hurt, digging into the flesh. She winced, but crushed the bloom in her fingers, sending the petals falling down behind her. "I have no need for you," she snapped, seeing the puncture wounds on her hand. They stung. "Ten of Swords!"
She lifted her hand up, and the deck rested in her hand. The bottom card- now exposed- was the image of a man, fallen and bleeding, with an excess of ten long blades digging into his back. Those same swords shot out of the face of the card, rushing in with frightening speed...at Chibi Moon's still form. As she expected, instead of easily dodging the visible attack, he leapt in front of it, meaning to take the blow himself, rather than the girl.
"Deep Submerge!"
Yume whirled to see two new figures enter the arena, Uranus now racing ahead of Neptune, who had stopped to throw her globe of water. It struck the swords before Tuxedo Kamen, blasting them into the air and far off target. The blue orb of seawater impacted into a far parked car, sending it shooting upward with a noisy explosion. The happy screams of cheering children cut off abruptly, and then were replaced by screams of a different sort, as a second blast sent parts of the school building into the air.
"World Shaking!"
Yume leapt, rolling to the side. They were faster today, arriving closer to communication time than she had estimated. Coming back to her feet, she watched as two more figures appeared just behind them, each of these carrying a weapon. A staff, and a glaive. "Small Lady!"
"Chibi Moon!"
Pluto fell down beside Chibi Moon, pulling her up part way to check her heartbeat. Saturn brought her glaive to bear, standing defensively before the other two senshi.
"Guided by the new age, soldier of the Sky, Sailor Uranus! Fights with elegance!"
"Also guided by the new age, soldier of the Depths, Sailor Neptune! Fights with grace!"
"Soldier of Revolution, guardian of the time space star, Sailor Pluto!"
"And the soldier of Destruction and Rebirth, Sailor Saturn," the youngest Outer senshi concluded. The four stood in formation with Tuxedo Kamen, arranged so that they could cover the best possible positions. Yume watched them, standing with her feet midst the rubble from Uranus' blast. Each were prepared to fight, weapons in hand, though Pluto cradling Chibi Moon. It was only a matter of moments, then. And on cue, she heard footsteps. From one direction, crossing the field, four girls, the winged Eternal Sailor Moon just a step behind Jupiter. She glanced to the opposite direction, and the figure of Sailor Mars was materializing, red heels clipping against the street. Everyone was there. It was time for the curtain to rise.
And so it did. The ring of senshi around her were as though on stage, perfectly going into their rehearsed phrases of introduction. Yume summoned her cards to her again, taking the stack into her hands, turning the top card over and over, flip, flipflip....
"...and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Eternal Sailor Moon finished, three of her senshi just behind her, and Mars acting in unison from Yume's other side. So Yume kept her head down, waiting. How carefully she timed this, how delicately. Too soon, and it would be awkward. Too late, and they would attack before she were able to act.
"Schoolyards always seem to be the places of battle, don't they, Tsukino Usagi?" Yume asked, quietly looking up though her eyelashes. If her first words did not forstall attack, then the final ones certainly did. "It's really a pity, ne? We're told that school is supposed to be a safe place for our children, and what happens?" She kept her charade carefully, fighting back a knot of nausea in her belly. Being in the spotlight made her feel ill. But anger gave her strength. So she continued, voice wavering, "People get hurt. Not just by maniacs with guns, but by other people's hatred and hard hearts. Which is worse, Usagi? A person who kills, or the person who made them that way?" She flicked her eyes from one senshi to the next, carefully keeping them spellbound. "Mizuno Ami, genius freak," she turned, "Kino Makoto. Violent freak." Again her eyes roamed, matching each senshi as she spoke. "Aino Minako, outsider. Hino Rei, fearsome powers. Kaioh Michiru, snob. Tenoh Haruka, weird, plain and simple." Yume finished by looking at the three remaining girls. "Tomoe Hotaru, freakish magic, and Meioh Setsuna who no one can understand."
Faces shift in appearance as the words were spoken, varied expressions of startlement, anger, betrayal, memory. Always outsiders, the senshi. With each other, they were strong. Perhaps that was why- only they understood one another. And their leader, Sailor Moon. Then there was the Princess. Who never lacked for friends. Who everyone adored. Perfect pretty Princess. Winged with white and armed with Love.
Sailor Moon watched Yume stand still before them, her gaze turning in the ring of senshi around her. No one needed to be sacrificed. Yume was wrong, but she was not lashing out because she was evil. No, Yume could be healed...helped....
"Yume-chan," Sailor Moon began softly, reaching out with a hand. "It doesn't have to be this way. Honto.... Yume-chan, all people are good at heart. Hurting them this way isn't going to improve on them...it only makes things-"
"You're delusional!" Yume spat, the flipping of the cards in her hands stopping as her fingers tensed. Sarcasm is a sword to be wielded, and Yume had heard enough of it in her time to be an effective fencer. "People good at heart? It only works that way in your deluded mind, Usagi! People are viscous at heart! Do you think kind people tear into the minds of others? Do you think kind people hate and make war and kill? Do you think kind people would make me do this?" Yume's voice was escalating, rising to a fevered pitch. Hot tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. Strain from her emotions, strain from magic...strain from seeing so many eyes full of pity.
"Yume-chan...onegai...you didn't kill those people because you are good at heart...."
"Delusional! You're delusional!" Yume screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, and bringing her hands to her ears as though to clamp out the sound of Sailor Moon's voice. Kindness unseen for so long is often mistaken for what it is not. And so Yume suffered, and disbelieved.
"Yume-chan..." Sailor Moon tried again, reaching out and stepping forward in an attempt to embrace the girl. But Yume opened her eyes and saw the winged shadow on the ground, a silhouette. And her confusion left her, and she glared as she opened her eyes fully. Sailor Moon hesitated on looking into the distant eyes.
"Don't pity me. Pity the ones who suffer at the words of the hard of heart."
Sailor Moon straightened herself. She had lost something with those words...a contact with Yume. Sympathy. Yume was making herself cold and heartless, perhaps to do what she had set herself to doing. Revenge. A dream of revenge....
"Then we will stop you."
Yume's lips quirked up into a faint smile. She too straightened, pulling herself up to her full height. "Stop me? Try it, Princess. At the Hall of Mirrors." She shot a sharp glance at Mars, whose face tightened in understanding, and at the memory. Yume clutched her cards, and then threw them around her, the slips of them dancing around her like leaves, floating down from autumn trees.
"Matte!"
"Hermit!"
"Supreme Thunder!"
"World Shaking!"
The field of lightning crashed into the globe of energy, impacting at the place Yume had stood. Only a faint tracery of her image remained, residual and glowing in the light of electricity and brightness. And as the two attacks of Jupiter and Uranus canceled each other out, she faded away into nothingness. The senshi shielded their eyes as the lights died away, revealing only a burn scar on the ground where Yume had stood. Electricity crackles over the ground once, then was gone.
A soft groan interrupted the silence.
"Chibiusa-chan!" Sailor Moon shrieked, then whirled on a heel, the image of a worried mother, a super-heroine, and a hysterical teenager at once. Tuxedo Kamen fell into step with her, both of them crowding around Pluto, and the limp body of Sailor Chibi Moon. Another figure drew close, Mercury, her visor across her eyes and her fingers tapping busily on the keys of her computer. "Chibi Moon? Chibi Moon?" Sailor Moon pleaded, taking her daughter's hand in hers. "Chibiusa-chan...wake up...."
Blearily, red eyes opened and turned from Pluto's face, sliding along to see her the young versions of her parents faces above her. "Sailor Moon..." she licked her lips, and her eyes closed again. "Tuxedo Kamen...sama..." Again, her head went limp, and Pluto held her more tightly, supporting her neck against her chest.
"She's sleeping," Mercury announced as a final display of data streamed across the monitor of her computer. "Slipping into heavy REM sleep." As though to confirm this, Chibi Moon's eyelids began to flutter lightly. Her skin seemed transparent, the fine lacings of veins in her eyes stark and harsh against her.
"Chibiusa-chan..." Tuxedo Kamen whispered, standing. Then, more clearly, "We have to get her to a hospital."
"Iie," Mercury intervened. "There's no need for it. It will only put her in a more vulnerable situation. Her vitals seem to be regular. The sleep appears to be a response to physical strain," she frowned at the readings, biting a lip as she thought. "She'll recover quickly. Her body is compensating for...for whatever Yume did to her."
"We can't take her home!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, also standing. She looked at Mercury, pleadingly. "Mom and Dad...and Shingo!"
"We'll take her to our house," Saturn said simply, tapping the end of her glaive to the ground, then holding it before her calmly. "It will be quiet there. Chibiusa-chan can rest."
There were nods at the simple advice, and moments later, Tuxedo Kamen claimed Chibi Moon away from Pluto. It took only a moment for them to turn and run, with the swiftness that comes from the blessings of the planets. And with that speed, they went to the home of the Outer Senshi.

I want to be there. Shimatta! This isn't right! I should be there! I should be fighting with them, not standing at home! I am samurai! I am senshi! Hotaru-chan, Kanashimi-chan! You can't fight without me! Shimatta! Waiting is the worst bane of a woman. To wait for loved ones to return home. Perhaps that is the worst battlefield- time.
She paced in the living room, then to the hallway, waiting. Shadows from the brightness outside cut sharply across her steps, light against dark in a contrast of same color. Silent feet ghosted across the wooden floors, polished to a shine. She almost slid across on her slippered feet, gliding gracefully as she worried. Then the sound of footsteps reached her ears, muffled sounds of people hurrying on the opposite side of the door.
Kami whirled, and unlocked the door, flinging it wide to admit the senshi, Mamoru in front, with the limp form of Chibiusa in his arms. "Chibiusa-chan..." Kami trailed faintly, then looked out at the rest of the incoming senshi, Diana bounding along quickly before them. "Hotaru-chan?" she asked as Hotaru passed her, then, "Kanashimi-chan! Daijobu ka?"
Ami piped up from the back of the crowd, huddling along inside as Makoto pushed her way past the doorframe. "Hai, Kami-chan. Chibiusa-chan suspected that Yume would return to her school, and attempted to fight her alone. She should have told us...." Ami trailed, then hurried ahead. Her pause had set her at the back of the group, and Kami quietly shut the door, locking it and leaning against it.
"Should have told us...."
This is my fault...I thought she was bluffing....How else would Yume know how to find Chibiusa-chan? She does nothing without strategy....
Kami straightened herself out and followed everyone into the main room, hanging back as Mamoru tenderly lay out his future daughter on the couch, placing a pillow behind her head. As she moved slightly, a soft groan escaped her, and she stirred, opening her eyes. "Mamo-chan?"
"Chibiusa-chan? How do you feel?"
"Chibiusa-chan?" Usagi pressed her face closer, leaning over Mamoru's shoulder.
"Tired..." she whispered before closing her eyes again, black lashes stark against her pale skin. "Sleepy...." Her head turned and again she was asleep, drifting on waves of dreams. Her hand, curled up in Mamoru's, released, and fell to her side.
"That bitch has to go down," Haruka declared from the window. She stood there with her arms folded, a menacing look on her face. "Look at this. Chibiusa may end up being all right, but that was luck. She was doing to her what she did to the others...she could have been killed...." Michiru stood beside Haruka, face equally grim.
"Don't call her that," Hotaru chided gently, from where she knelt beside the fireplace. "Yume is acting on her emotions. Her rage against the disgraces that have been acted out on her. Her thoughts are convoluted, though her heart is in the right place." She looked at Haruka. "Haruka-papa, don't hate her. Such things bring great pain."
Silence followed this for a moment.
"Hotaru-chan," Rei began quietly, her voice rising, "her actions are inexcusable. I'll never forgive her for this!" The soldier of Fire's fist clenched as she cast a violet eyed glance at Chibiusa.
"Iie, Rei-chan," Ami intervened, shaking her head and also looking at Chibiusa. Then she looked at Rei, meeting her eyes. "Inexcusable, yes. But forgiveness is what she needs. No one wants her. Pushing her away further will only isolate her more."
"So then what?" Rei snarled. "We love her to death?"
Ami remained silent.
"What I'd like to know," Minako wondered aloud, "is why Chibiusa? Yume never even knew her."
A faint whisper was the reply from the doorway, where Kami leaned nervously. "Gomen nasai, minna...it's my fault...."
The senshi started from their positions, staring at the darkened doorway. Kami leaned forward a bit, streams of hair trailing down sides of her face. Small tears gleamed like diamonds in the corners of her eyes. "Gomen nasai...."
"What?"
"Kami?"
"What did you say?"
"She...Yume...appeared in my mirror awhile ago...at night...and said she would watch us. I thought she was bluffing...that if I acted that we had nothing to hide, then she would not watch from the mirrors...gomen nasai!" Kami looked up, hands clasped, tears falling onto her cheeks. "I should have acted differently. Should have told you...but I didn't see her again...gomen! Gomen!"
"Matte, Kami!" Usagi called as Kami turned away, ready to run to her room for safety. "Come back. Onegai?" Usagi turned from her kneeling position at the couch, and stood. "You couldn't have known she'd target Chibiusa. You should have said something to us. That's why we work together. Sailor Team."
Sailor Team...ha. "What use am I to a team?" she said bitterly. "I am Sailor Nothing."
"Kami-chan!" Ami exclaimed, worried as Kami's face shut quietly down on itself. Withdrawing was not a good sign from Kami- she hid her feelings too easily when it came to her own decisions. Affecting others, she was open. Affecting herself...it was her Fury, the demon within, and drove her to extremes that Ami knew too well. "You will find the words, Kami-chan! You are senshi! We are all senshi! Don't forget that! We have a future to work for. You are part of that. Remember, Kami-chan. To live above the clouds! With all of us."
And I have failed so many times. I am a fool. This is not my time, my place. I failed in one small thing...what good am I as a senshi if I cannot even open my mouth and tell them they are going to be watched from shadows? Baka! Kami no baka! All my fault....
Kami drew herself up quietly, and painted a smile on her face. "Gomen ne, Kanashimi-chan. You are right. Hotaru-chan said as much to me as well. I'm...going to go to my room...I need to rest." She turned away, then hesitated. "I hope Chibiusa-chan gets well soon. She will be well, I take it, since she is not in a sick house?"
"Hai," Ami replied quietly, not fully believing Kami's quick switch of moods. "She will be better soon."
Kami nodded once, then turned away.
"We need a plan," Makoto sighed, leaning against the wall. "Hall of Mirrors, she said. And she looked at you, Rei-chan. Do you know what she meant?"
Rei was already nodding in remembrance. "The Dead Moon Circus. Where I got my Mars Crystal, remember?"
There were nods, thinking of when Rei had come out of there, them all woozy from being trapped within the Big Top. She had broken through Palla Palla's spell on her own. No small feat. "I think that's why."
"It's a trap, either way." Haruka mentioned consideringly. "She attacked Chibiusa once. She may try again. One of us should stay here, at least. To watch her, and make sure she doesn't get worse."
There we nods.
"I will," Mamoru said with a sacrificing sigh. "Usako?"
"I agree," she whispered, thinking of having to fight without him. No one to protect her. But wasn't she Sailor Moon? What would happen, if Mamoru were gone? She shuddered to think of it. Never would that happen. Not Mamo-chan.
"Be careful, Usako," he warned, glancing at the other senshi. "Be safe."
"We'll take care of her, Mamoru-san," Michiru encouraged him, smiling softly. "Don't worry."
He sat down, avoiding Chibiusa. The girls trooped out of the house, and then all was quiet as they left for battle without him.
Damn, he hated feeling useless.

Yume sat within the center of the labyrinth of mirrors. The room had changed little, though the overturned throne on the dais was uprighted, its back pressed against the mirror behind it. Yume was still, hands resting lightly on the arm rests, fingers curling over the ends. Her head lay low, and a spread of cards lay on her lap. Quietly, she waited, raising her head to look in the foremost mirror, across from her. It was shattered, as many of these were shattered, the images on the glass showing distorted visions. Faces, many faces, filled each sliver, at angles above, below, side, front, back. Beautiful faces, full of determination. Marching. Marching to the Hall of Mirrors where Yume waited on her righted throne. Waited calmly, and watched as the nine senshi approached her, battle ready. They shifted in a kaleidoscope of colors, orange to blue, blue to red, red to green...faces shifting across the broken mirror.
And they stopped outside the main door.
Mars stepped forward slightly, frowning as she saw the ruin of the sideshow. The sun had set, and the broken sign over the door swayed slightly in the breeze, the neon glow of it long dead. Gravel crunched underfoot, and she paused at the glass doorway. "Minna," Mars turned around, facing the other senshi. "When I first went in here, the doors vanished. It may be a good idea to assume that any escape route will also be cut off behind us now." There were a few nods at her words, and then Mars continued, "Inside is a labyrinth of mirrors. It'll be easy to get lost or separated. Try to stick together when you're inside..." she trailed off, and a couple pairs formed around the senshi, though others remained still. "It's full of illusions," Mars concluded, and she heard Sailor Moon step up beside her, the Moon Tier already in hand in preparedness.
"Hai, Mars-chan. Ready?"
Mars shrugged, folding her arms, and mock seriously commented, "I've been ready. You're the one who's always late, baka."
Sailor Moon teased back with a wink, "Not this time. Let's go, minna!" she called, and they fell into line behind her, opening the doors smoothly with gloved hands. And so they descended into the nightmare.


Polished glass was gone from here, and was replaced by cobwebs with busy lady spiders spinning. Dust had settled thickly, making the sticky gossamer threads of the arachnids white and gleaming. Cracked looking glasses lay on the floor, fragmented into sharp blades. Many though still stood in their old positions, rigid against time and in defiance of their neglect. With wonder, awe, and wariness, nine figures watched themselves move carefully though. They stayed close, armlengths apart, within easy reach. Silence was heavy as a blanket, muffled and thick, punctured faintly by quiet breaths and the shuffling of feet against the floor.
"Look," Jupiter pointed out, just behind them. As Mars had suggested, the doors had been wiped away into invisibility. Only smooth wall remained, a darkened red exit sign the only testament to the fact that this was wrong. A string of broken lightbulbs hung overhead, one out of every few glowing dimly. Enough to see, though not enough to cast away the shadows within. "Mercury," Jupiter continued a little nervously, "you have anything on your scanner?"
Mercury was slowly turning, her visor across her face, reflecting the data she was reading. "There's a dampening field of some sort. Most likely magical. Emanating from approximately thirty meters..." she paused, indigo eyes narrowing. "Straight ahead. Though the labyrinth."
"Then let's go," Venus decided, stepping forward. But oddly, no one accompanied her. Puzzled, she looked over her shoulder. "Minna?" They ignored her still, and her eyes widened, taking a step forward and reaching out, only to see that her fingers had impacted on the smooth surface of a mirror. "Shimatta! Minna!" Venus pounded against the glass. Uranus was standing only an armslength away. "Uranus! Neptune!" Venus shouted as the room darkened, beating her fists against the glass. "Stop! I'm here! Uranus! Uranus!"
But Uranus grabbed Neptune's wrist. "Don't let go," the blond senshi warned her partner, and Neptune nodded, clasping the other's hand. "Together."
"Hai."
They moved forward, following Pluto and Saturn, who were disappearing though a hallway within the maze. Each kept close, Pluto just on Mercury's heels, her Staff up, even as Saturn brushed Pluto's hair as she walked a half pace behind, her Glaive ready in one hand. Backs were turned to them, Sailor Moon to the forefront, scepter in hand and up, ready for anything. She turned a corner, and others followed, hearing Mercury say softly, "eighteen meters...."
Rounding a corner, Jupiter bumped into a pane of clear glass, and she carefully took a step back, rubbing her forehead at the impact. But her heel struck the back of a mirror, and as she leapt forward, she shouted a warning to the others. It was cut off before anyone turned, and Jupiter too vanished into the darkness. Mars straightened slightly, pulling out a slip of paper, her banishing ward written in firm black ink across the front of it. "Jupiter?" she murmured, hesitating and looking behind her. She saw the green-clad senshi's reflection, looking bewildered and staring, rubbing her forehead. Then the look of shock, and the open mouth, shouting silent warning. "Minna! Stop!"
Fragments of reflection turned to see her, and Mars herself realized that they had been carefully weeded apart from each other. Each vision she saw was a reflection, the appearance of her friends nothing more than an illusion. Keep them together, but separated. Reflections from the opposing sides of the mirrors, walking through glass that shifted, floating between them with more purpose than should be. She saw Mercury's head snap up, and her eyes go wild. She too knew, as did Pluto, who hefted her Timestaff, swinging it against the surface of the mirror, vainly trying to break her way out. Saturn turned, and she saw words form on her mouth, helplessly calling to Neptune and Uranus, who were still walking forward, within their own mirror, fingers still linked. Sailor Moon...Mars threw her paper at the glass, and saw a waterfall of shards that made no sound in the blackening world around her. "Sailor...Moon!"
But their leader was gone from view.

Yume looked at her mirrors. Each reflected an image of the senshi, within the darkened corridors of their own minds. Lost, frantic, screaming, bewildered. She turned over a card, and the images left, showing three people, two in one mirror, one in another. "You I'll deal with last," Yume decided, speaking softly to the singular form. "But you two..." she held it up lightly, revealing the card's hidden image. Lightly, she held it, between two fingers, then threw it at the reflection in the glass. "must separate. Five of Cups."
Uranus tugged at Neptune's hand in the quiet. "We're alone, Neptune," she noticed, not hearing the footfalls of other senshi in the maze.
"Oh?" Neptune asked as she turned, an eyebrow arched wryly. "This is hardly the place, Uranus."
Uranus started, then grinned, shaking her head. "Maybe when we're outta here," she teased back, looking at the panes of glass around them. "Let's find the others-"
Sharp pain ricocheted between their twined fingers, and their grip tore apart.
"Uranus!"
"Neptune!"
Glass slid in smooth grooves across the floor, blocking their hands as they reached forward, attempting to clasp hands again. Blackness swept in, and became a tide, then a storm, pulling them further apart and into their own dreams....

There was speed.
And then there was speed!
Tenoh Haruka knew how fast wind could howl in the ears. Though at the moment, sounds were muffled by the snug fit of a bright racing helmet. The sounds of a gunning engine did penetrate the headgear, and she felt the body of the machine kick under her as she floored the gas. So low to the ground the wind resistance was negligible, and her car was a bright yellow and blue streak across the raceway. It smelled of gas and oil and heat, of people crowded in the stands, and of food, popcorn and hot dogs. Just to her left, was her enemy. A car bright red and garish, just a half carlength ahead. They were rounding the curve, and Haruka had no intention of slowing down. She gunned it, full speed into the curve. Only a few seconds, and all would be over...this was the biggest race of her life! If she had thought about it, she would have considered that she didn't remember the name of the race...or what the prize was. At the moment, it didn't matter. Only racing. Only winning. Only flying at the fastest speed imaginable. Tear up the track, Tenoh. Burn the rubber tires on the pavement, and smell the stingy smell of it.
Her opponent slowly only slightly, to take the curve with the slight bit of safety. This was all Haruka needed to shoot ahead that little bit, to take the lead, and to cross the finish line in a blaze of glory, checkered flags waving and the stands on their feet. She slowed, and felt the euphoria of winning.
Into the winner's circle she stepped, removing her helmet and waving as men and women and newspaper photographers swarmed forward, milling around her and calling her name, trying to catch her attention, to get her to pose for the cameras. Someone shook and sprayed pop, and then beer, over the ecstatic crowd. Haruka dodged it, but pellets flew onto her face as she laughed.
"This way, Tenoh-san!"
"Over here!"
"Oooh! He's so cute!"
"Baka! That's a woman!"
"Are you dedicating this victory to anyone, Tenoh-san?"
"How does it feel, Tenoh-san?"
Haruka waved them all back, laughing and tucking her helmet tightly under her arm as the crowds pressed closer.
"It's all very wonderful, isn't it, Haruka-san?" A calmer voice asked. Haruka turned, a little startled by the comment. A tall young woman stood just to the side, withstanding the buffetting of the people around her, elbows and shoulders beating lightly around her, making her move slightly as she stood. She looked at Haruka with haunted eyes, green and wide.
"Who are you?"
The girl smiled, tossing a wisp of hair out of her face. She was dressed simply, in jean shorts and a green tank top. Then she reached forward, taking Haruka's elbow. "Is this really how you want to live, Haruka-san?"
In absolute confusion, she looked down at the girl, who was just slightly shorter than she. "How I want to..." Haruka began, laughing. A pang stabbed at her heart, as though she were...missing something. The laugh sounded from her throat, brushing it off as she heard more calls from the crowd, encouraging her and congratulating her. "You crazy? What could be better than this?"
"Maybe nothing," the girl replied, pushing her way though the crowd, gently guiding Haruka though it, back towards the stands, back towards the cars and the exits. "maybe," she finished with a slight emphasis, leaving Haruka puzzled again.
"Who are you?" Haruka repeated, jerking her elbow away from the girl. She took up a firm stance, not to be budged easily. Who knew what kind of crazy she was? She could be a stalker, or a lunatic. If so, then Haruka could more than handle herself...Tenoh Haruka needed no one.
"Kino Makoto," the girl replied, smiling and tilting her head. "And you feel it, don't you? The loss of something?"
Haruka took a step back, eyes narrowing. "I haven't lost anything worth keeping."
"Then why are you running, Haruka?" Makoto asked, pointing behind her. Haruka glared, then followed the direction Makoto pointed out, only to see the empty track behind her. No cars, no people. Several lanes, for runners to stand in, running blocks set. A couple guys in jogging shoes ran laps, and the bright sun was covered by a cloud, sending the arena into shifting points of brightness and darkness. "You always used to run," Makoto continued, as Haruka looked down to see herself in a tank top and shorts, running shoes tied tightly to her feet. "run away from everything. From fate and destiny. Isn't that what you always said?"
"You're nuts," Haruka laughed, shifting from foot to foot. That was right, she had a race today. Not that she cared for foot races that much. No, her dream was to race cars, not other people. But this was good exercise. "People'll be showing up in a couple minutes for the track meet...."
"Yes, and one will be a Kaioh Michiru," Makoto informed her, watching Haruka's face contort for a moment, eyes filling with confusion. Then they swept clean of doubt, and she frowned, glaring at Makoto. "I don't know any Kaioh Michiru. Look, if you're here for the meet, take a place in the stands and leave me alone."
"You'd run from your destiny, Haruka-san?" Makoto prodded, approaching Haruka, carefully keeping eye contact. She feared to break it would mean Haruka's leaving.
"You're crazy."
"Then look here," Makoto gestured again, this time to the darkness under the stands. A mirror hung there, out of place and awkward in the aluminum stadium seating. Intricate and heavy, it balanced in the air against the rails. "Look in the mirror, Haruka. What do you see?"
Unable to tear her eyes away, she looked, and the figure reflected back was herself, in a short skirt of blue, and a bow of yellow. A tiara on her brows. Confusion welled up again, and the desire to escape. To run and run, to run to the ends of the earth, to escape this, to flee. She backed away, turning to run.
A hand cracked against her face, a sharp slap. "Coward," Makoto snapped, eyes hard.
"No one calls me a coward!"
"Then open your eyes and look!" Makoto shouted back, returning the stare. Over the confusion and the urge to run, she felt anger, at this little girl for defying her and slapping her. To prove her wrong, Haruka whirled, and focused her rising fury at the mirror.
The figure in the odd clothing remained, now with a sword in her hand. It was outreached, beckoning, hilt first for Haruka to accept.
"I didn't investigate you because you were the other soldier...it goes back much further than when I realized you were the one...."
Warily, she stepped forward, cautiously looking at herself in the mirror, the cold gaze returned fully. She turned her head slightly, observing herself carefully, sword proffered for the taking.
"But when I realized that you were the one.... I was happy...."
The short haired blonde faded away, replaced with another figure, in blue and aqua, her hair waving down her shoulders as she smiled sadly. In her hand, she still gripped the sword. The words echoed around Haruka as the image faded away again, replaced once more with Sailor Uranus.
"Michiru?"
She reached into the mirror and took the sword from her own hand.
And found the world again darkening to pitch blackness.


********************

drumrolls>
The senshi are locked in their dreams...and Makoto slapped Haruka! finds this very funny for some reason> hehehe....anyway, if you were wondering about that scene, and the upcoming ones, I'm playing off ideas presented in the SS manga. Each Inner found themselves unable to henshin, and during the course of their 'act' of the manga- when they raised up to Crystal Power level- they thought of an Outer. Thinking of that Outer seemed to give them a guide towards upping their level. So, I'm doing it in reverse here. Instead of Makoto thinking of Haruka, Haruka has Makoto as a 'guide.'
Also, with Haruka's, you'll notice I'm using the anime-style of how Haruka and Michiru met...it's never seen in the manga- they just appear with Talismans in hand already. I'm assuming it was pretty much the same as in the anime, especially since Neptune fights off a manga-style daimon. (That big cloudy thing that leapt out of the miscellaneous victim's back? No bizarre underclad monster-women in the manga....) So I played off that. Michiru will have a plausible situation for herself as well. A life she wanted to lead. I had some difficulty with Pluto's, since we see so little of her in either anime or manga. But I'll talk about that after you've read it.
Til then.
Ja ne!
-Queen