I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder.
"I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane.
And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!"
-Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 'The Yellow Wallpaper'
Chapter 5: Creeping Just the Same
She cupped the violin to her chin, and under
her hands, she felt the smoothness of the polished wood. Few people would
expect Michiru to have calluses on her fingers. But years of pressing down
the tension in the violin strings had strengthened her skin, and made it
hard. The sounds she called from the Marine Cathedral poured through the
hall, rising and falling as an ocean will dip and swirl, constant and changing.
Swan Lake. The story of Odette and Odeel, of the handsome prince, and the
wicked wizard and the swans who turn to women by the moonlight. The sounds
of the ballet welled up against the acoustics of the hall. If she opened
her eyes slightly, she could see the lights from the stage reflected in
their eyes, against glasses and faces. Gowned women and men in tuxedos,
their eyes on her.
Black velvet pooled around her feet, the length
of the train on her dress falling in folds of drapery. The lights from
the theatre were hot, and though her hair was piled on top of her head,
faint tendrils close to her neck stuck there. And the notes died away to
a breathless silence. Then into a thunderous applause, as men and women
stood, clapping their hands to complement her on her performance.
Kaioh Michiru removed the violin from her
cheek, and held the bow delicately as she bowed in gratitude for their
approval. The stagelights darkened around her, but the hands did not stop
clapping. A curtain call, then a second. Michiru had tears in her eyes.
This was her first professional performance, first time as a solo act,
on the world stage. And she was accepted.
Finally, as all things must, people became
quiet again, standing and gathering coats and hats, standing and leaving
the concert hall, walking back up the red carpet. And so Michiru also turned
to leave, placing the violin back into its velvet lined case.
"Hey, great concert, Miss Kaioh!" One of the
techies called to her, and she smiled and waved back. Soon she would be
going to a limousine, escorted to her future life as a violinist.
She determined to slip out the side. People
still milled in the opera hall's main lobby, chatting as they departed
and waited for taxi's. Wanting to be unseen until her arrival at...where
was the next destination again? Michiru couldn't remember. Well, surely
the driver would know where to go.... She sighed, wishing that one of the
audience members hadn't been able to slip past security. A young woman
in red silk, in imitation of Chinese dresses.
"That was a wonderful performance, Michiru-san,"
the woman said as she leaned against the wall, arms folded. The backstage
area was decorated, renovated several years ago to a classic appearance.
Scarlet wallpaper and mahogany wood in the halls, lush carpet. Heavy portraits
and paintings. And mirrors, such as what the girl stood before.
The fact that the woman said so in Japanese
was not lost on the violinist. It had been several months since she had
been home. "You're from Japan?" Michiru asked, slightly startled, but pleased.
"Hai," came the response. "Watashi wa, Hino
Rei."
"Kaioh Michiru. I'm very glad you enjoyed
the performance, Hino-san."
Rei nodded, straightening herself out. "Back
to a hotel, Michiru?"
"Iie, there's a reception....somewhere..."
Michiru tried to explain, but couldn't quite remember yet. Where was the
reception? Someone had to know...that was important, wasn't it?
"Everything all right, Michiru?"
The violinist touched her head with her callused
fingers, trying to sort out her thoughts, which had become convoluted.
A familiarity with the woman across from her, standing there so calmly,
watching her. She should know this person. This was a person...who represented...
something...something Michiru did not want to be part of....
"I'm fine," Michiru snapped, fighting the
confusion in her mind. "I'm not signing autographs...you should leave,
Hino-san. Backstage is off limits." And so she brushed past the raven haired
young woman, hurrying to rush away.
"You know you have another duty. You know
that this is not all of who you are."
"I also have a dream...to become a violinist.
I can't do something stupid like saving the world from destruction!"
The words sounded familiar, and then she realized
they were in her own voice. Ridicilious...saving the world? Kaioh Michiru?
The prissy girl everyone thought was stuck up? No...violinists don't go
around saving the world...that was for...if not her, then who?
"Michiru, you can feel it. Your senses are
strong...you woke first." Rei prodded, seeing the confusion on the elder
girl's face. "You don't have to fight far away and alone any longer...."
"...like saving the world from destruction!"
Something about a painting...a world about
to be destroyed....
Who was it that she said that to, again?
"Michiru?"
She looked up at Rei, who had stepped back,
and placed a hand on the heavy wall mirror. "Look in here."
She said that to somebody important...who...?
Michiru was skeptical of the stranger's words,
her way of speaking to her as though on familiar terms. But still, her
feet moved forward, entranced, and she looked into the mirror on the wall,
gilded in gold and reflecting her flawless face. But the image was altered.
She wore no gemstone in a tiara on her brows, and a formal of black velvet,
not a bow and short skirt and high heels. Gloves covering her hands, hiding
the calluses from her practice with the violin. In her hand, no violin
case, but a mirror of delicate creation.
Michiru looked down at her hands, to be sure
the reflection was not accurate.
"Neptune!"
That voice....
"Uranus?" Michiru asked, reaching out and
stepping into the mirror, forgetting everything behind her.
It was black in the corridor between race track
and concert hall. Uranus stood opposite Neptune, each with a Talisman in
their hands. One a sword, one a mirror. Sea and sky. Far behind each of
them stood the mirror, the doorway to this narrow, dark place. It let in
little light, and the faces of each senshi were shadowed, though their
eyes were unclouded.
"You helped us," a new voice began, and both
Outer Senshi turned to see Sailor Venus, stepping forward and standing
between them, to the side. "When we lost our powers, unable to henshin,
after the battle with Pharaoh 90. Thinking of the dedication of the senshi
of the Outer System helped us to find our new powers, which lay dormant
within." Venus held her gaze downward as she said this, but then looked
up, first to Uranus, then Neptune. "Now is our turn to help you," she grinned,
winking. "You showed Mako-chan," she looked to Uranus again, and pointed
just behind her. Makoto stood in the frame of the looking glass, hands
on hips, face set in a smile. "You showed her that she had to conquer her
own fears. And Michiru," Venus turned, this time to Neptune, and to the
reflection of Rei behind her, standing and watching with her arms folded,
lips quirked. "your developed skills of intuition guided Rei-chan to strengthening
her own senses. Domo arigatou, Michiru-san, Haruka-san."
Venus bowed politely, then stepped away with
a laugh, "Now, if you wouldn't mind busting us out of here, we need
to catch up to Sailor Moon!" And with that, she vanished into the
blanket of blackness around them, a spaceless void within the mirrors,
empty.
Uranus looked at Neptune. "Oy, Neptune. What
do you say we break out of this dream?" She hefted the Space Sword meaningfully,
smiling.
Neptune didn't need to say anything. She lifted
the Aqua Mirror, returning Uranus' smile. It seemed a little odd, leaving
her dream life. A beloved violinist. But then, what kind of life would
it be without Haruka?
"Space Sword...Blaster!"
"Submarine...Reflection!"
And the darkness lit up with the light of
their energy, sending the world bursting out around them.
Uranus felt herself fall onto the ground, her
chin striking the floor hard, jarring. For a moment, sparkles danced in
her eyes, and a sensation of vertigo kept her from moving. But as the world
stilled, she managed to focus, and saw a length of aquamarine hair just
before her face. Mouth still not working quite yet, she reached up, twining
fingers in the waves, trying to tug on it, to see if she could get her
partner to move, to show a sign of life.
"Nep...Nept...."
Rather than a vocal response, Neptune stirred,
letting out a soft groan as she rolled onto her stomach, pushing herself
up. Breathing hard, she looked down and over, to see Uranus's hand in her
hair. "I thought...I told you..." she managed a smile, "...that this wasn't
a good time, Uranus...." she removed Uranus' hand, and clasped it, a little
bit of crazy relief shining in her eyes. "The others are here, too. Sit
up. Come on," she pushed herself back to her knees, then helped Uranus
to sit up dizzily. Mars was laying a length away from them, black hair
spilled out across the floor. Venus had tumbled out of her mirror, ankles
still hanging within the broken cage as she lay on her side, eyes closed.
Beyond them, head visible from around the corner, Jupiter was on her back,
eyes open, and she was stirring, trying to push herself up. She turned
her head and saw Neptune help Uranus to her feet.
"Hey, mind giving us a hand, too?" she laughed
weakly, then managed to get herself up. "Better wake up Venus. She sleeps
like a rock."
The two Outers separated, shaking the sleeping
Inners awake, their eyes opening slowly, focusing. "We're all right. Arigatou.
Wake up, we need to get moving...." they whispered, urging. Hurry, hurry,
they had to hurry....
Uranus released Venus as she stabilized on
her feet, Jupiter stepping carefully over the broken shards of glass on
the ground. Each cage had shattered, but the maze was intact, and dozens
of reflections looked back at them from all angles as they regrouped. Mars
nodded as she leaned up against Neptune, touching a slight gash on her
cheek, bits of blood dripping out. A random scratch from a bit of glass.
"Neptune," Venus asked as Mars pushed herself away from the sea senshi's
help, "do you think your mirror will be any good in here?"
"We'll see," Neptune decided as she drew the
mirror out of its subspace pocket. The graceful curve of the handle fit
with familiar comfort in her palm, and she saw herself reflected back in
the polished surface. Ripples formed in the glass, pooling outward in concentric
rings, moving further away from the center. But even as this magic was
being worked, a small feeling of warning alerted Neptune, even as it reached
Mars.
"Get down!" They called in one voice, giving
only enough warning for the other three to look at them in surprise. There
was the sound of glass shearing, of explosion.
And the maze blasted apart around them in
fury.
The world was full of color, whirling like
petals on the breeze.
Strains of music filled the hall, echoing
out of a corner where minstrels played on lutes and harps. Rich velvets,
brocades and embroideries skirted in and out of the lines of the dance,
as partners exchanged, accepted hands, and moved in stately fashion along
the avenues of their own steps. Warmth poured across the smooth stones
of the floor, warmth and light from a great fireplace, blazing in the hall's
far end. Warmth from the candles high on the iron chandelier above the
dancers, warmth from the candelabras in the shadowy corners, not allowing
any darkness. This was a glowing land, and this castle its heart. A king
of vast fairness and strength, and a queen who sat beside him of unmatched
beauty. A flower who had not yet begun to wilt.
A graceful hand was placed within the grip
of a handsome knight. Setsuna knew the steps, the pattern that went unchanging
to this dance. A gown of red gossamer turned out like petals as she came
to the end of the row, exchanging partners again. Across from her, the
one she began her dance with. Dark hair, black and cut around his face
so that his ocean blue eyes looked wide and deep. So perfect...so familiar....
"You look sad, Lady," her knight commented
as they drew their dance to a close. The final strains died away into the
laughter of people, and the sounds of maids bringing food from the kitchen.
The smell of roast mutton and beef mingled with that of wine and ale and
bread. They were good smells, homey and comforting. "Perhaps I could have
your name?"
It would have seemed improper for her to hold
him, lean her head against him. In this era, in this place, such things
in public would seem so very improper. She reached up to brush a lock of
hair from her face, but her fingers stilled as they reached her bare shoulder.
No, today she had worn her hair up, to look beautiful and elegant in a
way she was unaccustomed to. She was so glad that she had. Her fair knight
had rescued her from the pain of talking to...her mind wandered, groping
for the name. That was a person she knew. She should remember that name.
Well, it wasn't important...not really. That face was only the elder sister
of her friend. A friend! At so long last, the Guardian of Time had a friend!
But where? Setsuna glanced around at the laughing faces. No, she couldn't
see...couldn't see.... Her mind struggled with the name. Morgan...yes,
Morgan! That was her name! Of course. And this...this was Lancelot. And
the king, yes, that was little Arthur all grown up, with his bride beside
him. Yes, she remembered this...all of this!
"I'm sorry. Lady Setsuna Meioh."
"Tintagel? Arthur spoke of you. You lived
there when he was a baby."
"Yes," Setsuna replied, distantly. Something
tugged at her mind, and she reached out with her senses, trying to identify
it. But she felt no warping of time. She was here...but perhaps that was
it...? How can she remember a thing still happening? Setsuna shook her
head in confusion. No, no, she was here. This was her life, her life away
from the Gate, even for just a little while....
Music drifted around them again, falling down
note by note as the dancers took to twirling again, skirts swishing and
boots clattering against the stones of the floor. Warm light made her skin
glow, and the oddness people saw in her appearance vanished in ethereal
beauty. Heaven held a sense of wonder, and this was her heaven. It was
easy to sink into this reality, a happy time when she could for a moment
forget anything that lay in the mists.
"I've never been to Tintagel," Lancelot continued,
and the voice filled her ears with low melody, rich as chocolate. He seemed
faintly distant, as though thinking of other places than where he was.
But his kindness in rescuing her was not lost on Setsuna. She was so alone.
So lonely. It would be easy, really. So many of the legends...she knew
the legends...so many spoke of sorceresses stealing away knights they loved.
How easy, to just spirit him away....
But then the strings from the minstrels faded
as the song ended. Had it really been that long they had danced? Yes, she
was on the other side of the floor. And now he was kissing her hand in
parting. "My lady," he bowed, then kissed her hand. "Now that you have
been safely rescued from the wicked dragon, I must return to Arthur. Forgive
me, my lady."
"Forgiven," she allowed, curtsying as was
proper and right for a lady of her station.
Already he was obscured by the milling crowd
of dancers. A memory surfaced, and she touched her hair, feeling the soft
petals of a red rose in her hair. "Oh yes, I remember...." she murmured.
"Morgawse. Never did like her. And you gave me this, when you told me your
name...." She looked at the direction he had retreated in and felt dizzy,
holding the bloom in her hands, delicate fingers cupping the petals. Why
not? Why not make this her dream? Why not change history? Was she not allowed
to step in and ensure the proper flow of events? It would be easy, to snatch
him away, to create a life simply as Setsuna Meioh, to forget everything
outside this lifetime....
"You know that's not your destiny, Setsuna,"
a soft voice told her from behind. It was familiar and not. And it angered
her, forcing her to crush the rose in her fingers. How long had she been
alone? Was it not allowed for her to have even a moment's happiness? A
lifetime's? Everyone loved. Everyone had loves. Everyone but the perfect,
peerless statue that was the Guardian of Time.
"Leave me be, Viviane."
Setsuna turned coldly, and the crushed flower
fell around her, laying on the folds of her satin skirt. The girl she faced
was not the girl she knew. No, Viviane...the Viviane Setsuna knew would
be teary eyed and frightened of such a big place, with so many people.
No, it was too soon for Viviane to stand on her own. Then why did she face
her so calmly?
No one saw her but Setsuna. They walked around
her, laughing and not seeing the girl in the black robes. Not seeing the
blue eyed girl with the long white hair, who held her hands clasped before
her tranquilly. Viviane tried to smile at Setsuna. "Don't be upset, Setsuna.
This place must be very special to you, for you to want to come back here.
But we need you now," Viviane said, and the aura around her swirled and
eddied. For a moment, Setsuna saw another face overlaid on the familiar
one, with the same blue eyes, just slightly downturned and sad. "I know
you see me as someone else," Viviane continued, biting her lip nervously.
"I know you don't want to leave. But if you don't, we won't be able to
help anyone. You have friends with us, too. A family with us, too," Viviane
smiled and reached out with a hand. "Don't you remember us?"
"I remember the Talismans, and I remember
them becoming the key to awaken the light of destruction. I remember the
death. I do not want to go back to that. I want to live in the present.
I want to live here!"
"Here is not the present. The present is with
us!" Viviane's face altered again, blurring. The other face, with the sad
eyes becoming determined. Viviane always had been stubborn, in her own
odd way. "The present is with Chibiusa-chan, Setsuna! With Hotaru-chan!
Don't you care about them? You always want to protect the little ones.
We need you!" Viviane called to her, and the space around her became distorted,
as though focused though a liquid lens, refracting. A new girl, with short
hair. A familiar girl, who Setsuna remembered from so very long ago. She
remembered discussing...temporal mechanics? Those Mercurians were always
messing with trying to figure things out...Mercurians? Mercury? What did
that have to do with anything? That place was a dead hulk, burned away
with the sun's heat.
"The present is with our Princess!"
"The Princess has been dead for a thousand
years!"
"She is alive and fighting now, and needs
her soldiers to help her!" Viviane cried in return, reaching out with a
hand. "Setsuna! Give me your hand and break out of this dream! It's an
illusion! This place vanished in the mist centuries ago! Wake up, Setsuna!
Wake up! Onegai!"
"No. You're not real.... This...this place
is real!"
"Look at me and see me without seeing the
past, Setsuna!"
A pair of crimson eyes looked away from the
happy people around her, and focused on the shifting form of Viviane. Blue
light radiated from her as she reached outward, as though held back and
away. But the vertigo that surrounded her was growing still, the watery
illusion turning to ice. And it was not Viviane who pleaded with her.
"We are reborn," the girl smiled, and once
again reached out.
And this time, Setsuna clasped it.
Pluto's eyes opened, and she slid her hand
to the side, reaching out to clasp her Timestaff from where it had clattered
to the ground. She shifted, straightening herself out and hearing high
pitched crunching as glass moved underneath her. Gasping breathing reached
her ears, and she saw Mercury, curled up on the floor across the room from
her. "Mercury?"
"Pluto...?"
Sailor Pluto stood, and leaned on her staff
for balance as she regained her footing. The waves of dizziness passed
quickly, and she knelt down to help Mercury sit up. The smaller girl grabbed
her arm for support a moment, then the spinning began to slow for her as
well.
"Domo arigatou, Mercury," Pluto said, and
the younger senshi managed a smile, nodding.
"You gave me strength before," she told her
as Pluto lent her a hand up. "When I thought I was weak. When Fish-eye..."
she stood fully, and looked up into the taller woman's face. "tried to
kill me. We're alike, Pluto, in some ways. Maybe that's why I could get
to you."
"That still doesn't make complete sense. That
you weren't affected by whatever spell that was," Pluto told her in a half
question. But now that they were both on their feet again, she hefted the
Timestaff, looking around for any approaching enemies.
"I think it was the same for the others. We
each had to face our nightmares. Yume is smart, learning from a past mistake.
It's much harder to escape from a pleasant dream than from a nightmare.
A nightmare is easy to spot. A good dream is something you don't want to
leave."
Pluto caught a tone in Mercury's voice, and
saw that she had called her visor out of its pocket dimension. Bits of
light in numerical form reflected across the surface, backwards, so that
Mercury could read it. Pluto hadn't lived for centuries, without learning
how to observe people's behavior and tones. With a tone of factuality,
she stated, "You know something."
"Hai," Mercury nodded, focusing her attention.
"Yume learned from a mistake that another made. She should have no information
on such a matter. In that case, I believe it is reasonable to present the
hypothesis that our enemy is-"
Something shifted in the space around them,
a shift in the mechanics of the glass shrouded corridor. "Mercury!" Pluto
raced forward, sending both herself and Mercury tumbling to the floor.
A high pitched vibration rang out, and the
glass exploded in the air around them.
Tomoe Hotaru straightened herself out, standing
and shivering as she picked up her case. The grip of her leather bag fit
smoothly into her hand, though her fingers flexed awkwardly, and her arm
moved with a slight mechanical squeal. Poppa would be working on the newer
parts, she was sure. And under the cloth of her sleeves, no one could see
the bits of metal and wire woven into the fabric of her muscle tissue.
Under the black tights she wore, no one could see how the backs of her
knees were scarred, and how her legs were laced with burn scars, puckered
and red. Hotaru hated the scars. How could anyone be pretty with such scars?
They were ugly, and in the succession of that thought, so was she.
Walking out of the school yard, she kept her
head down, the sharp cut of her hair slanting forward as her violet eyes
to her feet. This was her best illusion, keeping her hidden and separate
from the world, where she was safe. Her hair was a black curtain, shrouding
her from prying eyes. Around her she heard people talking, brushing by
the invisibility of the small girl. Laughing and shouting to each other
as they headed home. Misery. Every day, she walked along this gauntlet,
hearing such happiness in the laughter around her. It felt better to be
home, where it was safe. Not that anything was safe. Not anymore. Not with
Poppa the way he was....
She stepped though a puddle, and the ripples
flowed outward from her heel, spreading the water further onto the cement.
Hotaru walked quietly, and without looking right or left. She knew the
path she took, though it became more difficult every day. So much more
difficult...without...new...parts...Poppa....
Hotaru fell, her world becoming a wave of
vertigo. The sky became a swirl of grey and white, and she heard the clatter
of her pens and notebooks as they clattered out across the ground. Dizzily,
she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, rubbing them as though
this would clear them of the tunneling in her vision. It was a heavy feeling,
as though the world pressed in on her from all sides. But then, there was
nothing else to do. Reach out, pick up the mess she made with her own weakness.
Then stand, and continue. That was life. Just...continuing.
The darkness focused on a pencase at her knee,
and according to the philosophy of continuation, she reached out for it,
intending to pick it up. But as her fingers drew close to the metal container,
a foot slammed in her way, heavily stepping down. Not quite to her destination,
her fingers stilled, and she heard, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Hotaru." The words
were sarcastic, and the voice a sneer. A second voice joined the first,
just as sharp.
"Shall we help you pick them up?"
Not looking at their faces, Hotaru saw the
foot withdraw, and felt a body loom over hers, leering downward. The darkness
around her drew down heavily, and narrowed until the two girls above her
seemed so far away. So insignificant. And so utterly...nothing. They were
nothing. Hotaru almost laughed. Petty people were nothing. They were worthless.
No minds, nothing. No souls, nothing. It wouldn't be so bad to kill Nothing,
would it? Nothing lost, nothing to miss.... But...people like that were
to be pitied, weren't they?
Hotaru heard a squealing sound, harsh and
grating. It was metallic, though she was sure it was not her own joints.
Far away, she knew she had picked up that penholder, and crushed it in
her fingers. Hotaru had never been very strong. Not in this bloodless body
she wore.
She continued.
She picked up her things, the girls leaving
as they met with ice cold eyes. Eyes that did not seem like the familiar,
easily taunted Hotaru's. These were sinister, though on the same body.
And even Nothing had to fear eyes like that. So she stood, and the folds
of plaid green skirt fell around her knees. Mugen Institute, Poppa's Infinity
College....
"You can't escape your destiny," words came,
mocking, from ahead of her. In a voice that was hers, but so much older
and full of hate. Her head down, she raised her eyes to see herself, or
a reflection of herself. Cruel eyes, arms folded over her chest. Hair infinitely
long, streaming out in every direction. Hotaru should know her. This was
Hotaru. But not. The girl struggled to remember the name of the woman above
her, smiling with a kind of knowledge and subtle carelessness. Superiority.
To this one, it was Hotaru that was a Nothing.
"You could have everything, if you just let
yourself hate them."
Hotaru looked away, beyond the woman. And the scenery of her
familiar path home blurred and vanished into a maze of mirrors, the glass
reflecting the image of the woman, but not of Hotaru. "I'm real," her opponent
continued. "see? These mirrors reflect the soul. The true soul. Wouldn't
it be easy, chibi-chan, if you just let me in? I could make you so much
stronger...."
The face of the woman grew sharper, less human,
as a black star formed on her forehead, and her eyes maniacal as she drew
closer. That face...something...mirrors...omega? Omega. Yes. That sounded...familiar,
somehow. "Mistress 9?"
She paused for a moment at her name, then
the smile twisted up harshly. The mirrors grew bright, the panes stinging
Hotaru's eyes as she backed away, her case falling from her grip. There
was something...something she should do...she could fight. Fight? Hotaru?
Little Hotaru, who fainted so easily and had no strength? Fight? She's
kind of creepy. She always has that gloomy expression.... Everyone says
she's weird. Of course she is. Her father is that strange Professor. Does
she have any friends?
Hotaru felt the shadow of Mistress 9 on her,
darkening the brightness. Sharp fingers dug into her throat, and her windpipe
narrowed, the air slowing as nails drew blood from her skin's surface.
Every nerve glowed, bitingly harsh.
Does she have any friends?
"Poppa...."
Hotaru felt herself lifted from the ground,
her feet growing lighter as her weight shifted into the arms of Mistress
9. "It'd be easier if you just died," she heard, quietly. Almost kindly.
Death...no, Hotaru wasn't afraid of death. That was strange. People should
fear death, shouldn't they? Hotaru closed her eyes, resting them. Just
for a little while....
Does she have any friends?
"I made this at school. I'd like to give
it to you, Hotaru. The theme for this week is, 'Let's give a present to
someone special.' I kinda thought it might be neat to give it to Hotaru
as a symbol of friendship...."
She remembered...two girls, coming to bring
her the younger one's present...a cup. A strange little cup. With buttons
and plastic jewels to make it colorful. And pasted on wings. "Chibiusa-chan?"
Her feet left the floor, and once again blackness
hedged her vision. Fight...something...fight...how...? Faces flickered
as the hands on her neck tightened. No, this wasn't right. Mistress 9 was
dead, wasn't she? How? Someone fought her. Hotaru gripped the wrists of
the woman holding her, struggling weakly as her world darkened.
"Chibiusa-chan!"
A new face, looking at her oddly, smiling
as she was defeated in their game. "Haruka-papa!"
Another new face, laughing as she helped her
get dressed as a little girl. There you go, this one said, straightening
the dress. "Michiru-mama!"
A third face, with eyes full of age. Handing
her a pencil and showing her kanji. Being patient as the lead marked the
paper. "Setsuna-mama!"
Someone new.
Purple eyes, just like hers. Not anyone she
should know. No, a stranger's smiling face, oddly familiar. Someone she
should know. Someone new. Her eyes fluttered open. The stirring of memory
gained momentum. "Onee-san!"
Onee-san!
Sitting on the ledge of her bed, Kami listened,
her head rising as the call echoed vibrantly around her. She stood, turning
around the unfamiliar confines of her room, almost as though to search
for the source of the silent sound.
The drapes of her window were pulled back,
the lace letting in traceries of patterned light onto the full carpet under
her slippers. The shadows of sunset dappled her face and the length of
her hair, glowing golden, glowing divine. Kami placed fingers to her lips
thoughtfully, turning and looking at the length of herself in the oval
mirror. She stood tall, despite her frustration with herself, and the new,
tingling worry at the silent whisper of her name. Shafts of light fell
around her, haloing her body in golden light, that shifted though the branches
of the tree outside. Ordinary beauty, extraordinarily presented.
"Hotaru-chan?"
Hotaru-chan?
Breathlessly, Hotaru clawed at the hands on
her throat. A voice. She heard a voice calling. Calling back to her. Softly,
almost silently. In the mirrors beyond the slash of Mistress 9's hair,
she could see a shrouded reflection, pale and ghostly. In it stood the
final face, fingers to her lips in wonder, eyes not seeing as Hotaru saw.
Puzzlement made her look, then turn, her bewilderment clear though the
image on the glass. Then again, pale lavender eyes looked at her through
the mirror.
Blackness was overwhelming.
"If you wish to be part of me, then so be
it. My piece of chaos you shall be!" Again, she gripped the wrists pinning
her to the mirror, but now her eyes were open, and the light of a symbol
shone on her forehead, gleaming amethyst under hair that fluttered wildly
around her face. Now, for the first time, the woman noticed Hotaru as something
more than Nothing. The hateful eyes widened, a moment too late. "And I
will surpass you and all you stand for!"
The symbol faded, only to be replaced with
a single purple stone. And from her white gloved hands, a dissolved mist
that coiled around her. A scream lingered in the air, though not from the
throat of Saturn. Her feet touched the ground again, tapping softly as
she tried to gain her breath back. Such a nightmare. That face haunted
her. Such a nightmare, to face again the terror of her life. On her knees,
Saturn breathed.
And then she felt a hand rest on her shoulder,
and saw feet, then knees before her.
"Are you all right?" A worried voice asked,
and she looked up to see the one they had all come for.
Yume, distant blue eyes full of concern, searching
her face.
"Are you okay? Tomoe-san?"
Sailor Saturn blinked with disbelieving eyes,
first at Yume, then again as she took in the new room around her. A ring
of mirrors, some shattered and multiplied in their reflections. Against
the distant end of the ring, a tall throne, sweeping and high backed, regal
and eerily familiar.
"Here," Yume was saying, taking Saturn's hand
and helping her up. "Can you stand? I thought your mind would be lost.
She held you in her grip for so long." Yume peered closer at Saturn's neck,
blinking. "Ah, good. No physical repercussions, not yet." A small smile
flitted on her face, a look of relief and happiness.
Yume squeezed Saturn's hands, then released
them with a smile, folding her arms around herself out of habitual motion.
Her shoulders rounded, drawing her in on herself as she did so, making
her smaller. Though Yume was taller than Hotaru, it almost appeared as
though Saturn was larger. Yume shifted back slightly, her heels clomping
hollowly as she shifted her weight. Yume's face shifted between worry,
curiosity, and a tentative smile.
"Why," Saturn began slowly, touching her neck
and feeling bruises that did not exist. "why did you try to kill me?"
As though slapped, Yume retreated a step, paling and biting a
lip. "Gomen. Gomen, Tomoe-san. No, you misunderstand. You two young ones.
Children shouldn't have to suffer...." Yume reached out with a hand pleadingly,
consolingly. "I made it different for you. I thought...I thought you were
like me. I wanted to be sure. Tomoe-san, that happened to you too, didn't
it? All those people, laughing at you. Just because we're freakish. Kutsu
always laughed at me. I don't want to hurt people who have been hurt like
me. I've been a freak since I was little. I thought that if you were like
me, then I could protect you." She folded her hands together, wringing
them slightly in agitation and thought. Stupid, freakish Yume, who finally
was strong enough to fight for herself. "Was that stupid of me again?"
Sailor Saturn stood and looked at the girl
across from her. She was tattered, her fine green dress worn from battling
with the senshi, and from constant wear. She tottered in her heels, and
her hair clung around her face, as though wishing to hide it. She was thin.
So very, very thin. Frail. Yes, frail. White skin turning transclusecent,
veins lacy beneath the surface. There were bruises on her arm and her leg,
sign she had not escaped her battles completely without harm. A shoulder
was red and raw. Small things, not really noticed in the flurry of motions
in battle. Small things too easily overlooked. And mostly, Saturn looked
at her eyes. They were blue, faraway eyes, and though she was looking down
slightly, they were the eyes of a girl far younger. Too wide, too frightened.
Hotaru wasn't a mother, but ever nerve in her screamed to wrap her arms
around Yume, to tell her it would be all right, and they would go home,
and have tea, and laugh and everything would be fine, just fine.
"Yume-chan," Saturn said, reaching out with
a hand tentatively. She watched Yume's eyes widen fractionally at the gesture.
Saturn smiled, leaning forward and reaching out. Don't let her drop down
into the silence again. Don't let her go. Take her hand, get her out of
the maze. If she could get her out of the maze, then she'd be free. Somehow,
that would be all it took. Just get her to walk away. Just walk away. Whatever
it was that made her this way, it was here. She could feel it. Cold against
her skin. "Would you like to come home with me? Michiru-mama makes really
good soba noodles. They're my favorite. We were going to have some tonight.
Are you hungry, Yume-chan?"
Hungry? Yume? Wasn't she always? Wasn't that
her problem? But soba noodles.... Yume did like soba noodles. Her favorite
was tempura though, but soba was always good. No, no, this was silly. Soba
noodles? Michiru-mama? That was the Neptune one.... Yume glanced beyond
Sailor Saturn, and saw the images in a distant mirror. Within it, an elegant
Kaioh Michiru was waving good bye to a techie in her dream, laughing as
she headed down towards her ride to some extravagant affair. No, Michiru
wasn't going to be making soba noodles. Not unless Yume let her out.
"Michiru-mama!" Saturn cried as she followed
Yume's gaze. In horror, her eyes swung around to another mirror, this time
the image of a crowd of people at a raceway. Screaming fans, their sounds
silent within the soundproof glass. Wildly, she looked again, this time
seeing a court in full splendor, ladies whirling though the images of men
and women dancing.
"They're happy there, Tomoe-san," Yume managed,
her voice brittle, trying to explain what was being seen. "They're in their
dreams. No one will hurt them there."
"Why!"
"They never hurt me. But..." Yume looked away,
and as her face hardened, Saturn began to see the one she had faced at
Chibiusa's school. A Yume who was fighting for vengeance, on behalf of
herself. And outrage, for those like her. But why the senshi? Lock them
within good dreams? All but Hotaru, since Yume correctly surmised she had
been though similar situations. Something here didn't fit. Something didn't
fit at all. The coldness in her face was returning slowly, and Saturn tried
to break though the forming ice.
"Yume-chan," she began, letting her voice
take a harder edge. It was effective, and Yume looked at her again. "I
want you to-"
A soft sound began to ripple though the room,
like the lapping of moonlit waves at night. It vibrated gently, growing
in low pitch until enough to distract both Sailor Saturn and Yume. Turning,
they saw a hand emerge though a crystal clear pane of glass, then a face,
slipping though the passage into the ring of mirrors. White wings extended
out as Eternal Sailor Moon stepped though the mirror, stumbling a half
step as she entered the room, looking around uncertainly. Recognition fixed
her eyes as she saw Saturn.
"Stop right there! For what you have done
to my daughter...."
"Sailor Moon! No!"
"I will never forgive you!"
Yume was gone, her eyes as cold as the empty
sky. "Tomoe-san," she said with an elusive frostiness, "you may leave now,
or else chose your side." Sharply, she looked at Saturn. "And I know that
if you do not leave, then it is her side you will chose. So leave, or join
her."
"Yume...."
She made a small sound of disgust, then stepped
away, approaching the dais and the throne there. Lifting a hand, a stream
of cards fluttered off the armrest, lighting to her hand with familiar
ease. She turned. Flip. Flip....
"You, Tsukino Usagi, are not like the others.
You were always loved. You have a perfect family. You have a perfect boyfriend.
You have your perfect little group of adoring friends. Everybody likes
Tsukino Usagi. She's all light and happiness and sugar. The happy little
heroine, who's just so goddamned perfect. Why, you'll even have the whole
planet kissing your dainty little feet someday, won't you? Nobody thinks
Tsukino Usagi is a freak. Everything just works itself out for you just
fine and dandy doesn't it? Perfect. Everything...just...perfect!" Her voice
grew hysterical as she continued, until her words hit the breaking point.
She stood clearly before the throne, facing them and looking down, hands
still on the cards, tightly crushing them between strained fingers.
But behind her, a shadow moved, rustling so
softly that it could barely be heard though Yume's words. The back of the
throne was reflected, on this side empty, on the other....
On the other....
Sailor Moon watched the words fall from Yume's
lips painfully. They were true, to a point. She had a happy life. And she
fought to keep it that way. It hurt, hearing it said the way Yume said
it. Didn't everyone want a happy life? Darkness fluttered around her, cloaking
bare shoulders. And then she heard Saturn draw a sharp breath. Momentarily,
her gaze shifted, and a new form could be seen just behind Yume. Familiar.
Lengths of black hair, a silhouette in the dim light.
Catlike eyes.
A single word came to a strangled scream,
an impossible scream. "Nehelenia!"
Yume lifted a card in the air, and the two
senshi moved into action.
As Saturn lifted her hand, she summoned the
Silence Glaive, swinging it to bear. The image of a demon was revealed
against the polished metal as Yume turned the card. But Sailor Moon had
already brought the Eternal Rod up and around. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy
Kiss!"
All the world became glass.
Cutting, biting glass that shattered in the
explosion, bursting out and surrounding Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn.
And then there was a light, which sent them
blind, and each could feel their bodies lift into the air, and fall hard
against the ground.
*******************
I told you there was a major anime element
in here....waaaaay back in the recap from the previous two stories? lol.
Yes, the anime element is the idea of Nehelenia returning. It doesn't happen
at all in the manga, and is exclusive to the Stars anime. Since Kami tends
to deal so much with dreams, I thought it best to challenge the Nehelenia
idea. And since 'Bloom of the Mountain Cherry' was supposed to be
after SS....
On a more practical note, the dream sequences
for Michiru and Setsuna. Michiru's dream was to become a violinist, so
that's the dream Yume gave her. Setsuna's is probably confusing to most.
^^; You see so little of Pluto's life in anime and manga. I wasn't sure
exactly what to do with her. I know she wants to be a fashion designer,
but it seemed a little...wrong for the fic. And I wanted to keep things
in the past, as though they hadn't happened yet. (ie, Haruka and Michiru
never having met....) So I was a bit restricted. And I wanted to break
the pattern a little. Long, long ago, (my first fanfic!) I wrote 'Mists
of Time.' A blend of Setsuna growing up and one of my favorite mythologies,
King Arthur. So, I took a scene out of 'Mists' and re-vamped it
for 'Golden Rule.' I hope it wasn't confusing to anyone. It was
just supposed to be a happy time, before she knew any of the modern-day
senshi. Thus harder for her to pull away from it.
And in both Haruka and Michiru's scenes, they
hear words. ('...like saving the world from destruction!' and, '...when
I realized you were the one...I was happy....') Those were taken
out of the S season anime episode that shows the flashback when they met.
I've got the Pioneer dvd of that episode, so that's the translation I used.
And finally, Hotaru's dream sequence. That
was a scene from the manga, when she crushed the metal pen holder. You
know, it took me forever to think of using that? o.O That should have been
so obvious, it was so similar to what happened to Yume. I was coming up
with all kinds of weird dream sequence ideas....o.O oro.... Oh well.
Also, if you're not totally familiar with the manga, in the S story arc,
Hotaru's father uses mechanical parts to keep Hotaru alive after the accident
when she was little. She was, in a way, a cyborg.
Til next time.
Ja ne!
-Queen
