Chapter Thirteen
Annika
lay in her cell, trembling. Her clothing had been torn off, leaving her mostly
nude and prone to the cold winds. Her henshin wand was gone, taken from her but
not destroyed, if it had been she would have fallen unconscious or died. But
she was frightened. She had cried for a long time until Lady phobia had come to
her, her eyes burning.
Annika
remembered that clearly…
"Shut
up!"
Annika
sunk to the ground, petrified.
"My
Mama'll…come," she stammered.
"You
mean, Sailor Mars, little crybaby? No she won't, it's impossible to trace us."
Annika
burst into tears, "I want Mama!"
Lady
Phobia knelt down. "I'm from the future, small brat. I would have made the
world to shape as my own but you Cosmic Scouts topped me. But only because you
had the leadership of Cosmic Venus. Without Cosmic Venus you'll perish. You're
bait. I have to have you alive…however, if you don't shut up, I'll tear out
your vocal chords."
Annika
shut her mouth but fear was circulating through her blood….
Annika
shuddered as she remembered. With a choked voice she whispered,
"Please,
someone, anyone, save me."
*
* *
Magellan
Castle, Venus
Gloria
let her grandmother pour another teapot full of hot water into the pail in
which her feet rested. Her feet were the ones hurt the most. Her other clothes
had been warmed while on her body and soon she was dry.
"Princess?"
Gloria
looked up. May walked in, Gloria's orange 'Heartbreak' chain in her hands.
Before anyone could say anything else, it shimmered and suddenly shot forward
and wrapped around Gloria's waist.
Gloria
stared at it. It was a shimmery orange color but had glints of gold throughout
it. The pattern was different from her mother's. Her mother's was pure gold and
was a pattern of golden heart whose ends stuck into the top of the next heart.
Gloria's was different. Her pattern was a heart and then a star. She stared a
moment and then looked up.
"What's
with this?" she demanded of her grandmother. "Mom has her love me chain always
around her waist when she's transformed."
Alina
smiled. "Your guardian deity, this planet, the planet of love has deemed you
ready."
"Ready
for what?"
"Your
mother is leader of the inner scouts. You will one day be leader of the inner
cosmic scouts. Before then, you will be leader of the Inner Chibi scouts."
"Rini's
our leader," she argued.
Alina
nodded. "The Princess of the Moon is always the overall leader. But the inner
and outer scouts are different. Although the outers also shield the princess,
their ideal job is to protect our solar system from outside invaders. The inner
scouts main goal is to protect the princess and royal family. As the Inner Scouts,
your mother and Princess Raye, princess Lita and Princess Amy are to shield the
royal family, King Endymion, Neo-Queen Serenity, and Neo-Princess Serenity."
Gloria
nodded. Queen Alina went on.
"The
outers, Princess Setsuna, Princess Hotaru, Princess Mirchiru, and Princess
Haruka are to shield our solar system from any invading enemies. The job is
passed hereditarily. Rini is Neo-Princess Serenity by blood. Annika is
Neo-Princess Scarlet by blood. Daisy is Neo-Princess Lexi by blood. Ariel is
Neo-Princess Krystal by blood. Your formal title is Neo-Princess Ali." She
paused and took a breath. "Maggie is Neo-Princess Sophia by blood. Madelyn is
Neo-Princess Reneta by blood. Faith is Neo-Princess Kelsi and Hope is
Neo-Princess Nerissa."
Gloria
wrinkled her nose, "Ewww, Kelsi? Faith'll hate that."
Alina
smiled. "As I was saying, you are all given your status by your blood."
"But
Faith and Hope are adopted!"
Alina
nodded. "I am guessing they are the twins born between the younger Princess of
Neptune and the Prince of Uranus. As such they are given their status as
princesses."
Alina
continued, "So you are given the status of leader. That chain is the proof of
your leadership. When Venus deemed you ready, it would anoint you leader
officially as it has just done. You are no longer the to-be-leader. Sailor
Chibi Venus you are now the leader of the Inner Chibi Scouts."
Gloria
beamed, "Wicked Cool!"
She
paused, "But what about the Outer Chibi Scouts?"
Alina
nodded, "They have their own leader." She smiled. "Tell me little one, who is
leader of the Outer Scouts?"
"Uranus."
Alina
nodded. "And so when her planet deems it time, Faith will be anointed leader."
"Will
she get a sign like me?"
The
queen nodded. "But not a chain. The leaders of the outer scouts get their right
ear pierced. Only their right. With a single golden loop."
"Is
Rini our overall leader 'officially' then?"
The
queen shook her head. "No, when Rini upgrades, to the same form her mother had
during the battle with Galaxia you told me you heard about."
"So
when she becomes Eternal Cosmic Moon."
Alina
nodded. She smiled at her grandchild.
"So
now your powers are ready to find your friend. You have made it clear that this
is your duty?"
Gloria
nodded. Alina sighed.
"Very
well, tomorrow, we'll travel to Mars to find out where they've taken
Neo-Princess Scarlet."
* * *
Crystal
Tokyo
Asai
walked through his quarters, seeking his wife. The place felt cold, empty and
lifeless without Gloria's music slicing through the walls like knives. It had
annoyed Asai and Mina to no end but now they missed it. Venus Knight finally
checked his daughter's room. There he found Mina, sitting on the bed, Gloria's
stuffed cat Artemis in her arms.
"Mina."
Mina
looked up at her husband, her eyes were red. She looked like she'd been crying.
"Oh
Asai, where is she?"
The
brown haired man sat by his wife and she collapsed into his open arms. She
cried, saying, "where is she? Where is she? Gloria, darling come back to me."
*
* *
As
distraught as Mina was, Raye was a thousand times worse. Since Annika's
disappearance, she had lost her appetite, was on drugs to sleep, and searched
for Annika all day. She had to be forced to bed by Chad. And there were times
like now when she tried to reach her daughter, via her sacred fire.
"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu,
sai, zen!"
Her
fire blazed high but she received no other answer. She collapsed, tears in her
eyes. Two strong hands fell on her shoulders. Raye looked over her shoulder and
Chad knelt by her. Raye hugged him tightly.
"Where
is she? Chad, I want my baby back, I want her in my arms."
Chad
nodded and hugged his wife tightly. "I know Raye, me too. We'll find her."
Raye
nodded. "I know but she's so timid and shy. She's probably terrified. She's
only a little girl."
Chad
just tightened his grip. Raye buried her face into his shoulders, shedding
tears that should have run out days ago. Chad tried to comfort her. She was a
wreck.
"Rini
said she's trying something with the Silver Crystal."
Raye
nodded and said a silent prayer,
"Please,
Rini find my daughter. Let her come back to me. I want her back in my arms."
Aloud,
she whispered,
"Please."
*
* *
Rini
concentrated; she tried to focus on Annika or Gloria. The Silver Crystal in her
hands shimmered and grew bright.
The
crescent moon appeared on the Princess' forehead.
She
saw a faint image. She saw Annika with a black haired woman. The woman tugged
Annika out by her hair, ripped a few out by the roots. She held out a knife and
made a slashing motion across her throat. Annika screamed and the girl yanked
Annika up and tossed her headfirst into the wall. She slashed Annika across her
legs and then laughed hideously…
"NO!"
Rini
let out a cry of protest, which brought her parents running. As they entered,
they saw Rini collapse, her crescent moon illuminated and the silver crystal
blazing.
