*sigh* for some reason this chapter was hard to write. I've been in a slump I guess I don't know. Anyway here it is, and by the way if you like weird pairings I wrote a story called the Ocean's Rose that's an Ami/Mamoru pairing and a bit of Chibi-usa/Helios. Usagi fans um this one isn't for you *shrugs* anyway onto the story.
Chapter 11 The Sun Rises for the Night Soldier
Nightsky smiled to herself; she had surely deceived those pesky sailor senshi by confusing them with all her entangled energy. It was too similar to her masters to tell any difference. She almost felt sorry for the senshi, almost wished they had found her. Maybe then they could get what they wanted, and she could get what she wanted.
She sighed; it was no use thinking that way. She would just have to cope and deal with what she had but then…why should she? Why should she have to settle in the background and stay silent?
Because that is the duty of the Night Soldier, someone reminded her in that cruel way that your subconscious digs into you. To be alone, to stay alone, breathe alone. You aid the night and breathe in the scent of the night. You live off of that, nothing else.
"It's not fair!" she screamed out loud and shrunk to the ground crying, "It's not fair. I want to be…loved," she whispered.
"Dammit!" Haruka screamed when they found the place barren. She sat on the ground and put her head in her hands, "Michiru!" she screamed as tears began to fall.
"Uranus," she looked up and found a tiny hand on her shoulder.
"Saturn?" she whispered quietly through her tears.
"Neptune would want us to continue. She would want us to go forward and protect our Princess," Saturn said as tears rolled down her cheeks as well.
"We can never abandon the Princess," Pluto smiled weakly, "If we do we'll be abandoning Neptune."
"You're right," Haruka looked into the sky. She wanted to be running now. She wanted to feel the wind in her face. She wanted to see Michiru again, but she couldn't give up, not now, not ever. She stood and nodded to the others.
"We will meet the inners at their spot," Pluto said sounding strong though none of them felt it.
They nodded and took off toward the location. Before they knew it they were far behind Uranus calling for her but she didn't hear. All she heard was the sound of the ocean beating against the rocks. She ran for it and didn't stop until she ran into Sailor Mercury.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" the attack was stopped short when Sailor Uranus threw her to the ground.
"Sailor Uranus! Sailor Mercury!" they shouted.
Nightsky laughed, her face was still lined with tears but they couldn't see them. They were hidden to the darkness that she was chained to, for all eternity. She hit both of them with dark magic as they screamed in pain.
"Stop it!" Makoto shouted, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Mars Flame Arrow!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
She screamed as the attacks hit her head on. She fell to the ground, tired and battered wishing only that this torture would stop. They were here, they were here to set her free. They were going to let her go to a world where she could be loved. Just one more attack and… she closed her eyes.
Uranus struggled up and raised her hands, "For Sailor Neptune," she whispered, "Earth Shaking!" she shouted and as the attack hit Nightsky she whispered something to them.
"Arigato, senshi."
~~~§§§
As they walked into the dark building they saw flashes of light in mirrors. They turned everywhere but couldn't find the true path.
"What?" Healer asked quietly.
"Fighter," her voice was faint and ghostly.
"Moon Princess," Fighter whispered back, and they looked in the mirror. Flashes of that long golden hair and deep blue eyes, "Odango!"
"Fighter!" she screamed and there were flashes of tears.
"Do you want her?" that voice was icy, "Come and get her."
"I'll kill you!" before the others had a chance to speak Fighter began to run. So hard and so fast that they couldn't keep up. They couldn't even begin to imagine which way to turn in these winding hallways. Dammit, they were lost and leaving Fighter alone.
~~~§§§
The senshi burst into the room and found a flustered Healer and Maker.
"Where's Fighter?" Venus asked worried. She was the leader she was responsible. The words kept running over and over in her head. She was the leader; she was responsible. She kept them together; she was in charge. She carried the weight; she would save the Princess; she would keep the senshi safe.
She looked down, she had already failed. Neptune wasn't safe, Sailor Moon wasn't safe, and now Fighter was missing too? How many would have to die at her hands? I am responsible; I am the leader, she thought to herself.
"We don't know; he disappeared but we can't find the way to him," Healer answered looking at her expression curiously as her hair swung over her face sheltering her eyes.
"Mercury, Pluto, Maker go that way," Venus pointed to the left.
"Healer, Uranus and I go that way," she then pointed to the middle.
"Mars, Jupiter, Saturn go there," the left was where her finger then turned. They all nodded and ran off in the appropriate directions.
~~~§§§
"Where are you coward?! Come out here and fight me!" Fighter shouted into the images that kept flashing in the surrounding mirrors.
"Come find me," the voice taunted, "Find your Princess."
Fighter snarled then looked around. There was only one path, straight.
~~~§§§
Maker watched as she calculated their position on the computer in front of her. When she was finished she put the data into her visor and looked at the area. She nodded as if confirming something in her mind and looked at one mirror.
"What is it Mercury?" Pluto asked softly, and Mercury looked at her a bit of hope gleaming in her eyes.
"These mirrors are illusions, Pluto see that one right there?" Mercury pointed to a mirror to the far right of the hallway. Pluto nodded, "Destroy that one," she instructed and Pluto nodded again as she ushered them out of the way.
"Dead Scream!" the mirror shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces and the others around them dissolved. They were left in an empty hallway with only one way to go…straight.
"That was amazing," Maker whispered.
"Well that's what happens when you're depended upon for wisdom. I guess you've never had that problem," she smiled, but it wasn't genuine.
What was that supposed to mean? "What?" Maker asked numbly confused by her words.
"I confused you," Mercury laughed, "That's surprising."
Maker blushed slightly.
"I just meant that you're all so intelligent. Not that that the others aren't…" she added quickly, "But I guess I'm just more depended upon whereas you are more…independent."
"Oh…"
They all turned and ran down the hallway leaving them to their thoughts.
~~~§§§
"These damn mirrors are in my way!" Uranus shouted infuriated at all the dead ends they'd run into.
"There's got to be a better way to do this," Venus muttered.
"There is," Healer's eyes glinted, "We just destroy them all, Star Sensitive Inferno!" but as the mirror was destroyed a new one came in its place.
"What?" they all whispered in unison.
"How are we supposed to get to her?!" Venus screamed as her rage was vented, "I'm not going to die in here! I'm not going to see my Princess hurt! And I'm certainly not going to endanger any more lives!" as she began to scream her hands grew hot, and she felt the energy inside her build up. She closed her eyes as the pain began to flame inside her. She wanted it to stop as the words repeated themselves. I'm the leader; I'm responsible.
Images flashed in her mind. Neptune disappeared as Uranus screamed in pain. The other two Starlights looked worried as they explained Fighter was missing. Her Princess' weak smile as the enemy transported her away. This was all because of her. She had failed as a leader and now…
"No!" she screamed and burst of golden/yellow light radiated around them as all the mirrors shattered.
The other two stared at her amazed as a single hallway was left in her wake.
"Uh I didn't want to loose?" she supplied, and Uranus grinned.
"Come on let's go," Healer smiled, and she smiled back. They all turned and ran straight ahead off to find their Princess.
~~~§§§
Mars grumbled miserably as they ran into yet another dead end.
"We're never going to get to the Princess at this rate," Jupiter muttered. Saturn stayed silent walking behind the two older senshi.
"If these mirrors…" Mars glared at them. She turned and hit one. She screamed as dark energy radiated from it and threw her to the ground.
"Mars!" they both shouted as she struggled up.
"I'm okay," she assured them nursing her wrist that had been hurt in the fall, "That was just stupid."
"There's got to be a way around these," Saturn said quietly.
"Do you have an idea?" Jupiter asked her.
"What if you," she looked at Mars, "Powered your energy somehow and targeted the mirror that's controlling the others energy. Something got to be holding their energy one major source so as soon as you target it the energy will disappear and we can destroy the mirrors easily."
Mars nodded, "It might work." She closed her eyes and chanted in a low voice then took out a white piece of paper with scripture writing on it and threw it out. it hit the main mirror and the others disappeared.
"Or it might destroy them for us," Jupiter smiled slightly.
"It might do that," Mars grinned approvingly at her work.
"Come on we can't waste time," Saturn took the lead running up the hallway that went dead ahead into the darkness.
~~~§§§
"Fighter!" the scream was more agonizing now. She was in pain.
"I'm trying," Fighter whispered. There was no way; too many mirrors.
"Help," her phrases were broken.
"Star Sensitive Inferno!"
"A lucky shot," that voice whispered as all the mirrors around Fighter vanished, "You won't be so lucky next time."
Fighter was oblivious to anything but the fact that she needed help. That single hallway… the darkness…she was trapped? In there? With him?
"I'm almost there Odango, hold on…" there were no more words just pounding footsteps as the last hurtle was jumped and the last hallway cleared into that realm of darkness. The only beacon was the beautiful golden haired girl of light.
