Well this is setting the stage for the finale chapters. I have no idea how many more there are going to be, but it is nearing the finale few. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the last several.
~Ravyn~
Disclaimer: NO I DON'T OWN SAILORMOON!
Minako stumbled and took a head first dive into the mud, her body rolling a few yards before it stopped. Minako forced her already aching body to rise. Strong hands pulled on her arm and pulled her forward at the same time. Makoto was stumbling as she was, as the rain was coming in torrents.
" Hurry!" Makoto screamed trying to me heard over the thunder and lighting, it seemed to echo over her eyes in the most peculiar way. Minako forced her legs to move her eyes narrowed in determination.
Minako ducked and threw her leg out; catching the advancing vampire in the gut, her other foot spun around and crushed his windpipe. He fell his mouth in a wide O in surprise.
Minako turned and watched Makoto through the lighting flashes that echoed in the darkness. Her Bo was clashing into un-wanted heads that moved far to close. Her lean mud covered form was moving with all the grace of a panther.
Minako unsheathed the sword that had hung on her hip and moved to help her. Something knocked the feet under her, and she yet again was eating dirt. This time, though, the battle training of her youth, and past life, so it seemed, kicked in.
Minako used the forward motion to turn it into a muddy tumble and came up with her sword raised. Something, with the force of a falling tree, crashed into it. Minako winced as her right hand went numb from the force. If it had connected with her head as was intended then it would have severed her head.
Minako sprang to her feet and faced off with the vampire that stood his mouth pulled into a smirk. His short black hair fell into his eyes and his pale brown eyes meet hers. He permeated dark energy and Minako could feel the pain in her arm, like a thousand needles racing through her arm. He laughed when he saw her wince and Minako felt her mouth pull into an answering smirk. She switched the sword to different hand.
He raised and brow and lunged. Minako found, to her surprise, she was hard pressed to keep up. But keep up she did, and she would have won if she had she not slipped on the mud. Minako rolled but his booted foot crashed into her back. Minako grounded her teeth and reached with one hand and yanked on his foot. Her arm creaked with pain and she bit into her lip savagely to keep from screaming. It popped in and out of place in one raped motion. Minako rolled again and shoved herself to her feet.
The black haired man laughed at her spunk. " You have not changed all that much, have you Ianna?"
" Who the hell are you?" Minako snapped back. " Oh, and for the record, my name is Minako."
" Oh, and for the record my name is Matt." He mummered, his eyes glinting in the storm. He was perhaps, the most handsome man she every seen, except perhaps the white haired man who raced through her sub conscience.
" Well Matt," Minako spit, her eyes back to the warm heated gold that she had seemed to have more often than not. " I don't know why the hell you think you can attack Makoto and I but, " her lips twisted into a snarl, " but you if you don't back it up, I will take it apart."
He laughed, the sound was familiar as if she had heard it a hundred times, and it echoed through her ears and rang through her brain. It also managed to royally piss her off. She was tired of people just jumping out of the trees, literally, and knowing more than she did.
But before Minako could do something drastic, Makoto took it completely out of her hands.
Makoto had been beating the living shit out of the Vampires who dared to challenge her, while she was in a towering rage. The thunder and lighting echoed through her ears, and her mind like the beating of a thousand drums.
Her temper was already boiling when they had decided to attack. Her nerves had been shattered by days of running, of the constant shocks that she received, and getting little to no sleep helped absolutely none.
Makoto slammed her bow into the body of a Vampire and she could hear the sound of his ribs being crushed, but at that point she could care less. Looking around she noticed that most of the remaining Vampires had surrounded Minako and were looking on in a blood lust that sent her already furious temper into over drive.
By some instinct she thrust her hand behind her, almost as if she was looking into a pocket. Her hand grasps something that was cool to her fingers. Makoto looked at in surprise; she had been going for the pocketknife at her back.
Makoto studied it closely for a minuet, the marking on the top, a large 4, match the one on her hand. All except for the moon that covered it. Makoto licked her lips nervously. This little stick would, she knew, open a whole knew door, and she was not sure she wanted to go there. A single phrase raced through her brain. 'Jupiter Power.'
Makoto heard Minako scream in furry, turning the decision was taken right out of her hands. Makoto threw the stick above her head, and took the step.
"JUPITER POWER!" Makoto screamed into the night. Lighting from the skies raced down and picked her lithe frame up and spun her. It raced through her ears, and traveled into her brain. It crackled its defiance to what was causing her pain, and promised its help. It was over in a matter of seconds, but it left her feeling like she was crackling.
Minako could only glance a second before she was hit by some power source, one that left her body feeling numb and tingling. Minako forced her limbs to react and she rolled just in time to avoid being hit again. Matt's cruel laughter rang in her ears. Minako saw but could not have told anyone what happened next, because she was so in shock of watching it.
It was like the skies opened up and lighting raced and crashed into his mocking body. Her stood open mouthed before he screamed in pain, his body turning like a human x-ray. His hair would have stood up, but the water matted it back down.
" I suggest you leave," Makoto spoke, her voice echoing the thunder that crazed through the skies, " before you manage to piss me off even more than I already am. My tolerance for idiots has reached a all time low, so I suggest you leave."
" You are not my master Bitch." Matt hissed, the water racing down his slightly crackling skin. Makoto laughed, the sound was harsh, and there was no joy in it. When she opened her eyes they showed the lighting, for it was living inside her.
" You have chosen. Now live with your choice." Her tone was careless, and mocking. She spun the bow above her head and in an almost causal manner rattled off several words that turned Minako's world up side down.
" Jaded Storms of Thunder," the leaves on her Bo took on a completely different life, they raced down her body, raced around her like a large chain. The lighting cackled and bent to her will. She snapped her Bo at Matt and the remaining Vampires; Minako had the sense the dive out of the way, and smile. " Chain Whip."
The leaves leapt off the Bo and crashed around the Vampires ears. Matt disappeared a split second before it hit him. Where ever a leaf touched lighting raced. It cackled in the air, making it hard for those outside of the pattern to breathe. Minako watched it fascination. With a large crack, it disappeared as quickly as it came.
" Makoto?" Minako breathed turning to her tall frame that was outlined in the night. Minako watched in fascination as the sky's stopped their assault and dawn appeared on the horizon.
" Yes Minako?" Makoto whispered, her voice soft, almost as if she had to force herself to speak.
" What the hell was that? Or better yet, how the hell did you do that?" Minako questioned. Makoto raised her eyes, and the storms still raged there.
" I don't have a blasted idea." Makoto admitted, her tone amused. " Blasted useful though don't you think?"
" Well, it seems you handled that situation perfectly well." Came a tone of low silk. It ran over Minako's throbbing nerves like a balm. It sounded so familiar, in its silky yet almost rusty quality, like it was not used often.
Spinning Minako was met with her dreams. His long white hair was hanging limply around his head; his silver eyes were hard as stone, yet Minako could almost see the emotion running through them. His posture was defiant, his muscles standing out in relief against his shirt.
Minako barley registered Makoto's intake of breath as she laid eyes on the man behind him; she was lost in a silver gaze of ice. Minako reacted the only way possible. " What the FUCK?"
~*~
Ami paced in front of the library in frustration. She wanted to read these books, but the languages were so old it was frustrating. Ami walked over to beautiful candlesticks that stood on the mantle over the fire. Her hands gently caressed one, almost as an after thought. Ami gaped when it pulled forward. She did more than gape, she screamed, when the floor opened up from out from under her and dropped a good twenty feet. The sound was cut off before it began when the trap door shut above her head. When the maid walked in five minuets later she noticed nothing out of place.
Ami moaned and pushed herself to her feet and felt the panic set in. She had no food and had nothing to help her find her way out of the dark tunnel she had found herself in. Her heart pounded in her ears but she forced her emotions down and took in her surroundings. Her vision slowly adjusted to the dark of the tunnel.
By the amount of dust on the floor no one had been down hear for about three hundred years. The dust was making its way into her mouth and nose, and she sneezed violently several times.
Ami slowly turned to examined all of the area around her. It was almost an exact copy of the rooms she had seen upstairs. She could assume the castle was built deliberately like this, or that it had sunk down her and the castle had been rebuilt over it. They had cultivated several ways to get down her in emergencies. Most of the entrances were lost over the years, but if these were escape passages, then there was an exit.
Feeling better after analyzing that piece of information she almost fainted when she heard the echo of music. It was faint and was coming from behind her. Maybe someone was down here? Ami ran over her options in her head and nodded. Moving carefully she followed the echo's of the music. Several times the thought that she had lost the music and almost burst into tears. She had been down there for what felt like hours.
Ami had no idea how long she had in fact been down there, the tunnels turned into more tunnels and she had the faint sense that she was going down instead of up, and she was being to feel the ache her bad ankle got when she moved for long periods of time. Her entire body was beginning to ache when she saw the light.
It was faint and the music was rather loud in her ringing ears and she was breathless in anticipation. But she was not prepared for what she saw. There was a small person who was bent over the most beautiful harp Ami had ever seen.
Ami had a grandmother who had had an old worn out harp, most of the strings were missing, but Ami loved to go and play the string and coax the sounds of it. She loved everything about the music that came from instrument.
But this person played with a skill that Ami had no hope to match. The harps' sounds were true and perfect. They seemed to dance from the listener's ears, and they floated from the girl's fingers. Ami had never heard the song before, but she knew the song would be haunting her sleep for some time.
The girl looked up and Ami was shocked to see her face looking at her. So this was Athena, the girl who Zavier had loved. Thinking about Zavier loving someone else, even herself, caused an ache to form in her breast. Ami was shocked to feel it, and even more shocked when the girl smiled, as if she knew what she was thinking. Athena never said a word, instead of the way Rei had said Aurora had, but instead offered Ami her hand.
Ami starred at it for several seconds a she pulled her onto the bench. Well pulling really could not be called what she did, but her smile told Ami she must sit. So Ami sat. The girl began the notes and when Ami just sat there she looked at her. Ami hesitated but placed her hands on the strings. Ami followed the steps and closed her eyes and lost herself in the music.
Images danced through her head, knowledge of the past and of the life she had lead filled her heart. She knew why they had done what they had done, the reasons she had given her life for a small silver haired girl. Images of growing up in the castle flashed through her head. The first time she kissed Zavier. The smile on his face. Ianna's un-wavering courage. Aurora's untold passion for life. Juno's fierce loyalty. Serenity's innocence. It all crashed into her brain, like the notes of the harp crashed from her fingers.
As Ami played the harp she finally found herself. Found the reason she had been looking for, the reason to live. The fight she had lack, welled up in her heart and threatened to overflow with the wonder of it. Ami felt the tears that danced down her cheeks but could care less. This was what she had needed her whole life. This filled the whole she had in her heart. Ami felt strings scratch her hand, but she thought little of it. Something echoed, something like a vow, but she was to caught up in everything to notice much.
Good Luck.
The words were a whisper and Ami opened her eyes to notice that Athena had left, leaving a hint of ice on the air. Where she had been was a stick, with a weird symbol on the top. Ami put it into the pocket Rei had told her about and looked in surprise at the harp in her lap. It was still there. Ami ran her fingers down the strings and a light filled the room. When she opened her eyes she was staring wide-eyed at a half naked Zavier who only had a towel rapped around him. Ami promptly screamed and threw a pillow, for she was sitting on his bed, over her eyes.
~*~
Rei paced in the gardens her expression blank except for the flushing or paling of her features. Her eyes glittered like stars and she was furious.
Rei had been loosing quite a bit of sleep ever since that one day. Every since he had…Rei was far too furious to think about it. Rei dropped onto a bench with enough force to crack her tailbone.
Rei had done everything in her power to avoid the man since he had…and she had no use in every doing it again. She had had dinner by herself and was now pacing and fuming. Both which had just left her feeling angry and frustrated.
Rei bit her lip forcefully as she forced herself to review facts. He had…kissed her and she was not quite sure what to do about it. If she had found he repulsive and disgusting she would have ignored him and if he tried anything of the type again, slice him from navel to nose.
But it was not quite that easy. There was nothing repulsive about the man. His crystal blue eyes were perfect, his hair was so soft, and lips…she would prefer not to think about that feature. But she could not seem to help herself. Thoughts about the way his arms fit around her small waist, to how his lips drove her crazy with a single touch. Rei buried her head in hands and groaned.
" If you are trying to impress me with that dress, you need not to have gone to so much trouble."
Rei jumped to her feet in surprise. Turning the folds of the scarlet dress twirled around her feet. Once she had gotten out of the short skirt she had found, to her amazement, that she was stuck in the dress Aurora had worn.
Rei raised her eyebrows in a mocking jester. " If was attempting to impress you, I believe you would know." Rei spit her voice dark with emotions. Her violet eyes snapped like jewels in a fire.
" Oh really? Well then I seem to be mistaken." Jason mummered, his eyes dancing in reply. In order to keep himself from jumping her he referred to the way he had treated her while he was falling for. The playful bantering was the only way he could contain his feelings.
" You seem to be mistaken quite often." Rei growled, " Now if you will excuse me, I am late from tea with Ami."
Rei disappeared in a twirl of skirts and he collapsed onto the bench she had evacuated. Jason starred into the water and forced his thoughts away from the violet eye beauty that was causing havoc on his heart. It was time to take his findings to Endymion. If he was correct then Beryl was going to launch a full-scale attack in a matter of days. They did not have long to find Minako and Makoto. If they did not all was lost.
~*~
Setsuna ran her hand through her dark hair in frustration. If they did not hurry then it would be too late. Minako and Ami still had not accessed their powers. They would be needed badly for the finale showdown. Jason had no idea how right he was when he said it was coming. To Setsuna it was like a storm brewing and it was fixing to come over horizon.
Setsuna fingered the ancient broach on her collar maybe it was time to call in backup. They might be the only things that could turn the tide. Maybe, just maybe, she could bring them back once again.
Three stars gleamed in answer to the ancient call.
