Parallaxis
By Devon Masterson
Insurrection
Axis Two
Rei sat up suddenly. Her brow was damp with sweat. She had been tossing and turning in her sleep from the visions. Something was not right. She looked around at the others sleeping peacefully in their sleeping bags. Lita's bag was empty. Rei knew exactly where she was and dressed quickly to join her. They both needed a place to get their heads together. Within fifteen minutes, she arrived at her grandfather's temple. Even though her grandfather's ways were antiquated as far as she was concerned, she actually took some stock in it. It was her heritage and a gift from the gods. As she approached the sacred fire, she noticed Lita chanting before it.
"You had the vision too," Lita said without turning her head.
"Yes," Rei acknowledged as she got on her knees beside Lita. She laced her hands together and began to chant the sacred text.
"Sun. Moon. Earth. Stars…" they began to chant when the earth started to rumble. "No…"
A soft sound beeped signifying that someone was trying to reach them on their communicators.
"It's Beryl," Ami said through the wrist communicator. "There's a large flux of negative energy coming from the North Pole, causing magnetic shifts."
"We'll meet you guys at the park so we can teleport."
"See you in a few."
"Right," Rei nodded.
The two sisters looked at each other. This could be their last battle. Things have been building up between the scouts and the Negaverse. It all seemed to be leading to one climatic battle. They had already lost one friend the last time. Both of them were determined for it not to happen again.
They each transformed and ran in the direction of the park. Within minutes they arrived. The others exchanged looks of concern and relief as they joined hands.
Serena looked at everyone. They were her family. There would be no more losses. "I'm not letting any of you go," she declared. "All of…"
"Wait for me," Rini called out. They're eyes widened as the young scout ran up to them breathing hard. "I'm going…too!"
"You're a scout?" Serena asked incredulously before she caught herself. Rini looked liked a little Sailor Moon. The colors were a bit off and her suit signified a power state close to her own. Serena suddenly shook her head. "You can't go. It's too dangerous."
"You need my help," Rini replied. "And if you don't let then I'll find another way."
Both girls looked at each other stubbornly. "Fine," Serena replied. She could not deny the fact that they needed all the help they could get. Besides with an attitude like that, Rini was bound to get into trouble and surely be killed. At least they would be able to keep an eye out for her.
Rini joined the circle and they teleported to the North Pole. As soon as they arrived a voice boomed above them. "Welcome, Sailor Scouts, to my trap." A band of energy surrounded them and pinned their arms together.
A soft pink mist flowed towards them and materialized into a woman. Alexandrite stood before them wearing a long black dress with a high split on the side. Her long pink hair flowed down her back and was done up in an odango style.
Rini shrieked as she stared at Alexandrite. She was definitely in the twilight zone. Alexandrite looked almost exactly liked she did as the Black Lady. There were a few subtle differences like the missing birthright on her forehead and the absence of Luna P. But then again she didn't have Luna P anymore either. "Who are you?"
"Who I am is of no consequence to you," Alexandrite laughed as she squeezed them in energy lasso. "Die."
"I don't think so," Darien yelled as he attacked Alexandrite. His sword bounced off the invisible energy shield.
Xandrite chuckled at his attempt. "Prince Endymion, how nice of you to join us," she sneered as she sent out an energy net to capture him as well.
Endymion did a back flip and narrowly missed being caught . "Nice try," he smirked. He slashed the energy chain with his sword, releasing the scouts.
"Thanks, Endy," Mina smiled before looking towards the enemy. "You're going down, witch!"
"Actually, I'm not that kind of girl," Xandrite retorted. She formed a crystal shard in her hand about the size of a javelin. "Eeny meeny miny mo, who's going to be the first to go?"
"Heads up, girls," Serena called out. She had no clue who Xandrite was going to attack, but no one was going to die on her watch. She nodded towards Ami.
"Mercury bubbles blast," she called out as a mist of bubbles surrounded the area, hiding everyone.
"You think you can hide from me in a fog?" Xandrite called out as she looked around. "This is just the type of ambiance that I need…to go bunny hunting."
"What does she mean by that?" They all wondered when it all dawned on them…. "Rini!"
Xandrite laughed as she appeared above Rini. "I don't know how you came back, but you won't this time, you little pest," she declared as she threw the shard.
"No," Mina called out.
"I got her," Darien called. He grabbed Rini at the last second and jumped away.
"Thank you, but I could've handled it," Rini commented. She hated being so little, everyone had to save her. Here it was worse because they didn't trust her as a scout yet. She'd give anything to receive the kind of respect that Serena of this world got.
The midst started to lift and everyone could clearly see Xandrite's next move. "Watch out, Darien," Mina screamed as she and the others rushed to deflect the attack or something!
Serena dived on top of them and pushed them out of the way. They rolled a couple of feet then stopped. Darien and Serena both blushed as they realized the compromising position they were in. "This is the only way you'd ever get on top of me, Shields," she commented as she pushed him off. "I don't go out with my friend's boyfriend." She winked toward Mina.
"You knew?" Darien asked.
"We'll talk about it later," Serena replied keeping an eye on Alexandrite. "We have to take care of the mega-bit…witch first."
Rini smiled. She was making an impact on Serena.
"Isn't this touching?" Xandrite commented.
"You're dust," Rei declared as they all surrounded her.
"Is that so?" Xandrite asked without turning her head. "And why is that?"
"Because we're the sailor scouts," Lita answered.
"Like oh my gosh. Where is my autograph book?" she asked sarcastically.
"Also because you're a cruel, evil, bitch," Ami added.
Xandrite smiled and gave a bashful "you're too kind" look.
"Sailor box!" the planetary scouts yelled.
"Riiiight," Xandrite commented as she sent out her energy chain at the same time.
"You're trapped," Rei replied then gasped.
"Look at what I caught…my bunny," Xandrite smiled as she held Serena by the odangos. She raised a shard to Serena's throat. "Now let's make a deal. Let me out and on my honor as a lady I won't stab her.
"She's a lying …" Serena's sentence trailed as Xandrite yanked her hair hard, silencing her.
The girls held their stances. They were torn about what to do. They plan had been to trap her then Serena finish her off, but obviously that wasn't going to work now.
"Let her go, Alexandrite," Lita commanded.
"No," Xandrite replied. "You know I'll kill her. Release me now."
Mina nodded to the others and the shield was dropped.
"Ah, much better," she replied as she jumped to a safer spot. She wouldn't have let them surround her if she knew they had the capability to contain her. Xandrite held Serena tightly.
"You'll never get away with this," Serena remarked.
"You'll never get away with this," Xandrite mocked. "You wanna' bet?"
"Let me go you bitch," Serena struggled.
"Now that isn't talk for a lady. You should always be with grace seasoned with salt…"
"Where did you hear…" Serena interrupted.
"Sorry. Thanks for playing my game," Xandrite replied as she sliced Serena's throat. "Now that released a lot of tension. What a loser, couldn't even play for her life."
"Serena!" they all screamed. They rushed toward her as her body fell to the ground in seemingly slow motion.
"You gave your word," Mina uttered angry.
"I said I wouldn't stab her not that I wouldn't cut her. There is small but definite difference," Xandrite corrected. "I just deceived you. I'm bad that way."
"You killed her," Rini screamed as energy surged through her body. Her hair came undone and flared about her head.
"Interesting," Xandrite commented sensing Rini's power. "That's my cue to cut out. Tootles." She waved and jumped into a sub-space pocket the size of a rabbit hole.
Rini looks toward Serena then ran to her. "Please don't go," she said softly but urgently.
Serena never again blessed them with opening her beautiful eyes. Her body became engulfed in light and then faded into little pixels that floated into the sky and disappeared.
"No," Rini whispered.
XYZ
"Why did you bring her here, Mina?" Rei asked as Rini walked solemnly through the halls with them to class.
"I didn't want her to be alone," Mina answered.
"Poor kid," Lita replied. She smacked her fist in her hand in frustration. "We've got to get her."
"Tonight," Rei replied.
"I'm not going to lose you too," Rini said suddenly. She felt tears coming to her eyes. She ran to the nearest bathroom. She was so often treated like a baby that she was not about to cry in front of them.
The older girls ran after her. There would be no more casualties. "Rini, honey," Mina began.
"This hurts. I can't do anything right," Rini cried. A surge of emotion overcame her as she broke down in the stall. She could feel the little composure that she had slipping. "Mommy!" she screamed as a pink light engulfed the bathroom and faded.
"Rini?" Mina asked cautiously as she knocked on the stall door.
In response, Rini opened the door of the stall. The girls gasped. She had aged considerably, she looked about their age. "I've changed," she said incredulously.
"At least your clothes grew with you," Lita commented, noting that the uniform grew along with the wearer.
"What are we…" Lita began as the bathroom door opened.
"Enough bathroom gossip, get to class," one of their teachers replied as she walked in the powder room. She looked at Rini curiously then at each of the girls. "Where's the delinquent? Ditching School?"
Lita balled her fist and was about to give the teacher a piece of her mind. That was no way to talk about Serena. Rei stopped in front of her sister. "Serena went to live with her grandmother. She was picked up this morning, her grandmother is very ill."
"And this is?" the teacher asked eyeing Rini.
"My name is Serenity, Rini for short," Rini answered as she shook the teacher's hand. "I'm her cousin, you must be Ms. Haruna. She told me so much about you."
"Inappropriate I can imagine," Haruna mumbled. "You seem like a nice girl, very polite and smart. It must not run in the family. I never actually caught her, but it's beyond me how that girl…"
"We'll be late for class and we've got to get Rini registered," Mina interrupted.
Ms. Haruna nodded her head after noting the time on her watch. "Never interrupt me again," she remarked. "Detention for all of you, you're ten minutes late." She scribbled their names on the clipboard and left.
"No wonder the bat's not married," Rini muttered.
"This of course ruins ours plans to stake out Alexandrite," Rei commented.
"I think it's too soon. We fell right into her trap the last time," Ami remarked.
"We need to move quickly," Lita argued.
"Guys," Mina called as the girls began to argue. They ignored her and continued to disagree. "Guys!"
Rini sighed. They were never going to get anywhere like this. "Just stop it!"
Everybody froze. "Fighting amongst ourselves is never going to get us anywhere. Let's be with grace, ladies," she scolded as she walked out of the bathroom. She started to stalk off when she bumped into someone. "Ow."
"I'm sorry," a masculine voice apologized.
Rini's bad mood was about to rear its ugly head when she looked into the eyes of the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. "I…"
"I should've been more careful," the young man replied. "Are you hurt?" He helped up and smiled.
"I'm fine," she answered.
"You're new here. I would've noticed an angel like you," he replied. "My name's Diamond. My friends call me Dima."
© 2001 Devon Masterson
Another Bond Girl Production
I think we all know who's original and who's not so don't sue me. I own Alexandrite a.k.a. Xandrite. That's the only main character that I'm introducing so there! I use these stories as therapy so I won't start swinging from trees in medical school.