Parallaxis
By Devon Masterson
Grace Seasoned with Salt
Axis Four
"She what?" Mina choked as she drank her milk. They had finally caught up Rini so they could figure out the game plan. Now the enemy was attacking them school. When would it stop?
"She some how stopped time and fought with me," Rini answered.
"How did she know it was you?" Ami asked.
"She sensed her power," Lita answered. "Since yesterday she's been radiating with it. That must be why she aged so much so she could contain it."
Rei nodded. "Exactly how old are you Rini? It didn't seem really odd to you that she grew so much."
"Well I been waiting to age since I was twelve but that was over eight hundred years ago," she sighed as she looked down at her new body. "I never would have thought that…"
The girls' eyes widened in shock at the new information. If Rini was that old, there was no telling how old their counterparts had been. "Was Serena an adult in your world?"
Rini nodded. "She stopped aging after twenty three years old."
"Was her mother alive?"
"No," Rini answered, "She died during…you think that I aged because Serena died."
"Yes, I do," Ami replied as she pulled out her mini computer. I analyzed your molecular structure and it's considerably different from our Rini and ours. Your body is quite resilient. I wouldn't be surprised if you were immortal. The only thing that I find a little odd is that our Serena has similar structure to you. It is probably because of the moon's protection over you."
"So you're saying what exactly…"
"Because of your immortality, I believe that only one protector of the moon can exist at time…"
"So I had to stay a little kid until Serena died?" Rini asked. "It's all my fault…I wished that I could be older so I could help you guys and so I could be treated like an adult. Now my wish came true and I…"
"It's not your fault," Mina broke in as she hugged Rini. "It's Alexandrite's."
"Hi, guys," Alex greeted as she sat down at the table. "Hello, Serenity."
Rini frowned. "Whatever," she replied as she shot her a look of disgust. She actually had the audacity to sit at her table. Why weren't the others enraged like she was?
"She's new in school," Mina apologized.
"I know," Alex replied. "We met already, it was like time stopped. Well I must be off I must plan the prom and all. It wouldn't be the same without me leading things."
Rei painted a smile at that last comment.
"I mean the music and food last year was so drab. I felt like I was at a funeral and decorations were so awful that if it were a funeral the corpse wouldn't show up…but alas that was last year," Alex continued. Mina and Lita each balled their fists to keep their temper.
"I thought it was nice evening," Ami remarked.
"We all know you're not here at this school for your thoughts," Alex smiled. She leaned closer to Ami. "Besides you didn't even come…at least not to the prom. I understand you spent most of it in Zoicite's back seat so I imagine you would've had good time."
Ami glowered at Alex and was about to reach out and choke her when Lita put her hand on top of Ami's to stop her.
Alex smiled at Ami's response. "Well I must be going now, I have study hall with Dima and he needs help with home ec."
"You don't even know how to cook," Rei sneered.
"I'm helping him improve on his taste," Alex commented as she stood.
Rini stood up suddenly. "You better hurry up before you miss the next broom."
"Clever," Alex complimented as she walked away.
"What a bitch!" the girls each muttered under their breaths.
Rini sat down and sighed. "I have to agree with you on that one girls. I was ready to take my scepter and blow that negaverse creep away."
"Negaverse?" Mina asked.
"That's Alexandrite!" Rini exclaimed. "You couldn't look at her and tell?"
"No we couldn't," Rei answered. "I just thought she was just as a regular vindictive bitch, like most of the rich girls here."
"You mean like you," Lita teased in order to break the mood.
"I am not vindictive," Rei corrected. "Besides you're one to talk." She poked her sister affectionately.
Lita smiled. "We're going to have to bond together as a team…for Serena." She held out her hand. The other girls nodded and put their hand on top of hers.
Rini looked at each of the girls that were still an enigma to her and all the friends she had left in the universe. "We can do this!"
XYZ
Rini walked into Serena's apartment and put her school case down on the table. It had been a long day and she just wanted to crash on the couch while she figured out what to do next about Alexandrite. She put her feet on the couch and closed her eyes when she heard a knock on the door. "Aw man." She opened the door. "Dima…"
Dima looked at her almost in surprise then blushed. He was holding a piping hot pepperoni and mushroom pizza. "I forgot she's gone," he apologized almost sheepishly. "Every Friday we'd eat pizza and hang out. It's a habit."
Rini sniffed the pizza. It smelled wonderful and she was suddenly hungry. "Come in," she smiled as she pulled him into the room.
"Who am I to argue," he commented as he closed the door and sat the pizza down.
"I love pepperoni and mushroom," Rini said as she opened the box. She turned around, "and I love the company of my boyfriend."
"I'm sorry about lunch," he apologized.
"It's okay," she replied. She placed her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly.
"This feels so right," he whispered softly in her mouth. "Like we've always been together."
"I have the effect on men," Rini teased.
Dima smiled and held her tightly. "Where have you been all my life, Angel?" Rini opened her mouth to answer when she heard a laugh behind her. They both turned to the uninvited intrusion. "Alex?" he asked.
"You couldn't come up with a better line than that?" Alex asked as she nearly doubled over in laughter. "It's a good thing you're in love with her, lines like that would keep your balls bluer than a smurf holding its breath."
Rini stood in front of Dima. "What do you want?"
"Dima of course," she answered. "You're so silly."
"You can't have him."
"That's why," she began as she snapped her fingers, "I'm going to take him." Dima disappeared and reappeared behind Alexandrite. "And for my next trick..." She snapped her fingers and the scouts appeared behind her trapped in energy web. Dima joined them.
"No!"
"Yes!" Xandrite mocked. "Turns out they were scouts as well. Go fig. If you want to see them alive, come to desert planet of Dnimas...no wait that's a cliché. How about this, I set a trap for you kill them anyway, and you're going to come and watch anyway because you're a do gooder that values her friends' lives over her own. Sounds fair?"
"You're such a bitch," Rini blurted out incredulously.
"Tsk. Tsk. Such language…A lady should always be…"
"…with grace, seasoned with salt that she may speak to anyone…" Rini finished instinctively.
"A biter of style are we?" Xandrite asked sarcastically. "Lucky for you, Dima, that I caught you two in time before you found out that little detail."
Rini blushed. "That's it!"
"See you at the Pole," Xandrite replied as she and her prisoners faded out.
"Moon cosmic power!" she yelled. A light engulfed her then dispersed leaving her in a sailor fuku. She held her scepter in front of her. "I call upon the wings of heaven to guide me to the evil that I may vanquish it," she prayed as her scepter began to glow. Large angelic wings sprouted from her back and she flew out of the open window towards the North Pole.
Moments later she arrived at the icy north. She touched down and her wings disappeared. "Welcome to my trap, Sailor Moon," an apparition called. Rini looked up and saw her friends tied up behind a waving Alexandrite. Above her was a large grotesque skull.
"Looks like its time to put or shut up." Rini looked sternly at her friends in the hands of her enemies. "There will be no more causalities."
"I'm ready whenever you are Alexandrite and Metallia," Rini called as she readied her scepter.
Xandrite smirked and started to circle Rini. "This is all very anti-climatic when you think about it. "We all know I'm going to kill you in front your friends as you pathetically try to fight me, then I kill them or make them slaves…I'm not sure which is worse yet…but anyway they suffer some sort of fate that is utterly terrifying and I get the guy. Sounds like my sort of story."
"Or better yet," Rini began to rebuttal, "I save everybody, together we defeat you, and I get Dima. It's a much better story."
"Well actually," Xandrite answered, "not really!" Xandrite charged Rini.
"I know Metallia's forcing you to do this," Rini probed as she blocked with her scepter.
"I'm a free spirit," she replied. The two warriors broke apart and stared at each other. "Not so fast, Endymion." She surrounded him in energy web before he had the chance to cut the scouts free. Xandrite never took her eye of Rini. "Very clever trying to distract me."
"This is between you and me. Leave them out of it."
"I can't do that because we both no they would just crash out little party," Xandrite answered. "Besides I'd just have to round them up later so might as well kill two birds with one stone."
"Let's make a deal…"
Xandrite started to become agitated with all of the stalling. She waved her hand and Endymion appeared in front of her on his knees facing Rini. "I'm going to break his neck perhaps this will shut you up."
"Mama, where ever you are, forgive me. I know you wouldn't have handled things like this, but I'm on my own now." Rini removed her tiara. "Moon tiara magic!" she called out as she threw her tiara at Endymion.
"Endymion!" Mina called out. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled in the bonds. She couldn't believe what was going on. "I trust you, Rini," she whispered as her heart broke.
"You killed one of your own….your father," Xandrite said in disbelief. "If I didn't hate your guts so much I would declare you were a girl after my own heart. Oh well time for you to die."
Rini dropped her scepter. "What's the first memory you ever had? What was the first evil thing you ever did? Is your first memory being a teenager and attacking us?"
"Wha…" Xandrite asked as she stopped her charge. She thought briefly and came up blank. "Why don't I remember being a child and my mother…I…" she thought. Xandrite started to shrink.
"Don't believe her lies," Metallia bellowed from above as she showered negative energy on Alexandrite, returning her to her evil form.
"Nice try, rabbit," Xandrite called as she rushed at Rini.
"I don't want to hurt you," Rini replied as she bowed to Xandrite.
"The die, Sailor Moo…"
"…Moon spiral heartbreak!" Rini called as she quickly picked up her scepter. Xandrite took the hit head on and was covered in a pink light. The light quickly spread and engulfed everyone as time suspended.
"Mama," a little girl called.
Rini's eyes slowly opened and she saw a girl with pink hair running around. "Mama, where are you?" the girl called once more. "Sailor Moon help me find her."
Rini grabbed the little girl's hand and nodded. The young woman looked so much her it was uncanny. The only difference there seemed to be between them seemed to be shade of pink. It was so pale it almost looked white. "Let's find your mama, Alexandrite."
"My name's Nini," the girl giggled at Rini's mistake. "It rhymes with teeny."
Rini smiled when she saw a figure in the shadows. It almost looked like her mother Neo-queen Serenity. If she hadn't know better she would have thought it was Serena.
"Mama!" The girl snatched her hand away from Rini and ran to the figure.
"My darling princess," the voice said as she hugged the child. She kissed her forehead and the lighting changed to reveal the happy mother.
Rini's featured went white as she looked at the young woman. She opened her mouth to say something when the young queen shushed her.
"I know," she replied as she held her little daughter in her hands. Tears streamed down her face. "It's time for you to go back and defeat Metallia. You shall be able to tap into your full power now that you're fully awakened. Call upon the grail to transcend and remember the scouts are always by your side."
"Thank you," Rini nodded as she started to back up. She couldn't take her eyes off of the queen.
"Be safe and good luck…mama," the young queen replied as her sapphire blue eyes began to swim with tears.
Rini paused for a second then turned back. "It's good to see you again," she replied as she disappeared in the mists of time. It was time to get down to business.
"Wake up, Rini," Dima pleaded as he shook her gently.
Rini opened her eyes slowly and looked up into his eyes. "I'm fine," she assured him as she sat up slowly. The other sailor scouts were fighting Metallia while she recovered.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Rini kissed him lightly. "I am sure. Now I have to get up and help them."
"I want you to come back to me," he said lowly. His beautiful sapphire eyes stared at her with intensity as if he were trying to will the situation to end positively.
Rini caressed his face gently as another secret was revealed to her. "I will," she replied as she stood to her feet. Her comrades were fighting with all their hearts united. They were not going to let the Negaverse take anymore lives. She held her hands out and the grail appeared before her. The top of the holy cup disappeared as she grabbed it with both hands to drink of the power. A stronger power surged through her veins as her fuku changed once more. "Metallia!" Rini called out. "Your battle is with me."
Metallia's attention went towards Sailor Moon. "Is that so, pink power puff?" she chuckled. "You're ready to play with the big girls now?"
The ground started to shake and a capsule broke through the ground an opened slightly. Metallia's essence entered inside and the ground shook once more as the capsule broke apart. Beryl's body raised out of the capsule and grew until she towered above them like a skyscraper.
Rini stared up and almost backed away. She had to be strong; everyone was counting on her. She had to believe she had the power to destroy the evil. "Bring it," she replied as readied her scepter.
Metallia laughed and brought her foot down hard on the ground. "What's wrong, Sailor Moon? You look a little shook up."
"Moon rainbow heartache!" she called. Energy shaped in hearts assaulted Metallia.
"That's the best you can do." Metallia laughed and reached down.
"Sailor Moon!" the others called out as Metallia grabbed Rini. Bolts of negative energy surged through body and Rini screamed out. "What wonderful energy you have."
Rini tried to break the strong grip, but she was getting to weak. Her fuku disappeared as she weakened until she was covered in her energy ribbons.
"Let her go," Lita called as she charged Beryl.
"Aku ryo tai san," Rei called as she threw several ofudos at Metallia.
"What did you do to me you little brat?" Metallia asked as the flow of energy stopped. She struggled to move but could not.
Lita climbed Metallia's arm and yanked Rini out. She threw Rini over her shoulder and jumped down.
"Is she okay?" Mina asked, as she looked at Rini's glazed over look.
"I'll check," Ami answered as she scanned Rini's body with her visor.
Metallia continued to struggle above. She smiled as her body started to move again. "You're going to pay for that."
The scouts looked up as Metallia's hand came down with intentions to crush them. "No," they heard Rini command as she suddenly sat up. The silver imperium crystal glowed in her locket and floated out. A shield formed around them as Metallia's hand hit. "Your reign of terror has ended." She stood and held the crystal above her head. Her energy ribbons flowed into her imperial gown and her crescent birthright shined on her forehead. The shield started to grow and expand outward, making Metallia push back.
"How can you have so much power after I drained so much from you?" Metallia backed away.
"In the name of the Moon, you are vanquished," she cried out as she started to lift off the ground. The shield suddenly expanded and vaporized Metallia as it touched her. Metallia screamed as her body was atomized. "For my friends," she said softly as she lowered to the ground softly.
Everyone stood in awe. Metallia was gone and they would be at peace again. It was finally over. "Wake up Darien," Rini whispered as she touched Darien softly. A soft light glowed around him and then he opened his eyes. Rini smiled assuring him that everything was okay then walked toward Dima. Her gown flowed away as she walked. She stood before him in her fuku. "Now you know my secret."
"And it shall be our secret now," he whispered.
"Good job, Rini," Rei complimented.
"Serena would have been proud," Ami added.
"And so would your mother," Mina said as she smiled.
"Glad to have you aboard." Lita winked.
Rini smiled in her exhaustion. Perhaps she had found a place on this world after all. "Look out!" a voice warned. Rini looked around for a possible attack when she was thrown to the ground. "Excuse me."
Rini sat up and saw Nini standing in front of her smiling. "Hi, Miss Moon," she greeted as she hugged her. "I have something for you."
Rini took the note that Nini held out and gasped then smiled. Her life had come full circle.
Sailor Moon,
We are entrusting you and the scouts with our little princess. She is a very good girl and she sees you as her hero for saving her. I want her to get to know you as a sailor scout, just like I did many years ago. Please bring her up in the old way.
You two have fun,
Queen Serenity and King Rubeus
"Come with me, Nini, I'm going introduce you to everyone…" This was payback some how. Serena would always be Serena, even on a parallel axis.
© 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.