Half an hour later, they were all back in Serena and Mina's apartment. Raye and Amy had finally arrived as the other three had placed the unconscious Senshi on Mina's bed. Now, the girls sat in a circle on the floor of the living room. Luna and Artemis had witnessed the scene in the parking lot, and Luna had hinted that she might have an explanation for them. Much to Serena's dismay, she'd kept them waiting until everyone was together.
"Come on Luna, don't keep us all in suspense!" Serena was whining again, as she had been for the past 15 minutes. Luna sighed and adopted her philosophical all knowing tone, padding to the center of the circle to voice her theory for the mayhem that had taken place.
"I wasn't sure at first," Luna admitted. "Once they made mention of Miakoda, I knew what was going on."
"You might have," Serena replied, "but we didn't. Could you please tell the rest of us what the hell is going on?"
"Miakoda is, or rather was, the ancient goddess of the sea." Luna then spent the next five minutes telling them the legend of the water goddess and the beginnings of the Moon Kingdom.
"I know that story." Rini sat in the corner, still in shock from the events of the afternoon. Her voice shook as she spoke. "Eos used to tell me it all the time, but she said they never got the spell to work."
"Judging from the powers that girl had, I would guess that they somehow managed it." Luna frowned at the group, somewhat confused. "I don't know how that could be, since doing that requires a massive amount of energy, equal to the kind that each of you possess."
"So we're fighting a god then? How in the hell are we going to kill an immortal?" Amy was the first to come up with a coherent sentence among the six girls sitting in the apartment.
"She's not a god," replied Luna, a little surprised at Amy's tone and language. "She was a god, but she was stripped of her power and immortality by the three more powerful deities. From the look of it, the group that summoned her has the amulet, but they can't complete that resurrection of sorts without the crystal. As long as she doesn't have the crystal, she doesn't possess any kind of immortality, and you should be able to defeat her."
"But what happened to Haruka, Hotaru and Michiru?" asked Raye.
"I'm not sure, but I'd assume that they had their power stolen. There are tales of certain spells that can transfer the power of warriors into others, and it's possible that Miakoda has stolen their powers to give to her minions."
"Okay, so that explains everything about the four weirdoes in the parking lot and what happened to the Outer Senshi, but what about that guy with the wings?" Serena asked, exasperated. "What comic book did he escape from?"
Luna got a funny expression on her fuzzy face. "Well, I think he may be the first crown prince of… of…" She glanced nervously at Artemis, who looked like he was going to explode.
"Come on, spit it out Luna!" chimed Artemis with enthusiasm
"I think he is, or rather was Luciender, the first crown prince of Jupiter." For the first time in a long while, all of the girls were speechless.
"What? I never knew Lita had a brother." True to her nature, Serena was the first to regain her power of speech. "To tell you the truth, I don't even remember her having parents!" Lita remained still, utterly stunned and shell shocked as Serena rambled. "And how do you explain those wings?"
"You remember the death goddess Ciarazel?" Luna asked. "The one who helped Miakoda before she died?" The girls nodded in response as the small black cat continued. "Centuries later, as the old beliefs began to die, she waged war on the remaining followers of the ancient religion. She was eventually defeated, but in her retreat she pronounced a curse on the last legion of warriors who sent her back to her darker plane of existence. Those legions, the predecessors of the ruling family of Jupiter, were destined to live as kind of dark demon. As the line continued, the male children of the family could choose their form, living as either human or the dark winged creature that you saw earlier. The problem is, the power isn't like yours. It is innately evil, and it increases the testosterone and adrenaline output of the body tenfold. This means that if it is used, it almost always causes the user to lose control." Luna paused and looked at Lita. "You and your brother Luciender were the last descendants of Jupiter's royal family."
"Then why didn't Lita ever tell us about them?"
"This took place in the early days of the Moon Kingdom, before any of the Sailor Soldiers had been unveiled. Lita never knew him; none of you did." Luna sighed and rested her chin on her paws. "It was a terrible story. It took place two years after you were all born. Luciender was 17 at the time. He was a fine swordsman, and an even better sword smith. More importantly, he was a kind and intelligent young man who looked to be the perfect successor to Jupiter and its moons. An unforeseen attack by a renegade band of dark sorcerers upon the Earth led Serenity to send Jupiter's Royal Protectorate to aid in the battle. Luciender persuaded his parents to leave you, Lita, with Serenity safe on the Moon."
"And that obviously worked, since she's here now," interrupted Serena. "Where are you going with all of this?"
"Keep quiet and let me finish," Luna snapped. "A recent treaty had led Luciender to believe that Serenity would join them as soon as her forces were ready and together they would drive the sorcerers back to the far reaches of the galaxy. Unfortunately, a second battle on the Moon distracted Serenity's forces, keeping them from arriving to aid the Protectorate. The ambush on Earth resulted in a near-complete destruction of Jupiter's forces, including the King and Queen; however, Luciender survived. When the other allies of the Moon Kingdom caught up with him, Luciender had taken the head of the sorcerer responsible for killing his mother and father."
"Ew," Serena replied with a funny sound. "That's a bit much, isn't it?"
"Luciender wasn't the same after that battle," Luna continued. "Instead of joining the other allies on the Moon to celebrate the victory, he attempted to abduct Lita. It was clear he had neither the age nor maturity to care for an infant, so Serenity tried to take her back." She looked directly at Serena as she spoke. "There was a short struggle and Luciender nearly killed Serenity. The other members of the royal families subdued him and brought him to trial for treason. Most felt he should have been put to death for his attack on the Moon Kingdom."
"Well, they obviously didn't kill him," Raye pointed out. "What did they do instead?"
"They banished him. The remaining heads of the Moon Kingdom and its allies came together and sent him to the outer reaches of the galaxy. Serenity made sure any mention of Luciender was removed from history, and she brought his sister up to believe that she was the sole heir to the throne of Jupiter."
"So, I have a brother…" Lita finally regained the ability to form a coherent sentence.
"Yeah, a homicidal maniac who wanted to kill Serenity but failed," answered Raye in the most sarcastic tone she could muster. "Exactly the kind of qualities everyone looks for in a long lost family member." This comment was met with a fist in her jaw from Lita, flooring Raye and leaving the others astonished.
Lita looked at her fist, then at Raye on the carpet. Realizing what she had done, she offered Raye a hand up. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized. "I've never had family and I don't want anything to happen to him." Raye took the hand and sat up, too astonished to say anything else.
"Then again, he might not be Luciender," Luna remarked casually. "It's just the only possible explanation I can come up with."
"We have to find out," Lita pleaded. "Luna, could you try that mind meld thing on him?"
"Perhaps. Where did he go?"
Lita looked at the others sheepishly. "I dunno," she answered. "He just kind of took off after the fight. 'Up' probably isn't very descriptive."
Mina got a funny look on her face. "Well, maybe we can ask Dawn if she saw anything. She lives upstairs on this side of the building."
"Wouldn't hurt," Lita answered. "I'll go with you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dawn sat on her couch, knees drawn to her chin. She'd locked the door after Ian had left, keeping the knife on the coffee table near her. She didn't know how much time had passed, nor did she care. A bruise had started to show on her forehead, but she didn't bother doing anything for it. Once again, trust had gotten her in over her head. She'd been so lonely for the past week and Ian had been the first person who remotely resembled someone familiar. Unfortunately, he'd turned out to be an arrogant jerk with a mean streak, and she'd gotten the living hell scared out of her. Dawn had contemplated calling the police after he'd left, going so far as to pick up the phone and dial the first handful of numbers, but she'd hung up rather quickly. She didn't have any real evidence, but he had a bloody and possibly broken nose. The odds just weren't in her favor.
And now she was out one perfectly good ice pack. Strangely enough, that's what annoyed her the most. Checking her watch, Dawn realized that she'd been sitting on the couch for over forty-five minutes. Somewhat chagrined, she got up, taking the knife back into the kitchen with her. Her stomach rumbled as she rummaged through the pantry, finally coming up with a box of macaroni and cheese dinner. Comfort food in a nifty blue box, it was the perfect thing to have after the day she'd experienced. Dawn got to boiling water and measuring ingredients, simple tasks taking her mind off of the events of the afternoon.
A knock at the door startled her, sending a half-cup of milk to the formerly clean floor. Dawn looked to the front of her apartment, reaching for the knife. She took a few tentative steps towards the door. "Who is it?" No response. She repeated the same words in Japanese, a little louder.
"It's Mina and Lita."
Relieved, Dawn placed the knife on the counter and went to open the door. "Oh, hey there. Come on in." She stepped aside, letting the two girls in. "What's going on?"
"Not much," Mina answered. "Um, there's milk all over your floor," she pointed out.
"Yeah, I know. You kinda startled me." Dawn grabbed a dishtowel and started mopping up the mess. "You want to stay for dinner?"
Lita sniffed and wrinkled her nose. "What are you making?"
"Kraft mac 'n cheese," she answered with a grin.
"I'll pass, thanks."
Dawn looked to the blonde, who was staring out her balcony glass door. "What about you, Mina?"
"Me? Oh, no thanks," she replied, checking the view. "Dawn, did anything funny happen this afternoon?"
She didn't drop the milk this time, but she came damn near to it. "Funny? Um, no, nothing happened," she stammered. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, there was this thing in the… er, something going on in the parking lot," Lita said carefully. "We didn't know what happened, we thought that you might have seen what was going on."
"Nope, didn't see a thing." She stirred her dinner on the stove, hoping that they weren't looking at her as she spoke. Dawn had a hard time concealing emotions, and she didn't need anyone asking questions about stuff that had happened to her earlier.
"You didn't hear anything?" Lita pressed.
"Nope, had music going," she lied, gesturing to her stereo. "Why, did something happen outside this afternoon?"
Lita and Mina exchanged glances. "Well," Lita began slowly. "Sort of."
"There was a car wreck in the parking lot," Mina said quickly. "Rini thought she saw the guy who jumped her in the alley and freaked out. I didn't know if maybe you'd seen anything more."
"Nope," Dawn answered truthfully. "How's she doing?"
"Who?"
"Rini. Serena's cousin, the one who ran into me headfirst this afternoon. Is she okay?"
"Oh yeah, she's fine," Mina rushed. "She's staying with us for now. Oh hey," she said, suddenly thinking of something. "Rini's gonna start classes with us tomorrow. If you see her, could you keep an eye out for her?"
Dawn shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so." Dinner looked about ready, so she spooned some into a bowl and turned the heat down on the stove. "You sure you don't want some?"
"Yeah, we'd better get going anyways. Thanks, though." Lita headed towards the door, with Mina following her. "See you tomorrow, right?"
"Of course," she said with a smile. "Later."
Lita and Mina let themselves out and Dawn followed, locking the door behind them. As an afterthought, she walked to the balcony and looked out. She could see for a good five miles around her, including the edge of campus and the nearby shopping center. The setting sun cast a nice glow on the scene; granted, the pollution made it look even more colorful, but for the moment it was a nice effect. Dawn sighed and went to the couch, turning the television to one of the hundred movie channels she had. Clerks had just started, and she settled back against the pillows with a smile. Kevin Smith and blue box macaroni and cheese. With those two simple pleasures, her afternoon was somehow redeemed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was like a whisper, Val decided once they got back to her flat. Soft, suggestive purrs that permeated every thought and made her feel stronger. Once Sarah had brought the amulet and that Key together, the voice had grown louder, and Val hadn't had any objections to letting it wash over her and take control. It made everything else so easy, and she'd felt delightfully wicked the entire time it was going on.
"What the fuck happened out there?" Aaron demanded, following her inside. "One minute we're following Sarah 'cause she's babbling in some crazy language, and the next thing I know, I'm tearing up concrete just by thinking about it. And does anybody else hear voices?" He knocked the side of his head with his hand. "Not like wanting to talk to you, but just giving you ideas?" He looked around at Sarah, who sat in a daze against the wall. "You hearing voices, too?"
Sarah's green eyes were glazed over, and her mouth hung open slightly. Her tiny fingers clutched the amulet as her head tilted to the side, listening to the bodiless voice that had told her how to find the Crystal and what to say during the fight. "Shhh," she whispered. "Where's the book?"
Val pointed at the table where the tome lay open to the page with the illustrations of the sacrifice. "Why? What do you need it for?"
"We're supposed to look at the cover. The spot where the amulet used to be," she explained after a moment's consultation. "We have to hold it up to the light."
Aaron pulled out his lighter from a deep pocket and joined Val at the table. Sure enough, when they held the book near the flame, they could make out the image of a demon in the recess where the amulet had been. "That's it! That's that thing that came out of nowhere and…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing for the first that Ryan was no longer with them. Strangely, the voice that had told him how to attack was now telling him not to worry about Ryan, that he wasn't of any importance now. Aaron shrugged and placed the lighter back in his pocket.
"We're not supposed to be bothered with the other one anymore," Val said, almost reading his thoughts. "At least, that's what she's telling me."
"She?"
"Yeah, she," Val responded. "Why, you've got a 'he' telling you what to do?"
"I guess. Okay, so we found the thing on the cover," Aaron called to his sister, who remained on the floor. "What next?"
She tilted her head to the side, muttering under her breath. Her brow creased and she shook her head slightly before answering. "Find the same picture in the back of the book, and read the inscription under it."
It took the two of them several minutes to find the image of the winged creature that had appeared in the alley that afternoon. It was hidden in a grotesque illustration that showed legions of soldiers caught in a violent fire as a beautiful woman stood in the flames, her hand outstretched as her black gown hung off her body in shreds. Her fingers pointed at the demon, a series of symbols etched beneath it. Aaron frowned and squinted at the faded picture. "Found it, but it's kinda hard to see. Besides, how the fuck do I know what it says?"
"She says to listen," Sarah whispered, her eyes widening. "Listen and he will give you the words." She swallowed and licked her lips. "She, she wants to talk to you, Aaron," she said. "I don't know how she knows who you are, but she wants to talk to you. She says this way isn't working."
"She?"
"Miakoda. She says-" Sarah's body stiffened and she let out a soft moan as her eyes shut. Seconds later, a smile crossed her face and she lifted her chin to look at her brother. "Thou must listen," she hissed in that same disembodied tone they had heard earlier. "Listen and repeat the words."
Not in any position to argue with a spirit that was now possessing his sister for the third time that day, Aaron leaned over the book and concentrated on the image and the symbols beneath it. True to what she'd said, the voice told him what each symbol said and prompted him as he read them aloud. "Here goes nothing," he began, clearing his throat. The sounds that came out of his mouth were nothing more to him than gibberish, but as he spoke, the image of the woman on the page grew dim and the flames around her appeared to dance. Aaron finished, and the symbols beneath the demon disappeared, replaced by a simple instruction. "Turn the page?" He read aloud. "Are we supposed to do what the book says?" He glanced at Val, who had her head tilted to the side, probably listening to her own voice. "Well?"
"Follow thy instructions," the whisper came from Sarah's lips. "Listen and follow, and thou shalt know." Sarah's eyes closed and she took a few deep breaths, the color returning to her skin.
"So we listen and follow," he repeated, turning the page. The first paragraph leapt out at him, not so much because it was written in a language that he could understand, but because it held a fairly personalized message.
Thy sister is the vessel of the risen Miakoda. Guided by the High Priest Ayhan of Babylon, thou shalt be her keeper and protector until she completes the ancient task set upon her. The Holy Priestess Nirveli of Atlantis shall guide thy other companion, who shall also watch and guard the vessel of the Goddess.
"You'd better read this," he said, gesturing to Val. "It's talking to me."
She sat down next to him, her fingers passing over the text as she read it to herself. "So that's what her name is," she mused. "Interesting."
"She didn't tell you?"
"I didn't ask." Val's eyes scanned down to the next paragraph. "'And thou who has summoned the goddess must be advised by her ally in the plains of darkness, the eternal Ciarazel. Heed my words, and I will make thee great in the eyes of the gods.'" She arched an eyebrow at Aaron and licked her upper lip. "This is good shit, here. I think she's actually talking to us."
"What, like now, as in at this moment?" Before his skepticism could get the best of him, that same suggestive undertone settled into the boundaries of his consciousness. It was now simply a matter of acceptance. "All right, so she's talking to us. What else does she have to say?"
"'Thou hast seen my creation in thy dealings with the Keepers of the Crystal,'" she read aloud. "'Know that creature is but mortal and hath the curse of darkness upon him.' She means that demon thing…"
"Will you just keep reading?" As Aaron listened to more and more of what Val read, the voice inside grew stronger, and he realized that he had no problem simply stepping aside and letting it speak for him. "Continue," it spoke, the smooth rich tone startling Val noticeably. She swallowed a few times before going on.
" 'If thou wouldst seek to unite the Crystal and the Amulet, thou must first defeat the dark-winged creature. Know he shall weaken if thou doth persist, and then thou may use the powers of ancient Babylon and Atlantis to send his soul to me.' That's what those earth and water things are," she muttered to herself. "It's a test of endurance, I guess."
"Thou art ever wise as thou art beautiful," came the voice from Aaron's lips.
"That's the voice, isn't it," Val asked with a smirk. "Aaron's not one for compliments." She glanced down at the book again, reading the last few sentences. " 'Thou must learn of the Crystal and its Keepers, and I shall instruct thee in thy tasks. Serve thy goddess well, heed my words, and thou shall be rewarded with the powers of the ancients.' You mean, more than what we've got already?"
"She says what you can do now is only a shadow of what she can make you do," Sarah gasped, her voice hoarse. "If we help Ciarazel with this demon creature she wants, then she'll help to free Miakoda." Her face contorted in a grimace, Sarah pulled herself to the couch. "You and Aaron have to find him. She says I have to stay here and get stronger."
Val and Aaron watched as Sarah promptly passed out on the couch. "Well, she's useless," Val muttered. "So how do we find this demon creature," she asked aloud. "Or better yet, what do you mean by the 'curse of darkness?'" The pages blurred, and Val found the previous sentences replaced with a long history of what appeared to be a battle. Awed, she leaned over the book and began to read, the whispering voice answering her questions before she could voice them. Aaron leaned back and closed his eyes, able to hear each word Val read. Together, they sat in silence as Ciarazel instructed them in the ways of cult of Miakoda.
"Come on Luna, don't keep us all in suspense!" Serena was whining again, as she had been for the past 15 minutes. Luna sighed and adopted her philosophical all knowing tone, padding to the center of the circle to voice her theory for the mayhem that had taken place.
"I wasn't sure at first," Luna admitted. "Once they made mention of Miakoda, I knew what was going on."
"You might have," Serena replied, "but we didn't. Could you please tell the rest of us what the hell is going on?"
"Miakoda is, or rather was, the ancient goddess of the sea." Luna then spent the next five minutes telling them the legend of the water goddess and the beginnings of the Moon Kingdom.
"I know that story." Rini sat in the corner, still in shock from the events of the afternoon. Her voice shook as she spoke. "Eos used to tell me it all the time, but she said they never got the spell to work."
"Judging from the powers that girl had, I would guess that they somehow managed it." Luna frowned at the group, somewhat confused. "I don't know how that could be, since doing that requires a massive amount of energy, equal to the kind that each of you possess."
"So we're fighting a god then? How in the hell are we going to kill an immortal?" Amy was the first to come up with a coherent sentence among the six girls sitting in the apartment.
"She's not a god," replied Luna, a little surprised at Amy's tone and language. "She was a god, but she was stripped of her power and immortality by the three more powerful deities. From the look of it, the group that summoned her has the amulet, but they can't complete that resurrection of sorts without the crystal. As long as she doesn't have the crystal, she doesn't possess any kind of immortality, and you should be able to defeat her."
"But what happened to Haruka, Hotaru and Michiru?" asked Raye.
"I'm not sure, but I'd assume that they had their power stolen. There are tales of certain spells that can transfer the power of warriors into others, and it's possible that Miakoda has stolen their powers to give to her minions."
"Okay, so that explains everything about the four weirdoes in the parking lot and what happened to the Outer Senshi, but what about that guy with the wings?" Serena asked, exasperated. "What comic book did he escape from?"
Luna got a funny expression on her fuzzy face. "Well, I think he may be the first crown prince of… of…" She glanced nervously at Artemis, who looked like he was going to explode.
"Come on, spit it out Luna!" chimed Artemis with enthusiasm
"I think he is, or rather was Luciender, the first crown prince of Jupiter." For the first time in a long while, all of the girls were speechless.
"What? I never knew Lita had a brother." True to her nature, Serena was the first to regain her power of speech. "To tell you the truth, I don't even remember her having parents!" Lita remained still, utterly stunned and shell shocked as Serena rambled. "And how do you explain those wings?"
"You remember the death goddess Ciarazel?" Luna asked. "The one who helped Miakoda before she died?" The girls nodded in response as the small black cat continued. "Centuries later, as the old beliefs began to die, she waged war on the remaining followers of the ancient religion. She was eventually defeated, but in her retreat she pronounced a curse on the last legion of warriors who sent her back to her darker plane of existence. Those legions, the predecessors of the ruling family of Jupiter, were destined to live as kind of dark demon. As the line continued, the male children of the family could choose their form, living as either human or the dark winged creature that you saw earlier. The problem is, the power isn't like yours. It is innately evil, and it increases the testosterone and adrenaline output of the body tenfold. This means that if it is used, it almost always causes the user to lose control." Luna paused and looked at Lita. "You and your brother Luciender were the last descendants of Jupiter's royal family."
"Then why didn't Lita ever tell us about them?"
"This took place in the early days of the Moon Kingdom, before any of the Sailor Soldiers had been unveiled. Lita never knew him; none of you did." Luna sighed and rested her chin on her paws. "It was a terrible story. It took place two years after you were all born. Luciender was 17 at the time. He was a fine swordsman, and an even better sword smith. More importantly, he was a kind and intelligent young man who looked to be the perfect successor to Jupiter and its moons. An unforeseen attack by a renegade band of dark sorcerers upon the Earth led Serenity to send Jupiter's Royal Protectorate to aid in the battle. Luciender persuaded his parents to leave you, Lita, with Serenity safe on the Moon."
"And that obviously worked, since she's here now," interrupted Serena. "Where are you going with all of this?"
"Keep quiet and let me finish," Luna snapped. "A recent treaty had led Luciender to believe that Serenity would join them as soon as her forces were ready and together they would drive the sorcerers back to the far reaches of the galaxy. Unfortunately, a second battle on the Moon distracted Serenity's forces, keeping them from arriving to aid the Protectorate. The ambush on Earth resulted in a near-complete destruction of Jupiter's forces, including the King and Queen; however, Luciender survived. When the other allies of the Moon Kingdom caught up with him, Luciender had taken the head of the sorcerer responsible for killing his mother and father."
"Ew," Serena replied with a funny sound. "That's a bit much, isn't it?"
"Luciender wasn't the same after that battle," Luna continued. "Instead of joining the other allies on the Moon to celebrate the victory, he attempted to abduct Lita. It was clear he had neither the age nor maturity to care for an infant, so Serenity tried to take her back." She looked directly at Serena as she spoke. "There was a short struggle and Luciender nearly killed Serenity. The other members of the royal families subdued him and brought him to trial for treason. Most felt he should have been put to death for his attack on the Moon Kingdom."
"Well, they obviously didn't kill him," Raye pointed out. "What did they do instead?"
"They banished him. The remaining heads of the Moon Kingdom and its allies came together and sent him to the outer reaches of the galaxy. Serenity made sure any mention of Luciender was removed from history, and she brought his sister up to believe that she was the sole heir to the throne of Jupiter."
"So, I have a brother…" Lita finally regained the ability to form a coherent sentence.
"Yeah, a homicidal maniac who wanted to kill Serenity but failed," answered Raye in the most sarcastic tone she could muster. "Exactly the kind of qualities everyone looks for in a long lost family member." This comment was met with a fist in her jaw from Lita, flooring Raye and leaving the others astonished.
Lita looked at her fist, then at Raye on the carpet. Realizing what she had done, she offered Raye a hand up. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized. "I've never had family and I don't want anything to happen to him." Raye took the hand and sat up, too astonished to say anything else.
"Then again, he might not be Luciender," Luna remarked casually. "It's just the only possible explanation I can come up with."
"We have to find out," Lita pleaded. "Luna, could you try that mind meld thing on him?"
"Perhaps. Where did he go?"
Lita looked at the others sheepishly. "I dunno," she answered. "He just kind of took off after the fight. 'Up' probably isn't very descriptive."
Mina got a funny look on her face. "Well, maybe we can ask Dawn if she saw anything. She lives upstairs on this side of the building."
"Wouldn't hurt," Lita answered. "I'll go with you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dawn sat on her couch, knees drawn to her chin. She'd locked the door after Ian had left, keeping the knife on the coffee table near her. She didn't know how much time had passed, nor did she care. A bruise had started to show on her forehead, but she didn't bother doing anything for it. Once again, trust had gotten her in over her head. She'd been so lonely for the past week and Ian had been the first person who remotely resembled someone familiar. Unfortunately, he'd turned out to be an arrogant jerk with a mean streak, and she'd gotten the living hell scared out of her. Dawn had contemplated calling the police after he'd left, going so far as to pick up the phone and dial the first handful of numbers, but she'd hung up rather quickly. She didn't have any real evidence, but he had a bloody and possibly broken nose. The odds just weren't in her favor.
And now she was out one perfectly good ice pack. Strangely enough, that's what annoyed her the most. Checking her watch, Dawn realized that she'd been sitting on the couch for over forty-five minutes. Somewhat chagrined, she got up, taking the knife back into the kitchen with her. Her stomach rumbled as she rummaged through the pantry, finally coming up with a box of macaroni and cheese dinner. Comfort food in a nifty blue box, it was the perfect thing to have after the day she'd experienced. Dawn got to boiling water and measuring ingredients, simple tasks taking her mind off of the events of the afternoon.
A knock at the door startled her, sending a half-cup of milk to the formerly clean floor. Dawn looked to the front of her apartment, reaching for the knife. She took a few tentative steps towards the door. "Who is it?" No response. She repeated the same words in Japanese, a little louder.
"It's Mina and Lita."
Relieved, Dawn placed the knife on the counter and went to open the door. "Oh, hey there. Come on in." She stepped aside, letting the two girls in. "What's going on?"
"Not much," Mina answered. "Um, there's milk all over your floor," she pointed out.
"Yeah, I know. You kinda startled me." Dawn grabbed a dishtowel and started mopping up the mess. "You want to stay for dinner?"
Lita sniffed and wrinkled her nose. "What are you making?"
"Kraft mac 'n cheese," she answered with a grin.
"I'll pass, thanks."
Dawn looked to the blonde, who was staring out her balcony glass door. "What about you, Mina?"
"Me? Oh, no thanks," she replied, checking the view. "Dawn, did anything funny happen this afternoon?"
She didn't drop the milk this time, but she came damn near to it. "Funny? Um, no, nothing happened," she stammered. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, there was this thing in the… er, something going on in the parking lot," Lita said carefully. "We didn't know what happened, we thought that you might have seen what was going on."
"Nope, didn't see a thing." She stirred her dinner on the stove, hoping that they weren't looking at her as she spoke. Dawn had a hard time concealing emotions, and she didn't need anyone asking questions about stuff that had happened to her earlier.
"You didn't hear anything?" Lita pressed.
"Nope, had music going," she lied, gesturing to her stereo. "Why, did something happen outside this afternoon?"
Lita and Mina exchanged glances. "Well," Lita began slowly. "Sort of."
"There was a car wreck in the parking lot," Mina said quickly. "Rini thought she saw the guy who jumped her in the alley and freaked out. I didn't know if maybe you'd seen anything more."
"Nope," Dawn answered truthfully. "How's she doing?"
"Who?"
"Rini. Serena's cousin, the one who ran into me headfirst this afternoon. Is she okay?"
"Oh yeah, she's fine," Mina rushed. "She's staying with us for now. Oh hey," she said, suddenly thinking of something. "Rini's gonna start classes with us tomorrow. If you see her, could you keep an eye out for her?"
Dawn shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so." Dinner looked about ready, so she spooned some into a bowl and turned the heat down on the stove. "You sure you don't want some?"
"Yeah, we'd better get going anyways. Thanks, though." Lita headed towards the door, with Mina following her. "See you tomorrow, right?"
"Of course," she said with a smile. "Later."
Lita and Mina let themselves out and Dawn followed, locking the door behind them. As an afterthought, she walked to the balcony and looked out. She could see for a good five miles around her, including the edge of campus and the nearby shopping center. The setting sun cast a nice glow on the scene; granted, the pollution made it look even more colorful, but for the moment it was a nice effect. Dawn sighed and went to the couch, turning the television to one of the hundred movie channels she had. Clerks had just started, and she settled back against the pillows with a smile. Kevin Smith and blue box macaroni and cheese. With those two simple pleasures, her afternoon was somehow redeemed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was like a whisper, Val decided once they got back to her flat. Soft, suggestive purrs that permeated every thought and made her feel stronger. Once Sarah had brought the amulet and that Key together, the voice had grown louder, and Val hadn't had any objections to letting it wash over her and take control. It made everything else so easy, and she'd felt delightfully wicked the entire time it was going on.
"What the fuck happened out there?" Aaron demanded, following her inside. "One minute we're following Sarah 'cause she's babbling in some crazy language, and the next thing I know, I'm tearing up concrete just by thinking about it. And does anybody else hear voices?" He knocked the side of his head with his hand. "Not like wanting to talk to you, but just giving you ideas?" He looked around at Sarah, who sat in a daze against the wall. "You hearing voices, too?"
Sarah's green eyes were glazed over, and her mouth hung open slightly. Her tiny fingers clutched the amulet as her head tilted to the side, listening to the bodiless voice that had told her how to find the Crystal and what to say during the fight. "Shhh," she whispered. "Where's the book?"
Val pointed at the table where the tome lay open to the page with the illustrations of the sacrifice. "Why? What do you need it for?"
"We're supposed to look at the cover. The spot where the amulet used to be," she explained after a moment's consultation. "We have to hold it up to the light."
Aaron pulled out his lighter from a deep pocket and joined Val at the table. Sure enough, when they held the book near the flame, they could make out the image of a demon in the recess where the amulet had been. "That's it! That's that thing that came out of nowhere and…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing for the first that Ryan was no longer with them. Strangely, the voice that had told him how to attack was now telling him not to worry about Ryan, that he wasn't of any importance now. Aaron shrugged and placed the lighter back in his pocket.
"We're not supposed to be bothered with the other one anymore," Val said, almost reading his thoughts. "At least, that's what she's telling me."
"She?"
"Yeah, she," Val responded. "Why, you've got a 'he' telling you what to do?"
"I guess. Okay, so we found the thing on the cover," Aaron called to his sister, who remained on the floor. "What next?"
She tilted her head to the side, muttering under her breath. Her brow creased and she shook her head slightly before answering. "Find the same picture in the back of the book, and read the inscription under it."
It took the two of them several minutes to find the image of the winged creature that had appeared in the alley that afternoon. It was hidden in a grotesque illustration that showed legions of soldiers caught in a violent fire as a beautiful woman stood in the flames, her hand outstretched as her black gown hung off her body in shreds. Her fingers pointed at the demon, a series of symbols etched beneath it. Aaron frowned and squinted at the faded picture. "Found it, but it's kinda hard to see. Besides, how the fuck do I know what it says?"
"She says to listen," Sarah whispered, her eyes widening. "Listen and he will give you the words." She swallowed and licked her lips. "She, she wants to talk to you, Aaron," she said. "I don't know how she knows who you are, but she wants to talk to you. She says this way isn't working."
"She?"
"Miakoda. She says-" Sarah's body stiffened and she let out a soft moan as her eyes shut. Seconds later, a smile crossed her face and she lifted her chin to look at her brother. "Thou must listen," she hissed in that same disembodied tone they had heard earlier. "Listen and repeat the words."
Not in any position to argue with a spirit that was now possessing his sister for the third time that day, Aaron leaned over the book and concentrated on the image and the symbols beneath it. True to what she'd said, the voice told him what each symbol said and prompted him as he read them aloud. "Here goes nothing," he began, clearing his throat. The sounds that came out of his mouth were nothing more to him than gibberish, but as he spoke, the image of the woman on the page grew dim and the flames around her appeared to dance. Aaron finished, and the symbols beneath the demon disappeared, replaced by a simple instruction. "Turn the page?" He read aloud. "Are we supposed to do what the book says?" He glanced at Val, who had her head tilted to the side, probably listening to her own voice. "Well?"
"Follow thy instructions," the whisper came from Sarah's lips. "Listen and follow, and thou shalt know." Sarah's eyes closed and she took a few deep breaths, the color returning to her skin.
"So we listen and follow," he repeated, turning the page. The first paragraph leapt out at him, not so much because it was written in a language that he could understand, but because it held a fairly personalized message.
Thy sister is the vessel of the risen Miakoda. Guided by the High Priest Ayhan of Babylon, thou shalt be her keeper and protector until she completes the ancient task set upon her. The Holy Priestess Nirveli of Atlantis shall guide thy other companion, who shall also watch and guard the vessel of the Goddess.
"You'd better read this," he said, gesturing to Val. "It's talking to me."
She sat down next to him, her fingers passing over the text as she read it to herself. "So that's what her name is," she mused. "Interesting."
"She didn't tell you?"
"I didn't ask." Val's eyes scanned down to the next paragraph. "'And thou who has summoned the goddess must be advised by her ally in the plains of darkness, the eternal Ciarazel. Heed my words, and I will make thee great in the eyes of the gods.'" She arched an eyebrow at Aaron and licked her upper lip. "This is good shit, here. I think she's actually talking to us."
"What, like now, as in at this moment?" Before his skepticism could get the best of him, that same suggestive undertone settled into the boundaries of his consciousness. It was now simply a matter of acceptance. "All right, so she's talking to us. What else does she have to say?"
"'Thou hast seen my creation in thy dealings with the Keepers of the Crystal,'" she read aloud. "'Know that creature is but mortal and hath the curse of darkness upon him.' She means that demon thing…"
"Will you just keep reading?" As Aaron listened to more and more of what Val read, the voice inside grew stronger, and he realized that he had no problem simply stepping aside and letting it speak for him. "Continue," it spoke, the smooth rich tone startling Val noticeably. She swallowed a few times before going on.
" 'If thou wouldst seek to unite the Crystal and the Amulet, thou must first defeat the dark-winged creature. Know he shall weaken if thou doth persist, and then thou may use the powers of ancient Babylon and Atlantis to send his soul to me.' That's what those earth and water things are," she muttered to herself. "It's a test of endurance, I guess."
"Thou art ever wise as thou art beautiful," came the voice from Aaron's lips.
"That's the voice, isn't it," Val asked with a smirk. "Aaron's not one for compliments." She glanced down at the book again, reading the last few sentences. " 'Thou must learn of the Crystal and its Keepers, and I shall instruct thee in thy tasks. Serve thy goddess well, heed my words, and thou shall be rewarded with the powers of the ancients.' You mean, more than what we've got already?"
"She says what you can do now is only a shadow of what she can make you do," Sarah gasped, her voice hoarse. "If we help Ciarazel with this demon creature she wants, then she'll help to free Miakoda." Her face contorted in a grimace, Sarah pulled herself to the couch. "You and Aaron have to find him. She says I have to stay here and get stronger."
Val and Aaron watched as Sarah promptly passed out on the couch. "Well, she's useless," Val muttered. "So how do we find this demon creature," she asked aloud. "Or better yet, what do you mean by the 'curse of darkness?'" The pages blurred, and Val found the previous sentences replaced with a long history of what appeared to be a battle. Awed, she leaned over the book and began to read, the whispering voice answering her questions before she could voice them. Aaron leaned back and closed his eyes, able to hear each word Val read. Together, they sat in silence as Ciarazel instructed them in the ways of cult of Miakoda.