"Would someone mind telling me what the hell is going on here?" Dawn slid the door shut behind her, startling the group of girls who sat on the floor of the Cherry Hills Temple. She'd dried off and helped herself to a bunch of bandages and Neosporin in the bathroom beforehand. Now, she was determined to get some kind of an explanation out of someone in the temple before she went home, curled up in bed, and tried once again to forget about the events of the day. Dawn turned to Mina, who regarded her with wide blue eyes. "You have any idea as to why I just got attacked by a couple of renegade teenagers before being rescued by some dark demonic angel? Is there something about this campus that you didn't tell me?"
"Well, I…" Mina stammered, taken aback.
"That's my job, not hers," Setsuna interrupted. "Look, I'm very sorry about what went on earlier…"
"And you," Dawn continued, jabbing a finger in the older girl's direction. "Who are you, how do you know who I am, and why do you need to talk to me so badly?"
Unfazed, Setsuna extended a hand towards her. "Setsuna Meiou," she introduced herself. She waited as Dawn eyed her suspiciously, then shook her hand.
"Dawn Connolly." She stuck her thumbs in the side pockets of her shorts, her head tilted to the side as she regarded Setsuna. "One down, two to go."
"Very true." She motioned to Rini, who got up and walked over to them. "I take it you've met Rini already?"
"Yeah, full force against the sidewalk yesterday actually," she answered, her voice edged with sarcasm. Dawn pointed to her knee where the scrape had scabbed over. "Proof's right here."
"Sorry." Rini spoke to the floor, still somewhat traumatized after the events of the past day and a half.
"Question for you." Rini looked up at Dawn in reply. "Do you run around like a Saturday morning cartoon all the time, or only on special occasions?"
"She is related to Eos, isn't she?" Rini folded her arms across her chest and eyed Dawn. "Same sense of humor."
"Eos? What's an Eos?" Dawn looked over at Setsuna, who had laughed at the cartoon comment. "What's she talking about?"
"I think you'd better just show her."
"Show me what?" Dawn glanced around the room to see where the voice had come from. "Who said that?"
"I did." Luna had crept inside, sitting next to Serena and Amy. "Just explaining the entire Guardian concept might take too long." She turned to Dawn and regarded her coolly. "Yes, I can speak."
Dawn blinked a few times, staring at the small black cat that had just addressed her. "Um, okay," she replied slowly. "Pleasure to meet you, I think." She turned back to the green-haired woman, suddenly wondering if studying abroad had been the best thing to do. "Exactly what were you going to show me?"
Setsuna produced a small transformation wand from the pocket of her skirt and held it aloft. "Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"
Dawn's eyes grew wide as the woman swept the wand in front of her, creating a wall of light as her body slowly spun. She put a hand up to shield her eyes from the light as it grew brighter, the silhouette of a woman visible through the aura. As she slowly spun in a circle, her clothing melted away to reveal a white leotard. A dark green skirt and sailor collar shimmered into view, and a large bow appeared on her chest. Knee high green boots covered her feet, and a gold circlet formed itself on her forehead. White gloves enveloped her hands and forearms. Finally, a large staff resembling a slender key seemed to grow from her palm. The light dimmed, leaving Sailor Pluto standing in the middle of the room. Dawn stared, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Holy shit," she managed in English. "That's pretty cool."
Pluto frowned. The rest of the girls had been fairly upset the first time they'd seen her transform. Instead, Dawn was enthralled. "That's one way to describe it," she replied evenly.
"Who are you, anyways?" Dawn asked skeptically. "Your real name isn't Setsuna, is it?"
"In this day and age, it is," Pluto answered. "Sailor Pluto works as well. Now, if you could stand here," she motioned to a spot next to her, "we can get this started."
"Get what started? And what was that Eos thing you mentioned?"
"I'm getting to that. Could you just stand here, and raise your hands above your head?"
"Do what?" Dawn folded her arms across her chest, instantly on her guard. "I'm not doing a single thing until you tell me what the hell is going on, and how you just…" she gestured to Pluto. "Did that."
"You're the Guardian, Sailor Eos, you're entrusted with protecting the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, the keeper of the Crystal Key, and you're a direct descendent of the last priestess of Babylon." Pluto paused for a breath, watching Dawn's face as the phrases registered. "Now, hands above your head." In a daze, Dawn did as she was told. "All right, now repeat after me: Dawning Sky Power, Make Up."
"You've got to be kidding."
"Could you just humor me? It's been a rough day."
"This is so stupid," she muttered in English. "Dawning Sky Power, Make Up!" As the last syllable escaped her lips, Dawn felt her fingertips grow warm and her arms grow heavy. She tilted her head back to see a rosy orb forming between her hands, the center of it darkening to deep lavender as it grew larger. Dawn dropped her hands to her sides, her eyes wide at the sight of what she'd created. The sphere hung above her for a second, then dropped to the ground, encasing her in a soft glowing cocoon. She felt her body spinning, and her clothing melted away to leave her somewhat exposed for a brief moment. Fabric began to cover her more sensitive areas, and something cool and metallic fastened about her forehead. The light subsided, leaving her standing in front of the girls in an outfit not unlike Pluto's, yet inherently trendier. Trembling, she turned to the older woman who stood there smiling.
"Well? Believe me now?" Pluto leaned against her staff as Dawn examined her outfit. "It's a little different than the usual design that the rest of the girls wear, but that's the standard Guardian outfit."
What she wore hardly seemed standard. Instead of the white sailor outfit, Dawn sported a snug silver top edged in deep purple. The cutout across her cleavage allowed for some bit of air conditioning, but that was the least of her problems. The skirt she wore was entirely too short for her liking, and the black boots had a bit of a heel to them. The fingerless gloves were a nice touch, though. Dawn flexed her fingers, admiring the black leather. "Guardian, huh? What exactly am I guarding?"
"Me." Rini leaned against the wall, eyeing Dawn. "As Sailor Eos, you're supposed to protect me."
Dawn stared at the pink haired girl in disbelief, then back at Pluto. "You're not serious, are you? Her? That klutz, a princess?"
Rini's eyes narrowed. "You don't have to be nasty about it," she snapped. "I'm just telling you how it is."
Dawn chewed the side of her lip, one eyebrow skyward. "Riiiight," she replied slowly. "So it's up to me to guard the princess." She gave Rini a saccharine-sweet smile as she spoke. She didn't like the girl's attitude, and she wasn't about to entertain any amount of bowing and scraping to her just because of some silly title. "What else?"
Pluto shrugged. "That's it. As long as she's here with the Crystal Key, it's up to you to protect her." She stood up straight and stretched her hands above her head. "Since Rini's aware of your inherent abilities and powers, she'll help you develop them and use them. Understand, Rini?"
"I guess," she answered sullenly.
"And I expect the rest of you to aid in Eos' training as well." The other five girls nodded in agreement. "Well then, I guess that's taken care of…"
"Whoa, hold on a minute," Dawn interrupted. "Nothing's taken care of, 'cause I don't have a clue as to what you're talking about. Do you mean that they're all Sailors too?"
"Yes."
"And they're supposed to train me?"
"Yes."
"So where are you going?"
Pluto gave an exasperated sigh. "Back to where I belong. Can you accept that I'm not from this time?"
"Yeah, I can do that. Can you answer one more question for me?" Hands on hips, Dawn wasn't about to let this woman go anywhere without knowing one more thing.
"Perhaps."
Dawn looked around the room at the rest of the girls again before speaking. "Back on campus, you called Ian 'Luciender.' During that whole thing with the tidal wave and the rocks and stuff, you called that big demon thing 'Luciender' as well, didn't you?" Pluto frowned, but Dawn kept going. "You mean that Ian and that creepy winged monster are one in the same?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes." Brushing a bit of her hair away from her face, she regarded Dawn coolly. "For your safety, you might want to keep your distance from him for the time being. He doesn't have the same amount of control over his actions in his demon form."
Arms folded across her chest, Dawn eyed the Guardian of Time with one eyebrow cocked skyward. "Well, that explains a few things for me," she replied, the sarcasm dripping from each word. "Is he on our side at least?"
"I think so," she replied slowly, her tone unsure. "It might take some time, but I'm pretty sure that he's not against us."
"Just because he's not against us doesn't mean that he's with us, either," Dawn pointed out. "And from what went on back at campus, I don't think he really wants to be."
"Us?" A smile played on Pluto's face. "You're including yourself?"
"I don't have much choice," Dawn pointed out. "For all I know, you could wave that staff of yours and change me into a talking cat. No offense," she added, looking at Luna.
"None taken," the cat responded. "And she does have a point about his loyalties," she continued. "I'd offer my services, but..."
"But what?" She still found it difficult to believe that she was carrying on a conversation with a cat, much less while dressed in some crazy costume.
"Well, we need him in order for me to do that." Luna laid her head on her paws and sighed. "At this point, getting him here seems wholly unlikely. His demeanor as Luciender, er, DarkWing isn't exactly cooperative."
"He's not much better on a regular day," Dawn replied dryly. She glanced around the room at the faces of her new friends, who offered her small smiles in return. "Look," she sighed. "You guys talk with the Rabbit over there, and figure out how to train me by tomorrow. I'll get Ian to my apartment tomorrow evening, and you guys come along with…" She stopped, frowning. "What's your name?"
"Luna."
"Figures. How does that sound?" No one objected to the impromptu plan she'd proposed, so Dawn turned back to Pluto. "Problem resolved. Now, one more thing before you go…"
"What?" Pluto snapped, entirely fed up with Eos' stubborn and outspoken attitude.
"How the hell do I get out of this outfit?"
As Pluto led Dawn and Rini outside, the rest of the girls waited for the door to shut before saying anything. Mina spoke first, a smile creeping across her face. "This is just too funny," she giggled. "I can't believe it! I mean, how much better could this get? Who'd have thought that Rini's Guardian would have been this easy to find?"
"Better?" Lita snapped, getting to her feet. "Funny? Yeah, this is real funny, having a long lost brother who doubles as a…" She trailed off, searching for an adequate description.
"Half-demon?" Amy offered.
"Exactly," Lita answered. "I'm related to some deranged half-demon who just happens to exist as a sullen and withdrawn Brit exchange student, but I can't say or do anything about it." With a sigh, she turned to the rest of the girls. "Look, I'm gonna head home and get some sleep or something. I gotta sort this all out in my head somehow."
"But Lita…" Serena began, concerned.
"I'll be okay," she shrugged. "Just need some time to myself, that's all."
"And what about Luciender?" Raye reasoned.
"What about him?" Lita opened the door, her shoulders sagging as if they held the weight of the world. "It's not like I can do anything, can I?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It would have made an interesting headline… or perhaps an interesting blurb on the back page beneath a furniture advertisement. "Young Man Found Dead on Streets of Tokyo; Heart Rips Through Chest of Own Accord." Ian wondered if it was actually possible; he'd never used his alternate form so many times in a few days, or for such long periods of time. His chest felt as if it might burst with each step, and sweat poured from his forehead. Passing people on the darkened street, Ian fought the temptation to reach out and pull a helpless faceless bystander to the ground. Primal urges surfaced and subsided, the blood pounding in his temples and making him dizzy. His shirt and jacket long gone, Ian began running towards the park near campus, the light from a full moon casting his shadow ahead of him. He'd discovered the park his first night in Tokyo, walking back from a solitary dinner. For over an hour, he'd stood at the railing of the bridge that overlooked the water, calmed by the combination of water and night. While something had been missing from that first night, it still managed to calm him and bring some order to his first night in an unfamiliar place. Now, the full moon lit the surface of the water, the serene setting a stark contrast to the chaos of emotions that threatened to break loose from within him. Ian slowed to a fast walk and made his way beneath the trees and past a few benches to the edge of the bridge that crossed the river.
I'm still alone. I have a brother, and I'm still alone. Lita leaned against the railing, staring down at her reflection in the water. Ten feet below, the image of a pretty brunette with bright green eyes shimmered as a tear made a perfect ripple on the surface of the river. She couldn't understand why someone would keep something as important and intimate as family from her. Even worse, she couldn't understand why she didn't remember anything about him. Something should have remained, some kind of feeling or sense that would have kicked in when she'd seen that creature the first time. Lita wiped her face and raised her head, the quiet scene of the park motionless in the moonlight. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the cool night air, feeling completely safe in the night above the water. It was her solace, her place where she could simply stare at the water and think, and attempt to sort out the hows and whys that plagued her every thought.
There was someone on his bridge. Ian swore softly and moved closer, making out the silhouette of a young girl leaning against the side of the bridge. No one was supposed to be on his bridge at this time of night. Sure, she had a nice figure, a little tall… hey, it's all good. No... no, it's not. Shit. He needed to go out on the water, he needed to simply stand at the edge and look into the seemingly endless depths of the water. With someone else near him, Ian didn't know if he had the restraint to control his actions. He strolled out onto the bridge, neither making a deliberate noise nor attempting to soften the sound of his footsteps. Two feet from her, Ian figured that she hadn't noticed him; she hadn't moved from her place on the railing. Clearing his throat, he fought to come up with a simple greeting.
"So, do ya come here often?" What the fuck was that? A million things he could have said, and he let loose with the oldest chat line in the book. Christ.
She spun around, genuinely surprised at the presence of another person on her bridge at this time of the night. "Er, um…"
"It's okay," he assured her. "I'm just here for the view." Walking past her towards the railing, Ian's arm brushed against hers. In that split second, the view was complete and tranquil. A spot above his stomach twinged, and he turned to look at her as her gaze met his. Her eyes held a sort of recognition in them as she stood up, her expression softening as he straightened up as well. "Did you feel that?" It came out as a half-hopeful whisper, Ian standing as she stared at him with that same gentle expression. For a moment, Ian realized that he was standing naked to his torso as her eyes traveled over him.
"Ian?" she asked gently. "Luciender?" With a steady hand, she reached up to stroke the side of his face. In an instant, that simple touch brought them back to the time of the Silver Millennium, a time before the fall of the moon and the loss of parents and siblings, a time before the madness began. A young man of fifteen sat on the banks of a lake on the grounds of the Moon Kingdom palace, the image of a perfect Earth reflected in the almost still waters. He smiled down at a newborn in his arms, his index finger caught in the soft but firm grasp of his baby sister. The blissful scene melted away to reveal the same young man and child, both two years older sitting in the cold throne room of the Moon Kingdom's palace. In full military garb with a massive sword strapped to his back, Luciender held his sister on his knee, her pale green dress a stark contrast to the dark uniform he wore. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, he kissed her on the forehead before standing up and handing her to Queen Serenity.
"I'll be back, sis." With a curt nod, he left the two of them, the child bursting into tears as he disappeared from the room. The images blurred once more, the same young man violent and angry in the same throne room some time later, his uniform ripped to shreds from the waist up. The same little girl, silent but frightened, clung to the leg of his bloodied uniform as he faced the young Queen Serenity…
Lita's hand fell from Ian's cheek, her eyes wide in wonder. Ian stared down at her as well, unsure of the intimate discourse that had taken place in a brief moment. He didn't know who the girl was, and yet he knew that she had been that child, and he had been that young man. Overwhelmed, he had an instinctive want to throw the girl into the water for calling him Luciender; instead, something kept him calm, allowing him only to stand on the bridge and breathe. Both of her arms wrapped around his torso in a child's embrace, her head resting against his chest in an almost relieved fashion. Ian found he could return the hug, his right hand against her back as his left stroked her hair in a protective manner. They stood there on the bridge, a single silhouette in the light of the full moon, the half of each other's experience now complete.
As profoundly as it had begun, it stopped; Ian threw himself back as his head began to spin once more. "What the fuck was that?" he demanded, the images now an erratic kaleidoscope in his mind's eye. "What's going on?"
"Ian," Lita said softly, walking towards him. For every step she took forward, he stumbled back. "Luciender?"
"What are you doing?" he demanded, now backed up against the railing. Genuinely afraid, Ian leapt to the edge of the bridge, the pounding in his head growing more intense by the second. As Lita's hand reached for him once more, Ian threw himself from the railing, wings growing in midair. Unable to summon the strength to complete the transformation, he fell into the water with a loud splash. On the bridge, Lita stared in horror as Ian came to the surface gasping for air, swimming to the bank. She ran around to meet him as he pulled himself onto the grass, coughing and shaking his head. At the sight of her, Ian scrambled to his feet and took off in the same direction from which he'd arrived. Lita stood at the foot of the bridge, tears streaming down her cheeks as he ran off. She couldn't tell if they were tears of relief, anger, or confusion, but they were tears. At this point, that was good enough for her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sarah was now awake, sitting on the floor as Aaron and Val slept on the couch. She knew that the voice inside her head was more than upset with the duo's inability to carry out a simple task, from the way that it ranted and demanded some form of punishment. Shaking her head, Sarah reached for the book on the table. She figured that perhaps a chat with the other goddess might calm this one down. Turning the yellowed pages, she found the image of Ciarazel standing amidst the dark flames, fingers still extended towards the demon. Whispering so as not to wake the others, Sarah held the book in her lap and spoke directly to the image.
"Are you there?" In response, the flames began their slow dance as the original text faded from the page. The image brought its arm down and turned to face Sarah, spreading its tattered robes in a slow eerie curtsy. As it happened, Sarah could hear a second voice in her subconscious, softer and more delicate than the first. Infinitely polite and dangerously beautiful, Ciarazel began to address both Sarah and the spirit she harbored.
"Hail, Vessel of the risen Miakoda," it greeted, the image in the book still as the voice spoke. "Hail, dark Sister."
"Hail, dark Sister," Sarah heard herself reply. "I require thy assistance."
"And I, yours." The image lifted its hand, producing the image of a large shadowy demon on the page. "I grow weary of him who harbors the curse of darkness."
"And I as well." The voices were a stark contrast; the raspy breath of Miakoda was harsh compared to the melodic whisper of Ciarazel as they conversed. "He aids those who guard my Crystal and keep me in this child." The last few words were spat in disdain, and Sarah recoiled at the sound. "It is a weak thing."
Sarah swore she saw the image in the book smile. "Nay, dear Sister. Thy vessel shall grow stronger, and I shall assist thee in thy task." The flames on the parchment rose and danced as one of the candles Val had left on the table came to life, flickering in the dark room. "From the flames of darkness thou shall find an ally."
"What do you mean, an ally?" It was the first sentence that Sarah had spoken, and she felt both voices grow quiet for a moment. Ciarazel spoke first, a dangerously soft chuckle preceding her words.
"The child is strong, dear Sister. She dares to speak in the presence of the immortals. Follow my instructions, child. If thou wilt give thyself fully to thy goddess, thou shall become more powerful than thy companions can imagine."
Sarah's pride and esteem, fragile after being with Aaron, Val, and Ryan for so long, clung to Ciarazel's words. The opportunity to surpass her brother, the possibility to control the two people who had forced her into this, it was something no one had ever offered her before. With an uncharacteristically steady hand, she smoothed the page before speaking again. "And what wouldst thou offer me?" she asked, lapsing into the formal speech the voices used.
"Dominion over thy companions," the reply came. "Dominion, and the power to summon allies of darkness." The candle grew brighter, and Sarah laid the book on the table next to it. The dark flames on the page grew dim as a string of symbols appeared on the parchment. Her eyes grew wide as the voices read the words aloud, understanding the meaning of the syllables pronounced.
"Dost thou give thyself, child?" The spirit inside her hissed impatiently. "Give of thyself to rise above thy brother, and to gain thy revenge."
It knew. Somehow, Miakoda knew that she had been an unwilling participant, and that she felt betrayed by the one person who should have kept her safe. Her eyes on the sleeping figures, Sarah spoke for the last time in her own once-timid voice. "For that dominion, I give myself to thee, Goddess."
The candle abruptly ceased, plunging the room into darkness. The light of the nearly risen full moon crept through the blinds, casting shadows across Sarah as she knelt on the floor.
"Done."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her watch read eleven o'clock. It was a nice clear night, lit with a few stars and a lovely white moon that hung in the sky over Tokyo Tower. Dawn strolled alongside Rini as Serena and Mina walked on ahead with Luna at their side. While the two blondes carried on a quiet conversation, neither Dawn nor Rini spoke to each other. The pink haired girl, older than Dawn by a handful of months, kept her eyes on the ground as she walked. Her hair hung over her shoulders in the classic rabbit-eared fashion, and her sneakers scuffed the sidewalk every so often. Dawn, humming softly, looked up at the sky searching for constellations. Her backpack slung over one shoulder, she hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her shorts as she walked. As they passed the coffee shop, she caught a glimpse of Rini's profile in the enormous glass window. Dawn suddenly felt a pang of guilt; somebody just as alone in Tokyo as she had been, and it was her job to be protecting her. Instead, she'd been sarcastic and ignored her the whole evening at the temple. With a sigh, she stepped a bit closer to Rini and touched her arm.
"Sorry about the klutz comment," she offered as Rini looked up. "I'm not that much of a bitch normally."
"S'okay," the other girl shrugged. "I get it a lot when I'm around here." She nodded at Serena ahead. "Mostly from her."
"Why?"
Rini sighed and lifted her head, her eyes unusually bright. "The whole mother complex, for one. You'd think she'd try to be nice or something, but..." she trailed off, head lowered again. "I shoulda just stayed for dinner."
"Dinner?"
Rini kept her chin down. "I didn't want to go to some stupid state dinner, so I used my Key to come back here for a few hours. I shoulda known better."
"Maybe," Dawn agreed. "Was it one of those formal banquet things?"
"Yeah."
She gave her a small smile. "I'd have probably tried to leave, too, if it makes you feel any better. My mom was way into throwing dinner parties for her friends or for people my dad worked with, and I always tried to stay out of the house when she did that. I hated all that formal junk."
"Really?"
"Yup. So don't beat yourself up about it. Beside," she said, lowering her voice. "Don't tell me that you're going to take everything that Serena says seriously."
Rini rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, hell no. Not in this day and age." She regarded Dawn, who winked at her as she stretched her hands over her head. "You know, you really are a lot like my Eos back home," she said thoughtfully.
"How so?" They crossed the street, now only a few blocks from the apartment building. "And does 'your Eos' have a real name, or does she just go by Eos?"
She stopped to tie her shoe, letting Serena and Mina walk on ahead as Dawn waited for her. "Her real name's Myrannda, but Pu's called her Eos from the very beginning."
"Pu?"
"Sailor Pluto," Rini explained. "She's the closest person that Eos has to a mom, besides my mom and dad." She stood up, noticing Dawn's concerned expression. "She never knew her own parents. They died when she was really young, so Pluto and my mom have always taken care of her. She's kinda like my big sister."
"More than Serena is here?"
"Her? Please." Rini made a face that caused her companion to giggle. "When I was little and came here for a while, half the time I was looking out for her. Can you imagine how ridiculous that looks, a six year old making sure that her fourteen year old future mother doesn't do something stupid?"
Dawn couldn't help laughing out loud at this point, covering her mouth as both Serena and Mina looked back at her. "I see your point," she managed. "It must be kinda weird, meeting your mom when she's your age…"
"I know you guys are talking about me," Serena interrupted hotly. "Don't believe anything that little brat says, Dawn."
"For your information," Rini shot back, "I'm not that little anymore. I'm older than you are at this point."
"I'm still your mother."
"You're still a crybaby klutz, too."
"Rabbit ears."
"Meatball head."
That did it. Serena stopped and turned around, her eyes narrowed. "You are so going to get it later, Rini."
"Yeah, whatever," she answered flippantly. She stuck her tongue out for effect, which only infuriated Serena even more. In a flash, she took off after Rini, chasing her down the sidewalk towards the apartment building. Mina and Dawn followed with the little black cat on their heels; Mina moaning about how she couldn't go anywhere with the two of them and Dawn thinking that the entire scene was pretty funny in of itself. A few doors down from the building, Serena tripped over her own feet and went flying, catching one of Rini's legs as she fell. Both girls hit the pavement as Mina and Dawn caught up with them.
"Can't you ever grow up, Serena?" Luna asked, disgusted by the whole situation. "You could've just let it go."
"It's the principle of the thing," she muttered, getting to her feet. "Nobody calls me 'Meatball Head' and gets away with it."
Dawn pulled Rini up, shaking her head. "I'll keep that in mind. No offense, but do you two always…" She trailed off as she caught sight of a garbage can whose contents were smoldering at the corner of the building. "Oh lovely," she said with trademarked sarcasm. "Some kid decided to light up a trash can for fun. Ugh, people."
"Shouldn't we call the fire department or something?" Mina asked, looking around nervously.
"C'mon," Dawn answered, walking towards the small fire. "We just put the lid on and it's out. Simple as that." To punctuate her point, she grabbed a lid from a nearby can. "No oxygen, no fire."
As she held the lid, ready to cover the flames, an enormous dark shadow leapt outward from the fire at Dawn. With a scream, she dropped the metal cover and backed up, her eyes wide at the image in front of her. A grotesque shadow reminiscent of Ian's demon form towered over her, followed by another winged phantom that landed between her and the rest of the group. Cold soulless eyes stared down at her, and Dawn looked around frantically for a way back to the other three. The first demon stretched a dark claw towards her, the talon-like fingers grabbing her arm as its mouth opened wide in a silent howl. Dawn cried out in pain, the grip ice-cold against her skin. Just as suddenly as she screamed, a bright string of hearts and light whipped past her, severing the outstretched arm of the first demon shadow. It fell back into the fire, the arm dropping to allow Dawn to run past. Ahead, she saw the somewhat familiar image of Sailor Venus with Luna next to her.
"Nice aim," she replied, rubbing her upper arm. "What the hell is that?"
"A cold energy apparition," Luna stated, eyeing the remaining one.
"A what?"
"A demon shadow," the cat explained. "It's a servant creature, summoned by a second being." She frowned, her head tilted to the side. "Are there only two of them?"
"I dunno," Venus answered. "Sailor Moon and I can take care of this. You just keep Rini safe." She glanced back to see Moon sprinting towards them, Rini as Sailor Chibi-Moon. "Where'd that thing come from?"
"The fire, I think," Dawn managed to get out. She was still shivering from where the creature had touched her. "It's hard to say." She took a few steps forward, trying to decide if the other shadow was still there or not. Venus yanked her back roughly.
"What are you thinking? I told you, we can take care of this." She didn't give Dawn a chance to argue as she and Sailor Moon raced towards the remaining shadow. The flames in the garbage can climbed higher, producing two more of the same wraithlike demons that stood on either side of the previous one, shielding a small girl from the two Senshi. The one in the center opened its mouth, a gray smoke pouring forth that surrounded Moon and Venus. Through the haze, Dawn could see Sailor Moon raise a wand of some kind above her head as a bright beam issued forth from it.
"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" In a flash of light, the grey smoke shot outward, sending the demon shadows scattering in to the night air. The girl who had hid behind the shadows raised her hand and motioned with her fingers, summoning another trio of wraiths from the flames.
"Oh, shit." Dawn glanced back at Chibi-Moon, who looked nervously at the failed attack that Sailor Moon had attempted. "Um, what do we do now?"
The pink Senshi glanced frantically between the inexperienced Guardian and Luna. "Transform, and you'll have to learn as we go, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess," Dawn echoed. "Dawning Sky Power, Make Up!" A moment later, Eos and Chibi-Moon were running to aid the other girls. "So what do I do now?"
"You wait," she replied quickly, trying to assess the situation. "You've gotta get one of them to attack you first."
"I WHAT? You've got to be kidding me! I don't wanna be attacked!"
Chibi-Moon shoved her to the front. "You feed off of their attack energy. You can catch it and channel it into your own attack," she explained to a hesitant Eos. "Just, I dunno, pick some of it up and throw it back at them."
"That's not very specific," Dawn replied nervously. "You don't have any other advice?" As her companion shook her head, Dawn turned her attention to the new shadows. Moon and Venus had backed up significantly, standing with the others in shock.
"That girl back there is controlling them," Sailor Moon pointed out, gesturing with her Moon Kaleidoscope. "She's wiggling her fingers and they're just leaping out of the fire." As if to punctuate what she'd just spoken, a pair of even larger shadows emerged from the growing flames. Hulking and wingless, they lumbered towards the girls with massive claws groping at the air. One of the winged wraiths took to the sky, arms wrapped around the young girl who had summoned them. The pair alighted on a fire escape, the demon returning to the ground immediately. It came to rest in front of Chibi-Moon and Eos, dividing the Senshi and forcing Moon and Venus to deal with the other four creatures. Dawn immediately stepped in front of her charge, waiting for something to happen.
"Oh, that was real cute," she taunted, yelling at the shadow. "You got any other tricks you wanna share?"
"What the hell are you doing?" Chibi-Moon hissed. "Are you nuts?"
Dawn ignored her, stepping closer to the creature. "What, you don't know how to talk? Are you just a buncha smoke and mirrors, or can you actually DO something?" As she spoke, the shadow opened its mouth and issued forth a stream of gray smoke that surrounded the pair. Heavy and cold, it made Dawn's skin crawl as it grew thicker and clouded her vision. She grabbed Chibi-Moon's hand and yanked her close so she could whisper.
"OW! What?" The response was more annoyed than frightened.
"Just catch and redirect, right?" Dawn bit the words off, hoping that her stubborn and somewhat cocky attitude would be a sufficient substitute for courage at this point. "That's all I have to do?" Chibi-Moon nodded, and Dawn dropped her hand. Eyes locked on the approaching demon, Dawn stretched both arms out and brought her palms together at her chest, taking a deep breath as she did so. Chibi-Moon watched in horror as the thick smoke gathered around Eos, disappearing into the tiny void between her hands. The demon advanced, its wingspan increasing as the Guardian remained motionless. Chibi-Moon realized the familiar actions, and knew that she only had seconds to warn the other sailors of what was about to happen.
"Moon! Venus!"
The two senshi looked back to see Eos almost completely hidden by the silhouette of the eight foot demon, with Chibi-Moon standing some feet back holding Luna in her arms. The Guardian's hands had taken on a pale lavender glow, a deeper rosy orb growing from her fingertips. "What's she doing?" Moon asked.
"DUCK!"
Venus and Moon dropped to the pavement as Eos' eyes opened, the orb in her hands now composed of the swirling smoke the demon had released moments ago. The sphere pulsed as she forced her arms in front of her, the orb hanging in midair for a split second as her voice echoed in the tiny space.
"Eos Daybreak Reflection!" The first demon shattered as a dazzling orb of orchid and rose surged ahead, surrounded by the same thick smoke that the creature had first released. The other girls watched in amazement as the sphere continued overhead, finally exploding in the midst of the other four shadows. With bone-chilling howls, the four shadows evaporated into the night air and the fire in the trash can abruptly ceased. Sailor Moon looked to the fire escape, but the girl who had summoned the demons had taken the opportunity to split the scene. Dawn slumped to the ground, melting back into her own clothing as she hacked and coughed. The other three girls changed back into their original outfits as well, with Rini and Serena pulling Dawn to her feet.
"Are you okay?" Luna asked, concerned. "That was really something, Dawn."
"Yeah, something would definitely be a way to describe it," she coughed. She examined her fingertips, wincing at the red welts that were beginning to surface. "Is this supposed to happen?"
"Sometimes," Rini admitted. The girls made their way into the building fairly quietly. The elevator stopped, and the three girls got out, leaving Dawn leaning against the wall.
"Are you going to be okay?" Mina asked, genuinely worried. "Do you want one of us to come with you?"
"No, that's – "
"I will." Rini stepped back inside next to Dawn, who smiled gratefully. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
"Well, I…" Mina stammered, taken aback.
"That's my job, not hers," Setsuna interrupted. "Look, I'm very sorry about what went on earlier…"
"And you," Dawn continued, jabbing a finger in the older girl's direction. "Who are you, how do you know who I am, and why do you need to talk to me so badly?"
Unfazed, Setsuna extended a hand towards her. "Setsuna Meiou," she introduced herself. She waited as Dawn eyed her suspiciously, then shook her hand.
"Dawn Connolly." She stuck her thumbs in the side pockets of her shorts, her head tilted to the side as she regarded Setsuna. "One down, two to go."
"Very true." She motioned to Rini, who got up and walked over to them. "I take it you've met Rini already?"
"Yeah, full force against the sidewalk yesterday actually," she answered, her voice edged with sarcasm. Dawn pointed to her knee where the scrape had scabbed over. "Proof's right here."
"Sorry." Rini spoke to the floor, still somewhat traumatized after the events of the past day and a half.
"Question for you." Rini looked up at Dawn in reply. "Do you run around like a Saturday morning cartoon all the time, or only on special occasions?"
"She is related to Eos, isn't she?" Rini folded her arms across her chest and eyed Dawn. "Same sense of humor."
"Eos? What's an Eos?" Dawn looked over at Setsuna, who had laughed at the cartoon comment. "What's she talking about?"
"I think you'd better just show her."
"Show me what?" Dawn glanced around the room to see where the voice had come from. "Who said that?"
"I did." Luna had crept inside, sitting next to Serena and Amy. "Just explaining the entire Guardian concept might take too long." She turned to Dawn and regarded her coolly. "Yes, I can speak."
Dawn blinked a few times, staring at the small black cat that had just addressed her. "Um, okay," she replied slowly. "Pleasure to meet you, I think." She turned back to the green-haired woman, suddenly wondering if studying abroad had been the best thing to do. "Exactly what were you going to show me?"
Setsuna produced a small transformation wand from the pocket of her skirt and held it aloft. "Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"
Dawn's eyes grew wide as the woman swept the wand in front of her, creating a wall of light as her body slowly spun. She put a hand up to shield her eyes from the light as it grew brighter, the silhouette of a woman visible through the aura. As she slowly spun in a circle, her clothing melted away to reveal a white leotard. A dark green skirt and sailor collar shimmered into view, and a large bow appeared on her chest. Knee high green boots covered her feet, and a gold circlet formed itself on her forehead. White gloves enveloped her hands and forearms. Finally, a large staff resembling a slender key seemed to grow from her palm. The light dimmed, leaving Sailor Pluto standing in the middle of the room. Dawn stared, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Holy shit," she managed in English. "That's pretty cool."
Pluto frowned. The rest of the girls had been fairly upset the first time they'd seen her transform. Instead, Dawn was enthralled. "That's one way to describe it," she replied evenly.
"Who are you, anyways?" Dawn asked skeptically. "Your real name isn't Setsuna, is it?"
"In this day and age, it is," Pluto answered. "Sailor Pluto works as well. Now, if you could stand here," she motioned to a spot next to her, "we can get this started."
"Get what started? And what was that Eos thing you mentioned?"
"I'm getting to that. Could you just stand here, and raise your hands above your head?"
"Do what?" Dawn folded her arms across her chest, instantly on her guard. "I'm not doing a single thing until you tell me what the hell is going on, and how you just…" she gestured to Pluto. "Did that."
"You're the Guardian, Sailor Eos, you're entrusted with protecting the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, the keeper of the Crystal Key, and you're a direct descendent of the last priestess of Babylon." Pluto paused for a breath, watching Dawn's face as the phrases registered. "Now, hands above your head." In a daze, Dawn did as she was told. "All right, now repeat after me: Dawning Sky Power, Make Up."
"You've got to be kidding."
"Could you just humor me? It's been a rough day."
"This is so stupid," she muttered in English. "Dawning Sky Power, Make Up!" As the last syllable escaped her lips, Dawn felt her fingertips grow warm and her arms grow heavy. She tilted her head back to see a rosy orb forming between her hands, the center of it darkening to deep lavender as it grew larger. Dawn dropped her hands to her sides, her eyes wide at the sight of what she'd created. The sphere hung above her for a second, then dropped to the ground, encasing her in a soft glowing cocoon. She felt her body spinning, and her clothing melted away to leave her somewhat exposed for a brief moment. Fabric began to cover her more sensitive areas, and something cool and metallic fastened about her forehead. The light subsided, leaving her standing in front of the girls in an outfit not unlike Pluto's, yet inherently trendier. Trembling, she turned to the older woman who stood there smiling.
"Well? Believe me now?" Pluto leaned against her staff as Dawn examined her outfit. "It's a little different than the usual design that the rest of the girls wear, but that's the standard Guardian outfit."
What she wore hardly seemed standard. Instead of the white sailor outfit, Dawn sported a snug silver top edged in deep purple. The cutout across her cleavage allowed for some bit of air conditioning, but that was the least of her problems. The skirt she wore was entirely too short for her liking, and the black boots had a bit of a heel to them. The fingerless gloves were a nice touch, though. Dawn flexed her fingers, admiring the black leather. "Guardian, huh? What exactly am I guarding?"
"Me." Rini leaned against the wall, eyeing Dawn. "As Sailor Eos, you're supposed to protect me."
Dawn stared at the pink haired girl in disbelief, then back at Pluto. "You're not serious, are you? Her? That klutz, a princess?"
Rini's eyes narrowed. "You don't have to be nasty about it," she snapped. "I'm just telling you how it is."
Dawn chewed the side of her lip, one eyebrow skyward. "Riiiight," she replied slowly. "So it's up to me to guard the princess." She gave Rini a saccharine-sweet smile as she spoke. She didn't like the girl's attitude, and she wasn't about to entertain any amount of bowing and scraping to her just because of some silly title. "What else?"
Pluto shrugged. "That's it. As long as she's here with the Crystal Key, it's up to you to protect her." She stood up straight and stretched her hands above her head. "Since Rini's aware of your inherent abilities and powers, she'll help you develop them and use them. Understand, Rini?"
"I guess," she answered sullenly.
"And I expect the rest of you to aid in Eos' training as well." The other five girls nodded in agreement. "Well then, I guess that's taken care of…"
"Whoa, hold on a minute," Dawn interrupted. "Nothing's taken care of, 'cause I don't have a clue as to what you're talking about. Do you mean that they're all Sailors too?"
"Yes."
"And they're supposed to train me?"
"Yes."
"So where are you going?"
Pluto gave an exasperated sigh. "Back to where I belong. Can you accept that I'm not from this time?"
"Yeah, I can do that. Can you answer one more question for me?" Hands on hips, Dawn wasn't about to let this woman go anywhere without knowing one more thing.
"Perhaps."
Dawn looked around the room at the rest of the girls again before speaking. "Back on campus, you called Ian 'Luciender.' During that whole thing with the tidal wave and the rocks and stuff, you called that big demon thing 'Luciender' as well, didn't you?" Pluto frowned, but Dawn kept going. "You mean that Ian and that creepy winged monster are one in the same?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes." Brushing a bit of her hair away from her face, she regarded Dawn coolly. "For your safety, you might want to keep your distance from him for the time being. He doesn't have the same amount of control over his actions in his demon form."
Arms folded across her chest, Dawn eyed the Guardian of Time with one eyebrow cocked skyward. "Well, that explains a few things for me," she replied, the sarcasm dripping from each word. "Is he on our side at least?"
"I think so," she replied slowly, her tone unsure. "It might take some time, but I'm pretty sure that he's not against us."
"Just because he's not against us doesn't mean that he's with us, either," Dawn pointed out. "And from what went on back at campus, I don't think he really wants to be."
"Us?" A smile played on Pluto's face. "You're including yourself?"
"I don't have much choice," Dawn pointed out. "For all I know, you could wave that staff of yours and change me into a talking cat. No offense," she added, looking at Luna.
"None taken," the cat responded. "And she does have a point about his loyalties," she continued. "I'd offer my services, but..."
"But what?" She still found it difficult to believe that she was carrying on a conversation with a cat, much less while dressed in some crazy costume.
"Well, we need him in order for me to do that." Luna laid her head on her paws and sighed. "At this point, getting him here seems wholly unlikely. His demeanor as Luciender, er, DarkWing isn't exactly cooperative."
"He's not much better on a regular day," Dawn replied dryly. She glanced around the room at the faces of her new friends, who offered her small smiles in return. "Look," she sighed. "You guys talk with the Rabbit over there, and figure out how to train me by tomorrow. I'll get Ian to my apartment tomorrow evening, and you guys come along with…" She stopped, frowning. "What's your name?"
"Luna."
"Figures. How does that sound?" No one objected to the impromptu plan she'd proposed, so Dawn turned back to Pluto. "Problem resolved. Now, one more thing before you go…"
"What?" Pluto snapped, entirely fed up with Eos' stubborn and outspoken attitude.
"How the hell do I get out of this outfit?"
As Pluto led Dawn and Rini outside, the rest of the girls waited for the door to shut before saying anything. Mina spoke first, a smile creeping across her face. "This is just too funny," she giggled. "I can't believe it! I mean, how much better could this get? Who'd have thought that Rini's Guardian would have been this easy to find?"
"Better?" Lita snapped, getting to her feet. "Funny? Yeah, this is real funny, having a long lost brother who doubles as a…" She trailed off, searching for an adequate description.
"Half-demon?" Amy offered.
"Exactly," Lita answered. "I'm related to some deranged half-demon who just happens to exist as a sullen and withdrawn Brit exchange student, but I can't say or do anything about it." With a sigh, she turned to the rest of the girls. "Look, I'm gonna head home and get some sleep or something. I gotta sort this all out in my head somehow."
"But Lita…" Serena began, concerned.
"I'll be okay," she shrugged. "Just need some time to myself, that's all."
"And what about Luciender?" Raye reasoned.
"What about him?" Lita opened the door, her shoulders sagging as if they held the weight of the world. "It's not like I can do anything, can I?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It would have made an interesting headline… or perhaps an interesting blurb on the back page beneath a furniture advertisement. "Young Man Found Dead on Streets of Tokyo; Heart Rips Through Chest of Own Accord." Ian wondered if it was actually possible; he'd never used his alternate form so many times in a few days, or for such long periods of time. His chest felt as if it might burst with each step, and sweat poured from his forehead. Passing people on the darkened street, Ian fought the temptation to reach out and pull a helpless faceless bystander to the ground. Primal urges surfaced and subsided, the blood pounding in his temples and making him dizzy. His shirt and jacket long gone, Ian began running towards the park near campus, the light from a full moon casting his shadow ahead of him. He'd discovered the park his first night in Tokyo, walking back from a solitary dinner. For over an hour, he'd stood at the railing of the bridge that overlooked the water, calmed by the combination of water and night. While something had been missing from that first night, it still managed to calm him and bring some order to his first night in an unfamiliar place. Now, the full moon lit the surface of the water, the serene setting a stark contrast to the chaos of emotions that threatened to break loose from within him. Ian slowed to a fast walk and made his way beneath the trees and past a few benches to the edge of the bridge that crossed the river.
I'm still alone. I have a brother, and I'm still alone. Lita leaned against the railing, staring down at her reflection in the water. Ten feet below, the image of a pretty brunette with bright green eyes shimmered as a tear made a perfect ripple on the surface of the river. She couldn't understand why someone would keep something as important and intimate as family from her. Even worse, she couldn't understand why she didn't remember anything about him. Something should have remained, some kind of feeling or sense that would have kicked in when she'd seen that creature the first time. Lita wiped her face and raised her head, the quiet scene of the park motionless in the moonlight. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the cool night air, feeling completely safe in the night above the water. It was her solace, her place where she could simply stare at the water and think, and attempt to sort out the hows and whys that plagued her every thought.
There was someone on his bridge. Ian swore softly and moved closer, making out the silhouette of a young girl leaning against the side of the bridge. No one was supposed to be on his bridge at this time of night. Sure, she had a nice figure, a little tall… hey, it's all good. No... no, it's not. Shit. He needed to go out on the water, he needed to simply stand at the edge and look into the seemingly endless depths of the water. With someone else near him, Ian didn't know if he had the restraint to control his actions. He strolled out onto the bridge, neither making a deliberate noise nor attempting to soften the sound of his footsteps. Two feet from her, Ian figured that she hadn't noticed him; she hadn't moved from her place on the railing. Clearing his throat, he fought to come up with a simple greeting.
"So, do ya come here often?" What the fuck was that? A million things he could have said, and he let loose with the oldest chat line in the book. Christ.
She spun around, genuinely surprised at the presence of another person on her bridge at this time of the night. "Er, um…"
"It's okay," he assured her. "I'm just here for the view." Walking past her towards the railing, Ian's arm brushed against hers. In that split second, the view was complete and tranquil. A spot above his stomach twinged, and he turned to look at her as her gaze met his. Her eyes held a sort of recognition in them as she stood up, her expression softening as he straightened up as well. "Did you feel that?" It came out as a half-hopeful whisper, Ian standing as she stared at him with that same gentle expression. For a moment, Ian realized that he was standing naked to his torso as her eyes traveled over him.
"Ian?" she asked gently. "Luciender?" With a steady hand, she reached up to stroke the side of his face. In an instant, that simple touch brought them back to the time of the Silver Millennium, a time before the fall of the moon and the loss of parents and siblings, a time before the madness began. A young man of fifteen sat on the banks of a lake on the grounds of the Moon Kingdom palace, the image of a perfect Earth reflected in the almost still waters. He smiled down at a newborn in his arms, his index finger caught in the soft but firm grasp of his baby sister. The blissful scene melted away to reveal the same young man and child, both two years older sitting in the cold throne room of the Moon Kingdom's palace. In full military garb with a massive sword strapped to his back, Luciender held his sister on his knee, her pale green dress a stark contrast to the dark uniform he wore. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, he kissed her on the forehead before standing up and handing her to Queen Serenity.
"I'll be back, sis." With a curt nod, he left the two of them, the child bursting into tears as he disappeared from the room. The images blurred once more, the same young man violent and angry in the same throne room some time later, his uniform ripped to shreds from the waist up. The same little girl, silent but frightened, clung to the leg of his bloodied uniform as he faced the young Queen Serenity…
Lita's hand fell from Ian's cheek, her eyes wide in wonder. Ian stared down at her as well, unsure of the intimate discourse that had taken place in a brief moment. He didn't know who the girl was, and yet he knew that she had been that child, and he had been that young man. Overwhelmed, he had an instinctive want to throw the girl into the water for calling him Luciender; instead, something kept him calm, allowing him only to stand on the bridge and breathe. Both of her arms wrapped around his torso in a child's embrace, her head resting against his chest in an almost relieved fashion. Ian found he could return the hug, his right hand against her back as his left stroked her hair in a protective manner. They stood there on the bridge, a single silhouette in the light of the full moon, the half of each other's experience now complete.
As profoundly as it had begun, it stopped; Ian threw himself back as his head began to spin once more. "What the fuck was that?" he demanded, the images now an erratic kaleidoscope in his mind's eye. "What's going on?"
"Ian," Lita said softly, walking towards him. For every step she took forward, he stumbled back. "Luciender?"
"What are you doing?" he demanded, now backed up against the railing. Genuinely afraid, Ian leapt to the edge of the bridge, the pounding in his head growing more intense by the second. As Lita's hand reached for him once more, Ian threw himself from the railing, wings growing in midair. Unable to summon the strength to complete the transformation, he fell into the water with a loud splash. On the bridge, Lita stared in horror as Ian came to the surface gasping for air, swimming to the bank. She ran around to meet him as he pulled himself onto the grass, coughing and shaking his head. At the sight of her, Ian scrambled to his feet and took off in the same direction from which he'd arrived. Lita stood at the foot of the bridge, tears streaming down her cheeks as he ran off. She couldn't tell if they were tears of relief, anger, or confusion, but they were tears. At this point, that was good enough for her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sarah was now awake, sitting on the floor as Aaron and Val slept on the couch. She knew that the voice inside her head was more than upset with the duo's inability to carry out a simple task, from the way that it ranted and demanded some form of punishment. Shaking her head, Sarah reached for the book on the table. She figured that perhaps a chat with the other goddess might calm this one down. Turning the yellowed pages, she found the image of Ciarazel standing amidst the dark flames, fingers still extended towards the demon. Whispering so as not to wake the others, Sarah held the book in her lap and spoke directly to the image.
"Are you there?" In response, the flames began their slow dance as the original text faded from the page. The image brought its arm down and turned to face Sarah, spreading its tattered robes in a slow eerie curtsy. As it happened, Sarah could hear a second voice in her subconscious, softer and more delicate than the first. Infinitely polite and dangerously beautiful, Ciarazel began to address both Sarah and the spirit she harbored.
"Hail, Vessel of the risen Miakoda," it greeted, the image in the book still as the voice spoke. "Hail, dark Sister."
"Hail, dark Sister," Sarah heard herself reply. "I require thy assistance."
"And I, yours." The image lifted its hand, producing the image of a large shadowy demon on the page. "I grow weary of him who harbors the curse of darkness."
"And I as well." The voices were a stark contrast; the raspy breath of Miakoda was harsh compared to the melodic whisper of Ciarazel as they conversed. "He aids those who guard my Crystal and keep me in this child." The last few words were spat in disdain, and Sarah recoiled at the sound. "It is a weak thing."
Sarah swore she saw the image in the book smile. "Nay, dear Sister. Thy vessel shall grow stronger, and I shall assist thee in thy task." The flames on the parchment rose and danced as one of the candles Val had left on the table came to life, flickering in the dark room. "From the flames of darkness thou shall find an ally."
"What do you mean, an ally?" It was the first sentence that Sarah had spoken, and she felt both voices grow quiet for a moment. Ciarazel spoke first, a dangerously soft chuckle preceding her words.
"The child is strong, dear Sister. She dares to speak in the presence of the immortals. Follow my instructions, child. If thou wilt give thyself fully to thy goddess, thou shall become more powerful than thy companions can imagine."
Sarah's pride and esteem, fragile after being with Aaron, Val, and Ryan for so long, clung to Ciarazel's words. The opportunity to surpass her brother, the possibility to control the two people who had forced her into this, it was something no one had ever offered her before. With an uncharacteristically steady hand, she smoothed the page before speaking again. "And what wouldst thou offer me?" she asked, lapsing into the formal speech the voices used.
"Dominion over thy companions," the reply came. "Dominion, and the power to summon allies of darkness." The candle grew brighter, and Sarah laid the book on the table next to it. The dark flames on the page grew dim as a string of symbols appeared on the parchment. Her eyes grew wide as the voices read the words aloud, understanding the meaning of the syllables pronounced.
"Dost thou give thyself, child?" The spirit inside her hissed impatiently. "Give of thyself to rise above thy brother, and to gain thy revenge."
It knew. Somehow, Miakoda knew that she had been an unwilling participant, and that she felt betrayed by the one person who should have kept her safe. Her eyes on the sleeping figures, Sarah spoke for the last time in her own once-timid voice. "For that dominion, I give myself to thee, Goddess."
The candle abruptly ceased, plunging the room into darkness. The light of the nearly risen full moon crept through the blinds, casting shadows across Sarah as she knelt on the floor.
"Done."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her watch read eleven o'clock. It was a nice clear night, lit with a few stars and a lovely white moon that hung in the sky over Tokyo Tower. Dawn strolled alongside Rini as Serena and Mina walked on ahead with Luna at their side. While the two blondes carried on a quiet conversation, neither Dawn nor Rini spoke to each other. The pink haired girl, older than Dawn by a handful of months, kept her eyes on the ground as she walked. Her hair hung over her shoulders in the classic rabbit-eared fashion, and her sneakers scuffed the sidewalk every so often. Dawn, humming softly, looked up at the sky searching for constellations. Her backpack slung over one shoulder, she hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her shorts as she walked. As they passed the coffee shop, she caught a glimpse of Rini's profile in the enormous glass window. Dawn suddenly felt a pang of guilt; somebody just as alone in Tokyo as she had been, and it was her job to be protecting her. Instead, she'd been sarcastic and ignored her the whole evening at the temple. With a sigh, she stepped a bit closer to Rini and touched her arm.
"Sorry about the klutz comment," she offered as Rini looked up. "I'm not that much of a bitch normally."
"S'okay," the other girl shrugged. "I get it a lot when I'm around here." She nodded at Serena ahead. "Mostly from her."
"Why?"
Rini sighed and lifted her head, her eyes unusually bright. "The whole mother complex, for one. You'd think she'd try to be nice or something, but..." she trailed off, head lowered again. "I shoulda just stayed for dinner."
"Dinner?"
Rini kept her chin down. "I didn't want to go to some stupid state dinner, so I used my Key to come back here for a few hours. I shoulda known better."
"Maybe," Dawn agreed. "Was it one of those formal banquet things?"
"Yeah."
She gave her a small smile. "I'd have probably tried to leave, too, if it makes you feel any better. My mom was way into throwing dinner parties for her friends or for people my dad worked with, and I always tried to stay out of the house when she did that. I hated all that formal junk."
"Really?"
"Yup. So don't beat yourself up about it. Beside," she said, lowering her voice. "Don't tell me that you're going to take everything that Serena says seriously."
Rini rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, hell no. Not in this day and age." She regarded Dawn, who winked at her as she stretched her hands over her head. "You know, you really are a lot like my Eos back home," she said thoughtfully.
"How so?" They crossed the street, now only a few blocks from the apartment building. "And does 'your Eos' have a real name, or does she just go by Eos?"
She stopped to tie her shoe, letting Serena and Mina walk on ahead as Dawn waited for her. "Her real name's Myrannda, but Pu's called her Eos from the very beginning."
"Pu?"
"Sailor Pluto," Rini explained. "She's the closest person that Eos has to a mom, besides my mom and dad." She stood up, noticing Dawn's concerned expression. "She never knew her own parents. They died when she was really young, so Pluto and my mom have always taken care of her. She's kinda like my big sister."
"More than Serena is here?"
"Her? Please." Rini made a face that caused her companion to giggle. "When I was little and came here for a while, half the time I was looking out for her. Can you imagine how ridiculous that looks, a six year old making sure that her fourteen year old future mother doesn't do something stupid?"
Dawn couldn't help laughing out loud at this point, covering her mouth as both Serena and Mina looked back at her. "I see your point," she managed. "It must be kinda weird, meeting your mom when she's your age…"
"I know you guys are talking about me," Serena interrupted hotly. "Don't believe anything that little brat says, Dawn."
"For your information," Rini shot back, "I'm not that little anymore. I'm older than you are at this point."
"I'm still your mother."
"You're still a crybaby klutz, too."
"Rabbit ears."
"Meatball head."
That did it. Serena stopped and turned around, her eyes narrowed. "You are so going to get it later, Rini."
"Yeah, whatever," she answered flippantly. She stuck her tongue out for effect, which only infuriated Serena even more. In a flash, she took off after Rini, chasing her down the sidewalk towards the apartment building. Mina and Dawn followed with the little black cat on their heels; Mina moaning about how she couldn't go anywhere with the two of them and Dawn thinking that the entire scene was pretty funny in of itself. A few doors down from the building, Serena tripped over her own feet and went flying, catching one of Rini's legs as she fell. Both girls hit the pavement as Mina and Dawn caught up with them.
"Can't you ever grow up, Serena?" Luna asked, disgusted by the whole situation. "You could've just let it go."
"It's the principle of the thing," she muttered, getting to her feet. "Nobody calls me 'Meatball Head' and gets away with it."
Dawn pulled Rini up, shaking her head. "I'll keep that in mind. No offense, but do you two always…" She trailed off as she caught sight of a garbage can whose contents were smoldering at the corner of the building. "Oh lovely," she said with trademarked sarcasm. "Some kid decided to light up a trash can for fun. Ugh, people."
"Shouldn't we call the fire department or something?" Mina asked, looking around nervously.
"C'mon," Dawn answered, walking towards the small fire. "We just put the lid on and it's out. Simple as that." To punctuate her point, she grabbed a lid from a nearby can. "No oxygen, no fire."
As she held the lid, ready to cover the flames, an enormous dark shadow leapt outward from the fire at Dawn. With a scream, she dropped the metal cover and backed up, her eyes wide at the image in front of her. A grotesque shadow reminiscent of Ian's demon form towered over her, followed by another winged phantom that landed between her and the rest of the group. Cold soulless eyes stared down at her, and Dawn looked around frantically for a way back to the other three. The first demon stretched a dark claw towards her, the talon-like fingers grabbing her arm as its mouth opened wide in a silent howl. Dawn cried out in pain, the grip ice-cold against her skin. Just as suddenly as she screamed, a bright string of hearts and light whipped past her, severing the outstretched arm of the first demon shadow. It fell back into the fire, the arm dropping to allow Dawn to run past. Ahead, she saw the somewhat familiar image of Sailor Venus with Luna next to her.
"Nice aim," she replied, rubbing her upper arm. "What the hell is that?"
"A cold energy apparition," Luna stated, eyeing the remaining one.
"A what?"
"A demon shadow," the cat explained. "It's a servant creature, summoned by a second being." She frowned, her head tilted to the side. "Are there only two of them?"
"I dunno," Venus answered. "Sailor Moon and I can take care of this. You just keep Rini safe." She glanced back to see Moon sprinting towards them, Rini as Sailor Chibi-Moon. "Where'd that thing come from?"
"The fire, I think," Dawn managed to get out. She was still shivering from where the creature had touched her. "It's hard to say." She took a few steps forward, trying to decide if the other shadow was still there or not. Venus yanked her back roughly.
"What are you thinking? I told you, we can take care of this." She didn't give Dawn a chance to argue as she and Sailor Moon raced towards the remaining shadow. The flames in the garbage can climbed higher, producing two more of the same wraithlike demons that stood on either side of the previous one, shielding a small girl from the two Senshi. The one in the center opened its mouth, a gray smoke pouring forth that surrounded Moon and Venus. Through the haze, Dawn could see Sailor Moon raise a wand of some kind above her head as a bright beam issued forth from it.
"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" In a flash of light, the grey smoke shot outward, sending the demon shadows scattering in to the night air. The girl who had hid behind the shadows raised her hand and motioned with her fingers, summoning another trio of wraiths from the flames.
"Oh, shit." Dawn glanced back at Chibi-Moon, who looked nervously at the failed attack that Sailor Moon had attempted. "Um, what do we do now?"
The pink Senshi glanced frantically between the inexperienced Guardian and Luna. "Transform, and you'll have to learn as we go, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess," Dawn echoed. "Dawning Sky Power, Make Up!" A moment later, Eos and Chibi-Moon were running to aid the other girls. "So what do I do now?"
"You wait," she replied quickly, trying to assess the situation. "You've gotta get one of them to attack you first."
"I WHAT? You've got to be kidding me! I don't wanna be attacked!"
Chibi-Moon shoved her to the front. "You feed off of their attack energy. You can catch it and channel it into your own attack," she explained to a hesitant Eos. "Just, I dunno, pick some of it up and throw it back at them."
"That's not very specific," Dawn replied nervously. "You don't have any other advice?" As her companion shook her head, Dawn turned her attention to the new shadows. Moon and Venus had backed up significantly, standing with the others in shock.
"That girl back there is controlling them," Sailor Moon pointed out, gesturing with her Moon Kaleidoscope. "She's wiggling her fingers and they're just leaping out of the fire." As if to punctuate what she'd just spoken, a pair of even larger shadows emerged from the growing flames. Hulking and wingless, they lumbered towards the girls with massive claws groping at the air. One of the winged wraiths took to the sky, arms wrapped around the young girl who had summoned them. The pair alighted on a fire escape, the demon returning to the ground immediately. It came to rest in front of Chibi-Moon and Eos, dividing the Senshi and forcing Moon and Venus to deal with the other four creatures. Dawn immediately stepped in front of her charge, waiting for something to happen.
"Oh, that was real cute," she taunted, yelling at the shadow. "You got any other tricks you wanna share?"
"What the hell are you doing?" Chibi-Moon hissed. "Are you nuts?"
Dawn ignored her, stepping closer to the creature. "What, you don't know how to talk? Are you just a buncha smoke and mirrors, or can you actually DO something?" As she spoke, the shadow opened its mouth and issued forth a stream of gray smoke that surrounded the pair. Heavy and cold, it made Dawn's skin crawl as it grew thicker and clouded her vision. She grabbed Chibi-Moon's hand and yanked her close so she could whisper.
"OW! What?" The response was more annoyed than frightened.
"Just catch and redirect, right?" Dawn bit the words off, hoping that her stubborn and somewhat cocky attitude would be a sufficient substitute for courage at this point. "That's all I have to do?" Chibi-Moon nodded, and Dawn dropped her hand. Eyes locked on the approaching demon, Dawn stretched both arms out and brought her palms together at her chest, taking a deep breath as she did so. Chibi-Moon watched in horror as the thick smoke gathered around Eos, disappearing into the tiny void between her hands. The demon advanced, its wingspan increasing as the Guardian remained motionless. Chibi-Moon realized the familiar actions, and knew that she only had seconds to warn the other sailors of what was about to happen.
"Moon! Venus!"
The two senshi looked back to see Eos almost completely hidden by the silhouette of the eight foot demon, with Chibi-Moon standing some feet back holding Luna in her arms. The Guardian's hands had taken on a pale lavender glow, a deeper rosy orb growing from her fingertips. "What's she doing?" Moon asked.
"DUCK!"
Venus and Moon dropped to the pavement as Eos' eyes opened, the orb in her hands now composed of the swirling smoke the demon had released moments ago. The sphere pulsed as she forced her arms in front of her, the orb hanging in midair for a split second as her voice echoed in the tiny space.
"Eos Daybreak Reflection!" The first demon shattered as a dazzling orb of orchid and rose surged ahead, surrounded by the same thick smoke that the creature had first released. The other girls watched in amazement as the sphere continued overhead, finally exploding in the midst of the other four shadows. With bone-chilling howls, the four shadows evaporated into the night air and the fire in the trash can abruptly ceased. Sailor Moon looked to the fire escape, but the girl who had summoned the demons had taken the opportunity to split the scene. Dawn slumped to the ground, melting back into her own clothing as she hacked and coughed. The other three girls changed back into their original outfits as well, with Rini and Serena pulling Dawn to her feet.
"Are you okay?" Luna asked, concerned. "That was really something, Dawn."
"Yeah, something would definitely be a way to describe it," she coughed. She examined her fingertips, wincing at the red welts that were beginning to surface. "Is this supposed to happen?"
"Sometimes," Rini admitted. The girls made their way into the building fairly quietly. The elevator stopped, and the three girls got out, leaving Dawn leaning against the wall.
"Are you going to be okay?" Mina asked, genuinely worried. "Do you want one of us to come with you?"
"No, that's – "
"I will." Rini stepped back inside next to Dawn, who smiled gratefully. "I'll catch up with you guys later."