"I don't need to hear this." Zoisite closed his eyes sadly. With a slight
flick of his wrist, he impaled a spear of ice into Luna's abdomen. Luna stared
at him in shock, her hands clutching the fatal wound. "Attack me…" He ordered
her gently.
"Iie, I will not dishonor Queen Serenity…" Luna closed her eyes and
dropped to the ground. Blood flowed freely from her wound, staining the blades
of grass cerise. "Princess, forgive me. I've failed you…"
Usagi and Makoto watched in horror. The rain washed out Luna's blood,
creating a small river of crimson. Usagi's pupils contracted and blanked out. In
her mind's eyes she saw a dismal battlefield, millions dead, an entire civilization
destroyed, and a heart-wrenching sob broke the silence. "It's happening again.
The end is coming…it's coming…" Usagi repeated to herself over and over
again.
"Usagi-chan!" Makoto grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "What's
wrong?! Usagi-chan! Answer me!" Usagi gazed through Makoto with empty eyes.
She turned around, continuing to mumble about the end. Makoto's arms dropped
uselessly to her side. No, it couldn't be…she had just lost her only friend…
"Angel." Tuxedo Kamen slapped Usagi's cheek lightly. "Snap out of it.
Come on. Pull yourself together!"
"You son of a bitch! You did this to her!" Makoto screamed and sprung at
Nephrite who was closest to her.
"Quiet bitch, this doesn't involve you!" Nephrite snapped and brought his
elbow down on the base of her neck, knocking her unconscious.
This snapped Usagi out of her trance. Tuxedo Kamen grabbed Usagi to
prevent her from doing something rash. "Mako-chan! What did you do?!" Usagi
screamed hysterically. Everything was going wrong and it was happening far too
fast.
Nephrite lifted his hand, raw dark energy gathered in his palm. "She's
dead." He stated calmly. "All of them are."
Something pulsed within Usagi and it wasn't just her heartbeat. Tuxedo
Kamen released her immediately as if she was the plague. He had felt the raw
and untamed energy course through her veins. ~ Awake… ~ It was the same
motherly voice from before. It beat once more. This was what Usagi had feared,
that power, sleeping deep within her, was finally awakening. Usagi closed her
eyes. A cocoon of light enveloped her being. ~ Don't be afraid. Embrace your
power and save your friends. ~ The voice in her mind urged. Usagi could see
nothing but a vision of pure untainted light. ~ Take it. ~ She reached out and
grasped the power. ~ Senshi of the moon, soldier of justice, AWAKEN!!! ~ Her
cerulean eyes snapped open with an odd new realization.
~~~
"Jadeite… Nephrite… Zoisite…" She whispered forlornly. She gripped
the branch so hard to the point where it might break. The branches began to give
way under her weight. "No! Not yet, I can't reveal myself yet." Silver power spilled
forth from her pale hands, keeping her aloft on the tree branch. Droplets of
rainwater clung to her body and hair. She sneezed delicately. She felt weak, but
then again she hadn't eaten and slept in days. She rested her forehead against
a branch before her. "Must it always end like this? Are the people of the White
Moon and Terra forever entangled in this endless feud?"
Mirror of Reflections
Chapter 3
Reflection of Gain
Rating:
Email: Chiba_Ohiko@yahoo.com
Website: www.angelfire.com/anime2/sunrise
"Loss and gain come hand-in-hand, one will always follow the other. We must
all learn to accept both or neither."
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko-san. I do not own it. Please
don't sue me. However this story is mine and any other characters I will create
along the way.
"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!" Usagi's voice was clear and
confident as her words resonated throughout the woods. Zoisite stared calmly
as a pure silver light engulfed Usagi's being. Silver illumination flooded and
bathed the trees and the warriors all around.
"At last…" Zoisite whispered to no one in particular.
Tuxedo Kamen watched as Usagi emerged from the light, the very vision
of a messiah sent to save their souls. "Serenity?" He asked carefully. Deep
inside, his mind was screaming how this was wrong. She wasn't meant to be
a warrior. She was the Messiah but no warrior. Blood would only taint her purity
and her purity she must attain. He grabbed his head. His head ached and
throbbed.
*Flash*
"Aunt Galena! Come out! I know you're here!" His call echoed through
the empty hallways of the long forgotten Terra Palace. His footsteps reverberated
with his voice but he received no answer. Dust covered the antiques, the beautiful
oil paintings, and the very floor he strolled along. No one had walked these halls
for centuries. And him, he wasn't physically here at all. Why his mind would
wander these halls now, he did not know.
"It's too late Endymion." Galena's voice, very suspiciously similar to that
of Beryl's, finally answered him. "I will have my daughter back. If you side with
the White Moon, I will not hesitate to destroy you."
"You'll only destroy her!" He shouted to the vacant palace. "You'll only
destroy her in the end. Why must you continue this feud?"
"… It doesn't matter. Endymion, let me ask you. Why do you continue to
fight?" Her tone was soft and tired as she asked him.
"I fight for her. I've always fought for her." He answered without hesitation.
Her soft and knowing laughter enveloped him. He could almost feel her
stand besides him and whisper in his ears. "Are you sure? Are you sure this is
what your precious Serenity wants? What if you were really going against her by
fighting me? What if this is what Serenity wants…?"
*Flash*
Tuxedo Kamen struggled to hold onto his existence. 'No! You're wrong
Aunt Galena! Serenity would never want this! She's not like that…' He faded
from existence and somewhere Chiba Mamoru awakened.
Sailor Moon opened her eyes to observe the world around her. She was
like a newborn child. She observed everything around her with fear and curiosity.
The part of her that was Tsukino Usagi managed to take control for a second but
it was long enough to tell Sailor Moon to save her friends.
Sailor Moon gazed at the two Dark Kingdom Generals with emotionless
eyes. Her gloved hands moved to the tiara on her forehead, her action was sure
and without any uncertainty. ~ Destroy them! ~ The voice within her commanded
with extreme venom. The tone was no longer warm or caring, it was cold,
uncaring, and almost self-destructive. ~ Rip them to shreds! ~
The tiara slipped easily into her hands and became a disc of energy.
She readied the attack. Her calm eyes lined the weapons up with her targets.
Her eyes slid from Nephrite to Zoisite, trying to decide who would be the first.
She did not speak as she threw the energy at Nephrite.
The General did not utter a sound or make any move to evade the attack
as he allowed himself to succumb to death. His ashes were left scattered to the
wind as the sky finally cleared up. A small spinach-green stone fell from the air
and into the open hand of an unconscious Makoto.
Sailor Moon turned toward Zoisite, who also quietly waited for his fate.
"Do what you must but hurry if you wish to save the Guardian." Zoisite gestured
to Luna on the ground.
Sailor Moon struggled with herself. Tsukino Usagi begged for her to
show mercy, that the man before her was not truly evil. The voice in her mind
disagreed, screaming for her to destroy the man. 'I am a warrior. I am a soldier
of love and justice. I must eliminate all evil. There is no room for mercy, they
need to die...' Despite this she still hesitated, hesitated despite the fact she
would no be able to hold onto this form much longer.
"Do it!" Zoisite commanded.
"No, you just chose the wrong path. We all learn from our mistakes."
Sailor Moon shook her head. No, it was not Sailor Moon who spoke but Tsukino
Usagi who spoke through her. Sailor Moon scowled. It was his choice and he
needed to pay for making the wrong one. The disc of energy fell from her hand
and changed back into the tiara.
Sailor Moon clutched her head as her transformation began to slip. "No!
He must die! He's evil!" Her head shot up and glared dangerously at Zoisite, a
crescent moon flared up on her forehead. Power enveloped Zoisite. It was
strong but not strong enough to return him to the realm of the dead.
Sailor Moon faded into the deep recesses of Usagi's mind as the warrior
reverted back into the naïve teenage girl. Zoisite collapsed onto the grass, taking
in its sweet scent. 'Mother Earth, how I long to return you…' He closed his eyes
and allowed consciousness to leave him.
Usagi looked around in fear, not quite sure what had happened or what
she had done. She felt so weak, as if she had just run a marathon of a thousand
miles. Blood… Blood all over Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Makoto, and Luna…
Blood on her own hands… Blood…blood…and more blood… The world spun
around Usagi as she tried to resettle her grasp on reality. They were going to
die… No! She wasn't going to let that happen as long as there was still life in
her bones. "HELP!!!" Usagi screamed with the last of energy she had left. She
didn't even fell the impact as she hit the ground. Darkness swirled around her
as she fell deeper and deeper into it.
~~~
"Wake up! Wake up!" Someone was shaking her. Someone was trying
to wake her up. Makoto groaned slightly as she rubbed her head. White, that
was the first thing that came to her senses, that and the sterility of her
environment. The very scent of sickness and injuries hung around her. It just
made her want to vomit. "Mako-chan! Daijobu?"
"Usagi-chan?" Makoto moaned quietly as she sat up in the hospital bed.
"What happened?"
"I'm so glad you're all right!" Usagi exclaimed as she launched herself
at Makoto. She wrapped her arms tightly around the older girl. Her eyes were
sore and red from crying earlier. "Mako-chan, it was so terrible. They were going
to die…" Usagi began to sob gently.
Makoto returned Usagi's embrace in an attempt to comfort the traumatized
girl. "It's all right now. Everyone's safe in the hospital."
"Ami-chan…Rei-chan…Luna-san…" Usagi wept quietly. "There was so
much blood…"
"Shush." Makoto muttered as she ran her hand through Usagi's golden
hair that was beginning to fall out of its usual style. "Everything will be ok. Just
wait and see." Makoto reassured Usagi as the girl finally gave into the exhaustion
of the day. "Everything will be alright… I hope…"
~~~
The doctors lounged around the cafeteria in their free time. Taking in
food necessary to keep up their strength for the rest of the day's hard work. Two
female nurses gossiped at a nearby table.
"Did you see the poor kids they brought in from Juuban?" One of the
nurses asked. This caught the attention of a nearby doctor. She pushed a short
strand of soft blue hair behind her ear as she listened to the nurses. Her
daughter attended Juuban.
"Hai. The poor things, I wonder what happened to them." The other nurse
cooed in sympathy.
"There were a total of five girls and a man. The blond just fainted from
exhaustion and the police have already questioned her. Apparently she doesn't
remember what happened, she's probably repressing the memory or something.
The one with black hair tied up in a strange hairdo suffered the most serious
injury. Something impaled her in the abdomen area. She's lucky to be alive after
that injury and the blood she lost. The other brunette and the blue-haired one
suffered some pretty wounds too, but they'll live. The brunette with the ponytail
was knocked out. She'll be fine but she got a nasty little bump on her head when
she hit the ground. The young man suffered some second-degree burns.
They're all healing at an amazing rate though." The nurse shook her head. "The
police are working on identifying them but they've been busy with those freak
incidents recently. You know, those strange monsters and girls running around
in skin-tight fukus."
"What is this world coming too?" The other nurse sighed.
Doctor Mizuno clutched her tightly as she turned to ask the nurses some
questions. A blue-haired girl from Juuban… Could it be Ami? Please let it not
be her daughter. "Ano…you said one of them was a blue-haired girl?"
"Konnichi wa, Mizuno-sensai. Hai, one of the girls brought in from Juuban
has blue hair." The nurse nodded slightly. "Matte, doesn't your daughter attend
Juuban Junior High?"
Ami's mother shot up from her seat. "Where is she?!" The woman
demanded.
"Room 328 in the east wing." The nurse replied.
The woman didn't reply as she rushed out of the cafeteria to see her
daughter. Her spilt cup of coffee was left unattended as the brown liquid dripped
from the table and onto the floor.
~~~
"Hime-sama…" Twin voices chorused in unison.
"Dare?" Rei whispered as she slowly opened her eyes. She was
drowning in a sea of crimson red. "Phobos? Demos?"
"It's time to wake up." The voices chorused in unison once more. "Wake
up…"
"I'm awake." Rei muttered. She couldn't move her body but neither did
she feel the need to. She allowed herself to drift and fall deeper in.
A set of giggles answered her. "Iie, hime-sama. That's not what we
mean. Remember what Luna-san said. Memories…"
"Memories?" Rei asked. Her mind was fuzzy as she tried to sort out what
her Guardians were trying to say. "Memories…"
*Flashback*
"Iie!" Luna shook her head. "It is to protect the Princess, you are the
Princess' Guardians. The reason why the Princess has no been found yet…the
Princess has been sealed, that is why we have not found her yet…"
"Sealed?"
"Why was that done?"
"The Princess most likely possesses the Ginzoshou. Could you imagine
the trouble if some power hungry manic got their hands on it? Besides, you two
are not full senshi yet. When all the Sailor Senshi are gathered and you have
become full Sailor Senshi, you will be able to break the Princess' seal. You will
then know the true nature of the situation. That is all I can tell you unfortunately…"
"But," Rei began. "How do we become full Sailor Senshi?"
"Memory. Only memory will do that."
"Memory?" Rei whispered.
*End of Flashback*
"Remember quickly Atalanta-sama. You don't have mush time left." Rei
closed her eyes as she fell deeper and deeper into her trance.
~~~
Luna slept quietly. Her pale form almost seemed to fade into the crisp
white hospital sheets. It was hard to believe she was just tittering on the edge
of life and death about an hour ago. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze
that blew through the window opened slightly ajar. There was no one there to
notice a slick snow-white slip in through the open window. It was strange, how
did that manage to access a room, three floors up, through a window opened
about six inches. Curious curious, Tokyo was becoming a stranger place with
every passing day.
The white cat climbed onto the hospital bed and sat there, watching Luna
silently, for a few minutes. "Luna, I'll get whoever did this to you." The cat vowed
with such malevolence that would have sent shivers down any observer's spine.
With a bright flash of light, the cat changed into a man sitting on the edge of
Luna's sick bed. His silver hair fell to his shoulders, nearly blending in with his
silver white tunic. A yellow crescent moon, identical to that of Luna's, shone
proudly on his forehead. His sapphire blue eyes were filled with worry and
concern. He reached out and brushed aside Luna's bangs. "I'm here now Luna,
I even found Celeste." He talked quietly to the sleeping Luna. He ran a hand
through a river of her silken ebony hair. "We're so close. We're just so close.
The end of the road is just ahead. Don't give up."
"Artemis…" Luna muttered in her sleep as she shifted her position in
her slumber.
Artemis leaned in and pressed her lips against her crescent moon
birthmark. "I'll come see you when you're rested. Ne, Luna? Celeste and I will
take care of the Dark Kingdom while you and the senshi rest. Take care, Luna."
Artemis took one last look at his long-time partner before he reverted back into
his feline form and vanished out the window.
The curtains swayed in the breeze, like a disembodied spirit trying to
escape. Not too far down the hall, there was a man trying to do exactly that, his
soul trying to escape the shell mortals called a body. But for him, this shell was
nothing more than a symbol of his bondage and slavery to the forces of the dark.
~~~
"I'm fine! I don't need your help!" Makoto snapped at the nurse. The
nurse was taken back by Makoto's hostility. Makoto's softened. "Gomen but I'm
fine. Help Usagi-chan though, she's been through a lot today."
The nurse nodded and helped Usagi into a chair. The nurse left the girl
to sleep as she turned back to Makoto. "You can't leave yet. The doctors insist
you stay the night for observations."
"Can I at least see my other friends?" Makoto sighed, knowing it would
be no good if she tried to defy hospital security.
"You can do that. They're in rooms 328-332 in this wing. Try not to
exhaust yourself. Oh, and your jade is on the tabletop there." The nurse shook
her head as she closed the door behind her.
"My…jade…?" Makoto asked as she looked toward the table next to her
bed. Sure enough there was a small piece of jade lying on the tabletop. She
picked the stone up and examined it carefully. "Nephrite." She didn't know how
she knew but the name just popped into her head. "Nephrite, huh?"
*Flash*
"A penny for your thought, Levina-san." That brought her out of her reverie.
"Oh it's you Nephrite-san." Levina relaxed as she turned back to watch the
night sky. "What's a penny?"
Nephrite chuckled. "It's a currency used in the West. What are you
thinking about?"
"Anything…" Levina answered. "And everything…."
Nephrite chuckled again. "You can be quite the philosopher when you
try." He turned to night sky and joined her in observation. "The stars are quite
beautiful, are they not?"
"Hai…"
Nephrite snuck a glance at Levina. She looked so peaceful. The night
cast many shadows but none could ever diminish her beauty. "But they're not as
beautiful as a certain Jovian princess." He could see Levina blush despite the
lack of light. "I speak only truth. You do know that. The stars made me so.
Truth is all I can speak."
"And riddles…" Levina huffed while she tried to recover her composure
after Nephrite's compliment. "I swear, I can't get what you're saying half the time."
"Neither can Endymion-sama-tachi." Nephrite laughed. "Perhaps, I have
to show you my feelings. Perhaps, this will clear things up for you." Nephrite
leaned in and captured her lips with his own.
Levina blushed immediately under the pressure of his lips. If it had been
any other man, she would have kneed the poor fellow in the groin area and left
him eating dirt. If it had been any other man… It was funny how things change
in just a matter of weeks. A few weeks ago, Nephrite would have just been that,
he would have just been another man…
*Flash*
She clutched the stone tightly. "Nephrite…" She exited the room to check
on how Ami was faring with her injuries.
~~~
Zoisite sat up in his bed. He examined his environment suspiciously.
'A human hospital, but how did I get here?' His injures from his encounter with
Sailor Moon were almost healed, courtesy of his connection with the earth and
the dark energy he possessed. A golden eyebrow twitched in irritation, the
beeping that was monitoring his life signs were just beginning to get on his
nerves. He tore the IV from his arm and sent the life monitor crashing to the floor.
This immediately set off the alarm, sending orderlies, doctors, and
nurses his way. "Kuso!" He swore loudly. He didn't have enough energy to
return to the Dark Kingdom. He didn't want to be bothered by these human now.
He needed energy and he needed it quick. A hospital was not the best place to
do so. Most of the patients didn't even have enough of it to sit up in their beds.
He wouldn't be able to get very far at the moment. He did not want to risk
exposure and confrontation with doctors.
He gathered what little energy he had left and teleported to the room
about four doors down. At the moment he vanished, the door to his room burst
open. All the doctors saw was a broken monitor and empty bed with no signs
how their patient had escaped.
Doctor Mizuno gasped as Zoisite appeared in her daughter's room.
"Nani?!" She exclaimed. "How did you get here?!"
Zoisite inwardly cursed his rotten luck. He had escaped confrontation
with doctors only to end up where he first started. "Gomen nasai." Zoisite sighed
as he grabbed the doctor's arm. "It's better you don't know." Ami's mother
slumped over in her chair as her energy left her body. Zoisite felt guilty. He had
come to discover this woman was the girl's mother. He tried to take only what
was needed to get back to the Dark Kingdom.
He glanced back at the young girl in the bed. 'Poor kid, I wonder what
happened to her.' Zoisite picked up the medical chart at the foot of the patient's
bed. He quickly scanned the doctor's reports and tests. 'It's nothing. Just some
skin deep wounds, didn't even pierce any major blood vessels. But she has yet
to gain consciousness.'
He approached the girl in the bed. 'There's dark energy in her body.
That's why she hasn't woke up.' As he prepared to remove the dark energy from
Ami's body, you could say it was his way of apologizing to Ami's mother; Makoto
stumbled through the door.
Makoto stared at Zoisite for a second before she lunged at the man.
"Bakayaro!" Zoisite quickly stepped out of way. Makoto nearly ran into Ami's bed.
"You've come back to finish us off have you?" Makoto glared dangerously at
Zoisite.
"It's not what you think." Zoisite said as he backed up into a wall.
"This is for Usagi-chan." Makoto decked Zoisite hard and split his lips.
Zoisite touched the cut gingerly and sealed the cut. "At least we know you still
bleed." Makoto muttered harshly. She was startled when Zoisite vanished before
her and appeared behind her.
"If you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to." As Zoisite prepared
to leave, Artemis slipped in through the window.
"Stop right there traitor!" Artemis shouted.
Makoto stared at the small white cat. "A talking cat?"
"You White Moon Guardians are really annoying. You just keep getting
in out way." Zoisite growled.
Artemis closed his eyes and was overtaken by a light similar to that of
Luna's. Human Artemis took up a fighting stance as he prepared to face off
Zoisite. He offered the occupants of the room a dashing grin. "We're like
roaches. You can squash 'em but they always come back."
Zoisite gestured to Ami in the hospital bed and her mother in the chair
next to it. "Do you really want to risk their safety by challenging me here?"
"I never thought you cared." Artemis stated sarcastically.
"It's the last remnants of my former humanity. My war is with you, not
them." Zoisite gestured to the window and the panel slid up obediently. "Shall
we?" Zoisite asked before he passed through the wall like a ghost.
Artemis grabbed onto the windowsill and jumped three floors down.
"We shall."
Makoto shook her head. "What is the world coming to?" She asked as
she rushed to watch Artemis and Zoisite from the window.
~~~
"Die already you stupid youma!" Sailor Venus screamed at the youma.
This was not her most graceful attempt at defeating a youma but then again the
evils she usually fought weren't as strong as this one. Not to mention Artemis
was nowhere to be found since that morning and she had to do without his
guidance and tactics. "Crescent Beam!"
The youma dodged it easily and lunged at Venus with its claws. Venus
stumbled out of the way. She cursed under her breath. "Baka Artemis… I
thought my powers as Sailor Venus were supposed to be stronger than Sailor V."
Venus muttered angrily as she prepared for her next attack. "Crescent Beam!"
The youma dodged the attack deftly, leaving behind a crater where it last stood
seconds ago. "Where is that baka neko?!"
The youma flung itself at her. She watched as the youma flew at her.
She raised her finger, power dancing and building on her fingertip. She aimed
it squarely between the youma's eyes, like a gun. "Crescent Beam!" The head
burst apart from her attack and sprayed her in strange green goo. The harmless
but heavy body crashed into her and sent her sprawling over the grass before
turning to dust.
"Yuck!" Venus exclaimed as she wiped the youma's blood from her face.
"This is so gross!!! Those stupid things can't even die right!!!" she sighed while
she detransformed. She looked down. At least glad she wasn't covered in
slime in this form. "It's messy but at least it gets the job done. Now back to
finding that darn cat!"
Minako stopped dead in her tracks. She watched in horror as a pillar of
light and another blast of ice filled the air in the distance. "Artemis…" There was
no mistaking it. That was Artemis' signature attack. Minako took off in the
direction of the battle. She pushed and she shoved. Yet she didn't bother to
apologize either. She was completely intent on her goal of reaching her Guardian
and, admitting it to herself for the first time, her friend…
~~~
People screamed and ran as Zoisite and Artemis settled in the courtyard
of the hospital. It had been a beautiful day but now nurses rushed to get their
patients into whatever safety the hospital building offered.
Zoisite's hands weaved intricate patterns and symbols in the air.
Artemis watched soundlessly as walls of ice sprang up around them, clearly
defining the boundaries of their battlefield. He noticed that the temperature had
also dropped a few good degrees.
"To protect the innocents from our duel." Zoisite supplied. "Not to
mention, foolish policemen who will try to stop us. It'll ensure no one will interfere.
This is an honorable duel is it not?" Zoisite raised one golden eyebrow in question.
"Of course." Artemis agreed as he gathered energy to begin. Silver light
and power poured from his hands and clashed with Zoisite's barrage of ice.
The two attacks met in a fierce explosion. Artemis' attack burst up toward
the sky, creating a pillar of intense light seen for miles away. Both men stumbled
back slightly from the force of the explosion.
Zoisite grinned as his sword materialized in his hand. Finally, a worthy
opponent for him to fight. Artemis followed his example. Both raised their
weapons in an attack stance, waiting for the other to make the first move.
~~~
Minako slid to a halt as she came to the police blockade. All around her,
cars and other vehicles voiced their complaints in the form of incessant horn
honking and shouting threats that would get them nowhere.
"Excuse me! Coming through!" Minako shouted as she shoved her way
through the gathering crowd. "Emergency! Doctor!" she ducked under the police
tape and attempted to move on in an inconspicuous manner. Needless to say,
she was unsuccessful and apprehended by a sergeant only a few steps later.
"Where do you think you're going?" The policewoman asked sternly.
Minako gulped nervously. She was not one to get along well with cops,
at least the police in Tokyo. She turned to the woman. "Please ma'am. My cat
escaped from me and he went in that direction." Well, at least she wasn't lying.
Artemis was considered her pet and he was in that direction.
The sergeant shook her head at Minako's excuse. "Nice try young lady.
Did one of your friends dare you to do this? I suggest you just turn back and go
home now. There nothing here to see."
"But…but…" Minako stuttered. "I'm telling the truth for once!"
The policewoman raised an eyebrow. "For once?"
Minako sweatdropped. 'Way to go V-babe! Ok, maybe that wasn't the
best thing to say…'
"Give me a description of your cat and leave your name an address." The
cop sighed as she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen.
"Well, he's white and about this big." Minako demonstrated the size with
her hands. "And he has a strange yellow crescent moon birthmark on his
forehead."
The older woman's writing flattered at the last part. How did teenagers
come up with these things? "A crescent moon birthmark?"
"Hai!" Minako answered promptly. "Oh my gosh! There he goes!" She
proclaimed as another pillar of light shot up into the sky. She broke into a run.
"Stop her!" the sergeant shouted to the other cops. Other policemen
stumbled about to obey the orders of their superior. Minako outmaneuvered them
all, curtsey of her senshi training. The sergeant watched wordlessly as Minako
sent two other policemen crashing into each other. She sighed as Minako
vanished around the corner. "Outwitted by a teenager… what kind of policemen
is the Academy turning out these days?"
Minako ducked into an alleyway to catch her breath but she knew the
policemen were still on her trail. "Well it's time to lose 'em! Venus Power! Make
Up!" sailor Venus jumped up onto the roof just as the police caught up to her.
The cops looked around in slight confusion. There was nothing but an empty
alley before them. Where had the girl gone?
~~~
Ami struggled to consciousness. She felt woozy but she would live.
"Okaa-san!" she gasped as she grabbed her mother's hand. She felt a pulse
but it was weak. It was an energy drain, she was sure of it. She had seen far
too many of these in the past two months.
"Ami-chan! You're awake!" Makoto exclaimed as she tore herself away
from the window. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, but my mother. Who did this?!" Ami demanded.
Makoto's eyes narrowed in anger. "It was that blond creep from earlier.
I think he was trying to finish you off."
Ami's jaws set together in determination. "He's going to pay…"
"Well, he's right outside but he's kinda busy." Makoto gestured to the
window.
Ami climbed out of her bed. She leaned onto the wall for support. She
slowly made her way toward the open window. She watched Zoisite lock Artemis
in an obvious stalemate. "Time to even the odds." She reached into her
sub-space pocket for her henshi stick. She froze and turned to Makoto.
Makoto smiled in complete understanding. "Don't worry. I'll take care of
your mom. I'll keep your secret, just give him a good kick for me." She gave the
blue-haired genius a thumbs-up.
"Arigato Kino-san." Ami said quietly.
"Call me Makoto." Makoto's grin widened slightly. "Now go get 'em!"
Ami nodded as she raised her henshi stick in the air. "Mercury Power!
Make Up!" she let the magical ice and water fill her with strength. All her former
frail and fatigue left her as she was encased in the power of Mercury. Sailor
Mercury thanked Makoto once more before she leap out the window.
Ami could never go back now that she knew. She would never let Zoisite
get away with attacking her mother. She would never be able to turn her back on
the world. She was given a gift or power, if not sometimes a curse. She would
use it for the right reasons. She was the Soldier of Wisdom after all and she
was enlightened.
Makoto shook her head, grinning ruddy all the while. "Man, doesn't
anyone use the door anymore?" Though secretly, she wished she had powers
like Ami, the power to fight and protect. She resumed her vigil by the window.
She punched the wall in frustration. If only she had powers like Ami, she could
have stopped Zoisite as soon as she stepped into the room. She glanced over
at Ami's mother. She hated being helpless! She wanted to be able to fight and
protect like that… She wanted to protect Usagi in exchange for her friendship…
Unknown to Makoto, the emblem of Jupiter shone softly on her forehead
as she sank deeper into her despair…
~~~
Luna struggled to consciousness. The Call of Jupiter was simply too
strong to ignore. She reached out with her mind. A glimmer of emerald light
grew and grew but flickered like a candle flame in the wind. Jupiter, Princess
Levina Taima, sought to awake but could not under the given circumstances.
'Hecate, dark goddess of the moon and patron of magic, protect me on
this journey…' Luna's astral form climbed out of bed. She looked back to find
her physical being resting peacefully in bed. She could not roam the halls in
that body. It was far too weak and healing for now.
Jupiter must be awakened. The last senshi must be awakened. They
were so close to taking summoning the Princess. They were so close to
avenging the destruction and downfall of the Silver Millennium, for the death of
the last Silver Queen.
Luna passed through walls and different hospital rooms like a ghost.
No one saw her or noticed her presence.
The building shook unexpectedly. Luna watched as a nurse nearly
tripped over a chair. Luna looked out a window to find Zoisite and Artemis
locked in battle. 'Artemis…it was you. I wasn't dreaming.' Sailor Mercury stood
on the outside of the ice wall, analyzing in with her computer. Her attacks would
not do much against a wall composed of her own element.
Out of corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of gold. Mercury stared
in shock as the wall a few feet away from her began to crack. Luna turned away.
She had to reawaken Jupiter at once. She could not allow Artemis to be harmed.
~~~
Rei abruptly snapped out of her previous trance, her white and sterile
hospital room replaced the sea of fire. Power roared around her, it weighed her
down. She gasped for air. There was so much magic being used all at once.
High-strung tension hung in the air.
Her communicator was beeping. When she answered it, Sailor Mercury's
concerned face appeared in the screen. "Rei-chan! Are you alright? I've been
calling you for the last ten minutes. We need you here outside. Are you strong
enough to make it? Don't push yourself if you can't."
"I'm fine. I'll be there in a sec." Rei nodded as she broke off the line. She
became silent as Jadeite spoke to her. She stroked the jade gently. "Don't worry
Jadeite. I'll do my best to save Zoisite. I won't let you down."
She always seemed to be complaining to Luna about her duties as a
senshi. She was always somewhat reluctant to fight, not for herself but for her
grandfather. If she were to die in battle tomorrow, who would care for him? She
realized her reason to fight now. It wasn't because of destiny. If she really didn't
feel responsible to her duties, she could simply for get it and turn her back on the
world.
She was now fighting to protect her grandfather; the man who had taken
her in and raised her after her own father abandoned her. She was fighting for
Ami, her comrade and friend, a kindred spirit who shared a similar fate. She was
fight for Usagi, to protect her innocence and kindness. She was fighting for the
people of her world. She was fighting so all of them would have a tomorrow to
look forward to.
"Mars Power! Make Up!"
~~~
It didn't take long for Luna to find Makoto.
"You?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Levina…" Luna caressed the symbol glowing brightly on Makoto's
forehead. "I've found you."
"I'm Makoto." Makoto's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe in this life." Luna replied in a mysterious manner.
"What are you here for? Shouldn't you be helping them?" Makoto pointed
to Sailor Mercury and the recently arrived Sailor Mars.
"I can give you powers like theirs." Luna stated quietly. Makoto stopped
dead in her tracks. "I know you want them. You're not the Soldier of Protection
for nothing. It's that what you want? Don't you want to protect others?"
"Show me." Makoto commanded gently.
"Of course." Luna's grin faltered for a moment. "However, you can't turn
back after this. You can never go back to the way you once were."
"Bring it on! I have nothing to lose!" Makoto proclaimed. "In fact I have
everything to gain from this. I want to protect Usagi-chan. She's done so much
for me already. No one's care about me in the way she has in years. This world
is dying. I can see that. These random little attacks are just the beginning. Who
would have ever thought there existed creatures like them." Makoto pointed to
Zoisite. "This is war, ne? Our side needs soldiers. You're just bringing us
together, in the end it'll be up to us."
"You're just as I remember you Levina." Luna whispered to herself. She
closed her eyes and concentrated her power in front of her. A green pen took
shape in the air and landed in Makoto's awaiting hands.
Before Luna could say anymore, Makoto lifted her henshi stick in the air.
As soon as the pen had touched her hands she knew what to do without really
knowing it consciously. Her body remembered it, the weight of the pen and the
feeling of power when she would change. Her actions were pure reflexes and
her words just flowed from her lips. "Jupiter Power! Make Up!"
~~~
Usagi rolled over in her sleep. A dark shadow befell over her peaceful
slumber. The tension and destruction around her called to the warrior sleeping
deep within her.
~ Wake up. ~ The voice urged gently.
~ I don't want to. ~ Usagi whimpered slightly. Usagi found herself face
to face with Sailor Moon. ~ I might hurt someone else. ~
Sailor Moon's scowl deepened. ~ That fool deserved it. He chose the
wrong path and needed to pay for his mistakes. His mistake nearly cost your
friends their life. Does he really deserve a second chance? ~
~ Everyone deserves a second chance and he was no exception. ~
Usagi snapped angrily.
~ Shut up and wake up. Battle calls and I'm needed. ~ Sailor Moon
ordered.
~ No! ~ Determination burned fiercely in Usagi's cerulean eyes. ~ I won't
let you hurt anyone else. ~
~ If you don't let me go, your friends will only get further. They don't have
the power to defeat the Dark Kingdom! ~ A slight aura of power had arisen
around Sailor Moon with her fury.
~ I don't know what's going on but you had no right to kill that man! ~
~ Who says I killed him? ~ Sailor Moon raised an eyebrow. ~ You had
just as much part in it as I did. Admit it, you killed him with me. ~
~ Don't say that! Even so I won't allow something like that to happen
again! ~
~ What is all this fighting? ~ A gentle voice asked. Usagi whirled around
to find another young woman who resembled herself. She was dressed in a
beautiful gown made of the purest and whitest silk. Her hair was also tied up in
the same odango style as her counterparts but her hair was moonlight silver. A
golden crescent moon birthmark shone proudly on her forehead. ~ There is no
need for it. ~
~ You're one to talk Serenity! ~ Sailor Moon snorted.
~ Go easy on her. She has yet to comprehend the situation, it'll only be
a matter of time. ~ Serenity stated calmly. There was this regal air around her
that commanded instant obedience from those in her presence. ~ She'll come
into play soon enough. ~ She turned to Usagi. ~ Please let her Usagi. She has
to go battle the Dark Kingdom. ~
~ Only if she promises not to kill anyone in cold blood like before. ~
Usagi whispered brokenly. Something was wrong. She didn't know what
exactly it was. However, it didn't seem that Serenity belonged here anymore
than Sailor Moon.
~ Of course, I'll personally make sure of it. ~ Serenity cooed sweetly.
Sailor Moon threw her a dirty glance but she ignored it. ~ You must be tired
Usagi. ~ Serenity placed a hand against Usagi's forehead. Usagi collapsed
into her arms, fast asleep. ~ Sweet dreams. ~
~ I can't believe you let that weak little twit control you, the almighty
Princess of the White Moon. ~ Sailor Moon said in disgust.
Serenity turned to Sailor Moon, her expression hard and cold. ~ Go! Do
whatever is necessary! ~
~ But I thought you promised- ~ Sailor Moon was cut off.
~ It was only to put her mind at ease. You're wasting valuable as we
speak. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. ~ Serenity snapped. ~ I want a
full report when you return. She is unimportant at this stage of the game. ~
Serenity vanished from Sailor Moon's sight, taking her and Usagi into the deep
corners of the mind and leaving Sailor Moon completely in charge.
Sailor Moon grinned ruthlessly. ~ About time. Poor little girls, they'll
never know what hit them. ~ She chuckled quietly to herself. Her cynical
laughter echoed throughout the recesses of Usagi's mind.
~~~
She stood on the roof. The wind gently tousled her long silver hair.
Hesitant footsteps sounded behind her, high heels that moved along slowly on
a concrete ground.
"Tranquility-sama?" The other asked, unsure of herself.
She turned to face the person who joined her on the roof. "It's been a
while Celeste." She smiled sadly.
Sailor Venus gawked at the woman before her. "You're still alive, after
all these centuries…" Realizing her breach in protocol, Venus dropped her knees.
"Forgive me for my insolence, Your Majesty. I was merely surprised by your
arrival, I did not know you would be joining us."
"Raise Princess Celeste. There is no need for this. We are all friends
here. Besides, the Silver Millennium is regrettably no more. My title means
nothing now." She sighed. "I don't understand what could have happened. How
could our kingdom have fallen so easily?"
"Tranquility-sama, may I inquire the reason for your presence here on
Earth?" Venus rose slowly from her position on the floor. "Even I remember when
you abdicated the throne in favor of your sister and vanished from the kingdom. I
believe I was only a child then. No one ever saw you again after that."
"Rumors from afar reached my ears. They spoke of the downfall of my
homeland. I returned here to seek the truth. How long has it been and why are
the Sailor Senshi here on Earth, the forbidden planet?"
"Tranquility-sama, I'm not sure how to answer you but it's been an
millennium since our kingdom's fall…"
"A thousands years… If only I had come sooner… My sister how is she?
Where is she now?"
"Your Majesty, we should finish this later. I must help Artemis. Sailor
Mercury has already arrived." Venus turned away and focused on the battle before
her.
She could tell Venus deliberately changed the subject. Had something
happened to her sister? No, that was the most ridiculous thing. Her sister was
the strongest person she knew, she couldn't die that easily. However, Venus
was right. Their first priority at the moment was the battle before them.
"Crescent Beam!" The ice began to crack but held strong in the end.
"Damn! It's strong!"
She watched as Sailor Mars arrived at the scene of the battle. Mars used
her fire on the ice wall but it wasn't large enough to melt the entire wall. Mars
kicked the barrier in frustration. She lifted one hand into the air, intense white
light gathered there. Venus had to look away from the mini nova. "Bursting star."
She whispered softly and tossed the sphere of light at the ice barrier. The ice
shattered on contact with her magic as it exploded. Shards of ice flew in all
directions and rained down like tiny bits of crystal.
~~~
Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars gaped in shock as the ice wall before
them suddenly shattered without warning.
"What was that?!" Mars exclaimed.
"I don't know but some kind of intense light attack, it was like a miniature
nova." Mercury read the readings off her computer.
"So you're Mercury and Mars. Konnichi wa ladies." Artemis winked as he
backed back from Zoisite. The General watched them silently, not making a
single move against them.
"ARTEMIS NO BAKA!!!" A thick AP biology textbook (Believe me, those
things are HUGE!) came flying out of nowhere and knocked poor Artemis in the
head.
Mercury and Mars sweatdropped, they turned to find a third fuming senshi.
"Itai Minako-chan!" Artemis whined slightly.
"Don't even start with me!" Sailor Venus snapped, her eyebrow twitching
in irritation. She turned to the other two senshi. She flashed them a dazzling
smile and introduced herself. "Hi! I'm Sailor Venus! And that's my baka
Guardian Artemis."
"Nice to meet you Venus-san. You're a Sailor Senshi as well?" Mercury
asked politely.
"Of course!" Venus exclaimed.
"Who are you?" A rough voice asked in a threatening tone.
The three senshi turned to find the fourth and final senshi, Sailor Jupiter,
standing before them.
Mercury's jaw dropped in surprise. "Mak-" She cut herself off as she
remembered Zoisite. "What are you doing here?! I didn't know you were a senshi?"
"I wasn't until a few minutes ago. Thanks to Luna of course. Now let's
kick some Dark Kingdom ass." Jupiter turned to Zoisite.
"I couldn't agree more! I like your style girl!" Venus agreed and moved
toward Zoisite.
Mercury and Mars silently moved to their own positions and closed off the
circle that entrapped Zoisite in their midst.
The Sailor Senshi all glanced at each other briefly. All of them had finally
been awakened and gathered but their battles were just beginning. None of them,
in the years to come, would ever be able to fully comprehend how much they
changed and grew in this period. None of them would ever to be able to grasp the
heartache and pain one princess would bring into their midst. None of them would
ever be able to understand how one girl, one slip of a girl, would change them all
and their hearts. Most of all, none of them would ever be able to comprehend the
purpose and the actions of one warrior that was never meant to be. They were all
three different faces to the same one person yet each so different, the Creator, the
Preserver, and finally, the Destroyer.
But in the end, no matter what the results, all of them know they can look
back onto these days without any regrets. They had made the decisions to become
senshi on their own. Who says Destiny and Fate rules our lives? Destiny and Fate
may be the ones that set the roads before us, but in the end, we are still the ones
who make the choices, we are still the ones who walk those roads…
Words:
Arigato- Thank you
Baka- Stupid/Idiot
Bakayaro- Bastard
Daijobu?- Are you all right?
Dare?- Who?
Gomen (nasai)- Sorry
Hime-sama: Princess
Iie- No
Itai- That hurt/Ouch
Kuso- Damn/Fuck?
Nani?- What?
Neko- Cat
Okaa-san: Mother
In light of the recent tragedies that have taken place in the last few days, I would
like to add an extra quote this chapter. I want to dedicate this chapter to this
tragedy.
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
- Confucius
I, as a New Yorker and an American, vow to do all I can to help others and I would
hope the rest of you could do that as well. Even the smallest thing can help,
whether it is to donate blood, money, or just comfort a friend or family in need. I
would like to say that my heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
This is a rather dark chapter and it may even seem inappropriate to some. But
we must be like the senshi. We can't give up and we must help all those in need.
We must all find our own reasons to go on and fight, in our own different ways.
We will continue for our friends, our families, and all those who were lost in this
tragedy. May we all find the strength to go on.
There was just so much support from everyone all over the country. I'm sure many
of you may have all ready heard this from many people but I would like to say it
anyway. I would like to thank the rest of d country for standing behind those of us
here in New York. This has given me much faith in humankind, how we can pull
together in a time like this. It's sad but true, that it takes an event like this to remind
us how short life can be but how precious it really is. Live your lives to the fullest,
each and every day. I know I will now. But never forget what impact this has had
on everyone, no matter where you are.
Most of all I would like to ask for the tolerance of all. We cannot go around hurting
others just because they are of the same race, ethnic group, or religion as those
who may have attacked us. At this time, we should stand united and not create
lines that divide us. It worries me, some of my friends are Muslim and they are
all good people. Please think your actions and words through.
Goddess bless all that be.
flick of his wrist, he impaled a spear of ice into Luna's abdomen. Luna stared
at him in shock, her hands clutching the fatal wound. "Attack me…" He ordered
her gently.
"Iie, I will not dishonor Queen Serenity…" Luna closed her eyes and
dropped to the ground. Blood flowed freely from her wound, staining the blades
of grass cerise. "Princess, forgive me. I've failed you…"
Usagi and Makoto watched in horror. The rain washed out Luna's blood,
creating a small river of crimson. Usagi's pupils contracted and blanked out. In
her mind's eyes she saw a dismal battlefield, millions dead, an entire civilization
destroyed, and a heart-wrenching sob broke the silence. "It's happening again.
The end is coming…it's coming…" Usagi repeated to herself over and over
again.
"Usagi-chan!" Makoto grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "What's
wrong?! Usagi-chan! Answer me!" Usagi gazed through Makoto with empty eyes.
She turned around, continuing to mumble about the end. Makoto's arms dropped
uselessly to her side. No, it couldn't be…she had just lost her only friend…
"Angel." Tuxedo Kamen slapped Usagi's cheek lightly. "Snap out of it.
Come on. Pull yourself together!"
"You son of a bitch! You did this to her!" Makoto screamed and sprung at
Nephrite who was closest to her.
"Quiet bitch, this doesn't involve you!" Nephrite snapped and brought his
elbow down on the base of her neck, knocking her unconscious.
This snapped Usagi out of her trance. Tuxedo Kamen grabbed Usagi to
prevent her from doing something rash. "Mako-chan! What did you do?!" Usagi
screamed hysterically. Everything was going wrong and it was happening far too
fast.
Nephrite lifted his hand, raw dark energy gathered in his palm. "She's
dead." He stated calmly. "All of them are."
Something pulsed within Usagi and it wasn't just her heartbeat. Tuxedo
Kamen released her immediately as if she was the plague. He had felt the raw
and untamed energy course through her veins. ~ Awake… ~ It was the same
motherly voice from before. It beat once more. This was what Usagi had feared,
that power, sleeping deep within her, was finally awakening. Usagi closed her
eyes. A cocoon of light enveloped her being. ~ Don't be afraid. Embrace your
power and save your friends. ~ The voice in her mind urged. Usagi could see
nothing but a vision of pure untainted light. ~ Take it. ~ She reached out and
grasped the power. ~ Senshi of the moon, soldier of justice, AWAKEN!!! ~ Her
cerulean eyes snapped open with an odd new realization.
~~~
"Jadeite… Nephrite… Zoisite…" She whispered forlornly. She gripped
the branch so hard to the point where it might break. The branches began to give
way under her weight. "No! Not yet, I can't reveal myself yet." Silver power spilled
forth from her pale hands, keeping her aloft on the tree branch. Droplets of
rainwater clung to her body and hair. She sneezed delicately. She felt weak, but
then again she hadn't eaten and slept in days. She rested her forehead against
a branch before her. "Must it always end like this? Are the people of the White
Moon and Terra forever entangled in this endless feud?"
Mirror of Reflections
Chapter 3
Reflection of Gain
Rating:
Email: Chiba_Ohiko@yahoo.com
Website: www.angelfire.com/anime2/sunrise
"Loss and gain come hand-in-hand, one will always follow the other. We must
all learn to accept both or neither."
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko-san. I do not own it. Please
don't sue me. However this story is mine and any other characters I will create
along the way.
"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!" Usagi's voice was clear and
confident as her words resonated throughout the woods. Zoisite stared calmly
as a pure silver light engulfed Usagi's being. Silver illumination flooded and
bathed the trees and the warriors all around.
"At last…" Zoisite whispered to no one in particular.
Tuxedo Kamen watched as Usagi emerged from the light, the very vision
of a messiah sent to save their souls. "Serenity?" He asked carefully. Deep
inside, his mind was screaming how this was wrong. She wasn't meant to be
a warrior. She was the Messiah but no warrior. Blood would only taint her purity
and her purity she must attain. He grabbed his head. His head ached and
throbbed.
*Flash*
"Aunt Galena! Come out! I know you're here!" His call echoed through
the empty hallways of the long forgotten Terra Palace. His footsteps reverberated
with his voice but he received no answer. Dust covered the antiques, the beautiful
oil paintings, and the very floor he strolled along. No one had walked these halls
for centuries. And him, he wasn't physically here at all. Why his mind would
wander these halls now, he did not know.
"It's too late Endymion." Galena's voice, very suspiciously similar to that
of Beryl's, finally answered him. "I will have my daughter back. If you side with
the White Moon, I will not hesitate to destroy you."
"You'll only destroy her!" He shouted to the vacant palace. "You'll only
destroy her in the end. Why must you continue this feud?"
"… It doesn't matter. Endymion, let me ask you. Why do you continue to
fight?" Her tone was soft and tired as she asked him.
"I fight for her. I've always fought for her." He answered without hesitation.
Her soft and knowing laughter enveloped him. He could almost feel her
stand besides him and whisper in his ears. "Are you sure? Are you sure this is
what your precious Serenity wants? What if you were really going against her by
fighting me? What if this is what Serenity wants…?"
*Flash*
Tuxedo Kamen struggled to hold onto his existence. 'No! You're wrong
Aunt Galena! Serenity would never want this! She's not like that…' He faded
from existence and somewhere Chiba Mamoru awakened.
Sailor Moon opened her eyes to observe the world around her. She was
like a newborn child. She observed everything around her with fear and curiosity.
The part of her that was Tsukino Usagi managed to take control for a second but
it was long enough to tell Sailor Moon to save her friends.
Sailor Moon gazed at the two Dark Kingdom Generals with emotionless
eyes. Her gloved hands moved to the tiara on her forehead, her action was sure
and without any uncertainty. ~ Destroy them! ~ The voice within her commanded
with extreme venom. The tone was no longer warm or caring, it was cold,
uncaring, and almost self-destructive. ~ Rip them to shreds! ~
The tiara slipped easily into her hands and became a disc of energy.
She readied the attack. Her calm eyes lined the weapons up with her targets.
Her eyes slid from Nephrite to Zoisite, trying to decide who would be the first.
She did not speak as she threw the energy at Nephrite.
The General did not utter a sound or make any move to evade the attack
as he allowed himself to succumb to death. His ashes were left scattered to the
wind as the sky finally cleared up. A small spinach-green stone fell from the air
and into the open hand of an unconscious Makoto.
Sailor Moon turned toward Zoisite, who also quietly waited for his fate.
"Do what you must but hurry if you wish to save the Guardian." Zoisite gestured
to Luna on the ground.
Sailor Moon struggled with herself. Tsukino Usagi begged for her to
show mercy, that the man before her was not truly evil. The voice in her mind
disagreed, screaming for her to destroy the man. 'I am a warrior. I am a soldier
of love and justice. I must eliminate all evil. There is no room for mercy, they
need to die...' Despite this she still hesitated, hesitated despite the fact she
would no be able to hold onto this form much longer.
"Do it!" Zoisite commanded.
"No, you just chose the wrong path. We all learn from our mistakes."
Sailor Moon shook her head. No, it was not Sailor Moon who spoke but Tsukino
Usagi who spoke through her. Sailor Moon scowled. It was his choice and he
needed to pay for making the wrong one. The disc of energy fell from her hand
and changed back into the tiara.
Sailor Moon clutched her head as her transformation began to slip. "No!
He must die! He's evil!" Her head shot up and glared dangerously at Zoisite, a
crescent moon flared up on her forehead. Power enveloped Zoisite. It was
strong but not strong enough to return him to the realm of the dead.
Sailor Moon faded into the deep recesses of Usagi's mind as the warrior
reverted back into the naïve teenage girl. Zoisite collapsed onto the grass, taking
in its sweet scent. 'Mother Earth, how I long to return you…' He closed his eyes
and allowed consciousness to leave him.
Usagi looked around in fear, not quite sure what had happened or what
she had done. She felt so weak, as if she had just run a marathon of a thousand
miles. Blood… Blood all over Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Makoto, and Luna…
Blood on her own hands… Blood…blood…and more blood… The world spun
around Usagi as she tried to resettle her grasp on reality. They were going to
die… No! She wasn't going to let that happen as long as there was still life in
her bones. "HELP!!!" Usagi screamed with the last of energy she had left. She
didn't even fell the impact as she hit the ground. Darkness swirled around her
as she fell deeper and deeper into it.
~~~
"Wake up! Wake up!" Someone was shaking her. Someone was trying
to wake her up. Makoto groaned slightly as she rubbed her head. White, that
was the first thing that came to her senses, that and the sterility of her
environment. The very scent of sickness and injuries hung around her. It just
made her want to vomit. "Mako-chan! Daijobu?"
"Usagi-chan?" Makoto moaned quietly as she sat up in the hospital bed.
"What happened?"
"I'm so glad you're all right!" Usagi exclaimed as she launched herself
at Makoto. She wrapped her arms tightly around the older girl. Her eyes were
sore and red from crying earlier. "Mako-chan, it was so terrible. They were going
to die…" Usagi began to sob gently.
Makoto returned Usagi's embrace in an attempt to comfort the traumatized
girl. "It's all right now. Everyone's safe in the hospital."
"Ami-chan…Rei-chan…Luna-san…" Usagi wept quietly. "There was so
much blood…"
"Shush." Makoto muttered as she ran her hand through Usagi's golden
hair that was beginning to fall out of its usual style. "Everything will be ok. Just
wait and see." Makoto reassured Usagi as the girl finally gave into the exhaustion
of the day. "Everything will be alright… I hope…"
~~~
The doctors lounged around the cafeteria in their free time. Taking in
food necessary to keep up their strength for the rest of the day's hard work. Two
female nurses gossiped at a nearby table.
"Did you see the poor kids they brought in from Juuban?" One of the
nurses asked. This caught the attention of a nearby doctor. She pushed a short
strand of soft blue hair behind her ear as she listened to the nurses. Her
daughter attended Juuban.
"Hai. The poor things, I wonder what happened to them." The other nurse
cooed in sympathy.
"There were a total of five girls and a man. The blond just fainted from
exhaustion and the police have already questioned her. Apparently she doesn't
remember what happened, she's probably repressing the memory or something.
The one with black hair tied up in a strange hairdo suffered the most serious
injury. Something impaled her in the abdomen area. She's lucky to be alive after
that injury and the blood she lost. The other brunette and the blue-haired one
suffered some pretty wounds too, but they'll live. The brunette with the ponytail
was knocked out. She'll be fine but she got a nasty little bump on her head when
she hit the ground. The young man suffered some second-degree burns.
They're all healing at an amazing rate though." The nurse shook her head. "The
police are working on identifying them but they've been busy with those freak
incidents recently. You know, those strange monsters and girls running around
in skin-tight fukus."
"What is this world coming too?" The other nurse sighed.
Doctor Mizuno clutched her tightly as she turned to ask the nurses some
questions. A blue-haired girl from Juuban… Could it be Ami? Please let it not
be her daughter. "Ano…you said one of them was a blue-haired girl?"
"Konnichi wa, Mizuno-sensai. Hai, one of the girls brought in from Juuban
has blue hair." The nurse nodded slightly. "Matte, doesn't your daughter attend
Juuban Junior High?"
Ami's mother shot up from her seat. "Where is she?!" The woman
demanded.
"Room 328 in the east wing." The nurse replied.
The woman didn't reply as she rushed out of the cafeteria to see her
daughter. Her spilt cup of coffee was left unattended as the brown liquid dripped
from the table and onto the floor.
~~~
"Hime-sama…" Twin voices chorused in unison.
"Dare?" Rei whispered as she slowly opened her eyes. She was
drowning in a sea of crimson red. "Phobos? Demos?"
"It's time to wake up." The voices chorused in unison once more. "Wake
up…"
"I'm awake." Rei muttered. She couldn't move her body but neither did
she feel the need to. She allowed herself to drift and fall deeper in.
A set of giggles answered her. "Iie, hime-sama. That's not what we
mean. Remember what Luna-san said. Memories…"
"Memories?" Rei asked. Her mind was fuzzy as she tried to sort out what
her Guardians were trying to say. "Memories…"
*Flashback*
"Iie!" Luna shook her head. "It is to protect the Princess, you are the
Princess' Guardians. The reason why the Princess has no been found yet…the
Princess has been sealed, that is why we have not found her yet…"
"Sealed?"
"Why was that done?"
"The Princess most likely possesses the Ginzoshou. Could you imagine
the trouble if some power hungry manic got their hands on it? Besides, you two
are not full senshi yet. When all the Sailor Senshi are gathered and you have
become full Sailor Senshi, you will be able to break the Princess' seal. You will
then know the true nature of the situation. That is all I can tell you unfortunately…"
"But," Rei began. "How do we become full Sailor Senshi?"
"Memory. Only memory will do that."
"Memory?" Rei whispered.
*End of Flashback*
"Remember quickly Atalanta-sama. You don't have mush time left." Rei
closed her eyes as she fell deeper and deeper into her trance.
~~~
Luna slept quietly. Her pale form almost seemed to fade into the crisp
white hospital sheets. It was hard to believe she was just tittering on the edge
of life and death about an hour ago. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze
that blew through the window opened slightly ajar. There was no one there to
notice a slick snow-white slip in through the open window. It was strange, how
did that manage to access a room, three floors up, through a window opened
about six inches. Curious curious, Tokyo was becoming a stranger place with
every passing day.
The white cat climbed onto the hospital bed and sat there, watching Luna
silently, for a few minutes. "Luna, I'll get whoever did this to you." The cat vowed
with such malevolence that would have sent shivers down any observer's spine.
With a bright flash of light, the cat changed into a man sitting on the edge of
Luna's sick bed. His silver hair fell to his shoulders, nearly blending in with his
silver white tunic. A yellow crescent moon, identical to that of Luna's, shone
proudly on his forehead. His sapphire blue eyes were filled with worry and
concern. He reached out and brushed aside Luna's bangs. "I'm here now Luna,
I even found Celeste." He talked quietly to the sleeping Luna. He ran a hand
through a river of her silken ebony hair. "We're so close. We're just so close.
The end of the road is just ahead. Don't give up."
"Artemis…" Luna muttered in her sleep as she shifted her position in
her slumber.
Artemis leaned in and pressed her lips against her crescent moon
birthmark. "I'll come see you when you're rested. Ne, Luna? Celeste and I will
take care of the Dark Kingdom while you and the senshi rest. Take care, Luna."
Artemis took one last look at his long-time partner before he reverted back into
his feline form and vanished out the window.
The curtains swayed in the breeze, like a disembodied spirit trying to
escape. Not too far down the hall, there was a man trying to do exactly that, his
soul trying to escape the shell mortals called a body. But for him, this shell was
nothing more than a symbol of his bondage and slavery to the forces of the dark.
~~~
"I'm fine! I don't need your help!" Makoto snapped at the nurse. The
nurse was taken back by Makoto's hostility. Makoto's softened. "Gomen but I'm
fine. Help Usagi-chan though, she's been through a lot today."
The nurse nodded and helped Usagi into a chair. The nurse left the girl
to sleep as she turned back to Makoto. "You can't leave yet. The doctors insist
you stay the night for observations."
"Can I at least see my other friends?" Makoto sighed, knowing it would
be no good if she tried to defy hospital security.
"You can do that. They're in rooms 328-332 in this wing. Try not to
exhaust yourself. Oh, and your jade is on the tabletop there." The nurse shook
her head as she closed the door behind her.
"My…jade…?" Makoto asked as she looked toward the table next to her
bed. Sure enough there was a small piece of jade lying on the tabletop. She
picked the stone up and examined it carefully. "Nephrite." She didn't know how
she knew but the name just popped into her head. "Nephrite, huh?"
*Flash*
"A penny for your thought, Levina-san." That brought her out of her reverie.
"Oh it's you Nephrite-san." Levina relaxed as she turned back to watch the
night sky. "What's a penny?"
Nephrite chuckled. "It's a currency used in the West. What are you
thinking about?"
"Anything…" Levina answered. "And everything…."
Nephrite chuckled again. "You can be quite the philosopher when you
try." He turned to night sky and joined her in observation. "The stars are quite
beautiful, are they not?"
"Hai…"
Nephrite snuck a glance at Levina. She looked so peaceful. The night
cast many shadows but none could ever diminish her beauty. "But they're not as
beautiful as a certain Jovian princess." He could see Levina blush despite the
lack of light. "I speak only truth. You do know that. The stars made me so.
Truth is all I can speak."
"And riddles…" Levina huffed while she tried to recover her composure
after Nephrite's compliment. "I swear, I can't get what you're saying half the time."
"Neither can Endymion-sama-tachi." Nephrite laughed. "Perhaps, I have
to show you my feelings. Perhaps, this will clear things up for you." Nephrite
leaned in and captured her lips with his own.
Levina blushed immediately under the pressure of his lips. If it had been
any other man, she would have kneed the poor fellow in the groin area and left
him eating dirt. If it had been any other man… It was funny how things change
in just a matter of weeks. A few weeks ago, Nephrite would have just been that,
he would have just been another man…
*Flash*
She clutched the stone tightly. "Nephrite…" She exited the room to check
on how Ami was faring with her injuries.
~~~
Zoisite sat up in his bed. He examined his environment suspiciously.
'A human hospital, but how did I get here?' His injures from his encounter with
Sailor Moon were almost healed, courtesy of his connection with the earth and
the dark energy he possessed. A golden eyebrow twitched in irritation, the
beeping that was monitoring his life signs were just beginning to get on his
nerves. He tore the IV from his arm and sent the life monitor crashing to the floor.
This immediately set off the alarm, sending orderlies, doctors, and
nurses his way. "Kuso!" He swore loudly. He didn't have enough energy to
return to the Dark Kingdom. He didn't want to be bothered by these human now.
He needed energy and he needed it quick. A hospital was not the best place to
do so. Most of the patients didn't even have enough of it to sit up in their beds.
He wouldn't be able to get very far at the moment. He did not want to risk
exposure and confrontation with doctors.
He gathered what little energy he had left and teleported to the room
about four doors down. At the moment he vanished, the door to his room burst
open. All the doctors saw was a broken monitor and empty bed with no signs
how their patient had escaped.
Doctor Mizuno gasped as Zoisite appeared in her daughter's room.
"Nani?!" She exclaimed. "How did you get here?!"
Zoisite inwardly cursed his rotten luck. He had escaped confrontation
with doctors only to end up where he first started. "Gomen nasai." Zoisite sighed
as he grabbed the doctor's arm. "It's better you don't know." Ami's mother
slumped over in her chair as her energy left her body. Zoisite felt guilty. He had
come to discover this woman was the girl's mother. He tried to take only what
was needed to get back to the Dark Kingdom.
He glanced back at the young girl in the bed. 'Poor kid, I wonder what
happened to her.' Zoisite picked up the medical chart at the foot of the patient's
bed. He quickly scanned the doctor's reports and tests. 'It's nothing. Just some
skin deep wounds, didn't even pierce any major blood vessels. But she has yet
to gain consciousness.'
He approached the girl in the bed. 'There's dark energy in her body.
That's why she hasn't woke up.' As he prepared to remove the dark energy from
Ami's body, you could say it was his way of apologizing to Ami's mother; Makoto
stumbled through the door.
Makoto stared at Zoisite for a second before she lunged at the man.
"Bakayaro!" Zoisite quickly stepped out of way. Makoto nearly ran into Ami's bed.
"You've come back to finish us off have you?" Makoto glared dangerously at
Zoisite.
"It's not what you think." Zoisite said as he backed up into a wall.
"This is for Usagi-chan." Makoto decked Zoisite hard and split his lips.
Zoisite touched the cut gingerly and sealed the cut. "At least we know you still
bleed." Makoto muttered harshly. She was startled when Zoisite vanished before
her and appeared behind her.
"If you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to." As Zoisite prepared
to leave, Artemis slipped in through the window.
"Stop right there traitor!" Artemis shouted.
Makoto stared at the small white cat. "A talking cat?"
"You White Moon Guardians are really annoying. You just keep getting
in out way." Zoisite growled.
Artemis closed his eyes and was overtaken by a light similar to that of
Luna's. Human Artemis took up a fighting stance as he prepared to face off
Zoisite. He offered the occupants of the room a dashing grin. "We're like
roaches. You can squash 'em but they always come back."
Zoisite gestured to Ami in the hospital bed and her mother in the chair
next to it. "Do you really want to risk their safety by challenging me here?"
"I never thought you cared." Artemis stated sarcastically.
"It's the last remnants of my former humanity. My war is with you, not
them." Zoisite gestured to the window and the panel slid up obediently. "Shall
we?" Zoisite asked before he passed through the wall like a ghost.
Artemis grabbed onto the windowsill and jumped three floors down.
"We shall."
Makoto shook her head. "What is the world coming to?" She asked as
she rushed to watch Artemis and Zoisite from the window.
~~~
"Die already you stupid youma!" Sailor Venus screamed at the youma.
This was not her most graceful attempt at defeating a youma but then again the
evils she usually fought weren't as strong as this one. Not to mention Artemis
was nowhere to be found since that morning and she had to do without his
guidance and tactics. "Crescent Beam!"
The youma dodged it easily and lunged at Venus with its claws. Venus
stumbled out of the way. She cursed under her breath. "Baka Artemis… I
thought my powers as Sailor Venus were supposed to be stronger than Sailor V."
Venus muttered angrily as she prepared for her next attack. "Crescent Beam!"
The youma dodged the attack deftly, leaving behind a crater where it last stood
seconds ago. "Where is that baka neko?!"
The youma flung itself at her. She watched as the youma flew at her.
She raised her finger, power dancing and building on her fingertip. She aimed
it squarely between the youma's eyes, like a gun. "Crescent Beam!" The head
burst apart from her attack and sprayed her in strange green goo. The harmless
but heavy body crashed into her and sent her sprawling over the grass before
turning to dust.
"Yuck!" Venus exclaimed as she wiped the youma's blood from her face.
"This is so gross!!! Those stupid things can't even die right!!!" she sighed while
she detransformed. She looked down. At least glad she wasn't covered in
slime in this form. "It's messy but at least it gets the job done. Now back to
finding that darn cat!"
Minako stopped dead in her tracks. She watched in horror as a pillar of
light and another blast of ice filled the air in the distance. "Artemis…" There was
no mistaking it. That was Artemis' signature attack. Minako took off in the
direction of the battle. She pushed and she shoved. Yet she didn't bother to
apologize either. She was completely intent on her goal of reaching her Guardian
and, admitting it to herself for the first time, her friend…
~~~
People screamed and ran as Zoisite and Artemis settled in the courtyard
of the hospital. It had been a beautiful day but now nurses rushed to get their
patients into whatever safety the hospital building offered.
Zoisite's hands weaved intricate patterns and symbols in the air.
Artemis watched soundlessly as walls of ice sprang up around them, clearly
defining the boundaries of their battlefield. He noticed that the temperature had
also dropped a few good degrees.
"To protect the innocents from our duel." Zoisite supplied. "Not to
mention, foolish policemen who will try to stop us. It'll ensure no one will interfere.
This is an honorable duel is it not?" Zoisite raised one golden eyebrow in question.
"Of course." Artemis agreed as he gathered energy to begin. Silver light
and power poured from his hands and clashed with Zoisite's barrage of ice.
The two attacks met in a fierce explosion. Artemis' attack burst up toward
the sky, creating a pillar of intense light seen for miles away. Both men stumbled
back slightly from the force of the explosion.
Zoisite grinned as his sword materialized in his hand. Finally, a worthy
opponent for him to fight. Artemis followed his example. Both raised their
weapons in an attack stance, waiting for the other to make the first move.
~~~
Minako slid to a halt as she came to the police blockade. All around her,
cars and other vehicles voiced their complaints in the form of incessant horn
honking and shouting threats that would get them nowhere.
"Excuse me! Coming through!" Minako shouted as she shoved her way
through the gathering crowd. "Emergency! Doctor!" she ducked under the police
tape and attempted to move on in an inconspicuous manner. Needless to say,
she was unsuccessful and apprehended by a sergeant only a few steps later.
"Where do you think you're going?" The policewoman asked sternly.
Minako gulped nervously. She was not one to get along well with cops,
at least the police in Tokyo. She turned to the woman. "Please ma'am. My cat
escaped from me and he went in that direction." Well, at least she wasn't lying.
Artemis was considered her pet and he was in that direction.
The sergeant shook her head at Minako's excuse. "Nice try young lady.
Did one of your friends dare you to do this? I suggest you just turn back and go
home now. There nothing here to see."
"But…but…" Minako stuttered. "I'm telling the truth for once!"
The policewoman raised an eyebrow. "For once?"
Minako sweatdropped. 'Way to go V-babe! Ok, maybe that wasn't the
best thing to say…'
"Give me a description of your cat and leave your name an address." The
cop sighed as she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen.
"Well, he's white and about this big." Minako demonstrated the size with
her hands. "And he has a strange yellow crescent moon birthmark on his
forehead."
The older woman's writing flattered at the last part. How did teenagers
come up with these things? "A crescent moon birthmark?"
"Hai!" Minako answered promptly. "Oh my gosh! There he goes!" She
proclaimed as another pillar of light shot up into the sky. She broke into a run.
"Stop her!" the sergeant shouted to the other cops. Other policemen
stumbled about to obey the orders of their superior. Minako outmaneuvered them
all, curtsey of her senshi training. The sergeant watched wordlessly as Minako
sent two other policemen crashing into each other. She sighed as Minako
vanished around the corner. "Outwitted by a teenager… what kind of policemen
is the Academy turning out these days?"
Minako ducked into an alleyway to catch her breath but she knew the
policemen were still on her trail. "Well it's time to lose 'em! Venus Power! Make
Up!" sailor Venus jumped up onto the roof just as the police caught up to her.
The cops looked around in slight confusion. There was nothing but an empty
alley before them. Where had the girl gone?
~~~
Ami struggled to consciousness. She felt woozy but she would live.
"Okaa-san!" she gasped as she grabbed her mother's hand. She felt a pulse
but it was weak. It was an energy drain, she was sure of it. She had seen far
too many of these in the past two months.
"Ami-chan! You're awake!" Makoto exclaimed as she tore herself away
from the window. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, but my mother. Who did this?!" Ami demanded.
Makoto's eyes narrowed in anger. "It was that blond creep from earlier.
I think he was trying to finish you off."
Ami's jaws set together in determination. "He's going to pay…"
"Well, he's right outside but he's kinda busy." Makoto gestured to the
window.
Ami climbed out of her bed. She leaned onto the wall for support. She
slowly made her way toward the open window. She watched Zoisite lock Artemis
in an obvious stalemate. "Time to even the odds." She reached into her
sub-space pocket for her henshi stick. She froze and turned to Makoto.
Makoto smiled in complete understanding. "Don't worry. I'll take care of
your mom. I'll keep your secret, just give him a good kick for me." She gave the
blue-haired genius a thumbs-up.
"Arigato Kino-san." Ami said quietly.
"Call me Makoto." Makoto's grin widened slightly. "Now go get 'em!"
Ami nodded as she raised her henshi stick in the air. "Mercury Power!
Make Up!" she let the magical ice and water fill her with strength. All her former
frail and fatigue left her as she was encased in the power of Mercury. Sailor
Mercury thanked Makoto once more before she leap out the window.
Ami could never go back now that she knew. She would never let Zoisite
get away with attacking her mother. She would never be able to turn her back on
the world. She was given a gift or power, if not sometimes a curse. She would
use it for the right reasons. She was the Soldier of Wisdom after all and she
was enlightened.
Makoto shook her head, grinning ruddy all the while. "Man, doesn't
anyone use the door anymore?" Though secretly, she wished she had powers
like Ami, the power to fight and protect. She resumed her vigil by the window.
She punched the wall in frustration. If only she had powers like Ami, she could
have stopped Zoisite as soon as she stepped into the room. She glanced over
at Ami's mother. She hated being helpless! She wanted to be able to fight and
protect like that… She wanted to protect Usagi in exchange for her friendship…
Unknown to Makoto, the emblem of Jupiter shone softly on her forehead
as she sank deeper into her despair…
~~~
Luna struggled to consciousness. The Call of Jupiter was simply too
strong to ignore. She reached out with her mind. A glimmer of emerald light
grew and grew but flickered like a candle flame in the wind. Jupiter, Princess
Levina Taima, sought to awake but could not under the given circumstances.
'Hecate, dark goddess of the moon and patron of magic, protect me on
this journey…' Luna's astral form climbed out of bed. She looked back to find
her physical being resting peacefully in bed. She could not roam the halls in
that body. It was far too weak and healing for now.
Jupiter must be awakened. The last senshi must be awakened. They
were so close to taking summoning the Princess. They were so close to
avenging the destruction and downfall of the Silver Millennium, for the death of
the last Silver Queen.
Luna passed through walls and different hospital rooms like a ghost.
No one saw her or noticed her presence.
The building shook unexpectedly. Luna watched as a nurse nearly
tripped over a chair. Luna looked out a window to find Zoisite and Artemis
locked in battle. 'Artemis…it was you. I wasn't dreaming.' Sailor Mercury stood
on the outside of the ice wall, analyzing in with her computer. Her attacks would
not do much against a wall composed of her own element.
Out of corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of gold. Mercury stared
in shock as the wall a few feet away from her began to crack. Luna turned away.
She had to reawaken Jupiter at once. She could not allow Artemis to be harmed.
~~~
Rei abruptly snapped out of her previous trance, her white and sterile
hospital room replaced the sea of fire. Power roared around her, it weighed her
down. She gasped for air. There was so much magic being used all at once.
High-strung tension hung in the air.
Her communicator was beeping. When she answered it, Sailor Mercury's
concerned face appeared in the screen. "Rei-chan! Are you alright? I've been
calling you for the last ten minutes. We need you here outside. Are you strong
enough to make it? Don't push yourself if you can't."
"I'm fine. I'll be there in a sec." Rei nodded as she broke off the line. She
became silent as Jadeite spoke to her. She stroked the jade gently. "Don't worry
Jadeite. I'll do my best to save Zoisite. I won't let you down."
She always seemed to be complaining to Luna about her duties as a
senshi. She was always somewhat reluctant to fight, not for herself but for her
grandfather. If she were to die in battle tomorrow, who would care for him? She
realized her reason to fight now. It wasn't because of destiny. If she really didn't
feel responsible to her duties, she could simply for get it and turn her back on the
world.
She was now fighting to protect her grandfather; the man who had taken
her in and raised her after her own father abandoned her. She was fighting for
Ami, her comrade and friend, a kindred spirit who shared a similar fate. She was
fight for Usagi, to protect her innocence and kindness. She was fighting for the
people of her world. She was fighting so all of them would have a tomorrow to
look forward to.
"Mars Power! Make Up!"
~~~
It didn't take long for Luna to find Makoto.
"You?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Levina…" Luna caressed the symbol glowing brightly on Makoto's
forehead. "I've found you."
"I'm Makoto." Makoto's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe in this life." Luna replied in a mysterious manner.
"What are you here for? Shouldn't you be helping them?" Makoto pointed
to Sailor Mercury and the recently arrived Sailor Mars.
"I can give you powers like theirs." Luna stated quietly. Makoto stopped
dead in her tracks. "I know you want them. You're not the Soldier of Protection
for nothing. It's that what you want? Don't you want to protect others?"
"Show me." Makoto commanded gently.
"Of course." Luna's grin faltered for a moment. "However, you can't turn
back after this. You can never go back to the way you once were."
"Bring it on! I have nothing to lose!" Makoto proclaimed. "In fact I have
everything to gain from this. I want to protect Usagi-chan. She's done so much
for me already. No one's care about me in the way she has in years. This world
is dying. I can see that. These random little attacks are just the beginning. Who
would have ever thought there existed creatures like them." Makoto pointed to
Zoisite. "This is war, ne? Our side needs soldiers. You're just bringing us
together, in the end it'll be up to us."
"You're just as I remember you Levina." Luna whispered to herself. She
closed her eyes and concentrated her power in front of her. A green pen took
shape in the air and landed in Makoto's awaiting hands.
Before Luna could say anymore, Makoto lifted her henshi stick in the air.
As soon as the pen had touched her hands she knew what to do without really
knowing it consciously. Her body remembered it, the weight of the pen and the
feeling of power when she would change. Her actions were pure reflexes and
her words just flowed from her lips. "Jupiter Power! Make Up!"
~~~
Usagi rolled over in her sleep. A dark shadow befell over her peaceful
slumber. The tension and destruction around her called to the warrior sleeping
deep within her.
~ Wake up. ~ The voice urged gently.
~ I don't want to. ~ Usagi whimpered slightly. Usagi found herself face
to face with Sailor Moon. ~ I might hurt someone else. ~
Sailor Moon's scowl deepened. ~ That fool deserved it. He chose the
wrong path and needed to pay for his mistakes. His mistake nearly cost your
friends their life. Does he really deserve a second chance? ~
~ Everyone deserves a second chance and he was no exception. ~
Usagi snapped angrily.
~ Shut up and wake up. Battle calls and I'm needed. ~ Sailor Moon
ordered.
~ No! ~ Determination burned fiercely in Usagi's cerulean eyes. ~ I won't
let you hurt anyone else. ~
~ If you don't let me go, your friends will only get further. They don't have
the power to defeat the Dark Kingdom! ~ A slight aura of power had arisen
around Sailor Moon with her fury.
~ I don't know what's going on but you had no right to kill that man! ~
~ Who says I killed him? ~ Sailor Moon raised an eyebrow. ~ You had
just as much part in it as I did. Admit it, you killed him with me. ~
~ Don't say that! Even so I won't allow something like that to happen
again! ~
~ What is all this fighting? ~ A gentle voice asked. Usagi whirled around
to find another young woman who resembled herself. She was dressed in a
beautiful gown made of the purest and whitest silk. Her hair was also tied up in
the same odango style as her counterparts but her hair was moonlight silver. A
golden crescent moon birthmark shone proudly on her forehead. ~ There is no
need for it. ~
~ You're one to talk Serenity! ~ Sailor Moon snorted.
~ Go easy on her. She has yet to comprehend the situation, it'll only be
a matter of time. ~ Serenity stated calmly. There was this regal air around her
that commanded instant obedience from those in her presence. ~ She'll come
into play soon enough. ~ She turned to Usagi. ~ Please let her Usagi. She has
to go battle the Dark Kingdom. ~
~ Only if she promises not to kill anyone in cold blood like before. ~
Usagi whispered brokenly. Something was wrong. She didn't know what
exactly it was. However, it didn't seem that Serenity belonged here anymore
than Sailor Moon.
~ Of course, I'll personally make sure of it. ~ Serenity cooed sweetly.
Sailor Moon threw her a dirty glance but she ignored it. ~ You must be tired
Usagi. ~ Serenity placed a hand against Usagi's forehead. Usagi collapsed
into her arms, fast asleep. ~ Sweet dreams. ~
~ I can't believe you let that weak little twit control you, the almighty
Princess of the White Moon. ~ Sailor Moon said in disgust.
Serenity turned to Sailor Moon, her expression hard and cold. ~ Go! Do
whatever is necessary! ~
~ But I thought you promised- ~ Sailor Moon was cut off.
~ It was only to put her mind at ease. You're wasting valuable as we
speak. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. ~ Serenity snapped. ~ I want a
full report when you return. She is unimportant at this stage of the game. ~
Serenity vanished from Sailor Moon's sight, taking her and Usagi into the deep
corners of the mind and leaving Sailor Moon completely in charge.
Sailor Moon grinned ruthlessly. ~ About time. Poor little girls, they'll
never know what hit them. ~ She chuckled quietly to herself. Her cynical
laughter echoed throughout the recesses of Usagi's mind.
~~~
She stood on the roof. The wind gently tousled her long silver hair.
Hesitant footsteps sounded behind her, high heels that moved along slowly on
a concrete ground.
"Tranquility-sama?" The other asked, unsure of herself.
She turned to face the person who joined her on the roof. "It's been a
while Celeste." She smiled sadly.
Sailor Venus gawked at the woman before her. "You're still alive, after
all these centuries…" Realizing her breach in protocol, Venus dropped her knees.
"Forgive me for my insolence, Your Majesty. I was merely surprised by your
arrival, I did not know you would be joining us."
"Raise Princess Celeste. There is no need for this. We are all friends
here. Besides, the Silver Millennium is regrettably no more. My title means
nothing now." She sighed. "I don't understand what could have happened. How
could our kingdom have fallen so easily?"
"Tranquility-sama, may I inquire the reason for your presence here on
Earth?" Venus rose slowly from her position on the floor. "Even I remember when
you abdicated the throne in favor of your sister and vanished from the kingdom. I
believe I was only a child then. No one ever saw you again after that."
"Rumors from afar reached my ears. They spoke of the downfall of my
homeland. I returned here to seek the truth. How long has it been and why are
the Sailor Senshi here on Earth, the forbidden planet?"
"Tranquility-sama, I'm not sure how to answer you but it's been an
millennium since our kingdom's fall…"
"A thousands years… If only I had come sooner… My sister how is she?
Where is she now?"
"Your Majesty, we should finish this later. I must help Artemis. Sailor
Mercury has already arrived." Venus turned away and focused on the battle before
her.
She could tell Venus deliberately changed the subject. Had something
happened to her sister? No, that was the most ridiculous thing. Her sister was
the strongest person she knew, she couldn't die that easily. However, Venus
was right. Their first priority at the moment was the battle before them.
"Crescent Beam!" The ice began to crack but held strong in the end.
"Damn! It's strong!"
She watched as Sailor Mars arrived at the scene of the battle. Mars used
her fire on the ice wall but it wasn't large enough to melt the entire wall. Mars
kicked the barrier in frustration. She lifted one hand into the air, intense white
light gathered there. Venus had to look away from the mini nova. "Bursting star."
She whispered softly and tossed the sphere of light at the ice barrier. The ice
shattered on contact with her magic as it exploded. Shards of ice flew in all
directions and rained down like tiny bits of crystal.
~~~
Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars gaped in shock as the ice wall before
them suddenly shattered without warning.
"What was that?!" Mars exclaimed.
"I don't know but some kind of intense light attack, it was like a miniature
nova." Mercury read the readings off her computer.
"So you're Mercury and Mars. Konnichi wa ladies." Artemis winked as he
backed back from Zoisite. The General watched them silently, not making a
single move against them.
"ARTEMIS NO BAKA!!!" A thick AP biology textbook (Believe me, those
things are HUGE!) came flying out of nowhere and knocked poor Artemis in the
head.
Mercury and Mars sweatdropped, they turned to find a third fuming senshi.
"Itai Minako-chan!" Artemis whined slightly.
"Don't even start with me!" Sailor Venus snapped, her eyebrow twitching
in irritation. She turned to the other two senshi. She flashed them a dazzling
smile and introduced herself. "Hi! I'm Sailor Venus! And that's my baka
Guardian Artemis."
"Nice to meet you Venus-san. You're a Sailor Senshi as well?" Mercury
asked politely.
"Of course!" Venus exclaimed.
"Who are you?" A rough voice asked in a threatening tone.
The three senshi turned to find the fourth and final senshi, Sailor Jupiter,
standing before them.
Mercury's jaw dropped in surprise. "Mak-" She cut herself off as she
remembered Zoisite. "What are you doing here?! I didn't know you were a senshi?"
"I wasn't until a few minutes ago. Thanks to Luna of course. Now let's
kick some Dark Kingdom ass." Jupiter turned to Zoisite.
"I couldn't agree more! I like your style girl!" Venus agreed and moved
toward Zoisite.
Mercury and Mars silently moved to their own positions and closed off the
circle that entrapped Zoisite in their midst.
The Sailor Senshi all glanced at each other briefly. All of them had finally
been awakened and gathered but their battles were just beginning. None of them,
in the years to come, would ever be able to fully comprehend how much they
changed and grew in this period. None of them would ever to be able to grasp the
heartache and pain one princess would bring into their midst. None of them would
ever be able to understand how one girl, one slip of a girl, would change them all
and their hearts. Most of all, none of them would ever be able to comprehend the
purpose and the actions of one warrior that was never meant to be. They were all
three different faces to the same one person yet each so different, the Creator, the
Preserver, and finally, the Destroyer.
But in the end, no matter what the results, all of them know they can look
back onto these days without any regrets. They had made the decisions to become
senshi on their own. Who says Destiny and Fate rules our lives? Destiny and Fate
may be the ones that set the roads before us, but in the end, we are still the ones
who make the choices, we are still the ones who walk those roads…
Words:
Arigato- Thank you
Baka- Stupid/Idiot
Bakayaro- Bastard
Daijobu?- Are you all right?
Dare?- Who?
Gomen (nasai)- Sorry
Hime-sama: Princess
Iie- No
Itai- That hurt/Ouch
Kuso- Damn/Fuck?
Nani?- What?
Neko- Cat
Okaa-san: Mother
In light of the recent tragedies that have taken place in the last few days, I would
like to add an extra quote this chapter. I want to dedicate this chapter to this
tragedy.
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
- Confucius
I, as a New Yorker and an American, vow to do all I can to help others and I would
hope the rest of you could do that as well. Even the smallest thing can help,
whether it is to donate blood, money, or just comfort a friend or family in need. I
would like to say that my heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
This is a rather dark chapter and it may even seem inappropriate to some. But
we must be like the senshi. We can't give up and we must help all those in need.
We must all find our own reasons to go on and fight, in our own different ways.
We will continue for our friends, our families, and all those who were lost in this
tragedy. May we all find the strength to go on.
There was just so much support from everyone all over the country. I'm sure many
of you may have all ready heard this from many people but I would like to say it
anyway. I would like to thank the rest of d country for standing behind those of us
here in New York. This has given me much faith in humankind, how we can pull
together in a time like this. It's sad but true, that it takes an event like this to remind
us how short life can be but how precious it really is. Live your lives to the fullest,
each and every day. I know I will now. But never forget what impact this has had
on everyone, no matter where you are.
Most of all I would like to ask for the tolerance of all. We cannot go around hurting
others just because they are of the same race, ethnic group, or religion as those
who may have attacked us. At this time, we should stand united and not create
lines that divide us. It worries me, some of my friends are Muslim and they are
all good people. Please think your actions and words through.
Goddess bless all that be.
