I do not own Sailor Moon...but this story is the fantastic property of Me.
Falling Stars
Chapter 19
Jerrid cast a look of sheer mortification Cody's way as they sat in complete silence, hovering over despondent Usagi. The girl's eyes remained blank, opaque blue orbs, simply staring off into the nothingness that was their world. A possible half hour had passed and radio silence had been maintained between the shelter and the trio for quite an extensive period of time. Things were not looking well and if Jerrid had felt it earlier, the sinking in the pit of his stomach had only deepened.
"It's far too quiet...even for this place. Something's happened," Cody murmured, his eyes turning skyward. A sooty black hue had taken to the skies, staining them with hate. It was at this that with an almost wince Cody's emerald gaze returned to the seemingly lifeless young woman in his arms. Her stare remained locked on a point far above as Cody cradled her gently, her head leaning against his shoulder. "She has something to do with this. It feels like nothing has changed--like time has stopped."
"Who knows, maybe the sisters have conjured up a potion to freeze life itself. I mean, they're all nuts...these girls make me weak," Jerrid sighed with a little laugh. Cody, however, could not return his false merriment. Myou had been all that consumed his thoughts for weeks on end. The very thought of her made his heart skip a beat--but alas, she was no longer with the living--no longer with him. He could only pray that soon enough, they would find one another once again. At this rate, though, he wasn't expecting much.
"She's fighting, I can see it," Cody said after a long silence. "She's battling her way back to this place, despite the hell she's been through trying to protect it." Jerrid made no effort to reply as he sat back down beside his friend, leaning against a mass of rubble.
"We can't stay here any longer, it's too dangerous. We're going to get killed," Jerrid entreated of his friend. The golden-haired man glanced back, his expression concerned, but said nothing. Their eyes locked and immediately Jerrid felt a chill crawl up his spine. "You're acting a little too calm for my liking."
Cody's now-annoyed stare lifted from Usagi, "And what do you propose, that we flee about like maniacs and draw more attention to ourselves? Fail in finding Hino and then end up losing Usagi to her little zone? That's a brilliant idea, Lieutenant."
"You're suggesting that I'm willing to let them take her from me?" Jerrid snapped, tensing at the ferocity of Cody's words. "Cody, you baka, we're not doing any good just sitting around waiting for the Princess here to snap out of her trance. Anything could have happened back at the shelter already...they could have gotten in--
"No. That hasn't happened. The others would have radioed for help, and I know that these girls will not let us down," Cody insisted. "You know they won't, Jerrid. These girls--sisters--our friends, are this world's final hope. No matter the outcome, they'll fight until the end."
"I know." Jerrid stood up and shook his head, placing his hand at the nape of his neck. "I know, Cody. I know. Or at least, I hope." The amber-eyed young man closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, running a shaky hand through his midnight hair. "All of this talk about battles...war...death...fighting until the end--it makes me queasy. We can sit here and drawl on and on about these concepts and fake abstractions, yet I don't see any definite action being taken to actually make the change. I almost wonder if our cause, if that's what it is, is really worth it all."
"Jerr, I understand that you're worried about her. But we've got quite a dilemma on our hands...a few at that," Cody spoke up. "Things are slow, agonizingly so. Hinotama-hime is missing, Usagi is Kami knows where...the creatures are closing in...it seems so hopeless. But what choice do we have if not to fight?" Jerrid turned his back to the man and began to walk away, his eyes level with the horizon. "Where are you going?" Cody rebuked his cold shoulder with a tone of annoyance.
The dark-haired man could hear the call of his friend, and almost drunkenly he swiveled about to face him. "I'm going to take a look around...they're going to wonder what's happened." Cody nodded and removed a handgun from his side pocket, still managing to support Usagi's seemingly fragile body.
Jerrid pressed on, and finding a large embankment dug his booted feet into the rock. He proceeded in hoisting himself up onto the large rock with a grunt and upon reaching the summit, gave a little sight. His brilliant eyes scanned the area like a hawk; all the while he could not help but pray he'd recover some semblance of hope from his vantage point. 'I'm losing my resolve, Hinotama. This torment of being without you...not knowing where you are...it's killing me. Please, wherever you are, be safe. I know you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Ai shiteru, Hino-chan.'
Jerrid sat back against one of the larger formations like a broken doll, his head tipping to one side as he despondently observed the grounds. The sky was a putrid hue, yet the ruby tinge it held could nearly be considered pretty. The earth was tarnished, gray rubble and obliterated ruins, literal piles reaching up to the disgusting atmosphere like beacons of destruction. Jerrid shivered as a light, musty air danced against his bare arms. Immediately he wished that he were anywhere but there, perhaps basking in the glow of the sunlight upon a glistening beach. For an instant as he blinked, Jerrid swore that he had seen Usagi and another young woman whom he vaguely recognized seated upon the diamond-like sands of the aforementioned destination. Even so, he knew he was going crazy, and it was taking all he had from lapsing into total hysterics. Jerrid hated himself for being so weak, portraying any signs thereof. Sensitive...he had always maintained a tender, sweet quality--yet rarely displayed it for anyone. That did him a lot of good. In a way, however, it had. Locking away those feelings had granted him the incentive to work harder for the ones he would share them with. Hinotama...why did he love her anyway? She was snippy, sassy , not to mention neurotic...and yet. And in spite of it all he loved her because of everything she had proven to be--and already was.
Upon meeting two years ago through a mutual friend, Jerrid hadn't been stricken by Hinotama as he was then. Her mannerisms, ideals, even logic seemed to irritate him. Especially those eyes of molten hues which seemed to glare straight through him, as if he were some writhing apparition. Though he could never understand why. Perhaps it had been because she was his equal, able to match him on any level despite their age difference. Dealing with individuals who happen to equal him was an ordeal Jerrid hadn't come to enjoy, one rather he tried to avoid. He had become accustomed to the fact that life and many of its components came with a natural ease for him--finding out that he had met his match was something he had not anticipated and it more than likely shocked him. Hinotama was confident, strong, loud, unwavering, quick-witted, and sarcastic. It was especially difficult to maintain a steady friendship with her because their relationship had become more of a debate. She could contest him in any way, shape, or form, and engaging into an argument with him had become almost a game. That was how they regarded one another, in a sense. In fact, at times he hated her for being so stubborn. He just wished she would need him. Underneath the anguish, bitterness, and overall intensity, however, their relationship had grown quite immensely until--until Hinotama found Kei. Up until that point, Jerrid had never realized how deeply he felt for her. All of those moments, frozen in the deadlock of debate, he had wasted when what he truly wanted to do was take her into his arms. But alas, that had all been forgotten. Their emotions, the tension...they had all been lost in the chaos.
He could still see her pale, horrified face when she realized that Kei had died...
*~*~*
Cody watched his friend stalk away and climb up onto the mass with a sigh, wondering how he himself had made it quite as far. He, honestly, believed that their situation would worsen rather than improve and had already begun to brace himself for the apocalypse. What more, as a mortal man, could he possibly ask for? Of course, he would rather die than succumb to the fates of his beloved friends and Myou, yet he couldn't help but wonder if it could offer a more peaceful, stable bliss.
"She's moving..." a feminine moan, like a wavering wisp of smoke, wafted up and suddenly clouded Cody's thoughts. Immediately, his bright eyes shot down to the limp form in his arms. Usagi's eyes, no longer the opaque, lifeless orbs of moments before, had brightened. She'd regained consciousness.
Cody stiffened his grip of her, gently hoisting her up into sitting position, her mass of golden hair tumbling forward over her lean shoulders. "Jerrid!" the young man cried, his eyes of desperation darting back and forth between the dazed young woman and his crazed friend. "Lieutenant, she's awake!"
It seemed that the formal address had awakened Jerrid more so than his own name, and at hearing this, the dark-haired man darted from atop the rubble and shot off, his heart pounding. 'And this time...stay awake!' he thought with a hint of internal laughter. The tall, amber-eyed, muscular man clambered to a stop and dropped to his knees, gazing at Usagi expectantly as he panted for breath.
"She stopped because I was gone..." the young woman confirmed and closed her eyes, almost perplexed at her own words. "But, she knows now. And so does the other woman."
"Usagi, listen to me," Jerrid urged, placing his hands gently upon her shoulders. "Look at me, Usagi-hime. Are you all right?"
Usagi's brightened gaze lifted and locked with his. Her flowing mane of gold draped over her shoulders and snaked down her back, giving her the appearance of a ruffled female Amazon warrior when matched with her bright eyes and determined expression. Usagi's eyes had regained their full sparkle and she'd never seen two people more thankful for her return. Suddenly, it was as if a cord had snapped within her, and immediately she entered full consciousness. "Jerrid--I, yes. I believe so," she stammered as she glanced around, still a bit dazed.
"Usagi, are you sure? You've been out for a while," Cody piped up, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. His eyes told the entire agonizing story upon her departure. "We were getting worried."
Usagi returned the smile that the young man offered her and shook her head. "How long?"
"One agonizing half hour, Usagi-san," Jerrid agreed, his eyes smiling. It was a look Usagi hadn't seen very often on him. She realized then the joy that began to shine through his stare, as if his gratitude to have her back were overflowing.
"What did you see? Usa, where did you go?" Cody spoke intently, his gaze fixed upon her. Concern most of all radiated through. "We weren't sure what to think...you just...left."
The blonde haired young woman hung her head with a tiny, rueful smile. "I know. I'm so sorry that I frightened you. But I was meant to be there. Let's just say that I experienced a spiritual awakening...and a friend helped me to cope." Usagi's smile broadened as she lifted her gaze to the murky skies above.
Falling Stars
Chapter 19
Jerrid cast a look of sheer mortification Cody's way as they sat in complete silence, hovering over despondent Usagi. The girl's eyes remained blank, opaque blue orbs, simply staring off into the nothingness that was their world. A possible half hour had passed and radio silence had been maintained between the shelter and the trio for quite an extensive period of time. Things were not looking well and if Jerrid had felt it earlier, the sinking in the pit of his stomach had only deepened.
"It's far too quiet...even for this place. Something's happened," Cody murmured, his eyes turning skyward. A sooty black hue had taken to the skies, staining them with hate. It was at this that with an almost wince Cody's emerald gaze returned to the seemingly lifeless young woman in his arms. Her stare remained locked on a point far above as Cody cradled her gently, her head leaning against his shoulder. "She has something to do with this. It feels like nothing has changed--like time has stopped."
"Who knows, maybe the sisters have conjured up a potion to freeze life itself. I mean, they're all nuts...these girls make me weak," Jerrid sighed with a little laugh. Cody, however, could not return his false merriment. Myou had been all that consumed his thoughts for weeks on end. The very thought of her made his heart skip a beat--but alas, she was no longer with the living--no longer with him. He could only pray that soon enough, they would find one another once again. At this rate, though, he wasn't expecting much.
"She's fighting, I can see it," Cody said after a long silence. "She's battling her way back to this place, despite the hell she's been through trying to protect it." Jerrid made no effort to reply as he sat back down beside his friend, leaning against a mass of rubble.
"We can't stay here any longer, it's too dangerous. We're going to get killed," Jerrid entreated of his friend. The golden-haired man glanced back, his expression concerned, but said nothing. Their eyes locked and immediately Jerrid felt a chill crawl up his spine. "You're acting a little too calm for my liking."
Cody's now-annoyed stare lifted from Usagi, "And what do you propose, that we flee about like maniacs and draw more attention to ourselves? Fail in finding Hino and then end up losing Usagi to her little zone? That's a brilliant idea, Lieutenant."
"You're suggesting that I'm willing to let them take her from me?" Jerrid snapped, tensing at the ferocity of Cody's words. "Cody, you baka, we're not doing any good just sitting around waiting for the Princess here to snap out of her trance. Anything could have happened back at the shelter already...they could have gotten in--
"No. That hasn't happened. The others would have radioed for help, and I know that these girls will not let us down," Cody insisted. "You know they won't, Jerrid. These girls--sisters--our friends, are this world's final hope. No matter the outcome, they'll fight until the end."
"I know." Jerrid stood up and shook his head, placing his hand at the nape of his neck. "I know, Cody. I know. Or at least, I hope." The amber-eyed young man closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, running a shaky hand through his midnight hair. "All of this talk about battles...war...death...fighting until the end--it makes me queasy. We can sit here and drawl on and on about these concepts and fake abstractions, yet I don't see any definite action being taken to actually make the change. I almost wonder if our cause, if that's what it is, is really worth it all."
"Jerr, I understand that you're worried about her. But we've got quite a dilemma on our hands...a few at that," Cody spoke up. "Things are slow, agonizingly so. Hinotama-hime is missing, Usagi is Kami knows where...the creatures are closing in...it seems so hopeless. But what choice do we have if not to fight?" Jerrid turned his back to the man and began to walk away, his eyes level with the horizon. "Where are you going?" Cody rebuked his cold shoulder with a tone of annoyance.
The dark-haired man could hear the call of his friend, and almost drunkenly he swiveled about to face him. "I'm going to take a look around...they're going to wonder what's happened." Cody nodded and removed a handgun from his side pocket, still managing to support Usagi's seemingly fragile body.
Jerrid pressed on, and finding a large embankment dug his booted feet into the rock. He proceeded in hoisting himself up onto the large rock with a grunt and upon reaching the summit, gave a little sight. His brilliant eyes scanned the area like a hawk; all the while he could not help but pray he'd recover some semblance of hope from his vantage point. 'I'm losing my resolve, Hinotama. This torment of being without you...not knowing where you are...it's killing me. Please, wherever you are, be safe. I know you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Ai shiteru, Hino-chan.'
Jerrid sat back against one of the larger formations like a broken doll, his head tipping to one side as he despondently observed the grounds. The sky was a putrid hue, yet the ruby tinge it held could nearly be considered pretty. The earth was tarnished, gray rubble and obliterated ruins, literal piles reaching up to the disgusting atmosphere like beacons of destruction. Jerrid shivered as a light, musty air danced against his bare arms. Immediately he wished that he were anywhere but there, perhaps basking in the glow of the sunlight upon a glistening beach. For an instant as he blinked, Jerrid swore that he had seen Usagi and another young woman whom he vaguely recognized seated upon the diamond-like sands of the aforementioned destination. Even so, he knew he was going crazy, and it was taking all he had from lapsing into total hysterics. Jerrid hated himself for being so weak, portraying any signs thereof. Sensitive...he had always maintained a tender, sweet quality--yet rarely displayed it for anyone. That did him a lot of good. In a way, however, it had. Locking away those feelings had granted him the incentive to work harder for the ones he would share them with. Hinotama...why did he love her anyway? She was snippy, sassy , not to mention neurotic...and yet. And in spite of it all he loved her because of everything she had proven to be--and already was.
Upon meeting two years ago through a mutual friend, Jerrid hadn't been stricken by Hinotama as he was then. Her mannerisms, ideals, even logic seemed to irritate him. Especially those eyes of molten hues which seemed to glare straight through him, as if he were some writhing apparition. Though he could never understand why. Perhaps it had been because she was his equal, able to match him on any level despite their age difference. Dealing with individuals who happen to equal him was an ordeal Jerrid hadn't come to enjoy, one rather he tried to avoid. He had become accustomed to the fact that life and many of its components came with a natural ease for him--finding out that he had met his match was something he had not anticipated and it more than likely shocked him. Hinotama was confident, strong, loud, unwavering, quick-witted, and sarcastic. It was especially difficult to maintain a steady friendship with her because their relationship had become more of a debate. She could contest him in any way, shape, or form, and engaging into an argument with him had become almost a game. That was how they regarded one another, in a sense. In fact, at times he hated her for being so stubborn. He just wished she would need him. Underneath the anguish, bitterness, and overall intensity, however, their relationship had grown quite immensely until--until Hinotama found Kei. Up until that point, Jerrid had never realized how deeply he felt for her. All of those moments, frozen in the deadlock of debate, he had wasted when what he truly wanted to do was take her into his arms. But alas, that had all been forgotten. Their emotions, the tension...they had all been lost in the chaos.
He could still see her pale, horrified face when she realized that Kei had died...
*~*~*
Cody watched his friend stalk away and climb up onto the mass with a sigh, wondering how he himself had made it quite as far. He, honestly, believed that their situation would worsen rather than improve and had already begun to brace himself for the apocalypse. What more, as a mortal man, could he possibly ask for? Of course, he would rather die than succumb to the fates of his beloved friends and Myou, yet he couldn't help but wonder if it could offer a more peaceful, stable bliss.
"She's moving..." a feminine moan, like a wavering wisp of smoke, wafted up and suddenly clouded Cody's thoughts. Immediately, his bright eyes shot down to the limp form in his arms. Usagi's eyes, no longer the opaque, lifeless orbs of moments before, had brightened. She'd regained consciousness.
Cody stiffened his grip of her, gently hoisting her up into sitting position, her mass of golden hair tumbling forward over her lean shoulders. "Jerrid!" the young man cried, his eyes of desperation darting back and forth between the dazed young woman and his crazed friend. "Lieutenant, she's awake!"
It seemed that the formal address had awakened Jerrid more so than his own name, and at hearing this, the dark-haired man darted from atop the rubble and shot off, his heart pounding. 'And this time...stay awake!' he thought with a hint of internal laughter. The tall, amber-eyed, muscular man clambered to a stop and dropped to his knees, gazing at Usagi expectantly as he panted for breath.
"She stopped because I was gone..." the young woman confirmed and closed her eyes, almost perplexed at her own words. "But, she knows now. And so does the other woman."
"Usagi, listen to me," Jerrid urged, placing his hands gently upon her shoulders. "Look at me, Usagi-hime. Are you all right?"
Usagi's brightened gaze lifted and locked with his. Her flowing mane of gold draped over her shoulders and snaked down her back, giving her the appearance of a ruffled female Amazon warrior when matched with her bright eyes and determined expression. Usagi's eyes had regained their full sparkle and she'd never seen two people more thankful for her return. Suddenly, it was as if a cord had snapped within her, and immediately she entered full consciousness. "Jerrid--I, yes. I believe so," she stammered as she glanced around, still a bit dazed.
"Usagi, are you sure? You've been out for a while," Cody piped up, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. His eyes told the entire agonizing story upon her departure. "We were getting worried."
Usagi returned the smile that the young man offered her and shook her head. "How long?"
"One agonizing half hour, Usagi-san," Jerrid agreed, his eyes smiling. It was a look Usagi hadn't seen very often on him. She realized then the joy that began to shine through his stare, as if his gratitude to have her back were overflowing.
"What did you see? Usa, where did you go?" Cody spoke intently, his gaze fixed upon her. Concern most of all radiated through. "We weren't sure what to think...you just...left."
The blonde haired young woman hung her head with a tiny, rueful smile. "I know. I'm so sorry that I frightened you. But I was meant to be there. Let's just say that I experienced a spiritual awakening...and a friend helped me to cope." Usagi's smile broadened as she lifted her gaze to the murky skies above.
