"So, Fuyumiya-san, who is Lilith?" Hanako inquired. Yukiko had
finished explaining about her 'friend,' Lilith.
"I just told you, baka! Don't you people listen?" Yukiko snapped irritably.
"I listen. It's just not clear to me."
"Baka."
"Yukiko-chan, calm down," Yorusuke whispered, elbowing her in the stomach. She elbowed him right back.
"Hurry it up!" she snapped.
"All right. Don't fight, kiddies." Yorusuke sighed and took Hanako's and Yukiko's hands. The world's colors and shapes blurred and spun as they were transported to Lilith's little underground castle.
The pale woman looked up from her throne, where she had been flaking off little chips of the skulls that made her armrests.
"Shingetsu no Knight, Sailorpolaris. To what do I owe this visit?" Lilith smiled at her two servants and the new girl.
"Look, this is Hanako. She wants your help. There. I've done my good deed for the day." Yukiko leaned against the doorframe made of humanoid ribs as Hanako advanced, bowing politely. The brunette cleared her throat nervously and spoke, stammering a little.
"A-ano... W... Watashi wa Kiba Hanako..."
"What a lovely name. How may I help you, young lady?" Lilith smiled warmly. Hanako blushed and stammered out her problem.
"W-Well... Th-there's this guy..."
"An unrequited love?" She nodded, feeling like such a fool. Lilith chuckled musically, smiling and looking rather interested.
"Fuyumiya-san said you could help me. I'll do anything for you in return," Hanako said with a smile, all nervousness forgotten.
"I only ask for one favor, and that is that you accept your destiny," Lilith said, sliding a hand into her robes.
"My destiny?" Hanako repeated, blinking and squinting at the small object the dark queen drew out.
"Your destiny as the Princess of Earth, Sailorearth." Lilith gave the green and brown compact to a slightly cheerier little winged being. It looked like a miniature lion with a giant mane and bat wings.
"Why do you want me to accept something that doesn't exist? It is my firm belief that the Sailorsenshi were merely myths made up to calm frightened children," Hanako said rather quickly.
"Actually, she's kind of right. How do we know you're not giving us costume jewelry and telling us it's magic? Show me some proof or no deal on this prophecy thing," Yukiko said, after having thought it over.
"I was to be a Sailorsenshi myself once, the Sailor of Dark Moon. My mother, Nephrenia, worked to help me, but her pleas to the Moon Queen Serenity were denied. All because Imperial Queen Serenity turned her away for being a dark being. It wasn't her fault. You see... That is why I want to help." Lilith smiled.
"This is all a load of crap," Yukiko snarled.
"Yukiko! Mistress Lilith is not lying." Yorusuke elbowed her sharply in the side. She elbowed him back and stuck her tongue out.
"People can't live on the moon. Nice place, but there's no atmosphere there. You can't breathe," Yukiko said.
"I did... Many years ago..." Yorusuke said quietly. He put his hand under his shaggy bangs and lifted them up to reveal a black crescent moon within a pentagram.
"Hmph."
"I think I'll try to get Kusanagi-sama with my own means. Thank you for your offer, Lilith-sama." Hanako bowed politely and turned to leave.
"Suit yourself... But I shall always be here to help." Lilith smiled in a rather sinister way as Hanako left the room.
"Sucks for her. I think I'll stay until I find a better way to die," Yukiko said darkly.
"No need for that." Yorusuke smiled and kissed her hand politely. "I'll keep your mind off of death until its proper time, late in life." Yukiko turned red and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Do as you please. Now, if you will, I have business to attend to." Lilith waved her hand at them with a smile. Yorusuke leaned on Yukiko's shoulder.
"Ready to go?" the knight inquired.
"Ready to be castrated?" She made a motion that made him back off quickly. Yorusuke smiled.
"Not yet. Come, come. Let's look for Hanako." And so he led her down the bone-decorated hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kiba, dammit, where did you go?!" Yukiko shouted, pushing open a door and looking inside. The only thing inside was empty, gray space.
"Hanko?" Yorusuke called. It echoed off the walls of the hall and down deep in the darkness. A soft cry echoed back, distant. "Do you think that's her, Fuyu-chan?"
"Sounds like it. Where do you suppose she is?"
"By the sounds of it, she found a way to the Crystal Ruins."
"...The what?" Yukiko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The Crystal Ruins used to be in your world, but they sunk under the ground when evil spirits infested them, searching for the Silver Moon Crystal."
"You lost me."
Silence reigned as Yorusuke broke into a run down the hall. Yukiko followed him, tripping over the occasional spine and rib. She wasn't very athletic at all, and running down a dark hall covered in human remains probably wasn't the best thing for her to do. Yorusuke was quite fit and ran the length as if it were in broad daylight on a rubber track.
"Yukiko, if you don't hurry up, one of you are going to be eaten," Yorusuke said, pausing and looking back over his shoulder at her.
"I don't care."
"Come on." He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away and started trotting after him, panting. Yorusuke smiled and shook his head.
However, Yukiko stopped to rest against the wall. She was tired. Yorusuke was far ahead; she couldn't even hear his footsteps anymore. Just as well, she thought, because now she was alone. The girl closed her eyes and undid her braid from its ribbon, curling up and hoping to drift off to sleep. It was actually more peaceful here in Lilith's palace than in her own apartment complex. It was also strangely relaxing here.
But the relaxation didn't last long. Hot breath pushed against Yukiko's eyelids as she tried to sleep. She didn't think she wanted to open them and see what was breathing on her, but she did anyway.
Staring her in the face was a rather large beast. Beast was the only fitting term, as nobody could have identified the unspeakably disgusting creature foaming at the dagger-fanged mouth before her. Yukiko figured it was her fault for thinking she could take a nice, long nap in the middle of a demon queen's hallway.
"Who are you that trespasses upon Queen Lilith's land?" it snarled, spraying white foam in her face. Yukiko started backing away slowly. The only things she had to fight with were her hands (which would do no good) and the little blue compact Lilith had given her days ago. She grabbed for it in the pocket of her school uniform. She didn't know what good it would do. The beast growled and circled her suspiciously, its fiery red eyes fixed on her hand.
"What have you got?" it snarled, snapping its teeth at her arm. Yukiko yelped and ducked out of the way.
"Nothing!" she lied. What was she going to do with it? Throw it and hope its forehead was a vulnerable spot? The beast growled and pounced at her, pinning one of her arms against the wall. It would figure it would be the one with the only feasible weapon. Sure, it wouldn't do much good, but it was better than having her arms torn off as soon as she swung at the creature.
"You lie, little girl!" Its swordlike claws dug into her arm, drawing blood. She welcomed the blood that stained her sleeve. Death was the only thing that was going to happen, and there was nothing she could do about it.
But a phrase came to mind as the blood flowed. The creature's lips curled back in a foul smile as she closed her eyes and squeezed the compact in her fist. It was worth a shot. What had the Senshi done in the stories her aunt had told her? She raised her hand up as far as she could (about an inch upward) and took a deep breath.
"Polaris Cosmic Power, Make Up!" she shouted. Yukiko felt the pressure lift from her arm as blue light flooded the corridor. The beast shrunk back from it. Suddenly, snow began to blow in the wind, surrounding her body. It whirled around her, freezing her solid. The school uniform shattered as the ice split open a few second later. Snowflakes stuck to her cold skin, but in the form of a Sailorsenshi's fuku. The wind calmed a moment later, revealing Yukiko to be dressed in a blue, gray, and black fuku. It was the birth of Sailorpolaris.
"What the hell?" the beast snarled, circling around her once more. "I'm afraid it won't aid in your survival in any way." It reared back its head and puffed itself up. Sailorpolaris looked down at her feet.
"Dammit!" she cursed. Blue high-heeled shoes were worse than her school shoes for running.
The beast spat out whatever it filled its mouth full of. It was a snot-green fire. She yelped and ducked. It very narrowly missed singing her hair. She didn't know what to do; she was afraid of fire.
"OI!" Both heads turned to face down the hall, towards Lilith's throne room door. It was a young man with two brown fox tails swishing about his calves. He smiled.
"I don't need your help," Sailorpolaris snapped. He started walking down the hall toward the monster and Senshi.
"It looks like you do!" He glanced at the beast.
"This is none of your concern, kitsune!" it growled, turning its attention to the boy.
"He's right, fox," Sailorpolaris snapped. It prowled toward the boy, who laughed nervously and backed away down the hall. He bolted, leaving her alone in the middle of the labyrinth of corridors.
"Fuyumiya-san! Are you all right?" Hanako squealed, popping up to her right, flanked by Yorusuke. He seemed worn out.
"I'm fine," she said icily, getting to her feet.
"I guess the stories about Sailorsenshi are true. I see I was wrong." Hanako smiled at her friend. Yorusuke smiled as well.
"You look very cute in that."
"Shut up!"
_______________________________
Special thanks to Kitty for Yukiko's transformation scene!
"I just told you, baka! Don't you people listen?" Yukiko snapped irritably.
"I listen. It's just not clear to me."
"Baka."
"Yukiko-chan, calm down," Yorusuke whispered, elbowing her in the stomach. She elbowed him right back.
"Hurry it up!" she snapped.
"All right. Don't fight, kiddies." Yorusuke sighed and took Hanako's and Yukiko's hands. The world's colors and shapes blurred and spun as they were transported to Lilith's little underground castle.
The pale woman looked up from her throne, where she had been flaking off little chips of the skulls that made her armrests.
"Shingetsu no Knight, Sailorpolaris. To what do I owe this visit?" Lilith smiled at her two servants and the new girl.
"Look, this is Hanako. She wants your help. There. I've done my good deed for the day." Yukiko leaned against the doorframe made of humanoid ribs as Hanako advanced, bowing politely. The brunette cleared her throat nervously and spoke, stammering a little.
"A-ano... W... Watashi wa Kiba Hanako..."
"What a lovely name. How may I help you, young lady?" Lilith smiled warmly. Hanako blushed and stammered out her problem.
"W-Well... Th-there's this guy..."
"An unrequited love?" She nodded, feeling like such a fool. Lilith chuckled musically, smiling and looking rather interested.
"Fuyumiya-san said you could help me. I'll do anything for you in return," Hanako said with a smile, all nervousness forgotten.
"I only ask for one favor, and that is that you accept your destiny," Lilith said, sliding a hand into her robes.
"My destiny?" Hanako repeated, blinking and squinting at the small object the dark queen drew out.
"Your destiny as the Princess of Earth, Sailorearth." Lilith gave the green and brown compact to a slightly cheerier little winged being. It looked like a miniature lion with a giant mane and bat wings.
"Why do you want me to accept something that doesn't exist? It is my firm belief that the Sailorsenshi were merely myths made up to calm frightened children," Hanako said rather quickly.
"Actually, she's kind of right. How do we know you're not giving us costume jewelry and telling us it's magic? Show me some proof or no deal on this prophecy thing," Yukiko said, after having thought it over.
"I was to be a Sailorsenshi myself once, the Sailor of Dark Moon. My mother, Nephrenia, worked to help me, but her pleas to the Moon Queen Serenity were denied. All because Imperial Queen Serenity turned her away for being a dark being. It wasn't her fault. You see... That is why I want to help." Lilith smiled.
"This is all a load of crap," Yukiko snarled.
"Yukiko! Mistress Lilith is not lying." Yorusuke elbowed her sharply in the side. She elbowed him back and stuck her tongue out.
"People can't live on the moon. Nice place, but there's no atmosphere there. You can't breathe," Yukiko said.
"I did... Many years ago..." Yorusuke said quietly. He put his hand under his shaggy bangs and lifted them up to reveal a black crescent moon within a pentagram.
"Hmph."
"I think I'll try to get Kusanagi-sama with my own means. Thank you for your offer, Lilith-sama." Hanako bowed politely and turned to leave.
"Suit yourself... But I shall always be here to help." Lilith smiled in a rather sinister way as Hanako left the room.
"Sucks for her. I think I'll stay until I find a better way to die," Yukiko said darkly.
"No need for that." Yorusuke smiled and kissed her hand politely. "I'll keep your mind off of death until its proper time, late in life." Yukiko turned red and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Do as you please. Now, if you will, I have business to attend to." Lilith waved her hand at them with a smile. Yorusuke leaned on Yukiko's shoulder.
"Ready to go?" the knight inquired.
"Ready to be castrated?" She made a motion that made him back off quickly. Yorusuke smiled.
"Not yet. Come, come. Let's look for Hanako." And so he led her down the bone-decorated hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kiba, dammit, where did you go?!" Yukiko shouted, pushing open a door and looking inside. The only thing inside was empty, gray space.
"Hanko?" Yorusuke called. It echoed off the walls of the hall and down deep in the darkness. A soft cry echoed back, distant. "Do you think that's her, Fuyu-chan?"
"Sounds like it. Where do you suppose she is?"
"By the sounds of it, she found a way to the Crystal Ruins."
"...The what?" Yukiko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The Crystal Ruins used to be in your world, but they sunk under the ground when evil spirits infested them, searching for the Silver Moon Crystal."
"You lost me."
Silence reigned as Yorusuke broke into a run down the hall. Yukiko followed him, tripping over the occasional spine and rib. She wasn't very athletic at all, and running down a dark hall covered in human remains probably wasn't the best thing for her to do. Yorusuke was quite fit and ran the length as if it were in broad daylight on a rubber track.
"Yukiko, if you don't hurry up, one of you are going to be eaten," Yorusuke said, pausing and looking back over his shoulder at her.
"I don't care."
"Come on." He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away and started trotting after him, panting. Yorusuke smiled and shook his head.
However, Yukiko stopped to rest against the wall. She was tired. Yorusuke was far ahead; she couldn't even hear his footsteps anymore. Just as well, she thought, because now she was alone. The girl closed her eyes and undid her braid from its ribbon, curling up and hoping to drift off to sleep. It was actually more peaceful here in Lilith's palace than in her own apartment complex. It was also strangely relaxing here.
But the relaxation didn't last long. Hot breath pushed against Yukiko's eyelids as she tried to sleep. She didn't think she wanted to open them and see what was breathing on her, but she did anyway.
Staring her in the face was a rather large beast. Beast was the only fitting term, as nobody could have identified the unspeakably disgusting creature foaming at the dagger-fanged mouth before her. Yukiko figured it was her fault for thinking she could take a nice, long nap in the middle of a demon queen's hallway.
"Who are you that trespasses upon Queen Lilith's land?" it snarled, spraying white foam in her face. Yukiko started backing away slowly. The only things she had to fight with were her hands (which would do no good) and the little blue compact Lilith had given her days ago. She grabbed for it in the pocket of her school uniform. She didn't know what good it would do. The beast growled and circled her suspiciously, its fiery red eyes fixed on her hand.
"What have you got?" it snarled, snapping its teeth at her arm. Yukiko yelped and ducked out of the way.
"Nothing!" she lied. What was she going to do with it? Throw it and hope its forehead was a vulnerable spot? The beast growled and pounced at her, pinning one of her arms against the wall. It would figure it would be the one with the only feasible weapon. Sure, it wouldn't do much good, but it was better than having her arms torn off as soon as she swung at the creature.
"You lie, little girl!" Its swordlike claws dug into her arm, drawing blood. She welcomed the blood that stained her sleeve. Death was the only thing that was going to happen, and there was nothing she could do about it.
But a phrase came to mind as the blood flowed. The creature's lips curled back in a foul smile as she closed her eyes and squeezed the compact in her fist. It was worth a shot. What had the Senshi done in the stories her aunt had told her? She raised her hand up as far as she could (about an inch upward) and took a deep breath.
"Polaris Cosmic Power, Make Up!" she shouted. Yukiko felt the pressure lift from her arm as blue light flooded the corridor. The beast shrunk back from it. Suddenly, snow began to blow in the wind, surrounding her body. It whirled around her, freezing her solid. The school uniform shattered as the ice split open a few second later. Snowflakes stuck to her cold skin, but in the form of a Sailorsenshi's fuku. The wind calmed a moment later, revealing Yukiko to be dressed in a blue, gray, and black fuku. It was the birth of Sailorpolaris.
"What the hell?" the beast snarled, circling around her once more. "I'm afraid it won't aid in your survival in any way." It reared back its head and puffed itself up. Sailorpolaris looked down at her feet.
"Dammit!" she cursed. Blue high-heeled shoes were worse than her school shoes for running.
The beast spat out whatever it filled its mouth full of. It was a snot-green fire. She yelped and ducked. It very narrowly missed singing her hair. She didn't know what to do; she was afraid of fire.
"OI!" Both heads turned to face down the hall, towards Lilith's throne room door. It was a young man with two brown fox tails swishing about his calves. He smiled.
"I don't need your help," Sailorpolaris snapped. He started walking down the hall toward the monster and Senshi.
"It looks like you do!" He glanced at the beast.
"This is none of your concern, kitsune!" it growled, turning its attention to the boy.
"He's right, fox," Sailorpolaris snapped. It prowled toward the boy, who laughed nervously and backed away down the hall. He bolted, leaving her alone in the middle of the labyrinth of corridors.
"Fuyumiya-san! Are you all right?" Hanako squealed, popping up to her right, flanked by Yorusuke. He seemed worn out.
"I'm fine," she said icily, getting to her feet.
"I guess the stories about Sailorsenshi are true. I see I was wrong." Hanako smiled at her friend. Yorusuke smiled as well.
"You look very cute in that."
"Shut up!"
_______________________________
Special thanks to Kitty for Yukiko's transformation scene!