Across the Ages
by ChibiMercury bluechibimercury@hotmail.com
Author's Note: Hi again! I apologize many, many times for taking so long with the final chapter of my fanfic! School has recently started for me and along with it came numerous piles of homework. Ugh. Enjoy the final installment!
Disclaimer: I don't own and am not associated with Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.
Chapter 5: The End, or the Beginning?
"So, you weren't able to capture him?"
"No. His friends were able to arrive in time."
"You promised me no failure when I promised you half of the spoils."
"I know. I apologize. But, I know they are coming today."
"How do you know?"
"Just call it a whim. I think they are smart enough to figure out what is going on."
"No matter. We have the strongest pilot, and the other Zero child is out of commission."
**************
As dawn broke over the peaceful city of Crystal Tokyo, 8 determined faces prepared themselves for the battle that lay ahead. Duo, Wufei, and Trowa climbed into their respective suits. Duo was carrying Serena and Mina, Wufei had Raye, and Trowa toted Lita. Amy waved from the ground as they took off, then walked back into the kitchen.
She had agreed with the others that she would wait at least 3 hours before taking off, longer if Duo contacted her. She was to take Heero's Gundam to the battlefield so he could fight after the girls found him. The guys had decided that the Zero system shouldn't affect her if she wasn't fighting. When they found the base, Duo would contact her and send her the coordinates.
Amy glanced at her watch. It was about 6:30 AM. Amy set her watch to go off at 9:30. She watched TV for a while, got herself a glass of water, and then walked around the base, doing nothing in particular. She found herself in front of the sick room. She pushed open the door and sat down by Quatre on the only chair the room had to offer. He was still out cold. Setting her drink down on the table, she let her mind wander and soon fell asleep.
A while later, she woke. She stretched her arms and legs and as she went to check her watch, her elbow jostled the flimsy night table and set her glass of water sailing onto the bed. The ice-cold water sloshed all over Quatre's face. Amy covered her face with her hands.
I am such a klutz. she thought. Better go get a towel. She walked back into the kitchen, searching for anything remotely absorbent. She settled for one of Duo's black shirts lying on the hall floor. Walking back to the sick bay, her watch alarm went off.
She started running. When she reached the room, she stopped. Quatre was sitting up in bed, trying to wipe the water from his face. Amy blushed and handed Quatre the shirt.
Quatre laid his head back on the pillow. "The water I can handle, but I'd give everything I have for an aspirin."
"I'm sorry, but I have to go!" exclaimed Amy. "I'm already 5 minutes late!"
"For what? What did you plan?"
"The guys left with the other girls to find the place and rescue Heero, and I was supposed to follow with Wing Zero at 9:30!"
"Let me come," said Quatre. He pulled off his vest and tried to wring it out. "I'm only a little soggy."
"You can't! You should stay here."
"I'll be fine. Just let me dry off." Quatre rubbed the shirt vigorously against his hair. When he removed the shirt, his hair stuck straight up.
Amy laughed. "All right, hurry up and get ready. I'm going to contact Duo and tell him the new plan." She rushed out to the kitchen and grabbed the laptop. "Duo, Duo, come in."
"Yeah? Are you coming yet? We're kind of in the middle of something here."
"Well, there's been a change of plans. Quatre is awake, and he's coming with me."
"Is he bringing Sandrock?"
"I don't think so. He can't fight right now."
"Yes, I can." Quatre's voice came from the next room.
"No, you're not!" Amy's voice was stern.
"He has to. We're in trouble here until we can get Heero out," said Duo.
"They don't have him yet?" asked Amy.
A blast sent static through the transmission. "I gotta go Amy! Get here soon! Here are the coordinates!" Duo's voice disappeared.
Amy wrote down the numbers and headed for the hanger at a quick pace. Quatre
followed close on her heels. Quatre headed for Sandrock, so Amy climbed into
Wing Zero. In a few quick moments they were off.
"So, what's the plan, Quatre?" asked Amy through the comm. link.
"I think you should try to land Wing Zero as near to the building as possible. Sneak in and try to join up with the other girls. When you find Heero, send him outside so he can get into Wing Zero and join us as soon as possible. Then you and the girls get out of that building."
"Why? Where will we go?"
"Anywhere. We have to blow up the base."
"But, what about Starburst and Aria? A simple explosion won't kill them."
"I know. But, we need time to regroup after getting Heero back. We'll save them for another time."
The two saw the battle in the distance. Amy flew near the base and landed near the back door. Quatre immediately joined the fight. Amy jumped out of Wing Zero and headed for the building, shouting her transforming words as she ran. She reached the building as Sailor Mercury and began hunting for her friends. Elsewhere in the building...
*************
"Lita, we've searched everywhere!" came the tired voice of Serena.
"If we've searched everywhere, then we should have Heero with us," said Raye.
"But, we've been here almost 2 hours and we haven't found a single thing!" exclaimed Mina.
"Wait, what's that? Did you hear that?" said Lita.
"Hear what?" asked Serena.
"Quiet, listen. There it is again!"
"It's coming from this way!" yelled Raye as she took off down the corridor.
The other scouts followed her. Soon they saw rows and rows of doors lining each side of the hallway. They followed the pounding noise as it got louder and louder, and then started getting softer.
"Wait, we passed it," said Mina. They walked back until they pinpointed the door where the sound was coming from.
"Stand back from the door!" yelled Lita as she prepared her attack. The door fell like a rock after the shock attack hit it. Inside, they saw Heero, bound and gagged. Lita rushed over and removed the gag from Heero's face.
"About time," muttered Heero.
"Hey, give us a break. Do you know how big this place is?" Lita set about untying the ropes.
"It doesn't matter. Where are the pilots?"
"They're outside fighting. We need to get out there."
"I can get there myself. You girls need to get out of here. You'll get in the way."
"We can help!" protested Serena.
"No, you can't. This isn't one of your little magic battles. This is real. Real pain, real blood, real death," said Heero as he turned and began to head for the door.
Lita's voice stopped him. "What do you mean by that? Do you think we don't know what pain is? We've experienced the pain of battle. We've lost, we've fought our friends, and we've lost our friends."
"Get out of my way," said Heero.
"It seems to me that you've forgotten the meaning of pain!" Lita walked over to Heero. "And I'm here to jog your memory!" With that, she tightened her hand into a fist and gave Heero the hardest punch she could.
Heero's head snapped sideways with the blow. A small trickle of blood ran down from his lip. He casually wiped it off and faced Lita. Locking his dark blue eyes with her bright green, he raised one eyebrow. He then raised his hand and punched Lita back.
Lita staggered back a step. Her eyes narrowed when Heero pulled out a miniature pistol. "That's just like you. If you feel threatened, you just take out your gun. You'd never just fight someone. You think you're too good for that."
"You think so, huh? Let me change your mind." Heero dove at Lita headlong, slamming her into the wall. Lita retaliated with a hefty kick at Heero's right knee. The scouts watched as their friend went at it with the leader of the Gundams.
"Why are you so uncaring? Surely you must have some shred of compassion somewhere inside you!" Lita was yelling. She kicked off the wall and struck his back with her elbow.
"I don't need compassion. It's one of those things that I've decided makes me vulnerable." He punched out and caught Lita's stomach.
After a while, both Lita and Heero stood across the room from each other. Lita was breathing heavily, and Heero was trying not to show signs of fatigue. A blast from the outside shook the building violently.
"Are you ready to admit we're even? This building is going to crash down before much longer if you don't get out there," said Lita.
Heero turned and began to walk out. "Is my mobile suit here?"
"Amy should be here by now," said Mina, cautiously following the unpredictable pilot.
The five began running down the long hallway. As they neared the exit, a figure jumped out in front of them.
*************
Amy turned a corner and suddenly saw the four scouts fighting with Aria Storme. Heero was standing against the wall, unable to do anything. His gun had run out of ammunition when he tried to shoot Aria. Amy beckoned to him to come with her. The two headed away from the battle.
"Your Gundam is right outside. The others, including Quatre, are having a tough time out there."
"Fine. Go help your friends." Heero ran out the door to where his Gundam stood.
Sailor Mercury ran back to where her friends had been with Aria, but she found the room deserted. Straining her ears, she could make out the faint sounds of the battle raging on. She began running toward the sound and found herself at a dead end. Use your head, Amy, she thought to herself. She pulled out her miniature computer and analyzed the building's layout. "The place is a huge trap!" she exclaimed to herself as she tried to find her way through the base.
Outside, Heero had joined the fight, but the forces kept on coming. They had still not seen Starburst or Aria come out of the building. More importantly, the scouts had not come out yet.
"Duo, where could they be?" asked Quatre.
"I haven't got a clue. We told them to get out as soon as they found Heero," replied Duo. "Heero, do you know what happened to them?"
"They met up with Aria."
"Oh great. So I suppose that's going to hang them up for practically forever!" Duo ranted.
"I'm going to find them and get them out," said Quatre.
"What? Why?"
"Because we can't finish this without blowing up the base. I'll be back with them."
***************
"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"
"Moon Scepter Elimination!"
All three attacks were deflected by Aria with a sweep of her arms. "I expected more of the Sailor Scouts! Why won't you fight me? Dark Boomerang Attack!"
A wave of black zoomed towards the scouts, knocking them to the ground. Just as they stood to face her again, the attack deflected off the rear wall and smashed into the scouts again. Aria laughed at them, holding the blackness high above her head. "My faithful attack always returns to me! Now die!" She threw the darkness again, once again scoring a hit against the sailors. This time however, the scouts stayed down on the floor until they saw the black lance fly back to Aria.
Jumping up, they prepared their attacks. Jupiter, Venus, and Mars attacked at once.
"Red Jupiter Shocker!"
"Golden Heart Breaker!"
"Flaming Crossbow Shooter!"
As the three attacks slammed into Aria, she stood still for a minute, and then fell to one knee. Gasping, she struggled back to both feet. "Why..you..I'll kill you!" Screeching, she lunged at Venus.
Turning around, Sailor Moon took full advantage of the moment. "Moonlight Soul Attack!" A stream of gold-tinted light rushed at Aria. As the light hit the evil woman, her eyes grew wide with the energy. She screamed as it grew inside of her, until it finally killed her. Her body fell to the floor and disintegrated into the air.
Amazed at the power of her attack, Sailor Moon turned to face her friends and celebrate. "Hey, we did i.." She stopped cold. Her friends were all laying on the floor, very still, eyes closed. She began to make her way over to them, but she found that walking 2 steps felt like 2 miles. With drooping eyelids, she dropped to her knees and then fell over onto the cold floor.
Quatre ran through the building as fast as he could. Where are they? Suddenly, like a sign from above, he heard a familiar voice call, "Shine Aqua Illusion!" He ran to the area where it had come from. There stood Sailor Mercury, blasting a stream of water at a tall man wearing a dark outfit. It was so dark, it didn't even look black. It looked like every color imaginable had been woven into it and been dyed in ink darker than ebony. Every time the man moved, Quatre could see a different color reflecting in his outfit. As the attack died down, he got a better look at the man. It must be Starburst he thought without a doubt in his mind. Neither Starburst nor Mercury had noticed him yet.
"Why do you resist me, princess? I've done nothing to you. That's why I came to this world, so I wouldn't have to deal with your pesky little rebellions. I knew the scouts of this time would be too busy guarding the palace to fight me. But yet, you pop right back up like a weed. I'm going to make sure you never come back again!" yelled Starburst as he pointed both his hands at Mercury and fired a blast that shook the building. She dove to the ground, and she could feel the force of the blast passing over her, nipping at her unprotected back. Slightly shaken, she rose.
"Why? Why do I always have to explain this to every single maniac who tries to take over the universe? It's my duty to defend against your type, whether it's in my time or not. I don't want to waste time with you, so why don't you come down here and face me?"
"I second that remark," said a voice from the doorway. "Why don't you come down to fight her, instead of holding back like a coward?"
Glancing over to the doorway, Starburst saw a blond boy standing there, looking over at Mercury. "You're Quatre R. Winner, correct? Pilot of Gundam Sandrock?"
Looking back at him, Quatre replied, "Yes, I am. And you're the guy who's been destroying my life since New Year's Eve."
Starburst began to move towards him. "Who, me? I think I've turned your life for the better. Just think, if you had never met me, you never would have experienced the kind of pain I'm going to show you now."
Quatre grabbed his gun and began firing at the advancing force. Each bullet was caught and thrown away. Quatre began to back up. He kept walking backwards until he felt the cool stone wall at his back. Starburst kept coming.
"Quatre!" Mercury rushed at Starburst and aimed a kick at his lower legs. No effect.
Starburst now stood less than a foot away from the pilot. He placed his hands on Quatre's chest and began to push. Quatre's face became edged with panic. He gasped and struggled against him, but Starburst was far stronger than any human.
"Stop it! Don't kill him! You want to fight me!" yelled Mercury, still beating at Starburst.
"You don't want me to end his suffering? I could simply blast him right now, and he'd been free of pain forever."
"No!" She prepared another attack. "Mercury Ice Bubble Blast!" The room became an arctic zone with every wall and corner lined with ice. Starburst found it hard to keep his footing on the glassy surface and unthinkingly released Quatre. The pilot dropped to the floor and coughed, grateful to be alive.
Starburst's eyes were flaming in rage. "Fire Shower!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, the room was filled with fire instead of ice. "Now you will die, princess of Mercury!"
Black smoke was beginning to fill the room. Mercury stood facing her opponent. "Then hurry up and make your move!"
"I think I will!" He grabbed Quatre from the floor by his neck and held him high in the air. "I'll clear the area of any unwanted bystanders!" Quatre struggled against him violently, using any strength he had to distract the evil genius.
This gave Amy the chance she needed. "Glacier of Fate!" she yelled with everything she had in her. Through the thick black smoke, the room shone a beautiful shade of blue. Starburst screamed in pain, trying to shield his eyes with one hand and hold Quatre with the other. The entire building began to shake with the force of the attack. Mercury struggled to keep control of her devastating attack, her hands held out in front of her. The very walls of the building were beginning to collapse. Amy didn't care. She wanted this entire evil presence destroyed.
Starburst turned his eyes to the cause of his pain. The girl was standing strong, powered by some inner spirit that he had never possessed. There was a warm radiance about her, a feeling that Starburst had never been able to understand or appreciate. Blue mists were beginning to cloud his vision, but he didn't want to stop it. He felt strangely safe in the mist, happy and safe. Before he knew it, he was gone.
When Quatre opened his eyes, he was face down on the rough, unyielding concrete floor. His chest ached, his neck throbbed, and his vision was somewhat blurred. However, he could make out a pale blue energy fading from the room. He half walked, half dragged himself over to the source of light, Amy. She lay prone on the floor, scarcely breathing.
"Amy? Amy?" She didn't respond. Quatre sat on the floor, stunned at what had taken place. Amy's breathing became softer and slower.
A bubble floated down and stopped in front of Quatre's face. There was a woman inside. "Quatre, look at me."
He gazed at the tall, young woman, who was holding a staff longer than herself. "What? What do you what? I'd like to be alone."
"I know how you are suffering from this ordeal. I didn't want it to be this way, but you must understand. I didn't have a choice. Utilizing the power of Sailor Mercury was the only way to defeat the evil presence," said the woman.
"Who are you? Are you the one who sent the girls here?"
"Yes. I am the keeper of time, Sailor Pluto. I made a mistake and Starburst slipped through the Gate of Time and into this world. I allowed the girls to use their future attacks, and I warned them of the consequences."
"What consequences? Is that what's wrong with Amy?" asked Quatre.
"I warned Amy that she would only be able to use the attack once. However, I didn't tell her why. The attack is so powerful, so dangerous, that even the future Sailor Mercury is deeply affected when she uses it. I knew that the power and energy needed would probably kill Amy, and I think she knew it too."
Tears were forming in Quatre's eyes. "Isn't there anything you can do?"
"I can do nothing to help her, but you can. Right now, if Amy can receive enough life energy, she will live."
"I'll do it," stated Quatre. "What do I do?"
"I must warn you, giving away energy is a very painful process. I wouldn't recommend it to someone in your shape," Pluto warned him.
"I don't care. I can't let her die. Amy is the most special person I've ever met. The past needs her kindness and compassion."
"Very well. Place your right hand over her forehead. Just keep thinking about the same things you said to me."
Quatre obeyed. He kneeled beside the girl, shut his eyes and began to think about how much he wanted Amy to live. Then, slowly, he could feel energy starting to leave him. It became stronger, and with it came pain. Immense pain. It felt like someone was trying to tear his soul, his being, his life, out of him.
The pain grew and grew, until Quatre couldn't stand it anymore. He tore his hand away and fell down to his hands and knees, panting, thankful for the relief from the pain. He looked over to Amy. She was breathing steadily now, and the color had come back to her face. Quatre managed a smile, and then collapsed to the floor beside her.
When Amy woke up, she looked over and saw Quatre lying there. She sat upright and saw Sailor Pluto hovering in the air.
Pluto smiled. She made an indication to Quatre with her staff. Amy smiled, she understood. She nodded her thanks to Sailor Pluto, who nodded back and sailed away, back to the Gate of Time.
Amy looked at her rescuer. He was lying face down on the floor, breathing heavily, his hair tousled. She smiled again, then bent down and kissed his cheek.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The Gundam pilots had managed to defeat the remainder of the suits, which had quit coming after Starburst's death. They climbed out of their suits and began running to the building to find out what had happened to their comrades.
After a while, they came across the room where the scouts had fought Aria. The four girls were still lying on the ground. Duo approached Sailor Moon and touched her face. Her eyes snapped open. Duo jumped in surprise. "Hey, I've got the touch of life!" he joked, holding his finger in the air.
Serena sat up. "We beat Aria."
The other girls began to wake up. Each one of the guys walked over to help one of the girls up.
To Lita's surprise, she saw a hand extended down to her. As she reached for the hand, she looked up and saw that it belonged to none other than Heero. He stared down at her, with maybe a hint of admiration in his dark eyes. Lita grinned at him. "I told you we know how to fight."
Heero nodded his agreement and helped her up. Likewise with Trowa and Mina, Wufei and Raye, and Duo and Serena. Then, together, the group began to make their way out of the building.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Amy picked up the scepter from the ground. She examined it closely, and she instantly knew that it was the Queen's. "What did he want with this? Did it hold some kind of power for him?"
"It must have. Why else would he steal it?" replied Quatre from across the room. "Let's take it back and ask her."
"Good idea. I want to get out of here."
Amy helped Quatre stand and the two walked out of the room, leaning on each other for support.
When they reached the outside, they saw the rest of their friends exiting through another door. They met up and instantly the questions started from both sides.
"Did you beat Aria?"
"What happened to Starburst?"
"Where the troops defeated?"
"What took you so long?"
"What should we do now?"
The last question hovered in the air for a moment before everyone reached a consensus.
"Let's get out of here!"
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
At the palace, Neo-Queen Serenity listened closely to the tale of the battle. Everyone pitched in different parts until the entire story was told. Amy took out the Queen's scepter and offered it to her.
"Where did you find it?"
"Starburst had stolen it for some reason. We didn't figure out why," said Amy.
The Queen thought for a moment. "He must have been using its power for control. It's the only aspect of the scepter that evil can use."
"Hey! I got it!" Duo exclaimed excitedly. "He must have used it to control the mobile suits and dolls!"
"I think you've got it, Duo," said Trowa.
"Yes! I am a super-genius! Bow down to me!"
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Now we've got this to listen to for the next 3 weeks."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The time had come for the Sailor Scouts to return to the past. Everyone was reacting differently to the situation. Wufei and Raye shook hands. Mina was acting goofy to get a smile out of Trowa.
Duo sat on the ground pouting. "You could have told me sooner that you already had a boyfriend! It's so unfair!"
"Well, um, I'm sorry, it just kinda, like, slipped my mind, I guess," said Serena. "Here, how about this?" She leaned over and kissed Duo's head.
"Ahh, I'll never wash my hair again," said Duo.
"Good. It'll cut down on the water bill," said Wufei.
Lita and Heero stood across from each other. Both were uncertain what to do. Then, Heero offered her a handshake. Lita smiled and shook her head. Then she moved closer and hugged him. "Thank you for understanding," she said.
Lita was again surprised when Heero hugged her back. He was surprised, too, but he didn't say anything.
"You know, you don't have to be a soldier all the time, Heero. There's room for other things, too," Lita spoke.
Heero looked at her strangely. "I know. I've known that for a long time. I've just never found anything that was more important. I've never found anyone who could give me answers."
Lita gazed at him. "I think you just did."
Behind the group, Amy and Quatre looked at each other. Both were being too shy to say what they were feeling. Suddenly, Quatre stamped his foot on the ground.
"Okay. I've been trying to hide my feelings for you since the day we met on the battlefield. I simply can't do it anymore!" And with that, he pulled Amy close and kissed her. At first Amy was startled, but then happy when she discovered that she felt the exact same way. She kissed him back and hugged him tight. They stayed that way until Quatre felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Ahem. You may not know this, but breathing is an important part of staying alive," came a voice.
Quatre whirled around and stood facing Duo, who had a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Quatre and Amy both blushed deeply.
Sailor Pluto floated down in her bubble. "Okay, scouts, it's time."
The girls were reluctant to go, but they listened to Pluto. They saw the opening to the Gate of Time. Turning around, they waved goodbye to their friends and stepped through the portal.
End of chapter 5 and story. Completed at 5:15 p.m. on September 02, 2001.
Author's Note: Well, that's the end! I really hoped you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to Jupiter's Light for suggesting putting Lita and Heero together! I'm considering doing another SM/GW sometime in the future, but with school and some extra-cur activities I've got going, it may be a while. But, thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter! Thank you again, and please review! I enjoy reading little blurbs about my work! I'm not opposed to some constructive criticism, either. Tell me how to make it better for next time! Thank you, and have a nice day. :) bluechibimercury@hotmail.com
by ChibiMercury bluechibimercury@hotmail.com
Author's Note: Hi again! I apologize many, many times for taking so long with the final chapter of my fanfic! School has recently started for me and along with it came numerous piles of homework. Ugh. Enjoy the final installment!
Disclaimer: I don't own and am not associated with Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.
Chapter 5: The End, or the Beginning?
"So, you weren't able to capture him?"
"No. His friends were able to arrive in time."
"You promised me no failure when I promised you half of the spoils."
"I know. I apologize. But, I know they are coming today."
"How do you know?"
"Just call it a whim. I think they are smart enough to figure out what is going on."
"No matter. We have the strongest pilot, and the other Zero child is out of commission."
**************
As dawn broke over the peaceful city of Crystal Tokyo, 8 determined faces prepared themselves for the battle that lay ahead. Duo, Wufei, and Trowa climbed into their respective suits. Duo was carrying Serena and Mina, Wufei had Raye, and Trowa toted Lita. Amy waved from the ground as they took off, then walked back into the kitchen.
She had agreed with the others that she would wait at least 3 hours before taking off, longer if Duo contacted her. She was to take Heero's Gundam to the battlefield so he could fight after the girls found him. The guys had decided that the Zero system shouldn't affect her if she wasn't fighting. When they found the base, Duo would contact her and send her the coordinates.
Amy glanced at her watch. It was about 6:30 AM. Amy set her watch to go off at 9:30. She watched TV for a while, got herself a glass of water, and then walked around the base, doing nothing in particular. She found herself in front of the sick room. She pushed open the door and sat down by Quatre on the only chair the room had to offer. He was still out cold. Setting her drink down on the table, she let her mind wander and soon fell asleep.
A while later, she woke. She stretched her arms and legs and as she went to check her watch, her elbow jostled the flimsy night table and set her glass of water sailing onto the bed. The ice-cold water sloshed all over Quatre's face. Amy covered her face with her hands.
I am such a klutz. she thought. Better go get a towel. She walked back into the kitchen, searching for anything remotely absorbent. She settled for one of Duo's black shirts lying on the hall floor. Walking back to the sick bay, her watch alarm went off.
She started running. When she reached the room, she stopped. Quatre was sitting up in bed, trying to wipe the water from his face. Amy blushed and handed Quatre the shirt.
Quatre laid his head back on the pillow. "The water I can handle, but I'd give everything I have for an aspirin."
"I'm sorry, but I have to go!" exclaimed Amy. "I'm already 5 minutes late!"
"For what? What did you plan?"
"The guys left with the other girls to find the place and rescue Heero, and I was supposed to follow with Wing Zero at 9:30!"
"Let me come," said Quatre. He pulled off his vest and tried to wring it out. "I'm only a little soggy."
"You can't! You should stay here."
"I'll be fine. Just let me dry off." Quatre rubbed the shirt vigorously against his hair. When he removed the shirt, his hair stuck straight up.
Amy laughed. "All right, hurry up and get ready. I'm going to contact Duo and tell him the new plan." She rushed out to the kitchen and grabbed the laptop. "Duo, Duo, come in."
"Yeah? Are you coming yet? We're kind of in the middle of something here."
"Well, there's been a change of plans. Quatre is awake, and he's coming with me."
"Is he bringing Sandrock?"
"I don't think so. He can't fight right now."
"Yes, I can." Quatre's voice came from the next room.
"No, you're not!" Amy's voice was stern.
"He has to. We're in trouble here until we can get Heero out," said Duo.
"They don't have him yet?" asked Amy.
A blast sent static through the transmission. "I gotta go Amy! Get here soon! Here are the coordinates!" Duo's voice disappeared.
Amy wrote down the numbers and headed for the hanger at a quick pace. Quatre
followed close on her heels. Quatre headed for Sandrock, so Amy climbed into
Wing Zero. In a few quick moments they were off.
"So, what's the plan, Quatre?" asked Amy through the comm. link.
"I think you should try to land Wing Zero as near to the building as possible. Sneak in and try to join up with the other girls. When you find Heero, send him outside so he can get into Wing Zero and join us as soon as possible. Then you and the girls get out of that building."
"Why? Where will we go?"
"Anywhere. We have to blow up the base."
"But, what about Starburst and Aria? A simple explosion won't kill them."
"I know. But, we need time to regroup after getting Heero back. We'll save them for another time."
The two saw the battle in the distance. Amy flew near the base and landed near the back door. Quatre immediately joined the fight. Amy jumped out of Wing Zero and headed for the building, shouting her transforming words as she ran. She reached the building as Sailor Mercury and began hunting for her friends. Elsewhere in the building...
*************
"Lita, we've searched everywhere!" came the tired voice of Serena.
"If we've searched everywhere, then we should have Heero with us," said Raye.
"But, we've been here almost 2 hours and we haven't found a single thing!" exclaimed Mina.
"Wait, what's that? Did you hear that?" said Lita.
"Hear what?" asked Serena.
"Quiet, listen. There it is again!"
"It's coming from this way!" yelled Raye as she took off down the corridor.
The other scouts followed her. Soon they saw rows and rows of doors lining each side of the hallway. They followed the pounding noise as it got louder and louder, and then started getting softer.
"Wait, we passed it," said Mina. They walked back until they pinpointed the door where the sound was coming from.
"Stand back from the door!" yelled Lita as she prepared her attack. The door fell like a rock after the shock attack hit it. Inside, they saw Heero, bound and gagged. Lita rushed over and removed the gag from Heero's face.
"About time," muttered Heero.
"Hey, give us a break. Do you know how big this place is?" Lita set about untying the ropes.
"It doesn't matter. Where are the pilots?"
"They're outside fighting. We need to get out there."
"I can get there myself. You girls need to get out of here. You'll get in the way."
"We can help!" protested Serena.
"No, you can't. This isn't one of your little magic battles. This is real. Real pain, real blood, real death," said Heero as he turned and began to head for the door.
Lita's voice stopped him. "What do you mean by that? Do you think we don't know what pain is? We've experienced the pain of battle. We've lost, we've fought our friends, and we've lost our friends."
"Get out of my way," said Heero.
"It seems to me that you've forgotten the meaning of pain!" Lita walked over to Heero. "And I'm here to jog your memory!" With that, she tightened her hand into a fist and gave Heero the hardest punch she could.
Heero's head snapped sideways with the blow. A small trickle of blood ran down from his lip. He casually wiped it off and faced Lita. Locking his dark blue eyes with her bright green, he raised one eyebrow. He then raised his hand and punched Lita back.
Lita staggered back a step. Her eyes narrowed when Heero pulled out a miniature pistol. "That's just like you. If you feel threatened, you just take out your gun. You'd never just fight someone. You think you're too good for that."
"You think so, huh? Let me change your mind." Heero dove at Lita headlong, slamming her into the wall. Lita retaliated with a hefty kick at Heero's right knee. The scouts watched as their friend went at it with the leader of the Gundams.
"Why are you so uncaring? Surely you must have some shred of compassion somewhere inside you!" Lita was yelling. She kicked off the wall and struck his back with her elbow.
"I don't need compassion. It's one of those things that I've decided makes me vulnerable." He punched out and caught Lita's stomach.
After a while, both Lita and Heero stood across the room from each other. Lita was breathing heavily, and Heero was trying not to show signs of fatigue. A blast from the outside shook the building violently.
"Are you ready to admit we're even? This building is going to crash down before much longer if you don't get out there," said Lita.
Heero turned and began to walk out. "Is my mobile suit here?"
"Amy should be here by now," said Mina, cautiously following the unpredictable pilot.
The five began running down the long hallway. As they neared the exit, a figure jumped out in front of them.
*************
Amy turned a corner and suddenly saw the four scouts fighting with Aria Storme. Heero was standing against the wall, unable to do anything. His gun had run out of ammunition when he tried to shoot Aria. Amy beckoned to him to come with her. The two headed away from the battle.
"Your Gundam is right outside. The others, including Quatre, are having a tough time out there."
"Fine. Go help your friends." Heero ran out the door to where his Gundam stood.
Sailor Mercury ran back to where her friends had been with Aria, but she found the room deserted. Straining her ears, she could make out the faint sounds of the battle raging on. She began running toward the sound and found herself at a dead end. Use your head, Amy, she thought to herself. She pulled out her miniature computer and analyzed the building's layout. "The place is a huge trap!" she exclaimed to herself as she tried to find her way through the base.
Outside, Heero had joined the fight, but the forces kept on coming. They had still not seen Starburst or Aria come out of the building. More importantly, the scouts had not come out yet.
"Duo, where could they be?" asked Quatre.
"I haven't got a clue. We told them to get out as soon as they found Heero," replied Duo. "Heero, do you know what happened to them?"
"They met up with Aria."
"Oh great. So I suppose that's going to hang them up for practically forever!" Duo ranted.
"I'm going to find them and get them out," said Quatre.
"What? Why?"
"Because we can't finish this without blowing up the base. I'll be back with them."
***************
"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"
"Moon Scepter Elimination!"
All three attacks were deflected by Aria with a sweep of her arms. "I expected more of the Sailor Scouts! Why won't you fight me? Dark Boomerang Attack!"
A wave of black zoomed towards the scouts, knocking them to the ground. Just as they stood to face her again, the attack deflected off the rear wall and smashed into the scouts again. Aria laughed at them, holding the blackness high above her head. "My faithful attack always returns to me! Now die!" She threw the darkness again, once again scoring a hit against the sailors. This time however, the scouts stayed down on the floor until they saw the black lance fly back to Aria.
Jumping up, they prepared their attacks. Jupiter, Venus, and Mars attacked at once.
"Red Jupiter Shocker!"
"Golden Heart Breaker!"
"Flaming Crossbow Shooter!"
As the three attacks slammed into Aria, she stood still for a minute, and then fell to one knee. Gasping, she struggled back to both feet. "Why..you..I'll kill you!" Screeching, she lunged at Venus.
Turning around, Sailor Moon took full advantage of the moment. "Moonlight Soul Attack!" A stream of gold-tinted light rushed at Aria. As the light hit the evil woman, her eyes grew wide with the energy. She screamed as it grew inside of her, until it finally killed her. Her body fell to the floor and disintegrated into the air.
Amazed at the power of her attack, Sailor Moon turned to face her friends and celebrate. "Hey, we did i.." She stopped cold. Her friends were all laying on the floor, very still, eyes closed. She began to make her way over to them, but she found that walking 2 steps felt like 2 miles. With drooping eyelids, she dropped to her knees and then fell over onto the cold floor.
Quatre ran through the building as fast as he could. Where are they? Suddenly, like a sign from above, he heard a familiar voice call, "Shine Aqua Illusion!" He ran to the area where it had come from. There stood Sailor Mercury, blasting a stream of water at a tall man wearing a dark outfit. It was so dark, it didn't even look black. It looked like every color imaginable had been woven into it and been dyed in ink darker than ebony. Every time the man moved, Quatre could see a different color reflecting in his outfit. As the attack died down, he got a better look at the man. It must be Starburst he thought without a doubt in his mind. Neither Starburst nor Mercury had noticed him yet.
"Why do you resist me, princess? I've done nothing to you. That's why I came to this world, so I wouldn't have to deal with your pesky little rebellions. I knew the scouts of this time would be too busy guarding the palace to fight me. But yet, you pop right back up like a weed. I'm going to make sure you never come back again!" yelled Starburst as he pointed both his hands at Mercury and fired a blast that shook the building. She dove to the ground, and she could feel the force of the blast passing over her, nipping at her unprotected back. Slightly shaken, she rose.
"Why? Why do I always have to explain this to every single maniac who tries to take over the universe? It's my duty to defend against your type, whether it's in my time or not. I don't want to waste time with you, so why don't you come down here and face me?"
"I second that remark," said a voice from the doorway. "Why don't you come down to fight her, instead of holding back like a coward?"
Glancing over to the doorway, Starburst saw a blond boy standing there, looking over at Mercury. "You're Quatre R. Winner, correct? Pilot of Gundam Sandrock?"
Looking back at him, Quatre replied, "Yes, I am. And you're the guy who's been destroying my life since New Year's Eve."
Starburst began to move towards him. "Who, me? I think I've turned your life for the better. Just think, if you had never met me, you never would have experienced the kind of pain I'm going to show you now."
Quatre grabbed his gun and began firing at the advancing force. Each bullet was caught and thrown away. Quatre began to back up. He kept walking backwards until he felt the cool stone wall at his back. Starburst kept coming.
"Quatre!" Mercury rushed at Starburst and aimed a kick at his lower legs. No effect.
Starburst now stood less than a foot away from the pilot. He placed his hands on Quatre's chest and began to push. Quatre's face became edged with panic. He gasped and struggled against him, but Starburst was far stronger than any human.
"Stop it! Don't kill him! You want to fight me!" yelled Mercury, still beating at Starburst.
"You don't want me to end his suffering? I could simply blast him right now, and he'd been free of pain forever."
"No!" She prepared another attack. "Mercury Ice Bubble Blast!" The room became an arctic zone with every wall and corner lined with ice. Starburst found it hard to keep his footing on the glassy surface and unthinkingly released Quatre. The pilot dropped to the floor and coughed, grateful to be alive.
Starburst's eyes were flaming in rage. "Fire Shower!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, the room was filled with fire instead of ice. "Now you will die, princess of Mercury!"
Black smoke was beginning to fill the room. Mercury stood facing her opponent. "Then hurry up and make your move!"
"I think I will!" He grabbed Quatre from the floor by his neck and held him high in the air. "I'll clear the area of any unwanted bystanders!" Quatre struggled against him violently, using any strength he had to distract the evil genius.
This gave Amy the chance she needed. "Glacier of Fate!" she yelled with everything she had in her. Through the thick black smoke, the room shone a beautiful shade of blue. Starburst screamed in pain, trying to shield his eyes with one hand and hold Quatre with the other. The entire building began to shake with the force of the attack. Mercury struggled to keep control of her devastating attack, her hands held out in front of her. The very walls of the building were beginning to collapse. Amy didn't care. She wanted this entire evil presence destroyed.
Starburst turned his eyes to the cause of his pain. The girl was standing strong, powered by some inner spirit that he had never possessed. There was a warm radiance about her, a feeling that Starburst had never been able to understand or appreciate. Blue mists were beginning to cloud his vision, but he didn't want to stop it. He felt strangely safe in the mist, happy and safe. Before he knew it, he was gone.
When Quatre opened his eyes, he was face down on the rough, unyielding concrete floor. His chest ached, his neck throbbed, and his vision was somewhat blurred. However, he could make out a pale blue energy fading from the room. He half walked, half dragged himself over to the source of light, Amy. She lay prone on the floor, scarcely breathing.
"Amy? Amy?" She didn't respond. Quatre sat on the floor, stunned at what had taken place. Amy's breathing became softer and slower.
A bubble floated down and stopped in front of Quatre's face. There was a woman inside. "Quatre, look at me."
He gazed at the tall, young woman, who was holding a staff longer than herself. "What? What do you what? I'd like to be alone."
"I know how you are suffering from this ordeal. I didn't want it to be this way, but you must understand. I didn't have a choice. Utilizing the power of Sailor Mercury was the only way to defeat the evil presence," said the woman.
"Who are you? Are you the one who sent the girls here?"
"Yes. I am the keeper of time, Sailor Pluto. I made a mistake and Starburst slipped through the Gate of Time and into this world. I allowed the girls to use their future attacks, and I warned them of the consequences."
"What consequences? Is that what's wrong with Amy?" asked Quatre.
"I warned Amy that she would only be able to use the attack once. However, I didn't tell her why. The attack is so powerful, so dangerous, that even the future Sailor Mercury is deeply affected when she uses it. I knew that the power and energy needed would probably kill Amy, and I think she knew it too."
Tears were forming in Quatre's eyes. "Isn't there anything you can do?"
"I can do nothing to help her, but you can. Right now, if Amy can receive enough life energy, she will live."
"I'll do it," stated Quatre. "What do I do?"
"I must warn you, giving away energy is a very painful process. I wouldn't recommend it to someone in your shape," Pluto warned him.
"I don't care. I can't let her die. Amy is the most special person I've ever met. The past needs her kindness and compassion."
"Very well. Place your right hand over her forehead. Just keep thinking about the same things you said to me."
Quatre obeyed. He kneeled beside the girl, shut his eyes and began to think about how much he wanted Amy to live. Then, slowly, he could feel energy starting to leave him. It became stronger, and with it came pain. Immense pain. It felt like someone was trying to tear his soul, his being, his life, out of him.
The pain grew and grew, until Quatre couldn't stand it anymore. He tore his hand away and fell down to his hands and knees, panting, thankful for the relief from the pain. He looked over to Amy. She was breathing steadily now, and the color had come back to her face. Quatre managed a smile, and then collapsed to the floor beside her.
When Amy woke up, she looked over and saw Quatre lying there. She sat upright and saw Sailor Pluto hovering in the air.
Pluto smiled. She made an indication to Quatre with her staff. Amy smiled, she understood. She nodded her thanks to Sailor Pluto, who nodded back and sailed away, back to the Gate of Time.
Amy looked at her rescuer. He was lying face down on the floor, breathing heavily, his hair tousled. She smiled again, then bent down and kissed his cheek.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The Gundam pilots had managed to defeat the remainder of the suits, which had quit coming after Starburst's death. They climbed out of their suits and began running to the building to find out what had happened to their comrades.
After a while, they came across the room where the scouts had fought Aria. The four girls were still lying on the ground. Duo approached Sailor Moon and touched her face. Her eyes snapped open. Duo jumped in surprise. "Hey, I've got the touch of life!" he joked, holding his finger in the air.
Serena sat up. "We beat Aria."
The other girls began to wake up. Each one of the guys walked over to help one of the girls up.
To Lita's surprise, she saw a hand extended down to her. As she reached for the hand, she looked up and saw that it belonged to none other than Heero. He stared down at her, with maybe a hint of admiration in his dark eyes. Lita grinned at him. "I told you we know how to fight."
Heero nodded his agreement and helped her up. Likewise with Trowa and Mina, Wufei and Raye, and Duo and Serena. Then, together, the group began to make their way out of the building.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Amy picked up the scepter from the ground. She examined it closely, and she instantly knew that it was the Queen's. "What did he want with this? Did it hold some kind of power for him?"
"It must have. Why else would he steal it?" replied Quatre from across the room. "Let's take it back and ask her."
"Good idea. I want to get out of here."
Amy helped Quatre stand and the two walked out of the room, leaning on each other for support.
When they reached the outside, they saw the rest of their friends exiting through another door. They met up and instantly the questions started from both sides.
"Did you beat Aria?"
"What happened to Starburst?"
"Where the troops defeated?"
"What took you so long?"
"What should we do now?"
The last question hovered in the air for a moment before everyone reached a consensus.
"Let's get out of here!"
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
At the palace, Neo-Queen Serenity listened closely to the tale of the battle. Everyone pitched in different parts until the entire story was told. Amy took out the Queen's scepter and offered it to her.
"Where did you find it?"
"Starburst had stolen it for some reason. We didn't figure out why," said Amy.
The Queen thought for a moment. "He must have been using its power for control. It's the only aspect of the scepter that evil can use."
"Hey! I got it!" Duo exclaimed excitedly. "He must have used it to control the mobile suits and dolls!"
"I think you've got it, Duo," said Trowa.
"Yes! I am a super-genius! Bow down to me!"
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Now we've got this to listen to for the next 3 weeks."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The time had come for the Sailor Scouts to return to the past. Everyone was reacting differently to the situation. Wufei and Raye shook hands. Mina was acting goofy to get a smile out of Trowa.
Duo sat on the ground pouting. "You could have told me sooner that you already had a boyfriend! It's so unfair!"
"Well, um, I'm sorry, it just kinda, like, slipped my mind, I guess," said Serena. "Here, how about this?" She leaned over and kissed Duo's head.
"Ahh, I'll never wash my hair again," said Duo.
"Good. It'll cut down on the water bill," said Wufei.
Lita and Heero stood across from each other. Both were uncertain what to do. Then, Heero offered her a handshake. Lita smiled and shook her head. Then she moved closer and hugged him. "Thank you for understanding," she said.
Lita was again surprised when Heero hugged her back. He was surprised, too, but he didn't say anything.
"You know, you don't have to be a soldier all the time, Heero. There's room for other things, too," Lita spoke.
Heero looked at her strangely. "I know. I've known that for a long time. I've just never found anything that was more important. I've never found anyone who could give me answers."
Lita gazed at him. "I think you just did."
Behind the group, Amy and Quatre looked at each other. Both were being too shy to say what they were feeling. Suddenly, Quatre stamped his foot on the ground.
"Okay. I've been trying to hide my feelings for you since the day we met on the battlefield. I simply can't do it anymore!" And with that, he pulled Amy close and kissed her. At first Amy was startled, but then happy when she discovered that she felt the exact same way. She kissed him back and hugged him tight. They stayed that way until Quatre felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Ahem. You may not know this, but breathing is an important part of staying alive," came a voice.
Quatre whirled around and stood facing Duo, who had a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Quatre and Amy both blushed deeply.
Sailor Pluto floated down in her bubble. "Okay, scouts, it's time."
The girls were reluctant to go, but they listened to Pluto. They saw the opening to the Gate of Time. Turning around, they waved goodbye to their friends and stepped through the portal.
End of chapter 5 and story. Completed at 5:15 p.m. on September 02, 2001.
Author's Note: Well, that's the end! I really hoped you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to Jupiter's Light for suggesting putting Lita and Heero together! I'm considering doing another SM/GW sometime in the future, but with school and some extra-cur activities I've got going, it may be a while. But, thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter! Thank you again, and please review! I enjoy reading little blurbs about my work! I'm not opposed to some constructive criticism, either. Tell me how to make it better for next time! Thank you, and have a nice day. :) bluechibimercury@hotmail.com