Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts and everything affiliated with them are the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, Dic, and many other big name people and companies with lots of money and lots of lawyers. I do not own them so don't sue me; I'm only borrowing them for a little while. Any other characters are mine. If anyone wishes to use them, please notify me first.
Just a bit of clarification:
the * * signify a person's thoughts
the ***** before a section signify either a memory or a shift into the mindscape (don't worry, this will make sense eventually, I hope).
Please email me with your comments and/or criticisms at jnkryo@yahoo.com. Heck, flame me if you want to. I'd like any feedback I can get. Enjoy the story!
Brother's Keeper
Part 5
by: Johnny Ng
In a secluded clearing 90 miles north of the park, a rift opened and out stepped Malicia and a slightly rumpled Trent Powers.
He blinked. "Where am I?"
"You are on my private property."
Trent looked up at the voice and his eyes widened. "You! Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Daniel Takazawa." He looked at Malicia. "I release you. But be ready when I call on you next. Go." She nodded and disappeared.
"How did you...No no, never mind that. I already know your name, but _who_ are you?"
Daniel laughed. "You really don't know who I am?"
"No I..." Trent frowned, concentrating. "Wait, I...I don't know. I-aahhhh!" He clutched his head and sank to his knees.
Daniel walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Come with me and I'll answer your questions." He followed a path into the woods.
When Trent felt the hand, the pain immediately went away. "Wait!" He got up and ran after the man.
He emerged from the trees and saw a large mansion. He slowed down and gawked at the site.
"Welcome to my hideaway," Daniel announced from the doorway.
Trent stepped up to the man. "Some hideaway," he smirked.
"Come inside."
The two of them went in to the study. Daniel walked over to a cabinet.
"What's your poison?" he asked, holding up a bottle of brandy.
"Oh, I don't drink."
"Good." He put the bottle down. "It's a nasty habit."
Trent cleared his throat nervously. "Um...you said you were going to answer my questions?"
"Yes, so I did. Tell me. Do you have any siblings, any sisters or brothers?"
"No, I'm an only child." Trent shook his head. "I don't see what that has to do with anything?"
"On the contrary." Daniel turned. "That has everything to with what's happening here...my brother."
"Wha-" The rest of Trent's exclamation was cut off when a blue beam of light shot out from Daniel's hand and struck his forehead.
Daniel concentrated. *Now, let's see if you are who I think you are.*
Trent couldn't move. He tried to scream, but he couldn't even breathe. *What's happening?* He suddenly felt himself falling. *Wha...Nooooo!*
*Calm down, Trent.*
*Who...Mr. Takazawa?*
There was faint chuckling. *Please, call me Daniel.*
Trent ignored this apparent attempt at friendliness. *What have you done to me?*
*I have done nothing except giving you back something you lost.*
*And what might that be?*
*Your memories. Look, and remember!*
Images flashed across Trent's consciousness almost too fast to comprehend. *What are you showing me?*
*Your life, such as it was.*
The images came faster, and faster still. *It's too much! Aaahhhh!* In a flash of light, it was all over.
Back at the mansion's study, Daniel lowered his hand and the beam vanished.
Trent shook his head and focused on the billionaire. "Hello...brother.
"Can't this junkheap go any faster?!"
Darien grunted as his car bounced over a particularly nasty road bump. "Mina, I'm going as fast as I can."
Mina just sat back in her seat and wrung her hands.
"Don't worry," Lita comforted the nervous blond, "We'll get him back." She turned towards Amy. "How much further, Ames?"
The blue-haired genius looked up from her minicomputer. "We should be at the site in about 5 minutes.
Mina looked out the window at the greenery racing by. *I'm coming, Trent.*
Daniel smiled. "So, you remember?"
"I remember...some things, but-" Trent gasped and grabbed his head.
"Relax. Let it come slowly. What do you remember?"
Trent concentrated. "I remember...a battle...and you...killed me."
Daniel grimaced. "Yes, you would remember that. Do you remember why?"
"You...wouldn't listen to reason. You wanted to use your power to...control people. You were power mad...and evil."
The billionaire laughed. "Do I look evil to you?" He gestured all around him. "All this, my house, my company, all of it, I worked for. I've changed, Trent."
"Why don't I believe you? You sent that demoness to get me and she almost killed me!"
"Really now? Hmm, I guess I will have a talk with Malicia later. But you must understand, I gave her implicit orders to bring you to me unharmed, but you know how summoned beings are."
A gong sounded and Daniel frowned. He got up and headed towards the door. "Excuse my, brother. It seems someone from my company is trying to reach me. Please, think about what I have said."
The sound of the door closing echoed in the room...and in Trent's mind.
Daniel entered his office and picked up the phone. It was Mariko. "I thought I told you that I was not to be disturbed."
"I'm sorry, sir, but you did tell me to keep you informed of the Hokkaido operations."
"Well, what do they want now? More supplies?"
"Actually, sir. They told me to tell you that they found it?"
His breath caught in his throat. *After all these years...could it be?* "Tell them I'll be there as soon as I can. And Mariko, this conversation never happened."
"What conversation, sir?"
Daniel smiled and hung up. He was in a good mood again. Even more so than last time.
Then his intruder alarm sounded.
"There it is. In that clearing." Sailor Mercury called out as the group made their way through the woods. Everyone had transformed before they entered the woods, expecting trouble.
Venus ran on ahead and burst into the clearing. "No one's here. We're too late," she said despondently, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"Maybe not," Mercury countered. "I'm detecting a large structure a few miles north of here as well as two sets of tracks leading to it.
"Trent and the demoness?" Tuxedo Mask asked.
"No, not the demoness. Trent and someone else, someone with a great deal of power."
"Well, c'mon then!" Jupiter yelled, running down the forest path.
After a few minutes of hard traveling, the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask reached the Takazawa mansion.
Sailor Moon gaped. She turned to Mercury. "Are you saying that Trent's trapped in there?"
The blue-haired scout analyzed the readings from her computer. "Yes, Trent is definitely in there. Currently, he's in a room in the east wing of the mansion."
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Sailor Jupiter asked. Everyone immediately turned to Sailor Moon.
"What? Why are you all looking at me?"
Raye snorted. "Well, you are the leader, Serena."
"Oh, ok. Um...uh...maybe we could...ah...go and knock on the door?"
Everyone had looks of disbelief on their faces except for Sailor Mars. She looked as though she was going to slap Sailor Moon.
"Actually, that is a wonderful suggestion," a voice boomed out.
Jupiter was immediately on guard. "Who said that? Show yourself!"
"Very well."
A man materialized in front of them.
Venus gasped. "You!"
Daniel Takazawa smiled. "Yes, it's me. Now for those of you who don't know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Daniel Takazawa, billionaire entrepreneur and president of Takazawa Industries."
"What else are you?" Jupiter questioned.
"What do you mea- Oh, you want to know about the teleporting and all that. Well trust me, I'm as human as you are. I'm no monster or demon, so you can put your ofuda away Sailor Mars."
Mars's eyes widened, but she slowly withdrew her hand from behind her, empty.
Sailor Venus stepped forward. "What have you done with Trent?!"
Daniel looked at her quizzically. He concentrated and then he smiled. "Oh, it's you. I thought I recognized you. You were with Trent at the Starlight Club. Your name is...Mina." He heard Venus gasp. "Yes, Trent thinks of you a great deal." He gestured to his house. "Please, everyone come with me."
Reluctantly, the group followed their host.
"Step into my parlor said the spider to the fly," Mercury muttered.
Daniel simply flashed her a disarming smile.
Trent was still contemplating his brother's statements when his voice intruded on his thoughts.
*Trent, I believe I have some guests here that want to speak with you.*
*With me?*
*Yes, please join us in the main hall.* Then Daniel's voice was gone.
Trent thought about the invitation for a second, then shrugged and headed for the hall.
"Where's Trent?" Venus asked for what must have been the twentieth time since she had met Daniel.
"Patience, Lady Venus. I promise you will see him soon. In the mean time, why don't you all have a seat. Would anyone like any refreshments?"
Sailor Moon was about to raise her hand, but Mars jabbed her in the ribs. This almost precipitated into another tongue war between the two, but Tuxedo Mask conveniently sat down in between the two feuding scouts.
Jupiter sighed at the narrowly averted crisis. She turned to Mercury. "If this guy is the enemy, at least he's more polite than previous ones."
There was a sound of a door opening and Daniel looked up. "Ah, here comes the man of the hour now."
Trent emerged from an upstairs doorway and descended the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he was immediately set upon by Sailor Venus, who flung her arms around him in a crushing hug.
"Trent!" the blond scout cried into his shoulder, "You're okay!"
Trent was momentarily nonplussed but then he concentrated and was able to see past Venus's disguise magic.
"Mina! It's you!" She looked up into his face and nodded. Trent's eyes softened. "Yes, I'm alright." He smirked. "So, you're a Sailor Scout, huh?"
Venus answered him by giving him a fierce kiss.
Daniel cleared his throat and everybody looked at him. "This is truly very touching and I'm sure that all of you must have questions for Trent and for me. Unfortunately, I have business to attend to. I'm sure you can show yourselves out."
Sailor Moon looked up, startled. "You're letting us go?"
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?"
"Well, aren't you the bad guy? And bad guys don't let the good guys escape."
Daniel chuckled. "I'm not evil Sailor Moon. I've convinced Trent of that, or at least tried to. Now, I really have to go. Good day." He turned and walked up the stairs.
"I don't trust him," Sailor Mars muttered.
"Trust him or not, I think we should do as he says," Tuxedo Mask added.
Everyone agreed and headed for the main doors.
Daniel was watching all of this on a viewing crystal from his private room. *Well, Trent, it seems like my hunch was correct. You are alive. But what to do with you?*
The car ride back to Tokyo was surprisingly quiet. The Scouts and Tuxedo Mask had detransformed after Trent had successfully identified them in their disguised forms. The meeting with Daniel Takazawa was weighing heavily on everyone's mind.
The events were apparently too much for Mina as she was leaning against Trent and snoring peacefully. Trent held on to her gently, but his thoughts kept returning to memories of his brother.
They arrived back at the Hikawa shrine and Raye told Trent to put Mina in her room to rest. "And you better get to the Great Fire Room, quick! So no funny business!"
Trent blushed and nodded.
Once everyone was gathered in the Great Fire Room, Trent began the explanations.
"I guess you all wondering what connection I have with Daniel Takazawa. Well..."
"Mina!" Serena gasped. "Shouldn't you be resting."
Mina was standing in the doorway. "I'm not tired." She yawned. "Well, maybe just a little, but I want to hear this." She went over to Trent and sat next to him.
Trent smiled and put his arm around Mina's shoulders. "As I was saying...Daniel Takazawa is...my brother."
Everyone was shocked.
"How can he be your brother? He must be at least 40-years-old," Lita asked.
Trent took a deep breath. "Well, it all began a long time ago. Daniel and I were born into a peasant family. It was a difficult birth and our mother didn't survive. Our father raised us. There was a war and father volunteered to serve in the king's army. He died, saving the king's life and in return, the king offered to take care of us. We were given the best education in the land and were treated almost like princes.
"In the course of our studies, we learned about magic, and we soon developed an skill for it. The royal magus learned of this and offered to school us personally in the use of magic. We were adept apprentices and learned quickly. We soon surpassed the magus in skill and power and were named royal magi.
"I was content with using my power to improve our kingdom and its people, but Daniel wanted more. He wanted more power, more control. To him, what good was it if he had the power, yet someone else ruled? He was determined to seize the throne, by any means necessary. I learned of his plans and confronted him. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen. I knew I couldn't let him continue with his plans so we fought.
"Though we were both near the same level in magical power, Daniel had spent his time studying battle magic, whereas I studied the defensive and healing arts. Even though I knew I couldn't hope to stand with him in a head-to-head battle, I thought I could wear him out, get him to expend all his combat spells so I could retaliate and trap him. It didn't happen that way. Daniel's power seemed inexhaustible. He battered down all my defenses and in the end it was I who lay powerless before him.
"I tried once more to reason with him, but he was not to be swayed. He knew that of all the people on earth, I was the only one who could stop him, and so he killed me."
There were startled gasps all around.
"But if he killed you, how are you here now?" Raye asked.
"Well, be fore he killed me, I cast a final spell that preserved my spirit until I could be reincarnated, so here I am. This may sound like an amazing story, but-"
Serena held up her hand, stopping Trent's statement. "Let me get this straight. You spoke about serving in a kingdom long ago, practicing magic, fighting evil, dying, and getting reborn am I correct?" Trent nodded. "Well, that's not as shocking to us as you might think." Serena proceeded to relate to him the history and adventures of the Sailor Scouts, starting with the Silver Millenium.
When she finished, Trent was sitting back, wide-eyed. "Wow, that's really something."
"Well, what should we do about Daniel?" Lita asked, her eyes glinting dangerously.
Amy lay a restraining on the tall brunette's shoulder. She looked at Trent. "He is your brother and you do know more about him than the rest of us. What do you suggest?"
Trent contemplated his answer. "Well, he did tell me that he has changed. He has become a hard-working businessman and he hasn't hurt anybody-"
"Hasn't hurt anybody?!" Mina was livid. "He sent that monster out to get you!"
Trent took Mina's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He told me that that was an accident. The demoness he summoned misinterpreted his instructions."
"Well, if he wanted to find you, why didn't he just call the police or somebody?" Mina countered.
"You don't know my brother like I do. He is a very private person. He doesn't like involving other people in his business."
Mina didn't object any further, but she was still not convinced.
Trent cleared his throat. "I think I'll give my brother another chance. After all, you gave Darien another chance when was brainwashed into joining the Negaverse."
They couldn't argue against that logic, and everyone agreed.
"But if he does anything that hurts anybody, I'm going to hurt him!" Mina warned.