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 7
by: Johnny Ng
Daniel was in his laboratory in the basement of his mansion. The Philosopher's Stone sat on a table in front of him, as well as a plain silver ring. He placed his hands over both objects and said an incantation. Both the stone and the ring began to glow when suddenly they flashed. The magus shielded his eyes and when he looked, the Philosopher's Stone had been set in the ring. He smiled and slipped the ring on his finger. *Now nothing can stop me!*
An alarm sounded and Daniel frowned. *An intruder?* He shrugged and teleported away.
Serena slowly walked up to the mansion's front steps and waited. Amy had told her that the mansion's security system would have alerted Daniel so there was no need for her to walk to the door. Indeed, a few moments later, the billionaire materialized in front of her.
"Good evening, Ms. Tsukino."
Serena didn't want to deal with pleasantries. She looked up at the man, her eyes moistening. "Did you kill Mina?"
He looked down at her. "No, I did not."
"Liar!" Sailor Jupiter shouted, bursting out of the trees and running up to Serena. The other scouts and Tuxedo Mask soon followed suit.
Daniel looked at the tall scout and spread his hands. "I'm telling you the truth, I did not kill her."
"Then where is she?" Serena asked.
"You wish to see your friend?"
"Please," Serena pleaded.
"Very well." He gestured and a portal opened. "Just step through. This portal will take you to her." The scouts looked dubious. "I give you my word. I will not harm you."
Serena nodded and stepped through. Tuxedo Mask and the others followed.
The portal delivered them to a cave entrance. Daniel appeared beside them. "Your friend is in there."
"This smells like a trap," Sailor Mars said quietly.
They were all about to enter the cave when Malicia appeared.
"I knew it! It's a trap!" Mars shouted, leaping to Serena's side.
Daniel held up his hand. "No, it's not." He looked at the demoness. "Malicia, let them enter."
~As you wish, Master.~ She stepped aside and permitted the scouts to walk into the cave.
Walking in, Serena immediately saw the two stone pillars and the two bodies on top of them. "Mina!" She rushed to her fallen friend's side. "Mina, wake up!" The others also clustered around the unconscious blond's form. Mercury immediately took out her minicomputer and began scanning Mina.
Serena continued to shake Mina's form, but when she wouldn't wake up, she turned to Mercury. "What's wrong, Mercury?" she cried, "Is she really d...dead?"
Mercury slowly shook her head. "No, she not dead...but not alive either. My computer can't understand these readings."
"Let me try," Mars volunteered. She placed her hands over Mina's chest and closed her eyes. After a few minutes of concentration, her eyes snapped open. "I felt...nothing. It's like Mina's just a shell." A look of realization and horror spread across her face. "Her soul is gone!"
"No, not gone. Just imprisoned," Daniel informed them, stepping into the cave.
Sailor Jupiter ran up to him and grabbed his shirt. "You did this you bastard!"
The magus frowned and, with a thought, tossed Jupiter aside. He straightened his clothes before he addressed the heroes. "Yes, I did."
"Please, bring her back," Serena pleaded.
"No, I will not. But you are welcome to try." Daniel turned and started walking out of the cave amid the scouts' protests. He held up his hand. "You asked me to bring you to your friend and I have. As far as I'm concerned, our business is ended."
Daniel stepped outside and spoke with Malicia. "Resume your guarding of the tomb as I have requested."
~Yes, Master.~
The magus nodded and teleported away.
Back in the cave, the scouts were still trying to figure out what to do. Serena remained by Mina's side as the others put forth ideas. Unfortunately, they weren't having much luck coming up with a solution.
Exasperated, Sailor Mars turned to Serena. "Hey, Meatball Head, the least you could do is come here and listen to our-" She stopped short as she saw Serena transform into Sailor Moon and summon the Imperium Silver Crystal. "Serena! Don't!"
Sailor Moon turned to her friends. "But don't you see, I must. Don't worry. I'll be careful." She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her uniform dissolved and was replaced with her Moon Princess gown.
Princess Serenity opened her eyes and regarded Mina's reclining form. "Oh, my friend. Let me help."
Serenity closed her eyes and the Crystal rose in front of her. Her Moon sigil flashed and its beam struck the Crystal. The Crystal glowed and emitted a beam that struck Mina's forehead.
*****
Serenity suddenly found herself floating in a hazy, white limbo.
*The Well of Souls.*
This was the place where all souls resided. She concentrated on Mina's soul and she slowly began to drift. As she moved she saw other souls, luminescent globes with a shimmering cord attached to them. If a cord was severed, the soul would be lost and that person would die.
She moved deeper into the mists but still failed to find Mina's soul. Despair was starting to creep into Serenity's heart when she at last saw it. A bright, orange sphere glimmered in the distance; however, its cord was thin and practically nonexistent. She willed herself to move faster and was at the soul's side in a heartbeat. She tried to move closer, but a shield flashed into existence around the soul.
Serenity was momentarily startled. She summoned the Crystal and tried to shatter the shield with its energies, but it was having no effect. Instead, the shield seemed to be getting stronger and as it did, the cord began to flicker.
The Princess stopped her attack and tried to think rationally. She had been able to learn much about the shield with her attack. Apparently, the shield was both the prison for Mina's soul and its guardian. It was designed to resist the soul's attempts to free itself or someone else's attempts to free it, but not both at the same time.
*Mina! Can you here me?*
The soul flickered. *Seren...no, Princess Serenity? Is that you?*
*Yes it is, my friend. I have come to set you free, but I need your help.*
The soul sighed. *Please, Princess, let me go. Trent is dead. I have nothing to live for.*
Serenity was shocked. *But what about your family? Your friends? Your duty as a Sailor Scout?*
*Princess, do not make this any harder for me than it has to be-*
*I cannot accept that. As your sovereign ruler, I order you to return.* Her tone softened. *Please, Mina. Trent would not want you to die needlessly. Come back. For me. For your friends. For him.*
The soul was silent for a long time before it answered. *Okay, I'll go back. Just tell me what to do.*
Serenity smiled. *Just concentrate on escaping and I'll handle to rest.*
Mina's soul gradually grew brighter and the shield flared in response.
When Serenity saw that, she attacked with the Crystal.
Again the shield flared, but it was starting to crack.
*Just a little more, Mina.*
The cracks widened and with a crash the shield shattered. Once it was gone, Mina's cord flashed and strengthened.
*Princess, I don't know how to thank you.*
*There is no need for thanks. Just live your life as you have, Mina, and take comfort in the fact that your family and friends love you.* She closed her eyes and mists surrounded her and Mina's soul.
*****
Mina slowly stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey everyone," she said weakly. She turned to Serenity. "Thank you, Princess."
Serenity smiled. "Welcome back, Mina." Her Moon sigil flashed and she became Serena again. Tuxedo Mask quickly went to her side when he saw he starting to collapse. "I'm alright. How do you feel, Mina?"
"A little woozy, but ok. Where's--" She turned and saw Trent lying on the brier next to her and gasped. "Oh no, Trent!"
Mina struggled to her feet and stumbled over to Trent's side. *Please let him be alright. Please!* However, her silent plea went unanswered. Daniel was right. Trent was dead. She turned to her friends.
"Please, help him."
Seeing that Serena was still out of it, Sailor Mars went over to Trent and placed her hands over his chest. However, she immediately snatched them away. She fell back into the cave wall and wrapped her arms around herself. "Cold...so cold."
"Raye, what happened?" Sailor Jupiter asked.
Continuing to shiver, Mars answered, "I felt nothing. It was worse then when I tried help you, Mina. With you, your soul was gone, but with Trent, it was like he never had a soul."
"Daniel told me he had destroyed his soul," Mina whispered.
"Then there's no hope," Mars said. "Without a soul, his body can't live."
Mina's shoulders slumped as tears worked their way down her face. One drop hung on her chin before falling on her pendant. The tear glistened on the blue stone and it glowed in response. The glow drew everyone's attention.
"Wha...what's happening?" Mina asked.
Mercury immediately began to scan the pendant with her computer.
*...mina...*
"Who...?" Mina's breath caught in her throat. "Trent?"
*...yes...*
"Where? How?"
Sailor Mars went to Mina's side. "Mina, are you ok?"
Mina grabbed Mars's shoulders. "It's Trent! Can't you hear him?"
*...no...they can't...*
"Oh, ok. What should I do?"
"Well," Mars remarked, "For one thing, I think you should come and sit..."
Mina ignored her. Instead she walked over to Trent's body and took off her pendant. "What now?"
*...place it...on my chest...*
She did so and the pendant's glow intensified.
Jupiter asked Mercury. "Do you know what's going on?"
The blue-haired scout sighed and shut her computer. "I have no idea. All I know is that it's something magical."
A faint mist exuded from the pendant. It hung in the air for a moment before it settled on Trent's body. The pendant suddenly flashed painfully, causing all to avert their eyes.
Mina stumbled against a rock and braced herself for a fall, but she suddenly felt someone catch her. She blinked her eyes. "Trent?"
"Thanks for bringing me back, Mina."
With a cry, Mina flung her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips.
"I guess this means you're glad to see me?" Trent asked when he was finally able to breathe. Mina just kissed him again.
Sailor Mars cleared her throat. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to get out of here."
~You're not going anywhere.~ Malicia appeared in the cave's entrance. ~My Master told me to destroy any and all who would seek to leave this place.~
Trent stepped up to the demoness. "You don't have to serve my brother anymore. I can undo his summoning. I can set you free."
Malicia grinned. ~Who says I don't like serving him?~ She launched herself at Mina.
Trent moved to protect her, but Mars was quicker as she slapped one of her ofudas on the demoness's forehead. "Evil spirits, begone!"
Malicia suddenly found herself frozen. Trent walked in front of her. "Thank you, Sailor Mars. Now, as for you, I'm sending you home." He shouted out a phrase and touched Malicia's forehead.
The demoness screamed as she began to dissolve. Soon she was gone and the prayer strip fell to the ground.
Trent staggered a bit but was able to right himself. "Whoa, that banishment spell really does take a lot out of you." He looked around at the scouts and Tuxedo Mask. "Why don't we go someplace where we can talk?" With a wave of his arms, they teleported away.
Daniel dismissed the viewing stone. He had witnessed Trent and Mina's resurrections but wasn't worried. *They can't stop me now. The Stone has become a part of me. The world will soon be mine!*
Trent and the Scouts appeared back at the Hikawa shrine, in the Great Fire Room.
"Wow, that sure beats Sailor Teleport," Jupiter remarked as she detransformed.
The rest of the scouts detransformed as well, including Tuxedo Mask.
The door opened and the two Lunar cats bounded in.
"Mina! You're alive!" Artemis shouted jumping in Mina's arms. Luna rubbed up against her leg.
Mina laughed. "Of course I'm alive you silly cat."
"But how, I felt you d...die?"
"Well, I guess I did," Mina replied in a subdued tone. She told them everything that happened. The dinner, the Philosopher's Stone, Trent's death, her death, everything.
"...and the next thing I knew, I was waking up inside a cave next to...Trent..." Mina trailed off, clutching Trent's arm.
"How did you survive this time, Trent?" Amy asked. "According to Mina, Daniel destroyed your soul."
"So he thought. From what I heard from Mina, my brother performed the soul extraction spell perfectly. However, I had made precautions against that. Mina, may I have the pendant for a moment?"
Mina looked puzzled but unclasped the necklace and handed it to him.
Trent took it and held the pendant gently. "This is no ordinary stone. It is a soul catcher." He smiled. "It was meant to protect you, Mina. Who knew it would save me?
"When you placed the pendant on my chest, I was able to transfer my soul back to my body." He handed the necklace back to Mina.
Lita nudged her. "Hey, you better be careful with that."
Trent smiled. "Actually, the soul catcher only works once."
"So, this isn't magical anymore?" Mina asked.
"No, it's just an ordinary run-of-the-mill really expensive sapphire."
"Oh...oh!" Mina immediately brightened and put on the necklace again.
Serena looked at Darien slyly. "So, when do I get some expensive jewelry?"
Darien was suddenly nervous. "Uh..."
"Serena, there's no time for that now," Raye interrupted. She looked at everyone. "I think the question we should be asking is 'what should we do about Daniel?'"
All eyes were on Trent. "I don't know. My brother was right. He has changed...for the worse. He's much more patient and devious than before." He sighed. "The one thing I do know is that we have to find him and stop him soon."
Everyone was suddenly subdued. Luna finally spoke up, "I think we all should go home and get some sleep. It's getting late."
"Oh no! My mom's going to kill me!"
Darien smiled. "Well, anybody who needs to get home just hop into...my...car.... My car! It's still parked outside the mansion!"
"Actually, I took the liberty of teleporting your car along with us when we left the cave," Trent informed him. "It's outside right now."
"Cool, c'mon girls." Serena, Amy, and Lita all said good-byes and followed Darien out. Luna declined the ride, preferring to go do some hunting and she persuaded Artemis to come with her.
Raye yawned. "Well, I'm turning in. See you guys later."
When Raye left, Trent and Mina just sat next to each other in front of the Great Fire, each taking comfort in the other's presence. They stayed this way for a while before Trent spoke up.
"Mina, maybe I should take you home now. You're parents might be getting worried."
Mina didn't answer. Trent looked down and saw that she was asleep. *Hmm, this seems familiar.* He closed his eyes and teleported both of them to Mina's house.
Trent looked up at the door and sighed. He shifted Mina around in his arms and rang the doorbell. *Here we go again.*