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 9
by: Johnny Ng
Raye was pacing inside the girls' prison. "Find out anything about this dome yet, Amy?"
The blue-haired girl continued to type commands into her computer but shook her head. "Whatever this dome is, it's not registering on my scans. It's like its not even here."
Lita punched the wall and winced. "Well, it sure feels solid to me."
Mina didn't hear any of this, though. She just sat staring out the door that Trent had left from. Serena was sitting beside her, offering her any comfort she could.
"I hope he's okay," Mina murmured. It was the longest sentence she had uttered ever since Trent left.
"I'm sure Trent's fine," Serena said.
"Of course he's okay," Lita reassured, "The dome is still here, right?" She threw another punch at it. This time, though, instead of feeling like she was punching a brick wall, Lita felt it give slightly.
"Hey guys, I think something's going on with the dome."
Amy closed her computer. "What do you mean?"
"See for yourself." Lita pushed slightly on the wall. The dome flickered slightly and started to sag. "It's like pushing against a thick pad of foam rubber."
Amy poked at it and felt her finger push in. "Hmm, that could mean it's weakening."
That caught Mina's attention. "Weakening? That might mean that Trent's weakening, too!"
Serena tried to calm the girl down. "It might mean anything, Mina, but Lita's right. As long as the dome is still here then Trent is ok."
The dome then popped like a soap bubble.
No one uttered a sound for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly a soft chanting filled the air.
"No...no...no nonono," Mina was becoming hysterical. Then the floodgates opened. "NO!! Trent!!" She scrambled to her feet and bolted out the door.
Serena followed Mina but when she ran out to the court, she saw that Mina had already transformed into Sailor Venus and was hopping from rooftop to rooftop...heading towards Tokyo Tower. She ran back inside. "We might have a problem."
"Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead." Venus kept on repeating it like a mantra. Tears were streaming from her eyes, but she didn't notice. When she ran out of rooftops, she unconsciously summoned her Love Chain and whipped it at a lamppost and swung onto the roof of a bus that was heading towards the Tower.
"Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead."
Trent was not dead, but he wasn't feeling so good, either.
Daniel leaned over him. "Almost brother. I can feel how little power you have left in your body." He turned away. "I never wanted it to be this way."
"...What?" Trent struggled out.
"I never wanted it to end like this. I never wanted to kill you."
Trent tried to laugh, but it came out as a low moan. "That's...funny. It...didn't stop you...the other times."
A sad smile crossed Daniel's features. "You don't understand. I knew you would come back the other times. I knew about the spirit preservation spell you cast, and I knew about the soul catcher you gave to Mina. You see, as much as I disliked you, you were my brother and I loved you."
The magus turned away. "But now, this is the end."
Trent forced himself to a sitting position. "If...this is the end...can you do...one thing for me?"
Daniel nodded. "Name it."
"...t...take care of Mina...and her friends..."
"Very well."
The chains holding Trent began to pulse.
"It is time." Daniel lifted his hand and levitated Trent. "Goodbye, Trent. This time for real."
He began to squeeze and Trent felt his bones breaking, the chains digging into his flesh. Suddenly another chain appeared and wrapped around Daniel.
"Let him go," Sailor Venus's voice echoed from behind the magus.
Daniel swung his head around and saw the blond haired Scout. "Lady Venus. I am surprised to see you here. I had thought that my brother would have warned you to stay away."
"I...did."
Venus blinked. "Trent! You're alive!"
"Run...Mina..." Trent took a deep breath. "Run!"
"I'm not leaving without you!"
A voice rang out. "And we're not leaving without both of you!"
"Sailor Moon! Everyone! You're here!" Venus cried out happily.
Sailor Moon and the other Scouts leaped next to Venus.
Amazingly, Sailor Moon forwent her usual speech. Instead, she took out her Moon Scepter and pointed it at Daniel. "If you don't let them go, I'll...I'll..."
The magus laughed. "Please stop, Sailor Moon. Idle threats don't suit you." He tried to move but Venus's chain restrained him. He frowned and concentrated. An electric pulse coursed through the chain and hit Venus.
Jupiter saw Venus fly backwards, her chain dissolving and releasing Daniel. She decided she had seen enough. "Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!"
Daniel saw the globe of concentrated electricity coming at him, but he was unimpressed. He stretched out his hands and caught it. "I believe I have something of yours, Lady Jupiter." He threw the attack back at her, faster than she had launched it at him.
Jupiter threw her hands up to soften the blow, but it still knocked her over. Before she could get back up, she saw Daniel snap his fingers and felt chains bind her body. She tried to break them, but she suddenly felt her whole body grow weak and slumped to the ground.
"Yes, truly a wonderful spell you devised, Trent," Daniel complimented his brother.
"You...promised to...take care of them..."
Daniel frowned. "I wasn't hurting them, Trent. I was merely subduing them. And anyway, that was a dying wish, but you're not dead yet. So technically, I can do anything I want." He saw Sailor Mercury heading to where Venus had fallen. He contemplated trapping her, but wanted to know Venus's condition.
Reaching Venus's side, Mercury took out her computer and performed a quick scan. When she read the results, she breathed a sigh of relief. "She's okay, just a little groggy."
Trent released the breath he had unconsciously been holding and even Daniel smiled slightly.
"Good, I was afraid I might have put too much power in that jolt," the magus said. He snapped his fingers and chains appeared around Mercury and Venus. "There, that should keep you out of my way for a moment."
Sailor Moon watched with dismay as two more of her friends collapsed, but Sailor Mars wasn't dismayed, she was angry.
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"
Immediately after launching her attack at Daniel, Mars ran towards the magus. *I sure hope this works.*
Daniel saw the fire rings blazing towards him and sighed. The rings struck his barrier and disappeared. "Really, Mars, I thought you would have learned from Jup-"
Mars wasn't listening, however. She knew that Daniel would block her attack, but she needed a diversion. She leaped at him and took out an ofuda and plastered it on his forehead. "Evil spirits, begone!" She landed Daniel him and waited for him to start screaming. He never did. Instead, she heard a "tsk" as the magus turned towards her.
"Didn't I warn you earlier about your spirit wards?" Daniel reached up and peeled the strip of paper from his scalp and crushed it.
Mars was stunned. "Y...you should be paralyzed!"
Daniel shook his head. "You ofuda work by neutralizing the evil inside of a person, right?" Mars nodded dumbly. "That's why it failed. I'm not evil. I believe I have told you that before as well."
"But...but you have to be! All those things you did...killing your own brother...twice!..."
"...Were not done out of evil," Daniel interrupted, "They were done out of necessity. I never took any pleasure in the things I did." He snapped his fingers again and Mars was bound. He turned to Sailor Moon. "It's just you now, Serena. I'll offer you one chance. Go, and take your friends with you."
"What about Trent?" she asked nervously.
"I'm afraid my brother will have to stay with me."
"Then it's settled. I'm not going."
"As you wish." Daniel was about to summon the chains when a streak of red flashed through the air and struck the ground in front of him. It was a rose.
"Tuxedo Mask, you're here!" Sailor Moon cried with relief.
The tuxedo-clad warrior ran up to Sailor Moon. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but the others..."
Tuxedo Mask looked at the prone forms of the Scouts. He took out a rose and aimed it at Daniel. "Release them."
Daniel smiled. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You should worry more about yourself, Darien."
"What are you..." Tuxedo mask suddenly felt the rose in his hand start to writhe. The stem stretched out and wrapped around his body, the thorns piercing his skin. He cried out and Daniel snapped his fingers. The chains replaced the rose and Tuxedo mask joined the other girls on the
ground.
"Well, what say you now, Sailor Moon?" Daniel asked. "Do you want to leave now or join your friends?"
Determination was etched in Sailor Moon's features. "I'm not leaving, not while you're still here." She summoned her scepter. "Moon Scepter Elimin-"
Daniel waved his hand and the scepter went flying. "None of that now."
Sailor Moon began to edge away from him and stopped when she reached the Tower's railing. She looked at her friends and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, but I have no choice." She placed her hands over her broach and summoned the Silver Crystal.
Mars's eyes widened. "Sailor Moon...don't!" she croaked.
Tuxedo Mask stared fixedly at his love. "...Serena..."
Sailor Moon wasn't listening, however. She lifted the Crystal and transformed into the Moon Princess. She set her sights on the magus. "I am Princess Serenity. Release my friends."
Daniel smiled. "Ah, Princess, I am pleased to make your acquaintance." He walked up to her and extended his hand in friendship.
Serenity ignored the proffered hand, keeping her gaze locked on Daniel. "Release my friends."
The magus paused then nodded. "Alright. I never had any quarrel with them anyway." He waved his hand and the chains disappeared from the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask. They fell to the ground heavily and unconscious.
Serenity's eyes narrowed. "Release all my friends." She gestured at the still bound Trent.
At this, Daniel grimaced. "I'm afraid not, Princess. Trent is special to me and is under my care. Besides, this is a private family matter."
Serenity frowned. "Trent is my friend and is special to one of my court, that is all that matters. Release him, now."
Daniel's eyes hardened. "I liked you better as Serena. Much less bossy." In the blink of an eye, he teleported in next to Serenity and plucked the Crystal from her hands.
"No! Give that back!" Serenity shouted, sounding a lot like Serena.
Daniel examined the Crystal. "I believe that this is the source of your power?" He placed the Crystal between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed. Minute cracks began to appear and grew larger.
Serenity gasped and lunged at the magus, but it was too late.
With a final squeeze, the Imperium Silver Crystal shattered.
Serenity collapsed to her knees as the Crystal shards fell to the ground. Her transformation reversed as her royal gown shimmered and faded. Plain old Serena bowed her head and wept.
Daniel looked at the girls crying before him pityingly. "I'm sorry that I had to do that, Serena, but I couldn't let you interfere." He turned towards Trent. "Now, as for you, brother-"
He heard Serena gasp and a regal voice commanded, "Stop."
Daniel rolled his eyes. *Now what?* He turned and faced the speaker...and his jaw fell. Before him stood an ethereal vision of wonder, a translucent figure in a shimmering white gown similar to Princess Serenity's. Her hair was silver and done up in two buns also like the Princess.
"Who are you?" the magus asked after finally finding his voice.
"I am Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom," she replied, "and the guardian of the Imperium Silver Crystal."
"Mother?" Serena whispered.
The Queen smiled at her daughter. "Yes, dear, I am your mother." A sad look flitted across her face. "At least the part of her that existed in the Silver Crystal."
Serena was puzzled. "What do you mean a part?"
The Queen opened her mouth, but Daniel cleared his throat. "As heartwarming as this scene is, Your Majesty, I am quite busy now, so if you have something to say please keep it brief."
Serenity disregarded the flippant tone in the magus's voice. "I have come to see you answer for destroying the Silver Crystal and to strip from you the power of the Philosopher's Stone."
Daniel grinned. "I would like to see you try." He fired a blast from his ring at Serenity.
Serenity didn't even blink as she redirected the blast to Trent. The energy struck him and his chains disappeared.
The magus gaped. "How did you do that?"
"You do not know the true origins of the Philosopher's Stone, do you? Its power was once part of the Silver Crystal when it was first created, but it was impure. It would increase the power of its wielder, but it would also increase the wielder's baser instincts: ambition, greed, lust.
"The first Queen Serenity realized this and extracted the impure power and created the Philosopher's Stone. She was going to destroy it when the Stone suddenly disappeared. Apparently, it had developed a sense of self-preservation and teleported itself away. To where was unknown. It was not until I was queen that word of its existence resurfaced, but by then I was busy dealing with Beryl." She looked Daniel straight in the eye. "The Stone is intelligent. It seeks out those with power and uses them. It sought you out because of your ambition."
Daniel chuckled. "An interesting story, Your Majesty, but don't take this the wrong way when I say I don't believe you."
Serenity shook her head sadly as her form blurred and rematerialized next to the magus. "I'm sorry, but I must stop the Stone." She grabbed hold of Daniel's hand and the ring. Her Moon sigil flashed and both she and the magus began glowing faintly.
"Mother!" Serena shouted rising to her feet and stumbling towards the Queen.
"No...wait..." Trent gasped ring slowly to his feet.
Serena stopped and made her way over to Trent. "Are you alright? Do you know what's happening?"
"I'm okay, just a little dizzy. When the Queen broke my chains, she must have gave me some of her energy." He looked at Serenity and his brother frozen together. "I think your mother is trying to battle Daniel for control of the Stone."
"But why are they glowing like that?"
"The battle is in my brother's mind."