Jupiter's Secret
Part Five
Lita smiled as she pushed Ken into a pool of clear water. He bounded out, picked her up, and threw her in too. They splashed and played around for what seemed like hours before they both got out. They were completely dry.
"Is this a dream?" Lita wondered.
"Why, do you usually dream about me?" Ken teased.
Lita stuck out her tongue. "No, but we're not even wet. Isn't that kind of odd?"
Ken frowned. "Yeah, that is weird. Last thing I remember is seeing you face, and then I must have fallen asleep. What about you?"
Lita thought, then gasped as the answer came to her. "Ken, we're dead!"
He laughed, then stopped abruptly. "You're.not joking?"
"We have to get back!"
***
The scouts were still sitting in the castle, all of them crying. Venus was hunched, over Jupiter's prone body, sobbing, when she noticed with shock a slight glow to it. What's happening?
***
Lita was sitting on the floor, motionless. Ken peered at her doubtfully. What was she doing? Did she have the power to bring people back to life? Were they even dead? He sure didn't feel dead. He felt.well, happy. He was finally with Lita, and she was safe.
He turned his attention back to her. Okay, now she was glowing! He wanted desperately to yell out her name, to wake her, but she had told him not to, no matter what. She glowed brighter. He felt his stomach pains start. No! That's what they were from! Whenever Lita was in danger, his pains began! It made sense, in bizarre-o land. Just to test it out, he lifted his foot as if he were going to kick her. The pains got so bad, he collapsed. I thought you couldn't feel pain if you were dead, he wondered weakly. I guess protecting Lita is a full-time job.
***
Lita could feel the Wisdom Stone. She took it and thought about saving Ken. How could she do this? Just concentrate, she told herself sternly. She started to focus, but the crystal shattered! What's going on? she thought desperately.
"Makoto," an elegant voice called to her. She realized who it was instantly.
"Mother?" she said tremblingly.
"That's right."
"Mother, where are Ken and I?" Makoto asked.
"You are in the plains between life and death. Now Makoto, you don't know how to use the Wisdom Stone. You shouldn't be using it, should you?"
"Mother," she said softly. "I have to save Ken."
"No, Makoto," Queen Jupiter pleaded. "If you save him, you might not be able to save yourself, and even if you do, the Stone will turn to dust."
"I don't care about the stone! I just want to save Ken!" Lita, now Princess Makoto, cried. "Why does everything have to be so complicated? Why can't I just do this?"
"Because if you do, you will not be able to transform into Sailor Jupiter any longer."
That stopped Makoto. There must be another way.
"I can save you, and you alone," the Queen said. "I don't have enough power to save you both."
"No.mother, I must save him." Makoto said, clinging to hope like a child to a blanket.
She could feel her mother smile. "I understand. I hope you make the right decision." Then Makoto could no longer feel her presence, and transformed back to normal Lita.
She quickly came out of her meditation position, and walked over to Ken, who was glad she was okay. Inspiration struck her. "Ken, come here for a second."
He obligingly came closer. Lita caught hold of his hand and brushed her fingers with his. Concentrating hard, she watched as a small half of a stone came out of her hand and transferred to his. "What's happening?" she heard him ask, but she couldn't lose focus. She waited until the entire crystal half was submerged into him before looking up and speaking.
"Now, if you combine your strength with mine, we should both be able to get back safely."
"How does it work?" Ken asked, still partially in shock.
"Just concentrate on what you want to do. Think of the stone and concentrate, alright?"
"Okay."
They clasped hands and concentrated on the crystal. They were one. Ken felt Lita's incredible weakness from fighting so much, and also her fighting spirit, which would not allow her to give up. He also felt her trepidation about doing this, because she might lose her transformation powers. She felt his unwavering trust, and complete devotion to protecting her, even when she didn't need it.
They became each other, and slowly felt ground give way to clouds.
***
The scouts had returned to their normal clothes, and were still trying to revive the long-gone Lita and Ken.
"They can't be gone," sobbed Serena. "They just can't be! We can't fight without Jupiter!"
Mina had noticed the light glow coming from Lita go out, but it was coming back, little by little. She pointed this out to the other scouts. The light kept getting stronger, and Ken began to glow too.
Could it be..?
Lita's hand twitched once, and then she let out a moan.
"Lita!" Mina shouted joyfully. "You're alive!"
One of Lita's eyes slowly opened. "Geez, Mina, you sound like Frankenstein."
Mina laughed and hugged her, almost in hysterics.
Ken slowly revived as well, complaining about a headache.
"Ken!" Lita cried.
"Lita!" Ken cried.
They painfully crawled to one another and hugged. "You're okay!" they both cried. Then for some unknown reason, both began to cry. Lita had lost her power to become a Sailor Scout.
Part Five
Lita smiled as she pushed Ken into a pool of clear water. He bounded out, picked her up, and threw her in too. They splashed and played around for what seemed like hours before they both got out. They were completely dry.
"Is this a dream?" Lita wondered.
"Why, do you usually dream about me?" Ken teased.
Lita stuck out her tongue. "No, but we're not even wet. Isn't that kind of odd?"
Ken frowned. "Yeah, that is weird. Last thing I remember is seeing you face, and then I must have fallen asleep. What about you?"
Lita thought, then gasped as the answer came to her. "Ken, we're dead!"
He laughed, then stopped abruptly. "You're.not joking?"
"We have to get back!"
***
The scouts were still sitting in the castle, all of them crying. Venus was hunched, over Jupiter's prone body, sobbing, when she noticed with shock a slight glow to it. What's happening?
***
Lita was sitting on the floor, motionless. Ken peered at her doubtfully. What was she doing? Did she have the power to bring people back to life? Were they even dead? He sure didn't feel dead. He felt.well, happy. He was finally with Lita, and she was safe.
He turned his attention back to her. Okay, now she was glowing! He wanted desperately to yell out her name, to wake her, but she had told him not to, no matter what. She glowed brighter. He felt his stomach pains start. No! That's what they were from! Whenever Lita was in danger, his pains began! It made sense, in bizarre-o land. Just to test it out, he lifted his foot as if he were going to kick her. The pains got so bad, he collapsed. I thought you couldn't feel pain if you were dead, he wondered weakly. I guess protecting Lita is a full-time job.
***
Lita could feel the Wisdom Stone. She took it and thought about saving Ken. How could she do this? Just concentrate, she told herself sternly. She started to focus, but the crystal shattered! What's going on? she thought desperately.
"Makoto," an elegant voice called to her. She realized who it was instantly.
"Mother?" she said tremblingly.
"That's right."
"Mother, where are Ken and I?" Makoto asked.
"You are in the plains between life and death. Now Makoto, you don't know how to use the Wisdom Stone. You shouldn't be using it, should you?"
"Mother," she said softly. "I have to save Ken."
"No, Makoto," Queen Jupiter pleaded. "If you save him, you might not be able to save yourself, and even if you do, the Stone will turn to dust."
"I don't care about the stone! I just want to save Ken!" Lita, now Princess Makoto, cried. "Why does everything have to be so complicated? Why can't I just do this?"
"Because if you do, you will not be able to transform into Sailor Jupiter any longer."
That stopped Makoto. There must be another way.
"I can save you, and you alone," the Queen said. "I don't have enough power to save you both."
"No.mother, I must save him." Makoto said, clinging to hope like a child to a blanket.
She could feel her mother smile. "I understand. I hope you make the right decision." Then Makoto could no longer feel her presence, and transformed back to normal Lita.
She quickly came out of her meditation position, and walked over to Ken, who was glad she was okay. Inspiration struck her. "Ken, come here for a second."
He obligingly came closer. Lita caught hold of his hand and brushed her fingers with his. Concentrating hard, she watched as a small half of a stone came out of her hand and transferred to his. "What's happening?" she heard him ask, but she couldn't lose focus. She waited until the entire crystal half was submerged into him before looking up and speaking.
"Now, if you combine your strength with mine, we should both be able to get back safely."
"How does it work?" Ken asked, still partially in shock.
"Just concentrate on what you want to do. Think of the stone and concentrate, alright?"
"Okay."
They clasped hands and concentrated on the crystal. They were one. Ken felt Lita's incredible weakness from fighting so much, and also her fighting spirit, which would not allow her to give up. He also felt her trepidation about doing this, because she might lose her transformation powers. She felt his unwavering trust, and complete devotion to protecting her, even when she didn't need it.
They became each other, and slowly felt ground give way to clouds.
***
The scouts had returned to their normal clothes, and were still trying to revive the long-gone Lita and Ken.
"They can't be gone," sobbed Serena. "They just can't be! We can't fight without Jupiter!"
Mina had noticed the light glow coming from Lita go out, but it was coming back, little by little. She pointed this out to the other scouts. The light kept getting stronger, and Ken began to glow too.
Could it be..?
Lita's hand twitched once, and then she let out a moan.
"Lita!" Mina shouted joyfully. "You're alive!"
One of Lita's eyes slowly opened. "Geez, Mina, you sound like Frankenstein."
Mina laughed and hugged her, almost in hysterics.
Ken slowly revived as well, complaining about a headache.
"Ken!" Lita cried.
"Lita!" Ken cried.
They painfully crawled to one another and hugged. "You're okay!" they both cried. Then for some unknown reason, both began to cry. Lita had lost her power to become a Sailor Scout.