****TO GO, PLEASE****
Chapter 11: Fall Into The Past
Rating: PG13
Author: Adrial
E-mail: adrial_06@yahoo.com
****TO GO, PLEASE****
AHH!! this one is SOOOOOOOOOOOo short! I'm sorry, you guys! I PROMISE PROMISE PROOOOOOMISE I'll do better next time.
And it'll be a few more chapters still until I stick a fork in this one...
:D I'm thinking about the ending RIIIIIIIIGHT now.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sailor Moon or its characters.
_______________________________________________________________
The taste of filth and dirt filled my mouth, yet I let it hang agap. A tsunami of emotions lurked behind me, waiting eagerly to crash down on me. A slight cough shook my mind free of its stupor, and my vision cleared.
A woman, tall and luminous, stood before me with an air of peace and tranquility as if she'd struggled before but was now content and free from a life which had bound her before.
Translucent waves of periwinkle blue danced gracefully around her, lending more light to her radiant aura. I found myself hesitant to look at her, to take in her presence, for fear that she might have dissipated in front of my bewildered eyes before I could even comprehend she'd been there at all.
My mother...
The woman, so gracefully beautiful with her porcelain skin and shining eyes, gazed at me with years of wisdom and love. I faltered slightly, finally feeling the dull ache of my head and tightness spreading through my legs.
I silently wondered where my voice had run off to. It was no doubt trying to sneak away from the awkward situation. I could practically hear my agitated nerves commanding my cowardly vocal chords to speak up.
Fortunately for them, the spirit of my mother whom stood before me spoke first, startling me slightly.
"Ami..." She stretched a quivering hand to my face and caressed my cheek. I felt her cool fingers slip slightly against my skin and gasped as another tear fell onto my shoulder.
Why am I crying...?
"M-Mother?" My voice was thick with disbelief and she noticed.
I watched as she smiled softly and wiped another descending tear from her own cheek, "Yes, it's me, Ami."
My throat was dry and begged for moisture. I obliged, swallowing hard and speaking once more.
"How did you--where am I?" I gazed around at my surroundings, not prepared for what I would encounter.
Acres upon acres of debris and ruins littered the ground's surface. Dust floated thick in the air, sending me into a slight coughing fit.
I turned my eyes back to her, and she took my hand.
"I understand. This is not the place you remember growing up," She lead me along a string of fallen buildings.
Numbly, I followed closely to her. She did not speak as we walked, and I did not attempt to. I had the strange feeling that I had to be quiet, lest I upset the thousands of spirits which had resided before on the grounds I now walked on. I stopped beside a slab of stone, kneeling beside it. As my hand swept away a layer of dirt I gasped softly. The sign of Mercury glared up at me, sending chills down my spine.
I stood abruptly, facing her, "We're on Mercury?"
She nodded, "Yes, I have brought you back to the Mercury I knew--the Mercury that King Sarius destroyed so long ago," Her eyes darkened a shade.
I took in her words, digesting them slowly as if they would give me a stomach ache if I did so otherwise.
"Why have you brought me here?" I spoke to her, yet kept my eyes on the grounds before me, realizing the terror that must have been caused on that day.
She sighed, "I have transported you here to show you--to make you understand the catastrophy that occured those many years ago."
When her cool hand rested itself on the back of my head, I didn't have time to think of her motives.
The scenery around me melted away in cool swirls of despondency. Abruptly, visions of frightened childeren clinging to their mothers, young lovers holding on as their lives were stolen by the hands of hatred, fathers saying goodbye to their families as they entered a battle that they would not return from overcame my vision, filling my soul with pain and agony.
My knees collided with the soiled earth and silent tears trailed along my face. I gripped my head, waiting for the string of heart-wrenching scenes to subside. I longed not to see the terrified faces of innocent people, longed not to hear the cries of death and slaughtering that rung deafeningly in my ears.
I shook fiercely, balling my hands into fists. I felt her hand on my back, rubbing softly.
"What...what were those? What did I just see?" The answer was there in my mind, but I could not come to terms with it yet.
"Visions of the fall of Mercury," She uttered.
I stared blankly at her, "Those people...all of those people died--he killed them."
She wrapped translucent arms around me and let me cry a while longer. I felt the grief of millions of Mercurians overtake my heart, testing its strength.
"I am sorry, Princess. You had to know--had to see what happened, what *could* happen if this evil is given the opportunity to spread its hatred once again," She held me at arms length.
"It isn't over?" I asked her, "This will happen to Earth..."
I replaced the strange faces I did not know with the those of my family and my friends, watching them cry out in pain and angst. I gasped as if I had been burned and rubbed my eyes roughly.
"Not if you are strong, Ami-chan," She grabbed my shoulders, "I know you have the power to overcome this evil. You must believe in yourself."
Believe in myself? I don't have the power alone to defeat this kind of evil. My powers are too weak.
"But, I can't. I'm not--I'm not strong enough, Mother," I didn't want to hear what she was saying.
"Yes, you can, Princess. You possess a power that is greater than any evil. All you have to do is listen to your heart, and you will do *amazing* things, Ami," She smiled at me.
I wished to get out of this nightmare, and for this instance in my life to rewind and play back as something else.
I turned from her, "So...you're saying that I must defeat Myora on my own?"
"It is your destiny, Ami-chan," She whispered.
"How could I p-possibly?" I shook my head slowly.
"You will know when the time is right. It is not my place to tell you. I am only here to help you understand the path before you," I felt her walk closer to me.
"But...I don't even know where Myora is! Or *what* she is, or *where* she came from!" My frustration gripped me with its claws, refusing to let go.
She drew me to her, "I will show you."
I felt the air around me lift, and my feet left the ground. A piercing howl of wind pounded against my eardrums, drowning out my startled cries.
As soon as it came, the wind subsided and my feet fell unsteadily to the ground. I wobbled for a moment and found my balance.
I took in my surroundings, looking at the room like a newborn child.
Book shelves lined the walls, and a mahogany desk stood proudly in one corner, littered with papers and quills. I took a step forward on the carpeted floor, absentmindedly tip-toeing around, although I was sure no one would be able to hear me.
The sound of crashing glass startled my movements, and I jumped. With another bewildered glance at the room--which I concluded was a study of some sort--I exited through a large, open door, following the sounds that were escalating in volume.
A staircase greeted me to the left, an ominous corridor lay to my right. I chose the stairs, where the noise arose from.
Peering over the banister, I watched shadows move along the wall. The sounds of more crashes urged me to continue my journey down the stairwell.
As a step creaked beneath my feet, I sucked in my breath and waited for someone to come and capture me. When no one turned up, I exhaled and eased down the last few steps.
Taking little notice of the immense parlor and dining area, I passed them and stood at the entrance of what would undoubtedly be the kitchen. I felt fear rise in my throat as another crash sounded followed closely by a cry of pain.
A man stood in a corner, trying desperately to hold himself together. A group of towering men gathered around him, swords hanging threateningly at their hips.
The man's tired eyes looked at them fearlessly.
"You will never have her, Sarius!" He said.
A man in the middle walked closer to him. I took in his presence, his long black hair and intimidating gray eyes.
"Is that so? And you think that *you* will be able to stop me?" He chuckled loudly.
The man's cloudy, blue eyes flashed in anger. I walked closer.
I recognized his face shape, having seen it in my own, and his clear, open eyes.
This man was my father, Galah.
My father gritted his teeth, "I would die for her."
Sarius' eyes glinted menacingly, "*That* was exactly what I was counting on, Galah." His hand lifted sharply and a clould of inky black flowed into Galah's chest. His piercing howl of pain sliced through the air, and he wavered and fell to the floor with a dull thud. I rushed to his side, passing right through the men whom stood around him laughing.
"Galah! Father, wake up! Please, wake up!" I cried over his unliving form, wishing to awake him from whatever curse Sarius had put over him.
When my hands passed through his flesh, I knelt back. My mother was showing me how my father died.
"My leige!" A voice sounded from behind the smirking man, and I craned my neck to see him.
"I have found a child, sire!" A stubby man held out a wimpering baby. She looked to be only a year old at the least.
"Damn," Sarius cursed, "Leave her. I fear the Hikari Gem can not handle another death right now."
The man set the child on a chair at the table. She screamed loudly from her perch and I wondered whose child she was. A thin mane of charchoal black hair stuck to her tear-stained face. Chubby hands rubbed her stormy, midnight eyes, and her open mouth exposed the few teeth she had.
"Let us go now, soldiers," Sarius beckoned towards the center of the room, "We have more pressing matters on our hands. Aiya will pay dearly for her betrayal, and so will that pathetic planet of hers."
In a flash of silver, they disappeared before my eyes.
My surroundings melted away with the broken sobs of the baby who held out her nimble hands to the unmoving body of my father on the floor. A white room appeared before me, straining my eyes. I looked around, vaguely registering dull beeps and a soft murmur of voices. My eyes landed on the back of a woman, silver hair perched on top of her head in two buns.
Queen Serenity.
She leaned over a body on a bed, whispering to it soflty. I walked closer, to see whom she spoke to and jumped back at the sight of the woman I knew as 'mother' in my life a millenia ago--Alana. In her weakened state, I could still remember her pale face from my childhood.
As my initial shock subsided, I stood beside them and realized that this must have been after Sarius destroyed Mercury, which meant that Queen Aiya was already dead.
"...do you think it possible, Queen Serenity?" Alana's strained eyes revealed the grief she was dealing with internally.
Serenity bit her lip, "I am almost certain of it, Alana. We will have the baby tested as soon as possible for any signs of the gem."
Gem? The Hikari Gem?
That had to be what they were talking about. Were they suggesting that the Gem resided in the child that was at Galah's house? How could that be possible?
"If my prediction is correct, then we must make sure no one knows about it. This child will posess a power nearly as great as the Ginzinshou. Many would kill her to reach it. We will wait until the time comes when the gem is needed."
Alana sighed, "You are right, Serenity. She must never know..." Her hand trailed to her stomach which was slightly swollen.
If Luna had been correct--which she nortoriously had knack of--then the fetus which resided in Alana would be me.
Queen Serenity's next words were cut short by a slamming door. A panting man with silver hair scurried around beds and nurses to reach them. His hair color seemed too old for his young face. I found myself anxious for his news.
"Artemis, have you found him?" Serenity stood.
I gasped inaudibly as Artemis in his human form bowed low and responded, "Yes, my Queen, but I am afraid that Galah has been found dead in his home."
Serenity and Alana simultaneously gasped.
"And the cause of his death?" Serenity questioned.
"We do not know," Artemis sighed, "There were no signs of any wounds, but his kitchen was in ruins. We believe he was killed by magic--a curse, perhaps."
Serenity bit her lip again, "I trust you will have our physicians further investigate his death?"
"Yes, my Queen, they are working on it as we speak," He said.
"Thank you Artemis, that will be all for now," She dismissed him, but he remained still.
"My Queen, there is one more thing," He swallowed, "We discovered a child as well, but she was unharmed."
Serenity turned to Alana, "Princess, do you remember anything about a child?"
Alana looked deep in thought for a moment, "Aiya talked very little about Galah to me, and only just before they eloped. I do remember though...he--oh, he had a daughter!" She seemed relieved to have remembered.
"Do you know who her mother is?" Serenity asked.
"No--Aiya never mentioned...perhaps he had a previous wife?" She suggested.
Serenity turned to Artemis, "Where is the child now, Artemis?"
"She is in the nursery being cared for by Beatrice," he answered.
"And her name?" Queen Serenity seemed flustered.
"According to papers found in Galah's estate, I believe her name was Maya...no, pardon me...I am sure it was...Myora."
If I had been standing, I surely wouldn't have been for very long at that moment. It couldn't be...Myora was Galah's daughter?
That would make her my...
***************************************************************
Yup, it was short, but hey, that only means that this next one will be twice as long! *let us pray*
So...the plot thickens, eh? heh heh HEH.
stay tuned for chapter 12!
And due to amount of WHINING I've received from some of you guys, I will *not* be posting the updated chapters. If you want to read them check back with me later and I'll tell you when I'll have then posted on ASMR. ja~
And Happy Holidays!
--Adrial
Chapter 11: Fall Into The Past
Rating: PG13
Author: Adrial
E-mail: adrial_06@yahoo.com
****TO GO, PLEASE****
AHH!! this one is SOOOOOOOOOOOo short! I'm sorry, you guys! I PROMISE PROMISE PROOOOOOMISE I'll do better next time.
And it'll be a few more chapters still until I stick a fork in this one...
:D I'm thinking about the ending RIIIIIIIIGHT now.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sailor Moon or its characters.
_______________________________________________________________
The taste of filth and dirt filled my mouth, yet I let it hang agap. A tsunami of emotions lurked behind me, waiting eagerly to crash down on me. A slight cough shook my mind free of its stupor, and my vision cleared.
A woman, tall and luminous, stood before me with an air of peace and tranquility as if she'd struggled before but was now content and free from a life which had bound her before.
Translucent waves of periwinkle blue danced gracefully around her, lending more light to her radiant aura. I found myself hesitant to look at her, to take in her presence, for fear that she might have dissipated in front of my bewildered eyes before I could even comprehend she'd been there at all.
My mother...
The woman, so gracefully beautiful with her porcelain skin and shining eyes, gazed at me with years of wisdom and love. I faltered slightly, finally feeling the dull ache of my head and tightness spreading through my legs.
I silently wondered where my voice had run off to. It was no doubt trying to sneak away from the awkward situation. I could practically hear my agitated nerves commanding my cowardly vocal chords to speak up.
Fortunately for them, the spirit of my mother whom stood before me spoke first, startling me slightly.
"Ami..." She stretched a quivering hand to my face and caressed my cheek. I felt her cool fingers slip slightly against my skin and gasped as another tear fell onto my shoulder.
Why am I crying...?
"M-Mother?" My voice was thick with disbelief and she noticed.
I watched as she smiled softly and wiped another descending tear from her own cheek, "Yes, it's me, Ami."
My throat was dry and begged for moisture. I obliged, swallowing hard and speaking once more.
"How did you--where am I?" I gazed around at my surroundings, not prepared for what I would encounter.
Acres upon acres of debris and ruins littered the ground's surface. Dust floated thick in the air, sending me into a slight coughing fit.
I turned my eyes back to her, and she took my hand.
"I understand. This is not the place you remember growing up," She lead me along a string of fallen buildings.
Numbly, I followed closely to her. She did not speak as we walked, and I did not attempt to. I had the strange feeling that I had to be quiet, lest I upset the thousands of spirits which had resided before on the grounds I now walked on. I stopped beside a slab of stone, kneeling beside it. As my hand swept away a layer of dirt I gasped softly. The sign of Mercury glared up at me, sending chills down my spine.
I stood abruptly, facing her, "We're on Mercury?"
She nodded, "Yes, I have brought you back to the Mercury I knew--the Mercury that King Sarius destroyed so long ago," Her eyes darkened a shade.
I took in her words, digesting them slowly as if they would give me a stomach ache if I did so otherwise.
"Why have you brought me here?" I spoke to her, yet kept my eyes on the grounds before me, realizing the terror that must have been caused on that day.
She sighed, "I have transported you here to show you--to make you understand the catastrophy that occured those many years ago."
When her cool hand rested itself on the back of my head, I didn't have time to think of her motives.
The scenery around me melted away in cool swirls of despondency. Abruptly, visions of frightened childeren clinging to their mothers, young lovers holding on as their lives were stolen by the hands of hatred, fathers saying goodbye to their families as they entered a battle that they would not return from overcame my vision, filling my soul with pain and agony.
My knees collided with the soiled earth and silent tears trailed along my face. I gripped my head, waiting for the string of heart-wrenching scenes to subside. I longed not to see the terrified faces of innocent people, longed not to hear the cries of death and slaughtering that rung deafeningly in my ears.
I shook fiercely, balling my hands into fists. I felt her hand on my back, rubbing softly.
"What...what were those? What did I just see?" The answer was there in my mind, but I could not come to terms with it yet.
"Visions of the fall of Mercury," She uttered.
I stared blankly at her, "Those people...all of those people died--he killed them."
She wrapped translucent arms around me and let me cry a while longer. I felt the grief of millions of Mercurians overtake my heart, testing its strength.
"I am sorry, Princess. You had to know--had to see what happened, what *could* happen if this evil is given the opportunity to spread its hatred once again," She held me at arms length.
"It isn't over?" I asked her, "This will happen to Earth..."
I replaced the strange faces I did not know with the those of my family and my friends, watching them cry out in pain and angst. I gasped as if I had been burned and rubbed my eyes roughly.
"Not if you are strong, Ami-chan," She grabbed my shoulders, "I know you have the power to overcome this evil. You must believe in yourself."
Believe in myself? I don't have the power alone to defeat this kind of evil. My powers are too weak.
"But, I can't. I'm not--I'm not strong enough, Mother," I didn't want to hear what she was saying.
"Yes, you can, Princess. You possess a power that is greater than any evil. All you have to do is listen to your heart, and you will do *amazing* things, Ami," She smiled at me.
I wished to get out of this nightmare, and for this instance in my life to rewind and play back as something else.
I turned from her, "So...you're saying that I must defeat Myora on my own?"
"It is your destiny, Ami-chan," She whispered.
"How could I p-possibly?" I shook my head slowly.
"You will know when the time is right. It is not my place to tell you. I am only here to help you understand the path before you," I felt her walk closer to me.
"But...I don't even know where Myora is! Or *what* she is, or *where* she came from!" My frustration gripped me with its claws, refusing to let go.
She drew me to her, "I will show you."
I felt the air around me lift, and my feet left the ground. A piercing howl of wind pounded against my eardrums, drowning out my startled cries.
As soon as it came, the wind subsided and my feet fell unsteadily to the ground. I wobbled for a moment and found my balance.
I took in my surroundings, looking at the room like a newborn child.
Book shelves lined the walls, and a mahogany desk stood proudly in one corner, littered with papers and quills. I took a step forward on the carpeted floor, absentmindedly tip-toeing around, although I was sure no one would be able to hear me.
The sound of crashing glass startled my movements, and I jumped. With another bewildered glance at the room--which I concluded was a study of some sort--I exited through a large, open door, following the sounds that were escalating in volume.
A staircase greeted me to the left, an ominous corridor lay to my right. I chose the stairs, where the noise arose from.
Peering over the banister, I watched shadows move along the wall. The sounds of more crashes urged me to continue my journey down the stairwell.
As a step creaked beneath my feet, I sucked in my breath and waited for someone to come and capture me. When no one turned up, I exhaled and eased down the last few steps.
Taking little notice of the immense parlor and dining area, I passed them and stood at the entrance of what would undoubtedly be the kitchen. I felt fear rise in my throat as another crash sounded followed closely by a cry of pain.
A man stood in a corner, trying desperately to hold himself together. A group of towering men gathered around him, swords hanging threateningly at their hips.
The man's tired eyes looked at them fearlessly.
"You will never have her, Sarius!" He said.
A man in the middle walked closer to him. I took in his presence, his long black hair and intimidating gray eyes.
"Is that so? And you think that *you* will be able to stop me?" He chuckled loudly.
The man's cloudy, blue eyes flashed in anger. I walked closer.
I recognized his face shape, having seen it in my own, and his clear, open eyes.
This man was my father, Galah.
My father gritted his teeth, "I would die for her."
Sarius' eyes glinted menacingly, "*That* was exactly what I was counting on, Galah." His hand lifted sharply and a clould of inky black flowed into Galah's chest. His piercing howl of pain sliced through the air, and he wavered and fell to the floor with a dull thud. I rushed to his side, passing right through the men whom stood around him laughing.
"Galah! Father, wake up! Please, wake up!" I cried over his unliving form, wishing to awake him from whatever curse Sarius had put over him.
When my hands passed through his flesh, I knelt back. My mother was showing me how my father died.
"My leige!" A voice sounded from behind the smirking man, and I craned my neck to see him.
"I have found a child, sire!" A stubby man held out a wimpering baby. She looked to be only a year old at the least.
"Damn," Sarius cursed, "Leave her. I fear the Hikari Gem can not handle another death right now."
The man set the child on a chair at the table. She screamed loudly from her perch and I wondered whose child she was. A thin mane of charchoal black hair stuck to her tear-stained face. Chubby hands rubbed her stormy, midnight eyes, and her open mouth exposed the few teeth she had.
"Let us go now, soldiers," Sarius beckoned towards the center of the room, "We have more pressing matters on our hands. Aiya will pay dearly for her betrayal, and so will that pathetic planet of hers."
In a flash of silver, they disappeared before my eyes.
My surroundings melted away with the broken sobs of the baby who held out her nimble hands to the unmoving body of my father on the floor. A white room appeared before me, straining my eyes. I looked around, vaguely registering dull beeps and a soft murmur of voices. My eyes landed on the back of a woman, silver hair perched on top of her head in two buns.
Queen Serenity.
She leaned over a body on a bed, whispering to it soflty. I walked closer, to see whom she spoke to and jumped back at the sight of the woman I knew as 'mother' in my life a millenia ago--Alana. In her weakened state, I could still remember her pale face from my childhood.
As my initial shock subsided, I stood beside them and realized that this must have been after Sarius destroyed Mercury, which meant that Queen Aiya was already dead.
"...do you think it possible, Queen Serenity?" Alana's strained eyes revealed the grief she was dealing with internally.
Serenity bit her lip, "I am almost certain of it, Alana. We will have the baby tested as soon as possible for any signs of the gem."
Gem? The Hikari Gem?
That had to be what they were talking about. Were they suggesting that the Gem resided in the child that was at Galah's house? How could that be possible?
"If my prediction is correct, then we must make sure no one knows about it. This child will posess a power nearly as great as the Ginzinshou. Many would kill her to reach it. We will wait until the time comes when the gem is needed."
Alana sighed, "You are right, Serenity. She must never know..." Her hand trailed to her stomach which was slightly swollen.
If Luna had been correct--which she nortoriously had knack of--then the fetus which resided in Alana would be me.
Queen Serenity's next words were cut short by a slamming door. A panting man with silver hair scurried around beds and nurses to reach them. His hair color seemed too old for his young face. I found myself anxious for his news.
"Artemis, have you found him?" Serenity stood.
I gasped inaudibly as Artemis in his human form bowed low and responded, "Yes, my Queen, but I am afraid that Galah has been found dead in his home."
Serenity and Alana simultaneously gasped.
"And the cause of his death?" Serenity questioned.
"We do not know," Artemis sighed, "There were no signs of any wounds, but his kitchen was in ruins. We believe he was killed by magic--a curse, perhaps."
Serenity bit her lip again, "I trust you will have our physicians further investigate his death?"
"Yes, my Queen, they are working on it as we speak," He said.
"Thank you Artemis, that will be all for now," She dismissed him, but he remained still.
"My Queen, there is one more thing," He swallowed, "We discovered a child as well, but she was unharmed."
Serenity turned to Alana, "Princess, do you remember anything about a child?"
Alana looked deep in thought for a moment, "Aiya talked very little about Galah to me, and only just before they eloped. I do remember though...he--oh, he had a daughter!" She seemed relieved to have remembered.
"Do you know who her mother is?" Serenity asked.
"No--Aiya never mentioned...perhaps he had a previous wife?" She suggested.
Serenity turned to Artemis, "Where is the child now, Artemis?"
"She is in the nursery being cared for by Beatrice," he answered.
"And her name?" Queen Serenity seemed flustered.
"According to papers found in Galah's estate, I believe her name was Maya...no, pardon me...I am sure it was...Myora."
If I had been standing, I surely wouldn't have been for very long at that moment. It couldn't be...Myora was Galah's daughter?
That would make her my...
***************************************************************
Yup, it was short, but hey, that only means that this next one will be twice as long! *let us pray*
So...the plot thickens, eh? heh heh HEH.
stay tuned for chapter 12!
And due to amount of WHINING I've received from some of you guys, I will *not* be posting the updated chapters. If you want to read them check back with me later and I'll tell you when I'll have then posted on ASMR. ja~
And Happy Holidays!
--Adrial