SailorsPathfinder : Love and Without

By : MJade – makotojade@hotmail.com

Episode 3 : Where on Earth...

            Awakening.  All was white.  So this is death...

            Mamoru pushed himself up.  He discovered he was in a room.  A

large white room... Death is in a large, white room?  Somehow this

wasn't exactly what he had expected.  For one thing, he hadn't thought he

would be alone...

            He sat up.  He had been laying on a cot in the center of the room.

He looked down.  He was still in his Tuxedo Mask Costume... maybe... he

wasn't dead...?

            His thoughts ended as a door opened in front of him.  A tall girl

with long blonde hair entered the room.  An angel...?  She certainly

wasn't as beautiful as his angel...

            "On your feet," was the girl's only reply.

            He complied.  "Follow me," she commanded.  He hesitated for a

moment, then followed.  If this is a death test... I don't want to

fail...

            He was escorted through a length of white halls and then the girl

motioned for him to enter a large room.  He entered, and door, which he

had not seen, slid solidly shut behind them.

            Tuxedo Mask looked behind for a moment noticing that the girl had

not followed, then turned around.  He took in the room.  Large and dark,

the room was emense.  The walls and floor seemed of metal and it was too

dark to see the ceiling.  He put a hand on one of the walls, it was

cold... he could feel.  He pulled back his hand and rubbed his fingers

together.  Well so far, he could see, hear, feel and think.  He decided he

wasn't dead. 

            So when a door opened across the room, he felt no fear as he

charged upon the person entering.  The girl in the doorway didn't even see

him coming.

            She yelped and then gasped as he picked her up by the collar,

holding a rose in his other hand.  "Where am I?"

            "You- you're in the control room..."  she eyed the sharp end of

the flower.

            "And where is this control room located?" 

            "I- in the, uh the uh, Outpost Fortress... I, well, what is that

flower..."

            Her shook her a little, as if to get her attention, "What is an

Outpost Fortress?" 

            "The last remaining defense operations site, containing refugees

and rebel fighters, all seeking justice... Please let me go..."

            "What is your name?"

            "But, why..."

            "Name?" he asked firmly.

            She sighed, "Sage."

            "Thank you Sage, now so we're even, my name is Tuxedo Mask... Why

am I here?"

            "You were needed, well, a warrior was needed from your realm."

            "My realm... what city am I in?"

            "There isn't a city anymore it's just-"

            "Then what country?"

            "The remanants of South Morovia."

            "Where on Earth is that?"

            "It's not."

            He looked at her, daring her to clarify what he hoped she couldn't

mean... "It's not what?"

            "It's not on Earth."

            His knees quavered and threatened to give out as he set the girl

down, "Not on- how could I not be on Earth-"

            "Easy," this word surprisingly came from behind him.  That

voice...  It distracted him only for a moment, but a moment was all it

took --

            "LUMINISCENT BIND!!"  A thousand threads of energy bound his upper

body.  He fell to his knees.

            He grunted and pulled on the "ropes", yelping as they shocked him.

            "Good work, Sage."  he craned his neck around to see a tall

sillouette jump down off of a higher level in the room.  "Lucky for you I

distracted him."  That voice...

            "Aw, I don't think he would have hurt me, if I had thought that, I

woulde've caught him sooner.  I can handle my own problems."

            "Oh, but if you were smart you would have known that he might

attack you... shouldn't let your guard down."  The voice paused then, "Hey

how about getting everything up and running so I can explain things to our

guest, huh?"

            "All right, all right."

            Tuxedo Mask watched as the girl named Sage looked up towards the

ceiling and called, "Retinal Scan, DNA Test."  A beam of green light shone

down on her and a solid laser went straight into her eye.  This only took

a moment before all was dark again.

            A voice sounded.  "Voiceprint Check, Retina Match, DNA Match.

Handprint Identification, please."  She strode to the wall an spread her

palm upon it.  There was the slightest whirring noise and the voice began

again, "Scans complete, vocal range, and code."

            Sage began to sing, starting with the lowest of female altos and

rising through the roof with a shrill soprano.  Then began chanting off

what seemed to be a complex number code that seemed to last forever.

Finally she stopped and the voice began again.  "Good Evening Sage, do you

wish to allow the two other occupants of this room to remain." 

            "Yes, thank-you Signa.  Would you please activate your entire

self."

            "Of course, Sage."

            The room was suddenly alive. The floor and ceiling spilt forth

white light and every portion of the wall became as a computer screen.

Blinking lights flashed, status reports rolled across screens, any thing

that any computer could have been doing seemed to be going on all at once.

Tuxedo Mask couldn't hold back a gasp as he began gaping around the room.

            Sage turned to him.  "You like?  Built him myself, took a while,

but he works like a charm."

            He looked at her now in the light, and seeing her outfit, almost

fainted.  She wore a pink sailor top, like the one Minako had worn as

Sailor V, the characteristic bow on her chest and collar being white, with

a short pink skirt very similar to the ones the Senshi wore, tall white

boots, and shoulder length, multi-braided hair that shone a light green

tint.  Her outfit... so much like the Senshi's, yet...

            He suddenly remembered that another girl was somewhere in the

room.  He looked, and found her sitting in a chair in the dead center of

the room.  Her outfit was almost identical, yet her skirt and top were

red.  But as he looked up at her face... red eyes and jet black hair...

"YOU!  You are the one from the crystal.  Trying to kill Usako!!"  He

lunged at her, only succeding in making it a few feet as the energy bonds

shocked him again.  He still managed to look up at her.  "Why!  What would

you kill her for!!"

            The girl seemed genuinely startled.  "Kill, kill whom?  What are

you screaming about?"

            "YOU tried to kill Usako!"  He moved towards her again and was

once again shocked.

            The girl looked up, "Oh Sage, get those things off him before he

kills himself.  He surely won't be able to help us any then"

            "But what if he-"

            "Sage..."

            "Okay, okay, but never say I didn't warn you."  She put her hands

on the energy around him and it dissapated.

            He looked down at himself and then up at the girl still seated in

the chair.  "Why would you release me if I said I was going to kill you?"

            "Well, I would kill you before you killed me, but also, I believe

that you truly want that question answered." she had rested her elbow on

one of the chair's arms and now lowered her chin into her hand.

            He pushed himself to his feet and stared down at her, "Question?"

            "Why.  Why you are here.  I'll say this right now, we would never

intend to kill any fighter for the light.  There are too few of us as it

is.  Why do you believe we were trying to kill this friend of yours?"

            "The minor fact that you were pulling her into a large crystal

with a vacuum..."

            "Well, we did that to you, are you dead?"

            "No..."

            "Well, then, here we are." she smiled.  As she did, something

flashed through Mamoru's mind.  A memory.  He knew her for some reason.

But how?  That was impossible...  He forced any and all other thoughts

from his mind but the question at hand.

            "Okay then, exactly why are we here?" 

            "I'll tell you the whole story, but it might take awhile..."

            "As far as I know I have all the time in the world." 

            The girl looked up at Sage.  "What is our status?"

            Sage tapped on a segment of the computer screen/wall for a moment.

"Right now, amazingly, everything seems tranquil...  Can't give you how

long though.  Scouts on the south end of the canyon say there have been

electrical problems for awhile now.  Hex5 Leader thinks one of the

DarkNites is gathering a few of the electric talents for practice."  She

scanned through several images.  "Everything else seems stable for now.

Perimiter intact."

            The other girl nodded.  "Good."  She looked at Tuxedo Mask.  "I

guess we have some time for a story then..."

            *          *          *

            "Now, you might not understand much of this story, but try to

follow as best as you can.

            "A thousand years ago, our entire galaxy was in peace.  Justice

and order reigned.  The Capital, the central city for all, was located on

the moon of your planet.  The realm was the Silver Millennium.  It was a

glorious time for thousands of years.  The rulers were all fair and just.

Kings and Queens kept up the order.

            "But as entropy rules, all good things must come to an end.  I was

born of this planet near the end of the Silver Millennium.  My parents

were the rulers of this world, Sabi, and I was the princess.  My mother

was what is known as a Sailor Senshi.  Sailor Senshi are guardians and

defenders of their realms.  As soon as I was old enough, I began my training,

for as soon as I turned thirteen, I would be given her powers and be made the

new Senshi. 

            "When I turned thirteen, I travelled to the Moon, to meet the

ruler, then Queen Serenity.  She and those before her were the only ones

who could transfer the power from a mother to a daughter.  The kingdom on

the Moon was astounding.  The Queen I can remember well.  Tall with long

white hair, and then there was her daughter, so alike, she could have been

a clone, except for the blonde hair.  They both seemed so fragile, the

princess even clung to a very handsome young man, the prince of Earth, for

his protection.  Yet, as Queen Serenity began the power transfer, there

was so much power within her.  I, as not only as a citizen, but as a

Senshi, looked upon her as unbeatable, someone unstoppable... but no one

is that strong...

            "An unknown dark energy had ammassed, unnoticed, for years.

Without anyone ever suspecting a thing, it assualted the Silver Millennium

with a deadly force.  The full strength of the attack missed us, it was

mostly directed at the Moon itself.  Caught unprepared, the planets of the

Moon's solar system were barely able to defend themselves.  And one by

one, each planet succumbed to the deadly force and was stripped of any and

all vital elements, making them uninhabitable for the rest of time.  The

planets on the fringe were turned to gas, one planet blasted to bits of

meteor and asteroid, and a few in the core, near the Moon and it's planet,

were simply turned into large floating rocks.  For a time, the Moon and

it's planet Earth alone fought off the attack.

            "All of the Senshi in systems not under heavy assault were

summoned to the Moon to fight.  Those who were older, more adjusted to

their power, were able to teleport.  I was 14, I had only had my power for

little over a year, I could teleport, but not for such a long distance.

We who could not teleport were to be taken by a large ship coming in from

the fringe systems of the galaxy.

            "This planet is about halfway between the Moon and the edge of the

galaxy, so by the time the ship arrived, many other young Senshi were

already aboard. 

            "I had entered the ship and it was about to take off for the next

planet, when the pilot began screaming and then activated the viewscreens

that were located throughout the ship.  A feed was coming in from a camera

hanging somewhere in the Moon's atmosphere, somehow, untouched.  As we

watched, we saw the four remaining Senshi of the Moon's realm die before

the dark power.  Earth's defenses had fallen, and without it, the Moon

would be lost.  All aboard the ship stared in horror.  Then we saw the

prince of Earth fall to the enemy.  Princess Serenity unbelievably jumped

after him, and was as well killed.  The viewscreen fuzzed and blipped and

in a moment all that could be seen was Queen Serenity.  She was crying.

Then she raised her wand and called out.  And suddenly everything, the

Princess, the prince, the Darksiders, everything... was gone.  All that

remained was her and two small cats.  She spoke to the cats, then raised

up a scepter.  But, as she spoke this time, although she was too far away

from the camera for any of us to hear her speak, we could hear her.  In

our minds.  'I am sorry my Senshi, we have lost, my power is gone and as a

part of my final act for the future, I must save all of you for it, for

the future.  This past will be blank in your minds for as long as it can

be.  Protect the future, all of you.'  And then she spun the scepter up

and straight towards us, chanted unheard words...

            "I remember a bright light and a faint dizzy-ness... and then an

overwhelming nothingness."

            *          *          *

            "After that I remember nothing until the memories of being a child

in this life... do you understand everything I've said, or at least have a

small grasp of it?"  The girl opened her eyes, only to be met with a

gaping Tuxedo mask staring shocked back at her.

            He couldn't believe it.  This girl, and Sage, and possibly even

the one who had escorted him here, to this room; they were all Senshi.

They knew everything about the Moon, the Silver Millennium, earth,

Usagi,.... him.  Shock was bouncing in him still as he tried to respond to

her.  "Wha... t,  what is your name?" 

            She looked at him quizzically, "Risa."

            Risa, Risa, a princess named Risa... and Sage for that matter...

but, like much of the things he had known in his past life, any knowledge

of these two girls was lost.  He only had that small bit of insight from

earlier, that he had indeed met her before...  His mind raced as he formed

a question.  "Why did you bring me here... do you know who I am?"

            Risa held up a hand, "Slow down, I'll get to why you're here, but

what do you mean, do you know-"

            She was cut off as Tuxedo Mask slowly stood up.  He reached up

towards his face and pulled off his mask.

            Sage gasped, "He's... but he can't be..."

            Risa looked up at her, "What?  Who...?"

            Tuxedo Mask shook his head.  "Still don't recognize me?"  Although

he realized the shock it might induce, he transformed anyways.  It started

out as a glimmer on his chest, then his armour and clothes spread out over

him, the sword glimmering into existence last.

            Risa gasped and Sage fainted, crumpling to the floor.  Risa fell

from the chair to her knees.  "Prince Endymion... of earth," she

whispered.  "You're alive!  My God, what have we done..."

            **        **        **

            Artemis and Luna slowly trudged towards Usagi's house.  For days

they had searched for any negative energy.  Looking everywhere for

anything that could be severely anti-peace oriented.  They had found

nothing.  It appeared that their Senshi had rid the world of the Dark

Kingdom and anything else that might wish to destroy it.

            Luna sighed, "Almost there."  But as they turned the final corner,

she stopped.  A large motorcycle loomed in her way.  "That's Mamoru's...

why is it here?"

            Artemis looked at her, "Because Usagi is."

            "At six am?"

            "Hmm, yes it is rather early..." he stopped as he got a good

glimpse up the street.  "Luna, we have more to worry about then a

motorcycle."  He began to move quickly toward's Usagi's house.

            Luna followed and gasped at the sight she saw.  A part of Usagi's

house, the part that was... or had been her room was crushed.  She ran

towards the ruins and leapt inside.  "Usagi!!" she called.

            Artemis entered the room seconds later.  "What happened?"

            "I don't know, but I will find out....  USAGI?!?"

            *          *          *

            "And I have been staying here, and will stay here until my parents

get out of the hospital."  Usagi finished and the slumped down onto the

bed.

            Luna shook her head... how could all of this be happening?  She

had searched Usagi's room for a time, while Artemis had gone to check on

Minako.  He had returned saying that all Minako had said to him was,

"Hello, Artemis.  You and Luna need to go to Mamoru's apartment before you

talk to me."  and that she refused to say anymore.  Now they had heard the

entire story, from Usagi herself and were shocked, to say the least.

            "Usagi-chan, I'm so sorry I wasn't here..."

            "It's alright, Luna, I don't think you could have helped..."

            "How long have you been here?"

            "Three days."

            "What have you been doing?"

            "Crying."

            Luna shook her head, tears in her eyes, "Oh, Usagi."

            Usagi smiled weakly, "It's alright..."

            But they both knew it wasn't and Artemis left them alone as they

cried for a time...

End Ep.3

Sailor Moon is ©Naoko Takeuchi

But I © this to me, ©1997 MJade Productions

… And I truly hope she doesn't mind …