Orion Saga
Part 1
Quest for the Orbs
Chapter 25: The Star Force
Zentora silently walks into the apartment. Her parents aren't back yet, and her guardians are no longer in the living room. Walking into her bedroom, she falls onto the bed and stares at the ceiling. She closes her eyes for a moment and sees the girl with the orbs, her face in shadow. 'Please...help me. You're the only one...'
Zentora's eyes snap open and she rolls over to look at the closet.
~*~*~*~*~
"I think she'll be happy to know."
'I only hope you're right, Sirius. I don't want to put too much pressure on her.'
"You won't be."
The two guardians walk out of Nyumi's room and across the hall. Both are surprised to find Zentora lying on the bed looking at the orbs.
"Zentora? What are you doing?"
The girl stops staring at them as she turns to her guardians. "I was just thinking over a few things." Sighing, she sits up. "I just can't help it. I feel as though I'm-"
'It's alright. We have a few things we need to talk to you about. We should have discussed it sooner, but I just thought that you shouldn't be under any more pressure than you already have been. You've been so stressed lately.'
Sirius places a paw on one of Pup's. "Please don't be upset. We only had you r best interests in mind."
Zentora nods. "I understand, but there are some things I need to know aren't there?"
'Yes. I'm not going to go over everything with you. I don't know what Samaru had been trying to tell you. I have an idea, but I think that that's something that you're best left to remember on your own. From the headaches you'd been having before, I assume that you will remember in time. So just understand that.'
Zentora looks at her canine guardian. "Okay, Pup."
Pup nods at Sirius. The smoky colored cat looks at her mistress and her partner. She then casts her gaze to the orbs. "You've come a very long way these past few months. As a scout, you've overcome every test that's come up and retrieved three of the four orbs. All we need to do now is wait until the finla holder is realized. When that happens, you will change."
"What do you mean?"
Sirius thinks for a moment before answering. "The orbs will grant you more power. Do you remember the dream you had? The one with the girl and the destruction of the stars?"
Zentora nods solemnly. "The one where everyone diies."
"That's right. That girl was you."
The girl can only stare at her guardian. "Me? I ...kill everyone?"
"No. It was just a warning... a sign. You have very strong powers. You control the orbs. You are the guardian of the stars. Because of that, you wield the Star Force."
"Star Force? What is that?"
"It's the power to control the orbs."
"But, Sirius. You and Pup said this Queen Andromeda can also activate them. Does she have the Star Force too?"
Pup looks at his charge. 'No, she does not. But she does know how to use them. Only, in a different way. If they ever fell into the wrong hands things could go very badly.'
"Then if the girl in my dreams is me..."
"You have a sleeping power. It's part of your strength and part of your weakness. It's a thing that you can tap into, but not something you van always control. There is a possibility that it could awaken. And if it ever did, there would be mass destruction."
Looking at them both, Zentora speaks. "So what you're telling me is that I'm just as dangerous as anyone else with these orbs."
Pup shakes his head. 'What we're telling you is to be careful.'
Disbelief is evident in her voice as she speaks. "How can this be?"
Pup nuzzles Zentora gently. 'It's alright. When the time comes and you find the final orb, you will understand a little more of this.'
"I'm not sure I want to."
'Don't be frightened of who you are. You have a great responsibility. It's just something that you should watch out for.'
"So there's a chance that something like that could happen to me?"
Pup looks at her protectively. 'I'm not going to let anything happen to you.' He looks the girl directly in her eyes. 'Do you understand me?'
Something in his eyes tells her of his sincerity. She realizes just how safe she is with them. "Yes. I trust you."
~*~*~*~*~
Michiru and Haruka are in the park on Saturday when they see Zentora and Samaru approaching. The graceful musician walks over to them. "Hello. We're sitting over there."
"Hi, Michiru-san."
"Hello." Samaru gives a polite bow to the young woman.
~*~*~*~*~
"He said that they would be here." Ogechi looks around for a sign of the prince.
Matsume crosses her arms over her chest. "Does he really think it necessary for us to be here?"
"You are still angry?" Ogechi glances at her sister.
"No. I am not angry."
"Do you not like Zentora even a little?"
Matsume sighs and casts her deep brown eyes on her sister. "It is not that . Zentora is a very nice girl. It is just that ..."
Ogechi turns to her sister with curiosity."What?"
The woman stands silently against a tree as her eyes lock on the group. "It is just that I am starting to wonder."
Ogechi's eyes light up with hope. "So you think it is her as well?"
"I did not say that. But, there is the chance." She slowly walks over to the others.
~*~*~*~*~
Zentora looks at Samaru. "I thought your cousins were coming."
He smiles at her. "Yes. They are probably already in the park."
"Samaru! Zentora!"
The group turns to see the two young women approaching. Matsume sits down and smiles politely to everyone as she takes the basket that Ogechi hands to her. "Hello, I do not believe that we have formally met." She extends a hand to Michiru.
"Hello. I'm Michiru and this is Haruka. It's very nice to meet you both."
Ogechi smiles. "This is my sister Matsume and I am Ogechi."
Samaru speaks up. "They are my cousins."
Michiru smiles. "Well, I hope that you like traditional music. You're in for a treat today. A young lady who has been trained in the shamisen will be performing."
Matsume looks at her. "Shamisen?"
The teal haired young woman nods. "It's a traditional Japanese instrument. It can be very difficult to play particularly because of the position in which the musician sits."
Ogechi looks up curiously from the picnic basket. "How is that?"
Michiru thinks for a moment. "Well, they sit on their knees with their backs perfectly straight."
Ogechi takes out a sandwich. "It doesn 't sound so hard."
Smiling, Michiru looks at her. "You'll see in a moment. The concert will be staring soon."
~*~*~*~*~
"I had hopoed that I would have picked up the signal sooner than this."
"So I had I, Chimera, but he rose works as it will."
Madame Chimera looks at the ball of fire in her hand. In it, is the face of Queen Andromeda. "I know, Majesty. Only, I am in a very crowded venue. IT would be foolish to try to take the orb now."
Andromeda is silent. She agrees with the woman, but is unwilling to take a chance on Orion beating them to the final orb. "Just be careful then. We can not let Orion get it."
"Yes, Majesty." Chimera closes the ball with her hands and it disappears. She walks slowly among the crowd waiting for the signal from the rose to get stronger. On passing one of the booths, she feels a pang in her heart. She grits her teeth at the feeling and stops. Retracing her steps, she finds what she is looking for. A girl around the age of twelve is sitting on the grass with an instrument. 'The final holder is this child?'
The girl finishes her song and turns to look at Madame Chimera. "Hello, Ma'am. May I help you?"
'More than you know.' Chimera smiles, her teeth gleaming. "I was just listening to that beautiful song."
"Arigatou. I am going to be playing it on stage very soon. You should get a seat. It will sound better from there."
'I should take the orb now and be done with it. No one will ever find out.' "You're right. But before I do, do you mind if I ask something first?"
"I-"
"Tsumomo! Come one! It's time to start!"
The girl looks up at Madame Chimera. "Gomen. I must go now." She runs off with her instrument in the direction of the stage.
Madame Chimera looks after her with glowing eyes.
~*~*~*~*~
Everyone looks at the stage with as a young girl in a short kimono walks to its center and sits down. When she begins to play, the audience falls silent.
Matsume is leaning against the large tree that they are sitting under. Her sister is quietly lying on her stomach next her. Haruka sits with her arm wrapped around Michiru. Zentora's eyes are closed as she leans against Samaru, listening intently. Samaru looks down when he feels the gentle pressure on his arm and smiles to see Zentora leaning on his shoulder.
~*~*~*~*~
Madame Chimera looks at the the audience. She had spotted Sailor Orion's other form and sees the girl leaning on her companion. 'Looks like someone's trying to relax a bit. Maybe this is the perfect time.' She looks at them a little longer before blowing a kiss toward the stage.
~*~*~*~*~
She feels the evil energy a split second before hearing the scream. The lucid brown eyes snap open and she is suddenly alert. Looking at the stage, Zentora sees that the lanterns have caught fire. She looks for a sign of the girl who had been playing but can't see her. "Where is she?"
Samaru looks at the crowd of people running out of the park. "We'd better do something. It's spreading."
"You guys take care of it."
Samaru looks at Zentora in surprise as she stands up. "What are you going to do?"
She shakes her head and pushes her thick locks away from her face. "I don't have time." She runs toward the stage, leaving him there.
"Zentora!" Samaru watches her run off. Frustrated, he closes his eyes and begins his transformation.
~*~*~*~*~
The girl is sitting on the stage huddled into a ball surrounded by fire on every side. She curls up with her knees pressed against her chest trying her best not to get burned. Fearful tears flow from her eyes as she waits. Her last scream for help is weakened by the smoke in her lungs.
Tsumomo suddenly feels something on top of her and is rolled around. She keeps her eyes closed until she hears a quiet voice panting in her ear.
"Are you alright?"
Fear filled eyes are Zentora's answer. "Domo Arigatou."
She nods as the purple locks fall over her eyes. She sits up and helps the girl to her feet. Her face is blackened with smoke and her clothes are singed, but she hasn't been hurt. "You're going to be alright."
"No. She isn't."
"Who's there!" Zentora moves to stand between the girl and the voice.
"Up here."
Casting her eyes into the tree, she sees Madame Chimera. "It's you."
"Yes. I thought you would have had more sense than to do that. If you'd left here there, then she would have died and the orb would have surfaced anyway."
A suspicious look is Zentora's reply. "Orb?"
"Yes. That girl you're protecting ... is an orb holder."
"There's no way you could know that."
Chimera only smiles slyly.
~*~*~*~*~
"Zentora! Are you alright!" Star Chaser and the others run toward the still burning stage.
Keeping her hands on the girl, Zentora back away from Chimera. "Stay behind me."
The stage is suddenly flooded with water as Sailor Neptune launches her deep submerge attack, dousing the flames.
Star Chaser and the four senshi jump onto the stage to find Zentora standing between Madame Chimera and the young musician.
Sailor Uranus is the first to speak. "What's going on?"
Zentora answers without taking her eyes off of Madame Chimera. "She says that this girl is an orb holder."
Tsumomo stands innocently behind her wondering what everyone is talking about. Zentora goes on. "I think she's lying."
"And why is that? Are you afraid to do to her what you attempted on your Akiyama-sensei? You should have left her in the fire. I would have saved you the trouble."
Zentora's face grows cold and she is suddenly guarded. "How did you know about that?"
"I was there. Don't be so surprised. We do know all of your secrets after all."
The girl closes her eyes. "I don't believe you."
"Frankly, I don't care what you believe." She kisses her hand blowing the fire onto the stage. "Go my pet. Drain them both!"
Star Chaser looks at Zentora as the monster lunges at her. He runs over pushing both of them to the ground. "Najid! Bellatrix!"
Sailor Bellatrix is at Star Chaser's side. Najid kneels Zentora. He looks at the Amazons. "Take the girl and get her away from here."
"Yes, Star Chaser." Sailor Najid looks at the girl and gently takes her hand. "Come on. We will keep you safe."
Tsumomo looks at Zentora and speaks for the first time. "What's going on?"
Zentora looks at her, wondering if Chimera is telling the truth. "Go with them. They won't let her hurt you."
Najid picks the girl up and looks at her sister. "Alright then." Bellatrix raises her spear into the air as the youma comes closer. "Amazon Star Force Teleport!"
The three of them disappear in a flash and Zentora's eyes widen in surprise. She hears Star Chaser's voice in here ear. "You'd better take this distraction as an opportunity to change yourself before that monster makes another pass at us."
Just as he finishes speaking, the two of them are knocked to the other side of the stage. Chimera had called another youma to keep them busy so she could look for the girl.
~*~*~*~*~
Najid places Tsumomo on the floor of an old warehouse. "Where are we, Bellatrix?"
"On the other side of the park. It should take her at least half an hour to track us."
"Do you think that the girl is really a holder?"
Sailor Bellatrix looks down at the child. "I do not know, Najid. We will have to wait for Orion to see."
Tsumomo looks up at them. "What do they want from me?"
Bellatrix looks at her sister who kneels in front of the child. "I do not exactly know how to tell you this. But you are a very special person.It is possible that you have a very special part inside that could help a lot of people."
~*~*~*~*~
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune watch as the two youma close in on Star Chaser and Zentora. "We need to help them, Uranus."
Sailor Uranus nods. "Get ready."
The two of them launch an attack combing their powers into a massive stream of energy, destroying one of the youma as it hovers over Zentora's still form. Star Chaser raises himself to his knees and looks over to her. She was knocked out of his arms when the other youma attacked. "Zen-tora! Wake up! He looks up at the youma as it picks her up. Slowly, her energy is drained.
Closing his eyes behind his shades, Star Chaser clenches his fist. It begins to glow with a blue light as the energy takes shape. He opens his eyes and looks at the blue star in his gloved hand. He throws the disk at the youma and it explodes, bringing the beast down. He looks over a t the two planetary senshi. "Do you think you can handle the other one while I help Zentora?"
Uranus nods looking at him and then the fallen youma as it begins to vanish.
~*~*~*~*~
'Where is that little brat?' Chimera looks down at the city as she floats over the high-rises and sky-scrapers. She keeps her hand over the rose on her dress, waiting for the familiar sensation.
~*~*~*~*~
Zentora opens her eyes to see Star Chaser's goateed face. She looks around and realized that she is being carried. "What happened?"
Sailor Uranus walks over to them as Zentora is placed under a tree. Sailor Neptune joins her.
Star Chaser looks at Zentora. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. She closes her eyes and holds her
hand in front of her throat The amulet appears and she says her
transformation. "Star Cahser? Do you know where they may have
taken her?"
"They could be anywhere. I could try to contact them, but there's no telling. It might give them away."
"Please...just try anyway. If that girl really is a holder...Then Chimera's looking for her."
~*~*~*~*~
The glass rose begins to glow. Chimera can feel a strong sensation as her own energy fills the flower, guiding her to an old building. "Finally."
~*~*~*~*~
Tsumomo looks at Sailor Najid. "So I can help a lot of people?"
Najid nods. "Yes."
"Then I will."
"How touching."
The three of them look up to see Madame Chimera. Bellatrix is the first to speak. "You will not have the child."
"I don't want the child. I want the orb inside of her."
Najid draws her sword. "What makes you so certain that she has one?"
"That's none of your business. Hand the child over to me or I will kill you all."
Bellatrix lifts her spear. Before she can yell out the command, she hears Chimera speak. "Go ahead. Teleport. I'll only find you again. You can't keep doing it forever. You may as well give me the child."
Bellatrix narrows her eyes in a menacing expression. "Najid. Watch the girl and stand firm. I will be back."
"Where-"
"The prince calls." She looks at the communicator on her arm as it flashes. "Amazon Star Force Teleport!"
~*~*~*~*~
Sailor Bellatrix is suddenly standing in the park next to Star Chaser. Sailor Uranus , Neptune and Orion are a little surprised to see her there so suddenly. Star Chaser looks at her calmly. "Is the girl safe?"
"Not for long. Madame Chimera found us. I came to transport the rest of you."
""Why not just bring them back here?"
Bellatrix addresses Sailor Neptune's question. "It would be a futile waste of time to go back and forth that way. For some reason, she is able to track us."
Sailor Orion speaks up. "Please...can you take us to them?"
Bellatrix nods. "Everyone, stand near me." She raises her staff and says the command.
~*~*~*~*~
Tsumomo is standing behind Sailor Najid. She watches as the woman on the other side of the warehouse summons another monster. Najid, still fighting the first, is knocked to the ground and pinned in a corner by the massive beast.
Tsumomo can only watch helplessly as The other monster comes toward her. She hears Najid telling her to run, only there is nowhere to go. It picks her up and slowly begins to drain her energy. The young girls eyes begin to close as the manifestation of her dream energy begins to appear.
Before anything else can happen, a purple light flashes through the warehouse and the monster's tail is severed, dropping the child to the floor.
"Orion!"
Sailor Orion looks at Madame Chimera with a dark expression. "You people seem to have a problem with attacking children. I'll ask you again. Why do you think that she has an orb?"
"That's none of your business."
Sailor Neptune looks at Orion and then at Madame Chimera. An idea suddenly occurs to her. Summoning her talisman, she holds the mirror in her hands. "Uranus."
Her partner nods, summoning her own talisman. "Lets do it."
"Submarine Reflection!"
Madame Chimera looks at the glowing from the mirror, wondering where it is coming from. Before she can trace the source, Uranus spots teh fower on her chest. Wielding her sword, she strikes. "Space Sword Blazing!"
Chimera falls to the ground as the glass rose shatters.
Sailor Orion looks at them with surprise. "A-Arigatou. What did you do?"
Sailor Neptune looks at her as Uranus picks up a piece of glass. "We found her source of power and destroyed it. She hands the shard to Orion.
The silent star senshi studies it closely. "A glass rose?"
"Yes. That was how she found out about the girl being a holder." Uranus looks at Chimera's lifeless form. "Looks like it was her life source as well."
Zentora goes over to Star Chaser who has Tsumomo in his arms. Bellatrix is helping sister soldier to her feet.
Orion looks at them all. Star Chaser makes his way to her with the child. "She's waking up. I think you should go ahead and check her."
Sailor Orion looks at him and then at the girl in his arms. She closes her eyes when Sailor Bellatrix place a hand on her shoulder. "It is alright. She already knows who she is. Najid explained it to her."
The purple clad senshi turns away from them all. "Gomen ne. I can not do it."
Star Chaser looks at her. "What are you talking about?"
Before Sailor Orion can answer, she hears Tsumomo speak. "Sailor Orion?"
All of the senshi look at her as she continues. "Do you need to take my special part?" Orion looks at he child's eyes. They are hopeful, yet somewhat scared. "Sailor Najid told me that you need my help. It's okay to take it. I want to help you all for saving me."
Orion feels her eyes beginning to tear. She closes them before anyone else can see. 'The last thing I want to do is to take an orb form this child. But she's so willing. And if I don't take it then...' Her voice is soft when she finally speaks. "Okay...but you have to do something else for me."
"What?" Tsumomo looks at her curiously.
Sailor Orion opens her eyes when she speaks again. "You have to tell me what you love to do. What is your one dream in life?"
Tsumomo thinks for a second as Star Chaser places her on her feet. "I want to keep playing the shamisen for other people and make music. It makes them feel good."
Nodding solemnly, she looks at the girl. "Okay. I want you to think about that. After I take this from you, you may never play the same again."
"I still want to help. Sailor Najid said that I could help a lot of people."
"You can. I just want you to know."
Tsumomo nods bravely. "I'm ready."
The Senshi of Dreams kneels in front of the girl so that they are nearly eye level. "I want you to think about playing the shamisen as I do this okay?" The girl nods and closes her eyes. Sailor Orion places a gloved heart and kisses her cheek.
Tsumomo falls back and Star Chaser catches her. Slowly, her dream energy manifests itself. Everyone watches as the orb makes its appearance.
~*~*~*~*~
Tsumomo opens her eyes to find herself in the park. She is leaning against a tree and sitting by herslef.
"You did the right thing, Zentora."
She looks at Samaru as she holds the orb in her hand. Tghe two of them are st anding near enough to see the girl, but far enough so that she can't hear them. "I don't know. I mean...I've finally finished my mission. But-" Her thoughts trail as she looks at the girl.
He takes her am and they walk out of the park.
