Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter six.
Sleeper
By: Masked Maiden
Chapter Six - The Sort of Longer Version: .unleashed//SLEEPER
Durham, North Carolina
7:00 PM EST
Mamoru remembered a comment Diana made when she and ChibiUsa were living
with Usagi -- there were a few instances when the King and Queen of Crystal
Tokyo became mysteriously ill, and then the two would disappear just before
important, and rather stuffy, banquets and meetings. There was nothing to
worry about though, for they always felt better the next day Mamoru
remembered that because, at the moment, he was bored. Bored out of his mind,
to be exact. If he had known the welcoming banquet was going to be such a
dulling experience, he would have followed King Endymion's lead and played
hooky.
I wonder if Shingo knows any good American restaurants, Mamoru thought.
Oh, how he wanted to leave, to be anywhere except for the
sardine-can-of-a-conference-room. And if he had actually listened to that
voice in the back of his mind, he would have already left. It wasn't because
Mamoru was an introvert and hated crowds (even though he was and did), and
it certainly wasn't because the food wasn't the best (even though it wasn't).
It was because the guest speaker had yet to show up. The main reason Mamoru
wanted to come to North Carolina (which was thousands of miles away from
home and Usagi) was to hear Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl's lecture.
Before his first ER rotation, Mamoru wanted to specialize in genetics. With
a great interest in the field he'd read several articles on Dr. Lehmkuhl.
He had to admit, he admired the doctor's work. However, Mamoru was perplexed
when it came to the man's secrecy. Only snippets of Dr. Lehmkuhl's research
were released and hardly anything was published in the medical journals,
for the man supposedly feared that his work would somehow be used by terrorists.
That was, to say the very least, somewhat odd. Mamoru knew that many scientists
(and doctors -- they were scientists in their own right) strove for recognition
and the one breakthrough wonderment that would put their names down in history.
Dr. Lehmkuhl wasn't like that; all he wanted was to make the world a better
place. To Mamoru, that either made Dr. Lehmkuhl a saint or a deceiver, and
it wasn't quite clear which suited him better.
Perhaps tonight's speech would eradicate any suspicions.
But for some reason, that seemed highly unlikely.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome our guest speaker for this evening,
Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl"
The gathering of physicians politely clapped as Stephen walked onto the stage
and to the podium. He put on his reading glasses and placed his notes in
front of him, though he would not need to refer to them. The applause subsided
and he looked up and stared at his audience, quite pleased to be in the spotlight
for one last time.
"Fellow comrades of science and medicine, thank you for coming. I would first
like to apologize for my tardiness this evening. My nephew is with me this
week and I wanted to spend a few minutes with him before I left, although
it obviously turned out to be more than a few minutes. I think those of you
with families can certainly understand that there are not enough hours in
the day to spend with the ones you love"
Mamoru's eyebrow arched. Suck up, he mused.
Stephen continued with his memorized words until something caught his
eye and stunned him into a loss of words. Bodgar sat in the back row, smiling
intently. He was given a security pass just in case he decided to attend
the lecture, or in case of an emergency involving C.O.M.E. Stephen never
really expected him to use it, though. He stared at his nephew, trying to
decipher the meaning beneath the smile on his face. But as the geneticist
came to no conclusions, a feeling Stephen rarely felt clouded his eyes:
fear.
"*Ahem*" Stephen cleared his throat and proceeded. "As I was saying,
this evening I plan to disclose over a decade of highly confidential research
that will unlock the mysteries behind several well-known viral hemorrhagic
disease. Because of their noxious effect on millions of innocent lives, it
has become my life's mission to see that our Earth is finally rid of the
pestilence that strikes her children, so that no other person may have to
suffer and become another victim"
"Is that REALLY your mission, Uncle Stephen?"
The voice unmistakably came from Bodgar, though it seemed to resound throughout
the room. And needless to say, it brought Stephen's rehearsed speech to another
abrupt halt. He glared at his nephew, no longer caring for the briefest moment
if anyone saw through his deception. Mamoru would have been the person to
notice, but he and the rest of the audience turned their heads to see whoever
it was with the booming voice. His attention was immediately directed towards
the teenager, who now slowly walked to the stage and unknown to anyone
else, the blameworthy victim.
Unobserved by the audience, Elios teleported into the conference room, emerging
from nothingness, with a subtlety that he'd perfected almost a thousand years
ago. He wore a plain white cotton shirt and grey slacks instead of his usual
robes, so not to cause any attention to himself. No, that was surely the
last thing he wanted. Elios then stood in one of the far corners of the room
until he could speak with Mamoru. He leaned against the wall, arms folded
and eyes searching for the prince. When Elios at last spotted Mamoru, he
waited patiently. If Sailorpluto was correct, and there was absolutely no
reason to believe that she wasn't, Elios would know when it was time to make
contact.
"Let us not forget what the mission is," Bodgar mocked. "Those are your exact
words. Right, Uncle Stephen? Mother Earth has given birth for over six thousand
years. Now is the time to relieve her from all her heavy burdens even
if it means martyrdom." He laughed, a deep rumble in the base of his throat,
as if another entity had taken control of him, and looked down at the floor.
"That's a fancy way of saying you want to kill us all, right?"
"Now's not the time for this, Bodgar," Stephen seethed.
"Oh, but I think it is." Bodgar continued. "Mother Earth's children have
taken her for granted. We included. We have abused her, despite all of her
sacrifices. She is tired, she is depleted, and she needs rest and solitude.
Mother must be saved and her wretched, spoiled children now must be aborted.
And we, the Children of Mother Earth, are now the arbiters of life, and so
we chose for Mother to love. And that means"
Bodgar extended his right arm and clenched his fist.
" You must become the first martyr."
As Bodgar finished curling his fingers into a tight fist, he disappeared,
as if slipping into another dimension. Stephen clutched his chest and gasped
for air. His heart stopped beating and he collapsed, his chin striking the
podium and snapping his head back as he hit the floor. No one would be able
to tell if it was the heart attack that killed him, or if it was the impact
from his skull hitting the hardwood floor and shattering. But so was the
end to Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl. He died in the spotlight that he relished, and
literally by the hand of the one young man that he should have never
trusted.
Elios took advantage of the confusion and hurried to the Crown Prince. He
watched as Mamoru shot up from his chair, muttering a couple of choice words
under his breath. Mamoru was more or less dumbfounded, and his defenses were
in high gear. When Elios grabbed him by the shoulder, he was ready to strike
until he saw the priest's face.
"What are you doing here!?" he nearly demanded.
"Forgive my rudeness, but there's no time to explain," Elios insisted. "We
must leave immediately, for I'm afraid that your brother-in-law's life in
danger."
Mamoru's eyes widened. "What?"
~*~*~
Shingo had always hoped he would be fortunate enough to die peacefully as
an old man, preferably in his sleep. But for some reason, he never expected
for fate to be so generous. He knew his rebellious teenage years had depleted
all of his second chances. So Shingo expected to die from cancer or heart
disease, something morbid, since he was a bit of a pessimist However,
he never thought of being shot, and that was blatantly what fate intended.
Atsuko fired her gun and Shingo reflexively shut his eyes as the booming
noise roared in his ears.
Of course, it is a common fact that sound does not travel as fast as light.
It would be an educated guess, though not always the truth, to say that most
victims of a gunshot wound would either die or feel excruciating pain before
being aware of any sound produced by pulling a trigger. (And if one demised,
he certainly would not be hearing anything.) But Shingo wasn't worrying over
the details right now. All the young man could think about was his wife Mika
and his family, and how he would never have the chance to see them
Then he realized that he was doing a lot of thinking for a dead guy, though
he was still expecting to be surrounded by white light, by the walls of a
tunnel he must run through, or anything that pertained to the afterlife.
The only way he would know for certain was by opening his eyes. So ever so
cautiously, Shingo unclosed his eyes.
His mouth gaped open at the beauty around him. It was as if he had stepped
inside a watercolor painting. The clear sky was a light azure, with only
a few marshmallow clouds scattered across the expanse. Green meadows stretching
far beyond what the eye could see were dolloped with flowers of pink, blue,
lavender, and yellow. And just over the horizon was a majestic structure
of brilliance. It appeared to be a temple or sorts, one that dated back to
a time that was long forgotten.
To Shingo, he was in paradise, which could only mean one thing.
"I'm dead!"
After those words spilled from his mouth, the air seemed to shift and open.
Two forms materialized before the rattled journalist. Shingo immediately
recognized Mamoru, but not the stranger who accompanied him. That stranger
was Elios. By his appearance, Shingo assumed that he was about sixteen or
seventeen. Yet when he looked into his eyes, something told him that this
stranger was wise beyond his years of living.
"Ah, I see you made it here safely," Elios said, sounding relieved. He bowed
to Shingo and warmly greeted him. "Welcome to Elysian, Tsukino-san. I must
say that you're the first civilian, I suppose, to ever come here."
"Ely-what?" Shingo was now even more confused, and he looked to Mamoru for
any kind of answer. "Exactly what's going on here?"
Mamoru held his head in his hand and sighed. "I think we have a lot of explaining
to do"
~*~*~
"Okay, okay, okay Let me see if I got this straight" Shingo began
to roughly massage the temples of his forehead with his index and middle
fingers. "Once upon a time and blah blah blah, there was this era known as
the Silver Millennium. Its two major empires were the Golden Kingdom and
the White Moon Kingdom. Mamoru was from the Golden Kingdom and Baka was from
the Moon Kingdom. When the Golden Kingdom waged war against the Moon Kingdom
and fell from power, a part of it was preserved and became Elysian. And so
you--" He pointed to the white-clad priest sitting beside of him. "--are
obviously its guardian. But you're also Mamoru's guardian. Have I left anything
out?"
Elios, Mamoru, and Shingo sat by the edge of the pond on the sun-warmed grass.
They were several kilometers away from the temple, and from the eavesdropping
temple maidens that did not need to get involved with their troubles. Like
Mamoru had suggested, Elios gave Shingo a *brief* summarization of the Silver
Millennium's history. And at the end of the ancient history lesson, the only
thing Shingo got was a massive headache.
"Well, there are other details," Elios replied, "but it isn't necessary for
you to know them."
"Okay But I'm still confused on something."
"And what is that?"
"WHY AM I HERE?!"
Elios almost jumped out of his skin, startled by Shingo's sudden outburst.
Mamoru just shook his head and pointed out for his brother-in-law, "Would
you have rather had a bullet lodged in your brain? Because there's probably
still time to have that arranged"
Shingo folded his arms across this chest and slouched, like a little boy
who was sulking. "I'm not trying to sound ungrateful," he muttered. "Believe
me, Elios-san, I can't thank you enough to saving my butt. But I don't understand
why I was brought here instead of just being pushed out of the way."
Elios sighed and confessed to his visitors, "I'm afraid that I have more
questions than answers myself. I was instructed to tell you about some events
that are to come" Elios then turned his attention specifically to Shingo.
"And I was also told to give you a message, Tsukino-san. I don't understand
the meaning of the message, but I was assured that you would when the time
is right."
Mamoru was becoming as frustrated as his brother-in-law. He was not a man
who liked to beat around the bush. However, he knew a woman who treated the
future and its truths in the manner of a well, like a used car salesman.
She would say just enough to catch your attention, but then she would leave
out the minor, yet rather important details. She had her reasons, of course,
but knowing that gave little comfort.
"Pluto made you her messenger boy, didn't she, Elios?" Mamoru conjectured.
Elios nodded, "I'm afraid so."
Mamoru had to chuckle, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Well, I
guess someone had to do it. But before we go any further, I want to ask you
a question. You know that Usako and I already know a little bit about our
future. The Black Moon Clan and the ascension of Crystal Tokyo Is that
what we're about to face?"
Elios lowered his eyes and stared at the soft, green grass. A pensive expression
came upon his face as he silently wondered where to begin. Oh, the dreadful
beginnings In many novels, in many plays, the beginning was the hardest
part to observe. Sometimes they were slow and dull, sometimes they showed
a horrid past, and sometimes they foretold a horrid future But they
always made you crave for the ending. Elios wanted to race to the ending,
and if he could he wanted to save the Earthians from the tribulations to
come. But he knew that was not possible. He was stuck with the message from
Sailorpluto; there was no way he could ignore the beginning.
"Within the next several months, this era will meet its fate." Elios spoke
softly, though audible, his voice sounding much like an automaton wanting
to rebel against his commands. "The Earth will be consumed by a shadow of
darkness and a pestilence that will affect every person. There will be no
way to stop it. Or at least, there is no way for you, Usagi-san, or the Sailor
Senshi to stop it. Time will be both your salvation and your damnation. The
only thing you will be able to do is wait until someone initiates the Great
Freeze."
Shingo raised an eyebrow. "The Great Freeze?" he repeated.
"It is a period of frozen sleep brought upon an ancient Lunarian spell. And
by saying that, it is technically a forbidden spell. But for a thousand years
the Earth will be covered in a blanket of ice. All life will enter a state
of hibernation until the destined Queen of Crystal Tokyo awakens and undoes
the spell. And now I come to the message addressed to you, Tsukino-san."
The blond straightened his back and paid closer attention.
"I know very little about you, Tsukino-san. In fact, I know next to nothing.
But you seem like a good person, and you seem to have a kind soul. And I
will make the assumption that you are man who cares for his family, and that
you're a man who seeks the truth. I've been asked to tell you that something
will happen in the mere future, to you specifically. Perhaps it's already
happened. But what you need to remember is that it isn't your fault. And
once you realize what the truth is, you should do what you can to expose
the truth and to protect those who will depend on you the most."
Shingo suddenly felt as if a mighty fist had punched him in the stomach.
"You mean my wife?" he feared.
"Perhaps Or it could be someone else."
"But there really isn't anyone else. I mean, not that Mika can't take care
of herself, but you could say that we depend on each other. I can't go a
day without at least sending her an email or talking to her on the phone."
Shingo ran his fingers through his hair, feeling confused and now deeply
worried over his Mika. He was beginning to understand what Usagi and Mamoru
must have gone through during all those battles. "Look, I'm not cut out for
the superhero life. I am no Superman. I don't have any special powers, I
can't leap tall buildings I can't even climb a ladder because I *hate*
heights. I don't have a former life, and from the sound of it, I may have
a short future. I'm just your average Joe. So why me?"
"I don't quite know, Tsukino-san. However" A small smile appeared on
the priest's face. "Even a tiny mustard seed grows into a massive tree. So
if that's possible, I'm certain that you are capable of more than you could
ever imagine. Now" Elios stood up and brushed the grass and wrinkles
from his robes. "It's time for you and Mamoru to return to the hotel.
"What about that crazy woman?" Shingo wanted to know. "I'm not going back
if she's still there."
"You don't need to worry. She should no longer be a threat. My powers are
used for healing a person's body, but sometimes they can be used on a person's
mind. The lady should wake up in her hotel room with absolutely no memories
of Tsukino-san."
~*~*~
Just like the priest said, Hoshino Atsuko couldn't remember anything concerning
Shingo. However, she had the strangest sense of déjà vu. While
she couldn't even remember visiting Stephen earlier that evening, a part
of her screamed that she did. And another part of her screamed when she found
out that Stephen was dead.
Only Atsuko and Miguel received word that Stephen was dead. After the secret
meeting that was held inside the Duke Chapel's Memorial Crypt, the Children
of Mother Earth took their plane tickets and their backpacks and prepared
themselves for their life's mission. Miguel was the last to depart. He left
North Carolina two days after Stephen's death and headed for San Francisco,
leaving Atsuko all alone.
For Atsuko, there was no plane ticket, no last flight to a foreign country.
She volunteered to stay in North Carolina, carrying out her assignment at
the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. It wasn't one of the largest American
airports, but it served its purpose; people came and went, and that was
sufficient enough. As Atsuko entered one of the airport's rest rooms, she
stepped inside one of the stalls and latched the door behind her. There was
no call of nature, so to speak, but more of a need for privacy. She set her
navy blue backpack on the floor by her feet, sat down on the toilet, and
cried.
Atsuko couldn't quite understand why she was crying. Perhaps it was because
this would be the only time she could grieve over Stephen's death. She did
love him. Despite the coldness, the neglect, and the abuse, Atsuko loved
him. Stephen was the only man that ever paid her any kind of attention, at
least by her standards. Or perhaps her tears were the cause of a newfangled
guilt that pricked at her heartstrings. She did believe in the cause. There
were so many people who depleted Mother Earth from all the precious gifts
she provided her children, and so they needed to be punished. But the thought
of innocent lives becoming victims had never really crossed her mind. Atsuko
actually assumed she was more innocent than others (and Stephen -- Stephen
was a saint!), but only because she was aware of the sins she committed against
Earth. But when Stephen died, and when all members had parted ways, her moments
of aloneness sparked her mind into a different mode of contemplation. What
about the children? They could not understand or be held accountable for
Mother Earth's misery. Was it worth knowing that millions of children would
lose their parents and possibly die themselves? As Stephen had told her many
times, sacrifices for the greater good always had to be made, but still
It had to be worth it. Even if children died, even if babies weren't born,
even if her unborn child was never born It was still worth it, right?
The alarm on Atsuko's wristwatch started beeping. Throughout the southeastern
region of the United States of America, on a Tuesday in February of 2005,
all clocks struck midnight. The six thousand year ball was over, and so now
it was the time for the wicked siblings to have their chance to shine, because
Sleeper was being unleashed.
Atsuko stood up and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She grabbed her backpack,
unlatched the door, took one quick look in mirror, and exited the restroom.
Even if it wasn't worth it, it was too late for her to back out. Atsuko knew
death met her no matter what decision she made. So it was best to finish
what she started. And if there was a God in Heaven, and if He was as forgiving
as many people believed, maybe He could forgive her.
Like all of the followers, Atsuko depended on her backpack. Inside each backpack
was a change of clothing, several knick knacks and doodads of each follower's
choice, and an aerosol hairspray can. Note the specific wording for the last
object, for its significance is great. Each hairspray can was perfectly
positioned and tightly strapped in place. None of its contents could be expelled
except through a special opening; leaving the zipper about an inch unzipped
served as the hole. It looked ordinary, harmless, but the contents were toxic.
Atsuko casually tapped the hairspray can and listened carefully for a faint
hissing sound. Soon the sound of Sleeper flowing out of her can was heard,
and now she had five minutes to spread the disease around.
She broke out into a quick jog and moved through the crowded airport, making
sure she jogged by as many terminals as she possibly could. It wasn't an
unusual sight to see someone hurrying to a terminal. To any close observer,
Atsuko appeared as someone trying to catch their flight in time. And a closer
observer would assume that she was also lost, for she weaved back and forth
and really had no pattern in her movements. She just jogged from one terminal
to another, not making a sound and not looking back. After all, she couldn't
look back now.
On that fateful night, Mamoru and Shingo sat in a waiting area by one of
the terminals Atsuko neglected. Elios advised them to stay in North Carolina
for the rest of the week, because that was their initial plan. He also considered
it unwise to raise any suspicion amongst the Sailor Senshi, and Mamoru had
to agree; the last thing he wanted was a pregnant wife asking him questions
that he didn't have the answers to. But despite the advice, Shingo refused.
Elios' words haunted him, and he just wouldn't feel safe until he was home
with his wife. So when he and Mamoru returned to the Washington Duke Inn,
Mamoru called the airlines and bought tickets to the next flight to Tokyo.
Shingo had dozed off, using Mamoru's shoulder as a pillow. Mamoru had tried
several times to move Shingo, but all attempts were futile. So he simply
took Shingo's laptop out of its carrier bag and decided to play some Solitaire.
Their flight to New York City (and then finally to home sweet home!) was
going to be two hours late due to severe weather, so Mamoru had to do something
to pass the time away.
An annoying pop-up screen appeared once the laptop had loaded up. It read:
YOUR FILE WAS SUCCESSFULLY DOWNLOADED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPEN IT? Below the
message was the name of the file: SLEEPER.ZIP.
Mamoru didn't want to go through anything private, so he clicked on "no"
and went straight for the card game.
By that time, the hairspray can in Atsuko's backpack was running on empty.
Atsuko slowed down to a walking pace, satisfied with the amount of ground
she covered. While she didn't visit that many gates, she'd certainly jogged
past enough passengers to make sure that Sleeper was spread all over the
world. Now at the end of her journey, she went back to the rest room from
before. This time she sat down in the far corner and withdrew a small bag
from her backpack. Inside the bag were the contents that a typical diabetic
would own: an Acu-Check for monitoring blood sugar levels, a bottle of test
strips, two unused syringes, and a bottle of insulin.
Now, a keen observer who lived with diabetes would probably notice that the
bottle of insulin was labeled incorrectly. The letters R and N were used
to discern two different types of insulin, and neither letter could be seen.
But for the followers who had to go through security and customs, it didn't
really matter. It also didn't matter that the bottles were mislabeled, because
they did not even contain insulin. Instead, they contained potassium chloride.
Atsuko took a syringe, uncapped it, and stuck it through the rubber top of
the insulin bottle. She withdrew approximately 100 milliliters and then placed
the bottle back inside the bag. She tapped the syringe lightly to remove
any air bubbles, even though poison was poison and it would kill no matter
what. Then she looked away as she stuck the needle into her arm, never being
one who liked shots.
With her last moment of life, Atsuko took out a folded piece of paper from
her pocket and placed it in her open palm. She then leaned against the wall,
tucked her chin close to her chest, and closed her eyes
Shingo woke up from his nap as Mamoru was putting his laptop back into its
bag. The blond checked his watch and yawned. "Is it time yet?" he asked,
referring to boarding onto the plane.
"The plane arrived just a few minutes ago," Mamoru answered, standing up
and stretching. "I think we can go ahead and board."
"Hey did you mess with my computer?"
"Maybe I had to do something while waiting."
Shingo rolled his eyes, grabbed his carrier bag and headed towards the terminal.
It was best that he kept all comments to himself, so he wouldn't say anything
that he would regret later on. He wasn't mad at his brother-in-law; he was
a mixture of being fatigued, frazzled, and homesick. All he wanted to do
was go home.
Mamoru sensed that was the reason behind Shingo's sour behavior, so he chose
to give his brother-in-law some space. He slung his carry-on bag over his
shoulder and purposely stayed a couple of feet behind Shingo as they walked
to the terminal. He barely took notice of a twenty-something year-old woman
who was heading in the same direction as he was, although Mamoru noticed
her long enough to see how short she was. That made him think of Usagi, which
made him realize that he felt the same way Shingo did.
The two apparently entered into the own worlds. While the woman would admit
to being clumsy at times, she wasn't gone to running into people. As she
looked at the plane ticket in her hand, just to make sure she was headed
for the right gate, she bumped into Mamoru, although how she didn't see a
six-foot Japanese man was beyond her She dropped her ticket and carry-on
bag, and when both she and Mamoru bent down to pick them up, their heads
collided.
"Itai"
"Ow"
Mamoru massaged the sore area as he asked, "Are you okay, ma'am?"
The woman just smiled it off and said, "Don't worry. I'm as hardheaded as
you can get." She picked up her planet ticket and thanked Mamoru as he handed
her the carry-on bag. However, with her hands now full, the woman couldn't
cover her mouth as she sneezed right in Mamoru's face.
"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "It's this darn weather.
One day it feels like winter, and then the next it feels like summer."
"Well I'm sure I've been exposed to far worse things"
The woman apologized once more and hurried to her terminal, hoping the plane
hadn't already taken off. Shingo had stopped to let Mamoru catch up with
him, which meant he watched the entire incident. And unlike his brother-in-law,
Shingo found it quite amusing. He was laughing under his breath when Mamoru
arrived at the terminal.
"What's so funny?" Mamoru inquired to know.
Shingo grinned and pointed a finger at Mamoru's face. "Excuse me, but can
I use you as a hankie?"
"Don't even go there."
"You know, I think she was trying to flirt with you. After all, you are somewhat
of an attractive man."
"She sneezed on me!"
"Well, that was bad karma telling her that you're already taken."
"Shingo, that doesn't make a bit of sense."
Shingo glared at him. "Does everything I say have to make sense!?" he
complained.
Mamoru let out an annoyed groan and got in tie with the rest of the passengers.
He wasn't about to start another argument with Shingo, especially when they
would be home in a matter of hours. But despite that comforting thought,
he knew it was going to be a long, long, long flight
~*~*~
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all convictions, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all thought it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle
And what rough beast, its hour come around at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
W. B. Yeats, "The Second Coming"
======
End of Chapter Six
07.09.03
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon"
are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha, etc. "Sleeper"
is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy in the World" written
by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and Word Publishing. I do not
have ownership and I do not make any profits from the use of Sailormoon or
the novel in this fan fiction.
Author's Notes:
First off, the title of this chapter was inspired by the anime .hack//SIGN.
I have only seen one episode, but I absolutely fell in love with the music.
The anime is good, too. Just kind of confusing And I'll have you know
that I was listening to a lot of the music when writing some of these
scenes.
The last scenes that center on Atsuko were heavily influenced by the novel
"The Most Important Little Boy in the World". In other words: somewhat similar
scene, but there are some differences. And I have to say this, for I'm a
paranoid woman and I don't want anyone to think I'm plagiarizing. But after
this chapter, you will most definitely know that I am NOT plagiarizing. From
here on out, if you've read the novel, you're going to wonder where in the
world I got some of my idea And that's the way it should be, I think.
This fan fiction was influenced by the novel, not based on it. And yes, people,
there is a difference between the two. If you need someone to explain the
difference, go ask your mom. ^^;
Also, I have a confession to make. I broke one of my writing commandments:
thou shalt not write a self-insert. But the woman who sneezes on Mamoru
that was me. I know most people who write a self-insert hook themselves up
with their favorite character or make themselves the hero, or at least their
favorite character's best friend. But not me. No, I see myself doing something
very realistic: embarrassing myself in front of a rather attractive man.
I know, I have no self-esteem, but I'm going for realistic here, which reminds
me
I hope all of you are enjoying Shingo's role in this story. He is sort of
my way of seeking revenge on all the bad self-inserts. How many of you have
seen Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden? Well, Yuu Watase and the author of the novels
that the OAV is based on got a lot of letters from fans that were along the
lines of this: "I wish I could the priestess of Suzaku and have Tamahome
all to myself!" And granted, I think all of us Tamahome fans have thought
that, and us Mamoru fans but it is still annoying at times. So the
author created Mayo (or is it Maya -- I can't remember) as a way of showing
what would happen if someone went into the book world after all the priestess
had been found. Shingo is my Mayo. I'm going to show all of you what will
happen when an ordinary man is thrust into a different world. And this is
a major feat for a character who was supposed to disappear after chapter
three!
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com
Web Site: (a miracle romance)