TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS I'VE BEEN THROUGH
By: Neko Majikku
Chapter Four: Jupiter's Powerless
Rated: PG-13
"You know?" The Man asked, watching The Woman yet again gaze into her scythe blade at the Sailor Senshi. "These are boring, come to think of it." He put his hands behind his head and gave the woman a bored look to emphasize his point. "And so are you. Who's next?"
"Sailor Jupiter," was the monotone reply from The Woman in the black outfit amidst the eternal white.
"You're going in the order of Planets, aren't you?"
No reply. But The Woman did allow herself to roll her eyes just slightly at his expense.
The Man caught this movement, and frowned. "Oh shut up. You don't tell me anything; so how could I know?"
"I tell you what you ask," came her reply. The woman lowered her scythe and turned to him, giving him her ever-emotionless stare.
"No, you don't. I've asked you if these Trials would be interesting and you never answer."
"You find out when you come to the Mortal Realm with me... Therefore, you have been answered." That was the longest statement he had ever heard her say; it also was the most sarcastic (emotionlessly toned, but obviously sarcastic) reply she had ever given.
He gaped at her in shock at her sudden talkativeness. "Uhm... well..." He had to admit, she was right about that.
"I don't always answer in spoken words or immediately, Lord." And she was gone in a flurry of black feathers. The Man, however, was too shocked to say or do anything.
"So. Hino-san left in the middle of last night and didn't bother to leave anything but the note: 'I always loved archery'..." Haruka sighed. "Such incompetence."
"I've noticed the order has been Mercury, Venus, Mars, which is in the order- with the exception of Usagi-chan- of the planets..." Makato said thoughtfully. "Do you suppose...?"
"Seems like you're next, Mako-chan." Usagi groaned.
"I'd have to agree." Michiru spoke up.
"So make sure to leave a good clue if you won't contact us." Haruka fumed.
"Have you noticed that none of the girls have left anything but a note?" Luna asked Artemis. The white cat nodded. "Perhaps, whoever is doing this... doesn't want everyone at once..."
"But one at a time..." Artemis murmured. He bowed his head in thought a moment. Then he looked up at Luna.
"Maybe someone should stay with Makato-san tonight, and follow her if she gets up?" Setsuna suggested.
"Who? It's too dangerous for the Princess." Makato gave her friend an apologetic look. Usagi only nodded in grim understanding.
"I'll stay with you, Mako-san." Hotaru stood up bravely. "We can have fun tonight, too. You said you would teach me how to bake. Maybe if you're up all night, then you won't leave?"
"Maybe..."
"All agreed?" Haruka asked.
No one could disagree.
"Jeez, I'm beat..." Makato sighed, glancing over at the clock. One-thirty in the morning. She then saw that Hotaru had fallen asleep on the couch. Makato couldn't help but doze off herself.
I stand with my fiancé, my love, my... everything. My protector... We stand in the gardens of my home- Jupiter. He holds my hand as I cry like a little girl. I can't help it. I've lost so many... Venus, Mercury, Mars, The Prince of the Moon. Princess Serenity lost one of the competitors for her heart, a wonderful man from Mars... What will happen now? The Enemy is silent and deadly. No one has seen it yet and lived to tell the tale. My fiancé holds me close to him...but I don't feel any better. By the order the Enemy has been taking, Jupiter is next. I am prepared to fight for my home. Valiantly, like I know my friends have...
A chilling breeze pushes me hard into my fiancé and we struggle to stay standing. I recognize this feeling and I know who is here. My fiancé and I turn to the black-cloaked woman standing two feet above the ground, watching us.
"You've come." My fiancé says gravely. "We are next then?"
She says nothing; she is still, familiar to me. Her one visible, blood red eye looks at me straight, calm, and silent. She looks lonely, but Venus had said not to trust her. But why? Why had she said that? "Demon Woman." I mutter at her emotionless stare. Trying to sound brave but inside I am quaking with fierce terror. "Bringer of Death. It follows you!"
"Only a few Terrans..." and she was gone.
A loud crash told me that the attack had begun. The ground under me caved in and I fell... fell... fell to my doom-
Makato shot up where she was, lying her head on the counter. It was now two in the morning. Hotaru was still sleeping soundly; fantastic. She could leave without endangering her on this. It wasn't her time to follow the call, anyway. Makato stood, still wearing what she had yesterday, and left her apartment after writing simply 'My fiancé' on a sheet of paper.
Makato ran down the wet streets of Tokyo. Her night. Of all nights to rain, it had to rain on her night to be called. She ignored it, feeling the pull get stronger and stronger as she came closer to her goal. She stopped, splashing mud over her bare legs, in the skeleton of a building and waited.
"I know you're here, whoever you are. And that you've called me like you called my friends. So, what kind of challenge is it, if you don't show up?" she asked, taking her pen from her pocket and transforming into Sailor Jupiter. She tried her best to look brave, not scared and angry, but brave and angry.
"You do not recognize me." said many voices at once, slightly off of sync, led by one very familiar but unknown voice. From the pitch-blackness walked a woman in an equally black cloak. The owner of the voice pulled the hood from their face, revealing the same pale, half- masked, red-eyed woman Jupiter had seen in her dreams. The same emotionless stare. Jupiter shook her head timidly. "I am the Judge."
"Of what?" Jupiter asked, finally feeling her courage come as the cold feeling became normal.
"Of you."
"Okay, fine." Jupiter ran at the Woman, splashing mud everywhere but not noticing. She lashed out at the cloaked Woman with her best punch.
The Woman moved out of the way relatively easily and stood to the side. She didn't move at all. Jupiter tried again, only to be cut off by the Woman's fist in her stomach. The force of the attack knocked Jupiter back and into the mud. The Woman stood over her as Jupiter felt something close around her wrists and ankles.
The room was nothing but black. With no real walls, else why would Jupiter be leaning forward, against a wall, looking to be in a forty-five degree angle to Mars?
"I've lost, then?" Jupiter sputtered.
"You have."
"And this is what will happen to those who lose to you?" she asked with unknown and previously unrealized calm and wisdom.
"It is."
"What will happen if we all lose?"
"You are all doomed." And she was gone.
Hotaru woke up with a stiff neck and gazed at the dirty counters. That made her nervous. Makato would NEVER leave anything lying around like this was. After a thorough search of the house, Hotaru came to realize she had failed and that Sailor Jupiter had been taken by whoever the enemy was... Leaving only a note that read "my fiancé". Hotaru cleaned up, knowing Makato would have a fit if it was left to sit, and then ran for her home where three adopted parents would be less than happy to hear the news. Neko: N-kay, from here on in I'm strapped for ideas so input is a very VERY VERY VERY good thing.... Just tell me. Thanks in advance; meow, baby; this is Neko, signing out.
By: Neko Majikku
Chapter Four: Jupiter's Powerless
Rated: PG-13
"You know?" The Man asked, watching The Woman yet again gaze into her scythe blade at the Sailor Senshi. "These are boring, come to think of it." He put his hands behind his head and gave the woman a bored look to emphasize his point. "And so are you. Who's next?"
"Sailor Jupiter," was the monotone reply from The Woman in the black outfit amidst the eternal white.
"You're going in the order of Planets, aren't you?"
No reply. But The Woman did allow herself to roll her eyes just slightly at his expense.
The Man caught this movement, and frowned. "Oh shut up. You don't tell me anything; so how could I know?"
"I tell you what you ask," came her reply. The woman lowered her scythe and turned to him, giving him her ever-emotionless stare.
"No, you don't. I've asked you if these Trials would be interesting and you never answer."
"You find out when you come to the Mortal Realm with me... Therefore, you have been answered." That was the longest statement he had ever heard her say; it also was the most sarcastic (emotionlessly toned, but obviously sarcastic) reply she had ever given.
He gaped at her in shock at her sudden talkativeness. "Uhm... well..." He had to admit, she was right about that.
"I don't always answer in spoken words or immediately, Lord." And she was gone in a flurry of black feathers. The Man, however, was too shocked to say or do anything.
"So. Hino-san left in the middle of last night and didn't bother to leave anything but the note: 'I always loved archery'..." Haruka sighed. "Such incompetence."
"I've noticed the order has been Mercury, Venus, Mars, which is in the order- with the exception of Usagi-chan- of the planets..." Makato said thoughtfully. "Do you suppose...?"
"Seems like you're next, Mako-chan." Usagi groaned.
"I'd have to agree." Michiru spoke up.
"So make sure to leave a good clue if you won't contact us." Haruka fumed.
"Have you noticed that none of the girls have left anything but a note?" Luna asked Artemis. The white cat nodded. "Perhaps, whoever is doing this... doesn't want everyone at once..."
"But one at a time..." Artemis murmured. He bowed his head in thought a moment. Then he looked up at Luna.
"Maybe someone should stay with Makato-san tonight, and follow her if she gets up?" Setsuna suggested.
"Who? It's too dangerous for the Princess." Makato gave her friend an apologetic look. Usagi only nodded in grim understanding.
"I'll stay with you, Mako-san." Hotaru stood up bravely. "We can have fun tonight, too. You said you would teach me how to bake. Maybe if you're up all night, then you won't leave?"
"Maybe..."
"All agreed?" Haruka asked.
No one could disagree.
"Jeez, I'm beat..." Makato sighed, glancing over at the clock. One-thirty in the morning. She then saw that Hotaru had fallen asleep on the couch. Makato couldn't help but doze off herself.
I stand with my fiancé, my love, my... everything. My protector... We stand in the gardens of my home- Jupiter. He holds my hand as I cry like a little girl. I can't help it. I've lost so many... Venus, Mercury, Mars, The Prince of the Moon. Princess Serenity lost one of the competitors for her heart, a wonderful man from Mars... What will happen now? The Enemy is silent and deadly. No one has seen it yet and lived to tell the tale. My fiancé holds me close to him...but I don't feel any better. By the order the Enemy has been taking, Jupiter is next. I am prepared to fight for my home. Valiantly, like I know my friends have...
A chilling breeze pushes me hard into my fiancé and we struggle to stay standing. I recognize this feeling and I know who is here. My fiancé and I turn to the black-cloaked woman standing two feet above the ground, watching us.
"You've come." My fiancé says gravely. "We are next then?"
She says nothing; she is still, familiar to me. Her one visible, blood red eye looks at me straight, calm, and silent. She looks lonely, but Venus had said not to trust her. But why? Why had she said that? "Demon Woman." I mutter at her emotionless stare. Trying to sound brave but inside I am quaking with fierce terror. "Bringer of Death. It follows you!"
"Only a few Terrans..." and she was gone.
A loud crash told me that the attack had begun. The ground under me caved in and I fell... fell... fell to my doom-
Makato shot up where she was, lying her head on the counter. It was now two in the morning. Hotaru was still sleeping soundly; fantastic. She could leave without endangering her on this. It wasn't her time to follow the call, anyway. Makato stood, still wearing what she had yesterday, and left her apartment after writing simply 'My fiancé' on a sheet of paper.
Makato ran down the wet streets of Tokyo. Her night. Of all nights to rain, it had to rain on her night to be called. She ignored it, feeling the pull get stronger and stronger as she came closer to her goal. She stopped, splashing mud over her bare legs, in the skeleton of a building and waited.
"I know you're here, whoever you are. And that you've called me like you called my friends. So, what kind of challenge is it, if you don't show up?" she asked, taking her pen from her pocket and transforming into Sailor Jupiter. She tried her best to look brave, not scared and angry, but brave and angry.
"You do not recognize me." said many voices at once, slightly off of sync, led by one very familiar but unknown voice. From the pitch-blackness walked a woman in an equally black cloak. The owner of the voice pulled the hood from their face, revealing the same pale, half- masked, red-eyed woman Jupiter had seen in her dreams. The same emotionless stare. Jupiter shook her head timidly. "I am the Judge."
"Of what?" Jupiter asked, finally feeling her courage come as the cold feeling became normal.
"Of you."
"Okay, fine." Jupiter ran at the Woman, splashing mud everywhere but not noticing. She lashed out at the cloaked Woman with her best punch.
The Woman moved out of the way relatively easily and stood to the side. She didn't move at all. Jupiter tried again, only to be cut off by the Woman's fist in her stomach. The force of the attack knocked Jupiter back and into the mud. The Woman stood over her as Jupiter felt something close around her wrists and ankles.
The room was nothing but black. With no real walls, else why would Jupiter be leaning forward, against a wall, looking to be in a forty-five degree angle to Mars?
"I've lost, then?" Jupiter sputtered.
"You have."
"And this is what will happen to those who lose to you?" she asked with unknown and previously unrealized calm and wisdom.
"It is."
"What will happen if we all lose?"
"You are all doomed." And she was gone.
Hotaru woke up with a stiff neck and gazed at the dirty counters. That made her nervous. Makato would NEVER leave anything lying around like this was. After a thorough search of the house, Hotaru came to realize she had failed and that Sailor Jupiter had been taken by whoever the enemy was... Leaving only a note that read "my fiancé". Hotaru cleaned up, knowing Makato would have a fit if it was left to sit, and then ran for her home where three adopted parents would be less than happy to hear the news. Neko: N-kay, from here on in I'm strapped for ideas so input is a very VERY VERY VERY good thing.... Just tell me. Thanks in advance; meow, baby; this is Neko, signing out.