Pretty Soldiers, Sailor Zodiac

Episode Seven: Lightening Rod, R-E-S-C-U-E

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Author Notes:: Told you it wouldn't be that long, boyos and girlies.[Only about a month.] Here's episode seven, and yes, I promise some answers now. Some, not all. ^_^

Disclaimer: As stated in section one through six of the preformentioned document PS,SZ, I, the authoress, do NOT in fact own Sailor Moon. There, I said it! *looks smug* *realizes what she said* oh darnit. .

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Scorpio's first reaction was an unconscious shiver. She instinctively held her arms.

The black realm, as Luke, or Leo Knight as he had been found to be, had called it, was a dark, dreary place. It seemed to suck the happiness out of her by just being in it. Her whole will was depleting.

"Luke... er... Leo, I'm getting a bad feeling about this place." She began. He glanced back at her.

"Chickening out? I thought you were the all powerful Scorpion." he shot. She glared and followed him silently.

Tall, black buildings rose around them, but Luke seemed to know where he was going. Scorpio tried not to look around too much, but stopped dead in her tracks when they reach a place where the street widened.

"No..." she trailed idly. Her eyes were large orbs at this point. Leo Knight turned.

"Is there a problem?" he growled. She was too distracted by the site of the large, black tower from her dreams rising before her.

"This... this tower... I've dreamt of this tower!" she snapped. He turned to look back at the tower. He turned back to her. He was intent on her face.

"What have you seen in your dreams?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulders hard enough to hurt. She yelped. "Tell me! Did you see people? What happened?" he growled, shaking her a bit. She pulled one arm free.

"The tower was always destroyed before I got there... Why?" she asked.

"Did you see any people?" he growled.

"Only once... it was man, who didn't want me to go in there." she explained. Leo Knight was suddenly tense, but dropped her arms. He turned and looked around the darkened plain. "Why? What's in that tower that's so important?" she snapped. He didn't look at her.

"Nothing." he snapped instantly. She wasn't convinced.

"There is something, or else we wouldn't be here!" she insisted. He turned back, but said nothing. With an abrupt spin on his heel, he was storming back towards the tower. She hurried to keep up.

Then her dream began to come true. She barely had enough time to pull Leo Knight down beside her when the lightening struck where they'd been a moment before.

Scorpio recovered a second earlier than Leo and looked up.

Tall, gangly, narrow shoulders. Wispy hair of a dark brown. Male, near her age. It was the man from her dream.

"Who are you?" she tried. He looked at her, but raised his hand for another attack. She cringed back a step, but Leo was up by now.

"Lionheart Reflection." he growled as a faint gold shield covered the two of them. He was at her side a moment later. "This the guy you saw?" he asked. She nodded a response and he cracked his knuckles. "Great."

"Listen, I can hold him off. You go ahead." she stated. He looked skeptical. She smiled reassuringly. "You might deny it, but something up there is important to you. Go after it, I've got Flash here." she laughed.

Leo hesitated, but took off at a run towards the tower. Scorpio watched 'Flash' track Leo as he left. She interrupted.

"I'm your fight here, buddy." she stated, hands clenched at her sides. She could still faintly see the shield Leo had left. She hoped it wasn't going to give out on her.

The man, 'Flash', as she'd already come to think of him as began to slowly circle her and she turned slowly to keep her eyes on him. "What do you want?" she snapped.

He seemed to almost hesitate when she asked, but his resolve thickened and he shock an array of lightening bolts at her. She managed to jump out the range of most of them. But it only took one to hit before her concentration shattered.

She was on the ground before she knew what had happened. Once one hit her, she was easily hit by repeated waves until a trail of blood dripped from her mouth and nose.

Faint tears began to form in her eyes from the sheer burning pain.

"Am I going to die? Luke... I'm so sorry... I tried..." she managed to whisper. Her vision blurred and refocused and a warm, pale light filled her. She wondered idly if she was dead yet.

Suddenly she could move again. She gingerly moved her head and pushed herself up.

The sky was star filled, and she knew she was no longer in the dark dimension. Looking down, she was startled to realize that she was no longer dressed as Sailor Scorpio. Her dress was black, trimmed in crimson. A pair of gloves extended up her arms to her elbows, cinched just above with crimson silk ribbons.

She was more surprised to see her surroundings. She managed to get her feet under her and stood. Around her neck, gone unnoticed before, was a long silver chain with a large pendant proclaiming the sign of Scorpio on it. Her absently traced the design with her left hand as her eyes searched the area.

She was standing on a piece of grass, but it was only a piece perfectly twenty feet square. Large silver stones surrounded the square. Just to her left was a stone bench, and it appeared as if she'd fallen off of it to lay in the grass. A book lay upside down on the bench. Next to the bench, on either side, was a large pot of flowers. They were hibiscus and gave off a strong, tropical scent.

On all sides, save the side lined with the bench and flowers, the square tiered down onto another grassy step lined with silver stones. All together, three steps were set down from this one, each near a foot and a half thick. The steps led off into a large, expansive set of gardens with tall flowering bushes that served as walls.

Behind the bench, however, was a stone wall that extended nearly thirty feet above the top platform and topped off with a small ledge. She tried to peer upwards, but had no chance of seeing if anyone was on top.

She swallowed slightly and wondered if this was heaven. Just as she thought that, it all seemed to fade away. She reach outward and tried to grasp the vision, but it was gone.

She was back in the dark dimension, and she shivered to realize she was healed and on her feet. Looking up at 'Flash', she realized something.

She felt she'd known him her whole life. Closing her eyes, she felt a new power in her. She opened them again with a new determination. "You aren't yourself." she declared. With a determination in her eyes, she walked straight up to him and placed her hand on the side of his face. "Remember the truth.... Scorpion Sanctity Restoration." she whispered. A faint blue light engulfed the two of them and 'Flash's' eyes seemed to pale and fade, then return a stronger green than before.

"C-Celeste?" he managed, looking into her eyes for the truth. She nodded.

"It's alright, Pisces Knight... welcome back." she breathed. He smiled and bowed his head slightly to rest his forehead on her shoulder.

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Leo Knight was frantic. Something wasn't right, and he knew it. "Feiran..." he trailed. He couldn't sense his sister's signal anywhere. "Please... let her be alright." he whispered to himself.

*Luke? Where are you? You seem.. .close.* came Feiran's mental voice. He let out the breath he hadn't noticed holding.

*That's not important. Are you alright?* he pressed. She came near laughing in his mind and he was happy. He knew she was fine. *Where are you?*

*The North Tower. Be careful, Luke. There are guards everywhere up here.* she returned.

Leo Knight loped up the stairs to his left. No amount of guards could stop him now.

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AN:: And I leave it there. I know, I'm evil. Well, if Sailor Taurus keeps poking me about it, I'll write more often! ^.^