Hey, 5th chapter's FINALLY up... So sorry about the delay, I've got no good excuse to make up, but anyways, it's here.
I must give credit to Kesshi for letting me borrow Kuyou...thanks...
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Sailor Moon...
"No! It's not true! I-I-don't have to go with you! You can't make me!!" Michiru screamed at Kuyou, her panic rising.
Kuyou chuckled quietly. "Oh, Michiru. You don't have much of a choice. Since you backed on my power and got control of your mind again, you know everything, which isn't a great thing. I have no choice but to keep you...not that I'm sad..."
Michiru gasped. She had to get away from him, but how? She started backing away slowly, only to realize that Kuyou was walking towards her. "Oh, Michiru. Why won't you come? You would be so happy...so happy..." Kuyou's eyes had turned the darkest of black and were locked on Michiru's. Don't listen to him, don't listen to him...Michiru repeated silently over and over in her head. He's lying...don't go with him... She turned around and broke into a run, not knowing where to go, just away from Kuyou. After Michiru had gone a good distance, she stopped and looked back. There was no one in sight. Good, she breathed to herself, I lost him. But something was wrong. Why didn't Kuyou run after her? "Oh, Michiru. You think you can get away that easily?" Michiru screamed and whipped around. There he stood in front of her, silent and ominous. "No...no...what do you want??!" Michiru cried.
Kuyou laughed manically. "You will soon find out. Let's just say that from now on, you will obey MY orders and follow MY rules. There's no point in doing anything else, so just save yourself the trouble and do as I say."
"No...NEVER!! I will never go with you!!" Michiru screamed at Kuyou. Tears were flowing down her face as she tried to think straight. "You might take over my mind, but I will NEVER listen or obey you!" She was desperately trying to convince herself that it was all a dream. But there was nothing unreal about the present situation. Kuyou suddenly turned angry. "No one ever disobeys ME, and you are NOT going to change that." His voice turned soft and dangerous. "Now, I am not giving you a choice. You will come with me, and do as I say. Understand?" Michiru's eyes darted around. If only there was something that she could distract him with... But sensing Kuyou's anger, she finally gave in and nodded weakly. She tried to say something, but another glance at those hateful dark eyes stopped her. She had to obey him. Kuyou smiled triumphantly at Michiru's surrender. He finally had her. "Good. Now we can leave."
"Leave? To...where?" Michiru cried, her voice rising. This wasn't supposed happen! They had to stay here so that there was a chance of Haruka rescuing her. "To where?!!" Now Michiru was nearly hysterical. If they left, then that would mean that she would truly have to go with Kuyou.
Kuyou laughed, realizing what Michiru was thinking. "Of course we have to leave! We wouldn't want your dear friend Haruka to find you, now would we? No question about it. Let's go." With that, he grabbed Michiru's arm and started to pull her away. Michiru instinctively tried to fight back, but her attempts only led to injuries for herself. After a few minutes, she stopped and let Kuyou lead her away. This is it, Michiru thought bitterly. This is the end. Oh, Haruka...I'm so sorry! At the thought of Haruka, Michiru tensed. How was she going to forget about Haruka? Suddenly, a tremendous crash broke into her thoughts. "What...?" Michiru looked up. There, running furiously towards her, was Haruka. Michiru's heart jumped. There was hope after all! If only Haruka could get to her without Kuyou noticing... Too late. Kuyou had definitely heard the sound and was now glaring in Haruka's direction. "How did she find us?!" He muttered under his breath.
"MICHIRU!!" Haruka yelled frantically. By now, she had nearly reached them.
Oh, Haruka... Michiru sadly thought. He's going to take me away! "Haruka!! Help me!" She screamed desperately.
"Ah, how wonderful it is to see two people so happy. It's a pity to have to ruin this joy. But what has to be done, has to be done. Say good bye Michiru, because you're never going to see Haruka again!" Kuyou snapped his fingers and the two of them flew up into the air. "You see, Haruka. Life has a certain order. And this order must be maintained. You can't change what's happening, so I suggest you don't even start to try and ruin it all. Good bye, Haruka. I don't expect I shall ever see you again!" Suddenly, the air around Kuyou and Michiru started swirling. Faster and faster it went, creating a tornado around them. "NO!! MICHIRU!!" Haruka ran up to the spinning winds and thrust her hand out. "MICHIRU! Hold on!!"
"Oh, Haruka! Don't do this! It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt me! Run and save yourself!" Michiru sobbed. As much as she didn't want to go with Kuyou, she knew she had to keep Haruka from getting in danger.
"NO! Michiru, I won't let you go!" Haruka yelled back. But it was too late. Kuyou and Michiru had already started to fade. "MICHIRU!!" Haruka leaped up into the winds, but it was no use. She fell back onto the ground from the force. She couldn't make out the two figures anymore. The winds had started dying down. All of a sudden, everything stopped. There was nothing in the air. The forest was eerily calm and silent. Haruka sat on the ground, panting from exhaustion. Then reality struck through her. Michiru was gone.
"Haruka!" Michiru wept silently. She was up miles from the ground, flying past the world. Everything whizzed around her, making a blend of scenery. "Oh..." Michiru realized Kuyou was gone. Suddenly, she began to feel afraid. What if she was stuck up here forever? Just as those thoughts ran by her, she slowed to a stop. "Oh..." Michiru whispered again. "How beautiful..." Looming before her was an ancient castle. Faded red flags stood out on top of rugged gray bricks. Dust-covered windows peered out blankly. Michiru stared intently at all of this, unable to look away. She was completely enchanted at the sight before her. Although quite old, the castle still looked strong and grand. Michiru never heard the footsteps of the person who walked up behind her. "Miss?" A sudden voice questioned. Michiru gasped and whirled around to face a young woman about twenty years old. She was wearing a beautiful dark red dress that fell to her feet. Her head was bowed low and Michiru marveled at the incredibly long black hair that was gently held back by a red ribbon. She realized the girl was expecting an answer from her. "Oh...yes?" She politely asked.
The girl kept her eyes on the floor. "The king required that I lead you up to your room and get you ready for dinner."
Michiru frowned, deeply confused. "The king? Who's the king?"
The girl looked up quickly, surprise and fear on her face. "You...you do not know the king? But...you must know him! How am I going to explain this to him? He will not like this at all! What will I answer when he asks me? Oh dear lord, what am I going to do?" Her breathing quickened and her eyes darted over Michiru quickly. Michiru was astounded by the girl's loyalty and obedience to this...king. She still didn't have any idea who he was, but she guessed it was someone important and powerful. She wanted to calm the girl down, so she smiled and said, "Hey, it's all right. You can just tell me who the king is and I can improvise in front of him." The girl gasped, obviously shocked at the suggestion. "You do not mean to lie to him, do you? For lying to King Kokushibyou is considered an immortal sin! You must not do this! I would be killed for even thinking of such a thing!" Michiru laughed at these words. The girl had told her who the king was without knowing it. "Oh, it's all right. I know who he is now, although I don't recall a face to this King Kokushibyou. But that's ok. I'll be careful, really."
The girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, so you do know him. Well...I should lead you to your room now." She started walking up to the castle. Michiru hesitantly followed. She had no idea what was coming next. "Wait!" She called. The girl turned around. Michiru caught up to her. "I was only wondering...what's your name?"
"My name? You...want to know my name?" The girl's eyes widened. "Well...you can call me Kai."
Michiru smiled. The girl, Kai, was clearly loosening up a little. "All right, Kai. My name's Michiru."
"Yes...follow me, miss." Kai turned around and started walking again. Michiru frowned. Just when a little hope started to show, Kai stiffened up again. She sighed and ran up to follow.
Haruka laid on the ground, defeated. She had lost the battle. Michiru was gone, and there was hardly any hope left to find her. She closed her eyes, wanting to drift off. But the moment she did, something gently nudged her side. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, looking around wildly. Maybe Michiru somehow got back! But, no, much to Haruka's disappointment, the person standing before her was not at all Michiru. It was the woman who had shot the arrow at them before! Haruka quickly turned her surprise to anger. "You! What do you want?? To try to kill me again?!" The woman suddenly laughed out loud, a sound that was unnatural among the quietness of the forest. "Oh, Haruka. You mustn't jump to conclusions!"
"Well, then tell me why you nearly killed me!" Haruka replied irritably.
The woman laughed again. " That...you will find out in time. You know too little for me to try to explain. But right now, there is a more serious situation at hand." She immediately stopped laughing. "You must save Michiru! She is in more danger than you both realize! King Kokushibyou may seem harmless, but beneath the smiling face, there is evil. Great evil! I will help you fight him, only you must do exactly as I say. There will be times when the tasks I ask you to complete seem utterly impossible, but you must trust me. There is always a way." Haruka frowned, slowly taking it all in. Michiru was indeed in danger. But this woman was telling her that she could help! Haruka hardly trusted her from the earlier act. Maybe this woman was just one of the people who helped in kidnapping Michiru. It just didn't make sense... Haruka slowly started to give in. "All right...if you say so. But I'm warning you. The moment I figure out that you're actually in on all of this...you should watch your back." She tried to sound threatening, but it was a useless effort. Other emotions caught up to her, and tears nearly started to form. But of course, as usual, Haruka pushed them down. "Good. I'm glad you trust me. Now, here's what you need to do. First, you must get to the castle. But you will need an extensive plan to get inside. King Kokushibyou will recognize you the moment you step foot in front of him. You've got very memorable features. Also, he has talked to you before, and so you will be fixed in his mind. The first thing you must do is to make him believe you are surrendering."
"Surrendering? Like as in begging for forgiveness? Are you crazy? I will never do that! Look, I only want Michiru back, not to get captured myself!" Haruka cut in.
"You will only need to make it look like you're giving up, not truly giving up! Please, I care about this situation as much as you do! Just follow this plan, and we're one step closer to rescuing Michiru." The woman pleaded. Haruka stared at her. Never before had she seen someone so sincere. She nodded confidently. "All right...so, what's the next part?"
"This way, please." Kai called behind her to Michiru. They were walking down a long corridor lined with rooms. When they first entered, Michiru had been amazed. It was like walking into another lifetime. Every single thing was elegant and majestic beyond words. There were many grand rooms such as the ballroom, the library, the great hall, and the common rooms. Michiru had followed Kai past all of this, staring intently at the little details. Dark red velvet curtains hung on every window, and candles lit every passageway and corner. Michiru asked Kai about everything, but each time, she answered very simply and very hesitantly. Hall after hall, they finally stopped at a door. She opened it and led Michiru inside. "Oh..." Michiru breathed. She looked around wondrously.
Beautiful wouldn't have been the word to describe it. The bed in the center of the room stood tall comfy. The two large windows on one side of the room allowed the sunshine to spill in. There was a stunning mahogany dresser pushed against a wall with a sparkling clear mirror attached. "Miss...you must get ready for dinner." Kai cut in on Michiru's thoughts.
"Oh...of course. Well...what exactly do I need to do to get ready?" Michiru wondered.
"You will find a selection of dinner gowns here...the king asks for something comfortable yet suitable." Kai pointed to the neatly folded pile of clothes on the bedcovers. Michiru walked over to the bundle and spread each piece out. It was so difficult to choose just one! Every dress had something so unique that Michiru just couldn't put it down. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She had been so entranced with everything that she completely forgot about the real situation! What was she doing here? She had no idea who this king was, and yet here she was, getting ready to have dinner with him. It was wrong, all wrong! She had to get back to Haruka! "Kai! I must leave now!"
"Oh, I can't let you, miss! I'm so sorry, but...I can't! Oh please forgive me, but I truly can't!" Kai cried desperately. "Please...please just have dinner with him! That was all he asked! And after that, you can go!" Michiru frowned, reluctant to even see this king. But somehow, she felt that he was a dangerous person, and if she didn't go...well, who knows what would happen... "All right...but I'm only staying for dinner! No more than that!"
Kai nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes, yes, of course! Only dinner. That's all he asks. Oh, thank you so much! I could've been killed for not completing the king's orders. Now, please get ready, and quickly!" Michiru sighed and started to pull a dress out. It seemed like everything was going to go ok. If only she knew who this king was...
I must give credit to Kesshi for letting me borrow Kuyou...thanks...
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Sailor Moon...
"No! It's not true! I-I-don't have to go with you! You can't make me!!" Michiru screamed at Kuyou, her panic rising.
Kuyou chuckled quietly. "Oh, Michiru. You don't have much of a choice. Since you backed on my power and got control of your mind again, you know everything, which isn't a great thing. I have no choice but to keep you...not that I'm sad..."
Michiru gasped. She had to get away from him, but how? She started backing away slowly, only to realize that Kuyou was walking towards her. "Oh, Michiru. Why won't you come? You would be so happy...so happy..." Kuyou's eyes had turned the darkest of black and were locked on Michiru's. Don't listen to him, don't listen to him...Michiru repeated silently over and over in her head. He's lying...don't go with him... She turned around and broke into a run, not knowing where to go, just away from Kuyou. After Michiru had gone a good distance, she stopped and looked back. There was no one in sight. Good, she breathed to herself, I lost him. But something was wrong. Why didn't Kuyou run after her? "Oh, Michiru. You think you can get away that easily?" Michiru screamed and whipped around. There he stood in front of her, silent and ominous. "No...no...what do you want??!" Michiru cried.
Kuyou laughed manically. "You will soon find out. Let's just say that from now on, you will obey MY orders and follow MY rules. There's no point in doing anything else, so just save yourself the trouble and do as I say."
"No...NEVER!! I will never go with you!!" Michiru screamed at Kuyou. Tears were flowing down her face as she tried to think straight. "You might take over my mind, but I will NEVER listen or obey you!" She was desperately trying to convince herself that it was all a dream. But there was nothing unreal about the present situation. Kuyou suddenly turned angry. "No one ever disobeys ME, and you are NOT going to change that." His voice turned soft and dangerous. "Now, I am not giving you a choice. You will come with me, and do as I say. Understand?" Michiru's eyes darted around. If only there was something that she could distract him with... But sensing Kuyou's anger, she finally gave in and nodded weakly. She tried to say something, but another glance at those hateful dark eyes stopped her. She had to obey him. Kuyou smiled triumphantly at Michiru's surrender. He finally had her. "Good. Now we can leave."
"Leave? To...where?" Michiru cried, her voice rising. This wasn't supposed happen! They had to stay here so that there was a chance of Haruka rescuing her. "To where?!!" Now Michiru was nearly hysterical. If they left, then that would mean that she would truly have to go with Kuyou.
Kuyou laughed, realizing what Michiru was thinking. "Of course we have to leave! We wouldn't want your dear friend Haruka to find you, now would we? No question about it. Let's go." With that, he grabbed Michiru's arm and started to pull her away. Michiru instinctively tried to fight back, but her attempts only led to injuries for herself. After a few minutes, she stopped and let Kuyou lead her away. This is it, Michiru thought bitterly. This is the end. Oh, Haruka...I'm so sorry! At the thought of Haruka, Michiru tensed. How was she going to forget about Haruka? Suddenly, a tremendous crash broke into her thoughts. "What...?" Michiru looked up. There, running furiously towards her, was Haruka. Michiru's heart jumped. There was hope after all! If only Haruka could get to her without Kuyou noticing... Too late. Kuyou had definitely heard the sound and was now glaring in Haruka's direction. "How did she find us?!" He muttered under his breath.
"MICHIRU!!" Haruka yelled frantically. By now, she had nearly reached them.
Oh, Haruka... Michiru sadly thought. He's going to take me away! "Haruka!! Help me!" She screamed desperately.
"Ah, how wonderful it is to see two people so happy. It's a pity to have to ruin this joy. But what has to be done, has to be done. Say good bye Michiru, because you're never going to see Haruka again!" Kuyou snapped his fingers and the two of them flew up into the air. "You see, Haruka. Life has a certain order. And this order must be maintained. You can't change what's happening, so I suggest you don't even start to try and ruin it all. Good bye, Haruka. I don't expect I shall ever see you again!" Suddenly, the air around Kuyou and Michiru started swirling. Faster and faster it went, creating a tornado around them. "NO!! MICHIRU!!" Haruka ran up to the spinning winds and thrust her hand out. "MICHIRU! Hold on!!"
"Oh, Haruka! Don't do this! It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt me! Run and save yourself!" Michiru sobbed. As much as she didn't want to go with Kuyou, she knew she had to keep Haruka from getting in danger.
"NO! Michiru, I won't let you go!" Haruka yelled back. But it was too late. Kuyou and Michiru had already started to fade. "MICHIRU!!" Haruka leaped up into the winds, but it was no use. She fell back onto the ground from the force. She couldn't make out the two figures anymore. The winds had started dying down. All of a sudden, everything stopped. There was nothing in the air. The forest was eerily calm and silent. Haruka sat on the ground, panting from exhaustion. Then reality struck through her. Michiru was gone.
"Haruka!" Michiru wept silently. She was up miles from the ground, flying past the world. Everything whizzed around her, making a blend of scenery. "Oh..." Michiru realized Kuyou was gone. Suddenly, she began to feel afraid. What if she was stuck up here forever? Just as those thoughts ran by her, she slowed to a stop. "Oh..." Michiru whispered again. "How beautiful..." Looming before her was an ancient castle. Faded red flags stood out on top of rugged gray bricks. Dust-covered windows peered out blankly. Michiru stared intently at all of this, unable to look away. She was completely enchanted at the sight before her. Although quite old, the castle still looked strong and grand. Michiru never heard the footsteps of the person who walked up behind her. "Miss?" A sudden voice questioned. Michiru gasped and whirled around to face a young woman about twenty years old. She was wearing a beautiful dark red dress that fell to her feet. Her head was bowed low and Michiru marveled at the incredibly long black hair that was gently held back by a red ribbon. She realized the girl was expecting an answer from her. "Oh...yes?" She politely asked.
The girl kept her eyes on the floor. "The king required that I lead you up to your room and get you ready for dinner."
Michiru frowned, deeply confused. "The king? Who's the king?"
The girl looked up quickly, surprise and fear on her face. "You...you do not know the king? But...you must know him! How am I going to explain this to him? He will not like this at all! What will I answer when he asks me? Oh dear lord, what am I going to do?" Her breathing quickened and her eyes darted over Michiru quickly. Michiru was astounded by the girl's loyalty and obedience to this...king. She still didn't have any idea who he was, but she guessed it was someone important and powerful. She wanted to calm the girl down, so she smiled and said, "Hey, it's all right. You can just tell me who the king is and I can improvise in front of him." The girl gasped, obviously shocked at the suggestion. "You do not mean to lie to him, do you? For lying to King Kokushibyou is considered an immortal sin! You must not do this! I would be killed for even thinking of such a thing!" Michiru laughed at these words. The girl had told her who the king was without knowing it. "Oh, it's all right. I know who he is now, although I don't recall a face to this King Kokushibyou. But that's ok. I'll be careful, really."
The girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, so you do know him. Well...I should lead you to your room now." She started walking up to the castle. Michiru hesitantly followed. She had no idea what was coming next. "Wait!" She called. The girl turned around. Michiru caught up to her. "I was only wondering...what's your name?"
"My name? You...want to know my name?" The girl's eyes widened. "Well...you can call me Kai."
Michiru smiled. The girl, Kai, was clearly loosening up a little. "All right, Kai. My name's Michiru."
"Yes...follow me, miss." Kai turned around and started walking again. Michiru frowned. Just when a little hope started to show, Kai stiffened up again. She sighed and ran up to follow.
Haruka laid on the ground, defeated. She had lost the battle. Michiru was gone, and there was hardly any hope left to find her. She closed her eyes, wanting to drift off. But the moment she did, something gently nudged her side. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, looking around wildly. Maybe Michiru somehow got back! But, no, much to Haruka's disappointment, the person standing before her was not at all Michiru. It was the woman who had shot the arrow at them before! Haruka quickly turned her surprise to anger. "You! What do you want?? To try to kill me again?!" The woman suddenly laughed out loud, a sound that was unnatural among the quietness of the forest. "Oh, Haruka. You mustn't jump to conclusions!"
"Well, then tell me why you nearly killed me!" Haruka replied irritably.
The woman laughed again. " That...you will find out in time. You know too little for me to try to explain. But right now, there is a more serious situation at hand." She immediately stopped laughing. "You must save Michiru! She is in more danger than you both realize! King Kokushibyou may seem harmless, but beneath the smiling face, there is evil. Great evil! I will help you fight him, only you must do exactly as I say. There will be times when the tasks I ask you to complete seem utterly impossible, but you must trust me. There is always a way." Haruka frowned, slowly taking it all in. Michiru was indeed in danger. But this woman was telling her that she could help! Haruka hardly trusted her from the earlier act. Maybe this woman was just one of the people who helped in kidnapping Michiru. It just didn't make sense... Haruka slowly started to give in. "All right...if you say so. But I'm warning you. The moment I figure out that you're actually in on all of this...you should watch your back." She tried to sound threatening, but it was a useless effort. Other emotions caught up to her, and tears nearly started to form. But of course, as usual, Haruka pushed them down. "Good. I'm glad you trust me. Now, here's what you need to do. First, you must get to the castle. But you will need an extensive plan to get inside. King Kokushibyou will recognize you the moment you step foot in front of him. You've got very memorable features. Also, he has talked to you before, and so you will be fixed in his mind. The first thing you must do is to make him believe you are surrendering."
"Surrendering? Like as in begging for forgiveness? Are you crazy? I will never do that! Look, I only want Michiru back, not to get captured myself!" Haruka cut in.
"You will only need to make it look like you're giving up, not truly giving up! Please, I care about this situation as much as you do! Just follow this plan, and we're one step closer to rescuing Michiru." The woman pleaded. Haruka stared at her. Never before had she seen someone so sincere. She nodded confidently. "All right...so, what's the next part?"
"This way, please." Kai called behind her to Michiru. They were walking down a long corridor lined with rooms. When they first entered, Michiru had been amazed. It was like walking into another lifetime. Every single thing was elegant and majestic beyond words. There were many grand rooms such as the ballroom, the library, the great hall, and the common rooms. Michiru had followed Kai past all of this, staring intently at the little details. Dark red velvet curtains hung on every window, and candles lit every passageway and corner. Michiru asked Kai about everything, but each time, she answered very simply and very hesitantly. Hall after hall, they finally stopped at a door. She opened it and led Michiru inside. "Oh..." Michiru breathed. She looked around wondrously.
Beautiful wouldn't have been the word to describe it. The bed in the center of the room stood tall comfy. The two large windows on one side of the room allowed the sunshine to spill in. There was a stunning mahogany dresser pushed against a wall with a sparkling clear mirror attached. "Miss...you must get ready for dinner." Kai cut in on Michiru's thoughts.
"Oh...of course. Well...what exactly do I need to do to get ready?" Michiru wondered.
"You will find a selection of dinner gowns here...the king asks for something comfortable yet suitable." Kai pointed to the neatly folded pile of clothes on the bedcovers. Michiru walked over to the bundle and spread each piece out. It was so difficult to choose just one! Every dress had something so unique that Michiru just couldn't put it down. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She had been so entranced with everything that she completely forgot about the real situation! What was she doing here? She had no idea who this king was, and yet here she was, getting ready to have dinner with him. It was wrong, all wrong! She had to get back to Haruka! "Kai! I must leave now!"
"Oh, I can't let you, miss! I'm so sorry, but...I can't! Oh please forgive me, but I truly can't!" Kai cried desperately. "Please...please just have dinner with him! That was all he asked! And after that, you can go!" Michiru frowned, reluctant to even see this king. But somehow, she felt that he was a dangerous person, and if she didn't go...well, who knows what would happen... "All right...but I'm only staying for dinner! No more than that!"
Kai nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes, yes, of course! Only dinner. That's all he asks. Oh, thank you so much! I could've been killed for not completing the king's orders. Now, please get ready, and quickly!" Michiru sighed and started to pull a dress out. It seemed like everything was going to go ok. If only she knew who this king was...