I can't believe that this chapter is finally done! I hope that there are
still people around to read and review, and if there is please do! They
are much appreciated.
CHAPTER 13
"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. "
~William Allen White
The only noise came from Usagi's gown as it brushed the stone floors of the corridor, the very same corridor that Usagi had passed through just a few hours before; but which seemed like a lifetime ago. The walls that had seemed elegant and beautiful before now seemed cold, their solemn façade seemed to press in on her. The gloomy surroundings only seemed to add to the already heavy thoughts that were preying upon her mind. As she walked scenes of the night flittered at the edge of Usagi's unconsciousness, the euphoria of meeting Seiya and the horror of Amio's brush with death. Try as she might to ignore them, they refused to let her be. Her frustration began to mutate into a rage, which seemed to increase in intensity with every step. She let her rage swell, let it begin to absorb her. This was a fury born in the senselessness of the attack and the pure selfishness that her reunion with Seiya had been ruined by the likes of Imaldo. This feeling was unlike anything Usagi had ever felt before; it was powerful and intoxicating. Usagi liked this feeling, she no longer felt afraid.
The corridor ended at two large double doors that Usagi recognised as one of the entrances to the main ballroom. It appeared that Imaldo was still holed up inside, no doubt with his hostages as insurance against any attack. Imaldo's henchmen stepped aside to let her pass the one on her left indicating with a jerk of his head that Usagi was to proceed before them. This was no courtesy. Usagi knew that they wanted to keep her in sight of their guns so they could shoot her down in case she did anything threatening. Usagi threw open the double doors and stepped into the ballroom. The once beautiful room had become unrecognisable. The windows to the garden were shattered and there were large chunks of the walls missing. A thick stench of smoke and death hung in the air, even more than outside. It almost made Usagi gag, but she steadfastly moved ahead, her eyes on the group huddled in the corner.
Her eyes swept over the people there, her heart leaping as she spied two familiar heads, one dark and one orange. Luna was sitting with Amio's head on her lap, but his chest rose and fall steadily despite his closed eyes. Luna was so occupied watching her charge that she did not see Usagi enter. When she finally did see her, she almost let out a cry of surprise, but a stern look from Usagi silenced her. They did not need any attention being brought to them, especially with Amio's wounded state.
Turning she spied the man that she had come to see, the tall form of Imaldo was seated in his sister's chair, his obsidian eyes watching Usagi closely. Never taking her eyes off his, Usagi walked closer to Imaldo until she was only about ten feet away. His men encircled her, their naked guns belying their uneasiness. For a long while no one spoke. Remembering from somewhere that sometimes the best defence was a strong offence, Usagi turned to Imaldo with her chin held high.
" I have come to you Imaldo to give you a choice. Will you listen to it?"
His dark eyes watched her silently, appraising his opponent.
" You are a very interesting person Princess Serenity. You succeed in healing a man that I killed, and also escaping a prison that has kept others very well secured, including my own very dear sister. How can that be?" he mused, more to himself than to Usagi.
" You have not answered my question."
" Nor have you mine." He retorted, standing up. The deep timbre of his voice was powerful and slightly enthralling. Despite herself, Usagi could feel herself captivated by his words. His agile form towered over Usagi as he moved toward her. " You have done feats tonight that would lead some to believe that you are very powerful, perhaps even all powerful. How can one bring a dead man back to life? There are those, even among my own men who believe that you cannot be stopped, but I say that is not true. Powerful you may be, but I believe still mortal."
Throughout his speech he had been circling Usagi slowly, stopping in front of her on the last word. Tracing a slender finger along her cheek, she saw her blood bright on his green skin. Usagi was shocked that she was bleeding, she did not even feel when she was injured. Turning to his men, he held up his finger like a trophy. " See? She bleeds. If she can bleed, she can die. Remember that."
Usagi cautiously watched Imaldo's men as he made his speech. Some looked unchanged by his words; their dark eyes hard and their hands steady on their weapons. Others looked more confident than before, their hands tightening on the guns that they levelled on Usagi. However, there was some that still appeared uneasy, even exchanging worried glances with their companions. Usagi knew that this was her advantage. If their faith and loyalty to Imaldo was shaken, then they might not be inclined to stay and fight if things were to get bad.
Turning back to Imaldo she narrowed her eyes as she weighed her options. She knew that she had a small window of opportunity with the possible mutiny of Imaldo's men, and she decided that this might just be her only advantage.
" Yes I bleed. Yes I can die, but how many of you will I harm before I do? Do you want to test the odds Imaldo?"
Imaldo turned to look at her, gazing at her with perhaps more interest than before. " Do you really think that you will be able to save these people tonight?"
" Do you think that you will be able to stop me?"
Looking at her thoughtfully, Imaldo shrugged his shoulders. " Yes."
With one fluid motion Imaldo had his pistol out and pointed at Usagi's chest. Before she had time to react the blast hit her, knocking her to the marble floor. Anger at her own stupidity flooded her mind, and she tried to get up, but watched in surprise as a dark stain began to spread quickly on the front of her dress. Somewhere to her left there was as shout and she turned her head to see Seiya and the other Seishi running into the room. Imaldo and his men reacted quickly, but it was plain that they were taken by surprise. Soon a battle raged that threatened to engulf the innocent hostages.
Usagi turned her attention back to her wound and watched in a mild stupor as her blood began pooling on the floor. She felt very tired, and as her body sank back to the floor the edges of her vision began to blur. She didn't feel any pain, just a numb sensation that was spreading through her. Dimly she was aware that Imaldo had moved away to cover, brandishing his fist in the air triumphantly as if to rally him men around Usagi's dying form. If this was truly death, Usagi felt that it wasn't so bad. She would be reunited with her mother, and the other Seishi that went before her. A light in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and as she watched it, it came closer and closer. The light was so beautiful and warm, she wanted to touch it and hold it close. Faintly, she was aware that someone was calling her name. Straining her ears, she tried to hear what was being said to her.
" What are you doing Usagi?"
" I'm trying to save the world, what does it look like."
" No need for the smart mouth." The Voice reprimanded softly, " I just wanted to know why you are lying on the ground when you should be saving these people."
" I'm lying on the ground because I'm supposed to be dying."
" How can you die when these people kneed you? Not to mention your Seishi, the Earth and Seiya of course."
" Seiya?"
" Of course Seiya!" The Voice said in mild exasperation. " The one that you left Earth and your friends for? The guy that you went halfway around the galaxy for? The man that you opened your heart to? The one that pledged his love for you? The one,"
" Alright, alright, I get it! I know who Seiya is. The question is how can I help them when I'm dead?"
" Who said anything about being dead?"
" Well, I thought that when I got shot and started bleeding and hearing voices I wasn't exactly alive anymore."
The Voice laughed sweetly, " You're only dead if you think that you are Usagi. You can't be killed just like that."
" Why can't I be killed just like that? Am I not human?"
" It is not a matter of being human or not." The Voice replied, sighing. " If speaking literally, yes you are human; but I don't think that you need me to tell you that you are much more than human, much more than even you could think."
" What do you mean?" Usagi whispered, shocked.
" Usagi your destiny is that you are the saviour of this galaxy, the only one that can bring it true peace and harmony. You will begin to realise your role later and the true extent of your power when your world truly needs you. All you need to know for now is the fact that you are not dead and you do have the power to save these people."
" Okay, if I'm not dead, how am I supposed to do that?"
" Get up." The Voice replied matter-of-factly.
" Who are you?" Usagi said sharply.
The Voice laughed its sweet chiming laugh and a warm feeling washed over Usagi like a wave, as if her strength was returning. " Why I'm You silly. Who else would make sure that you survived?"
At those words Usagi opened her eyes to see the battle still raging around her. It was different this time though. Everything seemed far away and somehow muted as if she was watching the battle through a window. She felt somehow detached from what was happening so violently around her. Seiya must have rushed in when he saw that Usagi was wounded and Usagi watched impassively as he battled with Imaldo, his features locked in a mask of fury. Usagi sat up, barely missing a blast that hit the ground near her, leaving behind a smoking crater. Looking around the room she saw that most of the Seishi and Imaldo's men were still fighting, but there were quite a number of Seishi who were down along with Imaldo's men. Getting to her feet she saw that the hostages were huddled in the corner away from the melee but who knew how long they would be able to remain unhurt. As Usagi stood she felt a power swell through her, like when she held the ginzuishou, but this time the energy came to her without any help. Strangely though, as if she was looking in on herself from the outside, she did not feel in control of this power. Usagi watched surprised as her hands raised of their own accord and she said one word. "Stop."
The men fell over as if a blast had hit them, and indeed one had. As they got dazedly to their feet, they turned to see Usagi alive, soaked in blood but alive. Shocked, they watched her turn around, her eyes glinting with an otherworldly sheen and a visible aura could be seen around her. One of Imaldo's men was foolish enough to rush forward to try and stop her, but a wave of Usagi's hand sent him careening against a wall. Usagi could see his lifeless form slide down the wall and collapse on the floor out of the corner of her eye, but she started walking as if nothing had happened. Normally this kind of thing would have shaken her to the core, but now she could do nothing but watch.
As she moved forward the rest of the combatants backed away from her dropping their weapons as she proceeded on Imaldo. Seeing her advance on he attempted to raise his blaster, but with a flick of her wrist Usagi sent the gun sailing to the other end of the room. Imaldo tried frantically to get out of her way, but his body became completely rigid as if held by an invisible force. Usagi stopped before him, her luminous eyes devoid of emotion.
" You would defy our will and then try to take our life." Usagi's voice seemed to come from outside her body, and echoed loudly in the silent room. Usagi heard herself speak, but had no control over what was said. " We must stop the evil that you are." She continued, "You do not deserve to live."
Usagi's eyes narrowed as Imaldo began to squirm as if an invisible vice was squeezing him. Soon he began to scream but Usagi showed no signs of releasing her hold on him. After a few moments she looked away, and Imaldo dropped to the ground as if freed from his bonds, gasping for breath.
" You who bring chaos to order, cannot be allowed to continue. You have made your choice and I will punish you in the name of justice."
Usagi raised her hand and Imaldo's body rose in the air again, her invisible connection squeezing him to the core. Everyone watched in horror as Usagi crushed the life out of him as if she was killing an insect, careful to keep their distance from the power that radiated from her. Everyone except one man. Seiya who had seen Usagi fall and felt his world crumble with her death. Now he watched as the resurrected form of the woman he loved killed another living being, one who deserved it perhaps, but even for Imaldo it was an awful way to die.
Perhaps the most disturbing was the fact that the creature before him looked like Usagi, but he knew that it was no longer the Usagi that he knew and loved. This creature was one of power and anger. Seiya moved past the other Seishi and Imaldo's men to stand before Usagi. Usagi's eyes flicked to him briefly with mild interest, but no recognition showed in their cerulean depths.
" Usagi please stop this," He pleaded with desperation in his voice, " It is not right."
Usagi looked at Seiya again, but she kept Imaldo's body suspended in the air. "Who are you to question our will? Do you side with chaos and work to bring destruction to our universe?"
" Of course not!" Seiya replied heatedly, gesturing to Imaldo's prone form, " Can't you see that this is not you? You have always loved and protected everyone, even your enemies. Remember Galaxia? She had just killed all your friends and your love, and you still loved her and saved her soul from Chaos! The true Usagi would never be so cruel, even to an enemy."
Seiya's impassioned words fell upon Usagi, the true Usagi inside the other one. Suddenly her mother's words came to her, not to use her power for hate and to forget her true self. That was exactly what she had done, she had let her emotions take control and turn her into a weapon of death and destruction. Wrestling control of herself once again, she felt her anger and power break like the shattering of a mirror. Looking around the room she saw the horror on the faces of those she loved, Luna and especially Seiya. Shocked she left Imaldo's body to fall to the floor where it lay still. All she could see were stunned faces of the other Seishi and it sickened her. Turning away she collapsed on her knees and promptly threw up on the floor. Immediately, Seiya was at her side gathering her into his arms. Barking out an order to Yaten to detain Imaldo, he carried her outside while she sobbed into his chest.
CHAPTER 13
"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. "
~William Allen White
The only noise came from Usagi's gown as it brushed the stone floors of the corridor, the very same corridor that Usagi had passed through just a few hours before; but which seemed like a lifetime ago. The walls that had seemed elegant and beautiful before now seemed cold, their solemn façade seemed to press in on her. The gloomy surroundings only seemed to add to the already heavy thoughts that were preying upon her mind. As she walked scenes of the night flittered at the edge of Usagi's unconsciousness, the euphoria of meeting Seiya and the horror of Amio's brush with death. Try as she might to ignore them, they refused to let her be. Her frustration began to mutate into a rage, which seemed to increase in intensity with every step. She let her rage swell, let it begin to absorb her. This was a fury born in the senselessness of the attack and the pure selfishness that her reunion with Seiya had been ruined by the likes of Imaldo. This feeling was unlike anything Usagi had ever felt before; it was powerful and intoxicating. Usagi liked this feeling, she no longer felt afraid.
The corridor ended at two large double doors that Usagi recognised as one of the entrances to the main ballroom. It appeared that Imaldo was still holed up inside, no doubt with his hostages as insurance against any attack. Imaldo's henchmen stepped aside to let her pass the one on her left indicating with a jerk of his head that Usagi was to proceed before them. This was no courtesy. Usagi knew that they wanted to keep her in sight of their guns so they could shoot her down in case she did anything threatening. Usagi threw open the double doors and stepped into the ballroom. The once beautiful room had become unrecognisable. The windows to the garden were shattered and there were large chunks of the walls missing. A thick stench of smoke and death hung in the air, even more than outside. It almost made Usagi gag, but she steadfastly moved ahead, her eyes on the group huddled in the corner.
Her eyes swept over the people there, her heart leaping as she spied two familiar heads, one dark and one orange. Luna was sitting with Amio's head on her lap, but his chest rose and fall steadily despite his closed eyes. Luna was so occupied watching her charge that she did not see Usagi enter. When she finally did see her, she almost let out a cry of surprise, but a stern look from Usagi silenced her. They did not need any attention being brought to them, especially with Amio's wounded state.
Turning she spied the man that she had come to see, the tall form of Imaldo was seated in his sister's chair, his obsidian eyes watching Usagi closely. Never taking her eyes off his, Usagi walked closer to Imaldo until she was only about ten feet away. His men encircled her, their naked guns belying their uneasiness. For a long while no one spoke. Remembering from somewhere that sometimes the best defence was a strong offence, Usagi turned to Imaldo with her chin held high.
" I have come to you Imaldo to give you a choice. Will you listen to it?"
His dark eyes watched her silently, appraising his opponent.
" You are a very interesting person Princess Serenity. You succeed in healing a man that I killed, and also escaping a prison that has kept others very well secured, including my own very dear sister. How can that be?" he mused, more to himself than to Usagi.
" You have not answered my question."
" Nor have you mine." He retorted, standing up. The deep timbre of his voice was powerful and slightly enthralling. Despite herself, Usagi could feel herself captivated by his words. His agile form towered over Usagi as he moved toward her. " You have done feats tonight that would lead some to believe that you are very powerful, perhaps even all powerful. How can one bring a dead man back to life? There are those, even among my own men who believe that you cannot be stopped, but I say that is not true. Powerful you may be, but I believe still mortal."
Throughout his speech he had been circling Usagi slowly, stopping in front of her on the last word. Tracing a slender finger along her cheek, she saw her blood bright on his green skin. Usagi was shocked that she was bleeding, she did not even feel when she was injured. Turning to his men, he held up his finger like a trophy. " See? She bleeds. If she can bleed, she can die. Remember that."
Usagi cautiously watched Imaldo's men as he made his speech. Some looked unchanged by his words; their dark eyes hard and their hands steady on their weapons. Others looked more confident than before, their hands tightening on the guns that they levelled on Usagi. However, there was some that still appeared uneasy, even exchanging worried glances with their companions. Usagi knew that this was her advantage. If their faith and loyalty to Imaldo was shaken, then they might not be inclined to stay and fight if things were to get bad.
Turning back to Imaldo she narrowed her eyes as she weighed her options. She knew that she had a small window of opportunity with the possible mutiny of Imaldo's men, and she decided that this might just be her only advantage.
" Yes I bleed. Yes I can die, but how many of you will I harm before I do? Do you want to test the odds Imaldo?"
Imaldo turned to look at her, gazing at her with perhaps more interest than before. " Do you really think that you will be able to save these people tonight?"
" Do you think that you will be able to stop me?"
Looking at her thoughtfully, Imaldo shrugged his shoulders. " Yes."
With one fluid motion Imaldo had his pistol out and pointed at Usagi's chest. Before she had time to react the blast hit her, knocking her to the marble floor. Anger at her own stupidity flooded her mind, and she tried to get up, but watched in surprise as a dark stain began to spread quickly on the front of her dress. Somewhere to her left there was as shout and she turned her head to see Seiya and the other Seishi running into the room. Imaldo and his men reacted quickly, but it was plain that they were taken by surprise. Soon a battle raged that threatened to engulf the innocent hostages.
Usagi turned her attention back to her wound and watched in a mild stupor as her blood began pooling on the floor. She felt very tired, and as her body sank back to the floor the edges of her vision began to blur. She didn't feel any pain, just a numb sensation that was spreading through her. Dimly she was aware that Imaldo had moved away to cover, brandishing his fist in the air triumphantly as if to rally him men around Usagi's dying form. If this was truly death, Usagi felt that it wasn't so bad. She would be reunited with her mother, and the other Seishi that went before her. A light in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and as she watched it, it came closer and closer. The light was so beautiful and warm, she wanted to touch it and hold it close. Faintly, she was aware that someone was calling her name. Straining her ears, she tried to hear what was being said to her.
" What are you doing Usagi?"
" I'm trying to save the world, what does it look like."
" No need for the smart mouth." The Voice reprimanded softly, " I just wanted to know why you are lying on the ground when you should be saving these people."
" I'm lying on the ground because I'm supposed to be dying."
" How can you die when these people kneed you? Not to mention your Seishi, the Earth and Seiya of course."
" Seiya?"
" Of course Seiya!" The Voice said in mild exasperation. " The one that you left Earth and your friends for? The guy that you went halfway around the galaxy for? The man that you opened your heart to? The one that pledged his love for you? The one,"
" Alright, alright, I get it! I know who Seiya is. The question is how can I help them when I'm dead?"
" Who said anything about being dead?"
" Well, I thought that when I got shot and started bleeding and hearing voices I wasn't exactly alive anymore."
The Voice laughed sweetly, " You're only dead if you think that you are Usagi. You can't be killed just like that."
" Why can't I be killed just like that? Am I not human?"
" It is not a matter of being human or not." The Voice replied, sighing. " If speaking literally, yes you are human; but I don't think that you need me to tell you that you are much more than human, much more than even you could think."
" What do you mean?" Usagi whispered, shocked.
" Usagi your destiny is that you are the saviour of this galaxy, the only one that can bring it true peace and harmony. You will begin to realise your role later and the true extent of your power when your world truly needs you. All you need to know for now is the fact that you are not dead and you do have the power to save these people."
" Okay, if I'm not dead, how am I supposed to do that?"
" Get up." The Voice replied matter-of-factly.
" Who are you?" Usagi said sharply.
The Voice laughed its sweet chiming laugh and a warm feeling washed over Usagi like a wave, as if her strength was returning. " Why I'm You silly. Who else would make sure that you survived?"
At those words Usagi opened her eyes to see the battle still raging around her. It was different this time though. Everything seemed far away and somehow muted as if she was watching the battle through a window. She felt somehow detached from what was happening so violently around her. Seiya must have rushed in when he saw that Usagi was wounded and Usagi watched impassively as he battled with Imaldo, his features locked in a mask of fury. Usagi sat up, barely missing a blast that hit the ground near her, leaving behind a smoking crater. Looking around the room she saw that most of the Seishi and Imaldo's men were still fighting, but there were quite a number of Seishi who were down along with Imaldo's men. Getting to her feet she saw that the hostages were huddled in the corner away from the melee but who knew how long they would be able to remain unhurt. As Usagi stood she felt a power swell through her, like when she held the ginzuishou, but this time the energy came to her without any help. Strangely though, as if she was looking in on herself from the outside, she did not feel in control of this power. Usagi watched surprised as her hands raised of their own accord and she said one word. "Stop."
The men fell over as if a blast had hit them, and indeed one had. As they got dazedly to their feet, they turned to see Usagi alive, soaked in blood but alive. Shocked, they watched her turn around, her eyes glinting with an otherworldly sheen and a visible aura could be seen around her. One of Imaldo's men was foolish enough to rush forward to try and stop her, but a wave of Usagi's hand sent him careening against a wall. Usagi could see his lifeless form slide down the wall and collapse on the floor out of the corner of her eye, but she started walking as if nothing had happened. Normally this kind of thing would have shaken her to the core, but now she could do nothing but watch.
As she moved forward the rest of the combatants backed away from her dropping their weapons as she proceeded on Imaldo. Seeing her advance on he attempted to raise his blaster, but with a flick of her wrist Usagi sent the gun sailing to the other end of the room. Imaldo tried frantically to get out of her way, but his body became completely rigid as if held by an invisible force. Usagi stopped before him, her luminous eyes devoid of emotion.
" You would defy our will and then try to take our life." Usagi's voice seemed to come from outside her body, and echoed loudly in the silent room. Usagi heard herself speak, but had no control over what was said. " We must stop the evil that you are." She continued, "You do not deserve to live."
Usagi's eyes narrowed as Imaldo began to squirm as if an invisible vice was squeezing him. Soon he began to scream but Usagi showed no signs of releasing her hold on him. After a few moments she looked away, and Imaldo dropped to the ground as if freed from his bonds, gasping for breath.
" You who bring chaos to order, cannot be allowed to continue. You have made your choice and I will punish you in the name of justice."
Usagi raised her hand and Imaldo's body rose in the air again, her invisible connection squeezing him to the core. Everyone watched in horror as Usagi crushed the life out of him as if she was killing an insect, careful to keep their distance from the power that radiated from her. Everyone except one man. Seiya who had seen Usagi fall and felt his world crumble with her death. Now he watched as the resurrected form of the woman he loved killed another living being, one who deserved it perhaps, but even for Imaldo it was an awful way to die.
Perhaps the most disturbing was the fact that the creature before him looked like Usagi, but he knew that it was no longer the Usagi that he knew and loved. This creature was one of power and anger. Seiya moved past the other Seishi and Imaldo's men to stand before Usagi. Usagi's eyes flicked to him briefly with mild interest, but no recognition showed in their cerulean depths.
" Usagi please stop this," He pleaded with desperation in his voice, " It is not right."
Usagi looked at Seiya again, but she kept Imaldo's body suspended in the air. "Who are you to question our will? Do you side with chaos and work to bring destruction to our universe?"
" Of course not!" Seiya replied heatedly, gesturing to Imaldo's prone form, " Can't you see that this is not you? You have always loved and protected everyone, even your enemies. Remember Galaxia? She had just killed all your friends and your love, and you still loved her and saved her soul from Chaos! The true Usagi would never be so cruel, even to an enemy."
Seiya's impassioned words fell upon Usagi, the true Usagi inside the other one. Suddenly her mother's words came to her, not to use her power for hate and to forget her true self. That was exactly what she had done, she had let her emotions take control and turn her into a weapon of death and destruction. Wrestling control of herself once again, she felt her anger and power break like the shattering of a mirror. Looking around the room she saw the horror on the faces of those she loved, Luna and especially Seiya. Shocked she left Imaldo's body to fall to the floor where it lay still. All she could see were stunned faces of the other Seishi and it sickened her. Turning away she collapsed on her knees and promptly threw up on the floor. Immediately, Seiya was at her side gathering her into his arms. Barking out an order to Yaten to detain Imaldo, he carried her outside while she sobbed into his chest.