From Sin, the Author:
Ah, Chapter One. Chugging right along, aren't we? I'm trying to avoid lack of updates by chaining my hands to my computer for as many hours as my eyes can bear the strain. There's even a little slot in the door to allow food and drink to come through at hours of the day when sustenance is needed. ^_^
Please don't be annoyed by my original characters. I can assure you that they are vital to the story and I'm doing my best to scratch them up for public view. A character guide will be appearing in chapter three or four (I'm not really sure which yet) so keep an eye out for it and read it when it comes along. Oh yeah, that brings me to something that has always bothered me in the past. READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES and/or editor's messages in every story. If you miss those you could be skipping over something that is vitally important to your understanding our enjoyment of the story. Please, for your sake and the sake of the author, read the story from the very beginning to the very end.
As usual, please avoid statements such as 'great work' or 'horrible job.' I would rather know why you think it sucks or rocks than just know your opinions are vague and your ideas are stated before they actually have time to develop into anything worth listening to. Believe me, I won't go on a rampage if you point out something that I may have missed when I was writing the story. I'm definitely not perfect, and even my editor can miss things so I would appreciate hearing what you have to say.
I am going to apologize in advance for the account of the battle in DBZ in this chapter. It is definitely not going to be exactly the same as it was in the series because my memory is not very precise. However, I will add nothing new and try not to leave anything out so if you're a major battle fan I hope you can understand. As for SM I am kind of 'adding' a battle that was never depicted in the series but that probably would have been a part of the Crystal Tokyo battle with Prince Demando. Again, I hope you understand.
Disclaimer: Yet again, I do no town any characters from DBZ/SM. If I did, I would have more money than I do now, and I wouldn't be hoarding loose change beneath the floorboard in my room.
Oh yes, please do not operate any heavy machinery while reading my fic. You might miss a word or two and stare in shock as you think you read 'and he humped the principal's leg in hope of getting a raise' instead of 'and he jumped away from the principal's desk as the old man began growing horns and fangs.' Then you'll realize that you're missing a rather integral part of your anatomy and the machine you have been operating is making a really funny growling sound. Thank you and good night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A Mistake Left Unattended
The messenger shivered as he was led through the chill marble halls, trying not to let his guide see his discomfort. All around him black marble pillars rose up into the darkness overhead like giants reaching up into the sky. Enormous statues were carved into the niches between the pillars, representations of a thousand heroes long dead. Their names and deeds were depicted on silver plaque set at their pale stone feet, each one lovingly polished despite the fact that no one ever came to see them. It was sad somehow, like a beautiful portrait that no one ever saw.
"You will wait here for a few moments," the guide informed him smoothly, and the messenger glanced up in surprise at the hallway they had stopped in eve as the other man disappeared. Compared to the corridor they had just left it was rather plain, adorned with only a few paintings on the walls and one or two windows covered in heavy drapes.
Trying not to show any fear at being left alone, the little man grasped his hands behind his back and focused his attention on a painting hanging on the wall. After a moment he looked away. It was an artist's rendition of the Final Judgement, and the man who stood to be judged was screaming in agony as a pair of slim white hands rested on either side of his face. There was no need to see whom the hands belonged to, for though they rose out of the darkness like pale ghosts, he still had nightmares about their owner.
"I apologize for the wait. The Lady will be along momentarily." The guide had reappeared before him and the messenger nodded weakly. Then a figure emerged from a distant doorway and he felt his heart freeze in his chest as it began to make its way in his direction.
Almost twenty-five years had passed since the messenger had seen Lady Hiatus and their last meeting had left him with nightmares for every night since then. Even now as she made her way toward him he could remember the darkness in her eyes and the feel of her hands burning agony into his flesh. Blue flashed across his vision and he could still see the bottom of the Well of Souls as he gazed into its flickering depths, could still hear the music humming up through the light. Shaking his head he focused on the woman before him, a woman who had not noticeably changed since he had last gazed upon her face.
"Devlon Acrei." She gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement and he felt a twist in his gut that she remembered his name. "Kral tells me that you have brought a message."
"A...yes m'lady." Devlon gave an awkward bow and placed the fragile parchment into the woman's outstretched hand. He shuddered as his fingers grazed hers for a moment and pulled his hand away as quickly s he could, hoping she did not notice.
After a cursory glance at the scrawling letters written on the paper, she nodded at Kral and with a graceful turn, began making her way back to her quarters. The guide put a hand on Devlon's elbow and led him away, back through the maze of corridors and columns that would take him out into the portal. He was anxious to get back to the rest of the Otherworld, to get away from the icy corridors and empty silence of the Hall of Hiatus.
Back in her quarters the Lady Hiatus sat on the edge of her bed, staring down at the paper sitting in her lap. She read the words over and over again, engraving them upon her brain and reflecting their knowledge back into her dark eyes. One hand shook as she lifted the parchment and sent it fluttering across the room and into the fireplace where it became nothing more than ash in mere moments.
After a few seconds of silence the satin sheets on the bed whispered down to the edge and a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders. The Lady allowed herself to be dragged back to bed and settled comfortably against the curve of a familiar shoulder.
"What did it say?" the voice was deep but soft, understanding of the hazy light that had entered her eyes.
"The Council is convening. They wish to discuss a highly important matter." The words sounded automatic, as if she had no idea what she was really saying.
"Void, you've known about that for weeks. Now, what did the messenger's note say?" A hand tilted her chin up so that she was gazing into a pair of kind blue eyes.
"It was from Kismet," she said at last, putting her head back against his shoulder. "It said, 'What you feared has come to pass'." She closed her eyes in an effort to stop seeing the words crawling across the paper, reaching up to grip her heart with ice.
"And what does that mean?" Void curled tighter against him, as though she were trying to make herself as small as possible.
"The Council made a mistake long ago and now they have to face the consequences for it."
"Somehow I don't think that you're telling me everything."
"Please." Her voice was frail and filled with fear. "Can we talk about it tomorrow?" A long silence followed, and at last the strong arms settled more firmly about her.
"Yes."
* * *
Hel yawned as Satan and Arcadia made the opening address, reminding the councilors of the importance of the events that were discussed during their meetings. For the most part the sovereign of Purgatory didn't think most of the things they discussed were really that interesting. They spent more time arguing than actually talking anyway and they rarely agreed on a final decision, leaving it up to a majority vote that left nearly half the members grumbling for the next three decades. To put it simply, she didn't think the method was very effective.
"Now that the Council has convened I turn the floor over to Lord Satan, who will explain the agenda for today." Lady Arcadia bowed her head and returned to her seat, leaving the tall, powerful lord to stand by himself on the audience floor. Hel stifled a giggle with her hand as her brother began pacing the floor, obviously working up to his subject. She shot a glance at her long-time friend Void expecting to see the young woman rolling her eyes. Instead the other ruler was watching Satan intently, breathing shallowly as though bracing herself for a coming blow.
"Nearly eight-hundred years ago, the Guardian of the nine Worlds came to us asking for our help in defeating an invading army from Outside. We reminded him that the Council does not interfere in human affairs and he left to face the forces on his own. Although the details of his battle are unclear we do know that he completely annihilated the attackers on his own, proving that he did not, after all, need our assistance." This brought a few smiles from the councilors who remembered the man pacing the audience floor and pleading with them to lend their aid.
"However," Satan continued. "When the battle was over the Guardian did not have enough power left to sustain himself. He fell back to the First World and created a small dimensional pocket between the First and Second rings where he could take his time to recover. Ordinarily this would be of no interest to the sovereigns of the Tenth World but I think when you hear what I have to say you will change your minds.
"The dimensional pocket that the Guardian created for himself has begun to cause a separation of the first two Worlds. Where his safe-haven was constructed the fabric of the dimensions is beginning to wear thin and tear away. In time this could either cause an overlap between the two Earths or it could create a separate dimension in between them. Either of these occurrences would be disastrous for the Tenth World, causing either a dimensional shock that could destroy our defenses or a renumbering of the dimensions, which would result in a power imbalance. Therefore, I believe that you will agree with me when I say that something must be done.
"How do you know all this, Satan?" Elysian demanded, her pale eyes confused. "You never look in on the Worlds, and not even I knew about the Guardian's survival of the final battle. Forgive me but I find it difficult to believe that you became curious and decided to see what had happened and I would like to know how you have come about such information."
"I told him." Heads turned and eyes settled on the slender figure of Kismet sitting in their midst, gazing boldly back.
"Why was no one else informed then?" Limbo growled, annoyed that his long-time rival had been given valuable knowledge before himself.
"No one else needed to know." Kismet smiled slightly. "None of you would have had the audacity or the foresight to do what was needed, not after everyone refused to assist the Guardian all those years ago. I did what was required of me to ensure that our World survives and remains strong under our leadership. If you have a problem with that, well, I guess that can be construed as some kind of treason wouldn't it?" The silence in the council chamber was palpable. One by one the councilors glanced at each other and then back at Kismet, their gazes finally settling on Satan. When all eyes were on him once more, the Lord of Hell smiled.
"Then all that we need to do is figure out what must be done." He gave a respectful bow and returned to his seat at the central table, leaving the floor open and the subject up to debate.
Hel was staring at her brother open-mouthed as he went back to sit down. When the councilors began speaking once again she scarcely heard it, focusing her attention instead on the memories that flooded her mind. Scowling, she shook her pigtails and sat back in her chair in disgust.
Eight hundred years before Satan had made it perfectly clear that he would give no aid to the man known as the Guardian. His reasoning had been sound and was shared by most of the people on the Council. After all, they each had their own realms to look after and there were much bigger problems than the annihilation of a race as puny and self-centered as the humans. Every councilor had agreed without argument and afterward Satan himself had told her that no harm would ever come of their refusal to give aid. Now he stood there telling them that they needed to do something as if he had known all along that this would happen. The thoughts boiled her blood and made her hands clench tightly into fists even as she turned her attention too what Arcadia was saying.
"First we need to decide on a way to remove the problem of the dimensional pocket that the Guardian created. We cannot simply destroy it because the Council cannot be party to murder of any kind and the destruction of the Guardian would definitely be murder."
"Undeniable," Void muttered, and a few of the councilors glanced at her uneasily as they heard the silken tone in her voice.
"If that's the case, we have to find a way to break the pocket open so that he has no choice but to come out." Cyrille spread her hands across the table as though flattening a piece of paper. "The easiest way to do that would be a cross-dimensional power surge that would hit the pocket from both sides and warp its structure. Any power that went into making it would dissipate and the Guardian would be forced to leave his slumber."
"That's all well and good," Limbo began. "But how do you propose we cause a cross-dimensional power surge of the magnitude needed to accomplish such a thing?"
"That is simple." Kismet's calm voice cut through the discussion and all eyes turned to her once again. "The warriors of the First World are currently at war with a being of great strength whom they will defeat in approximately then days. In the Fourth World the defenders of the capital will be battling an evil at the same time the warriors of the First World triumph. All we need to do is ensure that the final blast of each attack is rerouted across the dimensions in the direction of the pocket. It will happen at the same time, relatively, and the strength of the blows should be enough to do the job."
"Very well then." Satan glanced around. "All in favor?" Nine hands drifted into the air and he nodded. "Then might I suggest, ladies and gentlemen, that we get started?"
* * *
Gohan moved painfully, every twinge of his muscles causing agony to spark in the damaged remnants of his arm. Glancing down at it he winced, his eyes reluctant to take in the shredded skin and damaged tissue that hung limply at his side. He tried to wiggle his fingers and bit back a groan of despair when the attempt only brought fresh pain. At a loss he turned his gaze to Cell, the monster that had caused so much damage to his world and would, undoubted cause even more if he wasn't stopped. Anger surged as he regarded his opponent and he wondered just how hard he was going to have to fight to win this. Taking a faltering step forward, he fell into a fighting stance.
Cell watched from across the field as the boy prepared to attack once more, despite the limb that now hung useless at his side. Despite his irritation that the kid wouldn't die he felt a flicker of interest at the back of his mind as he wondered what his opponent would try to do next. There was very little he could do physically with the use of only one arm, and many of his strongest attacks were two-handed. Curious, Cell took a step forward as well and began to power up.
"Ka." Gohan began gathering his power into his good hand, pushing it into his arm and down into his fingertips. "me." His eyes narrowed as he watched Cell begin to power up as well. "ha." An image of his father flashed into his mind and he bit back a scream of anger. "me." The familiar words rolled off his tongue and he imagined that he could hear his father saying them as well. "ha!" Light flashed off his fingertips and out of his palm, widening into an enormous beam as it shot toward Cell.
"Huh. What a waste," Cell muttered. "That attack is nothing. I can't believe he's putting all his energy into something I've defeated before." Without another thought he returned his opponents fire in one concentrated field. An arrogant smile touched his lips as the two forces met and his own began to overwhelm the child's. "So disappointing. I would have liked to go on all day but I suppose, if you insist we'll have to just end it here."
Gohan didn't have to hear what Cell was saying in order to feel his muscles tense in barely controlled fury. Rather than yell or waste any of his energy he poured everything into the arm controlling the Kamehameha that was doing battle with Cell's attack. With every movement he felt his strength draining, watched his energy pushed back just a little farther as he was gradually beaten down. Tears gathered in his eyes against his will and he felt despair begin to rise up.
"I can't do this!" he cried.
"Gohan, yes you can." The boy blinked, hearing his father's voice. "You have the power to do this, you've always has the power. All you have to do is reach inside yourself and use it."
"Dad?"
"Gohan, just do it!" Something in Gohan's head snapped, a forgotten memory, a realization, a piece of his mind that had not been in the right place. His Kamehameha flared brighter and he watched as it surged back across the field toward Cell. He watched with hope and a grim satisfaction as Cell's eyes widened in surprise and then vanished behind the gleaming wall of energy that smashed into him. The explosion was enormous, radiating out around the battlefield in waves and surging through the landscape around them, tearing rocks to shreds. Faintly, at the back of his mind he heard his father's voice again and beyond in an unfamiliar one, speaking in a low tone.
"And you see all you have to do is pull that power this way a little and it's heading straight for our little friend."
"Well done Kismet. I think this will do the trick." Then he blinked and it was gone and he was left to watch the smoke clear in the aftermath of his triumph.
* * *
Neo-Queen Serenity watched in dismay as the enemy attacks took out another portion of her beloved city, leaving only dust and rubble behind. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she felt a familiar feeling of despair and terror as the energy beams bean sweeping up toward the palace. For a moment fear clouded her mind and she was fourteen again, facing off with monsters that she didn't want to be facing because someone else told her that she had to do it. All she had ever wanted was to be normal.
"Usagi?" she blinked and nodded to Venus. The blond girl turned her attention to the other senshi as she directed them into their battle positions around their Queen. One by one they powered up and Serenity listened to the familiar voices of her old friends, her guardians, as they prepared to fight.
"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Shaking her head she turned her crystal blue gaze on the dark palace that had appeared on the horizon and the ship that hovered near it. They were her targets.
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!" For a moment it was all that he Queen could do to remain standing where she was and not to run out of the throne room. Even all her years as a sovereign had not removed the panic that could threaten to overwhelm her when danger was near.
"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!" The light was blinding as the enemy attack neared her palace, its energy traveling ever closer and threatening to destroy the very last of the defenders. Serenity's panic dimmed a little as she remembered her people, her daughter, and all the years that she had stood in defense of her kingdom.
"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!" King Endymion touched her arm gently and she nodded, lifting the silver crystal above her head and focusing all of her will on the dark forms of the enemy craft as they advanced on the palace.
"Moon Cosmic Power!" The strength it took to hold the crystal as it shot power toward her opponents almost undid her then and there. Her arms shook as she struggled to hold the crystal aloft, to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. An arm wrapped around her waist and she could hear her husband's voice, reassuring in her ear as his hands settled on hers to help her hold the weapon. For a few fragile moments she allowed hope to creep over her mind as she watched her energy blast connect with those of the enemy.
"Oh God no," she whispered in horror as her own attack was met and slowly overtaken. It moved steadily back in her direction, down the shaft of light created by the silver crystal and toward her shaking hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she wondered for a moment what would happen to her daughter, to her friends, to her, and then there was a voice hissing in the back of her mind, a voice she had never heard before.
"Reroute the power. Send it through the gap there." In the darkness behind her eyes she could see her own power mixed with the power of her enemies as it sped toward a dark pocket somewhere in space. On the other side another flash of energy came hurtling through the stars and she watched as they both hit the dark space at exactly the same time. There was a blinding flash and the little dark pocket was gone completely from view, leaving only the remnant of the opposing flare to fizzle lazily in her direction. Of her attack there was no sign, and after a few moments the other was gone as well leaving only silence and darkness. Then there was a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see her husband regarding her with a strained smile.
"It's over, Serenity." He helped her lower the shattered fragments of the crystal. For a few seconds she found hope as she gazed out across the still-smoking courtyard toward the enemy. Then the smoke cleared and she saw that they remained, still standing and unharmed, a silent, brooding force that would destroy her.
"No." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted even as she fought desperately for an answer. This just couldn't be the end, could it?
* * *
When the energy blasts hit his dimensional pocket, the Guardian was ripped from his slumber. His eyes opened groggily and he scarcely had enough time to teleport out of the way before his safe-haven was completely and utterly destroyed. Confused he looked around, trying to remember where he was and how he had come to be there. Images of a battle flashed in his mind, of a Council that would not give aid and a sacrifice that had nearly cost him his life. Then he turned his senses toward the First World, curious. Time had passed, too much time for the World to be without a Guardian. Frowning, he summoned his newly returned strength and began making his way toward the First of the Nine Worlds that he had protected over eight centuries before.
In her realm Kismet watched the Guardian as he made his way toward the First World. A laugh rose in her throat and bubbled outward with all the force of her power behind it, screaming into the darkness of time and careening off the edges of reality. A few tears of amusement gathered and trickled down her cheeks, filling her mouth with salt as she struggled with hysteria. It wasn't funny at all, what she saw.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From Sin, the Author:
Larissa- as the wonderful and famous Mr. Bishop would say, you are a friggin' monkey. Did you NOT READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES? I would understand if you were pressed for time or totally out of it but I did make a point of asking for more than a bland 'that was awesome.' I appreciate the fact that you took the time to review, but uh, maybe next time add a little more substance?
Sailor Ronin Usa-chan- Yay. I really like your fic, Kamereon. ^_^ Really funny so far, and I have been enjoying the Schuldig/Usagi stuff. Your review was good, thanks for taking the time to tell me what you thought.
Christina- All right, yeah. Thanks for reviewing; it makes me feel special to know that someone is actually paying attention now and then. I hope to hear more from you if you review again though, such as critiques and all that. Well, thanks again, bye.
Born4Glory- Okay, now I can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that I won't be flamed to high heaven and down to hell again. ^_^ I must say, I do really enjoy reading some of the 'presents' that you leave in the review box, but I'm glad I didn't get any. I'm really trying to get as much of this story done as possible so I can sit back and relax while Phèdre posts. (yeah, yeah, I'm a lazy bum) Hope to hear more from you...Sin
Sporanox- Ah, the infamous Sporanox. First of all, I would like to thank you for reviewing. Secondly I would like to ask you why you are already assuming that I'm cool now but I'm going to be an idiot later on. What's up with that? If you really think that I'm any better than those hormone- high middle school freaks then don't treat me like I'm just the same. Give the story a chance before you assume that something is going to happen the way it would in some random betrayal or something like that. As for my original characters, I can readily assure you that they are very important and will definitely have personalities that are easy to identify. As I said before, don't assume that after the prologue I'm going to start drooling and talking out of my ass. The originals won't disappear, the SM girls would never in any dimension or plot be stronger than the z-fighters (now that's just stupid) and I am NOT A MOONIE. Now that we have all of that out of the way...
Thanks again for reviewing. You actually gave me criticisms rather than just staring blankly at the screen, having a seizure and then writing, 'uh yeah, that was good.' I'll take what you've said into account when I write my next chapters...I think that would be chapter four now, and we'll see where we get from there.
I love the world. Not. Sin
From Phèdre, the Editor:
Uh...Sporanox...I don't really know where all that came from...but I think she still thinks you're cool...I think. Oh well...just keep telling people the truth, and we'll end up fine.
To the rest of you who reviewed, thanks. Especially Sailor Ronin Usa-chan, because you're just that cool.
The next chapter and a half are written...review, and you will get more!
Ah, Chapter One. Chugging right along, aren't we? I'm trying to avoid lack of updates by chaining my hands to my computer for as many hours as my eyes can bear the strain. There's even a little slot in the door to allow food and drink to come through at hours of the day when sustenance is needed. ^_^
Please don't be annoyed by my original characters. I can assure you that they are vital to the story and I'm doing my best to scratch them up for public view. A character guide will be appearing in chapter three or four (I'm not really sure which yet) so keep an eye out for it and read it when it comes along. Oh yeah, that brings me to something that has always bothered me in the past. READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES and/or editor's messages in every story. If you miss those you could be skipping over something that is vitally important to your understanding our enjoyment of the story. Please, for your sake and the sake of the author, read the story from the very beginning to the very end.
As usual, please avoid statements such as 'great work' or 'horrible job.' I would rather know why you think it sucks or rocks than just know your opinions are vague and your ideas are stated before they actually have time to develop into anything worth listening to. Believe me, I won't go on a rampage if you point out something that I may have missed when I was writing the story. I'm definitely not perfect, and even my editor can miss things so I would appreciate hearing what you have to say.
I am going to apologize in advance for the account of the battle in DBZ in this chapter. It is definitely not going to be exactly the same as it was in the series because my memory is not very precise. However, I will add nothing new and try not to leave anything out so if you're a major battle fan I hope you can understand. As for SM I am kind of 'adding' a battle that was never depicted in the series but that probably would have been a part of the Crystal Tokyo battle with Prince Demando. Again, I hope you understand.
Disclaimer: Yet again, I do no town any characters from DBZ/SM. If I did, I would have more money than I do now, and I wouldn't be hoarding loose change beneath the floorboard in my room.
Oh yes, please do not operate any heavy machinery while reading my fic. You might miss a word or two and stare in shock as you think you read 'and he humped the principal's leg in hope of getting a raise' instead of 'and he jumped away from the principal's desk as the old man began growing horns and fangs.' Then you'll realize that you're missing a rather integral part of your anatomy and the machine you have been operating is making a really funny growling sound. Thank you and good night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A Mistake Left Unattended
The messenger shivered as he was led through the chill marble halls, trying not to let his guide see his discomfort. All around him black marble pillars rose up into the darkness overhead like giants reaching up into the sky. Enormous statues were carved into the niches between the pillars, representations of a thousand heroes long dead. Their names and deeds were depicted on silver plaque set at their pale stone feet, each one lovingly polished despite the fact that no one ever came to see them. It was sad somehow, like a beautiful portrait that no one ever saw.
"You will wait here for a few moments," the guide informed him smoothly, and the messenger glanced up in surprise at the hallway they had stopped in eve as the other man disappeared. Compared to the corridor they had just left it was rather plain, adorned with only a few paintings on the walls and one or two windows covered in heavy drapes.
Trying not to show any fear at being left alone, the little man grasped his hands behind his back and focused his attention on a painting hanging on the wall. After a moment he looked away. It was an artist's rendition of the Final Judgement, and the man who stood to be judged was screaming in agony as a pair of slim white hands rested on either side of his face. There was no need to see whom the hands belonged to, for though they rose out of the darkness like pale ghosts, he still had nightmares about their owner.
"I apologize for the wait. The Lady will be along momentarily." The guide had reappeared before him and the messenger nodded weakly. Then a figure emerged from a distant doorway and he felt his heart freeze in his chest as it began to make its way in his direction.
Almost twenty-five years had passed since the messenger had seen Lady Hiatus and their last meeting had left him with nightmares for every night since then. Even now as she made her way toward him he could remember the darkness in her eyes and the feel of her hands burning agony into his flesh. Blue flashed across his vision and he could still see the bottom of the Well of Souls as he gazed into its flickering depths, could still hear the music humming up through the light. Shaking his head he focused on the woman before him, a woman who had not noticeably changed since he had last gazed upon her face.
"Devlon Acrei." She gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement and he felt a twist in his gut that she remembered his name. "Kral tells me that you have brought a message."
"A...yes m'lady." Devlon gave an awkward bow and placed the fragile parchment into the woman's outstretched hand. He shuddered as his fingers grazed hers for a moment and pulled his hand away as quickly s he could, hoping she did not notice.
After a cursory glance at the scrawling letters written on the paper, she nodded at Kral and with a graceful turn, began making her way back to her quarters. The guide put a hand on Devlon's elbow and led him away, back through the maze of corridors and columns that would take him out into the portal. He was anxious to get back to the rest of the Otherworld, to get away from the icy corridors and empty silence of the Hall of Hiatus.
Back in her quarters the Lady Hiatus sat on the edge of her bed, staring down at the paper sitting in her lap. She read the words over and over again, engraving them upon her brain and reflecting their knowledge back into her dark eyes. One hand shook as she lifted the parchment and sent it fluttering across the room and into the fireplace where it became nothing more than ash in mere moments.
After a few seconds of silence the satin sheets on the bed whispered down to the edge and a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders. The Lady allowed herself to be dragged back to bed and settled comfortably against the curve of a familiar shoulder.
"What did it say?" the voice was deep but soft, understanding of the hazy light that had entered her eyes.
"The Council is convening. They wish to discuss a highly important matter." The words sounded automatic, as if she had no idea what she was really saying.
"Void, you've known about that for weeks. Now, what did the messenger's note say?" A hand tilted her chin up so that she was gazing into a pair of kind blue eyes.
"It was from Kismet," she said at last, putting her head back against his shoulder. "It said, 'What you feared has come to pass'." She closed her eyes in an effort to stop seeing the words crawling across the paper, reaching up to grip her heart with ice.
"And what does that mean?" Void curled tighter against him, as though she were trying to make herself as small as possible.
"The Council made a mistake long ago and now they have to face the consequences for it."
"Somehow I don't think that you're telling me everything."
"Please." Her voice was frail and filled with fear. "Can we talk about it tomorrow?" A long silence followed, and at last the strong arms settled more firmly about her.
"Yes."
* * *
Hel yawned as Satan and Arcadia made the opening address, reminding the councilors of the importance of the events that were discussed during their meetings. For the most part the sovereign of Purgatory didn't think most of the things they discussed were really that interesting. They spent more time arguing than actually talking anyway and they rarely agreed on a final decision, leaving it up to a majority vote that left nearly half the members grumbling for the next three decades. To put it simply, she didn't think the method was very effective.
"Now that the Council has convened I turn the floor over to Lord Satan, who will explain the agenda for today." Lady Arcadia bowed her head and returned to her seat, leaving the tall, powerful lord to stand by himself on the audience floor. Hel stifled a giggle with her hand as her brother began pacing the floor, obviously working up to his subject. She shot a glance at her long-time friend Void expecting to see the young woman rolling her eyes. Instead the other ruler was watching Satan intently, breathing shallowly as though bracing herself for a coming blow.
"Nearly eight-hundred years ago, the Guardian of the nine Worlds came to us asking for our help in defeating an invading army from Outside. We reminded him that the Council does not interfere in human affairs and he left to face the forces on his own. Although the details of his battle are unclear we do know that he completely annihilated the attackers on his own, proving that he did not, after all, need our assistance." This brought a few smiles from the councilors who remembered the man pacing the audience floor and pleading with them to lend their aid.
"However," Satan continued. "When the battle was over the Guardian did not have enough power left to sustain himself. He fell back to the First World and created a small dimensional pocket between the First and Second rings where he could take his time to recover. Ordinarily this would be of no interest to the sovereigns of the Tenth World but I think when you hear what I have to say you will change your minds.
"The dimensional pocket that the Guardian created for himself has begun to cause a separation of the first two Worlds. Where his safe-haven was constructed the fabric of the dimensions is beginning to wear thin and tear away. In time this could either cause an overlap between the two Earths or it could create a separate dimension in between them. Either of these occurrences would be disastrous for the Tenth World, causing either a dimensional shock that could destroy our defenses or a renumbering of the dimensions, which would result in a power imbalance. Therefore, I believe that you will agree with me when I say that something must be done.
"How do you know all this, Satan?" Elysian demanded, her pale eyes confused. "You never look in on the Worlds, and not even I knew about the Guardian's survival of the final battle. Forgive me but I find it difficult to believe that you became curious and decided to see what had happened and I would like to know how you have come about such information."
"I told him." Heads turned and eyes settled on the slender figure of Kismet sitting in their midst, gazing boldly back.
"Why was no one else informed then?" Limbo growled, annoyed that his long-time rival had been given valuable knowledge before himself.
"No one else needed to know." Kismet smiled slightly. "None of you would have had the audacity or the foresight to do what was needed, not after everyone refused to assist the Guardian all those years ago. I did what was required of me to ensure that our World survives and remains strong under our leadership. If you have a problem with that, well, I guess that can be construed as some kind of treason wouldn't it?" The silence in the council chamber was palpable. One by one the councilors glanced at each other and then back at Kismet, their gazes finally settling on Satan. When all eyes were on him once more, the Lord of Hell smiled.
"Then all that we need to do is figure out what must be done." He gave a respectful bow and returned to his seat at the central table, leaving the floor open and the subject up to debate.
Hel was staring at her brother open-mouthed as he went back to sit down. When the councilors began speaking once again she scarcely heard it, focusing her attention instead on the memories that flooded her mind. Scowling, she shook her pigtails and sat back in her chair in disgust.
Eight hundred years before Satan had made it perfectly clear that he would give no aid to the man known as the Guardian. His reasoning had been sound and was shared by most of the people on the Council. After all, they each had their own realms to look after and there were much bigger problems than the annihilation of a race as puny and self-centered as the humans. Every councilor had agreed without argument and afterward Satan himself had told her that no harm would ever come of their refusal to give aid. Now he stood there telling them that they needed to do something as if he had known all along that this would happen. The thoughts boiled her blood and made her hands clench tightly into fists even as she turned her attention too what Arcadia was saying.
"First we need to decide on a way to remove the problem of the dimensional pocket that the Guardian created. We cannot simply destroy it because the Council cannot be party to murder of any kind and the destruction of the Guardian would definitely be murder."
"Undeniable," Void muttered, and a few of the councilors glanced at her uneasily as they heard the silken tone in her voice.
"If that's the case, we have to find a way to break the pocket open so that he has no choice but to come out." Cyrille spread her hands across the table as though flattening a piece of paper. "The easiest way to do that would be a cross-dimensional power surge that would hit the pocket from both sides and warp its structure. Any power that went into making it would dissipate and the Guardian would be forced to leave his slumber."
"That's all well and good," Limbo began. "But how do you propose we cause a cross-dimensional power surge of the magnitude needed to accomplish such a thing?"
"That is simple." Kismet's calm voice cut through the discussion and all eyes turned to her once again. "The warriors of the First World are currently at war with a being of great strength whom they will defeat in approximately then days. In the Fourth World the defenders of the capital will be battling an evil at the same time the warriors of the First World triumph. All we need to do is ensure that the final blast of each attack is rerouted across the dimensions in the direction of the pocket. It will happen at the same time, relatively, and the strength of the blows should be enough to do the job."
"Very well then." Satan glanced around. "All in favor?" Nine hands drifted into the air and he nodded. "Then might I suggest, ladies and gentlemen, that we get started?"
* * *
Gohan moved painfully, every twinge of his muscles causing agony to spark in the damaged remnants of his arm. Glancing down at it he winced, his eyes reluctant to take in the shredded skin and damaged tissue that hung limply at his side. He tried to wiggle his fingers and bit back a groan of despair when the attempt only brought fresh pain. At a loss he turned his gaze to Cell, the monster that had caused so much damage to his world and would, undoubted cause even more if he wasn't stopped. Anger surged as he regarded his opponent and he wondered just how hard he was going to have to fight to win this. Taking a faltering step forward, he fell into a fighting stance.
Cell watched from across the field as the boy prepared to attack once more, despite the limb that now hung useless at his side. Despite his irritation that the kid wouldn't die he felt a flicker of interest at the back of his mind as he wondered what his opponent would try to do next. There was very little he could do physically with the use of only one arm, and many of his strongest attacks were two-handed. Curious, Cell took a step forward as well and began to power up.
"Ka." Gohan began gathering his power into his good hand, pushing it into his arm and down into his fingertips. "me." His eyes narrowed as he watched Cell begin to power up as well. "ha." An image of his father flashed into his mind and he bit back a scream of anger. "me." The familiar words rolled off his tongue and he imagined that he could hear his father saying them as well. "ha!" Light flashed off his fingertips and out of his palm, widening into an enormous beam as it shot toward Cell.
"Huh. What a waste," Cell muttered. "That attack is nothing. I can't believe he's putting all his energy into something I've defeated before." Without another thought he returned his opponents fire in one concentrated field. An arrogant smile touched his lips as the two forces met and his own began to overwhelm the child's. "So disappointing. I would have liked to go on all day but I suppose, if you insist we'll have to just end it here."
Gohan didn't have to hear what Cell was saying in order to feel his muscles tense in barely controlled fury. Rather than yell or waste any of his energy he poured everything into the arm controlling the Kamehameha that was doing battle with Cell's attack. With every movement he felt his strength draining, watched his energy pushed back just a little farther as he was gradually beaten down. Tears gathered in his eyes against his will and he felt despair begin to rise up.
"I can't do this!" he cried.
"Gohan, yes you can." The boy blinked, hearing his father's voice. "You have the power to do this, you've always has the power. All you have to do is reach inside yourself and use it."
"Dad?"
"Gohan, just do it!" Something in Gohan's head snapped, a forgotten memory, a realization, a piece of his mind that had not been in the right place. His Kamehameha flared brighter and he watched as it surged back across the field toward Cell. He watched with hope and a grim satisfaction as Cell's eyes widened in surprise and then vanished behind the gleaming wall of energy that smashed into him. The explosion was enormous, radiating out around the battlefield in waves and surging through the landscape around them, tearing rocks to shreds. Faintly, at the back of his mind he heard his father's voice again and beyond in an unfamiliar one, speaking in a low tone.
"And you see all you have to do is pull that power this way a little and it's heading straight for our little friend."
"Well done Kismet. I think this will do the trick." Then he blinked and it was gone and he was left to watch the smoke clear in the aftermath of his triumph.
* * *
Neo-Queen Serenity watched in dismay as the enemy attacks took out another portion of her beloved city, leaving only dust and rubble behind. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she felt a familiar feeling of despair and terror as the energy beams bean sweeping up toward the palace. For a moment fear clouded her mind and she was fourteen again, facing off with monsters that she didn't want to be facing because someone else told her that she had to do it. All she had ever wanted was to be normal.
"Usagi?" she blinked and nodded to Venus. The blond girl turned her attention to the other senshi as she directed them into their battle positions around their Queen. One by one they powered up and Serenity listened to the familiar voices of her old friends, her guardians, as they prepared to fight.
"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Shaking her head she turned her crystal blue gaze on the dark palace that had appeared on the horizon and the ship that hovered near it. They were her targets.
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!" For a moment it was all that he Queen could do to remain standing where she was and not to run out of the throne room. Even all her years as a sovereign had not removed the panic that could threaten to overwhelm her when danger was near.
"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!" The light was blinding as the enemy attack neared her palace, its energy traveling ever closer and threatening to destroy the very last of the defenders. Serenity's panic dimmed a little as she remembered her people, her daughter, and all the years that she had stood in defense of her kingdom.
"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!" King Endymion touched her arm gently and she nodded, lifting the silver crystal above her head and focusing all of her will on the dark forms of the enemy craft as they advanced on the palace.
"Moon Cosmic Power!" The strength it took to hold the crystal as it shot power toward her opponents almost undid her then and there. Her arms shook as she struggled to hold the crystal aloft, to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. An arm wrapped around her waist and she could hear her husband's voice, reassuring in her ear as his hands settled on hers to help her hold the weapon. For a few fragile moments she allowed hope to creep over her mind as she watched her energy blast connect with those of the enemy.
"Oh God no," she whispered in horror as her own attack was met and slowly overtaken. It moved steadily back in her direction, down the shaft of light created by the silver crystal and toward her shaking hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she wondered for a moment what would happen to her daughter, to her friends, to her, and then there was a voice hissing in the back of her mind, a voice she had never heard before.
"Reroute the power. Send it through the gap there." In the darkness behind her eyes she could see her own power mixed with the power of her enemies as it sped toward a dark pocket somewhere in space. On the other side another flash of energy came hurtling through the stars and she watched as they both hit the dark space at exactly the same time. There was a blinding flash and the little dark pocket was gone completely from view, leaving only the remnant of the opposing flare to fizzle lazily in her direction. Of her attack there was no sign, and after a few moments the other was gone as well leaving only silence and darkness. Then there was a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see her husband regarding her with a strained smile.
"It's over, Serenity." He helped her lower the shattered fragments of the crystal. For a few seconds she found hope as she gazed out across the still-smoking courtyard toward the enemy. Then the smoke cleared and she saw that they remained, still standing and unharmed, a silent, brooding force that would destroy her.
"No." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted even as she fought desperately for an answer. This just couldn't be the end, could it?
* * *
When the energy blasts hit his dimensional pocket, the Guardian was ripped from his slumber. His eyes opened groggily and he scarcely had enough time to teleport out of the way before his safe-haven was completely and utterly destroyed. Confused he looked around, trying to remember where he was and how he had come to be there. Images of a battle flashed in his mind, of a Council that would not give aid and a sacrifice that had nearly cost him his life. Then he turned his senses toward the First World, curious. Time had passed, too much time for the World to be without a Guardian. Frowning, he summoned his newly returned strength and began making his way toward the First of the Nine Worlds that he had protected over eight centuries before.
In her realm Kismet watched the Guardian as he made his way toward the First World. A laugh rose in her throat and bubbled outward with all the force of her power behind it, screaming into the darkness of time and careening off the edges of reality. A few tears of amusement gathered and trickled down her cheeks, filling her mouth with salt as she struggled with hysteria. It wasn't funny at all, what she saw.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From Sin, the Author:
Larissa- as the wonderful and famous Mr. Bishop would say, you are a friggin' monkey. Did you NOT READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES? I would understand if you were pressed for time or totally out of it but I did make a point of asking for more than a bland 'that was awesome.' I appreciate the fact that you took the time to review, but uh, maybe next time add a little more substance?
Sailor Ronin Usa-chan- Yay. I really like your fic, Kamereon. ^_^ Really funny so far, and I have been enjoying the Schuldig/Usagi stuff. Your review was good, thanks for taking the time to tell me what you thought.
Christina- All right, yeah. Thanks for reviewing; it makes me feel special to know that someone is actually paying attention now and then. I hope to hear more from you if you review again though, such as critiques and all that. Well, thanks again, bye.
Born4Glory- Okay, now I can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that I won't be flamed to high heaven and down to hell again. ^_^ I must say, I do really enjoy reading some of the 'presents' that you leave in the review box, but I'm glad I didn't get any. I'm really trying to get as much of this story done as possible so I can sit back and relax while Phèdre posts. (yeah, yeah, I'm a lazy bum) Hope to hear more from you...Sin
Sporanox- Ah, the infamous Sporanox. First of all, I would like to thank you for reviewing. Secondly I would like to ask you why you are already assuming that I'm cool now but I'm going to be an idiot later on. What's up with that? If you really think that I'm any better than those hormone- high middle school freaks then don't treat me like I'm just the same. Give the story a chance before you assume that something is going to happen the way it would in some random betrayal or something like that. As for my original characters, I can readily assure you that they are very important and will definitely have personalities that are easy to identify. As I said before, don't assume that after the prologue I'm going to start drooling and talking out of my ass. The originals won't disappear, the SM girls would never in any dimension or plot be stronger than the z-fighters (now that's just stupid) and I am NOT A MOONIE. Now that we have all of that out of the way...
Thanks again for reviewing. You actually gave me criticisms rather than just staring blankly at the screen, having a seizure and then writing, 'uh yeah, that was good.' I'll take what you've said into account when I write my next chapters...I think that would be chapter four now, and we'll see where we get from there.
I love the world. Not. Sin
From Phèdre, the Editor:
Uh...Sporanox...I don't really know where all that came from...but I think she still thinks you're cool...I think. Oh well...just keep telling people the truth, and we'll end up fine.
To the rest of you who reviewed, thanks. Especially Sailor Ronin Usa-chan, because you're just that cool.
The next chapter and a half are written...review, and you will get more!