One of the Negaverse's servants laughed an evil laugh. He launched an attack against a Sailor Scout at the fountain, who is unprepared. She screamed. The evil attacker cackled again...
Serena woke up with a start late on the Saturday evening after school had ended. She thought it was just a bad dream—but then she was hit with a premonition of danger. She had had it before, when Lita had transformed to Sailor Jupiter and was in trouble, injured.
"Oh no!" Serena exclaimed in a panic, throwing off her covers in a rush. "I just know something's wrong!"
"Is someone in trouble?" Luna asked.
"I think so," said Serena, trying to compose herself by taking a deep breath. "Remember when Lita as Sailor Jupiter was in trouble?" she asked Luna.
"Uh, yes..." Serena's guardian cat replied.
"Well, I just had a premonition like the one I had then! I know a Sailor's in trouble! I have the feeling it's April—as Nova!" Serena grabbed her special Scout emergency communicator and punched in the number for Amy's matching communicator.
"Yes?" Amy answered the call a moment later with a yawn, her hair tousled. "What's up?"
"April—as Nova—is in trouble!" she exclaimed.
"Are you sure?" Amy asked skeptically.
"Oh, yes! Call the other Scouts and tell them to transform while they run to the fountain in the square near the mall. I know that's where she is!"
"How do you know?"
"I just do." Then she added, "It would take too long to explain."
Catching Serena's drift, Amy replied, "Okay! But if this is a false alarm, we'll all be pretty annoyed with you, Serena. You and Raye will have something else to fight about."
"Just get going!" Serena said irritably.
On the way to the fountain, where Serena said someone from the Negaverse was stirring up trouble, the five met and transformed, then ran as fast as they could the rest of the way. When they arrived, they saw Sailor Nova already fighting Cerzite.
"You guys could have come a little sooner, you know," Sailor Nova grumbled. Wonderful, she thought, now I have to make it look like this guy is hard. Darn it! Oh, well... Violet, all of this had better be worth it.
"Sorry," they said in unison, also panting. "I'm glad you're okay, though, Nova," Sailor Moon added with a note of relief in her voice.
Nova then noticed a slight movement from the corner of her eye. Oh, no! Just because I have to pretend to die doesn't mean I can let them get hurt! She cried out, "Watch out, Sailors!" No sooner had she said this then Cerzite struck all five of them at once. He had gathered energy for an attack with small round projectiles, the Scouts not noticing as their attention was elsewhere, and thrown all of them at the group of young warriors.
They fell to the ground with a cry. Jupiter and Moon were the first to try to get up. Nova jumped between Cerzite and the downed Scouts as a temporary barrier. "Catch your breath, Sailor Moon, and I'll distract him," she ordered. She then said under her breath, "Nova twister!" A great, spinning column of light surrounded Nova, then headed straight for Cerzite. He deflected it with ease, and then hit Nova with a blue bolt of energy. It surrounded her, and she fell a second later. But, within a minute, she got up, apparently with much effort. Cerzite, if I wasn't supposed to make it look like I'm going to die tonight, you would be dead right now, and I wouldn't have had to involve the others.
"Huh? You should have been killed with that, or at least out of the fight!" Cerzite exclaimed, shocked at Nova's stamina.
"You can't finish me off that easily, Negatrash," replied Nova. She then responded by giving Sailor Moon her "Nova power gift." There—this way it'll look like I died from loss of energy. Blast you, Violet… this is so drastic…
While she helped Moon, Tuxedo Mask arrived. "Where's the Protector?" Nova asked him after she finished, confused. "Doesn't he usually come with you?" I'm never going to be able to see him again... I was hoping he'd come... but then again, I was hoping he wouldn't... he doesn't need to think he saw me die...
"Yes, he does, but for some reason he didn't respond," Mask replied, a little confused himself.
"The little party's over, Sailor Nova. Say goodbye!" Cerzite threw a huge black ball of energy at her and thought he had scored a hit. "That should take care of you!" But Nova realized it was coming, and had enough time to deflect it. "Nova shield!" she cried out. The ball bounced off an invisible barrier two feet in front of her.
"Are you okay?" Jupiter asked Nova.
"Yeah, I'm fine. My shield protected me. But right now it is more important that you guys are okay. Sailor Moon, do you feel good enough to take care of this loser?" Nova inquired of her.
She only wearily shook her head in response.
"Then allow me to take care of him for you," she declared.
"But... but, how can you do that, Nova? I thought only Sailor Moon could do that!" Sailor Mars sputtered.
"I found out I could when I encountered a henchman of Cerzite's," Nova answered her. Actually, I knew I could all along, but Vega told me to allow you to lead us. "Allow me to show you." She paused for a minute to gather her strength. Then she cried out, "Nova star power!" A small violet ball of pure energy formed above her head between her upraised hands.
"Ha, ha. What can that do to me? It's just a little thing, much smaller than anything else you weaklings throw at me!" Cerzite cackled with glee.
"It's time for you to eat humble pie, Cerzite. Sometimes the little things do what the big things can't," Nova told him. Then, she threw the ball at the Negaverse soldier. As it gained speed, it also increased in size. "Now, you know what a true nova is!"
The pure violet energy surrounded him, the ball larger than he was by that time, and he stood there, transfixed, with a look of horror on his face. "No!" he cried out, and vanished as the ball hit its mark. Once he vanished, Nova collapsed.
"Sailor Nova! Are you okay?" Sailor Moon exclaimed, worried. Jupiter is the first to the fallen girl's side. "You guys, she's unconscious!" Jupiter announced, worry creasing her forehead. As she spoke, the Protector finally arrived. "What happened?" he asked. "Where's—" he began to ask, and then spotted her form crumpled on the ground. "Nova!" he exclaimed, worried. All the Scouts surrounded the fallen warrior, Jupiter cradling her head in her lap.
"Where were you when this happened, Protector?" Mars demanded angrily.
"Didn't you realize she was in trouble?" Venus asked, her hand on her hip.
"I... I had no idea... I was so used to her being able to take care of herself, and... and now, she's hurt! And you're all blaming me for it!" said the Protector, stuttering, close to tears.
"Leave him alone, you guys. Don't you see he feels bad about this whole thing?" Mercury quickly added in his defense before anyone else could make a jab at him.
Then Mask exclaimed, "Do you remember when the same thing happened to Sailor Moon? How she almost left us? Well, the same thing is happening to Nova right now!"
The Protector uttered a small cry and dashed straight to Nova's side. "He's right," he said with a sigh. He gently picked her up, cradled her in his arms like she was made of glass, and carried her to a nearby bench. The group of defenders surrounded the bench where he laid her down. Colors of energy began to swirl around Nova's still form, just like when Moon was in the same predicament. They waited there, silent, each lost in their own thoughts as they watched her for a minute. Soon Nova opened her eyes slowly, as if they were made of lead.
"Are you going to be okay?" Sailor Moon asked, her voice full of concern for her friend.
"I... need... to talk... to the Protector," Nova whispered faintly.
The others backed away a few feet to give them privacy.
"I'll repeat what Sailor Moon said: Are you going to be okay?" Daran asked, still near tears.
"I'm afraid not, Daran." A single tear slipped down the side of her face and dripped onto the wood of the bench.
She used my real name, he thought. That could only mean... "Wha... what do you mean by that, April?"
"I mean I don't think I'm going to pull through this time... " Now Daran was crying openly. "I hate to leave you at a time like this."
"Why can't you pull through?" Daran queried, his eyes full of pain.
"I spent all my energy giving the Scouts strength and healing, and took care of Cerzite on my own. It spent all my energy, making that supernova-like energy ball," Nova told him, even more faintly than before. Oh, this hurts... Violet! Why did you have to find me? Why must I do this? What is the point? Why me? "Now, I want you to take this." She slowly lifted her arm, reached into a pocket, and pulled something out. She then placed a small object in his hand.
"What is it?" Daran asked, glancing down at the object.
"It's a Corusca gem, the match to mine. I want you to have it. And, Daran, I want you to know, I love you." Then they kissed, for the first time ever, and Nova went limp.
"NO!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Then he slumped over Nova's body and cried his heart out.
The others rushed over to him, realized what had happened, and began to cry as well. "I had the feeling it would happen to one of us someday, but wasn't sure, and now it has happened!" Sailor Moon wailed.
* * *
The next day, Violet also prepared to make her warrior friends think she had died. She flew out without her parents' knowledge to the mainland in her X-wing, where she landed near Goku's house. I really wish I didn't have to do this... here goes...
After she coded all of the locks on her starfighter Violet flew over to Goku's house, high up on a hill overlooking the small town nearby. Landing softly about thirty feet from the front door, the princess walked up to the house after smoothing her windblown hair. Upon knocking ChiChi answered the door. "Hello, Aria. What brings you here?"
"Oh, I was just in the area and decided to stop by."
"Won't you come in, then?"
"Thank you," Violet replied as the older woman led her inside.
"How are you doing, Aria?" she asked as she led the princess into the kitchen.
"I'm doing fairly well, thank you. Being kept busy, as always."
"Well, at least you have a job so you can support yourself. I love my Goku dearly, but sometimes he is so lazy—I often wonder how we'd get along if my father didn't help us out from time to time," ChiChi complained as she resumed washing the dishes.
Glancing about, Violet was surprised again at the difference between the technology in the palace in Reilar and what was displayed in Goku's home. It's so... simple, and plain, but they don't mind that at all, it seems. April would probably understand it much better than I can, considering how she was brought up. Maybe that's why she had to grow up that way—so she can understand not only Byrista, but also the rest of the planet we live on.
"Speaking of which, I wonder where he is," ChiChi finished, breaking into Violet's thoughts.
Concentrating briefly, the young woman replied, "He's off to the northwest about ten miles from here—is he with Gohan?"
Goku's wife turned toward Violet with a frown on her face before she remembered that Violet was also a saiyan. "Yes—that son of mine is almost as lazy as his father is. Oh, well—at least he keeps up with his schoolwork... most of the time."
"I'm sure Gohan will make you very proud one of these days—I know he's smart, from what little time I've spent with him."
"Oh, yes, my Gohan is very smart—if only he would spend more time studying and less time out traipsing around and playing with Goku," she said with a long sigh.
"ChiChi, I'm going to be very honest with you—I think that allowing Gohan to spend a little bit of time outdoors each day is good for him. It keeps his mind active by taking in his surroundings and it gives him a chance to work off excess energy so he can concentrate even more on his studies."
ChiChi turned toward Violet once more with wide eyes. "You know, Aria, I never really thought of it that way."
"Besides, you were young once—didn't you spend a lot of time outside?"
"Oh, when I was little I stayed outside all of the time... and I didn't really study too much, either. But back then there was less that was necessary to know than now. Now if Gohan wants to be anything when he grows up—be responsible and be able to support himself and a family—he has to study as much as he can."
"That's true."
Suddenly the door burst open. "Hi, Mom! Is lunch ready?" an eleven- year-old voice sounded out from the entryway.
"Yeah—I'm starving!" a voice twenty-one years older agreed. Two seconds later the owners of the two voices entered the kitchen. "Hey, Aria! I thought I sensed you here," Goku told her with a broad smile.
"Aria! I haven't seen you in, like, forever!" Gohan exclaimed, happy to see her.
"Nice to see you two again, too," Violet replied, also grinning.
"Have you heard about the androids, and the Cell Games, Aria?" Goku asked, suddenly serious as he gingerly sat down at the table—both he and his son had a propensity to break glassware and furniture just by touching them.
The Yavinian princess frowned. "Yes, I have. Were you two out training, then?"
"Yeah," Gohan answered for both of them. "Are you training for it?"
She shook her head sadly. "No."
"No?" Goku asked, a surprised expression on his face.
"Actually, that's why I came, Goku. ChiChi, is lunch ready yet?"
"No—I'm just now starting it."
"All right, then. Goku, do you feel up to going somewhere for a little while? I need to talk to you."
"Can I come too, Aria?" his son piped up.
"Sure, if that's all right with you, ChiChi."
"Of course. Be back in half an hour—lunch will be ready then."
"Sure thing, ChiChi." Goku dashed over to his wife's side, gave her a hasty kiss on the cheek, and then bolted out the door, Violet and Gohan close behind him. As soon as they were out the door they took flight, and Goku moved back to fly parallel to Violet. "So, Aria, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you as soon as we land—over there looks good," she told him as she pointed to a nearby mountainside.
A moment later they had touched ground, and Violet sat down heavily on a nearby stump. "Why aren't you training for the Games, Aria?" Gohan inquired, bursting with curiosity.
"It's a long story, and you two have to promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, all right?"
"Okay," Goku and his son said in unison after a moment's hesitation.
"Hm... where do I begin? Okay, this all started about five years ago, shortly after I met you guys. One of our scouts learned of a large force being assembled by a man who called himself an admiral. He is a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The problem is he wants to recreate an empire that once spanned half the galaxy almost three hundred standard years ago.
"Once we learned of this we began our preparations for war. Being so young I was not included in the preparations just yet, so I went about my life as usual. But now, in the last few months, things have been really heating up as Gitran -- the admiral -- is now taking over system after system and will soon enter territory that belongs to a government that is known as the New Republic. We have to stop him.
"All of these events have forced me, being the heir to the throne of my country and being a powerful warrior, to work at preparing for war with Gitran and rendered me unable to train for the Cell Games. I really wish I could help you guys out, but I can't."
"Uh, Aria," Gohan said after a moment's silence as the two tried to allow the news to sink in, "if you're not going to be around to say anything, and we're not allowed to say anything, what is everyone else going to think when you don't show up?"
"Good question there, Gohan. The only thing I can think of to prevent that from happening is you are going to tell everyone I'm dead."
"What?" Goku exclaimed, startled at her suggestion.
"If you tell everyone that I died from a strange virus that overtook me about now and took only a day or two to kill me, no one will wonder where I am once the Cell Games start."
"Isn't that kinda drastic, Aria?" Goku queried.
"Yeah, but it's the only thing I can think of."
"Aria?" he asked.
"Yes, Goku?"
"Uh... what about Vegeta?"
Violet blinked hard to keep the tears that had suddenly filled her eyes from spilling down her cheeks. She reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a folded white envelope. "Give this to him—it explains as much as I thought I could explain to him."
"All right, Aria. So... if you get this virus now, how will we explain you got back home?"
"Tell everyone that I seemed like I was getting a little sick, which is why I left so quickly, and that you received word two days from now that I had died."
"Will... will we ever see you again, Aria?" Gohan inquired, his voice a bit shaky.
"That depends on if I die in the war or not and how well you two do at the Cell Games." Impulsively she dashed over to Gohan and hugged him tightly, and then did the same to Goku. With one tear spilling down her left cheek, she told them, "Take care, you two. If either or both of you died, I don't know what I would do."
"We'll do our best. Take care of yourself too, Aria," Goku said.
"I'll sure try. Goodbye."
"Goodbye," they called after her as she took flight back toward her X- wing.
* * *
Three days later Goku told everyone that Aria had died.
"What? What happened?" Bulma demanded as twin tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Apparently she got some sort of virus somehow—they still don't know how she got it—and it killed her in a matter of days. She told Gohan and me that she didn't feel well when she came to see us three days ago, and I think that that was because of this virus," Goku explained, voicing the short speech he had been rehearsing ever since Aria had spoken with them.
"Why don't we wish her back with the dragonballs?" Krillin asked.
"Yeah!" the others agreed in unison.
Goku sighed. "Her parents told me that she had left a note in her will stating that when she died she was not to be wished back. She explained that we would need the wishes more than we would need her."
"Curse that girl!" Vegeta muttered from his position near Goku, barely loud enough for him to hear. "She would just have to go and do something like that."
"That sounds just like Aria, doesn't it," Yamcha said loud enough for the entire group to hear, having missed Vegeta's comment.
The others nodded in agreement. After an hour of reminiscing of Aria and what she had done for all of them in a large group, they dispersed and began to speak in pairs or trios. Goku noted that Vegeta moved away from the others to stand alone in a dark corner.
"Vegeta?" he asked hesitantly, moving toward the older saiyan.
"What is it, Kakarot," he replied gruffly, neglecting to use a questioning tone.
Goku winced slightly at Vegeta's use of his saiyan name, knowing that it was used scornfully. "I have something for you—from Aria."
Vegeta glanced over at him sharply. "What?"
"Here," he replied, handing over the white envelope. "I'm sure you want to read that alone," Goku told him before returning to where the others were talking amongst themselves.
Almost tenderly the crusty saiyan opened the letter.
Dear Vegeta, he read. I'm sure this comes as a shock to you, to learn of my death. It sounds odd, doesn't it? There's something that just doesn't ring true about it. I know you, Vegeta, and I know the way you think. Yes, I'm alive. Now I'm sure you're wondering why on earth I had Goku lie to everyone. Well, it's sort of a long story, but I'm sure you're curious, so I'm going to tell you everything.
Vegeta, my name is not really Aria. My full name is Crown Princess Violet Aria Wakefield of Yavinia. Yes, I am your equal in rank, if you recall telling me that if Vegeta still existed, you would be its prince. I'm truly sorry that I lied to you, but I had to in order for my parents to allow me to speak with any of you. (For some reason they thought you all would somehow harm me. That's because they simply don't know you.)
Now to the why behind my "death." I can't compete in the Cell Games. I knew I had to have some reason for not competing, and pretending to die was the only plausible one I could come up with. You see, my country (and the other three it is allied with) face war. A force that has to be dealt with has arisen from the other side of what we call the Unknown Regions of this galaxy we live in. Since I am a saiyan and the crown princess of Yavinia, I must participate in it.
Look, I'm not actually supposed to be telling you any of this. (As a matter of fact, not even Goku and Gohan should know about me being a princess, but I had to tell someone. Besides, since I can become a super saiyan and you cannot, I felt that you needed to feel superior to me in some way, so I didn't tell you of my rank.) I'm telling you this because I feel I owe you an explanation and because... because I love you. There, I've said it. Now you can take that any way you want, all right? I hope this letter cleared some things up for you, and I hate to say this, but... I don't know if I'll ever see you again.
I say that because for one thing I might die in this upcoming war. I say it for another reason, too—my parents, for some reason which they will not disclose to me, will not allow me to see any of you anymore. I have to obey them because they are not only my parents but they are also my king and queen. Once I get married, however, I will become queen, and they will no longer hold any power over me. Unfortunately, since I cannot see you again means that I doubt I'd be able to marry you (that is, if you even return the feelings I feel for you).
Well, I'll say this one more time: I love you, Vegeta.
Always,
"Aria"
Vegeta blinked rapidly as he finished reading the letter, stunned to feel moisture in his eyes. I've never felt this way about anyone before in my entire life. Something about her just... hits me somehow. And the fact that she's the heir to a throne of a country... I almost feel bad about the way I flaunted my title in front of her. No, I do feel bad about it. Damn those parents of hers! If they didn't feel the way they do about me and the others, there would be nothing stopping me from marrying Aria.
With a frustrated cry he replaced the letter in the envelope, stuck it in an obliging pocket, and took flight. He did not care where he was going; he just wanted to get away to a place where he could think. "Come back!" he cried at the top of his lungs. No one could hear him, however: the speed of the wind whipping past his face carried the sound away, rendering him inaudible.