I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea and original characters are mine, however. Enjoy!
AN - I'm real sorry for the delay, everyone! I was kinda/sorta waiting for the site to work properly, but my friend Girl-chama made me realize I can't use that as an excuse! ^_^* So thank you, Chama-chan! I needed it! I dedicate this to you!
Dealing Fate's Hand
Chapter 1
"No one should be alone. What is this place of solitude? How long have I been here? Why am I here?"
The entity slowly began to regain consciousness, and became aware. The dull light of a single star suddenly appeared, dimming in the dark, lonely void. However, the entity was drawn to the star, and as it drew nearer, the star engulfed it into its' light, and the form of a woman began to emerge.
"Why am I alone?"
Lilac locks of hair cascaded down her body, covering the robes she wore. As she opened her eyes, pale blue oculars took in the surroundings, and crystalline tears blurred her vision. As the memories of her painful past returned to her, she wrapped her arms around herself and began to cry softly.
"How could they betray me in such a way? Why did they punish me, to forever be alone? I don't want to be alone."
A sob caught in her throat as suddenly, she saw another light. Going towards it, she took the light into her hands, and another figure appeared, bearing the same kind of grief she felt - the feeling of betrayal. She hugged the figure close to her…
And then the pain was gone, replaced instead by a burning hatred. She wrapped her arms around the figure, and a cruel smile crossed her lips.
"We will never be alone again, small one. And the ones who have betrayed us will pay."
A bright light burst from her, diminishing the dark void and setting her free.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"C'mon, Sailor Chibi Moon! You have to do better than that!" Sailor Chibi Moon turned her head quickly, and saw Sailor Chibi Mars coaching her from the sidelines of the arena. The older girl flashed her a thumbs-up sign, and Chibi Moon nodded her head.
"Pay attention, Sailor Chibi Moon! You're making a fatal error!"
Sailor Chibi Moon's head snapped around, and she brought up her weapon just as her sparring partner bared down upon her. Breathing heavily, she pushed him away, and dodged his attacks, while trying to land some of her own. She cried out in pain, as a hit he landed dug deep into her side, causing her to drop to the ground. Looking up at him, she wiped away sweat that trailed down her face. She shook her head as her sight began to blur, and, sighing in defeat, she sat up to a kneeling position.
"You yield?"
"I do." Sailor Chibi Moon's eyes blurred once again, only this time from unshed tears. Inhaling deeply, she bit her lip to keep herself from crying. Suddenly, a man's voice rang out across the room and the other Scouts and Ronins knelt down together next to her in a straight line.
"You all have done exceptionally well today," the man spoke, his piercing blue eyes scanning over the young group of children. "But today, you each learned that you have much more training to do. Lotus proved that, when he defeated each of you in melee combat." The man sighed, raking a hand through his ebony hair. "But, I am proud of you all. Tomorrow, you will be working with Sailor Chibi Mars on your sure-skills and powers. You are dismissed for today."
"Actually, I'd like to make a small change, if you don't mind, Darien," a voice spoke from the doorway. The children looked towards the source, and they began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Dad," Chibi Moon and Lotus exclaimed in unison. As the King entered the training room, he smiled towards his children.
"Your Highness," Darien stated, bowing slightly. "What is it, that you had in mind?"
"I think that it's time the children had another training session with us," Kento spoke. "The other Ronins and I will take the boys, and Serenity and the other Scouts will take the girls; but only if that would be okay with you, of course, Prince Darien. You are their teacher, after all."
"I think that would boost their spirits, Highness," Darien replied, nodding his head as he spoke. "It would improve their skills greatly." A crooked smile crossed his face, as he looked at Kento. "If I may ask, did you make this request upon one of Serenity's impulses?"
Kento chuckled. "You know her too well."
Darien laughed, and then cleared his throat, gaining the children's attention once again. "Well, that will be all for today. You'd all better get some rest tonight; you'll need it for tomorrow. You are dismissed."
A small cheer rose up as the young warriors got up, going towards where Kento stood. It was a rare occasion for the King to appear for one of their training sessions, and they were eager to talk with him. Chibi Moon stood more slowly, however, and as her henshin reversed, she went towards her Sensei.
"Uncle Darien," she asked timidly. He stopped what he was doing, and looked down at her.
"What is it, Small Lady," he asked, smiling at her. "Is something wrong?"
"I was wondering… Did I really do well today?" She looked down towards the ground, waiting for an answer nervously. She looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be honest with you," he began. "The girls did do a better job than you did today, but that's only because they have more experience than you do. You did, however, do better than your peers. You have a bit of a edge over the other Ronins."
"I do?"
"Yes," he stated with a chuckle. "But you must learn to stay focused during these sessions. You're a lot like your mother, in that way."
"I'll work on that then, Sensei!" She bowed to him, and then bounded off towards where her father was.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ryo of Wildfire stood watching, as the Ronins taught their sons how to fine-tune their sure-skills. Although Kento was King of Crystal Tokyo, Ryo was still the leader of the Ronins Warriors. He glanced over briefly, towards the other end of the room, where the Scouts were teaching their daughters about their powers. At the same time, Rei looked over in their direction, and their eyes locked.
"Dad?" Ryo's concentration broke, as he turned to look at his son. "Am I doing this right?" Ryo smiled inwardly, as he studied his son's technique.
"Your stance is wrong, Eunan," Ryo stated. He unsheathed his own swords, and demonstrated the correct form. As Eunan tried to mimic his father, Ryo sheathed his swords, and corrected Eunan's form. "Take notice of how this feels, son. This is the right way."
"Thanks Dad," Eunan exclaimed, his violet eyes sparkling with appreciation. Ryo nodded, ruffling the boy's hair, which was so much like his own. Eunan cocked his head to the side. "Could I show you my sure-skill now? I've improved it, since the last time." He smiled as his father nodded his head.
"Crescent … Beam …"
Rowen watched as his son took aim towards the target at the other end of the room. The young Ronin's arm shook slightly, as an arrow appeared on the string and energy began to collect there. "Concentrate, Kaden," he instructed.
Kaden took aim at the target once again, and blew away a stubborn lock of cyan-colored hair that fell into his face. He notched the bow, and an arrow appeared there, energy gathering around it. "Crescent … Beam … Surge!" He let the arrow fly, and as the arrow struck the target, phantom arrows appeared, following the path the original arrow took. They began to charge with energy and struck the target as well. Kaden smiled, and then turned towards his father. Blue oculars met blue, and Rowen returned his son's smile.
"Very good, Kaden," Rowen began. "If I'm not careful, you'll be just as good as I am in no time!"
"Father," Kaden trailed, his cheeks flushing at his father's praise.
Bryant stood in full armor, wielding his nodachi with the curved blade facing away from him. Green eyes flashed with concern momentarily as he gazed at his father, who stood across from him in the same, exact manner. A bead of sweat trailed down the back of his neck, however he dared not move, in fear that he would leave himself open for an attack. As electricity began to gather around his father, Bryant braced himself.
"Thunderbolt Cut!"
Bryant gasped, however stood his ground. He watched as the attack drew nearer, and then, adjusting his grasp on the hilt ever so slightly, he swung the sword out, seemingly absorbing the attack with his weapon. He charged towards his father, swinging out with the sword once again. "Lightning Blade Pierce!"
With a simple movement of his sword, Sage parried his son's jab, sending his attack wayward. He smiled as Bryant's jaw dropped in surprise. Chuckling slightly, Sage removed his helmet, shaking out his mass of hair. "It takes both precision and timing for your sure-skill to be effective, son," he stated.
Following his father's lead, Bryant removed his helmet. His short, damp, dirty-blond locks fell down into his usual hairstyle. "The armor is still heavy, Dad," he complained. "I'll never get used to it! It's not fair that Lotus is stronger…"
"Lotus is older, Bryant." Sage rested a hand on the young boy's shoulder, and smiled. "And you'll get stronger as you get older."
As Sai stood next to his son, a shaky smile wavered on his face. "Kiran," he began, "you must gather water around yourself. Summon it; draw it from the power of your armor."
Kiran nodded, and then stood with his trident grasped firmly in his hand. His brow furrowed as he concentrated, water slowly gathering at the end of his weapon. Smiling triumphantly, he tapped into his power more and the sign of Mercury began to glow softly on his gauntlets. He rose his arms into the air, preparing to perform his sure-skill.
"How's it going here?" Sai turned his attention away from Kiran, and saw as Amy and their daughter joined them.
"You're all done already, love," he asked his wife, kissing her briefly.
"It went rather quickly, actually," Amy answered with a shrug. "The children have improved so much. They just need to learn to better control their powers."
"Um… speaking of control, I think Kiran has lost his." Sai turned towards his daughter to question what she meant however Kiran cut him off.
"Dad, I can't stop it!" It was then that Sai noticed the ominous shadow looming overhead, seconds before the bubble of water burst, soaking everyone and everything. Kiran slowly lowered the trident to the ground, offering an apologetic smile.
"You did that on purpose," his sister accused, glaring at him.
"I did not," he exclaimed. He shook his head, his short, spiky brown quills sending water flying every which-way. His green eyes flashed mischievously and he smiled innocently. "Accidents happen."
"Next time, son," Sai stated, placing a finger against Kiran's forehead, "focus and control your power here, and don't depend so much on your armor."
"Either that, or make sure no one else is training in here with you." Kiran blanched, and then turned around. Standing there, were the other Ronins and Scouts, soaking wet as well. Before he could offer another apology, the entire area began to shake. As quickly as it began it stopped, and all present either sighed or rolled their eyes.
"That was Kento," Serenity stated with a sigh.
"Or Lotus," Rini offered. Not too long afterwards, father and son entered the room, and they stopped. They looked around the room, which was still wet from Kiran's slip-up.
"What happened in here," Kento asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The children were just about to start cleaning up," Ryo stated, suppressing a laugh as the children groaned in protest.
"Aw, but Dad," Kite cried. "It's Kiran's fault it's such a mess in here!"
"Don't argue with your father, Kitiana," Rei scolded.
"Think of this as a discipline exercise," Ryo added. "You'd better get started."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Sailor Pluto watched as the young princes and princesses cleaned up the mess they made after their training session. An amused smile crossed her face as she turned away from the scene. As was her place, she stood ever vigilant at the Time Gates. Her smile slowly faded, however, and a frown set upon her face instead.
"What is it that troubles you?"
Sailor Pluto turned towards the sound of the voice, and saw a figure standing among the mists. "Step forward, Celeste," she spoke. Obediently, the figure stepped forward, revealing the form of a girl.
"Am I needed," the girl asked.
"I must go and speak with Neo Queen Serenity," Pluto began, the time staff appearing in her hands. "Go to the Shrine of the Ancient Clan, and speak with the guardians there. Tell them the star is about to align itself with the moon. They will know what I mean."
"Your will shall be done." The girl bowed her head slightly, and her long, dark hair fell forward. "And I shall give your regards to Lady Kayura and the others," she continued, disappearing. Sailor Pluto watched as Celeste disappeared completely, before she turned on her heel, disappearing among the mist.
"Neo Queen Serenity," Pluto spoke, appearing suddenly in the throne room and kneeling before her queen, surprising the woman. A smile crossed Serenity's face, however it disappeared slowly as she listened to Pluto's words.
"What is this threat," Serenity questioned when Pluto finished, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.
"I'm not quite sure, Highness. I must speak with Lady Kayura, first."
A frown crossed Serenity's face as she stood. "Do what you must, Setsuna, but keep the children safe."
"Of course. I will return shortly for the children," Pluto spoke, raising once again. As she disappeared from the room, Serenity sank down into her throne, burying her face into her hands.
To Be Continued . . .