Fate Isn't Written In Stone
Chapter 11: Guardians Return
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Tears fell from Haruka's eyes. She had let Endymion take Táiyoo and Usagi. How could she have let go so easily? It hadn't even been that painful...most of it was just surprise. She gasped. What would Seiya do when he found out? She wasn't scared of his wrath, but he might do something irrational and attempt to take on Endymion.
Michiru laid a hand on Haruka's shoulder, her eyes also brimming with tears. "Seiya won't be mad at you. He'll be more worried for her," she whispered, as though she had read her mind.
Setsuna got to her feet, and then helped Michiru up. Michiru held her hand out to Haruka, who hesitated, then took it.
----
Quiore stood silently in front of Luna in Artemis in their healing tubes. For the last 40 hours he hadn't let left their side. His mind wandered to Usagi; where was she now? What she happy with her prince of the stars?
Well of course she is, he thought. Wasn't it easy to see how much they loved each other? Oh, but how he missed his princess. He had a feeling it would be another eternity before he saw her again.
'HELP ME!' a voice screamed in his head.
Quiore spun around, startled. Her voice. She had called him; she needed him. Quiore shook his head. "Nonsense," he muttered. "You're imagining things. Besides, you can't leave your post..."
'Please, help me!'
Luna and Artemis' eyes flew open.
The white haired man turned his attention away from the voice he heard and whispered, "Amazing. They've recovered in record speed for the condition they were in. Now they can help the princess."
"What?" Seiya cried. Haruka kept her gaze focused on the floor.
"I shouldn't have let go. It's my fault..."
Taiki handed her a cup of tea and then sat down beside her. "It was an accident Haruka-san."
Haruka shook her head. "No. If I only had had the willpower, I could have held on."
Seiya looked at her in hopelessness.
"We'll get her back," Yaten added. "For sure. Tomorrow though, after we're rested, since it would be suicide to go now."
"No you're not," Seiya stated. "Endymion isn't after anyone but me. I'm his target and the bastard is using Usagi as bait. I'll go."
Haruka jumped to her feet. "No! I'm the one who let Endymion get her. The others and I'll help bring her back."
"But I got her into this mess," he argued. "If I hadn't ever come back this wouldn't have happened-"
"You came back because you love her! If anything happens to you I'll never forgive myself!" She clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. Those words had just blurted out, but...They were true. Her eyes slowly rose to Seiya's, who stared back at her in disbelief.
"Haruka-san. . ?"
She shook her head. "Look, we'll go together. All of us. Tomorrow, after we're refreshed." Then she turned and marched out of the apartment.
Yaten glanced at Seiya and said in a singsong voice, "Someone's getting from of you. A tomboy too-"
Taiki slapped Yaten upside the head. "Shut up."
The shorter boy rubbed the back of his head, muttering, "You should talk."
Seiya was silent as he walked into his bedroom. He'd wait until the others were asleep and then he would face Mamoru himself. He recalled Usagi telling him where he lived at one point during his last stay.
Haruka was thinking the same thing as she sped away on her motorcycle.
----
Usagi opened her eyes, blood pounding in her ears. She blinked, slowly raised her head and saw both Chikyuu and Táiyoo. Both were unconscious on the other side of the room, with their wrist cuffs attached to the stonewall behind them. Usagi realized she was also in cuffs.
A flash of deep red caught her eye. There was another girl chained to the wall beside Táiyoo. She much shorter than the sun soldier and was nearly hidden in her shadow; only her hair catching the torches' light. She had to be an adult, even with her height. Her hair was a curly mass that fell to her waist. Her bangs were tinged white, and it was crimson to her shoulders, but then it oddly morphed into black from there on. She wore a lime-green, empire waist dress with thin straps, black gauzy under layers and a white ribbon bow on the back. Something else was behind the girl and Usagi squinted to make it out.
It was a tail! A tail that was about two feet long, but a tail nonetheless. The appendage was white with blotches of dark orangey crimson and black. Her brain clicked it into place.
"Shiddo," Usagi whispered. She must have transformed into human form, or was forced to by Endymion.
The beating in her head was becoming unbearable. Her vision blurred and she blacked out again.
Seiya stood in front of Yaten's door soundlessly. "Goodbye my friend," he whispered to the sleeping teenager. He went to Taiki and Verku's room, said the same thing, and then strode out of the apartment. It was his fault and he knew it for a fact. When he got onto the street he broke into a run and didn't slow down until he reached the doors of Mamoru's apartment building, thoroughly out of breath.
"Odango...I'll get you back, I swear it," he murmured to himself.
"Great minds think alike, don't they?"
Seiya turned to the voice. "I knew you'd be here Haruka-san."
She smiled slightly. "I figured you'd come too."
"Should we go in together then?" he asked, jerking his thumb in the direction of the building.
Haruka walked to his side. "Of course. I'm transforming first though, you?"
Seiya shook his head. "I want to fight an even battle with him. Being in my female form gives me an advantage."
"Suit yourself," she returned with raised eyebrows. "Uranus Crystal Power, Make-Up!
She realized Seiya had been staring at her, and shot a mock glare at him as he blushed furiously. Haruka laughed after a moment; it was contagious and made Seiya chuckle softly.
"Laughter, the best medicine at stressful times."
The two turned sharply, but it was only Taiki, with a trace of a smile on his lips. Yaten stood beside him, arms crossed and pouting.
"What are you guys doing here?" Seiya demanded.
"'Many hands make light work'," Taiki quoted. "We're here to help."
"Yes! You could have told us, rather than leaving without a word!" Yaten cried.
"You two should go home," Seiya declared.
"No!"
Taiki shook his head. "No. I agree with Yaten; you should let us help you." The black haired man shook his head. "Please," he urged gently. "Let us come with you."
Seiya sighed. "Fine. Do as you wish." He spun to walk inside, then stopped and looked back at Taiki and Yaten suspiciously. "Where's Verku-chan?"
The duo shifted uncomfortably.
"You didn't."
Taiki muttered his quote again, in obvious embarrassment.
"But they'll be endangered!" Seiya cried. "Now I'll have to worry about the rest of them! They're in more danger because Mamoru will use them against us!"
"As if you aren't in any danger?" Yaten exclaimed. "People say I'm the most stubborn, but when it comes down to the line you're paces ahead! Please Seiya, listen to Taiki! We're going to need all the help we can get! Let all of us be with you!"
"I told you already: do as you wish."
"Fine. Then, Healer Star Power, Make-Up!"
"Maker Star Power, Make-Up!"
Seiya smiled. He did admire his friends' determination, he had to admit. "All right then, let's go!" he exclaimed turning and running into the building. Just as they were about to enter there was a flash of golden light that stopped them in their tracks.
Haruka gazed at the human Luna and Artemis. "Luna? Artemis? You're back already?"
Luna nodded. "We were healed sooner than Quiore expected."
"I see. . ."
"What are you doing here?" Artemis asked.
"Going to get Mamoru- he's taken Usagi!" Seiya cried. "As well as Táiyoo-Sailor Sun, Chikyuu-Sailor Earth- and Shiddo, Táiyoo's guardian!"
Luna looked fearful, "He took her...?" she whispered.
They nodded as Seiya explained.
"That can't be good. He'll do anything to get you to come to him then if took her as you said. He may even hurt her. . ."
"That's why we've got to get going!"
Both guardians nodded, turned and dashed into the building with the others following. They all crammed into the elevator since his apartment was on one of the upper floors of the complex. The group rushed out down the hallway the moment the doors opened. Uranus stopped abruptly in front a door. "This is it," she murmured, stretching a hand out to the knob. There was complete silence as she turned it. Uranus pushed against the door and let it swing silently open.
Seiya leaned forward cautiously. There was the entry hall, then blackness. He stepped inside, still silent. Healer, Maker, Uranus and the cat guardians still stood in the doorway.
A scream shattered the quiet, making Seiya topple backwards into Healer.
"NO! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!"
Seiya's eyes widened; he leapt to his feet and ran into the darkness with Usagi's same on his lips. As they ran past the edge of the shadows there was another flash of light.
"Where are we?" Healer asked as she and the others glanced around.
They were in a room of black stone, apparently underground or in a cave or something of the like; on the floor in the center of the room was an intricate golden design. Torches were evenly spaced around the room, which was probably sixty feet in diameter. On the other side of the room were Táiyoo, Chikyuu and Shiddo.
"Shiddo?" Maker gasped at the sight of her. She turned to Luna and Artemis. "Should we help them?"
"Of course," Luna replied. "Uranus, Healer, Seiya, you look for Usagi. We'll get these guys."
The other three walked across the room, where three separate tunnels veered off in different directions.
"Should we split up?" Healer asked.
Uranus snorted. "Hell no. That's just what Mamoru will want us to do."
Healer looked back at the different roads. "Well then, which one?"
"The right one," Seiya answered, starting towards it at a fast walk.
"Might as well run," Uranus called, still rooted to her spot.
He stopped and turned back to her, smiling. "Well come on then. Show us your stuff."
"If you insist," she replied cheerily, and then bolted forward with lightening speed with Seiya close behind her. The tunnel twisted and curved, weaving it's way through the bowels of the solid stone. Their footsteps clattered noisily on the black tile floors. A light suddenly appeared far away; it was the end of the passage.
When Uranus ran to the outside she stopped suddenly. Seiya tried to stop but slammed into her; Healer crashed into both of them.
"Owie," Healer whimpered as she helped Seiya up. Uranus sat on the floor, silent, but with her mouth open in a gasp.
The man followed her gaze and his eyes widened too. There was only a few more yards of the floor until it dropped off. The gap was only about twenty feet, but who knew how deep it was. The trio slowly moved to the edge. Looking down, Seiya's heart skipped a beat.
"USAGI!" he screamed, staring down to the blonde haired figure. Her body was suspended about thirty feet down by ropes, each probably as thick as a forearm, that were somehow attacked to the walls of the ravine. She was about fifteen feet above the water that filled the chasm, and was almost unnoticeable in the outcroppings and jagged stonewall.
Usagi's eyes fluttered open. She's thought she's heard...But that couldn't be. Still, she raised her head weakly. "Seiya?" she murmured, then let her head drop. She was hallucinating. He couldn't have found her, it was impossible! She felt tears staining her skin as she lifted her gaze again to look into his dark blue eyes. "Seiya. . . ," she breathed. "Seiya!"
He smiled down at her. "Are you alright Usagi?" he called.
"Yes. I'm fine."
"Are you sure, Kitten?" Uranus asked.
Usagi smiled. "Yes, Haruka. Could you please pull me up?"
"Can't you transform?" Healer asked.
"I can't. Endymion has my broach. . . He has the ginzuishou."
The trio looked at each other, exchanging glances. "Damn him," Uranus muttered. Seiya nodded as he began stroking the star pendant, the one which Quiore had given him, when he gave a short gasp.
It may come in useful at one time or another. . .When it becomes its true form. . .
"Usagi, the pendant that Quiore gave you" he called down. "Its true form is probably a set of wings!"
"But I don't know how to activate it."
"Your star seed!"
"I don't know how!"
"Focus on sending the light to the pendant!"
". . .Okay. I'll try. . ." She closed her eyes in concentration; her star seed flower opened up as it materialized in front of her. The star seed glowed and the pendant hung suspended in the air, shimmering. One last tear fell from Usagi's eyelashes and onto her star seed just as the cave was filled with an intense, bright light.
----
"What is that?" Maker cried, back in the other cavern where Luna tried to revive the newly freed Shiddo, as the light exploded into their cave also.
"I don't know!" Luna answered, shielding her eyes. "It may be the ginzuishou or Endymion!"
"Let's hope it's not the later," Artemis called.
As the light flickered out Shiddo stirred and slowly opened her eyes while she took in her surroundings. Then she saw Luna kneeling over her. "Luna. . .?Guardian Luna?"
Luna smiled as the other guardian sat up. "The one and only. How are you Shiddo? It's been a long time."
"Too long in fact. . .," Shiddo replied. It looked like she couldn't contain her happiness any longer so the calico girl flung her arms around Luna, saying, "Oh, Luna, I've missed you so much! You don't know how hard it is living without family!"
"Family?" Maker murmured to herself as Shiddo drew away from Luna.
". . .Now when this is all over we can be together again!" Shiddo was saying. "We can be sisters again!"
"Sisters?!" Maker cried (Oo;), not the only one who was shocked. Artemis was as well.
---
Quoire had been walking down to Passageway, letting his fingertips graze the carved doorways when he felt it and stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly he fell to his knees, his face contorting in pain.
"I knew she would use it. . ."he rasped through clenched teeth. "But I didn't expect it to happen this soon."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw something fall to the ground beside him, blending almost perfectly with the white tile. He reached out to pick it up but for some reason threw himself on the ground, screaming and writhing in pain as his purple jewel glowed. Several agony filled minutes passed by until the man on the floor grew silent; the only sound in the hallway now came from his heaving chest. Then, slowly, he sat up, and reached for what had fallen on the floor.
He looked at the feather in his hand sadly, thinking of the painful year ahead of him- the time it took for his wings to regrow. He glanced over his shoulder to see the space where they should have been. Now his figure looked odd without them.
"This battle between good and evil has officially began," he whispered. "My lovely Princess against him. . ." A smile krept to his lips. "I gladly give her my wings."
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