Revised Version
Act 8 "A morbid Chibi Usa! Argent's mistaken target!"
It was a late November day in Tokyo. The students of Juuban Junior High were sitting in their classrooms, some were listening closely to their teacher while others weren't. Some people were reading magazines and manga behind their desk, while others were doodling absent-mindedly. Some were simply off on their own; their minds wondering over the invisible plain that is the imagination while their bodies sat idly in a desk.
One such student was Chibi Usa. However, unlike the other daydreamers, the girl with pink hair was staring blankly at the opened Japanese Literature book in front of her. While the eyes of the class' daydreamers were sparkling and bright from the prospective weekend, the baggy red eyes of the future princess were not looking toward the future.
I'm back…my other half…
That short virulent sentence cut deeper and deeper into her soul each time she thought about it. Of course Chibi Usa had tried not to think about it, but it was like a fog that kept on creeping back into her consciousness, no matter how tightly she tried to seal her mind against it. Her eyes, her ruby red eyes. Those eyes had stared point blankly back at her just a few days ago in that cold dark alley. Even then Chibi Usa could feel the chills emanating from Black Lady, unable to escape the evil which enveloped the horrid woman like a fitted glove. Now, hungry for rest after many nights of sleeplessness, the jaded teenager found herself listless and weary.
"Tsukino-san!"
A roaring voice snapped Chibi Usa out of her trance. She looked up and saw Haruna-sensei staring angrily at her, her hands on her hips. Seeing Chibi Usa look up, Haruna spoke in a quieter but commanding tone, "Please read the next passage to the class."
Chibi Usa looked down at the opened textbook, her mind filled with bewilderment. She hadn't flipped a page since the beginning of class and had no idea what page the class was at. Hotaru, who was sitting right across from her, tried to help her by holding up the corner of her page to show Chibi Usa the page number. But with sleep deprived eyes, Chibi Usa could barely make out the large script title at the top of the page, much less the small page number.
After a few tense moments of awkward squinting and nervous glances, Chibi Usa gave up and said in a barely audible voice "I'm sorry Haruna-sensei…I don't know what page we're on…"
Haruna sighed heavily and said disappointedly, "Tsukino-san, I would like to see you after school today in my office." Finishing her sentence, Haruna turned once again to face the class. "Takashi-kun, please continue where we left off."
As the student read, Hotaru turned her attention back toward Chibi Usa. Chibi Usa hasn't been herself for a while now, and ever since the recent battle the Inners had with the enemy, things seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Now Chibi Usa rarely smiled and never laughed. What's more, Hotaru can't figure out what the problem was. She knew Chibi Usa couldn't transform and she also knew the princess wasn't very happy about that. But still, despite her inability to transform she was still cheerful just a few days ago, clearly demonstrated when her friend greeted her at the parlor when she came back to Tokyo. But now it was as if all traces of the once lovable girl had been erased, shattered by something even more devastating than loosing her power.
Hotaru glanced tentatively towards the person sitting behind Chibi Usa. Hotaru hasn't known Helios for every long, but she could tell that he was worried too, and more so there was something else that was bothering him. Helios' usually reticent and placid appearance was turbulent underneath. He was staring blankly at the girl before him, his eyes piercingly concentrated. However, Hotaru noticed a dip in the corner of his lips, betraying his frustration towards his inability to alleviate Chibi Usa's anxiety.
Wondering if Helios had rejected Chibi Usa, Hotaru shook her head mentally at the thought.
If she told him how she felt, she would have told me. Besides, Helios wouldn't reject her, he will never do anything to hurt her feelings. Then what is it, what's bothering her? Hotaru knew that Chibi Usa wasn't going to tell her, she had already tried many times before but Chibi Usa wouldn't let slip a word. Hotaru sighed inwardly. As close as they were, Chibi Usa was the type of person to lock up her feelings and as of now, no one has been able to find the key to open her heart.
"Tomoe-san, could you continue please?" Haruna's voice brought Hotaru's mind back on track. Hotaru quickly picked up her book, took one last worried glance at her friend, and began to recite the paragraph.
After school, the school hallways are flooded with students as they escape the horrendous halls of learning and return home. Paper airplanes flew and screams and shouts were common place. However, by the teacher's office the scene was slightly different. Students tread more carefully when going past the teachers' office, keeping their voices slightly lowered as a few of the more delinquent students waited outside for their summons.
Suddenly, the pitch of the noisy hallway grew even louder. People turned their heads and saw a small group of girls following three or rather, one person, as they swarm down the hall. It turned out Hotaru and Helios had decided to accompany Chibi Usa to the teachers' office. However, the "Hikaru Fan-club" caught wind of the news, and soon devotes were trailing Helios like bloodhound on a scent. Despite the annoying chatter of his followers, Helios' equanimity never faltered.
When the trio arrived by the teachers' office, the swarm behind them stopped. Some people began whispering in tight voices; others look bewildered at their companions. Hotaru could make out the voice of a particular talkative girl as she "whispered" to her friend.
"I can't believe he hangs out girls like them! Getting called to the teachers' office and all. They're going to contaminate Hikaru-kun at this rate!"
Her friend agreed. "I know. I heard that the pink one over there," gesturing to Chibi Usa with a smirk, "used to be Ms. Teacher's pet. Now look at her!" she said haughtily.
Hotaru's lips were pinched tightly together, forcing herself to swallow several impolite words she wish she could throw at those girls. Chibi Usa seemed oblivious to the comments. She lightly knocked the door, which was opened by an elderly teacher with a square mustache under his nose.
"Haruna-sensei asked to see me," Chibi Usa said tonelessly.
The man pointed. "Three desks down on your right."
As they walked, Hotaru couldn't help but look around for she had never been in the teachers' office before. Each desk had stacks of paper, although on some desks they were rather carelessly stacked. Notes and schedules were posted like a mosaic across the much-abused wooden message board. There was a faint smell of coffee and green tea in the room, and there was always at least one stray pen on each desk. As they passed a large desk they saw a name plaque with the name "Haruna" engraved in white. Haruna herself was sitting behind the desk, scratching her red ball-point pen over test papers when she saw the dots of pink, violet, and white moving towards her.
"Please have a seat Tsukino," Haruna said warmly after looking up from her work. As Hotaru and Helios stood about, Haruna smiled and shook her head. "I need to talk to her alone." Reluctantly, Hotaru nodded and along with Helios, retreated back toward the hallway.
Haruna motioned for Chibi Usa to take the seat in front of the desk. Chibi Usa sat with no apparent emotion on her face, her eyes firmly fixed on the floor. Haruna sat back down into the chair in a relaxed position, her eyes fixed on her pupil.
"You're a great student Tsukino-san, quite unlike your older cousin," Haruna began with a smile. Chibi Usa didn't move except for a small nod of her head. Haruna continued, however, this time she began with a sigh. "However, you've been acting…well, not your usual self lately. You don't seem to pay attention in class and you don't participate in class discussions like you use to." Leaning forward, Haruna focused all of her attention on Chibi Usa as she asked earnestly, "Tell me, is there something wrong? Did something happen in the family or at school? If there's anything, anything at all, you can talk to me about it."
Chibi Usa shook her head immediately. Haruna-sensei was a nice person, though she's tough on slothful students and impudent delinquents, she was really a dedicated teacher.
But she wasn't a Sailor Senshi.
In Haruna's world, there was no frightening voice that taunted her in her dreams, she doesn't have to sit and watch as her loved ones are injured while she was forced to sit on the sidelines, and certainly no ghost of the past to haunt her day and night.
Sensing no response, Haruna sighed once again, and said with a half-smile, "Well, if there's nothing wrong then I'll expect nothing less of you. But if you feel like talking to someone, at any time, I'll be here, okay?"
Chibi Usa nodded numbly and was excused. Once she exited the office, Hotaru immediately jumped from her seat on a bench and came up to her friend, the crowd of fan-girls having miraculously dispersed.
"What did she say? You're not going to be in trouble are you?"
Chibi Usa shook her head, her eyes fleeting to Helios for a second before she said without looking at her friend. "I need to go home." So saying she turned to leave.
Caught off guard by Chibi Usa's cold shoulder, Hotaru reached out her hand, about to stop her when Helios jogged up to Hotaru and paused beside her before reaching Chibi Usa's side, "I'll walk her back, Don't worry."
Hotaru watched mutely as the two of them disappeared down the now hollow hall. She let out a long sigh. Life had never been quite so complicated, even the times fighting Galaxia or the Death Busters seemed simpler than the present. Meeting a friends she haven't seen in four years was great, but at the same time Hotaru knew that this Chibi Usa wasn't the same Chibi Usa she knew when she still went to the Mugen Academy. Chibi Usa had grown older and more mature in the period of four years but at the same time she was pilling more and more weight on her own shoulders. She was going to be the future queen after all, and having to live up to her mother's name wouldn't be easy for anyone. Hotaru knew about Chibi Usa's darker past and like the time when she was Mistress 9, it was a past better left uncovered.
Still… I wish she could talk to someone about it, whatever 'it' is. Hotaru silently prayed as she headed toward the school exit.
"Hotaru-chan!"
Hotaru turned around and saw a woman with wavy sea-green hair running gracefully down the hallway. "Michiru-mama, what are you doing here?" Hotaru asked with widened violet eyes
Michiru looked a little tired from her jog but she smiled and replied, "I were getting worried about you, you haven't come home and you didn't call so I came to see if something's wrong."
Hotaru smiled back, grateful for her adopted parent's concern but grew serious again once she answered, "I'm okay, but Chibi Usa-chan had to see the teacher after school so I went with her and forgot to call home."
A look of bewilderment appeared in Michiru's deep-sea eyes "See the teacher? What for?"
"She has been zoning out in class a lot lately, not acting like her usual self."
Hotaru explained as they walked out of the school-yard
"Did you ask her what was wrong?"
"I did, but she wouldn't talk to anyone about what's bothering her. It's like she's shut herself in. I know she's really up set about loosing her powers, but…" Hotaru sighed, something that she seemed to be doing a lot of lately. "I'm really worried about her."
Michiru placed her hand supportively on Hotaru's slim shoulders and squeezed it slightly. "I'll see what I can do, don't worry dear." Michiru looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "You know what, Haruka has a race over the weekend right? Maybe you can use the opportunity to invite Chibi Usa over and try to have me or Haruka talk to her."
Hotaru nodded enthusiastically, "That'd be great…!" suddenly Hotaru blushed slightly and said in a loud whisper, her eyes not quite meeting Michiru's as she asked tentatively "Umm, do you think I can ask Helios-kun to come as well. I mean, he and Chibi Usa-chan are really close too."
Michiru wasn't sure how to respond at first. Haruka had told her she did not trust Helios and knowing Haruka, Michiru knew it would be hard to convince her partner otherwise. However, Hotaru had informed her about the closeness between Helios and Chibi Usa and Michiru herself agreed that it would be better for Helios to be by the princess' side. The boy maybe mysterious and was possibly holding back on something, but that doesn't mean he's a threat. After all, he was crucial in helping Sailor Moon and the other senshi defeat the Dead Moon Circus. Maybe getting them together will help ease the tension. Michiru nodded mentally and turned to Hotaru with an affirmative smile.
"Sure, you can call them once we get home."
Hotaru laughed cheerfully and walked home with a smile on her face.
The bedroom of Tsukino Chibi Usa was dark and gloomy, just like how it's occupant felt inside at the moment. Lying crookedly across the bed, Chibi Usa's eye looked unblinkingly toward the gray-blue ceiling.
I don't understand… Chibi Usa asked herself for the millionth time. Why, why is she here, of all times, why does she have to be here!?
Since she had come home, Chibi Usa had gone up stairs, leaving a worried Ikuko in her wake. The kind lady had called her for something to eat but Chibi Usa refused, preferring to stay alone in her room, and to stay out of other people's endless pitying. No one understood what she was going through and yet they thought they know everything about her. The senshi and Usagi had all tried to talk to her but were all silently turned down. Chibi Usa knew that they went through much of things she's gone through, but none of them will understand the evil and depravity Black Lady represented, especially when you are Black Lady herself. The villain had conspired in murder, harmed her family, and tried to destroy both the present and the future. What's more, all these things were carried out by her hands. She was the one who created Black Lady, she who executed those horrendous acts, and in the end, she was the one with blood on her hands. Now that shadow had returned; her other self, whom she thought she had buried forever in the recesses of the past, was alive once more.
Suddenly the phone ringed. Chibi Usa could hear Ikuko answering the phone when her voice echoed up from downstairs. "Chibi Usa-chan, it's for you; it's from Hotaru-chan."
Chibi Usa slovenly grabbed the phone on the table and heard Hotaru's voice coming through the ear piece. "Chibi Usa-chan, is that you?" Hotaru asked
Chibi Usa nodded numbly, closing her eyes and rubbing her aching temple. "What is it?"
The listless response unnerved Hotaru for a second. She looked to Michiru who smiled and nodded encouragingly. Hotaru turned back to the speaker, she took a deep breath and said, "Haruka-papa's having a race this weekend and we're hoping you could come. It's the last race of the season, so it's going to be a big event…"
Chibi Usa was about to say no when the trap door opened, and Ikuko's voice ringed out from the narrow doorway. "I think you should go, Chibi Usa-chan." The gentle lady smiled and looked softly at the girl, a mobile phone in her right hand. "I'm sorry about the eavesdropping, I was listening on the other phone. But I really think you should go. I'm sure going out with your friends will do you some good, lift your spirit a little."
The pink-haired teenager didn't speak. Chibi Usa had a lot of love and respect for the lady, just like she does with her own mother, Neo Queen Serenity. Now seeing the worried look on Ikuko's face tugged at some hidden emotion deep in her heart, forcing her to reply. Slowly, Chibi Usa looked back at the phone and said softly.
"All right, I'll come."
In Mamoru's slightly cramped apartment, the coffee table in the living room was piled high with medical books and stacks of paper. A closed lap top computer sat in the center of activity, making it the only area without paper atop the wooden table. However, the table and the room were remarkably clean. All the materials were stacked neatly in straight piles; the books placed on one side of the short table while the papers on the other. The wooden floor was neatly polished, and almost seemed to glow as the sunlight pass through the spotless windows.
A door opened down the hallway as a frizzled black-haired man stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight. The mountain of papers was the price Mamoru had to pay for not being able to attend classes back at Harvard. His professors have been kind enough to e-mail him most of his study materials. However, many of the projects and activities he had been involved in had to be placed on hold or handed over to someone else which resulted in numerous midnight phone calls back and forth, creating a gigantic phone bill. Mamoru however, didn't mind. He knew the senshi needed him right now, and at the moment, saving the world was more important than any master's degree or Ph.D.
He yawned and scratched his head as he walked into the living room. Still wearing his pajamas, Mamoru's disheveled hair and half-closed eyes were a testament to his late-night discussions with his classmates in America.
Expecting to hear the now customary 'morning' greeting, Mamoru turned a surprised look toward the silent boy sitting quietly on the sofa.
Normally Helios would always greet him first, probably out of formality and respect. But this morning, Mamoru noticed the boy's eyes seemed unfocused and heavy, clearly his mind was not on the opened book in his lap.
As Mamoru walked closer, the wooden floorboard creaked, startling the white haired youth out of his meditation. Helios turned his head sharply around and relaxed again when he saw that it was only Mamoru. The tension in the corner of his eyes softened and he smiled respectfully.
"Good morning Mamoru-san. Did you sleep well last night?" Helios asked sincerely as he closed the book that he had on his lap.
Mamoru chuckled and shook his head. "Not really. But what about you, the late calls don't bother you do they? If they do, I'm really sorry about that," he ended with an apologetic smile.
Helios shook his head and smiled back, his previous thoughts now tucked away in a corner of his mind, hidden from the unsuspecting Mamoru.
"You don't need to apologize, I don't mind at all. They are very important after all."
As Helios spoke, Mamoru saw the neatly packed school bag sitting by the side of the sofa. He looked back at Helios, "I almost forgot; do you need any help with your school work, I mean it must be strange to have to do things like this."
Helios laughed softly, Mamoru raised an eyebrow, surprised and mystified by the amused ring in the boy's voice. Helios looked back at Mamoru, an almost mischievous twinkle in his amber eyes.
"Actually, I have already finished everything, including all the items due at the end of next week."
Mamoru's eyes widened, clearly surprised, even shocked to a degree.
Seeing the puzzlement on Mamoru's face, Helios patiently explained, "I keep watch over the runes of the Golden Kingdom, which also includes a vast library, seconded only by the one in the Moon Palace. I sometimes go there to browse and have gained quite an interesting myriad of knowledge over the years."
And years in this sense meant thousands of years, Mamoru thought to himself. Hearing this, the future king of the Earth felt rather dull compared to the boy, who by appearance, was about ten years his junior.
"Oh," was all the raven-haired man managed to say.
"By the way, the coffee's ready in the kitchen." Helios said, deliberately giving Mamoru a chance to drop the topic and regain some dignity.
"Uh-thanks…" Mamoru stammered as he headed toward the kitchen, but strangely, he couldn't help but smile.
The boy never ceased to amaze him. Mamoru had lived by himself for as long as he could remember, with the exception of the few times that Chibi Usa had stayed overnight. But living with someone was a new experience for him, especially since that person was Helios. The first surprise Helios delivered was when one morning Mamoru had woke up and found all the chores done and breakfast on the table. When asked, Helios said it was his way of repaying Mamoru's generosity. Since then Mamoru had learned many things about his guardian priest that he had never known before. The boy learned fast and adjusted quickly to the lifestyle here, and in truth this should come as no surprise, since for millenniums Helios had lived all by himself in a realm without another soul; he had to be able to take care of himself.
But the strange thing was, despite all the things that Mamoru knew the boy was capable of, he knew very little about the personal side of Helios' life. Mamoru reflected as he poured and sipped the coffee. He has no idea what his interests or hobbies were, other then he liked to read. Most of the time when the two of them were together in the same room, Helios was always either reading or else busy with some sort of chore, but he rarely talked unless spoken to. Even though there was always a smile on his face, at times Mamoru detect a hint of sadness behind that warm smile, almost like there's something gnawing at him, causing the smile to wear down. Could it just be that he's concerned about Chibi Usa like everyone else was? So far she's turned down anyone and everyone who had tried to talk to her, even her dear Mamo-chan. But somehow, Mamoru had a hunch that whatever was causing his smile to fade wasn't just because of Chibi Usa.
As Mamoru thought about this, the phone ranged. He quickly picked up the phone sitting on the spotless kitchen counter with his free hand and spoke into the speaker.
"Hello?"
"Oh, good afternoon Mamoru-san. It's me, Hotaru."
"Hi there Hotaru-chan, what's up?"
"Um, can I talk to Helios-kun please?"
"Sure." With that, Mamoru turned and saw Helios looking inquisitively at him. The black-haired prince smiled and handed the wireless phone to the boy next to him. "It's from Hotaru-chan, she wants to talk to you."
The smile slipped away from Helios' face. He knew what Hotaru is going to talk about.
"Hello Hotaru." Helios said as he took the phone, turned and started walking towards the porch.
In her house Hotaru smiled, her voice hopeful and energetic. "I have a plan that might be able to help Chibi Usa-chan."
"What is it?" Helios asked with genuine interest
Hotaru hesitated, as if not sure how she should put the thought into words correctly. "Well, I know she looks up to Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa, just like she does with the other senshi," she quickly added. "But I know she has a special attachment to Setsuna-mama. Problem is, no one knows where she is right now so I thought maybe I could have Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa talk to her instead since no one else seems to be able to get through to her…"
At the mention of Haruka's name, a tense feeling began building up inside Helios. He remembered Haruka, except he didn't have a very positive memory of her. When they met at Crown Parlor, he remembered she looked at his with her cool blue green eyes and knew she was judging him. Her antipathy towards him was displayed even more clearly when Hotaru asked her if they could give him a ride home. The coldness with which she dealt with him was more unequivocal than any spoken word: she didn't like him and had made that fact very clear.
"Is there no other way?" Helios asked with a sigh.
On the other end, Hotaru shook her head at the speaker. "I'm afraid not. I called Usagi-san yesterday and she said that Chibi Usa-chan wouldn't even talk to her or the other girls. This is the only thing I can think of that might get through to her."
There was silence after Hotaru's voice came to a stop. Helios' free hand grasped the steel railing on the porch, his eyes closed tightly. Though he didn't want to admit it, what Hotaru said was true. During his time in Elysian, Helios had expected the little princess to change but the emotional shift she had demonstrated in the last couple of days was more dramatic than ten years worth of change. Together with Hotaru, they had tried everything to get Chibi Usa to talk about what's haunting her but her jaw was shut like a vault, only her fearful and hollow eyes reveal any sign of despair. What's more, Helios found her demeanor unapproachable, like a statue of ice. He knew she had seen or heard something that night at the theater, and he was certain that that was causing her withdraw. But he was the only one who knew this and inside he felt guilty for it, that he should've gone after her earlier that night, that if he had interfered she wouldn't be like this. Now she was slipping away from him, his maiden was slipping away, and he didn't know how to get her back.
But Chibi Usa wasn't the only one not being open. That same night he had a vision, or rather, flash back, of his time in Nehellenia's cell. He had tried putting the thought away, but it kept on bubbling back into his thoughts like a cork refusing to stay under water. This mixed with Chibi Usa's growing distance from everyone only furthered his frustration, so much so that he didn't even notice Mamoru's presence earlier when he entered the room.
However, Helios knew he needed to take one thing at a time, and right now Hotaru's plan was the first ray of hope towards Chibi Usa' recovery.
"I'll be there."
"You dirty little weasel!!"
"Who are you callin' a weasel, moron!?"
Eisen glared ferociously back at the equally enraged Argent. Oro was sitting quietly in her area, her ears plugged with two over-size earmuffs as she tinkered with her watch.
Argent pointed an accusing gloved finger at her "teammate", her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Not only did you steal my ticket, but you also tried to kill my favorite actress! You whip-carrying-dimwitted-savage!"
"Oh yeah?! Well guess what, she was a spot on the map, and everyone on that map is a legitimate target! Besides, who gave a flirty-air-headed-sissy like you permission to decide which human I pick as my target?!"
"You…!!!" Argent picked up a compact resting peacefully on her makeup stand and hurled it at Eisen. Eisen easily dodged the compact but it found its target on Oro's head.
"Ow! What the hell?!" Oro turned around, rubbing her head where the hard compact had struck her head. "Will you two calm down for crying out loud!"
However, her voice was drowned out completely by the fierce tirade the red and blue clad women were flinging at each other.
"Hey! HEY!" Oro's shout was once again drowned out. The normally calm and composed woman slammed her fist onto her makeup table, her teeth clutched and eyes closed when she opened her mouth and roared:
"STOP IT!!!"
Eisen and Argent looked toward Oro, their eyes big from surprise while their hands were frozen in midair, impolite signs still pointed in each other's direction.
Oro took a few deep breathes while the two women sweat dropped just a few feet away from her, still afraid to move after Oro'a blast of fury.
"I've had enough of you two arguing all the time!" Oro looked up and said authoritatively. "You guys are wasting time here fighting over nothing, what do you think Bellona-sama will say to us the next time she summons us?" She walked to the center of the room and crossed her arms. "To end this pitiful argument for good, I propose a contest. What do you think?"
Eisen raised an eyebrow. "And what's the contest suppose to be? If it's to be the most annoying moron in the universe then I'm sure Argent can take that title, no problem." Argent glared threatening at Eisen who grinned back, gleefully happy that her taunt had worked.
Oro shook her head, but continued, "The contest will be having the two of you go after the same target. Whoever reaches and collects the energy of that target first will be the winner. That way you two will be doing something productive and leave my eardrums intact at the same time."
Argent took an imperial breath and snubbed her nose at Eisen while she said, "All right then, I agree."
Eisen nodded shortly. "Me too. We'll see who the real loser is."
Oro uncrossed her arm and looked down at the red dotted map. "Good, then let's begin."
Instead of the images of the victim appearing on the mirrors, two photos appeared from Oro's mirror. Oro walked up and picked up the photos as they dropped down from the liquid surface of the mirror. The images were foggy, like an undeveloped Polaroid photo.
As Oro walked towards them, an idea popped into Argent's head. A small, almost unnoticeable smirk appeared on her lips as she walked up to Oro and smiled falsely. "Here let me get them for you." As she took the photo out of Oro's hand, Argent flashed her eyes. One of the developing pictures in her hand flashed as well, like a monitor being turned off, before returning to normal. Argent handed Eisen the picture she had jinxed. Eisen turned over the picture, which by now was fully developed.
Argent turned over her picture and squealed with delight at what she saw. The picture was that of a slim young man with soft sandy colored hair and olive green eyes. On the bottom line was the name "Haruka Tenoh".
"Oh, he's so handsome!" Argent clutched the picture to her breast and sighed coyly, completely ignoring the curious eyes of her comrades.
Eisen cocked an eyebrow and looked at her picture. The picture in Eisen's hand was an old, portly man with an ugly mole on his cheek, and three lone strands of hair standing atop his bold head. Eisen's face turned slightly green as she looked toward the silver-haired woman.
Oro walked over and looked at the picture Eisen had, thinking it was the same person in Argent's photo. Oro's eyebrow twitched a little as she saw the person on the photo, then turned to look face to face with Eisen, while Argent squealed happily in the background. Oro only shook her head slightly, a huge sweat drop hanging by her head.
"Look at 'em go! Lady's and gentlemen! Who will be the fastest in Japan?!" The announcer's voice boomed in the background from mounted loudspeakers. A voice shouted happily as a navy blue colored racecar sped by, the words barely audible as it's flooded over by the conglomeration of noises.
"Look! That's Haruka-papa's car! She's gaining!" Hotaru pointed at the car until it disappeared around a bend, rushing to complete its lap. Turning back to her companions, Hotaru shot a quick glance to her pink-haired friends, whose face was still expressionless. Hotaru felt a little disheartened. The two of them were standing on the edge of the stands. Only a few feet of tarmac, concrete blocks and fencing separated them from the tracks itself. Technically this was the best seat in the stadium, since it was so close to the actual race itself, but the excitement apparently had no effect on the morbid princess. Hotaru looked at Helios who said nothing.
"Kids!" Michiru's voice could be faintly heard, shouting at them from the isle. Hotaru and Helios turned around and welcomed Michiru as she came and sat down beside Hotaru.
Michiru smiled and said, "I've already arranged everything with the track officials; we'll be able to see Haruka shortly after the race."
Hotaru was grinning from ear to ear; she didn't notice the slight tension in Helios' shoulders or Chibi Usa's apathy towards the announcement.
As Michiru spoke, the referee waved the checkered flag as a red car passed by. The group began to file down the isle and headed toward the hallway that led to the racetracks. As they approached, several cars stopped by the pits and the drivers hopped out one by one. The winner of this race was not Haruka, but as she took off her helmet, a bright, satisfied grin appeared on her usually serious face.
Upon spotting her partner, the F-1 racer's smile brightened even more.
"Hey there, did you guys had fun up there?" Haruka asked, her eyes now focused on Hotaru.
Hotaru smiled and nodded but looked hesitantly towards Chibi Usa. Michiru walked up to Haruka's side and laid her hand on Haruka's shoulder. "We need to speak with her later. She's been acting this way for more than a week now." Haruka nodded, affirming her partner's words.
Suddenly a breeze swept in from outside the open garage door. A flash of white behind Michiru's figure caused Haruka to look up, at first startled, but then her expression quickly melted into something else: disapproval.
It turned out Helios had been hesitant about meeting Haruka and did not approach along with the girls. He had been watching silently by the doorway before Haruka spotted him.
Haruka quickly turned to Michiru, her eyes shifting untrustingly back at the diffident boy. "What's he doing here?" Haruka asked, trying to make it sound like a neutral question.
Michiru caught the slight tightness in her partner's voice. She glanced back at the teenagers before she pulled Haruka toward the side where they won't be over heard.
"He's Hotaru-chan and Chibi Usa-chan's friend, I invited him just like I did with Chibi Usa-chan." Michiru said plainly, but she knew this wasn't what Haruka was after so she continued, "Why are you asking this?"
Haruka shook her head. "It's just that," she paused for a moment, "I don't think it's a good idea for him to be together with the girls."
Michiru cocked an eyebrow. "And why is that? Helios is a nice person, he's been friends with the little princess since before we defeated Galaxia!" Seeing Haruka unconvinced, the wavy-haired woman sighed. "I know you don't fully trust him, but everyone has secrets, and not every one of those secrets is going to cause harm, especially not those two and not from him." Michiru concluded with a glance at Hotaru and Chibi Usa.
However, Haruka's voice suddenly rose angrily. "But how do we know that? I know that that boy harbors a great power, yet he tells everyone that he has very limited control over the Golden Crystal. If what you say is true, that he's so trusting, then why does he not tell us the truth? How do I know he's not being possessed or being used as a way to weaken our defenses like Mistress 9 used Hotaru-chan?"
Taken aback by Haruka's unexpected tirade, Michiru's eyes became very calm and still. Her voice strained and it was clear her ire was raised by her partner's overreaction. "How could you say that, he's our ally for God's sake Haruka!"
By now everyone in the garage was becoming aware of the growing argument between the two women. Several people pretended to keep working but sneaked glances every now and then. The three teenagers were also becoming aware of the argument. Hotaru's face was becoming anxious. She had never seen her adopted parents argue before and didn't know if she should step in or let them work things out. Even Chibi Usa seemed concerned, her lips partially opened and her startled ruby eyes glued on the couple. However, no one seemed to have noticed the person who was the cause of the argument. Helios stood where he was, motionless like a marble statue. His only sign of emotion were the tensed eyebrows on his face.
Haruka took a deep breath and abruptly walked away from Michiru. Michiru tried to stop Haruka by holding onto her arm. But Haruka shook her grasp off and said acridly in a barely audible voice, "He may be your ally, but as far as I'm concerned he's a treat and a liar!" As she walked away, Haruka said more audibly but still with an edge in her voice. "I'm going to go change."
Michiru watched wordlessly as Haruka walked away from her, her mouth agape and her eyes wide. Hotaru approached her adopted mother and touched her arm, asking worriedly "What happened? I had never seen you or Haruka-papa act like that before."
Michiru quickly hid away the shock and forced a smile towards her daughter, briefly patted her on the head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." Looking up, Michiru called out to one of the mechanics working not far from them.
"Oshira-san, could you show these children around, I need to be away for a few minutes."
A grease monkey of a man looked up and grinned pleasantly at the renowned musician, "Anything for you Kaioh-san!"
"Thank you," Michiru looked back at the two teenage girls and pushed them forward. "You guys go ahead now, I won't take too long." Hotaru paused hesitantly but obeyed. She grabbed Chibi Usa's hand and walked away.
As she turned toward the door, Helios slowly approached her, his face in a frown. "I'm sorry that I have caused so much trouble, maybe I should-"
Before he could finish Michiru interrupted him with a rise finger. Helios looked up at the tall, slender woman; his bright copper eyes dim and confused. "It's not your fault Helios-kun. I'll talk to Haruka, don't worry about her. You go ahead and accompany the girls, I trust you'll watch over them and make sure they don't get into any trouble?" Michiru smiled with a questioning cock of her eyebrows.
Helios nodded faintly, but before he turned to go he cast one last doubtful look at the kindly woman behind him. Michiru watched as Helios rejoined the group of girls. She turned and headed toward Haruka's dressing room.
As all this happened a particularly clean looking mechanic was stealing rueful smirks at the couple. "Looks like someone had a little disagreement. What a perfect opportunity for little ol' me." So saying she turned and sneaked out from the garage. As she walked, Argent spotted an unused garage room a few buildings down from where Haruka's car was parked.
With a quick snap of her finger, the garage door opened to reveal an empty garage, with only some used tires stacked to one wall.
"Perfect!" Argent took off her mechanic's hat; her outfit changed into an azure race car driver's jump suit, with navy and white strips on her leg and down her chest. The zipper on the front of her suit was opened to her collarbones. A navy blue helmet appeared in midair and floated gently down into Argent's waiting hands.
With one hand on her helmet, Argent took out the shimmering Black Crystal, glowing softly in the garage. The luminescent light on the ceiling began to flicker, its circuits reacting to the crystal's negative energy. Holding the crystal up right between her thumb and index finger, Argent commanded the crystal.
"Appear, my Fury, V-8!"
The crystal began to pulsate, the lights in the garage began flickering rapidly, the circuits overwhelmed by the incredible amount of energy exerted by the crystal shard. With a simple glow, a blue racecar appeared in the middle of the garage. Argent deftly threw the black-violet crystal in the air, caught it, and concealed it as the lights returned to normal. She raised a finger to her cheek and thought gleefully, "Gee, I wonder what Eisen's doing right now?"
In fact Eisen was following a person who looked like the person on her photo. Seeing the person entered a rather rundown apartment complex, Eisen smirked, thinking she'll be able to snag him easily in the dark and narrow corridor up ahead. As she rounded a corner into an alley, something hard came down on her head, dazing Eisen for a moment and knocking her to the ground. Looking up, Eisen saw the portly man standing over her with a garbage can in his hands.
"What cha doin' followin' me girl? Are ya some sorta gangster or robber?" the man discreetly scanned his eyes over Eisen's outfit.
Stupid human! I have to move fast! Thinking this, Eisen began bring her hand to her pocket, reaching for the Black Crystal shard.
Thinking she was reaching for a weapon, the man looked up and shouted at the surrounding tenements, "Hey guys, we got our selves a robber here!"
Suddenly, windows along the alley wall began popping open. People stuck their heads out the windows as voices began to rise.
"A robber in broad day light?! Don't let her get away!"
"Someone call the police!"
"Hey, she might have accomplices! Let's get 'em!"
Soon objects began flying out the window at Eisen. The redhead quickly got to her feet as several people with broomsticks and bats began chasing her down the narrow lanes of the neighborhood.
As Eisen ran for her life, she cried pitifully, "Where is that damned Argent?! Why isn't she here?! Ahhh!!!"
Haruka stepped inside her dressing room and slammed the door shut, leaving a hollow echo down the empty hallway. She threw her helmet aside onto a sofa and sat down beside the protection devise. Crossing her arm, Haruka brooded. Michiru had never disagreed with her. They had always been in sync, like two dancers in a waltz. But for some reason Michiru just didn't see things her way on this matter.
"What's gotten into her? Why can't she understand?!" Haruka let out a frustrated sigh and ran her hand through her hair.
Then again, what's gotten into you? a tiny voice inside Haruka asked herself. How could you walk out on Michiru like that, after all that she's done for you?
Thinking back to the time when they first met, it was Michiru who saved her from the jaw of the Daimon seed. It was also Michiru who selflessly jumped in front of Eudial's seizing rifle when they discovered they were the owners of two of the talismans. Since they had met five years ago they had never been separated, even in death when Galaxia took away their star seed they had reached out for one another.
Haruka remembered the look on Michiru's face when she had left her behind in the garage. She had walked out on the one person she cared the most about, and the truth was there was no one to blame but herself.
The person you don't trust isn't Michiru. Why are you being such a fool, yelling at her because you question the good faith of that boy? Haruka sternly scolded herself.
"I need to talk to her," Haruka said abruptly.
She got up and headed out the door, the idea of changing out of her suit long forgotten. Upon turning a corner, Haruka saw a flash of blue before something hit her, causing her to fall to the floor.
"Sorry there. I wasn't watching where I was going." Haruka sat up and immediately apologized to the person. She was surprised however when she had finished her quick apology. The other person was a woman who had a head full of long silver-blue hair, reaching all the way down to her waist. But what surprised Haruka was the fact that there was another female racer here whom she did not know about, and the fact that as a race car driver, the woman's hair was loose and showed no sign of being swathed into a bun so she could wear a helmet.
Argent stood up and clumsily bowed. She began speaking in an odd foreign accent, "Oh, I am so sorry! I was in a hurry!" Argent looked up and reacted happily upon seeing Haruka's racer outfit. She asked brokenly, "You race here too? Can you help me? I am from France, and do not know this place well. My car is broken and I do not know what is wrong with it!"
Haruka watched as the woman's eyes wavered frantically, growing increasingly dubious about the woman's story. "You're a racer right? So you ought to know a lot about mechanics and fix it by yourself if need be. If it's something serious why don't you call the mechanics here and have them come to you?"
Seeing that Haruka wasn't easily fooled, Argent made a face inside. Damn, this one is going to be harder than I thought! She shook her head frantically and displayed her most distressing expression. "Oh I am a new racer and-and I do not know much about mechanics! I am afraid the car might blow up with the noise it is making so there is no time to search for a mechanic! Oh, please help me!" she begged desperately.
Haruka sighed, and looked around, hoping to see a passing mechanic who can help this amateur so she can go find Michiru. Seeing no one coming to her aid, Haruka said wearily, "I'll take a look at your car. Maybe it's just a broken fuse or something."
Argent smiled happily through teary eyes. She took Haruka's hands and shook them fiercely, "Oh, thank you, thank you. God bless you, good sir!"
"Um, I'm not-" before Haruka could explain, Argent wrapped her arm in Haruka's and was tugging her towards the rigged garage.
As they were about to turn a corner, Michiru came down one of the connecting passages and looked both ways. "That's strange, I swear I heard Haruka's voice." She looked to her left and caught a fleeting glimpse of a silver-haired woman accompanying Haruka just before they turned a corner. Instantly suspicious, Michiru decided to follow the two of them.
As they stepped into Argent's garage, Haruka saw the midnight blue colored car parked in the room. "So you say this car is making weird noises?" Haruka asked as she walked forward to get a better look at the vehicle. Standing behind her, Argent smirked; the mask of an anxiety stricken foreigner disappeared in the night-like atmosphere of the room.
"Oh, actually I think it just needs some fuel," Haruka caught the change of tone in Argent's voice and sprung around, astonished.
"Namely your energy to be exact, Haruka Tenoh!" Argent unzipped her jump suit and as it fell to the ground, she was once again dressed in her usual costume.
Haruka narrowed her eyes, watching Argent's every move. She knew she was trapped. The door was a couple of yards away and Argent was right in her path.
"Since you already know who I am, then might I ask who you would be?" Haruka asked in a sarcastically polite manner, trying to stall her by asking questions, "And what do you want with me?"
Argent chuckled. "Looks and manners, hmm, something I always appreciate in a man." She replied rather boastfully, "My name is Argent, and I am here to steal your energy so that Bellona-sama may rule this pitiful little planet of yours."
With an evanescent wave of her shawl, the polite smile disappeared, replaced by an egotistical grin. "Now that I've answered your question, it's time for me to cut to the chase, so to speak! V-8!"
The blue car behind Haruka began to roar, as if someone had turned the engine into overdrive. The hood of the car suddenly popped up as the rest of the car shifted into the shape of a woman. The tires shrunk and took the form of hair buns atop the monster's head. The exhaust pipes formed wing-like ears; a gas tank was strapped to its back with seat belts while tubes connected them down the monster's arm. The hood was now attacked to its back like a stiff cape, hovering several inches away from the monster's back. The words "V-S" was proudly displayed on its chest like a super hero while a helmet covered its head and its eyes.
Haruka stepped back, her eyes on the monster as it began walking towards her. Just as she was about to reach for her henshin wand, the door suddenly bursts open.
"Haruka!" Michiru cried. She turned to Argent and demanded, "Let her go!"
"Michiru!" Haruka gazed in amazement at her partner. The corner of Argent's mouth thinned out unpleasantly as she watched Michiru distastefully.
"Why must little bugs like you always interrupt my mission? V-8!"
The monster reached behind its back and took out a steering wheel from nowhere. It struck a pose with its left hand in a victory sign and cried "V-8 Super Steering Wheel Boomerang!" The monster's right arm recoiled like a spring, shooting the steering wheel straight at Michiru's chest. With barely enough time to see the attack, Michiru could only shift slightly to the right before the wheel struck her and sent her flying into the piles of old tires.
"Michiru, no! Michiru!!!"
Haruka's cries went unanswered. As the last of the unbalanced tires fell to the ground and spun to a halt, there was no response from the violinist who was now buried beneath a mountain of rubber.
Haruka's head snapped around from the pile to Argent. Rage was shinning like a torch in the woman's eyes.
"Damn you!!!"
Without another thought, Haruka lunged at Argent, fist raised. Argent was a little taken aback, but quickly recovered her composure. She narrowed her eyes and said as she swung her hand toward the charging Haruka.
"Blanc Hail!"
Pale-silver icicle formed in midair and flew at a break-neck speed toward Haruka.
"Uhh!"
The icicles sliced across the front of Haruka's jump suit. The awkward angle at which Haruka had been forced to dodge the blow caused her to shift her center of gravity too much to one side and collapsed onto the ground. However, had it not been for her experience as a senshi, the deadly spikes would have penetrated her heart, and Haruka considered herself lucky that she did not meet her death here, after all, that woman was going to pay for hurting Michiru. However, the gashes from the icicles cut clear through the fabric, revealed parts of Haruka's anatomy she'd rather keep private. Argent gasped when she saw what the cuts had revealed.
"You're a woman?!" Argent's hand flew to cover her mouth, her face turning strangely pink and blue at the same time. Jerking back, Argent bit on her thumbnail, and said disappointedly, "Drats, and I thought I was going to get a cute hunky guy! Oh well, I'll have to finish what I started!"
"No, you're not, not as long as I'm around!" a voice said out of nowhere.
"What-who's there?!" Argent looked around wildly, failing to notice the relieved smile spreading across Haruka's face.
A huge blast of light filled the room. Everyone, including the monster, had to shield their eyes from the light. By the time the light diminished, stood a proud Sailor Neptune, mirror in hand, atop the pile of tires.
Argent turned toward the newly appeared senshi, clutching her shawl tightly in her hands, grinding her teeth. "Where did you come from?! Oh, it doesn't matter, V-8, get her!" Argent then summoned her closet and exited, her face still very clearly displeased.
The monster nodded toward its mistress who was now stepping through a closet. "V-8 will eliminate the pesky senshi with her Mega Exhaust Gun!" Two guns popped out of V-8's wrist as liquids began pumping out from the container on its back.
The F-1 racer quickly recognized the faint whiff of petrol coming from the tank. Haruka looked up at Neptune and shouted "Watch out! It's gasoline!" as she spoke, V-8 squeezed the triggers on its guns and two columns of red hot flame shot out from the nozzle of the weapon. Neptune dodged each beam of fire with exquisite grace and agility. However, there was limited amount of space for her to run. If she gets too close to the tires she'll risk setting the whole place on fire and Haruka might get caught in the cross fire.
Thinking quickly, Neptune suddenly stopped to face the monster, taking it completely by surprise. "Neptune Deep Submerge!" the attack hit the monster at full force, but Neptune knew that her attack won't do the trick. Turning towards Haruka while the monster was still dazed, Neptune shouted desperately "Transform!"
Haruka nodded, and tightly grasped her wand. "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
By the time the monster recovered from the shock of Neptune's attack, there were two Sailor Senshi facing it in the garage. "You won't get away!" The monster swore. Uranus gave Neptune a quick glance to which Neptune nodded back. The air in front of Uranus began to shimmer as a jeweled sword appeared. Uranus grabbed the sheath and cleanly pulled the sword out. She then jumped high into the air above the monster and pointed the sword downward.
The monster barely saw what was coming at it as a blast of energy shot through its chest.
"Space Sword Blaster!"
The blast from the attack, combined with the sword, nailed the monster to the floor of the garage as Neptune raised her mirror to face the struggling monster.
"Submarine Reflection!"
The mirror in Neptune's hands glowed slightly before a beam of light consumed the monster, still pinned like an insect on the ground.
"No-nooo!!" The howl of the monster died out and as the light faded, only the Space Sword remained stabbed in the ground.
Once the dying howl had dissipated, Uranus turned to Neptune. "You okay?" she asked tenderly. "That wheel hit you pretty hard."
Neptune smiled and shook her head. "I manage to catch it with my hands," she touched her wrist "But I have to say, the impact from that steering wheel almost broke my wrist."
There was a moment of awkward silence when finally Uranus' voice broke the silence.
"How did you find me? I thought you were with the kids."
Neptune walked a few steps toward the door. She responded without looking at Uranus and said, "I wanted to finish that conversation we had. I was a little stunned that you walked out like that, but knowing you," Neptune took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I knew that that conversation wasn't over, and that you may have something more to tell me. But when I went to find you, I saw you walking with that woman so I followed you here." Neptune turned her body around and stood face to face with her partner.
"So, do you?" Neptune asked softly.
Uranus smirked and nodded. "You really know me too well Michiru." Uranus took the other woman's hand and said, "I…I wanted to say that I'm sorry, sorry for acting the way I did back there…I lost my temper and said something that hurt you."
Neptune smiled and nodded knowingly. "I accept the apology, but" her eyes slightly apprehensive, Neptune continued. "You really should give that boy a chance. I really don't think he will be a threat. However," Neptune looked down then up again, contemplating what she was about to say "If you are so concerned then we'll keep an eye on him. But please, be nice to him in front of the girls. He is their friend after all"
Uranus hesitated for a moment before she answered. "All right then. I'll try, for your sake, and the sake of those two girls."
Neptune let out a soft sigh of relief. "Speaking of girls, we still need to talk to Chibi Usa-chan."
"Right. But does any one know what's bothering her? It has to be something major to keep someone like her down for this long." Uranus stated as they detransformed and left the garage.
Michiru shook her head. "I don't know. Not even Hotaru-chan or Usagi knows. Everyone's been very worried about her."
Haruka only nodded in agreement as they left the garage towards where the teenagers were.
Back in the other garage, two of the three friends were sitting on chairs, a bit tired and hugely bored. Chibi Usa was staring blankly into space, her face still wearing that now familiar melancholy look. Having given up trying to start a conversation with Chibi Usa, Hotaru sat in her seat, her elbows propped on her legs and her hands on her cheeks as she listlessly watched the activity in the garage. Helios was the only person who was not seated. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed. One would think he's asleep, but in fact the boy priest was thinking, but as to what was traveling in his thoughts, only he knew.
When the door opened, Hotaru looked and stood up when she saw who came in. "Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa! You're back!"
Michiru nodded at the purple-haired girl and said quietly, "Hotaru-chan, we need to talk to Chibi Usa-chan for a bit." The famous violinist ended with a wink. Hotaru smiled and nodded back. She turned to Helios and gentle nudged him on the elbow.
Helios opened his eyes and saw Hotaru motioning towards the two women behind her. He knew that it was their turn to retreat, and leave the rest in the hands of the experienced Outer Senshi.
After the two had left, Haruka softly walked up to Chibi Usa and patted her on the shoulder. Chibi Usa jerked around, her eyes wide as if anticipating some sort of monster hanging at her heels. She calmed down once she saw it was Haruka.
"I want to talk to you for a minute," Haruka said directly. Knowing what she was going to say to her, Chibi Usa felt annoyed. But out of respect, Chibi Usa reluctantly got out of the chair and followed the tall senshi, away from the cacophony of the garage. Haruka cast a last glance toward Michiru, and received a smile as they disappeared around the doorway.
The two walked up to the bleachers, which by now were empty except for a few scattered cleaning crews, sweeping up the mess the crowd left behind. Haruka rested her elbows on the steel railing while Chibi Usa only stood mutely beside her.
"I know what you're going to say to me," Chibi Usa began before the older woman could speak. Frustrated, Chibi Usa turned away to leave, her eye down cast. "But you won't understand! So please, just leave me be!" the last words came in a whisper, a touch of desperation sown in them.
Haruka chuckled softly, which shocked the pink-haired teenager enough to stop her in her tracks. "I'm not here to preach, you know." Haruka said plainly, she continued without looking at the girl, her sandy hair waving gently in the early winter breeze.
"And I'm not some philosopher, or counselor for that matter. All I am is a senshi; just like you." With her last sentence, Haruka turned to look at the wayward princess.
Without looking back, Chibi Usa tightened her fist. Seeing the tension in the girl's hands, Haruka knew she had hit home. "As a senshi, we're here to protect the ones we love by way of our powers. But a senshi doesn't receive all her powers just from her sailor crystal. The strong feelings we have for our loved ones, our will to protect them; it is from that which we draw our greatest strength."
Chibi Usa slowly looked back at the older senshi, a startled look in her red eyes.
"When I first meet Sailor Moon, I thought she was foolish and an idealist because she went too softly on her enemies, always showering pity upon those who do not even deserve the air they breathe. But after the Holy Grail was destroyed and Sailor Saturn jumped into Pharaoh 90, I saw her transform into Super Sailor Moon purely by her will power and her desire to save Hotaru-chan. I would've never thought such a thing was possible had I not seen it with my own eye, but she has done it; she saved the Earth and Hotaru-chan because of her greatest strength, her heart."
At this point, Haruka sighed and smiled sheepishly at the little princess. "That must sound strange, coming from me, but what I say is true." Walking over to the teen, Haruka placed her hand on the girl's shoulder "You're the future princess, you have to be strong inside, not just for yourself, but also for the people around you. Everyone's worried about you ever since you caved yourself in. I don't know what's bugging you and I won't force you to tell me what it is, but you should lighten up, or else before you know it, you'll lose everything that you treasure in life."
Haruka finished her sentence and as she turned to leave the stadium, she looked back and asked, "You coming?"
Chibi Usa stood motionless. Haruka was right; Sailor Moon's greatest strength was her heart. But what about her, the great legend's only daughter and heir? Unlike Sailor Moon, she had a history that was better left forgotten. But both Haruka and Michiru were ruthless when they fought the Death Buster, yet they still managed to go on with their lives. Would she simply give up everything because of her past, her friends, her family, and yes, her love, just to wallow in misery?
Black Lady is a figure of the past. Even though she's back, she's not me anymore and I am not her. I am myself and I have people I care deeply for. The images of her family and friends appeared in her mind. Would she really give all that away because of Black Lady? A catharsis flowed through her body, as the gnawing sensation of an old nightmare rusted away. For the first time in days, Chibi Usa's eyes softened and she smiled and nodded.
Outside, Michiru, Hotaru and Helios waited anxiously. Hotaru was twiddling her thumb nervously when Michiru tapped her on the shoulder.
Hotaru looked up and a wide smile gradually spread across her face. Walking down the corridor was Chibi Usa, a smile once again on her lips. Helios saw the transformation as well, and let out a small sigh; he too smiled, knowing that the once happy maiden was back.
"You okay now?" Hotaru asked tentatively once she's ran up and taken Chibi Usa's hands in her own.
The princess nodded and grinned back at her friend. "Sorry I worried everyone. I guess I owe a lot of people an apology."
Michiru shook her head and hugged the girl. "It's all right. We're just glad you're back to your old self." Looking beyond Chibi Usa, Michiru smiled affectionately at Haruka, who winked back.
As on their way towards the parking lot, Chibi Usa was talking with Hotaru, completely oblivious to the conversation of the two adults behind them. Michiru asked Haruka as she kept her eyes on the pink-haired girl in front of her. "So, did she tell you what was wrong?"
Haruka shook her head. "I think it's better for her to keep it to herself. She might not be ready or want to bring up whatever caused this. We should let her leave it behind her."
Helios, who had been walking a little behind the girls, over heard Haruka's words. He looked at Chibi Usa's back as she walked. I wonder, can she really put whatever happened that night behind her? Thinking back to the time that she had begged him to keep her nightmares a secret and the time she had refused to take his hand, can she really just walk away from her past; can he? The question echoed back in Helios' mind as the images from that terrible nightmare once again haunted his mind.
Wise Man watched silently from his dark abode. His pupil-less eyes watching the princess, observing her every move from the crystal ball in his hands. When the young princess gathered around her friends, the crystal's image of her disappeared.
Wise Man hummed softly to himself, tapping the ends of his fingers together. "So she has wiggled out of my plan yet again." The cloaked figure said wistfully to himself, a slight annoyed tone in his husky voice. Looking back at the crystal ball still floating in his lap, Wise Man's reflection in the shinny orb was no more than a black mass, infesting the otherwise clear surface of the sphere.
"But I still have one trunk card left."
Wise Man waved his hand over the crystal ball and conjured up the image of Helios. A cold laugh echoed forth from his hollow form.
"I still have much in store for you, little princess. And this little fish of yours will bring you right into my hands; you have not seen anything yet!"
A/N Hello! I wish this chapter could come out sooner, but when you write 20 something pages for just one chapter it takes a little while longer (not to mention all my other stuff). Like the last chapter, this was one of those chapters that I squeezed out of my head and didn't like all that much, but do tell me what you think. BTW, Argent's new attack "Blanc Hail" means "White Hail", thus "blanc" is French for white. As for the next chapter, I actually have no idea what I'm going to write! I have a basic idea but haven't elaborated on it yet. However, I'll promise that things are going to get interesting soon (wink, wink). Well, not much more to babble about so I'll see you later!