Gunsmoke in the Moonlight
Chapter 2: It's Raining Angels
"For the Future" Usagi whispered to herself as she struggled to stand up from her perch on the bathroom floor. Without looking the the contents, she flushed the toilet and stumbled to the sink to wash the taste from her lips. Those words seemed so optimistic and so easy at the time, but now, she wasn't so sure she could do it. Not in the condition she was in.
"It's about time,or did it take longer because you eat to damn much" Rei's voice grated on Usagi's last nerve as she weakly stumbled from the bathroom. Turning to the girl she had called a friend for so long, Usagi regarded her with a look that would have ignited the room had she the strength.
"Shut the fuck up Rei." Was all she said. But the five words were spoken with such force that Rei was taken aback, her eyes widening in hurt.
"Usa-Chan!" Ami gasped her pale hand flying to her lips, "Such harshness, Rei didn't mean it!"
"Leave her alone Ami" Makoto retorted, jumping up to help her weaker comrade to the bed, "She can't help it that she is pregnant already, we need to be more understanding right now." Her last words were emphasized by a flash in her forest green eyes that made Rei visibly wince.
Rei clenched her fists and stood up. "I for one... am... am going outside." With that she spun so her long raven locks whipped behind her. Her eyes met Usagi's briefly, and Usagi saw a raw pain that Rei was unable to mask in them.
"Rei-Chan!" Ami called, starting after her. But she was stopped by Usagi, who's grip on her shoulder belied her current state.
"Call me when your serious about this" Rei's voice was heard faintly from the balcony, her emotions barely hidden in the shaky words.
Usagi shook her head at Ami and managed to stand up. Makoto and Minako rushed to her side as she started to stumble.
"Usa-chan, you mustn't do this. You are too weak. Let Rei-chan calm down and we can all sit down to a nice cup of tea." Mako murmured, trying to force her friend back into her previous perch. But Usagi brushed her aside with relative ease.
" No. Something has to be said and done between us now, or there is no hope for this mission. Or our future." She said, staring briefly at her comrades as she followed Rei's path outside.
"Sometimes, I can see why she will become such a wise queen." The faintly masculine voice from the door startled the 3 remaining girls as they turned sharply towards it.
"Ah... it's just you four." Mina sighed in relief at the site of the four outers standing in Usagi's doorway.
"Any news from Mamo-chan, Setsuna-sama?" Ami inquired of the tall green haired woman standing farthest in the shadows.
"He is doing well in America and wishes his wife and her comrades safety on their mission." she retorted emotionlessly. But it was plain to the girls that she was not pleased at all that he would not be attending his pregnant wife on such a perilous mission.
"Coward" Haruka muttered under her breath, receiving a sharp jab in the ribs from Michiru's well-aimed elbow. Coughing to cover her harsh words, she looked outside at the faint outlines of Usagi and Rei, who were talking seemingly peacefully on the moonlit balcony. "I wonder what they are talking about?"
Outside
" I know you didn't mean it Rei-chan. It's just so.. so... hard right now for me to remain optimistic and brave. Everything is happening so fast and I am scared." Usagi murmured, staring down at her slim fingers she was clenching and unclenching constantly. "I just wish Mamo-chan was here to..."
"Oh will you just shut up!?!" Rei growled, breaking her long train of silence, to glare at her friend, " You are destined to be a great leader and wise queen Usagi, don't always go around depending on people. Why do you think I am so hard on you? Do you think it's fun for me?"
Usagi just looked away at Rei's last question, unsure if she should answer. Rei grabbed her shoulders and forced Usagi's heavy blue eyes to meet her own frightened purple ones. " Usagi, I do it because I want you to be strong and learn to only depend on yourself. One day we won't be here to protect you, and I can't stand to see you fail because of that..."
With that she let her arms drop weakly to her sides and she stared out at the sky again complacently. Usagi looked at her in silence, playing her words around in her head. Rei-chan looks so sad, and scared. What does she mean they won't be here to protect me one day? They will always be here!
Biting her lip, Usagi turned to the night sky and stared out at it like Rei was. She could only see the stars twinkling above, but she struggled until her eyes blurred with tears to see the future that Rei must be seeing in them. Finally, with her voice laced with heartfelt sorrow, Usagi turned to Rei. "Rei, I know you are scared, although I don't know why. Maybe you know something I do not. And maybe I do not want to know. But I do know that I am destined to rule and that I will fight for that destiny with all I have, whether my team can stand beside me or not. We both see the future in the stars, you maybe see one I cannot, but I see my kingdom up there, waiting with open arms to accept me. I will live and I will rule. It is my destiny."
Rei turned to her and smiled softly at her friends words. The starlight rimmed Usagi's fair features with a pale light that made her appear years older and wiser then she was. Rei could see that she would someday be a strong ruler. But her nightmares of late haunted her thoughts and she frowned saying, "But destiny's can change Usagi, you know that as well as I."
Usagi laughed slightly and turned to her friend, resting her hands on her shoulders, smiling that bright smile that always seemed to light up her features, "True... true... even though every ones future is a blank ticket, I will do everything I can to make sure I get on the right train. And as long as you fight beside me, I will make sure to succeed, for me, for you, for the future of the child within me. I cannot... no... I WILL not fail."
Rei again smiled wider at Usagi's optimistic words. Finally she was becoming the woman that they heard about. Rei felt the burden lift from her shoulders as she fell into her friends embrace. As they hugged, Rei laughed through her tears at the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind They were just dreams. Nothing more. Usagi is right. We cannot fail. We will not.
Several Hours later
Luna stared around her at three of the senshi she had come to know so well these past several years. Never had she seen so much emotion in their faces before a mission. But then, this was to be the hardest mission of them all. An unknown place, in search of two unknown people, not to mention the perilous journey that the pregnant princess had to endure. She even begin to doubt their ability to succeed.
She shook her head as if to rid those thoughts and turned to Haruka, who she suddenly recalled had been talking to her. She sighed "I am sorry Haruka-san, please repeat your thought."
"I SAID that I don't see why you are allowing Hotaru, who is still showing signs of Mistress Nine within her, to go, but not Michiru and I to protect her and our princess?!?!" Haruka shouted, slamming her fist on the coffee table to add emphasis to her words. Even in their state of shock, the other two senshi jumped at the sudden outburst.
Luna frowned deeply as she begin to once again explain the plan with the enraged senshi before her. "I will tell you this once again Haruka, but after that, you must trust my judgement, for I will hear no more arguments about it!."
She waited until her words made themselves clear to Haruka before continuing. Satisfied by the quickly calming look on the girls face, she continued " I have decided that you, Neptune, Jupiter and Mars will remain here in the Present time to ensure that no one attacks our kingdom while the princess is gone. I chose The other four based on their abilities helpfulness to the cause. Ami can correctly deduce the surroundings and help the senshi find their way, Minako is in charge of protecting the princess, and Setsuna is there to transport them to their destination and to watch over them throughout the mission. As for Hotaru, I understand that she is still having some flare ups from her previous possession, but her healing and defensive powers are too strong of an advantage to leave behind. I understand your concern for your daughter, but I do believe that I have more experience when it comes to these matters. Do we have an understanding.?"
Haruka dropped her head in compliance and sighed, all the fight and energy that usually characterized her escaped with one long breath. "Yes. Luna- sama, we do."
"Good. Please inform the others that they must say good byes before we leave. We will be departing soon." Luna stated, waving the two senshi off to the other room where the other girls were waiting rather impatiently. She turned to Setsuna who was about to leave the room as well "No, Setsuna, I wish to speak to you."
Setsuna simply nodded and stood aside so her two comrades could go to the other room with their sad news. She shut the door behind them and drew the curtains. Turning to Luna she smiled a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes?"
"Is everything ready at the Gates of Time for their departure?" Luna asked, pausing between licks of her satin black fur to look up at her old friend.
"Yes they are. Everything seems stable. We just need to make sure Usagi has a strong link on her brothers since we don't know where they are headed enough to visualize it." She reported in a weary voice that made it clear she had given her words much thought and more rehearsal then necessary. Luna nodded and turned towards the door, where the senshi could be seen hugging tearfully. Setsuna bite her lip tp keep silent, but then thought better of it and turned to Luna. "Luna, do you really think it is safe to send Hotaru to another world. You know as well as I that her 'Flare-ups' as we call them, are more serious then you make out."
"Yes. I am quite aware of that Setsuna. And I have considered the possibilities. But I deem this the best course of action in our present state." Luna said thoughtfully, not turning to look at Setsuna, but continuing to eye the senshi hugging through the doorway.
"An what if 'She' should surface again? Usagi is not strong enough now to save the world if she should." Setsuna said, her voice unsure. She couldn't help the feeling of anguish rising inside of her with each thought of what could happen on this foreign planet.
" Better there, then here." was all Luna said before she walked out of the study back into Usagi's room, greeting the girls with a smile that fooled even the most discerning eye. Setsuna stayed behind, her face dark with masked emotion.
She's right. Better there then here.
Two hours later in the Juuben Public Park.
" Is everyone accounted for and ready?" Luna inquired, Staring each of the five senshi before her in the face. They were arranged in a circle, fully dressed and silent. Ami looked pensive, her face tight will nervousness. Both Hotaru and Setsuna stared straight ahead with apathetically blank looks, one with a determined tightness to her tanned face, the other simply emotionless. Minako was openly worried, her hands wringing frantically as she stared blindly into space, horrible thoughts running through her head. Usagi merely looked sick, her pale shaking hand clutching her belly, which was already showing signs of her pregnancy under the stretched white silk of her fuku. Luna sighed, this wasn't going to be a pleasant trip for any of them. I hate to do it, but it has to be done. There is no other way She thought morosely as she took another deep breath to order them to begin the transport.
"o..OK girls" She said, her voice cracking against her will, "Transport..." The girls took each others hands as they begin to glow their respective auras. Luna blinked against the rainbow of hues, barely manging to hear the words that came from her own mouth, "NOW!"
And with a blinding flash, they were gone. Luna stood alone in the shadowy park, staring at the spot her princess and her friends once stood. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she did not attempt to wipe them away. Do your best Usagi. God speed to you all. For you will need it... She screamed at them in her thoughts, but she whispered to the sky with a paw half heartedly raised in tribute,
" For the Future."
Somewhere on the planet Gunsmoke
Somewhere deep in a arid brown valley, there was a patch of green that seemed unreal and out of place for such a dry and desolate place. Dead center in the middle of the oasis, calmly sleeping, his face deep in the rich aroma of the grass, a man laid in a fetal position. His pale blond head rested peacefully on his arm, and by all appearances, he was dreaming.
Suddenly, his body twisted rigidly and his face took a look of udder pain. It was evident his peaceful dream turned bad, into a frightening nightmare. He let out a strangled scream, his arms lashing out in anger at an unseen assailant, to no avail. After several minutes of this, he stopped as suddenly as he started, but the twisted look on his face told any observer that his nightmare was far from over.
Inside Knives' mind
Knives found himself floating in a void of swirling hues. The way he floated weightlessly reminded him of the anti-gravity rooms in the SEEDS ship. He didn't like it at all.
And then he saw him. Vash. Floating in a way similar to himself, with a confused and somewhat disbelieving stare. Knives just stared at his brother, who like Knives, was in his "birthday suit". The amazing number of scars Vash had amassed in the past 100 years burned Knives' eyes. The cruelty his brother endured at the hands of those filth made his blood boil. He didn't understand why Vash didn't see his reason for hating humans, they were such a sickening parasite, feeding off the lives of others. They made him ill.
Finally, after several eternity's of silent stares, Vash looked Knives way. Upon sighting his long lost twin, Vash's face went from confusion to anger. "You're doing this aren't you Knives? Can't even let me have my sleep, you have to fuck with everything!" Vash yelled, his eyes glowing dangerously even in the brightness of the void.
Knives retracted the arm he had lifted in greeting and frowned, somewhat hurt by his brother's accusations. It was true that he had went out of his way to make Vash's life hell, but this was as confusing to him as it was to Vash. "I am not do...." He started to retort, but he was cut short by a sudden burst of light between them.
Shielding his eyes, he squinted to see what was causing the strange light. A woman's figure, a perfectly balanced and a beautiful arrangement of obvious feminine curves, was silhouetted against the light. Slowly the light died down, and He could see her face clearly. It was beautiful. Angelic even. She had bright blue eyes that reflected his in shade and hue, and Long blond pigtails that resembled Vash's. With the aura of light that reflected of her flawless skin, she truly resembled an angel.
Knives couldn't help but let his eyes travel down the length of her perfect body. He traced every line of her voluptuous figure with such an interest it surprised even him. His glance finally leveled with her lower belly, the soft curve of it attracting his inquisitive eye. It wasn't right on her. Everything else was so perfectly balanced that this slightly bulging pocket of fat seemed so strange on such a body. But then it occurred to him. This wasn't fat from over eating as he was inclined to expect of greedy humans, but the bulge of a child in a womb. She was pregnant. This thought made him even more confused. What would this angel be doing pregnant. More so, what did she want with him and his brother. His thoughts were broken when he perceived a slight movement in the corner of his eye. She was lifting her arms gracefully and slow, as if she was moving through water that was too strong for her weak form.
She slowly reached out her hands to both him and Vash, as a gesture of friendship he presumed. Vash automatically clasped hers, in that naïve and trusting way that infuriated Knives to no end. He wasn't about to be so easily conned, there was something about her that he couldn't place. She seemed so pure and warm, but years of pain and agony had taught Knives that he could never trust a woman's warmth. He forced himself to stay his distance. This action caused her to crinkle her delicate face into a sad imploring look that made it hard for him to resist. He felt himself giving in and reaching towards the soft curve of her open palm. But as their fingers touched, Knives felt a wave of power, healing, purifying power, wash over him.
Yanking his hand back, Knives glared at her."No way Bitch, I don't know what your game is, but I am not buying it." In an instan, as if by mental command, his black colt appeared in his hand and he activated his angel arm easily. He pointed it at his brother and the woman, aiming at the small bulge in her delicate waist. "Fuck you!" He screamed, and before Vash or the girl could react, Knives let off a shattering blast.
In the void of Time
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Sailormoon let out a scream as her attempt to get a strong link on her brothers snapped with a agonizing pain in her stomach. The pain shot through her and into the senshi holding tight to her hands. The link between them broke as did their grips, and Usagi found herself floating away in the growing darkness.
"USAGGGIIIIIIIIII" She heard Sailor Venus scream, followed by a chorus of cries from her other comrades. She tried to respond, but no words could escape from her mouth. She threw her arms towards her rapidly shrinking friends, grasping air in hopes of catching their hands. No such luck.
Usagi screamed in frustration, but her cry was lost in the void. Slowly her body grew light, so light she could no longer tell that it was there. And then, everything went black.
Somewhere in the middle of the Desert on Gunsmoke
"Damn him! Leaving us there like that and not even telling us where he went! INCONSIDERATE BASTERD!!" Wolfwood bellowed into the wind whipping around him as he pressed his bike to go faster. They were practically flying over the sand as Wolfwood gave the engine all he had and all it could get to follow the fading trail left by his wandering friend.
" Just up and left us there, not even bothering to find out if we needed him to stay or if we wanted to go. That man is so damn ignorant sometimes" He growled, looking left and right to find his red coated fool of a friend. Lights in the sky caught his attention momentarily, and he slowed slightly to stare.
"What? Lightning season already? It's not even time yet!" He muttered staring at the gold, blue, pink, purple and deep crimson flashs in the heavens above. Wow. I have never seen lightning like that! I better find Vash before it really starts. That man is tall enough and has enough metal in him to be a walking lightning rod
With that thought, he once again increased his speed, tearing his eyes from the rolling clouds illuminated by the "lightning" above to once again search for his wayward pal.
BOOOOM!
The sudden explosion threw Wolfwood into a wild spin. He managed to pull out just in time to see five blasts of light, each a different hue, shoot from the sky in five different directions. "What the fuck?" He growled, forgetting his previous mission instantly. He spun the bike viciously eastward in order to hunt out the cause of the gold streak that landed nearest to him.
After driving several iles, he found it, the ile long tail of a crater. He followed it to the crater itself, which was nearly 10 feet deep. Sliding Angelica to a smooth stop beside the huge hole, Wolfwood got off and knelt beside it, staring with wonder down in it. His eyes widened in surprise to what he saw there.
"Well... what do you know! When it rains in Gunsmoke..." He murmured staring at the naked and very feminine figure lying in a fetal position at the bottom of the crater. "... it rains Angels."
End of Chapter 2
Next Chapter: Knives can wound, but Silence cuts deeper.
What happens when Vash and crew find themselves caring for 3 young women in dire need of help? Or more so, when Knives finds a beautiful stranger with amnesia in his garden, a girl with a darker secrat then he? And what has happened to Usagi-Chan!?!?! See it all in the Next installment of "Gunsmoke in the Moonlight"
Chapter 2: It's Raining Angels
"For the Future" Usagi whispered to herself as she struggled to stand up from her perch on the bathroom floor. Without looking the the contents, she flushed the toilet and stumbled to the sink to wash the taste from her lips. Those words seemed so optimistic and so easy at the time, but now, she wasn't so sure she could do it. Not in the condition she was in.
"It's about time,or did it take longer because you eat to damn much" Rei's voice grated on Usagi's last nerve as she weakly stumbled from the bathroom. Turning to the girl she had called a friend for so long, Usagi regarded her with a look that would have ignited the room had she the strength.
"Shut the fuck up Rei." Was all she said. But the five words were spoken with such force that Rei was taken aback, her eyes widening in hurt.
"Usa-Chan!" Ami gasped her pale hand flying to her lips, "Such harshness, Rei didn't mean it!"
"Leave her alone Ami" Makoto retorted, jumping up to help her weaker comrade to the bed, "She can't help it that she is pregnant already, we need to be more understanding right now." Her last words were emphasized by a flash in her forest green eyes that made Rei visibly wince.
Rei clenched her fists and stood up. "I for one... am... am going outside." With that she spun so her long raven locks whipped behind her. Her eyes met Usagi's briefly, and Usagi saw a raw pain that Rei was unable to mask in them.
"Rei-Chan!" Ami called, starting after her. But she was stopped by Usagi, who's grip on her shoulder belied her current state.
"Call me when your serious about this" Rei's voice was heard faintly from the balcony, her emotions barely hidden in the shaky words.
Usagi shook her head at Ami and managed to stand up. Makoto and Minako rushed to her side as she started to stumble.
"Usa-chan, you mustn't do this. You are too weak. Let Rei-chan calm down and we can all sit down to a nice cup of tea." Mako murmured, trying to force her friend back into her previous perch. But Usagi brushed her aside with relative ease.
" No. Something has to be said and done between us now, or there is no hope for this mission. Or our future." She said, staring briefly at her comrades as she followed Rei's path outside.
"Sometimes, I can see why she will become such a wise queen." The faintly masculine voice from the door startled the 3 remaining girls as they turned sharply towards it.
"Ah... it's just you four." Mina sighed in relief at the site of the four outers standing in Usagi's doorway.
"Any news from Mamo-chan, Setsuna-sama?" Ami inquired of the tall green haired woman standing farthest in the shadows.
"He is doing well in America and wishes his wife and her comrades safety on their mission." she retorted emotionlessly. But it was plain to the girls that she was not pleased at all that he would not be attending his pregnant wife on such a perilous mission.
"Coward" Haruka muttered under her breath, receiving a sharp jab in the ribs from Michiru's well-aimed elbow. Coughing to cover her harsh words, she looked outside at the faint outlines of Usagi and Rei, who were talking seemingly peacefully on the moonlit balcony. "I wonder what they are talking about?"
Outside
" I know you didn't mean it Rei-chan. It's just so.. so... hard right now for me to remain optimistic and brave. Everything is happening so fast and I am scared." Usagi murmured, staring down at her slim fingers she was clenching and unclenching constantly. "I just wish Mamo-chan was here to..."
"Oh will you just shut up!?!" Rei growled, breaking her long train of silence, to glare at her friend, " You are destined to be a great leader and wise queen Usagi, don't always go around depending on people. Why do you think I am so hard on you? Do you think it's fun for me?"
Usagi just looked away at Rei's last question, unsure if she should answer. Rei grabbed her shoulders and forced Usagi's heavy blue eyes to meet her own frightened purple ones. " Usagi, I do it because I want you to be strong and learn to only depend on yourself. One day we won't be here to protect you, and I can't stand to see you fail because of that..."
With that she let her arms drop weakly to her sides and she stared out at the sky again complacently. Usagi looked at her in silence, playing her words around in her head. Rei-chan looks so sad, and scared. What does she mean they won't be here to protect me one day? They will always be here!
Biting her lip, Usagi turned to the night sky and stared out at it like Rei was. She could only see the stars twinkling above, but she struggled until her eyes blurred with tears to see the future that Rei must be seeing in them. Finally, with her voice laced with heartfelt sorrow, Usagi turned to Rei. "Rei, I know you are scared, although I don't know why. Maybe you know something I do not. And maybe I do not want to know. But I do know that I am destined to rule and that I will fight for that destiny with all I have, whether my team can stand beside me or not. We both see the future in the stars, you maybe see one I cannot, but I see my kingdom up there, waiting with open arms to accept me. I will live and I will rule. It is my destiny."
Rei turned to her and smiled softly at her friends words. The starlight rimmed Usagi's fair features with a pale light that made her appear years older and wiser then she was. Rei could see that she would someday be a strong ruler. But her nightmares of late haunted her thoughts and she frowned saying, "But destiny's can change Usagi, you know that as well as I."
Usagi laughed slightly and turned to her friend, resting her hands on her shoulders, smiling that bright smile that always seemed to light up her features, "True... true... even though every ones future is a blank ticket, I will do everything I can to make sure I get on the right train. And as long as you fight beside me, I will make sure to succeed, for me, for you, for the future of the child within me. I cannot... no... I WILL not fail."
Rei again smiled wider at Usagi's optimistic words. Finally she was becoming the woman that they heard about. Rei felt the burden lift from her shoulders as she fell into her friends embrace. As they hugged, Rei laughed through her tears at the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind They were just dreams. Nothing more. Usagi is right. We cannot fail. We will not.
Several Hours later
Luna stared around her at three of the senshi she had come to know so well these past several years. Never had she seen so much emotion in their faces before a mission. But then, this was to be the hardest mission of them all. An unknown place, in search of two unknown people, not to mention the perilous journey that the pregnant princess had to endure. She even begin to doubt their ability to succeed.
She shook her head as if to rid those thoughts and turned to Haruka, who she suddenly recalled had been talking to her. She sighed "I am sorry Haruka-san, please repeat your thought."
"I SAID that I don't see why you are allowing Hotaru, who is still showing signs of Mistress Nine within her, to go, but not Michiru and I to protect her and our princess?!?!" Haruka shouted, slamming her fist on the coffee table to add emphasis to her words. Even in their state of shock, the other two senshi jumped at the sudden outburst.
Luna frowned deeply as she begin to once again explain the plan with the enraged senshi before her. "I will tell you this once again Haruka, but after that, you must trust my judgement, for I will hear no more arguments about it!."
She waited until her words made themselves clear to Haruka before continuing. Satisfied by the quickly calming look on the girls face, she continued " I have decided that you, Neptune, Jupiter and Mars will remain here in the Present time to ensure that no one attacks our kingdom while the princess is gone. I chose The other four based on their abilities helpfulness to the cause. Ami can correctly deduce the surroundings and help the senshi find their way, Minako is in charge of protecting the princess, and Setsuna is there to transport them to their destination and to watch over them throughout the mission. As for Hotaru, I understand that she is still having some flare ups from her previous possession, but her healing and defensive powers are too strong of an advantage to leave behind. I understand your concern for your daughter, but I do believe that I have more experience when it comes to these matters. Do we have an understanding.?"
Haruka dropped her head in compliance and sighed, all the fight and energy that usually characterized her escaped with one long breath. "Yes. Luna- sama, we do."
"Good. Please inform the others that they must say good byes before we leave. We will be departing soon." Luna stated, waving the two senshi off to the other room where the other girls were waiting rather impatiently. She turned to Setsuna who was about to leave the room as well "No, Setsuna, I wish to speak to you."
Setsuna simply nodded and stood aside so her two comrades could go to the other room with their sad news. She shut the door behind them and drew the curtains. Turning to Luna she smiled a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes?"
"Is everything ready at the Gates of Time for their departure?" Luna asked, pausing between licks of her satin black fur to look up at her old friend.
"Yes they are. Everything seems stable. We just need to make sure Usagi has a strong link on her brothers since we don't know where they are headed enough to visualize it." She reported in a weary voice that made it clear she had given her words much thought and more rehearsal then necessary. Luna nodded and turned towards the door, where the senshi could be seen hugging tearfully. Setsuna bite her lip tp keep silent, but then thought better of it and turned to Luna. "Luna, do you really think it is safe to send Hotaru to another world. You know as well as I that her 'Flare-ups' as we call them, are more serious then you make out."
"Yes. I am quite aware of that Setsuna. And I have considered the possibilities. But I deem this the best course of action in our present state." Luna said thoughtfully, not turning to look at Setsuna, but continuing to eye the senshi hugging through the doorway.
"An what if 'She' should surface again? Usagi is not strong enough now to save the world if she should." Setsuna said, her voice unsure. She couldn't help the feeling of anguish rising inside of her with each thought of what could happen on this foreign planet.
" Better there, then here." was all Luna said before she walked out of the study back into Usagi's room, greeting the girls with a smile that fooled even the most discerning eye. Setsuna stayed behind, her face dark with masked emotion.
She's right. Better there then here.
Two hours later in the Juuben Public Park.
" Is everyone accounted for and ready?" Luna inquired, Staring each of the five senshi before her in the face. They were arranged in a circle, fully dressed and silent. Ami looked pensive, her face tight will nervousness. Both Hotaru and Setsuna stared straight ahead with apathetically blank looks, one with a determined tightness to her tanned face, the other simply emotionless. Minako was openly worried, her hands wringing frantically as she stared blindly into space, horrible thoughts running through her head. Usagi merely looked sick, her pale shaking hand clutching her belly, which was already showing signs of her pregnancy under the stretched white silk of her fuku. Luna sighed, this wasn't going to be a pleasant trip for any of them. I hate to do it, but it has to be done. There is no other way She thought morosely as she took another deep breath to order them to begin the transport.
"o..OK girls" She said, her voice cracking against her will, "Transport..." The girls took each others hands as they begin to glow their respective auras. Luna blinked against the rainbow of hues, barely manging to hear the words that came from her own mouth, "NOW!"
And with a blinding flash, they were gone. Luna stood alone in the shadowy park, staring at the spot her princess and her friends once stood. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she did not attempt to wipe them away. Do your best Usagi. God speed to you all. For you will need it... She screamed at them in her thoughts, but she whispered to the sky with a paw half heartedly raised in tribute,
" For the Future."
Somewhere on the planet Gunsmoke
Somewhere deep in a arid brown valley, there was a patch of green that seemed unreal and out of place for such a dry and desolate place. Dead center in the middle of the oasis, calmly sleeping, his face deep in the rich aroma of the grass, a man laid in a fetal position. His pale blond head rested peacefully on his arm, and by all appearances, he was dreaming.
Suddenly, his body twisted rigidly and his face took a look of udder pain. It was evident his peaceful dream turned bad, into a frightening nightmare. He let out a strangled scream, his arms lashing out in anger at an unseen assailant, to no avail. After several minutes of this, he stopped as suddenly as he started, but the twisted look on his face told any observer that his nightmare was far from over.
Inside Knives' mind
Knives found himself floating in a void of swirling hues. The way he floated weightlessly reminded him of the anti-gravity rooms in the SEEDS ship. He didn't like it at all.
And then he saw him. Vash. Floating in a way similar to himself, with a confused and somewhat disbelieving stare. Knives just stared at his brother, who like Knives, was in his "birthday suit". The amazing number of scars Vash had amassed in the past 100 years burned Knives' eyes. The cruelty his brother endured at the hands of those filth made his blood boil. He didn't understand why Vash didn't see his reason for hating humans, they were such a sickening parasite, feeding off the lives of others. They made him ill.
Finally, after several eternity's of silent stares, Vash looked Knives way. Upon sighting his long lost twin, Vash's face went from confusion to anger. "You're doing this aren't you Knives? Can't even let me have my sleep, you have to fuck with everything!" Vash yelled, his eyes glowing dangerously even in the brightness of the void.
Knives retracted the arm he had lifted in greeting and frowned, somewhat hurt by his brother's accusations. It was true that he had went out of his way to make Vash's life hell, but this was as confusing to him as it was to Vash. "I am not do...." He started to retort, but he was cut short by a sudden burst of light between them.
Shielding his eyes, he squinted to see what was causing the strange light. A woman's figure, a perfectly balanced and a beautiful arrangement of obvious feminine curves, was silhouetted against the light. Slowly the light died down, and He could see her face clearly. It was beautiful. Angelic even. She had bright blue eyes that reflected his in shade and hue, and Long blond pigtails that resembled Vash's. With the aura of light that reflected of her flawless skin, she truly resembled an angel.
Knives couldn't help but let his eyes travel down the length of her perfect body. He traced every line of her voluptuous figure with such an interest it surprised even him. His glance finally leveled with her lower belly, the soft curve of it attracting his inquisitive eye. It wasn't right on her. Everything else was so perfectly balanced that this slightly bulging pocket of fat seemed so strange on such a body. But then it occurred to him. This wasn't fat from over eating as he was inclined to expect of greedy humans, but the bulge of a child in a womb. She was pregnant. This thought made him even more confused. What would this angel be doing pregnant. More so, what did she want with him and his brother. His thoughts were broken when he perceived a slight movement in the corner of his eye. She was lifting her arms gracefully and slow, as if she was moving through water that was too strong for her weak form.
She slowly reached out her hands to both him and Vash, as a gesture of friendship he presumed. Vash automatically clasped hers, in that naïve and trusting way that infuriated Knives to no end. He wasn't about to be so easily conned, there was something about her that he couldn't place. She seemed so pure and warm, but years of pain and agony had taught Knives that he could never trust a woman's warmth. He forced himself to stay his distance. This action caused her to crinkle her delicate face into a sad imploring look that made it hard for him to resist. He felt himself giving in and reaching towards the soft curve of her open palm. But as their fingers touched, Knives felt a wave of power, healing, purifying power, wash over him.
Yanking his hand back, Knives glared at her."No way Bitch, I don't know what your game is, but I am not buying it." In an instan, as if by mental command, his black colt appeared in his hand and he activated his angel arm easily. He pointed it at his brother and the woman, aiming at the small bulge in her delicate waist. "Fuck you!" He screamed, and before Vash or the girl could react, Knives let off a shattering blast.
In the void of Time
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Sailormoon let out a scream as her attempt to get a strong link on her brothers snapped with a agonizing pain in her stomach. The pain shot through her and into the senshi holding tight to her hands. The link between them broke as did their grips, and Usagi found herself floating away in the growing darkness.
"USAGGGIIIIIIIIII" She heard Sailor Venus scream, followed by a chorus of cries from her other comrades. She tried to respond, but no words could escape from her mouth. She threw her arms towards her rapidly shrinking friends, grasping air in hopes of catching their hands. No such luck.
Usagi screamed in frustration, but her cry was lost in the void. Slowly her body grew light, so light she could no longer tell that it was there. And then, everything went black.
Somewhere in the middle of the Desert on Gunsmoke
"Damn him! Leaving us there like that and not even telling us where he went! INCONSIDERATE BASTERD!!" Wolfwood bellowed into the wind whipping around him as he pressed his bike to go faster. They were practically flying over the sand as Wolfwood gave the engine all he had and all it could get to follow the fading trail left by his wandering friend.
" Just up and left us there, not even bothering to find out if we needed him to stay or if we wanted to go. That man is so damn ignorant sometimes" He growled, looking left and right to find his red coated fool of a friend. Lights in the sky caught his attention momentarily, and he slowed slightly to stare.
"What? Lightning season already? It's not even time yet!" He muttered staring at the gold, blue, pink, purple and deep crimson flashs in the heavens above. Wow. I have never seen lightning like that! I better find Vash before it really starts. That man is tall enough and has enough metal in him to be a walking lightning rod
With that thought, he once again increased his speed, tearing his eyes from the rolling clouds illuminated by the "lightning" above to once again search for his wayward pal.
BOOOOM!
The sudden explosion threw Wolfwood into a wild spin. He managed to pull out just in time to see five blasts of light, each a different hue, shoot from the sky in five different directions. "What the fuck?" He growled, forgetting his previous mission instantly. He spun the bike viciously eastward in order to hunt out the cause of the gold streak that landed nearest to him.
After driving several iles, he found it, the ile long tail of a crater. He followed it to the crater itself, which was nearly 10 feet deep. Sliding Angelica to a smooth stop beside the huge hole, Wolfwood got off and knelt beside it, staring with wonder down in it. His eyes widened in surprise to what he saw there.
"Well... what do you know! When it rains in Gunsmoke..." He murmured staring at the naked and very feminine figure lying in a fetal position at the bottom of the crater. "... it rains Angels."
End of Chapter 2
Next Chapter: Knives can wound, but Silence cuts deeper.
What happens when Vash and crew find themselves caring for 3 young women in dire need of help? Or more so, when Knives finds a beautiful stranger with amnesia in his garden, a girl with a darker secrat then he? And what has happened to Usagi-Chan!?!?! See it all in the Next installment of "Gunsmoke in the Moonlight"