Part III
Disclaimers:
I don't own Sailor
Moon, and I don't have any money, so please don't sue me. However,
I do own the residents of Kaji. Don't use them without my permission
(as if you would anyway).
Just to stress how true it is, I hope you all remember that this story has nothing to do with "Cycle of Our Souls."
Review me, come to my web site ), and enjoy the story. Not necessarily in that order. :)
Makoto let out a long breath. "For once I'm glad these skirts are so short," she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. She couldn't remember being so hot in her entire life! The air rippled with the heat, the ground seemed to churn and boil, and to say the sun was baking them would be an understatement.
"Be glad you aren't in a tuxedo!" Mamoru said with a frown.
"Yeah, well, be glad you aren't in heels!" Minako cried as her shoe sunk into the soft ground for the umpteenth time. "Whose idea were these fuku anyway? I'm going to have to take this up with Artemis when we get home. Sailor Soldiers... hmmph. Sailors aren't soldiers, they're sailors! Be one or the other, that's what I say."
They ignored the blonde's grumbling, instead concentrating on Ami and her computer. "How much further do you think?" Rei asked, peeking over the other girl's shoulder.
She shrugged. "A kilo, maybe more."
"A kilo?" Makoto cried, dismayed. "Well, come on, let's get it over with."
"Who is it you're looking for?" a smooth male voice said from behind them. "Perhaps we could be of assistance. You're obviously from off world."
The group whirled around and, almost as one, let out a long gasp. "Usako!" Tuxedo Kamen cried. "Thank Kami-sama we found you! Are you hurt? Who is this man?" Upon closer inspection, Mamoru saw that she was definitely his Usako, but...not. Something was terribly wrong. Her long, blond hair wasn't up in its usual "odango" hairstyle, but instead was tied back in one long braid. The worst part, though, were her eyes: they were a bright, glowing red, and they were completely devoid of the warmth, sweetness and love he was used to seeing there.
The blonde looked up at her companion curiously. "Kaen-san?" she asked, obviously confused.
"He is confused, Hibana. Do not worry about it. Now, I believe you were looking for directions...?"
"What have you done to her?" Mars whispered, horrified at the blank look in Usagi's crimson eyes. "She doesn't recognize us! Where is the ginzuishou?"
"The...oh, of course, her little bauble. I believe it is in Furea-sama's possession now." The man's strange yellow eyes narrowed as he regarded Rei. "The FireChild," he said in an oddly triumphant tone.
She stepped back from him, suddenly frightened. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.
Usagi -- or at least this strange girl who looked like Usagi -- smiled in triumph. "We've found them, Kaen-san! Furea-sama is sure to give you your Blue now."
"Minna-chan," Makoto whispered, tugging on Rei's arm as she said it, "look at her eyes. They're red!"
"Of course they are. I'm a Red General of Furea-sama's Fire Guard. What other color would my eyes be?" she asked as though Makoto were a complete idiot for even noticing it aloud.
"You are not! You are Tsukino Usagi, Sailormoon, Princess Serenity of the Moon, and future Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo! Don't you remember, Usagi-chan?" Minako cried.
Hibana moved closer to Kaen, her eyes troubled and confused. "I am Hibana Red! What are you talking about? Kaen-san, who is this Usagi?"
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said soothingly, "Remember what I told you, Hibana? That the 'Children might say things to confuse you?"
She nodded slowly. "Hai. Domo arigato, Kaen-san."
"Now, Hibana-chan--"
This familiar endearment attached to an unfamiliar name was the last straw for Mamoru. With an angry cry, he surged through the air, flying at Kaen. With an almost negligent wave of her hand, Hibana arrested his movement mid-flight with telekinetic power. "What should I do with him, Kaen-san?" she asked with a sweet smile.
"Shabon Spray!" Mercury cried, the dense fog making it impossible to see and nearly freezing the hot-blooded Hibana and Kaen. In her surprise, she let Tuxedo Kamen fall to the acrid ground, where he landed with a sickening crunch. The blond sent a blast of power at Mercury that rendered her unconscious. Jupiter was beside her in an instant, lifting her up and attempting to carry her away from the scene of the battle.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Mars cried, running to his side.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Minako yelled, sending the whip out to wrap itself around Kaen.
With a sneer, he shot his power through the chain, and Venus went flying. "Hibana!" he called. "Get the little blue-haired one. I've got the blond. Let's go!"
"What about the others?"
"A bit at a time, Hibana, a bit at a time." There was a flash, and the only ones left on the empty plain were a very confused, empty-armed Makoto, an unconscious Mamoru and a horrified Rei.
"I could sense Usagi, but it was very faint," Rei was telling them later. Mamoru had regained consciousness and the small group had made their way to what looked to be a palace of some sort. Now they were sitting on a small rise just across from it. "They've obviously done something to her, but I don't think it's irreversible. If only we had the ginzuishou..."
"Would we be able to use it?" Makoto asked with a frown.
"I don't know that it would matter. It might react to Usagi's presence and cleanse her of whatever it is they've infected her with."
"If only we could trick her into using it," Mamoru said. "Surely then it would restore her back to herself."
Rei nodded. "Good idea... but how?"
"I think the first step," Makoto said before he could reply, "is getting our hands on it. We can find it using the trackers Ami gave us before we left." She flipped hers open, and the ginzuishou's signal was strong and clear.
The dark-haired senshi chewed on her lower lip, thinking. "This will be difficult without Ami's ice power. I don't know if my fire will be effective at all... but at least we have you, Mako-chan, and Mamoru's roses."
"Did you hear what he called you? 'FireChild'... that look in his eyes was so strange. It gave me the shivers," Makoto said.
"He called Usako 'Hibana.' Rei, are you sure you felt her in there?"
"Hai, Mamoru-kun, definitely. She was... frightened... trapped... but there. Kaen knew it, too, which is why he didn't linger to collect the rest of us." She gave a long, deep sigh. "I wish Luna and Artemis were here... or Ami-chan... they would know how to get us in and out of this place safely."
Mamoru stood up abruptly. "Well they aren't, so I guess it's up to us. Let's go."
Okibi was in Kaen's chamber when he and Hibana returned with their prisoners. "Ah, Okibi-san," Kaen said in his usual calm tone, "good to see you. Hibana and I were successful on our little sortie."
The older man frowned deeply. "I do not see the FireChild there, Kaen."
"The IceChild will please Furea-sama immensely: her power was a great threat to us," he said, neatly dodging the issue.
"Ice does not belong on Kaji. I do not believe she will accept the Cleansing very well," Okibi said with a long, careful glance at the blue-haired girl. "Where are the others?"
"The FireChild, ThunderChild and EarthChild are on their way here now, Okibi-san." He waved his hand over the pool of flames at the center of the room, the same pool they used for the Cleansing, and a picture of the three appeared. "See? So close. They will soon be ours."
"The EarthChild?" Hibana questioned, suddenly interested. "Is that the boy?"
"Yes, Hibana. Doushite?"
She shrugged and turned away from the pool. "Just wondering."
Okibi and Kaen shared a glance. "Do you perhaps know him from somewhere?" the former asked carefully.
'Usako'... he called me 'Usako'. Why does that sound so familiar? Could he... could he be my Mamo-chan? But no... Kaen-san told me there is no Mamo-chan, that he was just someone I made up... and Kaen wouldn't lie. Would he? she thought. "Nai, Okibi-san," she said at last, "I've never seen him before today."
An alarm went off somewhere deep within the palace and Kaen offered his superior a smug grin. "They are here."
"Kuso!" Rei swore angrily at the sound of the alarm. "Well, I guess everyone knows we're here now."
"How will we find Ami and Minako?" Makoto demanded.
"Here!" Mamoru cried, tossing her his tracking device. "I've reconfigured it for the signals of Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus. You and Rei go get them, I'll find the ginzuishou."
"Nai," Jupiter told him, "you shouldn't go alone. Rei, go with him. I can handle finding the others on my own."
"Are you sure?" Rei asked.
"Absolutely. Go!" They went.
"This way... the signal gets stronger through here!" Rei called over her shoulder.
"Chotto matte, Rei," he said, grabbing her arm with a strong hand. "Kaen said that someone named 'Furea-sama' has the ginzuishou. If Kaen and Usako were any indication, then this being is most likely very powerful. We should wait for Jupiter and the others."
"Mamoru-kun..." she frowned, unsure how to make her point. "This is my fault," she finally said. "I'm the one who made the deal with the flames in the first place, so I'm the one who has to get Usagi -- and the rest of us, for that matter -- out of this mess. If that means fighting their leader by myself, then I will."
"You said yourself that your power may not have any effect!"
"I know that!" she cried angrily. "But every minute we wait is another minute for them to turn Ami and Minako against us as they've done with Usagi. Putting it off is pointless. So are you going to stand out here in the hall and whine, or are you going to come with me? The choice is yours, because I'm going in there either way."
"Damn it, Rei... fine! Ikimashou." Together they strode through the vast door-way and into Furea's throne room.
Makoto was running down a long, dark corridor with all her might. She knew she had to get to Ami and Minako soon...soon...soon! Gods, please don't let them be like Usagi when I find them...onegai...
She burst through a door and found herself in a small chamber, a pool of flames at its center, the two missing senshi sprawled to one side. "Mercury! Venus!" she cried, relieved. They were still out, but at least they hadn't been changed like Usagi.
"The ThunderChild…so I suppose that means the FireChild finds herself in the grip of Furea-sama himself?" a voice said from a shadowy corner of the room.
"Who are you?" Jupiter demanded, squinting as she tried to peer through the darkness.
A man stepped into the light, and Makoto's eyes widened. He was dressed all in blue, but not the blue of the sky or cornflowers or sapphires...it was the blue of flame, and Makoto recognized that with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I am Okibi, Blue General of Furea-sama's Fire Guard. But I suppose that wouldn't have much significance to you, would it? I am the highest ranking of Furea-sama's generals. There, you understand what that means, don't you?"
She did: it meant he was the most powerful, the most feared...she could only pray that her lightning would have some effect on this creature. "Sparkling...Wide...Pressure!" she screamed, putting everything she had into the attack, and smiled in triumph at his scream of pain. So you could fight fire with lightning.
But then he attacked. Blue flames shot from his hands, not at Jupiter but at Venus and Mercury! "Nai!" she screamed. What was left? She had used her strongest attack and it hadn't killed him...shimatta! Using the only resource she had left -- her own body -- she threw herself between Okibi's attack and her friends' bodies.
"No!" he cried, infuriated, and tried to pull the power back before it hit the thunder senshi, but he was too late. She fell through the curtain of blue flame and hit the floor with a wet, sickening thud.
He hurried to her side and knelt, assessing the damage with the carefully honed instincts of a long-time soldier. The skirt of her fuku was almost entirely burnt away, as well as most of the pink bows front and back. The white was blackened, and her skin was still sizzling along one side. "Speak to me, ThunderChild," he commanded, praying she hadn't taken a breath of the lethal blue flames.
Her mouth fell open, and she managed a small groan before the pain of her burnt cheek became too much for her to bear. She reached for him with her good arm and grabbed a fistful of his blue shirt. He could read her emerald green eyes clearly: "Kill me," they demanded, "just kill me now."
"I can't," he whispered, taking her hand in his own. "I can't, little ThunderChild. Furea-sama needs you, and so your wounds must be healed. Worry not; the flames of Kaji will make your burns disappear, and no scars will be left behind." He lifted her and gently placed her body into the pool recently vacated by Hibana. "I suppose there is a bright side to this small blunder on my part," he said to the two unconscious senshi. "Your friend's Cleansing will be much shorter than the MoonChild's. She has already been kissed by the fire and tasted its heat."
With one last, lingering smile at the Cleansing pool, Okibi strode from the room to tell Furea-sama of this new victory.
"It worked! The FireChild fell right into our trap!" a woman's voice said as soon as Rei and Mamoru were across the threshold of the throne room.
"Indeed," a man agreed. "Furea-sama will be most pleased."
Kaen, Mamoru thought angrily.
"Bring them to me." The voice rumbled through the room like one of Jupiter's thunder attacks, and Rei felt goose bumps breaking out on her arms. Was that Furea?
A woman dressed in orange stepped forward and grabbed Rei by the hair. "You heard Furea-sama," she said with a jerk.
"Who are you?" she asked as the woman led her through the entry hall.
"I am Yashahino, Orange General of Furea-sama's Fire Guard. I am Hibana's direct superior."
"And who is your superior?" Mamoru demanded, ignoring the swift stab of pain his heart felt at the mention of Usako.
"Kaen-san," Yasha replied stiffly. It was obviously a sore subject. "And Okibi is above him, and Okibi answers only to Furea-sama."
"Yasha, stop chattering," Kaen commanded swiftly.
It wasn't long before they were standing before a tall, imposing man dressed all in white. He was seated on a glittering red throne that perfectly complemented his short, flaming red hair. On anywhere but Kaji the color couldn't have been natural, but here Rei could believe nearly anything.
As the senshi of fire contemplated hair color, Kaen, Yasha and Hibana bowed low before the king. The two Earthlings stood their ground defiantly. "I am Sailormars," Rei said, "and I demand that you release my friend, the one you call 'Hibana'."
"So...you are the famous FireChild," he said in that strange, rumbling voice of his. "I was expecting someone...bigger. You truly are a child."
As he leaned forward to examine her more closely, the light glinted off something at his throat. The ginzuishou! her mind screamed. Now how the hell was she going to get a hold of it? If only she had Mercury's fog ability...or Mercury herself. She offered a quick prayer for the safety of her friends before turning her attention back to Furea. "What did you do to Usagi?" she asked.
"Usagi? Ah, you mean the MoonChild...she was Cleansed, of course. I'm sure Kaen will explain it to you in greater detail before you go through it. Kaen, have you begun Cleansing the other two?"
"Nai, Furea-sama. There was not time before the alarm was sounded."
"Then you will Cleanse the FireChild first."
He bowed low. "As you command, Furea-sama."
"I have no wish to be Cleansed," Rei hissed.
Furea focused his strange white-hot eyes on her again and frowned as though the idea had not occurred to him. "Why ever not? In your veins runs the blood of Mars. Your home and ours are very closely related."
"My home," she ground out between clenched teeth, "is Earth.
"Earth. Such a primitive place, if I remember correctly. But then you do come here in the company of the EarthChild. I do seem to remember you Silver Millennium 'Children having a rather odd attachment to those of the Golden Kingdom. I suppose that is all ancient history for you, isn't it?" He waved a smooth, elegant hand in a dismissive gesture. "But I digress. Surely it would be in your best interest, FireChild, to give up this foolish campaign of yours and merely join us. I can offer you things you have only imagined in your wildest dreams," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"The only thing I want is Tsukino Usagi, the one you call Hibana. Give her to me and we will leave in peace.
"Will you then?" he asked, leaning back against his ruby throne and watching her speculatively. "We have your other friends as well, I believe. Would you leave them behind?"
"Of course not, but they are not yours to bargain with, Furea. Our powers are great, greater than you can imagine, and if we are not all allowed to leave here, we will destroy you." She said the words so mildly, with such perfect control that Mamoru looked at her wonderingly.
Before Furea could reply, a figure appeared at his side and leaned to whisper something in his ear. A smile slithered across the king's face and he nodded in approval. "Well, well, well...it seems that Cleansing has already begun on the ThunderChild. To stop it now would be dangerous to her health, and I'm sure that's not something you want to risk."
The ThunderChild? Kaen thought with a frown. Why in the world would Okibi start with her of all people? Something must have gone wrong. Something unforeseen...even by the great Okibi Blue.
Rei was momentarily taken aback by this news, and her composure seemed to falter. She shared a glance with Mamoru, and he was the one to speak first. "Surely the process can be halted, especially so soon into it."
"Not in this case," Okibi said in place of his king. "The ThunderChild was badly wounded, and only through the process of the Cleansing can her wounds be healed. Stopping now would kill her, that much is certain."
"What did you do to her?!" Rei demanded, furious.
He shrugged easily. "She threw herself in front of my fire. What was I to do? Such is often the cost in battle, FireChild."
"My dear FireChild," Furea said, sliding down from his throne and moving to stand before her, "will you please not see reason? Kaji is a place where you can belong, where you will be beloved as queen! What does Earth offer you that is better?"
"Sailorjupiter and Usagi are my friends. I'll not let them remain here as your slaves!" she hissed.
"Slaves?!" a voice spoke from behind them. It was Hibana. "Is that what you think? We serve Furea because he is our Sovereign of the Flame. It is an honor to serve him, and an even greater honor to be counted among his Fire Guard!"
Kaen gritted his teeth, realizing how much the parrot she sounded. Those were the words of the Cleansing pool, not sentiments from her heart. Did the FireChild speak truly when she called them slaves? But no...besides Hibana, none of the members of Furea-sama's Fire Guard had been Cleansed; their loyalty was true and loving.
"Listen to what you're saying, Usagi!" Rei cried. "Who is he to demand your servitude? You are heir to the Silver Millennium, daughter of Queen Selenity. One day you will be queen of the entire world, ruler of the Utopia known as Crystal Tokyo. Are you really going to give that up to worship at the feet of a megalomaniac?"
"Silence!" Furea cried. "You know not of what you speak, FireChild, but if you are so concerned about the making of slaves..." He seemed to contemplate something for a moment before directing his attention to Okibi. "Since the FireChild is so adamant, let's give her what she requests. Stop the Cleansing on the ThunderChild."
"But, Furea-sama, it will kill her," Kaen protested, shocked.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. If it doesn't, then she will be free, and isn't that precious?" His tone was vicious, and those strange white eyes seemed to be boring twin holes into Rei's skull.
"But her burns, Furea-sama! If they are not fully healed she will be in great pain. If they don't eventually kill her, she will go through her life horribly scarred," Okibi spoke up.
He smiled ever so slightly, just enough to reveal the sharp, fang-like tips of his canines. "Don't defy me, Okibi. You can be replaced. In fact...Kaen has been doing a very fine job of late, has he not? And it's your fault the ThunderChild was burned in the first place..."
"It was not my intention to defy you, great Furea-sama!" Okibi said quickly, bowing as low as possible. "If it is your wish for the Cleansing on the ThunderChild to be stopped, then it will. At once."
"Nai!" Rei cried. "Please, you can't do this! You heard what he said! She'll die! Have you no care for human life, Furea?!"
"Not so very much, no. But, little FireChild, I believe your pleading has moved me. I will offer you a deal."
"Rei-chan, don't listen," Mamoru cautioned. "He can offer us nothing but trickery and lies."
"You wound me, EarthChild! At least let her listen to my offer before you interrupt."
"I'm listening, Furea," she said icily.
"Of course you are. Now it's very simple, my dear: I will give you the Silver Millennium 'Children we have in our possession, as well as the EarthChild. All you have to do is remain on Kaji and accept the Cleansing."
"No, Rei-chan, I won't allow it!"
"It's not your decision, EarthChild! Keep silent or I will have you removed!"
"What of Jupiter's injuries? I'll not have her hurt!"
"Her injuries will not trouble her. What is your decision?"
Rei bowed her head, her long, silken hair obscuring her features. What good would it do to refuse? Even if she and Mamoru somehow did manage to escape, her fire power would have little to no effect on these creatures. He had promised to release the others if she accepted. There was no other choice.
With a tiny breath of a sigh, the fire senshi raised her eyes to Furea's. "I accept your offer. Release them."
"Rei-chan, you can't! The other senshi would never condone--"
"The other senshi aren't here," she interrupted harshly, "and whose fault is that? Mine and mine alone. This gesture is all I can do for them. Take them and go."
Furea clapped his hands together in delight. "Wonderful! I knew you would see reason, my dear. Now, Kaen, if you could return to the Cleansing chamber and gather the other 'Children so that they may be on their way..."
"The ThunderChild, Furea-sama?" Okibi murmured, though he knew he should keep silent. Something about the strong-willed girl had moved him, though, and he knew it would kill her to stop the Cleansing now. He couldn't allow that, but neither could he defy his king.
What was Okibi thinking, Kaen wondered, harping on about the ThunderChild this way? He was sure to anger Furea-sama and get the girl killed! Such ruthlessness hadn't been the king's pattern before, but recently...
"Ah, an interesting conundrum," the king agreed. "Stopping the Cleansing now would surely kill her, but it would mean her injuries would no longer be a bother, and she would be free to return home with you. That is what I promised, to the letter."
"You lying bastard!" Mamoru cried, beyond fury.
"Silence!" Yasha hissed, striking him to the ground with a well-placed kick to the knees. "You will address Furea-sama with the proper respect, or I shall rip your tongue from your unworthy mouth!"
"Now, now, dear Yasha, I made a promise, and I shall keep it. The ThunderChild will be returned alive, and her injuries will be healed. The Cleansing will continue. I believe, though, she will probably choose to stay among her people here on Kaji, as Hibana has done. And, as her friends, could you truly deny her heart's desire?"
Rei's dark eyes burned like coals as she glared at the Fire King. "Know this, Furea: those who hurt my friends don't live very long. I see to that. I don't know how, or when, but I will kill you. Count on it."
His face was expressionless for an indeterminate amount of time until finally he burst out laughing. Nervously, the other members of the Fire Guard joined in. All, Rei noticed curiously, except Kaen. He was staring at her with an intense, guarded look in his flashing yellow eyes, and despite all of her psychic abilities, Rei couldn't read what was written in his gaze.
End III