Jovian Chronicles: Book One
The Present: Chapter Seven
Makoto felt the cold metal around her wrists as her eyes opened from the tired, heavy sleep she had managed to get when Nephrite had finally left her. It was cold and the chill was sending goose bums all over her body. She heard the door open and shuttered of what he was going to do to her. He had left her for a little bit as if to put fear in her and it was definitely working. Makoto saw Nephrite come into sight and silently cursed, especially at his evil grin.
"We can do this two ways, princess. Either you can give me Jupiter's crystal willingly or I'll take it by force," said Nephrite.
(Don't even make me laugh...you know we always take the hard way.)
Makoto gave a smile and let out a sigh.
"Show we what you've got," she said and braced herself for dark energy to seep into her body but instead, Nephrite laughed and moved around the basement. He pulled out a ray-gun that made her shudder since she knew it was loaded with dark energy. Nephrite aimed it at her chest and pulled the trigger, the dark beam hitting her chest while it tried pulling out Jupiter's crystal. A blade suddenly sliced through the item, clattering to the floor as Nephrite glared at who disturbed his distracting. There, Seifer stood in front of him with a grin.
"Miss me?" he asked and swung his blade around at Nephrite only for the man to pull out his own sword from thin air and block quickly. While the fight raged on, Tanaka helped Makoto down from her chained state as her hand held her chest. If they would have waited longer she feared her crystal would have came out but luckily, it was saved. Quickly, she transformed made her way to the fight only for Tanaka to grab her and pull her back.
"He said to keep you here since he doesn't want you to get hurt anymore," said Tanaka only for Makoto to go against her usual wild spirit and wait. But, she knew she could not do nothing so instead, she pulled a ball of electricity into her hand and aimlessly threw it only to receive a glare from Tanaka.
"What? You said to stay here," she replied with a smirk. Tanaka rolled his eyes and then a light suddenly hit Makoto in the chest again, throwing her against the metal wall while she screamed out in pain as she felt something being ripped out of her slowly. It it was ripped out quickly, she wouldn't have care for the pain but she knew if she stayed here any longer then Jupiter's power would be stolen. She could see Tanaka yelling something as Seifer body slammed Nephrite only for it to be too late and the green light came from her chest where Jupiter's power left her. All that she had became vanished before her eyes as her uniform disappeared and her wounds she had just healed reappeared once again.
The glow in her eyes faded quickly and her bright shiny hair faded away. A will for living had just left along with her memories of everything that happened. She looked like a complete shell that the filling had been sucked out of as he body fell to the ground and she didn't move. Next to her clattered her communicator and transformation pen. Her life was on the edge of leaving her since it was as if her purpose in love had left with the crystal. The only birthright she ever had was to protect Queen Serenity and her successors along with bring a new heir of her own to take her place when she died. Yet, the thought of it was completely gone as Nephrite inserted Jupiter's crystal inside his chest quickly.
"Makoto!" Tanaka turned her over and picked her up only to see how lifeless her eyes were while she didn't more and barely blinked. She looked completely depressed and Tanaka couldn't stand it. The communicator beeped and he quickly opened it to see a beautiful woman on the screen. her long silver hair cascaded from two buns on both sides of her head while her pure crystal blue eyes were filled with complete worry. She parted her soft pink lips.
"What has happened to Makoto?" she asked, tears starting to rise in her eyes while she thought of the worse. "I am Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo, a dearest friend of Makoto's from the world she comes from, and I fear for the worst. Kind man, please answer my question."
"Nephrite has attacked and stolen Jupiter's crystal from Makoto's chest. After that happened, he shoved it into his chest and it feels as if Makoto is dying," answered Tanaka to the beautiful woman known as Neo-Queen Serenity. The woman casted her eyes aside and looked back at him with a new roughness in her eyes.
"Inform Headmaster Cid that I will be coming along with my inner senshi to defeat this man. Protect her with all your life and don't let her try to kill herself. When this stage comes, she turns depressive and must be kept under closer super valence. I must gather to girls and we will be at Balamb Garden as soon as possible," said Serenity and then closed the communicator. Seifer stood in front of the two while Nephrite was getting used to having the crystal inside his body that turned him into a beautiful being. His hair turned silky, his skin completely fair, lips soft, and eyes bright.
"The Queen from her demotion is coming and wants us to be there. Leave Nephrite and they'll take care of him," said Tanaka only for Seifer to look weary. Nephrite locked eyes with them and grinned while letting out a laugh.
"I am now the King of Jupiter which means I hold the power of electricity! Doom will be headed your way and so I bid you to leave since you will die when I completely destroy this planet," said Nephrite. Quickly Seifer ushered Tanaka up the stairs and then followed while watching his back for any surprise attack only to have none. Once they reached the station, Seifer quickly took Makoto into his arms and looked at how lifeless she was. He held her closely and moved into the SeeD room.
"Queen Serenity said to watch her since she will become depressed and try to kill herself. It looks as if everything she lived for had been ripped away from her and now there is nothing left," said Tanaka only for Seifer to shake his head no.
"She does have something to life for...me," he said while he brushed the hair from her face. Her French-twist has came undone somehow and her long curls of hair lay around her, making her look still angelic in even the worst of state. The sun was starting to raise as the hours they had spent in this once place seemed so short. Tanaka decided to leave them as he waited out in the hall, only thirty minutes until they reached Balamb...
Seifer looked down at her while he didn't notice her hand moved to his belt and grab his pocket knife. Quickly she flipped it open and moved it toward her chest. Seifer grabbed it just in time and threw it aside while seeing the dead look in her eyes meet his.
"Just leave me," she ordered, her voice completely emotionless. "I would rather die than live like this."
A pain filled his heart as he looked down at her with caring eyes, gently his fingers touched her cheek and brushed her bangs back.
"I would rather die for you," said Seifer with a reassuring smile.
Queen Serenity stood in her long white dress with pearls around the top with three of her soldiers with her, all three dressed in their appropriate uniforms. Rei, completely in red and to her left was a woman in yellow, her long blonde hair down to the middle of her back and crystal blue eyes found on her soft skin, and soft pink lips in a firm line. On the other side of Queen Serenity was a woman adorned in blue with shoulder length blue hair and medium blue eyes while she types on a computer, her fingers quickly moving across the palm-held device.
Seifer carried the sleeping Makoto in his arms and stopped for the women. Rei narrowed her eyes as she looked at her dearest friend and comrade, her fingers gently touching her forehead.
"Makoto has entered phase one," said Rei as she turned to her queen only to see the look of dismay.
"It's going quicker than planned. Ami, see if you can find a way to stabilize her condition and I will be sure to put her into a sleep to where she will not be able to harm herself," said Serenity only to receive a nod from the blue haired girl. Seifer lead Ami into their shared room and gently laid Makoto on the bed while Ami quickly got to work. Tanaka seated everyone in the room and then took a seat himself once Seifer entered the room, his hand lingering on the door knob.
"What is your relationship to Makoto?" asked the goddess of love with a raised blonde brow. She crossed her legs and leaned forward on her knees. "Are you the one that is connected to her past in some way? That is the reason but what is the reason why she's in this condition?"
Tanaka bowed his head.
"I am at fault, miss. If it wasn't for me not being greedy and wanting to have the princess all to myself then we wouldn't be in this situation. On my way to my mission, I was thinking about how much I wanted her and when the chance came, I took it. The man, known as Nephrite, said that she had also taken something from him and showed me a heart-shaped crystal. It was strange at first but the more I was with him, the more I wanted her. I came into realization on the night when he took her from me to torture. Who knows what he did to her but I wasn't able to help stop him," said Tanaka. Seifer smiled at him and clasped a supportive hand on his shoulder.
"In the past, Tanaka was married to Princess Makoto when she was eleven and he was eighteen at the time. The consummation of the marriage couldn't be done until she was sixteen. He waited for three years and was afraid he would take her so he left. It seems he got into the wrong hands and was reported dead to our dear princess. After a year of mourning, she moved on and decided to be independent then ran away since her father was going to marry her off to some other prince. The Chancellor of Jupiter brought her to my fort where I was the general of her leading Jovian army. Through the entire time, both of us fell for each other while Tanaka was the enemy. He killed me and I don't know what happened after that. It would be best to stop talking about this and get something done. I'm not going to lose her again," said Seifer with a low growl to follow.
Serenity nodded and a swift move of her hand made magic put Makoto to sleep then she moved her hand once again and the senshi disappeared. Both of the men stayed there and paced around while Seifer gave up walking back and forth from room to room and just stayed with Makoto. Tanaka let out a sigh and ended up falling asleep on the couch.
("I don't see why this is happening to us. We could have been happy and everything could have worked out. But, at least we have the approval of your former husband to be together. That will help things out as well since I would like us to be approved...I love you so much Makoto...") Seifer let out a sigh while he gently held her hand in his.
Rei and Minako managed to pin Nephrite to the ground as Ami yelled directions at Serenity whom quickly called upon her power to pull out Jupiter's crystal. The power had started to slowly grace him but he yelled out in pain as the tearing of it out of his chest in a slow manner. He managed to reach his hand up just as it came out and grab a deep hold on it. Instead, he squeeze tightly as it glowed while it broke under the harsh pressure.
"NO," screamed Rei as she continued to try and grab it from his hands but instead, the light disappeared as the crystal crumbled to the ground. There, he laughed while Serenity let her power kill him; his ashes blew away into the wind while Minako and Rei quickly picked up the pieces with tears in their eyes. "What are we going to do Serenity? She'll die without it!"
"I have no idea Rei, I have no idea. Right now, we have to try our best to put it together---"
"She's leaving me," cried Minako while she stopped picking up the pieces, the tearing streaming down her cheeks. "I can feel her power leaving and soon she'll be dead. Makoto's going to disappear and Crystal Tokyo will be ruined. Everything will be ruined and she didn't even get to have a chance to live the life of love. Why Serenity? Why?"
Ami wiped her tears away while she tried to type on her mini computer but stopped.
"This is something we can't put back together, instead you'll have to contact Queen Serenity instead since she is the one true power. That is the only way to save her," said Ami. Serenity nodded and took the pieces of the Jovian Crystal and put it into a magical bag.
"I will return. Go back to Seifer and Tanaka. Let them know what's happening and tell them everything will be ok," said Serenity and then disappeared.
Seifer watched her face distort as she gave out a cry in pain from the peaceful sleep she had once been in. Her soft colored skin when pale as a sweat broke over her face. Her chest was slowing down while her breathing was becoming more difficult. Seifer glared as he tried his best to help her by sending Tanaka for a wet cloth and using a towel to gently wipe away the sweat.
"It's ok Makoto, everything will be okay," he whispered in her ear. She went still. Tears fell from the corner of her eyes while her chest slowed more. Seifer felt the tears starting in his eyes and was surprised since he was the kind of man that never cried over no one. His air stifled in his lungs as he watched her chest fall and waited for it to come up only for it to stay there. Quickly, he looked toward her face and saw it peaceful. Makoto's chest never rose again no matter how long a looked at it. Rei looked into the room with tears in her eyes with Minako and Ami by her sides. The three hugged together and cried together at the loss of their friend, hoping that Serenity would be able to save her.
Tanaka rushed back with the cool cloth in his hand and stopped at the crying of the girls. He feel to the couch and buried his face in his hands. The princess was gone. The guilt took a deep hold of his heart while he felt as if he was stabbed multiple times due to what he caused. Serenity appeared in the room with tears clouding her crystal blue eyes, as she bowed her head with shame. She moved into the room where Seifer was and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, placing the bag beside Makoto on the bed.
"Makoto was cherished by us all but it was you that loved her in more of a way that we all did," started Serenity. "There is nothing more that I can do for my dearest fellow princess and instead it's left to you to see if you are able to get the crystal back together. We will leave you in private."
Serenity left and joined her friends outside after closing the door behind her. Instead, there was nothing else she could do and now it was his turn. Queen Serenity had informed her that if there was a will there would be a way. Now it was up to the man that held the will to make the way. Seifer looked at the bag that held the crumbled crystal heart and took it into his hand while a single tear dripped off his chin and fell onto the bag, seeping into the crystal.
"Why is something like this so important? Shouldn't life be granted without a crystal-like power source dominating your life? A chance should be given no matter what...I wish she was a alive," said Seifer only for the crystal to start glowing. He watched as it pieced itself together again and floating out of the bag while moving to wards the body. There, it moved into her chest where her complete beauty graced herself and her emerald green eyes filled with brightness opened, a smiled moved over her lips as she looked up at him.
AN: Well, that's it for now. There will be one more chapter and sorry it took a while. It snowed on my car...Thanks for the reviews Cris and Athena!