6 - Warnings, Ignorance, Confessions.
"Where are they?" Estrella muttered as she paced up and down the steps at the front of the Risolto house.
"I'm sure they won't be long now." Artemis replied. The Scouts had rushed off to look for Alexia and had told the cats to meet them at the Risoltos'.
"I'm still having trouble believing Caliban is still around," Luna said out loud. "Are you positive it was him?"
"Yes, as difficult as it is to comprehend, it was," Estrella replied. "He looks exactly as he did all those years ago."
"Looks like the old story of the Reimoan Royal Family was true, then." Artemis murmured.
"What story is that?" Estrella inquired.
"It was said that the Royal Family of Reimo were granted a special power, which allowed them to stop themselves ageing if they wished." Luna explained.
"And it looks like Caliban has used the power." Artemis added. The cats sighed.
"What's taking them so long?" Estrella exclaimed.
"Stop being so impatient, they'll be back soon." Luna sighed.
"Alexia!" Rei yelled. "Where can she be?"
"What if Matt…Calib…whoever he is, has kidnapped her?" Mina said nervously.
"Don't think like that!" Lita scolded. "Alexia where are you?" suddenly the bushes started to rustle and the girls froze.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Alexia asked as she appeared, her blue eyes wide with curiosity.
"Looking for you." Amy explained as Serena ran up to her friend and hugged her.
"We were so worried about you!" the blonde exclaimed.
"Is Matthias here?" Lita asked, her green eyes narrowed.
"No! What's all this about?" Alexia said in amazement, struggling out of her friend's embrace. Rei walked over and put her hand on the confused girl's shoulder.
"We have news, let's go back to your house and we'll explain."
"Rei? What's all this about?" she replied. Rei averted her gaze.
"I'm sorry, Alexia." she murmured.
"Guys?" Alexia looked around the group, who all looked a little upset about the situation; finally she threw her arms up in defeat. "Fine, let's go."
x x x x x
Almost one hour later the group was sat in Alexia's room in silence. The only sounds were the ticking of the clock and gentle sobbing. Estrella sighed and looked over at Luna and Artemis, who shook their heads. Lita tickled the ginger cat behind the ears and looked towards Rei, who was stood at the window with her head down. Amy was sat on the bed next to the other two cats with her hands in her lap and watching the clock's second hand move around. Serena and Mina were sat with Alexia between them, her head in her hands. The two blondes looked over the crying girl's head at each other and Mina gently rubbed Alexia's back.
"No!" she suddenly leapt up and glared at each of her friends. "I won't believe it!"
"Alexia," Serena pleaded gently. "Please calm down!" Alexia spun round to glare at her, her eyes burning with rage.
"Why should I?" she snapped. "I have the most perfect afternoon with the most wonderful guy I have ever met…then my so-called friends come along and tell me to stay away from him? What's your problem, are you jealous or something?" her voice cracked and she collapsed on the floor and once again began to sob. "It's not fair!" she wailed. Rei turned from the window to look at her distressed friend. Biting her lip she wandered over and stood over her, causing Alexia to immediately look up. The look of pain in her friend's eyes made Rei turn away again and bite her lip harder.
"Rei…why?" Alexia whispered. The dark-haired psychic sat down next to her and Alexia threw her arms around her and wept into her shoulder.
"He's bad Alexia. He hurt you terribly," Rei whispered soothingly. "You have to understand."
"Yes, but that was centuries ago," the miserable girl exclaimed. "How do you even know…that's if he is this Caliban guy…that he's still with Lucilius? He might have returned to mend everything." Amy shook her head, her blue eyes grave.
"Think about it, Alexia. When Matthias appeared so did the monsters."
"But Nerissa…"
"We think they're working together."
"No!" Alexia once again broke down. Estrella stood up.
"Look, I think we should give her some time alone." she suggested. Rei nodded.
"Come on back to the temple, let Alexia have some time to think." the girls stood up.
"We'll see you later, okay?" Lita said gently.
"Get some rest." Amy advised. Alexia nodded.
"Thank you. I'm sorry I've not been very kind to you all…"
"Hey, it's ok, we understand." Serena said gently. Alexia smiled, stood up, and went around the room giving everyone a hug.
"I love you all," she said. "I know you're only concerned for my welfare and I can assure you I'll be careful, but I can't just stop seeing him." the girls nodded.
"You told us how long you've waited to get a lead in a recital, we're not expecting you to give that up." Mina told her.
"Just try not to see Matthias unless it's really necessary, and make sure there's always someone with you." Luna added. "If it really is Caliban then he won't stay in hiding for much longer, anyway."
"Bye, Alexia." Rei said, giving her friend's hand a final squeeze before she walked out of the room.
"I'll come round later, alright?" Mina whispered as she hugged her friend again.
"See you later, guys." Alexia whispered as Amy closed the door. The green-haired girl wandered around the room for a second before flinging herself onto her bed, feeling numb. They had decided to tell her almost everything. The only thing they had chosen to leave out was the fact that she had tried to kill herself, deciding that perhaps it would push the distraught girl over the edge. She lay completely still, staring towards the window, her cheeks still wet.
She let out a loud sigh.
There was something they'd said, which had made Alexia understand something that no one had ever been able to explain. Ever since she could remember she'd had a completely irrational fear of swords. Knives, she could cope with, but even a picture of a long, shining sword was enough to make her head swim and her legs go weak. Her worst experience, as she recalled, had been at the age of six. Her parents had taken her to a 'Knights and Princesses' charity event. She had strangely felt right at home being surrounded by ladies in pretty dresses, however, as soon as she'd seen the men dressed as knights and brandishing broadswords she became hysterical. Miaka and Alfredo had been unsure as to what exactly had been the matter with their daughter as she'd hid behind them, sobbing loudly, begging to be taken home. The understanding had come just a little later, when a friendly knight had come over and had very innocently given Alexia the chance to see how heavy his sword was. Such had been the distress of the girl as he'd offered her the hilt that she passed out. Later, after a talk with her parents and a doctor, she managed to explain her phobia, and so Miaka and Alfredo promised never to let her see a sword again…
She closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. She couldn't admit to the others about her fear - it would only make the whole thing more real to her.
x x x x x
"Hello? Hello, is anyone out there?" Alexia called out into the all-too familiar darkness.
"Charon!" the voice responded to her call. "I told you I would return!"
"But…who are you?" the girl asked, flinging her arms out. The familiar quality of the voice was irritating. It wasn't familiar because she'd heard it so many times in her dreams, but because she was absolutely certain she had heard it in real life – and recently too. Suddenly a slit of light appeared in the distance, like a doorway opening, and a shadowy figure appeared.
"You know who I am, don't be so blind!" the voice hissed and suddenly realisation hit the girl like a tonne of bricks.
"No…" she gasped in horror. "Matthias?" She couldn't even begin to understand it – how could a person who she had only just met be the same youth who had been haunting her dreams for months before? "Is it really you? Please, let me see you, come closer!" She looked down and noticed she was in the beautiful lilac dress and pink sash she always found herself in during the nightmare.
"I can't." the figure stepped back from the light, hiding from view once more.
"No, come back, please!" Alexia begged, running towards the light. Although things were occurring slightly differently the girl had a sickening feeling that it would end as her usual re-occurring nightmare always did.
Her intuition was not mistaken.
The green-haired girl felt her lungs empty as her lower torso collided with something that was doubtlessly sharp and solid.
"Don't try to fight destiny, Princess!" the voice hissed coldly in her ear as her breathing became shallow. She looked down to see her blood-soaked hands and the long gash across her stomach - the same wound she always received.
"Why?" she whispered, falling to the ground as the pain became too much.
"Fate." the voice replied, and suddenly the silhouette re-appeared in the widening light. Alexia could now see Matthias's eyes, and she shuddered at how cold and cruel they looked. Her head began to spin and her vision blurred as he came closer, an uncaring look on his face as he laughed heartlessly at her.
"No…" she said faintly, as she passed out…
Alexia's blue eyes flew open as she woke up in a cold sweat. She was shaking all over and tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged herself tightly, continuing to feel the intense pain in her stomach.
Rocking back and forth, gasping for air, she suddenly realised that the burning sensation was in the area of her birthmark. She lifted her top and gasped as she saw how the usually white line was now a deep red colour. She quickly put two and two together and didn't like the results – what she'd always believed to be a birthmark was actually a scar! A remnant of her past life on the Moon! And what was even worse was the fact that Matthias…or was it Caliban…had caused it! Her eyes darted around the room as she sensed something unusual, and they fell on the Plutonian Sphere, which was glowing faintly from its place on her shelf. Shakily she stood up and walked towards it, her hands held out. As she got closer she could feel warmth emanating from it and as she picked it up she suddenly felt calmer.
"Sailor Pluto, my Plutonian Sister, aid me now." she whispered, and the Sphere began to glow more fiercely. She sat back down on her bed as the Sphere floated out of her hands and Sailor Pluto's face appeared.
"Hello, Charon." she said. "I have been expecting you to contact me."
"You have?" Alexia inquired. Pluto nodded.
"Do not forget, Charon, I know the past, present and future."
"Then tell me - what is my fate?" Alexia pleaded, her calmness turning back to anxiety once again. "Is the dream I've been having a warning from my past? Are the others right, is Caliban trying to kill me?" Pluto shook her head.
"I cannot say what is to be, I cannot change, or allow you to change, the future."
"Can't you tell me anything?" the younger Plutonian implored.
"All that I can tell is to trust your instincts, because this part of your destiny is already set." the wise Guardian of Time answered. "Now I must go, farewell Charon, until we meet again." the Sphere dropped onto Alexia's lap as Pluto's face vanished.
"Goodbye, my Plutonian Sister." Alexia murmured, placing the Plutonian Sphere back on the shelf. She sat down in front of her mirror and looked herself in the eye. "Trust your instincts…" she told herself, and almost immediately she knew what she had to do. She stood back up and ran downstairs to the phone. "I'm making a phone call, mom." she shouted to her mother as she dialled a number, waited, then spoke again. "Hello, is that you, Matthias…?"
x x x x x
Meanwhile, the Scouts were sat around at the temple talking about their friend.
"I just feel so sorry for her, she was so happy." Mina murmured.
"It was just like back on the Moon Kingdom." Estrella sighed.
"I know what you mean." both Luna and Artemis agreed. Rei was sat with Amy and Serena inside, the black-haired girl was using her psychic powers to read the fire when suddenly her eyes fluttered open.
"Alexia…" she murmured. "I sense she's in danger…" she looked into the flames. "She's going somewhere - Caliban!" she yelled and ran outside to where Mina, Lita and the cats were sitting. "Alexia's gone to see Matthias!" she exclaimed.
"Oh no!" Mina exclaimed. "We have to stop her!" suddenly there was a laugh.
"Not so fast, girls." The Scouts all narrowed their eyes as their orange-haired adversary made her presence known.
"Nerissa," Lita muttered. "What's she doing here?"
"Don't blow your cover guys." Artemis ordered quietly. "Remember, she doesn't know you're the Sailor Scouts."
"Ahhh, on the contrary." Nerissa smiled as she walked closer to them. "I do know who you are, why else would I be here?" she stepped aside to reveal another alien, who was dressed in tiger-striped clothes. "So, why don't you transform and make friends with Tyger here?" the girls gasped and looked at one another in amazement.
"How do you know…?" Serena exclaimed.
"Ahhh that would be telling." Nerissa teased, tapping the side of her nose with her finger. "Now come on; don't keep me waiting…"
"Alexia? Alexia are you there?" Estrella's voice piped up on Alexia's communicator. However it was of no use, as it was on the bedside cabinet of the girl's empty bedroom…
x x x x x
"Thank you for meeting me." Alexia smiled. She and Matthias were sat in the same place they had sat on their first date.
"It's okay, you sounded a bit upset on the phone, is everything alright?" he asked her, taking her hand in his.
"Ye…yes I'm fine, really." she stammered. He looked at her with concern in his grey eyes.
"Are you sure Alexia? You seem a little nervous." she nodded her head. She looked into his curious eyes and a shiver went down her spine as she recalled her earlier nightmare. He can't be Caliban, he can't be evil. She thought to herself. What the others said just affected my imagination, that's all. That's why he was in my dream.
"Thank you for being so concerned, Caliban." she said gratefully, albeit distantly. Matthias's eyes immediately widened with shock as he noticed her mistake.
"What…what did you just call me?" he murmured, pulling his hand away from hers.
"Whatever do you mean?" Alexia looked confused.
"You called me Caliban." He said shakily, not knowing how to react. The girl's eyes widened as she realised what she had done, and then started to worry about the consequences…
x x x x x
"Where is she?" Sailor Mars yelled as she attacked Tyger for a third time.
"I don't know; she isn't answering her communicator!" Estrella called back, feeling very worried about Alexia. Tyger leapt forward and hit Mars with a flying kick, knocking the girl to the ground. Jupiter moved in and began to throw punches left, right and centre - all of which where blocked expertly by the alien.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury called and froze Tyger's arms.
"Thanks Mercury." Jupiter called breathlessly but gratefully. "Jupiter Thunder!" as the ice cracked the Scout's attack hit the alien.
"Moon Sceptre Activation!" Sailor Moon's final move was enough to finally destroy the alien.
"Good job Scouts." Luna commended as Nerissa floated down, applauding loudly.
"Very well done." she said, smiling.
"What do you want now?" Rei demanded.
"I wanted to show you something…something that may surprise you cats." she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver ball.
"How?" Luna inquired, eyeing the ball suspiciously.
"Like this." She pressed a button on top of the silver object and it opened like a locket. She lifted a purple crystal out of it held it above her head.
"Reimo Power - Transform!" there was a flash of light, and Luna, Artemis and Estrella gasped.
"What the…?" Jupiter murmured, hardly believing what she was seeing.
Nerissa had transformed.
Around her forehead was a dark blue band. She was wearing a skin-tight, low cut, white cat suit with blue and red straps which formed a cross across her stomach and her hands were clad in short white, red and blue gloves. Completing her outfit were a pair of red and blue high-heeled ankle boots. In her hand was a slender silver staff, the purple jewel she'd used to transform was in a clear sphere on the end.
"I can't believe it!" Artemis exclaimed, not sure whether to be relieved or scared. "Nerissa is…"
"Reimo Guardian!" Estrella concluded, staring at the woman in awe.
"That's right!" Nerissa winked and expertly swung her staff around in her hand.
"Reimo Guardian?!" Mars inquired. "What's that mean?" Luna cleared her throat nervously.
"In the Lensei galaxy there are a group of female warriors like you Sailor Scouts. They call themselves the Planet Guardians. There are 8 of them altogether, one for each planet of the galaxy. Unlike you Scouts they only protect their own planet unless there is a threat to the entire galaxy or the universe. Also unlike you their identities are not secret, and they are not princesses. They are specially chosen and trained from a young age, usually continuing a family line."
"Like me," Nerissa cut in. "My mother was the Reimo Guardian who was with Florizel on the Moon, you may recall her, her name was Adia."
"Yes, we remember." Luna muttered, her eyes narrow. "So why reveal this to us? Do you want to fight the Scouts at full power?"
"Ahhh…on the contrary - I think it's about time we told you why we are here." a male voice announced, as a figure emerged behind Nerissa.
"Florizel!" the cats exclaimed…
x x x x x
"You mean, you know who I am?" Matthias was pacing up and down, pushing his hair back from his face with his hands.
"So, you are Caliban." Alexia said quietly, looking at her hands, which were tightly clasped in her lap. The youth nodded, and transformed into his normal regal clothes. "So, why are you here?" she inquired, finally focusing her gaze on her companion.
"I am looking for an old…friend." he explained quietly as he came to sit down next to her. He was trying desperately to force himself to deny the truth – she must be a Sailor Scout, or at least in league with them in some way. How else could she know who he truly was?
"Friend?" she repeated, her head tilted to one side.
"Alright, more than a friend." he confessed. "I'm searching for a girl. I know she's here in Tokyo somewhere…she's very important to me." He paused. "I loved – no, I love – her. Her name is Charon."
Alexia didn't know how to react. Her heart had skipped a beat as soon as he'd said her alter-ego's name, however her dream and what the other Scouts had said still stuck in her mind:
"He's bad Alexia. He hurt you terribly…"
That was thousands of years ago. She told herself firmly. She still couldn't believe that the handsome, nervous youth in front of her was in any way evil. She snapped back to attention as Caliban continued to speak:
"Please, since you know who I am you must be in some way involved with the Scouts. As you know without a doubt Charon is a Sailor Scout herself – so please, tell me, do you know where I can find her? I need to tell her how sorry I am, I have to explain why I left her all those years ago…" Alexia saw the pain and guilt in his eyes as he said this and knew he was being honest, and it was then that she realised she had been right when she'd suggested to the others that he might have come to make amends.
She knew she couldn't keep the truth from him any longer.
Caliban watched Alexia's joyful face as she jumped to her feet and took hold of his hands.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." She whispered, her pale blue eyes sparkling. The prince's eyes lit up and his mouth curled up into a grin.
"I knew it! Please Alexia, where is she? I cannot wait another moment to see her!" The girl's smile broadened as she quickly looked around to check the coast was clear and then reached into her pocket for her transformation pen:
"You don't have to wait another moment, Caliban," she promised him, holding the pen up high above her head. "Charon Moon Power - Make Up!"
Caliban's grey eyes shone with astonishment in the lilac aura of Alexia's transformation. The Sailor Scout of Charon stood in front of him, her delicate face radiant. "You can stop looking, Caliban." she said lovingly.
"You…You…" the prince was flabbergasted. "You have been right in front of me all this time! I cannot believe it!" he placed his hands on her waist and looked her deeply in the eyes. "My Princess, I am so sorry for all the pain I caused you in the past…I know you cannot remember but I can, and it hurts me so much when I think about it. I want to tell you everything that has happened since I abandoned you-" Sailor Charon placed a finger on his lips so she could speak. It was strange to be asked forgiveness for something she could only remember from her dreams but deep inside her heart she felt as if a hole was being filled.
"I forgive you," she told him gently. "And I would very much like to hear what happened to you. Luna, Artemis and Estrella have told me what they know, so to hear it from your perspective would be good." Caliban ran his fingertips down her soft cheek and along her jaw line to her chin as she spoke, making her skin tingle slightly.
"I can hardly believe that you're really standing here." He whispered, Lucilius's plans nothing but a distant memory. Charon felt like she and Caliban were the only two people in the world, and that nothing could ruin this moment for her. I don't care what the others say…I love him. She thought firmly. And I swear I won't let them come between us. They stood for what seemed like an eternity, just gazing into each others' eyes, before he leant forward and gently brushed his lips against hers.
"Caliban…" Charon whispered, feeling slightly light-headed and a little nervous as his hands slipped round to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him.
"My Princess." Caliban replied, only an inch between their faces. The gap was then closed as their lips met once again for a deep and passionate kiss.