CHAPTER FIVE: THE SOUL OF SOLAR PILOT.
Robert was almost at the door to his Modern Avionics class when he saw Charlotte standing there with her books in her arms, leaning against the wall. She appeared to be looking for someone. Rob gulped. After what happened that morning in Anatomy he couldn't help but think of her.
sssss
"Hello, Robert," Charlotte had greeted him, standing next to him. Her sudden appearance caught him by surprise because he was still hung up over Amy.
"Uh, hello," Rob said. "Charlotte is it? Can I help you?"
"Is no one sitting next to you?" Charlotte asked politely, indicating the empty desk beside him with his books on it. Robert normally used the empty desk as extra space to place his things.
"No, I guess not…" Robert admitted, looking once more over at Amy, who was avoiding his looks still. He moved his books off and allowed Charlotte to sit next to him. Charlotte was quite a lovely girl. Long brown hair and matching brown eyes. Smooth skin, just the right complexion. Her legs were long and shapely underneath her skirt. And her chest… Well, as a man he couldn't resist taking a look there either. He tore his eyes away before Charlotte caught him ogling.
She must have realized it, however, because she giggled under her breath and Rob couldn't help but go red. He looked past her and noticed Amy was looking directly at him now. Her blue eyes were full of questions and Rob suddenly felt really guilty. After last night with Diana what must this have looked like to her? He sighed.
The rest of class had passed very uncomfortably for him. Charlotte kept asking him questions. Not all of them were on the subject matter either. Occasionally she poked in a question or two about his personal life. Like what was his sign? Did he have a girlfriend? What Dorm did he live in? You know… The kinds of questions a blatantly interested woman asks an unsuspecting man.
At last came the end of class. And Robert tried to make his escape from both Amy and Charlotte. He couldn't deny how pretty Charlotte was, but he had only one interest. How could he tell her that? He realized the only thing he had the courage to do was to avoid the issue altogether. So, ashamedly, feeling like a thief in the night, he tried to slip out the door…
… Where Charlotte was miraculously waiting for him!!!
Robert stopped short, whipped around to look at the place where he thought she was standing, then turned and blinked at her in confusion. How in God's name did she move that fast?!
"Robert," said Charlotte, walking up to him. Her proximity to him was very close. Near enough to smell her perfume, which tickled his nose and sent all the right vibes directly down his spine and into his groin. She made an unusual sound beneath her breathing that sounded not so much like a growl, but gentler. Like a Cat purring. Rob didn't have time to dwell on that oddity. "Would you like to go to a movie with me?" she asked him, interjecting into his thoughts.
"Say what?" Rob asked, not trusting his ears.
"A movie," Charlotte repeated with a sly smile. "Do you want to go with me?"
"You're not asking me on a date, are you?" asked Robert.
"Of course I am, silly," Charlotte poked at him playfully. "I want to go on a date with you, you stud. Of course… It doesn't have to be a movie."
Her odd rumble seemed to grow more pronounced. Rob gulped and noticed Amy standing not far away. He tried to conceal his awkwardness. Be cool! He urged himself mentally. "Uh, sorry… Charlotte. I-I'm… I have prior plans. I was actually going to take another girl out… S-sorry to disappoint you. I'm sure you could have any other guy if you wanted."
Charlotte cast a quick look over her shoulder in Amy's direction and Rob felt like he'd given her away. For some reason he didn't want this to devolve into a Cat Fight. Suddenly Charlotte beamed at him. That smile gave him more chills than Amy's smile had last night. "Don't worry," she said brightly. "I'm sorry to waste your time then. Have fun on your date. Ciao!"
Charlotte bounded off and Robert felt a bit safer. Amy was coming his way now. Stay cool. Don't let her know what just happened. She'll never look at me the same way again if she found out one of the prettiest girls in school just got done asking me out…
sssss
That was then. This was now.
Robert tried to sneak by Charlotte this time, but his fear must have given him away. Rob imagined that she could smell fear. Like a predator she reached out and grabbed him. Her grip on his forearm was like an iron shackle attached to a steel ball with a chain!
"Oh! Charlotte!" he exclaimed, trying to act cool like he hadn't noticed her. Not that it wasn't exceedingly obvious he was trying to slide by unnoticed. "What a coincidence meeting you here of all places?! C-ca-can I help you?"
"I need to speak with you. It's important," Charlotte said. She sounded dead serious this time. There was no flirting in her voice. "Only you can help me. Will you come with me for a moment?"
"Oh, geez. I gotta get to this class, Charlotte," Robert protested meekly.
"Please!" Charlotte tugged him away from the open door. "If you don't help me now it will be too late!"
"Wait, Charlotte, I-- AAAIIII!!!" he was jerked nearly out of his shoes by her strength, which was surprising! She took him back outside and dragged him around an empty corner. "Charlotte! What are you…?!"
"Robert Prower! I can't stop thinking about you!" Charlotte broke his train of thought. "I need you! No one else can put out my fire! I'm burning for you!!"
"I…I… Y-you… What?" Robert couldn't reply to that. The situation was so ludicrous he just couldn't find words. His eyes involuntarily went downwards and saw that her hand was fumbling with her button-up shirt. "WHOA!!" he exclaimed, grabbing her wrist. "Slow down! This is, uh… this is… th-this may be…!"
Charlotte grabbed his free hand with her own and brought it up to her breast and mashed it into his palm. As if he'd grabbed a live wire, Robert's fingers reflexively clamped down on it! And it was HUGE!!
"Ch-Ch-Cha-Cha-Char-lotte!!" he lost all control of his tongue. "I-I… really n-need to… g-get going to class now!!"
"Let me kiss you, please!" Charlotte pressed into him.
Robert tore his hand away from her breast and tried to break free. "CHARLOTTE… FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE!!" he cried. "I CA-CAN'T!!"
Charlotte tackled him onto the ground and suddenly she was straddling him. Her smile took on a sinister spark. "Now I've got you!" she hissed. Her eyes suddenly faded to yellow and became slitted like a Cat's eyes!
Robert suddenly realized that he wasn't dealing with the real Charlotte here! Suddenly all his bashfulness fled from him and he tried to throw her off of him. "Let go of me!"
He succeeded in rolling her over, exhibiting a yowl from her much like a feline. He almost got to his feet, but a strong hand clamped his ankle and tripped him up. Rolling over, he saw Charlotte begin to change. Her hands became clawed and hairy, with rubbery pads forming on the palms! Her face lengthened into the stubby snout of a Cat, complete with fangs and whiskers! Her body tore out of her clothes as it increased in size and became covered in purple and yellow striped fur! A tigerish tail coiled from her behind!
"You could have simply made this easy, Robert Prower! Or should I say… Solar Pilot!" she hissed again.
"How did you know?!" Robert scrambled to his feet.
"There is precious little our Queen does not know, little man," said Charlotte. "When you foolishly transformed in front of Elke, the Viper, you revealed yourself. Do you think you actually escaped her? She let you run away while she reported her discovery to the Queen. It was the reason she knew to attack you in Princess Ami's room that night."
"Damn!" Rob cursed. "So now I'm your target?"
"Of course. Amy is all but helpless without you. You were our target then. You're still a prime obstacle to our goal. Therefore you are our target now. We assume that since you contain the power of both a Senshi and a Kamen that your Spirit Energy will be particularly helpful to our cause. Say goodbye to your soul, Solar Pilot!"
"I know this is probably the idea. But as Napoleon once said: 'Over my dead body'!" Robert took out his Solar Pendant. "Solar Crystal Pow--!"
A balled up fist struck him in the jaw before he could completely finish his transformation spell. He dropped his pendant and stumbled backward from the impact. Another hit and he skidded across the pavement and against the wall, throwing up a cloud of dust. His bloodline had saved that blow from being otherwise fatal, but he still felt as if a train had run over his body! Without Solar Pilot's power he was simply a normal Human with above-average strength and stamina.
Charlotte picked up his dropped talisman. "Wish you had this? I know you do. You're nothing without it."
"Give me it back you coward," Robert struggled to his feet. "And let's settle this fair and square!"
"Unlikely," Charlotte said. "I should just take this to Queen Lucia and then come back and kill you at my leisure. The Queen will most likely promote me to Greater Youma for that."
Rob gritted his teeth. There was no way he could prevent that from happening. Boy, was he screwed! What would Queen Serenity say to this if she were still alive?
Just then Amy appeared from around the corner, breathing heavily like she'd just run a long way. Her clothes looked like she'd been through some hard times herself. "Robert! What are you doing, you Monster?!"
Charlotte looked at Amy and cackled. "Well, well, well. Just in time. There's no way I'll pass up this opportunity. I'll slaughter your boyfriend, little Princess. And then I'll slay you!"
"He's not my boyfriend…" Amy shook her head.
"Ouch…" Robert said, and not from his injuries.
"… But I won't let you hurt him anymore! It's me you want! Leave him alone! He's got nothing to do with this!" Amy finished.
Poor Amy. She has no clue. I have to get my pendant back or she's going to die if she stands her ground! Robert thought. He lunged at Charlotte.
"Robert, no!" Amy must have thought he was doing something foolish. She didn't know what he was just yet.
And indeed it was foolish! Charlotte deftly sidestepped and grabbed his chin in her free hand. The other hand clutched his pendant. Her face became human briefly and she laid a kiss right on his lips!
Amy gasped, not believing what she was seeing. Robert's eyes bulged in surprise, but then weakened as something terrible resulted from that kiss. A pale light emanated from the small space between mouths as Charlotte, through her kiss, began sucking his Spirit Energy into her own body!
"Oh my God! No!!" Amy rushed toward them. She didn't care what happened now. She couldn't let the enemy take Robert away and make him one of their mindless slaves! Tears unconsciously budded in her eyes as she reached for them.
Charlotte broke the kiss, dropped Robert unconscious to the ground, and grabbed Amy by the collar. "And now for you, Princess Ami!" she snarled.
Charlotte tried to bring Amy in for similar treatment, but all of a sudden an earthquake began to shake the Campus. "What?"
Amy tore her shirt free and fell to the ground at the Youma's feet. That happened just a split second before the ground opened up and more vines wrapped themselves around Charlotte, who yowled like a distressed Cat. These weren't the same vines as the ones back at the Greenhouse, yet they were familiar. Those were the vines she saw the other night when Sailor Earth appeared.
"Taste Nature's fury, you monstrosity!" Sailor Earth swooped in and blasted a shot of green energy at Charlotte. The blow shattered the vines that held her in place, but sent the Youma smashing into the marble water fountain in the nearby courtyard. Water began to spill out from cracks and fissures in the stone.
"Are you alright?" asked Earth, helping Amy to her feet.
"I'm fine! Go after her!" said Amy to the Senshi. "You're the only one strong enough to stop her! Get Robert's Spirit Energy back!"
Earth looked down at Robert and indignation sparked in her green eyes. "Oui!" she said, taking off toward the fountain where Charlotte was recovering.
Amy bent down to see if Rob was okay. For a few moments he lay unconscious, then suddenly his eyes darted open, he sat up swiftly, and had his hands wrapped around her neck. She gasped as her windpipe closed and Rob's fingers began to bear down on her neck muscles. Amy struggled to break free. She knew what was happening. His Spirit Energy had been taken and now he was just another mindless Zombie!
"No…!" she gasped. "S-stop this…" Her vision began to fill with stars. Her frantic heartbeat echoed in her temples like a kettle drum in a Canyon. She could hear it slowing… slowing…
She thought that the throbbing in her head this time was from the blood circulation getting cut off to her brain, but when desperation once again took hold of her, that same bluish white light flooded her vision and suddenly the hands loosened their grip and released her. She heard a man's voice grunt in pain. The sound seemed somehow far away as she fell to her hands and knees coughing and hacking. Air struggled back into her lungs and her throat hurt like it had never tasted oxygen before.
Amy turned and saw Robert struggle to his feet after the blast of water. He was soaked down to the bare skin and his lips were blue from cold. His lips trembled in a shiver, yet his sharp teeth and red eyes told her he was still far from normal.
Amy didn't feel the power flee from her this time. Instead the pounding in her head increased and she yelled in pain as the light suddenly flared up, blinding her vision. The Robert puppet threw his arms up to shield his own eyes.
When her vision returned to normal, Amy saw something extraordinary; There was a Henshin Pen… floating in midair… Right at eye level before her! The stick was approximately five inches long with a blue orb at the top. The symbol of Mercury was emblazoned on the orb. The stick itself was shot with silver and white swirls. Her mind went back to what she'd seen in her prophetic dream more than three weeks ago. It was the same one. The oneQueen Chastityhad told her to use!
Amy reached up and grabbed it out of midair.
Robert had hesitated as well, but now he was charging her. His claws were now longer. Every moment made him more and more a servant of darkness. Amy felt anger once again well up in her chest at the thought of the Dark Syndicate twisting her best friend like this! When she spoke… The words came to her mouth without any thought or guesswork:
"CELESTIAL… ETERNAL… POWER!"
What followed was something similar to her original transformation, only more dramatic. Her clothes dissolved in a shower of bubbles, which swirled around her and reformed into her new uniform. The main body piece came first holding tightly to her skin and forming a lightweight barrier over her waist, stomach and chest. Next came the skirt with two layers of ruffles on the edge like Sailor Moon's. The upper layer was blue, but the hem came out silver. Next came her bows. The one on her lower back flowed out like a cascade of blue ribbons, long enough to barely touch the ground, while the chest bow formed around a star-shaped Sapphire Crystal. Only the chest bow wasn't so much a bow as it was a pair of transparent blue streamers that flowed back over each shoulder and reconnected at the back of her uniform. Instead of boots, Amy was endowed with light blue sandals whose straps wound their way around her calves all the way up to her knees. Instead of elbow gloves, blue fabric wound around her forearms to form cuffs. The fabric which formed over her shoulders was wispy and transparent, also a pale blue. Instead of the familiar tiara, the symbol on her forehead remained. It was the Mercury symbol, only it was silver over a dark blue star in the center of her head just over her eyebrows. Her finger and toenails became blue just as her feet touched solid ground once again.
Amy reacted just in time to intercept Robert's outstretched claws with her hand. He swiped with the other arm, barely grazing her stomach. Amy felt lighter than air. A familiar feeling of possessing more power than a normal person should have. It was the heady feeling of being a Senshi in battle. When she jumped she almost took herself by surprise when her leap carried her over his head and onto the ground behind Robert.
Rob turned to attack again, but he was briefly open. I'm sorry, Rob. But I have to take you down before you or anyone else gets hurt because of you. Amy spun kicked him with terrifying speed. Speed that made even her stumble on her recovery, but speed that completely caught the enslaved Robert unawares. Her foot struck him squarely in the jaw and floored him. She had to be firm. She knew from personal experience that once a person was enslaved they didn't feel pain and their endurance made them formidable as well.
Rob fell to the ground and didn't move after that. Amy rolled his body over and checked his life signs quickly. He still had a heartbeat, but it was rapid and his flesh was burning hot. If he didn't get his soul back his body might give out after a while. It wasn't like the Dark Syndicate cared about their Human slaves one bit.
Amy stood and turned to run after Sailor Earth, who had pursued the Youma. The sounds of battle echoed not too far away. Students were running away from the scene. They all gave her odd looks as she passed them by. Her outfit was outlandish by Japanese standards. To Germans she must have looked perfectly strange and her cheeks became tinged with embarrassment.
It was a brief discomfort, however, when she came upon Charlotte and Sailor Earth locked in combat. Earth, who looked pretty rough around the edges with several claw marks on her uniform and skin, punched the ground underfoot and caused it to rupture open beneath Charlotte. The Feline Youma tripped and barely maintained her footing on the unsteady ground.
Earth dove in and tackled Charlotte with her shoulder, plowing her into a brick wall and buckling the masonry somewhat. Charlotte yowled in anger and put both fists together. Her hands came down on Earth's back and forced her to her knees, then she raked her claws on Sailor Earth's shoulders, causing deep scratches that drew instant blood.
It wasn't going well for Earth. Amy knew what to do now. "Hey!" she shouted to the Cat Youma.
Charlotte looked over at her and snarled. It was hard to read expressions on that feline face, but Amy thought she caught a good amount of shock. More than was necessary actually.
She must be surprised I'm a Senshi, Amy thought. Good.
"Now that I have your attention," Amy concentrated some of her energy, feeling the air turn cold around her. "Perhaps you'll be willing to compromise? Give me Robert's Spirit Energy and I'll let you get away."
Charlotte hissed at her. Earth stood up suddenly and wrapped her arms around Charlotte's neck, clamping her in a sleeper headlock. The Youma struggled and gasped for air.
"Sailor Celestia," Earth identified Amy. "Destroy her now!"
Charlotte howled, now in fear and her thrashing became more feverish.
Amy looked at Sailor Earth, suddenly unsure of what to do. She had gathered her energy for an attack, but there was a problem. She may have been a Senshi but she still wasn't Sailor Mercury. How was she supposed to know what to do? What was the name and nature of her special attack?
"Celestia! Listen to your heart! Your heart will tell you what to do!" Earth exclaimed. She tried to tighten her grip, but it was getting difficult as the fight had already taken her down from her best.
Amy shut her eyes and tried to calm her nerves. Okay… What to say? What can I do? Help me Mother.
A vision of a Waterspout flashed briefly in her head and Amy got an idea. "Waterspout!" she said, opening her eyes again.
"You'll never take me down, amateur!" Charlotte elbowed Sailor Earth in the gut, forcing her captor to loosen her grip. The Youma broke free and began to run away. She was trying to escape!
"Vines of the Earth! Capture!" Sailor Earth held her hand outstretched and the familiar squiggling mass of vines came out of the ground and tripped the Youma by snaring her ankles. Charlotte began swiping at the foliage desperately.
"I call upon the power of Celestia," Amy began calmly with her hands folded together as if in prayer. Her hair began to flap in the rising wind and her voice arose as well. "Ancient ancestor to the power of Mercury. Grant me your watery powers. Help me destroy this abomination!" She held her arm up overhead, palm facing skyward, and saw a tiny cone of spiraling water form above the outstretched hand. "Celestial Waterspout! Unleash your fury!"
The tiny cone grew up real quick. It became a towering funnel of ice water in seconds and spun its way inevitably toward Charlotte, who screamed and tried desperately to break out of the vines that held her down. As it went along, the Waterspout tore a gouge in the ground and sucked up everything along with it. It bore down on the Youma, plucked her and the vines from sight and rose into the sky, where it imploded. In a bright flash of blue sprinkles, it dissolved along with the body of Charlotte, into thin air. A series of light orbs floated in her place and descended to the ground.
"That's their Spirit Energy," Sailor Earth stood up gingerly. "Grab them and help them return to their owners."
Amy reached out and watched the orbs settle into her hands. There were three of them. Two belonged to the boys who accosted her earlier. The third one was Robert's. She could feel his personality throbbing inside of it. Its pulsating light practically begged her to return it to his body.
Amy closed her eyes, trying to find the answer to this riddle. How was she going to do this? How would Sailor Moon have done this? She felt this was more up the Moon Senshi's alley.
"Just tell them to return to where they came from," Earth prompted her.
Amy opened her eyes and looked at the orbs awkwardly. "Um… Return… To your bodies."
The orbs came alive and took off in different directions. Amy followed the one she knew to be headed in Robert's direction at a sprint. She got there just as the light settled to a hover over his chest and sunk back in. Rob's claws and fangs and pointy ears returned to normal and the hard cruelty in his features melted into a peaceful sort of slumber. Amy felt his skin and discovered his flesh had cooled back to normal and his heartbeat was slowing down to more Human standards.
"Oh thank God!" Amy breathed, lifting his head and cradling it on her lap. "I'm so glad I made it in time! I almost lost him!"
Sailor Earth, meanwhile, found something else on the ground and picked it up. It was the Solar Pendant. Solar Pilot's transformation talisman. She saw that things had returned to normal more or less, minus the tremendous damage to the area the Waterspout had torn through, and she turned to head back to the Greenhouse. As she did so she smiled. Amy had discovered her hidden powers a lot sooner than expected. It must have been her fierce desire to save Robert Prower. It must have been love.
I think the time has come now to let Amy know a bit more about things, she decided as she walked away. Queen Lucia's dismay will be great. Her retribution will be swift. And I fear her operations will only increase in danger and tempo from here on out. The end is near.
TO BE CONTINUED.........
NEXT CHAPTER: THE FALL OF MERCURY!