Darkness and Light

Chapter 13

Updated as of 5/26/10 (almost my birthday, heh)

"Ron!" Ginny shrieked.

There was no blood, not that Harry could see. Ron was not struggling or screaming - he had passed out the second that the waxy creature had thrust part of itself in him. The creature pulled out something from within Ron's chest, it looked like some sort of spiky crystal.

"His pure heart!" Chibiusa exclaimed.

"What is it with these old tricks?" Cosmos growled. "Why is he resurrecting the dead?"

"Voldemort?" Hermione gasped. None of them could move; they were all frozen stiff at the sight. Snape and Cosmos stood guard in front of the students, wands extended.

"He'll die without it!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed. She charged forward, ducking under Snape's arm, and held up her wand, shouting, "Jupiter power!" It seemed to Harry like a light had flashed from within her body, but within seconds she was in the sailor uniform again, wand transformed into something that looked like a toy.

Next to him, Hermione held her wand up as well, and Chibiusa seemed to have something that would cause her to transform as well.

"No!" Cosmos shouted. "This is Ginny's battle. Ron is her aid who will unlock her powers!"

"Ron could die! We can't just stand here!" Said Hermione.

"Yes, he could die. Ginny hasn't had much training." Cosmos said, watching Ginny run forward. "But if she stepped out first, she must have some knowledge of what she's doing."

They (or most of them) all had doubt in Ginny. But if Cosmos trusted her, then they should, too. But then again, Hermione thought, wouldn't Cosmos technically be some Usagi from the future? And if so, Cosmos would have to be like Usagi in some way, right? Hermione looked at Cosmos out of the corner of her eye, trying to remember that Cosmos was Cosmos, Usagi was Usagi, they're the same genetically, but very different!

"Terra Intorqueo!" A jumble of assorted earthy things came from Ginny's wand and sped towards the monster, although it seemed not to care. It just held up its hand and shot out a jet of fire much bigger than the cyclone attack. It went right through the leaves. And then it went right through Ginny, pushing her backwards and to the cold stone ground.

"Ginny!" Hermione and Harry ran forward to get the unconscious girl but identical fire shot in their direction, blasting both of the the untransformed senshi and Harry back onto the wall. Cosmos and Snape had blocked the attack with their own wands, but it had also thrown them back by about a foot. Harry had to remember how to breathe - all the air had been knocked out of him, as had all of his strength. He desperately wanted to leap up and save his friends but couldn't seem to remember how to work his legs. He tried to peer in between Snape and Cosmos for Ginny, but saw nothing but a limp, still form on the ground.

I'm sorry, Ron. I tried to protect you. But I shouldn't have jumped out like that. The others can't transform, now. And I can't do anything about it, but hope that Cosmos or someone saved you and that you're all right. But look. Now you can get farther away from Percy when he's home. And you'll be back to being the youngest and getting more attention. Oh, yes, but Mum's pregnant again. But now we already have the extra room, right? Tell Mum and Dad and everyone I love them.

"And you call yourself a sen-see or whatever?" Someone said. It sounded almost like...but it couldn't be! "Open your eyes, already, you're not dead." The voice said. Ginny's eyes fluttered open to darkness, so dark she wasn't sure if she really had opened her eyes or if she was dreaming. There was a small light in the corner of her eye and she turned her entire body towards it. She realized in that moment she was floating in some sort of blackness, not wearing a thing but her own pale, freckled skin. The light she had found was some sort of energy, and inside was a very small and transparent Ron.

"Ron?" She exclaimed, a smile wide on her face. Then suddenly she curled up into herself, exclaiming only, "I'm naked!"

"You're my sister, Ginny, you were born in our kitchen." The smaller Ron said, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked, once she got over her embarrassment. "Did someone save you? Why are you so small?" She leaned close to the tiny Ron, who was wearing the same expression he wore when he was feeling a bit jealous.

"I don't know." Ron said. "I don't know where we are and what's going on. I don't get anything that happened this year, it's all a bunch of nonsense!"

"Huh." Ginny pouted.

"I don't get a bit of it and I feel like my friends are drifting away from me," said Ron. "But you can't give up just like that, Ginny. You have to stand up and fight!"

Ginny looked around the blackness she inhabited, her hair dreamily floating about. "I don't know how. I feel weak. I don't have enough power."

"Then take mine," Ron said, reaching out a tiny hand. With her index finger, Ginny touched Ron's hand and suddenly felt warmth wash over her, something so bright she had to clench her eyes shut.

Harry finally found the strength to get up - he helped Hermione and Chibiusa to their feet as soon as he was upright. Ron was still on the ground, waxy monster nearby with a boa of fire around it. But standing before the two was Ginny, head lolled back. It looked as if she wasn't quite conscious, but there was some sort of warmth coming from her body that Harry could feel from across the corridor, a warmth that seemed to make the creature draw back. In a flash, her hair had grown much longer and her garb had earned extra layers and poofs here and there. Where there was once a golden tiara, the green symbol of Jupiter shone proudly on her forehead.

Once the heat subsided, she was able to stand tall and straight, facing the creature without an ounce of fear on her face. She raised the plastic-covered wand and shouted, "Astrum Terra Intorqueo!"

The creature that Voldemort had supposedly resurrected was at once gone in a brilliant flash of green and yellow, leaving only the crystal-like object that was Ron's pure heart behind. Both Harry and Hermione sprinted forward to Ron and Ginny's side, Chibiusa following after. Hermione knelt down quickly and brushed her hand over Ron's face.

"He's so cold!" Hermione gasped, her own face turning as pale as Ron's. Behind them, Ginny held Ron's pure heart carefully, only letting it go when it was right over the spot that the creature had snatched it from. It went inside his body seamlessly, and within seconds, Ron started to regain some color and his breathing was much more steady. Harry let out a breath he had been holding for quite some time, he was more then relieved to see his best friend moving.

"He'll be quite alright," Cosmos said quietly, standing above the five. "But we need to take him to the hospital wing and care for those gashes on his face." With that, she flicked her wand, causing Ron's body to float limply in the air before her. "Come, now..." She crooned, careful letting the floating Ron lead her down the stairs. The four students quickly followed after (Ginny de-transforming mid-step, a sight Harry thought he would never get used to), Harry glancing up at Snape as he passed the man. It took a moment, but he heard the clicking of Snape's boots following the group, leaving them when they reached the hospital wing.

Madame Pomfrey hurried the group in and got a bed set up for Ron. She quickly got a few potions down his throat and told them that they could only stay for thirty minutes before scurrying off to get another potion.

"What happened to me, Cosmos?" Ginny asked. Though she was no longer in the more elaborate costume, her hair was still much longer then it had been. "It was like I got knocked out, and I saw Ron, and-"

"He gave you his power, didn't he?" Cosmos asked in a quiet, almost sad tone. Ginny nodded quickly. "He was the one who held the key to unlock your true powers. You are now fully a sailor warrior."

Harry saw that Ginny looked quite astonished and the other two girls looked very pleased. He, on the other hand, was more concerned about something else.

"Cosmos, before, you said that Chaos had entered the school...and found someone with darkness in their heart." Harry said carefully. The three younger girls all knew where Harry was going. "So, Ron...Chaos tried to take over him? Earlier, when we were fighting, his eyes looked different, they went all dark."

Next to him, Hermione gasped slightly. To Harry, she whispered very quietly, "Like Cosmos's..."

"It would seem his anger and feelings, though they may have only been a childish fight, was enough for darkness to find him." Cosmos nodded. "It did not, however, truly posses him, for he had that bit of power within him to ward it off. However," She looked Ron's face, watched his breathing carefully. "Yet another of these creatures Voldemort resurrected has found its way within the castle. It seems those dreams you had were true."

"It was all planned!" Chibiusa exclaimed. "They attacked Ron so that Ginny's powers could be awakened - and they could take it! But...how did it get in the castle?"

"I'm not sure, Small Lady." Cosmos said, still transfixed on Ron.

"Setsuna left, didn't she?" Harry suggested, not wanting to stay quiet. "It seemed like whenever you all use your powers-"

"She always makes sure to go very far from the grounds before teleporting herself anywhere." Cosmos said quickly.

"...um." Hermione spoke up. "Could it be someone inside the castle is letting them in?"

"I don't know who." Cosmos said. "I can't sense an evil presence, now."

"Maybe they don't know they're doing it," Hermione said, staring at Cosmos as intently as Cosmos stared at Ron. Harry instantly knew what Hermione was suggesting - that dark flash in Cosmos's eyes earlier that day was just like Ron's...could it be she was possessed by Chaos?

Cosmos then turned to Harry and Hermione quickly, as if she had figured out what the two were saying. But before she could speak, Madame Pomfrey returned and poured another potion down Ron's throat, one that made the boy sputter and cough before finally opening his eyes and surveying his surroundings.

"Welcome back, Ron," Harry smiled, Hermione who sat behind him letting out a happy hmmn. Ron grinned back, it was like they never had a row.

"Great job, Ginny." Ron said, turning to his sister. "You did really great."

"You remember all of that?" She asked him.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Chibiusa exclaimed. "Both of you!"

Harry heard a noise come from behind him; he turned to see Comsos walking from the room, leaving them be.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked him. Harry quickly turned back and told her it was nothing, before continuing to listen to Ron's very dramatic account of the whole event.

The office that was now shared by Setsuna and Cosmos was dimly lit by only the very last remains of a few candles. Both women sat inside; Setsuna, who had just returned from the time gate to learn of what had happened, and Cosmos who looked utterly...defeated.

"Harry and Hermione...I think they believe that Chaos is inside of me." Cosmos said, looking to the ground.

"Well," Setsuna said from her seat across the big, wooden desk. "I can see why they would think that."

"Rather annoying," Cosmos shrugged. "Rather perceptive."