Disclaimer: I do not own anyone from "CardCaptor Sakura". They are all owned by the ladies of CLAMP who are much more talented than I. (smile) I also do not own anyone from "Sailor Moon". They are all owned by Takeuchi Naoko whose vision will live eternally. (smile) (Much to Elflina's dismay...) All other characters are my own. Feel free to steal them.
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A new reviewer! Welcome, Sakura Blossom-Cilla-85! (wink) Well, yes, Time of course... But it was a little difficult to come up with a second Card. Not as difficult as Venus' whole combo was, of course, but difficult. You'll have to wait a little longer to see what it is. And hello to Taeniaea and Miss Takin. Haha, I take it you finally figured out why Luna didn't disappear when Serenity did? Or was it something else you figured out? Here's the next chapter!
My very first attempt at a songfic. Please be gentle... smile
Used completely, 100 percent, totally without permission from anyone. The version used below is is my interpretation of the song "Double Moonlight Romance" based on translations I have seen and my interpretation of the "world" and situation. Primarily, I was influenced by Ken Yuen's fansub translation and by Andrew Floyd (assisted by Bruce Clark)'s translation as shown on the website Musical Moon.
Performed by ChibiUsa, Pegasus, Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion (Shirai Tamaki Dia, Enomoto Yuuta (uncredited), Ohyama ANZA, Mochizuki Yuuta)
Original written by Pretty Soldier SAILORMOON Musical SuperS songwriter. If anyone can identify (lyricist, not composer), please let me know (private e-mail okay) so that I can give proper credit. Thanks! And enjoy! - Raya
Moonlit Sakura
Chapter 25 - Moonlight Romance
"At last..." Super Sailor Pluto sighed. Inside, her heart jumped for joy as she recognized both the man and the power that he held. Her young friend's love had finally been found.. "At last... you have... come..." She closed her eyes and dug deep inside for the strength to slow down the enemy's spell. A faint bubble surrounded her, and time within that bubble began to slow down. 'Can't hold it... for long...' she thought to herself as the pain from his spell and the Time Loop attack continued to drain her strength.
Helios through Pegasus: "At last I've met her! A Maiden with beautiful dreams! Protected by the light of the moon, the Princess who will become a soldier... You're the one I've searched for, Yet I believed we'd meet. Until we met, I was a little anxious. Like fog, it hangs around my wings."
Super Sailor Moon stared at Vital in shock. For just a moment, her heart leapt with joy in spite of the tragedy that was occurring. 'You're here,' she thought to herself as fresh tears began to pour down her face. "You're finally here," she whispered. "I knew you would come."
"Sailor Moon?" Sailor Ceres asked uncertainly as she and her fellow guardians gave their princess puzzled looks. "Do you know this guy?" Her gaze hardened as she switched it back to the unexpected intruder. Belatedly, Vital remembered Pallas' warning. He tensed nervously as he looked at the senshi surrounding him.
"Of course," his angel said softly. "Of course I know him. What's gotten into you guys?" she asked as she looked around at her protective friends.
"They don't remember," Super Sailor Mercury said as she walked across the hall to stand beside Vital. "None of them do. And you are in danger, remember?" She turned to face the nervous, confused man and gave him a gentle smile. "We've been searching for you. I'm so glad you have finally come."
"Umm… Yeah," he replied uncertainly. He looked again towards Super Sailor Moon and felt his heart clench at the disappointment in her eyes.
"You… You don't remember?" she asked, wrapping her arms around herself. "You don't remember Elysian? Or Neherenia? Pegasus? Or… Or…" Deep inside, she felt the relief drain away and the loneliness return.
"Elysian?" Sailor Pallas asked as her voice died out. "He was from Elysian? You mean, he is…"
Super Sailor Mercury glanced down at her screen to check the status of the tracking program then nodded. "Like you four, he was protected by the Moon until he was reborn. He should be the Tuxedo Mask we have been searching for."
Ignoring the four surprised guardians, Vital walked across the room and gently laid his hands on Sailor Moon's shoulders. "I'm sorry I don't remember," he said softly looking into her sad, dark pink eyes. "But I heard you. All the way across the world, I heard you call to me, and I came. I'm here. How can I help?"
ChibiUsa: ""Maiden?" Yes, I am truly one. I'm too happy to be scared. I didn't know you were this beautiful! But after seeing you, I feel I already know you. Why?"
'So beautiful…' Vital thought to himself as he waited for her answer. 'I never believed she'd be so beautiful… Yet, strong. Very strong… Why do I think that?'
"Please, Maiden, let me help," he heard himself beg softly. "You've been crying so long… Felt so hopeless… That's not like you." As she gasped in shock, he drew back a little and shook his head in surprise. 'How…?' he thought uncertainly, but knowing somehow that he spoke the truth.
Quickly, Super Sailor Moon reached up and caught his hands. She held on tightly as she stared searchingly into his wine colored eyes once more. Inside, the fog of hurt and loneliness lifted again. "Maiden? You want to help me?" she asked softly.
He felt himself drown in her eyes once more. "Yes… I need to help you. What can I do? I'm… I'm not much of a fighter." His face brightened as he remembered why Pallas had brought him to the palace in the first place. "I can translate that curse!" And then it fell again. "But, I can't reverse it. I can only tell you roughly what he is saying."
Duet 1: "This is our destiny. Now it begins. Here, the past and future are connected. We can repeat our Moonlight Romance. Woo..."
Super Sailor Moon smiled, as Super Sailor Mercury and Super Sailor Pluto exchanged bright glances. "That will help. And if you will take Pluto's place here at the Doors, that will help, too. We can't leave them unguarded," she replied.
"The Doors?" he asked uncertainly.
"The Doors of Time," she replied unthinkingly. Around her, her four young friends gasped in shock at her openness. "They must be guarded to ensure that we are not invaded from another time or dimension."
Vital shifted nervously. "What can I do to stop them? Will I be provided with weapons or something?"
"How about an old comrade?" Super Sailor Moon asked impulsively. As he looked uncertainly at her, she smiled wider at the plan which had appeared in her mind. "Trust me. Close your eyes," she commanded gently, closing her own.
As the senshi watched curiously, a pink glow began to surround the couple. From their joined hands, pink-gold energy began to radiate in streaks. Suddenly, the streaks combined into a ball of energy above their hands. Gently, it wafted over towards the Doors until it came to a stop beside Super Sailor Pluto. It grew as tall as Vital, and then burst with a shower of bright sparkles, leaving behind a white winged unicorn.
Pegasus whickered gently as it shook its wings and pawed at the floor with a front hoof. The sound caused Super Sailor Moon to grin. She opened her eyes and spun around to greet her old friend without letting go of Vital's hands. "Pegasus!"
Super Sailor Pluto and Super Sailor Mercury smiled as the younger senshi gasped in surprise. As she turned back to face Vital, Super Sailor Moon's eyes grew big. "Tux… Tuxedo Mask?" she gasped.
With a spurt of jealousy, Vital turned his eyes away from the winged unicorn, and turned to look for the hero his Maiden had been waiting for. As he turned, the cloak which had appeared around his shoulders swirled. The tug caught his attention, and his eyes widened as he saw that his clothes had changed.
Sailor Ceres rubbed her eyes in disbelief, while Sailor Juno pinched herself. Sailor Pallas and Sailor Vesta just stared at the transformed man with amazement. The ordinary, good looking man they had met just a few moments ago was gone. In his place, an equally handsome man dressed in a formal white tuxedo stood. His cummerbund and the lining of his white cape were a rich, glowing, wheaten gold. A white top hat sat on top of his silver-gold hair, and a mask which appeared to be made of feathers covered most of his face and accentuated his wine dark eyes.
Blinking uncertainly, Tuxedo Mask turned to look at Super Sailor Moon. As he did, his transformation faded away.
Super Sailor Moon tilted her head to one side and returned his uncertain look. Then, she turned her puzzled look to Super Sailor Mercury, whose smile of satisfaction became one of reassurance.
'I was right. Mako-chan will owe me a dinner...' the Senshi of Water thought happily to herself. "He hasn't awoken quite enough, yet," she replied to her princess' unspoken question. "He will, though. Don't worry. And if Pluto agrees, he should be strong enough to stand watch here for a short while and warn us of any impending danger."
Princess Serenity: "When we stand in the moonlight I remember, a love from before I was born."
Prince Endymion: "A gentle feeling I can't stop comes over me when I think about you. Why?"
Serenity gasped, and then smiled. Around her, her friends turned quickly to face her, alert for danger. Serenity ignored them, and caught her husband's eyes.
"Small Lady..." she said breathlessly. "I can feel her. She is so happy!"
"She is?" "You can?" "What has happened?" "Where is she?" "Small Lady?" As her friends called out surprised questions, Serenity felt herself getting lost in Endymion's dark blue eyes. The joy she felt from her daughter was unmistakable, and she felt a matching joy well up within her.
King Endymion gave his wife a puzzled look, but the expression in her eyes quickly distracted him and made him forget his own questions. He felt his breath catch, and slowly he lifted a hand to her. Smiling gently, she placed her hand in his.
Duet 2: "This is our destiny. It begins again. Here, the past and future are connected. We can repeat our Moonlight Romance."
Super Sailor Venus stared at them, caught up in their glow of love. Super Sailor Neptune and Super Sailor Uranus turned to give each other an amused look. Super Sailor Saturn cocked her head to one side as a hopeful expression began to dawn on her face. Super Sailor Jupiter and Super Sailor Mars rolled their eyes, sighed, and exchanged amused sympathetic looks.
"Hello..." Super Sailor Mars called out teasingly. "Excuse us... Serenity? King Endymion-sama? Hello...? You were going to tell us how you could suddenly feel Small Lady and why she was so happy?"
Before the enraptured couple could turn to reply, a small tremor ran through the world. King Endymion quickly steadied his wife, while their friends fought to keep their feet. Glancing around fearfully, they spied a small black object laying near the Dark Twin.
Serenity's eyes opened wide, and she rushed over to the sleeping figure. A small white blur passed her and arrived first. "Luna?" Artemis called gently as he anxiously touched his nose to his mate's dark head.
"Oh Luna," Serenity echoed as she collapsed to her knees beside the feline couple. Tentatively, she reached out her hands, and then drew them back as Artemis nuzzled her adviser again. Unconscious, Luna did not respond.
Suddenly, the world trembled again more violently. With wide, sad eyes, the friends looked around to see which comrade was coming to join them in their mysterious prison.
Just as Super Sailor Mercury's computer began to beep for attention, Super Sailor Pluto screamed loudly and let her Time Staff fall to the ground. She hunched over as her abdomen and chest disappeared.
"Pluto..." Super Sailor Moon moaned, clenching again at Vital's hands. Gently, he put an arm around her shoulder and tried to comfort her.
"I've got it! We found them, Pluto!" Super Sailor Mercury called as the Guardian of Time disappeared from their sight. "Pluto..." Desperately, she wondered if the older senshi had heard her and knew that her sacrifice had paid off.
Sailor Ceres, Sailor Juno, Sailor Pallas, and Sailor Vesta all gathered together and tried to comfort each other. Tentatively, Sailor Ceres broke away from the group and stepped towards her princess.
She stopped as Super Sailor Moon suddenly turned, buried her face in Vital's chest, and began to sob harshly. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her and rocked her. He stared in shock at the post which had now become his.
"May your soul be wiped from this plane, and all traces vanish..." he whispered in shock. Then, his face hardened. "No. There has to be a way. A way to bring the banished souls back." His arms tightened protectively around his maiden.
The world shook violently once more. Suddenly, a flash of black light blinded them. As their sight cleared, the senshi noted three new figures in the distance.
"Pluto..." Serenity said softly as King Endymion gently placed an arm around her shoulders.
Quartet: "Moonlight Romance Moonlight Romance, Woo."