A PITTED ASTEROID ORBITING THE EARTH'S TALE
Chapter 3: Darkness Falls
A Sailor Moon/Lord of the Rings crossover… and perhaps a bit stereotypical?
SUMMARY: Serena Usagi Tsukino is tired with the plans of Fate and Destiny and rebels, paving a path of her own filled with many uncertainties. A SM/LOTR Xover
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thanks to all those reviewers; enjoy!
Crystal Moon Magic: thanks for reviewing! I guess your curiosity will have to wait just like everyone else! (can you tell I finally love the power?) But thanks to your desperate plea for updates, along with other reviewers, here's another chapter! A/n if u review, I'll post! Doesn't this work nicely? (btw, Serena will go to middle earth in kind of awhile)
S: thanks for the review… I'm glad you thought it was lovely! but I didn't understand your question… what did you mean and could you clarify?
Seiko: *blush* awww, so sweet! I'm glad you think that I'm talented but I'm really not very… haha… please! The best thing you could do is to critically read any story and point out any flaws. I really want my characters to come across as realistic! Review again!
PrincessSerenaXavier AND Crystal-Winter: thanks for reviewing! Please do so again! Remember, suggestions are mucho appreciated!
DaughterofDeath: thanks for reviewing again but do you have any specific suggestion other than to update?? Which I did asap once I u told me to =)
Devine-desire: lol! Your suggestion was mucho helpful! If this doesn't turn out to be an eomer/usagi pairing… I will definitely make it so just for you! Haha.. I agree with the whole 'played out' thing but if it does turn out to be a leg/sere fic, I hope to make it as original and romantic as possible so please bear with me either way… and review again plz! Let me know what was good, bad unrealistic or no!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon or Lord of the Rings. They instead, belong rightfully to the minds of Naeko Takeuchi and JRR Tolkien. I'm just an avid dreamer in the fanfiction world, trying to make a make-believe world come to life and to share my perception of the 'perfect world' to all! If you sue, all I can guarantee that you'll get if you win is my two pennies, my lint (which is now being sold for TWO cents back by popular demand) and the dust bunny I found under my bed. Of course, there should be no reason to sue a poor ol' gal like me!
:::KEY:::
Italics means thoughts
"blabla" means speech
[blabla] translation of some sort to English
A/N: To clarify once more, all Inners and Serena are 16 years old. Mamoru is 20 as are the Starlights. Pluto's age is indeterminable, her human form is 22. Uranus and Neptune are 20 and 19 respectively. Chibiusa appears to be around 9 or 10 years old, but according to the manga, she is really 900 when she comes back to the past, which is what I will be using. Hotaru is currently a baby, but her age can change subject to the need of her powers as Saturn.
I will be using Japanese names as far as possible; Serena's middle name is Usagi, and is her Japanese name, which everybody in Japan calls her by. Her given name is Serena though.
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LAST TIME ON PITTED ASTEROID: "Oh dear me, is the little rabbit hurt? Please tell me it isn't so," jeered the taunting voice as Usagi found herself unable to move another inch as he once again restrained her.
"State your business," she weakly demanded from her compromising position on the floor, hating herself for letting her guard down. What was she to do?
*Cue pragmatic applause and catcalls* I give you THE STORY: *Insert a deadly hush of anticipation followed by someone's cell phone going off with the LOTR theme tune ring.*
A Pitted Asteroid Orbiting the Earth's Tale
Chapter 3: Darkness Falls
The moon would be at the height of its journey soon. So close, about five of Earth minutes. In the dark. Alone. Very cold. And chilly.
Yet she didn't notice all of that as she sat on a wooden bench, rocking back and forth partly to keep herself busy and partly to keep her mind of other things. She clutched a brown, well-worn wrapped package in her small, frail hands, as if her very life depended on it. Muttering wildly, the girl suddenly froze and looked up and around, her eyes darting dangerously, eyeing the rock next to the bench like it could open up to reveal something most horrifying. Then just as suddenly, she whipped her head back down and resumed to rock back and forth. And back and forth. Over and over again.
To the casual passerby, the girl seemed to fade from sight. She was almost invisible, passing through life as though a mere shadow, which in this world, she was naught but. However, her appearance, when noted carefully, was anything but normal. Her clothes were well worn and used, by both time and experience. She had a cloak about her, soft navy blue in color, clasped together with a gray star. Her pale blonde hair was quite long, and fell to her mid back. If one were able to catch a glimpse of her eyes long enough, they would see that they were a startling cornflower blue, and would be surprised at the amount of sorrow and despair that was reflected in those azure orbs of the soul.
But what would amaze any observer the most, would be the peculiar pointed shape of the girl's ears, those ears that looked like they came straight from a fairy tale.
But for the present, this young, mysterious girl had resumed her position and continued to rock back and forth. And back and forth.
The bushes rustled with movement.
With a startled yelp, the fragile young women leapt out of her seat and behind the bench, quivering in fear.
All was still.
After a few minutes that seemed like eternity, the girl tentatively poked her head out from behind the bench in the fetal position she had crawled into. Slowly she made her way back onto the bench. Glancing ever so demurely at the sky, she noticed that it was now exactly midnight.
A dark shiver passed through her as she looked up suddenly and stood up, quite calm from her previous form.
Before her stood an ominous shadow, a figure cloaked in the very darkness that now shaded the world. It brought with it memories of dark times, screams, murders, death, rape, violence, blood and other infinite atrocities of mankind. But most of all IT screamed fear.
Do you have it? The voice questioned. The woman stepped back, startled at the figure that emitted no sound. But it was everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was empty and black, it reeked of dark magick and uncleanness, of dirt and grime and unfounded filth. She shuddered, as she felt a shadow pass over her soul, her heart clamping down.
Inclining her head, the woman nodded a yes, not trusting her voice to speak and silently prayed to every star she knew for light to shine once more.
Very good. Your success shall be noted and you shall be appropriately rewarded when the time comes. IT sounded.
Shakily, she presented the package she had been safekeeping to the unknown eclipse.
What appeared to be a hand passed over the package as she held it, and in doing so, hovered just above one of her hands. IT appeared to be inspecting the package, how, she could not begin to guess. An icy wave of evil washed over the young woman and she nearly collapsed with the weight of it as she felt IT's hand and its power so close.
IT seemed to take no notice of her plight. You have done well. Beckoning slightly with two fingers, the package was taken from her grasp and hovered slowly to where IT stood. Your task has been completed. My master will be most pleased with your success. Return to your post. You shall be notified as to when you are needed next. Do not under ANY circumstances attempt to establish any sort of contact.
With that, IT was gone, leaving the air to rush into the spot he had just occupied. She sighed wearily, as if a darkness upon her soul had been lifted yet another one replaced it, something strangely unknown to her.
Turning to the east, she faded into the night and resumed her journey.
~*~*~*
Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tappity tap tap. Tap tapity tappy tap. Tap tap tappi –
"ODANGO ATAMA [Meatball head]!!!!! Stop that irritating sound at once!"
"Gomen ne [sorry] Rei chan. I was distracted," apologized Usagi, as she turned her gaze briefly to the fiery haired priestess-in-training and then resuming her staring contest with the tile floor.
Rei's mouth dropped open in shock, as did the other members of their study group at the Crown. She furtively glanced back at the other three, Makoto, Ami and Minako as well as Luna and Artemis, each of which sported similar looks of stupefaction.
"Usa chan. Daijoubu desu ka? [You okay?]" asked a concerned Minako, her red bow bouncing in agreement.
"Hai [yes] Mina chan. Shinpai shinai desuyo. [Don't worry]" reassured the blonde in a monotonous voice. Now everyone was truly concerned. First Usagi doesn't get into a tongue war with Rei and APOLOGIZES. Then the normally cheerful blonde looked as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders, which it was, but it never showed. And second, she lies about her state of mind.
"Ok odango, what's up? We aren't leaving here until you tell us what's wrong with you," demanded Rei. The heated senshi of fire often did get into spats with Usagi, but she loved her like a sister, and knew when to call it quits.
"Arigatou [thanks] you guys. I'll be fine. I just need to sort this one out on my own, ok?" she pleaded, as she turned her blue gaze towards the group.
"Of course Usa chan. We'll give you your space. But if you want to talk, we're here to listen, ok? Don't forget that. We're sisters first, friends second, and most of all senshi third," said Ami softly, and Usagi couldn't help but give her blue-haired friend a tentative smile.
"Ya girl! We care for you, but if you need some alone time, go right ahead and take it," chipped in Makoto. And Usagi gave them all a genuine grin of gratefulness.
"Arigatou you guys. In fact, I think I'm gonna go no –" just as she said that, the five of them plus the cats jumped at the scream in the distance, "Right after that youma. Come on girls!" she whispered, making sure none of the other customers of the Crown Arcade heard them as the five silently made their way out the store. Luna and Artemis stayed behind, trusting their charges to do what's right.
Ducking into an alley by the Arcade, the girls called out their transformations.
"MERCURY COSMIC POWER!"
"MARS COSMIC POWER!"
"JUPITER COSMIC POWER!"
"VENUS COSMIC POWER!"
"COSMIC MOON POWER!"
… "MAKE UP!" they all shouted in unison as five flashes of light engulfed them all and faded away to reveal the five sailor senshi, self-proclaimed protectors of the earth.
Jumping onto the rooftops, they spotted the rampaging youma a street away, in a firehouse. After doing a complete ocular scan with her visor, Sailor Mercury said, "Okay you guys, standard youma, in fact, it's an older copy, a leftover from Mistress Nine. It should be the regular slice, dice and moon dust Sailor Moon. It's a slime youma, and will use slime centered attacks," she informed their leader.
"Got it Mercury," confirmed Sailor Moon, as they began to discuss strategy.
"Since this is an older youma, I suggest sending three scouts in, leaving two for back up to scout the area for any other youmas," advised Venus, folding her arms together.
"Good idea. Jupiter and Venus, with me. Mars and Mercury, scout the area. Mercury, keep a heads up with your scanner and let us know if there are any more ok?" instructed Moon. After an assent from all five, the group broke up into their respective teams and headed off according to plan.
Hopping to a nearby tree, Sailor Moon began her trademark speech, "Hey big and ugly! Yeah that's you!" she cried, as the youma turned her way rather sluggishly, "How dare you hurt the innocent people of Juuban. For that you shall be punished! I am Sailor Moon, champion of Love and Justice! I right wrongs and triumph over all evil, and that means Nega scum like you youma!"
Jumping out of the tree, Moon was flanked by Jupiter and Venus almost immediately.
"You heard her muck brain! I am Sailor Jupiter wielder of thunder and lightning. You'd best bet your bottom dollar that you aren't gonna see another day bub!"
"That's right slime ball! I'm Sailor Venus, the guardian of all that is beautiful, and you certainly aren't! You're going down!"
The youma barely registered the two as it made its way towards Sailor Moon hurling a massive bulk of slime along the way. Ducking and rolling, Moon avoided the ball and cried out, "Jupiter, your thunder attack!"
"Hai [Yes]! JUPITER THUNDER CLOUD! ZAP!" and hurled a ball of lightning, successfully hitting the mucous-coated demon. Immediately, Venus followed up with her own attack, "VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN! ENCIRCLE!" and caught the youma in her chain.
"You're moon dusted! STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!" Moon cried out, using one of her older attacks to dust the youma, not wanting to expend too much energy.
With an agonizing cry, the youma disappeared in a shower of stars and sparkles. Venus let out a whoop of joy. Taking out her communicator, Moon relayed the successful slayage of said demon to Mercury and Mars who confirmed that there were no other youmas for the present.
"Okay you guys, lets move on out, looks like we got off easy for now," informed Sailor Moon. As Jupiter and Venus headed back to detransform, Sailor Moon went over to the young boy who was about to have his energy drained just before the senshi showed up. It was all like clockwork.
"Hey you okay there kiddo? Youma didn't get you too bad, did they?"
"No, I'm alright thanks! Wow Sailor Moon and her senshi saved me! This is so awesome. My friends are gonna be so jealous!" With that, the kid scampered off.
Chuckling to herself, Sailor Moon turned and began to follow her senshi, who had already disappeared from sight. Oh, well, I guess I can just meet back up with them at the Crown Arcade. My stuff's there anyway, she thought, as she continued to walk. Getting ready to jump to one of the roof tops, so as not to be seen, Sailor Moon spied a figure watching her and hissed out in recognition.
It was the man who had trapped her at the Crown Arcade. The sight of him brought back memories of what had happened, especially the events following that when he had her on the floor. Shuddering she involuntarily thought back to that day, which had haunted her ever since then…
TBC!!
AN: Haha! Cliffhanger! Don't worry, next episode, you will find out what happened back at the Arcade and more! And Usagi will go to Middle earth soon, I just want to develop her character more, as well as everybody else's. Please bear with me! I want this to be as realistic as possible.
And hey, if you helpfully review, you get updates faster!
I worked reallly really hard on this chapter so I want many reviews, and they don't have to praise me! Suggestions in fact would be more valuable. Tell me where you think the story will go, or what you want, OTHER THAN PAIRINGS, or that too. I'm not the best writer, and if there is something that sounds out of character, then let me know! I want this to be a fairly real story!
Sayonara minna!