Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten. Buddha Gotama
"Where fear is present, wisdom cannot be." Lactantius
That…was not something she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear him say, 'Usako, I only love you.' Like he had done so many times before. Or say, 'You know you're the only one in my heart.'
To hear him say, 'I don't know' was as good as him saying, 'yes I do', to her.
Still, she shook her head a little, " What do you mean Mamo-chan?" She kept her back to Usa who was listening, and her head tilted slightly so her bangs would hide her eyes. "You…couldn't feel something for her could you?"
Endymion stares up at her sighing softly as he stood up. " I told you, Usako. I don't know what I feel for Kritra, but you know that my heart and loyalty lies with you."
Maybe it was the room, the darkness that surrounded them. Perhaps it had been the pressure of that voice that had always told her things. Or maybe…maybe she was tired. Either way, a loud crack was heard and Endymion's head jerked sideways.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Usa was still leaning against the wall, but her hands were over her mouth and her crimson eyes were wide in surprise. She had never…ever seen her mother hit her father and vice versa.
Serenity stared at him for a long time almost surprised yet not, at her actions. She lowers her still stinging hand as he turned to look at her.
Something in her mind told her she had done something very wrong. There was something about his eyes…just for a second she saw something very dangerous there before it was hidden. It was then she noticed the small trail of blood that had trickled out of his mouth.
Her sapphire eyes glances from the blood to his eye then back. No, she mustn't lose that resolve. " Loyalty and love…don't make me laugh." She says harshly, " Your loyalty and love are in a girl named Elysion! There lies your loyalty and love for me, Endymion!"
There was a very thick silence within the room as none of its occupants spoke. Instead the man in question let it stretched longer, allowing the trail of blood to become a small droplet on his chin and fall to his shirt.
Those moments were very tensed as Serenity looked from the stain to his face and back trying to read him as she had always done before. But there was nothing when she reached out to their link.
That startled her more now. How…how could he still be there and yet their link is not?
Endymion raised a brow looking at her before lifting a white-gloved hand.
Instinctively, she took a step back, but he was doing nothing more then wiping the blood away.
"You're very vain, Serenity." Was all he said looking at the stains on his glove. "I tell you only the truth, but even the truth doesn't seem to be enough." His eyes shifted up to her, " I told you everything."
She remained quiet but still defiantly staring at him. "How could you forget…forget fathering a child?"
It's this place, Usa thought to herself staring at her parents. 'It has to be this place. It must amplify all our darkest thoughts and bring them out.'
"Did you forget those nights when Usa was conceived?" the queen continued, " After all your amnesia seems to be selective!"
He stared at her for a long while before turning away from her, " Did you ever know me?"
She frowns at that. What kind of question was that? " Of course I know you. I know you well enough, Mamoru."
"Well enough…" He mutters still not looking at her as he presses a hand to the wall. His odd behavior made both women watch him. He was known to be unpredictable at times like this.
Still Usa spoke up, " You have to stop fighting." She licks her lips a little nervously when both her parents looked over at her. " Don't you remember what Kritra said? It's this place that's making you say that. You don't really believe it do you?"
"Jamil-sama.." Avon breathed softly curled at his side. This was perfect. Everything she had dreamed of was slowly coming true. Well, at least this was. Glancing up at her lover's contented face, she places a soft kiss on his chest. Personally, she enjoyed the contrast between their skin tones. His dark brown and hers pale ivory. Maybe that's what made her desire for him more?
Even as she began to get sleepy a bit, Jamil moved, sitting up. " Now, is the time to call her."
"Her?" Avon sat up looking at him, " You mean our Lady?"
"Of course."
"But…don't we need the other crystals…?"
He moves to shower, " Of course."
Avon watched him, sitting up and pulling the covers up a bit. "But…" Maybe not everything was going according to plan.
Elysion looked down at the odd golden key in her hand before looking back up at the advisors. "You mean…this will take me to where they are?"
"That's right, " Diana said to her, " that time key is used only in emergencies. Princess Lady Serenity used it to travel back in time when the black moon clan was here."
Nodding a little she breathed in before saying, "Neo Chikyuu Power, transform!" In a flurry of rose petals and light, she transformed into Neo Terra. Readjusting her holster a little, she looks at them through her black mask. "Wish me luck."
She held the key focusing her mind on the starseeds, her mother, and her father before it began to glow and the light encased her. The light shot up through the ceiling taking the warrior to where she needed to be.
"I hope she'll succeed." Artemis says.
She didn't know where she landed but Neo Terra found herself in a darkened hallway. Glancing around, the dark senshi pulled out her gun and held it in a two handed grip.
"Might as well." She mutters as she walks quickly and quietly to her right. Her dark shoes barely made any noise as she turned onto another hallway before she heard the scrapping of claws against the dark marble floors. She looks around before ducking into a room.
Neo Terra, despite how she looked, was scared out of her mind. She could swear that those odd creatures could hear her heart beating. Licking her lips, she kept quiet, as the steps were slow and steady before they suddenly stopped.
Closing her eyes she prayed softly in her mind for it to go before she opened her eyes a little and glances through the crack of the door.
She bites her lower lip as she saw the creature. The same type of monster they had fought before. Before it hadn't been as scary. There were others with her then, now it was just her alone.
The creature's dark ruby eyes gleamed as the yellow cat-like pupils narrowed. It sniffed around a few times; shifting its weight a little as it's long tail swept the floor. Finally, much to her relief, the creature walked on.
Quietly, the young warrior opened the door and slipped out as the creature's back was to her.
She should…she had to.
Taking aim for a headshot, Neo Terra forced her hands to stop shaking enough to make sure it would be on target. 'Just…just squeeze the trigger.' She thought to herself. ' Jus-'
From behind her came a roar so loud she shook. Turning her head she could see another creature snarling at her.
"Oh shit." She swore softly whirling around and firing at the charging monster. 'Die! Why won't it die!' she watched the monster fall on the ground. 'Is it…?'
She didn't get to finish her thought as she fell to the ground tackled by the monster she had originally planned to kill.
"Ah!" she yelps being thrown against the wall as her weapon scattered from her. The creature was trying to tear through her. Neo Terra felt tears well up and fell unnoticed as she tired to get away. The monster chased her mercilessly, howling and snapping at her.
She grabbed the gun, whirling and just fired at it. The bullets from the gun lodged themselves in the monster cranium. The dark creature didn't even have a moment to gasp as it just lurched forward-dead with it's eyes still open and it's mouth agape as saliva dripped from it's sharp pointed teeth to the floor.
Neo Terra could only sit there for a moment shaken still. In her mind, she knew she had to get going, but the fear almost made her limbs like lead. 'I have to move.'
Blue-gray eyes blinked away other tears that threatened to fall before getting up. She couldn't stop now. She had to find the others. Wincing slightly, she could feel the pain of the wounds on her back. Gritting her teeth she moved along the hallway.
She would succeed.
"Kritra." Jamil stood in her doorway watching her.
Kritra was not looking at him, but at the earth through the small circular window. At the moment her mind wondered over many things and memories before he interrupted her.
Jamil's eyes roamed over his sister's form actually looking at her. She was wearing all leather from head to toe. Her black top was backless and showed her stomach while her skirt hem barely touched six inches above her knees. Her black boots stopped just before her knees. Her long hair was in one braid that went slightly below her shoulders.
The dark woman turns towards him, her chocolate brown eyes were so cold, and he was startled himself.
"Bring the prisoners up. It's time to call our lady from the heavens." Jamil then turned, still dressed in white with his gray cloak swirling around him as he strode away.
The woman turns back to the window for a moment before breathing out. It was getting colder. Oddly enough, she didn't feel cold anymore. Perhaps, she had reasoned to herself, she was used to it. Still, she took her halberd with her as she walked to gather them. In the back of her mind she felt something but dismissed it.
"I'm cold…" Usa shivered slightly and curled up closer to her mother. It seemed like hours have passed; yet at the same time, it was timeless, since her parents even spoken to each other. The temperature in the room was steadily going down.
Serenity kisses her daughter's forehead and held her closer as they huddled to keep warm. "I know sweetie." She says softly, "We'll figure a way out of here."
That was when Endymion's cape and coat fell on them and he tucked the cape around the two then laid the coat on top of it.
"Here." He had said before sitting a bit from them, "That should keep you warmer at least."
Serenity looks at the lavender cloak and then at her husband. Still the same Mamoru… "Thank you." She whispered and huddles down more. She wanted to forgive him. She wanted things to go back the way they were.
'But they can't. They can never go back that way because she is there.' The voice, the first one, said to her. 'Elysion is still there. Still proof of his infidelity and of the witch's charm. Why is it that everyone wants to take him away from you?'
No more…she wanted to say to it as she remembered more and more. The voice was right. Everyone wanted to take him away to hurt her. They wanted him for themselves. She couldn't let that happened.
Shaking her pale white head she looks over at the man that was her husband of many years.
As she was about to speak, the door slide open and Kritra appeared with her weapon at her side and two dark creatures behind her. Her gaze gave nothing away as she walked in and pointed her weapon at Usa, charging it with her energy, " If you do not wish to see the inside of this child's skull, I suggest you move peacefully with the guards. My brother wishes to see you."
Her voice was still unchanged, perhaps a tad colder then before. "Now…move."
Lady Avon stood in the middle of the darkened room- the main room if you will- staring up at the ceiling then the wall to her right. The wall was made up of a type of nano bytes that allowed one to see outside like a window of sorts. She gazed outside at the planets, moons and suns. Such a spectacular sight to behold, yet, the emerald haired vixen felt nothing as she heard the sound of claws and feet against the black marble floor.
"So they've come peacefully haven't they?" She glances towards the archway as the group entered.
"Welcome, welcome." Jamil stood smiling broadly at the group, " You're just in time, 'king'." He moves neither hurried nor slowly, but purposefully towards the other wall. Doing as Kritra had done before, the door slid open to reveal the golden machine in all its glory. It had two large rings with smaller ones inside that circled around a stone that sat in the very center. At one end, pointing towards the window like wall was a laser pointer.
The thing that was noticeable about the machine was that in each of the rings, the smaller ones were small colorful crystals.
"Give them back." Serenity demanded of him. "If you are truly as you say you are then you shouldn't be doing this!"
Lady Avon hissed, "Silence you wretch!" She sauntered by then, her boots clicking softly against the marble, " You should be grateful to him. Lord Jamil wishes you to see the sight of our Lady for when she arrives."
"Just who is this lady?" Endymion asked, though every few moments he stole a glance at Kritra. Perhaps, he had reasoned, she was planning all this only to rescue them? Such a silly thought, but it is one he was hoping for.
Jamil moved casually back over towards them waving his hand as a few of the creatures disappeared. " The Lady is the beginning and the end." He said simply with a smile, "She is the answer to everything. The nurturer of the lost wounded souls of this careless universe." His grin spread more, "She will cleanse the earth of it's illness and cast out those that have harmed the great mother."
"You're insane!" Usa said glaring at him, " We've done nothing but protected earth!"
"So you say so you say…" The man waves it off and glances over at Lady Avon, " Kritra, start the machine…Lady Avon, be a dear and make our guests…" He laughed softly, "Comfortable."
"As you wish." No sooner did those words left Avon's mouth did she attack the royal family. More like, she attacked the king himself, for he had placed himself between the small family and the attack.
"Mamo-chan!" Serenity held her brooch to her ready to call out her henshin phrase, her daughter also about to copy her mother's movements when dark ropes slithered up and trapped the two women, causing them to drop their brooches.
"Oh no!" Usa struggled against them but the black rope tightened more.
'It can't be like this.' Serenity thought as she heard the steps of the black man as he moved over towards her unconscious husband, "Stay away from him!" She turns her eyes towards the man's sister, "If you have love for Mamo-chan…Save him!" She almost didn't care any more about the blasted affair. She only knew that she didn't want to lose her love. If that meant begging her opposition to save him, then so be it.
"Kritra!"
Kritra turned to see her brother heading for the unconscious man. Something inside of her twisted uncomfortably. The king…she had to help the king… she had...
"Ru-chan…" she whispered and stopped what she had been doing before taking a leap over towards him. Whatever else the dark woman was, she was not one to let someone harm those she loved. "Brother, You said you would not harm him!"
She angrily slashed at him, forcing him to step away from Endymion, who was slowly coming around.
"You promised, Jammy!"
Jamil only smiled at his sister; his poor naïve little sister. "So I have, sister dear." Jamil's hands crackled with power, "But I never said he would be alive!" At the end of that he launched a powerful energy blast towards her.
Caught off guard at the immense power that he had hurled at her, she was having difficulty in blocking it with her own shield. 'He's strong. How did he get this powerful?'
When it started to wink out of sight, as the light of it had blinded her, Kritra felt something connect with her cheek. A fist punching her, knocking her into the floor then making her body slides slightly. When she finally came to a stop, the warrior woman shook her head; feeling slightly dizzy and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
She spat it out, and wiped her lips looking up as she cried out, " Mamoru- run!"
Endymion ran, but he ran over to his wife and child scooping up their brooches before he knelt by them and conjured up a small flame to burn away the ropes.
"Avon, get his golden star seed." Jamil said, seemingly unconcerned about it as he strolled over towards his sister, "Now, Krit, I'll be kind enough to allow you to live long enough to see the coming of the lady." He smiled a little as he noticed the fine pulsing power that she was fathering. 'Foolish woman.' He had thought, ' does she think she can defy me and win?'
"Mamo-chan," Serenity glances over at him as she tried to reach for her brooch, "hurry!"
"Almost d-" His words were cut off by a gurgling sound. He and his family had been so absorbed by getting themselves free, that they had failed to notice Lady Avon had moved behind him and impaled him with her metallic staff.
"Papa!" Usa cries out at the horror.
At the same time, she had walked into this sight.
"No…" Neo Terra shook her head feeling the tears build up but stubbornly she tried to push them aside as she watched Lady Avon reach in to pull the golden crystal out. She had almost forgotten her weapon when she snapped out of it at it's weight in her hands.
Unconsciously, the young warrior had drawn the weapon but now she leveled it at the back of Lady Avon's head. She had less then a half a round left in it's chamber.
She would make it count.
"Lady Avon." Her voice was empty as she could make it.
The emerald haired sorceress turned her head and snarls "Yo-"
The weapon went off and Lady Avon's body hit the floor with a small thud. In her grasp the golden starseed glowed dimly.
Neo Terra turns to look over towards her mother and uncle. Only to find her mother on her knees with a vacant look in her eyes. Her uncle's face was alight with such sadism at his sibling's plight.
"Release my mother." She said. No she couldn't look down. She couldn't. If she did, she would fall to pieces.
At the sound of her voice, Jamil turned and simply let the woman go. "See, my sweet niece." He said with false charm, " Your mother is free as is your father."
"You killed him."
Jamil's brows rose, as the two ignored the weeping of the Princess of the Moon, and seemed to slowly walk towards each other. "No, no, dear niece, Lady Avon did the deed, I merely told her to."
"Same difference."
"There is a difference, young one." He told her, "She had a choice to do as I say or not. Therefore, it was up to her to end his life. Either way…." His dark eyes flickered towards Kritra then back at the young girl, "The lady shall be here soon, Kritra…"
Kritra's body seemed to have a mind of it's own as she stood without expression on her face. There seemed to be no need for words or orders and by the time Neo Terra had realized her mother had moved, she was on the ground.
"Kritra!" Usa's cries as the pink haired princess fought with the woman over the golden crystal and lost. "Mama! MAMA" Usa had turned to her pale haired mother who seemed to be frozen by it all.
Surely the queen, one of the most powerful of senshi, surely she could do something!
But, perhaps it was the crippling grief of her lover's death, or mayhap the fact she was once more very alone in the world. Whichever the case, Serenity only managed to stare at her daughter for a moment as her emotions took full reign of her control and thought.
With emotions, there is only a sense of self-justification; that everything you have done was reasonable for emotions do not adhere to logic at all.
Either way, the crystal that resided inside of the queen began to form. For this moment, she was thinking selfishly and wished to destroy it all.
However something jarred her out of it. The overwhelming sense of evil coming towards them made her almost forget her grief within the blinding fear the gripped her body and her very core.
What was this? She had wondered turning towards it as she heard Jamil's laughter echo through the silent room.
"She is coming!" His fevered face turned towards the remaining occupants, "And she shall take on a body and there shall the great Lady cleanse us all!" He stretched out his hands welcoming this thing of dark light that was flying towards them. "Come my lady and honor us with your presence! Take me, Hakim Jamil, your loyal servant as your new avatar!"
Neo Terra, too, was horrified at the sight, for she had never in her lifetime seen anything as…as terrible as this. As the ball of dark light slammed into the nanos, she thought she head a scream and the sounds of something- machinery perhaps- being broken. The warrior did not know because everything, for that moment, was dark as space without the presence of light.
She could hear her heart beat so loud that it seemed to be the only sound she could make out. Hesitantly, she called out to the only two she knew that were alive, " Queen? Usa?"
'Please...please...let them be alive. I don't want to be alone in this!' Her thoughts held an edge of panic as she started to feel her way around, "Mama…"
Was this how it was? To be blind and deaf? Why? Why couldn't she find anyone?
"Usa?"
"Elysion?" The sound of her half-sister's voice never sounded sweeter to her ears as it did then. "Where are you? Mama?"
Slowly, the room became dim as something was lighting it up. In the dim light, Neo Terra could make out the shapes of both the queen and the princess.
'Thank gods.' She thought crawling towards them. As she got closer and the lights got brighter, she could tell that the two had transformed under the cover of darkness.
"Usa?" Neo Terra glances over at Neo Moon, noting the redness of her eyes and how pale she was even in this horrible lighting.
The pink haired senshi could only point towards the glowing lights, "Look…"
"Minna…" the only word that tumbled from the pale lips of Cosmos. "are you free now?"
"No…" The figure before them also glowed with a fine power as the star seeds came closer they could see it was the figure of a woman. "They now belong to me."
Cosmos's eyes widen, "Chaos…"
There was a small chuckle that echoed the room; the lights returned to normal even though they were still dim. Chaos had chosen a new avatar.
"No…" The denial came from one of the two young girls.
Kritra's body had been transformed into something slightly different. It still looked like Kritra, yet…the hair was different, longer then before with two ruby red locks of hair that framed her face. Her eyes were tricolor, for where there had been white, there was darkness, where her irises had been a lovely deep brown, it was the color of fresh blood, and where her pupil had be black, it had turned golden and glowed like the sun itself.
She looked like Neo Terra's mother, her voice sounded like it.
But she was not. Not any more.
They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails." Yuri Orlov, Lord of War