Chapter 6: Old Nightmares, Real Horror.
Cole breathed heavily, he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. It was completely dark around him and the only comfort he had was the blood curdling screams echoing from all around him, he considered this a comfort because this fear and horror made him forget about his own. The moon seemed to have turned purple, giving off a subtle but still radiant glow to all of the horror and havoc in its sight.
Cole was not in its sight, but rather in the dark and it took the breath right out of him. He knew where he was now, he was at the Aquatic and Marine Studies Cathedral. In the daylight it was a beautiful building, stationed in the center of a cool and mysterious ocean, right outside of Tokyo. One could only get there by boat or helicopter, so it was basically isolated and unknown to the general public. The building was so natural and untainted, it was a regal cylindrical building with a domed stain glass ceiling, to Cole it represented the peace and unity between nature and humans that he so badly wanted to be true and real.
However, he was not there for pleasure, but rather business. Times were very hard at that point in time. Dr. Tomo was an evil scientist who used his creations to cause pain and destruction to the human race, and to eliminate the soldiers forever. Tomo needed the heart crystal of someone with purity and hope and in order to get it, he needed to extract the heart crystals of hundreds of humans all over Tokyo. Many died after they were assaulted, for without their heart crystals, it was as if they were living without a soul. The starlight soldiers managed to save some, and a lot more than Tomo hoped, but the mass deaths made the Soldiers uneasy and ashamed.
All 5 of the solders had to station themselves in Japan, and had to lie in order to not be missed by their families. Tokyo was where the deaths were occurring, so that's where they needed to be. In Tokyo, however, the soldiers found themselves two new teammates who dedicated their lives to protecting Japan. They were Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Finally their rosters were complete, they had befriended Sailor Pluto several years before and although he never actually joined the Soldiers on their missions, he had a greater duty; to protect the realms of time. They were all close allies instead.
Tomo announced a compromise, he wanted the heart crystal of one of the Soldiers in order for him to stop killing once and for all. Uranus volunteered for this job. As soon as he found out, Cole quickly transformed and rushed as fast as he could to the Cathedral to stop Uranus from ultimately taking his life.
He opened the long and oversized ivory covered doors and ran towards the center. There he saw not only Uranus but 3 other soldiers there. Saturn looked in horror as to what was before him. Two of them were dead. Their blood was spattered all along the marble tiles as they laid on the ground cold and lifeless. Saturn recognized them as Neptune and Pluto. And standing above them was Mercury laughing in full amusement at their death while Uranus was tied to the wall, struggling to break his restraints. Mercury was dangling Neptune's and Pluto's heart crystals in his hand.
However it was not the same Mercury that the soldiers had today, 4 years ago somebody else wore the navy blue uniform. His name was Anthony, or Tony to them. He was a very gloomy person, after his parents divorce while he just became a soldier, he found himself to be a sadistic and bitter person, but one way or another he managed to keep the other's trust and faith in him.
Saturn could not believe his eyes, if he had entered several minutes earlier, he may have witnessed the deaths of 2 of his companions. He was not about to see a third. It was so hard to accept that someone he once called a friend was a traitor---a murderer. One thing that Cole hated about being a soldier was the lives you put at risk, and it was even more hard to accept one of your own to be dead. One thing was in his mind: he must save Uranus.
Before he could be noticed, Saturn lunged at Tony and managed to swing him into one of the concrete walls.
"What are you doing, Tony! How could you?", Saturn managed to say, a single tear streaming down his cheek.
Mercury ignored his question, and with his very masculine and built body, he charged at Saturn and sent his fist at his face which caused him to fly backwards with a loud thud.
"Saturn Ice-ring Crush!", Cole cried as thousands of ice blue rings wrapped around Mercury and squeezed at his skin.
Tony dropped to his knees and used every ounce of strength in his body to send the rings flying into millions of tiny ice shards. Uranus seemed to be yelling for Saturn to break his chains, but Mercury seemed to pin Saturn away from his and punch him repeatedly.
"Saturn Lightbeam Crush!" A large and magnificent ray of light surged from Cole's headpiece and caused Mercury to fall on his back in pain. Saturn managed to get up and sent a tiny laser out of his scepter to break Uranus' chains and set him free. He thanked Cole and then charged forcefully at Mercury and rammed his right elbow into him which caused him to remain still and motionless on the ground.
Uranus seemed very tired and drained, he was breathing very heavily and without speaking pointed to two heart crystals lying motionlessly on the ground. Mercury must have dropped them.
Saturn limped over with his left hand over his bloody lip and bent over to grab the crystals when he felt a piercing rush of pain go up his spine. He had been struck by a full force ice wave. Cole slowly tried to turn around, but in his weakness keeled over and fell. His entire uniform was damp and the pressure from the blast felt like it had made a bruise that covered his whole back. His ribs felt broken and he made no effort to move.
His face was facing the floor and he didn't have the strength to move anymore. He could just hear more yelling. Uranus and Mercury were obviously fighting. First he heard Uranus send out his World shaking attack that felt like it had broken the floor and then he heard Mercury send out some powerful storm attack that made the glass ceiling above all of them shatter. He knew it had shattered because now he felt as if he had been cut by 80 knives at once and he knew he was bleeding heavily. Although half-conscious, he could still hear fighting and feel the shockwaves of their powerful blasts.
He was so happy that Uranus was not down as he was, but he was also so confused as to what he had seen. He knew Dr. Tomo wanted the heart crystals, but why did Mercury need them, why did he betray them, and why did he murder Neptune and Pluto and attempt to kill Uranus…did one of them have the pure heart…Cole seemed to be drifting into unconsciousness.
When Cole finally awoke he found himself very damp and cold…there was water on his face and under his nose…He stood and saw that the entire cathedral was flooding. The walls were shattered, the ceiling was gone and the entire building seemed as if it were on the verge of collapsing. Then his vision became a little better and he could hear again. Uranus was holding Mercury by the neck, they were both bloody, bruised, and almost entirely naked, the little uniform they had on seemed to be torn and scattered all over the ground in tiny shreds of blood soaked cloth.
But Uranus particularly seemed to be crying like Cole had never seen him do before. His entire face was stiff and red. He threw Mercury away from him, he seemed to be entirely unconscious or dead and Uranus just held tiny dull shards in his hands. Cole was curious what they were but then he noticed he had somehow de-transformed and he realized he was now more confused than ever.
Uranus approached Cole and spoke to him in a quiet and too sad for words tone. It seemed like he wanted to throw himself into the ocean or stay in the sinking building. "Cole…Mercury betrayed us."
Cole was shocked at his words although he had figured that much on his own, it seemed so real and horrible now that Uranus confirmed all of his dark thoughts. Cole was shivering "Wh-what do you m-mean?"
Uranus knew Cole had somewhat figured it out already, but continued talking anyway. "Mercury has been working for Dr. Tomo all of this time, there was not going to be any one Soldier compromise, he wanted us to come so he could have Mercury kill us all. Luckily only you came, or that may be true. He m-murdered", Uranus stopped for a second as if trying to believe himself about what he was saying "both of them…Pl-Pluto and Neptune, they had come to stop me from letting them take me too.
"We met Mercury here, but a-all of the sudden he---he just went crazy and flashed this long gun and shot the---" Uranus stopped again and even more tears came to his eyes. "He jus-t s-shot the heart crystals right out of them! I ran, but he caught me and he tied me up so I could stay still…h-he wanted to kill me." Uranus stopped once again, he was starting to tremble so badly that it was hard for him to talk. "Then you came right in time and distracted him and released me…but then he tried to kill you too, when you bent over he started to use that gun on you…but I pushed him and you just got the discharge…you w-were knocked out, so we fought…he kept trying to steal my heart crystal…I tried to save the others…because I thought I could revive them…bu-but…he--he---blasted them away!" Uranus was now on the ground moaning and breathing loudly "Then I was so angry and blasted everything in my sight…and the entire building was ruined…its sinking."
Cole was pale and cold as ice as he finished those words, he knew now that those shards Uranus clutched tightly were shards of Pluto and Neptune's heart crystals…
"I-Is he…dead?"
Uranus shamefully nodded his head, Cole did not want to know the details…he just wanted to leave…the Cathedral originally floated on the water, so it had no land foundation to lye on and continued to pour with water that was up to about 3 feet. He had a feeling that any moment now, the building would collapse and they would both die if they didn't do something…
Cole looked back to find a way out, but he was no longer in the cathedral, he was on that dreaded highway again and all he could see was Uranus with his head facing the ground…hanging by two metal chains, with a large round hole in his chest and blood streaming down the tar road, he looked in horror at what was going on and saw that he was holding the scepter…just as he was when it happened….everything went black and Cole could hear voices now…He was terrified.
"Cole, what happened here…where is Neptune…Cole…why are you and Uranus all bloody and bruised…what happened to the cathedral…Mercury is missing…Pluto is not at her base…we were so worried…"
He could hear his own voice now. "Uranus is in a very fragile state…Tomo tried to kill him…Pluto and Neptune were killed in the battle, their heart crystals were crushed…I tried to stop the compromise…didn't want to worry you…Uranus was in danger…I was knocked out…Tomo blew up the Cathedral…Mercury was abducted…no clue where he is…Uranus is injured…I don't know what happened…"
Now a flurry of voices went through his mind and filled the darkness in front of his eyes "You are a disgusting human being, Cole…I personally never liked you …a lacking and sorry excuse for a leader…We saw you kill Uranus. You are a filthy liar…words 'Pluto' and 'Neptune' mean anything to you?….Uranus was there, he knew…AND LOOK WHERE URANUS IS NOW! HE IS DEAD…time for you to pay for what you have done…a threat to all of us…You are a murderer…"
In the middle of the blackness he could see the heads of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto…each rotting and decomposing. Cole wanted to scream…but he found himself underneath a shiny guillotine…It then rushed towards his neck--------
"STOP IT! I DIDN'T KILL THEM!", Cole roared as he awoke in a cold sweat. His pajamas were wet and cool and Cole found himself safe on his bed…in his room…all alone, and safe. It was just a dream, a horrifying and terrible dream…a dream in which Cole had lived through…every skeleton in his closet had come to haunt him that night, every ounce of fear, pain, and sorrow. He felt as if he had just been hit by a train…his first night of peace ever since the Sirix attacks…and his deepest secrets still seemed to follow him.
Cole breathed heavily, he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. It was completely dark around him and the only comfort he had was the blood curdling screams echoing from all around him, he considered this a comfort because this fear and horror made him forget about his own. The moon seemed to have turned purple, giving off a subtle but still radiant glow to all of the horror and havoc in its sight.
Cole was not in its sight, but rather in the dark and it took the breath right out of him. He knew where he was now, he was at the Aquatic and Marine Studies Cathedral. In the daylight it was a beautiful building, stationed in the center of a cool and mysterious ocean, right outside of Tokyo. One could only get there by boat or helicopter, so it was basically isolated and unknown to the general public. The building was so natural and untainted, it was a regal cylindrical building with a domed stain glass ceiling, to Cole it represented the peace and unity between nature and humans that he so badly wanted to be true and real.
However, he was not there for pleasure, but rather business. Times were very hard at that point in time. Dr. Tomo was an evil scientist who used his creations to cause pain and destruction to the human race, and to eliminate the soldiers forever. Tomo needed the heart crystal of someone with purity and hope and in order to get it, he needed to extract the heart crystals of hundreds of humans all over Tokyo. Many died after they were assaulted, for without their heart crystals, it was as if they were living without a soul. The starlight soldiers managed to save some, and a lot more than Tomo hoped, but the mass deaths made the Soldiers uneasy and ashamed.
All 5 of the solders had to station themselves in Japan, and had to lie in order to not be missed by their families. Tokyo was where the deaths were occurring, so that's where they needed to be. In Tokyo, however, the soldiers found themselves two new teammates who dedicated their lives to protecting Japan. They were Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Finally their rosters were complete, they had befriended Sailor Pluto several years before and although he never actually joined the Soldiers on their missions, he had a greater duty; to protect the realms of time. They were all close allies instead.
Tomo announced a compromise, he wanted the heart crystal of one of the Soldiers in order for him to stop killing once and for all. Uranus volunteered for this job. As soon as he found out, Cole quickly transformed and rushed as fast as he could to the Cathedral to stop Uranus from ultimately taking his life.
He opened the long and oversized ivory covered doors and ran towards the center. There he saw not only Uranus but 3 other soldiers there. Saturn looked in horror as to what was before him. Two of them were dead. Their blood was spattered all along the marble tiles as they laid on the ground cold and lifeless. Saturn recognized them as Neptune and Pluto. And standing above them was Mercury laughing in full amusement at their death while Uranus was tied to the wall, struggling to break his restraints. Mercury was dangling Neptune's and Pluto's heart crystals in his hand.
However it was not the same Mercury that the soldiers had today, 4 years ago somebody else wore the navy blue uniform. His name was Anthony, or Tony to them. He was a very gloomy person, after his parents divorce while he just became a soldier, he found himself to be a sadistic and bitter person, but one way or another he managed to keep the other's trust and faith in him.
Saturn could not believe his eyes, if he had entered several minutes earlier, he may have witnessed the deaths of 2 of his companions. He was not about to see a third. It was so hard to accept that someone he once called a friend was a traitor---a murderer. One thing that Cole hated about being a soldier was the lives you put at risk, and it was even more hard to accept one of your own to be dead. One thing was in his mind: he must save Uranus.
Before he could be noticed, Saturn lunged at Tony and managed to swing him into one of the concrete walls.
"What are you doing, Tony! How could you?", Saturn managed to say, a single tear streaming down his cheek.
Mercury ignored his question, and with his very masculine and built body, he charged at Saturn and sent his fist at his face which caused him to fly backwards with a loud thud.
"Saturn Ice-ring Crush!", Cole cried as thousands of ice blue rings wrapped around Mercury and squeezed at his skin.
Tony dropped to his knees and used every ounce of strength in his body to send the rings flying into millions of tiny ice shards. Uranus seemed to be yelling for Saturn to break his chains, but Mercury seemed to pin Saturn away from his and punch him repeatedly.
"Saturn Lightbeam Crush!" A large and magnificent ray of light surged from Cole's headpiece and caused Mercury to fall on his back in pain. Saturn managed to get up and sent a tiny laser out of his scepter to break Uranus' chains and set him free. He thanked Cole and then charged forcefully at Mercury and rammed his right elbow into him which caused him to remain still and motionless on the ground.
Uranus seemed very tired and drained, he was breathing very heavily and without speaking pointed to two heart crystals lying motionlessly on the ground. Mercury must have dropped them.
Saturn limped over with his left hand over his bloody lip and bent over to grab the crystals when he felt a piercing rush of pain go up his spine. He had been struck by a full force ice wave. Cole slowly tried to turn around, but in his weakness keeled over and fell. His entire uniform was damp and the pressure from the blast felt like it had made a bruise that covered his whole back. His ribs felt broken and he made no effort to move.
His face was facing the floor and he didn't have the strength to move anymore. He could just hear more yelling. Uranus and Mercury were obviously fighting. First he heard Uranus send out his World shaking attack that felt like it had broken the floor and then he heard Mercury send out some powerful storm attack that made the glass ceiling above all of them shatter. He knew it had shattered because now he felt as if he had been cut by 80 knives at once and he knew he was bleeding heavily. Although half-conscious, he could still hear fighting and feel the shockwaves of their powerful blasts.
He was so happy that Uranus was not down as he was, but he was also so confused as to what he had seen. He knew Dr. Tomo wanted the heart crystals, but why did Mercury need them, why did he betray them, and why did he murder Neptune and Pluto and attempt to kill Uranus…did one of them have the pure heart…Cole seemed to be drifting into unconsciousness.
When Cole finally awoke he found himself very damp and cold…there was water on his face and under his nose…He stood and saw that the entire cathedral was flooding. The walls were shattered, the ceiling was gone and the entire building seemed as if it were on the verge of collapsing. Then his vision became a little better and he could hear again. Uranus was holding Mercury by the neck, they were both bloody, bruised, and almost entirely naked, the little uniform they had on seemed to be torn and scattered all over the ground in tiny shreds of blood soaked cloth.
But Uranus particularly seemed to be crying like Cole had never seen him do before. His entire face was stiff and red. He threw Mercury away from him, he seemed to be entirely unconscious or dead and Uranus just held tiny dull shards in his hands. Cole was curious what they were but then he noticed he had somehow de-transformed and he realized he was now more confused than ever.
Uranus approached Cole and spoke to him in a quiet and too sad for words tone. It seemed like he wanted to throw himself into the ocean or stay in the sinking building. "Cole…Mercury betrayed us."
Cole was shocked at his words although he had figured that much on his own, it seemed so real and horrible now that Uranus confirmed all of his dark thoughts. Cole was shivering "Wh-what do you m-mean?"
Uranus knew Cole had somewhat figured it out already, but continued talking anyway. "Mercury has been working for Dr. Tomo all of this time, there was not going to be any one Soldier compromise, he wanted us to come so he could have Mercury kill us all. Luckily only you came, or that may be true. He m-murdered", Uranus stopped for a second as if trying to believe himself about what he was saying "both of them…Pl-Pluto and Neptune, they had come to stop me from letting them take me too.
"We met Mercury here, but a-all of the sudden he---he just went crazy and flashed this long gun and shot the---" Uranus stopped again and even more tears came to his eyes. "He jus-t s-shot the heart crystals right out of them! I ran, but he caught me and he tied me up so I could stay still…h-he wanted to kill me." Uranus stopped once again, he was starting to tremble so badly that it was hard for him to talk. "Then you came right in time and distracted him and released me…but then he tried to kill you too, when you bent over he started to use that gun on you…but I pushed him and you just got the discharge…you w-were knocked out, so we fought…he kept trying to steal my heart crystal…I tried to save the others…because I thought I could revive them…bu-but…he--he---blasted them away!" Uranus was now on the ground moaning and breathing loudly "Then I was so angry and blasted everything in my sight…and the entire building was ruined…its sinking."
Cole was pale and cold as ice as he finished those words, he knew now that those shards Uranus clutched tightly were shards of Pluto and Neptune's heart crystals…
"I-Is he…dead?"
Uranus shamefully nodded his head, Cole did not want to know the details…he just wanted to leave…the Cathedral originally floated on the water, so it had no land foundation to lye on and continued to pour with water that was up to about 3 feet. He had a feeling that any moment now, the building would collapse and they would both die if they didn't do something…
Cole looked back to find a way out, but he was no longer in the cathedral, he was on that dreaded highway again and all he could see was Uranus with his head facing the ground…hanging by two metal chains, with a large round hole in his chest and blood streaming down the tar road, he looked in horror at what was going on and saw that he was holding the scepter…just as he was when it happened….everything went black and Cole could hear voices now…He was terrified.
"Cole, what happened here…where is Neptune…Cole…why are you and Uranus all bloody and bruised…what happened to the cathedral…Mercury is missing…Pluto is not at her base…we were so worried…"
He could hear his own voice now. "Uranus is in a very fragile state…Tomo tried to kill him…Pluto and Neptune were killed in the battle, their heart crystals were crushed…I tried to stop the compromise…didn't want to worry you…Uranus was in danger…I was knocked out…Tomo blew up the Cathedral…Mercury was abducted…no clue where he is…Uranus is injured…I don't know what happened…"
Now a flurry of voices went through his mind and filled the darkness in front of his eyes "You are a disgusting human being, Cole…I personally never liked you …a lacking and sorry excuse for a leader…We saw you kill Uranus. You are a filthy liar…words 'Pluto' and 'Neptune' mean anything to you?….Uranus was there, he knew…AND LOOK WHERE URANUS IS NOW! HE IS DEAD…time for you to pay for what you have done…a threat to all of us…You are a murderer…"
In the middle of the blackness he could see the heads of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto…each rotting and decomposing. Cole wanted to scream…but he found himself underneath a shiny guillotine…It then rushed towards his neck--------
"STOP IT! I DIDN'T KILL THEM!", Cole roared as he awoke in a cold sweat. His pajamas were wet and cool and Cole found himself safe on his bed…in his room…all alone, and safe. It was just a dream, a horrifying and terrible dream…a dream in which Cole had lived through…every skeleton in his closet had come to haunt him that night, every ounce of fear, pain, and sorrow. He felt as if he had just been hit by a train…his first night of peace ever since the Sirix attacks…and his deepest secrets still seemed to follow him.
