Alone
Rei tossed and turned, her breathing shallow, her skin pale and sticky, Sweat covered her brow and her fingers clutched the sheets tightly, mutters of 'no' and screams of terror and fear filled her night, though none disturbed her, no one was around too disturb her.
Magenta eyes opened wide, glazed distantly. It had begun.
Breathing heavily, the raven haired woman made her way to the great fire, all thoughts lost but that of the dream... The dream...
"Great fire," she chanted, "Please great fire help me!"
An image of the warrior she had seen her dream flashed before her eyes, a blond woman with her hair in two majestic-looking odangos. Blue eyes stared determinedly through the darkness, a beautiful crystal, more wondrous than Rei had ever imagined, lie on her bosom, it's purity shinning with such love...
"Great fire! Why do I dream of this girl? Why does she haunt me so!"
Another image roared to life, only this time it stared at her through the flames, a mighty battle replicated through the reds and yellows, a scene of death and destruction. She saw pictures flash before her eyes of warriors, suited in a Sailor Fuki, they all lie half dead, each smiling at there completed job. And then she saw the warrior again, crumpled to the ground in defeat. A child-like fighter crying brokenly on an icy ground.
"Who are they! Great Fire, who are these warriors that haunt the now! Why do there memories seek me out?"
One last image showed itself to Rei before the fire died away into the darkness, an image of one of the young warriors stood before her, decked in red, she whispered to her, whispered for her freedom, her princess needed her. She begged Rei to awaken her from the darkness that surrounded her, however, the warrior was gone, the fire was gone, and the first light of dawn was beginning to peak over the forest, alighting the world in an array of pastels.
Rei stood slowly from her position, questions whirling through her head of the pleading warrior begging release.
Michiru stared at her two companions with awe, and a little disgust. How could two people eat so much? It couldn't be natural!
"May I have some more please?" asked Usagi once more, her eyes sparkling as she liked her lips of the syrup. She watched a Haruka glance at them, but then after noticing the angry look Michiru sent to her, go back to inhaling her pancakes.
"Certainly," smiled Michiru as she stood up, used to cooking a lot of food. She took another bundle of pancakes off the plate and handed them to the gleeful blond, watching with a small smile as the younger girl gobbled down the offered food, her eyes alight with joy. It was almost comical the sight of the two chowing down as though they'd not eaten in a millennium. Children.
Swallowing the food quickly, Haruka glanced at Michiru before clearing her throat. She turned towards the blue eyed girl and smiled happily, glad to have found someone who wasn't afraid to eat a little food.
"Koneko," said the green eyed woman, "the fairs in town, would you like to go with us?"
Usagi stared at the two, they wanted her to go to the fair with them? But why? They had already been so good to her, caring for her after the attack, even though they didn't have to, treating her to breakfast... And now they wanted to spend the day with her? But why?
Usagi glanced into Michiru's eyes, seeing only true sincerity and friendship staring back, she decided to nod her head in agreement. Besides, if a youma showed up, she could protect them.
"Perfect!" cried out Haruka joyfully, we can have a picnic for lunch since it's Sunday, what do you all say?"
Michiru smiled back, proclaiming she'd be doing the cooking this time. Usagi couldn't help but giggle at the look Michiru gave Haruka at that moment, and she suddenly wondered why they lived together, however politeness wouldn't permit her to ask.
Then, as she glanced down at her clothes, she realized they were not the same clothes she'd worn to the concert, someone had changed her outfit. Thinking back, she wondered what did happen to the youma. It had still been alive when she'd fallen. Turning to see Michiru doing the dishes, Usagi decided to ask her.
Picking up the breakfast plate, Usagi moved towards the sink, only to have herself swatted away by Michiru, proclaiming that guest weren't to work. Usagi chose this time to ask her question.
"Michiru, what happened to the youma after I passed out?"
The sound of the plate smashing into the sink had Usagi shrinking back in fear. Maybe she shouldn't have asked...
"Why do you want to know that?"
Staring at her feet, Usagi mumbled something under her breath, completely incomprehensible to the human ear.
"What was that?" asked Michiru, her eyes staring sternly down at Usagi, the blue eyed girl was reminded of the teal haired Senshi from the look. Teal hair that looked remarkably similar...
"I was watching the fight, and when I got knocked out Sailor Moon was unconscious and the monster was attacking The other Senshi..."
Michiru nodded, turning back around to continue washing dishes. Usagi noticed the stiff posture as the way the new Senshi held themselves... The one whose eyes had held such sadness...
"Sailor Moon disappeared right before you got knocked out," came Michiru's stiff reply, almost angry, Usagi couldn't help but feel as though someone were twisting her stomach up in knots. They hated her... "When you pushed Sailor Neptune out of the way-"
Usagi felt her eyes widen marginally. She hadn't ever heard the Senshi speak there names... What if... What if those stern eyes did...
"-and got hit, the monster was laughing horribly. Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus disposed of the youma, but the woman got away."
Usagi stared down at the floor. Now that she thought about it, Sailor Uranus, she assumed was the blond, looked remarkably like Haruka. And then they both did smell of wind... Always disappearing and reappearing freely.
Another thought came to her as she remembered her mother's message. Three Senshi, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, but where was Pluto?
"Was Sailor Neptune okay?" asked Usagi, her eyes glittering with unshed tears when Michiru turned back to look at her confused. "She didn't get hurt did she?"
Michiru stared for a moment before sighing and pulling the younger girl into a fierce hug. Usagi felt the tears drip from her eyes even as she hugged back, all the emotions she was feeling wereoverwhelming her. It was so hard... So very hard...
"Usagi, don't ever scare me like that again," whispered the older girl, her hand stroking the beautiful golden hair. "We thought we'd lost you! Please promise me you wont jump in front of any more attacks aimed for the Senshi. They can live through a blast, I promise!"
Usagi didn't promise anything, but she did hold the other woman until Haruka returned, separating the to with an odd look.
Minako frowned as she pet the white cat in her arms, staring at her own reflection in the mirror.
"O Artemis, I don't understand it! I feel like I'm missing something, something big! But that can't be, I don't remember anything to great, but still. I feel like I should be doing something... Like there's someone I should be protecting!"
Looking down at the small cat, she locked eyes with those wise blue eyes. Sometimes she felt, she felt that he could understand, and that there was something terribly special about him...
Shaking her head at the thoughts, she stroked the snow white fur once more.
"You know Artemis, I've had the strangest dream these past few days you've been missing. I dreamed an orange clad warrior was talking to me, imagine that, and she was pleading with me to release her. Telling me that her princess needed her, that she couldn't abandon her princess. It was so strange..."
Looking down into those sapphire orbs, Minako thought she saw an overwhelming sadness stare back at her, an almost human like emotion that shined through those feline eyes, those strange cat eyes... And then it was gone, leaving as quickly as it came, a small meow her reply. Minako shook her head. She must have lost her mind, thinking her dreams could be real, even if they did look so familiar...
Staring down at the cat once more, Minako decided she was defiantly crazy, what was she doing hoping her normal, every-day white cat with a bald spot would talk back to her. It's deep voice guiding her through the tough times...
"Maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much..."
Usagi laughed gaily, her hands thrown in the air as she twirled around the room, thousands of herselves twirled at the same time. She smiled at the reflections, they all smiled back and she felt as though she could stay there forever, the darkness never pressing in upon her, trying to break her with it's crushing emptiness.
She shook her head at the thoughts, how utterly horrible they were. How could she ever want to leave the world? She'd be leaving her friends, her parents, Michiru, Haruka...
The thought of leaving the last two people should have felt like nothing, maybe a small tinge of guilt of some other little nuisance, but the lump in her throat told her otherwise. How had the two become so important to her? Hadn't she said she would push everyone away to protect them? How were they any different?
She didn't want them to get hurt, and everyone close to her got hurt... But if they really were the Senshi of the outer rim, then they could defend themselves...
But so could the inners...
But they had almost died! She couldn't let her friends be killed, she cared for them to much!
So what was so different from the inners and the outers? Besides the different fuki, and the more powerful attacks, what was it that made them worthy of remaining with her while her own closest friends could not, where her court could not?
Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of the treacherous thoughts. She did not even know if the two were Senshi, and even if they did hold remarkable resemblance both physically and mentally, they could still be ordinary people! They really could!
But that meant she should push them away even more! She shouldn't endanger other people with the darkness that followed her. She couldn't bare it if she lost those two! But what could she do? Could she turn them away from her? Could she send them off knowing she might never again retain their trust?
Sighing, it was all to much to think about. She didn't want to think about it, she just wanted to be ordinary, to be free like the wind.
Hearing a scream off in the distance, Usagi turned to leave, it was obviously a youma, she needed to help stop it before anyone got hurt. She had to...
Turning towards the exist, she found none. She was trapped in the mirrors, she was trapped.
The scream came again, this time longer and more terrified, with pain laced in with the fear. Usagi shut her eyes tight at the sound. She needed to hurry, she needed to hurry so badly...
"Moon Cosmic Power Make Up!"
A swirl of ribbons, fancy moves, and a last sign of peace were all that was needed before Usagi Tsukino transformed into the Pretty suited soldier of love. Sailor Moon had returned.
After the transformation, Sailor Moon found it much easier to leave the mirror maze, rushing out without further thought, she joined the battle where Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune fought, trying valiantly to take hold of the heart crystal clutched within the youma's clawed hands.
Her eyes widened when she saw there pained looks. They had been hurt by the creature and the blood was seeping from there wounds!
Looking at the creature, Sailor Moon thought about the best way to help, she couldn't just attack or she might hurt the crystal, but maybe she could do something else. She couldn't let them be hurt, she just couldn't!
Standing up from her perch, an idea suddenly came to her. Maybe if she could distract it, Sailor Uranus could grab the crystal! That might work, but what if the other Senshi was hurt to badly or didn't catch on?
Deciding she could think of the possibilities later, when her friends weren't in such danger, she leaped out of the tree, her eyes hard and determined. She wouldn't lose anymore friends, she wouldn't endanger them again.
"Hey ugly!" she screamed, her hands waving in the air, "Oi! Youma with the really ugly face, yeah you, over here! Wow you are hideous! You know I hear they've got lotion that can get rid of wrinkles... But then again you could just be to bad off..."
As she taunted the creature, she felt her chest tighten at the cold glare the other scouts sent her. She tried hard not to look at them, to just distract the creature into giving up the crystal...
"You Bitch!" screamed the creature it's anger overwhelming her for a moment, she wondered what exactly she'd said to get such an insult, until she realized she'd just insult it's hair... It's ugly green hair...
"Well at least I don't look like I wipe my nose with my hair!" she screeched back, and then, just when she thought her plan might fail, the youma did something unexpected. In it's rage, it threw the heart crystal at Sailor Moon, only realizing after the action it was to late.
The Lunar Warrior quickly jumped to grab it, only realizing to late how off balance she was and crashing to the floor in pain.
Tears filled her eyes but she kept them in check, pulling herself up and turning instead to the wide eyed enraged youma. She pulled forth her scepter, preparing a blast to blow it away.
"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"
The large heart collided with the monster's body, and Sailor Moon swept over to return the crystal, only to have it stolen from her. A pair of angry eyes staring her down coldly. She felt herself shrink back in fear and confusion. Why were they so mad? What had she done wrong?
She noticed quickly that it was Sailor Neptune that held the crystal, and watched as she released a grunted sigh, proclaiming it was not what they were looking for and returning it to the owner. Sailor Moon stared wide eyed as the beautiful jewel faded into a tall brunette, Makoto...
"Why the hell did you even show up here?" came Sailor Uranus's voice, Sailor Moon felt as though she might cry with those angry orbs that had always looked at her with love or distaste flamed at her angrily. She took a step back from them, betrayal haunting her features.
"I-I-"
"SHUT UP!" roared the warrior as a pale hand restrained any physical damage from attacking the fellow Senshi.
"Where were you, huh? Where were you when the attack disappeared? Or are you so weak that you couldn't take a single attack! Where were you when an innocent person almost died!"
Usagi took a step back. Someone had almost died? Why hadn't they told her! Why had they lied to her! They had told her that the two Senshi fought back and defeated the monster. They said nothing about people getting hurt!
"Uranus," whispered the teal haired woman to the side, "We need to go... She's waiting...She'll be worried if we're gone to long..."
Uranus shook her off, and glared at her once more.
"Stay out of our way, because of you an innocent girl got hurt, we can't- won't forgive you. If you weren't such a coward Usagi would never have been hurt!"
Sailor Moon's eyes opened wide and she watched the two disappear in silence. Shock written clearly on her face. The Outer Senshi... they really were Haruka and Michiru...
They really were...
