Sailor Moon: Dark Stars
Chapter 3
Anna Kendon and Super Sailor Sirius continued to run down the empty back sidewalk of the downtown New York City block, careful to stay out of view of any people. Sirius suddenly stopped, grabbed Anna's hand, and slipped into a empty alleyway behind a large building. Both girls were breathing hard and sweating from the high speed running.
"I guess there's no sense in staying like this, is there?" the senshi smiled tiredly. Anna looked at her cousin for a moment and was about to say something, but suddenly had to look away from the bright light as Sirius closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. When the bright violet light dissipated, she was back in her black denim jumpsuit with a white laced shirt underneath.
"Oh boy! Something tells me that I'm NOT going to get used to that, no matter how many times I see it!" breathed out Anna as she blinked her eyes in confusion. The taller girl suddenly swayed and began to feel dizzy from the shock she had in the restaurant. She slumped against the building wall with a soft sigh.
"Oh no! Anna, are you alright?" Tanya cried in concern. Anna nodded her dark head, then steadied herself with Tanya's help.
"Come on, let's just get you home." Tanya turned to her golden mentor. "Marco, since your carrier was destroyed with everything else I brought, we might as well not go back to that restaurant. Stay here with Anna while I go grab a cab, alright?"
"Sure thing!" Marco rushed to Anna's side and watched as Tanya quickly ran out of the alley. "Thank God Tanya FINALLY got what being a Sailor Senshi is all about!" he said quietly to himself as he sat down next to Anna.
The taller young girl sighed again and leaned her head against the side of the building. I..I just don't understand what happened. What does this all mean? she silently asked herself.
-----------------------
"Alright, it's the last door on the left down the hall." said Anna as she walked quietly down the hall of the plush, expensive Park Avenue apartment building with Marco...on a leash as the rules stated, and Tanya. The carpet was newly cleaned and smelled of blossoms. The deep rug felt like clouds on Tanya's sandaled feet.
"This is SO cool! I wish I could have lived in a place like this. You're so lucky that your dad is loaded!" Tanya said in wonder as she kept looking around at the security cameras and gold painted door-knobs on the apartment doors.
Anna's face fell for a moment as she, Tanya, and Marco...who gave a sweat drop at Tanya's comment, paused in front of the apartment door. "Well, being loaded isn't exactly everything. I'd give it all up for a chance to spend more time with him, and to do other things than just gymnastics all the time." Anna sadly took out her keys and opened her apartment door.
Tanya nodded and looked into her cousin's eyes with understanding. "Yeah, I know what you mean. My..my dad never had much time for me either, with his missionary business and all. That's why he decided to send me here to America, so I can finally be with someone more my age and that's family while he's in India." she said quietly before lowering her moist eyes, "I really miss him though."
When they walked in, the girls were immediately greeted with barks as a medium sized black dog, resembling a Doberman Pincher and wearing a red collar, rushed up to the front door. "Dief! What's up old buddy?" exclaimed Anna as she bent down to give the dog a big hug.
Tanya walked up beside her, a look of complete surprise on her face. "ANNA! You didn't tell me you had a dog too!" She giggled and also bent down to pet and coo the black furred dog. Marco came around from behind them to get a better look. When he did, both dogs suddenly stopped dead in their tracks.
For a few seconds, all was quiet as the two dogs surveyed each other, walking around and looking each other up and down. Then, both dogs gave a yelp of joy, rushed at each other, and fell down on the thick blue rug, barking and playing. The two girls looked at the dogs, blinked a few times, then turned back at each other in surprise, a sweatdrop forming on their heads. They then looked back at the spectacle in front of them. "Ummm, Marco, would you mind telling us what's going on?" asked Tanya quietly, embarrassment heavy in her voice.
"Oh, I am so sorry! I got caught up in the moment of my joy!" gushed Marco, "Girls, I'd like to introduce you to Diefenbaker, who happens to be MY cousin!" He gave a doggy grin. "Dief, meet Tanya Cambridge, also known as Princess Tonicia Knightstar in her previous life." Both girls could only stare in shock as Dief got up in a sitting position, then bowed his black head slowly to Tanya.
"Well, there's no use in staying quiet anymore! Nice to finally meet you again, Princess Tonicia Knight Star of the Sirius Star System. And greetings to you, Lady Anja Poelaryes of the Polaris Star System." said Dief, a gleam of mischief in his eyes.
But Anna barely heard any of the formal introduction. She closed her green eyes, put both hands on her cheeks, and shook her head to clear it. "This truly cannot be happening! Dief did NOT just talk to me! This isn't real," she said quietly to herself. She opened her eyes again and looked at Dief and Marco in confusion. "What..what did you just call me?" she asked, still trying to process what was going on. Tanya moved quietly next to her cousin, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm afraid it IS happening Anna, and that it's very real! If you will open your mind to me, you will regain your memories and understand what is happening to you," said Deif as he walked up closer and put a paw on her foot. "You were Lady Anja Poelaryes of the Polaris Star System, and holder of the Polaris Sapphire Star Stone. Trust me, and all will come clear to you." Dief looked deep in Anna's eyes. The taller girl blinked, then turned to look at her cousin in question. Tanya nodded her head.
As soon as Anna looked back at Deif, and nodded her head for him to go on, a red symbol appeared on his black forehead. It was the shape of a large N with an arrow pointing up at the end. A white light flashed and shot at Anna's forehead, and the same symbol appeared. The white light then grew and soon enveloped both girls as the Sirius symbol appeared on Tanya's forehead.
"It's time for the both of you to remember and to journey back to the past. Perhaps after this, you both can look forward to a better future." Dief whispered hopefully. Tanya and Anna both sighed as the sad memories of their last night on the Moon Kingdom, long hidden, came flooding back:
-------------------------------
Silver Millennium
Moon Kingdom, The Moon Palace August 3, 997 A.D. :
Princess Tonicia frantically ran through the palace halls, desperately looking for her cousin, Lady Anja. She nearly tripped over her now bloodied cream laced dress, but steadied heself. The whole palace was literally being shook from its foundations as it was bombarded with attacks from the Dark Kingdom and Meerage's forces. People everywhere were screaming, dying, and running for their lives from the onslaught of energy attacks and the blood-thirsty Dark Kingdom generals and soldiers. Putting her hands to her ears to try and keep out the deafening noise, Tonicia ran past the fallen pillars and screaming people falling at her feet.
"ANJA! ANJA, WHERE ARE YOU?" screamed out the short, dark-skinned princess. Suddenly, she remembered Anja saying something about going outside for some fresh air after dancing a while ago before the attacks began. Tonicia turned and dashed out to the Royal Gardens, stepping over bodies as she did so. She ran high speed and made it to the Ball Room doors that lead out to the Garden entrance, coughing heavily on the way. The black smoke from the burning fires and burnt bodies nearly choked her, and as Tonicia burst through the doors and into the black, star-filled night, she finally allowed herself to stop, take a deep breath of air, and breathe. Tonicia then frantically looked around her, but only saw people running and screaming, blood running down their faces.
Tonicia ran past them to the walkway that lead to the center of the Royal Garden, trying to keep the sounds of the dying out as she covered her ears again. Nearing the center, she finally saw a form wearing a white lace dress laying on the ground at the foot of the large fountain made to look like Luna, the Goddess of the Moon. Tears streaming down her face, she rushed forward and fell down to her knees by the form. "By the Sirius Gods! Please don't let her be...don't let her be dead!" Tonicia whispered fearfully to herself, gently shaking the tall figure. The body jerked, coughed for a moment, then painfully turned around, revealing a dark beautiful face covered in blood.
"Anja! Oh thank the Gods of Sirius! Are you alright?" said Tonicia as she helped her cousin sit up.
"I..I don't know Tonicia. I hurt so bad," whispered Lady Anja, too weak to move. The princess gently held her cousin in her arms, but before she could say anymore, a form materialized above them. It glowed for a moment, then took the form of a tall man. He had pale skin with white blonde hair that fell past his shoulders, and cold, merciless blue eyes. He wore a black armor suit with dark blue shields on his chest, arms, and legs.
"There you are! You thought you could get away from me, did you? I will have my revenge for what your father took from me!" King Meerages floated down and stood before them.
"You stay away from her, whoever you are!" screamed out Tonicia, holding Anja closer. The man frowned and looked at the girl curiously for a moment. His cold eyes then softened slightly as recognition set in.
"Ahh yes, the little Sirius Princess," The big man smirked softly as he walked slowly to her. "I know who you are. I have no quarrel with you. I've watched you for a long time, my dear, and I sense the great power you possess. Join me, and we will rule this Universe together!" King Meerages slowly stretched out his hand for the princess to take, confident she would choose him over everything else as other women did.
"NEVER!" the girl yelled without hesitation, her voice filled with loathing and hate, "I recognize you now! You're King Meerages! You deserved everything Queen Serenity did to you and your forces in the first war! I hope you rot in Hell for what you did!"
King Meerages nearly choked with rage on the words Tonicia threw at him, his eyes just about bulging from his head. Before he could control himself, he gathered black energy in his hands and raise them above his head. "Insolent wench! No one talks to me like that! The both of you will die for your arrogance!" he screamed with anger. Tonicia tried to reach for her necklace to transform, hidden from view under her dress as Anja's jewel was, but it was too late. The black and dark purple energy raced from his outstretched hands and struck the two girls sitting on the ground heavily. The force of the impact was so strong, it threw the girls back a good ten feet as they screamed horribly with pain, then slammed them hard on the ground, sending depris flying up everywhere. Tonicia immediately broke her back, ribs and neck due to the force, and Anja died instantly, as she had already received major injuries when King Meerages got to her first.
Surprisingly, the princess felt no real pain, yet she knew she was dying. She tried to move and reach for Anja's hand laying next to her own, but found she couldn't move anything. Tonicia suddenly felt the tears form then run down her already cold cheeks. I'm sorry Anja. Please forgive me for not protecting you," she thought sadly as dark spots appeared before her eyes. Perhaps, in another lifetime. With a sigh, Tonicia calmly closed her eyes, then let the sweet bliss of death lead her to sleep.
-------------------------------
"NOOO! Stop! No more! I don't want to feel that pain again! Please!" screamed out Anna. The memories suddenly changed to her being in Japan and receiving her powers for the first time. The scenes kept changing, and she saw herself fighting with a new band of senshi, fighting for love and justice. The memories then faded and disappeared, and the taller girl took in a deep breath and gasped as she snapped her head up to attention, tears running down her dark cheeks.
Seconds later, a dark blue glow suddenly appeared in her hands, and a pink transformation pen with a large blue diamond at the top appeared, glowing strong and bright.
"The Polaris Sapphire Star Stone!" Anna exclaimed as she began to caress it. She then looked at Dief, and a slow smile spread across her beautiful face. "Oh Dief! My dear friend!" She knelt down and hugged the black dog. She looked up at him sadly a moment later. "Oh my God, that was so sad! I just can't believe it. Tanya..you were a princess, and I was a...a Lady. And Meerages, he...he killed..." She couldn't help a small sob from escaping her lips. "Did that really happen to us?" Anna asked with tears in her eyes. She turned to look up at Tanya, who was also crying, then at Marco.
"Yes, My Lady, sadly it did. Dief and I came too late to help you and the princess," The golden dog looked up at Tanya. "But now you both have a new life here, a new future to look to. That is why Dief and I erased your memories after you came to America and after your recent battles with the Sailor Senshi against Galaxia. We wanted you to be completely normal girls, growing up with hopes and dreams when you moved to America. But now another new threat has come, and you must be ready to defeat it!" Marco laid a paw on Anna's foot. "Do you think you are ready?"
"Yes...yes, I think so!" said Anna nervously as she stood up on shaky legs. Tanya walked over and hugged her.
"If we stick together, we can do anything! I'm sure we can!" said Tanya happily, then winked in assurance. The taller girl laughed softly and hugged her back.
"Stick together and do what?" asked a deep voice, standing in front of the apartment door.
"DAD!" yelled out Anna. Both girls looked nervously at each other as the tall man entered the room, his arms crossed over his chest.
-----------------------------
To be continued...
