A/N: Ok, here's another chapter, already! You guys can't complain… I highly recommend you read it slowly for further enjoyment, though: I have this very important exam I have to prepare now, and I don't know when I'll be updating…
I want to thank the people that reviewed my other fanfiction, "From this moment on", and I wanted to thank Silver Moonlight-81 for all her support and encouragement through her e-mails… You all know you are the people that made me want to continue with this…
On the other hand, I wanted to confirm that I haven't updated WLA because I've been focusing on "Paths Crossing"… I don't know when I'll be doing it… But you can all expect another sequel telling of Hikari's experience in the past: I've already got it all planned in my head… I just don't know when I'll be able to write it…
If you're interested in giving me a little help with that one, though, you already know you can find my e-mail address on my profile and send me a message. I'll appreciate all the good willed help I can get.
Anyway, here it is guys, the third chapter of "Paths Crossing".
Please Read &Review… Okay?
Chapter Three: Her Pain
This place, the Dream Kingdom, was simply splendorous... as if taken out of some fairytale or something.
Goku advanced through the magical rain forest as if he were in some sort of trance, listening to the very strange sounds the grove was emitting: it was as if the bushes, the flowers, the trees… the birds, the insects and the wind… as if they were all playing a music, all of them part of a natural orchestra, emitting this beautiful symphony…
He thought of how lucky he had been that, back in the Eternal Realm, one of his trainers sent by Shenlong had taught him how to travel by himself through considerable distances of space, without the aid of a ship or a space pod.
It was a very complex technique, which involved learning to device an unbreakable and invisible Ki shield all around oneself, which would hold enough oxygen during the travel. The most difficult task was to be able to discern the correct amount of oxygen according to the estimated time it would take to complete the distance one wanted to travel, thus the proper size of the shield, and maintain it successfully at all times while using the rest of the energy to launch oneself towards the intended destination: one tiny miscalculation, one single second of lack of concentration or false move, and one could end left lost in the middle of the emptiness without any air to breath… If the trainee wasn't careful, it could result with their own death.
The guy who had taught it to him had been an ancient spirit, the ghost of a deceased war general named Ulysses or Odysseus. He was from a race that called itself Spartans, and their planet was named Sparta. He had used it once to return to his home, Ithaca, a city on the moon of Sparta, after being absent for almost twenty years, due to a war with the capital of nearby star, Troy. It had taken the poor guy another ten years, after ten already spend in battle, to go back to his wife Penelope and his son, and he had told Goku in a piece of a confidence that the damned useless war had been only to retrieve the unfaithful wife of the king of Sparta, who had run off with the prince of Troy… Beside a nasty cannibal race called the Cyclopes, a sorceress named Circe, the monsters Scylla and Charybdis and the Sirens, it had all been fault of a stupid woman obsessed with him, Calypso, who had been aided by her father Poseidon in holding Odysseus back for seven years… On top of that, he had had to face a whole host of suitors occupying his palace, in order to get them away from his though-to-be-widow wife, once he was finally home.
Poor guy… compared to him, Goku's seven years in Other World had been a utopia.
So, that was how Goku had been able to reach this planet known as the original Earth, only to find himself on endless lands of desert and devastation.
This 'Chaos' had certainly succeeded in achieving total annihilation: the sole full blooded saiyajin in existence hadn't been able to find anyone o anything even after having rounded the planet twice in his flights. He had already been on his third round when the star shaped locket the moon royal had given him before started shinning, went by itself out of the pocket on his GI and floated in front of the martial artist, slowly taking a vertical position. Then it opened its lid and the crescent moon shape inside it stopped its spiraling and emitted a single ray of light towards the horizon. Goku simply took the locket with his right hand and kept it in front of him as he followed the narrow cylinder of light to the place were its target was located.
Soon he had been able to glimpse far away a portal of some kind, a circumference of blue light that met the end of the ray, as if the ray had somehow opened it or something alike. Goku had stopped a couple of meters before the magical gate and had stared at it frowning for a moment. It was made of pure blue light, so he couldn't discern what was behind it. He also couldn't sense absolutely anything from it that would help finding if it was dangerous…
He had considered it for a few moments more and decided it seemed harmless enough and that he trusted Queen Serenity's advice, so he just prepared himself for anything and launched himself through it at a very high speed…
Now, this infinity of sweet scents and perfumes was currently assaulting his senses, the dense humidity of the environment another one added to them. He could tell they came from the incredible variety of plants and trees scattered all over around him, the leaves shinning under a cover of tiny rain drops.
It was a smell ten times more delicious than anything he had ever smelled before in the Black Forest, back on his own Earth.
However, what truly amazed him from all of it, was the view of so numerous kinds of bright and colorful flowers, along with many different types of insects and butterflies, all of them unique in their qualities —each one so pretty and exotic in their own way—, like nothing he had ever seen in any other place he had ever been before.
Right now, for example, he gazed at the strange pair of butterflies that were flying in front of him: their wings were so large his whole hand whole have fit on top of them, and they were also translucent, the light bouncing off of them in a million of colors.
He also had the opportunity to stare at some of the animals, a few small rabbits and bears. Their species were common enough, but the fur of these rabbits was a spotless and ethereal white, and the bears, even if as big as himself, didn't look threatening at all.
He was thinking, not even the lands of paradise in Other World were this heavenly…
The Queen of the Moon had said this enchanting place was known as the Fields of Elysion.
Goku just sniffed the air deeper and continued walking, careful of his steps and attentive to any sign he could get of Serenity's whereabouts.
He suddenly though he heard voices. Soon he was going towards where he thought the sounds were coming from.
"So she's finally back?" he heard a low male voice asking.
"Yes, she is" answered a high pitched female voice with an English accent "But nothing has changed, she is as depressed as before" it added, worry evident in it.
"What did she tell you, Luna?" This time, it was a high pitched male voice that prompted softly.
"I already told Kunzite, Helios, that she didn't tell me anything; she just passed beside me and went directly towards her waterfall"
"You should leave her alone, mama" the voice of a young girl piped in "The queen seems to enjoy that place, it's as if it helps soften her suffering a bit… and after all she's been through…"
"We've all gone through a lot, young Diana. It's just that Serenity's taking it harder" said the low male voice.
At the mention of Serenity's name, Goku stopped behind some bushes to listen in.
"'Taking it harder'??!" the woman's voice, 'Luna', gasped. Goku heard the movement of a person rushing to get up.
"Endymion's and Princess Serenity's star seeds were crushed, Kunzite! Chaos crushed them! It didn't happen the same to Zoicite's star seed!!!" this 'Luna' person's voice yelled in fury, edged with despair.
This 'Kunzite' only met her words with silence.
"Please calm down, mama…"
With that yell, Goku had finally been able to pinpoint their location. Were these people lunarians' also?
He could only feel one Ki signature.
He was at the border of a vast clearing, the silhouettes of four people standing in front of a huge villa, a good ten meters from where he was…
He thanked his saiyan hearing.
There were two males, a tall man with long straight silver hair and green highlights, dressed in grey military attire, and a teenage boy, about eighteen years old, with short light blue hair and silver highlights, dressed in white garb. The females were a short woman with long purplish black curly hair that descended from the buns at the top of her head, and a teenage girl, about sixteen years old, whose light violet hair was also done up in a similar fashion; they were dressed in a yellow night dress and a pink fine dress respectively.
None of them seemed to have noticed him, as busy as they were in their argument.
"It's just so painful and overwhelming" the dark purple haired woman whispered between sobs.
"Even if we have also lost your father, we still have hope that, somewhere, Artemis' soul is unharmed and well…" the woman's voice turned grave with grief and regret "…But we can not say the same for Serenity's daughter and husband…"
The violet haired girl gazed up at the eyes of her mother.
"Mama, don't you think I know..? That I've lost my best friend for ever??!" even from the distance, Goku could tell she was crying.
Luna brought Diana towards her in a tight hug with her right arm, while her left hand lifted to cover her face is anguish.
"I know, sweety, I know…" she broke "Though I can't even begin to imagine what Usagi must be feeling"
Goku could distinguish the gleam of tears falling heavily from their eyes, and the look on the males' faces was a mix of shameful and solemn.
The saiyan felt his heart constrict painfully. So much sorrow…
He could sense so much sorrow coming from this people… and he was beginning to understand the hardened and sorrowful expression on Cosmos' eyes as well, when they had met his in the Eternal Realm.
Could that have been the reason why she..?
A terrible idea slithered its way into his thoughts. His limbs suddenly went limp and he staggered. He turned pale.
Had she actually tried to..?!
He tried not to think about it. The very idea filled him with the most agonizing emotions he had ever felt in is whole life…
That would have meant Shenlong had lied… That he hadn't told him everything…
It was only comparable to what he had felt only once, to the emotions of fear and despair that had assaulted him at the end of the battle with Buu, when he had been so afraid that killing Vegeta's soul along with Buu were the only way to save the universe…
They couldn't possibly be saying that… It couldn't be that this Chaos had…
That it had made her actually…
…Could it?
It was unconceivable.
He had not been able to tell Queen Serenity that her daughter had attempted suicide, but this was far worse…
FUCK!
Goku had never been one to swear or curse before, but this was so beyond him, it made him feel so helpless he couldn't help it. He was filled with even more dread and guilt than what the thought of this woman killing herself for him had given him.
He fought a wave of nausea.
Was this the kind of thing one had to go through to decide..? To actually decide to..?
He tried to deny it for all he was worth, but the evidence was still there.
She hadn't really tried to give her life force in exchange for his freedom, so that the dragons could turn it into the Primal Energy they needed with their magic… She had actually decided to give them that Primal Energy directly…
… by destroying her soul.
Her own soul…
…The soul of a living being… Ki energy and magic energy united… the energy of creation…The energy within a single soul…
…Primal Energy…
That was what that energy really was, where it had really come from…
The ultimate sacrifice of all.
He was so furious and ashamed now…
She had looked so depressed, so utterly devoid of hope and emotionally dead when she had freed him.
How come he hadn't realized it..??
Goku was ashamed of himself for not showing his presence the very moment he had got there, but he couldn't certainly show himself now; he felt too guilty and nauseous.
He wasn't so sure either if he would have been able to confront them and confirm his suspicions right now.
So he just turned around to get away from it all, when a voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.
"Who are you?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The former Neo Queen Serenity gazed at her reflection on the blue translucent waters of the bed of crystalline liquid under the waterfall.
Her low being just looked out of place in this celestial environment.
It was incredible how deteriorated she seemed in the outside, she was only the spectrum of her former self: Long faded yellow locks that resembled straw more than they did hair, they run loose all around her, she just didn't find it in her to put them up in her old hair style anymore; dull eyes, heavy with the bags under them, stared back at her void of emotion.
It was scary to think those were her eyes… so dead. Once, they had been constantly bright with hope and dreams for the future… but now they were empty.
As empty as her heart felt.
Her outer appearance just revealed the misery inside her.
She had given it everything in herself to win this war… Even when she ran away, to the past, she had still somehow been trying…
She had returned from the 20th century with renewed strength, her resolve fueled by Eternal Sailor Moon's selfless act of courage, and the heaven granted time she had been blessed with the chance to spend beside the past selves of her loved ones.
She had returned to the present only to be met by another attack of this entity made of evil itself.
That's when it told her what it had done.
It had only taken that single short encounter, the knowledge of this being's most recent actions during her absence, to crush her spirit for ever…
Her husband…her child…No power in the universe would ever bring them back…
It wasn't possible without their star seeds, their very souls; with their souls gone, it was as if they had never been alive. As if they had never been at all.
It had murdered their souls.
Never an enemy before had ever done something so cruel, so terrible and unforgivable… They always harmed their bodies, they were trying to kill them, sent them to the realm of the dead… But never before had they tried to destroy their very existence.
Nothing they had ever done was remotely close. Never before had she seen them commit such an abominable crime, such an atrocity and aberration.
She just had never thought it would be possible.
It had already possessed their star seeds in its grasp, along with anyone else's, and she had been absent, gone, to the 20th Century… giving it the perfect opportunity to do it.
She would never forgive herself… It was the same as if she herself had helped do it.
I killed them, I killed my family…
Many tears fell on the back of her hands supporting her trembling form against the grass.
…I want to die.
She had no more reasons to keep going. Chaos had issued its strategy well. She could no longer keep fighting.
She had no longer any will to live.
If she could, she would destroy herself.
That was the punishment she would pay, willingly, for killing her own family.
She smiled bitterly.
And I almost succeeded…
If it hadn't been for Selene, she would have made it. She would have given up her existence in order for the saiyajin Son Goku to be free again. She had decided that, in her last and ultimate death, she would gift this universe with a final good deed.
She found out about him, his kindness, his many sacrifices. So she chose him.
Then, perhaps, if he were free, Chaos would someday be stopped.
As for its destined opponent, the legendary senshi, Sailor Cosmos, she had only wished to join her family in the emptiness of nothing…
…Yes, this time, with Goku, I failed… But I will try again…
Someday, she told herself, she would succeed.Selene would have to understand that it was merciless making her live on with this kind of pain. No matter what she said, she could never deny it was unbearable for a simple mortal; Serenity had never been a divine, perfect creature, like her godly ancestor.
She smiled bitterly once more. As a matter of fact, it was almost ironic, how all her lifetimes ended the same way.
First, she had killed herself as the princess of the moon; now, she would completely wipe herself out as the Queen of the Stars…
After all, without her loved ones, she was weak and helpless.
When all of them had been taken away, all that remained from the great queen was a coward…
A coward…
…Like the one who was always too weak to protect herself, causing her friends to die defending her…
…Like the one who was never able to recover their souls, their star seeds…
…Like the one who had been too afraid to deal with her responsibility, escaping through time traveling towards a more peaceful era, cause she wasn't able to face her fears in her own time…
…Like the one who had killed them all…
…Because she was so weak and pathetic.
It was no surprise, really, that this lifetime she had opted to take the same cowardly action… She would end what she had started in the Silver Millenium, long time ago.
After all, it seemed that it had always been her real fate.
Once a coward always a coward.
She only prayed everyone was able to forgive her.
Then the poor broken queen remembered the goddess' words she had heard in her mind when the Imperium Silver Crystal had saved her.
…You will love again…
… You will give yourself in heart, mind, body, spirit and soul…
Serenity felt the anger and betrayal surge inside her.
…You will love him…
Her hands fisted against the dirt.
…You will love again…
It had no use wondering who 'him' was, because it would not happen…
…She hadn't dared to appear to her and give her some clue before, the help and knowledge she had needed from her to save her loved ones, or even some encouragement or some sort of comfort, but this so called 'Goddess of Light' had had the nerve to actually lecture her in matters of her own heart.
She had no right.
Endymion had been her only love, was her only love… he was her true soulmate…and that is how it would for ever remain…
Her hands could no longer support her and Serenity's fragile form fell towards the dirt, her long golden hair and pale arms covering her face from view.
"I… swore…I would…love…you…for…eternity" she sobbed to the memory of her for ever lost husband.
There would be no one else… ever. She didn't think she would ever be able to love again…
…She didn't deserve it…
Everyone close to her always ended hurt or dead.
…She didn't want to love again…
…Ever… …Never again…
The queen's small hands fisted again against the dirt.
It was as if she wanted to protect herself from something, some invisible threat that only her could feel.
That's how she was when she heard it, this familiar music.
It was very familiar… She wondered when and where she had heard it.
Serenity gave up some of her depressive state in order to slowly start to get up, and sat up where she was. She gazed not far away at some group of lush trees near her.
Was it coming from that direction?
It was getting really close now…
Her eyes widened. She had recognized it.
Her heart beat madly in her chest when she saw a tall figure approaching her from the shadows. The person stepped into the light and, for some blissful moments, all that she could see was a mop of ebony hair…
"Endymion..?!" It came out as a muffled cry.
For some seconds, he stared at her blonde hair and blue eyes in puzzlement, then his eyes took in the crescent moon birthmark.
"Cosmos..?"
It was not his voice… The spell was broken.
The Queen of the Stars remained looking at this man, this stranger in front of her. She stared right to his endless eyes of black.
Then, she truly saw him.
"Goku..?" she uttered "What are you doing here..?"
She never noticed Kunzite, Helios, Luna and her daughter arriving behind him, her sight just trailed from his puzzled face to the object on his hand.
A locket. A golden star shaped locket.
The music, which she now new was her and her love's song for eternal lovers, was coming from it…
…You will love again… …You will love him…
Selene's words echoed once more inside her head. The golden haired woman just stared at the locket for few more moments, digesting the view in front of her.
…You will love him…
Usagi's gaze lifted towards Goku's face, and she met his eyes again.
It was as if the words were no longer her thoughts… but a whisper carried by the wind.
…You will love him…
When she finally reacted, fury rise itself inside her chest, with the most powerful force she had ever experienced.
She got up, went in a rush towards the unsuspectful saiyajin… and slapped him for all she was worth —managing to turn his head to one side— with all the strength her tired limbs could muster.
Goku turned his head back towards her and held his red cheek in shock, hurt and embarrassment.
The hit had actually stung… Not even Chichi had been able to do that once he had already ascended to the four level of his transformation into Super…
He took in the trembling form of the apparent delicate woman standing so close in front of him… This time, though, she wasn't trembling because of despair and loneliness.
He felt a shudder run up his spine at the intensity of the emotions he perceived in those beautiful silver trimmed blue orbs.
He found himself awed.
All of her was so beautiful…
Even in her angry state, she was stunning: a million times more beautiful —and warm, he mentally added— than she had been when she had first introduced herself to him as Cosmos in the Eternal Realm, silver hair and all.
If she was the same person, though… Cause, even with the moon crescent, he slightly doubted it… until he recognized the sorrow hidden in those eyes.
A sorrowful, stunning, angry looking golden haired angel…
He smiled.
Serenity, however, was not much of amused. She had been biting her lips in self repression the whole time.
He internally gasped.
Was she looking at him with… hatred?
"Serenity..?" he tried cautiously "Don't you… remember me?"
The hardness in the eyes of the woman in front of him didn't falter, they narrowed. He saw her open her mouth to speak.
"Whatever reasons brought you here, you're not welcome" she uttered in what sounded almost like a hiss "I don't appreciate being followed… So why don't you just turn around, head back towards the direction you came from, and depart this very moment"
Several gasps were heard behind the saiyan. Never had these survivors of Crystal Tokyo seen their queen act so rude towards a person that wasn't an enemy… Let alone someone as nice as this 'Goku' character seemed.
Goku remained in an astonished motionlessness.
Serenity held his puzzled gaze for more few seconds, before she coolly departed the place herself, her body moving in a resolved manner.
Not once, she turned to look back at him.
Luna approached the tall warrior from behind tentatively. She sighed.
"I am sorry, Goku-san… She usually isn't this way…" the purple haired woman tried to explain.
Diana's face saddened as she stood beside her mother.
"She's just been having a very hard time…" she whispered, her stare still on the ground.
Helios stood by Luna's other side.
"We have to give her some time…" he stated.
Kunzite's expression was still hard, though.
"I only hope she comes out of this… for the sake of this entire universe" his voice was solemn.
Goku, however, never turned back towards them or added anything to their conversation. His eyes were still focused on the direction Serenity had taken, a foreign expression on his own face.
Not even his two long lost sons would have been able to tell the emotion hidden on it.
He frowned.
Dear old Queen, don't worry, I'll stay with Serenity and protect her… I'll find what is wrong with her… I promise…
END TO THE 3RD CHAPTER
2nd A/N: Damn, another damn long chapter! I guess I just can't stop myself when I'm inspired, hehe. Though the rating of this story might be starting to need a change, now… What do you think? I have very little experience rating things and I would like to hear another writer's opinion. Once again, you'll have my full gratitude…
On the other hand, please keep in mind I haven't seen GT or the Sailor Moon manga, so I'm relaying on what I found on the net… Please try to ignore if I'm not accurate with any of them.
And please don't forget to review! It's very discouraging for an author to find only two or three reviews after all the time and effort spent in the chapters… At least in the case of this awfully long chapters, hehe.
Ok, enough for now, I get it: I'm rambling again…
See ya all later.
Love,
Jay.