We do not own "Sailor Moon" nor any of the characters.
SAILOR MOON ETERNAL
"The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga"
By Haruka Kou
Chapter 28: Double Trouble
"Pearlellion! Aquamarianna! Where is my young heir! Have him appear before me!"
"The boy is no where to be found, Your Highness." King Pearlrellion's face was almost smiling.
"FIND HIM! MY PATIENCE GROWS WEARY!" Metallia's voice drips with evilness, echoing through the underground halls.
"Young one, where have you been? Queen Metallia has been anxious for you. Haven't you heard her beckoning?" Aquamarianna finds the man in question several hours later, deep within the catacombs of their underground lair, where it seems he has set up a large mirrored screen with a view of the world above.
"I heard." Robin answers simply, profoundly. And with a flick of his hand the vision changes from the dark depths of the ocean he was studying so intently to the replay of the past few failed attempts to gain energy from their targets.
"These are the so-called Sailor Soldiers?" Aquamarianna asks curiously, but really her true curiosity was on Robin and his apparent interest in the girls fluttering past the screen.
"Yes." Robin's answers were always short and clipped, though his expression of consideration told a story Aquamarianna was not quite so certain about.
"They are…lovely…in their childlike way, aren't they?" She asks with purpose, putting them down beneath her and her very womanly, wily ways. She slinks her way across the darkened room towards Robin.
"Perhaps." He says, not seeming to notice the advances she was trying on him as he continues to study the pictures flashing before him.
"Queen Metallia has high hopes for you, handsome soldier." Aquamarianna says, running her long fingers along his black leather arm.
"Does she?" Robin says nonchalantly, more as a statement than a question as the power of his mind controls the visions cascading in front of him. He was searching the city and beyond for the purest energy, the highest form, where each he knew personally was located….something familiar, yet still distance faces of Sailors he once fought alongside. They flash before him as potential targets.
"As do I." Aquamarianna's hands seductively caress his chest. Her voice was low and whispering. But Robin moves not. His eyes were still glued to his work. Aquamarianna, vain as she was, concludes that Metallia's coldness must run deep through his veins—for no normal man could deny her.
What a pity. Was he always like this, I wonder? Was there not a woman with him when I sent my sea creature to capture him? I thought I saw her for a brief moment—through my minion's eyes. She was afraid of course—no, she should have been afraid. But that lost expression on her face was almost…
Aquamarianna's cold heart almost aches for the poor girl who sat frozen, transfixed on the deck of that ship. She must've believed that Robin was dead—drowned.
If it had been Pearlrellion, I…
The aqua jewel on her forehead then glows suddenly with the evil energies again. And the Queen loses any trace of heart, of compassion, once again. There was only desire now—for power, for energy, for wealth—and most of all, right at this moment, for the gorgeous man so close and yet so far away from her fingertips. And that made her determined even more to have him succumb to her charms. He who was destined to inherit all power, whom she could rule alongside…
"Robin." Aquamarianna decides to make their relationship of a bit more personal nature. "Is the dark sea not a glorious thing?" Using her own granted powers, she makes the screen shift to the wondrous ocean floor landscape. It's deep dark aqua-blue colors filled her with its power. "I have always felt a calling to the sea. And now I've been bestowed upon the control of it. Am I not the Mistress of the Deep Waters now? And all the alluring charms and mystery that come with it? Do you not find me attractive, handsome one?" Aquamarianna asks, bringing her lips close to his as she wonders why, with all of her seductions, his eyes remain transfixed on the ocean screen before him.
"The ocean? Yes, there is something about the ocean I find compelling." Robin's gaze intensifies on the ocean viewscreen as if he were trying to decipher something deep—something strong inside of him.
"Perhaps it is me, then?" Aquamarianna brings her lips to his again expectantly as his see-through green eyes take a long look into hers at last. And despite the coldness she sees there, she is certain he is about to kiss her. She closes the aqua blue sea of her eyes…
And opens them again, her lips untouched to find the mysterious heir to Metallia's dark power had vanished. She was alone in the still darkness of the underground cavern—alone, save for the display that slows its flickering and stations itself on an image of three soldiers. They were older and more womanly than the others Aquamarianna had yet seen. A woman in purple with long dark green hair, then a tall, imposing woman she has come to know as Sailor Uranus, and the third—a smaller, meeker looking one, with an enchanting, knowing smile. And something about her blue eyes and aqua hair Aquamarianna found familiar…
The same, deep soulful look she had seen in young Robin's eyes when he first came to them…
Lita was fine after some of young Dr. Collins' caring ministrations and Mina was excited to let Ken in on her Sailor secret. But Serena finds herself a little worried at the Scout meeting the next day when after school and after work, the gang gathers at the temple to discuss the matter.
But strategies were hard to configure when you knew not even the face of your enemy, not to mention their obviously evil intent.
"Whoever this new enemy is, they seem determined to get energy." Lita says.
"Not just any kind of energy either. They said 'love energy', right Mina?" Artemis asks, hearing the battle tales so many times since last night that he felt like he was there himself.
"Oooh! It was so scary and uuuugly! But, yeah, that's what the monster said." Mina reaffirms emphatically with a nod. Then a thoughtful look crosses her face. "It did say something about the "Master" being impressed by me, too. Do you think it's an old enemy come back again?" Mina considers, the ditz merging into the responsible leader when she had to.
"Maybe, Mina. I felt something familiar about this the whole time-kind of like we did it all before—a déjà vu kind of thing." Rei says, airing the psychic frustrations gnawing at her.
"There is something familiar about the energy and attack patterns." Amy says, forever making calculations on her mini computer.
"Well, no matter who it is, old or new, we have to be ready." Darien responsibly says, his blue-grey eyes grave and worried when they lay eyes on his strangely quiet wife.
"We've all been proud of your new powers, Serena." Luna says as everyone in the room follows Darien's gaze on their anxious looking Princess.
"Thanks, Luna." She says, glancing anxiously at the phone.
"What's wrong, Serena?"
"Don't worry about this new threat. We'll kick butt for sure." Lita smiles in determination, trying to cheer up her friend. "Right, Scouts?"
"Yeah!" Mina, Rei and Amy all reaffirm.
"I believe in you guys. It's not that." Serena says, looking up at the with gratefulness in her crystal blue eyes. "It's just…I've been trying for days on the phone, and I still can't reach Alex or Sayer." She says, on the verge of panic.
"Do you think something's happened to them?" Amy asks.
"Serena was so worried we went to their apartment to see this morning." Darien says, putting a hand on Serena's. "The place was a mess and they weren't there."
"You mean, a mess worse than usual?" Rei says with a sarcastic smirk. Her last visit to Alex and Sayer's joint flat was not the most spic-and-span experience. They had just had a violent argument that included throwing things.
"Way worse than usual." Serena interrupts.
"There was obviously a battle." Darien concludes logically, though he was more certain than his worried wife that those two could more than take care of themselves.
"Did you call Terry and Susan? Maybe they know what happened?" Mina offers.
"I did this morning and I can't get hold of either of them. And only the answering machine picks up at Michelle's mansion. They should've been back by now too!" Serena whines, worry etched on her brow for her friends.
"Don't worry so much, Serena. I'm sure they're fine." Lita says, despite her own concerns. "They probably all just went on a trip or something and didn't tell us. You know how impulsive Alex and Sayer are."
"I sure hope so." Serena says, though her heart still ached. I'll ask Sammy if Tara came to school today. Maybe she'll know what's going on.
"All right, Scouts, back to business. Can't you tell where the energy was emanating from, Amy?" Luna, the house matron, calls for order and method again as the Inner Scouts discuss exactly what to do for the upcoming unknown looming ahead.
But Serena was right to be worried, for so was Alex. She was concerned that the enemy had found their home so easily. And though certain she had destroyed the creature that had attacked, she was just as certain that there were more to come. More threatening, more deadly. And though she herself would prefer to just stand and fight, Alex had something to protect—something very important and an inner feeling inside told her that her adversary would come after that something oh-so-special.
And Alex would move Heaven and Earth for that never to happen.
"How is she?" Alex glances over her shoulder to the back seat of car where her two most treasured possessions were.
"No change" Sayer's usual giddy voice was heavy and thoughtful as he cradles Michelle's aqua curls in his arms.
"We're almost there." Alex's steely voice never changes its tone—the serious of her responsibility weighed heavily upon her as her eyes look to the rear view mirror. They rest on a sweet face adrift in a sea of dreams.
Hiding from the nightmares out here…
Alex smiles softly as she stops the Ferrari in front of a familiar place.
"You're sure your brother won't tell anyone?" Alex says to Sayer as she gets out of the car.
"Course not, Ally. Terry's cool." Sayer says indignant that she would question the brother he held so high in regard—the one who would worry if they just suddenly disappeared. The brother…the only one he had left.
Sayer looks sadly at the sleeping woman in his arms. He never before felt closer to her. She had become every part of the other brother lost to them both.
"All right." Alex almost smiles at the voracity in his belief in his brother. She had seen that their bond was close—almost as close as the bond she and Michelle had. She ruffles his black curls before striding into the house.
The doorbell goes unanswered and Alex is suspicious of the unlocked door. But though empty and still, the house was in its usual pristine form. Susan's caring mark was on every piece of dusted furniture—every spot was clean in this house. It was a reminder to Alex of the perfect housewife Susan had become for that man.
"Hmph." Alex smirks crookedly at how subservient Susan could be. She shakes her head. A quickly scribbled note later and Alex is back out the door, zipping away in her red Ferrari to a secret place only she and Sayer knew of. She, Sayer and whoever reads this note on Terry and Susan's kitchen countertop, that is…
There is something special about a husband who dotes over you. Susan thinks quietly as she busies herself setting out a picnic on the well-kept lawn and backyard. Terry was a good husband, sweet and caring. He was the most wonderful man in the entire universe—Susan was sure as she continued setting out sandwiches and homemade cookies, as well as a tray of those delicious Pirouline cookies that Terry knew she liked.
He showered her with flowers every night, every vase in the house was filled—even the closet and nursery were stuffed full of various goodies. Susan didn't have the heart to tell her worried husband that she felt far too sick to eat anything, and when she did eat, it was very little, despite his prompting. She grew more and more unaccustomed to eating as her stomach was in a more delicate state than ever.
She touches the expanding bulge lightly. "Baby Giselle…" Susan whispers in song, humming the chosen name to a lullaby. Brushing her hair back in the bright sunlight, she smiles softly. It was a beautiful, warm day, nearing the end of October. The chilly winds of late had given way to a final spurt of summer-like weather. It was lovely—the kind of day Terry would enjoy. Susan glances at her golden wedding ring sparkling in the sunlight.
And I want him to be able to enjoy these things again...Susan sorrowfully thinks, reflecting on Terry's sadness of late. It was the sadness she too felt for the silver-haired brother who would no longer enjoy their get-togethers.
"I'm so sorry, Terry darling." Susan whispers to the wind, a soft teardrop flowing down her emotional cheek.
"Why is that, Susan, my love?" Terry's low voice says as his hands cover her eyes from behind, wiping the tear away. "You've made us a picnic." He smiles, looking deeply into her eyes as he wraps his arms around her.
His eyes! Susan's mind screams as he kisses her sweetly. "Terry darling?" Susan shakes her head—his kiss was not the one she knew so well.
"How beautiful you've set everything up for me. You are a very special wife, my lady." Terry spreads his long legs out onto the blanket.
"Thank you, my lord." Susan sits next to him, deciding that the bright sunlight and her over emotional state were playing tricks on her—but still, she couldn't shake the feeling.
"Delicious." Terry tastes a chocolate chip cookie with a smile. "You look very sumptuous yourself this morning, Susan darling." Terry looks amorously at her in a way he never looked before. He begins to reach to her. Susan jumps up, moving away from his startled hand.
"You're not my Terry! What have you done with him!" She shouts, somehow managing in her state to move quickly.
"I led him here, I'd hope. He is a very difficult target to keep hold of, you know. His energy is of the highest caliber, as is yours, Susan darling."
"Terry" grabs her two hands and yanks them painfully, as in between his lips, a dark crystal appears. He lunges towards her.
"STAR GENTLE UTERUS!"
Soaring through the air a burst of acid splatters on the "man" who was grasping Susan's body, and sends him screeching backwards. He covers his face as he releases Susan who falls to the ground. She cries as the man before her—the perfect visage of her husband, save for his eyes which could never hold his soul—uncovers his face revealing the horrible, blistering acid burns.
"How dare you?" The fake Terry screams.
"How dare YOU!" The real Terry's eyes blaze with the ferocity of his broiling acid attack. "How dare you touch her! She is more precious to me than anything in this universe!" Terry rushes to her, falling to his knees as he embraces her sobbing form.
"Darling!" Susan cries into his neck. One look into his beautiful eyes was enough to tell her that HE was truly her beloved.
"Susan. I felt something was wrong. Are you—are you all right?" Star Maker says gently as he holds her close.
"Yes, I'm fine-Oohhhhhh!" Susan clutches at her stomach. Today's events and her delicate stomach had finally gotten to her nervous system.
"GRRRRRRRR…" In a flash of anger at how this imposter had dared to harm his wife, Star Maker softly puts her down and lunges a vengeful fist at his double—who had anticipated the attack. He welcomed it, in fact, and used his target's blinded anger to get one up on him. He grabs the punching left fist and moves with it. The long black glove flies off and Terry's sought-after, gold wedding band was yanked from his finger.
Filled with triumphant strength, "Terry" throws Star Maker down, sliding the ring on his own finger. This transforms his body into that of shining gold. He chuckles with a smirk as he glints in the bright sunlight.
"Your energy please, Sailor of the Star Maker." The golden man demands, polite as ever, as he removes the dark crystal from his lips. He reaches out to the downed Star Maker's chest with his hand…
KICK!
Clang goes the sound of metal being screeched against when banged as hard as Sailor Star Maker kicks his arm away with the heel of his boot. The dark gem soars through the air, hiding somewhere in the grass.
"Where did it go!" For a few seconds, the golden creature scans the grass, but to no avail. "You'll pay for this! No! First, she will!" The golden man turns his gaze on Susan, who was standing, trying to gain enough energy to transform herself. She raises her long, slender arm into the air.
"You will make a lovely statue." The golden man sneers with a crooked, approving smile.
"FOURTEEN CARAT GOLD PLATING!" He shouts suddenly, aiming a long finger at Susan's form, standing statuesque in the blazing sunlight.
"SUSAN!" Star Maker shouts a warning as he, without a single thought to his own safety, dives for the creature who was threatening to endanger his sweet beloved.
His fists burst into a trail of blood as they impact the cold gold metal man, not damaging the creature in the least. But it threw him off balance enough for his aim to be disturbed and he misses Susan by mere inches.
CHHHHHHHIIIIIIIKKKKKK!
The birdbath it hits is not as lucky as it immediately sizzles over with electroplated gold energy. The poor, unknowing sparrow drinking from it, found not only the water he was drinking but he himself turned cruelly into a 14 carat gold statuette.
"Ha ha, Maker! Your strength is no match against mine! I have shields to block your fiercest of acid attacks! That is why the heir chose my superior talents." The golden creature cackles cruelly and nondescriminately shoots every little squirrel, bird and butterfly alike—just to demonstrate his precision skills. "I am superior to you in every way!" He boasts arrogantly as a look passes between Susan and Star Maker standing in front of him.
"Move over just a hair, Susan darling. I will capture you both in a perfect statuesque look. Perhaps one together—lovers locked in an embrace. Yes! That would be superb. Yes, I'm sure he would look kindly on me if I present that." The gold man continues to laugh at his own splendor. He was vainly caught up in himself as he aims his hand at the couple for a final golden blast.
ZAP! ZING! CHIK!
A few final seconds and the die is cast. Standing unmoving in glorious golden beauty, victim of shining metal poised—but not the one the creature who shot had intended.
In the split second he shot his golden wrath, Star Maker, with amazing speed, fell to his knees, grasping up the shining mirrored silver platter the cookies were on. He held it up as a shield in front of them as they the beam hits the mirrored surface, reflecting it back on its overly egotistical owner. He stood frozen in place now, his arm still extended out from his attack. The look of utter shock on his face proved that there was one thing he could never even come close to matching—the intellect driven by true love of a young star from a far-off world.
Sailor Star Maker doesn't miss a beat. The creature was only stiff for a moment and could no doubt heal himself. Terry had seen the eyes in the shadowed head concentrate on getting out of the trap he was in. Boiling over with anger, Terry's vast knowledge suits him once more in the battle. He knew exactly how hot gold needed to be to melted down to liquid...
"STAR GENTLE UTERUS!" Star Maker shouts with a more than usually controlled amount of acid. It hits the gold creature just as he was about to unplate himself—just in time for its mouth to open in a silent scream. It knew it was unable to throw a shield up in time.
ZZZZZZZZZZ!
Melting away he sizzles into a sparkling gold liquid puddle on the ground. His form was lost, beyond help as the golden monster blinks into a cloud of smoke from existence. A small, whining shadow sinks into the ground, leaving only one trace of gold behind—Terry's wedding band. The golden birdbath blinks back into normal porcelain, and the birdy on it shakes himself and continues bathing as though nothing had happened. Likewise for all the other animals that were affected. They didn't know enough to be grateful to whose power had just saved them.
"Precious one, are you all right?" Star Maker spins to face his wife, taking her into his arms.
"Yes, yes. You came just in time!" Susan cries on him, wrapping her hands around his neck as she feels something hot and wet on her hands. Blood. "Terry! You're hurt!" She touches his side gingerly. Susan drops to her knees, trying to attend to the wounds. She realized now why he had not come sooner—the viciousness of the slice surprised her that he could even come at all. Never mind doing all those heroic and wondrous things only he could do and rescue her so gallantly.
"Am I?" Terry says as he detransforms back into himself. He didn't notice the wound then-his drive was so fierce to protect Susan.
"Darling…" Susan kisses him gently, to make it better. Terry smiles down on her, assuring his wife that just having her safe and sound was all that he needed to know. Susan insisted however, that they have his wounds treated at the hospital, though Terry still insisted on driving there.
"Yes, darling, anything you say." Susan whispers as he ushers her into the car, gentleman still, despite his bloody side. Terry kisses her in a way only he could as they drive off, the immediate danger making them just glad to see each other.
As they make a hairpin turn, they were still locked in a kiss. However, the policeman watching them, stopped them to give them a ticket. Terry and Susan, though apologetic, laughed all the way to the hospital at the ticket for reckless driving they had just received. And why not? It was a memory—and a good one.
Just as every moment with you will be. You are my one and only, Terry darling. I will always love you…
Susan thinks to herself as she waits in the hospital lobby while Terry gets the nasty cut stitched up. The doctor said that any normal man would have collapsed by now, but Terry would not, he could not. He had overcome any physical limits with his love for Susan—it was stronger than any mortal boundaries in the galaxy.
Serena is relieved later that afternoon, after constant phoning, to find Susan and Terry back at home—and safe. They actually were the ones who called her, to set up an important Soldier meeting, if it was convenient to the Prince and Princess.
Serena breaks out her ancient communicator to locate the four Inner soldiers, wherever they may be. Amy was at school, Rei had been meditating at the temple, Lita was at work in the café, while Mina, doing things Mina could only do, could not be found until Artemis realized he had luckily put away her communicator in a safe place so that she could answer the call now. They all quickly drop what they were doing to meet at Susan's house immediately.
Once there, the whole afternoon's harrowing battle was retold as well as the events of the past few weeks. They told of Michelle's breakdown and collapse over Robin's disappearance; and of his tragic demise. Susan and Terry both felt that the time for secrets and silence was over.
"WHAT!" Mina shrieks, jumping to her feet. Tears filled her blue eyes and the seriousness of them was frightening.
"It can't be!" Lita says in horror, feeling tears biting.
"All this time and you didn't tell us! I knew I felt something…" Rei vents her frustration.
"Robin…" Serena whispers quietly as the shock hits her somewhere, deep within. They had all become such dear friends. Their little (well, not so little anymore) group, despite the bickering and arguments that often ensued, could be no closer, no tighter knit than the last year had proven.
After all, they all were Sailor Soldiers.
"Poor Michelle." Amy says compassionately, putting a comforting hand on Terry, whose purple eyes were becoming unfocused and blurred as he gazed out at the sunset.
"Where is she now?" Rei asks. Even though she and Michelle were sometimes at odds, Rei looked up to and recognized her as her Outer Scout guardian.
"Alex feared the enemy would come after Michelle and took her away, someplace safe after Sayer was attacked at their apartment." Susan answers, obviously finding the note they had left.
"Is he all right!" Serena asks, worried about yet another soldiers, another dearly cherished friend.
"Yes." Terry is pulled back to the conversation by the mention of his other brother. He gave the princess a small smile in gratitude for her concern. "He went with Alex." Terry looks back out the window. He trusted both Sayer's fighting abilities and Alex's worthy back up, but he silently wished he could be with his brother, to protect him as he always had in the past.
This indefinite separation was a painful reminder of the silver haired companion whom Terry feels he had failed in watching over.
"So many of us have been attacked now, I wonder what this enemy wants." Lita, angry at the world, bangs her cup down on the table.
"Energy." Amy's distant reply comes as she doesn't even look up from the mini computer she was tinkering with.
"We know that, Amy, but why—?" Darien starts to pose another question.
"No! I mean there's an energy build up somewhere outside this house right now!" Amy says, pointing to the flashing green energy blip on her screen.
"Where?" Darien and Terry say simultaneously.
Just then, the house is rocked by some unknown energy force nearby.
It appeared to be a normal school day. The day was so unusually beautiful and warm that the girls in class set out their lunches on the grassy school lawn to watch the rambunctious boys enjoy some football and other boyish sports in this fine summer-like weather.
Tara Tomoe was no exception. She had few friends and it was only now that a small number of friendly girls had accepted her into their elite cliques. They had all heard the rumor from a few transfer students of her old school that she had….strange powers, and so most avoided her. But Tara had found one true friend, nevertheless. She was a pretty girl, much like herself, whose raspy voice and long, curled catlike indigo hair had set her apart from the rest.
The cruel children in class had made fun of her foreign ways and style of dress outside of school. She wore a pink striped jumpsuit and tights with a furry tutu that was odd, no doubt. They even had mocked the poor girl's name—Cattana. It was just all too strange for their limited minds.
But Tara was different. She tried to see the good in everyone and slowly found it. Cattana made it difficult at times, as she was rather argumentative and vain. But over the past few weeks since her arrival at this school, she had come to consider sweet Tara as her friend—the only one in the entire academy.
No, that wasn't exactly true. There was a certain boy in a level grade up, that Tara was sure that Cattana had her feminine eye upon. Despite his strangely style orange hair and unconventional style of dress, Topaz, had become popular with boys and girls alike. His athletic abilities were obvious and his cool attitude made him quite the hot ticket to moon over this school season. Cattana was no exception. Before he had arrived, she had shunned all other boys.
As she waves to her idol playing football, girlish secrets are shared between these two outcasts. Tara got the strange feeling that Cattana knew Topaz before, though she swore she had just met him here at school.
Oh well. Tara smiles, letting the sunlight bask on her pale face.
"Watch out!" A warning yell comes a second too late as Tara was lost in her own thoughts as a pigskin spirals towards them…
"HEY! You watch out, you stupid—" Cattana, with amazing agility, jumps up, and catches the ball, to everyone's surprise, with a nasty look, souring her pretty face. "OH! It's you, Topaz." From cold fire to a puddle of sweetness, she smiles, batting her long eyelashes at him, coyly tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"Cattana." He says, coolly, without so much as a smile or an "I'm sorry" or even a "Thank you" for the football save. He trots back to the game, giving her and Tara both the cold shoulder.
"Isn't he dreamy?" Cattana sinks back to the blanket on the grass with a wistful smile.
"I just wish he was nicer to you." Tara says, concerned for her friend's infatuation with someone so uncaring.
"He cares!" Cattana protests, fooling only herself. "He's probably just….too busy to ask me for a date! That's all! Hey! You have a boyfriend, don't you, Tara?" She asks suddenly, with a brilliant idea.
"Well…yes." Tara blushes, glancing at the football field where a sandy haired young man was waiting for a pass.
"Then maybe he can ask Topaz to go with him somewhere and you and I can maybe just kinda show up. He's your boyfriend so you can just do that! And then, maybe, Topaz and I can be together. Kind of like a double date, huh?" Cattana's solution seems far fetched, but Tara was kind enough to want to help her friend's misguided troubles.
"All right then. I'll ask Sammy." Tara smiles at how Cattana's dark eyes could light up.
"You're the best friend a girl could have, Tara!" Cattana explodes with a hug, then suddenly pulls away, as if remembering herself, just as the school bell chimes, calling all to return to their classes. "Thank you." She says, but all emotion was gone from her voice. There was only a trace left of lonely sadness that Tara knew all too well.
I wonder if she has troubles at home. She never speaks of her family. Tara thinks, worried for her new friend as they head back to their classroom.
The final school bell rings and Tara had set Cattana's plan into action with Sammy already through a few notes passed back and forth. Good old Ms. H never noticed as Class 2-1 were abuzz with the "love notes" passing between Tara and Sammy.
Tara and Cattana race out to meet the two boys awaiting them by the front gate.
"So were are we going that's so very exciting?" Topaz asks in his emotionless tone. He did seem a bit annoyed though.
"Oh, uh…the festival fair down on Eighth Street! They blocked off the whole ave just for the fair!" Sammy says, exchanging a glance with Tara, who nods.
"It's really fun. Sammy and I have been there before, but we wanted to bring you two around, since you're new here and all." She smiles at the tall boy sweetly, but quickly cowers at his unchanging gaze.
His eyes are so cold…
Tara's mind hears bells going off.
"Yeah! It's gonna be fun!" Cattana tries to bubble, but Tara could sense something too, about her friend. It was almost like the two of them had an aversion to the happy, bustling crowds of smiling people.
Rides, games and cotton candy an hour later, Tara finds Sammy's hand pulling her towards his favorite fair booth—the shooting range.
"When I win a few more tickets, Tara, we can go to that prize booth over there and you can choose something nice, okay?" Sammy smiles confidently, lifting the shooting pistol on the table.
"Ready?" The booth caretaker signals for Sammy to start. He had to shoot down five in a row of the little ducks flapping up and down and all over everywhere to get enough tickets to claim a prize.
One. First shot, crack shot, Sammy had been practicing.
Two. Easy second, he was trying to impress his cute girl.
Three. He smiles. It was getting easier and easier.
Four. Overconfident, Sammy winks an eye at Tara, whose own eyes were laughing in delight.
Fi—
Suddenly turning back to his target range, Sammy feels like punching out the guy controlling the ducks, as they went faster and faster, until Sammy's head was spinning.
BANG!
Sammy holds his breath, closing his eyes, screaming at himself, for he knew inside, that he had missed the shot.
"YAY!" But Tara's sweet congratulations cause him to open one eye. He saw, to his amazement, that the final fifth duck was hit, right on the mark.
"Here you go, young man. But I'll be darned if I know how you shot that last one. I was sure you had missed it." Scratching his head, the booth's attendant hands Sammy the rest of his prize winning tickets.
"Yeah, me, too…" Sammy mumbles under his breath. He caught a strange look pass between Topaz and Cattana, who had been watching him from behind. It seemed like they knew something more about it.
"Well, come on! Let's get your prize, Tara!" Cattana says, suddenly, almost too brightly. She grabs Tara's thin arm and drags her to the prize booth.
"Yeah, let's go, Sammy." Topaz's dark eyes flash at Sammy. This was the first time he had showed interest in something all afternoon.
Shaking off the weird feeling, he shrugs and follows Tara and Cattana to the booth to pick a prize before they leave.
"Ooh! Ooh! Look at all the lovely jewels, Tara!" Cattana's eyes sparkle at the faux gemstones displayed in a glass case before them.
"Yes, they're very pretty, but I think I'd like one of those, instead." Tara says, politely. Her heart was set on the big stuffed baby deer on the wall.
I can give it to Susan for the baby's room! It'll be so cute, maybe by the cradle.
Tara's thoughts were always for another. She was excited to be having a little "sister" of sorts.
"No way! Stuffed animals are so childish, Tara! Jewelry's the ticket! Look at how the gemstones shine! Just look at those pearls! Besides, I bet Sammy will think you're a LOT prettier in say, that necklace over there, rather than you holding a big stuffed doll like a baby! You wanna look good for him, right!" Cattana says vainly, not thinking a thing of Tara's crushed feelings.
"Yes, but I don't think Sammy would—" Tara starts to answer calmly when the two boys come up behind them.
"Have you decided on something yet, Tara?" Sammy asks sweetly.
"Yes, she has!" Cattana sings, her eyes dancing as she points to the case. "There! That pretty, pearl necklace! Isn't it nice, Topaz?" Cattana's catlike eyes flash up into Topaz's darker ones.
"Perfect choice." He says enigmatically, folding his arms and nodding at Cattana with an agreement far greater than that of just a compliment.
"Good. I'm glad you found something pretty enough for you, Tara.' Sammy says with a blush as he hands over his tickets to the shopkeeper, who produces the sparkling iridescent beads.
"Thank you, Samuel." Tara blushes back as she accepts it and clasps it on. Their eyes meet in sweet, young love and she is happy to have anything Sammy gives her.
She truly didn't care what it was, nor how simple, but this necklace was very lovely. As the two look into each other's eyes, neither notice Topaz and Cattana quietly slipping away into the crowd.
"Did we really have to do that?" Cattana asks suddenly. Her friendship with Tara wavered her evil convictions.
"What would the others say?" Topaz severely asks his weak willed companion in accusation.
"'It's the mission.'" Cattana's worried eyes turn dark and unfeeling again as she turns her back on her new friends. She and Topaz mysteriously melt into the shadows as the sun begins to set over the festival.
"It looks pretty on you." Sammy says as he and Tara walk out of the fairgrounds.
"Thank you. But, where have Cattana and Topaz gone?"
"I'm sure they'll turn up soon. Wanna go for one last spin on the ferris wheel?"
"All right. Sounds like fun!" Tara lets Sammy lead her off towards the huge spinning wheel.
Everything's fun when I'm with you, Sammy. Tara smiles as they trot off, gaining entrance to the last cart as the wheel begins turning again.
"Look! I can see the school flag from way up here!" Tara giggles.
"Cool!" Sammy replies, as both look out the window.
"This is a stupid ride. I want to get out!"
Sammy is taken aback by Tara's voice suddenly turning sulky and unpleasant.
"Oh, it'll be over soon, Ta—!" Sammy jumps up to find there is not one, but two of her—and one was attempting to strangle the other with the new pearl necklace.
"Yes! But it will be sooner than you think!" One of the Tara's eyes suddenly flash with wickedness as she yanks the string of pearls from the other's choking neck. They exploded over the floor of the compartment, rattling across the steel housing.
"This is too easy!" She laughs, scooping up a handful of the beads and holding them to her forehead.
To Sammy and the real Tara's horror, they watch this small figure transform into a fat, round creature whose body consisted of large, ivory pearls everywhere.
"Now, give me your energy, little one!" The pearl creature coos as a dark crystal suddenly appears in her pearlescent hand. She reaches for Tara's chest…
"Stop it, Monster!" "Sailor" Sammy suddenly comes to the rescue as he jumps up, intending to rush across the small area to Tara's defense.
But instead, he skitters on the beads still on the floor, rolling and sliding about almost comically as the pearled creature merely rolls her eyes at the non-interference and continues for Tara's heart…
SLAM!
Sammy's slidings back and forth come to a sudden halt as he sends his entire body smacking into the monster. His momentum was added to by a lurch in the ferris wheel, sending the stout, pearl creature tumbling out the side door. Lassoing up with a string (of pearls, of course!), Tara and a regained balance Sammy, exchange a look, seeing they were trapped. The monster was sure to come back, but Tara also knew her duty as a Sailor Soldier very well…
"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!"
She shouts, lifting a power stick high in the sky. Sammy's eyes pop out of his head in excitement. He, "Sailor expert" as he was, never imagined he would actually see a Sailor soldier transform right before him.
"MAKE UP!"
Tara's little voice is filled with determination as she begins to change. Her uniform disappears into a violet indigo haze and the multicolored rings of Saturn spin around her as a deafening silence takes hold, save for the swishing swipe of a deadly sharp gleaming glaive, rising from the underworld, through the ground beneath her. Fully transformed, Super Sailor Saturn's thin pale hands grasp the instrument that held the power over life and death itself.
"Soldier of Death and Destruction! I am Sailor Saturn!" On her small thin shoulders was such responsibility and Saturn's serious gaze belied the weight of her duty.
"An oyster expends its entire life on creating a pearl! I, too, know of death and destruction! You do not frighten me, weakling child!" Arrogantly, vainly, the pearl creature pulls up. Sammy tried to sever the cord, but it was unbreakable and monster managed to reappear.
"PEALS of PEARL!" She shouts, launching an entire barrage of tiny beads at Saturn and Sammy.
"SILENCE WALL!"
Saturn throws up her shield around herself and Sammy as the "bullets" pelt holes straight through the steel walls of the compartment, shattering the glass windows outward to shower on innocent fairgoers below.
What do I do? To do any of my powers, I'd have to put down this wall. And then, Sammy might be…
Tara's mind reaches for ideas. She didn't care for herself—she was the soldier of sacrifice. But she who held death so easily in her hands, in contrast, treasured life to a high degree.
Seeing his protector's dilemma, Sammy bravely steps out of her Silence shield wall and grabs a loose string trailing out from their attacker's arm. He tugs at it hard. Her string of pearl arm comes loose, spilling all over the ground. For a moment, Sammy smiles, feeling manly triumph, when each fallen piece of her arm suddenly turns into a slew of pearlized bombs, blowing huge holes in the metal flooring beneath him. He and Saturn both plunge below to the, luckily, not so distant ground as the ferris wheel grinds to a halt.
Onlookers scream and the crowd stampedes away as the monster appears from the compartment with an angry look on her iridescent pearl face.
"Prepare to be obliterated, little boy! The master didn't say anything about dealing with brats!" She whines, tying up the loose string from her missing arm, so that the rest of her wouldn't just roll off and away.
She points her other good arm at Sammy, shouting "Mother of Pearl!" and in her hand a large, then larger and then largest pearl grows into a monstrous ball aimed at Sammy as she catapults it, flying directly towards him.
"DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION!"
Sailor Saturn scurries to him. Her wafts of indigo energy explode the cannonball, going through it and towards the creature, who in turn, puts up a pearlescent shield of her own.
The call was too close. Saturn felt her powers equally matched against this creature as the monster decides, just for fun, to pick off unsuspecting innocents with a well aimed pearl or two.
"Get behind me, Sammy." Saturn orders in a whisper and Sammy obeys, moving behind her as the last stragglers of the fairgrounds scream away to safety, leaving only the people stuck on the halted ride, shrieking in panic.
"Give me your energy, child! Or I will destroy that contraption—and every worthless life on it!" The pearl monster's white ivory gleam, turns smoky and black with her wickedness as she points with the one arm she still had at the ferris wheel and all the people and children still trapped within it.
Saturn realizes this was no bluff and that precious lives were at risk.
"No life is worthless. I am the Soldier of Sacrifice." Saturn lowers her head and submissively walks towards the creature.
"Sailor Saturn! Don't!" Sammy screams, seeing what she was about to do.
Ignoring his cries, Saturn continues to walk forward until she is face to face with the monster. "You must promise to leave all these people alone and return to wherever you came from." Saturn says. But creatures like this, filled with evil, didn't bargain. Moreover, they didn't know when to stop.
"I'll promise no such thing, little girl. And I'll start the destruction of this vile world with him—" Arrogantly, vindictively, in her need for vengeance, the creature's glance lands on Sammy, but when it returns, the pearl creature finds a sharp glaive pointed at her throat.
"Then the death will start and end with you." Saturn calmly threatens her opponent with the power she held.
"Don't give me that! I know what you know! The rules of this universe you mere mortals are bound by! Death is a double edged sword! If you release that power, you too, will die! Then you can no longer be with this worthless ragamuffin!" The monster's mouth forms a wry smile, thinking her speech was enough to convince.
"Death is not the end for the just." Came Sailor Saturn's only reply. The steel look in her eyes filled the pearl creature with fear, dread and disbelief that anyone would really sacrifice for another so readily. Sailor Saturn easily lifts her glaive into the still air as a deadly silence ensues.
"SILENCE GLAIVE SUR—"
"Over there!" Comes a voice.
"STAR GENTLE UTERUS!"
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"
Sizzle, boom, burn, zap!
Flashes of color whiz before Sailor Saturn's astonished eyes. The descent of her life ending sacrifice was halted as the creature is nearly decimated. Surprised by the sea of attacks, it plunges backwards.
With her eyes still dazzled, Saturn hears the prince's mighty voice echoing across the empty, darkening field.
"Now! Sailor Moon!" He shouts from atop the ferris wheel where he was getting people down from.
In the darkness, Saturn sees a glow—a sparkle, a shine—and she recognizes it, bowing her eyes to her beloved princess.
"SPARKLING FULL MOON SILVER RADIANCE!"
The darkness, the silence, the emptiness is overcome by light and brilliance as feathers and wisps of energy scatter about and around the creature. The moon shines down full, on it.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" It manages to scream once as its blackened form dissolves in the light to nothing but a shadow melting into the ground below.
Silence.
"Tara, are you all right?" Terry's worried voice comes.
"Wow, Serena…that was pretty good." Sammy's voice was heard teasing his sister.
"Tara?" The Princess' true strains call out to her.
"Yes, I'm fine." Saturn answers with a smile, feeling Terry-papa's strong arms around her. Her friends warm hands were on her shoulders and Sammy's bright eyes were smiling at her through the darkness.
Yes, I'm fine. Tara's mind repeats as she is hugged and hugged again by her cherished family. Terry carries her tired little body home to be drowned in hugs and kisses by worried Susan-mama.
After a few happy tears at home, she was tucked in bed and Susan noticed the pearl necklace.
"Sammy won it for me at the fair." Tara answers, sleepily recalling how a sweet young man had given it to her—how life was so delicate and she, more than anyone, appreciated just how special it was to be loved in this ever changing, fragile world.