Chapter Twenty – Five. Examining Powers & Dreams
Setsuna sighed. She was slightly bothered with the Pink Floyd song "Comfortably Numb" playing on the radio. She had a strange feeling as if something was about to change in regards to the Defenders as she knew it. With all the recent dreams everyone had been having, it couldn't be just a mere coincidence.
She glanced down at Chibi Chibi, who was sleeping on the sofa with the incense burner close by. She noticed Rick had seen her in his recent dreams. Why was he involved in all these recent dreams regarding the Sailor Guardians?
"Setsuna?"
She turned around to see the Phantom behind her.
"Phantom." Setsuna stood up from her seat. "You have the same feeling I do?"
"It depends on what you mean." the Phantom crossed his arms.
"It's regarding your team." she faced him. "Regarding one of the younger Defenders."
"You're meaning..." the Phantom paused for a moment before he asked, "Rick?"
Setsuna nodded. "I'm afraid so. It's all adding up. The recent dreams we've been having. It's far from coincidence."
They both looked at a sleeping Chibi Chibi on the sofa.
"Rick said he saw Chibi Chibi in his recent dreams and she's here now." Setsuna stated.
"Yes." the Phantom nodded. "That's a cause for suspicion."
They both looked at Chibiusa, Hotaru and Kshin who had just finished their homework.
"We may have crossed the point of no return." Hotaru said as she stood up from her seat.
"Hotaru?" Chibiusa glanced at her best friend in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Kshin asked.
Before an answer could be heard, the group heard a beeping sound. Setsuna answered the communicator. "Come in."
"We need everyone to meet at Monitor immediately." Mandrake said with an urgent tone.
"What's the situation?" the Phantom asked.
"It is too long of a story to explain right now." Mandrake answered. "We will explain it once we arrive at Monitor. We are on our way right now."
Setsuna glanced over at first Hotaru, Kshin and Chibiusa and then at the Phantom. "I guess we're about to have some of our suspicion confirmed."
-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-
Seiya led the Starlights outside the mansion.
"So they live here." Yaten looked at the outside of the mansion. "Nice mansion."
"That's not why we are here." Taiki chastised.
"I know."
"The boy who has activated his powers lives here." Seiya stated. He glanced over at the window, seeing a pinkish red haired girl holding an incense burner.
"Who's that?"
"Who's..." Yaten started to ask.
"What are you talking about?" Taiki asked.
Seiya continued looking at the girl as the other two followed his glance. He sensed something within that burner that the girl was holding.
"That girl." Taiki stated.
"Who is she?" Yaten asked.
"Does that burner..." Seiya started to ask before he started to ask, "is it the burner belonging to our princess?"
-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-
"I can't believe it!" April exclaimed. "Rick has powers!"
"Yeah." LJ stated calmly. "That is hard to believe."
"No way!" Kshin exclaimed in surprise. "First we learn Jedda is part Netherworlder, now this?!"
April glanced towards LJ and Kshin. "What about you two?! Do you have supernatural powers that we don't know of?!"
"Well," Kshin turned his head, "I have magic abilities but it wasn't caused by an accident or whatever caused Rick's powers to exist."
"I have my natural abilities." LJ quipped. "I have no supernatural powers that anyone knows of."
"This is serious!" Setsuna told the group. "We need to look into Rick's new powers as well as the new threat that you guys encountered at the concert."
"Pluto is right." Luna nodded in agreement.
"It appears as if Rick Gordon has a mysterious new power," Artemis added. "and it vaporized your latest opponent."
"Rick wasn't born with these powers, was he, Flash?" Diana asked.
"Not to my knowledge," Flash shook his head, "no."
"Then something must have happened to Rick to cause him to have these powers." Artemis stated.
Rick looked at his hands, the same hands which caused the destruction of a Sailor Guardian. She was an enemy who would have killed Jedda, Mamoru and Kate if he didn't act. He knew that was true but wished that he didn't have to kill anyone. He found it hard to believe that he had the powers in the first place.
"I..." Rick stated in shock. "I can't believe I...vaporized that girl!"
"She would have gotten to Jedda, Mamoru and Kate if you didn't act." Makoto gently touched his shoulders, giving him assurance in the process.
"Makoto's right you know." Jedda nodded in agreement.
Rick glanced at the rest of the group in surprise as they were talking among themselves.
"This must be one of those "when you least expect it" moments." Minako stated.
"Mina," Artemis interjected, "that saying does not apply and the word is disaster."
"Shut it!" Minako exclaimed before continuing her thoughts. "Anyway, with the Dead Moon gone and Hadea reformed, I thought we were really done fighting."
"Far from it." Mandrake crossed his arms. "Don't forget we still have Zorelda and Ming to deal with."
"And now a new enemy has appeared to us, right?" the Phantom asked.
"Yes." Flash answered. He took a deep breath before he spoke up. "Apparently, this enemy is after my son and the Sailor Guardians and their crystals."
"She called us Sailor Guardians and mentioned us having Sailor Crystals." Ami added.
"Oh, give me a break Ami!" Minako exclaimed. "You'd have to be in a cave to not know who we are!"
"If they know who we are," Makoto asked, "does that mean they're connected to our past lives?"
"I wouldn't say that, my dear." Mandrake shook his head.
"Mandrake's right." Haruka added. "The universe is a big place."
"Then did they come from another planet, like Mongo?" Rei asked.
"I think that's the likelier explanation." Setsuna answered.
"And that idol group, the Three Lights." Haruka spoke up. "I don't know why they would practically beg for attention by posing as pop stars."
"What are you talking about?" Kshin asked.
"There's cosmic power inside of them." Haruka looked down before facing the group again. "I sensed it! They're not from our solar system!"
"The cosmic power is similar to Rick's I assume." Setsuna glanced in surprise.
Rick took a step back in surprise as a part of him didn't really want to know.
"Now you're just talking crazy!" LJ exclaimed. "Rick is born here on Earth!"
"True." Haruka nodded. "We didn't sense that power from Rick when we first met you guys but we started having suspicions after this new enemy attacked us."
Rick looked down. He couldn't help but to wonder if he was no longer human because of this new powers that he had received.
-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-
Flash looked at his son with concern and wondered what would become of him and his new powers. Why would this new enemy be after his powers? What danger could it possibly pose? Whatever it took, Rick had to be protected, especially now more than ever.
"The world's not at peace with Ming and Zorelda out there and now this new enemy." Usagi stated.
Flash looked up as Haruka smiled and spoke up with calm assurance. "Hey Princess, don't worry about this. It's our responsibility. We'll deal with it."
"That's right, Usagi!" Minako exclaimed cheerfully. "You just relax and let us handle everything!"
Flash took a deep breath before clearing his throat. "A hem!"
Everyone in the room looked at him once he got his attention.
"You have us to help too," Flash addressed the room, "especially since Rick and Jedda are caught in this crossfire. I don't want anything to happen to my grandchild either."
"They're twins." Rei spoke up.
"What?!" Flash and Rick exclaimed in unison.
"I had a vision in which Jedda is expecting twins: a boy and a girl." Rei explained.
Flash looked at his son, who appeared to be surprised by this revelation.
"That means..." Rick stated in awe, "if your visions are accurate as you guys claim they are...then that means Jedda and I will have a son and a daughter."
"I could sense it too." Jedda looked down at her stomach. "I'm glad someone here is present to confirm what I was suspecting."
Flash stared in delight knowing that he will most likely have both a grandson and a granddaughter. He took a step back when he heard Rick groan slightly.
"Are you all right?" Flash asked.
"Yeah." Rick quickly nodded. "Just felt a bit light headed."
He looked over at the Sailor Guardians, who didn't feel convinced by that answer. It didn't make him feel comfortable to say the least.
"Dynak, can you make the power that Rick obtains?" Flash asked.
Dynak appeared on screen. "The energy coming from Rick's new powers contains magical radiation within his body."
"Magical radiation?!" Flash exclaimed in shock.
"That's not good." Lothar replied in a calmer tone. Flash made a face and couldn't help but to think that he wouldn't be as calm as he was if LJ was in this very situation.
-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-
Rick started to feel light headed. He couldn't help but to wonder if his new powers had something to do with this happening all of a sudden. He tried to brush it off as stress from wanting to protect Jedda and their unborn children.
He looked down at his hands again but this time with fright. He saw that his arms and hands had turned greenish yellow in color and sharp black claws took the place of his fingers. He screamed in fright at the sight of this.
"Rick?!" Flash called to his son in concern.
"What's the matter?" LJ asked.
Rick looked down to see that his hands were now normal. Then he looked up at the others. "I saw my hands. They changed into claws! I only saw it for a moment."
-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-
Flash looked on in surprise with his son's sudden vision. He gently placed a hand on his son's shoulders, unsure of what to say at this moment.
"So what do we do now?" Cathleen asked. "Do we examine Rick's powers further?"
"Not quite yet. I'd like to examine Rick's recurring nightmares to see if they have any connections to his powers." Mandrake answered. Then he looked at Rick. "Rick, I'm going to put you in a trance. Ready?"
Flash tensed as his son nodded. "Yes."
Mandrake proceeded to use his hypnotic powers on Rick. "Look into my eyes. You're getting sleepy."
Rick spoke in a monotone tone. "Sleepy."
"You are in the dream. What is happening?"
"I'm out in a battle." Rick proceeded to explain his dream to the group. "A voice is telling me there is no escape. I thought it was Ming at first. The monster is here! It's coming towards me. It tells me there's no escape and this is what I'll become."
Flash watched his son and things became tense as Rick started to tremble in fear. "Wait. No. No!"
"What is it?" Mandrake asked.
"The monster!" Rick exclaimed in fear. "I see it up close. It...It..."
"It's what?" Flash asked in concern.
Rick took a couple of steps back in fear. "It's me! The monster is me!"
"No!" he held his head with his hands. "No! I don't want to become that! Not me! I can't be that!"
"That's enough!" Flash exclaimed in worry.
As Mandrake ended the hypnosis spell, Flash proceeded to comfort his son, wondering what all this meant.
"My God!" Michiru gasped.
"No way!" April added.
"Sounds like something from a horror movie." Kshin stated.
Rick took a deep breath before he spoke up. "With the exception of Chibi Chib being in the dream, I can't believe I dreamed of all this, let alone dreamed of fighting a monster, which was me."
"We'll have to look into this." Setsuna placed a finger to her chin.
"She's not wrong there." Mandrake nodded in agreement. "If the new enemy is after Rick, we must see how everything connects with this new threat and everything that has happened."
