Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Did ya'll miss me?! I am so, so, so, so, so, so sorry for bailing on you all like that this last month and a half! With School having commenced it was incredibly difficult for me to find time to really sit down and just write for a few hours at a time. I managed maybe 15 minutes a day if that up until now since things at School have finally started to even out and not be so crazy. I still don't think I'll be able to write as much as I did with the first 4 chapters, but I think I'll start making my chapters slightly longer than I have previously been to accommodate for the lack of sufficient updates.
Now to I want everyone to know something before they start reading this chapter. In advance, and a with every bit of my heart, I apologize for any odd sentence structures and misspelled words. My current program -open office- deleted the English Dictonary so everything appears in red on my document. I tried my best to go through and fix the ones I saw through the Document Manager on FanFiction, but I can't guarantee I caught all of them. In the future I'll be taking the chapters into School and using a computer there to edit the chapters before uploading them but I think I kept you all waiting long enough. ^^
So I'll stop keeping you all waiting! I hope you enjoy this awesome -and somewhat longerish- chapter!(: Some questions will be answered and even more will be asked! So stay tuned and don't forget to R&R!
Chapter 5: A Startling Awakening
It was a quiet Saturday morning. Usagi and Seiya were tending to the house and the garden in the backyard when Mizuki woke up with the urge to go out to the park. Her original plan was to go alone, but upon asking her mother, Usagi told the young ebony haired girl to take her younger siblings with her. Dressing in a light yellow sundress, a pair of yellow flip-flops(thongs) and a sunhat she waited by the front door for Ren and Chibiusa. Ren was the first to appear, in a pair of swimming trunks and a blue crew-neck. He also wore flip-flops and a sunhat. Chibiusa came after about 5 minutes, she was dressed in a mid-thigh length skirt, knee high white stockings, red sandals and a red poke-a-dotted blouse. She wore her pink hair up in the cone-shaped twin buns that Usagi helped her with every morning. The rest of her hair stretched from the buns in two poof-y bundles.
Satisfied that they were all ready to go, Mizuki called out that they were leaving and headed out the front door, her siblings in tow. It was a beautiful day, it was the later part of summer so the temperatures were starting to cool down, but the sun still beat warmly high in the clear blue sky. There were a few clouds dotting the sky, but the bright rays from that orange orb in the sky was unrelenting in its pursuit to warm ones skin. It wasn't even midday yet, but the streets were thriving with cars and bustling people. Mizuki led the pack, Ren and Chibiusa stay close behind her the entire time. It took them about 15 minutes to reach the park's entrance by foot. Already, the park was filled with couples, young children and food carts. Ren and Chibiusa ran off heading for the playground and community pool. Mizuki made her way towards a bench were she sat down and pulled out a notebook from her shoulder bag. She flipped the page open and held a pen to the lined surface, but she did not start to write anything yet. First, she looked out across the tree covered ground, the cobble stone pathways, the idly chatting people, and resting couples. They all appeared to be so happy, so carefree. She envied them.
Why should she worry about not being happy or carefree? The teenage years are the most carefree years of life, are they not? So why did she feel so... so... unhappy? She wanted to be like her parents, brave, understanding, nonjudgmental, carefree, loving, caring... like that. The only thing she got from them, was the inability to tell friend from foe. That was proven with last weeks incident. Tomoya hadn't spoken to her since then, and it just wasn't the same without him, but it was for the best. Tomoya meant bad news, had bad intentions, and only wanted one thing from her. And she almost let him have it. Gosh she was so stupid to be so careless around him...
She leaned over and rested her elbows upon her knees and her face on her palms. She looked down at the ground and sighed. She sat there for a good 5 minutes, sitting just like that, when a pair of black dress shoes appeared before her. She lifted her head up and locked eyes with a tall, dark haired man with cold blue eyes. The way he looked made it seem like that at one point in his life, he was utterly happy and had everything he ever wanted. She could tell by the smile lines upon his cheeks. Now he looked sad, lost and troubled. Although, he still smiled and asked her: "Is everything alright?"
"O-oh yeah, I'm just... lost in thought is all," she chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. She gazed up at him with her cerulean eyes and caught him staring at her. "I-Is there something on my face?" She asked and quickly raised her hands to wipe whatever it may have been away.
"N-No, it's just... you look a lot like someone I used to know..."
"H-How do you mean?"
"You have her cerulean eyes... and if I'm correct you are 16."
"Y-yeah, but why does it matter?"
"You look a lot like her..."
"Like who?" Mizuki was starting to feel uncomfortable with the situation. Who was this guy, and why did he care about who she was, or how old she was?
"Usako..." he whispered. Mizuki didn't recognize the name he spoke.
"I think you have the wrong person in mind, I don't know anyone named 'Usako,'" Mizuki muttered and moved to stand up, but was pushed back down by two strong hands. The man locked eyes with her and stared deep down in her soul, as if he was trying to unlock her identity just from her gaze.
"You are the bastards daughter... aren't you? The one who took Usako away from me..." He was starting to sound so hurt and angry, Mizuki was scared. She felt his grip on her shoulders tighten and sharp pain shot through her arms.
"Ow! You're hurting me!" She yelped and tried to push him away.
"You're the result of what corrupted the future of Crystal Tokyo! You are the child that was never meant to be!" His voice was starting to raise a few octaves. "You are the damn reason why I can't be with Usako! You and that damned Seiya Kou! If he had never come around... I would still have her..." He slumped to his knees, burying his head in his hands. Mizuki was breathing heavily, and people were starting to notice. "I had a life... before you came along... I had a future as this planets king... and I had a daughter... named Chibiusa... and all that was ruined because I wasn't there 16 years ago... when Usagi needed me the most."
Mizuki finally understood who he was talking about. Her parent's neglected to tell her that Usagi was with another before Seiya came along and swept her off her feet. Come to think about it, there was a lot that those two had neglected to tell her. "Why weren't you there?" She asked, timidly placing a hand on his shoulder. The man looked up at her, his eyes red from the tears and his cheeks streaked with dirt.
He looked shocked that she had asked. "I was on my way to America to go to a University there, when a senshi by the name of Galaxia abducted the plane and stole what she called, a 'star seed' which killed my physical form... And during the time I spent locked away in a hell hold, Usako- your mother, thought I was busy, kept believing that I would come back or contact her soon... but I guess she was falling apart, and that man who is now your father swept in and picked her back up when she fell... and Usagi's heart changed... maybe for the better... but I still think it's wrong that I ended up with nothing when I could do just that, nothing."
Mizuki was shocked about the circumstances her parent's fell in love in. At least, she felt that they both fell in love with each other at the same time, but that thought seemed more and more unlikely as this man went on. She felt almost sorry for him, he had lost everything when it wasn't even his fault.
"You can't blame Usagi for being ignorant... she had no way of knowing that you were in trouble y'know?" The man looked up at Mizuki once again, staring into those deep cerulean eyes that reminded him so much of Usagi. "And you can't blame Seiya either, he feel in love with someone... out of his own will. And I bet if I did not come along, he would have gladly given you the chance with Usagi, as you were supposed to have from my understanding. But since I was in the equation... it all broke apart eh?" A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I guess I was the mistake that ruined everything... and because of that, I caused so much sadness and tension." Mizuki chuckled to herself, leaving the man speechless. She tilted her head up and stared into the trees above, watching the softly rustling leaves. "I was the mistake..." she whispered again and stood, stepping past the man before turning back and looking down at him. "I hope you find your true happiness one day..."
"Wait, before you go... what is your name?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"Mizuki," she walked away, leaving him there to dwell in his own sadness. She went to find Ren and Chibiusa, it was about time they headed out to lunch. Chibiusa walked up to her and looked past at the man, who now sat on the bench, staring down at the ground.
"Who's that?" She asked, motioning towards the man.
"A random stranger with a broken heart," Mizuki responded in a whisper. Chibiusa looked back up and caught the stranger staring at her with eyes as wide as saucers. He looked so pale, as if he just saw a ghost.
"He's staring at me," she whimpered and shivered, turning away.
"Probably because you look a lot like mom too," Mizuki passed it off with a wave, searching the grounds for Ren.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She grumbled and crossed her arms across her chest.
"That's mom's ex."
"No way! What's his name?"
"I dunno..."
"You don't know! You're ridiculous!" She growled and moved to walk towards the man. "'I'll just have to g-"
Mizuki gripped the pink haired girl by the arm, her hand tight and unbreakable. Chibiusa yelped and whimpered, struggling to get free. "Leave him be, he's had enough torture for one day, he doesn't need you to bother him too. I'll explain later okay? Just, go find Ren so we can leave, I'm hungry." Mizuki pleaded. Reluctantly, the small pink haired girl stomped off to find Ren. Mizuki sighed and rubbed her forehead, she felt so confused on where she stood on the whole thing. Who exactly was to blame? That man didn't ask to be abducted and 'killed' in a sense, nor did her father ask to fall in love with a taken girl, nor did her mother know the circumstances of that man's absence. Really, it was all just a misunderstanding, and here she was, surrounded by friends and family, presented with the opportunity to have the best life possible, and she had taken it all for granted. A part of her wished she could have never been born, and none of this would have happened, and then her mind turned to her father... if that man and her mother would have ended up together in the end, someone would still have been unhappy, but perhaps it was a willing to give up happiness so that the one they loved could be happy. Something in her heart told her that if she ever fell in love with someone, who loved someone else, she would give them up just so they could be happy.
To her... her own wishes and desires were obsolete compared to everyone else around her. She was one to put another before her own selfish thoughts... but did that make her selfish for wanting to make others happy and not herself? Or was she being selfless... it was to confusing for her 16 year old mind to wrap around and understand. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, feeling the wetness of her own tears. Great, now she was crying. She took a deep breath and turned to look at the bench. The man was gone now, and she couldn't tell if he was in the park still or not, to many people.
She heard a voice call out behind her and she turned around to find Haruka and Machiru standing side-by-side. Haruka wore a pair of blue jeans, a blue jean jacket and a white t-shirt while Machiru wore a knee length sundress and a white hat. Machiru wore a smile, until glimpsing Mizuki's face, to which she stepped forward and swiftly pulled the girl into a hug, stroking her hair. "My dear, what's wrong?"
"I-I met that man..." She whimpered into Machiru's shoulder.
"What man?" Machiru looked up to Haruka with a worried, confused expression, but the tall blonde only shook her head.
"Mom's ex..."
Haruka and Machiru's eyes widened considerably at the mention of Mamoru. Machiru's blue eyebrows came down in a furrow, what did he say to her? "Did he hurt you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, it's just... I think the circumstances of how him and mom broke up were.. so unfair."
"We used to think the same thing... and we hated your father for it..." Haruka murmured. Machiru shot her a warning glare but Haruka continued on. "We even disliked the though of our Princess carrying the child of a person who we still could not decide if they were friend or foe... it made us furious with anger, that Seiya had deflowered Usagi, and planted his seed in her. We even talked to Setsuna to see if there was anyway to change the future and repair Usagi's and Mamoru's relationship..."
"Haruka!" Machiru growled.
"She needs to hear this," Haruka snapped back and continued on. "Then we saw how happy Usagi would be with Seiya, how undying Seiya's love was for Usagi, and how willing Usagi was to accept the new change and make amends when she had the chance, but Mamoru chose to act through anger rather than listen to hear the full story. He could have very easily stayed with Usagi, if he would allow Seiya to be apart of his life, Usagi's life... and your life. But through his actions, he sealed the fate of Crystal Tokyo into what it will become."
"It just grates against my bones... not being able to come to an understanding with everyone I meet..."
"You are your mother's daughter." Machiru murmured and stroked the dark haired girls head. "Now come on, it's time to get you and your siblings home."
"Okay," she murmured, a bit dazed. Machiru had an arm slung around the small girls shoulders, leading her towards the older couples car. Chibiusa and Ren rode with Haruka, and Machiru drove with Mizui to the Kou household. Usagi was a bit surprised to see the couple show up unannounced. Then again, they did that often enough it surprised Usagi that the situation still surprised her. Haruka nor Machiru made mention of Mizuki's run in with Mamoru. They had a feeling that a situation would present itself where Usagi would be faced with seeing Mamoru herself. Usagi, Seiya, Machiru and Haruka sat around the kitchen table. Chibiusa and Ren were upstairs and Mizuki lingered in the living-room, staring at the ceiling as the adults talked.
"We've seen activity recently, nothing to over the top as of yet, but you both should keep your eyes open. If a new enemy appears, we will have to call for the other Senshi to come aid us," Machiru explained, Haruka nodded her agreement.
"What exactly has been happening?" Seiya asked, squeezing Usagi's right hand that rested in his.
"Like I said, nothing to serious. Some minor reports of disrupted dreams is all for now. This could be simple nightmares, or perhaps a new or even an old enemy is on the rise and this could potentially turn into an all out war again."
"I wont allow that to happen, not again," Usagi murmured softly. She sounded a bit doubtful of her ability to protect her friends. She's lost them so many times, but in the end they always come back to her. For once though, she would like to not risk their lives to protect her own. She for once wants to be the one to protect them, defend them and fight with them instead of standing on the side lines. If a new enemy was going to appear, surely that would mean a new power for her, and maybe even Mizuki's powers will finally appear. Usagi was 14 when she received her first stage powers, and Mizuki would be 17 in 5 months. Her powers had yet to even give the slightest hint to its presence. Usagi was getting nervous, and somewhat hopeful, that Mizuki wouldn't develop any and grow up to be a normal teenage girl rather than a crime fighting soldier. Somehow, Usagi found herself hoping that Mizuki and Chibiusa never gained their powers, she would rather them be normal than have to fight dangerous and scary enemies. Although, Usagi also knew that if her two daughters became Sailor Senshi, they both would be powerful and worthy Soldiers of Love and Justice. Their powers would be able to save people like Usagi's, but be able to defend and go on the offensive like Seiya's. They'd be the perfect weapons of destruction and healing.
Haruka spoke up next, after some tense silence. "Mizuki still hasn't shown her powers yet, has she?" Seiya and Usagi both shook their heads, almost ashamed to say so.
"That might be a good thing, if she receives her powers to early, they may never have the chance to develop like yours did. Having the pressure of an enemy on our doorstep might just be enough to jump start her into the next Sailor Moon. I just hope, if and when the time comes, she will be ready mentally. The old Senshi might just not be enough to hold off another wave of attacks... we are all getting older."
"We wont continue aging however," Machiru continued to explain after Usagi and Seiya shared a confused glance. "How you noticed that even after 16 years have passed, none of us have aged?" Usagi shook her head, but Seiya nodded. He definitely had noticed that Usagi and himself still looked as if they were in their early twenties, and not their early thirties as they were right then. "When an Awakened Senshi reaches the age of 22, they stop aging for the rest of eternity. That is why the original Chibiusa would have been born in the 30th century rather than this one, the 21st century. This observation was the only possible explanation that made sense and accounted for the rather large time gap in your previous timeline. It also explains why Haruka, Setsuna and I don't have wrinkles or are not any less agile or as strong as we used to be back in the old days. We retained youth, and all the attributes we had before the final battle with Galaxia."
"That actually makes some sense, if you think about it," Seiya nodded and frowned in thought. "Healer, Maker and I were nearly half a century old before we came to find our lost Princess." Usagi looked up in utter shock at the realization that Seiya was way, way, way older than her. Somehow she felt ashamed of being so surprised because she knew she should already be aware of this, but the fact surprised her nonetheless. Which also made Machiru and Haruka's theory all the more reliable.
"But, if a Senshi does not attain the status of a Soldier, they will continue to age until their life is spent and a new heir can be born." Usagi's heart sank as the words fell from Haruka's lips. If Mizuki never attained Senshi status, Usagi would have to watch her own daughter grow old and wither away into nothing. That just meant that it was all the more important they try and awaken the young girls powers.
"What do you propose we do to try and help speed up the progress of awakening Mizuki's powers?" Seiya asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair a little. His long black ponytail hung over the back of the chair and swayed softly from side to side and his blue eyes burned with determination.
"There are a lot of ways, but the most effective one that worked on me was a direct attack."
"A direct attack?" Usagi asked a little hesitant to know exactly what the tall blonde had meant.
"When Machiru and I first met, she could sense the Senshi spirit of Uranus inside me. One night she got me alone in a dark alley way and transformed into Sailor Neptune. Proceeding her transformation she attacked me and forced my powers to become unsealed and release from their dormant state."
"Definitely not happening," Usagi quickly stated firmly. She would definitely not have either of these two, or anyone for that matter attack her daughter intentionally. Mizuki however had heard the conversation and was lingering in the entry way to the dining room. Her cerulean gaze was filled with a hopeful fire and her heart beat fast with anticipation and anxious tension.
"A-are you sure that would work?" She asked hesitantly, directing the question at the blonde and blue haired couple.
"Absolu-" Usagi began but Haruka cut her off.
"Of course my dear, I'm almost positive it will work for you since it worked for me," Haruka nodded with absolute belief in the words she spoke. The words seemed like honey to Mizuki's ears as they fell from the tall blondes pale lips.
"I think we should wait for Ami to get back with Luna and Minako with Artemis to see exactly what we should do," Usagi began shortly after the blonde stopped talking. She could feel herself trembled from the thought of someone attacking her daughter. "Luna helped me to unlock my powers when I was younger... she'll be here tomorrow."
"Usagi's right, I think we should see what the Moon cats have to say about this. We don't wanna run into the possibility of Mizuki getting hurt if she doesn't succeed in transforming," Seiya muttered and narrowed his dark blue eyes toward the couple across from him. Mizuki shot him a glare, but she made no move to fight their decision. They were right after all, what if she didn't transform and she ended up receiving the bad end of a powerful senshi attack? Her weak human body wouldn't survive such a powerful attack. When she gazed at Haruka and Machiru, she could almost visually make out their auras. Machiru had a strong, yet soft and alluring turquoise aura while Haruka possessed a strong and confident yellow aura. The two's powers seemed to resonate off their skin, dripping like liquid down their fingers. Seiya, her own father, whom she knew to be a very powerful Senshi himself, was paled in comparison to these two outer Senshi standing before her. She kind of envied them, with how powerful and confident the older Senshi were. She, so young and naive, would never be as powerful as them with the history of her parent's abilities. Her mother, Usagi, never really had powerful offensive abilities; she only possessed powerful healing abilities.
Mizuki turned on a heel and headed up towards her room. She wanted to get lost in her thoughts for a while, letting all those bottled up emotions role down her subconscious and into a physical interpretation. Holding the sketch pad in front of her, she began to draw a female figure dressed in a Sailor Fuku. This Fuku was a cross between the Senshi's Fuku of this galaxy and the Fuku's of Kinmoku. The woman was clad in a white top with a black under piece, black short shorts, and a waist cape that flowed down to her knee-high boot clad feet. The boots where white with a black border and lead up into a pair of white thigh high stockings. Her arm pieces possessed two belt-clips, one on each wrist and one on each triceps. Her Sailor collar was blue, like her mother, and the cap front was also blue but the inside was a red colour. Instead of a single bow, she had two. One was a red standard bow, and the other a white wing-shaped bow similar to that of the Sailor's of Kinmoku and her mother's Eternal Form. Upon finishing the rough sketch, she titled it: Sailor Moon Star.
She folded her arms over the picture and lowered her head, concealing her face by the sleeves of her sweatshirt. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths as her thoughts began to thicken. Trickling down her mind, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. She felt empty and alone, cold and lost, as if she was not completed just like her drawing. She was an unfinished bi-product of life, as this picture was an unfinished bi-product of imagination and emotion. Both were begging, yearning, wanting to be finsished; wanting to be whole; wanting to be free and able to stand alone.
However, that feeling of being complete seemed so far away and out of grasp that she would simply fall if she tried to reach for it. It was so hard, living as a teenager, with just enough rope to hang herself with, but not enough to be completely free. She was going to be an adult soon, but she wished for the fantasy world of a Sailor Senshi more than the dull reality of humanity. She yearned to soar through the air upon crystalline wings and fight crime and vanquish evil and to protect those she cared about most. Yet fate had decided to be cruel and forced her to remain a normal girl with an abnormal heritage. It was almost laughable how pitiful her situation would be in the eyes of society. Both of her parents were Sailors, and she just a normal human. Of course if society new about her true identity, doubt would begin to rise about Mizuki's parent's sexuality and the legitimacy of Seiya being her biological father. So in a way, it was a damn good thing that society was still ignorant to her truth, her story. They would never understand to begin with, let alone accept and respect it.
Mizuki sat on the edge of her bed and glanced out her large window, placed conveniently to the east, and directly over the middle of her bed. The moon had already begun to peak over the hills in the distance. Its pale light bathed the small girls face in equally pale rays. Her cerulean eyes sparkled in its light and reflected its image in an almost perfect replication. Her heart instantly warmed, her body began to tingle, and her mind cleared of all thoughts plaguing her. The moon gave her infinite comfort and support in the moments she needed it the most. Pulling her legs close to her chest and resting her chin upon them, her gaze became half lidded as she projected her thoughts and reached out to the moon for help with her consciousness. She plead with it's brilliance to unlock her powers, to give her the chance to prove she could protect those she loved. The Moon continued to shine brightly, unrelenting in its brilliance, but did not make any sign that it would help Mizuki. She sighed and rolled onto her back, her eyes closing fully as her head hit the soft pillows beneath her. Her name, Mizuki, stood for Beautiful Moon. (Mi – beautiful, Zuki – moon.) It didn't seem like she lived up to her namesake.
"Ugh, this sucks! What is it gonna take for me to get my powers?!" She grumbled loudly under her breath, loud enough to be satisfactory but not loud enough to wake everyone up in the house. "Let me guess, something bad is gonna happen and I'll be forced to protect someone from utter destruction," she muttered and rolled her eyes. But the thought slowly began to rise higher and higher in her consciousness, making her blood thicken and chill and her heart beat quicken. She could feel the goosebumps rising on her skin and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. A shiver ran down the length of her spine and her stomach clenched tightly; something was going to happen. And that something definitely wasn't going to be friendly. Mizuki leapt out of her bed and bounded across her room to her door. She opened it slightly and peered outside into the hallway. There were lights on downstairs but she could not hear her parents speaking. Haruka and Machiru had left an hour ago and Chibiusa and Ren were asleep long before Mizuki wandered to her room. It was late, nearly midnight. It was strange that her parents were still up on a weekday. Seiya had to work in the morning and Usagi had plans with her old friends who were arriving in the late afternoon.
She pushed open her door, careful as to not let it creak. Stepping out into the hallway she glanced farther down the hallway. Chibiusa and Ren were both still asleep, both their doors tightly closed and no lights shining under them. Mizuki crept onward, moving slowly and stealthy towards the staircase. Mizuki silently made her way down the wooden steps and peered into the living room. Still no sign of her parents. She could still feel hear heart racing, but now she was starting to sweat from the sheer fear of what might be happening to her parents. She called out once she was sure she couldn't see them. "Mom, dad?!" No reply. She entered the kitchen, now walking at a brisk pace. No sign. She peaked into the backyard, their room and the garage. No sign in any of those places. She stood in the middle of the hallway, her fists clenched tightly and her body shaking. Fear was rising into utter terror.
Behind that fear, was determination. She was now determined to do whatever it took to find her parents. Even if they were out for a midnight walk, which was so unlike them, she would find them. She grabbed her light jacket and quickly put it and her shoes on. She opened the front door and with one last glance around headed out into the front yard and further into the empty street. She braced herself for a cold journey, but it was strangely hot for a mid-fall night. Mizuki looked down both ways of the street she lived on, but there were no sign of a lone couple or... not that she wanted it, a battle field. She closed her eyes and turned her face up to the brightly shining moon and prayed that her senses would lead her to her parents.
She began to run down the street to her left. Half a block to the crosswalk and crossed the street due North for a more popular part of Tokyo. She ran for a good ten minutes, the fear becoming stronger in her bones. She could feel something bad was near. She rounded a final corner and was faced with a massive beast at least 2 and half stories tall with a snarling snout and huge black eyes. It resembled a giant fox, but its hind legs and tail were all one part and had 8 tentacles that whipped wildly from side to side. However one of them was held in place near the ugly beast's parted jaws. One long black ponytail and black sleek thigh high boots were visible on either side of the beasts paws. Mizuki's eyes widened when she realized who it was. "Dad!" She yelled and ran forward. "Let him go you sick bastard!" She growled but the beast let off a chuckle and went to swipe the young teen with its right front paw. However, a blonde Twin-Tail Sailor jumped in front of the frozen girl and took the brunt of the blow. Mizuki opened her eyes when she felt arms wrap around her to protect her from the wall her back was now pressed against. She gasped as the woman who caught her slumped before her, barely conscious.
"M-Mizuki... what are you doing here?" Usagi muttered, slipping quickly into unconsciousness.
"M-mom..." Mizuki whimpered and slid to the ground, holding her Sailor Suited mother in her arms. "MOM!" She yelled and suddenly the road way was bathed in an intense white light. The beast yelped and tossed the Sailor it held in its tentacle-tail up in the air. The unconscious body of Seiya Kou, AKA Sailor Star Fighter soared and began to quickly fall back towards the ground. Moments before her body would have smashed into the hard asphalt covered ground, a brown-haired Sailor caught her. Green boots settled on the ground, Fighter's form cradled in the woman's strong arms. The woman sat Fighter on the ground and stood straight up, facing the fowl beast. The light had died down, and Mizuki was left slumped over her mother's body, a crescent moon of gold shining upon her brow.
Surrounding the woman who had appeared out of no where, came three more. A tall ebony hair-coloured girl, a blue-haired girl and a long blonde haired girl. They stood with their arms crossed over their chests and stern looks played across their youthful faces. "How dare you attack this peaceful town of Tokyo on a beautiful night like this," the brown-haired girl spoke. Her green eyes turned up towards the beast and from her hand a bolt of crackling electricity brewed. "We are the Sailor Senshi of Love and Justice. I am Sailor Jupiter!"
The black-haired girl spoke next, her red Sailor Fuku rustling in an un-felt wind. "I am Sailor Mars!" Her hands rose in a position fit for a bow, and in the next instant a bow and arrow made of solid flames burst forth from nothing.
"I am Sailor Venus!" The blonde echoed, two long orange and gold heart-shaped chains fell from her hands.
"And I am Sailor Mercury," the most timid of the four spoke last. Her blue eyes held intelligence, and what she lacked in strength she made up in strategy. These were the same girls Mizuki had met as a small child. The original inner Senshi.
The beast chuckled, its tails whipping around endlessly and with enough speed to brew a small breeze. Its lips lifted away from its massive and sharp teeth and a low growl erupted from the chuckle. "Do you think you can beat me? I am a beast of your worst nightmares, something long thought to be exiled into the nether of the Universe. I am the Fox Beast of Chaos, and you shall be my next meal," the Fox beast smirked and sprung forward, its massive jaws fully parted in a ferocious growl. From its jaws erupted a black flame that shot forward straight for the inner Senshi. Mercury and Venus managed to escape the intense heat of the flame, but Jupiter and Mars fell prey to it. As the blast cleared the two lay in a heap of soot covered limbs and fabric. It wasn't enough to cause serious injury however but the gas that accompanied the flames must have had some kind of toxin that 'caused comas.
Mizuki yelled out, tears streaming down her face as she clutched tightly to her still unconscious mother. "Oh God please just leave them alone!" Her voice cracked in a sob as the beast continued its pursuit of the remaining two Sailors. One swipe of its massive paws accompanied with a swipe of one of its many tails, Mercury crumbled against a wall just mere feet from where Mizuki sat. As Mercury slid down the concrete wall, blood coating the corners of her mouth and running down the length of both of her arms and staining her suit, she murmured to Mizuki: "R-run..." The Senshi's eyes slid closed as she crumpled to the ground. Venus remained and was on the offensive. She used a nearby trashcan to thrust herself high into the air. Moving her arms in a a circular motion she sent whip after whip-like chain towards the beasts head. For a moment it seemed like Venus was on the verge of subduing the massive beast when out of no where Venus was struck from behind with something. Upon closer inspection it was slender woman dressed in a long flowing white kimono. Her long white hair was in disarray around her ghostly, emotionless face. As Venus fell and smacked into the ground with a solid thud, the woman's lips curled into a devious grin. Her lifeless grey eyes boring deeply into Mizuki's soul. Mizuki froze, her lips and limbs trembling and a chill greater than that she had ever felt before filling her bones.
"6 down, one to go. And this one looks... human. I always loved bringing the Moon Princess' spawns to Chaos. To bad you seem like a dud to me. So pitiful, stuck powerless in the confines of your human form..." a blood curdling laughter erupted from the pale woman's thin black lips. She outstretched her right hand, facing the palm outwards towards Mizuki's slender frame. "Tell me, how quickly do you want to die? Playing with my prey is something I rather enjoy, but it can be such a drag." She grinned and began to descend towards Mizuki.
Mizuki placed her hands on the shoulders of her mother and shook as hard as she could in a vain effort to awaken her. "Mom! Please wake up! Mom!" She sobbed.
A hand of pale white skin appeared in Mizuki's shrouded line of sight and closed tightly around her throat. Mizuki let out a strangled gasp as her body was effortlessly lifted off the ground by this seemingly weak maiden of white. "She's not gonna wake up anytime soon when I am finished with you, my dear," she laughed and narrowed her bleak gaze. "You know, I think I want to make you watch as my pet devours each and everyone of your precious friends and family. I may even make a trip to your house where I'll slowly drain the life from you little sister and helpless brother while they sleep. It'll be quick and painless... for you." She laughed again and tossed Mizuki to the left. Mizuki screamed as she hit the solid ground but her fall was softened by the sudden appearance of a tall pale woman dressed in a black bikini-like top and shorts. Mizuki looked up and gasped at the sight of her father- whom was transformed as Sailor Star Fighter- bleeding from several points on her body, including her head and mouth, holding Mizuki in her arms.
"Do-Don't you dare touch my little girl. It'll be the last thing you'll ever do. That is a promise."
The Kimono Clad woman turned towards the two woman. "Daughter? So she isn't a Moon Brat after all? What a drag... I'm sure I felt something emanating from her... oh well I guess I suppose I don't have to torture her as much anymore," the woman almost looked like she was pouting from the realization.
"She is my Daughter, and Sailor Moon is her Mother, but that doesn't matter because you wont be able to lay a finger on any of her hairs, you hear me?!" Fighter growled in a high-pitched yell. In her left hand she produced a white star-shaped box with brilliant flashing colours. "Star Serious!" She raised the star high into the air and finished the enchantment. "Laser!" Hundreds of brilliant white and yellow beams of intense energy flashed from the weapon and flew straight for the Kimono Woman. The woman didn't even laugh as she deflected the attack and redirected it at the two standing figures. Fighter turned her back upon the incoming lasers and took the brunt of her own powerful attack. She slumped to her knees, cradling Mizuki against her chest. "M-Mizuki... please run... run as fast as you... c-can..." Fighter collapsed once more into a state of unconsciousness, but this time she was only barely alive.
Mizuki's fast beating heart couldn't take anymore and a sharp pain filled her chest. She fell forward, catching herself on her left hand while her right cupped her chest. Behind the chilling in her bones and the aching in her heart she felt a sudden surge of something bright and warm. Among her subconscious mind, the thought of all of those whom she loved so dearly being killed or even simply hurt by an evil presence drove her crazy with anger, subdued and covered with an endless fear. When Mizuki looked up, she saw that the Kimono clad woman had lifted her mother's unconscious form from where she had been slumped and was holding her at arms length by Usagi's throat. The sight fueled something primal and powerful hidden deep within the confines of Mizuki's short and thin body.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on my mother again!" She growled and stood upon shaking legs.
"Oh look at you, suddenly a little fire cracker," the woman chuckled and shook her head.
"I said, don't touch. My. Mother!" Mizuki growled again, her eyes now a solid disk of burning white light.
"Maybe there is some bit of Moon Brat power in you after all," the woman turned her head to fully face Mizuki and unclasped her fingers from around Usagi's neck. Usagi feel to the ground with a solid thud and the very sight of this woman standing near Mizuki's unconscious mother was the final straw. The small roadway which the battle had been taking place erupted in a much more brilliant light than had appeared when the Senshi arrived. Mizuki's body was clad in a solid ball of blinding, warm and brilliant white light. It cascaded around her body, forming a close fit sleeveless top around the upper half of her torso, a pair of shorts around her waist and legs and a cape that began at her hips. Upon her arms and legs first formed white stockings and gloves. Next were four bracelet-like bands around her upper arms and wrists and knee-high black boots around her legs. Her bow was red like her mother's and similar to the Eternal form, a pair of decorative white wings spanned out from a glittering crystal encrusted crescent moon broach. Upon her back splayed out two pure white angel wings. The light faded leaving a gleaming crescent moon mark upon her brow and a new found determination burning in Mizuki's cerulean eyes.
"How dare you! How dare you hurt my friends! How dare you hurt my parents! How dare you threaten to hurt my brother and my sister! You will pay for this, with you life." Mizuki vowed and disappeared in a burst of white light. The Kimono clad woman's grey eyes widened in disbelief. She was shocked that a Moon Brat could move at such high speeds. Most of the Moon Kingdom Senshi she had previously dealt with had merely been healers and cry babies, but this girl was something else entirely. Perhaps it was because she had an offensive type Senshi's blood in her veins... or perhaps she was something not even close studies could determine a proper answer for. She had to leave, and soon.
Appearing behind the woman a boot-clad leg appeared out of no where and aimed right for the woman's head, but the Fox Demon pet made its move right then and lunged forward, thrusting a tail straight at the attacking Mizuki and one of its paws reaching out to grasp its master. Mizuki flew across the roadway and skid across the asphalt ground on her boots. Before Mizuki could make a second attack, the Fox Demon and the Kimono Woman were gone with no trace that they had ever been there except for the scarring on the building and the 6 unconscious and injured Senshi laying strewn across the width. Mizuki fell to her knees right then, her vision starting to blur and fade in and out. A steady hand appeared on her shoulder and held her steady. She looked up and saw the smiling and caring face of Machiru... Sailor Neptune. "M-Machiru..." Mizuki whispered returning the smile with her own.
"Shh, don't speak. You just experienced the first effects of your change and battled something we've never seen all in one go... you should be dead but someone wants you alive. Let's get you and the others home okay?" She murmured and helped the now casually dressed Mizuki to her feet again. Mizuki's faded vision cleared enough for her to be of some assistance to the other Senshi- the Outer Senshi- and help get the remaining Senshi off the street and to Machiru and Haruka's house.
Mizuki sat shaking on a large couch between her still unconscious -and now casually dressed- parents. The other four Senshi were laid out on the floor to rest. Fortunately none of the Sailor's experienced injuries that required immediate medical attention. Or if they did, the effect of the light that radiated from Mizuki healed them to an extent, or at least that is what Machiru theorized.
Seiya was the first of the 6 unconscious Sailors to come to. He groaned loudly and raised a slightly burned hand to his face. Mizuki nearly cried in relief from the very sight of seeing her father awake. "Dad! H-how do you feel?"
"Like I just battled a giant Fox Demon... why are we at Machiru and Haruka's house?" He asked in a hoarse mutter.
Haruka answered his question before Mizuki could fumble with her thoughts to formulate a coherent explanation. "Our house was the closest building to where we found you guys, besides its a bit bigger than your house when it comes to accommodating 6 unconscious people. You would have been so proud if you saw Mizuki, she finally transformed and if it wasn't for her we all probably would be dead right now."
Seiya turned his half-lidded blue hues towards his pale and shaking daughter. A small smile crept into the corners of his lips and he placed the hand he used to touch his face on his daughter's knee. "I'm so proud of you... but I dislike how you were forced into facing something we couldn't handle..."
"I-Its okay dad, I can handle myself, I'm 16."
"I know honey, I know..." He whispered and leaned back and closed his eyes again. Seconds later he drifted off into a deep sleep. None of the other Senshi awoke that night and Mizuki returned home with Seiya, Usagi and Machiru who offered to help out while Usagi and Seiya recovered. Chibiusa and Ren would surely have questions about what happened to their parents, but that was an explanation best suited for the morning.
It may seem a little rushed... and sorry about that. ^^' I got a little excited towards the end of this chapter. :3 And I can't wait to start writing the next chapter! Keep up the awesome reviews guys! I love to hear your thoughts and comments about the story and your own opinions or suggestions!(: Don't forget to leave a little review or follow the story if you haven't already! Spread that Sailor Moon love guys! :D