Sailor Moon Aeons.
Book 2: Rebirth.
Act 5: Labyrinth of Mirrors.
Episode 79: The Voice in my head.
By Razor Knight
Last update: May 13, 2014
Last edited: June 10, 2017
White, everywhere she looked, all she saw was white. An endless space made of white. It had confused her for the first minute, but now she knew where she was. However, they had defeated that dream Queen, so...
"Help me."
She heard the voice in the distance, but wasn't sure what to do. It could be a trap, or-
"Please, Princess, I need your help."
Damn it, not even in her dreams she could get people to stop calling her that. But she was stuck in this dream for the time being - she had tried to wake up several times - so she decided to go to the voice. She was ready, though, if this was a trap, she already knew she could call upon her powers in here too. She expected many things to happen while she walked to the voice, but a horned pegasus - or was it a winged unicorn? - wasn't one of them. And yet, that's just what was there, staring at her. "What the- Who are you?"
"My name is Helios," the creature said. Or rather, she noticed, she was 'hearing' those words in her head. "I can't explain everything right now, but you must know a new enemy has appeared, it will target your friends, and you're the only one who can stop them."
Well, that sounds like something my own ego would make me dream about, she thought.
"This is no dream, Princess."
"Right. Let's suppose I believe you, and I've seen enough weirdness to find it easy to do so. Why is it me the only one who can-"
"Because while I'm inside your mind, you will be able to use my power - the only power capable of opposing this enemy."
"Well, isn't that conveni- Wait, inside my mind?"
"Don't worry, I will not tamper with your conscious mind, I will not interfere with your daily life. I'll just warn you about the enemy, whenever they decide to stop hiding."
"We have sensors for that."
"I know, I've seen all you know about your group already. But those sensors won't be able to detect the enemy's energy."
"So-"
"Sorry, we're out of time."
"What?"
"You're about to wake up. I'll explain everything to you soon, I promise."
ChibiUsa woke up and looked around. Five thirty, too damn early to wake up on a weekend. However... That had been one strange dream.
'It was no dream, Princess'
Her eyes widened. Was that Helios?
'I can still talk to you when you're awake, Princess, but it requires more concentration.'
She groaned, then decided to 'talk' to Helios about something which was bothering her. 'I would appreciate if you stop calling me Princess. It's what I am in the future, but-'
'I understand, ChibiUsa.'
ChibiUsa smiled. 'My friends aren't going to believe this.'
'You don't have to tell them about me.'
'They're smart, they'll notice it one way or another. I would rather tell them about it before they think I'm possessed and try to kick you out of my mind' She could almost see the pegasus flinching inside her mind.
'You're right, that would be most unpleasant for me.'
"So this is the planet."
"Yeah, the Queen said he's hiding here. We just need to find him."
The first figure nodded. "Gotta admit that horse is smart. There's just too many targets."
"Don't worry," another figure said, walking out of the darkness, "our leader said she can easily reduce the number of possible targets. In fact, she has detected faint traces of his energy in one of Earth's many cities. The natives call it 'Tokyo.'"
"Weird name."
"Our leader said she would have a target for us soon. So it's just a matter of time before we have Helios' power. And then, our Queen will be able to return."
Strange coincidences happened a lot around Senshi, and ChibiUsa was aware of that. So she wasn't that surprised to see all of her friends - even Yukiko, Umino and the Huntresses - were inside the base when she walked in. It had taken her only a minute to tell them all she knew about the incoming threat, and she could see many of her friends weren't quite sure if they should believe what she told them.
"Let me see if I undestand... You have an alien creature, who looks like a winged unicorn, inside your mind," Ami said. "Sounds strange, but I know there's no 'impossibles' by now." She looked around the room. "Besides, Rei, Hotaru and Hana are all staring at you, so I can guess they may confirm your story."
"I see two souls in her," Hotaru noted.
"I sense a different kind of energy in her," Rei said.
Hana nodded. "And I can see two different minds in one body."
Aiko stared blankly at the pink-haired girl. "I can't detect anything different in her."
"Perhaps it's a kind of energy we've never found before," Terry guessed, "like back when I didn't know what mana was."
ChibiUsa sighed. "No idea about that."
'They're right about this. I use what people back home calls the Dream, and it's the only power capable of defeating my enemy's Nightmare.'
The girl smiled. "Wait, Helios just confirmed that. I've never heard of a kind of energy called 'Dream.'"
"But is he really saying we can't beat this enemy with our powers?" Chie asked.
ChibiUsa smiled after a couple seconds. "The 'luck' side of your powers could help, but your illusions are based on mana, so-"
"I still don't get how our attacks wouldn't even hurt them," Mako noted.
"It's rather simple," Aiko said, "imagine a wall made of a material which is immune to everything but water. You could shoot fire at it for hours, or electricity, and do nothing, but a bit of water could tear a hole through it."
"Oh, that makes sense, somehow. So not even Moon-"
ChibiUsa nodded. "Even mom's strongest attack would be shrugged off by their weakest soldier."
Karin frowned. "Wait, what about good old raw fists to the face?"
'That would depend on how strong your friends are.'
'They are quite strong by my standards, but I don't know how strong the enemy is'
'That's your answer, then.'
"Helios said... He can't be sure you could hurt them with raw physical power, but there's a chance you may be able to."
"So basically, when the enemy shows up, you shoot and we punch until they die."
'I need to rest and recover from my last battle against the enemy. Once I recover enough, I'll give someone else access to my power.'
ChibiUsa repeated what her 'imaginary' friend had said, but then looked at Hotaru. "I know you enough to know there's something-"
"Yes, how do you know you can trust that creature?"
ChibiUsa frowned at her. "I don't know, perhaps I am more similar to my mother than I thought."
"Perhaps," Hotaru said and stood up, walking to the elevator.
ChibiUsa knew the look her friend was giving her. "Wait for me."
As the two left, Terry walked to Aiko. "Keep an eye on the city. We don't know when or how this supposed enemy will attack."
"But if I can't detect it-"
"Use satellites, security cammeras, or anything else which may help you detect unusual behavior."
Brad looked at Aiko. "Wait, you mean she can hack into security cammeras?"
"Yeah."
"Awesome."
"Stop staring," Aiko warned.
"Yeah, don't steal my routine," Terry joked.
Hotaru let out a sigh as the two walked out of the dojo. "I... Sorry about what I said. To both of you, I guess."
ChibiUsa smiled. "Apology accepted, from both of us," she paused for a few seconds. "And Helios says he understands trusting him won't be easy."
"I get why he's hiding, he must be weak and his foe-"
The other girl's smile didn't falter. "Also, he's not always in my 'conscious' mind, so to speak, only when I ask him about something. He's not going to spy on us."
"Can you be sure of that?"
Another pause, longer this time, and ChibiUsa nodded. "He says there's... Other wounds which haven't healed, and he would rather not be reminded of someone he lost."
Hotaru thought about it for a moment, and then flinched. "I see. Anyhow, had any plans for today?"
"No, why?"
"Dad wanted to meet you."
"You think it's safe?"
"Sure, he ran out of disintegrating guns," Hotaru said, causing ChibiUsa to chuckle.
A few hours later, the base's crowd had mostly left. Yukiko was the only one there along with Terry and Ami, and she was facing a very strong foe, one she didn't think she would meet.
"Checkmate."
Yukiko looked at the screen where the chessboard was displayed. "You're good."
"I like playing chess now and then," Ami admitted, "so I thought Aiko would be the perfect rival."
"But she's... I mean, won't she win every single time?"
"I can calculate what your next move may be, and I can build a plan from there to fifty moves ahead, but even then-"
"-I've beaten her several times," Ami finished. "I can improvise."
Aiko smiled. "I still have the most wins."
"She got that ego from me," Terry joked. "But I didn't know you played chess."
Yukiko shrugged. "I suck at it, because I never had anyone to play with but dad, and he's not too good at it."
"I could help you improve," Aiko said, "it's not like I have a lot to do in here."
"I'd like that, something to do in-between getting kicked around by evil aliens or by Senshi." Yukiko said, then walked to the elevator. "I just hope you don't get mad if I win. I wouldn't like such a pretty girl to be mad at me."
"Likewise," Aiko said.
As the elevator's doors closed, Ami stared at Aiko. "Are you... Blushing?"
Aiko blinked and looked down at her feet. "Uhm, it's just the first time someone calls me pretty."
"Didn't know you could blush."
Aiko turned to look at Terry. "I've been making improvements to this body."
"That's good, maybe soon you will be able to go outside," Ami noted.
Going outside? Aiko smiled at the thought. The more she researched, the more eager she was to leave the base, even if only for a few minutes.
"This is the first target. Tiger Eye, you'll be the first to try your luck."
Tiger Eye was a tall man, with long, dark blonde hair. He smiled at the figure talking to him. "I will do my best, for our Queen."
The figure stared at the spot Tiger Eye had been standing on as he vanished. "If everything goes as planned, the queen of nightmares will soon return."
"She surely is Tsukino's daughter. The resemblance is amazing."
"I've been told that before," ChibiUsa admitted.
Hotaru smiled. "But she's different, in several ways."
Tomoe nodded. "If you feel she's the one, Hotaru, I will not go against your wishes."
"I..."
"You don't need to say it," ChibiUsa said.
Hotaru was still looking at her father. "I know I used to be bad at showing my feelings, but a lot of people helped me grow out of that shell, and... I think realizing that I had fallen in love was the last step I had to take."
ChibiUsa smiled at that, then flinched. "Crap, why can't these aliens read the mood?"
"What's wrong?"
"Somehow, I'm sensing an enemy in the city."
"Perhaps it's a side-effect of hosting Helios?"
"Helios?" Tomoe asked.
"Long story," Hotaru said, "I'll tell you about it later, dad, but right now, duty calls."
Umino was at Naru's shop, and they were both talking about their 'job.' "If I wasn't able to call a Pikachu to fight for me, I would find the idea of the younger Usagi having a magical horse inside her mind unbelievable."
"What I'm worried about is, what will we do if she's not around? The enemy could-"
Just then, a man walked in. He was tall, with long blond hair, and Naru had to admit he wasn't bad to the eye at all. "Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to Osa-P."
The man smiled at her. "I've heard there's some rare jewels in here. Perhaps I will find the one I'm looking for."
"Feel free to browse," Naru said, "or you could tell me what you know about it, and I'll see if there's any jewel like it in our inventory."
Umino was impressed at how different Naru sounded when dealing with customers. However, there was something about the man that was making him uneasy. "Naru-"
The man's smile didn't falter as he stared at Naru. "I'm looking for a certain item. A pegasus. Perhaps you know where I can find it."
Naru took a step back. "Damn, you're one of them, aren't you?"
The man reached into his business suit, taking a whip out as his smile turned sinister. "My name is Tiger Eye, and I'm here to get the Pegasus. You can either give it up peacefully, or-"
"Nemesis Star Power!"
"Game On!"
Tiger Eye looked at Game Master dismissively. "Go away, brat, I'm not interested in you right now."
Nemesis frowned. "Not here, mom will kill me if we break something."
The man saw the two teens run out of the building, and laughing. "Fools, you cannot run away!"
Game Master smiled as Tiger Eye walked to them. "Who's running, moron?"
Nemesis saw a red, spike-covered sports car speeding towards Tiger Eye, but the man used his whip to send the car flying away. "Was that..."
"I always liked Carmageddon," Game Master said, "but I guess I'll have to use something stronger." He summoned a very large, futuristic-looking gun, and smiled. "Eat plasma!"
Nemesis saw the huge, green ball of energy hit Tiger Eye, who didn't even notice the blow. "Damn it, he can't be invincible. Dark..." she held the dark energy for longer than usual, and several black butterflies flew out from her hands. "... Swarm!"
Tiger Eye yawned as the attack hit. "Are you done wasting my time, girl?"
Game Master tried to summon something else, but then fell to one knee and cursed under his breath. "Damn it, not now!"
Tiger Eye saw Nemesis run to him and sighed. "Let's just end this. One." He cracked his whip, and a short wall appeared right behind Nemesis. "Two." He cracked the whip again, and chains reached out from the wall, ensnaring his target. "Three." As he cracked his whip one last time, Nemesis screamed in pain, and an item floated out of her forehead.
Game Master looked at the item. A mirror? It grew bigger as it floated, and Tiger Eye caught it. After the whole Heart Crystal mess, the teen boy could guess whatever that was, Naru needed it. "Hey, give that back!"
"Sorry, I just have to check on something," the man said, and- Game Master was trying to stand up, but froze at what he saw. The man had poked his head right into the mirror (and it had looked like the mirror had beheaded him, for a few seconds) and Nemesis screamed even louder. "Damn it, he's not there."
"What did you do to her?"
Tiger Eye frowned. "You should have left while you could, boy. I can't risk killing you yet, but in her case..." He summoned a dagger and looked at the mirror. "... She's useless to us."
Game Master tried to tackle the man, but knew he would not make it in time. However, a flag pole fell on the men, knocking both the dagger and the mirror out of his hands. "What the-"
Lilith landed besides Game Master. "I saw a green light and knew it had to be an alien attack." She finally noticed Nemesis. "Damn, what did they do-"
Game Master frowned and once again tried to stand up. Tiger Eye wasn't down yet, and had wrapped his whip around Lilith's throat, pulling her to him. "Damn you..."
"Don't worry, I won't kill her, just beat her up for a while."
"Pink Sugar Heart Crusher!"
Tiger Eye looked at the heart dismissively, then flung Lilith up, blasting the heart to pieces with her. "Foolish kids, you can't even touch me, no matter how many of you-"
"Damn it, stop hurting my friends!" Game Master suddenly shouted. That got the man's attention, but what good could he be, besides distracting him? No, even if that man killed him, he had to make sure he didn't hurt Naru more, or any of the others.
"Weaklings should stay silent," Tiger Eye snapped and got ready to use his whip again.
Saturn was checking on Lilith, and sighed. "Your attack was almost too much for her. I can heal her, but-"
"You do that, I'll take care of that asshole."
Suddenly, a sword appeared, floating right in front of Game Master. He looked at it in awe, he knew what it was, but- "A Dragon Sword?" But it wasn't... "Lilith's Dragon Sword?"
ChibiMoon smiled. "Oops, I guess I forgot to tell you about that." She was, however, worried about it, a Planet Senshi would make no difference. 'Helios, I need to know just how to beat this guy'
'Just like your own powers work. Search for the words, and you will know what to do.'
"Lilith Dragon Power!"
"Hmph, a different suit won't make a difference."
"I wouldn't be so sure."
Tiger Eye noticed Saturn was busy healing Lilith, and the pink Senshi was busy with something else, so he just needed to take care of this pest and then he would simply leave. "Okay, boy, any last wish?"
"Yes. Would you kindly die?" the Dragon said. "Lilith Barrage."
Tiger Eye saw several dozen shotguns appear around him, and flinched. "Oh, now this is-" Before he could complete his phrase, the guns all shot, knocking him back. As he stood up, his suit was full of holes, and his hair was a mess, but he still glared at his foe. "Credit where credit's due, that was impressive, but far from enough."
Dragon Lilith fell on his back. "Damn it, I wanted to beat him."
ChibiMoon walked to him. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."
Tiger Eye stared at the girl and then shook his head. "I have to fight a young kid? That's depressing."
"Don't call me a kid, idiot!" ChibiMoon snapped. "Moon Dream Wave!"
The attack was, simply put, a large energy beam. It knocked Tiger Eye back several blocks, and the man bounced on the street several times, vanishing mid-air.
"That was impressive," the Dragon noted, then looked at Nemesis. Was she... Crying? "Damn, where's the mirror?"
ChibiMoon saw it lying near them, and handed it to the new Dragon. "You should do it. Remember how the Heart Crystals worked?"
The Dragon nodded, noticing Lilith was up (and staring at him in confusion) and walked to Nemesis. The mirror went back into Nemesis' forehead, and the 'wall' behind her vanished, but she simply knelt on the ground, sobbing. "Naru, what's-"
"Go away!"
ChibiMoon flinched as Nemesis shouted that. Helios had explained it all to her, but she had hoped to stop the enemy before they could do it to anyone. "Umino..."
"What did they do to her?"
"It's- These bastards break into others' minds, poking around their head without their consentment. I'm sorry that-"
"I can't even imagine how that feels," Lilith said, looking at Nemesis, who didn't seem to be paying attention to them.
"I hope you never have to go through it," Nemesis said, then looked up at Dragon Lilith. "Umino, I'm sorry for shouting, I-"
"I'm sorry for being useless."
"That man was going to kill me," Nemesis noted, gingerly standing up, "you at least stopped him from doing that."
"But I-" The Dragon stopped as Nemesis hugged him. "Naru?"
"You talk too much. Just... Stay with me, will you?"
The Dragon looked at the others, and they all nodded at him, and walked away. "I'm never going to abandon you."
Chie had followed the other two girls as they walked away, and they didn't seem to mind, but she was still trying to make sense of that battle. "Uhm..."
"What's wrong, Chie?"
"Why is he Dragon Lilith?"
"Perhaps his Game Master powers should have hinted you to that," ChibiUsa said, "and before you ask, yes, I knew it all along, I just couldn't tell any of you about it."
"His attacks and summons are illusions," Chie realized, and felt like slapping her forehead. She looked at the two and then sighed. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Hotaru smiled. "We were going back to the base."
"Oh, I'll tag along, then." She looked back for a few seconds. "Think she'll be right?"
"She'll live, but she may not be in the best of moods for a while," ChibiUsa explained. "Next time, I'll try beating those bastards before they can do any harm."
Chie smiled at that, but... She had been a Senshi long enough - and heard about the past battles from the others - to know things didn't always go as planned for them.
A/N: Umino is a Senshi now. I regret nothing.
And this chapter shows one of the reasons SuperS is my least liked season, the whole "poking into someone's mind" doesn't look that bad until you think about what it really means.
As a note, sorry for the three months hiatus, but I didn't feel like writing at all. Life's been a mess lately, and while I intend to keep updating this, I'm not sure how long it will take me to get each chapter done.