Chapter 23 : Early Bird Gets the Worm
"How do you expect to play this one out?" Verune looked to Charon.
"Exactly how she wants me to. She wants us to let them into our world..." Charon said, they looked over the city the humans called Toyko.
"It is about time. But…are you prepared for that?" Varune's flat blunt words held a power even Charon wasn't sure of. His crossed arms and firm look reminded him of cold biting water. Bitter, blunt, icy but exactly what needed to be said.
"I must be. Limos will covet what they care for most, and I will reel them in. It's been too long…and I refused to let things replay again. Even if Pluto neglects me, at least if we destroy the empire that used to be, she will be free." He hated how prolific he sounded to the others but it was the truth.
"It has been too long. But do not fail us over the adoration of a lost cause." Varune gave him a side glance, turning to walk away. "You're plans to neglect the use of humans as hosts in this seems both somewhat clever and somewhat all too humane."
"I already told you, it was all Ixion yesterday." Charon said stoically. "And it works; if anything it proves that nothing will escape in the end."
"Then prove to Ixion you can achieve your goals. I doubt a Mistress of Discord herself will be impressed by an ill-wavered strike." Varune walked away.
Charon gripped his staff tighter. Maybe it was time for him to break his old bonds. Maybe, if he were lucky, she wouldn't show up...
"Why did you call us over so early Serena?" Rei yawned looking at the watch on her wrist. It was Saturday morning and none of the scouts knew how to handle the recent events. They all seemed stressed out and tired since the last few strikes against their enemies, and frankly Rei was both surprised and unimpressed that Serena had told them they needed to come over so early.
Serena looked at them with nervous eyes. It was only Lita, Ami and Rei present.
"I can't find Luna…I can't find her anywhere…" They all looked at her room, torn apart like she'd been missing an item of clothing rather than a cat.
"Are you sure she just didn't leave to go off with Artemis somewhere?" Ami asked.
"I don't think so…she wouldn't just leave like that…" Serena looked at the empty spot on her bed where Luna was. "I just have a feeling something is wrong…"
"Oh come on Serena! She goes on her own all the time. She's not a house cat…" Rei grumbled.
"It is true." Lita nodded.
"No wait guys…" Suddenly Mina walked into Serena's room. "Artemis is also missing. I've looked all over. Since last night, I couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right. When I woke up kind of early too with a feeling that something was off… and he was gone, I kind of figured he might have gone to see Luna. Now that he's not here… I'm nervous."
"It still doesn't prove anything happened we need to worry about." Ami looked cross.
"This might." Mina held a long blue-black feather between her fingers.
"Whoa, that's huge." Lita gapped.
"I found a few outside my window." Mina said. "They don't look normal that's for sure."
"What is it from?" Serena asked.
"Don't look at me… way too long for a crow. I can sense a bit of dark energy on them though." Rei shook her head.
"Too big for any local bird. Its black iridescent quality is reminiscent of a mag-pie's variation…but that can't be right either. " Ami shook her head.
"Hey, there are some outside Serena's window too." Lita looked outside. Suddenly her communicator beeped.
"Amara?"
"Hey, have any of you guys talked to Trista at all since our last fight?" Amara looked equally as exhausted.
"No, haven't you or Michelle?" Rei asked.
"No, we haven't and we're worried. She's basically backed off completely since that whole event. She told Michelle, a few days ago; that she doesn't want to be bothered for a bit…but now we're concerned. This stuff with these rogue senshi are really getting on my nerves."
"Man, I hope she doesn't have it too bad for that Charon guy." Mina said.
"No way she'd let some old fling get in the way!" Rei shook her head.
"Yea, but remember, he was her guardian too. It's gotta be rough." Lita disagreed.
"Yea, now that you say it like that…I mean Phobos and Demos are more than just pets to me. Same with Luna and Artemis…" Rei nodded.
"If you hear from her let us know."
"Hey wait, we may have a new problem on our hands…" Mina piped in.
"Yea what's that?"
"Two missing cats..." Serena added in.
"Then I guess we better go on a sailor scout cat hunt shouldn't we?" Michelle suddenly came in on the other side.
The others nodded.
Michelle looked to Amara on the other end after the conversation ended. "I think we should send Trista a message about this…even if she doesn't show up…she needs to know we're out there…especially since its Luna and Artemis…"
"You think they might be targets? Or they're just working on this on their own?" Amara asked crossing her arms looking out on the morning city.
"Can't be certain. But I bet it will be easier to look as scouts. Let's go." Michelle led the pair off.
Charon had seen the scouts.
They all moved around the town. He wondered how they thought that they were so well hidden…
It been easy to observe them closely enough to find out who they were as humans when they weren't looking. Frankly, they'd seen everything, all because of his ability to use his teleportation to move in and out of time, and dark places. Every one of them was key to the whole rebellion.
Those two moon faced cats… he'd recalled them from the past. Artemis was the guardian given to Venus because she'd had no moon, and hence no guardian. She was the closest of the scouts to the Moon Princess, as the planetary Venus power was always linked to the Moon. Many say Venus' people were more often pairs of people of both the Moon and Venus due to the close nature of the two planet's relationships. Light derived their powers, and he knew too well from experience the darker senshi were usually shunned or avoided.
And then Luna was simply the appointed guardian of the Moon Princess herself.
Back then he could have become a wolf if he wanted to. They always had two forms – a gift for putting their lives on the line and being chosen as honorable guardians of the planet's moons. They could remain as the entity they preferred, and often declared one, human or animal, as their true body. It wasn't long after he had been decided to be Pluto's guardian he knew the body of a wolf was too far from human and so he retained his human form. The last time he'd ever become one was the day that he stopped Pluto from getting striked by one of Queen Beryl's men.
More so, it seems, these cats' rebirth to earth had caused a permanent linkage to the last form they had been in. Maybe in their reincarnation they lost that ability to change… Now they were simple cats. Not a thing more than that.
Limos, flapped her long wings. Back black, shining, her white body and red eyes bare, covered only with feathers where one would expect the important parts of the female body to be. Her log greenish tail spiked out like daggers. Her face was human; all in all a strange looking bird of a demonic feather.
Limos had found home and consumed a bird that had already adored taking the things that shined; the things people coveted most.
It was how Eris had planned to lure the scouts in; it wouldn't be long until they told their side of the story. Charon knew well it would be the prelude to their final blow.
"Have you got a hold of Trista? It might be best for another set of eyes." Mars asked.
"No, I've tried to page her but she's not answering." Uranus shook her head.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Mars looked straight on at their path, still looking for the two cats from the rooftops down.
"Vibes?" Jupiter asked.
"Kind of. It's just set up too well…the two go missing…and we still haven't found them. Can't even get ahold of them…no note, no signification where they could be, and its almost noon. Especially after what happened earlier this week. It's not just vibes. But I am getting something from over there."
"Enemy?" Neptune asked. She followed Mars' gaze. It was on an empty lot on the far side of the city, just a bit farther up from where they were.
"Possibly." Mars closed her eyes. She silently summoned the powers of mars to reveal the dark energy. Something in the back of her head showed her a small vision of the claws of a bird…dark and swirling. "It's strange…I think it might be best we get Serena and the rest of them to meet us here. If Luna and Artemis are involved, we need all the scout power we can get."
Trista had seen the girls around the town. She'd gone on her own roof top apartment building earlier. Now she'd followed them to an empty lot. She wasn't about to become a scout at this moment – not if Charon was present. Even if this was childish, she couldn't divide herself into two until more was clear. She would stay close by incase they needed help. She hid behind an empty oversized compost container at the lot. Construction materials and this and that were scattered. It was then that she spotted Charon and what looked like a bird-like demon next to him. But Luna and Artemis weren't there.
"I knew you were here!" Mars proclaimed as the others joined them, pointing out Charon and Limos.
"And I expected you'd find me." Charon said rather calmly. He distanced himself, as always. Pluto wasn't there; he didn't have much to worry about.
"Did you take them?" Jupiter said boldly, leaving it vague enough to get an answer.
"If by them you meant the kitten guardians of the Moon…" Charon leaned against his staff as Limos opened a pair of wings beneath her clawed hands, and on them was a projected image of luna and artemis unconscious in what looked like a black egg.
"Where are they?!" Sailor Moon belted out.
"Give them back!" Venus continued.
"But they're mine now! So cute, so loved, so shiny." Limos chimed, her voice taunting. Her cackles were loud.
"Why did you take them?" Neptune asked.
"Limos takes what people covet most, and causes a person to ache for that need. A need and a want for things. Normally he would have had her steal possessions to prove how shallow humans are…but we thought it would be more fun if you end up in our neck of the woods this time. Starve you of the thing you care for most." Ixion suddenly appeared.
Charon turned to see him. He chose to ignore his appearance rather than acknowledge it.
"Give them back or you'll regret it! What did they ever do to you?" Neptune called out.
"Me? Oh nothing at all…however even those that stand by are as guilty as the party of culprits of a crime." Charon said.
"What crime?" Mercury asks.
"You'll find out soon enough. Come here just after the moon hits the sky and I'll take you to them. We've decided we'd like to see what you think of things from our side."
"And if we dont?" Uranus questions, sensing a trap.
"Well...I cant imagine those eggs have very much air left in them..." Charon turns to leave.
"How come you care about Pluto so much but you cant muster any affection for us?" Sailor Moon asks suddenly causing him to stop. He swore he heard a small snicker from Ixion. This girl was as bad as he was…
"I'm sure she doesn't care anyways. Plus what do you know about loyalty? About what others want? You never cared for us. Don't speak to me about Pluto. You were a naive princess to think you knew how affection truly works. Its too late now, but then you were all silly puppets on strings."
Ixion smiles. "Ouch, his words are both harsh… and truthful."
Pluto budged a bit behind her hiding spot. She reluctantly retreated again. She does care. More so she understands now. Senshi-dom probably had caused her loneliness. But it also gave her friends. Yet, it seems she lost a very important one to the cause. Still...there was so much more to be unearthed. Why were so many of these rogue senshi and guardians angry exactly?
"Forget that well just fight that Demon Nut right now!" Jupiter proclaimed.
"Demon seed actually. And goodluck with that." Ixion smiled taking over, his hand suddenly outstretched to the side as if to summon Limos to attack.
Limos batted her wings, and in her hands were the same long feathers they found around Serena and Mina's rooms. "How do you like my feathers?" It chimed, before throwing them at the scouts. The feathers became more like daggers shooting them down , becoming almost human size as they hit the ground, as shiny and hard as steal.
The scouts then became engulfed in trying to miss them. Tuxedo Mask suddenly appeared helping ward some of them off with his staff.
"What are you doing here?" Charon proclaimed to Ixion, while they were distracted. "Limos was mine, she's mine to use."
"The darling mistress o' discord wanted me here! I guess I am more important than you thought. Oh look at that? I dont see Pluto anywhere… What did you say to her yesterday to piss her off so?" Ixion said, his arms now crossed looking to Charon straight on.
"Shut it Ixion. I told you not to interfere." Charon was normally as cold and calm as his hair was silver, and his eyes green, but recently it had all begun to bubble to the top.
"Hey, when the Senshi of pure Chaos tells me to kneel, with those deep maroon eyes and hips of hers, sometimes a man's just gotta. I guess the scouts will have to relay the message to Pluto..."
"The message of what?" Charon looked perplexed.
"That if they want you back alive ...or rather she does...she'd better come with them on this trip to our side."
"What?" Charon stepped back, the both of them hovering over the area, defying gravity.
"Limos, get him now." Ixion suddenly proclaimed.
The scouts watch in confusion awe, as Limos suddenly stopped and darted after it's own maker. The moved to strike but some of them were injured with deep scratches. Limos suddenly struck Charon with a ball of dark energy; it seemed to almost stun him before forming a darkened egg over him and disappearing in a portal to some other place.
"That's right. Tell your friend Pluto if she ever hopes to see Charon alive again, she'd better be there to set him free." Ixion shrugged.
"Why's that?" Michelle asked who was helping Jupiter up from the ground.
"Only the person who truly wishes to possess them will be able to break it open from Limos' power. Limos will be returning with us. Even reverting her to a seed wont break this."
"You're going to just give them back if we do?" Mina asked.
"If that's what it takes sure. We don't need a few measly cats around our end." Ixion shrugged.
"Isn't Charon you're ally?" Mars challenged.
"He is. But he's also a loose end if his head isn't in the right place. I'd frankly love to prove to him once and for all how bitter it is to love someone who does not love you back." Ixion gaves a seductive smirk, aimed towards Sailor Moon.
"Must be unfortunate." Tuxedo Mask proclaimed boldly. Ixion gave him a dark glare
"I'm not worried. If I were you, I'd watch out. I'd hate to see that you're not around to protect Serena from me...especially after creating a midnless war over love you caused. Suddenly Ixion and Limos seemed to retreat backwards into the air and disappeared.