Lunar Titanium

An Alternative Story by StrawberryMilkyTea

[Part 3]

=Sailor Supernova=

I tighten my hold around the brooch, feeling its sharp edges dig into the skin of my palm as I take off running as fast as I can, turning the corner out of the alleyway and following the same path I saw the mystery Senshi take from above.

Luna is close at my heels, and all I can hear is my shoes on the sidewalk, the blood pounding in my ears, adrenaline fuelling my every step. My legs pump faster than they ever have. And suddenly the words appear in my mind, as clearly as if they are written before me on a piece of paper.

"Titanium Wind, Makeup!"

The brooch opens, revealing more of the large diamond inlaid in its center. Gold ribbons extend from it and wrap my body, coming together to form a white leotard with sheer puff sleeves, a mini skirt with several layers of ivory chiffon trimmed with golden swirls, knee-high gilded boots, and a sharp breeze seems to summon large wings on my back. They're plush with feathers, and warm like an extension of myself – like another limb. A golden circlet appears around my forehead, white reflectors following close behind it on the buns in my hair. A metallic, gilt bow forms on my chest, centered by the glittering brooch. At last, much smaller wings flutter to life on my hips.

With this transformation complete, I am Sailor Titanium Moon.

Though I have no time to really savor it, the feeling of being back in uniform is pure elation. Now I am no longer helpless. No longer useless.

From here, all Luna and I have to do is follow the trail of destruction. Though Chogsogu are engorged creatures the size of three city buses combined, they move unfathomably fast, so I decide to test out these wings. They moved once and I lift immediately off of the ground. Another flap and zoom another hundred feet into the air. At first I'm a little unsteady, but after a brief moment to catch my breath, I straighten out and my flight pattern becomes smoother.

Once I've grasped the concept a bit better, I go back down to pick up Luna.

"For once, I don't have an answer," she admits, her crimson eyes wide with wonder as they take in my new appearance.

"We can figure it out later. Right now, it's time to be Sailor Moon again."

When I land – a little shakily – on the street just behind the gargantuan monster, I release Luna so that she can find a safe place to hide and prepare myself for a fight. The mysterious Guardian is engaging the creature already, her staff having turned into a large blade with a star at its hilt.

What I thought was just a print on her skirt is actually a moving galaxy that I feel I could reach out and touch if I tried, and the bow on her chest was the same way. I've never seen anything like it – it's mesmerizing. Who is this girl?

Her expression is determined as she blocks several attacks from the centipede-esque abomination. She glances at me for a moment, expectantly, before returning her full attention to the battle. She can't hold it off forever, and she needs help. But what can I do? I have no weapon. Only wings.

And again, just as I knew what to say to transform, I suddenly understand what I have to do. Pressing a hand against the locket on my chest, I close my eyes and pray aloud. "Goddess divine of the Wind, lend me your strength!" A glowing, ivory carved long bow materializes before me. I grab it just as a glowing white arrow made of pure energy appears in the bowstring.

Like Icarus ascending towards the sun, I lift into the air to get a better shot. From this vantage point, I am certain that I can hit the vulnerable tissue just behind the Chogsogu's mask. Taking aim, I release the arrow.

It hits its mark flawlessly, digging deep into one of the few weak points the Chogsogu possesses on its grotesque body. Screaming in agony, the creature writhes around on the street, curling up and finally just turning into a massive puddle of tar. I land and my bow disappears, just as my eyes lock on a cracked geisha mask floating ominously among the sludge.

Shuddering, I look away, searching for the other Sailor Guardian, but she is gone.

/ / / / / /

Silently, I follow the sidewalk, my hands buried deep in the pockets of my black denim jacket, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. It's strange – being out and about, as if the world isn't slowly coming to an end and monsters aren't wreaking hell on us every other week. But since the return of their guardian, the people of Tokyo are living their lives with hope again.

It is all over the news; Sailor Moon was here to protect the city once again. No longer do the civilians feel abandoned and helpless to defend their home. It's a lot of responsibility for me to shoulder, but I'll admit that I'm glad to see some smiling faces and normalcy. Hell, I'm glad to see at all.

After half a year of darkness, it is a welcome sight.

The sun is shining, but it is still very cold outside – the skyscrapers break up the frigid wind a bit, but it's still harsh and stings my cheeks until they are a raw, rosy color. But this is how February always is. And I'm grateful for every bit of it.

Luna yawns and stretches out the length of her sleek body as we wait at a crosswalk for the sign to change. I think that she, too, is happy to see the difference we are making.

As we cross the street, we pass a few girls wearing the blue and red school uniform for Juban Middle School, where I once attended. They're excitedly chatting about Sailor Moon, and the newest sighting of her. I can't suppress my smile.

"You hungry?" I ask, glancing down at my cat as we stop in front of a small café. She nods and I open the door to let her go in first. We sit by the window, and Luna curls up in my lap, warm and comfortable. Before long she's sleeping.

I order a hot chocolate with star marshmallows, a piece of sponge cake, and a small bowl of cream for Luna. The waitress takes down my order and goes to prepare it. When my hot drink is brought to me, I blow lightly on it to cool the rich chocolate before taking a sip and looking out onto the street.

Perhaps it's strange that the only friend I have now is a cat. But Luna is so much more than a pet. She's always been one of my dearest friends, offering guidance and wisdom, keeping me in line, and doing her best to steer me in the right direction, even when I was stubbornly resisting. I would be so lost without her. And I'm just so glad to have her here now. I cannot imagine the crushing loneliness I would feel if she, too, were gone.

"Excuse me – are you Tsukino Usagi?" one of the waitresses inquires politely, approaching my table. She isn't the one who's serving me, so I find it a bit strange, but return her smile and nod. "Yes, can I help you?"

In her hand is a pastel pink envelope, closed with a purple wax seal in the shape of a rose. That makes me think of Mamo-chan, and suddenly I feel guilty for not spending more time with him lately. But he understands my need for space, so that I can grieve. But sometimes I forget… he is grieving, too.

"Someone left this for you at the register. A friend of yours maybe?" The waitress hands me the letter. I thank her as she walks away and examine the envelope curiously. Luna stirs and opens one eye. "Who is it from?"

I turn it over in my hands and lift the seal, pulling out a piece of delicate stationary that smells of roses. "It doesn't say," I slowly reply after briefly scanning over the short letter. "But they want me to meet them in the music room at Juban Munincipal High School. I haven't been back there since graduation. Would they even let me in?" Then I remember that today is Sunday, and the school is open to students for clubs and extra curricular activities.

Folding it back up and sliding the paper back into its envelope, I store it safely in my Cinnamoroll journal in my bag. After Luna and I finish eating, I pay the bill and we make our way to Juban High.

My stomach is in knots as I recall the exact text from the letter. If you want to see the truth, come to the music room at your old high school. I will show you.

The large campus comes into view behind a wall of trees and a fence. Once I reach the front door, I hesitate before entering. Within these halls lay memories of an important time in my life. A time with my most precious friends. Am I ready to face it?

Regardless, here I am. The truth, whatever it was, awaits me just beyond these front doors.

Taking a deep breath, I go in.

Immediately, a beautiful piano melody meets my ears, accompanied by a similar soft, light voice that somehow manages to project and fill the empty halls. Almost hypnotized by the song, I follow the sound until I find the correct room.

A girl sits at the grand piano in the music class, playing the keys with flawless slender fingers and singing an alluring and haunting lullaby. As I listen, I realize that she is telling a story.

Closing my eyes, I focus on her words and begin to see them take shape in my mind's eye. A radiant kingdom, a castle built of pure ivory, a gorgeous sea surrounding it…

The crystal water glimmers like thousands of submerged diamonds at my feet as I stand at a grassy bank covered in wildflowers. The distant shape of other planets can be faintly seen among the clouds. The song tells me that this is another moon kingdom. Not Earth's moon – it is much more dazzling.

I turn around to see a girl quietly watching the small waves move around the palace. She is breath-taking – impossibly long pearly hair, her bangs braided away from her pure sapphire eyes, creamy skin, a heart-shaped face, a slender shape beneath her sleeveless white gown. A shimmering blue cloak is clasped at her shoulders, blowing in the soft breeze around her, and at her breast is a metal plate, inlaid with sparkling jewels. She wears a strange type of crown made of sterling silver, decorated with topazes, amethysts, and sapphires. It sits around her crown like a circlet, and yet it is too thick to be considered one.

She softly smiles and my heart jumps a little – but she can't see me of course, she is looking past me. When I glance over my shoulder, I nearly drop from shock. My eyes widen as I watch him approach, wearing a black tunic and a dark-green cloak, his long ebony hair pulled back in its usual fashion. I can barely breathe. So much time has passed, but I know it is him. I would recognize him anywhere.

"Seiya.." I whisper as he walks past me and embraces the stunning girl.

As the song continues, so does the story: Now I am standing among the giant white pillars of the castle. Around me are the Starlights, in their male forms, eyes wide in horror. I follow their gaze and my own stomach lurches.

Somehow I know that the demolished section of the palace, far above us, smoke billowing out of it like a factory, is where the princess is. Or was…

I am now watching Seiya hold a body wrapped in blood-stained sheets. The princess is entirely covered, but I can still tell that she is terribly burned. Yaten and Taiki watch as helplessly as I do as tears stream down Seiya's face. I feel my eyes well up too and I don't fight the urge to cry with him. My hand goes to cover my mouth, and suddenly all of us are standing outside, before a beautiful woman garbed in crimson robes that match her hair.

Princess Kakyuu.

The Starlights are all kneeling before her, but in Seiya's arms is the same bundle of bloody sheets from a moment ago. Kakyuu motions for them to rise, and the expression on Star Fighter's face is so heart breaking that it physically hurts me.

The red princess place her hand comfortingly onto his shoulder before taking the light bundle from him. Turning way, she bends down and places the covered body onto the grass. I don't realize I'm holding my breath until I gasp for air, sobbing lightly. But still, I listen and watch.

The angelic voice is slightly distant now, but it simultaneously swirls around me, as if something of physical matter.

I can feel the mixture of the Starlights' hope and sorrow. All of them adore this young princess, who was murdered violently in her own home.

Kakyuu pulls down the sheet just a few inches, and closes her eyes, pressing her ruby lips to the other princess's forehead. A name comes to me, as if I have known it my entire life.

Nova.

Turning her face up to the starlit sky, Kakyuu says something that I cannot hear. She spreads her arms wide around Princess Nova, a blinding flash explodes between them. I stare in awe as Kakyuu begins to fade away, her body breaking down into stunning rainbow lights that travel slowly together into the sky.

I reach up for her, my heart truly aching. But she seems to know that I am here, and directs an assuring smile at me. I lower my hand and her face completely disappears. My attention is directed to Nova, whose skin was now untouched by the hateful fire that had claimed her life. Her chest rises slowly. And then her eyes open.

Again, the scene changes around me. I am still crying, but I pay close attention. The Starlights are guarding Nova as she stoops beside the water, committing this reflection of herself to memory before lifting an ornate dagger and chopping off her hair. When she is finished, she sheaths the dagger and pulls up her hood, nodding to Seiya. They begin to walk away from the bank, but I stay there.

One more image appears to me.

A jeweled, silvery crown shining among the ruins of a bed chamber.

The song ends and I'm back in the music room. I gasp and grab onto the nearest chair for balance – I feel as if my knees will give way at any moment. Shaking, I wipe away a few of the tears on my face and slowly look up at the girl at the piano.

She is beautiful as her voice – her platinum hair is a spiky pixie cut, which flatters her fair face, and her eyes are like blue stars glimmering in a clear sky. Her ears are heavily pierced – three silver hoops went up the side of each one, topped by a cartilage piercing, and in her lobes were small peach-colored gauges in the shape of intricate roses.

"Y—you're her, aren't you?" I finally find my voice.

She stands – she's a bit shorter than me, but I'm pretty sure we're around the same age. Looking me over for a moment, she nods, crossing her arms. Now I notice the crystal on a black choker around her slim neck, and a silver chain that a detailed heart locket hung from. It is exactly like mine, but instead of a diamond, a pink sapphire sparkles in the center.

"Technically, on Earth I am Sayuri Hinamora. But my true identity is Princess Nova, of Unora." She explains, and I cannot help but think that the alias suits her well – she is as beautiful and delicate looking as a "small lily", which is what "Sayuri" means. "What I have just shown you was my assassination at the hand of Ghast Leafaunt. He is a demon prince from the Shadow Kingdom, and a direct descendant of the Dark Moon."

Luna and I are absolutely still – Ghast is the one who is summoning the Chogsogu from hell, and slaughtering thousands of innocent people worldwide. "But why?" I'm upset at how small my voice sounds, but in my defense I've just been given an overwhelming amount of information, and it is a lot to take in. "Why does he want you dead? Why is he needlessly killing people?"

Sayuri sighs, as if I am a child who'd just asked why the sky is blue. "He seeks revenge for the demolition of his kingdom during the Lunar Wars, back when Queen Serenity ruled the White Moon. When the Dark Moon destroyed your kingdom, it was a declaration of war. Unora aided in the defense of the White Moon, and attacked the Dark kingdom. My people must think that I am dead. Ghast must think I am. He will not destroy Unora – he seems to think that murdering their princess was enough of a message."

Again, my heart aches for her plight. But she seems so brave. I don't think I can even measure up to her.

"Seiya said that we would be safe here," the words come out like they taste of poison, which doesn't sound right in Sayuri's sweet voice. "He told me that Earth had guardians to protect it, and if we stayed under the radar long enough, Ghast would be defeated. However, it seems that he managed to kill most of you during his first attack. For a long time, I debated with myself on whether or not to become a Sailor Guardian as well and fight. It seemed that you had given up – Sailor Moon was nowhere to be seen. And so I became Sailor Supernova. It seems like you've finally decided to fight back."

At the mention of my friends being slaughtered, I feel as if she has punched me in the stomach. I grip the chair even tighter. "It's not that I didn't want to fight," I begin shakily, unable to meet her eyes. Even if I had no choice in the matter, I still feel heavy shame for sitting by during these past six months. "I couldn't fight. During Ghast's first appearance, the Imperial Crystal was destroyed, and I was blinded by acid. I was incapable of defending myself, much less anyone else."

Sayuri scoffs indignantly. "If you had even the smallest bit of faith, you could have had that locket from the very start!" she points accusingly to the brooch around my neck. "Instead you gave up. There was no strength in your heart. No need to avenge your fallen friends. Only self pity and sorrow."

More tears form in my eyes, but I don't let them fall. "You're right." I admit quietly, glancing to the windows. "I did give up… but I'm here now. That has to count for something, doesn't it?" I meet her gaze expectantly.

She softens a bit. "Yes, it does. Now that you're a vessel for the wind goddess, we may have a chance to defeat Ghast." And now I'm lost again. Before I can ask what she's talking about, she's already working on an explanation.

"The locket you wear is made of Lunar Titanium, like mine. It is only possible to make this material with the heart of lunar royalty. It's the most durable substance in existence. Whenever your heart created that jewel, you summoned a goddess of old to aid you, since you no longer possessed the power to transform on your own. I myself harbor the goddess of starlight. It is different for everyone. But it has not been attempted many times, either."

I think that I understand. That was why Serenity appeared to me, when I finally broke down enough to beg the universe to help me. In my most desperate moment, I was given an answer. "Ghast is attacking Earth because of its part in the Lunar Wars then… He wants me to pay for what happened to his kingdom, but he hasn't been able to kill me yet. That's why he's still here. Why he's still wreaking havoc on these poor civilians."

"It isn't just you," Sayuri assures, fastening up her light-pink parka. "Come with me."

Resolving to pull myself together, I release the chair and stand on my own, following her out of the room and into the hall. "Where are we going?" I ask, picking Luna up so she doesn't have to strain to match our stride.

Sayuri pushes the front door open and exits into the sunshine. "Ghast isn't just here for you. He's after the Prince of Earth."