The Crystal Senshi

Savagekitty

Dedicated to those who are true senshi of the heart and spirit.

Chapter Seven

Lucky Number Seven

"Someone corner him OFF!" Emerald screamed as she came crashing through the bushes. Jupiter followed her closely, gasping as branches smacked her face. Emerald darted up into the trees as Mars and Sapphire running under them as they chased the youma down through a heavily wooded area of the park. Having taken advantage of a large group of people clustered to see the fireworks show, the youma had drained half the crowd before Caty and Rei noticed what was happening. Kicking themselves, they called backup for the now engorged and heavily armored youma. They had chased it through the wooded area, loosing it and finding it in the bright moonlight.

It had been a week since Erin had been returned from her ordeal in the Dark Kingdom. She was recovering in the hospital, malnourished, a few cracked ribs, but otherwise fine. When she actually woke from her 2 day coma, she had wanted to kick some ass, ready to get back out on the street to find them. Through her healing abilities, she had been able to live when Minako and Ami had expired. It had hurt to see them tortured. It had strengthened her resolve to live, if only for revenge.

She was due out of the hospital tomorrow, and her friends would all rally around her, one half of the senshi teams full and complete. They would visit the graves of their friends and wish them well, wherever they were. Currently, though, Emerald called upon her sword as she headed off the youma and Sapphire unfurled her fan. Blasting the youma into a tree with her wind tunnel, Emerald beheaded it while it was stunned. It fell to dust, releasing its captive energy. Jupiter panted as she came into the clearing, with Mars behind her.

"Jesus…Emerald…harsh much?" Jupiter said as she bend over her knees, resting her hands on them to catch her breath. Emerald looked coldly at the ashes, "I will kill each and every one of these I can until my sword kisses Beryl's chest." She turned towards her friends and smiled, "Who's hungry?" She faded back to Caty and tramped past the senshi and through the brush. Jupiter shrugged and Sapphire followed, Mars stood gaping at the girls, "What a nut case!"

They found Usagi and Mamoru at a cotton candy stand. Usagi turned, asking how it went. Makoto made a cutting motion across her throat and winked. Caty popped to the game stand next door and bought a turn at the balloon pop game. The fair where the fireworks show was set had mostly cleared out after the youma attack, so it wasn't hard to find their cars when they left. Caty had bought a small Toyota Yaris with the money she made from the bookshop. She felt she needed a car so she wouldn't have to have Mamoru cart her and her friends around all the time. Bonnie and Makoto piled into her car as she tried to stuff a giant stuffed bulldog into her trunk. She finally got it in and popped into the driver's seat. Mamoru had taught her how to drive and when she had emailed her mom about the accomplishment, she could almost hear her mother jump for joy. She found it super easy, especially in the city. They pulled out of the fairgrounds and sped off towards the city lights. Makoto recapped the battle with the youma as Bonnie dozed in the backseat. Caty listened with half an ear as she flipped through radio stations. The lamps passed shadows through the cab of the small car, Caty turned onto their street, looking for a parking spot. Makoto pointed one out and Caty pulled in. They unloaded and marched up their apartment, Bonnie staying the night so she and Makoto could get an early start on some volunteer work they had at the Crown Karaoke Bar. Caty fell into bed, dreaming weird dreams.

Eating her breakfast in the bookshop, she was reading the paper when she found it. She half choked on a piece of toast as the stark Japanese characters screamed out to her, "Identity Of A Sailor Senshi Revealed!" Caty skimmed the article and almost fainted. Glaring out at her was her name. She was breathing hard as she gripped the paper in her fist and looked around wildly for the phone. They had pictures! Addresses! She found it and frantically called Usagi.

"Mushi mushi?"

"USAGI! The paper…In the paper! OH GOD!"

"Caty? What's wrong? Caty? Caty? Mamoru! Something's happened to Caty!"

Something indeed had happened. Caty stood at the counter of the small bookshop, the phone at her ear as she stood staring, wide eyed and mouth open at Kunzite who stood at the counter. He was smiling, smiling in a way she didn't care for. His long silver hair glistening over his shoulders, his gold yellow eyes piecing into her own muddy green. He licked his lips into a smile that one never should see in close quarters. He held a copy of the paper, opened to the article. His gloved hand holding it delicately as he leaned forward, "I know where you are now." She could smell the death in his voice as she closed her eyes and stumbled backwards against the wall. The counter was gone now and he advanced forward, "I know where you are…"

Caty sat up in bed, sweating heavily, her hair plastered to her forehead and back of her neck. She couldn't read the clock, her glasses laying beside it. She got out of bed, trembling as she stumbled out into the dark hallway. She turned on the light to the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet to evacuate what was left of her supper. She flushed the toilet and leaned back, against the wall trembling. It had to have been a dream. It had to be. She pulled her knees into her chest and folded her arms over them, resting her forehead onto the clammy flesh. Bonnie stumbled into the doorway, blinking at the bright light, "Caty, are you ok?"

Caty looked up, "Yah… I just had nightmare. Its ok…"

Bonnie nodded and went back to her bed on the couch. Caty turned off the light and went back to her bedroom, sitting at the foot of her bed, rubbing her forehead, "God help me…"

"It was just a dream, Caty." Artemis was actually talking to her now. They sat alone in his sitting room. He looked better, his cheeks a little flushed, his hair washed, and the apartment was clean. Caty was glad to see it. She wouldn't tell anyone else about her dream, but Artemis was different. He needed to know just in case it meant something.

She stood by a statue of a roman legionnaire, looking at it's face, "I know, but it was so REAL, I mean I remember the damn smell of his breath and cologne, Arty. You don't normally smell in dreams. I checked the internet and the papers, nothing about me other then the stuff about Emerald. It seriously freaked me out." Artemis walked to her and took her hand, patting it, "Ok, I'll do a little research of my own, ok? See if there was a spike in negative energy last night, ok? Maybe they were just messing around."

"If they were, they are doing a fine job of it. I mean, what if they do know who I am?"

"I seriously doubt that."

Sailor Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby all stood around Erin. She stood in the middle of the group of women who held hands and looked like they were praying, heads down and eyes closed, quiet. The moon was full and fat and bright overhead as they stood in the empty field. Erin was still pale and weak, but was feeling better. Tonight, she would try to transform to complete her healing and see if she still had the sharp edge she was best known for. The senshi around Erin gathered their energy to aid her in her transformation. Erin had lost her pendent in the Dark Kingdom, but they thought, like Caty's first transformation, maybe Erin's could be pulled out. She stood in the circle, bundled in a blanket, her body nude under neither. Caty's transformation had torn her clothing to shreds and Erin wasn't willing for her clothing to be ruined since she made her own. The still night was hot, but around them the air was cool as the senshi started to glow. Their auras wound around them as they each raised their faces and opened their eyes. Their eyes glowed with the color of their auras. They opened their mouths and a slow drippy smoke snaked from them, reaching for Erin. She let the tingly smoke wash over her and she closed her eyes. She felt whole and pure again. She raised her arms to the sky, letting the blanket drop as her own aura filled the circle with a light purple light, blinding the other senshi. They could hear her through the light as they backed away, shielding their eyes, "Guardian Angel Make-up!"

The light faded and the others had to take a moment to still clear their eyes. When they did, where Erin had stood was something that they hadn't expected. Emerald was the first to walk slowly up to who she thought was her friend, "Holy shit."

She walked around the woman that had been Sailor Amethyst. She was still senshi, Emerald could tell that much from the fuku she wore. It was black, as it had been before. Her boots that had once gone to her knees know where at her ankles, a dark purple color and laced up. Her skirt was strange, not like the others, it was like it had been shredded. It reminded Emerald of the skirt Tinkerbelle wore in Peter Pan. It was dark purple on top and under neither it was lavender and amethyst, the shredded material being in layers. Her gloves where gone, she now wore black cloth that covered the tops of her hands and looped around her fingers and ran up to her elbows. Between the black material that covered her top and her skirt, three ribbons ran around to the back where an elaborate twist of ribbons sat where her bow once did. She still had the sailor collar that tied off at the middle of her chest with a pendent that was gold. In the middle sat a star shaped amethyst gemstone. There was no bow, just two ends of the sailor collar, like the ends of a ribbon. She had a purple colored choker around her neck with a smaller version of the star gemstone dangling from it. Her face was the same, her eyes closed. Where the tiara had once been now was just an oval of crystal. Amethyst crystal. Her hair hung in waves over her shoulder sand down to the small of her back with the streaks of purple, light purple and white. But what amazed everyone was what was on her back. Two great black wings. Emerald removed one of her gloves and ran a hand over one of them, "Oh my God…"

Amethyst opened her eyes, "Did it work?"

Sapphire bounced around her, "I'll say what are you now, Super Sailor Amethyst? Eternal Sailor? What?"

"Those ranks do not exist," Sailor Moon said as she walked around Amethyst, "But something does. The next level for a Guardian senshi?"

Emerald rolled her glove back on, "She did say Guardian Angel Make-up to transform, and we are Guardians. So. Angelic Sailor Amethyst?"

"I think just Sailor Amethyst would do," Amethyst said as she looked over her shoulder. She shook her shoulders and the wings disappeared, "I feel great, powerful. Not really different." She looked down at herself, "At least I'm comfortable."

"Well, lets try you out," Sapphire said as she looked down at her own bow where her pendant sat, glowing, "We got one."

The troops moved out, Emerald falling in step with Amethyst as they ran the few blocks to the youma attack. They entered the street where they had followed the signal and stopped. They didn't see anything to signify a youma attack. A small neighborhood block party was going on. Everyone stopped to stare at the senshi. A cheer went up and people gathered around. The heroes of the city! The Sailor Senshi! People pressed around, making the girls a bit nervous but signed autographs. Emerald murmured to Sailor Moon, "Where is it?"

Sailor Moon shrugged as she smiled at a little girl, "Beats me, Emerald. Maybe it was just-" The ground rocked sickenly as the asphalt blew upwards a few yards away. A great mouth with thousands of teeth rose from the hole like some grotesque flower. The mouth lowered to point at the large mass of people and it opened, a dozen small tentacles shooting out and grappling a hold of people, including the little girl Sailor Moon was signing an autograph for. Emerald called her sword and cut down the little girl before it made it to the mouth of the beast. It currently chomped on a screaming older gentleman, blood flowing down into the street. People scrambled. The other senshi stood, horrified, "COME ON GIRLS!" Emerald screamed, "Get it!"

Sapphire snapped to and waved her hands, her fans popping from thin air above her head and she caught them, making a running jump, cutting down a mother who held her child. She caught them before they fell to the ground and pushed them to safety. Jupiter and Mars led people away from the monster as Amethyst narrowed her eyes at the creature and opened her hands, palms up. In a flash of purple, she held a long spear. The blaze was almost long enough to call it a glaive. Using it in a slashing motion, she cut down two more people, Emerald working on her third. Sailor Moon caught the falling people and pushed them to safety. Ruby was nowhere to be seen, which worried Emerald as she got the last of the people away from the beast. It roared with having its tentacles cut off and rose from its hole in the ground. But it didn't raise on its own accord. Ruby was underneath and lifted. She screamed as she threw it out of the hole and it bounced on the ground, whining. Emerald and Amethyst advanced with Mars. Sailor Moon whipped out her Moon Wand. The beast used its remaining tentacles to right itself. It teeth filled mouth peeled back and rolled backwards. Almost inside out, it maid a wet popping sound and was gone. Sailor Moon stood confused, but Emerald was on guard. On the rooftop, Zoicite laughed. His cruel and loud laugh filled the air, making Emerald's blood run cold. He appeared on the ground in front of the others, "Good show!"

Emerald bared her teeth, but Sailor Moon put a hand on her shoulder, "What do you want, Zoicite."

"Just to see how your little Sailor did on her first night back." He turned to Amethyst and winked. She turned pale and rigid with memories of torture. Zoicite turned back to Emerald, "Cheeky girl." He winked, "Well, I do have to say she was fun, but the others were a better lay." Amethyst gagged, turning away as Emerald broke free of Sailor Moon and rushed at Zoicite, who had his back turned, looking at Amethyst. He was cackle as Emerald bared her teeth and took a step forward, prepared to run her sword through his back, but was stopped as he jerked, gasping, and jerked again. She watched as Amethyst threw her arm over his shoulder and pulled him forward so he was impale on the spear that now protruded from his back. His eyes widened and his mouth flew opened. The senshi gasped, watching the spectacle. Sailor Moon screamed as Amethyst whispered into Zoicite's ear, "She did well, Zoicite." She pulled her spear free, blood dripping to the ground as she jerked her hand so it flung droplets of blood on the ground and disappeared. Zoicite slid to the ground, still with Amethyst's arm around his shoulders. His eyes still wide as the purple senshi felt him shutter. He sagged and she stood back, the front of her legs covered in blood. As she looked up at her companions, she heard the wet snapping of a portal opening. A strangled sob fell from the mouth of Kunzite. He kneeled by Zoicite and looked up at the senshi, "WHY!"

Amethyst turned to him, "He hurt me, Kunzite. You watched him hurt me and kill my friends. This is what revenge and satisfaction looks like." Her voice was cold. Colder then the eyes she gave him, "He was a vile little shit and deserved to die for his sins."

Kunzite picked up the dead body of his lover, his face turning cold again. He stepped backwards into a portal and was gone. Amethyst fell to her knees, trying to strangle a sob. Emerald kneeled by her, hugging her around the shoulders, "Lets go home."

Zien held her as they lay in her bed. Fully clothed but shoeless. She pressed her face into his chest, breathing in his scent and tried to forget. They both were a little under the weather. Caty told him that she was at the street fair when the youma attacked and had seen what Amethyst had did. Zien had said a friend in America had died. They both needed a little comfort. They had a small supper and now just lay in Caty's small twin bed and listened to the CD's her mom had shipped from home. A song called The Silence came on and Caty closed her eyes, trying to forget. The pain on Kunzites eyes. She found herself crying in Ziens arms.

"Aw, Caty, what's wrong?" He stroked her hair and pressed himself closer to her.

"No…nothing," she sobbed, "Just the adrenaline wearing off I guess…"

He held her, trying to calm her as she tried to calm herself. She shook her head. Bad day at the office.

Makoto knocked on her door and opened it, sticking her head in, "Hey, Arty called from the bookstore and said that you need to go over there." She winked at Zien and closed the door. Arty from the bookstore was code for Artemis at the Antique Shoppe. Caty groaned and sat up. Zien leaned on his elbow, watching her put her shoes on, "Something important?"

Caty shrugged, "I probably just forgot to put some books away. Nothing big." She leaned over and kissed him. She pulled back and licked her lips, "See you for dinner?"

"Yah, bye babe."

"You're kidding." Caty stared down at the little stone on the table as Artemis was looking through some cabinets for something, "Not about this, Caty. Here it is!" He came back to the table where the novelty store crystal sat on the table. It was long and clear, a piece of polished quartz. He held a thick leather book and put it on the table, opening it up, "Nephrite gave me the idea. If the Silver Crystal is in someone, then this should light up like a Christmas tree if it comes near."

Caty snorted and poked it, "Sounds like you've been reading the Sailor Moon manga, Arty."

He looked over at a bookshelf where he happened to keep ever volume of the manga, "Hush and let me do this."

He took a pinch of salt and threw it over the crystal as he chanted something. Caty stood back, crossing her arms. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as Artemis stood back, nodding, "All done."

"That's it? That was lame, Arty. I was looking for lights and sparkles."

"Magic is very simple, Caty. Here."

"Here? What am I suppose to do with it?"

"Well, you're suppose to look for the Silver Crystal. Where it, maybe you'll get lucky."

"Well peachy keen. Thanks," she said dryly as she looped a piece of leather he gave her through a hale that had been made and hung it around her neck.

She went out to her car, and leaned against it for a moment, looking down at the stone that was no bigger then her thumb nail, but it was rather ugly compared to the teardrop shaped emerald she wore under her shirt. She got into her car and hung the crystal from her rearview mirror, "We'll try you later."

End Chapter Seven

Lucky Number Seven