Si...tael...
Sitael...
Lady Sitael...where are you?
The skies above swirled in a black storm, pouring no rain, though lightning strikes were visible in the far-off distance, gradually nearing as each second passed by. The streets beneath Aries' sandal-adorned feet had once been a pure, heavenly white, though now stained varying shades of crimson and maroon with the blood that had been spilled. In the silence following the staggering amount of death present, it had begun to congeal, creating a strong coppery smell which seemed to linger with no intention of ever leaving, befouling the once pristine air along with the nauseating smell of death.
Through the spectacle of horror that lay before her, a makeshift path had been paved, though littered with broken, tarnished, and bloodied weapons, discarded by their now-deceased owners. Her chakram were not in hand this time, leaving her to feel rather light and strangely naked in a way without them. As the crowd of bodies grew progressively denser and the path began to narrow, she soon came to the steps of a partially standing temple, entirely carved from a white substance that alone seemed to give off a holy glow from its pure color.
In the middle of the steps leading to the temple stood two women, both in their early twenties at the least. One, sporting ebony hair cut at her chin that curled ever so slightly inwards towards her face at the ends, featured exotic almond shaped eyes of a rich, deep blue reminiscent of a shade only found at twilight, when the sky wasn't light enough to be the sky, and yet not dark enough to be considered the oncoming night. She bore a uniform much like Aries' own, only it was navy blue in color with light azure accents. In her hand she carried a matching navy staff, perhaps forged of some other holy metal, set at its top with a shimmering opal orb. The other woman was far more familiar to Yuuki, with waving titanium hair, a uniform of sky blue accented with royal blue, and an azure staff of her own...
Set with a star sapphire orb.
Eyes of the same star sapphire turned to Aries' hazel, and, for but a moment, she could feel a vein of anguish, hidden by a captivating dazzle of a strange, all-encompassing knowing. Somewhere, she knew, she had seen those eyes. And after the events of the night prior, she couldn't let the color escape her mind.
Ascending the steps to approach the two women already there, the woman of darker hair faced her, emanating an aura of pure calm, and yet a trace of a drive towards something, but what could it possibly be...?
"Conquered, we are not." The ebony-haired woman spoke, gesturing with an open hand towards what had once been a battlefield.
"Lady Sitael, we can swear on our honor as Senshi...all will be made right in due time."
"Are you ready?"
"Lady Aries? Lady Aries! Wake up, please!" Shani flitted around Yuuki's face in a panic, her hands pressed over her long, pointed ears. "What is this awful noise, Lady Aries?" She whined loudly, almost trying to defeat the sound of Yuuki's alarm clock in terms of volume. With a groan, Yuuki swung her arm out to the side, and after a few seconds of groping around for the right button in a waking daze, the series of electronic beeps finally ceased, the alarm having now been set to the 'off' position. "Please don't make this fuss tomorrow..." Yuuki grumbled before yawning and stretching, throwing off her bed covers to begin her daily routine before heading off to school. There was still breakfast to be made, and that would definitely put her into a far better mood than when she had just awoken.
"Do you really think so?" Honey eyes lit up at the statement of approval, shoulder-length layered raven hair bouncing as it framed her oval face, graced by a gleaming smile composed of perfectly placed straight teeth and almost childlike dimples.
"If it's good enough for me, it's fine, Mika." Chomei Eichi smiled back, brushing a few straying strands of wavy, slightly curling titanium hair from her face and simply securing a small section of it behind her ear. The aforementioned Mika, more specifically, Mika Seito, let out a squeal of delight, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Thanks! Kyou Sei had a style like this in a photo, and it looked so good, I had to have it."
"Kyou Sei...?" Chomei raised an eyebrow, not recognizing the name. Mika 'tsk'ed playfully, as if expecting Chomei to know just who she was talking about.
"The singer from 'Atrophy', that American band I told you about! You know, with the symphonic stuff!" Mika's eyes widened, now something akin to very much golden dinner plates. Replete with jeweled cutlery, perhaps. In any case, Chomei still had absolutely no idea what on Earth Mika was referring to, but made a mental note to look into the band's music later.
"Oh, right...Kyou Sei's got to be a stage name, right? I mean, "Kyou" being a boy's name and all." Mika nodded, but shrugged. "Do you think they'd know the difference in America?" Chomei shrugged in response, giving herself a shot in the dark guess as part of her attempt at winging her way through the conversation. "If she's going for the androgynous style? I don't think so." Their chatting was soon cut short as the ringing of Mugen Gakuen' bells announced the beginning of classes, ringing in their usual five-tone fashion.
"You're going to be late, Mei-Mei." A voice far lower than either of the girls' drifted from behind them, slightly muffled by the sound of the bells, accompanied by a tall, slender boy with raven hair and amber eyes, a subtle shade darker than Mika's. Mika stopped for a moment, turning to respond. "Good morning, Touya!" She chirped, only to have him give her an odd look. "Silly, I wasn't talking to you. I can say 'good morning' to you whenever I want. I was talking to this Mei-Mei." He gestured to Chomei, who fought down the urge to blush. The nickname of "Mei-Mei" was bestowed upon her in childhood, in the days when the three of them had easy-to-pronounce nicknames for each other. Mika retorted to the comment by childishly sticking out her tongue with a 'nyeeh!' before turning and leaving for her class with a wave.
Perhaps an explanation was in order. Mika and Touya Seito were fraternal twins, children to the CEO of a large technological company. Considered elite by status alone when first admitted to the prestigious Mugen Gakuen as part of the kindergarten program, it wasn't difficult for either of them to find their place in the school. Both Mika and Touya were, at this point, heavily involved in the school's theater program, Touya less so than his sister, instead being more of a study-oriented student, but nonetheless very popular among the student body, and even idolized in some respects.
"So, Kaba-chan, are you going to make me late?" It was Touya's turn to reaction similar to Chomei's earlier one, looking off to the side as if to distract himself from returned nickname. "Anyway, now that that's done and over," Chomei grinned, a complacent smile gracefully descending upon thin, pale lips. "Are you walking me to class, or...?" The silent response, Touya now refraining from words, was for him to begin walking as Chomei quickened her steps to keep pace with him.
"That Akuma was inferior to even her base powers, you know it as well as I do. She could have very well destroyed it then." The woman of sardonyx eye, impertinent as ever, frowned at the news.
"The question, Lord Miersel, was why. Obviously, the girl isn't dead or injured." The man sneered at her response.
"If it's obvious to you, then why do you bother telling me?" Damned woman, he quietly cursed the one comrade he was the most unwilling to work with before elaborating on his explanation. "She found the Crowned One, that one...a fool's luck, coincidence, no doubt." The woman seemed to recoil, placing her hand to her mouth in shock, as the man merely smiled and continued. "Aye, the Empress. With her in their hands, Jovanha, the Trinity must never be allowed to complete." He now turned to face her, honey-amber eyes blazing with a strange fiery quality. "Never. Every warrior which they recover is one step closer to our loss of the advantage. His Majesty will see to your swift execution, should the Trinity even seem near completion. Understood?" The woman fell to one knee, eyes cast downwards in subordination.
"For the pride and honor of the new order do I pledge my eternal loyalty, Lord Cyril de Miersel." The statement was firm, unwavering in resolve and belief in the oath.
"Leave me now, Jovanha. If you allow the Queen to arise, I will see to it that your soul is not spared from eternal torment." The woman silently rose to leave as Cyril turned away, walking the halls of the fortress at a pace of his own choosing. Dearest sister...I cannot allow you to become entangled in these matters. His expression softened, reminiscing of his long-deceased sibling. That I was allowed to live...a miracle, and yet a tragedy all the same.
"The High Priest." The piercing emerald-eyed gaze of the ebony-haired Nina Kooshima bore into Chomei's own sapphire, as if asking her motives of asking the meaning of the tarot card once it had been revealed to the girl, upright, the head of the figure facing Nina when placed on the mock fortune-teller's desk. "Associated with Taurus. Routines, sound advice, as well as an indicator of marriage or other partnerships." The emerald eyes drifted from Chomei to the nearby Touya, and back to Chomei again. Touya, understanding the gesture, blushed a strong red. It took this overt reaction to alert Chomei to the alternate context as she quickly exhibited a similar reaction. Nina simply rolled her eyes before turning the card so that the head of the High Priest now faced Chomei. "Distortion of facts, slander and propaganda. Beware of first impressions. A bad time for signing agreements, and a rejection of family values." With an expression of concern decorating her features, Nina returned her gaze to rest on Chomei once more. "Which direction was this facing?" After taking a moment to recall the image of the state which she had found it in, Chomei found herself rather embarrassed with the only answer she had to give.
"Sideways."
Nina simply handed the card to Chomei, though keeping a light touch so as not to ruin the card itself. "The art on this card is in the same style as the one you brought me last month, Eichi, and it's rather high quality. Where are you getting these from?" Chomei wasn't caught quite as off-guard as she could have possibly been in any other situation, and yet she still found herself at a loss for words. How was she supposed to explain that tarot cards were magically appearing in her locker every month?
"Nina, for all I know, I could have a stalker breaking into my locker just to leave these for me." The explanation in itself was rather vague, but vague enough to at least suggest to Nina that she wasn't just bringing a tarot card a month just to annoy her.
"Be careful, then." Nina advised, before Mika quickly hastened Touya and Chomei away from the desk and the area surrounding it.
"Come on, you two. If we don't eat now, we're going to starve for the rest of the day!" Mika exclaimed, bemoaning the time taken by her brother and best friend to investigate the mysterious tarot card appearances. The two quickly gave in to her demands as they were rushed outside and into the spring air.
"Oy, Katakeru! Where's your pace?" The barking voice of the Physical Education teacher was rather hard to ignore, and even a newly christened Senshi could not help but respond to the call of the real world. "Right!" Yuuki replied firmly, quickening her steps to compensate for lost time and distance, now keeping in step with Minami Kusahara, the one person who had been running ahead of her while the former had been a temporary reverie.
"What's wrong, Yuuki? Losing your touch already?" Minami bantered, chocolate-brown eyes twinkling in the sun as her question was met with Yuuki's response of a wide, energetic grin. "Not a chance." The final 200 meters of track remained before the end of a timed 1600-meter run was to come, and a glance between the two girls decided the premise for the final stretch. Both broke into full sprints, oblivious to all except themselves and the feeling of the rush produced by the adrenaline-filled charge for the finish.
Both sets of legs crossed the finish line, continuing to run for a distance of about 50 meters at gradually slower paces in order to properly finish such a race. The Physical Education teacher seemed to be rather fazed by what he saw as soon as he bothered to check his stopwatch.
"Katakeru, Kusahara! Four minutes, nine seconds." The teacher barked, then proceeding to attend to the rest of the runners for their times. The two girls simply high-fived each other before taking well-deserved breaks on a set of benches, gulping down water out of large bottles, a silence remaining for a few minutes afterwards.
"That's your best time yet, Mina. I haven't seen you run like that before." The acknowledged Minami nodded her head, taking another deep swig of water. "Thanks." She replied in a breath, taking the opportunity to pick up a small towel and wipe her face clear of sweat, then placing said towel around her neck, underneath a layer of short brown-black hair. "I think I'll be able to keep this time tomorrow for the tournament."
"All right, then. Make sure you don't eat as much as you did last time, I'd hate to see you less than your best." Yuuki grinned. As the last of the runners finished their periods of cooling off, the directive to go inside, along with a short period of well-wishing to the athletes, was given. With a deep breath out, Yuuki rose from her seat, taking her towel and water bottle, leaving the bench and traveling towards the girls' locker room to change, with Minami at her side. "After that disaster? No more sweets for me." The girl feigned a strong shudder before breaking into laughter and smiles with Yuuki.
Lately...there's been something weird about the assistant coach, Minami silently noted, her face becoming blank in thought. She's been acting strangely for the last week. Even though she's been pushing me harder before the tournament, she's been...positive. She's not as critical anymore, but that's not like her. On the approach to her locker, Minami put on a smile. Maybe she's just not trying to lower morale right before such a big event. With the thought in mind, she began to gather her belongings and change out of her track practice clothes, taking extra care to make sure that she had everything that she needed to take home.
"Now, Akuma! The souls of active youth are energetic, robust, full of life! Partake in as much as you wish, but bring back enough soul energy to satisfy Lord Miersel!" Jovanha's voice rang in the mind of the impostor Akuma, posing as a female team member. Very soon after the order was given to the Akuma, a scream echoed throughout the locker room, prompting Minami, almost fully dressed, save for her socks and shoes, to investigate the source of the cry along with several other team members. Upon arriving at the origin of the sound, the sight of a small crowd of fellow team members fainted on the floor and one other held up against a wall of lockers by the neck induced a moment of shock, leaving Minami stunned as a strange translucent wisp left the girl's body, floating into a compact mirror.
"Wh-what...what are you doing? What did you do to her?" Minami stammered, the rudimentary questions being the first things that came to mind at seeing something so very surreal. What was that weird stuff, and why the hell was it floating in midair?
"You needn't know that, dear. Just..." The girl turned towards her, clutching the compact, prepared to open the mirror. "...sleep." No sooner did the Akuma brush her off did Minami barrel forwards, grappling with the Akuma for possession of the compact. Upon wresting it from the Akuma's grasp, Minami immediately flung the mirror to the ground as though it were on fire, the impact cracking the reflective glass, thus releasing the collective souls.
Having witnessed Minami handle the situation, Yuuki quickly came to realize that the strange girl was more than likely similar to the monster she had encountered just weeks prior to this attack. That's definitely an Akuma...and if that's the case, Mina's in danger! After some fumbling, Yuuki found her crimson and silver transformation pen in her uniform pocket, now fully prepared to transform.
"Wretched girl! You will pay dearly for your insolence!" The voice which rang out was no longer human, but twisted, almost that of an animal's in nature. The form of the student disappeared, revealing a strange sort of figure, far taller than the student she was impersonating, with nearly disturbingly gray skin and an emaciated frame. "Die!"
"Aries Celestial Power, Make-Up!"
Within a burst of flame, a fully armed Sailor Aries confronted the Akuma, chakram in hand. "You...! What business do you have in the realm of Akuma?" The Akuma's weak ideological defense was quickly shattered by Aries, who raised her arm towards the Akuma, pointing with her chakram as though it were an extension of her arm. Think of something and think of it fast. What will they buy...?
"What business do you have in the realm of peace? Attacking a sports team at a time like this, to make their hard work all for naught? Whatever gave you the right to interfere?" The Akuma recoiled, silently cursing the appearance of a Sailor Senshi. "Do you not know your place, accursed girl?" Aries shook her head with a defiant smile. As she had with her first transformation, she felt words again coming to her lips, naturally vocalized without so much as a thought.
"Never defeated, the Soldier of Hope, Sailor Aries! I would happily challenge your claim, as it seems you don't know yours." The grip on her chakram tightened, bringing the twin weapons to her sides, bending her knees, muscles tensed in an instinctual manner, prepared for battle.
"Petulant child…" The Akuma now hissed, revealing claws instead of nails. "Know the price of interfering with the new world order!" She charged forwards, only to be met by a hard tackle by Minami. "You too? But you're a mere human…" The movement was quickly reversed on Minami, now pinned against the locker row as the last victim had been before the athlete had interfered. Seeing her friend attack spurred Aries to action as she crossed her twin chakram across her body.
"Inferno-"As the flames were summoned to her weapons, the Akuma suddenly drew Minami close to her body, holding her in a headlock with her left arm while extending her index fingernail to rest at the girl's throat. "Make a move, Senshi, and she dies." Seeing this, Aries loosened her posture, the flames receding from her weapons. I…I can't do anything! I can't let Minami be killed, but I can't just let this Akuma go free! The Akuma took full advantage of Aries' inner turmoil to release a wave of energy, knocking the Senshi back into a locker room bench. "How useless. In the end, you were simply all talk…" The Akuma took aim yet again for Sailor Aries. "Farewell."
It was here that Minami realized, through the adrenaline rush of the battle, that the soldier so gallantly defending her was none other than her own best friend, Yuuki Katakeru. The one signal that gave her away was the way she had hesitated. Instead of dealing with the assailant directly, Minami had seen it: She had looked her in the eye. She had looked her directly in the eye, and it was the instant that allowed Minami to see beyond the fighting words and weapons. Yuuki…I can't just watch you be hurt anymore! Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Minami pushed them tightly closed to restrain them from falling.
A flash of near-blinding light suddenly filled the entire room as time seemed to stop around Minami. As she reopened her eyes to plain-white surroundings, a transformation wand, colored a lush deep green that many forests would recognize as their own and accented with silver, floated before her. The sign of Taurus, engraved in the middle of a five-point star, glowed and seemed to beckon to her. Minami cautiously took hold of this wand, and in doing so, it seemed to fill her with a comforting sort of warmth, and a feeling of ease in saying those words that would undoubtedly change her forevermore:
"Taurus Celestial Power, Make-Up!"
-End Chapter 3-
A/N & Other Notes:
A/N: Holy cow, it's been a while, hasn't it? School and life came around to beat me up, and it really hasn't been all too pleasant dealing with it. But this chapter is proof that I am most definitely alive and still working on the Aces High project. I hope to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. :)
Also, I have no idea why that one paragraph is in all italics. The silly document editor did it and won't let me edit it so that it isn't italicized. It's pretty weird. o - O;;
Other Notes:
"Kaba", which means "hippopotamus", is also the reversal of the syllables of "baka", which means "stupid". (Were you expecting 5-year-olds to come up with better names?)