Chapter Eight
Beautiful Melodies and Stormy Skies! The Return of Neptune and Uranus
Kiki tossed and turned in her sleep, soft moans escaping her lips every once in a while. Eitai sat beside the injured girl with a worried expression on her normally impassive face. It had been two days since Kiki had been burned by Sailorelysion's Sacred Fire, but Eitai believed something else was keeping the mischievous senshi from waking up. Eitai sighed and rearranged the blankets Kiki had thrown off in a sudden burst of movement. From the doorway, Akumu watched with her large, brown eyes.
Akumu returned to the kitchen where Junryou, the mysterious new Sailorelysion, was sitting. The white haired priestess sipped at her tea — a strange herbal blend she had brought with her from Elysium. Akumu poured herself a glass of juice and sat across the table from the new girl. A strange sense of familiarity passed over her, but it departed as quickly as it had come. Akumu stared into her glass, trying to conceal her worry from the new senshi. She hated to show weakness to this girl for some reason.
It was not apparent whether Jun had noticed that someone else had taken a seat at the table; her eyes gazed intently into the distance as if something horribly important was taking place on the nearest wall. Those eyes were sad, full of regret. Suddenly, Jun looked into her jasmine-scented tea, and then at Akumu. A small, gentle smile came to her lips. "Hello. How is she?"
Akumu shook her head. "I'm not sure. She's burned up pretty badly. Eitai is worried about her."
"That's understandable." She sighed. "We must make choices in battle, and sometimes those choices don't turn out like we intended. There is nothing we can do but regret our decision, because we cannot go back and change what happened. I am trying to get past those feelings over the choice I made now–there will be another battle, and I must fight again. I must make more decisions, and hope that next time, they do not yield undesired results."
Biting at her lip, Jun took another sip of tea. "However, I am not sure that I can get past the regret that someone unintended was hurt. Not unless she can forgive me. That is why I wish the young ones, like you, were not allowed to be senshi. It's not fair to ask you to make decisions over life and death. There is always the possibility of failure. There is always the chance that you could make things worse." Her voice broke slightly, and she put her hand to her mouth with her eyes closed on the threatening tears.
Akumu felt her heart wrench at the other girl's comments. While Jun's eyes were closed, Akumu reached out with her hand to comfort the girl. It made it half way across the table before she pulled it back, unsure how Jun would react.
"You made the right choice," Akumu consoled. "Any of us would have reacted the same. Kiki will forgive you when she wakes up. As to us young senshi, we make the decision to transform and we accept the consequences. I fought against my destiny enough to know that some things are just meant to be."
"But you shouldn't have to make that decision," Jun said, finally opening her eyes. A few tears escaped down her face. "There should be a minimum age for chosen soldiers, that none of us would be able to awaken until well, I'm getting off the subject." With a sigh, she took a large drink of her tea and tried to calm herself. "I'm a bit older than you, and you can see how I handle a battle gone wrong." Jun smiled a little. "The thing I really should be concentrating on is the Golden Star Seed. Are you sure that the man in the tuxedo is the holder of it?"
"King Endymion?" Akumu asked. Realizing what she had said, she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I mean Mamoru-san? Yes, he is the guardian of the planet Earth. From what I remember during my talks with Galaxia, his Star Seed had a golden glow. She refused to talk more on the subject, though. Is this Seed very important?"
With wide eyes, Jun exclaimed, "Very important?! You just spoke the understatement of the year!" Jun put her hands to her head, loosely gripping handfuls of her hair. "In the past, this man was a prince, Prince Endymion, and he ruled over the Golden Kingdom with his family. My homeland is part of that Golden Kingdom." She wondered briefly why Akumu had referred to him as the King, but it was probably a long story, for which they did not have time. Maybe he had become the King in this new life and Jun just didn't know anything about it yet. "Prince Endymion held the Golden Star Seed within his body. It is a part of the energy of Elysium. When he died, the plants of Elysium began to wither, and my brother Elios and myself lost much of our power. But this was only for a brief time, for word came to us that Queen Serenity had sent his soul, which contained the Seed, to the future to be reborn. As long as the Seed was still under the control of good, then Elysium would regain its power. And it did."
Jun rose to pour herself more tea. "Now that this Mamoru-san has been kidnapped, the Golden Star Seed is in the hands of evil. If they use its energy for their plans, or if the Seed remains apart from its host for too long, then Elysium will wither again. I don't know what effect it will have on the Earth because this has never happened before for an extended period." While pouring the tea, she looked over the sprig of jasmine that she had brought with her from Elysium; it rested in a vase full of water. The leaves and flowers were still full of life, thankfully. But how long would that last? "What I do know is that if we don't get Prince Endymion back, then my mistake has doomed Elysium and maybe the Earth." The priestess pounded a fist on the kitchen counter.
Akumu jumped at the noise, her eyes widening in surprise. The new senshi was taking this awfully hard, she thought. Lowering her eyes, Akumu thought back to her own mistakes, her stubbornness nearly destroying Crystal Tokyo. Without thinking, she rose and folded her arms around Jun in a hug. The scent of the girl was so familiar, it nearly overwhelmed her, and for a split second she had a vision of marble pillars and beautiful gardens.
A little surprised, but glad for the affection, Jun turned a bit and hugged Akumu back, smiling. "It's good to see I haven't made a suspicious enemy out of you, too." She briefly stroked the younger girl's hair, wondering why the embrace felt so familiar. You were much smaller then, Jun strangely thought. "If I could have a little girl of my own, I'd want her to be a lot like you."
Akumu started at the comment and broke free of the embrace. She stared at Jun for a few moments, blinking as she processed the thoughts and emotions whirling through her mind. She opened her mouth to speak, but the conversation was interrupted as Eitai entered the kitchen. Akumu turned to face the elder senshi.
"How is she?" Akumu asked.
"Still sleeping, plagued by troubled dreams," Eitai sighed. Her crystal eyes moved from Akumu to focus sharply on Jun. "I know why Lucis sent you to us, but there is much you need to know about this fight. Perhaps it will curb some of your rash decisions in the future."
Akumu opened her mouth to defend Jun, but found that neither girl was paying attention to her. She instead moved into the kitchen and began to clean up as Eitai led Jun into the family room to talk.
*******
Rei sat outside in the fresh air with Ami and Minako. Artemis was happily curled on Minako's lap, purring as he dozed in the warm sunshine, while Luna sat close to Ami. The two cats had been overjoyed at seeing the three girls again even though Luna still worried about Usagi. They had been discussing their respective quests and the meetings of their guardian gods. Each had come home with a profound new look on life and a sense of comfort that someone was always watching over them. Luna was especially intrigued by Ami's descriptions of the senshi of the Lower World.
"There are three of them?" Luna asked.
Ami nodded. "That I know of, anyway. Sailor Acheron seemed very nice and Sailor Dis was a little snobby, but I never saw Sailor Orcus."
Luna frowned. "It seems that there are more senshi than even Queen Serenity knew about."
"Rei?" Minako asked softly.
Rei was staring out into the courtyard of the Shrine, where her two crows were pecking at seeds. She had purposefully left out telling her friends about the cruel test of facing her beloved crows, perhaps because she was ashamed.
Rei shook her head and forced a smile. "So now what?"
"Well, since you three came back, I suppose the others will return soon," Artemis answered without opening his eyes.
"What about the new senshi? Sailorelysion?" Minako asked.
"She does seem strange," Ami agreed. "I wonder where this Elysium place she keeps talking about is."
"Seems to be an important place if Kami went there to recover," Luna said. "I wonder if that golden horn on her head has anything to do with it."
Artemis stood and stretched. "What I want to know is what are these Star Seeds that Hodur seems so eager to posses."
"I asked Eitai about it earlier," Ami answered. "All she said is that it's what Hodur wants. Apparently all senshi have one."
"So that's why Hodur is collecting senshi," Luna said. "I want you all to be on your guards. Who knows who Hodur will go after next."
"Relax, Luna," Minako said with a smile. "With our new powers, Hodur doesn't stand a chance!"
Luna wasn't quite as sure.
******
With a thud, Michiru landed hard on a beach of soft, white sand. She stood up quickly but gracefully and glanced furtively around. No one was in sight. Demurely dusting herself off, the aqua haired violinist studied where she had been so rudely dropped.
By the sun she could tell it was afternoon, although closer to evening than lunchtime. The azure sky arched overhead, free from the slimy trails of clouds as the sun warmed the separation between land and sea. She stepped up to the edge of the surf and let the waves come over her feet. With that, Michiru realized that she was no longer dressed in her becoming green sundress, but in a dark blue bathing suit with small white polka dots.
"Ugh, I hate this color, and polka dots!" she whined delicately, "Haruka would like it though."
The horizon had begun to dim towards a dark indigo in color and the warm day turned to chill evening as a cool breeze picked up. Michiru shivered in her bathing suit and pondered what she was supposed to do.
"Jump into the water, you will find it quite warm."
She jumped at the voice and swung angrily around to confront the speaker but was disconcerted to find empty space and an isolated beach around her. Confused she turned back to the water.
"Yes, I am in here. Now come," the voice laughed merrily, the sound of water rushing back into the ocean.
Michiru hesitated. She could see no islands nearby, so the only logical place she could swim to would be underwater, but how far would she have to go? She could hold her breath quite a while, longer than most, but she was certainly not a fish.
"Do not worry," the voice rumbled as if in answer to her thoughts, "All of your mortal needs have been taken care of.
The girl threw herself into the ocean, not liking the sound of the word mortal' used by the unseen person.
******
As her vision cleared, Haruka found that her vision didn't clear significantly as she was surrounded by cold, vaporous clouds. The wet drops clung to her body and she shook her short hair, sending a spray into the air.
Just as suddenly, the cloudbank swirled away in a gust of wind and the blonde racer found herself at the edge of a treacherous cliff. Haruka sharply drew in breath and stumbled back, choking. The air was deathly thin, and she found herself swaying from lack of oxygen. She kneeled on the gritty height and peered over into the sea of clouds. Smiling stupidly, she crept closer to the edge, leaning over the precipice.
"How nice it would be," she murmured to herself, "to fall into those clouds, drop like a stone and soar back up with the wind."
She pushed herself into a crouch, still staring down at the swirling mists. Then, like a kamikaze cliff diver, she threw herself into the abyss, falling, falling. Haruka faded to a shadow then was utterly lost to the eye.
******
Suisei sat in her chambers, hands fisted in her lap, knuckles white and palms bleeding from little half-moon cuts. The woman didn't feel her nails digging into her own flesh; she knew only that within her reach was a powerful star seed. And she wanted it, lusted after it. Its holy golden glow consumed her thoughts and she still felt the burn of it against her evil flesh.
Her back burned too, but from an undignified wound. Those miserable senshi had shot her in the back with their puny powers of good. Though not as strong as that of the weirdo in the tuxedo', as Suisei had come to know him, their purity had burned her and she was unable to walk for a strange lightness had come over her spine. The feeling was slightly familiar but she shrugged it off.
She longed to sneak to the trophy room and grasp that burning crystal but she knew she would not make it. The goddess would have to wait for the tingling to leave her body. She rested and bided her time, fantasizing about her triumphant takeover.
******
Eitai sat Jun down on the sofa and gazed over her shoulder to where Akumu stood in the kitchen. The blue haired girl was wiping clean the glass she had used for her juice and standing close to the doorway that separated the kitchen from the family room.
"Akumu-chan," Eitai called.
Akumu jumped and nearly dropped her glass. Slightly embarrassed, she took the final step into full view and bowed to Eitai. The elder woman smiled at her.
"Go and sit with Kiki, please," Eitai said. "I would like to speak with Jun alone."
Akumu glanced down at Jun, who was sitting on the sofa looking at her clasped hands. Akumu raised her gaze back to Eitai, whose face remained emotionless. The girl put the glass and towel back in the kitchen and disappeared down the hall. Eitai remained motionless until she heard the door close.
"I possess the memories of all the senshi who ever were," Eitai began, her back to Jun. "I remember all their great deeds that have saved the universe. I know all their enemies and friends."
She turned to stand directly in front of Jun. The white haired stranger didn't raise her eyes to meet Eitai's as the elder woman stared at her.
"I do not know you," Eitai finished. "How is it that you are a senshi, but I have no knowledge of you? You appear out of nowhere, saying you are a friend of Lucis, yet the first thing you do is harm Sailor Loki."
Not used to being interrogated, Jun had withdrawn into herself a bit when this chat had begun, but now she looked up with an expression of disbelief. Did they think she had hurt the other girl on purpose?
Eitai continued pacing. "I have heard of Elysium. I helped to connect it to Parallel Earth, and I know of Elios, yet you are a complete mystery to me. I do not like what I don't know, Junryou, however good your intentions are."
Jun opened her mouth as if to explain, but Eitai cut her short. "I don't want to hear your life story, Junryou. Consider yourself warned. I will allow you to remain because we need your help, and if Lucis did send you, I cannot go against her. Just stay away from Akumu."
Eitai looked down at the girl, and her expression softened slightly. "I hope I have made myself clear. You will need to earn our trust."
Her brow furrowed, Jun replied, "I would never hurt a child." The fact that she took offense to the mere suggestion that she would ever harm Akumu was obvious in her tone. "If you want to judge me for a mistake I could not help, so be it." She stood up. "But don't threaten me. I am a Priestess of Elysium whether you've heard of me or not." With that, Jun briskly exited the house, slamming the front door.
Eitai watched her go. From the hall, she heard the bedroom door creak open and Akumu appear in the hall. Eitai turned to the girl and smiled.
"How is Kiki?" Eitai asked conversationally.
"Where is Jun?" Akumu demanded, ignoring Eitai's question.
"She's out cooling down, I imagine," Eitai replied.
"I heard yelling," Akumu said. "What did you say to her, Eitai-san?"
"The truth," Eitai replied. "She is an unknown senshi. We must be wary of her. I told her she would have to earn our trust."
"Hasn't she earned it already by coming to our aid?" Akumu demanded. "She came from Elysium! She is not a threat to us."
"She says she came from Elysium," Eitai corrected. "Until Lucis returns, we cannot be too careful."
Akumu looked about ready to explode. She marched over to the front door and began to put on her shoes. Eitai came up behind her and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Where are you going?"
"To find Jun," Akumu replied. "This is not her world."
"It is not yours either," Eitai reminder her calmly. The elder woman sat down next to the blue haired girl. "Sometimes in life we must say things to help others reach their potential. Those words may not always be kind, but they are necessary. Do you understand?"
Akumu frowned, but took off her shoes. "I guess so, but I still hate to think that she's alone out there."
Eitai smiled mysteriously. "None of us are ever alone."
******
Michiru swam hard in the water. Deeper and deeper, not knowing quite where she was going. Letting her strong strokes carry her out, the aqua haired girl found she was able to breathe as well as see, although by now she was far beneath the waves.
A temple with sweeping arcades and thousands of columns glided into view, growing in front of her. Nearing, Michiru noticed one carved in the likeness of her own dear Haruka. The other Sol Senshi were represented in stone along with her. All the other columns were of senshi she did not recognize, but she and the others framed the front of the edifice.
Every senshi in the galaxy must be here! she marveled, maybe even ones from other galaxies.
Floating in front of the marble figure Michiru lovingly caressed the face of Sailor Uranus and stared into the classic-style blank eyes.
"That is not only Sailor Uranus, but Sailor Loki as well. Since the Planetary Senshi are the doubles of the Immortal Senshi, they share pillars."
A large man stood in the doorway of the structure, his brown beard wavering in the gentle currents. A golden trident was grasped in one hand and his eyes were very proud. His eyes bored into Michiru's and he beckoned her to him. As if in a dream, the girl glided towards the man.
"Come inside," he rumbled, "and your trial shall begin."
******
Again Haruka found herself opening her eyes to find her vision dark. She closed and opened her eyes again, but all was black. All was dark around her, but for a few pinpricks of light.
"Stars...stars?" she yelled, "I'm in space!"
Her voice made no sound in the shapeless vacuum and her body drifted aimlessly in the zero gravity. She turned awkwardly around to find the earth and moon dancing lazily in their orbits below her.
Sifting through her thoughts, Haruka vaguely remembered throwing herself off of a cliff, but she had fallen down. How was she now countless miles above the Earth?
"Maybe I really did soar up with the wind," she laughed silently, "Went a little farther than I had expected, though."
With a crack that split through the silence of space, a jagged tear materialized in the space before her. An undeniably old man stepped out of the fissure. He was tall and looked very wise, but somehow youthful.
"I have brought you here," he spoke in a whisper that carried through the windless space, "in order to better test you. My powers are stronger in space than on cumbersome Earth."
The man close his eyes and the pair vanished.
******
She still ached, but was tired of waiting.
Suisei slunk down the dim causeway. The torches, once bright and golden, now glowed darker than shadows with an eerie luminescence. The passage ended at heavy doors carved with arcane symbols surrounding a burst of light. The story of the former glory of Parallel Earth.
Sniggering at the carvings, the evil woman pulled one door slightly open. The rusty hinges groaned and Suisei winced, freezing where she stood.
She waited there, unable to breathe, ready to bolt at the slightest sound. Eventually, she shivered and slid into the breach.
******
Jun lost her usual cool; no one had ever questioned her credentials like that. "I have no knowledge of you. I do not like what I don't know. I will allow you to remain," she mumbled to herself, mimicking things Eitai had just said as she stormed down the street. Where she was going, who knew. "I am an advisor to royalty, not a nobody." For the first time Jun realized that she was really not in her own world. Parallel Earth?
Jun walked quickly ahead, without paying attention to where she traveled. In no time, she found herself lost in a large park. A blue lake loomed before her, the afternoon sun twinkling off the calm waters. With a sigh, she rested her arms on the fence of the lake, losing herself in the reflections.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice beside her asked.
Jun jumped in surprise. She turned her head to see a tall man with reddish brown hair and green eyes smiling down at her.
"I come here quite often," he continued. "It helps me think and remember, sort things out in my life. It seems to me that's why you're here as well. Am I right?"
"Well, in a way" Truthfully, Jun had just stumbled into this park, but the lake did strongly remind her of home. Gorgeous babbling streams and sprawling, clear lakes were in abundance in Elysium. She had never wanted to be back there so badly before. "We have lakes like this at home it's a rare problem I cannot solve on the banks of those waters. My thoughts always clear as I dip my head in for a cool drink. So serene."
It suddenly occurred to Jun that she had said as I dip my head in for a cool drink now how was that going to sound to him? He didn't know she was a magical Priestess who could transform herself into not only a warrior, but a winged horse! For the first time since she left the house, Jun forgot her anger and began to giggle uncontrollably at the mental picture of herself plunging her human head into a lake and slurping up the water. "Uh I mean"
The man laughed. "I often drink from the lakes when I go camping in the mountains. It's very refreshing. Strange that you would find a lake in the centre of a city, when it is calmness that you crave."
Beginning to blush, Jun leaned again on the fence to look out over the water. Her parents had always told her not to talk to boys, not to get involved with them, because they were a distraction from her sacred, royal duty. No romance. But Jun could not help it. Boys, besides her brother, so rarely spoke to her. They sparsely were given the opportunity. Jun couldn't help but be nervous. "Every busy city needs a little calm."
"Every busy spirit does too," he said seriously. There was a moment of silence between the two as a breeze picked up from across the lake. Neither one moved, nor spoke, until the man broke the tension with an easy laugh.
"Where are my manners?" he asked. He stuck out his hand towards Jun. "My name is Sukaino Tansei."
Offering her hand back shyly, Jun replied, "I am the Pries – uh, I am Kin Junryou. You may call me Jun, if you please." She nervously bit her lip at her slip-up; it was so hard to get used to being outside of Elysium. Jun felt like a fish out of water. The wind whispered through her white bangs and blew them off of her forehead, giving Tansei a clear view of the odd tear-shaped red jewel between her eyes.
Tansei's eyes widened with surprise for a moment before relaxing back to their normal demeanor. The light sparkled off the jewel on the white haired girl's forehead and it brought a lump to Tansei's throat. He thought of Kami in her beautiful form as Sailor NeoSun, and the symbol which shone on her forehead. He wondered if she was well in the strange place she had decided to go to. Lost in reflection, he barely realized that he was still holding Jun's hand and the girl was looking at him strangely.
Tansei took his hand back and laughed sheepishly. "So, Jun, what is it that is troubling you so much that you would seek solace at the lake?"
It took several seconds for Jun to find her voice again. Why had he looked at her like that? Why did he linger at holding her hand? These things were so unfamiliar to her, she did not know how to process it. Jun avoided looking in his eyes, instead glancing toward the lake. "I'm currently staying with a friend. Today, I had an argument with one of her housemates. We got involved in a tricky situation, and I tried to control it, but it didn't work out the way I intended. Someone got hurt." Her eyes filled with obvious regret. "I'm not sure I can ever make it up to them."
Tansei nodded thoughtfully and leaned against the rail separating the path from the lake. His eyes never left Jun's face, even though he realized the girl was trying not to look at him.
"Housemate troubles are the hardest to deal with," Tansei observed, "and since you're out here alone, I'm guessing your friend is staying out of it. It seems to me that you need to make amends with whoever you hurt. Maybe that will make you feel better."
"Perhaps," Jun replied, after a few moments of thought. What he said made perfect sense, but he had reduced the situation to its simplest form. Actually making those amends that was proving to be complicated.
Tansei bit his lip in thought, knowing he wasn't being very helpful to the troubled girl. Truthfully, all he could think about was Kami. He forced a smile and put his hand on Jun's.
"Why don't we go get something to eat?" he suggested. "I know a great café near here with lots of nice desserts and teas. It will help you forget your worries for a time."
Finally turning to look at him again, Jun nodded, and managed a smile. "That would be lovely." She noticed that, strangely, she liked the feel of his hand on hers.
******
Akumu knelt on the couch, her arms resting on the back of it and her eyes staring out the window of the apartment. Somewhere down there, hurt and alone, was the priestess Junryou. Akumu felt partly responsible for the girl's hurt feelings. She had been listening at the door of Kiki's room and had heard almost everything. Eitai had been cruel and unforgiving to the new girl, and she had done nothing to stop it.
Akumu sighed, wondering what Eitai had meant by none of us are ever alone'. Obviously the elder woman knew something she did not. Akumu rested her head on her hands, hating that everyone treated her as a child. She was a senshi, just like them, and the companion of Queen Serenity, ruler of Crystal Tokyo! It was unfair that everyone thought of her as a child. Eitai had gone to sit with Kiki and had not yet come out. Akumu gazed over her shoulder at the closed door and wondered what Eitai was doing.
"This is silly," Akumu said to herself. "I have to find Jun. Maybe she's lost and can't find her way home. Maybe she's hurt!"
Akumu slid off the couch and headed to the door. Quietly, she put on her shoes and taking a last look at the closed bedroom door, she slipped out of the apartment.
******
The inside of the structure was just a massive courtyard, open to the leagues of ocean above it. Close at hand, a large pearled throne carved in the shape of a shell dominated the room. In front of the dais, a raised platform took up much of the floor space. Uncertainly, Michiru looked to the man who was now seated in the throne and looked at her expectantly. Poseidon motioned towards her feet and the girl noticed she could now walk, slowly, on the ground. She laboriously climbed the few steps to the platform and stood looking around the room.
"Behold!" the sea god thundered, "Your challenger approaches. Kill and you win, die and you lose. Do not hold back."
Michiru nodded, trying to discern who her enemy was through the veil of the saline water. A tall figure steadily drew nearer and nearer and the teal haired girl gasped in surprise at who she saw there.
"H-Haruka?" she breathed, reaching her arms out then drawing them back to her.
With sadness in her eyes, she turned to the god on the dais.
"I cannot do this," she pleaded, "Please, pick someone else. If it is the real Haruka, what is the good in killing her and if it isn't, how can I be sure? Please, I cannot fight her."
Poseidon looked sternly at his charge, "Then you have failed and I will be forced to kill you."
Michiru was taken aback by his response and looked back and forth between her guardian and lover who now stood in a fighting stance. In defeat she bowed her head and the god smiled.
"The weapon shall be, daggers!"
Instantly, medium sized daggers appeared in the hands of both fighters and Michiru looked sadly up at her opponent. Haruka seemed not to notice the sadness in her eyes, but to be completely intent upon her mission. The blonde came at her relentlessly.
I can't do this! Why is she so calm about this? Why is this so easy for her? Haruka!
"I won't do this!" she screamed, "Don't you see, Haruka? This is probably our test; they're just trying to trick us into failing."
Michiru reached for her, grasping at her shirt. With a grunt, Haruka pulled away and twisted Michiru to the ground in one smooth movement. Pinning the violinist down, she drew back to stab her. With a start, Michiru realized that this was no game; this was for real. If she died, it would be the end. She screamed in agony of spirit and kicked into the racer's gut with all her might, sending the girl across the floor.
The dagger went spinning off into the gloom and Michiru put a foot on Haruka's chest to keep her from getting up. Her breath whistling out of her, the tall girl glared at her captor from her position on the floor.
"Haruka, I've beaten you. Let's end this. I will not kill you for the sake of the world, it's not worth it!"
With a sneer, Haruka rolled from under her friend's foot, and, leaping up, took off at a run for her flung dagger. In terror, Michiru clutched her long knife to her chest.
"I'll have to kill you then," she whispered hopelessly, "Or you will kill me, and I will not let you have that on your conscience."
Michiru looked at her attacker with despair, but she was determined to go through with her plan. Screaming in rage, Haruka came at her partner with her dagger high, ready to deal the final blow. She never got close enough for the teal haired girl threw her dagger and it hit its fatal mark, the heart of her love.
Eyes wide with shock, the blonde fell back with a gurgle as Michiru screamed. In a flash, all that was left was a dust that settled softly to the floor and the dagger that made a hollow clatter under the waves.
Throwing herself on the pile, Michiru desperately tried to form the dust back into the shape of her lover. Her tears flowed freely, going nowhere in the watery abyss. Just as quickly as the dust had formed, it was gone, and the grief-stricken girl was left holding empty air.
She looked up in anger and shock and found herself clothed in her regular clothes once more, kneeling on the "ground" of a shapeless void.
"Michiru, my daughter."
Turning at the sound of her name, she beheld once more the one who had made her slay that which she treasured above all else. Unable to control herself, she threw herself at him, beating him with her hands, kicking him until she collapsed in exhaustion and tears. The strong man held her close, stoking her hair until her screams became soft whimper.
"Michiru, you truly are worthy to wield my power. You destroyed that which was most important to you, for the sake of others."
She looked up at him accusingly.
He shook his head, "Your sacrifice was not in vain as you will now receive my power to help save our existence. I am going to tell you something that I know will make you angry with me, but no matter. You certainly have my temper. That person you fought was not real; she was only an illusion, albeit a very deadly illusion created by your mind."
He smiled down at her kindly and laughed at the relief in her face.
"You know, you wouldn't have had to fight Haruka if there had been another person as close to your heart. I will tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone because you are not supposed to know," he winked at her conspiritally, "Your soul or Star Seed chooses that task that would be most difficult for you to do. That is why you had to kill Sailor Uranus. The three inners all had to overcome their doubts of themselves in some way. These quests are not only to give you stronger powers but to strengthen you within."
Michiru wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.
Poseidon smiled in return and handed the girl her henshin wand, changed so that it now had his symbol on it. Shimmering out, she waved as he whispered in her mind, Do not fear for I am with you always.
******
The air was cool and refreshing as she walked. The sun was still out, although Akumu knew it would soon be setting. Then, the world would belong to her. Akumu relished the night, partly because of her upbringing as a thief, and partly because of her senshi heritage. Still, she didn't know how Jun would handle it lost in a city of strangers. Akumu decided to head first to the Shrine where the other senshi gathered to see if they had spotted Jun that day. She decided against cutting through the park and instead took the long way, searching the streets for signs of Jun.
The Shrine was deserted as Akumu walked up the last of the steps. Two crows raised their heads to look at her as she cross the courtyard, and one cawed at her as she past. She headed nervously to the Shrine.
"Hello there, young lady!"
Jumping in surprise, Akumu turned to see a very short old man standing behind her with a smile on his face. He was dressed in priest robes and had his hands clasped behind his back. Akumu bowed in greeting to him.
"Hello sir," she said.
"Here to make a wish, are you?" the old man asked. "The wishes come true you know. Why, only a few minutes ago I wished a pretty girl would come to the Shrine and here you are!"
Akumu blushed and was about to answer the old man when she heard a door open behind her.
"Grandpa, are you bothering people again?" an angry voice asked.
The old man vanished and Akumu turned around to see Rei coming toward them, holding a broom. She paused when she saw Akumu and blinked in surprise.
"Akumu," Rei gasped.
"Rei-san," Akumu greeted her. "Have you seen Jun?"
Rei leaned on her broomstick. "Jun?"
Akumu stepped closer to the black haired girl. "The white haired senshi from last night. Have you seen her walking around in mortal form?" she whispered.
Rei shook her head. "I'm sorry. She hasn't been here and I haven't left the Shrine today. Maybe one of the others has seen her. I think they're at Crowns."
Akumu smiled and bowed to Rei. "Thank you. I'll check there. If you see Jun, please tell her to go home and wait for me."
Rei promised she would and watched as the young blue haired girl skipped down the stairs.
******
With a crack, Haruka and the strange man, who had identified himself as Cronos, appeared on the surface of a desolate, gray planet. She looked around astonished at the wreckage strewn everywhere.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"It is not where my dear, but when," the man answered walking off at a quick pace for his old age.
"Okay..." Haruka asked rather annoyed, " When are we then?"
"We are some hundred thousand years after the destruction of the Earth."
"This is the Earth?"
"Mmm, yes. You see, the Earth and all the inner planets were engulfed by the sun and their dead shells were flung to the outer edges of the solar system. Now, they are the outer planets, though dead."
"But, but that means..."
"That does not matter. It is imperative that you concentrate on the task ahead. Now, I must leave you I have important business to attend to. I trust you will do fine on your own."
Before Haruka could protest, the strange man was gone with another disturbing crack. She looked sullenly around at the wasted landscape. It had been burnt to cinders by the power of the sun; a charred hulk was all that remained.
The crunch of foot against gravel alerted the tall blonde to the presence of another. Quickly turning, Haruka saw what she would have least expected.
"Sailor Saturn?!" she ran toward her, "What are you doing here? I thought you were dead!"
The newcomer looked at her sadly, "I have come to give you something and to help you to succeed in your challenge."
Saturn held out the Space Sword and Haruka took it uncertainly.
"But how can I use it? I can't transform, and where did you get this from?"
"Never mind all that," she ordered sternly, "I must go now, do not fail in your task. Remember: everything here is not as it seems."
"Wait!" she cried, but it was useless for the specter had already faded into nothingness.
Another crack startled her out of her reverie and the crotchety old man was again standing there, only this time he had someone with him. Out from behind him with bowed head stepped Michiru. Haruka moved towards her, but was stopped by Cronos. Confused, she looked up at her guardian.
"I see you have managed to summon your sword, very good. Now you will be able to complete your task in a less messy way than I had expected."
"What do you mean?" Haruka asked suspiciously, the man was starting to unnerve her.
"As you can see, this is a dead system. Even if you stop Ragnarok, this will still happen, there is no stopping it. But you can reverse it."
"How?"
"If the blood of an innocent is spilt on the resting place of former Neo-Queen Serenity, then she will arise and bring healing to the Sol System. That is why Sailor Neptune is here. She is to be the sacrifice."
"What?!" Haruka looked at Michiru.
Her head was no longer bowed, she looked up at Haruka and smiled, "We, along with Pluto, are the only senshi left in our system. One of us has to be sacrificed and I volunteered. Pluto is too important to die, it would mess up the balance. I am too weak to kill you so I volunteered to be the sacrifice because I knew you would go through with it Haruka."
The blonde was shocked, sure she was the strong one, but to ask her to commit murder!
"Haruka, please, listen to me. It has to be this way, you can't let Serenity lay in that cold tomb forever," she smiled, "I gladly give up my life so that new life may flourish; don't be selfish on my account. Remember the promise we made to each other? Sacrifices have to be made, you said so yourself."
Haruka looked closely at Michiru. There were no signs of sorrow on the girl's face. It did seem as though she were happy to do this. Reluctantly, she raised the sword as she stepped forward. Her love knelt upon the ground as one waiting for the executioner to strike.
"Don't hesitate, Haruka. Strike true."
She gulped as she held the keen blade in her hand, she brought it up again, but dropped it clutching at her head. A barrage of memories flooded in on her: Sailor Moon making her go back to save Sailor Neptune, the inner senshi risking their freedom to save Hotaru and Chibiusa, Sailor Moon giving up the Holy Grail to save Hotaru from Mistress Nine. What was it she had said? The world can be saved without anyone getting hurt?
"No!" she roared, "It's not right! It's not what Dumpling would want!"
Suddenly, Michiru and the desolate planet were gone and all that was left was Haruka and Cronos in a strange gray mist.
Cronos shook his head, "I almost didn't think you would make it, as stubborn as you are. Good thing you had Sailor Moon to help you all those times. She turned out to be a good mentor, better than me I suppose; we are too much alike."
The old man clasped her hand and she smiled, feeling her pen between their palms.
"Goodbye old codger!" she waved as she faded away.
He sighed, "Young people now a days. No respect!"
******
Eitai sat next to Kiki's bed, watching the restless girl sleep. Her wounds were not so serious that Kiki should still remain unconscious, yet nothing Eitai could think of made the girl open her eyes. Eitai sighed and glanced out the window. Akumu was gone as well — she had heard the door close gently a few hours ago. The silence didn't bother Eitai at all, but something else was nagging at her mind. She smiled down at Kiki.
"I'm used to being alone with my thoughts," Eitai said out loud. "Perhaps the isolation has made me unfit for companionship. Perhaps that is why I have pushed everyone away."
She smoothed the hair from Kiki's feverish forehead and a single tear fell onto the sleeping girls face. Eitai blinked, surprised to discover her own face wet with tears. She could not remember ever crying before.
"Kiki," Eitai continued. "I have changed. I don't think I can go back to the loneliness of the Void. I don't think I can leave the people I have met. How can I return to timelessness knowing that the world outside me continues?"
Kiki didn't answer. Eitai crossed her arms on Kiki's bed and put her head down, sobbing into the blankets. She stayed like that for several minutes until she felt a gentle hand on her head. Looking up, Eitai saw Kiki sitting up in bed, smiling down at her.
"We all must struggle," Kiki said softly, "but none of us are ever alone."
Eitai sat up. Those had been the exact words she had said to Akumu hours earlier. The senshi of eternity looked at Kiki closely and saw the sadness in the girls eyes.
"You are being torn apart within," Eitai said. "Please, let me help you."
Kiki's gentle expression disappeared, replaced by anger. "You cannot know! No one can know! No one can understand!" Kiki yelled.
"If anyone can understand loneliness," Eitai told her, "it's me."
Tears brimmed in Kiki's eyes and she bit her lower lip until a small trickle of blood formed. Eitai gently wiped it with a tissue and waited patiently for her friend to speak. Kiki lowered her eyes to the blanket that lay clenched between her hands.
"I'm sorry, Eitai," Kiki forced herself to say calmly. "This burden I must bear alone."
The blond girl lay back down and turned her back to the elder woman. Eitai rose to her feet and left the room. As the door closed, Kiki curled herself into a ball and began to sob. She cried for all she had done, and the consequences of her foolish nature.
******
Akumu thanked Unazuki for the soda and slid out of the booth. Jun had not been at the café, nor had she found the other senshi. A sudden thought struck the young girl as she walked toward the door — she knew this building. Looking around at the architecture, she realized it was in this building in the ruins of Old Tokyo that she had spent many nights before she had met Princess Usagi. Knowing that the old building had once meant so much to people brought a smile to her face as she left the café and headed back into the street. She thought to look for Ami at the park, or perhaps the library. All the while, she kept her eyes peeled for Jun.
Minutes after Akumu rounded the corner away from the café, Tansei and Jun appeared walking down the street. Tansei was happily pointing out the features of the city to the girl, who seemed to be looking at him more than the buildings.
"Here we are," Tansei said at last, stopping in front of the building. "Crown's Café. The best deserts in town. Shall we go up?"
Jun smiled shyly and nodded as Tansei led the way into the café. Once seated, a waitress brought them menus. Tansei smiled at Jun, and she ducked behind the menu, pretending to study it diligently.
"Try the fudge brownie," Tansei suggested. "It's delicious."
Upon checking the price for that, she frowned slightly and looked a bit more. "I, um, have to watch my money while on the sur face uh, while I'm in Tokyo. I'll just have a cream soda," she replied, a little embarrassed. Jun wasn't about to ask the kind man to buy her anything; he was already doing more than ever could be asked of him by looking after a complete stranger.
Tansei regarded her, his broad smile never leaving his face. The waitress came over, ready to take their order.
"One cream soda," Tansei said, "and a fudge brownie, with two spoons, please."
Looking up from her menu sharply, Jun blushed, the color slowly creeping into her face. Then she cleared her throat and held back a delighted little smile. The waitress looked from the embarrassed girl to the smiling man and nodded. As she vanished with the menus, Tansei looked back at Jun.
"My treat," he said.
"Thank you." Her hand went to her mouth. Just deep in thought; no, not trying to cover this flattered, idiot grin!
There was a pregnant pause as each thought of something to say next. "So, you're not from Tokyo. Where are you from?"
Jun had been entertaining the thought that eating a brownie with two spoons was a lot like sharing a cream soda with two straws, like lovers did in the movies she had been privileged to see, when Tansei asked her one of the questions she dreaded. It sobered her up enough to calm the silly infatuated grin on her face, but she could not help but swing her legs under the table giddily. "Um, I'm from down south of Tokyo. Way down there. Many miles away." Ha! Didn't have to lie! "I don't leave my home very much, so this is quite a change for me, being in the big city. Do you like living in Tokyo? Does the city ever get to you, with all the hustle and bustle? Maybe that's why you were seeking peace at the lake, hmm?"
The grin from Tansei's face seemed to fade at Jun's last remark. He raised his eyes to look past the girl, somewhere out the window, over her shoulder. His eyes grew sad momentary before he shook his head as if to dismiss the thought and returned his gaze to Jun. She frowned for a moment, wondering what that expression was about, until Tansei began to speak.
"I do like the city," Tansei said, addressing the first question first. "I haven't live here that long, though. I'm studying at the university. I often go to the park to read, or to think. Or to meet interesting people."
Smiling and nodding, Jun's feet swung even more merrily under the table. She was having a normal conversation, with a real boy who wasn't her brother!
Tansei paused as the waitress came with their order. He thanked her as she left and picked up a spoon.
"I like the lake especially," Tansei continued. "It holds a lot of memories for me, and makes me think about my friends."
"Hmm friends" This suddenly caused Jun to wonder if she really had any friends. Well, maybe the shrine maidens counted oh she was so lonely for a companion! Someone to tell all of her hopes and dreams to
As Jun picked up her spoon, a wave abruptly moved through her. She had felt such energy before, when Prince Endymion was in danger–it was his Star Seed crying out for help. As a Priestess of his kingdom, Jun was tuned in to his wavelength. But this was not Prince Endymion! It was someone else she had a strong bond with, and not her brother why was it so familiar and yet so strange? Sudden memories flooded back to her, of herself holding a baby, bouncing it lightly, and that smile on her face such perfect, unconditional love. But Jun had no babies.
Golden eyes widening, the spoon began to bend in her hand. The horrendous feeling settled over her that the baby was in terrible danger. The baby was here in Tokyo, and Jun had to help her or she might die. Wild-eyed, the white-haired girl sprang to her feet like a jack-in-the-box. "M'sorry, hafta go!" she cried before bolting from the café in the direction the energy wave told her to go.
Tansei watched the strange girl run off. He sensed something different in the air, something he had not felt since the night when Kami had nearly lost her life. He wondered if the strange girl had something to do with the senshi. Thinking of Kami made his heart wrench and with a sad sigh, he left the café.
The fudge brownie with the two spoons lay uneaten on the table behind him.
******
Akumu frowned. She had been searching for the better part of the afternoon and so far had not found anyone, except Rei. Ami had not been at the library, Minako was not playing volleyball at the school or playing games at the arcade, and even Luna and Artemis were nowhere to be found. Most disturbingly, she had seen no sign of Jun.
"I hope she's at home," Akumu said to herself.
Finally giving up, Akumu turned on her heel. She was pretty far from home and her feet were starting to get sore; not to mention her grumbling stomach. Tired and frustrated, she fell back on her memory of the ruins of Old Tokyo to find a short cut to the apartment. Crisscrossing her way down streets and alleys, she was not far from Crowns Café when she sensed someone behind her. Thinking it was another wanderer like herself and knowing she was more than a match for any thug, Akumu headed out of the alley and to a busy street. She was almost free when a shadow materialized in front of her.
"Suisei!" Akumu gasped.
The goddess of Betrayal smiled at the girl, her arms crossed over her midnight blue dress. The portal behind her closed as she pretended to look around, one hand on her forehead.
"No friends?" Suisei asked in mock alarm. "No senshi to save you, little girl? Then you might as well surrender your Star Seed now!"
"Never!" Akumu cried, backing up a few steps. "Darkness of Night, Transform!"
Suisei waited patiently for Akumu to turn into Sailor Nyx. When the transformation was complete, Suisei cupped her hands. A small sphere of energy materialized.
"Catch!" Suisei said playfully, tossing the ball.
It exploded at Nyx's feet, throwing her backwards and slamming her hard against the wall. Her breath exploded from her lungs with an "oof" and she sat stunned on the ground. Suisei moved to stand over her.
Sailor Nyx put her hand to her mouth as if she were going to blow a kiss at Suisei. A fine powder materialized in her palm.
"Sandman Kiss!" Nyx said, blowing the powder into Suisei's face.
The goddess coughed and staggered back a few steps. Nyx rose to her feet and watched as Suisei began to grow sleepy. The attack, however, did not work as Nyx had planned. Suisei shook her head to clear it from the dust and faced Nyx again, laughing.
"Do you even know who you are?" Suisei asked incredulously. "You are the source of my powers. You are the evil Darkness that allows Hodur to gather the Star Seeds."
"Liar!" Nyx shouted, although a part of her mind admitted the woman might be right.
Suisei smiled. "Rejoin your kindred spirits. Surrender your Seed!"
Suisei launched another attack at Nyx, throwing her around the alley like a rag doll. Try as she might, she could not shake off the goddess' attack, and all the time guilt and doubt gnawed at her soul.
Finally, Suisei released her from the dark whirlwind of attacks and Nyx fell injured to the ground. She stared up at Suisei defiantly, unable to move, as Suisei pressed her palm against her chest. Nyx screamed in agony as her Star Seed was wrenched from her body. In seconds, it floated above her, turning lazily and casting a grayish light in the alley. Suisei smiled proudly and reached out to grab it when a sound behind her made her pause.
"You should not take that which is not yours."
Suisei turned to see two senshi standing behind her. Immortal Sailors Neptune and Uranus stood back to back in their new bare-midriff uniforms. As Suisei stared in shock, Sailor Neptune pulled out her violin and played a short tune. Suisei blinked in confusion. Abruptly, Neptune broke off her tune and a smile played across her lips.
"Deep Sea Crescendo!" Neptune called, striking the bow of her instrument sharply across the violin.
A tidal wave of musical notes erupted from the violin and pounded toward Suisei. The goddess leapt clear in time for the notes to miss her, but the attack placed her further from the dark Star Seed that floated above its owner. Suisei turned to try and regain the Seed when she found herself face to face with Sailor Uranus. The senshi shook with her arms hanging loosely at her sides and her head downcast. A gong seemed to sound as Uranus raised her head and gazed sadly at Suisei. The goddess took a hesitant step backwards as Uranus held up her clenched fist.
"Winds of Time!" she cried, opening her hand
A fierce tornado jumped from her hand to the ground, rushing with intense speed at the bewildered Suisei. It caught her in its winds and she was whipped around a few times before she was able to make a portal for herself and disappear. As the last trace of the portal vanished, Sailors Neptune and Uranus turned back to the unconscious Sailor Nyx.
Behind them, a panting and out of breath Sailorelysion approached, still running. "Where's the baby?! Is she alright?" She spotted Sailor Nyx on the ground. "Someone tried to her Star Seed" Her brow furrowed, Elysion's head swam with confusion and she came to a dead stop. "Nyx?"
"That's right, stay right there!" Sailor Uranus ordered. "Who are you, one of Suisei's minions?"
As before, Elysion was surprised to have her identity taken into question. "No! I am Sailorelysion. I'm here to help recover Prince Endymion's Star Seed. Lucis was injured, so I have taken over for her temporarily."
Uranus and Neptune were taken aback at how much the stranger knew. Perhaps it was a trick. "You're on our side?" Sailor Uranus asked with some sarcasm.
"Yes. I'm staying at Akumu's house, with Eitai and Kiki." The looks on their faces told her they still did not trust her. "Look, I can put that Star Seed back in Nyx's body. It has to be done, or she'll die! Please, just let me do that. What harm can I do to her with you two standing over me? Here, you can even hold my Stave while I do it. I can't attack you without that. Please!"
Remembering what her quest had taught her, Uranus nodded and took the Unicorn Stave from Sailorelysion's trembling hand. It is what Dumpling would want her to do.
Kneeling next to Sailor Nyx, Elysion supported the girl under the shoulders and hovered her hand over the displaced Star Seed. She gently pushed it toward Nyx's chest. The energy wave shot through her body a second time, causing Elysion to tremble harder as agonizing memories came to the surface of her mind, memories she had shoved down so deep she thought she'd never feel them again. Sailorelysion could see herself sitting on a doctor's examining table, weeping, as her mother patted her shoulders.
"It's not as bad as you think, Jun. Lots of girls can't have babies. But they don't have a sacred duty to fulfill, like you. Their lives may always be empty, but yours will not."
The words were almost cruel, and they tore through Elysion's gut as she realized her mother would never understand, as she had known back then. Another memory flashed by, of her brother handing her the brown-eyed baby with the light blue? gray? hair. Priestess Jun gently took the child with the happiest smile on her face.
"You have been asked to take care of her. Her sister thought you would enjoy the task."
The sister had been right. Several memories moved across her mind's eye of herself bathing the child, playing with her, taking her on strolls through the gardens, and teaching her how to swim in her favorite crystal clear lake. What a marvel it had been, a baby that young, swimming! Everyone had talked about it with such amusement.
But the next memory was quite different, and thankfully, brief. Lucis stood at the top of the stairs of Elios' temple with the baby in her arms. "Thank you for taking such good care of my sister, Akumu. It is time that she go with me now."
The Elysium temples echoed with Jun's heavy, inconsolable sobs the following night.
As the gray light faded from the alley, the memories sifted back down into Sailorelysion's consciousness. The Star Seed had been returned to Nyx's body. Nyx slowly opened her eyes. Her deep, brown eyes.
"Sailorelysion?" she said weakly.
Elysion's face was like stone, save for the fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're okay now. Uranus and Neptune saved you." Something wasn't right with her voice; she sounded numb and detached. "Let's get you home."
As Elysion helped Nyx to her feet, more carrying her than supporting her, Uranus stepped forward. A question was on her lips, but Neptune held out a hand to her partner. Sailorelysion walked past the two, pausing briefly in front of them to take back her Stave.
"Thank you," she said. "More than you could know."
The two disappeared out of the alley. Uranus turned to face Neptune, a puzzled look in her eyes.
"There is something between them," Neptune told her. "I think this one is another ally."
"You're getting soft," Uranus mock accused her.
Neptune smiled slyly. "Only one way to find out."
The two senshi headed down the alley, the opposite way of Elysion and Nyx, walking hand in hand.