Chapter Ten
Aching Hearts! Loneliness is BittersweetKiki sat staring out the window, wrapped in a well-worn blanket. She had barely left the house since she had been injured by Sailorelysion's inadvertent attack, and although she was fully recovered, she had lost some of her mischievous spirit. Eitai often watched her with growing concern, wondering what had happened to the playful senshi she had rescued from Parallel Earth, the senshi who had allowed Hodur to destroy the god of Light. None of the senshi could know the pain Kiki carried inside her at all times, the anger and resentment she felt towards herself. She had failed Odin, and failed Baldur twice. What was worse, she could feel the approach of Ragnarok.
With the reappearance of Kami, Sailor Pluto's small apartment was very full. Since Jun had taken Kami's place in the room she shared with Akumu, Eitai and Kiki were forced to allow the girl to sleep in the small room they shared. Kiki was surprised to find that having Kami sleeping in a cot between the beds of Eitai and herself bothered her, as if Kami were intruding on something. It was a strange feeling, like how she felt when Odin would talk with Frigga instead of playing with her. Not that such emotions mattered anymore. Odin was dead, and Frigga was certain to follow her, if she hadn't already. The senshi of Parallel Earth were no more.
Eitai came into the family room and sat heavily on the sofa next to Kiki's chair. She looked exhausted after trying to grocery shop for the growing number of guests at her double's apartment. Kiki watched her with interest, her crystal eyes noticing the strain on her friend. Eitai had been her comfort, her protector, the one person who believed in her. Kiki was not sure what this growing sense of duty was, these strange feeling that were churning inside her, but she knew better than to fight it. For Eitai, if nothing else.
"After this, I would think you'd crave the silence of the Void," Kiki joked.
Eitai turned to her friend, the hurt evident in her eyes. Kiki was taken aback by the depth of the pain. Realizing it was a joke, Eitai managed a weak smile. "Perhaps," she said.
Akumu came out of the her bedroom and looked around the apartment. "Has anyone seen Jun?" she asked.
Kiki shook her head.
"I've been out all morning," Eitai told her regretfully.
"Give her some time, Akumu," Kami said, coming out of the opposite bedroom. "Jun is dealing with a lot right now. In fact, I thought she might like to return to Elysium soon."
Akumu's eyes widened. "Elysium? Already? But she just got here."
"And she is needed in Elysium for its protection," Kami told her sister gently. "We can't monopolize the protection of the Land of Dreams. We have enough warriors to face Hodur."
"Tell that to Ami-chan!" Akumu exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "You hate Jun, don't you?"
Kami's eyes widened in shock. Kiki sat back in her chair to watch the drama. She smiled to herself, thinking that a fight was just what was needed to distract her from the troubling thoughts in her mind.
"I don't hate Jun," Kami said firmly. "I don't know how you would get such an idea."
Akumu bit her lip. "It's me you hate, isn't it? It's because I'm giving Hodur strength. You're afraid of me."
Kami blinked in surprise at the sudden statement. Before she had a chance to open her mouth to protest, Akumu fled from the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Kiki sighed, seeing that the entertainment was at an end, and returned to her vigil at the window. Eitai rose to her feet and put a comforting hand on Kami's shoulder.
"She's close to the truth now," Eitai said. "Her heart knows it. Leave her be."
Kami said nothing, staring at the door through which her sister had fled. From the shadows, a form detached itself and slid along the floor, disappearing beneath the apartment door.
"Report," Hodur demanded.
The long shadow rose from the ground and took on the form of a bowing man. Only white eyes were visible through the darkness. This was the shape of Vali the Avenger, most cunning and deceitful of Hodur's minions.
"My lord," Vali rasped, "this will be all too easy. Already doubt grows in their hearts."
"Excellent," Hodur said. "You know what to do."
The shadow bowed and quickly slithered away. Hodur held out his hand and a blue Star Seed came over to it. He watched it twirl lazily in his palm for a few minutes before raising his eyes to his most recent wall hanging. Sailor Mercury hovered in the centre of a blue sphere as her Seed spun in Hodur's hand.
"Soon," Hodur purred to himself. "I need only a few more to begin."
He began to laugh as he sat on the Golden Throne, holding Mercury's Seed. As he laughed, the darkness behind him faded away and a gallery of twinkling Star Seeds and their hosts appeared, stretching backwards into eternity.
Tansei wandered the streets of Tokyo, not knowing what to think. Kami was back, but she wasn't the girl he remembered. Something was different about her, or maybe something was different about him. He still carried around the book of obituaries he had found in the library only yesterday, when he had helped Ami with her research. Now Ami was gone, Kami was back, and Tansei was torn.
Tansei sighed and sat down on a bench. All around him, people walked, most of them content in their lives. He knew that they did not even know the danger their lives were in, or how many had already died to protect them. Who would be next?
The girl in the book… she is dead. Those had been the words Jun had told him. Kami had been the girl in the book, but she could not possibly be dead. She was back, had been standing next to him. He had put his arm around her waist and had held her tightly. She was flesh and blood, warm and soft, but dead.
Tansei stood. He needed to be patient and the truth would come. Jun had no reason to lie to him, and maybe Kami was dead. She had told them before they could never be together, when she had been dying of Hodur's poison. He had thought that she was just upset to be so close to death. He never would have guessed she had already touched death before. Complications, she had said. He laughed, causing a few passers-by to stare at him. Without a backwards glance, Tansei continued walking down the street, consumed by his thoughts and emotions.
A strange stoicism had settled over Jun in the time since Lucis had returned from Elysium. The white-haired priestess wore a stern look everywhere she went, except when she was around Akumu. Then, she seemed more like the person she had been when she arrived. Around everyone else, though, Jun had simply become too withdrawn and overly polite to read.
Tansei had been the first man she cared for in eons, and it turned out he also was a possession of Lucis'. She would take him back too, take him away from Jun, like she did everything Jun really loved. When I get back to Elysium, will I find that even my brother does not acknowledge me anymore, because of Lucis? she thought bitterly. Jun could not see how her own pain was making her blind to the truth of the matter.
She arrived back at the apartment building and prepared to go up to the small place she shared with all the other senshi. They were becoming like some sort of Japanese version of "The Brady Bunch," weren't they? Next we'll have six people sharing one bathroom…
When she got near the apartment, Jun noticed Usagi standing at the door, ready to knock. She stealthily hid around a corner and waited for Usagi to be invited in. Lucis will tell her! Lucis will tell her it was my fault that Prince Endymion was taken by Hodur! Tears of regret and fear welled up in her eyes. I don't want the princess to hate me!
But she will hate you, an unfamiliar voice said inside Jun's head. Lucis will make sure of that.
Jun hesitated, realizing she couldn't go back, not while Usagi was there. Turning back the way she had come, she headed back into town. She would give Usagi enough time to mourn Endymion, and hopefully the princess would not think less of her. Akumu would make sure of that.
Usagi knocked on the door of the crowded apartment that had once belonged to the lonely Pluto. After a few moments, the door swung open and Kiki was standing there, wrapped in her quilt. The girl didn't smile or even acknowledge Usagi, but Usagi thought she saw a stab of pain in the other girl's eye. Leaving the door open, Kiki turned and walked back to the living area.
Usagi entered and shut the door quietly behind her. She took a few steps into the apartment before Eitai came out of the kitchen with an inquiring look on her face. She was holding a bowl in the crook of her arm and stirring something with a wooden spoon. She smiled when she realized who their guest was.
"Usagi-chan," Eitai said warmly. "Welcome. What can I do for you?"
Hearing the conversation, Kami wandered into the hallway from the bedroom where she had been reading.
"I have a question, Eitai-san, Kami-chan," Usagi replied. "I hope you can answer it."
Eitai put the bowl down and moved into the living room. Kiki was once again seated by the window and barely acknowledged the presence of the other women in the room. Sitting on the couch, Eitai invited the blonde girl to sit next to her, while Kami sat in a chair nearby.
Kami smiled at her old friend, "What is it you needed to ask Usagi?"
"Have any of you guys seen Mamo-chan lately? I've looked everywhere for him, but I can't find him!"
Kiki lowered her gaze to her lap and Eitai looked sharply at Kami. Kami cleared her throat, "Mamoru-san was taken by Hodur."
There were several beats of silence as Usagi registered just what Kami had said. "He… Mamo-chan… what!" Her eyes grew wider and wider in horror.
"Usagi… I'm sorry," Kami began.
Usagi sat back with a thump, her back hitting the back of the couch. Her face was a mask of shock. "Mako-chan… Chibiusa-chan…Ami-chan… Mamo-chan…" Usagi's voice squeaked on that last name and she began to cry. "How?"
"Usagi-chan, I'm sorry," Eitai said. "We tried so hard to keep him out of danger, but..."
Usagi nodded bravely and forced a smile. Tears streaked her face and Kiki looked up at her, surprised at her courage. She had expected Usagi to be reduced to a sobbing mass, unable to do anything but mourn the death of her beloved. Kiki was ashamed that she had thought Odin's double would be so weak, so unlike Odin had been.
"I know you did," Usagi managed. "He – he wouldn't want me to be sad. I must be strong, or else I'll never see him again."
Eitai and Kami exchanged looks. They had not told any of the senshi of this time the true nature of Star Seeds, how without them a senshi could never be reborn, and how Hodur was extracting them for his own purposes. Usagi rose to her feet, the fake smile still on her face.
"Thank you," Usagi said. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer."
With that, she turned and fled the apartment, the grief at losing Mamoru suddenly overpowering her. Eitai, Kami, and Kiki watched her go, heard the door slam behind her, and felt her pain more keenly than they felt their own.
Jun ran down the street without a destination in mind. All she could think of was how the princess must despise her right now, and how it was all Lucis' fault. Lucis had taken everything from her; Akumu, Tansei, and now Usagi. None of the senshi trusted her, except Akumu, and that was because deep down Akumu remembered the times they had shared. Jun felt hated and alone. She rounded a corner and leaned against the cool brick of a building, noticing for the first time that the sun was setting. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she closed her eyes and took deep breaths to calm it.
"I miss Elysium," she said to herself. "I want to go home."
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," a voice said.
Opening her eyes, Jun noticed belatedly that the shadows around her had thickened, making it unnaturally dark. She looked all around her but could see no trace of the world she knew, only blackness. A pair of white eyes materialized before her, and she gasped in shock.
"Who are you?" Jun demanded.
"The Avenger," the eyes replied in a hissing voice, "and I will have my vengeance."
Akumu raced down the streets, her mind jumbled and full of fear. All she could think of was Jun, throwing her arms around the other girls neck and pouring out her heart to Jun's patient ears. She craved the sense of comfort she had when she was with Jun, a feeling she got from no other. She couldn't explain it, in fact the rational side of her was only vaguely aware of it, but she knew she would not be happy again until she was with Jun.
Suddenly, Akumu caught a familiar scent, one that triggered a deep emotional response within her. Jun's face immediately came to her mind and a cold fear gripped her heart. Along with the sweet fragrance came a strong feeling of danger, as if part of the city was abruptly consumed by darkness. Akumu stopped dead in her tracks and spun slowly in a circle, trying to find out exactly where the darkness was coming from. The doubt in her mind fractured her concentration, and the familiar taunts of Hodur and Suisei rolled through her mind. Using her powers gave Hodur strength; they were kindred spirits; she was the darkness that nurtured him.
Jun's image appeared in her mind's eye and she shoved the doubts aside. It didn't matter if Hodur grew stronger, as long as Jun was okay. The priestess of Elysium had saved her many times, had comforted her when Kami was away, had become her dear friend. She would not allow Hodur to take her. Closing her eyes more tightly, she focused all her energy on Jun. A second later, Akumu found her, a bright light lost in a sea of darkness. Her eyes snapped open and she began to run, her mind firmly on Jun's light.
She raced down the street, scarcely aware of the growing blackness around her until she was completely engulfed. She slowed to a halt as the silent dark enveloped her. She saw nothing, not even her own hand in front of her face. She heard nothing, except the pounding of her heart in her ears. Worst of all, she could no longer sense Jun's light or smell her sweet fragrance. It was as if she had disappeared in an instant. Akumu's fears were confirmed when she suddenly became surrounded by unblinking red eyes. One pair directly in front of her turned white, and a white mouth appeared beneath it.
"Vengeance is mine," the mouth rasped. "You are too late."
Akumu blinked in confusion. "Too late?"
"Listen," the face commanded.
A soul shattering scream echoed through the pitch blackness and was abruptly silence. The mouth curled into a smile as the scream rang through the air again. Akumu shook her head in disbelief at the scream that was unmistakably Jun's.
"I don't believe you. You're trying to trick me," Akumu accused.
The mouth smiled more cruelly and some of the red eyes converged to form a pool of light among the darkness. There, floating in midair, was Sailorelysion. She lay as if asleep, her body gently arched so her head tipped back and her arms hung limply at her side. Her Star Seed spun slowly above her chest, its dim light causing the shadows to flicker maliciously. The Unicorn Stave lay discarded beneath her. Akumu's eyes filled with tears as Sailorelysion's final scream echoed through the darkness again. She fell to her knees, her eyes never leaving Jun's peaceful face. The white eyes watched her coldly.
"Jun," Akumu whispered.
"You hesitated," the face told her. "You hesitated and were too late."
Akumu bowed her head in shame. "Jun, forgive me. I was afraid."
"Her death is on your hands. You should have found her faster, sensed her presence, felt her light."
"I did feel her light," Akumu whispered. "It was warm and alive, then suddenly gone."
Sailorelysion's final scream sounded again. Akumu curled into a ball on the ground, unable to move as the blackness absorbed Sailorelysion's body once more. The red eyes blinked themselves out of existence until only the white face remained. It watched Akumu sobbing as dark tendrils of shadow entered her nose, mouth, and ears. The white mouth smiled and laughed. The blackness receded, leaving Akumu alone in the street under the gently glow of a street lamp, curled up tightly and drowning in sorrow.
Time passed before Akumu felt a warm weight drape over her shoulders. Blinking away her tears, she raised her head, half expecting to see Jun's smiling face. Instead she was greeted by the expressionless face of Kiki, illuminated by the lamplight. She had thrown a blanket over Akumu's body and was watching her carefully. Sniffling, Akumu uncurled herself and rose unsteadily to her feet. The muscles in her legs felt stiff and weak, and Akumu briefly wondered how long she had been lying there. Time had no meaning to her anymore, not with Jun dead. She didn't care if she had been missing for hours or days.
"Come on," Kiki said, breaking the silence. "Let's go home."
"Kiki," Akumu began, her voice hoarse from crying, "Jun is – "
Kiki turned around quickly to face Akumu and engulfed her in a tight hug. Akumu was stunned at the sudden and unexpected display of affection. She felt her tears returning and buried her face in Kiki's shoulder. Finally, the older girl released her and smiled slightly.
"Let's go home," she repeated in a softer, more gentle voice.
Pulling the blanket closer around her shoulders, Akumu nodded but would not smile. She would never smile again since she was the one who killed Jun.
On the other side of town, another senshi was mourning the loss of a beloved friend. Usagi lay faced down on her bed, crying into her pillow as she had been for hours. Her parents and brother were wisely leaving her alone, and even Luna couldn't consol her. As the sun set outside her window, Usagi didn't even both moving to turn on the lights, preferring the soothing darkness. Luna sat at the end of the bed and regarded her charge with a feeling of helplessness. There was nothing she could do or say to cheer Usagi up. Even when Minako had called earlier, her eternal enthusiasm had done nothing. Luna sighed, knowing full well that both Minako and Rei were also mourning the loss of their friends. The despair that Hodur was bringing was almost too much for them all to bear.
"Usagi-chan," Luna said, placing a paw on the small of the girl's back, "please stop crying. You must be strong. The world needs you!"
"And I need Mamo-chan," Usagi replied, her voice muffled by her pillow.
"We have to figure out Hodur's next move before he strikes again," Luna pressed.
The shadows of the room deepened as the sun vanished below the horizon. Usagi pulled her legs up to her chest and refused to move or even look at Luna. The room grew darker and the cat leapt from the bed and onto the desk to turn on a lamp. She flicked the switch with her paw but nothing happened. She tried again and glanced over at Usagi, hoping for a hand. Instead, her eyes widened in alarm as she saw a wall of blackness rising up from under the bed and hover over the depressed girl.
"Usagi!" Luna cried. "Watch out!"
The blonde girl didn't move as the shadows engulfed her. Luna jumped from the desk towards the bed, aiming at the blackness with her claws extended, but was thrown aside by an unseen force. She hit the wall like a discarded stuffed toy and lay motionless, her head spinning from the impact. The dark sphere that held Usagi lifted off the bed and flew out the window into the night. Luna roused herself with a shake of her head and moved dizzily to the windowsill. The black sphere was already out of sight.
"Usagi…" Luna said to the darkness.
Akumu and Kiki walked slowly back to their apartment, neither of them speaking. Kiki did not ask what happened to Jun or why Akumu lay crying on the street for hours, and Akumu did not ask how Kiki had found her or why she had come. Lost in her own dark thoughts, with the echo of Jun's last scream playing through her mind, Akumu wondered if she had been responsible for the deaths of the other senshi as well. She must be feeding Hodur all the power he wanted when she was transformed, but it had been her reluctance to become Sailor Nyx that had cost Jun her life. It seemed that no matter what she did, her friends would suffer.
A dark circle appeared beneath her feet, swirling around her ankles and following her movements. It slowly rose up her legs, threatening to ensnare her in blackness again. Gasping, Akumu looked down and realized what was happening. Her own morose mood was set aside as the blackness leapt upwards with renewed speed.
"Kiki!" Akumu gulped, reaching toward the other girl.
Kiki spun around and grabbed Akumu's hand just as the shadows consumed her. The two senshi were encased in a black sphere that rose into the night sky and disappeared from view.
Kiki fell to the ground with a thud, landing on her hands and knees. Cursing out of pain, she pushed herself to her feet and looked around. She was standing in a cylinder of white light, the only light in a field of darkness. Shading her eyes and looking up, she could not even see the origins of the light anymore than she could see the edge of the shadows.
"Well, well, well," a voice said. "A hitch hiker."
Kiki looked around in vain. "Where's Akumu?"
Another cylinder of light appeared, revealing a discarded blanket. Kiki recognized it immediately as the one she had brought for the distressed girl.
"Looks like she's lost," the voice continued. "Not that you would care. You're only concerned with yourself, are you not?"
The light shining on the blanket went out, as did the light around Kiki. For several seconds, she was utterly alone, unable to see even herself. She wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered, wondering if this was how Eitai felt in the Void. It was a sense of complete abandonment and fear that made Kiki feel ashamed of herself.
Before she could dwell too much longer on that thought, two lights lit up like spotlights on a stage. Still masked in shadow, Kiki could only watch as Akumu and Usagi were illuminated, standing as still as statues, their dead eyes looking straight ahead at nothing.
"Observe," the voice whispered in Kiki's ear.
Black manacles wrapped around Kiki's wrists, giving her no other option but to be the audience for this bizarre play. Kiki stood still as a face with glowing white eyes and a wide white mouth materialized between Usagi and Akumu. Neither girl seemed to notice as the face looked first to Akumu, then Usagi. Kiki opened her mouth to cry out but a smoky hand clamped itself around it, cutting off her warning.
"Ah ah," the voice chided. Kiki could now see it was coming from the strange white face. "You mustn't disturb them."
Tansei stood staring across the water of the lake. The sun was setting, its dying light spreading orange ripples across the water and deepening the shadows around the water's shore. The other patrons of the park were walking home, couples with their heads close together, whispering words that no one else could hear. Children ran along the winding paths, laughing and trying to stay out of the shadows. A dog barked somewhere close by, and another dog took up its friend's call. Still Tansei did not move, not caring about the fading sunlight. All he could do was stare at the small waves in the otherwise still lake and think about her.
He had met Kami by this very lake, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Back then, he had been nothing but a university student, studying to make his parents proud and to earn a diploma. He had no time for romance, no time for anything other than his studies, and he hadn't even realized what he had been missing until he met Kami. He had felt an instant connection, and thought she had felt it too, although he had no idea at the time all the secrets she was holding. He didn't care back then. He understood she was a senshi who protected the galaxy from evil. He had been in Tokyo long enough to have heard of Sailor Moon, and was even proud that the woman he loved was not ordinary. When she had left, he thought his heart would burst, and it took all his strength to let her go.
Then he met Jun, oddly enough at the same place he had met Kami. Jun, the strange girl who never seemed as normal as Kami, who was also a senshi although different from Kami, who had been there while his love was gone, and who had told him that his love was dead.
That final betrayal was enough for Tansei. He loved Kami with all his heart, but had no idea who she was, or who she had been. She had insisted from the beginning that their romance would never work, and he had thought it was because of her senshi powers, but now it was so much more than that. He found that he couldn't be with her like he had before, couldn't bring himself to ask the question that was most pressing on his mind. What was she?
"Hey!"
Tansei lifted his eyes from the water at the sound of a woman's voice. As he did, a floppy black hat flew past his face and out towards the water. Reaching out with one hand and leaning forward as much as he dared, he snatched the hat out of the air and brought it safely back to shore. He heard running footsteps behind him slow to a halt and he turned to return the hat to its owner.
A girl stood behind him, not much older than Jun or Kami appeared to be, with short grey hair and intense purple eyes. She had a very serious expression on her face as she stood before Tansei, waiting for him to return her hat. Tansei found himself staring at her before suddenly remembering himself. He smile sheepishly and held out the hat.
"Yours, I assume?" Tansei asked.
The girl took the hat back. She was wearing a flowing black sundress that made her skin seem much paler than it was, and only served to heighten her stern demeanor. She didn't return the smile, but bowed politely to him.
"Thank you," she said. "You saved me a swim."
Tansei's smile broadened. "So you do have a sense of humour."
The girl looked hurt as she straightened. Tansei immediately felt bad for the comment and held up his hands in supplication.
"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to tease you before I even know your name," he said.
A very tiny smile flickered in the corner of the girl's mouth. "Shikyono Yume."
Tansei bowed to the girl. "Sukaino Tansei. Nice to meet you."
Yume placed her hat on her head. It seemed ridiculously large for a small girl, and the blackness of the hat emphasized the colour of her dress and made her more somber than before. She bowed to him again and turned to leave.
Tansei watched her go, wondering why he always met strange people while standing at the shores of this lake. A breeze picked up and he shivered, deciding it was time for him to return home as well.
Usagi found herself standing in a field of grass, which was strange since she didn't remember leaving her bedroom. She turned around full circle, feeling the warm sunlight on her face and laughing as the grass tickled her bare legs and feet. She had no idea where she was, and found that she didn't care. Here, she could be happy without the worries of the world on her shoulders.
"Usako," a voice as familiar to her as her own said.
Her eyes widened in surprise and she spun to see Mamoru standing behind her, holding out his arms to her. Tears filled her eyes and she ran towards him, calling his name and crying. The distance between them seemed impossibly long and no matter how long Usagi ran, she could never quite reach her beloved. Mamoru stared at her encouragingly, occasionally calling out her name to entice her to run faster, but she was unable to throw herself into his arms and breath in his scent.
"Usako," Mamoru called to her.
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi gasped. "I can't reach you!"
Mamoru's face softened and Usagi found that she was making progress towards him. Smiling brightly at the knowledge that she would soon be in his arms, she sped up and reached out with her arms to grab his hand. She wanted to be pulled into his embrace, to have his strong arms encircle her and hold her forever. Their fingers were just about to touch when Mamoru dropped his arms to his side, an expression of pain on his face. Usagi slid to a halt and stared in shock as Mamoru fell to his knees and then face first on the grass. His golden Star Seed spun above his chest, and a figure stood behind him holding a sword that dripped with blood.
Usagi ran to Mamoru's side, noticing the bloodstain on the back of his shirt, and the deep tear through which his Seed had escaped. He was unmoving, his eyes staring unseeing at the grass . Usagi looked up at the man who had murdered her true love, tears pouring down her face.
The man had a very small build and white pupil-less eyes. His skin was a golden colour and his long straight black hair flowed down his back. His features were very angular, with a pointy jaw and nose, and long thin fingers that were wrapped around the hilt of the sword. He held out his other hand and the Golden Star Seed obediently flew to him, spinning over his open palm.
"Why? Why did you kill him?" Usagi cried.
The man smiled. "You killed him. You couldn't save him in time."
Usagi's eyes widened. The man crouched next to her, keeping the sword between her and the Star Seed.
"If you had not disappeared, Sailor Moon," the man whispered, "you would have been here to protect the man you love. He would have been saved."
He leaned closer until his lips were nearly brushing Usagi's ear. "You failed in your duty, and he died because of it."
Usagi stared straight ahead, her hand shaking but the rest of her body numb with shock. She couldn't bring herself to look at Mamoru, or at the man who had risen to his feet to stand over her. Tears spilled unnoticed down Usagi's face and she looked down at her own hands. They were red with Mamoru's blood.
"I .. killed him?" she repeated softly.
The man snapped his fingers and a dagger appeared floating in front of Usagi. The sword he had been holding disappeared in an instant, and he wrapped his long fingers around Usagi's shoulders and lifted her gently to her feet. The dagger followed her, and she did not take her eyes off of it.
"You can be with him again," the man promised. "You can bring him to life with one swift act. Exchange the Seed in your heart for the one of your beloved, and both of you will be together forever."
"Forever?" Usagi repeated, reaching for the dagger.
Kiki struggled against her bonds as two black daggers materialized in front of Usagi and Akumu. The face that floated between the two of them smiled as each girl reached out mechanically to grasp the floating dagger before her. Kiki pulled at the shadows the held her, yelling against the gag in her mouth, trying desperately to warn them.
Akumu stared at Sailorelysion, who held a dagger for her to take. Something was wrong, but the smiling face of Jun was too difficult to ignore. She hesitated a moment, and Sailorelysion frowned prettily.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to be together always?" the dead senshi asked.
"I do," Akumu replied vehemently.
"Then take the dagger and join your Star Seed with mine," Jun said cheerfully. "We'll never be separated and I'll tell you everything you want to know about your past."
Akumu blinked. "My past?"
The shadow Sailorelysion nodded pleasantly. "We'll have an eternity to talk about it, just me and you."
"Eternity," Akumu repeated. "Aion…"
Aion!
Finding she could do nothing to stop herself, Akumu reached for the dagger.
Sailor Aion, Sailor NeoSun, and Sailor Uranus ran through the streets of Tokyo. The sun had long since set and the people were at home in their beds. When neither Akumu nor Jun had returned home, Kiki had gone to look for them. Hours later, Kami sensed a growing darkness in the city, spread so widely and so thickly that she couldn't figure out its source. Eitai began to worry that Akumu, Jun, and Kiki had somehow become lost in the dark presence, and her fears were confirmed when Haruka burst uninvited into their apartment to tell them that Usagi had vanished.
"This way," Sailor NeoSun said, turning down an alley.
"How do you know?" Uranus snapped, not happy to be chasing shadows.
"I can feel the darkness growing stronger," NeoSun replied.
Suddenly Aion stopped and gasped. She pressed a gloved hand to her head and gripped Pluto's staff tighter. Uranus and NeoSun turned, the same question on both their lips. Aion blinked and raised her head.
"It's Akumu," she said. "It's faint, but it's coming from above."
"Where?" Uranus demanded.
NeoSun spread her wings and launched herself into the sky. Fighting the blackness that instantly surrounded her, she scoured the rooftops of the city for signs of a fight. She saw nothing except a pulsating black dome on one of the nearby towers.
"There!" she pointed. "Two blocks over, on the roof!"
Uranus grunted and began to run, swiftly leaping up fire escapes until she was on the roof. NeoSun swooped down and picked up Aion, depositing her on the roofs as well. The trio ran as fast as they could through the growing darkness, illuminated by the light that NeoSun cast.
Kiki could bear it no more. She pulled the dark chains that held her with all her strength, her sheer determination lending power to her muscles, but she could not break her bonds. Her eyes never left Akumu and Usagi, the two who looked so much like Idun and Odin, her friends from what felt like another lifetime. She opened her mouth to try calling to them, but choked on the smoke that filled her lungs and sent her coughing. The white face watched her with interest, its power over the other two girls momentarily frozen as they stood with their hands outstretched. The face zoomed closer to Kiki and smiled coldly.
"Two more will slip through your fingers," the face told her. "Powerless to help them, their deaths will be added to the other senshi you've killed."
Sailor Odin's laughing face flashed before Kiki's eyes. She stopped fighting for a moment, her eyes wide in shock as she recalled her dearest friend. Odin, the only one who had trusted her when she had been nothing more than the fool of Parallel Earth. Living only for games and entertainment, seeing nothing beyond her own selfish world, Odin had cared about her and endured the petty amusements Loki had based her world upon. Odin had always been the strong one, full of duty and honour. That is how she had won the heart of Baldur, the light who sustained them all.
"Yes," the face hissed, so close to Kiki's face it made her skin prickle. "He was the other one, the one you murdered with your own hands. The only one would could have stopped us. You extinguished the light and brought about the dark."
"Baldur, Odin," Kiki whispered.
"You failed him twice, murdered him twice, dooming both worlds with one selfish action."
She remembered the giddiness she had felt when she had held Baldur's powers as her own, how they had nearly overcome her, and how the whole time she had been delighted at the game. Stealing trinkets and objects had been one of her favourite pass times in her old life, making the other senshi storm around Asgard in frustration as they searched for their missing items. She would laugh in the dark corners until Odin found her and made her return the trinkets. It had been nothing for her to take Baldur's powers and condemn him to death. It had been nothing for her to injure herself and allow Hodur to also have this planet's Baldur as well.
Kiki fell to her knees, a cylinder of light appearing around her to match the ones around Usagi and Akumu. Tears fell to the ground as the weight of what she had done crushed her soul. The face laughed and a black dagger materialized before Kiki. She raised her head, her eyes dead to the world, and reached out with one hand to grasp the glittering handle.
Sailor NeoSun hovered in the air before the giant black sphere, Aion and Uranus standing below her. The sphere seemed impregnable, giant clouds of swirling shadows playing over its surface as if it were a small planet, while bolts of black lightning erupted from the darkness around it to strike the dome. The air was murky and oppressive as the blackness spread across the city, but nowhere was it more harsh than directly in front of the sphere. If it had not been for the radiant light that shone from Sailor NeoSun, the three senshi would have been encased in darkness.
"I can sense her in there," Aion called up to NeoSun.
The other girl nodded. "I can as well, and I don't think she's alone."
Uranus looked up sharply. "Usagi?"
The impulsive senshi looked as if she was going to charge the dome herself, but Aion calmly blocked her path with Pluto's staff. Uranus clenched her fists at her side and took a deep breath, coughing on the thick air.
"Lucis, can you do it?" Aion asked simply.
NeoSun regarded the sphere with a professional air. She looked down at the two senshi who were waiting for her answer and winked at them.
"It's thick, but I can make an opening. You two hurry through, and I'll follow if I can," she replied.
She spread her wings out full and closed her eyes, gathering her power. It was difficult for her to summon energy when she was surrounded by darkness, but she managed to focus enough force on the sphere for a small opening to crack through the surface. Almost immediately, Sailor Aion and Sailor Uranus squeezed through, and NeoSun folded her wings to sail after them as the tiny fissure sealed itself behind her. The lightning crackled along the surface, indifferent to the three souls it had just captured.
Inside the sphere was total darkness, except for the glow of NeoSun. Aion and Uranus found NeoSun quickly, and Aion was immediately aware at how dim her light had suddenly become, as if being in the sphere was slowly suffocating her. She knew her friend's presence here would be a great help to them, especially if Hodur was nearby, but she worried for Lucis' health so soon after she had recovered from the poisoned dart.
"I'm fine," NeoSun told Aion, reading the worry on her face. "But we better hurry. Hodur certainly knows we're here now."
Uranus lead the way, with NeoSun in the middle to provide light, and Aion trailing behind. The inside of the sphere was as featureless as the outside, and none of them knew where they were heading. There were no walls to guide them, and it even appeared as if there was no ground, yet they did not fall as they walked. Aion gripped Pluto's staff tighter and tried not to think of the Void. At least there she was comforted by the memories of the senshi, and not surrounded in utter silence as she was in this strange place.
"There," NeoSun said, pointing to her right.
Three pillars of white light were visible in the distance. It appeared as if they had a long way to travel to reach the faint light, but as they walked, the light began to expand and grow. Aion noticed NeoSun glowing brighter in response, finally able to renew her strength in this dismal dome. As they drew closer, they saw three figures standing in the beams of light, each reaching out with a hand to something that floated in front of them.
"Akumu!" NeoSun gasped.
"Kiki," Aion added.
"Usagi!" Uranus cried, rushing forward.
She slid to a stop as a white face materialized in front of her, nearly falling over in her attempt to avoid crashing into it. The white eyes regarded each of them in turn, lingering on NeoSun slightly longer than the other two, before its mouth curled into a cruel smile.
"Excellent," the face hissed. "An audience to witness the deaths of their beloved ones. How delightfully cruel. Three Seeds will be mine, but six lives will be destroyed."
"Show yourself," Uranus snarled, moving forward.
A black wall appeared, separating the senshi from their friends. Uranus pounded on the wall and it suddenly became transparent, yet the could still do nothing to reach the others. The face frowned, as if repentant for what it had done.
"Perhaps three Seeds is not enough, when I have six for the taking," it mused.
It vanished and reappeared in the centre of the strange trinity of girls, each holding a dagger firmly in her hand, her eyes blank and face expressionless. As the face smiled on encouragingly, the girls raised the daggers in unison and prepared to plunge them into their own chests.
"Enough!" Sailor NeoSun's voice rang through the darkness.
She pushed Aion and Uranus behind her and spread her wings out to shield them. Her face was full of determination, and the white eyes regarded her curiously. The three girls continued their mechanical motions, but the light that surrounded them lessened as NeoSun gathered strength. The white mouth broke into a broad grin.
"Light Recharge Radiation!" Sailor NeoSun called, holding her hands above her head.
A small yellow globe emerged from the darkness, hovering between her cupped hands. Gently it flowed from her hands, through the wall that separated them, and fell like a soft rain on the three ensnared girls. The hands that held the vicious daggers hesitated before the fateful plunge and the girls blinked in confusion. The delusions that had plagued them faded with the warmth of the light and the daggers fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Kiki, Usagi, and Akumu fell to their knees and Aion and Uranus ran to them. The white face let them pass as it stared at NeoSun.
"Impressive," the face conceded, "but even light can be extinguished by darkness."
NeoSun folded her wings and hurried to her sister's side. Aion and Uranus looked up from where they held Kiki and Usagi, and both noticed the paleness of NeoSun's skin and that the aura of light that always surrounded her was nearly gone.
"Haruka-san?" Usagi asked weakly, her blue eyes half open and full of tears.
"Hush," Sailor Uranus said gently. "Save your strength."
"I killed him," Usagi said, heedless of Uranus' advice. "I killed Mamo-chan."
Uranus blinked in surprise. "Suisei killed him, not you."
Usagi didn't hear, she had already fallen asleep in Uranus' arms. Her face was creased with sorrow and tears ran in rivers down her cheeks. The white face appeared in front of Uranus and grinned.
"Lost in the dark?" it asked almost conversationally.
"Show yourself, coward," Uranus snapped. She lay Usagi gently on the ground and rose to her feet. "Fight like a man."
The area around them grew lighter and the face began to take the form of a human. He was short, only slightly taller than Usagi if she had been standing, and had long black hair that hung in a ponytail almost to his knees. His skin was tanned and his body lithe. He had very angular features, his nose, chin, and ears ending in sharp points that gave him a sinister appearance. His eyes were completely white, and did not leave Uranus' face.
"I am not a man," he hissed. "I am a god! Vali, the Avenger!"
Uranus laughed. "Well, Vali, maybe you would like a real battle instead of picking on the fears of children."
At that comment, Kiki raised her head from where it had been resting on Aion's shoulder. She felt the familiar sensation of anger stirring in the pit of her stomach. Children? She was no child. She struggled against Aion's embrace, but the other senshi held her tightly.
"Not now," Aion whispered to her. "You can't fight now. Please."
The anger settled like a rock and she relaxed again, feeling tired by that simple exertion of energy. Turning her eyes again, she saw Akumu being held by NeoSun in the same way Aion held her, and she hoped the girl who had suffered so much already was all right.
Uranus lunged at Vali, her anger driving her forward. The demigod easily sidestepped the attack and fired a ball of dark energy at her. Twisting in mid-air as she spun around for another assault, Uranus barely avoided it and slide to a halt a few pace away. Vali stood calmly waiting for her to make the next move. Uranus drew out her talisman and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Space Sword Blaster!" she called, swinging her sword at him.
He deflected the attack by raising his hand and summoning a shield. It seemed as if this was costing him no energy at all. He even yawned as he waited for the next round to begin. Sailor Uranus was bristling with anger and charged him again. As she advanced, a black sword materialized in Vali's hand and he swung it at her. It struck her across the chest and threw her backwards. She hit the ground with a sickening thud and was motionless for a moment. Struggling, she raised herself to her feet and faced him once more. He raised an eyebrow at her, impressed by her determination.
"Akumu," Sailor NeoSun whispered to her sister.
The blue haired girl stirred in her arms, as if reluctant to wake from whatever dream held her. Her brown eyes looked up at NeoSun and she began to cry, burrowing her face into NeoSun's dress.
"I killed her," Akumu sobbed. "Jun is dead and it's my fault."
The news hit NeoSun like a truck. Sailorelysion was taken, which meant Elysium was undefended. The portal between the worlds was unguarded, and who knows what Hodur would do if he discovered this. She shoved the thought aside, knowing this was not the time or place to worry about it.
"Akumu," NeoSun said with a gentle smile, "I need you to be strong. You need to take the darkness from Vali, make him weaker so Sailor Uranus can defeat him."
Akumu
frowned in confusion. "Take the darkness?"
"Like I take the light. Use it
to give you strength."
The girl nodded and sat up. She looked over to where Vali and Uranus were facing off and closed her eyes. The shadows around her deepened, but not with the frightening blackness that Vali used, but a comforting dark that soothed the soul. Once she found she could absorb it, Akumu found herself growing stronger and could sense the weakness growing in her enemy.
"Careful," NeoSun cautioned. "Not too much. Not in this form."
Akumu wondered how she could possibly take too much when the power was so delicious, but she listened to her sister and stopped the flow. When she opened her eyes, she felt strong again, and could notice the paleness that crept onto Vali's skin. Ignorant of what Akumu had just done, Uranus prepared another attack on her adversary.
She stood with her arms hanging loosely at her sides and her head downcast. A gong seemed to sound as Uranus raised her head and 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 Vali. He smiled easily as if intending to dodge the attack, but it quickly caught him in its swift winds and he was tossed around like a toy. He cried out once as he scrambled to be free of the twister, randomly firing dark blasts at the ground. Finally, he summoned a portal and escaped the black sphere of his own creation.
With Vali gone, the blackness that was absorbing the city disappeared, leaving no trace but the occasionally dark lightning bolt in the sky. The stars returned and the people slept on, none of them even aware their lives had been in jeopardy.
Akumu rose to her feet, supporting NeoSun on her shoulder. Slowly, they walked over to where Aion supported the weakened Kiki, and Uranus picked up the sleeping Usagi and carried her over to join them. Aion smiled warmly at Uranus, but Kiki kept her gaze firmly elsewhere.
"I'll take her home," Uranus said, looking at the sleeping girl in her arms. "Luna's worried sick, and I promised to watch out for her."
"Thank you for your help," Akumu said. "Without you, we'd all be lost."
Uranus grinned and readjusted Usagi's weight in her arms. Without another word, she disappeared across the rooftops. NeoSun's eyes swept over each of her companions. Aion looked worried, Kiki angry, Akumu sad. She sighed to herself, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
"Shall we go home?" NeoSun said as pleasantly as she could manage. "I'm exhausted."
The next morning, Kami found Akumu kneeling on the couch, her arms resting on the back of the couch, staring absently out the window. She had barely spoken since they returned, and had not smiled once. Remembering how cheerful her sister once was, Kami was very worried. She and Eitai had spoken about that, and the death of Jun, once they had put Akumu and Kiki to bed the night before. They had reached a decision that they hoped would help Akumu and Elios deal with the loss of Jun.
"Good morning," Kami said as she entered the room.
Akumu made no sound to acknowledge her sister. Kami moved to sit on the couch next to her and looked down at her lap.
"Eitai-san and I are going to Elysium to inform Elios of Jun's death," Kami told her. Akumu said nothing. "We would like you to come with us, and maybe stay with Elios for a while."
"You're getting rid of me?" Akumu asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kami shook her head. "You don't understand. There is much about your past that you don't know, that you must know to survive this."
Akumu turned to look at Kami, resting her head on her hands. "I know enough to know that I'm a danger to you. That's why you want me to leave, isn't it?"
"No! Not at all!" Kami said with a little laugh. Akumu frowned, wondering what she had said that was so amusing. "Please come. Elios will want to see you again, and the rest will do you good. A lot has happened to you, sister. You need a break, time for your heart to heal."
Akumu looked back out the window. Already Jun was fading from her memory. She couldn't remember how she sounded in as much detail as she used to, except for her last horrified scream that was forever etched into her mind. She had been through so much since leaving Crystal Tokyo and coming to the past. Maybe Kami was right. Maybe she did need a break, so no one else would die because of her hesitation.
"I'll come," Akumu replied.
"Great!" Kami exclaimed, rising to her feet. "We'll go after breakfast. I'll make pancakes, since I know how much you like them. Do you want some?"
Akumu said nothing, returning to her empty gaze out the window. Kami sighed and headed to the kitchen, hoping that the serenity of Elysium would snap her sister out of her depression.
The land of Elysium was sweet and fragrant, the plants in full bloom, and the air warm and inviting in spite of the loss of its guardian. Sailor Aion and Akumu followed Lucis down the gravel path, neither of them noticing the beauty of the perpetual spring around them. Their hearts were heavy with the weight of the news they carried, and Lucis more than the others was worried about the consequences it would have on the world. Still, she found it difficult not to be peaceful in the gardens of Elysium. Multi-coloured birds sang in the trees and shrubs around her, and the warm sunlight refreshed her after the long journey. She could hear the gentle babble of a nearby spring and wondered what forest creatures would be there, bending their heads for a cool drink.
As they rounded the final corner, Lucis heard Akumu gasp in amazement, and a smile played across Lucis' lips. They were in a small courtyard standing before a magnificent temple. Tall marble columns wound with ivy supported the pediment of a broad porch and revealed a white wall behind them with two large wooden doors. All around the temple were flowers and plant life, giving it the appearance of a recently discovered, and perfectly preserved, ruin. The trio waited patiently as the double-doors were opened and a figure came out. He hesitated only a moment before descending the stairs to greet his unexpected guests.
"Lucis," Elios said warmly. "I hadn't thought to see you so soon."
Elios turned to the other two. "Sailor Aion, a pleasure as always."
"It's been too long, Elios," Aion replied with a bow.
"This is Akumu," Lucis said by way of introduction, "my sister."
Elios' eyes widened in surprise and he moved to enfold the bewildered Akumu in a hug. Akumu's eyes darted from Aion to Lucis, who said nothing but smiled warmly. Elios released the girl but kept his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"You've grown," he murmured. "Become a senshi and a lady all at once."
Akumu bowed her head, but Elios cupped her chin in his hand and raised it to face him. There was concern on his face as he looked more closely into her eyes.
"Don't be sad," he whispered, "it doesn't suit you. It would have worried her to see you depressed."
Akumu blinked as Elios released his hold on her and smiled. She found herself wanting desperately to return the cheerful look, but the memory of Jun was still too fresh in her mind. Elios sighed a bit and turned back to Lucis. For the first time, Lucis lost her confident expression and seemed at a loss for words. The pleasant expression melted from her face as the moment came for her to deliver her unforgivable news.
"Elios, Sailorelysion was taken by Hodur," Lucis said as gently as she could.
Behind Elios, Akumu tightened her hands into fists and stared at the ground. She could feel the tears coming again, even though she had thought them all dried up. The sadness and the shame burned raw within her. She looked up to see Elios nodding his head at Lucis sadly.
"I felt her passing," he told them softly. "She will be missed among the golden fields of Elysium, where her soul ought to remain."
He glanced at each of the girls around him, his youthful face seeming to match his true age. They were all silent for an uncomfortable moment before Elios turned on his heels and began to walk away.
"Please follow me," he invited. "I shouldn't leave my guests standing in the courtyard. We'll have some tea and discuss the future."
The trio followed and found they were being lead down a winding path towards a tall marble palace that seemed as natural to this place as the sky. It was decorated in plant life as the temple had been, and the structure was designed with atriums and colonnades, giving the visitors the impression of being outside when they had passed through the tall doors. Elios led them to a courtyard garden where a table had already been set up with four chairs. A pot of tea rested among plates of cookies and cakes, and Elios gestured for his guests to be seated and help themselves. As Akumu was handed a cup of warm tea, the scent reminded her immediately of Jun.
"Jasmine tea," Elios said, noticing her reaction. "It was her favourite, and also sustained her while she was away from Elysium."
Akumu said nothing, drinking the liquid that had once belonged to Jun and remembering the evenings spent in the kitchen at home.
"Elysium suddenly finds itself without protection," Elios continued, moving his gaze to Lucis and Sailor Aion. "Both guardians taken, my sister and the prince."
"If Hodur should come here," Lucis began.
Elios raised a hand. "He cannot come here. Only those of pure heart can enter Elysium." He said the last part with a sideways glance at Akumu.
"If not Elysium, then Erebus?" Lucis asked.
The priest of Elysium nodded. "Hodur would find many allies in Erebus, dark and twisted souls he could use to his advantage. It would be devastating."
"But the guardians," Sailor Aion said.
"The guardians would not be able to hold Hodur where my sister and the Upper World senshi have failed," Elios interrupted. "Erebus will fall, and Elysium will disappear."
The cookie Akumu was chewing suddenly tasted like sand in her mouth. Elysium, this beautiful place, the home of Jun and the kind hearted Elios, would vanish? She swallowed hard and drank more tea to settle her stomach, all the while wondering what Erebus was and who the mysterious guardians were.
Lucis sighed and shook her head. "I have no power in Erebus. There is little I could do to stop its fall."
Aion looked thoughtfully at her tea. "We can't take the senshi from the Upper World to fight in Erebus. Hodur would simply seize the world while we were gone. The guardians must face him on their own."
Akumu raised her head as she felt a gaze on her. Elios was watching her carefully, his blue eyes searching her as if she held the solution to their crisis. Akumu said nothing, not knowing what she could possibly to do help this world called Erebus. After a few minutes, Elios turned away from her, but she noticed the hurt in his eyes as if she had disappointed him somehow.
"Perhaps Hodur will leave Erebus alone," Elios mused. "Perhaps he is so consumed in his quest to destroy the senshi he will forget about us."
"I don't think that's likely," Aion replied, "but we may have some time before he's strong enough to face the Gates."
"You should warn the guardians, though," Lucis added.
Elios nodded, absorbed in his own thoughts of how to protect his world. Still taken aback by the familiar way in which he had greeted her, Akumu nevertheless found herself wanting to comfort the distressed man, like Jun had so often comforted her.
The spoke for a while longer about trivial things as they drank their tea and enjoyed the atmosphere of the garden. Elios was polite and answered all of Lucis and Aion's questions, even asking a few himself about their lives in the Upper World. Finally Lucis rose to her feet and bowed to her host.
"Thank you for everything, Elios," she said with a smile. "I'm afraid we must be going. We've lingered too long and I fear for the safety of the others."
Elios returned the smile and also rose, Aion and Akumu following him. "It was nice to see you all, even if the reason for your visit was to bring unpleasant news."
He turned to Akumu. "I hope you'll return again soon, Akumu-san. There is much I would like to tell you."
Akumu bowed politely. "I will return as soon as I can, Elios-san. My sister has already told me that I should take a break. If you'll have me, perhaps I'll come here."
The priest's face broke into a wide grin and he embraced Akumu warmly. "I would love to have your company for as long as you can be spared."
Startled, Akumu returned to embrace a little awkwardly, but she still did not smile. If Elios noticed, he said nothing as he wished his guests a safe journey and waved as they left his home.
Not far from the apartment that Kami, Eitai, Akumu, and Kiki shared, a girl was seated at her kitchen table. She had short silver hair and large purple eyes, which were staring intently at a small screen she held in the palm of her hand. The screen was flickering static, no image visible at all, but a single voice could be heard as clearly as if it were in the room with her.
"Well?" the voice asked impatiently.
The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "Patience. You need to think things through."
"That's what you're for," the voice told her.
"I met a man today by the lake. He had a peculiar aura about him as if he had been in direct contact with one."
There was a pause. "Find it, then. We've got our own problems here."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Elysium is weakened. You may need to return here. I'll keep in touch."
The static screen went black and the girl dropped it on the table. Stretching luxuriously, Shikyono Yume rose from her seat and headed to the bedroom, wondering how she was going to find Sukaino Tansei again.