Soldiers of Lore
With Clear Eyes
I had wanted to cry. To scream and deny. The things that one says when faced with something they didn't and tried hard to not understand. But eyes that looked at mine with contempt, something that drew a feeling I had never felt before.
Hate.
And I almost gave in. I was so close to the threshold when I felt my heart beat in my chest. And feeling returned. Of a sadness and a fact. I could not falter. I could not let the enemy win, no matter the cost.
I had been a kind and gentle person. I believed that good existed in all people. But these beings weren't people anymore, they had changed and lost their souls to something that must be stopped. And to do so, I had to destroy them.
Even the mother who I never knew.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonnie smiled as her younger siblings pushed and prodded to get close to the young pups. She giggled as they did, petting when they did as they offered her to exam just which one was the best.
But her mind was elsewhere. She remembered what she had said. 'It will be a splendid time. This is the summer for it all.' She usually wasn't philosophical. Not to mention that witty.
And yet, she felt a sense of kinship already with two strangers she'd likely not see. Though she lived in the same town her whole life. Maybe she just wasn't aware of them until now. It was amazing what a person could miss when they weren't looking in general.
"Bonnie?" Her father peered down. "Luv, you been starin' at the wall for the last five minutes. You all right?"
"Oh.. I'm sorry, Papa. I was just thinking. Didn't mean to be in the way," she patted an arm. "I'm going to my room for a while."
She moved clumsy at the moment, wincing as her legs butted against a table. She couldn't help it. She, to her mother and about everyone who wanted to say something, said that she was all legs. She certainly couldn't disagree, now could she?
She took to the second floor, drifting farther and farther back. The mansion was extensively done, to house the entire family. Which consisted around twenty to thirty people, from immediate to distant relations down the line. She had a rather large room. But it housed the one thing she loved more than anything in the whole, wide world.
The piano was immaculately kept. It had been made ages ago and yet, it still sung beautifully. Especially when she played her own compositions. She hadn't quite mastered her own style but she enjoyed it all immensely.
Her room was just as clean as the piano. Though it all had a fluffy, soft look, with laced curtains that fluttered in the wall-length windows that were currently open; the queen sized bed with the soft bedding that she could get lost in and had about a million pillows to keep her head on; the carpeted floor that really helped in a pinch during the winter.
Save that it was summer time and she tried really hard to stay cool despite the accommodations.
She lay down on her bed, breathing deeply. The air was muggy with heat and it was still early in the morning. Her eyes drifted shut slowly, her body relaxing with ease.
And she drifted into a dream state. Her mind clear, and her voice mute, the air turned chilly. There was something foul and frightening, creeping along her limbs agonizingly.
'Who's there?' A deep whisper, from the depths of the shadows. 'Who dares enter my realm?'
Bonnie shifted in her bed, trapped in her dream. Her body began to sweat from the heat outside her body but a cold blossomed in her breast. She felt icy pricks, akin to bony fingers, grasping her heart.
And she cried out.
'I know you..' The same whisper. A thick, low voice. A woman clouded in the darkness of shadows, lost in the deepest realm. 'Oh, I did know you...'
Bonnie felt fear lace up her veins. A terror, a sense of absolute evil.
She believed that all of man had good somewhere. That they could be saved, if you just reached out.
And slowly, fighting her own fears, the pain in her breast, and the ice sheltering her, she reached out with a trembling hand.
The ensuring scream from the shadow ricocheted around the walls. The shadows became shredded by a white mist, breaking the darkness into light, crumbling the walls surrounding her.
She floated, her mind clear as the cold was replaced by a warmth, deep within her heart. Each beat brought her closer to fire, a flame nestled gently and lovingly. The will of light and good, of faith and trust.
'It is too late..' A whisper of the winds.
'Too much has been damaged..' The wind rustled the grass petals. Flowers blossomed and the bright colored petals spiraled upward, cascading the air with a carefree energy.
'Time... all is needed is time..' The petals danced upward to the Heavens.
'Time...' The world began to brighten in blinding white.
'Time...' She began to fall backwards.
'Ti...' And she reached out to the light, fingers stretching tenderly.
"BONNIE!"
The girl nearly had a heart attack, rolling off her bed to the carpeted floor. Her brother, Henry, peered down at her with a look that told her that he was about to laugh himself silly.
"Yes?"
"Momma's making lunch. She wants you to help."
"A'right."
Bonnie stretched and for a moment, her eyes were clouded. Then came a shout from down the hall.
"Come on, Bonnie, hurry up! I'm hungry!"
It took only a short time to make lunch. With her siblings and cousins, plus an aunt or two helping out, a magnificent meal was made.
But she barely ate anything at all. She pushed the food around her plate, her mind lost in thoughts she wasn't quite aware of. It was as if she was watching something through colored glasses, too tinted to really see the picture but wanting very badly to do so.
She smiled as her mother asked her if she wasn't hungry. "I'm sorry, Momma. May I be excused?"
"Of course, shall I save this?"
Seeing her youngest cousin watching the plate with high interest, she pushed it to the small girl who ate with gusto.
"I'm going outside, Momma," She kissed her mother's cheek gently. "I'll be walking around the back roads."
"Be careful!"
And Bonnie was outside. The air was getting hotter, the day into soon-to-be late afternoon. The world was silent as she looked up at the clear blue sky.
And started when she saw a golden yellow petal dancing away from her, just out of reach. She did a flying jump to catch it but it wiggled away from her.
She chased it, the air beginning to whip around her. The air only strengthened, keeping that elusive petal just out of reach. She swore that she could feel her finger tips just barely touching it.
She came to a small lake, the water rippling gently from the slow wind. The petal landed in the water's edge. She bent down and picked it up.
"Helius!" A cat made a flying leap and landed in front of her, blue eyes looking up with something akin to human intelligence.
Which was proven by the open mouth. "My God, why does this happen so quickly?"
Bonnie gasped. "You TALKED!?"
His head fell down in defeat. "Yes."
"Oh my GOD!"
"Yes."
"What else can you do?" Bonnie asked eagerly.
Helius was utterly stunned.
"HELIUS!" Wendy did a nosedive, grasping the back haunches of the cat. "What do you thin... Oh, it's you." She stated, surprised.
Bonnie beamed.
"Running.. in this weather. It had better be worth it," Lillian stated flatly, glaring down at the cat.
Helius gave a nervous smile. "I'm sorry."
The two girls shrieked. "DON'T DO THAT!"
"But she's the final soldier," he responded weakly, feeling arms tighten around him painfully. "I have delicate bones," he panted.
"Like Hell you do," Wendy said fiercely. She squeezed harder.
"Stop it!" Bonnie hit an arm, startling Wendy to letting Helius down. "Here, let me see if you're all right."
Helius gave a grateful smile. "Thank you for your concern. Why aren't you screaming?"
"I.. don't know," Bonnie said shyly. "I was led here, by this." She offered the petal. "I dreamt of the petal."
Helius sat down, looking up at the kneeling girl. "What's your name?"
"Bonnie. Bonnie Marcail."
"Bonnie.." He took a deep breath, eyes opening slowly to peer deeply into hers. "You are a soldier, a sailor senshi of Lore, of the planet Lilith. You ARE Sailor Lilith, Bonnie!" He did a flip backwards, a lilac hued pen dropping down.
Without being told to pick it up, she reached out and let out a deep breath. She hadn't been aware that she had been holding it in.
"It's beautiful," she traced the handle carefully.
"Say this, Bonnie. Lilith Power, Make Up."
"I don't wear make up."
He let his head hang. Of course, there had to be SOME issue. It couldn't go ALL easy for once. "Just say it."
"All right.." She cleared her throat, holding the pen close to her. "Lilith.." Her shadow enlarged, encircling around her feet. "Power.." It began to sweep upward, straight for the Heavens. "Make Up!" Her voice ended in a final, lilted note as the shadow swarmed around her. Each touch changed something of her until the shadows reached her brow.
A symbol, of two sideways C's slightly overlapping the other, one facing right, the other facing left, blazed. The light erupted the shadows as the tiara formed. A golden yellow tiara with a lilac oval gem in its center covered her forehead. Her choker was lilac, matching her lilac collar, the single white stripe etched in. The lilac round brooch was nestled against the bronze bow, making the one behind her. Her gloves were white, reaching her elbows ending with three lilac rounded bands. Bracelets, a small beaded chain on each wrist, had a single four pointed star as a trinket. Her skirt was lilac and barely reached her knees. Her boots were bronzed and reached to her knees with a pointed edge. Gems of lilac was sewn in the front, going downward in a DNA spiral to end in a upside down heart. Her boots where thick heeled but not tall, keeping her relatively the same height she was.
She stood for a moment, in shining light. A warm feeling encompassing her, it whispered something she couldn't make out.
"Bonnie?" A voice drifted in from far away. "Come back, Bonnie."
She looked down at Helius. "And who are you?" She asked finally.
"I am Helius. Your guide."
"Like my conscience?"
"No, not quite," A giggle came from behind him, his eyes moving back to glare suspiciously at Wendy. "I kind of can't.. well.."
"He has amnesia," Lillian stated, matter-of-fact. "He was hit by a car."
"So why... do I look like this?"
"I don't know. We all look like that, see?" Wendy offered her pen. Lillian did the same. "We're a team, though."
Bonnie untransformed. "That's great!" She declared happily.
Lillian raised an eyebrow carefully. "You're.. happy about this?"
"I always wanted to do something different from my siblings!" She beamed.
"It's not child's play," Lillian rolled her eyes. "People get hurt!"
"Then we'll reach out and help them!"
"Are you always this optimistic?"
Bonnie grinned and turned to Wendy. "So how long did you know?"
"About a day more than Lillian and it's been about a week since then."
"Really. Just right after we all met? I knew I felt something between us."
"As long as it's friendship," Lillian patted Bonnie's hand lightly.
She looked at the other with confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ignore Lillian, she likes to be mean on principle," Wendy nodded.
"For the last time, I am NOT mean! Why does everyone say that?"
"Fine, you're prissy."
"I AM NOT!"
"PRISSY!" Wendy was grinning as Lillian made faces at her.
"If I may interject.." Helius began.
Lillian was pushing Wendy toward the water, Wendy trying to do the same to Lillian as the two giggled.
"As I was saying.." he said louder.
They didn't hear a word as both fell in.
He sat back, an eyebrow twitching.
"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked gently.
"The air.. changed again."
"Again? Changed?"
"The enemy is striking."
"Oh no! Which way?" Bonnie shot up.
"I think it's close to town.." He began and jumped. "HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!"
Bonnie held her pen up as she shouted while running, "Lilith Power, MAKE UP!"
Feet pounding the ground, she could feel the change in the air. It was slight, with a acidic taste on her tongue. The air, despite the heat, sent a cold shiver down her spine.
She heard two more sets of feet, voices raised momentarily before the two came in eye view. All were now transformed.
Helius ran doggedly behind them, vainly trying to keep up. It was hard but he managed it though when they stopped just short of town, he fell down, his legs eagle-spread.
It was a monster, another nearly clad being, this time made of rock. Each joint was a roughly rounded ball of stone, that caused constant drain of dust the fall around the thing. It was remotely female, with seemingly removable body parts that also included the breasts. The only cloth it wore was a flimsy, scrapped loincloth.
It turned at the sudden inclusion of three more victims, or so it had hoped. It had stopped a van of people, tourists who were taking a short cut through the small town to the next, bigger one. The people lay unconscious again.
The monster had its hands raised before they had arrived, and now it lowered, the strands of energy ridden threads disintegrating. It now turned, its black eyes looked out with renewed interest. It thought of these as highly energized creatures, if they could look like they did.
"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Vulcan! In the heat of battles, I will smite you in your place!"
"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Magellan! I will blind you by the rays of light and choke you with my vines!"
"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Lilith! From the shadows comes the light of the Heavens to free you!"
It smirked and flung its hands out, the threads dancing out. They jumped haphazardly. Sailor Vulcan nearly squished her nose on Helius; Lilith skinned a knee, whimpering. Magellan just fell over backwards, having just been trying to bend over just enough to miss the strands.
All rolled away from the things that began to suck the energy from the various twigs, rocks, and garbage.
"Eww.." Magellan stood up. "What do you think you're doing?"
"If you wanted something to eat.." Lilith began.
"It's not hungry, Lilith," Helius said tartly. "It's looking for energy!"
"Why? It can have some protein."
"Don't argue with me, please. I get enough from these two, please..."
"I'm going to get you for that, Helius!" Vulcan dashed around as the monster aimed for her. "Vulcan Metallic Forge!"
She aimed and leaned toward the monster as the attack barreled out. Captured, it looked like it was all over.
Then it shredded the energy around it and sneered at Vulcan.
"I think we should be weakening the enemy," Helius's voice came from the background.
"You know, from this standpoint, your only goal IS to be a conscience," Magellan said dryly. "Magellan Photosynthesis!" Sunlight fell upon the enemy, the ground below shooting out dark green, heavily leaved vines, coiling around the enemy to wrap around it completely.
"Now! A finishing attack!" Helius called out.
Vulcan looked like she was about to say something.
"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST ATTACK IT! FINISH IT!"
"Vulcan Metallic Forge!" The attack combined with Magellan's, turning the stone into dust.
"We did it!" Lilith grinned, feeling happily proud of her and the others.
"What about them?" Magellan asked, looking worriedly at the people.
"We can't do anything for them," Helius said gently.
"It's all right," Vulcan sounded relieved. "They're starting to wake up!"
"Let's go, girls!" Helius took off.
"I haven't seen him do anything BUT order us around," Lillian pointed out to Wendy who shrugged. Bonnie followed from behind, a few steps farther away.
She felt the air, rippling just for a moment. She remembered the shadows, the voice, and almost, just almost seemed to recollect something.
"You knew where to find the enemy," Wendy was stating to Bonnie. She blinked rapidly.
"Oh?"
"How?" Wendy asked curiously.
"The air.. it wasn't right. The feel of the sunlight, the wind, everything had a bad taste to me."
"Bad taste? Let's talk bad taste. Anyone noticed the fashions today?" Lillian rolled her eyes. "I'm the classy type but I wouldn't be caught dead in these outfits today."
"I bet you own them all," Wendy retorted.
"I do NOT!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Please, Bonnie. Don't be like them, arguing day in and out. I can't think straight because of them."
Bonnie knelt down, Helius nimbly jumping to her shoulder, relaxing there. "Thanks, I was getting sore feet."
"Running will heat you up pretty fast," Bonnie agreed.
"You guys didn't wait for me," he grumbled.
"Sure, let's just wait for the cat. One who DOESN'T REMEMBER a thing about us! Or even himself!"
"I remembered my name, didn't I?" He asked defensively.
The two girls snickered. Bonnie absently petted him comfortingly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No fear, no regrets. I made a promise to myself, for something yet to be learned. I was a part of something that I knew would be drastic. That would set a course in history. If I didn't fulfill this promise, of standing firm when I needed to be and doing what must be done, then that history would be shattered.
For all it was worth, time was a simple token. But the price for it was something that I hoped wouldn't be forgotten. For I would had liked to be remembered and known of, for others to understand that we were not of just lore, we were true sailor senshi.
If only for that short, hot summer.