Crystal Senshi: The Legend Continues
Savagekitty
Chapter Five
The city had been put on alert, but because everything had been so peaceful in the last decade, people didn't believe it. Until of course, the attacks were broadcast of worldwide television when a reporter and her camera man were attack on air. The Palace was then flooded of demands of extra security. Leanne sat behind her mothers desk, reading faxes that were passed down to her from other countries about the attacks. She had her girls out all over the world investigating and trying to heed people to stay away from the circus, any circus, and stay indoors, stay in groups, and any other precautions that could be taken for protection against the Dream King and his henchmen.
Leanne stayed in Japan with Jo, who volunteered to stay behind,. She was weary of him, because he seemed to be there all the time. She grew tired of being watched all the time and last she saw of him was at the hospital.
She had just come out from visiting her mother and was walking through the parking lot to her motorcycle. For being a senshi for so long, he seemed to like taking her by surprise and he got thrown into a concrete pillar for his troubles. Leanne cussed him out as she helped him up. He only smiled, putting a handkerchief over his bleeding nose, "Can you believe I forgot about your mental strength?" Was all he said.
That had been three days ago, but right now, she didn't want to worry about him, he was senshi, he knew what had to be done. She piled the faxes into a folder and set them aside, standing behind the desk and stretching, working the kinks out of her back from sitting for so long when she noticed Small Lady standing in the doorway. Leanne blinked and tried to smile, "Smally?
Small Lady walked into the light, where Leanne could see her. She was crying, or at least, trying not to. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she held the bell out to Leanne, "Peggy is gone, Anniee. He said he would come today and take me to our special hiding place and he never came." She sniffed hard and finally gave in to her tears, falling to the ground and sobbing hard. Leanne kneeled by her, Small Lady throwing herself into her arms and crying against her in racking sobs. Leanne was astonished but knew why she was crying so hard. Small Lady used this horse as a confidence and one of the hostlers must have sent it to another stable.
"Shhhh, Smally, it will be ok. Do you want me to ask the hostlers where they sent Peggy? I'm sure they can get him back?"
"No!" Small lady sobbed, "He isn't a horse! Not just a horse! He can fly and he takes me places! He's gone! He isn't coming back! The bad man must have got him!" She looked up at Leanne, "You have to save him from the bad man, Anniee! Please!"
Leanne was confused. Bad man? Flying horse? "Smally? What kind of horse was Peggy?"
"A pegasus…" Artemis stood in the door, white as a sheet. Leanne looked up at him, her brows knitting together, "Artemis?"
He stumbled blindly into the room, as if drunk. He was drunk, Leanne could smell it. Jo came in a second behind Artemis, "Luna's been hit. She's in the hospital now."
Leanne's eye widened in shock. "No… Luna… OH MY GODDESS…" The shock of realization came to Leanne. Luna was the Guardian of the Dream Door. The Dream King was after dreams and with Luna out of commission…
"Artemis?" Leanne stood, going to him. He stood by the desk, looking lost. She had never seen him like this before. He scratched at his cheek, scratched hard, drawing blood. Leanne took his hand and pulled it away from his face gently, "Artemis, who is the new Guardian of the Dream Door?"
Artemis looked at her, "What? Oh… Dream Door… I… don't know. I don't think there is one…"
Leanne looked at Jo, "Goddess, we're in trouble, Jo."
Jo looked confused, "I don't understand, Dream Door?" Small Lady had stood, wiping her tears away, looking up at Jo, like he was her boyfriend, "The Dream Door is very pretty! I've seen it!"
Leanne looked down at Small lady and kneeled by her, "What do you mean?"
"Peggy lives in the Dream Garden and the only way to get there is through the Dream Door!" She grinned and took Jo's hand, "Come play with me?"
Leanne paced back and forth, "Goddess, this gets worse every second of every fucking day!"
"AH! Bad word!" Small Lady said. Leanne looked at her curtly, "Smally…"
Small Lady giggled, "S'ok."
Jo looked at Leanne, "I'll take her back to her nursery, I want an explanation when I get back."
Artemis slumped down behind the desk in the chair, looking lost. Leanne came around the desk, looking at Artemis with murder in her eyes, "What happened?"
He looked up at her, his own eye bloodshot, "We were coming back from dinner and… and this man stopped us, asking questions for some contest and then…. I don't know… he was normal one second and this…blue…. Guy the next and he hit her, Leanne! I didn't even see what happened. He slugged her and a mirror popped out of her back and he…oh Gods…"
Leanne started pacing, running her hands through her hair, "All this fucking secrecy. All these rules and guardians and this Goddess damned Dream King! Luna must still be guardian. I know if one of you dies, it passes to someone else. But she's just in a coma. So she can't open the doorway. That's a good thing… Wait, how did you know what that horse Small Lady's friends with is a pegasus."
Artemis fixed her with a bloodshot eye, "Because the tender of the garden is Helios. He takes the form of a pegasus when he passes into this world."
"If he's here then…why is he here? Because of the crisis? The Dream King? He should have stayed hidden…" Jo came back in, arms folded over his chest, "So?"
Leanne shot him a dirty look, "I swear to Goddess, Jo…"
"I'm an outlander, Leanne. We didn't HAVE Dream Doors and all this crap! That's why… holy… that's why they left, they're looking for something. Something important."
Artemis cackled, rolling backwards in the chair, "They're always looking for something important! They're drawn to us!" He laughed and laughed until Leanne realized he was sobbing, "They can't be allowed to find the Door, Leanne! If they find it, Earths dead!"
Leanne leaned forward on the desk, "What do you mean?"
"The Earth is held together with hope and dreams. It was created from the dream of the Goddess. The Dream Garden is where she lived. Helios protects it, until the day she is suppose to return! If that garden is invaded for darkness and shadow…we are all dead…"
Leanne turned looking at Jo and then turned back to Artemis, "WELL ISN'T THAT THE CAT'S MEOW!" She screamed. Jo grabbed her, gripping her by both arms, "Leanne, calm down!"
"CALM DOWN! Calm DOWN?! Fucking HELL, Jo! Did you hear him?! We're dead! My mother's dead, the king's dead! DEAD!"
Grimly, Jo slapped her. Hard, across the face, the sound of skin on skin made Artemis wince. Leanne, panting, looked up at Jo, "Ouch."
"This isn't a time to panic. For the love of Neptune. You saw worse in the Wars. Small Lady mentioned seeing the Door to the garden. We'll just ask where she saw it, ok? Calm down. I understand… even leaders freak out once in a while." He let go of her and she didn't step back. She looked down, her shoulder's shaking, "I'm not a leader. My mother is the leader. I'm just a pretender."
Jo shook his head, smiling. He gently put his index finger under her chin and raised her head so she would meet his eyes, "Your mother had her day in the sun. she saved the world. Now it your turn, Anniee. I have seen you in battle and you are ruthless. This is just a different kind of battle. Now, stop feeling sorry for yourself. We have work to do."
Leanne smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes, "You called me Anniee."
Jo blushed, "Uh… oh… I heard Lionna call you that…is it ok?"
"Yah," Leanne said stepping away from him, "Yah it is. Come on."
Reporting in, Sailor Topaz, standing with Sailor Huntress on the front lawn of the White House in Washington DC. They said they had found that people had indeed, as on all the other continents searched, the Dream King had struck. The president was down, as was half his staff. The Dream King was picking up speed. Faster then the senshi could work.
They all gathered back in the palace in Tokyo. Now, all in senshi garb, they had a battle on their hands. Every hour, more people were struck down, and the senshi couldn't do anything against it. Sailor Tigress and Sailor Garnet worked to pinpoint the location of the Dream King. If they couldn't stop then from attacking innocents, they would stop the source. Sailor Emerald kept the princess at her side day and night. If the Dream King found out that Small lady had something to do with Helios, who they still had no idea where he was, they would all be in deep shit. She couldn't allow another member of the royal family in the hands of the enemy.
Sailor Aquarius entered the War Room, followed my Huntress and Garnet, "Found him!" The Bloody Senshi declared as she slapped down a readout sheet on the table in front of Emerald.
"You're kidding me." Emerald said after reading it, "Why didn't this show up on radar?"
Aquarius leaned over the table by Emerald, "Here, see. We've seen this they use that circus cover to more then just camouflage for victims. Their tent is made out of some kind of…material that allows them to stay hidden from regular means of detection."
"So they stay invisible until it's too late." Emerald grinned wolfishly, the other joining in, knowing a hunt would be on. They could smell the blood. Emerald stood tall, looking at the woman that stood around the table. She looked at Opal especially, "You have avoided battles this far, Opal. Being too young to enter the Senshi Wars, you tended the wounded in protected hospitals. Girls," she looked each on in the eye, "They attacked your homes, your people and now they're after mine. I will not forgive them for this. One of my senshi is down. My mother, my king. I had my moment of doubt. If we Sailor Teleport, we can reach them and fight back."
Each woman nodded and Aquarius put a hand on Emerald's shoulder, "Lets go."
They walked through the halls, coming out into the moonlit garden. They headed to the clearing that would be large enough to safely teleport. Small lady followed, holding Emerald's hand. The women, save for Aquarius, Opal, and Huntress, entered the clearing, readying themselves. Emerald kneeled by Small Lady, "Smally. This is very important."
"I know, Anniee. You're gonna save my papa. And Peggy." She smiled and hugged Emerald, "Come back safe."
"We will, Smally. Stay with your mama at all times, ok? No wandering off to play."
"I won't! I promise!" Small Lady stepped back so the women could enter the clearing. They formed a ring, holding hands. Emerald looked back at Small Lady, who stood on a bench to better watch the show.
Emerald gripped Aquarius's and Garnet's hands. A wind blew through them, chilling Emerald, making goose bumps rise on her flesh. There was a low chuckle from somewhere and Emerald looked back at Small Lady. Something felt wrong.
He appeared behind Small Lady and wrapped an arm around her middle. She shrieked, kicking against him and then was still. She lay like a rag doll in her arms as Emerald screamed, rushing across the clearing. Two people appeared at the Dream King's side. The golden haired man in tiger stripped pants, and a taller man with magenta hair. They raised colored orbs and threw them, each orb sitting a senshi. Topaz took a step forward as her Dream Mirror shot from her body. She crumpled to the ground. Tigress fell beside her.
Huntress screeched , wings unfurling from her back as she flew at the men. Both her hands turning into great talons. She seized the magenta man's neck and he fell backwards. In the surprise and struggle, Emerald moved at the dream King as Garnet's weapons appeared her hands, two maces, and she charged them, red lightning crashing from the spiked balls and bursting forth into the golden man's chest. Emerald jumped over Topaz's body, her rapier appearing in her hand, "Let her GO!"
"Let the girl who has seen the Dream Door, go?" His voice a breathy whisper, he stepped back from her slashing movements. He held out Small Lady with one hand, Emerald's sword stopping a bare inch from Small lady's face.
"You've lost, senshi." And was gone.
Emerald panted, looking back at Garnet kneeling by Tigress and Topaz. Aquarius was looking down at the golden haired man, whispering something. Huntress held the ravaged magenta man. Blood sluggishly dribbled down his chest as he looked at the woman now crowding in. Opal looked at him with hate, "You monsters!"
Huntress looked at the other senshi, "This is my brother, Hawkeye."
Emerald's eyes widened, her mouth turned to a frown, "And him?" She pointed to the golden haired man, who Aquarius still whispered over.
"Tigereye. Tigress's brother." Huntress said as she threw Hawkeye to the ground and put a boot to his throat.
Emerald stood over him, "What will he do with her?"
Hawkeye scrabbled at the boot pressed to his throat, "I will…not…TALK! Eeeeechhhh…"
Huntress had pressed down a little harder. "You are my brother," she growled, "But you also betrayed you family and your home world. I will not forgive you for that, you piece of trash. Whatever he promised you isn't worth the price."
Hawkeye's eyes teared up, "Diana… please…"
She let up and he panted, "He promised us life… We were frightened… the war was…terrible and… we were afraid to die…"
Aquarius stood looking at Hawkeye over Tigereye's body, "Death is only a part of life." As she said these words, a light glowed around Tigereye and his body faded away, "He is at peace now. You have a choice Hawkeye. Die now, like you were suppose to so long ago, or stay, a living flesh puppet in a cage."
Emerald blinked, "Flesh puppet? You mean…"
Huntress looked at Emerald, "Yes. The Dream King had taken their dead forms and gave them life. They were dead. He desecrated their resting place."
"We were afraid!" Hawkeye cried, "Please…"
Opal stepped forward and kneeled by Hawkeye, "There…there isn't anything to be afraid of…" She put her hands on him and smiled warmly at him, tears brimming in her eyes, "Fear is normal, no one knows what to do in death. But you wont be alone, Hawkeye…"
She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He looked up at Huntress, "Diana?"
Huntress kneeled, taking his hand, "I mourned you once, my brother. I will rejoice now, knowing you are in good hands." She also kissed his forehead and he closed his eyes, "I feel so warm…"
His body disappeared, back to wherever bodies went for their people and Huntress stood. She wiped her eyes, carefully since her hands were still talon-like.
Emerald's shoulders and chest heaved in anger. Two more down. They were down to five.
"We can't teleport there now! Three guardians and two planetary senshi don't have enough…wait…" And then it struck her.
Emerald started back towards the palace in a sprint, turning her head, "Get them to the infirmary! We're going to the Dream King tonight!"
Jo called back, "What? How?! There isn't enough of us for a teleport, Emerald!"
Emerald turned her head back to watch where she was running, not answering.