Things I've learned during my hiatus: College is bad for writing. Knee injuries and physical therapy are bad for writing. Writer's block is bad for writing.
Well. Better late than never? Enjoy! :)
The crystal was truly awake, and she could finally feel it.
With every twitch of her muscles, every yawn, Serenity awoke more and more life from within the crystal. It lay on the stand next to her, a dull glow sparkling deep inside it. The stronger the crystal became, the more its power returned, the stronger Sailor Charon felt too.
Power, ambition, possibilities… all within an arms reach. A sudden surge of energy bubbled from within the Senshi, the same energy that before had felt like a dying light off in the distance. It tingled in her fingertips, electrified her veins. Was this what it felt like to be a full-fledged scout?
As soon as the surge came it fizzled away, receding to just beneath the surface, baring its teeth towards the enemy but waiting to strike.
Anxiety clutched Charon's heart, pounding heavily in her chest. 'This power… it's so much stronger than before, so much more pronounced.' The thought of this new strength did little to calm her nerves. 'I still have no idea know how to use it.' She prayed that, when the time came, it would respond at all.
The crystal sparked once, prompting a soft glow from the broach fastened to Sailor Charon's bow. Serenity's blue eyes rose and met crimson, sincerely seeing the scout for the first time. Recognition seemed to fill her expression for a moment before washing away to confusion.
"Princess," Charon whispered, desperate for any sort of response, any sort of hint to her mental state.
Helios stepped up. "Princess… are you alright?" He called to her, just loud enough to gain her attention.
She narrowed her eyes at him, perplexed, holding his gaze for several seconds before finally attempting an answer. "I…" Her voice cracked, and she did her best to clear her throat, but did not continue her answer.
Diamond stiffened beside her. "Do not waste your energy on these two, my lady. They are far from worth your effort."
"I'm sure she can decide for herself." Charon replied coolly. The Prince turned towards Serenity wordlessly, as though in agreement, waiting to see if she would speak.
Meanwhile the frantic scout tried desperately to focus, attempting to grasp onto the surge of energy within her. It was elusive, like a dream. The harder she tried to hold it, the smaller it became.
'What good is being a scout if I can't even use my power?' Her fists clenched in frustration.
Helios's voice distracted her. "Princess Serenity, please listen to me…" Blue eyes rose to meet his. "Please remember who you are, remember Usagi and Sailor Moon!"
'Sailor Moon?' Charon couldn't stop the surprise from flashing on her face. 'Our princess is a sailor scout?'
"Remember your friends," Helios continued. "And Chibiusa…"
"I've had quite enough of you." Diamond interrupted, narrowed his eyes at the opposition. He gestured to the guards to their left, next to Helios. "Dispose of them."
"Wait!" Charon cried out to him, a final gamble. "You wouldn't kill us in front of Serenity, subject her to that horror!"
He growled. "I'm sure she will find it in her heart to forgive me for protecting her." He nodded again to the guards, who raised their blades.
The senshi's blood ran cold in her veins, a split second of utter fear before instinct took over. Shoving Helios to the side, she thrust her palm towards the two men about to strike.
"Dark Star Illusion!" The words materialized from thin air, escaping her lips with a new ferocity. She wasn't sure what to expect, what fireballs or bolts of lightning were supposed to shoot from her hands, but for the longest moment Charon was sure that nothing even happened.
Diamond's sharp laughter pierced the senshi's thoughts. "You are a pitiful little scout. Nothing you can do will change your fate now."
But she saw it. The haze that formed in their eyes, the way they faltered with their swords.
"M…my lord…" One of the men stammered. "I… I can't see anything!"
Charon's jaw dropped, but before she could respond any further she heard a shuffle behind Helios, and instantly swiveled to the remaining two guards, thrusting the same palm towards them. Again, a haze filled their vision, and they stopped in their tracks.
"You… blinded them?" Helios asked, a strange mix of astonishment and confusion in his voice. She stared wordlessly at her hand, unable to respond.
Sailor Charon eyes lit up with the faintest of confidence and locked eyes with Diamond. They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make a move.
Impulse jolted through the senshi's body. She sharply thrust her hand in his direction, unsure if anything would happen. Diamond didn't take the chance and turned his eyes away, using his body to shield Serenity's as well.
The moment his watchful gaze left them, Charon felt a hand around her elbow suddenly jerk her away from the scene, and back out through the doors left wide open. Away from the princess.
"What are you doing?" She hissed at Helios, leading her down the corridors.
His golden eyes glanced back at her. "Did you have any better ideas?"
She stammered. "I… not yet! But we can't just leave her!"
"Diamond won't hurt her." Helios abruptly turned a corner and continued his sprint. "Where do we go to hide?" He asked, frantically scanning each door they passed.
Charon huffed behind him, struggling to keep up. "Wait, just slow down a minute!"
After a moment's hesitation, he obliged.
The scout leaned over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath while making sense of where in the castle they had ended up.
"Are you going to let me in on your plans this time?" Helios chided.
He received a sharp side-glance in return. "I don't think I ever actually have one of those."
"We need to get out of here. Those guards are sure to find us any moment."
Charon shook her head. "If we leave the castle we will never be able to get back in!"
"What other option do we have? Do you actually expect to be able to hide from Prince Diamond? He won't rest until he finds us."
"Then we don't rest until all three of us are safe." There was no room for argument.
Helios opened his mouth as though he were going to protest, but decided against it. On some level, he knew she was right. But the idea of coming back another day, when they were more prepared, held it's own appeal.
"Fine, but…" He paused a moment. "We can't be reckless. At least tell me we won't be reckless."
Sailor Charon's laugh was dry, humorless. "Since when have we done anything that wasn't reckless?"
Before either of them could say any more, the heavy echo of metal footsteps could be heard from down the hall. Without a word, they continued their sprint further into the crystalline castle, Charon in the lead.
As they ran down the corridor, Helios noticed the blues and purples within the crystal walls becoming more muted, and the structures of the crystals themselves less ornate than before. They were leaving the royal wing and heading into the workers' wing, but why?
"Where exactly are we going?" He asked.
Charon huffed, brushing her lavender bangs away from her eyes again, though within a few strides they had fallen in the way again. "I don't know yet."
"You don't… What?!" Helios sighed, obviously frustrated.
"Well what was our other option? Stay there and…" Charon stopped mid-sentence, her heels sliding to a halt on the tiled floor.
The boy behind her, not expecting the abrupt stop, ran right past before lurching to a standstill as well. Charon was staring almost absentmindedly down a hall to their left. "What is it?"
"I have an idea." She said before starting down this new hall.
"Is it a plan?"
"No, but it's an idea!" She called over her shoulder, turning enough to make sure he had followed. The hall opened up into a larger area, lined with doors on both sides. They came to a stop in the middle of this foyer.
Helios looked back down the hallway they came from, and turned to Charon. "I don't understand how or why this castle is so big."
Another chuckle, this time with a hint of humor in it. "I've lived here for years and still don't understand."
"So… What's this big idea of yours?"
"A distraction. Enough of one to draw the attention of the entire castle." Charon glanced around at the closed doors, lost in thought. The one two down on their left used to be her room.
The confused look she got in response prompted her to continue.
"Think about it, everyone has to know about us by now. If something significant were to happen now, they'll think it's us." She rested her chin on a gloved hand. "All of the soldiers will come running."
"Leaving the Prince and Princess with only a few." Helios finished. "Alright, what's the distraction then?"
"That's a good question…" Sailor Charon murmured. Sure she had a couple possibilities floating around in her head, but all were a long shot considering she had no idea what she could actually do with her powers. They could just go running through the castle blinding everyone, but that might not be the most efficient way to find Serenity.
"K… Korina?" A feminine voice from behind them ripped Sailor Charon from her musings. The scout whirled around to find three ladies; all dressed in the familiar tailored uniform that she wore everyday. Standing in the middle was the unfortunate owner of that sharp voice.
"Mani." Sailor Charon breathed, staring down her former colleague.
The nurse stood staring in a sort of spiteful shock, taking in the grays and crimsons of the unmistakable fuku that Korina now wore. Before, she understood that Korina would always be that arch rival in the quest for Prince Diamond's attention, but an ally no less. But now, the idea that she had ever helped this enemy of the state, no matter how small a favor it may have been, was enough to make Mani sick.
"You're a… you're one of them?" Mani seethed. "I always knew there was something undesirable about you."
But Sailor Charon didn't answer. As much as she would have loved going toe to toe with Mani's quips, she knew better for once. This was the perfect opportunity.
"Pseudo Melody…" Charon's voice was monotonous, directed at no one, but filled every corner of the foyer.
"What was that?" Mani asked, plainly confused.
But Charon didn't even know. The mantra had come on it's own accord; there had been no prompting. Curiosity sparked within her, and she hoped against hope that maybe this would be something destructive and consuming. Maybe she just wanted to watch the world burn.
To watch the world burn.
"Fire…?" Helios piped up suddenly, his face paling.
Mani blinked and turned to him, as if noticing him for the first time. She followed his gaze to the back of the foyer, behind her and the two other nurses. Sure enough, a small blaze had started in the corner, and was quickly growing.
"A fire!" One of the younger nurses shouted, spinning on her heel to run past Helios and Charon, down the only hallway they had came from. Mani and the third nurse, after a moment's hesitation, followed suit.
"We have to make sure no one is trapped in their rooms!" Helios started towards the door closest to the fire when Charon grabbed his arm.
"Wait…" She directed. She had been watching this fire grow along the wall, seemingly engulfing more and more in it's wake, but Charon had realized that none of the area it had touched was damaged at all. Not a single char. "It's not real!"
"Are you kidding?" The boy stared at her with wide eyes. "Can't you feel the heat?"
But she couldn't. Not at all. 'Pseudo…' Charon thought, remembering the first part of her mantra. 'It's entirely fake, unless you believe it to be real.'
Not two seconds later, a small group of soldiers stormed down the hallway. Their eyes rested on the two renegades before noticing the flames behind them. Two of them were among the guards that Sailor Charon had blinded just earlier.
'So it's a timed effect…" The scout took note, glancing at the fire again. 'We don't have all day.'
Before any of the guards could react, the imaginary fire quickly spread up the walls and around the edges of the foyer with a flick of Charon's wrist.
'Make it big. Make it urgent.' She pleaded with the powers inside her.
Amidst the guards' confusion at the growing flames, Helios again grabbed the scout's elbow and yanked her to the side, skirting around the armored group while the flames licked their ankles. Although Sailor Charon couldn't feel a thing, she could tell from her friend's yelps of pain that the story was different for him.
"The fire isn't real!" She repeated to him as soon as they rounded a corner, heading back to the Princess's quarters. "It can't hurt you!"
Though Helios seemed unconvinced, he said nothing.
And so the pattern began. The two weaved through groups of guards and palace servants alike, all thrown into a panic as the word quickly spread of not only a fire in the palace, but of two enemies running around also. With every group Charon would create more "fires", serving as not only a distraction to their enemies but also as shields for them to keep moving. The fervor they all had for dealing with or running away from the flames struck Charon as odd. The soldiers, for example, no matter what their previous orders were (say, to get rid of the two of them) would drop whatever they were doing and divert their full attention to the fire. For some reason Sailor Charon was disappointed that the fires took precedence over catching Helios and herself.
'Maybe it's a part of the illusion…?' Her thoughts mused as they found their way back through the maze of crystalline halls. 'No one even stops to wonder how a crystal palace burns in the first place.'
Finally, the walls started looking all too familiar again, and not a moment too soon. Charon felt as though her lungs were about to burst into flames. The two of them skid to a halt in front of the room Serenity had been staying in, where they were just minutes ago, but no one was to be found.
"They aren't here." Helios frowned, looking down farther into the corridor. He pointed in the direction they hadn't yet gone. "What's at the other end of this hall?"
Charon thought for a moment, mapping out the floor plan in her head. "Uhh… the ballroom." She managed between gasps of air.
"Do you think they would go that way?"
"Only one way to find out." She breathed, taking off again in that direction despite the screaming in her legs. The sprint seemed endless, though in reality it couldn't have been more than a hundred yards, maybe less.
Two large doors stood between them and the ballroom, and without hesitation the two threw their entire bodies into it full speed, bursting them open with a resounding bang.
"Dark Star Illusion!" Before any movement even registered, Sailor Charon threw both her palms to her sides, taking the sight away from the few soldiers that were near the door. The clang of swords could be heard as they hit the ground, forgotten by the startled men.
Prince Diamond, half-holding Serenity on her feet, turned to them with a look of utter disgust. Charon could see Diamond's mouth moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying. She was too busy focusing on the hum of power still connected to her fiery illusion, drawing it to her before unleashing it on the ballroom. They had a momentum going, she reasoned, and it was better to roll with it while they had the chance. Helios seemed to read her mind and rushed towards the two royals, Charon two steps behind, fire at their heels.
In a matter of seconds Helios had his arms around Serenity, lifting her out of and turning her away from Diamond's grasp, while Sailor Charon stepped between them, facing the Prince. Fire surrounded them.
"You expect to fool me, girl?" Prince Diamond spat. "These flames are nothing but a nuisance."
Whether it was her own power or something of Diamond's, Charon wasn't too sure. But as soon as he said that, the fires slowly receded into nothingness.
He didn't mince words. A long, silver sword materialized in his hands and swung down at the scout, who jumped away at the last second. Diamond reset and attacked her again, too quickly for her to react.
Sailor Charon held her arm above her head, expecting nothing short of death, when a sharp light and following clash of metal on metal vibrated through the large room. A long staff, a pale purple in color, with a red orb on the end surrounded by an intricate metal design appeared in the scout's hand, defending her from the Prince's blow.
Neither one moved. Diamond stared at the staff with a sort of resigned recognition, while Charon stared in a dumbstruck awe.
"Diamond!" Helios's voice broke the silence. He stood a few yards away, haphazardly holding one of the guard's swords in both hands. "Leave her alone!"
The Prince set his jaw, studying the boy's stance and turned to him without a word, leaving Charon to scramble to her Princess, now sitting off to the side, and help her up again.
Diamond raised the sword slightly enough, prepared to swing. A dark shadow fell over his face, giving his eyes a faraway, detached look. The fiery rage and determination were replaced with an icy cold loathing for everything and everyone.
Sailor Charon, could do nothing but watch in horror as the sword sliced through the air towards Helios. Fear gripped her throat so hard she couldn't breathe, and though she begged her body to move, to do anything it could to stop the scene in front of her, she was frozen in place.
Helios lifted his own sword to block Diamond's blow, sending the young boy staggering back several feet. The ruthless prince didn't miss a beat, again ready to deal a fatal strike. Again, Helios is pushed back when metal meets metal.
The weight of the sword had already taken a toll on the boy, who struggled to lift it to block a third swing. This time, however, Diamond was quick to take advantage of Helios's moment of recoil, sending his weapon back towards him. The end of the sword tore through his shirt and skin, slicing across his side and stomach before making a bright crimson arc in the air.
The scream of pain made Sailor Charon's blood run cold.
As Helios fell to the ground, hands clutching his wound, Serenity began to struggle in her scout's grasp. She pulled free, her own weakness forgotten, and rushed towards the fallen boy with the most energy she had since awakening.
"Helios!" She yelled, throwing her body between him and Diamond. Serenity kneeled next to him, gingerly placing a pale hand over his, and looked to the Prince with tears spilling down her cheeks. "No, please don't hurt him!"
There was a moment of hesitation as Prince Diamond looked down at her. But his expression remained unchanged as he lifted his sword above his head again.
Jolting herself free of shock, Charon willed her legs to close the distance between her and the two. She knew then that something was very wrong. Diamond, in all his supposed evilness, would never threaten to hurt Serenity. The bloodthirsty look in his eyes said something very different, something the Prince would never dream of on his own accord.
The scepter felt warm in Charon's hands, a faint spark of power reaching out to the Silver Crystal clutched tightly in Serenity's grasp. Charon could feel the exact moment the two energies mingled, as all of Serenity's emotions flooded her thoughts. For the first time, the Senshi could see the fragmented memories, the damage done by Diamond's power. The Silver Crystal itself harbored a sense of longing, an ache for people forgotten. But above all else, it now held a sense of urgency.
'What are you trying to show me?'
Only a few clear faces survived the wreckage, four that Sailor Charon had never seen before. She reached for this beacon of light, trying desperately to focus on them, but the vision dissolved into nothing but a deep admiration.
That was good enough. The garnet orb on the end of the scepter sparked to life, a short flash followed by a blinding swell of light. Suddenly the power within the Senshi felt limitless, tapping into the power of her Princess's crystal as well.
A calm focus overcame her as her body went through familiar motions she had never before performed. Charon could feel her power hold onto that of Serenity and Helios, carrying them with her as space warped around them, hurtling them off of Earth and towards an unknown destination.
The last thing Sailor Charon saw of Crystal Tokyo was the steely glare of Prince Diamond, a silent promise that no matter where they went, he would follow. And he would finish what he had started.
As the travel through space wore on, her consciousness clouded, and a vision filled her thoughts.
A young man sits across from her, at a table. She notices his unusually long black hair, tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. There are lots of people around them, eating, and through the window next to them she can see cars whizzing by. The boy happily scoops a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, and closes his eyes as if to savor it. A half eaten bowl sits in front of her, too. He says something in her direction and laughs, but she doesn't catch it. … Serenity's memory?
As the memory ends Charon finds herself half-sitting, half-lying on the side of a hill, gasping for breath. Her hands tremble against her chest, and she realizes that the exertion of space travel had nearly sapped her completely of her strength. The scepter is gone.
"Where is it…?" She whispers to herself, glancing around for the purple staff.
Soft, fine hair-like strings look like they're growing from the ground beneath her in a vibrant shade of orange. 'The orange is strange here…' Charon's thoughts came to her in a dreamy haze, her entire consciousness fighting to stay awake. 'It's almost pink.'
Scepter forgotten, she pressed her cheek against the ground, the soft blades shifting under the pressure. A faint voice thought her friends would enjoy it, too.
"Serenity… Helios…" She tried calling out, but couldn't hear her own voice. Her ears were ringing. Somehow she had sat up again.
A figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Instinct forced the rest of Charon's energy to put the scout on her feet. She wasn't sure yet if she was trying to greet this person or defend herself against them.
It turned out not to matter. As soon as she was vertical the world spun around her, and she fell into a temporary oblivion. Collapsing back onto the ground, the face above her focused just long enough for her to recognize from Serenity's memory. And finally, a name surfaced from the last remaining connection to the silver crystal.
"Seiya…"
Also a quick thank you to my recent followers and reviewers, you guys rock and really helped with my motivation to pick this up again! Much love!