Journeys Through the Past
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Sailor Chronos
Chapter Six: Counterstrike!
"How could this have happened?" Zirconia furiously demanded of the three figures that stood below. "That spell should have been unbreakable!"
Fish Eye shifted uncomfortably. "Majikan had assured me that it was, but somehow the Senshi escaped it."
The winged eyeball that perched on Zirconia's staff chattered for a moment. "It appears that the one called Sailor Chronos was able to break the trap. There must be something special about her. Next time you encounter her, make sure you put her out of the way permanently! There must be no more delays!"
Journal, April 9th 1995
I'm tired. I hardly slept last night, after all the excitement and taking care of the girls after their ordeal. They all talked about experiencing their worst nightmares, and it was hard to find anything to say to reassure them. An Email came from Darla this morning. She's well but was concerned to hear about the trouble we've been having, and I don't blame her. Right now I really wish she were here because I could use her advice. The others want to organize an offensive and they want my help. Somehow I don't think that would be a good idea at this point, and I doubt Darla would either.
"Looks like you like to write," Motoki commented as he cleared the table. Alyssa had stopped in at the café for a late breakfast since she hadn't felt like cooking her own. "My sister writes in a diary too, she tells me it's good to get your feelings down on paper."
"Sometimes," she said, closing her journal and putting it in her purse, "but it helps to talk to someone too." She handed him a bill and got up to leave, just as Usagi and Chibiusa came flouncing through the door. Alyssa couldn't help but smile; the two of them had been back to their old selves much more quickly than the others.
"Lia-chan! Here you are! We've been looking all over for you," Chibiusa said, grabbing her hand. Today being Sunday, she was dressed in a pretty white outfit instead of her school uniform. "Ami-chan wants to talk to you about-"
"I know what she wants," she interrupted, startling herself. "But I'll come and see her anyway," she added quickly, not wanting to hurt Chibiusa's feelings. "Thanks, Motoki-san!" she called, and he waved back as they left.
During the walk to Ami's house, Alyssa thought hard. She had been getting strange feelings lately, and not just about Kurisu. She had known that the Lemure had been faking, and she had known that Ami wanted to talk to her about a plan. How? Was she developing some new ability? It was frightening.
Ami met them at the door and showed them to a large sitting room. "Mother said it was all right for you all to come over," she said. "It's just as well. Mako-chan has been here for a while, trying to make sense out of the illusions that she saw. She's taking it pretty hard."
"I can understand that," Usagi said. "When I called Rei-chan, she told me that she wanted to pray some more before joining us. I think she might be having a faith crisis or something."
"That was the intention of the spell," Alyssa put in. "To make us all emotionally fragile by bringing out our fears. But we're stronger than that, right?"
Ami sighed. "I know that, but try telling that to Minako-chan. Of all of us, I think she was affected the most. She assured me on the phone earlier that she was fine, but I could tell from her voice that she had been crying." Makoto walked in from the next room just as the doorbell rang. "That'll be them now." She went to answer it and reappeared shortly with a subdued Minako, and Rei who looked like she could spit nails.
Alyssa opened her mouth to greet them, but Rei spoke first. "Let's get down to business. We have to stop these guys once and for all. Alyssa, you and I have the best intuition, and Ami has her computer. We should track down their base."
"We've tried that already and couldn't," Usagi said. "What makes you think that Lia-chan can help us?"
"Because she was able to break that spell," Minako said.
"That was luck." Alyssa dismissed the suggestion with a wave of her hand. "I wasn't affected as much because of my mixed-up brain."
"Still," Makoto interjected, "you seem to be able to notice things that we can't. Could you always do that?"
"No. I think I'm developing some sort of sixth sense, or maybe even precognition. I remember being told by my predecessor that I had the potential for it, but I wouldn't gain the ability until I was mature enough. I can't control it like Rei-san does with her fire reading; it just happens."
"But it's better than guessing, isn't it?" Chibiusa asked. "My teacher says it's better to make the effort than not try at all."
That, at least, they all agreed on. After a short discussion, they decided to attempt it. They would start searching at the place where they had all observed the solar eclipse earlier in the season, transformed in case they met the enemy.
What astounded Sailor Chronos was that Kurisu was already there, as if their meeting had been destined. He walked right up to them, unafraid, and asked to speak to her.
Taking him aside, she said, "This could get dangerous, sir, so you had better leave."
"I wanted to see you, Lia-chan," he said quietly.
She was shocked. "You know who I am?"
He nodded. "I had a dream about you, only it felt more like a memory. I had to see for myself if it was true."
"I've remembered more too, and I'd like to tell you about it. You may not believe what I have to say, though."
"Try me," he said, smiling.
"Chronos!" came a call from Mars. "We've found something!"
Excusing herself, she jogged down the grassy slope. "What?"
Sailor Moon pointed to the sky above part of downtown Tokyo. "That's where I thought I saw it. Mercury says her computer can't detect anything, but Mars sensed something up there."
Chronos looked toward the place that Sailor Moon was indicating. For an instant, she thought she did see something, a ghostly shape that looked like a floating circus tent. Then it disappeared. In the next moment she felt something awful: a cloying, choking sensation, like she was surrounded by smoke, but there was no fire burning anywhere nearby. She nudged her head with the heel of her hand, as if trying to clear it. "Sailor Moon is right. And I just felt that something terrible is going to happen very soon."
Mars gasped. "I felt it too! We'd better-" A man's scream cut her off.
Chronos knew that voice. "Kurisu-san! They've got him!"
Jupiter was furious. "Right under our noses too! They'll pay!"
As one, they raced up the hill.
They confronted Fish Eye, who was holding a semi-conscious Kurisu by the collar. "The Sailor Senshi will not forgive you! Let him go!"
"Or what? You'll punish us?" Fish Eye laughed as Hawk Eye and Tiger Eye stepped up behind him, along with a Lemure. "You Senshi have caused us no end of trouble. We're going to punish you this time!"
Tiger Eye said, "The Lemures seem to be too easy for you to deal with. Let's see how well you handle us!" He cracked his whip and leaped toward them.
The Senshi scattered. "Don't let them provoke you!" Mercury called out. "They're trying to wear us down!"
"No chance of that!" Chronos said and hurtled toward Fish Eye with her sword raised. He panicked and retreated, but she didn't pursue him; instead she picked up Kurisu where he had fallen and carried him out of the battle zone.
Hawk Eye brought out a short rod and blew on the end of it. A large tongue of flame sprouted from the end of the rod toward Sailor Moon, and she yelped as she dove out of its path.
"So you like to play with fire, huh?" Mars gloated. "How about this? FIIRRE SOOULL!" Her attack took him by surprise and he was badly burned before he could react.
Sailor Mercury was facing off with Fish Eye. "SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!" Her blast of ice was countered by a pair of blue hoops that he threw.
Tiger Eye was going mano a mano with Sailor Jupiter. "You're good, little girl, but not good enough!" He slammed a fist into her stomach, sending her flying.
Venus had literally tied up the Lemure with her chain, and Sailor Moon finished it off. "MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
There was a brief lull as both sides surveyed the situation. The odds were overwhelming in favour of the Senshi, although Jupiter had been injured. Tiger Eye grabbed Hawk Eye and disappeared through a portal, and Fish Eye sent a hateful stare toward the Senshi before following.
The Senshi breathed a collective sigh of relief. Jupiter staggered to her feet, waving off the others' proffered hands. "I'll be all right in a bit, I was only winded."
Chibi-Moon looked around. "Where's Chronos?"
They all froze in their tracks. Sailor Moon looked in the direction where she had last seen Sailor Chronos, but could see nobody. "She's gone!"
Mars stared at the cityscape in horror. "They've got her."
Sailor Chronos found herself shackled hand and foot to an ornate red and gold backboard. She couldn't see anything beyond it, the room was pitch black. In frustration she knocked her head against the board. She should have known better than to have fallen for such a simple ploy. "Where is this?" she yelled. "Why am I here?"
A weak voice answered her. "Chronos?"
Her heart leaped. "Kurisu-san! I'm sorry I got you into this."
"It wasn't your fault. Where are you? I can't see."
From the sound of his voice, she judged that he was a few meters to her left. "I'm close by, but I'm not going anywhere at the moment."
"And you won't be going anywhere!" a gravelly voice said from the darkness. A spotlight snapped on to illuminate a wizened purple-robed figure that held a staff in one hand. To Chronos' senses, it exuded evil. "Nothing can help you now. Your time has run out, Sailor Chronos!"