Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Second Story
AN: this story is in ebbs and flows. I can't make it come - all I get is these little scenes in my head that have to be written down. This chapter is longer, but it also deals with a serious monkey wrench in Minako's plans
Tokyo, Summer, Present Day
It was not supposed to happen this way, and all the parties involved knew this from the start. A normal morning, a simple walk down to the convenience store for some milk with the tune of C'est La Vie on her lips; not a return to the nightmares of long ago.
Since she'd gotten married, there had been a sense in Usagi's mind of unfinished business. Their time for fighting should be long finished – she'd remade the world that way – and yet there seemed to be something that was still carried over from that time when she had lost complete control of herself. Most of the time she pushed it out of her mind and didn't think much of it. The sinking in feeling in the pit of her stomach on her way to the convenience store, however, was far too familiar for Usagi.
Youma? She thought, looking around. The concern was blatantly apparent on her face and she struggled to school her features as her pace quickened. She needed to pick up some milk and that was it; this errand was really just an excuse to have a good walk before she was forced to do some of the housework that she was neglecting. Mamoru had laughed when she'd said she was going out – he'd been collecting the laundry and getting ready to start the washer. It was a nice day, their clothes would dry quickly.
Her gut twisted, and she knew that she had to get out of sight – she knew that the youma was near.
Stand and fight, the voice was one she knew well, intimately. One she feared and prayed that she would never have to hear again.
Stand and fight if you don't want to die – I will give you the power. It was a power that she never wanted to touch again. She knew it resided within her and she hated it – the power was disgusting – tainted and evil. It gave her the ability to destroy worlds, and it was not something that she could possibly ever want.
Or even see herself wanting.
She could not believe that she was sensing this – this here, now. So far removed from what they had fought against so damn hard. Desperate to stay alive.
If only she could be so lucky to be granted peace. Usagi closed her eyes, for it was not her duty to fight now. That time was over, and while she felt the urge to call out her henshin, she knew that it would do no good. She was powerless despite the memory that slept within her.
She hurried onwards, fear building inside of her. She had to get out of sight.
The little one was so scared – and it was shockingly easy to tell if one was as skilled at reading body language as Haruka Tenou was. The familiar prickling at the back of her neck alerted her to the pending attack far more quickly than the panicked look on the young woman's face did. Yet Haruka was intrigued, trying to figure out the angle here. How had she been able to tell that a youma was present?
She watched the girl, her hair done up in a strange style that Haruka did not recognize, as she moved down the street. Her pace had quickened as the feeling of panic swelled within her. She had to stay hidden, that was the mission – she had promised Setsuna and Michiru that they would not involve themselves with the Princess of the White Moon.
She moved with the clumsy motion of a child, but Haruka could see something underneath that exterior. Something powerful and threatening - she knew immediately what it was and the mere idea of it scared her.
They had been banned from the Queen's court, in the past life, because their mission was too grave and too important. But still, she would recognize that power anywhere. This was Princess Serenity - the one who had destroyed the planet though misguided affection once before. Uranus within Haruka could not fathom how the Inner Guard had ever managed to keep her power in check, for her aura was there, plain as day, for all to see. She didn't know how she'd missed it before - even powerless, a being as powerful as this girl apparently was could recognize the stench of the youma even without a henshin.
The girl crossed the street with her arms folded around herself as though she had caught a chill.
It would not be enough - the youma would strike soon - now.
Haruka closed her eyes and whispered her henshin. She had to protect this girl, this innocent girl.
Her princess.
It was so strange to be here, in Japan, surrounded by strangers and yet to find such a person so quickly. Michiru would not believe her luck. If they could keep away from this girl and the Inner Guard, they would be safe to carry out their mission.
Senshi Uranus knew that Aino Minako - Venus - would not do what she was told. She would not back down from this fight. Mars, by now, would have seen the doom that was spelled upon the earth.
Had they even told the princess yet?
The youma rose out of a manhole in the middle of the street and Uranus stepped out from her position behind a rare tree this far into the city. This one was like the one before, insect-like and foul smelling. It's many talon-like feet clicking menacingly as it pushed itself upwards and away from the protective position it held with its body half-way out of the sewer.
Almost as quickly as a smirk at an easy victory crossed Uranus' face, a dilemma grew in her heart. It was her duty to complete her mission above all other costs - but the costs certainly were not supposed to include the potential risk to the princess, now crouching behind a vending machine in the shadow of an apartment complex.
She had screamed, and the youma had heard her.
Fuck.
Uranus pushed off the ground, her mind reeling as she tried to figure out how best to avoid the almost inevitable confrontation between the two of them now. Being airborne - so close to flying that Haruka wanted to woop with joy - gave her a view of the street that she had not seen before, she could take out this monster before it hurt anyone.
Even if it meant sacrificing a chance at a talisman.
Nothing was worth the risk to the princess.
She landed, with a grace she still was not sure how she possessed on top of a telephone pole and readied herself for her attack. She would gather the power in her hand - and charge downwards. That was sure to catch it off-guard - as it was not even aware of her presence yet.
She was never one for speeches anyway.
"Hey!" The voice - the voice from her memories, the shining moon princess - their future sovereign. What was she doing?
The princess, a fierce look of desperate determination on her face, had left her hiding place and was jumping up and down in the middle of the road, trying to get the attention of the youma - trying to drive it away from the bustling shopping center just up the road.
Was she insane?
Uranus crouched low, wondering if she should wait and watch, to see what would happen. There was power gathering in this place, that much was obvious in the way that the girl was standing, resolute in place. A look of panic on her face, but an unwavering stance and a resolute set of her chin told Uranus that this girl would not run. She stood between this monster and the humans just down the street.
The crackle of power that cut through the air turned Uranus' thoughts to a different thought process.
Could she still transform? The implications to their mission were grave if she still could.
Her eyes widened as the girl stood with her arms stretched up over her head, waving back and forth. Her lips moved in a taunt that was lost against the roar of the youma. It surged forward awkwardly as the girl backed away as hurriedly as she could. This was going to turn ugly – fast.
The attack was out of her mouth faster than she could cut it back. She should have known better, but the youma had been advancing too quickly and Haruka wasn't sure that she could trust her instincts and reaction time after this point. This girl had been prepared to fight, but whatever magic she was doing was not happening fast enough to save her life.
The orange-ish ball of Uranus' power slammed into the youma, hitting it like an uppercut to the jaw. It flew upwards and landed on its back, skidding on the pavement as Haruka pushed off of the telephone pole and landed on the ground in front of the girl.
"Run," She muttered, pushing the girl backwards and frowning at the youma before her. It had righted itself on all of its hundreds of knife-like feet, gray-green blood dripping from where Uranus' attack had cut into its flesh.
The girl's hair whipped around as she backed away. "You're a Senshi." She said quietly. "I thought…" She trailed off, her eyes widening and then narrowing shrewdly as the power that Uranus had sensed before grew even more powerful.
Suddenly Haruka was very, very afraid. Her memories of the past life were such that she remembered what had happened with the princess had felt threatened by the world around her at large. She'd destroyed it without a second thought – full of selfish and childish desire. Setsuna had not told them the full story on that encounter that much Haruka was positive of. This power was so raw, so impure, and so different from anything that Haruka had ever come to associate with her scattered memories of the Moon Princess
Uranus looked from the girl to the youma and back again, the creature seemed as taken aback as she felt. She felt sick to her stomach watching as the girl's arm, limp at her side, glowed with white-hot power.
"Move out of the way." Her voice was different, harsh and business-like. There was no room for arguing with such a demand, as it was a command from her queen. Uranus backed away, her own attack a breath away if whatever was happening proved to be nothing more than a very terrifying light show.
Michiru is going to be so mad at me. Haruka thought bitterly as she watched as the girl drew a sword out of nothing and pointed it at the youma – watching with an almost contented smile as it exploded into a shower of sparks and sand.
The girl's power was astounding; far more than she had ever remembered – and all of this without a transformation. Uranus wanted to defiantly stand before this girl, a Lunarian sword clenched tightly in one fist and a crescent moon burning on her forehead, but protocol and a healthy fear for her life forced her to her knees.
The girl – her princess's – voice was distant when she finally spoke. "I know your face," she said quietly, releasing the power that had gathered around them in a slow exhale.
"Highness, I -" She was at a loss for words. There were so many things that she wanted to say – to proclaim her loyalty to this girl, to swear to follow her anywhere. But that was not the mission. They had to save the earth before all else. That was their duty. The talismans needed to be found – even if it meant sacrificing the life of an innocent.
Would this being – this creature of the Moon's very essence – understand that?
"Your duty is to the Outer Rim, you should not have been reborn in this life." There was a steely edge to her voice and Uranus narrowed her eyes. This was a new development. Pluto had said that they did not remember the past. Well, other than Venus, but Uranus was fairly sure that she did not count when it came to the Time Senshi's cryptic messages regarding their peers.
"We are to complete a mission - the Silence is coming, we must stop it." She said as hurriedly as she could.
"I know nothing of this threat."
Uranus swallowed, her head bowed. She hated to have to be the one to do this – this was Neptune's forte. She was not nearly as good with words. "With your forgiveness, that was our intention. We did not wish to involve you or your guard as our mission has little to do with you."
The princess's eyes narrowed. "The people of this planet concern me," she spat. She gestured to the broken-up pavement and ruptured water line that were apparently caused by Haruka's attack against the youma in order to save this girl from getting maimed and her heart crystal stolen. "Your careless use of power concerns me. Who charged you with this mission?"
Now that question Uranus could answer and would answer with eagerness. "Senshi Pluto, highness."
"I will speak to her. Please, Uranus, be more careful. Human life is precious. This is Endymion's land, turned our one sanctuary." Her eyes narrowed, "I do not tolerate threats to the balance of power and the peace I sacrificed so much to achieve."
"Highness." Uranus bowed her head once more.
The princess smiled sadly, as though she was thinking of something that deeply troubled her. "Take care of Usagi," she said quietly.
"Usagi?" Haruka asked, confused at the sudden turn in their conversation. She barely had time to catch the girl before her as she swayed and slumped into Uranus' arms.