...
Wake up, get out, there's no time to waste now
Never shut up it's our turn to speak out
These streets are dead just waiting to come alive
Break down the doors of our comfortable room
Tear down the walls we never could see through
Aren't we sick of missing out on life?
Do we want more?
Tell me, do we want more?!
'Cause we've heard the cry and we'll come alive!
And we fight for love and we live to die
Because a life that holds no meaning
Is like a day without the light
So we'll come alive tonight...
Minako glanced down at the paper with the address once more and then looked back at the building in front of her with a deep scowl. The place was dark and boarded up, and appeared to have been so far a considerable amount of time.
"Hmm..." She let herself muse as she eyed the area curiously. Perhaps it could be another area of the enemy's base. It was in a part of town where she knew from the past that Youma sightings were more frequent than others, but it was also in a shady part of town. In fact she had kept her transformation pen in quick reach as she had made her way towards the deserted building. She glanced at the paper one last time to reaffirm the address and then she took a step closer to the building, her eyes scanning the area for a way into the building. She looked up to the sky with the sun at a lower angle in the afternoon sky. "Haruka-san?" She asked out loud and she found a board over the window that wasn't actually attacked to the wall all the way and it swung to the side to reveal a way in. Minako poked her head into the darkened place to see the cement floor spread out for a considerable length, and the mirror at the end of the room made it seem even longer. "Haruka-san?" She whispered cautiously. All around the room were large, dark objects she couldn't quiet tell what they were, and they help cast more dark shadows in the already darkened building. Minako could see a door leading to even more rooms off of the main one. If there really was a connection from this place to the enemy, she would have to proceed with great care.
She lifted herself up onto the sill of the window and slid down and crouched down against the cold and hard cement floor. It had an even more deserted feel to it without the mats that had once covered the ground, and there were still markings of where the mats had been and had been ripped up off of the floor once it closed. "Haruka-san?" She whispered. Her eyes darted to her right as she sensed movement, and the flow of magical energy. Her hands were already clutched around her transformation pen and her muscles tensed in anticipation. Just in time she caught the quick motion to the left of her and she sprung forward before the dark figure was completely on top of her. Minako landed on her feet and turned to face her attacker with her transformation pen held out in front of her; ready to transform. Soft laughter came from the figure as it stood up and Minako felt a wave of anger in her. "Haruka-san!" She shouted angrily. The woman turned to face her, and the gleam of her tiara caught Minako off guard. Super Sailor Uranus stood with her arms now crossed and a smile on her face.
"I'm glad to see you're quick on your feet." Uranus admitted. Minako gripped her pen more tightly as her face crumpled in anger.
"What the heck were you doing?!" She demanded loudly. Uranus shrugged. "I thought we were coming here to check something important out!"
"I was checking something out." Uranus said unmoved by her anger, and her eyes closed as she smirked. "We needed to know more about the ones we were planning on fighting with, and decided the best way to get that information would be from the calmest and smartest." Uranus said opening her eyes as she took Minako in. "And then the most unstable." Uranus' smirk made the words hurt Minako even more. "That one would be you by the way." Minako put her pen back into her pocket and made her way in anger towards the window again.
"We don't have time to waste on your silly games!" Minako fumed. Uranus blocked her way.
"This is serious." Uranus said darkly. "If we are to work together, we need to know about one another." Minako froze and her eyes narrowed.
"Like what?" She demanded. "From what I can tell you all know more about us then we know about you!"
"What we know..." Uranus' smirk had now transformed into a deep grimace. "Is that this enemy is one that you have already fought, and with the way you reacted on The Moon, we are afraid your judgment will be clouded by fear, and get Serenity into even more danger than she should be because you will not be able to face that fear." Minako's facial features fell in surprise, but then her eyebrows furrowed in anger and she sucked in an angry breath as she took a half step forward.
"We will not act cowardly!" She shouted, and then her anger increased as she remembered Serenity and Endymion collapsed beside each other. "How would you react?!" She demanded fiercely. "Its one thing to see the aftermath and another to be in the middle of it all!" She kept her fist held up in front of her as she shouted, infuriated by Uranus' act of superiority. She lowered her chin and closed her eyes as she shook with frustration. "Its enough to feel it... without you bringing it up again and again." She seethed.
"That's true." Uranus admitted, and Minako let her fists fall to her side and she anger turned into a hint of sorrow. "We could only watch from a distance, while you took on the brunt of the assault... I'm sorry..." Uranus said with honest regret, but Minako refused to look up.
"You will not have to worry about us. We will not cower." She said darkly. "We will face the enemy without fear." She shook with anger once more and she tensed as she smoldered inwardly with an intense hatred. "Beryl..." She spoke the name in complete hatred. "I will not back away from the fight with her." Her eyes opened. "I will make her pay for what she has done to Serenity! To Usagi!" She shouted. Sailor Uranus frowned again.
"And that will be what brings about our downfall." She said softly. "Not your fear, but your anger. Your need for revenge." Minako gasped in surprise at her words and then her muscles returned to their tenseness as she resented her for them.
"I've protected Serenity more than anyone!" She shouted.
"Michiru commented on that." Uranus said nodding slowly. "Fighting alone for too long has made you reckless."
"Its made me see things in a way others don't." Minako countered. "I can act as desperately as I need to in order to protect her... I will not let my anger get in the way of my judgment. I will protect Serenity... with my life!" Uranus didn't seem convinced. She looked around the abandoned dojo.
"Neptune and I used to use this place as a place to practice, when we first awakened two years ago." Uranus explained closing her eyes again. "It was near where a lot of Youma sightings had been reported, and conveniently placed away from the street."
"I guess it could have been used for less lawful things..." Minako said dismally, and she didn't see where Uranus was going with her history lesson. Uranus remained silent for a moment with her arms still crossed at her waist. "You wanted to do more then just talk to me about the past." Minako said sternly. "Why don't you just come out and say it?" Uranus smirked once more and a deep chuckle escaped her.
"Very well." She said and she grinned as she opened her eyes to watch Minako's reaction. "Can you really use that sword, or is it just a ceremonial piece?" She asked being upfront about everything. "What can you do against Beryl with it? Can you really handle going against the ones that destroyed everything you ever loved?" Minako glared at Uranus as she took the pen out of her pocket once more. Her eyes closed as she held it up into the air.
"Venus Crystal Power! Make Up!" Light swirled around her and a wind blew her hair up behind her as the power transformed her, and once the power died Super Sailor Venus' eyes opened and she put her hand out to her side. Sailor Uranus summoned The Space Sword and she held it out in front of her expectantly. Sailor Venus continued to glare at her as her fingers moved slightly. "Holy Sword that protects The Princess, come to my hand!" She ordered, and with a few sparkles of light the sword returned to her hand and she held it easily in front of her.
"I'm glad to see you can at least hold it." Sailor Uranus stated in a joking manner. Venus rushed at her and their swords clashed together as they fought fiercely against one another. But as they continued to fight Venus found herself not fighting Uranus, but her own anger; towards Beryl, towards herself, towards destiny and fate. Why did they have to be doomed to repeat it over and over again? Why did they have to see Serenity crushed and broken so many times over?
"Why?!" She shouted out angrily as The Holy Sword collided with The Space Sword. Sailor Uranus stammered back a bit in surprise as Venus' blows grew in power and frequency. Why couldn't Venus just stop it all? Why couldn't she just take it all upon herself and let the others be? "Damn you!" She seethed inwardly. "Damn you Beryl!" She let out a high pitched scream as she continued to fight with Uranus, and the other woman jumped backwards away from her, but Venus was following after her quickly with the sword jabbing forward violently. Uranus blocked the sword with her own, and she watched Venus with wide, almost fearful eyes. Venus pressed down against her using her entire body weight. "I will not let you break her again!" She shouted and then she took a step back away from Uranus and she twisted her sword underneath Uranus' hands and The Space Sword clattered onto the ground as Venus spun around quickly. The edge of The Holy Sword's blade stopped at the base of Sailor Uranus' neck and it remained that if it or Uranus moved any farther a trickle of blood would run down her neck. Sailor Venus breathed hard as she stood with Sailor Uranus at her mercy and Sailor Uranus stood frozen with the sword at her neck. Suddenly Sailor Uranus smiled and she seemed a bit proud.
"Feel better now?" She asked. "Now that it's out of your system?" Sailor Venus' grip on the sword relaxed and she took a step back, a red mark indeed on the side of Uranus' neck. Uranus rubbed at it, but she remained smiling. Sailor Venus gripped the sword's hilt with both hands as she continued to breath deeply in order to catch her breath. She nodded finally without words and she felt a ton better. She fell to her knees and dropped the sword as she continued to attempt to regain her normal breathing pattern. "I wanted to be sure you got it out, before we went to the final battle." Uranus explained finally. "Now you can act as desperately as you need, like you said, but now it won't be underlined with anger or hatred." Sailor Venus nodded slowly and she breathed in deeply one last time. She picked herself up and she found that she could lift her head a little higher, but she still felt a bit of shame at her conduct towards Uranus.
"Yes." She agreed. "It cannot be out of anger or revenge." The Holy Sword disappeared on the ground as she let it go of its duty for the time being, and she turned her body away from Uranus. "Thank you." She said reluctantly, but she realized it was truly what she had needed. Just like crying had been good for her, it had been best to let the anger show, at least for a little while. Sailor Uranus chuckled again.
"Don't be ashamed. How do you think I knew what you needed?" She asked. Sailor Venus glanced her way sadly. "You're not the only one to feel anger or regret." Uranus continued to tell her. "And you are right. If we had come to your aide, left our posts sooner... Perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess right now." Sailor Venus flinched remembering what she had accused them of.
"No." She said sadly. "No one could have stopped it." She admitted. "There could have only been one outcome. Nothing would have changed it. It was fate for us to be reborn like we were." Uranus shook her head.
"I don't believe that." She said. Venus moved her hand out to the side and she de-transformed in a flare of light, the pen returning to her hand. No matter what Uranus thought, or said she thought, it was entirely true. None of them could have stopped the coming destruction of that time. Minako placed the pen in her pocket again, sadness penetrating her heart.
"But we can stop it this time." She told herself aloud. "We've already sworn to, and we will not let the past be repeated in this time. Not again..." She whispered.
"Again?" Uranus asked. Minako nodded slowly and a bit uncertain.
"I will not allow it. This time... she will be happy."
Ami looked up towards the tall mansion and frowned deeply as she opened the computer without even looking away from the mansion. "So you are the pit of the beast?" She asked absently.
"Mizuno-san." Ami turned towards the street to see Michiru sitting across the road in the yellow sports car with the hood propped up, and a shade of brown sunglasses sat at the tip of her nose. "We don't want to be too obvious do we?" She asked softly. Ami stepped into the road after glancing both ways and Michiru opened the passenger door for her after leaning across the seat. Ami slid in next to her and Michiru tilted her sunglasses curiously. "So... What do you think?" She asked genuinely. Ami bit her lip as she stared at the figures on her screen.
'I'm surprised Artemis didn't pick up the energy before at the arcade." She admitted softly. "Perhaps it is hidden more the farther the instrument is?" Michiru nodded.
"Some sort of cloaking power." Michiru offered.
"Hai." Ami agreed as she continued to read the numbers. "Something does appear to be interfering with my computer." She said. "We probably won't be able to get much more information if it keeps up." Michiru lifted her mirror and removed her glasses so she could stare into its cloudy surface.
"Probably." She agreed placing the glasses on the dashboard. "I can only seem to get information when someone exits the mansion, and even then it is limited as to what I can see about them." She said. "All of the images blur together, and I cannot make out much that could possibly help us." Ami nodded slowly. Michiru watched her in the corner of her eye, and she smiled. "Can I ask you something? Mizuno-san?" Ami's mouth opened and then she let it close again before she nodded. "You've all fought this enemy before, correct?" Ami's shoulders slumped and she continued to type at her computer idly. "When we were talking together yesterday, waiting for Usagi-san to wake up, I noticed... none of you besides Aino-san ever referred to this Beryl by her name, or even by the pronoun 'her'. Only.. that creature, or that witch." Michiru stated plainly. Ami halted in her typing and she remained silent for a moment as she continued to stare at the computer, her eyes narrowed sadly. "You don't talk about the past a lot, and Kino-san seems to talk about it the least." Ami seemed to flinch slightly and her eyes closed momentarily. Her eyes opened again, but she still did not look up at Michiru.
"There are things that are best left unspoken..." She finally said softly.
"If I'm going to be working with you all, I wish to know what baggage and old scars I should be looking out for." Michiru told her. Ami's fingers remained on the keys of the computer, but she did not move to type again.
"There were... betrayals. Deep trusts were severed, and hearts were broken." Ami explained slowly. She lifted her head up, and stared out the front of the car. Michiru nodded in understand, and then she glanced at her mirror again.
"Who was hurt the most?" She asked. Ami stared upwards at the roof of the car.
"I'm not sure." She said. "We were all hit pretty hard... I wouldn't be able to say who. Maybe there was no one. Perhaps we were all broken just the same." Ami reasoned. "Jupiter's love. Mars' trust. Venus' admiration. My... rapport."
'Rapport?" Michiru questioned. Ami nodded slowly not daring to think about it any further.
"A crush perhaps..." Ami whispered her face growing red.
"Ah." Michiru stated in understanding. "Perhaps that would be the most crushing of all." She stated. Ami's eyes narrowed again sadly.
"No..." She whispered. Her eyes closed in sorrow and she thought about how the others had reacted when everything had fallen apart, and how it still affected some of them. "Jupiter still wears the earrings." She said barely audible, and they remained in silence for perhaps two or three minutes.
"Do you think you would be able to recognize them when you see them?" Michiru finally asked. Ami thought a moment.
"Probably not." She admitted. "If its like us, we probably wouldn't be able to recognize their civilian identities, at least not right away. Maybe... though..." She shook her head. "It won't get in our way though. No matter what we feel we will protect Serenity above all else." Ami stated. "It may be harder then last time because we remember more, but..." She gasped and her fingers went to her mouth in surprise. "Last time?" Michiru laughed lightly.
"Strange feeling isn't it?" She asked. "To have your words come out and you not understand what they mean... As if someone else who knows more than you were talking from within you. Haruka and I have had it happen to us several times already." Ami's fingers left her mouth and she placed in back onto her computer. "We are talking about things that have happened to us in the other timeline." She paused. "At least... that is what Hotaru-chan told us this morning." She said. "Our hearts remembering what our minds cannot..." Ami nodded again slowly.
"Anyways... Please, may we talk about something else?" She asked softly. Michiru nodded and turned back to her mirror.
"I'll show you who I've seen come out of the mansion in the time I've been here. Perhaps you can identify some of them." She said. It wouldn't be anything important, but it would help them kill time and feel useful. The longer they sat there the more apparent it was becoming that they would be unable to find anything to help them.
"Okay." Ami agreed turning her body to look into the mirror. Several female faces appeared on the screen, and for a moment Ami felt relieved to not see anything familiar. A new blurry image appeared on the mirror and at first she couldn't tell who or even what it was, but then it became clearer, and Ami let out a sharp gasp of horror. "Jed-san!" She almost shouted. Her eyes were wide in fear and Michiru had a inquiring look.
"Someone you know I take it." She said. Ami grabbed the mirror in order to get a better look and to make sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her, but it was clearly him now that the image was clear.
"Jed..." She said, and then she gasped, and her usually calm demeanor broke entirely. "Jedeite!"
Rei tightened the skirt around her waist and then she glanced at the rose in her hand unsure of what to do with it. Finally she placed the rose in her belt. She exited the building and grabbed hold of her broom. She smiled up towards the tree as both Phobos and Deimos swooped downward and landed on the branches nearest to her. The two crows cawed and moved expectantly, and Rei's smile faded a bit.
"Konnichiwa." She said softly. She suddenly felt tired and worn out. "I feel as if... I'm forgetting something." She told them. "Something about my past life. A few things maybe..." She spoke uncertainly. She took out her transformation pen and stared at it for a moment as if might offer her up the answers she needed; about the past, the present, and the future they would soon be fighting for. The two crows cawed again and then suddenly they grew more agitated and flew past her and towards the front of the hill. Rei turned to follow them and she saw them swoop past Jed's head, but did not move to attack him, and he refused to cower from their claws. The two crows landed on the branch above him and constantly yelled at him with their harsh voices. His eyes were the darkest Rei had ever seen them, and he stood refusing to be frightened by the crows' threats. "J-Jed-san." She quickly placed the pen back into her skirt pocket at her hip and then she frowned. "I have no patience for you today!" She stated loudly putting her hands on her hips. "I have a ton of things I need to do and don't have time to be distracted by you!" She paused, as she reconsidered it for a moment. He always came to her for advice... Perhaps he could return the favor this time. She needed so many answers... She pushed it aside. "I'm serious." Jed began to walk closer to her, but his face did not reveal any change. He only appeared dark and completely serious; back into the hardened mask that formed on his face whenever his cocky smile disappeared.
"Do you still believe in ensuring someone's safety over their happiness?" He asked finally.
"Huh?" Rei asked not sure by what he meant.
"Do you?" He asked. Rei found herself back in the conversation she had had the night before with the others.
"Yes." She agreed finally her own eyes glossing over with darkness. "As long as they're safe... maybe... one day... they can be happy again. Perhaps... even forgive you." She said trying to make herself believe it again. In truth she was having her doubts. Jed stopped walking and he glanced downwards at his feet.
"Yes, perhaps..." He agreed. Then he lifted his head and he was in front of her in seconds. His hands touched the sides of her face and his lips touched hers. At first Rei tried to pull back in surprise, but as their hot lips continued to touch, she found herself leaning into the kiss as well. In the background Phobos and Deimos cawed in anger, but they did not move in for the attack. Rei grabbed hold of his shirt and his hands moved down her back and towards her waist. Their inner fires flared as the kissed passionately, and Rei's eyes closed as she found herself drifting away into another world. A world where deep red roses were all around her and she was searching for Serenity who had once again snuck down onto the forbidden planet. Jed's hands had found their way to her hips and her kissed her with even more strength and fire. Rei's fire had calmed, and after a moment his did to, and he separated from her for a moment, but then he bent down and kissed her again, and this time it was softer, and Rei remained in the rose garden where someone had just called her name.
"Mars." Mars had turned around embarrassed at having been found out, especially by him and his cocky smile.
"Jedeite..." Rei thought softly as they continued to kiss, and then her eyes opened wide in horror. "Jedeite!" She pushed him away from her violently with a gasp of breath. He took a step back willingly and she stood there with a mixture of surprise and anger. Her hand immediately went to her skirt pocket, but to her horror... it was empty. She gasped and dug her hand into it once more, but when she looked up at him, he held the red object in her hand so she could see it plainly. He had her pen... "Jedeite!" She shouted in anger taking a defensive stance. "Y-You..." Her anger was too much. "You snake!" She yelled. He had just kissed her to get her pen! The sick man! Playing on her emotions like that! She would never forgive... She paused in her inner fit of rage as she took notice of his eyes again. His grey eyes were almost blank and vacant as he stared at her, but they were different... Different then last time. This time... He was mentally there. Jed raised his right hand and his clothing transformed into its general attire and he placed the pen in his pocket and in his other hand a black crystal revealed itself.
"I'm sorry." He said coldly, and Rei gasped in fear as the stone began to pulse with energy.
"Jedeite!" She shouted again, but the crystal's energy was already trying to pull her in. Her arms went out in front of her and she tried to push back, but it was growing stronger by the moment. "Stop it!" She demanded. She felt her feet leave the surface of the floor, but in another moment she found herself falling forward back onto the hard earth. Jedeite let out a pained shout and when Rei's head lifted she could see he was being attack relentlessly by both Phobos and Deimos. He protected his head as they clawed at him, but then he finally lifted his hands upward and a surge of energy sent both of the crows falling to the ground.
'Phobos! Deimos!" Rei shouted trying to get to her feet and run towards them, but already both of them were being consumed in light. Rei froze in her tracks as the two human-like figures flew in front of her protectively; one in purple the other in red.
"Anyone who wishes to attack our princess must go through us!" The one in purple shouted, and the one in red nodded in agreement.
"We will not let you enact your evil plans!" She shouted along with her sister.
"Phobos... Deimos..." Rei knelt wide-eyed at the two of them in front of her for a moment as her mind tried to justify what had just happened, and vaguely she could remember them... but never in human form like this. They had transformed... Just like Luna had... Jedeite lifted the crystal out in front of him and the two newly transformed beings found themselves being sucked in much like Rei had been. "Phobos! Deimos!" The two stretched out their hands towards her, but it was already too late. They disappeared within the crystal with a flash of light and Jedeite moved his direction towards Rei. "Stop it!" She screamed. "Give them back to me!" She demanded. "Why are you doing this?!" Jedeite paused.
"Its the only thing I can do... to keep you out of harms way." He told her. "As long as you are within the crystal, you will be safe." Rei gasped and her back straightened.
"Jed..." The crystal began to pulse again and began to pull her in. "No!" She shouted. "No! No!" She pushed back away from him. "You can't! I will never forgive you! Never!" She continued to shout. "I have to protect Serenity! Just like you have to protect Endymion! Stop it!" She pleaded, but her feet were already off of the ground.
"I'm sorry..." Jed repeated and Rei felt her entire being glow with energy as she entered the crystal prison. Jed held the crystal closer to his chest and he remained standing quietly for a moment. "I'm sorry."
"Not as sorry as you're going to be in a moment!" A voice shouted from behind him and he turned to face the new arrival.
"Amazoness Jungle Arrow!" A chorus of voices called out and the attack hit him at full force, sending him to the ground. He stared up at the newcomers in anger and surprise.
"More Sailor Senshi?" He asked in shock. The four girls stood in a row together.
"Sailor Ceres!"
"Sailor Juno!"
"Sailor Vesta!"
"Sailor Pallas!"
"Sailor Quartet... Guardians of The Four Solar Asteroids...arrives!" They called out in unison. Jedeite leapt up to his feet and Sailor Ceres lunged forward.
"Amazoness Flower Clash!" She shouted, and Sailor Vesta rushed after her.
"Amazoness Flame Whip!" The two attacks converged together, but Jedeite had already teleported upwards into the air. The four stood ready to attack once more as they peered up at him.
"We will not allow you to hurt anyone!" Sailor Juno shouted. "Hand over the crystal!" Jedeite placed the crystal in his chest pocket.
"Never." He said and then he disappeared from sight.
"Ahh!" Sailor Pallas whined. "He got away!" Sailor Juno and Vesta stood next to her keeping their eyes to the sky as Sailor Ceres crouched down onto the ground and picked up the rose that had fallen out of Rei's belt when she had first fallen to the ground. She held it close to her chest for a moment as she thought sadly.
"We won't be able to track her now that she doesn't have the rose." She said in regret.
"Deep Submerge!" The four Senshi whipped their head towards the call just in time to see the magical ball of energy and water rushing towards them. Each jumped up into the air, and Sailor Pallas let out a girlish scream.
"Where is Sailor Mars?" The four of them grouped together and watched as the two new arrivals approached them. The taller one full prepared to attack once more, but the other gripped hold of a small computer. "Where is Sailor Mars?" The shorted, blue-haired Senshi demanded again. The two stopped walking and directly face the Quartet. Sailor Neptune's mouth opened in surprise.
"Sailor Senshi?" She asked, and Sailor Mercury's back straightened in surprise.
"Where is Mars? I received readings of an attack, where is she?!" Mercury demanded. The Quartet eyed each other trying to decide what to do. To reveal their mission to these strangers, even if they were Senshi, or to keep to themselves. A seemingly unison decision emanated through them. Sailor Ceres turned her attention to Sailor Mercury.
"She was taken. By a man we do not know." She stated plainly.
"Who are you?" Neptune asked. "Where did you come from?" The four of them eyed each other again, and then nodded in unison.
"We are only in search of our Princess. To fight for the future..." Sailor Juno said. "Nothing more."
"Princess? Future?" Mercury asked. The three others nodded, but Sailor Ceres remained unmoving with the rose grasped in between her fingers.
"That is our only mission..." With that their images shimmered in front of the other two Senshi and they began to disappear from view.
"Wait!" Mercury called stepping forward, but they were already gone. The two water Senshi stood together unsure of what to do next as leaves and crow feathers blew around their feet.
JunJun sat on the black, metal fence peering deep into the dark blue orb she held in both hands. She could plainly see the two water Senshi within the ball as they continued to stand at the shrine, both searching for clues, and more importantly, answers. CereCere stood looking down on at The Shrine, but from this distance they could not see the two Senshi.
"PallaPalla thinks... maybe..." The girl paused. "Maybe we should have stayed with them?" She suggested. The other three didn't answer her, and the blue-haired girl crossed her arms in a childish pout at being ignored.
"Maybe they know who Sailor Moon is..." JunJun said softly off to the side still keeping her gaze into the ball. CereCere brought her chin closer to her chest, not allowing herself to admit they were right. They didn't know what they were suppose to do though. They had no leads other then the intense feeling in their souls, and the single plea...
"Onegai, Help Sailor Moon..." CereCere's eyes opened as she remembered the plea.
"We need to keep tabs on them." VesVes said. "Telling them our plan and mission too soon could prove to be wrong." She reasoned, and for once the youngest seemed to be thinking rationally, but it was really just an excuse to cover up what could have very well been a mistake on their part. CereCere's eyes narrowed as she continued to peer down through the trees and towards The Shrine as the two other Senshi's dark figures ran down the steps and towards the road.
"SMALL LADY!"
The scream had interrupted their playing, and... nothing ever did that. CereCere had been the first to hear it and she had turned away from the others as she had scanned the area behind her. The area she had thought the sound had come from. But no one was there, just like always the four sisters were alone. Always alone and together, playing happily as one with love and laughter their only care in the world as they continued to play... always playing.
"CereCere, are you alright?" JunJun had asked, and CereCere had turned back to the other three and their current game.
"It's... It's nothing." She said, and she leaned forward to get a better view of the game.
"Onee-chan, it's your turn!" PallaPalla had cried, and CereCere had frowned as she considered her move. They usually didn't play board or card games because they were too laid back, but it turned out there were advantages to them when one was feeling lazy, and that day had been particularly lazy and laid back. JunJun tilted her head back as the cool breeze blew across the area, and the sun remained in its position in the sky. The position it was always in; noon.
"Naa... This is getting a bit boring." JunJun complained, and CereCere glanced down at her cards and nodded her head in slight agreement. VesVes nodded readily too, she was already losing by a considerable amount. CereCere smirked as she let the card fall to the ground and she lunged forward towards PallaPalla.
"Tag you're-" She fell to the ground missing PallaPalla by mere inches as the girl backed away with a girlish, high-pitched squeal of delight. Her three sisters took off running towards the tree line, and CereCere lifted herself up readily in order to chase them.
"Chibiusa-chan!"
The scream penetrated their entire beings, and the four girls froze in horror as the cool breeze erupted into a surging wind; almost like an explosion's blast. It swept through the entire area, and sent the cards flying away behind her. PallaPalla screamed in terror, and CereCere rushed forward in order to protect her. She grabbed hold of her younger sister's shoulders in support and held her close as the wind continued to blast violently around them, but now it no longer was hitting them, but was like a vortex swirling in a circle around them.
"PallaPalla! CereCere!" VesVes and JunJun were now by their side, and they stood together in fear as it continued to grow in strength. "What's happening?!"
"PallaPalla doesn't like this!" The girl cried out, and then suddenly each of them gasped and their eyes widened, and they stood back to back with each other. A strange feeling was sweeping over them; a darkness overshadowing their dreams. They each crossed their arms protectively over her own chest; protecting their hearts.
"Wake up!" A child-like voice shouted out to them as the world around them began to spin in a dark haze. The voice was familiar, but CereCere could not place where she had heard it from... She had only known this world... The world where her and her sisters were the only ones. Suddenly that world had grown completely dark and above them shone down a bright pink light that came along with the child's voice, and the four of them stared up looking towards it. Their eyes remained wide with fear as the found they could make out the dark silhouette of a child around their age from within the light, and CereCere could just make out her hands that were clasped together prayerfully as she begged them, and the source of the bright light was somewhere on her chest. "Wake up, Onegai! Help Sailor Moon!" The four sisters pressed back against each other in fear. They were always alone... only them together as one with the sun always remaining high in the sky. This child's voice had no right to be in their world! And yet... it also had every right to be. CereCere's heart erupted with hurtful longing as the pink light danced around the four of them. The child's voice had every right to ask something of, no, everything of them. CereCere bent forward with gasp as a vision seared through her brain, and all the others felt the same, a deep panic penetrating through their entire beings. A city of crystal lay before CereCere, and then suddenly she found herself running within it.
"We must get to The Prayer Room!" A new voice said in CereCere's mind, and she could see the back of the one who was shouting over her shoulder to them; her bright yellow hair offsetting the red of her hair bow. Finally CereCere's head snapped back as she gasped in fear once more as she could see the crystal city shattering before her eyes like glass.
"No!" CereCere screamed, but the vision was already gone and so was the pink light and child's voice. "What was that? This vision? This nightmare?!" A new calling was stirring from deep inside them, but also from outside of them as well. They could all feel it... Someone precious to them was in danger! They had to protect her! CereCere could hear the others gasp around her, and at that moment they were all of one heart and mind. The Earth and future were in danger! Their Princess! The ground shook underneath their feet and the four of them let out a scream as the world around them shattered like glass, just like the city in the vision, and the pieces swirled together as they fell through the void away from each other, and the colors of their world melted together like water running down a drain.
CereCere's eyes opened as she gasped for air, and she stood up immediately. The air around her was thick and sweet, and as she looked around herself she couldn't see well in the darkness. She looked upwards towards the sky, and she let out a gasp as it was dotted with what seemed to be a million lights. "S-Stars..." The word came to her, but she could never remember a time she had seen them before. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkened light and she could make out the green foliage all around her, and the moist leaves left their watery feeling on her skin. She was breathing hard in panic not knowing where she was, what was going on, or where her sisters were. She had no clue as to what that had been. She looked down at her hands and to her surprise she found a yellow ball gripped in both of her hands.
"Sailor Ceres!" CereCere gasped again and turned around quickly to see her sisters' dark figures standing in a line behind her. The only light being cast on their faces came from the orbs that remained fixed to the bows on their chests.
"Sailor Ceres..." CereCere's hands tightened around the yellow ball in her hands. That was right... They were Sailor Senshi. They were meant to be sleeping... Until the time came for them to be called upon, and charged with protecting the one most precious to them... Had that been what that was? Their awakening? But it was too early! Something was horribly wrong! They had to find her, their princess, and they had to protect her! She and the future were in danger...
CereCere turned to face the darkness of the jungle... They would find her!
"Are you going to stand there all night?" Sailor Juno had complained. CereCere held the ball out to her side in her right hand and it began to glow with power.
"No." CereCere said with a mischievous smile. "I can't let you guys have all of the fun." She said, and then her fingers wrapped around the ball and it erupted with an even brighter light. "Ceres Crystal Power!" CereCere brought the ball out in front of her and then pulled in dramatically towards her chest and then reached up towards the sky as the ball erupted with sparks of light that began to swirl around her and a power surged through her."Make Up!"
CereCere stood staring at the sun as it edged closer to setting, its colors would soon grow bright and melt together in the darkening sky. It had been less than 48 hours since their awakening on Saturday night, the night when the world had been cast into darkness, and something, something they didn't fully understand, had just ended. Something they had been awoken to fight for. Someone they loved with all of their heart and soul. They had made their way from deep within the jungles of the Amazon only to find that when they first encountered someone they could not even communicate with them! At first there had been the fear they spoke a language no one else did, a language they had invented in their dream, but soon, to their relief it was revealed to them that their heart's calling was pulling them to somewhere across the vast ocean, and once there they were pleasantly surprised to find a world where they could understand the people, and they were greeted... with their first sunset. Their first sunrise had been blocked by the trees and mountains, but now that they were in Japan they had been able to see the sun set over the land, and... it had almost made them forget the heaviness of their mission, and they had returned to their playful mood as the stars lit up the night for them, but not as many as they had encountered in their first night. But soon the heaviness had returned along with the sunrise, a heaviness that had cast them into a frantic search, but where no answers seemed to be coming for them. Their only hope was to keep an eye on the Senshi they had encountered and find out what they had planned...
They would not let their mission come to failure! No matter what that mission actually turned out to be...
Notes: Okay, since in the manga The Sailor Quartet are Chibi Moon's guardians, it stands to reason that if she was in danger like this, if her entire existence was in danger, that they would find themselves being called upon when Mamoru got killed and brainwashed. I could not find a way to justify taking them out of the story. If I did I would not being doing justice to their characters or what would have happened in this situation. Its not "Hey, let me throw in as many characters as I want into this story and cause it to go on a short detour for a moment." Its more like "Hey, if I really want to be accurate in what would happen in this situation I have to keep these characters in even if it takes us on a short detour away from the real plot." From now on it should go back to the main part, but I had to keep them in.
As for what we say of Chibiusa here, I mean... the idea is she sent a message to them right before she disappeared. See Hotaru's dream again in chapter 35 if you don't believe me. And for the blip of Venus, the idea was that was what was happening back in Crystal Tokyo when things got dark and the paradox struck.
Okay, I did way too much explaining for such a short chapter. Its a sign I didn't write it well enough! Ahh! Well... not everybody read the manga. Sorry... That was another reason I played with the idea of taking them out, but...like I said... I couldn't actually justify it in the end.