THEN AND NOW
Chapter 6: "First Test of Courage"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Three years ago:
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Minako asked.
She, Makoto, Rei and Ami were sitting in the shrine located in the Crystal Palace. Rei had just informed them of Queen Serenity's plans for the former Amazoness Quartet.
"You think they'll abuse the powers they're given?" Ami inquired.
"I always thought it was a bad idea to make a recovering alcoholic your bartender," Minako responded. "One or all of them could be tempted - - and by one or all, we all know who I'm talking about."
"Plus there's the problem of Palla-Palla," Makoto added. "Is she capable of handling superhuman powers in her mental state?"
"It's a concern," Ami nodded. "My examination of her revealed severe development disability in certain areas, such as memory retention and general comprehensive ability. However, she's strikingly developed, almost to a savant level, in math and I've confirmed she possesses telepathic ability. I feel the key isn't whether she can master a new skill, it's interesting her in retaining the skill in her memory. Dealing with her is in many ways like dealing with a four year old. Simple terms and concepts should work best."
"That doesn't answer my concern," Minako reiterated.
"I can answer that," Rei replied. "I'm not worried. They truly want to reform."
"You read that?" Minako asked skeptically.
"I did. We'll have to watch Ves-Ves a little more closely than the others, because she's the youngest and she's used to slipping into bad habits when the going gets tough. But unless they're the four greatest actresses I've ever encountered, they can't fool my sight."
"And we all know there's only one great actress in this palace," Minako replied.
"Really?" Rei gasped in mock excitement. "Do you know her? Can you introduce me to her?" Makoto snickered.
"Careful or I'll hide your beads," Minako grumbled.
"I am concerned with one other thing," Ami spoke up. The others quieted. "How Usa is going to react to this. It's bad enough she must accept these girls as her guardians. How will she react to them suddenly being more powerful than she is?"
The other three expelled their breath in unison.
"You can give us our orb powers back?" Ves gasped in amazement. Jun and Palla-Palla perked up as well. Even Cere seemed interested.
"No, they won't be quite the same powers you had under Nehelenia," Serenity cautioned. "Those powers were extensions of her dark power. But I can give you the ability to bring forth the talents that lie within you. That is, if you're willing."
"Sign me up!" Ves exclaimed.
"If Ves-Ves will do it, Palla-Palla will, too!" Palla-Palla chirped.
"If we're going to do this job, we're going to need something more than some martial arts moves to fight with," Jun added.
Everyone turned to Cere.
"If I do this," Cere began, "and then decide later I want to leave, can I undo it?"
The question surprised Serenity. "Um, I suppose I could."
"Oh, stop being a priss and just say 'yes'!" snapped Ves.
"Gutter rat," sneered Cere. She huffed out a breath. "Fine!"
With that, Serenity closed her eyes and let her head fall back slightly. Her arms spread. Silver light began to emerge from her chest. The teens stared in awe. In the center of the brilliant light, a jewel emerged. It's facets seemed to catch every shaft of light in the room and reflect it with a silver glow. Palla-Palla stared mesmerized at it, as if she sensed it on an entirely different level than the others. The jewel hovered in the air in between the Queen's two cupped hands.
Suddenly a shard broke off from the jewel. Queen Serenity winced when it happened. A second shard broke off and she winced again. A third and a fourth broke off and each time the act seemed reflected by a sharper, deeper pain inside the Queen's body. Jun was about to express her concern when the shards shot towards the four Brasilian refugees. Before they could react, the shards struck them and melted into their chests.
"Was that supposed to happen?" Cere asked.
Queen Serenity responded by fainting.
"OHMYGOD!" shrieked Cere.
"What do we do?" Jun shouted in panic. "Cere, what do we do?"
"Bust out of here before they blame us!" Ves exclaimed.
"We can't just leave her!" Jun roared. "We've got to help her!"
"I don't even know what's wrong with her!"
The door to their quarters hissed open. Framed by the doorway was King Endymion.
"We didn't touch her!" Ves shouted.
Ignoring her, Endymion swept over, knelt down and cradled his wife in his arms. Her breathing was still ragged, but a smile crept over her face.
"I always feel better when I'm in your arms," Serenity sighed. Endymion's hand went to her neck, feeling for her pulse.
"Is the Queen going to be all right?" Palla-Palla asked Endymion with a child's anxiety.
"I'll be OK," Serenity gasped out, though she was still pale. "Please don't worry about me, Palla-Palla."
Shoe scuffs on the floor alerted everyone. The teens looked up and saw the four elder senshi standing in the doorway, led there by Rei's sensing Serenity's distress. Ami pushed past Rei and Makoto to check on the fallen Queen. That allowed the four teens to see who else was there.
It was Usa. And she was not happy.
Present day, in the shrine inside the Crystal Palace, Rei Hino sat on a mat, her legs crossed and her hands resting on her knees in an approximation of The Buddha. If someone asked her what she was doing, she would tell them she was listening to the gods. Or she would tell them to go away. It's probably why no one asked.
Something touched her consciousness. Recognizing the light, she opened her eyes and smiled upon her visitor.
"Back so soon, Muffin?" Rei asked. She knew why. Ever impatient, the Princess was eager to find out where this Puppet Master demon was and deal with it.
"Seems like I always come to you when I want a story," she said with a grin. The girl was dressed sedately, for her, in form-fitting tight blue pants and matching short sleeve top, with a white belt and boots. "Anything?" Usa asked.
"I sense it," Rei told her. "It's still in the city."
"Then why hasn't it struck again?"
"It's waiting," Rei remarked. "It's probably aware of my presence. It's crafty and doesn't want to risk being dealt with. This demon is going to wait us out until there is minimal risk of capture."
"Well that blows," Usa frowned. "I hate that everyone is at risk - - that more people could end up like . . ." Her voice trailed off.
"Cere?" Rei asked.
"I thought it was gone, Aunt Rei!" the teen fumed. "What happened?"
"I'm not convinced it's the same one, Muffin," Rei replied. "The fact that it seems to be focused on the area of The Promenade could be significant - - or it could be just the fact that The Promenade is a prime feeding ground for it. But whether it's related to the first one or even the same one is highly unlikely."
"I hate just waiting around for it to strike!"
"You're the student of Sun Tsu," Rei replied. "What would he do?"
"Wait," Usa scowled. "But he wouldn't like it."
"I'll keep searching," Rei assured her. "I want to find this demon, too. But Muffin, don't let your actions be ruled by your passions. Don't try to force a confrontation with this demon out of a desperate need to protect everyone - - or out of a wrong-headed need to compensate for a perceived failure."
"Never gave it a second thought, Aunt Rei," Usa replied.
"Or out of a desire for vengeance on behalf of Cere."
Usa didn't reply to that.
With the Queen resting comfortably, the elder senshi brought their charges to the gym to see if Serenity's efforts bore fruit.
"I don't feel no different," Ves said, uncertain. "Before, I could feel my orb powers."
"There's got to be something in there," Makoto mused. "What you described tells me there's an actual shard of the Silver Crystal inside of you."
"Miss Makoto-Ma'am," Palla-Palla spoke up. "Palla-Palla keeps hearing a voice in her head. It's telling her to say something."
"Great, now she's hearing voices," Minako mumbled to Ami.
"What's the voice telling you to say?" Makoto asked.
"It's telling Palla-Palla to stick her hand in the air and say 'Pallas Star Power Make Up'."
The three senshi present glanced at each other. Then everyone's attention was riveted on the burst of light that swallowed Palla-Palla up. Moments later the light dissipated and Palla-Palla was wearing a sailor fuku with a blue skirt, boots and kerchief. It was hard to tell who was more surprised: The elders, the Amazons or Palla-Palla herself.
"Ooh, magic!" Sailor Pallas squealed.
"She actually did it," marveled Ami. "She actually made them into senshi with just the power of her crystal."
"You're surprised? It's Serenity," chuckled Minako.
"Let me try!" exclaimed Ves. "Pallas Star Power Make Up!"
Nothing happened.
"So how come it worked for her?"
"Your transformation phrase is different," Luna explained. The black cat had appeared in the room and walked with practiced haughtiness to a point in the center of the discussion. "It worked for Palla-Palla because her senshi identity is clearly Sailor Pallas. If you clear your mind, your phrase will come to each of you."
As the three girls cleared their minds, the three elders leaned in.
"How is Serenity's progress?" Ami asked.
"Recovering," Luna replied. "Again she's taken a foolhardy risk and lived to tell about it. That child has more luck than an entire room filled with talismans."
"Don't worry," grinned Minako. "Rei's by her side. She'll make Serenity pay."
"And every painful moment will be well deserved," added the cat.
"Juno Star Power Make Up!" Jun called out. After a flash of light, she was wearing a sailor fuku of green and white.
"Ceres Star Power Make Up!" Cere exclaimed. One flash of light later, she was wearing a sailor fuku of magenta and white.
"Hey, it's not working for me!" bellowed Ves.
"Don't know why," Sailor Juno quipped. "Your head is usually pretty empty."
"Clear your mind, child!" snapped Luna. "This isn't something you can force!"
Ves screwed up her expression and clenched. After a few moments, Pallas walked over and tugged on Ves's sleeve. Getting the girl's attention, she whispered something into her ear.
"How'd you know that, Stupid?" Ves demanded.
"Pallas heard it with her head," Pallas explained. "Only she heard it in your head." Chagrined, Ves transformed into the crimson and white Sailor Vesta.
"Now by using the same means," Luna told them, "your attack phrase will come to you. This will invoke whatever ability your senshi form grants you. Sailor Pallas, since you've proven the most adept so far, you may go first."
"Yes, Miss Kitty-Ma'am," Pallas nodded. As Luna did a slow burn, Pallas concentrated. "Beautiful Incantation!"
Unexpectedly, invisible hands grasped Luna around the ribs and lifted her into the air. The cat began to thrash wildly. Everyone else looked in surprise.
"Are you doing that?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, Miss Makoto-Ma'am," Pallas nodded.
"Telekinesis," Ami remarked with interest. "She has advanced telekinesis in this form in addition to her telepathy."
"PUT ME DOWN!" wailed Luna.
"Please don't worry, Miss Kitty-Ma'am. You're ever so light. Pallas won't drop you."
Luna eased to the ground. She crouched nervously as the invisible hands released her.
"Guess I'm next," Juno ventured. "Aqua Initiation!"
Mist began to form around Juno's outstretched hands. The vapor began to gather until it formed droplets, then drops. The drops grew bigger until there was a grid of twelve drops of water, each an inch long, hovering in the air. Juno grinned. The drops began to move in the air, dancing and swirling, clearly being manipulated by Juno.
"Mental control over water," Ami noted out loud.
"Floral Stimulation," they heard Sailor Ceres say.
Plants began to grow in the air from spores that were in the room. As they expanded, they settled to the floor. Joining them, more shoots began to push through the artificial surface of the floor. They grew at an accelerated rate, expanding and filling one corner of the gym with green. Then flowers began to bud. They quickly grew to full bloom and dotted the green with reds, violets, yellows and pinks. Everyone was happily amazed, but none more so than Ceres.
"Did I do that?" she gasped happily. "My God, that's wonderful! It's so beautiful! What a wonderful power to have!"
"Fauna Assimilation," Vesta said, then stopped. She realized that she would have to finish the phrase with an animal of some kind, "um, gorilla."
Immediately her shoulders began to expand. Her chest filled out. The muscles of her arms and legs expanded. Vesta was still human, but had the hulking frame of a gorilla. To everyone's eye, she probably had the raw power of one as well.
"Man, I feel like I could tear that wall down!" Vesta marveled. Then she glanced at Minako. "Bet you couldn't take me now."
Minako didn't respond, but she didn't back down.
"Now, none of that!" Luna said sharply. "You haven't been granted these powers for your personal amusement! Having the powers of a senshi is a responsibility! And if any of you lack the maturity to properly handle such responsibility, they will be taken from you!" Vesta settled back into a sullen scowl. "Now, your powers are still evolving. Over time, your power will become stronger. You'll be able to do more within the parameters of the attack. Vesta, for example, can now only mimic an animal's form and ability. Eventually she should be able to completely transform into that animal form. Practice your attacks. Control is essential, not only for performing your mission, but for protecting yourself in a confrontation."
"But don't become dependent on your attacks," Makoto added. "Keep up with your martial arts training. It's good discipline and it's a good thing to have to fall back on in case your attack gets countered."
"I'm really fine!" fumed Serenity.
"Be quiet and rest!" Rei responded sharply. Serenity began to pout.
"Don't you ever get tired of being mean?" the Queen asked childishly.
"Don't you ever get tired of being a ditz?" Rei shot back. The Queen stuck her tongue out at her friend. She was about to respond with another childish insult when she noticed a piece of jade in Rei's hands.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It's a piece of jade," Rei responded, looking at the fragment of crystal. "It was part of a dragon figurine that was in the curio shop where that woman went berserk."
"And you think it's connected?"
Rei glanced at Serenity and smiled, proud of her friend's perceptiveness. "I know it's connected. I can feel traces of that puppet master demon in this jade. The demon was probably sealed in the statuette. But the seal was broken or wore away with time and the demon escaped."
"Can you seal it back up?" Serenity asked.
"Not in this," Rei responded. "If I knew if the demon had a weakness for jade or if it was just used because it was handy, I could prepare something to seal it in. As it is, I'm probably going to have better luck just destroying it - - if I can."
"You can do it," Serenity replied.
"You're so sure."
"Everyone will help you, Rei," Serenity admonished her. "You don't have to do it by yourself."
Rei scowled. She didn't want to risk Serenity or the others, and she didn't want to admit that she needed help with a spiritual problem, but depending on how strong this demon was, she might just have to use their help.
The priest turned the jade over in her hand. And the thought occurred to her: How connected was this demon to its former jade prison?
It was later in the day and Cere was wandering the palace. She would explore the floors, noting the architecture, and paid particular attention to the art that graced the walls of the palace. Over the years Serenity and Endymion had been gifted with some remarkably valuable works from admirers. Many of the pieces adorned the corridors of the palace, while most of them were visible in the Royal Receiving Room, the Royal Ballroom or in the front lobby of the palace by the main entrance gate.
It was that last place where Cere found herself. Art had always been a weakness for her, as had flowers and plants. And, given the treasure trove of art that the Crystal Palace had, and given the new ability she had been granted as Sailor Ceres, Cere was beginning to reassess her desire to return to Brasilia. Maybe this gig wouldn't be so bad after all.
Suddenly the peace of the lobby was shattered. Shattered too was a modern art piece from the mid-twenty-first century that had been made of panes of colored glass suspended from a branched pedestal. Cere turned to the sound as everyone did.
One of the palace security guards had a jagged shard of the art piece in his hand. Cere was near enough to him that she could see the edge of the glass digging into the flesh of his hand, so much so that blood was dripping from the heel of his palm. She looked up into his face, not understanding why the pain didn't push him to drop the glass shard. In his eyes was a maniacal stare, one that spoke of madness and murder and mayhem. Cere's blood ran cold at the sight. And that was before he locked eyes with her. His mouth pulled back with an even wider grin.
And he struck, slashing at Cere with the jagged shard. She was able to avoid the first slash, but he bore in on her, swinging the weapon again and again. The third slash hit home, slicing Cere's upper arm. Shrieking in terror, Cere fell to the floor and threw her hands up in a panicked attempt to ward off a killing strike.
When none came, she looked up. Her attacker had already lost interest in her. He had turned on two more people, a young mother and her young boy. The woman let out a mewl of fear and covered her boy with her body as she backed them away. It seemed to egg the man on. He charged them. The woman moved to flee with her son, but Cere could see they were too slow. The crazed guard would be on them in moments, his weapon poised to strike.
Cere watched from her spot on the floor. She couldn't move. She couldn't run. She couldn't think to change into Sailor Ceres. All she could think of as the woman and her son faced injury or possible death was the panicked thought of him turning back on her again.
Continued in Chapter 7