THEN AND NOW
Chapter 8: "Up From The Pit"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
A man wielding a knife stood over Sailor Pallas, the knife poised to plunge into her. Instantly Sailor Vesta, in wolf form, lunged for the person, her fangs bared and her intent was to bite through the wrist of the hand holding the knife if she had to.
But Vesta pulled up short when the man holding the knife was seized from behind by a moving plant. Then she recognized it: it was one of Sailor Ceres' humanoid plant constructs. The knife-wielding man turned within the grip of the plant man and began hacking at it with the knife. The plant man responded by increasing the volume of the leaves and shoots on the main torso until the man it was struggling with was engulfed. Moments later the blade clattered to the pavement.
Vesta looked around, but couldn't see any sign of Ceres. She did see more plant constructs approaching, seeking to catch and restrain the mob.
"Hey, Ceres is in the game!" exclaimed Sailor Juno. "Aqua Initiation!"
Using her power to form water cannonballs, Juno fired and knocked one of the approaching attackers to the ground. Saturn had already leaped into the fray, using her glaive to sever several blades from their hilts with one swing. Pirouetting gracefully, she swung the handle of her glaive and knocked three of the attackers from their feet. Pallas had the knife of another attacker held telekinetically and was using her mental powers to pry the knife loose and disarm her.
Meanwhile Sailor Moon just stood there, intently watching Hino-Sensei, oblivious to everything else. Hino-Sensei had her eyes closed and was concentrating. After a moment, Vesta realized she was searching for the Puppet Master demon. Then one of the controlled attackers got too close and Vesta looked away. Changing into a gorilla, she seized the knife and effortlessly disarmed the attacker, then violently threw the woman to the ground, bellowing angrily over her prone form.
"There," Rei said suddenly, pointing to a spot twelve feet above the square.
Sailor Moon acted instantly.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" she roared, pointing the Moon Tier at the designated spot.
Pink energy shot out and struck something. Stirring memories of a previous battle, the senshi saw the pink energy illuminate a demonic form in the air. The demon was vaguely human, in the form of a sinisterly beautiful woman of ancient origin, unclothed to the waist and a vapor trail below the waist. She seized up and howled angrily as the pink energy surrounded her, as if she was bathing in fire.
"It's the same one," Sailor Moon whispered to herself, though Rei heard her.
And that momentary lapse of concentration was all the opening the demon needed. It glared angrily at Rei and Sailor Moon, then shot for them at terrific speed. In a moment's time, the demon impacted with Rei and sent her stumbling back several paces. Rei folded up, bending her knees and doubling over.
"AUNT REI!" Sailor Moon screeched. All of the other controlled people suddenly sank to the pavement, unconscious. Sailor Moon reached for Rei as the other senshi watched. They could see the priest quivering.
"GYYAHHHHHHHH!" Rei exclaimed, a guttural, unnatural growl.
She unfolded like a shot and lunged at Sailor Moon, her hands seeking the girl's throat. Sailor Moon backed up two steps as Sailor Saturn rushed in to protect her. Then Rei sank to her knees and flung her head up to face the sky.
Her mouth opened. Her eyes went wide. And the demonic entity, bits of Sailor Moon's pink energy still illuminating it, shot from Rei Hino's mouth and eyes, rocketing up into the air. It screamed once, in obvious pain, and then dispersed like smoke.
"Aunt Rei!" Sailor Moon gasped, moving to comfort the priest as she sat on her knees and sucked in air. But Sailor Saturn restrained her.
"Careful, Sailor Moon," Saturn said. "She still might be possessed."
"No," Pallas said, watching next to Vesta. "The bad voice is gone."
Sailor Moon slid to her knees and put her arms around the priest. Several loud pants later, Rei was finally able to speak.
"I understand now," Rei said between deep gasps.
"Aunt Rei, I'm sorry! It got away from me!" Sailor Moon wailed.
"It's OK," Rei patted Sailor Moon's thigh. "She's a slippery one. Thank the gods I had the spiritual presence to expel her."
"You said 'you understand now'," Juno inquired.
"The demon," Rei panted. "Why it exists. Why we didn't exorcise it completely last time."
"Do you know how to kill it this time?"
The priest grew a determined look. "I know how to trap it," she replied.
When the senshi returned to the palace, Palla-Palla made a bee-line to Cere's infirmary room. Ignoring the nurses and infirmary staff, Palla-Palla walked straight up to Cere's bed. By now used to Palla-Palla's tunnel vision when she was intent on doing something, Cere just looked at her.
"Thank you very much for keeping that puppet man from hurting Palla-Palla," the teen said earnestly.
"It's OK," Cere said tolerantly.
"And Palla-Palla is very glad that Cere-Cere wanted to join us in hunting for the bad voice."
Cere clouded over a little.
"Cere-Cere is still afraid?" Palla-Palla said with some surprise.
"I WISH you wouldn't do that!" Cere huffed.
"Cere-Cere felt the knife when her plant man got stabbed?"
Cere looked down. "Yeah," she said softly. "My plant construct got stabbed four times - - and I felt every one of them. And I couldn't help flashing back to - - the other time. The time that landed me here. Brought back a whole bunch of bad memories."
"Palla-Palla is sorry," the teen whimpered. "This isn't going to make Cere-Cere quit, is it? Because Palla-Palla doesn't want Cere-Cere to quit." Her lip protruded and she looked down. "Because then Cere-Cere might go away."
"I'm not going away," Cere told her. "I've kind of gotten used to this place. And both the Queen and the Princess have told me I can stay here as long as I like. The only way I'd leave is if Hiroki and I got married. And even then, I'd still be in Crystal Tokyo." She drew a long breath. "As for quitting - - I haven't really decided yet."
"But we're a team," Palla-Palla protested. "How are we going to be a team if you quit?"
"You can still be a team without me," Cere told her. "It's not who makes up the team that makes it a team. It's whether those people work together."
Just then the others showed up at the door to the room. Cere waved them in.
"Smart move sending your plant men out to back us up," Ves nodded.
"Bet it burned your tongue to say that," Cere replied cynically.
"A little," Ves shrugged.
"It was a big help," Usa told her. "Aunt Rei's got another line on this thing. I'll keep you informed."
"All right," Cere replied with feigned enthusiasm. Palla-Palla, of course, knew better.
Three years ago: Diana padded into the Princess's bedroom and looked the teen over, as she had done every night for years. It was her job to be Princess Usagi's friend, confidant, advisor and general guardian, and it was a job she had done with great pride and enthusiasm for four years now. She liked the Princess, understood the expectations she had grown up under and the expectations Usa put on herself beyond what everyone else did. She wanted to see the girl succeed. This latest rough spot was trying both for her and her charge, but Diana was confident that Usa would find a way to get beyond it.
Asleep in her bed, a plush white unicorn clutched to her chest that she had slept with every night since she nagged her parents to buy it for her four years ago after returning from the twentieth century, Usa began to dream. For much of the last four years she had experienced only pleasant dreams, something she gratefully credited her Helios with. Dressed only in her pajama tops - - since turning fifteen, the Princess had begun experimenting with showing more of her growing body, as much to explore her growing independence as to appease rising sexual urges - - Usa purred in her sleep.
In her dream, she was strolling through a lush meadow of tall grass and full shade trees dotted with succulent fruit, wearing a sleeveless yellow sun dress. She was barefoot and her pink trails of hair brushed against the gress. The sky was blue, speckled with small puffy clouds, and the air was warm and fresh. Everything seemed so real and so delightful, much moreso than a normal dream. Usa sensed the hand of Helios in this and smiled to herself.
Looking up into the tall sky, she saw Pegasus flying to the east, high up in the air. He soared majestically and Usa felt her heart flutter. She waved at him, but he was too high to see her. A moment's disappointment colored her mood. A gentle hand touched her shoulder and she turned to it.
"Hi, stranger," Usa grinned. Helios was behind her, in all of his gentle, sexy glory.
"Forgive me for invading your dreams, Maiden," he said, "but it has been far too long since I have seen you."
"I'm not complaining," she replied. The two came together and embraced. "This kind of looks like Elysian."
"An artist paints what he is most familiar with," Helios offered.
The pair walked hand in hand through the meadow.
"I must confess that there is another reason for my appearing in your dream," Helios told her. "I sense your inner turmoil. It colors your beautiful dream light. If you wish it, I can offer you my advice if you are without direction. Or if you prefer, just my stout frame for you to lean against."
Usa scowled and looked away for a moment. "Do you remember the Amazoness Quartet?"
"Quite vividly," Helios replied.
"Well," Usa began, searching for the best way to break the news, "Mom has got it in her head that she can reform them. Not surprising for Mom, I guess. She doesn't think anybody is a lost cause. But she wants to make them my senshi. After what they did to you!"
They walked on a few paces.
"You are unwilling to forgive their actions," Helios judged.
"Do you?"
"Yes," Helios responded. Usa looked at him, surprised. "Maiden, they were blackened by the darkness of Nehelenia."
"They chose their path," Usa countered.
"They were seduced and had a moment of weakness. They were not previously evil."
"I'm not so sure about Ves-Ves," Usa argued. "I've been checking up on her."
"Maiden," Helios began. "Do not underestimate the dark influence of Nehelenia. She corrupted everything she touched. It was her mission to extinguish the beautiful dreams of the world and replace them with the dark hopelessness that so twisted her soul, so that everyone would be as fallen and as without hope as she was."
Usa didn't respond, but Helios could sense she wasn't buying it.
"Maiden," he persisted, "you know the story of Nehelenia, do you not? How vanity and hatred propelled her descent into darkness? I am told that she once had a beautiful dream light, but that light was extinguished by the hatred she cradled within her soul like an infant child. It left her barren and incapable of loving anyone but herself." Helios stopped and took Usa by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "Maiden, you must let this emnity for the Amazoness Quartet go. Otherwise I fear for you. I fear you could slide down the same slope Nehelenia slid down and fall into the same unrelenting pit of darkness she fell into."
"That won't happen," Usa told him confidently. "Not as long as I have your love to hold onto."
"You give me too much credit, Maiden," he said. "I will do everything in my power to be worthy of your faith in me." Helios gently caressed her cheek. "But it would be much easier on you, on me and on everyone surrounding you, if you would expunge this stain on your dream light yourself."
He cupped her face in his hands, leaned in and kissed her.
"Know that I will love you no matter your decision." He kissed her again. "Until we meet again, My Maiden."
Usa opened her eyes. She was in her bedroom. Her hand caressed the nose of the plush unicorn at her chest.
"I'll try, Helios," she whispered. "For you."
Usa walked into the gym wearing her practice clothing: A pink long-sleeve leotard with white leggings, ankle warmers that Makoto had knit herself, and low-heel shoes. Her twin tails of hair were pulled back from her head and held together at intervals with several ties so that it dangled down her back from her head and was only moderately a potential liability in a fight and not a total liability. The girl entered with an attitude that was all business. This was important to her, learning how to defend herself and then immobilize an opponent. It was necessary if she wanted to ascend to the title of Sailor Moon. It was necessary to prove to her parents, her "aunts", to the palace at large and to the population of Crystal Tokyo and the world that she was worthy of the title and not just some pampered little princess on a lark. And it was necessary to prove to herself that her grasp was not too short of her reach.
But her business-like attitude cracked slightly when she saw the Amazoness Quartet were there as well. Palla-Palla smiled like a sweet little cherub. Ves-Ves glared a sullen challenge to her. Jun-Jun took on a neutral stance, trying to avoid a fight without backing down from one. It was Cere-Cere who looked uncomfortable, distressed by the presence of The Princess. She turned away, averting her eyes. Usa glanced at Makoto and Minako, who were leading this practice session as they had led most of them.
"We thought it would be a good idea to get you five used to working together," Makoto responded. "After all, the goal is to have you working as a team."
"And with this Puppet Master demon demonstrating that he can infiltrate the palace," Minako added, "the sooner you five are acting like a team, the better it'll be for everyone."
Usa wanted to scream. She wanted to stalk out. What she really wanted to do was tie these four skulking little monsters to a rocket and launch them into space. She must not have hid it very well, because she noticed Makoto and Minako brace for an explosion. Forcing herself to remember Helios, his words and his warning gave her the strength to calm herself.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Usa forced herself to say.
The tension in the room dropped. Usa noticed the grateful expression on Minako's face and the proud nod she got from Makoto. That helped ease her frustration a little.
"OK, first exercise," Minako announced. "You five line up arms length apart. We're going to pipe some music in here. You're all going to follow the beat. One, three and five in line will step forward, then to the right, then back, then to the left. Two and four in line will do the opposite."
"This is stupid!" Ves announced.
"This is to get you used to moving in concert with the others," Minako countered. "It's good training, so you don't end up stumbling over each other. Shows you how to adjust on the fly and compensate for the others on the team." She smirked smugly. "Unless you're afraid you're going to embarrass yourself."
"I can do it," huffed Ves. "But it's still stupid."
The exercise began. As Usa measured off with Palla-Palla, the girl gave her a huge smile. Usa let it roll off of her, determined to conquer the exercise. It seemed simple enough, and since it resembled a mathematical progression even Palla-Palla could comprehend it. What she and the others hadn't reckoned on was their differences in height. Usa and Cere were the tallest ones and they were on each end of the line. Right next to them were the two shortest ones of the group, Jun and Palla-Palla, and the differences in the length of their legs caused differences in their stride. Also, Palla-Palla was so intent on repeating the pattern that she wasn't watching out for either Usa or Ves. That meant they had to compensate for her. At one point Usa had to quickly stutter step to avoid Palla-Palla and nearly bumped into Ves. She had to concentrate on Helios to keep from exploding.
And that caused her to run into Ves on the next swing. Usa tumbled to the floor, while Ves was brought to her knees.
"Watch where your going, Your Highness!" Ves snapped.
Usa didn't respond. She didn't trust herself.
"OK, OK," Minako told Ves as she approached them. Then she knelt down so she was eye level with Palla-Palla. "Look, Palla-Palla, the point of this exercise is to be aware of the others, not just of what you're doing. You've got the steps down, but you're not watching out for Ves or Usa."
"Palla-Palla is sorry," the teen responded, her lower lip quivering.
"Sure, jump her!" Ves snarled. "Anything to protect the little Princess!"
"Stand down, Ves," Minako warned, rising to full height.
"Stand me down!" Ves replied, eyes blazing.
Jun waited for Cere to say something. When she didn't, Jun stepped in.
"Take it easy, Ves," Jun pulled on her. "This isn't the time."
"Get off me!" snapped Ves, shrugging Jun's hand off. "I've had it with this and I've had it with sucking up to some snooty princess! Send me back to Brasilia! Send me to the moon! I don't give a damn!"
Usa watched as Ves stalked out of the gym. Palla-Palla frantically scurried after her. Minako silently did a slow burn. And Usa did nothing. Gently Makoto eased up next to the girl.
"You know," Makoto said softly to the teen, "a leader leads. She doesn't just stand there and watch her team disintegrate in front of her eyes." She turned to the others. "OK, we'll practice our tumbling. Over to the mats."
As Makoto moved away to herd the others, Usa stood there and digested what her Aunt had said.
Continued in Chapter 9