SailorStar9: After getting the prologue out, this is Chapter 1 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OC.
Chapter 1: Premonitions
Kikyo was kneeling before the Sacred Fire in the midst of her daily rituals. It's coming. Her psychic senses went on high alert. Something evil is coming.
"Kikyo-sama," Yugito, one of the younger shrine attendants slid open the door. "You have guests."
"Guests?" Kikyo echoed. "Show them in."
"Yes." Yugito bowed and exited.
"I'm sorry." Kikyo apologized, Yugito having sent her two guests in. "I've been quite distracted lately."
"You can say that again." Haruto remarked, sipping his tea. "Something really must be on your mind not to sense us."
"There is something strange going on these days." Kikyo admitted. "My sixth sense and prophecies used to be absolutely accurate, but now, it's gone haywire. Enough about me." She went back to the main subject at hand. "What do you two want me to do?"
"A fire reading, if it's possible." Ryuho replied. "There's still quite a lot we don't know about our enemy, so..."
"I see." Kikyo nodded and turned back to the Sacred Fire. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" she focused on the Sacred Fire. An image of the planet Mars appeared within the fire, the red planet placing itself between Earth and the Sun, the Earth's surface then turning black, before a wave of darkness blasted her out of the Spirit Realm.
"Kikyo!" Haruto was already on the move, catching the priestess before she slammed against the wall. "This is bad…" he gasped, seeing Kikyo knocked unconscious.
"Where am I?" Kikyo muttered, peering open her eyes.
"Your room." Haruto replied. "You really freaked us out back there."
"I see." Kikyo sat up. "Looks like I won't be doing any fire readings until tomorrow." She rested a hand on her chest. "That last vision pretty much shot out my spiritual powers."
"Well, that vision must've been something else." Haruto mused. "So what did you see?"
"The planet Mars," Kikyo started. "It's draining life out of Earth, then black; something just blasted me out of the Spiritual Realm."
"I see." Haruto noted. "For something to actually force you out of the Spirit Realm," he mused. "It must've been something powerful."
"You don't know the half of it." Kikyo sighed. "That power… to sum it up in two words: absolute evil."
"So, in other words, Mars isn't the real enemy." Haruto concluded. "Wonderful."
"What do you plan to do?" Kikyo asked.
"I don't really know." Haruto admitted. "But for now," he drew her into a hug. "I want you to forget about that vision and get some rest. You need to recover your mental energies."
"But how…" Kikyo breathed.
"I know it'll be hard." Haruto hushed her with a finger to her lips. "But please try, for my sake."
"You're leaving then." Kikyo stated, the two Bronze Saints exiting the Shrine the next morning.
"Yeah." Haruto replied. "If your vision holds some truth, then we need to stop Mars before his plans come into fruition."
"Then promise me," Kikyo pulled out a braided misanga bracelet from her haori. "You'll return to me, definitely." She secured the threaded bangle around Haruto's wrist.
"If you put it this way, I can't say no to that." Haruto rested his forehead against hers. "I will return to your side, this, I swear."
"Then, go." Kikyo whispered, sending the two Saints off. "And know that my prayers will always protect you."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.
