˂Sailor Heart & Eclipse
sailorheart@hotmail.com
Soulsower
Chapter 4
We shouldn't have taken energy from that girl again. She might not recover this time.
What does it matter? Her energy was vital to my growth... she served her purpose. We don't
need to bother with her again, dear Kyanite, because now we have that new group of humans.
You won't hurt them badly.... will you?
Don't tell me you're fond of them? They are merely simple organisms who would destroy you
if they knew who you really were.
Well.... I don't think they'd really do that.... they're different from others....
Kyanite, I need their energy. I will have their energy. Don't let your puny emotions get in the
way of getting what you've always wanted... and you do want it?
Yes... yes, of course I do. But....
But nothing! There's a lot more to those particular humans than you know! I sense that they
are more than they appear... I can see it reflected upon their souls....
* * *
Raye lay in my arms sound asleep. She had been exhausted by yesterday's events as had all of
us. I stared up at the ceiling, which the morning light was beginning to brighten, as I thought.
Darien had a displaced shoulder and a few bruises, but he was able to go home. Amy, on the
other hand, was hurt more badly by the creature. Her right leg was broken and she had a
concussion thus leaving her under twenty-four hour supervision. She was a trooper though, and,
when she woke last night, didn't let anyone fuss over her. Amy even commanded Serena to go
home to get some sleep! I do think the felines stayed under the bed for everyone needs a little
comforting.
The worst news was about Serena's friend, Molly. She was the one the monster originally
attacked and had come back for more! Molly was in a coma now. Her energy was drained to the
point where all she could do is breathe. Only time would heal her, and I hope the evil beast that
did this had had enough of her and would let her be. I have heard from the Scouts that Molly has
been a magnet for the Negaverse for years. I feel sorry for the girl. Constantly being centered
out and with no way to defend herself.
My jaw clenched at the idea that the Negaverse was still around hurting innocent people. My
rage goes back centuries and I have found that I cannot contain my anger against them. Revenge
is not an act I promote, but forgiveness is not always on the menu either. I think this is why I am
an immortal.... I think this is why I came to meet the Sailor Scouts.... all paths lead me to direct
my fury towards the Negaverse. Perhaps I should no longer repress it....
My lover stirred and looked at me with sleepy eyes. She knew exactly what I was thinking
about. Raye ran her hand soothingly through my hair and lightly planted a kiss on my lips. She
even tasted sweet in the mornings!
"I hope you did get some sleep, Haley."
"Some." I replied when actually it was very little. Luckily my body is use to irregular
sleeping patterns. I then smiled at her. "I sleep better here at Cherry Hill than I do any where
else."
"You always say that." Raye moving to lean on her elbow.
I sat up and the sheet slipped off my naked body. "That's because I mean it."
"We all missed you too." She took my hand as she said this for emphasis. Her dark eyes
locked with mine.
"Yes, I could tell Lita missed me terribly!" I kidded and we both giggled.
A knock came at the door, silencing our laughter. Chad spoke hesitantly. "Uh, Raye...
breakfast is ready."
More giggles.
* * *
"But I don't want to go to school!" Serena wailed when Luna suggested that everyone go
about their business as usual. "Darien's hurt, and Molly and Amy are in the hospital! They need
us there with them!"
Raye, as long with everyone else, cringed from the high-pitched cries. The princess of Mars
spoke with fire in her voice. "Stop your whining, Serena! They're not going any where. You
behave like such a spoiled brat sometimes!"
"You can visit them after school." Luna stated which seemed to calm down the sobbing
blond. She was so free with her emotions. "Plus... Amy wants you to pick up her homework for
her."
"Isn't she already ten chapters ahead of everyone?" Adrian questioned. Lita and Mina noddedin answer to his question. Those three were quite close. Each were interconnected like the sides
of a triangle, and even though they didn't exclude the other Scouts from their relationships, the
triangle doesn't appear to be growing into a larger shape.
Serena sighed heavily but I tried to cheer her up a bit. "I'll keep them company while you're at
school. Darien is at the hospital right now, and I'll stay when he's gone to work."
I caught the look between Adrian and Lita out of the corner of my eye. They obviously
doubted my sincerity. I could understand their skepticism. I was a stranger to Adrian and he has
merely heard one side of what had happened during my last visit. Lita still held a grudge against
me and thus her distrust continues to grow out of most everything I do. What they need to see is
my side. Like the old saying goes: Never judge a person until you've walked a mile in their
shoes.
"Yes, that would be good. You and Amy can try to figure out what is going on. Do a scan on
Molly - it's never been this bad before." Artemis said the last part off to the side as not to upset
anyone further. All the of the Scouts were particularly on edge with Amy out of commission for
a while.
Adrian was making it very clear by constant, exaggerated glances at his watch that they were
going to be late if they didn't head out right away. Mina hopped up from her place on the steps of
the temple and flipped her backpack over her slender shoulder. "Let's get going, guys! Don't
want to be late."
They all started filing into Adrian's red sportscar. Serena gave me a quick hug before she
jumped in, her beautiful blue eyes damp again. "Thanks for keeping them company."
I hugged her back and helped her into the crowded vehicle. "It's not a problem, Serena. It
will give me a chance to brainstorm with Amy."
The blue-eyed man behind the wheel was watching us curiously. It was as if he didn't
comprehend why Serena and I were so close. No one but Serena and I could know just how
intertwined our lives are.... none of the others experienced the entirety of the situation as we did.
I didn't expect the others to, but for the sake of the Moon Princess, I hoped they accepted what
we are to each other. I knew Adrian loved his the Princess deeply; a fondness matched to the
other Scouts'. Time will only tell if he can overcome the prejudice that was planted and had
festered in his mind.
There was a crash of cars at the bottom of Cherry Hill and screams of terror. An inhuman
screech more ear piercing than any sound Serena could make echoed across the city. There was
no need for anyone to tell us what to do. We knew what we had to do. The Scouts scrambled
out of the car yelling out their transformation invocations.
"Moon... Crystal... Power!" "Mars... Power!" Venus... Power!" "Jupiter... Power!" "Heart...
Crystal... Power!" "Eternal... Eclipse... Transformation!"
We raced down the hill. I first saw a small car flipped on its side, smoke rising from under its
hood. There were about a half a dozen lifeless figures laying on the ground most of them school
children. From above we heard that shriek again, and we ducked just narrowly being missed by
the monster swooping down over us. It was almost like it expected us to show up.
I looked up to see the horribly mutated face of a giant bat with eyes glowing green. Its body
was very human-like but it was unmistakably a rodent of some kind. Its claws were long and
hooked, and its fangs appeared sharp as daggers. It stared at us with obvious intent and I couldn't
help but feel some revulsion. I was about to start my attack, but was beat to it by the Princess of
Jupiter.
"Jupiter... Thunder... Crash!"
She hit it right on the mark and it shook with the shock of the lightening charges. It did not
fall to the ground though but was able to retain flight during its spasms. I made a quick second
attack.
"Eclipse... Infinity... Torment!"
Sailor Heart had the same idea as I and he fired his attack the same instant as mine.
"Heart... Acid... Burn!"
The two powers combined made quick work of the hideous vermin and it faded away leaving
not a trace behind. I thought it odd that there was not even a pile of dust, but I didn't have time to
question it. Mars, Venus and Moon had already started hauling people off the road to a safer
place until medical help arrived. Sailor Heart and I exchanged glances... were we more similar
than I first thought? My look was questionable and perhaps he took it to be a frown. He scowled
back at me and turned away to help Venus with the last of the victims.
A crowd had begun to gather and we quickly made our exit to metamorphose to our regular
selves. The others hurried to school for they were already late. Serena complaining the whole
way how gross it would be to have a bat as large as that stuck in one's hair. Adrian didn't look at
me once. I could tell he was agitated, but I made no mention of it. It was neither the place nor
the time to give him my side of the story.
* * *
Luna, Artemis and I walked over to the hospital which was not far from the temple. Amy's
room was on the second floor and the felines found they had no problem getting to her window.
I strolled in through the building cringing at the sick and sterile smells. I doubt anyone likes the
smell of the ill, but my nose is particularly sensitive to it. It is unfortunate that incense is not
allowed in hospitals as it was used centuries ago to mask the odor of sickness.
I knocked on Amy's door and was let in by Darien. He gave me a quick hug and apologized
that he had to leave immediately for work. A place he was not pleased to be going because hewould have to be doing desk work until his injuries healed. Darien said his good-byes and left
without hearing the events that occurred that morning. I recognized it was a purposeful act by
the felines not to inform him. It was better that he not get worked up because he could not get
involved while hurt, and we all knew how stubborn he could be.
When Darien left, Luna relayed the details of the battle to Amy. The astute young woman
quickly pulled out her tiny computer and began typing in commands.
"I'm going to see if the creatures left similar energy imprints as one another and as previous
Negaverse brutes we battled."
I felt my muscles tighten at the mention of the Negaverse. These monsters could certainly be
from that vile place. We all waited in silence as Amy's computer calculated its results. The few
minutes it took seemed like an hour to me. Finally there was the quiet beep that it was finished.
Amy looked at the little screen with a queer expression upon her face. She cleared her throat
before she spoke. "Well, the beast that attacked yesterday and the one today have corresponding
energy signatures. They definitely came from the same place. Yet, though they share some traits
with previous Negaverse monsters, there are a few differences."
"Could they be a new breed of Negaverse warriors?" I asked immediately. They had to be
because they are unquestionably not man-made.
"They may be...." Amy pondered the thought. "We have come across various kinds of beings
from the Negaverse and it is fallacious to believe there aren't more that we have no knowledge
about."
"You have a point there, Amy." Artemis nodded not relishing the thought. "What I want to
know is who is running the show? The Negaverse always has one goal in mind, but who is
leading the tirade this time?"
"There's really no way we can know that, Artemis, unless the villain makes themselves known
to us." Luna sighed disconcertedly.
Luna had a valid point. An evil genius would most assuredly send out his/her grunts first to
do the dirty work. Such a fiend would never put the mission in jeopardy by risking his/her own
life and stay safe in the chosen hide-out. It's the most logical and safest thing to do.... unless....
"Amy, can you configure your computer to check for other energy signals resembling those of
these new monsters? Perhaps we can find out where they're hiding."
Her eyes lit up like two hundred watt bulbs. "Yes! Yes, I can."
"Excellent idea, Haley!" Artemis congratulated me sounding like a proud father.
Yet our excitement was quelched as Amy informed us: "It's going to take a while though. Tokyo is a large city and these energy signatures are akin to a small percentage of the human
population.... I don't know why...."
* * *
For the next four or five hours, as Amy's computer was busy slowly searching the city, we
discussed various reasons why a few of the humans' imprints were similar to the creatures'. We
came up with a pile of possible biological explanations, experiential ones, and external
influences. I actually felt like I belonged to the group as we conversed with one another. Amy
had even forgot it was time to talk her pain killers when the nurse brought them in for her.
When Mrs. Anderson came to visit Amy at around three o'clock, I left them alone to chat
while I slipped out of the hospital for a bite to eat. I don't think I would like to eat in a hospital. I
have never had the experience, but my nose told me the whole story.
When I returned, I decided that I would visit Molly in ICU. Serena spoke of this girl
affectionately and I had also heard the stories of Molly's unwilling involvement with most
Negaverse occurrences in Tokyo. She must have something about her. It has happened too many
times to be just a coincidence.
I stood above her as she lay on the sterile hospital bed, her body white and near lifeless. The
machines that monitored her life signs beeped steadily. I could see she was strong and she would
make it through this. I could tell by her face that she was a determined young woman. Serena
had also told me of Molly's stubbornness which was, in her, a trait to be admired.
She had a girlish-type beauty and I knew that if I were to see her smile, she would have
dimples in her cheeks. Molly's hair was a wonderful red - brighter than my own. Neflite always
did like red-heads. What did this girl have to change him that I didn't? Perhaps it just wasn't the
right time back then.... more likely, I wasn't the right girl.
The past is past though and I now have the present to worry about. I had been standing there
for a while and it was past four according to the clock in the room. Time to go back and see if
Amy's computer had come up with any results. Molly would get well and I was going to make
sure no one else ended up in a sanative but cheerless place as this girl lay in now. I took one last
look at Molly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and then left for Amy's room.
* * *
I didn't get the chance to see if the computer did finish its search though. Screams from in
front of the hospital's main entrance sent me running to see what was going on. An elderly
woman flew by me panically and almost incoherently squawking about the devil. There was
another Negaverse beast! Was it here after Molly again?
I sprinted back to Amy's room just as she was trying to maneuver herself over to the window
to see what was happening. I startled her as I burst in telling her to display her powerstick. Amy
was Sailor Mercury, and though she was unfit to do battle, the presence of a Scout was all Ineeded to transform.
"Eternal... Eclipse... Transformation!"
I leapt out the window to come around behind the chaos the monster was creating in the
entrance. As I rounded the corner, I could see the wretched thing tearing the wheels off a crushed
ambulance. It was an enormous monitor lizard; its scales glistening in the afternoon sun. The
normally dull green and brown colours these reptiles have were brightened and enriched. Its long
claws scraped along the ground and on the metal of the vehicle as it demolished it.
I suddenly saw a mother huddled in a corner gripping her two young children against her
breasts. She couldn't run out of her hiding place lest the beast devastate her and the children with
its incredibly extended tail. The poor woman looked like she would faint at any moment. I had
to distract the monster's attention so they could make a getaway.
I jumped down from my vantage point getting ready to blast the lizard with a column of fire.
Yet the thing was much quicker than it appeared stopped me dead in my tracks with its tail. I
flipped backwards out of the way as its sleek mass turned towards me. At this angle is was very
dragon-like reminding me of ancient oriental murals of the mythological animal. Its orange eyes
had fixed upon me and I hoped the mother took this opportunity to exit to safety with her
children.
The reptile did not allow me a second to recuperate or to work up the concentration I needed
to blight it with any of my powers. I was being backed up against one of the walls of the
building. I could not physically hit the monster, it would have no effect other than of slight
annoyance. I did not want to retreat because I needed to keep it busy until all the innocent people
managed to get away. There was nothing I could do for the injured ones scattered about.
I felt the cold brick with my hand. I could either go forward to attack the lizard or make an
escape into one of the windows. I couldn't risk the safety of those in the hospital. I had to find
some way to lead it from the medical complex, but all my wits were being used dodging its
constantly whipping tail.
"Mars... Fire... Ignite!"
"Venus... Crescentbeam... Smash!"
Flames burned under the monster's feet and an energy beam burned its eyes temporary
blinding it. The Scouts had arrived just in time! I bounded over the howling reptile, away from
the wall I had backed myself up against. Sailor Moon ran over beside me.
"Are you okay, Eclipse? What happened here?"
My concern was for only one thing at that moment. "Did that mother get away with her kids?
They still can't be in that...."
Damn, but they were! The creature had begun to fling its tail wildly around - it was still
blinded - and it was nearing the huddled family. I scanned the area to see where the other Scouts
were. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Heart were removing the devastated ambulance from the entry of
the hospital so the survivors could run in. The noise was drawing the monster towards them...
towards the mother and her babies!
"Jupiter! Heart! STOP!!!"
Unfortunately they could not see the innocents hidden in the corner from where they were
standing by the ambulance. They did not know why I was telling them to stop, so they did not. I
probably sounded like a raving lunatic to them!
I grabbed Sailor Moon and placed her directly in front of me. There was only one thing I
could think of doing and she knew exactly what that was.
"Moon... Sun... Annular Eclipse!"
This combined power, unique to only my sister and I, lit up the area around the lizard and then
a dark orb, as in an eclipse, rippled over it. The matter that made up the beast was ripped into
minute particles and thrown off in all directions. It was a risky thing to do with humans so close,
but we had to stop it right where it was. The creature was destroyed.
* * *
How did you know they'd come again?
Their psychic energy is strong. They can feel when activities like mine are occurring. I am
like the rotting scent of meat that draws in the scavengers.
Can they hurt you? Can... can they stop you?
Of course they cannot stop me! I have grown so much stronger, Kyanite. With the energy I
have gathered - and with your help also - I am almost as strong as I once was. The little birds
will come when they catch my scent, but it is I who is setting the trap! I will feast on their souls!
You won't kill them... will you?
Will I?... someone has to die... the spilled blood of one that is powerful will be my final
release...
* * *
Serena, Mina, Raye, and I were the first ones back to Amy's room. Adrian and Lita were
close behind, and they did not appear to be in the best of moods. In fact, it was quite clear that
they had a bone to pick with me.
"What was that out there, Haley?" Adrian demanded almost mockingly. Obvious reminisant
of when I come down on him when Darien and Amy were hurt. "You could have gotten us hurt
by distracting our attention like that. We knew the creature was there."
"But..." I started and was cut off by a fervid Lita.
"But what?! We work as a team here. We could have thrown that ambulance to stop that
lizard! Had to do it all on your own, didn't you?!"
My temper was rising. I could not tolerate people who do not listen. I took a deep breath
before I explained. "There was a mother and her children there in a corner where you couldn't
see them. You were attracting the beast's attention and putting them in danger of being hit by its
tail."
"It's true, I saw them!" Serena piped up but was immediately quieted by the harsh looks she
received from my lynch mob.
"We could have stopped the monster! We wouldn't have let anyone get hurt! Have a little
more faith in us than that!" Adrian spat his arms folded across his broad chest.
The others remained silent as I stood my ground. It was my battle, this one, and mine alone.
With my hands firmly on my hips, I glared back at him. "It goes both ways, Adrian."
He scoffed at my reply. "Like you've given us any reason to trust you!"
"Just open you eyes! You're so narrow-minded that you can't see whose standing beside you!
I'm on your side, you know!"
"I can see fine enough, thank you." Adrian growled. "I know whose on my team and who I
can trust. All I've seen from you is what is good for Haley... what Haley wants."
"You haven't a clue, have you?! You don't have one single fu...."
A series of beeps came from the computer on the table beside Amy's bed. Our focus turned to
her as she picked up the tiny processor and viewed the product of the search. Her blue eyes then
looked at each of us in turn as she related it to us. "I think I have found where the monsters are
coming from. They're coming from some ruins just outside of Tokyo."
(
geocities.com/tokyo/fuji) (
geocities.com/tokyo)