I have absolutely no idea where the idea for this plot came 
from, maybe I was in a negative mood or something.  But, basically, 
this is a 'what if...' story that most of us find...amusing.  What was 
the question I started this all with?  Well, like always, I'll let you 
decide that.  Though each of the appearances of the Senshi and Generals 
are here, this focuses on a particular Senshi.  Namely: Mars.
        What happened to "Accendo" you ask?  ~_~;; Well, you're looking 
at it!  Of course the plot's been totally changed, the situation has 
been altered and, well, Accendo isn't Accendo anymore.
        Enjoy!
~Lady Heartfire~

All disclaimers apply, no infringment intended.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heavy Sword  (Part 1)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        The flames were dancing.  Tonight, they were more spirited than 
normal, their long tongues of red and orange heat spreading and 
reaching high into the air.  The small courtyard seemed unusually 
stuffier than normal and Mars concentrated harder on controlling the 
wild spirits.  She seemed pleasantly calm, her pale skin cool, and her 
face basking in the warmth of the fire.  The heat spun about in a tin 
whirl at the slightest mental tug and another caress sent it into an 
eruption like a volcano before soothed by her tight rein of control.  
Mars allowed herself a tiny smile, a mere tug at the corner of her 
lips, satisfied that her long years of hard work and patience had not 
been in vain.   she thought, her mental voice 
deadly quiet.  It took all her restraint to keep the echoes of screams, 
swords clashing, and the faded images of large, cerulean eyes crying 

bitter tears from making her cry out in frustration.  It had been so 
long...why couldn't she put the past away?
        "Mars," a sweet voice whispered in her ear, "what are you 
doing?"  The flames suddenly blanketed themselves as Mars opened her 
eyes, a hand absently brushing over them, and turned to look at the 
woman beside her.  Luna hadn't fared as well as she had.  The long, 
silky purple waves of her hair was cut shorter now and the advisor 
seemed to have no intention of allowing it grow back to its full 
length.  The luminous blue eyes were pools of emotions, sometimes 
regret, pain, or deep thought of the past that they all wished to 
forget.  Her purple and gold gown was still cut much the same, but she 
had had it tailored several times now; Luna had lost weight over time, 
no long the shining beauty with her natural, feline grace.  A sincere, 
if weak, smile touched her lips.
        Mars shrugged absently.  "Practicing my fire."
        Luna didn't seem fooled for one moment.  "You were trying to 
forget about them, weren't you?  Trying to forget the war?"
        "And why shouldn't I?" she snapped before thinking clearly.  
Luna's eyes were calmly fierce and resilient to attempt forgetting the 
suffering they had witnessed together and not all of them survived.  
"They've been dead for years, Luna, and it's time we moved beyond their 
deaths."  She looked at the smothered flames.  "Crying about them won't 
bring them back."
        "Not all of them are dead," Luna murmured and Mars knew whom 
she spoke of.
        "You mean Jupiter?  She hasn't awoken from her slumber since 
the war!  The strain was too much for her and I think she deserves her 
rest after everything she went through..." Mars trailed off.  "Even the 
Healers aren't sure if she will ever awaken.  She took the full effect 
of the ginzuishou's power when the Princess..."  Again, Mars felt her 
throat constrict in remembered pain.  Everything was too much.  Why 
couldn't she let everything go?
        Luna gazed into her eyes and understood, her midnight blue orbs 
glimmering with the same darkness.  "I know," she mumbled, almost 
painfully.  "I know how it feels, Mars.  The war has taken so much from 
us all."
        Mars felt the bitterness well inside of her, all the harsh 
resentment almost reaching the surface after all her time gaining 
control of it.  "How do you live with it, Luna?  The war's been over 
for years, the bodies have been buried, the tears have been shed, but I 
can hear their screams.  I can hear them..."  Even now, she could see a 
vague outline of a beautiful girl, with her large eyes lidded with 
sadness, standing near them and turned away.  "How would anyone 
remember what we went through for them?"  Her eyes smoldered when she 
looked at Luna.  "How does anyone know how much I went through watching 
them fail?"
        Luna stood there patiently, allowing the wave of anger pass.  
Mars had been too controlled now, like a flame held back by a wall of 
ice; it was only obvious that one day the ice would melt and the fire 
would be unleashed.  Still, though as a guardian she knew what she had 
to do, bringing up all the terror and agony she had felt was almost too 
much to ask.  Almost.   she thought 
optimistically.
        "I miss him, Mars," she began and Mars immediately looked 
abashed at the comment.  "I felt him *die*, I felt him surrender and it 
nearly killed me too.  My only connection to everything in my past," 
her eyes grew distant, "Sailor Mau, planet Mau...our home and our 
princess.  I don't regret leaving it to serve Her Majesty and I don't 
think he did either.  We...he...I..." tears began welling at the happy 
memories that flooded her mental sight.
        "Luna," Mars whispered, touching the cat-woman's shoulder.  She 
could see the memories literally rip her apart.  "You don't have to 
tell me this."
        Luna swallowed, closed her eyes for a moment, and when she 
opened them again, she looked more in control.  Mars wondered how many 
nights the advisor spent sobbing in her room at night.  "I miss the 
other Senshi too, Mars, don't think I don't.  I miss how you all were 
so happy without having to be Senshi," she continued obliviously.  "I 
wanted to be there at all your weddings and I wanted all of you to be 
at the Princess'."
        At the name, they both fell quiet.   Mars 
sighed.  Luna looked agonized a moment, but once more controlled 
herself.  Mars pitied the guardian.  She was intimately connected to 
the Royal Family and it would all but half kill her if she was near 
their death.  Then, the woman said in a neutral tone: "I have to go, 
Mars.  Good day."
        "If you ever need to talk to anyone," Mars said quietly as Luna 
turned to leave.  Luna paused, listening.  "You can tell it to fire and 
the flames will listen."
        Luna smiled to herself, a tiny, appreciative smile that touched 
her lips and made her eyes light ever so slightly.   she thought.  "I'll consider 
it.  Good day, again."
        "Good day," Mars replied.

        "Luna, Luna, is that you?" a voice whispered as the slender 
woman entered the more remote hallways.  The air was cold, almost as if 
an invisible, magical wind blew and Luna eyed the icicles nervously.  
"Answer me, Luna," the same, soft voice pleaded, emotionless.
        "I'm here."  Luna called, entering the next room, her medallion 
allowing her to pass through the warded door.  The shimmering, magical 
moon emblem at the doorway only allowed certain personages pass through 
their gateways.  Inside, it looked like any other room, save the fact 
that the windows were too high to see through, the occupant couldn't 
leave her dorm, and it was totally sealed by magic, allowing nothing 
magical to happen inside.    Luna thought 
sadly, her eyes wandering over the shades of blues and whites.
        "Luna, I was wondering when you'd visit me.  It seems like it's 
been years, Luna."  From the attached, second room, out stepped an 
elegant, morose woman and Luna's heart ached at the sight.  Princess 
Mercury was as beautiful as ever, though her royal gown was a bit more 
faded than usual and there was a wild, distraught look dancing in her 
eyes.  No longer did the sapphire necklace decorate her neck; it had 
been removed for any secret, magical spells it could possess or any 
number of things the intelligent woman could concoct with it.  
Physically, she was still the same, still slight, graceful and quietly 
determined about her duties.   But it was her heart that was 
different.  In them, they were now almost a black shade of blue, the 
pain blotting out everything, including her sanity.  It still amazed 
Luna that, though tests proved that, somewhere, the spirit of Sailor 
Mercury still slept, this new mental state could still use her 
intelligence so wickedly.  The door spell had already been broken half 
a dozen times and they couldn't figure out how she did it.  Still, she 
seemed unaware of what she was doing and that made her dangerous.
        The exiled-princess smiled warmly at the advisor, shy.  "Sorry 
to complain, Luna, but it's awfully dull in this room."
        "I'll see if I can visit more often, Mercury," she promised.  
It seemed that she was also anticipating her visit.  The tea table had 
been moved into the room, the cups and teakettle already sitting neatly 
and precisely in their places.  Surely it must take some mind to set 
such a table so beautifully, or to keep a room so clean.  

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/gulf/4463/stories

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