All disclaimers apply, no infringement intended.
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Heavy Sword
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Peace was often a drug that most soldiers abhorred; it made people
soft to violence, war, and to death. Though the Senshi had often found
themselves with nothing else to do but gossip, chase after their wayward
Princess on her conquest to reach her Prince, and somehow convince the
most stubborn of Princes, Endymion, to leave the White Moon Kingdom and
return to the worrying Generals. Life was normal, sweet, and utterly without
the life that had been entertained while the Terran Court had been in
attendance. But when Beryl had finally regained her control over the rebels,
powered from an evil power source that nearly drove the Queen herself to
fainting, the Senshi quickly found themselves wishing back the peace. Once
the most beautiful citizens of Earth, Beryl had proven herself time and again to
be a malicious tactician, uncaring for her army's life.
The hardship drove them together, as souls, while their tears were
wept in solitude or in each other's arms as the reports of deaths and violence
nearly buried them. Venus had lost the luster in her eyes, hair and smile; her
attempts to forget her Terran lover only washed away when her eyes
searched the death lists frantically. Mercury had long since lost herself in her
work, half wearying herself to nothing by rushing from the Healing Rooms
then back to the battle field. Jupiter nearly lost her life many times by
hopelessly leaping into battle with a rage that frightened even the youma
when she looked at the slaughter. Mars had ceased having enough fire in
herself to even care for anything but a peaceful end to this war. It seemed
imminent that they should fall, that the White Moon Kingdom would collapse,
and that Metallia would be set free.
Mars thought fiercely, even if the word had become a
mantra she dreamt late at night. Beryl would never win. Metallia would never
be free. The Senshi would never surrender. And Mars would never fail the
Princess. Never.
The youma bodies were piling up quickly; Mars had to leap over
more than one pile of hissing flesh to escape the defeated thrashing of arms,
claws, tails and whatnot and telling herself that they were monsters, no
longer souls. Mars forced herself to open her eyes she had involuntarily shut
tight in anger. There were several youma in front of her, growling, and
tensing to pounce on what they thought was a weakling female. came another unbidden thought. It seemed so dry facing
the monsters, so cruel, but Mars drew a deep and readied herself to rid
herself of a few more youma. Just another few youma...
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
Wielding the bow of flame and arrows of fire, the youma in front of
her were soon screaming in agony as they became part of the growing
numbers of bodies around her. She closed her eyes, allowing her weapon to
fade away, and willed herself to think of the monsters skulking about, biting
and clawing the guards, as mere monsters. She forced herself to watch
coldly as the monsters struggled briefly, became a dull, dead gray and
withered away. Violet eyes watched, shimmering, as she caught the vague
outline of another, completely turned into a shape before dropping into dust.
Mars closed her eyes, exhaled a shaky breath, and continued to search for
the progress of her fellow Senshi. The fire of her arrows had been hot,
scalding, and completely engulfing everything, but nothing compared to the
image burned into her eyes of the human image hidden in the monster's
body.
A movement caught the lower corner of her eye, and immediately
Mars tensed as she whirled around a broken pillar to wait for the shadow to
approach. Mars was the fiery red planet and gave her the power of flames
as hot as the sun; yet she couldn't remember any other day when she had
felt so cold.
"Mars!"
The voice was masculine, ringing, with a slight purr in it. Mars
dropped her guard slowly, painfully so, and peered hesitantly around the
pillar. Artemis stood, his green eyes darting about as anxiously as a kitten,
and human. Suspicion arose again. Above all, both Luna and Artemis
remained feline until there was danger enough to call them into a human
identity. "I can sense you, Mars, come out," he repeated, creeping among the
smoldering bodies with a look of sickened distaste.
She leaped, bunching her slim legs and pouncing up into the air and
doing an aerial flip before settling in front of Artemis. A tiny bit of the tension
left his face. "What is it? Why aren't you at the Palace?"
"Luna's missing." Mars looked at him questionably. "I know you are
supposed to be battling, Mars, but she disappeared several hours ago and I
cannot sense her."
The Soldier of Fire paused, chewing her lower lip. She doubted
Queen Serenity knew her advisor was gone; Artemis was too proud to let
himself go straight and worry the Queen so quickly after the supposed
disappearance of his companion. Violet eyes traveled to look at the minor
monsters regathering in the distance, darkening with indecision. "Mercury
cannot locate her either?" she asked softly, remembering the high powered
computer in the Senshi's possession.
Artemis shook his head. "I cannot find her either."
Mars stiffened. "Why didn't you mention her disappearance as
well!"
"Because Mercury is a warrior, Luna is not," replied Artemis.
She paused, considering. There were so many monsters around;
the soldiers couldn't possibly handle them all for the time it took Mars to locate
Luna and Mercury, leaving Jupiter and Venus to bear the brunt of the
stronger ones. Mars exhaled slowly. "I'll keep an eye out for her."
Artemis looked about to protest. Then apparently thought better of it
and nodded. There was a war happening and he couldn't ask for special
consideration. Instead, he asked, "What of the others? Venus and
Jupiter?"
"They went after the Generals," she said wearily. It was a good
idea, sending them together, but she hadn't noticed that Mercury had
somehow disengaged herself from sight.
He hesitated. "Are they...?" Suddenly, Artemis broke off.
"None of us have been injured badly yet, Artemis, and I can still feel
their energy." Mars looked at the surrounding monsters, narrowing her
eyes. "Perhaps you'd better return to the Palace, Artemis, to watch over the
Queen and Princess." She turned back and started in surprise.
Artemis was already gone.
Luna screamed as the glowing globe thrown at her exploded,
sending her body rolling across the soiled dirt and blood. Her already jarred
shoulder filled her senses with white fire momentarily, making her tremble in
acute pain. She was human at the moment, much to her dismay. The
guardian hadn't enough time to gather her concentration and energy to
change back. Until she did, the human fragility her body possessed would be
a threat to her life.
Apparently the creature before her wasn't about to give her that
time to become a cat again. Two more glowing spheres flashed toward her
and, for a moment, all she could see was tainted light and then, darkness as
they exploded around her.
"Poor kitty," the voice laughed, seeing her bite her lower lip until she
drew blood at the pain of it all. He had chased the guardian as soon as he
recognized the crescent mark on her forehead. She was one of the two
weak felines protecting the Senshi and Royal Family. But this one, he knew,
was linked to Serenity herself, mother and daughter. "Not so powerful
without your Senshi, are you?"
Luna moaned. Her body felt like it had been pricked by hundreds of
flaming needles and she had twisted her ankle during her escape. Already,
her dress was torn, her hair dirty and singed. Vaguely, her arms tried to
brace her body in an attempt to stand. She had to get up, get away, and
live. Luna was too important, with the secret she knew, to let herself die
without living to see Princess Serenity sit on the throne. her mind
whispered.
Her head suddenly jerked up and she was pulled to her feet
violently, hanging by her long black tresses. Her eyes flew open, tears
brimming her eyes, her deep sapphire eyes meeting a pair of colder, blacker
ones. They weren't tears of fear or tears because her body ached terribly,
but for the Queen. For the Princess...
Luna swung out with her hand, the sharp claws raking several
lines into his cheek. "Go back to the demon you serve, Jadeite, and hope that
the Senshi don't get their hands on you. It's nothing compared to anything you
do to me!"
Jadeite stared at the woman hatefully, eyes flashing dangerously.
She met them bravelly, the crescent moon on her forehead beginning to glow
with a soft, white light. "You'll regret that when I send you to Hades,
guardian."
She smiled sweetly, managing a gallows humor she hadn't thought
she had the energy to support. "And will you keep me company there?"
Her head snapped to the side, twisting her silken hair in his grasp,
as Jadeite's hand connected to her cheek, planting a deep red mark on her
face. She closed her eyes, willing herself to be as brave as the Senshi
would be, and ignored the aches and pains plaguing her body.
"Foolish guardian." He growled and suddenly held a magically
created dagger into his other hand. The black metal gleamed evilly in the
waning light of the various fires and continuing explosions that had nearly
defeaned her hearing before. He smirked and held tighter to the long length of
her tresses as he brought the dagger closer to her slender neck. Luna
struggedly viciously, pulling taut the her hair in his grasp and tried to slow the
beating of her heart. A tear slipped from her eye. She was going to die.
Two darts of black feathers dove between them, cutting through
her hair raggedly so that she fell forward and Jadeite reeled back from
surprise.
"Who...?" she asked, pushing herself up and looking at the pair of
ravens fluttering anxiously around the confused General, cawing, shrieking
and beating him with their beaks, talons and wings. Phobos and Diemos were
glowing with a soft energy, their raven forms a shadow to veil an image of
two spritely girls striking and confusing Jadeite.
*Run. Go.* Unbidden, the thought slipped into her mind, the pair of
childish voices gently adding strength to her weakened state. Their voices
echoed enigmatically in her head. Phobos looked at her momentarily and
repeated, *You can do no more, Luna. Run,* and then screeched loudly, a
sound that made even Luna wince.
"Enough!" Jadeite growled and motioned with his hand in a
dismissing gesture. The twins froze in mid flight, a wild look to both of them
and struggled to rid themselves of the paralysis.
*Run!* they cried again to Luna, spying her body slowly, shakily,
standing. Her eyes were large, sparkling and she could feel what was left of
her hair caress her shoulders and cheeks vaguely. The birds were connected
spiritually to Sailor Mars. What Mars knew, they shared and what they knew,
Mars sensed. The image of Mars knowing, forewarned of danger, when mild
upsets among the palace may strike burned into Luna's eyes. *They share
everything that is essential to be shared. Phobos and Diemos have an inner
sense of danger naturally and magically. It enhanced Mars' own senses. But
it can only be used when danger would strike...* Serenity had said once in
explanation, so long ago now it seemed.
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