Author: Priestess Mars-chan
Rating: PG-13
It Always Gets Worse
Chapter Ten: Timeskip
Chapter Ten: Timeskip
Nothing could make a girl feel more nonstaligic than
falling into a cosmic timewarp, where if one didn't
concentrate, she would be lost forever in time and
space. And of course, it didn't help that she had no
idea where she was going. But Raye did what Sailor
Pluto had told her and started to think of her beloved
crows. It almost brought a smile to her face. Almost,
but not quite.
The timewarp was different this time. Instead of
landing in a vortex that was nothing but pressure and
wind like they had when the Scouts traveled to Crystal
Tokyo, it was nothing but darkness that echoed even
the slightest sound. Raye refused to dwell on it, but
kept her focus on Phobos and Deimos.
A feather-like touch tickled the back of her neck.
Alarmed, Raye whipped around and felt her heart stop.
Mercury.
Not the black-clad murderous thing that had just
destroyed everything dear, but the pure blue of the
warrior of ice and intellect. Amy. But something was
wrong. Amy was transparent, Raye could see right
through her like she was a ghost or a spirit.
"How.........?" she managed to croak.
"Yes, Raye, I'm delighted to see you too," Amy said, a
soft twinkle in her eyes. "I don't know how I got
here. I was captured by the NegaMoon, being
interrogated by the Wise Man, and I found myself here.
But I'm not myself........." she shook her head as if
she were unsure of herself. "It's like I've died or
something. I saw myself outside of my body for a brief
instant.......I know I'm not in a physical
form.....Raye, am I dead?"
Everything clicked. Oh, of course! It was so obvious!!
"No......you've been displaced. You're body remains in
the physical world......" Raye's shoulder throbbed at
the thought of Lady Mercury and her ice crystals,"but
you're spirit is trapped in between time and
space........that's why the Crystal wouldn't work! Oh,
I am such a meatball head!! I should've thought of
that earlier!"
"What.....? What's going on?"
Raye proceeded to fill in her friend about everything
that had happened and when she was finished, Amy was
horrified. Raye could only imagine what her friend
felt, her feelings must be nothing in comparison to
Amy's.
"Oh, Raye...." Amy managed to whisper. "I'm so
sorry...."
"For what? It's not your fault---" Amy cut her off.
"No....I should've been stronger...if I had just
resisted WiseMan's spell, you wouldn't be here
and...Serena....Serena would....." she choked on a
tear. Raye put a hand on her shoulder, tried to at any
rate. It passed right through her.
"Amy....there was nothing you could've done...." she
tried to reassure. "Serena knows it wasn't you...and
if I can fix this whole mess, I'm sure she'll forgive
you. Infact, that Meatball Head will probably drag you
to the mall just to make you feel better."
Amy shook her head, tears running down her ghostly
cheeks. "I can't believe this....the one time I go on
a date and I wind up destroying the world...." she
gave a small laugh. Raye felt her spirit brighten.
"Come with me," she invited. "I'm sure the two of
us....."
But Amy was already shaking her head no. "I can't
leave, Raye. I've tried. The WiseMan must have cursed
me to remain here...." The flitter of hope that Raye
held in her heart was squandered. Again.
"Then it's hopeless," Raye declared, sinking to her
knees. "Even if I find the place Pluto was trying to
send me, even if I make it back to our time....I
can't! There's no way to heal you if we can't get you
out of the timewarp! History will repeat itself,
everyone will die just as before and there's no way
to---"
Amy slapped her.
Raye's eyes widened, taken aback.
Amy was staring at her transparent palm in disbelief.
Raye raised a hand to her stinging cheek. "What kind
of talk is this, Mars?! 'I can't do it'?!! You can't
give up, not when the Princess needs you the most!"
"But---"
Amy raised a hand as if to smack her again, but
didn't. "You're Sailor Mars! The warrior of fire and
passion! You've never given up on anything before, why
should now be any different?! Just because the
NegaMoon won once doesn't mean they should again!"
Raye started to rise to her feet. "Don't worry about
us! Just do what you have to do to save the Princess!
That's your duty Mars!"
Inwardly, Raye knew Amy was right. Amy was always
right. She couldn't mope about in the cosmic timewarp
when Serena needed her! She had to fight, it was her
destiny! She smiled a sad smile at the spirit. "Thanks
Amy," Amy nodded. "I'll do what it takes....but I will
find a way to get you back. All of you. I promise."
Amy smiled back, but they both knew the odds of Raye
actually finding a way to fullfill her promise. She
turned and gestured to the ornate time door that had
suddenly appeared. "Glad to hear it....but there's
someone who desperately seeks your company...I suggest
you go to her..."
Raye bit her lip. She left Amy's side and slowly
approached the door. It creaked open, revealing a
desolate sandy landscape. Raye turned, the question of
"Where is this?" forming on her lips, but Amy was
gone. Steeling herself, Raye stepped through the
doors.
It was warm, wherever it was. A pleasant warm with a
slight breeze. The sky in the horizon was a lovely
shade of golden red.....GOLDEN RED?! The Earth
wasn't......oh. This wasn't Earth. This was Mars.
Hence the sky. Raye was home. But when was she?
Squinting, Raye could make out a siloehtte making it's
way towards her in the distance. Without knowing why,
she began to walk towards it. As she drew nearer, she
could see it was a woman....statuesque in her pale
lavender gown.....so familar......The woman began to
walk faster, then ran. She threw her arms around Raye
and embraced her tightly.
"My little Firefly! Thank Serenity you're okay! The
reports about that Beryl woman have had me so worried!
And oh---!" the woman managed to squeeze her tighter,
if that were at all possible. "I just can't believe
Serenity let you come home!!" she held Raye out at an
arm's length and Raye got a good look at her face. She
felt like she was staring into a mirror.
"Ummmm.....yeah.....," Raye said, not quite sure what
to make of all this. Where had that crazy Pluto spawn
sent her?!
The woman's face fell as she embraced Raye again.
"Serenity didn't send you home, did she? You're from
the future, aren't you?"
"That depends. Where and when am I? And who are you?"
The woman sighed sadly, running her finger's through
Raye's hair. "Little Firefly.....always so
curious.....you're home......on Mars......during the
Silver Millenium. And as for who I am, I'm your
mother, the Queen Tranquility."
Pluto had sent her to the past, to her mother. But how
could a queen who had been dead for a thousand years
be of any help to her now? "I'm sorry," Raye
apologized, pulling away from the queen's hug. "I
don't remember.....it was the only way...."
"I know, dear. I know," the queen's voice trembled
slightly. She closed her eyes for a moment to regain
her composure. Then fishing into the folds of her
lavender gown, she pulled out a small red gem. "Was
there a powerful enemy in the future?" Raye nodded.
"Were you defeated?" Nod. The queen considered this
for a moment before tucking the gem into Raye's hand.
"You'll need this, then.....when......when you....go
to your time."
The stone seemed to glow as Raye beheld it. Gorgeous.
A wine red marble, but with an inner light of it's
own. "What is it?"
"The Soul of Fire," the queen explained, keeping her
voice neutral. "Every planet has something similar.
This stone channels the planet's power to its current
defender....I'm giving you a temporary power-up if you
will."
"But my friends.....they're.....disembodied.....can
this.....Soul of Fire help me get them back?"
"If you believe it can, than it shall." The time doors
appeared again. Raye was anxious to leave.....but
still, something held her back.
"I'm sorry," she said. This woman was her
mother......but she couldn't remember ANYTHING about
her, but she knew all about Raye.
Tranquility mearly nodded. She understood. "Save your
friends, Firefly."
br> Raye nodded, stepping through the doors. The queen
watched her only daughter leave her life once more.
The ground trembled. Beryl.
"Die is a good option," Lady Mercury answered and
flung an ice crystal. Sailor Moon made no attempt to
stop it as it flew straight for her heart....
A single red rose shattered the crystal before it
could reach its mark.
Lady Mercury and Jupiter whipped their heads around
and groaned. Tuxedo Mask was glaring back down at
them, from atop a lamp post, cape fluttering in the
wind.
Mars shook her head. The locket on her bow---! It was
gone!! Now where was----?
She saw Serena standing next to her, looking helpless.
Raye's eyes flew open. Serena? Alive?! Then......
She had about four minutes to rewrite history.
========
There! That's all I've got so far! If you want more,
write me! Please!
Mars-chan
marsiechan@yahoo.com
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