Author: Soumitra Choudhury
Email: meech@mindspring.com
Rated: probably PG-13
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
A Rei of Hope: The Power of Pawns
by Soumitra Choudhury
--------------------------------------
The boyishly handsome man strode confidently into the grove of
trees, calmly setting his white staff upon the verdant land, the two
ivory serpents engravened into the staff gleaming softly in the
incumbent light. "Come out, Dark Maiden. I wish to speak to you," he
called out in a beautiful voice, rich with appeal.
"What message do you bring, O Messenger of Olympus, that you must
trespass into foreign lands?" returned a melodiously silver voice of
a female, crystalline with beauty, though no being showed herself.
The male chuckled, twirling his staff about in a light dance.
"What lands are foreign to a messenger, Lady of the Dark Song? Are we
not welcome in all lands, foreign or otherwise? We bring news, we
messengers, often news that is of interest."
A quiet storm of leaves fell from a grand oak, swirling about one
end of the grove before they coalesced into the form of a young elfin
girl of such loveliness as to steal one's breath away. An unfelt breeze
flowed with grace through cascades of snow white tresses. Practical
garb of forest-hued clothing all but masked the girl's skin of ebony
satin. Her eyes, two pools of silver, soaked in the appearance of the
Gods' Messenger. "The news you bring is not always welcome, Mercury."
The man bowed deeply, acknowledging her presence. "Ah, my dear
Eilistraee, you are as wondrous to behold as the eternal forest of
Arvandor, with a comeliness surpassing all that I have laid eyes upon."
"Even more than Venus?" the Dark Maiden inquired, a silent smile
hinted at within her eyes.
Mercury grimaced. "You know answering such a question would only
anger my sister." The sparkle of charm returned to him. "On the other
hand, your beauty DOES surpass-"
"While your attentions to my form are mildly amusing, I am
positive you are here on a more important matter. Once again I ask you,
why have you tread upon Arvandor, the Divine Forest of the Elven Gods,
seeking myself?" Perhaps to exhibit her impatience, Eilistraee suddenly
took on the form of a nine-foot tall dark elven amazon, complete
with a long bow of yew that topped even her presence.
"You would not shoot a child, would you?" Mercury returned,
assuming the form of a cherubic toddler no more than three.
Eilistraee's eyes flashed with anger. "Now you are wasting my
time. Go from here if there is nothing else you need." She turned her
back and began to stride back into the forest.
Sighing magnanimously, the child announced, "The Crone of the Hut
has relinquished control of the Frost Behemoth's Orb."
The dark elf goddess stopped, though refused to return her
attention to the boy. "Why do you tell me this? It means nothing to me.
The artifact is a mortal concern."
"Does it not? Perhaps I can refresh your divine memory to a
prophecy:
'When the lands know the touch of cold,
so will the notes of good darkness be heard;
One of Ten will slumber deep,
Five of Ten will freeze,
Four of Ten will battle through,
But Three will break the siege
And Ten Who Are One will be free.
The Winter's Ring the Crystal must love
to smite tyranny's hand,
But alas, magic will return to the Land.'"
This time the Dark Maiden did turn to face Mercury, confusion
masking her features. "I know of this prophecy, but I still am unsure
what you are hinting at."
The child-god shook his head in mock exasperation. "The Frost
Behemoth's Orb is now in the hands of the Grelloth Noxus as part of a
contract to save Our avatars. If the contract is upheld, my father
believes that the prophecy will begin to fulfill itself upon Earth."
Eilistraee leaned contemptuously upon her bow. "Your avatars are
in trouble. If they cannot take care of themselves, I will mourn their
loss, for they are goodly folk that deserve my sorrow, but I cannot see
any reason for sending them my aid."
"You mistake my meaning, Dark Maiden," Mercury cried, clenching a
fist for emphasis. "Your aid is not sought for rescuing Our avatars. We
have become aware that one of your followers has the Ring of Winter."
"The Ring of Winter? You believe that is the relic spoken of
within the prophecy?"
"Does it not make sense? Do not answer that question, but
consider this: How is it so convienent that one of your minions, the
same one who has interacted with Our avatars in the past, has the Ring?
How is it that this same minion, a Singer of the Dark Song, as your
clergy is occasionally addressed as, is also one of your Chosen?"
The dark elven goddess suddenly looked very unsure of herself.
Too many coincidences spoke of a fateful destiny, one that very well
could have something to do with a prophecy no one had seen fulfilled.
"My child Xune is unaware that she possesses the Ring," she murmured,
half to herself.
"Then perhaps, there is time yet to prepare them," Mercury
replied softly.
A moment passed as the two gods gazed at each other, giving
thought to what had been said. Finally, Eilistraee spun about, heading
back into the forest. "I will think on your words, Messenger of the
Gods. Please give my regards to the Olympians," she tossed back
tersely, clearly troubled. The forest swallowed her in its midst,
unseen even to Mercury's keen divine senses.
"Do not think to long, fair Maiden of the Dark Song," he
whispered back, "for the children of Eilistraee must meet Our avatars
once again. The Fates have decreed this." With that, Mercury vanished
from Arvandor.
*****
In a time where magic held little sway, a time wrought with the
fascination of technology, humankind survived the calamity of the
Silver Crystal Menace, in which one, Rei Hino, sacrificed herself to
the Dark One known as Rei Hino, destroying the entity known as Rei
Hino.
Earth was saved, time fled onwards, and only the Senshi and the
Grelloth Noxus mourned her passing. In the end, after a time called the
thirty-second century, the Archmagi were resurrected under the vigilant
eye of Neo-Queen Serenity, and they were renamed the Fires of Mars, in
rememberance for one noble and selfless individual, Rei Hino, the One
and Eternal Super Sailor Mars.
But her vigilance was not enough, and the Fires of Mars destroyed
all that the Neo-Queen held dear, and eventually, herself.
The streams of time shifted towards another path.
In a time where magic held little sway, a time wrought with the
fascination of technology, humankind barely struggled through a time
known only as The Remaking, in which a being known as the Seraph of the
Crystal enslaved the world under her tyrannical rule, destroying the
only group powerful and willful enough to defy her: The Senshi.
Nations crumbled under her might. Governments were dismantled,
and rebellions were vanquished, but none knew of the reason. Senseless
and hopeless, Earth decayed until only the Seraph existed with her
right hand, the enslaved Grelloth Noxus.
Hanging above the remnants of the fair city of Tokyo, the
crucified Immortal Prisoner had watched for centuries, witnessing all
the horrors and evils committed. Suspended above the city by arcane
sorcery for the rest of time, having lost her sanity centuries before,
the criminal Rei Hino even now floats, wailing in terrible madness.
Her crime: Attempted murder of the Seraph before the tyrant's
rise to power.
The streams of time shifted towards another path.
In a time where magic held little sway, a time wrought with the
fascination of technology, the Archmagi Rei Hino and her consort, the
Grelloth Noxus, destroyed the Dark Spirit Rei Hino. In the ensuing
power struggle, the Archmagi took control of the future of Earth by
enslaving the Senshi to her whim.
Earth knew a Golden Age, as magic flourished once again, creating
such beautiful cities as had never before been seen, and knowledge that
had not been sought in millenia resurfaced to shape the universe.
Worlds aligned themselves with the stern, but just, rule of the
Archmagi, for her armies of youma crushed all resistance, and then
forced populations to the cause of Her Ladyship.
Earth was the center of the universe, and Sailor Moon shed her
tears alone within the confines of the Spirit Wrack for all eternity.
The streams of time shifted towards yet another path.
Sailor Moon died in the attempt to stop the Grelloth Noxus from
betraying the Sailor Mars in their assassination of the Dark Spirit Rei
Hino.
Sailor Mars destroyed Earth in her fury.
Time shifts towards another path.
Sailor Mars won the battle against her darker half, but the
expenditure of such immense magic consumed her in the process.
Sailor Moon died soon after from grief.
... shifts towards another path.
In destroying the Dark Spirit Rei Hino, Sailor Mars was too weak
to prevent the Grelloth Noxus from taking her over.
Earth, and the Senshi, perished.
... another path.
Sailor Mars... magic... death to all...
... another path
Magic... Sailor Mars... death to all...
... another path... death.
... another path... death.
... another path... death.
Death. Death. Death. Death.
*****
One gloriously cold night, in the park of the Juuban district, a
column of violet, temporal energy crashed from the starry sky. Two
figures emerged, or rather, were tossed out violently, landing in a
heap upon the grassy field, before the column tore itself apart and
vanished.
Sailor Mars moaned in agony, lying dazedly upon the cloaked form
of the Grelloth Noxus, her whimpers puncuated by low squeals of pain as
she awkwardly rolled off. Kami-sama, but her whole being hurt!
Many moments she lay there, gasping away the pain that assaulted
her, staring at the moonlit night so hard it nearly drew a headache.
Thoughts flit across her mind, horrible visions of her friends' deaths,
of various acts that she might have done to them, of the numerous
timelines that they had passed through. Finally, she whispered shakely,
"Grell?"
"Yes, fair Rei. I am here." Once again, no emotion, no feeling,
but the compliment startled her nonetheless.
She gulped unconsciously. "Are you alright?"
"I am unhurt." Silence, and then, "Arigato."
Neither spoke again for a few minutes, both lying prone in the
darkness. Sailor Mars suddenly became aware of the chirping of
crickets, and the hoarse call of frogs, mingling with the occasional
chatter of the few birds of winter. The white plumes of her breath
floated lazily away from her mouth.
Finally, when the pain subsided to a dull ache, she whispered
again, "Did... did you see...?" She couldn't bring herself to say the
words.
Quietly, the Grell replied, "I saw. I saw the timelines. They
were... unsettling."
For some reason, that brough about a spark of anger. "Unsettling?
You?"
The Grell sat up, turning his jeweled gaze to the woman beside
him. He seemed to loom over her, a blackness much deeper than the
night, and yet, Sailor Mars felt something different in his manner,
something almost gentle. "It is... odd. Perhaps it is the spirit of
your lost love, but a small part of my collective mind fears for you.
The paths we have traveled through the temporal shift, the events we
have witnessed, they..." He seemed to search for proper words. "My evil
is penultimate, something I take great pride in, but deep within
myself, I found myself feeling a great sorrow for you as we journeyed,
a sorrow I feel even now."
Shock replaced any memory of her agony as the Senshi of Fire
stared back at the cloaked villain. What's more, she perceived that the
being next to her could not understand nor believe what he was
confessing. The mere notion of care from the pillar of evil was
preposterous.
Suddenly, the Grelloth Noxus rose smoothly to his feet. "I must
leave you for some time."
"What? Where are you going? What happened to helping?-"
He forestalled her questions by whirling away, the cloak flapping
about him in agitation. "I must see which of Pluto's theories have
taken place, if either. It would do neither of us any good to find
another like myself existing at the same time. Even I am not foolish
enough to allow the existence of another Grelloth Noxus, if such has
occurred." Then, as an afterthought, he added in puzzlement before
melding into shadows, "Besides, I must ponder these... feelings... I
suddenly harbor for you."
*****
An hour later found Rei Hino standing before a lone newspaper
dispenser, somewhere along the same street she had strolled with her
friends to and from the arcade so long ago. At least, that was what it
felt like. In reality, or whatever truly passed for reality, those
moments had occurred some six or seven years ago.
Amazement, mingled with helpless frustration, marred her face as
she scanned the paper through the glass case. "This can't be," she
whispered, though no one was there to listen at so late an hour.
Surely Pluto could not have been that foolish to have landed them
at this time, but there it was, the date upon the paper, denying her
disbelief in boldface print.
December 15. Ten days before Christmas of the same year.
Five days before the death of the Senshi.
A flurry of curses spat from her mouth as she took off in a mad
sprint, hoping beyond hope she wasn't too late. It did not help that
her body felt absurdly weak.
She sneezed softly on her way.
*****
Luna purred contentedly, nestled deep in the down comforter on
Usagi's bed. Sleep didn't quite embrace her, but she was rather relaxed
and comfortable. At least, she was comfortable while Usagi didn't toss
about haphazardly in her sleep, like right about... now.
The black feline nimbly leaped out of the way just as her owner's
arm slapped down where the cat had just been lounging. Mumbling
something about Mamo-chan, Usagi's restlessness settled back to
peaceful snores.
The glare on Luna's face could have melted that arm. After all
these years, she figured she would have gotten used to the constant
shifting and turning, but cats were remarkably uppity about there
comfort, especially those with enough intelligence to advise the Queen
of the Moon Kingdom.
RAP! RAP! RAP!
Luna leaped four feet in the air, screeched in fright, and landed
feet first on Usagi's gaping mouth. The latter's eyes shot wide open,
and she bolted upright, coughing and gasping in the same breath, a
sound very close to a whuffling bear who had just gotten stung with his
hand in a beehive.
"Cough! Gak! Pah! Luna, you flea-ridden bag of fur! What was
that for?!" Usagi screeched in a most unladylike manner. "I nearly
choked on-"
RAP! RAP! RAP! And then, a muffled, "Usagi?" It came from
outside the window.
Luna glanced at her ward, and her ward stared back. Why was
that voice so familiar? Could it be? It had been five years...
Usagi leaped out of the bed, threw the curtains wide, and
gasped between surprise and joy. It was Rei, hovering at her
windowsill!
"Rei! You're back! Kami-sama, where have you been? I've been so
worried, and I had a dream that- What? I can't hear you, Rei. You'll
have to speak up. This window is muffling you're voice. Huh? Oh." The
last came out a bit sheepishly as she quickly unlatched the window and
opened it to the wintery cold air. "You look a little chilled," she
added lamely, a foolish grin stretching her lips from ear to ear.
That was quite an understatement, for Rei's face was pinched
with the frigid cold. Bright spots of color burned on her cheeks, and
the tips of her ears were glowing cherry red. Her whole body shivered,
from the ends of her remarkable hair to her barely insulated toes. She
was not prepared for the cold at all, it seemed, with only a dirt
smudged woolen turtleneck and rumpled black jeans. She hadn't kept
herself well at all.
For her part, Rei had a cynical comment ready to leap off the
tip of her tongue, but a long gaze at her queen's childish smile had
tears bursting from her eyes. She shook herself, frowning. "Nn-no. I
pp-promised myself I wouldn't cc-cry. I have nn-no more ttt-tears to
gg-give." Roughly, Rei wiped away her tears, mumbling about weaknesses
between chattering teeth, and yet, deep inside, an overwhelming rush of
relief nearly knocked her off her feet.
She didn't need relief, though, to topple her, for Usagi
tackled her in a weeping embrace that dropped them both to the ground,
shaming the best of football tacklers. The air rushed out of Rei's
lungs, and stars flashed across her vision, which seemed kind of odd to
a small part of her mind, for Usagi had not really knocked her down all
that hard.
"Uuu... Uuu..." Rei gasped, looking disconcertingly like a fish
out of water. She struggled against Usagi's grip, but astonishingly,
she couldn't budge them. Her shivering calmed slightly, Usagi's body
heat radiating warmly, but breathing was becoming more and more
difficult.
"Rei, don't you...... and then the dream...
... but Minako-chan said......" Usagi's face
being buried into Rei's chest didn't allow for much comprehension of
her words.
Chuckling to herself, her own tears glistening in her eyes,
Luna laid a gentle paw on the blonde's cheek. "Uh, Usagi-chan, I don't
think Rei can breathe."
"Oh!" the former exclaimed, rising hurriedly. "Gomen nasai,
Rei-chan! Are you okay?"
Breathing in deeply, she replied, "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine." Why
won't those spots go away. She blinked repeatedly to no avail. The cold
seemed to return too. Gods, how she hated the cold. And sore throats.
She DESPISED sore throats, and it felt like she was getting a raging
one right now, one that had started as a tickle in her throat on her
run to Usagi's house.
Luna stared at Rei for a moment, then reached out with a paw to
the forehead. She snatched it back instantly, hissing softly. "Usagi,
she's burning up! Get her under some covers."
Fearful worry washed over Usagi's face, replaced almost
immediately with grim determination. Very carefully, she helped Rei
draw an arm around her shoulders, then lifted her to her feet, all of
Rei's weight was on Usagi. Three steps, and the dark-haired woman was
laid upon the bed.
"Usagi, please, you
have to listen to... stop that... listen to me! Where is... leave my
shoes alone!"
"Rei, I'm going to change your clothes," the princess said
mildly, ignoring her patient's words.
The latter's eyes widened, then blinked rapidly, trying once
again to rid herself of the shiny spots in her vision. "You're going to
WHAT?!" she shouted, followed by an indelicate sneeze and a groan.
Someone had just started hammering a ten-ton boulder on her brain, and
it didn't feel particularly good.
"You're sick. What possessed you to trample around in the
middle of winter is beyond me, my friend, but what's done is done. Now
you'll have to pay for your blunder." She said it rather blandly, but
the twinkle of mirth was in Usagi's eye.
"For crying out loud, that isn't import- oh, alright, have it
your way," the priestess moaned, conceding that perhaps she WAS a
little under the weather. Not enough to warrant this kind of attention,
but it HAD been a rather long day. Still, there were some worries that
needed addressing NOW. "I need to know something. Do you still have the
Crystal?"
That brought a sudden stop to the pampering. "Of course I do.
That's a funny question to ask." Nonetheless, there was an odd tone to
her voice, indicating that perhaps it wasn't a funny question at all.
Rei groaned inwardly, realizing she had just set off all of Usagi's
alarms. Well, there was no helping that. Homecoming would just have to
wait until...
"Please, Princess, I need to see it." Rei pleaded, swallowing
with difficulty and grimacing equally at the pain in her throat and the
direction of her thoughts. "It's vital."
For a moment, Usagi looked ready to refuse, and she threw Luna
a look bordering on panic, but the urgency in her friend's voice seemed
genuine enough, not at all like her. Rei was all bluster and bark, not
really the begging type. Questions coming from her mouth usually had
more command to them than any semblance of inquiry. Briefly, she
wondered how much Rei had changed over five years.
What's more, this was hardly the welcome she had intended for
such a dear comrade. A party or something, yes, but not her stumbling
in in the middle of the night, and sick at that.
Sighing softly, Usagi pulled out her brooch from the dresser
where she had always kept it. There was a disconcerting tingle in the
back of her neck, reminiscent of rising hackles, if she had any. With
absolute conviction, she knew that something monumentous was going to
happen soon, signalled by the return of her agitated friend. It wasn't
fair, but then again, being the sole savior of the human race didn't
really fall under the category of fairness. All she could really do was
buck up and face it head on.
"There, Rei, see? I have the Crystal," she whispered with a
self-satisfied smugness, flipping open the brooch case. Inside, the gem
gleamed with clarity, all its facets catching every bit of light and
shining them back with pristine purity. "I didn't lose it or anything."
No smoke. No cracks.
With a vast sigh of relief, Rei clutched at the blanket,
realizing that a little rest wouldn't hurt. Hell, a short nap may even
do her some good, and perhaps deal with this miserable cold that had
settled in.
she wondered sleepily.
"Rei-chan?" She had closed her eyes, and could not summon the
energy to open them again.
"Hmmm?"
A moment's pause. "I'm glad you're back."
Rei smiled as warmly as possible, though it looked a bit
strained and concerned as the sorceress instantly fell asleep.
"She seems troubled, Usagi-chan," Luna said quietly. "Troubled
enough that she didn't go home first. I don't like it. And did you see
her eyes? There was something... Perhaps we should listen to what she
has to say now."
"No," Usagi replied with a tired hitch in her voice. "The
danger will have to wait. She's exhausted and sick, and I won't have
it. It's bad enough that they all feel they need to sacrifice
themselves for me at a moment's notice." She sighed bitterly, and with
a motherly grace that belied her normal clumsiness, she tucked her
friend in as cozily as possible.
Rei's eyes hadn't escaped her notice. It was nothing truly
alarming, like being entirely black, or white for that matter. They
were almost normal, except... they were of a different abstract quality
that made it difficult to put her finger on. A bit dull, perhaps. She
had seen eyes like that before, but she couldn't place them.
"Usagi-"
The princess waved a hand imperiously, instinctively knowing
what her guardian was going to say. "Yes Luna, call back the others. I
know you won't let me rest until they're all notified, and frankly,
I'll feel better myself with everyone back." She pursed her lips in
contemplation, so she didn't notice the silent, respectful gaze Luna
gave her. Their first problem in over five years, and Usagi was taking
the initiative AND acting responsibly! It was enough to make Luna puff
up with pride.
"Actually, I should be the one to call them, Luna." The
princess stood up with a weary sigh. "I'll need to apologize to Ami and
Minako for pulling them back from their trips."
"They'll understand, Usagi-chan."
"That's not the point, Luna. I don't like interrupting their
lives like this. I want them to have as much freedom as they can
before... well, before anything new happens."
Perhaps an hour later, after all the Senshi had been notified
of the bittersweet arrival of Rei, Usagi fell asleep at her desk, the
brooch still clutched in her hand. Luna curled up in the crook of Rei's
arm, content to let the weaving of fates lie until the morning.
*****
Not too many miles away, in an abandoned Shinto temple of rural
Tokyo, there was a brief flash of shimmering light, followed almost
instantly by a high piercing shriek of pain. A distinctly female
shriek.
*****
Setsuna stiffened in the process of pouring tea, her face a
sudden mask of terrible fear. Dropping the cup and the pot with a
clatter, she sprinted out of the kitchen.
*****
Deep underground, in a honeycombed maze of tunnels unknown to
all except one being, the Grelloth Noxus stopped inspecting a storage
room and cocked his head, as if listening to something afar. After a
moment, he melded into the darkness.
*****
Rei's eyes snapped wide open with deliriously hysterical horror.
Throwing off the blanket (distantly she wondered why she was so hot),
the priestess leaped off the bed to grab Usagi from the desk. Luna
yowled in surprise at having a blanket suddenly dumped over her.
"The Crystal, Usagi!! Where is it?!" Rei screamed into the
princess' face.
"Huh, wha- Rei?" Inadvertently, Usagi brushed her drowsy eyes
with the hand holding the brooch, which Rei promptly ripped out of her
grasp painfully.
"Ow! Rei! That hurt!"
The priestess, sweating feverishly, ripped open the compact,
nearly breaking it. Within, the Crystal gleamed as before, clear and
clean. Almost viciously, Rei extended her will to it.
Impossibly, the Crystal shattered like glass.
Usagi gasped in absolute shock. "Kami-sama, Rei! What have you
done?!"
Rei raised her arms into the air "Glass!!! GLASS!!!" she
shrieked in anguish, letting the brooch fall to the floor.
Then she vanished with an audible 'pop'.
*****
The shrieking died down to an improvised string of cursing as the
woman dropped the burning gem, clutching at her right hand. The charred
smell of roasting flesh wafted about in a crisp breeze, then quickly
dissipated away from the poorly insulated shrine. The sound of the
Crystal falling onto rotten wood rang with a disconcertingly loud tone,
akin to a mutted gong being struck, but that, too, died down in
seconds.
"I spent too much time awaiting this day, and a simple little
burn is not going to stop me," she hissed, apparently addressing the
clear gem on the floor while cradling a fearsomely burnt hand.
The gem deigned not to respond.
The pain shot through her arm in jolting waves, disrupting
anything further she might have said as she gasped and hissed. She cut
off a rising whimper, and closed her eyes in concentration, though it
seemed to be a phenomenal effort. Slowly at first, tiny motes of
sparkles emerged from the air, floating towards her until they settled
on her ruined flesh, and as each touched onto the wound, her flesh
bubbled and morphed, regenerating itself with astonishing speed. After
a few minutes, she was wiggling all five fingers without the slightest
pain.
Satisfied, Dark Rei climbed to her feet, brushing off the years
of dust from her jeans. Frowning, she noticed some had stained her
blazer also. She brushed that away too. Afterall, she had just stolen
these. It didn't do to have them dirtied so soon.
A rabid grin touched her otherwise beautiful face, for such
thoughts would not be necessary soon. It was a simple matter to steal
the Silver Imperium Crystal from that twit's home. Now, all she needed
to do was figure out how to tap the strength of the Crystal, and all
her dreams and pleasures would be fulfilled.
Then, she would begin the game of revenge on a certain twin
across the world.
Gingerly, Dark Rei scooped up the Crystal once more, exceedingly
careful not to channel ANY magic for fear of backlashing again. If she
could only figure out a way to use it's powers, SHE would be the Megami
then, not some quarter-brained, sniveling little bakemono who didn't
deserve the title one whit.
So intent was she on her musings that she thoroughly missed the
entrance of another woman. Too, she missed the underhanded swing of the
staff until much too late.
CRACK!!
The shattering of many finger, hand and wristbones exploded
through her mind, shocking her senses into a moment of agonizingly
sharp clarity. The Crystal looked to float out of her disintegrating
grasp, propelled by the impact of a large blood red orb smashing up and
THROUGH her hand. She couldn't open her mouth fast enough to let in all
the breath she would need, for the air had suddenly become a thick
morass, slowing motion to a snail's pace.
Her one hope was drifting lazily away, annoyingly sweeping stray
beams of moonlight as they glinted off its faceted surface.
And then the blaze of agony began, and Time returned to its
normal flow.
The beginnings of a scream emerged from Dark Rei's throat, only
to clamp back when the butt end of the Time Staff slammed under her
chin, snapping back her head, and crunching her teeth together with a
disgusting click.
She would then have fallen on her own, except that the staff
swept out once again, this time pulling her legs out from underneath
her.
The pain of hitting the floor didn't even register at that point,
so fiery were her other injuries, and that fire set off her instincts.
Her will lashed out at her assailant, though she had yet to see her. A
dome of concussive force detonated about her, and the unexpected yelp
of Sailor Pluto was the only sign that Dark Rei had succeeded in
fending off Death for at least a minute longer. The crash of splintered
wood echoed from across the room.
With the experience of years as a Shinto priestess, Dark Rei drew
upon a meditative technique that inverted her mind into an emotionless
void. Suddenly, the pain was not really HER pain, but rather some
foreign entity just outside her psyche's ability to comprehend.
With eyes flat and devoid of humanity, the sorceress rose to her
feet, turning towards the ageless defender of Time, who was struggling
to her feet as well. Another lash of her will, and Sailor Pluto was
sent flying through the wall of the temple, landing in a jumbled
unmoving heap upon the road outside, the Time Staff clattering to a
stop some feet beyond.
With an almost negligent wave, Dark Rei healed her injuries,
distantly recognizing the grinding of her bones within her hand and the
tingling sensation in her jaw, all the while stalking towards the prone
Senshi outside. "You have a habit of showing up at the most inopportune
times, Guardian of Time," she addressed coldly, though even her voice
sounded like an echo from far about her.
Just as she reached the crumbled hole in the wall, she felt the
disturbance behind her, and instinctively dropped flat to the ground.
Mere inches above her, twin beams of violet energy obliterated the
already weakened wall.
Reacting instantly, a shimmering field encompassed the
sorceress, greatly distorting her image within as if she were a mirage.
The second set of beams, emerging from the darkness across the room
clashed with the field, bouncing off at odd angles to further dismantle
the integrity of the shrine.
Two glowing gems blazed into life from that darkness,
illuminating it with the same violet hue.
"You dare much, Grell, attacking me like this. My quarrel is
not with you... yet."
The darkness about the gems seemed to shrug. "Now, later, it
means little to me. Your plan must be stopped." From nowhere, one of
his jeweled wakazashis appeared, and he flung it with deadly accuracy.
Though it bounced harmlessly off the shield, the Grell used the
momentary distraction to meld with the shadows again.
Sniffing disdainfully at the cowardly tactic, Dark Rei turned
away, then stopped, her mind growing cold with despair. Sprinting, she
headed back deeper into the shrine, searching frantically.
The Crystal was gone.
The resulting scream of rage pierced Pluto's pit of
unconsciousness, carrying her back to reality. She groaned softly at
her aches and bruises, carefully gathering her limbs back under
control, though they didn't seem to be very glad about it. "Perks of
the job, Setsuna," she mumbled to herself. "Probably why you don't have
a sense of humor."
Little did anyone know, Pluto had a quirky habit of talking to
herself, something developed after spending hundreds of centuries
outside of society.
Grabbing up the Time Staff, she headed back to the shrine,
intent once again on destroying Rei, or Dark Rei, or whoever she was.
She was careful not to consider the fact that she had a chance just
slimmer than the width of her eyelash of surviving.
*****
"Where did she go? Luna, where did she go?!"
"Calm down, Usagi," the cat ordered, though her mind was
reeling on the verge of panic as well. Someone had managed to steal the
Silver Imperium Crystal from right under their noses, and they hadn't
even realized it! Who knew how long the Crystal had been gone!
The princess pulled off her pajama top, rummaging in her closet
for a shirt. "I need... find her," she said, though clothing muffled
her voice. "She must... where... Crystal is."
"Huh? How do you figure that?"
Usagi stopped, half clothed. "Come on, Luna. You saw the way
she got when she disappeared. She KNOWS something!" Very quietly, Usagi
grumbled to herself.
Luna's ears perked up. "What was that?"
"I said, I should have listened to you. I should have made her
tell us what was wrong immediately."
"I can tell you what is wrong," the Grell announced flatly,
emerging from within the shadows of Usagi's wardrobe.
The blonde backpedaled clumsily, made all the more difficult
because her khakis she was slipping into were still around her knees.
With an attempt to save grace AND modesty, Usagi fell, panties and bra
showing, pants around her ankles, unbuttoned pink shirt, and her face
so red it burned. "Aaahhh! Hentai youma!" she cried, distinctly acute
images of the "Urotsukidoji" OVA whizzing through her head. Her addled
mind didn't even consider trying to transform.
Without the Crystal, she would only become Sailor Moon with a
flashy healing scepter.
"Very droll and rather flattering, Lady Moon, but I have better
things to do than to deflower you." The Grell flowed out of the closet,
until he towered over the downed princess, gazing at her coldly.
Without turning his head, he pointed at Luna, who had tamped down to
leap in a futile attack. "I am not here to harm her, Cath Shee, so
kindly do not interfere."
Luna's incumbent bluster deflated in surprise at that word.
Silently, the two bi-peds stared at each other, one so sinister
the air cringed in his presence, the other very small, very beautiful,
very pure... and feeling exceedingly vulnerable in her predicament.
After a moment, she asked in a meek voice, "Uh, Grell-san, do... do you
mind if I get dressed?"
"As you wish." He took one step back, no longer looming over
her.
Usagi quickly finished dressing herself, trying unsuccessfully
to accomplish the task with as much dignity as possible. All along, her
mind raced with ideas of escaping, though all of them seemed to end
with her dying rather messily.
Strangely, she wasn't ALL that frightened.
"Now," she said, fixing the last button the her shirt,
surprised that her voice wasn't wavering as much as her stomach was,
"For what reason should I listen to you."
"I have no intentions of harming you, as I said."
Usagi gulped, then tried again. "If you don't mind, I'd rather
not trust you. You're notoriously... devious. Could you please just
tell me what you want and then leave? Your presence is a bit...
disturbing." THAT was putting it mildly.
She wasn't sure, but she thought the Grell was amused. Of
course, his features didn't change. They never changed. Nonetheless,
there was something about the billowing of his cape that made her think
he was amused.
"You are a very brave young woman, Lady Moon. Very well, here
is why I have come." He reached into the folds of his cloak, then
stretched out his white gloved hand, revealing what he had retrieved.
The Silver Imperium Crystal.
Usagi could not speak, so complete was her shock, and Luna was
making gasping sounds, eyes exceedingly round and wide. The Grell
turned slightly towards the cat. "What is the matter, Cath Shee, cat
got your tongue?"
With a trembling hand, Usagi picked the gem from his hand. She
could hardly believe it! The Crystal! She hadn't known five minutes
that it was stolen, and suddenly it was back in her possession! Not
only that, but returned to her by the single most evil being in her
life! "I... don't understand," she whispered hesistantly.
The Grell shrugged, then said in a louder voice, "It is done,
crone. The contract is fulfilled." He seemed to address the room.
"Don't be ridiculous, you fool," returned another voice, this
one sounding more like the stereotype of witches found on television.
This one dripped heavily with contempt and scorn. "I want the line
reestablished. Now, get to it. Chop-chop."
Usagi whirled about, trying vainly to find the speaker. Why was
everyone showing up unannounced in HER room?
"Surely the line will be secure now that the Crystal is
returned," the Grell countered.
A great sigh of exasperation echoed through the room. "I must
be talking to an idiot. Which one of you is it, huh Grelly? Typhus?
Kain? Vecna? Maybe Orcus. You always were too stupid for your own good,
Orcus."
The Grell did not answer, but the room suddenly dropped in
temperature, and his cloak fluttering angrily.
Now, it must be noted that Usagi realized she was in WAY over
her head here. It wasn't every day that two rather magically endowed
beings chose your bedroom for a bantering discussion, especially when
it's obvious that both beings were none too friendly with each other.
Usagi wisely clamped her mouth shut and resigned herself to keeping
herself alive.
The witch's voice continued. "Ah well, it doesn't matter, I
suppose. Let's see. To explain this in terms even a child can
understand. Ummm. Ah! Alright, here goes." An image of a withered,
warty hand appeared over Usagi's bed.
It began to wiggle and writhe in complex gestures for a few
minutes, and in conjunction with these movements, words appeared under
the hand, until Usagi suddenly realized the hand was conveying sign
language with subtitles!
"Y-o-u p-r-o-b-a-b-l-y s-h-o-u-l-d g-e-t r-i-d o-f t-h-e b-a-s-
t-a-r-d c-h-i-l-d o-f W-a-r"
This time the Grell growled. "You ask much, Witch Yaga.
Destroying Rei Hino is not in the contract!"
Usagi jumped at that.
The hand disappeared, replaced with the image of an exceedingly
ugly old hag face, complete with sickly green wart-covered skin, teeth
that resembled slabs of iron metal, and white wisps of hair peeking out
of a moldering brown hood. Only the eyes detracted from the overall
hideousness, for they were the most beautiful shade of sapphire blue
one had ever seen. "I didn't TELL you to destroy THE child of War, you
debrained, pus-filled, leperous maggot dung-heap!"-
-The princess cringed in disgust-
-"The line very well isn't going to be secure if her half-wit
power-mongering twin is out playing 'Slaughterhouse Rock' with the
planet for the rest of time." The witch's eyes hardened coldly. "Get
rid of her. Snuff her, kill her, eat her, I don't care how, just remove
her from the planet's course of time."
The Grell considered the image for a long time, his cloak
fluttering in almost languid contemplation. "Why do you care what
happens to the royal line of the Moon Kingdom, Witch Yaga?" he asked
finally, passing a momentary glance towards Usagi.
"Sigh," she replied in lofty exasperation, "Are you on THAT
topic again? What in Hell, or Baator, or whatever they call it
nowadays, do you care why I care? I don't recall our contract included
me confiding in you about my plans. You want your bauble, and I want
the Sephirothic Line stable."
They had played this game for countless centuries, and they
would go on playing perhaps for countless more, and thus, the Grell
recognized the apparent slip of the tongue for what it was: a
volunteered clue that could take him one step closer to understanding
the mind of the witch. He declined his head slightly in
acknowledgement. "So THAT is the great crime of Baba Yaga. Interference
with an aasimon. I am impressed."
The witch shrugged. "It was a long time ago, and I was much
more to look at then." Her eyes seemed to glaze over with a very
faraway look. "I can't even remember his name anymore," she murmured,
almost sadly. Despite failing to understand anything they were talking
about, Usagi felt a twinge of pity for the ugly hag.
"Then the legends are true. Because of a dalliance with one of
the Celestial, you were forever banned from returning here to your
homeworld." The Grell snorted disgustedly. "I thought sentimental
drivel was below you."
It was Baba Yaga's turn to growl in smoldering fury, her image
immolating in flames. Usagi raised her arms to shield herself before
she realized that nothing else was burning. It was all illusionary.
"You go too far, Grelloth Noxus."
"Yes, so I have been told," he replied insolently. "Still,
eloping with an aasimon is not grounds for such a punishment. What else
happened?"
The image remained silent, still simmering in rage.
Finally, he shrugged. "It is of no consequence. The terms of
our contract still hold, I suppose, but after that, this world WILL be
mine. You will not be able to stop me, Witch."
"No, but she can," was the reply with a slight nod towards
Usagi.
Both the witch and the youma turned towards the princess, who
took an involuntary step back. Her move would have been interpreted as
fear, except that she tripped over the leg of her chair, fell with a
childish cry, and landed heavily on her bottom. She looked altogether
foolish.
This time, the Grell did not bother to snort. "You are growing
senile in your age, Witch. This child is not a threat to me, even with
the vaunted Silver Imperium Crystal." With a flip of his cloak, the
youma turned to leave back whence he came.
Baba Yaga was not ready to admit defeat, however. "Ah, do you
dare underestimate the progeny of Galaghiel?"
The Grell stiffened, then whirled in apparent astonishment.
"HER?!"
The image nodded soberly.
"Surely, you jest," he choked, a note of panic in his endlessly
emotionless voice. He was staring hard at poor Usagi.
Baba Yaga smiled coldly. "Come, come, Grelly. You've known me
for much too long. If you don't believe me, go ahead and touch her.
Careful, though. If she IS a Celestial child, it might hurt."
Ignoring the crone, he approached the princess, looming over
her once again. She shied away, then, grasping a steadily declining
reservoir of courage, held her ground, jutting her jaw defiantly.
Almost gently, the Grell reached out and brushed her right cheek.
Golden-white light flashed from the contact. No harm came to
Usagi, however, though a surprised gasp escaped her at the reaction.
The Grell hissed in pain, grabbing his gloved hand in apparent
pain. His jeweled eyes burned with anger, bathing the bedroom with a
fiery violet glow.
"I told you," the witch said sardonically.
"THIS?!" he raged back. "YOU are responsible for THIS?!" The
object he was referring to was Usagi.
"THIS has a name, Grell," Yaga replied mildly. "Say it with me
now. Ser-eh-ni-ty."
Snarling ferociously, the youma stalked back into the closet.
Before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder towards the the princess.
"I shall speak with you later." To Yaga, he hissed, "I thought you
forgot his name?"
The witch shrugged. "I lied."
For a moment he said nothing, the light from his mask
immolating the room with rage. Finally, he spoke, "The Orb is almost
not worth this, Witch. Almost." His eyes flashed then subsided. "The
contract will be fulfilled, crone," he whispered, then stepped through
Usagi's closet and disappeared into the shadows.
"Well," Baba Yaga announced cheerfully, "he seemed remarkably
pissed."
Usagi was not happy, not in the least. She was frightened,
really. This had the timeless taste of something overwhelmingly
profound, something terribly important, and for some reason, her mind
could not put it together. It felt disconcertingly like a wooly gauze
being stuffed through her head.
She stared uncertainly at the image of the despicable-looking
hag, and opened her mouth to a question, but Yaga stopped her with a
shake of her head. "No, Serenity. I will not tell you who I am."
"Why do you keep calling me Serenity? That's my... mother's
name."
"You will take it in time. All of the queens have, ever
since..." and here the witch clamped her mouth shut, though a moment of
anguish crept into her face. Again shaking her head, she continued,
"... since the beginning."
This frustrated Usagi to no end. Here was someone who knew
about the past, apparently from the start of the Silver Millenium. "You
have to tell me, Yaga-sama," she ordered firmly, standing up with
something akin to a regal bearing.
The witch snorted in response. "Oh really, Seren-"
"Usagi," the princess interrupted
"-ity, what are you going to do? Stop being foolish and
concentrate on your current problem." Her blue eyes sparkled slightly
in some ethereal light, and suddenly Usagi felt very foolish for
worrying about this while her friend was out there, somewhere, very
sick. Without another thought for the witch, she grabbed up a coat and
shoes, and sprinted out of the room. "And don't use that Japanese
nomenclature crap on me, young lady!" Yaga yelled out behind her. The
bang of the front door followed soon after.
Until now, everyone had forgotten about Luna, perched as she
was on Usagi's bed. The witch, after watching the princess leave,
turned a soft and sober visage towards the cat. "You know who I am,
don't you Luna."
"Yes, your Majesty, I believe I do."
The image barked a short laugh. "Don't 'your Majesty' me, Luna.
I wasn't a queen or anything. I just started this whole damned mess."
The cat shrugged. "This 'whole damned mess' is a very powerful
institution for good in the universe, Lady-"
"Don't," pleaded the witch in a remarkably pained voice. "I
gave up that name long ago."
"My kind has an expansive memory. I doubt they will ever forget
the name of their savior." Luna bowed low before her.
"I'm not the same woman the cath shee once revered, Luna, nor
do I believe I shall ever choose to be." A hint of maliciousness
mingled with mild sorrow touched her face. "It would probably be to
your good health to remember that."
Once again, Luna shrugged, calmly licking her paw. "If it's all
the same to you, your Majesty, I'd like to hold on to my faith in you,
thank you. I will choose not to believe that you would allow harm to
come to your descendant, or the world you once called Home."
A quiet moment passed between them, each taking a measure of
comfort in the other's presence. Then, Baba Yaga spoke once again,
somewhat gruffly. "I won't let her remember any of this nonsense. She
has a great deal of trouble ahead of her without having to worry about
her great, great, and a thousand times great grandmother. I'll trust
you to keep your mouth shut." It didn't sound like a request, but Luna
nodded nonetheless. "Oh, and don't bother telling Artemis about me
either. He gets rather worked up about these things, and he has
his hands full taking care of that ditzy harlot Venus."
Luna ignored the slander. "He'll be sorely disappointed he
missed you, your Majesty."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just make sure my granddaughter is safe
at all times. I already know what's going to be in store for her, and
it doesn't look pretty, especially considering that the Orb I have
conceded to the Grell for aiding you guys will mark the beginning of
some of the biggest conflicts you'll ever have encountered."
"You wouldn't -"
"No, Luna, I won't tell you what happens. You know damn well
that kind of stuff isn't allowed. Hasn't Pluto taught you anything?"
Yaga huffed in exasperation. "Besides, what did I just get through
telling Serenity? Your vaunted pyromaniac is out there fighting the
battle of her life, not to mention the lives of all those on this
planet. Stop badgering me with inane drivel."
Luna smiled quietly, for behind the harsh words, she could read
the certain fondness the witch conveyed. "Yes, your Majesty."
Baba Yaga shot her a withering glare, them mumbled incoherently
as her image faded away. The feline thought she could make out some
words:
"Fool cats. Never should have given them speech."
*****
Had anyone been watching the lonely little shrine atop the hill
in that pastoral countryside, anyone would have noted that something
odd was going on there, what with the lightning-strike flashes of light
and the detonating rumbles that came from that direction. The
occasional disintegration of a patch of wall or roofing would have
raised a few eyebrows also.
Alas, no one noticed the titanic battle, for it was VERY early
in the morning, and the nearest dwelling was some 2 miles down the road
in either direction.
Alas, that is, for poor Sailor Pluto.
She had long since given up trying to keep track of all her
injuries, for it just didn't seem to matter anymore. Breathing was very
difficult, but that was probably because one of her ribs was coming
dangerously close to puncturing a lung. She couldn't swing the Time
Staff any more. It was all Pluto could do just to lean on it for
support, not to mention she couldn't put any wait on her left leg.
Compound fractures there. Her side hurt something fierce, but she
refused to remove her hand from the deep burns, even though she felt
sick at the feel of her own muscle. They were remarkably tough muscles.
They felt like silk rope actually, but that was probably the blood
gushing out that made it so slick. And, above all that, there was
absolutely nothing left in her to draw on for another attack. Her
throat was so raw from her attack she couldn't speak anymore, and even
if she could, the pricks of light engulfing her vision more than
announced that her exhaustion was nearly complete. She was proverbially
surprised to still be alive.
Across the shattered remnants of the main altar room, Dark Rei
gasped loudly, doubled over with hands on her knees, trying to catch
her breath after that last flurry of action. While Sailor Pluto was
drained by her excessive use of her powers compounded with her
injuries, the sorceress was fatigued by her excessive use of her powers
to HEAL all of her injuries. In the madness that had followed the loss
of the Silver Imperium Crystal, she had been very negligent in the
ensuing battle with the Senshi of Time. For every wound visited upon
herself by Pluto, she had returned the attack tenfold, but she had
also squandered her energies on regenerating from even the merest of
scratches, a task much more draining than launching bolts of
devastating fury. She was being overly cautious, and now the price was
being payed. She'd have to destroy Pluto quickly to recover and
regroup. "Have you ever been turned inside out, Senshi of Time?" she
taunted sadistically.
Sailor Pluto tried to shift her staff before her, but the
effort dropped her to the ground. Even downed, her eyes held the fire
of defiance.
The Garnet Orb flickered sedately, giving the only warning to
either of them. Pluto blinked in surprise. The sorceress foolishly
ignored it, raising a fist to the air.
The telekinetic pulse smashed into Dark Rei from the back.
Flailing wildly, she flew through the air and crashed face first into
the wall some ten feet away. Just as she was about to slid down, wooden
arms sprouted from the wall, grabbing and mashing her against the
shrine.
Pluto wondered briefly if she might survive afterall.
Hino Rei materialized from the air, motes of twilight still
clinging to her. "Where is it?" she hissed in a voice that sent shivers
running through Pluto's spine. Her eyes were blazing ivory white,
illuminating with a pale glow. Her teeth were clenched in fury, and she
looked fevered, delirious.
Suddenly, the Senshi of Time felt more in danger than ever
before.
The head of the dazed sorceress pulled back, as if someone had
invisibly grabbed her hair. Rei stalked right up to her captive's face,
bending her backwards even more. "WHERE IS IT?!"
Still, Dark Rei's eyes rolled in her sockets, and an ugly
bruise was quickly forming on the right side of her face. Growling in
raging frustration, the invisible force slammed the captive's face into
the wall again.
This time, blood splashed out of her nose.
"Rei," croaked Pluto in a weak whisper. Rei had never shown
this kind of cruelty before.
Too low to be heard, the Guardian of Time was ignored as, yet
again, Dark Rei's face was pummeled into the wall, this time cracking
the wood. Several more spatters of blood marred it as well. "Where is
the Crystal?"
Still no answer.
"Where-" Smash. "Is-" Smash. "The-" Smash. "Crystal?" Smash.
There was only the sound of blood dripping in rivulets off Dark
Rei's chin.
"Rei," Pluto whispered again, finding a tiny amount of energy
to shift her staff, hoping to get her attention. Even that little
effort very nearly dropped her concentrated hold on maintaining her
Senshi form.
The delirious woman actually turned around, squinting at
Pluto's fallen form. Absently, she let go of her twin's head, which
lolled loosely to one side. The wooden arms did not relinquish there
hold, however. "Setsuna, is that you?"
Pluto cringed slightly, hearing Rei's voice. It still harboured
a grating twitch to it, clearly indicating that whatever madness had
overcome the Senshi of Fire was still searing away at her mind. The
green-haired woman nodded as best she could.
Rei looked vaguely confused. "You're young again." She took a
step towards the Senshi. "You're hair... it's very beautiful again."
The older woman quirked an eyebrow, staring hard at the
approaching priestess. She noted how Rei's eyes still burned with the
feverish glow of her power, but she also noted the slight shivering of
her hands, her flushed face, and the stumbling quality of her gait. Rei
wasn't well, not by a longshot.
Unconsciously, the Senshi of Time tried to back away. "You're
ill, Rei." Kami-sama, how it hurt to speak!
"It doesn't matter, Setsuna. All that matters is the princess."
She almost stopped and turned back towards her twin. "That's what it
all boils down to. Why? How did you do it? It's so hard. I'm so
selfish. How, Pluto?" Rei was kneeling besides her by know, pleading
incoherently. "So many years. So many centuries. How did you do it?"
"Painfully," was the hoarse reply.
Rei nodded. "I'm sorry, Setsuna-sama. " A semblance of calm
washed over her unstable visage. "I didn't make matters easy for you. I
think I understand now. Many things, or maybe just a few, but I do."
She had taken to stroking the green tresses quite lovingly. "I'm tired
of running. I'm tired of being alone. I'm just so very tired. But I
love her. She is my will to live. She IS my life. There's just so much
I have to worry about." Rei dropped her face into her hands. "I can't
even begin to ask her forgiveness."
Pluto tried to speak again, but only a mewling gasp escaped,
her face clenching at the agony.
Behind them, Dark Rei opened one very ebon-hued eye.
Rubbing her face, the priestess lifted her gaze to Sailor
Pluto. "I should probably get you out of here, first. Then I'll take
care of-"
The explosion literally blew the top off the shrine.
*****
"He did WHAT?!" Mamoru cried incredulously.
Usagi sighed. "The Grell gave me the Silver Imperium Crystal.
Now, please don't interrupt, Muffin. We don't have that kind of time.
Rei's evil twin seems to be on the prowl again, and I think Rei is
trying to handle this on her own again."
They were gathered at Mamoru's apartment, which he hadn't seen
fit to give up once he had graduated from college. 'They' consisted of
Makoto, Haruka, Michiru, Usagi and Mamoru. Makoto also held up her
communicator, so that both Ami and Minako could listen to the story,
even though they were much too far away to make a difference. Hotaru
and Chibi-Usa were left asleep at the Outer Senshi's mansion. Setsuna
was nowhere to be found.
Relating the events which had brought the princess out at 3am
didn't take much longer, but the frowns were aplenty. Haruka and Makoto
looked ready to leap out and cause some general havok while pretending
nonchalance in the face of the other. Michiru looked worried, gnawing
at her bottom lip, no doubt wondering where Setsuna had disappeared to.
Mamoru still seemed doubtful about the Grell's apparent act of
generosity. "Are you sure it's the true Silver Imperium Crystal?" he
asked, turning Usagi towards him by the shoulders.
"Mamo-chan! Rei's in trouble! We have to do something!" she
cried back, a hint of irritation crawling into her tone.
"Actually, Usagi-chan, it is a perfectly valid and
understandable question," Michiru said. "If it ISN'T the Crystal, we
could be in very big trouble, Rei or no Rei."
"I'm sorry, Usagi, but I have to agree here," came the
electronically tinkling voice of Ami through the communicator. "If you
don't have the Crystal, that will need to be your first concern."
Reluctantly, Minako nodded in consent.
Usagi shot Makoto a look that spoke volumes of concern, a hand
reaching for the brooch. Strangely, the brunette frowned her concern as
well, then nodded in agreement. The princess smiled wanely, for she
could tell it grated Makoto's nerves to be passive like this. She
wanted desperately to find Rei also.
"Moon Crisis Power, make up!"
After five years of being Usagi, the transformation thrilled
her to the core. She felt warm and soft, tingling all over. The sense
of pure-hearted goodness sunk into every pore of her body, making many
of her worries more manageable. She could do anything if she put her
mind to it.
"Well," Makoto quipped, clinically analyzing Eternal Sailor
Moon's angelic wings, "since that's done with, isn't it about time we
pull Rei's butt out of the fire."
The princess, her wings fluttering slightly, had the decency to
look a bit sheepish. "Uh, see, that's going to be a problem. I don't
know where-"
"I'm already on it," Ami interrupted distractedly. She looked
like she was intent on something outside the field of view of the
communicator. Faint bleeps and bloops drifted to their ears, indicating
the use of the pocket-sized computer. "Ahhh..." she drawled after a
minute, her brows scrunched up in a heavy frown. "They're together,
Usagi-chan, about 25 miles south of Tokyo. You'll have to follow- Wait!
They're gone!"
"Huh? What do you mean they're gone?" Haruka demanded.
Ami ignored her, focusing her efforts on her computer. She
wasn't absolutely sure, but she could have sworn one of the blips
representing a Rei had faded before disappearing, while the other had
simply vanished. Clenching her teeth, Ami suppressed the dark thought
of what that might mean if it was the true Rei.
"Ami-chan," Usagi pleaded, a bit of hysteria crawling into her
throat. "Where is she?"
"I'm working on it, Princess. Please, I need a moment."
Mamoru wrapped an arm tenderly around Moon's shoulders,
offering a bit of comfort. She gratefully snuggled in a bit closer, her
hands enclosing the Crystal.
For an eternity of a minute, the gathering waited as patiently
as could be expected, though Minako did mumble something about wishing
to be back in Japan. Makoto smiled wanly and murmured that the blonde
wouldn't enjoy the cold in the middle of the park wearing one of her
runway sequinced dresses. Minako blew her a raspberry, which sounded
remarkably funny through her communicator speaker.
"Well," Ami began, her frown remaining, "I've managed to find
one of them, but," and here she paused to stare into her com-screen.
"What?" Usagi blurted.
"Whoever it is, I... I think she's hurt." Usagi gasped, a hand
flying to her mouth.
"Is it the true Rei, Ami?" Michiru asked softly.
"I can't be sure. There's something... odd about her reading.
It's ALMOST Rei, but not quite. At least, that's how the computer is
reading her."
Makoto smacked her fist into her palm. "So it might be the evil
Rei, is that what you're trying to say?"
Ami shook her head. "No, it's definitely not... the evil Rei.
The computer already knows how to identify her, and that's who one of
the blips was. This one is... it might be Rei-chan," she mumbled
lamely.
"How many Rei Hinos are out there?" Mamoru asked, throwing his
hands up in frustration. "We'll go there and find out for ourselves if
it's Rei or not."
"And how do you propose to do that?" Ami threw back mildly.
"They look exactly the same. If you guess wrong, you could be in more
danger than you're expecting."
Haruka stepped forward. "Oh, come on, Ami. It's still Rei,
whether good or bad. Surely we can handle anything she can throw at
us."
"Have you fought her before?"
"No, but-"
"Then how do you know?"
"She can't-"
Makoto positioned herself before Haruka. "We HAVE fought her.
She's more than a match for all of us, save maybe Sailor Moon, and even
then, she's not the most reliable defender." The brunette turned to the
princess with a sheepish expression. "Gomen nasai, Sailor Moon, but she
is one of us, and unless you know for a fact that Rei wouldn't be in
danger, you won't have the heart to defend us to your utmost fullest."
Instead of taking offense, Eternal Sailor Moon nodded in
agreement. "She's right, Haruka. We fought the evil Rei once before,
and it was a chancy thing at best. Many things had to go right. I can't
risk using the full power of the Silver Imperium Crystal unless it is
absolutely necessary."
"Sailor Moon will NOT use the full power of the Silver Imperium
Crystal no matter what," Minako commanded in a firm voice. "We all know
that we cannot allow that to occur."
Ami cleared her throat noisily, catching everyone's attention.
"Um, guys, where exactly are Chibi-Usa-chan and Hotaru-chan?"
"They are at our house," replied Michiru.
"That's what I was afraid of. The Rei I have tracked is at your
house too."
*****
Hotaru blinked a couple of times to clear the sleep from her
eyes, all the while wondering what that noise was that had woken her
up. Beside her, Chibi-Usa continued sleeping, oblivious as always in
her deep slumber. A tsunami could drop onto the house and drown her
before she would get up, Hotaru thought wryly.
Not wishing to disturb her friend's sleep, the dark-haired
child carefully emerged from the bed, donning a soft robe of lavender,
and padded out of her bedroom. Shutting the door quietly behind her,
she took a moment to listen for the sound again.
Nothing.
Frowning, Hotaru headed down the hallway, fingering her
transformation pen absently. She wasn't actually afraid as she neared
the grand staircase that led downstairs, but her nerves did feel a
bit stretched with anxiety. She was especially concerned because she
knew Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were not home, nor was Setsuna-sama.
Hotaru was all alone here to protect Chibi-Usa and herself.
But she wasn't afraid.
Roughly halfway down the stairs, she heard another muffled
bump, followed by a sighing groan, obviously coming from the dining
room. This time, the child reached into her pocket dimension and pulled
the Silence Glaive out, readying it before her as she continued down.
For a brief moment, she thought it might be prudent to call the
others, or at the very least, wake Chibi-Usa, but the moment passed. It
wasn't that Hotaru was excessively brave, but rather she didn't feel
that this needed the others' attention. They were busy enough as it
was, and Chibi-Usa needed her sleep.
Of course, while bravery and prudence seemed one and the same
to her, Hotaru was not immune to shock, and what she saw as she turned
the corner into the dining room shocked her to the core.
The dining room table, a beautiful work of cherry mahogany, had
been ruined beyond repair. The table had been a large piece, some seven
by twenty feet in dimension. In the exact center, a perfect circle had
been sheared through the table, so precise that one would never find a
single splinter in the cut.
The cause of this desecration was the sphere of jade-hued energy
that, even now, floated within the antique furniture, spanning some six
feet in diameter itself. Whatever it touched simply melted away,
including the low hanging chandelier above the table and the plush
carpet below.
Feeling prudence had had its say in things, Hotaru reached once
again into her pocket dimension and withdrew her transformation stick,
holding it before like a crucifix.
"Saturn Planet Power, make up!"
In moments, the Senshi of Silence stood before the sphere,
perusing her mind for anything that could explain this phenomenon,
careful to keep herself a safe distance away in case it proved
dangerous. Almost tentatively, she began to reach out with her Glaive.
Suddenly, the sphere popped like a bubble, depositing two very
crippled individuals through the hole and onto the ground beneath.
"Setsuna-mama!" Saturn cried, dropping her weapon and scurrying
atop the table to the edge of the hole. Sure enough, there lay Sailor
Pluto, wheezing terribly, her sailor fuku charred and smoldering.
Beside her was Rei, her turtleneck and jeans singed and smoking.
Her skin had the unhealthy flush of someone who had stepped much to
close to a roaring flame, but she shivered uncontrollably, slowly
curling into a fetal position.
With a strength allowed only through the augmentations of her
Senshi form, Sailor Saturn dropped off the table and flipped it off to
the side, shoving it against the opposite wall. With gentle care, she
knelt beside Pluto and cradled her head. "Kami-sama! What happened?"
Though soft-spoken, her voice carried the weight of heavy concern, and
tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
"Rei..." came the whispered reply.
Saturn seemed confused. "No, Setsuna-sama, she couldn't have done
this to you. I won't believe that. Please, I've never seen you so
hurt."
Pluto grinned wryly. "I'm... not invincible, Hotaru-chan."
"You are to me." Fumbling one-handed, Saturn pulled out her
communicator and set the emergency beacon. "I need to get you to a bed.
Are you okay to be moved?"
The Senshi of Time coughed weakly, then shook her head. "I-" She
grimaced at the effort, then continued. "I don't think so. I think...
breathing hurts... leg broken... and-"
"Shhh, don't say anything." The child paid Rei a surreptitious
glance, but the latter remained oblivious to anything. Her eyes were
clenched shut, and she had curled up so tightly, her muscles looked
taut and stretched. "I'll have to heal you here until the others get
here."
Pluto grunted, and seemed ready to protest, but she was as weak
as a kitten. Wrapping her arms about the older woman, Sailor Saturn
lowered her lips to her friend's forehead. Immediately, a violet aura
shone out from the Senshi of Silence, engulfing both herself and Sailor
Pluto.
Setsuna quickly dropped into darkness.
It was in that position that the others found them some fifteen
minutes later. Rei had not moved, though she still trembled horribly.
Saturn held Pluto in an endearing embrace, pouring her healing energy
into the Senshi of Time, who lay unconscious, but whole.
"Setsuna!" Haruka and Michiru cried in near unison.
"Rei!" Usagi screamed a split second later.
Rei's eyes snapped open at that voice. It seemed so long since
she had heard that voice, that pure, delightfully innocent voice. "U...
Usagi?"
"Yes, Rei-chan, I'm here," came the answer, and gentle arms
wrapped about her with more love than Rei could possibly deserve. Her
sickness vanished into a far corner of her mind at that soothing touch.
Usagi suddenly found herself engulfed in a frantic embrace, Rei
trying to crawl right into her, burying her face into the princess'
chest.
Then, there was a sound that surprised every conscious and free-
thinking person in the room.
Rei was crying very loudly and unconsciously. Great wracking sobs
shook her so hard, they threatened to topple Usagi as well. So heart-
rending and full of loss, the priestess weeped with all of her soul, as
if she had kept eons of pain locked up tightly for this exact moment,
and she had to let go of it all in one sorrowful burst.
All the others could do was watch with very heavy hearts. All
Usagi could do was soothe her dearest friend, tears streaming down her
own face at the sounds. There was nothing to do but be there, and it
did not feel like even that was going to be enough for the young dark-
haired woman who had had her life shattered so terribly by her own
deeds.
*****
"Mercury, where are you?"
"I am here, Dark Maiden," the boyish voice intoned, the God
stepping out from behind a birch. "I trust you have come to a
conclusion?"
Eilistraee leveled him with a lunar glare. "I have."
"And?"
The dark elf goddess held her words, musing upon them for a
moment. They would mean much in the days to come, and she could not
blurt them out lightly.
And yet, she knew what she was about to say had to be correct,
for her visions had been quite persuasive. The path of her Chosen HAD
to cross about the lands of this Earth, a place she would have no sway,
very little power, and scant in the way of protection.
Still, if there could be a chance, as slight and improbable as it
may seem, then... perhaps Eilistraee would finally find the Eden she
had been searching for for her children.
"Xune will be very vulnerable on Earth," she said faintly.
Mercury shrugged. "True."
The Dark Maiden seemed surprised. She was sure the God would try
to alleviate her concerns. "But-"
"Do not get me wrong, Daughter of the Demon Queen." Eilistraee
flinched, but held her tongue. "I cannot offer you what is not in my
power to give. The mortals test their strengths on their own, falling
to their own whims, triumphing to their own goals. Earth is not our
domain any more, nor has it been for quite some time. Our last bastions
are our avatars, and they are more mortal than the rest."
"But I thought they-"
"-are immortal? Yes, they are, because all that we have left is
within them. Immortality, however, does not guarantee survival. They
are just as frail as the rest of mankind. They are not driven by our
godly prides and egos, our vast wisdom and stupidity. They are human in
their needs, in their wills, and in their souls. They may live for as
long as they wish, but it is their hearts that will guide them. If you
seek reassurance that your Chosen will be safe, then that I cannot give
you. What I can give you is this, for this is what we have learned from
watching our avatars: Xune Kilsek will be your greatest child ever for
having known them."
The dark elf waited for more, but none was forthcoming. She
blinked in confusion, and then in frustration. "That is it? That is
abstract drivel, far beneath you or any of us. I did not come here to
listen to wisps and folly."
The boy smirked. "And yet you are here, having beckoned me into
an audience."
"I thought I was giving you and your brethren support," she
growled.
"No, dear Maiden, you are shaping Destiny. We can only do so
much, but the forces that keep the multiverse running have an interest
in our champions and their world. If you wish to remain passive, then
that is your right, but I suspect you know what that will portend."
She stared at the Messenger of the Gods, the image of a lifeless
ball of ice sweeping beneath her conscious. "There is magnificent
danger," she murmured bleakly.
Mercury sighed. "There always is." He pursed his lips in thought,
then added, quite shyly, "I wish to thank you."
"What for?"
Shuffling his feet in a manner of embarrassment, he turned his
head, trying to find a sudden interest in a twittering bird. "I wish to
thank you for allowing Ami Mizuno back into the mortal realm those
years ago." He actually blushed as the words came out in a tumbled
rush.
A warm and joyous smile reached Eilistraee's face, silent
laughter jumping in her eyes. She remembered that time vividly, for she
had had a small amount of time to consider the mettle of this Sailor
Mercury as she guided her back to her body. The girl was sweet, very
endearing, and remarkably bright for such youth.
Her features hardened then. She would not allow such a beautiful
and gifted young woman to die before her potentials could be given a
true chance. "You will have the aid of the child Xune. I suspect you
will have the aid of her consort and their adopted daughter as well."
Mercury clapped his hands together. "Then it is settled. We will
not forget this, Dark Maiden." He vanished before the dark elf could
respond.
"No, Mercury, you will not forget this, for I have seen what will
happen." She frowned, running a hand down her long bow. "I hope your
Champions are truly immortal, for they will need to be more than the
sum of anything they have ever been."
The Dark Maiden trudged back into the Elven Forest, her divine
heart weeping.
----------------------
If you choose, send me a line at meech@mindspring.com.
For the sake of both of us, "A Rei of Hope" should be done in the next
part.
(
geocities.com/tokyo/gulf/4463) (
geocities.com/tokyo/gulf) (
geocities.com/tokyo)