CHAPTER 17
"GROSS!" Mika exclaimed as Haruka slowly related the day's
happening.
They were at Mamoru's condo. It was the night of the new
moon. Without the gentle light, Haruka's story had an eerie
ring to it.
"...I guess I made a mistake." said Setsuna wearily. Mamoru
waved his hand.
"We all panicked, that's all. Mika, how's Adelaide?"
"She'll be alright, her body's still recovering."
"Does that always happen..I mean...Adelaide fainting and
all..."
"I guess so, it has something to do with her bridled power.
Once she exceeds a certain limit, her body would shut down and
poof! She's sleeping like log."
"I never thought she could be so...cold blooded." Usagi
murmured. Mika frowned.
"Hey! What else could she have done?! Just let the both of
them get KILLED?!" snarled Mika. Usagi's face became white,
Mika immediately regretted her words. "Sorry, I didn't mean to
shout-"
Mamoru quickly encircled Usagi and spoke softly. "No, Mika,
you're right. Adelaide had to kill Persephone. It's getting late,
we should retire for the night." They all nodded.
As the same moment, a dark shadow materialized. Hades appeared
near the window, his eyes burning with hate and fury.
Mika was the first to react. The split second Hades appeared,
she doved down, pulling Michiru down with her, barely missing the
crackling bolt of dark energy. It hit the nearby wall and exploded
. Haruka and Setsuna instinctively shielded both Usagi and Mamoru.
"Star Cosmo Power!" "Neptune Star Power!" "Uranus Star Power!"
"Pluto Star Power!" "MAKE UP!!!"
Hades gave a cold laugh and flew out the window, shattering the
fragile glass. Not wasting a
second, the senshis quickly chased after him.
"Usako, keep an eye on Adelaide."
"Mamochan, are you-" Usagi watched dumbfounded as Mamoru too
ran out the door, transforming into Tuxedo Mask in the process...
Usagi stared at the opened door and then at the ravaged wall.
This...could not be real...not here..in Mamochan's house. A sudden
chuckle made her jump.
"Well, well! Now they've come here." Adelaide murmured as she
surveyed the mess, she gave a pale Usagi a brief smile. "I'm sorry
to frighten you Moon Princess."
"Adelaide..It's alright...I'm just-"
"Frightened? Shocked? Disgusted? What do you feel, Moon Princess?"
Adelaide's eyes glittered and she took a step nearer. Usagi faltered.
"I..I don't understand-"
"Of course you don't. You've always been the protected one.
Coddled while your subjects get killed. Protected while others
are fighting, Moon Princess!" spat out Adelaide.
"You..you don't mean this." Usagi stared at the dark haired girl
before her in shock.
"Do I?" Adelaide's face came within an inch of Usagi's, her voice
dropping to a deadly whisper. "Do you feel anything else except those
weak feelings? Are you really the legendary Sailor Moon? Reknowned
for your bravery and compassion?" She patted Usagi's trembling cheeks.
"No, you are merely a snivelling coward, one who hides in fear from
her enemies."
Adelaide gave a sudden shove and Usagi fell to the floor. "Get
up!" commanded Adelaide. "You are the First Daughter of Queen Serenity,
not a simple nitwit. Get up!"
Usagi began to feel the first stirrings of anger. Adelaide had no
right...
"Get up!"
"Yo..you have no right!" Usagi sprang up, her eyes blazing. "I'm
not my past! I live here! In the present! And I'm no coward." Adelaide
raised an elegant eyebrow but did not reply. Usagi continued "I..I love
my friends! I'll do anything for them! Anything! Did you think I wanted them
to die! They were a part of ME!! I-"
But Adelaide interuppted her with a light laught. Usagi stopped in
mid sentence, dumbfounded by the sudden change. Adelaide stepped nearer
and gave Usagi a hug.
"Ahh, little Moon Princess. Now you are no longer frightened. Indeed,
you are in the present but you are also the future Queen of the Moon as
I am the former Queen of my tribe. Whatever happens never let go of this
pride." Adelaide spoke warmly, her glorious eyes shining. "Your power stems
from it. Always keep this in mind."
Usagi stare at Adelaide in confusion. This was getting too weird.
But at least the numbing fear had disappeared....
"Come, we must go and aid the others."
=======================
"Mriska Storm!" Sailor Cosmo Gaia quickly erected a whirling wall of
ice as Tuxedo Mask slipped. She effectively cut off Hades attack in mid
air. Seizing their chance, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune wrestled Hades
to the ground.
"We got him! We-EEEeeeeyaaah!!!!" Both screamed as high volts of
electricity jolted through their body. Hades shook them off indifferently
as they collapsed unconcious unto the floor.
"Stupid fools." Hades suddenly blurred and Sailor Pluto whacked empty
air. Then Hades appeared again behind her and gave a heavy blow. Sailor
Pluto crumpled, her staff clattering.
'Darn!' cursed Cosmo Gaia silently. The outer senshis were out cold,
this left both her and Tuxedo Mask. Not very promising...
"You should not have killed her!!" Hades suddenly screamed. Cosmo
Gaia watched him warily.
"What are you talking about?! You guys attacked us first!"
"She was my love!! You've destroyed her!! I'll KILL YOU!!! VAMPYRES!!"
At his frenzied scream, a loud groaning was heard as several mishapen
creatures rose up from the ground. They were dark as midnight but had
the reddest eyes imaginable. And they were hungry for blood...
"Wha-" Tuxedo Mask gaped at the slavering monsters in front of them.
"We're dead." said Cosmo Gaia evenly. "I can't kill these type of
creatures."
Then, Hades shouted a command and the six creatures sprang into action.
"Star Wall!" Cosmo Gaia quickly surrounded the unprotected bodies of the
Outer senshis. Unfortunately, this left her vulnerable.
"Aiihh!!" The sweeping claws of one tore through Cosmo Eos' shoulder.
Blood spurted from her wound. She quickly made a half roll and retreated
a foot away.
Tuxedo Mask was in no better shape. He was busy throwing roses at
three appraoching vampyres. Vaguely, Cosmo Gaia wondered where did he
get that supply of roses, as she fended of the attacks of the other two.
TWO!!
"Mamoru! BEHIND YOU!!!" A split second later, the sixth vampyre gave
a flying kick. Tuxedo Mask hit a tree with a resounding crack and slumped
down.
"Destroy the girl." Hades' command rang forth and the creatures turned
their attention onto Sailor Cosmo Gaia. The sight of her bleeding shoulder
appeaared to enraged them further.
Dodging, shooting bolts...it took all of her athletic skills, but she
had already began to bleed from dozens of deep wounds. She was losing
too much blood. Then Hades released another stream of attacks.
"Shit!" Sailor Cosmo Gaia watched the approaching energy in alarm. She
could not avoid it!
"Honey Moon Theraphy Kiss!!" A pink glow disintegrated the attack and
made the vampyres retreat. Eternal Sailormoon and Sailor Cosmo Eos had
arrived.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We meet again Hades." murmured Sailor Cosmo Eos. But Hades was far too
gone into his grief to recognize her.
"Kill them!" He snarled and the vampyres sprang forward.
"Stardust..Phoenixa!" a blue bird appeared and swiftly sliced the a
pproaching vampyres.
"Honey Moon Therapy Kiss!!" Sailormoon's attack took care of their
quivering remains.
Hades howled his frustration and raised his hand to summon another
monster. But Sailor Cosmo Eos quickly transported herself in front of him
and then she gave him a hard punch. He grunted as his rib cage broke and
he crumpled to the ground.
"You..sure..took..a..damn long...time..." mumbled Cosmo Gaia, her eyes
closing.
"I came as fast as I could, Earth Maiden." said Cosmo Eos to her unconcious
friend. Her wounds were deep but not serious, fortuneately. "Sailormoon,
step away from Tuxedo Mask. I'm going to do something." Eternal Sailor Moon
obediently moved away.
Sailor Cosmo Eos began to glow and a faint symbol appeared beneath her.
Whispering voices sang an unearthly melody, then several intertwining energy
began to appear around her suspended body. Looking closer, Sailor Moon was
surprised to discover that the energy was actually several small stars.
Suddenly, she gave a startled yelp as she noticed that her body too had began
to glow!
"The Sisters are met, now the bond is joined." Sailor Cosmo Eos beckoned
Sailormoon to raise her palm. "the ancient code is released. The blood of
another is shed. Now the power of the Sorceress is absolute!" A tingling
sensation began at Sailormoon's fingertips and quickly spread to her whole
hand. Then the same mysterious symbol appeared glowing at her palm.
"I am Queen Adelaide, Sorceress Of the Star Tribe, Keeper of the Cosmo
Power! I reclaim my Birthright!!" shouted Cosmo Eos as the voices rose
to a howl.
Eternal SailorMoon gasped as the moon suddenly appeared, glowing with
an intensity of a thousand suns. She closed her eyes and fell into a
trancelike state, bemused, she watch the transformation of Sailor Cosmo
Eos...
Sailor Cosmo Eos was unaware of anything else except the light and
voices surrounded her, the voices of the ages, revealing the secret
spell of the Sorceress bloodline...until finally the last
voice spoke...
"MOTHER!!!" Sailor Cosmo Eos cried out her loss and pain as the spell
reached its final step. She felt an explosion of white light within her
being. Throwing her head back, it seemed as if the moon had descended to
touch the crown of her skull. For th instant that was burnt into eternity,
she felt an inexplicable amount of power began to appear within her body.
The transformation was complete.
"Uggg!" groaned Sailor Uranus as she was vigorously shaken awake.
"Neptune! Watch it! Do you want to kill me! I-WHO IN THE WORLD ARE YOU?!"
Sailor Uranus sprang up and glared at the pale hair senshi standing beside
Sailor Moon. The other unconscious senshis also groggily awaken and stared
in surprise at the mysterious senshi.
"Uranus...Neptune...Pluto...Tuxedo Mask..." the senshi took a deep breath.
"I am Sailor Cosmo Eos."
"WHAT!!" Everyone's mouth dropped. A faint flicker of a mischievous
smile flittered across Sailor Cosmo Eos' lips.
"What she says is true." said Sailor Moon with a sidelong glance at
Sailor Cosmo Eos.
"Bu..but..but her hair..her eyes...her outfit...her..her..?"
"And?" inquired Cosmo Eos. "Thanks to both Sailor Cosmo Gaia and Eternal
Sailormoon, I've unveiled my hidden power. Of course, this causes some
changes in my appearance, what do you think?" Sailor Cosmo Eos gave a light
twirl, her pale hair fanning out and whispering down her shoulders. Her once
blue eyes, now even more lighter, gave a girlish wink at the amazed senshis.
Tuxedo Mask gulped slightly as he stared at Cosmo Eos. He had to admit
she had suddenly became obviously attractive, but the fact that Sailor Moon
was watching him made him nervous, somehow. He tore his eyes away and stared
a still silent Sailor Cosmo Gaia. Then he frowned.
"Where are our injuries?"
"...Cosmo Eos somehow healed you all durin her transformation." replied
Sailor Moon.
"What're we gonna do with HIM?!" spoke up Sailor Cosmo Gaia suddenly.
They all turned to see her poking at Hades with her toe.
"Gaia! Stop that!" commanded Cosmo Eos.
"Hey! He tried to kill us!"
"We did killed his lover." pointed out Sailor Neptune.
"SHE tried to kill us too! Does that give him any reason to despise us
THAT much?!"
"I nearly strangled you when you pulled me away from the Elites. He
probably felt the same way I did." murmured Sailor Cosmo Eos. "But then,
both he and Persephone had a past that was a
terrible secret..."
"What do you mean?" But Sailor Cosmo Eos ignored them and kneeled
before Hades.
"I know that secret, and I know you are conscious Hades. Tell me your
master's message."
Hades suddenly gave a low and sad chuckle. He raised his head and
spoke :" Sorceress Queen Of the Star Tribe, the Shadow King requests
you, and all present, to meet him within the Vortex. There will be a
final battle. But the choice is entirely up to you..."
"We'll go." (
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