Okay, well, it's Saturday at the time
that I'm starting this. I'm all bored and
stuff. I put my "The Matrix" DVD on, but
I've seen it like fifty times so I'm just
listening to it while I type. I just have
so many ideas for this fic, while "Sister
Earth" is currently at a bit of a standstill.
Funny, because right now, while I'm writing
this, not one part of this story has been
posted yet (at least I don't think it has
unless someone updated and I didn't check).
Well, even if I know no one has read this
yet, I'm still going to give my usual plea
for feedback, because I'm desperate.....I
like to see that mailbox full! Um, anyway...
heh heh, I guess I'll get started now.
    I do not own SM or FY, so get over it already!


Searching
Part five


_______________________________________________________

    "....What do you want, Jaedite?"
    The blonde man looked her over scornfully.
"*You*? You're the princess? I woulda thought
it would have been one of the more qualified
Senshi." He crossed his arms and gave half a
laugh.
    "Well, tough, it's not my fault you're a
moron. I'll repeat my question slower so you
can understand it. What. Do. You. Want."
    "Ah, nothing much, you know. The usual
energy, violence, stuff like that. Oh, and of
course I want to kill you."
    "Of course, you people couldn't go anywhere
without *those* kinds of ideals." She tipped
her chin up in a sarcastic way. "So what are
you baddies doing here in the past?"
    "I could ask you the same thing, but I
won't. Wouldn't want you to go into one of
your long, drawn out speeches. Then everyone
would fall asleep and there would be no energy
for me to collect."
    "How considerate. So attack already."
    He shook his head, clearly enjoying himself.
"Uh-uh, gotta play fair. I'm waiting for the
pretty light show and the frisbee."
    "Is that how you describe it? Moon Eternal
Make Up!" she shouted. A "light show" did occur
as the newly-installed empress of Hong-Nan was
surrounded by ribbons and feathers. The result
was a strange outfit, and her hair pulled into
an even stranger style.( C'mon, y'all know what
she looks like when she transforms. I am not
going into describing it, because everyone
knows what she looks like. Sorry.) Without
missing a beat, Usagi threw an attack the moment
her transformation ended, taking her opponent
by complete surprise. "Well, get a clue, it's a
little more than that."
    Jaedite stumbled, holding his injured
shoulder and trying desperately to keep his
dignity. "You've grown stronger, I'll admit,
but that still won't save you, moon brat!"
    Before she could even try to react, he
threw his own attack at her, causing her to
stumble back with a cry. Out of the corner
of her eye, she caught Hotohori trying to
run to her side, but being held back by the
very strong Nuriko. Painfully, she pulled
herself to her feet and risked looking at him.
    "Stay back, please! I don't want you to
get hurt," she pleaded, trying to look brave.
    "Don't worry, Miss Moon. They will be the
first to die once I am through with you. I will
have my revenge!"
    "Revenge?" Usagi panted, attempting to
dodge another energy blast. "What'd I ever
do to you?"
    "Because of you, I was locked in that
cursed ice! I almost lost my mind!"
    "Almost...?" She shook her head. "It's not
my fault that happened. *Your* queen did that
to you for failing! What? Was I supposed to
just sit back and watch while you hurt those
people?"
    "Woulda made things easier for me!" Once
again he gathered energy into his hand and
flung it at her in anger. She somehow kept to
her feet, but it was obvious that she was
weakening.
    "I don't see how you can work for someone
like that in the first place. Especially after
the life you had before *her*!" She spat in disgust.
    "There was nothing before Beryl. I've
always been in her service, you fool!"
    Usagi's eyes widened with the realization.
    He's under her control!
    She'd always wondered how he, who had once
been her friend, could be evil. Now she knew.
    "No, Jaedite, you're wrong! She has your mind
and your will! You weren't always her creature!
You were my friend! Don't you remember?" She
stumbled, but refused to back down.
    "You...quit that, brat! Quit messing with my mind!"
    "Please let me help you, Jaedite! I can,
I really can, but only with your permission!
You can be yourself again!"
    He hesitated, then attacked her again, with
a little less force. "Shut up!"
    "Let me try! "If it doesn't work, you can
kill me. I don't care. Just let me try!"
    "Quit talking and fight me!"
    "No!" Her voice grew hard with new
determination. "I refuse to fight a friend!"
    He stopped and peered at her weakened form.
"Why are you doing this?"
    "You know why." She struggled to her feet.
"Please. I can help you remember..."
    He suddenly grinned. "Yeah go ahead, it'll
take all your power and then I will destroy you."
    "Okay."
    "What? Hey, I wasn't serious!"
    "But I am. Moon crystal healing..."
    There were more lights. When they stopped,
the blonde man stood there, dazed. Abruptly,
he fell to his knees at Usagi's feet.
    "Princess Serenity, forgive me! I...I didn't know."
    "Get up, you know I hate that formal junk,"
she protested weakly.
    "Yes, princess."
    "And don't call me that! It's Usagi now."
She smiled tiredly and helped her friend up.
    Behind them, Hotohori somehow broke through
Nuriko's grip. He ran forward to Usagi and took
her into his arms without hesitation.
    Jaedite rose an eyebrow. "So..."
    "Not a word," Usagi snapped with mock severity
as she snuggled into her speechless husband's embrace,
smiling in a way Jaedite had never seen her, not even
with Endymion.
    Hotohori let go of her and stared questionably.
He tried to take in her outfit, but soon blushed and
looked away, back to her face. It took her a moment
to understand why he'd looked away, then realized
what she was wearing. Blushing, she tugged at her
skirt, trying to make it a little longer. Failing
that, she detransformed.
    Hotohori finally found his voice. "What are you?"
    "I'm me," she answered simply, smiling. "The
same person you met standing in that cold fountain."
    "How.."
    Usagi frowned. "I'll explain everything to
you tonight." Her eyes took on a degree on
sadness that broke his heart. "I just hope you
aren't mad at me for not explaining who I am
earlier."
    "So, Sere-chan..." Jaedite tried again.
    "Usagi!" She corrected fiercely, turning on
him with eyes that pled for him to stop. "I am
not Serenity anymore!"
    "Ouch," he answered playfully. "That's rough.
Okay, so why aren't you Serenity anymore??"
    "I'll tell you later. I don't wanna talk about
it right now. Besides, you're too busy."
    "I am?"
    "Yes, you have to go to the Dark Kingdom and
try to get the other Kings on our side."
    "Wait, don't you want to hear why we're here?"
    "Later!" she snapped. She waited until he was
gone until she wrapped her arms around Hotohori
and buried her head in his chest. "Can we please
go in now?" Usagi asked, her voice muffled by the
cloth of his clothing. "I just want a couple more
hours of being normal."
    The young emperor held her close and they
slowly made their way back inside. There was
so much he wanted to ask her, but he'd wait
until she felt like answering.
_____________________________________________________

    Nakago stood by a window, waiting for the sun
to set. His Miko wanted one of Suzaku's Seishi, so
he would get him for her. He only needed to wait
for dark to perform the spell.
    Patiently, he watched the sun completely
disappear behind the distant hills and the stars
sparkle to life. It was finally time. He gathered
his power before him like a majestic robe and
prepared to send its dark tendrils forward to
Hong-Nan. He felt its connection with satisfaction,
and smiled to himself.
    "Priestess of Suzaku," he began, letting the
power carry his voice and its demands to his enemies.
He felt like laughing when he sensed one of the
Seishi, the monk, trying to stop his spell.
    No such luck, fool.
    "There have been rumors that..." he stopped,
a different power was fighting his. Unlike the
monk's, this power was old and strong. "NO!!
What are you doing?"
    In his head he heard a female voice so loud
and pure, he thought he would explode. Its
message was simple.
    Stopping you.
    Ruthlessly, the intruder stripped his power
from him and spread it out like a blanket over
Hong-Nan, washing it of its dark tint.
    No! She'd made his power neutral! He couldn't
get it back like *that*. It'd take him years to
store up that much again!
    My power...
    Nakago slipped from consciousness, completely
depleted from the power drain.
___________________________________________________

    Miaka, Usagi, Hotohori and the other seishi
were in the council chambers, completely shut
off from the rest of the palace. They sat around
a wide table, doing nothing but stare at each
other. They were there to talk about the little...
disturbance earlier, and how Usagi could maybe
help the Seishi, but no one knew how to start.
    Then at once, they all felt it.
    The dark power coming from Qu-Dong.
    Chichiri frowned with the strain, trying to
stop it, but he failed, being the weaker of the
struggle. A voice came out of nowhere, chilling
them all to the bone.
    "Priestess of Suzaku, there have been rumors that-"
    Usagi stood abruptly, a strange crescent
sign appearing on her forehead.
    She was obviously doing something, because
immediately, the voice began to protest. "NO!!
What are you doing!"
    "Stopping you," Usagi said clearly, the mark
on her forehead blazing. Nothing seemed to be
happening for a couple seconds, then the empress
sat, exhausted. "I gotta learn not to do so much
in one day," she gasped out, frowning.
    "What happened?" Miaka asked curiously.
    "I'm guessing that was coming from Qu-Dong, ne?"
    "Yes," Hotohori affirmed, more worried about
how pale his wife looked than about what his
enemies had tried to do.
    "I took...whoever it was, I took his power
and sorta recycled it. It's completely surrounding
Hong-Nan, and no one from any of the other countries
can pass that power if they have evil in their
hearts for any of us." She smiled, and sat up
straighter. "That should make looking for your
other Seishi a little easier, I think."
    "What about the man who came today?" Tamahome
questioned. "Will it keep his people out?"
    Usagi shook her head. "They're too powerful
to be stopped by something as small as that.
Besides, they aren't Jaedite's people, well,
not all of them, but just let me worry about
it. Look, I've almost used up all my energy
today. I need some rest. I'll tell you all
anything you want to know about me tomorrow,
okay? I promise."
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________
To be continued
Here's a question: Who is your favorite Seishi?
Mine is Chichiri, he's so adorable! Anyway, write me!
~Kit