The Return
Chapter 8: L'amour
by Richan
Beryl's troops attacked quickly, separating the group from each other. The group transformed quickly. Eros and Anteros found themselves trapped against the shelter. Unable to use their arrows with the enemies so close, they were wondering what the punishment would be. Suddenly there was a loud cry, like that of a banshee, and the enemies were tied in a chain of hearts. "I always wanted to do that," Sailor Venus said. "That Xena is addicting." As Eros and Anteros sweatdropped she continued, "I wonder if they still make that show."
On the other side of the shelter, Sailor Moon was backed-up into a corner with Sailor Uranus. Pulling out her Space Sword, the troops stepped back.
"Whoa," Sailor Moon said. "It's twice the size it used to be."
Uranus threw it around a couple of times. "I like it."
The troops moved forward again, trapping the sword next to them.
"Well, that did a fat lot of good," Uranus said.
"Don't underestimate your other weapons," came a voice. "You must rely on others."
Sailor Moon looked up, expecting Tuxedo Mask, but instead found Mithra. "Sorry, couldn't resist," he said. Pulling up a large ball of energy between his hands, he shot it at Beryl's troops, wiping them out as they disintegrated into dust.
Beryl directed her troops at the Sailor Senshi and their allies. She didn't know who they were, but they would go down with the others. As she watched the battle with a smirk on her face, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned back and saw nothing. Looking over other shoulder, she saw Minerva in full battle regalia. Behind her stood a very angry Ceres and Vesta. "I believe you are the cause of this trouble," Minerva asked quietly.
Beryl felt fear for the first time in her life. She could feel the energy flowing from this person in front of her in great waves.
Minerva pointed her sword at Beryl's throat. She gulped, and the tip drew a drop of blood, and soon another. Her face white, Beryl looked over at her troops. She saw only a few of the hundred that she had brought left. As she watched, she saw Sailor Saturn raise her Silence Glaive, wiping out the few that had remained.
"What are you going to do without your army, Beryl," asked Minerva. "They are gone, and we certainly aren't going to let you go to get more."
Ceres and Vesta nodded their heads, scowls on their faces. Walking to either side of Beryl, she soon found herself surrounded as Mithra came up behind her.
"You are weak, Beryl," came a soft yet eerie voice off to one side. There stood a figure cloaked in darkness, shimmering. There was no definition to it, yet there substance[1]. "Weak, yet still smart enough to attract the ones I seek close to you."
Beryl looked at the figure, almost pleading to be taken out of this situation. The four surrounding her were too powerful, even with the power given to her.
Minerva looked over at the figure and gasped.
The figure realized that it had been recognized. "I'll have to take care of you, you know that, don't you, Minerva?"
Raising her sword, Minerva started to gather a great ball of energy.
The rest of those gathered watched, some in horror, others in awe at the power being raised by both. Minerva gathered the energy in her sword and pointed it at the figure. "Leave this place now," she stated, death dripping from each word.
The senshi gaped at the emotion hanging from the words.
The figure laughed. "Is that the best you can do, Minerva? In all this time, the goddess of wisdom and war still cannot overpower me." The darkness surrounding the figure flew out, reaching towards Minerva and Beryl, swallowing those around them. With one last laugh, it disappeared.
"Minerva!" Saturn reached out for her, while Sailor Pluto looked on with great sadness written on her face.
"Vesta," cried Sailor Venus. "Don't leave me."
******
The group gathered in the shelter as a soft rain hit the roof. Changing back into their normal selves, they huddled together in small groups. Mako and Rei were trying to comfort Minako, who sobbed quietly. She had been crying since the others had been taken.
"I cannot feel them in time," Saturn said softly.
Setsuna nodded. "They are no longer in the timeline. And I cannot see them in space."
Usagi looked at the two. "Who was that?"
"It was..."
Saturn was cut off as the door of the shelter burst open. In the doorway stood three women, in togas like the other gods had been dressed.
"I wouldn't answer that question, Saturn," the tallest demanded. Pointing a long sword at the group, she signaled to the others. "We want you to answer ours."
The generals formed a small circle around Mamoru and Usagi, readying themselves for battle yet again. Makoto and Rei stood up, leaving Minako on the floor. Suddenly she burst up and went up to the closest of the intruders. "You," she cried. "You are responsible."
The shortest of the women looked at the young woman hitting her chest armor. "Please," she said with a sneer. "Be off."
As they watched in horror, Minako was enveloped in darkness, disappearing from their view.
"Well," said the third woman, laughing. "One down, how many to go?"
Saturn stepped forward. "What do the Daughters of the Night have to do with this?"
The tall one laughed. "Ah, father of time, himself. Even you should know that hell hath no fury like the Furies themselves."
"Good one, Alecto[2]," said the shortest of the three. "I believe that you are out-classed, Saturn, along with these girls here and their play toys."
The generals went to step forward, but Mamoru stopped them with a shake of his head and a hand on Kunzite's arm.
Anteros walked up to the shortest. "Tisiphone[3]," he said in a low voice. "Why?"
"Why?" She laughed loud, the other two joining her. "Anteros, need you even ask? I, Tisiphone, am the avenger of murder, and these 'innocents' here with you are guilty of murder."
The senshi had looks of shock on their faces.
"What?!" Rei screamed, the others shaking their heads in disagreement. "When have we ever committed murder? Defending the people of the Earth is the only thing that we have done."
Alecto turned to the third woman. "Megaera[5], bring out the list."
Nodding, she did so. It was a large scroll, and as she opened it, the list unraveled across the room. "My, what a list," she said mockingly. "Oh, I'm so jealous of it!"
"Megaera," Alecto said. "Enough with the puns."
"You're no fun," she said, pouting.
Saturn looked at the three women who had spread across the room. He turned to look at Setsuna next to him. He took her hand and whispered down in her ear. Setsuna's eyes widened, and the others could almost swear there was a sheen of tears in them.
"No," she whispered at him.
In the circle of generals, Usagi could almost feel her heart breaking at what Setsuna had to go through. She could feel the pain coming from the loneliest of senshi. She turned her head into Mamoru's chest, unable to bear what would come next.
The Furies were trying to come up with a good plan to round up these people for their master when they heard a high-pitched whine. Turning towards their hostages, they saw Saturn glowing in a soft light. Next him, Setsuna's forehead glowed with the symbol of Pluto. The two faced each other, and were enveloped in a bright black light[5].
"Alecto," hissed Tisiphone. "Stop them."
"Alright," she replied, cracking her knuckles. Stepping up to the light, she put her hand up to touch it and was blown backwards into Megaera, both moaning in pain.
Hotaru henshined into Sailor Saturn and pointed her glaive at Tisiphone. "Leave now," she stated in a cold, dead voice.
The only one standing, Tisiphone looked at Alecto and Megaera. "Um, sure," she said hurridly. "I think we'll...be going now." Raising her arms, she vanished with the other two Furies.
As this was going on, the others were watching the black light grow slowly. They could hear a soft wind blowing within it, but couldn't see through it. Inside, Saturn grasped Setsuna's hand one last time.
"My dear," he began. "I don't want to go like this, but I must. You must guide the others carefully, but do not take on too much of a burden. Balance it out, and you will stay from harm."
She looked up at him, nodding. "I must guide my princess well."
"Not only her, but the others as well." Saturn started to fade. "Live well, daughter, and help your sister." A tear hanging in mid-air was all that was left of him.
Setsuna reached out and touched it, feeling power flow from it through her fingertips. "Father," she said. "I will do my best." She felt her fuku modify slightly, her staff becoming slightly shorter, the key on it more pronounced.
The black light faded, leaving Sailor Pluto alone in the middle of the shelter. There was a faint glow around her that didn't fade.
Stamping the staff of time once upon the ground, she raised it high. "Saturn is dead. Long live his spirit in Olympus."
Taiki, Shingo, Suru, and Unazumi raised their hands in tribute. "Long live his spirit in Olympus."
The other senshi, except for Usagi found themselves raising their hands, and uttering the same words as if they were puppets.
"What!?" Haruka looked at Michiru, finding her hand still raised in the air.
"The guardians that have given you their powers feel this, and must make tribute," Sailor Pluto said. "Now, we must awaken the two guardians left."
The others looked at each other as Eros and Anteros walked over to Pluto.
Clearing his throat, Anteros gathered their attention. "What she means is that we must awaken the two that guard the prince and princess."
"I thought we guarded the prince," Zoicite said with a shocked look on his face.
Makoto nodded. "We are to guard the princess."
Eros shook his head. "Each of your guardians protect you in their own way."
Taiki walked over to them. "Now that your guardians have been awakened, you will fight for their sakes, not for the princess. She must fight for her guardian."
Usagi looked at the gathering group in confusion. "Guardian," she whispered. She could feel something click in her memory, a memory from the Silver Millennium. It softly blew through her mind as she saw Queen Serenity telling her something important. All of a sudden she could see her guardian standing before her in her mind's eye.
The picture faded quickly and she turned to Mamoru, who had a distant look in his eyes. She looked over at Shingo, who smiled softly at her, nodding his head encouragingly. "Believe," he mouthed, giving no audible sound to the word.
She could feel the word flow into her with a big impact, almost bodily throwing her into Mamoru. She felt his arms come around her to catch her, and she caught herself. As she put her hand on his, she saw another picture, this time of a young man, before it, too, faded.
"That is my guardian," Mamoru whispered to Usagi. "I saw your's as well."
Nodding, Usagi looked at her senshi. She knew that each had a purpose before her, and that she had to fight for the one held in her heart as well. She looked back up at Mamoru to find his eyes smiling down at her. "Shall we?" she whispered up to him.
Bending down, Mamoru kissed her forehead in the place where the crescent moon was hidden. "Yes."
******
Minako shivered in the cold. She couldn't see or hear anything, but she blindly searched for something or someone. She could remember the darkness surrounding her and the fear she felt as she was left in this place.
Hearing a faint sound to her right, she slowly made her way in that direction. She heard the sound again, and could make out that it was a whimper. Minako reached out and touched something soft, which yelped.
"Who are you," she asked quietly. She kept her hand on it when there was no answer. She knelt down and put her other hand out. Feeling the shape of a face, she put her's close to it, hoping that she would be able to see who this was. She could smell a faint whiff of sandalwood in the air, or what passed for air.
Suddenly, the being shifted. "Minako?"
"Who...?"
"It's me, Yaten," he answered. "Please, try to get away." He pushed her back.
Stumbling, Minako went right back to him. "Yaten," she cried. "Don't push me away. Please!" She grabbed him in a hug and held him tight. She could feel him trembling in her arms as he started to sob. "Please, tell me what's wrong!"
"She...they," he drifted off. Taking a breath, he continued. "That creature, it took the others. I don't know where they went. Seiya," he breathed. He took another deep breath. "I...I think I know who it is, and it's got revenge on it's mind."
"Shh," Minako said. She held him a little longer, wondering what could make him break down like that. Thinking a little, she couldn't reconcile this Yaten with the one she knew. Moving her hands to the back of his head, she couldn't find his ponytail.
"You're not Yaten," she said, standing up. Groping blindly, she reached for her transformation pen and didn't find it.
"Looking for this?" Yaten's voice changed rapidly, becoming more feminine, yet sinister.
"What?"
"I wouldn't be trying to change here, dear," sneered the voice. "It won't help you, and you won't find your friends."
"Don't tell me that," Minako shouted at it. "NEVER tell the goddess of love that I can't find my friends. My love will guide them to me!"
There was a scream and the darkness shattered, leaving Minako in a small room with candles glowing in the corners. Sitting in the middle of the room sat Yaten. Hugging his knees, he was rocking slightly and humming to himself.
"Yaten?"
Her voice broke the silence in the room, startling him. He looked back and saw who it was, the angry look on his face fading into relief. His silver hair slid over his eyes as he shook his head. "Stuck here, too, huh?"
Minako nodded. "Yaten..."
Yaten shook his head again. "I haven't seen any of them." He went over to her. "I thought...I thought that they had changed, but when I got here, I was my human self again. Why, I can't explain."
He turned from her to start pacing. Minako followed him with her eyes as he formed a box within the room. He faded into darkness as he reached the middle of the walls, before coming into the light in the corners. As he passed by the third candle, she noticed his eyes were a little different. Coming towards her where she stood next to the fourth candle, Minako thought that she saw his face change slightly.
Her eyes widened as she realized that this wasn't him as the Yaten before wasn't really Yaten, either. Minako held up her hands, stopping the Yaten look-a-like. "Yaten-kun," she said sweetly. "I have a question to ask you."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you pacing?" Without waiting for him to answer, she went on. "Is it because you are not Yaten?"
Yaten's eyes became red and started to glow as the room dimished into darkness again. Soon, Minako could see nothing but the red eyes. Closing her own eyes, she reached deep within herself and found that she could pull her mirror out without transforming, much like Ami with her computer. Forming it in her hands, she pointed it at the red eyes. "May love shine on you all your days!"
A bright blast came out of the mirror, breaking the darkness. Where the second Yaten doppelganger had stood was one of the Furies, the one called Megaera. She was hit by the bright light shining from the handmirror of Venus, breaking her hold over Minako.
Feeling the power of Venus rush through her veins, Minako held her hand high. "Venus Love Power, Make Up!" She could feel the power course through her, even though she had no wand.
She stood before Megaera, handmirror in her left hand, her chain in her right. Glowing, Sailor Venus walked towards the Fury that trembled at the sight of her.
As she approached, she could feel the presense of others, her allies. In the corner of her eye, she could see Vesta and Mithra walking towards her and Megaera. Sighing slightly in relief, she looked the Fury straight in the eye.
"Megaera." Her voice blew like the summer wind, hot and hard at the Jealous One. "For crimes committed against lovers everywhere, may Pluto have mercy on your soul." Sailor Venus raised her mirror. Behind her, she felt Vesta and Mithra build power as well. Gathering the strength of love in her, she concentrated it into the mirror she held. Vesta and Mithra sent their energy into her, and she blasted it at Megaera.
Screaming, the Fury tried to counterattack, but could gather no energy. She could feel death creeping into her soul, what little there was left. As she fell, she could hear Sailor Venus, Vesta, and Mithra taking pity on her.
Watching Megeara fade into the underworld, Sailor Venus collapsed. Her transformation fell, revealing a very tired Minako. Vesta changed back into Yaten and rushed forward to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Minako!"
"Yaten," she said, sleep moving into her voice. "I'm glad you're yourself."
He looked down at her in question and saw that she had fallen asleep. Glancing back up at Mithra, he found that he had changed back as well and was shrugging his shoulders. He looked back at the 'Ai no Megami' in wonder and kissed her temple. "Minako," he whispered. "Thank you."
Shifting in his arms into a more comfortable position, Minako mumbled, "Welcome," before nodding off once more.
******
In the shelter, the group lay down for the night, each worried about their missing teammates and the troubles that were ahead. Eros looked at Anteros and saw him shimmering. "Anteros!"
His shout woke up the group, who crowded around the two. Eros found himself shimmering as well, almost fading. Something had happened to the curse that had formed the two brothers, breaking it.
"Megaera," Anteros whispered, looking at his brother. "She is dead. The curse is broken." He touched Eros' face. "Brother, we are becoming one again."
Rei watched the two fade, leaving nothing behind but a soft glitter hanging in the air. She reached out a hand and touched it, feeling a jolt from it. 'Please come back,' she thought. 'We need your help.'
******
In subspace, Eros and Anteros floated side by side. Their eyes closed, they didn't notice the two who watched them.
"Are they ok?" one asked.
The other nodded. "The curse that was layed upon them is broken. Megaera is dead. May she be guided to Pluto to rest."
"May mercy be kind to her soul," the first one said. "Minerva, what will happen to them now?"
Shaking her head, she turned to her companion. "I wish I knew, Ceres. I wish I knew."
Eros shook his head. He could hear talking, but it was faint over the sound of the ocean that rang through his ears. He struggled to open his eyes. Failing, he reached out and touched who he knew to be his brother. 'Brother,' he thought. 'We need to go back to help.' He could feel the spirit of Mars reaching out to him, crying.
Anteros could hear the cries of Mars as well, but knew that he and his brother must become one before they could return. He too had heard the conversation in the background, and knew that it was friends. He sent out a silent plea towards them, pulling them closer.
Minerva and Ceres found themselves drifting over to the pair. Grabbing their hands, the two goddesses held tight. "Come back," they said in unison. This startled them, and they looked at each other. The gazes caught and held, for what seemed like eons. Subconciously, they let go of the brothers' hands and reached for one another. In slow motion, they touched the other's face gently. Almost synchronized, the two drifted closer.
Eros could feel what was happening to the two. Reaching out for Anteros once more, he knew that this was what was supposed to happen. Love and Lust could be rejoined, but only if each wanted it. He could feel the friendship and love flowing between the two goddesses, and it wasn't from one of his brother's arrows or his. Sighing mentally, he forced his eyes open and found Anteros looking at him. Pulling him close, Eros hugged him. "I love you, brother. Never forget that."
As the two brothers melted into each other, Anteros looked over at Minerva and Ceres, who were lost in their own little world. "Ah, l'amor[6]," he sighed, before losing unconciousness.
There was a dull thud, breaking the spell over Ceres and Minerva. Blushing, they couldn't look at each other for a moment and broke away from each other. Gathering her spirit, Minerva touched her hand to Ceres' face once more. "Ceres," she whispered.
Looking into Minerva's face, Ceres found herself flushing. Even as Seiya, she hadn't found love like this in Usagi. Knowing that this was what she had been searching for, she covered Minerva's hand with her own, holding it securely against her cheek.
"Should we look for damage?" Minerva asked quietly.
Ceres looked at her for a second, wondering what she was talking about before remembering Eros and Anteros. As both of them looked at the floor, they found a young man lying there. Blond hair covered his closed eyes, his firm chin relaxed in sleep. The two looked around for a sign of Anteros, but couldn't find any.
As they searched, the man woke up, slowly sitting up. He looked at Minvera and Ceres with contentment, soon realizing that they were looking for something. He laughed softly, drawing the two goddesses' attention.
Both gasped as they saw his dark eyes. These were the eyes of Anteros, set in Eros' face.
"Eros?" Minerva held out a hand to him.
Nodding, then shaking his head, the man stood.
"Well, kind of yes...and kind of no," he said.
Ceres and Minerva looked at each other confused before he explained.
"I am both Eros and Anteros."
"What do we call you, then," asked Ceres.
"Koi."
There were two more dull thuds as he looked down at the two women before him. "What did I say?"
******
[1] I know this is weird, but don't think too hard about it. I know I certainly didn't.
[2] Alecto is the Fury who is unceasing in anger.
[3] Tisiphone is the Fury who is the avenger of murder. The Romans believed that she was the one that sought justice against those that murdered those near to them, ie. family.
[4] Megaera is the jealous one. Together the Furies, or the Erinyes (pronounced aer-in-ees), were thought to be daughters of the night.
[5] Yes, light can be black, but more like a dark grey. Ask anybody who has ever seen the color wheel when it's put against a light (like the shades they put over lights for the stage). Up against light, yellow and blue do not make green, it's actually purple.
[6] Taken directly from Pierre in Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the end of the movie ^_^