Neo Alt Episode 06

"The time has come, we cannot wait any longer." Lady 9 whispered.

"Lady 9, we have tried, but we underestimated the Sailor Team," Lord 9 answered, sounding rather desperate.

"No, the new Messiah will be awakened...we will have her! We will have our Angel of Silence and nothing will stop us. Once we have her...this world will be our gift to Master Pharaoh 90," Lady 9 replied.

"How shall we break them, though?" Lord 9 questioned.

"We shall let them think that they are against something which is weak, when in reality...it is not. They think of us as a weak enemy, even if they can hardly defeat what we possess. Let them believe we are weak, then...we will destroy them."

* * * * *

"It’s time..." a voice whispered. Hotaru looked up with a start. She was alone in her dark room, the wind lightly moving the misty white curtains.

"Who’s there?" Hotaru whispered. She sunk lower into her pillows and pulled her heavy comforter farther over her. The wind blew a bit harder. There was a light shining in the middle of the room. Hotaru looked to her husband, who was sleeping soundly with his arms around her. The light moved forward and started to materialize. Hotaru gasped; the figure standing before her was herself...herself in the past, a thousand years. But it wasn’t herself, it was Imperial Sailorsaturn. (Note: from Sailormoon Zodiac)

"You’re.." Hotaru began.

"It’s time, Hotaru...our daughter will be awakened." Sailorsaturn said. She looked at the sleeping Masaya and smiled wistfully.

"He and Seishi are the only things holding me back.." Hotaru murmured.

"No...Don’t say goodbye, it just makes things harder." Sailorsaturn answered.

Hotaru nodded slowly. "Then begin the process...she must have all the power I once had…"she replied. Sailorsaturn nodded and disappeared. Hotaru sighed, a single tear falling down her cheek. She looked at her husband again, and kissed him gently on the lips, the tear falling near his eyes. She didn’t wipe it away. With much effort, she pulled herself into her wheelchair and rolled to the window and gazed outside. The air was warm and the voices of cicadas and other night insects called to each other. The black orchids and roses in the garden looked almost violet in the full moonlight. Her fingers reached out the window and touched a dew dampened rose petal. This was the night as she loved it, perfect that it was how she’d always remember it. Masaya always told her when the night was beautiful, as it was now, she was exceptionally lovely. Tonight, the night was beautiful...

Sailorsaturn appeared in the girl’s room, which was dark and full of macabre decoration. She looked down at Seishi, whose face was twisted in torment, like she was in the middle of a nightmare. Sailorsaturn raised her glaive and passed it over Seishi. Her sleeping body began to glow with purple light. Sailorsaturn leaned over and touched the palm of Seishi’s hand and traced a six-pointed star (a hexacle) upon it. Seishi’s eyes snapped open; she felt that touch...She looked up and saw a ghostly figure standing over her bed, that looked like her mother...with short hair. Dressed up like a Sailor Senshi, with a long dangerous looking weapon. Seishi screamed and shrank away, pulling her knees up to her body and curling into herself.

"Don’t be afraid.." the figure said.

"Who are you?" Seishi asked.

The figure smiled. "I am the Senshi of Creation and Destruction, Sailorsaturn. I am your mother...I am you..."

"You are...me?" Seishi repeated, Sailorsaturn nodded. She reached a gloved finger over and touched Seishi’s forehead. Memories filled her mind, but none of them were her own...they were her mothers. Tears filled her eyes as she saw her mother as a child, "Just like me...but she’s so sad..." Seishi whispered. The tears fell harder as she saw her mother’s terrible demise, as she saw Grandfather Souichi begging for his beloved daughter, as she saw what her mother ultimately became. "Stop it, stop it…" Seishi choked, "I don’t want to see any more…"

"This past, it is your destiny.." Sailorsaturn whispered.

"NO!" Seishi screamed. Just then light poured from Seishi’s body. She screamed again, in pain. A terrible realization washed over, "NO! I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING! NO! PLEASE!" she cried. She broke into sobs, she couldn’t help it. She struggled to stand, untying herself from the tangle of bed sheets she was in. She jumped off her bed and headed towards the door, but stumbled and fell to her knees. In her full-length mirror, she saw the reflection of a tear-streaked face, lit up by a glowing sign on her forehead. The sign of Saturn. There was a purple aura all around her, as the aura intensified, she heard a small scream. She knew, she knew. Seishi’s tears fell harder as she quickly stood up and ran down the cold marble hall into her parents bedroom. She threw the door open. Her mouth dropped in horror as she fell to her knees. "No..." she whispered.

Masaya looked up at her and down at his wife who he held in his arms. Her eyes were barely open; she looked pale and weak; a soft violet aura that was beginning to fade surrounded her.

"I love you forever…you are both more important to me...than my own life." she whispered and finally closed her eyes. Her body fell limp in Masaya’s arms. He looked down at the body, momentarily in a daze. Seishi choked back another cry, she reached her hand forward…to touch her mother…it can’t be…It can’t have happened…

"I....KILLED HER!" she screamed in pure anguish, she collapsed to the ground, wetting the thick carpet with her tears. Her whole body shook with sobs. Masaya had been silent...but then let out the most painfully, earsplitting scream, a wail of anguish…He embraced the body of his dead wife, and cried into her hair. Her held her calm, peaceful face and kissed it. He buried his head in her shoulder, rocking gently.

"Don’t leave me.." he whispered, "Don’t leave me! Please! I beg of you…DON’T LEAVE ME!" he screamed, "HOTARU!"

* * * * *

"I’m...glad you could all come..." Usa said somberly. Only a few short hours ago, she had found out about the death of Shino Hotaru. She had cried nonstop for two hours. Her best friend...dead...before they could do anything together, before they could laugh again, and catch up on old times. The doctors had announced the cause of death as heart failure. That was something that never happened in the Crystal Millennium. The Silver Crystal kept away disease and kept everyone young. Now Usa was holding a meeting of the Sailor Team. Everyone was present except for Aiko, who wanted her identity as Neo Sailor V to be kept secret. Nijiko and Yoseiko didn’t really understand what was going on, but they were crying because everyone else was.

"Nijiko and I almost couldn’t..." Karei replied, staring at her skirt. "My mother was in hysterics, but she talked to your mother, and came home feeling less upset..."

"I didn’t even know Rei-san, or actually, any of the Inner Senshi cared that much about Hotaru," Kasumi commented.

Ryuu looked down. His green eyes were full of despair. Hotaru was like a second mother to him. He loved her almost more than his own mother...and Seishi...she blamed it on herself. Earlier that day in school, she had tried to kill herself. He had grabbed the blades away before she could cut her other wrist, then picked her up and carried her to the infirmary, where they had immediately called paramedics. He knew guys weren’t supposed to cry, they were supposed to be strong, but he couldn’t help it. He had begun crying the minute he found out about Hotaru’s death from his mother, and he had been crying silently on his way home for almost losing his best friend. He was even crying now. He blinked as a tear fell onto Yoseiko, who was sitting in his lap.

"They all care...Hotaru was...she was..." Usa began. She couldn’t finish. She turned her head as her eyes filled with tears.

Yoseiko slid off Ryuu’s lap and climbed onto Usa’s. "It’s okay, Usa-chan," she said. "You’ll see Hotaru again."

Hearing this from the adorable five-year-old just made Usa cry harder. "I just wish you could be right, Yosei-chan..."

"Well, this is a meeting of the Sailor Senshi, let’s meet." Kasumi said, her voice holding no emotion. Karei stared at her. She’s as cold as her icy eyes...how can she not be affected by this? she wondered.

"Yes, let’s talk.." Usa said, sighing deeply and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Speaking of which, Karei, why are you here?" asked Kasumi.

"I honestly don’t know," admitted Karei. "My mother knows more than she’s telling me, that’s all. When I told her I’d seen you three"—she gestured to Usa, Kasumi, and Nijiko—"transform, she told me about the vision she’d had that told her to choose Niji-chan as Sailormars instead of me. She wouldn’t tell me anything else, which tells me she did see more and it’s important, but there’s a good reason why I shouldn’t know." Karei shrugged, as best as she could with Nijiko, who was sitting beside her, clinging tightly to one arm.

"I saw what Mommy saw," piped up Nijiko, her tone normal for anyone else but very sad for the usually extremely happy five-year-old.

"Do you mean she told you or you saw it?" Karei asked.

"I saw it!"

"So tell us!"

"Can’t." Nijiko shook her head firmly to emphasize the point.

"Why not?"

"Don’t know how." That was all the answer she’d get from Nijiko, Karei knew. Nijiko had had visions occasionally in the past, but hadn’t had the words to describe them. Karei sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, the only Senshi left to awaken are the Outer Senshi.." Usa began.

"That’s it!" said Nijiko excitedly, jumping up, now acting more like her usual self. Then she drooped, sitting back down. "It’s something about Outer Senshi, but I don’t know how to tell you what."

"That’s all right, Niji-chan," said Karei, smiling at her sister. "We’ll—" Karei’s statement was cut off from a gasp from Usa, who had turned pure white.

"My god…I just…I just realized...during the transfer of power, from the former Senshi to the Neo, the former Senshi gets extremely weak...that’s why Rei-san was sick for so long when Nijiko became Neo Sailormars and why Ami-san was always so tired when Kasumi became Neo Sailormercury..." Usa said, crying again. "Hota...Hotaru-chan…she…she was already weak...Sailor...Sailorsaturn...she’s been awakened...that’s...that’s why Hotaru died..." Usa choked.

Ryuu looked up suddenly. "You can’t be saying it..." he whispered.

"It’s true...we killed her! Diana told Hotaru that we wanted Neo Sailorsaturn awakened...Hotaru would never go against an order, but she was too weak…we didn’t know...we couldn’t have…we...she...she…" Usa cried harder, then buried her face in Yoseiko’s hair. "We didn’t know she wouldn’t survive…"

* * * * *

"We gather here today, to mourn the passing of a beloved daughter, friend, wife, and mother.." the minister began. Neo-Queen Serenity stared at the grave, holding a white rose. She was trying to be strong for all the others. She had comforted Rei just a few days ago. Rei came to the Crystal Palace in hysterics, but after a long talk, it was cured. Serenity looked to the rest of the former Senshi gathered at the cemetery. It was a dreary day. Clouds darkened the sky, making the mood even more somber. Serenity glanced at Michiru, who was sobbing into Haruka’s shoulder. Standing beside them were Setsuna, her husband Yokinori, and their daughter Yoake. Setsuna looked torn apart. She loved Hotaru like her own daughter, and as the years grew on, like a sister. The feeling was the same for Michiru and Haruka. She was like their daughter...and now, they’d never hear her musical laugh again, never hear her joking, never hear her call them lovingly…Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa, Setsuna-mama…

"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.." the minister continued to read. Serenity gazed at Ami, Rei, Minako, and Makoto. All were in tears, their faces covered by veils. The only person not crying was Shino Masaya, Hotaru’s husband. Serenity looked at his face curiously, which was hard and cold…like a statue. His stare was fixated on her tombstone. Because Hotaru was a Sailor Senshi, Neo-Queen Serenity saw to it that she had the most beautiful tombstone imaginable, a marble statue of Hotaru in her younger years. Beside Masaya was his daughter, Seishi. Her violet eyes were filled with tears. It broke Serenity’s heart that Masaya didn’t comfort his own daughter. Her own eyes began to cloud with tears as she thought, Seishi looks just like Hotaru used to...

"Usako.." Endymion whispered, nudging her gently. Serenity looked up suddenly, her trance breaking. Her finger hurt. She looked down. There was blood. She had been clutching the rose so hard that a thorn pricked her skin. It was her turn to lay her rose on the coffin. She gently tossed the white rose onto it, the blood still on the thorns.

"Come…let’s leave now, Usa-chan…and let the family be with Hotaru…" Serenity said, touching Usa’s shoulder. Usa turned around and gave her mother a cold look.

"If you had forgotten, MOTHER, she was my best friend," Usa snapped. Serenity’s eyes widened. Usa never called her ‘Mother’, it was always ‘Mama’ or ‘Mommy.’ Serenity nodded, tears filling her eyes. Endymion led her away.

One by one everyone left...everyone but Usa, Seishi and Ryuu. It was silent for a moment, no one saying anything. Seishi fell to her knees suddenly and buried her face in the grass near the tombstone.

"I love you forever.." she whispered, beginning to sob again. Ryuu looked down. He couldn’t bear to see her like this.

"Hotaru-san...I wish we could have been friends again...you always told me that one day I’d remember...I’d remember how you knew so much about me.." Usa whispered, holding a rose. She pulled the first petal off. "You…You were waiting for me to remember.." she said, tears filling her eyes as she ripped off several more petals. "But when I finally remembered...you...now we’ll never be together...NEVER…and it’s all because of mother!" Usa cried, her voice full of anger. She tore off the remaining petals and hurled the rose to the ground. She brought her hands to her face and started to cry, but then she felt a breath on her neck. It abruptly stopped her tears. A cold breath...

"No.." she whispered, "Not here…not in this sacred place.." Usa begged. She knew who it was…who it had to be. Her eyes glanced at Seishi. "SEISHI RUN!" she screamed. Seishi looked up at her slowly. Ryuu looked at Usa in confusion. "They’re here! Lady 9 and Lord 9!" Usa exclaimed. Seishi’s eyes widened with fear.

"Run...Sei-chan.." Ryuu whispered, pulling her up.

"But…but…what about you?" Seishi asked.

Ryuu pressed his finger to her lips. "Don’t worry about me...I’ll protect you." he promised. Seishi’s eyes filled with tears again and she got up and ran from the site.

Usa came up beside Ryuu. "Nothing is sacred to these horrible creatures..." she said.

"Horrible? We..?" a female voice asked. It surrounded them. A chill traveled up Usa’s spine. She was hoping it wasn’t true...but it was.

These creatures did have the audacity to attack in a cemetery, during a funeral, before the body was even buried. Ryuu and Usa looked at each other momentarily. Neither hesitated, Usa in raising her henshin brooch, Ryuu in his silent transformation. "MOON ANGELIC POWER, MAKE UP!" Usa shouted.

"How DARE you interrupt the most sacred of moments, for that I will NEVER forgive you! In the name of the Neo Moon, I will punish you!" Sailormoon exclaimed.

The female laughed. "This is all very futile," she responded. "If you wish for a fight, that is what we’ll give you.." She laughed. There was silence for a moment, but then from the grass a few yards away came a loud screeching noise.

A large rat raised its claw at Neo Knight Kamen and Sailormoon and quickly grew into a disgusting huge creature. Its red eyes flashed as it gave another screeching sound. It barely resembled a rat anymore, but a large grotesque being. Neo Kamen leapt into the air and unsheathed his sword. He brought it down upon the creature. It shrieked as the blade tore into its skin. Neo Knight Kamen murmured something, and the blade glowed white-gold. The glow grew to encompass the rat, which screamed louder as Neo Knight Kamen yanked the sword out and the rat’s blood began to flow freely from the wound.

"ANGEL MOON HEART BREAK!" Neo Sailormoon shouted, pointing the Angel Moon Wand at the creature. A beam of pink light shot from the top and hit the rat, but nothing happened. The white-gold glow wore off, and the rat’s eyes flashed brighter. It raised a dangerously long claw and swiped at Neo Knight Kamen, the razor-like claws tearing his clothes. He staggered backwards to a tree and sank down, he looked down at the blood on his abdomen. The wounds were deep, if he didn’t get help soon.....Neo Knight Kamen lowered his head. His mask fell off. Just then it began to rain, raindrops falling on his face. Sailormoon had fallen too, the rat was about to tear her with its claws...I can’t move to help her...Neo Knight Kamen thought. He raised his eyes and found a pair staring back at him. Seishi.

* * * * *

Anger filled Seishi’s heart, pushing away the anguish that was there before. How dare this being attack during her mother’s funeral, how dare it desecrate her holy grave in such a way. A purple aura surrounded Seishi, there was power inside of her...she could feel it. She was watching the whole fight from a distance, it had begun to rain. She saw Ryuu bleeding to death, Sailormoon unconscious...how dare these beings do this to her best friend and her mother’s best friend. Seishi’s eyes flashed.

"Stop," she ordered coldly, stepping forward. The rat stopped in midair and looked at her. The cold rain poured harder.

"Shinnoo...Seishii..." the rat croaked, Lady 9 speaking through it.

"How dare you." Seishi said coldly.

Use your power…Seishi looked around for a moment. That voice was inside her head. It was her mother’s voice..

"Okaa-sama.." Seishi whispered.

I will live on in you, Seishi. Use the power I died to give you... the voice said. Seishi’s eyes filled with tears again. She never wanted this power. She never wanted her mother to die to bestow it upon her...but it was too late now...too late..

"I won’t dishonor you, Okaa-sama," Seishi said, her voice full of determination. A sign flashed on her forehead, the sign of Saturn. Neo Sailormoon gasped. the aura around Seishi grew brighter. A violet rose made of crystal appeared before her. Seishi reached out to grab it, then held it to the heavens.

"SATURN COSMIC POWER! MAKE UP!" she shouted. Long black angels’ wings appeared on her back and folded over her body, covering her with darkness. Light flashed, showing her bare body. With the next strobe-light-like flash, the bodysuit, front bow, and scarf of her fuku was revealed. Another flash brought her skirt and back bow. One more left her completely transformed, and this final flash also drove away the darkness. Her skirt was dark purple, and unpleated, like the rest of the Neo Senshi. Her sleeves, unlike the others, were fringed. The rose crystal was firmly secured to the brooch in the center of her maroon bow, and a similar but smaller one adorned her choker.

"In the name of my Guardian Planet, Saturn, I am the Neo Senshi of Tranquil Death, the Goddess of Creation and Destruction. I am Neo Sailorsaturn," Saturn said coldly. She held her right arm before the rat creature with her fist clenched. Her palm opened. A hexacle was shining in her gloved palm, just where the former Sailorsaturn had traced it that terrible day of Hotaru’s death.

"Silence Death Song..." Sailorsaturn whispered. The symbol flashed and a burst of energy emitted from her palm and struck the rat, incinerating it instantly. A figure screamed and rose up like smoke from the ashes.

"You are our Angel of Silence...we will win you..." Lady 9 said. Sailorsaturn stared at the ashes, and with her purple boot, ground them into the soil. Her eyes looked at Neo Sailormoon, who was standing up, then at Neo Knight Kamen, who had detransformed. His clothes were covered in blood. Her eyes widened with fear and she ran to him.

"Ryuu!" she exclaimed. Ryuu opened his eyes.

"Sei-chan...look at you...just like Hotaru-mama..." he murmured. Neo Sailorsaturn pulled off her glove and laid her hand upon his wound. It healed instantly.

"Sei-chan...you healed me…" Ryuu said, his eyes widening in surprise. Sailorsaturn smiled softly. She looked sick. Her eyes rolled up to the back of her head and she fell forward, detransforming. Ryuu caught her.

"What happened?" Usa asked running towards Ryuu, Seishi lay in his arms unconscious looking very weak and pale.

"She can’t use her healing power without getting really sick…" Ryuu explained, "That’s why I was surprised she healed me...we could have gone to the hospital. She…she risked her health for me…" he said, looking down.

"How long will she be out?" Usa asked.

Ryuu shook his head. "Last time she was in a coma for three days.." he answered.

Usa’s eyes filled with worry. "She gets that sick every time she uses her powers? Even the ones she naturally had? Maybe she shouldn’t be Sailorsaturn...it’d be so hard on her," Usa commented.

Ryuu shook his head again. "You don’t understand, Usa-chan," he said, looking down at Seishi. "Seishi gets sick when she heals, but when she uses her power to destroy...she gets stronger..."