Life's Lessons
By Kristin Renee Taylor
Chapter 15
Rei poked the fire with a branch, watching as the flames blazed up in a cloud of sparks. Although it didn't need it, she added another log, watching as the wood caught immediately. She studied the flames, and for a moment thought she saw an image take form. Immediately, she gave the fire a vicious poke, causing another burst of sparks. 'Kami- sama, my life's complicated as it is. I don't need *that* particular talent to show up now.' A low rumble of thunder seconded her.
She glanced up as lightening pulsed beyond the window. The room she had spent the last three days holed up in had been emptied of everything, save for a couple of pallets, a stack of firewood for the fireplace, and a pitcher of water and a basin. Rei figured she should have been grateful for even that much; she had gotten the distinct feeling that she was less of a guest and more of a captive.
At least, until her captors decided what to do with her.
She snorted derisively. 'Not like they could do a whole lot to me. We all know I could leave anytime I felt like it.' The reason why Rei hadn't left cried out fitfully in her sleep, before settling back into an uneasy, feverish sleep.
Rei frowned at Terri. 'How the heck did Terri generate enough power to physically *pull* both Mars and myself here all the way from the North Pole?' Despite the confusion surrounding Rei's arrival, that was something Rei clearly remembered. One moment, a dragon had been about to eat her, and the next thing she knew there had been a bone-breaking jerk, and then Rei had been falling through the air. She had gotten a single glimpse at the island below before she had passed out from blood loss. And when she had woken up...
Rei looked down at her hands, and closed them into fists. The air around her shimmered, small sparks of reddish light flared briefly, and when Rei relaxed she was dressed in a fuku. *Her* fuku. Waking up not as Hino Rei but as Super Sailor Mars had been the biggest shock of them all.
Rei stood, reverting back to her normal self ('Not that I've ever *been* "normal,"' she thought wryly.) with less than a thought. She paced the length of the small room, feeling very much like a caged tiger, while she pondered her options. But her attention kept straying as her subconscious constantly reminded her that, as Super Sailor Mars, there were some things happening that she couldn't ignore.
Like the fact that a second personality had been crammed into her head. True, it was growing very faint and jumbled as the being that had been Mars faded into the background of Rei's mind, but nevertheless there and present. And pissed as all Hell. Ami had never mentioned anything about being able to 'feel' Mercury. Probably because she didn't need to, since-
Rei spun. "Are you guys spying on me, now?!"
Haruka's expression was bland, but Rei could sense irritation beneath that cool exterior. "I decided to see how you and your roommate were doing," Haruka said, standing in the door frame, "I didn't expect either of you to be awake."
"I can't sleep." Rei bared her teeth in something close to a grin.
"I can fix that." Haruka mimicked Rei, eyes cold.
"Geez, you two could freeze ice faster than Michiru and Ami ever could." Annoyed by the false sincerity, Hotaru squeezed past Haruka and smiled warmly at Rei. She set a basket down. "Hi, Rei. I brought you some food." Turning, Hotaru neatly and deftly ushered the taller woman out the door, despite Haruka's surprised protests. "Go sulk around Michiru, Haruka. You're disturbing the peace of my patients." Once out the door, Hotaru shut it firmly and flashed Rei a mischievous grin. "Didn't think I could do that, did you?"
Rei folded her arms.
Hotaru blinked. "What?"
"If you think for an instant that I'm fooled by that 'innocent girl' routine, you've got another thing coming."
Hotaru sobered, and shrugged. "I just thought I'd cheer you up; we haven't exactly been hospitable." Ignoring any response Rei would have made, Hotaru knelt next to Terri's pallet. "And it's not like you've been doing anything to help the situation at all, Rei."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Hotaru touched Terri's forehead, a faint glow surrounding her hand. "It means that you've been acting as mulish as Haruka at her worst. This would be a lot easier if you just told us how the heck you got here, why Mars was with you, and how the heck did Terri-" Hotaru shook her head.
Without really meaning to, Rei 'leaned' on Hotaru. "How did Terri do what?"
"Kill Mars," Hotaru said immediately. The glow intensified. Terri stiffened with thin cry of pain, before collapsing limply. Hotaru lifted her hand and sighed. "I had a chance to do a deep scan earlier when I healed her head injury, and back then she was nowhere near capable of handling the amount of power I sensed when I saw Mars die. I really want to know how she went from almost no power to having more than me, Haruka, and Michiru combined." She flexed her fingers. "And she feels like Pluto," she muttered to herself, unaware that Rei was close enough to hear her.
She turned and fixed Rei with a look. "I've broken Terri's fever, so she should be waking up in an hour or so." Her eyes narrowed. "And next time, ask. I *am* capable of answering questions without help."
Rei flushed. "Sorry."
"Hmph." Hotaru stretched. "I think Mars may have given you some bad habits." She whirled on Rei. "Speaking of which, how does it feel?"
Rei grabbed the basket and peered inside. "How does what feel?"
"You know, it!"
"Hotaru, 'it' is an indefinite pronoun. Be specific."
"Now who's playing innocent?"
Rei paused in the act of making a sandwich to grin at Hotaru. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
* * * * * * * * * *
Yoko sprawled on the floor, jamming her back painfully on the edge of the dais. She tasted blood; the blow must have split her lip.
Venus loomed over her. "Now, what was it you were saying about Me?"
Yoko buried her anger and irritation. "Mercury believed that at one point, the Senshi and the Descendants were one and the same." She sensed Venus move, but before she could scramble out of the way Venus grabbed her by her hair and hauled her painfully to her feet. "I am going to-"
"Enough, Venus."
The Senshi's eyes narrowed to slits. For an instant, Yoko thought Venus would break her neck, then She released her. Venus turned angrily. "I will not listen to this nonsense, Jupiter."
Jupiter lounged on an elaborate throne, the throne of Queen Serenity Herself, who was thankfully absent. Yoko had heard that the Queen was very possessive and tended to behead even the people that cleaned the throne room, just for touching Her chair. She would definitely kill Yoko if She found out Yoko was there.
Jupiter lazily tossed a knife into the air. "Hear her out, Venus."
Venus was livid. "I will not-" Jupiter caught the knife by the blade and fixed Venus with a hard stare. Venus scowled and walked a short distance away, grumbling. Jupiter tossed the knife up. "Continue, Yoko."
Yoko bowed slightly in Jupiter's direction." When it was discovered Earth was going to have an Ice Age, the Senshi... well, really the Descendants. Mercury marked the distinction by calling them-"
"Avatars," Venus spat.
"Avatars," Yoko confirmed. She swallowed nervously when Venus pinned her with a look. "T-the Avatars, for reasons that Mercury didn't list, decided that the best way to save the world was to make themselves more powerful by releasing the self-imposed limitations they had put on themselves. But, it went differently than expected. The Avatars were literally split apart, with You, the Senshi, becoming separate from them, the Descendants."
"And Zeus sprung forth from Athena rather than the other way around," Jupiter muttered. She ignored the look Venus gave Her. After a minute, Yoko cleared her throat and went on.
"The Senshi were beings of pure magic. You were literally the source of magic in Crystal Tokyo. This Palace, the city, the magic grid, nearly all of it was created by the eight of You.
"In direct contrast, the Descendants were purely human. They had no magic to speak of, and the only way they could have survived outside of Crystal Tokyo was by relying on the few resources still available."
Venus snarled, "They seem to have an incredible amount of magic for being 'purely human.' You are obviously lying!"
Jupiter stopped Venus' advance. "She spoke in the past tense, Venus. The Descendants 'were' purely human." She glanced at Yoko, who nodded enthusiastically.
"At the beginning, the Descendants were as powerless as I am, but the magic that split the Avatars apart is weakening, meaning that they can use their old powers, albeit at a much lower level than any of the Senshi." Yoko added hesitantly, "This means, though, that all of You are, well..."
Without warning, Jupiter stripped off one of Her gloves and, in a single smooth motion, drew the knife along Her arm. Blood welled, dripping onto the armrest, and She studied it, bemused. "It appears that Our immortality is fading." She arched an eyebrow at Venus as She pulled Her glove back on. "I *have* noticed that We are significantly weaker than when Crystal Tokyo was first created."
"That means nothing," Venus grated. She caught Herself fingering Her scar, and shot a glare at Yoko. Yoko resisted the urge to snort. 'As if this was all *my* fault!'
"So, will We, eventually, lose all of Our power?" Jupiter asked.
Yoko shook her head. "Mercury predicted that an equilibrium will eventually be reached. At that time, the Senshi will merge back with Their counterpart. You... They will be Avatars again."
Both Senshi were silent, absorbing this statement. Jupiter tapped the hilt of the knife against Her palm, lost in thought. Finally, She stood. "Venus."
The blonde Senshi jerked, startled out of Her thoughts. She looked annoyed. "What?"
"We will have to assume that Mizuno Ami is aware of this and has passed this information on to the other Descendants. With only the two of Us in Crystal Tokyo until Mars' return, it might be wise if We increased the security around the generators. Undoubtedly, the Descendants will strike there first, in an attempt to disable Us." She smiled suddenly. "And should they decide to attack elsewhere, make sure they have an adequately 'warm' reception waiting for them."
Venus smiled slowly. "Of course, Sister." And between one breath and the next She was gone.
Yoko turned. "And what of me, Lady Jupiter?"
Jupiter lifted the knife, examining the hilt. "Yes... What of you, Yoko?" She looked at Yoko. "Do you believe Mars will come back?"
Yoko hesitated. Slowly, she said, "It is my understanding that Lady Mars would have returned by now... if She was able to return."
"It *has* been a while." Jupiter looked beyond her. "Could the human be right, Pluto?" Yoko jumped at the sound of footsteps directly behind her. A soft voice said, "She is correct, Jupiter. Mars is dead." Yoko started to turn, thought better of it when she felt the hair on the back of her neck and arms begin to rise, and settled for staring at the ground.
"Hm..." Jupiter sighed and sat back down. "And what does the leader do now?" A timeless interval passed before She focused again on Yoko. "Did Mercury mention a way to reinforce the magic that separated Us from the Descendants?"
Yoko closed her eyes, thinking. "I... believe She did, Lady Jupiter. The spell is simple, but requires a great deal of power to cast and takes quite a while to prepare for. Also, only a human can cast the spell."
"And by 'a human' I assume you mean yourself?"
"If You think I am qualified enough, Lady-" A stinging pain and loud thunk stopped Yoko cold. Shaking, she touched fingers to her right ear, felt blood flowing down the side of her face. A significant portion of her ear was missing. She tried to swallow past a lump in her throat, and failed.
Jupiter caught her by the neck, dragging her closer until they were only centimeters apart. Jupiter's voice was utterly calm, in direct contrast to rage burning in Her eyes. "Let Me make this perfectly clear: from this point on, your life is forever tied to Mine. Not Venus'. Not any other Senshi's. *Mine.* Any knife that slits My throat *will* slit yours as well; I have made sure of that." And just that quickly, Jupiter's anger faded. She released Yoko and smiled down at her. "I suggest you start making preparations for that spell." She walked past Yoko. "Otherwise, your lifespan might be drastically reduced."
Yoko stared at the blood on her hand, too terrified to move. Finally, she turned slowly, and she saw Pluto watching her. Shaken by the look in the Senshi of Time's eyes, Yoko hurried to catch up with Jupiter's back.
* * * * * * * * * *
When Makoto let loose an angry bellow of pain, Ami's first impulse was to simply ignore her. For three days, Makoto had been complaining near constantly about their state of affairs, and Ami was growing mighty sick of hearing Makoto gripe. But, on the other hand, something could be seriously wrong this time.
Ami sighed and sat back, pushing her safety glasses up to rest in her hair, and noting that the lamp hanging from the low ceiling was beginning to fade. Her current job, setting up the bulky generators that would provide the volcano with enough electricity to power a small city, was a task meant for more than one person. Unfortunately, since nobody had come out of their magical sleep in the three days since Rei vanished, Ami and Makoto were the only people awake to work on the generators. Much to both of their irritation, mostly Ami's.
Ami set her welder down and stood, stretching muscles cramped from hours of crouching in awkward positions. "Mako-chan? Are you okay?" When Makoto didn't answer, Ami sighed and walked towards the junction where her tunnel met the one where Makoto was working in. She raised her voice as she entered the intersection. "You didn't accidentally burn yourself, did... you..." The words died in Ami's throat as a handful of spears were leveled at her face and body. Green-gold eyes glared balefully down the length of the wood at her, and the owners growled.
'Oh, dear.'
When the world's nations had discovered that everything they knew and loved was to be covered in hard, unyielding ice, several commercial groups begin toying with genetic engineering, promising the terrified populace that salvation lay in merging humankind with animal-kind. Tens of thousands had flocked to the conglomerate banners, submitting themselves to what they believed would be at best a temporary procedure, and at worst nothing more than a minor alteration to their normal bodies. Which it wasn't, not in the least.
Hundreds died, some from their body's inability to handle the sudden physiological changes, others from unexpectedly fatal mutations. Still others regressed into a purely feral state, doing nothing but slaughtering anything and everything they could get their hands on until they were put down, often by force.
The experiments weren't a complete failure. The few mutants that survived performed over and above the expectations of even the scientists that had created them. Although mentally inferior to normal humans, these new demi-humans had incredible strength, stamina, speed, and, more importantly, were able to survive in the most extreme weather imaginable. So long as there was food and oxygen, the mutants could live just about anywhere. Even in the near-barren wilderness of the North Pole.
The five mutants that surrounded Ami were feline in appearance. All shared the same features: small heads with tufted ears and whiskers, long, lanky limbs, tails that waved back and forth almost unconsciously, and fur. Lots of fur. All five wore thick deer-skinned boots, and strips of strategically placed cloth that was probably there more for modesty than for warmth.
No one, human or otherwise, moved. Ami didn't trust herself to breathe, and her captors might have been furry statues, save for the incessant waving of their tails.
Bootheels echoed on rock. Not daring to turn her head, Ami watched out of the corner of her eyes as a mutant, easily three meters tall and built like a lion strolled towards them. He fixed Ami with burning yellow eyes that glowed in the near-darkness, then turned to the five. An unspoken command flitted between them all, and the spears pulled away as the guards moved back.
The newcomer, obviously the leader of the group, studied her from beneath lowered lids. "Your other was not very much friendly, human. Maybe you are more so, yes?"
Ami sized the man up, weighing her options. Something tickled the back of her mind, and she prodded it out, focused on it... and risked it.
She bowed low, open hands held out before her, and said as slowly and as clearly as possible, <"My deepest apologies to you and your kin, Abrad́."> Ami held her bow, feeling sweat trickle down her side. Then the Abrad́, the mutants' chief, laughed loudly and she relaxed.
"You speak like Ku'dath; long time since humans do that." A heavy hand, more like a paw, landed on Ami's shoulder. "You impress me. That's good." Relieved more at the laughter in that bass rumble then the actual words, Ami straightened and found herself staring into eyes of purest gold. The Abrad́, so leonine in his appearance that he might as well have been a talking lion, gave her a smile full of sharp teeth and fangs. "But your other fights like Ku'dath. Never seen a human so very eager to die."
He moved to one side, allowing Ami to see at least half a dozen mutants shoving her friend forward. Makoto stumbled to a halt, swearing so vehemently and so loudly that it was a wonder that the mutants hadn't killed her already just to spare their ears. However, she stopped the instant she saw Ami. "What the Hell? Why haven't they practically stabbed you to death?"
Ami couldn't resist. "Possibly because I think before I try to pound someone into the ground."
The look Makoto gave Ami could've melted iron. "Get. Me. Out. NOW."
Ami looked up at the Abrad́, searching for the right words. "My friend, the other. Will you let her go?"
He scratched behind one of his ears. "Hm... Suppose so." He twitched a hand, and the group encircling Makoto backed away, even if they didn't lower their spears. Makoto rubbed her throat, where one of the spear points had drawn blood. "Damn cats."
The Abrad́ said, "Your other fine? Good. Leave."
Ami and Makoto were surprised. "What?"
"I did misspeak?" He fixed them both with his eyes. "This Ku'dath winter den, where you standing. You and your kin not live in den. Humans leave, just so."
Ami faced him. "But... where are we supposed to go?"
Makoto stalked over to him. "Better yet, how the heck are we supposed to move five hundred comatose people by ourselves?!"
He shrugged. "I care not at all for you humans and the trouble you have with you. You are leaving now." He nodded to his guards. Hands seized Ami's arms, pulling her away. Panicking, she blurted out the first thing in her mind. "An alliance!"
That stopped everyone. The Abrad́ stared at Ami. "You said what?"
Aware that every eye was turned towards her, Ami swallowed and said hesitantly, "An alliance... a deal,
If you let us stay until we find a new place to live, then we'll let you keep the generators, the water purifiers, whatever you want when we leave." The lion-man looked about him. His gaze settled on a younger mutant that could only be his son, they were so alike in appearance. The younger mutant nodded and the Abrad́ smiled at Ami. "Deal! We get whatever we want. Stay here, human and your kin."
Ami heaved a sigh of relief. "Great! Whatever you guys want, you can have. Right, Mako-chan?"
Makoto nodded. "Right, Ami-chan. Anything you want, take it. It's yours."
Both mutants smiled, pleased. "Then my son has chosen. We take her." And he pointed a thick finger at Makoto.
* * * * * * * * * *
"So what will you do now, Rei?"
"What can I do? Terri-chan and I will return to the North Pole, and we'll get out of your hair."
Terri regained consciousness with agonizing slowness. Her entire body felt heavy, so, rather than force her eyes open, she lay in silence, listening to the voices and the thunder as she reacquainted herself with the waking world.
"And after you get back? Two of the Senshi are dead. I don't think the rest of them are going to let you guys savor your victory for much longer." A pause. "And then there's the matter that a Senshi found her way here. True, Ganabile-san did kill Mars-"
WHAT?!
"-but the fact remains that the Senshi probably know where we are now. We're not safe anymore."
"And I bet Haruka blames that on me, too."
"Of course she does. Thankfully, Michiru's a bit more understanding; she knows you had no more control over the situation than we did."
"Hm... that still doesn't change the fact that you guys are in danger... and so is everyone back at the D-point. We can't hold that place against a strong offensive; we were lucky only Mars showed up and not an entire army, but that luck might not hold."
"Jupiter's not stupid. She *will* send an army."
"I don't doubt it. Even with me and Ami back to Avatar status, we won't be able to do much without pretty steep casualties. And right now, any casualty is too steep."
"Anything you can do about it?"
Terri cracked her eyes, seeing darkness and occasional flashes of light which revealed nothing. She turned her head, and saw Rei and Hotaru seated next to a fire. Rei said, "Right now, I think our only choice is to take the fight to them. We need Crystal Tokyo, more for morale than anything else, and we need to take it before Jupiter either crushes us or puts up so many defenses that it would become suicidal just to look at the place."
"Can you guys do it?"
A long silence. Rei sighed and looked at Hotaru. "Not without help."
Hotaru laughed and Terri saw her drink from a cup. "You're asking *us?*"
"I'm asking *you*, Hotaru."
"Which is wise. Michiru's too intent on keeping our own people safe, Haruka's too darn stubborn to take orders from any of you guys, and Setsuna... Let's just say that the game Setsuna's playing has enough complications right now. And me... well, nobody really would miss a seventeen-year-old girl, right?"
Rei snorted and sipped from her own cup.
Hotaru chuckled. "I'll go with you, Rei. Maybe, and this is a big 'maybe,' my leaving will yank out whatever stick Haruka's got stuck up her butt, and she'll at least work *with* you guys instead of trying to take over the entire operation."
"Thank you, Hotaru. I owe you one."
Hotaru set her cup down. She wagged a finger at Rei. "Just get me my glaive back and we'll call things even." Hotaru stretched languorously. "Gods, I'm tired. I've been spending all day cleaning up the mess you and Ganabile-san left out there." She stood, and Rei rose with her.
Rei said, "For what it's worth, tell Haruka I'm sorry about that."
"I will." She walked to the door and paused. "Get some sleep, Rei. You need it." Rei nodded and closed the door after her. She sighed and leaned against it, studying Terri through half-closed eyes.
Finally she sighed and slid down the door to sit on the floor. "You're probably confused now, aren't you?"
Terri blinked slowly. She didn't realize Rei knew she was awake.
Rei laughed darkly. "I know a lot of stuff, now. Maybe more than I ever wanted to know. I *remember...*" Shaking her head, Rei drew her knees up, and sighed again. "But you don't.
"I'm an Avatar again, and that means that I'm now strong enough to undo what I did to you nearly a thousand years ago..."
Suddenly, a red aura flared around Rei. Rei's voice spoke in Terri's mind. <<So, I'll start at the beginning: the truth behind what you are, Terri.>>
<<And the truth is, you're not human.>>
Back | Next | Sailor Moon