Sailor Moon Z: #16 - Ghost of the Past By: Janelle Jimenez (pandora@indy.net) Official WebPage: http://www.indy.net/~pandora/sailormoon/zodiac/intro.html Minako woke up with a start, she gazed up and stared at the ceiling of her familiar room. She wondered how she got home. Confused, she rolled over on her stomach and looked up at the poster of the Ishi Bara, a new actor whom she totally adored. She stared up at the picture as she attempted to recollect the events of the night before. She remembered fighting Arseniru, an extraordinarily handsome man with an undeniably evil soul. He raised a ring to the sky and then pain surrounded her..that was all Minako could remember. Did she pass out? She sighed, and got off her bed, walking to her vanity table and brushed her blonde hair out. She picked up a red ribbon and tied sections of her hair up in it. She felt strangely happy today, no matter what occured the night before. She felt like something interesting might happen at school for a change. "Umi ga hirogaru kaze ga yurete-kuru sukoshi samui kedo Hashiri-dashite..!" (Note: If you didn't catch that..you're gunna need to listen to more Original Sailormoon Songs..) she sang aloud as she quickly dressed. She looked at her mirror once again, she blew her reflection a kiss before walking out the door. On the way to Juuban High School, she met up with Usagi who was stuffing a piece of toast into her mouth. "Why are we always sooo late?" Usagi cried as she chewed her toast thouroughly. "Who knows? Who cares! I'm in such a wonderful mood!" Minako exclaimed cheerfully. Usagi grinned as they ran all the way to Juuban High School. Minako threw open the door just in time, Ami looked at both of them and shook her head sadly at them. "You'd think after 3 years you'd get used to this, ne, Ami-chan?" Usagi smiled as she plopped down in her seat breathlessly. "I'm just not used to having Minako-chan late as well.." Ami replied. Minako grinned, "Ah, it's great finally all being able to go to school together, too bad Rei-chan still goes to T*A Private Academy, ne?" Minako asked, she said as she tipped in her chair. Before anyone could answer her, the door opened and Minako quickly put her chair down. In came their teacher, followed by a beautiful girl with long purple hair. Her face was trimmed with long bangs while the rest of her hair was up in an intricate bun positioned at the right of her head, some of her hair wasn't part of the bun and hung loose. She was tall and graceful looking, yet rather familiar looking. The boys next to Minako elbowed each other and shared a glance. She rolled her eyes, she didn't see what the big deal about this new person was. "Class, this is Yuurei Kokono-san, lets all give her a welcome." Tomma-sensei said. The class, mostly the males, said hello. Yuurei smiled. She looks so..unnatural..Minako thought. Yuurei turned and stared at Minako for a moment, almost as if she heard her thoughts. "Kokono-san, why don't you tell us something about yourself.." Tomma-sensei suggested. Yuurei looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, I play the violin. I like to write poetry and I love to dance ballet.." she replied and flashed a soft smile to everyone. Her voice was quiet and rather eerie, yet soothing nonetheless. Tomma-sensei smiled. "Why don't you have a seat by Kino-san.." Tomma-sensei said, pointing to a seat by Makoto. Yuurei gracefully moved down the aisle, all eyes watched her sit down daintily by Makoto. Minako quickly turned around in her seat, "Hello! I'm Minako Aino! Nice to meet you! Where are you from? You have such a pretty name! I wish mine was too..Do you like Juuban High?" Minako asked. Yuurei smiled at her, but didn't say anything. She raised up her eyes instead. Minako was confused, she slowly turned around and saw she was face to face with her teacher. "AINO-SAN! I'm trying to teach a lesson here!" she exclaimed. Minako nodded her head. "I'm sorry, Tomma-sensei..I'll be quiet! I promise!" Minako said apologizing. Tomma-sensei nodded and turned around. As soon as the teacher had turned her back, Minako had turned around in her chair as well, "Oops! Sorry! I'll talk to you later!" Minako whispered to Yuurei. Yuurei smiled politely at Minako and shifted her eyes back up. Minako slowly turned around and saw that her teacher was staring at her. "AINO-SAN!" Tomma-sensei shouted, "I'm trying to teach a lesson here! I want you to go and stand in the hall." Minako bowed her head, and got up and walked out of the class room. "Yuck..I hate doing this.." Minako said to herself and picked up a bucket of water. She stood silently and stared out the window, watching the P.E. class play volleyball. After what seemed to be hours, the door opened and Yuurei peeked her head out, "You can come back in now, Minako-san." she said and smiled. "THANK GOD!" Minako exclaimed and nearly spilled all the water out of the bucket as she set it down. She rushed back into the classroom and took her place in front of Yuurei. She folded her hands in her lap and stared intently at the teacher until the bell rang. * * * * "We know Arseniru will be back, but he said he wasn't coming alone this time." Rei said as she swept the floor of her temple. Minako yawned sleepily and leaned against a wall. "So, he's gunna bring more of those idiotic spawn." she shrugged. "I do not think so, Minako-chan. I think he'll do something more.. surprising. Since we expect another spawn, I doubt he'll bring that." Ami replied. Usagi wrinkled her nose and picked up a cupcake, and licked the icing off. "I love Mako-chan's creations.." Usagi sighed as she virtually inhaled the cupcake. "Can you believe all the guys looking at that new girl?!" Mako-chan exclaimed. Luna groaned and buried her head under her paw at the sudden change of subjects. "Well, what do you expect, Mako-chan? She's beautiful." Ami replied, Minako stared at Ami for a moment, then cleared her throat. "She looks so alien, ya know? That's probably why everyone was so intrigued." Minako said. "So, you guys have a new student at Juuban High School also? We do too..she came yesterday..Ako Miraino." Rei commented. "In fact, while some of you guys were unconcious, Sailor Aquarius kept ranting and raving it was her, remember that Mako-chan? But we left to take you all home before we could find out if it was her.." Rei added. "Ako Miraino? Child of the Future..nice name.." Usagi murmured as she ate another cupcake. "Hey..I don't want to sound like I'm jealous or anything, but isn't this a tad bit fishy? What if..Yuurei is Arseniru's new invention?" Mako-chan suggested. "That's so stupid Mako-chan!" Minako exclaimed. "You said she looked alien! Maybe she is..you said she was enchanting people..maybe she has some sort of weird powers?" Mako-chan said defending herself. "NE! NE!! (Hey! HEY!!) That's like in Sailor V Manga number 13! When Sailor V fights the Love Ghost!! (Note: Not to be confused with the REAL Sailor V Manga)" Usagi exclaimed. Rei smacked her forehead. "UUSAGIII!!!!!!" she shouted, "THIS IS SERIOUS!" "I *AM* being serious, Rei-chan! It's just like that manga!" Usagi said. "Usagi-chan, I hate to..I dunno, burst your bubble, but..nothing in the Sailor V manga actually happened to me." Minako explained carefully. "It..didn't?" Usagi said in sincere shock. Rei lowered her head in defeat and shook it, "Oh dear lord.." she muttered. "I think Usagi-chan may have a point." Ami said speaking up. "It is possible that this girl Yuurei is just a creation of Arseniru. Yuurei is not exactly a name most people would name their daughters. Perhaps we should contact the Zodiac Senshi and tell them, they are more involved with him than we are." Ami added. "How are we going to contact them? None of us are hackers..like they appear to be." Rei said sarcastically. "Well, we know that when we transform they have pins to warn them.. perhaps if we go to the park, we can transform..and they'll come." Ami suggested. Minako shrugged, "Alrighty..I'm for it." she said. "I'll call Haruka-san and the rest." Mako-chan said picking up the phone. "Aren't Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna looking for Hotaru today?" Rei asked. Mako-chan stopped, "Oh yea..hmm..maybe they'll stop today to help us." Mako-chan said thoughtfully. "Well, you call..we'll head to the park." Rei said, already heading for the door. * * * * "They aren't very punctual, ne?" Sailor Neptune asked, she rested her chin on her hand. "What if their pins don't work anymore?" Sailor Venus asked, she was in the process of sniffing her hair, "This shampoo doesn't smell as good as my old one." she commented. Sailor Uranus rolled her eyes and muttered an obscenity under her breath, she turned her back and faced away. "There they are.." Sailor Mars said and held her breath, the Senshi turned and looked where Mars was pointing. A ball of bright golden light was heading for them. Sailor Uranus held her hand up to shield her eyes. Mars watched as the globe descended towards the ground and melted away. Standing there where the Zodiac Senshi. Because of the light from before, none of the Sailor Senshi could make out any of the faces. "We think one of the students at Juuban High School is one of Arseniru's creations." Sailor Mars said, speaking up. "Oh really?" asked a voice they all recognized to be Sailor Scorpio's. Mars nodded, "Yes, she's a new student who seems a little bit weird..we could be totally wrong but--" "Yes, totally wrong." said another voice. A male voice. "Oh, let's guess who that is." Sailor Leo's voice sighed. "Arseniru.." Scorpio whispered. "You all just keep coming back for more, don't you? Was that rain of fire as pleasurable for you young ladies as it was for me? Oh how I do like hearing the voices of you girls screaming.." Arseniru snickered. "Shut up, ecchi (pervert)!" Sailor Venus exclaimed. "World Shaking!" Sailor Uranus shouted, "Dead Scream..." Sailor Pluto whispered, "Deep Submerge!" Sailor Neptune exclaimed, the triple attack flew together towards the location of Arseniru's voice. Instead of the burst of fire like they expected, they heard a groan. "We hit him!" Sailor Venus said gleefully, she jumped up and down and clapped her hands together. The Senshi quickly took their positions as Arseniru painfully stood up. "Arseniru, you have tormented us too long!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, "Ai to seigi no Bishoujo no Sailorfuku no Senshi..SAILOR MOON! Tsuki ni kawatte..Oshioki yo! (For Love and Justice I am the Beautiful Sailorsuited Soldier..SAILOR MOON! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!)" Sailor Moon said and pointed at Arseniru. "Your fancy speeches will not destroy the Black Star Galaxy.." Arseniru laughed. He stepped backwards, a portal appeared behind him and a man stepped through. His skin was very pale, it almost had a pale green glow to it. He was skeletal in appearance and had cold, heartless green eyes, he had several strands of long light blue hair hanging in his face, the rest tied in a ponytail which hung down his back. "I am Death Himself." the man said in a mechanical voice. "Who is this, Arseniru? My replacement?" Sailor Scorpio demanded. Arseniru painfully shook his head. "This..this is Methane 4." he whispered. Scorpio's eyes widened and she suddenly looked terrified. "That's..Leadan's invention!" she exclaimed. "He..gave it to you..to defeat me?" she said in terror. Arseniru smirked and glared at her, he was quiet for a moment, and then he responded, "Leadan would have nothing to do with me..so I killed him." Arseniru laughed cruelly. "I stole this lovely little machine from him..You know the truth about it. It's unstoppable..it has no heart or soul so it doesn't feel remose, and no mind so it never goes against its master." Arseniru smiled. "NO!!" Sailor Scorpio screamed in anguish, she fell to her knees. "YOU LIAR! TELL ME THE TRUTH or I'll kill you!" she threatened. "Go ahead and kill me..at least I'll have somthing to assure most perfect vengeance is served." Arseniru smirked. "You're..'love' Leadan is dead. By my own hands." he said spitting out the words. "How..could..you kill you're own brother? You heartless malicious bastard!" Sailor Scorpio screamed. Sailor Neptune gazed sadly at the girl and turned away. Sailor Cancer wiped a tear away from her face and gazed at the man they all so despised. Sailor Moon was sobbing quietly for Sailor Scorpio, even if she was was terrifying enemy at first..even if the man she loved could very well destroy everyone...Sailor Moon knew if Mamoru was killed by his own brother, she couldn't survive. Arseniru smirked at Sailor Scorpio and shrugged. "He never was much of a brother to me. Always in the way of what I wanted. First it was trifle things...being the star student of Master Zinc. Then he took you away..the one woman I ever loved.." he revealed gazing into Scorpio's red eyes, her teared eyes flared, "I would NEVER love you! You're half the man he was!" she cried, Arseniru ignored her. "Then, he took the faith of the whole Black Star Galaxy from me.. Instead of hearing tales of my own heroic battles..I heard incessant stories of his theologies and philosophies. Princess Sulfiria was delusioned by him, I always liked her more. So you see, I had to rid the competition." Arseniru laughed. Scorpio screamed once again in anguish and leaped towards Arseniru, flicking her wrist and extending her claws. Arseniru stared at her and laughed almost insanely. He was inches from being most gruesomely impaled when a figure dashed in front of him and a aura surrounded him. Scorpio was thrown back by the aura. "You mustn't kill him yet." the voice whispered. "WHAT?!" Sailor Leo demanded, "She has every right to destroy him NOW." she said, wondering seconds later why she had just defended Scorpio. "No..if you do..then all will be lost." the voice said. "WHAT..WHAT will be lost that I actually care about anymore?" Sailor Scorpio cried, her heart heavy with sorrow. "Don't be selfish, Scorpio." the soothing voice suddenly snapped. "Enough with the idiotic sentiments." Arseniru said impatiently, "Methane 4..kill these..fools." he ordered. Methane 4 bowed before his master and turned, his cold eyes stared at every Senshi before him. "One against eighteen..there's no way it'll win." Sailor Leo muttered, "Don't be so sure of yourself." Sailor Scorpio said in a shaky voice. Everyone could sense the terror in her voice. Was it because she was trully afraid they'd been defeated, or was it due to the fact Leadan was dead? Methane 4 suddenly jumped into action, startling many of the Senshi, it moved faster than they could see. Sailor Mars took a stack of wards from somewhere and chanted on them quickly, "AKURYOU..TAISAN!" she shouted and threw the countless wards around her in hopes one of them would touch it. Arseniru laughed sinisterly, "Foolish girl..I told you it didn't have a soul. It does not comprehend what 'evil' is." Out of nowhere, Methane 4 appeared and grabbed Sailor Mars by the neck, shoving her into a nearby tree and unbelievable speed. Her eyes rolled up in her head as she painfully hit the bark. Her back slid down the tree as his cold fingers released her. "REI-CHAN!!" Sailor Moon screamed, not caring who heard her. She rushed to the aid of Mars, only to be blasted away by a beam of freezing cold energy. She groaned and struggled to get up, "SUN LION DESTROY!" Sailor Leo shouted, creating the lion of flame, the flames charged towards Methane 4, but they passed through him as if he were made of smoke. The being smiled cruelly at her, the pale green aura around him brightening. Sailor Leo froze in terror, Methane 4's arm swept towards her at lightning speed, she was hit in the face by his blow. Sailor Leo went flying and landed roughly on the ground, unmoving. "Does anyone dare to fight what cannot be destroyed?" Arseniru asked smirking at the Sailor Senshi who still stood. Many of them too frightened to even dare move, the rest wanting to help their friends more than anything. A dark shadow crept from it's hiding place and jumped into a tree, sitting on the branch. "ARIES!" Sailor Cancer screamed, "Why don't you help us? How can you stand up there and watch us be defeated?" she demanded, fiercely staring up at the being. It didn't reply and watched her silently. "Aries..! PLEASE!" Sailor Cancer cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Please..you're the only one who can--" she begged, but before she could finish, Methane 4 charged towards her shoving her into Sailor Venus and slamming both of them against a tree. "I..can't..help you." the shadow murmured, it's voice was full of anguish. "Ako-chan!" Sailor Aquarius shouted, "It's Janie..Janie Lee..please we can't defeat this being alone!" The shadow silently shook her head again. "Stop." a whisper demanded. The shadow looked to the left. Amazingly, Methane 4 stopped in it's tracks. Arseniru looked around nervously, in a burst of fire and smoke, both beings had disappeared. Just as they had disappeared, Tuxedo Knight appeared out of nowhere. "Sailor Senshi! You mustn't let yourself be defeated!" he said out of breath. "You're a little..late.." Sailor Jupiter commented, raising an eyebrow. He sighed and looked to the left, a girl was walking forward, her purple hair was up in a bun oriented at the right side of her head. Strands of hair hanging loose from it. "Aries?" Sailor Cancer gasped as she struggled to stand, "but..how can you be in two places at once?" "She isn't." the shadow replied, it walked forward as well. It was Aries/Ako again. Her hair however was tied up in a more intricate bun, her appearences that of an ancient being. "Who are you people?" Sailor Neptune asked. Ako/Aries glanced worriedly at the carbon copy beside her. "I am the Fire That Never Dies, The Eternal Senshi of the Zodiac, Sailor Aries.." Ako said, she raised her hands up the the sky and raised her left leg, as if she were going to leap up, but just as everyone had blinked she was transformed into a Sailor Senshi. Her fuku was blue and red, very different looking from the other Senshi. She had in her left hand a staff with what appeared to be half of a purple star on top. "Better known to some of you as Ako Miraino..Child of the Future." she said and winked at Sailor Capricorn. "And I am the Ocean That Never Dries, The Eternal Senshi of the Zodiac, Sailor Pisces.." she said, she copied Aries' moves and she two transformed into a Senshi. Her fuku was blue everywhere Aries' was red, and vice versa. She too had a staff in her left hand, "Better known to a few of you as Yuurei Kokono..Ghost of the Past.." she said and smiled brightly. Sailor Cancer stared at them weakly, she raised her head slightly and forced a pained smile at them. She was still lying on the ground, every movement seemed like a struggle for her. "Aries....Pisces...I'm..so..glad..." she stammered, before weakly smiling again. She sighed and stared at them with watery eyes, as if she could telepathically tell them what she meant to say. Sailor Pisces seemed to understand, she nodded her head knowingly. Sailor Cancer forced another smile before finally shutting her eyes. "Another prophecy fulfilled." Sailor Scorpio whispered.