Sailormoon Zodiac: #5 - Hakken // Revelation By: Janelle Jimenez (miaka@bishounen.org) Official Webpage: http://www.sailormoon-millennia.net/ [http://bishounen.org/smmillennia/] If you haven't gone there yet, what are you waiting for!? Go there for the latest news, fan art, bios, and all that fun and useful stuff :) "Cyanida!" Princess Lithia called, her voice resonated over realms and dimensions--and of course it got to Cyanida's ears. Cyanida worriedly teleported from Earth to the Black Star Galaxy. She appeared before court in a swirl of smoke, nervously brushing back strands of her hair, "Yes, Your Majesties?" she asked, she kept her head bowed and her eyes low. Save me, Arseniru, my love, she thought. "You FAILED!" Lithia cried, she burning with rage. She never liked Cyanida in the first place, but when word got to the Black Star Galaxy that one of the pieces of the Seven Stars had been captured by a competitor, the princess had gone on a rampage. It wasn't until the more cooler-headed and calm Sulfiria had talked to her that she stopped her screaming. "Didn't we say that if you didn't succeed you would die?" Lithia demanded. Cyanida glanced nervously around, she looked pleadingly to Arseniru who had appeared behind Lithia's throne. He smiled cruelly at her as he kissed Princess Lithia's hand. "Arseniru..." Cyanida murmured, not even realizing the damage she was doing. Lithia's eyes flared with jealousy as she heard Cyanida, "Enough of you!" she screamed and hurled the crystal ball at the Third Captain of the Black Star Army. The ball exploded at Cyanida's feet, a liquid substance pooling around her feet. Cyanida began to cry out as she began to melt into the thick red liquid. "Help me...please...my love...Aresniru...!" Cyanida cried, reaching her hand for Arseniru who had walked closer to her. He stared down at her with disgust and kicked liquid into her face. Screams filled the air as her face and upper body burned, the air was filling with acrid smoke. In only moments, there was nothing more of the captain. A red mist wavered in and out and a black portal appeared as well. A figure materialized from the mist and a figure stepped through the portal. It was Scorpia and Leadan. Scorpia looked down at the puddle disdainfully, "You were too kind on that creature." "Did I not tell you she would fail, M'Princesses?" Arseniru asked, smiling devilishly at the co-rulers. Princess Lithia returned a smile, but Arseniru already had a new agenda. "Indeed." Sulfiria replied, her eyes fixated on Leadan, "We should have automatically began with the best, Scorpia--it is your turn. You have the same mission as Cyanida, return with the Seven Stars or you will be destroyed." Scorpia smiled coldly, she gave Arseniru a dark look, "I cannot be compared to that pathetic creature. I will not fail you, my Princesses." she said solemnly and dematerialized into red mist. "She won't succeed, but at least she'll tire the Senshi out before it is my turn." Arseniru replied, Leadan stared at his brother. It is impossible that I am related to this impertinant, arrogant boy, he thought. "Don't doubt Scorpia. She's much stronger than any of us. It is she who should be the First Captain of the Army, not you." Leadan said softly, it was the truth. Arseniru's eyes darkened as he glared at his older brother with hatred, "You are blind." he whispered coldly before disappearing in a burst of flames, "Don't let your passion for that...girl...cloud your judgement." * * * * "So this is a piece of the Seven Stars, hmm?" Ameko asked as she carefully picked up the large garnet which sat on Jessica Taylor's bed. "What exactly does it do?" she added as she lifted the orb into the air. Nothing happened. Sheepishly, Ameko set the orb back on the bed and looked around. "It does nothing on it's own. It will take the remaining talismen of the Four Great Ones to create the Fifth Star." Estrella explained, she was reading an old, yellowed piece of paper which she was standing on. Joanna lifted Estrella off the manuscript and looked closely at it. There were seven diagrams of stars with odd ancient writing scrawled around it and over it, "The Garnet Orb, The Deep Aqua Mirror, The Space Sword, and the blade of The Silence Glaive create the Fifth Star, the Seventh Star is the Illusion Silver Crystal. That is Sailormoon's source of power." Estrella said, "She has one whole Star?" Jessica asked, looking up from the manga she was reading. "Yes, it is the most powerful Star and it will be the most difficult to obtain. We must be ready for a great battle with the Sailor Senshi for it." "Why must we fight them? It's obvious they aren't villains...maybe they'd work with us?" Mihana suggested, she hated the idea of doing such cruel things to a group that was obviously doers of good. "It might be that easy in the beginning, but I doubt they'd give up the pieces of the Seven Stars which rest within them." Estrella replied, "That...what?" Tien-Lei asked, "The Four Lesser Senshi have a piece of the Fourth Star within them. The nine Zodiac Senshi also have pieces of the First, Second, and Third Stars." "There are nine of us?" Joanna exclaimed, "Only four more to find then..." Mihana said with a small sigh, she looked at Estrella closely, "What's the purpose of this mission to find the Seven Stars anyway?" she asked. "The legend from the Golden Millennium says that the Seven Stars were created of pure power. When they are brought together, they form the legendary Golden Key. The holder of the key has true universal power, the power to transcend time and space, and to make desires come true." Estrella answered. Jessica's eyes widened. True universal power, she thought, how...utterly beautiful. "Pure Power?" she repeated, "If I--I mean, if the Golden Key ever fell into the hands of the wrong person, our Universe would be destroyed." Jessica said, "We MUST get it before the Sailor Senshi or the Black Star Galaxy does, who knows how they might abuse this power!" she declared. Her words moved the other four Zodiac Senshi, Jessica was such a wonderful orator and motivational speaker. "Good, you are all finally beginning to see your true duty." Estrella nodded, she pushed the lid of a large box which was sitting at the foot of the bed. In it were nine brooches, all with colors corresponding to each of the five Zodiac Senshi. "These brooches are for you, they are sort of like communicators, but not really. It works by reading energy, when the Sailor Senshi appear, the brooches will let you know. This way we can be alerted of when they are around for us to take their Star Pieces." * * * * Usagi stared at the bonfire, the licks of flame danced around the wood as sparks flew into the air and the burning logs released snapping pops. "I can't believe that Setsuna-san's talisman was stolen." Mako-chan sighed, Usagi glanced sideways at her brunette friend, "Maybe if she wasn't being so self-righteous she would have been able to see that coming--" "Usagi!" Rei exclaimed, but Usagi didn't stop "And I thought she was supposed to know the future? Didn't she know that Sailorleo was going to do that?" "Usagi-chan, that's enough." Ami said firmly, "If it weren't for them we'd still be fighting those smoke monsters! What is wrong with you lately? Sure they're arrogant, sure they might think we're all fools, but push your pride aside, Usagi!" Rei exclaimed in exasperation. Minako nodded in agreement with Rei, as did Mako-chan and Ami. None of them could understand why Usagi was acting so strangely lately. Usagi opened her mouth to argue, but it was interrupted by a cold, cruel, feminine laughter. "Oh, my, a Senshi party--but you aren't dressed yet." the voice said. Rei whirled around and was confronted by a beautiful woman, she looked to be around their age but had an air of maturity far beyond her years. Her long black hair was streaked with blood red, the perfect match for her eyes. She was dressed similarly to Cyanida, except her pants were a dark shade of red. "What happened to Cyanida?" Minako asked--not that it really mattered anyway. This woman seemed to agree, she smirked slightly, "That pathetic creature was fated to die. Much like you are, Sailor Senshi." she said with a small, cold smile. "I am the Second Captain of the Black Star Army. I am the face of Death itself. Sayonara." she whispered, "Venus Crystal Power, Make UP!" Minako cried, throwing her henshin wand into the air, she quickly transformed into Super Sailorvenus. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she she shouted. A golden wreath appeared in her hand, she raised her fingers up and blew a kiss, creating three golden hearts which she threw at the woman. Scorpia darted out of the way, "Red Hallucination..." she whispered, a cloud of red mist surrounded her as she closed her eyes. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped into the air, "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she cried in a mock-venus voice, she mimicking Venus' actions and threw three red hearts at Venus. Sailorvenus cried out as she tried to get away...but this attack was not like her own... the hearts did not stop their pursuit until each of them had struck her. Sailorvenus collapsed to the ground before her friends. Seeing that it was imperative they transform as quickly as possible, the Sailor Senshi quickly cried out, "Mars Crystal Power, Make up!" "Mercury Crystal Power, Make up!" "Jupiter Crystal Power, Make up!" "Moon Crisis, Make Up!" "Mars...Flame...SNIPER!" Sailormars shouted as she shot a red arrow to Scorpia, "Red Poison..." Scorpia whispered and created a ball of red energy between her hands. She raised the orb before her body and it absorbed the arrow, she then took the ball and threw it at the Sailor Senshi, knocking Sailormoon, Mercury, and Jupiter down. Strangely, it completely missed Sailormars. Scorpia smirked and lept into the air, she flicked her wrist and from her right hand her nails extended into deadly claws. She landed gracefully behind Sailormars and encircled Mars with her arm, the claws hovering dangerously close to Mars' face. "Give it to me..." Scorpia whispered, her warm breath on Sailormars' ear, "Give me the source of your power." "Remove yourself from her, or I shall have to do it forcefully." said a calm voice from behind Scorpia. Scorpia turned her head slightly to see she was only inches from decapitation from a pure white blade. She roughly threw Sailormars to the ground, "In the name of the Silent World Saturn, I am the Senshi of Creation and Destruction!" the girl said as she twirled her Glaive momentarily before she rested it millimeters from Scorpia's chest. Scorpia smirked and knocked the Silence Glaive irreverently from Sailorsaturn's hands, "Not so strong without your toy, are you, little girl?" Scorpia sneered as a red mist surrounded her, "Red Hallucination!" she cried, the mist began to drift from Scorpia to Sailorsaturn. Saturn gasped as the mist surrounded her, her vision began to get foggy, "I...I can't see..." Sailorsaturn whispered, "Ho..ta...ru..." groaned a man. Sailorsaturn gasped as she saw a vision of her father, his flesh falling off of his bones stumbling towards her. She felt his hands grabbing her arms, her legs, her neck. "NO!" she screamed. She saw Mistress 9...no...it was her mother. Death. Everywhere there was death. Chibiusa...dead...Mother, please don't kill me. "Mommy...no!" Sailorsaturn screamed and fell to her knees sobbing, "Do you enjoy living in a nightmare, little girl?" Scorpia asked as she gazed down upon the creature who was writhing on the ground at her feet. "Please, make them stop..." she begged, "Hmm. Maybe." Scorpia smirked, she bent down and picked up the Silence Glaive curiously, "Such a menacing weapon for such a little child. You shouldn't play with knives, you're likely to hurt yourself." she said coldly and mercilessly slashed the Glaive across Sailorsaturn's chest, tearing her suit and causing her to detransform. The slash was there in her street clothes. Hotaru covered herself with her hands as she fought the nightmares that still had not stopped. "Yes, this toy could bring you pain." Scorpia murmured as she drew the blade across Hotaru's arm leaving a long red gash which bled warm blood. "World Shaking!" a voice shouted, a golden ball of energy flew towards Scorpia, Scorpia lept into the air nimbly and the energy struck Hotaru instead. Hotaru cried out, Uranus' attack was nothing compared to the horrors that she saw within her mind. "HOTARU!" Sailorneptune screamed as she ran from behind Sailoruranus and to the crying girl, Scorpia glanced coldly about and disappeared in a cloud of red mist--taking the Silence Glaive with her. * * * * "Why do you guys learn American English over British English?" Joanna demanded as she flipped through Ameko's textbook, Jessica glanced up from the manga she was reading, but chose not to say anything. "I don't know why, Joanna-san. Are you going to help me with my English words or not?" Ameko asked as she sharpened her pencil, "No! What kind of slumber party do you do homework at?!" Joanna exclaimed, tossing the book onto the floor. She stretched out on Jessica's bed and stared at the ceiling, there was nothing interesting going on. "Miaka and Taka are so cute." Mihana sighed as she put down the manga she was absorbed in moments ago, "Jessica-san, do you mind if I read another one of your manga?" she asked. Jessica shrugged and Mihana scurried over to the bookshelf, "I wish something interesting was happening." Tien-Lei murmured with a yawn as she stared dazedly out the window, she had verbally concurred with Joanna's previous thought. "Mmm...Ayashi no Ceres, Basara, ooh Hana Yori Dango!" Mihana said to herself as she pulled another volume off the shelf. Just then, the peacefulness was broken as a shrill beeping filled the room. The brooches that Estrella had given them earlier beeped annoyedly, "The Sailor Senshi must be out! Come on, let's get a Star Piece!" Jessica exclaimed as she jumped up. They all ran outside and quickly henshin'd, Sailorleo cried "Sun Rise" and they were all swept in the bubble of light. What they landed in looked like a war zone. Only three Senshi were standing, but they were all hovered over the fallen ones. Sailorleo looked out at the group, her heart filled with pity for them--but she didn't let that show on her face. It was the perfect time to obtain Star Pieces, but she couldn't possibly do it at this time. She called "Sun Rise" again and the Zodiac Senshi left the scene. * * * * "Michiru-mama..." Hotaru whispered as she stared up into Neptune's beautiful blue eyes, the nightmares had stopped coming...but the images were still in her mind. "I'm so tired, Michiru-mama...I...I just want to sleep." she murmured before closing her eyes, "What else could go wrong?" Sailorneptune whispered as she held Hotaru's small hand tightly. Just then, the winds began to pick up and a mauve-ish colored tornado touched down near them, "Very bad timing." Sailormars murmured, TThe funnel cloud returned to the sky and a carbon copy of Sailorpluto dressed differently stood before them. In her hands she held out something that looked like the Garnet Orb, yet it was white in color. "Take this, Pluto." whispered the copy, it wasn't quite corporeal, it was more like a ghostly image, Pluto reached her hand tenatively forward, she looked confused. "Is this Sailorpluto from the future? The past? Where?" Sailorvenus whispered to Sailormercury who was busily typing into her computer, "No, they aren't the same person. Also, that tornado did not appear due to time travel. It was like...a strange occurance of nature." Mercury said. "You don't remember me, Pluto...What a travesty." the replica murmured, it drifted towards Pluto and touched her lightly on the arm. Pluto closed her eyes as she felt energy travel into her body, memories of a past she had almost forgotten flooded back to her, "Charon?" Pluto whispered, the replica nodded and smiled. "That woman who harmed the Daughter of Dosei [Saturn] was a Captain of the Black Star Army," Charon replied as she drifted over to Hotaru and touched her forehead. Hotaru's body filled with light and her physical injuries disappeared from her body, "It was she who tried to destroy us when we were babes, but it was you who was given the gift of rebirth." Charon said, she smiled gently at Pluto, "I do not harbor hate for you, my sister. However, my soul can't wander forever...so I have filled this orb with my energy. It will mean more to you, then it did to me." Charon smiled and held up the Orb in her hands, "Your future is also very bleak, my sister, my spirit is above this dimension and above time, a being will threaten Crystal Tokyo from the past and will almost destroy it. You've got to stop that from happening, the line must never break." Charon whispered as her image began to fade, "Who is the being that does it?" Sailormoon exclaimed, "I cannot see clearly, a being from the past because...the Black Star Galaxy...." Charon said, but her voice was becoming more and more distant and parts of her answer where inaudible, "What's the line? Why must it never break?" Sailorvenus asked hastily, "The future...destroyed...don't let them win...don't let Scorpia...get the Stars..please...Don't let anyone get the Golden Key." Charon murmured, "What's the Golden Key?!" Venus exclaimed, but Charon's corporeal body was gone. What was once where Charon was entered the white Orb that Pluto held and then it began to swirl with color. Pluto held it up to her cheek as as small tear fell from her eyes, "We cannot let anyone acquire the Golden Key, not the Black Star Army, the Zodiac Senshi--no one. We must protect the future and the present. Time isn't an issue when it comes down to it, our duty more than ever is to assure that Crystal Tokyo does come to fruition and you," Pluto said pointing Usagi, "Become Neo-Queen Serenity. Minna-san, we cannot give up."