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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:01:41 GMT -5
Summary: There is a new evil threatening Earth. Ami is the first target, and her enemies are determined to get rid of her. If you're a fan of Sailor Mercury or the Outer Senshi then hopefully you'll enjoy this story because it centers a lot around them. A/N: This story is pretty old so my writing has improved a lot since I wrote this, but I've been told it's pretty good so I'm posting it anyway. Chapter 1: Vacation "Usagi! Get your hand away from that pie!" Makoto yelled as she grabbed a wooden spoon and whacked Usagi's hand with it. "OW!" "I didn't make it for you to eat by yourself. Keep your paws off." Usagi frowned. "What good is a pie if you aren't going to eat it?" "You're pushing it Usagi." Makoto warned. "Stay away from it or else you aren't getting ANY." "Oh you're no fun." Usagi left the kitchen and walked into the living room of the house that she shared with Makoto, Ami, Rei, and Minako. As soon as she reached the room she stopped and stared at the slender figure on the couch. "Minako, what in the world are you doing?" "Watching TV upside-down." "Yeah, but why?" "Because on these cooking shows it looks really funny when the gravy pours up instead of down." Usagi shrugged and walked over to the couch. She sat down beside Minako and turned upside-down. Artemis and Luna entered the room just then. "I'm not even going to ask." Artemis said as continued towards the kitchen. "Good idea." Luna agreed. She followed him after giving Usagi a strange look for a few seconds. The front door flew open and Ami burst into the house. Makoto came out of the kitchen and nearly collided with Ami. "Whoa! Ami where's the fire?" "I have to study." Ami replied. "Study? But we're on vacation." "Yeah. So?" You're not supposed to study while you're on vacation." Ami stared at Makoto as though she were from another planet. "Not study? Why would someone want to do that?" "I'm allergic to studying!" Usagi and Minako said in unison. Makoto snatched Ami's book bag away from her and tossed it in the corner. "Give the studying a rest for at LEAST a few days. Ok?" "A few days without studying? What am I supposed to do if I'm not studying?" Usagi sat up and looked over that back of the couch at Ami. "You could go to the mall." "Or watch TV." Minako added. Makoto nodded. "You could do that. Or you could go for a walk, read a book, help me cook. There's more to life than studying." Ami stared at Makoto again. Releasing a heavy sigh, Makoto turned back towards the kitchen. "That's it. I give up on you Ami. The only we can do now is get you away from all of your books. Tomorrow we're leaving to go camping at the beach and that's that. Anyone who tries to resist can and will be karate chopped." Ami sighed and reached for her book bag. "Move away from the text books!" Makoto cried as she whirled around in the entrance to the kitchen. "But Mako-" "Step away from the text books!" Ami held up her hands in surrender and took a few steps away from the books. "All right. I'm moving away from the books." Makoto disappeared into the kitchen. When she was out of sight Ami dove for her book bag. She grabbed it and ran to her bedroom. "AMI!" Makoto yelled as she ran out of the kitchen and chased the blue- haired girl to her room. Usagi and Minako watched them go. After a few seconds they looked at one another, shrugged, and went back to watching TV. *** "No. Yeah right. Gross. Ew. Never. Not in a million years. Not in two million years. Not in twelve million years." Rei continued saying such things as she dug through her clothes and tossed outfit after outfit aside. Within a matter of minutes her floor was invisible and her drawers were empty with the exception of three shirts and a pair of shorts. "When did my wardrobe become so lame?" Just then Makoto raced into the room and quietly closed the door. She ducked behind Rei's bed, Ami's book bag clutched tightly in her hands. "Mako, what are you doing?" "Shhh! I'm hiding from Ami." "Why?" "I have to keep her books away from her." "Why would you want to do that?" "So that she'll take a break from studying and have a little fun for once." "Mako?! Where are you?!" Ami yelled from the hall. "You never saw me." Makoto hissed as she made herself invisible. Ami open the door and stepped into the room. "Rei, have you seen Makoto?" "Nope. I haven't seen her since I got home." she replied with a grin as she pointed towards her bed. Ami leapt onto the bed and reached behind it. She grabbed the strap of her book bag and tugged on it, trying to get it away from the brunette. "Rei you snitch!" Rei snickered and left the room. "Have fun you two." Makoto slapped Ami's hand and clung tightly to the bag. "Move away slowly or I'll be forced to karate chop you!" Ami got to her feet and crossed her arms. "Mako, give me my books. I NEED to study." "Why?" "Because we have to take tests once we're back at school." "Ami, we aren't going back to school for another month and a half!" "That's my point!" Ami reached for her back, but snatched her hand back when Makoto pulled it out of her reach and raised her hand. "Move away slowly." *** Makoto shoved Ami into the cabin and closed the door. "Ok. One entire week free of studying." she announced to the four other girls in the room. "How are you gonna live Ami?" Minako teased. Ami ignored the comment and walked further into the cabin to find a room. "Guys! There are only two rooms!" she called. "So what's the problem? You, Rei, and I will share a room, and Usagi and Minako can have the other." "I don't want to be stuck in a room with you. You've been going looney on me for two whole days!" "Tough." Makoto said as she and Rei entered the room Ami had picked. "Now put down your bag and let's go have some fun on the beach!"
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:03:09 GMT -5
Chapter 2: Sailor Mercury's First Fight Minako yelped and fell to the floor. She sat up, rubbing her head and glaring at Artemis. "Were you TRYING to kill me?" "I didn't know you were there." he replied defensively. "How could you miss her?! You could find her under twelve tons of snow with that bathing suit!" Makoto said as she placed a towel around her shoulders and moved towards the door. Minako looked down at her bright orange bikini. "What's wrong with it? I think it's cool." "I think you need your eyes checked." "Oh what do you know Mako?" "A lot more than you do." "Hey!" Makoto flung open the door and left before Minako could say anything else. Artemis chuckled and left the room to find Luna. "Minako! Have you seen my towel?!" Usagi cried from the room they shared as she dug through her bag. Minako looked down at the towel she was holding and grinned. "No Usagi! I haven't seen it! Maybe you forgot to bring it!" "I know I packed it! I checked my bag as soon as we got here!" "Oh. Well maybe you were mistaken." "Hey Minako! You're towel is still in here! What were you planning to use to dry yourself off?!" "Uh oh." Minako grabbed her beach bag and stuffed the towel into it, then darted out the door and joined Makoto on the beach. ---------------------- Ami sighed and sat down on the queen bed that she would be sharing with Rei. "I think I'm starting to forget things. I need my books." "Ami, get over it. I'm pretty sure you can live a week without studying. Besides, if Mako catches you with a book then she's going to eat you alive." "I know. I guess once I start doing stuff I'll forget about studying." "That's the spirit!" Rei said as she slipped on her sandals and grabbed her beach bag. "Come on Ami. It'll be fun. I promise." Ami stood and grabbed her beach bag as well. She and Rei met up with Usagi in the hall and joined Makoto and Minako on the beach. *** Ami giggled at the sight of Usagi and Minako. The two were in the water and splashing water wildly at each other. So far Minako was winning the fierce water war. "They've been going at it for almost an hour." Rei said as she sat up from the position she had been sunbathing in. Makoto sat up as well. "If they don't stop pretty soon I'm going to go over there and give them both a piece of my mind. That's getting really annoying. I can't sunbathe with all of that racket." Ami turned to see where laughter she had heard had come from. She saw a few guys playing volleyball and grinned. "Hey guys, why don't we go play some volleyball?" "Now that's the kind of thing I'd like you hear you say more often." Makoto said proudly. Rei smiled a bit and turned towards the two girls in the water while Ami and Makoto went to ask the boys if they could play. "Hey you two! Wanna play some volleyball?!" Usagi and Minako immediately stopped their war and raced out of the water. They joined Rei. Makoto and Ami were waving at them, letting them know that the boys had said it was all right for them to play a few games. Minako squealed excitedly and ran towards the group. "Boys and volleyball all in one! This vacation rocks!" "Wait up Minako!" Rei cried as she and Usagi raced after the blonde. *** It had been nearly three hours and the girls were still playing volleyball. Ami decided to quit and go for a walk by herself since the others wanted to stick around and keep playing. Minako because she thought the blonde guys was cute, and Makoto because the tall dark haired one supposedly looked like her old boyfriend. Ami sighed and slipped on a pair on short jeans shorts over her bathing suit. She walked along the water, just close enough to get her feet wet. After a while she noticed that she had walked so far everyone else that had been on the beach was completely out of sight. She just shrugged and continued to walk. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light to Ami's right, she turned to see what it was. A woman hovered in the air. She had dark blue hair that reached her a little past her shoulders and icy cerulean eyes. Her skin was deathly pale. She wore a pair of tight blue pants, and a matching halter top that showed off some of her stomach. Her shoes looked like Sailor Jupiter's, only they were deep cobalt. Her eyes locked on Ami. "Who are you?" Ami demanded. "I am Ariko, Goddess of Death and the one who shall conquer and destroy this planet." Ami glared. "I know who you are. And you as well as the others shall die." "Not in your dreams you witch! Mercury Crystal Power Make UP!" Ami cried as she quickly transformed into Sailor Mercury. "Nice trick, but it wont do you much good." Ariko raised her hands. "Aqua Spear!" She formed a spear made up of water in her hand and tossed it at Sailor Mercury. Sailor Mercury quickly dodged the spear. "Shabon Spray!" Her attack had no affect. "Shabon Spray!" she yelled, attempting the attack once more. The only reaction she received was a smirked and evil laughter. " Death Star!" An eight-pointed star formed in Ariko's hand. She threw it at Sailor Mercury, an evil grin spread across her face. Sailor Mercury tried to dodge the star, but she wasn't quick enough. The star raked across her body, slicing open a large gash on her left arm and her back. She cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. Very slowly, she pushed herself up to her knees and looked up at Ariko. "What a pity. I really thought you would be more of a challenge." "Shining Aqua Illu-" " Death Star!" Another star flew at Ami. It cut open her right leg, then whipped across her stomach. Ami screeched in agony and collapsed completely to the ground. Ariko cackled and slowly approached the wounded girl. "You're pathetic. You cannot even last two minutes in a fight. How did you possibly make it this far in life as one of the Sailor Senshi?" Ariko's only reply was a small moan. A smirk crossed Ariko's face. She formed a spear of water in her hands and raised it above Sailor Mercury, ready to take the life of the young girl. Suddenly a blast came out of nowhere and threw Ariko to the ground, knocking her away from Ami. Ariko stood up to attack the girl's rescuer, but she was hit with another attack. She cried out in rage and began to disappear. "I'll be back Sailor Mercury! And when I do come back, you will be the first to die!" With that, she disappeared. Sailor Mercury groaned and turned her head to see who had saved her. She could see the outline of someone, but her vision was blurry so she couldn't tell who it was. The figure kneeled down beside her and gently picked her up. Only seconds later Ami passed out, leaving her life in the hands of her unknown rescuer.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:05:02 GMT -5
Chapter 3: Her Rescuer Revealed Makoto heaved a sigh. "She couldn't have gone that far. Where is she?" Rei shrugged. "Maybe she went back to the cabin." "But her stuff was still on the beach." "Maybe she took off and went to a library." Minako suggested with a giggle. "If she did she's gonna be in big trouble." Makoto said as she balled her hands into fists. "Hey! Stop!" Artemis yelled from a little ways ahead. He, Luna, and Usagi were all gathered in a semi-circle. The three girls ran to join them. "What did you find?" Minako questioned. Usagi pointed to the ground. "Check it out. There's blood all over the sand." "You don't think it could be Ami's do you?" Rei asked. Makoto frowned and a worried expression crossed her face. "What if something happened to her? What if she's in trouble?" The group went silent. Usagi stood up and grabbed Luna. "If Ami's in trouble then we have to find her. Let's keep looking." "Right." the others agreed in unison. Mina took the lead as she, Rei, and Artemis ran off in one direction. Usagi, Makoto, and Luna went further down the beach. -------------------- Ami groaned and opened her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was laying on a bed in a room covered in elegant decorations. 'Where am I?' she silently asked herself as she attempted to sit up. She winced in pain and fell back down onto the bed. 'I guess I can scratch the idea of getting up and taking a look around.' Just then the bedroom door opened and a figure walked in. Ami couldn't tell who it was because they were wearing a black cloak that covered up his or her face. She noticed that the person was slender and had a curvy body. Those two facts together allowed Ami to make the safe assumption that it was a female in her presence. " Don't be afraid Sailor Mercury. I will not harm you. I am here to help you." Ami stared at the woman concealed within the cloak. Her voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she had heard it before. The woman pulled the blankets away from Ami's body and examined the bandages on her leg. "Your wounds are deep. You will need to take time to heal." "What about my friends?" " Don't worry about them. They are fine. Hold still while I change you bandages." The woman changed the bandage on Ami's leg then went work on the one on her back. *** Rei groaned and sat down on a large rock. Minako collapsed beside her and pulled Artemis into her lap. "This is getting ridiculous." Minako said as she began stroking the white cats back. "There's no sign of Ami anywhere, and we can't reach her on the communicator. What could have happened?" "I sure hope she's ok." Rei said, leaning against Minako. "Something must have happened, otherwise she would answer us on the communicator." "Yeah. And what about that blood on the sand? You think that could have been hers? What if she's hurt?" " Don't worry so much. Ami will be able to take care of herself until we find her." Artemis said. Rei leaned into Minako a little more. "If something was wrong I probably would have felt it. If something actually did happen I can't help but wonder why I didn't feel anything." "I wouldn't worry about it now. We should keep looking for Ami. I hope Makoto and Usagi are having better luck than us." Artemis said, leaping out of Minako's lap and coaxing the girls to their feet. ----------------- Makoto screamed angrily and punched the thick trunk of a tree, causing her knuckles to bleed. "Calm down Makoto." Luna said as she took a few steps back from the furious girl. "Calm down?! How can I calm down?! Ami is gone and no one can find any trace of her! What could have happened to her?!" Usagi placed a hand on her friends shoulder. " Don't worry Mako. We'll find her." The two girls and the cat guardian didn't notice a figure hiding in the trees covered by a black cloak. After listening to the girls conversation the figure disappeared. *** Ami sat up and accepted a bowl of soup that the woman offered her. "Your friends are worried." "My friends? You saw them?" The woman nodded. "Eat up. Then I will take you to them." ------------- "No luck?" Rei asked as she joined Usagi and Makoto, Minako's body hanging loosely in her arms. "No. What's wrong with Minako?" Makoto questioned. "She's tired." Usagi picked Luna up and sat down on the sand. "I just don't understand. There's no trace of Ami at all." Minako wiggled in Rei's arms, signaling that she wanted to be put down. Rei obeyed her friends' wishes and set her down. "Sailors, there is no more need to worry about your fellow senshi." The four girls looked up at the cloaked figure and saw Ami hanging limply in her arms. She was in a deep slumber. "Ami!" they cried in unison. "She will be fine." Makoto raced up and took Ami from the woman's arms. She stared at the figure concealed within the cloak. "Who are you?" After pausing for a few seconds she reached up and pulled her hood back, revealing her face. The girls gasped in surprise. "Michiru!" they cried in unison. "I must depart now. I leave you with this warning though. Keep a close eye on Ami, and don't let her out of your sight." Having said that, Michiru raced off into the shadows. Usagi stared after her. "That was weird. Why did she race off like that? And where's Haruka? They're almost always together." Makoto nodded and tightened her grip on the girl in her arms. "Let's now worry about that now." Rei said. "We need to get Ami back to the cabin." "Yeah. Right. Let's go." Makoto said, leading the way.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:07:03 GMT -5
Chapter 4: Uranus Kidnapped Ami groaned loudly and opened her eyes. Once again she was laying on a bed with heavy blankets draped over her. Only this time it was a room that she recognized. It was the room she shared with Rei and Makoto in the cabin they had rented. Sitting up, Ami rubbed her eyes and looked around. Rei was asleep in a chair next to the bed, Minako had fallen asleep while sitting on the windowsill, and Usagi and Makoto were both curled up on the twin bed a little ways across the room. Minako stirred a but from the sound of Ami's groan, but she didn't wake up. Being careful not to make a sound, Ami crawled out of bed and tiptoed past the sleeping senshi. "And just where do you think you're going?" Ami whirled around to see Rei looking at her with a suspicious expression on her face. "Rei. I thought you were asleep." "I was. Until you woke me up with that loud groan of yours. Come on. Let's get out of here before we wake someone up." "Too late." Makoto groaned as she rolled off of the bed. She followed Ami and Rei out the door, leaving Usagi and Minako alone. Makoto grabbed Ami around the waist, supporting her weight so she wouldn't have to walk on her hurt leg. They reached the couch and the brunette gently lowered her friend down onto it. Rei went to the small kitchen and grabbed each of them a granola bar to hold them over until Usagi and Minako woke up for dinner. Aside from the sound of quiet munching, there was silence for a few minutes. Then Rei decided to break the silence and find out what had happened to her fellow senshi. "Ami, just what happened after you left us to go for a walk?" Ami crumbled up the wrapper of her granola bar and tossed it into the garbage can before answering. "Well, I was walking for quite a while before anything actually happened. A little while after I got out of sight of everyone on the beach I ran into this woman. She said her name was Ariko and that she was the Goddess of Death. Somehow she knew I was a senshi and she attacked me. I would have been killed if that. That woman, had not shown up." "Woman?" Makoto questioned. "Was she wearing a black cloak?" Ami nodded. A slight grin crossed Rei's face. "You didn't know who it was?" "No. Her voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before." Rei's smile widened and she let out a slight chuckle. "It was Michiru." "Wha? Michiru?" Rei and Makoto nodded. "Oh. Why was she wearing a cloak and covering up her face?" " Don't know Ami, but it seemed like she didn't want someone to see her." Makoto said with a slight shrug. "Or something." Rei added. -------------------- Michiru removed her cloak and tossed it into the corner of the living room. " Did you find anything?" she asked the tall woman sitting on the green couch. "No." was the flat reply. With a heavy sigh Michiru sat down next to the other woman. "Haruka, there has to be some way to find this woman. She needs to be stopped. Sailor Mercury was nearly killed yesterday." Haruka nodded knowingly. "I know. Trust me Michiru, I'm trying. She manages to slip away every time I'm close to finding her though." "I'm going with you on your next patrol." "No you're not." Michiru shot Haruka and angry glance, but it quickly disappeared. "And why not?" "You need to keep an eye on Usagi and the others. I'll call Setsuna to come help me." Michiru crossed her arms and looked away from her companion. "Stop it." Haruka said as she stood up. "I'll let you come with me after we figure out where Ariko is hiding." "Why wont you let me go with you now?" Michiru questioned as she leapt to her feet and grabbed Haruka by the shoulders. "You know why." Haruka gently pushed Michiru away and headed towards the door, ignoring the icy glare she received. "By the way Michiru," Haruka began as she opened the door, "be careful." With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Michiru heaved a sigh grabbed her cloak. 'Haruka, you're really starting to bug me.' *** Sailor Uranus and Sailor Pluto stood on top of a high brick wall. Their eyes scanned the surrounding area, but they found no trace of Ariko. Pluto gave Uranus a sideward glance. "You two got into an argument, didn't you." It was a statement, not a question. Uranus looked at the senshi that stood beside her. "No." she replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes you did." Setsuna said before leaping off the wall and landing softly on the ground. Sailor Uranus followed her without a word. Suddenly Setsuna stopped in her tracks and grabbed Haruka's arm, signaling for her to do the same. Ariko came out of nowhere. She leapt through the air and collided with Haruka, throwing her to the ground. Sailor Pluto jumped in front of Uranus and held out her staff to keep Ariko away while the blonde climbed to her feet. Uranus quickly got up and went to Setsuna's side. "You have good ears Sailor Pluto." Ariko commented. "Too bad that wont help you. Death Star!" Setsuna blocked the star with her staff, giving Haruka a chance to attack their foe. "World Shaking!" "Toxic Aqua Streams!" "Uranus! Move!" Sailor Pluto cried as she shoved Haruka to the ground and whirled her staff around in front of her to block the deadly streams. Ariko threw the attack at them a second time. This time twirling each of the twelve streams that shot around out to prevent Setsuna from blocking them with her staff. Setsuna cried out in pain when one of the streams hit her. Her skin began to burn and she dropped her staff, collapsing to her knees. Haruka was about to jump up to help her, but two streams slammed into her body, pinning her to the ground and tearing her fuku. "Uranus! Pluto!" a familiar voice cried. The two senshi slightly turned their heads to see who it was. Sailor Neptune was standing a few feet away, black cloak wrapped around her body, hood pulled back. She pulled her mirror out of the folds of her cloak and glared dangerously at Ariko. "Leave them alone." she commanded. Ariko smirked and turned towards Sailor Neptune. " Death Star!" "Submarine Reflection!" Neptune jumped towards Pluto and Uranus the second after she had unleashed her attack. She grabbed Haruka's arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. When she turned to pull Setsuna up she saw that the Senshi of Time had already gotten up, so she turned back to where Ariko was shaking off the affects of her attack. "I told you not to come!" Uranus hissed angrily. "If I hadn't come you'd be dead right now!" Michiru snapped back. Ariko glared angrily at Sailor Neptune. 'This is the second time she has interfered.' A scowl crossed her face. "Sailor Neptune, this is the second time you have interfered. You must be destroyed." The only reply she received was an icy glare from all three of the senshi before her. Sailor Neptune jumped into the air and directed a kick at Ariko. As soon as she was close enough Ariko reached up and snatched her ankle, throwing Michiru to the ground. At that moment another woman appeared. Her hair and clothes were identical to Ariko's, except hers were deep green. She went to Ariko's side and slammed her foot into Michiru's back, pinning her to the ground and causing her to scream. "Neptune!" Haruka and Setsuna cried in unison. Pluto tightened her grip on her staff. " Dead Scream." The woman whom had joined Ariko raised a hand. "Oak Darts!" Several darts of wood shot through the air, destroying Setsuna's attack and scraping across her body. One of the darts embedded itself in Setsuna' shoulder. She quickly ripped it away, just in time to see Haruka charging the two women. Ariko looked at the woman beside her. "Janeh? Would you care to do the honors?" Janeh nodded and removed her foot from Neptune's back. "Vine Wrap!" Several vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around Haruka's body. As she began to gasp for breath they tightened, squeezing her delicate frame. Michiru whirled around and knocked Janeh and Ariko to the ground at the same time. "Uranus! Exhale!" Sailor Uranus did as she was told. " Deep Submerge!" Sailor Neptune's attack hit the vines full force, causing them to crumple and release Haruka. "Haruka!" Uranus got to her feet and started moving towards Michiru, but she was stopped when and eight-pointed star cut through the air and raked across her chest. She let out a cry of agony and collapsed. Ariko and Janeh appeared in front of Uranus, blocking Neptune from getting to her. Sailor Pluto rushed up from behind. She was violently tossed to the ground when Janeh lashed out at her with a vine. Ariko glanced down at Haruka, realizing that she and Sailor Neptune must have a very deep bond. "Sailor Neptune, if you wish to she Uranus alive again, meet us here at noon in three days. Bring us the Moon Crystal. If you do not have it, we will kill Uranus." With that, Ariko and Janeh disappeared, takinf Haruka with them. "URANUS!" Michiru screeched.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:11:14 GMT -5
Chapter 5: Death Of A Senshi Michiru stared hard at Usagi. She had been brief on telling her and the Inner Scouts about what had happened, and conveniently left out the part about needing the Moon Crystal to get Haruka back. Setsuna stood beside Michiru, her hand pressed against her shoulder to slow the bleeding. They had left the battle scene right away and went straight to Usagi, not even thinking about tending to their wounds. "So how do you plan to get Haruka back?" Makoto questioned. Michiru kept her eyes on Usagi. "I don't know, but I will." Minako stood up from where she had been sitting beside Ami on the couch. "Come on you guys. Let's take a look around the town and see if we can find them and surprise them." "Usagi comes with me." Michiru said without pause. *** Ami sighed. Her leg was beginning to get sore from all of the walking she was doing and she had no one to help support her weight since Minako and Artemis were trudging along slowly behind her. Suddenly Ami felt herself collide with someone else. She let out a quiet cry of surprise and looked up to see whom she had bumped into. A young male, about the same age as Ami, possibly a year older, stood before the blue-haired girl. His deep green locking on Ami, and his short coal black hair moved slightly in the light breeze. Ami felt her cheeks turn hot, and she quickly looked down to the ground, noticing that she had caused him to drop a few books he had been carrying. Instantly she fell to her knees and began to gather them up, muttering an apology as she did so. He sank down beside and grabbed her hand, preventing her from gathering up the remaining two books. "It's all right. I'll get them." he said in a soft and kind voice. Ami's face turned bright red when he touched her hand. He grabbed his books and got to his feet, offering Ami his hand and pulling her up with him. "I'm Peter." he introduced, flashing Ami a smile. She cheeks grew hot again and she took the hand that he had held out to her and shook it. "I'm Ami." "And I'm Minako!" the blonde cried as she rushed to Ami's side. Peter smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you Minako. And you Ami." He glanced over his shoulder as though he expected to see someone following him. "I really must he going now." he said, turning back to the two girls. "Maybe we'll see each other again some time." "Yeah. Maybe." Ami said shyly. Minako slung an arm around her friends' shoulders. "If you want to see us just come knocking on the door of cabin number twelve out on the beach." Peter chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He bowed slightly to the two girls before continuing on his way. Ami didn't notice that she was staring after him with a dreamy expression on her face until the snapping of Minako's fingers right by her nose broke her trance. "Hey lover-girl, we're looking for Haruka. Not boys. Remember?" "YOU of all people are telling me not to look for boys?" Ami said in an amazed tone. "Well if we happen to run into a few dozen it wouldn't hurt to talk to them." the blonde answered innocently. Ami rolled her eyes and continued forward. "Besides, I just accidentally bumped into him and I was helping him pick up his books." "Sure you were." -------------------- Usagi gave Michiru a puzzled looked when she stopped in her tracks. "Michiru? Is something wrong?" Setsuna looked worriedly at the two girls. She knew why Michiru had wanted to get Usagi away from the other senshi, and she highly disapproved of what she was going to do. Yet she said nothing to the blue-eyed girl. "I need to Moon Crystal." Michiru said, getting right to the point. "What?" Usagi questioned, the confusion in her voice obvious. "Give me the Moon Crystal." "Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?" "Give it to me." the elder girl demanded, taking a step forward. Usagi began to back away. "No. Michiru stop. You're scaring me." Setsuna reached out to touch Michiru's shoulder. "Michiru-" Her hand was violently slapped away as Michiru reached out and grabbed the crystal attached to Usagi's shirt. With a violent tug, Michiru ripped the crystal away from Usagi's shirt and let her fall to the ground. "I'm sorry Usagi. I'll give it back. When I'm done." Having said that, she turned around, grabbed Setsuna's arm, and took off. Usagi blinked, trying to absorb what had just happened. She jumped to her feet, ready to chase after Michiru and Setsuna, but they were already long gone. Three days later... Sailor Uranus groaned as she was tossed to the sandy ground. Her back was covered in blood and cuts from being whipped several times when she refused to turn against the senshi and help Ariko and Janeh capture Sailor Neptune and Pluto. Janeh placed a foot on Haruka's back to keep her from moving, just like she had done to Sailor Neptune a few days ago during their fight. She looked down at her watch and smirked. "They're late Ariko. Do you think they'll show up?" "Of course they will. They wouldn't leave a fellow senshi in the hands of an enemy." Just then Michiru and Setsuna appeared, both in their sailor forms. Michiru had a hateful glint in her eyes, and Setsuna was gripping her staff tightly. "Have you brought the Moon Crystal? If you have not, Sailor Uranus dies." Ariko said, forming a spear in her hands. Michiru tossed the crystal across the ground, watching as it skidded to a halt at Ariko's feet. "Here's the crystal. Now let her go." she said, her voice cold and venomous. Janeh removed her foot from Haruka's back and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet. She smirked and shoved the girl forward, watching as she stumbled as fell towards the ground, only to be caught in Michiru's arms. Setsuna ran to the pair and kneeled down beside them. She saw that at the moment Haruka was close to passing out, but with her wounds tended to and a little rest she would definitely live. Ariko grabbed the Moon Crystal and smirked. "Villains don't play by the rules." she said, tossing her spear directly as Haruka. Setsuna caught this movement out of the corner of her eyes and grabbed both Michiru and Haruka, pulling them away from the deadly weapon and throwing them to the ground before leaping at the two women. " Death Star!" Setsuna landed on the ground and just barely missed being hit by the star. " Dead Scream." "Vine Wrap!" Vines burst out of the earth and twisted tightly around Setsuna's body, one wrapping itself tightly around her throat. She dropped her staff and clawed at the vines, desperately trying to breath. Suddenly a flaming arrow shot through the air and cut the vines away from Setsuna's body. She dropped to the ground and drew in a few ragged breaths before snatching up her staff and getting to her feet. Sailor Mars, followed closely by the other three Inner Scouts, jumped down to the ground from atop the brick wall. Sailor Venus and Mars went to Michiru and Haruka to protect them from danger. Mercury and Jupiter joined Setsuna. "So exactly what is going on?" Makoto questioned. "Can we save the explanations for later?" Setsuna said, preparing to launch another attack. "Toxic Aqua Streams!" "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" The two attacks collided together, causing the ground to shudder. Ariko raised the Moon Crystal and smirked. "Prepare to die Sailor Senshi." The crystal began to glow, but instead of pure white light, it turned black and released dark energy. "And as I promised, Sailor Mercury first." A beam of black energy burst from the crystal and slammed into Ami. She screamed in agony and collapsed. Makoto and Setsuna rushed to her aid, only to be thrown away by another blast from the crystal. A third beam shot out, Ami as the target once again. Ami squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the painful death to hit her, but it never came. Instead she felt herself pinned to the ground and a body thrown over hers. Then a painful scream cut through the air. Makoto's scream. "Mako!" Ami cried as she tried to move so that she could get Makoto away from the blast. She had been firmly pinned to the ground though. Even now while Makoto was screaming in agony. "Mako!" Ami cried again. Setsuna pushed herself to her knees and slowly began to move towards Mercury and Jupiter. "Sailor Jupiter. Mercury." she said in a weak voice before collapsing again. Rei and Minako had tried to run over to save their friends, but they were stopped when Janeh wrapped them up in her vines. Michiru clutched Haruka's body tightly. All she could do was watch because she knew she would never reach the other three senshi before Janeh wrapped her up in vines. When the powerful blast from the corrupted Moon Crystal subsided, Makoto went limp. Ami sat up and rolled her friend onto her back, holding her wounded body in her arms. "Mako." Makoto groaned. Her eyes were only half open, and it took a great amount of effort just for her to do that. She drew in a shaky breath and winced in pain. "Ami, are you all right?" she questioned as though there was nothing wrong with her. Ami started to tighten her grip around Makoto's body, but stopped when she realized it would cause her friend more pain than she was already in. "Mako, don't talk. Just rest now and you'll be all right." she said, not believing her own words. A weak smile crossed Jupiter's face. "Tell Usagi not to eat all of the pie. And tell Minako to stop taking Usagi's towel. And Rei. Tell Rei that I want her to take over in the kitchen." Makoto winced in pain again, then continued. "Ami. Help Rei take good care of Usagi and Minako. They can be a little too careless at times." She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. "Mako? Mako?!" " Don't worry. About me. I'm like a bad penny. I always. Turn up." With those final words, Makoto's body disappeared from Ami's arms. "Mako." Ami breathed as a tear fell down her cheek.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:14:54 GMT -5
Chapter 6: A New Warrior Ariko grinned evilly. She had meant for Sailor Mercury to die first, but Sailor Jupiter had gotten in the way. Still, it was one less senshi all the same. Ami curled her fingers, tightening her hands into white-knuckled fists. She got to her feet and glared at the two women. They had killed Makoto and now they would have to pay. Besides that fact, Setsuna was hurt and Rei and Minako were in trouble. Somehow she felt the presence of Usagi. The blonde was watching the battle from somewhere nearby. With an angry glint in her eyes, Ami attacked Ariko and Janeh. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" After releasing her attack, she lunged forward and tore the vines away from Rei and Minako. The two senshi dropped to the ground, gasping for beath. Rei recovered faster than Minako did. She got to her feet and stood beside Ami. "Mars Flame Sniper!" "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Minako cried after getting to her feet and joining Ami and Rei. Ariko and Janeh screeched in agony when the attacks hit them. Ariko dropped the Moon Crystal, and Setsuna, even in her wounded state, lunged for it. She managed to snatch the crystal just before Janeh did, and quickly jumped away. Once she was beside Michiru and Haruka, she collapsed again. Ariko and Janeh both disappeared, neither one destroyed. Just temporarily out of action. Usagi left her hiding place and went to Setsuna, taking the Moon Crystal from her and gathering her into her arms. Tears had been running down her cheeks when she saw Makoto die, and now she was crying because she was afraid both Setsuna and Haruka would leave them as well. Michiru picked Haruka up and stood. Both Rei and Usagi grabbed Setsuna and wrapped one of her arms around either of their shoulders. They silently followed Michiru, with Ami, Minako, and the two cats bringing up the rear of the group. *** Haruka slowly opened her eyes. As soon as her vision focused she saw that she was staring right into a pair of blue eyes filled with concern. "Michiru." she said quietly. "How do you feel?" "Fine for what I went through." Michiru looked over at the second bed in the room. Setsuna lay motionless on it. "Setsuna is still unconscious." "What happened?" There was a slight pause before Michiru began to speak. "They was a battle after we got you back. The Inner Senshi showed up to help us. Ariko tried to kill Mercury, but Jupiter threw herself over her. She died. After the fight was over Usagi got the Moon Crystal back and we brought you and Setsuna here. Usagi, Rei, and Minako left after about an hour. Ami was still here until about fifteen minutes ago." Haruka blinked. "Jupiter is dead?" Michiru nodded sadly. "What about Usagi? Is she all right? The Moon Crystal?" "Usagi is fine and the Moon Crystal is no longer controlled by dark energy. Now please, hold still. I need to change your bandages." Haruka tried to hold still while she sat up and allowed Michiru to fiddle around with the bandages on her back. 'Jupiter is dead. Setsuna and I were nearly killed. What next?" ------------------ Ami plopped down on the couch and tucked her knees up to her chin. She blinked back tears that threatened to fall. Everyone else had decided on a very early night. They were all in their beds. Except Rei. She didn't want to sleep in the room she had been sharing with Ami and Makoto since everything would remind her of her friend, so she was asleep on the floor of Usagi and Minako's room. Ami was the only one unable to force herself to sleep. She shivered as a chill ran up her spine. At that same moment there was a light knock at the door. Thinking it might Michiru, Ami jumped to her feet and opened it. A look of surprise and disappointment crossed Ami's face when she saw who it was. "Peter. Hi." she said quietly. "Hi Ami. Sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I couldn't exactly call you." It was then that he noticed her disappointed look. " Did I come at a bad time? Because I can leave." "No." Ami answered quickly. "I just thought you might be a friend of mine. I thought she might stop by." "Well if you're waiting for someone I should probably go." "No, no, no. I'm not waiting for her. Besides, if she does drop by my other friends are here." Ami stepped outside and quietly closed the door. "It was kind of a long day. They're all asleep." "Oh. I see." An uneasy pause followed. "Uh, would you like to go for a walk?" he asked, gesturing towards the beach. "Uh. Sure." Ami replied as her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson. 'Maybe a walk with get my mind off of Makoto.' Peter led Ami down to the beach. They walked in silence most of the time, each being too shy to same something to the other. After a while Peter finally spoke to the blue-haired girl at his side. "So Ami, what sort of things do you do for fun?" "I don't really have many hobbies. I'm usually too busy studying." "You study a lot?" Peter asked, sounding a but surprised. Ami nodded. "Yes." "Your friend Minako, she likes to take care of sick people, doesn't she?" "Yes. How did you know that?" "Uh, lucky guess." Ami gave Peter a confused look. He seemed to know way too much about Minako, and she suddenly became suspicious that he may be working with Ariko and Janeh. "Peter, you wouldn't happen to know two women by the names of Ariko and Janeh, would you?" Peter stopped in his tracks. "Yes. I do." he answered in a sour tone. 'Then again, maybe he doesn't work for them.' Ami thought to herself when she heard the tone of his voice. "Why do you ask?" "Oh, no reason." Ami said quickly as she began walking again. Peter caught up with her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt. " Do you know them?" "Well, that depends." "On what?" " Do you want me to know them?" Peter gave Ami a strange look. "Ami." he started. Ami waited anxiously for him to continue. "Yes?" "Um. I." He was cut off when the sound of laughter filled the air. Peter and Ami turned to see Janeh cackling and staring down at them. 'Oh great! I can't transform in front of Peter! You sure picked a lousy time to show up.' Peter grabbed Ami by the arm and stepped in front of her to protect her. "How sweet." Janeh said mockingly. She raised a hand and smirked at the pair. "Oak Darts!" "Get down!" Peter cried as he shoved Ami down to her knees and wrapped his arms around her, using his body to shield her from the deadly darts. Only a few of the many darts hit Peter. He grunted and reached up to pull the darts from his back. Pulling Ami to her feet he turned to face Janeh. "Ami, run! I'll distract her!" "What?!" "Run!" Peter urged, pushing her in the direction of her cabin. "No way!" "Oak Darts!" Janeh cried, taking the opportunity to attack them. "Mercury Crystal Power Make-UP!" Peter blinked as he watched Ami transform into Sailor Mercury. "I knew it." he whispered. "Shining Aqua Illusion!" "Vine Wrap!"
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:16:00 GMT -5
Chapter 6 continued... Ami did her best to avoid the vines, but after dodging and darting a few of them they finally caught up with her and wrapped around her body. "Ami!" Peter cried. He jumped forward to help her, at the same time transforming into a warrior. His simple jeans and t-shirt changed to a pair of loose white pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a flowing blue cape that matched the color of Ami's fuku skirt. Peter whipped out a sword that had a golden handle with a blue gem embedded in it. He cut the vines away from Ami and caught her in his arms, gently lowering her to the ground. Looking up, he glared dangerously at Janeh. "I am Divine Knight!" he announced. "A warrior of Life and the planet Earth!" " Divine Knight?" Ami questioned quietly. Peter gripped his sword tightly and leapt at Janeh. He swung hard at her, raking the blade across one of her arms before she had a chance to move out of the way. Janeh let out a yelp of pain as she toppled to the ground and clutched her arm. She quickly got back up and shot Peter an angry glare. "You!" she screeched, pointing a finger at him. "When I come back, I'll destroy you!" She turned to Ami. "And YOU Sailor Mercury, you'll die as well. Just like your friend Jupiter. And when you do die, I'll absorb your soul to make myself more powerful. Just like Ariko did to Sailor Jupiter's soul!" Ami blinked a few times, absorbing what Janeh had said. "Mako." she whispered. Janeh disappeared in a blink of light. Peter watched her go before returning to Ami's side. He took her hands and pulled her to her feet. For a minute the two just stared at each other, not knowing what to say or do. Then a sudden beeping came from Ami's wristwatch. Ami grabbed it and flipped it open. All she saw was a fuzzy screen. "Rei? Minako? Usagi?" "Ami." came a faint voice from the device. Ami's eyes went wide. Even though the voice was barely audible she would know it anywhere. "Makoto?!" "Ami." she repeated. "They. They faked." "Mako where are you?!" "They faked Ami." she said again. After those words the screen went black. "Mako?! Mako?!" Ami cried as she banged on the wristwatch. Peter rested a hand on her shoulder. "Ami, don't worry about her. They wont harm her. They need her." Ami looked up into Peter's eyes. Tears of fury and joy threatened to fall. She was happy that she knew Makoto was alive, but furious that she didn't know where she was located and was unable to help her. "Mako needs me." she said quietly. "I know. But right now you need to go home and rest." Peter replied, de- transforming at the same time. He grabbed Ami's wrist and led her back to her cabin, ignoring the questions she flung at him about him being a warrior and about finding Makoto. "I'll explain everything to you tomorrow." he said to her when they reached the door of the cabin. "Just please get some rest now." Having said that, he left Ami at the door after giving her hand a tight squeeze. Ami watched him go, then quietly entered the cabin. After she closed the door she locked it and leaned her back against it. "Mako." she whispered.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:18:04 GMT -5
Chapter 7: Nightmares "NO! Rei! Minako! Usagi!" Ami reached forward in an attempt to grab her falling friends, but she was unable to reach them. The sight of the Outer Senshi flying down to their death after the others entered Ami's eyes. "Michiru! Haruka! Setsuna!" Tears began to roll down her cheeks when she failed to save them as well. "NO!" "Sailor Mercury! There is nothing you can do now!" Ariko appeared before her. She reached out and placed her hand over Ami's heart, calling upon her powers and sucking out the blue-haired girls' soul. Ami screeched in agony. She was unable to move, and was therefore helpless. Just then a young male appeared. His eyes piercing green and his hair jet black. He jumped forward and knocked Ariko away Ami. Grabbing Ami, he lifted her into his arms and clutched her body tightly. "Ami? Ami?! Are you all right? Ami say something!" he pleaded. Ami groaned and opened her eyes, looking up into the pair of green orbs that stared back at her. "Wha- Divine Knight? What are you doing here?" she asked weakly. "I came after you." Ami blinked, staring up at Peter. "My friends..." she croaked. " Don't worry. They're safe." "But how?" "I'll explain later. Right now we have to get out of here." Clutching Ami's body tightly, Peter moved towards the only exit. Ariko shot a stream of dark energy at them, directed at the girl hanging in Divine Knight's arms. He quickly whirled around and used his own body as a shield to protect Ami. Ami's eyes widened when he let out a cry of pain. "Peter. No. Peter!" Ami's eyes flew open. She bolted upright on the couch and let out a quiet startled cry. Beads of sweat had gathered on her forehead, and she was breathing heavily. Placing a hand over her heart, Ami tried to gain control of her breathing. She heard hurried footsteps approaching and turned to see who it was. Rei appeared and flew to Ami's side. "Ami? What's wrong? What happened?" she questioned. Ami only whimpered and allowed Rei to pull her into a comforting embrace. She blinked back tears and hugged Rei back. "Ami what happened? Your fright and loss was so great it woke me up. Did you have a bad dream?" "Oh Rei..." Ami sobbed, no longer able to hold back her tears. "It was horrible. You all disappeared. I thought you were all dead. First Makoto, then the rest of you. Including Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru. It was terrible!" Rei hugged Ami tighter and rubbed her back to comfort her. "Shhh. Don't worry Ami. It was just a bad dream. We aren't going to leave you. I promise." A few minutes later Minako entered the living room. She had been woken up by the sound of Usagi's snoring, and when she heard the sound of Ami's sobbing she instantly headed for the front room of the cabin. "Ami? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked as she sat on the opposite side of Ami that Rei was on. "She had a bad dream." Rei explained. Minako wrapped one arm around Ami and the other around Rei, huddling close to the two. "Hey, it was just a dream Ami. Don't worry about it. We're here for you. Right Rei?" "Of course we are." Ami's tears slowed, and after a while she was just sniffling. Rei and Minako stayed with her until she assured them that she would be all right and informed them that they should get back to bed and catch up on their sleep. "I think Ami is taking this harder than any of us." Rei whispered to Minako as they entered the bedroom. "What?" "Makoto." "Oh." Minako replied sadly. *** Ami sighed and stepped outside, happy to get away from the cabin and out into the fresh air. She walked down to the beach and dipped her toes into the cool water. The sound of approaching footsteps startled her, and she whirled around to see who it was. Ami let out a relieved sigh when she saw who it was. "Hey." "Hi Peter." she said shyly, feeling her cheeks turn hot. Peter went to her side and stared across the the wide stretch of water. "I guess I kind of surprised you yesterday." "A little." "I guess you want an explanation." "Now isn't really a good time. Besides, explaining about it isn't much use. You're a warrior and that's that." She looked down at her feet, blushing deeply when she remembered her dream and the tender way he had held her and looked at her. "That's all there is to it." "Ami..." Peter said, taking her hands in his. Ami's blush deepened. She looked up, but tried to avoid eye contact. "Y-yes?" "I want you to know something. I know we don't really know each other, but you are a Sailor Senshi. I just want you to know that no matter what I'm going to fight by your side. Through thick and thin." "Thanks." Ami whispered. ------------------ Michiru jumped to her feet at the sound of movement from Setsuna. She rushed to the bed and looked down at her fellow senshi. "Setsuna?" "My head hurts." Setsuna said quietly without opening her eyes. "Hold on a minute. I'll get you some medicine for it." Michiru left the room, and reappeared within a matter of seconds holding a glass of water and an asprin. "Here. You'll need to sit up." Setsuna groaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "When did you become Doctor Michiru?" she asked after she took the pill and gulped down some water. Michiru smiled a bit. "I'll be right back. I need to go change Haruka's bandages. She insisted on being moved to the couch, and you know how stubborn she is." Setsuna nodded and watched Michiru disappear. Haruka looked up when Michiru entered the room. She sat up and gave the girl a questioning look when she darted into the bathroom and raced back out holding a few boxes of bandages. "Take your shirt off." Michiru commanded as she sat down on the arm of the couch." "What?" Haruka questioned, shooting Michiru a strange look. "I can't change your bandages unless you take your shirt off. Now do it." Haruka began muttering some things that Michiru didn't catch, but she did as she was told and allowed her friend to change the bandages. *** Michiru collapsed into the chair beside the couch that Haruka was fast asleep on. She sighed heavily and waved her hands in front of her face in an attempt to cool herself off. Letting out a tired groan, Michiru grabbed a ribbon from the table in front of her and tied her hair up in a high ponytail to keep it off her neck. Suddenly Haruka's eyes flew open and a startled gasp escaped her. She quickly sat up, ignoring the pain in her back. Looking over to Michiru she let out a relieved sighed, and her tense muscles relaxed. Michiru gave Haruka a confused look. "Haruka? What's wrong." The only response she got was Haruka reaching out and grabbing her wrist, pulling her off of the chair and sitting her down on the couch beside her. Haruka squeezed Michiru's hand, making sure that she was truly there with her. "It was just a nightmare."
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:19:04 GMT -5
Chapter 8: A Crash Of Thunder Michiru stared at Haruka, wondering what dream could have been so terrible to awake her from the deep sleep she had been in. “Haruka?” she questioned, not needing to say more. Haruka shook her head, tossing her short golden locks of hair into her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. It was just a silly dream and it’s over now. There’s nothing more to be said about it.” Silence filled the air. The sound of an object hitting the ground from Setsuna’s room broke the silence, and Michiru quickly jumped to her feet to see if the Senshi of Time was all right. “Setsuna?” she called, entering the room. Setsuna had crawled out of bed and was sitting on the windowsill, staring out the open window with a distracted look on her face. Her eyes frantically scanning the area surrounding the small cabin they were in. “Setsuna?” Michiru repeated, walking over to her. “Too late. She’s gone.” “Who? Who’s gone?” “Ariko was here. I woke up when she knocked the lamp over, but I didn’t have time to stop her. It doesn’t look like she took anything. I wonder what she was after.” Michiru grabbed Setsuna’s wrist and led her back to the bed. “I’ll worry about that. Right now you need to rest. You wouldn’t want me to call up Nurse Minako would you?” With a troubled sigh Setsuna allowed Michiru to push her down onto the bed and to drape the blankets over her body. After flashing Setsuna a smile, Michiru left and went back to where Haruka was positioned on the couch. ----------------------- Minako screeched and shoved Artemis off of the counter. A yowl escaped him as he tumbled to the ground, twisting his body gracefully so he landed on his feet. “What did you do that for?!” he complained. “You scared me!” “I was sitting there for ten minutes! You just now noticed me?!” “YES!” Minako yelled, smacking him with a towel. Artemis quickly left the kitchen, wondering why Minako was being so jumpy all of a sudden. Rei yawned and entered the kitchen. “Minako, you woke me up.” “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t realize I was being so loud.” “You didn’t wake me up because you were being loud. You woke me up because you were being jumpy.” “Huh?” Minako questioned. “Oh. Right. Psychic powers.” “Yeah.” Rei replied flatly as she sat on the counter and grabbed a doughnut from the open box beside her. “How’s Ami doing?” Minako stopped combing her fingers through her hair and slumped against the counter. “I don’t know. She left earlier this morning. I saw her out on the beach a little while with a guy that we met the other day. It looks like they’re doing laps up and down the beach.” Rei put down the doughnut and went to the window. She looked out and scanned the small amount of beach that she was able to see. Sure enough Ami was walking along the water, a very handsome male at her side. “Who is he?” “His name’s Peter.” Rei closed the blinds, allowing them to have some privacy. She turned to Minako. “I hope she’s aware of the fact that I’m planning on giving her a long lecture for not telling me about him. And you…” She pointed an accusing finger at the blonde before her. “You didn’t tell me either.” After a panicked look crossed Minako’s face Rei began her long lecture, not leaving out a single thing she wanted to say. -------------------- Ami yawned slightly. She was tired. Even she had been sleeping earlier, she was in a sleep without rest. Peter noticed and halted. “Do you want to go back now?” he asked. Ami shook her head slightly. “I want to look for Makoto.” she replied unexpectedly. “What?” “I want to look for Makoto. She’s alive and I’m not going to let her suffer. She saved me, now it’s my turn to save her.” Peter frowned, but then laid a hand on Ami’s shoulder and looked her in the eyes. “I’m coming with you.” “You can’t. It’s too dangerous.” “Danger or not I’m still coming. I’m not about to let you go alone.” Ami went quiet. She silently nodded. “All right, but if things get nasty you’re leaving.” Peter was about to protest, but Ami cut him off. “No ‘buts’! You shouldn’t even be coming in the first place, but…” She trailed off as a blush crept up her cheeks. “But what?” “Never mind. Let’s go.” She took the lead, running in no particular direction. All she was doing was following her instincts, hoping that by some miracle they would lead her to Makoto before it was too late. -------------------------- Janeh smirked at the wall in front of her. The slender figure tied to it was bleeding badly, and near death from all the beatings she had received. “So, tell me, do you actually expect your friends to save you when they have no idea you’re even alive? They think you’re dead.” Lifting her head, the brunette shot her best icy glare at the woman before her. “You underestimate my friends. The Sailor Senshi will destroy you and Ariko. You’ll never succeed with you’re plan.” “Oh? You’re wrong. We have already succeeded. Once we have stolen the souls of all the pathetic people on Earth we’ll destroy the planet and go somewhere else to steal souls.” “If you’re so desperate to take someone’s soul to make you more powerful, they why haven’t you taken mine?” Janeh laughed. “I don’t want anything to do with your soul. Ariko, however, intends to take it. She just wants you to suffer first.” She grinned. “Senshi of Jupiter, you may be strong. You may also be brave. But you are in no position to make demands or to threaten me.” Makoto glared harder. ‘Ami… I know you’ll come…’ she thought as her icy glare seemed to pierce right through Janeh. *** Ami and Peter cautiously followed Ariko to an old abandoned mansion. They waited a few minutes after she disappeared within, and then entered quietly. The sound of voices echoed through the building. The pair silently followed them to a small room. Inside Ariko and Janeh were standing side-by-side in front of a figure tied to the wall. They were blocking Ami’s view, so she was unable to identify who it was. That is, until she spoke. “I’ll die before I turn on my friends!” she spat. “Makoto…” Ami whispered. She grabbed Peter’s shoulder and squeezed. “That’s her. I know her voice anywhere.” “Then let’s go.” Ariko raised her hand to slap Makoto, but stopped at the sound of a voice. “Don’t you DARE touch her!” Ariko and Janeh whirled around and glared. Before them were Sailor Mercury and Divine Knight. Scowls crossed both of their faces, and they each began to tremble with fury. “YOU!” Ariko screeched. “I’ll not have you interfering with my plans any longer!” Makoto looked up and smiled weakly when she saw her friend. “Ami…” “Leave her alone!” Ariko ignored the warning and charged at Sailor Mercury. Peter jumped in front of her and held the point of his sword at Ariko’s throat. “Ami, you get Makoto. I’ll take care of her.” Ami nodded and raced over to Makoto. Just as she reached out to untie her, she was knocked away by a powerful kick from Janeh. “I don’t think so.” Janeh said, raising her hands and shooting darts at the teenage girl, whom was quickly scrambling to her feet. Ami yelped in pain when three darts pierced through her skin. She pulled them out, thinking of no one except Makoto. “Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!” Janeh made an attempt to move out of the way, but she was hit full force with Ami’s attack. Taking the opportunity to help her friend, Ami raced to Makoto and began to untie her bonds. Another yelp escaped her when she was grabbed by her hair and thrown violently to the ground. The blade of a sword was pressed against her throat. Makoto stared helplessly. The man that Ami had come with was making a desperate attempt to reach Ami and help her, but Ariko wouldn’t allow him to pass her. Looking down at herself Makoto frowned. She was still in her fuku, but it was torn and covered in blood. ‘Ami…’ Lifting her head slowly, Makoto glared at the girl with her sword pressed threateningly against her friends’ throat. “Supreme…” Janeh heard the weak words leave Makoto’s lips and turned to look at her. “THUNDER!!!” An ear-piercing scream filled the room as a bolt of lighting crashed into Janeh. Her sword fell from her hands, allowing Ami to scramble away. Getting to her feet, Ami sprinted to Makoto’s side. She reached her just as the attack subsided and the brunette slumped over. A cry of desperation escaped Ami’s lips as she quickly untied Makoto and lifted her into her arms. “Hold on Mako. Everything is going to be all right.” she whispered to her friend. When she turned around she saw that Ariko and Janeh were no longer there. Only Peter, Makoto, and herself. “Come on. We need to get Makoto home.” she said, moving past Peter, leaving him to follow her.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:22:06 GMT -5
Chapter 9: Reading Of The Flames An exasperated sigh left the young woman as she sat down on the floor beside the couch and rested her head beside the blonde’s that lay there. She closed her eyes and tucked her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around herself. A tired smile crossed her face when she felt her companion reach down and gently squeeze one of her hands. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.” she whispered. “So are you, Michiru.” Michiru yawned and slung one of her arms over Haruka’s shoulders. She gave an annoyed moan when Haruka shifted her position, sliding further back on the couch where Michiru was unable to keep her arm around her shoulders. The next thing she knew, Michiru was being hauled up onto the couch beside Haruka. She didn’t bother to protest, for she was too tired. Grabbing the blanket, she lifted it up and covered herself and Haruka. The sound of a loud yawn coming from the blonde made Michiru turn and look over at her. Haruka didn’t seem to notice. She still had her eyes closed, and she repositioning a pillow underneath her head. Once she was satisfied she lazily put an arm over Michiru’s shoulders and drifted off to sleep. *** Setsuna woke up early the next morning. Her strength had returned quickly, and now she was ready to leave her bed and go outside for some fresh air. Quietly getting to her feet, Setsuna left the room. Once she reached the front room she smiled at the sight of Michiru and Haruka both fast asleep on the couch. Michiru with her back turned to Haruka, and Haruka with one arm slung over the green-haired girls waist. Being quiet so she didn’t wake them, Setsuna tiptoed through the room and went to the front door. She opened it and hurried outside, closing the door softly behind herself. “I think I’ll go check up on the others.” she said to herself, heading towards the cabin that the other senshi were staying in. -------------------- “Never fear! Nurse Minako is here!” Rei quickly rolled over on the couch and pulled a pillow over her head. “Maybe if I pretend I’m asleep she’ll go away.” she said to herself. Minako snatched the pillow and flung it across the room. She pulled Rei into a sitting position and shoved a thermometer into her mouth. “Now don’t move, and don’t take that out until I say so.” Rei growled and crossed her arms. “Minako, it’s just a headache.” she huffed, the thermometer still in her mouth. “And you’re probably the cause of it.” “Nonsense!” Minako grabbed the thermometer and looked at it. “Hmmm… No fever…” Rei was about to say something, but when she opened her mouth Minako shoveled a spoonful of hot soup into her mouth. A screech arose in her throat as the steaming liquid burned her tongue. The response she got was Minako giggling. “It is really that good? Wow. I must be one great cook!” she said proudly. Usagi walked into the room and heavy a sigh. “For once I pity you Rei.” “What are you talking about Usagi? I’m just taking care of her.” Usagi pointed to the window. “Minako look! Isn’t that Hideaki Takizawa?!” “Hideaki Takizawa?! WHERE?!” Minako screeched as she raced to the window. When she saw no one she turned around to question Usagi, but saw that both her and Rei were gone. The two girls halted once they reached the back of the cabin. “Thanks.” Rei said as she sat down in a chair. Suddenly the sound of Ami’s frantic voice filled the air. It got louder as she came closer to the cabin. Usagi and Rei raced into the living room where Minako was getting up to open the door, wondering why her friend sounded so hysterical. “Minako! Rei! Usagi!” Ami cried as she rushed up onto the porch, Makoto in her arms and Peter at her side. Minako flung open the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw Makoto. “MAKO!” she yelled, half worried and half gleeful. Ami shoved past her and entered the cabin. She went straight to the couch and laid Makoto down on it. Peter entered only when Rei gestured for him to do so. The door was closed and everyone gathered around the couch. “But… I thought…” Usagi started. Unable to finish because of the shock of seeing her supposed dead friend being so great. Rei kneeled down beside Ami and touched Makoto’s hand. “But how? We saw her die.” “They faked.” Ami said sourly. “Enough with questions for right now. Makoto’s hurt.” A few second later there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for someone to answer, the door swung open and Setsuna revealed herself. She saw the scouts and Peter crowded around the couch and went to join them. When she saw Makoto she merely stared as though she had known she was alive the entire time. “ Do any of you have any herbs?” she questioned. Rei stood. “I do.” “Bring them to me.” Setsuna said as she sat down on the edge of the couch and touched Makoto’s dry lips. “Her lips and her throat are dry. Does anyone have any chapstick?” Minako produced some chapstick from her pocket and handed it to Setsuna. Setsuna pulled off the lid and ran it over Makoto’s lips. In a matter of seconds Rei had returned with a huge bag filled with herbs. She handed it to Setsuna and told her to take whatever she needed. Setsuna found what she needed in a matter of seconds. She pulled out some leaves and smashed them up in a bowl that she had had Ami bring to her. Then she mixed in some water and stirred it up until it was just barely thicker than water. Lifting Makoto into a position where she could easily pour the liquid down her throat, Setsuna raised the bowl to her lips and slowly dumped the contents down the brunette’s throat. After the bowl had been emptied, Setsuna took out some different leaves and crushed them up in a different bowl. She mixed it with water until it became pasty, then began applying it over Makoto’s wounds. Nearly an hour later Setsuna finished. Ami went to the door and opened it, telling Peter, Usagi, and Minako that they could come back in. Peter had left because Setsuna had needed to remove some of Makoto’s clothing to get to all of her wounds, and Usagi and Minako had went with him to keep him company. Rei gathered up her bag of herbs and retreated back to her room with it while Ami and Setsuna cleaned up the bowls and other things that they had used. Usagi sighed and plopped down on the floor beside the couch. Everyone else do so too, impatiently waiting for Makoto to wake up. ----------------------- Haruka opened her eyes slowly and absentmindedly rested her forehead against Michiru’s back. “Good morning sleepyhead.” Haruka only groaned, not wanting to get up. She muttered something in annoyance when Michiru ripped the blanket away from her and tossed it to the floor, then rolled away and stood up. “I thought you wanted me to get my rest.” Haruka complained. “You’re strength has returned. You’re just being lazy.” “Being lazy is nice once in a while.” Haruka said, looking up at Michiru. “Besides, it’s not like we have anywhere to be.” “Oh get up.” Michiru said as she tugged at Haruka’s arm. After Haruka had finally gotten to her feet, Michiru headed for the bedroom to see if Setsuna was still sleeping. “Setsuna?” A startled yelp came from the green-haired girl when she was in the room and out of sight of Haruka. Haruka turned towards the room. “Michiru?” She took a step towards the room. “Michiru are you all right?” When she received no reply she ran to the room as roughly shoved the door open. “Michiru?!” Michiru was laying in a heap on the floor. Setsuna was nowhere to be seen. When she saw her friend, Haruka quickly dropped to her side. “Michiru! What happened?! Are you all right?!” Her response was a quiet groan. “Michiru…” After a few seconds Michiru’s eyes fluttered open. “Haruka… She was here…” “Who?” “Ariko… She was looking for something…” Haruka tightened her grip on Michiru’s body and picked her as she stood. “We’ll go talk to Rei. Maybe she can tell us something.” *** “REI! OPEN THE DOOR!” Rei groaned and stood up. She walked over to the door and opened it, gasping in surprise when Haruka shoved past her with Michiru in her arms. “Haruka? Michiru? What are you guys doing here? And what’s the matter with Michiru?” “Rei, I need you to do something.” “What’s that?” “I need you to read the fire. I need to know Ariko came after Michiru. Don’t ask questions. Just do it.” Rei nodded, then went to the fireplace and quickly lit a fire. She began chanting, placing her full concentration on reading the fire.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:22:50 GMT -5
Chapter 9 continued... Haruka waited impatiently on the floor between Setsuna and Ami with Michiru still in her arms. She sighed, knowing that it could be a while before Rei was done. The feeling of a warm hand touching her own came over Haruka. Looking down she saw Michiru smiling up at her as though she was saying ‘I’m fine, so stop worrying’. Ami subconsciously rested her head against Peter’s shoulder. She felt her eyelids growing heavier, until she noticed Minako’s hand clapped over her mouth to silence her snickering. Realizing what she was doing, Ami jerked away from Peter into a sitting position. Her cheeks turned a flaming red, and she tried to act as though nothing had happened. Rei stared into the fire. An image began to appear, and she concentrated hard to see what it was. It began getting clearer by the second, and soon she was able to make it out completely. Ariko was standing in front of Janeh, her arms crossed and an evil smirk on her face. She looked at Janeh and began to speak. “Janeh, the next time I see Sailor Neptune I will steal her soul. Whenever she is around I can sense powerful energy within her. The same energy I feel from Sailor Mercury. Those two are mine. The others I do not care about. You may steal the soul of any senshi you please, with the exception of Mercury and Neptune of course.” The image disappeared and Rei snapped back to reality. She blinked a few times, then turned to the others. “This is not good.” “What did you see?” Haruka demanded. “Janeh and Ariko were talking. They’re planning to steal all of our souls to make themselves more powerful.” She paused and gave both Michiru and Ami worried glances. “Ariko wants Ami and Michiru’s souls.” Haruka stared at her in disbelief. Then her expression hardened, and she gave Michiru’s hand a squeeze. “It doesn’t matter what she wants, I’m not going to let her have it.”
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:24:01 GMT -5
Chapter 10: Makoto's Rude Awakening Ami sat curled up in a corner by herself. She was still absorbing what Rei had told them. ‘Why would she want my soul? Why would she want Michiru’s soul? What is it about us that sets us apart from the others? Why can’t I stop asking questions?’ With an annoyed growl, Ami muttered something about ‘useless inner voices’ and rested her head against the wall. “Ami?” Ami looked up at the soft sound of Setsuna’s voice. “Are you all right?” “I will be.” Ami replied, forcing a smile. Setsuna smiled back before walking away and leaving Ami alone again. Ami curled up even tighter and rested her forehead against her knees. She heard approaching footsteps. Without looking up she said, “Setsuna, I said I was fine.” “And I’m quite sure she was very glad to hear about that.” “Oh.” Ami’s head shot up at the sound of the deep male voice. “Hi Peter.” Peter sat down beside Ami and flashed her a smile. “You ok? You look a little down.” “I’ll be fine. Really.” “Don’t let what Rei saw bother you. You know that the rest of the scouts would never let something like that happen to you. And neither would I.” Ami smiled appreciatively at Peter. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Peter smiled at her and gave her a quick hug before going to help Rei in the kitchen. “Ami. Come here for a second.” Minako said as she gestured for the blue-haired teen to join herself and Usagi. Ami obediently stood and walked over to them. “Did you need something?” “We need you to decide something.” “What’s that?” Usagi raised one of her hands, then grabbed Minako’s wrist and held her hand up. “Ami, which color is prettier? Mine or Minako’s?” Ami studied the deep red polish on Usagi’s fingernails, then the bright blue polish on Minako’s. “Uh… Why am I the one doing this?” “Because no one else will answer us.” “Really?” Ami turned on her heel and headed over to the futon across the room where Haruka was sitting with Michiru’s head in her lap. “Hey Michiru. Are you feeling any better?” Michiru nodded. “I’m fine now. Just a little tired.” Haruka looked up at Ami. “She’s lying.” “Oh would you stop it Haruka? I’m perfectly fine.” “Perfectly fine is when you’re actually able to walk, Michiru. At the moment that’s something you’re unable to do.” Michiru crossed her arms and pouted. Ami smiled at the two. Since she hadn’t seen them very often for the last few months she hadn’t been able to witness the two when they would just kick back, relax, and have a little fun. Usually by teasing each other until Haruka lost it and tackled Michiru, pinning her to the ground until she gave in to the blonde’s demands. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’m gonna go check up on Rei in the kitchen.” Michiru gave Ami a little wave as she walked away, then started up another argument with Haruka. Rei smiled at Ami when she entered the kitchen. “Hey Ames!” “Hi Rei. Need a hand?” “Yeah, actually. Could you help Peter chop up some of those vegetables so it wont take so long? And maybe in a few minutes you could trade positions with Setsuna so she doesn’t start whining about having to stir the gravy.” “Sure thing.” Ami agreed with a giggle. *** “Hit me.” Haruka said. Michiru carelessly smacked her arm and tried hard to hold back a grin when she received a glare. “What?” “That stopped being funny about thirty years ago.” Rei rolled her eyes and slammed a card down onto the table where Haruka had placed her cards. “Ok you two, let’s play.” “Everyone, place your bets!” Minako cried as she reached into a bag beside her and produced a handful of candy. She set it on the table and watched as more candy was added. Rei started to deal the cards, but noticed that a lollipop was missing from the pile of candy. “Ok, who did it?” She shot an accusing glare at Usagi. “Was it YOU? Or perhaps you?” She said, pointing a finger at Minako. An innocent whistle came from across the table. Everyone turned and watched as Setsuna stopped whistling and popped the cherry candy into her mouth. She noticed everyone’s eyes on her and grinned around the lollipop. “What?” “Setsuna, that’s the third piece of candy you’ve stolen.” Ami scolded. “I can’t help it. I’m hungry.” “Well stop being hungry.” Haruka said, ripping the sugary treat out of Setsuna’s mouth. “Hey!” “Hey yourself. Quit stealing the candy.” Setsuna jumped at Haruka and snatched the candy back, popping it into her mouth and jumping to her feet before the blonde had time to react. She removed the lollipop for a mere second to say, “Ha.” Haruka began mumbling and crossed her arms. “You’re so childish.” “And you aren’t?” Michiru challenged. “I’m perfectly mature.” “Oh really?” Michiru tugged on a strand of Haruka’s hair and grinned. She smacked Haruka’s hand away before she could pull on her strands of green hair. With a satisfied giggle, Michiru gave Haruka a friendly hug and turned back to the game. Ami shook her head at the behavior of the oldest senshi. ‘They’re older then we are and their maturity levels are about the same, if not lower.’ Rei nudged Ami in the ribs and leaned over to whisper something to her. “Maybe if we leave now they wont notice.” “It’s worth a try.” Ami slowly moved backwards until she was against the couch. Rei did the same. The two girls slowly moved away, not being noticed by anyone. Or so they thought. “Hey! Ami and Rei are trying to escape!” Minako shouted loudly. “Get ‘em!” “Uh oh.” Rei said, jumping to her feet. She grabbed Ami’s wrist and pulled her up, racing down the hall while dragging her friend behind her. “You’re not getting away that easily!” Minako yelled as she led everyone down the hall after the pair. Rei and Ami ducked behind a plant and watched as everyone, Peter included, raced by them and deeper into the cabin. The two stood up and quietly made their way back to the front room. They sunk down beside the couch, thankful for the silence. Ami looked up at Makoto’s face. “Hey Rei, is it just me or does Mako have more color to her face?” Rei examined Makoto’s face. “I think you’re right.” At that moment Minako and Setsuna burst into the room simultaneously. They raced over to Rei and Ami and tackled the two to the ground. “Hey! Get off of me you old coot!” Rei cried as Setsuna pinned her to the ground and sat on her stomach to keep her from going anywhere. “Old coot?” “Well you’re just about as old as they come.” “Very funny!” Meanwhile, Minako was struggling to get Ami pinned to the ground. In the process the pair slammed into couch, causing them to yelp. “You doof!” Minako yelled. “Look was you made me do!” She held up her hand and showed Ami her chipped nail polish. “I’m the doof?! You’re the one who was chasing me around the cabin!” “Would you loons keep it down? Some of us are trying to rest.” came a weak, but extremely annoyed, voice. The four girls looked up at the couch. Makoto was propped up on her elbow and giving them all a dangerous glare. “MAKO!” Rei, Minako, and Ami cried in unison. Setsuna allowed Rei to scramble over to the couch. The black-haired teen leapt at Makoto and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Ami and Minako soon joined, as did Setsuna. A few seconds later everyone else entered the room. Haruka with and arm around Michiru’s waist to help support her weight since she had nearly collapsed during their dash through the cabin. When they saw the four girls with their arms tangled together around Makoto they raced over and joined in, squeezing Makoto’s body. Usagi, having no other place to get it, went around and hugged Makoto tightly from behind. “Hey! I can’t breath!” Makoto gasped as she struggled to shake of her enthusiastic friends. They quickly untangled themselves from Makoto and allowed her to take in a few deep breaths. “We were all worried about you!” Minako announced. Setsuna nodded. “How do you feel?” “I would be a lot better if my ears weren’t ringing from all of that yelling you four were doing.” she said as she gave Rei, Setsuna, Ami, and Minako another glare. “You all really looked like you were worried about me. Especially when you had Rei pinned to the ground and you were arguing about being old, Setsuna.” Setsuna crossed her arms. “I am NOT old.” Usagi flung her arms around Makoto again. “We’re just so glad that you’re awake!” Makoto quickly removed Usagi’s arms from around her body and placed them around Minako. “Please show her how happy you are.”
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:25:20 GMT -5
Chapter 11: Developing Feelings “Who died and made you Queen of the Universe?” Rei scolded as she lightly shoved Usagi. “I never said I was Queen of the Universe. And keep your hands off my shirt. It’s brand new and your hands are still dirty from cooking.” Usagi shoved Rei back. “I’ve had just about enough of you Odango Atama.” “Don’t call me that!” Usagi yelled furiously as she shoved Rei harder. Rei toppled over backwards, but managed to take Usagi down with her. “You’re such a klutz Odango Atama!” “Rei! Stop calling me that!” Minako and Setsuna sat on the futon across the room, their eyes glued to the scene. Setsuna had slapped a small bag of money into Minako’s hand when Usagi shoved Rei, but quickly snatched it back when the dark-haired teen brought the blonde down with her. Ami came up behind them and scolded them both. “You should be ashamed of yourselves! Betting on who will with the fight! Those two are our friends! You shouldn’t be betting on their fights! You should be stopping them and helping them work it out!” “Get off of me you klutz!” Rei screeched as she rolled out from under Usagi and pinned her to the ground. “Exactly what is it that they’re fighting about?” Ami questioned. “Rei thinks that Usagi took some of the candy she won. Usagi says she didn’t touch it, and it turned into this.” Minako explained quickly. She snatched the coins back when Usagi got away from Rei and pinned her against the couch. Ami quickly grabbed the bag out of Minako’s hand and shoved it into the pocket of the blue sweatshirt she had put on. “That’s enough!” She glanced around the room. “Where are Artemis and Luna when you need them? Where are they? I haven’t seen them since the day we got here.” Minako glared up at Ami for taking the money. “They both go out all day and never come back until late at night. Now give the money back! Usagi is in the lead!” Setsuna reached her hand out to Ami. “Ami, Rei’s going to wipe the floor with Usagi!” “Not in this lifetime.” Ami said before turning on her heel and marching into the kitchen. Michiru looked up and smiled at Ami when she entered the kitchen. “Hi Ami.” “Hello Michiru. Feeling better?” “I’m just peachy.” “That’s good. How about you Mako?” Makoto smiled, looking up from the cookies she was making. “I’m fine. Do you want to help Michiru and I bake cookies?” “Anything to get away from that.” Ami replied, jerking her thumb towards Rei and Usagi’s fight. “Did you know that Minako and Setsuna are betting on who’s going to win?” “No.” Michiru replied, patting the stool beside her. “Sit.” She paused for a second as she cracked an egg over the bowl in front of her. “My money’s on Rei.” “Michiru!” Michiru grinned innocently. “Yes, Ami?” “You’re hopeless.” Haruka entered the kitchen with Peter at her side. She tossed Makoto a bag of chocolate chips. “Exactly how long do you ladies plan on staying in here baking cookies?” “As long as we want to.” was Michiru’s reply. She reached into the bowl and took a taste of the cookie dough. “Michiru!” Makoto scolded. “You’re as bad as Usagi!” “Why, thank you.” Haruka plopped down beside Michiru and began to fiddle around with a few measuring spoons. “I don’t get it.” “Get what, Haruka dearest?” “What joy do you find in baking cookies?” “Well, what joy do you find in racing?” Haruka rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, knowing that if she proceeded talking to Michiru about such things they would begin to argue. “Hopeless…” she muttered. Peter chuckled and sat down beside Ami. “Need some help?” “You could be a dear and stir this for me while I pour in the ingredients.” she said with an angelic smile. “Sure thing.” Peter took the spoon from Ami’s hand and began to stir while she cracked a few eggs into the bowl and dumped in some sugar. A few minutes later the sound of Rei and Usagi’s fighting disappeared and the sound of Setsuna’s triumphant whooping filled the house. Ami sighed. “I guess that means Rei won.” “Either that, or Setsuna managed to smuggle some more candy off of Minako.” Michiru said, getting to her feet to see what was going on. “Who won?” Makoto questioned excitedly. She raced to Michiru’s side to see what was going on in the living room. “Aw nuts. Setsuna’s just happy because she found Haruka’s candy stash.” “What?!” Haruka cried, jumping to her feet. She raced into the living room and immediately struck up an argument with Setsuna. “Get your paws off of my candy! I won that fair and square in poker!” Ami, Michiru, Peter, and Makoto and sighed heavily and shook their heads. “Hopeless…” they muttered simultaneously. “I have an idea.” Ami said. “Why don’t we all go far a walk on the beach? Maybe the fresh air will calm everyone down a bit.” “I agree.” Michiru said. “I’ll take Haruka and Setsuna. Makoto, you can deal with Rei and Usagi. Ami. Peter. If Minako wont cooperate then you two can deal with her.” Having said that, Michiru led the group into the living and snatched Setsuna and Haruka by their shirt collars. *** “YEOW!” Minako screeched. Makoto and Rei were instantly at either of her sides. “Wow.” the three sighed in unison as they stared at a handsome young man walking in the opposite direction of them. They received a charming smile and a wave, causing all of them to squeal happily. Ami and Setsuna exchanged glances, then rolled their eyes and continued walking. “You know, I’m really starting to love the beach. There’s lots of hunky guys.” Minako said enthusiastically. Another sigh escaped Ami. She drifted back to the rear of the group, joining Peter. “What are you doing all the way back here?” Peter shrugged. “I’ve got a nice view.” he said jokingly with a wink. Ami giggled and looked up at Peter to say something. Her eyes locked on his and for a few seconds they just stared into each others eyes, not saying a word and oblivious to the world around them. Suddenly Ami’s cheeks flared bright red, yet she continued to stare into Peter’s eyes. Peter very slowly began to lean forward. Ami’s eyes instinctively slid shut as she waited for Peter’s lips to meet her own. She felt her body begin to tremble with excitement. Her heart began pounding wildly against her chest. “Hey lovebirds! Get a room!” At the sound of Rei’s voice Ami’s eyes flew open. Peter had pulled away from her and was desperately trying to hide his blush, as was Ami. Rei snickered. “Come on. Keep up you two.” she said with a smirk. Ami became very interested in her shoes as she joined her friends again. She ignored any comments that the girls made about herself and Peter. A few times she stole glances of Peter and noticed that he was smiling slightly. ‘He looks so handsome when he smiles.’ Ami thought. A deep blush covered her cheeks when she realized what she had been thinking. She shook her head as though it would rib her of the thought. “What’s wrong Ames? Got a headache?” “No, Haruka.” “Then why were you shaking your head?” “Uh… There was a bee…” Haruka looked at her strangely, then shook her head. “Sometimes you’re a little difficult to understand.” “It’s a talent she has.” Usagi commented. “Yeah.” Minako added. “Especially when she uses those really big words of hers.” Ami grinned. “Just because I have a larger vocabulary than you doesn’t mean I’m difficult to understand. It just means… Well it means that I have a larger vocabulary than you.” “We gathered that.” Makoto said with a smirk. Rei leaned over and whispered into Ami’s ear. “So Ami, are you in love with Peter or are you MADLY in love with him?” Ami glared at Rei and attempted to hit her, but the dark-haired teen quickly dodged as she burst into a fit of giggles. “REI!” *** The roaring of the cascading waves was the only sound. Aside from that of the rustling plants in the cool evening breeze. A strand of hair fell over her eyes, but she failed to noticed. Her mind was elsewhere. Not on the beautiful ocean before her that her dark eyes were glued to, but on a certain young male whom she had only recently met. “What are you doing out here all alone?” She snapped out of her trance at the sound of the voice. Not bothering to turn around, she smiled slightly as her cheeks turned scarlet. “Good evening, Peter.” Peter sat down on the sand beside her. “You haven’t answered me. Why are you out here all alone, Ami? And after dark.” Ami brought her knees up to her chin. “I needed to get away from Rei and Minako.” Her reply was an understanding nod. “They just went to bed, so I’m sure it’s safe for you to come in now. Besides, it’s getting colder and if you stay out here much longer you’ll catch your death.” She smiled sweetly at him. “Are you worried about me?” “Huh?” Now it was his turn to blush. “Well… Uh… You see…” Ami giggled and placed one of her hands over his own. “Thank you for your concern. My hero.” Peter’s blush deepened, but he smiled back at her. Their eyes locked again. Just like they had earlier that day. Ami recognized the feeling of her heart speeding up and her body trembling. Peter leaned forward, his lips so close to Ami’s that he would have barely had to move and they would have been touching. Ami closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of his lips upon hers.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:26:28 GMT -5
Chapter 12: Betrayal Ami closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of his lips upon hers. Suddenly a flare of pink light burst up from the ground and knocked the two apart. Ami let out a surprised yelp and scrambled away from the light, her eyes searching for Peter. “Ami?! Are you all right?!” he cried from the other side of the illumination. “Yes, I’m fine! What about you?! Are you all right?!” “Never better!” The glow disappeared and in it’s place stood Sailor Pluto. She cast a glare at Peter before turning to Ami. “Ami, come with me.” she commanded firmly. Ami only gave her a confused stare as she got to her feet. “Sailor Pluto, what are you-” “Come!” she repeated, even more resolutely that before. Before Ami knew what was happening, Sailor Pluto had grabbed her arm and they both disappeared in a bright flash of light. Peter jumped to his feet. “Ami!” -------------------- Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus glared at Ami as she and Sailor Pluto appeared in front of them. “What do you think you were doing?” Haruka snapped. “W-what do you mean?” Ami questioned, pulling her arm back the second Setsuna released her. Michiru hardened her defiant stare. “Peter. What were you doing? Have you gone crazy?” “I don’t understand. What’s wrong with Peter?” “He’s the enemy.” Setsuna said in a low voice. “What? That’s not true! He helped me save Makoto!” “Are you blind?” Haruka took a step towards Ami. “He IS our enemy. You must stay away from him. There’s no telling what he would have done to you if you had lowered your defenses to him.” “He isn’t our enemy! Peter even saved my life!” “You cannot trust him!” “Haruka, what has he ever done to make you believe that he’s against us? What crime has he committed against the Sailor Senshi?” “Ami…” Michiru started, her voice a bit softer than before. “Peter works for Ariko and Janeh.” “No. You’re wrong.” Setsuna reached out to touch Ami’s shoulder, but the young girl jerked away. “Ami, you must stay away from him. He’ll be your death. Please. We’re not trying to hurt you. We’re trying to protect you.” Ami shook her head. “It’s not true.” Why was this happening? Why were the Outer Senshi saying these things? It couldn’t possibly be true. Haruka snatched Ami’s wrist to keep her from running off. “You MUST stay away from him. He’s dangerous.” “If this is true, then why were you so accepting to him when we brought Makoto home?” Ami said, staring hard at the blonde before her. “We didn’t want him to find out that we knew. It would have been your life put in danger if he found out.” Ami drew in a sharp breath and tore her wrist from Uranus’ grasp. “I don’t believe you.” Before any of the Outer Senshi had time to stop her, Ami burst through the door of the cabin and raced down to the beach where she had left Peter. ----------------------- Peter froze when he heard a familiar voice behind him. Whipping around he shot the woman a fixed stare. “Ariko.” The word drifted from his dry lips in a hostile tone. Ariko smirked at him. “I thought I might find you here.” “What do you want?” “I have a business proposition for you.” “Not interested.” His tone was sharp. “But you haven’t even heard it yet.” “I don’t need to. I’m not interested in working with or for you. I fight with the Senshi.” Ariko shook her head. “Hear me out.” She continued before Peter had time to protest. “I want to get my hands on Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune. If you help me I’ll make sure it’s worth your while. I’ll pay you handsomely.” “No deal.” “Why is that? You refuse to help capture Sailor Mercury because you have feelings for her? I can see right through you. That girl is your weakness, and she will be your death.” Ami raced out to where they were at that moment. She hadn’t heard what they had been saying, but when she saw that they were talking instead of fighting she instantly thought of what the Outer Senshi had told her. “Ami…” Peter breathed. He was surprised to see her since Sailor Pluto had dragged her off. “It can’t be true…” Ami whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “It can’t…” Peter took a step towards Ami. “Ami what are you-” “Stay away from me!” she screeched, jumping away from him. “It is true isn’t it?! The outers were right! You are against us!” “What? No! Ami-” “Stop! I don’t want to hear it!” With that, Ami turned and fled back to the cabin. Ariko smirked at Peter. “So, are you ready to accept my offer yet?” *** Ami collapsed onto the couch and burst into tears. She clawed at the cushions and tried to muffle her sobs in the pillows. Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka entered the room. They all looked at each other, every one of them wearing a look of concern. As one, they approached Ami and kneeled down beside the couch. “Ami?” Setsuna said, laying a hand on her back. “What’s wrong Ami?” Michiru asked as the younger girl sat up. “You were right…” She wiped a tear away from her cheek. “You were all right…” Setsuna held out her arms and gathered Ami up into a tight embrace. She stroked her hair and whispered that everything would be all right. Michiru got up onto the couch and put her arms around both Setsuna and Ami. “Don’t cry Ami. Everything will turn out just fine in the end. You’ll see. You have us here with you. And the rest of the senshi.” Haruka nodded from her position beside Michiru. “We’re all here.” “And we aren’t going to leave you.” Setsuna added. Ami smiled weakly and pulled away from the two girls. “Thank you. All of you. You truly are wonderful friends. I don’t know what I would do without you.” “You should get some sleep now.” Michiru said. Setsuna nodded as she pushed Ami down onto the couch and grabbed a blanket off of the back of the couch, throwing it over her body. “We’ll stay with you if you like.” “Would you?” “Of course.” Setsuna turned to Haruka and Michiru. They both nodded an agreement. “Then it’s settled. We’re all staying right here with you Ami. Now go to sleep.” Ami closed her eyes and wiped her cheeks to dry them off. A few minutes later she was in a deep sleep. ---------------- Janeh sat down in a wooden chair and looked up at Ariko. “Did he accept?” Ariko laughed and shook her head. “He wont turn against the senshi for the sake of Sailor Mercury. He refuses to go against her.” “Then how did you get him here?” the woman asked, tugging boredly at a strand of her dark green hair. She looked over at Peter, whom was chained to the wall. “Easy. I knocked him unconscious and dragged him here.” “He didn’t see you coming at him?” “Of course not. He was too distracted by Mercury. He was going to go after her right when I hit him. Stupid boy.” At the moment Peter let out a moan and slowly opened his eyes. He lifted his head to see where he was, wondering what had happened to him. “Where am I?” “Well, it’s good to see that you’re awake.” Ariko walked over to Peter and smirked at him. “Are you ready to cooperate with now?” Peter’s stare hardened and he began tugging at the chains. “I’ll never help you! Especially not when it involves hurting Ami and her friends!” “You’re a stupid boy.” “I wont help you steal Ami’s soul. I would rather die than let you hurt her!” Janeh laughed and joined Ariko. “You make me sick. You would be willing to die just to save the life of a Sailor Senshi that you have a silly little crush on?” She shook her head. “Men are such fools.” Ariko smirked. “So, Divine Knight, what will it take to get you to help us capture Sailor Neptune?” “I already told you that I refuse to help you.” “Even when it’s Neptune and not your precious Sailor Mercury? My, my. You are tough to deal with.” “Sailor Neptune is one of Ami’s friends and one of the senshi that I have sworn to protect. I wont let you harm any of them.” “Oh?” “If you want a soul to make you more powerful then take mine and leave the senshi alone.” Janeh glanced at Ariko to see what she thought of this, but she was unable to read the expression on her companions face. “Ariko? Should we take him up on that offer?” “I believe I will.” Ariko placed her hand over Peter’s heart and called upon her powers. She smiled in satisfaction when Peter cried out in agony and she felt the power of his soul surging through her body. “Goodbye, Divine Knight.” *** Ami’s eyes flew open and she bolted upright on the couch. The three senshi on the floor beside her looked up at her with startled expressions. “Ami? What’s wrong?” Michiru questioned. Setsuna reached up and touched the younger girls shoulder. “What happened? Did you have a nightmare?” Ami flopped back down onto the couch. “I felt something.” “You felt something? You mean like a pain in your leg?” Haruka questioned. “No. No it was something else. It felt like a part of me was dying.” The three elder senshi exchanged glances that said ‘this can’t be good’. “Go back to sleep Ami.” Setsuna instructed. “We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us.” She got to her feet and quickly led the other two into the kitchen. “Do you think it could have been-” Michiru started. “I know it was.” Setsuna said, cutting her off. “We should go then.” “No Haruka. Someone has to stay here with Ami.” “In that case, Michiru is staying.” “I most certainly am not!” Michiru hissed angrily. “I’m going whether you like it or not!” “I’ll stay.” Setsuna offered, resting a hand on both their shoulders. “Just please be careful.” Michiru and Haruka nodded in unison. They left the cabin unnoticed by Ami and raced down the beach, transforming as they ran. “Please let them get there in time.” Setsuna whispered.
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Post by Songstress Jupiter on Feb 28, 2004 21:27:54 GMT -5
Chapter 13: The Rescue Haruka halted suddenly and roughly grabbed Michiru by the arm. She received a questioning look from her fellow scout. “Shhh. Listen, Michiru.” Michiru obeyed, and fell completely silent to hear whatever it was Haruka had heard. She strained, but still no sound came to her ears other than the chirping of a few late-night birds. “I don’t hear anything.” “Exactly. It’s much too quiet. We’re only a few feet away from their hideout and there are hardly any sounds. They’re up to something. And it has to be something terrible.” Michiru nodded. “You’re right. We have to hurry.” Just as the two sprung into action again and ear-piercing scream echoed through the still night. A male scream. “That has to be him!” Michiru cried. “Hurry! Run faster!” The two senshi picked up their pace and burst into the large building in front of them. They darted down the hallway and raced into the room where a bright source of light and the sound of the agonized scream were coming from. “STOP!” Ariko and Janeh whipped around and glared at the senshi. “What do you want?” Ariko hissed. “Leave him alone!” Michiru commanded. A sneer appeared to Ariko’s face. “So, Sailor Neptune and Uranus have come instead of Mercury. That’s too bad. I was hoping the two of you would be together.” she said, looking at Neptune. “Your souls are different from the others. They’re very powerful. Even more powerful than that of Sailor Moon. Or the psychic, Sailor Mars.” Haruka moved protectively closer to her friend. Her voice was low and threatening when she spoke. “Leave her alone, and let Divine Knight go.” Janeh took a step forward. “Ariko, her soul is free for taking as well, isn’t it?” Ariko nodded. “Of course. Help yourself.” Janeh’s face split into a devious grin as she leapt at Uranus. Michiru moved to help her friend, but was grabbed by Ariko and thrown against the wall beside Peter. She looked up at him and frowned deeply. ‘Oh no. She took his soul already. We’re too late!’ A screech fled from her lips when Ariko’s fist met her ribs. Haruka struggled to get by Janeh when she saw Neptune on the ground. “Neptune!” Janeh hit Haruka in the solar plexus, throwing the senshi to the ground and making her gasp desperately for breath. Peter hung limply from his bonds, but he wasn’t gone yet. He looked down at Michiru from where he hung. “Sailor Neptune…” he started weakly. Michiru’s head shot up. Even though his voice was barely audible, her sharp ears had caught it. “You’re still alive!” She glanced behind her to make sure Ariko was still down from the hard kick she had landed on the devious woman’s stomach. Getting to her knees, Michiru grasped both of Peter’s shoulders. “Divine Knight, I’m so sorry we doubted your loyalty. Please, you have to stay strong. If not for yourself then for Ami. I’ll get your soul back, I promise. Just please don’t die!” A weak moan arose from his throat. “Divine Knight, please! Hang in there! Please! Do it for Ami!” “For Ami…” “Neptune! Look out!” Michiru whirled around just in time to see Ariko’s hand shoot forward, her fingers curling tightly around Neptune’s throat. “Neptune!” Haruka cried, smashing her fist furiously into Janeh’s chin, knocking the green-haired female unconscious. “Hold on Michiru! I’m coming!” Michiru clawed at Ariko’s fingers with her gloved hands. She tried frantically to pry the strong fingers from around her bruising neck, but Ariko only tightened her grip. A strangled gasp had begun to rise in the senshi’s throat. That was the moment Haruka sprang at Ariko and knocked her away from Michiru. Michiru collapsed to her hands and knees, coughing and inhaling deep breaths. After Michiru got her second wind, she stubbornly pushed herself up to her feet and reached out to destroy the bonds that held Divine Knight captive. Just as she was working on the last bond she heard an agonized yelp come from Haruka. Craning her neck to see what had happened, Michiru’s eyes went wide. “Uranus!” --------------------- Rei mumbled something about never being able to get any sleep with her friends around and stumbled blindly into the living room while she attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes. Upon entering the room she stopped in her tracks and sighed. “Ok, what’s wrong with who? And please tell me how to make it right so that I can finally get some sleep.” Setsuna leapt at Rei and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Hush!” she hissed. “I just got Ami to go back to sleep a few minutes ago!” Rei pulled away from Setsuna and gave her a confused look. “Where are Haruka and Michiru?” “Out for a jog.” the green-haired senshi lied. “At one-thirty in the morning? I don’t think so. What’s really going on? Why is Ami sleeping on the couch? Where are Haruka and Michiru? Why are you hiding something from me? Who was it that woke me up because they were scared, and lost, and upset?” “One question at a time! Stop interrogating me!” Glancing over at Ami’s sleeping form, Setsuna grasped Rei by the shoulders and maneuvered her towards the kitchen. “Ok, now spill.” the raven-haired girl demanded as she whipped around to give Setsuna a hard stare. Setsuna sighed heavily. “The one you felt was Ami. She had a bad dream. At least that’s what she thinks. Divine Knight is in trouble, so Michiru and Haruka went to save him while I stayed here to look after Ami. We were convinced that Peter was out enemy, so we told Ami to stay away from him. It turns out that he really is on our side.” “What a minute, why did you think Peter was out enemy?” “I saw the future. Peter was having a friendly conversation with Janeh and Ariko as though they were good friends.” “So how do you know he’s on our side?” “If he was an enemy he wouldn’t have been able to make such a bond with Ami. Ami felt his pain. She woke up when his soul was being drained from his body and complained about feeling that a part of her had been torn away. As though it had died.” “I know. I sensed it. That’s what woke me up.” “And you only just now got out here?” “I was hoping it would go away so I could sleep. The sound of Usagi’s snoring didn’t help.” Setsuna stared at Rei. “You’re sleeping in different rooms.” “Your point?” “How can you hear her snoring?” “Setsuna, have you ever HEARD Usagi snore? I’m surprised that this whole cabin isn’t shaking.” Setsuna smiled slightly and shook her head. “Usagi truly is one-of-a-kind.” Rei nodded. “Yeah. Old Odango Atama is the only person I know that can eat a whole pot of Lita’s soup in one minute.” “That’s not quite what I meant.” “Whatever. I’m going back to bed.” Setsuna waved to Rei as the younger girl disappeared back into her room. Taking a seat beside Ami once more, Setsuna sighed and rested her head against the cushion. ‘I hope Neptune and Uranus are all right. They just have to save Peter.’ She looked down at Ami. ‘They have to.’ ----------------------- Rei flopped over on her bed and heaved a sigh. “Why are you so restless tonight?” “Huh? Oh Lita. You scared me. I thought you were sleeping.” Lita rolled over so she could see Rei and smiled. “What is it Rei? Why can’t you sleep?” “Ami woke me up.” “Ami? But she wasn’t in he-” Realization crossed her face. “Oh. Right. Psychic powers. What was wrong with her?” “Nothing. Go back to sleep.” “I wasn’t asleep in the first place.” “Well then go to sleep.” Lita’s brow furrowed. “Rei…” She sighed and shook her head. Pulling the covers up to her chin, Lita closed her eyes and waited for sleep to overcome her. ------------------- Minako punched her pillow several times before laying back down. With an unsatisfied scowl, she hurled the feather-filled pillow across the room and furiously kicked the sheets onto the floor. Why couldn’t she sleep?! “Something just isn’t right. I ALWAYS sleep. Even when Usagi’s snoring the day away.” A heavy sigh escaped her. “I need to go for a walk.” Slipping off of the soft mattress, Minako walked over to her duffel bag and pulled out a pair of yellow pants and a yellow tank top. Quickly discarding her pajamas onto her bed, Minako pulled on the clothes and quietly snuck through the back door so she wouldn’t disturb anyone. *** “No way!” Minako cried. She could see the forms of two of her fellow senshi through a broken window of the old building she was passing by, and they were in trouble. “Oh no! They need help!” Pulling out her transformation pen, Minako cried, “Venus Crystal Power, Make UP!” Rushing to the building, Sailor Venus entered through the broken window. “Hold it right there!” All attention was turned to the blonde standing boldly on the windowsill.
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