Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.11: Sounds of Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon. They belong to a very talented bunch of people who should be proud of their work.

Dedication: To all the music lovers.

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Tokyo, Japan: Cherry Hill Temple

Quatre stares blankly at the seven girls sitting around him, their story still ringing in his mind. It had been an incredible story, one that he may not have believed had he not seen the evidence himself. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, trying to imagine the pain these girls had gone through, both in the Silver Millenium and in recent months. Quatre and his comrades were not the only one who had lost someone close in this confusing episode.

The girls look just as surprised at their own story. Rei is staring directly at Wufei, mumbling something under her breath that Quatre is pretty sure isn't complimentary. Mina and Lita are over on the couch, whispering amongst themselves while Serena sits at the table in front of them, her head resting on her hands. Ami is fumbling with her mini computer, ever so often stealing glances over at Heero.

I guess she finally figured that it was Heero who was trying to hack into her computer. Quatre grins at the thought as he stares at Ami's look of total disbelief.

Amara and Michelle are resting by the door, the latter looking like she about to cry, her blue eyes filling with water. She is in Amara's arms, the other girl whispering words of comfort into her ear.

Quatre stares at the pair a moment longer before getting up and walking over to them. He lays a reassuring hand and Michelle's shoulder, which causes her to look up at him. Tears cascade down her cheeks in tiny rivers, falling onto the wooden floor beneath her.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, trying to keep his voice lowered.

Michelle gives him a cracked smile. "No, it's alright, she's been gone for a while now, I guess I just haven't gotten over it yet. She died saving us."

Quatre nods, understanding her completely. "She was important to you wasn't she?"

"Like a daughter," Amara says. "We practically raised Hotaru after her rebirth. It is like loosing a daughter."

Quatre tries to say more, but is interrupted by Rei.

"So let me get this straight, you say that you were brought here after a large scale battle right?" Rei asks, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Correct," Trowa replies.

"And you have no idea how you got here?"

"Yes onna! Just what are you getting at?" Wufei shifts his weight to his other leg and glares at her from across the room.

"I wonder, could that be why…"

"The Time Gate shattered."

The seven girls look up in surprise as a large black hole appears in the middle of the room. The figure of a woman steps through. Like the other girls, it is clear she is a sailor scout. Her dark green fuku and hair are picked up by an invisible wind that only she seems to be able to feel. Magenta eyes glare at the four gundam pilots almost accusingly as she steps through. In her hand is a large, key-like staff that is topped by a garnet orb.

As the portal closes, her hair settles back into place and she takes a seat by Lita and Mina, placing the staff across her legs so that it doesn't get in her way.

"Sailor Pluto!" Serena cries cheerfully, identifying the older scout.

"Hello princess, it is good to see that you are okay."

"What are you doing here Pluto?" Serena asks.

Sailor Pluto looks up and glares at the four boys. Quatre shifts slightly under her gaze, the cold magenta glare making him a little uncomfortable. After a moment, he decides to stand, giving up on finding a comfortable position on the floor.

For a moment, Pluto is quiet, her face showing a hint of displeasure. Finally, she gets up and walks over to the four pilots. "So you're the ones who broke the gate."

Wufei jumps forward and faces the time scout. "Onna, we did no such…"

Quatre reaches out a hand and pulls his short-tempered friend back. Wufei continues to struggle, looking as if he wants to tear the woman to shreds. He reaches to his side and picks up his katana, which had been resting in the corner.

"Wufei! Now is not the time!" Quatre whispers sharply into his ear. "I think that it would be a better idea to figure out what is going on first before you turn her into sushi." Quatre looks back at Sailor Pluto and then quietly adds, "If you could."

This seems to calm Wufei down and he steps back, keeping his katana in his hand, his fist locked tightly around the hilt.

Heero meanwhile, has his eyes locked on hers, attempting to win what seems like a futile staring contest. If it is possible, Pluto's eyes harden more and Heero looks away, shrugging.

Quatre steps forward. "Excuse me Miss Pluto, but perhaps you could tell us what is going on. I'm afraid that we don't really understand what you are accusing us of."

Pluto stares at him for a moment longer before her looks softens. "I'm sorry, it wasn't really your fault. Please excuse me, I've been under a lot of pressure lately. Your right Quatre, I shall explain."

Quatre's eyes widen at the mention of his name. How did she know my name?

Pluto smiles wryly at the boy and shrugs. "Being the Keeper of the Time Gate has its advantages."

"Anyway, as Sailor Pluto I am charged with guarding the Gate of Time. This gate allows a person to pass from one time to another and therefore must be heavily guarded, for if it were to fall into the wrong hands, the world as we know it could be changed forever. About a month ago, the Time Gate shattered."

Pluto swallows once, trying to moisten her dry mouth. Rei gets up and pours a glass of water, which Pluto readily accepts. "Thank you Rei."

"There aren't many things that could cause such a catastrophe, but I do have one theory. Our enemy, Beryl, had sent a monster to open up a portal, hoping that she could send us to another dimension and be rid of us. However, when she opened the portal, the dimensional gate opened up in all times in that dimension. Including yours. When your friend Duo unleashed his attack, it must have been at the same time that Saturn unleashed hers. Because this occurred at two different times, the Time Gate was overloaded, and it shattered."

"Wait a moment," Trowa says, his face thoughtful. "That explains why we ended up in a different time, but how did we end up in a different dimension?"

"Simple, Beryl never closed her dimensional gate, she didn't have the time. As a result, both time and space are thrown into a state of turmoil, and believe me, you wouldn't believe some of the things that are coming through the gate now."

So in a way, it was our fault that all this happened. It's our fault that Amarad is here and that he joined forces with Beryl. Quatre shakes his head, clearing away that thought.

"So what happens now?" Rei asks softly. "If the gate is gone, what will happen to this world?"

Pluto shakes her head. "I don't know Rei. The future is no longer certain and I think that that is what Beryl planned all along. She is up to something, and it involves much more than the Earth. I am able to keep some things from passing through the gates, but I don't know how long I can hold out. There is no telling what evil may come form this."

An eerie silence settles over the room as Pluto's words sink in. Serena, who has stood up, is now leaning against the wall, her face pale and sickly. "We were barely able to defeat her last time, and she's more powerful now than she ever was before. Now what do we do?"

Pluto turns to her. "I will attempt to fix the gate, but that is all I can do for now. At least that will prevent things from getting worse. But beyond that…"

Quatre stares off into space, Pluto's words drilling deep into his soul. This has gone far beyond both us pilots and the scouts, and I don't even want to think about the consequences. There has to be a way to defeat both our enemies, there has to be, or else everything we love may be in jeopardy!

"I think we should work together," Trowa says, cutting through the silence like a knife.

Quatre smiles at his friend, he was just getting ready to say the same thing. "Trowa's right. This is partially our fault, even if we didn't to it on purpose. If we fight together, we have a better chance at saving both our worlds."

Pluto stares at the two boys for a moment and then nods. "Are all of you okay with this? This isn't your world, and it's not as if you have to save it. You can pull out if you want and just go home. No one would think worse of you for it."

Quatre nods, "I have already made my decision."

"As have I," Trowa adds.

Wufei smirks and shrugs slightly. "Well, I can't just leave you two to do this by yourselves, so alright, I'm in."

Pluto turns her attention to the remaining pilot. "Heero?"

Heero grunts, his eyes peering back at her through a thick mat of brown hair. "Fine."

Tokyo, Japan: Abandoned Base

"They escaped Jedite," Beryl says, her black gazed fixed on her former general. "I thought you had everything under control."

Jedite winces, his mind turning circles, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for his failure. "I'm sorry my queen, but I didn't count on them being as powerful as they were. Their power as well as their number have increased since last I saw them."

The queen glares at him, her face completely void of emotion. She runs a bony hand through wild, unkempt white hair. "Yes, I suppose you have a point."

The queen reaches out a hand and pulls a dark, blood red crystal from the air in front of here. "I'll just have to make things a bit more simple for you. I just want you to capture energy. Once you have enough, I should be able to deal with those pesky scouts myself."

She throws him the crystal, which Jedite catches easily in his right hand. "This crystal will allow you to summon creatures from other dimensions to steal the energy you need. Don't worry, these monsters should be more than enough for those girls, and their friends as well."

Jedite stares at the crystal in his palm. It is glowing with an eerie red light, swirls of white smoke trailing through it. He stares carefully at the strange smoke and side and reels back nearly dropping the gem. A ghost-like face stares back at him through the depths of the crystal, its face contorted in horror.

"What is this?" he manages to get out.

Beryl laughs coldly, her voice sending chills up his spine. "That, is the energy. It is energy in its most powerful form, that of the human soul!"

Jedite stares at it, trying to control his features, struggling not to show the horror that is threatening to break free. He closes his eyes a moment and then pockets the crystal, storing it safely in his jacket pocket. "As you command my queen."

He walks off, afraid to look back at the powerful sorceress that was and was not Queen Beryl.

Unbeknownst to the other two, another figure watches from the shadows. Amarad grips the edge of a single pillar that is located behind the queen. He stares at the crystal Jedite is given and struggles to resist the urge to vomit upon hearing what it does.

What kind of witch is she? That thing doesn't just kill someone, it traps their very essence!

Not for the first time, he is beginning to regret ever meeting the dark queen. He had wanted to kill the gundam pilots, but he wasn't sure he could handle what Beryl was doing.

Fading back into the shadows, he decides to take his leave. He has seen enough.

Tokyo, Japan: Juuban High School

The cold temperature of the keys penetrates her skin as she listens to the music coming from the piano. The vibrations move the air around her as she leans into the music. Sound swirls around her, woven from a reverie of her own creation. Tears sting stormy gray eyes at the beauty of the sound, and she smiles. Her adrenaline rises as she leaves the lento section and moves into the vivace, the notes moving faster now. The music flows freely, even though to her, the music in front of her is blank. The piece rises to an exhilarating climax. Thirty-second notes are flying, the dynamics at a resonating fortissimo.

The final chord, a soft E major, fills the room and slowly dies away, leaving nothing. Leana Aiden lifts her fingers from the piano keys with a smile, brushing a lock of black hair from her face that had fallen out of place. Even though the keys in front of her are nothing more than a dark blur, as long as she can hear the music, everything is perfect.

After a moment, she places her hands back on the keyboard, runner her hands over it until she finds middle C and the reverie begins again.

Mina walks through the empty halls of Jubaan High, her footsteps echoing loudly. Lita was supposed to have met her out front so that they could do some shopping after school, but she had gotten detention, leaving Mina on her own after school. Why did she get in trouble, she was sticking up for that kid after all. It's not like she beat that guy up to badly, she mutters under her breath.

Mina's eyes widen as a familiar shock of blond hair flashes in front of her. Quatre, what is he doing here? She smiles at the thought of the pilot. It's hard to believe that he's a soldier, he really doesn't seem like the type. He's so polite and kind-hearted. Never in a million years could I picture him as a soldier. Her smile broadens. But then again, look at you, how many people could ever picture you as Sailor Venus?

"Hey, Quatre, wait up!" Mina cries out running to catch up.

Quatre turns around and smiles as he sees Mina coming toward him. "Hello Mina."

Mina stops beside him and leans over to catch her breath before looking up at him. "What, no 'miss' this time?" she asks him grinning.

"No, I guess not," Quatre replies, his face turning a delightful shade of red.

Mina laughs, her eyes shimmering. "Why Quatre, you're blushing." She pauses for a moment, enjoying every second that passes. "So, what are you doing here after school?"

Quatre sighs, obviously relieved that the subject has been changed to a more comfortable topic. "I was just going to the music room, I thought I'd pull out a violin. Would you care to join me?"

"Of course."

The two make their way to the music room and are greeted by the full sounds of a piano. Quatre and Mina pause outside the door, peering through the window at the girl at the keyboard.

"It looks like someone beat us to it," Mina says softly.

"So it appears, but that doesn't mean that we can't join her." Quatre quietly pushes the door open and walks in, Mina in tow.

Strangely enough, the girl doesn't even look up as they enter; she just keeps playing, living in her own world. The song she is playing is soft and sweet, a gentle melody that lifts the spirits. Quatre goes over to one of the lockers and pulls out a violin case. He raises the violin to his chin and waits a few measures before cutting in, countering her melody with a beautiful harmony.

For a moment, the girl seems startled, but she doesn't stop. Instead, she begins to improvise, adding in harder and more difficult ornaments, trills and grace notes that are not in the original piece. Quatre in turn, does the same, creating a piece that is both beautiful and complex.

After a minute or two, Mina's lilting soprano cuts through the air, adding yet another voice to the music. The song she sings has no words, it is only a melody, free and wild as the wind, rising and falling with passion.

The trio brings the piece to a full and complex climax, music swirling in the air, creating a single voice. For a moment, Quatre takes the melody, the violin drifting like a bird upon the sky in the upper register before letting it go. Then the piano becomes the focus, fingers covering two octaves at once, bringing forth a full and resonating sound. Finally, Mina's voice rises above them all, her melody rising and falling like the ocean waves, weaving in and out, tying the violin and piano together before letting the song fade into the distance.

The silence after the piece is finished is almost painful, the air around them seeming very still, its echoes fading into nothingness. The three musicians hold their breath, afraid that any movement would break the spell of enchantment that had been cast over the room.

Finally, Quatre lowers his violin and lets out a sigh. He turns to the girl at the piano and smiles. "That was beautiful," he says simply.

"Yes," Mina agrees quickly. "I have never heard music quite like that before. It was amazing! I don't see how you can do that without looking at the music!"

The girl smiles, still staring straight ahead, her eyes looking into nothingness. "Thank you, I must say my music has never sounded more splendid." Her brow creases. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you? I heard you come in, but since I was playing, I didn't get a chance to say anything. My name is Leana."

"I'm Mina, and this is Quatre." Mina stares at the girl at the piano carefully. She hasn't moved from her original position since she entered. Suddenly, Mina's eyes widen in understanding. She's blind!

The raven hared girl smiles, "Yes, I am blind."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" Mina starts.

Leana shakes her head. "Don't worry about, sight isn't that important in music. Music is alive, it bends and weaves, never stopping. As long as I can hear it and feel it, my world is filled with light."

Mina stands there speechless, unable to think of a single response to that. She has always loved music, but she has never heard it explained quite that way before.

Leana smiles again, "Once you learn to truly listen to the music, you can feel it in your very soul Mina. That is music in its purest form."

Mina is about to think of a reply when Quatre suddenly grabs her shoulder. He doesn't say anything, but instead points to the wall the chalkboard is on. A dark black hole is opening in the middle of the board. Dark hands reach through the portal, clawed fingers groping. As the figure moves through the darkness, it becomes more solid, more feminine. The woman's red hair is cut short and horns protrude from her head. Bat-like wings billow out from her slim form and pair of red eyes glare at the three humans, her mouth curving up in a wicked smile.

Mina looks over at Quatre and nods, pulling out her transformation pen in the process. Quatre moves away from her and runs toward Leana.

He leans over the blind girl's shoulder and whispers softly into her ear, grabbing her hand to help her stand up. "We have to get of here, please trust me."

Leana's face drains of color and her mouth quivers. "Quatre, what's going on."

"We have to leave!"

"I think not," says a cold voice. The creature is now completely out of the portal, hovering just above the ground wings spread. She holds out her right, palms facing downward. Her claws reach their maximum extension as she begins to collect a small ball of energy between her fingers. Once she has the power she needs, she sends the glowing orange ball toward the music room doors.

"Giga Cannon!" She releases the energy, which hits the double doors; melting the metal and welding it shut. "Nobody is going anywhere. I'm afraid that I need the energy of your souls. Please don't try to fight, I'd really hate to make a big mess."

Mina hisses under her breath and glances over at Leana. Once again, there's no choice. My life means more to me than my secret.

"Okay, I don't know who you are, but I really have a big problem with you stealing my energy!"

The creature yawns. "Oh, really? And just what are you going to do about? Like I said, I don't want to make a big fuss about this. I was taking a nice long nap before I was woken up and I'd really like to get back to it if you don't mind."

Mina cringes. A nap? Well, I'll admit, I think that's the first time I've heard that one. "Sorry, but when you mess with me, I'm afraid your going to have to get your hands dirty."

"Venus Crystal Power!"

Light and warmth reverberate through her body, shocking her senses. It wraps around her body, covering her in its warmth. Her sailor suit appears around her, orange and yellow colors taking the place of the light. She opens her eyes and immediately finishes in her final pose.

"Now, lets see if you like this one! Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

Her light attack hits the creature head on, sending her into the chalkboard on the wall behind her. She makes a huge dent as she lands, causing Venus to wince. If the school ever finds out that this is my fault, I'm in deep trouble. I'll be paying fines for the rest of my life!

The creature stands back up and brushes a piece of the chalkboard off her shoulder. "You know, you could become really annoying," she says, clearly agitated. "You'll have to do much better than that if you want to get rid of me."

Oh, no way did she just get up from that! That was my strongest attack! I've got to try something else.

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"

Venus sends her chain toward the creature, smiling slightly as her chain wraps tightly around her opponent.

The creature grins and with a single burst of strength; she shatters Venus's chains, sending shards flying. She bends backwards and allows her back to crack, and begins to stretch cramped muscles. "Well, I must admit, I've had a fun time, but I have a job to do. Goodbye Venus, it's been a blast. Literally."

Venus can only gape as the monster takes to the air, reaching the ceiling in a matter of seconds. She raises a single hand above her head, preparing her next attack. A wind stirs up as dark energy rushes to her hand, where it collects into a formless shape. Black and purple colors swirl inside the mass. A pair of terrifying red eyes peer down at the lone scout on the ground and a set of sharp fangs can be seen poking out of the monster's lips.

"Now child of light, darkness shall be your only companion! True Night's Fall!"

Venus never sees the attack, only the darkness. Suddenly, her world fades to black, all light fading. Dimly, she feels her body hit the ground, her hair settling out around her like a fan. Breathing is hard, almost like trying to suck in air through a straw. She tries to get up, but her body doesn't respond. She can no longer see what is going on around her, both friend and foe covered by a veil of darkness.

Tears slide down Leana's cheeks as she hears the sound of Venus's body hitting the floor. Why is she doing this? Both she and Quatre could have gotten out of here long before this situation got this bad, and yet, they remained.

A movement in front of her turns her from her thoughts as a form blocks what little light her poor eyes let in. Quatre has moved in front of her. She winces as she hears the sound of the safety on a gun going off.

"Quatre," she whispers. "Get out of here, it's bad enough that Venus has fallen, you shouldn't have to die too."

"No," he says, his voice firm. "I won't let the innocent get hurt! I've seen enough of that already."

Leana collapses onto the piano bench behind her, her hand hitting the keys as she does so. I won't let it end like this. I must make them see!

Her finger curve gently over the keys, forming a melody that she had never heard before. It is a melody not written on paper, it is from her very soul, pure and full, bringing forth a light of its own.

Quatre lowers his gun and looks back at the girl behind him. A sudden feeling of warmth overcomes him and he drops the useless weapon on the floor. Instead, he picks up his violin, adding another voice to the chorus. The sound intensifies, covering everything. Time stops, everything held under the spell's power. Mina.

I've failed. I've failed Leana now and the scouts in the past. I failed Quatre. I couldn't defeat her. Why? Is this my fate, to die here in this darkness? Is this the end?

Darkness cloaks Venus like a blanket of snow over the winter landscape. The world she is in is dark and foreboding, caused by the pain and suffering, chaos. She begins to choke on the emptiness, her body feeling lighter than a feather. Her strength is leaving her, light and love being drained away by the over powering darkness.

Oblivion.

A gentle melody wraps around her, pulling her out of her nightmare. Suddenly, a candle is lit in the darkness, a burning beacon in the distance. Venus's sightless eyes open, images passing through her mind's eye.

Her and Lita shopping together, Serena eating an oversized ice cream cone, Rei raking leaves at the temple, Ami, her face buried in a book. My friends, they're counting on me. I can't leave yet.

Quatre on the roof, his hair being tousled by the wind, his smiling face turned toward her. Quatre with a violin on his shoulder, playing with all his heart. Quatre.

Venus, help me!

Venus's eyes snap open, sudden light shattering the darkness. She feels her power rising, filling her completely. The love and light of her planet surrounds her body, killing the shadow that had somehow overpowered her.

Her vision clears and she sees the surprised look on the face of the creature in front of her.

"You can not win," Venus whispers, just loud enough for her enemy to hear. "I will protect them."

"Love's Web!"

Power rushes through her body, as she unleashes her attack. Hundreds of love chains shoot out from her hand, surrounding and trapping the monster.

The monster, panicking, begins clawing at the chains around her, trying to free herself, but to no avail. "Where did you get this power?"

Almost there…

A sudden surge of power erupts around her, lifting her off her feet. The power surges through, almost to the point of pain, her skin feeling like it is on power. It is her power, but morphed somehow. It is hers, yet at the same time, it is entirely new.

The symbol of Venus appears on her forehead beneath her tiara. Her brooch shatters, forming an orange crystal and the ribbon on her back grows longer, the ends now reaching her knees. A streak of yellow flashes across her vision, leaving a yellow trim on her skirt and on the bottom of the bow on her back. Her gloves disappear, revealing the orange fingernail polish beneath.

"What just happened here?" the monster asks, panic rising in her voice.

Venus takes another step forward into her web. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

A single, golden feather floats down out of nowhere, landing in Venus's hand. Suddenly, light gushes up from the ground, lifting up her hair and carrying the single feather skyward. The feather multiplies, becoming thousands. The feathers fall to the ground like snow, surrounding Venus, covering her completely. When they finally part, Venus is hovering above the ground, wings of light holding her aloft in the air.

"Angel's Tears!"

Venus raises a hand and the feathers that had fallen before rise once more behind her, their light glittering like thousands of tiny knives. Finally, Venus drops her hand, pointing toward her opponent. The feathers of light fly forward and strike the monster, sending painful knives of light through its body.

The monster screams, its cry filling the room before it turns to dust, which is carried away by a faint wind.

Venus feels her energy escaping her and she collapses to her knees, once more, transforming back into Mina. She braces herself for impact, expecting to fall to the floor, but instead, she is caught by a pair of strong arms that lower her slowly to the ground. She looks up into a pair of very blue eyes and smiles.

"Quatre."

Quatre gently pushes aside a strand of her blond hair, and then touches a finger to her lips. A single tear slides down his cheek, which he wipes away with is free hand. Mina raises her arms and places them around his neck, pulling herself nearer to his body, wanting to be closer to him, a gesture that he willingly returns. Here, she is safe and warm, and here, she wished to stay.

From across the room, Leana smiles, knowing full well what is happening, even though she can't actually see it. As silently as she can, she moves toward the door to the equipment room, allowing the other two as much privacy as possible. The other two do not even notice the door closing behind her.

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Author: * crash! *What the…?

Rena: OKAY, WHO PUT ME IN THAT BLASTED JAR? I DEMAND TO KNOW!

Author and Demos: * point at Luc * He did it.

Luc: Oh, drat, now look what you've done! You made the perfect reading lamp, giving off all that light and all.

Rena: Okay that's it, no more miss nice fairy. I'll make you pay! * Sends a blast of energy towards Luc *

Luc: Ow! Hey, that's hot! * tries to quench the fire that has ignited on is cloths. * Okay fairy, if you want to play that way, fine! * returns the blast *

Author: * fuming * Knock it off you two! * no effect *

A blinding flash of light fills the area and suddenly, Rena and Luc stop, standing frozen in their places *

Pluto: * sighs, setting her staff back at her side * Okay, that's enough, this gate is messed up enough as it is, I don't need you two adding to the damage. Perhaps if I leave you like this long enough, you'll stop. *turns around and walks off *

Author: …cool. I want that staff. Think she'd let me borrow it?

Demos: * snorts * Doubt it.