Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.13: Road Rage

Disclaimer: I own neither Gundam Wing nor Sailor Moon

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Tokyo, Japan: Abandoned Base

Jedite stares into space in the middle of a darkened room, his features cast in shadow. His blue eyes are cold and iced over, hi thoughts turned inward. He is by all appearances comfortable in the vortex, his outer calm shell hiding the turbulent thought that lurk within.

"You failed Jedite."

"I know lady," Jedite replies coolly, answering the voice in the darkness. "I shall try to do better. I will not fail again."

"Perhaps."

Jedite suppresses the shiver that runs down his spine at the sound of her voice. Even to him, a man who has slept for years in chaos's clutches, her voice seems cold and dead. He stands there for what seems like eternity, waiting for her presence to leave. Her breath is light on his neck, the only sign of her presence. Death's cold touch leaves streaks of cold down his neck, her fingers threatening to take away his breath.

He sighs as he feels her presence leave, relaxing muscles that he never knew were tensed. The pressure in the room lightens as time passes, filling the void that had been emptied.

After a moment, Jedite moves toward the center of the room and raises a hand, eyes closed, searching. The air in front of him ripples, the opening of a portal disturbing the fragile dimensional fabric.

Jedite stares into the rip, his icy glare focused on what lays in it. "Come."

A figure moves form within the portal, amber eyes letting off a soft glow. Jedite moves back, a smile playing on his lips. Yes, this time, he wouldn't lose.

Tokyo, Japan: Cherry Hill Temple

Wufei stares at the raven-haired girl at the fire, carefully watching the priestess as she works. Rei, also know as Sailor Mars, has been sitting before the temple fire for nearly three hours now, the flames altering the shades of light and darkness which are playing across her face.

Wufei still has not gotten over his shock of seeing Rei become Sailor Mars, or her friends becoming the other scouts for that matter. To him , the whole idea of magic is still more than a little foreign, something incomprehensible in the world that he grew up in. But the world is gone now, and the older world he had been thrust into didn't seem nearly as primitive and useless as he had previously thought.

She has been here for two days straight without any rest whatsoever. What could she possibly be seeing that is so important? Wufei sighs and closes the door, allowing Rei her privacy. It's strange, I come here for peace and quiet and I end up more distracted than ever.

With no other purpose for being near the temple, or the priestess who owns it, Wufei makes his way toward the gates, following the stone path that leads to the busy Tokyo streets. The crowds of people become heavier and denser the further away he gets, people crammed into the city like sardines in a can.

He makes his way toward a group of people gathered near the curb, ignoring the incessant babble of the others nearby. He settles for an empty place against the side of an alley, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. A bus pulls up to the curb and people crowd in as the doors swing open, causing the people stop their conversations for a few short moments.

Wufei is about to follow them when the squeal of tires draws his attention back to the road. His eyes widen and his breath catches in his throat as he watches the doomed vehicle. What the…?"

As the wreckage comes to a halt, Wufei runs over toward the crash site. Others crown around, their curious faces trying to peer around the bodies and heads of other observers, trying to look at the destruction. Glass litters the street, shades of it forming a collage on the ground, chunks of metal and other materials hanging out of the wreckage.

However, it isn't the destruction itself that draws his attention, but the bus itself and the large cut down the center. The metal appears to have been cut clear through. He shoves his way through the crowd, knocking a few people down in the process, and makes his way toward the bus and begins to examine the cut.

This isn't possible, it's cut clear through! He slowly reaches out a hand and lightly touches the scared metal, only to quickly pull it away again, pain lacing up his arm. It was heated, and there are no rough edges. What could possibly be hot enough to cut through solid metal without leaving a mark, and fast enough to escape detection?

Wufei moves away, cradling his burnt hand, ignoring the throbbing it is causing. S he approaches the victims of the crash, he has his answer. H stays for a moment more, observing the unconscious people on the ground. Finally, he moves away and begins to walk back towards the temple to awaken Rei from her trance, this being something that, as much as he hates to admit it, is way out of his league.

Tokyo, Japan: Abandoned Base, "A Dream World"

The western sun is setting, disappearing beneath the horizon. Stars glitter in the heavens, their light and that of the moon are just beginning to shed light on a darkening world. The fading light casts shadows upon the stones and trees, a gentle breeze causing those of the trees to dance gracefully over the ground.

A young boy stands before one of the stones, his gray eyes wet from tears, black hair being brushed into his face to cover them. His clothing is dark, covering him from head to toe in black. He appears to be no more that seven or eight, his face young, the lines of pain and loss not yet inscribed on his features. In his fist, he clutches three white roses, ignoring the pain the thorns are causing him.

Another black figure in a uniform moves in behind him, laying a hand of his shoulder, causing the boy to turn around. Similar features meet his and his face floods with relief, obviously taking comfort from the man's presence.

"It will be okay son, things will turn out okay."

The boy sniffles and rubs his eyes with the back of his sleeve, trying to make the tears go away. "Why did Mom leave?"

"She didn't mean it, it just happened. She was real sick."

"I know, but it's not fair!"

The man kneels down beside his son and pulls him closer. "I know, but not everything is fair, but sometimes things are just meant to happen. Destiny chooses its own victims, and that is something we must accept. Vengeance does not make things right."

Amarad jerks up, his eyes suddenly snapping open as his mind returns to the waking world. Sweat is pouring down his body, soaking the sheets and pillows beneath him. He reaches up a hand to wipe his brow and notices that he can not hold it steady. He sets there for a moment, trying to force his body to stop quiver. The arm behind him that his holding him up seems weak and is taking considerable effort to keep up.

He stares into the darkness, uncomfortable, and not for the first time, feeling like it is about to swallow him whole. He can see nothing beyond it, a room with no windows and no doors, not allowing a singe beam of light to enter its barriers.

I haven't had that dream for years, why now? Why do these nightmares plague me now, of all times.

Leaning back against the pillows, he tries to calm down, eventually drifting back into a restless sleep.

Tokyo, Japan: Downtown Jubbon District

"So, it looks like there's another monster on the loose," Michelle remarks, tying her hair back so that it is out of the way when she rides.

"Uh, huh," replies Amara, throwing in a helmet and latching it. The meeting had been long and agonizing, not coming to a conclusion until the wee hours of the morning. The fact that another monster had appeared was certainly not making her day. The recent months have been full of nothing but sorrow for her. Amara pulls a riding jacket off her bike handles almost as an afterthought, the biting chill of the coming winter slowly creeping in.

Michelle stares at her best friend, her face full of sympathy. "It's a lot, isn't it?"

Amara sighs, her tearing eyes hidden by her helmet. "Yes. First Hotaru, then the time gate, then the boys appearing, Beryl's return, the monsters, all hell's breaking loose before us, I can feel it in the very air."

"Yes, the oceans are quelling as well." Michelle closes her eyes, focusing her thoughts inward, listening to the sounds of the distant sea. "You still miss her, don't you?"

"Of course, I don't think that I could ever forget her. She was a daughter."

"Hotaru was a blessing alright." Michelle pauses to yawn, her attempts to suppress it failing miserably. "Don't ever forget her Amara, she will always be apart of us, as long as we let her spirit live on."

"I think we should go now," Michelle says, changing the subject. "It's getting very late…or early, depending upon which way you want to look at it." (Don't we all know that feeling!)

Amara nods, and revs up her cycle, Michelle climbing on behind her. She jams the gas pedal, switching gears as she does so. The two girls leave the temple behind, a trail of smoke following in their wake. Amara feels Michelle's head lean against her back , the aqua-hared girl ready to fall asleep where she is sitting. Amara doesn't bother trying to keep her awake, even though the danger of falling asleep on a motorcycle is great. They are all tired of it all.

It's been one hell of a day.

Suddenly, Amara feels a shift in the air and she slows down, placing her foot on the ground to keep them steady. She glances around the deserted street and a shiver runs down her spine, a feeling of uneasiness creeping into her bones.

What is it? I can't see…wait!"

A shimmering in the distance appears at the corner of her vision and her eyes narrow. "Shit." She turns around and gently shakes Michelle's shoulder, awakening her sleeping friend.

Michelle groans, trying to push away her weariness. "Amara, what…"

"Shh!"

Michelle sits up, turning around in her seat, all weariness gone from her face. Her eyes are a cat's, a hunter scanning the horizon for its prey. Her face is serious and cold as winter's ocean.

"Should we fight it?" She whispers quietly under her breath.

Amara shakes her head slowly, pulling up the visor on her helmet. "No, I have no idea what that thing is, but that thing is probably what destroyed that bus earlier."

Michelle nods. "You're right, and judging by the condition of the bus was in, it's going to take more than just the two of us to stop it."

Amara wastes no more time. She jams the gas pedal and forces her cycle into motion. The bike flies through the deserted Tokyo streets, picking up speed as it covers more distance. Amara curses under her breath as she feels the strange creature gaining on them. Her face in a fixed look of determination, she pulls her cycle into a quick sharp right turn, hoping to loose their pursuer in the maze of Tokyo's alleys. Michelle's fingers dig into her side as the centripetal force pulls them sideways, but Amara doesn't leave her time to recover. Instead, she weaves her way around trashcans and fences, throwing more obstacles in the creature's path.

A sudden gust of wind moves past them and Amara bites off the cry rising in her throat, her body being lifted off the seat of her bike.

"Michelle, hang on!"

Pain ripples through her body as it comes into contact with a brick wall, the crunch of bones following after. Amara sits up slowly, ignoring the pain and the moisture that is flowing down her arm. Leaning against the wall for support, she manages to get into a standing position. It seems like an eternity before the pain clears enough for her to see clearly, her ears still ringing from the impact.

"Michelle!"

A groan from beside her answers and her friend manages to sit up, placing a hand over her aching head.

"I'm okay Amara." She rises, coming to stand beside her friend. "We should probably transform now, it's our only chance."

Amara nods once, acknowledging the idea and reaches into her jacket pocket for her transformation pen.

"Uranus Crystal Power!"

"Neptune Crystal Power!"

Amara feels power coursing through her body, the air that made up the power of her planet filling her very veins, making her smile, accepting it. She eagerly leans into it, feeling her body supported in the air, knowing that she will not fall. Wind surrounds her body, caressing her skin, wrapping around her tightly, forming her uniform. Her body arches back as the crystal of her tiara forms on her head, followed almost instantly by the tiara itself. Her gloved hand brushes back her hair and then reaches into subspace, grabbing onto her Space Sword.

Sailor Uranus lands easily on her feet, her sword at her side. She rises slowly and faces her opponent, who is now staring at them, a cruel smile on her young face. This creature is small, almost childlike, her pale face innocent and clear. Black, midnight hair swirls around her body, covering her like a cloak. However, cruel amber eyes, fangs, and sharp claws tell her that this creature is most certainly far from innocent.

Suddenly, the creature springs into action, Sailor Uranus barely having time to react and move away from the sharp claws that are threatening to tear her into shreds. The creature wheels around and fires a blast of energy, which catches Uranus in her injured arm, causing her to crumple to the ground in pain.

Neptune is by her side in seconds, kneeling beside her injured friend. Her hands reach down and gently take hold of the injured arm, her eyes studying the severity of the injury.

Uranus shrugs her off, and gets shakily back to her feet. "I'm fine, it's just a small scratch," she says, lying through her teeth. "Be careful, whatever that thing is, it's fast."

The two jump apart as another blast of energy is thrown in their direction followed almost immediately by another series of attacks. The two scouts move quickly over the ground in a quick, graceful dance, barely avoiding the attacks. The monster continues her barrage, alternating between attacks with her claws and blasts of energy.

"Neptune Deep Submerge!"

Neptune's attack sends a wall of water toward her opponent, an attack that had previously caused a great deal of damage. This time however, her attack breaks apart before her eyes as it hits an invisible barrier, dissolving before it ever has a chance to do any damage.

"No, my attack, it had no effect whatsoever!" For a moment, Neptune panics her mind in a state of surprise and disbelief. Seeing this, the monster attacks in full force, a dark vortex forming around its hands, shadows wrapping around each other, being drawn into her attack. The monster thrusts her hand forward, sending the attack with it.

Uranus can only watch helplessly as her friend is hit with the attack and carried through the air, only to fall onto the hard concrete with a loud crack. She begins running over to her but halts when she sees Neptune pull out her mirror, trying to summon her most powerful attack.

She never gets a chance.

The monster sees what her opponent is trying to do and prevents it, shoving another blast toward her mirror, determined to destroy the wretched thing.

Neptune stares in horror and shock as her talisman shatters in her hand. Her eyes glaze over as her life force leaves her body, no longer able to hang on to it after the talisman that was created from her heart crystal shatters.

Uranus stares in horror as she sees Neptune's mirror shatter. Her feet carry her to Neptune's side, catching her body as it falls, cradling it as she would a child's. Tears run unabashedly down her cheeks as she bears her friend's weakening body in her arms, her normally animated eyes lifeless and haunted.

Neptune stares up at her for a moment, her eyes full of pain. She mutters something under her breath, something that Uranus can not quite catch, but from what she can hear, sounds like a plea. Neptune sighs once, dropping the broken mirror in her hand. The mirror glitters and is replaced by a dim colored heart crystal, the crystal reflecting the draining life force of the owner. In the distance, the ocean roars the crashing of the waves upon the shore a torrent of deadly water.

Uranus rises shakily to her feet, holding her own talisman before her, her grip tight on the hilt of her Space Sword. The monster smiles evilly, ready to take on her final opponent. With a savage yell, Uranus springs forward, putting her most powerful attack in motion. She brings her sword down, ready to strike the figure.

And hits empty air.

Uranus crumbles to her knees feeling energy leave her body. She stares at the monster, her eyes wide with disbelief. The monster holds up one hand, claws extended. Slowly, Uranus raises her space to meet her eyes and even though she had expected it, the sight still takes her by surprise. Her sword, the object that had been made from her very heart crystal has been cut in half and is slowly fading away, leaving a dim heart crystal behind.

Uranus's body crumbles to the ground as she feels the energy leave her body. Her vision begins to dim, the world around her becoming nothing more than a large white blur. The streets and walls of the alley begin to fade and her body suddenly feels very light, as if nothing is there to hold it up anymore. The pain in her arm that had previously tortured her is almost gone now, a dull ache in a fading world. For a few seconds, Sailor Uranus relaxes in the light bliss, ready for a rest that she has deserved for a long time.

Suddenly, images flash before her eyes, drawing her attention. Serena, stuffing her face with food with and embarrassed Darien nearby, Ami in the library, reading a thick book that she as to set on a table to be able to read. Another flash in her mind's eye brings forth more: Rei, raking up leaves at the temple, a sparring match with Lita, racing Mina at the arcade. Finally, a picture of Michelle happily playing her violin, her eyes shining with a vibrant light flashes before her eyes.

I can't give up yet, I'd be letting all of them down. Please, Uranus, planet of winds, loan me y our strength! I have to keep going!

Without really thinking about it, her weak hand falls over her heart crystal and a rush of power fills her body, coursing through her veins like wildfire. A strong gust of wind picks up her limp body, lifting it into the air with ease. She feels the symbol of Uranus on her head begin to burn, and with that, she transforms. The bows on her back lengthen and become clearer. The wind rustles her skirt, leaving yellow streaks at the end of it and the bow. Her gloves disappear and are replaced with blue gauntlets. Several earrings are added, as well as an ear cuff on her right ear. The brooch on her chest shatters, forming a pointed crystal. Her heart crystal appears in front of her and lets off a bright blue light. When it fades, Uranus is holding two deadly looking swords in her hands. As her transformation finish, the sign of Uranus appears beneath the crystal on her tiara.

The wind surges up around her, ready to strike at her command and Uranus's eyes fix on the creature that had tried to kill her. For a moment, the creature's eyes show a hint of fear and Uranus smiles.

A sound behind her causes her to turn around and her eyes widen in surprise as she sees the figure behind her. Sailor Neptune comes to stand beside her friend and comrade, having undergone a similar transformation herself. Instead of a mirror, Neptune now holds a long, deadly looking trident, its three pointed ends reflecting the dim light in the alley.

"I think we should get rid of this thing, don't you?" she says, smiling as she stares up at Uranus.

Uranus nods, relief and happiness flooding her face. "I couldn't agree more."

Neptune nods and Uranus takes a step back, giving her friend some room. Neptune raises her trident above her head and slams it into the ground, the points digging into the ground beneath her. "Tidal Fury!" Water billows out around her on all sides, forming a wall of water that swallows the monster, sending her through a wall.

Uranus wastes no time, running to attack while her opponent is down. She quietly summons the power of her planet and feels pure energy rush through. Pure speed fills her and her body begins to move faster than anything she had ever felt before. "Rain of Swords!" Sailor Uranus attacks the creature with a barrage of sword slashes and thrusts, moving far too fast for the wounded monster to keep up. It is a wicked dance of consecutive attacks, all of them hitting their mark. Finally, she finishes her attack with a single uppercut, which carries her skyward and out of danger.

Uranus lands beside Neptune and stares at the faltering monster. "It's not down yet.

"Nope. I say we finish this one together."

Uranus nods, a smile on her face.

Standing back to back, both girls call on their power at once, wind and water colliding in a burst of power. The powers swarm around their owners for a moment and eventually join together to form a new power all together.

"Blue Torrent!"

A wall of water rises up and is carried by swirling winds. As the two forces combine, they form a raging funnel, a giant wall of furry that is pure destruction. A cry is heard throughout the city as the monster cries out in fury, its body turning to dust, swept away by the storm.

At last, the alley is calm, if a little wet, and the two scouts collapse, sitting back to back, using each other for support. Both girls are breathing heavily, their weapons lowered and resting on their laps or at their side.

Neptune looks up and gawks at the alley. Everything has been disturbed. Trashcans have been blown away, gates torn off their hinges, and bricks from several parts of the building are lying in the street. Everything is also soaked.

A small laugh escapes her lips, and Uranus shifts slightly to look back at her, a look of puzzlement on her face. "Well, that was interesting," Neptune says wryly.

Uranus continues to stare at her as if she's officially lost her mind, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Perhaps we should clean all this up before someone comes and sees it…"

Uranus groans loudly and leans against Neptune. "I don't even think I could get up right now."

Behind her Neptune chuckles, but Uranus barely hears her, too far gone to notice much beyond the tiredness her body is experiencing. Her eyes reflect the light of a rising sun, her eyelids slowing drifting shut over them to block out the light. It had been a long night.

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Pluto: * bent over several pieces of metal, her back toward everyone else. *

Author: * looks over Pluto's shoulder * What are you doing?

Pluto: Fixing the gate, the easy way.

Author: With what?

Pluto: The miracle of modern technology that fixes everything.

Author: ?

Pluto: Duct tape.

Author: Oh… * listens very carefully * Hang on a second, it's way too quiet around here, where's Rena?

Pluto: * Smiling holding up the duct tape * I fixed that too.

Author's Note: That was a short chapter… As to the duct tape, it's the band geek philosophy, it fixes everything.