Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Celestial Seal ❯ Chapter One: First Strike; The Storm of Jupiter ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Celestial Seal
by: BWANDER

Chapter 1: First Strike; The Storm of Jupiter

Makoto sighed as she taped up the box. It was the last one to be packed.
All that was left now was to place it on the truck and take it to her new
place. Then she hoped some of the nightmares would leave her. The last
six months had been hell. She not only had to deal with losing the two
people she still could call her parents, but she had lost her newest and
yet oldest friend. The dreams had started just after she had returned
from D-point. They frequently ended with her waking up screaming. As
far as she knew none of the others were suffering any nightmares. Then
again, none of them had gotten to know Usagi very well.

She took one last look around the apartment then picked up the box and
walked out. After loading the box and making sure the place was locked
up, she took the key to the administration office. They tried once more
to get her to sign a new lease, but she once again insisted that she did
not wish to renew.

Though she had a house she could move to, she knew she wouldn't. That
place held too many memories too. If anything she figured the nightmares
would intensify there. After all, what better place to remind her of Luna
and Artemis than their own house. Instead she had let Hotaru move into her
childhood home. After highschool Hotaru had wished to move out of her
father's house so he would never be endangered again. With such a wish
Makoto couldn't refuse the petite girl. Plus it allowed the house to stay
with someone who would look after it.

As she walked to her rental truck she turned when someone yelled out her
name. She looked around and her jaw nearly fell when she saw who it was
that had called out. "Shinozaki?" she asked in disbelief.

Shinozaki ran up and began to take a few quick breaths. "Mako-chan, I
can't believe I'm running into you here," he said. "You moving in or
something?"

"Actually, I'm moving out," Makoto replied. "Why are you here? I thought
you and your girlfriend were living in Juuban district."

Shinozaki blushed a little at Makoto's words. "Actually, we decided that
we weren't right for one another."

"So, she dumped you," Makoto stated.

"Something like that. Anyways, I was looking for a new place and had
actually came to look at these apartments. Since you're moving out,
though, I guess that's a sign to not lease here," Shinozaki said.

"No, don't decide against this place because of me. I'm moving because
of a lot of reasons. None of which have to do with this place. It's more
to do with my parents," Makoto replied somberly.

Shinozaki immediately wrapped her in a hug. After a moment she returned
the hug. "I heard they disappeared. I'm so sorry Mako-chan," he cooed.

"Don't worry about it Shinozaki. There's nothing any of us could do about
it," she said, pulling away. "Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I only
have this truck for today and it's already getting late. I've got to go
half way across Tokyo, and traffic is sure to be murder. It was nice to
see you again."

She quickly walked to the truck and got in. She heard him call a bye to
her and she waved out the window as she pulled away. She wasn't about to
let him see her cry, or see how much he could affect her. She had already
let him in close once and he had broken her heart. She couldn't go through
that again. She wouldn't go through that again, not if she could help it.

Forty-five minutes later she pulled up to her new apartment. She saw her
roommate taking some boxes in and smiled. Minako and she had always been
close, but they still didn't truly know each other. Makoto suppressed a
small giggle at the thought. They had known each other for twenty years
yet they still barely knew each other. Now they would finally have that
chance, and what better way than living together.

~~~~~~~~~~

Warube looked at the doll in front of him. He had sculpted it to exact
measurements. Between his healing and the sculpting of this one doll he
had been forced to wait. Now, though, it was finally time. Revenge would
be his. They had taken away his teacher, best friend, and love. Though
he knew his teacher had never completely loved him as he had, it didn't
matter. Once the senshi were out of the way, he would return to his
childhood home and claim the power that lay dormant. Though it had frigh-
tened him at one time, it no longer had such a hold. Metallia had helped
him to overcome that fear. In fact, she had told him of how to harvest
that power for himself. After that he would take everything owed him. All
he had to do was bring this doll to life.

He brought a knife to his thumb and quickly slit it. The blood began to
well up instantly. He pressed the bloody thumb to the doll's chest and
drew a symbol. With the last mark in place it began to glow. The doll
began to take on life-like characteristics. After a moment it began to
blink and look around. Warube smiled at the reaction. His doll had just
become his first golem. At least the first that he created with his own
blood.

He looked at the other golems he had created with their symbols merely
cut into them. Compared to what he had just done they were nothing but
crude attempts. There were only three good reasons for them. The first
was the proof that it could be done. The second was he had discovered
he could create them from anything. The final was they paved the way for
his perfect golem. Now they were nearly useless.

His rejects could still serve a purpose, though. With enough of them he
could trap the senshi and claim the power needed to break the seals. He
knew his mother, and knew she would have insisted on no less than a seal
from every planet after he had opened the door once.

He let out a laugh as he walked over to the wall and began drawing several
symbols. After a moment he looked over each symbol and nodded in approval.
He placed one final mark, connecting each symbol. The area the symbols
outlined began to waver, as though it had become liquid. He gestured to
his creations and they began to follow their master through the portal.

They appeared in a parking lot. Warube began to look around. His target
had to be near. He had made sure to key the portal to her exact signature.
The question now was where she was exactly. He pulled his masterpiece
aside. "Cause chaos. When those blessed by the planets appear retreat.
Let the lesser golems deal with them. You are too precious to me to be
destroyed so soon," he said.

"Yes master," the golem replied.

It walked over to the nearest car and picked it up. It looked toward the
building then hurled the vehicle. The loud crash and building being torn
apart had the desired affect. People began to pour out, screaming for
their lives. The golem picked up another car and hurled it toward the
crowd. Before it could hit a golden chain shot out and knocked it safely
away. The golem looked for the source and quickly spotted two senshi
standing to the side of the building. With its job done, it quickly backed
off as its master had commanded.

The senshi quickly pursued, hoping their eyes had played tricks on them.
If not then there were going to be many, many questions. Before they could
catch their target a small army appeared in front of them. They both took
up a fighting stance and prepared for the worst. They only hoped they
could last until back up arrived.

Clapping behind them caught their attention and they spun around. "My, my,
what luck, finding two today. I only expected one, but I think I should be
able to take what I want from the two of you. Thank you both for making
this easier on me," Warube said.

"I don't know who you are, but you should know you've picked the wrong
people to fight against. We are sailor-suited soldiers, here to defend the
Earth. I am Sailor Jupiter..."

"And I'm Sailor Venus..."

"And you're history," they said, ending in unison.

"Pretty speech girls, but it won't do you any good," Warube said before
releasing a loop of super heated plasma.

They both jumped out of the way and were immediately surrounded by golems.
Warube walked over to Jupiter. "You are the one I'm after first. It
shouldn't be too hard to dominate you and add your power to my own," he
sneered.

Jupiter looked at him with disdain. "How do you plan on doing that? By
overwhelming me with your youma?" she spat out.

"Actually, no. I plan on fighting you. As I recall, those of your planet
take great pride in their strength. I'm surprised your people ever devel-
oped the technology to travel between the planets. Then again, it could
have easily been given to you because of the senshi power in your blood,"
Warube replied.

With a gesture the golems let Jupiter go and instead formed a ring around
the two. Jupiter looked angrily at this man who hadn't even given his
name. "At least tell me the name of the man who's about to get his ass
handed back to him," she demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Warube. Not that it should mean anything to
you. I am from before your time," he stated. "Now, shall we begin?"

Jupiter's answer came in the form of her rushing in, her fist ready to
land on Warube's chin. However, instead of connecting a punch she quickly
felt herself thrown off balance. She performed a hand spring and twisted
around in mid-air to land on her feet. She growled as she lunged again.
This time a sharp pain erupted on her lower back and she was thrown to the
ground. Warube looked at Jupiter and smirked. "Are you ready to give up
yet?" he asked.

"SUPREME THUNDER!" she yelled out from the ground.

The attack was quicky countered by another bolt of plasma. "Face it, I am
more than a match for you. You rely too much on your brute strength, and
when an enemy with superior technique comes along you fall apart," Warube
chided.

Jupiter stood and looked defiantly at Warube. "You think you're so hot
don't you?" she asked. "If this were a fair fight there is no way I could
lose."

Warube chuckled. "What about this fight isn't fair? My golems haven't
interferred once, and I have countered every one of your moves. It's only
been the two of us fighting, right?"

Jupiter gritted her teeth. Everything he had said was true. Still, he had
to be doing something. There was no way she could lose to someone who
would have his minions attack innocent people. Once again she rushed in,
this time attempting to kick his head off his shoulders. A quick sweep of
her feet had her landing on her back again. "Admit defeat Jupiter. I have
no intention of killing you, yet. That will come later, and after much
more humiliation," Warube said.

Makoto clenched her fists as she clamped her eyes shut. She couldn't give
up, but she couldn't beat him either. If he was only after her admission
then why would he attack the people. She didn't understand this man or his
motives and that was adding to her current humiliation. She tried to stand
again, but a foot placed on her stomach pushed her back down. She opened
her eyes and looked up to see Warube standing over her.

"I'll take your silence as a sign of defeat," he said, bending down.

He placed a hand on her brooch and when his hand came away the sigil of
Jupiter glowed fiercely on it. Warube smiled at her. "Thank you, now for
your friend."

He began to head to the group holding Venus when a fireball erupted in front
of him. He looked at the direction the fireball had come from and saw
several senshi there. He frowned at the group. "As much as I would like to
take your seals now, I'm afraid I cannot."

With a snap of his fingers he and his golems disappeared. The newly arrived
senshi quickly ran over to Minako and Makoto. Makoto sat up and punched the
ground. After making sure no one around was injured they all left and went
back to Hotaru's. There Jupiter and Venus told what had happened.

"So when he removed his hand you saw your sigil on it?" Ami asked.

"Hai, it was glowing on his hand. It felt like he was taking something from
me, but my powers still work," Makoto answered.

"I'll do some research, but it could take a while. For now, we'll all just
have to be more cautious. Whoever this man is, he is extremely dangerous.
He seems to know things about our pasts, and he isn't afraid to exploit his
knowledge," Ami said.

"There's one other thing," Minako added. "One of his youma, it looked like
Nephrite."