Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ Chapter 15

"Ami! Rei! What're you two doing here?" asked Minako brightly, almost forgetting what had recently occurred.

"We came to see Haruka and Michiru, but ah, they seem to be out of commission at the moment," replied Ami, looking at the unconscious form of Haruka lying raggedly on the lounge.

"Ah, yeah." Minako didn't know what to say as she stared at her two friends with new eyes. Rei had her hand protectively enclosed with Ami's but there was something wrong with Rei; there were scratches all over her, deep purple bruising spreading over her nose and across her cheeks not to mention how carefully she seemed to hold her left shoulder. Rei looked as though she had been hit by a bus.

"What's wrong?" asked Ami as she gazed down at Haruka, the worry torturing her face as her eyes evaluated how crookedly Haruka was lying.

"It's a long story. Usagi and Mamoru are making the tea and Setsuna will be around with Hotaru soon so maybe we should all take a seat at the table," suggested Makoto, her eyes averting from any of her friends' eyes as she walked over to stand behind one of the chairs.

"Sure," said Rei, moving to the table, pulling out a chair for Ami and then one for herself.

Minako's eyes widened at how obvious their actions were. Where did all this come from? Questioned Minako unsure of when her friends' confidence had come about, or how.

"Um, Rei, are you alright?" asked Minako with concern as she watched Rei wince as she sat down.

"Just a few little incidents," replied Rei giving Minako a small smile in the process. Minako smiled back, her eyes roaming over to Ami who was looking guiltily down at the table, her fingernails chipping at the wood anxiously.

"Well ah," started Minako, not sure what to say to her two friends. I'm happy for them, aren't I? Minako asked herself but she couldn't find an answer that she liked. To be truthful the new relationship of Ami and Rei scared her somewhat, though she didn't really know why.

"Should we wait until Setsuna and Hotaru are here before we start?" asked Usagi, popping her head around the door to the kitchen, Chibiusa's head following Usagi's.

"Probably, Setsuna would need to hear what happened too," stated Mamoru, his voice floating from the kitchen.

"We better make sure not to be too loud though," said Chibiusa, flicking her head to the unconscious form of Haruka.

"Yeah that might be the best option. I don't really want to talk to either of them right now," said Minako, biting her bottom lip.

Minako's eyes strayed again to Ami and Rei. Rei was looking out at the weather but Ami was staring unblinkingly at Makoto who had previously sat herself down opposite Ami.

Minako watched the silent interaction between Ami and Makoto. Ami's hand reached out and faltered in the air. Makoto's reached out in return but she too stopped, biting her lip. Ami nodded slowly as if answering some unspoken question from Makoto. Makoto winced and looked down at the table nervously. A small tear ran down Ami's cheek.

Minako closed her eyes and shook her head. The whole world has gone crazy, she thought as she tried to wash the silent exchange from her mind, but it seemed to stick there like it had been purposefully placed there just to temper her.

I wish I could understand what's going on with everyone, thought Minako as she too looked out at the storm. It had calmed somewhat but there still seemed to be a lot of lightning around and it looked like majority of the city had been shorted out. I hope we don't get shutdown, considered Minako as she felt the warm air from the heating system brush against her neck.

"Mina-Chan…" Usagi's voice and her soft shake brought Minako back into the room where everyone had taken a seat.

"Sorry, I guess I was daydreaming," replied Minako, feeling foolish to have let herself get so drawn into her mind and not pay attention.

"Plu, what is it?" asked Chibiusa standing on her chair to look into the green-haired maidens eyes equally.

"The future's changed, and so has Hotaru," said Setsuna, her eyes glancing over to Mamoru whose face had changed to one of torturous shock.

"What do you mean the future's changed?" asked Ami, leaning forward in her chair slightly, Rei synchronising her body to Ami's in the process.

"I've told Mamoru this already, but lately when I've been visiting the future for check-ins but I've been coming up with two different realities. One reality is that which Chibiusa was from, the other is desolate. This other reality has taken over, it's almost completely devoid of human life and it seems that none of you are Soldiers anymore. When I tried to talk to any of you, all any of you did was attack me. Sailor Uranus even stated that, 'We no longer follow the rule. We've found our power.' It makes no sense. But then when I returned Hotaru was completely different, she was… evil. It felt like she had no soul." Setsuna's voice was definite; she knew what she was saying and what it meant to all of them. Something had changed the future, changed it drastically.

"But what could change our future that much?" asked Rei, her temper flaring up at the thought of a new enemy.

"I don't know but one thing I did notice about it was that all this," said Setsuna indicating outside to the storm, "Was considered the norm there. It's like the whole world has been turned upside down and inside out. I just can't figure out by what."

"Haruka said it wasn't a new enemy," said Makoto suddenly as she recalled the many conversations she had had with Haruka and Michiru over the past weeks about the weather.

"What do you mean? It isn't a new enemy? But who else would want to corrupt our future?" Asked Usagi, her eyebrows drawing together tightly as she tried to think about anyone else who could have the power to change their future.

"I don't know, it's just what she said," replied Makoto, turning her eyes back down to the wood of the table.

"Did anything else change Setsuna?" asked Rei as she too leant forward with Ami in the exhilaration of the conversation.

"Neo-Queen Serenity was dead," stated Setsuna, suddenly realising she hadn't told them before.

"I'm dead?!" squealed Usagi, Mamoru quickly clamping a hand over her mouth to stop the sound from echoing in the room.

"Yes, apparently you died long ago, before you could even have the chance to become Neo-Queen Serenity," stated Setsuna matter-of-factly.

"How long ago exactly?" questioned Makoto, her head falling into her hands.

"Over a thousand years," replied Setsuna sighing as if in defeat.

"I'd say probably 1, 300 years to be exact," said Makoto, all the eyes turning to gaze at the brunette who know looked as though she were going to faint.

"Why do you say that Mako-Chan?" queried Ami looking more curious than any of the others.

"Because that would make Usagi's death this year," replied Makoto tiredly, a yawn obscuring her words.

"I'm going to die… This year…" Usagi's voice was quiet in her shock as she turned to look at Mamoru in horror.

"But that doesn't make sense, you said that Haruka said that this wasn't a new enemy," stated Rei, her finger pointing at Makoto as if trying to make her friend make sense.

"Haruka and Michiru were talking about the weather, but it's all linked I think. I heard on the news several days ago that about four people have been reported missing, and all were in the Juban district though none of them live here," replied Makoto wearily, her head slumping forward again.

Minako listened to the words of her friends, little pieces of information slowly clicking in her head. Ami was upset… Haruka and Michiru were fighting… Hotaru turning evil… Usagi dead… None of us are Soldiers… The storms… Rain, thunder and lightning… Water, wind and electricity… Makoto's been distant… Ami and Rei together… Usagi's emotional outbursts… But Chibiusa's still here…

"There isn't any new enemy," said Minako quietly, instantly gaining the attention from all her peers. "There isn't a new enemy. We're the enemy. Chibiusa's still here and there can't be an alternate timeline so Usagi's still alive. The weather has been wild… Rain, thunder and lightning or is it water, wind and electricity. Usagi's been emotional and Mamoru's worried. We're not Soldiers. Haruka and Michiru are fighting. Ami was upset. Makoto's been distant."

Minako's string of words struck her friends, as something dawned on majority of their faces, all except Ami's and Makoto's.

"You think that somehow some of us have been affecting the weather. That's impossible, we don't have sovereign over the elements," stated Ami bewildered.

"Mamoru's been concerned because he is in tune with this world; he is Earth's protector," said Minako.

"I've been feeling it for awhile now," murmured Mamoru, folding his hands together on the table, "But it's not any of you, it's different. It's like… It's godlike."

Setsuna's eyebrows rose as she looked over at Mamoru, not daring to believe he had said what he said.

"You don't mean the Eight Guardians of the Cosmo? The Astrological Soldiers?" Setsuna's voice showed how unlikely she believed this but as she said those words Mamoru too had a realisation.

"There are eight Soldiers," stated Mamoru, pointing out the fact to Setsuna who sat disgruntled by the turn of the conversation.

"But there are Ten of us including Chibiusa," stated Setsuna decidedly.

"Yes but Chibiusa's from the future and Usagi only became a Soldier in this incarnation, she wasn't one before so that would make the story reliable," replied Mamoru, pointing out how definitely the story would fit what had recently been happening.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Rei as looked from Setsuna to Mamoru, clearly mystified by the conversation.

"There was an old legend," said Setsuna, her eyebrows pulling together, "But it's only a legend, it has no precedent!"

"Neither does majority of the mythology or religion we live by," shot back Mamoru.

"Could we please know what's going on?" asked Ami, trying to follow the course of the conversation even though she lacked the much needed knowledge to accurately understand.

"Mako-Chan… Makoto, where are you going?" asked Usagi as she watched Makoto get out of her seat and walk towards the door as if in a trance.

"I just need some fresh air is all," replied Makoto, her voice blank as she suddenly recognised what that pull was. It wasn't a connection but an invasion. Somebody's using my abilities, my Senshi abilities, recognised Makoto, I couldn't feel it properly before because I've never felt them when I'm in my civilian form.

But what can this mean? It's not possible, is it? Makoto's thoughts were interrupted as a harsh and abrupt flow of memories and images flashed before her eyes, sending her sprawling to the ground in pain.

The jungles of South America…

The canyons of North America…

The arctic oceans…

The pyramids…

The temples…

The mountains…

The druids…

The planets and stars…

Explosions…

"We'll make a pact. We will tie our life force to your's but you have to promise to protect this world against anyone who might try to harm it. We're giving you a piece of our souls, a piece of our star seeds; they are what make us powerful. If you swear to never use what we give you for evil we shall bestow upon you our most powerful attributes. You will be given sovereign but you must never forget who gave you your power and if ever we should perish so will you. Trust in each other, love in each other. If you should ever require our help all you need do is pull at our power and we will respond to the link. You will never forget your times in an incarnation and also will you always carry our memories and legacies. Please protect this world with your lives, we are giving you all that we are in hope that somehow you will all be saved. Please, protect this world."

Pain…

Death…

Destruction…

"NO!" cried out Makoto, as she suddenly felt the link she had. She could trace her counterpart, track their movements. Seeing through another pair of eyes she felt a name echo in her mind. Izanagi… I am here… The voice that called out to the counterpart was not her voice but it was so familiar that it caused a scream of agony to burst through her, another set of memories bombarding her.

My people…

Princess Jupiter…

"Princess…"

"Princess Jupiter…"

"Sailor Jupiter…"

"Protect us!"

"Save us!"

The solar blast…

I couldn't stop it…

All the despair…

All the desperation…

My people…

"Here little one, this is what is left of my star seed. I too will shed it for you so that a new Soldier will rise above. I hope that you do better than we did. I tried so hard, but it wasn't enough. Take this… Here… It's shining for you… It'll always shine… Don't let the shine disappear… Don't let the light go out…"

Sailor Venus…

The same golden hair…

The same blue eyes…

The same…

"I love you. Promise me, we'll be together always…"

Makoto's eyes shot wide, unable to see clearly. "IZANAGI!" cried out Makoto, barely realising the hands that were restraining her with tight grasps.

"MAKO-CHAN!" Minako's voice, it was so clear, so silky smooth, so ready…

"Stop! You broke the pact!" Makoto's words shuddered through her as she tried to grab a-hold of the link that was dissipating slowly inside of her. "I SAID STOP!"

Makoto's energy dropped, she stopped trying to struggle and fell forward into a mass of golden hair her eyelids fluttering as her eyes rolled back into her head.

"I love you too Venus…"