Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ Chapter 19

Mamoru paused, looking over at Michiru and Haruka who both wore determined masks on their faces. Michiru's hand was clasped tightly in Haruka's, the skin slowly turning pink as Haruka's grip hardened further.

"What would happen if they did conjoin the two halves? If you didn't destroy them?" asked Mamoru, careful to not look Setsuna in the eyes. This isn't right, thought Mamoru; They deserve to have everything returned to them.

"They would simply have all their power, past and memories returned to them, or those of which have not yet returned. By the looks of it some of them have already seen majority of what was hidden from them," replied Setsuna sighing.

"How could they have seen it if they weren't conjoined?" questioned Mamoru expertly.

"By being in close proximity to each other and by using the link to manifest the Soldiers' powers under their command. The link is two ways and all that was lost when Queen Serenity reincarnated them is slowly being returned. The only way to stop it is to destroy them," stated Setsuna obstinately, as if there were no other option available.

"Why is that a bad thing though?" queried Mamoru, raising his eyebrow in question.

"Have you seen what it's done to them? Ami was a wreck, Haruka was emotional and Michiru was temperamental!" exclaimed Setsuna as if it were all obvious.

Mamoru waited to see if Michiru or Haruka were going to defy the claims, but the two lovers sat silently at the end of the table.

"But they've come to terms with it now," stated Mamoru, remembering the difference in Ami.

"But why should they have to go through that," murmured Setsuna.

"What are you trying to protect them from Setsuna?" asked Mamoru, leaning over to try and catch Setsuna's eyes.

"Themselves, or who they used to be. You weren't there Mamoru. I can remember majority of it because I'm existent in all times, but you didn't see how emotionally and psychologically crippled they all were from their trials. I don't want them to have to feel that again!" Setsuna's fist slammed down onto the table in her anger.

Mamoru leant back, not wanting to anger Setsuna anymore. "Okay, I understand that, but what if they wanted to know?"

The questioned seemed to take Setsuna off guard, but she recovered quickly. "You ask Ami if she wants her past revealed to her, she's seen majority of it, so you ask her if she thinks they should all see what she's seen."

Setsuna's words were a threat and a promise; from the sounds of it she could already guess what Ami's reaction to the question might be.

"They're your friends too Mamoru, would you want to see any of them in as much pain as Ami?" asked Setsuna, clearly trying to thaw Mamoru out into her way of thinking.

"They're humans Setsuna. Humans are emotional, they aren't machines that can malfunction and I think it would be better if you thought of them as humans. They aren't simply Soldiers in this time, they have friends, family; they have each other more-so," replied Mamoru, glaring up Setsuna.

"They had all that before. I want you to do me a favour, when the battle comes, find Jupiter's counterpart, as them what they know of the solar flare," Setsuna's reply was equally as icy.

"Why can't you just tell us everything you know Setsuna?" asked Mamoru, sick of the game already.

"Because it isn't mine to tell," replied Setsuna obstinately.

"Then we'll never know, not if they follow you," replied Mamoru.

"They won't follow her…" The voice startled the four at the table, looking over at the hunched form of Omani-Kaye who was still on the lounge.

"What do you mean?" asked Haruka, her fists clenching together, causing a wince of pain from Michiru.

"They will not follow you, they will follow Izanami, and it is the right choice. You must not let them be lost, remind them of who they are," Omani-Kaye's voice was strong as she spoke; it was nothing like the sound she had been making earlier.

"Who's Izanami?" asked Mamoru, confused.

"Izanami is the Shinto Goddess of birth and death, and she will give herself to the Soldiers," replied Omani-Kaye, her voice growing dimmer, her eyelids fluttering in the dim light.

"She will join us?" questioned Mamoru.

"No, she will give herself. For the Soldiers to become one again they will need to shed the blood of the innocents, they will need to shed the blood of those who the Gods possess…" Omani-Kaye's voice trailed off in exhaustion.

"We have to kill the innocents in whom the Gods reside, and then we have to take the Gods in; that's how we have to become one again isn't it?" said Michiru, looking down at her hands.

"It's too dangerous, they might overpower us and take control of our bodies in their most powerful forms, and that is a risk we cannot take!" exclaimed Haruka.

"Kuriri and Omoikane seem ready to co-operate though," said Mamoru, "How do we know the others won't as well. There might be another way."

"There isn't enough time I think of another way. They're going to attack, tonight, and if we aren't careful they'll kill Usagi in their attempts," said Setsuna, sighing as she looked out the window into the calm night sky.

"Are you willing to risk that Mamo-Chan?" asked Michiru.

 

~~~~~

 

Pluto sat with Saturn, barely noticing how warm the breeze was without the Gods active.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it Saturn," said Pluto, smiling down at the shorter girl, running her long fingers through the thick, black hair.

"It has, and it will be longer still, sadly," replied Saturn, a small blush a-lighting her cheeks.

"I have missed you. It has been so long since I have been on the rim, I should have visited more often," laughed Pluto, reminiscing about the past six hundred years that it had been since she had seen Saturn.

"It has been longer for me still so you cannot complain Pluto," teased back Saturn, leaning into the taller Soldier.

"It will be nice to be whole again," stated Pluto, "My body can feel it coming, Neptune and Uranus explain it correctly, it's a storm."

"I wonder how we will all survive then," pondered Saturn, speaking her thoughts aloud.

"We have survived before I am sure we will manage to survive again," replied Pluto with a sigh.

"It is such a beautiful night. Do you think the others will join us when we leave for the arc again?" asked Saturn.

"Most probably not; Neptune and Uranus are most attached to this world now, I presume they have too much here to leave it," stated Pluto, clearly wishing that it wasn't so.

"But if they remember again, it might shift their thinking," said Saturn, tracing the constellations with her finger.

"I don't think so. They will see the past, how it was but they will think it just the past," replied Pluto, grabbing a hold on Saturn's hand that was raised to tracing the sky, giving it a small kiss on the palm.

"If only it were that simple," blushed Saturn at the unexpected touch of Pluto's lips.

"It will be again, someday," whispered Pluto warmly.

 

~~~~~

 

"Isaiah!" called out Inamu, disgruntled by the fact that none of them had been prepared when she had returned.

"Do not blame me Inamu," replied Isaiah angrily, cocking a finger to where Samson and Furo-Ien stood, "It was them."

"I told you to all work together!" screamed Inamu, unintentionally pulverizing the door into dust.

"We are!" replied Samson, stepping forward to Inamu, Furo-Ien mimicking the step behind him.

"Don't yell at her!" started Isaiah, stepping between Inamu and Samson.

"You just did!" growled back Furo-Ien.

"How about none of you yell, it can't be very good for the vocal cords…"

Samson, Furo-Ien, Isaiah and Inamu all turned around to face the door, a teenager male and female standing there smugly.

"And who're you?" hissed Samson as Inamu moved behind Isaiah.

"This is Irina, and I'm Hackett-Mane," answered the male, "And we've been looking for you."

"Why would you be looking for us?" growled Isaiah.

"Isaiah, stop. They're the other two," said Inamu, quirking her head at the couple.

"The other two? But we'd need one more, correct?" queried Furo-Ien, pulling Samson back by his hand.

"The last one cannot be found in a human body, they were banished from life, but not from existence. All we have to do is summon them, which we might as well do now," stated Inamu, placing her hand atop Isaiah's shoulder.

"Don't bother, we aren't joining with you," said Irina her face turning into one of disgust as she eyed Samson and Furo-Ien.

"We only came to tell you to be careful, the winds are changing. We're leaving this city, we want nothing to do with this battle," stated Hackett-Mane as he pulled Irina in close.

"You won't join us?" questioned Isaiah, his hands clenching into fists.

"No, we won't ever join you again," replied Hackett-Mane, "So now we'll take our leave."

"Don't bother trying to stop them. If the winds are changing against us then it will only be a matter of time before they're disposed of as well," said Inamu, her face pale in the dim fluorescent lighting.

"But Inamu-" started Furo-Ien, instantly being cut off.

"It's too late Furo, they've made their decision," said Inamu as she watched the two smirk before turning away together in synchronisation.

"Inamu, what are you doing? We're strongest together!" exclaimed Isaiah in an angry whisper.

"Have the ages wearied you Isaiah? You cannot have forgotten our pasts, and neither have they. Let them make their choice, I feel it is a lost cause anyway," replied Inamu in defeat.

"So we aren't going to attack?" questioned Samson.

"No, we are going to attack; they might have a weak point. We'll go through with the plan we already have. I'm not giving up yet, I'm just saying this might be harder than we think and the highest probability is that we will be destroyed," said Inamu.

"They won't take us back?" asked Furo-Ien.

"No, we're stronger than they are, someone will figure that out and stop it," replied Inamu, "No get to work; we don't have all the time in the world to get this done."

 

~~~~~

 

The thunder woke the six sleeping figures on the floor in the lounge room. Ami and Rei were tightly entwined in each other's arms, Usagi and Chibiusa limbs crossed over each other in a comfortable array, Minako and Makoto's bodies were close but not touching.

The thunder rolled down in waves; snow, hail and rain cascaded down from the sky as massive lightning bolts shot through the already dead city.

Michiru lay in Haruka's arms on the lounge chair, the leg rest up as they all listened to the storm in their newly awakened states.

Mamoru rested on the other lounge chair, his neck locked in a tight kink from his obscure position.

"It's them, isn't it?" asked Chibiusa, looking up at the roof as Usagi grabbed a-hold of one of her hands.

"They're calling to us," whispered Michiru, the sound barely being heard over the storm.

Crashes were heard all around them as the all the windows in the apartment were smashed wide, the wind rushing into the room and rustling every paper still on the surface of the dining table.

"The sea's churning," stated Haruka as they all stayed in their positions, barely moving.

Makoto subconsciously reached out for Minako's hand, Minako reaching back.

Rei sheltered Ami in her arms, pressing her lips into the blue hair as comfort for the smaller girl.

Usagi's hand massaged soft circles onto Chibiusa's as their bodies lay still exposed.

Haruka entwined her fingers with Michiru's, looking into her lovers eyes, trying to memorize the colours and shapes there.

"It's time we left," said Setsuna, pushing off the wall from the shadows, the deep bruising showing her lack of sleep as she looked down at the eight other soldiers.

"Be careful," whispered Omani-Kaye.

Mamoru stood up shakily, picking Chibiusa up from the floor, giving Usagi his hand to pull her up.

"I guess we don't have a choice do we?" asked Usagi, clearly unhappy about what they were about to do.

"No, we don't," sighed Mamoru, plainly disliking what was about to happen.

As Minako and Makoto pulled themselves upwards, their hands unlatching from one another, Michiru and Haruka brushed off their sleepiness but Ami stayed on the floor, despite Rei's slow ascent.

"I'm not going," said Ami, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Ami, they could destroy the city at this rate, we have to do something," said Michiru reasonably.

"I'm not going," stated Ami again.

All the soldiers looked at each other. When they had been woken up only several hours before to be told the news of what was coming and what they would have to do they had all thought that they had agreed and understood, it seems Ami had misled them.

"If Ami's not going, then neither am I," said Rei, stepping back from the group of stand behind Ami who was still seated on the floor.

"Fine, let's go," said Setsuna, cutting off any point of arguing, leading the six other Soldiers out the door.