Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Symbol of A Soldier ❯ ...and hope will come again. ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"Potatos?"

Pheobe shook her head. "They're too mushy."

Setsuna nodded, dropping the spoon back into the pan. "How about this?" She indicated the creamed corn.

"mmm can't I have some chicken?"

Setsuna smiled. "Ami says no solid foods for awile."

Pheobe frowned. "Alright, the creamed corn."

Setsuna nodded, piling the mush onto Pheobe's tray. Pheobe sighed as she wheeled over to a table with Setsuna. "Why can't I just walk?"

"Because your still a little weak and everyone is fussing over you. Besides, you'll be out of here soon, think you can suffer a wheelchair for one more day?"

She nodded, forcing down a spoonful of creamed corn. "So what happened to Clio?"

"Ellie didn't tell you the rest of the story?"

Pheobe shook her head. "She forgot half way through."

Setsuna smiled. "Where did she stop?"

"After the dress room."

Setsuna thought for a moment. "Alright, that would be.."

====================================

Phebe looked at the young astral in confusion. "Clio?"

"You heard what I said Phebe. If you destroy just the queen this phage will get out of control. We have to destroy them together."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Do you have the silver crystal?" When Phebe nodded Clio continued. "I have an idea, but we'll have to be in the highest power center in the solar system."

"I don't see the problem."

"You will when I tell you where the power center is."




At Phebe's suggestion they had returned to Mars. Luckely the phage had overlooked the red planet so far. Not that it would be for long. The people of Mars were overjoyed at the moon queen's visit if not slightly worried that their own queen had not accomponied the silver beauty.
Rouvin and Dorien helped the two queens as they coated theship thik with Ankara lotion.

"This is mostly used to armor skin."

Clio glanced at her rag. "For Elite Soldiers?"

Phebe nodded, draping her rag over the bucket. "Are you sure your ready for this?"

For awile Clio didn't speak, her head nodded just slightly. "I'm not going to back out now Phebe."





Phebe had denied Rouvin and Dorien join them. It was her belief they would be safer on Mars and should the two queens fail, they had been ordered to evacuate the planet.
Clio glanced at Phebe as she took the seat next to her. "I'm not really surethis will work Phebe, If there were any other way I would turn this ship around."

"We have to stop this."

"This might kill you Phebe."

Phebe looked at her friend. Clio's eyes remained forward, refusing to look at the silver haired queen, hiding emothion.
"Clio, I'm sorry."

"I know."

Phebe looked ahead as they began to descend down on their target, the sun.
"It was puzzling when the phage consumed Clios. Uranus for War, Venus breaks down leadership, moon destroys authority. They changed their plans to consume Charon when they found you. That was probably my fault for leading them to you. There was no reason why they chose to consume Clios so quickly, but it makes perfect sense"
As Clio continued Phebe began to notice the black patches upon the surface of the sun. "There are two major power centers in this entire solar system Phebe. One of them is the moon, the very location where your kingdom resides. The other is the strongest, but hardest to get to, that is the sun. The phage eliminated the warriors on Uranus then tried to go after the leader of the sailor soldier. But right after that the one thing they focussed on was the power planets. Clios, the Moon, they're drawn to power centers Phebe and Clios was one of them."

"So the queen could be here too."

Clio nodded as they descended further down into the sun. Phebe looked as the flames formed around their vessel. Quietly she withdrew a white and gold trimmed brooch, opening it to bring the Empyrium crystal into full view. "Moon Crystal Power, Make-Up."

A moment later Phebe appeared dressed in a pearl white sailor uniform. A golden bow formed on her chest while a white bow with long ribbens appeared on the back. Her chocker and heels formed into the same shade of gold while her brooch vanished to appear on her gold bow.
It was when they had descended deep enough into the fiery mass when Clio stopped the vessel. Moving from her seat she and Phebe stood in the center of the vessel. "Are you ready for this Phebe?"

Phebe nodded, opening her brooch. "Yes."

Clio nodded. "I'll try to help you as much as I can."

Phebe nodded, delicatly cupped her hands around the brooch and crystal. Clio made sure Phebe was ready, then took out her wand, gem placed neatly on top.
They were halted by a sudden shriek as a large black cloud of a creature descending down into the ship. The beast was just over 6 feet in height, 7 feet long and hat the appearence of a black beetle. Horns rested near the front of it's shell and large pinchers twitched as it screached. Phebe took a step back, bumping into Clio as another creature descended into the vessel. It resembled the appearence of a large cat, a cloud of mist replacing the tail that would have been there, The eyes glowed red with hatred. The tiger shrieked, spitting out a breath of blue flames.

Clio ducked as the flames spilled over the walls, eating away at the interior. "Psychic Blast."
The tiger appeared unphazed as it spit out another breathof flames, once again thinning the walls of the vessel. "Phebe use the crystal!"
Concentrating Clio placed two of her fingers on the middle of her forhead, moving into what appeared to be deep meditation. Opening her eyes she thrust her arm towards the tiger, balancing her wrist on her other hand and keeping her two fingers out.

"Psychic Star!"

On her two fingertips an orb of magenta and purple light formed before extending outward in a star shaped beam of energy at the beast. The tiger shrieked as it dissipated and another creature dropped down into it's place.

"Now Phebe!"

She kept her hands in position, preparing another attack.
Phebe looked at the creaturein front of her, black gas filtering out of its shell as it sceached. She fould feel the head of the flames behind her, hoping Clio was alright.
"Phebe use the crystal!

Clio was there, urging her to continue. Phebe took another step back only to find she coulnd't back away anymore, the beast was just too close.

"now Phebe!"

Clio glanced at Phebe, hesitating for a moment as she tried to aim for the bug. Unfortunatly her opponents were also deadly close, Phebe was on her own.

"Phebe!"

Her voice was nearly drowned out by she shrieking of the phage, but Phebe could still hear Clio call to her. The phage lashed at her, atepting to crab her with it's pinchers. Phebe jumped aside, falling back against the wall. The metel of the hull was hot to the touch, and growing warmer. The bug approached again, ready to strike and this time she had been backed into a corner. The phage shrieked, striking at Phebe. Quickly she closed her eyes and released the power of the crystal.

Clio looked back at the shrieking behind her just as the wave of energy reached her opponents. It was a brilliantl layer of clear white light that extended outward from the sun onto the planets. Clio noticed the phages as they disolved, auras of green and blue and red escapping their bodies. They were her people, Uranus, Venus, the phage had created their own on the deaths of others. She could hear the shrieking as they vanished, the screaming as they ceased to exist, and the Clio looked at Phebe, she was screaming too.

Her eyes closed tigher as she held on, pushing with all the energy she had. All this power was so painful to Phebe. Power center or no this was not just one planet, this was all the planets. As her cleansing wave reached Mercury she was beginning to feel the strain, she could feel her heart about to get out, her lungs out of breath from screaming she hadn't remembered doing.

It was as Clio had feared, Phebe was dieing, all this exhertion of her power was killing her. Immediatly she looked to her wand, the sailor gem that remained set on it. It might be able to work, Clio just hoped Phebe would be able to hold out long enough. She held the wand in concentration, calling upon her powers, the powers ofthe sailor soldiers. Clio began to glow with a white light as she connected her power to Phebe.

Phebe could feel the other pressence with her, Clio was helping! For awile the Moon Queen continued with renewed strength. the light reached Venus, Earth, and Mars. The strain began to toll on her again, it was just too much!

She was starting to give out again, her energy wasn't enough! She needed more power, she needed to channel more energy! Phebe was going to die! Clio tried harder, forcing all her strength and energy into the effort, her own body began to feel the strain as she pushed herself further. By the celestial stars she needed help! It was then her heart began to feel so warm, like a light that was growing inside her. Her forehead felt so hot, the runic Algiz appearing on her forhead with a glowing light, her entire body glowed with a magenta light as new strength came to her. Clio now held a new power, the power of a Sailor Soldier.
Clio didn't waste a moment as she passed her energy to Phebe, her body glowing again with white light as she channeled more power then ever before through the gem. She took the handle of the wand with both hands and raised it over her head.
"Sailor Power Combine!"

New energy passed into her, something fresh carried with it as the wave of light continued through onece more. It passed over Jupitar, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Charon, Pluto and finally over Clios before it vanished as quickly as it had begun.

Phebe collapsed against the wall in exaustion. Her heart was beating faster then anything and her lungs felt heavy having exausted herself. After a few moments she looked over at Clio, No, Sailor Clios. She lay in the middle of the vessel collapses, still breathing, but exausted.





The celebration went on for days from planet to planet. Many of those lost had returned to their planets, free from the corrption of the phage. Yet still there were casualties as a few people who had been touched, did not wake up. These were the individuals who had been destroyed before the healing, they would not return. The celebration had been extended to honor Clio's ascention to Sailor Soldier. The ceremony had been held on Clios at her insistence. Thousands of astrals watched outside the castle as she was corronated officially as a Sailor Soldier.

Clio stood on the balcony looking to the skyas she watches the first vessels leaving the planet.
"You have a good attendant, very talanted."

Clio turned around, looking at Mars. "She has gifts."

"Like yours?" Mars approached the edge of the balcony, leaning over to gaze at the sky and mountains. "You should consider forming an elite guard."

Clio gripped the rail. "People came here to live in peace."

Mars looked at Clio. "I'm not arguing with that. Right now your the last planet in the system. "

Clio nodded. "I know, I'm the guardian soldier."

"It's not shameful to need help."

"I don't have anything for armor."

"I'll lend you some. If you will allow one thing."

Clio looked at Mars in curiousity. "Whats that?"

"Your attendant has a lot of talent, she could be a great warrior."
With that Mars let go of the railing and left the room.
Clio sighed, staring down at the farmers, the villages and the mountains ahead. Without a word she took her braid and pulled out the band, letting the long soft curls of her hair drift into the wind.

===================The End=====================


The journey down the hall had been a silent walk. Damien had brought her fresh clothing so she wouldn't have to wear a bloody sailor uniform out the door, not to mention the attention she would draw at doing so. She looked up at Setsuna, then over to Ami, holding the long stems of lilacs close to her heart. With one deep breath she took another step, landing in the lobby where at least 10 people and two cats greeted her with a warm smile.
Pheobe had absolutly refused a wheelchair to the lobby, she had wanted to walk out on her own to feet. Taking in a breath of lilacs she greeted the group and followed them out the door.