Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ When Destiny Changed ❯ Dreams of Fate ( Chapter 11 )

Hime: means Princess for those who have not seen Mononoke Hime.

Chapter Eleven

It felt cold, like a deep wind flowing right through her. The area around her was dim, shadows of odd shapes, rubble perhaps. The far off horizon showed signs of fading light, or was it beginning? In any event, it felt cold, not just to the skin, but to the heart.

Sadness was everywhere even though the air was silent but for the dead wind. The scene shifted suddenly and the place was alive with action. Clashing of swords and metal, cries of anger and pain, curses flying through the air even as weapons did. At one point she felt something coming, turned only to have someone run right through her.

The feeling was bewildering yet she blinked and began to walk around battleground. Blood was everywhere as well as the dead, streams flowing like rivers, the bodies their pebbles. She felt sick to her stomach yet she continued her walk, stepping over even if she could just walk through them. Was she a ghost?

She felt more then knew that she was being led to an important place, where everything met, where everything was to be decided. It made sense to her; she understood things like this.

The battle roared yet it was quiet in her mind eye. Then she knew she had arrived. The battle was focused here even if its warriors were far from this force. This is where the anger ran, the hate… and the sadness.

Darkness, like a thick cloud swirled around and around, flashes like lighting emanating. She would have thought it to be just a thundercloud, only it was much closer to the ground, much thicker, much more deadly. The inky blackness seemed to flare with hate and mockery. It was faced off by its opposite.

She felt she knew this figure, her appearance, everything was familiar about her. Silvery hair tied back in a bun with flowing strands down past her feet to rest on the ground around her, while wisps had escaped around her face. She was breathing hard, her face set, her long silver gown torn here and there, her fists at her sides clenched tight. Her eyes were filled with pain and a will to survive.

Behind her surrounded by fallen warriors, their faces hidden from sight, lay another, her hair everywhere around her, even covering her face, a silk gown adorning her small frame, scars of burns on it here and there. It would seem these warriors had protected her. Yet she had fallen as well. Was she dead?

The darkness swirled tighter till it rested on the ground and a figure appeared, walking forward. Still the cloud swirled about it and she could not see this person. But it seemed the other did.

Her face went pale as she raised a hand to her face in shock. Her eyes flashed with pain as she glanced behind her, tears forming. Then she turned again, the tears falling once, anger flashing in her eyes as well as a sense of betrayal… and even pity.

Why was this scene familiar? Everything that was happening or would happen, it had happened before. Yet something was very different this time. Things were out of place, not quite right. She wanted a better look at these people but her body wouldn't move.

Words were spoken, actually heard over the din of the battle around them.

"How could you?" the woman's voice echoed even as she spoke these words quietly. "Was she not your heart? The one she treasured so dear? Her lips spoke your name as she fell. I welcome you here, took you in my heart, believed you would help us fight. Why did you betray us?"

The clouded figure chuckled darkly, "Who is to say who betrayed who? Perhaps whom you speak of still lives or perhaps it is I who speaks for him. The white lady does fall at my feet, as I knew she would. The irony of using this form makes all that much crushing to you and I revel in your pain."

His dark laughter only caused her clench her eyes shut, then to open them again, the fire still there in her eyes. Still he continued on.

"He was easy to sway. Yes, he fought with the idea greatly demo I showed him the light. My light."

"And what of your witch?" she spat, "Is she happy now? She has what she wants."

"Ah, tis a sad thing. She did not survive my process so well as he. She needed the balance demo she did not. But this form, ah, what power he does hold. You can never imagine." There was a glint of gold twinkle, nothing she who watched could see, but this other woman did and again her face paled.

Dark laughter, "This interlude is over. Maybe you never realized, my dear white lady, demo did you ever wonder where I came from? How I came to be? Perhaps you should have watched the angel better. With a final blow, this kingdom will be destroyed for all eternity!" The swirl of clouds around the figure intensified and the figure could not longer be seen as it lifted into black sky.

The woman's head had dropped in a defeated gesture, tears now flowing as she went to the fallen body behind her, falling to her knees beside her. She kissed the girls' brow, glanced around at each warrior and then rose. Her head still lowered she raised her hand and a glow appeared, revealing a very familiar wand.

There was a sudden cry out as two figures were seen running for the lady, their pleas in earnest to stop whatever she may be doing. With sudden viciousness, the cloud shot out at them, surrounding them both. The man and woman were raised into the air, the cries piercing into the girl's mind. She wanted to cover her ears but still her body would not listen. Something seemed to fly from these two, little lights perhaps. She could not tell what happened to them as darkness swirled.

The white lady watched as they were struck, seeing them hit the ground and not moving and her tears of sadness turned to tears of hate. She turned on the darkness; her hair whipping around her as the wind began to pick up. The glow in her hand grew brighter, the wand pulsing with power.

"You amoral life taker, you will pay the ultimate price for your crime!" Her other hand rose, a bright jewel appearing. This she took with force, bringing it and the wand together with a thunderous click. Then, in one hand she rose it high in the air, power crackling around her.

The girl tried with great determination to remember why to seemed familiar to her. Had she not heard a similar story? Yet still, something was very different. Then something came with great cognition.

"I will save them," came her faint whisper, "I will send them far away. They will have another chance… another chance." A single tear rolled down her face even as she faced off her opponent again.

"You will never take another and you will never have this power! Cosmic M- " But suddenly, a sound caught her attention and she turned to see the girl on the ground stir, a soft moan heard even through the din. The woman's face changed rapidly as she spun. The wand's glow dimmed a little even as the woman came to the girl who began to sit up, her hair still blocking the view of her face to the watcher.

The woman said her name but it could not be heard. The girl on the ground was reaching out… even as the woman did…

It was the last thing she would do.

"Foolish emotions, how easily do you forget!" The words were laughed out even the girl on the ground cried out, the woman never knowing what was to come.

It was vicious, the dark stream pierced her from behind, her face in such surprise and pain, like slow motion falling towards the girl, her hand losing it's grip on the wand. The hit left as quickly as it had struck, small streams of red liquid flying behind her as she fell. The girl on the ground caught her in her arms, her cries of morning heard as she wept. But the darkness wasn't done there. It seemed it wanted something more.

Like a clawed hand something pulled at the air behind the fallen woman. The girl cried out for it to stop, not even knowing what it was doing. The watcher wanted to cry with her, feeling she knew this pain. But in astonishment, she saw the white lady, raise her head to the girl with great determination. She could only catch a few of the words spoken. She was shaking as she brought her hand forward, the wand still in it and released its jewel.

"…safe…will…protect. Do not…forget…you are…daughter…" she could not hear anymore as the jewel suddenly glowed to disappear suddenly. She wasn't sure if it was gone or somehow this lady had given it to the girl.

The darkness growled in anger as it again tried to reach out at the pair. The woman gave her daughter one last smile before suddenly the girl glowed and was rising into the air in a glowing bubble as the woman turned to the darkness, her bleeding face still showing her anger and determination. The darkness once again swirled about a figure, which seemed to laugh. This time it was the girl floating in the air to pale and tears fell as she clutched at her face.

It seemed evident even if she was not heard that she screamed `no'. The figure made to leap at her but the woman was there, hitting him to the ground with some unknown force, even if she stood on trembling legs.

"I said… you will… not… have her!" her voice held power even if her frame could no longer hold her. In anger, the darkness ran at her as she raised her arms out in spread eagle fashion her eyes closed even as she glowed. A second before he hit, a sudden flash happened and it was like a ghostly shadow of her suddenly stepped back even as her body was taken by darkness. It dropped as the ghostly figure caused great light to hit the darkness. It shrank back even as the glow shrank to the size of a small glowing star. The girl floating high above wept, pounding at her bubble. Seeing she was still in danger, the watcher felt ill as the darkness struggled to rise again. But suddenly the small star-like light shot with great speed, taking the bubble with it and they were gone in a twinkle into the night sky. The darkness roared in furry even as the ground around him crack. The planet was being destroyed.

The last thought the watcher felt as she left this place was the ground leaving her feet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

`Do you understand?'

She spun around in the darkness. Where was she?

`Do you understand?'

"Understand what? Where am I? Who speaks?"

`I do not show myself. It is forbidden. What you see is what happened, as I know it. Do you understand?'

Okay, this is some kind of riddle, Rei thought. It had to have an answer. What would happen if she said she did even if she wasn't sure?

"I-I think I might. It's a memory, right? Yours I presume. But it is familiar though it can't be the same. Too many things are different."

The voice was quiet.

`Explain.'

"Well, I don't know if I should. Not meaning to be rude but I too have my secrets. How am I to know that you will not use them against me? I don't even know who you are. How can I trust what I can't see?"

`Ah, much like me. But ask yourself, how do you trust your intuition, your gift with great faith yet you cannot trust this? What does your mind tell you now?'

This was a good argument yet she remained suspicious. It was her nature.

"If you know me you know what my mind speaks."

Silence. Then the sounds like a sigh. Someone appeared their head lowered, light only revealing half of themselves. Their hair was long and dark, tied up tight yet loose strands here and there, the figure of a woman. Her outfit from what could be seen was like that of a warrior. One arm was wrapped in a bloody bandage, dark wrist bands on each arm and her right hand encased in a leather glove; a shoulder armor on her right, a silver breastplate with strange markings, stained with blood here and there. A short armor skirt accented her waist, twin swords hanging from her sides; leg armor clasped her calves as stained sandals laced up her legs. Her whole appearance was like something out of the roman history. Yet there were subtle differences.

Something glinted from her forehead. A jewel perhaps? She continued to look down as she spoke.

`Do you understand?'

Rei was growing frustrated. "Look, I don't get where you're coming at. You want me to understand something, I get that. This battle, it was terrible; it ended in tragedy, didn't it?"

`Yes. Though I did not live to see it's end.' Her face moved a little, almost showing her face before she stopped again.

`Understand this. You must know this, understand it, before take the action you desire. Know why you suffer, know why this happened. Then, you will understand.'

"Who are you?"

`We share the same gift. I would think you'd know.'

The woman lifted her face as the light took it in and Rei stepped back in horror. Her face was half gone, the left side burned beyond recognition, blood oozy, hair melted to her face, a hideous mold of flesh where her eye would have been. A bright scar highlighted her right cheek; a small drop of blood falling to mix in with the salty tear that fell. Her one eye burned with a familiar ferocity she knew well, even though sadness was evident. But even with this terrible mutilation, she could see what made it all the more horrible.

`Rei Hime. Protector of the Celestial Hime.' Her voice spoke with a small spark of pride, what was left of her dignity.

`I am you.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rei woke with a start, sweat pouring down her face. She looked around her, taking in where she was. She had been meditating at the fire again but this time had somehow fallen asleep. Now she lay on her side before it, it's soft crackle echoing in the chamber.

What was it she dreamt? Or was it a dream? Instinctively she reached for face, almost expecting to find the same scars. Nothing of course. What did it mean?

Whatever happened now, she had a mission. She must understand this dream or vision, whatever it might have been. It seemed vital to what might be happening though she did not see the tie in just yet. Perhaps it had something to do with what had happened. She would have to speak to the others about this. Or should she?

She glanced at her watch. 3:18 am. She'd been out for a good four hours. And the others would probably not appreciate being woke up just now, especially school back in full swing and marks to worry over. Ami wouldn't be too impressed especially.

A sudden yawn escaped her as she rose. Perhaps she should sleep too. But would she be able to? Or would this vision come again?

Instead of continuing this train of thought, Rei left the fire room entered her room, changed and crawled into bed. Before her mind could think another thought, she was asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Join me.

There she stood in all her glory, much like she did in her first battle. He remember, standing with her, holding her even though he was blind, feeling her pain and determination. But this time it was different. She stood alone, her Hime dress adoring her small yet strong frame. Yet this time something was very wrong.

She held the crystal before in that stance that spoke volumes. She was willing to die for something; she was sacrificing herself by using that crystal.

"No, Usagi! Don't do it!"

She didn't or wouldn't hear him as she raised the crystal high. It flared up and she was suddenly attacked by darkness. It pushed at her shield even as her face was strained. Darkness laughed.

"Little Angel, you think I want what you are willing to die for? I only want you!"

A look of horror covered her face as suddenly the light was pierced, the crystal shattered even as she fell, her eyes going blank, the darkness whipping around her to hold her like a ribbon. It laughed, holding her limp form even as it shifted to portray a figure. He couldn't see this shadow, only saw that it bent down towards his love's face, her pale skin growing whiter.

"No! Leave her alone!" He tried to move but couldn't. The figure turned to look at him but vanished before he could make out a face.

Join me.

Why was this being asked of him? Who was asking?

Your darkness, your past, I can see it, it's delicious darkness. You know what it is to feel that power. You can still taste it on your lips. To have those at your command, to cause pain and suffering. Only you deserve to be joined with me. Hehe, in a way you already have.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he yelled angrily, "Whatever your plan is, you can forget it. I want no part of you!"

Hehe, that is what you say now, is it? We'll see in time.

"I no longer wish to fight." His voice lowered, "I have no reason to… not anymore."

You say this now, but in time, will you still say it? Even when those you know are struggling, will you still say it? Hehe, I will continue to ask you and you will. You'll have no choice. And believe me, you will savor every moment.

Laughter continued as he clenched his fists, once again seeing his love in front of him, bloody, torn…

…Dead.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Once again his night was ruined. He would not sleep again. He looked to his window. Dawn was hours away even if the autumn sun left a mere line on the horizon. It would be too early to prowl about for café shops. Even the French were sensible to be in bed still. Sighing, knowing that no sleep would return, Mamoru rose, throwing on some khaki pants, a white T-shirt and a button up shirt to go over, leaving it open.

This place had let him act as casual as he liked. Time was no option. He had nothing to do. Most often he would stroll through the park or just sit in one of the café's. He saw more of Unazuki, visiting with her at her dorm lounge or meeting for coffee. She was glad of his obvious decision but said nothing to him. She knew he dealt with it his own way, it was the only way it would work. Interference would do nothing. So she kept advice on that subject away. She also promised that his location was still safe. But even so, he knew he'd have to leave soon.

The Senshi were known for their resourcefulness. They'd be here eventually.

Glancing about at a clock her yawned. 4:38 am. Too early to call Unazuki. She had an exam today and he knew she'd been studying late last night, seeing her at their usual café surrounded by books.

Then he glanced at the open suitcase, some clothes carelessly draped in it and around. It had been like that for a few days now. He'd just been thinking where he should go next. He hadn't really spoke of this to Unazuki so as not to give away his location. And he felt it was something he should really do without anyone knowing again.

Sitting down at his desk in the small apartment living room, he pulled out some paper and a pen and jotted down a quick note to Unazuki. He was leaving and he didn't wish to say where. He'd leave the note at her dorm mailbox before leaving. He felt bad leaving her so suddenly but it seemed the best way. She might have convinced him to stay longer.

It had been nice have someone to chat with but he really needed to be alone now. Now that things had cooled down. At least outwardly. His dreams seemed to have something else in mind.

Or were they dreams? What did it mean? Could there possibly be a time where he was needed again? No, he wouldn't return to that life. He would start a new one. It was the only way.

He glanced at the red rose sitting in a vase with no water by the window. Even without water, it flourished not quite a bloom and not quite a bud. It never changed. He still had this with him yet he would never use its powers again: not if he could help it.

Almost as if it read his thoughts, the flower seemed to bob in a sigh before it suddenly vanished. Mamoru was only mildly surprised. It was done. He would no longer be his alter ego.

Tuxedo Kamen was no more.

With a sigh of both sadness and relief, Mamoru rose from the desk and turned to make some Lemon Soother tea. It was something he found soothing and kept his mind clear for the day. He'd have to be awake. He had some packing to do.

Letting the kettle boil, he grabbed the phone, dialing a number and waited.

"Bonjour. Yes, I can't really speak French well so… yes, that will do. Yes, I'd like to book a ticket if its not too late. Where?" Mamoru hadn't thought of that. Last time he'd just picked the quickest flight. He'd been through Germany and Austria. France was his current place. He glanced over some brochure pamphlets before picking one up.

Nodding to himself he knew this was it.

"Oui, I'm still here. Yes, I'd liked to book a flight to Canada."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Reia: cough um, sorry. Faerie won't be talking right now. She's dealing with something rather hard right now. So… gomen nasai. I'm just here to let you know she will still try to write. Things are just real hard for now. Maybe in a few months, who knows? But I'll make sure she gets more chapters. Just… continue your support.

She'll really need it now.

Mitts: curls up beside Faerie on her bed and purrs quietly