Title: Crescent Mirror Author: aaeris17 Rating: PG 13 ish Author?s Comments: So, my muse is rather a dormant?.the story is developing a lot better than I thought it would and I?m anticipating an age jump soon. Enjoy!! ************Chapter Ten********** *** *** I didn?t complain as Luna piled my hair into the two buns?lord knows that now I would have to wear that hair style forever. Stupid birthright, I yawned as Luna pulled and pinned. Luna pinched my cheek and frowned. I frowned back at her. Serves her right to hear that remark! Being awake at the crack of dawn just to go and blow each other away by our new powers. Already this morning I had flung away my breakfast and ruined the curtains with the hot chocolate. I couldn?t wait until I had this all figured out and I could blow Endy sky high! What a great sight that would be! ?Sere,? Luna began and stopped as she looked at my reflection in the mirror, ?You look very much like thy mother,? she finished and patted my head. I snorted and mumbled a thank you, ?Be gone then,? I left my room and wandered down to the Verandah, where we always met before lessons. Lounging in matching chairs lay a sleepy Mina; lord knows when she actually fell asleep last night and Ami, already reading a great history book that threatened to crumble lest any of us touch it. Rei leaned thoughtfully on the high wall, staring at the cloudy dawn sky. Lita sat on the great steps, absentmindly twirling the blades of grass. ?Aren?t we all a bunch of sleepyheads?? Artemis?s teasing voice rung out. Four heads turned to acknowledge him and I crept by to join Mina on a lounge chair. ?What use is there of being awake when the sun has not even risen?? Mina yawned. Artemis?s eyes twinkled, ?The sun has not risen, goddaughter?? And with a sweep of his hand across the sky, the clouds disappeared and a golden pink sun shone happily on us all. Mina stared wide eyed at Artemis, ?Could I do that?? She asked incredulously. Artemis nodded, ?And more, Ami, please come here for a second,? Ami obediently marked her place with a blue ribbon and came forward. ?Now, face the Labyrinth and I want you to close your eyes and focus on the water in the Mirror,? He knelt besides her, and put his hands on her shoulders, ?Can you feel the pulsing on the waves? Feel the bubbling of the air within the water?let is rush thru you. This is your power, you are the water and it is yours to command, what will you do with it?? Artemis whispered. Ami?s face furrowed, concentrating harder and harder until I was afraid she was not breathing when this sense of calm washed over her face. She released the tension in her fists and let her arms cross her chest, eyes still closed. ?Do it, Ami, you can summon the power within,? Artemis pushed. ?Mercury?? Ami began in a quiet voice, ?Bubbles?? her voice began sharper, ?BLAST!? She shrilled out the last word and swept her arms open. Suddenly, the fog was back and I could hardly see where I stood. ?YES! Well done, Sailor Mercury,? Artemis exclaimed. I think he patted Ami?s shoulder approvingly. ?I can?t see a blasted thing,? Rei muttered. ?Watch your mouth priestess,? Luna snapped from behind me. I could sense Rei?s scowl and soon I saw it as the fog dissipitated and a stern Luna glared at Rei. ?Okay, Miss Fiery, let us have your shot at it,? Artemis smiled and motioned for her to come forward. Rei haughtily walked towards Artemis and turned to face the Labyrinth. ?Now, for you, Avatar of Mars, you are the opposite to Mercury,? Artemis spoke as he knelt down to Rei?s height, ?Where she is calm, cool, and collected, you are passionate, impulsive, and pure fire itself. Can you feel your blood begin to boil? Fire runs thru your blood. Pay no heed to the jokes of your quick temper?you are Fire, Sailor Mars. Fire obeys no one but you?you are the only one, Bringer of War, that controls the most destructive element of the Universe,? Artemis? voice had dropped to a whisper. He motioned for Luna to move us out of Rei?s path. Rei?s eyes had closed and I could see her face getting that look she gets when she?s meditating in front of the fire. ?Pull all the anger and fire out of your blood, use your very spirit. Gather your power, Sailor Mars, Sailor of Fire, focus,? Artemis stepped back from Rei, ?Focus?? Rei brought her hands together, index finger to index finger, leaving the rest clasped. I recognized this gesture and saw her aura turning red. ?Mars?.FIRE?..SURROUND!!!? Rei screamed as fire erupted from her fingers and burnt the lawn in front of us to a nice crisp. ?Brilliant!? Artemis nearly whooped for joy, ?Amazing, Rei, completely stunning,? Rei blushed. I surpassed a giggle as I saw her take honest joy in their praise. ?ME, ME, ME, ? Mina yelped in excitement. She ran forward and threw her arms around Artemis? neck Artemis pretended to be annoyed by Mina?s childish antics as he slowly detangled himself from her. ?Let?s try our daughter of Jupiter first,? as only Artemis could persuade her not to be first. Lita looked up from her seat near me. She had quickly moved from the now scorched grass. ?Come now, we must show the other girls what the strongest of the Inner Kingdoms can do,? Artemis teased. Lita took her place with her back towards Artemis. ?What we have been doing is helping you learn to control your powers without having the Sailor transformation. The Sailor transformation magnifies all your attacks and powers a thousandfold, at the least,? Artemis interjected as he watched the sky above, ?Lita, you are quite strong. By far the strongest physically amongst the Inner Senshi. Due to this, the Goddess has gifted your body as the channeller for her greatest gift, electricity,? To prove his point, Artemis touched her shoulder and the contact created a nice cackle, ?Perfect. Lita, I want you to close your eyes and let the air prickle your skin. Feel the slight tingling your skin is receiving from the air. Do you recognize that prickle? Yes, of course you do,? Artemis? voice dropped to a softer whisper, ?This is your power. You sense the power in the air, the sharpness of the wind brings with it a greater power. The very power of nature is at your beckon, Lita, Daughter of Jupiter,? Lita?s hands balled into fists, ?Pull the power into you, summon it, concentrate it!? Artemis urged and stepped back as he had done with Rei. Clouds began swirling and gathering. Winds that had been calm started whistling and tossed my hair into my mouth and eyes. ?You feel your power, Lita?!? Artemis called above the winds, ?Use it! You are mistress, they are waiting for you!? Lita was not shaken by the howling winds and dark clouds. I huddled closer to Ami and Mina. Her Jupiter sigil glowed brightly and I saw her fists close across her chest as Ami?s had, ?Jupiter?? Lita?s body suddenly tensed and then, in a blink of an eye, her legs buckled beneath her and she jumped into the air, a ball of static, ?THUNDER?.SUPREME!!? Lightning struck Lita on her ponytail and shot to hit the lone tree that stood before the Labyrinth. As suddenly as the weather had changed, the sun broke out and smiled. Mouths were open and staring at the charred tree now split in half. ?Nice aim, Sailor Jupiter,? Artemis went to clap her on the shoulder but stopped as he noticed the cackling and static that still illuminated her. Lita gave Artemis a thumbs up and a huge grin. Luna tsked tsked to herself, ?That tree will have to be replaced. We ought to be on the training grounds, Artemis,? she murmured. Artemis shook his head,? What good is secrecy then? I have spoken to the Queen and King, there will be proper facilities shortly,? Artemis spoke firmly and Luna shared a small smile with him. ?My turn yet??!? Mina pouted. She left our bench and threw herself around Artemis?s waist, ?Please??? Artemis pulled her outside, ?Alright, alright,? Artemis laughed, ?Come oh vain one, tis now thy turn,? Mina?s smile was so bright, she didn?t even notice the tease in Artemis? acquiescence. ?Well,? Artemis just stood looking at her, ?Take your turn,? he teased as only he did with Mina. Such a special relationship between those two, even Luna seemed slightly jealous of his attentions to his special goddaughter. Mina smirked and turned to face the Labyrinth, ?Venus?? she stopped and focused, eyes shut as tight as buttons in concentration. I could hear her slight mumblings, ?Venus, Venus, beauty, love?Venus, Goddess of Love and Beauty, Venus?Venus?Venus,? Mina suddenly had a sense of calm and she shimmered as she straightened her back. Her hands came together as Rei?s did, ?Venus??she began in a very strong voice, ?CRESCENT BEAM..SMASH!? From her index fingers erupted stars that completely devastated the poor tree that had been subject to Lita. Mina blew her fingers and gave her superstar smile and victory symbol. Artemis couldn?t even make a jibe at Mina. He stared at the tree and Mina, back and forth for a full moment before he recovered his voice, ?Well done, Princess,? he congratulated in a slightly husky voice. ?Luna, we must speak to the Queen and King about certain protections in the new facilities,? Mina beamed even brighter and out of the corner of her mouth stuck her tongue out at Rei jokingly. Rei raised her eyebrows in a mock jest. ?Come Princess, do you not want a try?? I stuck my tongue out and looked at Luna who nodded eagerly. ?What shall I do, Artemis?? I asked facing him. Artemis looked at me closely, I could feel his eyes burning the middle of my forehead, where my crescent moon birthmark would now forever glow. ?For you, Princess, its is all, right, here,? He gently tapped the area above my birthmark, ?You need not concentrate on anything to gather all your strength. The very air resonates with your power. You are this land?s next heiress and as such, everything will respond to your will, your heart. The Silver Imperium Crystal that you will inherit follows the heart of she who will be Queen,? Artemis started to whisper and slowly pivoted me to face not just the Crescent Mirror but the entirety of the kingdom, ?Everything the Sun and Moon touches is yours, dear daughter, everything,? Artemis?s voice seemed to fade into the voice of my parents?. I heard Mama and Papa encouraging me, smiling at me. ?With great power comes even greater responsibilities,*? Papa warned. ?Sailor Moon, you have been endowed with the majestic power of the Moon, your Mother, and the awesome power of the Sun, your father. A true miracle, you must protect the Earth, your adopted home. This planet is yours to protect and serve with all your heart,? Mama explained, ?From this moment on, you must learn to control your powers so that you are its master, and no servant,? Suddenly, my hands filled with something slightly heavy, Mama?s Crescent Moon Wand, ?Use it wisely and never forget to be strong in your convictions, only with a strong heart and mind can you conquer the demons that are around you and within you,? Yes, they were all right. This was my power, my honor, my birthright. Suddenly, I felt the planet beneath my feet, the scars caused by the other Scout?s power, a tug of sudden apprehension, another voice, male, encouraging me silently. The wand clutched tightly in my right hand, I planted my feet firmly. Raising the wand high, I felt the power began at my toes and surge upwards, nearly exploding with power as it traveled through my fingers to the wand. *Control! Focus!! Control!* I heard Luna reprimand and I opened my eyes?no one ever won a battle with their eyes shut. ?Moon!!? I shouted, ?Healing!!? The power built higher and higher within, ?ESCALATION!!!? I cried out, releasing the mountain of energy that had built. Sparkling light filled with pink diamonds shot out of the wand and embraced the Labyrinth?slowly, the tree and grass that had been ruined was brought back to life. The tree reconnected with a loud THRUCK and the grass sprung back to the warm green of early July. I gasped and struggled to keep myself from falling to my knees. I inhaled sharply thru my nose as I had been taught when one was out of breath. I lowered the wand and fought my buckling knees. Everyone was silent. Looking back and forth from the newly alive tree to me and stared in disbelief. ?Oh Goddess,? Luna whispered happily, holding a hand to her mouth, ?Sere,? she looked at me with tears in her eyes. ?By the Gods,? Artemis swore and snapped his fingers, ?I knew it!? He cried triumphantly. I looked at my friends, waiting to hear something of normalacy out of them. ?Who knew she had it in her?? Rei teased, being the first to break the silence. Lita whooped and ran up to me with Mina at her heels, ?That was so amazing Sere!! Who needs lightning?!? She laughed. Mina nodded excitedly, ?I knew you could do it!? I smiled weakly and let them hug me. ?I think that might be enough practice for today?what say you girls to some horseback riding?? Artemis clapped his hands for servants to announce our impending arrival at the stables. I struggled to rise and hid the fact I had little energy left after using my power. ?Steady, Princess,? a male voice whispered ever so softly. In my exhaustion I did not realize that Artemis was no where around me and Luna only offered her arm as support. * * * Endy watched silently from a window as the five girls, one by one, tested the sheer strength of their newly given powers. He watched with confidence as Ami, Rei, Lita, and Mina all took their turns. He had absolute faith in these girls who had spent the past four years living with him?becoming sisters and varying levels of confidantes. As Artemis approached Sere, Endy felt his focus leaving his lessons and watching with even greater intent. Jadeite had only paused to see Rei?s power and made a passing comment on how he could engage her to use her power without becoming the better part of charred tree. Zoicite was far too engrossed in his lessons to notice the girls. On closer examination, Endy noticed that he was reading what seemed to be a Mercurian history of the legendary Quisez. He only asked to hear how well the girls had mastered their powers on the first attempt at using them. Nephrite seemed to be slightly daydreaming as he mused his way thru his lessons. Kunzite watched the four boys carefully, holding a slight frown on his face as he passed over Nephrite to Endy. ?What troubles you?? Kunzite asked directly. Endy felt only a slight shock when he felt his number one commander at his right shoulder. Endy cocked his head toward the Labyrinth. ?I feel such a strong pull to her. I cannot explain it,? Endy motioned uselessly, ?When she is not around, I can almost sense her emotions, nothing specific, but strong rushes,? Kunzite absorbed all this without changing his facial expression. ?I?m not crazy,? he added for extra emphasis. Jade snorted, obviously eavesdropping on the whole conversation. Sending a stern look of silence Jade?s direction first, Kunzite acknowledged Endy?s comment, ?No, you are not crazy. The two of you share a very special bond. I am surprised that you know little of your joint destiny,? Endy did a quick doubletake, ?Come again?? ?Zoi, Quisez Prophecy please,? Kunzite called out softly as to not draw attention of Endy?s father or the tutors buzzing about the library. Zoi nodded without looking up and flipped his book back to towards the beginning, apparently he was already a couple hundred pages into it as of an hour ago. Kunzite gestured for Zoiscite to read aloud. As Zoiscite cleared his throat and began to speak, a loud rap was heard on the library doors. All five boys turned around to Endy?s father standing with Artemis and looking rather stern. ?I had hoped to embark this knowledge onto all of you and not lose this privilege so early,? Sir Lawrence began as he walked inside the library and the various tutors closed the large, heavy double doors behind Lawrence and Artemis. Artemis strode to Zoscite and picked up the book, ?Ah, I see Princess Ami knows more than she lets on,? his directed wink at Zoi was lost on the thirteen year old boy. ?Since thou art a rather curious group of boys, let me tell you what your destiny is and what you are preparing for, ?Sir Lawrence cut right to the point and snapped his fingers as a cylindrical hologram projection rose from the center of the library floor and the room became dark. ?Your story begins with the ends of the Shadow Wars and the marriage of the Lunar and Sol Kingdoms to create the Luster Kingdom?? Sir Lawrence started in a voice that seemed far, far away and other worldy. The boys sat in rapt attention as the full measure of what they were destined to do began to fall upon their shoulders. Sere and the girls must never know!! Endy thought furiously, I must protect them..at all costs!! ***************************************************************** *************** Feedback!! Feedback!!! 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