"Reflections From the Past"

A Sailor Moon Fanfiction

by Deunan(deunan@aol.com)

[ ]=thoughts
< >=Dreams
( )=Memories

Part 4
(Deunan@aol.com)
____________

        Artemis led the group into a secluded place in the park.  A small open area was encircled by a thick grove of trees.  The sounds of playing children and venders selling food was very faint barely registering in their ears.  "Good enough, Arn?"  Artemis asked.
        "Should be fine,"  His looked over the place. "Who's first?"  The phrase was a mere statement not a challenge or filled with bravado.
        "This won't last ten seconds,"  Lita said cracking her knuckles.  "Come on old man," she said jokingly with a touch of arrogance , "This is payback from our first fight."  Arn readied himself for the attack.
        "Whenever your ready."  Lita charged.  It didn't last ten seconds.  The man dodged the blows easily parrying others.  Infuriated, the girl stepped up her attacks.  The others watched in amazement when he retaliated.
Lita's head snapped back viciously as she impacted with the ground.
        "Arn!"  Artemis shouted in shock.  The cat bounded over to the fallen senshi.
        "Awww...fuck that hurt,"  Lita murmured as she stared at the clouds. "Hey Artemis,"  She said addressing the cat, "I see stars."  The others knelt beside Lita with concerned looks on their faces.  Eventually, Lita sat up.
        "Your too agressive and impulsive.  All an oppenent would have to do is wait for an opening."  Arn said critiqueing her attacks.
        Lita rubbed her head, "Uhh, did you have to hit so hard."
        "Experiance is the best teacher."
                        *               *               *

        Ami collapsed against the tree and slumped to the ground.  She grabbed the water bottle from Lita's hands and drenched herface liberally.  Ami gulped down breaths of air filling her lungs.  "I thought P.E was tough."
        "I think we've died and joined the army,"  Rei said snatching the water bottle form Ami's grip and taking a swig.  They watched Arn try, for the eighth time try to demonstrate and simple judo type throw to Serena.  Ami looked towards Artemis.  The cat was busy observing Arn making no attempts to intervene.  Arn was a draconian teacher.  He wasn't as rough with the others like Lita, he was quick to point out faults and pushed all of them to new limits.  They were tired beyond words.
        "Like this," Arn said demonstrating the hold on Serena's wrist.  "I'll come in with two jabs and a punch to your stomach.  Just like last time, grab my wrist and do the thrown."  He demonstrated the hold on her own arm.
        "Sure,"  Serena stammered nervously.  Arn stepped back and launched his attack.  The girl barely dodged the first two punches;  the tshe could enacte the throw, Arn swept Serena's feet from under her sending crashing against the soft grass.  The girl wimpered holding back the tears.
        "You have to be ready for anything."  Arn explained.
        "You..you..lied."  Arn narrowed his eyes.
        "So will the Dark Kingdom.  You've got to be prepared."  Serena wiped the tears from her eyes and got up turning towards the group of spectaturs.
        "When's lunch!"
                        *               *               *
          Arn hungrily bit into the chicken wing Lita had cooked.  It was the most delicious food he had consumed in a long time.  The girls were sitting a some distance way chatting and gossiping animatedly.  Artemis was out hunting his own sustinece.  It was a little boring eating alone, but it was acward to be around people so young.  He looked in his mid-twenties because of his magic, but he was a decade older in truth.  Suddenly, the white cat appeared out of nowhere landing in front of him
        "I've seen you gentler on your own trooops,"  Artemis finally said.  Arn winced at the memory.  All of them were dead.
        "They didn't have as much depending on them.  You wan't me to train them after all."
        "Is something wrong?  I mean, you almost broke Lita's neck."  Artemis asked in concern.
        "Nothing,"  Arn said concentrating on his meal.  He averted his gaze only to meet that of Mina's.  Quickly, she looked away.  She turned and whispered something to the group.
        "Aren't you bored sitting their alone?"  Ami asked.
        "What am I, inviscible?"  The cat said in mock anger.  Reluctantly, Arn moved over to sit with the girls.  They finally got him in a conversation that quickly became a question and answer session.  Careful Arn told them about the Moon kingdom trying not to get lost in memory and keeping the painful emotions back.  Occasionally he went into stories about Artemis failed attempts to sleep with Luna much to his displeasure.
        "Arn,"  Serena said softly her voice was serious.  "Did you know my father?"  He knew exactly what she meant.  The consort of Queen Serenity.  He took a deep breath before answering.
        "He died long before I came to the Kingdom.  No one talked about him, but they say when he died even the angel of death wept when he passed."  Serena smiled wiping a tear from her eye.
        "Thank you.  You don't know how much that means to me."  The sound of screeching tires echoed through the secluded grove.  Arn froze as he turned towards the sound.  His instincts screamed into his head.
        "Get down!!"  He yelled tackling the Moon Princess.  The sound of a passing vehicle drifted into the grove followed sharp raport of gunfire broke out shattering the tranquil atmosphere of the park.  As soon as the barrage started, it came to an abrut halt.  The squelling of tires sounded through the grove.  Arn leapt to his feet sprinting through the trees .  Branches, shrubs, thorns slashed against his limbs and face. He ignored the pain driving onward towards the road.  The sound of th
                        *               *               *

        He hissed as he applied the alchohal to the numerous cuts against his arms.  A roll of medical gauze lay unravled on the table.  The two cats watched in sympathy unable to help without hands.
        "I could never believe that they would sink so low,"  Artemis said in disbelief.  He was shaking a little bit.  They all were shocken up upon the news of the attack.  No one was hurt though.
        Arn tightly wrapped the gauze around a portion of his arm, "Anything it takes to win, Artemis.  That's what it all boils down to."
        "No,"  Luna said forcfully, "We can never fall to those levels even for victory.  If that happens, then we'd be no better than they are."  She sent him a disapproving look.  Artemis glanced over to Luna exchanging a look undecipherable to him.
        "So, what next.  They attacked us once.  They'll probably come again and soon.  If the Dark Kingdom is willing to use guns, who knows what they are planning next.  We have to be prepared.  You want me to continue with my 'lessons?'"
        "Yes,"  Artemis said hestitantly.  Luna nodded.  "Now if you excuse me...I've got to be going.  Luna waited for Artemis to leave before addressing him.
        "Do you have to take it out on the girls?  You partically broke Lita's neck from what I heard."  Luna said sharply.
        Arn looked at her in shock, "I have more restraint than that.  I know my duty.  I don't let a...bleeding heart get to me."  He clenched his teeth holding back the emotions.
        "I just worry.  Your a good friend."  Luna cracked a rare wry smile, "Besides, I'd like to hear some of the stories you told the girls."  He chuckled.
        "Another time,"  He smiled, "Right now I'm bushed."  The cat slinked out of his apartment.  A decade on Earth had allowed him to acumulate some wealth.  The wall still had a crater when he rammed his fist into it.  Wearily, he ran his hands over his face sighing heavily.  [Luna....]
                        *               *               *

        He wasn't acting like himself at all, Luna concluded.  Artemis told her of his harshness during training barely holding back the blows or crituqes.  The mad dash for the car were the gunfire may have origanated.  He didn't even check to see if Artemis or the girls were alright.  The memories of him were a little dim.  Arn always responsible towards his duty someone who wouldn't endanger himself unessesarily unlike the mad dash today.  Pushing the distrubing thoughts aside, Luna nestled h
                        *               *               *

        The following days past with no sign of attack or ambush.  The girls found themselves coping with both the stresses of school and Arn's after school training.  He eased up somewhat around them and on his lessons.  Still, their was an air of ackwardness around them.  Their teachers were a little worried about their students arriving to school dead tired and sore...
        Unoticed, a pair of eyes followed three students in particular everyday.  Silk pushed herself into the comfortable leather uphostered seat of the luxury car.  She easily found the three girls whom Jaedite described as the Sailor Senshi.  Two others seemed likely canadites for the other two, Jupiter and Venus.  The strange man worried her somewhat.  She spawned a small portal sending a simple message through to her Lord.  As the small portal closed, she removed the revolver from the glove
        Few people turned to look as she stepped out of the vehicale.  A simple mental command shattered the illusion around her.  The simple jeans and blouse became the lavender uniform of the Dark Kingdom.  Clasping her hands together in a prayer like gesture, a red aura pulsated around her.  People began collapsing left and right as the aura expanded slowly engulfing those around her.
        "STOP RIGHT, I AM..."  The warrior from the Negaverse didn't even bother listening to the speech or send some insult.  Warily, she sized the five Senshi up adjusting her stance.  "...and that means you, BITCH!!"  The others stared at Serena in shock.  "I always wanted to say that."  She commented.  The red haired denizen of the Negaverse
        "My name is Silk....Garrotte!!"  Silk cried projecting her arms forward.  A pair of threads from each arm encircled themselves around Sailor Moon's neck.  With a violent pull Serena was flung forward against the ground.
        She could feel the threads tighten against her throat.  Despretely, she clawed at the razor thin cords biting into her skin.  The preassure suddenly disappeared from her throat as a blade sunk itself into the concrete.  Black dots clouded her vision from the momentarily lack of oxygen.
A dance of deadly beauty.  Blasts of fire and light lanced out through the air.  A demon of grey hacked and slashed with his blade.  The beast with a fiery mane of red hair was in the center of the fire storm.  The beast wheeled and darted about evading dodging striking.  Long strands of whip like thread attached to beast moved as if extensions of its body striking.  More than one of its attacks was flung to the side by the blows.

        "Lita!!!"  Mina cried in terror as the thread whipped across her friends face.  Lita was thrown to the side.  The other Senshi dropped back away from the slashing threads.  Arn parried one aside with his knife.  All of them were wounded to some extent even the warrior from the Dark Kingdom.  He leap forward lashing out his foot.  The blow landed on a burn from one of Rei's near misses.  The women screamed in pain.  Taking the advantage, he swung his knife downward.  Silk lunged to the si
        A blow hammered him across the jaw only to have a second knock him onto his back.  Her foot collided with his jaw snapping his head aside.
        "The other generals over estimated you.  Look at all of you wounded retreating.  At least die in battle."  Silk challenged not letting the wounds bother her.  "Even your precious Sailor Moon is still on her knees."  She let out a chuckle.
        Rei watched in horror as a trio of red roses struck across Silk's back.  Silk spat blood falling to her knees.  "Looks like its my turn to tango."  Tuxedo Mask sneared.  The fatally wounded women rose shakily to her feet.  The others watched warily.
        "Bastard," Silk murmured.  She pulled out a small sliver of crystal from her tunic.  An animal scream erupted from her throat as she hurled it at the Earth Prince.  It struck Darien in the shoulder.  A black portal emerged underneath sucking him in.
        "NOOOOOO!!!"  Rei screamed unleashing an onslaught of fireballs.
                        *               *               *

        The swarmed at him like insect.  Lashing out, he stabbed the stolen short sword into the warriors gut.  A fist connected with the back of his skull.  Before he could recover, another crashed into him with brutal force. He heard a cry of sheer animal fury only to recognize it as his own voice.  He fought like a man poccessed.  To no avail, it was only a matter of time before they brought him down.
        Erimus looked at the beaten body of Tuxedo Mask.  "Charming costume for the Prince of Earth.  Bring him into the main chamber."  He ordered.  A soldier with a smear of blood from his comrades and Prince Edymion smiled broadly.
        "Preparing an execution?"
        "A trophy."