(Version 1.2) SailorsPathfinder : Love and Without By : Erin Flynn – fanfic@mjade.com Episode 13 : Like a Puzzle Complete "NNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Sage screamed as tears burst from her eyes, "RIIIIIISAAAAA!!!!" It was all happening too fast... one moment they were all alone in the valley, the next the sky was screaming and Senshi were amassing around them, and now her best friend had just been hurled into the ground by a large amount of sheer energy, released by... Sailor Moon... "NNNNOOOO!!!" And suddenly, as she cried out once more, she saw a wave of Pathfinders come running down the hill... yelling, charging... <> She screamed to them frantically with her mind, <> And as she did, she was surprised once more to see a wave of soldiers now come over the hill behind them... hundreds of people. And then the other girls' thoughts screamed back at her, <> She smiled wistfully, and then as the thought occurred to her, she cried out, hopefully loud enough to enter the soldiers' minds as well, <> <> was the wave of reply that came back to her. She turned as she noticed movement, and came face to face with Sailor Moon, who was raising her scepter up at her-- "Sailor Moon, I'd like to welcome you to our planet." "LUMINESCENT BIND!!!" The blonde dodged, but the pink energy wrapped itself around the Senshi behind her. The girl in blue fell to the ground, fighting madly against the pink energy shocking her. The brunette standing next to her suddenly crossed her arms and began chanting-- "SUPREME THUNDER!!!" Sage moved hurriedly as the green energy lightning raced towards her... "ECLECTIC LIGHTNING SURROUND!!" ... only to be met with Leeota's own green lightning. The brunette's eyes enlarged significantly and with an evil grin and a glare she attacked again. She and Leeota moved off slightly as they began an all-out assault on one another. Sage tried to keep from letting her fear get the best of her... all of this was happening to quickly, there wasn't time for her to think. As the two moved past her, she looked up to see a blonde and another brunette; both had fingers pointed at her. "Aw man..." * * * Risa opened her eyes slowly. A yellow energy phoenix flew over her, as a blast of purple energy tried to intersect it. She grunted as she pushed herself up. She gazed around. Hundreds of senshi threw attacks across the field. Men and women, some armed with blasters, others simply swinging pieces of wood and steel, defended themselves and attacked a few of the senshi. Suddenly everything came rushing back into her mind. Her body screamed at her as she pushed herself to her feet and looked around. Immediately she was moving, dodging an attack as she shot out her own "RED POWER BLAST" at the senshi who had fired. "WORLD SHAKING!!!" She heard the next attack and dodged before it could hit her -- a sphere of yellow energy dug into the ground where she had stood moments before. She instantly recognized the attack, and swung around to look for her attacker. "Uranus?!?" The back of a familiar looking blonde head was moving away from her rapidly. "Dead Scream" Risa barley heard the whisper of an attack. But her mind registered it and her body leapt just in time to avoid a sphere of purplish energy. She spun, "PLUTO?!?!" The green haired girl had begun to turn away, but she suddenly stiffened and slowly turned to look into Risa's eyes. "Yes, you are Sailor Pluto." Risa heard herself talking; wondering what in the hell she was doing, the senshi standing before her had enough power to flatten her. "Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time... and you aren't supposed to be here, you should be guarding the Gate. Do you understand anything I'm saying?" The other girl stared at her for a moment longer and then swung her staff up and began to chant-- "NO! Pluto!!" Risa grabbed the staff and used all of her strength as she fought the other senshi to hold it there. "Listen to me! I know you! I'm Sailor Sabi! We've met before, in the palace! On the Moon over a thousand years ago... but you of all people have to remember! We all served the Queen, and the Princess, during the Silver Millennium... the Moon Kingdom!! Please remember!! You have to remember Serenity--" "Serenity." Pluto's eyes seemed to focus as she blinked. She shook her head and then looked at Risa, "Sailor Sabi?" "Call me Risa,” Risa smiled at her. "What's happening, where am I?" "You're on Sabi, in the middle of a war--" Pluto's eyes shown confusion. "Wait a minute-- Sabi... Serenity's curse... It all makes sense now!! I knew it, I-- Wait a minute... war?" "It's a long story. Suffice it to say if a senshi fires at you, don't fire back; she's most likely on my side. All of the others, including Sailor Moon--" "SAILOR MOON!" Pluto dropped the staff and grabbed Risa's arms; "Sailor Moon is here? On Sabi?!?" "Yes, her and the others with the blank stares are all attacking us-- the people of this planet. We don't want to hurt them--" Pluto closed her eyes, "Oh, Serenity. I understand it all now. Everything fits. But she can't remain here, it will ruin the rest of the scheme..." she looked up at Risa, "You must take me to--" The green haired girl dove on Risa as an orange bolt of energy streaked through the space where Risa had just been. Pluto got up first and offered Risa a hand; "You must take me to Sailor Moon." Risa stared up in confusion. What did all that she had said mean? She accepted the help up, "Okay, let's go." * * * Through trickery and clever dodges, Sage was still moving and had bound the red attired senshi, but she was still dodging the one in orange. Sailor Moon was a pace away, too, blasting energy at Pathfinders and soldiers left and right. The blue clad senshi was still struggling with her pink energy bonds, and had somehow managed to bring out a small device that resembled a computer. Her random thought distracted her for a moment... a moment too long. She was struck in the shoulder by an orange beam of energy. She fell back, screaming in pain. The orange senshi loomed over her. Sage quickly rolled and swept her leg around, knocking the girl to the ground. She leapt on top of her, "LUMINESCENT BIND!!!" The girl was instantly bound in pink energy and was screaming a rage of garbled words. However, Sage didn't even have a chance to enjoy the moment as someone dove at her from behind. She hit the ground hard, her injured shoulder spasming-- but she kept moving, the fear of what would happen to her if she just continued to lay there more powerful than the pain. She rolled and fought against the person who clung to her. Finally she overpowered whoever it was and rolled her over, pushing herself up and holding the other girl's wrists to the ground. "You again?!?" she asked of the girl, astonished. Somehow, the blue haired girl had freed herself from the energy bonds. But something else plagued Sage's mind now... she knew this girl.. from somewhere... And suddenly, even though the significance was a memory over a millennium old, it clicked in her head. "SAILOR MERCURY?!?!" The other senshi continued to fight against her grip. "Sailor Mercury!! It's me, It's Sailor Kioku! Remember?! When I was on the Moon you and I talked about computers and machinery in your workshop! Remember!? It was so amazing and you were telling me all about the work you were doing on the moon and..." She trailed off as she watched the girl stare back at her in shock. "Sailor Kioku?" the girl asked as she stopped struggling. Sage was about to grin when someone's foot connected with her side, thrusting her away from the girl and into the dirt, knocking the wind out of her. She moaned as she clutched her side, and looked up to see Sailor Moon lining the scepter up with her head. "Sailor Moon!! NOO!" Mercury cried as she struggled to get to her feet... but she couldn't get up in time to stop her friend. * * * Risa stopped her first. She dove headlong into Sailor Moon and the two fell to the ground. Sailor Moon was turned about immediately and grappled with Risa for the scepter. In seconds Risa had it and was up and moving, Sailor Moon tearing across the field after her. Risa stopped suddenly, reaching the edge of the hill. She spun around, leveling the scepter at Sailor Moon. Screaming incomprehensibly, Sailor Moon dove at her and the two fell backwards, rolling down... * * * A tall, green haired Senshi helped Sage and Mercury to their feet. "What's going on?" asked a bewildered Mercury. "Don't worry," said Sage, "just help us get your friends here back under control." Mercury nodded and went over to the orange and red dressed senshi... as Sage simultaneously recognized them as Venus and Mars. Shocked, she looked back over to the green haired senshi and realized she wasn't a Pathfinder at all, as she had first assumed... and then Sage suddenly realized in astonishment which senshi now stood before her... "PLUTO!!" The older girl looked at her, and then put a finger to her lips. "Shhh, don't speak so loud." She pointed to the other Earth system senshi. "They need not know who I am. But let's worry and talk later... what happened to Risa and Sailor Moon." "I'm not sure, I was on the ground, I saw Risa dive into her, but after that... didn't you see?" "No, Risa was slightly ahead of me, I had to deal with about four senshi... and then when I got here I saw you laying there... we have to find them... quickly." * * * Risa dodged and ran again as Sailor Moon blasted pink energy at her once more. Thoughts got knocked away as she dove to the ground to avoid another blast. Another power burst streaked towards her. She dodged and rolled, but this time didn’t get up in time and she couldn’t move fast enough to get out of the way. Pink energy caught her in the shoulder and she fell back to the ground. She tried to push herself up, but pink energy struck her in the side of the head. She fell back to the ground. Weakly, she opened her eyes and saw Sailor Moon lift her scepter-- When a rose cut into the ground between her and Sailor Moon. “USAKO!! SAILOR MOON! Please do NOT HARM this girl!! She is a senshi, just as you are... Usako...” Tuxedo Mask was suddenly standing but an arm’s length from Sailor Moon. His eyes were brimmed with tears, “Usako...” She looked at him, her eyes still blank. “Usako... please...” Suddenly she thrust her fist into his stomach and he doubled over. She shoved him away like a rag doll. He fell back to the ground. She then turned back to face Risa, a horrifying void in her eyes and her mouth contorted in a maniacal grin. Risa’s eyes widened in horror as Sailor Moon leveled the scepter with her face. She struggled to move, but she had nothing left... “MOON...” “USAKO... NOO!” “PRINCESS...” Risa squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for whatever death may be. “ILLUSION!!!” “NNOOOO!” Pink shards and energy streaked from her scepter. But seconds before it struck Risa... Tuxedo Mask dove in front of her. Both of them were slammed across the field. As they landed, Risa screamed. She painfully struggled and moved out from under his now lifeless body. She shook him, “TUXEDO MASK!! Mamoru!! GOD NO!! Please GoD NOOO!” * * * All of this happened in slow motion for Sailor Moon. From the instant the scepter fully discharged it’s potent force, she had begun to realize things. First, that it didn’t seem like she was doing the right thing, in fact.. what was she doing... A second ago, she hadn’t had to think at all. Now... As she stared at Risa crying over Mamoru, her life suddenly came back to her... everything... “Tuxedo Mask,” she whispered. She suddenly flung the scepter away from her and screamed. “MAMO-CHAN! NOO!” She recklessly ran to him and threw herself on him as she sobbed. “What have I DONE!” * * * Risa looked at this girl, the girl who was the Princess, and was immediately filled with bitterness and anger... but also sorrow... and, although her mind screamed at her not to acknowledge it, a great deal of jealousy. She saw movement to her right. She looked over to see Sage and several other senshi standing not too far off, watching the scene. Risa turned back to the sobbing girl, “Sailor Moon... I...” She reached to put her hand on the girl-- and sprang back-- touching the girl had given her some sort of electrical shock. Her eyes widened as a silver gleam began to shine around the girl. Risa struggled and pushed herself away from Sailor Moon and the body of Tuxedo Mask, as both seemed to begin to glow. * * * “She’s doing it.” Sage jerked her head to the side. Pluto stared at the scene, intent and calm. “Whaa?” “She’ll make amends, she has to... but it will be her last deed, I suspect. I always wondered how she did it, what an exciting event to see!” Sage was baffled, “What the hell?” Pluto suddenly turned and smiled at her, “Don’t worry, you won’t remember a thing.” * * * Leeota swung another attack at the green senshi-- when suddenly her eyes were drawn to a silver light emanating from somewhere not too far away. Her will to fight was suddenly gone as she stared. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered that the green senshi had been attacking her; but she as well was being drawn to the light. Both began to walk in it’s direction, as did all of the senshi in the field; leaving baffled soldiers gawking in their wake. * * * Sage gasped as the light grew stronger. She turned to Pluto, “Tell me what in blazes is going ON!!” But the other girl stared smiling at the scene, “Ah, the Princess... I have not seen her this young in ever so long...” Sage looked back and saw that it was the Princess who now cried over Tuxedo Mask. Suddenly the girl cried into the air, and there was a blinding flash-- * * * And then they were all, all of them, every senshi who had just been fighting in the rolling fields of the planet Sabi, standing together in a place that Sage somehow knew... but didn’t know. The thought occurred to her that she might have known... long ago... A woman stood now, in a long white dress, just behind the Princess. She smiled, and then kneeled down behind the girl and laid a hand on her shoulder. The Princess slowly looked up, her eyes puffy, her face tear stained, and gazed at the woman. “Queen Serenity?” “Mother?” End Ep. 13 (Version 1.2)