Continuing Tales

The Ties that Bind

A Sailor Moon Story
by Firefly-shy

Part 22 of 30

<< Previous     Home     Next >>
The Ties that Bind

"What is your will, my Queen?"

A slow smile spread the blood red lips.

"Are my forces in place?"

"Yes, my Queen," the wolf bowed low, though her eyes were dull and her movements stiff.

"And the sacrifices?"

"The Immortal has been summoned," the crow whispered, fluttering her dark feathers as she balanced precariously on the Shadow Queen's shoulder. The wind, at such an altitude, was numbingly cold and strong.

"It is almost an hour before sunrise, my Liege," the eel murmured in the Queen's ear. She snuggled around the red hair to keep warm. Of the three animals, it was she alone who seemed to welcome contact from the Shadow Queen.

"Plenty of time."

"Shall we begin?" asked the crow.

The Shadow Queen turned to face the grayness on the horizon. Her smile grew calm, her features stilled until they almost looked kind.

"Send out the pawns."


Jupiter dodged an incoming blast of fire from the hovering mass of black, crow shaped shadows.

At her side, Nephrite whipped his sword through throat of a gigantic, salivating wolf.

"There's too many of these things!" she cried, summoning an enormous bolt of lighting and letting it loose in a blast so hot he could feel the heat searing his hair.

"Keep fighting! We can't let them near the - the apartments."

Jupiter grimaced, nodding, and powered up for another attack. Normally she would never have had to face this many enemies alone, but their plan to keep the guardians separate demanded that they remain isolated. It was the first time the Senshi had ever fought so many enemies without their teammates. Excepting Venus, of course.

Jupiter took the moment to duck a wolf and looked down at her wrist where Mercury's white face flashed back and forth across the screen.

"How's it going?" she yelled.

There was a huge blast of water, then Mercury resurfaced.

"It's not going so well," she panted, "But Zoi and I are keeping it an even match. He has ten so far."

"Eleven!"

Jupiter caught Mercury's tight smile.

"Eleven," Mercury said, "I stand corrected. You?"

Jupiter spent a short second of envy on the easy camaraderie of Zoi and Ami's relationship, before replying:

"It's rough, with just the two of us, but we're alive."

"Well, that's all we can ask for," the Ice Senshi replied.

Jupiter was too distracted to talk much longer. She looked up to find Nephrite caught between five wolves, the shadow crows having retreated in order to regroup. Seizing her chance, Jupiter gathered an attack against the crows that sent them scrambling out of the way, their feathers catching fire, while she jumped into the midst of the wolves, just as Nephrite was in danger of loosing his head as the largest female wolf leaped for his throat while he was occupied in fending off the four others.

Jupiter collided with the wolf and called forth the largest bolt of lighting she'd ever summoned to date. It crashed into the two of them, causing her arms and the wolf's mouth to close convulsively on each other. She hadn't really thought this one through; all she'd thought of, in the moment, was the fact that Nephrite was in danger.

As the lighting seared through both of them, she blacked out for a moment. When she came to, she was breathing oddly. Her eyes fluttered open, but there was something in her face. When she took a breath to talk, she realized that there was something over her mouth - it promptly removed itself.

"Thank all the deities in the past, present and future," a deep voice rumbled above her.

Jupiter coughed.

"What happened -"

She felt strong, steel-like hands grip her shoulders and shake her until her teeth rattled.

"Don't ever, ever, EVER do that again!"

Nephrite's eyes were blazing with anger and slowly lessening fear.

"I -"

"Hush!" he commanded, pulling her into a hug so tight she thought her back would break.

"Shouldn't we -"

She felt Nephrite shift and something behind her gave an anguished yowl.

"What happened?"

She struggled to turn around, and he dragged them both up with his sword stuck firmly into the ground, covered with blood. She noticed he had a long gash on his leg and he was leaning on his sword rather heavily. Not as heavily as she was leaning on him. She looked around them and found, to her surprise, that the ground was littered with wolf corpses. The one he had decapitated was just stopping its twitching.

"Where are the crows?" she croaked, still trying to breath normally. His arm tightened around her waist.

"You fried all of them, before you tried to commit suicide by electrocuting yourself."

"If I hadn't done it, she would have killed you," Jupiter pointed out, turning herself to poke him in the chest with one grimy finger, "And anyway, I should be impervious to electricity."

"Well, apparently only electricity within reason," he retorted, his face darkening as they stood in one another's arms, face to face, arguing.

"Would you rather be dead!"

"Yes, if it meant that you lived. I don't want you to die saving my life. What kind of life would I have without you?"

Jupiter opened her mouth, then stopped and thought about this.

"Really?" she asked, almost shyly.

Nephrite resisted the urge to sigh. He raised a hand to her cheek.

"Of course."

"I hate to break up this touching reconciliation -" Zoi's voice began.

Nephrite and Jupiter jerked their lips away from each other, and looked down at Jupiter's wrist where Zoi's face grinned at them from Mercury's communicator.

"Some nice action going on there, Neph," Zoi continued, "I guess you really do know you're way around the -"

"Zoi!"

"Sorry. Just checking in to let you know that we've cleaned up here. The enemy is either vanquished or retreated."

"Great," Jupiter breathed and without warning, slipped out of Nephrite's grasp to slump on the ground. All her joints ached and her head as still tingly.

Nephrite knelt beside her, frowning.

"Why would Fate send out all her forces at once? Did she think she could overwhelm us?"

"Probably not thinking at all," Zoi commented.

Behind him, Mercury shook her head.

"There's something wrong with this," her voice wafted to them, "Something is missing. This was too easy."

"Speak for yourself," Jupiter groaned. Nephrite closed his hand around her neck very gently and began to rub her sore shoulders.

"How are the others?"

They waited for Mercury's reply.

"Pluto, Bes, Saturn and Shai haven't encountered any enemies yet. Venus and Kunzite engaged in battle, as did Mars and Jadeite, but so far there aren't any major complications. Venus says that Mars probably has a broken wrist, but I'll have to wait to check it. She doesn't seem to be feeling well."

Jupiter frowned.

"What do we do now?"

"We have to keep to the plan. There must be a way of drawing her out. If we force her to come before us, after depleting her armies, we may -"

There was a tremendous flash of light and suddenly Jupiter was reeling from a wave of nausea. When the spots before her eyes cleared, she let out a sharp yell.

Nephrite stood in front of her, frozen where he stood, his sword on the ground in front of him. She ran to him but was repelled back against the ground by some invisible force.

"What's going on?"

Jupiter gasped as she turned to see Mars stumbling toward her, disoriented. Behind her were Venus and Mercury.

Mars caught sight of something behind Jupiter and let out a low cry.

She sprinted past the amazed Jupiter to halt just in front of a frozen Jadeite, as unmoving as Nephrite.

"What is this?" she hissed, clenching one fist. Jupiter noticed that the other was wrapped with what looked like blue material.

"How did you get here?" Jupiter began.

Two more flashes came, one upon the other, and Venus and Mercury appeared, trying to catch their balance. Beside Nephrite and Jadeite there were two more life-like statues.

"What the hell is going on!" Venus demanded, looking back and forth between the granite features of Kunzite and Zoisite.

Mercury merely gazed at them through the visor of her computer.

"They're frozen," she answered.

"Yeah, I got that," Venus snapped.

"In time," Mercury clarified, removing her visor.

Venus, Jupiter and Mars turned to stare at her.

"In time?" Mars echoed.

A wind, warm and foul, whipped around their ankles and kicked up dust into their eyes as a shadowy figure materialized in front of them. Jupiter heard Mars growl, and before the dust cleared she saw Venus lunge to catch the Fire Senshi, holding her back.

"You must be the infamous Senshi of Earth, though that is not your original jurisdiction, I believe."

A woman, tall and agelessly beautiful, stood before them swathed in shadows. Her red eyes peered out with an unholy amusement.

"The Shadow Queen, I presume?" Venus asked, her head held high.

"That's one of my names, yes. Now, where is your princess? And the other little guardian?" The Shadow Queen looked around as if to discover the two behind the trees and bushes.

"You really expect us to hand them over to you?" Venus retorted.

The Queen snapped her attention back to the Senshi, and smiled. Jupiter felt a shiver run through her spine.

"No, of course not. You would never tell me, even if I tortured you beyond your farthest imaginings. And believe me," she licked her lips, "I could do it."

Venus blanched, and took the smallest of steps back.

"What are you?" she whispered.

The Queen made a gesture with her head that was almost reptilian.

"I am the rightful ruler of this universe," she replied, "That is all you ever need to know."

"Chaos," Mars murmured, and the Queen's head snapped to her.

"Fate, little Fire guardian," she said, "Fate will do nicely. And speaking of it -"

She snapped her fingers and her eyes began to glow. A small wind whirled around itself in front of them and they backed up.

"Time to learn yours."

She clapped her hands once and the wind exploded in a short gust. Shai stood in front of them, bewildered.

He spotted them, and took three steps forward before an unseen force jerked him back and into the air, where he hung suspended.

"Let him go," Venus demanded, her face grim.

All the Senshi watched the dangling guardian as he struggled desperately to free himself from the Shadow's power.

"A lucky thing, wouldn't you say," the Queen continued, "To control the powers of Fate, one also makes use of its servant. And such a useful servant he is, aren't you, my pet? Come and see if you can't tell us our fortunes."

She lowered him to the ground with a wave of her hand. He stood still, tense and waiting.

"What do you want from me?" he cried, "Let them go!"

The Queen chuckled.

"Such a pretty mouse. I want you to tell these pesky women their fortunes."

"I don't give fortunes," Shai hissed, steeling his face against her. The Queen frowned.

"But I do!" a voice called out, gaily.

Before they could move, a dark blur came between the Queen and her victim and suddenly Shai and Bes were standing behind the Senshi.

"How did you do that?" Mars asked.

"Holes," Bes answered.

The Senshi blinked at him.

"A clever trick," the Queen admitted, "But not clever enough. Do you think you can protect him from me? I'm his goddess - he is bound to serve me."

"You are not my goddess!" Shai spat at her.

"Oh, really?" The Queen smiled and lifted her hand. Despite their best efforts, using both attacks and Bes's help to hold him back, Shai was pulled from their grasp toward the Queen.

"She can't command the other two guardians," Mercury hissed to the others, as they threw their weight together to drag him back.

"She needs them, but she can't get them. She only controls Fate."

"This is tiresome," the Queen commented, waving her hand. Bes went hurtling back into space - a large hole like the ones he usually traveled through opening behind him. He turned a stricken face to Shai.

"No! You can't force him through that!" Shai began.

The Queen punched the air and Bes went flying, as if he'd just been hit by a giant fist. He was sent hurtling into the hole, which closed up behind him.

"Bes," Shai whispered, his eyes large with horror. He turned in cold fury to stare at the hideously beautiful Queen.

"Demon!" He shrieked, raising his hands as if he held his staff, "Be gone!"

The Queen laughed and clutched her hand tightly. Shai let out a sharp scream and fell to the ground, clutching his chest, his face completely white.

"Stop! You're hurting him!" Mercury shouted.

"Well, that is the idea."

Venus exploded with anger, "That's it!"

She powered up and sent her most powerful attack straight at the Queen's head.

The Queen's mouth suddenly unhinged at the jaws like a snake, and as the astonished Senshi watched, her mouth stretched down almost to the ground in order to swallow Venus' attack. The mouth rolled back up and the Queen smacked her lips.

"Delicious energy, my dear. The life force that fuels your powers, the powers of the gods, is like mother's milk to me."

Apparently the Queen thought this a hilarious witticism. She threw her rictor mouth back and cackled as Shai was dragged toward her.

"What should we do?" Jupiter whispered, "There's no way we can beat her by ourselves."

"And what happened to Bes?" Venus breathed.

"She sent him into a warp hole," Mercury explained, gravely, "Without a controlled destination, there's no knowing where he'll end up. Or what condition he'll be in once he arrives. If he ever does."

They all grew silent, and looked down at the struggling Shai.

"We'll only hurt him if we hold on to him like this," Mars commented, "Look at his face. It's killing him to refuse obeying her."

"Let me go," Shai managed to say, "I'll think of something, I assure you."

Venus reluctantly loosed her grip on his arm, and the other Senshi followed suit. They were all sickened as they watched the Queen haul him toward her, dragging him like a hooked fish.

"I'm glad you've stopped struggling so," she said as she allowed him to hang once more. He hung weakly in the air, looking sicker each moment.

"It makes things so much easier."

"You'll never get what you want," Venus spoke, "It's useless to keep hurting him. And we'll never tell you where they are, so go ahead and do your worst."

"Oh, I will, never fear," the Queen replied, glancing toward the Shitennou statues. The Senshi's glances flicked in their direction as well.

"Now, I think you will tell me where the Moon princess and the Child of Ruin reside. With a little help from an old friend, of course."

The Senshi had no time to question her before Pluto suddenly appeared before them. To their surprise and dismay, she walked quietly to stand before the Queen.

"You sent for me?" she asked, her voice low and her eyes hard. She could barely stand to look in Shai's direction. The sight of him so weakened and injured made a sick knot of fear in her stomach unlike anything she'd ever felt.

"Pluto, what are you -" Venus began, incredulously.

"I have to, Venus," Pluto exclaimed, her face a picture of hopelessness and anger.

"She is still Fate. And if she commands me to do this thing -"

"Yes," the Queen interrupted, "And I do command you to do it at once."

Pluto swallowed hard and looked at each of the Senshi in turn. Their bewildered and shocked faces were enough to make her heart wrench with pain. She turned toward the Shitennou.

"No," Mars murmured, "No...not them. Pluto! NO!"

She darted between the Time Guardian and the Shitennou, placing her arms out to block the older Senshi.

"I must," Pluto replied, "Step aside and allow me to do my duty."

"And I swear by Horus," Pluto continued, turning to the Queen, "Once I've finished, I will turn my hand to you and there will not remain the tiniest sliver of mercy for you; the vengeance I will wreak on you for the unspeakable thing you have done will stretch into eternity."

The Queen's eyes faltered for a moment, but the insane smile returned.

"Get on with it," she commanded.

Pluto turned grimly back to the frozen Shitennou.

"Pluto, please," Mars whispered, a tear coursing down her face.

Pluto closed her eyes and raised her hand. Instantly the men fell to the ground, un-frozen.

The Queen uttered a snarl of rage.

"You dare to defy the edicts of the universe!"

"I am giving them a chance to say goodbye," Pluto interrupted her, sharply and imperiously. The two gazed at each other, ageless, immortal eyes locked.

"Very well," the Queen whined, "Give them a goodbye. It will be all the more useful to me."

Pluto turned away from the Senshi and Shitennou and put herself between the Queen and the small group.

Behind her, the Shitennou pushed themselves up off the ground.

"Mars!"

Jadeite surged forward and stopped just short of embracing her. Instead he held himself back, searching her face and assuring himself that she was unhurt. To his surprise she suddenly threw herself into his arms and buried her face on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Zoisite kept an eye on the enemy while he made his impatient way to Mercury's side.

"Is Pluto holding her at bay? Are we going to attack?"

Mercury simply stared up into his face.

"What is it?" he demanded, "Are you hurt? Where did you get hit?"

She smiled, and tried to keep from tearing up. Gently she reached up and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Pluto is going to send you back."

Zoisite's face paled.

"What do you mean? Back where?"

Mercury didn't respond.

"Is it true?" Kunzite asked, calmly.

Venus's baby blue eyes watched him as if she was seeing him for the first time. She seemed to be drinking everything in, his eyes, his face, his frown.

"I won't let her do it!" Nephrite cried.

His grasp on Jupiter's hand was like a vise.

"You can't, Pluto. Can't you do something!"

Pluto never turned from watching the Queen.

"Shall we let them stay?" asked the Queen, suddenly.

"What do you mean, you witch?" Mars spat.

"I mean to let them stay, if you will tell me where the guardians are?"

They stared at her in shock.

"If -" Mars began.

"No, Mars," Jadeite spoke first.

Kunzite caught Venus' eye.

"I think," he said, "we must refuse such an offer."

"Go die," was Venus version, and she added a rude gesture to seal the statement.

"Very well," the Queen answered with malice, "I had hoped you would see reason. But are you certain you won't regret this?"

"Pluto?" Mars asked, desperately.

"She has to do it," Mercury explained, looking up at Zoi, but speaking to all of them.

"It's her duty. They were never meant to be here."

"That's bullshit," Zoi muttered hoarsely, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Unshamedly, he let them pool and spill down on Mercury's head.

Mercury smiled against his shoulder.

"It'll be alright," Jadeite murmured, gently smoothing Mars' back, "It'll be alright, sweetheart."

"How can it be alright?" Jupiter demanded, now on the verge of tears herself, but too angry to have reached the point quite yet.

"We are supposed to be here," Kunzite said, quietly, taking Venus' hand and turning it over, "We were always supposed to be here."

Not taking his eyes from her, he placed an almost courtly, gentle kiss on her hand. Her eyes started to sting.

"So touching," the Queen smiled, "You're sure you won't reconsider?"

"It's time," Pluto said. Now was the time, before their resolves could weaken. It would be cruel to suspend the inevitable any longer. Pluto knew the Senshi and Shitennou's resolve to protect the prince and princess at all costs. But what a cost it was to be.

Mars shuddered against Jadeite's shoulder and his arm tightened around her. He bent his head down to her ear and whispered:

"It will be alright. I'm sorry I have to break my promise, firefly. But I will always love you. Please, don't forget that."

Mars hugged him tightly around the neck, almost trying to encompass him completely.

"You stupid idiot," she hissed, brokenly, "Why would I forget that!"

He had the grace to laugh and smoothing back her hair he kissed her long and hard in front of everyone, knowing the chance would quite literally never come again.

"Goodbye," Venus whispered, barely keeping her composure.

"It was nice having you around," she added, jokingly.

Kunzite watched her face, then leaned in and gently kissed her. He didn't say anything as he went to join Jadeite, but they did not stop looking at each other.

Zoisite would not let go of Mercury.

"You have to," she murmured softly, patting him on the back, not knowing whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

"No," he sobbed fiercely, holding on even more tightly, "It's not fair and it isn't right. I know it isn't, Ami. I can feel it."

"Me too," she whispered, pushing him back and tip-toeing to place a kiss on his temple.

"Ami," he breathed, desperation etched on his face, "Please, can't we think of something?"

Mercury wiped the tears from his face.

"I'm all out of ideas, my love," she murmured, "I'm so sorry."

He nodded, and pulled himself together, recovering something of his natural jauntiness, kissed her and then pulled away from her, going slowly to stand next the other Shitennou.

Jupiter and Nephrite stood in almost identical poses, their fists clenched, looking as if they wanted to tear an enemy apart, but there was no convenient enemy to attack.

"Come stand with the others," Pluto murmured, "I cannot delay any longer."

The Queen cackled behind them. "You'll regret this," she shrieked, "year after year of watching the prince and princess together. You will always be alone! Would she do as much for you?"

Nephrite turned to Jupiter.

"I will find a way to come back to you," he said, unexpectedly.

She stared up at him as he pulled her towards him.

"I promise."

Jupiter sighed, and seemed finally to accept that the inevitable was happening and she was powerless to stop it.

"Everyone leaves me," she whispered against his shoulder.

He smoothed her hair.

"I'll still be here," he said, "I promise that too."

She closed her eyes and swallowed, then nodded and let him go. He lightly traced her chin with his finger.

"I promise."

He stepped back to join the others. They all turned toward Pluto who regarded them with a stone-like, expressionless face.

"Tell our liege," Kunzite began, and almost, but not quite, lost his composure, "Tell our brother, that we were glad to serve him again. In any lifetime. We will always protect him."

"Always," Jadeite echoed.

Zoisite and Nephrite whispered the same.

"I return you to your original times," Pluto intoned, "In spite of the power of the Crystal, and the will of the Princess, what must be must be."

She raised her key staff and began to wave it.

Venus watched the silver eyes trained on her.

"Protect the prince," Kunzite mouthed to her.

"Always," she whispered.

He smiled as the light of Pluto's power began to encompass the four men.

The light flared up around them, growing brighter, while Pluto's key whipped faster and faster around her head.

The Senshi stood, resolute and stolid against the flair. Venus watched Kunzite's eyes until she couldn't see them any more.

When at last the flair died, and the space was empty, the Senshi stood still, quietly.

The Queen began to chuckle low until her laugh grew to a howl.

"You gave up your own destinies for a flimsy princess and a useless consort," she laughed, "You fools. I would have let you live. You would all have been my generals. Now you will die miserably without your lovers by your sides. Give me the princess and the little one!"

With a deadly, calm look on her face and a pure rage in her eyes, Venus slowly turned to face the Queen. Her Senshi gathered behind her.

"Well?" taunted the Queen," what do you have to say for yourselves?"

Pluto came to stand beside them, her staff raised.

"In the name of love and justice," Venus said slowly and deliberately, letting loose her whip from around her waist.

Her eyes were utterly deadly now; nothing of the love goddess remained, and in their inmost depths, a numb, cold hatred.

She cracked the whip and power rippled along its length of chain.

Mars promised in a hissing whisper:

"We will punish you."

The Ties that Bind

A Sailor Moon Story
by Firefly-shy

Part 22 of 30

<< Previous     Home     Next >>