*--*--SAILOR MOON: Elementary, Dear Makoto--*--*
DISCLAIMER
Sailor Moon, the Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, Queen Beryl,
and all those happy people and the locations, events, and
other stuff related to them are the creation and property
of Naoko Takeuchi. I am in no way trying to compromise
Naoko-sensei's copyrights or work, I'm doing this for fun
and because I love Sailor Moon. Sailor Andromeda is the
sole property of my sister, Elizabeth Loomis, and is used
with permission. To learn more about Sailor Andromeda, visit
her web site... and sign her guestbook, please. -_^
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/2914/index.html
*--*--Part 5--*--*
Very little surprised the being known as Granitus.
He had existed for thousands of years, ever since a
lonely Earth prince named Kartaron had created a friend to
keep him company. He had gone from friend to confidant to
servant, and had grown powerful. But so had Kartaron. When
Kartaron had failed to return from Jupiter, Grantius had
melded with the Earth and waited until Kartaron returned.
He knew Kartaron was tempermental, especially after his
recent defeats. So when Granitus brought news of the
defeat of Carbonius and Granitus' own creations, he expected
an outburst of rage from his master.
But Kartaron sat calmly and said nothing.
This shocked Granitus.
"My lord?" Granitus asked. "Are you not upset?"
"Extremely," Kartaron replied, rising from his obsidian
throne. He gestured at the blank rock face before him, and
it irised open. A deep corridor extended downward towards a
dull orange glow that seemed miles off.
"Behold. Earth's core."
Granitus was shocked beyond words.
"I cannot rule the Earth, as my Beryl would have,"
Kartaron stated. "Therefore, I must destroy it. I will not
leave it to these inferior beings."
"But, my lord," interjected Granitus, finding his voice,
"you too will die if you proceed."
"Then I suppose I'll join Beryl then."
Granitus took one backward step after another, slowly,
staring at Kartaron.
"You are not the boy who made me," he said in a
trembling voice. "You are not the man I served with honor
and pride. You're not the Kartaron I know."
Kartaron laughed, loudly, mockingly, the laugh of the
insane. Granitus threw his arms out, shards of rock
shooting up from the ground to attack Kartaron. The lord
was untouched by even a single one, then grinned and
pointed at Granitus. Bolts of dark lightning shot from his
fingers, and Granitus had to move to avoid beind destroyed.
By the time he turned around, Kartaron was gone.
"He is mad," Granitus breathed to himself. "I cannot
stop him alone, but I must stop him. Who can I go to for
help...?"
*
"I am so completely bushed!" Usagi cried, flopping face-
down on Rei's bed. They had adjourned to the temple after
the pitched battle with Carbonius and his cronies. Ami was
tapping away at her pocket computer as Rei's grandfather
brought them all tea.
"It's obvious now that the attacks of these creatures is
focused on you specifically," Luna told them. "We'll have to
be very careful... that last attack would have finished us
all if not for that mysterious senshi!"
"She certainly had a lot of power," Rei said.
"And skill," Minako added.
"I wonder if we'll be seeing her soon..."
"We can't worry about that right now, Rei," Luna
interrupted. She was about to continue when the temple shook,
as if a huge hand had come down and rattled the building.
"What was that?" asked Usagi. "I'm tryin' to rest
here..."
"It was an earthquake, dumpling brain!" Rei shot back.
"Ami, what's going on?"
"It appears as if something is disrupting the very core
of the planet! But how could that be?"
"My lord Kartaron has gone mad," said a voice. They all
spun. The most humanoid stone warrior they had seen yet was
standing at the entrance to the temple. His body was a dull
grey in color, and his eyes shone like silver. The four
Sailor Senshi were immediately on their feet, about to
transform, when the stone warrior held up his hands in
surrender.
"Stop, please! I come in peace!"
"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't dust you where
you stand!" Rei bellowed.
"My name is Granitus... I have served Kartaron for my
entire existence. And I can assuredly tell you he is insane.
He plans to destroy the Earth, his own home!"
"He's from Earth??" Mamoru growled. Usagi flipped
open her communicator.
"Mako, it's Usagi. We need you at the Temple right
away! It's serious!"
"Yes. He was a prince from Earth with the power to
control the elements. His consort, Beryl, gave him
even more power..."
"Mako? Are you there? Makoto, come in!"
"Beryl was his *consort*?" gasped Minako.
"Guy didn't have very good taste..." Rei muttered.
"Yes... he helped her in the conquest of the solar system.
He was the one who eliminated the huge army stationed on
Jupiter and it's moons..."
"Makoto...!" Usagi cried.
"I hear you," Mako finally said at length. "I'm on my
way."
"About bloody time!" Rei ranted. "Where the hell has
she been?"
"She is on her way, that is all that matters," Ami replied
quietly. "However, I believe Granitus is telling the truth.
These seismic disturbances are getting worse..."
They agreed, in short order, to get to the bottom of
the ordeal. Not too long after this decision, Makoto came
running around the outer wall as scintillating light flowed
from the temple doors.
"They're transforming already," Mako thought, "this *is*
bad." As she leapt over a shrub, she drew her transformation
pen.
"JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE UP!!!!"
As she glided through the air, she spun, coils of light
curling around her like the fingers of a lover. The tall
schoolgirl was replaced by the fearless beautiful warrior,
Sailor Jupiter, in a flash of lightning and boom of thunder
and a scattering of rose petals. She landed as the other
Sailor Senshi came out of the temple.
"That was fast," Sailor Mars commented.
"Shut up, Mars," Jupiter snapped. "What's going on?"
In the back of her mind, Sailor Moon noted that Jupiter
seemed rather agitated. But there other things to worry about
at the moment.
"We need to stop Kartaron before he kills us all, that's
what's going on," Sailor Moon said. Again, the Sailor Senshi
were shocked, but now because bubbleheaded Usagi was being a
leader for once.
The Sailor Senshi stood in a circle as Granitus flowed
into the pavement. They joined hands and closed their eyes.
"Sailor..." cried Luna.
"....Teleport!" Artemis finished.
And the Senshi disappeared in a shaft of glimmering light.
*
Hikari stood on the roof of the building, still looking
down the road where Makoto had ran. It had started to rain,
but he hardly noticed. He stood like a sentinel, even after
she was completely out of sight. He was dimly aware of the
presence behind him.
"She might very well die this night," she said.
"I know. But it is her duty."
"And what of yours?"
Hikari closed his eyes.
"I am so tired of the fighting... I try so hard not to
enjoy it... I just want to be with her. The way we always
wanted..."
"I hate to bust your bubble," said a new, younger female
voice, "but your girl is out there about to try and save your
world, cute stuff."
Hikari turned. Sailor Andromeda he recognized. But the
other one he did not. She was shorter than Andromeda, with
fine red hair and green eyes, carrying a halberd. She smiled
at Hikari.
"My apprentice is right, Hikari," Andromeda said softly.
"The Sailor Senshi need you... Sailor Jupiter needs you most
of all."
Hikari nodded slowly. He let out a slow breath and let
his arms fall to his sides.
"How can I get there?"
"You know Makoto's soul as well as your own... concentrate
on the feeling you get when you are with her, and focus your
gift..."
Hikari nodded, closing his eyes and letting his chin
fall to his chest, unclenching his fists, letting his power
flow through him, focusing on Mako's scent, the feeling of
being near her... and as he felt himself move, he felt the
beating of his own heart, in time with another...
*
The Senshi appeared in a rocky cavern, circular in shape,
with a long corridor of stone trailing back behind them, and
in front of them was a portal through which shone a dull orange
glow. Standing befor the portal was a tall, muscular man
with short-cropped light hair.
"Kartaron!" Granitus bellowed. The tall man turned a bit.
"Returned to die, have you, my former friend?"
"If anyone is dying here, it is you, my former master."
"I cannot allow you to bring harm to the people of the
Earth!" declared Sailor Moon. "I fight for love and justice,
I am..."
"The Moon Princess," Kartaron interrupted.
Sailor Moon, unaccustomed to having her speech interrupted
so, stammered for a moment. The man turned and fixed the
Sailor Senshi with a disconcerting stare. His eyes, usually
a dull brown, were a glowing angry red.
"So my foes are finally here, and I can have most of my
revenge. But where is the Dark Ronin... he must die first
for crossing me."
"You can't have him, he's not here," Sailor Jupiter
replied, fists already cocked for the fight to come.
"You'll just have to try and take us first... emphasis on
try."
"You are amusing, Princess of Jupiter. But, no amount
of joviality... pardon the pun... will save you from my wrath.
I will slay you as I slew your father."
"You're slaying no one!" yelled Sailor Mars, launching
herself at Kartaron. The big man moved easily to one side
and Mars skidded against the rock floor. An stone spike
suddenly thrust itself up next to Mars' head. It would have
killed her if she hadn't snapped her head back at the last
moment. Sailor Venus pointed at the back of the evil man.
"CRESCENT BEAM!" A topaz beam streaked across the darkness
and would have peirced Kartaron if his natural reflexes hadn't
jerked his large body out of the way. He grimaced and opened
his hand at her. A fine powder shot from the ceiling and walls
around him and attacked Venus, the pulverized stone stinging
her in her eyes, arms and legs. Kartaron then gestured at the
ground under the Sailor Senshi, and it split open like the maw
of a ravenous beast, ready to swallow them all whole.
Sailor Moon jumped aside and grabbed Mercury's wrist
before she could fall in. Venus, still blinking dirt out of
her eyes, managed to grab the edge of the ravine. Sailor
Jupiter actually leapt forward, landing closer to Kartaron.
Before he could close the ravine or otherwise attack them
again, she focused her own power.
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" A ball of lightning spat
from the rod on Jupiter's tiara and rocketed towards Kartaron.
He barely managed to step aside, the hot plasmic attack
burning the flesh of his arm. He roared in rage and spun to
assault the Princess of Jupiter...
"BURNING MANDALA!" Torrents of flame flew from the
fingertips of Sailor Mars, singeing the back of their foe.
Jupiter did not wait for Kartaron to recover, but threw
herself at the titanic figure, knuckles itching to land on
him with all the force she could muster.
As she approached, she saw the burned skin on his arm,
where her attack had grazed him, was already healing over.
This distracted her, and she was summarily grabbed by the
throat. Gasping, she tried to twist free, but he was
overwhelmingly strong...
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
A stream of silver light flowed from the Moon Sceptre.
Kartaron dropped Sailor Jupiter and threw out his hands.
Part of the floor tore itself free and rose to become a wall
that absorbed the attack. Behind the wall, Granitus flowed
up from the exposed ground.
"You realise I cannot allow this," the former servant
said, growing spikes from the knuckles of his clenched fists.
"You seek empty revenge for a dead woman who wanted nothing
more than power. I've come to see how evil you have
become..."
"I made you," Kartaron growled, "and I can unmake you."
"If that's what you really want... to destroy the only
friend you have left... the only true friend you ever had...
then do it. And be damned."
Sailor Moon watched as the wall collapsed to reveal the
stand-off. The face of Kartaron was a mask of rage and pain.
He moved to strike Granitus, who flowed like water into the
rock and reappeared behind Kartaron, the walls of the cavern
suddenly jutting spikes at the elemental villain. Kartaron,
instead of moving foward towards the Sailor Senshi, spun
and rushed Granitus. Surprised, the stone warrior moved to
defend himself, but Kartaron was fast, opening his hand and
blasting a torrent of dark lightning into the face of his
first creation.
Granitus made no sound as he crumpled to the floor. All
five senshi raised their arms to attack, but Kartaron waved
his hand and sent a wave of dark power at them, throwing them
back. Jupiter skidded to a halt, and as she shook off the
disorientation and naseua, her vision cleared to see a
familiar white sneaker... attached to a leg clad in denim...
the hem of a dark coat waved before her eyes...
"Hikari?"
"How the...?" Mars gasped.
"Wha...?" said Sailor Moon, confused.
Itameru Hikari fixed Kartaron with his icy stare. His
gloved hands slowly clenched into fists and his jaw danced as
the Sailor Senshi got to their feet.
"How did he get here?" Mercury asked.
"Who is this whelp?" Kartaron demanded.
"Your worst nightmare," Hikari replied. "You are a
talented warrior, and in other circumstances, we might have
been friends. But you have slain my people and invaded my
home. For that, I'm afraid I must punish you..."
Kartaron's eyes went wide and the red flashed within them.
He knew those words... they had been spoken long ago, on
Jupiter... by...
"You..."
"What's going on?" asked Sailor Moon. "Hikari,
what are you doing here?"
"I have come to do my duty, Usagi."
She snapped back. How did he know who she was...?
Part of the magic of the transformation was that any mortal
seeing them in their senshi forms wouldn't know them...
unless...
"You really are him, aren't you?" Sailor Jupiter asked
quietly.
Hikari's response was to smile. He closed his eyes and
moved his hands up, one in front of the other, raising them
in front of his face. In the palm of his outer hand appeared
the kanji for 'Ronin', a glowing green figure. He closed his
fist around it and the glow seeped out between his fingers
and wrapped around him and infused him with the dark emerald
light. The light swirled out a moment later, forming a long
hooded cloak, a tattered shape the Sailor Senshi recognized.
But as they continued to watch, transfixed, the cloak repaired
itself. As an unknown energy lifted him in the air, what was
once an outfit of dark grey cloth shone and hardened into
dark green bracers that ran the length of his forearms,
shin guards of the same dark green metal that also covered
his feet, and a breastplate that fit his form simply. The
katana at his side was sheathed in an ornate black scabbard.
His boots touched the floor again with a soft click, his
cloak fluttering down around him. One gloved hand reached up
and pulled down his hood. At last, the Dark Ronin opened his
eyes, and the blue irises glowed with a powerful light.
Encased in his armor at last, Hikari knew he was whole
again. A smile spread slowly across his face, then he launched
himself at his foe. Kartaron took a swing at the Dark
Ronin's head, which was easily ducked under. There was a
flash, and the Dark Ronin leapt back, resheathing his
weapon. Kartaron grasped his abdomen, where he had been cut.
The thick armor had absorbed most of the attack, but he could
feel that the blade had touched his flesh, and pain
blossomed there. He stomped, and the ground shuddered,
a wave of rock speeding towards the group at high speed,
propelled by his dark power. The Sailor girls dove in
various directions, but the Dark Ronin was non-plussed,
simply moving in for another attack. Jupiter saw him
leap towards Kartaron again, blinked at the quick flash
of steel and the fluid motion of the Dark Ronin, then watched
as he kicked up and let Kartaron have it in the chin with
his metal-covered foot.
The kick was the first part of a backflip that put
the Dark Ronin in the midst of the Senshi. Kartaron grasped
his face, for not only had he been kicked in the chin, but
the blade of the katana had cut his face to the bone. Jupiter
saw the look on the Dark Ronin's face.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Kartaron is healing faster than I recalled him able
of. He's grown... but I think I have a way to beat him."
"Well, don't keep it a secret!" Mars yelled. Jupiter
very nearly smacked her.
"Focus all your power into me, into my blade, and I will
disintegrate Kartaron. Even the power of the Moon Crystal."
"No!" Ami cried, her voice far above the usual whisper.
"The power of the Moon Crystal nearly kills Usagi every time
she unleashes it! To combine that will all our power, then
focus it into you..."
The ground shuddered. Kartaron cackled, and grinned at
them all.
"It doesn't matter what you do... I can heal faster than
you can hurt me. This planet is about to become a footnote
in galactic history..."
"There's no time to argue!" the Dark Ronin yelled over
the growing sound of impending apocolypse. "We must focus
our power now and destroy him before he takes us all down
with him!"
Sailor Moon nodded, unclipping the brooch from her
uniform. It opened slowly and the crystal inside, the Moon
Crystal, glittered in the low light of the cavern. The
four Sailor Senshi slowly took hands...
And Sailor Mercury remembered...
During the Silver Millenium, things had been
staggeringly similar. She poured over ancient tomes in
most of her spare time, but always felt awful when others
poked fun at her. Even at parties, she studied, and was
laughed at. But a tall gentleman from the planet Jupiter
always had a kind word to say, and a way to make her smile
and laugh...
Sailor Mars remembered...
She had suspected him as a spy every time he visited
the moon. Once, she had stormed into his guest quarters
to find him praying solumnly to a shrine that she herself
gave homage to. Knowing the strict precepts of the diety,
she knew he could never betray anyone he affiliated with,
which included the moon. She felt awful for misjudging
him... but was never able to apologize...
Sailor Venus remembered...
Many other members of the court thought her vain,
and laughed about her behind her back. She despaired
that her reputation would keep her from being approached
by anyone. But this tall man, though she knew his heart
was taken, had danced with her and told her how beautiful
she was, not just physically, but how beautiful she was
within as well...
And Sailor Jupiter... Makoto remembered...
Seemingly endless dances. Silent moments gazing
at the stars. Counting the moons late at night together.
Moments she'd never wanted to end. All torn from her
in one agonizing moment. He had come back... fallen
though time and space for her. And now she was
about to lose him again...
"Hikari..." she whispered.
"Now," the Dark Ronin said over his shoulder,
"before it's too late!"
"And before I change my mind," he added silently.
Already in the resplendant white dress that
befitted her as the Moon Princess, Usagi nodded as
she delicately held the shimmering Moon Crystal in
her hands. The Sailor Senshi joined hands as
Kartaron's voice was raised in rage. The Dark
Ronin dropped to one knee and thrust the point
of his katana into the earth, closing his eyes...
"Makoto. Forgive me. I do this for you...
and for us. One day perhaps we can be together
again..."
His silent thoughts were drowned out in the
roar of a planet in pain and the laughter of an
Earth lord mad with power. Then five voices
rose above all the noise.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
Sailor Mercury's face was a mix of concentration
and the emotion of loss.
"MARS STAR POWER!"
Sailor Mars, behind her determination, hid a
desire to correct her wrongs and make up for lost
time.
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
Sailor Venus swallowed her feeling of jealousy,
because they belonged together, but she couldn't help
thinking of what might have been...
"JUPITER~STAR~POWER!!!"
Through her tears, Makoto knew that this was
what had to be done. If Kartaron was not destroyed,
there would be nothing for her and Hikari to return to.
She tried so hard not to cry as the power flowed through
her and into the Moon Crystal, and was failing miserably...
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
A shaft of shimmering light streamed from the Moon
Crystal and struck the Dark Ronin full in the back. He
recoiled, and for one dark, lonely moment, Makoto thought
that he had made a terrible miscalculation. But in the
next moment, as he glowed, he drew his sword from the
ground and launched into the air. His eyes were still
shut tight, and she felt it. They all felt it. The
power was forcing him into one final transformation...
Light shattered from his body and fell to earth
like rose petals. In the midst of it all, the Dark
Ronin hung in the air, his cloak gone, a pair of
angelic wings holding him aloft. Even Kartaron
stood in awe. Hikari fixed him with an azure
stare.
"I will not let you hurt her..."
Only Makoto heard his words as she gazed at
him through her tears. The other senshi were too
awestruck to do much but stand and stare. The Dark
Ronin raised his katana and drew in a breath.
"KARTARON! HERE YOU DIE!!"
His wings splayed out to their full span and
the Dark Ronin launched himself at Kartaron. The
evil lord raised his arms to block the strike.
There was a moment when their eyes locked, and
Kartaron knew that this young man, with his pure
heart and iron will, was destined to win this battle,
and that he himself had been wrong to pursue Beryl's
vengeance...
Then the cavern exploded into a ball of force
and light.
*
Makoto awoke to the sensation of cold
pavement on her face. Although she wsa sure she
had felt his touch on her face before she
came to. She blinked and hauled her aching
body up into a seated position. Her other
friends were coming to around her.
"Oh my achin' head..." Usagi groaned.
"What the hell was that??" Rei demanded.
"He did it," Mako said quitely. "He saved
us. He saved us all."
"What?"
"She's right, Usagi. The Dark Ronin's
final attack broke Kartaron's control and
forced all his power back into him... but I
don't know how we survived," Ami continued,
her voice drifting off.
"I told you. Hikari saved us, somehow.
I know it."
"How do you...?"
"That's enough, Rei," Minako told the
other girl. "I think we should all go home
and get some rest."
They got up and began to leave. All
but Makoto.
"Do you think... do you think he
survived that?" Ami asked.
"I'm not sure if we'll ever know,"
Usagi replied.
As dusk fell slowly over the city,
Makoto continued to stare at the sky. The
moon came up, full and fine, and a small
star-like light rose with it. It was
large by star standards... and she knew
what planet it was. As her original
home took the sky, as Jupiter rose
over the horizon, she knew he was out
there, somewhere... and nothing in the
entire universe would tear them apart
again when she found him again.
And she would.
Though she was crying, Makoto Kino
smiled.
*--*--THE END--*--*
C&C is welcome. Thank you for reading my
fanfic...I hope you enjoyed it.
Joshua Loomis ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._
English Major `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`)
& (_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-'
Jedi Master _..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,'
(il),-'' (li),' ((!.-'
email: jeloomis@planetx.bloomu.edu
cougar_jel@hotmail.com
homepage: http://members.xoom.com/cougar_jel/
"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" -Percy Bysshe Shelley,
"Ozymandias"
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact."
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
(Act V, Scene 1, l.7-8)
"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda
"The worst foe lies within the self."
-Parasite Eve
"Faith can move mountains. Lack of faith makes them out of
molehills."
- The Sage, "Ziggy"
Follow your heart and you'll never get lost.