Well, David-san's advice seems to be working. Actually wrote the
second chapter of this (finally ^^;;) and chapter 8 (as well as some
revised-reposts to refresh ppl's memory) of Forgotten Future, Forbidden Past
should be sent out by Sunday.... After that, we'll see.
ANYWAY, hope you enjoy. And -as always- C&C or anything (as long as
it's not "You suck!" ;) is greatly appreciated. Notes follow, blah blah blah.
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Disclaimer:
Sailormoon, the Senshi, and all those associated with them are property
of Takeuchi Naoko-sama and Kodansha. Excepts from the song "We Belong" are
the property of Pat Benatar, D. Navarro, and R. Lowen. All are used without
permission. Please don't sue me... I have no money. ^_^;
My strang-- er, I mean wonderful characters are property of me, myself --
oh, wait, that's not proper grammar. Oh, well... they belong to me. ^_-
Thanks for reading! ^_^
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________
a Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Fic
CHILDREN of LIGHT and THUNDER
We belong to the light
We belong to the thunder
We belong to the sound of the words
We've both fallen under
Whatever we deny or embrace
For worse or for better
We belong, we belong
We belong together...
Chapter 2: (I'll think of a subtitle later... ^_^;)
_____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
It was midnight.
Eilis winced, hearing the blaring gongs from the old clock in the
hallway. Her arms involuntarily tightened around her body, as she rocked back
and forth in front of the crackling fireplace. She couldn't sleep. The bed,
which she had forcibly claimed the moment they had moved in, felt unduly
soft; the sheets too scratchy. And every time she had closed her eyes, a
whisper, a gurgle, a snap -- something had managed to send her heart racing,
and keep her awake for another forty minutes.
She was bleary-eyed, and her head felt fuzzy, but she had finally
given up. Jacinth, however, seemed to have had no trouble whatsoever drifting
off into dreamland, even though the couch was too small for his tall frame,
and his body was draped over it in a decidedly uncomfortable looking fashion.
Still, she was a little guilty that she hadn't let him share the bed with
her. It wouldn't have hurt to have been a little flexible.
Eilis stared at the dancing flames, trying to think clearly. It was
hard to stay focused on anything, and the edges of her vision kept blurring.
For a moment, those flames looked just like...
"SNORT... Hmmph... Eilis..."
Eilis nearly toppled over. She clutched her chest, her heart beating
wildly, at the same time chastising herself for being so silly. Her head had
lost some of its fuzziness, and she turned away from the fire, cocking her
head at her mumbling partner. Jacinth was talking in his sleep again. So he
wasn't as relaxed in this place as he had led her to believe.
She stood up, and tiptoed over to the couch. She looked her partner
over in one glance, and frowned. Jacinth looked pale, and cold, and his
breathing was uneven. His blanket lay in a heap on the floor. She bent over,
sighing, and gently pulled it over him. Her fingers trickled over his face,
and she placed the back of her hand on his forehead. He felt hot to the
touch, and her expression changed to one of worry.
"Baka," she whispered, "you're not sick, are you?"
Jacinth mumbled something, and curled up into a ball, half of him
hanging over the front of the couch.
"Jacinth," she said, touching him lightly on the shoulder, "Jacinth!
Wake up. You're going to fall..."
His eyes suddenly opened. His hand darted out, catching her own.
"Eilis."
She stifled a gasp, and tried to pull away. Unfortunately, she was
off balance, and so was he, and as Eilis stepped back, her feet shot out from
under her. He was pulled off the couch along with her, and the two fell in a
tangled heap to the floor.
Jacinth's face was inches from her own. She glared at him, surprised
and flustered. His mouth slowly spread into a smile, as he backed away and
offered her a hand.
"You were awake the whole time, weren't you?" Eilis scowled, and got
up on her own. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Jacinth seemed wrong somehow, standing there with that peculiar smile
and stance fit for a much shorter man. His eyes casually studied her as he
murmured, "You're beautiful, Eilis... and I haven't seen you in so long."
"What are you..." she trailed off, shocked, and stared intently at
his face. Something was happening to his eyes. That emerald iris was
expanding, bleeding out into the white. Jacinth returned her stare out of two
luminous green pools.
Eilis backed away from him slowly, horrified. Not Jacinth, her mind
screamed at her. Someone else. "Who?" she breathed. Her eyes suddenly
widened. "Ulexite?"
His mouth tugged downward, almost in annoyance. "Some respect,
child... I am still your father."
Eilis steadied herself, resisting the urge to attack him. She said
finally, "What do you want from me?"
Jacinth's face lit up in a charming smile. It was difficult for her
to see him like this, a puppet, something he had never been, for all his
faults. Eilis swallowed, and averted her eyes. <Jacinth, I'm so sorry...>
"The time is at hand, sweet child. Energy awaits us." Jacinth clasped
his hands behind his back, and began pacing, a gesture that was decidedly
unlike him. "My efforts have all been met with failure... but with you here,
victory is imminent. No one can stand against you." He paused. "Or you two,
as it were. I suppose your 'partner' can help in some small way... but in the
long run, he's expendable."
A muscle in Eilis's jaw twitched. How dare he speak about Jacinth
that way. That was *her* territory, and no one else's. Her temper flared.
"Damn you! Leave him out of this!"
Those greenish puddles widened in astonishment. "Such vigor! And for
this pitiful man?" After a moment's thought, he continued, "I will concede
that he is quite lovely... But that won't do much for you in the future, now
will it? Don't develop strong attachments, daughter. I've already experienced
what folly that can be." His face turned suddenly sober. "Trust no one... not
him. Not even me."
"Have you been on Earth too long, Father?" Eilis shouted, her fists
clenched. "You sound like a bad science fiction movie. Unlike you, I'm no
fool. He's my partner... that's all. If I hadn't trusted him, I wouldn't be
alive today!"
"You go too far," the man responded, his voice deadly calm. "But it
doesn't matter... we need to understand each other *now*, before the
connection is lost. I have already drawn up the necessary papers for the two
of you to attend school. I --"
"Why?" Eilis demanded. "How will that bring us closer to our goal?"
He cocked his head at her. "Blend in and you'll draw less attention.
And surveillance is always a priority." He laughed, tugging his hands through
Jacinth's hair. "You know the senshi of this planet are here. You know what
must be done."
"No," Eilis answered fiercely, shaking her head, "I won't fight them
if I don't have to."
"Do you think they'll give you a choice?" Ulexite said harshly. "It
doesn't matter," he shook his head impatiently, "they still need to be
observed. Go to Juuban High School. It's crawling with them."
"How will I know who they are?" Eilis set her mouth in a hard line,
closing off that part of her mind that had seen Sailormoon and Jupiter in the
flesh. It wouldn't do any good for Ulexite to know of that particular outing.
Or of that tug in the back of her memories...
He smiled strangely. "You have more intuition in these matters than
I. You'll know. Or they will. Either way, we need to draw them out." He held
up his hands at her look. "If you are to gather any energy unhindered, we'll
need to send them away, now won't we? My knight will assist you." He held out
his hand, palm up, and a small, rotating figure leapt into view.
Eilis stepped back, startled. "How did you..."
Her father stared fondly at the three-dimensional projection,
ignoring the fact that Eilis had spoken. "This is Kurokami. Called Dusk. He
will relay further instructions to you. I have... things I must attend to."
She stared at the figure. "Kurokami... a youma?" He revolved serenely
over Jacinth's palm, seemingly normal. "How will I find him?"
The palm clamped shut, making the image dissipate, as her father
murmured, "I wouldn't call him that if I were you, child." Then, louder, "And
as the cliche goes: you won't find him, he'll find you. He's very good at...
tracking."
<Jacinth... what'll he think about this?> she wondered
absentmindedly. <Would he refuse...>
"Thinking about the boy, Eilis? You overestimate him. There's money
involved in this. He values that above all else, doesn't he?"
Eilis stared at him, newly aghast. "You found that... in his head?"
He frowned impatiently. "I don't have the time to push through your
partner's muddled thoughts. It *is* your reflection of him, isn't it?"
Eilis hesitated. "N-none of your business." It was so strange hearing
all of this come out of Jacinth -- even though it wasn't *really* Jacinth. It
was like Jacinth was talking about Jacinth. Well, no surprise there, but...
she felt like she was betraying him somehow.
"It doesn't matter." He shrugged. "There is little time left. You've
been told what you need to know, for now. Go to school in the morning, and
speak with Kurokami. Do you understand?" Jacinth's body shuddered violently,
as if trying to shake Ulexite out, and he quickly finished, "I'll contact you
later. When you dream of little sailor senshi, perhaps..."
His dark laughter resonated throughout her mind, just as cracks of
light peeked in through the windows. "Dream?" she echoed, staring as the
green light in Jacinth's eyes faded away, and the man began to sway back and
forth. As he began to fall, she cried out his name....
"Aa-argh!"
Eilis opened her eyes at the crash, pulse racing. <My father can
invade my dreams.> The thought entered her mind immediately, and she
swallowed, pushing it away. She tried to get a clear sense of her
surroundings. She was still in front of the fireplace; the fire had died down
to a large pile of ash. Her limbs felt stiff and cold, but everything still
seemed to be in working order. Then what had been that noise?
"Dammit! Eilis?! What's... oww... going on?"
Jacinth. She winced, slowly turning around. He was sprawled on the
floor, blanket tangled around his legs, staring at her in alarm.
"Sorry... bad dream," she said, smiling hesitantly.
"*Loud* dream," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Why the hell are you
in here, anyway?" He dropped his hands, looking at her suspiciously. "Were
you plotting something, Eilis?"
She dropped her eyes, frowning. "N-no."
He blinked blearily. "You seem kinda... out of it. What happened?"
"My father," she mumbled, "contacted me."
"Why?"
"Told me where we're going to school... and that we start today."
"Oh, maaan," Jacinth moaned, rolling over and hitting his head on one
of the couch legs. "This is not my week. Sent to Earth, sleeping on the
couch, and now I get to fail Transdimensional Physics *again*..."
"I don't think you have to worry, Jacinth," Eilis replied, smirking
slightly. "Earth schools aren't quite that advanced..."
--
She was cold. Cold inside, like a snowball had been lobbed at her
heart, and enclosed it in an icy shell. Her breath came out in sharp gasps,
and she clutched her shoulders, trying to stop the relentless shivers.
Her eyes rolled around desperately, flitting past her still,
powder-white
surroundings, past the ominous mountains, past the sky, the moons...
The icy hand loosened its grip, suddenly, and she gasped, overcome by
something new. Something... strange. She KNEW this place, knew this feeling,
and yet could not. Should not.
"They don't want you to remember."
She said nothing; hadn't the breath to speak.
"My darling... they want you to forget me." An anguished cry cut
through the sky, like a jagged streak of lightning. "Even though you've never
known me at all."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, as clouds drifted over the moons,
obscuring their light.
"Who?" Her head pounded. The voice surrounded her, muffled her,
reverberated through her. It terrified her, but she felt a pang, some
answering call, deep within her heart.
"Don't you know me? Can't you guess?"
"Sempai?" she whispered.
"Or someone who looks like him..." a different voice whispered back.
She stared around her, confused. The sky seemed to be lightening; and
THAT had almost sounded like...
"MAKO-CHAN!"
The shout jolted her back to reality. Makoto's eyes snapped open, her
heart thumping wildly.
"Did you hear me?" someone said, giggling.
Makoto gulped, blinking rapidly. Pink bunnies stared down at her from
the ceiling. Where was she?
"Mako-chan, are you ok?"
Usagi. Usagi's house. That's right, she had come over to study. (At
least, that's what Usagi had told her mother before she left for her
mini-vacation at the hot springs.) Had she fallen asleep? She couldn't really
remember. Her head felt fuzzy. And that dream... Makoto shivered. She knew
why it seemed so familiar. That dark landscape... She had seen it before she
had become a senshi...
"Maa-koo-chaan?" Usagi's concerned face popped in front of Makoto's
eyes. She waved her hand back and forth, trying to extract a reaction.
Makoto smiled hesitantly, pushing herself clumsily into a sitting
position. "I'm fine, Usagi-chan. I just had a... weird dream." The last words
dropped into a mumble, and she shifted, avoiding her friend's stare. She
didn't really want to talk about it. It had stirred up old feelings; feelings
that gave her more apprehension than pleasure.
"I'm sorry I woke you up." Usagi bit her lip, then pointed at the
clock. "But it's getting kind of late..."
Makoto's eyes widened. Did that say... 8:00? "A-ack." She stumbled
off the bed, pulling the sheets down around her. "We're going to get
detention!" She frantically rushed around the room, looking for her school
bag -- "Found it!" -- then desperately searched for her shoes. "Usagi! Act
more concerned!"
"Well," Usagi said sheepishly, "I already have detention for today.
And I'm all set to go..."
Makoto paused, and stared at her friend. Usagi was dressed in her
full uniform, and their lunches sat on the desk beside her. She had
*actually* woken up without Luna. And she might've *actually* been on time if
Makoto hadn't...
Sensing where her friend's line of thought was going, Usagi quickly
said, "I probably wouldn't have gotten up early if you hadn't been here. You
stole the sheets, and..." She giggled. "You talk in your sleep."
Makoto sweatdropped as she pulled on her shoes. "Um... really? What
did I say?"
"In the middle of the night you were mumbling -- "Ai" something. I
guess love would go with dreams of your sempai." Usagi cocked her head, and
added, "At first, I thought it was a name. The way you said it... Probably
not." She shrugged.
"Yeah..." Makoto trailed off, then abruptly said, "We better get
going, ne?" She stood up, slinging her bag over one shoulder.
Usagi nodded, and grabbed the two lunchbags. "Too bad you couldn't
make anything for me," she murmured, pausing to gaze mournfully at the
strange smelling brown sacks, before running after Makoto, who was already on
her way down the stairs.
It started to rain soon after they had begun their trek. It was
coming down in sheets by the time they neared Juuban High.
"We are so late," Makoto groaned, shivering. "Tanaka-sensei's going
to give me hell."
"Good thing Luna's with Artemis," Usagi muttered, "or she'd have some
kind of cat nervous breakdown... This way, I'll spare her, and me, the pain."
Makoto grinned, trying to push her sopping bronze hair out of her
eyes. "I guess we better run for it, before we get any wetter. Race you!"
Usagi sweatdropped as Makoto made a mad dash for the school.
"H-hey... Mako-chan, wait up! Mako-chan, I can't run that fast -- I just ate
breakfast! Mako-chaaan!" Usagi puffed after Makoto, leaving a trail of muddy
footprints.
Across the street, a woman pulled her trenchcoat more tightly around
her, her face concealed by shadows, as she watched the two girls disappear
into the distance. She shivered, yet it wasn't from the cold.
"Princess, you're in danger," she whispered, before slowly turning
away. "Setsuna doesn't realize what's truly going on..."
--
"BRRIING!"
Eilis jumped. The bell sounded like a dying animal's caterwauling.
She glanced around, sufficiently embarrassed. Fortunately, she went unnoticed
as boys and girls in clone-like uniforms scampered about, late for class. She
sighed, glad that Jacinth wasn't around. He would have probably made one of
his moronic comments, which would have only served to make her more flustered
than she already was. Then again, had he been with her, she wouldn't be
feeling so *alone*...
She shook her head, scowling. No use dwelling on the thought. Jacinth
had made it perfectly clear that he wanted to take a look around Juuban High
by himself, and she didn't expect him to show up anytime soon. She would just
have to manage this 'school' business on her own.
Eilis fidgeted in her new uniform, everything itching all at once,
wondering where her classroom could be. <This place is so... large. If I get
lost... dammit! It's all your fault, Jacinth.> She turned her eyes to the
sky, depressed. <Gray clouds. Lovely. It's going to rain. So I can be lost
and wet. Just... lovely.>
Someone cleared their throat. "An'ei-san?"
Eilis froze. Was this person... talking to her? She slowly lowered
her eyes, swallowing.
A slightly pudgy, and very petite young girl appeared in front of
her, cradling an official looking clipboard in her hands like it was a holy
object. The girl squinted up at Eilis behind thick black glasses.
"Ano... Aren't you An'ei Hiroko-san?" she repeated more slowly, as if
Eilis was hard of hearing.
"I... um." Eilis gulped. <Why the hell is she staring at me like
that? How can I just... just lie in her face?> The girl smiled at her
uncertainly, obviously waiting for a reply. She wanted to cry out "I'm not
Hiroko, you fool, I'm Eilis!" but bit down the urge, and struggled to say
something, anything.
"I'm sorry. Hiroko is a little shy."
It was Jacinth who spoke at last, his long legs bringing him around
the corner and over to Eilis in three quick strides. A casual smirk covered
his face as he bent over and whispered, "I won't always be around to save
you, Eilis." Jacinth swiftly turned toward the bewildered school girl, and
lifted her hand to his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you... Iwamoto
Yuka-san, I presume?"
The girl gazed at Jacinth, her mouth slightly agape. "W-wow," she
murmured, eyelashes fluttering demurely. "You are... Kurosaki Kotaro-san?
I've been looking for you..." <All my life.> she thought dreamily.
Eilis seethed, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. She supposed
Jacinth had been waiting for a moment like this. He probably got pleasure out
of her looking like an idiot. And as for 'Iwamoto Yuka-san'... "Who is this
person?" Eilis questioned irritably, stabbing the air in the direction of the
girl.
Jacinth released Yuka, and she hastily stepped back, clearing her
throat. "I am Iwamoto Yuka, appointed vice-president of student relations. I
help new students get acquainted with the school," she said proudly. She
straightened her uniform, and glanced down at her clipboard, and then back up
at them, frowning. "You seem to... know each other. But it says nothing in my
notes..."
Eilis frowned. "Yes, we know each other." <Unfortunately.> "He's my
--"
"Fiance."
"-- cousin."
Eilis stared at Jacinth, shocked. <What the hell does he think he's
doing?>
He leaned toward her, his lips brushing her ear, and whispered,
"Believe me, it's better this way. The guys won't get any ideas, and neither
will the girls. We need to keep our goal in mind, don't we?" He pulled away,
smirking.
Eilis frowned. Maybe he was right, but... She risked a glance at the
other girl, and sighed when she saw her expression. Yuka seemed utterly
confounded. "He --" she started, trying to explain.
Jacinth cut in smoothly. "Hiroko has a very odd sense of humor. She's
my fiancee. We were promised to each other at birth."
"O-oh." Yuka seemed at a loss for words. Yet she still had the heart
to send Eilis a thinly veiled resentful glare.
Eilis resisted the urge to groan. Instead, she smiled evilly, and
said, "Yes, Ko-chan and I are to be married, but in the mean time I tie him
up in the basement and go out with however many guys I want!" <Might as well
take advantage of the opportunity.>
Yuka's jaw dropped. "Y-you do?"
Jacinth raised an eyebrow, then smirked, inspired. "Yeah, we're
really into that kind of thing. Sometimes I tie Hiroko-chan up too!"
"Um." Yuka sweatdropped. "M-maybe it would be better if you were
shown around by Mizuno-sempai." She nodded frantically, slowly backing away
from them. "This way!!" She zoomed around the corner, conjuring up a cloud of
dust.
Jacinth grinned. "Think we scared her."
Eilis found herself half returning the grin. "Well, you *are* kind of
scary..."
"And you *are* kind of weird," Jacinth countered, already loping
after Yuka. "Are you coming?" he called over his shoulder.
"Always have to have the last word, don't you?" Eilis grumbled,
stalking past him. She hid a small smile. <Glad you showed up, Jacinth.>
When they finally caught up to Yuka, she was in the doorway of a
small room, babbling something about "other things" she had to attend to.
Eilis didn't hear the response, but suddenly Yuka was all smiles, and she
ushered them inside.
"An'ei Hiroko, Kurosaki Kotaro, I'd like to introduce you to Mizuno
Ami. Mizuno-sempai is acting president of student relations, and will take
you off m-- I mean," she said hastily, "she'll take care of you from now on."
Eilis stepped around Yuka, wanting a better look at "Mizuno-sempai".
Her mouth opened in greeting as she caught a glimpse -- then suddenly froze.
As she stared across the room at the seated blue haired girl, she felt a tug.
That *feeling* of familiarity; that abrupt onset of nausea. The girl's calm
face swam before her eyes, until Eilis could clearly see the outline of a
mark on her forehead. A blazing blue sigil: Mercury. The sigil of Mercury.
This girl was a senshi...
The girl was saying something to Eilis, but she couldn't comprehend
the words. A *senshi*. A senshi of Earth was sitting not three feet from her.
Talking to her. The senshi was talking to her like they were two normal
students, just aimlessly chatting...
"Hiroko," Jacinth said loudly, squeezing her arm, "is something the
matter?"
Eilis gasped sharply, noticing Jacinth and the girl staring at her.
Yuka lingered in the doorway, looking interested.
<Pull yourself together> Eilis cleared her throat, and attempted a
smile. It didn't turn out that well, but nonetheless... "I'm sorry. I was
just preoccupied with... with things. It's just so overwhelming, the first
day at a new school." She forced herself to look directly at the senshi. "I
hope you'll accept my apologies."
Jacinth frowned, but echoed her words. "Yes, very overwhelming. And
Hiroko's a rather sensitive girl, so it effects her more profoundly."
Ami nodded, smiling sympathetically. "I understand. It's not a
problem, really, Hiroko-san."
"Just Hiroko, please," Eilis replied, her hands turning white as she
clasped them behind her back.
Ami stood up, her cheeks slightly flushed. Was she nervous? Eilis
looked at her, really *looked* at her. She was petite, almost demure looking,
with that sweet smile and face framing blue bob. <She seems so kind...> The
feeling of nausea washed over her again. <My enemy.>
"I'll show you around the school," Ami said with another quick smile,
"and introduce you to some of my friends. It might seem like a daunting
place, but I'm sure you'll both fit in here just fine. Oh! Where did you say
you were from?"
"I'll go to class," Yuka said suddenly, waving. "I hope everything
goes well, Mizuno-sempai." She gave them all a strange look, then disappeared
around the corner.
Ami turned to Eilis and Jacinth expectantly.
<Where...> Eilis plucked a name out of the blue. "Nerima. It's where
we're originally from, but we've been living in... Europe, for the last
couple of years." She remembered her lessons on Earth well enough, but hoped
the girl wouldn't ask her any specific questions. She didn't know how long
she could keep this up; the sick feeling in her stomach was getting worse.
"Really?" Ami looked interested. "Where in --"
"I think we've talked about ourselves enough," Jacinth interrupted,
smiling brilliantly. "Why don't you tell us something about yourself, Ami?"
Another save from Jacinth. Eilis almost felt angry, but let it slide,
knowing that would be foolish. She had to get some fresh air, or Jacinth
would realize that something *really* was wrong. And she couldn't tell him of
her...
shingshing.
Eilis paused in mid-thought. What was that noise?
shingshing.
There it was again. She slowly stared upward. It seemed to be coming
from the roof. Maybe it had started to rain...
SHINGshing.
No, that didn't sound like rain to her.
Eilis slowly backed away, tugging Jacinth along with her. "Do you
hear that?" she hissed. "What is that noise?"
Jacinth frowned. "Yes, it's probably just the wind. Why are you
getting so uptight?"
Ami furrowed her brows. "I hear it too," she murmured.
The sound slowly intensified, like a buildup of power, and Eilis
retreated until her back was against the wall. Something wasn't right,
something was --
In a deafening burst of energy, the roof exploded.
______________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
Didn't like this chapter as much as the first, but I thought I'd better send
it out, or nobody'd be seeing it for another 2 weeks. ^_^; Any comments on
how to improve this would be *greatly* appreciated... Oh, and Bastion-sama,
hope you weren't too disappointed. -_-;
Next chapter: Setsuna makes her grand entrance, someone gets kidnapped, and
there's a big bloody brawl. Fun for the whole family!
See ya ^_^
~ice