Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Story ❯ Chapter 02...In Search Of The Stones : Sailormars ( Chapter 3 )

Standing on a mildly grassy plain, Mars surveyed the land with a critical eye. Jadeite's Kage stone had brought them to the center of what seemed to be a series of hilly enclosures, open to the sun and elements, but closed off to the rest of the world. She had a feeling that most of the region's inhabitants didn't even know the valley existed; a perfect place to hide a powerful stone.

And she was also in the land of Buddha's birth, which calmed her mind and spirit. Shinto she may have been, but she appreciated Buddhism for its ideology; that to attain enlightenment was the method of salvation, and escaping the cycle of rebirth. Perhaps if she could reach that height, her burden as Sailor Mars would be finished as well.

“Thinking a bit too deeply, Mars? Your signal is fading…” The tall red-head made a hissing noise like static next to her ear, and she twitched, the only sign of her surprise.

“Perceiving the spiritual, perhaps. I know you, spiritually devoid as you are, couldn't conceive of such simplicity,” Mars replied coolly, turning her head to watch the wind blow through the grass. “This is the land of Buddha. I feel at ease to be near the birthplace of the enlightened.”

Alex snorted, picking up a small rock to juggle from hand to hand. “Yes, spiritually devoid, that's me. I can't help it if I'm not a spiritual agoraphobic like you. I hear enough voices in my head already without adding those of the gods.” The rock was an easy way for Mars to concentrate on the American's position, so she watched it fly back and forth.

“I suppose you do.” The dark-haired shrine girl was still uncomfortable with the notion of a telepath, even if said telepath was her ally and supposedly unable to hear much besides static in their minds. Who knew what trickery she could inflict on her senses? Far too much, she suspected. “Jadeite's Kage stone brought us here. Do you think the Hi stone could be very close by?”

“Possibly, but the Kage stone would probably do something to alert us if it was; bark, or something. It isn't doing anything now, ergo, it probably isn't close.” The rock paused in what seemed to be mid-air, hovering, as the tall red-head mused. “Let's see if we can find any signs of habitation. I remember them mentioning their `lands of origin,' which may mean Jadeite once lived here.”

Mars nodded thoughtfully, though she had to wonder just how many signs of habitation could have survived the centuries. “Perhaps.” She smoothed back her hair, brushing it out of her eyes as the wind whipped it around her face. Then she frowned, purple eyes narrowing in concentration. “I sense something, Alex-san. A thing of darkness. To the west.”

She pointed towards the sloped, hilly walls that surrounded them, seeing for the first time the path that lead through. Without hesitation, she began to walk that way, letting her senses guide her; she knew that Alex followed.

 

 

 

 

 

Following the trail, the ground beneath her heels began to turn rocky, less grassy and soft; she stumbled more than once, cursing her inappropriate footwear. Whoever thought of giving the soldier of Mars such high heels should have been glad they were dead, else she'd kill them herself. “Why was I cursed to wear such treacherous shoes?” she snapped after she nearly twisted her ankle.

“The Martian women considered it a sign of pride to walk into battle, able to fight with the signs of pampered women gracing their feet.” Alex sounded amused as she answered the question, catching Mars as she tripped.

“How illogical and stupid. Vanity will kill us all,” Mars sneered, nodding her head for the help. “I always try to avoid wearing such silly adornments for such a reason.”

“I didn't say it was a good idea, did I? Though those Martians could kick some serious ass, even with them on; have you ever seen a man being kicked in the nuts with a spike toe? Even I cringed, and I don't even have the hardware.”

Despite herself, Mars had to smile, if a bit coldly; the thought of her father bending over in pain, face red as he howled, was a pleasant one. Too bad she was well-bred and respectful of her elders, or the dream would be a reality. The man drove her to passionate fury, that much was true. “I can still sense the darkness, an evil concentrated. Perhaps the enemy has already found the Hi stone?”

Pushing aside a tall sheaf of grass that had miraculously survived the rocky soil, she heard Alex reply, “If they already found it, they'd probably be out here flaunting the matter. We don't even know if they're aware of what we're doing to begin with, so it's also rather illogical.”

“Of course, as logic dictates the heart precisely,” the dark-haired shrine girl muttered beneath her breath, pausing to dislodge her heel from the rocky terrain.

Coming off the trail, they found themselves within a circular valley within the mountains, cluttered with buildings made of stone and brick. A few people were wandering the paths between the buildings, one or two carrying large woven baskets; all of them were dark-skinned and obviously Nepalese, wearing the rough clothes in drab colours. They regarded the red-suited soldier curiously as she entered their village, though none of them seemed unduly alarmed.

“I can feel it, but where is it coming from?” Stepping with a bit more ease on the packed dirt that made up the valley floor, her head swiveled sharply as she scanned the village. A passing male was given a particularly hard stare before she dismissed him just as abruptly, striding away. “Iie, not a person's energy…”

Peering into a building, she found it occupied by a single old woman, fat with age, who stared back at her as she shook her head. “Iie, not here either.”

“So you're just going to barge into each and every building and bathroom trying to find this evil? And here I always considered you the diplomat of the team,” Alex snorted off to her right. The old woman blinked.

Retreating from the house, Mars tossed back her hair impatiently. “The sensation is growing stronger, but I can't pinpoint it. What else would you have me do—“

She trailed off, purple eyes settling on the farthest building.

Towering over the village, its front door accented by pillars and carvings, it had to be their temple, if not the temple for the surrounding area, if one judged by size. As she stared at it, her heart began to beat faster, drumming within her chest; she touched her brooch, feeling its warmth grow in response to her excitement. “I can't tell for sure, but that temple….we have to investigate it. Evil has always sought to corrupt the holy purity of such shrines.”

The tall red-head was most likely shrugging to this sentiment as she said, “A better idea than just walking into people's homes, at least. I'd hate to find out how the people of this village spend their free time. Probably put me off my lunch.”

“Alex-san, don't be so crue—oh.” Mars pinked slightly as she considered the possibilities, and shook her head briskly to quickly erase the images. “Perhaps it is wiser to knock first.”

She jogged up the steps, no easy feat in the damned heels, and entered the temple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

….Chapter 2 : In Search of the Stones - Sailormars

 

 

 

 

 

Inside, those same heels clicked on smooth, polished stone, echoing against tall walls and the high overhead ceiling. Pillars decorated the walls just as they did outside, huge frames for the elaborate - and, at a glance, old - tapestries hanging between them. She didn't recognize them, but could recognize that they lacked one major design; the Buddha himself.

“Isn't this a Buddhist temple?” Alex queried beside her, having noticed the omission as well. “Where's Jolly Old St. Siddhartha?”

Mars closed her eyes momentarily, quelling the urge to snap at her for being so flippant, knowing there wasn't anything she could do about it. Then she said, “I don't know. In this place, it should likely be a Buddhist temple, but without pictures of the Buddha himself….it's very unusual. I see nothing that even identifies it as Buddhist. Nothing representing the Eightfold Path.”

“Maybe this is the tourist entrance. I wouldn't put the valuable stuff up front either, not with Americans and their dirty little fingers always touching everything.” Alex sounded disgusted, which the dark-haired shrine girl could easily empathize with. “Let's go further in.”

Ahead, the temple hall curved into a sharp turn, into a hallway decorated in the exact same manner, though recognizable faces were visible; pale-skinned, light-haired men, rays of light shining around their heads. Some were fighting what looked to be demons, others were simply offering their hands with benevolent smiles. “Definitely weird,” Alex muttered.

“I don't understand; why would they have such people in their temples? How could they know, so long ago, of these paler-skinned people?” The dark-haired shrine girl paused to stare at a particular picture, of a blond, blue-eyed man weeping rain upon the drought-ridden populace. “And why would they be so revered?”

“Well, the Aztecs thought their returning god was a light-skinned man, and look what happened with that. Probably, being dark-skinned, they figured the greater beings of the universe would be light-skinned, in contrast. Who knows? Coincidence is a scary mistress with bitch heels.” She then added, after a moment, “It might also explain how Jadeite could have come from this region, if this was his home. Maybe the light-skinned were their sovereign kings.”

“A frightening thought.” Unsure as to why the picture was disturbing her, she turned away, continuing to walk down the hall. She could see the next turn already, right; at its corner, she spied the main hall of the temple itself, firelight dancing on the walls. Unconsciously, she touched her brooch again, feeling the renewed pulse of evil beating at her heart. “I can feel it; stronger, now. Perhaps it senses us.”

“You do tend to put off the spooky Shinto vibes,” Alex agreed, sounding entirely serious.

They emerged into a great hall, the temperature rising to press warmly against the dark-haired shrine girl's skin. Torches lit everything, giving the pillars and stone walls a dull, shadowed look; she didn't like it. It felt too depressing, too secretive, especially with the blank-faced, strangely menacing carved statues flanking the carpet runner. And that one all by itself, not entirely menacing in face, but still oddly gruesome.

Turning away, her eyes followed the runner away into a large alcove, where it went up a few steps to a golden platform. The brilliant ruby that sat atop was the largest she had ever seen off a television set - which she watched precious little of to begin with - that glowed with its own internal lights. But it was set in a place of worship, which confused her; she didn't remember any Buddhist ideology that included rocks.

Stepping closer, she held up her hand, palm out, to feel the ruby's energy; it didn't feel entirely evil, as simply wrong. “How unusual,” she murmured, withdrawing her fingers. “Such an object in a holy place of worship. But this can't be what led me to this place.”

“You! Trespasser!”

“Nani?” Turning around, she found herself confronted by four very pissed looking monks. Their heads shaven, their expressions identical, they were the very picture of menace as they advanced closer to her. “I didn't mean to trespass—“ she began to explain as clearly as possible, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. It didn't cross her mind to wonder how she had understood them, when she knew precious little English, and no Nepalese dialects.

One whipped his finger out at her, nearly missing her outspread hands. “What are you doing here? This room is off-limits to the unclean!”

“A woman! A scantily-clad, brazen woman!” the one next to him added, obviously outraged as he stamped his foot.

Mars opened her mouth to retort angrily, then paused, seeing the look in their eyes. What in the name of the kami and all their shades would make them so angry? Carefully she stepped aside, attempting to leave with as much grace as possible, as she said, “I didn't mean to trespass. I'm very sorry. I'll leave now.”

They simply moved into her path like a short lapping wave, blocking her exit. She stared at them, annoyance growing into apprehension; this was definitely not good. Even as a sailor soldier she detested unwarranted violence, and having to fight her way out of a temple - a sacred site, for the love of the kami! - was not one of her favourite options. It didn't even make the top one hundred, especially given that these were also holy men accosting her. “You're not from the village,” one of the others said as she mused, giving her a disgusted sneer. “You're an outsider. You must be here to cause mischief!”

“Yes, yes…sneaking into our holy site, to steal our Gemetus Ruby, no doubt, to sell as trinkets on the streets!” the last one snapped, gesturing with his arms in what she assumed was a caricuture of her stealing the ruby and throwing it away.

“Anytime you want to make with the sparks and get out of here, Mars,” Alex murmured into her ear, “I think we've worn out our welcome.”

Mars shook her head, taking a step back. “I won't attack holy men,” she replied stiffly. “There has to be a way to reason with them.”

The furthest on her right took the opportunity to grab her arm as she was preoccupied, and she screamed, unprepared; though he backed off, glaring at her as if she were a snake, she could still feel his touch lingering. “Youma! Masaka!”

At her words, all four stretched macabre, toothy smiles, and began to change. Their fingers lengthened, grew claws; those toothy smiles became grinning menaces of razor-sharp teeth, wet with saliva.

Gathering power to her hands, she scrambled backwards and into the alcove, shouting, “Mars Snake Fire!” before they finished changing. The winding ribbon of fire spun out, slamming into the two closest youma, throwing them backwards into their brethren. “You won't profane this holy site, youma; the soldier of Mars will punish you for this!”

Taking the opportunity she ran around behind the ruby, which continued to glow with its queer brilliance, and fled down the steps. She couldn't fight the four of them huddled into such a confined space, a fact confirmed when one nearly took her head off as she ran by, swinging a wooden staff. Ducking, she slid roughly onto her knees to avoid another swing, falling back onto her hands to sweep the youma's legs out from underneath it. “Mars, behind you!” she heard Alex shout, and she quickly rolled aside as a fist smashed into the floor where her head had been.

“The girl has a demon familiar!” the fallen youma howled, pointing in accusation at Mars as she rolled to her feet, returning the gesture; her flames left only a charred mark in passing.

Off to her right, she could see another being lifted up by invisible hands, its clawed fingers and steak-knife teeth unable to rip or tear at its assailant. Without hesitation, she called out “Fire Soul!” watching her attack and the youma meet halfway as it was thrown directly into the fireball, and turned away to block a third's swinging arm. “I don't understand how these youma could infiltrate this sacred spot!” she shouted over the creature's incoherent snarls, blocking another blow.

“Maybe this place isn't as sacred as we presume.” The fourth youma was slammed into the wall, where it left a sizeable dent in the bricks. “Or maybe these aren't youma at all; maybe they're just really nasty Nepalese Dobermans protecting something nasty.”

“But why?” Mars ducked, spinning around to kick the creature squarely in its sternum - or thereabouts - and took a moment to collect herself as it fell back into its ass. The tall red-head did have a point; if they were truly youma, they would have turned into something far more terrible than monks with teeth. She couldn't recall any Dark Kingdom minions who hadn't looked like some absurdity of nature, with grotesque faces and limbs. Next to them, the monks were fluffy little kittens. “Well, possibly,” she admitted, raising a leg to kick the youma again.

It spun around, then swung up into the air as if on strings, flying into the wall next to its remaining companion. Mars destroyed them both with a gesture. “Youma,” she said quietly, “or something else. What could be so important to create these creatures, if they're not our enemies?”

“Uh, Mars?” Alex sounded surprised.

“Hai? What is it now?”

“Trespasser! Infidel!” Four more monks - shaven heads and all, exact replicas of the other four down to their toenails - stamped up towards her, looking just as pissed. Mars did a double take, and a step back.

“I didn't mean to trespass at all!” Clenching her fist, she began as calmly as possible towards the exit, head held high; her coolest expression on her face. It usually served to scare her father's idiot groupies out of her way, and ordinary society into general obeisance, and she hoped it would work here. “Now please, if I am trespassing, allow me to leave.”

“But you wouldn't come here without a reason! The signs clearly tell all unbelievers to stay out!” the head monk snapped, shuffling quickly to stand in her way, not at all unnerved by her glare. “We saw you attack our fellow worshippers; how dare you lie!”

“Nani!? I attacked them? They attacked me without warning!” she snapped back, though her eyes flickered to see the other three monks circle around her like wolves, effectively trapping her. “I merely entered because I felt a disturbance. A source of evil! Is that what you worship in this shrine, a malicious force?”

Deciding to prepare this time, Mars began to draw power to her hand. She'd strike the monk - the youma - in front of her first, opening a path for her to run. If they were indeed some sort of guardians, she doubted they'd follow her outside of the shrine; all she had to do was run faster than them.

They were staring at her with undisguised glee as she began to call her attack, and found she couldn't move. Her limbs were frozen as if in lead; her power dried up like a streambed beneath the hot sun. Instant paralysis; it terrified her. Internally, she screamed, unable to move her lips to do it vocally, catching the flicker of a brighter light against the walls - the ruby.

”Mars? Mars, what are you doing? I can hear you screaming,” she heard Alex whisper into her ear, as she tried to at least roll her eyes, flutter her eyelashes, do something.

I can't move I can't move I can't I can't….

The monks were slapping her down, throwing her onto the floor, though she still couldn't move her own arms or legs to defend herself. One punched her in the stomach, and as she fell, she almost couldn't breathe. “Mars!”
She heard the monks shouting as they were thrown around like leaves in a strong wind, hitting the walls and the floor. “A demon! The girl holds a demon to her bidding!”

“Destroy the demon!”

“Send it back to the hells it was called from!”

More shouting; two flew across her line of sight, smashing into a wall and taking a tapestry down with them. Obviously, Alex couldn't do anything else, or she would have turned into them piles of ash, as Mars had done. She also suspected the tall red-head was probably using them as a form of stress relief, which she honestly couldn't blame her for. “A demon? I've been considered worse!” the tall red-head laughed, sending another monk airborne.

Then the chanting started, and Mars heard a sudden scream of pain. Alex. Inwardly, Mars cursed, trying with all her might to move her fingers, her fear turning into rage; if they could hurt a spirit, there was no telling what they could do to her. The chanting continued as she managed to twitch, and she heard her mentor beginning to moan.

“Stop it! Leave her alone!” Someone landed in front of her, taking up a defensive stance. “I've watched you bully them for long enough!”

Whoever it was, they leapt forward, swinging a long staff. The monks fell like domino under the wide swing, hitting the floor with unpleasant knocks of their heads. She doubted they'd be getting up again. She also realized she could move, and struggled to sit up, taking a good look at her rescuer as he came to her aid; a boy, barely older than she was. He was dressed in a white tunic and loose pants, his hair and skin a light brown; but his eyes were blue. And they were focused on her in a way that made her feel oddly comfortable. “Are you all right?”

“I…I am now,” she stammered, then immediately inwardly cursed at herself. What was she doing? He was just a boy, for the love of the kami. She had no time for men, especially men who would be just like all the rest; cold, uncaring, and eventually gone. Setting herself coldly, she attempted to sit up straighter. “I was attacked by those monks, merely for entering this shrine. I don't understa—“ Her arms gave out, and she flopped ungraciously onto her hip. “I don't understand,” she continued almost viciously, “why they would do such a thing.”

“Because they are the monks of the Takra Kuhp temple,” he replied levelly. “You need to leave this place. You've been hurt.”

“Of course I need to leave. But I'm just…just…” Why was the world turning foggy? “Just…” She thought the boy reminded her of someone, which was laughable. She didn't know any men she'd want to remember in such a fashion, yet he definitely reminded her of one. A touch of a cold hand, almost tender, against her cheek. “…fine,” she whispered at last, as her eyes shut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She woke up in a stiflingly hot room, which was, to her, comforting; she was used to such heat. But the bed was too soft and uncomfortable, the blankets thick and heavy. Rolling over as she kicked the blankets back with bare feet, she saw the cluttered room she was in; wall scones for light, a fireplace, a grill pit in the middle, rugs and bookcases and decorative wall hangings. It was so crammed to capacity that she wondered if she wasn't simply within a one-room home, with all of their belongings.

“Ah! How are you feeling? Are you fully awake now?” The boy came walking in, carrying a jug of water. Beside him was Alex, and at the sight of her, Mars's mouth dropped open in unconcealed surprise.

It was as if she was seeing the tall red-head through a dirty piece of glass; she was sketchy, dully-coloured, and fairly translucent. But she could see her, which, from what Alex had described earlier, wasn't possible so long as she was split apart into four. “I…I think I'm feeling better,” she said slowly, touching her temple.

“That's excellent! Your familiar seemed very worried about you,” he replied, motioning back at the tall red-head, who was standing with her hands in her trenchcoat pockets. She had dressed herself in the coat, a red button-down shirt, black slacks, and her boots, which made her look like the devil's advocate indeed. Mars suspected it was on purpose. “Though her words are foreign to me, I suspected concern.”

“Foreign? But she speaks the same language as me….” Mars said, then trailed off, brow furrowing in puzzlement. Alex was, of course, not a native Japanese speaker, but around the girls she used it exclusively, knowing they were terrible English speakers. And her Japanese was excellent; it should have been perfectly understandable, if the boy could understand her.

Of course, he shouldn't have been able to understand either of them, come to think of it, unless his village happened to offer a course in Japanese. Or the monks. And if he understood English, which was slightly possible, Alex could have communicated with him easily.

After a moment's thought, she just gave up. It probably had to do with the magic of her transformation, because the kami knew Hino Rei knew no Nepalese or even Indian language. She couldn't even ask for the bathroom in Nepali if her life depended on it. And it hadn't even struck her as unusual earlier, during her confrontation with the monks. That annoyed her. “Ah, well, yes. Foreign. Well, she does speak a, ah, demonic tongue. But I've bound her thoroughly to me, don't worry. She won't hurt you.” She gestured carelessly, noting Alex's smirk, and, to her surprise, a solemn bow, fist to her heart.

The boy saw this and nodded sagely, setting down his water. “I wasn't worried. Only a bound and loyal servant would show such concern. Oh! But I'm being rude.” He gestured to himself, then gave his own bow. “My name is Faregg. I'm pleased to meet you.”

“My name is Mars. Sailor Mars. Hajimemashite,” she replied, sliding out of bed to bow properly in return, low enough to show her full respect for his help.

“An unusual name, Mars. And what is your servant's name? Or is that forbidden for any lesser individuals to learn?” Faregg inquired earnestly, turning to look at the tall red-head, who was now standing at attention, hands clasped behind her.

She answered instead of Mars, saying, “LeBeau,” and nothing else.

Faregg nodded, then turned back to the dark-haired shrine girl. “I would be pleased if you continued to rest in my home. I have to visit the elder's house; I will be back soon. I've brought you fresh water to drink, but I have nothing to eat right now.” So saying, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Mars merely frowned, then slid on her heels. No man was going to tell her what to do, politely worded or not. Even if he did continue to remind her of someone that made her heart beat faster; maybe even especially for that reason would she ignore him. “What happened to you, Alex-san?” she asked as she walked away from the bed.

“They tried to exorcise me.” The tall red-head didn't look very pleased. “Idiots. Though I should have realized they'd try it. It hurt like hell, and I was lucky they didn't get to finish it. On the up side, though, the kid thinks I'm just a lowly servant, and didn't try to destroy me either.”

“One could only wonder why,” Mars replied coolly, though in truth she was glad to see her well. “Faregg is his name?”

“Oui. I guess he has his own special sense; he knew you were in danger, though from what I can conjecture, that temple isn't very nice to begin with. He decided to be the hero and rescue you from what he felt was certain death.” Alex said it all in a rather bored tone of voice, folding her arms. She could see Mars and her warring expression out of the corner of her eye, however; it matched the turbulent emotions she could feel radiating from her. That in itself was worrisome, considering the dark-haired shrine girl was a vociferous denouncer of all creatures with testicles, on the hour, every hour. She probably cursed them in her sleep, for all Alex knew.

And yet, she now seemed to be dealing with a crush, or at least a passing dalliance with one. Interesting.

“That was very brave of him,” Mars said flatly, appearing to regain her usual aloofness. “But that doesn't mean I'll allow him to tell me what to do. I won't stay here. We have to find the Hi stone, and quickly.”

“Of course. It's not as if you're that badly hurt,” Alex agreed mildly, amused to see Mars stiffen in outrage at the implication.

“Iie! I'm not an invalid at all! How dare he imply that I am!” The dark-haired shrine girl stalked towards the door, steam all but visible off her head. “I won't be treated like a victim!” She didn't see Alex's smirk as she left the house, not even noting the fact that it was indeed a one-room residence as she had suspected. She just wanted out. Without bothering to ask, she veered left, and began to question the first villager she saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the end of the hour, she felt oddly drained. Everyone she came up to had, instead of an answer she wanted, a philosophical one; usually to the effect that she had to recognize her heart, strong as it was. Strength did not equate warmth. Most of them had entirely ignored her questions about the stone in the temple - which, she had realized in a pique of fury, wasn't even in this village - and had simply told her about her heart. They also had acted oddly to Alex; instead of being afraid, or even wary, they simply bowed, made a warding gesture, and continued on their way. “I think they're used to spirits wandering around,” the tall red-head had commented after the third time it happened.

“If they are, it proves they're more spiritually attuned than most of my associates,” Mars had replied flatly. “Which is not a difficult task.”

The last man they finally walked up to had an oddly faraway look in his eyes as he sat on his front step. He didn't even look up at them as they stopped, though he did say - more or less towards the ground - “Your heart is strong, but it is imprisoned behind a wall of your own making. You must overcome this hatred to be free.”

For the love of the kami….if she wasn't so sternly disciplined, she'd be stamping her foot in a childish trantrum. Why did they persist in repeating the same thing to her? Had they planned this, before she woke up? “I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in that,” she said stiffly. “I would like to ask you about a stone -“

“The stone is where it has always been, as Jadeite-sama had prepared long ago. He disliked prisons. Always was he kind and compassionate, a strong heart free of bondage. That is what you should aspire to be. Like Jadeite-sama.” And without another word, he got up, stared at them both with those vacant eyes - dark chocolate brown, just like everyone else - and went inside his house and shut the door in their faces.

After a minute, Alex said, “Well, at least we did find out one thing.”

“And what would that be? That my heart is apparently a prison, with walls as high as China's wall?” Mars questioned angrily.

“I knew that already, and so did you. I meant that at least we know where we are; the woman across the village said we were in Yaga.”

Mars settled her hands on her hips, fixing her mentor with a cold glare that was tempered by her tired sigh. “How does that help us? Aside from knowing that we're in Yaga village, and now, that Jadeite existed here, no one will tell us anything.”

Alex shrugged, glancing around the village and its few wandering inhabitants, all of whom had told them the same thing. “Maybe we should find that Faregg kid again.”

“Perhaps,” Mars replied with a frown. She walked briskly towards the last woman they had questioned, who was now drawing water from the communal well in the center of the village. “Sumimasen ga, I have another question.”

This time, the woman looked up at her and said, “Yes?” as if she had not just spoken with Mars barely fifteen minutes ago. She set her jug carefully down, full to the brim, and regarded the dark-haired shrine girl with polite curiousity.

Smiling politely, Mars queried, “Do you know a boy named Faregg?”

“Faregg? Yes. He is the village elder's grandson.” She pointed towards a larger house near the back of the village, decorated with more subtle colours and craftsmanship than the rest of the buildings. “He is the last of their venerable line. In place of the star, his family leads us.”

“In place of the star?” The dark-haired shrine girl blinked.

“Yes. The star who once led us. When he left us, we were cast into darkness. Soon, we hope to be released into the cycle once again. To be with him.” With an easy swing, she put the jug onto her shoulder, walking away, and leaving Mars to stare after her.

“The star….what could she mean?”

Alex shrugged. “Maybe they called their leaders `stars.' Does it matter?”

“Iie…I suppose not.” The dark-haired shrine girl shook her head, as if to clear it of her disturbing thoughts, and cast her gaze towards the house. “We need to talk to Faregg. If he is indeed still with the elder, then perhaps I can finally receive some answers to these obviously difficult questions.”

Walking over, they found that, close up, the house also looked older than its companions; its weather-worn exterior made no attempts to hide, despite the ornamentation, as if to stand venerable and proud of its age. In such a climate, it probably was a mark of honour. But if it was truly the house of the elder, it had no other telltale signs, and it was with a bit of impatience that Mars knocked on the door.

It swung open to reveal a middle-aged man, dressed in a furry tunic and with the worst teeth Mars had ever seen shown in a pleasant smile he probably gave to everyone as a courtesy. “The elder is busy right now, please return later,” he said along with it.

“Gomen nasai, but I wished to speak to him and Faregg at once. Is this possible?” Mars queried in return, bowing politely, but not low enough to accord him her full respect. Consequently, she caught the puzzled look he gave her as she straightened back up; he was either surprised she understood him and could speak his language, or surprised to see her dressed in such skimpy clothing, or maybe, he was just slow to catch on.

He finally shook his head, saying again, “The elder is busy right now. He requested privacy for this discussion.”

Mars smiled, though inwardly she was seething. Though she had grown up with her grandfather in a simple shrine, she had been taught in a rigorously enforced environment, and was therefore quickly driven to irritation by those in such menial positions. Anyone with common sense should have at least given her an invitation inside to wait, or respectfully turned her away. Though she did have to concede that she was currently standing in a village thousands of miles away from home, where they probably herded livestock for a living instead of dealing with politicians or popular culture. He wouldn't know proper protocol if it bit him.

She was rapidly feeling her calm from being in the land of Buddha draining away.

With a sigh, she bowed again. “Thank you for telling me. I will wait; but may I wait inside? The cold is beginning to chill my bones.” She rubbed her arms for effect, though it was a partial truth; even through the magic of her transformation she could feel the cold creeping into her skin. The walk through the village had hardly been comfortable, and she had begun to feel chilly some time ago. “I will not disturb the elder at his conversation.”

He ran his eyes over her blatantly, though he seemed to be almost innocent in his attention; now she was positive her clothing was some source of amusement. “You must feel very cold indeed in such garments. Do all foreign women dress in such skimpy fabrics?” he asked as he stepped aside, motioning her in; Alex he simply avoided, pressing as far back against the door as possible.

“Not if they can help it,” Mars replied flatly, looking around the large room, obviously a gathering place; a second doorway led to what was most likely the sleeping area, where the elder was speaking to Faregg. She could faintly hear their voices. “So, Faregg is the elder's grandson, ne?”

“Ah, yes. He is a bright boy, as bright as the stars. He has the magic in his blood.”

“Those stars again!” the dark-haired shrine girl muttered beneath her breath, watching Alex wander in a casual dally towards the brazier set in the middle of the room. Its heat was just as stifling and comfortable as the blazing flames of her shrine, and she unconsciously held out her hand, palm up, towards its warmth.

The man's curious stare was boring into the space between her shoulder blades, however; it was such an obvious look that she felt a serious urge to turn and curse his eyes. But being a curiousity was simply part and parcel of being a sailor soldier, she was beginning to realize, and so she ignored it with some effort, continuing to hold out her hand. She imagined she could see the flames respond, though of course they wouldn't, not in the manner she was accustomed; this was not the sanctuary of her kami.

“How long have you been in our country?” she heard him question next, and she grimaced. May the kami save her from such idle chatter, and soon.

“Only a few hours.” Her tone was clipped and dismissive; but apparently, he didn't get the hint, as he expected her to expound upon the topic, she could tell. The uneasy silence was a good indicator, and what precious little time had been spent in her father's company had taught her volumes about polite discourse. Those type of silences usually meant an almost childish need for the speaker to keep going, despite their reticence, and she had no intention of starting now.

Alex was staring past her with a mild hint of amusement, most likely watching the man squirm. Then, in a familiar sweep, she gestured with her left hand. “You don't need to ask her any more questions,” she murmured.

“I don't need to ask her anymore questions,” the man mumbled behind her.

Again, the gesture. “She's no one interesting.”

“She's no one interesting.”

“She can go about her…business.” If Mars didn't know any better, she'd swear the tall red-head was trying not to start laughing.

She turned her head curiously to find the man shaking his once, as if waking up from a disorienting dream; then, he nodded to her, back in control of his faculties. “You can go about your business. Good day.” And with that, he turned and walked right back out the door, closing it behind him.

“Alex-san!” Mars snapped, rounding on her mentor in annoyance. “What did you do to him?”

Alex was definitely laughing now, though she collected herself enough to say, “Just gave him some suggestions, that's all. Besides,” she added, straightening her coat, “you looked like you wanted to kill him. I figured this method would save me the trouble of bribery and having to hide the body.”

Mars exhaled in exasperation, eyeing the second door.

It wasn't a closed doorway; it had nothing blocking it off from the main room except for a hide draped across for she supposed modesty. A simple matter to walk through. And by the growing silence coming from the room itself, she could assume they were most likely finished with their conversation.

So she walked over and brushed the hide aside, grimacing a bit at the sensation - being Shinto, she was also very much the practicing vegetarian - and stepped inside to find a surprisingly cooler room. The brazier was barely lit, little more than a glow of dying coals, and the old man standing next to the bed looked to be snug in his woolen shirt and pants. Next to him, Faregg had donned a second shirt; obviously, the cooler air was not to his liking. “Mars,” he greeted her, though without much enthusiasm. Clearly, the conversation had not gone well.

“So, this is the young girl you rescued? She should have been strong on her own…and a spirit, as well!” The elder stepped forward, and now they could see the walking stick that he held firmly in his hand, keeping his frail body upright. “Well, Sailor Mars, are you feeling better?”

Mars stepped further into the room, feeling the unearthly sensation of Alex close to her back; she fought back a shiver, knowing it wasn't her fault. If it had been her own body and soul rent apart, she would have been furious, knowing she was merely two parts of what should have been a whole. And yet, the tall red-head was able to make herself useful.

She bowed formally to the elder, showing her gratitude. “Hai, much better. I'm grateful to you both for your kindness. Am I correct in thinking I am addressing the elder of Yaga Village?”

“You are.” He smiled gruffly at her, and she smiled without thinking in return, warmed by the cheerful resemblance to her grandfather. The man even looked like her ojii-san, bald head and all, if a taller, skinnier model. Then his eyes left her, and focused past her shoulder. “And what am I to call your spirit? Is she servant or slave?”

“You can call her anything she likes, so long as it doesn't involve liturgical Latin,” Alex muttered under her breath. Mars refrained from glaring at her, knowing by both men's placid expressions that they still couldn't understand her - which she was beginning to find odd, as Alex obviously could understand them.

“She answers to `LeBeau,'” she said lightly. “And she is no slave to anyone. Perhaps, no magic exists.” Behind her, she heard Alex sniff, presumably in derision. “I certainly have not yet found it, which is a pity, as it could certainly be useful.” The sniff turned into a choked snort.

Faregg nodded, staring at Alex as well. “Well, you certainly have your protection. But why would a lone girl invade the solitude of the temple and all its dangers?”

Apparently, the monks terrorized more than just girls in short skirts. That was not a comforting thought.

She considered for a moment, wondering if she could tell them the truth, or at least a version of it; that she was searching for Jadeite's Hi stone, that she had sensed darkness within the temple, that she could banish that darkness with a power that had her on the edge of disgust at home. After another moment, she dismissed the notion. “It's…not an easy secret to reveal,” she hedged, allowing her eyes to drift away and catch the elder's. “I don't believe I can tell you right now.”

“Then why are you here, young one? For it's obvious you come from a different land. And even though we understand your words, they've been shaped by foreign lips.” The elder resettled himself against his cane, staring at her curiously.

That was at least an easier one to fudge. “A friend is ill, and I came here searching for a stone to ease his sickness. It's…ah….” Maybe not so easy. She didn't want to mention Jadeite's name, not yet.

“It's a green jade,” Alex murmured.

“A type of green jade, yes. I've come to find it.”

Both men exchanged curious looks, and she was certain they'd call her bluff. Instead, Faregg remarked, “You won't find very much jade here, I'm afraid. Perhaps we could ask the elder of the Takra Kuhp temple if they know of your stone.”

The Takra Kuhp…wasn't that the temple he had rescued her from, had just told her of its dangers? And he'd willingly take her back into that lion's den? “But I thought….you said it was dangerous!” she exclaimed against her better sense.

“It is, for the lone girl, or those who would do the temple harm. Women are not generally allowed. But I'll go with you, of course.” Faregg said this with the utmost simplicity, and Mars had to swallow her general sense of disbelief that he hadn't taken the opportunity to mock her helplessness. To offer to be her `protection,' when she was fully capable of protecting herself. She had been braced for it, and she probably would have left without another word if he had indeed said it.

And there was still the disturbing sense of ease she had around him. Of being so comfortable around a boy she'd just met…and his eyes, kami-sama….what was wrong with her? She was Hino Rei, not some flighty little girl off the street. She was stronger than this.

“Fine,” she snapped at last, more angry at herself and her body's betrayal than for his kind help. And she was going to flatly ignore the contemplative way her mentor was staring at her as they left, because there was no question that she was perfectly. Fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as they left the sanctuary of the village and its stone walls, Faregg turned towards her. “There is another reason I wanted to come,” he said quietly.

“Feel the need to protect my innocence? Don't bother, then. Return to your village and your bed.” Mars folded her arms, glaring sharply enough to cut. “I am a sailor soldier and a miko of my shrine. I can defend myself against all the shades in jigoku, if necessary.”

He merely shook his head, then pointed out towards the sparse grasses.

She felt it, before she saw; a sudden frisson of danger, the cold flash of insight. The presence of a familiar dark magic, making itself known. It was not one youma, but two, and they uncurled curious long limbs and bat-like wings, flashing their claws. “Shimatta,” she whispered, watching it happen.

“They followed us all the way to Nepal,” Alex said flatly beside her. “Persistent bastards.”

“They are why I wished to follow you. You seem strong and able, but these unusual creatures have always arrived in pairs, or sometimes even more. A lone girl and her spirit would find it tiring to defeat such odds.” Faregg un-looped what looked like a set of bolos and expertly began twirling them as the youma turned their way.

Mars turned away from the sight of his hand working smoothly to twirl his weapon, facing the two grotesque creatures as they trod forward. Calming herself, she called power to her hands, throwing them up in a gesture of attack as she shouted, “Burning Mandela!”

The spinning rings of fire smashed into the youma and threw them backwards, though their wings snapped to catch the air and send them airborne before they could land. Out of the corner of her eye, Mars watched her mentor lift her eyes to watch them fly, several rocks lifted and flung with the strange power of her mind. They pelted the youma harshly, and they swung higher to avoid being hit, only to find that Alex's ability could follow them.

When they decided to maneuver lower, Faregg let his bolos fly. They entangled around the hindmost creature's wing and arm, dropping it like a stone; crippled, it howled in outrage as it crashed. The wind began to pick up as it voiced its disapproval, spinning dust and dead grasses into their faces. “I don't dare send my flames in such a wind!” Mars shouted, shielding her face with her crossed arms.

“I like the idea of bashing its head in. After all, they can't exactly hurt me while I'm walking around like some damned Marley's ghost.” The tall red-head was simply glaring at the youma, standing straight as various bits flew through her body.

The second youma chose that moment to dive.

Unfortunately, it seemed to be one of the more lack witted varities of creature. Alex merely glanced around in surprise as it fell right through her and hit the ground hard enough to not only leave an impression in the dirt, but to bury its head several centimetres down. Mars and Faregg, having dove for cover, stared at her and the creature partially buried at her feet in a silent moment of shock.

For her part, Alex just groaned. With a gesture, she pulled the youma out of its sinkhole, and flung it towards its companion in a tangle of limbs and broken wings. They collided and went rolling for several metres, which, at least, did stop the wind. “I think I've just been insulted somehow,” she said flatly, dropping her hand. “Knock `em dead, Mars.”

“Mars Snake Fire!” the dark-haired shrine girl replied, watching with satisfaction as both creatures vanished into ash and off on the breeze. Faregg brushed past her as he trotted to grab his bolos, which, surprisingly, hadn't been turned into charcoal by her flames. “I wonder why they were so easy to defeat.”

“Besides the fact they were dumb as doornails? I have no idea. I'll have to contemplate this matter further as we make our way to the temple,” Alex replied drolly.

Mars glared at her. “Well, then, perhaps I will contemplate myself the matter of how you can understand these people, and yet not understood. Since you have not told me yourself, I presume something insidious.”

Faregg was scattering what ashes remained in the grass, his bolos in hand. Alex glanced off at him, then rolled her eyes. “I can understand them because I can catch the emotional subtext of their words. They don't understand me because I'm not a sailor soldier with the magic to understand every spoken word. And despite what you may think, I do attempt to refrain from mucking around in other people's heads without a reason.”

“Without a reason? And what reasons are those? Moral, philosophical?” Mars queried acidly, uncomfortably reminded again of what her mentor could do. Though if she was honest with herself, it was not far and away from her own psychic powers, and what she could theoretically do with them, if she tried. The lives she could influence and ruin…

The tall red-head merely narrowed her eyes, setting her mouth in an almost mocking smile. “My own. Had enough of the moral and philosophical reasons. If it saves my ass, I'll do it; I might be around for an unearthly long time, but that doesn't mean I want to die all the faster.” She quirked a brow. “Does that satisfy you?”

Mars was saved from having to reply as Faregg returned, saying without preamble, “I've scattered their remains properly. They shouldn't return.”

“But they will, all the same. We need to continue.” The dark-haired shrine girl turned away from Alex and looked towards the boy for directions. “Please, let's go.”

Faregg complied by starting to walk, apparently unaware of the discomfort radiating from his flesh companion. And it was definitely discomfort, Mars had to admit, as she trudged and oftentimes tripped alongside him. She could see the tall red-head just behind her, hands in her coat pockets, walking with her head bowed as if she were either deep in thought or merely content to watch the ground beneath her boots. Mars couldn't fathom the depths of her mind, and she didn't want to.

And she didn't like it. She appreciated the American for her wit and her intelligence, and her almost absurdly easy lifestyle, but there were things hiding beneath her surface that made her uncomfortable. So many unanswered questions; an entire life unspoken. And none of it was of a nature she could even find her own conclusions to.

She had managed one very trying day to work with her father's influence at the American embassy to find any kind of record of the woman behind her. Her father was respected - a fact that still turned her stomach - and they had accepted her questions with minimal effort, because what could she possibly do with the information? There hadn't even been much; only that an Alexandria M. T. LeBeau had in fact resided in New York State at an exclusive private school for several years, and was listed as a graduate from over two years ago. In fact, the record had abruptly stopped at age fourteen, where it mentioned an adoption and the legal change of her name to LeBeau, her father's name. Nothing else existed before that, and she was suspicious enough to suspect something was being covered up.

Alex was also, apparently, recently turned twenty-three - the papers had given her a birth date as well, though she had kept that to herself. She remembered with some irony what had happened on that date thousands of years ago, and wondered if a volcanic eruption wasn't somehow prophetic. All of it simply conspired to make her more curious.

It didn't mean she had no trust, however. She did trust her, when it counted, and usually when it meant she was in danger. No matter what, the tall red-head was excellent at protecting them, or at least trying, and what fighting they had practiced had been far and beyond even her ojii-san's skill. As if she had more than two lifetimes crammed into her head. And she was a skilled conversationalist who appreciated Rei's intelligence when almost no one else did. She seemed to understand many things the dark-haired shrine girl couldn't share with anyone else, even if she layered it in subtext and jest.

But her powers, her admitted casual disregard of morals for her own safety; and so much else that lay behind those lapis blue eyes. Mars trusted her with the experience of two lifetimes of companionship, but she disliked mystery. She hated secrets.

A shiver running down her spine told her of another youma, and she turned as Faregg let out a gasp. They were appearing off towards their left flank, a triplicate of ugly creatures with elongated faces and long, spindly arms, their bodies covered in spines. “I don't believe we'll be so lucky this time, Sailor Mars,” Faregg commented as he began to swing his bolos.

“We never are, when facing such creatures. Burning Mandela!”

All three scattered, dropping on all fours to run around the flames and straight at them like hounds. Faregg grabbed Mars by the elbow and pulled her down with him as two youma dove right at them, and over, landing with an audible thump on the dirt. The third went right through Alex as she stood there, only to be swung back by an invisible string and thrown across the grass. It flew for some distance; they didn't even hear it land. Both of its companions wasted barely a second as they attempted to rip the tall red-head's skull off her shoulders, narrowly missing one another as they of course missed her.

Faregg's bolos spun through the air, wrapping securely around their left and right hands, still upraised; the sudden motion yanked them together, knocking their heads soundly. “Huuu-mans,” one of them hissed, baring its teeth.

“For our queen, we would have your energy. For ourselves, we will have your death!” the second snarled, pulling its companion as it swiped its claws at Faregg.

Mars's flames scorched its hand as she released her attack, but these youma were not entirely stupid; the second thrust its body around, pulling its companion away from the fire as it swept in to catch the dark-haired shrine girl unaware, claws leaving a perfect line of triplicate rips across her bodice. She screamed, more in surprise than in pain, and thrust her hands into its face. “Fire Soul!”

And then the third youma brought her down.

As she twisted against the dirt, pinned by the weight of the creature on her back, she heard Faregg's pained howl. Angry and helpless, she clenched her fists, gathering her strength. She despised being the victim; she would not tolerate it. Already Faregg had rescued her once this day, and she wouldn't allow him to be the hero again, not when she was perfectly capable of getting herself free.

She summoned her magic as she heard the youma speaking, threatening her and Faregg if Alex attempted to hurt them; she wondered if the boy could understand them, though the intended threat transcended language. The youma pressed down painfully on her head, claws cutting into her flesh, and she opened her hands, unfolding her fingers to release the fire writhing within her palms. Snakes of flame, they slithered up through the air on her command, striking with lethal precision the youma's eyes.

The howl was unearthly.

Something wet and sticky dripped onto her head as the weight let up; she rolled onto her back to see the creature holding its face, screaming its agony as its eyes melted. Falling back onto her shoulders, she kicked up, throwing the youma away from her. “Your queen is long vanquished, youma,” she announced as she stood up, lifting her hands to call power. The two surrounding Faregg visibly flinched as she said this, and she continued on: “Queen Beryl is dead. Queen Metallia has been destroyed. The Dark Kingdom of your birth is rubble.”

Raising her palms, she said, “I am Sailor Mars. Look upon my face, and know I was victor, not victim. Mars Snake Fire!”

All three vanished into ash as her power burst from her fingertips, startling even her; the heat was shocking, though so controlled that not a single hair on Faregg's head singed. He stumbled back and away as his captor disappeared, howling their agony into the wind. This time, his bolos didn't survive.

Alex watched the ash wind away on the breeze before fixing Mars with a curious look. “They must have really pissed you off.”

“Hai,” Mars agreed curtly, touching her wounds. They stung now, as her adrenaline faded, and she longed to clean the dirt out of them. “I'm tired of finding myself the victim. Perhaps I was also growing complacent, after so many months of peace.”

“You were never a victim, Sailor Mars. Not with your inner strength.” Faregg stared at her frankly, then touched a fist to his chest. “It's merely your heart that flinches at the sight of adversity.”

“The state of my heart,” the dark-haired shrine girl snapped, “is none of your concern. Nobody's concern at all. Now, are we coming close to the village? I would like the answers to my questions before the sun sets.”

Faregg didn't seem offended by her tone, but did wisely shut up. Instead, he just pointed towards the rocky walls that rose about half a kilometre away, and said simply, “Yes.”

“Good.”

Taking it as initiative, the boy began to walk again, and Mars fell into pace behind him, stewing. She was aware she was behaving almost rudely when Faregg didn't deserve it, but her trip so far had conspired to do nothing but anger her. Her heart was no one's affair; it was safe, behind the walls she had erected long ago in protection. There was no key, not even a door. She never planned to allow it to open, and she wasn't going to start now.

She was Hino Rei, and she needed no one to share her secrets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sin tapped a foot, staring in irritation at her rust-haired associate as she continued to imitate a statue. “Nergal,” she said for the fifth time, just a tad louder than the last. Though this was pissing her off to no end, this waiting to be acknowledged as if she were the peon and not the other way around, she wouldn't dare push it. Not when she valued her life more than that.

Nergal was, out of all of them, the least changed. Her moments of levity were many, and usually accompanied by a cold stare that chilled them all. She wasn't necessarily psychotic, but she kept herself so rigidly controlled, so perfectly contained, that she may as well have been. The one fight she'd had with Marduk, of all people, had ended up with the deadwood-haired brunette up against the wall, Nergal's hand at her throat, squeezing until Marduk was apple cheeked and hardly rosy. Apsu had been the only one to call her off; she ignored everyone else, even backhanded Sin away.

It was scary to think of Nergal without her powers, merely rage.

But of course, it was that rage that had caught Apsu's eye, as the girl Nergal had been went running mad through the revived city, taking out her aggression on whomever was close. Perhaps the Ginzuishou had done it, remaking her in a broken fashion; or perhaps she had always been so angry. She never told them. She merely ran amok in those new days, denouncing the shining queen and her policies as she mourned her mother, another of the unsaved.

Once she calmed down, however, she was almost Zen-like. It was sickening, and rather frightening. It also didn't take very much to set her off again, which meant Sin and the others were often left to tiptoe around her.

“Hai, Sin?”

The ponytailed blonde nearly jumped at the soft sound of Nergal's voice. The rust-haired girl had opened her eyes to stare at her, unfolding her limbs as she climbed out of the alcove she had settled herself into; and in such a magnificent temple, there were many. She was part of the damned scenery, for the love of the kami. “Nergal, if I had sent you here to imitate Buddha, I would have mentioned it,” Sin replied flatly, folding her arms. She may have been scared shitless at the prospect of violence from Nergal, but damned if she'd show fear.

“In the land of Buddha, I feel peace. Besides, I have a long time to wait for my opponent, ne? Sailor Mars will not approach me so quickly.” The rust-haired girl reached back to draw her ponytail over her shoulder, idly braiding sections of it.

“But that doesn't mean complacency. They made fools of us at Juuban; we can't afford to allow it to happen again! You must keep an eye on our awakened creatures, place them appropriately in her path.” Shaking her head, the ponytailed blonde frowned. “There's something odd about these villages…a quiet secret.”

Nergal smiled, thumbing her lip. “Of course there is. The blonde king was wise in his methods. Sailor Mars does not work alone. But it matters not; she'll arrive at my feet, and I will destroy her, my opponent.” Thoughtfully, she added, “Though I do admit to regret that we can never talk of our passions. She was always the strongest in spirit, and in faith.”

Sin scowled, tapping her foot; on the stone tile floors, she could hear her boot heel ring like a bell far, far away. “She was also the coldest, cruelest, and harshest! Sailor Mars, the great Shinto maiden, pure and perfect; this is our mission, to prove that she's only human, and not someone special,” she retorted, clenching her fist. “None of them are!”

“Sou yo; cold, cruel, and harsh, in a similar world. But her faith was always pure.” Nergal lifted her hand, gesturing around them. “Look at this shrine, created in such devotion. One does not need to be Shinto, nor Buddhist, to respect what humanity can create in love. This is what Neo Queen Serenity took from us; a choice to keep our passions. In this way, the Black Moon was correct. The Ginzuishou has power, but in her hands, she merely keeps us from attaining our dreams.”

She spun around like a dancer, arms spread wide to encompass the world. “Perfection, Sin! What is passion without flaws? What is devotion without need? What is our world like, after being molded by her power? A lovely glass bauble, begging to be broken.” Sliding to a stop, she smiled wider. “The ability of a Shinto maiden to reconcile her love of nature with the love of a woman who blatantly molded the world into her image is interesting to me. Is she the two-faced Janus? Or does she truly not understand her faith?”

“Nergal, you're talking nonsense. The woman - the girl - is like everyone else; a liar, and a manipulator. Understand that, and do this task.” The ponytailed blonde gestured, disappearing to leave Nergal alone in the echoing, empty shrine.

The smile fled from her lips, leaving her face as cold as the winter snow. “Sailor Mars,” she whispered, content to listen to her words echo, until they were whispers in the darkness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The village looked different as they approached, the sinking sun casting shadows across the cliff walls that speckled the stone with hidden colour. Even through the crooked path, Mars could see more people walking the dirt streets, many of them monks in their ubiquitous orange robes, carrying baskets and various goods. “The village of Lasa,” Faregg announced quietly as they stopped just outside the walls. “It is much more holy than my village of Yaga, as the site of the Takra Kuhp Temple.”

“Which is the reason we've come here, of course,” Mars replied, watching the monks as they walked by, their robes loose and free, far less restrained than her own miko robe with its layers. “Can we just walk in, as I did last time?”
Faregg didn't quite surprise her as he shook his head in the negative. “They won't allow such a brazen woman to enter this time. You need to put on the coverings of a proper woman, cover your legs. We'll have to find you some leggings, a robe.”

Now she was surprised. Completely taken unaware, she simply gaped at him, before collecting enough of her senses to shut her mouth tight. “How? This is my sailor suit; I have no other clothing. And if I were to de-transform, my school uniform is no better! And how am I to buy these leggings, or a robe? I have no money.”

Alex wandered into her line of sight, critically looking her over. “I could maybe change your suit into a shirt and pants, but it would be risky; you're just not wearing enough to compensate. Maybe if Faregg could get you that robe, we could just drape it over the rough spots.”

The dark-haired shrine girl eyed her uncomfortably, glancing down at her suit despite herself. “And just how could you `change' this into different clothing?”

“Rearrange the molecules. How do you think I `transform'?”

Faregg, hearing only one side of the conversation, looked at Mars curiously. Then he stared at Alex, whose shrug and gesturing was all he understood. Then he queried, “Doesn't your spirit have magic? How else would she do such a thing?”

Mars set her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “I wouldn't call it `magic,' Faregg-san. A unique talent, perhaps.” She received an annoyed glare from the tall red-head in return.

They finally decided, after a half hour of arguing, a quarter of which consisted of translating between Alex and Faregg, they decided that the boy should go and buy a suitably plain robe for Mars to wear. The other two would wait for him, as he claimed it wouldn't be long, and he trotted off into Lasa proper.

As they waited, Mars sitting down on a reasonably clean rock, she asked, “Why does my magic allow me to understand, and be understood in turn? It seems superfluous to the transformation.”

“I don't know. I do know that the magic has been there for as long as anyone remembers. And it's useful enough; you don't realize how many different languages existed in the Silver Millennium, even on the Moon itself. Even if everyone at least had a grasp of the common language, the different dialects and regional accents and regional speech was hell. I had to personally retrieve the knowledge of about twenty different planetary languages just so I could discuss politics and idiot small talk with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the kingdom.” Alex shook her head, folding her arms. “It was hell. I can be charming when it calls for it, but those parties always drove me crazy. I knew when the ambassador to Jupiter wanted nothing more than to show me what a `real man' was like, and I had to be polite instead of putting my foot up his ass.”

“That had to be difficult,” Mars conceded mildly.

“You have no idea. You don't have everyone's thoughts in the back of your head constantly, every minute of every day. You don't know what people are feeling the moment you come close to them, even when they tell you something different.” She cocked her head, pinning the dark-haired shrine girl with her eyes almost lazily. “You know when someone is angry at you, and you don't know why. But you can guess. You could change it, if you were so devious.”

Mars returned the gaze angrily, determined not to flinch. Emotions were easy to hide on her face; she'd practiced over the years as she watched her father turn away, her classmates turn up their noses at girls who failed to meet their expectations. She had to learn, or be lost in the shuffle for dominance. But calming the beat of her heart, the rise of her pulse; that, she could not do. And she could recognize it now as a failure. “But aren't you devious, when you need to be?” she asked calmly, setting her hands on her thighs. Sitting up straight.

Alex regarded her for a minute longer, as if determined to see her squirm. When Mars finally did twitch slightly, growing impatient, she said, in a calm voice that was almost too frighteningly serene, “One day, maybe, I'll tell you. All of you. Everything I've done; everything I've gone through. And maybe you'll understand a little better as to how I make sure I survive.” She unfolded her arms, transferring her hands to the pockets of her coat. “I may be devious. I might even be an evil bastard. But a lifetime ago, Mars trusted me to keep her safe; I failed. I failed all of them. All of you.

“I failed because I wasn't ready, because I wasn't Serenity's perfect knight in shining armor, because I'm only one person. Because I was too fucking nice to everyone I knew was going to hurt us and Serenity in any way they could. Because I listened to those idiots she had giving her advice, telling her I should stay away from Earth to prove my loyalty to her, instead of going down there and finding out the truth.”

The dark-haired shrine girl widened her eyes as Alex's face grew colder, relaxing into a perfectly empty expression; the kind of look one might receive on the end of a killer's gun. “I failed precisely because I wasn't devious enough, I wasn't enough of a right bastard to stop what was going on.”

“You're cruel, and that's supposed to comfort me? You, in charge of protecting my life?” Mars whispered.

“I'm not cruel. Realistic, maybe, but not cruel. You haven't known cruelty if you can tell me that,” Alex snapped suddenly. “Your father is a thoughtless bastard, but he isn't cruel. Your classmates are simpering morons, but not cruel. When you watch a single individual attempt to destroy civilization because he doesn't like it, when you watch countless others do the same in some misguided attempt to make things `right' by advocating the same kind of mindless violence being done to them, when you watch all of them decide that certain people are subspecies or less than perfect and should be restrained like pets by laws and machines - that, my dear, is cruelty.”

She leaned closer, and Mars immediately drew back, even though the tall red-head was far too ghostly to touch. “I want people to respect my rights as I respect theirs. I want my loved ones to be safe. If someone else decides I can't have those simple choices, if they want to take those choices from me, they will be hurt. I've lost enough people in my life to sit back like the good little girl, the respectful student bowing to the professor's wishes. If you don't like it, Mars, that's tough, because I'm no going anywhere. Not while you live. Not while any of you live.”

Standing up, she withdrew to a comfortable distance as the dark-haired shrine girl touched her breast, feeling her heart beat. Purple eyes stared at the ground as she absorbed everything said, just as well everything not said - which, she could understand easily, was quite a lot. It was a strange feeling to know someone was stepping into her father's shoes so fiercely, taking up the mantle of protector and teacher where he should have been. And at the same time, she felt anger at having no choice, at being coddled like a babe who couldn't defend herself.

Of course, that wasn't true either. Alex had not really done anything of the sort; she fought their battles, watching them as any soldier would do to another, and drove them to better themselves, to learn to stand on their own. It was her fear of the unknown - of those strange powers that came from no magic transformation, much like her psychic abilities - that kept her at an arm's length, scrutinizing for danger. For betrayal.

Shaken, she felt someone touch her arm.

Her hand moved in a chop for the assaulter's neck before she realized it was Faregg, heard him cry out, “Mars!” She stopped; withdrawing her hand, she felt ashamed. He didn't seem to be entirely fazed by her attack, however, as he merely held out a bundle of black robes and what looked like a pair of white pants.

“Gomen nasai, Faregg-san. I was….I wasn't thinking,” she explained, as he handed the clothes to her. Critically, she eyed them; the fabric felt scratchy but warm, obviously hand woven, and the robe looked too long. The waist of the pants was also huge.

After a minute's awkward shuffling, she managed to pull the pants on, tying the belt as tightly as it could go - thank the kami it was a strip of cloth and not leather. The legs bagged on her comically, making her look nearly triple her normal size. But they did cover her efficiently, of that there was no doubt.

The robe was easier to put on, and she draped it around her with a practiced ease. The hood came over her head, shielding her foreign face; she felt safely anonymous in its folds, even if it did trail in the dust. “Am I acceptable now, Faregg-san?”

He smiled at her, reaching out to gingerly adjust a crease. “Yes, Mars. They won't recognize you.”

Faregg had already begun the walk back into the village by the time she processed his comment, and, frowning, she ran rather ungracefully to catch up. Twice she nearly tripped over the hem of the robes, and it was only a combination of sheer tenacity and grace that kept her upright. She had no desire to completely embarrass herself.

She had gathered herself by the time she reached his side, and they entered the village proper. Tilting her head, she caught Alex keeping a respectful distance at her back, hands clasped behind her, rather serenely taking in the scenery.

They crossed the dirt silently, though Mars caught a glimpse of the market Faregg had described, at the opposite end of the village from the temple; a colourful sight she had not even been aware of on her first visit. Honestly, she hadn't even cared to look, past her intense search for the evil she had felt earlier….an evil she could feel now, creeping into her awareness again with every step.

Frowning beneath the hood, she considered it; the power had been so strong earlier that she had felt it past the cliff walls. Now, she was barely beginning to sense it. Had it become aware of them? Or had she managed to vanquish most of its energy by destroying its creatures? Or was it simply a darker magic that belonged in such a place? She couldn't fathom it.

Everyone was staring at them again, though this time, at the sight of the translucent red-head, they immediately averted their eyes. A few made warding gestures similar to those in Yaga, mostly monks who seemed nonplussed at the fact that Alex did not, in fact, disappear, or even cringe. She favoured them with lazy smiles that had them shuffling in the opposite direction as fast as their feet could take them.

They entered the temple without a problem. It was still as empty and quiet as when Mars and her mentor had first walked in, though the presence of another solid, breathing body made the tension between the dark-haired shrine girl's shoulders relax. She wouldn't admit it to another soul, but the temple was now frighteningly creepy to her eyes. To her, such holy sites were sanctuary, safety from the dangers that had attacked her earlier, the evil that permeated the air like a thick, rancid perfume now. Having that sanctuary violated hurt her deeply, her miko's soul shivering at the very prospect.

“Thank the kami I can remove these clothes,” Mars sighed, lowering the hood of her robe. She began to unwind it, only to be stopped by Faregg's hand over hers.

“No, Mars. The elder will not see you unless you are modestly clothed. It is not only to enter the temple unharmed, but to appease our holy men.”

She stared at his hand, warm and calloused even through her glove. Then she raised her eyes, to look him in the face; he merely stared at her, innocent as a child in his intentions, trusting in her. But she had the strangest vision of a face staring at her in a hungrier way, Faregg's face, only not; pale skin instead of dusky, hair as golden blond as that of her loving princess. The same eyes, as blue as the glaciers of Mars, lit with something else completely understandable, even without the need of language.

The world changed, and she was laughing as she watched Venus argue with Serenity, their princess radiant and flushed with love. Earth had such marvelously blue skies, a richer colour than those of her home and its slightly thinner atmosphere, and she secretly loved coming to the third planet. Even if it was populated by the evolving humans with their short life spans, even if their princess was breaking the law of the gods by going there herself. To be with the prince Endymion, who was standing a short distance away with his generals, looking just as flushed and harassed.

They were known as the Shitennou, and Mars often saw them from afar on such occasions, following her fellow soldiers to the blue planet to drag Serenity back home by her pigtails. On Earth, men were the dominant sex; they were constantly wary and downright cruel to the women of the Silver Millennium, who were afforded a luxury and freedom only men could attain in their glittering kingdom. Not that the men of the Silver Millennium were any less cruel, considering the personal and private attacks on their beloved mentor, whom they seemed to hate simply because she had been born on Earth.

So they stood alone, separate and defiant, as Venus argued with their princess to come home right NOW, staring across the gulf at one another. Mercury, bored as always, calculating something extreme on her goggles to keep herself busy; Jupiter restlessly tapping her heels as she paced in a circle; and herself, singing a song to herself in her head, making up a new chorus as she came to the end. She caught one of the Shitennou's eyes, and was startled at the depth of emotion in them as they stared back.

What was his name, the one who stared at her in such a fashion?

She let her hands drop.

Without another word, she walked away. She didn't care if they stared at her. She didn't care if they worried. She had to get away from him, and his touch, and those memories that were not -

She was not Sailor Mars who lived in the Silver Millennium, with her flights of fancy and birdsong.

And she had a mission to accomplish.

Thankfully, the temple was easy enough to navigate, and she could hear Faregg's quick steps behind her as she walked, though her heels were still damnably loud. She pulled the robe in tighter around her as she entered the main hall again, the ruby still bright and winking from its altar in the alcove. “Now where?” she muttered, closing her eyes. Searching for a sense of a kindred spirit, a holy man with devotion.

Faregg moved past her, his footsteps growing quiet as he entered a second room. She opened her eyes with a scowl to find Alex staring at her, looking perplexed, and she snapped, “Am I that interesting, Alex-san? We have a mission to accomplish.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You're hurting my head with your damned bad mood. All the boy did is touch your hand.”

“Faregg,” she bit off, “is not what upsets me. What upsets me is our slowness in this mission, our creeping methods. We have to find the elder, so we can find the Hi stone. That is all. Anything else you decide is your choice.” Mars turned away stubbornly, catching sight of the boy in question as he came back, a similarly perplexed look on his face.

“Mars. I can't find the elder. He never leaves the temple after the beginning of the sunset, but he's not here.” He gestured helplessly. “I don't know what to do.”

Then his eyes widened.

Both females turned to see what caught his attention: a rather unassuming statue tucked into a corner, of a mild-faced old man in simple robes. Not in the least bit unordinary, save for the fact that the statue was entirely out of place in a temple full of replica monks in prayer; the old man looked as if he'd been caught standing at ease. “Stars protect us,” Faregg moaned. “The elder.”

“As a statue?” Mars stepped forward, stretching out her hand to touch the old man's face; stone, as unyielding as the mountains ringing the village. “But how? And who would do such a thing?”

“I don't think…I don't know.” Faregg looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Perhaps someone is trying to stop you from finding your stone.”

Alex snorted, pivoting on a heel to watch the entrance. “No shit, Darkwing.”

Mars shot a glare at her back, then turned back to the statue, scrutinizing it closer. The old man didn't look surprised, or even pained; his expression was open and warm, perhaps thoughtful. Whoever had trapped him had done it quickly, catching him off his guard. If her anger with Sin and her Oppositio Soldiers had been hot before, it was reaching melting point now. “So, perhaps, he's trapped within this shell of stone. Perhaps we can talk to him, and find out what happened.”

“How can we do that?”
The tall red-head turned, as if sensing Mars's eyes on her, and sighed. “Let me guess. You want me to use my vaunted powers for good, instead of evil?”

Mars smiled almost pleasantly. “Onegai.”

“Typical Catholic. Always trying to convert the pagans.” Alex focused past the dark-haired shrine girl, a thoughtful frown on her face. Faregg was staring at her in undisguised fascination, no doubt convinced he was watching a demon working its magic. “It's….dark. Dark and cold…he couldn't stop the magic. The ruby…”

“The ruby?” Mars queried, looking automatically towards the alcove.

“Gemetus.” Alex blinked slowly, turning her head.

“The source of the evil….it did this to him? The ruby turned him to stone?”

When Alex nodded, Mars moved into action. She pulled off the robes, letting them fall into a puddle on the floor. The pants were gracefully removed, dropped as well. Free of her cumbersome disguise, she strode towards the ruby, fists unconsciously clenching to call power. Most evil was simple to destroy, after all.

But as she came closer, the ruby gave off a blinding flash. She cried out, shielding her eyes automatically, hearing Faregg and Alex make similar sounds of distress.

As the light dimmed, she lowered her arm to see the ruby - Gemetus - float off its altar like a bobbing balloon. Lazily it dipped through the air, passing her by as if unimportant, heading right for the elder frozen in stone. Halting, it hovered in front of his face, twinkling like a merry star. Mars swooned at the sudden sensation of malice that came from it, before the second flash blinded her completely.

She fell onto her knees without thinking, her eyes burning. When she looked up, the statue was gone; in its place was a monster. A monster with more than two normal limbs, and a grotesque, spinning head. It looked like the creatures she'd always envisioned guarding the gates of yomi no kuni, horrifying sights to send you on your way to the eventual cleansing of the soul. Dripping saliva, no less, like a hungry dog.

Automatically she flipped back and onto her feet, just as several claws swiped at her head. Spinning out of the way of several more, she called power to her hand, and shouted “Burning Mandela!” releasing the magic in the creature's face.

It screamed piteously and reared back, shaking the temple's foundations with its pain. Then it opened its maw wider and spat foul wind into her face, throwing her off her feet and across the room like a leaf, tumbling and spinning. She hit the floor on her side and slid, feeling her skin scrape open as she ground her teeth against the pain.

Sensing others, the creature then turned on Faregg and Alex.

Alex shoved Faregg aside with a gesture, then picked up a statue with another. She flung it at the former elder's head, only to find out that they weren't stone after all; shards of clay fell harmlessly at its feet, as it merely shook itself and snorted. Then it lifted a clawed hand and cut through the air with several swipes, stabbing straight through her.

Mars watched, stunned, as her mentor screamed again as she had before, solidifying further around the creature's claw. Caught, she writhed, until she was released, dropped like a stone onto the floor in an even stranger state than before; her image visibly shook, like a bad TV reception, leeched of colour. She didn't get up.

“Alex-san…! ALEX-SAN!” The dark-haired shrine girl stood up, staring in disbelief at the wavering outline of the tall red-head's huddled body. Faregg was backing away from the monster as it passed her by, intent on him; and Mars screamed, “Iie! Stop! The evil will be vanquished; punishment will be given for this ritual!”

She had an ofuda in her hand before she even recognized it as one of her own, personally written with the shrine's oldest inkstone and brush, rare and powerful. It burned between her fingertips before she sent it flying with a whispered prayer and a louder shout of “Akuryou tai-san!”

The rice paper slapped the monster in the forehead with enough force to drop it back onto its ass. Then it burst into flame.

With a shriek, the creature burst into flame as well.

She watched it burn, feeling warmer at the sight of victory. Of defeating the monster herself, with her considerable power. She watched it crumble into ash, like a mold breaking into pieces, to reveal the smaller body inside; the statue of the elder.

Then she recognized the sound of a woman's laughter, and she spun around.

“Ara ara, Sailor Mars. Didn't you like my assassin? If you hadn't been so hasty, you would have truly seen it in action; I pieced it together from the four elements, especially for you.” Nergal lounged insolently across the altar where the Gemetus ruby had sat, fingers locked around her knee. She smiled at the sight of her rival's anger. “Your temper is legendary, Mars. Will you turn it on me?”

“You….one of the Oppositio Soldiers. Which one are you?” Mars assumed a stern pose, arms crossing at her chest, as she stared Nergal down, Alex and Faregg entirely forgotten.

Nergal swung her legs around, dangling them over the altar's edge like a little girl, smiling icily. “I am the Oppositio Soldier Nergal. You, unfortunately, are Sailor Mars, whom I'll no doubt be forced to kill. But not after I get what I want.” She gestured lazily towards the elder, entirely unconcerned with his current state. “This was merely a test, after all.”

The dark-haired shrine girl stilled, purple eyes slitting. “You used the elder so maliciously? A holy man? How dare you. How dare you!”

“How dare I? It's easy, when one considers it. What keeps you from running free? Your values as a Shinto? Your respect for nature and life? But what exactly does that entail?” Stepping from the altar, Nergal cocked her head. “In the future, you worship a silver goddess who destroyed nature's way. Doesn't that concern you?”

Mars tilted her chin, staring down her nose at the rust-haired girl as she would any insolent classmate. Reminding her of who she was. “In the future, I do not worship anyone above the kami, nor do I in the present. Neo Queen Serenity is pure in heart and spirit; perhaps she changed nature to save a world, but that world continues to grow and survive, because of her passion. Would you have preferred the ice?”

Nergal sighed, brushing it off. “A typical response from the brainwashed. I'm ashamed of you, Mars. I expected better.”

She disappeared.

Faregg cried out as the dark-haired shrine girl looked around anxiously, and she turned again, tensing to attack; but Nergal simply lifted the boy higher by his throat, dead in her sights. “You wouldn't dare. You're too crippled by your morals.” Almost casually, she punched him in the gut, and he folded around her fist like a piece of paper.

Power called to her hand, Mars lifted her palm. “Crippled by morals I may be, but my aim has never wavered,” she said coldly. She could see Alex stir off to the side, struggling to get up, thankfully safe for the moment. “Release him, Nergal.”

“Oh, I don't think so. After all, every villain needs an honest victim to lure the heroine into their trap, ne?” She jerked Faregg up higher, so Mars could see his face turn redder from lack of oxygen. “He looks suitable; after all, your strong guardian seems to be lacking at the moment.”

“….fuck you,” Alex coughed, though it was so weak they almost didn't hear her. Nergal laughed.

“Perhaps not so lacking.”

Shifting her grip, she relaxed her hold on the boy's neck so he could breathe. “If you want him,” she said conversationally, “come to Kritayuga. I'm sure the elder can give you directions, once my trickery wears off. Then we'll settle this petty little dispute like proper soldiers.”

The rush of power signaling Nergal's retreat washed over Mars like coldest of tides, and she finally flinched. “Faregg…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Mars, wait up! Mars, dammit!”

She didn't hear. She didn't care. She simply kept running, stumbling as her heels caught on the stones, her heart wild inside her chest. Off on the horizon, she could see a youma appear, uncurling its body; she summoned power automatically, willing her body to go through the motions of battle. She wasn't conscious of anything but the need to see Yaga for herself, to prove the elder wrong - he had to be wrong. He. Had. To. Be.

“Kritayuga is north of the ruins of Yaga. It was once a holy place for a man known as Jadeite, long, long ago.”

“….north of the ruins of Yaga? But there's no ruins in Yaga, I was just there. You have to be mistaken.”

“Yaga has been ruins since before my lifetime, young one.”

Ruins.

It wasn't possible. It simply wasn't possible.

The youma screamed and disappeared, and she continued to run. Alex followed her like a ghost on the breeze, still in obvious pain and shifting solidity, giving up on trying to stop her. It didn't matter anyway, she wouldn't have stopped; she needed to see the proof with her own eyes. The elder's token to get into the abandoned holy site was still tight in her other hand, cutting into her palm, the pain barely registering. But it gave her that illicit thrill, that edge she needed, to push her further.

She didn't understand why his words troubled her.

“Yaga has been ruins since before my lifetime, young one.”

What did it matter to her? The village elder had been kind to her, and Faregg had protected her from the monks. But in the state of things, of her mission and in her life, a tumble-down village was not important at all. Inconsequential. She shouldn't have bothered to run to seek the answers.

But she was.

The sun had nearly set, ominous shadows everywhere. Darkness approaching; a fitting metaphor. It also made it difficult for her to see, and she finally went down onto her hands and knees as her heel tripped her up. She slid in the dirt, feeling her gloves tear and her knees bruise, and she simply lay there for a moment, panting. “Ruins,” she moaned quietly, digging her fingers into the cold ground. The token lay beneath her palm, a fragile piece of clay and script, and she closed her hand around it as she stood back up. “Ruins.”

Alex was a fairy light in the shadows, almost like an afterimage of a bright flash; she said nothing as Mars ran on, her emotions a tumultuous, confusing cloud. There was no point, because she wouldn't have listened, had not listened up to this moment in time, and likely would not until her obsession had run its course. The possibility of trickery was a sobering thought - that Yaga had existed only to lead them astray - but it seemed doubtful in light of Faregg's actions and kidnapping. His emotions had told the tale; Nergal had terrified him.

But the boy had existed; had form, and substance, and flesh and blood. If he was a thing of magic, everyone in that village was some kind of similcrum as well. And if he was a thing of magic, then what did Mars find so interesting about him?

They entered the village, and Mars let out the tiniest cry.

Ruins, as the elder had said.

Tumbled down homes, most so worn by time, elements, and fauna that they were hardly recognizable; the well, dried up and empty. Everything they had seen only hours ago had crumbled into the trap of passing time. No one could have lived in the village for decades, if not possibly centuries.

“Ruins,” Alex agreed softly. “Everyone's gone.”

“Iie, that's not possible,” Mars argued weakly, though she sounded disheartened. “Not possible at all.”

The wind tore at her hair, stronger without the blockade of houses to break it; she shivered, suddenly cold. Suddenly desperate, she ran towards the elder's house, though she knew, deep in her heart that no one was there, and had not been there for a long, long time. She couldn't sense so much as a goat.

And indeed, the inside of the house was destroyed, barren and smelling strongly of dust and weeds. Even though the roof was miraculously intact - with one large hole over the left corner - everything inside had turned into unrecognizable lumps by age. The fire pit was growing weeds. “Of course,” she sighed, brushing a hand across her forehead. “Of course, there would be no one here.”

“I hope you didn't expect anyone. This place has been empty for longer than a few years. Long before China took over, I'd expect.” Alex stirred the dust with a hand, lightly tickling the molding tapestries on the walls.

One particularly ruined mess fell completely off the wall, revealing a spongy discolouration and a hidden niche. Inside was a rough box, which had been stained by the mold. At the same time, the elder appeared in front of them. “Elder! You're here!” Mars exclaimed, though as soon as she spoke, she realized the error of her words. She could sense the spiritual planes around him. “Iie…truly, you're not.”

“No, Sailor Mars, I am not. None of us are here anymore; we exist as memories, or perhaps not. It was a particular power we were given, to re-create our loving home for you.”

“For me?”

“For you. We believed you would be uncomfortable, seeing us as we are. So we created for you our village, as we once lived.” The elder smiled at her, leaning on a roughly cut stick. “We've waited for someone to arrive. You came.”

Mars felt as though she were sinking, and she clutched her brooch. “Faregg was…is he dead? Was he ever alive?”

The elder clicked his tongue, looking up at the ceiling and its ratty hole. “Faregg was never dead, nor truly alive. He was always different. But he came, because of you. All of us. We had to give you the strength to defeat your enemy and return Jadeite's heart.”

“But I have power; I am a sailor soldier.”

“But you have a hard heart. You are not truthful with yourself; you flee, to keep yourself safe. This is what Jadeite would tell you. A dishonest heart weakens the soul.” With his stick, he motioned back at the moldy box. “Jadeite admired you for your smile and your eyes. He saw your soul through them, and pronounced them beautiful. He intended these jewels for you, to protect you as he would with his own hands. Take them; go north, to Kritayuga. Fight your enemy.”

With the same amount of fanfare, he vanished. But Mars didn't notice; she simply stared, sightlessly, at the box.

Finally, she stepped forward to open it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contemplative, Nergal stared at the still form of Faregg. She had put him under a spell the moment they arrived in the temple, and left him standing at the altar for Mars to find. But something seemed strange about him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

With a tilt of her head, she dismissed it. It wasn't important to her; the boy was merely bait for the trap. She left him and walked into the main hall, her heels clicking in pattern across the floor. In her younger years, she had dreamed that the Crystal Palace would look like this; smooth tile floors, and decorated, sumptuous rooms. Now she wished for nothing but plain ornament and moderate colours, the human pattern.

She knew Mars had to be near the entrance to the winding tunnels that led to Kritayuga, which, if she had estimated correctly - and she never failed to - left her with exactly an hour, seven minutes, and twenty-two seconds to wander the halls in a meditative silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I don't understand why you're so bothered by this.”

“Of course not. Because there's nothing bothering me. I have to rescue Faregg because he was kind to me, and Nergal would do him harm. Otherwise, I have no time for men.”

“I'm not saying you do. I'm saying you're bloody pissed because of something that starts with an “F” and ends with a “G” and no longer plays for the Recently Departed shuffleboard team.”

Mars ignored her as she stepped into the cool shadows of the tunnels, determined to leave Nepal as quickly as possible. Buddha's serenity had failed her utterly, leaving her with a sense of flailing for air; she hated feeling so disturbed, so entirely out of sorts and unable to fix the problem.

And what was it that she hated the most? That a different lifetime - not even her - was causing this problem; this torrid, impossible, star-crossed love affair. A silly, vapid excuse for fancy that she never would have indulged in as Hino Rei was now plaguing her as Sailor Mars reborn, dogging her steps every way. Because she had finally recognized Faregg; finally and completely mapped out his face, held it up to the light to find the imperfections, and saw none. He was perfect.

He was Jadeite.

Oh, not exactly Jadeite, obviously; the skin colour was wrong, the hair was wrong, the height. But it was his face, his eyes, his voice coming from those lips, pervading her mind like an insidious magic. This was infatuation, and it maddened her, because it was not her choice. Men gave her nothing but grief, and she had sworn herself to solitude in her anger.

Perhaps he was an echo of the blond man, returning to finally do what his truthful body had not; to touch her and talk to her and fight at her side. She didn't know. She didn't want to understand. She wore his baubles - a gold and ruby bracelet, and a tiara hidden behind the sweep of her bangs - and nothing more.

“It's like a maze in here,” she noted aloud as she walked, summoning a flickering flame in her palm to light the way. “And I sense so much evil; I could never pinpoint it.”

“Ah, marvelous. And I forgot the GPS at home.” Alex's voice echoed off the stone as she floated ahead, looking from side to side at two different trails. “I can't even hope to sense Nergal either, not in this mess; she's as bad as the rest of you. All static and no cling.”

Mars shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the tension, then placed her hands together to center herself. Even if she couldn't find Nergal, perhaps she could find the site itself, the residue of Jadeite. Or even a wandering soul willing to help them, she wasn't picky.

She felt the evil laughing at her, mocking her for trying.

“I will not be so easily defeated,” she shouted into their realm. “I am Sailor Mars! I am stronger than your black magic and wicked means; show me the way to Kritayuga, or I will summon the power to vanquish you.”

The sound of feathers, of flapping wings, thundered through the realm. She felt them brush her face, and she opened her eyes to see a pair of beady eyes - no, two pairs. “Phobos….Deimos? Masaka! How did you come here?”

From afar, she could see the tall red-head turning to see them, as she stroked Phobos's beak, Deimos's back. “You came at my call,” she answered herself, almost laughing. “You came! But can you show me the way to the holy site?”

In response, they spun up into the air, brushing the ceiling with their feathers. Cawing in a musical unison that sounded to Mars like the very essence of nature itself, they flew down the tunnels, separating to fly around Alex as though she were solid enough to deter them. She, in turn, twisted around to watch them, somewhat incredulous. “How the hell did they make it all the way to Nepal?”

“I don't know. Perhaps they have powers given to them by the kami; perhaps my will was strong enough to bring them across the sea.” The dark-haired shrine girl came up to stand next to her mentor, smiling as her two friends - they were not her pets, as far as she was concerned; they were too intelligent and considerate of her to be called such - stared back at them impatiently, hovering awkwardly by the right turn. “Perhaps they are visitors from my past life, here to help in this one.”

They followed the two ravens in such a fashion for what seemed to be a kilometre; left, right, right again. Neither said a word, other than the occasional repetition of directions at each turn, as if it wasn't completely obvious to both of them which way to go. The flame in Mars's hand cast enough illumination for them to see the sheen of the ravens' feathers, miniature rainbows in the light that made the tunnels seem less depressive and claustrophobic.

After a long time, Phobos and Deimos finally stopped - at a dead end.

“This is Kritayuga? But that's not possible; Phobos, Deimos, is this where your spirits led us?” Mars held out her free hand, upon which Deimos landed, claws gripping her wrist gently, but tightly. She could feel them digging into her skin, through her glove, though she knew the raven didn't mean it. “Surely there's a mistake.”

Deimos cawed softly at her, and she felt a flush of shame, mixed almost certainly with impatience. “This is a dead end, Deimos. There's nothing here.”

“Maybe it's a cave-in,” Alex suggested thoughtfully, though she was staring dubiously at the wall. It looked completely natural, the creation of millennia instead of a tumbled down pile of rocks and boulders. Mars gave it a similar look, shaking her head.

Then she paused.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent Deimos back into the air to land next to Phobos on an outcropping of rock. Then she reached into her bodice to remove the token that the elder of Takra Kuhp had given her, holding it up. “Perhaps,” she murmured, staring at the symbols scratched into the clay. “He gave this to me, to aid me on my journey; is this what he meant? To open the true way to Kritayuga?”

The symbols began to glow, tracing themselves in light as if being re-written by an invisible hand; with each finished glyph, Mars felt a ripple of power dance across her skin. At the very last, the power was so intense she could barely breathe, yet warm and comforting. Phobos and Deimos cawed loudly. “Does this token make us worthy of admittance? Kami-sama, let us in!”

“Is that the elder's token?”

“Hai; it appears to be working!”

With an earsplitting noise, the wall in front of them fell into rubble, rocks bouncing everywhere. Mars started, dropping the token from nerveless fingers; it broke instantly, the pieces disappearing into the mess. She then howled most ungraciously as a large boulder slammed her in the shin, dropping right onto her toes. “Itaaiii! Itaaaiii!”

Alex moved around her, snickering as she went, to peer through the opening; she coughed out of reflex at the rising dust, waving her hand to waft it away. “I see paving; it looks like a deliberate path. Kritayuga must have been hidden all this time behind this wall.”

The two ravens flew in after her, cawing merrily. Mars crawled over the rubble awkwardly, clenching her teeth at the throbbing pain in her leg, and mentally cursing again at the idiot who decided on high heels for her suit. When she heard one of the heels snap off, she shouted in a wordless rage and sat right down on the paving to remove the other one. “Kuso-o, these shoes are completely useless!”

“But you look so cute in them,” Alex laughed.

“I look like a brazen woman in them! Now, at least, I can fight properly,” Mars snapped back, throwing the heel aside.

Further in, the tunnel opened up into an immense cave. Inside was a large, time-worn temple that looked to have been long abandoned instead of properly rebuilt over the years, surrounded by a fifteen metre high wall. It too was falling down from disuse, large chunks missing and lying where they had fallen. But the footsteps in the dirt were clear; treads from shoes unavailable to the ancients led the way into the temple proper, appearing from nowhere in the middle of the path. “This must be it.”

Alex nodded in agreement, though her mouth quirked into a smile. “So. Shall we knock, or just go right in, Sailor Mars?”

Mars stared up at the temple and its formidable exterior; there was no windows to be seen, though there were plenty of doors leading out to a short fall on each of its three floors. Closer inside the wall, she could see more smaller buildings, all of them tumbled down and in worse condition than the temple itself; and in the middle of the path, she saw a statue.

He stared out at them with a ghostly smile, though it too was faded and worn by age. He was wearing a tunic and pants similar to those in the two villages, though it was clearly better quality, even in stone. And he looked much more serene than the Jadeite Mars remembered facing in the forest; more at ease with himself. Happy. The man she had seen staring at her in her - Mars's - memory.

And the boy with his face was waiting inside.

Touching her breast, she felt the warmth of Jadeite's Kage stone next to her heart.

She nodded firmly. “We go right in, Guardian-sama.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So. Sailor Mars. You made it here, to Kritayuga.” Nergal smiled lazily as she watched the dark-haired shrine girl come to a halt, a crow on either shoulder, and Alex close at her side. Purple eyes regarded her in turn, cold as freshly polished gems; but her poise was solid and proper, unforgiving. “But it won't matter, after all.”

“Why? Because you've chosen to fight me? I didn't chose to be your enemy, and yet, here I am, because of your anger. All I want is Faregg.” Mars tilted her chin, staring at the rust-haired girl imperiously. “I have no need to fight you.”

Nergal slowly walked down the steps, her face growing colder with each step. With a flick of her wrist, she withdrew a piece of a crystal from empty air, a sharp-edged, glittering chunk that threw rainbows onto the walls. “You have a particular need, Sailor Mars. For the reason you came to Nepal was to find this stone, ne? So you'll fight me for it, knowing your prince's life is at stake.”

The dark-haired shrine girl lowered her eyes. Nergal was right, of course. She had felt the Kage stone react; she knew without asking that the rust-haired girl had it. Faregg's life was not the only one on the line, yet she had selfishly forgotten it, in the rush to save him. And what did it matter to her anymore if a ghost survived?

“Sou yo. Of course I will.”

Phobos and Deimos took off, veering back to land, surprisingly, at Alex's feet, cawing in distress. Mars whispered a mental prayer to the kami as she strode forward to face Nergal, glad again for the loss of her heels. She'd kick off her shoes altogether if she didn't worry about tearing up the pads of her feet on the rough stones; she always fought better barefoot.

Standing at opposite ends of the room, Mars queried, “Is Faregg still ok? Of course, it means nothing to me; merely a promise of protection for a ghost.”

“Then why ask such a question? And what do you mean? The boy is as healthy as I. Perhaps, if you had been late, I would have killed him, but you arrived on time.” Nergal shrugged as if it were of no consequence, and lifted her hand to flick her fingers. The flames from several of the torches on the wall leapt off their sconces and flew straight at Mars.

“Fire Soul!” She aimed the attack in a circle around her, spinning adeptly on her toes. The fire hit her makeshift protection and she took the moment to leap out and over, landing on her hands and springing to her feet. “Nergal, is that all you can do?” she called out as she ran at the rust-haired girl, swinging her leg in a high kick.

Nergal blocked it, chopping her hand at her throat, which, when she twisted, hit her shoulder instead. “Of course not! Just give me a moment to prove my power. It won't take very long at all!” she laughed as she caught Mars by the kerchief, yanking her back and throwing her across the room.

Flipping, Mars landed on her feet again, calling power to her hands.

Both of them threw flame, which collided in a spectacular display of hot wind and explosives. Shielding her face, the dark-haired shrine girl could see Alex and the two crows safe behind what looked to be a telekinetic shield, watching the fight curiously. Alex met her eye and nodded, looking towards Nergal with a frown. Or where Nergal had been; the rust-haired girl was gone, high in the air over their heads. “Mars, you fight so curiously! This couldn't possibly be your ultimate power. I'm disappointed in you. Dark Fire!”

Mars screamed as the heat grew unbearable, even for her tolerance; the flames spun around her, licking at her skirt and bodice, singeing her hair. “I am….I am not so weak! Nergal!” She panted, closing her eyes against the assault, seeing the fire - its core of magic - trying to speak to her. An evil magic, dark magic, but one she could understand and touch; just like the fire of her kami at home. Her soul recognized the flames, and they came to an understanding.

“Stop!”

The fire banked, weakened, and moved at her call. Nergal watched in shock as they spun up in retaliation, then came straight back for her. She flinched, feeling them graze the side of her face, burning her skin; the force of the heat threw her back onto the floor. Jadeite's Hi stone bounced from her hands like a rubber ball and came to a stop in the middle of the floor.

They both stared at it.

Mars reacted first. “Akuryou tai-i-san!”

“Dark Fire!”

The ofuda flew through the flames as if they didn't exist, slapping firmly over Nergal's eyes. She shrieked in pain and began to claw at her face as the paper burned, unable to cleanse her of anything but bad intentions; whatever gave her power was stronger than a simple charm. Mars smiled grimly as she stood up, walking with plenty of time to spare to pick up the Hi stone.

She brought out the Kage stone, watching curiously as they came together to form a perfect, pear cut stone. “A lovely stone of Jadeite,” she remarked as she saw Nergal finally collect herself and glare furiously at her, red and bloody marks down her face.

“Bitch,” Nergal hissed, not even bothering to pretend she wasn't furious, wasn't prepared to kill Mars by snapping her neck with her own hands. “You don't understand! None of you ever did!

“All of your power…”

Had she merely been walking that fateful day? She was sure of it; it had been a calm day, but her heart had been in turmoil as always. Always embroiled with hatred since her revival, alone. Hatred for the silver queen who had not saved her parents and had allowed so much destruction. And what had she wished for? Power. The power to stop Serenity from making another mistake, costing more lives; the power to be stronger than all of them.

“Ara ara, young lady. Your heart has so much anger.”

“Anata wa?” Stopping in the street, she stared around, seeing no one but the usual passers by, hurrying to their homes. Not a one looked at her; not a one was the source of the voice in her head. “Who's speaking to me?”

“I am called Shaman Apsu. I could see your heart; filled with hatred, it is also filled with a dream. A dream of power and desire.” The voice was soft, caressing. It matched the power that lifted the girl who would be known as Nergal off her feet, holding her high in the air. The power made her gasp; it was amazing, better than she had ever dreamed of. “A dream of more power than the sailor soldiers.”

“Hai; I want that power! The power to make them cringe!”

She heard the laughter in her head, and she smiled. “I can give you that power, young lady. I have a strength that rivals theirs, and I can find it within you to draw it out. Will you come with me and accept your new power?”

“I will…I want that power. I'll come with you. I'll do whatever I need to. The sailor soldiers need a rival, and I'll fight them without hesitation!” The power grew light around her, lifting her higher and higher. She closed her eyes as she felt herself become like a ghost, disappearing from sight; no doubt anyone who saw her was momentarily terrified. It had put a smile on her face.

Nergal opened her eyes. “All of your power, and you'll never understand. Apsu-sama told me the truth of your selfishness, though I saw it for myself.” With a dismissive turn of her head, she said, “Take your victory today. Tomorrow, it will be mine. Sailor Mars.” She waved away her defeat, walking away. In mid-step, she disappeared.

Mars relaxed, looking down at Jadeite's stone. This fight, she had a feeling, was going to be one of the easy ones. She didn't relish the thought of facing Nergal again; or her leader, Apsu. “Now, I have to find Faregg,” she mused aloud, tucking the stone into her bodice. “Alex-san, are you coming?”

“Why? I can tell you where he is,” the tall red-head replied, flicking her fingers towards the room beyond them, where Nergal had been first standing on its steps. “He's in there. Or at least, someone is, if he's actually a ghost.”

“He can't be,” Mars said firmly. “Nergal…wouldn't she have noticed as well? It doesn't make sense.”

But he was there. He was asleep on his feet, standing on a raised platform near the end of the room. He resembled the statue outside of the temple proper, though the expressions did not match. “Faregg!” the dark-haired shrine girl cried before she could help herself. She clenched a fist, willing herself to be still; what good did it do her to be concerned over a ghost? A male ghost, at that? Her concern should have been for herself and their prince, whose health resided against the beat of her heart.

Far more sedately, she stepped up onto the platform, a hand hovering above his shoulder. Now she could feel the tickling energy she had always associated with ghosts, having seen plenty roaming the cemetery where her mother was buried, restless; a steady hum that had an edge of coldness. Why had she not noticed it before, had not sensed the very same feeling when he touched her hand? Weak; she had become weak in his presence; and she angrily dropped her hand, feeling a flash of rage.

Looking up, she found him staring at her. “Mars? You look so angry. Did the dark woman get away?” he queried.

“Dark woman….ah, hai. The Oppositio Soldier Nergal ran away. But it doesn't matter, because I retrieved the stone I was looking for.”

“Ah, Jadeite's stone! Thank goodness.” He smiled at her as she fought to keep her expression still, unconsciously touching her breast. “That was your mission, Sailor Mars. That the stone of our star, Jadeite, be found and returned safely.”

Alex coughed from the doorway, and they both turned to stare. She shrugged, hands wide. “Sorry to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but I've got to ask; if the kid knew all along what we were here for, and that village was a mirage, what the hell is going on?”

Mars frowned, turning back to Faregg to repeat the question, only to see that he was smiling wider. “Guardian-sama. You were always the bold one, Jadeite-sama would tell us. He had only met you once, but considered you a most fitting child of our blue planet.”

“M-masaka! Faregg! How did you….but, before…you understood her?” the dark-haired shrine girl finally managed to ask.

Taking the few steps down from the platform, Faregg looked almost abashed. “The language of the living is simple for those who are dead. I'm sorry, Mars, but we could not tell you of our true natures. Not if we desired to help you.”
She sat down somewhat heavily on the stone, though she managed to pull it off gracefully at the last minute. “Why did no one trust me? I am Shinto! I am a miko of my shrine! I have consorted with the spiritual; I would have understood!” The gentle dig of claws and the touch of feathers signaled Phobos and Deimos as they landed on her shoulders; she reached up to stroke her hand across Phobos's back, comforted by their nearness.

“Because we were not sure. And we have kept our secrets for centuries. Once, the village of Yaga had been famed as the village that Jadeite had so lovingly ruled; the Takra Kuhp temple had been built in his honor, Kritayuga his palace. So many came to worship him as a star amongst the heavenly beings; so many sang his praises here.” Faregg touched his face, molding its contours with his hands as if he had no idea of what he looked like, a blind man exploring his own skin.

He looked up at her, blue eyes at a loss. “So many gave breath and form to a spirit. I was born in the manner of a prayer; because of the people, I had their skin, their locks; because of Jadeite-sama, I had his face, his very eyes.”

“That's why you look like him,” Mars murmured. “His blue eyes…”

“So you were created from their worship? And when Jadeite sent his stone here, you remained to protect it, didn't you?” Alex glanced up at the high ceilings, the tapestries. “Not a bad place to spend eternity, I might add.”

“No, it is most comforting. And it's true; when Jadeite-sama was cursed, the stone split into two halves of light and dark, I remained here to protect it. The village had prepared themselves as well for danger, and cast a spell for the moment of his death to be cast into the darkness with him. They - I - were loyal to him, no matter the treachery.

“And when Jadeite-sama came to us again, telling us of your arrival and search for his precious stone, we stepped into the world again. We created our illusions to carry you through safely. And you succeeded.” He held out his hand, smiling at Mars in a strangely intimate way. “For the sake of my star, I hope you have listened to us.”

Faregg was disappearing; they could see the stones through his body. He sighed, lowering his arm. “Open your heart, Sailor Mars. You've become like the very stones of this temple, but it is a very lonely life. If you would open the door….”

“Faregg!”

“….but that's not your way. Brave Sailor Mars. Thank you.”

He was gone.

Mars was startled to feel a splash of water on her thigh, which could be attributed to a leaking roof no doubt. It was a shame when such temples fell into disrepair. But there was nothing more she could do about it. Just wipe her face - which was also wet by some strange coincidence - and go home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Mars, have you done it?”

“Hai, Usagi. I found Jadeite's stone. We'll be coming home soon. Is Mercury, Jupiter, or Venus back yet?”

“Iyaa, you'll be the very first! I'm so glad; Mamo-chan is still asleep, but he likes it when I read to him.” The small face looked up at her in concern. “Rei-chan? Were you hurt?”

“Of course not. Don't be silly. Nergal was a simple matter to take care of!”

“But your face is all red….”

“I'm telling you, it was nothing. Forget about it, Usagi. I'll be home soon.” Click.

She felt the touch of a ghostly hand on her arm, and for a moment, wished it were Faregg's. Then she discarded the notion, and continued to walk away, knowing it was of no importance for her to bother looking back.