Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Silver Cosmos Senshi Chronicles ❯ A Night on the Beach; Time for Changes ( Chapter 4 )

CHAPTER FOUR: NIGHT ON THE BEACH; TIME FOR CHANGES

The cold ocean water lapped softly upon the white sandy beach. The palms trees swayed slightly in the breeze as a tiny red crab scuttled across the hot sand. Seagulls cawed loudly overhead, but mostly it was serene.
Suddenly, the peacefulness was broken. A flash of violet light, and a portal began to form from across time. Animals scurried for shelter, and the wind picked up. With a sudden blast of force, the portal opened.,br> From it stepped two people; Deragonu and Tenba. As sudden as it had come, the portal vanished, leaving the couple staring at their surroundings. Deragonu stood in wonder.
"Wow.. this place is beautiful. How can we possibly fight in a place like this?" Tenba looked at her.
"We?"
*Not here, Deragonu. In the ocean.*
*The ocean??*
"What is it Deragonu?" Tenba put a hand on her arm. Her face had distorted when Cosmos had told her where she would fight. He was concerned greatly about her. "Are you okay? Did you see something? What happened?" Deragonu shook her head.
"You see, Sailor Cosmos is helping me on this journey as well."
"Sailor Cosmos? THE Sailor Cosmos?"
"Yes. She talks to me through mind-telapathic waves. She just told me..."
"What?"
"That we were to fight in the ocean."
"WHAT??"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."
"Impossible. And yet..."
*Well, you are going to. But you'll need something to be able to survive down there for a long period of time.*
*Right.*Deragonu laughed. Tenba looked at her, then nodded. *So, you have anything in mind?*
*Actually, yes. There is a type of coral that grows deep in the ocean which will allow anyone who eats eat to be able to breather underwater.*
*It's doing a lot of good down there. How do you we get it?*
*WE don't. We DO have minions, Deragonu.*
*Really?*
*Yes. I will send one out for you.* Suddenly, there was a splash about twenty yards out. Deragonu turned just in time to see a fined foot disappear under the water. Tenba squinted.
"What was that?" Deragonu explained their predicament, and what Cosmos had just done. "Fine, that's fine. How long will it take?"
"I don't know."
*A few hours.*
"A few hours."
"Okay. We'll just wait until then, I guess."
"Yeah." Both of the fighters went to the shady palms trees, and sat down in silence. They sat there for a few minutes; Tenba staring into the ocean and Deragonu off into space. She was thinking of Tenba, and trying to remember her past. With tears in her eyes, she turned to him.
"Tell me what you know about our past."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A royal guard ran quickly down the halls of the underwater palace. He had seen the intruders; he must warn to queen. When he reached the throne room, he stopped. Opening the doors slowly, he peeked in.
The queen sat on her throne; her crystal shell floating in front of her. She was watching something as it moved on the screen. The guard approached the throne, bowed, and began to speak. The queen held up her hand.
"I know what you have come to tell me. I already know; you are dismissed." The guard stood for a moment, then bowed and left.
The queen stared into the crystal shell with great interest.
"These people may prove an interesting challenge. Don't you think so?" She turned to a tank where a large barracuda was swimming in circles. At her voice, the barracuda turned and snapped his teeth in agreement. The woman laughed.
"I agree. We shall let them steal the Lung Coral, so that they may pay us a visit." She watched the fish woman grab the pink coral and begin her journey back.
"We shall soon meet; dwellers of the land and sea."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tenba stared at Deragonu.
"What?" Deragonu froze, realizing her actions were a bit random. Sighing, she turned away.
"Never mind. It's nothing." Tenba looked at her for a moment. Slowly, he laid his hand gently on hers. Startled, her face turned crimson as she looked away. She didn't look at him, but didn't remove her hand. He continued to look at her, and spoke in soft tones.
"I see you have not recovered as much of your past as I have." Deragonu's flush a had lightened somewhat, but she still looked towards the foggy mountains of the island. She shook her head slowly. Tenba smiled.
"Then I will tell you only what you need to know. If you were to know everything; you would have recovered them when you transformed." He removed his hand from hers, leaned back against a tree, and closed his eyes. "You see, your old self was revived mainly for one reason; to help Neo Queen Serenity in her battle against the Gold Light. But You were out of practice when you were awakened, and Cosmos had forseen this problem. She set up trials to test and revive your skill and strength. Your tasks are to defeat all the Elementals, and to fight all the Senshi of Crystal Tokyo one on one. Once you have completed all of these; you will be ready to aid Serenity in her battle." Deragonu pondered all this new information. "Why me? Why can't her senshi help her?"
"The have all been killed by the Golden Light. Her only hope is in your and your senshi."
"MY senshi?" Tenba smiled.
"Yes. But there is where I must draw the line. There are things you cannot know right now."
"Why? You don't think I can handle it?" Deragonu made a pouting face. Tenba laughed.
"No, not at all. I have orders too Deragonu."
"Right, whatever." Tenba smiled gently at Deragonu, and she could feel herself begining to blush again. Quickly looking at the ground, she asked another question.
"Why were you awakened?" Tenba just smiled. Deragonu got the courage to look at him, and her blush suddenly disappeared.
Seeing him, like that, sent images through her head. What had they been? Together? This was familiar. That smile...
"Deragonu? Deragonu!" She shook her head.
"What?"
"You just went into a trance... what's wrong?" Deragonu stared deep into her blue-gray eyes full of concern. She could feel herself drowning in them.
"Deragonu?" She blinked.
"Yeah. Um, you never answered my question." Tenba chuckled softly.
"Of course. I was awaked for one purpose."
"And that was?"
"To protect the Silver Dragon and all of her Silver Cosmos Senshi."
"Me?"
"Yes." Deragonu stared at the sand. Drawing with her finger slowly, she whispered her next question.
"Was that the real reason?" Tenba stopped.
"What?" Deragonu eyes began to fill with tears.
"Was that the real reason you wanted to come back? Is that all?" Tear poured freely down Deragonu's cheeks. Tenba's mind raced. What was she talking about? Surely she didn't remember anything about their past relationship.. did she? Only one way to know...
"Deragonu." The girl looked up from her crying. Tenba chose his words carefully. "That was one reason. But another reason is that we... are strong together. I am here to boost your power." Deragonu stared.
"Boost my power? So... that's the only reasons you're here?" Tenba winced silently.
"Yes."
"Oh. Okay." Deragonu sighed. "Tenba I-"
SPALSH!!!!
The couple turned to look. Cosmos minion stood on the beach, holding in her hand pieces of pink coral.
"The Lung Coral!" Deragonu raced towards the minion, with Tenba close behind her. They took the hard pieces from her, and the minion disappeared into a splash of light. Deragonu stood, examining it.
*Cosmos, what do we do with this.*
*Eat it.*
*Eat it??*
*Yes.*
*All of it?*
*No, not all of it. Just a bite or two. Tell Tenba.* Deragonu turned to the Knight.
"We have to eat it."
"All of it?"
"No. Just a few bites." Tenba stared at her, then burst out laughing.
"What? What's so funny?" Tenba spoke through his chuckles.
"I.. I never though that I... would end up eating.. this!" He held out his hand that held the coral. Deragonu looked at it, then him, then to the coral again. Slowly she began to laugh as well.
The couple stood on the beach and laughed. The didn't know how long, but they enjoyed it. The laughed so hard, they cried; and Deragonu leaned against his shoulder.
The sun soon went down, and it was too late to depart into the ocean. Laying the Lung Coral aside, Deragonu streched out on leaves she had lain underneath a palm tree, and Tenba lay down beside her. For most of the night, they talked and laughed and looked at the stars. Soon Deragonu drew tired, and turned into Tenba and slept. Holding her sleeping body in his arms, more moments of the past floaded back to his mind. He thought aloud to himself, "The was how it was. Perfect. I thought time had changed her...
Perhaps I was wrong."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Morning came early for Tenba. He awoke to find his arms empty, and Deragonu now where to be found. His heart racing, he scanned the horizon, but couldn't find her. Just as he was about to yell, there came a great splash about ten feet out in the water.
Deragonu popped up, holding her her hands a large fish. She smiled gleefully at Tenba, who sighed in relief. Deragonu ran towards the beach, where she had already set up a fire-circle to grill the fish. Tenba got up from his bed of leaves to help her. Soon they had roasting fish for breakfast; and a glorious breakfast it was.
When they had finished, Tenba walked over to where they had laid their coral the night before. Picking it up, he turned to Deragonu. "It is time, Deragonu." She walked slowly over to where he was and took her piece of coral. Looking at him straight in the eyes, she gave him a hug. Shocked, he looked down at her.
"What was that for?"
"In case I don't ever get to see you again. For you to remember me by." Tenba smiled. Returning her hug, then turned to the ocean.
"Ready?"
"Never better!" Deragonu reached down and took a bite of the Lung Coral, and swallowed it. "Let the morph begin!" Tenba followed her lead.
*Go to the water Deragonu! Now!*
"Hurry Tenba! Follow me!" The both raced out until the water was to their waists. No sooner had they done that, when Deragonu legs began to cramp. They gave out from under her and she submerged.
"Deragonu!" Tenba lunged for her, but his legs too began to morph and change. His legs bond together, and his feet grew thin and long. The pain at his hips were almost undbearable, and he could feel his whole body changing. His lungs ached from lack of air, and his face twisted to make way for new systems. It was all so sudden, and then-
He was a merman.
His feet had bonded together in a glorious white fin with blog graceful flippers. Invisably slits in his cheeks allowed him to breath under water by filtering air to to his now-adapted lungs. After gazing at his new form, he look around for Deragonu. Suddenly, in a flash of red, she was before him. Her soul color was crimson; and that was what she had turned. They had both been stripped of their clothes, and Deragonu had found green seaweed to cover herself. Deragonu giggled.
(Well, what do you think?) Tenba realized she was comunicating to him using the soundwaves in the water.
(Amazing.)
(Yes. Are you ready to proceed? Cosmos is my guide.)
(I am ready, Deragonu.)
Joining hands, the mer-couple swam off into the depths of the sea, ready to face their next task.