Chapter 18 Mysteries... ~*~ Crying awakened him. Adonis opened his eye. he thought as he sat up. He could gather that he was somewhere near the outskirts of Crystal Tokyo, but no more than that. He could still hear whoever it was crying. He walked towards the sound, slowly, since the ground was mostly dirt and sloped downwards. Something tugged at his mind as he continued. Something about all this seemed familar... He saw a huddled form a few yards away. It was a young boy, he had his knees drawn up to him, his arms hugging them to his chest as he cried. As Adonis came closer, he could see that the right side of the boy's face had a long, slightly bleeding gash that ran over his eye. Adonis stopped. He knew this boy. It was himself. Adonis concluded. A dream, yes. But even more, a memory. This was his earliest memory, the very first thing he had ever known. He turned and looked out away from the city. It was a barren wasteland as far as he could see. Just sand and mountains. He stopped. "Mountains?" he said outloud. "I don't recall any mountains?" "W-what am I d-doing here?" the boy sobbed, drawing his attention again. "Where am I?" He buried his face in his arms. "*WHO* am I?!" Adonis found himself walking over to the boy. He reached down and touched the boy's head. He was surprised to see his hand go straight through his head. He pulled it back and stared at his hand. "It's a dream. Act like it," he told himself. He suddenly became aware of the silence. He looked down and saw the boy wiping his tears away. The boy stood and looked back towards the city, a detremined look on his face. "In there," the boy stated, "in there, I can find out...who I am and where my parents are." Adonis followed the boy's gaze and saw it did not sit on Crystal Tokyo, but the Crystal Palace... ~*~ ---------- "Thrust...flip...lunge...jump...punch...roudhouse...jab...kick...backflip...a high kick...uppercut..." Rei said as she watched Sailor Draco going through move after move in the training room. Ruri had morphed into her Senshi fuku some time ago and was till practicing. Rei was slightly impressed with her skills. Rei mused while keeping her eyes on her. Ruri looked amazing in her fuku, which was made of the same style as the others. Her bows were bright green, her skirts and collar light blue, her shoes were almost the same as Jupiter's except that they were up to the middle of her shin and a tealish-blue. Her hair was now the same pastel blue as her eyes. In her hands was a long, thin bladed sword which glowed a teal color. Rei looked up at the ceiling for a moment, a puzzled look on her face. she pondered. "Draco!" Rei jerked at the sound of the new voice. Draco stopped and looked towards the door. There stood Kyoko. She raised her arm, her hand held a glowing white and gold crystal. "Try me!" Kyoko yelled, her crystal brightening. "All right!" Draco said, flipping her sword to the other hand and grasping it with both as she jumped into the air. "Cassiopia Crystal! Activate! Make-UP!!" Kyoko shouted. The light surround her and soon disappeared, reveiling Sailor Cassiopia, ready for Sailro Draco. Kyoko's fuku was gold on her skirts and collar, her bows a silver tinted white, her hair and eyes were the same though, and she had white boots like Eternal Moon's trimmed with gold. Cassiopia leap up, turning her body in the air to deliver a kick to Draco. Draco saw it coming and blocked it with her sword. Cassiopia countered by trapping the blade with both her feet and twisting it out of her hands. Draco reared back, bringing her legs up and striking Cassiopia in her side. She moved with it, and grabbed the foot pushing her, throwing her downwards. Draco flipped and landed on her feet. Her sword, which had fell to the ground, shook slightly before flying to her waiting hand. Cassiopia landed a few feet away, ready for the next move. Rei's mouth hung opened in shock at what she had just saw. she yelled in her mind, too stunned to say it outloud. She had timed it on reflex, surprised also at the fact that she could follow their movements when they moved at such a high speed. Cassiopia smiled slightly at Rei's thoughts. She did't even need to activate her telepathy to 'hear' them. They were thought with such a force that anyone could see them on her face. Her senses twiched just as Draco's leg was centimeter away from her head. She ducked and swung up with her leg. She connected with Draco's back and pushed her upwards. Draco spun to face her. ---------- Serenity stopped, clutching the left side of her chest in pain while clumsily trying to grab for the wall beside her and failing, falling to her knees and leaning heavily against it. Her larbored breathing echoed slightly in the empty hallway. "N-no..." she gasped between breaths, her blue eyes wide with fear and dread. "No...no...stop...stop it....oh, please...just stop!" She queezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth tightly together. Her mind refused to heed her words as the images replayed. The scene that plauged her since this whole thing started appeared again. Terry....her son...her only son....he was surrounded by huge, horrifying creatures... She watched as she had for more times that she cared to remember as the creatures dove upon him, attacking him while she could do nothing but watch and yell for someone to help him. They tore into his flesh, ripping it with their claws....red....everything was so red....she could hear him scream for her in terror....red....it kept growing deeper and deeper in color... A sickening silence lapsed into existance. her mind screamed in vain. "Terry!!" she cried outloud, tears escaping her closed eyes. "Terry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The creatures in the image vanished, but the image of the blood soaked body of her son did not. ---------- The boy shook his head, frowning. he thought, trying to shake off the voice that was calling for him. he thought, rolling his eye in annoyance. His scar flared with a burst of pain. He stood still, waiting for it to pass. When it did, he let out the breath he had been holding. His scar had all ways throbbed every now and then, when the voice spoke. Yet lately, as the voice appeared more often and louder, the pain increased and stayed longer that usual. He leaned back against the wall of the dungeon halls, staring at the cell door in front of him that had held Kyoko before she escaped. Her last words rang through his mind. 'Join with Adonis....become yourself again...' Her words still confused him. Who was Adonis? What did she mean by 'join with' him? His eye narrowed as he straightened and strode swiftly into the cell. The chains that held her were still there, hanging loosely. The wall where she had been was still stained with her blood. He walked over to the wall. Raising a hand, he touched the stain and closed his eye, concentrating. He braced himself as images and thoughts filled his mind. He saw that boy he had met back at the Palace.... His face...it was just like his own, but what did that mean? A name came to mind. 'Adonis'. So that was him. The image showed Adonis looking into his hand at a blue crystal. the boy thought. .... A young woman with blonde hair down to her shoulders appeared, a silver and gold glaive in her hand, a blank look in her hazel eyes as well as on her face. He recognized that look. He held it on his face almost all the time he was alone; it was the look of one haunted by the past... .... A woman with long golden hair in odango came next. She looked sad, as if she was regretting something she had done. Something within the boy was moved by that look. His expression softened on its own. .... Then he saw a girl with long *pink* hair in odango...the princess. .... She was smiling at him, laughing happily, calling something out to him....a name....'Terry'? Who was that? He jerked back, staring at his hand in confusion at all he had seen. Those people...he felt a connection with them in some way. But what? And why? They were his enemies, so why should he feel anything for them except hatred? Then again...why were they his enemies? ---------- Zukamori walked aimlessly through the corridors of the underground chamber, her thoughts not really focusing on anything in perticular. She sighed. In just a few more days, the Evil One would appear. What would she do when the Evil One showed up? How would she fight? Would she be able to stop from falling apart? She doubted that. Greatly. Zukamori stopped suddenly, her senses picking something up from around the corner. She summoned her glaive and slowly moved to the edge of the wall. She glanced around, tensing in case of an attack. She let out her breath when she saw it was Adonis. She put her glaive back and walked out. Adonis glanced up at her, his eye lighting up at her presense. He was surprised by her expression in her eyes. She was smiling slightly, but the smile did not reach her hazel orbes. "Everything okay?" he asked, concerned. "Yes," she lied. She stopped, unable to lie directly to his face, then mumbled, "No..." "What's wrong?" he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She stared at the ground, still not able to look at him. "I...I don't know what I'll do when....the Evil One....shows up," Zukamori said, speaking the name with great difficulty, as if she was thinking of some other name. "Why should that bother you?" Adonis asked, curious and puzzled at why she would just now be feeling doubts when she had known since the beginning that she would have to face the Evil One in battle. "I can't tell you," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice under control as emotions swelled up inside her, making it hard to speak. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "Are you sure?" Adonis pressed. She nodded. "I can't tell you...but..." she trailed off, not sure whether she she say it. "But..." Adonis promted. Zukamori took an unsteady breath and closed her eyes. "I can...show you." "Show me?" Adonis repeated, even more puzzled. She nodded. Taking his hand in hers, she raised it up and held it up in front of him. With her other hand, she touched the area over her heart. Adonis knew what she ment by her motions. His eye widened with shock. "Zukamori! I can't!" he protested, taking his hand away from hers. "You know that I can't do that! I just ca--" "You can't or you won't?" Her question caught him off guard. He stared at her in disbelief at what she was asking him to do. "Adonis," she said softly, taking his hand once again in hers, "you already know more about me than any of the others, even Guardian and Kyoko don't know. They don't know about this. If they found out, then they would change everything and then we would all be killed." "But I--" he began to argue. She silenced him by placing her free hand over his own heart. "Can't or won't?" she said again, the tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to blink them away. "Zukamori...." he said quietly, knowing that he would regret what he was about to do. The sure look in Zukamori's face told him that she wanted him to know what was wrong, but couldn't tell him. She had trusted him with her 'killing' of the Moon Kingdom, she had gotten better since talking to him about it. If she didn't get this out, then she might go insane once more. Or maybe she'll go insane anyway if he did find out. Should he tell her what would happen if he did do what she asked? Or should he let her find out on her own? Adonis opened his mouth to tell her. "I am prepared for what will happen," she said, her eyes set with a detremined gaze. He sighed. "All right..." Zukamori straightened and closed her eyes, waiting for him to move. Adonis hesitated with reacing out his hand. Zukamori's hand squeezed his reassuringly. He took a deep breath, and let her hand guide his to the area over her heart. "Forgive me...Zukamori...." he pleaded, closing his eye as a white light flooded from his hand and into her heart, not harming her though. He braced himself for what he was about to witness, knowing full well that whatever it was, Zukamori would have to relive it--every minor detail of it. It lasted only a few seconds, but for both...it felt like eternity. When it was over, the light exploded before disappearing into thin air. Adonis reached out and grabbed Zukamori, crushing her against him as they both fell to their knees. They both were shaking, crying, and clinging to one another. "I'm sorry," Adonis whispered, holding her closer to him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Zukamori." He had expected something bad. But nothing like what he had seen. ---------- "A voice sings out in the forest night, Leads my way like a candle light. If I can hear it, so can you. A cry that echoes through the years, Clears my mind of its deepest fears. If I can hear it, why can't you? The owl calls out to me, And shows me where to go. San Marita. To San Marita. Crys call out in the forest night, Hush little one, it'll be all right. My white owl is calling you." "Nice song, isn't it?" Sailor Draco remarked. "Yeah," Sailor Cassiopia agreed, slightly breathless from having sung the song right after their fight. "So," Draco said, sitting up. "What now? Now that we know about what you found, do we change anything?" "No," Cassiopia said, sitting up as well. "We know what they don't think we do, so let's leave it at that." "But what about--" Draco started. "Don't worry," Cassiopia reassured her. "There are things about the Crystal Senshi they have yet to discover. Let's just sit back and watch." "If you say so," Draco sighed, rubbing her bruised should joint. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss about what Kyoko had found... ---------- NEXT: Kyoko's information is shrugged off for the moment, but will they need it again? What was it Adonis saw in Zukamori? Why were they shaken up over it? What does it have to do with the Battle? Why does Serenity had nightmares about Terry being killed? What was it the boy feels towards the others? Why does Adonis's memory come in a dream? ---------- Hey! I'm back! I'm EXTREMLY sorry for the long wait, minna-san! I hope I don't do the same mistake for as long as this one did. Arigato to those who have sent me encouraging e-mail! They kept me going through my writer's block! If you're reading this and you *still* haven't e- mailed me, please do so! I want to know what you people think of my fic. Comments, suggestions, questions, summisions for my site (hint, hint ^_^) hey, I'll even read flames (just be nice, please!)! Until next time! -Anaconda-