******************************************************* **A Soul Reclaimed** By Brickgirl Brickgirl@hotmail.com http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/palace/7112 Rated: PG Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and friends do not belong to me. Adonis, Thalia, and this story do. **Part 12: The Angel Flies Again** ******************************************************* ?Get Endymion out of here!? Thalia screamed to the other Senshi, her sword clenched tightly in her hands. Sailor Jupiter picked up the fallen King and rushed back towards the castle. The other Senshi scattered as energy bolts rained down from the sky. Thalia dove out of the way, rolling back to her feet. She glared at the figure that hovered above her in the sky, wrapped in tendrils of sparking power. She could hear his maniacal laughter. She gritted her teeth. It seems the odds had suddenly turned against them. __________ Serenity sat singing softly to her daughter when Jupiter burst into the room, Endymion in her arms. The sweat-soaked Senshi gently placed him on the bed as Serenity hurried over to them. The Queen felt a pang of fear as she looked at her love. His face was pale, and his chest barely seemed to move. ?What happened?? Her voice shook slightly, but she managed to keep it level. ?Thalia and Endymion managed to destroy Adonis? army, but then Adonis himself appeared without warning. The other Senshi are fighting him, but . . .? She shrugged helplessly. ?Without Endymion?s help, I don?t know if this is a fight we can win.? ?We gain nothing if we do not fight.? ?I know, I?m not saying we should give up.? Jupiter suddenly grinned recklessly. ?How many times have we faced impossible odds before?? ?I just wish that Sailor Moon could be fighting alongside you.? Jupiter?s grin faded. ?So do I. But you have a more important job now. Speaking of which, I?d better get back out there. They are going to need my help.? Serenity nodded, her eyes on Endymion?s face. Jupiter left the room quietly, leaving the Queen alone with her family. Serenity took Endymion?s limp hand in her free one, Small Lady cradled in her other arm. A gasp knotted her throat. She could feel his life energy draining away. He was dying, and she had no way to help him. Tears gathered in her eyes as she bent to kiss his hand. She pressed it against her cheek, closed her eyes. ?Goddess help us,? she murmured, silent sobs shaking her body. __________ Adonis smiled grimly as he watched the Senshi dodge the blasts of energy towards them. He didn?t take his time trying to aim. It was more fun to simply . . . play with them. They deserved to suffer, after twisting Serenity?s mind, making her feel she needed to scrape and bow to the lowly Terrens. His only regret was that he had killed the demon Endymion so quickly, instead of savoring his pain. But there were still so many more traitors to play with. He hovered closer to the ground, magic sparking around his crystal figure and madness spilling from his eyes. The last vestiges of humanity that remained in the former royal advisor was pushed aside, drowned by a dark, murderous rage. Adonis barely noticed. And if he had, he probably wouldn?t have cared. __________ ?SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!? The blast of water hurtled from Mercury into the sky. The Senshi watched hopefully, but it dissipated in a flash of energy within a yard of Adonis. ?It?s no use,? Mercury shouted, studying the data fed to her through her visor. ?He used his magic to create some kind of energy field around him. The magic from our attacks can?t penetrate it.? ?Can anything physical get through?? Jupiter yelled back, rejoining the battle. ?I?m not sure. I?m getting some odd readings from all the magic in the area. . .? Jupiter grabbed a fist-size that lay near her foot and hurled it towards Adonis. Her aim was impeccable. The rock bounced harmlessly off Adonis? chest. ?Apparently so, for all the good . . .? A blast of energy nearby sent Jupiter flying into a tree at the edge of the woods. Thalia rushed over to her. Jupiter stood slowly, dazed. ?I?m . . . I?m okay,? she gasped. Adonis chuckled as he lowered himself to a few yards above the Senshis? heads. ?Sticks and stones my dear? Do you really think you can stop me with such pathetic efforts?? Thalia stood, her eyes sparking with amber fire. ?How dare you!? she hissed. ?Have you become so twisted that you will torment all that used to be your allies?? Adonis sneered at the angry Senshi. ?You are one to preach about loyalty, Sailor Earth. You are responsible for the death of millions! Tell me where that fits into your code of honor.? Thalia gazed back at him unflinchingly. A week ago, these words may have cut deeply, but now they fell past her like so many dead leaves. ?Don?t even try to compare the two of us. I had no choice in my actions. You are a poor, twisted creature who commits these crimes of your own free will.? Power gathered around her, the failed attack against Metallia so many years ago flittered through her head. She thought she heard Mercury say something, but didn?t pay any attention. ?Your time on this world is done.? Raising her arms, she shouted ?CRYSTAL STORM!!? ?No!? Mercury cried, but it was too late. The huge cyclone of energy and razor sharp crystal shards flew towards Adonis. The energy flared and vanished upon contact with the magic surrounding him. The crystals passed through, only to shatter on contact with his own crystal form. ?Damn. I was hoping that it would have SOME effect on him. Thalia muttered. ?It did.? Thalia turned, startled. Mercury had come up behind her. ?Though nothing like what you hoped for, I?m sure.? ?What do you mean?? ?Despite the interference of all of the different magics in the area, I was able to complete a deeper scan of the energy field around Adonis. It isn?t a field at all, but the extension of the magic contained within his ceruleacite shell. He hasn?t been blocking our attacks, he?s been absorbing then, as well as the residual magic that you and Endymion drew out of the Earth.? ?Then our attacks have only been making him stronger?? Mercury nodded. Thalia bowed her head briefly. She had tried to defend her friends, her Queen, and instead, had most likely given her enemy the power he needed to destroy them all. It seemed that once again, she had failed her duty. __________ Serenity had closed her eyes as she gripped Endymion?s cold hand, listening to his breath growing slower and softer, his pulse fading. She didn?t see the glow at all at first, but rather, felt a comforting and familiar warmth grow to envelop her. Opening her eyes, she saw only a white glow at first. Slowly, her vision adjusted. She saw that the room was filled with light that seemed to settle over Endymion, infusing his battered body with energy. The pallor faded from his face, his pulse strengthened, his breathing grew calm instead of pained. The numerous wounds and burns that she could see on his exposed skin closed and vanished. The light around him dimmed, leaving him looking in perfect health, like he were merely asleep. Serenity watched the transformation in a slight state of shock. Only when most of the light in the room had defused did she notice the steady glow that surrounded her tiny daughter that she still held in one arm. Looking, she saw the cause of Endymion?s healing, hovering in the air over the infant. The Ginzuishou. Standing, she placed her daughter in the crib that sat next to the bed where her husband lay. She cupped her hands around the crystal, feeling it?s peaceful strength, it?s warm glow. <> Serenity?s eyes flashed open. This soft, yet powerful voice rang through her mind, her being, strange, but with a sense of familiarity. She remembered Thalia?s explanation of how she had managed to teleport to Serenity?s side in her cell on the Moon. She looked at the Ginzuishou with slightly raised eyebrows. <> ?I never really thought that . . .? <> The voice cut her off. <> Serenity closed her eyes. ?But I cannot fight with them. I am not Sailor Moon anymore.? <> __________ Sailor Pluto watched, invisible to the world, as Serenity hurried out of the room, heading towards the battle. She closed her eyes, feeling the stream of time. They had reached a crux, on which the timeline forked in several directions. Much depended on the final battle that approached. The fate of Earth, the fate of her friends, her Queen. She could do nothing but watch until the path was set, and then do what she could to help. She knew that in all possible paths, there were no perfect endings. She could only hope that the cost would not be too great. __________ Thalia huddled under her crystal shield as the blasts of energy rained down around her. The ceruleacite absorbed most of the magic, and she only hoped that the other Senshi were faring as well without a similar source of protection. It was quite obvious now that Adonis could easily blast them, and possibly this whole world to pieces. The fact that he continued to play with them in such a manner did nothing to ease her sense of dread. The magical assault cut off abruptly. A white glow expanded to cover the entire clearing. She looked up, shocked to see Serenity standing in the middle of the field in her white palace gown, the Ginzuishou hovering between her outstretched hands. Climbing to her feet, she hurried over to the Queen. The other Senshi, looking battered, but in one piece, also gathered around the Queen. Thalia saw now that Adonis? attack had not ceased, that Serenity had used the Ginzuishou to create a shield around the clearing, blocking the energy blasts he hurled at them. Thalia noticed, with some morbid amusement, that Adonis didn?t even seem to notice the Queen was there, and simply continued to attack, trying to break the barrier. ?Does anyone have any ideas? We can?t hide behind this shield forever.? Jupiter gasped. Her hand was clasped to her side, and blood ran between her fingers. Thalia stepped forward to examine the injury, but Jupiter shook her head. ?I was able to do further scan of Adonis? energy capacity. He has absorbed so much power, that a large enough blast could overload him. But we have the same problem that we had with this idea before. Even combined, our powers are not close to enough, and that is with us in peak fighting condition, which we are obviously not in right now.? ?What about the Ginzuishou?? Serenity asked, looking directly at Mercury. The Senshi did not return her glance, staring at the ground silently for a moment. ?I calculated that possibility as soon as you arrived,? she said finally. ?The Ginzuishou has more then enough power to complete the task, but without your Senshi form to protect you, the use of such power will kill you almost instantly.? Serenity looked at the dark figure in the sky, her face calm with a serene beauty. Her eyes sparkled, as if with unshed tears. Of course, it may have just been the light. ?He will almost certainly destroy Earth if left unchecked,? she said to the sky, almost conversationally. ?Serenity, you can?t possibly . . .? Mars started. The Queen turned towards her Senshi. A small smile danced across her features. ?My mother died for the sake of a world that had already been lost. I have the chance to preserve a peace which has just begun. As queen, how can I not protect my people?? ?No,? Thalia said. ?You can?t.? She stepped forward, grasping Serenity?s wrist. ?You have a family, they need you.? ?They will have nothing if this whole world is destroyed.? Thalia forced the Serenity to look her in the eye. ?Are you so anxious to have your daughter grow up without a mother?? Her voice trembled. ?Please don?t do that to her, to us. We need you. We need your strength.? ?Adonis must be stopped.? ?Then I will stop him.? Mercury looked at the Senshi. ?As noble as your intentions are, you don?t have the power to successfully complete such an endeavor.? Thalia pointed at the sky. ?Adonis never had this kind of power before the ceruleacite linked itself to his life force.? She held up her crystal. ?I will do the same, if that is what it will take to stop him.? Mercury looked doubtful. ?Even if you did somehow manage to tap into your life force, you don?t have the kind of power that Adonis has absorbed. And such a battle would most likely kill you, if the ceruleacite didn?t drain all of your energy first.? ?It is supposedly shielded against draining my power,? Thalia argued. ?And if it doesn?t work, well, hopefully I can take him down a notch or two, enough for you guys to finish him off.? Thalia turned away, unwilling to listen to anymore arguments. Serenity stepped around her, putting her hands on her friend?s shoulders. She saw fear in the Senshi?s eyes, but also great resolve. ?You know, you don?t need to do this.? ?But I do. For you. For Endymion. For Small Lady, and the Senshi, and this whole world. But mostly for me.? Her voice trembled. ?Beryl did . . . so many horrible things, hurt so many people. I have a chance now to make up for all of that. I can finally reclaim who I really am.? She leaned forward and kissed Serenity?s forehead. ?You survived for years and years without me. I am much more expendable then you are. Please let me do this, sister.? Serenity?s eyes wavered with tears, but her voice was calm. ?All right. But please, try to come back to us.? Thalia nodded, stepped away from her friends. Her gaze flitted over the other four Senshi for a moment, her mind filled with a thousand different memories of the years she had shared with them. She focused other love for them, and her love for Serenity, who had always been so much like a sister to her, a bond stronger then blood could ever be. She then glanced at the twisted monster in the sky, who seeked only to destroy them all. It was all the resolve that she needed. She closed her eyes, swallowing to moisten her suddenly dry throat. Her hand clutched the warm crystal, feeling its familiar facets and edges. She bit her lip gently, the muscles in her arm tensing ever so slightly. Without a slight hesitation, she stabbed the crystal directly into her own heart. __________ She expected pain, rightfully, and was surprised to find that there was now. It was odd to feel such an object protruding from one?s chest, and, yet, to feel no pain. Instead, she felt a kind of tingling warmth, energy rushing through her form. It felt familiar in a strange way, and a part of her mind realized it was similar to what she experienced when she transformed, except about a thousand times stronger. She opened her eyes, slowly, looking down at herself. Her fuku had disappeared, and the pieces of crystal armor she wore seemed to have integrated themselves with her body, becoming more like a thin, crystalline, second skin. Over her heart, here was a jagged hole from which spilled a soft blue light. These changes should have seemed strange, but for some strange reason, the seemed perfectly natural. Like her Senshi form, it seemed that her power came to her quite naturally. She found herself drawing in the energy of the shield that Serenity had formed with the Ginzuishou. It was not the same sort of vulgar ?feeding? that Adonis and his followers had used to gather energy, stealing it from weaker enemies, but, rather, a drawing on her friend?s strength, energy she knew that Serenity gave to her gladly. Feeling deeper into the ceruleacite with her powers, she found that she could manipulate it?s shape and structure. She concentrated, expanding the crystal ?skin? until it covered her entire body below her shoulders. She formed a massive sword in her right hand, and smiled grimly. Adonis had a lot to answer for. Closing her eyes, she formed a large, delicate pair of crystal wings on her back. She took off into the air, flying swiftly towards Adonis, her auburn hair streaming behind her like a fiery cloak. __________ Adonis grinned at the object hurtling towards him from the opalescent shield below. It seemed that the Senshi still thought that they had some pale chance of defeating him. It wasn?t until the object was within a few yard of him that he realized that it actually WAS one of the Senshi, Thalia, the cursed Senshi of Earth who had caused him so much trouble. He managed to dodge out of her way just in time. She turned and wheeled, her absurd crystal wings flapping. It was then he realized that she had some sort of crystal armor on, vaguely similar in structure to his own. Still, he had no worries that she could possibly defeat him, being only a Terren. ?Come to play, my dear?? he said mockingly. ?No.? Her eyes flashed. ?I?ve come to kill you.? He laughed deeply, as if she had told him some horribly funny joke. A crystal sword grew in his hand, black, cruelly twisted. He pointed it at the girl. ?And what makes you think you have any possible chance of doing such a thing?? She lunged at him in response. Their swords met with a great crash. She grinned at him humorlessly through the crossed blades. Adonis felt a slight twinge of fear. ?Because I will,? she said simply. __________ Though Thalia had done much training in the past weeks, she had not found a capable enough swordsman to really train against. She now found her skills stretched to the limit against what she knew to be one of the finest swordsmen in the Moon Kingdom. The fact that he was larger and physically stronger then her didn?t help matters. It was only her superior speed that had saved her so far. ?What?s the matter Terren? Growing tired?? He brought his sword down in a blindingly fast movement meant to cleave her in two. She dodged to the left, the blade barely missing her exposed shoulder. ?Not at all,? she managed, catching the bit of energy he threw at her on the blade of her sword and hurling it straight back. He flew straight up to avoid the blast, she followed him, sword ready in hand. __________ ?I can barely see them,? Venus said, squinting into the sky. High above, two figure whirled and danced amidst bursts of power. Serenity had dropped the shield when Thalia attacked. The Senshi of Earth had absorbed much of its power, and Adonis was currently too distracted to be able to attack them. ?I don?t like it,? Mars murmured. Her face was tinged with worry. ?It?s as if he is drawing her higher and higher up.? ?His flight is energy based, while Thalia depends on her wings.? Mercury said thoughtfully. ?He may be luring her up higher with the intent of knocking out her source of flight.? ?Even with her crystal armor, a fall from that height . . .? Jupiter left the thought dangling. ?I should be able to use the power Ginzuishou to cushion her fall,? Serenity said. She looked at Mercury. ?Shouldn?t I?? Mercury typed a few things in her computer. ?Theoretically, it should work.? Serenity gazed back at the sky. ?Thalia,? she murmured, but it was so quiet, it may have simply been a sigh. __________ Thalia dropped slightly, letting yet another energy blast fly over her head. She charged him from the side, hoping to catch him off guard, but he easily caught her vicious swing on his sword blade. Quick as a thought, she changed the sword to a spear and thrust. Her movement was too weak, however, simply glancing off his chest. Spear turned back to sword barely in time to catch his downward swing. The hilts of the swords locked together, and Adonis began to laugh. ?What?s so funny?? she spat, struggling to free her sword. She looked into his eyes, and for an instant was terrified of the insane mix of hatred and joy she saw there. ?You are, Senshi. This battle is over, and you, my dear, are dead.? With that, he reached behind her and released a massive energy blast. Thalia screamed, a burst of unimaginable agony shooting through every nerve in her body. The wings on her back exploded with a crystalline ringing. Her sword dropped from her limp fingers. In a haze of pain, she saw the sky spin as she began to plummet towards the ground. She would fall to the ground and be crushed by the impact. Adonis had won. her mind screamed, clearing her senses of the stunning pain. Quicker then a flash, she reached up and grabbed Adonis? leg, leaving her hanging tenuously over the vast space. ?Get off of me!? Adonis roared, somehow managing to sound petulant. He tried to shake her off, kick her with his other foot, but Thalia hung on determinedly. In her free hand she formed another sword. ?I don?t think so, ugly,? Thalia said. With all of the strength she had, she swung her body up, swinging her arm with all the force she could muster. With a sharp snap, the sword broke through Adonis? crystal armor, plunging into his back. Adonis shrieked horribly, trying to claw the sword and the Senshi from his back. Because of the distortions in his form, he couldn?t reach her. Thalia hung on as he began to drift slowly towards the ground far below, weaker, but still far from defeated. ?You know, I learned a couple of things about evil as Beryl,? Thalia said almost conversationally to Adonis. He was too absorbed in his efforts to shake her off to respond. ?Mostly that they never win. But also that they are so consumed in whatever they seek that they don?t realize that the cost is far too high.? ?There is no cost too high to restore the Moon Kingdom.? Adonis hissed painfully. ?You are wrong. Too many people have died already. Can?t you see that? Even your followers are gone! There will be no one left at the end of your foolish quest!? ?If that is what it takes.? Thalia felt power gather around the shard of crystal inside her chest, her magic as the Senshi of Earth, and the energy of her life force. The glow from the hole over her heart grew brighter. ?You are wrong,? she repeated as energy continued to gather, singing through her being. ?The price is too high, and you are the one who must pay it.? The power reached a fever pitch. ?This is for my mother,? Thalia said, closing her eyes. ?SUPREME CRYSTAL DESTRUCTION!!!? she screamed, releasing the all the energy that had gathered within her in one enormous blast. The world exploded in a flash of light. __________ ?What happened?? Jupiter yelled, blinded, as a sharp crack split the air. Crystal shards rained down, forcing the Senshi and Serenity to run for the nearby copse of trees for shelter. ?Thalia has won,? a soft voice intoned. The five turned, surprised. Sailor Pluto stepped from behind a tree, her staff held at her side. ?We better do something before she falls from such a height.? ?I . . .? Serenity began, but Pluto had already stepped from the trees. She raised her staff and murmured a short incantation. A bubble of red energy appeared before them, with two figures hovering within. The bubble settled on the grass and vanished. Serenity began to head towards Thalia, but paused. Lying in front of her lay Adonis, his crystal exoskeleton gone. Dressed in his tattered white Royal advisor uniform, he looked like the stern yet kind man she had known as a child. Impulsively, she knelt down beside him. His eyes fluttered open and he gazed into her face. ?My Queen,? he murmured, managing a weak smile. ?I dreamed that . . .? A frown crossed his features. ?Princess?? Serenity nodded. Adonis sighed weakly and closed his eyes. ?Princess, I apologize. My actions were . . .? He coughed, and Serenity gently touched a finger to his lips to silence him. ?It?s all right. You acted wrongly, but only because you thought that what you did was your duty. All is forgiven.? Adonis? features quieted, and he managed to smile at her again. His eyes closed. He breathed once, twice. Then his chest grew still. ?Serenity!? The Queen shook her head to clear it, then turned to Mercury. The Senshi?s expression was lined with worry. ?It?s Thalia. I don?t think she is going to make it.? Serenity hurried to the fallen girl?s side. Her breathing was shallow. The crystal that surrounded her body was slowly inching its way towards her face. Pluto came to stand by the Queen?s side. ?Thalia expended most of her life energy to defeat Adonis,? she said to Serenity. ?She now lacks the energy to keep the ceruleacite from consuming her entirely. Even the Ginzuishou can not separate the crystal from her body. ?So she is to die then?? Serenity said, her voice harsher then she meant it to be. Her eyes clouded with tears at the sight of her friend lying there like a broken doll. ?After all she has done?? ?Not yet,? Pluto said. She knelt, and touched her staff to Thalia?s forehead. A clear crystal appeared around her form, encasing almost like a coffin. Serenity reached down and touched the surface. It was a smooth and cold as glass. ?I sealed her off from the timestream,? Pluto answered, in response to Serenity?s questioning look. ?The ceruleacite can do her no harm in there while she is suspended in time.? Her next words were spoken hesitantly, as if she were afraid she was revealing something she knew she shouldn?t. ?There will come a point in time, not anytime soon, but eventually, where there will be someone who can help her. But this will happen only in your greatest moment of adversity, when the Senshi of Earth is again needed in battle for the forces of the White Moon.? She nodded to Serenity, and the other Senshi. ?Don?t grieve for her. You will see her again.? With that, the Senshi of time faded away. __________ A special chamber was built in the palace to house Thalia as she slumbered outside of time. Often, Serenity would go and speak to her friend of passing events in Crystal Tokyo, the Senshi, her family. Each time she went, she would study Thalia?s peaceful face, and wonder if, somewhere, she could hear her words, and know how thankful she was. __________ Years later, a statue was erected in the center of the sprawling Palace gardens. The figure was formed of crystal, a girl with flowing hair carrying a brilliant sword, with wings perched delicately on her back. Inscribed on the base near her feet were the words of Andora?s prophesy, provided by Setsuna. The Light is reborn Yet Darkness will follow An Earthen Angel will rise and fall Her power to Darkness And Darkness swallows all but Light Light entraps Darkness Light to Darkness, Darkness to Light The Light reborn from Darkness An Angel?s heart weeps And the Moon shines no more Save for a distant Light The Light shines on Love shines on The Angel flies again The statue stood on a pedestal of moonstone cut from one of the pillars found in the ruins of the palace on the Moon. On the pedestal was a golden plaque, with the following words: FOR THALIA, SENSHI OF EARTH WHO SHOWED US THAT ANGELS CAN FLY AGAIN AND SOULS CAN TRULY BE RECLAIMED ******************************************************* ******************************************************* Deep breath. Well, so ends ?A Soul Reclaimed?, my first fanfic. I want to thank all of the encouragement I got from both my friends and all the Sailor Moon fans out there. The amount of e-mail I got about the story was staggering, and I thank you all for your wonderful comments. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I do. And for those who are hungry for more, don?t worry, this is only the beginning . . . COMING IN JULY (hopefully . . .) Before the Moon Kingdom, Earth was trapped in a dark age. Ruled by the evil Empress Octavia, the people of Earth lived in deprivation and fear, without hope. Only Andora, a mysterious blind priestess, dared to stand against the Empress, and search for the five planetary warriors who might stand a chance in ending Octavia?s reign . . . ?Priestess of Light? a Sailor Moon Fanfic by Brickgirl _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com