Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Divine
Chapter Eight - Shattering the Icy Barrier

        A world of shadows, cast by artificial light, the source unfounded. Lady Erebus moved slowly, her eyes flicking side to side with agitation.
        "You failed," her voice echoed coldly. The two figures standing only feet away from her flinched. "How dare you.." She turned, whipping at the air as a scream echoed.
        "Please! Don´t hurt him!" The shadows cleared to show Kyoukou. "It´s my fault!"
        "Little foolish children." She walked over toward Kyoukou who froze and stared at a blind spot just behind the Goddess. She turned whiter as Lady Erebus traced a finger against the cheek, drawing blood. "After all I´ve done, saving your pathetic lives..."
        Botsu had went into a fetal position, the word ‘mama´ constantly mumbled in a dull voice.
        Lady Erebus moved away, trailing to the orb as the black misted inside. Her fingers scratched across the surface with a blank look before eyes darkened. "We shall try another way. I have a hold on the child and I need her on my side. All others are expendable."
        Ami flickered in view. "A weaker soldier, one who should be able to snap. She would be good, don´t you think, children?"
        She turned, not expecting an answer and thus not getting one. "Kill this one first. After all, we start by the weakest, don´t we?"
        They became shadows again, fading into ground.

        Kyoukou tapped her finger against the chair armband, looking out at the street with agitation. Being invited by Tendouko for a picnic, panic filled her. She looked up at the sound of movement.
        Botsu danced down the stairs, holding a doll reminiscent to Godzilla. He growled with delight, reenacting a scene of taking over the shores of Tokyo. He stomped toward Kyoukou.
        "Growlll.." He tried his best to look ferocious.
        "Cute," she let a hand on his head and his chin hit his chest as he giggled. "Are you ready?"
        "Yep! Are we meeting Mama?"
        She stared over his head. "No, not yet."
        "But..." His eyes misted over. "You promised.."
        "I know but we aren´t ready yet," she said gently.
        His eyes filled with tears. "I miss Mama!" His childish cry echoed in the room. Her eyes momentarily became angry.
        "Not yet," she stated impatiently. The doorbell rung.
        "Come in!" She opened it to see Tendouko beaming. "Hey, Ten-chan!"
        "Hi, Kyou-chan! Botsu-kun, you look so adorable!" Tendouko grinned and ruffled the other´s hair.
        "Hope you don´t mind that he´s tagging along. No one´s here to watch him."
        "No caregivers?" Tendouko asked with a frown.
        "They´re busy at work today," Kyoukou nodded sagely. "It´s a long path to raise two children."
        "I suppose. I´m too fortunate," Tendouko sighed with gusto. "My sister is coming too."
        "And all the rest?"
        "You don´t like groups, I remember you mentioning that," and Tendouko smiled apologetically. "They´re all good, really."
        Elysium was pacing as the three children approached the host family home. It was a mansion, with a large number of acres for gardens and dirt paths to a small lake. "Finally! Having to play nice with Lune is driving me nuts! Why did you have to yell at me like that?"
        "You called her a half-breed!"
        "I did not!" He stared down at his feet as she glared at him. "Fine but she started it!"
        "Grow up already!" Tendouko picked him up with a echoing protest. "Oh shush and get on my shoulder."
        Kyoukou jabbed at Elysium. "In the old days, we didn´t know about your type," she pointed out.
        "I´m so glad you read your history," he sniped. He made a choked sound as Tendouko squeezed his mid-drift hard. "Sorry," he wheezed out.
        "I think it´s cool," Botsu raised his arms with a hopeful look. "Can I hold? Mama says I can have a kitty when I get older!"
        Tendouko started but Kyoukou was quicker. "He gets confused a lot. There are just some things he refuses to understand," she pressed a hand against Tendouko´s shoulder. "Please, don´t mention anything in front of him?"
        "Sure.." But Tendouko scratched her head as she turned toward the group.
        "Finally!" Mako grinned. "Let´s go have a good swim, good food, and make sure Kousagi doesn´t eat it all up first."
        "Stop that!" Mina whacked Kousagi´s drifting hand. She yanked the basket with such force from the magenta haired girl that both stumbled for a moment. "Whoops, sorry."
        The talkative group moved down a well-beaten soil path, Duscha leading with Ami, both in a deep conversation. Tendouko had trailed to the back, where Kyoukou looked downcast though Botsu was clinging to Kousagi. Kousagi was pointing out things to him, seeing how easily entertained he was by anything.
        "He gets along with anyone," Kyoukou smiled gently.
        "He is really friendly," Tendouko agreed. "He seems a little flaky though."
        Kyoukou chuckled. "He´s so... forgetful but he makes up by being cute."
        The clearing opened to a blue lake. A patio table with several chairs and a few benches assembled in the grass against a sandy edge made a simple scenic view.
        "It´s beautiful," Rei breathed. "Like being at a tiny beach."
        Mina was already undressing to her bikini. "Gotta get in!" She took a nosedive and screamed, dancing out. "Cold! Cold!"
        "What´d you expect!" Mako howled with laughter. Primavera was shrieking along with Mako, both doubled over.
        Tendouko turned to see Kousagi watching the water with a strange look in her eyes. A seriousness that seemed to, for a bare moment, resonant with her. Then Tendouko felt that like she could care less about Kousagi and her own emotions.
        "Botsu," Kyoukou went to her brother as everyone pretty much did their own thing.
        Ami, though still planning on swimming at least a little bit, had moved back toward the edge of the enclosed areas, studying the menagerie of wildflowers. She took a deep breathe before a shadow passed over her side. Kyoukou was watching her intently.
        "Yes?" Ami smiled. "Aren´t they beautiful?"
        "Sure.." Kyoukou´s eyes drifted over the girl´s head before she turned to leave her alone. Ami frowned but shrugged as she turned toward the lake.
        The sound of laughter vibrated through the enclosed area. Botsu chased Lune and Elysium with frantic steps. Lune made the mistake of being caught and flying through the air into the water wasn´t quite what she had in mind.
        Lune waddled out, her fur plastered in cold water. Though in the heat it would dry quickly, the fact that she was wet was bothersome.
        "How cute," Elysium quipped.
        "Shut. Up."
        He stuck a tongue out before shrieking. "MY TAIL!"
        "Sorry!" Rei flushed, holding the beach ball just puffed up for play.
        "Ten-chan, come play with me!" Kyoukou called to her friend. "Come on!" She turned with a giggle, fleeing out of the water to cascade through the trees. Tendouko followed with more laughter.
        Ami swam to the other side and back only to go the other side yet again. Feeling invigorated by the cool water, she was loathe to leave it. But upon reaching the edge, something caught her attention. Unsure of what it was exactly though, she pulled out warily.
        A shadow danced in front of her, just out of visible sight. There was a sound like a cat but gruffer before it turned to melt into the looming trees. She blinked. "Here kitty, kitty.."
        She entered, looking around the trees. Some of them were old but what was bothersome were the ones with deep gouges. As if some creature existed in this place at one point.
        ‘Such a cute girl...´ A whisper upon the dead air, heat surrounding her. Her hand drifted to her throat, feeling it convulse. ‘Such a shame but you are... so very... weak..´ The voice ended in a painful hiss as the air seemed to be sucked from around her as she attempted to breathe to only gasp.
        A feline moved languidly from the shadows, pitch black as the shadows it had exited. It´s hot red eyes glinted coldly as fangs exposed in a twisted snarl. It moved toward her, hunting for the perfect surge to claim its´ victim.
        ‘No..´ She was blacking out, her eyes filling with tears. In the distance, she could still hear the laughter of her friends and focused on them to see Kousagi and Tendouko flash in her failing vision.
        ‘I don´t want to go!´ Ami wailed to her father, her seven year old eyes filling with tears. ‘Who wants to be friends with that kind of person?´
        ‘Ami... you were given the name of my mother, one of the greatest people in the world. She gave her life for us and for your future. It was always my dream to follow in those steps and while I cannot do what she did, I know you can,´ he ran his hand through her hair. ‘Try to see the world through her eyes. She must be lonely.´
        Lonely, she had always felt a little bit so. She assumed that everyone did and it was normal. Trying to see through someone else was difficult for Ami. She liked people, cared about them but she never stood up for anyone, never protected anyone but herself.
        But Kousagi did. She always stood up for the girl, when people called her names, hurt her feelings. Ami soon learned what it was worth to have a real friend, instead of those she was just merely acquainted to.
        And underneath her care-less attitude had been something there all along. A need to protect, an instinct to do what was right and to give it all. Her eyes opened slowly to stare down at the beast, her hand clenching. ‘Won´t.. let... you ... win..´
        ‘Even if you have to risk your life, you must protect your friends..´ Another voice came in as she breathed in. ‘A lesson well learned, trust and love that forms into bonds more important than anything. I was taught that by a wonderful soul, one who exists still in your blood.´ Sailor Cosmos stood in front of the younger version of herself. ‘What your father tried to teach you but it is something often needed to be taught on your own. Stand on your feet and fight with all you´ve got, to protect all that you care about.´
        And another voice, just a whisper, flowed into her like air, filling her with an indescribable feeling. ‘Awaken the star, of the planet of Ice!´ She was crystallized in blue energy that formed into a teardrop shaped blue diamond grasped in her cupped hands.
        "Mercury Divine Power, Make Up!" Blue energy bubbled from underneath to weave around her to form into her new senshi fuku. Her tiara was golden yellow with the planetary sign of Mercury embalmed in its center. She wore three round blue stud earrings in each ear and her choker was turquoise with a light blue teardrop shaped gem in its center. Her collar was completely blue with her bodice completely white. Loose, light blue fabric fell down over her shoulders  and the rest of her arms, from the elbow down, were blue gloves with two rounded bands at the end, the top band turquoise and the bottom one white.
        Her teardrop brooch was light blue and the top half of the bow was turquoise with the bottom half white. There were two additional, slender tails of light blue over the bow. Her back bow was designed exactly as the front bow, with the slender tail trailing to the back of her knees. Her waistband was turquoise and flattened, making a dip in the front to create a simple v. At the center of this dip was the planetary sign of Mercury. She wore two layers of skirts, the top being blue and the lower one light blue. Her boots reached her knees and dipped into the front, creating a v indent. The majority of the boots were light blue with the top edged in blue.
        "Rimy Freeze Morning!" Energy gathered in her hands as she slammed them palm down to the ground, ice shot out like a rocket, spreading along the plains to crystallize the earth and bottom of tree trunks.
        The feline slipped as Divine Mercury turned to run. "HEY!" She slammed her hands against the ground again, the small lake icing in the center, creating a path as she skated down it. The creature attempted to follow but skidded badly.
        "Saturn Divine Power, Make Up!"
        "Moon Divine Power, Make Up!"
        "Terrene Divine Power, Make Up!"
        "Come on!" Mina grabbed Kyoukou´s hand. "Let´s go!"
        "Botsu, follow me!" Rei ordered as the others followed them. Kyoukou watched the rest as she ran away, her eyes wide with terror. Botsu merely fell forward, never looking back.
        "How dare you attack my friend!" Sailor Moon shouted, indignantly. "In the name of the Moon, you´re punished!"
        "Celestial Confinement Orb!" Sailor Terrene´s hands faced forward, palms vertical toward the creature as strands of energy pulled from the still clamoring monster. The energy manifested into an orb as her sword blazed into form, glowing a hot white before solidifying to its physical form.
        "Terra Blade!" With a swish and a hard twist of her wrist, crescent shaped bullets of energy shot out to cut the creature.
        Sailor Moon raised an arm as her Papillion Scepter manifested, "Moon Charm Illumination!" The crystal onto shone brilliantly, filling the butterfly wings to shining gold as they began to move, sending out waves and waves of energy.
        Sailor Saturn added her attack to Sailor Moon´s and Terrene‘s. "Obscure Paper Chained!"
        The gathered force turned the creature into something white. Gold eyes looked out with something akin to relief and happiness before turning to dust.
        Sailor Saturn stared forward where it had been. "Strange.. it seemed almost happy."
        Sailor Moon wasn´t paying attention. "That was wonderful, Tendouko! You did so great!"
        Tendouko untransformed. "What? What are you talking about? Stop exclaiming over everything that I do!"
        "I... was just trying to be a team member.." Kousagi smiled a little goofily. "High five!"
        She waited expectantly but Tendouko was looking away. "I should check on Kyoukou," she announced loudly and then did a hasty exit.
        "Something I said?" Kousagi asked Duscha with a weak smile.
        "She´s different than normal. Something happened but I don´t know when.." Duscha looked sad. "She´s so unapproachable. We musn´t stop trying."
        "Of course not.. but she wasn´t targeted this time, huh?"
        "I´ll say!" Ami stomped in, glaring at the lake. "Try for a break and I´m lured into a trap. How stupid can I be?"
        "Let me count the ways," Mina began before Rei stomped on a foot. "OUCH!"
        "Shut up for once," Rei told her bluntly.
        "I was teasing!"
        "You were not! You were being serious!"
        "I´m tired and still wet. Are we having fun yet?" Lune complained over the noise.
        Elsyium rolled his eyes. "Too many girls. Where are the guys in this team?"
        "Shut up!" The girls overpowered him as he fled, his tail in between his legs. His voice came back with indignant undertones. "I stand by what I said!"


      This site, fan characters (otaku senshi, enemies, secondary), new fuku designs, labeled art, writing is copyrighted (C) 2007 Wild Nature. Sailor Moon (Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon), all related characters, original storyline is copyrighted (C) 1993 Naoko Takeuchi.