Centralis

Written by Ciel su'Maka/Sailor Centrali

Part I

Two standard years later, I was in pursuit of the Nightsister. I had my first lead on her whereabouts since I had started the mission.

At first, I had no idea how to go about finding her. If she was from an unknown planet, like Sailor Gallinore said she was, then she wouldn't be listed in the Intergalactic Registry. I tried anyway, just to be sure, but my thoughts had been correct.

I had run away the night that I had the vision. If I was going to go after this person, I didn't want her tracking me home and getting my parents involved. This was my fight, and I was going to do it my way. I still lived on Coruscant, but halfway across the planet from my home. I had found a cheap apartment in the lower levels and had gotten a job as a bartender. I looked a few years older than I was, so I didn't have much trouble passing myself off as an adult. I wore sunglasses most of the time to lower my chances of being spotted my the authorities. I was a runaway, after all.

When I awoke that morning, a strange feeling overwhelmed me. I felt compelled to go to the fifth sector rail station in the middle levels. It was quite a distance, but something told me that today was the day I would meet the Nightsister.

So I had spent most of the day traveling to the station. I didn't even know what I was going to do if I did indeed find her. I never found the transformation pen in my dreams. But if Gallinore really was my guardian angel, I knew that somehow everything would be okay.

I stood in the middle of the station, leaning against a large column made out of some sort of cement. I kept my sunglasses on, as usual. Busy, populated places were the worst kinds of places to be without any sort of disguise; I had learned that the hard way.

My eyes raced in-between the people boarding and getting off the trains. I knew exactly what she looked like, but there were just too many people here.

She knew who I was! It was a complete shock to me. Had she been pursuing me as I had been pursuing her? "H-how did you..."

We reappeared in an abandoned subway tunnel. She stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground, holding me a few feet in the air by my neck, slowly suffocating me. "How did I know who you were?" She smirked. "You're not the only one who has dreams, you know. I really can't believe you were the one she sent to stop me, it's a shame. You're so weak. You're going to die, and you're not even putting up a fight!" She sighed. "Oh well. You're one of the lucky ones, I guess." She squeezed my neck harder. "Your suffering will be much shorter than that of the rest of the Jedi."

I could feel myself slowly being drawn into darkness. Somehow, I lifted my hands to hers and held onto her wrists with all the strength I had left, which was next to none. "Please," I gasped, "don't hurt me..."

A beam of vibrant violet light shot out of nowhere, hitting the Nightsister and throwing her backwards into the subway tunnel's wall. She crumbled onto the floor and lie there, a violently shaking mass. Who was pathetic now? Huh? HUH?!

I fell onto the ground and gasped for breath, lifting my gaze to her. I had no idea what had just happened, but I knew that she would not stay down for long. "Gallinore, please help me..." I whispered, holding my sore neck.

Part II

The Centrali Crystal henshin pen appeared in front of me, radiating with energy. Its power coursed through my veins. I could feel its voice speaking to me. Centrali Crystal Power, Make Up!

I grasped the stick in my sweaty palm. I raised it to the stars, as Gallinore had told me to. I silently gave her my thanks.

As soon as I said the words, I was swallowed in the same vibrant, purple light that had nearly blinded me when I had first met Sailor Gallinore. But this time, I did not close my eyes. Violet and silver swirled around me in what seemed like an endless vortex. An endless, profoundly beautiful vortex. I nearly forgot about the task at hand. As the real world slowly creeped back onto me, I blinked a few times and looked down at myself.

I was dressed in a short, violet skirt and some sort of white leotard that fit me like a second skin. A long silver bow hung on the back of my legs, and a pair of sleek, heeled boots stopped at my knees. A violet heart-shaped crystal was centered on my chest, framed by another silver bow. I reached up to the tiara on my forehead, feeling the small grooves and the oval crystal there. Then instinct kicked in.

I stood in an intimidating pose, looking down at the fallen Sith. "My guardian deity is a turbulent planet in the sea of the stars! Senshi of gravity and ultraviolet light, warrior of Centrali, I shall punish you!"

She gave me a malicious grin, standing up slowly. "Perhaps you'll be a worthy opponent, after all." A column of red light sprung to life in her hand. A lightsaber. "Let the games begin."

Part III -- Eternal Sailor Bakura!

"Wait! Wait! That is SO not fair," I whined pretty loudly. "I don't have a lightsaber! How can this be a fair fight?! I DON'T HAVE A LIGHTSABER!!!"

I knew that she was teasing me, but it was working. I had no weapons. I backed against the wall, still gasping somewhat for air after her attempt to strangle me to death. She stepped towards me, holding the blade of the saber less than an inch from my neck. I sucked in a breath and stared at her, eyes wide in fear.

"Bakura Eternal Heart Dream!" A large beam of silvery pink light blasted out of the darkness, aimed at Vra. She hit the wall again, hitting the floor rather roughly on her side. Dust and dirt flew into the air, disturbed by the movement.

I looked around, puzzled, trying to figure out where the voice and light came from.

"How dare you pick on a defenseless senshi!" A tall, white-haired woman in a somewhat similar-looking fuku stepped out of the shadows, blue eyes ablaze with determination. She had a pair of snow white wings on her back, which seemed to be more of a hindrance than a help. "For Love and Peace, I am the sailor suited pretty soldier, Eternal Sailor Bakura! And in the name of Bakura, I'll punish you!"

Vra stood up slowly, holding her left arm, which was bent at an unnatural angle. She had broken her arm when she hit the tunnel floor. "Eternal Sailor Bakura... hmm... I'll remember that name." She disappeared in a flash of white light.

I stared at the place where she had just stood. I was in awe at the whole situation. How did she know that I was after her? Who was Eternal Sailor Bakura? How did she disappear like that?

"Hello?" Bakura asked, waving her hand in front of my eyes, with a cheerful look on her face. She held out her hand to me.

I took it, smiling back. She helped me up off the floor, and I dusted myself off. "So, you're a senshi too, huh...?" I asked tentatively.

"Oh!" She gave me a big smile, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Well, every sailor senshi had a set of attacks! One of mine is Bakura Eternal Heart Dream. That's what I used to zap her!"

"Ohhh, I see." I nodded and wondered why Gallinore didn't tell me about attacks. I wondered if she thought it was funny to watch me get my butt kicked. "I don't know any of my attacks," I admitted quietly.

"A sailor senshi that doesn't know her attacks..." She paused, thinking for a second. "How did you become a sailor?"

"Another one named Sailor Gallinore visited me in my sleep. She told me that I was the senshi of gravity and ultraviolet light, Sailor Centrali."

She watched me for a moment, looking worried. "Hey! Why're you leaving? Come with me! I can show you the Sailor Jedi headquarters!"

I desperately wanted to go with her, but I also didn't want to waste any more time. I finally had found Vra! The sooner I got rid of her, the sooner I got to go home and SLEEP!

I looked over my shoulder, slowly walking off. "I'd like to, but I can't. I have a mission to complete..."

She walked beside me. "Why don't you let us help you? You're defenseless, you can't defeat her on your own!"

I stopped, turning to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about me. This is my problem, not yours." I squeezed her shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "Okay?"

"The Sailor Jedi headquarters is in the Jedi Temple! Come see us if you need anything!" she yelled after me.

I nodded, continuing on down the shadowy tunnel. I knew that I would see Eternal Sailor Bakura again, someday.

Part IV -- Vra's dream

A heavy mist surrounded Vra. She and Sailor Gallinore stood face to face, a large grin spread across the Nightsister's.

"You sent me a dud, Gallinore. I never thought you were that inept, but I guess I was wrong."

"Don't underestimate me." The rainbow-suited woman lowered her head a little, staring fiercely at the blonde in front of her. "Or her," she added. A few wispy strands of blonde hair fell in her eyes. "She is new. She has no idea how to use her powers correctly." She gripped her Rainbow Scythe, digging it into the soft earth. "But when she does, you will be obliterated. She is one of the most powerful senshi the universe has ever seen. She has a good heart. You will see, in time."

Vra laughed loudly. "That's a good one! She doesn't even know her attack phrases. And when I first went after her, she didn't even have her henshin stick!"

Pride began to take over Gallinore's features. "She didn't need it up to that point."

Sailor Gallinore raised the Rainbow Scythe above her head, ready to strike down at Vra and slice her in two. She glared at her with animalistic gray blues. "She had Sailor Bakura to protect her," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"What, you're going to kill me?" Vra began to laugh again. "I think that's pretty hard to do in a dream."

Gallinore's face softened at the Sith's words, lowering the staff back to her side. She smiled a little, tilting her head to the side. "I wonder if you'll still have that cocky attitude when your blood is splattered against a wall." She vanished in a flash of light.

Vra smirked, closing her eyes and turning her back to the place where Sailor Gallinore had stood. "Totally unprepared," she murmured, amused. She began to furrow her brow in concentration, holding her hands out in front of her. The mist around her began to form into a group of invisible beings, only distinguishable by the shadows they cast.

Part V -- Shadow Hunters

I walked through the slums of Coruscant, appalled at the poverty that enveloped the place. But this was my home now and had been my home for a long time. I would just have to accept it.

My mind wandered back to the events of last night. The same question repeated itself in my head: How did Vra know that I was after her? Her words were, "You're not the only one who has dreams, you know." I wondered if she was in contact with Gallinore too. I knew one thing for sure, I wasn't going to trust Gallinore anymore. If she even spoke to me again.

But I was still going to go after Vra. If anything, she could give me some answers. I knew that in order to defeat her, I had to take the offensive, but how would I find her again? And how would I combat her?

Vra watched the young girl walk through the shadows via the Force, grinning, as usual. "Go, Shadow Hunters," she whispered, "bring her to me." She disappeared soon afterwards. She had her own business to attend to.

An icy cold breeze blew through the lower levels. I shivered, rubbing my bare arms. But I was more affected in mind that in body. I felt threatened, and I knew that I was not alone. My gaze darted frantically from side to side, searching the dark alley for whomever was there. I saw nothing. But I knew that they were there. I took the henshin pen out of my pocket, holding it in both hands, ready to use it as a weapon if need be.

A pair of translucent hands reached out of the darkness, grabbing me in its huge arms and holding me tightly to itself. I screamed, giving him an instinctual shove backwards through the Force, as my father had taught me. I stumbled as I fell out of his grip, planting my feet on the dirty sidewalk and facing the Shadow Hunter. I lifted the pen into the air. "Centrali Crystal Power, Make Up!"

In a flash of light, I stood in my senshi fuku, pointing in the being's direction. "How dare you terrorize me like that, you coward! Show yourself! In the name of Centrali, I will punish you!"

Well, he didn't, because before I knew it I was laid out on my back. He lifted me off the ground by the bow on my chest. I tried to kick him, but to no result; he had some sort of armor on, and I just ended up smashing my toes.

He pulled me back and threw me across the alley like some sort of rag doll. I landed squarely on my back, the back of my skull bouncing off of the filthy duracrete. My head throbbed in intense, mind-numbing pain. Darkness slowly started to creep in on me, and I struggled to run from it, trying to lift myself up on my elbows. But it was too late. I fell back on the ground, unconscious.

Part VI

I awoke some time later on a hard, cold tile floor. Propping myself up on my elbow, I reached behind my head and rubbed the lower part of my aching skull. My eyes slowly cracked open, trying to focus on the lines of the tile floor. I felt so tired and dizzy, I just wanted to sleep again. I lay my head back down on the floor, slowly adjusting to the cold feel, as I tried to relax and forget the pain.

But, as I learned some time later, pain seems to like to follow me, everywhere I go.

A stiff, swift kick connected with my left side. I cried out on pain, allowing the momentum to roll me off my stomach. I slowly opened my eyes again, trying to focus on the person above me. But it wasn't really necessary; I knew it was Vra by the blurred grin across her face. My chest heaved, forcing out a succession of violent coughs before I could catch my breath again.

"If you're going to kill me, just kill me," I whispered in a ragged tone. "Stop toying with me. It's cruel." My vision began to improve a small bit.

She grabbed my arm, hauling me off of the floor, and pushed me down a side hallway. She shoved me through a doorway and onto the carpeted floor. She then sat in front of me, crossing her legs underneath her.

"Now, Sailor Centrali, or should I call you Ciel?" She chuckled a little. "As I said, I have a deal. Look around you."

I struggled to lift my head off of the soft floor again. I looked around the bottom half of the room, slowly making my way up the familiar walls. "I'm in... my house?"

"Righto!" She nodded. "I came here for a very special purpose. Look over there."

I looked in the direction she indicated. My parents were trapped in the arms of more Shadow Hunters, struggling in their grasp and looking at Vra in fear.

She shrugged. "They're good bargaining tools, which brings me back to my point." She paused. "Give me your henshin stick. If you give it to me, I'll set them free and leave immediately. You can resume your normal life. I'll never bother you again."

Part VII -- Death

The choice seemed so simple. I tossed my henshin stick to her, knowing that I was being naive. I didn't want this mission. This was my best chance of ending it. And, even if I transformed again and tried to save them, it was impossible, seeing as I had no means of offense or defense.

She caught it in an open hand. "Great!" she stood up, that usual malicious grin spreading across her face. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to die anyways. Shadow Hunters... kill them!!"

But it was already too late. The Shadow Hunters had slit their necks, spilling their dark crimson blood on the grayish-blue carpet.

My mind went blank as I stare down at the sopping wet rug. I collapsed on top of my father's body, gripping his bloody Jedi robes in my tightly clenched fists. I sobbed uncontrollably, for what later seemed like hours on end.

Vra stood over me, crimson bladed lightsaber ignited. She lifted it over her head, savoring the moment. "Bye bye!" she screeched.

The window on the far side of the room shattered into a million pieces. Two senshi leaped through the window, standing side by side.

"I am Sailor Chad! I stand for art and music! And if you raise your voice again, you will feel the wrath of a very angry senshi!"

"I am Sailor Dantooine! I stand for truth, love, peace and joy! Surrender now, or in the name of Dantooine, I shall punish you!"

"Midnight Life Elements!!" A ball of green, red, blue, and yellow energy sprung from Sailor Chad's hands, aimed directly at Vra.

But the Nightsister leapt out of the way, just in time. A whole section of the apartment was blown into the sky. When the dust settled, Vra was gone, and the Centrali Crystal henshin pen lie on the bloody carpet, a few feet from where I lay, clinging to my father's body.

Sailor Dantooine stepped up behind me, laying a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry..."

I flew into a rage, ripping my father's lightsaber from his belt, spinning at her and igniting the blade. I held it only a few feet from her chest. "Leave."

They both knew there was nothing they could do. Dantooine slowly backed off, giving me a sympathetic look. She walked out of the room, Chad close behind.

Meanwhile, I had dropped the deactivated saber onto the floor, sobbing even louder than before. "DADDYYYYYY!!"

Part VIII -- Loss

For what seemed like hours I lay there, covered in my father's blood from head to toe. My heart felt like it had shattered into a million tiny pieces. My head ached with a severe concussion, and my body was sore from being tossed around like a rag. Somehow I mustered the strength to stand up, only to fall back down and sob again.

It was Sailor Gallinore, who watched me with a weary eye. I slapped her hand away, but nothing happened. She was a spirit in the real world, too.

"You're sick!" I screamed, my voice very rough. "Why didn't you do something?! Those were my PARENTS!"

She sighed. "Ciel, in time, you'll realize that this was their destiny. Their purpose was to protect you when I could not, and they were no longer needed."

Tears began to fill my eyes again. "You could have helped me... you could have saved them..."

"Enough," she said coldly. "You must move forward in your mission and forget this."

Her face remained calm, but her eyes seemed to soften with my words. "Please have faith in me... I don't lie to you..." she said quietly. Then she disappeared.

I heard sirens in the distance. I looked around the room, shocked at all of the damage that I had just only noticed. I knew that if I stayed, I would be caught and put in a foster home. I grabbed my father's lightsaber and my transformation pen, running out the door as quickly as my bruised and battered body could move.

Part IX -- A threat, or a misguided soul?

A day after the death of my parents, I was back on the millions of streets of Coruscant, determined to kill the woman who had destroyed whatever fragments of my life had survived the past two years.

To put it lightly, I was pissed off. Very pissed off. She'd made this personal, and she was going to pay with her life. The drive I had once lacked was in full gear now.

I could feel her near me, taunting me through telepathy. I had tried to chase her, but she had always been a step ahead of me. She was trying to invade my mind, and it infuriated me more and more every second. I could feel the rage coming to a boil in my heart.

I had once been trained in the ways of the Jedi by my father, many years ago. But he knew that I did not have the patience to become a Jedi, and that if he continued my training, I would be at a risk to turn to the Dark side of the Force, so he stopped. But I had already learned all the skills necessary to be a threat.

And now, I could feel myself becoming the threat my father had feared I'd become.

I returned to my apartment, kicking whatever I saw and screaming obscenities. I couldn't find her, and I could hear her yelling and screaming, teasing and taunting me. I couldn't stop her voice. I couldn't stop her from yelling. I couldn't stop her from screaming. I couldn't stop her teasing; her taunting; her hollering; her hooting; her shrill laugh and sickenly high-pitched, nasal voice. The last thing I needed now was someone else to bother me.

But yet, she came. She appeared in my room, her multicolored fuku glittering with the somewhat-blinding light of her rainbow gem brooch; wavy blonde hair flowing behind her like a waterfall. "Ciel," she said in a soft, soothing voice, "don't let her get to you."

"LISTEN TO ME!!" she screamed, in the most sincere, desperate voice I've heard in my entire life. It was the first time I had seen her in emotional distress, and one of the few ever since.

"I'll listen to you, if you tell me the truth. Tell me the details of what I'm supposed to be doing. Tell me the extent of my powers. Tell me why YOU were chosen to guide me."

Part X -- Revelations

"I'll listen to you, if you tell me the truth. Tell me the details of what I'm supposed to be doing. Tell me the extent of my powers. Tell me why YOU were chosen to guide me."

"Fine. You want to know the truth? You want to know everything about your powers, your mission, and me?" Her jaw was set. "One day, you will be one of the most powerful senshi in the galaxy. You have two forms: Sailor Centrali and Sailor Star Centrali. Right now, you are at the first stage. The Centrali Crystal will gain power as time goes on, allowing you to access your greater levels of power. You have one attack right now, which is Violet Current. It's powered by the jewel in your tiara. When you were attacked in the train station, the beam that blew Vra away was a form of your Violet Current attack, which I summoned to give you a chance to regroup. The reason I didn't tell you your henshin phrase or your attack up until now is because you weren't ready. I knew that there would be other senshi to protect you. I wanted you to see them use their attacks before you used yours; that way you would have an idea of how powerful they really are. They're nothing to play with." She stopped for a moment and watched me, making sure that she should go on. "Your mission is to defeat Vra Vji. She was once good and a servant of the Light Side, like you and me, and was known as Asellus Monserrat. But she became consumed with hate and became an agent of the Dark Side. She trained in the ways of the Sith and became a master of its evil powers. She wants to destroy the universe simply because she knows she can. The good inside of her is still alive, I know that for a fact... but the evil is controlling her. If you kill her, the good inside of her will be awakened, and she will be resurrected."

Part XI -- The REAL beginning

For some reason, it didn't shock me. Perhaps it was because I had already been through so much emotional truama lately, or maybe it was something else. "How do I know you aren't going to kill me?" I asked. I wasn't even serious; I was just being my usual disagreeable, uncooperative self.

"Wait!" I wanted to thank her, but I was too proud. "Don't wish me good luck... luck doesn't exist..."

I walked over to my bed and lied down, staring at the ceiling. This was all quite... unusual, I decided, smirking. But I would triumph over her, for my parents. And for Sailor Gallinore. I was sure of it.

About the Senshi in this story:

Ciel/Sailor Centrali
Vra Vji
Annika/Sailor Bakura
Rune/Sailor Chad
Rene/Sailor Dantooine