|
|
The Room Behind the Waterfall was silent. Various Senshi lounged around, some of them reading, others meditating, others just sitting quietly. No games had been played, no arguments, no fun; even the Chibis were behaving.
Yukiko sighed and stood up. "Well, I’ve had enough of this moping. We’ve got to do something!"
Kyoko looked up from her book on ancient Coruscant mythology. "There isn’t anything we can do, Yuki-chan. We’re forced to wait for one of them to appear. I know you’re frustrated, we all are, but we can’t change the fact that we don’t know anything yet." Kyoko’s eyes pleaded with the ice-blue haired girl to understand. Yuki nodded and walked out to go to the library.
This is difficult for everyone, Kyoko thought. She hated seeing her friends nervous and upset. She hated feeling that way herself. She went back to reading.
Obi-Wan knocked before entering the room. Chikako noticed he was carrying a large scroll. He bowed to the Sailors and sat down on a nearby bench. The girls who were in the room looked at him quizzically. He lowered his head. "I believe we might have an answer to the riddle of the Angels7."
Mori nearly broke her neck to stand before the Jedi Master. "What or who are they? How do we defeat them?"
He stood and unrolled the scroll. "This is an ancient prophecy. One of the oldest, actually. The language is not even used anymore, and it’s written rather cryptically. This passage in particular…" He trailed off. All the Senshi were standing now and several more had entered the room.
"Basically, it says, 'A heralding of seven women. Born on a moon of a moon. They give gifts of destruction and death. They look for the souls of light. One light will sacrifice.' "
Kyoko interrupted him. "Sacrifice? What does that mean?" Obi-Wan looked at her with sad eyes and held up his hand.
"There’s more," he continued reading from the scroll. "The first soldier from a time ago. A great soldier who lost a love and defeated an evil. In the year of the ‘White Muren Moon,’ the evil will once more glow. The soldier Serenity will sacrifice again." He folded the scroll and sat back down.
"The Angels7 are from one of the moons of Iego; it is they of whom the prophecy speak, " Obi-Wan said.
"Iego! Of course! Angels do live there!" Kairiku said. "But what does ‘White Muren Moon’ mean?"
"A ‘muren’ is a small furry animal that lived about ten thousand years ago. Here is a picture." He opened the scroll again.
"It’s a rabbit!" Earth-born Kairi-chan recognised it immediately. Obi-Wan never questioned the strange words and cultures that came from the other-dimension Senshi. "Well then, ‘White Rabbit Moon.’ It’s from a long dead planet’s astrology. They knew that the stars and planets held power and believed in them wholeheartedly. This is the year of the White Rabbit Moon."
Chikako folded her arms. "So who is this soldier Serenity?"
Obi-Wan turned his head and looked at Annika. The white haired girl’s eyes flew around the room, as all the Senshi were now looking at her also.
"What?" she asked, "Am I supposed to know who it is? I’m sorry."
A sad sigh escaped Obi-Wan’s lips. "Soldier Serenity is Sailor Serenity. She was the very first Sailor Jedi. Or so the legends say. She supposedly existed over fifteen thousand years ago. Her name was Muren, or Rabbit. Her planet came under attack, and she was unable to defend it. A powerful spell was placed on her that prevented her soul from returning to planet Serenity. Muren, her husband, and one thousand of Serenity’s citizens fled to the safety of another planet, shortly before her own planet was completely obliterated. The Sith destroyed Serenity; it longer exists. When they arrived on the new planet, they found it empty of life, save massive vegetation and tremendous amounts of rain. This planet was an identical match to Serenity and it was named, Ame, the Serenity word for rain.
"Muren didn’t know that a Sith had followed them to the new planet. She was in a field one day, gathering fresh flowers, when the Sith attacked. She transformed and ran to find the evil creature. She knew before she reached his side that her husband was dead. The Sith was quickly and easily defeated.
"The legend says that as she cried over the lifeless body of her husband, her tears formed into pure quartz crystals, and the crystals spread over the planet in beautiful tendrils. When she shed her last tear, she took her husband’s sword and stabbed herself through the heart. After her burial, the people renamed the planet. They chose a word that meant ‘new life’; the planet is now called Bakura."
Annika jumped up and gasped. "That’s my planet! Why didn’t I know this legend?" she whined.
"It was kept secret. No one but the Jedi Temple knows."
"Does this mean that Annika is going to die?" Aisu asked. Annika put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot.
"What?!? That’s a mean thing to think, Aisu!!"
Obi-Wan stepped to the middle of the floor. "Just a minute. Aisu didn’t mean it that way… and we don’t know what the scroll means. For all we know, it could be totally false." This calmed down the Bakuran princess and soothed the blue-haired Aisu. Master Kenobi faced Annika again. "Master Yoda has instructed me to escort you to his chambers after I translated the scroll."
Annika whimpered. This was getting scary. Obi-Wan took her hand and used the Force to ease her nerves. They walked to Yoda’s private quarters in silence. The only time Annika ever got summoned to talk with Master Yoda was when she was being admonished for something. Whether it was breaking a window or a priceless gift, eating Yoda’s secret stash of candy goodies or missing her Force classes, she always seemed to be in trouble. Obi-Wan held tightly onto her hand.
"I wonder if we’ll ever get to go back home?"
"Of course we will. Don’t be silly, Dream."
"What makes you so sure, Faith? I had a dream that we didn’t make it back."
"I don’t care what you dreamed. We’re eventually going home."
A dark-blue-haired woman entered the room carrying a large gun. "Can it, you two! We’ve got work to do."
"Let me ask you, Hope. Do you think we’ll get to go home, to Iego?"
"I don’t know. Maybe. I’d like to. But after we finish this mission. Is that understood?" The two girls nodded. They went back to mixing chemicals and typing information onto computers. Hope gathered the silver bullet and loaded it into her gun. She would either bring back a soul, or not come back at all. She turned on the Angels Transport and snapped her fingers.
She disappeared and reappeared on Coruscant. Kendra had warned all of the Angels to stay away from Coruscant. The high concentration of Jedi would make it difficult to escape. But Geri had secretly given Hope a talisman that she said would protect her. It glinted in the artificial light of the streets.
Geri didn’t tell Hope that the necklace wouldn’t keep Jedi away, it attracted them. The first Senshi to feel her presence was Xarae. Xarae was the Senshi with the strongest Force abilities. She was incredibly sensitive to i’s delicate and subtle changes. "She’s here," she informed the other Senshi.
Master Yoda refused to let Obi-Wan stay in the room. He needed to talk
to Annika alone, and no amount of begging would change his mind. After
Obi-Wan reluctantly left the room, Yoda led Annika to the centre of the
room. She was instructed to sit on her knees and concentrate of the
living Force. The white haired girl grimaced. She hated sitting in this
position; her legs always went numb.
Master Yoda leaned on his gimmerstick cane and shook his head. "Knew this day would come I did." He chuckled. "I did not think it so soon."
If Annika was scared before, she was terrified now. "I’m confused, Master Yoda."
"With you, no surprise that is." He sat down. "Need you to concentrate, I do. Close your eyes… feel the Force." Annika wasn’t sure what the Force felt like, but she tried to feel it.
Yoda spoke again. "These words you will speak…Serenity Force Power, Make up," he whispered. Annika whispered the words back to him. Her consciousness faded, and her reality changed. She fell backwards onto the floor, then suddenly she regained awareness and stood up. She bowed to Master Yoda. He nodded his approval and said, "Waited a long time for this I have."
The woman in front of him looked undoubtedly like Annika; her hair was wrapped in two odango and long white ponytails flowed down to the ground. She was wearing a long, white, silky, gown.
"Sailor Serenity. Honour to see you it is."
In the same way Yukiko had become Princess Hoth, Annika became Sailor Serenity. Her past life, her first life was the one that stood before the small green Jedi Master.
"It is the year of the White Muren Moon" were the only words he said to her. She held out her hands, and a heart shaped diamond appeared. "Tell Annika to place this gem in her wand. It has the power of Purification. She’ll know what to do."
Yoda took the small gem and laughed.
"Is something funny, Master?"
"So different from Annika are you," he said.
"Are you so sure? There are many aspects to each person; this part of me is wise and mature, graceful and elegant. It just so happens that the rest of me is not." She smiled. "I do have my mature moments."
"True that is," he laughed again.
Sailor Serenity’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she dropped to the floor. Obi-Wan, who had been pacing just outside the door, heard the crash and ran to Annika’s side. She had reverted to her pink shirt and skirt; her hair was in two odango only. Obi-Wan helped her stand.
"What remember you?" Yoda asked Annika. She was rubbing her head.
"Everything. So I was Sailor Serenity? The legend is true?" She looked at Obi-Wan. He nodded his head. Yoda opened her hand and placed the diamond inside, and he explained its purpose.
"How long have you known about this, Master Yoda?" the white-haired girl asked. Her hair's pink highlights shimmered from the light of several lit candles.
"Knew I did from the day you were born. You see, Planet Bakura, opened its arms it did, decided you were to be its Senshi. Its powers, bestowed upon you by the Force, they were. Very special."
"In other words... I think I'm confused again."
He laughed and said, "In time, make sense to you it will."
Still confused but happy she hadn't got into trouble, she thanked Yoda and grabbed Obi-Wan’s arm. "Can we go back the Room Behind the Waterfall now? I’m really tired." The blue-eyed Jedi Master laughed and walked her back. Annika wasn’t as quiet this time.
"I wonder what Serenity’s husband was like," she pondered.
"Well," Obi-Wan began, "he was gorgeous with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes."
"Misou!!!! How did you know that?" She stopped. He smiled at her.
"Unbelievable! You’re really something, you know that?"
"Seriously, how did you…" She looked to his blue eyes. "Oh…. Oh!!!!" She hugged him. "Can it be? You were him, my husband?"
"Yes. It’s true. I can’t believe you didn’t realise that - I’m hurt." He mocked sadness. She smiled and kissed him.
"Onegai gomen ne?"
"Oh, I suppose I’ll forgive you this once." He kissed her forehead, took her hand and continued walking down the hall.
Obi-Wan suddenly halted.
"What’s wrong?" Annika asked him.
"Transform, something’s wrong. I can sense it." Annika understood and transformed.
Sailor Bakura and Obi-Wan Kenobi ran down the hall and out into the street. They saw six senshi surrounding the blue-haired woman from a few days ago. The one that stole Kirana’s soul.
Annika grabbed Obi-Wan’s arm and hid behind him. "Youma?!?" she said.
"Seductive Destroyer!" the woman yelled. A bolt of light shot out but missed its target.
Sailor Asteroid yelled to her twin sister, Sailor Yavin, "Now, Coru!"
Sailor Yavin twirled her time staff. Annika recognised the pose; she was going to use the ‘Dimension Hole’ attack. Sailor Yavin was going to send the blue-haired woman to another dimension!
"Yamete!" Annika yelled. She ran over to Yavin and begged her not to hurt her.
"What do you mean, stop?" Priire demanded. "Now is not the time for your compassion, Sailor Bakura!"
Sailor Yavin once again stood ready to attack.
"No!!" Bakura yelled again, this time standing in front of Hope.
"Sailor Bakura!" Priire yelled. She knew Annika would rather sacrifice herself than hurt a fly, but this woman was nothing to save. She was stealing the very essence of people. She was too dangerous to let live.
"It looks like your time is up, Hope." It was Geri. She was floating above Sailor Endor. She made a tick-tock noise with her teeth; she held up an hourglass and made it melt. Then she appeared behind Sailor Asteroid.
"I know you understand, Asteroid. You know, you and I are a lot alike, after all. Why should you let this creature live… That is what you’re thinking, isn’t it? Look what she did to a member of your team. She doesn’t deserve leniency. She deserves the harshest punishment, right?" she cooed.
"Iyagaru! How dare you!" Hope yelled. She aimed her gun at the evil Sith. "Seductive Destroyer!" She didn’t miss this time. The light hit Geri in the centre of her chest. But nothing happened.
Geri started laughing and took out three small black spheres. "Oh didn’t I tell you, Hope? I don’t have a soul. Or do I?" She started juggling the spheres. She dropped one on purpose, and it shattered into a thousand pieces. Another one she dropped on Sailor Endor’s head. She held one left and tossed it from hand to hand.
Sailor Asteroid jumped up and snatched the last black ball. Geri growled and came after her. They stood face to face. The colours of Geri’s eyes changed and swirled; she smiled and seized Asteroid’s hand causing the blonde Senshi to drop the black sphere. She gasped at the sight of the delicate glass like shards that littered the area around her feet. Her eyes met Geri’s.
Geri shook her head, "What’s… why, what is this?" she said, reaching behind Sailor Asteroid’s ear. The produced another black orb. "Oops. Well, look at that." She swallowed the ball and disappeared.
"I can’t stand that wacko Sith!" Priire muttered. Sailor Yavin twirled her Time Staff again.
Annika suddenly remembered the diamond; he was still holding it. Holding out her hand, her wand materialised. She placed the jewel in its centre.
"Sailor Yavin!" she pleaded, "Let me try once! Onegai!!" The orange-haired woman stepped down. Hope backed away from Annika.
She held the wand in the air. "Serenity Graceful Purification!" White hearts and red rose petals surrounded Hope. She lifted a few feet into the air and landed gracefully.
The evil aura around her vanished, and she looked serene. "Where are my sisters?" she asked.
In the days that passed, the senshi learned all about the Angels7 from
the reformed Hope. She was grateful to the Senshi and promised to help
them anyway she could. She was most worried about her sisters. Now that
she was no longer the leader, someone else would fill that position. The
senshi promised to try and heal her sisters.
The senshi also learned all about Sailor Serenity from Master Yoda, who was infinitely better at explaining it than Annika.
"There’s one thing I don’t understand," Fon said.
"One thing?" asked Coru.
"Can you turn into Sailor Serenity at any time?"
"I don’t think so," Annika said.
"So that means in your past life you were this mature, graceful woman, but we get stuck with the klutzy, cry-baby princess?" Priire laughed.
The rest of the night was spent catching up on the fun they missed. They ate all the candy in the Temple and ruined about forty pillows having pillow fights. They also had ‘Sailor Jedi’ makeovers. Priire fixed Annika’s hair in braids, and Annika put Priire’s in odango. Mika painted Fon’s fingernails with bright orange polish, and Seiyun told the girls’ fortunes with a deck of strange cards.
Yukiko lay in her bed. She needed sleep; she had aikido practice the next morning. The laughter and crashing noises kept her from sleeping, but she wouldn’t tell them to be quiet for all the money in the world. It’s wonderful having the Room Behind the Waterfall alive with fun again. So why am I up here? she thought. She raced downstairs and joined in the latest pillow fight.
"Harmony."
"Yes, Kendra?"
"Your sister has failed. She will not be coming back. You are the new leader of the Angels7… I suppose it’s the Angels6 now. You will find your package laying on your desk. Do. Not. Fail."
A small brown box was indeed laying on her desk. She opened it and found a miniature Gungan Ball Launcher. She studied it for a moment. She didn’t know what she was supposed to use it for. Her question was answered when a flat round silver ball landed on her desk. It fit into the launcher perfectly.
Her computer screen showed the image of a young, smiling girl.
"Too easy!" she sang.
About the Senshi in this story:
Kirana/Sailor Omwat
Geri/Sailor Sith Iyagaru
Miharu/Shiroi Knight
Audra/Sailor Alderaan
Yukiko/Sailor Hoth
Kyoko/Sailor Naboo
Chikako/Sailor Myrkr
Mori/Sailor Endor
Kairiku/Sailor Chibi Naboo
Sailor Serenity/Queen Muren
Annika/Sailor Bakura
Aisu/Sailor Chibi Hoth
Dream, one of the Angels 7
Faith, one of the Angels7
Hope, one of the Angels7
Kendra/Kougo Ada
Xarae/Sailor Iridonia
Priire/Sailor Asteroid
Ippin/Sailor Yavin
Mika/Sailor Yavin IV
Fon/Sailor Teta
Seiyun/Sailor Coruscant
Harmony, one of the Angels7
