Sailormoon Zodiac: #10 - Shitto // Envy By: Janelle Jimenez (miaka@bishounen.org) Official Webpage: http://www.sailormoon-millennia.net/ [http://bishounen.org/smmillennia/] Tears. Tears of blood. Tears of sorrow and agony. She couldn't stop crying, no matter how much she tried. She ached, she longed, to be with Leadan. It had been nearly a week since former Second Captain of the Black Star Galaxy, Scorpia Beraku-staa, had been cleansed of evil. Now she was just Dokuno Shikami, no one important. Sailorscorpio. What was that to her anyways? It had been over two millennia since she had worn the uniform of a Zodiac Senshi. But none of it mattered. Not her role as Captain of the Black Star Army, not being a Zodiac Senshi. Nothing. Only Leadan. Only her love. Standing up, she gave the mirror in her apartment a quick glance and smirked. Her fingers instinctively came to her chest and clasped the red jewel which hung from a thin golden chain. To anyone else, it was a tear-shaped red jewel. In reality, it was a solidified drop of Leadan's blood, a symbol of his love for her. Shikami sighed, it was only time before one day they were reunited at last. But for now, she had other things to worry about, like socializing with her former comrades-turn-enemies-turn-comrades. Two millennia ago, she would have gladly died for any of them. Now, she could care less. This certainly was going to be an interesting evening. She was amused at the thought of conflict with the others. The idealistic fools! After being on the dark side for a millennia, it was hard to return to the path of goodness. Emotions were heard for her to grasp anyway, the only emotion or passion she felt was for Leadan. Nothing really mattered to her anyway, her loyalty to the Black Star Galaxy was erased and replaced with a feeling that she should help the Zodiac Senshi, but yet she didn't care, she didn't FEEL. And this was just fine with Dokuno Shikami. * * * * "Something has to be done about the Zodiac Senshi. This cannot continue." Haruka said with passion in her voice, it was a never ending argument it seemed. "Haruka-san, what you are suggesting is that we play assassins." Ami said in a low voice. It was something of a moral issue to her, despite the fact her moral issues were partly to blame for Hotaru's death...at least, that is what she thought in her mind. "How many more people have to die?" Minako murmured softly, "We need to do SOMETHING. Not necessarily what Haruka-san suggests, but we can't just sit here and wait for them to kill us. They have no qualms about it..." Minako drifted, "So..." "But we're better than them!" Ami exclaimed, "We don't have to resort to hunting them. There's got to be a better way." Rei looked thoughtful for a moment, "What if we made it so they couldn't transform? Perhaps we could stop them from ever transforming into Senshi again..." "How do we go about doing that?" Michiru asked as she rested her chin on her clasped hands. "Taking their henshin devices won't be easy..." Makoto pointed out. Rei nodded and thought for a moment, there had to be a way. "There's got to be some sort of Silver Millennium secret on how to make a Senshi, not a Senshi." "Luna?" Minako asked, turning to look at the two cats who were lying on the floor, listening to the conversation. "I...I don't know, Minako-chan." Luna said, she didn't like what the Senshi were proposing. It seemed so unlike them to resort to such drastic actions. But it was a time of dire need, they *had* to think of something or they'd be dead as well. "What makes a Sailor Senshi, a Sailor Senshi?" Ami asked, "When we find the answer to this question, then we'll know how to stop them from transforming." "You know, I never thought of that. Aren't we just people chosen to have the power and protection of our planet? That's what I always thought." Makoto commented. "Yes, but Ami-chan is right. There is probably something within us all, within all Sailor Senshi that makes us that. The Essence of a Senshi." Haruka said nodding slowly, "If we can discover what that is, then we can draw it out of the Zodiac Senshi somehow. To make them never be Zodiac Senshi again..." * * * * "You are not our leader." Sailorleo said coldly, if looks could kill, then Sailorscorpio should have been dead hundreds of times over. "I'm sorry, Leo, but you've done such a poor job as a leader that as a good Zodiac Senshi, I feel you must resign and give the position to me." Scorpio said in a very sweet, disturbingly sweet, voice. Only moments ago, she had shocked them all when she transformed for them. To everyone's surprise, and Leo's dismay, her uniform was different than all of theirs. A slight difference, but enough to attract attention. The star-shaped brooch, the longer bow, different looking gloves--it all made questions to be asked. Afterall, if Sailormoon's uniform was different than the rest of the Sailor Senshi's uniforms, and she was their leader, then wouldn't it make sense that Sailorscorpio was truly the Zodiac Senshi leader? Of course, Sailorscorpio knew this to be false. However, for a reason that she did not even really know, she harbored a great distaste for Sailorleo and would have done anything to see her humiliated. "I have NOT done a poor job as leader. Besides, Estrella said that I was leader of the Zodiac Senshi." Leo said, her temper was rising. If there was anything she hated, it was being undermined by a new-comer. The fact the Zodiac Senshi were siding with their ex-enemy because her sailorfuku was different was infuriating. She couldn't believe the stupidity of it all. "Well, then Estrella is wrong." Scorpio said, bitter coldness sinking into her voice. "Scorpio, I am not wrong." Estrella replied matter-of-factly. "You were obviously wrong about me," Scorpio said nonchalantly, "If you were wrong once, then you can be wrong again." Estrella felt her claws extend in her paws, but remained still. Her body trembled slightly with anger. "How dare you boss us around. You disgust me, you who gave your heart and soul to evil! How dare you try and assume the position of leader!" Leo exclaimed, her anger finally getting to her. "You have no honor. You're disgraceful!" Scorpio smirked, "Honor? Please, spare me the song, Leo. You are the one who used underhanded tactics to gain control of the Star Pieces. You are the one who suggested ambushes and the sort, hardly an honorable thing to do." Scorpio declared. Leo blanched with embarassment and anger, how DARE she! "Who cares about honor?" Scorpio continued, "I'd much rather be dishonorable and alive than be dead...for the sake of some ridiculous concept that doesn't exist." That was the last straw. "Sun Lion, Destroy!" Leo shouted, directing a small flame lion towards Scorpio. She didn't want to hurt her, just teach her a lesson. Scorpio looked a bit off-guard for a moment, but then jumped into the air, the lion singeing the tips of her boots. She sailed backwards over Sailoraquarius as the lion lept in the air to chase her. Before landing, she extended her claws and landed behind Sailoraquarius. Her claws dangerously close to Aquarius' head, "Call it off." Scorpio hissed, Aquarius hesitated for a moment. "I'll kill you if you don't." she added. "Ra-rain flood! Rain flood!" Aquarius cried out hysterically. The blue cloud appeared and melted the lion away. "It seems your comrade here would also much rather be dishonorable and alive than dead." Scorpio smirked. "That's not fair!" Aquarius shrieked, she hated knowing that she was a coward. "There's no honor in using a teammate as a human shield." Leo muttered. "Then perhaps you shouldn't try and play games with me." Scorpio snapped, her voice sharp and frightening. She paused for a moment before a small smile grew on her lips, "Now, in order to collect the rest of the Star Pieces, we need to bring the Sailor Senshi to us. All we need to do is cause a drop of destruction." Before anyone could argue with her, Scorpio created a red mist which settled upon a small group of people. Instantly, mayhem ensued as they began to hallucinate their worst nightmares incarnated. * * * * Ami was busy typing into her pocket computer for the answer to their riddle when it started to make an annoying beeping noise. Stopping her research, she switched over to another program. "It seems that there's a situation going on in Aoyama park..." Ami announced as she read the ticker. "What sort of situation?" Rei asked, peering over Ami's shoulder to try and see what was going on. "Well, this news report seems to be suggesting that a group of people at Aoyama Park are having violent delusions..." Ami reported. Michiru glanced nervously at Haruka, it was obvious to her what it had to be. She had seen Hotaru go through it herself. "The Zodiac Senshi! Come on, we have to get them!" Minako exclaimed, throwing her hand into the air, ready to transform. "Wait...wait...that doesn't seem like something they'd do." Ami said frowning slightly as she continued to read, "They've never touched the civilian population before... whatever it is that they're after, we have it, not the people of Tokyo." "It's a trap...I know it is..." Rei whispered, "They're trying to get our attention so they can strike again! We can't go!" "But...we can't let those people be used by them either, we have to go and help them..." Minako said. "No. Let's not go. Let's wait." Ami said softly, "What are you suggesting? We let them suffer? What if they kill them? Then it'll be even more blood on our hands!" Haruka exclaimed. "No...I see what Ami-chan is saying," Rei nodded, "The Zodiac Senshi aren't bad people, per se. My heart tells me that they wouldn't hurt them. It's not something they would have even done at all...had...had Sailorscorpio not been a member of their team. I'm positive of this." Haruka sighed with defeat, her heart was heavy with frustration and anger, but there was no point in arguing. The way she saw it, if their hunches didn't ring true, then that would be enough of a defeat for them to listen to her from then on. Besides, on a purely logistical point of view--there was no way that she and Michiru could take on the Zodiac Senshi by themselves. Minako reluctantly picked up the remote controller and flipped it onto the news, sure enough there was a crowd of gawkers and camera crews filming a large group of people screaming in fear. Makoto winced at the sight. Haruka clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, "I hope your right, for their sake." * * * * "STOP IT!" Aquarius screamed hysterically, they had moved far away from the scene and were up on a hill watching it from above. "They aren't coming, it's been too long, stop hurting them!" she grabbed Scorpio's arm and tried to pull her hands apart, but Scorpio shoved her roughly away. "Don't ever touch me again." she hissed. "Please," Taurus whispered gently, placing her hand very delicately on Scorpio's shoulder, "It isn't right for us to harm innocent people like this. Please, stop." Scorpio sighed in frustration and threw her hands up in the air, the moment her concentration broke, the wails of the people below subdued. A murmur was heard moving through the crowd below as those afflicted snapped out of their nightmares. Aquarius watched in horror as they were lead into amublances. "Why did you do it?" she asked, tears filling into her bright blue eyes. She was horrified at the scene, she hated being a Zodiac Senshi. She despised every moment. First, it was fun...she felt like she finally belonged to a group where she was needed. But now, now she was nothing more than an assassain and a thief. "I can't bear this anymore!" she screamed, "I can't keep hurting people for a cause I don't even understand!" "Ameko-chan..." Sagittarius murmured, she comfortingly reached out for Aquarius. I know how you feel, I hate this as much as you do. "No! Stay away from me...all of you, I never want to see any of you again!" she screamed as she began to back away, "I don't ever want to be a Zodiac Senshi again, or ever have to talk to you again! I can't take it. Everytime you force me to cause pain to someone, I feel it too!" she cried. Warm tears streamed down her face, she made no attempt to stop them. "How pathetic." Scorpio muttered, "This team would be much better without a coward like yourself on it anyways." -- "Is all they ever do argue?" Mars whispered to Venus as they watched and listened to the Zodiac Senshi yelling at one another from the forest. "Thank god our hunches were correct..." Mercury sighed, her heart went out to Sailoraquarius. The poor girl, she's good at heart, most of them are...they're just misguided. I wish we could help them... "Well, now is the time...Venus, are you ready?" Uranus whispered. Venus nodded and quickly stood up, "Venus Love-Me Chain!" she shouted as a golden chain of hearts appeared around her and flew over to the Zodiac Senshi and quickly wrapped around them. Venus pulled tightly, and soon, they found themselves bound by a magical chain--surrounded by Sailor Senshi. "That was a very low thing you did with those people." Uranus said shaking her head at the bound group, "What would Queen Selestia say?" "Shut up." Leo muttered as she tried to wriggle out of her bindings, it wasn't going to happen...no on her own anyways. It would take the entire team working as a single unit for it to work, and that was not going to happen. Or, of course, Sailoraquarius could just call her attack up...but she was being nonresponsive. Her eyes were closed, and her body hung limp. She had given up. "Now, all we want from you is what you've stolen from us back." Uranus began, "Naturally, you can't bring back Sailormoon or Sailorsaturn, so we'll settle for the Garnet Orb and the Silence Glaive's blade, oh and Jupiter's henshin wand." "Do you really think that we'd give them to you so easily?" Leo demanded. "Take them." Aquarius whispered, her eyes remaining closed. "NO! Don't you do it, Aquarius!" "You must, or we'll destroy you." Uranus said in her most menacing voice, it wasn't what they had planned--but a little white lie never hurt. But it was an unnecessary threat, a white glow appeared around Sailoraquarius and suddenly the three items that were requested appeared at Uranus' feet. "I'm sorry I hurt you." Aquarius murmured. "You worthless, pathetic, girl!" Scorpio shrieked, her claws extended from her fingernails, but there was no way to get anywhere near Aquarius. "Leave me alone." Aquarius muttered, her voice sounding dejected. The Sailor Senshi were leaving, the only ones lagging behind were Sailorvenus and Sailormercury. Mercury glanced towards Aquarius sympathetically, there was something familiar about Aquarius' eyes...like the eyes of someone she knew from school, but these brilliant blue eyes were dull...dead. Thank you, Mercury thought, thank you for letting the good in your heart take presendence over duty as a Senshi... * * * * "Well, Arseniru, are you content?" Sulfiria sighed, "Scorpia has failed, as you predicted." "I'm more shocked that she was so easily swayed back to being a Zodiac Senshi." Arseniru replied smugly, "I knew she would fail, but I had no idea my brother would as well." "Yes..." Sulfiria murmured, the mention of Leadan's name set her heart in motion. Yes, Leadan failed. So many thousands of years ago, when Sailorscorpio was first taken from the Golden Millennium, it had been Leadan's duty to reprogram her mind to think only of the Black Star Galaxy--yet, she had broken free from it's grasp so easy and quickly. Yet, despite his failure...she was happy. Now that Scorpia was gone, it meant that Leadan was free. It wasn't that Scorpia was on a mission and would return some day--she was gone, gone for good. -- Scorpia was gone. The moment that Leadan had heard the news, his heart was crushed. Did she forget him so easily that she allowed herself to be taken back so easily? Leadan found himself in Scorpia's bedchamber, taking in one last breath of the musky perfume that Scorpia liked to wear. The perfume that the delicate sheets of her bed were scented with. How Leadan wept! But... They were tears of happiness. After the transitory moment of depression, Leadan was overjoyed that Scorpia was gone. It had been part of his plan all along. From the very first moment he saw her, so many millennia ago, he knew that she was a captive. That her true self was a captive inside her mind as he was forced to erase her mind...but there was one notion that he put there, in hopes that someday she could free herself with it. And that she did. She's finally free, he thought, free to be herself. The only real trial left...is to set myself free.