Illusion of the Morning Star written by: Gina Biggs & A.N.Ferguson site: http://secondlight.animehunters.com/ contact: secondlight@animehunters.com date completed: 1997 (revised 02/2003) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode 12 - Icy Cold Hearts! Death of Polaris and Vega Two coinciding Kingdoms, ruling side by side. The Moon and Sun forever there to shine on the earth with their eternal lights. What happens when the sun's light dies? Eclipsed with darkness, evil envelops the hearts of all who dwell there and chaos reigns... *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Polaris' body began to glow with an uncanny light. She held out her arms as if to summon the heart of all evil into her body. The blood lust in her eyes could not be mistaken as she prepared to destroy Sailor Sun. "I can't believe she tricked me. Why didn't I see it coming? I should have known she was summoning youma," Sailor Sun thought. She looked at the icy arms holding her. "Now I'm trapped." Sailor Sun braced her body as best she could, preparing for the attack. The blast struck her hard. With her arms still bound, Sailor Sun couldn't even catch herself when she fell. She tried to rise to her feet, but pain shot through her body. She noticed a burning sensation in her left leg, and saw a deep gash on her upper thigh. Blood colored her skirt even redder. Polaris recharged and let loose another wave of power, this time centering it on her opponent's chest. "Ice STORM!" Sailor Sun's brooch began to glow, fending off the ice storm. It then opened revealing a small golden stone. A shot emitted from the orb, throwing Polaris against the wall. Danger out of the way, her brooch closed. Vega and Sirius appeared next to Polaris. Vega helped his recovering sister from the floor. He asked, "You okay?" Polaris nodded her answer as she clung to her brother's arm for support. Vega looked into her eyes and smiled. "Then let's show this girl what we can do!" They joined hands, concentrating their energy. Faint voices floated in from outside. The five soldiers entered the store. Noting the intrusion, the twins turned their powers onto the soldiers. "Double Ice STORM!" Jupiter countered with her new power. "Vibrant LIGHTENING!" Mars and Mercury joined her. "Psychic BLAZE!" "Liquid HARMONY!" The twins screamed in pain, as they fell to the ground. Polaris rose on one knee. "How dare yo--" Sailor Moon stepped forward. "No! How dare you! You have hurt one of my friends and destroyed a great dress shop. For this I can't forgive you! I am the pretty suited sailor soldier for love and justice, Sailor Moon. In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" "Humph... You wish," Polaris scoffed. A blast of cold blue light issued from her. Venus called out, "Passion Chain LINK!" A chain with tiny heart-shaped links tore into the ice storm and wrapped around the gray haired woman. She screamed as shock waves began to course through the chain, then into her body. Seeing his sister in trouble, Vega rammed into Venus, knocking her off balance. It was all Polaris needed to break free. Both twins sent forth ice attacks, mading the soldiers scurry around the room, attempting to dodge and icing the walls and floors in the process. Mars managed to deflect a blast, but it ricocheted towards Sailor Sun. Before it could hit her, a red rose ripped through the blast. Sailor Moon cried out with loving eyes, "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" She smiled adoringly at the man in the tuxedo and mask, as he jumped next to her. Polaris watched the little love scene unfolding, with jealousy. Her mind raged with thoughts of Sirius. "Why is it Sirius-sama never looks at me in that way. Even when we are in battle he never acknowledges me. It's not fair that she has what I don't! Ice STORM!" Her powers sailed at the couple, but Tuxedo threw another rose, which seemed to glow with an energy all its own. It deflected the ice storm, sending the attack back at Polaris. She fell to her knees in defeat. "How am I to ever prove myself to Sirius-sama if these soldiers keep making a fool of me?" Polaris thought. Vega started to attack the soldiers, but Sailor Moon called, "Silver Moon Heart BREAK!" Her power struck him in the chest causing him to lose his balance. No damage was taken by the boy but the wave of power caused the bandana worn around his neck to fall off. The girls gaped at him, as he rose to his feet. "What is it?" he demanded. Sailor Moon finally found her voice, "Y-you're... you're a woman." Vega looked to where the soldiers were staring. With the bandana gone, his shirt hung low enough to reveal a bit of cleavage. Vega gasped, trying to cover the exposed skin. "I ALMOST KISSED YOU!!" Venus screamed before fainting. Mercury fanned her, while Jupiter shook her, trying to revive their fallen friend. Sirius stared at them in boredom. He unsheathed his golden sword and pointed at the still trapped Sailor Sun. Sailor Moon tried to draw his attention away, but he paid no mind. He raised the sword high, then began to shout, "Eclipsed Heat..." Before Sirius could finish, Sailor Sun's brooch glowed. The hands of the youma vaporized as the small stone was revealed again. She stood up, ignoring the pain her leg and the Luminous Star Rod manifested in front of her. She quickly grabbed it as Sirius sent forth his Heat Storm. Sailor Sun shouted, "Rising SUN!" She held off his attack, but found she was unable to defeat it. Feeling herself weaken, she glanced at Sailor Moon. "Princess, I need your help. I can't beat him alone!" Sailor Moon moved beside Sailor Sun and took out her own weapon. It lengthened into a staff, as she held it before her. Concentrating her energy on Sailor Sun's own beam, she shouted, "Silver Moon Heart BREAK!" The combined Silver and Golden light pushed toward Sirius. Seeing the intertwined attack was quickly overcoming her beloved, Polaris flew to block him from the danger. The power tore through layers of her flesh, but she kept her position. Sailor Sun and Moon retracted their attack too late. Vega caught her dead sister before Polaris could hit the floor. "Noooo!" she screamed. Vega shot a blast of ice at the sailor soldiers, but they easily blocked it. Sirius watched the scene unmoved. As Vega cried over her sister's body, the golden haired man disappeared, retreating to the Eclipsed Sun Kingdom. Vega glared at the sailor soldiers vengefully. "I hate you. I hate you all." "Vega..." Sailor Moon whispered. "But I hate him more. When I have killed him I will be back for all of you." With that, she disappeared leaving the sailor soldiers alone. All eyes turned to Sailor Sun and Sailor Moon. The cats came out of the place they had hid in during the fight. Luna spoke first, "Sailor Sun, what are you that you have so much power? What is your mission?" "You know that I am here to protect the princess from the dangers of the sun. My power... I have two lives contributing to my power." "Two lives?" Artemis wondered. "You mean a past life?" "My past has nothing to do with it. I know nothing of it. I have to go." Sailor Sun ran out of the store, but before she exited she added, "Thank you, Sailor Moon." ****************** In the Eclipsed Sun Kingdom, Vega kneeled at her sister's bedside, caressing her cold hand. She spoke softly to her twin, "Polaris, why? Why did you love such a man? You were a mirror image of me. I thought twins where supposed to feel the same thing. So then why didn't you know as I did what he was? I will not live another day without avenging your unrighteous and untimely death. Sirius will--" Vega stopped talking as the doors to the room opened. She quickly hid in the shadows. A blonde man entered the room, then moved to Polaris. Sirius stood over her lifeless body. "At least you served some purpose," he jested. "My dear sister. How your heart would break if you could hear the words he speaks. Mine broke the day you fell in love with him. At least in death, your heart cannot be burdened any longer," Vega whispered to herself, then stepped from the shadows. "Don't come any closer 'prince', else you'll suffer the same fate as your naive sister," Sirius warned. "How DARE you? You arrogant, evil BASTARD!" Without another word Vega charged at Sirius. Rage blinded her to the fact that the golden man was much more powerful. All she knew as she shouted, "Freezing Ice STORM!" was that she must take revenge for Polaris at all cost. Sirius simply brushed the attack away. "You'll have to do better than that. Enough of this childish play! Eclipsed Heat STORM!" Fire encircled Vega. The heat scorched her body, sapping all strength she had and she fell over her twin, whispering, "Polaris, my sister, I failed you. Forgive me. At least we could die as one. Now we can be in hell... together." Vega willed herself to embrace Polaris. A vision of two little girls skipping hand-in-hand appeared to her as she took her last breath. They dematerialized into blue ice bubbles that floated away, lost forever into the depths of the Sun. Sirius exited the room, once again unmoved. ****************** On Earth, Usagi stood alone at the dock at Juuban Public Park. A cool breeze lift played with her hair. The dock was a special place to her. It was there Chibi Usa had first appeared that fateful day. She smiled sadly as she thought of the small girl. It was Sunday, and Mamoru had decided to take her for a boat rise date. She stood, waiting for him, with her thoughts ever on Chibi Usa. "I wish... Oh, how I wish for you to return safely." "Hey, Usako. The boat's ready," Mamoru called. They sat facing each other in the boat as they floated on the middle of the lake. The sigh which escaped Usagi's lips did not go unnoticed by Mamoru. "Is anything wrong, Usako?" he asked with concern. "No, nothing's wrong." "Tell me the truth. What's bothering you," he insisted. "Is it Chibi Usa?" Usagi nodded, "Well, it's just everything that's been going on recently and I do really miss Chibi Usa..." Tears dropped down her cheeks, as Mamoru took her hand. "Usako..." "What's worse is when I was with Hogosha-chan I felt that she was close. Now something is different," her voice choked as she tried hard to hold back her tears, to be brave. It was no use. Once it had started, Usagi couldn't stop herself. She felt her chest tighten as she becan to cry uncontrollably. Mamoru leaned in and took her into his arms. He didn't ask her to stop crying, it was better for her to release the pain. Deep in his heart, he felt the same, but he had to be stronger. For her sake, he had to be strong. ****************** Taiyoukara Hogosha lay on the floor in her room. As she stared at the ceiling she pondered quietly. "I don't hear Chibi Usa-chan anymore. Maybe her influence won't be as strong as it was before. She said this was her body, but... if that holds any truth, then where will I go when my mission is over? I don't want to give this life up. I'm so scared." Tears filled her eyes, as she wrapped her arms around her body. "This life is so sweet. Breathing the fresh air. The morning light waking me; warming my skin. I don't want to give these things up." Still, even through her memories of life, she felt that something was missing. Something or someone special, she could not place. "Usagi has Mamoru-san, but who do I have? To have a love like that would make everything complete. Is there no one that was meant for me? Oh, well. It would probably make my giving this life up even harder than it is." ****************** Alpha Centauri watched Sirius enter the throne room. He followed behind, silent. Both bowed to the king. "My children are gone?" Dionysus inquired, his voice monotone. "Yes, my king," Sirius answered, his voice void of emotion. "Their bodies were recovered from the recent battle and laid to rest. Polaris and Vega sleep forever from this time on." "I see. Well then, you are now in command... Alpha Centauri." Sirius stared in shock and anger at the huge man beside him. He decided not to say anything, lest he end up sharing the same fate as the twins. "I will be in charge. One way or another," he said to himself. Dionysus turned his tired old eyes toward Alpha Centauri as he voice his new orders, "You must find a body that our Great Ruler, Erebus-sama can inhabit. It must be strong enough to hold him." Alpha Centauri bowed in compliance. "Yes, sire." Sirius, you are to continue with my children's mission, wipe out the Sailor Soldiers once and for all." Sirius stared for long moments, shocked at his hand-me-down assignment. "Yes, sire," he agreed through gritted teeth. The king gestured them away. "Leave me now." Sirius transported from the room, while Centauri calmly walked out. When Alpha Centauri reached his computer room he found the golden man waiting for him. He paid no heed to Sirius and sat in front of his computer board. Demanding attention, Sirius placed his hand on the keyboard. "Why do you always do things the hard way? It would be ten times faster if you just sent yourself here with your powers." "Faster is not always better," Alpha Centauri returned, brushing the man's hand away. "We should go down to earth, grab all the eligible bodies, and bring them here." "We shouldn't do that," Centauri corrected. "It wastes energy that we can not afford to lose. Bringing one body here requires the least amount of energy. With my computer we can find the one we want faster than if we just went grabbing bodies." Sirius stormed towards the door, but before he could leave Centauri commented, "You thought you were so much better than Polaris. That she was unworthy of your affection. I'm surprised you don't see her when you look in the mirror. You're just as impatient and power hungry as she was." Sirius threw one last hateful glare as he left the room. "Alpha Centauri, you had better watch your back," he growled in his mind. "I am going to pay you back a hundred-fold for every humiliation I have ever taken from you. Your idea is weak. I have a better way." All was quiet in the computer room, except the humming of machinery. Alpha Centauri was focused, but his mind wandered from his mission, to the girl who filled his heart. A sputtering noice echoed through the room as an image appeared on the large screen before him. Taiyoukara Hogosha stood, freeze-framed on the monitor screen and the man's heart filled with anxiety. "What am I to do?" End Episode 12.