None were witness to the two souls that faded in on that starry night. Only a deer was present to see the regal and ageless woman and small child that faded in from the air like some sort of spirits. It was unsure to jump or not, thinking about the urge that it had to run. It decided to stay, waiting to see what these two would do. The smaller one looked around. His lavender hair fell into his face and his ice blue eyes glittered in the late starlight.
“Serenity-obasan, when are we now?”
She stood for a moment more, her silken blonde hair swaying in the wind, shining in the starlight. With a flash her fuku disappeared, and there stood a seemingly normal young mother. Trunks looked around him. She closed her eyes for a moment.
“We’re in the past.”
He nodded. “I know that, but I want to know when we are. And if we can stay.”
Serenity shrugged. “I’m not sure yet Trunks-chan. We’ll just have to see.” And we’ll have to pray. She added the thought silently. The child had so little light in his life these days, being pursued everywhere that they thought would be safe by Chaos. He seemed to sense her thoughts.
“I know that we might have to move on again. I don’t mind really; just as long as I can be with you.”
He was beginning to grow, when she’d found him he had been about as tall as her thigh. Now he was all the way up to her waist. He stood with her, his face set into a permanent frown, his eyes too troubled and shadowed for one so young. He came over and leaned against her side, his hands looped around her waist for a moment. He was a loving child if nothing else. He brushed a hand through his silky hair.
“I won’t leave you.” He smiled in satisfaction and let her waist go, beginning to rise into the air. He looked back at her. “I’m going to go and see who’s here. I can feel all of the strong powers on this world. I think everyone’s alive here.”
She nodded. “Just be careful. Be back here soon all right?” He gave a nod and leapt into the air with grace born of natural ability and practice. She watched him go, praying that he would stay safe from any harms. She turned slightly as she heard the noise that was almost covered by the sound of Trunks’ going. A woman stood there, dark eyes, dark hair. Serenity hadn’t seen her in the future, or around in any of the pasts. She had a feral look to her. Serenity raised a hand in greeting.
“Hello.” The woman nodded once, dipping her head in greeting. She recognized Serenity even when the other woman failed to recognize her.
“Hello Serenity-sama.” Serenity cocked an eyebrow.
“You know me?”
The woman nodded, her back against a tree. “I know you all too well your majesty. All though, here you haven’t assumed your title yet. You haven’t even battled Galaxia. For the moment all is in peace.”
Serenity nodded, saddened. She couldn’t stay here then. The other woman looked at her. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you look so sad, what plagues you?”
Serenity was about to answer when a blast of air above announced Trunks’ arrival. The woman raised her eyebrows. “It’s the young heir to Vegetasei.”
Trunks looked at her warily. His hand almost strayed to his sword, Serenity stopped him with a touch to his shoulder. She smiled at the woman.
“Yosh Trunks, this is…..” She stopped for a moment, staring at the young woman. The other smiled a half smile that was reminicent of Vegeta’s.
“My name is Asono.” It was a familiar name. But one from the past. This woman knew about the senshi, but Serenity didn’t know her.
“Are you a senshi?”
For a moment the woman looked distant. “Hai, I’m the senshi of Gemini. Sworn to defend you your majesty. And that is why I’m here. Only this Serenity doesn’t need protection.”
The name and title didn’t ring a bell. Asono could see it on the two traveler’s faces. She sighed a heavy sigh. Not once since her sister had died.
“GEMINI STAR POWER; MAKE UP!”
After the backlash had settled and she’d put both Serenity and Trunks on guard there stood a new woman. She seemed as ageless as Serenity did. Her fuku was made up of teals and blues that complimented her hair. A long and wickedly pointed staff was held loosely in one hand with what looked like blades attacked to each end. She took a bow.
Serenity nodded once. The woman leaned against her staff, looking at them lazily. “I haven’t assumed my senshi form in a long time my queen. I thought I would have to protect you here, only you are safe. The threat that threatened you in my particular timeline died long ago here, along with myself and the rest of my family. Now I’m here and there is no place for me.” Serenity smiled in understanding.
“I know the feeling well, Gemini. It’s a feeling that I’ve had to endure for a while now.” She tussled Trunks’ hair affectionately. “I have a traveling companion however.” Her smile was a gentle one as she looked down to Trunks. Asono too smiled, de-transforming, her fuku disappearing in the same flash of light that had heralded it. She looked over to the couple.
“I figure that you’ll be moving on soon, but I think that you might be in need of a place to stay here while you wait?”
Serenity nodded. “Arigato.”
Asono shrugged. “Demo, it’s nothing at all. I’m happy to serve.”
The trio walked through the mists of the evening. The afore mentioned deer had finally run off with Asono’s approach, but came bounding back, running alongside them, almost acting as a vanguard. They came to a cottage that was tucked away in the hills, held away from prying eyes and minds. They came in and Trunks looked wearily over at the couch that was sitting by a slowly burning fire. He looked over to Serenity. She smiled at him.
“Go and lie down on the couch, I’ll come to you soon.” He nodded and rambled over to fall onto the cushions, his eyes falling closed almost immediately. She smiled and sat down at the table facing Asono’s back. The other was making coffee. Serenity saw her stir in a little extra sugar in her cup. That was the way that she liked it. Only it had been a long time since she had been given the opportunity to drink coffee. The other woman sat down on the opposite side of the table in silence, apparently comfortable with the lack of conversation. However after a moment more she laid the cup down on the table and looked over at Serenity with her somber blue eyes.
“I suppose you might like to know what I meant about my sister. Well I’ll tell you even if you don’t want to know. It’s been eating away inside of me like a dark black snake for the longest time and I have to say something.”
Serenity nodded, her eyes gentle and full of compassion and understanding, and a pain that shouldn’t be haunting those angel eyes. Asono spoke after a moment more, taking a deep breath.
“My sister and I were twin senshi. We were the two guardians of the Gemini constellation. For a long time we served there. And then in the past we came to the moon kingdom to swear fealty to your mother and eventually you, yourself. Then the Negaverse attacked and it was all shattered. That battle won, we retreated back to our home to see if anyone lived. While we had been gone, something terrible happened.”
She stopped for a moment, looking angry and close to tears in the same moment. “There was something in our system. I think it derived from chaos itself. It was from the shadow kingdoms, and it killed my family. Asoni and I fought it. She died.”
Again she paused, staring into her coffee. “My name used to be Osono. I combined it with hers so she wouldn’t die, that the part of her that was always with me wouldn’t die. I came here in another reality and that shadow being was here and after you. I wouldn’t let it happen, so I intervened. And now I’m here. I finished there and left, I’d caused enough damage with my presence anyway. I lost my friend in that other dimension as well. Hydrus. There were lots of lost senshi, especially the senshi of the constellations. We were many and very spread out.”
She sighed heavily. And then looked up to her queen. “I see that all of your senshi have gone. It haunts your eyes like a demon ravaging your soul. I pray that you find rest.”
She looked over to Trunks. “Is the little one who I think he is?”
Serenity nodded. “He’s the son of Bulma-san and Vegeta-oji.” Asono nodded.
“That’s what I thought. He’s lonely. I feel for him.” Serenity nodded, sighing heavily.
“I do too. I found him, he’s all alone, and he has no one to turn to. I don’t know what I can do for him.”
Asono smiled. “Do what you’re doing now. Love him. Love him until you can’t love him any more than you do and add some to it. He’s a precious one, that Trunks.” She paused, knowledge that she wasn’t sure if she should give, dancing in her eyes. “And he’s powerful.”, she stated finally. Serenity nodded. She yawned once.
“If it’s all right with you I think I’ll retire.” Asono nodded.
“That’s
fine with me. The bedroom is in the back. It should be warm,
there’s a fireplace in there too.”
Serenity nodded, picking up the drowsy Trunks from the couch and
walking back, leaving Asono sitting on the wicker chair in the
front room, her lustrous blue eyes watching them until they were
out of sight. She curled up in the same bed with Trunks, not
wanting to jostle him any more than she had. He leaned against
her collar-bone sleepily, and she heard him begin to speak in a
lazy whisper.
“I saw my ‘tousan today. He was fighting with my ‘kassan. I don’t think I’ve been born here yet.” She felt him yawn again, and a small quaver come into his voice. “It looked like they hated each other, but if you looked you could tell that they really cared. I wonder, did they want me?”
Serenity smiled, once again stroking a hand through his hair. “Don’t think for a moment that they didn’t. You’re a child of love Trunks-chan. I’m sure they would have both loved you in their own ways.” He nodded and fell asleep, his breathing calming down to even intervals and she felt herself too, drifting and sleeping.
Asono’s eyes snapped open. She stared at the door. She growled. It couldn’t be. Not here. Not now. But it was. The all too familiar presence was close. It had only been a few hours, but she knew that Serenity was probably rested enough to make another shift. She had to. Chaos was here. She jumped to her feet as the presence came closer. There wasn’t a whole lot of time. She ran back to the bedroom to be confronted with the sight of the two resting together and for a moment she was loath to break their solace. But she had to. She shook Serenity’s shoulder with urgency.
“Serenity-sama!”
“Chaos.” It came out of her throat a low growl of a whisper, vehemence making it full of danger. Asono shook her head.
“Iie! Think of Trunks! He’s not old enough yet to go on his own! When he’s older he’ll be stronger and he can help you, but for now I beg you, take him and keep him safe.” There was a moment of struggle on Serenity’s face but she came to a decision quickly. She nodded. The two stood slightly appart from the other, and at the same time called out their transformations.
“MOON COSMOS MAKE UP!”
“GEMINI STAR POWER MAKE UP!”
Two senshi stood in the inky blackness of the night. Trunks stirred and looked at them blearily. “Nani?”
Serenity looked at him with a gentle expression. “We have to go.” Trunks nodded, stumbling out the bed, still rubbing his eyes, but trying to get mobile. Gemini stalked into the front, blood in her eye and determination in her stance. It was too close. If they didn’t hurry they would be caught. She yelled into the back room.
“Hayaku!” There were the sounds of movement from the back. It was getting too close. She stood defiantly out on the lawn, staring at the thing that had taken all that she loved from her.
“I won’t let you have them!!”
It was an infinite amount of blackness. But it seemed smug even though it was that. –What makes you think that you can stop me, weakling? I took your kinswoman no problem. I want at Cosmos. Move or die!-
“I’ll die before I move from this spot!”
Serenity and Trunks watched from the open window as the woman stood fast before the great towering presence. Trunks looked at Serenity, so ready to leap at it, even at the cost of her own life. His eyes furrowed as fear of being left alone again settled in them. “Serenity.” She looked down into his small face and her expression softened. They heard a scream from the lawn and watched Gemini rise, one arm hanging limply at her side.
“Gemini!”
The other woman turned back, her eyes full of the fire of revenge. “I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT OF HERE! IMA! HAYAKU!!” She attacked again, her attacks bouncing off of the infinitive sides of Chaos.
“Dame da!” Serenity didn’t want to see another one go down. She couldn’t take it. Asono looked back at her again.
“Iie!! DO IT FOR TRUNKS SERENITY!”
“Hai!” Trunks heard the pain in her voice as she began to whisper the words that would let her slip into time again. Maybe this next time they could find somewhere where they could stay. He looked at Asono, standing alone. He knew that Chaos wouldn’t let her live. But maybe that was her destiny. He sighed, waving once before fading out of view. He saw her smile as they left. A look of triumph that was unconquerable.
Chaos growled in fury as he saw his pray escape. He’d toyed with this little one long enough. It enveloped her, shocking her mind, piercing her flesh, making agony resound in every cell of her body, taking its anger out on her. Even then she smiled, even as her face twisted in pain. When it finally dropped her and left she lay there on the grass, her own blood pooling about her, crimson drops tracing down her face, and her burning eyes staring into the stars.
“I won Asoni. We can rest together now, and even if just for a little while, the queen is safe. Zettai omodatta, we were so happy back when….what happened?”
Her eyes closed, triumph burned into her face and her soul, her life draining away and her mission fulfilled. At least she had scarred it. That much she could take with her beyond.
11-29-99
Ossu! Ora Kuri!- Well that’s my little bit in the Hope saga. I hope it wasn’t completely out of line ~.^ Peace!