3THE DEATH OF LOVE
Chapter 1: "Warning Signs"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Sailor Moon and all related characters are (c)2020 by Naoko Takeuchi and are used without permission, but with respect. Story is (c)2020 by Bill K.
"Luna, do you have everything ready?" Queen Serenity frantically called out. She was scurrying around the main room of the Royal Chambers while her two adopted children, Yuri and Setsuko, watched with growing anxiety.
"For the dozenth time, Your Majesty, yes," sighed the little black cat.
"And for the dozenth time, STOP CALLING ME YOUR MAJESTY!" the Queen barked. Luna gritted her teeth.
"All arrangements have been made," Luna replied. "The officials at Ueno Onshi Park have been notified as to when to expect you. All security arrangements are done and implemented. Everything is in order. We are merely waiting for YOU."
"OK. All right. Fine," Serenity nodded nervously. "Endymion! Where's Endymion?"
"I'm right here," King Endymion said, entering the Royal Chambers dressed in his standard gray tuxedo. "The limousine is downstairs waiting. Are you ready?"
Serenity, in her standard off the shoulder white gown, took a deep breath and then exhaled.
"How do I look?" she asked him.
"Radiant," Endymion replied. "The people are waiting for you."
"Well, we can't keep them waiting," she said. Extending one hand to Yuri, dressed in a brown suit that the eight year old chafed at wearing, and the other to Setsuko in a violet dress and patent leather shoes, Serenity glided to the door. Endymion followed closely behind her.
"Honestly, you'd think she was going to meet the Queen of England," muttered Luna as she headed back to the office the cats used as a command base. "She's just going to open the Ueno Cherry Blossom Festival. That woman takes the oddest things seriously and treats serious matters with frivolity." The cat entered the office. "Sometimes I wonder if one of those tumbles she took as a teen did permanent cranial damage."
Hopping up onto the desk, Luna engaged one of the desktop computers and hooked it into palace surveillance cameras. One view showed the Royal Family getting into a palace limousine for the trip to Masaoka and Ueno Onshi Park. Shifting her view to other cameras, Luna began inspecting the palace perimeter to see if everything was in order.
The sound of the door opening drew her attention. Entering the room was Artemis and from the way the white cat's head drooped and his tail dragged the floor, Luna sensed something was amiss.
"Artemis?" she inquired. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Yeah," he replied listlessly. "I just had to get away."
"Are Minako and Tatsuo fighting again?" Luna asked. Artemis nodded. "What is it this time?"
"Pick a subject," Artemis sighed. "Ever since Tatsuo's last two films bombed and Minako won the Japanese Film Society Award, it seems like every little thing sets them off. Of course Minako's tons of fan mail don't help - - or the rude propositions she gets on-line by the hundreds. Or the rumors that Tatsuo was playing around with the lead actress of his last picture, which I don't believe. And then there's the fact that she's Sailor Venus."
"But Tatsuo was fine with that," Luna interjected.
"Was being the operative word," Artemis scowled. "He seems to be a little less fine with it every time she transforms." He exhaled again. "And then there's her ongoing obsession with Ace. I know she's just being paranoid. If he hasn't struck by now, he's not going to. But you can't convince her of that."
"I don't see how you live with it."
"I've been with her since she was thirteen," Artemis grinned. "I know all of her moods and I can roll with them. Tatsuo's not as experienced as I am, so it really grinds him when she gets manic about Ace. He gets mad, and you know Mina won't back down from a fight." He leaped up on the desk. "I just want some peace."
"You stay here as long as you like, Artemis," Luna told him, rubbing her cheek against his.
"Thanks," the white cat sighed and curled up on the desk. Luna watched him, a sentimental smile growing on her mouth. She noticed out of the blue that he had come here in time of need and she felt an unexpected bit of gratitude for that.
"He's just looking for familiar surroundings," she whispered to herself and returned to the monitor.
Ueno Onshi Park was filled to capacity with people there to see the first cherry blossoms of spring begin to bloom. There was a slight chill in the air, but not enough to dampen the blooms and not enough to dampen the spirits of the visitors to the massive park. Because not only were the blossoms opening the spring, but the King and Queen were opening the festival held each year at the park. It was one of five festivals they were scheduled to open around Tokyo over the next week.
Standing on the podium specially built for the occasion, Serenity and Endymion looked over the crowd as they cheered and chanted for them. Flanking them on either side were Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars, along with a squad of police and palace guards. Yuri and Setsuko stood behind the podium with Makoto and Sanjuro and their son Ichiro, watching the proceedings on a television monitor. Amid the noise, Serenity timidly stepped up to the podium. The audience instantly quieted to hear her, hanging on her every movement.
"Um, is thing on?" Serenity spoke into a microphone. Her voice blared out over the park. "I just want to thank you all for coming. I'm not going to make a speech. You probably came here to see all of the lovely flowers, not me." A swell of protest rose up from the audience and Serenity waved it down. "Well, without any further delay, I officially declare the Ueno Cherry Blossom Festival," and she raised a small air horn above her head, "OPEN!"
The horn blared and the dainty Queen flinched back from it.
"Oh my, that was loud!" she gasped. The mike picked that up and broadcast it over the park, eliciting a wave of laughter from the audience. The laughs were replaced by cheers and then the audience dispersed to have fun. Mercury and Mars came up to the Royal Couple.
"Honestly, you are such a ditz," Mars huffed, but she was smiling as she did so.
"Don't start, Mars!" pouted the Queen. "Where are Yuri-Chan and Setsuko-Chan? I want to get some takoyaki!"
"For them or yourself?" Mars smirked. Mercury twittered in the back.
"I swear, one day I'm going to clap you in irons!" Serenity fussed.
"Makoto's got them. Here," and Endymion extended his hand to her. Cautiously he escorted his wife down the stairs of the raised podium, no small feat due to Serenity's flowing white gown. Once she made the bottom, Yuri and Setsuko met them both.
"OK, who's for takoyaki?" the Queen exclaimed.
"That sounds good," Yuri nodded. He had doffed the suit jacket he was wearing and had it slung over his shoulder.
"I want to look at all of the blossoms!" Setsuko exclaimed. "Every one of them!"
"Every one?" Serenity asked anxiously. "That's an awful lot of walking."
"We have all day, Dear," Endymion reminded her.
"Hey, Hon', we're going to go now," Makoto called over, Ichiro and Sanjuro standing next to her. "Don't forget I've got a picnic lunch prepared. We'd love to have you."
"It's a date, Mako-Chan!" Serenity beamed. "Now how about that takoyaki?"
"Mama!" Setsuko fumed.
"Setsuko-Chan, you can't tour the park on an empty stomach!" Serenity gasped. The girl folded her arms over her chest and glared.
"Come on, Setsuko-Chan," Endymion said, diplomatically placing his hand on the back of the young girl's head. "Fuel first. Your mother hasn't eaten anything since breakfast."
"It was just an hour ago," Setsuko grumbled.
The four headed off towards a booth on the grounds. Mercury and Mars fell in behind them, while their security contingent fanned out. Serenity glanced at her Senshi in surprise.
"We're here to guard you, Serenity," Mercury told her. "We need to stay close."
"Besides, I like takoyaki too," Mars added. "And if you're buying. . ."
"Why can't you buy your own, cheapskate?" Serenity jabbed.
"I'm just a poor, humble priest," Mars smiled.
Moments later, all six were enjoying some takoyaki. Serenity turned to her security contingent and offered to buy them some, but they politely refused.
"How do you like it, Yuri-Chan?" Serenity asked between bites.
"It's good. I've had takoyaki before, Mama," Yuri told her.
"Oh yeah," Serenity squeaked. "I keep forgetting you grew up here."
Mercury sighed. "Cherry blossom festival is always so lovely. It's one of the scenes of nature that Dad never got around to painting. I wish I could have seen his interpretation of it."
"Well, as good an artist as your father was, I don't think even he could have properly captured this," Mars told her, some awe in her voice. "The Kami of the blossoms are just too perfect for mortals to reproduce."
There was no warning. Mars was standing under an old growth cherry tree admiring the collage of pink and white and brown that was the tree in the first stage of bloom. And then, somehow, the tree spontaneously combusted, exploding in an orgy of red and orange and yellow flame. The gasps of horror and alarm from everyone around her told Mars that she wasn't hallucinating it. Before her eyes, pink and white blossoms browned and withered under the assault of the flames. Tree bark blackened and acrid smoke filled the spring air.
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" Mercury called out frantically.
In an instant, water engulfed the tree and snuffed out the fire consuming it. A cloud of steam rose up. When the steam and water dissipated, it left behind a tree that had once been alive and fruitful, but now charred and dead.
"How terrible!" gasped Serenity, her dainty hand to her mouth. She turned to Mercury. "Mercury, how could this have happened?"
Popping her visor on, Mercury scanned the tree. "Unknown," she reported. "There are no traces of excelerants in the area. There isn't even anything that would induce combustion." She turned to Mars. "You have some expertise when it comes to fire. Do you have a theory?"
"No," whispered Mars, awestruck by what she'd seen. "I have no idea. I'm not even sure that fire was terrestrial."
"Explain, please," Mercury said.
"I got no sense of it," Mars shook her head numbly. "Whenever I'm near a fire, I can sense the spirit within it. I couldn't sense a spirit here."
"Did you sense anything?"
"Anger," Mars replied. A notion seized the Senshi. "Serenity, I've got to go home. I need to check something."
"Of course," Serenity nodded. "Luck be with you. If you need us, we'll be touring the park or with Mako-Chan."
Mars nodded absently and left.
Minako Aino exited the elevator leading to the lobby of her recording studio. The studio was on the twelfth floor of an office building in the heart of Chiyoda-Ku. As she entered the lobby, Minako winked and pointed to the receptionist as she always did. The receptionist nodded and buzzed Minako's producer to alert him that she had arrived. To her, nothing seemed amiss with the multi-talented star.
But Minako's jaunty attitude was a front. Deep down she was still stewing over the morning fight she'd had with Tatsuo. A remark from him had been taken by her as a barb over recently discovered internet pictures that had been doctored into nudes. She responded aggressively and the morning quickly devolved into a shouting match. Tatsuo left without finishing his breakfast. She didn't know where he went and she was finding it increasingly hard to care.
"And that's how love dies," Minako whispered to herself. "You waited too long, Ace. I can sabotage my love life just fine without your help."
"Hi, Minako," Hiro Yamana, her veteran recording producer said as he met her half way in the hall. "Ready to make more platinum?"
"Give me a minute, huh?" Minako sighed. "I've got to get myself psyched up for this."
"OK, but don't be too long, huh? Some of us want to see the cherry blossoms," Yamana quipped. Minako nodded and headed for a small room she used between takes to rest in. "Oh, there's a box for you in there."
"Aw, you shouldn't have," smirked Minako.
"I didn't," Yamana smirked back.
Entering the room, Minako found a long box tied with a ribbon. It wasn't difficult to guess that it was flowers. Upon seeing it, Minako froze for a moment. A gift of flowers was not uncommon for her. Many times she'd received such gifts from admirers, some of whom just loved her for who she was and some of whom wanted more. But every time, she'd always had this swift gasp of dread.
What if they were from Ace?
Marshaling her boundless courage, Minako pulled open the ribbon and opened the box. Inside were a dozen pink roses. She calmed; Ace would have sent red ones. Reaching in, she puled out the card and opened it.
The card requested a dinner meeting to discuss a potential project, in very flattering words. Minako's eyes settled on the signature.
"Musashi Tanaka," she whispered and whistled softly. You didn't come any bigger than Musashi Tanaka in the Japanese entertainment industry. There was a knock on the door and Yamana popped his head in.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Give me a few more minutes," Minako replied. "I've got to make a couple of calls."
"Now?"
"Uh, yeah."
"OK," Yamana sighed. "But these session musicians get paid by the hour."
"Yes, Dad," Minako huffed.
Her first call was to her agent, inquiring about a possible project Musashi Tanaka might have in the offing. After he filled her in on the rumors and she filled him in on her possible interest, she made her second call. That one was to Musashi Tanaka, at the phone number he'd written on the card.
Rei sat in the portion of the shrine housed in the Crystal Palace that held her fire pit. The fire pit had been one of the few things she'd salvaged from the wreckage of the Shrine on Sendai Hill after the Ice Disaster had destroyed it. Her grandfather had made it for her when she was eight and first showed signs of powers and of a unique affinity with fire and the kami who commanded fire. It was a treasured part of her life, one of the few things she had left from Sendai Hill besides her memories.
And it was her direct line to the gods. After arranging some wood in the fire pit, Rei had set it on fire and was waiting for the fire to build up to sufficient strength. She had questions and she hoped that the gods were in the mood to answer them.
With practiced dignity, the priest knelt down before the fire. Her long black hair was tied behind her with a ribbon, her sole reminder of Yuiichiro. Her hands were pressed together before her face, the index fingers pointing up. Softly she began to chant. The chant was to call to the gods and let them know that she wished to communicate. But the chant was also to clear her mind of thought, emptying the vessel so that the gods might fill it with their wisdom.
The fire lit up the enclosed room, illuminating everything near and throwing odd shadows against the walls. The palace ventilation system absorbed the smoke from the fire and sent it harmlessly away. Still the fire consumed much of the oxygen in the room, leaving Rei slightly light-headed. That would help empty the vessel as well.
As she chanted, Rei lost track of time, as she often did during this ritual. Beads of perspiration formed on her neck and trickled down her breast bone. Rei continued to chant.
"That was nice," Makoto exclaimed. She, her family, Ami, Serenity and Endymion and their family, entered the palace living quarters floors from the elevator that had brought them from the palace garage. "Ueno Onshi Park sure knows how to throw a festival. Weren't those trees gorgeous?"
"The kids certainly enjoyed it," Sanjuro added. He glanced at Ichiro. "How about we head home. It looks like your mom still has business with the others." Ichiro nodded and accompanied his father.
"I'm going to put the kids to bed," Endymion told Serenity. He was cradling Setsuko against him as she slept while Yuri hovered nearby.
"All right," Serenity nodded absently as she headed in a different direction. Ami and Makoto realized the direction and tagged along.
"You're still worried about Rei, aren't you?" Makoto asked.
"I want to make sure she's all right," the Queen replied.
"Hey, maybe she's found a reason why that tree went up," Makoto suggested. "That was the strangest thing, wasn't it?"
"I'm more concerned with whether it will happen again," Ami said. "Without knowing a cause, that can't be ruled out."
The three women arrived at the shrine. Serenity started to slide the door open, then pulled back with reticence. Smiling, Makoto reached around her and slid it open.
Inside, they found Rei sitting in a chair, staring numbly into space. Beside her was her great-grandmother Moriko. The look of concern on the old woman's face only served to stoke fears already born and to give birth to new ones. Serenity glided over.
"Rei?" Serenity asked, kneeling before her friend. "What's wrong?"
"The fire wouldn't speak to me," Rei whispered. The haunted look on her face broke Serenity's heart.
Continued in Chapter 2
