MANIFOLD DESTINY Book One: Other lives, other paths By: Rick Federle and WolfByte _______________________________________________________________________ Sailor Moon and all associated characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi, and are trademark of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd., and Toei Animation Co., Ltd. Usage of them is without permission, and for the sole purpose of entertainment. Solar is property of WolfByte, and if you wish to use the character he requests you ask permission first. The Guardsman/Warrior of Light is the property of Rick Federle, and if you wish to use the character please ask permission before hand. All other characters are joint creations of the two. _______________________________________________________________________ Chapter One: "Brief Glances" A faint rustling sound filled the air underneath the sound of laughter and children playing. Tree branches swayed gently in the light wind, leaves of brown, gold, yellow, and other colors greeting the people below and occasionally one of them would leave its fellows to float gently down for a closer look. Afternoon sunlight peaked from behind the branches, warming those below in spite of the slight chill in the air. Children played various games of tag, catch, or frisbee depending on their age, all under the watchful eyes of their parents, not so lost in their own conversations that they couldn't deal with the occasional childish argument or scrape. Light gleamed off the lake nearby and a few rowboats could been seen gliding like doves over the still waters. Amidst all the activity were two young lovers, walking along a well used path. The woman was eye-catching. Golden blond hair flowed from her head and down past her waist, accented by a red hair bow placed just so on her head. Bright blue eyes, filled with contentment and yet overflowing with happiness took in the events of the park. Delicate red lips and a slightly pug nose gave her a look of beauty, matched by the calm that filled her face. Faded white loafers treaded the dirt path, and her cream sleeveless dress swayed slightly in the breath-like breeze. Her arms had a light tan even this time of year and revealed her to be the sort who enjoyed the outdoors. The fingers of her right hand were interlaced with those of the man's left hand, and their arms swung to the rhythm of their footsteps. If one looked at the right time, one could catch just a flash of gold on the finger of one or the other. The man walked in sync with her, his feet treading the same distance and rhythm as hers despite his slightly stockier build and marginally longer legs. Short brown hair topped his head, parted from left to right, trimmed to neck length, and it had a wave across the top of his head. Serious brown eyes glazed out to the world, absorbing everything they saw. His face possessed a sober look, but when he glanced over at the woman at his side, it was filled with love and contentment, a look she often returned. Brown slacks and a short sleeved white shirt fit well over his slightly muscular build, and white athletic shoes completed the outfit. His head only topped that of the woman next to him by several inches, and there was a grace about the two of them, as if they had know each other for a long time and were completely comfortable with each other. After a while of walking, the two settled down onto a bench overlooking the lake. The woman settled into the man's embrace without removing the fingers of her hand from his, resting his arm across her stomach, and interlaced her free hand with his when he settled his other arm across her shoulders. She snuggled back against him with small sigh of contentment, and when he looked down at her, they exchanged a smile when their eyes met. She turned her eyes back away from his, and closed them, settling her head in the crook of his shoulder. He smiled gently. "Happy anniversary, Mina." Mina opened her eyes once again to look up at the man. "Happy anniversary, William." Mina raised her head slightly as William leaned down and around to kiss her. She unlaced her fingers from his as she turned slightly so she could wrap her arms around his neck while he put his arms around to her, resting them in the small of her back. It was a passionate kiss, filled with the love they shared. Several onlookers glanced over and smiled as they turned their attention back away. To them, this was just another young couple in love. They were much more than that. Mina was Sailor Venus, Princess of the now dead planet of Venus, and the last member of the Royal Venusian house. William was a Lunarian, a member of the famous and forever destroyed Moon Kingdom, ruled once by Queen Serenity. He was the last of the Imperial Moon Guard, and had once been sworn to protect that very kingdom with his life. He was even more than that, though. He was the Warrior of Light, the avatar of an immensely powerful and seemingly all-knowing being referred to only as the Light. He was also the true love, the soul mate of the woman who was in his arms and nothing, not the Negaverse, not even death, had kept them apart. "What is that perfume you're wearing?" William asked as the kiss broke, their noses resting less than an inch from each other. "It's driving me crazy." "I'm not." Mina told him with a twinkle in her eye. "It's all natural Mina." "All natural, huh." William leaned back down and placed his lips into the hollow of her neck, kissing her there. Mina gave a giggle, tilting her head back to make room for his lips. "If you keep that up, I won't want to wait until we get back to the apartment." William raised his head to look back at her, and rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "Then I guess I'm going to have to wait a few more minutes." "I guess you are." Mina agreed, pulling her head away and burying her face in his chest. "Now, tell me why you love me." She looked up abruptly when she got no immediate answer. His eyes had that far away look they had when he was thinking seriously about something. "I don't know, I just do." He said after a moment, then lowered his face to bury it in her hair. She leaned her head back against his chest as he inhaled the scent of her hair. She could feel his emotions within him as he struggled to sort them out. "It's because you're my joy, my happiness." He began hesitantly. "There was a part of me which was always so empty before you came along, and when I'm with you I feel complete. Whole, with nothing missing. You're my contentment, my love, everything was so hollow without you. I had no purpose and you gave that to me. What about you?" He asked. "Why do you love me?" Mina paused while considering the answer, realizing that he was serious and feeling her emotions swell within her as she ran the question through her head over and over. "Because," she began. "Because when I'm with you I feel secure. Because I know that you'll always be there when I need you, no matter what. Because there's no shallowness about your caring. You gave me a depth I didn't have before, someone who truly cared about me as a person. Because you care for me for who I am, not what I could do for you." He lowered his face to her ear. "I love you so much. I can't imagine life without you." "Nor I you." She raised her head and kissed him again. "I don't ever want to be separated from you, not again." Tears stood in her eyes as she pulled her lips away from his. "I couldn't bear it anymore. You're too much a part of me now." A single tear began to roll down her right cheek. "And you're everything to me." He took his right hand from her back and caught the tear with the tip of his index finger. "I won't let anything separate us ever again." He promised, tears standing in his own eyes. "Nothing." He pressed his left cheek up against hers as his tears began to flow, feeling the wetness on her cheeks. "I love you, Mina. Absolutely and forever." He confessed. "Oh, my William." She sobbed back. "I'm yours, now and forever." She pledged. "And I am yours." He worked his face around her head so he could press his lips back up against hers. She put her hands on the back of his head, pulling his face tighter against hers as they kissed. "Oh, my William." She whispered in his ear as the kiss broke, pressing her tear-stained cheek up against his. "You are my heart." "And you are mine." He whispered back, his lips gently caressing her ear, then he kissed her once there before pulling his face back away. Mina lowered her hands to his back as she pressed her face against William's chest. "I got you an anniversary present." He told her, sniffing away the last of his tears. He straightened up and took his arms from around her. "What?" Mina asked, brushing away her tears as she sat back up. He reached into a pocket and produced a brochure. "Here." He offered. Mina took the brochure. She opened it with a slight frown, tilting her head slightly to the side as she read. A couple of stray strands of her hair drifted down over her face and he put them back into place with a gentle forefinger. "This is the place we stayed at last year." She looked back at him. He nodded. "I decided to buy a cabin out there so we could go whenever we wanted." He tilted his head to match hers. "You were telling me how much you liked the place." Mina slipped the brochure into one of her pockets, then put her arms back around his neck. She exchanged a smile with him as he slipped his hands into the small of her back. "Now, I'm going to take you home, slip out of these clothes, and make love to you all night." "Promise?" He asked unnecessarily. "Absolutely." She leaned forward and placed her lips over his, feeling his body respond to hers as she pressed up against him. "I can't wait." He murmured as she took her lips off of his. "Neither can I." She agreed. "So, let's go." The two disentangled themselves from one another and rose to their feet. They exchanged a smile and their hands joined as they turned to walk back the way they had come. William felt something click in the back of his head and he knew they were in danger. He flung his arms around Mina as he saw a blue flash of light out of the corner of his eye, placing his body between her and whatever was threatening them. He gave a sharp hiss of pain as whatever it was slammed into his back and tore into him. He felt part of it pass through him and into Mina before he blacked out. * * * Three pairs of eyes, each one hidden by layer upon layer of shadow, peered out from the nooks and crannies that are all too common in large cities. The gazes of these eyes were all transfixed upon the same location, a modest, well-lit movie theater that sat at the edge of Tokyo's cheerful Juuban district. None of them however, were interested in the aging building itself, but instead the patrons that were presently inside. Or rather, two of it's patrons. All at once a large group of people flooded outward from the main doors of the theater, quickly followed by a slightly smaller group. The slight autumn breeze flittered through the area, rustling the heavy cloaks of the three intent watchers. "They did not appear to be in either group," one deep voice growled. "What if our data was incorrect?" "Then we shall proceed to the alternate location," growled back another. "But we shall keep watch here for a short while longer. The information on them states that they tend to travel slower when together than most." The evening remained calm, the wind continuing to blow in small, gentle wisps. "We have waited long enough!" one voice snapped. "Let us go now!" "Perhaps you are correct," another said with a sigh. "Wait!" said a slightly higher, slightly more excited voice. "Look, another pair is leaving the building." The two other watchers immediately returned their attention to the theater as two figures emerged. The first one out of the door was a young man, most likely in his early twenties. His skin was paler then most of the other people found in the area, and height was a couple inches greater than the norm. His eyes were large, filled with dark brown pools that contrasted the tone of his skin, and his head was topped with short-cut hair of the darkest black. Clothed in a worn, unbuttoned yellow dress shirt, black t-shirt and black jeans, seemingly his usual outfit as it exactly matched his known profile. The next person out was a woman, a few years younger then he, but not terribly so. She stood perhaps half a foot shorter, with a sheet of raven-black hair flowing down the back of her well built frame. A white sweater covered the top of her body, not hiding it, but some how seeming to accent her features, and her short red skirt barred her legs, revealing a sight that would make even the most committed man think of looking twice. She ran up to him, clutching securely to his arm as they walked in the fading daylight. Her eyes were closed, as she rested her head against his shoulder, seemingly confident that he would guide her on their way to whatever their destination. "Is that them?" one of the voices seemed to growl. "Could be," another replied. "Let us follow them and see." Jason walked slowly away from the theater's main entrance, his footsteps echoing through the empty street as they clomped against the concrete sidewalk. A sudden presence at his arm grabbed his attention and turning his head he found a smiling Rei there. He'd missed her so durring his self inflicted exile from Tokyo, and felt bad for all of the opourtunities he'd missed out durring those years, and for what he'd put her through. Their feelings for one another had just started to develop when he'd left. He tried to remind himself that it had been for the best. "Enjoy the movie?" She shrugged her reply. "It was alright. But we should stop going to horror flick in the evening." A smile crept it's way onto Jason's face, followed a second later with a soft chuckle. "What, and miss out on having you holding onto me through the entire film?" "So that's the reason eh? But honestly, this one was kind of disturbing. I'll be up all night I bet." "All the better," Jason mused, snaking his arm around her waist. "Just another excuse for me to spend the night at the shrine." "He's going to catch you one of these days." "Your grandfather? I'll take my chances." "There is no mistaking them, those are our targets sir. Let us grab them now sir! We can return in time for the feast." "No, we wait a little while. I wish to observe them a little bit more. I want to know why these frail things are so important." "But why sir? They are right here?!" "Yes sir, I must concur, our targets are nearly within our grasp, to pause would be unwise." "Is it not more unwise to make a move on a target without having at least some idea of what resistance may be presented?" "Yes sir," the two voices sighed in unison. "Very good, so we watch. Do not worry though, we shall not let our chance slip away." "I love this park," Rei said as they sat down on a empty bench in a small, secluded area of the park. "It is beautiful," Jason admitted. "Especially at sunset. I've spent several nights at this one. It's relatively quiet." Jason turned towards her, finding her staring at him with amusement Resting his left hand on her smaller, more delicate right hand, Jason wrapped his fingers around her palm, giving it a gentle squeeze. Leaning in closer, his other hand slipped around behind her head, his fingers sliding through her silky raven hair, and tilting her head slightly to one side. His eyes remained locked onto hers for a moment before their lips met, filling their hearts with the feelings of rising passions, and a longing desire to make up for all the times that had been lost. "Rei-chan," Jason said as he broke for air. "I don't know how I kept away for so long." "Don't do it again," she scolded as she kissed him again. Once more their lips met in a furry of emotion, their mouths and hearts dancing around each other in an almost rhythmical pattern. Jason's hand let go of hers, and began to slowly slide it's way up her side, tickling her ribs. "We're in public," Rei whispered before they kissed again. "I know," he replied, his eyes twinling with amusement. "Jason!" The fingers of his right hand threateningly wiggled under her sweater as he grinned confidently. "Ooh Jonathan, look at that tree. Isn't it beautiful?!" They disentagled, jumping away from one another as another young couple walked into the area. "Hello," a young red-head said to them as she noticed their presence. "Lovely night isn't it?" "Yes," Jason admitted as he and Rei stood up. "It is at that." Without another word they darted down one of the small trails that wound through the park, their attentions too much on other matters to notice three shadows darting down a parallel trail. "That was sort of close wasn't it?" Rei asked with a large smile. "Yeah," Jason grinned, "a few moments later and things would have been... embarrassing. Wanna start again?" She flashed him a mock-angry look before taking his hand in hers. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. For now, let's just enjoy the walk. I just wish it wasn't so dark." Looking around the edge of the trail, Jason picked up a large branch that had no doubt been broken off a nearby tree during a large storm. Snapping off a segment the length of his forearm, He looked around nervously. "No one about," Rei told him, "so go ahead, it'll keep us from tripping." The three figures watched through the parted bushes as the stick suddenly caught flame, spreading out a soft glow of light in the area around the couple. "So that's it," one voice growled, "These two are not normal as they appear. Unless every member of their species is capable of such a feat. However I very much doubt this." "Most likely these two are exceptions," said the higher voice. "Perhaps artificially enhanced?" "Whatever the case," the first interrupted, "we know what to be careful of, so now we move in." Rei's hand slipped away from his, causing Jason to stop abruptly in convern. "Rei-chan, what is it?" "I can't tell," she replied in a hushed tone. "I got this funny feeling for a moment. Cruel, dark, but not like the Dark Kingdom or any of the others we've battled. It was, I don't know, just as though something unpleasant was watching us." Jason looked up and down the narrow trail that they had chosen. Wide enough only for a two people, it would be difficult to do anything should they run into trouble. "Maybe we should head to the Shrine now," the prietess suggested. "I'd feel easier there." "Well, we do have unfinished buisness from the bench." "Come on," Rei said as she suddenly began to pull him down the path, "that's an offer I'm going to take you up on." As they walked down the trail they quickly began to speed their pace as they began to hear other, softer footsteps on the dirt trail. With a flash of black a tall robed figure jumped onto the trail ahead of them, causing them to stop suddenly. Staring at the figure before him, Jason ceased to notice that Rei was no longer standing beside him. "Rei-chan, you might want to get ready!" Silence echoed back at him in reply, causing him to go slightly pale. Looking behind him he found her unconscious form on the ground, and two more robed figures standing behind him. "I don't know what you are," he said through clenched teeth, "but you'll pay for hurting her." "Foolish human," the one before him growled, "arrogant even before superiors? A mistake you will learn not to make again." Jason's hand wandered to his throat, but found only air as his fingers brushed against his shirt. Realizing that he'd left his crystaline partner behind at the Hikawa Shrine earlier, a sudden chilly pang of dread washed over him. "Alright,' he declared firmly as he eyed his attackers. "We do this the hard way." His leap into the air was unexpected by his cloaked agressors, nor was the speed with which he seemed able to move. Landing behind one of the shrouded figures, his foot lashed out, connecting forcefully with it's back. 'These guys are built like bricks,' he thought as his foot throbbed slightly in protest to what it hit. 'Time to make this quick.' Flame spiraled around his arms as he took aim at the staggering figure. "Stay away from us!" The flame coalesced into twin ball that shot forward, stricking the back of the figure before him. The cloaked attacker let out an inhuman grunt, spinning around from the impact. His hood flew back, revealing a large feline-like face sporting equally large teeth. "Impressive," growled a voice from behind. "but pointless." Darkness enveloped him before he even felt the blow, sending Solar into dreemless slumber. * * * First Fel Jehu reclined in a large plush chair, upholstered in the hide of a race of lizard-like beings long ago conquered by his people. Dark brown fur covered his cat-like face as it set itself into a pleased expression. "You do well," Jehu told the young feline soldier that stood on the other side of his large wooden desk. The soldier was tall, built in many ways like a human that had been superimposed with a cat's image. It's face was definitely feline, as were it's feet and legs, and the tail that curled nervously behind it's body. However it's shoulders, chest and arms, looked roughly human although they were covered with a short gray coat of fur. "Capturing the latest two," Jehu inquired, "Tell me, were they as easily surprised as the first pair?" "No First Fel, they were not," the soldier replied. "Really?" Jehu asked with interest, "explain." "The female seemed to sense something although she still went down without resistance, caught off guard like the first two we took. However when we moved to take down her mate, he displayed some unusual abilities. He was still, however, captured without much difficulty." "Then they didn't get a chance to alter forms as our data indicated?" "No, they did not." "They are being placed within the special cell as I ordered?" "Yes First Fel Jehu, that was done immediately upon our return." "Good," Jehu said almost purring in delight, "things are going just as planned. Inform me when they all are awake. Dismissed." "Yes First Fel." Jehu smiled as much as was possible for his species, as the soldier left. "Yes, now we find out many things about them, and in the end, quench our... hunger for knowledge."