All logical sense had just been removed from Reuisu’s mind. The blood slowly drained from his face, turning him pale. His throat tensed up, he couldn’t breathe. His mouth hung open, his mouth quickly drying up. Any sense of intelligent thought that could tell him what was happening turned from Reuisu.
He blinked once, and all that changed. His mother stood outside the door, waiting patiently for her son to let her in.
“Well?” she asked.
Reuisu blinked again, and then replied, “I’m sorry, mother. Just got a little bit of nausea there. Here, come in.”
Reuisu let his mother in, and the entire apartment had changed. The party that was taking place after Michelle and Tyrael’s wedding was no longer there, the apartment now looking like it held Reuisu and his parents. All the people were gone.
“Where’s dad?” Reuisu asked, picking up some computer magazines off the table and putting them in a rack.
His mother poured herself a glass of water and replied, “Still at work, trying to get those idiot bosses of his to give him a raise.”
“Of course I could give them raises, but it is just beyond my control with the current budget we have.” Chris Allot said to his employee.
“We’re not asking for much, maybe some profit sharing or a better benefits plan.” The employee says.
“And if I could, I would. I care very deeply about this law firm, ever since I started it three years ago. We’ve handled more cases than the DAs in Crystal Tokyo and New York combined in the past year!” Chris says.
“We know, and that’s why we think we deserve raises!”
“The problem is that despite all the cases we get, you people voted to take the minimum fee for the cases, which means we’re left with just enough to pay you all on a monthly salary.”
“Alright, we won’t go on strike for about a month, but by then we hope you can have this situation handled.”
The employee walked out of Chris’ office.
“Geez, I need a vacation.” Chris states.
“You don’t need a vacation!” Lucy shouted at her secretary.
The secretary sighed and looked at her with puppy dog eyes. “Please! My husband and I are going to need this time together.”
“But I need you here! I don’t know how I run a multi-national chain of restaurants without you.” Lucy replied.
The secretary sighed again and walked back to her desk. Lucy walked over to her.
“Hey, look, I’ll tell you what: After the latest merger, I’ll give you a week’s vacation, all expenses paid. Okay?” Lucy asked.
The Secretary’s eyes lit up with glee. “Thank you so much!”
“Like I said, I need you here. Thank you for being willing to stay.” Lucy smiled.
“Man, I’ve never had a nicer boss before in all my jobs!” The secretary said, sitting back down into her chair.
Lucy walked back into her office and began to write up a memo to the employees about the latest merger.
“Geez, I think manga artists have easier jobs than me.”
“I CAN’T TAKE THIS JOB!” Miya shouted.
She threw the latest drawings she had made of Sailor Love and Sailor Venus into the air and collapsed on her knees.
“I’m going to get carpal tunnel if I keep doing this job! They want me to get the latest ten pages of the Sailor Love/Sailor Venus graphic novel done in two days? FORGET IT! And why do they dump such an important project on me when they know my hands have been aching for days!” Miya ranted.
There was no one else in the room, so she got no answer. She sighed and picked up the drawings and put them back on the artist’s desk. She shined the overhead lamp over it and looked at them again.
“Okay, okay. Let’s just try to keep calm, Miya. You can do this.” Miya told herself.
Suddenly, she saw that the TV in the room was on, and it was a news broadcast.
“The strike at the Allot Law Firm seems to have been averted with help from Chris Allot himself, and here he is.” The reporter stated.
Chris appeared on the screen and Miya stared at him.
“Odd, that guy seems really familiar.”
“No, you don’t seem familiar to me at all.” Michelle said to the guy at the bar.
“Really? I could’ve sworn I’ve seen you here before.” The guy said, grinning.
Michelle rolled her eyes and tried to walk away. However, the guy put a hand on her shoulder.
“Come on, baby. I can show you a good time.” The guy said with a devilish grin on his face.
“I doubt you’re anything like my husband.” Michelle said with a grin.
The guy raised an eyebrow. “Husband?”
“That would be me.”
The guy turned around, only to meet a human Tyrael’s fist head-on. The guy stumbled back in a drunken fashion and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
“That’s what happens when you don’t pay proper respects to a lady.” Tyrael said, smiling and putting his arm around Michelle’s shoulders.
“I could’ve taken him.” Michelle said, walking off with him.
“Of course you could, honey. Come on; let’s go to that coffee place down the street. I hear it’s really nice.”
“You call this nice?! I barely have enough income in this job to stay on my two feet.” Christine said, scrubbing the counters of the coffee shop. Astra stood near her, in a similar uniform to Christine’s, also wiping tables.
“I think this place is nice, that’s all. It’s peaceful, and unlike that bar down the street that has fights every other minute.” Astra replies, going in back to check out.
“Well, me, I wouldn’t mind a good bar fight. This job is actually a little boring for me, Astra.” Christine said, smiling and heading back with her.
“Well, I’m the kind of girl that just wants peace and quiet, and maybe a cup of tea on the side.” Astra says, envisioning it in her head.
“Tea? You drink that stuff?” Christine asks, bewildered.
“It tastes good. I don’t know where I got it from.” Astra says, but then noticed customers coming in.
“Damn, more customers. Doesn’t anybody sleep in this town?” Christine asks.
“This is Crystal Tokyo. It never sleeps.”
“Man, this city really sleeps at night, your majesty.” Anna said, looking out the window on the twentieth floor of Crystal Tower.
Neo-Queen Serenity stood behind her seven year-old, smiling. “Well, there’s not much action in this town, Anna. Well, that’s not entirely true. There are the deadbeats, the monsters on the streets who aren’t demons or youmas.”
“Like my father.” Anna said, closing her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Anna. I didn’t mean to-”
“No, it’s okay. I sometimes need to remind myself who that horrible person was. I know he’s still my father, but I can’t truly love a father who doesn’t have the slighted bit of compassion.” Anna said.
“That’s a very grown-up thing to say, Anna. Are you sure you’re seven years old?” Serenity asks.
Anna smiled. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure. I should probably go to bed now.”
“Come on, I’ll tuck you in. You and Rini can play together in the morning.” Serenity said, leading Anna off.
“Reuisu, can you hear me?! Are you alright?!”
“What was that, mum?” Reuisu asked, turning around to face his mother.
“I didn’t say anything. Why?” she replied, washing a dish.
“Could’ve sworn you just said ‘Are you alright?’” Reuisu said, turning around again.
“Well, I didn’t. Perhaps you’re just hearing things, dear.” His mother said, starting to make dinner.
Reuisu got up and put the pan on the stove to help her with dinner. “Well, I just could’ve sworn that it happened. Strangest-”
As soon as he turned on the burner, a slight burst of flame came out of the pan and enveloped the pan briefly, but dissipated before it could set anything on fire. However, what it did do was bring memories back into Reuisu’s mind.
Memories of a group of gangsters breaking into his mother’s home in London, England.
And the gangsters burned her alive along with the home Reuisu had grown up in.
Other memories, like his father dying in a car crash, also came to him.
Immediately, Reuisu’s pupils dilated as he turned to look at his mother, the blood draining from his face.
“My word, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She said to him.
“Mr. Allot, there’s a woman here to see you.” Chris’ secretary says over the intercom.
“Who is it?” Chris asks.
“She says her name is Miya Aino.”
“Does she have an appointment?”
“No. She just says that it’s urgent to speak with you right away.”
“When’s my next appointment?”
“Not for half an hour, Mr. Allot.”
“Send her in, then.” Chris said, deactivating the intercom on his end and putting his signature on a motion to dismiss for a case he was working on. Miya walked in and Chris leaned his head up.
“Well, Miss Aino, what can I do for-”
When they met each other’s gaze, they suddenly remembered. Memories came flooding into their minds.
Memories of meeting one another on a deserted island thanks to Mephisto having kidnapped Chris and chained him there.
Memories of a girl traveling from the Rogue Encampment to Lut Gholein.
Memories of a group of Sailors known as the Sailor Titans.
And memories of falling in love with each other.
“I can never just get a good night’s sleep in this town, Astra!” Christine said, hanging her coat up again.
“So we’ve got some late night customers. Big deal, we’ll just give them their coffee, wait for them to leave, and then get out of here.” Astra said, hanging her coat up as well.
They walked back to the front of the café, where Michelle and Tyrael were. They weren’t looking at Christine or Astra, but admiring all the craftsmanship that had went into building the café.
“Man, this is just incredible stuff!” Michelle exclaimed, looking around.
“Come on, we’re here for tea, not for architecture.” Tyrael says.
“Welcome to Titans Coffee, can I-” Astra began to say.
Immediately, Astra and Michelle recognized each other. And with the sudden burst of recognition, all four’s memories were restored.
Memories of a girl from Paris who Reuisu found.
Memories of an Archangel of Heaven who Michelle had fallen in love with.
Memories of a cat who fell in love with Reuisu, and became human.
And Memories of a girl who had discovered herself to be a hero, and had joined the Sailor Titans.
Lucy walked through the halls of her company, feeling extremely relaxed. Her day had gone so well, she thought she was going to invite everyone in her main department for drinks.
“Man, could my life be any sweeter?” she asked to particularly no one.
Suddenly, she saw one of her employees drop a ring on the ground. She was about to raise her voice to alert her that the ring had dropped, but a man with larger boots walked onto the ring, and it was crushed instantly. As soon as the man had walked off of it, Lucy’s pupils dilated and she collapsed to the ground in front of the ring, gawking at it.
Memories that had been hidden to her were now available.
Memories of a girl who wanted to try to take on the world, and her parent’s happily let her.
Memories of a medical shack that was rapidly losing business in the land of sanctuary.
Memories of a Sailor Soldier of the planet Cephiros.
Memories of Cephiros being destroyed.
And memories of Sailor Cephiros and the Sailor Titans.
Anna lay down in her bed with the night light next to it. She shut her eyes to get a calm sleep for the next day to continue her Sailor training. Neo Queen Serenity smiled and walked away from the doorway. She began walking down the hall to check on Rini, who had gone to bed an hour earlier at her mother’s urgings.
All of a sudden, she heard a scream come from Anna’s room, and she turned around and ran back into the room. She turned on the light and saw Anna cowering at the end of her bed, pointing at the wall opposite from her. Serenity ran in and looked at the wall. Writing had been scratched into it.
All of a sudden, memories flashed into Serenity and Anna’s minds.
Memories of a Sailor Soldier in armor, the first male Senshi.
Memories of many different worlds, and of Reuisu helping them.
Memories of a group of Sailors known as the Titans.
Memories of a little girl who was abused by her father, but she was helped by Serenity and became the Guardian of all life.
“What the bloody hell are you talking about? I am your mother!” Reuisu’s ‘mother’ said.
“No. You’re not.” Reuisu said, turning away and walking back over to a chair. His ‘mother’ disappeared, and Reuisu sat down in the chair and gripped his head in sorrow. His cell phone rang. He picked it up and put it to his ear.
“Hello?” he asks.
“Reuisu? Is that you?” the female voice asked.
“Yes, unfortunately. Is that you, Lucy?” Reuisu inquired.
“Yes, it is. Come to Crystal Tower. There’s something here you should see.” Lucy says.
“Why should I go anywhere? I just acted out a fantasy where the Titans didn’t exist, and my parents were both alive. I just lost them again.” Reuisu states.
“Reuisu, You may have lost your biological family, but your other family needs you right now. Please come.” Lucy says.
Reuisu sighed.
“What’s the matter? Besides everything?”
Reuisu calmly walked through the doors of Anna’s bedroom in Crystal Tower and said immediately, “What’s the last thing you remember?”
The others, which included the Titans, Tyrael, Astra, and Neo-Queen Serenity, face-fell.
“For crying out loud, Reuisu, we’re all a little tense right now! Could you please not start off your conversation with ‘What’s the last thing you remember?’” Michelle shouts.
Reuisu sighs and replies, “I just spent the last few hours with my dead mother. My dead mother that I avenged a thousand years ago. Don’t you dare talk me about being tense.”
“The last thing that I remember,” said Astra, who decided to be the one who spoke. “Was sitting down at a table at the party after Michelle and Tyrael’s wedding, and feeling incredibly jealous by the fact that Reuisu was dancing with Michelle. Then someone rang the doorbell, and we were all here, wherever here is.”
The others agreed with her.
“When I opened the door, it was my mother. I’m thinking it was something else that was really there. Do we have any idea where here is, exactly?” Reuisu asks.
“We have one clue. I was tucking in Anna for bed, and then I walked out. She screamed to me about something being written on the walls. It’s over there.” Serenity says, pointing to the wall across from Anna’s bed that had writing on it.
The group walked over to it to read it. Reuisu read it out loud.
“‘If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding than a dream.’” He spoke.
“It makes no sense!” Miya states.
“On the contrary. I know exactly what this is. It’s a message from Ami.” Reuisu replies.
“How do you know?” Chris asks.
“Ami and I’s favorite conversations are those that have to do with Shakespeare. I’ve read them all, every play or theatre production Shakespeare has done. This is from the end of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’” Reuisu explains.
“Yeah, well this is more like A Midsummer’s Nightmare. What does this passage mean? And why did she say it in Shakespeare instead of just telling us?” Tyrael asks.
“What she’s trying to say is that we are all in some sort of dream-like scenario. We’re stuck here, and there’s nothing they can do from the outside. She probably said it in Shakespeare because she couldn’t access a way to directly communicate with us.” Reuisu says.
“And how did we get like this?” Michelle inquires.
“Well, let’s think about it: who is the one who most recently we have caused pain and suffering to?” Reuisu asks.
“Baelrog?” Tyrael suggests.
“Exactly.”
The voice had come out of nowhere. They turned to the sound of the voice, and they saw Baelrog standing in the doorway. It was the version of him that had been merged with Tyrael, but he was no longer in any way connected with Tyrael physically.
“I see you survived Davros’ attack upon you.” Reuisu says, slowly reaching for his transformation stick.
“Indeed. He didn’t, however. My body was vastly destroyed beyond belief. I managed to stow what little was left of me within Tyrael, and waited for a time when you were all gathered together. I created a psychic wave aimed at all of you, to bring you here so that I could destroy you from within your own minds. Your minds die, you die. Hence, my revenge against you for destroying my body!” Baelrog shouted.
The group groaned and rolled their eyes.
“You know, what is it with you people and wanting revenge? Couldn’t you just grab a cup of coffee and get over it?” Lucy asks.
“DIE!” Baelrog shouted, leaping at them.
Reuisu jumped into the air and kicked Baelrog away and to the side.
“TRANSFORM!” Astra shouted.
Reuisu landed gracefully, and pulled out his transformation stick.
“HEAVENLY ANGEL POWER!!!”
A silhouette of Reuisu appeared, he was holding out his transformation stick, which immediately turned into a long yellow staff. Angel wings came out of his back, with a wingspan of eight feet. The wings had feathers fly out, and the feathers merged into his torso, forming the shirt and gray bow of the outfit. More feathers flew out and wrapped around his arms, forming the sleeves and gloves. Yet again, more feathers flew out and wrapped around his legs and feet, forming white pants and boots. They formed a golden belt with an engraved cross in the center formed around his waste. A coronet of gold formed around his head, which formed two sides on the sides of his head. A jewel formed into a cross on the forehead of the coronet. He stood in a pose of his angel wings extended outwards from his sides, and him aiming his staff outwards.
“MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!”
A pink glittery silhouette of Michelle appeared, with only her heart necklace showing. Suddenly, crystal showered out of it, wrapping around her torso and forming the shirt and first bow of the outfit. The crystal then shot out more crystals that wrapped around her arms and legs, forming the gloves and boots. Another spray of crystal formed her skirt and back bow. The skirt and bows were colored gold. One last burst of crystal formed a tiara and earrings. The crystal then shot out a beam of energy, forming into a staff. She grabbed the staff, and stood in a pose.
“CEPHIROS TITAN POWER!!!”
Out of her ring came energy bolts, which wrapped around her torso, forming the front of the outfit. Then the ring fired beams at both her arms, wrapping around them to form the white gloves. The ring shout out another beam, which wrapped around her legs and formed the boots. She then twirled around as did the beam from the ring, which wrapped around her hips and formed into the skirt. Her tiara and earrings formed with one last blast from the ring. She stood in a pose of her winking with her ring outstretched in front of her.
“NEO CRESCENT POWER!!!”
Out of Miya's heart brooch came three large hearts. One heart descended down her body, and the other two onto her arms. As the hearts passed over her skin, they formed the gloves of her Sailor outfit. As the larger heart passed over her torso and slowly over her legs, forming the mini-skirt and the boots. As the three hearts ended at her feet and hands, they shot up to her head and hit it, forming the tiara and earrings. She stood in a pose with her making a smooching face.
“ASTEROID BLAZING POWER!!!”
A glittery silhouette of Chris appeared. Asteroids shot around him, and several blasted into his chest, forming into the shirt and bow. Asteroids then shot into his arms, exploding on contact, and forming into the sleeves. Finally, the last asteroids shot into his legs, exploding on impact, and forming into the pants and boots. The last asteroid shot into his face, forming into a halo. He stood in a pose with an asteroid shooting at him from behind.
“NEO CRYSTAL POWER!!!”
The whole pink glittery thing happened with a silhouette of Christine. She held out her transformation stick in front of her, and then the stick glowed with a silver brightness, and the silhouette slowly became covered in crystal. First her torso was enveloped, then her arms, and finally her legs. The crystal then shattered, forming her shirt, blue bows, gloves, gold mini-skirt, and boots. She then twirled around, and her earrings and tiara with a blue gem formed out of nowhere.
“LIFE PRISM POWER!!!”
A silhouette of Anna appeared, and she twirled her transformation stick around her. Lights shined from the ground underneath where she had twirled the stick, and they surrounded her, forming the gloves, boots, and shirt of the sailor outfit. Five beams shot from around her into her torso, forming the skirt. She ran her hand through her hair and the earrings and tiara formed. She stood in a pose of her just standing there, smiling serenely.
The Titans readied themselves as Baelrog leapt up and prepared to fight them again.
“Asteroid, Crystal: We need room to fight and maneuver!” Angel commanded.
“We’re on it!” Asteroid said.
Sailor Asteroid aimed his two index fingers at a wall.
“ASTEROID SHOT!!!”
Six asteroids shot out of his fingers and blew up the wall, now making a hole looking out onto Crystal Tokyo.
“CRYSTAL FORMATION!!!”
Sailor Crystal’s hands radiated energy, and they shot out beams of energy that hit the side of the hole, and she moved closer in, forming a slide made of crystal all the way down to the streets of Crystal Tokyo. A slide 20 stories high.
“Everybody move out!” Angel commanded.
Serenity and Astra were the first to go, sliding down because of their inability to fight at the moment. Tyrael and Angel took to the skies, not needing the ground. The other Titans got onto the slide and began sliding down.
“SWORD AZUREWRATH!!!”
“HAND OF DESTINY!!!”
Angel’s hand glowed a bright gold and fired a white and gold beam of energy out at Baelrog as Tyrael threw his sword at Baelrog. Both hit him at the same time, sending him back into the opposite wall and screaming profanities in his pain. The two angels flew down to the ground where the others had slid.
“We seem to have a little problem on our hands. If we can defeat Baelrog, we may be able to get out of here.” Moonshine says.
“The problem is defeating Baelrog. Hell, this guy took a Sailor Army, Sailor Galaxia, AND the self-destruct sequence of the Sailor Centauri armor!” Angel says.
“If this is in our minds, we can take him! This is our minds, after all! We can shape the reality of this place any way we see fit!” Life suggests.
“Although that may be an interesting idea, it doesn’t seem to work here. Obviously we’re more on a separate dimensional plane than on a dream state.” Angel says.
“How do you know?” Moonshine asks.
“Because I just used a Hand of Destiny attack on Baelrog, and I feel tired from it. I shouldn’t feel tried or strained or in pain or anything like that if this was a simple dream.” Angel explains.
They Titans looked up again to see Baelrog floating down from the hole, his hands sparking with black energy.
“Everyone, prepare yourselves!” Angel commanded.
The Titans readied themselves as Baelrog landed in front of them. He growled silently, and the Titans wasted no time launching all of their attacks at him.
“HAND OF DESTINY!!!”
“MOONSHINE MIRROR!!!”
“CEPHIROS VALIANT CHARGE!!!”
“CRESCENT HEART CRUSH!!!”
“ASTEROID SHOT!!!”
“CRYSTAL CRUSHER BEAM!!!”
“SOUL LIFE!!!”
And with those words, seven attacks launched into Baelrog, and seven attacks failed to scathe him. His eyes were filled with hatred and anger, and he prepared to fire at the surprised Titans. Baelrog’s mad rage made him whispering silent words, but finally, as he aimed his energy filled hands at the Titans, he spoke loudly and clearly.
“MY WILL BE DONE. MY KINGDOM COME!!!”
And just before the energy was released, Baelrog coughed up blood, and his arms went limp. He looked down to see Azurewrath sticking out of him. He turned his head around to see Tyrael smiling and holding it in him.
“The Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with us all, amen.” He said, smiling with glee.
“No! NO NO NO!!!” Baelrog shouted, and he evaporated into red dust.
“Did you kill him?” Serenity asks.
“No. However, the sudden outburst of holy energy through Azurewrath got the attention of the denizens of Hell. He’s just been transported back there. I’m sure his fellow princes of darkness wish to have a word with him about attempting to take over Earth.” Tyrael says, walking back over to the Titans.
The group all looked at each other, and joined hands in a circle. They closed their eyes, and only Reuisu spoke, quoting from A Midsummer Night’s Dream once more.
“‘Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends.’”
And with that, the fantasy around them disappeared...
Reuisu’s eyes fluttered open within his apartment. Ami was standing over him.
“He’s regaining consciousness.” She says.
“So are the others!” Lita says, pointing out the others who were waking up from the dream state.
“Are you alright?” Ami asked Reuisu, helping him up.
“A little shaken up and a headache the size of Crystal Tower, but otherwise fine.” He replied.
“You got my message then?” Ami asks.
“Yes. Quite a good way to get my attention, Ami.” Reuisu says.
“Speak for yourself, Reuisu. If no one minds, Tyrael and I would like to get out of here and onto our honeymoon.” Michelle says, helping Tyrael up.
“By all means, go enjoy yourselves.” Reuisu said, letting them go.
And so, the events that from then on became known as Kingdom Come came to a close. The normality of life returned, and happiness was on the faces of the Titans. However, something deep in their hearts told them that still more woe was in for them in the coming months and years, and they were right.
And in a land in between Heaven and Hell, a land of grayness, of neutrality, a man named Davros wept for the sins he had committed when he was alive.
To Be Continued...