Life's Lessons
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor


Chapter 14 -


"Now you will deal with me, Descendants."
   Fire roared.
   Ami threw her arms around Minako, using her own power to keep
Minako, Makoto, and herself from burning. Distantly, she felt Rei's
own flare of power as she fought fire with fire. An instant later the
flames were gone. Makoto stood, braced in front of Ami, faint wisps of
smoke rising from her clothes. Rei was on her knees, sweating and
panting, but glaring furiously across the cavern at Mars.
   The Senshi's face held no expression, but her eyes glittered. "I am
feeling generous today. Give me Terri Ganabile and the four of you
will live."
   Rei pushed herself up. "You got that backwards, Mars: give us
Terri-chan, and we'll let *you* live. Maybe."
   Anger flickered across Mars' face. "You *dare*-" And then her eyes
widened in sudden realization. "You do not have her! Pluto has sent me
here for nothing!"
   Ami was stunned. If the Senshi didn't have Terri, then who did?
This was getting considerably more complicated.
   Mars shook her head and lifted her hands. "I shall deal with Pluto
later. Killing all of you is now my first priority."
   "Only if we don't kill you first," Makoto shouted. She and Rei
leaped at Mars, firing their respective attacks. Mars lifted an
eyebrow and vanished, the ground where she had stood exploding as
their combined magic struck the rock. Makoto landed, glaring about
her. "Mars! Quit hiding and fight us, you coward!"
   "That would be too easy." Mars' voice echoed throughout the cavern,
making it that much harder to locate the source. "I would much rather
kill you in a much more... fanciful manner." Something far above them
bellowed. Makoto looked up. "That didn't sound good. Whaddya think
she's doing?"
   Rei frowned. "Only one way to find out."
   Makoto smiled ruefully. "I was afraid you'd say that." And she
vanished.
   Ami stood hesitantly. "What about Minako-chan?"
   Rei gazed at their still unconscious leader and shook her head.
"She's safer here than anywhere else." Her eyes focused on Ami.
"C'mon, Ami-chan. We need your help."
   Ami sighed and nodded. Closing her eyes, she concentrated briefly,
and abruptly a bitter wind shoved her off-balance. She staggered.
   Makoto caught her by the arm, steadying her. Ami smiled her thanks,
but the taller woman's stony gaze was directed upwards.
   Ami looked up as well, and a chill unrelated to the cold seized her
stomach.
   A whirling maelstrom of fire dominated the sky above them, twisting
the air around it in sickly yellow waves. The thick, sluggish churning
of the thing nauseated Ami; she spun away to lean against the volcano
wall, retching. From a great distance she heard Makoto say, "What the
Hell is it that thing?"
   Ami risked a glance, saw the thing beginning to blur and shrink. A
shape was beginning to form, black against sulfur light.
   Rei touched Ami's shoulder, but her attention was on the thing
above them. "That much raw magic... It can only be Mars."
   Ami recognized the shape now. Wings extended, hovering
effortlessly, it gloated at them, muzzle opened in a dolphin's smile
to reveal row upon row of sharp teeth.
   "Oh, shit," Makoto said.


Terri heard giggling.
   Annoyed, she glared upwards. "What's so funny?"
   Hotaru sat on the edge of a nearby rooftop, grinning broadly down
at Terri. "Oh, nothing. I just don't think you should get too attached
to Haruka. Even if, for some bizarre reason, she and Michiru ever
broke up, there's a long line of women in front of you."
   Terri blushed. "I-I don't have any clue what you're talking about,
Hotaru."
   Hotaru's grin grew broader. "Of course you don't." She dropped
neatly to the ground and dusted herself off. "You *do* realize that
Haruka's a woman, right?"
   Terri laughed nervously. "That's silly! Haruka-san can't be a
woman."
   Hotaru's eyes flashed mischievously. "Oh, really? And why not?"
   "Well... why would another woman flirt with me?"
   "Geez, and I thought *I* was naive." She rolled her eyes. "Haruka
flirts with everyone. She does it to make Michiru jealous." She looked
up at Terri, eyes momentarily darkening in concern. "You looked a
little dizzy a couple of minutes ago. Are you feeling any better now?"
   Terri shrugged slightly, pondering Hotaru's words. "I guess so. I
mean, I've got a slight headache, but I don't think it's to serious."
   Hotaru snorted. "People always say that. But, still, there's no
harm in checking. Here, lean down."
   Puzzled, Terri bent. Hotaru pressed her fingers to Terri's temples
and scowled in concentration. Vertigo swam over Terri, and she caught
herself on Hotaru's shoulders before she fell over. Hotaru made a
small noise. "A concussion," she muttered. "Pretty nasty one, too. But
I can fix it..."
   Terri gasped sharply as bees of ice burned their way up her spine
and built a hive inside her skull. She jerked away from Hotaru's
grasp, holding her head. "What did you do to me?!"
   Hotaru was gazing at her hands, flexing her fingers experimentally.
"Trade secret. For now, let's just say you won't be getting any
headaches for quite a while."
   "Then you *can* use magic!"
   Hotaru looked around quickly. Nobody was around, and she sighed in
relief before glaring at Terri. "I told you to keep it down. We don't
need people knowing that." She lowered her voice. "And besides, I
can't really use magic, not in the way that you're thinking of. I just
have a 'gift.'" Hotaru caught Terri's arm and led her away from the
buildings. "And that 'gift' is going to get me in serious trouble if
Michiru hears me talking about it, so let's go see a man about a
boat."


The dragon opened its mouth, and fire poured out at them.
   "Scatter!" Makoto shouted.
   She and Ami dove to either side. Rei leaped onto a higher ledge,
the fire passing below her to splash harmlessly against the volcano
wall. The dragon belched fire in her direction. Rei vaulted away,
leaped again as the fire followed her.
   "Supreme Thunder!" Makoto's attack struck it head-on. One amber eye
focused briefly on her, and then it turned away, paying as much
attention to Makoto as a horse does to an ant. Shrieking, it breathed
fire at Rei again, head swiveling to follow her as the psychic
scrambled away. Makoto swore vehemently; how the heck was she supposed
to hurt something that shrugged off her attacks? "Ami-chan!"
   A Shine Aqua Illusion answered her, swallowing the dragon's right
wing in frigid water, which quickly froze. Screaming its rage, the
dragon pumped its other wing furiously, trying to gain air. Finally,
it glided away, circling around the volcano and out of sight.
   Makoto ran to Rei. "What now?"
   "I don't know," Rei growled. She scowled and looked at the sky.
"Let me think for a minute."
   "She's coming back around," Ami called out. Visor on, she pointed
westward. "And, I'm detecting some very strange energy readings coming
from that direction."
   Makoto turned in that direction, squinting. "How strange?"
   Ami shook her head. "It's the same energy as the dragon's. If I
didn't know any better, I'd say Mars was in two places at once."
   To Makoto's eyes, something glittered in the distance. "Ami-chan,
are you sure you're not just picking up-"
   "She tricked us!" Rei shouted suddenly. She grabbed Makoto by the
shoulders. "I should've realized it when I didn't detect Mars in the
cavern." She pointed overhead. "That dragon's *not* Mars!"
   Makoto blinked. "Wait... What?"
   Rei shook her head. "That second energy reading you detected, Ami-
chan, that's really Mars. The dragon's not real."
   Makoto pulled free of Rei. "Looks real enough to me."
   "That's the whole point. So long as we fight it and not her, she
can wear us down and kill us at her leisure.
   "We need to find out where Mars really is and deal with her
directly."
   "But the dragon-"
   "I'll deal with the dragon. Fire can't hurt me. All I have to do is
keep clear of the talons."
   "Rei."
   Rei met Makoto's eyes. "Trust me, Mako-chan. Please."
   The supposedly unreal dragon chose that moment to swing around the
other side of the volcano. Immediately, it focused on Rei and dove at
them, screeching.
   Makoto turned away, looked up at the dragon. "Don't die, Rei-chan."
Louder, "Move it, Ami-chan. She's got that look." Ami hesitated, then
nodded and dropped over the side of the ledge, making her way lower
down.
   "I'll keep her occupied for as long as I can," Rei said.
   Makoto didn't look at her as she walked to the edge. "You better,
otherwise I'm gonna kick your ass." She stepped off the ledge.
   Ami met her as she slid to the bottom. "Do you think Rei-chan will
be all right?"
   Makoto trudged through snow thigh-deep. "No, but that's not our
problem anymore. Did you get a fix on Mars?"
   Ami struggled to catch up. "Yeah, but-"
   "We don't have time for buts. Rei-chan's the only thing stopping
Mars from barbecuing everyone else." Makoto pushed herself into a
loping run. 'And she knows damn well she can't do it.'


Hotaru pointed to one of the buildings. "And that's Reika's house. She
used to be a cartoon artist for some horrible cartoon in America, but
after it was cancelled, she started this comic book that was actually
pretty good. I read it for about four years, and... Ganabile-san? Are
you listening to me?"
   "Yeah, sure," Terri mumbled absently. Farther down the road they
walked, two people stood talking. One of them laughed and walked away.
The other turned towards Terri and Hotaru, waiting. Terri stiffened.
   Hotaru noticed her reaction. "I see you've met Setsuna."
   Terri winced. "I'm... sorry."
   "Don't apologize for it. Your reaction to Setsuna's completely
normal, given what you are."
   Terri looked down. "What do you mean 'what you are?'"
   Hotaru flushed. "I...uh... that is-" She laughed nervously and ran
up to Setsuna. "Hi, Setsuna! Beautiful weather, huh?"
   Setsuna's eyes flicked down to Hotaru before settling on Terri.
"The weather is marvelous. I need to talk to Terri-san. Alone."
   Hotaru nodded emphatically. "Alone. Of course. Well, I'll just be
on my way..." She flashed a quick smile in Terri's direction and
didn't quite run away.
   Terri watched Hotaru go, feeling as though she had just missed
something incredibly important. Shaking her head slightly, she turned
to Setsuna. "So... um... what did you want to talk to me about,
Setsuna-san?"
   Setsuna's gaze locked onto Terri, trapping her. "Where did you grow
up, Terri?"
   Terri swallowed. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
   Setsuna's eyes were unnerving. "Before you lived in Crystal Tokyo,
where did you live?"
   "I... I can't remember. Minako said that I lost my memories during
stasis."
   "Did she?" Setsuna asked, almost casually. "And did Ami agree with
her?"
   Terri shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know. I didn't ask her."
   "Really? You wake up one day, with no recollection of who you once
were, and you don't even bother to ask why? That's not very normal."
   The contempt in Setsuna's words made Terri bristle, breaking her
momentary paralysis. "I didn't ask for your opinion. If you're done, I
need find Hotaru again." She stalked past Setsuna.
   Setsuna spoke as Terri brushed past her. "Don't you want to know
about your past, Terri-san? Don't you want to know about *you?* I
could very easily tell you."
   Terri froze immediately. A confusing barrage of emotions swam
through her, leaving her light-headed, breathless, and completely
afraid. 'Why? Why am I afraid of her?'
   "It's not me you fear, but your own past."
   Terri whirled, glaring at Setsuna's back. "Why should I believe
anything you say? You're a-" And Terri broke off as a sudden,
intense throbbing settled between her eyes. "I don't know you," she
whispered.
   Setsuna's voice changed in a way that Terri couldn't quite
identify, but it sent a chill racing up her spine. "You know who I am,
Terri. And you know who, and what, the Senshi are. I suspect that, on
some unconscious level, you even know what you are."
   Terri backed away, clutching her head. "Shut up!"
   Setsuna turned, facing Terri directly. "Mercury died trying to
discover who you really were. Who else will die because you refuse to
acknowledge your past?"
   Somewhere deep in Terri's mind, a wall trembled.

Makoto was tired, sore, cold, and, after falling into a snow drift,
very, very wet. She slid to a stop, breathing hard. 'God, I wish I
didn't have to be someplace before I can teleport there.' Ami trudged
the last half meter to Makoto's side and collapsed in the snow,
panting. After frantically gulping air for a minute, she gasped out.
"I can't hear the battle. Is Rei-chan-"
   Makoto smiled as a loud bellow echoed across the wastes. "Still
alive and pissing that dragon off." She helped Ami to her feet. "This
the place?"
   Ami activated her visor. "Yes." She frowned up at the giant ice
spire. "I never thought I'd see these things again."
   Makoto grimaced. "I never thought I'd live this long," she
muttered. She looked around. "So where is she?"
   "Even in the North Pole there are vermin." Mars interrupted Ami's
reply. Makoto looked up, to where Mars sat on the spire, calmly
regarding the duo. "Yeah, well, I didn't think I'd find snakes either,
Mars! You're lucky I didn't bring a mongoose with me!"
   Ami stared at her. "What?" Makoto shot Ami a look.
   The Senshi said, "Do you even know what a mongoose is?"
   Makoto stiffened. "Oh, that's it. You're dead!" The Oak Evolution
tore through the air, exploding against the spire. Clouds of snow rose
up, obscuring her view. 'Did I get her?'
   "You should stop before you embarrass yourself further." Snarling,
Makoto stalked forward.
   Ami caught her arm, whispering intently, "Mako-chan, something
isn't right about this. I've lost Mars' signal."
   Makoto scowled. "So she's not up there anymore."
   The image of Mars flickered and vanished, leaving only her voice.
"Foolish vermin! I was never 'here' to begin with!"
   Makoto spun, horror and terror and rage filling her as she watched
a supernova burst into life in the air above the volcano. Mars had
tricked them.
   "REI-CHAN!"


"My past has nothing to do with anything," Terri shouted, glaring
balefully at Setsuna. Emotions surged through her, battering her.
Terri struggled with herself, found an anchor in rage, and latched
onto it desperately. "I don't know what you're doing to me, but I want
you to stop."
   Setsuna ignored Terri's anger. "Rei made a grievous mistake when
she tampered with you, a mistake that I regrettably allowed. Your
skills, as powerful as they are, mean nothing if you lack the
experience to control them." She advanced on Terri, dark eyes holding
Terri's own. "As much as it disgusts me to touch minds with one such
as you, it is imperative that you regain your past." She reached out
with a hand.
   "Now."

   Makoto barely heard Ami's frantic shout. The ball of flame had
burst, spilling red/gold/white-hot heat that flowed down the sides of
the volcano. Correction, just one side. Like some disturbing, living,
heat-seeking wave, the sea of molten fire rushed towards them at
breakneck speed. It would literally be on them in seconds.
   There was no time to think. Makoto grabbed Ami, who fought and
struggled against her with amazing strength. 'Can't teleport blind.
Can't focus my destination. Damn!' Her thoughts were jagged, barely
connected. Makoto couldn't afford complete thoughts. She manhandled
Ami, practically picked the other woman off the ground. 'Fire'll kill
us. Can't let Ami-chan teleport.' Physically dragging Ami around to
the other side of the spire, she threw Ami to the ground, covered
Ami's body with her own, and prayed to God that she still had some
luck left.
   She barely had time to take a single, deep breath before the wave
crashed down. Fire rushed past them on all sides, swallowing
everything in its path save for the spire behind them and a small
island of snow beneath them, and Makoto could feel Ami straining to
hold just that small area.
   Her lungs burned, yearning for a breath she didn't dare take. The
heat was incredible. So fierce that she wondered why she simply hadn't
burst into flames by now. Ami's circle of protection was shrinking at
an alarming rate.
   A fleeting thought. A sudden sense of Rei, there and gone.
   It was over as quickly as it started. The sudden invasion of cold
air slammed into Makoto hard enough to make her grunt. Slowly,
painfully, she pushed herself off of Ami, flopping into the melted
slush on her back. Ami didn't move, she was probably unconscious.
   Makoto turned her head, scanning the sky, watched as two specks of
reddish light dwindled to nothingness. Rei was gone. Mars, too. No
telling when Ami would wake up and, more importantly, no telling *if*
Minako and the others would. And that damn spire was *still* standing!
   Makoto laughed sourly. God had one twisted sense of humor; only He
would let her be the only person completely unharmed in the middle of
all this mess. She smiled wryly and muttered, "You know I hate it when
I'm the leader."


   Voices were shouting. Alarm. Questions. Fear. People appeared on
either side of them, all of them staring up at the sky, some of them
pointing towards the ocean. Haruka and Michiru appeared, both looking
grim as they did their best to calm the terrified crowd. Nobody was
aware of the two women and the tension between them.
   Setsuna's hand halted before it touched Terri as the air between
the two of them fractured, black jagged cracks swallowing the light.
Setsuna smiled. "You do remember something," she murmured.
   "Don't. Touch. Me." Teeth bared, Terri fought the nearly
overwhelming urge to attack Setsuna. Her mind was in chaos, every
ounce of her being dedicated to driving back her own power before she
destroyed the entire village. It felt like she was going to be torn to
ribbons.
   Wind whipped Setsuna's hair about her. "The sheer amount of power
you are capable of is astonishing, Terri. It will draw the Senshi here
like bees attracted to honey." She looked up. "Indeed, one of them has
already arrived."
   Someone screamed shrilly. A knife edge of pain shot through Terri's
skull, and that momentary distraction shattered her concentration. For
a disorientating instant she saw through four different sets of eyes:
two on the ground, one high in the sky, and one falling rapidly, body
in bloody agony. And then everything vanished in red and gold and blue
and black and Terri screamed and quite suddenly there was nothing at
all.


"You have been staring at that orb for nearly an hour. Has something
special happened to attract Your attention?"
   Pluto turned Her head. "Saturn. I was beginning to wonder where You
had gotten Yourself off to."
   Saturn didn't smile. "It is improper grammar to end a sentence with
a preposition."
   "And it is impolite to spy on Your elders," Pluto said. Saturn
acquiesced, bowing Her head slightly. Pluto's voice cooled. "What do
You want, Saturn?"
   The dark Senshi gazed into the mists surrounding Them, carefully
keeping Her eyes from looking at the orb and the scene playing out
within. "Uranus and Neptune are impatient. Uranus believes it is time
for Us to return to Crystal Tokyo. Neptune agreed with Her and so do
I. The Inner Senshi are beginning to lose control."
   "The Inner Senshi," Pluto said, voice brittle as ice, "are not
Uranus' concern. If the Inner Senshi ask for Our help, then, and only
then, shall We return." A slight twitch of Saturn's eyes was the only
sign of Her deep surprise. She looked up at Pluto. "That is... an
interesting thought. I shall share it with the others." She paused as
She started to turn away. "Uranus will not like it."
   "Uranus will not dare contradict My orders."
   Saturn shrugged fractionally. "Certainly not *Your* orders. The
Queen, however..."
   Pluto spun. "What about the Queen? Has She told Us to return?"
   "To My knowledge, Queen Serenity has issued no such order," Saturn
said calmly. "Which, I suppose, is good. Good for Us since it gives Us
time to finish Our business here. Good for You because... Well..." She
gazed solemnly at Pluto. "You tread a very fine line, Pluto, and death
lies waiting on either side. And no 'angel' will protect You from Me."
   Pluto's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat, Saturn?"
   Saturn's lips quirked upwards slightly, the closest thing to a
smile She ever showed. "You, of all people, should know that I never
make threats." She walked away, quickly vanishing into the mists.
   "Death is a fact, Pluto. And so am I."