"What do I do when lightning strikes me
and I wake to find that you're not there?"

-- Elton John, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Land of Confusion
Chapter 10: Lightning Rod

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, what exactly does one get a Princess for her birthday?"

"How the hell should I know? I've been shopping for her for years, and I still have no idea," Yaten grumbled, pulling her coat up to her ears. "Are you sure you're feeling better? You had quite a fever this morning..."

Vail nodded. "I'm much better now. Nothing a little tender loving care didn't fix."

Yaten resisted the urge to blush, keeping her eyes on the marketplace as she changed the subject. "I mean, what do you get the most perfect woman in the world?"

"I've been thinking the same thing for years," Vail said, smiling. Now, Yaten could not help but blush. She smacked him playfully on the arm.

"I'm serious!"

"Well, so am I."

"You're never serious."

The red-haired man paused. "Okay, you're right. But you know, you don't have to get her anything."

Yaten paused to look at a stall with beautiful jewelry. "Of course I do!"

"Who says?"

"Well, I do," Yaten huffed, holding up a bracelet so it caught the sunlight.

Vail put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not like her personal opinion of you is going to hinge on a birthday present."

Yaten just stared at the bracelet. "The day Kinmokusei died was her birthday. Despite all the progress, everything we've managed to do, a day that should be of celebration and joy is one of the most miserable days of her life."

Vail nodded. He remembered that day very well; had it not been for Rhys, he would have died with all the others.

"And if I can make her happy even for a moment on that day, with something as simple as a gift, that's enough for me." Yaten smiled at the little girl in the booth. She must have been no more than eight years old, and she was staring with wonder at the customer. It was one of the Senshi! Here, at her mama's booth! What were the odds?

Yaten fished out a bill and some coins from her pocket. She gave the little black-haired girl a smile. "I'll take this one."

The girl seemed to be too shocked to do anything. After a moment, she stuck out her little hand and accepted the money. "Do...do you need me to put that in tissue for you?"

Yaten shook her head, putting the pretty bracelet in her coat pocket. "Thank you, but no."

Vail chuckled as he and his lover walked away from the booth. "She looked happy enough to wet herself."

"I don't get out much anymore. When I do, I usually get mobbed," she said, shaking her head. "I have to go out in disguise, or everyone within a ten block radius will want autographs. They all think I'm some big hero or something, but it was a team effort and I don't deserve any singular cre--"

"Mama, I saw a Sailor Senshi! There she goes!"

Yaten sighed. "Dammit. Every time, the same thing."

Vail looked around. "Um, we're drawing a crowd. And it's not a very happy crowd."

Unfortunately, Vail was right. This was not the usual crowd she attracted - for one, they seemed much less than happy. "How fast can you run?"

"Why?"

"We need to go...now!"

With that, Yaten grabbed Vail's hand and tore off into the crowd of the marketplace while a mob of citizens chased after them.

-----

Taiki screeched and dropped her cup of coffee.

Rufus was staring at her through her mirror.

"You..." Taiki couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say.

Rufus smiled. "Why hello. Nice to finally meet you."

"What are you doing to our princess?"

"Nothing she doesn't deserve." To Taiki's surprise, the bald man stepped out of the mirror and into her room. "She has cheated me for far too long."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taiki had a hand on the henshin microphone in her pocket, but her arm froze in its place.

"Don't call attention to me now," Rufus smiled dangerously. "It's not time for that yet."

"I want explainations. I want to know about the greenhouse."

"Of course you do." Rufus put a cold hand on Taiki's cheek. She shuddered but again found herself incapable of moving. "You're always so curious about everything."

"Don't. Touch. Me." Taiki spat out each word.

"Does it bother you?" Rufus' hand found its way down her neck, across her breasts. "Make you uncomfortable?"

"Stop it!" Taiki shouted. "I swear I'll henshin if you don't stop it."

Rufus pulled his hand away slowly. Taiki relaxed, but only marginally.

"You don't fully understand the Sailor Wars."

"How could you say that? I was there. I saw my planet die," Taiki said coldly. "I stood on hundreds of dead planets like my own. And I saw the glory, firsthand, when Sailor Moon's resurrected everything. And you tell me I don't understand?"

"Yes." Rufus' eyes flashed with blue fire, which startled Taiki. "You don't. You were not meant to see it. You were meant to die on that day years ago and you cheated me."

You were meant to die on that day.

You cheated me.

"Who are you?" Taiki was choking on the words. She had nearly died, but the thought of protecting her Princess made her live. He was right - she had cheated death that one day

"My name is Rufus. That is all you need to know for now." He smiled again, baring brilliant white teeth. "I can see the fear in your soul, Taiki Kou. I felt the pain when your Princess told you of her vision. It is all true. You can only cheat Death once. You will have the most beautiful funeral procession this planet has ever seen. People everywhere will mourn for you. And your Princess will die of the guilt."

Involuntarily, Taiki let out a small whimper.

"That's right. Be afraid of what is coming. You can dream of utopia, but it will never come." With that, Rufus disappeared. His touch was still lingering on Taiki's neck as she fell to the floor, hearing herself squelch on the coffee stain. She began to cry, hot tears burning tracks on her face.

"Taiki?" Fighter knocked on the door to her friend's room. "It's your shift."

Taiki looked to the door but did not move to open it. "Seiya..."

"Huh?" Fighter peeked her head in. She breathed in sharply when she saw Taiki on the floor. "Taiki, what...?"

Taiki clutched at the carpet, hoping that it would perhaps be a stabilizer. "I'm going to die, Seiya."

"That's crazy," Fighter kneeled next to her friend. "You're in perfect health; Doctor Chang said so himself."

"It's not a matter of health, Seiya. Something inside of me is dying..."

Fighter's fuku melted into Seiya Kou in a T-shirt and sweatpants. "Taiki...you don't want to die, do you?"

"I don't know," Taiki whispered. She had to be honest. "I just don't know what I want anymore."

"Do you want to protect Kakyuu?"

"Yes." That was one thing Taiki did know.

"Do you want to be happy?"

"..."

"Taiki?" Seiya brushed away some of her friend's tears. "Do you?"

"...I don't know."

"Maybe I'll take your shift for now," Seiya offered. "You don't look all that well."

"I...I can do it." Taiki stood slowly. "But thank you."

"Are you sure? I don't mind, " Seiya said, but Taiki shook her head, rubbing at the tears on her face.

"I should just...suck it up. It's not fair to you."

"I don't care if it's fair to me or not. This whole thing has got you worried, Taiki, and probably rightfully so." Taiki noticed that her shoulders were shaking. "Please, Taiki, I don't want to see you die. Whatever that vision said, I don't want you to die."

People everywhere will mourn for you...

"Seiya, I..."

And then someone was shouting down the hall.

"Taiki! Seiya!"

Kakyuu. That got the attentions of both of them. They ran into the hall to see their princess running down the hall.

"What is it, Ouhi?" Seiya was already prepared to henshin again.

"There is a mob outside. They're demanding...they want my head."

Taiki swallowed. "And Yaten is...?"

"Caught in the middle of it." Kakyuu looked very solemn, even as she tried to catch her breath. "She is with Vail; you should try to find them."

"Yes." Taiki's face, despite still being wet, had already set itself in stone. "Maker Star Power, Make Up!"

"Fighter Star Power, Make Up!"

With a reassuring glance to Kakyuu, the two soldiers ran down the hall and toward the castle's entrance.

------

Sawagasu smiled. He loved chaos.

"Sawagasu, you bloody idiot, what did you do?!"

Lydia just barely managed to get to her "partner" before the thrashing crowd began to slam their bodies upon the gate to the palace.

"It's just a thing Boss taught me how to do once," the pink-haired boy said. "He said I had an aptitude for chaos. So I made a mob."

Lydia just stared at him with wide blue eyes. "I only have one other question. WHY?!" She flailed her arms up and down, narrowly missing Sawagasu's nose.

"It'll attract Boss," Sawagasu said. "Duh."

Lydia realized that despite its terrible execution, it was a good idea. Boss liked things that were crazy. He would certainly be here to see this.

"Healer Star Power, Make Up!"

The violent erruption of green light sent people scattering out of Yaten's way.

Vail's clothes melted into beautiful red armor and he pulled out his sword, crow emblem glowing like it was on fire. "I take back what I said earlier; running was a very good idea."

"Shut up, lovey," Healer said, scanning the mob like an animal on the hunt. People had come streaming out of the marketplace, carrying sticks and small firearms and anything they could get their hands on. They were swelling against the walls of the castle, trying to break it down.

"Have a plan?" Vail asked, and then felt someone slam the back of a rifle into his head. "Coronis Meteor Charge!"

The man screamed and backed away in a hurry, but the fireball fizzled out seconds after its formation.

"Scare tactics. You're an evil bastard," Healer was grinning like a child. "And that's why I love you."

There seemed to be a hazy black aura around the crowd, and Healer felt around for its source with invisible mental fingers. She saw a girl with bright blue hair, dressed all in black. She seemed to be releasing the same energy as the crowd. The feeling...it was like in the infirmary. It had only been a few days before, but the chill was the same. Fate.

Healer pointed a finger at the girl and her partner with the pink hair. "They're controlling the crowd," she hissed. "But they don't know we can see them."

"See who?" Vail blinked. "Honey, I don't see anyone there."

Healer realized that it was just one of many out-of-the-ordinary things that Vail could not see. "Well then, I guess I'll be fighting them."

"Mermaid Glacial Submerge!"

Rhys had parted the crowd very nicely, blue-green armor sparkling despite the black clouds forming over the mob. "Wouldn't be a mob without me."

"That's what I've always said."

Rhys looked to the top of a lightpole; Fighter and Maker were looking down upon the scene in shock.

"There they are!" one woman screamed, pointing a pitchfork at the two Senshi. "Those are the cowards who left us!"

"They let our planet die!"

"They're not worth a shit; can't even protect the princess!"

"Who cares about the princess? She left us, too!"

Healer glared at the backs of the two strange beings. "Clever. But not clever enough."

She did not waste any time. "Star Sensitive Inferno!"

The mob was not ready for that, and they all screamed in panic and started to run away.

"They're trying to kill us!" another man screeched, waving a sword in the air.

"Healer!" Fighter and Maker jumped from the lightpole. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was making a distraction; that's not important. Do you see them?" Healer pointed to the blue-haired girl and her pink-haired friend.

"Yeah...so?" Fighter said, and Maker just nodded.

"Who?" asked Rhys, and Vail just shook his head.

"I think it's a girl thing."

"Oh."

"They're controlling the crowd," Healer continued in a strained voice, glaring at Vail. "And I felt their presence the other day, after Ouhi was sick."

Maker felt the same sort of energy wafting off of them as Rufus had given off. His minions, perhaps? She didn't know, and frankly she didn't care. She now had a target.

Lydia turned around. She saw, and felt, a pair of angry violet eyes burning holes through her. "Um, Sawagasu? You didn't plan for that, did you?"

Sawagasu peeked around Lydia and squeeked.

"Didn't think so." Lydia held up her hands. "Um, sorry about this. You see, it was all--"

"Shut up," Maker spat.

"Well, alright." Lydia was prepared to grab her gun.

Maker waited for her move.

"Maker? Maybe we should, I don't know, get a plan before we start random carnage?" Fighter offered. Someone behind her swung a wooden pole like a baseball bat, and it connected solidly with her head. Pain exploded in her eyes and she slumped to the ground, unable to move.

Oh, Maker had a plan now. It involved a lot of smooshing. "Star Gentle Uterus!"

"Savior!" Lydia shouted, and the attack was seemingly absorbed into the air. She then tried a spell of her own. "Tangle!"

Vines exploded out of the ground; thick, thorned vines like one would see in uninhabited jungles. The mob, seemingly forgotten, scurried away from them. Vail and Rhys immediately began swinging their swords and slicing at them, which only made them multiply further.

"You and Rufus are on the same side, aren't you?" Maker hissed. It looked as though her anger could become a seperate being at any moment.

"He's our Boss," Sawagasu said, still hiding behind Lydia. "You haven't seen him lately, have you? We're kinda looking for him."

Healer was trying to get a response out of Fighter, but she wasn't getting one, despite her best efforts at begging and pleading.

"Oh, he's seen us. I want to rip his fucking eyeballs out of his fucking head." Maker clenched her hand into a fist. It began to glow an unhealthy shade of purple. Lydia held her shield firm, but was getting the sinking feeling it would do her little good. Maker flicked her wrist, and a ball of pure energy flew through the air. It shattered the shield like glass.

"Did you, perchance, have a backup plan?" Lydia asked, beginning to sweat.

"Will you hit me if I say no?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I'm not going to say no."

And then Vail felt something hot inside of him, flaring as though someone had poured gasoline on it. He dropped his sword, at which point the vines took an opportunity and began to constrict around him.

"Star Sensitive Inferno!" Green lightning set the vines aflame, but it did not stop them. They continued to swallow Vail up into a sea of green.

Maker was so close to Lydia that the blue-haired girl could feel anger radiating off like heat. "Your 'boss' has been messing with my princess. Do you know how that makes me feel? Not very fucking jolly, I'll have you know."

"Guess not." Lydia tried. "Look, we're just following orders. I didn't actually want to start the mob, it was his fault--" she gestured at Sawagasu.

"Hey!" Sawagasu whimpered.

"I don't care whose brilliant idea it was," Maker took a step forward. "We've passed the point where I care."

"Mermaid Glacial Submerge!" Ice ripped through the vines as though they were butter, but they still continued to compound on Vail. He could not breathe, couldn't see a thing. All he could feel was something worming around inside him.

--you want to kill the princess--

--you want to kill the princess--

--she is in your way--

--kill her--

"Get out of my head!" he screamed. "I want to do no such thing!"

--your master wills it--

--you want to kill the princess--

--you have no say--

"Did you hear me?! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Vail writhed desperately in the vines. He was running out of air as the vines began to crush his windpipe, but he continued to scream, as if the horrible thoughts would go away.

"Vail!" Healer picked up Vail's sword and heavy though it was, she began to hack away at the vines that held him.

--you shall walk at the head of the most beautiful funeral procession--

--you shall hold the white-haired fairy as she cries--

"STOP IT! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!" Vail would scream until his throat was raw with blood it if would make the voice stop.

And then Maker disappeared. Literally. One moment she was foaming at the mouth with pure rage, and the next she was gone. In fact, everyone else was gone too. Everything seemed to be turned upside down, like a water-filled snowglobe. There was an audible "pop!" and then...

Seiya sat up slowly. What had happened? There was a mob, but it was gone now. She was sitting in her own room by herself, when she had most assuredly been outside before. What was going on?

Someone began to knock on her door. She got up slowly, still feeling the effects of the knock on her head. She walked dizzily to the door, clutching her bandaged head, and opened it. She was face to face with Yaten. Her hair was down, she was wearing a long white dress, and her face was red and wet from tears.

"Y-yaten, what happened?!" Seiya was afraid to ask.

Yaten threw herself into Seiya's arms, beginning to cry again. "It's horrible, Seiya! It...I can't even say!"

"Please, Yaten, tell me," Seiya asked urgently. Something wasn't right at all.

"Oh Dios, Seiya, Taiki's dead!"

Everything in Seiya's mind imploded in on itself.