Sailor Moon: Dark Nebula Act 1: Frostbitten -Chapter 1
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“No Please don’t do this,” Usagi heard herself cry out as she was being dragged backwards by her arms. She kicked and screamed, tears running down her face as she strained against the binding that had been tied to her wrists, keeping her arms behind her. “Please! You must listen to me! I didn’t mean to…”
But the men holding her arms were not paying her any mind. Her blue eyes darted between them rapidly. They were dressed from head to toe in armor, clearly made from some of the finest metal she had ever seen. Their cloaks were embellished with gold designs that looped and curved into the shape of flowers and flowing patterns. Even as she struggled, she could make out a crest on the backs of the capes, denoting some sort of noble house. Which one, she couldn’t tell.
“You won’t get away with this! This isn’t right! Where are you taking me?”
The men (she assumed they were men based on the size of their form) – though she could not see their faces and everything around her seemed blurred and hazy – dragged her along not answering and staying silent. The young high school student glanced around again, trying to understand what was happening. She looked down and saw she was in a purple dress, elegant and refined like a princess, but torn and dirty from mud and dust, just like the gold, jewel-encrusted slippers she had on her feet.
All around the sounds of nature called out to her. Birds were chirping; she could hear the wind rustle in the trees as they passed under a canopy of them, and, whose shadow, gave her a short respite from the bright sun that was beating down on her. The men, or knights as she was guessing now, kept a steady pace with her, and she had, by this point, given up fighting them. Nearby she heard the splashing of water, and could smell the scent of fresh wet grass. Everything screamed summer, yet she knew that it was late May, and the June storms would be coming soon.
“This doesn’t make any sense! I want to go home!” she cried out, but the knights paid her no mind and continued their trek with her. The young girl soon gave up the fight and went limp. Where were her friends? Had they left her? Did they just run off when the guards came?
Her thoughts hesitated upon the last, and she lifted her head muttering to herself, “No that’s not right…why would there be guards in Tokyo? Where am I?”
She tried again to talk to the guards, but their silent nature made her unsure if speaking up would be wise. So she stayed quiet. Maybe if I don’t talk, maybe I can learn something? There’s got to be a way out of this…
Again she looked back at her captors and saw both were carrying swords, but they were too far to reach. Usagi made a face, Even if I did get one, I don’t know how to use it. What am I gonna do?
She tried to wiggle out of the rope, but her wrists were sore and burned with pain every time she tried to move them. She still didn’t understand any of it and closed her eyes, hoping that she would wake up. Was this a dream? Or was she really there? No she was sure she had fallen to sleep, that much she knew because she’d talked to Ami before bed about the fact that they were going to get a new teaching assistant for their history class.
So, where was she? Or rather, why was she dreaming this?
The poor girl didn’t have much time to consider her thoughts, as the knights suddenly slowed their pace and then stopped.
“We’re here.” The one on her left said, while the one on the right added.
“You should take a moment to look around. This will be the last time you see this place.”
“What are you talking about?” Usagi asked, terrified. This was the first time these two sentinels had spoken to her, and she didn’t appreciate the tone that they were taking. It was angry, full of controlled rage, and she knew that they hated her guts. But what had she done to deserve such feelings thrown at her?
“Your punishment.”
“Punishment? For what? What did I do?”
The first chose to keep his head straight forward, rather than look behind at her to speak to her. The second did, though ever so slightly, but it was just enough that she could only make out his chin. “Don’t act a fool? You know exactly what you did! You monster!”
“M-M-Monster? I’m not…” She felt tears sting her eyes, but she didn’t understand why.
“Quite!” the first one ordered, “We’re moving now.” He tugged her and the second followed suit as she shifted to try to glimpse behind her to see where ‘here’ was. What greeted her was something that made her blood run cold. Ahead was a large cave, which seemed to go down into the earth. It was pitch black, and not a speck of light was coming out.
Surrounding the cave was a crowd of other men and women dressed in finery, including knights in their uniforms, with their weapons at their sides. Most of the crowd seemed upset and sad, some had their arms crossed, and others turned their backs on her. Usagi didn’t recognize anyone, yet as they neared the crowd parted and she could see at the very edge of the crowd a group of five young men, four that she recognized from their clothing the moment she saw them.
“It can’t be,” she mouthed confused. Standing in the center was Kunzite, dressed in the uniform that she’d seen in her past memories, his silver hair whipped up in the breeze. She couldn’t see his features due to the haze around them, but his head was turned in a way to not meet her gaze, as if he was to repulsed by her sight. Beside him was Zoisite, who’s scowl she could feel even if she couldn’t see it. That coldness felt like it could last for years, there was no mercy radiating from his still form and Usagi turned her eyes away from him as quickly as she could.
Once more, a sinking sense of cold and dread washed over her and she turned to glance to the right of Kunzite, only to see Nephrite, glaring at her with arms crossed. He raised his head some to look down upon her as they neared –yet again she couldn’t make out his features but she knew it was him. The intensity from his emotions were enough to have her move back against the guard on her right, who stumbled slightly and then righted himself. That gave her a chance to get a view of the last one of the knights standing there, and the only that seemed to show any compassion, Jadeite. His stance showed him to be slumped at the shoulders, and turned away, as if he was crying or hurt by what was going on. Behind them, she could make out another man but he was too far for her to get a good look at, and it made her wonder who the stranger was.
The knights stopped, and then let her go. Usagi glanced around, confused then slowly turned to face the group of four. She lowered her head as their gazes fell upon her. For a moment, she felt the tears coming on, but tried to hold them in shaking her head. She needed to know what was going on, and so raised it to speak to them.
“I…” she tried again but Kunzite’s loud and direct voice over road her nerve.
“Be silent.” Usagi shut her mouth quickly as he continued. “You will not speak until spoken to, do you understand?”
She nodded and he returned it. “You have been brought here for your crimes against the Kingdom of Elysion. I am asking you, please, tell me why you did this….”
Usagi felt her mind waver. Elysion was a name she had become familiar with only recently. It had been the capital city of the Golden Kingdom and where Prince Endymion ruled Earth from, where the Golden Crystal was at, and where she –no Serenity –where Serenity had met and fallen in love with him. Why would she ever commit any crimes against such a wonderful place? This wasn’t making any sense.
I need to tell them they have it wrong. I need to tell them that this is all a dream. Wake up Usagi! She shouted in her mind to herself. As her mouth opened to speak, she felt words and thoughts that didn’t feel like her own, but they were coming out in her own voice.
“I did what I had to. You don’t understand! I need to protect him…I need to keep him safe. Please! Please let me see him, let me talk to Prince Endymion! You know I’m right! Something terrible will happen to us if I don’t talk to him and stop it! Please let me see him!”
“Let you see him? I think not,” Zoisite spoke up then and she glanced over at him. She could still not see his face. “Doing so would allow you to harm him more than you already have done, and we are not that gullible or stupid. Your false tears will not sway our hearts…”
“Zoisite, enough,” Nephrite said directly to the younger blonde who seemed to look his way. “It’s clear she’s already in pain as it is. No need to rub it in.” His hazy form turned then to Usagi who tried to follow the conversation, but her head was starting to hurt. Was she waking up, or was this something that was happening for someone else? Was this someone else memory? She couldn’t tell.
“My Lady, please. We know you believe your story to be true. But this is serious business. You’re actions…they…” he paused as if trying to catch his own words and cleared his throat, then continued. “They brought us all pain and anguish, particularly Master Endymion. Please, confess, and we can help you….”
“How can I confess for something that wasn’t wrong?!” Usagi, felt the tears flow again. This was all wrong. Something was wrong, something bad was happening. Why wouldn’t they listen to her.
“Traitor,” hissed Zoisite and Kunzite seemed to shoot him a look that silenced him once more.
“Traitor, I…I’m not…” She looked up and saw Jadite coming over. She still couldn’t see his face but she could feel his touch on her shoulder. His grip was firm, but there was a calmness to it and she felt herself starting to feel tired.
“We know you believe you are not, but we need the truth. Please, why did you do it…You can save them and yourself if you just tell the truth.”
“But I’m not lying,” she said weakly. “I’m not…”
Usagi slumped to her knees and bent her head forward as he followed her down to the ground, and laying her gently there, before letting go. Jadeite stood up and shook his head, then walked back to join the other five.
They stood whispering to one another for what seemed like several moments as the crowd behind her was vocalizing things she couldn’t hear, even though she tried.
I don’t understand any of this. Why won’t they let me see Endymion. Mamo-chan, where are you. Please come and help me. I can’t do this alone…I can’t. She lowered her head, and bit her lip. She didn’t want them to see her sobbing. A moment later the four Knights seemed to reach some sort of silent agreement, and then Kunzite nodded to someone behind them.
Facing her again, he walked over and looked down at her. “It has been decided. For your crimes against Elysion you are here by sentenced to imprisonment.”
Usagi nearly leapt to her feet, shouting, “You can’t! I need to speak to him! Please it’s urgent! He’ll believe me! He’ll listen and understand! I know he will. You can’t do this! Please, Kunzite! Please!”
Kunzite backed up from her and the man that had been behind them walked forward. He looked younger than Kunzite, about her own age, had a slightly purple shade to his white blonde hair, and was dressed in a lavender robe. In one hand, he was carrying a metal staff, in the other a wooden bowl. The robed young man bent down to her, even up close Usagi couldn’t see any features on him, and then whispered.
“I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I can’t save you…you need to save yourself. Come back to us, I know you can do it.” He then moved back from her and, after tapping the staff to the bowl thrice, laid the staff down and then dipped his fingers into the bowl, coating them in red liquid that, to Usagi, smelled like a berry smoothie. He moved quickly, taking his fingertips and marking her forehead, then stood.
Kunzite approached him, “Well?”
The robed man sighed as he took up his staff and looked down, “It is done.”
Kunzite nodded and then motioned to the guards that had first brought her to the strange location. They pulled Usagi up to her feet and she didn’t resist.
“I pray that your spirit may find a way to redeem itself,” the robed figure said as the guards began to walk her away from the gathered group. Again she didn’t feel like resisting, but something in her gut told her not to let herself go, and Usagi whirled around to face the four knights and the robed man.
“This isn’t right! No please, Brother! Stop them!” Usagi found herself calling out to the stranger with the staff, but he turned away from her.
“Not you too! Please…Stop this! I don’t deserve this! Please…” and she dug her heels into the ground, trying to stop the forward momentum from the guards, who were now pulling her to move. Usagi twisted and turned, trying desperately to break free of their grasp.
“You know I’m right! Please…for his sake please… Don’t do this! Kunzite! Please, I’m begging you!”
Kunzite turned his back to her and the others watched in silence. Usagi felt a cool breeze run up her back and twisted to see they were headed right for the mouth of the cave. Her eyes went wide and she screamed at them.
“No! Please No! Stop this! No! I didn’t do anything wrong! I was trying to protect him! Please, I love him! Please…don’t do this to me! Please! No…”
Suddenly she felt herself falling and cried out as the darkness swallowed her and she lost sight of the others.
“Endimyon!”
She screamed loudly as she fell, hearing a voice in the darkness calling to her.
“Usagi! Usagi, please! Get up! Usagi! Usagi! WAKE UP!”
Pain shot through her face as she felt her skin get slashed by sharp claws and she yelped as she woke with a loud thud, hitting her head squarely on the floor, “Ow! Owie! Ow!”
Usagi found herself back in her room, half way out of her bed, head on the floor, blankets twisted around her arms and legs. She was in a cold sweat and slowly pulled the rest of her trembling form onto the floor, wrapping the blankets around her and shuddered, whispering to herself, “What a horrible dream. Just what was that about?”
OMG I love your freaking blog and it bugs me so much that I just found it now! You're such a terrific writer and you make things so easy to understand in your analysis. I love your Sailor Moon (Crystal) interpretations and analysis, especially for the shitennou! I hope you continue to do them, seriously, I love them so freaking much! I practically spent the whole night reading them hahaha~
Thank you so much! I did have a entry for Kunzite, but sadly my drive got corrupted so I lost that data. I’m planning on re-watching the first season again to try to get screen shots and info again so I can finish that off. :) I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m really happy when my writing makes others happy. :)
When you watched the Classic Sailor Moon anime first & then you read the manga after, wondering to yourself, "This is so strange! Why isn't Zosite & Kunzite gay for eachother? This doesn't feel right at all!"
