Elemental Wardens: Chapter Four

High above the streets and high rises of Tokyo; Sirocco floated on a gentle thermal. He let his eyes focus on nothing, secure in the fact that nothing would bother him here. Things had gone from bad to worse. It was unquestionably bad luck that had led Ariel to the Hikawa Shrine before he had been able to alert the Sailor Senshi and Prince Endymion. It was even worse luck that Sailors Uranus and Neptune had sensed her hidden power and confronted her. Ariel's erratic use of Air Magic was unexpected and dangerous. Then that attack by a Dark Magus. The references the woman had made to having all of the power of Aeros if she killed Ariel made his skin crawl. There was only one way that the woman could hope to gain power with the death of an Elemental Warden: necromancy. If she could capture Ariel and ritually sacrifice her, she could steal her power. It was fortunate that Ariel was being escorted by two of the more powerful Sailor Senshi.

Unfortunately, if his memories of Warden Aeros were in anyway accurate and if the Aeros' present self was similar to her past self, Ariel would not tolerate being followed around or guarded for long. It would aggravate her sense of claustrophobia if she thought that she was being hemmed in, even by those with the best of intentions. He could not think of a series of events more likely to make Warden Aeros totally deny her heritage, or worse, go rogue. And a rogue Warden would be too dangerous to be allowed to live.

It was even worse to have come face to face with Sailor Pluto. He didn't trust the woman, but he knew that he shouldn't have let that distrust become so evident. Besides he was slightly ashamed that he loathed the woman simply because of very dim memories.

He took a deep breath and forcefully put the matter from his mind for the time being. He focused on the thin thread of power that connected him to Ariel, letting it lead him to her. He would watch over his charge. He would not loose her again.

********

Haruka's yellow convertible sped through the streets of Tokyo. Ariel and her friend Karen were in the backseat. Haruka and Michiru were in the front, as always. They were heading back to the college dorms to drop off Karen after an afternoon spent shopping and site seeing.

Karen leaned over to whisper in Ariel's ear, her long blonde braid held tightly in one hand to keep it from whipping around in wind. Strangely, the wind didn't seem to do much more than gently caress Ariel's bright copper hair. "Hey, Ari-chan, your cousin sure is cute. Too bad he's already taken, huh?"

Ariel's lips twitched slightly at the comment. "Yeah, Harry has that effect on people." She met Michiru's eyes in the rearview mirror. The turquoise-haired woman shook her head, sparks of resigned amusement floating in her blue eyes.

"Well, here we are," Haruka said as she pulled up to the curb in front of the freshman girl's dorm.

"Thanks for showing me around Tokyo," Karen said as she hopped out of the car. Ariel followed her around to the trunk to help her unload her numerous purchases. Haruka popped the trunk and joined them. Michiru stepped out of the passenger side door and began covertly scanning the area.

"It was our pleasure, Karen-san," Haruka said, smiling brightly while doing her own scan. Ariel flashed her an annoyed look.

"I'll walk you up," Ariel said shortly as she grabbed up several bags of anime memorabilia.

"I'll do that, Ari. You just wait down here with Michiru." Haruka took the bags from her cousin's hands and walking quickly into the building with Karen.

Ariel went from slightly annoyed to down right livid. "The gall of that girl!"

"She is just trying to protect you," Michiru said softly.

"We haven't seen hide nor hair of that druid/witch/whatever woman since this morning. I think it's safe to say that she's gone." Ariel climbed back into the car. Michiru leaned against the door and smiled down at the disgruntled American.

"You still haven't told me about that incident with Haruka that you mentioned."

Ariel glared back. "You are trying to change the subject."

Michiru laughed. "Alright you can tell me about it when we get to the house."

"House? What do you mean 'house'?"

"You'll be spending the rest of your stay at our house."

"Really?" Ariel drawled, her Southern accent coming out as her anger grew. "And when was this was decided?"

Michiru stood up straight, fighting an urge to take a few steps away from the girl. She could sense the rise of power and hid a flinch as yellow sparks began floating through Ariel's green eyes. "You are family. It is only proper that you stay with us instead of in an impersonal hotel."

Ariel swallowed her anger; appalled that her careful self-control had slipped far enough that she had actually been tempted to lash out at Michiru. "Sorry, Michiru. I guess I'm just on edge." She dropped her head into her hands.

Michiru ran a light hand over Ariel's copper-colored bun. "Don't worry about it, Ari-chan. I know you didn't mean anything by it."

Ariel shook off Michiru's gentle hand. "You had better watch that. Harry will be jealous."

"Of what?"

Ariel glanced over her shoulder at her cousin. "Nothing, Harry dear, nothing at all." Her tone tried to be light, but there were hints of the emotional strain she was in running through her voice. Haruka and Michiru exchanged a worried glance over her head.

"Let's go to the hotel and pick up your things and then we'll go home," Haruka said as she climbed into the car.

"Home," Ariel whispered, "To go home would be very nice."

*********

A girl of about fourteen years of age came barreling out of the front door of the Outer Senshi's house. Her chin length dark hair flapped in the wind of her passage and her purple eyes were wide with excitement as she flung herself into Haruka's arms.

"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama! Welcome home!"

Haruka laughed. "Hello, hime-chan!" She swung her adopted daughter around till she squealed.

"Hotaru, this is Haruka's cousin Ariel MacWayne," Michiru calmly added as Ariel climbed out of the convertible.

Hotaru instantly went still in Haruka's arms as she examined the newcomer. She squirmed free and bowed formally to Ariel. "Welcome to our home, MacWayne-san."

Ariel bowed in return. "Thank you for your gracious welcome, Hotaru-hime. You may call me Ariel if you wish."

"Hai, Ariel-chan!" Hotaru grinned and grabbed Ariel's hand. "If you're Haruka-papa's cousin, are you my cousin, too?"

Ariel laughed, "I guess so."

"Good!" Hotaru squealed, "Come on inside and I'll get you some tea." She then began dragging Ariel toward the house. Haruka took Michiru's arm in hers and the pair followed them much more sedately.

After a long dinner and an even longer 'tell me everything you know about Haruka' session with Michiru and Hotaru (while Haruka squirmed and plotted her revenge), Ariel was finally allowed to go to bed. She changed into the oversized t-shirt and worn out shorts that she considered her pajamas. She paced the room for a while, trying to calm her nerves enough to sleep. Finally, she climbed into the western style bed and burrowed herself into the covers. Her mind was still racing but her body was exhausted and she slowly fell into a dream-riddled sleep.

*******

…you are one of the Chosen. You have within you the power of Aeros." The older woman smiled up at her from her seat near the window. She climbed stiffly to her feet, the formal embroidered robes of a Seer flowing about her. She shoved the window open, letting the cool evening breeze in to ruffle her loose gray streaked hair. "The wind speaks to you, doesn't it? You know the turning of the weather. The birds speak to you through their every song, through every wing sweep. You have the potential to be so much more than just the daughter of a minor baron. You can serve your King and the Earth in ways that very few can. Are you willing to try, Lady of the Winds?"….

….they don't like us very much, do they?" a girl asked. She was sprawled across a massive four poster bed, her black hair spread across the bed like a blanket.

"Of course they don't. We aren't Blooded Nobles." Sarcasm dripped from the brunette girl's voice as she sat cross-legged on the floor. She scooped more grease out of a small clay pot and spread it over a leather strap pulled from a pile nearby.

"Must you use that horrible smelling stuff?" The blonde girl asked as she came into the room, her arms filled with somber colored clothing. "I'm sure that my father could find something that would work as well that doesn't smell like it was left to rot on a dock."

The brunette grinned up at her. "I'm sure he could, Rina, but then I wouldn't get the satisfaction of watching the Ladies of the Court make faces at me." Her grin faded back into a scowl. "Besides, I'm a savage, remember. No matter what I wear, no matter how I act. I'm just a savage."

Ari turned away from the window at that, her copper colored tresses bound tightly in a bun at the base of her neck. "Ter, I think you've hit the peg on the head." The other three girls stared at her. "We aren't ever going to be anything other than outsiders to the majority of the Court. And trying so hard to fit in hasn't and isn't going to change that opinion." Ari stalked toward the center of the room. "I'm tired of pretending. We've all proven that we can play their games. We can dress and act and speak just like the High Bloods. I think that it's time that we show the Court some Frontier high society." The other three girls nodded, their eyes glowing with enthusiasm…

…The demon-creatures shambled and crawled and stalked out of the mist. The remaining soldiers fought valiantly, but were soon overwhelmed. They fell one by one, each death another blow against Warden Aeros' spirit. She flung magic at the creatures, dozens dying as the raging winds ripped them apart, but it wasn't enough. Beside her, Guardian Jadeite used his telekinesis to throw boulders and broken trees at the creatures, crushing them, and still they came.

Aeros screamed as her father was torn almost in two by one of the demon-spawn. The creature sank its muzzle into the warm blood and began feeding. Her brother leapt at the creature and was speared by another. He was still living as it began feeding. Her sister had died earlier in the fight, a mercifully quick death from a stray shard of black magic. She struggled toward her fallen family, but a rock hard arm caught her around the waist, stopping her suicidal charge.

"Let me go Jay!" she screamed. She beat at the arm with her free hand, a dagger clutched in the other.

"No! Ari! There is nothing you can do for them." Jadeite paused to plunge his sword into a creature that got too close. He put her down to pull the sword free. Aeros sent a blast of Air Magic over his shoulder at another creature, ripping it to pieces. Then, unexpectedly the attack stopped. The creatures retreated into the mist. The General and the Warden stood alone in the clearing. Everyone else was dead, human or creature.

"There is nothing else that we can do here." Jadeite pulled Aeros to him. She collapsed against his side, trembling from the expense of too much magic and from seeing far, far too much death.

"Do you have the strength left to teleport both of us back to the Capital?" Her voice was steady as she spoke. "I should explain my failure to the King in person."

Jadeite tipped her face up to look in her eyes, regardless of the danger of being distracted in the midst of a battle. "It is not your fault that you could not hold back the demon hordes. No one else could have done any better. No one." He kissed her softly.

"Not even you, my lord general?" she whispered, trying hard to put her normal teasing note into the question.

"Not even me, my love," he was deadly serious as his blue eyes bore into her green ones. "The most elaborate strategies would have been useless against these monsters. Maybe if the Lunarians had helped us, their magic could have turned the tide. I fear it is too late for that now. Let's go back to the Palace." He sheathed his blood-coated sword and wrapped his arms around Aeros. He started to gather the power to teleport to the Capital.

"We cannot allow that," a voice called from the mist. Two figures strode out of the mist.

"Kunzite? Zoicite? What are you doing here?" Aeros asked, her surprise and her wariness evident in her voice.

"I thought the two of you were on the western plains with Wardens Lithos and Pyros," Jadeite added, moving away from Aeros enough that he could draw his sword unimpeded.

"We were," Zoicite purred as he strutted toward the pair, something feral gleaming in his hazel eyes. Kunzite stopped just within easy speaking distance and crossed his arms stoically across his chest.

Aeros drew her dagger again and edged back until she was slightly behind Jadeite. From there she could fling attacks at either of the generals and be out of Jadeite's way in case he had to use his blade. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"We're here to take you to headquarters," Kunzite answered flatly, his normally expressive cadet blue eyes were totally empty.

Jadeite drew his sword with a long rasp of metal on metal. "I don't think so. I'll just teleport Ari and myself back to the Capital." He held out his free hand and Aeros moved up to take it.

Zoicite laughed madly. "We weren't offering you an option." With a wild cry, he flung a barrage of ice crystals at the pair. Jadeite shielded them, but was unable to stop Kunzite's follow-up attack. The blast flung them back several paces.

Aeros struggled to move Jadeite's unconscious weight off of her chest. Kunzite's hand glowed with power as he knelt at her head. "Queen Beryl is expecting you." He touched her forehead, and then there was darkness…