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


Chapter 5 -


Terri closed her eyes, breathed deeply. Arms extended before her,
palms out, fingers spread, she "touched" the very air with her mind,
feeling small tendrils of power snake down her arms, causing the fine
hairs to rise. Calmly, she reached down inside herself, tapped the
well of her own power, and smiled internally as her senses were
heightened dramatically. She spoke, marveling at the ability to feel
the passage of the air as it was forced out of her lungs, past her
vocal cords, and out of her mouth. "I'm ready."
   Rei's voice came from behind Terri, and slightly to her left.
Terri didn't know how far away Rei was, but the heat along her back
suggested that the other woman was fairly close by. "Now."
   Terri's eyes snapped open, in time to see Makoto's fist streaking
for her face. Terri ducked, Makoto's blow going over her head. She
kicked out with one leg, going for a sweep. Makoto backflipped away,
landed in a crouch, and, without pausing, leaped into the air.
Electricity flowed down her arms, condensing into a single ball.
   "Sparkling Wide..."
   Terri looked up and threw both hands forward, palms facing
Makoto, an intense look of concentration on her face as power flowed
out of her, to her hands. Blackness swirled around her, and begin to
take form.
   "Pressure!" Makoto whipped the ball forward, straight at Terri.
Terri grunted as it struck the half-formed dome of blackness and
halted in mid-air, throwing off sparks that fell harmlessly to the
ground.
   Makoto landed, arms crossed in front of her as she formed a second
attack.
   Terri gritted her teeth, the shield beginning to buckle from the
strain of the first attack.
   Rei shouted, "Fire Soul!"
   Terri half-turned, shocked to see a wall of fire heading for her.
Was Rei insane?!
   Terri sorted through all of her options in an instant, discarded
them all, and panicked. Banishing the dome, she dove to one side and
rolled away.
   The two magic attacks collided where she had been standing, and
exploded in a frenzy of fire and electricity. The shockwave slammed
into Terri, and hurled against one of the far walls hard enough to
knock her out.

"What the hell were you doing?! You could've killed her!"
   "She's not hurt that badly, Mako-chan. And she would have been
just fine if she hadn't panicked."
   'I didn't panic,' Terri thought foggily, and then she realized
that she was still alive.
   "Just fine?" Makoto nearly shouted. "She could barely block my
attack, Rei-chan, let alone both of ours at once."
   "She has got to get used to fighting more than one person. She
should be capable of that by now."
   "She isn't a superheroine, Rei-chan. She can't keep up at your
pace, so stop pushing her!"
   "Look, Mako-chan, I don't have time to argue-"
   "You damn well better make time, Rei. This is the third time
you've pushed her past her ability in the past two months, and the
first time she's been hurt because of it. She can't-"
   "She *can*, and she better. Ami-chan's detected a massive force
mobilizing in Crystal Tokyo."
   Total silence. It was an effort for Terri to continue faking
unconsciousness.
   "How long do we have?" Makoto's voice was dangerously soft.
   "Ami-chan estimates a month, maybe two if we're lucky and the
weather holds."
   "Great. Just great. You guys expect me to turn her into a perfect
assassin in *one MONTH*?!"
   Terri's insides turned into a lump of ice. 'Assassin?'
   "Well, if you include the two months training she's already had-"
   "Shut the hell up, Rei."
   Surprisingly, Rei was silent.
   Makoto sighed, "Okay... I'll do what I can. But whatever else you,
or anybody else, had planned for her just got cancelled."
   "What!"
   "Do you want her to be able to kill Senshi, or be killed by
Senshi? One or the other."
   Terri realized that the strange noise she was hearing was Rei
grinding her teeth.
   Makoto continued, "That's what I thought. Now, you run off and do
whatever the hell it is you do when I'm not arguing with you. I'm
going to haul Terri-chan to her room and go get myself nice and drunk
before I start to completely kick her ass tomorrow morning. And I
don't want to see you till evac starts."
   Something shifted Terri. Pain exploded in her head and, screaming
soundlessly, she fell into a realm of lost memories.

<<<I was lost.
   Not literally. I knew what street I was on as I made my slow way
down the sidewalk, and I knew how far away I was from my apartment.
   I was lost mentally, drifting through my life with only the
vaguest of directions: kill the Senshi.
   I didn't know why, or how, I was supposed to kill them. Of my
father I had no memories, only the mental image I had created from
Jake's descriptions: tall like me, silver hair and silver eyes like
me, pale skin (I looked more like my mother in that aspect), and,
according to Jake, tremendously powerful. A man to be feared.
   My adopted brother feared and hated my father. But Jake feared and
hated everyone, even me. I wasn't particularly upset when Jake died
during Galaxia's final attack. But I missed him, since Jake had
always known what to do.
   I hefted the transformation wand of Super Sailor Venus, marveling
at the weight of such a small thing. It was easily ten, maybe fifteen
pounds. What was that saying? "Duty is lighter than a feather and
heavier than a mountain?" The Senshi's duties must weigh heavily on
them indeed.
   Maybe if I dissected this wand, I could find out how to destroy
the Senshi.
   There was a noise behind me, a low throaty cough that reminded me
of a panther. I turned around slowly, noticing for the first time
that I was the only person on the street.
   A youma stood ten meters away from me; a large, muscled black cat
that looked vaguely humanoid. Tail lashing, amber eyes narrowed, it
made that sound again, and rose onto two legs.
   I regarded it silently and without fear. I had spent my life
around Jake's youma and, in time, they learned that I wasn't someone
to be trifled with.
   I glared at it, gathering my power to turn the monster into atomic
dust, and was suddenly struck by an overpowering wave of vertigo. The
transformation wand fell from nerveless fingers and rolled away. I
fell to my knees as the sidewalk abruptly canted to one side.
   The demon cat saw its chance. It leaped at me, roaring in
triumphant victory.
   A flash of golden light to my right. A laser beam struck the youma
in mid-flight, punching straight through its neck. It screamed,
dissolving as it died, and I found myself covered in dead demon dirt.
   Coughing, I brushed the dust off of me, raising small clouds black
ash. "Are you okay?" somebody asked.
   I looked at her. She sat on the roof of a nearby car, watching me
with concern and amusement. Super Sailor Venus. The name echoed
through my mind, and I waited, expecting her to... to...
   I put a hand to my head and closed my eyes as the vertigo swelled.
   A gloved hand touched my shoulder gently, "Terri-chan? Hey, are
you okay? Did it hurt you?"
   The vertigo receded somewhat, and it took something with it.
   I opened my eyes and pulled my hand away. Fine black dust rose in
small clouds from my hair and clothes. I gasped, inhaling the dust,
and broke into a fit of coughing.
   "Want some water?" someone said, and I turned to see an unfamiliar
woman crouched next to me. I scrambled away, came across my bookbag,
and pulled it in front of me as a shield. "Who are you?"
   She stood, absently dusting her gloves off, and studied me
carefully. "I'm Super Sailor Venus." She frowned. "You don't remember
what just happened, do you?"
   I stood as well. I had been on my way home from classes, and
then... and then... I looked her and said, "I don't remember. I don't
remember anything.">>>


She woke up in her own bed.
   She sat up slowly, swallowing the bile and nausea that climbed up
her throat, closing her eyes as the room swirled around her. When she
felt stable again, she opened her eyes, and found Minako straddling
the back of her desk chair.
   Terri looked at her and said slowly, "Your plan won't work. The
Senshi can't die."
   A slight narrowing of Minako's eyes was the only sign of
expression she showed. "So you found out, ne?"
   "Is that what you had planned for me the entire time? Teach me how
to use whatever the hells kinda power I have and just turn me into a
living weapon? I'm not going to do your dirty work!"
   "You don't understand. You are the only one who can-"
   "I don't care what I can do. You made me abandon Yoko; I won't do
anything else just to fulfill your sick, twisted, heretical schemes."
  Minako's voice contained venom. "You have absolutely no idea how
much has been sacrificed, how much as been lost, just to bring you
here. I will not hear someone like you slander something that has
taken hundreds of years to prepare for. If I ever hear you talk like
that again, I'll personally make sure that you wish that Rei-chan had
killed with that stray attack.
   "In the meantime, you will be what you were born to be. A tool. A
weapon. A hunk of plastique that I'm going to mold into a C4 charge
from Hell. And if you don't like it, then you can walk back to
Crystal Tokyo tonight and I won't stop you."
   Terri glared at Minako. "I won't be your pawn."
   Minako's smile held no warmth. "Now, you remind me of your
father."
   Terri lay down, putting her back to Minako. "Go away. Leave me
alone."
   Minako said nothing for a long time. Finally, "Gomen, I shouldn't
have yelled at you like that. If I told you that I was truly sorry
for the way your life was turning out, would you accept my apology?"
She sounded sincere.
   Terri closed her eyes, trying to shut out Minako's presence.
   Minako sighed softly, and Terri heard the scrape of the chair as
she stood. Minako said, "After Galaxia's defeat, the world became a
somewhat more peaceful place. Japan's government called the whole
Galaxia fiasco a publicity stunt to promote Galaxy TV and, just like
that, the Senshi once again became money-making machines. The Senshi
didn't mind, of course. Free from their jobs as Defenders of the
World, they were able to return their normal lives. Everybody
expected things to stay calm and peaceful for a long time.
   "With things as they were, it's almost ironic that the Senshi
caused the destruction of the world as people knew it."
   Terri said, "The Senshi didn't destroy the world. If it weren't
for Them, nobody would have lived through the anarchy that occurred
when the World Nation collapsed. None of us would be here now."
   Minako laughed bitterly, "Ah, my poor, misguided Terri-chan. You
are, in a way, correct.
   "After the collapse of the World Nation, during all of the anarchy
as country fought country in a series of pointless wars, a madman
with some nukes decided to detonate his bombs inside of every volcano
on the planet, which was not only a stupid and deadly thing to do,
but it's been done to death, if you'll pardon to pun.
   "Since nobody was capable of dealing with this man, let alone with
his outrageous demands, the Senshi took it upon themselves to handle
things. They fought the madman and his minions inside of the volcano
where his main bomb had been stashed."
   Terri waited, but Minako didn't continue. She shifted positions
slightly, and opened her eyes to see Minako standing at the foot of
her bed, arms folded, as the older woman stared fixedly at a point on
Terri's wall. Terri said, "What happened?"
   Minako blinked and looked at Terri. "The Senshi won... and they
lost.
   "They won in that they killed the madman, and stopped his bombs
from turning the planet into a big ball of molten lava.
   "They lost in that the cost of victory was the life of their
Leader. She sacrificed herself to save a single person, the same
person that would later cause the disaster that would make Earth
freeze over."
   Minako sat down on the bed, hiding her face from Terri's view.
After a while, she said, "When it was discovered that the Earth was
headed for a Second Ice Age, people turned to the Senshi to save
them. But the Senshi realized that, without their Leader, they were
practically powerless to stop what was happening. And that was when
they were given their Choice: they could watch as everyone around
them died and hope that, somehow, a solution would present itself at
the last moment. Or they could gain the power to save a fraction of
the world's population, but at a price."
   "They chose to save the fraction?" Minako nodded. Terri thought
for a moment, then said, "What was the price?"
   Minako looked down at her hands. "They gained incredible power,
enough to rival God's... and, in the process, they were stripped of
their humanity." Her hands clenched tightly, then relaxed.
   "Nobody minded at first, since, after all, the world was being
saved. But, when Crystal Tokyo was being created, certain... issues
began to show up.
   "It started with the Reeducation program. The Senshi believed that
it would pointless to create a Utopia if the same old people were
around to mess things up. So the Senshi searched the souls of people
they saved, and decided to 'correct' those with the worst problems.
Rapists, murderers, thieves, all of them ceased to exist, turned into
model citizens. Crimes would become nonexistent.
   "But, the Senshi figured, why should they stop there? Since they
had banished major crimes, why not get rid of minor ones? No more
liars, no more littering, no more jay-walking, no more drug
addictions. Just complete and total peace.
   "But, why stop there? Why reform only the criminals? Why not the
normal citizen that could use some 'help' with some of their more
troubling issues? Like phobias. Or shyness. Or laziness. Or any of
those 'bad' attributes. After all, without those base attributes,
'evil' thoughts have nothing to grow from. And, since we're on this
line of thought, let's take it one step further.
   "Why not just wipe everybody's head clean and start all over?
   "And that's what they did. The Senshi became corrupted by their
own power and didn't even know it. As people woke from their stasis,
the Senshi took out the memories of the person's old life, and
inserted whatever the Senshi wanted them to know. Everybody in
Crystal Tokyo is just a big bunch of programmed robots, living out
their daily lives according to the whims of the Senshi.
   "And as for the people that prove to be more resistant to the
Senshi's 'Reeducation' program? Well, some, like your friend Yoko,
are called heretics and are submitted to a second, even more
intensive Reeducation program, one that usually kills all but the
strongest willed individuals. Those that do survive become the
Senshi's Priests and Priestesses. Everybody else that the Senshi
don't like are usually dumped into the Wasteland and left to die.
Fortunately for them, we pick them up and give them a new home."
   She sighed and stood, looking at Terri. "And this is the world
that humanity wished for. A perfect world, so long as you don't cross
the Senshi. A perfect world, so long as you don't have a unique
thought in your brain. Do you think they're happy with their wish?"
   Terri remembered the stark beauty of the Crystal Palace and
fanatical worship of the Senshi's followers, Yoko's heresy trial and
the resigned look on her face when she realized Terri wouldn't help
her, the smiling faces of the people as the CTDF hovercraft circled
the city like vultures. She shuddered. "That's not a Utopia. It's a
nightmare, and nobody even realizes it," she whispered.
   Minako smiled sadly. "You understand now, don't you?"
   Terri nodded. She understood. "I have to kill the Senshi."


Shouji and Kiyomi came by after Minako left to see how she was
feeling.
   The duo were mechanics and had been helping Terri learn how to fix
the snowmobiles, a task that Terri had proved herself to be good at.
They had all become friends, and, much to everyone's annoyance, had
spent a lot of time drinking, bickering, and generally dragging Terri
into trouble.
   Now, Kiyomi bounced through the door to Terri's bedroom and leaped
onto the bed, cradling Terri's head to her chest and wailing. "My
poor Terri! Struck down in the prime of her life by an errant blow!
How ever will I live without her!" She buried her face into Terri's
hair and wailed louder, all the time ignoring Terri's protestations.
   Shouji's entrance was, in contrast, almost anti-climatic. He
smiled gently at Terri from his position in the doorway and rolled
his eyes at Kiyomi's antics. "She isn't dead, Kiyomi," he said.
   Kiyomi paused in her drama to glare at Shouji. "I know that,
stupid. But I'm trying to be sympathetic to her cause."
   Terri pulled away. "And what cause would that be?"
   Kiyomi pouted, pale blue eyes filling with tears. "I heard you
challenged Makoto to a duel in the name of your family's honor." She
hugged Terri painfully tight, crying, "I wish I could be brave like
you!"
   "You're gonna be dead if you don't let me go," Terri wheezed.
Reluctantly, Kiyomi released her and slid to edge of the bed,
sniffling at Terri's glare.
   "Don't be too mad, Terri," Shouji said in his usual quiet tone.
"She really was worried about you. We both were."
   Shouji was short for a man, but heavily muscled from lifting heavy
equipment all of the time, with short dark brown hair and eyes, and a
goatee that had absolutely refused to get rid of. Despite his rugged
appearance, he was a quiet man, and Terri liked him.
   Which made it even harder to believe that he was friends with a
loud-mouthed, hyperactive, twit like Kiyomi. They were complete
opposites, she fair where he was dark, her long light-blue hair and
eyes a total contrast his own. She was even taller than him, although
not as tall as Terri.
   Terri sighed and looked at Kiyomi, "I'm sorry, Kiyomi. I shouldn't
have yelled at you. I'm grateful for your concern."
   Kiyomi's head snapped up and she beamed radiantly at Terri.
"Really?" Terri nodded, and was promptly tackled by a squealing,
deliriously happy Kiyomi.
   Terri laughed and removed herself from Kiyomi's grasp. "Okay,
okay. Enough! What's all this mess about a duel?"
   Shouji answered, "It's the biggest rumor around the base.
Something about you, Makoto, and Rei getting into a three-way brawl,
and you kicked their butts."
   Kiyomi blinked, "That's not how I heard it. I heard that Makoto
insulted Terri's cooking, and Terri, in a righteous fit of wrath
demanded retribution and they had a big cooking contest and Terri's
oven blew up!"
   Shouji chuckled at the mortified look on Terri's face. "There are
other versions, but Kiyomi and I decided to go straight to the
source."
   Kiyomi nodded emphatically. "And, since you're the source, you can
tell us what really happened! So, tell us already!"
   Terri shook her head, "I don't know if I should be telling you
guys..."
   Kiyomi grabbed Terri's arm. "Please!?"
   Shoji said, "I must confess. I am curious."
   Terri sighed and relented. "Okay, this is what really happ-"
   "I'm sorry, am I intruding?"
   Shouji turned, and Terri and Kiyomi looked past him to where Ami
stood behind him, a sheaf of papers in one hand. She smiled warmly,
"I can come back later, if now is inconvenient."
   "N-no!" Terri said. She climbed to her feet and dragged Kiyomi
with her. "Not at all, Ami. What can we do for you?"
   Ami rifled through her papers and pulled one out. She handed it to
Shouji. "I was wondering if the three of you would be willing to
scout out these coordinates for me using the snowmobiles."
   Kiyomi snatched the paper out of Shouji's hand. "Sure, Ami! We'd
love to, but..." She turned to Terri, and tears filled her eyes.
"But... Terri's hurt..."
   Terri shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's just a bump on the head.
Really. A little trip like that shouldn't be to bad, right Ami?"
   Ami smiled and nodded. "You need some time outdoors, Terri. Who
knows the next time you three will be assigned a scouting mission?"
   The trio winced, all of them remembering the last mission they had
been assigned, which had ended with them nearly dying when they
decided to chase down a herd of rogue reindeer. Mutant reindeer as it
turned out. They had wrecked one snowmobile, and had to abandon the
other two when they had run out of gas. If another scouting party
hadn't come across them, all three of them might have frozen to
death. When they had returned, Minako hadn't been very happy to learn
about how they had lost the snowmobiles.
   Terri nodded. "Well, I guess it's decided then. We'll take this
mission for you, Ami. We'll leave right away."
   Ami smiled. "Thank you, Terri. I know you won't fail me."


Mercury opened Her eyes and looked at one of Her Priests, who knelt
by the door. "Go to Lady Venus and tell Her to wait for My signal."
   The Priest stood, saluted, and left.
   One of the shadows shifted. "Will I be accompanying You, Lady
Mercury?"
   Mercury frowned slightly. "I suppose you could, so long as you're
not underfoot. I do not like it when people get in My way."
   The shadow inclined its head politely, "Of course not, my Lady.
You will not even know I am there."
   Mercury frowned at the shadow, but refused to let Her mistrust
show on Her face. Instead, She laced Her fingers together and closed
Her eyes again. "Be silent. It's time to set the final part of My
plan into motion."