DISCLAIMERS All Zodiac senshi and Zodiac cats, including families and acquaintances are copyrighted 2005 - 2006 Wild Nature. All BSSM characters, story, and all other relations to the story is copyrighted 1993 - 2006 Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fanfic and thus is NOT a part of the canon storyline but BASED upon both the anime and manga versions (mainly manga).

Chapter Three: Trust

"I told you they couldn't be trusted!" Castor stated evenly.

Demi sighed. "I guess I have no choice but to believe that."

"Well, anyways, not like we were meant to fight together," Pollux answered, his eyes watching Galena as she chased something. "She's been doing that for nearly an hour! You'd think she'd get tired by now."

"Oy! She's a kid, what do you expect?"

"So what are you going to do with your mom?" Castor asked finally.

"I don't know. What do you tell her about cats that can talk?"

"The truth. It IS what she wants," Pollux stretched. "I don't think Mr. Helen is aware though."

"He's barely home," Demi absently scratched Castor's head, behind the ears like he liked. "I don't know what to do anymore. I can't even sleep..."

"Why? You're not afraid of the dark, are ya?" Pollux moved to the front, eyeing Castor with a fixed stare.

"It's not just that.. It was never like that but ever since I awoken as Gemini.." Demi trailed off.

"Fears of the past.." Pollux said quietly, to no one in particular. "Return to haunt those who have lay in suffering..."

"Pollux?" Demi frowned. "What did you ..?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Castor said hurriedly. "Your dad's coming over!"

"Oh, hi dad!" Demi forced a smile.

"Your mother.. Have you two done something? She's rather agitated.." Mr. Helen sighed. "She's even talking about those cats, trying to HINT as something.."

"Ah..." Demi slouched over. "I think we should talk about secrets.. Gally! Come on! We're going inside!"

Mr. Helen watched as his two daughters went in and he frowned and shrugged as he soon followed, the cats at his heels.

"Well..ah...Mom, Dad... You know that I found Castor and Galena found Pollux but ah..."

"There's a reason!" Galena piped up.

"Uh huh?" Her parents echoed.

"Um, yea...Well, see, they can talk."

There was silence.

"Guys?" Demi asked pointedly.

The two cats sat in silence, looking at each other.

"C-a-s-t-o-r..."

"I think maybe you've been overstressed, honey," Mr. Helen began. "Too much work, eh?" He tried to smile jokingly.

"Castor.." Demi hissed as she slammed her foot on his tail.

"DEMI!" Her parents shouted.

"OWOWOWOWOWOW!" Castor ran around, howling angrily. "YOU LITTLE TWIT! I'm gonna slash your eyes out!"

"Well, if you had said SOMETHING," Demi retorted.

"OH DEAR GOD! They DO speak!" Mr. Helen eyes widened into saucers before he slumped forward.

"SEE? See!" Castor growled. "That's what would happen! I knew it would!"

"I'm so going to KILL you!" She took off after Castor as Galena struggled to help Mrs. Helen with Mr. Helen.

"Come on, Daddy! Wakie wakie!" Galena cooed helplessly as Mrs. Helen waved her hand in front of her husband's face.

"I be tryin' all day to get something right..." Yale grumbled. "And now I finally managed to quit!"

She thought of her parents, conformists that hated 'fags' almost as much as they hated their only daughter's tomboyish ways. "I'd never get to tell them..."

"Yale!" A familiar blonde appeared, followed by two older girls. "Remember me?"

Yale noted the red bow. "Ain't ya Minako or somethun'?"

"Yep, that's me! And this is Haruka and Michiru. We were doing some sightseeing..."

"Uh huh? Don't reckon that there's a lot to see in this meager town."

"Well, what about a club?"

Yale was quiet. "The only club I know of is of the Dual Nature one and you DON'T wanna go there unless you're like me."

"Like you how?" Minako tilted her head, confused.

"Like ya two girlfriends there," Yale nodded in the general direction of the two.

"Excuse me but..." Haruka began.

"Oh, that's right! You all are senshi right? Nice of you to ditch us. If it weren't for Leo, we would've been dead. But not like you care now, right?" She smiled but it was drained of friendliness.

"We're sorry.." Minako began.

"Oh stuff it, blondie! I've seen people like you all the time. You say you accept us, you wanna help but ya sure show your true colors when we're in trouble. You'd rather see us DEAD now don't you!"

"NO!"

"Stop it!" Michiru snapped. "We were merely trying to let you stand on your own! We would've helped if you really needed it!"

But Yale's frown deepened. "No, pretty one, you ain't tellin' the truth. All cause of that cat and that tall dark girl, huh? Something about us being traitors? Murderers? Doesn't matter that maybe we paid for our crimes, no? Oh I see that you wanna be true but you keep getting consumed by rage. You think we ain't angry at ourselves? NOW DO YOU!"

Yale blinked, finally aware that she was crying. "You don't know what it's like to transform into this.. this thing. Like it used to be me but it's COLD. It'd dark and empty and no matter how close your allies are, you can't ever reach them."

She wiped her face. "Blubbering like a baby! God, I'm a freak! I don't want anything to do with YOU people. You talk big but you hate us just like that Luna. I guess.." She turned around, speaking softer now. "That we will never be absolved for whatever dark thing we've done..."

Demi had taken a walk, her nerves shot. She had momentary flashes of that orange clad senshi, Sailor Leo.

"Why didn't she stay?" Demi wondered. She fiddled with her bracelet. "It's strange.. One look at this and I knew, I knew I was Sailor Gemini. There was no questioning, no doubt. I just doubt only that our mission...something will go wrong.."

"It is highly probable."

The voice was soft, gentle. "Hello, Gemini." The girl was almost slight, with light brown skin and red eyes.

'Those red eyes...' "Sailor...Leo?"

"Hai, that is me," She smiled as she bowed slightly. "I am Seikano Tategami."

Demi noted the dark brown hair, cut unevenly into layers with heart shaped bangs, also uneven. "You're... Japanese?"

"Only half. My father is African American."

"Really?" Demi exclaimed, awed. "So did you grow up in Japan?"

"Only until I was ten. I noted you have yet to introduce yourself," Tategami commented idly.

"Oh..I'm Demi Helen."

"Your sister...?"

"Galena.. She likes to be called Gally...Say, uh, why didn't you stay?"

"I never actually planned on fighting. I don't care for it, really," She looked away. "But it was either let my allies be hurt or let me be seen."

"But ...we're a team."

"You know that's not true."

"You, you.. do you have memories?" Demi whispered.

"Only the feeling of shame in that despicable form," She held up her hands, staring at them. "I don't understand it but it's a great hindrance, this form."

"I know what you mean..." Demi smiled. "You know, you wanna meet Yale? She's.."

"Sailor Capricorn, yes, I have gotten a glance of her. And sure, I would love to meet her."

They began to walk together. "So, how did you find your bracelet?"

"At the zoo.."

"Really?"

"Uh huh...I was watching the lions. They're my favorite animals and I saw it shining at me...It was attached to the bars of the high barrier and I had to really jump to get it. But once I even touched it..."

She held her hand open, revealing the silver chain with the sign of Leo as a gem glittering at the two girls. "I knew who I was and I saw.."

"Saw what?" Demi stopped.

"I... can't really remember. But it was so many shadows, so many voices...We were all crying..." Tategami sighed. "I knew then that whatever life I had before, it was not such a kind one."

Gally opened the door to see Usagi and the other inners, excluding Minako, waiting. "Hi! Are you here for something?" Galena asked brightly. She opened the screen door and hopped out. "I can help you if you want!"

"Oh, well, is Demi home?" Rei asked quietly.

Galena frowned. "But...I'm like you too...Don't you wanna talk to me?"

"Oh well..We want to talk to you AND Demi," Makoto hurriedly stated.

Galena's eyes began to mist. "You're LYING! You don't want to do anything with me...Just like Polly! Just cause I'm little doesn't mean I'm not a Zodiac! You go away!"

"Gally!" Demi nearly shouted. "But you know," She said snidely. "You should leave."

"We wanted to apologize about..."

"Apologize? APOLOGIZE! As if! You go and tell us," She stabbed her finger at Usagi. "That you and your pretty followers want to help us but when we get into massive trouble, you run off to let us get killed! Why should I accept that!"

"It wasn't my idea!" Usagi began.

"Then you had that power to ignore everyone else and do what YOU wanted! But you didn't which says you agree with whoever's idea it was!"

"You are from Japan?" Tategami asked suddenly, in perfect Japanese. Usagi blinked.

"I remember hearing about you. Sailor Moon, right?" Tategami smiled. "You are honorable but if you let your friends distract what is in your heart, than perhaps you are of no help to the Zodiac."

"Ah...English please?" Demi asked finally.

"I was merely suggesting something," Tategami bowed slightly to Usagi. "Is, who was it? Yale, around?"

"Here she comes..." Yale stomped past them before doing a quick one hundred eighty to glare at full strength at the other girls. "I just had a nice talk to ya others so why don't you go on off," She waved her hands, shooing them. "And talk to them, eh? We ain't got to get help from liars!"

"Please..." Usagi peered around to Demi. "We truly are sorry. If you would just..."

"No!" Demi said coldly.

"You heard her!" Castor replied.

"But!" Usagi pleaded.

"NO!" Castor and Demi shouted.

"STOP IT!" Galena shouted. "You are all being STUPID!"

Galena wiped her face, crying so hard that her body shook. But it wasn't sadness. "I don't care what we did in our past! We are reborn! We are the Zodiac! And we will fight for good and justice! You can't judge us for something we surely suffered for, can you?" She looked up at Usagi. "You...you're the only one who's heart is so big.. that you can forgive us, our kind. Why is it that your soldiers are so centered on themselves and the past that you can't see us for who we are now!" Galena fell to her knees, sobbing. "I beg of you! As human beings, can't you look at us without hatred, anger? Do you know how much it hurts..." She choked on her sobs, trying to speak, her voice jagged. "That we are scorned already?"

"Galena..." Demi whispered.

She stood up, still shaking but this time, she held her head up. "I don't remember what we did. Someone must of gotten rid those memories for this new life of ours but what of your own? Do they remember so that they would still hate us in this life?"

Usagi's head had moved down, hiding her face but she looked up, tears becoming like waterfalls as she checked back a sob.

"Usagi?" Rei began to ask.

"I don't know why but your pain... I can feel it. That's why I can't hate you...why I won't! You are still suffering and I just want... I just wanted to stop it..." She covered her face.

"Why should we listen to you?" Tategami said finally. "Is it because you cry for the young one? Or are you truly sincere?"

"SHE IS!" Galena shouted. "Usagi..." She reached out and pulled the other's hand to her own two hands, grasping it. "I'm sorry, I made you cry. I don't think I'm a good warrior if I make you cry..."

"No, no!" Usagi fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her. "You are a good person, a good warrior. Don't be sad because I cried!"

Demi watched listlessly. "I don't know what to believe in..."

There was a scream from the side. Mrs. Helen, with her purse forgotten and spilled out, pushed back at the large snake. it was completely black and it had a huge, HUGE rattler.

"What do we have here?" It drawled, it's spiked tongue lashing out for tasting. "Fear...My, my...fressssh blood..."

Demi and Galena ran to their mother. "Gally, get Mom inside!"

"But..."

"GO!"

"Momma..." Galena pulled her inside as her mother looked back worriedly.

"You dare to attack my OWN mother? Shame on you! Gemini Celestial Power, Make Up!"

"Capricorn Celestial Power, Make Up!"

"Leo Celestial Power, Make Up!" Tategami created a fiery lion as it ran to burn into her, light swimming out to die out, revealing her in her fuku.

It was different as expected by now. Her sign of Leo was upon her forehead. She had dangling three toed paw earrings. Her choker, still crisscrossing, had a tan top and orange bottom. Her collar was orange but the edge was outlined in a fluffy fur of tan. The orange bodice stopped across her chest, above her breasts. Wrapping around her front, shoulders, and back, at the very top of the bodice was also a fluffy fur lineage. Her waistband was merely two strips of tan. Her skirt was normal but orange, also edged in tan fur. Her gloves, without armbands, was all orange and ended a few inches from her elbow. her boots went to her ankles and were also orange. They hand no design on them whatsoever.

And of course, her heart shaped brooch was orange with a yellow gem and three round gems at each lower side.

"I am the Zodiac senshi of the constellation of the Twins, Sailor Gemini!"

"I am the Zodiac senshi of the constellation of the Goat, Sailor Capricorn!"

"I am the Zodiac senshi of the constellation of the Lion, Sailor Leo!"

"Wait for me!" Sailor Cancer ran out of the house. "I am...(pant pant) the Zodiac senshi of the (gasp) constellation of the Crab, Sailor...aye...Cancer."

"You know, you didn't need to rush," Gemini said mildly.

"I'm a Zodiac too!" Cancer answered stubbornly.

"Anyways! In the name of the Earth and the Zodiac, we will defeat you!" They all shouted, not quite at the same time as Cancer heaved.

"Cancer?"

"I'm so tired.." Cancer fell down to her knees. "I don't know why..."

"Eassssy prey..." The snake wove out quickly.

"Capricorn Energetic Punch!" She ran full speed at the snake monster, kicking it hard to the middle of the street. She then bent down and picked up Galena as she had again untransformed. "I'll take care of the tike. You get rid of that bloody thing!"

"Leo! Ready?" Gemini called out.

"Hai!"

Gemini glanced at her for a lone moment.

"Oh! I mean, ready!"

"Let's go!" They took off at the snake as it threw itself at them.

"Gemini Dual Winds!"

"Leo Claw Slash!" Now seen more clearly, she actually grew elongated nails, even with the gloves!

They attacked as one and smoke of course sprouted as the thing was tossed back even more.

"Did we finish it?"

"Watch out!" Sailor Mercury shouted.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars attacked and turned the snake into fire.

But it would not be outdone.

"How dare you attack fellow senshi! In the name of the Moon, I am..."

"Sailor Mercury!"

"Sailor Mars!"

"Sailor Jupiter!"

"Sailor Venus!"

"Sailor Uranus!"

"Sailor Neptune!"

"Sailor Moon! You're punished!"

The snake merely raised it's rattler and shook it, hard. It cause vibrations that curbed the fire into death and the others grasped at their ears.

"AUGH!" Gemini bent over in pain. "Capr...Capricorn..."

"Capricorn Call of the Horn!" Capricorn, from the porch, blew hard into the Capricorn Horn. She managed to nullify the most but she also returned some of the vibrations. The snake curled into a tight coil, hissing in pain.

"I will not be defeated! My massster!"

Energy seemed to blaze down at the snake and it grew a third bigger. But the rattler grew twice as big and each time it hit the earth, the area shook.

"Oh shit..." Capricorn swore.

"Gemini!" Castor came up. "Your weapon!"

"I have a weapon? Where?"

"You must summon it!"

"I must... well.." Gemini frowned. "I don't know how!"

"Please, Gemini! Call it!"

"I CAN'T!" She found her hands clenching in a strange fashion, as if she held something but yet...

"Gemini Dual Blade!"

A weapon, similar to a simplified scythe only with two nearly straight blades, one on each end, formed at her grasping hands.

"Now attack together again!" Castor ordered.

"Capricorn Energetic Punch!"

"Leo Claw Slash!"

"Gemini Space Airstreams!"

The attacks, now doubled because of Gemini's weapon, surged and turned the beast into litter.

"Wow..." Sailor Jupiter frowned. "They didn't have that power before.."

"DEMI!" Capricorn caught the blacked out girl. She snored, heavily as Capricorn giggled. "Musta been a trying attack for her."

"It was indeed great but it seems to be too much as well.." Leo commented.

"What're ya talkin' about?" Yale, untransformed now, glared up. "We gotta fight, now don't we? So we need some good attacking!"

"Innocent people could have been hurt!"

"Do you SEE any innocents? Save of that Gally, I don' think so!" Yale bit out.

"Here, let me get her," Makoto gently picked Demi up, still caught in a endless sleep.

"It's cold... Where am I? Can't you hear me?" Demi felt as if she was watching something. It was so close but the figure, she couldn't make out. She felt the emotions though, sadness, pain, loneliness and worst, something that was only caused by endless suffering. "Please...forgive us! We were led wrong! But must we live like scum of our existence? Is there no one willing to save us?"

"It sounds almost like Galena.." Demi told herself.

"Who's there!"

"You can hear me?" Demi called out. "I...I can't see you!"

"Leave this place! This is a dead land only for I! You mustn't stay!"

"But I want to help you!"

"We failed in this life...Please, right our wrongs. We carry our pain in ways that will destroy us. My fellow comrades... my senshi... We are lost now.."

"No! NO! We aren't! We're still here! HERE!" Demi screamed but the figure's shadow turned away and melted into a scene of death earth. Nothing but ground. Not even a grain of sand. It was just... a hard rock now.

"This.. I know this place.." She landed on it, feeling it underneath her feet. She realized she was in her senshi fuku. "Where am I?"

The area began to spin into another setting, that of a lush scenery, full of life. She heard voices, happy noises of cheer and goodness. And yet...there was a cold in the air.

"We lost everything, didn't we? Why can't you let me remember!" Demi screamed as the scene returned to the dead. "Please! Set us free!"

"You who are the stars.. you have failed in your past but this one, given to you by someone so dreaming, so foolish, gave you this life."

The voice was male and dangerously familiar. "I know you... don't I?"

"Heh heh heh... Foolish Gemini, you will turn once more on your people... You will become bloodthirsty murderers.."

"NO!" She covered her ears but still, his voice dripped in.

"Led by the gracious soldier...She was the key to your fall.. Once I find her, I will have her tell me where the celestial Heavenly Crystal is..."

"We are the Zodiac! We will defeat you!"

And lo, from the far distance, a voice not unlike hers echoed, "We will defeat you! Defeat you! Defeat you!"

And as that single line echoed into nothing, Demi watched the dead land pull away into the stars, unrecognizable. But still, she knew that place, in her heart. She just no longer wished to say it anymore...

Castor peered down at Demi as she slept. It was nearly night now. "She won't be able to sleep DURING the night at this rate.."

He thought for a moment, and reaching a decision, positioned himself ever so carefully. He knelt down, his butt raised in the air as he took a single deep breath and perfectly pounced on Demi's stomach.

"OOOF!" Demi jerked awake, groaning in pain as it spread out to her limbs. "What was that for?"

"You were going to wake up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep. Let's go for a walk."

"A WALK?" Demi threw off her bedcovers. "YOU WOKE ME UP FOR A WALK! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"I was just trying to heelllpp!" Castor went skidding down the hallway and down the stairs.

Demi nearly fell down them as she accidentally tripped on a step and she grasped the banister, panting.

"Kill the cat, kill the cat, kill the cat.." Demi grunted as she dove to the back door. She saw the swinging kitty door and grinned like a manic. "I'm gonna get you Castor!" She howled as she flung the door open and ran out, the screen door smashing into its post.

The sun was still giving enough light as she took off after Castor but as time wore on, she finally lost sight of him. And now, the sun was completely gone, the sky completely dark.

"The moon..." She looked up worriedly. "It must be a new moon...but it's...so dark.." She whispered that last word and she wrapped her arms around her, suddenly cold. It was as if she was back in that dead land..

"Ca.. Castor?" She called out weakly. "Castor! Please.. I.. I'm so cold.."

She felt as if she was being sucked into a black hole. "I don't like.. like the dark... Ca.. Castor, don't leave me..."

"You'd think I'd leave you?"

Her head snapped up. "Castor?"

"I was that once... I don't know what I am anymore...I'm still lost.. My Gemini, I'm sorry the night frightens you..."

The voice sounded just like Castor but this tone, of gentleness, of something she could not place, rang through clear. "I can't get home..."

"Gemini...My Gemini..."

"Gemini..." Demi's head snapped up. "Castor?"

"Demi! You crazy nut job! What are you doing on the cold ground?"

"AUGH! I can't believe I thought you were NICE!" She turned and saw the porch light shining. She didn't realize she was so close. In fact, how was that so?

She stomped off, suddenly tired. She still felt some strain but her heart...It hurt the most, didn't it?

Castor quietly sat on the cold ground and sighed heavily. He, too, was tired, quite visible. "That took too much of me. To have to hide this... It only gets worse. And then I go and go from worst to extreme, I nearly gave myself away."

"I'll say. Since WHEN can you do THAT?" Pollux spoke from the shadows, his voice deadly cold. "Tell me, brother, what do YOU remember?"

"Enough to know to try to FORGET."

"You liar! You still love her! We promised.."

"I KNOW WHAT WE PROMISED!" Castor's tail tucked underneath him as he began to shake. "These forms, why did we take THESE!"

"It was better for us.." Pollux said evenly.

"Don't you love Cancer?" Castor whispered thickly.

"I did. But our Zodiacs are not the same anymore..." Pollux looked away.

"I see I'm not the only liar," Castor quipped cruelly.

Pollux flushed, despite the fur. His eyes glinted. "We do this for our Zodiac...We cannot bring back emotions that should've died."

"But we can't stop them, can we?"

Pollux and Castor stared at each other. "They are different now but it means little to me. If I could shed this feline and return to myself, I would but we are as lost as them. Just like we wanted."

"Just like we wanted..." Pollux echoed listlessly. "We would do anything..."

"Anything..."

Castor and Pollux began to move toward the house. "Someday, do you think..."

"That we can tell them? Maybe...Although with Gally, it might be like, what, ten, twenty years?"

"When you go to sleep, I'm clawing your eyes out."

"Whatever..."