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 Five: Deafening

Too loud, it was much too loud. Karna struggled to breath in air but only found a empty pocket of nothingness. And the noise, too loud, too consuming. It deafened her and so, to hear what was going on, she opened her eyes.

And so, Karna Dume awoke each morning suffering from the deafness that plagued her. Eventually as the day wore on, her hearing bettered but still, it was harder for her to understand most. Which was why she taught herself to read lips.

“Ms. Karna, your parents request your presence,” the young maid said, her face blank.

“I’m on my way,” Karna answered.

It was always like this. Her parents always called her by their servants. There was never a moment of that thing called family life. She was the heir and nothing more.

And when her younger twin brothers were born, she was out of the picture. Not like she cared. Of course, she didn’t care much for anything. It was if she were a hollow pillar and everything merely echoed within her.

She met her parents and saw a new face.

“Karna, this is Arin Galahad. She came here asking if she could talk to you.”

“And you couldn’t just send her to my room?” Karna asked crossly.

“She is a guest, try to be polite, won’t you?” Mr. Dume asked, his voice overly loud. She flinched and resisted the urge to stop the ringing in her ears.

Karna sighed. “Please, Ms. Galahad, follow me..”

The footsteps vibrated in the spacious hallway.

“I’ve never met you so I don’t...” Karna began before turning around completely. Arin was holding out a bracelet, a strange gem symbol glowing. “And what is that? You want me to take it?”

Arin merely waved her hand slightly. Karna stared at it. “Put it down..” She said suddenly.

“Take it from my hand..” Arin’s voice was soft, so soft, and yet, Karna felt pain wrack her ear drums. “Take it..”

And she had no choice. She was COMPELLED to take hold of that forbidden item.

And with it, came the realization of her powers, of the Taurus constellation. But something trailed up from Arin’s hand, swirling over the bracelet. The Taurus symbol was going black.

And fear crawled through her veins. She stuttered and with all of her strength, pulled away hard. She found herself breathing heavily.

“Who... who are you?” She asked thickly.

“I am Libra... I am the leader of the Zodiac.”

“Hah..” Karna woke up from her disturbed sleep. “Nothing but darkness...”

She dressed and exited and as she expected, she saw the young girl waiting in the far front. Arin smiled and waved happily.

“She’s not normal...But then, neither am I.” She walked over to Arin. “So what are our plans for today?”

“I thought we could go to the mall,” Arin suggested, still bright.

And Karna looked into warm eyes, the opposite that haunted her. She knew they shouldn’t hang out together. That sooner or later, whatever balance Arin had would break and Libra would consume her.

And she knew, all too much, that this was why she would not leave Arin be. Arin was a good person at heart but something was wrong. And until it was fixed, Karna suddenly decided that she would never leave the other girl’s side. She just had to be very, very careful.

Very...

And so, they hung out together. Karna did like the other girl, despite her strange and often frightening lapses. Then one day, she found herself in a situation where one was the enemy but then, so was her ally.

The day started normally. She, unlike the past self of when she was still friendless, was doing better. She even got along better with her parents. And she was happy.

“Imagine that... Me, happy?” Karna sprayed her hair into it’s ridge format. She took to this hairstyle only recently. She dreamt of it and thought it was important for her to act upon it.

“But it’s just a dream, nothing more,” She told her reflection firmly. “A dream!”

She was hearing better too. It was as if she was being healed. She had nearly perfect hearing and she felt as if she owed it all to Arin.

“Hi Karna!” Arin called out from the outside as Karna exited. “Are you ready for class?”

“Sure, I guess...” Karna shrugged.

“You know, I think I’ve seen that hairstyle. You look really good in it!” Arin exclaimed.

“You know, don’t you go to college?”

“For English and Calculus but other than that..” Arin shrugged. “I like learning. Gets me out of the house for a long, long time..”

“Don’t you like your home?”

Arin’s face paled. “Oh..it’s great.” She answered halfheartedly.

Karna looked up at the skies, the heavens littered in partial puffy clouds. “Well, as long as you’re happy...”

Arin’s eyes darkened. “Happy.. yes.. I’m... happy.”

Karna looked over before a scream echoed in the front, near the school’s steps. A snake, with three heads, each a primary color and the tail going rainbow, loomed over a group of students who could only scream.

“Come on!” Arin grabbed her and threw her and herself into a alley. “Transform!”

“Libra Celestial Power, Make Up!” Light swarmed on one half of her, forming only half of her fuku before the light wrapped around her and she came out as Sailor Libra.

“Taurus Celestial Power, Make Up!” A ram appeared, made of light and it stamped its feet as it ran in rage. The noise ricocheted around Karna before turning into silence as Sailor Taurus appeared.

She bore her Taurus symbol along her brow. Her ears were studded with yellow rings. Her choker was the same style as the rest but the top was white and the bottom was mahogany. Her collar was mahogany but the edges were double striped in white lines. Her brooch was heart shaped and mahogany, with the same yellow star in its center and three round gems at each low side. Her bodice was scandalous. The top was merely a tear shaped bra (much like the top part of the Starlights Fuku), the straps hanging over her forearms rather than her shoulders. The bottom of the bra was a yellow hard band. The midriff was exposed until the waist which had a slight v yellow band, slenderer though than most waist band.

At its center was a white gem with a yellow center. The skirt was actually two layered but the top was only partial, leaving a wide width at the front view as the skirt wove around her hip, buttocks, back around the other hip. The bottom layer reached her knee on the left side but moved upward to reach halfway down to her knee. Her hands wore mahogany wrist gloves, her fingers exposed. Her shoes were clomps and also mahogany.

Libra pulled out a blade that was narrow but wide, the handle slender and wide with a rounded end. “Let’s go!”

“Al...all right..” Taurus said, trying to feel brave.

“Hey! How dare you attack harmless children! I am the soldier of the constellation of Balance, Sailor Libra! I’m going to tip this war into my favor!”

“I’m the soldier of the constellation of the Ram, Sailor Taurus!”

“And in the name of Earth and the Zodiac, be prepared!”

The snake monster turned around and stared hard at the two senshi. It was still, too still.

“Taurus Tambourines!” Taurus shouted as she readied to attack.

“No...” Libra whispered, her voice nearly gone. “Oh god... NO!” She held her head tightly as she began to scream. “GET HIM OUT GET HIM OUT!!”

Taurus raised her weapons. “Taurus Ringing Stampede!” She shouted as she smashed the two halves into one, the air shaking. She saw the noise from into a herd of ram, striking out at the snake. And then, the noise hit her.

She began to scream and claw her ears in earnest. Pain wracked through her as Libra, now broken free from whatever hold, looked up with a very dangerous glint in her eyes.

“Libra Sword Cut!” She took the blade in her hands and swung only once. All three heads fell of as it turned into nothing but dust.

Taurus was huddled down on the ground, rocking as she sobbed. She felt the touch of Libra and watched the other’s mouth move.

‘Let’s go.’ She read as she staggered to her feet.

And since then, she has never heard anything else. She thought it would be the end, but no, something wonderful happened. She became aware of so much in everything. In movement, in gestures, in faces that she could never see before. Her hearing was gone but something more supernatural took it’s place.

And so, Karna lived by this new natural way, all the while Arin began to become even more confused.

Karna looked slightly behind her, seeing the gathering of the other girls. She felt sorry for them but in order for them to not get involved with Libra, she had to be hateful. At least for now.

“Did you talk to them?” Arin asked quietly.

“Of course but why do we..”

“We are the Zodiac.”

“Then why don’t you do it?” Karna asked darkly. “I don’t know what you’re hiding but it’s proving to be rather distracting. I wonder, is this the real you?”

Arin’s smile faded as her face grew dark. “You should mind your own business. I do things MY way and my way ONLY. You follow MY orders.”

“I never agreed...”

“Oh, but didn’t you want to find out the truth?” Arin smirked. “I could tell you but you need to... earn my trust, if you will.”

“I could just ask the others..”

“They don’t remember anything! Those so-called men in feline bodies can’t invoke them until they can handle their true powers.”

“True powers?”

“Oh yes... we are able to do so much MORE than fight... We could bring such...destruction..”

Karna looked away, worried. “But I thought..”

And then, suddenly, Arin’s face tightened and she collapsed into a huddle. “Oh...” She moaned. She looked up at Karna, scared now.” Wha...what happened?”

And Karna smiled as she knelt down. “It’s okay. You have me here, remember?”

“But I don’t know what’s happening!” Arin whispered. “I keep going to this dead land but I can’t move! I’m in a cage!”

“It’s just a dream,” Arin pulled her up with a sigh. “Head home, okay?”

Karna eventually faced them and tried her best to warn about Libra. But something about the little girl got to her and she fled, seeing the kind eyes that reminded her of someone else that stayed nameless.

And that’s why she reached out to Galena and she realized why Galena felt so important. But the young girl was still struggling with herself and it couldn’t be Karna to help her. Not if she couldn’t even help Arin or herself.

She walked away as Demi ran to her sister. “Take good care of her Gemini. Someday she will learn to take her stand. Until then, stay away from us.”

But the next few days proved to be a very frightening moment of reality. She found herself and Libra attacked again and again and as she struggled to just stay strong, Libra’s eyes turned darker each time she transformed.

“LIBRA!” Taurus shouted as a snake made of wind wrapped around her and actually swallowed her. “No.. I failed.. Libra! Libra! ARIN COME BACK!” She screamed, only to find deafening noise. “No.. I can’t let this be... YOU MONSTER!”

The snake began to turn into nothing.

“I have what I want..” The voice spoke in her head.

“Give her back!”

“She’s now MINE... and if you know any better, you will be mine as well...”

She felt it then, surrounding her, the same blackness as when she first met Arin. “No..”

She raised her weapons and smashed them together but nothing came of it. No attack, no air waves, just complete dead silence.

“Please... Arin, you have to be strong,” Taurus shouted. “I can’t.. I can’t do this alone...”

“But this was your fault..” The voice drawled. “You listened and what you’ve done cannot be undone... You will all return to me once more...”

“No! NO NONONONONONONNONONONO!!!” Taurus screamed before the black clouds suddenly were ripped apart, revealing her alone in the street, in her civilian form.

She staggered a few steps before she gave in to oblivion.

She awoke in a warm bed, a young dark skinned woman with green hair tending to her. “What happened?” She asked thickly.

Setsuna smiled. “You broke the seal.”

“Seal?” She struggled up. “Who are you? Why are you helping me? What are you?”

“I’m human, JUST LIKE YOU...” She said that so carefully.

“Are you a Zodiac?”

“No, I’m a Sol Senshi,” Setsuna answered.

“You...oh dear god, you one of those that took our place.”

Setsuna stilled, her back to Karna. “Yes, I am.”

“But why...”

“You’ll remember soon enough. For now, we must discuss what to do with Libra.”

“She’s my responsibility,” Karna began, trying to stand up but Setsuna pushed her down with a rather light touch.

“You’re weak. You need to gather your strength.”

“Why are you being so nice?” Karna whispered. “In our other lives... weren’t we horrible?”

“No...And yes.”

“That’s not helping!” Karna nearly shouted.

“Taurus..” Setsuna said quietly.

“It’s Karna! Karna! I’m not just Taurus!”

Setsuna gently brushed her hair back, speaking carefully. “Not all of you are whole, or as whole as you. You’re aware of what’s happening. You need to be with the others.”

“I can’t... The Dark Zodiac..”

“But together, you can win..” Setsuna gently said.

“I don’t know...what to do anymore...” Karna said tearfully.

“Then wait for the moment to be revealed.”

And so, she found herself tailing the young Galena. “She’s nice. She sees me...”

Pollux heaved a sigh. “For the last time, Gally. Do something!”

“She’s protecting me.”

“WHY?”

Galena blinked. “She thinks I’m important enough.”

“Well, we all do,” Pollux began.

“But she thinks I’m like...oh, well, the leader, I think.”

Pollux didn’t say anything. He wasn’t even looking at her. And that was what told her that maybe there was truth in what she said.

And he crashed to the floor as she turned and began walking toward Karna.

“Can you hear me?” She asked very loudly.

Karna blinked, her eyes on the other’s face. “How did you know I was deaf?”

“When you talk you watch mouths.”

Karna actually smiled. “You’re smart. The others don’t listen much, now do they?”

“That’s cause they’re not as whole as you.”

Karna’s smile faded. “Oh, you...you’re good. But tell me,” She knelt down. “Do you remember anything?”

“Shards of a crystal...” Galena held her hands into a cup. “One of them... talked to me.”

“You were one of the most spiritual.”

“Why do you remember so much?”

“I don’t know. I think I just needed something to grasp and you all were the only things important to me.”

“What of your family?”

“I was never anything there...” Karna sighed. “It’s a lonely job.”

Pollux waltzed up. “Excuse me, girls but ah, could we start moosing along?”

“Nah...” Galena giggled. “We’re fine! You go ahead!”

Pollux sat at Karna’s feet. His lips moved.

“I...uh, can’t read cat lips,” Karna said finally.

Pollux looked over at Galena. “She’s DEAF?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

Pollux took a double take. “What kind of tone was that? I’m your superior!”

“Funny.. I thought you were my friend,” Galena grabbed Karna’s hand and stormed off with the other.

And Pollux took a deep breath, his heartbeat raging through him. He knew he hurt feelings but damnit, he couldn’t get attached. Not now, not again.

Sadly, even as he told himself that, he was already head over tail with the little warrior.

“No matter the age, no matter the physical difference, she is my only one. I just hope I can regain my former glory before everything goes to hell...” Pollux told himself.

“In love with your warrior?” A familiar white cat jumped down.

“And who are you?” Pollux leaned forward, the scent familiar.

“Artemis, you?”

“Pollux. Where have you been? For that matter, your warriors?”

“Trying to learn about you all. Without memories, you’re virtually lost.”

“The Zodiac have no memories...”

Artemis snorted. “And if you’re anything like Luna or I, you won’t have any memories either.”

“Leave yourself out of it,” Pollux hissed.

“She’s the leader, isn’t she?”

Pollux blinked. “No.”

“I’m not stupid. I’ve worked with leaders all of my lives. I can tell a regal form.”

“She’s a child!”

“But she cannot help others until she helps herself! Awaken her!”

“I tried! Don’t think that! But if I become human...”

“You can become human?” Artemis sat down on his haunches. “Why don’t..”

“Because it would kill me!” Pollux snarled. “When my Cancer was punished, so was I!”

Artemis stared at him. “You really... love her don’t you?”

“Do you know what it’s like, to be in darkness on a dead planet? They all returned from whence they came but there was nothing LEFT. She was the last one to fall and the last one to die...” Pollux gulped. “And then... a blinding light...”

“The Ginzuishou...” Artemis said suddenly. “The light captured all that was in the Sol System.”

“That crystal... why would the Queen salvage us?” Pollux growled.

“Because she forgave you. But the rest of us...” Artemis sat down. “I came to you to talk person to person. I think I understand what’s happening.”

“And your mate?”

“What mate?”

“The hard ass purple feline?” Pollux raised an eyebrow.

“Oh.. ah, yea her... well, she kinda doesn’t know.” Artemis nervously laughed.

“I’m listening.”

Artemis blinked. “Not exactly friendly...”

“So sue me. Now, either you start talking or I walk off..”

Artemis blinked solemnly. “I think...what’s happening now is what happened to your warriors in the past. But it was rumored then that you were a whole as it was.”

“When Serenity first came to this land, this system, the Zodiac were already breaking apart. It was with the decision of the court to separate you from each other. But in doing so, we only made things worse.”

“So it was your fault?”

“Damnit! Let me finish! The reason you began to break was because you have a traitor!”

“What? My Zodiac don’t go against the others! We are one!”

“If you haven’t figured it out, the fuku stands for more than originality! It is the symbol of discontinuity. You are all merely shadows of your true selves! And if that traitor is claimed again, then whatever that enemy was after will finally have it.”

“And just what is he after?” Pollux asked coolly. “Since you know so much?”

“A item... I’ve scoured the books and it said something of a celestial star. But it’s not just one of them, it’s ALL Of them.”

Pollux frowned. “Galena, I heard her talk about a shard talking to her...”

“CAN crystals talk to people?” Artemis blinked. “Maybe it was a extreme dream?”

“No, the shard was another symbol... a link... to where...AUGH! Why do I even bother!” Pollux yelled. “You even know more and you never even been with us! Why can’t I remember anything!!”

Artemis sighed. “I think you need to gather all of your senshi. You’ve only have half.”

“Fine..until then, I’ll just shut off my thoughts,” Pollux turned away.

“For what it’s worth, the Sol Senshi will stand by you.”

“You said that before and failed. Why should I believe you?”

“Because your Galena believes in us.”

And Pollux sighed. “And anything she says, I will obey to the last. I may be a cat but I most certainly don’t have any individuality!!”

Karna slept in the extra bedroom. She had a long talk with Galena and Demi. And she told Demi later about Galena.

“She can’t be the leader! She’s a kid!” Demi shook her head viciously.

“She was made that way. That way we wouldn’t take her serious enough. But look into her eyes and see that strength. She was the one to lead us,” Karna retorted just as viciously.

And Demi sighed. “Then is she the key?”

“No...” Karna’s eyes watered. “It took Libra.. she was already nearly gone but what he’ll do with her...”

Demi looked out of the window, the stars glittering. “They look warm but if we went there...”

“If we went there...” Karna mumbled, just about to fall asleep. Her eyes snapped open.

“Hey, hey!” She stage whispered, poking at Pollux. “I need you to do a favor and don’t bother asking anything, I won’t hear you.”

Pollux grumbled but listened.

Galena slept happily before light erupted from her eyelids. She flinched, trying to go back to the soothing sleep but a voice broke in.

“Gally..Gally can you hear me?” Karna’s voice came in shadowed and jagged. “Remember...You need to remember...about that crystal...We need to know...”

And her voice faded and the darkness again consumed Galena. “The crystal?”

She cupped her hands and could see it’s shadow, feel the phantom warmth. “It’s beautiful... but I’m not ready...”

“All you need to do is remember of it.. It does not mean you have to take it yet..”

Galena looked up and found the stars swimming around her until she was piston down into a familiar setting.

She looked around on the dead world. “Home.. it once was that..”

“Your memories are resurfacing quite rapidly.”

“I need to ask..”

“About the crystal, yes, I know.”

“How did you know?”

The voice laughed softly. Galena frowned. It sounded almost like her.

“Of course I’d sound like you...” The voice said gently.

“Where are you?”

“I’m trapped...”

“On the land?”

“No..”

“Then where?!” Galena growled.

And it formed, in front of her, in a misty form that was female but nothing more. “Where do you think?”

It spoke but it had no mouth, no eyes, no nose. Just a misty illusion that seemed to hover over Galena.

“What is the crystal?” Galena asked quietly.

“It was a symbol...” The spirit wove around the younger girl, her voice soft and tinged in sadness. “What was left of us..”

“But that girl.. I saw her break it.”

“She thought it would be best but by then..”

“So it’s gone?”

“No..” She pointed at Galena’s chest, her finger barely touching. Fire wove through Galena as she grasped her chest in pain. “It lay in you and the others. It has been cleansed by the White Moon but it must be whole...”

“What happens if it’s whole?”

“If in your hands, balance. In another, complete and utter destruction of the stars.”

“But these worlds are dead”
“Oh, they aren’t dead...” The spirit began to fade into nothing, still wrapped around Galena. “They are sleeping, waiting for their human selves to reawaken...”

“You mean us, don’t you?” Galena looked up at the nearly gone spirit. “I know who you are now.”

“Good...”

“I want to set you free..”

“No. You cannot do such a thing.”

“I’m going to, no if and or buts about it,” Galena said simply.
“You’d try to save me? Your human self is weak. All of our human selves were weak! Why do you think we caved in so easily!”

“Because you were lost! If we find each other...”

“We were banished from the others! We may be together but we can never be whole!”

“I’m still going to save you!” Galena called out. “We all deserve to be free and I won’t take this like this! I will FIGHT!”

And around her, the land erupted into energy, life spreading rapidly into the air and around her feet.

“So be it.. My dearest Cancer... Accept this shard..”

The shard, as she touched it, melted into her. “Protect that at all costs. Help the others retrieve their own and when it comes time, we all be whole once more..”

“I won’t give up...” Galena opened her eyes as blinding sunlight hit across her features. Karna slept kneeling on the side of the bed and Pollux lay beside her.

Thing was, he wasn’t a cat anymore. And to top that, he completely nude.

“AUGH!!!!!!”