[B] The Beginning of an End (Raite & Flora)

[Melodine Cantus]

While she was supposed to be packing up her things in her dorm room, Eve had chosen to avoid it as much as possible by henshining up when the sun set and leaped out of the window in full senshi glory. How many more times she could still do this, she didn't know, and she intended to savor it for as long as it could last. As long as she could convince herself that since she was able to sneak past Crystal Academy security, she would too be able to slip past her parents when she returned home. She would still have time for patrolling when she went to Destiny City University, right?

Super Sailor Flora pursed her lips, and then went about on her normal patrol route; starting with the buildings around Crystal Academy, keeping a sharp eye out as she balanced on the rooftops. Even though the Academy was a prestigious school, it didn't stop the Negaverse from attacking in the area. They just wanted starseeds, and didn't care if they came from beggars or rich men. Cared more about senshi starseeds, yes, but civilians were probably no difference to them; they were just lives they could rip away once they pulled their hands out of their victim's chest.

They liked being brutal as well, she thought, wincing at the memory of the bruises she had gotten; the jellyfish scar still hadn't properly faded yet. She only hoped that they could inflict as many scars on them, to serve as revenge, to serve as a warning.  

[Xaki]

The senshi was right on that aspect. Everybody was the same to Lt. Raite. It wasn't as if he had a particular preference, whether it be the homeless, rich, or the weak. A target was a target, although if they were strong - Seth respected the strong.

Several blocks away from the main streets of Crystal Academy, a young girl was walking home. If Eve was looking carefully, there was a shadow within the dark shadows that moved quickly.

The negaverse varied. Some were brutal, some had mercy, and others fell in between. Although youma couldn't really be accounted for, as they were independed and mindless monsters of the universe. Unless they were assigned beneath a negaverser - those youma seemed to be smarter, faster, or generally better. Raite landed right in front of the crystal school girl, blocking her path. "A..ah.." She stepped back in fear, her gasp filling the air. News of the negaverse and their attacks were at their pivotal point, having steadily increased over the last few weeks. There were very little people that didn't know, including this girl.

Tonfas in both hands, he began to run to the girl, planning to take her starseed in one swift move.  

[Melodine Cantus]

Eve recognized the girl.

She was a junior, a year younger and did not live in the dorms; she knew the girl only because she was in dance class too. Even so, she wondered why she was walking home so late alone. She made a mental note to tell the girl before she left Crystal Academy to be careful and not walk home, especially not without any accompaniment. Flora however, wondered if the Negaverse would still not hesitate at striking at a group of civilians. It wasn't as if it was a group of senshi.

And of course, she realized, when her junior gasped and caught sight of the man dressed in black, the Negaverse had to prey upon her. She cursed under her breath; but well, at least now her junior would be more careful next time? Flora leaped down from the rooftop, landing between the Negaverse lieutenant and his target, spreading her arms out in a defensive gesture. "Oh no you're not!" Then, she hissed to the girl behind her, in case she was frozen in fear, or even worse, thought Flora would be in danger instead like a civilian once did. "Run!"  

[Xaki]

The girl closed her eyes, holding out her arms, expecting to be dead anytime now. Imagine her shock when she wasn't, hesitantly opening her eyes in the pause that followed.Relief flooded into the entire girl's being, she didn't know who Flora was, but she knew that she was a hero. After Flora's hissed command, the girl immediately nodded, after getting over her shock of seeing the two powered beings. She turned around quickly, her bag following after, and turned the other way to get to a safe haven. That left Raite and the senshi by himself.

Raite had stopped his descent merely centimeters away from Flora's face. "Another senshi?" He questioned, a look of annoyance crossing his face. He had been encountering them too much recently. These senshi were really becoming bothersome, inhibiting star-seed collecting.

He noted the girl running away, but Raite didn't care about her. Not enough to pursue her. Rather, the senshi in front of him was what had caught his attention, if only briefly. "Don't get in my way." It was a warning.  

[Melodine Cantus]

Even when you're approaching your death, you fight, Flora thought. You don't embrace it. Not right now. Not when you're young and have so much more to do. True, she had no idea how dying was like, but she looked at Chronos and the Zodiacs and sensed that the experience had changed them. Even as they laughed, there was a shadow behind their eyes that was incomprehensible to her, a loss they all shared that she couldn't discern or understand.

She was pleased to note that this lieutenant seemed, judging by his frustration, to be running into senshi a lot these days. That meant they were doing a better job as a team, right? Hah! Take that, Negaverse!

"Well, only if you tell your head honcho to stop sending out youma that get in my way." Flora huffed in return, placing her hands on her waist, arms akimbo. Seriously, the youma she had been running into these days seemed frightfully dangerous.  

[Xaki]

"You're not the person I take orders from." Raite said with an indifferent frown. Obviously, what did he care for when it came to another person's problems? That was even less then likely when it came to a senshi. Only their queen was allowed to issue the negaverse orders -- and even then, it was already crossing the fine line of Raite's tolerance.

And the warning wasn't for his benefit. It had been the young senshi. She couldn't say that she wasn't warned. Although Raite wasn't one to distinguish between female or male, as long as they were both of his enemies. It didn't matter to him what his opponent was.

With nothing more to say, one leg slid to gain steady footing, the other hand coming towards Flora with one end of the wooden tonfa. He wasn't interested in her conversation or her huffiness. If the youma she was running into seemed dangerous, she would have to be prepared.

 

[Melodine Cantus]

"I know, I know." Flora retorted with a roll of her blue eyes. "Mr whippy purple dreaded sunglasses dude and some self-proclaimed Queen." She had seen Charonite only once when that tree had died, seen the murderous look upon Chronos' face when she faced the man who had once killed her. She didn't know much about Queen Beryl; only from the lips of Chronos. What good was a Queen if she wasn't truly a Queen? At least the Zodiac Princess was a true blue-blood.

It wasn't the time to dwell over comparing sides however, for he was heading her way and even though she tried to dodge, his hand rod weapon (whatever they were called), smacked her unmercifully on the shoulder, and she swore. Another bruise, she thought with a grimace. "You know, sometimes I wonder why the heck you guys choose to listen to Her High and Mighty Queen of the Negaverse and help to kill people." Were all young people recruited in the Negaverse all deranged sociopaths? It was hard to tell when you were walking in the streets among them, hidden by their civilian identity. If she had the ability to tell, she would kick them all in the shins and then smile sweetly as if it was an accident.

She leaped backward, brooch beginning to glow as she prepared her attack, her hands directed towards his face. "Flora Pollen Storm!" She shouted, eyes darting about in an attempt to find some object she could use as a weapon.  

[Xaki]

She didn't know then? Well, that wouldn't be a surprise, as it had only been announced to the negaverse. Charonite, and the queen that Raite knew were gone. What was left was a queen that wouldn't hesitate to kill them once they became useless.

He stepped back as soon as she yelled out her attack, covering his hands with his gloved hands until he could jump out of the radius of the pollen disbursement range. It caused some coughing on his part, and an irritating sense to sneeze, as he had breathed in a few breaths of the pollen before escaping. He had never taken a senshi's attack head on, although other then temporary respiratory damage, Raite assessed that he was dealt no permanent damage.

"You seem to think that we have a choice." Raite commented with a resigned and somewhat bitter smile, although belatedly, to Flora's inquisition. He coughed a bit more into his glove, trying to get the irriating flower pollen from his throat. Killing was of no consequence to him. But.. given a choice, Raite would have never chosen to become part of the negaverse. He wanted to gain strength in his own way, on his own terms. To be given it, and forced to recognize that he didn't have enough power to challenge his position was a feeling that Raite was not familiar with.

"Nevetheless, our goal is still the same," Despite any personal feelings on the matter, Raite knew when to seperate his feelings from the job, and continued with "to eliminate anybody in our path." Our, referred to the negaverse.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"Why not?" Flora asked him bitterly. "It's not like us; we can't choose if we want to be senshi or not." You were just born that way, and no matter how heroic you were or wanted to be, you couldn't just tell the Space Cauldron to make your starseed special. Secretly, she thought some senshi had resented being awakened at first; Flora had been apprehensive when the obligation had been dumped upon her. You couldn't avoid it though, because it was who you were. Of course, she didn't know how the recruitment process worked, but Flora thought you always had a choice in your future, your destiny.

Flora however, thought that our referred to both the senshi and the Negaverse. Civilians classified both under the tag of terrorists anyway, and she couldn't blame them, when they didn't know enough. "Even innocent children?" She asked him. "Even those you love? I always thought being recruited in the Negaverse meant your heart got ripped away anyway." She refused to believe that the situation between Linarite and Castor had been true love. Evil people loved evilly, and would bring pain to those they loved. Was it then, worth it?

"Do you even have anyone you love?" Flora asked him, clenching her fists and watching him warily. "I do. That's why I do this. That's why I protect them and everyone around them. I don't want them to be hurt by monsters, by people like you." Like Linarite, really. She hated Linarite for bringing so much pain to Castor, hated her for even having had possessed a hold over her friend's heart.  

[Xaki]

Raite moved in a swift movement, even faster then Flora had anticipated. However, instead of landing a hit upon her, he was merely eye level with the senshi, his gray eyes staring in mockery. How ignorant of the young senshi. "Do you truly think that we chose to become part of the negaverse? I assure you, some of us are recruited unwilling just as you senshi are. It's not our decision, but our queen's." It was true that many of the negaversers loved their position. Raite wasn't one of those people. "It's either that or instant death." Although Raite wasn't planning to die. He had his own goals in mind.

To any other person but Raite, the apathetic male, those words might have been cruel. Even the negaverse had their own alter personas, humans who loved, had people they loved, and their own precious things that they were fighting for. But it wasn't surprising for Flora to think that way. After all, it was merely human nature to dehumanize your enemy - otherwise, it would be too hard to fight them knowing that they were people, just as you or any other person was. They had hearts. No matter what the senshi thought.

He didn't flinch, or even respond to Flora's question. 'Do you even have anybody you love?' Images of his mother, his uncle, and his friends flickered through his mind. In his own way, he was protecting them. Instead, he merely let out a chuckle at the senshi's heartfelt speech. "Do you have the courage to kill for that goal? The only difference between the negaverse and you is that we will. We all have our own reasons for fighting."

"Who are you to judge?" He lifted his hand, not to fight, but to bring Flora's hand to his chest. His heart was beating, just as hers was. They weren't as different as Flora wanted to think. Instead, you could say that the negaverse and senshi was merely opposite sides of a coin.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"You make yourself sound so great." Flora hissed in return. "Oh yes, if I was approached by someone with an offer to kill people or to be killed, I would definitely be selfish enough to save my own life." Her eyes were still flashing with anger, tinged with slight hesitation. Was he right? What if they were forced into their role just like she had? No! She thought, furious at herself for even listening to his words. "The Zodiacs died before to save their Princess. Even though they knew it was a trap, they had to try, they risked their lives even though there was a slim chance they would make it out alive."

"...You make killing sound so honorable." Her voice was flat when she responded. "I don't think anyone I know would be able to take it if they knew I was helping destroy the city, helping to steal people's lives away." She would be ostracized. How did they live with their conscience, to be able to sit beside their family without feeling guilty? They had hurt her uncle before, and Flora had blamed herself for not being there to protect him. Would she kill a Negaverse agent if she had the chance? Flora didn't think she could do it. She didn't think she could stand having blood in her hands. It was a huge moral dilemma.

She flinched when he grasped her hand and brought it to touch his chest. Who are you, Tarzan? She thought sarcastically, and then realized that if senshi did kill, he probably wouldn't have done that. How was it like, to thrust your hand in someone else's chest and pull out their starseed? She flinched at the thought and pulled her hand away. "So if another Negaverse agent held you girlfriend captive; let's say you have one, what do you do?"  

[Xaki]

"Only the weak die." Raite said seemingly callous, he seemed as if he was tossing away all of the Zodiac's efforts to save their princess. But that was just his bluntness speaking. "Was their princess happy with that sacrifice? Do you think that she wanted her zodiac to die for her?" Raite could live with death on his conscious. But he couldn't live if someone else died because of his weakness. He couldn't respect people who left others behind to deal with the aftermath. It always hurt to be the one left behind - and he had promised that he wouldn't do that to anybody. Hence his desire to become stronger. "You can no longer do anything in death. It's best to stay alive and accomplish what you can do."

He had expected that flat tone. But that guilt trip wouldn't work on him. "It's a good thing that I don't know you then." It might have been a joke, although a bad joke in circumstances such as these from somebody else more light-hearted. However, Raite was saying it in all seriousness. It wasn't that they didn't have consciousnesses. More then likely, their consciousness was probably buried deep, deep inside of them. He picked up his wooden tonfa. Apparently, killing wasn't the way to appeal to him. Raite had already accepted that death was inevitable.

He had already known Flora's answer from the start. That was why he cold do that in the first place. All senshi seemed to deal with that moral conflict, Flora being among them. He didn't deliberate long, if at all, over the hypothetical question. "I'd kill them.'" Raite answered easily, with a straight forwardness that belied that he would do that exact thing without hesitation.

"Just like you Senshi." He hadn't forgotten the point of their meeting, nor their positions. They might have been conversing, but that was only a temporary reprieve for Flora.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"Of course not!" Flora said hotly, quick to jump to her Princess's defense. He was taking her argument a totally different way and she was angry that he reminded her of how sad Chronos was over Eon's sacrifice. He was remembered as a noble prince, but she knew Chronos would rather have him back than anything else... but what if she could choose between Eon and the safety of the world? "So you say they should have left her in Charonite's clutches instead? That is giving up without a fight. That is what sounds weak to me." And if I had been there, she thought, I would have gone too. So would Neso, Carpo and Boreas, she was sure.

Eve Summers was sometimes selfish too, and she thought it was logical to be selfish, to work hard for yourself. But this? This was absolutely ludicrous. Who would hang out with someone like him? She silently agreed; she wouldn't want to know him either.

So even someone from their Negaverse would turn from their side if their loved ones was threatened? Flora wasn't sure that she could believe him, even though she knew he was human. But how could she make herself think that he was human like she was, when he fought on the side of monsters?

"Well," She said grimly, stepping back. "You won't kill me today." She would not leave her Princess' side, not when she needed as much moral support from everyone around her at this time. She and the Seasons, plus the remaining Zodiacs, would be there beside Chronos, at the end when the battle was finally over.  

[Xaki]

He directed a cold stare when Flora spoke of weakness. No, Raite wasn't cowardly enough to ever do that. That was running away. Raite wouldn't run away. "No, I'm not." He agreed with the reason why the zodiacs died. That much he had in common with the senshi. But he didn't agree with their method on how they chose to save their princess. Flora said that she wanted to protect the people that she loved. But how could she? If she was so willing to toss her life? "You're so eager to die for your princess. But how can you protect others when when you're dead? What good are you then?"

He glanced downwards upon her, "Why couldn't they be strong enough to protect their princess, to find another way - without dying?" His gray eyes held no remorse for his words.

At her grim, and resolute declaration, he merely had a confident smirk. "Well, let's see about that." He doubted, but he would see if she would prove a challenge. He held up his tonfa, already knowing Flora's attack. It wouldn't be difficult since the senshi had already revealed all of her cards. Afterwards, he could go home and sleep. He jumped upwards from his spot, intending to hit Flora from the side.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"I'm determined not to die, but I will if it comes to it." Flora lifted her chin in the air, still glaring at him. She didn't think it sounded noble; it was just what she had promised herself long ago. Of course she didn't want to die. Of course she didn't want to throw her life away. But if desperate times called for desperate measures, and if she could change anything... she would.

"Charonite never gave them a chance." She said quietly. Of course, not all of the Zodiacs had died in the battle. Scorpio had gotten away. Pisces hadn't been awakened. She... hadn't been there. She hadn't been there.

It was no time to blame herself, because she didn't want to talk about being caught in ethical dilemmas with the lieutenant anymore. You know, she thought to herself as she attempted so slide out of the way of his attack, senshi (especially those with pathetic attacks like she had) should really start fashioning a sort of weapon these days to fight against scrapes with Negaverse agents. Like how Chronos had her staff. The edge of his tonfa scraped past her and she screamed out her attack once again, determined to hold it longer and focus it on his face without dropping it like she did earlier. He didn't know the full extent of her power; at least her power up was useful because it covered more area and was able to be directed here and there by her.