Chapter 9:The Question of Faith Resolved

Jupiter ran down the halls, barely aware of her surroundings. Her desire for revenge blinded her to everything else at the moment, even reason. She suddenly tripped on a chunk of uneven flooring. She skidded for a distance before stopping, scraping her body in several places.

A pair of hands gently lifted her off the floor, brushing stray hairs away from her face. "Stop for a moment,” Ganymede chided. “If you face Nadomus in your current state, you will be defeated.”

“What do you care, Ganymede?” she yelled, throwing his hands off her. “What is at stake for you?”

“More than you realize, Jupiter,” he said softly. “There is a lot at stake for the both of us.”

“I guess I am to take that on trust or faith,” she spat.

“Take it however you will, Neo-Sailor Jupiter,” he said, anger seeping into his voice. “I am not your enemy here. The real enemy is waiting for you. You know that and you are scared.”

“How dare you suggest that I am scared!” she cried, raising her hand to slap him.

Ganymede saw the motion and grabbed her wrist before she could complete the action. “It’s okay to be scared, Jupiter, but only if you are brave enough to admit to yourself.”

He released her wrist, which dropped limply to her side. Jupiter leaned against a wall, watching Ganymede warily. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself.

“You’re right,” she said softly, looking at the floor. “I am scared.”

He stepped toward her, making her met his eyes. “That’s why he visited you in your dreams, Jupiter. He’s scared of you. He wanted to intimidate you before you had a chance to fight him.”

He inched closer. “He has no power over you, Neo-Sailor Jupiter. Remember that and you will win.” Before she even realized it, he kissed her. “For luck, which you will not need.”

“Will you go with me?” she asked without thinking.

“As far as I can,” he promised.

With renewed strength, she walked down the corridors with Ganymede, prepared to face her enemy.

* * * * *

“This is the antechamber,” Jupiter explained. “The larger room beyond is where I meet Nadomus in my dreams.”

“It must have been beautiful,” Ganymede murmured, glancing at the remains of the room’s furnishings. “The people must have been prosperous here. It’s so sad that it was destroyed. So many lives gone forever.”

“You’ll soon join them,” Nadomus stated, suddenly appearing before the pair. He eyed Ganymede with contempt. “I really hadn’t expected your friend to survive, Leda. I must have underestimated him.”

“You have underestimated about a lot of things, Nadomus,” Ganymede said, his voice cold with challenge.

“Maybe,” Nadomus conceded, “but such mistakes are easily remedied.”

Ganymede tensed for the attack. However the circle of light surrounded Jupiter. She screamed as pain coursed through her body.

Ganymede ran to the circle, using his weight to throw Jupiter out of light. He became trapped in the light. Soon pain was enveloping everything.

Jupiter looked up and was horrified to see Ganymede in her place in the circle. She jumped to her feet. “Jupiter Thunder Crash!”

Nadomus barely dodged the attack. The circle of light vanished and Ganymede fell to the floor. Jupiter rushed to his side.

“Enough of this,” Nadomus growled.

Ganymede saw Nadomus make a gesture toward them. Instinctively, Ganymede placed himself in front of Jupiter, taking most of the blast. The force of the attack knocked the two into a wall and they fell to the floor.

Jupiter recovered first. She found Ganymede sprawled on his stomach. His mask was a few feet away. “Paul, are you okay?”

The question startled the both of them. He turned to her, reaching for his mask and not finding it. He tried to smile.

“It is you,” she said in disbelief. “I should have known, because of your eyes. No one has your eyes.”

“I am sorry that you had to find out this way,” he said.

“It’s okay,” she said, smiling. “I’m glad it was you.”

“I do hate to break up this happy little reunion, but there is still some unfinished business. Let’s remove the interloper.”

Nadomus threw an energy ball, which grew in size as it approached Paul. Paul cried out in pain as he became encased with the ball, black flashes of light burning various parts of his body.

“Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!”

The unexpected attack hit Nadomus in the shoulder, burning him. He threw another ball of energy, which she dodged. Clutching his injured shoulder, he disappeared.

The ball around Paul disappeared. With a groan, he collapsed to the floor. She knelt besides him. ‘Like I had with her sisters,’ she realized sadly. Burns covered so much of his body that she was afraid to touch him.

“Don’t cry, Leda,” he whispered hoarsely, calling attention to her unnoticed tears. “Not over me.”

“I will cry over whoever I want to, Paul Rodan,” she stated between sobs. He smiled, laughing weakly. “Besides, if I shouldn’t cry over you, who should I cry for?”

“I am sorry about everything,” he said, ignoring the question. “I just wanted to help you and your sisters.”

“You have. You saved us several times. We wouldn’t have made this far without you.”

“You are so very beautiful,” he told her, brushing a lock of her hair from her cheek. He closed his eyes, the hand falling limply to his body.

“Paul, wake up! You are not getting away from me so easily!” She shook him gently for a minute before he opened his eyes again. “I love you, Paul. You have to know that.”

“I have always loved you, Leda.” He smiled at her even more weakly this time. Then, he pressed one of his stars into her hand. “And I always will,” he whispered and then slipped into unconsciousness.

“Rest, Ganymede,” she whispered.

She rose, turning to face the entrance of the main chamber. Nadomus was waiting for her, she thought. She looked at Ganymede’s star where it rested in the palm of her gloved hand. The words of a new transformation came to her mind.

“Jupiter Moon Crystal Power!”

Sailor Jupiter Moon appeared where Neo-Sailor Jupiter had stood. Her uniform was like Sailor Leda except there were smaller pink bows on top of the navy ones. Her tiara had a large center green stone with smaller blue stones.

Her gray eyes stared steadily into the awaiting room. “I am ready, Nadomus. Let the battle begin.”


The Question of Faith Resolved Jupiter ran down the halls, barely aware of her surroundings. Her desire for revenge blinded her to everything else at the moment, even reason. She suddenly tripped on a chunk of uneven flooring. She skidded for a distance before stopping, scraping her body in several places. A pair of hands gently lifted her off the floor, brushing stray hairs away from her face. "Stop for a moment,” Ganymede chided. “If you face Nadomus in your current state, you will be defeated.” “What do you care, Ganymede?” she yelled, throwing his hands off her. “What is at stake for you?” “More than you realize, Jupiter,” he said softly. “There is a lot at stake for the both of us.” “I guess I am to take that on trust or faith,” she spat. “Take it however you will, Neo-Sailor Jupiter,” he said, anger seeping into his voice. “I am not your enemy here. The real enemy is waiting for you. You know that and you are scared.” “How dare you suggest that I am scared!” she cried, raising her hand to slap him. Ganymede saw the motion and grabbed her wrist before she could complete the action. “It’s okay to be scared, Jupiter, but only if you are brave enough to admit to yourself.” He released her wrist, which dropped limply to her side. Jupiter leaned against a wall, watching Ganymede warily. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. “You’re right,” she said softly, looking at the floor. “I am scared.” He stepped toward her, making her met his eyes. “That’s why he visited you in your dreams, Jupiter. He’s scared of you. He wanted to intimidate you before you had a chance to fight him.” He inched closer. “He has no power over you, Neo-Sailor Jupiter. Remember that and you will win.” Before she even realized it, he kissed her. “For luck, which you will not need.” “Will you go with me?” she asked without thinking. “As far as I can,” he promised. With renewed strength, she walked down the corridors with Ganymede, prepared to face her enemy. * * * * * “This is the antechamber,” Jupiter explained. “The larger room beyond is where I meet Nadomus in my dreams.” “It must have been beautiful,” Ganymede murmured, glancing at the remains of the room’s furnishings. “The people must have been prosperous here. It’s so sad that it was destroyed. So many lives gone forever.” “You’ll soon join them,” Nadomus stated, suddenly appearing before the pair. He eyed Ganymede with contempt. “I really hadn’t expected your friend to survive, Leda. I must have underestimated him.” “You have underestimated about a lot of things, Nadomus,” Ganymede said, his voice cold with challenge. “Maybe,” Nadomus conceded, “but such mistakes are easily remedied.” Ganymede tensed for the attack. However the circle of light surrounded Jupiter. She screamed as pain coursed through her body. Ganymede ran to the circle, using his weight to throw Jupiter out of light. He became trapped in the light. Soon pain was enveloping everything. Jupiter looked up and was horrified to see Ganymede in her place in the circle. She jumped to her feet. “Jupiter Thunder Crash!” Nadomus barely dodged the attack. The circle of light vanished and Ganymede fell to the floor. Jupiter rushed to his side. “Enough of this,” Nadomus growled. Ganymede saw Nadomus make a gesture toward them. Instinctively, Ganymede placed himself in front of Jupiter, taking most of the blast. The force of the attack knocked the two into a wall and they fell to the floor. Jupiter recovered first. She found Ganymede sprawled on his stomach. His mask was a few feet away. “Paul, are you okay?” The question startled the both of them. He turned to her, reaching for his mask and not finding it. He tried to smile. “It is you,” she said in disbelief. “I should have known, because of your eyes. No one has your eyes.” “I am sorry that you had to find out this way,” he said. “It’s okay,” she said, smiling. “I’m glad it was you.” “I do hate to break up this happy little reunion, but there is still some unfinished business. Let’s remove the interloper.” Nadomus threw an energy ball, which grew in size as it approached Paul. Paul cried out in pain as he became encased with the ball, black flashes of light burning various parts of his body. “Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!” The unexpected attack hit Nadomus in the shoulder, burning him. He threw another ball of energy, which she dodged. Clutching his injured shoulder, he disappeared. The ball around Paul disappeared. With a groan, he collapsed to the floor. She knelt besides him. ‘Like I had with her sisters,’ she realized sadly. Burns covered so much of his body that she was afraid to touch him. “Don’t cry, Leda,” he whispered hoarsely, calling attention to her unnoticed tears. “Not over me.” “I will cry over whoever I want to, Paul Rodan,” she stated between sobs. He smiled, laughing weakly. “Besides, if I shouldn’t cry over you, who should I cry for?” “I am sorry about everything,” he said, ignoring the question. “I just wanted to help you and your sisters.” “You have. You saved us several times. We wouldn’t have made this far without you.” “You are so very beautiful,” he told her, brushing a lock of her hair from her cheek. He closed his eyes, the hand falling limply to his body. “Paul, wake up! You are not getting away from me so easily!” She shook him gently for a minute before he opened his eyes again. “I love you, Paul. You have to know that.” “I have always loved you, Leda.” He smiled at her even more weakly this time. Then, he pressed one of his stars into her hand. “And I always will,” he whispered and then slipped into unconsciousness. “Rest, Ganymede,” she whispered. She rose, turning to face the entrance of the main chamber. Nadomus was waiting for her, she thought. She looked at Ganymede’s star where it rested in the palm of her gloved hand. The words of a new transformation came to her mind. “Jupiter Moon Crystal Power!” Sailor Jupiter Moon appeared where Neo-Sailor Jupiter had stood. Her uniform was like Sailor Leda except there were smaller pink bows on top of the navy ones. Her tiara had a large center green stone with smaller blue stones. Her gray eyes stared steadily into the awaiting room. “I am ready, Nadomus. Let the battle begin.”


Chapter 10: The Final Confrontation Jupiter's Gone