And they continued their journey through the woods, this time on foot, in a group that was much smaller than the one they had been previously in, always afraid that the Rocketeers might show up again.
Rei and Luna had tried cheering their friend and princess up, but Usagi couldn't help it. She couldn't stop telling herself that she was forced to fight humans, maybe even kill them. And the terror that she had felt when seeing the face of the dead, female Rocketeer was still there.
For about an hour, they were walking through the tall trees, until Misty looked up and stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked. "Let's keep moving."
Misty raised her arm and gestured forward, into the middle of the green forest. "There's something... something over there..."
Ash looked at her in confusion, and Luna looked at Pikachu inquiringly, who shrugged.
"Misty has some minor psychic abilities," he said. "So I wouldn't know what worries her that much. But if it stops her from fleeing from the Rocketeers, I'm starting to get worried, too."
"C'mon, Misty," Ash said again. "Let's go!"
"I... I can't..." she whispered. "Something... is there."
"Yes, and there's something behind us." Ash sounded really impatient now. "A big amount of somethings, and they've got sharp swords and spears."
But Misty didn't even seem to listen. She was shaking like a leaf. Usagi now was worried as well. Whatever could make Misty feel afraid?
She peered through the trees and listened closely. But she saw nothing but the forest, and heard nothing but the wind that was blowing through its branches.
"We have to go," Ash said. "There will be here soon." And when Misty still didn't move, he took her hand and pulled her after him. Reluctantly, the princess of Cerulean followed.
"What do you think?" Rei whispered to Pikachu. "Will we have to fight?"
"I can't really say," Pikachu sighed. "There are many Pokémon living out in the forest that are wild and hostile towards humans, but... I know of no one that should make Misty react like this."
They followed Ash and Misty, and for a while, nothing happened. But then, they reached a big clearing, that was covered in fog. Usagi could see a wide circle of boulders in the fog, and a lone figure standing in its middle.
She gasped, taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of the figure, and looked at Ash and Misty. Misty let out a startled yelp.
"It can't be!" Ash gasped. "It can't be her..."
"It's true, Ash..." Misty whispered. "It is her... Sabrina!"
Rei frowned when she looked at the slim, dark-haired woman that had appeared in the middle of the fog. She didn't look too impressive in her simple, brown robe. But as she and the other Senshi had learned, appearances can be deceiving, and so she stayed on edge.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Who is that?"
"Sabrina..." Pikachu murmured. "They say she is the most powerful psychic in Kanto..."
The woman Ash called Sabrina slowly approached them. She smiled when she saw Sailor Moon and her friends, but when her gaze fell upon Ash and Misty, she frowned.
She walked up to Misty, and a slender arm came out of the depths of her robe. She slightly touched Misty's cheek, and the red-haired girl winced under her touch.
"You are afraid," Sabrina said in a gentle voice. "You two haven't learned anything since we met the last time. You continue to use force to reach your goals." She shook her head. "You carry weapons into this peaceful forest... and they are covered in blood."
"But we were under attack," Usagi spoke up, and regretted it in the moment when Sabrina looked at her.
But the green-haired woman, who somehow reminded Usagi of Setsuna, just smiled. "I know," she said. "But it's not this battle I mean. It was useless, just like all battles, but in the end, maybe there was something good about it."
"I... don't know what you mean," Usagi replied uncertainly.
"It taught you something," Sabrina said. "You might not know it, but it was very important for you. Maybe important for all of Kanto."
Usagi realized with surprise that the psychic knew what happened during the attack of the Rocketeers.
"I know of everything that happens within these woods," Sabrina said and proved that she was able to read Usagi's thoughts.
"Then... you know that we are hunted?" Rei asked.
Sabrina nodded. "Yes, they will be here soon - but don't worry. No one is going to harm you."
Ash wanted to say something, but Sabrina silenced him by raising her hand. "We'll talk later. Right now, there's something I have to do."
She turned around and took a few steps towards the dark forest, where they came from, and waited.
Just a few moments later, riders appeared in the middle of the forest, right on their trail. A big amount of riders, all of them sitting on top of those shaggy pig Pokémon. Their leader was carrying an impressive blade in his hand.
He let out a short yell, and the riders changed their direction. Puzzled, Usagi watched how they did not attack, but instead surrounded the clearing with their Pokémon, forming a wide half circle around them. For some reason, they and their mounts were looking very nervous.
The leader - Usagi now realized that he wasn't sitting upon a pig Pokémon, but instead on a burly Pokémon with pink skin, big ears and needles sticking out of its body.
He looked down at the green-haired woman disdainfully, but Usagi could see that he as well seemed to feel the power that was resting inside of Sabrina, just like Ash and Misty.
"You are bringing weapons to my forest?" Sabrina spoke up. "Who told you to disturb the peace of this place, Giovanni?"
The cold eyes of the warrior were narrowing. "You know my name, woman?" he asked in a harsh voice.
"Yours and those of all your men," Sabrina nodded. "And I also know why you're here."
"Then get out of my way," Giovanni commanded. "We're not here to fight you. We're after the prince and the princess... and after the Senshi."
Usagi winced when she realized that he was talking about her and Rei.
Sabrina raised her hand in a calm gesture. "Sailor Moon and her friends are my guests," she said. "They are under my protection."
Giovanni laughed. "You speak nonsense, woman! How do you plan on stopping me and all of my men?"
"This is a sacred place," Sabrina said sternly. "No one is going to disturb its peace. Not even you. Go! Take your men and leave in peace."
Giovanni looked at her with furious eyes. He then raised his sword and spurred his mount.
Sabrina looked at the spiny Pokémon with a smile. Nervously, it made a few steps, then stood still so abruptly, that Giovanni nearly fell off its back.
Sabrina giggled as she gently touched the muzzle of the Pokémon. "Your Nidorino is much gentler than you, Giovanni."
Giovanni tried again to spur his Nidorino, but the Pokémon didn't obey. Furiously, he jumped from its back and grabbed his weapon with both hands.
"Then I'm gonna make you leave, you fool!" he shouted. "Your tricks won't work on me!"
He raised his sword to strike down the woman, and Usagi gasped in shock, but then the sword disappeared from his hands, and the Rocketeer stumbled forward in surprise. He barely managed to stay on his feet.
With an angry roar, he pulled a heavy dagger out of his belt and threw it at Sabrina. But the powerful psychic simply made a movement with her hands, and the weapon stopped in mid-air, before falling down to the ground.
"What sorcery is this?" Giovanni snarled. "You witch! You're gonna pay for this!"
Sabrina shook her head. "I'm looking in your heart, Giovanni," she said. "And you are not as evil as you want to make me believe. Why do you want to disturb the peace of this forest so badly?"
The tall Rocketeer warrior glared at with hatred. "I'm not afraid of you, witch!"
"You're not supposed to fear me," Sabrina said. "Rather, fear the hatred deep within your heart."
"Get her!" Giovanni ordered his men. "She may be a witch, but we are enough to take her down!"
The riders replied with angry yells and started moving towards the seemingly helpless woman in front of them.
Sabrina put her hand to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. And all of a sudden, a pink creature with a round body and pointed ears dropped out of the trees and jumped in front of her.
"Jigglypuff..." Sabrina simply said, and the pink Pokémon nodded.
And then, it started singing:
"Jiiiig, Jiiiiggelyyyy, Jiglyyypuuuu-huuuu-huuuuuff!"
Usagi blinked, as the soothing voice of the Pokémon made her sleepy. Her eyes were slowly closing, but then she awoke as Ash pinched her arm. Sabrina turned around, smiled and made a short gesture with her hand. And suddenly, Usagi didn't feel sleepy anymore. Sabrina must have protected her and the others from the effects of Jigglypuff's enchanting melody.
But not the Rocketeers. In bewilderment, Usagi watched how one after the other dropped out of their saddles and began to snore. Only Giovanni seemed to be protected by the song.
And then, Jigglypuff stopped singing. Giovanni looked around. Not one of his men was awake anymore.
"Leave!" Sabrina said again. "Leave in peace, while you can. And never bring weapons to this place anymore."
Giovanni stared at the psychic. "Who are you, woman?" he murmured, his voice shaking.
Sabrina smiled. "Perhaps a messenger of peace," she said. "Perhaps just someone who came here to impede disaster."
Giovanni threw her one final glare, then he walked back to his Nidorino and got back onto his saddle.
"I'll be back," he shouted. "Don't you think you can escape from me forever! And you'll pay for Domino's death, just you wait!"
He turned his Pokémon around, and reluctantly, Nidorino complied. One after another, his men woke up and remounted their pigs. And finally, they turned around, and left the clearing.
When they were gone, Misty hesitantly approached Sabrina from behind.
"Th-thank you for helping us," she said. "They might have imprisoned or even killed us, if not for your help. May we leave now?"
"So you can continue to spread anger and violence?" Sabrina frowned.
Misty winced under Sabrina's stern gaze, and for the first time Usagi heard a sharp tone in her voice.
She shook her head. "No, you can't leave just yet. You are tired and hurt, and there is one among you whose wounds are worse than she wants to make her friends believe." She looked at Rei, who just looked at the ground. "Also, I have to speak to the princess of the moon."
"Is that how you keep your promise not to interfere with the kingdoms again?" Misty muttered angrily.
Sabrina made a resolute gesture to silence her, and Jigglypuff looked at the red-haired princess angrily.
"I'll do my best to help you, but it won't do you good as long as you continue to rely on violence and anger," she scolded. "And now, follow me!"
And those last words clearly weren't a plea or request, but an order that not even Misty and Ash were able to object.
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See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Mon, 26 Feb 2007 18:17)
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