Chapter 13 - Camilla's Last Word

"Wake up, Daniel-san," Eleanor's fervent whisper broke through his dreams, compelling him to obey. "Wake up!"

He opened his eyes and sat straight up in bed, with none of the usual fogginess that came with waking up. In fact, he was more clear headed than he could remember being for a long time.

But something wasn't right. For the oddest reason, his dreams had not been troubled shadows beyond his reach. They too, were startlingly clear, but they were very, very wrong. Isabel was dead, he'd spent too long growing accustomed to the fact to change his mind now.

"Who is that?" he asked Eleanor, referring to the figure at the Earth princess's side. She wore a magenta and royal blue fuku like the woman with the whip and her companion he'd seen on the Moon.

"An ally," Eleanor said, he usual cheery demeanor replaced by a stern implacable quality that reminded him of her mother when she'd fought against him. "You must go with her."

"Where?" he asked, unnerved by the change in Eleanor.

"To Isabel's grave," Eleanor replied.

"No, Camilla Chiaramonte," the strange senshi replied in a voice like ice.

"Who are you?" Daniel asked, this time to the stranger.

"I am the soul hunter, Sailorcocoon. The time for convenient lies is over."

****

Miaka was looking over some paperwork Adair had sent in. Her daughter had dropped by the neighboring territory of the Goshintai, and from her report, it didn't seem likely that they'd join the Prismatic Empire. If anything, they were a possible threat.

"Bloody hell," Miaka said, startled as Isabel appeared in her office. "It's been ages since I've seen you."

"I think that's the first time you've ever been surprised in your life," Isabel said, taking a seat.

"Second, but let's just keep that to ourselves," Miaka replied, winking. "So, what's brought you back after all these years?"

"I'm looking for someone," Isabel said, the playfulness in her voice replaced with a cool rage Miaka had never seen in Isabel. "And you're very good at finding people that don't want to be found." Her silvery eyes went steely, flashing their old light green for a moment. "How is Donovan doing, by the way?"

"Well enough," Miaka said, glad to see Isabel's rage contained once more. "I was wondering why you never came to check up on him. You promised you would when he was born"

"I did, didn't I?" Isabel said, angry once more. There was another reason to find Galaxia and demand an explanation. She'd no right to use the Silver Crystal to wipe her memories. She was no Nova to leave her sworn duty.

****

"I thought you were taking me to Camilla's grave," Daniel said as Cocoon teleported them to the Crystal Tokyo Cemetery. Before them stood the marble statue he knew all to well, an image of Isabel during better days, a silver arrow in her outstretched hand. "This is Isabel's."

"The woman you knew as Isabel Trovão still walks the paths of the living," Cocoon replied in the superior tone that was driving Daniel up the wall more and more each time she spoke. "You know this now, for the effects of the Silver Crystal upon your mind have been broken, for its true heir wields it again."

"She's dead," Daniel said, "It was just a dream..."

"Dreams have kept you pacified, for even though the Golden Lady took up the Second Treasure against your and the Silver Lady's memories, she could not forget you, nor you her. She lived on in your dreams, which the daughters of Elysion tended to keep you placated. Only the fruit of your love did both of you forget."

"Silver Lady... those are the words in a prophecy Isabel was trying to crack before she died," Daniel said, more to himself than for Cocoon's benefit.

"I know that it took you years to accept the death of your beloved, and that those years will have you believe that the body that lies entombed before us is that of the woman Isabel Trovão. I will give you sure proof to the contrary."

"Why should I believe you?" Daniel said as Sailorcocoon knelt down and took a handful of dirt from the grave.

"The spirits of the dead do not lie as mortal men do," Cocoon said, throwing the dirt over the grave. As it left her hands, it turned into a fine magenta dust, seeping deep into the earth. "Rise up, shadow of life that once was," she whispered.

"I will not," a sullen voice echoed from the ground. Daniel shivered in recognition.

"The Soul Hunter commands you," Cocoon said, never raising her implacable voice.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, a butterfly rose up from the grave. It was white, but it seemed to be on fire.

"Behold, the soul of Camilla Chiaramonte," Sailorcocoon said. "Shadow of life that once was, I have called you by your true name. Show me your true form!"

With an angry flicker, the white butterfly blazed once, and Daniel swore he could feel the heat of it against his skin. The butterfly turned into a white mist, which whirled abut before finally settling into a form he knew all too well.

"I was the Lady Virgo of the planet Star, Camilla Chiaramonte, Neo Sailorvirgo, and the second Neo Sailorsummerstar, the Usurper of the Flame," the misty shadow of Camilla said, glowering at Cocoon before turning to Daniel. "Surprised, Danny darling?"

"How?" he stammered.

"Isabel killed me, but then she had to run off with this lady with a golden sword that looks like your toy did before you broke it. She had Hitomi change my rather gorgeous body into hers to deceive you all," she said. "Sorry about the mix-up!" with a superior little smirk, the white form disappeared.

Daniel stood silent for a moment, taking everything in, when he heard the sound of wings behind him. He turned to face the brown Pegasus. "Why, Eleanor?" he asked, and she could hear his heart breaking all over again.

"There's more you should know," Eleanor replied, not bothering to apologize. She turned to Sailorcocoon. "Are you done with him now?"

****

"Eleanor!" Electra said, nearly jumping to her feet. Shizuki's new form had astonished her enough, seeing her daughter flying in with Daniel on her back only compounded things. She was getting too old for shocks like this. "Couldn't you have taken care of him on Venus?"

"I've been taken care of long enough," he said testily, hopping off the brown pegasus's back. He was about to continue when he noticed Tabbach Sailortsuki. "You're back from the dead too, then." he added, slightly shaken.

"Neither of us was ever dead," she replied. "I know you're upset,"

"Upset doesn't even begin to explain things," he fumed, glaring at Eleanor and Electra.

"But it had to be done," Tsuki replied before he could really get into his ranting. "Do you think Isabel would do anything to hurt you on purpose? If anything, your separation has hurt her more, because she's always known you're alive but can't do anything about it."

"I hadn't thought of that," he said almost sheepishly. "But still, I think I deserve an explanation. Which of my dreams have been real, and which have Eleanor have just put into my head to pacify me?"