2nd part of episode #16. Episode #16?! How did THAT happen? Hey... must 
be popular, right? ^_^ Otherwise it wouldn't have gotten this far...

Just in case you got this part first (a constant plague of Looney for my 
two-part eps) look for 1/2. :)

Hino Rei

---


Zeus fired another blast of lightning at Sailor Jupiter. Sailor Mars was 
already down from a lightning strike, not really hurt but having a hard 
time dodging all of them. Tuxedo Mask threw a rose at Zeus, driving 
straight for his chest at blinding speed. For a moment, Zeus didn't 
flinch. Sailor Moon imagined that the rose might actually go through his 
heart, when in a blinding motion, at the last possible moment, Zeus's 
left hand snapped across his body, and as his hand slowly returned to 
his line of sight, it was holding the rose.

Then he crushed it, and let the remnants fall to the ground.

Sailor Mercury helped a good deal with her aqua illusion, blinding Zeus. 
But Zeus had something else in his bag of tricks. His ring was 
completely black now, and he shut his eyes, and seemed to be somewhat 
looking upwards (except his eyes were closed), his fists tight near his 
sides, his fists curled upwards. Invisible lines of force moved through 
the earth, and under the blackened sky and amidst a strange yet chilling 
wind that blew leaves everywhere, the trees began to creak.

Then, they began to move...

Sailor Moon looked around furtively, frightened, and buried herself in 
Tuxedo Mask's chest, his cape wrapping her as the wind blew at his own 
back, as the trees came to life. The Sailor Senshi saw faces in them, 
hideous faces that were not human, and the largest branches became claws 
as the trees began to move closer, surrounding the group.

Zeus wiped some melted snow off his face and paid attention to the 
battle. He was in an appropriately foul mood, but still, he did not lose 
his temper here. What was he to do? Snap young girls in two if he could? 
He was just here to get his knocks in, and make the Senshi feel them.

Sailor Mars got up, and said to the trees, "Hey creeps! Yeah, I'm 
talking to you! You're gonna be nothing but wood chips when I'm done 
with you!!!" She called forth her spiritual powers and threw a scroll to 
excorcise evil against the tree closing in on her side of the group. She 
chanted, "Rin! Piyo! To! Sha! Kai! Jin! Retsu! Sai! Zen!" The scroll 
stuck to the bark of the evil face of the tree, and the face vanished in 
a contorted, twisted exclamation by it, as the force possessing it was 
dispelled. She used two more scrolls and their rear was clear.

Sailor Jupiter launched her sparkling wide pressure and the fourth and 
last tree's largest branch was blown off easily. Sailor Mercury used her 
shabon spray freezing, an old trick she wanted to use now, and the tree 
was completely paralyzed.

Tuxedo Mask, holding Sailor Moon in his arms, said to her, gently, 
underneath the howl of the wind, "You have to take Zeus on. You're 
strong enough, and I'll be here to protect you." Sailor Moon looked up 
at his handsome face, blushing, and said to him, "I'll always be strong 
enough with you around, my love."

She broke away from him, and with a scowl on her face she advanced 
towards Zeus, saying, "Hey, you! I mean the big guy in the green suit 
who goes around using trees to do his dirty work!!" Zeus' face changed 
to a snarl. Sailor Moon said, "For what you did to that sweet woman 
Rita, I won't forgive you! In the name of the Moon," with her patented 
pose, "I'll punish you!"

Zeus raised his right hand into the air and a bolt from the sky crashed 
to earth, melding with his fist, and a thunderbolt formed. He threw it 
with all his strengh at Sailor Moon.

As it approached a rose went forth to meet it. The two powers met, 
crashed together, and the rose had won. Both powers cancelled each other 
out and the bolt was stopped.

Sailor Moon had her scepter out, and was already beginning her attack. 
"Moon.... Sceptre...." Suddenly Tuxedo Mask yelled, "Look out!!" and 
Sailor Moon was shocked as he crashed into her side, knocking her to the 
ground and following her himself, his weight knocking her breath from 
her lungs. The others gasped as right where Sailor Moon had stood, a 
dagger had now implanted itself.

Standing in the frozen tree was Bishoujo Mask, who bent her knees 
somewhat and jumped into the air, far forward, and fell to earth 
quickly, reaching the ground in a crouch, kneeling, her high heel boots 
highly conspicuous, and her hand on her scabbard. She promtly drew a 
shining blade halfway out, yet remained crouched. The other Sailor 
Senshi went into attack postures.

Jupiter: "Hold it right there, Sister."
Mercury: "You have no chance against us."
Mars: "Say goodbye!!"

Bishoujo Mask laughed in a way that sent a chill up their spines.

She rose to her feet and sheathed her blade. She turned to Zeus, and 
said to him loudly over the sound of the wind, "This mission is over and 
has failed. I think the princess worries. Get back to her." Zeus grunted 
and clenched his fist, but then she said with an icy tone, "Now." A bolt 
of lightning struck where Zeus was standing, and after a flash of 
electricity and a crash of thunder, he vanished, and the sky began to 
clear.

The sun shone on them now.

Bishoujo Mask turned to them and said, "Since Zeus was too busy to make 
a proper exit let me do the honors. Sayonara," she said, as she bowed 
formally. Then she raised herself upright, and slammed a flash pellet on 
the ground. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars rushed to the scene while 
Mercury activated her VR Visor. But they were too late, she was long 
gone. Even Mercury couldn't find a trace of her, except for the dagger.

Sailor Moon gathered her breath again, and found Tuxedo Mask placed 
conveniently above her. She asked him softly, "Is it over now?" Tuxedo 
Mask nodded. Sailor Moon asked, "Can't we just stay here like this?", 
smiling, her gloved hands carressing his chest. Mercury said to them in 
a serious voice, "We still have Rita to worry about." Speaking of Rita 
she was groaning and beginning to awaken nearby. Mars noticed that the 
frozen tree was now back to normal as the sunlight melted the ice, and 
the other trees were rooted firmly now, although the area needed some 
serious cleaning up. Well, she was a priestess, not a forester. She had 
enough to take care of with the Temple.

Tuxedo Mask said to Sailor Moon, whose breath he could feel on his face, 
a rather tempting experience, "I should take care of Rita. You've done 
enough. She's my responsibility anyway." Sailor Moon said to him, "It 
wasn't your fault what happened." Tux said to her, "I know, I just want 
to set things right." Sailor Moon nodded, and blew him a kiss. Tuxedo 
Mask blew her a kiss as he rose to his feet. He began walking towards 
the recovering Rita as the other Senshi, Luna, and Artemis (the latter 
two who had been watching the battle as it moved quickly) moved to 
leave, having to almost drag Sailor Moon away.

---

Rita exclaimed, "Oh, Andrew!" as she rushed towards her love and they 
embraced in a very warm and touching scene, at the arcade. Darien was 
smiling as he stood near, glad to see that everything was alright. 
Serena was beside him, her pigtails dangling, her meatballs very 
conspicuous, Darien thought. Serena said, "That's soooo romantic..." 
Darien smiled to himself now. He turned to Serena, and asked, "How about 
a date tomorrow evening?" Serena turned to him, stars in her eyes, 
clutching her hands together, and somewhat leaning in his direction as 
she stared into his face as she said, "Really???" Darien closed his eyes 
and nodded. Serena squealed with delight and hugged him, almost jumping 
into his arms. Darien said, "Let's hope no more demons attack, okay?" 
Serena said, "If they do, I'll get them for you." They looked at each 
other, and, the other girls watching them, soft smiles on their faces as 
they savored the moment, Serena and Darien kissed, too.

---

All except Mina. She was just getting home, and waved at Alex as he sped 
off on his motorcycle. She hopped and skipped back towards her front 
door when Artemis jumped down from the low wall that surrounded the lawn 
of the relatively upper class house to just in front of Mina, a sour 
expression on his face.

He said, "You're late."

Mina stopped dead in her tracks, and though to herself, "Uh, oh..."

Artemis scolded her, "There was a battle with the Dark Kingdom, and I 
couldn't get in touch with you." Mina cursed to herself. Artemis said, 
"I'm disappointed in you." Mina walked towards him, then rushed down to 
her knees and picked up Artemis. She squeezed him tightly, again and 
again, saying, almost crying to him, "I'm sorry Artemis I'm really sorry 
really will you forgive me I'll make it up to you I promise <squeeze> I 
promise <squeeze>" Artemis said, his lungs a bit squeezed themselves, 
"Uh, Mina, hey, wait... MINA!!!" Mina stopped squeezing Artemis and held 
him out at arms lengh, her hands under his front legs, holding him up.

Artemis swatted gently at her nose with a clawless paw, and said, "I 
forgive you," warmly. Mina smiled. She said, "I'm glad." Artemis thought 
to himself better this than suffocate... nah, he'd forgive her anyway. 
He joked about getting a louder beeper for the communicator, and Mina 
pouted. She then warmly said to him, "Okay, I'll see to it that it 
doesn't happen again." Artemis replied, "It's alright, everything worked 
out alright. I'll explain inside."

Mina brought Artemis into her arms and he curled upon them. She asked, 
"Friends?" Artemis purred, "Friends, of course, Mina. What else would 
you expect?" Mina laughed warmly, and they went inside the house 
together.

(The End)