Title: SX3: Dark Sailor
Rating: PG
Sailor X #3 Dark Sailor By: John Brengman
Scaramanga looked over the desolate landscape of the Negaverse from a
spot atop the Ghora Cliffs. The bulk of the Negaverse�what little there
was left, could be seen from this vantage point. Everything below the
cliffs was shrouded in a sullen darkness, as if waiting for some evil
force to return and reclaim the glory that the Negaverse had been.
No overpowering force of evil had returned to claim the Negaverse
after the downfall of Queen Beryl, and the Tree of Life�s attempt to
revive the evil dimension had failed almost before it began. The
shadowy Doom Tree now lurked in the mists of the Negaverse far to the
north of the Ghora Cliffs.
The Black Moon hung in the sky to the east, a silent witness to
the ravages below. Shards of darkforce energy showered the battered
city below like meteors, leveling whatever they hit.
The forsaken people who called the Negaverse home were in a
pathetic state. They lived below ground, the only place safe from the
darkforce that rained from the sky. They had been used as soldiers in
the conquering armies of Queen Beryl, or as energy sources for evils
that fed on lifeforce. Now, with Beryl and
Her minions gone, they were useless in a dimension gone mad.
�Why do you insist on looking at this hideousness?� A voice
inquired from the darkness.
�It reminds me of what was,� Scaramanga replied. �It reminds me of
where I came from, and if I am not careful, where I may end up.�
A woman clad in a black and gray version of a Sailor uniform
approached Scaramanga�s side and looked out over the blasted remains of
the city.
�I doubt you�d ever allow yourself to fall the way the peons here
have fallen,� she said. �Your pride would kill you first.�
�You�re probably right,� Scaramanga stated. �I didn�t work my way
up from Beryl�s army just to become another forgotten soul in this
waste land.�
�I hope you didn�t summon me for this dose of cheeriness,� Dark
Sailor said dryly.
�No, I asked you here because I thought you would be interested in
my new, and if I do say so myself, brilliant plan to steal much-needed
energy from Earth and get rid of the Sailor Scouts once and for all.�
�Two birds with one stone, hmm�sounds interesting,� Dark Sailor
said. �Fill me in.�
Scaramanga nodded and continued. �Humans have a knack for
stumbling blindly upon important universal truths. Many of these appear
in their cultural literature. One such universal truth is �The star
that shines the shortest, shines the brightest.��
�I don�t understand,� Dark Sailor said.
�What matters is that I do,� Scaramanga replied impatiently. �in
any event, look at the human lifespan. When they are young, humans have
so much energy that most of it is wasted in frivolity. As they get
older, humans lose vital energy until they grow old, run out of energy,
and die. Thus, the universal truth: �The star that shines the shortest
shines the brightest.��
�Keep going,� Dark Sailor said. �This is beginning to sound
interesting.�
�I called you here because of your abilities and weapons. They are
perfectly suited for this mission. We will steal children from Earth.
This will draw the Sailors to the Negaverse, where we will attack and
destroy them. At the moment of their death, you will drain their
energy.� Scaramanga smiled. �Even if we fail to eliminate the Sailors,
we will still have the children to drain.�
�Sounds like a plan,� Dark Sailor remarked wryly.
�Before we begin,� the elder villain said, �I need to obtain my
powers.� Scaramanga raised his hands in the air and shouted �DARKFORCE
POWER! Give me the power to destroy my enemies!� A hail of lightning
bolts descended upon Scaramanga who endured the arcing waves of energy
in silence. The bolts then splashed to a spot in front in front of him
and quickly coalesced into the form of another villain.
�Ah!� Dark Sailor said when she saw the outline. �Mimic. This
should prove entertaining.� Scaramanga stepped forward and let the
outline envelop him. Once he was done merging with the energy outline,
Scaramanga turned to Dark Sailor and clenched his fist triumphantly.
�It�s time to get some kids!�
==> * SM * <==
Ginza Field,
in Tokyo�s Ginza District 4:02 PM
�It�s the bottom of the second inning as the hometown Tokyo Ryoken
come to bat,� an announcer squawked over the small radio Raye had
propped in the seat next to her. Surrounding it, and watching the
action on the field below was Cass, Rachel, Mina, and Victoria. The
Luna Foundation always sent someone
to the home games of the baseball team that they owned, but this was
one of the largest contingents that
had attended a game in recent months.
The reason the five women attended the game was simple. The group
had taken quite a beating at the hands of Hellfire a few weeks ago, and
Queen Serenity had noticed that the group�s morale was sagging. Luna
had told the group, both active sailors and reserves that the queen did
not want to have to order them to find something fun to do, so a group
of the girls had become regular visitors to Ginza Field.
�First up to the plate for the Tokyo Ryoken,� the radio announcer
said, �shortstop Adam Miller!� After two pitches, Miller belted a curve
ball, sending it shooting out into left field for a base hit.
�How can you watch this? Raye asked quietly so as not to offend
the fans near her.
�I think it�s interesting!� Cass replied, her eyes glued to the
action as the next batter took position in the batters� box.
�You just like the men,� Mina scolded with a wink.
�I do NOT!� Cass yelled.
�Will you guys keep it down?� Rachel asked. �I�m trying to watch
this.�
�What does our yelling have to do with whether you can see the
game?� Raye asked, but any further comment was stifled by a glare from
Rachel, who then turned her attention back to the game with a low
growl. Victoria just sat through this argument and watched everything.
She then sat back in her seat, made sure her long, braided black hair
was neatly settled over her right shoulder, its tip laying on her
chest. Every so often, Mina would hand her the bag of popcorn and try
to include her�but it was hard since Victoria was almost a carbon copy
of her introverted mentor. She had the additional crucible of muteness
to bear, and she carried out her role as Sailor Saturn with a grim
efficiency that made the others shudder.
By the time things had quieted down, the Ryoken had two men on
base, two outs, and the fifth batter was at the plate. Mariko Katsuragi
squared to bunt at the first pitch, then suddenly drew back and swung
hard at the incoming shot from the opposing pitcher. With a CRACK,
Katsuragi sent the baseball high into the air. The ball soared out of
the area of play and into the crowd. With a thud, it ricocheted off the
cement steps near Raye, who ducked just in time to avoid being hit. The
ball flew into Mina�s lap, showering her and Victoria with popcorn.
Mina then stood up and dumped the rest of the popcorn on Rachel as she
held up the ball and bowed to the nearby spectators.
�Admit it Raye,� Cass said during all the commotion, �you like
baseball.�
�Perhaps,� Raye murmured, hoping that her answer got lost ion the
roar of the crowd as Katsuragi slammed a ball out of the park.
==> * SM * <==
Downtown Tokyo,
near the Imperial Palace 4:10 PM
Bus 49 proceeded along a major boulevard in central Tokyo, heading
home from a picnic outing. The bus was filled with children who were
acting as though it were eight in the morning. Only their seat belts
kept them from playing in the aisle. The teacher sat in the front seat
behind the driver and waited for the school to come into view around
the next corner�.which would not happen for some time. Molly sat in the
mid-section of the ship looking as if she were about to be engulfed in
a tidal wave of kids. At the back of the bus, Jordan Winston sat in the
only area that was relatively calm�the eye in the hurricane of
kindergarten youngsters. Seated next to her was Karyn Anderson, nearly
the very essence of calmness.
While Molly attempted to play rock-scissors-paper with about five
kids, Jordan and Karyn talked about various things�at least Jordan
tried to.
�So, Karyn,� he said, �you�re good in school?�
�Yes,� the girl replied, her deep-blue eyes looking at the teenage
boy. �Not as good as mom, though.�
�Do you want to be as good as mom?� Jordan asked. He wasn�t
expecting the answer he got.
�No,� Karyn replied simply. �I�m good at playing and ball and
stuff�mom�s good at other things.�
It was at about this point that a dark-clothed figure appeared at
the front of the bus. The figure turned and waved her hand over the
steering wheel as the driver tried ineffectively to get her to go away.
The woman grabbed the driver�s shoulder and a dark aura quickly
surrounded him. He moaned tiredly as his lifeforce was drained away.
Seeing the demise of the bus driver, the children attempted to get
as far away as they could, nearly trampling Molly, who was on her way
forward with a grim look on her face. Jordan looked around helplessly
as Karyn scanned the situation calmly.
�Stay out of my way and no one gets hurt!� Dark Sailor yelled as
she waved her hand over the steering wheel again. The bus started to
lift away from the ground.
�What do you think you�re doing?� Molly demanded.
�I�m warning you,� Dark Sailor said sternly. �Stay out of my way!�
This didn�t deter Molly, who advanced upon the villain and grabbed
her arm. The steering wheel continued to move by itself as if the bus
were driving through the air. Dark Sailor grabbed her axe from her back
with her left hand and bashed Molly with the flat of the weapon. She
went down in a heap at the bottom of the stairs across from the
driver�s seat. Grinning wickedly, Dark Sailor opened the doors of the
bus and Molly flew out. She grabbed the metal bar attached to the door
at the last moment to prevent herself from falling to her death. It did
not prevent her from letting out a terrified scream which rippled
through the children as they saw what happened.
Karyn saw Molly fly out of the bus and tossed her book onto the
seat. Since most of the kids were standing on their seats to get a
better view, Karyn made her way to the front of the bus quickly by
crawling under the seats.
Dark Sailor�s attention was focused on Molly and she did not see
the little girl approaching the front of the bus. Her axe whirled again
and the metal attachment between the door lever and the door itself was
shattered. Molly screamed again as she nearly slipped from her hold on
what remained of the metal connecting rod.
When she reached the stairway, Karyn tightly grasped the metal
railing on the other side of the stairs from the door mechanism and
descended toward the shattered door. The little girl reached the base
of the stairs and yelled out, �Molly!� as she reached out to her
friend.
�Karyn!� Molly screamed. �Get back, it�s too dangerous!�
�I know,� Karyn replied, tightening her grip on the railing. �Grab
my hand!�
�I can�t reach! Get back before you fall!�
�No!� Karyn shouted. �I don�t want you to fall!�
At that point, a gust of wind caught the door and pushed it toward
the bus. Molly grabbed Karyn�s hand and pulled herself back aboard the
bus.
Molly glared at the villain, who had watched the whole rescue with
a dispassionate gaze. �What now?�
Dark Sailor growled, �Get back with the others and leave me
alone�or I�ll bash you again!� The two girls obediently headed toward
the back half of the bus, where the rest of the kids had gathered along
with their adult protectors. All of them were now prisoners.
==> * SM * <==
Crystal Palace 6:35 PM
The royal court had just finished dinner and returned to the
throne room to commence what had become known as �the evening hour�
which was when various guests of the court could petition for aid of
some sort or another. Although the Moon Kingdom was not recognized by
any government on Earth, the Luna Foundation secretly contributed to
charitable interests across the globe. In return for permission for
secret access to the Luna Foundations rather vast resources and a visit
to the court to petition the queen or princesses directly, the
Foundation was given certain privileges or authority in some things in
which its interests were at stake.
Although Neo-Queen Serenity realized that all of this was
necessary for the continuation of the work the Luna Foundation was
doing, she still hated all of the groveling and posturing that went
along with it. Presently, she was listening to an environmental group
who wanted the Luna Foundation to step in to prevent further drilling
for oil in northern Alaska. Part of the process was that the person
making the petition defend his or her position before the queen�against
another member of the royal court�and the environmentalist had the
misfortune of having to square off against Princess Pluto.
The argument went something along the lines of:
�Enough damage has been done to this region of the world,� the
environmentalist stated. �This has to stop and stop now!�
�First off,� Pluto replied, �you discount the recuperative powers
of Nature. Nature has repaired all sorts of damage caused by people,
and it will continue to do so. Secondly, you come here asking for our
support,
yet you give us no reason to believe that the Foundation�s involvement
will remain a secret.�
Serenity decided she�d heard enough and stopped the proceeding
with a slight wave of her hand. �We�ll contact you when we�ve made a
decision. Princess,� she nodded toward Pluto, �please show our guest to
his ship, then return.� With that, Serenity arose from the throne and
approached Mina, Raye, and the others who had just returned from Tokyo.
�Well,� she said, feigning delight. She REALLY hated this part of the
royal schedule. �How was the game?�
�It was fun!� Cass said, bringing a smile to Rachel�s face. �I had
a blast!�
Raye yawned.
�So who won?� Serenity asked.
Rachel�s smile widened. �Our team!�
�Although you could barely concentrate on the game with the way
these two were yammering,� Raye said, pointing at Cass and Mina.
Victoria stood back as far as she could while remaining a part of the
group. Being in public, even while in the castle, was not comfortable
for her.
�Cass was gawking at the guys,� Mina said with mock sternness.
Cass turned to Mina with shock on her face. �I was NOT!�
Mina continued, �I saw you! Your tongue was practically on the
floor.�
Cass growled menacingly.
�Please children,� Sandra said as she joined the gathering. That
phrase seemed to lighten everyone�s mood, coming as it did from a
teenager, and directed toward at least one adult.
�See what I mean?� Raye asked.
The conversation was interrupted by a commotion outside the doors
of the throne room. The doors burst open and a distraught Amy entered
the room. The door person approached her, as was his duty when someone
enters the throne room without the royal announcer or the queen. The
princesses, of course were an exception, but anyone would attempt to
stop a person, even a princess from entering the throne room and making
a scene there.
�Princess,� the doorman murmured nervously, �perhaps it would be
better�� Amy looked at him with a look that could freeze Hell. �Don�t
try to stop me,� she growled.
Not knowing Amy�s intent, and only seeing her obvious distress,
the doorman continued to attempt to fulfill his duties. �Madam, I must
insist��
�Randall,� Sandra said as she approached. �It�s OK. I�ll escort
her.� Randall was about to protest, but a raised eyebrow from Sandra
dared him to press the issue with a princess who obviously was not
distraught.
Once the two women had joined the group, Sandra looked at her
mother. �I don�t think the people should see a princess in this state.�
�You�re right,� Serenity replied quickly. �In fact, have all but
our personnel removed from the grounds. If they protest, tell them that
whatever they came to petition about can afford to wait.� Sandra
relayed this order to Randall and returned. As the people filed out of
the throne room, Raye approached Amy and hugged her. Once Randall
closed the throne room doors, the group turned to Amy.
�What is the matter?� Serenity asked.
Amy gathered herself up from Raye�s shoulder which she had been
leaning on and said with a voice quavering with fear and anger, �The
Negaverse has kidnapped my daughter!� Amid the gasps of disbelief,
Serenity turned and walked back to her throne. Once she was seated, the
others joined her again, sitting themselves in a circle on the carpeted
floor on the low stairs in front of the throne.
�How could this happen?� Serenity asked.
�The school bus she was riding never made it to the school from
their outing today,� Amy replied steadily regaining her composure.
�And you�re sure it was the Negaverse?� Sandra asked.
�Yes. Greg and I retraced the route the bus was supposed to take.
We found traces of Negaverse energy all over an area of downtown where
people said they saw the bus simply float into the sky.�
�How strong were the readings?� Mina inquired.
�Off the scale,� Amy stated. �My computer stopped reading them
after a short bit.�
�Nothing like leaving a really BIG bread crumb,� Rachel stated
bluntly. �They�re leading us on�and they know we�ll fall for it.�
�And we will fall for it,� Raye said, �because we have no choice
but to try to rescue the children.�
�Yes,� Serenity replied. �I agree.�
�Good!� Amy said, standing, �I�ll get the rest of the Sailors.�
�Excuse me,� Sandra said quietly. �That�s my job.�
�What?� Amy said, confused. �What about Lita and the others?�
�You forget,� Sandra stated, �you and the rest of the princesses
are no longer active Sailors. You are
a reserve that we call on if we need to, not before.�
�But I want to help,� Amy protested. �I must help my daughter!�
�And you have,� Sandra replied slowly with emphasis on each word.
�I mean no disrespect, but let us do our jobs.�
�Amy,� Raye said, �we selected them to be our successors as
Sailors. If we jump into everything that comes along ourselves, then
why did we bother giving the power to the new Sailors?�
Seeing she was outnumbered, Amy turned to Serenity for support. It
was not there.
�I agree with Sandra and Raye,� she said. �The Sailors will go to
the Negaverse and rescue the children.� Turning to Amy and Raye, she
continued. �You and Raye, gather the other princesses and be ready to
go to the Negaverse if the Scouts should need you.� The women gathered
before Serenity nodded their agreement and started about the task of
preparing to go.
Serenity approached Sandra before she left the throne room.
�Sandra, could you have Vanessa see me before you leave.�
The queen�s daughter looked at her mother. �We�ll be ready in ten
minutes.�
�I won�t take long,� the queen replied.
Turning back to the throne, Serenity again approached Amy. Placing
her hands on the princess� shoulders, she gazed comfortingly into her
eyes. �Don�t worry, Amy. We�ll get Karyn back.�
==> * SM * <==
The Ghora Cliffs,
in the Negaverse The Young Sailors
�So,� Mars quipped, looking around nervously, �where is the
welcoming committee?�
�Like if ya knock really nice they�ll come out and ask ya to fry
em,� Mercury remarked.
�Cut the chatter,� Sailor Moon ordered. �We don�t have time.� She
walked forward to gaze from the cliff at the desolation beyond. The
only buildings remaining standing besides the huge castle that Beryl
inhabited seemed to be other castles erected in other areas of the
Negaverse. Aside from the castles and a bizarre church-like building,
which had been damaged but not destroyed, the picture in front of the
Sailors looked like something out of an old war movie.
�How did this happen?� Sailor Uranus asked.
�Evil usually turns upon itself when defeat is near.� Pluto
replied. �This was no doubt the result of the death of Queen Beryl.
With no new evil stepping in to fill the power vacuum, the Negaverse
has torn itself apart.�
A silence fell over the group and the only sound that could be
heard was a hollow wind as it rustled by them. In the distance to the
north, a darkforce shower pounded the area near a castle far to the
northeast. �I wonder who lived there,� Mars said quietly.
�That would be the castle belonging to Lord Malachite.� Turning to
Mars, Pluto said, �You really should try harder in history. Castle
Malahrand is prominent in the history of the Negaverse.�
The darkforce shower continued and grew worse. A huge piece of
darkforce energy slammed into the area south of Malahrand, pulverizing
an area the size of a city block.
�My god�� Sailor Moon murmured aloud.
�You are standing amidst the ruins,� Scaramanga said from behind
them, �of a place that God has forsaken. If He were ever here at all.�
The master villain nodded a silent greeting to the other Sailors, all
of whom had turned at the sound of his voice.
�Welcome to the Negaverse,� Scaramanga said. �I hope you enjoy
your stay, because you will be staying for a long while.�
Sailor Moon stepped forward and calmly said: �I�m going to tell
you this only once. Return the children you stole, and do it now.�
�Oh?� The master villain replied, �and if I don�t?�
�Then I intend to see that you don�t walk away from this encounter
alive.�
�I�m afraid it won�t be that easy, Sailor Moon,� Scaramanga
replied. �You�re in the Negaverse now, and your threats mean nothing
here, but I do thank you for trying. Anyway, now to the business of
your deaths�ZAI!� A stream of darkforce bolts swarmed from the villain.
The Sailors easily dodged the negative energy as the bulk of it
assaulted the ground in front of them. It proved to be reason enough
for some of the Scouts to retaliate, however.
�VENUS CRESCENT BEAM�.BLAST!� was quickly followed by: �MERCURY
SHARD!, MARS FIRE�.IGNITE!, DEEP SUBMERGE! and MOON TIARA MAGIC!�
Scaramanga took the brunt of most of these attacks, batting away
the tiara and the ice shard, and absorbing the force of the crescent
beam, primal fire, and water funnel. He had been brought to one knee by
the attacks, and when they subsided, his head was bowed as if in
defeat.
Sailor Moon stepped forward and angrily said, �I don�t like having
to repeat myself! Return the children!�
Scaramanga looked up with an evil gleam in his eye. �You are in
for a rude surprise, Sailor Moon.� He stood up, somehow looking non the
worse for wear after absorbing some of the best attacks that the
Sailors could throw at him. He held out a hand and said: �DARKFORCE
TIARA MAGIC!� A black replica of Sailor Moon�s tiara appeared in his
hand, its green gemstone gleaming hideously. Scaramanga threw the tiara
at Sailor Mars with a flourish. The evil tiara screeched through the
air and only Mars� timely dodge prevented her demise. Instead the tiara
slammed into her right shoulder, pitching her roughly to the ground.
�Dark Sailor! Where are you?� Scaramanga yelled.
The Dark Sailor appeared at the villain�s side. Instead of her
black and gray sailor uniform, she was wearing a full suit of body
armor. �I was waiting until you needed me.�
�I need you now,� Scaramanga replied. �Attack the Sailors!�
With a nod, Dark Sailor turned to the heroic women. �Get a load of
this!� She shouted as she threw globs of darkforce energy at Sailors
Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The darkforce hit the ground near its
targets and exploded into a sticky mess, entangling the Sailors. The
evil force then started to drain the Sailors of their energy.
�SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE� echoed hauntingly through Sailor Moon�s
mind as Sailor Saturn called forth her weapon. With a sinister whisper,
a six-foot tall glaive with a thin, black handle appeared in her hands.
�You challenge me?� Dark Sailor said with astonishment.
Brandishing her axe, she approached the silent warrior. �Fine! I�ll cut
ya to ribbons!� She raised her axe and brought it down in a fierce arc,
which Saturn deflected with the glaive. The axe thudded to the ground
with a loud clang.
�You were lucky!� Dark Sailor roared as she pulled her axe out of
the ground, �but not this time!� She swung her axe horizontally,
forcing Saturn to retreat. With a yell, Dark Sailor raised her axe and
brought it down toward Sailor Saturn again. Grasping her glaive with
both hands, Saturn quickly raised its handle to meet the attack. The
handle of the glaive, which looked like it would snap in two under this
assault, instead held off the attack without so much as a scratch. The
two combatants seemed to realize they were equally
matched, and neither wanted to stop long enough to launch another
attack. So, Dark Sailor kept pressing her axe into the handle of
Saturn�s glaive, and Saturn kept pushing the glaive up to meet the
attack.
Meanwhile, the other Sailors had grouped around Sailor Moon, who
had been knocked out by a DARKFORCE SHARD attack. Mars stepped forward.
�I�m taking you down!� She growled.
�Oh really,� came the villain�s reply, �this should be
interesting.� Mars rushed toward Scaramanga and threw a left hook at
him. The villain took the blow and grinned. �I hope you can do better
than that.�
�How�s this?� Mars shouted as she slammed a upper-cut into his
jaw. .Scaramanga staggered back out of range of the angry Sailor.
�THAT�S IT!� He roared. �DARKFORCE FIRE IGNITE!� A ball of swirling
darkforce energy appeared in Scaramanga�s hand and he hurled it at
Mars. The chaotic energy cascaded around both her and Sailor Pluto, who
had rushed forward to assist. Both women struggled to remain standing
under the onslaught.
�There�s more where that came from,� Scaramanga stated flatly.
�DARKFORCE CRESCENT BEAM!�
The beam crashed into the two women, who collapsed.
�That�s enough!� Sailor Venus shouted angrily. �VENUS LOVE CHAIN
ENCIRCLE!� This attack however was met with �DARKFORCE DEEP SUBMERGE!�
and was extinguished. Venus herself was drowned into unconsciousness by
the blast.
With a roar, Sailor Mercury rushed toward Scaramanga. She threw a
punch at him and missed. �I grow tired of this,� he growled as he drew
his left hand forward. With a yell, he slammed it back and hit Mercury
in the face. With satisfaction he heard the crushing of bones and a
line of blood spurted from Mercury�s mouth as she was thrown away from
the villain. She landed in a tangled heap and laid very still.
Saturn could feel that Dark sailor had committed herself to
pressing her attack. Almost all of her weight was on the axe. Knowing
it was either now or never, Sailor Saturn shifted her weight slightly,
then dropped the hand nearest the head of the glaive. This time, the
Dark Sailor joined her axe on the ground. Before she could recover,
Saturn back-swung her glaive into the air. Once it was over her head,
she grasped the deadly weapon with both hands and brought it down with
full-force upon Dark Sailor�s back. The armor protecting Dark Sailor�s
back shattered under the impact of the glaive, but no real damage was
done. As Saturn again
raised the glaive above her head, the evil villain could see that she
intended to change that.
Scaramanga heard the cry of �Help me!� off to his right and
quickly shouted �DARKFORCE FIRE IGNITE!� releasing a dark primal attack
which downed the silent Sailor. He approached Dark Sailor and roughly
hoisted her to her feet.
�You couldn�t even take out one frail girl!� Scaramanga yelled. �I
am almost out of energy!�
�Stop your complaining,� Dark Sailor replied through her teeth.
�There�s plenty of energy laying around.� Turning to the downed
Sailors, she winked. �Pick a Sailor, any Sailor.�
�Aren�t you being a bit premature?� asked a voice from behind
them. �You still haven�t beaten us yet.�
The villains turned and saw yet more Sailors. One stepped forward,
�I am Sailor Venus, and I will fight for my friends! On behalf of the
planet Venus, I will punish you!�
Seeing that they were seriously outnumbered by the eight new
Sailors, Scaramanga shook his head and
replied, �Sorry, but we really must be going.� With that, both he and
Dark Sailor vanished.
==> * SM * <==
Sailor Moon awoke to the sight of a concerned elder Sailor Venus
staring at her closely. Relief swept over Venus when she realized that
Sailor moon was okay. �What happened?� Sailor Moon asked.
�The Queen sent us after she sensed you were in trouble,� Venus
relied. �most of the others are okay too.� The look on Venus� face told
a slightly different tale.
�What about the more serious injuries?� Sailor Moon asked as she
got to her feet.
Concern again crept into Venus� face as she replied, �Mercury and
Saturn were hit bad, but we�ll have them back to normal in no time.� A
light smile crossed her face as if even she had yet to be convinced.
Sailor Moon looked around at her friends. Sailor Mars was standing
near the edge of the cliffs talking quietly with her mentor. The elder
Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus were assisting the younger Sailors who had
been trapped and drained by the cocoon-like darkforce. Sailor Moon
noted with concern that the two women representing the planet Uranus
stayed well away from each other, as if they knew that now was not the
time to get into an argument over personal issues.
The elder Jupiter was helping out the younger Venus, and both
elder Mercury and Saturn were attending to the young Mercury.
After a few minutes, the group assisting Mercury broke up, and
with a sigh of relief, Sandra saw that her young partner was fully
recovered. All of the Sailors, young and old formed a loose group in
front of Sailor Moon.
�As Sailor Moon, and because you are the crown princess of the
moon,� the elder Venus said, �you are the leader here.�
�Thank you,� Sailor Moon said with a nod. Looking north over the
expanse of the Negaverse, she asked, �Where do we start?�
�Well,� the elder Mercury said, �If I know Karyn, she will have
activated the tracking device in her watch.� She pulled her computer
from its storage place and activated it. She quickly picked up a signal
and reported, �The children are over that way,� as she pointed toward
the huge skull-like structure that was Castle Beryl.
�I spotted a path down the cliffs,� the elder Mars said. �it�s
narrow, but it should do.�
�This is going to be way too confusing,� Sailor Moon stated. �I�ll
talk to the elders naturally, and talk to the younger Sailors mentally
while we are together. Let�s get going. Keep your eyes open. We�re not
out of this yet.�
==> * SM * <==
Outside the Astra Chapel
The group of heroes reached a shattered chapel-like building near
the center of the city at the bas of the Ghora Cliffs with little
interference from the natives. Most of those that the Sailor did see
quickly scurried away. Those who were in a mind to be more aggressive
quickly thought again when they discovered who it was they were facing.
�Puff up! Puff up! They hate that,� was a quote that came unbidden to
Cassandra�s mind after once such encounter.
The younger Sailors took up the lead, while the elders brought up
the rear. Not much idle chatting went on amongst the group�all seemed
preoccupied with the eerie haunted look of the places and people. One
small child straggled forth from the rubble of a nearby house and with
curiosity enough to kill nine cats, she approached Victoria, who with a
smile picked her up. She walked a short way with the child in her arms,
doing her best to wipe the soot away from her face. The other Sailors
didn�t seem to mind this, although Sandra had to remind Victoria that
she could not take the child too far from her home.
After seeing the child safely off, Victoria rejoined the group,
this time a bit further back, near her mentor Hotaru, who was wielding
her glaive at the rear of the group and scanning the area forward
vigilantly for any signs of the enemy.
Death however came from the rear. With a near-silent hiss, Dark
Sailor appeared behind Sailor Saturn, her axe unsheathed, its blade
much more wicked than before. With a scream of triumph, Dark Sailor
slammed the blade of her weapon into Sailor Saturn�s back. With an
agonized scream, Saturn was driven forward. Blood splattered from her
mouth as ribs were shattered and organs obliterated. Her frail body was
lifeless before it hit the ground.
Victoria was the first to see what had happened. She turned in
time to see Dark Sailor rip her axe roughly from the body of her
beloved mentor. Victoria�s anger turned into rage as she realized that
the vile villain was about to hack at Sailor Saturn again. With a
mental shout that dripped vengeance, Victoria screamed, �DEATH RIBBON
DEVASTATION!!� Razor-sharp ribbons of deadly energy erupted from
Victoria and surged toward Dark Sailor.
�Oh damn,� Dark Sailor muttered as she realized she had attacked
the wrong Sailor. Just after that, the fury of the younger Saturn�s
attack slammed into her. Within a minute, the screaming villain was
reduced to a mass of bleeding fleshy pulp as the ribbons scoured her
flesh from her bones. After expending that much energy, Victoria
collapsed, her right hand outstretched to clasp the hand of her fallen
friend.
�Well, that was a waste.� Scaramanga said as he solidified near
Victoria�s prone form. �My partner in crime had so much potential. At
least she took one of you brats out before she was killed.�
�I will see you dead for this, if it�s the last thing I ever do!�
Venus shouted, her voice quivering with rage. The other elders either
echoed Venus� sentiments in some form or launched attacks at the
villain. The elder Mercury noticed that the younger Sailors were about
to join the fray and hurriedly waved them off. �No,� she said. �You
must find the children. We�ll deal with this creep!�
�But you�ll need our help,� Sailor Moon protested.
�If someone can not find the children, then Hotaru�s death will
mean nothing,� the elder Mercury replied. �Now go. We can handle this.�
Sailor Moon nodded to the rest of the young Sailors as the elder
Mars blasted at Scaramanga. �You heard her, let�s go!� The younger
Sailors headed off in the direction of Castle Beryl.
==> * SM * <==
The Young Sailors
The Sailors were keeping an eye out for any other surprises as
they headed to Castle Beryl, located not far to the northwest of the
chapel. As they went, each Sailor tried to keep the visions of Hotaru�s
brutal death from their minds. Most were doing a good job of it,
despite the difficulties. A friend had died, but unless they were
successful in their task, innocent children would die�and that had to
be prevented at any cost.
Everyone was focused on their objective except for Sailor Mars,
whose sobbing caused Sailor Moon and the rest of the women to stop.
�What�s wrong?� Sailor Moon asked, though she knew the answer.
�I can�t get Hotaru out of my mind,� Mars replied through her
tears.
�Well, get over it.� Sailor Moon said coldly. �We have people
depending on us, and we can�t afford this now.�
�But what if we could have done something to save her?� Mars
wailed.
Sailor Moon grabbed Mars and shook her. �Knock it off! We can
mourn later. Right now, I need you, and I need you straight!� That
seemed to silence the distraught Sailor. After a moment, she looked at
Sailor Moon with a glare that could kill. �I�m ready.�
�Good,� Sailor Moon replied sternly. �Let�s go.� With that she
walked off and the group continued on their way.
==> * SM * <==
The Elder Sailors
�WORLD SHAKING!�
Scaramanga shook off the amber attack as it splashed against him
and replied with, �DEEP SUBMERGE�, sending a torrent of water at Sailor
Uranus. �Your pathetic attacks are getting better,� Scaramanga taunted,
�but you are still no match for me!�
Undaunted, Sailor Neptune stepped forward. After a quick concerned
look at her partner, who was trying to shake off the effects of the
villain�s attack, she shouted, �Why are you doing this?�
�Why?� Scaramanga said with surprise as if the Sailors didn�t
already know, �because I want to show you just how pathetic you really
are! You pass yourselves off as the �champions of justice� yet you
can�t even save yourselves from the throes of my power! All of your
attacks are useless! Anything you throw at me, I can reflect back! I am
impervious to your attacks, unaffected by your pleas�in short, I AM
INVINCIBLE!�
Mars still remained to be convinced, however her MARS FIREBIRD
STRIKE did little to harm the villain. �You seem to have a hearing
problem, woman,� he taunted. �You can not hurt me with your attacks!�
Mercury had taken cover behind a scorched wall of a nearby hovel
along with Venus. �He�s right,� Mercury said. �Nothing we throw at him
is working, and he turns our attacks against us.� Venus nodded her
agreement. �Do you mind if I try something?�
�Go ahead,� Venus replied. �I think we are running out of ideas.
Pretty soon I�m going to start throwing rocks at this joker.�
�Wish me luck,� Mercury said with a wink. She then approached the
battlefield. Scaramanga was busy easily fending off attacks from
Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Jupiter. In response, he sent punishing
attacks at the heroes, one of which brought Jupiter to her knees.
�This has gone on long enough!� Mercury shouted.
Turning, Scaramanga spotted the Sailor. �Oh really, and I am
supposed to be scared of your small attacks?�
�I�ll give you small,� Mercury muttered. �MERCURY BUBBLES�.BLAST!�
A thick fog shrouded the area around the evil villain.
�Now,� Mercury growled as she aimed at the ground at the villain�s
feet, �Let�s see you absorb this: �MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!� Swirling
ice quickly froze the ground, then worked upward until Scaramanga was
frozen in a block of ice. Seeing her handiwork, Mercury sighed in
satisfaction, then went to attend to Victoria, who was already being
helped by Sailor Venus. Sailors Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto however,
pressed their attack on the villain. Pluto shattered the ice block with
a DEAD SCREAM attack, which was quickly followed by WORLD SHAKING and
SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON. Under these battering attacks, Scaramanga was
forced to retreat.
As he fell back, Scaramanga tripped and fell onto his back. Seeing
the Sailors looming menacingly over him, he quipped, �Well, it looks
like you have bested me this time�.� He started to fade away and the
Sailors tried in vain to grab him. �But there�s always next time!� With
a sinister laugh, the villain vanished.
�Well, I guess that takes care of him,� Jupiter murmured.
�Yes,� Pluto replied bitterly, �for now.� With that, she turned
and went to assist the other Sailors.
==> * SM * <==
Castle Beryl The Young Sailors
�I�ve never been here before,� Sailor Moon said calmly while
entering the Throne Room from the adjoining chamber with Sailor Pluto.,
�but I�ve heard stories from the elder scouts.�
�I�ve heard stories as well,� Pluto replied as she approached the
throne. �None of them were good.� Pluto pulled a small device from her
breast pocket. Brushing the dust off a murky softball-sized ball, she
placed the device atop it.
Seeing this, Mars asked, �Don�t ya feel like your grave robbing?�
�Neo-Queen Serenity gave me direct orders to recover the
conversion bed and the scrying orb specifically. They are too valuable
to leave here where anyone has access to them.� Any further comment
from Pluto was stopped when Mars collapsed. The Sailors rushed to her.
�I�m picking up the children,� Mars said, �but they�re in danger!�
�I�ll check it,� Sailor Moon said. �You guys keep a lookout here.�
�That will not be necessary,� an angry voice hissed from the
shadows.
A sinister laugh followed, and a female voice said, �Yes. Why go
looking for trouble when it is so eager to find you?� With that, the
ghostly figures of Malachite and Zoisite stepped into view.
�You thought you could defeat me,� another voice whispered from
the shadows near the throne, �You should know it takes more than a
single attack from a weakling little girl to defeat me.�
Queen Beryl appeared from the blackness and took her seat on her
throne.
Sailor Mercury was the first to recover from the surprise at
seeing these relics from the past. �I don�t know where you came from,�
she growled, �but I am definitely not in the mood for this!�
�Yes,� Beryl said, �and I sympathize. I know it�s been a terrible
day for you.� Beryl�s hand flicked Pluto�s device from the top of her
scrying orb as she activated it with a quick gesture. With a tap, the
queen forced the orb to project its contents into the space between her
and the Sailors. The image projected were the agonizingly brutal last
moments of Hotaru�s life.
Beryl smiled cruelly. �That axe had to hurt.�
�You are SO dead!� Mercury screamed. �MERCURY SHARD!� A jagged
spear of ice formed in Sailor Mercury�s hand and she launched it toward
the former mistress of the Negaverse. The attack was foiled when
Malachite imposed himself between the shard and its target. Malachite
absorbed the ice shard within the folds of his cape. �I believe you
have forgotten someone,� he said.
�Yes,� Zoisite agreed. �ZOI!� Zoisite�s darkforce attack stabbed
toward Sailor Neptune�s back. The Sailor shuddered as the hideous
energy assaulted her. Sailor Jupiter turned and hurled a lightning
attack at the villain, which she dodged.
Events after this became fuzzy as each side traded attack after
attack�
==> * SM * <==
Outside Castle Beryl
Jedite laughed triumphantly as he watched the bus filled with
screaming children fall slowly into the chasm that the castle
overlooked. The balcony-like ledge that the bus had been on was
shattered, a result of numerous blasts of darkforce energy.
As Jedite leaned forward to further inspect his handiwork, a voice
behind him said, �You always were a self-centered jerk, Jedite!�
Jedite turned and faced the newcomer. �And you always were a weak
fool, Nephrite!
With that, a battle to the death ensued.
==> * SM * <==
The Young Sailors
From a kneeling position, Sailor Jupiter shouted �JUPITER THUNDER
DRAGON!� Her attack was aimed high and missed Zoisite. The attack
screamed by and crashed into the wall, showering the villain with a
fine powder of soot.
Zoisite however, acted according to the Sailor�s plan�she landed
lightly on the ground. Jupiter launched herself and slammed into her.
Sailor Mars glared at Malachite. �Feel the fire, Flyboy!� She
yelled. �MARS CELESTIAL FIRE�SURROUND!� The swirling bolts of primal
fire pelted Malachite and he thudded to the ground. He looked up to the
Sailor with rage in his eyes. �I�ll rip your heart out for that!� He
launched darkforce bolts which enveloped Mars, who screamed, but held
her ground. Mercury came to her defense and threw up a field of fog
that forced Malachite to break off his attack.
Sailor Uranus hacked at Beryl with her sword with no effect. Beryl
simply grinned. �I am not affected by your useless attacks!� She said.
�You can not hurt me!�
�Then you�ll have to kill me,� Uranus replied grimly, �and the
others.�
�That�s fine with me,� Beryl replied as she raked her sharp
fingernails across the face of the Sailor who fell to the floor in
agony. �Taking you out will be too easy!�
==> * SM * <==
The Elder Sailors
Jedite slammed his hand into Nephrite�s chest, easily penetrating
his body. Nephrite screamed and tried to pull away.
�Don�t bother, Nephrite.� Jedite smiled, �Give in! Let your death
come quickly!�
�Ha!� Nephrite muttered through the pain. �You are as stupid as
you are selfish! We ARE dead!�
�Mind if we join this party?�
Both combatants glanced in the direction of the voice. The elder
Sailors stood there defiantly.
�Certainly!� Jedite replied as he resumed his attack on Nephrite.
�You will all have an equal opportunity to die!�
Nephrite however growled in agony. �Sailors! Help me! The children
are in danger!�
Mercury yelled in anger as Venus stepped forward and delivered a
crescent beam that knocked Jedite back and away from Nephrite. Mercury
then stepped forward. �MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!� Jedite was soon frozen
in a thick block of primal ice.
The Sailors approached Nephrite as he stepped to the edge of the
chasm. �Where are the children?� Mercury asked. Nephrite pointed into
the darkness.
�Down there.�
==> * SM * <==
The Young Sailors
�Enough with the pleasantries,� Beryl snarled. �Time to die!�
Spikes of darkforce energy shot out and splattered into the Sailors. As
the vile energy shimmered with negative energy, the Sailors collapsed.
Beryl roared in victory.
�I believe you�re celebrating a bit early,� Sailor Moon muttered
as she fought to a standing position. �It�s time to take you down a
notch or two. I stand for love, justice, and my friends! In the name of
the moon, I will punish you!�
Sailors Mars and Venus looked at each other and then: �MARS FIRE
IGNITE!� and �VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!� The twinned attacks snaked forward
and exploded around Malachite and Zoisite. As they realized that they
would not survive the combined attack, they turned to each other.
Fighting through the agony of the flaming attack,. Zoisite smiled
at her mate. �I love you.� She said quietly.
�And I love you,� Malachite replied. They then faded from view
with a wisp of black smoke.
As the smoke died away, Beryl descended from her dais and stood
proudly before her throne. �You still haven�t won! You have not beaten
me!�
�An oversight,� Sailor Moon replied, �that we mean to correct!�
Sailor Mars stepped froward. She shouted �MARS STAR POWER!� and
was sheathed in an angry field of fire. The primal fire coalesced
around the young woman and transformed her into a fiery phoenix-like
being. Shafts of brilliant light stabbed out in all directions,
blinding everyone in the room and lighting up all of the shadows.
Once her painful transformation was complete, Sailor Mars charged
toward Queen Beryl, who tried to flee into the next chamber. Mars
grabbed Beryl and embraced her in a bear hug!
Beryl screamed horribly in agony as the primal fire of the phoenix
scorched her. She soon became enveloped in an angry sheath of flames.
Her body wracked with pain, Beryl clawed at the young woman and tried
to dislodge her. Mars simply gritted her teeth and endured the assault.
Mars backed up and turned until Beryl�s back was facing the rest
of the Sailors. �Sailor Moon!� She screamed. �Throw your tiara!�
Sailor Moon did not immediately react.
�What are you waiting for?� Mars yelled as Beryl slashed at her
head.
�I might hit you!� Sailor Moon replied.
�Yeah, yeah! And you head is really made of green cheese! Throw the
damned tiara!�
�No!� Sailor Moon replied. Instead, she waved her hand in the air
and shouted, �MOON STAFF!�
A flash of light splashed the room and the Moon Staff, a longer version
of the Moon Scepter appeared in Sailor Moon�s hands.
Beryl wrenched herself free and turned around. An exhausted Sailor
Mars dropped to the floor.
�MOON ZERO MAGIC!� A disk of destructive magic appeared at the tip
of the staff and floated outward until it reached the queen. Beryl
roared as the energy consumed her.
A wraithlike entity floated up from the spot that Beryl occupied
only moments before. With an evil laugh, the shadow-form swirled around
the room. Beryl�s voice boomed, �You still have not defeated me!�
The wraith then slammed into Sailor Mercury, knocking her to the ground
before vanishing into the floor.
�She�s gone!� Sailor Neptune shouted as she hugged Sailor Moon.
Sailor Jupiter and the others hurriedly checked on Mars and Mercury,
both of whom seemed to be recovering quickly.
The castle shook suddenly, throwing most of the women to the stone
floor. �What the�,� Sailor Uranus murmured.
Nephrite burst into the room. �Sailors! You must leave quickly!
Beryl has set up a reaction within the darkforce stored under the
castle. It�s going to explode!�
�What happens then?� Neptune asked quietly.
�Most of the Negaverse goes away,� Pluto answered.
�What about the children?� Sailor Moon shouted.
�There�s no time!� Nephrite yelled. �That darkforce will explode
any minute!�
�No!� Sailor Moon rushed past Nephrite and out onto the ledge
where she saw the other Sailors, who
were looking into the chasm in search of the children.
�Where are the children?� Sailor Moon demanded.
�They�re somewhere down there,� the elder Mercury sobbed.
After a moment of searching, Sailor Moon muttered, �We don�t have
time for this�� However, she didn�t know what to do next. She seemed to
reach out to the innocent children trapped in the darkness of the
chasm�knowing that there was no way to save them from what was to come.
==> * SM * <==
The Crystal Palace
�Sandra,� Serenity murmured to herself. She then shook herself
back to alertness.
�She�s in danger,� the queen announced aloud to the empty room.
She turned and approached the crystal throne. She ascended to the
throne and pressed a small button on the right arm. A hidden door was
revealed in the wall behind the throne.
Neo-Queen Serenity entered a small circular room. Its walls were
made from quartz-like crystal and lighted by a large circle of nine
clear crystals. One crystal represented one of the planets dedicated to
the defense of the Moon Kingdom. The queen entered the circle and stood
at its center.
�May the use of this power bring you all home safely,� Serenity
said quietly. Then, �PLANET POWER!� All of the planet crystals flared
to life, bathing the room in a warm glow. Serenity raised her royal
scepter in the air and shouted, �MOON REJUVINATION MAGIC!�
A bright beam of intense light bloomed in the chamber and arose
through the glass ceiling. Travelling through space, the magical energy
crossed the dimensional barrier and disappeared.
==> * SM * <==
The Negaverse
In the pools under Castle Beryl, the darkforce bubbled and frothed
with the infusion of energy from the extinction of Beryl.
The dimensional barrier was pierced by the magic from the Crystal
Palace.
The nether magic neared the boiling point and continued to build
up.
The magic produced from love cascaded down and lit up the sky over
the Negaverse.
The darkforce exploded�and Serenity�s magic enshrouded Castle
Beryl at the exact same time.
The deadly energy, which should have obliterated most of the
Negaverse and killed the people living there, rained gently down upon
the dimension and gently transformed it. The blasted buildings melted
away and were replaced by spacious cabins and stately mansions. The
castles dotting once-horrid landscape were transmuted into posh villas.
The somber, darkforce-soaked sky turned to a crystal clear blue. In
short, The Negaverse became Elysium.
Just before the moon energy took Molly back home, she stood atop
the flower-speckled cliffs above the city and looked out over the
now-thriving expanse. �Oh Nephrite,� she said to the tall man next to
her, �Isn�t this great? It�s so beautiful!�
�Yes,� Nephrite agreed, �it is.�
�All except for that,� Molly said, pointing into the sky to the
northeast, where the Dark Moon still hung. �Why hasn�t that changed?�
�The Dark Moon was originally populated by exiles from the far
future. Because part of its creation involved the forces of good, those
same forces can not erase the evil they created.�
�What good is light without darkness��
�What?� Nephrite asked.
�Oh nothing�just rambling,� Molly replied.
==> * SM * <==
The Crystal Palace
Once the initial celebrations had died down, the Sailors and the
staff and workers at the palace gathered on the grounds to pay their
respects to a departed friend. Far above, in the depths of space, the
elder Uranus led the palace�s lone fighter wing on a flight path that
would take them over the palace.
As they came approached the palace, one wingman dropped out of
formation, and the fighter wing passed over the gathered crowd in the
�Missing Man� salute to Sailor Saturn.
Despite the fact that the children they had been sent to rescue
were now safely at home, the mood of the
Crowd, especially the Sailors, was one of sorrow and deep loss.
Although she knew it to be wishful thinking, Serenity silently
bowed her head and prayed that no more of her friends would ever fail
to return from a mission.
FINI
FOOTNOTES AND EXPLANATIONS
Quotes:
�Puff up. Puff up. They hate that� -
Batty, �Fern Gully�
�What good is light without darkness?� � I
believe the bad guy in �Legend� said something
along this line as he was being killed.
Notes:
- Sorry about the mixing of Japanese and NA names,
but in the case of the outer Sailors / senshi,
they do not have names that everyone can agree
on. Apologies also to all of the other things
which would fall into this category.
Fanfic �1999 � John Brengman and Artemis Publishing
Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, c 1992 by Toei
Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha�s manga production of �Sailor
Moon�, written by Naoko Takeuchi
This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: August 26, 1998
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