[FFML] [FanFic][SM][NETTG] Terra in Tokyo Ch. 24 (of 27) "Revenge is a Style Best Worn With Lace and Frills!"

[Benjamin A. Oliver]

Hey there!  ...hey!  Wow, you're still here.  All the way up to
chapter 24.  That's great! Thanks for reading!  :D

What has gone before that's relevant to this chapter...

Minako, Sailor Venus, who really spells her name more like "Mynnako"
at this point in the story, showed up rather abruptly without
revealing too much of her past.  At one point she hinted at calling
the Star Light Knight her father.  She has light, love, and
fashion-based powers.  She also seems to have an axe (or sword) to
grind against Bruce, the horrifically evil White ArbyFish, who had
been working with the Negamafoozles--er, Dark Kingdom.  After having
rescued Sailor Moon from the depths of the Dark Kingdom, she now
confronts her greatest enemy....

More Sailor V / Sailor S backstory if you like spinoffs:
http://florestica.com/boliver/cpss/index.html

"Not... THE BRITISH MOTOR BOAT POLICE?!"

More Bruce and ArbyFish backstory if you like that sort of thing:
(Pink Dreams: An ArbyFish Odyssey)
http://florestica.com/boliver/oneshot/pdaao/index.htm
http://nettg.com/spritecomic/index.php?page=159  (Shroom Day)

And... oh yeah, Terra Incognita, the story's designated Mary Sue, is
off moping to herself at home in bed for this chapter because she just
found out she was actually a demonic monster from beyond time and
space.  Yeah, I know, it sucks to grow up.  Oh well.

...Plot?  What's that?  I'm just here for the explosions.  Onwards!!


Disclaimer:
This story is based loosely on Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon by Naoko
Takeuchi. This is a non-profit fan work created as a tribute, and no
infringement is intended. All rights to the characters, settings, and
situations of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belong to Naoko Takeuchi,
Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.  ArbyFish belong to
Daniel Oliver and are used with permission.  Gotta have ArbyFish.  How
would we have enough insanity to compete with Minako's brain if we
didn't?

Warning: This chapter may contain up to 40% ArbyFish.  The rest is
cheese.  Gotta have cheese.  May contain graphic imagery of ArbyFish
being sent to eternal torment.  ArbyFish may enjoy said torment.  In
fact, he might be the cause of most of the torment.  Enjoy!  (flutters
off)


Nuke 'Em 'Till They Glow!!
Terra in Tokyo
Final Mix

---Chapter 24:  Revenge is a Style Best Worn With Lace and Frills!

	Mynnako's life began on a cold, dark, and stormy night.  Ever since
her desperate birth, creation, or amalgamation--it was all a blur in
her mind on what to call it now anyway--she had known nothing but
sadness.  When she first awoke, many friends of her former lives lay
close, slain by an enemy hand.  Feelings of horror and shock filled
her mind.  For her, the world as it once was no longer existed.  She
had to become a new person, because those of whom she was composed
could hardly bear to think of the past.

	Her names during the previous stage of her life were Aino Minako and
Lynn "S" Knight.  The former was a well-traveled bubbly blonde
bombshell with deep feelings for those around her.  The latter was a
serious, shy teen orphan who gave her absolute loyalty to people she
cared about.

	The circumstances of how Lynn and Minako formed a team hardly seemed
important now; only, for whatever reason they banded together and for
months fought the various intrusions of the Dark Kingdom across the
globe.  In every skirmish, they always came out victorious.  Countless
youma met defeat at their powerful magic and matchless teamwork.  From
city to city and nation to nation, the Dark Kingdom's footholds were
destroyed and the forces of evil driven ever further back.

	Lynn and Minako gained allies everywhere.  A masked rapier swordsman
joined them in Spain, a bear wrestler in Russia aided their efforts
considerably, and there was even a Canadian dogsled team and an Elvis
impersonator from the United States who contributed to the cause.  But
none of them were even close to true friends.  Their real friends they
met in their final stop, in England.

	Mynnako could never forget Alan Chase, head of Interpol's special
unit "ARCANE," nor Katrina Cromwell, chief of a covert London police
branch, codenamed the British Motor Boat Police.  Lynn and Minako
worked as Sailor S and Sailor V, respectively, but Alan and Katrina
eventually discovered their secret identities nonetheless.

	Oddly enough, it worked out.  The police agencies had resources to
find things the girls alone could never have discovered in time to
make a difference.  Their efforts were so successful, S and V had time
to relax some nights.  Occasionally, they would go to an amusement
park or a movie with the two adults.  They spent a lot of time
together and became fast friends.

	All went surprisingly well until a certain fateful night....

---

	Sailor Venus managed to snap herself out of the reverie for a moment.
 She was still caught in Bruce's strange psycho-bubble, for lack of a
better term.  He frolicked around the sphere and throw occasional
taunts and jeers that she could hardly hear above the buzz of insects
and thorny things stinging and stabbing her, and that was just the
physical part of what made the situation feel so awful.  Something
about the environment seemed absolutely intent on her remembering the
good times for the express purpose of tormenting her about when it all
went sour.

	Outside the bubble, Usagi pounded on the transparent wall while Arby,
just to amuse himself, swung upside-down from a little bird swing
inside his cage.  Surely, once Bruce had dealt with Sailor Venus, he
would go after her companions in the next heartbeat.

	Mynnako swallowed hard.  It was just like what happened last time, actually.

---

	It was supposed to be the final battle, and in a way it was.  The
bulk of the Dark Kingdom's invading forces had been driven back across
Europe, Asia, and the Americas, to a final stronghold in southern
England.  Everything the girls had been doing for the past year and a
half culminated in this last push.  Once the Dark Kingdom had been
defeated here, the youma forces would have been broken permanently and
they would never become anything more than a minor, occasional threat.

	At first, the plan seemed to have a flawless execution.  Sailors S
and V led the push forward with the help of local police and military
authorities.  They managed to capture or destroy all of the key youma
within minutes of the attack.  Interdimensional portals were
destroyed, ancient artifacts of evil obliterated--the forces of good
had won!

	Then Bruce arrived.

	He didn't seem like any trouble at first, being so small and having
almost a polite accent.  He even sort of looked cute in his little
white cape and furry face.  But then he drew his knives and began
systematically slaughting everyone.  It happened so quickly!  Over a
hundred brave police died before Lynn and Minako could even hardly
react, not that they could have done any good.

	With surgical precision, Bruce shattered their weapons and stabbed
all kinds of weird pressure points across their bodies.  The result
was instant helplessness as they were slowly driven mad by an
ever-increasing agony.

	It didn't stop there.  As if he could read minds, Bruce singled out
Alan and Katrina as the ones present whom the girls most cared about.
It was quite terrible, what Bruce did to them... but not nearly as
terrible as what he then did to Lynn and Minako.

---

	The tortures were many, Venus reflected, but the final blow was much
like what she was caught in now.  First together, and then
individually as they fell, a globe of surreal pain engulfed them.  She
didn't want to remember it, but here it was, happening again.

---

	When it was over, Bruce perched atop a railing and stroked his
whiskers contentedly as if he had enjoyed an impeccable gourmet meal.
Behind him, the released youma leaders looked on in disbelief at the
scene.  Some were amazed at their sudden victory, but some were
clearly horrified at how that victory had been achieved.
Blood-splattered walls were probably the most tame thing about the
situation.

	Nephrite, one of the youma leaders present, coughed and dared to
approach the tiny superweapon.  The man said, "I think that's quite
enough.  Take their energy and let them die already!"

	Bruce waved a switchblade threateningly at him.  "Do not tell me how
to do my job, and I just might refrain from giving you a personal
demonstration of my effectiveness."

	Both Lynn and Minako were in very bad shape.  Minako managed to lift
a hand and breathe out a short protest, which was met with another
rain of stabbity damage.

	This time, when Bruce appeared satisfied, he composed himself and
said, "There, I'm done with you now.  Feel free to do whatever you
like."  He stroked his chin.  "Though, if I were you, after all that,
I would simply lay back and let life slip away.  You can't suffer when
you're dead, they say, although I know that's a lie."  He sliced a
long doorway into the fabric of reality and allowed the rescued youma
to pass through.  "Anyway, it's been lovely.  Thank you for your
cooperation in this little showdown.  Tootles!"

	Nephrite looked down at the fallen Sailor Soldiers and shook his head
before turning around.  His expression had been unreadable.  The girls
couldn't tell whether he felt pity for them or was merely sorry he
wasn't the one to have carried out the act.  He left and that was it.
Lynn and Minako lay permanently traumatized and dying with all their
associates slain around them and the Dark Kingdom triumphant.  It
wasn't exactly a pleasant memory.

	Sailor V had taken the worst of it.  After several minutes, she let
out a defeated sigh, the sound of one who had done all she could but
had lost everything regardless, and her pulse faded away.

	Lynn, on the other hand, recovered to a certain extent.  She was able
to pull herself over toward her friend.  Knowing the worst but hoping
for the best, Lynn shook her in hopes she had only fallen unconscious,
but to no avail.  She struggled to bring life back into her friend and
yet the poor girl didn't respond.  Sailor S was driven to tears, far
more emotional than any shed during her ordeal from Bruce.

	Her strength exhausted by her efforts she laid back and waited for
the end to come.  Lynn's last words were, "Mina, if there were a
way... I would give everything I have and everything I am, just to
save you.  All the power that I've borrowed from you... I wish I could
give it all back, with interest."

	There must have been some magic in Lynn's vocal desire.  A moment
after the muscles in her body went slack, a light suffused her form.
Beads of light streaked through her and she faded away.  The energy
darted through the air in various paths, flowing into Minako.  The
process could have taken seconds, or it could have taken hours.  She
didn't remember much else.

	Mynnako awoke to a flash of lightning and the sorrowful downpour of
rain onto the flimsy roof of the building.  She felt all right, with
none of the physical injuries received by either of her predecessors.
But when she came to grips with what happened to her friends, she wept
for hours, finally declaring with a fist raised skyward, "Never again!
 You will never do this again to anyone!  I'll stop you!  I will hunt
you down!"

---

	"Never again," breathed Sailor Venus as she glanced between Bruce and
Usagi.  She let out a shout of determination and activated her Super
Soldier transformation.  The thorns binding her splintered away and
the tormenting vermin were scorched and driven off by her sudden
outburst of power.  "What you've done is unforgivable.  BRUCE, IN THE
NAME OF LOVE AND FASHION--ON BEHALF OF MY FALLEN FRIENDS, I WILL
PUNISH YOU!"

	Her second-stage transformation attire radiated an intense level of
power.  She even struck a dramatic pose to top it off.

	"My," Bruce said with mild amusement.  "It seems you have an
overdeveloped sense of vengeance.  It's going to get you into trouble
someday."

	Venus leapt forward with renewed vigor.  Bruce smirked and parried
the first sword, but the blonde followed with a fast strike on the
other.  The blow landed and scratched the White ArbyFish
superficially.  It was enough, however, to make him flinch.

	"Bah!" spat Bruce, clutching the injured portion of his underside.
"You still need to be tenderized."  He flew to the top of the bubble
and slapped the edge, then formed a series of sigils with his front
flippers, glowing with magical power.

	Not breaking pace, Minako sheathed her swords and proceeded to mold
her own magic.  In a dancelike maneuver, she spun around and held both
hands in the air.  Tiny bright crescents edged with a gossamer lace
flowed into spheres of pulsing energy at her fingertips.  She brought
both hands to her mouth, palms flat, and kissed them.  The power
formed a large yellow heart, wrapped with lacy pink ribbons, which she
blew toward Bruce and declared magnificently, "Love, Beauty, and
Fashion Shock!"

	A thick yellow energy beam, laced with a pink spark, rocketed at
Bruce.  As he attempted to dodge, it spun back around and re-aimed
itself, finally slamming into him in a grand direct hit.  He yelled in
frustration while the attack surrounded, burned him, and wrapped him
up in a ribbony straightjacket.

	Bruce hit the wall of the bubble and tumbled limply to the ground.
Sailor Venus struck a cutesy pose and flashed a V-for-victory sign.

	"Arrggghhh!" Bruce growled in frustration.  His right eye had swollen
shut because that side took most of the blast.  He struggled out of
the searing energy ribbons that bound him, snapping the magical cords.
 "Once again," he simmered, "you have truly earned my wrath."

	Bruce flung a knife at Venus as she pressed her attack.  It caught
her square in the throat, cutting off her choker necklace and burying
itself deep.

	"ACK!" Venus choked.  She removed the vorpal switchblade and held a
hand to her neck where she applied a green healing energy.

	"Hurts, doesn't it?"  Bruce took a moment to regain his composure and
finished his sigils.  "Good, because you haven't felt ANYTHING yet."
On the ground, a complex etching formed, along with a septagram.
Minako stumbled into the center of it.

	"If you think what I've put you through before was real pain, you are
about to discover an entirely new definition."  Bruce plunged another
switchblade into the ground.  The etching filled with an oily red
substance.  He glared at Venus and added, "ONE MILLION YEARS OF PAIN!"

	The etching burst into flame and jagged spears shot up from the
ground and skewered Venus in non-fatal but nevertheless extremely
painful portions of her body.  The surreal air grew acidic and cloudy.
 Spiderlike nightmares flew out of the darkness and clamped onto her
skin, tearing flesh and injecting foul poisons.

	Mynnako's consciousness went white-hot.  She could barely see or feel
anything for a few seconds, the agony was so intense.  She heard a
piercing, mindlessly unrelenting scream.

	She soon realized that it was her own.

	"Reaching your limits already?" mused Bruce.  "Come now, it's not
real torture if you can escape your nerves that easily, is it?"  He
unfurled a scroll and muttered things in an obscure arcane language
before repeating it in an understandable tongue.  "Ancient condemned
spirits of evil, come forth to restore feeling to this young girl's
limbs."

	A blue vortex opened in the bubble's side.  In flew several wispy,
wailing banshee ghost creatures.  As they caressed Venus's skin,
feeling once again returned to her body.  She felt everything clearly,
her body and consciousness perfectly in sync, screaming in frothing
anguish.

	But then, her eyes focused, her teeth and fists clenched, and she
radiated a bright flash.  In the next instant, Eternal Sailor Venus
hovered in the air with the spears and stinging creatures evaporating
around them.  Volleys of freaky spiders continued to lance towards
her, only to be burned away by the aura of her incredible power.

	"Those weren't my limits, Bruce!" Venus retorted.  Her voice was that
of two beings speaking together.  "Whatever it takes, I'll make you
pay for what you did."

	"Hah!"  Bruce snapped a flipper and the barrage of insect-things
stopped.  "Do you really think you can beat an ArbyFish?"

	"I'm not like before," Eternal Sailor Venus replied.  "Now, I am an
incredibly powerful being.  Not even the great legendary Sailor
Soldiers of the past ever reached my level."

	The White ArbyFish laughed.  "Incredibly powerful?  You're straining
to just barely keep up with me.  And it's obvious that it's taking so
much out of you.  I'd be willing to wager that you'll run out of that
power of yours in a few more seconds--BLEAGH!"

	While he monologued, Venus flashed forward and jammed her crystalline
sword to the hilt into his mouth.

	"Who's struggling to keep up with who now?"

	Bruce vibrated with rage and his fur steamed from the proximity of
Venus's ferocious aura.

	"What's the matter, Bruce, does it hurt?!"

	Bruce turned his head and it became apparent that the sword had not
exited his skull, despite it being buried nearly to the handle in his
mouth.  Sailor Venus frowned and let out a little cough when he
unhinged his jaws and sucked the rest of the weapon out of her hand.
He swallowed dramatically, licked his mouth, then dabbed it with a
handkerchief.  "Delicious!"

	"Hey!" Eternal Sailor Venus started to protest, but Bruce flew in
close and placed a flipper over her lips.

	"Shh, don't speak," he whispered, not even flinching at the power
emanating from her.  "I can plainly see you just don't get it.  You
can't beat an ArbyFish, therefore you are mine to toy with as I
please.  But I must say you're doing well.  No creature in millennia
has lasted this long against me."  He grinned.  "And I'm certain no
creature in millennia will suffer nearly as greatly as you."

	Eternal Sailor Venus pirouetted away from him him, deflected and
destroyed several leaping shadowy creatures with her energy blade, and
finally came into a ready combat stance to prepare for what would
follow.

	"Time and space obey me here," Bruce explained.  "This is my
territory, and what I say goes."  He formed a series of seals with his
flippers.  The blood in the floor symbol pooled around the bluish
portal where the sensation-restoring banshees had entered, becoming a
giant screaming face.  Its horrible maw closed about the hole before
the monstrosity sloshed formlessly back to the ground, leaving a huge
red vortex, beyond which Venus could see a hint of fire.

	"What is this?" Venus whispered.

	"A portal," replied the creature.  "Note, if you will, that it is
growing slowly wider.  It will not close until someone goes in."

	"Where does it lead?"

	Bruce looked at her intensely such that she could see the whites of
his eyes, and he bared his fangs.  "Eternal torment!"

	Venus looked at him and shifted her stance.  "Then perhaps I will be
the one to send YOU there!"

	The diabolical little creature laughed and produced another pair of
switchblades.  Hundreds of floating blades appeared in the air around
the edge of the bubble.  "By the time I'm through with you," he said,
"you'll be begging for me to send you to hell, just to get away from
ME, but I won't even LET you leave until I'm fully satisfied."  To
further add to the drama, each sharpened edge snapped open to reveal
lots of little poisoned, dripping spines.  "Now face... ONE MILLION
BILLION GAJILLION AEONS OF AGONY!!!"

	If Mynakko were a flower, she would have wilted slightly at the
announcement.  "Uh oh."

...

	Despite the fact that Mynnako was burning with the righteous, lovely
fire of holy wrath as part of her Eternal-level transformation, she
was still just barely not able to keep up with Bruce's onslaught.  The
creature's eyes burned with delight as the assault intensified.
Jagged daggers pierced her and tore her flesh, and screaming wraiths
with jagged red claws flew out of the depths of the infernal vortex,
slashing, clawing, and biting into the ultra-soldier's body.

	Her sword, mighty though they it was, passed straight through the
entities.  No amount of blocking nor shielding, nor parrying nor
striking eased her discomfort.  It was all she could do to focus her
powers inward and try to resist the wraiths' punctures and the
daggers' poisons.  In all, she incurred very little physical damage,
but it it hurt orders of magnitude more than the previous sessions.
Despite her efforts, she was losing ground, and fast.

	Perhaps it was from the pain, perhaps it was from using her Eternal
transformation for far longer than ever before, but her consciousness
wavered and split in her own mindscape.  On some level, the two beings
of whom she was composed faced each other, and conversed.

	"HOLY FREAKING MONKEYS!" Minako shrieked.

	"We're losing," pouted Lynn.  "We've come so far, but he's just too strong!"

	Minako nodded.  "Yeah, I mean, how were we supposed to know he was
going to use invincible ghosts on us?  AND WHAT IS HIS OBSESSION WITH
KNIVES?!"

	"We've failed!" Lynn sobbed.  "The others are our only hope now.
Perhaps... Usagi can defeat Bruce."

	The blonde shook her metaphysical head.  "None of the others stand
any better chance than we do."

	"Somebody has to!  Who?"

	"There IS no one else!"

	"We're not strong enough!"

	"Quit it with that!" Minako shot back.  "Together, we've reached
levels that Sailor Soldiers haven't gotten to in generations!  We've
hit highs no one ever dreamed possible!"

	"Together," agreed Lynn, "we became a Super soldier, and then,
sometimes, we're able to become an Eternal soldier, the last and
ultimate Sailor form."  She shook her head and recoiled.  "But that's
only together!  We'd never have managed it alone!"

	"What if we could?" proposed the other.

	Lynn blinked.  "Do what?"

	"What if, on our own, we managed to become Super--or, what the heck,
Eternal!"  Minako raised a thoughtful hand.  "What if, after that, we
then combined our powers like we're doing now?  How strong would we be
then?"

	"VERY strong," whispered Lynn, whose hopes rose at the thought.
"Exponentially stronger.  So strong that, yeah, we'd stand a chance."

	"But there's the thing," sighed Minako.  "Can we do it?"

	"We have to," Lynn replied instantly.  "If we don't, then we'll
really have failed."

	"Then there's nothing else to lose."  Minako extended a hand toward
her best friend, who now was truly another part of herself.  "Let's do
it!"

...

	Driven back by the assault, Eternal Sailor Venus had staggered much
closer toward the red vortex.  Suddenly she crouched and jammed her
energy sword into the ground, anchoring her somewhat.

	"Don't worry," Bruce said, "I won't send you till you're done.  I can
keep this up here just as long as they can do it down there.  No hurry
at all."

	Venus stiffened and her breathing steadied, despite the attacks
pressing upon her.

	"Hmm."  The White ArbyFish narrowed his eyes.  "What are you trying
now?  It's hopeless, you know."

	Mynnako ignored him.

...

	In the confused landscape of their combined minds, Lynn and Minako
tensed, flexed, and generally attempted to squeeze more energy from
their souls and various power sources.

	It was a grand strain, but Lynn's efforts manifested themselves as a
bigger gem on her tiara and somewhat longer and puffier ribbons on her
stylish sailor suit.  Minako managed similar accomplishments for her
part.

	"That's all I have," panted Lynn.  "We've reached and are holding
Soldier Plus level, roughly one fourth of the way between normal and
super."

	"Mrasherfraking--"  Minako gave out some hissing mutterings.  By now,
a true sailor from the sea--as opposed to a fairly nice girl from
Japan--would have been belting out curses and swearing till the paint
peeled off the walls.  "This is all I have too!"

	"This isn't enough!  We need more power!"

...

	Bruce motioned for the banshees and things to continue attacking.
Eternal Sailor Venus wasn't moving.  She wasn't even screaming.  It
took a fairly brutal assault to even get her to squeeze her eyelids
shut just a little tighter.

	He folded his arms.  "You're clearly suffering, but not nearly
enough."  The creature drew an excited breath.  "Very well, we'll go
to the Gajillion part."

	Mynnako opened one eye to look at him.  "What?!"

	"It's gradual," Bruce replied.  "All good tortures are, with spikes
of pain here and there.  I prefer to continue escalating it."

	He flew to the edge of the infernal gateway and made broad upward
motions with his flippers.  Pale fleshy claws together with more wispy
spirits flew out.  With his cape blowing in the rush of an evil wind,
he looked much Like a dark wizard at his cauldron.  Cocking an eye at
his prey, he said, "You're doing well.  You should feel flattered,
because I've never had to go this high before.  I'm not quite certain
what will happen.  But you'll be simply DYING to find out, I'm sure."

	The latest spell surged outward, split up, and refocused at Eternal
Sailor Venus, engulfing her at once and smashing her into the ground.
Mynnako let out a sudden sharp scream at the first impact, and
gradually went silent.

	Bruce glanced past the demonic surge and sighed.  Shaking his head,
he looked at the limp form and commented, "So, you were at your limit
after all.  How disappointing!  Now you can't suffer anymore."

...

	Battered and broken as spirits, Lynn and Minako floated limply apart
from each other in a cloud of ethereal mist.  Encircled about by evil
things, they too seemed about to merge into the throng and fade into
the next dimension.

	"Alan, Katrina... everyone," Minako whispered, heartbroken.

	Lynn added, "We're sorry we failed you."

	But then, a glimmering ray of hope pierced the enclosing darkness.
The girls opened their ghostly eyes and beheld an angelic host
marching towards them, led by four adult Sailor Soldiers.  Their
leader reached out and grabbed them by the forearms as they were about
to vanish, instantly solidifying them.

	"Who are you?" asked Minako.

	"I am your predecessor," replied the woman.  "Thalia, Sailor Venus of old."

	"Why--" breathed Lynn.

	"Shortly ago," continued Thalia, "My associates and I were freed by
one of your friends.  We do not have long before we truly make our
journey to the next realm, but we possess the time and power necessary
to assist you and your noble goals."

	"Revenge is noble?" asked Lynn dejectedly.

	"Stopping a monster from harming others is noble," said Thalia
quickly.  "Giving your all to save your friends is noble!"

	From the mist appeared two individuals, dressed as police.  "What's
done is done, yes," said the woman, "and we cannot change the past,
but--"

	"Katrina," breathed Lynn in amazement.

	"--But," continued the man, "we have to think of the future.  He's
worse than all the criminals I've tracked in my entire career.  Bruce
must be stopped!"

	"But," said both girls in unison, "what can we do?"

	A Sailor Soldier with dark shiny ravenlike hair came forward.  "I am
Erato, Soldier of War," she said, "and I will tell you.  You had the
right idea, but it would take you decades to learn to harness the kind
of power for what you had in mind."  She looked at Thalia for
approval.

	The elder Venusian Solder nodded.  "We will give you all the power
that remains to us in this realm, the spirit force of the finest
Soldiers of the Silver Millennium Alliance!"

	At once, as if it were a trained military exercise, the elder Sailor
Soldiers and the army behind them thrust out their hands, palms flat
down.

	"Powers of Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury," intoned the Sailor Soldiers.

	"Powers of Earth's Moon!" shouted the army.  "FOR THE ALLIANCE!"

	Alan put his hands on Minako's shoulders and Katrina placed hers on Lynn's.

	"For what it's worth," whispered Katrina, "we'll lend you our
strength as well."

	"Katrina," whispered Lynn, tears of gratitude in her eyes.

	"Alan," said Minako, who was every bit as thankful.

	Three more figures stepped out of the shadows.  The girls instantly
recognized them as three of Beryl's generals.

	"Peace."  Jadeite lifted a hand when he saw the girls' discomfort.
"We mean you no harm."

	Zoicite clung to Kunzite, who said, "We too have recently been set
free, after being forced to do terrible things in our name."

	"But you served Beryl," said Minako softly.

	"It wasn't us," replied Zoicite, "but a corruption of our true selves."

	"We wish to contribute as well," added Jadeite.

	Thalia glanced at the other Soldiers, then turned back and nodded.
"Very well, your assistance is welcomed, Guardians of Earth."

	Jadeite stuck out his hand.  "Guardian of the Northeast, Master
Strategist Jadeite, lends you his will!"

	"Guardian of the Southwest, Grand Sergeant Kunzite, lends you his
strength and ferocity!" added Kunzite.

	"Guardian of the Southeast, Master Assassin Zoicite, lends you his
speed and precision!" finished Zoicite.

	"Our powers are now yours," added Jadeite.  "Please defeat Bruce,
Beryl, and Metallia for us."

	"We die free!" shouted the three in unison.

	And then, everyone was gone.

...

	"She hasn't dissolved yet."  Bruce turned away for a moment from the
barrage, scratching a few runes into the ground with a twig.  "I'll
leave it on for a few more minutes.  Perhaps she'll get up.  Oh, I'd
simply HATE to have to revive her.  Then I'd 'have' to start all over
again!  Bwah-hahahah!"

	The atmosphere suddenly changed.  The White ArbyFish took note of it
and spun around.  The attacking force had been pushed back by a pair
of throbbing energy globes, one yellow and the other pink.  Inside of
each was the form of a teenage girl.

	He distinctly heard calls of, "Venus Eternal, Make Up!" and, "Eternal
Stylin' Power!" before further oddities occurred.

	There were ribbons, there were feathers, there was jewelry and
walkway stars of famous people; before long, two new fully-powered
Eternal-level Sailor Soldiers stood before him.

	Bruce clapped in delight.  "Oh, you're back!  And just in time!"  He
held his flippers wide, summoning a deadly plume from the hellish
gateway.  "You know, double the victims means double the pain!"

	Then the girls did a dance and clasped their pinkies together as if
to make some kind of wish or promise, saying something sickly sweet
like, "Sailor Total Synergy Power, Group Up!"

	The result was like dropping a fusion bomb.  When the clouds cleared,
there stood one girl decked out like a wacky combination between a
beauty pageant queen that was trying too hard and a medieval
soldier-king that thought extra plate guards and jutting things
constituted a smart tactical decision.  In one hand she held a fiery
energy sword, and in the other--

	"URK!" Bruce felt something mystically leave his stomach.

	--she held a magnificent crystalline blade.  She placed the two
together and they became a very large two-handed burning crystal
claymore.

	"Bruce the White," the youngish woman soldier intoned, her voice
solid, mature, and unwavering, "tell me, what do you get when you mix
a Sailor Stylin' and a Sailor Venus?"

	"A very bad pun?" suggested Bruce in a deadpan voice.

	The girl paused.  "Yes!" she admitted freely.  "But that's not the
point."  She sighed and ran a hand through her orange and blonde hair.
 "Anyway, now that my joke's been spoiled--"

	"Mweheheh!" Bruce chuckled at her discomfort.

	Mynnako scowled.  "--you can call me Sailor Synergy.  The powers of
Beauty and Fashion have REALLY been united this time!"

	"Have not," taunted the 'Fish.

	Sailor Synergy stuck a finger in his face. "Have so!"

	"Not!"

	"So!"

	"NOT!"

	"SO!"

	This went on for a while.  Somewhere, on their way to the next phase
of existence, a boatload of spirits desiring peace and justice slapped
their heads and groaned.

---

	Outside the dark bubble of Bruce's territory, Arby and Sailor Moon
were playing cards.  Usagi was seated cross-legged with the deck in
front of her while Arby played cheerfully while holding his cards
outside his cage.

	"Got any... sevens?" inquired Usagi hesitantly.

	"Go woodchuck!" replied Arby with a smile.

	Sailor Moon sighed and picked up another card, then glanced back at
the bubble.  "Hey!  It looks like Minako-chan's doing really well
against Bruce!  Not even a scratch on her--HEY!"  She noticed Arby
peeking at the cards in her hand and in the deck.  "You've been
cheating!"

	"Oye 'as not!" replied the ArbyFish indignantly.  "Yew's just been
ignorant of the new revoised rules, yew has!"

	"You've changed the rules five times already without telling me!"

	"Well a'course!  Gotta keep ya guessing.  Wouldn't be proppa' if Oye didn't."

---

	"Dear me," Bruce laughed, "you dare say you combine beauty and
fashion when that GARISH outfit of yours clashes so badly with your
hair, eyes, and skin tone?"

	"It does not!" protested Mynnako.  "It looks GREAT on me!"

	"Face it, darling, you're trying to be an autumn when in fact you're
a raging summer!"

	"I... guess I am a little dark, and my hair could be neater."  Sailor
Synergy hung her head as she looked at herself.  "But still, what a
mean thing to say!"

	Bruce laughed further at her dismay.  "Right then, back to your
torture."  He snapped his flipper.

	Impaling spears flew from the floor...

	"Bring it!" challenged Sailor Synergy.

	...and the spears shattered into harmless chunks of spiritual energy
against her supple unprotected miniskirted flesh.

	Bruce smiled.  "Oh, of course.  You're more powerful now, aren't
you?"  He flew to the edge of the hellish cauldron and raised his fins
aloft, bringing a river of evil ghosts into the air, and crashing them
down upon the girl.

	Synergy brought her arm back and slapped the oncoming rush of evil,
sending it reeling toward the edge of Bruce's territory bubble.  Then,
she lifted her sword, allowed it to dramatically crackle with yellow
ribbony power for a moment, and brought it down upon the White
ArbyFish head.  The sword continued on and smashed into the ground,
leaving a deep trench, as well as Bruce dazed and imbedded to the neck
in the hard ground.

	"Can't beat an ArbyFish, huh?" inquired Mynnako.

	Twitching from the blow, Bruce struggled out of the ground.  Brushing
off his fur, he faced the girl and replied, "No, you can't."  He
clapped his flippers together and closed his eyes.  "I see you've
achieved a higher form, a form beyond even that of an Eternal Sailor
Soldier.  That's not supposed to be possible, but even so, I seriously
doubt you can ascend further.  I, on the other hand...."

	Glowing with White power, Bruce's fur puffed out and increased in
length.  The edges and other sections gained a bit of black, giving
him something that looked like war paint.  Spreading his flippers, two
long arm-blades popped out of the outer fur.  "I've never done this
before," he admitted, "so if I accidentally kill you before completing
your torture, oh well.  But one of us is making the descent to the
underworld, I promise you."

	The tortured spirits of the condemned deceased wailed and circled
around the two combatants, seemingly afraid to approach.

	"Don't you have anything to say about that?" Bruce prodded after a moment.

	Mynnako shrugged.  "Oh, you know, the ArbyFish will have her day;
cast not your pearls before ArbyFish."  In the next instant, she had
grabbed Bruce by the midsection.  "An ArbyFish in the hand is worth
two down your pants?"

	Bruce retaliated by stabbing her in the chest, but her ribbons wer so
thick, his blade couldn't penetrate all the way to her skin.  "Grr!
Curses!  Your ribbons have foiled my attack--"

	"This miniskirt of mine shines with an awesome power!" Synergy said
fanatically.  "Its frilly ribbons TELL me to defeat you!"

	Bruce covered his eyes.  "Oh dear, you're delirious.  Now your
clothes are talking to you!"

	"Clothes ALWAYS speak to me!"  Sailor Synergy tossed Bruce into the
air.  "Game Set, Love-Love, and Match!" She raised her sword.  "HIKE!"

	She smacked Bruce hard with the flat of her blade and sent him
slamming into the edge of his territory.  He rebounded and came
slashing at her throat.  One dagger bounced off her choker chain and
she parried the other.

	"What the--?!" Bruce looked at the large, fast-moving sword that
managed to stop his attack.

	"Halou," Mynnako said insanely in a Chinese accent.  "My name is
Nobikuku Sushi, to order!  You stole my curling iron, prepare to dry!"

	Mynnako slashed more frantically with her weapon, catching Bruce on
nearly every strike.

	Bruce parried what he could, and sustained minor blows that didn't
seem to pierce his fur.  "How can this be possible!?  You should be
completely at my mercy!"

	"Hail Caesar Salad!  We who are about to dine salute you!"

	"Please stop rambling like a crazy-monkey," Bruce suggested,
irritated.  "You can't suffer if you're not in your right mind!"

	"OH REALLY?" Mynnako replied, wild-eyed.  "That's not very much
incentive to go back to my right mind, now, is it?  No, I think I'll
stick with my left mind, thank you very much!"

	Bruce parried her greatsword and thrust her back.  "Fine!" he yelled,
glaring at her.  "Then I'm bored with you now!  DIE!"

	Thousands of blades, each shinier and sharper than anything Bruce had
previously used, appeared in the air.  They spun and directed
themselves at Sailor Synergy.

	"These aren't your typical pain-blades I've been using up until now,"
explained the puffy White ArbyFish.  "They mean instant death to
whoever they pierce, man, beast, goddess, or whatever you be.
ArbyFish who have plotted and studied know how to use them quite well.
 On the off chance that you will feel pain before you die, taste one!"

	A knife flew from the darkness.  Mynnako smacked it away with the
flat of her blade, but it spun back around and stuck her in the thigh.

	"Ow," noted Mynnako, but didn't show much sign of pain.  "I guess
that kind of hurt."

	"Leave that one in and your leg'll go necrotic in a week," noted
Bruce.  "But it doesn't look like it hurts very much.  Oh well!
Farewell, doomed one.  I'll toss your carcass in the pit once we're
done so I can leave."

	"Aww, but I was just starting to have fun!"  Mynnako giggled insanely
and lunged at Bruce, but several blades came and blocked the girl's
strike.

	Bruce snapped his flipper.  "Die."

	The blades flew towards the girl, rushed past the screaming banshees.
 Mynnako yelped in fright and shielded her face with her arms...

	...and then the daggers stopped but an inch away from her.

	Bruce frowned.  "And yet why do I hesitate?  I want you to die, but...."

	Synergy took a few deep breaths to calm herself and pulled the blade
from her leg, which burned with yellow energy and healed in the next
instant.  "Ummm," she began hesitantly, wary of the blades around her,
"didn't you say I was just a meal and not your real enemy?"  She
glanced out of the bubble.  "And Arby seems to be enjoying himself.
Didn't you want to hurt him by hurting me?  Doesn't seem to be
bothering HIM much."

	The White 'Fish nodded slowly.  "This is true."

	"Why don't you let me loose, and go after him instead?"

	He shook his head.  "No, don't you see?  I've made a bargain with
myself as part of my territory mark.  Someone HAS to go through
there."  He pointed at the fiery red cauldron that led into the depths
of Hades.  "Look, it's nothing personal, and possibly not very proper,
but I'm just going to kill you and toss you into a lake of eternal
torment, with fire and brimstone, okay?"

	"How, ah, about not?" suggested Mynnako warily.

	"You don't have much say in the matter.  Now, try to die painfully so
this won't be a total waste.  If you're stabbed by several of those,
you will die fairly quickly.  Let's get this done."

	"NO!"

	A wisp of pink flew from the red portal.  It curved and whirled
around to rest in front of Bruce.

	Bruce paused and stared at it.  "What is this?"

	The cloud resolved into the shape of another ArbyFish, this one cute
and pink and wearing a red ribbon on its head.  Mynnako recognized it
as one of the pictures from Bruce's locket.

	"Ribbons!" breathed Bruce, wide-eyed.  "How did you--I didn't know
you were in Hell!"

	"Yup!"  Ribbons smiled and nodded.  "I do volunteer work there on
weekends.  You know, to keep the fires hot and the pokers sharp?
They're seriously understaffed there for all the guests we've been
getting."

	"Why... HOW are you here now?"

	"I saw you from down there, or rather, I felt you."  The ghost Pink
'Fish looked over at Sailor Synergy, who was standing stiffly and
trying to keep from getting poked.  "Oh, hello!  Are you one of
Bruce's new friends?"

	"Um," Mynnako saw some of the daggers gleam, as if they REALLY looked
forward to pricking her, "yes.  Yeah, great friends.  Isn't that
right, Bruce?"

	"We've spent the last half hour trying to kill each other," Bruce
amended.  "I thought I could make a good meal out of her, but no, she
simply wouldn't oblige."

	Ribbons giggled and patted him on the shoulder.  "You're such a
finnicky eater, Bruce!  Only pain and suffering, pain and suffering,
every single day.  So are you done for now?"

	"Not yet.  I, ah, kind of have to sent this one down to eternal
torment before I leave."

	The Pink one began to look concerned.  "Oh... I see.  You made one of
those arcane Geese bargains to reach ultimate power?"

	Bruce coughed.  "Geas.  A personal geas so I could get the portal
open to there, yes."

	"Do you have to kill her?  Aww, that's so mean!" Ribbons pouted.
"Don't be improper, Bruce!" she pleaded.  "Please don't be improper!"

	"There's no other way out."

	"What was the bargain?"

	"Basically that this fight would not end until one of us goes there."

	"Oh," Ribbons thoughtfully brushed the ghostly fur on her cheek.
"Then why don't YOU jump down?"

	"What?!" Bruce balked.  "Are you suggesting that I go down to eternal
torment, forever?!"

	"No one down there's ever successfully tortured an ArbyFish," Ribbons
added.  "Besides, we need a new torment expert.  The last one got
promoted to telemarketing.  I can maybe give you a good reference?"

	"Do I LOOK like a salaried worker to you?  And I still have
unfinished business!  I must destroy Arby!  I must avenge you!"

	"Revenge isn't worth it."  Ribbons waved off his protests.  "C'mon,
you'll love it!  Don't you know what kind of torture we've got there?"

	"No," Bruce replied slowly, "what kinds do you have?"

	Ribbons fluttered in close and started whispering to him.  His
expression went from defiant to neutral, and then he became more
interested until he was practically drooling at what she said.

	"Hmmm," Bruce mused, "you certainly do have a way with words, don't
you, my precious?"

	Ribbons smiled and nodded proudly.

	The White ArbyFish locked flippers with his ghostly girlfriend.
"Then what are we waiting around here with these losers for?  Let's
go!"

	Together, they hopped across the ground to the edge of the fiery
cauldron.  Bruce's expression was almost loving as he looked at the
other ArbyFish.  He turned back towards Sailor Synergy and said,
"Goodbye forever, if you insist on remaining goody-goody girls."  Then
he grinned and added, "Or, if you're bad, it'll be... see you real
soon."

	Bruce let forth a grand maniacal laugh, more melodious and emphatic
than any the girl had heard before, and leapt together with Ribbons
down into the fiery depths.  The chuckle echoed for a long time as he
made his way through.

	Finally, the portal closed, the lethal knives vanished, and the black
sphere of the creature's territory snapped apart like popped bubble
gum.

...

	Sailor Synergy looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she
saw that the danger had passed.  A small army of youma still circled
them about at a short distance.  They had been very wary of
approaching while the battle went on.  No one, apparently, desired to
cross Bruce when he was feeding.

	One of the youma soldiers pointed at her and shrieked, "SHE'S BEATEN BRUCE!!!"

	"IMPOSSIBLE!" another shouted.  They frantically talked among
themselves about what to do next.  "If she defeated the White
ArbyFish, then just how powerful IS she?  Even Queen Beryl feared
him!"

	Mynnako held her sword out towards them.  "Next?"

	The youma looked at each other, then quickly sprinted away.  Little
clouds of dust marked their trail as they passed over the horizon.

	"Minako-chan!" cried Usagi, who rushed towards her and hugged her
tightly.  "You're okay!  You beat him!  You won!"  She pulled back
when she herself was practically smothered by the ribbons and
accessories in the other girl's outfit.  "And what's with all the...
stuff?"

	"I've just become the most powerful Sailor Soldier ever to have
existed."  Mynnako trembled as her sword suddenly felt very heavy.
"And now it looks like I'm going to collapse from the strain."  She
let the blade clatter to the ground.  "Would you mind dragging me
around for a bit?  Thanks!"

	Mynnako's sailor suit shifted to a style with considerably fewer
frills.  It wasn't that different from her previous Sailor Venus
attire.  Then she collapsed into Usagi's grasp, pushing Sailor Moon to
the ground.

	"Minako-chan," Usagi whispered, "thank you for saving me."  She
hugged the unconscious girl again.  Then she struggled to stand.  "But
why do you have to be so heavy?!  It's like you weigh as much as two
people!"

	Arby watched the proceedings and took notes.  Then he nodded to
himself and said, "Roight."  He pulled a squishy thin mushroom from
his fur and jimmied it around in his cage's lock.  The lock snapped
open and he flew out.  Briefly, he perched on Mynnako's head and
scraped something from her neck, and jabbed a leech-mushroom on
Usagi's arm, drawing out a few cubic centimeters of blood.

	"Owwwie!" complained Usagi at the sudden attack.  "Why did you do that, Arby?"

	"Collectin' samples," replied the 'Fish.  "Gotta collect samples for
scoientific experiments and such.  Wouldn't be proppa' if Oye didn't!"

	Usagi stared at him and decided not to ask.  She did, however, have a
question for him.  "How did you get here?  Are the others around?"

	"A'course!" replied Arby.  "They's off that way."  He pointed over to
where a giant shadow beast was blasting up the country side.  "Havin'
some roight noice fun, they is!"

	Sailor Moon's eyes went wide.  "Oh no, they're in trouble, I can feel
it!"  She started to move towards the distant battle, but she couldn't
manage to heft her friend's weight.  "Minako-chaan!" she whined,
tugging at Mynnako's arm.  "Wake uuuup!"

	"Moie work 'ere is done," Arby said with a smile, and fluttered off
for parts and purposes unknown.

---

	Luna clung to Tuxedo Kamen's cape as the next major blast passed by
them.  Through the efforts of Sailors Jupiter and Mercury, they'd
managed to survive for several minutes.  Nephrite was mostly standing
back and watching, but the towering monster, which was the
amalgamation of many humans turned into youma, attacked mercilessly
with black energy bolts.  Artemis had managed to scratch up Nephrite's
face a fair amount before being knocked back into the group.  Tuxedo
Kamen carried the dazed cat under one arm.

	"Sparkling Jupiter Lightning Shield!" shouted Sailor Jupiter as she
sent a bolt of expanding electricity forward to deflect or lessen the
latest strike from the shadowy abomination.

	"I'm not sure we can take much more of this," noted Sailor Mercury,
who sent a flurry of bubbles to bolster Jupiter's defensive move.
"And we still have to rescue Usagi!"

	"Okay, new plan!" Jupiter shouted back.  "Tuxedo Kamen, you take Luna
and Artemis and go ahead to find and rescue our princess.  Mercury and
I'll cover you!"

	"I can't just leave you to face this thing alone!" protested the masked man.

	"Quit it with the macho crap," retorted Makoto.  "We're stronger than
you, but you're faster and, heck, you can FLY.  Go save her!  We'll be
okay!"

	"Jupiter..." whispered Luna in awe of her sudden leadership skills.

	"Let's go," Artemis whispered to Mamoru.  "I think they'll be okay."

	Tuxedo Kamen hesitated, but in the end, he turned and ran, carrying
the cats along with him.

	Nephrite moved to block his escape, but was prevented from doing so
when Sailor Jupiter leapt up and delivered a sharp roundhouse kick to
his jaw.  The general sprang back to stand near the shadowy monster
for protection.

	Mercury hurried over to Jupiter's side.  "Good kick!" complimented
Ami.  "They got away."

	"And hey," Makoto added with a grin, "all that's left is to take
these guys down."  She saw the shadow-beast's next attack incoming.
"Sparkling Jupiter Lightning Shield!"

	"Freezing Soap Bubbles Spray!"  Ami sent her bubbles to bolster the
shield, giving it enough density to stop the shadow-bolt.  "But how
can we beat them?"

	"Easy," said Jupiter.  "I'll take Nephrite..."

	Ami nodded.  "Right."

	"And you can take the huge destructive fused shadow-thing."

	Ami nodded again.  "Got it."  She paused and then scowled when she
realized what her friend just said.  "Hey!"

	But Jupiter had already dashed up to fight the youma general.
Mercury looked at the shadow monster and saw that it was howling and
preparing another strike.

...

	"Oh dear."  Ami fired up her computer and scanned the monster as
quickly as she could.  Her visor confirmed the strength of the attack.
 It would definitely kill her if she actually let it hit.  "Lita," she
muttered to herself, "if I make it out of this alive, I'm going to
give you SUCH a pinch--"

	A rain of shadow spears fell.  She dodged by hopping out of the way.
Basic as the concept was, she was able to keep track of the attacks
and figured out exactly where they wouldn't fall at most given
moments.  She leapt, backflipped, and somersaulted over the
detonations, and the resulting rocks and debris didn't bother her that
much, though they did sting a bit when blasted at a particularly dense
angle.  She supposed that the shrapnel would have done some major
damage if she hadn't been protected by her Sailor Soldier magic.

	One would think that a bookish sort such as herself would have
difficulty thinking and planning while in a desperate struggle to save
her life.  But to her, the adrenalin rush felt great, and it was as
enjoyable as solving a particularly difficult set of math problems.
She liked math problems, almost as much as she liked writing.  Yes,
she nodded to herself, she had to win here because she had another
twenty-chapter epic to finish.  So what if Terra belittled her for
loving that American sitcom series so much?  The fan fiction was hers
and she loved it!

	Sailor Mercury continued scanning the shadow warrior's body and
energy emanations.  The attack pattern the monster was using didn't
take that much effort to figure out.  It was a simple twelve-shot
barrage that only required four hops, a somersault, and a flying leap
to avoid entirely.  She couldn't believe she wasted so much time and
effort trying to block such a trivial thing.  The monster's energy
pattern itself was composed of seven others: the people who had been
turned into youma and captured.  However, there was a thread that
bonded them together into some sort of giant war machine.

	Ami programmed her visor to display that energy thread across her
current view of the warrior.  The thread was in there pretty tightly,
but it was organized haphazardly, like the Seven Great Youma--or
whatever Nephrite called them--had simply been slapped together and
expected to function.  No wonder the thing was howling in anguish.  It
must have been going insane trying to keep track of that many
conflicting minds!

	It wasn't just an energy pattern; it included biochemical links.  If
some of them could be severed, Ami concluded, the entire thread should
simply fall apart.  She had her computer calculate what kind of energy
or chemical could be used to break down the bonds.  It responded with
an atomic model of the ideal solution.  It looked kind of familiar to
her, like something she'd seen in a book the other day.
"Acetylsalicylic acid?  Hmm.  Who would have thought?"  She dug around
in a bag of medical supplies she'd borrowed from her mother before
leaving for the Dark Kingdom.  Unfortunately, she failed to find the
item she sought.  "No Asprin?  What kind of medkit is this?!"  In the
next moment, she did locate some other kind of fever/headache-reducing
substance that was frequently substituted for Asprin.  "I wonder if
Acetametaphin will do the same job."

	Ami shook up the bottle of Tylenol like a can of spraypaint, dodged
closer, and chucked it into the shadow warrior's gaping maw.  It
caught on a jagged tooth that sheared the container open and spilled
the pills down its throat.

	The monster paused for a moment, leveled a finger at Mercury's face
and prepared another shadow bolt.  Then it split into seven fragments
and sent out a fission shockwave that knocked Ami backward onto her
rear.

	The residual shadow energy boiled off the fragments, each becoming
one of the Seven Great Youma from before the merge.  And then even
that image faded, leaving free the humans that they had been before.
Everyone including Rei's grandfather fell unconscious to the ground.

	"Oooh," commented Ami with a broad smile and her hair blown back from
the blast.  "Extra strength AND fast-acting!"

---

	Nephrite blocked one of Sailor Jupiter's kicks and sent her reeling
backwards.  She caught herself and regained her balance.  They'd been
fighting for only a little while, but it became readily apparent to
Makoto that he wasn't just a random clueless chump when it came to
fighting.  He combined hand to hand with the occasional energy-blast
and could summon some astronomical apparitions to aid him in his
fight.

	In fact, right now, Nephrite had summoned about a dozen
constellations to aid him in the fight.  Makoto recognized Orion from
the three-star belt, and she could tell Scorpio, Pisces, and Leo from
the blue animal shapes around them, but she couldn't figure out the
other ones.  Astronomy was cool and all, but it hardly had anything to
do with cooking or beating people to a bloody pulp, so she'd never
bothered to pick up much about it.

	"You're outnumbered," Nephrite stated.  "Surrender and I can
guarantee your life, for at least a time.  Metallia is nearly
awakened.  It is a matter of hours.  Minutes, perhaps.  Maybe I could
stop her from making an energy meal out of you."

	"Yeah," Jupiter muttered with a nod.  "This fight hardly seems fair,
doesn't it?"  She reached back and took out a small paperback book.
Holding it in her left hand, she started reading casually.  "There.
NOW we're even."

	Nephrite almost laughed.  "Well!  Aren't you the cocky one today!"

	Sailor Jupiter turned a page.  "Less talking.  More fighting!"

	The youma general sent all his astral projections at Sailor Jupiter
at once.  She severed Scorpio's tail with a sharp kick, squished
Pisces with a heavy knee drop, and she broke Orion's bow arm using
three fingers.  When the rest started to swarm her, she grunted and
yelled while building up lightning energy before finally releasing it
in a huge area-effect blastwave.

	What projections weren't instantly obliterated ran around sparking
and screeching pathetically.  Upon seeing this, the general hurled a
stiff blue energy shot at her, which she took straight in the chest
and barely flinched at.

	"How can this be?" boggled Nephrite.  "How can you have become so
powerful so quickly?!  Just days ago you were getting nearly killed by
some of our youma, and now... that didn't even faze you!"

	"I'm using my secret weapon, Neffie!"  Jupiter turned another page.
"Been holding it in reserve for such an emergency."

	"What secret weapon?  You aren't using any new tools, and your aura
hasn't changed in the slightest.  Again I ask, how can you be doing
this?!"

	Makoto grinned.  "I'll tell you after I beat the freaking heck out of you!"

	Nephrite stiffened.  "You have gained impressive powers, but I hardly
think that warrants such confidence?"

	"Oh really?  How do you explain THIS, then?"  Sailor Jupiter dashed
at him and thrust two fingers towards him, repeatedly hammering
various parts of his anatomy before he could react.

	Nephrite's eyes unfocused and he started to dance, singing, "I'm a
little teapot, short and stout!  Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout.  Tip me over, and pour me
out!"  When the general finally came back to his senses, he demanded
to know, "What in Metallia's name was that?!"

	"The 'I'm a Little Teapot' series of pressure points," replied
Makoto.  She had one hand raised above her head with a globe of
lightning developing around it.  It looked like she'd been preparing
it for as long as he had been singing.  "Speaking of pressure, here's
a little something I like to call... Sparkling Vital Pressure!"

	She hurled the ball at him at point blank range and nailed him in the
solar plexus.  The electricity burned him for a moment and knocked the
wind out of him before sending him end-over-end into a nearby ditch.

	It was just at a glance, but Nephrite read the title of Sailor
Jupiter's book.  It was, "The Little-Big Book of Insanely Powerful and
Really Idiotic Martial Arts Techniques, Pocket Edition."  A short
description on the back began with the heading, "Why train and study?
Learn as you go!"

	Sailor Mercury came from the nearby cratered battlefield and limped
up next to Jupiter to tapped her on the shoulder.  "Sailor Jupiter, I
have destroyed the gigantic shadow warrior amalgamation."

	"You did?!"  Makoto glanced back at her, then at the scarred
battlefield with the fallen former Seven Great Youma scattered about
it.  "Oh, you really did!  Cool!"

	Nephrite stared at them, agape.  "You, Sailor Mercury, of all people,
have beaten our Shadow Warrior?!"  He straightened.  "But we still
have your princess!"

	In the next instant, Tuxedo Kamen returned, carrying Sailor Venus on
his back.  Sailor Sailor Moon followed with the cats padding along
behind them.  "She's safe!" he announced, pointing to Usagi.  "And
Sailor Venus defeated Bruce singlehandedly."

	"Bruce is... BEATEN?!" shouted Nephrite in shock.

	"That's right!" Tuxedo Kamen replied.  "Sent him straight to Hell,
word has it."

	"You all have to be joking," the general continued, shaking his head
with disbelief.  "Mars eliminated the ghost graveyard, Jupiter can
defeat me with her bare hands, Mercury has destroyed a fusion of all
Seven Great Youma, and Sailor Venus has killed Bruce the White
ArbyFish?!"  He threw up his arms.  "I suppose the next thing you'll
tell me is that SAILOR CHIBIMOON just beat the snot out of QUEEN BERYL
with a RAINBOW TROUT!"

	"Excuse me, am I late for anything?" a familiar voice asked.  A
teenage girl with spiky red hair and a pink-highlighted sailor suit
came from around a large boulder.  She carried a very large fish over
one shoulder.

	"Great, just great."  Nephrite slapped his cheek and boggled at them
all.  "That's it, I'm leaving!"  He stood, took one last look at the
individuals surrounding him and, apparently deciding that he was
outnumbered, he teleported away.

	Sailor Chibimoon breathed a long sigh of relief.  "Hi, everyone."
She glanced around at the others present, as if to tally up the ones
who were left or to take attendance.

	"Chibimoon?" Sailor Moon took a step forward.

	"I'm here," said the redhead.  "I'll help you out.  Where is Sailor Mars?"

	Sailor Jupiter shook her head and looked down.  "She didn't make it."

	Chibimoon looked grim and whispered, "Oh my."

	"She sacrificed herself to get us through to here," Tuxedo Kamen said
hesitantly.

	The redhead frowned.  "She did?"

	"Unless she can survive at ground zero during an atomic detonation,"
added Mercury.

	"Oh."  Chibimoon looked genuinely concerned and saddened.  "I see.
That's terrible."

	"Sorry we don't have a signed card to give you," said Jupiter, "but
still I feel bad about a few things that... got said between us."

	Chibimoon laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck.  "I, ah,
kind of figured it was all just a big misunderstanding anyway.  It's
all okay, Makoto-chan."

	Suddenly, it was as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees.
Makoto coughed and nudged Mercury in the ribs.  Ami quietly started
typing things into her computer.

	"So," Jupiter said slowly, "how did you find us?"  She started to
take some sideways steps towards the girl.  "And what's with the
fish?"

	"The fish?  What fish?" asked Chibimoon.  She looked at the object in
her hand.  "Oh, it's..."  She shook it and its image quickly resolved
into a long pink wand with a heart motif.  "A glitch in the magic, I
guess.  I hid it--or, wanted to hide it.  Yes."  She nodded.

	"A glitch in what, exactly?" asked Ami.

	Sailor Moon had not seemed to notice what Jupiter and Mars had.
"Terra," she said softly, "I'm sorry about how we treated you before.
But I hope you know, we've got some things to talk about when we're
done here."

	Chibimoon nodded.  "Of course, Usagi-chan."  This time, Luna's eyes
went wide and she let out a short gasp.  In response, she grasped her
wand tightly and turned around to face what Luna must have been
looking at.  "Luna-san!  What is it?"  This time, Tuxedo Kamen's jaw
dropped slightly.

	"N-nothing," Luna hesitated in saying.  She looked at Artemis, who
nodded knowingly.

	"All right."  The one who appeared to be Sailor Chibimoon glanced
back at the unconscious people in the field behind them.  "Anyway, we
should pick up Rei's grandfather and the others to take them back to
Earth.  She would have at least wanted us to do that.  We haven't much
time before they send more after us.  We have to get back to Earth."

	Luna glanced uncertainly between the redhead and the unconscious
individuals.  She did not speak, but the other cat did.

	"Hold up," Artemis said.  "'Chibimoon,' why are you so anxious to get
us out of here?"

	Chibimoon looked down at him.  "Um, because we're in mortal danger
every minute we stay here?"

	"Nephrite said something when we were fighting," Jupiter noted.
"Metallia's just about to be awakened.  A matter of hours or even
minutes, he said.  What would you say if I thought we should try to go
and prevent her from awakening at all?"

	"I'm not sure we could stop it right now," Chibimoon replied
instantly.  "Queen Beryl is very powerful, and you're all looking very
tired.  Some of you are even injured.  We should go now, rest up, and
fight back when we're ready."

	"But Beryl's got the Silver Ginzuishou Crystal," Usagi said.  "How
would we even start to fight back later?"

	"You might be right."  The girl who appeared to be Chibimoon paused
in thought for a moment.  "Then you go.  Take these poor people home.
I'll stay and finish things here."

	"I don't think so."  Makoto looked at Mercury, who glanced rapidly
between her and Chibimoon, shrugging helplessly.  "We should try to go
stop Metallia NOW," Sailor Jupiter insisted.  "Shouldn't we,
Princess?"

	"Um, I don't know," Usagi hesitated.  Mercury nudged her stiffly.
"Oh, I mean, yes, we should go and face her right now."

	"That's a bad idea," said Chibimoon.  "I mean it, you should take
these people and go home."

	"Luna, Artemis," said Tuxedo Kamen, "can you get them back to Earth
by yourselves?

	"I suppose," replied Luna.  "If we give each a magical signature and
activate a homing spell, we might be able to if we're far enough from
Metallia's direct presence."  She closed her eyes for a moment and
rubbed her forehead.  "It... feels far enough for that to work."

	"Good, do it," said Tuxedo Kamen hurriedly.  The two cats left to
perform the task.

	"That's a good start," said Chibimoon, "But I really think you
shouldn't go and face Metallia yet!"

	Makoto grabbed Chibimoon firmly by the arm.  "Oh, we're going all
right, and you're coming too, so you can't alert whoever it is you're
working for."

	Chibimoon blinked.  "Working for?  What do you mean by that?"

	"We mean that we know you're an impostor," Mercury concluded.  "It
was difficult, but I discovered the magic you're using to disguise
yourself.  It's powerful.  I could have easily missed it if I wasn't
so sure you weren't really her."

	The redhead frowned deeply.  "Ami-chan, you must be mistaken!"

	"Our Terra doesn't use honorifics," Makoto said.

	"Oh, I'm sorry.  I meant just 'Ami!'"

	"Nice try," said Mercury, "but she hasn't spoken a polite sentence
since we first met her.  You, on the other hand, do both.  You're such
an obvious fake!"

	"Perhaps I turned over a new leaf?" suggested the redhead.  "Maybe
our argument was enough to convince me to be polite to you?"

	"You can drop the act," Tuxedo Kamen nearly growled.  "Who are you
and what have you done with Terra?"

	The person disguised as Sailor Chibimoon started to protest again,
but then stopped and looked down.  "I'm sorry.  Maybe this was a bad
idea.  I shouldn't have come like this."  She pulled out a small
pen-like device and tweaked something on it.  Her image flickered and
grew when the magic faded.  She became a tallish blonde.

	"Gwyneth Paltrow?!" Jupiter exclaimed.  "I loved you in Hook!"

	"But that was just a short cameo," said Gwyneth Paltrow.

	"Stop it."  Mercury shook her head.  "Please.  At least try to be
someone believable!"

	"Sorry!" the woman disguised as an actress said, and made another
adjustment.  "It's been a while since I've used one of these."

	"Colonel Sanders?!" Usagi cried when the new appearance flickered in.
 "And a bucket of chicken with your special herbs and spices?!  Thank
goodness!  I've been SO hungry!"

	"Oops!  Let me try again."

	"Aww!" said Usagi in disappointment when Colonel Sanders disappeared
in favor of a tallish brunette with a ponytail.  "Terra's mom?!"

	"Oops!"  Kasumi gasped.  "Um!  Pay no attention to the brunette with
the ponytail!" She fiddled with the pen once again.  Her hair went
platinum and went into a pair of long ponytails.  Her house dress
shifted into a floor-length white strapless gown with a bow at the
chest.

	"Queen Serenity?!"  Mercury ran another scan with her computer.  She
then frowned and did it again.  "Either the disguise is stronger this
time, or--"

	The person who appeared to be the ruler of the former Moon Kingdom
nodded.  "Yes, it's me.  I should not have hid from you.  I should
have been with you from the very start--"

	"Enough," said Sailor Venus.  "I recognize your voice and the way
you're talking."  She had regained consciousness a few moments ago.
Tuxedo Kamen helped her up.  The others looked at her.  "You're
definitely Terra's mom, aren't you?  Kasumi Incognita, right?"

	"The DNA profile is a match," Mercury said when her computer
completed the scan.  "She is registering as Terra's genetic parent."

	"Shouldn't you do a comparison with Queen Serenity's record just to
make sure?" the one who appeared to be Queen Serenity asked.

	"The proverbial jig is up," Mercury stated.  "You can stop
pretending, Incognita-san."

	Sailor Moon's eyes filled with comprehension.  "Oh, I get it.  You
borrowed some of Terra's stuff to disguise yourself and try to make
sure we got home safe, right?  I didn't know she had a disguise pen."

	"Oh!  Um.  Right, yes, that's what's happening."  Kasumi, still
disguised as Queen Serenity, gave a sheepish grin.  "I'm sorry for the
deception.  Terra is fine, but she's had a rough past few days and
needs some time to herself."

	"Why the disguise, Incognita-san?" asked Jupiter.

	"Didn't know she could use magic, either," muttered Venus.

	"Aw," said Sailor Moon, "Using magic's not so hard.  I mean, look at me!"
	
	Venus appraised the other blonde for a second and then said, "Point
well taken."

	"I thought you'd listen to me more quickly if I looked like someone
you were used to working with," Kasumi explained.  "Besides, I knew
she wasn't going to show up.  I figured it was harmless."

	"But you forgot we just had a major falling out with her," Jupiter pointed out.

	"I didn't forget," Kasumi said, "I just thought you would like to see
her again under better circumstances.  In any case, if you believe
Metallia is about to be reawakened, I'll accompany you to fight, but I
still think anyone who has been injured or can't fight should go home
for now."

	"I'm okay now," said Venus.  "A little winded, but not too bad."

	Everyone else agreed that none of them was badly hurt or would need to go home.

	"What about you, Incognita-san?" Usagi asked.  "You're not a Sailor
Soldier.  What if you got hurt?"

	"I, ah, have this?"  Kasumi held up an adorable wand.  "The Cutey
Moon Princess Sceptre Rod.  A scan against your computer's records
should confirm its authenticity."

	Mercury came closer, picked it up, and scanned it thoroughly.  "It...
is indeed from the Moon Kingdom.  It's real."  She looked at Kasumi.
"Where did you get it?"

	Kasumi started to respond, but Tuxedo Kamen cut in.

	"But can you use it?" the young man asked.

	"I'm a part-time architect and stay-at-home mother," Kasumi said.
"Of course I can use magical wands."  She took her wand, held it
aloft, waved it, and pointed at a suspicious-looking distant rock.
"Halation!"  Her voice, full of conviction and an attempt to do
damage, echoed as she spoke the word.

	Pink sparkles erupted from the top of the wand, followed by a stream
of jagged crescent-shaped yellow projectiles and triumphant Latin
chanting.  The half-hearted play attack hit with the force of a
nuclear mortar, creating a small mushroom cloud where it impacted,
blasting a bunch of debris into the air and forcing the others to
shield their eyes.  The ground cracked and shook beneath them.  The
Dark Kingdom equivalent of tumbleweed rolled by them.

	A youma that had been hiding atop that rock, invisible and spying on
them, was illuminated by the burst.  Crying out in agony as the energy
burned it away, it turned into dust and then crumbled into ashes that
were soon swept away.

	When the noise died down, Kasumi, still disguised as Queen Serenity,
hefted the wand over her shoulder and said, "I know this is your play
date, as it were, and I would simply hate to be something of a fifth
wheel, but would you mind if I please came along as a chaperone to
make sure everyone makes it through this safely?"

	Somewhat mesmerized by the display, the group stared at her.

	Her eyes wide, Ami asked, "All in favor of letting Terra's mom
chaperone the assault on Queen Metallia?"

	All hands went up.

	"That," Kasumi said and nodded to herself.  "That's how I should have
approached this from the start.  I'm so bad at this."

---

	Queen Beryl observed the sleep chamber that housed a large slimy pink
pod which contained Metallia's remains.  Something wreathed in shadows
writhed within.  She watched eagerly as stolen energy flowed into the
container, and a dry voice spoke to her mind.

	I... AM ALIVE?

	The woman clasped her hands together and knelt.  "Yes, my Empress!
You are alive, thanks to my efforts!"

	I SENSE THE TAINT OF THE MOON KINGDOM IN THIS REALM!

	"The Sailor Soldiers have invaded, but I sent my most powerful
minions after them.  They will not trouble us for long."

	FOOL!  YOUR FORCES LIE IN RUINS!!

	Beryl frowned deeply.  "Impossible!  Not only did we send our Great
Shadow Warrior after them, but one of my generals and even a White
ArbyFish went to fight!"

	THEY COME NEAR AND MY POWERS ARE NOT YET FULLY AWAKENED.  STOP THEM!
SEE TO IT PERSONALLY!

	"Y-yes, Empress!"

	Queen Beryl took her staff, hitched up her skirt and dashed out of the chamber.

...

	Beryl passed by Nephrite on her way out.

	The general knelt before her.  "I have failed you, my queen!"

	"You and everyone else," Beryl spat.  "How did they manage to stop
Bruce?!  How did they defeat the graveyard army?  How was my Shadow
Warrior beaten?!"

	"But at least you weren't beaten to within an inch of your life with
a rainbow trout," noted Nephrite.

	"Well, yes, we do have that, but--TROUT!?  WHAT IN THE BLAZES ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT?!"

	"N-nothing, my queen!"

	"Good!  Now stay here and feed all of the energy you can gather into
Metallia's chamber.  I'm going to destroy those insufferable Sailor
Brats once and for all!"

	Nephrite gulped.  "By yourself, my lady?"

	"You have failed me, and no one else of consequence remains.  Now go
feed our empress.  Cannibalize the remaining youma if you have to.
One way or another, we are ending this now!"

---

	Kasumi had Sailor Moon lead the way to the Dark Kingdom Palace.  The
cats had departed with the ones who previously were the Seven Great
Shadow Youma and the ones who remained seemed to be doing well enough.
 Surprisingly, they encountered no resistance on their way up.  A
chilled wind blew dust off the broken stairs and their footsteps
echoed across the barren landscape.

	The portcullis was wide open when they reached it, and Queen Beryl
stood in the doorway, her staff crackling with power in one hand, and
the Silver Ginzushou Crystal remained silently ready in the other.

	"Queen Serenity," Beryl said to the woman behind the approaching
group, "it has been such a long time.  And here I thought Thomas had
made sure you were gone forever."

	"Queen Beryl," Kasumi greeted.  "So nice to meet you... again."

	"When you died I was just a figurehead," continued the corrupted
ruler, "but now I am the Mistress of the Silver Crystal!"

	"You're only the mistress of evil, Beryl," Kasumi replied.  "If you
give the crystal to me, I'll do my best to free you from Metallia's
control."

	"Good idea!" whispered Sailor Moon.  "Does anyone have a guitar?
Should we sing a song?"

	The other girls hushed her.

	"Hey, it's a good idea!" Usagi protested.  She hummed and tried to
warm up her voice.  "Mi mi mi mi!  Dynamite, dynamie, dynamite...
explosion?"  Her voice started cracking when she tried to hit some of
the deeper notes.  "Aww."

	"I'll give you a choice," Beryl said at the group.  "You may leave
now, or you may stay to feed Metallia's awakening.  What do you
choose?"

	"How about none of the above?" Sailor Moon replied.  "How about we
stop you, then we stop Metallia, and then we go home and live happily
ever after!"

	Beryl laughed.  "Oh, how comical.  Who in the grand depths of Hades
do you think I am?!"

	Without another word, Beryl swing her wand forward and cackled
maniacally when its corrupted energies lashed out at Tuxedo Kamen and
the girls.

	Kasumi raised her cute wand.  A hemispherical barrier sprang up and
blocked the attack.  She was obviously straining as she swung it
around and sent the energy rebounding back at Beryl, who deflected it
off to the side with her own staff.  A loud explosion rocked a distant
wall of the palace.

	"I'm here to make sure everyone makes it home safely," said the
platinum-blonde.  Aside, to her group, she said, "Girls--and
guy--please go in and stop the demon goddess from reviving.  The
adults need to do some grown-up talk outside."

	Angrily, Beryl stepped forward and spat, "None shall pass!"

	Kasumi aimed her wand and said, "Halation!"

	Queen Beryl's jaw dropped when her barrier nearly buckled from the
strike.  Momentarily staggered, she failed to right herself in time
before Kasumi's next move.

	Kasumi held up her free hand and looked intently at the rock beneath
Beryl's feet.  The stone lifted into the air a few inches, and the
stay-at-home mom swung her arm sharply to the side.  Beryl went flying
into the air.  "Go now!" Kasumi half-shouted at her companions, who
quickly obeyed.

	Beryl righted herself midair and levitated downward.  She shot bolts
of crackling lightning at the entrance where most of the group was
running, but Kasumi darted forward and created a barrier to absorb the
strike.  By the time they were all through, Kasumi's barrier was
weakening and she panted from the effort.

	The evil queen stopped her attack and floated to the ground.  Her
eyes narrowed as she examined Kasumi's appearance.  "Are you REALLY
Queen Serenity?" she asked incredulously.  "I remember her being far
more formidable than you."

	"Does it matter?" Kasumi asked.  "Come now.  Forget about your demon
goddess.  Face me now.  It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?  Me,
groveling at your feet?  A certain princess gone and a handsome prince
at your side?"

	"I will dispatch you quickly," Beryl said and looked past her down
the entranceway.  "Then I will go to aid Metallia!"

	"No!  Take your time," Kasumi said.  "Pay attention to ME.  If your
goddess is so powerful, surely she can take care of herself for a few
more moments?  Savor this battle."

	The words seemed to affect Beryl in a very measurable way.  "Yes,"
she almost hissed at the pleasure of the thought.  "I will wear you
down, slowly.  I will make you beg for mercy, like a dog."  Black
lightning arced between her fingers.  Her staff levitated in front of
her while she carried the Silver Ginzushou Crystal, drawing strength
from both sources.

	"Oh my," whispered Kasumi to herself as she nervously took a step
back, "what have I gotten myself into?"

---

	On Earth, in the Incognita household, and oblivious to the life and
death struggle happening a dimension away, Terra Incognita finished
her long soak in the furo.  She got dressed, plodded downstairs in a
loud, slow way that suggested she felt like her feet were made out of
lead, and when she reached the living room, she took a deep breath and
declared, "Okay, I'm ready now!"

	Setsuna was reading a thick fashion book.  She briefly looked up at
the girl and smiled before returning to her studies.

	"Oh?"  The Star Light Knight looked up from his tinkering at the
table.  "Ready to go fight the Dark Kingdom now?"

	"Um, no, sorry," Terra replied.  "I meant that I'm ready to go out
for some ice cream."

	The armored man groaned at her.  He seemed frustrated.  "Your mom
left you a note, by the way," he sighed, and pointed at the paper
under the magnet on the refrigerator.

	Terra walked over and retrieved it.  She saw that it was in her
mother's handwriting.  "Dear Terra," it read, "I've gone off to fight
evil and rescue your friends.  They're my friends too, remember.
Love, Mom.  P.S.  It's okay, don't worry, I'll take care of it."

	"Oh, cool," Terra said in a monotone voice.  Her expression showed
that she was weary and out of touch with a lot of what was going on
around her.  "Glad that's getting handled, then.  Who wants ice
cream?"

	Setsuna put away her reading material and stood.  "I would love to go
with you, Terra.  I would also like to buy it for you, if you would
permit me the pleasure."  She hesitated.  "I mean, I would not
presume--"

	The redhead looked sadly at her.  "Um.  Sure?  If you don't mind?  I
mean, if it's no problem?"

	"It's no trouble at all," Setsuna said eagerly.

	"Wait."  S.L.K. held up a hand.  "Everyone's off fighting the
Negamafoozles in the Dark Kingdom-maverse.  Don't you think you should
go help--"

	"Mom said she'd handle it!" Terra replied quickly.

	"Fine," said the knight.  He picked up his tools, closed the opened
panel on his robotic leg, and stood.  "I'll hit my cloaking device and
tail along with you two.  But keep in mind, if your mom and the girls
don't make it, Earth won't be far behind.  It'll be like the Moon
Kingdom all over again, but this time without any ships or shields
protecting the planet."

	"Maybe," admitted Terra softly.  "But look at it this way: probably
the best thing for everyone is for me to stay calm and try not to
destroy the planet so they have something to come back to."  She
raised a finger.  "And that means ice cream.  Now!"

	"Pfft.  Whatever."  S.L.K. rolled his eyes.  "Okay, let's go get you
some sugar and fat, kid."

	"And what delicious sugar and fat it will be!" Terra retorted.

---End of Chapter 24

And now it's time for... MIND YOUR MANNERS!!! with Sailor Nuke.

(Eternal Sailor Venus clashes with Bruce)

Sailor Nuke:  Today, we learned that whenever power fails you...

(Sailor Synergy beats up the White ArbyFish)

Sailor Nuke:  YOU JUST NEED MORE OF IT!!

(Ribbons comes out of the portal and chats with Bruce)

Sailor Kawaii:  On the other hand, when even more power fails, try
acting cute.  You can usually get your way then.

(Ribbons and Bruce hop downwards into the pit of eternal torment)

Sailor Kawaii:  Better yet, get somebody else to be cute as well and
things will get done a lot faster.  Sailor Kawaii says.  Tee-hee!

Sailor Nuke:  But don't forget your primary solution:  more power and
more explosions!  Sailor Nuke sez.  BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!


"I'm a little teapot, short and stout..."

You don't have to be crazy to enjoy this series, but it helps.  Oh
yes, it helps indeed. <.<  >.> =^.^=

"Da ne?"

"DA NE JA NAI!!"

The next chapter needs a touch more work.  May not have it out this
week.  Thanks for reading!

-- 
Benjamin A Oliver
benjamin.a.oliver at gmail.com

Technical Writer / Translator
M3 Engineering & Technology

Master of Science in Management Information Systems
Eller College of Management
University of Arizona

Writings: Fan Fiction
http://boliver.florestica.com/

Webcomic: Nuke 'Em 'Till They Glow!! The Early Years
http://nettg.com