From Beyond
Continuing
Knocked flat on her back by the attacks, Sailor Pluto had not lost consciousness, but was breathless and aching.
"She's down," Sailor Oornahfthae observed triumphantly.
"But not for good," Sailor Jancarmsa continued, "we can't let our guards down yet."
Pluto strained to hear their hushed conversation as her head spun. I have to make a moving target of myself. I think I am stronger than them, and they look exhausted. I'll wear them out by the time my help arrives. She reaches for her time key and used it to pull herself up from the dusty, cold ground, her muscles protesting every movement. As she rose, her adversaries seemed distracted by their own conversation.
"We don't want to kill her," Jancarmsa said firmly, "We just need to immobilize her long enough to power up and move on."
"Since she doesn't seem to want to help us," Nearah griped, dusting herself off.
"Why do you think that I would help you kidnap my High Queen, or worse?" Pluto asked loudly, as she walked confidently towards them, trying to hide her stiffness. "I am one of her guardians!"
"But that's not what we—" Sailor Yahrn protested.
"We only want to—" Sailor Deethbws shouted to be heard over her companion.
Both were cut short by Pluto's attack. "Chronos Cyclone!" she yelled.
The two protesting senshi were struck by the attack and knocked off their feet, taking Nearah to the ground with them.
"Deewsdae! Yahrn!" Oornahfthae shrieked.
Heaving the two smaller girls and herself to their feet, the green-clad soldier growled, "I've had enough of your bullying! You think you can face all five of us alone? Nearah Thorn—" Before she could finish her attack, her face, as well the faces of her companions, drained of color. Their eyes focused on something behind Pluto.
"Invited by a new era, Soldier of Magnificence, I am Sailor Uranus!"
"Invited by a new era, Soldier of Embrace, I am Sailor Neptune!"
"There's more of you?" Sailor Oornahfthae moaned.
"Sailor Senshi?" Sailor Neptune whispered to Uranus in hushed shock as they approached Sailor Pluto.
Deewsdae, hand on her control bracelet, quickly examined the new soldiers. Tapping Sailor Jancarmsa on the arm, she whispered, "They're just as powerful as Sailor Pluto. Our odds don't look good."
"Have these girls been giving you trouble?" Uranus asked loudly, clearly unbothered by being outnumbered.
"They want to us to let them get at Queen Serenity," Pluto summarized so quietly that only her two companions could hear her. "From right to left it's Sailor Nearah, Sailor Yahrn, Sailor Deewsdae, Sailor Jancarmsa, who appears to be the leader, and Sailor Oornahfthae."
"That's a bold move to make, attacking you and demanding the queen," Uranus assessed.
"I don't understand though," Neptune said slowly, "Why would the senshi of the Moodahrn Sheernshahdae system want to attack us?"
Before either girl could respond, Sailor Nearah announced, "Enough pleasantries! Forest Call!"
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto scattered out of the way of the attack across the loose ground and immediately whirled around to return fire.
"World Shaking!"
"Deep Submerge!"
"Dead Scream!"
Nearah, caught off-guard by the quick retaliation, took the full effect of the three attacks all at once. She screamed as if her insides were being torn out then collapsed into the dust, moaning weakly.
"Rinnale!" Jancarmsa screamed and ran over to her, the other three hesitantly following. The tall soldier knelt down next to her friend and gently lifted her head into her lap. "Rinnale, are you alright?"
Sailor Nearah wheezed out a sort of laugh. "Do I look alright?" she asked, jokingly.
Points of green light began to emit from her body.
"Rinnale! You're—" Oornahfthae started, but Nearah waved her fingers to silence her.
"I know," she said weakly. "Ialla, I'm sorry I couldn't have done more for you…" she trailed off, gasping for breath.
"Don't say that," Jancarmsa said firmly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I tried…" she whispered as her eyes went out of focus, "I'm coming Ikio, Nemai…" Nearah's eyes gently drooped shut and her body grew limp as the last of the green light floated up to space.
"No!" Sailor Jancarmsa screamed, releasing her friend's body.
"Rinnale!" Oornahfthae wailed.
"Come back to us!" Yahrn whispered hopefully.
Meanwhile, Deewsdae stood in mute shock.
"She's dead," Neptune observed, clearly unsure whether to be proud or horrified. She had never killed another person before.
"One less senshi to fight," Pluto added unenthusiastically.
Sailor Jancarmsa stood slowly, her deep blue eyes cold and full of hate. "We will show no mercy," she announced.
"And neither will we," Sailor Uranus retorted with indifference equal to her coldness.
"But we still have you outnumbered," Oornahfthae said firmly, both to discourage her enemies and to encourage her friends.
"No," a young voice disagreed, "You don't."
Everyone's eyes darted around, in search of the source of the voice. Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune already knew who the new arrival was.
Sailor Saturn stepped out from behind a large boulder with a slight grimace on her otherwise blank face. "Invited by a new era, Soldier of Death and Rebirth, I am Sailor Saturn!"
