Episode 10: A Fight to the Finish
It was late into the night. Our girls had gone out to the park and were just taking in a perfect evening to relax and look at the stars.
"I love looking at the constellations. It's so much fun to spot them out," Frankie remarked. She raised a finger to the sky. "Look! There's Pegasus! And Orion! And Andromeda! And Scorpio!"
"You sure know where all these stars are," Cleo said sarcastically. Frankie nodded.
"My dad used to take my brother and I out on summer nights to look at the stars. I forgot how much I loved it." Suddenly, a villainous laughter rang across the sky. Lightning flashed, causing the girls the jump closer to each other. Watzit got between Frankie's arms, and Hissette coiled tighter around Cleo's arm. Clouds began to swirl in the sky and formed a misty form of Valentine.
"I have come to challenge you to a duel Sailor Stein, Sailor Zombie and Sailor Mummy," said the form. "Meet me at the main runway at the airport, one o'clock tomorrow night. Otherwise…" The city around them erupted into flames.
"Stop!" Julia screamed. Valentine laughed.
"That's only an illusion. But if you don't show up, I'll burn this place to ashes! This time for real!" The form faded into the sky, and everyone relaxed.
"Valentine is going to burn the city to the ground," said Watzit, burying his head in Frankie's lap. "You have to stop him."
"That'sss right," Hissette added. "You have to anssswer to hisss evil challenge."
"It is a trick," said Julia, "It is too dangerous for us."
"It seems like it doesn't really matter," Cleo added. "We have no choice. Otherwise, that vampire will burn the city to ashes." Watzit sighed.
"What do you girls think?" he asked.
"I say we fight him."
"We need a good plan," Julia replied to Cleo. "He will beat us if we do not. Frankie?" Frankie shook her head, her black hair with its white streak whipping her face and the faces of the others around her.
"Me fight Valentine? Are you kidding?" she said. "Me? Cute little Frankie? No way!" Everyone groaned. Although, in the end, the Sailor Guardians took the challenge anyway.
The next day, Frankie was scared. Tonight, she was going to have to face Valentine. Of course, she wasn't going to be alone. She had Cleo and Julia to back her up, but it still freaked her out a little. What if they failed? Frankie had heard that there would be at the airport that night. What if they wouldn't allow the girls to pass?
At school, Frankie sat at the window, distracted by the coming event. Around her, her classmates were talking about the duel. Frankie's ears caught a few of them talking about going out to the airport to watch it.
'If they go out, they're going to get hurt,' Frankie thought to herself. 'Which is all the more reason we shouldn't go out there! But then… oh… what am I going to do?'
"It must have been a hologram or something," suggested Holt. Cy shook his head.
"No way!" he said. "It must be aliens, I just know it. They're going to wipe out the human race!"
"Cy…" droned Rebecca. "Your geek side is showing."
"Come on, guys!" said Melody as she stood. "Going to watch sounds like fun. Why don't we all go out to the airport together?" All three Sailor Guardians- who were in the same classroom- perked upon hearing those words.
"No!" Frankie, Julia and Cleo shouted in unison. Everyone fell silent as Cleo and Julia walked over.
"What are you three doing?" asked Cleo, twirling her hair around her finger. "This is serious."
"You can not be close to there," Julia said. Frankie nodded quickly.
"That's right!" she chirped in. "You guys should really listen to them."
"You have got to be joking…" moaned Melody.
"But it is really dangerous! And we should know because-" Cleo and Julia covered Frankie's mouth before she could reveal their secret. The group of non-guardians blinked at her.
"Are you alright, Frankie?" asked Jackson. "I know you can be overprotective of your friends, but this is going a little over the edge." He put a hand on Frankie's forehead, but she batted it away.
"I'm fine." Holt shook his head.
"You don't seem fine, Firework," said the redhead. "Hey, Jackson! I say we take Frankie home. She doesn't look too good. She's looking a little… green…" Frankie stiffened at the mention of green. It reminded her of her Sailor form. Which then reminded her of the duel. Which reminded her of Valentine and the fact that she would have to face him tonight. Frankie began to turn a sickly green before proceeding to release anything she had for breakfast on the floor.
"Yeah… we're taking you home," said Jackson.
Frankie walked home between Jackson and Holt, giving them directions on the way to her house.
"I don't see why you guys didn't believe me," Frankie groaned. "I was being serious. It's just not fair." Frankie heard Holt laughed under his breath. She shot him a look. "Holt!"
"Sorry, Firework," said Holt as he stopped laughing. "I can't help but saying that when you're serious… it just doesn't fit you." Frankie blinked with a blank expression.
"What?"
"You're a really fun and happy person, Firework. When you turn all serious, it just doesn't click. You're not really yourself, and I find that really uncool. I like it a whole lot more when you are yourself. What kind of person wouldn't like you?" Frankie's face heated up to a bright red. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Jackson reaching over and digging his nails into Holt's shoulder, making his brother wince.
Frankie, meanwhile, had her mind shift to the one person she had developed an attraction for. She spun around happily, eventually tripping on a crack in the sidewalk. She fell onto the grass next to the concrete, and in the process her shoe had flown off of her foot. Frankie groaned as she stood up, brushing the dirt off of her clothes. She turned, only to see the back and white striped heel in Jackson's hand.
"Sorry about that," Frankie said as the boys walked over to her.
"It's fine, Heterochrome," said Jackson, fixing his glasses. "I'm just glad that-"
"Don't call me that." Frankie groaned out of frustration for the nickname. "Why did it have to be you on which my shoe landed?"
"But I-" Jackson sighed. "Nevermind. But maybe you should act a little more serious. I mean, you just-" Frankie shook her head.
"No way, Jackson. I have to be myself." The image of Sailor Stein and her freaky flaws formed in Frankie's mind, along with Tuxedo Mask. She blushed. "There's a guy I think likes me, but it's only when I'm really myself!"
"He sounds like a real winner…" said Jackson with bad sarcasm in his voice. Frankie's narrowed.
"I'll bet that he's far smarter than you'll ever be!"
"I don't know, maybe he isn't. He can't be too smart if he likes you." Jackson's voice faltered as Frankie's blue and green welled up with tears.
"I don't care what you say about me, but to talk about him like that…" Frankie snatched her shoe from Jackson's hand before running off. Jackson sighed as Holt put a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Real smooth, bro," said Holt, "Making the girl you like cry. Not very smart."
"You're not helping," Jackson said, taking Holt's hand off of him.
"You do realize you also insulted yourself. Right?"
"Holt, can you do me a favor? As my brother?"
"Uh… sure, Jackson. What is it?"
"Please be quiet."
Frankie ran all the way home without stopping. Eventually, she did stop crying from what Jackson had said, from him insulting Tuxedo Mask. As soon as she got home, she changed out of her uniform and laid down on her bed. She just laid there for hours until she fell asleep.
Frankie wasn't woken up until her phone went off. She groaned as she grabbed it.
"Hello?" she said with a yawn.
"FRANKIE STEIN!" Frankie jumped at the voice on the other end. It was Cleo, and she did not sound pleased. "Where are you?!"
"What are you talking about?" Cleo growled.
"I've been texting you for the past hour. Julia, Watzit, Hissette and I have been waiting out in front of your house for an hour. Have you forgotten about our little fight with Valentine?" Frankie covered her mouth.
"No!"
"Then get out here! Don't forget that locket of yours!" Frankie nodded and hung up. She grabbed her locket from off of her vanity and ran out of her basement. She ran out of her house, shutting the door behind her. How she didn't wake up her brother and parents, she'll never know.
Frankie ran over to the others, who were standing across the street. None of them spoke to each other, instead they burst into a sprint, running as fast as they could to the train station, which was the closest form of transportation to the airport.
"I don't see why you had to go and fall asleep!" yelled Cleo as they ran into the train station.
"I had nothing to do! What else was there?" Frankie said back. Cleo groaned as they continued to run.
"Will you stop fighting?"said Julia as she ran the best she could behind the two. The three girls eventually made it to the railway, where a single train sat. Frankie sighed.
"I think we might have missed the last train to the airport…"
"Oh, no," said Cleo as she crossed her arms over her chest. "There is no way I'm running all the way across town!" Suddenly, the doors on the car closest to the girls opened, making them jump.
"You will not have to, Cleo," stuttered Julia. "It looks as if Valentine took care of it." The girls walked into the car, their guardians following them. "We must be careful." The girls sat down in the car. The door slammed shut. They jumped.
"I feel like you were right, Julia," said Frankie. "Valentine might be leading us into a trap!"
Frankie looked out the window as the train started moving. She felt like throwing up all over again. She sighed and looked at her friends. Cleo was twirling her transformation pen in her fingers. Julia was… wait… what was she doing? Frankie got up and walked over to the blue haired girl. She had something in her arms.
"Hey, Jules," she said. Julia jumped. "Whoa, calm down. It's just me." Frankie sat next to her. "Whatcha got there?" Julia sighed.
"It is no thing," she replied. Frankie blinked.
"You're lying. Tell me what it is." Julia sighed again. She opened her arms to show Frankie what she had in them. Frankie's eyes grew bright.
"Oh. My. God!" she said. In Julia's arms was a baby owl. He was a baby blue shade with wide yellow eyes. "He is so cute!" She blinked. "Julia. Why'd you bring an owl with you?"
"Julia did what?" Both girls looked up to see Cleo walking towards them. She leaned over the chair. "Why do you have a bird with you?" Julia's owl flew a little bit and perched itself on his owner's shoulder.
"I thought that…" Julia stuttered. "He wanted to come. I have not let him come. He is little. I do not want him to get hurt."
"What's his name?" Frankie asked. Julia smiled.
"Sir Hoots a Lot." That's when Watzit jumped onto Frankie's lap. "I found in my yard the next day I came. He had a broken wing, so I took him and helped heal him. I tell you I had a pet home, yes?" Frankie nodded. That's when Watzit began to lick the owl's face gently. The girls stared at him.
"Watzit, stop that," said Frankie as he pulled her dog away. "What were you just doing?" Watzit looked up at her.
"What?" he said, "It's how I say hi to an old friend." The trio blinked.
"Hold on a second," said Cleo. "What are you talking about?"
"You all have animal guardians. Frankie, you found me shortly before you became a Sailor Guardian, right?" Frankie nodded.
"You were being beaten by some bratty kids," she clarified. Cleo hummed as Hissette coiled up her arm. She began to stroke the snake.
"I found Hissette when I moved to my father's shrine," she explained. "She was hiding in some of the altars." Hissette hissed, as if she was agreeing with her owner. Watzit nodded. "Hold on, are you saying that Julia's little owl is her animal guardian?" Watzit nodded.
"Yes." The girls remained in silence for a second. That's when the train came to a stop. "Looks like we're here…"
The girls carefully walked out of the train car and to the airport, which wasn't very far. They ran inside, only to find several armed policemen standing around the place.
"Wow," said Frankie nervously. "There are sure a lot of police here…" Cleo crossed her arms over her chest.
"Nothing must have happened yet," she said. Julia shuddered.
"There is something strange in all this ..." said the brunette girl. Suddenly, Cleo became stiff and whipped around.
"WATCH OUT!" The others turned to see three of the police aimed to attack the girls. Cleo narrowed her eyes and raised her foot. She kicked a nearby policeman, knocking him to the ground. She turned around and grabbed Julia's hand. "I say we run." The three began sprinting down through the airport, weaving in and out of their attackers.
"What are they doing?" Frankie panted, "Aren't the police supposed to be, I don't know, protecting us?!" The girls burst through the gates and onto the runway, with the police still chasing them. Eventually, one of the girls got tired of this. Julia pulled her hand out of Cleo's and stopped running. She turned to face the policemen.
"This is madness!" Julia said as she dug out her transformation pen. She held it up. "ZOMBIE POWER! MAKE-UP!" The red crystal on her pen glowed brightly, streaming it's light down Julia's body. As soon as it faded, the undead Sailor Zombie was standing in front of the guards. Cleo came to a halt. She smirked.
"Good idea, Julia," said Cleo as she pulled out her own transformation pen. "MUMMY POWER! MAKE-UP!" Cleo's crystal glowed brightly and shrouded her in yellow light. It dissipated, the bandaged Sailor Mummy was standing beside her undead teammate. Frankie stopped running and saw her friends, transformed and ready to fight.
"I guess I should do something too…" Frankie said as she pulled off her locket. She held it up. "STEIN PRISM POWER! MAKE-UP!" The locket popped open, illuminating Frankie in it's black-and-blue light. It dimmed out, and left the stitched up Sailor Stein behind.
Sailor Zombie tapped the edges of her glasses. Her transparent visor crossed over them. Numbers danced across her vision as the visor scanned the policemen, most likely looking for some trace of the Dark Kingdom. A conclusion cross her visor. Sailor Zombie gasped as she dismissed it.
"They are not even human!" she told the other Scouts, "They are made from mud!" Sailor Mummy stepped forward.
"I'll handle them," she said. "SAND STORM!" Sand cut through the mud-people, sinking into them. The sand took up the water in the mud, allowing the figures to crumble into dirt. Sailor Mummy grinned. "And that's that."
"That was amazing!" commented Sailor Stein. The girls perked up when they heard a slow lapping from above. Looking up, they saw Valentine standing above them with a smirk on his face.
"They're screwed," said Watzit as he and the other guardians sat from the sidelines. Hissette nodded in agreement as Valentine confronted the girls.
"Sailor Stein, Sailor Zombie and Sailor Mummy," said the vampire, "Now I've got you right where I want you."
"Oh no! He saw us transform!" Sailor Stein whispered. Valentine walked closer to the Sailor Guardians.
"It's a shame, really. You all are so young, and you've hardly had any time to enjoy your lives, but I'm afraid that's all over!" Sailor Stein shook her head.
"No way, Valentine! You can't defeat us!"
"As long as we stay together," Sailor Zombie added. Sailor Stein nodded. Valentine groaned.
"Enough talk, girls," he said. "It's time for battle." Valentine turned and shot out beams from his hands. The hit two of the jets nearby. They turned and started moving directly towards the girls. Valentine grinned and jumped out of the way. The jets headed straight for the Scouts. Sailor Mummy narrowed her eyes.
"I'll use my power to get rid of these!" she said.
"Cleo!" snapped Hissette from the sidelines, "If you destroy that jet, it will take over a thousand years to pay it back!" Sailor Mummy groaned.
"I can understand something that works," said Sailor Zombie.
"What?" asked Sailor Stein, confused by her manner of speech.
"We run." Sailor Mummy then grabbed Sailor Zombie's hand and the girls began to run from the approaching danger.
"Too bad, ghouls," laughed Valentine as he watched the girls from down below. "Looks like I win-" Something shot through Valentine's vision. The vampire' eyes widened. The jets stopped moving towards the Sailor Guardians. The Scouts stopped running, staring in amazement at the jets.
"They just stopped…" muttered Sailor Stein.
"Are you still picking on these girls?" said a voice from behind Valentine. Valentine narrowed his red eyes as he turned. Behind him was Tuxedo Mask.
"How nice it is to see you, Tuxedo Mask," Valentine said sarcastically. "And by that, I mean the opposite. Are you here to share the fate your precious Sailor Guardians are going to suffer?" Tuxedo Mask shook his head, drawing out a rose.
"I'm here to stop you," he said, "You only you your power for evil. That is a big mistake."
"Tuxedo Mask!" said Sailor Stein happily when she saw the masked man. Tuxedo Mask's attention was drawn to the green-skinned girl. He turned a bright red. Suddenly, Valentine lunged forward. He wrapped his arms around Tuxedo Mask's waist and forced him downwards off the building they were on. They plunged down into the water body next to the airport. "TUXEDO MASK!" Sailor Stein and the others ran to the water's edge. She knelt down to the water, searching for a sign of the two. She pulled back when a single rose floated to the surface. She took it in her hands as tears prick her eyes.
Valentine broke through the water's surface, hovering inches above it. He laughed, watching the Scouts. Sailor Stein looked up at him.
"Where is he?!" she cried, "Where's Tuxedo Mask?!" Valentine laughed.
"That rose is all that's left of him," he said. A tear slid down Sailor Stein's cheek. "Tuxedo Mask didn't stand a chance against me. Now it's your turn. Do you really think you can defeat me?" Sailor Mummy straightened with a glare.
"We can defeat you!" she yelled, "And everything you send at us!"
"That is true" Sailor Zombie added "We fight for love, justice, wisdom and passion!" Sailor Stein wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up.
"Together we will prevail!" she shouted. "Down with the Dark Kingdom!"
"So much speech making…" droned Valentine. "Behold my power!" He sent beams towards the jets again. They turned and came towards the Sailor Guardians. The Scouts began to run again.
"Don't be fooled by the jet!" braked Watzit from his spot as he watched the girls run. "Your enemy is the one that is moving the jet!" The girls screeched to a halt.
"The right to Watzit," said Sailor Zombie, "We must work together."
"It's Valentine we have to stop," Sailor Mummy added. She turned to Sailor Stein. "Sailor Stein, you'll divert the jet. Make it follow you!" Sailor Stein paled.
"What?!" she exclaimed, "Why me?!"
"It's part of the plan, don't question the plan!" Sailor Stein nodded as continued running in the opposite direction.
"Undead Mist!" said Sailor Zombie, letting her red mist obscure everyone's vision but the Scouts.
"It's not fair!" Sailor Stein muttered to herself as she ran, "Why am I always the one running for my life?!" She groaned. "I can't keep this up forever!" Up above, Valentine seethed as he lowered himself to the ground.
"What is with this mist?" he said, "I can't see anything!"
"This way!" Valentine turned to see Sailor Zombie waving her arms. Valentine narrowed his eyes and sent another beam at her. Sailor Zombie moved out of the way, allowing the beam to strike a jet. She began running from it.
"Easy pickings…" Valentine laughed. He didn't notice Sailor Mummy sneaking up on him.
"My ancestors, lend me my strength," she muttered, "Son of Osiris, God of the sky, grant me your power!" She ran forward and placed a hand on Valentine's back. Gold light streamed out from her palm, weaving into the Eye of Horus. She jumped back, leaving the symbol behind.
"What?" Suddenly, the jets turned on Valentine, causing them to come straight at him. "Why are they coming after me?" The Sailor Guardians walked over to Valentine, feeling victorious.
"You underestimated us, Valentine," said Sailor Stein. "When we put our minds to it, we become unstoppable."
"Tell me how on Earth you did this!"
"All of your thoughts are wicked," Sailor Mummy explained.
"You are caught in your own trap. Just as you deserve," said Sailor Zombie. "Now, Sailor Stein!" Sailor Stein pulled off her tiara. She walked over to Valentine. She took him by the shoulder, and- to everyone's surprise- she tore off the coat he had. She threw it up in the air.
"Stein Tiara Boomerang!" she shouted. She threw her tiara so that it cut the coat in half.
"What did you just do?!" yelled Sailor Mummy. Sailor Stein didn't say anything. She caught her tiara and slid it back on. She knelt down in front of Valentine.
"I'm not going to kill you," she said. "I'm not that kind of ghoul. However, I can't let you go back to the Dark Kingdom."
"Then kill me," seethed Valentine, "You defeated me, just kill me!" Sailor Stein stood and shook her head.
"Sailor Stein!" shouted Sailor Mummy, "What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't do it," Sailor Stein said. "I know what really happened to you, Valentine. Just because your heart is broken, doesn't mean revenge is the answer." She extended her hand. "Come with us. We can help you." Valentine didn't move. "Please." To the girls surprise, Valentine took it. Sailor Stein pulled him to his feet as she smiled. "That's what I thought."
"You think you have this all worked out already, don't you?" said Valentine, pulling out of Sailor Stein's grip. "What's the next step, then?" Sailor Stein blinked before laughing nervously.
"I'm working on it." The other scouts groaned. Sailor Stein's smile broke as she walked over to the water's edge. "But… Tuxedo Mask… I can't believe he's really gone…" Tears started back up in Sailor Stein's eyes. She choked back a cry.
"I'm afraid he is," said Sailor Zombie as she walked over to their leader. She put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We have to learn to fight without him." Sailor Stein brushed Sailor Zombie's hand off of her.
"I won't! You don't understand!" Hot tears slid down Sailor Stein's face at a rapid pace. "I… I was…"
"I'm glad to hear that you were worried about me." Sailor Stein froze. She turned to see…
"Tuxedo Mask!" She ran over to the masked man with a large grin. "Valentine said he destroyed you!" Tuxedo Mask laughed, picking up the wet rose that Sailor Stein had dropped earlier.
"You can't get rid of me that easily, Sailor Stein," he said.
"Tuxedo Mask?" asked Sailor Zombie. "Why do you always show up to save us, just in time?"
"And who are you, anyway?" Sailor Mummy added. Tuxedo Mask laughed nervously.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you," he told the three. "However, I can tell you this. Always be loyal and true friends to each other. Until we meet again!" And with that, Tuxedo Mask left into the night. An idea popped into Sailor Stein's head. She turned back to Valentine.
"Hey, Valentine!" she said as she walked over to him. "I figured out that next step!"
"And what is it, Sailor Stein?" said the vampire. Sailor Stein grinned. She grabbed her locket from her bow and pulled it off. She glowed black-and-blue for a moment, before it disappeared. Frankie dropped the locket around her neck.
"No more of that 'Sailor Stein' stuff. Please, call me Frankie. Frankie Stein."