POV Order: Usagi / Villians / Usagi / Haruka / Villians / Minako / Usagi / Haruka / Usagi
* ACT 20 *
We moved towards what was left of Mugen Gakuen Academy with caution. Zoicite was at my side, while the other girls, formed a circle around me. Venus and Mars were in front of me Jupiter and Mercury behind while Jadeite and Nephrite were to my sides.
~ PGSM S ~
"She is coming," Mistress 9 said in her rasping voice a dark smile playing across her lips. "The one who holds the Holy Grail draws near," she added looking towards the professor who asked, "you mean Sailor Moon," as Mistress 9 only nodded her head in reply. "I am not yet strong enough to face them all," Mistress 9 said, "let us see how the Sailor Guardians deal with this," the messiah of silence said closing her eyes and concentrating her strength as in other parts of the building all of the Daimon Pods became Eggs and along with all the other Daimon Eggs floated in the air cracking open as oozing dark red goop coming out of them jelly like feminine figures appearing in the ooze that started to make their way towards the outside of Mugen Gakuen Academy as Mistress 9 collapsed into the chair behind her holding her head as a voice full of wisdom and power in her head said, "you know what you do is wrong." "Are you alright," the professor asked causing Mistress 9 to look up at him and glair. "I will be fine," she hissed in a rasp as the professor fell silent knowing that even in this state he was no match for the messiah of silence.
~ PGSM S ~
"What in the world is that," I heard Minako-chan ask Rei who was at her side but for once had no clue as we all watched in awe and a little disgust as a dark red almost purple ooze leaked from the broken windows of the ruins of the academy leaking around the building as feminine figures appeared from the strange goop glaring at us all before they screeched and began an attack. "Mercury Aqua Mirage," "Fire Soul," "Jupiter Coconut Cyclone," Venus Wink Chain Sword," my four friends yelled sending their attacks towards the oozing creatures that had the same evil energy of Daimon's their attacks cutting through the creatures but not completely stopping them. "Princess," Zoicite said as I nodded the Spiral Heart Moon Rod already in my hands. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack," I yelled as the attack forced the dark red goop to actually retreat back from us in the shape of a giant heart around us the creatures it hit along the way yelling, "Lovely," as the ooze regrouped back around the academy more feminine figures appearing all glaring at us those these did not seem so eager to attack us as the last group had, until at last with another primal yell they made another strike.
"Here they come again," Venus said, "everyone cover Usagi to give her time to use the Rod," Rei added as the others nodded. "Mercury Aqua Mist," "Burning Mandala," "Sparkling Wide Pressure," "Venus Love-Me Chain," all of the girls once again attacked as one their attacks once again easily cutting through the goop giving me time to use, "Moon Spiral Heart Attack," once again and this time as the ooze retreated instead of regrouping at the base of the Academy it instead started to form a large dome around the building with what seemed like thousands of faces all staring at us with glares but not towards us but a helicopter making its way towards the rubble of the academy, but then, "their coming again," Venus said as part of the wall with a primal screech moved towards us all again, drawing our attention away from the helicopter that part of the goop wall was still watching with an intense gaze.
The ooze attacked and once again the girls jumped into action but just as I raised my Spiral Heart Moon Rod to give us some breathing room once again a dark black hand of energy reached out from a sub-space portal wrapping around my throat. "Princess," Zoicite said from my side wrapping his arms around my middle, as the others still fighting back the ooze pile were unable to reach me in time as blackness took me, "Usagi," the four yelled out as one colorful auras emitted from the four clearing the area around them, but it was to late as Usagi and Zoicite were already gone.
~ PGSM S ~
"We're nearing the Academy," Michiru said from my side as I silently nodded. "Hai," was all I could reply glancing back for a moment at Setsuna who was gazing into her Garnet Orb having not said a word sense Small Lady's pure heart crystal had been taken the guardian of time leaning into an unlikely but welcomed ally in the most powerful of the Shitennou, Kunzite. "Haruka look, that light," Michiru said pointing and I looked to see a blue, red, green and gold auras of energy combined to clear out a large mass of the strange dark ooze on the streets below us causing the strange goop to retreat back into the dome that had formed around the Academy. "No," I hissed seeing that the ooze had turned its attention towards us and was now rushing towards the helicopter wrapping around us, "if this keeps up, they will," Michiru said but we both knew what would happen if this ooze continued to attack. The helicopter as we feared did explode but as I closed my eyes ready for death I realized that I felt no pain.
Turning myself and Michiru turned to see Setsuna standing as if frozen a strange multicolored light emitting from her Garnet Orb, but their was a look of surprise on her face as Kunzite had taken hold of the rod as well. "What, what is this," Michiru asked the question on my own mind. "I have stopped time," Setsuna said sadly, "it is the ultimate taboo," she added. "Taboo," I asked as Setsuna explained. "Hai, as the guardian of time I am forbidden to stop the flow of time to do so, it will cost me my life, Kunzite why," she said looking towards the Shitennou who was staring up at her with a tender smile his arms wrapped tightly around Pluto's staff. "By giving my own life, I will ensure you will not vanish completely, I know the price Kronos would have you pay, in this way you will not completely disappear, though just a soul you will be, you will not be erased," he said as Setsuna actually cried as she stared at myself and Michiru.
"He tells the truth," she said before we could ask. "should you both meet the true messiah," Setsuna said as the words, "true messiah," left mine and Michiru's lips before we vanished from the inside of the helicopter to find ourselves reappear within the ruins of Mugen Gakuen Academy only to watched with terrified eyes as we watched the helicopter explode from within the dome around the ruins of the academy. "She gave her life for us," Michiru said turning to me. "We do this, for her, lets end this Michiru," I said and she nodded her head in agreement as we ran farther into the ruins looking for what remained of our enemies The Death Busters.
~ PGSM S ~
"Stopping time to get past the barrier formed by the Daimon spirits, the guardians of the outer solar system are more innovative then I first gave them credit for," Mistress 9 said her voice rasping as she looked towards the professor. "My attempt to bring Sailor Moon to this place was successful, and I must focus all my powers on gaining the Grail from her, Daimon Gerumatou it is time to show your worth, destroy the guardians of the outer solar system." "Me," the professor said turning towards Mistress 9 who with a wave of dark magic had disguised herself as Hotaru. "Yes you, use those dolls you created if you have to, just get rid of them," Mistress 9 said her voice sounding like Hotaru's as she used a portal of dark energy to take herself to were she had brought Sailor Moon and the unexpected burden that she had brought along with her. "I will do as you ask Mistress," the professor said with a bow leaving the room as "Hotaru" left through the portal she had created.
~ PGSM S ~
"What should we do now Minako," Rei asked me as we had watched the helicopter we had seen earlier explode in the air above us, the Daimon ooze keeping a defensive position in the dome they had created around the academy that was slowly starting to grow outward. "We must trust in Usagi," I said. "We must use our powers to form a barrier around the academy, this ooze, goop whatever you wish to call it must not be allowed to enter the city," I said as Ami asked, "how." "Remember how we used our inner strength when Usagi was taken to repel the ooze, I think we can do the same now but to form our own barrier. "I will go with Mercury," Nephrite said making Ami blush though she nodded. "May I come with you Venus," Jadeite asked and after sharing a look with Rei who nodded I accepted as we all walked to points around the Academy forming in essence a four pointed square. Dropping to our knees we extended our arms straight out on each side. "Usagi," I thought feeling my aura surround me as I could hear, feel, and in a way see what all the others were feeling as well, even the fact that Jadeite was kneeled by my side keeping watch over me just as Nephrite was doing the same though he was actually in physical contact with Ami who he was hugging. "We believe in you Usagi-chan," the four of us thought as one as our auras glowed and the barrier we wished to form was set.
~ PGSM S ~
Opening my eyes with a moan I looked above me to find Zoicite by my side looking down at me with a look of relief in his eyes, "so you're awake," Zoicite said to me offering me a hand as he helped me get back to my feet. "We are not alone here, princess," Zoicite said and I looked behind me to find Hotaru laying on her side, eyes closed, and the only thing that let me know that she was alive not dead was the gentle raise and fall of her chest. "Hotaru-chan," I said starting to make my way towards her only to have Zoicite grab my arm with his gloved hand. "Be cautious princess," he said to me knowing that he could not change my mind and I nodded keeping what perhaps the most loyal of my husbands Shitennou had told me as I made my way towards Hotaru's unconscious body. "Hotaru," I whispered gently shaking her causing her deep onyx like eyes though bleary to open as she groggily looked up towards me with a weary smile.
~ PGSM S ~
"What is this place," I asked Michiru as we made our way towards what seemed to the eye to be an underground cavern. "No idea," was all Michiru could reply before a cold, calculating laughter filled the air. "Welcome oh guardians of the outer solar system," Professor Tomoe Souichi said revealing himself to us. "It is a shame that I must kill such great senshi as yourselves," the professor said with a wicked smile. "But I have my orders, and you both must die," the professor said as a scream emitted from his body as something started to emerge from his eye, the one that had had the strange pentagram with a diamond shaped prism in the center. We knew without a doubt that the professors body fell to the ground that even if Tomoe Souichi had once been alive, even while being possessed by this, thing that now stood before us, that the professor would never rise again.
"I am Daimon Gerumatou, I feel it only polite you know the name of the one who shall give you your end," Gerumatou said. "We are not ready to rest quite yet," Michiru said sharing a look with me and I returned the look letting her know I understood. "World Shaking," I yelled at the same moment that Neptune yelled, "Deep Submerge," our attacks combining into one and striking the one eyed dragon like creature before us turning Daimon Gerumatou into nothing more than a pile of goop on the floors around us. "That was almost to easy," Michiru said sounding weary and I silently agreed, myself just as alert as her, and our fears were confirmed when the Daimon's laughter filled the air as we watched the pieces of his goop move towards the wall, were we now noticed to late the empty, dolls, was the only word to describe them handing from the walls, the goop filling the empty dolls that inflated and detached from the walls each facing us with a wicked smile.
"Time for round two, ladies," all of the Gerumatou dolls said as one attacking the two of us, and not having time to use our attacks myself and Michiru instead relied on our training within our respective fields of martial arts to defend ourselves, giving as good as we were getting, but these strange dolls with only one eye each were seemingly indestructible, and glancing towards Michiru I could tell she was starting to tire just as I was. "Got you," the Gerumatou dolls said as one their stretchable bodies wrapping around both myself and Neptune as they began to squeeze our bodies like a boa constrictor. "Die," the dolls said with a wicked smile but then a voice filled mine and Neptune's minds, "Guardian Talismans." "Pluto," myself and Michiru said as one as a light filled the room that dissolved the dolls arms that were holding us as the Space Sword was now floating before my eyes just as the Deep Aqua Mirror was floating in front of Michiru. "Use your talismans," Pluto's voice said in our minds as myself and Michiru took out Guardian Talismans within our grasps. "Submarine Reflection," Michiru said a silver sparkling like substance coming from the mirror that filled the room with its gentle glow causing all of the dolls to take on a translucent quality, all of the Gerumatou dolls except for one.
"Uranus," Michiru said to me as I nodded drawing my blade from its scabbard. "Space Sword Blaster," I said launching towards the doll stabbing the creature in the eye, causing Daimon Gerumatou to scream as the doll body fell away from a Daimon Egg that cracked open a dark black substance coming out of it before both the smoke and what was left of the egg disappeared. "It seems that Pluto was able to give us one final gift," Michiru said clutching her mirror to her chest as if it were a child. "Hai, let us not waste it," I added as Michiru nodded and the two of us as one ran deeper into the den of the Death Busters our Guardian Talismans clutched within our grasps.
~ PGSM S ~
"Arigato, Usagi-chan, you have saved me," Hotaru said as with a frown I drew away from the young woman going to stand next to Zoicite who had already drawn his curved blade. "Your welcome Hotaru-chan, but how do you know who I really am," I said as Hotaru smiled a wicked sounding laugh coming from her. "Perceptive, I should have been more careful with the information that this pure heart within me gave to me," the young woman said standing her body growing and her cloths changing as once again the figure known as Mistress 9 revealed herself to myself and Zoicite who was now standing protectively in front of me. "You will not touch her Messiah of Silence," not Zoicite but a familiar tenor voice said as the doors to this room were kicked open. "Uranus," I said turning to see her with a familiar blade in her hands standing next to Neptune who was holding a mirror just as familiar as the sword. "Ah so all the actors are now present upon the stage," Mistress 9 said looking towards the two before quickly glancing back towards myself and Zoicite. "Behold, Senshi, Shitennou, my lord, the one who shall bring eternal silence to this system, Master Pharaoh 90," Mistress 9 said as what seemed to be a curtain made from her own hair parted revealing a large half dome with computer devices below it. And their within was a cluster of stars one of which that was dark black with a blood red aura around which was slowly moving as if trying to escape from its confines, Mistress 9 laughing manically as if she had heard my thoughts, thoughts that I realized she wished to come true.
To Be Continued . . .
Note:
And so ends Act 20. Please do not be angry with the way I ended this chapter, it is necessary for what is going to be an extensive and lengthy bit of writing the next time I update my story.
Sorry but I can not give any clues or hints. Kunzite has already given his life to make sure that Setsuna a.k.a. Pluto would not completely vanish from time itself, what else might happen, I can not say.
So till the Final Act;
I remain a . . .
KuRSeofTime.