Chapter 21
The coaches bounced along roughly as they made all haste along the path Beryl had led them to. In the first coach were Beryl, Kunzite, and Zoisite. In the second one were Jadeite, Nephrite, and their nervous guests. The six girls appeared silent, but were being communicated to through "Anita."
Taika, can we risk transforming when we get there? Jupiter though to their telepathic friend.
We don't have a choice, Taika said. Daichi and Ariel are badly hurt and a great evil is at our destination, if we get there.
What do you mean "if" we get there? Saturn asked.
I fear Beryl will cross paths with our wounded friends, Taika answered.
When that happens, we have to be ready, Sou said. The others communicated their agreements. Suddenly, the coach came to an abrupt halt. Saturn went flying into Jadeite's arms.
"Why have we stopped?" Mars asked.
"Wait here," Nephrite said as she left. Jadeite set Saturn down and followed. There was silence, then…
"Shabon Spray!"
"Mercury!" the girls shouted. They jumped out of the coach as a dense fog covered the path.
"Holds hands," Mars ordered as she grabbed Saturn's hand. The six filed out of the fog and ran around the coaches. There they ran into the four lords.
"I told you to stay in the coach!" Nephrite shouted as he turned to them. "We are facing an enemy!" In front of the four were Sailor Aria, Pluto, Venus, and Shio.
"So are we," Mars said. "Mars Power…"
"Jupiter Power…"
"Neptune Power…"
"Saturn Power…"
"Make-up!"
"Kaki Element Transform!"
Mei Element Transform!
The six transformed in front of the lords' eyes. In an instant, the four lords were surrounded by ten Senshi. Things were silent and still as the lords contemplated their choices. Jadeite and Nephrite couldn't very well think about it, though, as their minds were frozen in shock after "Raye" and "Lita" had transformed into enemy Senshi.
The silent stare down was soon interrupted when Lady Beryl flew out of the fog. Her sword fell to her side as Sailor Mercury jumped out of the fog at her. In one hand was the Ibarakei. In the other was the Space Sword.
The Senshi shouted for Mercury as the lords shouted for Beryl. Beryl picked up her sword and quickly continued to fight the raging Senshi. This distraction was all Kunzite and Zoisite needed to charge at Aria and Pluto. They took the two lords head-on as Venus and Shio ran to the coaches in search of Hikari, Ariel, and Daichi. Saturn and Neptune went after Mercury and Beryl as Mei followed Shio and Venus.
"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter shouted, sending lightning at the two remaining lords. Kaki summoned the Katana-ken-Tate in her hands and followed suit.
"Flare Up!" she shouted, swiping her fiery sword at the two lords. They jumped out of the way of both attacks. Jupiter proceeded to fight Jadeite as Kaki fought Nephrite. Mars stood there and contemplated the situation before putting her hands together.
"Fire Soul!" she shouted, sending the attack at Nephrite. Then, as Nephrite tore off his burning cape, Mars quickly joined Jupiter. As soon as she did, Jadeite began to stumble. Deep down, he didn't want to fight her.
Venus and Shio found the three left behind Senshi next to one of the horses. Daichi lay on the ground by a wheel to the coach. Ariel was knelt beside Hikari, who stood next to a horse, trying to calm it. All around them lay Beryl's guards. "What happened?" Shio asked as she knelt next to Daichi.
"Her spine is gone," Hikari said as the horse calmed. "Mercury told me to stay here with them."
"Ariel, what happened to you?" Venus then asked.
"Metallia had me," she whispered. "I'm okay. We have to leave Earth immediately. We have enough evidence to prove serious trouble and Daichi needs medical attention."
"No she doesn't," said the hoarse voice in Ariel's mind. "She won't survive the night!" Ariel spun around and looked into the trees as the smell of rotting corpses flowed around them.
"Metallia is near," she whispered. As if cued, a foul wind beat at the Senshi, throwing them over the coaches. Ariel and Daichi were unaffected.
"Ariel, get out of here," Daichi whispered. "Go with the others."
"I won't leave you behind," Ariel said back. "My father might do that to you, but I won't. I forgave you a long time ago." Daichi's eyes widened. "I know what you did, but I forgave you. You are a Senshi and I won't leave you behind, even if you insist."
"Just go," Daichi said. "Go!"
"I won't let you sacrifice yourself because you are still guilt-ridden," Ariel argued.
"I am not telling you this because I am guilt-ridden," Daichi said softly. "As a Senshi, I am telling you to leave."
"But you are guilt-ridden," said Metallia as her dark form crept out of the trees. "I can feel your guilt, your anguish… It is delicious. I want more…"
"Never!" Ariel shouted. She lifted up her bad arm with her good arm, wincing at the pain. "Space Turbulence!" The beam of light crackled and dissipated weakly.
"You don't have the strength to fight me," Metallia chided. "It would be easier to give up."
"No!" Ariel shouted. "Space Turbulence!" Her attack began as a brighter orb than before. The orb turned into a wider, more powerful beam. It would have been devastating to Metallia. However, it bounced off of her and went straight at Ariel. She took a deep breath before the beam impaled her.
Daichi gasped as the beam tore through Ariel, spraying blood across the coach and raining it onto Daichi. Her breaths were forced as she watched Ariel fall to the ground. "I already have some of her energy," Metallia explained as she crept to Ariel's dying body. "I am immune to her powers."
"Not to ours!" came a shout. "Sunray!" A golden beam of light drove into Metallia, pushing her shapeless form away.
Moonray! A silver beam then proceeded to push Metallia back into the trees. The dark form disappeared.
"Ariel!" Venus cried as she jumped down. The Senshi of Tennousei was growing cold fast as her blood continued to escape. The hole in her was incomprehensible to the Senshi.
"Daichi…" Ariel forced herself to speak. "My amulet, give it to Uranus… Please Daichi… It will protect her… and you…"
The loss of blood and organs finally caught up to Ariel as the light she gave off faded. Her uniform disappeared and her simple peasant clothing appeared, hiding the gaping hole in her stomach. The Senshi were silent only for a moment before the path began to quake. Hikari grabbed the reigns of the horse to stop it from leaving. "Get Daichi and Ariel into the coach!" she shouted. Venus and Shio did just that as the woods began to change.
"What is happening?" Shio asked.
On the other side of the coaches, the lords and Senshi were wondering the same thing. First the other Senshi had been thrown over, and then the smell of rotting corpses has invaded the fighting enemies. Now the path shook and the woods became something else. "I think this is our sign to go!" Pluto shouted to the others. The Senshi nodded and ran for the coaches, following the other Senshi.
At the end of the two coaches, Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune were pursuing Beryl as she fled for the transforming woods. She dove in, leaving the Senshi to rejoin everyone else. "What is she doing?" Saturn shouted as the sound of cracking trees nearly deafened her. The four lords ran to the woods as Beryl approached. Except, this Lady Beryl had fiery red hair and was far taller.
Metallia has given her power, Mei told the others. Get onto the coach! Hikari and Shio jumped onto the backs of the horses as Venus and Aria went inside the coach. The rest of the Senshi either held onto the side or jumped onto the top. As they climbed aboard, the new Lady Beryl gave power to the four lords. There was an almost instant change as energy surged from their being. Get ready to leave! Mei shouted to Mars and Kaki, who sat on the driver's seat. Mei wrapped her arms around her and cleared her mind. Solitude, Confinement! From Mei flowed a dark energy that surrounded Beryl and the four lords. They screamed briefly before their yells were muffled by the dark mass of energy.
Mei fell to her knees, but was quickly blown onto the roof by Aria. Pluto and Neptune held onto Mei as Hikari and Shio got the horses moving. They pushed to get the horses to go faster in hopes of getting far away from the scene. Mei shuddered as she could feel the dark energy wearing away at the five captives, using their negative memories and emotions to whither them away. Suddenly, she gasped. Something was wrong… She couldn't tell, though, as the aftereffects of the attack filtered through her, dragging her into a nightmarish sleep, comparable to the one Daichi fell into.