Senshi Unite; Travel into the Dark Realm

Everything seemed to be in slow motion as Kaboku delivered a hard blow to Shakaku's stomach that caused her to fall to her knees, and she stayed there clutching her stomach. Instead of crying out, she was too tired, and the effect of the blow was beginning to settle in. "I told you," Kaboku began, but he waited for Shakaku to look up at him. Shakaku, still holding on to her stomach from the blow and still on her knees, looked up at him. "I told you that you were going to get your ass kicked," he finished as he punched her straight in the stomach once again. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her tongue as the excruciating pain sat in. Shakaku let herself go, and she did not open her eyes as she fell to the ground completely.

Kaboku watched as the senshi finally gave up, and when he was sure that she had, he turned around, and his piercing, gray, pride filled eyes looked directly into the silver eyes that he knew were there watching the entire battle.


 Kaichuu sat up in her bed with a start as she woke up from her nightmare. It took a few seconds for Kaichuu to realize that all of the covers and her pillows had been thrown off the bed, and she had almost thrown herself off the bed as well.

Kaichuu looked around the dark room as she began to realize just what she had seen in her dream. He actually went through with it, Kaichuu thought to herself as she realized that she had not had that dream for no reason. She knew now that it was why Kaboku had looked directly at her, even though she hadn't even been there physically.

Although distraught and shaking, Kaichuu managed to sit on the edge of the bed, and she tried to pull herself together. There was a reason why she had gotten that dream, and she knew deep down that the reason wasn't good. She looked down at the clock by her bed, and she realized that it was the middle of the night, which meant that the nightmare was even more disturbing than she thought because she was a very heavy sleeper.

Kaichuu stood up from her bed, and she walked over to Shakaku's room. She opened the door to what used to be almost a forbidden refuge for Shakaku, and Kaichuu was hardly ever allowed in there. Kaichuu looked around the dark room and smiled when she saw what she was looking for.

Curled up on one of the pillows on Shakaku's bed, Hades slept peacefully, and it seemed as though he had been fortunate by not receiving the same dream that Kaichuu just had.

"Hades," Kaichuu said as se walked closer to Shakaku's own bed. The small, foot long dragon began to stir, but he only turned around at Kaichuu's voice. "Hades," Kaichuu said again as she walked closer to the bed. When Hades did not answer, Kaichuu decided to take more drastic measures. "Hades!" she yelled, as she was merely a foot away from the dragon.

Hades awoke with a start, and he jumped a few inches from the bed. "What?" he asked in alarm as he looked around, ready to defend himself.

"Hades," Kaichuu said more calmly, trying to reassure Hades that no one was there to attack him.

"What?" Hades asked, full of disbelief at the thought of Kaichuu being up during the middle of the night and in Shakaku's room.

"I need to call the others," Kaichuu determined, her tone of voice made it seem as though she wasn't concerned about Hades at all.

"And you woke me up because?" Hades asked as he curled up again on the pillow.

"I had a dream," Kaichuu finally explained. Hades picked his head up, and he looked at Kaichuu, knowing fully that Kyuuteki was known for sending dreams.

"What happened?" Hades asked as he woke himself up.

"She's…" Kaichuu began, but the pain from having to watch her partner be abused in that way was too much, and she let Hades think for himself as to what the dream was about.

"He went through with it?" Hades was right on the first guess, and Kaichuu nodded.

"She's not the same," Kaichuu said, starting to sob as she remembered the sight of the black-stoned bracelet. However, Kaichuu raised her head in determination, and before Hades could say another word, Kaichuu raced out of the room in order to call the other senshi. Now was the time.

* * *

Enzeru was the last to arrive after all of the senshi had been contacted, and they had decided to meet in the largest park in the entire city where there was a large clearing.

"It's three-thirty in the morning, and this is when she decides to act serious?" Usagi whined at the fact that she had to be up that early.

"Oh, come on, Usagi," Rei said as she rolled her eyes. Usagi was glad that Chibiusa wasn't there; otherwise she would have said the same thing. Chibiusa would have been there, but when Usagi had tried to wake her up, all she received in response was a slap across the face. Besides, Usagi didn't think that Chibiusa should have been there anyway; she was just too young.

"So? What are we going to do about it? It was only a dream," Makoto said as she looked at Kaichuu.

Kaichuu looked down at the floor as she took in her fellow senshi's words. She was right, she had no proof that the fight had actually happened. However deep inside, Kaichuu knew that she was right.

"You don't understand," Kaichuu said as she looked around at the other senshi, "I was there, and I felt it."

"We should listen to her," Hades said from where he and Artemis where perched in a tree with Pele. "Kyuuteki sends dreams, and he knows that Kaichuu would have told us."

"That still doesn't mean anything," Minako said as she looked up at the guardians.

"Yes, but how else do we plan to get them back?" Mamoru said as he stepped into the conversation. There was a pause of silence as everyone standing in the circle thought about this.

"He's right," Usagi spoke up. "Even if the dream wasn't real, how else are we going to save the others?" Everyone almost stared at Usagi for her comment, but they decided to savor Usagi's seriousness while it lasted.

"And how do we plan to save them?" Ami said, making her always-practical comment.

"If Dorei was here it would be so much easier," Hoshi replied. "But since she's not, we'll just have to make due." Kaichuu, Enzeru, and Hoshi all turned to look at Hades and Pele, who looked right back down at them.

"Thanks," Hades said as he rolled his eyes and flew down from the tree. The three Constellations brought out their transformation bracelets, and the other girls slowly followed their example. All of the girls transformed in turn, and when they were done, Hades instructed the girls to stand in a circle as though they were doing a sailor teleport.

"Daddy," Pele said as she flew down at Hades, and she hugged him. Hades looked at Artemis, who was still up in the tree, and he motioned him to come down.

The three guardians went to the middle of the circle; even though they won't be using their physical energy, the senshi needed Hades's mental remembrance of the Dark Realm's location in order to get there.

"Let's go," Hades said as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate on the Dark Realm's location. Pele tried to help by doing the same, and soon, the two on them were glowing a deep red, which meant that they were using their mental strength to the best of their ability.

* * *

All of the girls opened their eyes after what seemed like just a few moments, and they found themselves on terrain that seemed completely unfamiliar. Before any of them could react, they found themselves being transported once again, and they quickly found themselves in the Dark Realm's main courtroom.

Sailor Mars shuttered at the even stronger negative feelings that she was getting from actually being in the Dark Realm. The room was empty except for Kyuuteki, who was sitting on his throne, and Kerai and Kaboku, who were at Kyuuteki's sides. Shakaku's body lay on the right side of the throne, and Dorei was being held by a yajuu a few meters away from Shakaku.

"It's been a long time," Kyuuteki's voice boomed throughout the entire room; however, he had his sights set on one senshi: Sailor Moon.

"Let them go," Tuxedo Kamen said as he put a hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder, noticing that Kyuuteki seemed to keep his eye on her.

"Let them go?" Kyuuteki repeated. "Let them GO?" he repeated. "Don't you ever challenge me, Prince of Earth," Kyuuteki growled.

"You think you're all powerful, but you're just a big bully!" Sailor Mars yelled at Kyuuteki in an effort to protect her comrade.

"Don't even start," Kyuuteki said in a loud, fierce growl. Suddenly, a group of about seven yajuus formed around Sailor Mars, and the other senshi were unable to help Mars as the group jumped on her, she screamed in terror, and she soon disappeared from view. The yajuus soon broke apart, and Sailor Mars was no longer there.

"She's right," a smaller voice said after the commotion had died down. All of the commotion stopped just then, and Kyuuteki looked at Sailor Aquaria, who had just uttered those words.

"Kaboku," Kyuuteki growled; now he was agitated. "Attack her." Kaboku's eyes grew wide as he realized what Kyuuteki had just said.

"Master..." Kaboku said as he looked up at Kyuuteki, and then he looked at Sailor Aquaria, who was willing to put up a fight if it meant getting her partner back. "I..." but Kaboku wasn't able to finish.

"You dare cross me AGAIN?" Kyuuteki said, and by this time, he had risen from his throne. Kaboku tried to move out of the way, but Kyuuteki's fast and powerful swing was too great, and it knocked Kaboku to the floor on the opposite side of Sailor Phoenix. The senshi could not believe that Kyuuteki had just knocked out one of his own followers without a second thought. What kind of sick man was this?

"Kyuuteki!" Kerai yelled as she saw Kaboku fall to the floor like a rag doll. All of the senshi turned to look at her, but when they heard another senshi speak, they turned to her.

"How could you just do that to one of your own followers?" Sailor Moon asked Kyuuteki. Kyuuteki turned his red-eyed gaze to the purist of the senshi, and he laughed.

"They are not followers unless they follow."

"She is right," Kerai sobbed. "He never betrayed you." Kyuuteki looked at Kerai as though he didn't care, and he rolled his eyes as Kerai ran away from the throne, and she ran out of the room crying, saying that she now she knew what Kyuuteki was really like.

Sailor Jupiter was about to run after Kerai instead of letting her get away, but she decided that Kyuuteki had to be dealt with right then. Kyuuteki laughed one more time, and suddenly the senshi felt themselves being torn apart; it was as if the very room was breaking apart. Kyuuteki looked at each senshi, and he sent them on what was going to be a long journey just to get back to the Dark Realm itself.

Kyuuteki watched as all of the senshi, including Sailor Virgas but excluding Sailor Phoenix, were separated, and he walked over to his throne, ready to wait for them to return and fight him face to face.

* * *

Sailor Aquaria stirred slightly. When she was fully awake, she found that she, Hades, and Tuxedo Kamen had been transported into what seemed like a strange cavern filled with extremely sharp stalagmites. Tuxedo Kamen also began to wake up, and Hades was soon to follow.

"Where are we?" Tuxedo Kamen asked as he looked around the cavern.

"Even I have never been here," Hades said as he also looked around.

Before the two could say anything else, Sailor Aquaria let out a gasp, which made them turn. On the other side of the field of stalagmites lay Sailor Phoenix just like she had been in the main courtroom of the Dark Realm. "We have to get to her," Aquaria said as she tried to work her way around the spikes. Tuxedo Kamen followed her, but their crossing was interrupted when a group of three yajuus appeared in the field of stalagmites.

"We should have known," Hades said as he extended his claws in preparation to defend himself.

"Aquaria Tsunami!" Sailor Aquaria began her attack quickly, and she was able to wound one of the creatures, but the other two were left unaffected. Tuxedo Kamen drew out his cane, and he used it to defend himself from the yajuu that approached him in order to attack. He managed to keep the yajuu away until it decided to play games with him. The creature changed colors from green to black, and it grew a pair of wings.

"Be careful," Hades warned Tuxedo Kamen as he noticed the yajuu change. The yajuu jumped up at Tuxedo Kamen, and it managed to bring him down with one blow. The creature kept Tuxedo Kamen pinned, and it was about to attack when a violent sound made it stop.

"Aquaria Tsunami," Sailor Aquaria yelled, using her only attack that would not hurt Tuxedo Kamen. After the yajuu was destroyed, the two of them turned to see Hades putting up a good fight with a grounded yajuu. Hades leapt forward as the creature tried to attack him, and he used his claws in order to break the yajuu's oily skin.

Sailor Aquaria, knowing that Hades could defend himself, began to make her way across the cavern along with Tuxedo Kamen. Weak from the fight, Tuxedo Kamen fell, and when he got up, there was a large stain of blood on his side; he had fallen on one of the smaller spikes.

"Kamen," Sailor Aquaria said as she helped him get up. Before he was fully up, however, two more yajuus appeared in front of them, and they were ready to attack. Aquaria glanced over at Hades, who was still fighting the remaining creature. One of the yajuus screamed as it raced toward Sailor Aquaria, ready to continue in the other yajuus' attacks. Tuxedo Kamen managed to move to the side, but Aquaria stayed where she was.

Just as the creature drew close enough for an attack, it released a ball of the oil that made its own skin, and it threw it at Sailor Aquaria. Too frightened and tired to move, Aquaria watched as the attack neared her. "Aquaria!" Hades yelled at her, trying to get her to defend herself.

Sailor Aquaria covered her face as she crouched on the ground, waiting for the attack to reach her. However, the attack never reached its target, and the yajuu was showing signs that it was also confused. Sailor Aquaria uncovered her face, and she almost gasped in shock as she saw someone standing in front of her. Aquaria's first guess was that it was Sailor Phoenix, but when she got a better look, it was none other than Kaboku, and he fell to the ground from the pain of the attack.

Tuxedo Kamen, Hades, and Aquaria all exchanged glances at the sight of the Dark Realm minion. Just then, another yajuu approached to take revenge, and Kaboku got up in order to defend Aquaria.

"Aquaria Shattering Wave!" Sailor Aquaria shouted as she moved from behind Kaboku; there was no way she was going to let him save her. The yajuu screamed as the attack hit it, and it began to dissolve back into the oily liquid that it had come from.

"You need to leave," Kaboku said to Aquaria as he turned around to face the senshi. Although Aquaria knew that Kaboku was right somehow, she wanted to stay and fight in order to get to Phoenix. "It's just an illusion," Kaboku said, as though he knew exactly what she had been thinking.

"No, it's not!" Sailor Aquaria screamed at him. "She's right there!"

"Go on," Tuxedo Kamen said. Even though he didn't know what Kaboku was up to, he had been right.

"Listen to them," Hades also said. Aquaria looked at the three of them desperately, but she turned around. This was the Constellations' fight, and she was one of them. Aquaria looked at them one by one until she finally looked at Kaboku. He was still breathing hard from the creature's attack, but he looked at her. The look on his face showed that he wanted her to go help her friend, and Aquaria nodded.

"I won't let you down," Aquaria said as she looked at Hades and Tuxedo Kamen, but she could not look at Kaboku. So Phoenix had been right in what she had told her.

* * *

Sailor Dracas, Sailor Jupiter, and Pele found themselves in a large, dark covering. And neither of them knew where they were. However, Sailor Dracas, who had lived with being blind and unable to see, was able to walk slowly through the darkness.

"What's wrong?" Jupiter asked as she noticed Dracas's look of determination.

"There's an opening; I can feel it," Dracas said as she began to search around the space that they were in. "How can you tell?" Jupiter asked, but she knew very well that Dracas's senses were still strong from having been blind, and walking through the darkness was a piece of cake for her.

"She's right," Pele said as she flew behind her senshi. "Dracas owns the darkness." Jupiter did not respond as she followed the two through the covered area.

"Grr," a low grumble was heard.

"yajuu," Pele whispered. Two yajuus appeared around the two senshi, but Dracas had seen them coming.

"Dracas Shooting Star!" Dracas yelled as she was able to aim her attack at the creature. The attack managed to destroy the weak yajuu, but it left the other standing alone and unhurt.

"I'll get this one," Sailor Jupiter said with a look of determination. If a smaller, inexperienced could destroy a yajuu, then it should also be a piece of cake for her. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she yelled as she formed a ball of thunder-like energy within her hands, and he threw it at the yajuu. The creature, being built for speed, was able to move out of the attack's range in time.

Instead, the creature took this chance to rush forward, and it clawed at Jupiter. It managed to get a take at Jupiter's arm, and soon there were three prominent lines there that began to bleed. Jupiter stepped back as Sailor Dracas stood up to face the yajuu. Both Pele and Dracas attacked the creature.

"Night's Ambush!" Sailor Dracas yelled as she crouched down to make way for her violent attack. The swelling darkness, even though it was innocent looking, had the strength of fire, and it managed to hit the yajuu.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter joined as she tried her attack once more. The creature, which had been standing still from the pain of the first attack, was unable to move in time. It let out a shrill cry as it began to dissolve into a black liquid.

"Come on," Pele said as she flew over to Jupiter, trying to get her to move on with them. Jupiter looked down at the three gashes on her arm, and she tried not to think about the rushing pain. She took a few steps, but Dracas was there to reassure her that she would be able to make it.

* * *

Sailor Virgas, Sailor Mars, and Athena opened their eyes as a violent wind brought them back to reality and back to their senses. Virgas was the first one to fully recover, and she stood up to see just where Kyuuteki had sent them. She found herself at the peak of a mountaintop, and soon Sailor Mars was standing up next to her.

Another violent wind picked up, which made Sailor Mars turn around. "What is that?" she asked Virgas as she pointed to a dark looking figure at the bottom of the mountain. Athena flew up higher to get a good look at what it was, and when she came down, she had a smile on her face. "It's the fortress," she informed the two girls.

"I guess we have to get over there," Sailor Virgas said. Sailor Mars couldn't help but notice how tired and weak Sailor Virgas looked.

"Are you ok?" she asked the Constellation.

Sailor Virgas looked at the other senshi with a thankful grin and said, "I'll be fine. We just need to make sure that we can see the fortress at all times."

Sailor Mars asked no more questions as they began to walk down the steep mountain. Sailor Virgas, having traveled up here when she lived on Virgo, was able to keep the three on the right track.

However, just as their journey was beginning to look promising, three yajuus made their presence known by ambushing the two girls and the dragon.

"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Mars yelled as she aimed her attack at one of the creatures. When she had managed to destroy the creature after sending out a smaller attack, she turned to see Athena helping Sailor Virgas, who was on the floor and being attacked by the other two creatures.

"Melody Discs"!" Virgas tried, but she was too weak, and the yajuu did not let her finish as it hit her arms out of position. Virgas was just too tired, and she let herself lay on the ground. So what if the yajuu got her? It wasn't like she would be able to help the others if she made it through, she thought to herself.

"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars yelled at the creatures as she launched her attack. The two creatures were hit by the attack, and they were weak enough now that Athena was able to use her claws in order to wound them, and they were forced to return to their previous liquid state.

"Virgas," Athena said as she landed by the fallen senshi. Tears welled up in Sailor Virgas's eyes as the pain of malnutrition and the creatures' attacks was settling in.

"I don't know if I can make it," she whispered.

"You have to!" Mars snapped at her. "Senshi never give up because that makes us who we are."

The harsh truth of Mars's statement settled in Virgas's mind, and she started to get up. When she was fully up, she looked directly at Mars, "You're right," she responded, and the three of them continued on their journey.