The Darkest Secret
Act Twenty Four: The Beginning
Serena felt them before she heard them. The Powers had arrived. Or, more like Katherine did. Honestly, Serena wasn't sure which abilities were hers and which were Katherine's. Either way, the Powers were there, just icing on the cake to what was the definition of a terrible day. It was worse than terrible, actually…it was catastrophic. The blonde wished she could just close her eyes and open them again, and realize that none of this had ever happened. Unfortunately, this was her reality…hers and Katherine's. It was weird, having someone else inside your mind. Even weirder knowing that you shared a body with them. The blonde silently handed the reins to Katherine, taking a backseat for the time being. Katherine was the Nephilim…she was the one to fight this. Serena would only come out if Katherine asked her to. The blonde slipped away and watched as Katherine took control.
It was a strange feeling, surrendering control of your body to someone else, Serena mused. She felt like she was in a strange, mysterious, twilit world, in a state that was neither sleeping nor waking. It was unnerving and fascinating to watch as her hand moved without her command, knowing that it was not she who was in control. Even so, she knew that it was for the best…now that she was aware of Katherine's existence; chances were that the distance between them would only become greater as time passed. Katherine knew how to fight, and she didn't. This situation involved much fighting; therefore, Katherine needed control and no interference from her. The blonde let herself watch what was going on, but made no move to act on her own.
Katherine was relieved when Serena let her take control without so much as an attempt at an argument. The girl really was smarter than she let on, the Nephilim decided. But she was far too soft. That much Katherine knew for certain. She'd learned quite a bit from sharing a body with her for so long. Serena only employed violence as a last resort; she couldn't bear the idea of killing an innocent; she preferred to heal enemies' hearts rather than simply destroying her opponent. That drove Katherine crazy; especially when Chaos had made its appearance. She'd come very close to seizing control of the body she shared with Serena and doing it herself, but the gentler girl had come through and saved the galaxy. She just hoped Serena wouldn't decide to take matters into her own hands and stop her from killing the Powers.
The Nephilim was in control. Katherine formed the flaming sword in her hand and raised it. She and Serena had been merged these last two encounters. Now, they were beginning to separate. Katherine hadn't been allowed to show her full capabilities then. But now, she could actually do some fighting. Her gaze steely, she faced the Powers and asked icily, "You're really going to let the world burn while you hunt a Nephilim? You would let daemons walk the Earth?"
"That is not our concern," the leader replied haughtily.
"Whoa…someone misses her morning coffee. I guess you don't care that Malos is working with Lucifer to bring Hell on Earth…"
"What?" The four men who were beside the leader suddenly became nervous.
"Don't be foolish," the leader snapped. "She's just trying to trick us."
"My, I sound like quite the evil genius. But this is hardly a ploy to get you to leave me alone. If you had the smallest particle of sense, you'd know that I wasn't just messing around. Haven't you paid any attention? Mysterious deaths, increased tectonic activity, etc, etc, et-freaking-cetera? Sound familiar?"
"I don't think she's kidding, Aranel," one of the men said. "Everything she's said sounds right…we really should check it out?"
"Our mission is to hunt and kill Nephilim," Aranel stated.
"And your mission is out-dated. If you were to pull your head out of your ass long enough to see what's going on around you, you'd realize that the Creator decided that we Nephilim could actually do some good, and that most of us know that already."
"How can abominations do any good?"
"Wow…someone needs to do some remedial reading. Nephilim have the power to banish daemons for good."
"She has a point," another one of the men said.
"So you see, we've got a major daemon problem right now, and I can actually do something about it. How about you guys take a much-needed vacation, and I'll take care of the problem?"
"You mentioned Lucifer earlier; he has a hand in this?"
"Yeah. I'm not exactly sure what his main goal is, but I've heard the talk. It won't be pretty if he and Malos succeed in whatever they're planning."
"In that case, we shall have to stay alert." Aranel sighed. "Very well. We shall leave you alone, provided you do nothing that threatens the balance, and give you assistance if necessary." With those words, the Powers began to leave.
"Okay. Good bye."
'Way to go, Katherine!' Serena cheered silently.
Katherine smiled. 'You were good, too. I almost forgot you were there.'
'Hey, I'd rather not get us both incinerated. I wouldn't have known what to do.'
'You're smarter than you give yourself credit for.'
'People always say that. I just don't 'apply myself.''
"Serena, what exactly was all that?" Jupiter had revealed herself.
'Um, I have no idea how to handle those guys. You drive.' Katherine took Serena's place in the back of their mind, and Serena took the reins again. She answered, "I was just getting the Powers off my back."
"What about all that stuff about a master plan? Was that actual fact, or a pile of baloney?" Uranus was curious.
"That was actually the truth."
"You sure were gutsy, mouthing off like you did," Venus commented.
"Sometimes, you have to be a little obnoxious to get people to listen." 'We'll just pretend like everything's normal for now, like I'm not sharing a body,' Serena thought.
'Definitely a smart move,' Katherine conceded. 'They might try an exorcism or something, and that doesn't sound pleasant.'
'No kidding.' "So, ladies, it must be pretty boring to watch me do nothing. How are things on your end?"
"Pretty good, but we're a little worried about you," Venus answered. "We saw you talking to yourself earlier."
'Shit!' Katherine swore. Serena smiled. "Oh, I was just thinking out loud. It helps me put things in perspective sometimes."
The four seemed to relax at this explanation.
'Nice one,' Katherine commented. 'Of course, considering the way you can lie like a rug when you need to, I shouldn't be surprised.'
Serena was about to mentally reply when all of their communicators suddenly went off. They answered. It was Mercury.
"We have trouble; Malos is here, and he's destroyed three blocks already. We need all the back-up we can get."
'Let me handle this,' Katherine urged. 'I'll flatten him.'
'And you'll also kill my aunt,' Serena replied.
'Fine, I'll let you try to do it your way, but if it doesn't work, I'm taking over whether you like it or not!'
"We're coming," Uranus replied. The other three seconded this. Serena hesitated. She didn't want to hurt her aunt. She knew that somewhere, her aunt was still there. She just knew.
"Serena, I know this will be difficult, but we need your help," Pluto spoke softly.
Serena nodded, and transformed. Together, they raced to join their comrades. Sailor Moon prayed that no one she loved would get hurt. When they arrived, a fierce battle was raging, and everyone was battered. The blonde looked for Malos, while keeping an eye out for danger. Finally, she found her possessed aunt standing on a rooftop, laughing. She took the opportunity. Sailor Moon knew that Katherine was there; she could sense the girl's unease. "End of the line, Malos," the champion of love and justice said. "It's over."
"I recognize you, Serenity." Malos sneered.
Sailor Moon was taken aback. "What?"
"Yes, I know who you are. We've all heard of the champion of love and justice, and the Princess of the White Moon. But we didn't know you were sharing a body with a Nephilim."
'How the fuck does he know that?' Katherine screeched.
"I can sense the angelic power inside you," Malos whispered. "You know who your father is; you will bend to his wishes eventually."
"Not bloody likely."
"You're rather stubborn; you get that from him. But no one's will is as strong as his. You will have no peace until you give in. He will break that will of yours, no matter what it takes."
"There is no force in this world that can bring me to the side of darkness."
Malos smirked. "Oh, really? You would not join him even to save the lives of those you love?" He looked down at her friends and love, who were fighting daemons beneath them. "Which one should I take first, hmm? The shy, quiet one…Mercury? Or the raven-haired beauty whom I nearly killed last time we met? You seem rather fond of that one…more than fond…" Malos' gaze was malicious. "You love her…I think she would do rather nicely…I wonder how long she'd last under eternal torment? Hours? Weeks, perhaps? Maybe months?"
Sailor Moon's heart jumped into her throat. "That's enough." She began to call up the powers of the Tier. Malos grabbed her by the throat.
"That won't work, my dear."
The hand around her neck began to squeeze. Sailor Moon began to choke, and Katherine began to start taking control. The hand suddenly released, and the blonde gasped, her chest aching from the sudden rush of air into her lungs. Malos was smiling.
"Yes…I think I know how to break you now," he murmured. "You may only be Serenity, but if your will is broken, the one I need will follow shortly." He was watching Fighter closely. Sailor Moon was practically sick with fear. She couldn't let him hurt Fighter…Fighter was too precious to lose, too dear…she was everything to her.
"You can save her, you know," Malos whispered.
Katherine was getting pissed; Sailor Moon could feel her fighting for control, but she wouldn't let her. Fighter was her business, not Katherine's. The blonde looked Malos in the eye and stated, "You will never touch her. Not while there is a breath left in my body." 'Okay, Katherine. You can do some damage. Until I figure out how to get rid of Malos, I need to make sure he doesn't hurt Fighter.'
'This is gonna be fun,' Katherine was itching for a fight. Sailor Moon disappeared, and Katherine was in control now, wings spread.
"What is she doing?" Maker exclaimed, seeing the sudden change of tactic. A battle had begun between Serena and Malos, and it looked like Serena was aiming to seriously maim if not kill. The sudden switch was enough to startle even Malos. Even the daemon's minions were looking up in confusion and bewilderment.
Katherine grinned. She was going to enjoy this. She wasn't going to kill, but she was going to inflict some major injuries. She called up her flaming sword. The Nephilim struck as fast as a cobra, and managed to make a deep cut in her opponent's side. She could sense Serena's unease and fear, but the other girl made no move to stop her. Malos blocked her next strike, but that wasn't a problem. She had plenty more moves. She struck again, and made another hit. Malos was growling in frustration as his blows hit only empty air. Katherine was smirking, and made as many snide comments as she could think of. Serena watched carefully, making sure Katherine didn't go too far. Katherine struck again. Malos was now seriously injured, but it still wouldn't buy them enough time. Serena let Katherine make another hit.
'There, that's enough,' she said softly to the other girl.
'Fine.' Katherine made the sword disappear.
"I'll haunt your dreams until you die," Malos hissed, and plummeted towards the ground.
"Good luck with that," she sneered.
As Malos neared the ground, a blast came out of nowhere, taking out several buildings and destroying a few more blocks. Rubble was falling everywhere, and most of it was dangerously close to everyone Serena loved. Serena automatically seized control, but Katherine didn't fight her. She knew exactly what was going to happen. Sure enough, Serena pulled Fighter out of the way of the falling rubble, and got the others out of the way. As she did so, she saw Malos watching her, smiling cruelly. She let go of Fighter, and focused her attention on looking for survivors, but she still watched her with one eye. She wouldn't let Malos hurt her. The injuries she'd let Katherine inflict would only buy them a little time. She'd have to act quickly if she was to protect the one she loved above all others.
Pluto made a 'come here' gesture with her finger. Serena obeyed.
"Princess, what was that?"
"What was what?"
"That stunt you pulled. You could have killed your aunt, and I know how much you dislike that sort of thing. What got into you?"
"I never intended to kill anyone," Serena answered. "I was just buying us some time."
"What happened?"
"He threatened to hurt you guys, and I didn't know what else to do. So I tried to do some major damage, succeeded, and now we have a few days to figure something out." In reality, Serena was already forming a plan in her mind, but she knew no one would like it.
"Are you sure that was all?"
+I'll be waiting,+ Malos whispered in her mind. +But first, a little parting gift.+
Serena whirled around. Malos had returned and taken his true form again, and was heading straight for Fighter. The wounds hadn't been enough. Fighter's back was turned. Serena placed herself directly behind her and in front of Malos. The daemon reached out one terrible arm, and Serena transformed faster than what anyone could have believed was possible, shielding Fighter. By now, the dark-haired girl had realized what was about to go down. Sailor Moon launched an attack, just as Maker and Healer got the same idea, along with everyone else. More than ten attacks should have hit Malos, but he simply brushed them off, and sent them flying towards Sailor Moon. Fighter wrapped an arm around the girl's waist and managed to thrust her out of the way, giving Malos an opening. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, he was gone. And so was Fighter.
'Oh, no…' Katherine murmured. 'Please, no…' She had no connection with Fighter, but she could feel Serena's agony. She knew that Malos had done the one thing that could possibly break Serena's will completely. 'Serena, don't lose it. It won't help…you need to calm down and think this through rationally.'
'BE RATIONAL? THAT'S YOUR ADVICE?' Serena's pain and anguish came out in that silent shriek of rage. Katherine cringed. She felt it when Serena sank down, could feel Serena fighting the tears. 'Malos is going to pay,' she whispered fiercely.
'Listen to me. We'll find out where he took her, and I'll kick his ass,' Katherine whispered. 'But first, you need to calm down and start thinking rationally. Otherwise, we're all screwed.'
'Fighter…' Serena had only spoken in her mind, but now, she was whispering her thoughts as well. "Fighter…damn you, Malos…oh, please, God, let me find her…" The pain in her heart was unbearable. She'd failed. She'd failed to save Fighter from a horrible fate. She couldn't forgive herself…if she had done something different…a single tear spilled out.
'Serena, let me drive for a while,' Katherine murmured. 'I'll hunt Malos, and you can sit back and grieve for a bit, calm yourself down, okay? I'll find her, and I'll get her out of there.' Katherine knew she would; she'd only been speaking to Serena for a day, but she already cared about the girl she shared a body with. She reminded Katherine of the good things in this world, even though it all seemed dark now.
'No. I need to do this myself.'
'You need to rest. You're drained and scared and going through heartbreak. I'm still able to function.'
'But this body is tired. I need to do this myself.'
Healer was practically homicidal. They all knew it wasn't Serena's fault; they'd seen her try to protect Fighter. Still, the silver-haired girl was screaming and raging, but anyone who knew her knew that she would be a crying wreck in another ten minutes. Maker was silent and pale, trying to come up with a plan to save her friend. Serena was on her knees, a blank look in her eyes. The blonde was clearly on the edge of losing it. The full impact hadn't set in yet, though. But when it did, it would be the most painful thing to witness anyone had ever seen. A single tear spilled from one eye, and she whispered something unintelligible, then went silent. The Inners and Outers were moving closer to her, waiting for the storm to break.
The tears increased, but the trademark wails didn't start. It was utterly silent. No sobs, no whispers, nothing. Only silent tears. The blonde's jaw tightened, and rage flared in her eyes, but quickly died down. Her hands curled into fists, and they all thought she was going to scream. But she never did. Instead, she let out a single, anguished moan that held all of the heartbreak and agony she was feeling. Then, she was silent, and the light in her eyes went out. The soft, gentle glow that had always surrounded her went out.