Chapter 36: The World is Yours
City Limits, October 30th, 3:11 PM
The back hatches of three dozen eighteen wheeler trucks were thrown open, exposing the contents. Massive quantities of cement bags, seemingly enough to build an entire neighborhood.
The team was just a couple miles north of the city, beyond the commercialization and industrialization, or at least that had been the case a few weeks ago. Now, what was previously a hilly forest had been uprooted and flattened almost entirely, twenty acres rearranged to the whims of Darien and his new powers. It was now essentially a flat plane of dirt, with only an arrangment of valleys giving any variety at all.
Serenity slowly raised her palms up towards the three parked trucks. The half-dozen stood on the northern edge of the newly created plain, next to a massive cement churner, watching as Serenity tapped into her own significant abilities. The cement bags shuddered, then began to float from the trucks.
"Wild," Mina gasped as the bags began an orderly flight, like a flock of birds, over to the large churner. Neatly, the bags began to split and spill their contents into a large funnel. The dry and coarse substance would be mixed with water, turning it into a thicker mud, which could be then laid to dry. Within seconds, this process began, a little conveyor belt mixing ingredients within the large machine. "Serenity, this is incredible."
"I feel rather silly, actually," Serenity said calmly, focus on the process. "My mother had a much more...beautiful and elegant process of construction."
The four girls and Darien cautiously waited for her to continue, as they knew this was a sensitive subject.
"Small crystals...the size of a fist. At her command, they would grow, and grow, and grow, taking the exact shapes and forms that she desired. Entire houses, constructed down to the last detail, from the power of her mind, using only a tiny catalyst of crystal. The palace that I grew up in, it took her less than a day of concentration and perhaps five dozen crystals. Every last detail, perfect, just as she wanted it." Serenity sounded slightly mournful now. "A talent that she never had the chance to pass on to me, and the technology is probably lost by now as well. So many questions I wished I had asked her."
She sighed, as a goopy concoction of a dark gray color began to slide out the right end of the large contraption, into a large receptacle. Quickly regaining her focus, the wet cement began smoothly flowing up into the air, settling down in perfect formation within the valleys of the plain. A solid and reliable foundation for a grand palace.
"But we'll make do with more rudimentary materials," she finally finished.
"We may not have magic crystals," Darien said, watching the continued process of cement-laying, marvelling at the ease with which a project that would otherwise have taken months. "But I promise you." He reached up and placed his hands on the back of Serenity's shoulders, rubbing them softly. "Your palace will glow and shine all the same."
"So, uh...how do you...work?" Raye asked, looking at Serenity's small figure as she focused on her task. "Sorry for sounding like an idiot, but...it seems like you're capable of a pretty wide range of things, how does it work, what are you capable of in full?"
"Those of my bloodline should be capable of anything and everything, in theory. At least in times of peace," Serenity answered. "It was believed that my Mother, and eventually me, would be able to destroy or create entire worlds if needed. I imagine that the attack on the Moon Kingdom would have been little more than an annoyance if not for the presence of one as powerful as Queen Beryl. But I had no time to ask questions on that day. I was never trained in the art of war or battle beyond the very basics, so my powers are much less useful when used against a foe like Beryl."
"Well, this is pretty amazing either way," Lita said, watching the valleys get filled with wet cement. "At this rate, we'll be ready for the grand opening in a week!"
Serenity nodded. "I'm eager to get out of that stuffy old mansion. Not at all my taste."
"I'm just...imagining what we could do with all of this space, you know?" Mina looked around the massive plain. "I mean, you could...you could build a whole theme park, a zoo...just about anything."
"We'll each have our own," Serenity said. "I wouldn't dream of asking you four to live in a palace of my style and design. No, my guardians get their own. Like it was in our past lives."
"Wow...my own palace," Raye mused. "Man, I always knew I was destined for great things, but...even in my wildest dreams I never imagined this!" She licked her lips. "I could make mine like...like some sort of Vatican City sort of place, the birthplace of a whole new spirituality! I could be like...like the pope!"
"There is no limit to what we are capable of," Serenity continued. "These palaces we construct, they will be wonders, the likes of which will bring humans to their knees in awe." She looked over at Raye. "We could place yours within an active volcano. We could construct one to float in the skies for all eternity." Finally, she turned her gaze over to Amy. "Or perhaps one deep under sea."
Amy was indeed watching the spectacle, but seemed rather unimpressed by it. Her arms were tightly crossed over her chest, eyes hooded slightly, sucking her right cheek inbetween her teeth.
"Amy, are you done?" Lita asked, putting her hands out at her sides. "Come on, don't tell me that the academic part of your brain isn't impressed by this." She waved over at the continuing process of concrete laying. "Wipe that sourpuss away and admit that this is amazing!"
"Amazing?" Amy repeated. "Coming from you of all people, Lita?"
Lita approached her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Amy sighed. "I mean, what would those plants in your apartment have to say if they knew that you idly stood by and watched Darien uproot twenty acres of natural forest to make room for real estate!"
"Oh, come on Amy!" Mina chided, coming over to the two. "What are you, the Lorax? I mean, it's Darien's planet, he can do what he wants with it!"
Amy didn't even bother trying to respond to that, settling for continuing her judgemental glare at Lita.
Lita turned her body away from Serenity slightly, leaning in towards Amy. "Maybe you should try being just a little more grateful to someone who is trying to give you everything you ever wanted!" she hissed through gritted teeth.
"It's okay," Serenity called out loudly. "Jupiter, leave her be," she ordered. Lita immediately stepped away from Amy. "Mercury is a valued member of our team going through a difficult time right now. We should all do what we can to support her during this period."
A few hundred long bars of rebar began to levitate from within the trucks, exposed thanks to the evacuation of the concrete bags. They flew across the plain, settling into place within the still-hardening concrete, positioning themselves in a precise array to further strengthen the foundation as well as providing roots for the eventual structure.
"That is just way too cool," Mina gasped to herself.
"Difficult time..." Amy grumbled to herself. "Yes, that's...that's certainly the right phrase..."
At Serenity's mental order, sections of the concrete began to instantly harden around the rebar, tips poking out of the foundation at strategic points to form the anchor for the bottom portion of the palace.
"We're very close now to having everything," Serenity said, as the construction process continued. "Follow me just a little longer, and you will be rewarded beyond anything your human minds could have ever fathomed. And then, you will remember who you really are, and all will be as I remember. Only one thing stands in our way. So, next time she strikes, let's make it the last."
"As you remember," Amy said suddenly, voice a little mocking. "You have no idea how right you are there."
Lazily, Serenity looked over at her blue-haired guardian.
"You're certainly going to set the human race back a thousand years," Amy continued snarkily. "Maybe more. We'll all be living in mud huts and caves, if any of us even survive."
"Is that supposed to be funny?" Raye asked coldly.
"It's not supposed to be, and yet nobody takes it seriously. So what else can it be?" Amy replied. "Nothing has changed. We're setting this world on a course that will end in total destruction, and you're all watching someone playing a fiddle."
Serenity sighed. "Mercury, you're mad at me. And I forgive you for that, without you even asking for it." She turned back to her work. "You'll come around, I know you will. Not many people can continue to act so obtuse with the promise of an underwater palace."
"
Docks, November 6th, 8:43 PM
Jack frowned from the deck as his twenty-foot fishing boat slowly eased it's way towards the dock, trying to roll a cigarette with his thick fingers, flecks of tobacco falling to the wooden planks beneath his feet.
Not a great day at work. He had stayed out much later than he typically liked to in an effort to salvage the day, but the fish had never started really biting, even as he fought through the increasing cold and darkness. One of those days that definitely might have been better served if he had never taken the boat out in the first place.
After finally managing to get his cigarette rolled, he turned to look at the wheel, centered at the front of the boat and surrounded by a plexiglass shield, his partner taking the boat into the parking spot.
Suddenly, the boat stopped, halting in the water, even though it was quite clear the engine was still puttering away. The sudden braking caused Jack to nearly fall over, steadying himself just in time, and he immediately looked over at his pilot.
The man was about to say something, probably indicating that he hadn't hit the brake, before the boat suddenly began floating the opposite direction, back out towards the open water, moving at a speed that the boat wasn't capable of in reverse under normal circumstances. Meanwhile, Jack was dimly aware that every single boat currently either docked up or in the dock area was being pulled towards the open water, the chains that held them in place straining and snapping.
As the boat beneath his feet sped up, he made a split second decision to jump into the water, followed closely by his partner, a veritable fleet of unmanned boats speeding by as they splashed into the ice cold night water. They had made their decision just in time, as the boats began to warp and twist, contracting and expanding, rivets popping and metal groaning. Many of the boats began to break apart entirely, breaking down into hunks of metal, plastic and wood, still speeding towards some unknown destination.
That unknown destination was actually about a mile and a half away, a spot on top of the water, far from land, where a sorceress was gathering projectiles.
"
Docks, November 6th, 9:01 PM
Amy sped over to the edge of the water, looking out into the darkness that covered the bucking water. A hunk of metal the size of a soccer ball came roaring through the air, arcing over their heads, and crashing violently into the warehouse by the entrance to the docks, blasting a hole in the wall.
"She must have taken all the boats," Amy reasoned quickly, looking up and down the empty rows to her left and right. "She'll have enough ammunation to last quite awhile."
"How far out is she?" Raye asked, watching as more broken boat pieces rocketed through the air above, moving fast. She knew the docks had surrounding area had been evacuated, but some of the projectiles were being flung much further than the immediate area, and that in theory nowhere in the city was safe.
Ami bent down and stuck her hands in the water. "About...a mile and a half," she reported. "It's not a bad idea. She can't handle Mask on land because of his power over it, so she goes out to sea."
"Isn't there land below the water?" Mina asked, watching as more twisted metal spiraled up through the night sky and landed with great force in a parking lot, destroying a few cars and damaging quite a few others.
"Probably too deep for me to have much influence over," Darien said. "Serenity!" He pointed up at a particularly large piece soaring up overhead, this one as big as a truck.
Serenity threw her hands up and the warped metal acted as if it had struck an invisible barrier, bouncing back harmlessly and splashing heavily into the water.
"Okay," Lita said as soon as the massive piece of debris had disappeared down beneath. "What's the play? How do we get out to her?"
"Mask, can you get us out to her?" Mina asked.
Darien shook his head. "I can't do things like that. Not with her out there."
"Then I suppose this is my realm," Amy said, jumping into the water before anyone could protest. "I'll try to push her in towards land, you guys get ready."
With Amy quickly speeding towards the source of the violence, the remaining team concerned themselves with the increasingly fast-coming volley of projectiles.
"I will not be able to stop them all," Serenity said quickly, throwing her hands up into the air and creating her invisible barriers where she could to deflect the destruction away.
At this, Lita attempted to summon a ball of electricity from her palms and fire it at one of the oncoming pieces of wood, but the attack seemed to do nothing but slightly redirect it. Beryl's magic was not going to be deterred quite so easily.
"We're gonna need a lot more than that," Raye commented as the chunk disappeared several blocks away, no doubt to cause destruction somewhere out of their sight.
Lita reached up towards the heavens, a thick black cloud forming high in the sky. Although several more projectiles got through before she was able to summon up the attack, after about half a minute, much thicker bolts of lightning split the sky from up above, crackling down and striking the oncoming debris. This was more successful, the impact completely altering the course of the hunks and stealing most of their momentum, although she had very limited control on exactly where she would be redirecting said objects. Mina was firing off her crescent beam attack to accomplish the same, although the effort to charge up the attack enough to have a meaningful effect was exhausting.
A mile and a half away, Amy had already closed the gap all the way over to Queen Beryl, who was indeed orchastrating the assault on the city from just atop the water surface. From a couple hundred feet beneath her, Amy put everything she had into causing a tidal wave, intended to crash down right on Beryl and at least disrupt her attack.
Unfortunately, Beryl was ready for such a tactic, and simply soared up high into the sky, outside Amy's realm of water, taking her wrecked ships with her. Though Amy could fire up massive amounts of water in lapping waves, Beryl was able to just soar up higher than the water. Amy surfaced, changing tactics and launching a concentrated jetstream of sea water up at the sorceress, but she was able to easily deflect this away, and odds are it would not have been an overly effective attack anyway.
"Good evening," Beryl taunted as Amy gave up the water-based attack. "They'd actually send you to face me alone? I'm offended."
With that, she sent the warped and twisted remains of one of the ships right at Amy, she barely managing to dive back underneath the water and speed back towards land in time. However, unlike prior assaults, this time Beryl's volley had a target, and it followed Amy through the water like a homing missile.
Back on the docks, the group enjoyed a small respite that they assumed was thanks to Amy's interference, three girls and Darien huddled around an increasingly exhausted Serenity.
"Princess, you alright?" Raye asked worriedly, bending down by her side as she kept one eye on the skies above the water.
Serenity gave her head a small nod. "I'm not...not trained for this sort of thing," she muttered, standing back up straight. "But I'm fine."
Amy suddenly beached herself up onto the pavement at the edge of the water, splashing up haphazardly, going into a mad scramble to get away from the water's edge. The others didn't have time to follow her cue, however, and the boat wreck slammed into the dock's edge seconds later, ripping a chunk of concrete from the walk and kicking up a cloud.
Before this cloud could clear, a second massive piece of ruined ship soared through the air and headed straight for the group. Beryl's weapons had a target now, and she was putting everything she had into attacking specifically the scouts and Darien. Serenity threw her hands up and deflected it away, causing it to careen back into the water, giving a scream of pain as it impacted her invisible shield.
It took seconds for another shipwreck to be launched at the team, and Serenity braced for the impact. This one rebounded back into the water as well, on top of the first, but Serenity fell to her knees. It was too much for her to maintain. And another massive projectile was on the way.
Darien's heart was racing, faster than was healthy, as he watched her sink to the ground, leaving the oncoming volley free to smash all of them into the ground. He looked up at it, still a good distance away but approaching fast that it would be here in seconds. With no time to think, he grabbed her and quickly leapt over to a manhole, kicking it to the side and leaping down into the sewer. Thankfully landing on the walkway on the side of the sewage, he dove to his right just as the wreckage sliced through the concrete and penetrated into the sewer pathway, the impact absorbed by the barrier enough to halt it before it could get to them.
Darien looked over at the wreck, only to find himself convulsing, unable to focus on anything. His vision was blurring. Serenity looked up at him, the pieces falling together inside her head.
She looked up towards the ceiling of the tunnel. "Buy us some time!" she yelled, before turning her attention to Darien. She grabbed the back of his head and tried to steady him. "Calm down, calm down, it's okay," she whispered, fighting to keep him steady as he began to twitch. She recognized the signs, the extreme stress of the situation forcing his mind to snap and refasten itself with knowledge of his true identity, a process that could take several minutes. Time they did not have. "Stay with me, Endymion, stay with me!"
She had to keep him awake, or else his rebirth would come ten minutes too late.
Up above, Raye, Lita, Amy and Mina were left to stare down what seemed to be a neverending onslaught of weaponized junk. They scattered to the sides as yet another boat crashed heavily into the dock, causing more damage to the concrete walk, kicking up clouds of dust as effective as Amy's fog attack.
This time, a second boat was practically right behind the first, angled just slightly to the right of where the first had hit, meaning it was on a course to smash right into Raye, who had thrown herself out of harms way of the first. She gasped as the several-ton ballistic headed straight for her and tried to scramble out of the way, but there wasn't enough time.
Just before her body would have been pulverized, she gave off a small flash, and dissolved into a collection of several dozen flares, body no longer a physical entity that could be pulverized. The salvo passed through where she would have been, embedding itself into the concrete, with Raye immediately reforming her body as soon as the imminent danger was over.
She sat there frozen for a few seconds, all she had to spare, staring at the missile that should have killed her, then staring down at herself.
"Holy crap," Mina panted out, having crawled out from behind some loose blocks of concrete kicked up by the projectiles. "You gotta teach me that one."
They had no time to ponder Raye's new ability, however, as Beryl was absolutely relentless in her attack. More wreckage soared in, still focused on specifically killing those who dared to oppose her. Raye was about to dash to the side when she was distracted by something beneath her.
The wall of the sewer tunnel had been demolished, allowing her to peer down into it to see her two comrades, sitting there on the walkway. Serenity had her hand on the back of Darien's head, but something was very different about Darien as he sat there, perfectly still.
He was no longer wearing a dinner jacket, but rather what appeared to be a chestplate of heavy armor, complete with shoulder guards and even little shields that protected his thighs. His pants were now more form-fitting and blue instead of black, looking much more old fashioned than his typical getup. What's more, his mask and hat were gone, and in place of a cane, he held a thick broadsword in his right hand.
He opened his eyes.
And then, the ground beneath what remained of the concrete walkway at the edge of the water rose up into the air, a barrier of earth and cement that swallowed up the shipwreck, eating up it's momentum and stopping it from doing any further damage.
"Whoa." Lita gasped as Endymion stood up, serenely approaching the edge of the water.
"Ladies," Endymion said, voice calm and controlled. It was a voice that almost melted the stress of the scenario the girls faced, even as more and more pieces of wreckage screamed towards them. Serenity, rejuvenated by the sight of her beloved, managed to throw up a large barrier to deflect yet another volley back into the water. As she did this, Endymion raised his hand towards the water, taking in a deep breath, feeling the complete power he now had over his domain.
Miles away, a large piece of earth was yanked from the ocean floor, stone and dirt pulled by invisible forces and rising up through the water, scaring various acquatic animals half to death no doubt. Even with the opposing force of water supposedly slowing it, it rocketed up towards the water surface, with one target in mind.
Seconds later, Beryl was struck in the back by this massive piece of earth, completely taken by surprise. She felt as if hit by a freight train, an impact that would have instantly killed any normal human, and indeed almost enough to kill one as powerful as her. She could not even think clearly as the large rock streaked through the air, taking her closer and closer to a place where she knew her enemies would have a massive advantage.
But there was little she could do about it. With the chunk of earth forcing her, she was slammed with a mighty force into the ground, a couple dozen meters past the edge of the water, right into an open area of cement. The tremors shook the nearby area for a moment, testament to how hard Beryl had been driven into the ground.
Within seconds, however, the makeshift meteor cracked into several jagged pieces and Beryl forced herself into a standing position, bloodied but unbowed. Raye let her instincts kick in and charged the wounded sorceress, her body dematerializing into a series of flaming little orbs again and slamming directly into Beryl.
She screamed as the attack both scorched her and drilled her into the ground, the flecks of fire spinning and whirring at tremendous speeds, cracking the ground and pushing the Queen a good two meters into an impression in the ground.
The violent and fast assault on Beryl continued for several seconds, the other girls rather taken aback as Raye aggressively weaponized her newfound ability, overwhelming Beryl.
Finally, after about half a minute, the orbs of fire scattered off to the side and retook Raye's sailor form, and an exhausted sailor form at that. Unable to stand, Raye laid there on the ground, panting heavily. Her efforts were not in vain, however, as Beryl herself did not look like she wanted to rise from the ground anytime soon.
Through some force of will, driven by a thousand years of waiting no doubt, she shakily forced herself into a standing position, aware that she was surrounded by a group of people who could probably finish her off at will. As she was getting off her knees and rising up to her impressive full height, she looked around frantically.
Endymion had moved over near his makeshift meteor, finding where Beryl had dropped her staff, the orb at the head of it under the heel of his boot. Just as Beryl saw where it had landed, Endymion simply drove his foot down into it, shattering the orb and cracking the stalk.
Beryl staggered in placed, fighting just to remain standing. Endymion smiled and gave a small shrug. His eyes flashed up, looking behind her, out at the street. Dozens, if not hundreds, of civilians were gathered there, not willing to get within a few dozen meters, but watching the fight. He blanched for just a moment, aware that his evacuation order had apparently not been fully followed, but he also reasoned that it didn't really matter at this point. With a small upwards glance, he saw a couple news helicopters observing as well.
"Well...Prince..." Beryl panted, still eyeing her ruined staff, as if hoping it would somehow put itself back together. "Finally back. Took you long enough."
Endymion looked back at her. "King. It's King now. I think I've earned it." He put his hands out at his sides, palms facing backwards, gesturing for the other girls to remain back.
Beryl heard the whir of the helicopters above, causing her to glance upward. She smiled, then took just a moment to turn around and see the gathered audience.
"I'm not really the public execution type," Endymion continued, brandishing his sword out towards her. "But looks like I don't have much of a choice."
"You know, this is appropriate," Beryl said, turning back to face Endymion, reaching underneath her dress below her armpits and pulling out two short blades, wielding one in each hand. "When you kill a King, you don't stab him in the dark. No, you kill him with an audience. You kill him where the entire court can watch him die." She twirled the little knives around in her hands, bending down slightly in a combat position.
Endymion could only raise an eyebrow at her. "Come now, Beryl. This is over. Malachite had the good sense to refuse to go out flailing about helplessly, do you really intend to go down like this?"
"If you think me so helpless, then come here and prove it," she beckoned. She still struggled to remain on her feet, lurching about.
Endymion chuckled. "I suppose I can't blame you. I remember you now. I remember everything about you, everything you did. And I will not be kind." He nodded. "No, I will not. You won't have eyes tonight, Beryl. You won't have ears, or a nose, or a tongue. No. You'll wander the underworld blind, deaf and dumb, and all will know, that this is the fool who tried to kill a King."
He swung his bladed weapon up near his head and stalked in towards her with impunity. She held her ground, holding her little knives up as if they were a threat, ready for Endymion's worst.
Endymion stopped a few feet short of her, crouching down slightly in a combat pose, and let Beryl lunge in for an attempted stab. He neatly sidestepped and slapped her extended right hand with the broad side of his sword, forcing the knife from her grip and sending it clattering to the ground.
She very nearly fell to the ground herself, the momentum of the lunge almost too much for her to remain standing, but she steadied herself and swung back around to face her foe. This was very far removed from her area of expertise, but she had not a drop of magic left in her without her staff. She danced about for a second, swaying as if drunk, before jumping in and trying a horizontal slash across his chest. He blocked it with his forearm, roughly shoved her hand back away from him, then swept his left leg forward under her right foot. She tumbled to the ground, balance lost, having only a split second to get her bearings back before Endymion cleaved her in two with his sword.
She rolled away from his blow, narrowly dodging it, then flinging herself back up to her feet, the process making her dizzy and even more unstable. Nevertheless, she kept fighting, holding her small blade out in front of her and awaiting his move.
He didn't bother making one, toying with her now. He could have stepped in and ended this any time he wanted, of course, her little knife offering no more a threat than a water gun would to him. Sure enough, he waited, and she eventually lurched in towards him, stabbing her little blade out towards him. He stepped back, evading the lunge, spinning off to the left, whipping his sword out and very nearly lopping her head from her body. She ducked away, getting some distance between her and him before turning back around.
She flung her knife at Endymion, obviously running out of options. He simply leaned to the side and caught the handle with his left hand, flinging it back to her in one smooth motion, sticking it right at her feet, in the ground. Before she could bend down to pick it up, he flashed in towards her, blade out, forcing her back, now entirely weaponless.
In a final act of desperation, she tried to launch a right cross into his face, but Endymion was able to grab her wrist, nimbly spin around her as he kept his grip on her, and finally ran her through with his sword.
She gasped in horror as her chest was pierced by the steel blade, looking down at the blood-coated tip. Slowly, Endymion withdrew it from the newly-made hole, allowing the wound to gush freely.
Beryl fell to her knees, hands feebly reaching up to clutch at the opening, for all the good it would do. She tried to turn her head to look at her killer, but even this simple move was beyond her now.
She collapsed to the floor, Endymion watching her go through her final moments, holding his stained sword out by his side. Serenity came up next to him, eyes on Beryl should she try any tricks with her last breath.
But she had nothing. Without her magic, she was rather normal, and had nothing left to do but keel over and die. She twitched on the ground for a moment, her wound pouring out around her, and then, with a little rattle, it was over.
Serenity placed her hand on Endymion's back, Endymion responding by wrapping his right arm around her shoulders. One by one, gradually, the scouts came up to their side, observing the fallen sorceress, half-expecting her to get up at any second and continue the fight.
"Wow," Mina finally muttered. "We did it. She's gone."
Endymion nodded. "Once you get past her tricks, she falls like anyone else."
"Huh," Raye said. "I kinda can't believe we pulled it off. It looked bad there for a minute." She looked over at Endymion. "So, uh...how are you feeling?"
He looked over at Serenity with hooded eyes. "Better than I have in about a thousand years, actually."
Lita took in a deep breath. "I always kind of thought to myself, what would we do when we finally took care of her. Never really figured it out."
"We still have much work to do," Serenity said evenly. "The threat is gone, but we have an entire empire to build. I am eager to give that our full attention from here on out." She looked back down at what remained of Beryl. "Beryl was not the only thing that threatened to ruin this planet." She turned away, facing the crowd of people, who were slowly breaking out into applause. "But we did well tonight, and we should celebrate this victory." She beckoned to Endymion. "Come, we should speak to our audience before we leave tonight."
Endymion gave a casual little smirk, obeying her suggestion nevertheless. "Aren't you exhausted? I know I am."
"Our victory has...re-energized me," Serenity said, leading him towards the grouping of people. "On the contrary, I feel as if I am ready to now take on any and all challenges our new world order will put in my path."
Mina bent her head back, looking up at the sky, stretching her neck. "Whew! That was something else. I'm right there with Endymion, I'm exhausted too."
"Good fight, everyone," Raye said, smacking Lita on the back with her right hand. "We did it. I'm heading over to headquarters for the night."
Amy stood, rooted to the spot, eyes on Endymion and Serenity as they began to bask in the praise of the civilians in the street. She, of course, was quite tired herself, but her work for this evening was not done. They were fast approaching a very dangerous stage in Serenity's crazed plans, and with Beryl gone, now had to be the time to end it.
She would need a few hours to settle herself, think about what she had to say, prepare for it. It was probably her last chance before things got truly out of hand, so it had to work. Of course, she was aware that there was really no reason why Serenity would listen to her now, but she couldn't think about the possibility of this not working. Quite simply, it had to work.
The sailor scouts had vanquished the villain, but the threat remained strong as ever.
"
Earth Palace, November 7th, 12:07 AM
Darien had been right about one thing. The palace certainly glowed and shined.
It had taken mere days for the structure itself to be finished. Serenity said that she had tried to make it resemble her former palace to the best of her abilities. A single massive structure was centered on the property, a rectangular building with one particularly large tower rising up over everything else, tapering in a rounded bulb of a silver top. Four other towers surrounded this largest one, all four of them unable to match the main one in height or width, with similar rounded bulbs acting as as roof. Spread out to the left and right of this main structure were assorted other ones scattered in the courtyard, much smaller and shorter, but still imposing. A round, open-air stage for musical performances to the right, an armored bunker to house the eventual palace security to the left, anything and everything Serenity thought she would need. A giant stone wall surrounded everything, an adequate, if somewhat old-fashioned, way of protecting the property.
Amy had already gone through this wall via the front gates, and was making her way down the long concrete path to the main structure, flanked by fields of yellow and red flowers on either side, as well as multiple marble fountains in an endless cycle of artful streams of water displays. Some part of Amy's mind acknowledged it was a pretty impressive show on Serenity's part, assembling all of this so fast, but she had no time to give that part of her mind any attention.
Before long, she was in front of the twin main doors, towering portals of wood, carved carefully and symmetrically. She could just barely make out human-like figures in the arrangements, a series of pictures that told a story. Some legend or myth that Serenity remembered from her time in her past life. Amy had no interest in it right now.
She grabbed the handle and yanked it towards her. It swung much easier than it's presumed size indicated it could, some sort of magic that allowed welcome visitors to open it with ease. Fortunately for her, Serenity was right there on the front foyer, back turned to her, holding a small vase in her right hand.
"Serenity," Amy said sternly, quickly approaching her back, a girl on a mission if there ever was one.
"It's interesting," Serenity said absentmindedly. "The Nazarene art movement of the 1820s is so...familiar to me."
"Serenity, we need to talk," Amy said, uninterested in her musings.
"It's very similar to the art style they used in my time," Serenity continued. "Romanticism, I believe the era was called." She looked over at a large portrait hanging from the wall, a couple riding horses through a field of flowers. "Yet the buildings, I find, have a lot in common with the Baroque era. Interesting how influences such as those find themselves reused again through the ages."
"Serenity, this needs to stop now," Amy said. "We are approaching a point of no return, we are running out of time!"
Serenity went over to a small end table by the portrait, setting it down on the platform and judging how it fit. "You fought well tonight, Mercury. We all did. Please don't sully that shining moment now."
"The entire way of life for humanity is shifting every single day that we continue on like this," Amy plowed on. "Before long, they will have become so dependent on us, that we won't be able to just disappear without causing significant damage, so we need to disappear now!" She took in a deep breath. "I am tired of this, Serenity. You want things to be like the old days, then I will find a way to give you what you need, but it can not be like this!"
Serenity turned back to Amy. "Amy. We've already won. Open your eyes, it's already done, we already have everything we want...why would we take anything less?"
"This won't last," Amy insisted. "However safe we might feel now, as time goes by, people will turn on us. They'll forget what we've done over the last year, and eventually all they will see is a tyrant. By then, it will be too late. I'm ending this. We are setting this planet on a course for total destruction!"
"Or, are we currently on a course for total destruction, and I'm trying to do what I can to save the human race?" Serenity replied. "There's a lot of evil in the world, Mercury. A lot of things that we might be able to change for the better. We might be able to unite this whole world. Don't I deserve at least a chance?"
"No, no!" Amy shook her head violently. "Serenity, you don't understand, humans don't work like how you're suggesting, it is far more complicated than you think! M-maybe when you were younger, earth was like you say, united as...as one nation, but it's far from that now, and to think you can just...just wave your hand and make it so, it can't happen like that!"
"Mercury, please. Settle your mind." Slowly, she saunted into the room to the immediate left of the front foyer, hands behind her back. "Now that Queen Beryl is dealt with, we can focus more on bringing our true selves back to the forefront, and you'll feel quite silly about all of this."
In the neighboring room, some sort of massive guest closet, there was a crate of decorative crystals, cut into perfect little tubes. On Serenity's mental command, they rose up into the air and began organizing themselves in a circular formation, a string rising up and tying them together in a chandelier.
"Just place your faith in me for a few more weeks, and you will reawaken as I remember you." Serenity was focused on her crystal organization now, back turned to Amy. Amy stood at the threshold of the room, arms up and hands on the doorframe.
"No!" Amy snapped. "I can't let this happen, Serenity, we can't do this! We need to stop this!"
The crystals shuddered slightly. "Mercury, you've said your piece, now please leave."
"We need to stop this, I HAVE TO STOP THIS!" Amy yelled, coming up right behind Serenity and getting in her ear the best she could. "I AM TRYING TO PROTECT YOU!"
"Mercury, that's enough!" Serenity was finally starting to show signs of agitation, and her chandelier was now swaying back and forth in midair.
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, we have to shut this down—"
"ENOUGH!" Serenity roared. The chandelier erupted into a million little pieces, the debris shooting out violently in every direction, tiny shards bouncing harmlessly off the walls, ceiling, floor, and the two girls.
Serenity panted for a moment, unaffected by the debris barrage but still visibly vexed by Amy's rant. Amy, for her part, had finally fallen silent, watching Serenity, slightly fearful as she tried to calm herself.
After several seconds, Serenity smiled, than beckoned towards the door behind her. "My apologies. I should be more sympathetic to one in your position." She turned and slowly guided Amy towards the threshold. "Now. Go home. Whichever home you prefer at this time, it doesn't matter to me. We have a lot of work to do going forward, and I will need you rested and focused." She gently pushed Amy from the room. "I understand this is all difficult for you, but it will only make the moment where you come to your senses all the more precious."
With that, Serenity shut the door on Amy's face, a cacophonic slamming sound ringing through the air, Amy left to stand there in a stunned silence.
"
Amy's Apartment, November 7th, 1:00 AM
The door swung open slowly, drawing the attention of both moon cats. To their surprise, nobody entered immediately. It took several seconds before Amy listlessly wandered into her room, the look on her face giving them the answer they needed immediately. But, just in case, just to be sure, Luna had to ask.
"Anything?" she asked, almost pleading, hopeful that there might be at least some good news.
Her complete lack of response snuffed that out.
"W-well, we'll keep trying, Amy," Luna said cautiously as Amy slowly wandered towards the center of her bedroom, eyes unfocused as they looked about. "Now that Beryl's gone, there's nothing else to think about, so surely with some time they'll realize that this is all insane!"
Amy didn't reply, stopping her slow pace right in the middle of the room, then looking down at the floor.
"I mean, it's not...it's not good, but...something will come up, I'm sure of it. They're smart girls, they'll realize that this is a fool's errand eventually!" Luna glanced over towards the closed bedroom door, surprised to find her legs kept itching to make a break for it. She supressed the urge, however. "Just keep doing what you're doing, eventually it'll get through!"
Amy's eyes darted along the carpeted floor for a couple seconds, still unfocused. She started to quiver a little bit, causing Luna to recoil slightly. She closed her eyes, and Luna could hear a small whimper come from her.
"Amy, Amy, everything's going to be okay," Luna said desperately, feeling her emotional distress quite clearly. "Don't let it bother you, things will turn out fine."
Amy reached up towards the sides of her head and fell to her knees heavily. Luna opened her mouth, but immediately shut at as Amy let loose a mighty, anguished scream. It was deeper and more gutteral than Luna thought Amy capable of, and that dissonance sent a chill down her spine. Amy bent over, looking down at the ground, almost convulsing as she roared.
Though she wasn't really paying attention, Luna was able to dimly make out assorted snaps and hisses from around her. Suddenly, a metal pipe ripped through the leftmost wall, the end jagged and spewing a heavy mist of superheated water. Throughout the entire apartment complex, the water pipes began to cause all forms of havoc, ripping through the walls as the liquid flowing through it was forcibly manipulated. Some of the water instantly froze, instantly forming sharp and haphazard formations of ice that grew from the walls, floors and ceilings like some sort of horror film. In other places, the water heated to boiling temperatures and splashed everywhere, scalding all in it's path. And in some places, it coverted to steam and came out in a thick fog. Virtually every sink, showerhead, and washing machine in the facility erupted as well. The crazed display caused a panic within the building and threatened to bring it down entirely.
After several seconds, the water assault on the building stopped, though several areas were flooded and the building was no longer livable with all the pipes jutting out everywhere. Luna had squeezed her eyes shut and turned away at the initial explosion of activity, along with Artemis, and now both cautiously looked over at the despondent girl.
They peered through the fog at the girl, who was now laying in a sad heap on the floor, head down, motionless. Luna and Artemis exchanged a look, when suddenly Amy twitched, emitting a little sound.
She started to laugh.
"Heheheheh...heheheheh..."
Context aside, it seemed rather harmless. The kind of dismissive laugh you might emit while talking to a small child who had just said something ridiculous, or perhaps a friend suggesting something absurd that you can't help but chuckle at. With the context added, however, it became rather unsettling.
Though they didn't want to, the two moon cats moved forward through the rapidly disappearing mist and went around Amy so they could get a look at her face as she twitched on the ground. What they saw only made them feel even sicker.
Amy still had her eyes closed, but had an unnatural grin on her face. She began to writhe on the ground, as if she had lost control of her muscles and could only squirm around.
"Ahahaha...ahahahahahaAHAHAHA..."
Her laugh changed in tone. It was the kind of breathless laugh that came when your lungs just weren't up to the challenge of expressing your joy. Like she had found something so funny she just couldn't quite manage to stop laughing even as her body wanted her too.
The door burst open, Amy's mother leaning in, face pale and eyes wide. "A-Amy, are you okay?!" she gasped out. Seeing her writhing body, she took two big steps in towards her, only to stop in her tracks as Amy's laughter took on yet another iteration.
"HAHAHAHAHAAAA...HAHAHAHAAAA!"
Madness. Insanity. Laughter reserved for those locked in padded rooms in asylums. A definite undertone of neurosis layered within the cackling. She rolled around on the ground, rolling over onto her back for a moment before going back to a prone position on her stomach, oblivious to all around her. Luna and Artemis slowly turned towards the bedroom door, acknowledging that nothing they could do in this moment would make anything better, and departed, dejected looks on their faces as they left the scene behind.
A room ruined by the sudden rush of moisture. A horrified mother looking down at her only daughter, torn between backing out of the room and rushing forward to try to help her. And a teenage girl, broken and defeated, out of ideas and out of hope, who could do nothing but laugh at what had transpired around her ears over the past half year.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA...HAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"