Chapter 21
The Terrifying Illusion: Ami All Alone
Inside her chambers, Esmeraude was now taking this time to freshen herself up for Prince Demande, in jasmine filled water. Despite this however, Hyena R. Droid chose to be respectful of her privacy when Saphir appeared.
"Esmeraude, time to get out," he said.
Enraged, Hyena lashed out at Saphir for his arrival, and held his Dark Starlight Keyblade dangerously near his throat.
"You do realize that it's rude to spy on a lady when she's trying to bathe, Saphir! I suggest that you leave her in peace before I make you an example of my wrath!" he snarled, making the darkness slowly form an aura around him.
"Come now, Hyena, there's no need to be that self-conscious of what I do," Esmeraude assured him.
"She's right, Hyena, we must complete the dark gate. I shouldn't have to remind you, we need to send the dark power of the Malefic Black Crystal into the Juban District, and destroy it. And here you are, pulling guard duty while Esmeraude bathes," scoffed Saphir.
This made the two of them laugh maniacally.
"My plan is going flawlessly, so don't tell me what I have to do," said Esmeraude.
Saphir was bewildered, until Hyena stepped towards him.
"A new dark point has been uncovered, the Juban District's Eisai Cram School where one of Sora's friends, who goes by the name of Ami Mizuno goes to, will soon be engulfed in the darkness of Esmeraude's dark henge. And I'm sure that this girl will soon become the victim of doubt and mistrust amongst her peers, making her turn her back on them, so that she can plot her revenge against those who believe that she's not quite the prodigy they believe her to be. In the end her anger and hate will lead to her heart filling with such beautiful darkness, thus calling forth the darker side of her personality, making her just as cold-hearted as Rei whenever she lashes out at poor sweet yet innocent Usagi Tsukino for no reason at all," explained Hyena.
Then, as if to prove his point, Esmeraude emerged dressed in her bathrobe and summoned the dark henge which began affecting the students in cram school.
"Come forth Droid Giwaaku!" cried Esmeraude.
The new droid soon emerged in a burst of darkness, which filled Esmeraude with wild joy.
"You see that, the dark henge is already growing with dark power. By tomorrow the dark henge will be completed. I want you to defend this point until then," she explained to Giwaaku, who bowed in response.
By morning, a number of students were surprised to see that Ami was at No. 1 yet again, which made Usagi so proud of her friend.
"I'm so impressed. Wow Ami, you're at the top of the whole class again," she said.
"You got everything right except one, you're a genius," added Naru.
"Oh, that's not really true. All the things I happened to study happened to be on the test," countered Ami.
But suddenly she heard several girls talking poorly about her, which started to make her feel sad, but made Sora clench his fist in anger.
"How rude," Naru said.
"Don't pay any attention to what those girls say, they're just jealous because you're smarter than they are," Usagi tried to assure her.
"That's right, you shouldn't listen to what they say about you, Ami. And I can give you three reasons why that's the case. 1: Nobody has the right to say terrible things about you, just because you achieve first place on almost every exam you take. 2: People who don't know you and assume things about you, will never understand why you have a kind heart. And 3: No matter what happens, you'll always have us to look towards for guidance," explained Sora.
"Thanks, you guys, I should be used to this stuff by now," replied Ami.
"Yeah, we know what you mean," sighed Sora and Usagi.
"People laugh at Usagi because of her poor grades, but that doesn't mean she can't ask you to help her out," continued Sora.
Suddenly the heard Umino revealing what was believed to be a cheat sheet under Ami's desk, and all the other students began to agree with him, growing spiteful of Ami's ability to achieve first place in every exam she took, which angered Sora, Usagi, and Naru, but made Ami even more sad. They even said hurtful things about how Ami was with Usagi, which not only shocked her, but made Sora even more angry. They soon demanded to know why Usagi was always at the lowest, while Ami was on top, until Sora stepped between her and the other students.
"That's enough! Even if Usagi's at the bottom of her class, and Ami's at the top, that doesn't mean they can still be friends! I know for a fact that you guys once respected Ami for her intelligence, but now it looks like you're all becoming jealous of her when she achieves first place in every exam she takes! So stop treating Ami like garbage, Umino Gurio! That's something Naru, Usagi and I won't tolerate whatsoever!" snapped Sora.
"Sounds to me like you've decided to take the side of a dirty cheater!" Umino snapped back, forcing Sora to summon his keyblade.
"If you don't like it, then come at me, guys! I'll take on all of you in an orderly fashion!" Sora said furiously.
"Wait a second!" called Makoto who had just arrived.
"Are you defending this cheater too!? If that's the case, I'm willing to fix it!" snapped one of the students, who grabbed at her shirt.
Enraged, Makoto grabbed him and flipped him over her, like a limp ragdoll. Then he flipped over several more and they all landed in a crumpled dog pile. While Sora leaped up and attacked the rest of them with the blunt end of his Keyblade.
"Now who else wants some!?" shouted Sora.
"Stop it, you two, you're gonna get into trouble," pleaded Ami.
"That one boy did grab her, and the other guys were really mean," added Usagi.
"So what, at least we know who to blame for it," replied Sora.
"They were accusing you of cheating, do you want us to let them get away with that?" Makoto asked.
"It's okay, because I know I'm innocent," countered Ami.
"Yes you are, we believe you," agreed Usagi.
Naru and Sora nodded in agreement as well.
"Thank you, I appreciate it. But what really bothers me most is how I ended up getting that one question wrong, I was so close to a perfect score," said Ami.
"Oh boy," Usagi, Naru, and Sora said together.
A short while later, Usagi, Makoto, Sora, and Ami were walking down the road.
"I still can't get over the fact that those guys were bad mouthing Ami," the taller brunette said.
"Yeah, they aren't the type of students who go around doing that kind of thing," agreed Usagi.
"But we're aware they got to Eisai Cram school together," said Sora, who was still bitter about what those guys said to Ami.
"Hey, is it true that Ami gets good grades because she's a cheater?" asked Chibiusa, who showed up.
"Come on, Chibiusa, what makes you say that?" inquired Riku, who was with her.
"Because that guy with the big swirly glasses said so," replied Chibiusa.
"Why that stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking, BONEHEAD! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" shouted Sora, unable to contain his rage.
"What!? No! You can't think like that Sora! This isn't like you at all!" cried Chibiusa.
"I'm with Chibiusa, it's alright! At the end of the day, I know my friends will never believe that, and that's good enough for me," Ami said comfortingly.
"That's right, Sora. I know that you're angry about how those people are spreading false Rumors about Ami, but that doesn't mean you should hurt them for revenge," agreed Terra.
Usagi and Makoto weren't sure what to say, but when they saw Ami hurry down the road, they were still worried about her.
"She won't admit it, but she's taking it badly," sighed the ponytailed brunette.
"I wish there was something we could do," agreed Usagi.
Sora glanced sadly at Ami, then he walked off in the opposite direction.
"I need to find out why Ami's being accused of cheating," he said quietly to himself.
He soon broke into a run, leaving Usagi and Makoto worried. At the same time, people continued to be spiteful of Ami, which started to make her even more upset at the biting words that started to affect her, making her run into an alleyway.
"I'm innocent," She sobbed.
But she remembered how Usagi and Sora would always back her up, which made her relax a little. Suddenly she saw the cram billboard, and began to believe that Umino and the other students would always go to the same school as she did, so as to spread false rumors about her. She decided to go there to investigate, until she opened the door to the classroom and saw that it was permeated with darkness, making her shocked and feel a great heaviness weighing down upon her heart like a stone, as Giwaaku, hover just outside of the window.
"Mercury Star Power Make Up!" she called.
In a brilliant flash of blue light, Ami had now become Sailor Mercury and started her investigation of the room, just like her hero, Sherlock Holmes, which made Sora sense that there was trouble, and quickly raced to her rescue.
"Curses, that girl is Sailor Mercury, one of the five Sailor Guardians I have to dispose of," Giwaaki said darkly.
"I know you're here! And I know you work for Esmeraude! Where are you hiding!?" Sailor Mercury demanded from inside the classroom.
She soon contacted her friends and told them to head to Eisai Cram School which was permeated with darkness. Usagi, and the rest of their friends answered the call, and quickly followed after Luna, just as Giwaaku attacked her furiously. Sailor Mercury was aghast at what she saw, as the Giwaaku clones charged towards her, but she took them down with her Bubble Spray Freezing attack. More clones materialized nearby, forcing Sailor Mercury to defend herself once again, but this time she used her Double Bubble Spray Freezing attack to defeat them, only for several more to take their place, until she realized that the real Giwaaku was the one summoning them. At the same time, Giwaaku saw that Sailor Mercury was powerful, and called back her clones, so that she would take control of Sailor Mercury's mind and force her to hurt those she held most dear to her, as her antenna twitched on her head.
"Hang on Mercury!" Sora said.
He managed to reach the cram school just as his friends and the four other Sailor Guardians arrived.
"There's darkness everywhere," warned Artemis.
"Be careful, a droid is hiding somewhere," Sailor Mercury warned as well.
"Really? What happened to this place?" asked Sailor Jupiter.
"It appears the enemy has been using the Eisai Cram School to carry out their latest plan. I'm sure that Umino and the others became so mean, because they were exposed to their dark power," replied Sailor Mercury.
"That would certainly explain it," Sailor Jupiter said.
"That heartless Esmeraude must have been plotting this," added Sora.
"You said it, Sora!" agreed Sailor Mars.
"Looks like those pesky fools have shown up. One is missing, but I'll make sure Sailor Mercury kills the others," sneered Giwaaku.
Using her antennae, Giwaaku used her mental powers to affect Sailor Mercury, causing her friends to worry. When she turned to look at them, she saw that they were now acting cold and heartless, instead of kind and caring, which made her worried.
"Good grief, would you look at yourself? I've been meaning to tell you that wearing two shades of blue over white, washes out your skin tone," said the false Sailor Mars.
This made Sailor Mercury worried.
"Why are you criticizing me all of a sudden?" she asked.
"You've neglected to improve your wardrobe, because you're wrapped up in studying all the time," replied Sailor Jupiter.
"What, you're picking on me too?" Sailor Mercury asked in confusion.
"I'm so tired of you talking about your studying and bragging about your grades, it makes me want to throw up!" snapped Sailor Venus.
"What can I say? I know I said I like studying a lot, but I never thought about bragging about my grads. I apologize to each of you for my thoughtless behavior," countered Sailor Mercury.
"Oh, please, Miss Goody-Twoshoes, I don't believe you," barked Sailor Mars.
But what Sailor Mercury didn't know was that the droid was affecting her mind, yet she was now growing more worried about what was going on, and why she denied seeing her friends saying those horrible things.
"And to make matters worse, Sailor Mercury, you've always loved yourself," sneered Vanitas.
"I'm making you hate them, and when you've had enough, you're gonna crush them," smirked Giwaaku.
Sora, as well as Sailor Mercury's friends tried to ask her what was wrong, but Ami was seeing that they were telling her how much they despised her. Meanwhile, Luna had managed to guide Usagi, Riku, and the other Guardians of Kingdom Hearts to the cram school, where they saw the dark henge and Giwaaku in front of it. This was the signal for Usagi to help her friends as Sailor Moon, as Riku told Chibiusa to find a safe place to hide until the battle was over.
"Go ahead, Sailor Mercury, kill those heartless people before they kill you," Giwaaki said.
"Hold it right there!" Called Sailor Moon.
"What, who the devil are you!?" demanded the Droid.
"I'm the pretty Guardian who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon!" replied the blonde.
"So the rest of you have finally arrived," mused Giwaaki.
"You have filled this cram school with dark power, infecting the minds of students with animosity so they say spiteful things! That's something I can't forgive!" Sailor Moon said furiously.
"So guess what, Droid. You'll regret turning them against Sailor Mercury," added Riku, who summoned his Braveheart Keyblade.
The others followed suit as well, readying their weapons for battle.
"So now, on behalf of the moon, We're punishing you!" declared Sailor Moon.
But Giwaaki used her hallucinatory abilities against Sailor Moon, despite Luna's warnings, which made her begin to hear the voices of her friends saying hurtful things about her, but she snapped out of the mind control.
"Yeah, so what!? I'm a flat-chested dumb idiot who sucks at everything, WHO CARES!?" she yelled, surprising Giwaaku.
"True, Sailor Moon, but doesn't mean we'll still be friends no matter what," Roxas assured her, making her turn and giggle at him.
"Aw, thank you, Roxas," she replied.
Now enraged beyond belief, Giwaaku summoned more clones to attack her, and sent her sprawling to the ground with a powerful kick.
"Sailor Moon!" called Riku, rushing to her side.
"You will pay, Droid. Was my friend…? No, our princess, Sailor Moon, not enough for you!? You shouldn't have hurt her!" snapped Terra, as he felt the darkness welling up within him.
Right as Giwaaku was about to strike the finishing blow, a rose suddenly stopped her, making everyone see that it was Tuxedo Mask.
"You have attacked and toyed with the innocent minds of young teenagers. By planting a dark henge in a cram school, there is no trust in place for students who prepare for the High School Entrance Exams. There's no forgiveness for droids as evil as you are!" said the caped crusader.
Giwaaku soon summoned more clones to try and catch Tuxedo Mask off guard. Even though he sent a few of them back, he was knocked down and beaten, which made Sora jump through the window and destroy the clones with his Keyblade.
"No one hurts my friends, especially those that Sailor Moon loves, and gets away with it!" he said, standing defensively in front of Tuxedo Mask, making Sailor Moon smile respectfully at him.
"Be sure to watch carefully as Sailor Mercury kills off her other ex-friends," called Giwaaku.
She increased the intensity of the attack, which affected Sailor Mercury's mind even more, causing her to think that everyone was still treating her poorly, but in reality her friends were more worried about her. Crying out in fury, she attacked them, and forced them to retreat. But when Sailor Mercury saw the rest of her friends, she thought they were also hateful of her as well, which in turn made her angry.
"You heard them Sailor Mercury, kill all of those bad mouthed fools! Get rid of them so they can't call you names anymore!" Giwaaku called down to her.
Sailor Mercury soon jumped out the window, even as Giwaaku continued giving her orders.
"Oh no, what is she doing?" Sailor Mars asked nervously.
"It looks like she's going to use her Shine Aqua Illusion," gasped Sailor Venus.
"Mercury, you've gotta snap out of it," called Artemis.
"Don't buy into those hallucinations!" added Luna.
"Mercury, please stop!" cried Sailor Moon, only to get knocked down by Sailor Mercury's punch.
The others tried to convince her, but she still marched forward with an angry glare in her eyes.
"It's okay, Sailor Mercury would never harm any of us, never. I know that because I trust her," Sailor Moon said reassuringly to everyone.
They all looked nervously at Sailor Mercury as they believed that she would attack them, until Sora placed his hand upon her shoulder.
"Don't do this," he said, making her glance at the droid.
"What are you waiting for, Sailor Mercury? It's time to destroy them," Giwaaku said malevolently.
"Sailor Mercury, please," Sora said.
"You must never forgive what they said about you!" the droid said menacingly.
"You're the one, I'll never forgive!" she snapped furiously.
This immediately surprised everyone, until they saw the Shine Aqua Illusion attack destroy Giwaaku's antennae.
"Why weren't you fooled by my hallucinations!? How did you resist my dark power!?" demanded the droid.
"You're dark power can never deceive us! Our hearts are connected by trust in one another!" retorted Sailor Mercury.
"You know, you've got a lot in common with Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. You'll both do anything to control people. Make them your puppets. You will hijack other people's hearts and turn them into pawns you want to sacrifice. That will, to control. That will, to sever bonds. It's extraordinary, and it makes some people think, because you know what? If all I have to do to keep the connection strong is to cherish my friends, what's stopping me? Well let me make this clear. You're a pawn of the darkness. That's what your masters think of you, they view you as a pawn that they can sacrifice for their own benefit. But the way I see it, even having some friends than having no friends at all. You turned those people on Sailor Mercury. Made them spread wild rumors about how she's always studying. You violated something more important than anything else. You've spread your bull crap all over this world. So, I am setting things straight. HERE! NOW! THIS IS WHERE YOUR STORY ENDS!" added Sora.
"She's a cheater and a liar!" protested Giwaaki.
"You are the cheater, and the liar. You tried to turn Ami against us. You made her classmates at cram school say those horrible things. So now, it makes perfect sense to all of us! And I think that you just don't care! And I don't know why you've come here to make Ami be viewed as the villain in this story, but it doesn't really matter to me now! You're the monster! That is the role you seem determined to play, so it seems that Sailor Moon and I must play ours! The ones that stop the monsters! We're sending you straight to your own demise! Who knows? When Esmeraude finds out what happened here, and if she does, she'll remember this! You are not welcome here! This world is protected! I am Sora! Knight of the light! Friend of Sailor Mercury!" countered Sora.
Then he and Sailor Moon readied their weapons.
"AND WE NAME YOU THE BRAINLESS!" they cried out together.
Then with the combined power of Moon Princess Halation and Ultima Beam, Giwaaki was reduced to dust and ash, and the dark henge was destroyed.
"Good work, you successfully stopped another enemy plan," Tuxedo Mask said as he recovered.
"What'd you expect?" grinend Sora.
"As always the strength of your bond is nothing short of impressive," replied Tuxedo Mask.
Then he and Sora shook hands with each other, and parted ways. At the same time, an enraged Esmeraude was shocked to learn that her droid had failed.
"I told you that lazing around in the bath wasn't the best way to get the job done," said Saphir.
"Don't worry, I'll find a new negative point soon," she remarked with a crazed cackle.
"Now, for both our sake, leave Esmeraude in peace," added Hyena.
They both laughed cruelly as the holographic projection faded away, but Esmeraude swore that she'd still wipe them out. Meanwhile, everyone thanked Ami for believing in them, as well as not being deceived by the lies that affected them.
"No worries, I felt that all of you truly believed that I would never cheat. Am I right?" she said.
Sora, Usagi and their friends nodded slowly, but the spiky-haired brunette turned sadly away.
"I'm sorry," he said somberly, only for Ami to hug him.
"You don't need to apologize because of your kind yet caring nature, Sora. Even though most of you have your doubts, we're bound by trust and that's all that matters," she assured him.
"That's right," agreed Sora and Usagi.
But the moment didn't last long when Umino and several other students arrived, and began asking her for help on future tests, but Ami kindly told them to do their best by learning through the material. Luckily though, Usagi was told that Esmeraude was the one behind the false rumors, and that she should only focus her anger on them, but she quickly darted away when Umino asked her to be part of the study session.