Shattered Ice: Super Sailor Mercury

Chapter 48

"DIE!" the blond haired man swept his sword vertically with immense speed, his gray, military style uniform battered and white cape torn.

"Eeep!" Sailor Tin Nyanko ducked, then skittered away to try to get some room between them, the black leather clad girl moving like a cat.

It had seemed like SUCH a good plan... look for the enemies of the Sailor Soldiers and recruit them to her cause. But so far she had only found mindless monsters, as likely to attack her rather than her foes. A odd power signature lead her here, where she found the man sealed in crystal.

"I'll kill you!" he attacked again.

Clearly, cracking open the crystal was a BAD idea.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" Sailor Tin Nyanko asked as she dodged another strike. "I'm NOT your enemy!"

"You are not one of Beryl's people," he snarled back as he gestured, firing a energy bolt, "therefore you are my foe!"

'Oh lovely,' Sailor Tin Nyanko thought, 'one of THOSE types.' She bounced away, then brought up her wrist bands. The return energy blast knocked the blond back, shaking him badly.

"That... wasn't like the Sailor Senshi attacks," he managed, shaking his head.

"I am NOT one of them," Sailor Tin Nyanko told him firmly. "I am their enemy too."

The blond man in a military styled uniform studied her warily. "It's possible I was mistaken," he finally conceded.

"I'm called Tin Nyanko," she said, leaving out her Sailor title. She rather suspected that wouldn't go over well with him. "And you are...?" she asked.

He gave a half bow, "I am Jadeite, of the Dark Kingdom."

"Well, Jadeite," Sailor Tin Nyanko smiled up at the taller man warmly, "maybe we can help each other out, hmm?"

Jadeite looked at her warily, "Possibly."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Galaxia watched events unfold, her expression more amused than anything else. The Sailor Animates were out in the world, each carrying out a mission. Lead Crow and Aluminum Siren were seeking Sailor Crystals for her, and while they were not successful yet, they were putting in great efforts. She would not destroy them yet.

Sailor Tin Nyanko was gathering forces to fight this planet's Sailors, to aide in her hunt of Iron Mouse. That was NOT what Galaxia had ordered, but she could understand the decision. Alone, she couldn't face the local Sailor Soldiers, and they would almost certainly step in if she went directly after Iron Mouse.

'Strange, how often this world has been attacked,' Galaxia mused.

The false queen of the Negaverse, Beryl. Pharoh 90, the Witches and various allies. The rediculous plant man that killed the majority of this planet's Sailors. What drew these things here? What made them pick THIS world, out of so many possibilities?

Galaxia scowled. There was SOMETHING going on here. "Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon!" she called.

The final Sailor Animate appeared, her butterfly wings shining as the purple clad woman bowed. "Mistress Galaxia," she bowed respectfully.

"I have a mission for you," Galaxia said, "I wish for you to serve as a emessary to a ally. Or possibly enemy."

"Of course," Heavy Metal Papillon nodded willingly.

"Queen Nehelenia," Galaxia said, "I wish you to find her, and make her a offer of alliance with me. She resides in the Dead Moon, the dark mirror of this world's moon, and possesses powers and minions that would be useful to us."

"Understood," Heavy Metal Papillon said, "and if she refuses to join you?"

Galaxia studied her nails a moment, liking how they shone. "Kill her," she said casually.

"Thank you, mistress," Heavy Metal Papillon grinned. "And her minions?"

"If they agree to follow me, bring them back here," Galaxia shrugged, "otherwise, kill all of them, too."

"You are too kind, mistress," Heavy Metal Papillon grinned dangerously.

Galaxia leaned forward as she added, "Do NOT go there planning to kill them first. I want allies, not corpses."

Heavy Metal Papillon gave a disappointed pout, but nodded. "Yes mistress, I will restrain myself," she bowed.

"Go," Galaxia ordered with a casual wave, and watched Heavy Metal Papillon disappear in a burst of teleport energy.

Galaxia sat back with a sigh. Heavy Metal Papillon was a useful warrior, but a bit too... blood thirsty. At this stage of her plans she wanted to keep things quiet, and if there was anything she wasn't, it was quiet. Still, she should be able to handle this... and if not, a enemy would at least be eliminated.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"How many elementary and high schools are there IN Tokyo?" Lead Crow growled as they poured over the directories.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Aluminum Siren wondered as she wrote up the list they were trying to make up.

"There are just TOO many targets," Lead Crow muttered, looking annoyed.

"Yeah," Aluminum Siren agreed, "too many schools over a wide spread area."

"Hell, we don't even know for sure they ARE in Tokyo," Lead Crow added with a scowl.

"Hmm," Aluminum Siren agreed, "It's too bad we can't just get the primary targets all together in one place."

There was beat of dead silence as Lead Crow looked at her. "That's BRILLIANT!" she yelped, hugging her.

"Eeep," Aluminum Siren eeped.

"All we need to do is set up a event to bring together the best students in the region," Lead Crow said enthusiastically, "some of them would HAVE to be the Sailors."

Aluminum Siren pouted once Lead Crow let her go. Being glomped like that was fun. Still, she recovered enough to suggest, "Like a concert or something?"

"We did that with the Three Lights," Lead Crow shook her head. She brightened, "A contest or game show, maybe... crowning someone the smartest person in Tokyo!"

"With physical contests too," Aluminum Siren added, "whomever the scouts are has to be physically capable too."

"Also true," Lead Crow agreed. "Yeah... a Game Show sounds more like the thing we need. Will take some setting up but..."

"We'll have to clear it with the Mistress," Aluminum Siren sighed.

"No time like the present," Lead Crow sighed.

Not long after they were in Galaxia's throne room. Their queen and ruler looked rather dubious as she noted, "How is this any different than the Three Lights concert?"

"It will be less random," Aluminum Siren explained, "we will gather the cream of the crop before we start checking for Crystals."

"How will you be sure each school will send it's best?" Galaxia wondered.

"Incentives," Lead Crow said, "the school will get funds for each student they send, as long as they are in the top precentages."

Galaxia nodded thoughtfully. "All right, that seems possible." Seriously she continued, "But remember, my patience is not infinite... do not fail me again."

"Yes, mistress," Aluminum Siren and Lead Crow chorused, then were off.

To be continued...

Notes: Jadeite's fate varies from manga to anime. In the manga he is VERY clearly dead, we even see his skeletal remains. The anime, however, has him escape that fate and teleports back into Beryl's throne room, where is the dub she 'banishes' him. (Which I expect was another way of saying 'kills' but get it by the censors.) My thought was that Beryl would consider it a waste to just snuff him, so she put him in storage in case she needed him again.

With events derailed I assume Queen Nehelenia did NOT attack Earth with the Dead Moon Circus etc etc. In one version of the Sailor Moon canon she is loosely connected to Galaxia, so I'm using that here.