Ch. 6
With the eyes closed,
The mind has a perfect view.
-Key the Medal Idol theme song
Touma looked up at the gigantic castle in front of him. In there were probably hundreds of rooms, any one of which might hold the girls. But they'd have to start from the bottom up. Ryo sighed.
"How're we going to get in?" Sailormoon nodded.
"Yeah. Usually that's Jupiter's job....oh! Sorry, Shin!!" This so said because Sailormoon saw the look on Shin's face when she mentioned Sailorjupiter. Seiji smiled a little.
"You need lightning to get in? I'll give it to you. THUNDER.....BOLT......CUT!!!" When the dust cleared, everyone found themselves staring into a dark hole.
"Reminds me of the Doom Tree." Sailormars muttered. Prizma and Katzie appeared in front of the girls, laughing their fool heads off.
"Don't you just love it when they have no chance?" Prizma asked. Katzie nodded and smirked. Touma grit his teeth.
"We're not beat yet, sisters." Katzie grinned.
"Oh really? Well, let's see just how you deal with surprise." Suddenly, they all found themselves in a battlefield confronted by the four generals. Sailormoon drew in her breath. Kunzite smirked.
"Well well, looks like we meet again, senshi." Sailormars grimaced.
"We'll take you out again. Just you watch!" Zoisite laughed.
"I'd like to see that." Tuxedo Kamen smiled a little.
"Be careful what you wish for, Zoisite!" he yelled, throwing a rose at Zoisite's face. She dodged it and sent a blast of rose pedals at Tuxedo Kamen. He jumped over them, only to be attacked by Jedite. Nephrite produced a sword, and lunged at Ryo, who held him off with his own swords. Kunzite was keeping Shin and Shou busy, while Seiji and Touma were helping out the senshi. Tuxedo Kamen and Ryo exchanged glances. This didn't look good.
Rubbeus grinned.
"You have to make a choice girls. What's it gonna be?" Minako stared at the person in front of her.
"I-I'm sorry...Seiji...I can't." Makoto and Ami nodded sadly. Rubbeus shook his head.
"You won't rule with these three? The ones you love?" Ami was about to spit out that she didn't love Touma when she realized with a shocking realization that she did. She was in love with Touma. She looked over at Makoto and saw that she was thinking the exact same thing..and she was starting to look like she was going to change her mind. Ami sighed.
"I-I don't know..." she sighed. If only she could get at her visor, then she'd know if this were really Touma. Then she had an idea.
"If these men are who you say they are, let me verify it. Give me freedom of hands and my visor and computer." Rubbeus turned a little pale.
"Uh..no. We can't. You'll just have to take our word for it." Ami smiled.
"Ha! They aren't real! They're illusions!!" Ami shouted.
"No way am I ruling with you!!"
"But Ami, how can you be sure?" Makoto asked worriedly. Ami looked over at her.
"Because, if they were real, Rubbeus would have no problem with me checking them out. Don't you see? They're trying to trick us." Makoto thought on it and realized Ami was right.
"Count me out!!" Makoto yelled. Minako nodded. Rubbeus' expression changed from proud arrogance to hatred. He turned angrily on Ami so fast that not even Katzie could stop him. He hit Ami so hard it knocked her unconscious.
"Ami!!" Minako and Makoto yelled in unison. Makoto stared after Rubbeus as he turned and stormed out. Katzie went over to Makoto.
"I'm almost sorry that had to happen. Sometimes she can be too smart for her own good, huh?" Makoto sighed.
"I'm glad she said something, all the same." Katzie shook her head and headed out.
Sailormars closed her eyes. She had to concentrate. "Akuryo Taisan!!" She threw the slip of paper at Zoisite, rendering her motionless.
"Burning MANDALA!!!!" Zoisite wailed in pain as she dissipated and disappeared. Touma stared at her.
"Nice job, Mars." Mars smiled.
"Thanks." she answered before being snatched out of the way of an attack by Ryo. He held her close.
"Don't leave my side. It's dangerous." She smiled at him.
"Why Ryo, I didn't know you cared." she told him, making him blush. Jedite sneered.
"Oh, how sweet. But I think it's time to separate the two lovebirds!!" As he swooped in for the attack, he was cut off by Shin's trident blast.
"Don't ye dare touch them!" he told Jedite. Jedite smiled.
"And who's going to stop me?" Sailormoon, Tuxedo Kamen, and Touma stepped up beside Shin.
"US!!" they chorused. Nephrite smirked to Kunzite.
"Look, how cute! They're banding together" Kunzite laughed.
"Little good it'll do them." he told Nephrite. They laughed and joined Jedite. Sailormoon took off her tiara.
"Hope it works." she murmured. Tuxedo Kamen glanced at her.
"It better." he said.
"Moon Tiara Action!!" she yelled, throwing her tiara. To her dismay, Nephrite hit it back to her.
"My tiara!!" she yelled, catching it. "
It doesn't have enough power!"
"ARROW SHOCK WAVE!!!" Touma yelled, almost hitting Nephrite dead on. Nephrite yelled out in pain, and glared angrily at Touma.
"You'll pay for that!!" he yelled. Seiji stepped up.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kunzite smirked, and appeared behind Sailormoon, grabbing her around the neck. At the same time, Jedite managed to separate Ryo and Sailormars and had Ryo at his mercy.
"Oh really?" Kunzite smirked. Seiji stared. he didn't know which one to go after. He sighed. Only one thing to do in a situation like this. "Wisdom.." he whispered, and his virtue, wisdom, appeared in green on his forehead. Then, his eyes shot open. He knew which one to go after. He turned to Kunzite.
"I won't let you die, Sailormoon. Not at the hands of this creep." Sailormoon whimpered in reply. Kunzite grinned at him.
"And how're you gonna stop me?" Seiji shrugged.
"I'm not." Kunzite was so startled that he loosened his grip on Sailormoon just a little. That was enough for Tuxedo Kamen. He lunged at Kunzite, knocking him away from Sailormoon. She hugged him tightly, but she didn't have any time to thank him. Kunzite attacked him and they became involved in a struggle. Sailormoon had had about enough of this.
"Moon Tiara Action!!!" She yelled, throwing her tiara at Kunzite's back, killing him..again. Seiji smirked.
"I didn't say anything about Tuxedo Kamen." he said.
"Uh guys..?" Ryo squeaked. Sailormars turned angrily on Jedite.
"LET HIM GO." she commanded. "Or you're going to be very sorry." she told him.
"Sure." He told her. She glared at him.
"I warned you." She said, taking out a charm.
"Akuryo Taisan!!!" She yelled, throwing it at Jedite. Then, not waiting for it to hit, the brought together her hands. "Firebird Soul!!" She yelled. Jedite was so startled he let Ryo go. He aimed an attack at the bird, but the firebird dodged it and continued on. Jedite yelled out as he died. Nephrite stared at the senshi and Troopers.
"I WILL destroy you!!" He said. Sailormoon whipped out her scepter.
"Not on MY shift, buddy. Moon Princess Halation!!!" She yelled, killing Nephrite instantly. Sailormars let out a breath, and ran to Ryo.
"Are you alright?" She asked. He smiled up at her.
"How'd you learn to do that Firebird thing?" he asked her in awe. She smiled and blushed.
"I didn't learn it, exactly. I'll explain on the way." He stood and took her hand.
"Lead the way." he said, making her blush harder.
Rajura just stared at the seething Rubbeus in front of him. He'd never seen him so mad....and he was loving it. Bertie stepped up next to him.
"Mercury hasn't improved." she told Rajura. Rajura sighed. He didn't think his illusions wouldn't fool them for long. Katzie was right, much as he hated to admit it. She was too smart for her own good. But if she died, and Anubis told him it was a real possibility, Rubbeus would be in deep shit with the two head bosses. Even better, he thought to himself gleefully. They wanted them kept alive until they had all of the Troopers and Senshi. Bertie walked up to Rubbeus and told him the news. He sighed. Then, Avery appeared.
"We've got trouble. They're in the castle"
"THEY'RE WHAT??" Rubbeus and Rajura both roared at the same time. Avery shrunk back, and looked sorry she had said anything.
"Kuso!!" Rajura spit out. Sh'ten stood.
"Let me take them!" he asked them. Rajura shook his head.
"We can't take the chance you'll fuck things up again. ANUBIS!! KATZIE!! I want you two to take them. Bertie, you're with me. We're moving our 'guests' out of the basement and into this room, then we'll join the others. Comprende? Let's go!!" Rajura was so mad, he was switching from Japanese to English to Spanish. Bertie flushed. He trusted her enough to help him and to fight with him!! She almost fainted. But she went along with Rajura down to the dungeon room.
"Where're you taking us??" Makoto asked.
"Somewhere where your friends won't find you as easily." Bertie answered, putting Makoto in shackles. Then, the put Minako into her shackles and Rajura gingerly picked up the still unconscious Ami.
"C'mon!" Rajura said, roughly, leading them out of the dungeon.
Shou looked around. They were now in the castle. So far they hadn't been attacked, but he didn't expect that to last long. He almost wished for a fight, until he remembered what had happened to Makoto when he had been over anxious last time. Just then his stomach growled. Touma laughed.
"Hear that, everyone? Shou's hungry." Everyone laughed, but it was an uneasy laugh. Shin kept his ears tuned for any sound other that of their group. But it did him no good. One minute he was walking along in ghostly silence. The next, he had been blown clear across the room by a blast. He looked up groggily and dodged the next one. Anubis laughed.
"Welcome to our home, Troopers. You got in, but you won't get OUT." Just then, Katzie appeared and laughed.
"Here, why don't you TAKE A POWDER!!!" She yelled, sending multiple blasts at them from above. Sailormoon yelled and covered her head. One blast would've hit her had Shou not pushed her out of the way. Anubis attacked Tuxedo Kamen with his blade, but Tuxedo Kamen managed to hold him off with his cane. Sailormoon started to come to his rescue but she was attacked herself by a dynasty thug. She shook him off and two more popped up.
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!!" She heard Shou yell as he sent about twenty of them flying. Shou then turned his attentions on Anubis.
"Hang on!!" He told Tuxedo Kamen, and he started to hit Anubis over the head with his staff. Ryo understood what he was doing and helped him. Anubis turned away from Tuxedo Kamen towards the two Troopers. He slashed at them with his blade, but they kept leaping out of the way, leading him away from Tuxedo Kamen. Sailormoon ran up to Tuxedo Kamen and hugged him hard. Meanwhile, Sailormars was having trouble with Katzie, even with Touma, Shin and Seiji helping her. Then they heard a laugh they knew all to well, and Rajura and Bertie appeared. Touma looked up.
"Where's Ami?" He demanded of Rajura. Rajura shrugged.
"She's in our care...dying if you really must know." The look on Touma's face told it all. He couldn't bring himself to speak. Even Anubis and Katzie stopped fighting to smirk at him. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't bring himself to believe that Ami was dying...could he? Seiji shook his head.
"You're lying." He said matter-of-factly. Katzie shook her head.
"No, I'm afraid he's not. I've seen it with my own eyes." she told them.
"And why should we believe you?" Sailormars asked. Bertie grinned.
"You'll believe us soon enough."
Makoto looked around her, looking for something she could use to her advantage. Minako sighed.
"I'm not sure we're ever going to get out of here." she told Makoto. Makoto nodded. It sure did look bleak, especially with Ami in this condition and them in shackles. But they had to try. Then she saw them. Their henshin sticks on the shelf across the room. If only she could get it into her hand...
"Hey, Minako. I've got an idea. on the count of three, we stand. Ready? One...two...three." Slowly, they managed to stand. Makoto walked slowly over to the shelf and started kicking the wall. Just as she had thought, the three henshin sticks fell to the floor. Makoto plopped to the floor, and took hers into her hand.
"JUPITER STAR POWER!!!" she yelled, transforming into Sailorjupiter. Minako took hers and transformed.
"Minako, stand back. Supreme Thunder!!!" That freed them alright. Jupiter took Ami onto her back. "Let's go!" she told Venus, taking the remaining transformation stick and walking out.
Rajura hit Tuxedo Kamen across the back with his Morning Star. He smiled under his armor with satisfaction as he watched Tuxedo Kamen crumple. Shou ran to support him, but was thrown back by Bertie's attack. Katzie was hand in hand combat with Sailormoon, and winning. Anubis was keeping all five of the Troopers busy, and Sailormars had her hands full as well. It didn't look like they'd get out of there alive. Sh'ten popped up beside Rajura and whispered something. Bertie shrunk back. She could just imagine how mad Rajura was now. She had heard what Sh'ten had said, and she knew what it meant. He had said "They're gone."