Part V—Survival and Salvation
The next day the preparations were made for the trip
through the portal to the other dimension. Setsuna had found Kamui among the crowd of people who were hollering
their approval as King Darien carried his Queen back to their private
quarters. Kamui had been standing off
to the side looking pleased with himself.
Setsuna had approached him before he could escape and told him of their plan to liberate the other world from the Nega Verse. He had smiled lightly and had agreed to the plan. But when she had begun to ask him about the tumultuous feeling inside of her that he had caused he had turned and vanished.
They were preparing for the battle that lay ahead and they still hadn't found him.
Peruru had told them not to worry. Kamui would appear whenever he pleased, so to just continue with the preparations. By the end it was decided that Serena-chan, Elios, Skylar and Peruru would stay in the palace with all the Generals as guards while Queen Serenity, King Darien and all the Sailor Guardians would go to the other world. Peruru would go with them only play his flute and then return to the palace.
No one was sure what Kamui would do.
On the eve of the day they planned to leave everyone gathered where they had found Serenity, where the tear had been. Peruru waited patiently for Kamui to arrive, but after a time everyone began to grow restless. Finally, after two hours, Setsuna approached Peruru ready to lecture him into getting Kamui there. She didn't need to. The moment she made her first step, the Kamui appeared, floating above them with his legs crossed and his cloak billowing about him. Only Serenity and Peruru grinned at him.
He floated down to the King and Queen and stood before them, his iridescent, crystal-like eyes full of warning. "The other side of the tear will take you directly into the palace of Queen Beryl. Be very careful. She has been able to gather more energy than the first time you faced her, and you will be on her territory. Your advantage is that you are infinitely more powerful than she is and that you have the element of surprise."
He gave a slight smile and turned around outstretching one of his hands. He looked over his shoulder as glowing rainbow lights began to gather around his hand. "Also, there are several captives in the dungeons of the palace that need rescuing and once you defeat the Shadow Warriors the Rainbow Crystals will be in your grasp. In other words the existence of another Silver Moon Crystal. Decide wisely."
With that Peruru began to play a sweet tune that made the lights glistening around Kamui's hand form into the shape of the tear. After that was completed, Kamui blasted a gust shimmering air and lightning at the tear, which made it operational. Kamui then turned to them, the electricity crackling behind him, crackling in his eyes as well. "I will travel with you, so I can just open the tear from that side. I want nothing getting into this world that does not belong here."
Darien and Serenity nodded their agreement as did the Sailor Guardians. He nodded in return and walked through the portal, the others following him.
Once they were through, he turned around again and sealed the portal with another blast of air and lightning. He turned to them. "I will wait here," and with that he vanished.
The group nodded. Hotaru volunteered to be the one to free the prisoners in case any of them were injured. The group agreed and parted. None of the demons and monsters in the Nega Verse palace stood a chance. All were defeated with petty blows from either Darien or Haruka's sword, Setsuna's Key Staff, or a blast from Michiru's mirror. The other Guardians cleared the way with blasts of fire, ice, lightning, or beauty.
Hotaru found the dungeons easily enough with Ami's locator. She entered them silently and looked about for anyone else that was living. She shook her head in sadness when she saw all the people that had been there sucked dry of their energy and lifeless. Saturn almost screamed when she saw the bodies of Lita, Haruka and Ami lifeless on the floor of a filthy cell.
Suddenly she heard a clang. Saturn almost jumped out of her skin as she whirled about, her glaive drawn and ready. She stared into golden-beige eyes. She blinked in surprise and then shook her head. It was a man and he was staring at her through the bars of his prison. He opened his mouth to say something, but Saturn cut him off.
"Do not worry; do not speak. I am here to help you. Are you injured?"
He shook his head slowly and whispered the words… "only weak…"
Saturn nodded and motioned him to step back. When he did she sliced the bars with her glaive, making enough space for him to get through. When got out he slowly stood, towering over her. She swallowed and he opened to speak when he let out a shout of warning. She turned around quickly to see a monster coming straight at her, she saw him dodge and hit the ground. She smiled but didn't let the monster take another step toward her or the man.
"Saturn Silence Ribbons!"
The beast was dust in an instant. Saturn turned to the man and blinked in surprise. He was standing beside her with two strange swords drawn his eyes blinking in surprise. She shook her head. Was he surprised that she did that on her own? She shrugged. It didn't matter. She had done what she had come to do and now it was time to return back to the others. Pity it was so dark that she could not see the man she had saved.
She told him to find the exit and to take and care and vanished into the darkness.
The man stared at the area where the woman had disappeared and blinked. Pity it had been too dark to see his savior's face. All he knew was that it was a delicate woman with eyes a deep violet.
He shrugged and did as she had said. Find the way out.
Saturn caught up with the others just as they were about to face the Generals of Beryl's army. The group had already defeated the Shadow Warriors and collected the Rainbow Crystals. Serenity had used her power to make it into the Silver Crystal, but the generals of Beryl's army still didn't know that fact. Jedite, Nephrite, Molly, Zoicite and Malachite all stood side by side in their uniforms. Zoicite and Malachite in each other's arms and Molly and Nephrite the same. Jedite stood between the couples, a sneer on his handsome face.
"I don't know how all of you managed to get into the palace without our detection but you are all as good as dead!"
"I don't think so."
Darien's voice came from behind the Sailor Guardians and he moved before them sword drawn. Malachite's eyes widened in disbelief. "You! Impossible! I killed you already!" He moved away from Zoicite and drew his own blade.
Darien laughed. "Did you now? I don't recall that event. Pluto, Saturn, Mars—take care of Zoicite! Mercury, Jupiter, Venus—take care of Jedite! Neptune, Uranus—take care of Nephrite! Serena, deal with Molly!" Darien grinned. "Let's go ladies!"
The women gave battle cry and attacked. Zoicite screamed as he flew backward toward the wall that Jedite had hit just before, both of them crashing into each other. The six Guardians attacked at the same moment, before either could recover. Mercury pulled out a light saber she had designed and charged as Jupiter attacked with a lightning punch and sent both of the Nega Verse generals flying into Mars' and Venus' kicks. The spiked heels of both shoes sent the two members of Beryl's defense into both Pluto and Saturn's staff, knocking both on the ground as they finished them off.
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"
"JUPITER THUNDER REVOLUTION!"
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"
"PLUTO DEAD SCREAM!"
"SATURN SHADOW SILENCE SURPRISE!"
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
The two were blown away. Malachite looked over his shoulder and raged as Zoicite was extinguished. He attacked Darien with all his might, but Darien blocked all of Malachite's attacks. The clang of the swords sounded through the room until finally Darien made the killing stroke.
"Your mistake, Malachite." Darien finished him off with a blast, making the warrior nothing but dust.
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"
"URANUS WORLD SHAKING WINDS!"
Nephrite crashed against the wall, but still stood. The other Guardians appeared beside Neptune and Uranus. Darien turned to see the Sailor Guardians cornering a wounded Nephrite and a weeping Molly holding onto Serenity. She smiled at Darien as Nephrite caught site of Molly and broke free from the corner the Guardians had placed him in. He ran toward Molly, but Serenity lifted up her hand, stilling him. The Silver Crystal appeared in Serenity's hand.
"Moon Healing." She bathed Nephrite in its light, healing him with Molly's love and his love for Molly. He collapsed on his knees after the Crystal had done its work and Molly threw herself into his arms. He held her close as Serenity looked at them both with a smile.
"Hurry. Both of you. Leave this place. Find the way out and get out. Hurry."
Nephrite nodded and picked Molly up into his arms. Molly reached out for her friend once more and gave her a delicate smile. Serenity nodded and released her friend, motioning for them to escape.
Nephrite wasted no more time; they left as quickly as possible. The Sailor Guardians, King Darien and Queen Serenity turned and made their way to Queen Beryl's quarters.
The Queen of the Nega Verse had no idea what had happened when her door was suddenly blown open. She shot up out of her throne only to see… Prince Darien!
"Impossible! Malachite killed you long ago! You cannot be alive Prince Darien!"
Darien smirked as the other Sailor Guardians ran into the room and surrounded him, Serenity taking her place at his side. "That's King Darien of the Earth and Moon, Beryl. And your reign had ended!"
Serenity took out the Silver Moon Crystal of this world and held it before her, the Crystal glowing with power. Queen Beryl took a step back in horror. "The Silver Crystal! How can this be! I had all the Rainbow Crystals in my Shadow Warriors!"
Serenity said nothing as the Sailor Guardians gathered their energy. Darien stood behind her, giving his strength, his power and his love. She felt him kiss her neck and the power within her grew. She smiled at Queen Beryl.
"It's over witch. You are moon dust!"
Serenity blasted her with all of her power, the Guardian blasts of power following the power of the Silver Moon Crystal.
"MERCURY POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"SATURN POWER!"
"URANUS POWER!"
"NEPTUNE POWER!"
"PLUTO POWER!"
And in one voice, shouting above the screams of a dying evil, Serenity and Darien both bellowed, "MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
Queen Beryl and her Nega Verse were nothing but dust.
The entire palace began to collapse around them as their power faded. The entire group began to make a break for the exit. But just as they passed through the doors was Kamui.
"You bunch of fools take too long to perform a simple task! Hurry! Follow me."
The group did not hesitate. They followed him as quickly as possible.
When they finally reached the exit the roof was ready to come down on them. The rumbling of the collapsing palace threatened and Kamui hurriedly blasted the tear. "Hurry! It's open! Go through!"
All did as ordered. They each went through the tear one at a time, until they were all through. Kamui let out a curse beneath his breath as he went through as well, the wall collapsing at that moment. What none of them knew was that someone else followed Kamui through the tear before it closed.