Sailor Moon-Violence and Corruption
Chapter 11: "Good Versus Evil"
"Nooooooo!" Hotaru suddenly wailed. "She's in danger!"
"Hotaru?" gasped Michiru, perplexed and worried.
"Usagi!" she cried. "We've been tricked! She's in danger!"
And Talon Umbra, or whatever it was, stopped writhing in the
grip of the bindings, and began laughing.
"What are you talking about?" hissed Haruka urgently.
"It's not real," Rei said tonelessly, looking up at the
laughing form of Talon Umbra. "She knew what we were trying to do.
She sent a piece of herself to distract us."
Usagi stepped out of the hospital gift shop. She had two thick
mecha manga under her arm and was munching on a king-size chocolate
bar. As she walked across the lobby to the elevators, a shift in the
energies of the planet brought her to a stop. For a moment, Usagi
thought the air was being sucked out of the room. Purely on
instinct, she turned to the large picture window that looked out onto
the street.
In an instant, a huge ball of energy slammed into her. Usagi
was thrown across the lobby, along with hospital employees and
visitors, and slammed with deadly force into the far wall. The
impact sent the candy bar and manga spinning to the floor.
Half a world away, Mamoru looked up from his chemistry text as
fingers of ice closed around his heart. The textbook fell from his
hands to the floor. He felt along the psychic pathway he had with
Usagi for some clue as to what was happening. Forcing himself to
swallow, he pushed himself away from his desk.
In the veterinarian hospital, Luna woke suddenly from her
sleep. Her jarring movement brought a painful rebuke from her sore
ribs, but she was beyond noticing.
"Oh gracious," she gasped softly. "No, this can't happen."
Pulling herself up to her feet, Luna reached desperately through the
bars of the cage, frantically tugging at the latch.
In the Intensive Care Unit, Ikuko Tsukino's attention was drawn
from the television game show she was enduring, only because it was
better than silence. A vague unease had taken hold of her, but she
couldn't understand what she was uneasy about. Had something
happened to Kenji, she wondered, or to Shingo? Had Usagi placed
herself in the path of danger once again?
To add to her worry, the red light in the upper corner of the
room had activated. She noticed the nurses were up and active,
herding loved ones out of the ICU rooms. Ikuko had learned during
her stay that this was the procedure if there was a Code Red case in
the ICU, or if there was a fire or emergency alert in the hospital.
Was there an emergency? Did it involve Usagi?
In the garden of Hikawa Shrine, Rei's Grandfather looked up
from the pruning he was doing on his bonsai tree. A look of grave
concern colored his squashed features. Without a word, he set aside
the tree and his pruning shears, bowed his head and started praying.
Inside the temple, Hotaru and Rei grew pale simultaneously.
Ami, Makoto and Minako, sensing something to a lesser extend, looked
to their friend for answers.
"We're too late," Rei whispered, horrified. Hotaru broke the
circle and bent her head to the floor. She was heard weeping. The
circle broken, the image of Talon Umbra and the whirlwind that bound
it faded away.
"Michiru!" Haruka cried desperately. "Where is she?"
Shaken from her stunned silence, Michiru produced the Deep Aqua
Mirror. Passing her hand over the glass, she peered into it.
"She's still at the hospital," Michiru replied.
Instantly Haruka was up and running for the door, Rei in hot
pursuit. Michiru sprang to her feet and followed them. By the time
Makoto and Petz got to the top step of the shrine, the trio was at
the bottom and driving off in Haruka's sportscar.
"Wait for us, dammit!" howled Makoto.
"Come," barked Petz. "We have to get to her, even if we have
to run there!"
Usagi struggled up from her prone position on the floor. Every
fiber of her being hurt. It took a second to focus.
"Amazing," she heard someone with a low, seductive, yet
decidedly serpentine voice say. "What does it take to kill you,
little girl?"
Rolling back onto her heels, Usagi looked around - - and
instantly regretted it. Surrounding her in the lobby, where before
people had been, were smoldering skeletons, their flesh burned from
them. Usagi's mouth dropped. She tried to form words to match the
welling tears in her eyes, but couldn't for the longest time.
Finally enough of the horror registered in her brain to give her a
voice.
"What did you do?" Usagi asked incredulously.
"Isn't it obvious?" Talon Umbra replied, as if speaking to a
moron. She hovered two feet off the floor about ten yards from
Usagi. The utter callousness of the statement spurred Usagi's tears
to flowing.
"Why? Why would you do something like this?" Usagi demanded.
"To kill you," Talon Umbra replied again. "Why, were they
important to you?" To mock Usagi, the corners of her mouth curled up
into a malicious smile.
"Of course they were!" sobbed Usagi.
"But they were meaningless little creatures skittering around
the world's floorboards like so many cockroaches," the creature
sniffed imperiously.
"No life is meaningless!" retorted Usagi.
"Every life is meaningless," Talon Umbra countered smugly.
"You," Usagi said, shaking with fury, staggering to her feet.
"You're so cruel! So vicious!"
"Yes," her foe responded, smiling her serpentine smile and
nodding. "I am." She spread her arms out, posturing proudly,
presenting herself. "For I am Talon Umbra. I am that which
corrupts," and her left arm folded over her breast, "and that which
destroys," and her right arm folded over her breast. "I am misery
and deceit. I am man's inhumanity to man. All that plagues humanity
flows through my veins. Now do you understand what you oppose,
little girl?"
Usagi glared at her.
"Yes," she said. The adrenaline rush, the rush that in the
second before the energy struck must have drawn on the miracle of the
silver crystal to protect her, was beginning to fade. Her right hand
closed over her brooch. "Moon . . ."
"Ah ah," Talon Umbra snickered.
She pointed at the brooch. Usagi felt it suddenly heat up and
begin to burn her hand.
"Eternal . . ." she continued, holding the stinging brooch
aloft.
Talon Umbra's lizard's eyes widened. Her shoulders squared in
preparation for battle. The flesh of Usagi's hand began to sear
against the red-hot brooch.
"MAKE UP!"
While the transformation took place, Talon Umbra struck,
launching a new burst of crimson energy at her. But the energy was
cleaved by the shimmering silver aura surrounding Usagi as she
transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon and passed harmlessly around
her.
"Truly impressive," Talon Umbra smiled, redoubling the
outpouring of the blood red energy from her hands. "I have not seen
someone of your power in nearly two thousand years, Sailor Moon. All
the more reason to destroy you."
Sailor Moon stood against the onslaught, surrounded by a silver
glow. She strained to withstand Talon Umbra's assault, for this
monster was powerful, at least as powerful as Galaxia. The pressure
to shield herself twisted her delicate features. Gritted teeth could
be seen under parted lips.
"Are you at your limit, Sailor Moon?" Talon Umbra mocked her.
"If not, I can increase the output of my assault." Her brown mane of
hair began to fly up, carried by an unfelt wind, and the power
increased.
Sailor Moon staggered back a step, but maintained her shield.
Blood was pounding in her forehead. Perspiration began to break out
across her flushed face. The crescent moon on her forehead began to
glow a brilliant yellow.
Talon Umbra's mane wafted higher in the air as she increased
the assault. Sailor Moon staggered back two, then three steps, but
managed to hold off the energy that seemed so much like the blood of
innocents.
"You're beaten, Sailor Moon," Talon Umbra pronounced.
"Surrender to me and I will give you a quick death. You have earned
that much."
"So you can do to everyone what you've done to the people in
this lobby?" grunted Sailor Moon. "No! I can't!"
"Then die in agony!" Talon Umbra snapped. "I will take great
pleasure in prolonging this as much as possible!"
Sailor Moon bowed her head, her eyes clamped shut. For a
moment, Talon Umbra thought that the girl was about to crumble. Then
she saw a small black warp in space begin to form inches from Sailor
Moon's chest. It expanded until a silver jewel could float out.
Instantly Talon Umbra's head turned to shield her eyes from the
blinding brilliance of the crystal.
At that moment, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Mars
burst into the lobby from the rubble of the entrance. It took just a
moment for Uranus to recognize what was happening.
"Come on!" she barked. Neptune moved to follow, but a pair of
hands gently caught them on the arm and held them back. They both
turned back inquiringly to Mars.
"Just wait," Mars told them, the light of hope shining in her
violet eyes. "She's handling it."
The silver crystal floated up to a point equidistant between
Sailor Moon's hands. They turned, seeming to cup it at the edge of
its primary glow. Sailor Moon's head rose to its full height. Her
eyes were still closed and her features took on a look of serene
concentration. Her fuku shimmered and changed into a flowing white
floor-length strapless gown, the raiment of the queen she was
destined to be. Silver wings, not unlike that of a butterfly,
sprouted from the back of her gown.
Talon Umbra poured her tainted energy down on Serenity.
Ignoring her, Serenity raised the crystal over her head with ease.
Her chest rose as she took in an invigorating breath. The folds of
her gown began to blow, as did the long ribbons of her blonde hair.
The crystal flared with a silver glow so brilliant that Uranus,
Neptune and Mars had to shield their eyes. It slammed against the
crimson energy of Talon Umbra and halted it in its place. For
minutes the two energies pressed against each other as both
combatants strained for advantage. Talon Umbra's mouth curled down
as she tried again and again to force her energies forward without
success.
"Please," she heard Serenity whisper and looked up. The girl
still wore a placid look on her face. "Please end this before it's
too late."
"Never," Talon Umbra replied proudly. "This contest is to the
death, girl."
The creature from below witnessed a single tear trickle down
Serenity's cheek. Then she saw the silver energy slowly begin to
force hers back. Talon Umbra poured everything she had into
maintaining her position. For a moment it seemed that she had
succeeded, but then the silver energy resumed its inexorable push
toward her. The creature strained angrily, desperate for victory.
The muscles in her body bunched and her serpentine features twisted.
But the silver energy inched closer and closer to her.
Uranus and Neptune stared, tentatively allowing themselves to
hope. Serenity was clearly exerting herself, but Talon Umbra seemed
to be the one straining now. But, even pressed to her limits, the
creature showed no signs of fear. It was as if she could not grasp
the concept of her defeat. The energy grew closer and closer. Talon
Umbra backed up one step, then two, then three. The silver energy
closed relentlessly on her until it hovered an inch from her.
And then Talon Umbra was encompassed by the silver energy of
the crystal. As it enveloped her, the entity's body seemed to
stretch and pull, distorting like a picture on taffy. Her eyes
jammed shut and she seemed wracked with pain, but Talon Umbra did not
cry out. She continued to expand until her essence reached its
breaking point, then pulled apart and dissipated like a bad dream.
"You did it!" cheered Uranus. Looking to her princess, she and
the others saw Sailor Moon, not Serenity, sink to her knees.
Concerned, they ran over to her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," she wheezed in exhaustion. Though she hid her face,
they could tell she was crying.
"Don't cry," Uranus told her softly. "The world's well rid of
her."
Sailor Moon nodded, but continued to cry. "If only she hadn't
forced me to this . . ."
"It's going to happen, Sailor Moon," Neptune said gently.
"There are going to be enemies or circumstances out there who are
going to force choices on you that you don't want to make. We all
have to face it sooner or later. You just faced it now, and you made
the right choice."
"Yeah, so stop crying," Mars smiled shyly, delicately wiping
Sailor Moon's tears away with her hand. "I hate the way your face
puffs up when you cry." Sailor Moon expelled a giggle in the midst
of her sobbing.
"You weep for a fallen foe," a mocking voice echoed amid the
ruins of the hospital lobby, a voice suspiciously like Talon Umbra's.
"How precious you are, Sailor Moon."
"No! You're dead!" roared Uranus, swinging around as she rose
to try to spot the returning threat. "I saw her kill you!"
"So she did," Talon Umbra's voice echoed confidently. "But you
forget, insignificant little aspect of her greatness, I am Talon
Umbra! I am endless! I have traversed the length and breath of
humanity's reign over this world! I existed when the first human
crawled from the slime! And I will watch the last human draw his
last breath and draw pleasure from his pain!"
The three senshi formed a protective circle around Sailor Moon.
"I feed on the milk of humanity's darker side," the voice
continued. "I have died deaths before, foolish little cockroach!
Though I was dead by Sailor Moon's hand, with every malicious thought
I am again reborn. With every unkind word, my hand is strengthened.
With every callous act, I am restored to my rightful throne."
Perhaps it was a trick of the lights, but the shadows of the
room seemed to swirl around them. Sailor Moon peered past her
guardians and spotted the others, transformed and ready for battle,
lingering at the entrance to the lobby. They stared in wonder and
perhaps just a hint of trepidation, but it did not make them shy
away.
"You cannot kill me, Sailor Moon," laughed the voice of Talon
Umbra. "So long as a single human lives on this planet, I cannot
die." She paused, savoring her words. "But you can die, Sailor
Moon. Some day you will die. Whether from disease, age or my hand,
you will die one day - - and I will be there. You have thwarted me
this day, Sailor Moon - - but I know patience. I will triumph in the
end."
"No," Sailor Moon replied, quietly but firmly. She stepped out
of the circle, Mars and Neptune staring uncomprehendingly at her as
they fell away from her. "Some day I will die, it's true. But on
that day, someone else will rise to oppose you. I don't know who
that person will be, but I know that person will be there. And
they'll share the same spirit I share, because that spirit can't die,
either. It's reborn every time a baby coos at its mother's touch.
It's strengthened every time friends laugh and play and enjoy each
other's company. It's restored every time lovers kiss. As long as
there are humans on this Earth, that spirit lives on. And that
spirit will always be there to oppose you! You will never win!"
Silence draped the room like a heavy linen cloth. Sailor Moon
stood her ground bravely, while the others waited for something to
happen. Perhaps it was a trick of the lights, but the shadows of the
room seemed to stop swirling. Seconds dragged on and on and the
warriors waited.
"We shall see, Sailor Moon," the voice of Talon Umbra replied
at last. "Until we meet again."
There was no evidence of Talon Umbra's departure, save that the
air in the room seemed so much less stifling. Timidly the others
approached Sailor Moon. They seemed dumbstruck, in awe of her.
Mercury reached her first and clasped Sailor Moon's hands in her own.
"Usagi," Mercury whispered in wonder. "What you said - - it
was beautiful!"
"Yeah," grinned Venus as she wiped tears from her eyes.
"Wasn't a dry eye in the house."
"I have NEVER seen anyone kick anyone's ass with just words!"
marveled Jupiter. "How do you do it?"
Sailor Moon shrugged. "I just told the truth." She looked
down shyly, self-conscious about everyone gazing at her in reverence.
Then her face clouded over with mild distress. "Is anybody else
hungry?"
Mars burst out laughing, followed quickly by everyone else.
She wrapped her arms around Sailor Moon's neck, kissed her on the
cheek and hugged her tight.
Concluded in chapter 12 . . .
Chapter 11: "Good Versus Evil"
"Nooooooo!" Hotaru suddenly wailed. "She's in danger!"
"Hotaru?" gasped Michiru, perplexed and worried.
"Usagi!" she cried. "We've been tricked! She's in danger!"
And Talon Umbra, or whatever it was, stopped writhing in the
grip of the bindings, and began laughing.
"What are you talking about?" hissed Haruka urgently.
"It's not real," Rei said tonelessly, looking up at the
laughing form of Talon Umbra. "She knew what we were trying to do.
She sent a piece of herself to distract us."
Usagi stepped out of the hospital gift shop. She had two thick
mecha manga under her arm and was munching on a king-size chocolate
bar. As she walked across the lobby to the elevators, a shift in the
energies of the planet brought her to a stop. For a moment, Usagi
thought the air was being sucked out of the room. Purely on
instinct, she turned to the large picture window that looked out onto
the street.
In an instant, a huge ball of energy slammed into her. Usagi
was thrown across the lobby, along with hospital employees and
visitors, and slammed with deadly force into the far wall. The
impact sent the candy bar and manga spinning to the floor.
Half a world away, Mamoru looked up from his chemistry text as
fingers of ice closed around his heart. The textbook fell from his
hands to the floor. He felt along the psychic pathway he had with
Usagi for some clue as to what was happening. Forcing himself to
swallow, he pushed himself away from his desk.
In the veterinarian hospital, Luna woke suddenly from her
sleep. Her jarring movement brought a painful rebuke from her sore
ribs, but she was beyond noticing.
"Oh gracious," she gasped softly. "No, this can't happen."
Pulling herself up to her feet, Luna reached desperately through the
bars of the cage, frantically tugging at the latch.
In the Intensive Care Unit, Ikuko Tsukino's attention was drawn
from the television game show she was enduring, only because it was
better than silence. A vague unease had taken hold of her, but she
couldn't understand what she was uneasy about. Had something
happened to Kenji, she wondered, or to Shingo? Had Usagi placed
herself in the path of danger once again?
To add to her worry, the red light in the upper corner of the
room had activated. She noticed the nurses were up and active,
herding loved ones out of the ICU rooms. Ikuko had learned during
her stay that this was the procedure if there was a Code Red case in
the ICU, or if there was a fire or emergency alert in the hospital.
Was there an emergency? Did it involve Usagi?
In the garden of Hikawa Shrine, Rei's Grandfather looked up
from the pruning he was doing on his bonsai tree. A look of grave
concern colored his squashed features. Without a word, he set aside
the tree and his pruning shears, bowed his head and started praying.
Inside the temple, Hotaru and Rei grew pale simultaneously.
Ami, Makoto and Minako, sensing something to a lesser extend, looked
to their friend for answers.
"We're too late," Rei whispered, horrified. Hotaru broke the
circle and bent her head to the floor. She was heard weeping. The
circle broken, the image of Talon Umbra and the whirlwind that bound
it faded away.
"Michiru!" Haruka cried desperately. "Where is she?"
Shaken from her stunned silence, Michiru produced the Deep Aqua
Mirror. Passing her hand over the glass, she peered into it.
"She's still at the hospital," Michiru replied.
Instantly Haruka was up and running for the door, Rei in hot
pursuit. Michiru sprang to her feet and followed them. By the time
Makoto and Petz got to the top step of the shrine, the trio was at
the bottom and driving off in Haruka's sportscar.
"Wait for us, dammit!" howled Makoto.
"Come," barked Petz. "We have to get to her, even if we have
to run there!"
Usagi struggled up from her prone position on the floor. Every
fiber of her being hurt. It took a second to focus.
"Amazing," she heard someone with a low, seductive, yet
decidedly serpentine voice say. "What does it take to kill you,
little girl?"
Rolling back onto her heels, Usagi looked around - - and
instantly regretted it. Surrounding her in the lobby, where before
people had been, were smoldering skeletons, their flesh burned from
them. Usagi's mouth dropped. She tried to form words to match the
welling tears in her eyes, but couldn't for the longest time.
Finally enough of the horror registered in her brain to give her a
voice.
"What did you do?" Usagi asked incredulously.
"Isn't it obvious?" Talon Umbra replied, as if speaking to a
moron. She hovered two feet off the floor about ten yards from
Usagi. The utter callousness of the statement spurred Usagi's tears
to flowing.
"Why? Why would you do something like this?" Usagi demanded.
"To kill you," Talon Umbra replied again. "Why, were they
important to you?" To mock Usagi, the corners of her mouth curled up
into a malicious smile.
"Of course they were!" sobbed Usagi.
"But they were meaningless little creatures skittering around
the world's floorboards like so many cockroaches," the creature
sniffed imperiously.
"No life is meaningless!" retorted Usagi.
"Every life is meaningless," Talon Umbra countered smugly.
"You," Usagi said, shaking with fury, staggering to her feet.
"You're so cruel! So vicious!"
"Yes," her foe responded, smiling her serpentine smile and
nodding. "I am." She spread her arms out, posturing proudly,
presenting herself. "For I am Talon Umbra. I am that which
corrupts," and her left arm folded over her breast, "and that which
destroys," and her right arm folded over her breast. "I am misery
and deceit. I am man's inhumanity to man. All that plagues humanity
flows through my veins. Now do you understand what you oppose,
little girl?"
Usagi glared at her.
"Yes," she said. The adrenaline rush, the rush that in the
second before the energy struck must have drawn on the miracle of the
silver crystal to protect her, was beginning to fade. Her right hand
closed over her brooch. "Moon . . ."
"Ah ah," Talon Umbra snickered.
She pointed at the brooch. Usagi felt it suddenly heat up and
begin to burn her hand.
"Eternal . . ." she continued, holding the stinging brooch
aloft.
Talon Umbra's lizard's eyes widened. Her shoulders squared in
preparation for battle. The flesh of Usagi's hand began to sear
against the red-hot brooch.
"MAKE UP!"
While the transformation took place, Talon Umbra struck,
launching a new burst of crimson energy at her. But the energy was
cleaved by the shimmering silver aura surrounding Usagi as she
transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon and passed harmlessly around
her.
"Truly impressive," Talon Umbra smiled, redoubling the
outpouring of the blood red energy from her hands. "I have not seen
someone of your power in nearly two thousand years, Sailor Moon. All
the more reason to destroy you."
Sailor Moon stood against the onslaught, surrounded by a silver
glow. She strained to withstand Talon Umbra's assault, for this
monster was powerful, at least as powerful as Galaxia. The pressure
to shield herself twisted her delicate features. Gritted teeth could
be seen under parted lips.
"Are you at your limit, Sailor Moon?" Talon Umbra mocked her.
"If not, I can increase the output of my assault." Her brown mane of
hair began to fly up, carried by an unfelt wind, and the power
increased.
Sailor Moon staggered back a step, but maintained her shield.
Blood was pounding in her forehead. Perspiration began to break out
across her flushed face. The crescent moon on her forehead began to
glow a brilliant yellow.
Talon Umbra's mane wafted higher in the air as she increased
the assault. Sailor Moon staggered back two, then three steps, but
managed to hold off the energy that seemed so much like the blood of
innocents.
"You're beaten, Sailor Moon," Talon Umbra pronounced.
"Surrender to me and I will give you a quick death. You have earned
that much."
"So you can do to everyone what you've done to the people in
this lobby?" grunted Sailor Moon. "No! I can't!"
"Then die in agony!" Talon Umbra snapped. "I will take great
pleasure in prolonging this as much as possible!"
Sailor Moon bowed her head, her eyes clamped shut. For a
moment, Talon Umbra thought that the girl was about to crumble. Then
she saw a small black warp in space begin to form inches from Sailor
Moon's chest. It expanded until a silver jewel could float out.
Instantly Talon Umbra's head turned to shield her eyes from the
blinding brilliance of the crystal.
At that moment, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Mars
burst into the lobby from the rubble of the entrance. It took just a
moment for Uranus to recognize what was happening.
"Come on!" she barked. Neptune moved to follow, but a pair of
hands gently caught them on the arm and held them back. They both
turned back inquiringly to Mars.
"Just wait," Mars told them, the light of hope shining in her
violet eyes. "She's handling it."
The silver crystal floated up to a point equidistant between
Sailor Moon's hands. They turned, seeming to cup it at the edge of
its primary glow. Sailor Moon's head rose to its full height. Her
eyes were still closed and her features took on a look of serene
concentration. Her fuku shimmered and changed into a flowing white
floor-length strapless gown, the raiment of the queen she was
destined to be. Silver wings, not unlike that of a butterfly,
sprouted from the back of her gown.
Talon Umbra poured her tainted energy down on Serenity.
Ignoring her, Serenity raised the crystal over her head with ease.
Her chest rose as she took in an invigorating breath. The folds of
her gown began to blow, as did the long ribbons of her blonde hair.
The crystal flared with a silver glow so brilliant that Uranus,
Neptune and Mars had to shield their eyes. It slammed against the
crimson energy of Talon Umbra and halted it in its place. For
minutes the two energies pressed against each other as both
combatants strained for advantage. Talon Umbra's mouth curled down
as she tried again and again to force her energies forward without
success.
"Please," she heard Serenity whisper and looked up. The girl
still wore a placid look on her face. "Please end this before it's
too late."
"Never," Talon Umbra replied proudly. "This contest is to the
death, girl."
The creature from below witnessed a single tear trickle down
Serenity's cheek. Then she saw the silver energy slowly begin to
force hers back. Talon Umbra poured everything she had into
maintaining her position. For a moment it seemed that she had
succeeded, but then the silver energy resumed its inexorable push
toward her. The creature strained angrily, desperate for victory.
The muscles in her body bunched and her serpentine features twisted.
But the silver energy inched closer and closer to her.
Uranus and Neptune stared, tentatively allowing themselves to
hope. Serenity was clearly exerting herself, but Talon Umbra seemed
to be the one straining now. But, even pressed to her limits, the
creature showed no signs of fear. It was as if she could not grasp
the concept of her defeat. The energy grew closer and closer. Talon
Umbra backed up one step, then two, then three. The silver energy
closed relentlessly on her until it hovered an inch from her.
And then Talon Umbra was encompassed by the silver energy of
the crystal. As it enveloped her, the entity's body seemed to
stretch and pull, distorting like a picture on taffy. Her eyes
jammed shut and she seemed wracked with pain, but Talon Umbra did not
cry out. She continued to expand until her essence reached its
breaking point, then pulled apart and dissipated like a bad dream.
"You did it!" cheered Uranus. Looking to her princess, she and
the others saw Sailor Moon, not Serenity, sink to her knees.
Concerned, they ran over to her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," she wheezed in exhaustion. Though she hid her face,
they could tell she was crying.
"Don't cry," Uranus told her softly. "The world's well rid of
her."
Sailor Moon nodded, but continued to cry. "If only she hadn't
forced me to this . . ."
"It's going to happen, Sailor Moon," Neptune said gently.
"There are going to be enemies or circumstances out there who are
going to force choices on you that you don't want to make. We all
have to face it sooner or later. You just faced it now, and you made
the right choice."
"Yeah, so stop crying," Mars smiled shyly, delicately wiping
Sailor Moon's tears away with her hand. "I hate the way your face
puffs up when you cry." Sailor Moon expelled a giggle in the midst
of her sobbing.
"You weep for a fallen foe," a mocking voice echoed amid the
ruins of the hospital lobby, a voice suspiciously like Talon Umbra's.
"How precious you are, Sailor Moon."
"No! You're dead!" roared Uranus, swinging around as she rose
to try to spot the returning threat. "I saw her kill you!"
"So she did," Talon Umbra's voice echoed confidently. "But you
forget, insignificant little aspect of her greatness, I am Talon
Umbra! I am endless! I have traversed the length and breath of
humanity's reign over this world! I existed when the first human
crawled from the slime! And I will watch the last human draw his
last breath and draw pleasure from his pain!"
The three senshi formed a protective circle around Sailor Moon.
"I feed on the milk of humanity's darker side," the voice
continued. "I have died deaths before, foolish little cockroach!
Though I was dead by Sailor Moon's hand, with every malicious thought
I am again reborn. With every unkind word, my hand is strengthened.
With every callous act, I am restored to my rightful throne."
Perhaps it was a trick of the lights, but the shadows of the
room seemed to swirl around them. Sailor Moon peered past her
guardians and spotted the others, transformed and ready for battle,
lingering at the entrance to the lobby. They stared in wonder and
perhaps just a hint of trepidation, but it did not make them shy
away.
"You cannot kill me, Sailor Moon," laughed the voice of Talon
Umbra. "So long as a single human lives on this planet, I cannot
die." She paused, savoring her words. "But you can die, Sailor
Moon. Some day you will die. Whether from disease, age or my hand,
you will die one day - - and I will be there. You have thwarted me
this day, Sailor Moon - - but I know patience. I will triumph in the
end."
"No," Sailor Moon replied, quietly but firmly. She stepped out
of the circle, Mars and Neptune staring uncomprehendingly at her as
they fell away from her. "Some day I will die, it's true. But on
that day, someone else will rise to oppose you. I don't know who
that person will be, but I know that person will be there. And
they'll share the same spirit I share, because that spirit can't die,
either. It's reborn every time a baby coos at its mother's touch.
It's strengthened every time friends laugh and play and enjoy each
other's company. It's restored every time lovers kiss. As long as
there are humans on this Earth, that spirit lives on. And that
spirit will always be there to oppose you! You will never win!"
Silence draped the room like a heavy linen cloth. Sailor Moon
stood her ground bravely, while the others waited for something to
happen. Perhaps it was a trick of the lights, but the shadows of the
room seemed to stop swirling. Seconds dragged on and on and the
warriors waited.
"We shall see, Sailor Moon," the voice of Talon Umbra replied
at last. "Until we meet again."
There was no evidence of Talon Umbra's departure, save that the
air in the room seemed so much less stifling. Timidly the others
approached Sailor Moon. They seemed dumbstruck, in awe of her.
Mercury reached her first and clasped Sailor Moon's hands in her own.
"Usagi," Mercury whispered in wonder. "What you said - - it
was beautiful!"
"Yeah," grinned Venus as she wiped tears from her eyes.
"Wasn't a dry eye in the house."
"I have NEVER seen anyone kick anyone's ass with just words!"
marveled Jupiter. "How do you do it?"
Sailor Moon shrugged. "I just told the truth." She looked
down shyly, self-conscious about everyone gazing at her in reverence.
Then her face clouded over with mild distress. "Is anybody else
hungry?"
Mars burst out laughing, followed quickly by everyone else.
She wrapped her arms around Sailor Moon's neck, kissed her on the
cheek and hugged her tight.
Concluded in chapter 12 . . .