Sailor X #1

Sailor X #2 Hellfire

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Jamie Lewis &

Thomas Schell

Neo-Queen Serenity stood on the balcony overlooking the grand ballroom of the Crystal Palace. Light from the chandeliers softly bathed the dancing couples and reflected gently off the silvery-gray marble floor. Soft music wafted into the air from the orchestra pit at the end of the room and a sitting area dominated the opposite end, providing a polite alternative to those lacking the energy or initiative to brave the dance floor. Judging from the continuous pulse of activity in the room, the first formal dance held in the Crystal Palace since the ballroom was rebuilt was a complete success.

From her vantage point, Serenity surveyed the entire Ballroom. She sighed and leaned against a nearby column. Noticing this un-royal posture, Luna quickly but quietly jumped to the banister, somehow managing to appear graceful as she rushed to her queen's side. Once perched comfortably upon a shoulder, she purred quietly.

"You are tired?" She asked.

"No," Serenity replied lazily.

"Ah! You are bored," Luna stated. "Well, bored or not, your posture is most appalling."

"Serenity gazed at Luna with a weary smile and seated herself in a nearby chair. "You know," she said. "You are about the only one around here who can still get away with lecturing me." Serenity paused thoughtfully. "Raye can too, I suppose…and Amy sometimes…"

"What is the problem?" Luna demanded.

"I'm tired," Serenity replied. "I am tired of being a queen, of running a kingdom, of having people on pins and needles around me. I never do anything for myself, or by myself.

"Yes, my queen," Luna replied. She received a stern glare from Serenity.

"And no one ever calls me 'meatball head'." Luna thought she heard a lonely sigh at the mention of her old, hated nickname. "No one even calls me Serena anymore…"

Luna jumped gracefully down to the banister, seated herself and looked over the crowd. The people were full of bubbling laughter, and totally oblivious to their queen's inner turmoil. Turning back to Serenity, she said, "You may be lonely and bored, but the people down there don't see it, and they shouldn't. They see a young queen that they respect and love…and they need to keep seeing that."

"Fine," the queen replied as she arose, "but that doesn't make me feel any better."

Luna watched Serenity proceed to the double doors at the back of the room, nodding politely to the few courtiers she passed.

"This," Luna sighed to herself, "is going to be a problem."

== * SM * ==

Raye and Cassandra were returning to the Crystal Palace from the dedication ceremonies of the Prometheus Colony on Titan. Since the confines of the spaceplane did not lend themselves to conversation, both women took the opportunity to sleep during the flight between Saturn and Jupiter.

Their sleep was abruptly disturbed when a sensor contact alarm sounded. Raye quickly tied into the sensors and tapped the computer for information. Cassandra, who was not quite awake yet, grumbled sleepily at the disturbance and tried in vain to retreat into slumber.

Cass buried her head under a pillow and growled, "Shut that off!"

"Sorry," came the reply from the pilot's chair in front of her. "No can do. You have to tie into the system too before that alarm will stop."

Cass grudgingly donned her flight helmet, her movements still clumsy with sleep. She tied its sensory net into the plane's computer. A visor slid down over her eyes and the ship's cockpit disappeared as the helmet fed information from the ship's sensors directly into her brain.

"Ok," Cass said. "I'm tied in." The alarm stopped as if on cue. "What are we picking up?"

"I don't know yet," Raye replied. "According to the sensors it's somewhere off our eleven o'clock."

Cass looked and noticed a band of debris in the distance. "We're approaching the asteroid belt," she noted.

"mmm," Raye glanced at the screen and pursed her lips. "Our contact is in there."

Cass used the sensors to scan the area. "I'm not picking it up."

"I'll increase the magnification," Raye replied. Cass watched as the drifting asteroid field seemed to jump out at her. A small mote of flame floated amid the asteroids. "Oh no," Cass muttered as Raye increased the magnification again, bringing the object into better focus.

The object was human-shaped, and sheathed entirely in an orange-red aura of fire. Even from this distance, Cass could see heavy body armor, bulky gauntlets, and a spiked helmet.

"Not him again," Cass moaned.

"Fraid so," Raye replied. "It looks like Hellfire's back."

== * SM * ==

Honolulu, HI Two weeks earlier

"This guy is tough," Sailor Moon muttered as she dodged a fireball thrown by the nine-foot tall villain who was surrounded by flames. From somewhere nearby, Jupiter stepped up. "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" Lightning bolts spiraled down for Jupiter to collect. Whirling around, she shot a fierce bolt of electricity at the villain. The lightning flared promisingly around the monster, then faded with no effect.

"You call that power?" the villain scoffed. "THIS is power!" With nonchalance he summoned a fireball into the palm of his hand and threw it at Jupiter. She managed to get out of the way but was blown to the ground by the force of the blast.

The Sailors were fighting a ragged, running battle, and were now backed up against the premises of a local orphanage. Sailor Moon determined that the fight would proceed no further. The villain had to be stopped here.

Venus launched a Crescent Beam attack that did little to phase the monster. "Nothing you wimps have can stop the power of Hellfire!" The monster shouted as the remnants of Venus' attack faded.

"Group together," Sailor Moon ordered. "I fire a tiara shard attack, then we combine to finish him off ."

The Sailors broke rank, weaving in and out of Hellfire's blasts, dodging but making no attacks of their own. They made their way to the rally point and stood together as a group in front of the stone wall surrounding the orphanage. Sailor Moon pulled the tiara from her forehead and shouted, "MOON TIARA SHARD MAGIC!" The tiara activated with a flash that illuminated Sailor Moon's face with a pale light. No fuss, no frills. She slung her tiara towards him with the grace of a wrecking ball. They were all too worn out to worry about aesthetics. As it arced toward the villain it pulsed with an angry red light. Shuriken-like projectiles appeared and were spun, shooting towards Hellfire. He contemptuously raised his left gauntlet as a defense.

The projectiles slammed into Hellfire's gauntlet but were deflected back at the unsuspecting Sailors as Hellfire simply batted the tiara away. The Scouts were showered with a rain of razor-sharp blades.

Hellfire stood and surveyed the scene with glittering eyes. His lip curled at the girls' weakness. "Train harder," he sneered. "Practice." His voice dripped with derision. "I will come for you." With one last cold stare, the villain disappeared in a ball of fire, leaving five severely injured Sailors to wonder what went wrong, and why they were still alive.

== * SM * ==

"Speak to me

Of those days I won't forget.

Your worst dream

Has now returned to pay you back!

I'm still laughing.

There's not much else I can do

But one thing's certain,

I'm coming back for you!"

"Have you got a gun?

Do you remember well?

Who'd ya use it on

You're going to burn in Hell!"

- Judas Priest, "Burn In Hell" (1997)

Near the asteroid belt… Present day…

"He's coming at us, Raye," Cass exclaimed, unable to hide her fear. They had been helpless before with a full team of scouts. Now she and Sandra were the only active members of the new group of Sailors. Mina, Raye, and Lita had volunteered to return to active duty until the rest of the group could heal, but they were still running themselves ragged. There were just too many things to do, and not enough Sailors to handle them all.

"I see him," Raye murmured as she put the spaceplane into a dive. They were close enough to the asteroid field that they were encountering solitary rock fragments as they flew. Raye rolled the plane lazily to avoid one rather large chunk of rock.

"I think we lost him," Cass sighed with relief.

"Nope," Raye replied. "He's out there. Waiting for us." She sighed. "But we have no choice. We've got to get past the asteroid belt, without him spotting us. Then we make a run for the palace."

Raye started the plane into a gradual climb back through the scattered debris, hoping to mask their presence. They neared the asteroid belt, and Raye prepared the engines for top speed. The ship shook with the impact of plasma bolts on the neosteel hull.

"He's got us," Cass stated flatly. She was nearly panicked.

"I see that," Raye replied, looking out the cockpit at the asteroid belt below.

"What do we do now?"

Raye jerked her chin in the direction of the asteroid field. "We go in."

"You're not serious," Cass stated bluntly.

Raye's eyes narrowed on concentration as she banked the plane. "He would be crazy to follow us."

"Yeah," Cass answered back. "I'd hate to think what that says about you."

There was silence for a moment, then both women turned to look at each other, remembering the cold insanity in his eyes at their last confrontation.

Raye was silent as she banked the plane into the asteroid field. Soon they were dodging both asteroids and plasma bolts as Hellfire barraged the plane as he chased it.

"We just have to keep together until we reach the break-off point for Mars," Raye thought, "because if we don't make it, we'll be space dust!".

== * SM * ==

Crystal Palace

"I don't like this, Luna," Serenity scolded as she and the cat walked down the hallway toward the palace's gymnasium. "Usually I like surprises, but I'm not in the mood right now."

"Oh lighten up, Serena," Luna replied. "I think you'll find this surprise quite enjoyable."

"And you keep calling me Serena!" Serenity exclaimed. "Not that I mind…too much…but that's all you've called me since the dance."

"It's part of the surprise."

"Oh," Serenity murmured. The two walked the rest of the way to the gym in silence.

The doors to the gymnasium opened and Serenity was greeted by the sight of the brightly lit room. Various gymnastics equipment stood silently to one side of the gym floor. The center of the gym had been cleared and now held a standard gymnast's dance floor. A control room was located above the floor, its lit windows looking down on the gym from the south.

Mina was busy putting the finishing touches on her dress and straightening the red bow in her hair. Serena spotted Lita up in the control room.

"Hi you guys!" Mina exclaimed with a smile, seeing Serenity and Luna approach. She looked Serenity over for a moment. "Oh Serena, that dress is too formal. Here," she said picking up a bundle of clothes, "put these on."

Lita came down the stairs from the control booth just as Serenity was finished changing. Serenity now wore a reprinted Sailor V cutoff, denim shorts, and tennis shoes. It had taken her more time to remove her gown than it had to completely re-dress. Both Lita and Mina nodded their approval.

"You look good," Lita stated encouragingly.

"Yes, doesn't it feel good to be out of that thing?" Mina nodded toward the gown hanging by a hook on the wall.

"I guess," Serenity replied. "I feel a bit naked though.

Mina approached Serenity and gave her a friendly hug. "That's because you spend too much time with court duties and you never leave time for yourself."

Lita added, "this from a girl who nearly failed out of school."

Serenity blushed. Shaking her head to banish the embarrassment, she asked, "So, what are we doing here?"

Lita did a twirl that made her dress billow out prettily. "Dancing lessons!" She laughed.

"Aren't you afraid I'll be a klutz?" Serenity sounded a bit concerned.

"Nope," Mina replied happily. "And if you do klutz out, so what. You need to let your hair down and forget about being queen for a while."

With that, Lita picked up a small remote, pointed it at a wall sensor and pressed a button. Soft music drifted from the gym speakers. "Let the lessons begin," she said happily.

Luna curled up nearby and watched the proceedings with a contented purr.

== * SM * ==

"Say my name.

I can hear you whisper.

Not to blame?

You are going to blister!"

- Judas Priest, "Burn In Hell" (1997)

Mars

Raye would later proclaim the landing of the spaceplane on Mars to be one of her best. The plane was neatly tucked just inside the entrance to a canyon. Cass had objected to landing on Mars, but Raye said once they were outside Hellfire would have a harder time outgunning them. After the last attempt to call the palace from comm system had failed, Raye had sent Cass off to plant a marker beacon that would make any search for them easier.

When Cass returned, Raye was inspecting the damage to the plane. With a grunt she tore off a piece of neosteel from the hull, curled into a cylindrical shape during reentry. It had originally been damaged in one of Hellfire's attacks.

"The marker is set." Cass said.

"Good." Raye replied. "Once they start looking for us, we'll be easy to find."

"Won't we be leaving before the others get worried enough to search?"

"I hope so," Raye said, "but if we go, we have to do it soon." She pointed to the plane's mid-section, where the fuel for the plane's engines was stored. "The plasma that feeds the engines is beginning to

go inert. If it fails completely, we won't be able to re-start the engines."

"How long will it take?"

"I'm not sure," Raye answered. "Not long, though." Both women continued their work on the plane in silence. It was hard to talk with doom hanging over your head like a cloud.

The women were focused on the job of repairing the plane when Hellfire landed with a roar.

"At last, ladies, we have some time to ourselves," Hellfire leered. "I am sure I will find this most enjoyable."

Both women jumped down from the plane and approached the villain. "Not if we have anything to say about it," Raye replied. Almost in unison, both women shouted "MARS POWER!" and began their transformations into Sailor Mars.

"Splendid," Hellfire laughed. He watched the two Sailors emerge from their transformations. "Two fiery Sailors with tempers to match! I could do with a little of that spirit to whet my appetite!"."

"Wishful thinking, charcoal-brain!" the younger Mars shouted, "MARS FIREBOLT POWER!" A ball of fire coalesced in her right hand and she flung it at Hellfire. The blast hit the villain but had little effect.

"Oh," Hellfire commented, "I'm really scared now….why don't you lay some more of that fire magic on me…"

"If you insist…MARS FIRESTORM FLASH!" An angry stream of fire shot from the elder Sailor Mars' palms and surrounded Hellfire. He basked in the scorching inferno. Mars continued to pour energy into the fire blast for several seconds longer, hoping Hellfire would collapse under the barrage. Eventually, Mars discontinued the blast. Hellfire simply stood and waited for it to subside.

"And you call yourselves "super" heroes," Hellfire said dryly. "This must be the best that you can do. I think that is terrible." His expression belied his words. "Perhaps I should help you….Try this!" And he blew a gust of fire that scorched the nearby canyon walls and anything in between. Rocks were picked up by the strength of the blast and hurled at the two Sailors who gradually weakened under the punishment.

The two women fought a losing battle, trying to resist the assault. They gradually lost consciousness. Hellfire ceased his attack. Standing over the Sailors, he checked to make sure they were fully unconscious. He kicked Raye once, hard. Her limp body flew up like a rag doll and landed with a soft thud on the rocks. Turning, Hellfire flew off to make arrangements.

== * SM * ==

Serenity could not remember the last time she had so much fun. The worries, cares, and responsibilities of running the Moon Kingdom melted away with joy at having fun with close friends. After a little practice, Serenity glided over the dance floor like the premier dancer she had been during the reign of her mother.

Lita and Mina watched as Serenity swooped over the floor in time to the music and responding to her invisible partner. They were inordinately pleased with themselves.

"Thank you girls," Luna said. "The queen definitely needed something like this."

"We know," Mina said. "I noticed it during the Ball, but Mina thought of 'dance lessons.'"

They continued to watch Serenity waltz across the dance floor. As she twirled, one of her feet caught the other and she tumbled into a heap on the floor. She flopped over onto her back and shook her hair angrily.

"I am such a meatball head!" She wailed. Lita, Mina, and Luna burst out laughing at this. Serenity began to laugh too as she rose and joined them on the bench.

"Thanks, you guys," Serenity said as she sat down. "This is great."

"Even the klutz out?" Lita asked.

Serenity blushed. "Yes," she replied. "Even the klutz out. I've got to do this more often."

"Consider it done," Luna said, "Klutz outs and all."

They giggled, then went onto the dance floor again. Lita started the music and they began to dance. It wasn't long until Serenity tripped again and all three women fell to the floor, sending up another burst of raucous laughter.

== * SM * ==

"Sceram in the night!

I've been counting the days.

It's so amusing

To see you again"

"Have you got a gun?

Do you remember well?

Who'd ya use it on

You're going to burn in Hell!"

- Judas Priest, "Burn In Hell" (1997)

Cass awoke to the sight of Raye, looking down at her.

"How long?"

"About two hours," Raye replied tersely. She moved Cass to a spot near the plane after regaining consciousness. Cass struggled to a sitting position, and leaned against the metal sides of the plane.

"Hellfire?"

"He's not in the area," Raye said. "But somehow I don't think he's finished with us yet."

"What do we do now?" Cass asked. "We can't touch this guy. He absorbs the force of our attacks. He is toying with us!" She finished in a burst. As if it hurt to admit it, she looked up at her mentor. "I'm scared!"

"I know," Raye said as she gazed at the plane. "I'm scared too. I was using some of my most powerful attacks, and they weren't phasing him. I don't know what to do…" For the first time in a long while, a tinge of hopelessness entered her voice.

Cass looked at Raye with utter faith. Raye wanted to cringe. "So how do we stop him?" Cass inquired, confident that Raye would know. "None of our attacks worked. Jupiter's thunder attack failed. Sailor Moon's tiara attack didn't work…"

Raye's thoughts turned inward. Cass depended on her. She was so scared…what if she couldn't do it? Could not beat the monster? The thought of Cass being broken hurt her physically. Her eyes darted around frantically. Panic closed in like blackness. They were alone. No one would find them. Everyone would know, of course, when Hellfire reappeared. He would probably boast of it. It would be too late for them. The team was weak, injured. He would defeat all of them, piecemeal. They were all alone…Her vision was black. I want to go home. Raye felt the tears inside of her. She never cried. I don't want to fight anymore…as if triggered by the thought, Raye remembered her girlhood. In the cave, on the run from Malachite. They had been so young. She had just lost Darien. Lost him to Sailor Moon, then to the Negaverse. "I don't want to fight anymore." She had slapped Sailor Moon. They had to fight. There had to be a way. She believed that. She had been so young. She had to fight. She remembered her idealism, and her strength. They had won that battle, in the end. They worked together, and rose above the fear and grief.

Never to see everyone again. Hellfire would kill them all. Unless he was stopped here. The blackness faded, and Raye grabbed onto her surroundings like a drowning man grabbed onto a life preserver.

The metal ship held up her body, kept her from falling. The metal…

"Hold it!" Raye exclaimed, her eyes glistening, her body weak with relief from panic. "I think I've got it." Her voice was almost steady. She got up and made her way across the rocky ground to retrieve the tortured strip of neosteel she discarded earlier.

"This is going to be dangerous," Raye said. "Are you familiar with the phoenix attack?"

"No."

"I'm not surprised," Raye nodded. "You are a bit too inexperienced yet for that attack. You'll need help to use it, and it will be painful, but with help, you can master the pain, then master the power you'll need."

"Yes," Cass said. "You've taught me that the powers of Mars are as much a matter of mental discipline as anything else. So what's the plan?"

Raye knelt and began to shape the neosteel strip, making it more aerodynamic. "I need you to provide a distraction, and the only thing I can think is the firestorm attack. I need Hellfire completely occupied with your attack."

"You said the transformation was going to be painful," Cass stated. "What do you mean?"

"It's better that you not know," Raye replied. "Trust me on this," she said, seeing the flash of rebellion in Cass' face. "I will be here to help you, and the pain will go away once you transform. Now…close your eyes….and imagine the form of a flaming phoenix…"

Cass looked up at the Martian sky, and fixed her eyes on the distant sun. She slowly closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she still could see the sun, slowly warping to the shape of a fire-sheathed phoenix…

"So," Hellfire surveyed the scene like a proprietor. "Is everyone ready?" He casually launched a fireball at Cass, already transformed into Sailor Mars along with Raye. They had seen him approaching for some time, as he made no move to conceal his presence. He knew as well as they did that they were trapped like rats. Cass hit the deck to avoid the blistering attack. Raye glanced quickly to her neosteel shard, casually laying on the ground nearby. The forward tip was sharpened and smoothed the sides. Glaring at Hellfire, she shouted, "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" and blasted him with a bolt of flame that was totally ineffective. Hellfire gloated. He seemed to like it when they fought back. It amused him. That enraged Raye.

"Your powers are nothing compared to the Primal Fire at my command! But thank you for playing!" As an after-thought, he batted away a fireball generated by the younger Mars. "Do you see how I dispose of your energy! Such a weak display. You are nothing! Everything you have I gave to you. You are nothing!"

Raye looked at Cass, standing a few feet away on a small hill. "Now," she cried. "Transform!"

Still picturing the flaming phoenix in her mind, the younger Mars shouted, "MARS PHOENIX!" She was immediately sheathed in an angry field of fire. Screams of agony were torn from her mouth as the fire scorched her skin.

"Focus!" The elder Mars shouted. "Feel the strength of the phoenix! Don't resist! Let it flow through you! You are a conduit, a channel, a vessel for the Pheonix. Let the purity of the phoenix flow through you!" At the appropriate time, the elder Mars raised her hands and pointed them at her namesake. "MARS FIRE….IGNITE!" The fireball shot forward and slammed into the younger Mars, mute now, silenced by the pain. The fire carbonized the young woman and she was enclosed in a cocoon of gray charcoal.

"That was certainly interesting," Hellfire stated as he shot razor-sharp claws at the elder Mars. She back-flipped over the neosteel shard and out of the way.

A brilliant light shone through the carbon shroud enclosing Cass. The light consumed the carbon until finally the younger Mars stepped out of the carbon, and through the light.

"I am Sailor Mars! In the name of the Moon Kingdom, I will fight evil and defend the innocent! I will vanquish villains, and that means you!"

"You go girl," The elder Mars nodded approvingly.

"MARS FIRESTORM FLASH!" The torrent of fire erupted from the younger Mars, surrounded by a brilliant aura. The fire splashed on Hellfire and seemed to devour him. The young Sailor continued the attack for several seconds before it became evident that the attack had absolutely no effect on the villain. Hellfire began laughing hysterically.

"All that pain…all those special effects, the little light show," he managed to get out between gasps of laughter. And still, all you can manage is THAT?" Tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to howl with amusement. Cass flushed red with embarrassment and anger. She looked to Raye for guidance.

"Keep going!" The elder Sailor shouted encouragement.

"MARS FIRE…IGNITE!" The younger Sailor brought up another fireball. She held it in her hands a bit longer than usual, as if doing so would increase the strength. Finally, she let it loose. It shot forward, once again bathing Hellfire in fire. He started laughing even before the fire died. He was totally distracted by his own mirth. Oblivious to his surroundings, he did not notice the Elder Sailor Mars stoop down and pick up the neosteel shard.

Hefting the metal shard, Raye readied herself. She pulled back her throwing arm, and hurled the crude spear at the villain with all her might. "Laugh at this!" She shouted. Her voice cracked. Just in time, Hellfire turned. He raised his gauntlet to reflect the incoming missile. The shard crashed into the upper portion of the gauntlet heavily, deflecting forward and upward. The villain screamed as he realized his fatal mistake, an instant before the neosteel shard slammed into his head. It pierced his eye and drove into his brain, shattering his skull. As the monster died, the primal energies that infused his being faded and his smoking body toppled backward to the ground.

The younger Sailor bounded down the hill and flew into her mentor's arms.

"We did it!" Cass shouted happily. "We did it! We did it!" They were both trembling.

"How do you feel?" Raye asked.

"Ok," Cass replied thoughtfully. A shadow passed through her eyes. "Transforming into Super Mars was painful."

"Once you learn to control the transformation," Raye said, "there will be no pain." She noticed a streak of light across the sky. "It looks like someone at the palace noticed our beacon."

Together, the two women watched the sun set on the Martian horizon. They waited for their friends to arrive and take them home.

FINI

FOOTNOTES AND EXPLANATIONS

* "He'd be crazy to follow us." Was taken from "The Empire Strikes Back", where Han Solo used a

derivative of the same phrase.

Explanation: Raye realized that the shuriken attack used against Hellfire in the first battle had failed because the shurikens were too light. Thus, she came up with the idea of the neosteel shard, which was light enough to throw, yet heavy enough to deflect forward, instead of backward.

PREVIEW: SX3: DARK SAILOR

Sailor Moon stood upon a steep cliff overlooking portion of the Negaverse. All she saw below her, in all directions was deserted and wrecked buildings, punctuated by fires of various sizes. Buildings which in their heyday had been possibly beautiful were now twisted in agony. The entire view looked like the worst ideas of a post-apocalyptic horror. Queen Beryl's evil seemed to reach across from the realm of the dead to continue to torment the populace…those which still survived.

"My god…" Sailor Moon murmured aloud.

"You are standing amidst the ruins," Scaramanga said, "of a place that God has forsaken. If He were ever here at all." The master villain nodded a silent greeting to the other Sailors, all of whom had turned at the sound of his voice.

Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon,

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed.

Release date: August, 1998

Edited: October 8, 1999

Release: 2nd Edition: October 8, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001