Hi everyone! PC here, and astounded! I brought this chapter out
smart like because I got so many positive responses to my story!
*Sweeps tears from eyes* I'm so thankful, I have to something for
you all, so here's chapter four! Hope you like it!
SD apply. But I've tacked a bird onto what you get if you really
feel the need to sue me.
*****************************
Labyrinth Square
Chapter 4
By Phoenix Cubed
Turn on the lights to see the stars,
Turn off the lights to see the moon.
Dim the lights to see your love,
Close your lids to feel it.
It was dark. It was very dark. Serena took a large amount time to
adjust her eyes while Darien went off into the next room to look for
some candles, or even a flashlight. She didn't like being left alone,
but she had said that she could handle it. And she could. Darien
would only be gone a few minutes, Serena scolded herself. Why should
she care? Darien had always been a jerk to her, and had never given a
thought to her well being. So why was he helping her now? What he
had told her earlier had made it sound like a sense of duty.
That made Serena wonder. Duty, as in responsibility? Duty, as in
. . . guilt? Was it that Darien felt guilty for the way he always
treated her? Darien could be mean, but not that mean. Certainly
not enough that guilt could bring him to the brink of no return.
Perhaps he meant responsibility. Once Darien was given a task, he
always completed it. That made sense. The Scouts had given him the
job of watching over her, and his sense of responsibility compelled
him to do so until the Scouts relieved him.
There was a sudden click and a beam of light appeared next to her,
illuminating Darien's face. "Let's get going, Meatball Head. The
entrance is over here."
Serena stood up and made a face in the darkness. "Don't call me
that! You know I hate it."
Darien grinned at her, "I know something? Why thank you,
Meatball Head, you've never said that before."
"Fine," Serena rolled her eyes, "if Quirky can be that way, so can
Meatball Head."
Darien winced, "don't call me that."
Serena looked at him with feigned innocence. "I'm sorry, Quirky,
what didn't you want me to call you?"
Darien sighed and turned back towards the maze entrance.
"Nevermind. Now we really need to get going, the faster we get
lost, the longer it'll take those goons to find us."
"Or anyone else for that matter."
Serena followed him slowly to the maze entrance, lingering at the
entrance. This wasn't just a door to a maze, it was a gateway--an
entryway into something unknown. Serena wasn't quite sure if she
wanted to go any further, doubting her courage above everything
else.
Darien looked at his charge. Seeing the turmoil within her eyes, he
tried to offer a few words of encouragement. "Come on Serena, it'll be
all right. You have to trust me on this. No ghost, ghoul, or slimy
nega-creature will get you while I'm around. The Scouts will find
us and everything will be fine."
Serena bit her lip and joined Darien at the entrance. Trust Darien.
It seemed so . . . unnatural. Yet, so right. She tried to ask
herself why, but the only answer she received was 'why not?'
As she pondered the thought, Darien led her deep into the maze. It
had been a few years since he had wandered through the Labyrinth.
He needed to concentrate on how to get through the maze as far as
he had explored before. Serena was already having doubts, and her
faith in him was obviously very shallow. He didn't want to dry that
well up any more than he had in the past.
"Darien, I can't see anything!" Serena whined from behind him.
"Watch the flashlight then."
"But then I can't see where I'm go--oh!" As if to prove her point,
Serena tripped over a piece of wall debris hidden in the flashlight
shadows.
Darien sighed and gave a 'why me?' gesture before he shined the
light on Serena, only to see her leaning against the wall, rubbing
her knee.
"Ow." She whimpered as blood began trickle slowly from a cut on
her knee.
"Meatball Head, what are the Scouts going to say when they catch
up with us?" He chided her while he took a handkerchief from his
pocket and tied it around her knee. "They'll begin to wonder who's
trying to kill who."
He finished tying off the makeshift bandage and helped Serena to
her feet. She walked a few steps, but it was obviously painful for
her. Darien shook his head, "this won't do at all. All right
Meatball Head, I guess I'll have to carry you."
Serena gave him a wild-eyed look. "What?"
He rolled his eyes. "I don't bite Serena, and we can't move along
with your bad leg. It should be fine after a bit, but we can't wait."
Serena stared at him for a moment before going over to him. After
a few deft maneuvers, Darien had positioned her comfortably on his
back.
Serena giggled, "giddyap."
Darien began walking, "no ideas Meatball, we wouldn't want to hurt
your head as well."
"Oh no, Darien, you've got a hair out of place. Here, let me fix it."
"Ow!"
"Oops, clumsy me, I pulled it out instead."
"Along with fifty other hairs."
After that they walked in silence. Serena held the flashlight out in
front and Darien decided where to go. Once in a while, Serena would
flick the light to take a look at the walls or the ceiling. The walls
were covered in vines, tangled and gnarled together to form a blanket
that looked very much alive. Once in a while, a small break in the
vines would reveal the stones that founded the maze, dark and worn
with time. The ceiling was high and shadowy. Covered not by vines, but
by pictures. Painted in what must have once been bright colors, the
images were now faded, bringing a haunted mood to whatever they were
supposed to be about.
"Meatball Head, you want to shine that flashlight *forward* please?"
"But there are paintings on the ceiling. I want to look at them."
Darien stopped and looked at the top of the Labyrinth. "They look
like hieroglyphics. Are you fluent in Ancient Egyptian, Serena?"
"No."
"Then forget them, they won't help us in any way."
"But there's gotta be something that can help us here."
Darien began walking again. "The Scouts, when they come."
Serena chewed on that thought. "You have a lot of faith in the
Sailor Scouts, don't you?"
"They're very strong, and very reliable. If they tell you something,
you know they mean it."
"You act as if you talk with them on a regular basis."
Darien smiled, as if he had a secret he wasn't sharing. "You were
chatting with them pretty easily yourself."
Serena decided to change the direction of the conversation. "So
who is your favorite Scout?"
Darien thought about that. "Well, I like Mercury for her sensible
attitude, Jupiter for her strength, Mars has a bit of a temper though,
and I don't know too much about Venus; so that only leaves one other."
Serena was surprised. "You like Sailor Moon? But what does she
do? She's not very smart or brave or..."
"You have something against her? Sailor Moon may not be as smart
as Mercury, or brave like Mars, but she doesn't need to be. She
supports the scouts, keeps them going. Without her, there's no
heart in the group."
Serena was speechless. Darien thought that about her? Granted
he didn't know that, but still...
"Which reminds me," Darien continued. "How many Scouts did we
see today?"
Uh oh. "Um, four."
"Where was Sailor Moon, anyway? She's usually right there, but
Venus seemed to be in charge."
Serena scrambled for an answer. "Maybe she got lost or decided to
sleep in."
Darien shifted his head to look at her. "What *do* you have against
her, anyway? The Scouts are obviously your friends, so why do you
continually put down their leader?"
"That's not a nice question Darien, I-"
"Shh." Darien stopped and motioned for her to listen. After a
moment, he crouched down and whispered, "can you walk now?"
Serena nodded and slid off his back, trying to listen to whatever
Darien was hearing. She opened her mouth to ask, but Darien held
a hand up for silence. Serena complied a moment longer and strained
her ears for any breaks in the silence that surrounded them.
And then she heard it; footsteps.
Darien took a few quick glances around and then walked over to
Serena. With one hand he motioned for her to remain silent, with
the other, he took back the flashlight and shut it off. The immediate
plunge into darkness left both of them blinded. Serena felt around
until she caught the sleeve of Darien's jacket and felt a tug as he
began to lead her off. Within a few steps, they were at a wall that
stopped and led them into a passage.
The footsteps by this time had become more definite, and harsh
whispers could be heard as well.
"Their trail leads this way, they have to be in here."
"It could be a false trail, these humans have illuded us before with
such tricks."
"For our sakes, it had better be their trail. Prince Diamond's
patience is wearing very thin. If we fail this time, there will be
no other chance."
The voices were getting louder, and Darien recognized the gurgling
dialect of the acidic creature that had first chased Serena. Judging
by the convulsing grip she had on his arm, Serena had recognized
that one too.
"We won't need another chance, and these humans won't get one.
That door is the only way out, and Master Rubeus himself stands
by it. They are trapped in here, and it is only a matter of time
before we find the princess and that fool who hides her."
"Yes, and the sooner we hand over the girl to Prince Diamond, the
sooner we will be allowed the privilege of disposing her companion."
That last statement was enough. Darien grabbed Serena's hand
from his jacket and began to run deep into the darkness. The ugly
laughter of the monsters followed them a very long time.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"Now what are we supposed to do?"
"Quiet and let me listen."
"I say we charge up there and take 'em."
"Again? How many times are you planning on making that
mistake?"
"Everyone quiet, someone's coming."
Footsteps beat in time through the hallway to the right. A
moment later, a dark haired man in a blue uniform appeared.
"Rubeus."
The guard at the door snapped to attention. "Sir."
"Report."
"Yes, Sapphire, Sir. I have restored power to this facility, the
droids don't see well in the dark, and it will give the humans no
opportunity to hide in the shadows of the maze."
"You are sure they hide in the Labyrinth?"
"We have found evidence of them about, yes. A scrap of green cloth
was found by a window. It is similar to the jacket worn by the
princess's companion. When we turned on the lights, a droid found
a small amount of blood. We have followed the trail from there.
Droid Acino reported hearing voices and is currently following that.
He's due to report back anytime now."
"And what of the Sailors?"
"They are of no consequence, without their leader, the Sailor Scouts
will fall apart. They have already launched an attack against us,
but we defeated them easily."
Sapphire nodded thoughtfully. "Be sure you do not underestimate
these people, they have caused us much trouble in the past."
Rubeus was beginning to appear very nervous. The man in the
blue uniform must have been a very high ranking superior.
Nothing the Sailor Scouts had done so far ever made Rubeus
tremble.
"I assure you, sir, there will be no trouble. I have droids all
about, if they are here, we will take care of them."
Sapphire squinted at his red haired General, then turned on his heel
and vanished, but his voice still rang through the air. "Be sure you
do take care of them. Prince Diamond sends you the guarantee that if
you don't, we'll have no choice but to take care of you." The voice
of indifference faded, leaving Rubeus to stammer into thin air.
"Double the guard, send the second wave of droids into the maze,
put patrols out in the city. Find those Scouts, find the princess
and that dratted prince, I don't care how you do it, just find them!"
Rubeus's screams echoed throughout the expansive hall and
smaller rooms. Evil droids scrambled about to obey his frantic
commands. The Scouts became nervous as one or two came very
close to their hiding spot. Jupiter became very jumpy, and the
girls often had to restrain her while the monsters ran about.
When she finally settled down, Mercury glanced about at the
different creatures. Peering closely, she realized that there
seemed to be two different types of droids. About half of them
bore the Negamoon insignia on a jewel somewhere along their bodies.
They seemed to regard the droids without the insignias with great
suspicion. Mercury decided that the ones without were Queen
Beryl's monsters. She shared her thought to Venus, who, after
looking dubiously about, but then noticed for herself, and
quickly agreed. After a few moments, the scrambling died down
and Mercury's contemplation was confirmed.
A maniacal laughter filled the air, not unlike a hyena. Cherry
blossoms appeared, and a blonde woman in a gray uniform swirled
into the light through the blossoms, sniggering at some unknown
joke.
"Well Rubeus, I see your job has great security to it. Too bad
you ran the four sisters off, or you could take it out on them."
Rubeus's look of fright turned to one of irritation. "Get rid of
one hyena, watch another crawl of its abysmal spawn to take the old
one's place. What do you want, Zoicite?"
The general absently reached up and curled a lock about her finger,
her green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Must be hard being the
only lackey that your Prince has left. The stress is really showing."
The carrot topped General of the Negamoon gave the blonde of the
Negaverse a cool stare. "There doesn't seem to be too many of you
left either. You can't count how many of your pathetic nega-
monsters you've lost. Need I remind you how many generals you've
also had disposed? If I remember correctly, I believe it was your
own Queen who was rid of them, including your dear Malachite."
Zoicite glared at Rubeus. "We'll see how long you last, General.
I do believe it was I, after all, who successfully stole the
transformation brooch from Sailor Moon, and it was you, who
allowed her to get away as we distracted the rest of the Scouts."
"Really, then where is this successful creature now?"
"That, Rubeus, is what I'm here to find out. Raker was damaged in
a fight that he wasn't commanded to be in, and in his impaired state,
has gone into the maze." Zoicite snapped her fingers and three
Nega-creatures ambled over, void of the nega-moon emblem. "These
three will be sent with two of yours into the maze to find Raker
and return him so that we may give the brooch to her greatness,
Queen Beryl."
Rubeus scowled. "Is there any reason why I have to waste two of
my droids on your mission?"
Zoicite sniffed, "Diamond and Beryl agree that this should be a
joint effort. You can take it up with them if you don't like it."
"Maybe later. I assume you will be taking them down?"
"Of course."
"Then you best start right away, follow me, and I'll show you what
you need to know..."
The voices gradually faded from earshot, leaving the Scouts to their
own devices.
Mars blinked, "I guess that confirms that Diamond and Beryl are
working together."
"But it doesn't tell us why." Venus replied, carefully peaking over
the ledge to check for incoming monsters or generals.
"At least we know that Serena and Darien are still safe." Said
Mercury, beginning to type rapidly on her computer, "we need to find
them soon, before they penetrate too deeply into the maze. From past
experience, electronic devices fail to operate successfully once we
reach certain depths that have heavy fortifications over them, which
is approximately two hundred feet below the surface in the maze, due
to the gravitation pull and natural wavelengths beneath the earth.
Therefore it is imperative that we--"
"Mercury."
The Sailor Soldier of planet Mercury stopped and looked up to see
Jupiter rubbing her temples, her face screwed into a look of pain.
"Do you mind putting whatever it is you just said into something
more understandable?"
Mercury blinked, "we're going to have to trust our instincts on this,
because the trackers that we all wear won't work in the maze. My
computer may work once in a while, because its not composed to work
off normal power sources; but it will still be highly unreliable."
Sailor Venus nodded in comprehension. "Then that means we'll just
have to stick together. No splitting up unless it's absolutely
necessary."
"And if splitting up is a must," said Luna, speaking up for the
first time, "the groups will be Mars, Jupiter, Artemis, then Mercury,
Venus, and myself. That way, each group shall have a person who
has already been within the maze."
The white guardian nodded, "excellent idea Luna. Now, we need a
plan to get into the maze. Any ideas?"
Jupiter grinned suddenly, "I've got one."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
All rightie then! There's chapter four. As usual, send comments
to phoenix_cubed@hotmail.com.
smart like because I got so many positive responses to my story!
*Sweeps tears from eyes* I'm so thankful, I have to something for
you all, so here's chapter four! Hope you like it!
SD apply. But I've tacked a bird onto what you get if you really
feel the need to sue me.
*****************************
Labyrinth Square
Chapter 4
By Phoenix Cubed
Turn on the lights to see the stars,
Turn off the lights to see the moon.
Dim the lights to see your love,
Close your lids to feel it.
It was dark. It was very dark. Serena took a large amount time to
adjust her eyes while Darien went off into the next room to look for
some candles, or even a flashlight. She didn't like being left alone,
but she had said that she could handle it. And she could. Darien
would only be gone a few minutes, Serena scolded herself. Why should
she care? Darien had always been a jerk to her, and had never given a
thought to her well being. So why was he helping her now? What he
had told her earlier had made it sound like a sense of duty.
That made Serena wonder. Duty, as in responsibility? Duty, as in
. . . guilt? Was it that Darien felt guilty for the way he always
treated her? Darien could be mean, but not that mean. Certainly
not enough that guilt could bring him to the brink of no return.
Perhaps he meant responsibility. Once Darien was given a task, he
always completed it. That made sense. The Scouts had given him the
job of watching over her, and his sense of responsibility compelled
him to do so until the Scouts relieved him.
There was a sudden click and a beam of light appeared next to her,
illuminating Darien's face. "Let's get going, Meatball Head. The
entrance is over here."
Serena stood up and made a face in the darkness. "Don't call me
that! You know I hate it."
Darien grinned at her, "I know something? Why thank you,
Meatball Head, you've never said that before."
"Fine," Serena rolled her eyes, "if Quirky can be that way, so can
Meatball Head."
Darien winced, "don't call me that."
Serena looked at him with feigned innocence. "I'm sorry, Quirky,
what didn't you want me to call you?"
Darien sighed and turned back towards the maze entrance.
"Nevermind. Now we really need to get going, the faster we get
lost, the longer it'll take those goons to find us."
"Or anyone else for that matter."
Serena followed him slowly to the maze entrance, lingering at the
entrance. This wasn't just a door to a maze, it was a gateway--an
entryway into something unknown. Serena wasn't quite sure if she
wanted to go any further, doubting her courage above everything
else.
Darien looked at his charge. Seeing the turmoil within her eyes, he
tried to offer a few words of encouragement. "Come on Serena, it'll be
all right. You have to trust me on this. No ghost, ghoul, or slimy
nega-creature will get you while I'm around. The Scouts will find
us and everything will be fine."
Serena bit her lip and joined Darien at the entrance. Trust Darien.
It seemed so . . . unnatural. Yet, so right. She tried to ask
herself why, but the only answer she received was 'why not?'
As she pondered the thought, Darien led her deep into the maze. It
had been a few years since he had wandered through the Labyrinth.
He needed to concentrate on how to get through the maze as far as
he had explored before. Serena was already having doubts, and her
faith in him was obviously very shallow. He didn't want to dry that
well up any more than he had in the past.
"Darien, I can't see anything!" Serena whined from behind him.
"Watch the flashlight then."
"But then I can't see where I'm go--oh!" As if to prove her point,
Serena tripped over a piece of wall debris hidden in the flashlight
shadows.
Darien sighed and gave a 'why me?' gesture before he shined the
light on Serena, only to see her leaning against the wall, rubbing
her knee.
"Ow." She whimpered as blood began trickle slowly from a cut on
her knee.
"Meatball Head, what are the Scouts going to say when they catch
up with us?" He chided her while he took a handkerchief from his
pocket and tied it around her knee. "They'll begin to wonder who's
trying to kill who."
He finished tying off the makeshift bandage and helped Serena to
her feet. She walked a few steps, but it was obviously painful for
her. Darien shook his head, "this won't do at all. All right
Meatball Head, I guess I'll have to carry you."
Serena gave him a wild-eyed look. "What?"
He rolled his eyes. "I don't bite Serena, and we can't move along
with your bad leg. It should be fine after a bit, but we can't wait."
Serena stared at him for a moment before going over to him. After
a few deft maneuvers, Darien had positioned her comfortably on his
back.
Serena giggled, "giddyap."
Darien began walking, "no ideas Meatball, we wouldn't want to hurt
your head as well."
"Oh no, Darien, you've got a hair out of place. Here, let me fix it."
"Ow!"
"Oops, clumsy me, I pulled it out instead."
"Along with fifty other hairs."
After that they walked in silence. Serena held the flashlight out in
front and Darien decided where to go. Once in a while, Serena would
flick the light to take a look at the walls or the ceiling. The walls
were covered in vines, tangled and gnarled together to form a blanket
that looked very much alive. Once in a while, a small break in the
vines would reveal the stones that founded the maze, dark and worn
with time. The ceiling was high and shadowy. Covered not by vines, but
by pictures. Painted in what must have once been bright colors, the
images were now faded, bringing a haunted mood to whatever they were
supposed to be about.
"Meatball Head, you want to shine that flashlight *forward* please?"
"But there are paintings on the ceiling. I want to look at them."
Darien stopped and looked at the top of the Labyrinth. "They look
like hieroglyphics. Are you fluent in Ancient Egyptian, Serena?"
"No."
"Then forget them, they won't help us in any way."
"But there's gotta be something that can help us here."
Darien began walking again. "The Scouts, when they come."
Serena chewed on that thought. "You have a lot of faith in the
Sailor Scouts, don't you?"
"They're very strong, and very reliable. If they tell you something,
you know they mean it."
"You act as if you talk with them on a regular basis."
Darien smiled, as if he had a secret he wasn't sharing. "You were
chatting with them pretty easily yourself."
Serena decided to change the direction of the conversation. "So
who is your favorite Scout?"
Darien thought about that. "Well, I like Mercury for her sensible
attitude, Jupiter for her strength, Mars has a bit of a temper though,
and I don't know too much about Venus; so that only leaves one other."
Serena was surprised. "You like Sailor Moon? But what does she
do? She's not very smart or brave or..."
"You have something against her? Sailor Moon may not be as smart
as Mercury, or brave like Mars, but she doesn't need to be. She
supports the scouts, keeps them going. Without her, there's no
heart in the group."
Serena was speechless. Darien thought that about her? Granted
he didn't know that, but still...
"Which reminds me," Darien continued. "How many Scouts did we
see today?"
Uh oh. "Um, four."
"Where was Sailor Moon, anyway? She's usually right there, but
Venus seemed to be in charge."
Serena scrambled for an answer. "Maybe she got lost or decided to
sleep in."
Darien shifted his head to look at her. "What *do* you have against
her, anyway? The Scouts are obviously your friends, so why do you
continually put down their leader?"
"That's not a nice question Darien, I-"
"Shh." Darien stopped and motioned for her to listen. After a
moment, he crouched down and whispered, "can you walk now?"
Serena nodded and slid off his back, trying to listen to whatever
Darien was hearing. She opened her mouth to ask, but Darien held
a hand up for silence. Serena complied a moment longer and strained
her ears for any breaks in the silence that surrounded them.
And then she heard it; footsteps.
Darien took a few quick glances around and then walked over to
Serena. With one hand he motioned for her to remain silent, with
the other, he took back the flashlight and shut it off. The immediate
plunge into darkness left both of them blinded. Serena felt around
until she caught the sleeve of Darien's jacket and felt a tug as he
began to lead her off. Within a few steps, they were at a wall that
stopped and led them into a passage.
The footsteps by this time had become more definite, and harsh
whispers could be heard as well.
"Their trail leads this way, they have to be in here."
"It could be a false trail, these humans have illuded us before with
such tricks."
"For our sakes, it had better be their trail. Prince Diamond's
patience is wearing very thin. If we fail this time, there will be
no other chance."
The voices were getting louder, and Darien recognized the gurgling
dialect of the acidic creature that had first chased Serena. Judging
by the convulsing grip she had on his arm, Serena had recognized
that one too.
"We won't need another chance, and these humans won't get one.
That door is the only way out, and Master Rubeus himself stands
by it. They are trapped in here, and it is only a matter of time
before we find the princess and that fool who hides her."
"Yes, and the sooner we hand over the girl to Prince Diamond, the
sooner we will be allowed the privilege of disposing her companion."
That last statement was enough. Darien grabbed Serena's hand
from his jacket and began to run deep into the darkness. The ugly
laughter of the monsters followed them a very long time.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"Now what are we supposed to do?"
"Quiet and let me listen."
"I say we charge up there and take 'em."
"Again? How many times are you planning on making that
mistake?"
"Everyone quiet, someone's coming."
Footsteps beat in time through the hallway to the right. A
moment later, a dark haired man in a blue uniform appeared.
"Rubeus."
The guard at the door snapped to attention. "Sir."
"Report."
"Yes, Sapphire, Sir. I have restored power to this facility, the
droids don't see well in the dark, and it will give the humans no
opportunity to hide in the shadows of the maze."
"You are sure they hide in the Labyrinth?"
"We have found evidence of them about, yes. A scrap of green cloth
was found by a window. It is similar to the jacket worn by the
princess's companion. When we turned on the lights, a droid found
a small amount of blood. We have followed the trail from there.
Droid Acino reported hearing voices and is currently following that.
He's due to report back anytime now."
"And what of the Sailors?"
"They are of no consequence, without their leader, the Sailor Scouts
will fall apart. They have already launched an attack against us,
but we defeated them easily."
Sapphire nodded thoughtfully. "Be sure you do not underestimate
these people, they have caused us much trouble in the past."
Rubeus was beginning to appear very nervous. The man in the
blue uniform must have been a very high ranking superior.
Nothing the Sailor Scouts had done so far ever made Rubeus
tremble.
"I assure you, sir, there will be no trouble. I have droids all
about, if they are here, we will take care of them."
Sapphire squinted at his red haired General, then turned on his heel
and vanished, but his voice still rang through the air. "Be sure you
do take care of them. Prince Diamond sends you the guarantee that if
you don't, we'll have no choice but to take care of you." The voice
of indifference faded, leaving Rubeus to stammer into thin air.
"Double the guard, send the second wave of droids into the maze,
put patrols out in the city. Find those Scouts, find the princess
and that dratted prince, I don't care how you do it, just find them!"
Rubeus's screams echoed throughout the expansive hall and
smaller rooms. Evil droids scrambled about to obey his frantic
commands. The Scouts became nervous as one or two came very
close to their hiding spot. Jupiter became very jumpy, and the
girls often had to restrain her while the monsters ran about.
When she finally settled down, Mercury glanced about at the
different creatures. Peering closely, she realized that there
seemed to be two different types of droids. About half of them
bore the Negamoon insignia on a jewel somewhere along their bodies.
They seemed to regard the droids without the insignias with great
suspicion. Mercury decided that the ones without were Queen
Beryl's monsters. She shared her thought to Venus, who, after
looking dubiously about, but then noticed for herself, and
quickly agreed. After a few moments, the scrambling died down
and Mercury's contemplation was confirmed.
A maniacal laughter filled the air, not unlike a hyena. Cherry
blossoms appeared, and a blonde woman in a gray uniform swirled
into the light through the blossoms, sniggering at some unknown
joke.
"Well Rubeus, I see your job has great security to it. Too bad
you ran the four sisters off, or you could take it out on them."
Rubeus's look of fright turned to one of irritation. "Get rid of
one hyena, watch another crawl of its abysmal spawn to take the old
one's place. What do you want, Zoicite?"
The general absently reached up and curled a lock about her finger,
her green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Must be hard being the
only lackey that your Prince has left. The stress is really showing."
The carrot topped General of the Negamoon gave the blonde of the
Negaverse a cool stare. "There doesn't seem to be too many of you
left either. You can't count how many of your pathetic nega-
monsters you've lost. Need I remind you how many generals you've
also had disposed? If I remember correctly, I believe it was your
own Queen who was rid of them, including your dear Malachite."
Zoicite glared at Rubeus. "We'll see how long you last, General.
I do believe it was I, after all, who successfully stole the
transformation brooch from Sailor Moon, and it was you, who
allowed her to get away as we distracted the rest of the Scouts."
"Really, then where is this successful creature now?"
"That, Rubeus, is what I'm here to find out. Raker was damaged in
a fight that he wasn't commanded to be in, and in his impaired state,
has gone into the maze." Zoicite snapped her fingers and three
Nega-creatures ambled over, void of the nega-moon emblem. "These
three will be sent with two of yours into the maze to find Raker
and return him so that we may give the brooch to her greatness,
Queen Beryl."
Rubeus scowled. "Is there any reason why I have to waste two of
my droids on your mission?"
Zoicite sniffed, "Diamond and Beryl agree that this should be a
joint effort. You can take it up with them if you don't like it."
"Maybe later. I assume you will be taking them down?"
"Of course."
"Then you best start right away, follow me, and I'll show you what
you need to know..."
The voices gradually faded from earshot, leaving the Scouts to their
own devices.
Mars blinked, "I guess that confirms that Diamond and Beryl are
working together."
"But it doesn't tell us why." Venus replied, carefully peaking over
the ledge to check for incoming monsters or generals.
"At least we know that Serena and Darien are still safe." Said
Mercury, beginning to type rapidly on her computer, "we need to find
them soon, before they penetrate too deeply into the maze. From past
experience, electronic devices fail to operate successfully once we
reach certain depths that have heavy fortifications over them, which
is approximately two hundred feet below the surface in the maze, due
to the gravitation pull and natural wavelengths beneath the earth.
Therefore it is imperative that we--"
"Mercury."
The Sailor Soldier of planet Mercury stopped and looked up to see
Jupiter rubbing her temples, her face screwed into a look of pain.
"Do you mind putting whatever it is you just said into something
more understandable?"
Mercury blinked, "we're going to have to trust our instincts on this,
because the trackers that we all wear won't work in the maze. My
computer may work once in a while, because its not composed to work
off normal power sources; but it will still be highly unreliable."
Sailor Venus nodded in comprehension. "Then that means we'll just
have to stick together. No splitting up unless it's absolutely
necessary."
"And if splitting up is a must," said Luna, speaking up for the
first time, "the groups will be Mars, Jupiter, Artemis, then Mercury,
Venus, and myself. That way, each group shall have a person who
has already been within the maze."
The white guardian nodded, "excellent idea Luna. Now, we need a
plan to get into the maze. Any ideas?"
Jupiter grinned suddenly, "I've got one."
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All rightie then! There's chapter four. As usual, send comments
to phoenix_cubed@hotmail.com.
