The Other Side
by Goz

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. If I did, I would've made them wear more clothes.

Warning: This is a Sailor Moon fanfic concerning various new Sailor Scouts of my own creation. It also contains liberal mixing of the Japanese version with the dub. Caveat emptor.

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Part 13

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It was past one in the morning when Connelly, Ariane and Andrea got back to the orphanage. Andrea couldn't think past sleep. The world could be quiet for just a while.

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The Landscape faded in, wrong. An heavy heat hung over everything, and the air felt fuzzy and oppressive, as though before a storm.

*Sailor Hydra...*

Andrea found herself at the edge of the border once again, in scout uniform - a brown leotard, deep navy blue skirt and gloves, and olive green boots and bow. A voice had called her name - a female voice she didn't recognize. *Show yourself!* she commanded, for some reason trembling with anger. There was a low laugh to her left, and she spun around, raising her fists for no reason she could think of. Standing there was a woman who could have been herself in twenty years, her face deeply lined and scarred by battle.

The woman smiled through the fever-haze surrounding Andrea. *I've watched you for years,* she said. *You were a silly and weak child, but now you've started to grow up. It's time to take your place among the adults. Are you ready?* Andrea found herself straining to pick up the sound of the woman's voice.

*Who are you?* she growled through gritted teeth.

*I am your grandmother. You can trust me. I'll be back to talk to you later.*

*Queen Beryl,* she thought, and Queen Beryl laughed quietly, a condescending expression on her face. Andrea felt something stirring around her, and knew that it was the overpowering anger that was choking her voice. A curtain of air wavered before the smirking Beryl, and she vanished.

She felt something behind her and spun again. Curran and Colwyn stood there, their faces somehow obscured. *Trust her,* they said. Andrea shook her head violently and closed her eyes.

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The dead leaves swirling on the sidewalk complemented Andrea's thoughts perfectly. Why did dead things keep moving? They must have something to push them. Whatever it was that pushed Queen Beryl -

Someone tapped her shoulder, and for a paralyzing moment she was sure it *was* Beryl. But when she turned, she saw it was Usagi - she insisted on being called Chibi-Usa - the girl from the orphanage who had invited Andrea to go for a walk in the park with her after classes.

"Are you alright, Andrea? You looked so sad there for a moment," Usa could be amazingly irresponsible, but she genuinely cared about the well-being of others. Andrea admired that in her.

"I'm okay," Andrea lied. "I was just thinking... thinking about my family."

Chibi-Usa nodded sadly. "Did you ever know your mother? Or your father?"

Andrea threw a glance at Usa, pretending to study the roots of a tree. She wanted to trust her, but now found herself questioning the good faith of everyone around her. Connelly hadn't needed to warn Andrea and Ariane that the Negaverse came in many forms. "I knew my parents, but not for long," Andrea said slowly. That was only a half-lie. She had known her father for a few years, and had been trying to forget that ever since. As for her mother - she'd known the one from her past life her for a few weeks, so that wasn't quite a lie.

Usa smiled understandingly. "I knew my parents for a few years..." she trailed off, looking frightened, as if she had given away some deadly secret.

Andrea pretended she hadn't noticed. She wandered over to a nearby bench and sat down to stare at the sky. Chibi-Usa followed her, but instead of looking at the sky, she watched Andrea, worriedly.

Andrea tried to find the sun in the sky, but it was behind her, so she turned around in her seat and leaned over the back of the bench, staring at it and wondering how long she would have to stare to be blinded. It would go down in an hour or so, and then she might have another dream. She shivered.

Something black appeared in the center of the sun. The black mote grew bigger and bigger until it blocked out the sun entirely. It took Andrea too long to realize that no bird was that big.

"Usa," she choked. "Look."

The other girl turned around, startled by Andrea's tone. "Oh, *shit*," she muttered.

The bird-like creature, still too high up to see clearly, cawed triumphantly, its eyes glinting in the sunlight. Then it had tucked its wings to its sides and was diving directly for the park bench.

Chibi-Usa grabbed Andrea's sleeve, trying to drag the frozen girl away from the bench. "Come *on*!" she shrieked frustratedly, wondering for the thousandth time what was *wrong* with people.

The gryphonic creature was now near enough to make out more details. It had a very light coral crest, rust orange wings, and a black beak and chest. It was definitely bigger than the two girls.

Andrea had just had an awful thought.

The creature spread its wings just as it was about to hit the ground and swooped upward. It landed on a nearby tree branch and eyed the two coldly for a moment, considering. Chibi-Usa glared crazily at it for half a second, hand darting for her pocket - it flapped its wings nonchalantly, and a gale-force wind shoved the two to the ground.

Usa jumped up and glanced about frantically, right hand tensing. Andrea's eyes were squeezed tightly closed - the park *looked* deserted - "No better time," she growled, and snatched a small pink wand with a crescent moon on the tip from her pocket. "Moon Prism Power!"

Andrea looked slowly up in time to see Chibi-Usa hit the ground hard, thrown by a second gust of wind from the startled creature. Usa was dressed in a white leotard with a pink bow, a pink skirt, and red jewels in silver settings over her odd hairstyle.

"Sugar Pink Heart Attack!" Sailor Chibi-Moon yelled at the top of her lungs, brandishing her wand. The flow of fireworks hit the creature hard on its half-spread wings, knocking it hard on its back in a pile of leaves. It made an angry cawing sound and struggled to get up, its talons clawing the air ineffectually. Sailor Chibi-Moon's giggle was cut off as it managed to hop awkwardly to its feet and started waddling towards her, an intent look on its face. She raised her wand threateningly, readying another attack -

The giant bird made a swatting motion with one wing, an unnaturally strong wind knocking the wand out of her hand and into the bushes. Sailor Chibi-Moon dove after it, panicking. She half-turned at the bird's exultant cry, and started to panic at the sight of the creature carrying an unmoving Andrea away in its talons. "Gold Star Glitter Shower!" she yelled, words turning into a wail.

The gold stars barely grazed the creature's crest, but for some reason the creature howled in pain, batting its wings frantically at its head. Andrea's yell was barely audible over the creature's agonized cries as she crashed into a bush and it hit the ground a few meters away. The sticky glitter left over from the attack had gotten into the creature's eyes - "Gold Star Glitter Shower!" Sailor Chibi Moon shouted again, aiming this time for the creature's exposed throat.

Sailor Chibi Moon pumped her hands in the air as the stars split the creature's neck open. The creature shuddered helplessly as its unnaturally dark red blood spilled onto the ground. Sailor Chibi Moon's mind was already on how to dispose of it when it suddenly stopped moving, glowing a dull red. She raised her wand again as the creature slowly collapsed upon itself, features shifting and feathers disappearing.

Then there was a red-haired young woman there, coated from head to toe with glitter, her upper body nearly destroyed. Her dead eyes were wide open.

"Dora..." whispered Andrea's voice behind Sailor Chibi Moon. She turned to say something, but Andrea had fallen to the ground, weeping hysterically and covering her eyes. Usa heard sirens and shouts of, "It was coming this way!", and decided it would have to wait.

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Note: Yes, I made up a new attack for Sailor Chibi Moon, but couldn't even come up with an interesting one. Aren't you glad you're reading this?