Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday

Chapter Eight: The Darkness Descends


"Amy! AMY!!!" Lita ran towards the wall, hoping against hope that
she could reach her friend in time. She couldn't see the enemy, but she
could sense the danger, and it was coming closer by the minute.

On the wall of the city, Togonara still held Amy tightly, both of
them lost in the passion of their kiss. As the warlord released the
slender Scout, he looked down to find Amy's eyes closed, her head back
as she relaxed in his embrace.

"I've wanted to do that for so long..." he muttered. "I've got to
get you out of here," he said, as if making a decision. "The city be
dammned, I cannot let you be hurt. I'll get you and your friends out of
here, while I still can..."

"My friends..." Amy muttered, her eyes still closed, lost in a
daze of confused emotions. In the background, she could hear another
voice, Lita's voice, calling out her name. And there was an odd sound
filling the air, a strange moaning hum.

Amy opened her eyes, looking over at Lita, who was running
frantically towards them. "Amy! You're in danger! The Dominators are
coming!"

At her words, the full force of Amy's danger sense finally broke
through the fog. She doubled over, stunned by the intensity of the
psychic warning. "Are you all right?" Togonara asked her, but she waved
him off. Struggling to focus, she looked back towards the plain beyond
the city, on the other side of the wall.

At that moment, there was a rush of air, and a sound like an
explosion, as a form materialized in midair. The Dominator dropped onto
the parapet, its eyes glowing with an eerie purple light, as it charged
towards Amy and Togonara.

"Amy! Look out!" The warlord shoved Amy behind him as he drew his
sword. As the Dominator raced towards him, he swung, slashing the
creature across one of its eyes. It roared in pain, its charge faltering
as it fell backwards, but then it turned back to face Togonara with a
cry of rage.

A beam of purple energy lanced from the Dominator's good eye,
sweeping over Togonara. The warlord let out a cry of agony as the beam
sliced through his body, blasting his armor to pieces, and throwing him
off of the wall. He hit the hard stone of the street below, with a
sickening crunch.

"KEI!!!!" Amy screamed. "NOOOO!!!!!"

Amy leaped down off of the wall as the Dominator followed. She
could not see the looming shape behind her, through her tears, as she
dropped to Togonara's side, and took his body in her arms. It closed in
for the kill.

"JUPITER! THUNDERCLAP! ZAP!!!!" The Dominator reared upwards as
Jupiter's lightning ripped through it. It staggered back, turning to
face the source of the attack. Lita stepped between the monster and
her friend, gathering her power for another shot.

"Come on, Amy, I need your help," Jupiter said, glancing back at
her friend. "I know how you feel, but you have to be strong. I can't
defeat this thing alone." But Amy just knelt on the ground, weeping,
either unhearing, or uncaring.

* * * * *

Hamasa Wu charged, and Tux leaped, straight upwards, pushing
Sailor Moon aside. "Give me a few seconds to pin him down," Tux said,
"Then hit him with your Moon Healing."

As the samurai pulled back for another strike, Tuxedo Mask brought
up his cane, blocking the blow. He then slashed back at his opponent,
but Hamasa dodged backwards. Cursing to himself, Tux sidestepped another
slash from the samurai's sword, then kicked him, hard, in the groin.

"Not exactly sporting," Tux told himself. "But better than killing
him."

The man doubled over in pain, falling to the ground, and the wierd
glow faded from his eyes. "He's down, Serena!" Tux called out. "Heal him
now!" Before he could move, however, Hamasa looked back up at him, and
the glow returned.

Twin beams of purple lanced out of the man's eyes. Tux leaped
upward again, tossing roses at him as he sailed over Hamasa's head.
"Serena, NOW! HEAL this idiot! Any TIME, Meatball Head!!!!!"

"MOON... HEALING... ACTIVATION!!!!!" The shimmering glow of the
Silver Crystal washed over Hamasa, and he cried out, as if in pain. A
black, shadowy form was torn from his body. It tried to solidify, but
was ripped asunder by Sailor Moon's power. The purple glow of its eyes
remained, however, just long enough for it to boom out one last taunt.

"YOU HAVE NOT WON, SAILOR MOON! IT WAS NOT WISE TO LEAVE ONLY ONE
GUARDIAN IN THE PALACE. MY SERVANT HAS ALREADY DEFEATED HER. THE SHOGUN
WILL FALL. YOUR FUTURE... IS DOOMED!!!"

* * * * *

Inside the palace, Sailor Mars leaped over the Mystic Shadow's
roiling form, as it threw out a tendril of blackness at her. "I call
upon the power of MARS! FIREBALLS! CHARGE!!!!!"

She planted the three ofudas firmly between the Shadow's red eyes,
but if they had any effect, it showed no sign. It reached out and
grabbed her with a tendril.

Mars cried out in agony as its darkness once again ripped through
her. She was again flung up against the wall, and this time lay still.
A pool of crimson spread slowly away from her head.

Luna and Artemis ran up to her. "Raye! RAYE!!!" There was no
answer. Luna looked up at Artemis, concern in her huge cat eyes. "Oh,
Artemis... if SHE can't stop that thing, what can WE do... ?"

* * * * *

"Sailor Venus!" Tuxedo Mask ran up to her, Sailor Moon right behind
him. "The Shogun is in danger!" He said.

"Artemis!" The blonde Scout looked frightened. She knew that her
guardian was still in the palace.

"I think Mars is still there, too. She may need our help."

Venus nodded, the fear replaced with a calm determination. "Let's
go."

"Wait..." Sailor Moon put out a hand to stop them. There was an
odd look on her face. "I think Mercury's in trouble, too."

"What???"

"You know how... sometimes... I can feel when my friends are
hurting?" Tears were beginning to form in Serena's eyes.

"I think so." Tux nodded.

"I think... I think Togonara's dead."

There was a moment's silence, then Tux nodded again. "Let's split
up. Venus and I will save the Shogun. You see to Mercury."

"Okay." The three of them headed off in two different directions.

* * * * *

*SAILOR SCOUTS!!!!! THE SHOGUN IS IN DANGER! COME TO THE PALACE
RIGHT AWAY!!!!!*

Luna looked at Artemis. "That should get them here, but I don't
know how much time we have..."

"Then we'll just have to keep it busy."

The two cats leaped at the Shadow, hissing and spitting, attacking
with nothing but claws and fury. "You'll pay for what you did to
Raye!" Luna yowled, as she slashed mercilessly at the creature's
glowing eyes.

The Shadow roared in pain, then slammed Luna against the wall. The
cat fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Artemis jumped down,
running to her side, as the Shadow continued on towards the throne room.

"Luna..." Artemis rolled her over. Where her body had hit the
wall, her black fur was shiny, matted with blood. "Oh, Luna..."

She stirred, slightly. "The Shogun..." Luna said. "You have to...
stop it..." She then passed out.

The little white cat looked up in the direction the Shadow had
gone, his yellow eyes narrowed. His body seemed to be shaking with
barely contained rage. He leaped off down the passage, headed for the
Shogun's throne room.

* * * * *

Artemis charged down the passage. "If only Sailor Pluto were still
alive..." he thought, idly. "What chance do I have against this thing?"

Ahead, he could hear the sound of fighting. The palace guards
had finally caught up with the Shadow. There were screams of pain and
the sound of crunching bodies. As Artemis ran into the room, he saw
only the Shadow still standing. The floor around it was littered with
the bodies of its victims.

"That's IT!" The cat shouted. "You will hurt no one else!" Only
one chance, he thought. Concentrate my Mind Meld, try and break into
the Shadow's mind. Send it all the rage and hatred and pain it's caused
me. Maybe I can immobilize it.

He didn't think about the fact that the shock could kill him. He'd
never dared to use the Mind Meld like that before, no Lunar cat ever had.

"Take THIS, monster!" The golden beam of his Mind Meld lanced out,
striking the creature right between the eyes, but the Shadow shrugged
it off. It was almost as if there was no mind there to meld with. The
Shadow shot a tendril of black at him, and Artemis leaped upward,
dodging the blow with mere seconds to spare.

"DEVIL!!!" The Shadow and Artemis both turned, to see the Shogun
standing in the doorway, in full samurai armor, his sword at the ready.
"I am Shogun Takauji, sworn to defend the city of Kyoto, and I will
defend it to the death."

He pointed his sword at the monster. "But if it IS my death you
wish, then I will not cower behind my men. Come to me now, demon. I
will END your miserable existance!"

A low, bass rumble filled the room, as the Shadow laughed. "FOOL!
I WILL END *YOUR* EXISTANCE... AND WITH IT, ALL OF *HISTORY*!!!"

"Pluto..." Artemis found himself thinking again. "I sure wish you
were here..."

* * * * *

Back in the corridors of the palace, Sailor Mars stirred. She
forced herself up onto her hands and knees, despite the pain, and
then collapsed as her strength gave out. Her face hit the stone
floor with a loud crack.

Biting back a cry of agony, the black-haired scout pushed herself
back onto her knees again. Slowly, ever so slowly, she struggled to her
feet, grunting between her teeth as her body complained. Leaning
against the wall for support, she staggered down the passageway towards
the throne room.

* * * * *

"Come on, you creep! Come on, HIT me! Can't you do any better than
that?" Jupiter leaped aside as the Dominator blasted her again, but
then it turned back on Amy and the fallen Togonara.

"AMY! SNAP OUT OF IT, DAMMIT! I NEED *HELP* HERE!" Jupiter had
realized a few moments ago that Amy was shielding the warlord's body
with her own, but she was still making no move to fight back. Was her
grief so deep that she wanted to die, too? The Dominator was moving
back in on the two of them, so it looked like she just might get her
wish...

"MOON... SCEPTER... ELIMINATION!!!!" The Dominator suddenly leaped
backwards, as a beam of shimmering pink light shot at it from behind.
The blast missed, but Sailor Moon had at least driven the creature back.
"How dare you attack a couple that are so much in love!" She shouted,
pointing her sceptre at the Dominator. "I'll punish you!"

She leaped out of the way as the Dominator fired its eye-beam at
her, shattering the ground under her feet. "WAAAAAAAA!" She wailed, as
she landed face-first in the street. Somehow she managed to roll back to
her feet and dodge, as the Dominator attacked again.

In Amy's arms, Togonara stirred. Amy looked down at him, and to her
astonishment, he opened his eyes. "Amy..." he muttered painfully.
"Behind you..."

"KEI!!!!" Amy wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. The
warlord gave a short cry of pain, as the Scout's slender body was
rubbing rather uncomfortably against the worst of his burns. "Amy..."
He said tightly. "The demon..."

* * * * *

Tuxedo Mask charged into the throne room. Sailor Venus, right
behind him, held Sailor Mars up with an arm under her shoulder. The
sight that greeted them there was enough to make to strongest warrior
despair.

Shogun Takauji cried out in pain as the tendrils of black tore
into him, spreading out across his body, shattering his armor where it
touched him. He was falling to the floor against the onslaught, but
looked up at the entry of Sailor Mars and the others. At the first
sight of Raye's bloodied, broken form, still struggling to stand up
even with Venus's help, his jaw set at a firm line.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!" With a cry of fury, he threw himself
forward, slashing across the creature's midsection. It had solidified
to attack him, and his blow opened a gaping wound in whatever the
creature was made of. With a roar, the Shadow picked the Shogun up
into the air. There was a loud crack as the man's back was broken,
and then the Shadow threw him to the floor.

"NO!!!!!" It was Raye who screamed the loudest, but the sound
seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"YES!" The Shadow gloated as it began to fade away. "YOUR HISTORY
IS NO MORE! WE HAVE WON!!!"

*SAILOR PLUTO! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!* Artemis didn't even realize
he was making a telepathic call until he'd done it. It was almost...
instinctive. He felt himself passing out. He'd given it everything he
had.

But as the blackness began to close in around him, the cat got
his answer. *I HEAR YOUR CALL, ARTEMIS!* A flash of light lit up the
room, as a bright globe of energy appeared before him. It faded, and
Sailor Pluto stood there, her staff at the ready.

"QUICK!" Tuxedo Mask yelled. "While it's distracted! BLAST IT!"

"VENUS! CRESCENT BEAM! SMASH!" "MARS! FIRE! IGNITE!"

Already mortally wounded by the Shogun's strike, the Shadow
cried out in agony as the dual attack blasted it out of existance.

"THIS CHANGES NOTHING! YOUR HISTORY IS STILL DOOMED!!!"

"Not if I can help it! DARK DOME CLOSE!" Sailor Pluto raised her
staff, and an eerie hush settled over the room. "I have frozen time
here, so the Shogun will be able to survive a few moments longer.
But we can do nothing without Sailor Moon."

"She's helping Mercury and the others." Tux told them. "I'm sure
she'll be along soon..."

"Maybe I can help hold him here," Artemis said. He walked over to
the Shogun and stood on his chest. The golden beam again winked on,
linking the cat's mind to the Shogun's. The white cat began to sway
a little, sweat forming on his face, but he kept it up.

"Artemis..." Venus muttered, but Tux put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't distract him," he said.

*Sailor Moon, hurry.* Artemis managed to send. His power was far
beyond exhausted, now. *I can't hold on much longer...*