Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday

Chapter Ten: A Stitch In Time

Four dark, ghostly shapes closed in on the Shogun's palace, as the
Sailor Scouts and their allies came up over a hill overlooking the
stronghold. They watched as the Shadows took their positions at each
corner, and the glowing, roiling form of a Dominator approached from
the north.

From their vantage point, the Sailor Scouts could see the forces
of Emperor Diago overrunning the city. Togonara and the rest of the
Shogun's warriors faced off against them in front of the palace.

"Kei..." Mercury muttered, a look of worry crossing her face for a
moment. Then she shoved it aside, concentrating on her computer.

"It worked!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed. "We got here before the
Shadows created their field! Now we can take them by suprise!"

"Four Shadows... four Scouts! Each of you attack one of them!"
Sailor Moon pointed her sceptre at the Dominator. "Pluto, Tux and I
will handle that creep! Let's go!"

She began to charge down the hillside, but Sailor Mercury put a
hand on her shoulder. "Wait!"

Sailor Moon looked down at her. Mercury found herself a little
taken aback at the serious look on her face. "What is it, Mercury? We
don't have much time!"

"Except for my Ice Storm, I don't have any primarily offensive attacks.
And Mars is..." She glanced back at the black-haired scout, who
frowned at her. "And Sailor Mars can tell us that it's not a good idea to
split up our forces. If you attack straight out, you blow our chance to catch
them by suprise."

Sailor Moon sighed. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Just give me a moment." Sailor Mercury turned back to her
computer. "I'll scan the approach to the palace, and see if there's a
way to get onto the roof without being seen. That's where the Dominator
is headed... if we can meet him there, we'll really catch him by
suprise."

Artemis stared down at the palace. "We're also in the palace right
now... maybe we should try and contact our former selves."

"Hm..." Tuxedo Mask nodded. "We would then outnumber them, two to
one. We could get our former selves to attack the Dominator, while we
attack the Shadows!"

Mercury looked up from her computer. "If we let ourselves know
that we are here, and we therefore don't go back in time to escape from
the Dominator, would we then not BE here?"

She paused a moment to let that paradox sink in. "No. I think it
would be a bad idea to in any way interfere with what our former selves
went through. That means that we should let the Shadows put up their
field... even though we know that it will hurt us."

Her blue eyes widened, and then she returned to the computer. "I
just realized... my former self may be able to detect me, out here. I'd
better jam my computer so that I won't pick myself up..."

Artemis blinked. "Is everyone as confused as I am..."

"If a Dominator falls in the time stream," Tuxedo Mask quipped,
"and nobody is there to see it, does he make a paradox?"

Sailor Mercury grinned, still typing busily. "More like, a stitch
in time will save nine... and a Shogun."

"I don't understand..." Sailor Moon said.

Mercury looked up. Readings flashed across the inside of her visor
as she stared at the palace. The Dominator was standing in the street
near the front entrance, waiting patiently as his minions began to emit
a swirling, smoky blackness. The darkness spread quickly, moving to
encircle the walls of the palace. The palace itself ajoined the walls
of the city at this point, so the Scouts were in position to approach
the huge building from the rear.

"Right now, we are inside the palace, healing Shogun Takauji. The
Shadows are moving into position to summon their field -- and the
Dominator is going to go up onto the roof to attack us. Perhaps he can
sense us, even through the walls. But as far as they know, we are
trapped inside the palace. They do not realize that we are out here, as
well as in there."

The Shogun stared at Mercury for a moment, and then looked down at
the palace below. "Once the field is summoned," Mercury continued, "our
former selves will try to escape through the tunnel. We will be trapped
by the edge of the field, and then go back in time, to emerge from the
tunnel on the other side of the hill, where we did, a few minutes ago.
The time loop will be closed, and we will once again be in one place,
at one time."

"We should have about five minutes before the Shadows summon the
force field. That gives us time to move down there, and get into
position. We should be able to attack the Dominator just about the time
that our former selves are escaping into the tunnel. I don't see any
way onto the roof without being seen, so we will have to take out one
of the Shadows before we can attack the Dominator."

Artemis looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I'd feel better if we
could all attack the Dominator at once. Mercury, do you think you can
summon a fog, so we can sneak onto the roof without being seen?"

Mercury shook her head. "That would give us away. The moment we
attack, the Shadows will realize that they've been tricked. I'll wait
until just after we make our attack to summon a fog. That should
protect us against a counterattack."

She looked at Sailor Venus. "You and Mars can attack the Shadow.
That leaves Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Pluto
to attack the Dominator. I hope its enough..."

"So do I." Artemis frowned. "You should join in the attack, as
well..."

"I'm worried, too, Artemis. It took Jupiter, Moon, and myself to
destroy the Dominator we fought, and it was already wounded. I don't
even know if we CAN kill the Dominator in one attack, even with ALL of
us attacking at once. That's why my 'attack' has to be a defense."

Shogun Takauji drew his sword. "I will go with you. If I strike at
this... Dominator... as well..."

"No, Shogun!" Mercury held both hands up. "You CAN'T! These demons
are far too powerful!"

"I will not hide! I will face my enemies! Otherwise, I am not fit
to be Shogun!"

Mercury shook her head. "You don't understand! This isn't some
soldier you can face man to man! This is a demon, a monster! It has
powers, powers that can kill you in a single blow... as it almost did
before!"

"And I dealt IT a deadly blow, as well..." He pointed out.

"Shogun, you must listen." Luna walked up to him, and he looked
down at the cat, expectantly. He had seen the cats talking, and was
apparently over his shock. "These demons... their goal is to kill you.
By putting yourself in harm's way, you are giving them exactly what
they want!"

"If it is my destiny to die here, then so be it."

"It is NOT your destiny! That is the whole POINT!"

The Shogun turned to look at Sailor Mars, who stared back at him,
the challenge plain in her dark eyes. "I can't explain everything,
Shogun. It would take too long. But believe me when I tell you that it
is NOT your destiny to fall in battle to demons. If the Dominators get
what they want... if they kill you... everything that you stand for,
everything that you would have done, to make the world a better
place... all of that will be undone."

"I am a priestess, Shogun. I am a Shinto priestess. It is my...
destiny... to battle demons. That is why we are ALL here, now, with
you. If you have any respect for me at all... let me do what I came
here to do."

The Shogun slowly lowered his sword, still staring at the red
skirted Scout. She stood tall, proudly, her fuku battered and blood
stained, but she refused to show any sign of pain. He smiled a little
as he nodded to her. "Very well."

Sailor Mars turned to see Mercury looking at her. She scowled at
the little genius, and the look of worry that was so obvious, even
through her visor. There was a moment in which the two girls stared at
each other, but then Mercury looked away.

"The Dominator's moving again," Sailor Mercury said, looking down
at the palace. "He's probably about to climb onto the roof. We only
have a few minutes, now." The field of darkness around the palace was
almost complete, a shell of black covering the entire building.

Mercury took one more glance at Sailor Mars, but she was already
on her way down the hillside. "Let's go," Sailor Moon said, grabbing
Tuxedo Mask by the arm. He pointed at a small clump of bushes near the
corner of the palace, where the nearest Shadow lurked.

"That should be a good place to set up our ambush," he said.
Mercury nodded. "It is. Stay low, and try not to attract attention.
They aren't expecting us to be back here, but let's not let them know
we're here."

"Right," Tuxedo Mask agreed, and he, Moon, Jupiter and Pluto set
off for the chosen spot. Mercury, however, grabbed Sailor Venus by the
arm as she passed, pulling her aside.

"Raye is hurt a lot worse that she's letting on," she whispered,
only loud enough for Sailor Venus to hear. "Please be careful..."

Shogun Takauji watched from the hillside as the Sailor Scouts
moved into position. He could see the shadowy demons completing their
dome of darkness, and the creature the Scouts had called a 'Dominator'
moving across the roof. It wouldn't be long, now.

"They are... extraordinary..." He muttered.

Luna smiled a little as she looked up at him, then turned to watch
the palace as well. She glanced back over her shoulder, then looked
back the other way, spinning around as she scoured the hilltop around
her.

"Artemis! ARTEMIS!"

There was no answer. The Shogun frowned. "You are ALL very
brave..." He commented.

Luna tried to fight down the rising sense of panic, not quite
succeeding. "Oh, Artemis... be careful..."

In a clump of bushes, near the southeast corner of the palace,
Tuxedo Mask crouched, Sailor Moon by his side. The other Sailor Scouts
were hidden nearby, watching the progress of the Mystic Shadow, as it
summoned the dark energy that now surrounded the palace. The energy
seemed to rise, like smoke, off the black, shadowy form of the Shadow
itself, tendrils of darkness that flowed into the solid black dome.

Tux glanced at Sailor Moon, then gestured with his arm at Venus and
Mars. They nodded, then charged forward, into the clearing around the
palace.

"VENUS! LOVE-CHAIN! ENCIRCLE!" "MARS! CELESTIAL! FIRE!
SURROUND!" The double attack flowed together, the rings of fire
joining with Venus' chain of golden light, as it lashed out at the
Shadow. The energy wrapped around the Shadow's opaque blackness,
trapping it, as the other Sailor Scouts leaped out of their hiding
places, and sailed up onto the roof.

The Dominator turned to face them, apparently alerted by the
attack on its servant, but it was already too late. A handful of roses
struck it first, followed by a glittering field of electric energy, and
then the blinding energy of Pluto's Dead Scream. As it recoiled in
shock, roaring, Sailor Moon charged at it, closing to point blank range
even as she swung her scepter.

"MOON... SCEPTER... ELIMINATION!" The Dominator exploded, in a
blinding flash of light so intense that Sailor Moon had to throw an arm
up over her eyes. There was suddenly a sickening lurch from under her
feet. As the stone began to crack and drop out from underneath her,
Serena remembered, too late, that the roof had collapsed while they
were escaping into the tunnel behind the Shogun's throne.

Sailor Moon tensed as she felt slender arms around her waist, and
then she was pulled backwards, flying up and back as her rescuer leaped
out of danger. As they landed, she glanced back to see Sailor Mercury
smiling at her apologetically. "Sorry, Serena. I should have warned
you..."

There was a roar from down below, and a loud scream. The two girls
whirled, just in time to see Sailor Mars struck down by the Shadow. She
hit the wall, hard, and then collapsed to the ground.

"RAYE!" Sailor Moon screamed. Her cry was almost drowned out
by Sailor Mercury, who spun into her attack dance, her voice slightly
choked, but still load and commanding.

"MERCURY! BUBBLES! BLAST!" She leaped off of the roof. The fog
rolled down after her, as if following, as she landed in front of
Sailor Mars. Ignoring the Shadow, she knelt at Mars' side, ripping
strips from her skirt as she bandaged the worst of her friend's wounds.

"All my fault..." She was muttering, as Sailor Moon dropped to her
side. "This is all my fault. I was too SLOW! First Kei, and now you.
I should have told you to stay behind..."

Sailor Moon said nothing, as she brandished her scepter. The fog
was closing in around them, and the Shadow was distracted, but she
didn't trust it not to try and finish the job. As she watched the
monster recoil back, she realized that it was Artemis, leaping onto
the creature's head, and back again, keeping it busy, and away from
Sailor Mars.

"VENUS! METEOR! SHOWER!" As the Shadow lunged at Artemis, it
blundered right into Venus's attack. It exploded into a roiling cloud
of darkness, which dissipated in the bombardment of blazing light. As
the fog cut off her view of them, Sailor Moon heard Venus call out to
her cat, and Artemis's assurance that he was all right.

She looked back down at Raye. Sailor Mars looked bad, a puddle of
blood spreading away from her head, a huge, gaping wound exposed on her
side, where the fabric of her costume had been ripped away. Mercury was
binding her ribs, but Moon could see bone, under the strips of blood-
stained cloth. She put a hand to her mouth, horrified.

Mercury worked quietly, ignoring the tears that blurred her
vision. She needed the visor up, right now, and couldn't take the time
to bring it down, and wipe her eyes. Unlike Sailor Moon, she could see
exactly how bad the damage was... and how long Sailor Mars had to live.
At the moment, she envied Sailor Moon.

Up on the hillside, one other person saw Raye fall. Shogun Takauji
unbuckled his scabbard, and using it as a cane, began to limp down the
hillside. He didn't get far, however, before Luna leaped in front of
him.

"You can't go down there!" Luna yelled. "You'll destroy everything
they're fighting for... everything RAYE'S fighting for!"

"I HAVE to, Luna! I care about Raye more than ANYTHING! I have to
SAVE her!"

"I care about her too, Shogun! Don't you think that I want to run
down there, like Artemis did, and claw that demon's eyes out? Of COURSE
I do! But I don't, because I need you to stay HERE, out of danger, and
I HAVE to keep you safe!"

"But..."

Luna planted her four feet firmly apart, as she lowered her head,
fixing the Shogun with a stare. "Don't make me stop you. I don't want
to fight you. But if I must... Sailor Moon told me to guard you, and
keep you from harm, and I will, at the cost of my LIFE if necessary."

Takauji stared at the cat, but made no move to put up his weapon.
He glanced down at the palace, and the thick fog that was shielding
Raye from his view. "The Scouts are dealing with the Shadows," Luna
said. "And they will take care of Raye. If she does... if she DOES
die... she will have died defending her world. That is her duty. And it
is mine as well."

The Shogun sighed, leaning on his sword. "I will wait. But if
those demons look like they're winning..."

Luna nodded. "Then we will BOTH go down there. And we will go
down fighting."

Deep within the fog back, the sound of battle and flashes of
light told Sailor Moon that the Shadows were being drawn away. She
could hear the jibes and taunts of Artemis, as he lured the demons
further and further from their corner of the palace. "What's the
matter, guys," he was saying. "Missing a leader? Whup. You missed!
Come on, can't you shoot any better than that!"

Behind her, she heard Sailor Mars stir. Her voice was
frighteningly weak, and she had to strain to make herself heard.
"That... idiot... cat... Don't let him... die... for me."

Sailor Moon whirled around, and dropped next to her. "RAYE! Hang
on!" She grabbed her locket. "We'll save you, Raye!"

"It's... too late for that..." Raye coughed, and blood came up.
Serena put both hands to her mouth, biting back a scream. "You've got
to save... history... don't... waste time... on me..."

"RAYE, NO!" Sailor Moon grabbed her by the shoulders. She could
feel the tears running down her face, but she didn't care about that.
"You can't give up now! YOU CAN'T!"

Sailor Mercury looked up at her, her own eyes wet with tears. But
then she suddenly looked back over her shoulder. "SAILOR MOON! BEHIND
YOU!"

"MOON! SCEPTER! ELIMINATION!" Sailor Moon reacted even before
Mercury cried out, leaping to her feet and whirling on the Shadow with
her scepter already in motion. Mercury ducked, covering Raye's body, a
little shocked at how fast their leader was moving.

"If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me FIRST!"
Serena hissed, as the energy slammed into the Shadow. It roared as it
faded out of existance, but its anger was nothing compared to the fury
in Serena's blue eyes.

"M... Meatball head..." Raye muttered. "Don't... risk your life...
for me."

Sailor Moon turned back around and dropped to her knees by her
side. She looked up at Mercury. "You've done all you can for her," she
said, in a businesslike tone of voice. "The others need you. I'll take
care of Raye." She pulled out her locket again.

Mercury stared at her, stunned, for a few moments. Then, without a
word, she grabbed Sailor Moon in a fierce hug, then leaped to her feet,
and disappeared into the fog.

Sailor Moon looked down, to find Sailor Mars looking at her in
that same, startled way. She opened the locket, and Mars gasped, as the
light began to play over her broken body. "Now then..." Sailor Moon
said. Her expression was stern, but her face was still wet with tears.

"Now we FIGHT..."