Chapter Seventeen

            When Gloria came to, she was lying on battered ruins. Looking up, she could see the earth far away. She looked around. There were blue-white ruins lying around. As the girl treaded over them she saw that they were all that remained of the Moon Castle. She was on the moon.

            "Annika!"

            Only a terrible silence as an answer. She looked around as she walked. She saw what remained of the Prayer Room and a small pointed crystal column. The column of prayer, she'd heard about it from Rini. Whenever danger threatened the senshi, they would pray to that tower. The senshi of the moon would pray to the Crystal Column. The senshi of each planet had a column of prayer, whenever they offered their prayers to it, their planet would send her power and protect them.

            She climbed up atop a collapsed column.

            "Aw, Senshi of Loyalty so good for you to join us."

            Gloria turned her face. Lady Phobia was sitting atop the ruined throne of the late Queen Serenity. Gloria growled and approached, her hands clenched.

            "Where's Annika?"

            "Right here." In a flash of black light her best friend materialized. Gloria was horrified.

            Annika's purple hair was stringy and some of it had been cut of, leaving it uneven. Her eyes were shimmering with fear. Her face had cuts and dried incisions on them. Bruises decorated her left cheek. Her clothing was in shreds. Gloria could see half of her chest. The exposed skin was bruised, cut, bleeding. Her clothing barely covered her hips. Gloria estimated that had she taken all the clothing Annika had on she could not have created a scarf from it.

            Gloria leapt at Lady Phobia, which took the sorceress by surprise. The girl clawed at the woman's chest and something clattered out onto the ground. Gloria recognized Annika's henshin pen. She grasped it tightly and turned to her friend.

            Annika stood stunned.

            "Gloria!"

            Lady Phobia extended her nails, leaving four neat slices across Gloria's chest. Blood seeped through the girl's shirt. Gloria kicked the sorceress and tossed Annika's wand to her. The girl caught it clumsily and Gloria held Lady Phobia back with one hand while she summoned up her subspace pocket with the other. She withdrew Pluto's time key. It was still humming.

            "Crystal Tokyo!"

            It turned a dark golden but before its power could hit her, Gloria tossed it to Annika. The girl caught it.

            "Gloria!"

            That was all the girl got out before Pluto's power took effect and she vanished.

            Gloria kicked the sorceress off. Annika was out of danger. She climbed to her feet.

            Lady Phobia did the same.

            "So, the senshi of loyalty is indeed true to her name." She stated as she wiped some dust and dirt from one of her arms. She pushed her dark black hair back behind her shoulder and drew a katana she had at her side.

            Gloria grabbed her heartbreak chain and squeezed it tightly.

            The two females circled one another, not unlike lionesses waiting to strike.

            The katana sparkled in the reflection of the sun. Gloria's chain shimmered and let off little sparks of golden light.

            "You took my best friend away," Gloria declared, her teeth clenched. "You sent my Aunt Raye into a state of absolute depression. You destroyed my family."

            "It's my purpose. It drew you here."

            "What am I to you?"

            "You prevented me from conquering the Cosmic Scouts."

            Gloria's deep blue eyes narrowed and she snapped her chain once, like a whip.

            Gloria's shoes ground into the moon. She felt a dried section…dried blood from long ago.

            She tied her chain into a lasso like shape and let her hands starts to glimmer as the power built up from within her. Holding the chain firmly, she advanced.

            Lady Phobia mimicked her moves, keeping her sword out in front of her. The blade shone in the light. Gloria stared at her hands and flicked her chain once more.

            Licking her lips, Lady Phobia stood still.

            Gloria did the same.

            The girl's orange hair blew into her eyes. The blue irises were filled with rage. Her voice came out cold and hard,

            "Bring it on."