THE SORCERESS OF NY
based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
Chapter 4: "A Test of Courage"
By Bill K.
Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury, along with
Luna, walked down the sunlit path, headed for the shrine where the
Sorceress of Ny resided.
It was becoming an arduous trek for Sailor Moon, but she didn't
complain. She was afraid that Jupiter, bereft of her kind heart
thanks to the spell on her, might smack her if she did.
"Boy, it's been daylight an awful long time," muttered Sailor
Moon. "Don't they have night in this place?"
"A good question," Luna replied. "It's hard to say in this odd
dimension. Since the two patrons of light and shadow seem to be at
odds, perhaps there are parts that reside in eternal night and parts
that reside in eternal day."
"Well that's no fun! When would you sleep? And how would the
people in the shadowy parts know when to get up?"
"Who cares?" grunted Jupiter. Sailor Moon scowled.
"Why were we going to the Sorceress again?" asked Mercury.
"To find a way to get your ability to think back," smiled
Sailor Moon. "And to get back Jupiter's heart for her."
"Oh," Mercury said quietly, her brow furrowed as she tried to
process this information. "That seems right. But why are you
going?"
"To find out where Mars and Venus are," Sailor Moon said, her
voice small and her worried glance locked on the ground. "To find
out if they're all right, and if they're not, to help them. And then
I want to find a way so we can all go back home." She sniffed
forlornly. "Because I miss it. I miss Mom and Dad, and even Shingo!
I miss Artemis and Naru, and Haruka and Michiru and Setsuna! I miss
the mall and the park and all of Tokyo - - even school!" She wiped a
tear from her eyes. "But I miss Mamo-chan the most of all."
"Who's Mamo-chan?" Mercury asked innocently.
"My fiancee," Sailor Moon said, blushing slightly.
"Oh." Sailor Mercury examined her hands. "I'm going to miss
you when you go."
"No, you're not," grinned Sailor Moon. "You're coming with me!
You're from Tokyo, too!"
"I am?"
"Oh, we've got to get your mind back!" groaned Sailor Moon. "I
hate being smarter than you! It's not right!"
"Why are you so hot to get back to Tokyo?" grumbled Jupiter.
"Why is it so much better there than here?"
"Because it's where all my friends are," Sailor Moon replied.
"It's where everything I love is."
"You're too sentimental," Jupiter replied coldly. "You get
hurt that way."
"That's not what the old Jupiter would have said."
"Well maybe the old Jupiter was a chump."
"NO SHE WASN'T!" snapped Sailor Moon. Jupiter stopped and
turned, angrily glaring at Sailor Moon.
"Don't use that tone with me, girl," Jupiter warned.
"Go ahead! Hit me!" Sailor Moon barked belligerently. "You
can't shut me up that way! You may not want to hear it, but you were
good and kind once! You loved life and you loved people! You lived
to fall in love and you lived for your friends, and they loved you
because of that!"
"You're searching for something that isn't here anymore,"
Jupiter replied gruffly.
"Only because Nocturn stole it or hid it or did something with
it! But you're still Mako-chan and you're still my friend and deep
down somewhere inside you there's still some memory of what we all
meant to each other!"
"I remember," Jupiter said stonily.
"You do?"
"It's good for a laugh when I'm feeling down."
Jupiter turned and callously walked up the sunlit path. Sailor
Moon bowed her head and clamped her eyes shut, trying to trap the
tears that were stinging her eyes. She felt soft hands on her
shoulders and looked up. It was Mercury.
"It'll be all right, Sailor Moon," Mercury offered
sympathetically. "We just have to get to the Sorceress. She'll find
a way to help your friend."
"She's your friend, too," Sailor Moon squeaked. "But you don't
even remember."
"Sorry," Mercury offered lamely.
"If I had my Moon Tier, I could make it right." She sighed in
frustration. "Oh, maybe I should just give her this pendant and end
all of this."
"No, Sailor Moon, that's the last thing you should do," Luna
said softly. "Because it's precisely what Nocturn wants. I know it
looks grim now, but we can beat her. But we won't do it dallying
about here."
"Your beast makes a lot of sense," smiled Mercury.
"Luna!" the cat corrected her impatiently.
"Oh, right," Mercury grimaced, biting her lip.
The quartet continued on a little ways. Jupiter had a large
head start on them, but a quickened pace allowed the others to close
the gap to within several yards. Luna closed the gap even further,
drawing even with her.
"Do you recall anything about your previous encounter with
Princess Nocturn?" Luna asked.
"Yeah." Luna waited expectantly for more, in vain.
"Well would you please share it with us," Luna growled.
Jupiter shrugged. "I woke up in that field. These small
bat-like creatures were flying around the field. They attacked me.
I was able to hold them off with my electrical power, but while I was
distracted with them, she zapped me with some spell - - put me out
for a little bit. At least I think it was her. She hit me from
behind. It must have been when she stole my golden heart. When I
woke up, I was surrounded by those brambles and couldn't move without
hurting myself. But don't worry, I'll settle up with her." She
glanced down impatiently at Luna. "Satisfied?"
"Quite," Luna replied acidly.
Just then the air was pierced by a blood-curdling scream of
utter terror. Startled, both Luna and Jupiter turned to the sound
and saw it was coming from a shadow-draped cave off to the side of
the sunlit path. Suddenly Sailor Moon tore past them, sprinting at
full speed for the cave.
"Sailor Moon!" Luna called after her.
"THAT WAS VENUS!" she cried over her shoulder as she headed for
the cave.
"It has to be a trap!" Luna shouted, but the warning didn't
slow Sailor Moon down. Desperately she turned back and saw Mercury
behind her. "Oh, come on! She's probably going to need our help!"
Luna and Mercury raced after Sailor Moon. Jupiter stood on the
path, staring contemptuously after them. By now Sailor Moon had
disappeared into the mouth of the cave. Jupiter was about to walk
on when a shadow passed across the cave and caught her eye.
"Keep your eyes open for Nocturn," Luna warned Mercury.
"Who?" Mercury asked blankly.
Luna sighed in mounting vexation. "The darkly dressed woman
with pale skin!" she snapped.
Blindly Sailor Moon careened down the cave, led by the
terrified screams of Sailor Venus. As she ran, all sorts of dire
fates ran through her mind, lending speed to her feet. Turning left,
she entered a small grotto inside the bowels of the cave. She
stopped with a start.
Pressed against the wall of the grotto was Sailor Venus. She
was sitting on her hip, pushing with her legs like she was trying to
push through solid stone in order to escape what terrified her. She
wore a wild expression, her eyes wide and her mouth pulled back.
Venus, who normally had the courage to face a charging rhino with a
confident smirk, was a quivering, gurgling mass of hysteria. She
looked as if she'd come face to face with the mouth of Hell itself.
But Sailor Moon looked all around - - nothing was there.
"Venus," gasped Sailor Moon, distressed by her friend's abject
terror. "Mina-chan!"
"Sailor Moon!" cried Venus. She dissolved into hysterical
tears. "Please help me! Please! Don't let it get me! Please,
don't let it get me!"
"What? What is it?" pleaded Sailor Moon. She ran over to
Venus and knelt down beside her. Venus lunged at her, clamping her
arms around her friend's torso in a death grip fueled by fear.
Sailor Moon, with some difficulty, pulled her arms up and brought
them around Venus. "What's threatening you?"
"T-T-That!" Venus nodded with her head, her eyes clamped shut
for fear she might glimpse it again. Sailor Moon could feel Venus
quaking in her arms. She scanned the area again.
"I don't see anything!" she cried.
"It's there, it's there!" Venus wailed.
"Where?"
"THERE!" Venus cried, tears streaming down her face. She
jabbed out with a quivering finger to Sailor Moon's right. Sailor
Moon followed the direction.
Skittering along the stone and dirt floor was a beetle. And
suddenly Sailor Moon knew.
"Oh, Mina-chan," she sobbed, tears of her own flowing down her
scrunched up face. "She took your courage, didn't she?" Sailor
Venus huddled against the comforting warmth of Sailor Moon, her
paranoid glance darting to and fro, anticipating attack from all
sides.
"AAAAAAAAHH!" screamed Venus suddenly. She lunged backwards
and, since she still had Sailor Moon around the torso, her friend was
pitched forward. As she fell, Sailor Moon twisted her head back to
see what had scared Venus now. To her surprise and horror, it was
Princess Nocturn. The mistress of shadow had crept up on them from
behind, seeking the silver pendant. Only Venus and her hysterical
fear had saved them.
"You!" snapped Sailor Moon angrily.
"Don't let her hurt me!" wailed Venus.
"Don't be afraid, Venus," Sailor Moon growled maternally. "I
won't let her hurt you!"
"Give me the pendant!" hissed Nocturn.
"No! Go away!" spat Sailor Moon. Nocturn's eyes turned to
Venus.
"You!" she pointed and Venus shrank away. "Take that silver
pendant and give it to me or else I'll make you suffer!"
"No, no, leave me alone, please!" sobbed Venus.
"Don't listen to her!" Sailor Moon cried.
"Do it or else!" bellowed Nocturn. Suddenly Sailor Moon felt
a hand on her breast, closing around the pendant.
By then, Luna and Mercury had reached the grotto. Luna turned
quickly to Mercury.
"Use your attack, quickly!" prodded Luna.
"I," Mercury hesitated, stricken and afraid, "I don't remember
how!"
Just then, Mercury was shoved aside by Jupiter. She stood
angrily ten yards from Nocturn, glaring at the woman with unconcealed
malice.
"You!" Jupiter roared. "Give me back my heart!" Nocturn
turned, her hand coming up to point at Jupiter. "Jupiter! Oak
Evolution!"
Instantly powerful electrical bursts began exploding around
Nocturn. She staggered backwards as Sailor Moon covered Venus with
her own body.
"Mercury!" snapped Luna. "Say 'Mercury Aqua Rhapsody'!"
But before Mercury could comply, Princess Nocturn gestured to
the ceiling and was enveloped in pitch-black shadow. When the shadow
dissipated, she was gone.
"Damn!" cursed Jupiter. "She got away!"
The others ignored her, cautiously approaching Sailor Moon and
Sailor Venus. Venus was huddled up in a fetal ball, clinging to
Sailor Moon and crying hysterically. Sailor Moon hugged Venus to
her, stroking the girl's long blonde hair and whispering soothing
words through her own tears.
"Come on!" urged Jupiter. "We need to go! We need to get to
this Sorceress before that Princess Nocturn can get too far!"
"She'll keep," Luna replied curtly, her attention focused on
Venus and Sailor Moon. "So long as Sailor Moon is with us, Nocturn
shant be far away."
"How do you know?" Jupiter demanded impatiently. "She could be
anywhere now, doing anything! We have to go!"
"Oh, do be quiet!" snapped Luna, glaring at Jupiter. "I
realize you're no longer able to care about other people, but at
least have the common decency to be still long enough for Sailor Moon
to get poor Venus calmed!"
"She'll just slow us down! I say we leave her!"
"And I'm not the least bit interested in your advice!" Luna
said, turning dismissively from Jupiter. Jupiter glared, but before
she could say or do anything else, Mercury stepped into her field of
vision.
"If you ask me, none of us can go up against Princess Nocturn
by ourselves and win," Mercury said quietly. "Together, maybe we
have a chance. And if this new one chooses to go with us, that makes
us that much stronger and gives us that much more of a chance to beat
Nocturn." Mercury smiled timidly. "Even I'm smart enough to realize
that."
Jupiter turned away. Mercury heard her mutter "fools", but she
noticed the girl stayed.
Continued in Chapter 5
based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
Chapter 4: "A Test of Courage"
By Bill K.
Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury, along with
Luna, walked down the sunlit path, headed for the shrine where the
Sorceress of Ny resided.
It was becoming an arduous trek for Sailor Moon, but she didn't
complain. She was afraid that Jupiter, bereft of her kind heart
thanks to the spell on her, might smack her if she did.
"Boy, it's been daylight an awful long time," muttered Sailor
Moon. "Don't they have night in this place?"
"A good question," Luna replied. "It's hard to say in this odd
dimension. Since the two patrons of light and shadow seem to be at
odds, perhaps there are parts that reside in eternal night and parts
that reside in eternal day."
"Well that's no fun! When would you sleep? And how would the
people in the shadowy parts know when to get up?"
"Who cares?" grunted Jupiter. Sailor Moon scowled.
"Why were we going to the Sorceress again?" asked Mercury.
"To find a way to get your ability to think back," smiled
Sailor Moon. "And to get back Jupiter's heart for her."
"Oh," Mercury said quietly, her brow furrowed as she tried to
process this information. "That seems right. But why are you
going?"
"To find out where Mars and Venus are," Sailor Moon said, her
voice small and her worried glance locked on the ground. "To find
out if they're all right, and if they're not, to help them. And then
I want to find a way so we can all go back home." She sniffed
forlornly. "Because I miss it. I miss Mom and Dad, and even Shingo!
I miss Artemis and Naru, and Haruka and Michiru and Setsuna! I miss
the mall and the park and all of Tokyo - - even school!" She wiped a
tear from her eyes. "But I miss Mamo-chan the most of all."
"Who's Mamo-chan?" Mercury asked innocently.
"My fiancee," Sailor Moon said, blushing slightly.
"Oh." Sailor Mercury examined her hands. "I'm going to miss
you when you go."
"No, you're not," grinned Sailor Moon. "You're coming with me!
You're from Tokyo, too!"
"I am?"
"Oh, we've got to get your mind back!" groaned Sailor Moon. "I
hate being smarter than you! It's not right!"
"Why are you so hot to get back to Tokyo?" grumbled Jupiter.
"Why is it so much better there than here?"
"Because it's where all my friends are," Sailor Moon replied.
"It's where everything I love is."
"You're too sentimental," Jupiter replied coldly. "You get
hurt that way."
"That's not what the old Jupiter would have said."
"Well maybe the old Jupiter was a chump."
"NO SHE WASN'T!" snapped Sailor Moon. Jupiter stopped and
turned, angrily glaring at Sailor Moon.
"Don't use that tone with me, girl," Jupiter warned.
"Go ahead! Hit me!" Sailor Moon barked belligerently. "You
can't shut me up that way! You may not want to hear it, but you were
good and kind once! You loved life and you loved people! You lived
to fall in love and you lived for your friends, and they loved you
because of that!"
"You're searching for something that isn't here anymore,"
Jupiter replied gruffly.
"Only because Nocturn stole it or hid it or did something with
it! But you're still Mako-chan and you're still my friend and deep
down somewhere inside you there's still some memory of what we all
meant to each other!"
"I remember," Jupiter said stonily.
"You do?"
"It's good for a laugh when I'm feeling down."
Jupiter turned and callously walked up the sunlit path. Sailor
Moon bowed her head and clamped her eyes shut, trying to trap the
tears that were stinging her eyes. She felt soft hands on her
shoulders and looked up. It was Mercury.
"It'll be all right, Sailor Moon," Mercury offered
sympathetically. "We just have to get to the Sorceress. She'll find
a way to help your friend."
"She's your friend, too," Sailor Moon squeaked. "But you don't
even remember."
"Sorry," Mercury offered lamely.
"If I had my Moon Tier, I could make it right." She sighed in
frustration. "Oh, maybe I should just give her this pendant and end
all of this."
"No, Sailor Moon, that's the last thing you should do," Luna
said softly. "Because it's precisely what Nocturn wants. I know it
looks grim now, but we can beat her. But we won't do it dallying
about here."
"Your beast makes a lot of sense," smiled Mercury.
"Luna!" the cat corrected her impatiently.
"Oh, right," Mercury grimaced, biting her lip.
The quartet continued on a little ways. Jupiter had a large
head start on them, but a quickened pace allowed the others to close
the gap to within several yards. Luna closed the gap even further,
drawing even with her.
"Do you recall anything about your previous encounter with
Princess Nocturn?" Luna asked.
"Yeah." Luna waited expectantly for more, in vain.
"Well would you please share it with us," Luna growled.
Jupiter shrugged. "I woke up in that field. These small
bat-like creatures were flying around the field. They attacked me.
I was able to hold them off with my electrical power, but while I was
distracted with them, she zapped me with some spell - - put me out
for a little bit. At least I think it was her. She hit me from
behind. It must have been when she stole my golden heart. When I
woke up, I was surrounded by those brambles and couldn't move without
hurting myself. But don't worry, I'll settle up with her." She
glanced down impatiently at Luna. "Satisfied?"
"Quite," Luna replied acidly.
Just then the air was pierced by a blood-curdling scream of
utter terror. Startled, both Luna and Jupiter turned to the sound
and saw it was coming from a shadow-draped cave off to the side of
the sunlit path. Suddenly Sailor Moon tore past them, sprinting at
full speed for the cave.
"Sailor Moon!" Luna called after her.
"THAT WAS VENUS!" she cried over her shoulder as she headed for
the cave.
"It has to be a trap!" Luna shouted, but the warning didn't
slow Sailor Moon down. Desperately she turned back and saw Mercury
behind her. "Oh, come on! She's probably going to need our help!"
Luna and Mercury raced after Sailor Moon. Jupiter stood on the
path, staring contemptuously after them. By now Sailor Moon had
disappeared into the mouth of the cave. Jupiter was about to walk
on when a shadow passed across the cave and caught her eye.
"Keep your eyes open for Nocturn," Luna warned Mercury.
"Who?" Mercury asked blankly.
Luna sighed in mounting vexation. "The darkly dressed woman
with pale skin!" she snapped.
Blindly Sailor Moon careened down the cave, led by the
terrified screams of Sailor Venus. As she ran, all sorts of dire
fates ran through her mind, lending speed to her feet. Turning left,
she entered a small grotto inside the bowels of the cave. She
stopped with a start.
Pressed against the wall of the grotto was Sailor Venus. She
was sitting on her hip, pushing with her legs like she was trying to
push through solid stone in order to escape what terrified her. She
wore a wild expression, her eyes wide and her mouth pulled back.
Venus, who normally had the courage to face a charging rhino with a
confident smirk, was a quivering, gurgling mass of hysteria. She
looked as if she'd come face to face with the mouth of Hell itself.
But Sailor Moon looked all around - - nothing was there.
"Venus," gasped Sailor Moon, distressed by her friend's abject
terror. "Mina-chan!"
"Sailor Moon!" cried Venus. She dissolved into hysterical
tears. "Please help me! Please! Don't let it get me! Please,
don't let it get me!"
"What? What is it?" pleaded Sailor Moon. She ran over to
Venus and knelt down beside her. Venus lunged at her, clamping her
arms around her friend's torso in a death grip fueled by fear.
Sailor Moon, with some difficulty, pulled her arms up and brought
them around Venus. "What's threatening you?"
"T-T-That!" Venus nodded with her head, her eyes clamped shut
for fear she might glimpse it again. Sailor Moon could feel Venus
quaking in her arms. She scanned the area again.
"I don't see anything!" she cried.
"It's there, it's there!" Venus wailed.
"Where?"
"THERE!" Venus cried, tears streaming down her face. She
jabbed out with a quivering finger to Sailor Moon's right. Sailor
Moon followed the direction.
Skittering along the stone and dirt floor was a beetle. And
suddenly Sailor Moon knew.
"Oh, Mina-chan," she sobbed, tears of her own flowing down her
scrunched up face. "She took your courage, didn't she?" Sailor
Venus huddled against the comforting warmth of Sailor Moon, her
paranoid glance darting to and fro, anticipating attack from all
sides.
"AAAAAAAAHH!" screamed Venus suddenly. She lunged backwards
and, since she still had Sailor Moon around the torso, her friend was
pitched forward. As she fell, Sailor Moon twisted her head back to
see what had scared Venus now. To her surprise and horror, it was
Princess Nocturn. The mistress of shadow had crept up on them from
behind, seeking the silver pendant. Only Venus and her hysterical
fear had saved them.
"You!" snapped Sailor Moon angrily.
"Don't let her hurt me!" wailed Venus.
"Don't be afraid, Venus," Sailor Moon growled maternally. "I
won't let her hurt you!"
"Give me the pendant!" hissed Nocturn.
"No! Go away!" spat Sailor Moon. Nocturn's eyes turned to
Venus.
"You!" she pointed and Venus shrank away. "Take that silver
pendant and give it to me or else I'll make you suffer!"
"No, no, leave me alone, please!" sobbed Venus.
"Don't listen to her!" Sailor Moon cried.
"Do it or else!" bellowed Nocturn. Suddenly Sailor Moon felt
a hand on her breast, closing around the pendant.
By then, Luna and Mercury had reached the grotto. Luna turned
quickly to Mercury.
"Use your attack, quickly!" prodded Luna.
"I," Mercury hesitated, stricken and afraid, "I don't remember
how!"
Just then, Mercury was shoved aside by Jupiter. She stood
angrily ten yards from Nocturn, glaring at the woman with unconcealed
malice.
"You!" Jupiter roared. "Give me back my heart!" Nocturn
turned, her hand coming up to point at Jupiter. "Jupiter! Oak
Evolution!"
Instantly powerful electrical bursts began exploding around
Nocturn. She staggered backwards as Sailor Moon covered Venus with
her own body.
"Mercury!" snapped Luna. "Say 'Mercury Aqua Rhapsody'!"
But before Mercury could comply, Princess Nocturn gestured to
the ceiling and was enveloped in pitch-black shadow. When the shadow
dissipated, she was gone.
"Damn!" cursed Jupiter. "She got away!"
The others ignored her, cautiously approaching Sailor Moon and
Sailor Venus. Venus was huddled up in a fetal ball, clinging to
Sailor Moon and crying hysterically. Sailor Moon hugged Venus to
her, stroking the girl's long blonde hair and whispering soothing
words through her own tears.
"Come on!" urged Jupiter. "We need to go! We need to get to
this Sorceress before that Princess Nocturn can get too far!"
"She'll keep," Luna replied curtly, her attention focused on
Venus and Sailor Moon. "So long as Sailor Moon is with us, Nocturn
shant be far away."
"How do you know?" Jupiter demanded impatiently. "She could be
anywhere now, doing anything! We have to go!"
"Oh, do be quiet!" snapped Luna, glaring at Jupiter. "I
realize you're no longer able to care about other people, but at
least have the common decency to be still long enough for Sailor Moon
to get poor Venus calmed!"
"She'll just slow us down! I say we leave her!"
"And I'm not the least bit interested in your advice!" Luna
said, turning dismissively from Jupiter. Jupiter glared, but before
she could say or do anything else, Mercury stepped into her field of
vision.
"If you ask me, none of us can go up against Princess Nocturn
by ourselves and win," Mercury said quietly. "Together, maybe we
have a chance. And if this new one chooses to go with us, that makes
us that much stronger and gives us that much more of a chance to beat
Nocturn." Mercury smiled timidly. "Even I'm smart enough to realize
that."
Jupiter turned away. Mercury heard her mutter "fools", but she
noticed the girl stayed.
Continued in Chapter 5