To the Rescue! Part I
Written by LightningBSoul
Spyrill made a mad dash for the Juuban First-Class Hotel's doors. She stopped at the front desk, panting, and ever so politely asked the man behind it to give her the room number of the Three Lights.
"I can't just give out their room number to every fan who happens by," said the man rudely, as if speaking to an immature girl. "For security reasons, of course. Please leave the building if you have no other business here."
"No sir, I'm not a fan, I'm a friend! I have some very important business with them."
"And what might that be?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Then neither is their room number."
Spyrill glared at this stuck-up man. On sudden impulse her hand flew up--she struck the man in the head with a lightning quick swing of her arm, and because she knew exactly how and where to hit him he was instantly knocked out cold. Without hesitating, she hopped over the countertop and rummaged through the computer files to find what she desired. She worked well with computers, which was to her advantage, because after that first move she had to act fast or someone would surely catch her. "What's their last name? Kou...Kou...Kou...," she repeated to herself, until she claimed success in finding their room number. She planted it into her memory and jumped back over the desk just in time to avoid being seen by an employee entering from the back.
Through the halls and up the stairs she ran, seen by no one. Furiously she pounded on the door to the hotel room. "Seiya! Taiki! Yaten! Somebody open up!"
"We said stop bothering us!" shouted Yaten from inside. "We don't want to talk to any reporters, or interviewers, or fans, or anyone!"
"But you have to listen to me!..." Spyrill tried to think of something that would convince them that she wasn't any of those people. "I want to help you find the Sailor Senshi!"
It worked--Seiya opened the door just a crack, and saw a short girl with color-streaked hair in wind-swept tangles, a face reddened with physical exertion (she was, in fact, still panting), and eyes marked with worry and anxiety. "Who are you," he began cautiously, "and how do you know the Sailor Senshi?"
"My name is Spyrill. I'm a friend of Usagi, Minako, and the others."
Seiya still eyed her skeptically. "How do we know you're not the enemy, trying to trick us?"
"Just trust me...please," she pleaded teary-eyed, and Seiya saw sincerity in her eyes that he could not deny. He opened the door and motioned her to enter. She smiled gratefully, and Seiya closed the door gently behind her. She glanced at Taiki, sitting on the bed, and then at Yaten, standing across from him.
"Hey, you're the girl that came with those five boys," observed Yaten. "Aren't you?"
"Hai," Spyrill replied softly.
"Spyrill?" came a small, muffled voice. A female voice. Spyrill recognized it! It was...it was...
"Luna?!" Spyrill looked about, and then spotted the black cat come out from under the bed, followed by Artemis and Diana. She realized they'd been hiding, because of course pets weren't allowed into hotels.
"Spyrill! Am I happy to see you!" Luna ran towards Spyrill, who knelt so that she could pick her up.
"You have to help us, please!" spoke Diana, who was in tears--if cats could cry.
"Diana! You poor thing! How is ChibiUsa?" To herself she thought, ~I can't believe I forgot about Chibi-Usa! And Mamoru!!~ "How are she and Mamoru doing?" ~They can help us too! We need all the help we can get!~
But Diana continued to cry, and Spyrill's simple question was left unanswered. So she asked again. "Well?!"
"Spyrill..." It was Seiya who spoke to her, calmly. "All five of the Solar Senshi have died, right? Which means they do not exist in the future. The Queen, Usagi, cannot have a child if she does not exist. That means Chibi-Usa will never be born."
Spyrill gasped. She hadn't yet realized the effect that all this would have on Chibi-Usa. Something similar to this had happened to the girl just before the Three Lights' first appearance--now again? "You mean she's disappearing?!" asked Spyrill, worried.
"She already has."
Terrible silence filled the room.
"But...but...last time...she disappeared so slowly, and the girls were able to save her!" argued Spyrill, now beginning to cry also.
"Last time was different," said Luna. "Both Usagi and Mamoru still existed in the future. Their relationship was at stake, not their lives, so there was still the possibility of Chibi-Usa being born. This time, unless the Shin Senshi are able to revive Usagi, there is no chance of Chibi-Usa's existence." She paused, as if thinking. She then shifted the subject a bit. "Mamoru is very sad. He's lost the two most important people in his life. He's not himself at all; it's as if a shadow has been cast over his heart. His spirit is too weak to fight, so I haven't asked him to help us, although I've told him of the slight possibility of Usagi, and then Chibi- Usa, coming back. I even..." Luna sniffled, "I even saw him crying! It hurts me so much to see him in such grief!" Luna became the third one in the room to cry.
The guys felt uneasy in a room full of crying girls, human or feline. "Don't do that! Crying's not gonna solve anything!" said Yaten.
"Spyrill," spoke Taiki for the first time, "exactly what did you come to us for? Do you know of a way we can help the Shin Senshi?"
Spyrill dried her eyes, stood, and slightly shifted her mood. "Actually, I don't know why I came to see you guys exactly, but that's a good idea, Taiki-san. The Shin Senshi were transported to...another dimension, I suppose, and the Outer Senshi followed them. That was yesterday." Here, she managed a little smile. "With Artemis and Luna's help, I'm sure we can locate them using Central Command, and send them some reinforcements!" she suggested, ignoring Haruka's words to not follow them.
"Are you sure they'll need the Sailor Starlights' help?" asked Artemis.
"I'm pretty sure they'll need all the help they can get. I saw that first battle, and if it hadn't been for the Outer Senshi, the Shin Senshi would've been toast in seconds. But the Outers can't save 'em forever. Are you guys up to it?" The Three Lights voiced their opinions and agreed to follow Spyrill's plan. "Alright! Then let's turn this sob-fest upside down and head to the arcade for some real action!"
As Roa's giant beam of light came upon them, the Shin Senshi felt a tremendous gust of wind that sent them flying back; yet strangely, there was no pain. This attack of Roa's was apparently not meant to be an attack at all...what had just happened?
Shin Sailor Moon sat up and looked around, and to her surprise, the entire Sailor Senshi team was gone. The only ones sharing this space with her were Sailor Z and Roa and Rohki.
"I've changed my strategy a bit," announced Roa. "Instead of fighting you as a group, it will be much easier to destroy you one by one."
"One by one? What are you talking about?" asked Shin Moon in sad confusion. "What have you done with my friends?!"
"I have transported them to other parts of this black hole, along with the sprites of the different dream dimensions. But what matters is not them; it is here and now! Sailor Z, attack her!" The masked Senshi obeyed Roa's command, and with a magic chant and a whip of the chain around her waist, the battle between she and Shin Sailor Moon began.
Shin Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune sat up and rubbed their eyes. They looked about them and saw nothing but endless black. Perplexed, they wondered aloud what had happened and called to their Senshi friends, but there were no answers in return. The Senshi pair searched for clues, any type of clue--until finally, their clue found THEM, and they wished they hadn't been so desperate of one.
A female figure appeared before them, with shiny blue skin, large solid-black eyes, a wild hairdo, and a tight-fitting dress with too much cleavage. She giggled uncontrollably, and in a high, shrill voice she spoke, "Irasshai, Sailor Senshi! You have entered the dimension of Sad Dreams! I'm the one responsible for the painful, unexpected, unspeakable dreams that make you cry in your sleep, that wake you up at midnight in tears, and that haunt you until daylight appears! Become one with me, or fight me, whatever is your will!"
"Well, what should we do?" Neptune asked Shin Mercury rather calmly.
"Let's blow this obnoxious creep to oblivion and see what happens next," replied Shin Mercury. So she cried, "Shabon Buster!!" and from the mini buster rifle attached to her arm flew thousands of poison bubbles.
The Sad Dreams sprite fell backward with an ear-piercing shriek. "Fine then, if that's the way you want it!" She raised her arms and shouted, "Crystal Icicle Stab!!", sending millions of knife-sharp icicles toward the Sailor Senshi. Shin Mercury jumped in front of Neptune and shielded both using her Gundanium shield. "Looks like this battle might take a little longer than expected," she muttered.
Meanwhile, two other Sailor Senshi had awakened to a similar instance. As Shin Sailor Mars and Sailor Pluto wandered the space, a figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere to block their path. "Not so fast, girls," said the figure in a masculine voice. "Nobody leaves the dimension of Lonely Dreams without my consent." As the figure became clearer, the Sailors could see that he wore heavy, deep blue and green clothing with a large, flowing cloak. His hair was short, with a moss green color. "Do you know who I am? I am the master of Lonely Dreams. Those are the dreams in which everyone leaves you and you feel helpless, lost, confused; when you wish you could wake up but just can't seem to. Become one with me or fight me, whichever is your will!"
"Well, it looks like we'll have to defeat him if we plan on going anywhere," said Pluto.
"Finally a man, a worthy enemy! If only I had my normal body to fight him instead of this weakly woman body!" complained Shin Mars.
"Tell me, Wufei, if women are so weak, then why are all the True Sailor Senshi women instead of men?" she shot back at the Shin Senshi.
As that battle began, so did another, involving Shin Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Uranus. "Welcome to the dimension of Hero Dreams!!" said a female voice not nearly as shrill as the Sad Dream sprite's, but twice as jovial. This sprite had brilliantly yellow blond hair in massive curls nearly reaching her heals, with a decorated tiara on the top of her head. She was adorned with many more golden, yellow, and orange accessories, and she wore a yellow and orange tube dress. She continued her introduction, "You may think you're the hero but you're not! Hero Dreams are the dreams where something awful is happening, and it's up to you to save the day! But just as you are about to banish the evil away, you wake up, leaving the dream unfinished, and having no sense of accomplishment!! So, become one with me and taste sweet victory, or fight me and prepare to lose, whichever you choose!"
"This one's just a little too happy for my taste," muttered Uranus to Shin Jupiter.
"You're telling me." Shin Jupiter then announced to the Hero Dream sprite, "We'll fight you, but we can guarantee we won't be the ones to lose." This comment angered the sprite, and she lashed out at them with a power greater than what they had been expecting.
"So, the sprite of Nightmares, huh?" repeated Shin Venus.
"That's right," said the figure standing before her and Sailor Saturn. His head was down, and he did not look at them as he spoke. "Need I describe what a Nightmare is?" His skin was stark white, greatly contrasting the blackness of his extremely long, flowing hair. His black clothes were torn in so many places that it appeared he wore nothing but strips of cloth over his thin body, and at his limbs the strips dangled.
"Nah, that's ok, I think we've got a pretty good idea," retorted Shin Venus with a smart-alec smile. Then the sprite's blood-red eyes suddenly flicked up to glare at the Sailor Senshi. "Then become one with me, or forever feel my wrath, whichever you wish."
"If becoming one with you means becoming just as ugly as you, I think I'll pass."
All of a sudden, the sprite's eyes widened with anger, and huge bat- like wings burst out from behind it. "How dare you insult the master of Nightmares!! I'll kill you!!" he cried. He made sharp gestures with his arms and shouted, "Screaming Hell!!" Ghostly bat-like creatures shot forward at the Senshi, accompanied by the most ear-piercing shrieks and cries.
Immediately, Sailor Saturn cried, "Silent Wall!" and blocked the attack. Shin Sailor Venus gathered up her energy and shouted, "Venus Kiss of Death!!" But it seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the sprite. So Saturn took her chance to attack.
"Silence Glaive Surprise!" This attack did a little more damage to the sprite, but none significant enough.
Frustrated, Shin Venus took her scythe and ran up to the beast with a battle cry. She slashed at his body, and to her appeasement he began to bleed with every cut. But with a swift movement of his arm, the sprite flung her to the side, managing to dig his claws into her bare shoulder and neck. She landed on the ground with a thud, rolled over a few times, and finally ended up on her back. She panted heavily with the pain, and now she bled more than the sprite. Her scythe had slid into the dark abyss surrounding them, but that didn't matter because Shin Venus didn't have the strength to pick herself up. "It's all up to you, Sailor Saturn," she whispered. She watched the battle until she was too faint to keep her eyes open.
When Sailor Saturn saw the beast sprite throw Shin Sailor Venus aside as if she were nothing but a scrap of paper, she became enraged. Fortunately, Saturn was the most powerful Sailor Senshi; unfortunately, she would have to restrain from releasing such power, or it would destroy everyone in the black hole, including the other Sailor Senshi. As she fought, she wondered, ~Why would he want us to be one with him?~ She had never heard an enemy make such a strange offer to her. ~Perhaps we have something in common? Is it because...because all three of us represent death, in some way!~ But it dawned on her a moment too late, for the creature lashed out at her with his huge claws. "Silent Wall!!" she cried. She couldn't let go of the attack, or the beast would break through and possibly kill her. "Wake up...wake up please!" Saturn silently pleaded to Duo as she held the sprite back with her shield attack. "I can't hold him off for long...without you, I can't win...."
Sailor Z and Shin Sailor Moon were putting on quite a show for Roa, although she would casually glance into her crystal ball once in a while to view the progress of her sprites. Suddenly Roa let out a loud, joyful laugh, yet at the same time it sounded quite demonic.
"My Dream Sprites have done it!" she cried. "All the Sailor Senshi are DEAD!!" Both Senshi abruptly halted their attacks to look at Roa.
"They are not dead! You're lying just to throw me off guard!!" cried Shin Sailor Moon.
"Am I? Why don't you take a look for yourself," said Roa, giving her crystal ball a slight push in Shin Moon's direction. It floated right into Shin Moon's hands. In the crystal ball flashed scenes of the different battle dimensions. Harsh, burning tears came to her eyes for every beaten, still-lying friend she was shown. The sprites were no longer there; after all, hadn't they done their job?
Shin Moon let her tears fall unabashed, and she angrily threw the crystal ball back at Roa, who caught it gently in her hands. Shin Moon fell to her knees and began to sob. ~We have failed,~ she thought to herself. ~We have lost the chance of reviving the Sailor Senshi. And I have lost my closest friends.~
"So, I guess you've got one more left, Sailor Z," hinted Roa.
"Shin Sailor Moon," said Sailor Z, "your emotions make you a weak fighter and an easy target." She shouted her attack; Shin Moon did not make any effort to save herself. She just covered her head in agony and waited.
The attack flew by in blinding light, and as it passed, darkness took over.
Yet somehow, she was still conscious.
She lifted her head, and realized that the darkness was a result of three figures blocking her light, standing in between her and the enemy. She stared amazed at these figures. Was it just a dream, or a real miracle?
"Could it be...Sailor Starlights...?!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Roku: Phew!! That was a doozy.
Spyrill: A doozy??
Mina: Don't talk like that, Roku. It's scary.
Roku: Alright already! to readers Well, I hope you are enjoying my story, and God bless you if you've actually read up to this point. I never intended it to take this storyline so seriously, but now that I'm this far I won't stop till it's all done, even if no one reads it and it's just for the sake of feeling accomplishment!!! Bwahahahahaaaa!!!! *determined stance*.
Quatre: *puppydog eyes* So when does the next chapter come out???
Roku: *topples over*
Duo: At least give her the chance to enjoy the fact that she's finished this one before you start pounding her with questions for the next one!
Written by LightningBSoul
Spyrill made a mad dash for the Juuban First-Class Hotel's doors. She stopped at the front desk, panting, and ever so politely asked the man behind it to give her the room number of the Three Lights.
"I can't just give out their room number to every fan who happens by," said the man rudely, as if speaking to an immature girl. "For security reasons, of course. Please leave the building if you have no other business here."
"No sir, I'm not a fan, I'm a friend! I have some very important business with them."
"And what might that be?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Then neither is their room number."
Spyrill glared at this stuck-up man. On sudden impulse her hand flew up--she struck the man in the head with a lightning quick swing of her arm, and because she knew exactly how and where to hit him he was instantly knocked out cold. Without hesitating, she hopped over the countertop and rummaged through the computer files to find what she desired. She worked well with computers, which was to her advantage, because after that first move she had to act fast or someone would surely catch her. "What's their last name? Kou...Kou...Kou...," she repeated to herself, until she claimed success in finding their room number. She planted it into her memory and jumped back over the desk just in time to avoid being seen by an employee entering from the back.
Through the halls and up the stairs she ran, seen by no one. Furiously she pounded on the door to the hotel room. "Seiya! Taiki! Yaten! Somebody open up!"
"We said stop bothering us!" shouted Yaten from inside. "We don't want to talk to any reporters, or interviewers, or fans, or anyone!"
"But you have to listen to me!..." Spyrill tried to think of something that would convince them that she wasn't any of those people. "I want to help you find the Sailor Senshi!"
It worked--Seiya opened the door just a crack, and saw a short girl with color-streaked hair in wind-swept tangles, a face reddened with physical exertion (she was, in fact, still panting), and eyes marked with worry and anxiety. "Who are you," he began cautiously, "and how do you know the Sailor Senshi?"
"My name is Spyrill. I'm a friend of Usagi, Minako, and the others."
Seiya still eyed her skeptically. "How do we know you're not the enemy, trying to trick us?"
"Just trust me...please," she pleaded teary-eyed, and Seiya saw sincerity in her eyes that he could not deny. He opened the door and motioned her to enter. She smiled gratefully, and Seiya closed the door gently behind her. She glanced at Taiki, sitting on the bed, and then at Yaten, standing across from him.
"Hey, you're the girl that came with those five boys," observed Yaten. "Aren't you?"
"Hai," Spyrill replied softly.
"Spyrill?" came a small, muffled voice. A female voice. Spyrill recognized it! It was...it was...
"Luna?!" Spyrill looked about, and then spotted the black cat come out from under the bed, followed by Artemis and Diana. She realized they'd been hiding, because of course pets weren't allowed into hotels.
"Spyrill! Am I happy to see you!" Luna ran towards Spyrill, who knelt so that she could pick her up.
"You have to help us, please!" spoke Diana, who was in tears--if cats could cry.
"Diana! You poor thing! How is ChibiUsa?" To herself she thought, ~I can't believe I forgot about Chibi-Usa! And Mamoru!!~ "How are she and Mamoru doing?" ~They can help us too! We need all the help we can get!~
But Diana continued to cry, and Spyrill's simple question was left unanswered. So she asked again. "Well?!"
"Spyrill..." It was Seiya who spoke to her, calmly. "All five of the Solar Senshi have died, right? Which means they do not exist in the future. The Queen, Usagi, cannot have a child if she does not exist. That means Chibi-Usa will never be born."
Spyrill gasped. She hadn't yet realized the effect that all this would have on Chibi-Usa. Something similar to this had happened to the girl just before the Three Lights' first appearance--now again? "You mean she's disappearing?!" asked Spyrill, worried.
"She already has."
Terrible silence filled the room.
"But...but...last time...she disappeared so slowly, and the girls were able to save her!" argued Spyrill, now beginning to cry also.
"Last time was different," said Luna. "Both Usagi and Mamoru still existed in the future. Their relationship was at stake, not their lives, so there was still the possibility of Chibi-Usa being born. This time, unless the Shin Senshi are able to revive Usagi, there is no chance of Chibi-Usa's existence." She paused, as if thinking. She then shifted the subject a bit. "Mamoru is very sad. He's lost the two most important people in his life. He's not himself at all; it's as if a shadow has been cast over his heart. His spirit is too weak to fight, so I haven't asked him to help us, although I've told him of the slight possibility of Usagi, and then Chibi- Usa, coming back. I even..." Luna sniffled, "I even saw him crying! It hurts me so much to see him in such grief!" Luna became the third one in the room to cry.
The guys felt uneasy in a room full of crying girls, human or feline. "Don't do that! Crying's not gonna solve anything!" said Yaten.
"Spyrill," spoke Taiki for the first time, "exactly what did you come to us for? Do you know of a way we can help the Shin Senshi?"
Spyrill dried her eyes, stood, and slightly shifted her mood. "Actually, I don't know why I came to see you guys exactly, but that's a good idea, Taiki-san. The Shin Senshi were transported to...another dimension, I suppose, and the Outer Senshi followed them. That was yesterday." Here, she managed a little smile. "With Artemis and Luna's help, I'm sure we can locate them using Central Command, and send them some reinforcements!" she suggested, ignoring Haruka's words to not follow them.
"Are you sure they'll need the Sailor Starlights' help?" asked Artemis.
"I'm pretty sure they'll need all the help they can get. I saw that first battle, and if it hadn't been for the Outer Senshi, the Shin Senshi would've been toast in seconds. But the Outers can't save 'em forever. Are you guys up to it?" The Three Lights voiced their opinions and agreed to follow Spyrill's plan. "Alright! Then let's turn this sob-fest upside down and head to the arcade for some real action!"
As Roa's giant beam of light came upon them, the Shin Senshi felt a tremendous gust of wind that sent them flying back; yet strangely, there was no pain. This attack of Roa's was apparently not meant to be an attack at all...what had just happened?
Shin Sailor Moon sat up and looked around, and to her surprise, the entire Sailor Senshi team was gone. The only ones sharing this space with her were Sailor Z and Roa and Rohki.
"I've changed my strategy a bit," announced Roa. "Instead of fighting you as a group, it will be much easier to destroy you one by one."
"One by one? What are you talking about?" asked Shin Moon in sad confusion. "What have you done with my friends?!"
"I have transported them to other parts of this black hole, along with the sprites of the different dream dimensions. But what matters is not them; it is here and now! Sailor Z, attack her!" The masked Senshi obeyed Roa's command, and with a magic chant and a whip of the chain around her waist, the battle between she and Shin Sailor Moon began.
Shin Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune sat up and rubbed their eyes. They looked about them and saw nothing but endless black. Perplexed, they wondered aloud what had happened and called to their Senshi friends, but there were no answers in return. The Senshi pair searched for clues, any type of clue--until finally, their clue found THEM, and they wished they hadn't been so desperate of one.
A female figure appeared before them, with shiny blue skin, large solid-black eyes, a wild hairdo, and a tight-fitting dress with too much cleavage. She giggled uncontrollably, and in a high, shrill voice she spoke, "Irasshai, Sailor Senshi! You have entered the dimension of Sad Dreams! I'm the one responsible for the painful, unexpected, unspeakable dreams that make you cry in your sleep, that wake you up at midnight in tears, and that haunt you until daylight appears! Become one with me, or fight me, whatever is your will!"
"Well, what should we do?" Neptune asked Shin Mercury rather calmly.
"Let's blow this obnoxious creep to oblivion and see what happens next," replied Shin Mercury. So she cried, "Shabon Buster!!" and from the mini buster rifle attached to her arm flew thousands of poison bubbles.
The Sad Dreams sprite fell backward with an ear-piercing shriek. "Fine then, if that's the way you want it!" She raised her arms and shouted, "Crystal Icicle Stab!!", sending millions of knife-sharp icicles toward the Sailor Senshi. Shin Mercury jumped in front of Neptune and shielded both using her Gundanium shield. "Looks like this battle might take a little longer than expected," she muttered.
Meanwhile, two other Sailor Senshi had awakened to a similar instance. As Shin Sailor Mars and Sailor Pluto wandered the space, a figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere to block their path. "Not so fast, girls," said the figure in a masculine voice. "Nobody leaves the dimension of Lonely Dreams without my consent." As the figure became clearer, the Sailors could see that he wore heavy, deep blue and green clothing with a large, flowing cloak. His hair was short, with a moss green color. "Do you know who I am? I am the master of Lonely Dreams. Those are the dreams in which everyone leaves you and you feel helpless, lost, confused; when you wish you could wake up but just can't seem to. Become one with me or fight me, whichever is your will!"
"Well, it looks like we'll have to defeat him if we plan on going anywhere," said Pluto.
"Finally a man, a worthy enemy! If only I had my normal body to fight him instead of this weakly woman body!" complained Shin Mars.
"Tell me, Wufei, if women are so weak, then why are all the True Sailor Senshi women instead of men?" she shot back at the Shin Senshi.
As that battle began, so did another, involving Shin Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Uranus. "Welcome to the dimension of Hero Dreams!!" said a female voice not nearly as shrill as the Sad Dream sprite's, but twice as jovial. This sprite had brilliantly yellow blond hair in massive curls nearly reaching her heals, with a decorated tiara on the top of her head. She was adorned with many more golden, yellow, and orange accessories, and she wore a yellow and orange tube dress. She continued her introduction, "You may think you're the hero but you're not! Hero Dreams are the dreams where something awful is happening, and it's up to you to save the day! But just as you are about to banish the evil away, you wake up, leaving the dream unfinished, and having no sense of accomplishment!! So, become one with me and taste sweet victory, or fight me and prepare to lose, whichever you choose!"
"This one's just a little too happy for my taste," muttered Uranus to Shin Jupiter.
"You're telling me." Shin Jupiter then announced to the Hero Dream sprite, "We'll fight you, but we can guarantee we won't be the ones to lose." This comment angered the sprite, and she lashed out at them with a power greater than what they had been expecting.
"So, the sprite of Nightmares, huh?" repeated Shin Venus.
"That's right," said the figure standing before her and Sailor Saturn. His head was down, and he did not look at them as he spoke. "Need I describe what a Nightmare is?" His skin was stark white, greatly contrasting the blackness of his extremely long, flowing hair. His black clothes were torn in so many places that it appeared he wore nothing but strips of cloth over his thin body, and at his limbs the strips dangled.
"Nah, that's ok, I think we've got a pretty good idea," retorted Shin Venus with a smart-alec smile. Then the sprite's blood-red eyes suddenly flicked up to glare at the Sailor Senshi. "Then become one with me, or forever feel my wrath, whichever you wish."
"If becoming one with you means becoming just as ugly as you, I think I'll pass."
All of a sudden, the sprite's eyes widened with anger, and huge bat- like wings burst out from behind it. "How dare you insult the master of Nightmares!! I'll kill you!!" he cried. He made sharp gestures with his arms and shouted, "Screaming Hell!!" Ghostly bat-like creatures shot forward at the Senshi, accompanied by the most ear-piercing shrieks and cries.
Immediately, Sailor Saturn cried, "Silent Wall!" and blocked the attack. Shin Sailor Venus gathered up her energy and shouted, "Venus Kiss of Death!!" But it seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the sprite. So Saturn took her chance to attack.
"Silence Glaive Surprise!" This attack did a little more damage to the sprite, but none significant enough.
Frustrated, Shin Venus took her scythe and ran up to the beast with a battle cry. She slashed at his body, and to her appeasement he began to bleed with every cut. But with a swift movement of his arm, the sprite flung her to the side, managing to dig his claws into her bare shoulder and neck. She landed on the ground with a thud, rolled over a few times, and finally ended up on her back. She panted heavily with the pain, and now she bled more than the sprite. Her scythe had slid into the dark abyss surrounding them, but that didn't matter because Shin Venus didn't have the strength to pick herself up. "It's all up to you, Sailor Saturn," she whispered. She watched the battle until she was too faint to keep her eyes open.
When Sailor Saturn saw the beast sprite throw Shin Sailor Venus aside as if she were nothing but a scrap of paper, she became enraged. Fortunately, Saturn was the most powerful Sailor Senshi; unfortunately, she would have to restrain from releasing such power, or it would destroy everyone in the black hole, including the other Sailor Senshi. As she fought, she wondered, ~Why would he want us to be one with him?~ She had never heard an enemy make such a strange offer to her. ~Perhaps we have something in common? Is it because...because all three of us represent death, in some way!~ But it dawned on her a moment too late, for the creature lashed out at her with his huge claws. "Silent Wall!!" she cried. She couldn't let go of the attack, or the beast would break through and possibly kill her. "Wake up...wake up please!" Saturn silently pleaded to Duo as she held the sprite back with her shield attack. "I can't hold him off for long...without you, I can't win...."
Sailor Z and Shin Sailor Moon were putting on quite a show for Roa, although she would casually glance into her crystal ball once in a while to view the progress of her sprites. Suddenly Roa let out a loud, joyful laugh, yet at the same time it sounded quite demonic.
"My Dream Sprites have done it!" she cried. "All the Sailor Senshi are DEAD!!" Both Senshi abruptly halted their attacks to look at Roa.
"They are not dead! You're lying just to throw me off guard!!" cried Shin Sailor Moon.
"Am I? Why don't you take a look for yourself," said Roa, giving her crystal ball a slight push in Shin Moon's direction. It floated right into Shin Moon's hands. In the crystal ball flashed scenes of the different battle dimensions. Harsh, burning tears came to her eyes for every beaten, still-lying friend she was shown. The sprites were no longer there; after all, hadn't they done their job?
Shin Moon let her tears fall unabashed, and she angrily threw the crystal ball back at Roa, who caught it gently in her hands. Shin Moon fell to her knees and began to sob. ~We have failed,~ she thought to herself. ~We have lost the chance of reviving the Sailor Senshi. And I have lost my closest friends.~
"So, I guess you've got one more left, Sailor Z," hinted Roa.
"Shin Sailor Moon," said Sailor Z, "your emotions make you a weak fighter and an easy target." She shouted her attack; Shin Moon did not make any effort to save herself. She just covered her head in agony and waited.
The attack flew by in blinding light, and as it passed, darkness took over.
Yet somehow, she was still conscious.
She lifted her head, and realized that the darkness was a result of three figures blocking her light, standing in between her and the enemy. She stared amazed at these figures. Was it just a dream, or a real miracle?
"Could it be...Sailor Starlights...?!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Roku: Phew!! That was a doozy.
Spyrill: A doozy??
Mina: Don't talk like that, Roku. It's scary.
Roku: Alright already! to readers Well, I hope you are enjoying my story, and God bless you if you've actually read up to this point. I never intended it to take this storyline so seriously, but now that I'm this far I won't stop till it's all done, even if no one reads it and it's just for the sake of feeling accomplishment!!! Bwahahahahaaaa!!!! *determined stance*.
Quatre: *puppydog eyes* So when does the next chapter come out???
Roku: *topples over*
Duo: At least give her the chance to enjoy the fact that she's finished this one before you start pounding her with questions for the next one!