Confrontation
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Thirteen
by Rick Federle
A sudden stillness was left by the abrupt departure of
Azmaria and her Negawarriors. The Scouts looked in astonishment
at the spot where Azmaria had been only a heartbeat or two before.
"This is all YOUR FAULT!" Sailor Venus yelled, leveling
an accusing finger at Sailor Moon, whose mouth fell open at the
accusation. "If it hadn't been for YOU, he'd still be here!" The
other Scouts were shocked into silence by Venus' words. She
leaped over and snatched up Artemis in both her hands. "Can I use
the portal?" She demanded.
"You should." Artemis got out in a choked sounding voice,
so tight was Venus holding him.
Without another word, she dropped the cat and ran into the
portal, raising her arms in front of her face.
"Oh, my. She's really lost it." Neptune broke the silence.
The others looked over at her inquiringly. "She believes we
rejected her and we won't help her so she's going to rescue him by
herself. And the Negaverse will kill her in the process."
As Jupiter watched the scene unfold, she struggled with the
emotions inside of her. She realized that she was not suspicious of
William because he might be a spy from the Negaverse, but it was
something else entirely. She was acting the way she was because
she longed for the kind of relationship Mina and William shared.
She blinked, finally able to push aside the distrust she had, pushing
it out from between her and Mina and William.
"Then we'll just have to help her whether she wants it or
not." Jupiter said suddenly.
The others blinked in surprise at Jupiter's sudden
declaration. "Right." Sailor Moon agreed. She looked over at
Luna. "Is the portal safe to use?"
"It should be." Luna said.
Sailor Moon glanced over at Mercury, who was
deactivating her scanner. "Well?" She asked and Mercury nodded
to the affirmative.
"Let's go, Scouts." Sailor Moon led the others into the
portal.
Sailor Venus lowered her arms as the fog began to clear,
walking along the tunnel that the portal represented. A small
corner of her brain, the rational part, she supposed, told her that her
reactions earlier that day were completely wrong. She mulled over
it as she walked, her eyes scanning for any sign of danger, or of her
true love. Neither seemed to present itself.
She shook her head, angry at herself. She'd jumped to
conclusions, assuming her friends were rejecting them like that.
She'd tell them how sorry she was and how wrong she'd been for
treating them that way after she got the Guardsman back. She
loved him more than life itself and she'd jumped at the chance to be
with him. That time would come soon enough, no matter how
eagerly she wanted it. They belonged together. They both knew
that. She shook her head again.
The fog cleared abruptly and Venus drew to a halt as she
found several dozen Negawarriors standing in a semicircle,
blocking her from going any further forward. Energy globes
appeared in the hands of the Negawarriors. "One Sailor Scout, well
done." One of them called.
* * *
Azmaria flickered into existence in the Negaforce's
presence, shoving the unconscious Guardsman off of her and
standing up. "I have done as you commanded." Azmaria said.
"The Guardsman. Excellent." Azmaria bowed slightly in
acknowledgment to the praise. "Now you will stay and watch my
victory over the Sailor Scouts once and for all."
A Negawarrior appeared next to Azmaria, whispered
something in her ear so that she nodded, then vanished. "I must go,
master. The Scouts press our lines heavily."
"You will stay here and watch."
Azmaria frowned. "I am the general of the army of the
Negaverse. I must attend to my troops. Besides, the Scouts might
think it's a trap if I don't show up to try to hold them off." She
vanished.
* * *
Venus panted, dodging another set of energy globes. She'd
managed to take out a few of the Negawarriors, but there were too
many of them. Her heart reached out to her love, but she couldn't
reach him, she only knew he was in terrible danger if she didn't get
to him. She had to get to him but she knew she'd die unless she got
some help. She collapsed, exhausted as another volley of globes
narrowly missed her. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.
"Dead Scream."
"World Shaking!"
"Deep Submerge!"
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Venus opened her eyes with a start. Azmaria was calling
her Negawarriors back and she felt strong hands lift her to her feet,
supporting her. She turned her head to look.
"Hey, girl." Jupiter smiled at her encouragingly. "We'll
help you get him back."
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury along with the Outers
formed a line between her and the Negawarriors. "Thanks." Venus
whispered to Jupiter as she smiled back weakly.
Jupiter nodded in agreement.
The Negawarriors disappeared at a gesture from Azmaria.
"Truce." Azmaria walked forward hesitantly, holding her hands
before her in a gesture of submission.
"And why should we trust you, Negatrash?" Sailor Moon
asked from the center of the line, her staff leveled threateningly at
Azmaria.
Azmaria shook her head. "Because I'll take you to the
Guardsman." Azmaria's eyes were intent. "That's why you're
here, isn't it?"
"You should know, kidnapper."
"You can take him and go. None of us will interfere with
you." Azmaria promised. "I'll take you to him." Azmaria turned
her back on them and began to walk away.
"It's a trap." Sailor Mars called to Sailor Moon from where
she was supporting Sailor Venus.
"But it's our only chance to get him back." Venus said
wearily. She shook off the supporting hands and took a step
forward. "I'll go." She walked past Sailor Moon, only to have a
hand grasp her on the shoulder and stop her.
"We'll go with you." Sailor Moon offered when Venus
turned to her.
"He's in here." Azmaria drew to a halt before a door.
"And so is the Negaforce." Azmaria gestured and the doors
opened. She flickered and vanished from sight before those within
could see her.
"Mars?" Sailor Moon asked without taking her eyes off the
opening.
"I sense great evil." She frowned.
"Guardsman!" Venus launched herself from the midst of
her friends and into the room, running toward his unconscious
form. The other Scouts hurried after her.
"Stop!" The Negaforce commanded, a blast of energy
sending Venus flying into the arms of her friends. She gave a
groan, slumped in the grip of Jupiter and Mars.
* * *
"Who, what, where am I?" The Guardsman asked, looking
around on the flat grey featureless plain.
"In your mind." A voice told him. It was his own, but not
his own in some way he couldn't place. He turned to look. Before
him stood a white and gold armored figure. Himself, he realized.
Slightly different, but himself. "I was wondering how much longer
it would be."
"Be before what?" He asked the other version of himself.
"Before you realized who you are." His other self
explained.
"Who am I?" He asked, suddenly realizing how stupid it
sounded.
"You tell me." The white and gold armored figure
demanded.
"I'm me."
"Yes, that's true."
"But are you also?"
"You already know that." His other self told him. "If you
didn't know you wouldn't be here."
"Then you are me."
"Yes. Or rather, I am what you are to be." His other self
removed one of the gauntlets and raised the hand, letting the gold
ring resting there become visible to him. "I'm your future."
His mouth opened and closed once and his other self
replaced the gauntlet. "I don't understand." He said finally.
"Yes you do." His other self said. "Reach down deep
inside of yourself and you will." The other nodded in
encouragement and he closed his eyes, reaching down into himself.
* * *
"Foolish humans, you have come to your doom." The
Negaforce said as the Scouts drew to a halt.
"Hardly." Sailor Moon said. "It's time to end this. Right
now." She leveled the staff at the Negaforce but before she could
do anything else, a brilliant white sphere of light encircled the
Guardsman. "What?"
"I guess I should thank you." The Guardsman stepped out
of the sphere of light toward the Negaforce, his white and gold
armor gleaming. "You finally unlocked the secret within me." He
explained as the sphere of light vanished.
"No!" The Negaforce called in anguish. "It can't be. Not
you."
"I am the Guardsman, the Warrior of Light! As darkness
gives way before the Light, so you must give way before me." He
leveled a warning finger at the Negaforce. "Stay out of my
dimension or you will be destroyed. This is your only warning.
And so you don't forget: Sun Fire Flare!" The brilliant beam of
light energy tore into the Negaforce, causing it to let off a scream
of pain.
The Guardsman raised a hand. "Light Teleport!" He and
the Scouts vanished in a flash of light.
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Thirteen
by Rick Federle
A sudden stillness was left by the abrupt departure of
Azmaria and her Negawarriors. The Scouts looked in astonishment
at the spot where Azmaria had been only a heartbeat or two before.
"This is all YOUR FAULT!" Sailor Venus yelled, leveling
an accusing finger at Sailor Moon, whose mouth fell open at the
accusation. "If it hadn't been for YOU, he'd still be here!" The
other Scouts were shocked into silence by Venus' words. She
leaped over and snatched up Artemis in both her hands. "Can I use
the portal?" She demanded.
"You should." Artemis got out in a choked sounding voice,
so tight was Venus holding him.
Without another word, she dropped the cat and ran into the
portal, raising her arms in front of her face.
"Oh, my. She's really lost it." Neptune broke the silence.
The others looked over at her inquiringly. "She believes we
rejected her and we won't help her so she's going to rescue him by
herself. And the Negaverse will kill her in the process."
As Jupiter watched the scene unfold, she struggled with the
emotions inside of her. She realized that she was not suspicious of
William because he might be a spy from the Negaverse, but it was
something else entirely. She was acting the way she was because
she longed for the kind of relationship Mina and William shared.
She blinked, finally able to push aside the distrust she had, pushing
it out from between her and Mina and William.
"Then we'll just have to help her whether she wants it or
not." Jupiter said suddenly.
The others blinked in surprise at Jupiter's sudden
declaration. "Right." Sailor Moon agreed. She looked over at
Luna. "Is the portal safe to use?"
"It should be." Luna said.
Sailor Moon glanced over at Mercury, who was
deactivating her scanner. "Well?" She asked and Mercury nodded
to the affirmative.
"Let's go, Scouts." Sailor Moon led the others into the
portal.
Sailor Venus lowered her arms as the fog began to clear,
walking along the tunnel that the portal represented. A small
corner of her brain, the rational part, she supposed, told her that her
reactions earlier that day were completely wrong. She mulled over
it as she walked, her eyes scanning for any sign of danger, or of her
true love. Neither seemed to present itself.
She shook her head, angry at herself. She'd jumped to
conclusions, assuming her friends were rejecting them like that.
She'd tell them how sorry she was and how wrong she'd been for
treating them that way after she got the Guardsman back. She
loved him more than life itself and she'd jumped at the chance to be
with him. That time would come soon enough, no matter how
eagerly she wanted it. They belonged together. They both knew
that. She shook her head again.
The fog cleared abruptly and Venus drew to a halt as she
found several dozen Negawarriors standing in a semicircle,
blocking her from going any further forward. Energy globes
appeared in the hands of the Negawarriors. "One Sailor Scout, well
done." One of them called.
* * *
Azmaria flickered into existence in the Negaforce's
presence, shoving the unconscious Guardsman off of her and
standing up. "I have done as you commanded." Azmaria said.
"The Guardsman. Excellent." Azmaria bowed slightly in
acknowledgment to the praise. "Now you will stay and watch my
victory over the Sailor Scouts once and for all."
A Negawarrior appeared next to Azmaria, whispered
something in her ear so that she nodded, then vanished. "I must go,
master. The Scouts press our lines heavily."
"You will stay here and watch."
Azmaria frowned. "I am the general of the army of the
Negaverse. I must attend to my troops. Besides, the Scouts might
think it's a trap if I don't show up to try to hold them off." She
vanished.
* * *
Venus panted, dodging another set of energy globes. She'd
managed to take out a few of the Negawarriors, but there were too
many of them. Her heart reached out to her love, but she couldn't
reach him, she only knew he was in terrible danger if she didn't get
to him. She had to get to him but she knew she'd die unless she got
some help. She collapsed, exhausted as another volley of globes
narrowly missed her. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.
"Dead Scream."
"World Shaking!"
"Deep Submerge!"
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Venus opened her eyes with a start. Azmaria was calling
her Negawarriors back and she felt strong hands lift her to her feet,
supporting her. She turned her head to look.
"Hey, girl." Jupiter smiled at her encouragingly. "We'll
help you get him back."
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury along with the Outers
formed a line between her and the Negawarriors. "Thanks." Venus
whispered to Jupiter as she smiled back weakly.
Jupiter nodded in agreement.
The Negawarriors disappeared at a gesture from Azmaria.
"Truce." Azmaria walked forward hesitantly, holding her hands
before her in a gesture of submission.
"And why should we trust you, Negatrash?" Sailor Moon
asked from the center of the line, her staff leveled threateningly at
Azmaria.
Azmaria shook her head. "Because I'll take you to the
Guardsman." Azmaria's eyes were intent. "That's why you're
here, isn't it?"
"You should know, kidnapper."
"You can take him and go. None of us will interfere with
you." Azmaria promised. "I'll take you to him." Azmaria turned
her back on them and began to walk away.
"It's a trap." Sailor Mars called to Sailor Moon from where
she was supporting Sailor Venus.
"But it's our only chance to get him back." Venus said
wearily. She shook off the supporting hands and took a step
forward. "I'll go." She walked past Sailor Moon, only to have a
hand grasp her on the shoulder and stop her.
"We'll go with you." Sailor Moon offered when Venus
turned to her.
"He's in here." Azmaria drew to a halt before a door.
"And so is the Negaforce." Azmaria gestured and the doors
opened. She flickered and vanished from sight before those within
could see her.
"Mars?" Sailor Moon asked without taking her eyes off the
opening.
"I sense great evil." She frowned.
"Guardsman!" Venus launched herself from the midst of
her friends and into the room, running toward his unconscious
form. The other Scouts hurried after her.
"Stop!" The Negaforce commanded, a blast of energy
sending Venus flying into the arms of her friends. She gave a
groan, slumped in the grip of Jupiter and Mars.
* * *
"Who, what, where am I?" The Guardsman asked, looking
around on the flat grey featureless plain.
"In your mind." A voice told him. It was his own, but not
his own in some way he couldn't place. He turned to look. Before
him stood a white and gold armored figure. Himself, he realized.
Slightly different, but himself. "I was wondering how much longer
it would be."
"Be before what?" He asked the other version of himself.
"Before you realized who you are." His other self
explained.
"Who am I?" He asked, suddenly realizing how stupid it
sounded.
"You tell me." The white and gold armored figure
demanded.
"I'm me."
"Yes, that's true."
"But are you also?"
"You already know that." His other self told him. "If you
didn't know you wouldn't be here."
"Then you are me."
"Yes. Or rather, I am what you are to be." His other self
removed one of the gauntlets and raised the hand, letting the gold
ring resting there become visible to him. "I'm your future."
His mouth opened and closed once and his other self
replaced the gauntlet. "I don't understand." He said finally.
"Yes you do." His other self said. "Reach down deep
inside of yourself and you will." The other nodded in
encouragement and he closed his eyes, reaching down into himself.
* * *
"Foolish humans, you have come to your doom." The
Negaforce said as the Scouts drew to a halt.
"Hardly." Sailor Moon said. "It's time to end this. Right
now." She leveled the staff at the Negaforce but before she could
do anything else, a brilliant white sphere of light encircled the
Guardsman. "What?"
"I guess I should thank you." The Guardsman stepped out
of the sphere of light toward the Negaforce, his white and gold
armor gleaming. "You finally unlocked the secret within me." He
explained as the sphere of light vanished.
"No!" The Negaforce called in anguish. "It can't be. Not
you."
"I am the Guardsman, the Warrior of Light! As darkness
gives way before the Light, so you must give way before me." He
leveled a warning finger at the Negaforce. "Stay out of my
dimension or you will be destroyed. This is your only warning.
And so you don't forget: Sun Fire Flare!" The brilliant beam of
light energy tore into the Negaforce, causing it to let off a scream
of pain.
The Guardsman raised a hand. "Light Teleport!" He and
the Scouts vanished in a flash of light.