Act 17 - Dreams and Nightmares

"Mama, Mama!"

Yumeko ran down the stairs where her beautiful mother, Queen Lady Serenity, stood, silently weeping against the banister. The queen's normally perfectly styled hair was unraveled, falling into soft pink waves onto the floor, and she was wearing a dress made of the darkest black silk.

"Mama, what's wrong?" she asked, resting her hands on the woman's shaking shoulders.

Serenity lifted up her head, her tearful garnet eyes filled with hate. "You know perfectly well what's wrong, Dreama Aurora," her mother answered, roughly pulling away from her daughter. "It's all your fault! You're the reason he's dead."

"Who?"

"Have you've already forgotten, you selfish little brat? That's all you ever cared about: yourself. It doesn't surprise me at all that you don't remember your father."

"Papa…"

The princess collapsed into tears on the stairs, sobs coursing through her body. That's right. Helios was dead. Much to her surprise, Serenity came over to where she sat and slapped her across the face.

"Stop that wailing. You have no right to cry for your father. Helios gave you everything, and this is how you repay him?"

"I loved Papa…"

"The same way you claimed to love Phoenix?" she asked, looking down on her daughter with a look of distain. "No, a person like you doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'love. You've been a disappointment ever since the day you were born. It's no wonder that you're such a failure as Sailor Moon. How can you be a heroine of love and justice when you have no idea what it means?"

Yumeko glanced up at the queen. "But I do, Mama," she insisted. "I love you, and Papa, and Shadow, and Elysia, and Phoenix, and all my friends. I would do anything to protect them from harm."

"Well, you sure aren't doing a very good job of it. You've managed to hurt every single one of the people you claim you hold dear. How is that showing love?"

"But I didn't mean to," she cried, grabbing onto the queen's dress. "Why won't you believe me, Mama?"

The queen brusquely yanked the dress from her daughter's fingers, causing the delicate fabric to tear. Then she began slowly climbing the stairs as the princess looked on. "Mama? Why are you leaving me when I need you the most?" she asked tearfully.

"Go away, Dreama Aurora. You are no longer my child. I hate you with all my heart!"

"Mama!"

But the queen refused to look back. Using the torn fabric as a makeshift handkerchief, Yumeko hid her face in her hands, tears running down her face. She had let everybody down. It was all her fault.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry!"

Sailor Moon's unusual golden eyes popped opened, glancing around at the bare cell she found herself in. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest, and it was very difficult to breathe. She reached up and lightly touched her cheek, which still stung from the slap, even if it was only a dream. Everything felt so real. Where was she? What happened?

"Shadow? Elysia?" she whispered, struggling to sit up. "Where is everybody?"

The air surrounding her was freezing cold, scratching against her skin like branches waving in the wind. Grabbing a ragged blanket that lay near by, Sailor Moon wrapped the rough material tightly around her shoulders and walked over to the only barred window in the room.

It was nighttime on Delos, and the dark sky was illuminated by the bright glow of millions of tiny stars. Her eyes searched the heavens as she recalled the nightmare she had just experienced.

It couldn't be true! It wasn't her fault that Helios died. It was destiny. But she couldn't help thinking that in some way, there was truth in what her mother said to her in the nightmare.

If only she had been there to protect them instead of searching through some ancient ruins, her father might still be alive and the crystal would still be in Elysion. She could have transformed into Sailor Moon and fought Midnight before she did any harm. But even if she had been there, would her powers have been enough?

I've always been a disappointment, she thought, wiping away a tear that rolled down her face. I never took any of my training seriously, thinking that it was just a big waste of time, and I can never do anything right. It's no wonder I'm such a failure.

"Papa, I'm so sorry I failed you," she said softly, resting her head on the window sill as she began to sob. "I feel so alone and lost without you here. Why did you leave me? Why did everybody leave me?"

Don't cry, my little princess…

A tender hand reached for her shoulder, cold yet comforting. Sailor Moon slowly lifted up her head and turned around toward a vision of a handsome man bathed in a soft golden light.

"Papa, is that really you?" she asked, falling into his open arms. He took his daughter firmly in his embrace, kissing the top of her head as she cried into the soft silk of his tunic.

"Yes, Yumeko, it's me," he answered in a voice barely above a whisper. "However, I'm afraid I can only stay in this form for a short while. I must go back soon."

"But I don't want you to go back. I need you to help me fight. My powers aren't strong enough to defeat the enemy alone…"

He lifted up her chin, staring down into her tearful golden eyes, identical to his own. "What makes you believe that?"

"Because I'm weak and stupid and irresponsible…"

Her voice trailed off as she mentally recounted all the other reasons why she was a terrible Sailor Soldier. There were just too many to name.

"Yumeko, you mustn't speak about yourself that way," Helios said. "The truth is that you are even more powerful than you think, but in order to use that power, you must keep a strong heart, for only strong hearts have the power to produce beautiful dreams."

She smiled slightly at the reference to a long ago conversation they had together when she was just a little girl. Yumeko, forever curious, had asked her father where dreams came from and he had answered that they came from the heart.

"But, Papa, I don't have a crystal, like Mama and Grandmother Usagi did when they fought as Sailor Moon. The only power I have comes from my scepter, and even that power isn't strong enough to defeat King Scorpio."

"True power doesn't need to come from crystals or silly wands. It comes from inside you," he replied. "Tell me, why do you want to fight Scorpio?"

"Well, that's easy. I want to keep the promise I made to you to protect Elysion and to help Shadow rescue his mother."

"It's all very well that you want to help the people you love, Yumeko, but what do you want? Is the only reason you're here because of a promise you made to a dying man, or do you truly want to save Elysion?"

Sailor Moon pulled away from her father, angry that he would suggest such a thing. "Of course I want to save Elysion. Elysion is my home, and I would do anything to protect it and the people who live there."

Helios smiled at her answer. "That's just what I wanted to hear. Use that desire to save the beautiful dream of Elysion, and you will finally understand your true power, your true destiny."

"My true destiny? I don't understand. I thought my destiny was to fight as Sailor Moon and to one day become queen of Silver Millennium. Am I to live a different fate than the one I always assumed?"

Her father would only smile mysteriously as he transformed into a small ball of bright light. "My time here is up. Goodbye, my beautiful golden dream. I love you and believe in your power with all my heart…"

The light then floated away, escaping through the window into the magnificent night sky, where the star took its rightful place in the heavens. Sailor Moon ran over to the window and tried to reach for the light, but she was too late. He was gone.

"Papa! Don't leave me!" she cried, looking up at the sky.

The star twinkled brightly, as if it realized she was staring up at it, and Sailor Moon smiled through her tears.

Nobody is ever truly gone, their light lives on in the night sky…

That was what her father told her the night Phoenix died. She was not alone. Helios would always be there, just as he promised, forever watching over her.


Shadow and the other Dream Soldiers frantically began looking inside each of the cells that made up what was known as the Chamber of Nightmares, searching for the kidnapped princess. Despite its name, there was nothing physically unusual about the place. It looked like any other ordinary dungeon, with its cold cement floors, thick walls that echoed any sound made by its inhabitants, and hard stone beds dressed with a flat pillow and thin blanket, but Shadow knew from experience that this wing of the palace contained most of the negative energy, causing prisoners to suffer vivid nightmares that often times led them to the brink of insanity. More often than not, it was the prisoners themselves who decided to end their lives, instead of the executioner, seeing suicide as the only way to stop the endless nightmares.

He shivered at the thought that Yumeko may have already decided to take her own life, but knew in his heart that her beautiful dreams were more powerful than the hideous nightmares that plagued the dungeon. She would not give up without a fight.

"Any luck, Neptune?" he asked the aqua-haired beauty who peered through the tiny peep hole of the door next to him. She shook her head disappointedly.

"There's no sign of Sailor Moon in here," she replied. "How many more doors do we have to look through, Shadow-kun? There seems to be thousands of them."

"Actually, there are exactly 666 cells in the Chamber of Nightmares, each one the same as the others," he replied.

"Six hundred and sixty-six cells!" Venus, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, exclaimed. "What exactly does a normal person need with so many prison cells?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call King Scorpio a normal person, Venus-san," a fully recovered Phantom said. "He's a very strange and evil man."

Thinking that she might have better luck finding her cousin at the end of the hall, Pluto quietly wandered away from the others. Nobody even noticed that she had left.

"Yumeko, are you in here?" she asked softly, not wanting to alarm any monster that might be lurking nearby. The echoes of her boots on the pavement were the only sound that greeted her.

Sailor Pluto began peeping into a couple of the doors, hoping that they would find Sailor Moon soon. This place was giving her the creeps, especially now that she was alone. And it was so cold, especially in her sailor fuku. Her power might have been the power of ice, but she longed for the heat of fire.

"Sailor Moon?" she called out, this time louder than before.

The sound of another person's footsteps could faintly be heard behind one of the doors. The soldier's body stiffened. Someone else was here, but whether it was a friend or foe, she did not know. By instinct, Pluto got into position to attack.

"Who's there?"

"Pluto?" a familiar voice said, coming from room 666. "Pluto, is that you?"

Her body quickly relaxed. She knew that soft, melodic voice very well. Pluto walked over to the door and looked through the peep hole. Sailor Moon's relieved golden eyes greeted her.

"Yumeko, are you alright?" she asked, concerned for her cousin's safety. "Did Midnight hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Tokemi. Just a little tired. Where are the others? Are they with you?"

The soldier of time nodded, then waved to the others. "Guys, I found her," she shouted. "She's down here."

Shadow was the first to make it down the long hall, even beating Sailor Uranus, much to the athlete's annoyance. Breathless, but happy, he gently pushed Pluto out of the way and looked inside at the love of his life.

"Yumeko, it's me," he whispered, fumbling to find the golden keys his mother gave him. "We'll have you out of there in a few minutes. I just need to find… Where are those keys?"

"Do you mean these?" Jupiter asked, waving the missing keys in front of his face. "You dropped them running down here, Speedy Gonzales."

"Thanks, Jupiter." He sheepishly took the keys from her hand and quickly unlocked the door. It was surprising that nobody had thought to change the locks, considering that he had a key for every room in the palace, but he wasn't arguing.

The door swung open with a loud creak, and then Sailor Moon fell into her lover's arms, so happy that he was there. "Shadow, I thought I wouldn't ever see you again," she cried as he pulled her closer. "It was so horrible…"

He kissed the top of her head and shushed her. "It's okay now, Yumeko. You're safe."

As the two lovers kissed, someone orbed into the room, filling the cell with a strange dark light. "Isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever seen?" a woman said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I think I'm getting a cavity."

They glanced up at the unexpected visitor just as the heavy door closed with a loud bang behind Saturn and Mercury, causing Sailor Moon to jump involuntarily in Shadow's arms. At the other side of the room, Shadow's evil sister laughed in her annoying high-pitched voice at the sight of Sailor Jupiter struggling to turn the rusted door knob.

"Try all you like, Jupiter, but I can assure you it will do no good," Midnight declared. "I've sealed this entire cell. Nobody can enter or leave unless they manage to defeat me."

"That can be arranged," Venus said, preparing to attack.

VENUS LOVE CHARM!

Midnight laughed again, amused when the words failed to produce any kind of energy. The determined soldier tried the attack again, but it still didn't work.

"I've taken the liberty of placing an anti-energy barrier around the room," the witch replied, pointing her finger toward a wall and demonstrating the fact that her powers weren't responding as well. "See? Supernatural attacks won't work."

Shadow looked up at his sister quizzically, wondering what she was planning. Certainly she had some logical reason to place the anti-energy barrier, but as to what it was, he had no idea. It didn't make sense to block both the Dream Soldiers' and her powers.

"Midnight, what do you want?" he asked, shielding Sailor Moon with his body, just in case Midnight tried anything.

"You know what I want, Shadow," Midnight replied, pulling her sword from the sheath that hung from her waist and placing the sharp tip against his chest. "I want you dead. You may have managed to escape the guillotine, but I assure you that you won't be so lucky this time. Pull out your sword and fight like a real man!"

He calmly pushed Midnight's sword away from his body. "I don't want to fight you. There must be another way to settle this without resorting to violence."

"What? Are you afraid that you won't win?"

"No, of course not," he quickly replied, trying to defend himself. "It's just that…"

"Shady's a chicken, Shady's a chicken," she taunted, flapping her arms around.

The "chicken's" eyes darkened. He was THIS tempted to take Midnight up on her challenge, but instead he shook his head, emphasizing his point.

"I won't fight you."

The sorceress huffed, obviously annoyed that things weren't going as well as she had hoped they would. When did Shadow, once one of the Alliance's strongest warriors, decide to become Mahatma Gandhi?

"But I want to battle somebody!" she whined, stomping her foot on the floor. Phantom, who was used to his mistress's occasional temper tantrums, rolled his eyes. "This isn't fair!"

"I'll fight you, Midnight."

Twelve pairs of eyes turned toward the source of the voice, surprised to say the least at its identity. Sailor Moon stepped forward, a look of pure determination on her face. It was time to get revenge on the woman who had taken her father's life.

"So, the little princess wants to fight, does she?" Midnight mused, a slight smile on her face. Defeating Sailor Moon wouldn't be as satisfying as killing Shadow, but the effect her death would have her on her love-sick brother would almost as good. "I accept your challenge, Sailor Moon. We will have a duel to the death. If you win, my spell will immediately wear off, and you and your friends will be free to leave, but if I win, the rest of you will remain here in the Chamber of Nightmares, condemned to a life of never ending terror."

Fearing for Sailor Moon's safety, especially considering his sister's wager, Shadow reached for her hand, pulling her back.

"Yumeko, please don't," he pleaded. "Fencing is one of the few useful talents my sister possesses. She's one of the best. You'll never win."

Sailor Mars nodded her agreement. "You barely managed to pass that fencing course you took last semester, Klutz-san. Remember that time you almost poked Kagami-chan's eye out during that tournament?"

"If it's a real duel you want, Midnight, then fight me," Uranus added, pulling out her grandmother Haruka's Space Sword. "I'm the captain of the Dream Academy's fencing team and ranked number one in Silver Millennium, therefore a more suitable opponent against your skills. Fighting against Sailor Moon would be an insult to somebody of your obvious level and talent."

Sailor Moon pouted at the her friends' less than sparkling report of her fencing skills, even though they were fairly accurate. "Uranus and Mars, you both are so mean! I'm not that bad, and I've been practicing."

"She has improved somewhat since that infamous tournament in Kyoto," Elysia reluctantly admitted. "But still, her skills are not as advanced as Sailor Uranus."

"You've managed to overlook the main idea, Dream Soldiers," Midnight replied, her arms crossed over her generous chest. "I have no interest in fighting Uranus. It's Sailor Moon and Shadow that I want. Besides, as I understand it, King Helios was considered an excellent swordsman in his time. Certainly the princess has inherited a little of her father's skill."

"I wouldn't bet on it…"

Sailor Moon threw Elysia a nasty look, then rather abruptly pulled Phoenix's sword (which Shadow was still carrying around) from his sheath. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to at least try. Despite Shadow's continued pleas not to go through with the duel, she and Midnight touched their swords together before beginning their fierce battle as the Sailor Dream Soldiers looked on, identical looks of worry in their eyes.

"I can't watch this," Sailor Pluto whispered, hiding her face on Saturn's shoulder. "She's going to get herself killed."

Saturn sighed, knowing that what Pluto was saying was probably true. Yumeko just didn't have the skills to defeat Midnight. However, a look of amazement crossed across her face as she realized that Sailor Moon was actually managing to hold her own against the powerful sorceress.

"She's actually…fighting?"


Sailor Moon didn't know what had come over her. Perhaps it was the anger she felt toward Midnight over Helios' and Phoenix's deaths, or maybe it was just transforming into her alter ego, but either way, her fencing skills were definitely improved. It was like a completely different person had taken over her body.

"I thought you weren't any good at this," Midnight muttered under her breath.

"Well, I guess you learn something new everyday," her opponent replied flippantly.

With this sudden ability to fence, Sailor Moon and Midnight seemed to now be on the same level. Their talents were about equally matched; when one appeared to be winning for a short time, the other would automatically bounce back, getting another wind of energy.

There was no telling how long the duel between the two women continued in that small cell. To Shadow, it seemed like a slow moving eternity. He dreaded the outcome, realizing that no matter who won, he would lose. If Midnight was the victor, the love of his life would die, and they would be doomed to spend the rest of their life in the Chamber of Nightmares, yet Yumeko's victory would also mean Midnight's death. Despite his sister's many faults, he still held on to the hope that there was still some good inside of her. She wasn't completely evil, shown in the look in her eyes when she offered to attack Earth in order to buy him more time to find the crystal. Her heart had been in the right place, even if her thoughts weren't.

"I hope you have sweet dreams…I mean, nightmares…Sailor Moon," the witch growled, finally managing to knock the sword from the princess's hands. The sword slid across the floor until it stopped at Shadow's feet.

A breathless Yumeko, realizing that the battle was over, shut her eyes tightly and recited a prayer her father once taught her.

I'm sorry Papa, Phoenix… She was just too strong…

Shadow could feel his heart jump in his throat as his sister's sword came down. He had to do something…

"No!"

A scream of agony filled the cellar, mixed with a man's repentant sobs.