Chapter 13 - SMG
* * * * *
The dark skinned London police officer looked up at the sky with foreboding. The swirling storm with an eye of total blackness still floated in the sky over the city. For the most part the city was evacuated because of the strange bolts of energy that was coming down, but the police was out in full force. He himself had been, along with his partner, on duty for about 20 hours in a row. He only just got clearance to go to his own home and pick up his daughter to take her somewhere safe. Her mother died years ago, so his six-year old daughter needed his help.
He and his partner, a female officer called Liz Austin, got to his apartment building without trouble and they hurried inside. They got to outside of his door, and Liz knocked, and contorting her voice she yelled, "Ms. Smith, we know you are in there. Drop your toys and come out with your hands up."
A young girl giggled from the other side of the door as her father opened the door with a key. He was greeted with a cheerful girl, who only by her sheer innocence did not understand what was all the worry about the storm. She ran over to him and hugged him, as she said, "Hello Daddy!"
"Hey squirt," he said with a grin as he picked her up and gave her a big hug.
She giggled again and then said over his shoulder, "Hi Lizabeth."
Liz smiled and replied, "Hey Lisa, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing great!" she responded enthusiastically. She then turned to her father and asked, "So we are going to go see Mammy?"
Her father nodded but said, "Your grandma ordered me to catch up on some sleep first, so I'm going to take a nap first." He turned to his partner and asked, "Are you going to be alright?"
She nodded and told him, "Sure John, don't worry about it. I'll come back here in a few hours with the car to pick you two up."
Lisa squealed and asked, "Oh, can we ride with the siren on?"
Liz smiled indulgently at Lisa and nodded, "Sure."
John told Liz, "You get some shut eye too or you may fall asleep at the wheel."
"Oh don't worry about me. I'll be in bed 10 minutes from now," replied Liz as she went to the door. She paused and told them, "Take care you too."
"You too," chorused back Lisa and her father.
After Liz left Lisa's father turned to her and told her, "Now I'm going to take a nap. Be ready to go in two hours, alright?"
Lisa nodded and replied, "Ok daddy, now go nap, sleepy-head."
* * * * *
Ami, Makoto, Minako, Chibi-Usa, Diana and Artemis stepped through the nexus and arrived in a dark alley in the downtown of a city. They quickly looked around to see if anyone saw them arrive. They creeped towards the street connected to the alley and much to their surprise saw no one.
Chibi-Usa tugged on Ami's skirt and pointed up.
Ami looked up, along with the others, and she muffled a gasp. Above them was a huge vortex made up of multicolored clouds. Strangely shaped and colored lightning occasionally shot towards the ground in the distance.
Minako remarked, "I guess that would explain why no one was around."
Makoto nodded and added, "Looks like the Dark Kingdom gave up being subtle.
Ami took out her computer and started typing away as Artemis suggested, "With the Dark Kingdom obviously out and about you better transform to be ready."
The others nodded and discretely turned into the senshi. Shortly after Sailor Mercury reported, "It seems most of the energy and in fact lightning is centered in one area of the city, and not directly under the center of the storm. I would suggest we go there, and hurry."
"Right!" chorused the others. They then ran towards direction of the storm, with the exception of Diana who rode on Sailor Chibi-Moon like usual.
After a few minutes they slowed down as Sailor Mercury reported, "The energy center is moving, towards us."
Sailor Jupiter muttered, "Great, they must of found out we are here."
Sailor Mercury said, "I'm not sure," as they heard a police siren in the distance.
In less then a minute a police car came screaming down the street, with lightning strikes hitting the ground right after it and to either side as the car weaved and zigzagged. Sailor Venus and Artemis had to dive out of the way. A short ways down the street the car was forced to spin out as lightning struck in front of it, blowing chunks of pavement out of the ground.
The senshi tried to reach the car uncertain on what to do. As they ran towards it two police officers got out of the car. The male officer then helped out a little girl, before they made a dash towards a nearby building.
The man paused and glanced at the senshi for a moment, wondering who they were, and in that moment the lightning struck again. It came down from the skies above and struck the child in his hands. He shouted in English, "No! Lisa!" seeming to be unaffected himself. However to his horror the girl in his arms vanished, and the lightning stopped striking the area.
The senshi arrived too late. Sailor Venus asked, "What happened?"
The man just said, "My daughter.."
His partner recovered quicker, pointed towards the senshi and shouted, "You! Identify yourselves!"
Sailor Venus was taken aback, and stammered a reply in English, "We are the Sailor Senshi. We are trying to fight the Dark Kingdom who are trying to get things called the Shards of Light, and we think that, um, thing above us is their work."
The female officer told them, "If things were not this weird I'd suggest you get a mental evaluation. What are these Shards of Light?"
Sailor Mercury took a moment to mentally translate what the officer asked, then replied, "Well, they are magic gems of great power. There were five, each on a human in the form of a thin white oval like mark on their body. The Dark Kingdom already has the others."
The man finally recovered and said, "Those scum took my daughter for that then. She has such a mark on her hand, and I felt her lifted from my arms."
Sailor Venus asked, "What's your daughter's name?"
The woman replied, "She's Lisa Smith, and her father there is Officer John Smith, though I don't know what that's supposed to do to help."
Sailor Mercury said, "It will help us find her, because we have to go and stop the Dark Kingdom."
Sailor Venus nodded, and told the two officers in English, "Don't worry. We'll find her and get her back to you, as we teach the Dark Kingdom a lesson they'll never forget!"
John nodded and said, "Please save her. She's all I have. I'll do anything for her."
Sailor Venus smiled and told him, "Don't worry, we'll save her. Just if our friends show up tell them the story so they can join us."
John nodded, and quietly said, "Good Luck."
The senshi then got together, forming a ring and holding each other's hands. Then they concentrated their powers and after a few moments build up, they teleported towards the center of the vortex.
* * * * *
The Sage stood gazing at a floating crystal with a human looking form frozen in side. She pondered it for a moment, and ignored the enchanted earth elemental, which stood silently behind her. She thought to herself, 'Yes, I think Lord Agate will be most pleased with this. I will crystallize the senshi for display.'
She turned to the elemental and told him, "Bring the two here, with escort. I will test my powers on them first."
The elemental silently melded with the floor and vanished, though the Sage magically tracked its location. Minutes later a hole opened up in the wall as several youma stepped in and carried the unconscious bodies of Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus.
She directed them to place the two in different corners of the room and positioned her to see them both. She chanted a few words and both senshi started to awake. She spoke with a cruel tone, "Ah good. You are waking just in time to see me put each of you to sleep forever."
Both senshi looked up and tried to shrug off the after effects of the sleep spell and move. The Sage was too quick. She oriented towards Sailor Uranus as youma held Sailor Neptune. The Sage started chanting and a glowing ball appeared between her hands.
"No!" shouted Sailor Neptune as she broke free of the youma. She saw the energy ball shoot towards Sailor Uranus and resolved to sacrifice herself for Sailor Uranus's life. Sailor Uranus struggled and shouted, "No! Get out of here!"
The Sage's ball of energy beat Sailor Neptune to Sailor Uranus. Sailor Uranus was frozen in crystal, her expression, as she had tried to warn off Sailor Neptune, frozen on her face.
Sailor Neptune cried once more, "No!" then with a fierce look on her face she shouted, "Deep submerge!" Before the Sage could dodge a large energy ball shot at her and struck her. Her right arm broke off and shattered on the ground.
The Sage did not seem to notice though. As Sailor Neptune looked on in surprise, gold flowed from elsewhere in the Sage's body to reform her right arm.
Sailor Neptune then pulled out her mirror before the Sage could finish healing and she started to shout, "Aqua mirror..*" but was suddenly cut off as the earth elemental shot arms from the wall and grabbed on to Sailor Neptune.
The Sage said coolly, "Worry not of her, but of yourself," and began to chant once more. Sailor Neptune tried to escape but couldn't. Then suddenly the elemental retreated, which freed Sailor Neptune. She started to make her move when a stone shot from the wall and struck her. Right at the moment the energy ball shot forward and froze Sailor Neptune, complete with a grimace of pain.
The Sage nodded and said coldly, "Very good. Once more, my predictions are accurate. The next group of senshi are just arriving. Elemental, send them their greetings." Then she directed the other youma to position the two new crystals around the first.
* * * * *
The senshi and the two felines passed through the center of the storm onto to find themselves standing in complete blackness. Sailor Chibi-Moon asked nervously, "Everyone?"
Sailor Venus said from the blackness, "We are still here, somewhere."
Artemis suggested, "Use your pens."
The senshi took out their pens and held them up, causing them to glow with light. They only reveled a short distance but suddenly the whole area was lit up. They found themselves standing on a landscape of snow covered ground.
Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus and Artemis gasped. Sailor Mercury said, "This is where we fought the last fight against Queen Beryl's youma."
Five familiar youma shot up from the ground in front of them. The five evil females smirked at the senshi and one of them said, "Nice that you remember us. This time it will turn out differently."
Sailor Jupiter got such an angry look, it surprised Sailor Chibi-moon. Sailor Jupiter told the youma, "We beat you before and we are even stronger now. You have no chance!"
One of the other youma women said, "We'll see about that. The rules are not the same this time and you aren't the only ones who are stronger."
With that walls suddenly shot up around the senshi and they found themselves in a snow covered maze. The walls separated them into three groups, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Chibi-Moon in one, Sailor Jupiter and Artemis in another and Sailor Venus with Diana in the last.
Diana's small voice cried, "Papa? Chibi-Moon? Where is everyone?"
Sailor Jupiter shouted from elsewhere shouted, "These youma won't separate us!" She then shouted, "Sparkling wide pressure!" and let lose electricity at the wall. A moment later she cried out in pain, and warned, "These walls reflect!"
Sailor Venus picked up Diana and shouted, "We'll just find each other. Hurry before they attack!"
The others shouted back that they agreed.
* * * * *
"Come on Sailor Chibi-Moon, we better hurry," Sailor Mercury told her.
Sailor Chibi-Moon nodded but admitted, "I'm scared."
Sailor Mercury smiled at Sailor Chibi-Moon and said comfortingly, "Don't worry, we'll be alright."
Sailor Chibi-Moon returned the smile, nodded and said, "Ok. Thank..*" she was cruelly interrupted. Before she or Sailor Mercury could react, a ribbon-like limb shot out from the floor and wrapped around Sailor Chibi-Moon's leg. It started to drag her to where it came from the ground. "Help!" Sailor Chibi-Moon cried.
Sailor Mercury reacted quickly and shouted, "Shine aqua illusion!" and froze the ribbon-like limb. It shattered and Sailor Chibi-Moon stood up. She then ran towards Sailor Mercury but was stopped by two other ribbon-like limbs, which shot out. Sailor Mercury got ready to act but two youma sprung up from the ground between her and Sailor Chibi-Moon. One waved a finger back and forth, and told Sailor Mercury, "No, no."
Sailor Chibi-Moon cried, "Sailor Mercury!" before she was dragged by her feet into the ground.
Sailor Mercury cried back, "Sailor Chibi-Moon!" as the youma laughed and vanished into the ground.
A few moments later a large crystal sprung up from the ground. Sailor Mercury saw Sailor Chibi-Moon frozen with a look of terror, staring back at her.
Sailor Mercury whispered, "No.."
"Yes actually," said one of the youma from behind her. Before she could turn she was wrapped up in the ribbon like limbs of the youma. Electricity flowed through them and Sailor Mercury screamed in pain. Sailor Mercury fought back the pain and started to chant, "Mercury Aqua..*" but her mouth was muffled. She was pulled into the ground. Moments later another crystal appeared, with Sailor Mercury frozen within, her last moments prior to being frozen, filled with pain.
* * * * *
Sailor Jupiter and Artemis gasped as for a moment the walls lowered so they and the others could see each other and the crystallized Sailor Chibi-Moon and Sailor Mercury.
The five youma appeared in the middle and laughed. "Look, they've been laminated," one taunted.
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus responded simultaneously. Sailor Jupiter chanted, "Sparking wide pressure!"
Sailor Venus from the opposite side shouted, "Crescent beam shower!" The both let loose their attacks on the overconfident youma. Four of the youma dived to the side, but the one who had taunted them was struck by both attacks and was destroyed. The other youma growled and the walls rose up once more.
Sailor Jupiter cursed, "They are just having fun with us. Well Venus and I showed one of them."
Artemis nodded from the ground but added what she hadn't said, "But there are four more still."
"Yay," Sailor Jupiter said simply. Then she said, "We better get going and find Sailor Venus."
"Right," Artemis agreed, and they set off. They ran at full speed, turning off pathways, or going straight when it looked like it might bring them closer to where Sailor Venus was.
After a few minutes they suddenly came to a dead end. "Great," muttered Sailor Jupiter.
They turned around to see the four remaining youma behind them. One of the youma said, "Actually I think it's rather convenient."
Sailor Jupiter warned them, "I saw what you did to Sailor Mercury. I'm not going to forgive you."
One of the youma snorted and said, "We are so scared. Actually we aren't going to forgive you from destroying our sister. Prepare to die, fool!"
They attacked with their ribbon appendages, but both Sailor Jupiter and Artemis dodged aside. Then Sailor Jupiter shouted, "Jupiter oak evolution!" and started to spin. Many bolts of electricity flew from her, causing the youma to scatter. Unfortunately for one of them, it had been to close and was destroyed. Sailor Jupiter and Artemis ran through.
Sailor Jupiter grunted as one of the ribbons wrapped around her from behind. Waves of energy passed through it into her and she screamed. The waves stopped for a moment and she tried to get away. Suddenly she found it went slack, and she slipped out.
One of the youma said behind her, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Sailor Jupiter looked over her shoulder and saw that they had Artemis by the tail, pieces of shredded ribbon still in his claws. "Let him go," she ordered them.
One youma turned to another and said, "Look what we caught fishing." A hole opened up in the ground in front of her as she added, "I guess we'll have to throw him back."
"That's it!" shouted Sailor Jupiter but before she did anything more Artemis spoke.
"No, run Sailor Jupiter! Meet up with the others. Don't worry about..* Ahhhhh!" started Artemis before shocking energy ran through him. He was then casually tossed into the whole. Though Sailor Jupiter had misgivings she knew she couldn't do anything, so she turned and ran.
She ran harder around the corners at full speed, her anger at what happened to her friends giving her strength. She was running so fast that she barely stopped in time before she almost literally ran into Sailor Venus.
Sailor Venus grabbed her and shook her in relief, and told Sailor Jupiter, "I'm so glad you are all right."
Diana hopped down from Sailor Venus's shoulder and asked, "Where's papa?"
Sailor Jupiter looked downcast and readied to tell Diana, but before she could a hole opened up under Diana and before they could do anything Diana fell in. "No," Sailor Jupiter moaned.
As Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus looked on shock, two crystals popped up from the ground. One had Artemis wearing a pained expression. The other was of Diana, and they thought it was a small blessing that at least she only looked like she had been startled and nod had as a painful experience as the others.
Sailor Jupiter clenched her fist and said, "They'll pay."
Sailor Venus nodded silently, tears appearing in the corner of her eyes.
Three youmas appeared, and one asked cheerfully, "Oh you like that? I was thinking of disguising myself among the humans of an interior decorator."
Sailor Venus spun and without a word of warning she chanted, "Venus love and beauty shock!" She then threw a magical heart at the most recent taunting youma. The heart struck and destroyed it. The other two disappeared.
Sailor Jupiter grabbed her shoulder and told her, "Run!"
They both ran, while Sailor Venus puffed out, "Where are we running to though?"
Sailor Jupiter had no answer.
They ran for a longer time before Sailor Venus grabbed Sailor Jupiter's shoulder and told her weakly, "I can't run anymore. I need to take a break. We've must have been running for a half an hour, at full speed."
Sailor Jupiter nodded silently and they both leaned against a wall.
Nothing happened for a few minutes as they caught their breath. Sailor Jupiter finally said, "When they spot us again, I'll draw them off. You contact Sailor Moon and the others, Alright?"
Sailor Venus shook her head and asked, "What good will you sacrificing yourself do."
"We have no other choice," replied Sailor Jupiter as she leaned against the wall looking upwards.
Suddenly a hole opened behind her and she fell back through the wall. Before Sailor Venus could do anything the hole closed once more. Sailor Venus shouted, "Sailor Jupiter!"
Laughter came from the other side, but was cut off by an electrical strike from Sailor Jupiter. Sailor Jupiter then yelled, "Get out of here! Call the others!"
"But..*" began Sailor Venus.
"Go!" Sailor Jupiter yelled at her, before she screamed in pain. Sailor Venus ran as fast as she could. After a few moments there was only silence.
She quickly found a what she thought might be a safe spot, and pulled out her communicator, and called Sailor Moon with it. She muttered to herself, "Come on Sailor Moon, answer!"
The video screen blinked on and the tired and worried looking face of Sailor Moon appeared. Before Sailor Moon could say anything Sailor Venus started to cry out in a panicked voice, "An police officer in London named.. Oh I forget, Smith I guess. The Dark Kingdom captured his daughter. We tried to chase them down but they got Sailor Mercury and Sailor Chibi-Moon." She started to worry more as she heard laughter in the distance and hurried to continue, "Then they got Artemis and Diana and Sailor Jupiter. The creature is trying to find me now. I don't know how long we can hold up. Please get here soon so we can..*" She was interrupted as a crystal rising up from the ground right in front of her, catching and breaking her communicator on it's top point. The frozen form of a pained Sailor Jupiter was inside.
Sailor Venus gasped, and quickly climbed to her feet.
The laughter came from all around her. The crystal lowered in the ground again as the walls also lowered. She then turned in a shocked circle as she saw not two but all five youma standing around her. She cried weakly, "But we destroyed some of you."
One of the youma laughed cruelly and said, "You don't understand do you? Well, no matter. It's time for you to sleep, forever."
* * * * *
Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Tuxedo Kamen and Luna arrived in London, by way of their magic Sailor Teleport. The looked around and Sailor Moon asked, "How are we supposed to find one person in a large city where we don't understand English that well?"
Tuxedo Kamen pointed out, "I know some."
"And we can check at a police station since we are supposed to look for an officer," added Sailor Mars.
Sailor Moon had stopped paying attention though and was staring at the strange storm in the sky. "That's the storm?" she asked.
The others nodded silently.
"Well we better get moving. It's obvious the others are in trouble," Luna pointed out.
They hurried a long through the streets of London. They noticed how they were mostly abandoned, only seeing an occasional car. No one but themselves, walked the streets.
After about an hour Sailor Mars said what they were all thinking, "I think we are totally lost. Now what?"
"Flag a police car?" offered Sailor Moon.
"First one has to go near us," Sailor Mars reminded her.
At that moment they saw a police car drive past an intersection down the street. Sailor Moon complained, "It might be awhile."
The screeching of tires from the direction the police car had gone startled them. Suddenly it reappeared and turned down the street heading straight for them.
The senshi ducked to the side, but the police car came to a quick stop right in front of them. Quickly a female officer got out and said something that the senshi didn't understand except the words, "Sailor Senshi," and they turned to Tuxedo Kamen.
He told them in surprise, "She wants to know if we are the Sailor Senshi."
Both senshi nodded quickly to the officer.
A male officer got out and spoke to them, which Tuxedo Kamen translated, "I'm Officer Smith, your friends said to look out for you. They went up there to save my daughter," as the officer pointed up.
"What is your daughter's name?" asked Sailor Mars.
"Lisa," the officer replied, "She's a little six year old girl of African decent like me, and she has a white birthmark which your companions said it had something to do with a Shard."
The senshi looked at each other then Sailor Moon told him, "Don't worry, we'll try our best to find your daughter. Hang in there."
The female officer answered, "We will. Good luck."
Sailor Pluto then made her appearance, walking in nonchalant as usual. She asked the senshi, "Are you ready then?"
Sailor Moon nodded in reply.
Tuxedo Kamen then ended the translation to the officers with, "Good bye and you too."
The senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and Luna then teleported into the center of the darkness.
* * * * *
The Sage watched as her magically ensorcelled earth elemental positioned the crystals in the room. She decided she had all she needed to defeat the rest of the senshi so sent the other youma home. While waiting for the other senshi she decided to design a fitting memorial for Lord Agate's foes so he could fully enjoy their defeat.
She was able to wordless command the elemental with gestures made at any angle as long as it could be seen from some kind of stone or earth in the area. Even with that ability she spoke out loud, to help think through what she wanted.
She said aloud, "The outer senshi we have already captured will be positioned on the outside, one on either side of the line up, because they were the outer defenses." She paused for a moment then continued, "The inner represented planets will be places with in that, two per side, right next to Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. Adjacent to them shall be Sailor Pluto on one side and Sailor Chibi-Moon on the other."
As she spoke, the earth elemental silently positioned the crystals, which trapped Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune to either end, then positioning Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter between them. Further inside the layout it positioned the frightened visage of Sailor Chibi-Moon.
The Sage frowned as she recalled some of the other frozen prisoners, "The felines. They are not just cats but assisted the senshi. Place the white one outside beyond Sailor Neptune, and the grey kitten next to and behind Sailor Uranus. When we capture the black cat it will be placed in front of her."
The elemental moved it's frozen charges into the appropriate positions, oblivious to what the crystals carried.
"Now the centerpiece," pondered the Sage, "I suppose it should be Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen." She frowned and continued, "However Lord Agate dislikes even the sight of Tuxedo Kamen, so that wouldn't work. Maybe I should reposition this."
She sat there a few moments then heard a magical silent alarm. "They have arrived," she simply stated.
She turned to leave then paused.
She spoke, "I think two in the middle will work, except I shall have Tuxedo Kamen discarded behind them." The Sage glanced over to the original figure frozen in crystal, different from the rest, and said, "He will be the one to take Tuxedo Kamen's position next to Sailor Moon. Someone to represent an old, and now defeated, enemy of Lord Agate. It will be Sailor Moon and Jadeite."
* * * * *
The dark skinned London police officer looked up at the sky with foreboding. The swirling storm with an eye of total blackness still floated in the sky over the city. For the most part the city was evacuated because of the strange bolts of energy that was coming down, but the police was out in full force. He himself had been, along with his partner, on duty for about 20 hours in a row. He only just got clearance to go to his own home and pick up his daughter to take her somewhere safe. Her mother died years ago, so his six-year old daughter needed his help.
He and his partner, a female officer called Liz Austin, got to his apartment building without trouble and they hurried inside. They got to outside of his door, and Liz knocked, and contorting her voice she yelled, "Ms. Smith, we know you are in there. Drop your toys and come out with your hands up."
A young girl giggled from the other side of the door as her father opened the door with a key. He was greeted with a cheerful girl, who only by her sheer innocence did not understand what was all the worry about the storm. She ran over to him and hugged him, as she said, "Hello Daddy!"
"Hey squirt," he said with a grin as he picked her up and gave her a big hug.
She giggled again and then said over his shoulder, "Hi Lizabeth."
Liz smiled and replied, "Hey Lisa, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing great!" she responded enthusiastically. She then turned to her father and asked, "So we are going to go see Mammy?"
Her father nodded but said, "Your grandma ordered me to catch up on some sleep first, so I'm going to take a nap first." He turned to his partner and asked, "Are you going to be alright?"
She nodded and told him, "Sure John, don't worry about it. I'll come back here in a few hours with the car to pick you two up."
Lisa squealed and asked, "Oh, can we ride with the siren on?"
Liz smiled indulgently at Lisa and nodded, "Sure."
John told Liz, "You get some shut eye too or you may fall asleep at the wheel."
"Oh don't worry about me. I'll be in bed 10 minutes from now," replied Liz as she went to the door. She paused and told them, "Take care you too."
"You too," chorused back Lisa and her father.
After Liz left Lisa's father turned to her and told her, "Now I'm going to take a nap. Be ready to go in two hours, alright?"
Lisa nodded and replied, "Ok daddy, now go nap, sleepy-head."
* * * * *
Ami, Makoto, Minako, Chibi-Usa, Diana and Artemis stepped through the nexus and arrived in a dark alley in the downtown of a city. They quickly looked around to see if anyone saw them arrive. They creeped towards the street connected to the alley and much to their surprise saw no one.
Chibi-Usa tugged on Ami's skirt and pointed up.
Ami looked up, along with the others, and she muffled a gasp. Above them was a huge vortex made up of multicolored clouds. Strangely shaped and colored lightning occasionally shot towards the ground in the distance.
Minako remarked, "I guess that would explain why no one was around."
Makoto nodded and added, "Looks like the Dark Kingdom gave up being subtle.
Ami took out her computer and started typing away as Artemis suggested, "With the Dark Kingdom obviously out and about you better transform to be ready."
The others nodded and discretely turned into the senshi. Shortly after Sailor Mercury reported, "It seems most of the energy and in fact lightning is centered in one area of the city, and not directly under the center of the storm. I would suggest we go there, and hurry."
"Right!" chorused the others. They then ran towards direction of the storm, with the exception of Diana who rode on Sailor Chibi-Moon like usual.
After a few minutes they slowed down as Sailor Mercury reported, "The energy center is moving, towards us."
Sailor Jupiter muttered, "Great, they must of found out we are here."
Sailor Mercury said, "I'm not sure," as they heard a police siren in the distance.
In less then a minute a police car came screaming down the street, with lightning strikes hitting the ground right after it and to either side as the car weaved and zigzagged. Sailor Venus and Artemis had to dive out of the way. A short ways down the street the car was forced to spin out as lightning struck in front of it, blowing chunks of pavement out of the ground.
The senshi tried to reach the car uncertain on what to do. As they ran towards it two police officers got out of the car. The male officer then helped out a little girl, before they made a dash towards a nearby building.
The man paused and glanced at the senshi for a moment, wondering who they were, and in that moment the lightning struck again. It came down from the skies above and struck the child in his hands. He shouted in English, "No! Lisa!" seeming to be unaffected himself. However to his horror the girl in his arms vanished, and the lightning stopped striking the area.
The senshi arrived too late. Sailor Venus asked, "What happened?"
The man just said, "My daughter.."
His partner recovered quicker, pointed towards the senshi and shouted, "You! Identify yourselves!"
Sailor Venus was taken aback, and stammered a reply in English, "We are the Sailor Senshi. We are trying to fight the Dark Kingdom who are trying to get things called the Shards of Light, and we think that, um, thing above us is their work."
The female officer told them, "If things were not this weird I'd suggest you get a mental evaluation. What are these Shards of Light?"
Sailor Mercury took a moment to mentally translate what the officer asked, then replied, "Well, they are magic gems of great power. There were five, each on a human in the form of a thin white oval like mark on their body. The Dark Kingdom already has the others."
The man finally recovered and said, "Those scum took my daughter for that then. She has such a mark on her hand, and I felt her lifted from my arms."
Sailor Venus asked, "What's your daughter's name?"
The woman replied, "She's Lisa Smith, and her father there is Officer John Smith, though I don't know what that's supposed to do to help."
Sailor Mercury said, "It will help us find her, because we have to go and stop the Dark Kingdom."
Sailor Venus nodded, and told the two officers in English, "Don't worry. We'll find her and get her back to you, as we teach the Dark Kingdom a lesson they'll never forget!"
John nodded and said, "Please save her. She's all I have. I'll do anything for her."
Sailor Venus smiled and told him, "Don't worry, we'll save her. Just if our friends show up tell them the story so they can join us."
John nodded, and quietly said, "Good Luck."
The senshi then got together, forming a ring and holding each other's hands. Then they concentrated their powers and after a few moments build up, they teleported towards the center of the vortex.
* * * * *
The Sage stood gazing at a floating crystal with a human looking form frozen in side. She pondered it for a moment, and ignored the enchanted earth elemental, which stood silently behind her. She thought to herself, 'Yes, I think Lord Agate will be most pleased with this. I will crystallize the senshi for display.'
She turned to the elemental and told him, "Bring the two here, with escort. I will test my powers on them first."
The elemental silently melded with the floor and vanished, though the Sage magically tracked its location. Minutes later a hole opened up in the wall as several youma stepped in and carried the unconscious bodies of Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus.
She directed them to place the two in different corners of the room and positioned her to see them both. She chanted a few words and both senshi started to awake. She spoke with a cruel tone, "Ah good. You are waking just in time to see me put each of you to sleep forever."
Both senshi looked up and tried to shrug off the after effects of the sleep spell and move. The Sage was too quick. She oriented towards Sailor Uranus as youma held Sailor Neptune. The Sage started chanting and a glowing ball appeared between her hands.
"No!" shouted Sailor Neptune as she broke free of the youma. She saw the energy ball shoot towards Sailor Uranus and resolved to sacrifice herself for Sailor Uranus's life. Sailor Uranus struggled and shouted, "No! Get out of here!"
The Sage's ball of energy beat Sailor Neptune to Sailor Uranus. Sailor Uranus was frozen in crystal, her expression, as she had tried to warn off Sailor Neptune, frozen on her face.
Sailor Neptune cried once more, "No!" then with a fierce look on her face she shouted, "Deep submerge!" Before the Sage could dodge a large energy ball shot at her and struck her. Her right arm broke off and shattered on the ground.
The Sage did not seem to notice though. As Sailor Neptune looked on in surprise, gold flowed from elsewhere in the Sage's body to reform her right arm.
Sailor Neptune then pulled out her mirror before the Sage could finish healing and she started to shout, "Aqua mirror..*" but was suddenly cut off as the earth elemental shot arms from the wall and grabbed on to Sailor Neptune.
The Sage said coolly, "Worry not of her, but of yourself," and began to chant once more. Sailor Neptune tried to escape but couldn't. Then suddenly the elemental retreated, which freed Sailor Neptune. She started to make her move when a stone shot from the wall and struck her. Right at the moment the energy ball shot forward and froze Sailor Neptune, complete with a grimace of pain.
The Sage nodded and said coldly, "Very good. Once more, my predictions are accurate. The next group of senshi are just arriving. Elemental, send them their greetings." Then she directed the other youma to position the two new crystals around the first.
* * * * *
The senshi and the two felines passed through the center of the storm onto to find themselves standing in complete blackness. Sailor Chibi-Moon asked nervously, "Everyone?"
Sailor Venus said from the blackness, "We are still here, somewhere."
Artemis suggested, "Use your pens."
The senshi took out their pens and held them up, causing them to glow with light. They only reveled a short distance but suddenly the whole area was lit up. They found themselves standing on a landscape of snow covered ground.
Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus and Artemis gasped. Sailor Mercury said, "This is where we fought the last fight against Queen Beryl's youma."
Five familiar youma shot up from the ground in front of them. The five evil females smirked at the senshi and one of them said, "Nice that you remember us. This time it will turn out differently."
Sailor Jupiter got such an angry look, it surprised Sailor Chibi-moon. Sailor Jupiter told the youma, "We beat you before and we are even stronger now. You have no chance!"
One of the other youma women said, "We'll see about that. The rules are not the same this time and you aren't the only ones who are stronger."
With that walls suddenly shot up around the senshi and they found themselves in a snow covered maze. The walls separated them into three groups, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Chibi-Moon in one, Sailor Jupiter and Artemis in another and Sailor Venus with Diana in the last.
Diana's small voice cried, "Papa? Chibi-Moon? Where is everyone?"
Sailor Jupiter shouted from elsewhere shouted, "These youma won't separate us!" She then shouted, "Sparkling wide pressure!" and let lose electricity at the wall. A moment later she cried out in pain, and warned, "These walls reflect!"
Sailor Venus picked up Diana and shouted, "We'll just find each other. Hurry before they attack!"
The others shouted back that they agreed.
* * * * *
"Come on Sailor Chibi-Moon, we better hurry," Sailor Mercury told her.
Sailor Chibi-Moon nodded but admitted, "I'm scared."
Sailor Mercury smiled at Sailor Chibi-Moon and said comfortingly, "Don't worry, we'll be alright."
Sailor Chibi-Moon returned the smile, nodded and said, "Ok. Thank..*" she was cruelly interrupted. Before she or Sailor Mercury could react, a ribbon-like limb shot out from the floor and wrapped around Sailor Chibi-Moon's leg. It started to drag her to where it came from the ground. "Help!" Sailor Chibi-Moon cried.
Sailor Mercury reacted quickly and shouted, "Shine aqua illusion!" and froze the ribbon-like limb. It shattered and Sailor Chibi-Moon stood up. She then ran towards Sailor Mercury but was stopped by two other ribbon-like limbs, which shot out. Sailor Mercury got ready to act but two youma sprung up from the ground between her and Sailor Chibi-Moon. One waved a finger back and forth, and told Sailor Mercury, "No, no."
Sailor Chibi-Moon cried, "Sailor Mercury!" before she was dragged by her feet into the ground.
Sailor Mercury cried back, "Sailor Chibi-Moon!" as the youma laughed and vanished into the ground.
A few moments later a large crystal sprung up from the ground. Sailor Mercury saw Sailor Chibi-Moon frozen with a look of terror, staring back at her.
Sailor Mercury whispered, "No.."
"Yes actually," said one of the youma from behind her. Before she could turn she was wrapped up in the ribbon like limbs of the youma. Electricity flowed through them and Sailor Mercury screamed in pain. Sailor Mercury fought back the pain and started to chant, "Mercury Aqua..*" but her mouth was muffled. She was pulled into the ground. Moments later another crystal appeared, with Sailor Mercury frozen within, her last moments prior to being frozen, filled with pain.
* * * * *
Sailor Jupiter and Artemis gasped as for a moment the walls lowered so they and the others could see each other and the crystallized Sailor Chibi-Moon and Sailor Mercury.
The five youma appeared in the middle and laughed. "Look, they've been laminated," one taunted.
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus responded simultaneously. Sailor Jupiter chanted, "Sparking wide pressure!"
Sailor Venus from the opposite side shouted, "Crescent beam shower!" The both let loose their attacks on the overconfident youma. Four of the youma dived to the side, but the one who had taunted them was struck by both attacks and was destroyed. The other youma growled and the walls rose up once more.
Sailor Jupiter cursed, "They are just having fun with us. Well Venus and I showed one of them."
Artemis nodded from the ground but added what she hadn't said, "But there are four more still."
"Yay," Sailor Jupiter said simply. Then she said, "We better get going and find Sailor Venus."
"Right," Artemis agreed, and they set off. They ran at full speed, turning off pathways, or going straight when it looked like it might bring them closer to where Sailor Venus was.
After a few minutes they suddenly came to a dead end. "Great," muttered Sailor Jupiter.
They turned around to see the four remaining youma behind them. One of the youma said, "Actually I think it's rather convenient."
Sailor Jupiter warned them, "I saw what you did to Sailor Mercury. I'm not going to forgive you."
One of the youma snorted and said, "We are so scared. Actually we aren't going to forgive you from destroying our sister. Prepare to die, fool!"
They attacked with their ribbon appendages, but both Sailor Jupiter and Artemis dodged aside. Then Sailor Jupiter shouted, "Jupiter oak evolution!" and started to spin. Many bolts of electricity flew from her, causing the youma to scatter. Unfortunately for one of them, it had been to close and was destroyed. Sailor Jupiter and Artemis ran through.
Sailor Jupiter grunted as one of the ribbons wrapped around her from behind. Waves of energy passed through it into her and she screamed. The waves stopped for a moment and she tried to get away. Suddenly she found it went slack, and she slipped out.
One of the youma said behind her, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Sailor Jupiter looked over her shoulder and saw that they had Artemis by the tail, pieces of shredded ribbon still in his claws. "Let him go," she ordered them.
One youma turned to another and said, "Look what we caught fishing." A hole opened up in the ground in front of her as she added, "I guess we'll have to throw him back."
"That's it!" shouted Sailor Jupiter but before she did anything more Artemis spoke.
"No, run Sailor Jupiter! Meet up with the others. Don't worry about..* Ahhhhh!" started Artemis before shocking energy ran through him. He was then casually tossed into the whole. Though Sailor Jupiter had misgivings she knew she couldn't do anything, so she turned and ran.
She ran harder around the corners at full speed, her anger at what happened to her friends giving her strength. She was running so fast that she barely stopped in time before she almost literally ran into Sailor Venus.
Sailor Venus grabbed her and shook her in relief, and told Sailor Jupiter, "I'm so glad you are all right."
Diana hopped down from Sailor Venus's shoulder and asked, "Where's papa?"
Sailor Jupiter looked downcast and readied to tell Diana, but before she could a hole opened up under Diana and before they could do anything Diana fell in. "No," Sailor Jupiter moaned.
As Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus looked on shock, two crystals popped up from the ground. One had Artemis wearing a pained expression. The other was of Diana, and they thought it was a small blessing that at least she only looked like she had been startled and nod had as a painful experience as the others.
Sailor Jupiter clenched her fist and said, "They'll pay."
Sailor Venus nodded silently, tears appearing in the corner of her eyes.
Three youmas appeared, and one asked cheerfully, "Oh you like that? I was thinking of disguising myself among the humans of an interior decorator."
Sailor Venus spun and without a word of warning she chanted, "Venus love and beauty shock!" She then threw a magical heart at the most recent taunting youma. The heart struck and destroyed it. The other two disappeared.
Sailor Jupiter grabbed her shoulder and told her, "Run!"
They both ran, while Sailor Venus puffed out, "Where are we running to though?"
Sailor Jupiter had no answer.
They ran for a longer time before Sailor Venus grabbed Sailor Jupiter's shoulder and told her weakly, "I can't run anymore. I need to take a break. We've must have been running for a half an hour, at full speed."
Sailor Jupiter nodded silently and they both leaned against a wall.
Nothing happened for a few minutes as they caught their breath. Sailor Jupiter finally said, "When they spot us again, I'll draw them off. You contact Sailor Moon and the others, Alright?"
Sailor Venus shook her head and asked, "What good will you sacrificing yourself do."
"We have no other choice," replied Sailor Jupiter as she leaned against the wall looking upwards.
Suddenly a hole opened behind her and she fell back through the wall. Before Sailor Venus could do anything the hole closed once more. Sailor Venus shouted, "Sailor Jupiter!"
Laughter came from the other side, but was cut off by an electrical strike from Sailor Jupiter. Sailor Jupiter then yelled, "Get out of here! Call the others!"
"But..*" began Sailor Venus.
"Go!" Sailor Jupiter yelled at her, before she screamed in pain. Sailor Venus ran as fast as she could. After a few moments there was only silence.
She quickly found a what she thought might be a safe spot, and pulled out her communicator, and called Sailor Moon with it. She muttered to herself, "Come on Sailor Moon, answer!"
The video screen blinked on and the tired and worried looking face of Sailor Moon appeared. Before Sailor Moon could say anything Sailor Venus started to cry out in a panicked voice, "An police officer in London named.. Oh I forget, Smith I guess. The Dark Kingdom captured his daughter. We tried to chase them down but they got Sailor Mercury and Sailor Chibi-Moon." She started to worry more as she heard laughter in the distance and hurried to continue, "Then they got Artemis and Diana and Sailor Jupiter. The creature is trying to find me now. I don't know how long we can hold up. Please get here soon so we can..*" She was interrupted as a crystal rising up from the ground right in front of her, catching and breaking her communicator on it's top point. The frozen form of a pained Sailor Jupiter was inside.
Sailor Venus gasped, and quickly climbed to her feet.
The laughter came from all around her. The crystal lowered in the ground again as the walls also lowered. She then turned in a shocked circle as she saw not two but all five youma standing around her. She cried weakly, "But we destroyed some of you."
One of the youma laughed cruelly and said, "You don't understand do you? Well, no matter. It's time for you to sleep, forever."
* * * * *
Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Tuxedo Kamen and Luna arrived in London, by way of their magic Sailor Teleport. The looked around and Sailor Moon asked, "How are we supposed to find one person in a large city where we don't understand English that well?"
Tuxedo Kamen pointed out, "I know some."
"And we can check at a police station since we are supposed to look for an officer," added Sailor Mars.
Sailor Moon had stopped paying attention though and was staring at the strange storm in the sky. "That's the storm?" she asked.
The others nodded silently.
"Well we better get moving. It's obvious the others are in trouble," Luna pointed out.
They hurried a long through the streets of London. They noticed how they were mostly abandoned, only seeing an occasional car. No one but themselves, walked the streets.
After about an hour Sailor Mars said what they were all thinking, "I think we are totally lost. Now what?"
"Flag a police car?" offered Sailor Moon.
"First one has to go near us," Sailor Mars reminded her.
At that moment they saw a police car drive past an intersection down the street. Sailor Moon complained, "It might be awhile."
The screeching of tires from the direction the police car had gone startled them. Suddenly it reappeared and turned down the street heading straight for them.
The senshi ducked to the side, but the police car came to a quick stop right in front of them. Quickly a female officer got out and said something that the senshi didn't understand except the words, "Sailor Senshi," and they turned to Tuxedo Kamen.
He told them in surprise, "She wants to know if we are the Sailor Senshi."
Both senshi nodded quickly to the officer.
A male officer got out and spoke to them, which Tuxedo Kamen translated, "I'm Officer Smith, your friends said to look out for you. They went up there to save my daughter," as the officer pointed up.
"What is your daughter's name?" asked Sailor Mars.
"Lisa," the officer replied, "She's a little six year old girl of African decent like me, and she has a white birthmark which your companions said it had something to do with a Shard."
The senshi looked at each other then Sailor Moon told him, "Don't worry, we'll try our best to find your daughter. Hang in there."
The female officer answered, "We will. Good luck."
Sailor Pluto then made her appearance, walking in nonchalant as usual. She asked the senshi, "Are you ready then?"
Sailor Moon nodded in reply.
Tuxedo Kamen then ended the translation to the officers with, "Good bye and you too."
The senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and Luna then teleported into the center of the darkness.
* * * * *
The Sage watched as her magically ensorcelled earth elemental positioned the crystals in the room. She decided she had all she needed to defeat the rest of the senshi so sent the other youma home. While waiting for the other senshi she decided to design a fitting memorial for Lord Agate's foes so he could fully enjoy their defeat.
She was able to wordless command the elemental with gestures made at any angle as long as it could be seen from some kind of stone or earth in the area. Even with that ability she spoke out loud, to help think through what she wanted.
She said aloud, "The outer senshi we have already captured will be positioned on the outside, one on either side of the line up, because they were the outer defenses." She paused for a moment then continued, "The inner represented planets will be places with in that, two per side, right next to Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. Adjacent to them shall be Sailor Pluto on one side and Sailor Chibi-Moon on the other."
As she spoke, the earth elemental silently positioned the crystals, which trapped Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune to either end, then positioning Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter between them. Further inside the layout it positioned the frightened visage of Sailor Chibi-Moon.
The Sage frowned as she recalled some of the other frozen prisoners, "The felines. They are not just cats but assisted the senshi. Place the white one outside beyond Sailor Neptune, and the grey kitten next to and behind Sailor Uranus. When we capture the black cat it will be placed in front of her."
The elemental moved it's frozen charges into the appropriate positions, oblivious to what the crystals carried.
"Now the centerpiece," pondered the Sage, "I suppose it should be Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen." She frowned and continued, "However Lord Agate dislikes even the sight of Tuxedo Kamen, so that wouldn't work. Maybe I should reposition this."
She sat there a few moments then heard a magical silent alarm. "They have arrived," she simply stated.
She turned to leave then paused.
She spoke, "I think two in the middle will work, except I shall have Tuxedo Kamen discarded behind them." The Sage glanced over to the original figure frozen in crystal, different from the rest, and said, "He will be the one to take Tuxedo Kamen's position next to Sailor Moon. Someone to represent an old, and now defeated, enemy of Lord Agate. It will be Sailor Moon and Jadeite."