~*~*~*~
The stage is now set. Usagi is ready to commence with her final plans to destroy the Dark Kingdom and restore peace to Earth. The Senshi would take the game into their hands.
~*~*~
Dark Kingdom:
Five Senshi of love and justice stepped away from the Gates of time, leaving Pluto behind with Luna and Artimas, where they would stay until the final showdown was over. The groups waved goodbye to each other, with the two cats thinking it would most likely be their last time seeing their Princess. But Pluto thought otherwise. She knew the child's future, but still, there was that slight chance that something could trigger the future to change.
The Senshi walked forward with Sailor Moon lagging behind and looking back at Pluto. She gave the trio a thumbs up as if to claim victory before winning. Pluto nodded back with a smile. "Good luck, Princess." She stepped back, motioning for the cats to do the same, and slowly, the doors began to close. Now Sailor Moon and her friends were sealed in this dimension, never to return until the victory was truly claimed by her side.
Mercury paused and turned her upper body back to Sailor Moon, allowing her friends to go ahead. "Let's go." She said calmly, trying not to upset Moon.
Moon nodded as she joined the Senshi in blue. As the two began walking forward to join the rest of the group, Moon began to examine her surroundings. They seemed to be outside, the air was muggy all around. This new, desolate land of death was completely dark with a few red stars above to guide the way to a tall castle, which sat atop a tall mountain in the far distance. The terrain seemed rather squishy beneath her feet, indicating to her that they were in some sort of swamp lands.
Lingering behind the rest of the group, a shivering tingle ran up the spine of the young Senshi of the Moon. Being here reminded her of her abduction only three nights before. The same amount of hate energy that she had felt while her stay at the Castle pulsed through the air outside as well. She wondered how anything could be that full of dark energy. She ducked her head and grabbed her arms for comfort while she continued to lag behind the group.
At the front of the group was Sailor Mars, walking nervously and slowly. She didn't want to take too fast of a pace for fear of startling the surroundings. She clenched her fists, ready for anything that might be preparing to jump out at them. Never had she been in such a frightening place, and never again did she wish to be after this whole ordeal was over. Her only reason for not turning back was her leader's wish to go on, which she still wasn't too keen on. How could Usagi be so selfish; to take on such a task such as this, to leave everything up to her? It wasn't fair. She had a life too. She shouldn't have been expected to give it up for the world which had always turned her out. Mars wanted so much to tell her 'No'. She didn't want to see her throw her life away, there had to be another way. Maybe if they all worked together. She knew not to say anything at the moment for Usagi had already made up her mind, but when the time came to actually going through with the plan, then maybe, just maybe Usagi would be in a different mind set. She couldn't just WANT to die, could she?
Venus was having almost the same thoughts. She worried that her friend might be doing the wrong thing, that she might be jumping the gun on this whole situation. But much like Mars, she wasn't about to say anything. Usagi had always tried to be strong in times like this, but, like in the fight with Cell, had fallen short. Usagi had a tendency to try to show her foe her power, much like the fight that took place at school the day before. Venus figured that this was the reason why Usagi insisted on getting the job done now while she could before waiting for something else to attack and kill even more people. For this, Venus kept her mouth shut. She respected her friend's decision, but also feared for her.
Jupiter walked next to Mercury, who was already scanning the area with her computer. She peeked over her comrade's shoulder and saw nothing but a bright, blue screen, which seemed to symbolize the Dark Energy levels. "This must really be the Dark Kingdom, it's so full of their energy."
Mercury flinched with surprise when she turned her head and saw nothing but Jupiter's face. She raised her hand to her heart and sighed. "Don't scare me like that."
Jupiter pulled away, a smile formed on her face. "Sorry." She said as she looked up to the dark, gloomy grayness of the sky. Black clouds seemed to be forming off in the distance.
Mercury calmed herself as she looked around. Dark Energy levels were soaring. It seemed to be everywhere, but most of its concentration seemed to be around Beryl's castle, naturally. The castle which was their very destination. Mercury couldn't help but feel scared. This would be just like the fight with Cell, except now she was stronger and she knew a little more of what she was doing. Her skill had improved tremendously since then and now, there was no doubt that she would stand with Sailor Moon until the very end.
Jupiter slowed down her pace until she was directly lined up with Sailor Moon. "Uh..." She started as she raised her hand behind her head to scratch it. "I... Uh..."
Sailor Moon stared into Jupiter's eyes. She didn't even have to hear her out before she understood what was going to be said. "I know you're worried, Makoto, but I already told you, I have to do this." She looked down to her intertwined hands. "I'm sorry."
Jupiter wrapped her arm around her leader's neck to comfort her. In fact she had not tried to talk her out of her decision. She was only trying to comfort her, make it easier on her. She knew Sailor Moon had to be feeling awful inside, like she was betraying her family and friends. "Don't, Usagi. Don't think we don't want you to do this."
Mars, still with her feelings intact, glanced over her shoulder. She felt sorry for Usagi. Out of the entire gang of friends, Usagi had always received the worst treatment by far. Everyone always made fun of her for having a tail, which started it off. And, as knowing kids, they started getting nit-picky about everything she did, even her teachers treated her like crap. The only real reason she had ever gained respect in the first place was because of her skill in the Martial Arts. Sure, the other kids had had their fair share of problems, with Rei having her Mental powers and Makoto being somewhat of a Tomboy. Ami's love for books and learning had always made her an outcast. And Minako's natural love for everyone, even outcasts had made her an outcast herself. Her friendship with Usagi had automatically branded her as a "freak" in their early days. But, none of these compared to Usagi's hardships. None of them ever had to go through the Mental pain AND physical pain that Usagi had.
Mars; "We're with you One-Hundred Percent."
Venus smiled back to her best friend, whom she had known virtually forever. "We'll stick with you till the end, we always have, and always will."
Mercury nodded. "That's what friends are for, right?"
Feeling loved, Moon nodded. "Thanks you guys. You don't know how much I appreciate you going along with this. Only a true friend would."
Jupiter grinned as she clenched her fists. "Let's get this show on the road and kick some butt!"
Moon nodded. "Right!"
~*~*~
Akii pulled her upper-body Armor over her head, the last of her preparations before her fight with the Senshi. She hadn't yet notified Beryl of her plan, but didn't plan to either. If she beat the Senshi tonight, after taking Sailor Moon's power and killing the rest, she would go to Earth and take care of some unfinished business that she had left when she was taken back to the Dark Kingdom.
She quickly stood to her feet, revealing her pure white body suit. Her gloves and boots were white as well. Her hair was cut short and spiked at the end like that of a Saiyan. On her face she wore a sly smirk, calling out her own victory before her win. She could take on the Senshi in whatever form they wished for the Dark Energy flowing within her veins was strong and would guide her well. She would defeat them on any plain at anytime. The sooner the better.
Her plan was to take out the Senshi here and now, and, upon returning the Moon Princess to her queen, ask for permission to travel to Earth to take care of one last item on her list. But for now, that would have to wait. Taking the Senshi out was the first thing she had to do.
Akii walked out of her quarters, where she noticed one of the Dark Kingdom's lead scientists. She wondered what he could have possibly be doing out of his laboratory. His job was to create vicious monsters and vicious monsters only. Not to be running loose. "You there!" The old scientists stopped abruptly in his step and turned around with haste. His face was full of fright, like he had just seen a ghost. "State your business before I have you killed!"
"They are here!"
Akii flinched away. "What?!"
"I was on my way to tell her majesty when..."
Akii frowned. "If you value your life you won't say a word to her!" The scientist said nothing, instead, he only nodded, showing his compliance. "Get back to your position and finish that creature you were building for me!"
"I...I..."
Akii scowled harder at the ragged man. "Spit it out!"
The man gulped with fear for he knew upsetting his superior would lead to death. "The Senshi have walked through my breeding grounds, all creatures I have been incubating have been killed or severely injured. I will have nothing for at least another week."
Akii clenched her fists, as well as her teeth. Those brats had caused more of a problem than she could handle. Now she would have to deal with them completely on her own, not that she would have a problem with them anyway, but it would have been nice to have some help. "Then get back and stay there! Do not speak to Beryl or I will have your head!"
~*~*~
Earth:
Mamoru had just barely missed the girls' departure when he arrived at their treehouse, where he had felt Usagi for the longest time. He had hoped she would still be there while he made his way there, but halfway there, he had felt their energy signature's fall completely off of scale. Now where could they have gone? They didn't have anything to jump time with, had they? Usagi had been pretty set on defeating Beryl when they had left the shattered Moon Kingdom, maybe she had found a way to go travel to the Dark Kingdom, but how? She definitely didn't have a dimensional jumper, no such thing had ever been created. And it wasn't as if she could travel in and out of different dimensions with her teleportation. What else could it be? There was only one other person whom he knew of that could travel between dimensions besides Beryl. He looked up to the Moon in the sky with a smirk. That was it. That's how Usagi had gone to the Dark Kingdom.
~*~*~
The Senshi had quickened their pace, allowing them to approach their target, the castle much faster than before. Now, they were halfway to their destination and by now, with every step Sailor Moon's heart fluttered more and more. Millions of questions ran through her head over and over. Questions like: Was she doing the right thing? Would she regret this? Would her friends really going to stand by and help her kill herself if necessary? Would she chicken out? All of these and more contributed to her newly formed fear, but she knew, in her heart, that she couldn't give up. It was her duty to protect the Earth as not only her father's daughter, but as the Senshi of the Moon and the Moon Princess.
Mercury, who was still at her leader's side, glanced to her side at Sailor Moon as she walked with her head low. She could tell that Moon was having second thoughts, thinking through her decision slowly and carefully. Maybe if they were lucky, she would change her mind and think of yet another way to defeat Beryl. Death didn't have to be the way. "Hey..." Just as she was about to attempt to comfort her friend, the gasping shock of her friends up ahead cut her short.
The two Senshi in the back, Mercury and Moon quickly shot their heads up and in the direction of Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, who were further ahead scouting the terrain for any possible trouble. And that's exactly what they had found, trouble.
Knowing that Moon would have to make it until the end, Mercury pushed Moon back to keep her safe. "What's wrong?!" Moon froze in place and, for a moment, allowed herself to stay behind, her heart beating faster than she could keep up.
The three Senshi in front prepared themselves for combat. Out of no where a tall figure had appeared before them. From the shape of the body, it appeared to be that of a woman who just happened to hold more Dark Energy than Raditz had.
Venus unconsciously shook out of fear. Where had this one come from? "We've been attacked."
The figure emerged from her shadows, revealing herself to the Senshi. "Quite the contrary. You have attacked us."
Mercury looked back to her leader to make sure she was still safe, and quickly raced to join her fellow Senshi. "Who're you?!"
Jupiter clenched her fists. "We never attacked you!"
The female addressed Mercury first. "I am known as Akii. You shouldn't have come here, unless death it what you please!" Hearing this only made Moon duck her head down further, but this time out of anger, and not fear. Akii grinned. "Why, I think I've angered the Princess." She mockingly bowed down. "My apologies."
Jupiter frowned. "You witch!"
Akii's eye flashed white as she looked up to the Senshi of Jupiter. "My, my, such harsh words. Haven't your parents ever taught you to respect adults?"
"What would you know about parenting?"
Akii grinned, knowing her position on this subject matter. "More than you think."
Sailor Moon slowly raised her head and glared at her enemy. Although she wished not to, she knew that she would have to use some of her energy on fighting this 'Akii'. That would mean less power for Beryl and more of a chance of dying, but it wasn't like she wasn't prepared. "Shut up!"
Akii frowned as she looked back to the lagging Senshi. "Excuse me!"
"You heard me. I told you to shut up!"
Mars smiled back at her Princess. "Let us take her out. You save your energy for the final fight."
Akii; "Idiots. This IS the final fight. Not a single one of you can hurt me. You won't even reach the castle. I'll take you out in less than ten minutes."
Venus grinned. "Oh really? Then why haven't you already done it?"
Akii glared at the girl in orange as she pulled back. "Why don't I show you, then all your doubt will be put behind you."
Venus mimicked Akii's movements. The rest of the Senshi were to follow. "Fine by me."
Akii smiled to herself as she prepared for her fight, which she figured she already had won. She didn't even have to use a third of her energy to take these bozo's out. 'Good, good. That's it, throw yourselves into death.'
Jupiter glanced over her shoulder back to her fellow Senshi. "On three..." Mars and Mercury exchanged glances of confusion. Jupiter sighed as she looked back to Akii, who seemed to be too busy powering up to notice them. Perfect, she thought to herself. With her power level high enough, she created a link between the five of them. 'On three we all attack. All except Usagi, that is.'
Mars nodded, still not seeing what good that would do. 'Sure, so when we do that, it hurts her, but it doesn't destroy her.'
Moon intercepted. 'No. Jupiter's plan should work. It won't destroy her, but it will make her weak enough to where I won't have to use as much energy to defeat her. She's about as strong as Cell was when he was at full power. If you all work together to take her down then we'll be good to go. Remember, the key to beating Cell was teamwork. No one of us could beat him at one time, but combined we were unbeatable, right Jupiter?'
Jupiter nodded. 'Exactly.'
Akii, now finished with her power up, advanced the for the nearest Senshi, Mars, who wasn't fully paying attention to her surroundings for she was paying more attention to her link. She raised her power infested fist and smashed it into the side of Mars' ribcage, causing her to fly back into a giant pile of goo.
Venus flinched. "Mars!" She quickly ran for cover as she saw Akii nearing her with a fist surrounded completely by black Ki energy.
Akii advanced for Moon next in a fitting rage. So far, things had been easier than she had expected. But not for long. Jupiter lined herself up directly with the warrior, scowling at her every minute. She would need to buy some time for Mars to recover. "Supreme Thunder!"
A spiraling ball of Thunder came crashing toward Akii, who currently had her back turned to the Senshi of Thunder. She was completely unaware of her situation, but, just as the two made contact, she swiftly jumped to the side, leaving Sailor Moon wide open for a hit.
Jupiter; "Usagi! Move!"
But Akii wasn't about to let the child of the Moon get hurt. She needed her very much alive for the extraction process. "Damnit!" She raised her power enhanced hand and fired the exterior energy toward Jupiter's attack, immediately canceling it out.
Sailor Moon lowered her head with a frown planted on her face. 'I hate this! I feel so weak!'
Meanwhile, Mars still sat firmly in her pile of black ooze with a disgusted face. She lifted up her arm and immediately the goo began oozing off of it. She wrinkled her nose. "Oh, now that's just nasty." She sighed as she tried to push herself up, but her hands kept slipping. Not wanting to waste anytime, she used her ability to fly to pull herself out. "She's really gonna pay now!"
"I'm up!" She yelled out at the top of her lungs, but looking down to the ground she noticed that her friends seemed to be in a pinch of their own. It was three on one with the Senshi using Akii's power fist attack. And even though it was a triple team attack, Akii seemed to be holding up quite well, almost as if she were Goku herself. "Now where di she learn how to fight?" Looking a little further away from the fight, she noticed Sailor Moon all alone. How she wished she could join in on the fun.
Mars rolled her eyes as she watched the child's play. Her friends were only wasting time while they waited for her to get out of her situation, which she had. And now it was time to commence their attack. "Yoo Hoo!"
The Senshi immediately pulled away from Akii, forming a circle around her. They didn't even have to confirm with Mars before they would begin. Taking time out for that would only cause more problems than they needed. This was only a preliminary fight, a bump in the road. They needed to get the job done as soon as possible and they weren't about to waste any time on Akii.
The four Senshi took the form of a circle around Akii. One high in the air, one lower than that, one even lower than that, and one of the ground, just like with Cell. They remembered how it worked better at different altitudes and more spread out. The enemy was less likely to be able to block everything if they did. At least one hit would have to make it.
Akii stared up and all around at the Senshi in confusion, but ended up laughing. "So what? Are you guys going to play a friendly game of ring-around-the-rosie? Sorry girls, it's too late to ask for forgiveness, but I'll make sure you have a nice place in hell."
The Senshi all exchanged faces. How dumb Akii really was. They had no intention of playing a child's game with her. They had no intention of asking for forgiveness. They did, however, have intentions of destroying her. With a single nod the girls knew exactly what to do.
Mercury; "Shabon Spray!"
Mars; "Mars Fire Soul!"
Venus; "Crescent Beam!"
Jupiter; "Supreme Thunder!"
At once, the sky grew bright with a spectacular color, blinding any creatures around. The four powers combined looked like a rainbow after a spring rain.
Sailor Moon watched in complete awe at the dazzling colors that now filled the sky. It was even more beautiful than the glimmering Moon. "Amazing..."
The four attacks bound together to work as one and reflected off one another unto it's target, the evil Akii, who was too stunned herself to move a single step, thus letting the gigantic attack hit her straight on. "You will never beat...!" She tried to yell out, but she was cut off mid sentence by the deafening sound of the explosion which was made at impact.
Sailor Moon pulled off her tiara, ready for her portion of the attack. She would once again deliver the final blow. The Senshi who had pulled off the attack all stepped away from the explosion, which had caused all the goo on the ground to be thrown up. Mars especially got outta there. She had no desire to be covered in that stuff again.
If any normal person had watched that, they would have expected that Akii was now lying dead somewhere, but to those who could read energy levels, she was very much alive, just wounded. Only the power of the Moon could truly defeat those of the Dark Kingdom. They were somehow linked with one another.
As soon as the light cleared, thousands of tiny glops of ooze could be seen falling from the sky as a result of the planet's gravity. And Akii could be seen crawling away from a giant hole, which had obviously been caused by the blast. Her legs seemed to be broken, as she was pulling herself along by her arms only.
Sailor Moon neared her foe, her fellow Senshi doing the same. "Evil shall live no longer..." She said in a calm voice. She held her tiara like a Frisbee in her arms and smiled. Now she would get her chance to fight, even if it wasn't much. "Moon... Tiara..."
"Wait!" Akii yelled as she held her hand in the air to silence the child.
Jupiter kicked the woman in the ribs. "Silence! You weren't going to forgive us! Why should we forgive YOU!?"
Akii groaned as she tried desperately to roll herself over on her back. "I know that I should die, I do not argue that. I was beaten, and to my pride that means everything. I shall rather die than live knowing that I have lost to children." Her face lost almost all hatred, taking up qualities of that of a loving mother and wife. "But, I want to be able to tell you something." Sailor Moon lowered her half charged tiara. Jupiter frowned at her leader, but didn't question her judgment. It was obvious Akii couldn't do anything more in her condition. "I was not always like this. In fact, I am not like this at all."
Mars frowned. "Oh really? Sounds to me like you're trying to see forgiveness. Give it up already."
Akii sighed. "I wasn't expecting you to be so smart, brat. I should have had you all taken out by now, but for some reason, that doesn't matter to me anymore. I feel... I feel... I feel different somehow. As soon as I felt that blast I felt as if I were being purified again."
Sailor Moon cocked her head in confusion. "Again?"
Akii nodded. "Yes. As I said, I was not always like this. You see, I am not from this time. I am from at least seventy five years in the past. At least, that is what Beryl has told me."
Sailor Moon kneeled beside Akii, ready to hear a story. But Jupiter wasn't going to have it. She quickly jumped to Moon's side and tried to pull her away. "She's dangerous. Don't get to close."
Moon frowned. "Makoto, please. Akii, please continue. Did Beryl tell you why she took you from the past?"
Akii nodded. "My story is as such. I only know about my childhood from what Beryl has told me, but I do not doubt her actions from what I've seen. She has told me all of her plans, big and small. When I was a baby, I did not even live on Earth. I lived on a planet named Vejita. You of all people should know about the planet, Sailor Moon." Sailor Moon immediately bolted her eyes up to Venus, no long weary of this woman. "I was born with the power to heal, thus making me a Saiyan healer. Saiyan healers are hated among Saiyan Warriors. We have no desire to fight, like them. Naturally, I was sentenced to death as an infant by the king, my father was to carry out the killing. But, there came a Queen from many years into the future, Beryl. She was seeking out the infant Goku. She had heard of him in her own time, and wanted to hire him as her Guardian and fighter. She told the people there that she needed him as an infant so she could raise him into her thinking. But the boy's father Bardock would not have it. He said that his son would be sent to earth in just a few days. Beryl was quite angry and had a fit."
Sailor Moon, now scowling, leaned in further. "Why did she want my dad?"
"She wanted him because she knew how powerful he would be. He wanted you to have to fight him so you would be confused and think that he is really your father and not want to fight him. After being refused the child, she stormed into the room, where she overheard the conversation between the king and my father. She inquired about my power, and upon hearing what I would be able to do, she immediately changed her mind and ordered for me to be given to her. There really was no argument over that. My father was happy to give me to the fiery haired woman. That virtually ended my life as a Saiyan. I was taken here, where I was raised until I was about fourteen years of age. I hated my life here, I was taught nothing but war and hate, when I really wanted nothing but peace. During this time, my mother, as I referred to her, scouted out other people to work under her in order to kill you and retrieve your energy.
"She found Cell first, or at least, his body. She had to do much time travelling to do this though. Of course we know, Pluto was the one who allowed her to do this for a reason we don't know. She probably knew this would happen. It took years to develop Cell, but that's another story. When I was fourteen, I found a way to get to Earth. I don't know how or why, but a portal to your dimension was open in my mother's lair. I jumped in, hoping to get away from the madness. I was successful, but upon arrival here, I was treated like dirt, for many of the same reasons that you are, Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon shook her head in disbelief. She was still stuck on the fact that this woman was a Saiyan. What, or rather who would that make her?
"I ended up wandering the streets for about a year and a half before I found an adoptive family. They took me in almost right away. Until I was about eighteen I lived a normal and happy life, well, as normal as I could get it. People still made fun of me, but not in so much excess. They just rather ignored me. Except for one boy, my true love. We became friends almost immediately. He loved science with all his heart and always took me on his little adventures. I'll never forget his face. Dr. Souichi Tomoe. Three years passed, and our friendship grew over the years. What was once an innocent relationship soon became marriage. Not much happened after we were married, except, we had a child, a daughter. She was such a beautiful child. Very talkative, but also very well mannered. She too bore the power of the healers. Her name is Hotaru, she should be six by now. My how the time has passed. I miss her dearly."
There was no doubt about it. This was definitely Hotaru's mother. Sailor Moon's eyes widened to their fullest extent as she gazed down at the injured figure. Finally, her question of how another Saiyan could have existed had now been answered.
"One day, when Hotaru was about three years old, she and her father went out, leaving me home alone. I was just cleaning up around the house, waiting for them to return so that we might dine together. But, an unexpected guest showed up. Someone grabbed me from behind and held me tight. I tried to struggle free, but their grip was too tight. Whoever it was ended up knocking me out and when I woke up, I was strapped down to a table, and my mother approached me. She said something to a tall man who was on my other side, whom I had never seen before and before I knew it, they were injecting me with massive amounts of Dark Energy. I cried out for them to stop, but my mother said it was for the better, that if I ever tried it again she would capture me again and kill me. At that point I relaxed. I had no desire to die. Luckily, she hadn't mentioned my husband or daughter, but I can only imagine their faces when they couldn't find me when they got home. In the back of my head, I've had an urge to travel back to Earth, to say goodbye to my daughter properly. I don't want her to worry about me, the little thing had such an attachment to me. I hope my leaving didn't wound her too much. And to my husband. I miss him so. That was what I was planing on doing when I killed you. I had no desire to kill them, even under the influence of the Dark Kingdom. That was one spot in my heart that they could never touch." She paused to cough, and when she did, spirts of blood flew out of her mouth. She knew death was nearing. She was too weak to hold on. "But, you delivered me from that hell hold. Somehow your energy combined drove out the dark energy from my body. But, I am afraid I'm going to die, whether I like it or not."
Sailor Moon gasped as she grabbed Akii by the shoulders and shook her. "What are you talking about! I can heal you! You can return to your family! I know them! Hotaru is one of my best friends!"
Akii smiled as she gently grabbed Moon's wrist. "I would love that, but I'm afraid Beryl would just hunt me down and use me for her own evil deeds again."
Mercury grinned. "We're going to take care of that. She's going to be destroyed by Sailor Moon tonight."
Akii closed her eyes. "If I don't make it, please tell my husband and daughter that I love them, that I'm ok."
Sailor Moon frowned. "You WILL make it!"
"Will she now?!" Yelled a voice from above.
The Senshi gasped as they turned around. That was a voice that they had never heard before.
(Ok, just to let you know, I most likely will not get a chapter out tomorrow. There is a basketball game in which I have to be at for band in school. Because of this I will not have enough time to get a chapter written in time to post it. But, I will have one out on Saturday. Ok, I just didn't want you to think that I was loosing my one chapter a day thing already. ^_^ )
The stage is now set. Usagi is ready to commence with her final plans to destroy the Dark Kingdom and restore peace to Earth. The Senshi would take the game into their hands.
~*~*~
Dark Kingdom:
Five Senshi of love and justice stepped away from the Gates of time, leaving Pluto behind with Luna and Artimas, where they would stay until the final showdown was over. The groups waved goodbye to each other, with the two cats thinking it would most likely be their last time seeing their Princess. But Pluto thought otherwise. She knew the child's future, but still, there was that slight chance that something could trigger the future to change.
The Senshi walked forward with Sailor Moon lagging behind and looking back at Pluto. She gave the trio a thumbs up as if to claim victory before winning. Pluto nodded back with a smile. "Good luck, Princess." She stepped back, motioning for the cats to do the same, and slowly, the doors began to close. Now Sailor Moon and her friends were sealed in this dimension, never to return until the victory was truly claimed by her side.
Mercury paused and turned her upper body back to Sailor Moon, allowing her friends to go ahead. "Let's go." She said calmly, trying not to upset Moon.
Moon nodded as she joined the Senshi in blue. As the two began walking forward to join the rest of the group, Moon began to examine her surroundings. They seemed to be outside, the air was muggy all around. This new, desolate land of death was completely dark with a few red stars above to guide the way to a tall castle, which sat atop a tall mountain in the far distance. The terrain seemed rather squishy beneath her feet, indicating to her that they were in some sort of swamp lands.
Lingering behind the rest of the group, a shivering tingle ran up the spine of the young Senshi of the Moon. Being here reminded her of her abduction only three nights before. The same amount of hate energy that she had felt while her stay at the Castle pulsed through the air outside as well. She wondered how anything could be that full of dark energy. She ducked her head and grabbed her arms for comfort while she continued to lag behind the group.
At the front of the group was Sailor Mars, walking nervously and slowly. She didn't want to take too fast of a pace for fear of startling the surroundings. She clenched her fists, ready for anything that might be preparing to jump out at them. Never had she been in such a frightening place, and never again did she wish to be after this whole ordeal was over. Her only reason for not turning back was her leader's wish to go on, which she still wasn't too keen on. How could Usagi be so selfish; to take on such a task such as this, to leave everything up to her? It wasn't fair. She had a life too. She shouldn't have been expected to give it up for the world which had always turned her out. Mars wanted so much to tell her 'No'. She didn't want to see her throw her life away, there had to be another way. Maybe if they all worked together. She knew not to say anything at the moment for Usagi had already made up her mind, but when the time came to actually going through with the plan, then maybe, just maybe Usagi would be in a different mind set. She couldn't just WANT to die, could she?
Venus was having almost the same thoughts. She worried that her friend might be doing the wrong thing, that she might be jumping the gun on this whole situation. But much like Mars, she wasn't about to say anything. Usagi had always tried to be strong in times like this, but, like in the fight with Cell, had fallen short. Usagi had a tendency to try to show her foe her power, much like the fight that took place at school the day before. Venus figured that this was the reason why Usagi insisted on getting the job done now while she could before waiting for something else to attack and kill even more people. For this, Venus kept her mouth shut. She respected her friend's decision, but also feared for her.
Jupiter walked next to Mercury, who was already scanning the area with her computer. She peeked over her comrade's shoulder and saw nothing but a bright, blue screen, which seemed to symbolize the Dark Energy levels. "This must really be the Dark Kingdom, it's so full of their energy."
Mercury flinched with surprise when she turned her head and saw nothing but Jupiter's face. She raised her hand to her heart and sighed. "Don't scare me like that."
Jupiter pulled away, a smile formed on her face. "Sorry." She said as she looked up to the dark, gloomy grayness of the sky. Black clouds seemed to be forming off in the distance.
Mercury calmed herself as she looked around. Dark Energy levels were soaring. It seemed to be everywhere, but most of its concentration seemed to be around Beryl's castle, naturally. The castle which was their very destination. Mercury couldn't help but feel scared. This would be just like the fight with Cell, except now she was stronger and she knew a little more of what she was doing. Her skill had improved tremendously since then and now, there was no doubt that she would stand with Sailor Moon until the very end.
Jupiter slowed down her pace until she was directly lined up with Sailor Moon. "Uh..." She started as she raised her hand behind her head to scratch it. "I... Uh..."
Sailor Moon stared into Jupiter's eyes. She didn't even have to hear her out before she understood what was going to be said. "I know you're worried, Makoto, but I already told you, I have to do this." She looked down to her intertwined hands. "I'm sorry."
Jupiter wrapped her arm around her leader's neck to comfort her. In fact she had not tried to talk her out of her decision. She was only trying to comfort her, make it easier on her. She knew Sailor Moon had to be feeling awful inside, like she was betraying her family and friends. "Don't, Usagi. Don't think we don't want you to do this."
Mars, still with her feelings intact, glanced over her shoulder. She felt sorry for Usagi. Out of the entire gang of friends, Usagi had always received the worst treatment by far. Everyone always made fun of her for having a tail, which started it off. And, as knowing kids, they started getting nit-picky about everything she did, even her teachers treated her like crap. The only real reason she had ever gained respect in the first place was because of her skill in the Martial Arts. Sure, the other kids had had their fair share of problems, with Rei having her Mental powers and Makoto being somewhat of a Tomboy. Ami's love for books and learning had always made her an outcast. And Minako's natural love for everyone, even outcasts had made her an outcast herself. Her friendship with Usagi had automatically branded her as a "freak" in their early days. But, none of these compared to Usagi's hardships. None of them ever had to go through the Mental pain AND physical pain that Usagi had.
Mars; "We're with you One-Hundred Percent."
Venus smiled back to her best friend, whom she had known virtually forever. "We'll stick with you till the end, we always have, and always will."
Mercury nodded. "That's what friends are for, right?"
Feeling loved, Moon nodded. "Thanks you guys. You don't know how much I appreciate you going along with this. Only a true friend would."
Jupiter grinned as she clenched her fists. "Let's get this show on the road and kick some butt!"
Moon nodded. "Right!"
~*~*~
Akii pulled her upper-body Armor over her head, the last of her preparations before her fight with the Senshi. She hadn't yet notified Beryl of her plan, but didn't plan to either. If she beat the Senshi tonight, after taking Sailor Moon's power and killing the rest, she would go to Earth and take care of some unfinished business that she had left when she was taken back to the Dark Kingdom.
She quickly stood to her feet, revealing her pure white body suit. Her gloves and boots were white as well. Her hair was cut short and spiked at the end like that of a Saiyan. On her face she wore a sly smirk, calling out her own victory before her win. She could take on the Senshi in whatever form they wished for the Dark Energy flowing within her veins was strong and would guide her well. She would defeat them on any plain at anytime. The sooner the better.
Her plan was to take out the Senshi here and now, and, upon returning the Moon Princess to her queen, ask for permission to travel to Earth to take care of one last item on her list. But for now, that would have to wait. Taking the Senshi out was the first thing she had to do.
Akii walked out of her quarters, where she noticed one of the Dark Kingdom's lead scientists. She wondered what he could have possibly be doing out of his laboratory. His job was to create vicious monsters and vicious monsters only. Not to be running loose. "You there!" The old scientists stopped abruptly in his step and turned around with haste. His face was full of fright, like he had just seen a ghost. "State your business before I have you killed!"
"They are here!"
Akii flinched away. "What?!"
"I was on my way to tell her majesty when..."
Akii frowned. "If you value your life you won't say a word to her!" The scientist said nothing, instead, he only nodded, showing his compliance. "Get back to your position and finish that creature you were building for me!"
"I...I..."
Akii scowled harder at the ragged man. "Spit it out!"
The man gulped with fear for he knew upsetting his superior would lead to death. "The Senshi have walked through my breeding grounds, all creatures I have been incubating have been killed or severely injured. I will have nothing for at least another week."
Akii clenched her fists, as well as her teeth. Those brats had caused more of a problem than she could handle. Now she would have to deal with them completely on her own, not that she would have a problem with them anyway, but it would have been nice to have some help. "Then get back and stay there! Do not speak to Beryl or I will have your head!"
~*~*~
Earth:
Mamoru had just barely missed the girls' departure when he arrived at their treehouse, where he had felt Usagi for the longest time. He had hoped she would still be there while he made his way there, but halfway there, he had felt their energy signature's fall completely off of scale. Now where could they have gone? They didn't have anything to jump time with, had they? Usagi had been pretty set on defeating Beryl when they had left the shattered Moon Kingdom, maybe she had found a way to go travel to the Dark Kingdom, but how? She definitely didn't have a dimensional jumper, no such thing had ever been created. And it wasn't as if she could travel in and out of different dimensions with her teleportation. What else could it be? There was only one other person whom he knew of that could travel between dimensions besides Beryl. He looked up to the Moon in the sky with a smirk. That was it. That's how Usagi had gone to the Dark Kingdom.
~*~*~
The Senshi had quickened their pace, allowing them to approach their target, the castle much faster than before. Now, they were halfway to their destination and by now, with every step Sailor Moon's heart fluttered more and more. Millions of questions ran through her head over and over. Questions like: Was she doing the right thing? Would she regret this? Would her friends really going to stand by and help her kill herself if necessary? Would she chicken out? All of these and more contributed to her newly formed fear, but she knew, in her heart, that she couldn't give up. It was her duty to protect the Earth as not only her father's daughter, but as the Senshi of the Moon and the Moon Princess.
Mercury, who was still at her leader's side, glanced to her side at Sailor Moon as she walked with her head low. She could tell that Moon was having second thoughts, thinking through her decision slowly and carefully. Maybe if they were lucky, she would change her mind and think of yet another way to defeat Beryl. Death didn't have to be the way. "Hey..." Just as she was about to attempt to comfort her friend, the gasping shock of her friends up ahead cut her short.
The two Senshi in the back, Mercury and Moon quickly shot their heads up and in the direction of Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, who were further ahead scouting the terrain for any possible trouble. And that's exactly what they had found, trouble.
Knowing that Moon would have to make it until the end, Mercury pushed Moon back to keep her safe. "What's wrong?!" Moon froze in place and, for a moment, allowed herself to stay behind, her heart beating faster than she could keep up.
The three Senshi in front prepared themselves for combat. Out of no where a tall figure had appeared before them. From the shape of the body, it appeared to be that of a woman who just happened to hold more Dark Energy than Raditz had.
Venus unconsciously shook out of fear. Where had this one come from? "We've been attacked."
The figure emerged from her shadows, revealing herself to the Senshi. "Quite the contrary. You have attacked us."
Mercury looked back to her leader to make sure she was still safe, and quickly raced to join her fellow Senshi. "Who're you?!"
Jupiter clenched her fists. "We never attacked you!"
The female addressed Mercury first. "I am known as Akii. You shouldn't have come here, unless death it what you please!" Hearing this only made Moon duck her head down further, but this time out of anger, and not fear. Akii grinned. "Why, I think I've angered the Princess." She mockingly bowed down. "My apologies."
Jupiter frowned. "You witch!"
Akii's eye flashed white as she looked up to the Senshi of Jupiter. "My, my, such harsh words. Haven't your parents ever taught you to respect adults?"
"What would you know about parenting?"
Akii grinned, knowing her position on this subject matter. "More than you think."
Sailor Moon slowly raised her head and glared at her enemy. Although she wished not to, she knew that she would have to use some of her energy on fighting this 'Akii'. That would mean less power for Beryl and more of a chance of dying, but it wasn't like she wasn't prepared. "Shut up!"
Akii frowned as she looked back to the lagging Senshi. "Excuse me!"
"You heard me. I told you to shut up!"
Mars smiled back at her Princess. "Let us take her out. You save your energy for the final fight."
Akii; "Idiots. This IS the final fight. Not a single one of you can hurt me. You won't even reach the castle. I'll take you out in less than ten minutes."
Venus grinned. "Oh really? Then why haven't you already done it?"
Akii glared at the girl in orange as she pulled back. "Why don't I show you, then all your doubt will be put behind you."
Venus mimicked Akii's movements. The rest of the Senshi were to follow. "Fine by me."
Akii smiled to herself as she prepared for her fight, which she figured she already had won. She didn't even have to use a third of her energy to take these bozo's out. 'Good, good. That's it, throw yourselves into death.'
Jupiter glanced over her shoulder back to her fellow Senshi. "On three..." Mars and Mercury exchanged glances of confusion. Jupiter sighed as she looked back to Akii, who seemed to be too busy powering up to notice them. Perfect, she thought to herself. With her power level high enough, she created a link between the five of them. 'On three we all attack. All except Usagi, that is.'
Mars nodded, still not seeing what good that would do. 'Sure, so when we do that, it hurts her, but it doesn't destroy her.'
Moon intercepted. 'No. Jupiter's plan should work. It won't destroy her, but it will make her weak enough to where I won't have to use as much energy to defeat her. She's about as strong as Cell was when he was at full power. If you all work together to take her down then we'll be good to go. Remember, the key to beating Cell was teamwork. No one of us could beat him at one time, but combined we were unbeatable, right Jupiter?'
Jupiter nodded. 'Exactly.'
Akii, now finished with her power up, advanced the for the nearest Senshi, Mars, who wasn't fully paying attention to her surroundings for she was paying more attention to her link. She raised her power infested fist and smashed it into the side of Mars' ribcage, causing her to fly back into a giant pile of goo.
Venus flinched. "Mars!" She quickly ran for cover as she saw Akii nearing her with a fist surrounded completely by black Ki energy.
Akii advanced for Moon next in a fitting rage. So far, things had been easier than she had expected. But not for long. Jupiter lined herself up directly with the warrior, scowling at her every minute. She would need to buy some time for Mars to recover. "Supreme Thunder!"
A spiraling ball of Thunder came crashing toward Akii, who currently had her back turned to the Senshi of Thunder. She was completely unaware of her situation, but, just as the two made contact, she swiftly jumped to the side, leaving Sailor Moon wide open for a hit.
Jupiter; "Usagi! Move!"
But Akii wasn't about to let the child of the Moon get hurt. She needed her very much alive for the extraction process. "Damnit!" She raised her power enhanced hand and fired the exterior energy toward Jupiter's attack, immediately canceling it out.
Sailor Moon lowered her head with a frown planted on her face. 'I hate this! I feel so weak!'
Meanwhile, Mars still sat firmly in her pile of black ooze with a disgusted face. She lifted up her arm and immediately the goo began oozing off of it. She wrinkled her nose. "Oh, now that's just nasty." She sighed as she tried to push herself up, but her hands kept slipping. Not wanting to waste anytime, she used her ability to fly to pull herself out. "She's really gonna pay now!"
"I'm up!" She yelled out at the top of her lungs, but looking down to the ground she noticed that her friends seemed to be in a pinch of their own. It was three on one with the Senshi using Akii's power fist attack. And even though it was a triple team attack, Akii seemed to be holding up quite well, almost as if she were Goku herself. "Now where di she learn how to fight?" Looking a little further away from the fight, she noticed Sailor Moon all alone. How she wished she could join in on the fun.
Mars rolled her eyes as she watched the child's play. Her friends were only wasting time while they waited for her to get out of her situation, which she had. And now it was time to commence their attack. "Yoo Hoo!"
The Senshi immediately pulled away from Akii, forming a circle around her. They didn't even have to confirm with Mars before they would begin. Taking time out for that would only cause more problems than they needed. This was only a preliminary fight, a bump in the road. They needed to get the job done as soon as possible and they weren't about to waste any time on Akii.
The four Senshi took the form of a circle around Akii. One high in the air, one lower than that, one even lower than that, and one of the ground, just like with Cell. They remembered how it worked better at different altitudes and more spread out. The enemy was less likely to be able to block everything if they did. At least one hit would have to make it.
Akii stared up and all around at the Senshi in confusion, but ended up laughing. "So what? Are you guys going to play a friendly game of ring-around-the-rosie? Sorry girls, it's too late to ask for forgiveness, but I'll make sure you have a nice place in hell."
The Senshi all exchanged faces. How dumb Akii really was. They had no intention of playing a child's game with her. They had no intention of asking for forgiveness. They did, however, have intentions of destroying her. With a single nod the girls knew exactly what to do.
Mercury; "Shabon Spray!"
Mars; "Mars Fire Soul!"
Venus; "Crescent Beam!"
Jupiter; "Supreme Thunder!"
At once, the sky grew bright with a spectacular color, blinding any creatures around. The four powers combined looked like a rainbow after a spring rain.
Sailor Moon watched in complete awe at the dazzling colors that now filled the sky. It was even more beautiful than the glimmering Moon. "Amazing..."
The four attacks bound together to work as one and reflected off one another unto it's target, the evil Akii, who was too stunned herself to move a single step, thus letting the gigantic attack hit her straight on. "You will never beat...!" She tried to yell out, but she was cut off mid sentence by the deafening sound of the explosion which was made at impact.
Sailor Moon pulled off her tiara, ready for her portion of the attack. She would once again deliver the final blow. The Senshi who had pulled off the attack all stepped away from the explosion, which had caused all the goo on the ground to be thrown up. Mars especially got outta there. She had no desire to be covered in that stuff again.
If any normal person had watched that, they would have expected that Akii was now lying dead somewhere, but to those who could read energy levels, she was very much alive, just wounded. Only the power of the Moon could truly defeat those of the Dark Kingdom. They were somehow linked with one another.
As soon as the light cleared, thousands of tiny glops of ooze could be seen falling from the sky as a result of the planet's gravity. And Akii could be seen crawling away from a giant hole, which had obviously been caused by the blast. Her legs seemed to be broken, as she was pulling herself along by her arms only.
Sailor Moon neared her foe, her fellow Senshi doing the same. "Evil shall live no longer..." She said in a calm voice. She held her tiara like a Frisbee in her arms and smiled. Now she would get her chance to fight, even if it wasn't much. "Moon... Tiara..."
"Wait!" Akii yelled as she held her hand in the air to silence the child.
Jupiter kicked the woman in the ribs. "Silence! You weren't going to forgive us! Why should we forgive YOU!?"
Akii groaned as she tried desperately to roll herself over on her back. "I know that I should die, I do not argue that. I was beaten, and to my pride that means everything. I shall rather die than live knowing that I have lost to children." Her face lost almost all hatred, taking up qualities of that of a loving mother and wife. "But, I want to be able to tell you something." Sailor Moon lowered her half charged tiara. Jupiter frowned at her leader, but didn't question her judgment. It was obvious Akii couldn't do anything more in her condition. "I was not always like this. In fact, I am not like this at all."
Mars frowned. "Oh really? Sounds to me like you're trying to see forgiveness. Give it up already."
Akii sighed. "I wasn't expecting you to be so smart, brat. I should have had you all taken out by now, but for some reason, that doesn't matter to me anymore. I feel... I feel... I feel different somehow. As soon as I felt that blast I felt as if I were being purified again."
Sailor Moon cocked her head in confusion. "Again?"
Akii nodded. "Yes. As I said, I was not always like this. You see, I am not from this time. I am from at least seventy five years in the past. At least, that is what Beryl has told me."
Sailor Moon kneeled beside Akii, ready to hear a story. But Jupiter wasn't going to have it. She quickly jumped to Moon's side and tried to pull her away. "She's dangerous. Don't get to close."
Moon frowned. "Makoto, please. Akii, please continue. Did Beryl tell you why she took you from the past?"
Akii nodded. "My story is as such. I only know about my childhood from what Beryl has told me, but I do not doubt her actions from what I've seen. She has told me all of her plans, big and small. When I was a baby, I did not even live on Earth. I lived on a planet named Vejita. You of all people should know about the planet, Sailor Moon." Sailor Moon immediately bolted her eyes up to Venus, no long weary of this woman. "I was born with the power to heal, thus making me a Saiyan healer. Saiyan healers are hated among Saiyan Warriors. We have no desire to fight, like them. Naturally, I was sentenced to death as an infant by the king, my father was to carry out the killing. But, there came a Queen from many years into the future, Beryl. She was seeking out the infant Goku. She had heard of him in her own time, and wanted to hire him as her Guardian and fighter. She told the people there that she needed him as an infant so she could raise him into her thinking. But the boy's father Bardock would not have it. He said that his son would be sent to earth in just a few days. Beryl was quite angry and had a fit."
Sailor Moon, now scowling, leaned in further. "Why did she want my dad?"
"She wanted him because she knew how powerful he would be. He wanted you to have to fight him so you would be confused and think that he is really your father and not want to fight him. After being refused the child, she stormed into the room, where she overheard the conversation between the king and my father. She inquired about my power, and upon hearing what I would be able to do, she immediately changed her mind and ordered for me to be given to her. There really was no argument over that. My father was happy to give me to the fiery haired woman. That virtually ended my life as a Saiyan. I was taken here, where I was raised until I was about fourteen years of age. I hated my life here, I was taught nothing but war and hate, when I really wanted nothing but peace. During this time, my mother, as I referred to her, scouted out other people to work under her in order to kill you and retrieve your energy.
"She found Cell first, or at least, his body. She had to do much time travelling to do this though. Of course we know, Pluto was the one who allowed her to do this for a reason we don't know. She probably knew this would happen. It took years to develop Cell, but that's another story. When I was fourteen, I found a way to get to Earth. I don't know how or why, but a portal to your dimension was open in my mother's lair. I jumped in, hoping to get away from the madness. I was successful, but upon arrival here, I was treated like dirt, for many of the same reasons that you are, Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon shook her head in disbelief. She was still stuck on the fact that this woman was a Saiyan. What, or rather who would that make her?
"I ended up wandering the streets for about a year and a half before I found an adoptive family. They took me in almost right away. Until I was about eighteen I lived a normal and happy life, well, as normal as I could get it. People still made fun of me, but not in so much excess. They just rather ignored me. Except for one boy, my true love. We became friends almost immediately. He loved science with all his heart and always took me on his little adventures. I'll never forget his face. Dr. Souichi Tomoe. Three years passed, and our friendship grew over the years. What was once an innocent relationship soon became marriage. Not much happened after we were married, except, we had a child, a daughter. She was such a beautiful child. Very talkative, but also very well mannered. She too bore the power of the healers. Her name is Hotaru, she should be six by now. My how the time has passed. I miss her dearly."
There was no doubt about it. This was definitely Hotaru's mother. Sailor Moon's eyes widened to their fullest extent as she gazed down at the injured figure. Finally, her question of how another Saiyan could have existed had now been answered.
"One day, when Hotaru was about three years old, she and her father went out, leaving me home alone. I was just cleaning up around the house, waiting for them to return so that we might dine together. But, an unexpected guest showed up. Someone grabbed me from behind and held me tight. I tried to struggle free, but their grip was too tight. Whoever it was ended up knocking me out and when I woke up, I was strapped down to a table, and my mother approached me. She said something to a tall man who was on my other side, whom I had never seen before and before I knew it, they were injecting me with massive amounts of Dark Energy. I cried out for them to stop, but my mother said it was for the better, that if I ever tried it again she would capture me again and kill me. At that point I relaxed. I had no desire to die. Luckily, she hadn't mentioned my husband or daughter, but I can only imagine their faces when they couldn't find me when they got home. In the back of my head, I've had an urge to travel back to Earth, to say goodbye to my daughter properly. I don't want her to worry about me, the little thing had such an attachment to me. I hope my leaving didn't wound her too much. And to my husband. I miss him so. That was what I was planing on doing when I killed you. I had no desire to kill them, even under the influence of the Dark Kingdom. That was one spot in my heart that they could never touch." She paused to cough, and when she did, spirts of blood flew out of her mouth. She knew death was nearing. She was too weak to hold on. "But, you delivered me from that hell hold. Somehow your energy combined drove out the dark energy from my body. But, I am afraid I'm going to die, whether I like it or not."
Sailor Moon gasped as she grabbed Akii by the shoulders and shook her. "What are you talking about! I can heal you! You can return to your family! I know them! Hotaru is one of my best friends!"
Akii smiled as she gently grabbed Moon's wrist. "I would love that, but I'm afraid Beryl would just hunt me down and use me for her own evil deeds again."
Mercury grinned. "We're going to take care of that. She's going to be destroyed by Sailor Moon tonight."
Akii closed her eyes. "If I don't make it, please tell my husband and daughter that I love them, that I'm ok."
Sailor Moon frowned. "You WILL make it!"
"Will she now?!" Yelled a voice from above.
The Senshi gasped as they turned around. That was a voice that they had never heard before.
(Ok, just to let you know, I most likely will not get a chapter out tomorrow. There is a basketball game in which I have to be at for band in school. Because of this I will not have enough time to get a chapter written in time to post it. But, I will have one out on Saturday. Ok, I just didn't want you to think that I was loosing my one chapter a day thing already. ^_^ )