THE NIGHTMARE REALM,
CHAPTER 6: "Reflections in a Shattered Mirror"
By Bill K.
The computerized door lock allowed Makoto to pass into the royal chambers. Serenity had long ago granted free access to her senshi and today Makoto was taking advantage of it.
She found Serenity by the window, engaged in painting. This was a sign. Serenity never painted unless she needed to relax. She drew frequently. Even today, a thousand years since she first started as an art assistant to the great manga artist Marie Baishaku, Serenity couldn't get drawing out of her system. But she only took up canvas and brush when she was nervous or pensive.
"She's going to be fine, hon'," Makoto said.
Serenity only gave her a cursory look, then dabbed gel-pigment onto the canvas. She was painting a scene of Luna quietly sleeping on the windowsill in the sun. Since Luna to this day steadfastly refused to pose for her, she was painting the black cat from memory.
"So will he," Makoto persisted.
"You think you know me so well," fussed Serenity. A stroke of gray highlighted Luna's back.
"That's not what you're worried about?"
"Why aren't you with Ami?" Serenity frowned.
"Because she's working late," Makoto answered, then rolled her eyes, "again. And instead of throwing her into a hammer lock and dragging her away from her computer, I thought I'd try to cheer you up." Her hand touched Serenity's shoulder. "Because out of all of us, I know what you're going through the most. I know what it's like to worry about your husband and your kid when they're away."
Makoto crossed over and sat down on a nearby chair. She leaned in and looked Serenity in the eye. Serenity sighed in frustration.
"You know," Serenity began, "after all the children that have passed through this palace and my life, you think I'd learn that there's only so much you can do to protect them. After what happened to little Fujiko - - and Keiko - - remember Keiko?" Makoto nodded wistfully. "Maybe it's because they were adopted and Usa's my own. Oh, that's a terrible thing to say."
"Don't beat yourself up," Makoto smiled. "I've got special feelings for the Asteroid Senshi. They've only been here a year, but I almost think of them as my own. Still, they'll never replace Akiko or Ichiro or any of my grandkids in my heart."
"Yeah," Serenity smiled sadly. "I think Setsuko is the only one I loved almost as much as Usa. Maybe it was because she was my first." Serenity let out a deep, almost mournful sigh. "Mako-chan, I just get this sense of dread whenever Usa leaves."
"Dread that something will happen to her," Makoto asked, "or dread that she'll leave one day and start a life of her own?"
"Yes," Serenity sighed.
"Welcome to the club," Makoto grinned. "There's so much of motherhood that makes you want to shoot yourself. If it weren't for all the sweet, sweet memories, it wouldn't be worth it."
Serenity picked up her brush again and highlighted Luna's haunch.
"Tell me again how Usa's going to be all right," Serenity asked. "I don't even care if you have to lie to me. Just tell me she's . . ."
The brush suddenly dropped from Serenity's hand. Makoto looked up and saw her queen staring off into the distance, seeing something only she could see. Her face twisted up and tears began to stream from her blue eyes.
"Serenity?" Makoto asked fearfully.
"My baby," whispered Queen Serenity.
* * * *
In her form of a pterodactyl, Sailor Vesta quickly closed the gap between her and the Pegasus in front of her. He was winging as full speed toward the temple of Echidna, which was no surprise. Vesta only hoped they could arrive before some tragedy befell her princess and his love.
Then she saw two forms fly out from the temple. Her dinosaur eyesight wasn't the keenest and it took Vesta a few moments to recognize their attackers: Goth and Tiberious, the temple attendants of Echidna. The emaciated Goth flew to intercept her while the brutish Tiberious flew - - or more accurately leaped - - toward Pegasus.
"Get out of my way or I'll turn you into scavenger chow!" Vesta warned.
"You crow fearsomely," Goth smiled and it was a chilling smile that made Vesta nauseous. "I think, though, that I can stand up to one of your slight strength."
"Your funeral," Vesta replied and dived toward the nightmarish creature.
"Sailor Vesta!" she heard Helios shout to her in her mind. "Do not let Goth touch you!"
"He's not that tough!" Vesta snapped back.
"He is the manifestation of death in the dream realms!" Helios thought urgently. "His touch can bring terrible disease and painful death! Do not let him touch you, I beseech you!"
Just then Tiberious impacted with Pegasus. His massive arms wrapped around the equine's neck. Using his weight, he bent the equine's neck around awkwardly. Pegasus was forced to choose between attempting to fly and having his neck snapped or plummeting to the ground. The pair dropped like twin stones.
"Helios!" cried Vesta, then barely dodged the lunge of Goth. Her wings carried her up away from the desiccated creature. Goth leered at her.
"Why do you run away, my dear?" Goth asked, his voice so unearthly that Vesta felt chills in her spine. "Here I thought you and I were old friends."
"Yeah, well Sensei Aino-sama warned me about perverts like you," sneered Vesta. A simple flap of her gigantic wings sent Vesta soaring over and past Goth before he - - it? - - could react. "See you at the cherry blossom festival, Dracula!"
Vesta allowed herself a moment's pride before settling on the situation at hand. Did she continue on or stop and try to aid Helios? There wasn't really a choice. She wasn't charged with protecting Helios.
"Guess you're on your own, Pony Boy," Vesta muttered, trying to suppress her feelings of guilt. Instantly, she stopped, nearly running into Goth again.
"You don't escape me that easily," and Goth gave her a skeletal smile, "Ves-Ves."
Vesta stared at him, shaken.
"I told you that you and I are old friends," Goth leered at her. "Why I've known you since you were eleven."
Vesta felt her throat constrict. She turned and flew away, only to find Goth in front of her again.
"You remember your mother, don't you?" Goth smiled contemptuously at her. "I do."
"Shut up!" roared Vesta.
"She was so beautiful, but she knew so much pain. It was tragic really."
"SHUT UP!"
"Did you know that the laser blast that killed her was actually a blessing?" Goth continued with malicious intent. "It finally ended her pain."
Vesta whirled and flung herself away. But no matter how fast she flew, Goth seemed to keep up with her.
"I knew your father, too, especially in his last moments," Goth persisted. "Would you believe he felt remorse for killing her? He did. He lost control and let his anger and violence consume him and he felt so guilty afterwards. Sound familiar?"
As she flew, Vesta's teeth clenched until they ground. She was squinting so hard to keep the tears at bay that she could barely see.
"You know what his last thoughts were?" Goth asked the fleeing dinosaur girl. "'I deserve this'. Then the police lasers cut him to ribbons."
Vesta let out a roar of agony, obliterating her last bit of sight. Momentarily blinded by rage and grief, she misjudged her position and slammed into the ground. The pterodactyl lay stunned, crumpled in the dirt. Goth landed nearby.
"You surprise me," the skeletal wraith mumbled to himself. "I thought sure I could goad you into attacking me. I guess you were capable of learning."
And he reached down to touch the massive heap crumpled on the ground.
Pegasus struggled to rise from the ground, pushing up with his massive legs as his wings splayed for balance. However, Tiberious kept a solid grip around the equine's neck. He twisted it and the pain forced Pegasus to stay pinned.
"No pretty words, master of pretty dreams?" sneered the brute.
"Would you listen?" Pegasus thought-casted as he wriggled in his foe's iron grip. "You are Echidna's aspect of cruelty and violence. Words are lost upon you."
"I'll listen to some words," he chucked as he wrenched the horse's head, giving it another painful twist. "I've always had a soft spot for begging."
Without warning, the thick neck and long head of Pegasus disappeared, replaced by a white-haired man of gentle countenance. Before Tiberious could adjust to the sudden change, Helios slipped from his grasp. Tiberious turned in time to see Helios backing away from him. As he backed, the man changed back into winged horse.
"I liked you better as a man," Tiberious said, stalking toward Pegasus confidently, his fists clenched into twin hammers. "I prefer beating on men to beating on animals. But if you insist, I'll gladly oblige you."
The brutish man lunged at the winged horse, only to have Pegasus escape his grasp. A simple thrust of his wings carried him into the air and just out of reach. Undaunted, Tiberious lunged at his quarry again. Pegasus responded by rapidly kicking out with his hooves. The sharp edges of the hooves struck home several times. Any normal man would have been opened up by the flaying edges of the hooves.
Tiberious shrugged them off.
Knowing that every second engaged with the aspect left his love threatened by Echidna, Pegasus angled off and soared up into the air. As he glided away, he barely had time to dodge an uprooted tree swung by Tiberious like a club. Though jostled by the air current thrown up by the swing, Pegasus righted himself and climbed up into the air.
"No, Maiden!" Pegasus thought, trying to project his mental warning to Sailor Moon in the temple. From this vantagepoint he could see everything that was happening. "Do not let Echidna get close to you! In her state, she is capable of anything!"
Distracted by Sailor Moon's plight, Pegasus barely had time to dodge an oncoming missile. It was the tree Tiberious had uprooted. Since it no longer served as a club, the savage aspect now employed it as a javelin. With some effort, Pegasus managed to right himself in the turbulent air currents.
Another missile slammed into the horse's side with more force than Pegasus could imagine. Thrown to one side, the ribs on his left side on fire with pain, Pegasus struggled to regain his equilibrium. From his peripheral vision, he could make out Tiberious. The barbarous monster had launched himself into the air and struck Pegasus like a cannon shell. The equine struggled to stay aloft, but every downward push of his left wing was rippling agony through him. The winged horse limped down to the ground and stumbled to a less than graceful landing. The shade of winged horse faded, leaving the man behind clutching his ribs and grimacing in pain. Yards away, Helios saw Tiberious approaching. He rubbed a huge fist with his free hand and his eyes glinted with malicious glee.
"Never let your thoughts wander in a fight," Tiberious lectured him as he approached, "particularly to a woman. It'll be the death of you."
Helios struggled to stay erect. His features were clenched trying to suppress the agony he felt. His left side was useless. His left arm hung because it was too painful to hold it up. His left leg threatened to buckle at any moment. Each breath he took was an adventure in torture. His consciousness began to waver. A surge of nausea flooded through him and for a moment Helios thought he would black out.
With supreme effort he fought it back. Taking short breaths, he watched Tiberious come ever closer. Confident in his victory, Tiberious was in no hurry to reach his quarry. Helios knew he was no physical match for Tiberious. However, Tiberious was just an aspect of this nightmare realm, not its master. Helios knew he had the power to defeat this creature.
He just had to summon it.
Clearing his mind of the burning pain in his ribs, of his gnawing concern for Sailor Moon and, to a lesser extent Vesta, of the natural fear all creatures had of physical suffering, Helios sought peace. He searched for his center, put all impure things out of his mind and focused on who he was and what he represented. As he did this, the crystal horn in his forehead began to glow. Light emanated from it, growing more intense with every passing second. It was a pleasant light, soft and warm and glowing. It caressed, dispelling the darkness that fear, hatred and suffering lurked in.
Slapped across the face with this glow, Tiberious halted in his tracks. The brute threw up his massive arms, trying to shield his eyes from the radiance of Helios' crystal horn. The light, though, could not be blocked. Weakened, Tiberious fell back.
"Coward!" he howled. "Bastard! Fight fair! You can't hope to beat me man to man!"
"We all fight with the weapons at our disposal," Helios wheezed out through clenched teeth. "You forget - - who I am. You forget - - what you are."
"It burns!" wailed Tiberious, clawing at his face as the brilliant light of Helios' crystal horn bathed him in its glare.
"You follow the commands of your priestess," Helios continued, his pain lingering just below the surface of every word. "You act only according to what you are. I beg your forgiveness for intruding upon your domain with this sacred light. But events force my hand." He winced and the light wavered, but Helios forced it back to its previous intensity. "Your priestess in her madness toys with forces that could destroy all of the dream worlds. I do not have time to fight fairly."
His explanation was punctuated by a shrill howl of agony from Tiberious. The massive brute fell over backwards and crumpled to the ground. Helios watched for a few moments. When his foe didn't stir, the guardian of Elysian turned from him.
Shoulders hunched, Helios endured another wave of pain from his injuries. When it passed and he remained on his feet, he set about on his mission. Glancing around, Helios could find no trace of Vesta. Perhaps she was dead. Perhaps his pain clouded his vision. Helios prayed it was the latter.
Then, far more slowly than he would have liked, Helios headed for the temple of Echidna to save his beloved and indeed all of reality. He silently prayed he would find the strength to keep from fainting from the pain in his side.
* * * *
Saturn felt dimly aware of her surroundings. It was dark - - that was all she could make out. No, there was something else.
She was being stalked.
Tightening her grip on her glaive, Saturn continued to walk through the inky haze. Frequently she would cast furtive glances over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what stalked her. Whatever it was kept just out of sight, yet she knew it was there. Saturn could feel her chest tighten.
She'd known fear like this before. She remembered being cared for, if that was the word, by Kaolinite's reanimated corpse possessed by that thing from outer space. She remembered the evil leer Kaolinite had, the leer that was even more chilling than when the woman was alive. She remembered waking up in her room in strange clothes with strange bits of memories of thrones and dolls and devouring crystals and wondering if she was going insane. She remembered struggling with Mistress 9, of feeling the creature's hand splayed across her face as it pushed her down into darkness to drown in its evil, to die while it used her body, perverted it.
A brush of a branch made Saturn whirl around. Her glaive at the ready, she peered into the swirling blackness all around her. Though she strained her eyes to see, nothing was there. Then another noise behind her made her turn again. No sooner had she turned then another noise came from her left. Turning toward it brought another sound from behind. She was surrounded.
Off she went, running as fast as her thin legs could carry her. Saturn's heart pounded in her chest. Her glaive suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. She had never been robust, even after Sailor Moon's magic had given her new life. And her image of herself as frail and sickly had never left her, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy. The pain in her thighs wasn't unexpected. But Saturn pushed on. She had to escape.
She could hear them now, skittering creatures plunging through the darkness in pursuit of her. Were they rats? Were they dogs? Were they both or neither or something more? Saturn didn't want to find out. She just wanted to get away, to find some safe haven where she could rest. Her lungs ached and her feet burned inside of her violet boots.
And then a barrier lurched up into view. Saturn skidded to a stop before the looming wall of a cliff side. The dirt barrier towered up a hundred feet above her, far too sheer to climb, and disappeared into the gloom on either side. Barred from further flight, Saturn turned. Her back pressed into the side of the cliff while her hands grasped her glaive so tightly that veins popped under the gloves.
One by one her pursuers came into view in the dim light. Upon seeing them, Saturn felt such unnatural fear and revulsion that she feared she was mad. Humanoid, but hardly human, they had unnatural white flesh and glowing, rat-like red eyes. Their skulls were smooth and their fingers long and sharp like talons. Mouths opened and bared teeth. Four in particular caught Saturn's eye, for the creatures each possessed four long, razor sharp fangs.
Vampires! Saturn felt her skin crawl. But when the closest one lunged, instinct took over and the violet senshi lashed out with her glaive. The blade struck true and knocked the creature away, but failed to cut it. Almost immediately another lunged. Saturn pivoted, spinning the glaive around and batting the vampire away with the handle.
She kept them at bay, her glaive spinning around like buzz saw. Only they kept coming. Nothing killed them and their number seemed to grow with each sweep of her blade. Saturn didn't know how much longer she could keep up this pace. Yet escape seemed an avenue denied to her. There were too many and they seemed all around her.
Suddenly there was a flash of pink in the distance out of the corner of her eye. Saturn dared a glance and for the first time felt hope. Sailor Moon was there, gesturing to her. Energized by the sight of her friend, Saturn spun and hacked a path through the grasping, slavering horrors. Once she had a lane, Saturn bolted for her friend.
Sailor Moon opened her arms and gathered Saturn in. She knew the creatures were on her heels, but couldn't help feeling relieved when she felt Sailor Moon's arms close around her. A moment's reassurance from the hug gave Saturn the strength to push away, the renewed heart to fight. She looked up at her friend - - and saw Sailor Moon's red eyes aflame with corruption. Even as Sailor Moon bared vampire fangs, Saturn struggled to break away from her grip.
To her horror, Sailor Moon's mouth lunged for her throat. Saturn felt stabbing pain in her neck - - then the sensation of her life oozing away.
Continued in Chapter 7
CHAPTER 6: "Reflections in a Shattered Mirror"
By Bill K.
The computerized door lock allowed Makoto to pass into the royal chambers. Serenity had long ago granted free access to her senshi and today Makoto was taking advantage of it.
She found Serenity by the window, engaged in painting. This was a sign. Serenity never painted unless she needed to relax. She drew frequently. Even today, a thousand years since she first started as an art assistant to the great manga artist Marie Baishaku, Serenity couldn't get drawing out of her system. But she only took up canvas and brush when she was nervous or pensive.
"She's going to be fine, hon'," Makoto said.
Serenity only gave her a cursory look, then dabbed gel-pigment onto the canvas. She was painting a scene of Luna quietly sleeping on the windowsill in the sun. Since Luna to this day steadfastly refused to pose for her, she was painting the black cat from memory.
"So will he," Makoto persisted.
"You think you know me so well," fussed Serenity. A stroke of gray highlighted Luna's back.
"That's not what you're worried about?"
"Why aren't you with Ami?" Serenity frowned.
"Because she's working late," Makoto answered, then rolled her eyes, "again. And instead of throwing her into a hammer lock and dragging her away from her computer, I thought I'd try to cheer you up." Her hand touched Serenity's shoulder. "Because out of all of us, I know what you're going through the most. I know what it's like to worry about your husband and your kid when they're away."
Makoto crossed over and sat down on a nearby chair. She leaned in and looked Serenity in the eye. Serenity sighed in frustration.
"You know," Serenity began, "after all the children that have passed through this palace and my life, you think I'd learn that there's only so much you can do to protect them. After what happened to little Fujiko - - and Keiko - - remember Keiko?" Makoto nodded wistfully. "Maybe it's because they were adopted and Usa's my own. Oh, that's a terrible thing to say."
"Don't beat yourself up," Makoto smiled. "I've got special feelings for the Asteroid Senshi. They've only been here a year, but I almost think of them as my own. Still, they'll never replace Akiko or Ichiro or any of my grandkids in my heart."
"Yeah," Serenity smiled sadly. "I think Setsuko is the only one I loved almost as much as Usa. Maybe it was because she was my first." Serenity let out a deep, almost mournful sigh. "Mako-chan, I just get this sense of dread whenever Usa leaves."
"Dread that something will happen to her," Makoto asked, "or dread that she'll leave one day and start a life of her own?"
"Yes," Serenity sighed.
"Welcome to the club," Makoto grinned. "There's so much of motherhood that makes you want to shoot yourself. If it weren't for all the sweet, sweet memories, it wouldn't be worth it."
Serenity picked up her brush again and highlighted Luna's haunch.
"Tell me again how Usa's going to be all right," Serenity asked. "I don't even care if you have to lie to me. Just tell me she's . . ."
The brush suddenly dropped from Serenity's hand. Makoto looked up and saw her queen staring off into the distance, seeing something only she could see. Her face twisted up and tears began to stream from her blue eyes.
"Serenity?" Makoto asked fearfully.
"My baby," whispered Queen Serenity.
* * * *
In her form of a pterodactyl, Sailor Vesta quickly closed the gap between her and the Pegasus in front of her. He was winging as full speed toward the temple of Echidna, which was no surprise. Vesta only hoped they could arrive before some tragedy befell her princess and his love.
Then she saw two forms fly out from the temple. Her dinosaur eyesight wasn't the keenest and it took Vesta a few moments to recognize their attackers: Goth and Tiberious, the temple attendants of Echidna. The emaciated Goth flew to intercept her while the brutish Tiberious flew - - or more accurately leaped - - toward Pegasus.
"Get out of my way or I'll turn you into scavenger chow!" Vesta warned.
"You crow fearsomely," Goth smiled and it was a chilling smile that made Vesta nauseous. "I think, though, that I can stand up to one of your slight strength."
"Your funeral," Vesta replied and dived toward the nightmarish creature.
"Sailor Vesta!" she heard Helios shout to her in her mind. "Do not let Goth touch you!"
"He's not that tough!" Vesta snapped back.
"He is the manifestation of death in the dream realms!" Helios thought urgently. "His touch can bring terrible disease and painful death! Do not let him touch you, I beseech you!"
Just then Tiberious impacted with Pegasus. His massive arms wrapped around the equine's neck. Using his weight, he bent the equine's neck around awkwardly. Pegasus was forced to choose between attempting to fly and having his neck snapped or plummeting to the ground. The pair dropped like twin stones.
"Helios!" cried Vesta, then barely dodged the lunge of Goth. Her wings carried her up away from the desiccated creature. Goth leered at her.
"Why do you run away, my dear?" Goth asked, his voice so unearthly that Vesta felt chills in her spine. "Here I thought you and I were old friends."
"Yeah, well Sensei Aino-sama warned me about perverts like you," sneered Vesta. A simple flap of her gigantic wings sent Vesta soaring over and past Goth before he - - it? - - could react. "See you at the cherry blossom festival, Dracula!"
Vesta allowed herself a moment's pride before settling on the situation at hand. Did she continue on or stop and try to aid Helios? There wasn't really a choice. She wasn't charged with protecting Helios.
"Guess you're on your own, Pony Boy," Vesta muttered, trying to suppress her feelings of guilt. Instantly, she stopped, nearly running into Goth again.
"You don't escape me that easily," and Goth gave her a skeletal smile, "Ves-Ves."
Vesta stared at him, shaken.
"I told you that you and I are old friends," Goth leered at her. "Why I've known you since you were eleven."
Vesta felt her throat constrict. She turned and flew away, only to find Goth in front of her again.
"You remember your mother, don't you?" Goth smiled contemptuously at her. "I do."
"Shut up!" roared Vesta.
"She was so beautiful, but she knew so much pain. It was tragic really."
"SHUT UP!"
"Did you know that the laser blast that killed her was actually a blessing?" Goth continued with malicious intent. "It finally ended her pain."
Vesta whirled and flung herself away. But no matter how fast she flew, Goth seemed to keep up with her.
"I knew your father, too, especially in his last moments," Goth persisted. "Would you believe he felt remorse for killing her? He did. He lost control and let his anger and violence consume him and he felt so guilty afterwards. Sound familiar?"
As she flew, Vesta's teeth clenched until they ground. She was squinting so hard to keep the tears at bay that she could barely see.
"You know what his last thoughts were?" Goth asked the fleeing dinosaur girl. "'I deserve this'. Then the police lasers cut him to ribbons."
Vesta let out a roar of agony, obliterating her last bit of sight. Momentarily blinded by rage and grief, she misjudged her position and slammed into the ground. The pterodactyl lay stunned, crumpled in the dirt. Goth landed nearby.
"You surprise me," the skeletal wraith mumbled to himself. "I thought sure I could goad you into attacking me. I guess you were capable of learning."
And he reached down to touch the massive heap crumpled on the ground.
Pegasus struggled to rise from the ground, pushing up with his massive legs as his wings splayed for balance. However, Tiberious kept a solid grip around the equine's neck. He twisted it and the pain forced Pegasus to stay pinned.
"No pretty words, master of pretty dreams?" sneered the brute.
"Would you listen?" Pegasus thought-casted as he wriggled in his foe's iron grip. "You are Echidna's aspect of cruelty and violence. Words are lost upon you."
"I'll listen to some words," he chucked as he wrenched the horse's head, giving it another painful twist. "I've always had a soft spot for begging."
Without warning, the thick neck and long head of Pegasus disappeared, replaced by a white-haired man of gentle countenance. Before Tiberious could adjust to the sudden change, Helios slipped from his grasp. Tiberious turned in time to see Helios backing away from him. As he backed, the man changed back into winged horse.
"I liked you better as a man," Tiberious said, stalking toward Pegasus confidently, his fists clenched into twin hammers. "I prefer beating on men to beating on animals. But if you insist, I'll gladly oblige you."
The brutish man lunged at the winged horse, only to have Pegasus escape his grasp. A simple thrust of his wings carried him into the air and just out of reach. Undaunted, Tiberious lunged at his quarry again. Pegasus responded by rapidly kicking out with his hooves. The sharp edges of the hooves struck home several times. Any normal man would have been opened up by the flaying edges of the hooves.
Tiberious shrugged them off.
Knowing that every second engaged with the aspect left his love threatened by Echidna, Pegasus angled off and soared up into the air. As he glided away, he barely had time to dodge an uprooted tree swung by Tiberious like a club. Though jostled by the air current thrown up by the swing, Pegasus righted himself and climbed up into the air.
"No, Maiden!" Pegasus thought, trying to project his mental warning to Sailor Moon in the temple. From this vantagepoint he could see everything that was happening. "Do not let Echidna get close to you! In her state, she is capable of anything!"
Distracted by Sailor Moon's plight, Pegasus barely had time to dodge an oncoming missile. It was the tree Tiberious had uprooted. Since it no longer served as a club, the savage aspect now employed it as a javelin. With some effort, Pegasus managed to right himself in the turbulent air currents.
Another missile slammed into the horse's side with more force than Pegasus could imagine. Thrown to one side, the ribs on his left side on fire with pain, Pegasus struggled to regain his equilibrium. From his peripheral vision, he could make out Tiberious. The barbarous monster had launched himself into the air and struck Pegasus like a cannon shell. The equine struggled to stay aloft, but every downward push of his left wing was rippling agony through him. The winged horse limped down to the ground and stumbled to a less than graceful landing. The shade of winged horse faded, leaving the man behind clutching his ribs and grimacing in pain. Yards away, Helios saw Tiberious approaching. He rubbed a huge fist with his free hand and his eyes glinted with malicious glee.
"Never let your thoughts wander in a fight," Tiberious lectured him as he approached, "particularly to a woman. It'll be the death of you."
Helios struggled to stay erect. His features were clenched trying to suppress the agony he felt. His left side was useless. His left arm hung because it was too painful to hold it up. His left leg threatened to buckle at any moment. Each breath he took was an adventure in torture. His consciousness began to waver. A surge of nausea flooded through him and for a moment Helios thought he would black out.
With supreme effort he fought it back. Taking short breaths, he watched Tiberious come ever closer. Confident in his victory, Tiberious was in no hurry to reach his quarry. Helios knew he was no physical match for Tiberious. However, Tiberious was just an aspect of this nightmare realm, not its master. Helios knew he had the power to defeat this creature.
He just had to summon it.
Clearing his mind of the burning pain in his ribs, of his gnawing concern for Sailor Moon and, to a lesser extent Vesta, of the natural fear all creatures had of physical suffering, Helios sought peace. He searched for his center, put all impure things out of his mind and focused on who he was and what he represented. As he did this, the crystal horn in his forehead began to glow. Light emanated from it, growing more intense with every passing second. It was a pleasant light, soft and warm and glowing. It caressed, dispelling the darkness that fear, hatred and suffering lurked in.
Slapped across the face with this glow, Tiberious halted in his tracks. The brute threw up his massive arms, trying to shield his eyes from the radiance of Helios' crystal horn. The light, though, could not be blocked. Weakened, Tiberious fell back.
"Coward!" he howled. "Bastard! Fight fair! You can't hope to beat me man to man!"
"We all fight with the weapons at our disposal," Helios wheezed out through clenched teeth. "You forget - - who I am. You forget - - what you are."
"It burns!" wailed Tiberious, clawing at his face as the brilliant light of Helios' crystal horn bathed him in its glare.
"You follow the commands of your priestess," Helios continued, his pain lingering just below the surface of every word. "You act only according to what you are. I beg your forgiveness for intruding upon your domain with this sacred light. But events force my hand." He winced and the light wavered, but Helios forced it back to its previous intensity. "Your priestess in her madness toys with forces that could destroy all of the dream worlds. I do not have time to fight fairly."
His explanation was punctuated by a shrill howl of agony from Tiberious. The massive brute fell over backwards and crumpled to the ground. Helios watched for a few moments. When his foe didn't stir, the guardian of Elysian turned from him.
Shoulders hunched, Helios endured another wave of pain from his injuries. When it passed and he remained on his feet, he set about on his mission. Glancing around, Helios could find no trace of Vesta. Perhaps she was dead. Perhaps his pain clouded his vision. Helios prayed it was the latter.
Then, far more slowly than he would have liked, Helios headed for the temple of Echidna to save his beloved and indeed all of reality. He silently prayed he would find the strength to keep from fainting from the pain in his side.
* * * *
Saturn felt dimly aware of her surroundings. It was dark - - that was all she could make out. No, there was something else.
She was being stalked.
Tightening her grip on her glaive, Saturn continued to walk through the inky haze. Frequently she would cast furtive glances over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what stalked her. Whatever it was kept just out of sight, yet she knew it was there. Saturn could feel her chest tighten.
She'd known fear like this before. She remembered being cared for, if that was the word, by Kaolinite's reanimated corpse possessed by that thing from outer space. She remembered the evil leer Kaolinite had, the leer that was even more chilling than when the woman was alive. She remembered waking up in her room in strange clothes with strange bits of memories of thrones and dolls and devouring crystals and wondering if she was going insane. She remembered struggling with Mistress 9, of feeling the creature's hand splayed across her face as it pushed her down into darkness to drown in its evil, to die while it used her body, perverted it.
A brush of a branch made Saturn whirl around. Her glaive at the ready, she peered into the swirling blackness all around her. Though she strained her eyes to see, nothing was there. Then another noise behind her made her turn again. No sooner had she turned then another noise came from her left. Turning toward it brought another sound from behind. She was surrounded.
Off she went, running as fast as her thin legs could carry her. Saturn's heart pounded in her chest. Her glaive suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. She had never been robust, even after Sailor Moon's magic had given her new life. And her image of herself as frail and sickly had never left her, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy. The pain in her thighs wasn't unexpected. But Saturn pushed on. She had to escape.
She could hear them now, skittering creatures plunging through the darkness in pursuit of her. Were they rats? Were they dogs? Were they both or neither or something more? Saturn didn't want to find out. She just wanted to get away, to find some safe haven where she could rest. Her lungs ached and her feet burned inside of her violet boots.
And then a barrier lurched up into view. Saturn skidded to a stop before the looming wall of a cliff side. The dirt barrier towered up a hundred feet above her, far too sheer to climb, and disappeared into the gloom on either side. Barred from further flight, Saturn turned. Her back pressed into the side of the cliff while her hands grasped her glaive so tightly that veins popped under the gloves.
One by one her pursuers came into view in the dim light. Upon seeing them, Saturn felt such unnatural fear and revulsion that she feared she was mad. Humanoid, but hardly human, they had unnatural white flesh and glowing, rat-like red eyes. Their skulls were smooth and their fingers long and sharp like talons. Mouths opened and bared teeth. Four in particular caught Saturn's eye, for the creatures each possessed four long, razor sharp fangs.
Vampires! Saturn felt her skin crawl. But when the closest one lunged, instinct took over and the violet senshi lashed out with her glaive. The blade struck true and knocked the creature away, but failed to cut it. Almost immediately another lunged. Saturn pivoted, spinning the glaive around and batting the vampire away with the handle.
She kept them at bay, her glaive spinning around like buzz saw. Only they kept coming. Nothing killed them and their number seemed to grow with each sweep of her blade. Saturn didn't know how much longer she could keep up this pace. Yet escape seemed an avenue denied to her. There were too many and they seemed all around her.
Suddenly there was a flash of pink in the distance out of the corner of her eye. Saturn dared a glance and for the first time felt hope. Sailor Moon was there, gesturing to her. Energized by the sight of her friend, Saturn spun and hacked a path through the grasping, slavering horrors. Once she had a lane, Saturn bolted for her friend.
Sailor Moon opened her arms and gathered Saturn in. She knew the creatures were on her heels, but couldn't help feeling relieved when she felt Sailor Moon's arms close around her. A moment's reassurance from the hug gave Saturn the strength to push away, the renewed heart to fight. She looked up at her friend - - and saw Sailor Moon's red eyes aflame with corruption. Even as Sailor Moon bared vampire fangs, Saturn struggled to break away from her grip.
To her horror, Sailor Moon's mouth lunged for her throat. Saturn felt stabbing pain in her neck - - then the sensation of her life oozing away.
Continued in Chapter 7