SOYOOZNEK
(Ally)



There is nothing here.

I walk among the ruins, still smoldering in flames, hoping to find something that was left behind. When Vanguard attacked, they took everything of value to their leader, Papu Atrava, the once-and-future leader of Russia. Manuscripts depicting the history of Project Emerald. Diagrams with various formulas, depicting several of the mad scientist Andrei Googolov's works in string atomic theory. Journals depicting past projects, and projects being worked on, and projects that will be worked on.

All of it will be burned when their present use is finished. And it will not be long. Everything in the house, soon to be useless. Except for one item.

The seventh Chaos Emerald, which journeyed from Egypt thousands of years of ago, passing through innumerable hands, and innumerable centuries, from Ur to Gupta to Constantinople to Jerusalem, where it stood the test of time and three Crusades, to Mecca to Ulan Bator to Beijing. Then, onto the fabled ruins of Axum to the learned Timbuku to the walled Zimbabwe to the untamed Congo. All those centuries, then it went to Nice, before Napoleon lost it to Ottoman spies, who placed it in an empty tomb near the surviving Ancient Wonder of the World, and for over a century it was untouched until a new fiend, Adolf Hitler, invaded Egypt and found it. That was, of course, before the Soviets obtained it, sending it to Laboratory Kozyecha for research.

Then, after fifty years, and your Cold War, to this house. And this house fell to malevolent forces, the same way malevolent forces supposedly fell to the virtuous spirit of freedom at Berlin. In violence, in a sudden, swift chain of events.

I have seen my share of events, and I think back to my thoughts concerning my home world - a place that is dire straits as well. I wonder, will the disintegration of both worlds continue? Not to say that there is no hope. But I have the feeling that this warp had a hand in capturing more than just my grandson, who now lies out of the conscious mind close by. And the young boy I think of, does he still keep his promise to keep this secret of the warp from the others, even as they search, with help from some allies, for the very people whom are on Earth, participating in the violent chain of events that will determine the fate of everything these people know?

My thoughts are interrupted by a powerful blast of light, which gives way to a green light that extinguishes the flames. Within it I can see what has been forgotten by Vanguard, the other who turned his back on the guardians, though for altogether different reasons that, if known to the Brotherhood in life, would have made me much like a saint in their eyes. The Heart of Hestia. I watch, quietly, as it shoots like a star away from the ruins, in search of its brothers. Just as the other brothers meet for the first time in a way they never wanted to congregate.


----------------------------

"…………..up. Wake up….."

The stinging sensation on her cheek caused Usagi's eyes to flutter open. She knew, even before she awoke, that she had been slapped from sleep by a heavy hand. Nor was her sleep even natural; she could sift through the past several hours, but it was a time when she was drugged.
She had attempted to escape from the car, even while Locke was unconscious, but it didn't work; she could still feel the prick of the needle on her arm, the strong grip on her arm, and the silhouette of the man who sedated her. Her sleeve told the same story, for it was speckled with red wherever the blood had spurted. The man had accidentally stuck her artery. And for all that Usagi knew, sedating her wasn't the only thing they might have done to her - the Mafia's streak with raping women was known to her, though it was really only heresay. But she shied away from the terrible thought and looked up.
It was when she looked up that she saw the steely grey eyes of the man responsible for all that had happened.

"You finally awaken." The black-haired man hmphed. "You slept like the dead. And it's not like I sedated you that heavily."
"You!!" Usagi tried to move, but was unable to; she was chained. "You're responsible for all of this. !"
"Heheh." The black-haired man muttered. "So, you know me in that way as well, eh? Figures that I could not trick you, princess." He did a mock bow. "But I am afraid that we met under different circumstances. They call me Vanguard in this world."

Usagi blinked when he said that. She saw that she was no longer in the car, but rather she was inside a large white room. The room was completely bare, and clean, but it reminded Usagi like the inside a space station nevertheless.

"And it is a sterile world, I might add." Vanguard chuckled. "The men, they took after the Americans in their research facilities."
"Research facility?"
"That is correct." A small smile crept onto Vanguard's face. "We like to do…..experiments here….ones of relative importance to our financier…."

Vanguard's smile faded when a moan came from the right side of Usagi. Locke's eyes slowly opened to see Vanguard, and his look of anger betrayed his proud façade.

"(You.)"
"(Well, well, my brother is awake.)" Vanguard took Locke's face with a steel-like grip, looking into his eyes with mock surprise. "(You seem upset to see your brother.)"
"(No man would be happy to see a traitor.)"
"(Me a traitor?)" Vanguard's face was amused as he let go of Locke's. He began to pace in front of the two. "(You should look at yourself. Tromping off with the humans, and this girl. Leaving your family. What would your Brotherhood say to it, I wonder?)"
"(If they knew the present circumstance, they would not mind. Especially now that I know that you are involved. You've been dealing with the Russian mob this whole time, haven't you?)"
"My good friend," Vanguard's gray eyes shifted back and forth. "I truly do not know what you mean."
"(Then what are you doing here if you have nothing to do with the Emeralds?)" Locke's tone became sharp; he wasn't fooled.
"(Oh, but I do have important business concerning those little green gems.)" Vanguard took a handkerchief out of his pocket. "(You misunderstand me. I am not working for those vaunted fools. On the contrary, the nitwits are working for me.)"
"(Working for you…?)"
"(I've got a hot deal for the little babies, Locke.)" Vanguard's hand wrung the handkerchief. "(There's a certain bidder out there who has a sweet amount of hard bills in return for the Earth Emeralds. A price, I might add, that is higher than the price the pathetic Dimitri put on your worthless Master Emerald.)"

Locke's eyebrows furrowed at the comment. Usagi looked to see that his blue eyes were flashing with anger.

"(I always thought an echidna who sells out to the Dark Legion for money was the lowest scum on the universe. I'm guessing now that someone who's willing to sell out on the Dark Legion for the same reason he sold out on his family is even worse than anything Dimitri himself could ever devise.)"
"(You are nothing more than a miserable cur, Locke.)" Vanguard's lips purged. "(An echidna who couldn't be guardian. Your son is doing a better job then you ever could.)
"(At least I can be happy that Mother did not allow me to be born feet first.)"

The insult sent a hard jab into Locke's face. Usagi shut her eyes to avoid watching, as well as keep the blood out of her eyes.

"(You pathetic old man.)" Vanguard suddenly grabbed Locke's arm, this time digging his hands into several deep cuts Locke received from earlier encounters, including his old wound. "(That's all you, and father, and everyone else in that little echidna oligarchy was! Pathetic!!)"
"STOP!!!" Usagi finally found the voice to scream. "Stop hurting him!!!"
"(I have a vision that none of the Brotherhood could see. I vowed to be much more than any of you.)" Vanguard's fingers dug deeper. "(Look at me. On the threshold of being richer and more powerful than God. And still you try to drag me down, try to conform me to the old ways. Well, guess what, I have news for you.)"
"Darrr!!!" Locke grunted under the pressure.
"(If we can destroy the Floating Island, we can do anything on this planet!!!!)"

Locke's eyes widened at the comment. His face slowly went up to meet Vanguard's, his face filled with utter anguish.

"(You…..)"
"(Your defenses were so weak.)" Vanguard was obviously enjoying the subject. "(Believe me, if we could have stayed, we would have. But I made sure I took a few rounds at father, of course. Loved the look on that toad's face when he fell to the ground. Your son too. Gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Doesn't it?)"

Locke's reply was an abrupt upward movement of his face. Before Vanguard could cover Locke's mouth, warm spit covered his face. With an angry shout, Vanguard's fist pummeled Locke between the legs.

"Naaar!!!!"
"EDE NA CHOOY!!" Vanguard roared. "A EDE NA VASH LYOOBOVNEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

With an angry grimace, he turned to Usagi. His expression turned from an angry one to a more provocative look as he grabbed Usagi's face.

"I wish I could have more fun with you," he commented. "If you could spread and copulate for a foreign prince to your world, or for this piece of crap, you could have been a more then easy lay for a man like me…"

Usagi's eyes flashed at the comment. With another movement, Vanguard stooped down, as if to go and kick Locke. But instead, he suddenly turned back up to Usagi and, with the contemptuous add-on of his slimy tongue, locked his lips with hers, kissing her deeply.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!"

Usagi's eyes widened in terror as she attempted to pull her face away. But it was to no avail; his grip was too strong.
He's too strong!!! Usagi's eyes clenched shut. Get away from me!!! Horrid old pervert!!!!! LET ME GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly, Usagi's eyes popped open, flashing angrily. A white glow came from her chest, engulfing her in a bright light.

"Mmm?!….Ah….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!"

Vanguard's lips suddenly ripped off of Usagi's, and his hands flew from her face. He staggered back, falling to the ground, his hands to his lips.

"Leave…..me alone….." Usagi gasped. Where did that come from?!?

Vanguard looked up at Usagi with rage in his eyes. His lips were a rosy red, and the color trickled down his face.

"Oh, sure, I'll leave you alone," he snarled. "It's not even worth letting you live, is it?"

When Usagi gave him no reply, Vanguard got up and walked away, slamming the door as he did.

God…… Usagi cried. I wish there was someone who could help us. Here's no one here friendly to either of us…..Please!!!! Powers, please let someone come and save us before its too late!!!

-------------------

Without another word, Vanguard walked away from the room, glaring to each side.

"Take these two spies," Vanguard angrily called out to a sniper guard as he walked off, pointing to the room, "and dispose of them!"

--------------------------

"Is this the place?"

Nine figures looked upon an icy mountain, the snow blowing softly on them.

"This is the place." Haruka turned to Mamoru. "Are you ready?"
"I am ready." Mamoru nodded. "I will fight."
"Right, girls!" Haruka took out her transformation pen. "How about everyone else."
"Right!" Was the enthusiastic reply.
"Let's go!!" Minako help up her transformation pen. "Sailor Team Crystal Power!!"
"MAKE-UP!!!!"

Everyone's pen flashed, engulfing the group in a warm light. The warm light then dissipated,
revealing the sailor soldiers as they ran to the mountain to save their leader.

-------------------------

"(…………I can feel it.)"

The green monster's head twitched. Atrava looked up from his computer to see it growling, a green aura around it.

"(Feel what?)"
"(Them.)" The green monster's teeth were clenched. "(Them from Tokyo. They have followed their leader. To us. She led them to us.)"
"(Truly.)" A sinister chuckle came from Atrava. "(They want so badly to save their precious Selenity. They expect to fight a guardian. And they shall, won't they?)"

The green monster gave a chuckle as he cracked his knuckles in understanding.

"(Why don't you show them what they will have to do to get to her?)" Atrava turned back towards his computer. "(I want to see what they will do. Then, I will crush them, as I always desired….heheh….)"

The green monster gave a nod of compliance before disappearing from the room.

---------------------------

"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!!!!!"

The blood spilled into a puddle of dark crimson. Then, there had been nothing of consciousness for the mass for what would have felt like centuries. The first pangs of consciousness returning startled the mind into waking.
........................Uuuuuuuuuuuu................
First, there was nothing but black. Then, everything became a hazy red as the opaque violet eyes slowly opened.
Where am I....
Its hair floated gently around it, softly lapping with the pulse of the water. The eyes, confused and scared, looked at its surroundings as best it could.
What.....what has happened?!?!

"No!!! Let me go!!!!! Let her go!!!!"

I......I can't move!!!
The eyes widened in despair and anguish as the mass found that the coldness had numbed its body into nothing more than a motionless shell. Coldness!! I can't save him! I can't save myself!!!!!
Suddenly, a burst of green shattered some of the redness that surrounded the mass. In a shock, the eyes saw the red around her turn green. A small, low-pitched sound began to emulate inside the glass.
What....is this.........It can't be!!!!!!
The green glow became brighter, and the glass became to tinkle and crack as the sound became higher-pitched.
Knuckles!!!!!!!

Suddenly, the glass shattered, and the black mass fell along with the currents of the toxins which had kept it in captivity since as far back as the mass, whom under the red shell was really a small pink echidna, could remember, at least up to the times after the atrocities she had witnessed, which was recent in truth, but ages in her thoughts. Gasping and coughing, the girl struggled to make use of her arms and legs, which at the moment forgot the coordination it had been taught, sending her to the floor again. Above her, the Heart of Hestia glowed, pulsing a green light.

Huahhh........Knuckles.............. The creature coughed. I will...........save you.........

-----------------------------

With a gasp, Usagi turned to Locke, her face filled with worry.

"Locke!!!…."
"……I'm…….ok……"
"Locke, there must be some way to get out of these chains!"

Usagi grunted as she pulled in vain on the ropes that binded her. I…..I have to use that power!!!!….But…..I don't know where it can from…..or where it went to….

"I don't understand, Usako." Locke muttered. "If Atrava knows all about the emeralds from researching the Master Emerald…..how is it possible? And why would he still be interested in ruling the world if he knew the Emeralds' destructive properties……there would be nothing left to rule."
"Maybe….Nrrr!!!…." Usagi clenched her teeth. "Maybe he used something else in his research to try to prove……"

Usagi turned to Locke, her eyes wide. Locke looked up at her, and the two simply stared at each other, their eyes wide with shock.

"You…..called me…..Usako….."
"I…" His mistake of letting her onto his thoughts hit him. "I didn't mean….."
"No, it's……it's ok." Usagi gave a smile. "It…..was an honest mistake."
"But its what your……" Locke found himself forcing the word out. "….boyfriend calls you, isn't it?"
"Yes, but……" Usagi looked down. "I know it was an honest mistake."
"Y-y-yes, it was…" Locke could feel his face flushing. "I……don't want to……imply any ideas, but…….you look rather cute when you're struggling."

Usagi turned up towards him, and began to chuckle when Locke's face was turning redder than the blood that trickled down it.

"Um……it's ok….." Why is he so red?! He's kind of a weird old man….but it's ok… "I understand it was a mi-"
"ASTANOVKA!!!"

The two suddenly froze when they heard the shout, followed by the sound of a loading gun barrel.

"Us-aagi Skino," a man's halted Japanese suddenly rang out, "Lowhke. Bot haf you have bien fond to be spiiees farom Muscow, ahnd weil be excecoted…"

-------------------------

The group of sailors looked onto the two large metallic masses of steel, astounded.

"A spaceship..!!!"
"No doubt," Mercury scanned the hull, "This type of technology is on the cutting edge. Far superior and much faster than the Americans."
"You think this is a government bunker?"
"Not a chance." Saturn shook her head. "The Russian economy is so low they would have to pay everything they owned to finance just a seat for a spaceship like this. No. This is black market."
"And in Russia, that's controlled by the Mafia." Mamoru shook his head.
"Hmmm…." Venus rubbed her chin. "Which mafioso does Anonymous work for, I wonder?"
"A rich one, for sure, but we'll find out the exact identity soon enough." Mars looked at the spaceships. "Let's split up. I'll head a team over towards that door behind the second spaceship." She pointed. "You guys go into that door over there." She then pointed to another door. "And there's the elevator. We'll meet back here in one hour, or communicate to each other, if we aren't able to get back. Right?"
"Right!!!!!!!"

The group of sailor then separated, not noticing the green figure on top of one of the spaceships, watching as they left.

"(Stupid humans….)"

---------------------

Usagi looked on with hopelessness as the gunman shifted his gun from left to right, silently choosing which of his two hostages would die first.
No. Noooo…. A tear formed in her eye as her thoughts refocused to memories. I don't want to die. I can't die! There are so many people in danger! My friends, my family! Mamo-chan! And Naru…..and those inflicted with emerald flesh……..and Locke……..I have to save them!!!!!! I have t-

BAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!!!!!

The gunman suddenly shuddered, bullets shattering his torso from the back. Blood splattered onto the wall as the bullets simply tore through him.

"What?!?!?!" Locke shouted.
"Aaaaah!!!!"

Usagi shut her eyes. Her thoughts returning to Googolov as he met a similar fate at the hands of Vanguard, she simply covered her ears.

"Duaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"

The gunman's eyes rolled back as he fell to the ground. A figure stood behind him, standing in the shadows, the smoke still resonating from the barrel.

"….KNUCKLES!!!!!!" A shrill voice suddenly came from the figure as it ran towards the two. "I'M HERE……..to……."

The figure slowly shuffled its feet until it stopped. The gun dropped out of its hands and clattered to the floor.

"………..He's………not here…….."

Locke gave a gasp as he saw the figure in the light. It was a pink thing, a female echidna, with strands of pink and metal dreadlocks that cascaded down to her knees. She wore a black shirt, and at her waist was a belt with a gun holster.

"It………." Locke looked as if he were going to faint with joy.
"Eh?" The girl looked up. Her eyes grew wide, and she quickly picked the gun back up and pointed it at Locke. "Who are you?!? And where did Knuckles go?!?"
"…………………………………..Julie-Su?….Is….that you?!?!?"

The shocked tones of Locke's voice, as well as the fact that Julie-Su noticed that the gun was empty of ammunition, caused her to aim the gun down.

"You…..how did you know my name?"
"My god…." Locke's voice cracked. "I thought everyone died……but I'm not alone……..someone survived!"
"Someone….?!?!" Julie-Su gave a gasp. "Wait a minute!! Your voice!!!! LOCKE?!?!?!?"
"Then you know it's me!!"
"Another echidna? Here?" Usagi was just as surprised. "Julie-Su? What a stra-"
"I don't…know…" Julie-Su's surprised face turned into one of confusion. "You sound like Locke, but you look like an Overlander…"
"They call themselves humans." Locke replied. "But I can prove to you who I am…"

Suddenly, Locke's body shifted, and he was an echidna. Usagi's eyes grew wide as he took his hands out of the chains and rubbed his wrists.

"……Damn." He muttered. "I should have thought about doing this before…."
"Oh, um…….well….." Julie-Su began to sweat. "I guess that's proof enough…."
"Now……." Locke jumped up onto Usagi and began to mess with her locks. "You….said……mmmnngh….something……about-"
"Knuckles. Yes." Julie-Su looked down. "Knuckles is alive."

The struggle with the chains stopped. Usagi, however, could feel the chains shake from his hands.

"Alive…."
"Well…..was alive when I was captured." Julie-Su's head was kept down. "When they killed the Dark Legion…..Knuckles protected me……but somehow they managed to lure us into a trap……in that desert. Then I was placed into a sastitube, while Knuckles…God…..he….all I remember was that they were dragging him away, and he was screaming for them to let me go….and that's it."

Julie-Su's hands went to her side, clenched. Without another word, Locke began to resume his work. For several minutes, there was no voices, only the sound of Locke struggling with Usagi's confines.
Alive….. Usagi's thought became hopeful. Locke's son….could be alive still!….
Finally, a loud clanking pop came from Usagi's hands, and she was free.

"We must not waste any time." Locke finally said. His tone was somber as he transformed back into human form in a flash of light. "We must find Atrava and confront him with his crimes before its too late."
"But we don't have any Chaos Emeralds to use to our advantage," Usagi objected. "He might have all of them!"
"I have one."

Julie-Su took out the Heart of Hestia from her dreadlocks. Usagi and Locke gasped.

"The Heart of Hestia!!!"
"Yeah." Julie-Su looked it over. "Its power let me free."
"How?" Locke was in disbelief. "Wait….we left it at Googolov's. They didn't take it!"
"But it let me go free!"
"The only way that it would be capable of doing that is if someone summoned it and willed it to free you…" Locke became confused. "…..but only…..only a Controller Emerald….."
"Huh?" Usagi looked at Locke.
"……Never mind." Locke's voice returned to normal. "Let us find that madman before its too late. And God help us if we find Vanguard beforehand….."

Without another word, the three ran out of the room, leaving the guard in his blood. Before they completely left, however, Usagi absentmindedly picked up her bag, containing her brooch and the Silver Crystal, which had been hanging up near the door.

----------------------------

"This way!!!!"

Uranus gave a huff as she rounded a corner of the hallway. Three other sailors - Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto - followed.

"A great power is closeby," Pluto looked into her Garnet Orb. "It must be her!"
"Let's keep going!!" Mercury turned on her communicator. "Sailors! Can you hear me? We're closing in on something!"
"..........No reply again?!?" Jupiter shouted. "Nobody has responded to our calls?!"
"I don't like the way this is...." Pluto suddenly stopped. "WAIT!!!!!!!"
"Pluto?!?!?!?!"

Suddenly, a blast of green light shot down the hall, hitting Pluto directly in the back. Her rod flew out of her hands, clattering to the floor.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!"
"PLUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Mercury and Jupiter attempted to jump to Pluto's aid as the sailor of time began to fall, but instead found themselves in another blast of green light, falling in the same way as the others.

"GUYS!!!!"

Uranus went to pick them up, but was stopped by the sound of footsteps. She looked up to see a small black dot in the distance of the hall, walking towards her.

"Pathetic..." A voice suddenly filled into Uranus' head. "Like twigs. Easy to break."
"Huh?!" Uranus jumped back at the sound of the voice. This accent....is different.........not Russian....
"Correct."

Suddenly, the black figure flashed, and Uranus found herself staring at a strange green creature. It took the sailor a moment, but it was then that recognition hit her.

"...........YOU!!!!"
"In the flesh, Sailor Uranus." The green monster gave a smile. "In the flesh."
"WHAT?!?!?!?!"

Uranus barely had time to dodge another blast from the monster, landing on her feet as she did.

"How....did you know my name?!?"
"I know everything." The garnet rod cracked and snapped under the weight of the creature as it approached Uranus. "And I know that you do not stand a chance. Like your friends."

Suddenly, visions of the other soldiers falling to the monster filled Uranus' mind. She gave a scream.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! LIES!!!!!!!! YOU WILL NEVER BEAT THE SAILORS!!!!!" The soldier took out her space sword and jumped up. "SPACE SWO-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"

Uranus was suddenly electrocuted by large amounts of energy upon the sword's touching the creature. With a scream, then a moan, Uranus fell to the ground, bruised and unconscious.

"(Figures.)"

With a casual wave of his hand, the green monster surrounded the unconscious sailors with a green aura. Their bodies shifted and dissipated as the green monster walked away.

"(This is only the mild taste, Locke....)" The green monster muttered. A smile formed on his face. "(I pray for your soul to rest in peace when I am finished. Heheheh...."

A low rumbling sound could be heard from below him. With another contemptous huff, the green monster disappeared from the hallway, the thoughts of spilling blood filling him with true desire and hate with each passing moment.