Author's Notes: Well, If anyone out there's still tuning in to this here fic, I'm back with another chapter and here it is...
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Chapter 34: The Final Battle Begins... Or Does it?...
~Park/Normal Dimension~
The senshi's guardian animals are gathered at the area where the portal was.
"Why did they not tell us when they were leaving?" questions Deimos, to no one in particular.
"They no doubt didn't want us to know." replies Orion, walking around in the exact spot the portal was.
"But, We should be there with them... we 'are' their guardians, are we not?" Luna inserts.
"That, Luna, Would be pointless." Kubira says, lying down and placing her head on her crossed front legs, "Should we have gone, we would no doubt be more a hinderence than of any assistance."
"But--"
"No." Orion says, "Kubira is correct. Even if all of us were as formidable in battle as Kubira's demon-self, Cerberus, we still probably would not be of much help to them. No, This is one battle that the senshi must face alone..."
~Hariel's Chamber/Hariel's Dimension~
"Ah, So you all overcame your trials..." says Hariel's voice, as the senshi each enter the room through a separate door.
"Show yourself, Hariel!" demands Mars.
"Most certainly." responds the demon, as he appears in the center of the large room... levitating above the floor, "So," he says, with his arms folded, "Are you planning to imprison me, yet again?"
"No." Mars replies, creasing her brow, "This time, We're gonna kill you!"
Hariel laughs, "Perhaps. But..." he says, he snaps his fingers, "You have unfinished business, though." Endymion steps out.
"Mamoru..." Mars says, anger lining her voice as she grinds her teeth. The Ifrit gauntlets appear on her forearms and begin flaming, then she runs at Endymion.
Endymion throws a rose, which lodges near Mars' shoulder. Mars, however, pulls it out as if she doesn't even feel it, and continues. Endymion draws his sword and swings at Mars, when she nears him. Mars uses the gauntlets to easily deflect the pathetic attempts at swordsmanship. She ducks under a swing and knocks Endymion down with a shoulder-thrust. As he starts to get up, Mars places her right foot on his chest and pushes him back onto the floor. She then materializes a flaming sword in her right hand and holds the point to his throat.
"You'll die before Hariel!" Mars says, rage in her voice as she draws back her sword.
'Perfect.' Hariel says to himself 'When she kills him, she will lose her purity of heart. Then, I will be able to take control of her mind.'
Mars' face is filled with anger as a part of her truly wants to finish it. However, She looks toward Sailor Moon and her right arm quivers somewhat as she knows that it would still hurt the odango-atama if she did kill Endymion. She then remembers the previous night...
Flashback...
Rei is lying awake and looking up at the ceiling.
"What's wrong?" Serena's voice asks from beside her, "Can't you sleep?"
"Not with all this stuff on my mind." Rei replies, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them back to the ceiling.
"Is it 'cause of what Shawn said earlier?" asks Serena, pushing herself up into a sortof sideways sitting position, braced on her left elbow.
Rei turns her gaze to Serena, "Yeah..." she replies, then looks back up to the ceiling, "I mean, all those people... dead." she lifts her right hand and looks at it, which trembles slightly, "And by my own hands."
"No. Rei." Serena states, "That was Veran, not you. Remember what Shawn also said, years ago... 'We can't move toward the future, if we're stuck in the past'?"
"Actually, I don't think he put it quite that way."
"That's not the point!" Serena says, "The point is: Even if you were Veran in the past, and were responsible for that. It doesn't have an effect on who you are now. We 'can' choose how we live, right?" she takes Rei's right hand in both of her hands, "Besides, To me... You're just Rei." she smiles at the ravenhaired priestess.
"Maybe..." Rei responds, faintly returning her love's smile. She then gives an unsure nod.
End Flashback...
"We 'are' able to choose how we live..." Mars says, closing her eyes and lowering her head. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, "And, I choose..." she adds, after opening her eyes, "To live as who I am today!" the sword dematerializes and she takes her foot off Endymion's chest, then turns and starts walking away from him.
"It takes a greater strength to resist the urge to kill, than to kill." Toramaru says, philosophically.
However, Endymion gets to his feet and picks up his sword. Mars doesn't even attempt to dodge, as Endymion attacks her with a diagonal down right-to-left swipe with his blade, cutting a gash down her back and causes her to fall forward.
"Rei!" Sailor Moon calls worriedly, as she runs to catch the falling girl.
Sailor Moon catches Mars and turns her over as she lowers her to the floor, "Rei." she says, "A-are you alright?"
Mars opens her eyes, then looks up at Sailor Moon and smiles, "Yeah, I'm fine." she says in her typical over-confident tone, "It's just a scratch." then grunts slightly.
"I'm glad." Moon responds, returning the smile as she brushes a few errant strands of hair from Mars' face.
"What are you waiting for, Endymion!" Hariel orders, angrily, "Finish them, NOW!!"
"But, I..." Endymion responds, confused.
"Damn fool!" Hariel says, irritatedly, "Must I do everything, myself!" he begins charging energy in his hands.
"You should get outta the way, Serena." Mars says, glancing toward Hariel, then back to Sailor Moon.
"Uh-uh." responds Moon, shaking her head, "I don't care what happens." she hugs the other girl, "As long as... we're together."
As Endymion looks on, he realizes how strong the love between Rei and Serena is, and then a forgotten memory manifests in his mind...
Flashback...
Outside the Moon Palace...
"I want to express my apologies to you, Lady Mars." Endymion says, "I know what her highness, Queen Serenity, asked you to do. And, I know it must have caused you quite a deal of pain."
Standing, leaning against a wall with her arms folded, "Save your apologies, Endymion." Mars responds, looking off toward her home planet of Mars, "I did what I did... not for Queen Serenity, and certainly not for you. I did it, only to shield Seren-I mean, Princess Serenity- from the pain of having to choose. I would rather endure the pain of not being with her, than to see her in pain because of me. She 'does' love you, Endymion."
"I, as well, love her." Endymion says, looking down at the flowers and grass covering the ground, "However, I am unsure it is the type of love that warrants marriage."
Mars pushes herself away from the wall she's been leaned against and turns to her right, then begins walking away. She stops, "Whether, or not, it is..." she says, lowering her head slightly and closing her eyes, "It isn't like you have a say in the matter. The marriage was arranged by your parents and Queen Serenity, thus there is nothing you nor I can do about it." she opens her lavender eyes and continues walking.
'I truly am sorry..' Endymion says in his mind.
End Flashback...
Hariel fires his blast at Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon. However, Endymion suddenly places himself between the blast and them. The blast hits him, but he doesn't fall. Endymion turns to face the two senshi, holding his hand over a wounded area of his torso, "I'm sorry... for everything I've done... and caused." he says, his speech breaking, he grunts from the pain of his wound, "And... I know I don't deserve forgiveness... from either of you, but--"
"As hard as it is for me to say this." Mars interrupts, slightly reserved, then swallows, "I... do forgive you, Mamoru."
"Then, I do too." Sailor Moon adds, smiling at her former boyfriend and fiancee`.
"Thank you... uhhh.." Endymion says, as he falls sortof slowly to the floor on his side.
Sailor Moon quickly turns her head slightly to the right and down, closing her eyes, a tear still managing to escape her left eye.
"Such a worthless gesture." Hariel says, annoyed, "What a fool. Ah well, I intended to kill him anyway." "Very well." he adds, "Time to begin." he snaps his fingers, and vines whip down from the above. The vines wrap around Mars' wrists and pull her into the air by her arms.
"!?!?!?!?"
"No! Rei!" Sailor Moon calls, then looks toward Hariel, "Let her go!!"
"I will." the demon replies, calmly, "After she watches me kill you."
"NOO!!" Mars shouts.
Hariel vanishes and reappears near Mars, he places the side of his right index finger under her chin, "Patience, my dear." he says, half-grinning, "First, her. Then, you." he laughs, then teleports back to floor-level.
"Get ready, guys." Venus says to the other senshi, "Looks like it's about time for us to help out."
"No." Darkstar states, "We can't interfere."
"What's that s'posed to mean?" questions Uranus.
"......" Darkstar doesn't give a response.
"Now, Sailor Moon." Hariel says, "Shall we begin?" he fires a quick blast from his left hand.
Sailor Moon manages to dodge the attack, barely. Her sword materializes in her right hand and she runs at the demon. Hariel deflects her swing with his own sword(which he's drawn with his left hand) and knocks her down with a right hand blast.
"So," Hariel says, absently, "You think you can defeat me, like that?" "... you truly disappoint me." he adds, raising his sword and swinging it downward in an overhead swing.
However, Hariel's blade is blocked by the blade of another sword and he looks up to see Toramaru, "You!"
Toramaru forces Hariel's blade to one side and knocks him back with a shoulder thrust.
Sailor Moon looks up, "... Shawn?"
"Heh." Toramaru smirks, "Rei would never forgive me if I should allow anything to happen to you." his smirk fades, then he dashes at Hariel and slashes with his sword.
Hariel blocks with his own, "Who are you, boy?" he questions, demandingly.
"..." Toramaru responds, calmly, "Death finds us all, eventually."
"!?"
Flashback...
"Tell me, Diablos!" Hariel demands, holding Diablos up by his neck with his right hand, "Where are they! What ritual did they perform!"
Diablos partially opens his eyes slowly, "On my honor... I shall not tell you." he responds, his voice cracking slightly due to the pressure on his larnyx.
"Best to rethink those words." Hariel says, extending a blade from the underside of his left wrist, "If you do not tell me, I will kill you!" he points the tip to Diablos' chest.
"Do as you wish, Hariel." Diablos replies, calmly, "Death finds us all, eventually."
Hariel thrusts the blade through Diablos' chest, killing him, and throws his body to one side, "Dispose of that trash!" he orders two more demons in the vicinity.
End Flashback...
"... Diablos." Hariel says, then pushes Toramaru away several steps.
"You remember." Toramaru says, smirking, "heh, Very well..." he then transforms into Diablos and his sword transforms as well.
"Chaos' Zanmato!?" Hariel states, shocked(a little).
"Now, Hariel." Diablos states, calmly at first, then gains a bit of anger, "Prepare to taste the vengence of Chaos!!" he flies slightly off the ground and flies toward Hariel.
Diablos slashes at Hariel with the Zanmato, but Hariel's sword blocks the Zanmato.
"Ha!" Hariel laughs, "You may now possess Chaos' sword, but you lack the power to use it! Half-breed!!" he blasts Diablos with his right hand and knocks him away, "You are nothing compared to your father!" two vines fly toward Diablos from behind Hariel and pierce his chest near his shoulders, then carry him backward. His sword flies out of his hand and lodges in the ground, as the vines pin him to a wall.
"Foolish." Darkstar states, "Tch! He should've known he wouldn't make a difference."
"That's just it, he did." Uranus says, gripping her hands into fists, "But, The point is, he tried anyway." "Michi, Let's go." she says to Neptune.
"I'm right with you, Ruka." responds Neptune with a nod.
"You caused me a great deal of trouble, Diablos." Hariel says, lifting Diablos' head slightly by his hair, "Are you still unwilling to reveal to me where Veran and Serenity are?"
"Closer... than you know, Hariel..." Diablos responds, then passes out and detransforms.
"Stupid fool!" Hariel says, annoyed a great deal, "Very well. Now, You shall die again!" he extends the blade from his left wrist and draws it back.
However, A kick hits his left side and knocks him a few steps to the right. He looks to see Uranus, who immediately attacks with her saber. Hariel blocks with his arm-blade and holds his right hand up near her torso, palm toward her. He then knocks Uranus back several meters with a blast and prepares a follow-up attack.
"Neptune Deep Submerge!!"
Hariel evades Neptune's attack and turns, then dashes at her. He slashes at her with his arm-blade in a horizontal left-to-right motion. Neptune avoids the blade, but Hariel spins on around and hits her with a right backhand punch.
"Mercury Ice Bubbles, Freeze!!"
Hariel is encased in ice by Mercury's attack, however, he immediately shatters the ice. He turns to her, "Very well." he says, retracting the wrist-blade and drawing his sword with his left hand, "You will be first to die, then." he dashes at her and swings his sword, which is blocked by Jupiter, with Shinya's broad-axe.
"You'll hafta kill me, first!" states Jupiter, prepared to die to protect the bluehaired girl.
"Mako...?" Mercury says, her eyes widening somewhat.
"If you insist." replies Hariel, extending a blade from his right wrist and thrusting it at her.
Jupiter releases the axe-handle with her left hand and catches Hariel's forearm with it, causing the blade to go in a safe direction, "Not that easy."
"Are you sure of that?" questions Hariel, as he vanishes. He reappears a second later, a few steps back from her, and blasts her. The blast launches her back into Mercury and both girls back a ways, and onto the floor. "This is turning out to be more fun than I could have imagined."
"I'm going." Venus says, having made her mind up despite Darkstar's constant warnings and the outcome of the other's attempts.
"Haven't you learned anything, yet?" questions Darkstar, slightly aggitated.
"I have." Pluto inserts, stepping forward, "Too long I have believed in fate's absolute dominion over everything. That the future fated to happen would occur, no matter what choices were made or what transpired." "However, I now believe we have always had the ability to eck out our own futures with the choices we make." she adds, then looks at Venus, "I'm coming with you, Mina."
Venus smiles and nods gratefully to the former guardian of time.
Hariel sheathes his sword and pulls back his right arm-blade, but Venus' 'Love Chain' encircles him and prevents him from moving.
"Pluto Deadly Scream!!"
Pluto's attack hits Hariel but, as the dust clears, he laughs, "This 'is' a surprise." he says, vanishing out of his bonds. He reappears in time to grip Venus' chain with his left hand, "I am impressed." he jerks Venus forward and hits her chest, just below her neck, with his right palm(having already retracted the blade. The attack sends Venus into a wall, knocking her unconscious.
"Minako!!" calls Pluto, concerned.
Hariel blasts Pluto and laughs again, "Well, It seems you are all indisposed at the moment." he says, "Now, I shall be able to continue." he walks back toward Sailor Moon, who's just gotten back to her feet(it was a powerful blast).
"Dark Sphere!!"
"!?" Hariel's eyes widen slightly, as a ball of dark energy hits the floor infront of his feet, causing him to stop walking and turn to see Darkstar, her right arm extended and her hand twitching slightly, "What are you doing, Zoras!" he demands, "You were my subordinate!"
"Yes, I 'was' your subordinate... two-thousand years ago!" Darkstar responds, lowering her arm, "But, No longer. I'm not afraid of you anymore! I will not allow myself to be a puppet on a string for you, I will control my own life!!" she begins transforming.
Meanwhile, Jupiter and Uranus manage to free Toramaru from the vines. His eyes slowly open and he looks up to see Darkstar transforming.
Darkstar's senshi uniform is replaced by cracked violet and black armor and a chain appears around her wrists, pulling them together (angled downward in an 'X'). Two of her teeth lengthen into fangs as she groans in pain. Two torn and tattered wings tear out from her back and flap once. A bandage-like item appears around her head, from the bridge of her nose up to the top of her forehead, a hole in the right side to allow her to see from her right eye.
"What's happening to Darkstar!?" wonders Uranus out loud.
"She is transforming into her alter-ego... Zoras." Toramaru answers, "Darkstar, like me, is a half-demon. And, As all half-demons, our forms take on an appearance of something that exists within us... In my case, a tiger. But, In Darkstar's case... Her demon form is wrought with tortuous pain, agony and anguish, due to these same feelings which exist within her. Her tortured heart is the pallet for her demon-form..." again, his head drops in unconsciousness.
Zoras raises her arms into an 'X' over her chest and, with another anguished cry, she jerks her arms in either direction, breaking the chain that binds her wrists, leaving part of the chain around each of them. "Now." Zoras says, in a somewhat more demonic voice than Kyoko, "I shall forever free myself from your clutches, Hariel!..." she raises her right hand, palm toward herself and her nails extend into claws as she pops the joint in the wrist, "Prepare to taste the suffering that I endure!"
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To Be Continued...
CLIFFHANGER!! Sorry to leave all you(if anyone's there) hanging. But, I gotta make sure someone out there's still reading this fic, eh? Hope you are still reading, and enjoying, it. And, If you are, then drop me a review and I'll post the next chapter. See? I told you the chapters were gonna get longer. And, How about that very 'DEMONIC'-looking Zoras(Kyoko)? Well, More fighting to come.
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Chapter 34: The Final Battle Begins... Or Does it?...
~Park/Normal Dimension~
The senshi's guardian animals are gathered at the area where the portal was.
"Why did they not tell us when they were leaving?" questions Deimos, to no one in particular.
"They no doubt didn't want us to know." replies Orion, walking around in the exact spot the portal was.
"But, We should be there with them... we 'are' their guardians, are we not?" Luna inserts.
"That, Luna, Would be pointless." Kubira says, lying down and placing her head on her crossed front legs, "Should we have gone, we would no doubt be more a hinderence than of any assistance."
"But--"
"No." Orion says, "Kubira is correct. Even if all of us were as formidable in battle as Kubira's demon-self, Cerberus, we still probably would not be of much help to them. No, This is one battle that the senshi must face alone..."
~Hariel's Chamber/Hariel's Dimension~
"Ah, So you all overcame your trials..." says Hariel's voice, as the senshi each enter the room through a separate door.
"Show yourself, Hariel!" demands Mars.
"Most certainly." responds the demon, as he appears in the center of the large room... levitating above the floor, "So," he says, with his arms folded, "Are you planning to imprison me, yet again?"
"No." Mars replies, creasing her brow, "This time, We're gonna kill you!"
Hariel laughs, "Perhaps. But..." he says, he snaps his fingers, "You have unfinished business, though." Endymion steps out.
"Mamoru..." Mars says, anger lining her voice as she grinds her teeth. The Ifrit gauntlets appear on her forearms and begin flaming, then she runs at Endymion.
Endymion throws a rose, which lodges near Mars' shoulder. Mars, however, pulls it out as if she doesn't even feel it, and continues. Endymion draws his sword and swings at Mars, when she nears him. Mars uses the gauntlets to easily deflect the pathetic attempts at swordsmanship. She ducks under a swing and knocks Endymion down with a shoulder-thrust. As he starts to get up, Mars places her right foot on his chest and pushes him back onto the floor. She then materializes a flaming sword in her right hand and holds the point to his throat.
"You'll die before Hariel!" Mars says, rage in her voice as she draws back her sword.
'Perfect.' Hariel says to himself 'When she kills him, she will lose her purity of heart. Then, I will be able to take control of her mind.'
Mars' face is filled with anger as a part of her truly wants to finish it. However, She looks toward Sailor Moon and her right arm quivers somewhat as she knows that it would still hurt the odango-atama if she did kill Endymion. She then remembers the previous night...
Flashback...
Rei is lying awake and looking up at the ceiling.
"What's wrong?" Serena's voice asks from beside her, "Can't you sleep?"
"Not with all this stuff on my mind." Rei replies, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them back to the ceiling.
"Is it 'cause of what Shawn said earlier?" asks Serena, pushing herself up into a sortof sideways sitting position, braced on her left elbow.
Rei turns her gaze to Serena, "Yeah..." she replies, then looks back up to the ceiling, "I mean, all those people... dead." she lifts her right hand and looks at it, which trembles slightly, "And by my own hands."
"No. Rei." Serena states, "That was Veran, not you. Remember what Shawn also said, years ago... 'We can't move toward the future, if we're stuck in the past'?"
"Actually, I don't think he put it quite that way."
"That's not the point!" Serena says, "The point is: Even if you were Veran in the past, and were responsible for that. It doesn't have an effect on who you are now. We 'can' choose how we live, right?" she takes Rei's right hand in both of her hands, "Besides, To me... You're just Rei." she smiles at the ravenhaired priestess.
"Maybe..." Rei responds, faintly returning her love's smile. She then gives an unsure nod.
End Flashback...
"We 'are' able to choose how we live..." Mars says, closing her eyes and lowering her head. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, "And, I choose..." she adds, after opening her eyes, "To live as who I am today!" the sword dematerializes and she takes her foot off Endymion's chest, then turns and starts walking away from him.
"It takes a greater strength to resist the urge to kill, than to kill." Toramaru says, philosophically.
However, Endymion gets to his feet and picks up his sword. Mars doesn't even attempt to dodge, as Endymion attacks her with a diagonal down right-to-left swipe with his blade, cutting a gash down her back and causes her to fall forward.
"Rei!" Sailor Moon calls worriedly, as she runs to catch the falling girl.
Sailor Moon catches Mars and turns her over as she lowers her to the floor, "Rei." she says, "A-are you alright?"
Mars opens her eyes, then looks up at Sailor Moon and smiles, "Yeah, I'm fine." she says in her typical over-confident tone, "It's just a scratch." then grunts slightly.
"I'm glad." Moon responds, returning the smile as she brushes a few errant strands of hair from Mars' face.
"What are you waiting for, Endymion!" Hariel orders, angrily, "Finish them, NOW!!"
"But, I..." Endymion responds, confused.
"Damn fool!" Hariel says, irritatedly, "Must I do everything, myself!" he begins charging energy in his hands.
"You should get outta the way, Serena." Mars says, glancing toward Hariel, then back to Sailor Moon.
"Uh-uh." responds Moon, shaking her head, "I don't care what happens." she hugs the other girl, "As long as... we're together."
As Endymion looks on, he realizes how strong the love between Rei and Serena is, and then a forgotten memory manifests in his mind...
Flashback...
Outside the Moon Palace...
"I want to express my apologies to you, Lady Mars." Endymion says, "I know what her highness, Queen Serenity, asked you to do. And, I know it must have caused you quite a deal of pain."
Standing, leaning against a wall with her arms folded, "Save your apologies, Endymion." Mars responds, looking off toward her home planet of Mars, "I did what I did... not for Queen Serenity, and certainly not for you. I did it, only to shield Seren-I mean, Princess Serenity- from the pain of having to choose. I would rather endure the pain of not being with her, than to see her in pain because of me. She 'does' love you, Endymion."
"I, as well, love her." Endymion says, looking down at the flowers and grass covering the ground, "However, I am unsure it is the type of love that warrants marriage."
Mars pushes herself away from the wall she's been leaned against and turns to her right, then begins walking away. She stops, "Whether, or not, it is..." she says, lowering her head slightly and closing her eyes, "It isn't like you have a say in the matter. The marriage was arranged by your parents and Queen Serenity, thus there is nothing you nor I can do about it." she opens her lavender eyes and continues walking.
'I truly am sorry..' Endymion says in his mind.
End Flashback...
Hariel fires his blast at Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon. However, Endymion suddenly places himself between the blast and them. The blast hits him, but he doesn't fall. Endymion turns to face the two senshi, holding his hand over a wounded area of his torso, "I'm sorry... for everything I've done... and caused." he says, his speech breaking, he grunts from the pain of his wound, "And... I know I don't deserve forgiveness... from either of you, but--"
"As hard as it is for me to say this." Mars interrupts, slightly reserved, then swallows, "I... do forgive you, Mamoru."
"Then, I do too." Sailor Moon adds, smiling at her former boyfriend and fiancee`.
"Thank you... uhhh.." Endymion says, as he falls sortof slowly to the floor on his side.
Sailor Moon quickly turns her head slightly to the right and down, closing her eyes, a tear still managing to escape her left eye.
"Such a worthless gesture." Hariel says, annoyed, "What a fool. Ah well, I intended to kill him anyway." "Very well." he adds, "Time to begin." he snaps his fingers, and vines whip down from the above. The vines wrap around Mars' wrists and pull her into the air by her arms.
"!?!?!?!?"
"No! Rei!" Sailor Moon calls, then looks toward Hariel, "Let her go!!"
"I will." the demon replies, calmly, "After she watches me kill you."
"NOO!!" Mars shouts.
Hariel vanishes and reappears near Mars, he places the side of his right index finger under her chin, "Patience, my dear." he says, half-grinning, "First, her. Then, you." he laughs, then teleports back to floor-level.
"Get ready, guys." Venus says to the other senshi, "Looks like it's about time for us to help out."
"No." Darkstar states, "We can't interfere."
"What's that s'posed to mean?" questions Uranus.
"......" Darkstar doesn't give a response.
"Now, Sailor Moon." Hariel says, "Shall we begin?" he fires a quick blast from his left hand.
Sailor Moon manages to dodge the attack, barely. Her sword materializes in her right hand and she runs at the demon. Hariel deflects her swing with his own sword(which he's drawn with his left hand) and knocks her down with a right hand blast.
"So," Hariel says, absently, "You think you can defeat me, like that?" "... you truly disappoint me." he adds, raising his sword and swinging it downward in an overhead swing.
However, Hariel's blade is blocked by the blade of another sword and he looks up to see Toramaru, "You!"
Toramaru forces Hariel's blade to one side and knocks him back with a shoulder thrust.
Sailor Moon looks up, "... Shawn?"
"Heh." Toramaru smirks, "Rei would never forgive me if I should allow anything to happen to you." his smirk fades, then he dashes at Hariel and slashes with his sword.
Hariel blocks with his own, "Who are you, boy?" he questions, demandingly.
"..." Toramaru responds, calmly, "Death finds us all, eventually."
"!?"
Flashback...
"Tell me, Diablos!" Hariel demands, holding Diablos up by his neck with his right hand, "Where are they! What ritual did they perform!"
Diablos partially opens his eyes slowly, "On my honor... I shall not tell you." he responds, his voice cracking slightly due to the pressure on his larnyx.
"Best to rethink those words." Hariel says, extending a blade from the underside of his left wrist, "If you do not tell me, I will kill you!" he points the tip to Diablos' chest.
"Do as you wish, Hariel." Diablos replies, calmly, "Death finds us all, eventually."
Hariel thrusts the blade through Diablos' chest, killing him, and throws his body to one side, "Dispose of that trash!" he orders two more demons in the vicinity.
End Flashback...
"... Diablos." Hariel says, then pushes Toramaru away several steps.
"You remember." Toramaru says, smirking, "heh, Very well..." he then transforms into Diablos and his sword transforms as well.
"Chaos' Zanmato!?" Hariel states, shocked(a little).
"Now, Hariel." Diablos states, calmly at first, then gains a bit of anger, "Prepare to taste the vengence of Chaos!!" he flies slightly off the ground and flies toward Hariel.
Diablos slashes at Hariel with the Zanmato, but Hariel's sword blocks the Zanmato.
"Ha!" Hariel laughs, "You may now possess Chaos' sword, but you lack the power to use it! Half-breed!!" he blasts Diablos with his right hand and knocks him away, "You are nothing compared to your father!" two vines fly toward Diablos from behind Hariel and pierce his chest near his shoulders, then carry him backward. His sword flies out of his hand and lodges in the ground, as the vines pin him to a wall.
"Foolish." Darkstar states, "Tch! He should've known he wouldn't make a difference."
"That's just it, he did." Uranus says, gripping her hands into fists, "But, The point is, he tried anyway." "Michi, Let's go." she says to Neptune.
"I'm right with you, Ruka." responds Neptune with a nod.
"You caused me a great deal of trouble, Diablos." Hariel says, lifting Diablos' head slightly by his hair, "Are you still unwilling to reveal to me where Veran and Serenity are?"
"Closer... than you know, Hariel..." Diablos responds, then passes out and detransforms.
"Stupid fool!" Hariel says, annoyed a great deal, "Very well. Now, You shall die again!" he extends the blade from his left wrist and draws it back.
However, A kick hits his left side and knocks him a few steps to the right. He looks to see Uranus, who immediately attacks with her saber. Hariel blocks with his arm-blade and holds his right hand up near her torso, palm toward her. He then knocks Uranus back several meters with a blast and prepares a follow-up attack.
"Neptune Deep Submerge!!"
Hariel evades Neptune's attack and turns, then dashes at her. He slashes at her with his arm-blade in a horizontal left-to-right motion. Neptune avoids the blade, but Hariel spins on around and hits her with a right backhand punch.
"Mercury Ice Bubbles, Freeze!!"
Hariel is encased in ice by Mercury's attack, however, he immediately shatters the ice. He turns to her, "Very well." he says, retracting the wrist-blade and drawing his sword with his left hand, "You will be first to die, then." he dashes at her and swings his sword, which is blocked by Jupiter, with Shinya's broad-axe.
"You'll hafta kill me, first!" states Jupiter, prepared to die to protect the bluehaired girl.
"Mako...?" Mercury says, her eyes widening somewhat.
"If you insist." replies Hariel, extending a blade from his right wrist and thrusting it at her.
Jupiter releases the axe-handle with her left hand and catches Hariel's forearm with it, causing the blade to go in a safe direction, "Not that easy."
"Are you sure of that?" questions Hariel, as he vanishes. He reappears a second later, a few steps back from her, and blasts her. The blast launches her back into Mercury and both girls back a ways, and onto the floor. "This is turning out to be more fun than I could have imagined."
"I'm going." Venus says, having made her mind up despite Darkstar's constant warnings and the outcome of the other's attempts.
"Haven't you learned anything, yet?" questions Darkstar, slightly aggitated.
"I have." Pluto inserts, stepping forward, "Too long I have believed in fate's absolute dominion over everything. That the future fated to happen would occur, no matter what choices were made or what transpired." "However, I now believe we have always had the ability to eck out our own futures with the choices we make." she adds, then looks at Venus, "I'm coming with you, Mina."
Venus smiles and nods gratefully to the former guardian of time.
Hariel sheathes his sword and pulls back his right arm-blade, but Venus' 'Love Chain' encircles him and prevents him from moving.
"Pluto Deadly Scream!!"
Pluto's attack hits Hariel but, as the dust clears, he laughs, "This 'is' a surprise." he says, vanishing out of his bonds. He reappears in time to grip Venus' chain with his left hand, "I am impressed." he jerks Venus forward and hits her chest, just below her neck, with his right palm(having already retracted the blade. The attack sends Venus into a wall, knocking her unconscious.
"Minako!!" calls Pluto, concerned.
Hariel blasts Pluto and laughs again, "Well, It seems you are all indisposed at the moment." he says, "Now, I shall be able to continue." he walks back toward Sailor Moon, who's just gotten back to her feet(it was a powerful blast).
"Dark Sphere!!"
"!?" Hariel's eyes widen slightly, as a ball of dark energy hits the floor infront of his feet, causing him to stop walking and turn to see Darkstar, her right arm extended and her hand twitching slightly, "What are you doing, Zoras!" he demands, "You were my subordinate!"
"Yes, I 'was' your subordinate... two-thousand years ago!" Darkstar responds, lowering her arm, "But, No longer. I'm not afraid of you anymore! I will not allow myself to be a puppet on a string for you, I will control my own life!!" she begins transforming.
Meanwhile, Jupiter and Uranus manage to free Toramaru from the vines. His eyes slowly open and he looks up to see Darkstar transforming.
Darkstar's senshi uniform is replaced by cracked violet and black armor and a chain appears around her wrists, pulling them together (angled downward in an 'X'). Two of her teeth lengthen into fangs as she groans in pain. Two torn and tattered wings tear out from her back and flap once. A bandage-like item appears around her head, from the bridge of her nose up to the top of her forehead, a hole in the right side to allow her to see from her right eye.
"What's happening to Darkstar!?" wonders Uranus out loud.
"She is transforming into her alter-ego... Zoras." Toramaru answers, "Darkstar, like me, is a half-demon. And, As all half-demons, our forms take on an appearance of something that exists within us... In my case, a tiger. But, In Darkstar's case... Her demon form is wrought with tortuous pain, agony and anguish, due to these same feelings which exist within her. Her tortured heart is the pallet for her demon-form..." again, his head drops in unconsciousness.
Zoras raises her arms into an 'X' over her chest and, with another anguished cry, she jerks her arms in either direction, breaking the chain that binds her wrists, leaving part of the chain around each of them. "Now." Zoras says, in a somewhat more demonic voice than Kyoko, "I shall forever free myself from your clutches, Hariel!..." she raises her right hand, palm toward herself and her nails extend into claws as she pops the joint in the wrist, "Prepare to taste the suffering that I endure!"
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To Be Continued...
CLIFFHANGER!! Sorry to leave all you(if anyone's there) hanging. But, I gotta make sure someone out there's still reading this fic, eh? Hope you are still reading, and enjoying, it. And, If you are, then drop me a review and I'll post the next chapter. See? I told you the chapters were gonna get longer. And, How about that very 'DEMONIC'-looking Zoras(Kyoko)? Well, More fighting to come.
