Act 14 "A mysterious voice from the future?! Wise Man's treacherous passage!"
"Setsuna?!" Rei gasped in surprise while the tall olive skinned woman smiled.
"It has been a while Rei-san." However Setsuna's wine colored eyes soon turned serious "Where is the princess, I must talk to her." Rei nodded and quickly led her inside where an even more astonished audience greeted the Senshi of Time.
"Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru's affectionate cry was answered with a hug from Setsuna as she gave the dark haired girl a tight squeeze. "Chibi Usa-chan, she's been taken by Wise Man!" Hotaru explained rapidly "We're trying to figure out a way to get her back."
"Yes, I already know that dear." Setsuna said gently, but her words surprised everyone else.
"Setsuna, what's going on? How did you know Chibi Usa had been taken and where have you been all this time?" Usagi asked imploringly.
The woman with hunter-green hair sighed "I have much to explain to you all for an important turning point in history is about to occur. However, we must enter Wise Man's domain and find Small Lady. There is no time to loose."
Outside Bellona's floating fortress, a white speck drifted to the structure and disappeared into a round opening on the ship's side. The cavity was wide enough for Pegasus to fly through but there were other tunnels emptying out into this one and the winged equine hovered, pondering what to do. An echoing pounding noise and a stall draft of air notified Pegasus' senses as he turned to his right and followed the noise down one of the adjacent tunnel. Soon Pegasus found himself in a giant engine room with loud machinery thudding and clunking away busily, creating the noise he had heard.
Helios shifted back into his true form and ducked into the nearest patch of shadow. Gliding amongst the raising and falling beat of the machine parts, the priest of Elysian ventured forward, but never forgetting to keep himself as well concealed as possible. Once he had made it to the other end of the engine room, a large door set beyond a raised platform rose into view. Helios carefully pushed the door open and peered into a dimly lit hallway that was carved out of the same black crystalline rock as the ship. Closing the door behind him as carefully as he could, Helios ventured out into the hallway but was faced with the dilemma of which direction he should go. Letting out a quiet frustrated sigh, Helios began to notice a patch of eerie red energy radiating from his right as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Cautiously, Helios took a step toward the direction of the energy and found himself in an adjoining hallway that ended at a hazy crimson horizon. The strange energy made every nerve ending on the boy's skin fire in response. Helios cringed, feeling uncomfortable in the presence of such ominous and foreboding energy despite the fact that the Golden Crystal laid inside his horn. However, intuition told him that Chibi Usa was at the end of that hallway and the only way he could get to her was by walking down this traitorous passage. Taking a step forward, Helios walked as calmly as he could, and as quietly as he could down the hall, but the ubiquitous sound of his quickened breaths and the clicking of his shoes against the highly resonate crystal floor made him feel as if he might as well have make a ruckus to announce his presence here.
What's more, the hallway Helios walked down was not undecorated, but was fashioned with gargoyle-like stone statues sitting atop wide columns on either side of the walkway. Helios felt as if each of those stone monsters had its cold eyes locked on him as he passed by, watching him, ready to pounce on him the instant he become distracted. It took a lot of nerves to stop him self from bolting down the hallway and what's worse, the further he walked the stronger the negative energy grew. Had it not been for the sake of rescuing Chibi Usa Helios doubted he would stay here for more than a few seconds before the oppressing mood became too much for him to bear.
Finally, the long hallway ended though by now the black walkway has been replaced by a shade of blood red. Helios stopped and let out a silent gasp as he saw what was before him. Strangely, there was a small lake right in front of him with the path connecting to a bridge that ran over its burgundy colored waters. The room had a large dome that ran several hundred feet tall, taken with the water, gave one the impression of being inside an egg. At the other end of the path was a tall black gate with a ferocious looking monster pounded from steel wreathed upon its face. The monster, a Chimera, had the body of a lion but the tail of a long and venomous looking snake and two sharp goat-like horns protruding from its head. In the pediment atop the gate was another ferocious looking creature, a Harpy with the beak and wings of a large eagle but the tail of a dragon. All this Helios observed quietly and saw that even the bridge itself had a monster not seen since the days of the ancient Greeks. At first one might have thought the bust at the left side of the bridge was that of a beautiful woman, but one glance downwards told a completely different tale. On the bottom half of the statue was the heads of wild beasts, their necks sticking out from below the woman's skirts, telling all that this was the feared sea monster, Scylla.
Looking at this foreboding display, Helios could well imagine what type of person the tyrant Bellona had been. The thought of that hooded figure stirred the overwhelming anger and frustration in Helios's heart as he remembered how she had used him. First it had been Nephrenia and then it was Bellona. Helios was tired of being used, of being exploited because of his unwillingness to fight. If he kept holding himself back then he will only continue to be an easy target for evil-doers. He must act; he must do something to try and turn the tables on this desperate situation. With that in mind, Helios stepped onto the bridge and towards Chibi Usa.
However, before he could take another step, the stone bridge beneath him suddenly began to rumble. Helios jumped back and watched as the whole room shock with the force of an earthquake. Yet, more startling events were about to take place. The steel Chimera on the gates, the stone Harpy on the pediment, and the carved Scylla began to move. Three different kinds of roars and shrieks filled the air. The Harpy's wings melted away from the stone and sent powerful gust of wind across the chamber as it soared with a shrill into the air. Meanwhile the steel covering the hybrid lion was dusted off by the beast with an effortlessly shake of its giant forelimbs. Scylla slowly dislodged itself from the bridge's side, its howl mixed with the barks of the animals exposed from its rear as it slipped into the water.
Helios gazed in horror and amazement at the sight. Then a voice spilled into the room, the voice of the other hooded figure who was now the master of these beasts.
"How nice of you to join us Priest Helios, but I must say, I am surprised that it was you who first breeched the walls of this ship. It seems the senshis have been lagging off lately." Wise Man said sarcastically. Helios' eyes narrowed as he listened, keeping his eyes on the monstrosities before him.
"Where is she?" Helios asked coldly, his hands clinched into fists at the sound of Wise Man's voice. A low chuckled echoed as the three monsters moved slowly towards the white clad priest, their towering size easily overshadowing the slim boy.
"She's right before you in that chamber across the bridge. You wish to see her no? All you need to do is cross this little lake of mine, however" Helios felt a chill down his spine as Wise Man's voice began to fade "I doubt it very much that you will make it across alive!"
With those departing words, the monsters seemed to have heard a cue and all three lunged at Helios. Immediately the ground Helios stood upon was reduced to rubble while he managed to roll to the side. Crouching low in the thick dust, Helios thought rapidly to himself.
I can't use the Golden Crystal just yet; there's no way I can win against Wise Man if I only have half my strength! I have to think of something else to get past these creatures... an idea popped into Helios' head as he checked the position of the monsters from behind the cover of the dust cloud. Leaping into the air, Helios emerged as Pegasus and was immediately spotted by the Harpy several yards above him. The eagle screamed and immediately dove at him like a bullet. Pegasus dived down as the winged terror came at him. However, though Pegasus was the stronger flyer, the Harpy was much faster. As he dove, the sharp claws of the Harpy landed a short but bloody gash across the equine's left hind leg. Pegasus neighed in pain but quickly turned around and shot sharply to his right. The Harpy however, had gathered much more momentum in its high altitude dive and found itself face to face with the Chimera.
In a loud terrific crash, the reptilian eagle became entangled with the large beast. Both lay dazed on the ground, the Harpy's body crushed under the immense weight of the Chimera, no longer capable of flight. However there was no time for celebration because by turning away from the path of the two terrestrial monsters, Pegasus has just put himself at the mercy of Scylla. The humanoid body of Scylla was positioned at the other end of the bridge, and what's worse, the animals below her emerged from the water on fleshy stocks that gave them greater range. The animal heads snapped at Pegasus as he hovered. However, each had a slimy greenish substance dripping from its mouth which Helios quickly deduced was acid. He was proven right when one of the heads reached out to bite him. Pegasus dodged and the head got nothing but a chuck of the floor. The stone quickly dissolved into a gray puddle like an ice cube under the hot summer sun. Seeing this Pegasus was forced to back away from the gate when a powerful paw struck him across the flank, knocking him onto the stony path. With a loud painful neigh, Pegasus' form disappeared, replaced by a bruised and dust covered Helios. Lying prone on the floor, Helios painfully lifted his head; a small trickle of blood ran down the edge of his lips as his eyes struggled to refocus from the dizzying blow. He watched as the Chimera eyed him intently. Helios tried to push himself up but collapsed as pain shot through his side, forcing him to crouch low.
The Chimera calmly walked towards him, taking its time. Scylla slinked towards the injured boy, sandwiching him between itself and the Chimera. Helios' mind was racing as he struggled to find a way out of this impossible predicament. One way was a giant cat that could snap his neck in its jaws, the other way was blocked by acid dripping fangs. Either way he was going to be dead if he doesn't think of something quickly.
Suddenly, things happened very quickly. The Chimera lunged at his, jaws agape while the elongated necks of Scylla's beasts shot forward like springs. Without a moment to hesitate, Helios held his breath and grabbed a handful of gravel from the floor and flung it at the cat's eyes. The sharp debris sank into the Chimera's pale yellow eyes, catching the creature completely by surprise. The distraction worked and the cat's giant paws struck the ground instead of Helios. Scylla's acidic jaws slammed down but rammed into the disoriented Chimera instead. A loud and malodorous noise came when the acid melted into the flesh of the horned cat. Helios managed to roll to the side and stand up, his hand grasping his injured chest as he began to cautiously make his way backwards across the bridge. He watched as the Chimera thrashed its claws at Scylla in blind rage, cutting off one of the animal heads in turn. Now it was Scylla's turn to scream as its humanoid face shrieked in pain.
The two beasts, both incensed from their inflicted injuries, jumped upon each other. The Chimera leaped atop of Scylla, creating a tsunami of red tainted water that broke against the walls of the domed room. The added weight of the Chimera disabled the aquatic Scylla to stay afloat. Scylla tried to push the Chimera off but the hefty beast, which could not swim, held on tightly to the overburdened Scylla. In the end despite the thrashing and roaring, both soon disappeared under the water's surface with only a circle of bubbles to mark their watery graves.
Helios watched as the last of the bubbles disappear before he let out a deep relieved sigh and slipped against the wall for support. The once clean and orderly chamber was in shambles, but Helios smiled, glad he had made it to the gates alive thanks to some fast thinking and plenty of luck. But now the real challenge was about to begin. Helios gingerly turned to the tall black gates and wondered what trials awaited him on the other side as shades of red light seeped out from around the door's frame. Wiping the small line of blood from the corner of his lips, Helios closed his eyes. Chibi Usa is on the other side, Helios told himself mentally, and so is Wise Man. What the hooded sorcerer has in store for him next Helios did not know. He did know that if he does not open the door, then he will never find out, and he will never find Chibi Usa.
I'm coming Maiden, wait for me... Helios reached out and pushed on the black doors as a deluge of red light flooded his eyes.
Back on the streets of Tokyo, the Sailor Senshis and lunar cats jogged past locked doors and closed windows against a blackened snow storm.
Sailor Pluto and Sailor Moon were in the lead with the other senshis not far behind them as Sailor Moon turned to her companion.
"Pluto tell us, why did you leave in a hurry and how did know about what has occurred?" the blonde leader inquired as she raced beside the tall Senshi of Time.
"I left because I sensed something, something very unusual coming from the Time Gate." Pluto began. "What was more surprising was that it came from the future."
"The future?!" Sailor Moon echoed in alarm.
"Yes, from the 30th century in fact. That was why I left you three behind in such a hurry," Pluto said, referring to the Outer Senshis. "As the guardian of time I cannot let such an incident go unchecked.
"Thus I went to the 30th century where I met with Neo Queen Serenity. It was then that I learned that she had sent Small Lady back to this time plus something else that was equally important."
Pluto's memory flashed back to her meeting with the future queen of the Earth. The noble queen was seated in a chair with Pluto kneeling before her. The room consisted only of these two women with only the soft sun light from the windows listening in on their conversation.
"I knew you would come, Pluto." The queen said calmly "Is it because you too have felt the strange contortions in space-time?"
"Yes my queen. I sensed something very unusual coming from this time line. It's almost as if..." Pluto hesitated uncharacteristically "it's almost as if some very important threads in the space-time fabric are being shaken loose and rewoven."
The queen sighed, her blue eyes heavy with thought. "Yes, I felt the same kind of sensation. It is a sign that great change is about to occur, thought for better or for worse no one can tell I'm afraid." The queen looked at her fellow senshi and said in a different tone "However, I think there may be someone who is behind all this, or at least knows something in- depth about it."
Pluto looked up and her dark brows draw together as the queen explained "I heard a voice the other night in a dream. It told me to send Small Lady back to the past, back to the time when I was still known as Usagi Tsukino. It also mentioned that this trip was going to be very important but difficult for her, yet strangely as I listen to the voice, I didn't feel afraid at all. It was rather like the voice of a trusted old friend or a mother's reasonable guidance. That's why I have sent Small Lady back today. I should have told you earlier I suppose, but I honestly don't think that this person-if it is a person-wants to harm my daughter."
Pluto nodded quietly. As much as she was against it, it had already been done and the queen was not an unreasonable person; she would never do something that might be harmful to her loved ones.
"Even thought this voice does not seem malicious, how can we be sure that Small Lady will not run into harm in the 21st century if it speaks the truth?"
"I don't know..." the queen answered honestly. She clasped her hands together and said softly "Sometimes I wish I could still retain my memories of her from my youth. But I know that it's impossible that Time will allow anyone, even I, to know what is to come definitively. I can only pray that Small Lady will make it through this ordeal that she will remain strong like I know she can be."
There was a long silence before Pluto stood up and said quietly but respectfully "If I may your majesty, I would like to alert the senshis of the past regarding this situation. Chance favors the prepared mind."
The queen nodded and smiled at her friend "You are the Senshi of Time, Pluto; if you think this will be alright then I have no objections."
Soon after Pluto took leave from Neo Queen Serenity and returned to the Time Gate. As she walked down the columns of marble pillars, Pluto pondered about the information she had received from the queen. Who could the mysterious voice belong to and what is Chibi Usa suppose to face on her journey?
"Sailor Pluto..." a soft feminine voice bounced off the invisible walls of the hallway. Sailor Pluto spun around, her staff at a defensive position.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" Pluto demanded authoritatively.
"There is no need to be alarmed. However, I have important news which you must know about..."
Pluto's muscle eased a fraction at the gentleness of the voice. Could this be the calming voice the queen told her about earlier?
"Princess Lady Serenity is facing her toughest trial yet. But this trial will be an important turning point in her life for it will decide if she is worthy to carry on the legend of the Silver Moon Kingdom..."
"What do you mean?"
The voice paused as if considering how it should answer. Finally it replied, "The Moon Kingdom is a kingdom with a long lineage that possesses one of the most powerful jewels in the universe. However times have changed." Pluto listened intently as the voice continued "That is why a transformation of the Silver Crystal is necessary to accommodate its new master."
Pluto thought about this quickly in her head before she asked tentatively "Do you mean to say that Small Lady's Silver Crystal is going to...evolve?"
The mysterious voice seemed to nod "That is why she needs to return to the past; to discover the future of her destiny. In that time, the crystal will become dormant in anticipation of the change to come. However as of now Wise Man, whom I'm sure you remember well, has returned. He has reclaimed the princess in hopes of recreating Black Lady. However he is also the crucible that the princess must prove her self in if she is to be strong enough to initiate the crystal's evolution. That is why I want you to go back to the 21st century. You need to inform the senshis at that time and allow the princess to come into her powers on her own."
Surprised, Sailor Pluto slowly smiled and said to her self "...I understand then. But who are you? Why are you guiding us on this path?"
The melodious voice seemed to grow, filling the dim hallway as it answered, "I am telling you all of this because of the darkness to come, to warn you now so that you may be prepared. But foremost it is for the sake of the stability of the cosmos. If the opposing forces are equal then equilibrium is created. However, the balance is about to be broken by a new darkness. For you see Sailor Pluto, there are forces of darkness in this universe greater than that of Chaos which not even you have glimpsed. On the other hand there is also light stronger and brighter than that of the Silver Crystal. My task is to guide the universe toward equilibrium, to a balancing point between the light and the dark. That is why I have come, to insure the balance which will be threatened soon will be restored as best I can..."
With those last words the voice faded like the sound of a sleepy lullaby. Pluto stood transfixed and closed her eyes in understanding. The conflict between light and dark is never over, the periods of peace are short lived but that is simply destiny, which is how the cosmos operates, by balancing one force with the other. Conflict is bound to occur and the mission of all Sailor Senshis is to insure that the rare moments of peace will continue and be treasured by the future generations so that life, with its joys and sorrows could go on.
Raising her staff, Pluto commanded the Time Doors to open. As she gazed into the pale haze beyond the door which connects directly into the stream of time, Pluto silently prayed that her beloved little princess will be strong in the face of her challenge.
Pluto's narrative ended and everyone tried to absorb the information as they hurry along. "So it seems whoever this person is, it sounds like she knows what's going on and what will happen." Neptune commented.
"Yes, but I believe not even she knows what the outcome will be. The fact that she warned me and the queen means that there is a great deal of variables involved and she is only trying to insure the most desirable outcome by informing us." Pluto replied
Mercury thought about this for a second before she said "But do you have any idea who this person could be? Who is this guardian of balance?"
Pluto shook her head "I know of no such person, but such an entity must exist somewhere, somehow." She added. "However, she had failed to tell me that Priest Helios would be involved in this matter. It is truly an unexpected addition to the problem at hand."
"Problem or not the important thing right now is to get the two of them safely out of that ship and to defeat Wise Man once and for all" said Sailor Jupiter.
At that moment the team had reached the area directly below the ship. The black crystal forming the ship seemed to add another layer of darkness to the shadow it casts below and around itself.
"This is it..." Artemis said solemnly, his pointy ears twitching nervously.
Mars looked at her teammates and shouted determinedly "Let's not waste anymore time, Sailor Teleport in!"
Everyone nodded and formed a circle around linking hands with each other while the cats stood in the center. In unison, the senshis cried "Sailor Teleport!" and disappeared from the street.
As Sailor Moon opened her eyes, she saw the oppressive carved hallway. It was the same hallway Helios had walked down not too long ago. Everyone looked around alertly, watching for the slightest movement that might indicate an ambush. But as minutes passed, nothing jumped out of the shadow to attack them.
"So this is Bellona's strong hold huh? Cozy place she's got." Venus said sarcastically as she surveyed the setting.
Uranus walked forward and peered down the glowing red haze at the end of the hallway, her sword at the ready. "This way"
The team followed her and began to walk. However they did not manage to get far when a loud dull crack disturbed the stall air.
"What was that?" Neptune jumped in alarm until she looked up. Above her, the gargoyle like statues have began to move. Their thick stony necks moved side to side as they stretched their claws and wings. One by one they jumped into the air and became airborne, the layers of crumbling stone falling to the floor like snow.
"Everyone be careful." Sailor Moon cautioned as the hallway around her and her teammates fill to the brim with small winged terrors, their loud screeching and wings beating in a nearly deafening cacophony.
Saturn was the first to attack the tunnel full of imps as she raised her glaive high above her head shouting "I will not allow you to keep us away from rescuing my friends! Silent Glaive Surprise!" before the steel glaive fell in a neat arch.
A whole line of gargoyles were blown to dust by the attack but others soon filled their place. Some of the imps began flying towards the senshis, claws and tooth extended.
"Ah!" Venus cried as she managed to shot down an imp that had scratched her arm with her Crescent Beam. However Mars did not have the same luck as she took a nasty swipe from another imp before it turned to ashes from an ofuda charm.
One imp bit the dust as Pluto brought her staff down, then she stepped forward with one foot and three more gargoyles were smashed into ashes as she swung the staff in an half circle arc. With the end of the staff pointing directly into the mist of the demons, Pluto summoned her attack "Dead Scream!" The mulberry colored ball of energy from the Garnet Orb shot through the monsters like a hot knife through butter and left the pieces of severed imps falling to the ground where they disintegrated.
"This is going to take forever! We need to try and finished them in one blow" shouted Uranus as her sword sliced a gargoyle in half.
The Inners looked at each other and nodded in unison as they summoned their powers at the same time.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Submarine Reflection!"
"Space Sword Blaster!"
"Dead Scream!"
"Silent Glaive Surprise!"
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"
The combined attack by the senshis took out all of their foes in one neat flash of light. Sailor Moon smiled at the victory but Mercury on the other hand did not look so pleased about their triumph.
"Wise Man knows we're here. He might send more of those things after us or something far worse. We need to hurry."
Sailor Moon nodded. She has never doubted anything Mercury has said and she wasn't about to now. "Right, come on!"
The group broke out into a run, racing down the hallway towards the source of the red light.
A harsh red light greeted Helios as he opened the gates he had fought so hard to reach. Helios winched as he moved into the room, half from his injuries and half from the callous light given off by the crystals. As he walked slowly into the room, he saw the black crystals sprouting randomly from the ground, like wild grass on a field. The crystals grew still taller and taller as he walked further into the room. Helios looked at the crystals and their eerie familiarity to the clear crystals of Elysian.
Following the trail of crystals Helios found himself staring at a tall column of Black Crystal, so tall that it nearly touched the ceiling. The priest froze when his eyes fell upon the figure sitting squarely in the middle of the crystal column. Her hair spread out about her amongst the uneven surface of the throne, Black Lady's eyes remained blissfully shut. A thin layer of Black Crystal has grown over her waist and part of her long slender legs. Patches of crystal over the back of her hand and face as the crystal slowly fused with her.
"Chibi Usa...?" Helios whispered as he watched Black Lady with her arms around the piece of crystal, resting peacefully in her sleep. The image reminded Helios of Sleeping Beauty, but the situation and setting were all wrong. There is no damsel's hand to win, no helpful magical fairies, only a sleeping princess induced to her negative form by the whims of a twisted sorcerer and the injured priest trying to reclaim her from the sorcerer's wickedness.
Helios walked closer to Black Lady until he was only a few yards from the base of the crystal throne. Suddenly a shot of black lightning struck Helios, knocking him back.
"Uh!" Helios staggered back and as he opened his eyes, just in time to see a fleeting shimmer of red film between him self and the Black Crystal.
Helios cursed at himself for being careless and not noticing the barrier, but his words quickly disappeared when a soft sleepy voice asked "Who's there?"
Helios' eyes shot up and saw Black Lady's half opened eyes, her ruby red irises peering out from behind sleep laden eyelids. The black clad woman took one arm away from the crystal and slowly fully opened her eyes to look at the person below her.
"Who's there?" she repeated clearly, the sleep quickly dissolving from her voice.
Helios gasped before he managed to say "It's me, Helios...I'm here to wake you and take you back."
Black Lady studied him and a malevolent look crossed her face "I don't know anyone named Helios, and I certainly don't think you're suppose to be here disturbing my sleep."
Hearing her words Helios felt his blood turn to ice.
"Well done Priest Helios!" Wise Man's voice suddenly interrupted Helios thoughts. "It seems I have underestimated you." The hooded figure said as he appeared beside Black Lady.
"Why the sad face priest?" Wise Man asked mockingly as he looked down condescendingly "how pathetic that expression is; I think the look of fear and hatred suit you much better. Ah, I have just the thing..." Wise Man turned to Black Lady and asked calmly "My dear, this boy has come to disturb us. Use the power I have given you and exterminate him."
Black Lady responded with a smile and looked at Helios like a cat to a mouse; her eyes became opaque as they glazed over. "Gladly Wise Man..." she said with the cruel smile.
Stepping out gracefully into midair, Black Lady floated to the ground while Helios stood transfixed and speechless. The Black Crystal on her body began to shift over her skin, concentrating on her torso, legs, shoulders and arms. The crackling of moving crystal echoed loudly in the room as Wise Man looked on bemused in the tragedy he will help to transpire. Final the crystal form began to fade, revealing the intense transformation they have brought to Black Lady's body.
Where her black shoulder straps used to be was now replaced by a two piece shoulder guard with three spikes on top of each shoulder. A collar of black feather hid the latches of the armor and a black silver lined breastplate covered her breasts, revealing the ink colored leather corset around her waist. The bottom of the dress remained mostly unchanged safe for the color became that of seasoned red wine instead of black. A fitting pair of matching wine colored evening gloves covered most of Black Lady's arms, combined with gray hoses and black garters add a sultry touch to the otherwise militaristic outfit.
Helios took this all in with wide, disbelieving eyes as Wise Man continued. "Small Lady as you see her right now only has her memories as Black Lady; she knows nothing of the events that has happened after my defeat. The Small Lady you know is still inside of her but there is no hope of calling out to her. For you see Helios, I have sealed her senses; she can't hear anything or feel any pain, a lock upon a lock. She will only single- mindedly follow my instructions to destroying you..."
Frozen from shock, Helios' expression turned into that of disbelief as he listened to Wise Man's devastating words. Never in the world would he have thought that one day he will have to fight the Maiden who saved him. Never ever did he thought there would a day where she would turn against him and smile coldly at him as his soul-less adversary.
Wise Man seemed to have heard his thoughts and said "Never say never Priest Helios," The cloaked figure chuckled as a long rapier materialized in Black Lady's right hand "Never say Never..."
A/N Yet another chapter, wow! Thanks for all the support from everyone! What will happen in the final (?) chapter of "Return to the Past"? You'll have to wait and see to know how the battle between Black Lady and Helios turns out! (Ducks thrown objects) Hmm, I rather like Super Black Lady simply because of the fact I made her up at the last minute. I based her outfit on a fanart drawing I did but the thought of changing her costume seemed to have popped out of nowhere while I was editing. BTW, I want to do a doujinshi based on this fanfic. I've already started drawing Act 1 but I'm not going to do all the acts since I don't want to keel over. That's why I would like to hear your opinion about which acts you would like to see in 2D. If you would like to see a sample of my Sailor Moon drawing then you can see them at AngelGodessMissy's (sorry, I would link this if I knew how) but I'll need to find a site to post my pictures first so...;;