Richforce: Hopefully by the time you read this I'll be completely moved in.
All characters belong to their respective owners.
~*~
Chapter five: Showdowns and Subterfuge
Serena walked into homeroom before class, something that had started to become a common occurrence with her. "Hey Elizabeth, have you seen Molly today?"
"Not yet." said Elizabeth. "I really think you should explain why you've seem to be ducking Molly lately."
"You have that part time job at the arcade right?"
"Yeah."
"Well I have something like that going on."
"Is it important work?"
"You wouldn't believe how important."
Molly and Melvin came into the room. "...If you really feel that way then maybe we should think about It." said Melvin.
"Think about what?"
"This dream I had night before last." said Molly. "I was in an African savannah, all these animals surrounded me and then this Lion talked to me."
"What did it say?"
"In nutshell, it said that a great evil would soon be found and that Melvin and I would have to do something about it."
"Really?" Serena said realizing that it was the same night the Blackstar found the vault they were looking for.
"Yeah, crazy huh? That the two of us could fight evil like Sailor Moon does?"
"I wouldn't rule it out."
"Especially since my kendo lessons have been going well!" said Melvin pretending to swing a kendo stick.
"Ha-Ha." The bell rang just then. "We'll talk after school at the arcade ok?"
"Alright." said Molly. "You promise you'll be there?"
Serena curled her little finger around Molly's. "No matter what!"
"No matter what!"
~*~
In the Blackstar fortress Prim and Axel were carrying a large stack of books toward Merlor's lab. "Now here is something I thought I'd never see." said Aquila. "The two of you with books."
"Like Uncle Merlor asked us to get these so he could find out more about the keys." said Prim.
"Care to give us a hand?" asked Axel.
"No thanks, I have something to do."
"Does it have something to do with you getting revenge on the Sailor Scouts for frying your chicken?" said Prim.
Aquila became furious. "Altair was more to me than a pet! He was my companion and partner, and they will pay for taking him from me!"
"Can you at least get Scorpio to help us?" asked Axel.
"I asked him for help but he said he had 'pressing concerns'. No matter I can destroy them myself!" Aquila left.
"Prim! Axel!" said Merlor. "Where are those books?!"
They struggled to the lab before the books toppled over and buried Merlor.
~*~
At lunch Serena sat with the scouts on the roof. Ami checked her computer. "From my scans I can confirm that the vault they were looking for..." The girls edged closer. "Is a big stone slab with some writing on it." The girls fell down.
"That's it?!" they said.
"I'm sorry, but if the Nightmares were looking for a type of energy my computer couldn't detect then I doubted it would help us figure out what it was."
"So we're right back were we started." said Lita.
"Maybe not." said Raye. "We can tell that since it's a vault it was made either to keep people out or to keep something in."
"Doesn't sound good either way." said Mina.
The guys came up with Darien; Serena was pleasantly surprised to see him. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining."
Darien had a glum expression on his face. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Greg found out the reason for our loss of energy in our last fight. And in a way it's my fault."
"How?"
"When I got the ring from your locket I stopped using energy from the earth and started using energy from the moon and the Silver Crystal. It seems that the two energies, earth and moon, have become one but because only the power of the moon has grown stronger it has caused an imbalance."
"Darien there was no way we could have known that this would have happened."
"It gets worse." said Greg. "Unless we can separate the two powers, we could lose them both forever."
"So what do we need to do?" asked Amy.
"We need to find someone to take the earth power from the both of you." said Chad.
"Like an energy transplant." said Raye.
"Yes, exactly." said Ken.
"So who did you have in mind?" asked Mina.
"We don't know." said Jamie.
"We better talk about this with Luna and Artemis after school." said Lita.
"I was going to talk with Molly after school." said Serena.
"I'm sorry but we have to figure out what we have to do and fast." said Raye.
"You won't have time to do much, except plan your funerals!" said Aquila. They all saw a hologram of her in the sky.
"Great now everyone knows who we are!" said Lita.
"No." said Amy. "This has happened before; she made it so that we're the only ones who can see it."
"I didn't want anyone interrupting our battle."
"Battle?!" asked Mina.
"You can't stop us now that we found the vault and I want to settle our score once and for all!"
"We'll face you!" said Serena.
"Fine then, midnight at the docks, pier 47 and bring all your little friends. My revenge will not be complete without them! Don't be late!" she then vanished.
"We'll get them, but we will destroy you!" she was so worried about what Aquila could do if they didn't fight that she forgot about her meeting with Molly completely.
~*~
Molly felt very hurt and angry as she was walking home. "I've waited till closing time for you Serena, but you never showed up!" she looked at her little finger. "You even used our friendship pact from when we were little!" she shrugged it off. "No, I'm sure you had some good explanation. I'll just have to wait to hear it...again."
She came up to the front of the store her mother ran from their home and saw a brown haired girl looking through the window at the jewelry. "So pretty..." the girl said.
"Find something you like?" Molly asked.
When the girl turned around Molly saw she had green eyes if it weren't for that she could have sworn she was looking at herself at eight. "A lot of things, but I don't have enough money to buy anything. Oh I'm sorry, my name is Kaede."
"I'm Molly. It's nice to meet you." She saw the locket Kaede wore. "I've never seen a locket like that before."
"Mama gave it to me. She used to take me jewelry shopping when I was really good."
"Used to?" Kaede started to cry. "Oh, I didn't mean to make you upset."
She wiped the tears away with her arm. "It's ok."
"You can come inside and look around."
"No thanks it's getting late, I have to be going."
"Come by some time and I can show you some of our best jewels!"
After Molly went in and Kaede walked off for a little ways she started talking to herself. {Molly, why does that name sound familiar?}
~*~
Everyone gathered at pier 47. "It's almost midnight." said Mini-Venus straightening her hair bow. "When is she going to get here?"
"She's sure to be here." said Sailor Uranus. "I can feel it."
All of the Mini-Scouts were yawning. "Looks like some scouts aren't used to being up past their bed time yet." said Sailor Neptune.
"But were not..." said Mini-Saturn before she stopped to yawn. "A bit sleepy."
"Yeah right." said Saturn Knight. "Straight to bed after this is over."
Sailor Moon talked to the outer scouts. "You guys have changed your perspectives around. None of you seem willing to sacrifice anyone."
"Well since we found our princes and found out that we're going to be mothers, we started looking at things little differently." said Sailor Pluto. "You were right, everyone is important, no one has the right to take the life of an innocent, no matter what the circumstances."
"And were you thinking about that when you destroyed Altair?" said Aquila as she appeared.
"If you remember correctly your bird threw itself in front of our attack to save you! So if any one is to blame it's you!" said Sailor Moon.
"Enough! I'm going destroy you!"
"You can't handle all of us! We had you beat last time!"
"Last time, because of space constraints I wasn't able to do this!"
"DARK EVOLUTION!"
Aquila became a giant eagle with a pair of horns and a woman's face on its stomach. "Now to take flight and exact my revenge!" she said from her eagle head as the face on her stomach had a wicked expression.
~*~
Molly had trouble getting to sleep; all she could think about was what she could have done to make Serena distance herself from her. "What happened to us? I thought that we would be best friends forever."
Scorpio stayed out of sight probing her mind. {This should be easy enough. I don't know what threat you pose and your boyfriend pose, but neither do you.} He got every thing he needed and then spoke. "I want to thank you."
Molly sat up. "Who's there?!"
Scorpio stepped out of the shadows. "I was a friend of Nephrite, my name is Scorpio."
Molly got out of bed at the name of the Negaverse warrior who had feelings for her before his death; she couldn't remember him until now. "You knew Nephrite?"
"Yes we worked together; his act of defiance inspired me. I realized that the queen was insane with ambition and jealousy, so I fled and when she was defeated my life was spared."
Molly blushed. "Well you're welcome."
Scorpio smiled under his mask. {Just as planed.} he thought. {Butter up her ego first and then she'll believe anything you say.}
~*~
"FEATHER KNIVES!"
Aquila fired razor sharp feathers from her wings. They barely managed to avoid them.
"Talk about a close shave!" said Mars Knight.
"She's coming around again!" said Sailor Mercury.
"FEATHER KNIVES!"
Again they barely managed to escape.
"Let's hit her with our best shot!" said Sailor Moon.
"MOON POWER!"
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"
Sailor Moon and Moon Knight were weakened again so the attack knocked Aquila back, but it didn't do anything more other than daze her.
"Not even your strongest attack can harm me now!" said Aquila.
"Were going to die and it's entirely my fault!" said Moon Knight.
"No." said Sailor Moon. "There has to be way to beat her!"
~*~
"You know with all this happening to me I really should tell Serena about It." said Molly. "Even though she'd never believe me."
"And why wouldn't she if she's your friend?" said Scorpio. {Now to break the bond they share!} he thought.
"Well, it IS a little outlandish."
"That wouldn't matter if she was your friend."
"Um, well..."
"If she was really your friend, she would believe you and keep her promises."
"How did you..."
"I have my ways of knowing things. It looks to me like your friendship is a little one-sided."
"But we are friends; we have been ever since we were five." Molly said as she looked at a picture of Serena and her at Molly's sixth birthday."
"People change, like Nephrite and I did, but sometimes that change is for the worse. Maybe she doesn't want to be your friend anymore."
"No..."
"Like children who grow up and become bored with old toys, some people forsake old friendships for new ones."
"Is that it? She thinks she's out grown me? That she wants to leave me behind?"
"Friendship, loyalty, comrades. Fine sounding words but in the end that's all they are. Words, delusions." He turned to leave. "In the end the only one you can count on is yourself." Scorpio left thinking to himself. {I am such a good liar!}
~*~
"None of you will live past this night!" said Aquila. "You will all die very painful deaths!"
"You know what your problem is?" said Mercury Knight. "You talk too much!"
"There has to be way to beat her!" said Sailor Jupiter.
"I got it!" said Sailor Venus. "Maybe the scouts and knights of the outer worlds can help us form a stronger planet attack!"
The scouts of the outer worlds looked at each other. "It's worth a shot." said Sailor Saturn. The others nodded in agreement.
Sailor Moon felt a new confidence her. "Let's show her what we all can really do!"
"MOON POWER!"
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
"URANUS POWER!"
"NEPTUNE POWER!"
"PLUTO POWER!"
"SATURN POWER!"
The face on Aquila's stomach had shocked expression. "What is this?!" she said from her bird head. "Even with those two still weakened this attack seems stronger than ever!"
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"
The attack hit Aquila and spun her into the sea, a pillar of blue light with four smaller ones spiraling around it shot up from where she sank.
"We did it!" said Venus Knight.
"We all did it." said Sailor Moon. "There are no inner or outer scouts anymore and there are no longer any inner or outer knights. We are one team, one family."
"But I guess that you kids knew that all along didn't you?" said Moon Knight. But they didn't answer; they were all fast asleep out of exhaustion.
~*~
"And though it's obvious that Aquila attacked out of grief." said Vega. "It is a loss to us."
"Hopefully not a critical one." said Merlor.
"I must retire, good night."
"I wasn't too fond of Aquila either." said Scorpio.
"Where in the world have you been?!" Merlor angrily.
"Forgive me, I sensed a threat to us in a girl and took steps to stop it."
"Vega won't be too happy."
"She's unharmed; in fact I think I did her favor. Hu-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha- Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha."
~*~
Molly took the birthday picture and put it back on the table so the back was all she could see. "From now on I'll only count on myself and maybe Melvin." She then went to sleep.
~*~
Richforce: Why is Scorpio so interested in Molly and what is Kaede's story? Answers in the next chapter!
~*~
Chapter five: Showdowns and Subterfuge
Serena walked into homeroom before class, something that had started to become a common occurrence with her. "Hey Elizabeth, have you seen Molly today?"
"Not yet." said Elizabeth. "I really think you should explain why you've seem to be ducking Molly lately."
"You have that part time job at the arcade right?"
"Yeah."
"Well I have something like that going on."
"Is it important work?"
"You wouldn't believe how important."
Molly and Melvin came into the room. "...If you really feel that way then maybe we should think about It." said Melvin.
"Think about what?"
"This dream I had night before last." said Molly. "I was in an African savannah, all these animals surrounded me and then this Lion talked to me."
"What did it say?"
"In nutshell, it said that a great evil would soon be found and that Melvin and I would have to do something about it."
"Really?" Serena said realizing that it was the same night the Blackstar found the vault they were looking for.
"Yeah, crazy huh? That the two of us could fight evil like Sailor Moon does?"
"I wouldn't rule it out."
"Especially since my kendo lessons have been going well!" said Melvin pretending to swing a kendo stick.
"Ha-Ha." The bell rang just then. "We'll talk after school at the arcade ok?"
"Alright." said Molly. "You promise you'll be there?"
Serena curled her little finger around Molly's. "No matter what!"
"No matter what!"
~*~
In the Blackstar fortress Prim and Axel were carrying a large stack of books toward Merlor's lab. "Now here is something I thought I'd never see." said Aquila. "The two of you with books."
"Like Uncle Merlor asked us to get these so he could find out more about the keys." said Prim.
"Care to give us a hand?" asked Axel.
"No thanks, I have something to do."
"Does it have something to do with you getting revenge on the Sailor Scouts for frying your chicken?" said Prim.
Aquila became furious. "Altair was more to me than a pet! He was my companion and partner, and they will pay for taking him from me!"
"Can you at least get Scorpio to help us?" asked Axel.
"I asked him for help but he said he had 'pressing concerns'. No matter I can destroy them myself!" Aquila left.
"Prim! Axel!" said Merlor. "Where are those books?!"
They struggled to the lab before the books toppled over and buried Merlor.
~*~
At lunch Serena sat with the scouts on the roof. Ami checked her computer. "From my scans I can confirm that the vault they were looking for..." The girls edged closer. "Is a big stone slab with some writing on it." The girls fell down.
"That's it?!" they said.
"I'm sorry, but if the Nightmares were looking for a type of energy my computer couldn't detect then I doubted it would help us figure out what it was."
"So we're right back were we started." said Lita.
"Maybe not." said Raye. "We can tell that since it's a vault it was made either to keep people out or to keep something in."
"Doesn't sound good either way." said Mina.
The guys came up with Darien; Serena was pleasantly surprised to see him. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining."
Darien had a glum expression on his face. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Greg found out the reason for our loss of energy in our last fight. And in a way it's my fault."
"How?"
"When I got the ring from your locket I stopped using energy from the earth and started using energy from the moon and the Silver Crystal. It seems that the two energies, earth and moon, have become one but because only the power of the moon has grown stronger it has caused an imbalance."
"Darien there was no way we could have known that this would have happened."
"It gets worse." said Greg. "Unless we can separate the two powers, we could lose them both forever."
"So what do we need to do?" asked Amy.
"We need to find someone to take the earth power from the both of you." said Chad.
"Like an energy transplant." said Raye.
"Yes, exactly." said Ken.
"So who did you have in mind?" asked Mina.
"We don't know." said Jamie.
"We better talk about this with Luna and Artemis after school." said Lita.
"I was going to talk with Molly after school." said Serena.
"I'm sorry but we have to figure out what we have to do and fast." said Raye.
"You won't have time to do much, except plan your funerals!" said Aquila. They all saw a hologram of her in the sky.
"Great now everyone knows who we are!" said Lita.
"No." said Amy. "This has happened before; she made it so that we're the only ones who can see it."
"I didn't want anyone interrupting our battle."
"Battle?!" asked Mina.
"You can't stop us now that we found the vault and I want to settle our score once and for all!"
"We'll face you!" said Serena.
"Fine then, midnight at the docks, pier 47 and bring all your little friends. My revenge will not be complete without them! Don't be late!" she then vanished.
"We'll get them, but we will destroy you!" she was so worried about what Aquila could do if they didn't fight that she forgot about her meeting with Molly completely.
~*~
Molly felt very hurt and angry as she was walking home. "I've waited till closing time for you Serena, but you never showed up!" she looked at her little finger. "You even used our friendship pact from when we were little!" she shrugged it off. "No, I'm sure you had some good explanation. I'll just have to wait to hear it...again."
She came up to the front of the store her mother ran from their home and saw a brown haired girl looking through the window at the jewelry. "So pretty..." the girl said.
"Find something you like?" Molly asked.
When the girl turned around Molly saw she had green eyes if it weren't for that she could have sworn she was looking at herself at eight. "A lot of things, but I don't have enough money to buy anything. Oh I'm sorry, my name is Kaede."
"I'm Molly. It's nice to meet you." She saw the locket Kaede wore. "I've never seen a locket like that before."
"Mama gave it to me. She used to take me jewelry shopping when I was really good."
"Used to?" Kaede started to cry. "Oh, I didn't mean to make you upset."
She wiped the tears away with her arm. "It's ok."
"You can come inside and look around."
"No thanks it's getting late, I have to be going."
"Come by some time and I can show you some of our best jewels!"
After Molly went in and Kaede walked off for a little ways she started talking to herself. {Molly, why does that name sound familiar?}
~*~
Everyone gathered at pier 47. "It's almost midnight." said Mini-Venus straightening her hair bow. "When is she going to get here?"
"She's sure to be here." said Sailor Uranus. "I can feel it."
All of the Mini-Scouts were yawning. "Looks like some scouts aren't used to being up past their bed time yet." said Sailor Neptune.
"But were not..." said Mini-Saturn before she stopped to yawn. "A bit sleepy."
"Yeah right." said Saturn Knight. "Straight to bed after this is over."
Sailor Moon talked to the outer scouts. "You guys have changed your perspectives around. None of you seem willing to sacrifice anyone."
"Well since we found our princes and found out that we're going to be mothers, we started looking at things little differently." said Sailor Pluto. "You were right, everyone is important, no one has the right to take the life of an innocent, no matter what the circumstances."
"And were you thinking about that when you destroyed Altair?" said Aquila as she appeared.
"If you remember correctly your bird threw itself in front of our attack to save you! So if any one is to blame it's you!" said Sailor Moon.
"Enough! I'm going destroy you!"
"You can't handle all of us! We had you beat last time!"
"Last time, because of space constraints I wasn't able to do this!"
"DARK EVOLUTION!"
Aquila became a giant eagle with a pair of horns and a woman's face on its stomach. "Now to take flight and exact my revenge!" she said from her eagle head as the face on her stomach had a wicked expression.
~*~
Molly had trouble getting to sleep; all she could think about was what she could have done to make Serena distance herself from her. "What happened to us? I thought that we would be best friends forever."
Scorpio stayed out of sight probing her mind. {This should be easy enough. I don't know what threat you pose and your boyfriend pose, but neither do you.} He got every thing he needed and then spoke. "I want to thank you."
Molly sat up. "Who's there?!"
Scorpio stepped out of the shadows. "I was a friend of Nephrite, my name is Scorpio."
Molly got out of bed at the name of the Negaverse warrior who had feelings for her before his death; she couldn't remember him until now. "You knew Nephrite?"
"Yes we worked together; his act of defiance inspired me. I realized that the queen was insane with ambition and jealousy, so I fled and when she was defeated my life was spared."
Molly blushed. "Well you're welcome."
Scorpio smiled under his mask. {Just as planed.} he thought. {Butter up her ego first and then she'll believe anything you say.}
~*~
"FEATHER KNIVES!"
Aquila fired razor sharp feathers from her wings. They barely managed to avoid them.
"Talk about a close shave!" said Mars Knight.
"She's coming around again!" said Sailor Mercury.
"FEATHER KNIVES!"
Again they barely managed to escape.
"Let's hit her with our best shot!" said Sailor Moon.
"MOON POWER!"
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"
Sailor Moon and Moon Knight were weakened again so the attack knocked Aquila back, but it didn't do anything more other than daze her.
"Not even your strongest attack can harm me now!" said Aquila.
"Were going to die and it's entirely my fault!" said Moon Knight.
"No." said Sailor Moon. "There has to be way to beat her!"
~*~
"You know with all this happening to me I really should tell Serena about It." said Molly. "Even though she'd never believe me."
"And why wouldn't she if she's your friend?" said Scorpio. {Now to break the bond they share!} he thought.
"Well, it IS a little outlandish."
"That wouldn't matter if she was your friend."
"Um, well..."
"If she was really your friend, she would believe you and keep her promises."
"How did you..."
"I have my ways of knowing things. It looks to me like your friendship is a little one-sided."
"But we are friends; we have been ever since we were five." Molly said as she looked at a picture of Serena and her at Molly's sixth birthday."
"People change, like Nephrite and I did, but sometimes that change is for the worse. Maybe she doesn't want to be your friend anymore."
"No..."
"Like children who grow up and become bored with old toys, some people forsake old friendships for new ones."
"Is that it? She thinks she's out grown me? That she wants to leave me behind?"
"Friendship, loyalty, comrades. Fine sounding words but in the end that's all they are. Words, delusions." He turned to leave. "In the end the only one you can count on is yourself." Scorpio left thinking to himself. {I am such a good liar!}
~*~
"None of you will live past this night!" said Aquila. "You will all die very painful deaths!"
"You know what your problem is?" said Mercury Knight. "You talk too much!"
"There has to be way to beat her!" said Sailor Jupiter.
"I got it!" said Sailor Venus. "Maybe the scouts and knights of the outer worlds can help us form a stronger planet attack!"
The scouts of the outer worlds looked at each other. "It's worth a shot." said Sailor Saturn. The others nodded in agreement.
Sailor Moon felt a new confidence her. "Let's show her what we all can really do!"
"MOON POWER!"
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
"URANUS POWER!"
"NEPTUNE POWER!"
"PLUTO POWER!"
"SATURN POWER!"
The face on Aquila's stomach had shocked expression. "What is this?!" she said from her bird head. "Even with those two still weakened this attack seems stronger than ever!"
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"
The attack hit Aquila and spun her into the sea, a pillar of blue light with four smaller ones spiraling around it shot up from where she sank.
"We did it!" said Venus Knight.
"We all did it." said Sailor Moon. "There are no inner or outer scouts anymore and there are no longer any inner or outer knights. We are one team, one family."
"But I guess that you kids knew that all along didn't you?" said Moon Knight. But they didn't answer; they were all fast asleep out of exhaustion.
~*~
"And though it's obvious that Aquila attacked out of grief." said Vega. "It is a loss to us."
"Hopefully not a critical one." said Merlor.
"I must retire, good night."
"I wasn't too fond of Aquila either." said Scorpio.
"Where in the world have you been?!" Merlor angrily.
"Forgive me, I sensed a threat to us in a girl and took steps to stop it."
"Vega won't be too happy."
"She's unharmed; in fact I think I did her favor. Hu-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha- Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha."
~*~
Molly took the birthday picture and put it back on the table so the back was all she could see. "From now on I'll only count on myself and maybe Melvin." She then went to sleep.
~*~
Richforce: Why is Scorpio so interested in Molly and what is Kaede's story? Answers in the next chapter!