Author's Notes: The climax is coming up soon! In case you haven't realized, I have posted the prologue for my new fic 'A Vampire's Innocence'. The first chapter for that is still being written, so sorry to any readers. I'm putting a lot more effort into it. I'm going to be juggling this story as well as the new one, so be patient if new chapters take longer than you expected. Hope you enjoy the new update!

Disclaimer: Alright, alright. I don't own Sailor Moon and it's respective copyrights. I do however, own the two leading characters and the story itself. No stealing!

Episode 3: Triumphs

Chapter 13 - The Desert Planet

She sat, and she stared. And stared...and stared.

She couldn't help but have her pale grey eyes glued to the desk she sat in. The emotions dwelling inside of her were so strong that she felt if she moved an inch, she would burst into a million pieces of human flesh. Well not really, but that's what it felt like.

The substitute teacher stood at the board in front of the class, writing down notes and droning on about a lessen that Kori wasn't listening to, or wanting to listen to. Ms. Fuyuko was still in a coma, just like all of the other victims that had unwillingly possessed a Pure Energy Crystal. She had been the only one to awaken. They needed to end this, and soon. But how was she going to do this without Lucas?

She knew that Usagi kept glancing in her direction every two minutes, as if she was checking up on her, concern gleaming through her brilliant blue eyes. But she didn't need anyone's pity. She could take care of herself, she wasn't a baby.

Oh who was she kidding.

She was miserable. How was she going to make it through this? So much had happened in such a short amount of time, and it was almost as if her brain was still two miles behind her.

But what hurt her the most, was that Luke wasn't there to comfort her. He had been snatched away from her right before her very eyes, and there had been nothing she could have done to prevent it. Even if she had tried to stop Morganite, the woman was too strong and there would have been no hope of her stopping her.

Kori raised her eyes for a brief moment to glance in the seat that Lucas normally occupied. Still, it was empty. A part of her had hoped that he would be sitting there smiling at her, his cerulean eyes twinkling.

Kori's stomach lowered as she felt her lower lip start to waver and tears start to fill her eyes. This was just too hard to handle. Was this what it had been for Luke when she had been in the coma? At least he had had some physical verification that she was alright. She didn't have that. For all she knew, he could be being tortured or even worse, dead.

Kori rose from her seat suddenly and Usagi looked up at her with surprise. She ignored the look that her friend gave her and headed for the classroom door, muttering to the bewildered teacher that she needed to be excused.

Usagi's brow furrowed and out of genuine concern she stood also. As she passed the teacher (whose name she didn't even know), she said "I'm going to make sure she's alright," and left after her distraught friend.

Kori walked down the hallways quickly, the world around her becoming blurry as she fought to blink back the tears that were threatening to fall over her eyelids.

"Kori!" called Usagi behind her.

Kori turned towards the blurry figure approaching her. "Usa...?" she whispered hoarsely, trying to choke back a sob. She took a step towards her friend, but stopped mid-step. A tingly feeling was taking a hold of her body, the same feeling she felt in her blood when the Negaverse was nearby.

She rubbed the tears from her eyes and looked around her, "Do you feel that?"

Usagi nodded and grabbed Kori's hand, making a mad dash down the hallway and out of the school.

Kori took the lead, running ahead of Usagi as the blonde flipped open her communicator and called the rest of the team.

"Usagi, what is it?!" Kori heard Rei screech, and she couldn't help but turn her head and chuckle.

"That Negacreep is nearby! We can feel her, Kori's leading the way. You guys need to get to us, quick; we'll need help," replied Usagi with irritation. Why did Rei always need to be so rude?

"Whereabouts are you guys?" asked Makoto.

Usagi lifted her head, but before she could ask Kori responded, "We're heading toward the tower!"

A few minutes passed, and eventually Kori and Usagi reached the bottom of the tower. A few of their friends were already waiting there impatiently, and they started their way up the tower. They boarded the elevator anxiously.

When the steel doors finally opened at the top floor, Kori was the first one out. Making a mad dash, she stopped abruptly, a few of her friends bumping into her. "Where is he?!" she screamed at the figure standing the in the middle of the platform.

Morganite laughed shrilly and gave her old friend a small wave, lifting up a tour guide and tossing him to the floor. Before Kori or anyone could say, or do anything else, the air around them picked up and the white-haired beauty disappeared into thin air, along with the fourth Pure Energy Crystal.

"Damnit!" yelled Kori with a stomp of her foot.

"Mercury Star Power!"

When she was done transforming, Sailor Mercury quickly took out her mini-computer and activated her visor, checking for traces of the coordinates of the enemy's hideout.

"Aha!" she gasped as she locked onto them. Saving them in her computer, she turned to everyone behind her with a small smile, "I have them."

"Well what are we waiting for let's get going!" complained Chibi-Usa.

"It's not exactly going to be that easy," noted Luna sceptically.

"She's right," replied Ami, typing information into her little computer. "These coordinates are way off the charts, I don't even think they're on this planet."

Kori arched a brow, "But we still need to get there, right? So let's go end this!" 'Now, please...' she begged mentally.

Everyone nodded, muttering henshin phrases as light enveloped the group. Almost as soon as the light had appeared, it was gone, and standing in it's place was the complete group of Sailor Senshi, skirts, tiara's, and all.

The large group turned to form a circle, held hands, and concentrated the magic inside of them to aid them. As each senshi shouted out their individual henshin phrase, a light erupted from from their forehead in the shape of their planetary symbol. It was almost as if they were defying gravity itself as their hair and clothes picked up around the group, and eventually their whole bodies. Then with a bright flash of light they were gone, the only remnants that they had been there the tour guide and a few loose papers fluttering about like feathers in the wind.

What Kori saw when she opened her eyes after teleporting made her stomach rise up her throat.

Barren land. Almost as far as the eye could see. Crumbled walls of a palace she had once called home stood bravely amidst a large pile of rubble. The marble's sheen had long faded, being replaced by dirt and grime the wind had swept across the land. The two enormous towers that had once stood on either side of the castle, like giant arms, had tumbled to the ground and no longer stood.

She turned her silvery eyes to the left and against the dark night sky, blocked out by the many asteroids unlike it had on the best night of her life...

Princess Kori looked to the sky of her planet quietly. The sky had no moons, just stars. Stars that twinkled from every corner of her eye. The sky was very clear that night, which was slightly unusual because the asteroid field often covered it completely. It was so clear she could even make out other planets in the distance. There was the kingdom of Mars, the bright glowing red in the sky. And there was Jupiter, sitting solitary by itself. She looked to her left and caught a glimpse of Venus, known to be the planet of love.

She saw the reflection of the marble gardens that she had once been in love with. Lack of tending to the once-beautiful gardens left them wilting and full of weeds. It brought tears to her eyes without even thinking of it.

"Where are we...?" came the whisper from someone behind her, she didn't care who it had been. The picture before her brought a large shock, and desperation. She would save Luke, she would save her home. What she didn't understand though, was why the enemy was in her home. What did they want with it? It was of no use to them. Many questions flooded her stressed mind, none of which she could answer. But the question that nagged her the most, was: Where was Lucas?

Taking a deep breath, Kori took a step forward as Sailor Krypton, toward grand front doors of the palace. She heard her friends follow behind her with no questions asked, they all had a good idea of where they were. They knew that this was her journey, her story, she needed to do this. However, she had their support, their comfort.

Looking up at the great marble doors that towered high above her head, she out a wavered sigh. The beautiful carvings of angels, saints, and other beautiful creatures etched into the stone had been dulled and eroded over the years, and she squeezed the image out of her mind. Pressing gloved hands over the doors, she gave a hard push and the doors swung open surprisingly easy.

Regaining her posture as she had stumbled slightly forward when the doors gave way, took a step forward through the door, her friends following bravely behind her as they disappeared into the darkness, and whatever fate had planned for them.