The day of the Tournament arrived. The invasion from Andromeda contacted the Moon Castle two days before their arrival, crediting Mars' propheting abilities. There was something sly in the message-bearer's countenance, something that sent a dark chill of premonition down Minako's spine.

And then they were in the arena, preparing for battle. Minako adjusted the magical chain tied around her like a belt, the Chain of Venus. It was instrument for several of her attacks, and a royal family heirloom. She glanced over where Rei was tucking anti-evil spell papers into her left glove and Ami was mentally going over all of her spells, terrified that she would forget one. Jupiter was picking up the Imperium Crystal Sword because she had accidentally knocked it over.
"Knock knock," Serenity peeked in the door, smiling a little sadly. "Almost time. I just wanted to wish you luck."
"We'll kick butt," Jupiter grinned, flashing the victory sign. Venus nodded, tightening the bow in her hair nervously. They had trained hard, but she still always felt unprepared going into tournaments. They knew nothing about their opponent. He knew about them, though – that was what frightened Minako. They were so popular that everyone knew about them, without having to research them.
No one had ever heard of the monster from Western Andromeda.
She picked up her sword, comfortable with its extraordinary weight after years of use, and took a few deep breaths, psyching herself up for the battle.
"Serenity?" the Prince stuck his head in the room. "Your mother's asking for you." She went over to him, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Be right there," she smiled, and he bowed out, but four men loitering behind him caught the Princess' attention as she stepped out. "Do you gentlemen need anything?"
"Um," Kunzite started, but Jadeite brushed in front of him.
"We'd like to see the ladies," he smiled and winked. "To wish them good luck." Serenity's mouth formed a small "oh," and she started to swing the door open for them, but Venus strode forward and stopped them from entering.
"No," she ordered, putting a hand out. "You are not distracting my girls before the fight." She shook her head at their pathetic expressions. "Sorry, boys." And shut the door in their faces.
"You're girlfriend's tough," Nephrite murmured to Kunzite, smirking in admiration at the closed door and the loud complaints beyond it.
"Venus, that was rude!" they heard faintly. There was another voice protesting. After a few brief moments, there was a shout.
"QUIET!" Venus yelled, "We are not going to do this! There's an unknown enemy waiting for us out there, which we aren't prepared for, and I am not about to let you get distracted now! So sit down and shut up!"
"Very tough," Jadeite agreed in the ensuing silence.
Inside, Venus had sunk to the floor, tears running down her face. Everything about this tournament was terrifying her – it was different from any other they'd been in. The fight against Iron Mouse, the battle with Aluminum Siren, Tigers Eye, and all the other tournaments – they had known what they were up against.
The other girls wrapped their arms around her, murmuring encouragement and comfort.
"Don't worry, sweetie, we'll be fine," Jupiter assured her. Mars didn't say anything, just got a worried, faraway look in her eye, but no one else noticed it.
"It's time, guys," Serenity poked her head in the door.
The small group broke apart and Venus wiped her eyes. She was ashamed of herself for breaking down before a tournament, but she did feel decidedly better.
They entered the anteroom and straightened themselves one last time before the announcer called them out.
The arena was huge. The walls around them, enclosing a large oval dirt field, rose to twice their height, where a transparent golden dome began and covered them from above. Outside of the dome, seats swept around in a gigantic array of murmuring people. On the Moon's side, the Queen, Princess, Senshi, Prince, and his Guards all sat anxiously. On the other side, the grey-skinned, wrinkly Minister of Western Andromeda and his small court.
A huge door across the arena swung open and something came out.
The Senshi slipped into defensive stances, ready for the beast that came toward the center of the arena. It was brown and wrinkly, but not dry – it was saturated with some strange, potent moisture that made the girls hesitant to approach it.
"Begin!" a voice commanded from above, and the four split up and surrounded the creature with a smoothness as if they had practiced it.
"Supreme . . . THUNDER!" Jupiter shouted, sending a disk of green energy hurtling at the creature. From the other side, while its attention was on the attack, Mars dashed up and threw one of her papers at it, shouting "RYU TAI SAN!" It didn't do anything, though Jupiter's disk cut a small slash in its arm. The Senshi had planned this part already.
"Mercury!" Venus yelled, catching the creature's attention. It drew back and . . . spit at her.
She jumped out of the way, looking back to see the green blob quickly eating through the dirt it had hit. "It's acid!" she yelled, jumping nimbly out of the way of another spurt.
Mercury, meanwhile, was chanting softly. As the creature turned to go after Jupiter, she shouted "Mercury . . . BUBBLES!" and spread her arms wide as a thick mist covered the area.
"Oak . . . EVOLUTION!" the cry rang out, muffled by the heavy fog, and a flash of magic marked Jupiter's postion. Mercury had her visor on, noting that Makoto leapt out of the way just as she finished her attack, and was busy monitoring the creature's movements. She started to circle around toward Venus.
Mars was not allowed to use fire magic while the fog was up, because it would disperse too much of the moisture in the air, so her part in helping was seriously impaired, especially since her charms didn't work on him.
Mercury approached her and whispered, "It's over near Jupiter, so move over there . . ." she trailed off as its gaze snapped to Venus, who was pacing carefully on the edge of the mist, waiting for Mercury to get to her. "Oh Selene," Mercury cursed, realization hitting her like a hammer. "Run," she told Mars softly, and started at a mad dash toward Venus. "Run!" she screamed, "It can see in the fog! It can see you!"
Venus' head snapped in her direction, gaze wide and blind in the thick air, as the creature drew back to spew acid at her. She wasn't fast enough, Mercury realized as she ran, but increased her speed and prayed.
Venus found somebody slamming into her, knocking her out of the way as a trail of hissing, viscous liquid hit. They both fell to the thinner edge of the fog and Venus saw that Mercury had been hit, badly. Her entire left side was already being eaten away by the acid.
She cried out.
"Shabon . . . Spray." The whisper came faintly in Venus' ear and a wave of water suddenly poured over them both – partially drenching Venus, but, more importantly, rinsing away the acid from Mercury's body. "It sees through the mist," she whispered painfully, and Venus nodded, picking up the visor from where it had fallen and putting it on, catching the beast getting ready for another attack. "Venus Crescent Beam!" she yelled, shooting the golden flare through the incoming acid, deflecting it from the pair. She leapt up and heard a call.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" a red glow shot over the creature's shoulder and it whirled on Mars, spitting madly. It missed, but regained its bearings as the mist started to dissipate.
"Supreme . . . THUNDER!"
The creature roared as a sizzling bolt ripped into its shoulder and turned, lashing out with one clawed hand, moving toward Jupiter, who was running.
Easily distracted and slow, Venus noted as it reached out to try and snag Jupiter, clipping her shoulder.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" she caught its paw and yanked, but wasn't strong enough to pull it off balance and found it lumbering toward her. She nabbed her sword and slashed at it, intending to distract it from Mercury's position so it wouldn't attack and hit the injured girl. Jupiter sent a wave of electricity at it so that Venus could get away.
Venus threw her chain around it again, temporarily immobilizing it while Mars and Jupiter hit it from either side. It roared in anger and pain, but, judging by the damage done, it would take a lot more time and spells to waste it, and there was too much chance of one of them getting killed by then.
In a flash, as it whirled toward Jupiter, Venus was racing toward the beast, sword held ready. She leapt, high, and was coming down just as a fireball roared past the creature's head – making it turn and look straight at her.
Venus knew, as she descended and it's head reared back, that there was no dodging. So she did the only thing she could to protect her friends. As it unleashed a violent spout of acid, she brought the Silver Imperium Sword down and sheathed it in the creature's throat – taking the corrosive liquid full-on.
It hit her in the face, splashing onto her chest, arms, and legs, quickly eating through Mercury's goggles. She would have screamed but for the thought of that burning, hungry stuff getting into her mouth and throat. Through the pain, she felt the sword hit its mark, and the acidic flow stopped.
Venus dropped to the ground, her shoes melting in the vile green puddle at her feet, before a great rushing wash of water poured over her body, cleansing her from the deadly, painful green stuff. And so, she fell. Face eaten away, hair almost completely gone, throat marked but surprisingly intact, blinded, her arms and feet useless. Her chest was now somewhat flatter – if it had gone on but a bit more, the acid would have eaten it's way to her lungs.
But she was alive. The other three girls, noting the Moon banner being hung, indicating their victory, picked up Venus and carried her painfully toward their side of the arena.

"Come on . . ." the Moon Queen was getting jittery, watching the girls coming toward them. "A little closer . . ." She was frightened that Venus would die before they got there, and rightfully so. Blood was covering the girl, splattering in various-sized drops to the loose dirt of the arena yard. It was soaking through the uniforms of the other three, coming painfully forward. Jupiter's shoulder was torn and she was limping. Tears trailed down Mercury's dirty, strained face, blood coursing down her left side. She was particularly paler than the others, and for a moment the Moon Queen felt a flash of fear for her as well. Mars alone seemed most unharmed, but her face was showing the emotional turmoil going on – her, almost completely whole, and her friends suffering of horrible injuries.

"Can't we go out and help them?" Jadeite was asking, almost bouncing in place with nervousness. It was agony watching the slow progress of the four senshi.
"No," the Moon Queen answered firmly. "They have to make it back themselves. They forfeit the tournament if anyone steps out there to help."
Their pace quickened abruptly, Jupiter casting quick, apprehensive glances at Venus' face.
"Finally," the Moon Queen breathed as Kunzite stared in horror at Venus, tears pricking his eyes. "Stand back!" she ordered the group beside her, and everyone fell away from the door as the girls reached it and came through, the Queen holding a clear, shining crystal over them.
As the girls came through, they were healed. Their bodies were replenished and the Moon Princess, suddenly seeming to realize something, blushed and bustled the men quickly out, shutting the door on them. The Prince and his guards looked at each other, blinking.
"Wha–?"
Endymion shrugged and looked at the door, waiting. Soon the Princess came out, looking pleasant but embarrassed. She smiled at them, but didn't say anything as she hurried off.
Not long after, the doctor stuck her head out. She was a pretty little middle-aged Mercurian woman, who adjusted her glasses at the men and sniffed, glaring around at them. Finally, she pointed at Kunzite and Zoicite, and said "You and you, come in here."
When they entered, they saw immediately why Serenity had rushed them out. Minako was lying full out on the floor, unconscious and frighteningly white. But what was first noticeable was that the crystal had not replaced any clothing that the acid had eaten away – but that the crystal had fully regenerated all flesh that had been lost. One of the girls had tried to keep Minako's modesty by arranging her blonde hair to partially cover her up, but it didn't work very well.
Kunzite and Zoicite averted their eyes politely, flushing, and caught a movement as Ami turned red and made sure her left side was hidden from view. Apparently, her clothing had been inappropriately disposed of, too.
"You're the right blood types," the doctor pursed her lips, "and two of the girls need blood." She gave a little shove to Kunzite in Minako's direction and took Zoicite over to Ami, who was staring at them in horror from behind a hard, high-backed chair.
"Come on, girl, don't be modest. It's not like you have anything the boy hasn't seen before," the doctor told Ami as Zoicite flushed in wild protest, but Ami was frowning across the room, at Kunzite and Minako.
They both followed her gaze and blinked at Kunzite's smooth, gleaming back as he gazed down at Minako's face and stroked her hair, murmuring to her. His shirt was draped over her like a blanket, reaching from throat to hips and emphasizing the head of height between the pair.
Zoicite looked back to Ami, eyes flashing understanding as her eyes flit unconsciously to him and then down, her cheeks burning. He stepped toward the chair and smiled gently. "Would you like my shirt, lady?"
She looked up at him, startled, then shook her head in nervousness – but her eyes, darting longingly at the grey covering his chest, gave her away.
Zoicite slipped the cloth over his head, baring a lightly tanned stomach and shoulders, and handed it to the slender maiden, who accepted it gingerly, eyes speaking her thanks and relief.
"Good," the doctor said, pleased that the foolishness was over, and went to work setting up the transfer tubes for Zoicite and Ami, then hurried over to set up Minako and Kunzite, whom she was more worried about.
It stung. Zoicite winced as he watched the blood pumping from his arm into hers, and glanced up at her, trying to distract himself. She peeked at him, but her eyes darted away and a blush rose on her cheeks as she looked wildly for something else to set her attention on.
"What?" he asked, a little amused by her reaction to him.
"What what?" she replied, looking hard at a chink in the plain grey wall.
"Why won't you look at me?" When she glanced at him again, he tried to keep her gaze. "Is it because I'm ugly and you're too polite to tell me, or . . .?"
She looked at him, aghast, before catching the teasing glint in his eyes. "No," she frowned. "It's just . . ." she flushed again and scowled, looking away. "The immodesty of this situation," she said stiffly, and he wondered briefly if it hurt to force the words out of such tight lips.
"Oh," was all he said, a little disappointed. "Okay. I just thought, maybe . . ."
"What?" she asked, shooting him a suspicious glare.
He smiled up, a little sheepish. "That you kind of liked seeing men with their shirts off."
Ami was scandalized, staring at him, before turning away in embarrassment and finding herself looking at Kunzite's bare back. She groaned, half-crying, and let her head droop, looking at a safer spot – her lap.
"Of course she likes it," Zoicite turned, surprised, as Makoto settled onto the floor beside him, looking positively impish. "She's just too embarrassed to admit it, aren't you Ami-chan?"
The blue-haired girl only scowled at her lap and refused to answer.
"Yup." Makoto winked at Zoicite. "Don't worry, just keep talking to her, and she'll talk back eventually."
He smiled and nodded.
Across the room, Minako was just waking up. Her eyes fluttered and she blinked a little before getting Kunzite and Rei into focus.
"Hey, Mina! You okay?" Rei asked, peering closely at her friend, who only blinked at her. "The Queen healed you, but you lost a lot of blood, so the doctor got Kunzite here to lend you some."
"Oh," Minako let the pearl of wisdom fall from her lips, eyes catching Kunzite's and holding them. They gazed at each other for a long while until the Moon Princess returned with decent clothing for the girls and the doctor approved of the amounts of blood transferred, unhooking the men and shooing them out. Minako, as Serenity helped her dress, realized why Kunzite had been shirtless and was touched, wishing she could thank him. But she didn't get a chance, since she got dizzy and fainted the moment she tried to stand on her own, causing quite a furor among her friends.