Chapter 15
The Nightmare Ends . . .
Day 14 of Serena's incarceration . . . Wedding Day . . .
In one swift movement, Dimando pulled Serena behind him and spun around. "You!" He cried.
"What . . . ?" Serena struggled to see over his shoulder.
"It's alright, Serena. I'm here!" Bryce called from the end of the hall.
"Huh . . . ? Who . . . ? What's going on?" She was more confused than ever.
"You will not stop me!" In an instant, Dimando disappeared, taking Serena with him.
"DAMN YOU!" Bryce bolted forward but was stopped by the hand that gripped his arm.
"It's all right, I know where they are, where she is." Darien forced the next words. "To know you stopped this travesty is all that matters." He and Bryce's eyes locked, and Darien nodded. Nothing more was needed; each understood the other's mind.
The companions turned to leave. As he touched the door, Darien glanced back. For only a moment, he let a little of his agony surface as he gazed upon the room where he almost lost everything. His mind touched that agony as an open wound, allowing the pain to fill him, to give him the strength to face what is yet to come. Darien needed that strength to survive the challenges ahead and, more importantly, to confront and kill Dimando once and for all.
"Darien?" Raye popped her head back in.
"Yeah, I'm coming." With one last look and a sigh, he followed the other.
"I will not be denied!" Dimando raised a fist to the air in anger and frustration.
"What's going on?" Serena repeated, more than a little confused. They had returned to her rooms but she was unsure whether the Rite had been finished or not. She tried to gently pull away from Dimando's fierce grasp, immediately bringing his attention back to her.
He pulled Serena against him with enough force to knock the breath from her. He held her tightly and tilted her chin back so she could see the truth in his words. "Remember, Serena, you are mine." She did not struggle, for it would only bring harsh reprimand. She nodded slightly and looked away from his brutal gaze. No longer able to control the impulse, Dimando kissed her, hard, demanding a response.
Serena gave none. She just stood there, waiting, fearing the inevitable. She knew what was coming next and knew better than to fight him, but Serena had no intention of encouraging him in any way. She closed her eyes tightly to block the sight of him. And opened them again in amazement.
Dimando was gone.
Even before Serena could thank the gods for her momentary and rather timely reprieve, she caught herself from falling as the entire fortress shook to its very foundation. Just as soon as it began, the rumbling stopped. "Well, that can't be good!" Serena said as she righted herself. She turned to walk toward her bed when the double doors behind her shattered in a violent explosion. The report sent her flying more than thirty-five feet across the room. Irritably and painfully, she stood up, dusting off powder and glass shards. Wondering if she had any broken bones, Serena glared at the offending portal and squinted, trying to see beyond the dust cloud. And froze, paralyzed by her fear and what had to be her wanton imagination working overtime.
For a moment, she stood there gaping as a figure straight out of her nightmares materialized in the smoky doorway. She slowly backed away. Pieces of the ruined door crunched under her slippered foot, breaking the unnatural silence in the room. Another step backward. Extreme, palpable fear crawled through every inch of her. Trembling violently, Serena forced her feet to move. She couldn't scream; she couldn't cry. When Serena reached the wall and could go no further, the figure reached out a hand to her and spoke, and she knew she was going to die.
"Serena." Darien whispered tenderly.
The onyx and gold ring slid from her hand and shattered.
"Nothing is going as I had planned!" In an agitated state, Dimando paced the floor of Charon Hall, an immense circular room at the very heart of Tartarus. A balcony lined the entire length of the Hall. The Dark Crystal, in its enormous, terrible majesty, was suspended over a vast emptiness in its center and was nearing maximum output. Dimando could feel its awesome power coursing through his veins, urging him to action. With the Crystal, he knew he was the most powerful force in the entire galaxy, now second to none. He leaned on the balustrade and studied the glowing matrix. Dimando knew he could not yet use that power because it was being directed to the remaining droids in the fortress. His reverie was interrupted by Wise Man's appearance.
"He's with her now."
Dimando turned to face him and his eyes narrowed slightly. "You have an unerring ability to state the obvious." He hesitated for a moment, "With all your infinite wisdom and foresight, you should have seen this!"
The cloak he wore rustled a bit when Wise Man shrugged and replied, "Perhaps I did."
Dimando frowned and thought to push the matter, but he knew there were far more intriguing issues at hand. So, he gave Wise Man a thin smile and leaned back on the banister, "he'll never know for sure, will he?" Dimando turned to stare up at the Crystal once again, and Wise Man moved to his side. "Let him have his last hours with her. I have drained Serena's Crystal; I have drained her. There's little left for him and the seed of doubt has long been planted. And when I kill that damned Prince before her very eyes, Serena will have nothing left."
"And you will have all that you want . . . As will I." After a brief silence, he added, "you should have brought her here. The Dark Crystal would have hidden her from them."
"Yes, yes . . . " Dimando waved off his words. "But, as you well know, at the strength it is now, the Crystal would have killed her, as she has no protection from hers at all." He smiled maliciously and looked at the other. "And, if all goes well, I shall need her alive."
Previous Day . . .
Brandon gently nudged one of the rubbery droid husks with his boot. Amazed, he whispered, "I thought for sure they'd have doubled, maybe tripled, the guards now that everyone has escaped."
Jeff nodded slowly. "If there's one thing that I've learned in the last few months, though, things aren't always as they appear to be. True, there's nothing to these," he dropped the shell he was examining and slowly turned in the direction of the door he could vaguely make out in the shadowy alcove beyond. "But perhaps there doesn't need to be." His long legs breached the distance rapidly.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Brandon shrugged his reply. Despite his nonchalant attitude, he followed with more than a small amount of trepidation.
Before proceeding, Jeff ran his hand along the ancient carvings on the door. After a moment, he said, "The Hall of Echoes . . . Beyond here lies the shadow of our fears. It shows a truth as only we see it. A Future as only we know it. A Past as only we remember it." He looked at Brandon, "don't read into it, don't think it's real. It's nothing but a dream. A reality of your fear. If you believe, you're dead. Understand?"
He smiled and nodded.
Jeff didn't like the smirk, "I'm serious, Brandon."
"What? This?" He pointed at his smile, and tight-lipped replied, "it's plastered on, I promise that." It was the truth. In fact, Brandon couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd been as scared as he was at that moment, except, perhaps, the day his mother left him. He grimaced when Jeff turned the handle.
Inside, Brandon and Jeff could see nothing, hear nothing. They immediately lost all sense of where they were and from which direction they had come. It was as if they had stepped into a void. Worse yet, neither could see nor hear the other.
Brandon walked slowly, feeling his way along. He had given up calling for his cousin, because no matter how hard he seemed to yell, no sound came from him and his throat was beginning to dry from the effort. After awhile, he realized that he was seeing forms and shapes in the distance, though curiously there was no light anywhere. Brandon picked up his pace a little, and when he glanced back, his heartbeat quickened when he saw only the dark void that greeted his entrance to the Hall. "I'm being led somewhere." Brandon whispered, wanting desperately to hear some sort of sound, because, by now, he was fairly secure in the knowledge that it wouldn't take long for the blaring silence to drive him completely mad. Nothing. Well, so much for that, he thought ruefully.
Under normal circumstances, Brandon did not scare easily. In fact, very little ever really fazed him, he was a carefree, happy sort who had made the best out of many truly bad situations, so it was that he wondered what could be so frightening that it would send a man to his death. The distant shapes beckoned him onward, and Brandon followed where he was led.
Whistling a silent tune, random thoughts meandered through his mind. Visions of separation, of death, of monsters and murder and mayhem began swimming before his eyes. He closed them quickly, thinking that this was not the time to lose it. When Brandon opened them, gone was the darkness and everything was brought sharply into focus. Clearer than anything he had ever seen. Stunned, Brandon had only one rational thought, the woman before him could not possibly be there. "Mother?" He murmured. This time his voice boomed in his ears, and he cringed slightly at its intensity. She smiled and motioned to him. Almost stumbling in his haste, he approached the silhouette in white. She looked the same as she had the day she left him, the years had not touched her graceful beauty. His steps faltered, though, when words besieged him from every direction.
"UNWANTED!"
"HATED!"
"NEVER EXISTED!"
"YOUR LIFE IS A LIE!"
Brandon struggled on; his head throbbed in agony. His feet were so heavy he could hardly take the next step. Guided only by the need to see her, touch her, ask her why she left them so long ago, he pushed on; the gossamer form ever beckoning him nearer. Almost two feet from his goal, the throbbing in Brandon's head was too much to bear and he fell to his knees. When he looked up, his eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Even as he watched, the figure transformed itself. Long arms and claws reached out to him, and his pain vanished, only to be replaced by pure terror as the talons grazed his chest. Knowing there was nothing in Heaven or Hell to save him from this thing, Brandon bounded to his feet and ran. He ran until his legs shook from pain. He could feel the creature gaining, feel the ichor dripping from its gaping maw, even as he staggered, stumbled, and fell. Surrendering to the inevitable, Brandon remained still, too tired from pain and panic to even care anymore . . .
"Brandon! Brandon!" He heard his name being called from far away.
"Jesus, Brandon, wake up already!" Brandon's eyes opened and he allowed Jeff to help him to his feet.
"What? What happened? I don't . . . It was . . . "
Jeff shook his head, "A dream. Perhaps a taste of the Past, perhaps a taste of the Future. No one knows for certain. But it 'was' a dream."
Brandon just stared at him stupidly for a moment, then he looked around. A dream, yes, a dream, he repeated to himself. If that was true, why was he so exhausted? And how could he still feel the blistering gashes on his chest where the she-beast slashed him? Then he glanced at Jeff. His cousin looked as bad as Brandon felt. There were dark circles around his eyes and his lip was bruised and torn. Realizing that Jeff must have lived his own Hell, Brandon raised an eyebrow and observed, "A dream . . . Right . . . Nice one."
Jeff shrugged slightly and gently touched his lip. He made no comment, but pointed. They could see, at the far end of the Hall, the door they had come through.
In a voice filled with undisguised fear he asked, "We don't have to go through that again, do we?"
"No, Brand. The Hall was meant to keep people out, not prevent them from leaving."
"We made it through. I wonder if it counts for anything."
"Only if we're in time to save Darien. I have no idea how long the trip took us, so we have to hurry. Are you ok now?" Jeff watched his cousin as he tentatively took a few steps.
Brandon nodded and gave him a wilted smile. The door to the Well of Orpheus was only a few short paces away.
The Chamber of Hades was silent. Eerily so. With the Silence Glaive pointed in their direction, and menacingly close to vital parts of their anatomy, Safir, Ashton, and Cameron knew better than to move. Sailor Saturn's proud face glimmered in the soft light still emanating from her blade.
Long, uneasy moments passed. "I know you." She said finally. "I know you could not have done what my mind struggles to remember."
"It's all right." Safir whispered. "We're here to take you to the girls." He ran a shaky hand through his hair and motioned to the bed she had vacated. "We had expected you to be . . . "
"Dead?" Hotaru interrupted, lowering the Glaive. She smiled softly and her eyes strayed to where he gestured. "I almost was. But, an old friend brought me back."
"An old friend?" Ashton asked. Cameron elbowed him and Ashton shrugged apologetically.
"Actually," Cameron added gently, "we really didn't know what we would find here."
Assured that the danger passed, Safir walked over to Hotaru, putting himself between her and the bed. He effectively blocked her view of her seat of torment and torture and she raised clouded violet eyes to his. He smiled and pulled her arm through his, "are you ready?"
Saturn returned his smile and nodded. Together, the four melted into the shadows of the Chamber of Hades. She did not look back; for Hotaru knew what she left in that room would very likely return to haunt her dreams for years to come.
Day 13 . . . Late night . . .
"We've been hiding here for hours." Mina complained for the millionth time.
"Oh, shut up, Mina!" The ever-patient Amy snapped irritably, dropping the bottle she had in her hand. Nathaniel rested a calming hand on her shoulder and she sighed. "I'm sorry, Mina. It's just that . . . "
"We're all on edge right now, Amy," Nathaniel interrupted softly, "but it's extremely important for us to complete the task at hand. Our survival depends on it." She glanced up at him and nodded.
Haruka pushed herself away from the wall she was resting against and joined the others at the lab table where Amy and Nathaniel were working. "Yes, but Mina's right. They should have been here long before now." On her approach, the others glanced up. "Hotaru is just supposed to be in the next room and Safir told us to head for the upper levels . . . ," Haruka glanced over Michiru's shoulder and paused. Frowning, she continued in a mumble, "if they didn't show up . . . " She cocked her head a little in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"Well," Nathaniel raised a vial of orange liquid. "It seems this room has everything we need to make a counteragent to protect us from the residual effects of Wise Man's power. Hopefully, this will help us maintain the barrier that I established in our cell." He glanced up when the rest of the companions moved closer. "We've all seen the devastating results of his influence, of the drug's control over us, so I don't think I need to remind you what could happen."
"Yes, interesting place, this Alchemy Room." Safir said as he, Cameron, Ashton, and Sailor Saturn emerged from a gloomy corner of the room.
"'Bout damn time!" Lita exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
Excitedly, the girls rushed Hotaru and bombarded her with questions, "Are you all right? How did you transform? Do you have all your powers back? What happened in there?" And on and on as Setsuna led her to the lab table.
"I'm fine," She smiled slightly and shrugged, "and only a little worse for wear. It will take quite a bit out of me, but I know how to restore everyone's transformation powers. The down side to that is, without Serena's help, none of us will be at a hundred percent." She shrugged again.
Safir briefly scanned the group as they talked. Unfortunately, he knew there was little time for reunion. "Now that Saturn is free, our chance of discovery has mounted." The words were no sooner out of his mouth when the entire room trembled under the force of a blast from without.
"Unbelievable." Brandon whistled softly in amazement.
Jeff nodded his head slightly in agreement. The Well of Orpheus was huge, but that wasn't what made it so remarkable. "There must be hundreds of them."
"How are we going to find Darien in this mess?" Brandon glanced around. The room was filled with row upon row of white marble tables covered in black sheets that obscured the forms underneath. After everything he'd just been through, Brandon wasn't sure he wanted to know who or what was under those sheets. He cringed when Jeff moved to the nearest table and picked up a corner of one to check under it. Then he folded it back for Brandon to see. Hollowed out eyes stared at them. "What the . . . ?" Brandon asked, confused.
"You better believe it!" Jeff replied. After touching the empty corpse, he turned around and flipped the sheet on the bed behind him. Brandon, too, turned over some sheets. It was the same wherever they turned. Jeff pointed, "see?"
Brandon nodded grimly. "Cast offs."
"Rejects of a very different sort." Jeff added solemnly. "It looks like Wise Man was trying to create life beyond the battle droids. These aren't humanoid rubbery like husks we saw outside, Brand, but something worse, much worse."
Brandon looked at him in horror. "Yeah, they're us!"
It had been an hour since the last explosion and Hotaru was finally ready to lead the others back to their powers. She stood in the middle of the room, eyes closed in deep meditation and hair blowing in a windless breeze. Deep violet light came from her hand and enshrouded the Silence Glaive. It traveled up the Glaive to its point where it gathered in a sphere of pure energy and expanded. Minute by minute, it swelled to larger proportions, surrounding Saturn until she was no longer visible. She whispered only two words, "Step forward."
Showing no signs of fear or hesitation, Mina, Amy, Lita and Raye came first. They touched the energy field and vanished. Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka waited a short time, then followed.
Safir shook his head. Sometimes the reality of their situation was just too fantastic to make sense. He propped his feet on the table to wait.
"I hope she knows what she's doing," Ruark commented a little uneasily, joining Nathaniel at the lab table.
"Must be intra-dimensional." Nathaniel muttered. With elbows propped on the table and chin resting on steepled fingers, he bore a deep frown of concentration.
Ryan wandered around the glowing sphere a couple of times and whistled softly in amazement. He moved to the table and reversed a chair to sit. In a cross between boredom and exhaustion, Ryan folded his arms on the back of it and laid his head down. "As long as we don't have any unwanted company in the interim, we should be fine. My powers were pretty much exhausted on that last attack."
"Hmm." Nathaniel said, still watching the swirling color in the center of the room.
Just before Ryan nodded off, he mumbled, "And frankly, when all this is over, I'm going on vacation, and Bryce is paying for it!"
Mina stared around her in amazement. To her, it almost seemed like an illusion, "Where are we?"
"No, Mina," Setsuna said when she, Michiru, and Haruka came from the mists beyond the lone figure at the core, "I believe a more apt question would be when are we?"
"We are now in a place far beyond the influences of the Dark Crystal, but as close to it as we'll ever be." Sailor Saturn answered and smiled at Setsuna, "And where even Time itself has no meaning. All you need do now is call upon your patron planets to regain what you have lost."
"What is this place?" Amy asked, her innate curiosity got the better of her even as she heard the others call out their transformations.
"It is a hollow. A bubble, so to speak. One that transcends Time and Space." Saturn pointed over Amy's shoulder. "But here comes one who can explain it far better than I."
Amy turned around and peered over the other Sailor Scouts' shoulders. The others followed her gaze. Amy's jaw dropped.
"Oh my God!" Jupiter murmured.
"You better believe it!" Mars qualified; she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed audibly.
With a curse, Brandon turned and leaned against one of the marble tables. He crossed his arms over his chest and briefly scanned the hollowed out corpses they had uncovered. "I do believe, my dear cousin, that we are just beginning to see the magnitude of our situation."
"Indeed we are." Jeff replied easily. He had leaned close to one of the bodies and was studying it intensely. After a moment, he straightened and added in frustration, "we'll have to deal with this madness later. The burial anteroom Darien is in has to be here somewhere."
Brandon watched Jeff for a moment then surveyed the area beyond the tables. "There?"
Jeff looked to where he pointed and nodded. With one last glance back, the two sprinted to a curtained area in the far corner of the room and only slowed when they neared. Jeff leaned against the wall as Brandon pulled the drape back. Peering inside, he saw a softly blinking light in the far corner but all else was shadowed. He stepped back and Jeff silently moved into the room.
Squinting to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, Jeff thought he could make out the shape of a bed with a figure on it. But, as on the outside, no guards were hovering, no alarms blared at their intrusion. He shook his head slightly and frowned. In spite of his unsettling feelings, he called to the other, "Clear!"
Brandon came in behind him and immediately began feeling his way along the wall, "There's got to be a light switch here somewhere, or, at the very least, some kind of lighting mechanism." As he spoke, the room brightened, "Ah, that's better! Must be voice activated."
Jeff chuckled lightly, marveling at his cousin's obvious gullibility, "no, I found the switch." He stopped when he saw Brandon pale. "By the gods!" Jeff hissed through clenched teeth.
It was Darien.
"Is he alive?" Brandon asked cautiously.
"Yes, but barely, I think. We have to get him out of all of this."
Darien was strapped to a table like the ones they had seen outside. It was obvious to both men that Wise Man had been experimenting here as well. Myriad needle holes and burn marks covered each appendage, an iv was in his wrist, and numerous tubes and wires were attached to various parts of his bare anatomy. He wore nothing but a light cloth over his mid section, though the temperature in the room was cold enough to ice their breath as the spoke. Darien made no movement or showed in any way that he knew of their presence. His breath was shallow and raspy, as if it was by sheer force of will that he took the next one. The blue of his veins were in vivid contrast to the pale white of his skin, and his deep black hair showed a slight graying at the temples. All that might have seemed too much for even the most seasoned of warriors, but, the two that regarded Darien weren't normal soldiers.
After the initial jolt, Jeff and Brandon frowned at the most peculiar of all the contrivances, black glasses over Darien's eyes. A long minute passed, and when Brandon made to remove the restraints on Darien's arms.
Jeff stopped him with a word, "Carefully. We just don't know what any of this is or what it's doing or has done to him. Any change in his status and we stop and find another way."
Brandon nodded and a bit more gently went to work freeing his friend. Darien never moved as Jeff and Brandon worked slowly but steadily to remove all the wires and apparatuses he was attached to. It took them nearly an hour to complete the task and, as Brandon rummaged the room looking for clothes for their near-naked prince, Jeff reached for the glasses. Large, insulated wire cords fastened them by the lenses to the ceiling high above. They were sealed tightly against the eyes so no light could penetrate from any direction. As Jeff began to gently pull them away from Darien's eyes, a hand on his wrist halted him.
A very pale hand. Darien's hand.
"Don't."
Jeff jumped back slightly in amazement. "Darien?" Brandon came hurriedly back to the table when he heard the name.
"You . . . must . . . " He stopped and ran his tongue along his dry lips.
Brandon helped him out with a few drops of water from a basin near the table.
"Turn . . . off . . . " Darien lifted his hand again and pointed to the glasses.
Hearing Darien exerting all his energy to speak, Jeff spun around quickly, looking for something nearby that was still on. He and Brandon had moved everything out of the way, so he could find nothing. Brandon placed a hand on his shoulder and gestured to the table with his head. Darien was pointing up. Both men followed his lead and glanced up. Brandon whistled softly. Jeff sighed and wondered how they were supposed to reach the high ceiling.
"In . . . the . . . corner . . . " Darien rasped. "Staff . . . "
Jeff smiled and went to retrieve the pole. It was just long enough to press the switches far above. Jeff now knew the reason for lax security. There was absolutely no way Darien could have freed himself. He and Brandon then broke the seal and eased the glasses off Darien's eyes.
"Kill it!" He cried softly covering his face. Brandon hastily dimmed the lights while Jeff helped Darien to a sitting position.
"I found your clothes," Brandon said a little sheepishly and laid them across the table.
Darien nodded his thanks and sat there a moment trying to orient himself. How many hours had passed, he couldn't say. He had very little recollection of anything but the Mask. The only thing he knew for certain was that it was the third time he'd had it on and this time it was the longest. Darien neither felt physical pain nor could he remember any pain inflicted upon him, and yet he bore needle tracks on his arms and wounds on his legs. He wondered briefly if drugs were what
they used to keep him sedated, to keep him susceptible to the Mask. He looked at it and shuddered. "It almost destroyed me." Darien whispered.
"What is it?" Brandon asked curiously.
"Take a look," he replied. "It won't hurt you as it was made for me. Custom built, if you will."
Brandon shrugged and gazed into the lenses; Jeff used the staff to turn it on. His jaw dropped, and he exclaimed, "holy shit! It's Serena!"
Darien eased himself off the table. "Just watch," he stated, grimacing as his feet touched the floor and thousands of pinpricks ran up his spine. "I just hope you have a strong stomach." Darien had begun to dress when Brandon dropped the Mask and ran for the nearest trash can. He looked up, "Guess not."
When Brandon was through, he washed his mouth out and muttered, "My God, Darien, what was that?"
"I don't know, but I, very literally, suffered that and much more. Much, much more. What I saw was directly linked to my brain synapses through the Mask." He pointed to it with a shaky finger. "So much so, that if you had disconnected it before turning it off, I would have died. The electrical connection had to be broken first." Darien shook his head, "I don't even know how I managed to be lucid enough to warn you."
"It's horrible," Jeff added after he'd seen some of what Brandon had. His words shook a little when he uttered, "how did you bear this?"
"I just knew she was there, somewhere, and that if I gave over to it, that it would be the death of me. And Serena. So, I pushed out the next breath and survived another minute." He glanced at the Mask again, "but, if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it anymore. I don't know if I can ever talk about it again."
"Sure, Darien." Brandon put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Are you up to travel?" Jeff queried, changing the subject. "We're on a serious time crunch."
He nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Just give me a moment." Darien began to pace then, mostly to get his land legs back, but also to help him gather his thoughts. Freed of all drugs, his mind rushed forward at a rapid pace, "I am still alive which means Dimando's plans are incomplete. I can feel Serena, but I can't reach her. The Dark Crystal is too overpowering."
Jeff watched Darien's steps as he started out slowly and then began to pick up stride. It was time he was told the truth. He glanced briefly at Brandon who nodded his silent agreement. "Darien, there's some things you should know before we leave." When he was sure he had the man's full attention, Jeff sighed, "There isn't much time for detail, but we're the reason you were here." He briefly explained the events that had occurred and went on to add what the companions' most current plans were.
Darien listened carefully, then turned on his heel. Without a word, he opened the curtain to the Well of Orpheus.
"There's one last thing," Brandon called to him as he stepped through, "and you won't believe it unless we show you."
Ruark's patience was at its end. How long the girls had been gone, he had no way of knowing. The violet sphere that had engulfed them remained, the colors ever-swirling hypnotically. Twice he had fallen asleep; twice he berated himself for it. So, he paced. Before long, he noticed electrically charged bolts of energy mingling in the swirling mass. Cautiously, Ruark took several steps back and regarded it curiously. His eyes widened when it suddenly appeared in front of him; in a split second, he was inside. Then, with a soundless explosion, the vortex disappeared, absorbed back into the body of its originator, leaving sparkling dust in its wake. Sailor Saturn still stood in the center of the room, but now, the other Sailor Scouts surrounded her, heads bowed, eyes closed.
Ruark shook his head in awe and went to rouse Nathaniel, Safir, and Ryan, "They're back." The words brought the Scouts back as well.
"Yes, we're back." Saturn smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Hey! That was like so totally cool!" Mina said excitedly. "And you'll never believe who we . . . " She was abruptly cut off by Michiru's hand over her mouth.
"Shhh . . . " Michiru whispered as she shook her head. Mina hung her head; she really wanted to share her secret.
"Darien is all right and on his way," Saturn interrupted suddenly.
"And Jeff?" Venus prodded. She knew she hit a soft spot when Hotaru blushed a little at the subtle jibe.
"Like you have room to talk?" Raye commented sarcastically.
Mina smiled and shrugged. It was no lie, she'd be the first to admit that she had firmly attached herself to Ryan and planned to keep it that way.
"We should go and meet them." Safir decided. "It'll take half the time if they don't have to come all the way here first."
"It's a running battle," Sailor Uranus added.
"Yes, but faster in any event." He smiled, "even more so now that the Sailor Scouts are at a hundred percent again."
"Well, nearly so," Sailor Mars commented softly, her thoughts straying to Serena. With a glance around at the now subdued group, and in a comforting and courtly manner, Ruark slid his arm around Raye's waist and gently guided her out the door.
Mercury covered her ears as another blast ripped through the bowels of Tartarus. "How long can this go on?" She cried.
"I don't know who's going to destroy us first . . . Dimando or ourselves . . . " Nathaniel replied. He had only two makeshift bombs left and their powers were weakening against the never-ending onslaught of crystalline battle droids. The maze that was Tartarus did not shift in their current location, but for every foot of ground they took, it seemed they were pushed back by ten. The close quarters' battles deafened the ear and weakened the nerve.
"That's it!" Mina wailed and plopped herself down near Mercury, "I'm DONE! I have just enough strength left for one chain . . . TO HANG MYSELF WITH!"
Ryan laughed and pulled her back up, "Come on, this fight's not over yet!"
Suddenly, a cold, eerie hush settled on Tartarus. An unnatural silence almost as terrifying as the explosions that had, until that moment, rippled around them. "What happened?" Uranus asked, squinting through the dust and wreckage.
"I don't know, but they've all pulled back." Mercury replied running area scans on her computer. "There's nothing out there at all, nothing but debris anyway." For a moment, she studied the maps of Tartarus that Nathaniel had scanned. "Stranger yet, there seems to be a clear path straight to the Throne Room."
Haruka looked at Safir when he came up behind her. "Well?"
"We go," he answered. "Dimando and Wise Man must have pulled the droids back into the Dark Crystal to bring its power up to full strength. I believe he can no longer afford to expend the energy it takes control them."
"That's a good thing, right?" Darien asked.
In surprise, the girls and their companions turned at the voice. They had not heard the three approach.
"Look who the cat dragged in," Safir laughed as he shook his hand.
"Yeah, and I feel like it, too." Darien smiled a little at the comment.
The reunion was short and to the point. Mercury and Saturn checked Darien over. Most of the lingering effects of the drugs had worn off in the trek from the Well of Orpheus, but there were still traces in his body that Mercury's computer couldn't suppress or even identify. Saturn used her skill as a healer to mend the external wounds, but she could sense, like herself, the internal demons would take years to exorcize.
After they were done, Darien walked to where Safir and Haruka were talking privately. He asked her, "Do you mind if I have a minute?" She smiled and nodded. Darien watched her leave, and commented, "She's quite a lady."
Safir threw his head back and laughed, "True, but I value my neck too much to tell her that."
Darien's laughter joined his, "Me, too, my friend, me, too." He was quiet for a second, then said, "I wanted to say thank you. For everything." He stopped Safir with a hand, "No, hear me out. If not for you, we would not, could not, have come this far. I just want you to know that I am, we are, grateful. You've done so much, I don't know if we'll ever be able to repay you."
"Darien," Safir replied, "You and your Lady are incredible people. Now and in your Future. You endure so much and work so hard, it's almost incomprehensible. So, it's an honor for me to actually say that I will lay down my life to protect you both. By doing this, I ensure a return to civility on Nemesis and perhaps a peaceful settlement to the hostilities between our two worlds."
Darien cocked his head slightly and studied the man briefly, "You are an unusual man. You have not once asked for anything for yourself."
"Me? I'm nothing. My life means nothing in the microcosm of things, Darien. I'm a pawn, a means to an end, nothing more."
Jeff and Saturn joined them before Darien could add something more. "We have to leave." She said. "Bryce is nearing Serena, and he's going to need all the help he can get."
Darien nodded and turned back to Safir, "You're much more than that. Serenity saw it, and so do I."
Present Time . . .
"You . . . are . . . dead," she could barely force the words out.
"Touch me." Darien whispered.
Serena stared into his dark blue eyes intently. "I can't," she mouthed.
Never taking his eyes from hers, he took her icy hand in his warm one and placed it on his heart. "I'm here, Serena. Feel me." Her eyes widened when she felt the raging heat under her hand. The absolute fierceness of it warmed her to the very essence of her being. "I'm alive and . . . "
Darien didn't get a chance to finish because Serena propelled herself into his arms. Tears ran down her cheeks, and her unequivocal joy spilled over to laughter as she spread tiny kisses all over his careworn face. Darien wrapped his arms around her tenderly and held her close. For a moment, he, too, felt like he was lost in a dream, and forgetting all else, he picked her up. With a laugh of his own, Darien swung her around in circles until they were both dizzy and Serena begged him for mercy. He set her to her feet but could not bring himself to release her just then.
Serena sighed and caressed his face gently. "I don't know what miracle brought you here, Darien, but I will thank the gods every day for it," Serena looked up at him and frowned as a thought struck her, "I'm just fantasizing again, aren't . . . "
His mouth came down on hers then, his lips slanting across hers and kissing her as only Darien could, touching her in ways that only Darien could. Her lashes fluttered closed and she gave herself over to the moment. It had been so long and Darien seemed to reach for her very soul. He was demanding and gentle all at once and Serena decided right then and there that if it was a dream, this time she would savor every moment of it. It took the subtle clearing of a throat in the distance to jolt the two back to reality. With a starry-eyed smile, Serena laid her head on his chest. Darien gripped her firmly against him and looked at the companions with a lopsided grin of his own.
For an instant, no one said anything; words seemed inappropriate in that time and place. Then Mina called out, "Earth to Serena!" She glanced up at Ryan, "Oh, that's wrong, isn't it? It's Nemesis to Serena!"
Serena looked at her, pursed her lips, then laughed heartily. With that, the spell that entranced the group was effectively broken. Pulling away from their male companions, the girls converged on Serena. Darien grudgingly released her only when they overpowered him.
"Amy, Hotaru, check her out." He said as he was muscled out of the way by the stampede. "Uh . . . Quickly . . . ?" Darien finished with a sigh.
When he reluctantly joined the men near the door, Bryce grinned and gave him a sympathy pat on the shoulder.
After the excitement had passed and the tears were spent, Serena showed the girls her darkened Crystal, "What am I going to do?" Serena asked. "Even if I could transform, without my Crystal, I'm virtually powerless." Out of pure frustration, she gripped the locket in a hand so tight her knuckles were white.
Raye slipped an arm around her and gave a gentle squeeze, "we'll figure it out; we'll find a way." Serena laid her head on Raye's shoulder and smiled her thanks.
"First, to get out of here," Setsuna stated.
"Amen to that!" Mina agreed.
"Yeah, I think we've all had more of this place than we can stand!" Lita concurred.
"And when we return, I will help you, Princess." Sailor Saturn asserted. "Your Crystal will return to its normal state when you are ready."
Serena frowned. She wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but nodded her agreement, "Michiru, get the men; it's time to go home."
Sailor Pluto called her Time Staff.
"You'll find that will not work here!" A loud voice reverberated through the room, shaking the walls and shattering Serena's composure.
"It's Dimando!" Safir yelled.
Serena trembled in fear, even as the Sailor Scouts and Guardians surrounded her in defensive stance. Then Darien was there, his large hand held fast to hers.
Dimando's image appeared on the glossy wall beyond them. He paused a second when he viewed the scene with Darien and Serena. His lip curled derisively. With a mock bow, Dimando saluted her before moving on to each of the companions, in turn, sizing up their abilities. It took him only an instant to accurately pinpoint their weaknesses and strengths, individually and as a team. His gaze lingered longest on his brother, "Safir, you truly disappoint me. I wanted so much more for you. But, you dishonored me!" He raised his fist and his voice increased with every word. "I would have built you a dynasty; you would have ruled at my side! As brothers! As friends!"
"Friends?" Safir repeated, absolutely amazed by Dimando's choice of words. "We were never friends, dear Brother, you commanded, and like a puppy, I followed your lead, catered to your every whim. That was my mistake, and it has brought nothing but heartache to me and the people of Nemesis. Too late I tried to make amends. It was already too late to make things right." Safir shook his head sadly.
"I brought Nemesis back from the edge of self destruction!" Dimando quaked in anger, "I own this world, and I shall, very soon, own Earth!" He calmed considerably and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "you, though. I have new plans for you, my dear Brother"
Darkness descended on the room. Safir's earsplitting shriek was all they heard. Immediate chaos reined. Everyone was talking and yelling at once, trying to find him in the blackness. The scream tapered off to a gurgle and light returned to the room. The companions watched, horrified, as Dimando used his Black Arts to pull Safir through the wall to the other side. There, he hung the body of his only brother by the neck.
"You bastard!" Haruka roared. "I will kill you myself for that!"
Michiru placed a calming hand on her arm and, to Dimando, stated softly, "You have signed your own death warrant. It's only a matter of time now."
He ignored her and turned to Serena, "Take a good look, Princess," he gestured to the man behind him, "this shall be the fate of all those you love."
Serena gripped Darien's shirt tightly, and Darien turned her head away as death overcame the one he only recently called 'friend.' Anger, hatred, and frustration. He felt the full range of emotion at that moment. Most prominent among them was vengeance, and it left an acrid taste in his mouth. Darien took a deep breath when Dimando continued his tirade.
"You will see each die, Lady. No matter where you hide, no matter where you are in Tartarus, I can find you. We are connected, you and I. Remember . . . " Dimando's form faded in the distance, his eye fixed on Darien, "Come to me, Prince of Earth."
Darien left Serena with her Scouts and spoke with Bryce and Jeff privately. "If Dimando has massed enough power to physically transport a body, he may be able to take us all."
"Separate?" Bryce suggested.
Darien nodded. "I think it might be best."
"It's sacrificial, even suicidal, you know that." Jeff added.
"Yes. And the last thing I want to do is separate us again, but what other choice do we have?" Darien sighed. This was the part he hated the most. How to chose who would die first.
"Perhaps no one will have to die, if we run diversions all over the fortress, Dimando's power will be taxed." Bryce added thoughtfully then shrugged, "We'll just have to manage to stay alive long to get Serena out of here."
Setsuna and Hotaru approached the three quietly. "Dimando was right. My Staff is useless here. We have to get back to the surface before I can open a portal."
"Serena's best chance to fight this evil," Hotaru added, "is in her own time, but frankly, anywhere is better than here."
"You can't help her now?" Darien asked.
"I can, but she has to believe, Darien, and she's not quite ready to do that yet. She doesn't even realize, or perhaps remember, that she's the key to setting this whole thing right. Until she does, until she accepts her true Destiny . . . " Hotaru shrugged. "And telling, even showing, her won't help, because she still has to have Faith."
"You know, Darien, after everything we have seen, we can't leave Tartarus standing." Jeff reminded him.
"I've been racking my brain trying to come up something, anything, along that line." Bryce frowned. "At home, we'd have the Lab and all the technology of the world at our fingertips to figure this out."
"What about the Alchemy Room, or maybe the Well of Orpheus?" Darien said suddenly. "There's got to be something there." Bryce shrugged, seeing the plausibility; Jeff looked at him like he'd lost his mind. He raised a hand, "I know what you're thinking, but I believe I'm right in this."
Jeff sighed deeply when scenes from the Hall of Echoes ran through his mind. He pushed the thoughts away and nodded.
"Take Nathaniel and Mercury. They should be able to come up with something. And Venus and Ryan, too, you'll need the backup for any undesirables you run into along the way."
With a meaningful glance at Hotaru, Jeff turned to go. After a few steps, Darien stopped him with a hand. "I know you want to stay with Saturn; you two really haven't had much of a chance to talk..."
"Darien," Jeff replied solemnly, "I have long been able to separate my personal feelings from my work. I will go where I'm needed. It's you we are sworn to protect, you and your Lady. When that is done, there will be time for Hotaru and me. Until then, though, until this place and all its inherent evil is destroyed, there will be no peace anywhere. We will give you the time you need to get Serena to safety, and, when we are through, there will be nothing left for anyone to experiment with, no more genetic studies to worry about. Rest assured, Darien, we know our job. So do the Sailor Scouts. We won't fail."
Darien smiled. It was the first time he'd heard Jeff speak with such passion and he was silently glad the man was on their side. He watched as Jeff gathered up his gear and called to the others.
"What's going on, Darien? Where are they going?" Serena queried.
"We're splitting up." Was all he would say. Then he instructed the remaining companions, "Brandon, you and Ruark take Raye and Lita. Take the upper three levels and make as much noise as you can."
"Just the way I like to go out! A free-for-all!" Brandon laughed as he helped Lita to her feet.
"What?" Serena cried. "Will someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?" Everyone blatantly ignored her.
Ashton, Cameron, Michiru and Haruka were collecting their packs when Serena ordered, "tell me what's happening. NOW!"
The four glanced at each other apprehensively; it was a serious command.
"Serena," Ashton stated slowly, choosing his words very carefully, "we're going to create diversions in the castle so Darien can get you away from here." He put his hand up when she looked as if she wanted to say something. Silently begging forgiveness, he proceeded to lie through his teeth, "once your power has been restored, we'll meet up with you." Ashton glanced over her head at Darien as he approached. The other nodded his approval. The last thing Serena needed to know at that moment was the true nature of the separation.
After they were gone, Serena turned to Darien and crossed her arms over her chest, "You know, if I were Sailor Moon right now, I wouldn't be getting these cryptic answers and sideways looks."
Darien smiled. At least she was getting some of her spunk back. He took her hand. "Come on, it's our turn."
As they stepped through the doorway of what was her room in Tartarus for two long weeks of her life, Serena glanced back one more time and shuddered.
"Ghosts?" Sailor Saturn whispered.
"I just hope they don't come back to haunt me." She replied.
Serena moved away from Darien in frustration. After several hours of walking around in circles, Serena had finally figured it out and she was mad as hell. She had been adamantly opposed to splitting up in the first place; she knew they were stronger as a team. But, to know the others were on a suicide mission to protect her was a very bitter nut to chew. To make matters worse, every now and then, their arguing was punctuated by shaking in the fortress and Serena would panic. She could not forget Dimando's last words to her.
Coming to another junction, Darien paused. "This is getting ridiculous."
Serena shrugged. "Did you think Dimando would make it easy? I knew how to get outside to the courtyard and the Grove beyond, but all that has changed now."
"I'm willing to bet we are completely sealed in." Bryce added.
"Hello, Lady!" Dimando interrupted pleasantly.
Her heart thudded in her chest even as Darien came to her side.
"Enjoying your stroll?" He mocked. "What? No smile of welcome? Hmm . . . I guess there wouldn't be." Dimando eyed the group. "Well, I think you'll talk now." He raised his arm and the veil of darkness around him vanished.
Serena buried her face in Darien's shirt. Agony rent her soul, nearly destroying her sanity. Neptune and Uranus were on either side of him, and Ashton and Cameron were at his feet. They were bound, gagged, and struggled against the bonds that held them. Serena let out a soft cry.
"Did you think I lied to you, my beautiful, naive, Princess?" Dimando lifted his hand, "this is a powerful neurotoxin that will systematically shut down each major internal organ, bringing about a lengthy and inordinately painful death." Dimando leaned down and lifted Cameron's head by the hair. With a quick flick of his wrist, he stuck the lethal syringe in his neck. As the scene faded, the words, "our Time has come, Prince of Earth," echoed around them.
Darien let out the breath he didn't even realize he was holding and looked at the others. All were physically affected by what they had seen. Bryce stood frozen, his fists clenched in balls of rage, needing, wanting to lash out. Setsuna, breathing hard, leaned against the wall.
Hotaru had her eyes tightly closed and her head against the Silence Glaive. "By all the gods," she stammered. The venomous hatred that consumed the man's soul was almost inconceivable.
Seconds passed and Bryce spoke, "I don't think direction is much of a problem now,"
The three corridor junction was gone, replaced by the etched obsidian door to the Tartarus Throne Room, and Serena remembered it all too well. Serena felt it in her soul. She knew it in her heart. The proof was under her cheek, "Oh no, Darien, there's got to be another way." Darien, in armor as ancient as Time itself, gazed down into liquid sapphire eyes. Then he kissed her slowly and tenderly.
He brushed the hair from her eyes and quietly confided. "It's all right, Serena, I knew it would come to this." He handed her to Bryce with a directive, "Get out of here; don't look back." Tears streamed down her face as Darien turned from her.
"Darien . . . ," she cried helplessly, struggling against the strong arms that held her, "not again . . . "
Darien touched the doors and they swung open. Without turning back, he walked through. The last thing Serena saw was his cape as it billowed out behind him. Bryce's grip on her had slackened just enough so that she bolted. And slammed against a hard, cold wall.
"No, damn you! Don't you do this to me!"
Saturn came to Serena's side, put an arm around her, and gently led her down the corridor. Bryce and Pluto followed behind, totally bewildered by what just happened.
"Nothing, damn it! Not a damn thing here!" Nathaniel roared. In anger and frustration, he threw the large glass vial at the wall, and Mina cringed slightly when it shattered.
She shook her head and said, "This is no good. We should never have split with the others."
"Yeah, well try telling that to the corpses in the Well of Orpheus! I really would rather not have another me walking around, if you know what I mean. Hell, I don't even know if I am me!"
Mina lost her balance and fell to her hands and knees when the room shook from another explosion. "That's it!" She looked up and exclaimed, "I don't care what we're supposed to be doing! I'm going to find Serena. She can set all this right and you won't have to worry about multiple personality problems!"
Nathaniel laughed heartily, "you certainly have a way with words!" Mercury and Ryan stumbled through the door followed by Jeff.
"So much for that," Amy declared. "There's no way to get to the lower levels now. Everything is sealed tight and it changes as we find a new passageway. As sophisticated as it is, even my computer can't keep up with it!" She tossed the computer to Nathaniel with a wry smile, "The good thing is we picked up a little company along the way."
As if on cue, Mars, Jupiter, Brandon and Ruark dashed in the room, nearly falling over Amy and Mina by the door.
"It's Karma. I'm telling you!" Mina put in.
"All right Mina! I give!" Jeff sighed, throwing up his hands in defeat. She had been pestering him since they started out, and though they had tried every avenue, there was nothing left for them to do except go back. The labyrinth had beaten them.
"Did you have any problems?" Nathaniel asked as he gathered up some things he thought might be useful.
Ryan shrugged as Mina wiped the blood from his chin with a soft cloth, "We dusted a few baddies along the way, but for the most part, it's pretty quiet. Besides, there doesn't need to be much out there. The shifting walls are enough to drive a man insane."
"It's leading us somewhere," Mercury added, "I just haven't figured out where."
"Shhh!" Sailor Mars exclaimed. "I hear . . . No, I feel something . . . " She closed her eyes in concentration and they snapped open again in alarm, "OUT! And RUN! Don't stop for anything!" Everyone scrambled out the door and bolted down the passageway just as a huge wall of fire consumed the room they vacated.
"What the hell is that?" Ruark yelled to Mars as they ran. He practically dragged her behind him. They had been the last two to leave and were lagging farther and farther behind.
"A wall of fire the likes of which even I can't control!" She gasped.
He could feel the intense blaze gaining on them every step. Out of sheer desperation and driven by the need to stay alive at all costs, Ruark yanked Raye into a deep crevice in a wall and blanketed her with his body to protect her as the fire passed them by, searing their lungs with its white-hot heat. "I know the others made it," she whispered against his shirt when the imminent danger had passed.
Ruark absently ran his hand threw her long hair. "Let's go find them. I don't have a very good feeling about all this."
Raye bit her bottom lip to keep from commenting, because she already knew they were down two Scouts and two of Ruark's cousins were gone as well.
Serena threw herself to the ground. "Stop! I just can't go any further. I'm tired and achy and I just wanna lay here and sleep forever."
Bryce pulled her to a standing position. "Sorry, Serena, we push on. Like it or not."
"She needn't go any further . . . " A voice whispered.
She threw up her hands and moved away from Bryce irritably, "See, what did I tell ya?" Bryce, Saturn, and Pluto eyed the area around them suspiciously.
"Things are never what they seem to be, are they Guardian? Even yourself, perhaps?" Sunstarr appeared from the wall behind Serena. He touched her on the shoulder lightly before stepping in front of her.
"Serena, come here." Bryce said softly. There was no reply. Serena even acted as if she didn't even know he existed.
Sunstarr bowed slightly, "Sailor Saturn, I'm fairly surprised you survived my dreams. Though, I suppose you wouldn't have if you hadn't had help." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "We had closed off all outside influence, but you managed to bypass me. Your power is quite phenomenal," She nodded once in response. Sunstarr turned again to Bryce, "She can't. She no longer sees or hears anyone in this world."
"Release Serena, Wise Man!" Setsuna demanded.
"I can't do that," He replied easily.
While Wise Man's attention was on Sailor Pluto, Bryce prepared to attack. "Cosmic Ice Fire . . . "
Wise Man pointed to Bryce, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Unless you plan to kill the Lady yourself."
Bryce gasped and quickly recalled his power, for Serena was now encased in Dark Energy, floating in front of his intended target.
"Very smart thinking." Serena fell into Sunstarr's outstretched arms, and they faded into the shadowed wall he came from. "Here's a gift for you for delivering her to me!"
He felt it even before he saw it, "Firewall!" Bryce yelled and all three turned and ran. Ahead, the hall came to an abrupt dead end. "There's no way out!" Bryce threw himself into the two girls, knocking them down, even as the flaming, blistering heat washed over them.
Saturn cried out, "Silence Wall!" The blast continued around and over them unimpeded, but with the exception of a few singed hairs and a few scorch marks, they were virtually unharmed. They stood up and dusted off the warm ash that had settled on them.
"I guess we go that way," Bryce pointed through the gaping hole the blaze left behind.
They followed the path of fire, which made for a long, hard hike. It had scorched everything and caused explosions in its wake, so they stumbled over rubble and climbed through gaping holes still sizzling and smoking.
"Hello!" Bryce called as he stepped into the charred remains of a room. He turned to aid his companions through the rent in the wall.
"This was the Alchemy Room." Saturn breathed as she came in. There was little left that was recognizable.
"I'm sure they got away in time," Bryce commented softly.
"They did," she answered. "And they aren't very far ahead of us either. So we should push on."
"You know that you are out of your league here! And I shall take great pleasure in your demise." Like a specter in the night, Dimando came through the ebony wall and casually leaned on a stone statue on the raised dais at the head of the room.
Darien stood near the doors. His arms were folded across his chest, and he gathered as much information about his surroundings as he could in the microsecond before Dimando arrived.
"Look there, young Prince." Dimando pointed at the wall to his right, and the drape that covered it separated like a curtained stage on opening night. "She shall bear witness to your downfall."
Darien gazed at Serena for a long moment; he watched as she placed her hand against the barrier that separated them, just as she had in the dream they shared. He raised his palm to her and turned away. Then, Darien closed his mind to all outside influence. He could let nothing distract him. "Weapon of choice?" Darien finally asked.
Although he would rather just kill the man and get it over with, Dimando enjoyed the idea and the challenge of hand to hand combat. It had been a long time since he had any real competition, and he knew that Darien would prove a worthy adversary. He would still kill him in the end, but there would be much enjoyment in watching Darien's agony and for Serena to suffer it, even more so. Dimando pulled a saber from the statue's hand and ran his finger along the finely honed edge. Then he used it to point at Darien, "You have a blade, but do you know how to use it?"
Darien nodded once and drew his from its scabbard.
The two warriors began to circle one another in a dangerous, primeval dance. Dimando showed off his skill with an epee by making it sing as he swung it threateningly. Darien would not play his game. He was determined to conserve his strength and his energy. Darien lifted his sword in salute and Dimando lunged. Darien spun and parried and the swords clashed with electrifying force. Neither could get an advantage over the other, but every lunge, parry, and riposte brought them closer together until they stood eye to eye with blades crossed in front of them. Each man gave a mighty heave and both stumbled back. The two panted hard and began to circle each other again.
"You know," Dimando claimed, "I had my time with your Lady."
Darien said nothing, but his eyes narrowed alarmingly. He knew the man was goading him to action, but he refused to rise to the bait.
"Yes, she's quite a sweet little thing," Dimando taunted unmercifully. "After I kill you, there'll just be Serena and I once again."
"Not in this lifetime. I'd kill her myself first, before I'd allow your dirty hands on her." Darien answered coldly.
"Ahh. So, he does speak. Did I touch a sore spot there? But, I have news for you, you're too late!" With lightening speed, Dimando feinted right then lunged hard left, cutting Darien on his upper arm.
It was a deep wound and bled heavily even as Darien pulled his arm close to his chest. He barely managed to parry every thrust as Dimando used a complex set of maneuvers against him. Decidedly on the defensive, Darien broke away and made for higher ground.
Standing near the balustrade in Charon Hall, she knew she was seeing Evil in its most primordial form. The most incredible thing about it was that she was no longer afraid. She sent her love to Darien in the best way she could, but would watch no more of it. He had his own battle to fight, as did she. Serena opened her locket and removed the Crystal. "It is time you came back to me." She raised it in both hands above her head and called to all the Sailor Scouts. "Send me your power!"
"You're mistaken if you believe they can help you. No one can!" Wise Man said snidely. "Half of them are dead and you are alone!"
"You are the one who is mistaken! You stole from me that which I can now take back. And I want it all back!" She felt them, their very souls depended on her success and they sent her all they had left to give. "You should never have brought me here, Wise Man! It will ultimately be your undoing!" Serena closed her eyes. The Dark Crystal beyond Wise Man began to gyrate rapidly as he attempted to gain control of the tremendous power it was radiating. The Imperium Crystal began to glow softly. Serena's feet lifted from the floor, and the Crystal left her hand and opened above her head.
Wise Man directed dark power blasts at her, but the Crystal encased her in its brightening radiance, protecting her from Wise Man and the evils without. He could see her begin to turn within the Light, and his own Dark Crystal moved faster. Wise Man saw the relationship develop between the warring Crystals; he realized too late the folly of bringing Light and Dark together.
Then beams of pure light from the facets on the Imperium Crystal touched it. And the Dark Crystal cracked. Wise Man turned his own power and energy to repairing it, but it was mortally wounded.
"It can't be!" He made his final and most fatal mistake when he turned away from Serena.
The Silver Crystal released its prize, and Serena took a cleansing breath of rebirth. With the colors of all the Sailor Scouts swirling around her, she spoke from her heart.
Moon Crystal Power!
Wise Man's attention returned to her immediately, "now I will kill you, you pathetic child!" The Dark Crystal was thrashing behind him, but Wise Man's glowing orb was a Dark Power source on its own. Energy bolts shot from it with Sailor Moon as the target.
Though she staggered under the onslaught, her Crystal sang its siren song and Serena fairly glowed with the energy it emitted. "I don't think so!" Serena took her Scepter and touched it to her Crystal. Ripples of power heaved the room in response.
"You cannot kill me!" Wise Man cried. "I am immortal!"
"Yeah, well, immortal this!" Sailor Moon returned.
Moon Scepter . . . Elimination!
"NNNOOOOOOO!" Wise Man's scream faded away as he disappeared into a fine dust on the floor. His orb fell to the floor with a clatter.
Sailor Moon kneeled down over the dust and leaned an elbow on her Scepter. She tilted her head curiously; the dust began to shift under the orb. Like a vacuum, the sphere inhaled the silt until it was gone. Sailor Moon just smiled and shook her head, "oh no you don't!" She raised her Scepter and whacked the orb with all her might. For good measure, Serena stood and stepped on the pieces, crushing them under her heel. "Dusted ya for good that time!"
The Dark Crystal was in its death throws and her Crystal returned to her locket, so all illumination was completely extinguished. Serena stayed where she stood, fearing that any move may cause her to trip and fall over the balcony and plummet to her death.
"Serena . . . " The voice called, and she closed her eyes to concentrate on its origin. Her locket opened and the Silver Crystal, in all its beauty, shone as a single speck of Light, deflecting the darkness that surrounded her.
"You did well, Serena."
"I know you . . . " She whispered. "I saw you. In a dream . . . "
The Lady smiled, "It was not really a dream. I have been here all along, helping you and the others where and when I could. I have been calling you, but Dimando managed to intervene and keep me from you. It is spirit walking. A technique you will learn with time that will become one of your most dynamic weapons of defense. But, as for now, you have freed me from my dreamless sleep. All is as it should be, and your last wish shall be granted." Neo-Queen Serenity raised her Silver Crystal and Serena watched as she changed the very face of Nemesis, setting all that was wrong to right, ending the storms that ravaged the surface and making the planet habitable and hospitable once again. "Peace will exist here and among our worlds, Serena. Thanks to you and your friends."
"Thank you so much for doing this. But . . . ,"
"But, what?" She asked gently.
Serena sighed, "Poor Safir will never get the chance to see his beautiful world at peace. And, you know, that's all he ever wanted." Her reply was sad and full of regret.
Serenity smiled again. "I told you, all is as it should be. Awaken from your dream and you shall see. Goodbye, Serena. Tell my daughter that I love her and to come home to me soon."
"Sailor Moon! Serena! Wake up! I swear I've never seen someone sleep so hard standing up before." He commented to his companions and shook her gently once again.
Serena opened her eyes and blinked a few times, then she screeched, "AHHHH!" She threw her arms around Cameron's neck and held tight even as he laughed and tried to pry her fingers loose so she wouldn't choke him to death. Serena laughed giddily, they were all there, Ashton, Cameron, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, and Safir, and she squeezed each of them in a hug they would not soon forget. Then she remembered, "Darien, oh my God." Serena drew a slow breath to calm her frazzled emotions, "we have to get to the Throne Room, now!"
Taking the steps to the dais two at a time, Darien tore his cape off to allow himself more maneuverability. Dimando smiled and removed his as well. He slowly walked up the steps. "Time to finish this, young Prince."
Before Dimando reached the top, Darien fashioned a running attack and Dimando caught himself as he tripped trying to get out of the way. He followed Darien to the floor and blades clashed blue fire. Time and again the blades met. How much time had passed, neither knew for certain, but Darien was tiring quickly now, and even Dimando was feeling the stress of the lengthy battle. His parries were just a second off and Darien anchored every feint. When the two came together again, their arms shook with exhaustion but Dimando shoved with enough force to knock Darien to the floor.
For a moment, Darien was disoriented by the fall and his fatigue. Dimando wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and stood over Darien. He held the sword over Darien's chest, point down and gasped, "Time to die." Then Dimando felt it.
It was a painful removal as the power had become one with him, corrupting him and warping his brain. The Dark Crystal was destroyed, and he knew it.
Darien took the moment's hesitation to roll, even as Dimando's blade came down. He bounced to his feet and into defensive position in one quick movement.
Bereft of Dark Power, Dimando was still a masterful fighter in his own right. "You will not defeat me!" He cried and came at Darien with all he had.
Swords clashed and this time Darien quickly gained the advantage. A nick here, a cut there. He pushed Dimando back until he was against the wall. There was no way out, no escape. Darien feinted and thrust, and Dimando fell to one knee. He held the sword over his head with two hands to prevent a fatal blow from Darien's maddening assault. His onslaught was relentless. Driven by anger and a near blood lust, Darien struck again and again. He knew the man was down; he knew he had no more power, but Darien pushed on. Another feint and with only a slight pressure against Dimando's chest, the sharp blade slipped cleanly through and stopped only when it contacted with the wall behind.
The sword fell through numbed fingers, and he looked at Darien in amazement. Darien gave a slight tug and the blade slid out. Dimando sagged against the wall and sank slowly to the floor, amazement changed to a horrible, contorted mask of death. "For the crimes against humanity, Princess Serena, and your own brother, you have met the ultimate Fate." And Darien shuddered to his very soul.
"Darien!" Serena screamed from the doorway.
He turned from the revolting sight and called, "I'm here!" He stepped out of the shadows and she ran to him. Darien gently enfolded her in his arms and held her tightly when here tears began to fall. He let her love wash away the horrors of the mind and cleanse his tarnished spirit. "It's over, Serena. It's all over now," he repeated softly.
