THE SECOND MOBIUS
Book Two of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon CosmicStars
by Nashie (aka ShadowSamurai)
May 2000 – September 2000
Revised - Winter 2001
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and her friends belong to Naoko Takeuchi. The author takes no credit for any of the original storyline. However, all the new characters belong to me and I'd appreciate it if you didn't take any without requesting permission.
Episode 229: Stars of crisis! A game of kidnapping Usagi
"Ouch," Usagi groaned, rolling out of bed. She felt a pain shooting from the nape of her neck. She looked over to see the cause of this problem.
"Wake up, Usagi-chan," Luna demanded. Her red eyes were sharp. "It's time that you get up and get dressed. You have a senshi meeting with the others." Usagi groaned as she pulled the sheets and pillow over her head.
"Not now!" she mumbled, her voice muffled from the pillow. "I'm tired." Luna sighed. One excuse was as good as any. Carefully, she sat on the lump of the pillow.
"Get up, right now," Luna hissed. "You are not to spend an entire day in bed." It was nearly a week after the girls had met up with the Three Lights. Okay, so maybe they weren't the Three Lights anymore, but it was close enough to sum up those three.
Luna tried a new way to get the odango-atama out of bed. "Didn't you promise them that you'd go on a picnic for the senshi meeting since Rei's grandfather is holding judo practice at the Hikawa Jinja?"
Usagi sighed heavily. Food wasn't really on her mind lately. Every time she thought about something she liked, it reminded her, somehow, of that day when she had met Zephyr and Bunny. She sighed again. Why did she always remember them? It's not like she knew them well.
Or maybe she did.
"Are you getting up or not?"
Usagi groaned and rolled out of bed, pulling most of her covers with her. But her legs were so tangled up in the sheets, she lost her grip and feel smack on her face.
"Owwwww!" Usagi hollered, holding her face. She immediately burst out into tears. "That huuuurt!" Luna sighed as she began to walk out the room. She shook her head slowly. When would that girl ever learn?
"Usagi-chan?" Chibiusa called, peeking into the room. She sighed in disgust at the sight of her future mother bawling like a baby. She held a phone in her hand. "Stop crying, baka. Someone's on the telephone for you." Usagi took a deep breath and reached for the phone.
"Who is it?" Usagi said, her voice still choked through tears. Chibiusa pulled the phone back and put it up to her ear.
"May I ask who's calling?" she said politely. Usagi rolled her eyes. Why didn't Chibiusa act polite to her? There was a moment of silence. Chibiusa put her hand over the bottom part of the phone.
"Someone named Bunny," she said. Usagi's blue eyes lit up. How did Bunny find out where she lived?
"She says it's urgent. Something about meeting you again."
Usagi grabbed the phone away from Chibiusa. The pink-haired girl scowled before stomping out of the room. Usagi looked at her for a second. Sighing, she put the telephone up to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hi," a deep voice responded. "Is this Tsukino-san?" Usagi giggled at the formality of the name.
"Please, call me Usagi," she said with a grin.
"Okay," Bunny hurried on. "Um, do you think you could me and some of my friends today? I'd like them to meet you." Usagi smiled. She liked meeting new people. But, then there was that picnic meeting with the others today.
"Usagi-chan?"
"Actually, I had other plans for today," Usagi said slowly. She didn't want to say no. "But, maybe you could come with us? We're going on a picnic! You'd like it." There was silence.
"Well, I don't know," Bunny responded. She sounded disappointed. "But, I'd really like you to meet them. Still, I won't stop you from other plans." Usagi was frustrated. Couldn't she skip the meeting just this once today? She wouldn't really miss anything…but, the others would be upset with her if she didn't come. After all, she was the sailor leader.
"Hmmm, I'll see if I can meet you," Usagi replied. "I'll have to pull some strings, but I think I can make it."
"Excellent!" Bunny cheered. Usagi smiled. "We're meeting by the new fountain in the park. You know where it is?" Usagi cheered.
"Yeah, that's where we're meeting for the picnic!" she said cheerfully. "I'll be able to introduce you to everyone. I'll meet you around 12:00, okay?" Bunny was silent for a second, considering the offer.
"Sure, why not?" she agreed. "I'll see you then."
"How come you're so mysterious, Bunny-chan?" Usagi suddenly asked.
There was only one thing to say. "That's our way." The line cut off, leaving a dazed Usagi on the other end. That's their way? Only one person ever used to say that. But…
That scent of wind and the regal air of a princess, Usagi thought to herself. That sarcastic attitude…I'm imagining things. I'm definitely imagining things. I just need some food in my stomach. Then everything will be the same.
, Usagi thought to herself."Usagi-chan, are you done with the phone?" Chibiusa asked, poking her head into the room. "We're leaving in an hour." Usagi nodded.
"Tell Mamo-chan that we might have some extra people coming with us," she said, going to her closet and pulling out some clothes. "Bunny wanted to meet me for something. She's coming to the picnic."
"Okay," Chibiusa said slowly. She looked confused. Something was wrong. Usagi was too calm. Then, a smile spread across her face. "I'm going over Mamo-chan's apartment early. To spend some time with him." Usagi just nodded.
"Okay, have fun," she said, her voice in a daze. A confused Chibiusa walked out of the room, wondering about Usagi's reaction.
Usagi slipped her clothes on, humming a familiar song to herself. Then, the realization of Chibiusa's words hit her. Her blue eyes flared up. "Oh, no! She…CHIBIUSA!" With that, she ran like a mad cat out of the room.
Luna shook her head. "I don't believe her."
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"Hey, wake up Kei-chan," Yomicha murmured into the sleeping girl's ear. Kei groggily pulled the pillow over her head. Yomicha giggled as she grabbed the pillow.
"You can't sleep now," Yomicha whispered. She gently touched one of Kei's purple curls. Her lips were close to Kei's cheek. "Wake up Kei-chan." Kei's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at Yomicha.
"Yomicha-chan," she breathed. Yomicha didn't say anything. Sleep always made Kei look beautiful. Her eyes sparkled with new realization and her hair didn't even looked touched by her rough sleeping. "I had a weird dream last night. You were in it."
Yomicha froze. "What was it about?"
"I feel uncomfortable telling you about it," Kei whispered, sitting up. She rested her back against the backboard of her bed. She looked over at Selene, who was perched on the windowsill. "Can you leave us alone now, Selene?" Selene looked up, her purple eyes sleepy.
"Why not?" she murmured, jumping from the windowsill. "I'll go wake Megumi-chan up." Yomicha shook her head.
"She's already up," she said. Selene nodded and then left. Yomicha turned back toward Kei and sat down on the edge of the bed. Kei stared at her.
"It was a weird dream," Kei whispered, breathing fast all of a sudden. "We were in this kingdom. I could see Earth from there. It was so beautiful. It looked like a blue marble."
"And?"
"Well, I was on this balcony with you," Kei continued. "You know. The original you, without the short hair. The balcony was looking out toward a garden. Some princesses were out on the flowers, talking and laughing. I think they were the planet princesses." Yomicha took a deep breath.
"Keep going."
"Well, the odango-atama princess came up to us and told us that the 'sacrifice' was coming. You told her that we knew and then we left. But, a boyish looking princess came running up to us and told us that the 'sacrifice' was getting closer and closer and that we shouldn't pass it off. She was giving you the evil eye."
"At the moment, I don't see anything wrong with this dream," Yomicha interrupted. She looked at Kei quizzically. "Where does this dream get interesting?"
"Soon," Kei mumbled. Her red eyes were troubled. "Anyway, you took me to this large room. It was white and the floor was a pretty marble with gray swirls. You turned around and locked the door. There was a large, canopied bed. The drapes around it were whitish gold, allowing privacy. When you turned around, you weren't you anymore. You were a guy."
"I still don't get where this dream is going," Yomicha muttered, upset that Kei's dream referred her to a guy.
"It gets more passionate," Kei whispered. Her red eyes became hazy. "You led me over to the bed and told me that you…well, loved me." Both girls were now blushing a bright pink. "Then you started talking about the sacrifice. Except that I wasn't as scared about it as you were. It was weird. Then, suddenly, the guy you turned around and…um…kissed me." Kei was blushing a wild pink now.
"Where?"
"On the lips."
"Oh."
"At least, it ended on the lips. Before that, you were kissing my neck and cheek and forehead."
"Oh," Yomicha gasped, feeling very faint. Her face was as white as snow. "What happened after…that?"
"I don't remember," Kei whispered. "All I do remember is what happened during that period. I think I was too shocked to remember what happened afterwards. I just remember the lust of it all. And the passion. I didn't want it to end. But I don't get it. What does that dream mean?"
"I might as well tell you because you'd find out sooner or later," Yomicha muttered. "You won't understand, but it will explain why you had that dream. See, during the past few lifetimes, we were…well…together."
"Isn't that, you know…"
"No, it was different. Each of the zodiac senshi has the power to change their gender. That power was given to us after we separated from the planet senshi. But, I began to love you because you were different from anyone else I had ever met. Sweet, yet full of so much independent energy, it hurt. It meant even more to me that you cared for both me and Scorpio, seeing how we..." Yomicha trailed off and turned her slate gray eyes to the floor.
"What is it?"
"All the sailor senshi are good and all the zodiac senshi are evil," Yomicha explained. "There's a reason for that, but not one I'm proud of or would like to discuss." Kei stared at the silver-haired girl before taking a deep breath. She'd let that topic slide, but as for the other one...
"So, I loved you back?"
"Yes," Yomicha said. "That dream you had wasn't a premonition, it was a real memory." Kei's face drained from color.
"You mean…you and I actually…" she stammered. "But, I didn't tell you the entire dream! How could you possibly know what was going on?"
"Because I remember...everything."
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"I am so bored," Cancer groaned, tugging her rose curls. She sighed, looking over at a golden-clad Libra. "Why do the new senshi get to have all the fun?"
"Because you didn't shut your trap about wanting to go somewhere," Pisces grumbled. She was resting her head on Aquarius' shoulder. "If you would've just shut up, we could have gone somewhere."
The seven zodiac senshi were in the dark courtyard of the floating ship. They were all talking about the new crystal senshi, especially after they were doing most of the work.
Virgo sighed. For once, she wasn't chewing any bubble gum. She was just as aggravated as the rest of her fellow zodiac senshi. "I have to agree with Cancer. We've been locked up in this floating palace ever since those four came along."
"And I've had bad vibes ever since then," Aries added. She suddenly jumped up, her purple braids bouncing. "There is something about them I don't trust." Sagittarius nodded as Aquarius looked at the two cynically.
"Do you have any proof that these guys might turn traitor?" she asked, her emerald eyes flashing. "For all you know, those vibes must be from all that wasted energy they've been putting off looking for that taboo talisman."
"No," Aries stated shortly. "Sagittarius and I were spying on Atlantica and Bunny the other day." Aquarius grunted in response. Aries gave her a cold look and continued. "It turns out you were wrong, Aquarius. Those sailor senshi have already recalled some memories of their past and they're not dead yet. Bunny was saying that is things got worse, they were going to ask Sailor Moon for her help."
"And, they must have had a flashback there too," Sagittarius continued. "Because they suddenly became very quiet and their eyes went kind of blank. Next thing we knew, they were in a shock mode. Seems like they only get flashbacks when they're around each other or around Miss Moon."
"Oh really?" Libra asked, tossing her two pale blonde braids over her shoulder. She looked doubtful. "And if they do ask Sailor Moon? What happens then?"
"I don't know," Cancer suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to the smallest of the group. "But only one question bothers me. Why on earth, of all people, would they ask Sailor Moon? I know that that silver crystal of hers is rather formidable, but that still doesn't explain it."
"They are going to ask Sailor Moon because the figure in the mirror told her to ask Serenity and that of course is Sailor Moon," Aries explained. Seeing the confused looks on her allies' faces, she sighed. "I don't know how it happened, but when Bunny touched that mirror that leads to the other world, another image appeared in the mirror. But the reflection wasn't hers. The sailor fuku and hairstyle was different. But that's it. The figure told her that she was her past and memories. Before disappearing, she said to ask Serenity for help."
"Oh, that's just great," Pisces mumbled. "As if we don't have enough to do. Now we have to watch out for those four, look for the taboo talisman and not let the princess find about all of this. Then we can't forget that those brats are still looking for the taboo talisman."
"Oh, we don't have to worry about them," Aquarius said with a laugh in her voice. "It seems like their powers aren't working. So we really only have to worry about Capricorn and Scorpio plus Sailor Midnight."
"Don't forget about the Sailor Starlights," Libra added. "They're friends with the planetary senshi, remember?" The others nodded. "Anyway it goes, no powers or not, they outnumber us fourteen to eight."
"Forget about it!" Cancer spoke up, jumping to her feet. "If we're the planetary soldiers' zodiac counterparts, then our counterparts are about as powerful as we are. If we can find Sailor Moon's counterpart, then we've got it made!"
"But what about Capricorn and Scorpio?" Aries asked. "We can't very well forget that they've known us about as long as they've know the planetary senshi. All they have to do is tell them what's going on." Cancer stared at the taller girl.
"Well, what if they were back on our side?" she asked, her blue eyes thoughtful. "They couldn't very well do any harm then. And without them, Sailor Midnight is pretty much powerless." The other senshi turned and stared at the girl in shock.
"Sailor Cancer, sometimes you amaze me," Virgo said. Her pale blue eyes smarted then. "But exactly how do we get them back on this side again?" Sagittarius shook her head, causing her pale green hair to twirl.
"There's no way," she said. "Capricorn and Scorpio are on their side for good. They told us millennia ago that they would never join us unless we returned back to our original forms, whatever that meant. They said even if they did share zodiac names, they were not part of our group."
"I'd like to thank them personally then," Aquarius hissed, standing up. Her green eyes were cold. "Until then, a strategy plan might be necessary in order to get that talisman. We should split up into groups."
"Yeah, okay," Virgo agreed. She was acting serious for once. "Okay, Aries, Sagittarius, and I will do a bit of research on the planetary senshi and see how formidable they really are. Cancer and Libra, back us up. And Aquarius and Pisces, keep an eye out for the crystal senshi, okay?"
"Sure!" came six enthusiastic responses. In seven flashes of light, the room was suddenly dark and empty again.
Then, there was a pink flash of light and Sailor Cancer reappeared in the room. Looking around cautiously, she picked up a small mirror locket off the ground. Placing it across her neck, her blue eyes glowed.
"So we meet again...Princess."
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"Hi, minna-chan!" Usagi yelled, running across the thick emerald grass of the park. She was grinning wildly. "Hey, everyone!"
The others were already at the park. Chibiusa and Mamoru were checking the two huge picnic baskets. Seiya and Minako were playing volleyball against Mako and Taiki. Yaten was keeping score while Ami was cheering them on with Rei and Hogoshi.
"You are so incredibly late Usagi-chan," Rei retorted, but she was smiling too. The blonde odango-atama ran up to her boyfriend and wrapped him in a hug.
"Sorry I'm late! Usagi said, her blue eyes glittering. "I saw these really cute stuffed bunnies on sale. Two for one yen!" With that, she opened up her backpack. It was full of small stuffed rabbits. Her friends stared wide-eyed at the bag.
"Um, Usagi-chan?" Seiya asked, his brown eyes growing large. "Exactly how many bunnies did you get?"
"I dunno!" Usagi said cheerfully, dumping the contents out on a large picnic blanket. At least thirty bunnies spilled out. Her friends stared at Usagi in astonishment.
"Well, that's a lot of stuffed bunnies," Mamoru announced with a sigh in his voice. "Maybe a bit too many."
"That's why I'm giving them away!" Usagi replied, plopping down carelessly on the blanket. "I decided that there's better giving then there is in receiving. Besides, I already have enough stuffed animals in my room." Then she turned back towards her backpack that was still bulging with something. She reached her arms in and pulled out a huge pink bunny with a carrot in its paws. "This is for Chibiusa-chan."
Chibiusa's jaw dropped as Usagi handed her the huge bunny. She gently held it and grinned. "Thanks Usagi-chan. But what's up with my gift? You're not going to take it back or something, are you?"
"Nope, I just felt like doing something nice," Usagi said with a smile. She looked over at her other friends and then pointed to the pile of bunnies. "You can take whatever ones you want."
The girls immediately bent down and started examining the pile, but the guys stood back a bit. Usagi smiled.
"I know the guys of the group wouldn't really be interested in bunnies, so I bought something else for you," she said, looking back toward her backpack. She reached inside and brought out for small boxes. "I know the girls and I already have these, but I felt as though you guys needed some too." She popped the tops off the boxes and handed them to the young men.
Seiya smiled. "These are so pretty. Where'd you get them from?" Usagi smiled.
"I called Kei-chan the other day," she said. "And because I was so eager, she let me have them for free."
The rings in the boxes glittered brightly. The gem on Seiya's ring was red, the one on Taiki's was blue and the gem on Yaten's ring was green. Mamoru's gem ring shone a bright gold.
"Thanks very much Usa-ko," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek. Usagi blushed happily. Looking at her watch, her smile disappeared.
"Oh, no, I'm late," she groaned. Rei grinned.
"What else is new?" Usagi looked at the others, her eyes still glowing a bit. Then she looked back at the remaining bunnies.
"You guys each have a gift?" she asked. Her friends all nodded in response. "Okay." She gathered up the remaining rabbits and stuffed them in her backpack. "I have to go. I'll get back as soon as possible though." Mamoru cocked an eyebrow.
"Where are you going, Usa-ko?" he asked. "You just got here." Usagi smiled as she stood up.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said. For some reason, she felt that she couldn't tell the others where she was going. "I'll be back before you know it." Hogoshi stood up.
"I'll walk you wherever you have to go," she offered. Usagi shook her head, beginning to walk away.
"No, I have to go by myself," Usagi said, tugging a blonde pigtail nervously. Then she broke out in a run. "I'll be back soon!" Hogoshi shook her head. Innocent and giggly as always.
"Hey!" Mako piped up. "Isn't anybody curious on where she's going?" Rei nodded, but Ami shook her head.
"If you're planning on spying on her," she said matter-of-factly, "count me out. It's her own business." Chibiusa sighed.
"Well, I wanna see where she's going," she muttered, holding the pink bunny close to her. "She wouldn't just run off like that for no reason." Mako and Rei nodded.
"Okay, we're going to go see what she's up to," Rei said, tugging Mako and Chibiusa's arms. "Once we see, we'll be right back and report." Seiya chuckled.
"You guys haven't changed one bit since we've been gone," he said, shaking his head. "Always on Usagi's case if she's acting weird." Yaten and Taiki nodded in agreement. Rei just put her hands on her hips.
"Well, she's our princess and we're going after her," she said, turning her back. Making a motion with her hands, she began to jog off. "Come on Chibiusa-chan and Mako-chan. Let's see what that girl is up to." With that, the three girls ran off.
Seiya shook his head and groaned. Then something bounced against his head. He turned around, rubbing the back of his head. Minako stood behind him, holding the beach ball under her arm.
"We still have a game to play!" she announced. Seiya stared at her.
"But we're short one player," he reminded her. Hogoshi shook her head as she grabbed the ball from Minako and pounded it into the air. She grinned as it landed easily back in her hands.
"I'll play," she said with a wicked grin on her face. "I'll make sure to give you an evenly matched game." Yaten sighed.
"You guys are so crazy," he groaned as he walked back over to the volleyball net. He looked over at the fountain near by. "Zero to zero and if anyone hits me with the ball again, it'll just be zero."
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Usagi looked around, sitting down on the bench that surrounded the fountain. She knew she was late, so where were Bunny and her friends?
Sighing, she swung her legs back and forth, feeling the cold spray of water against the back of her neck. She hated waiting. She wasn't very patient.
Suddenly, two hands covered her eyes. Usagi shrieked in surprise. She took two deep breaths and smiled. "Who is it?"
"Guess."
"I give up."
"Hmmph, you didn't even try," the voice sounded disappointed. They removed their hands away from Usagi's eyes. With that, she spun around.
"Hi, Bunny!" she said. "How are you? What took you so long? Am I late? Where are the others?" Bunny forced a smile.
"Hi yourself, Usagi-chan," she said. She looked away, her long sandy blonde pigtails swaying dizzily. "I'm fine and I'm not late. You weren't here at this fountain, so I supposed you were at some other fountain in the park. So I was looking for you because you were late. And the others…"
"Hello, Usagi-san," a musical voice said from behind her. Usagi turned. A beautiful, aqua-haired young woman stood. Her curly hair was held up in a loose bun. An emerald hung on a black band around her neck. "My name is Disho Atlantica. How are you today?"
Before she could answer, a shorter, raven-haired girl walked up. He hair was held in two braided odangos. A topaz hung around her neck loosely. "I'm Hikai Skylar. Nice to meet you, Tsukino Usagi."
"I've told them about you already," Bunny said slowly. Her aqua eyes were dark for a second. "I think you've met Zephyr already." Usagi's eyes lit up. Zephyr?
The tall, green-haired girl walked up. "Hello, Usagi-chan. We meet again."
"Hi, nice to meet all of you!" Usagi said cheerfully. Her blue eyes gleamed. "Would you like to meet some of my friends?" Atlantica looked at Bunny in alarm. What was she going to say?
"Sure," Bunny said coolly. She took Usagi's hand. The aqua eyes were dark. "But, I'd like you to come with us for awhile before you go back." Usagi was quiet for a second. Hadn't she promised to be right back?
"I had promised to get right back," Usagi said slowly. "I don't want them to get too worried." Skylar shook her head.
"Oh, don't worry," she said, smiling a bit. "Zephyr and I will tell them that you came with us for a little while. It won't be for long."
Usagi's eyes lit up. "You would? Oh, thank you! You guys are great!" Usagi noticed the confused look in all their eyes. But the look was suddenly followed by a bit of realization.
"You're…you're welcome," Skylar said slowly. Usagi nodded as she stood up. She smiled sweetly.
"Okay, come on!" she said enthusiastically. She grabbed Bunny and Atlantica by the arm. "You guys are sweet to think like that!" Atlantica blushed while Bunny groaned.
Zephyr and Skylar looked at the retreating figures. Zephyr turned away, her crimson eyes darker than ever. "That girl…we can't take her spirit chalice."
"What are you talking about?" Skylar demanded. Her violet eyes flashed. "She may be the very one that holds the talisman. You can't back out of it now." Zephyr sighed, wiping a green wisp of hair from her eyes. She looked troubled.
"I know, but…" she trailed off. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Skylar. "It feels as though we'd be betraying her some way. We haven't been friends that long and I'm sure even now, we're not considered friends."
"That's what's wrong with love," Skylar snapped. "It's overrated. It makes up rules that don't need to be in existence. It twists you down and confuses you. That's why we need to find the talisman. If the revelation can't be completed, the sailor senshi will get mad at something and they'll blow up the world or something. Then, that kind of love won't exist anymore. No kind of love will exist anymore. And it will start by getting rid of Miss Usagi."
Zephyr nodded. "I guess you're right. Come on, let's get out of here." In a flash of red and yellow light, Zephyr and Skylar disappeared.
In the darkness, out of sight, three figures stared in gaping horror. The smallest one, a pink-haired girl, shook.
"I don't believe it!" she whispered. "They're using Usagi-chan! That's terrible. Why didn't she tell us where she was going? Baka!"
"If they harm one hair on her head, I will turn them into dust!" Mako growled. Her green eyes were flaring. "How dare they use their 'friendship' with Usagi-chan in such a terrible way!" Rei nodded.
"I could have sworn I felt bad vibes surrounding those four," she whispered. "Now I know I'm sure." Chibiusa held her locket firmly in her hand.
"We have to go after them!" she shouted. "We can't let them hurt Usagi!" Rei and Mako nodded.
The three stood up, pulling out their transformation items. Chibiusa's red eyes were blazing. I won't let them hurt you, mama. No one treats you like this and gets away with it.
"Moon crisis power, make UP!"
"Jupiter crystal power, make UP!"
"Mars crystal power, make UP!"
In three flashes of swirling light, three sailor-suited fighters appeared. Sailor Mars took a deep breath.
"If there's a fight, we know our powers won't work," she said, looking at her two friends and allies. She turned to Chibi Moon. "Chibi Moon, go back to the picnic area and tell the others what's happening. Get Ami-chan to track them down on her computer. Jupiter, you come with me. We'll start looking for Usagi and those two…" Not able to think of a word that would best describe Bunny and Atlantica, she just hissed beneath her breath and said, "Just go and get them. Use the communicator to track us down. Try to get in touch with Usagi if you can."
"Okay!" Chibi Moon said energetically and ran off in the opposite direction. Jupiter and Mars looked at each other.
"Ready?" Mars asked.
"They're going to pay."
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Usagi sat in the backseat, looking at the passing buildings. She couldn't help but wonder where Bunny and Atlantica were taking her. But, she was safe. There was no need to worry.
"Usagi-chan," Atlantica suddenly said. Her eyes were a bit hazy. "What do you think about sacrifice?" Usagi's eyes widened. What did that have to do with anything?
"I don't think it's necessary," Usagi whispered. "Why should people sacrifice themselves for the sake of the world? Couldn't there be another way to solve things?"
Bunny looked up from the driver's seat. "Everyone is living in this world by sacrificing something, and everyone is stepping on somebody." Her aqua eyes were dark. "So why do you say sacrifice isn't necessary? There's no other way for people to live without sacrifice. If no one had to sacrifice anything, then this world would be a world of the dead."
Usagi was silent for a second, thinking back to the outer senshi. They had sacrificed themselves in order for Usagi and the others to live. But, why was it really necessary? The aftermath of the tragedy still hurt.
Usagi took a deep breath. "It might be okay for the people who are stepping on others. But what about those who are getting stepped on? Don't you have to think about those who are being sacrificed? I can't watch others being unhappy, even if I'm saved. Even if I can't do it myself, if people work together, there must be a way to do things without sacrificing anybody."
There was a long silence. Bunny was quiet and looked lost in her thoughts. Atlantica was quiet as well. Usagi began to think that maybe she had said something to upset them.
Usagi looked up again, ready to argue. "I've lost four close friends due to sacrifice. Would it really depend if you were being helped or were the helper?" Bunny was quiet as a tunnel came into view up ahead. The greenish-white lights inside took over the familiar sunlight of twilight. Usagi just sighed heavily and looked at the two drivers as darkness reigned between the spaces of the lights.
Usagi knew the convertible top was down and could occasionally feel the soft strokes of Bunny's long sandy blonde hair brush against her cheeks. But for a moment, in the darkness, she felt nothing and looked up again as the greenish-white light appeared. She glanced up at the two people in the front seats.
And rubbed her eyes.
Bunny and Atlantica weren't sitting there anymore. Two other, very familiar people were though. Usagi's jaw dropped as her mouth became dry. It couldn't be. The driver looked back at Usagi through the rearview mirror.
"Usagi-chan, sometimes sacrifice is necessary to keep those you love alive. It's more important for them to live then you," she said. The passenger smiled as she looked back at Usagi.
"What would you do for another person who cared for you so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for you?" she asked, her wavy green hair blowing from the vivacity of the wind. The golden tiara on her forehead shimmered from the greenish-white light. Usagi was still dumbfounded as she stared at them.
It was Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune.
Usagi looked at the two senshi in absolute horror. "Haruka-san…and Michiru-san…?" The car suddenly emerged from the tunnel, the light blinding Usagi for a second. She opened her eyes after blinking a couple of times.
Atlantica looked back at the petite girl. "Usagi-chan, you're such a sweet girl." Bunny didn't say anything, she just looked at Usagi in the rearview mirror and smiled a bit.
"I guess you're right," she said, seemingly bemused. Her attention became focused again. "I don't know if I can think exactly the way you do. It's something we'll never be able to agree on. I think people should be sacrificed and you think that there should be another way. You're very kind." Usagi blushed.
"I know what it's like, to lose somebody because of sacrifice," she whispered. "Maybe one day, it won't be necessary anymore. Until then, I plan to make each day worth living and make sure that no one around me is so unhappy. Wouldn't it be better that way?"
Atlantica smiled. "Yes, I guess it would." Usagi suddenly knew that the conversation was over. There was nothing she could say or do to change their minds.
Didn't…didn't I have this exact same conversation with Haruka and Michiru two years ago? Usagi thought to herself.
"Where are we going?" she asked, looking at the familiar buildings. Bunny smiled.
"Tokyo Tower." Usagi's eyes widened in realization. This is a really serious case of déjà vu! That's exactly where Haruka and Michiru had taken me when we were having this conversation! Wow, those two think exactly like them. Weird.
"I thought the tower was closed today," Usagi replied, cocking her head to the side. "How are we going to go there if it's closed?" Atlantica grinned.
"Don't ask so many questions," she said. She laid her head against the seat. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride. You never know when it could be your last one." Usagi stared at the aqua-haired girl. You never know…
"Okay," Usagi said slowly. "I hope this doesn't take too long. My friends might start to worry."
"Oh, you don't have to be vexed about that," Bunny said darkly. "Everything is taken care of."
Usagi didn't say anything. She just rested her head on the headrest of the car and looked anxiously out the window. Things were starting to bother her now.
Sighing, she looked out the window. She hoped it wouldn't take much longer.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"They did what?" Hogoshi yelled. "I do not believe this! How dare they treat Usagi like that!" She was pacing back and forth, her arms crossed and her green eyes blazing like a newly born fire. "We are going after them."
Chibi Moon had just reached the picnic area and told the others, as quickly as possible, what had happened to Usagi.
"What are we going to do?" Yaten asked. "None of your powers work and we can't very well go after them single-handedly. They've got us caught pretty good."
"Well, even if Usa-ko transforms into Sailor Moon, she won't be able to fight back," Mamoru noted, his voice filled with worry. "Why is she so trusting? The enemies must know she's innocent and went after her first. They must not hurt her."
"How do we know they're really enemies?" Taiki suddenly said. All eyes turned to the brown-haired young man. "Whether they're good or bad, we know that everyone is looking for the same thing. They may just be the people in between. Not on the good side, but not on the bad side either."
"Like how Uranus and Neptune were when we fought against the Death Busters," Minako realized. "They weren't on our side and they weren't on the bad guys sides either. They were on their own side."
"Great, so we have a three way battle going on here," Seiya muttered. Ami shook her head.
"Four way," she said. "Remember those three mysterious senshi who showed up in our first battle?" The group looked at each other and groaned.
"Well, it's no use sitting here and pondering the 'what ifs'," Hogoshi spoke up. "They have Usagi and our first priority is to get her out, safe and sound."
"Right!" came eight enthusiastic responses. Each person brought out their own transformation devices. "Let's go."
Checking around to make sure no one was watching and seeing that there was no one watching, they raised the items in the air.
"Mercury crystal power…"
"Venus crystal power…"
"Destiny cosmos power…"
"Fighter star power…"
"Maker star power…"
"Healer star power…"
"…make UP!" The scene was ablaze with the lights of the transforming sailors. Their regular clothing disappeared, only to be replaced by their familiar sailor fukus. The lights died down and the sailor senshi could be seen, each in their respective poses.
"Can you track them down Sailor Mercury?" Chibi Moon asked. Her red eyes were full of worry. She hoped Usagi was all right.
"It'll take a second," Mercury whispered, her visor on. She was typing furiously into her mini computer. Her eyes were deep in thought as she overheard the constant beeping of her computer. "I found them!"
"Really?" Fighter asked, peering over Mercury's shoulder. She raised a delicate eyebrow. Mercury nodded and she touched the earring on her left ear. The visor disappeared.
"Right there," she said, pointing to the screen. On the screen was an enlarged map of Tokyo. A blinking dot was moving across it. The coordinates and other information was posted in all corners of the screen. "That blinking dot is them. From here, it looks like they're headed to Tokyo Tower." She closed the mini computer. "That's all I can tell."
"Okay," Healer nodded. She turned to Chibi Moon. "Anything else Mars and Jupiter told you to do?" Chibi Moon nodded.
"They said contact Usagi-chan if you can and contact them when you know where they're going," she said. Venus already had her communicator in her hand. She looked over at the others.
"Who should we contact first?" she asked. Tuxedo Kamen went over to her.
"Usa-ko," he stated simply. Venus nodded and the small screen on the communicator flickered. Usagi's face showed up on the screen a few seconds afterwards. All the senshi sighed with relief at the sign of the smiling face.
"Hi, minna-chan!" Usagi said cheerfully. She looked up from the communicator. "What's up? Is the picnic over? You guys leave me any food?"
Venus sighed. "We have more important matters than that. Why'd you go with Bunny-san and Atlantica-san? You barely even know them!" Usagi seemed confused.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You said you'd be right back!" Destiny exclaimed, her face cross. She looked at Usagi through Venus' communicator. "You have no idea what those four are up to!" Usagi grinned.
"You guys are overreacting," she said. "We just stopped at a music store so Atlantica could pick up some music sheets. Bunny-san went in with her. After that, we're going over to Tokyo Tower. I'm just worried that we won't be able to get in."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. You're not going." It was the first time Fighter had spoken up since Usagi popped up on the screen. "Those two people you're with do not want your friendship. They are after your spirit chalice. We're coming after you."
"No!" Usagi said, her blue eyes angry. "I can't believe you guys! They're not evil! You're making assumptions. Just because you don't know them. I am going with them."
"Usa-ko, we don't want to fight them either," Tuxedo Kamen suddenly said. His blue eyes were understanding. "But we don't want you to get hurt." Usagi turned away.
"Mamo-chan, I don't care what anybody says!" she announced. She turned back to them. "They are not evil. I am going. Good-bye." The screen flickered off.
"No!" Destiny screeched. Her green eyes were boiling as she looked at the communicator. She turned away in absolute frustration. "We have to go after her now." Mercury nodded.
"I just got in touch with Mars and Jupiter," she said solemnly. "They're heading straight for Tokyo Tower. We should catch up with them too. Any luck with Usagi-chan?"
"She didn't listen," Destiny mumbled darkly. "Why does she think she can save the world all by herself?" The others shrugged.
"Dunno, but we have to save Usagi!" Chibi Moon reminded them. The soldiers all nodded in agreement and broke out into a run. Those four had better watch out. If they harm Usagi in the tiniest way, they would definitely pay the consequences.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Cool," Usagi whispered, staring up at the building. "This isn't Tokyo Tower. It couldn't be." She was staring up at a huge crystal like building, standing in the place Tokyo Tower was supposed to be. It was reflecting the sun and the blue sky, casting rainbow images all over the ground.
"Of course this isn't Tokyo Tower, silly," Atlantica said. She smiled. "This is the Starlight Tower. It only exists in your imagination." Usagi looked back at the couple.
"I've heard of the Starlight Tower," Usagi said slowly, sticking out her tongue. "It was just built six months ago. Why'd you say you were taking me Tokyo Tower?"
"Oh, we must have been mistaken," Bunny said. "Remember, Tokyo Tower is closed for repair maintenance. You said so yourself. So we came here instead."
"It looks scary," Usagi blurted out. She covered her mouth. The tower did indeed look scary. Beneath the glittering sunlight and reflective rainbows, the tower gave off creepy negative vibes.
"Let's go inside," Atlantica said, walking to the front door. She opened it slowly. She grinned at Usagi. The darkness emitting from the door was almost more than Usagi could handle. She took a step backwards.
"Come on now, Usagi-chan," Bunny said from behind her. She pushed her forward. Usagi groaned.
"I'm not going in there," she whined loudly. She looked back at Bunny, who was smiling. "It's way too dark. How come there aren't any lights?" Bunny shook her head.
"Oh, don't be so scared!" she said, pushing her forward still. Atlantica rolled her eyes.
"Go on, we didn't bring you here for nothing," she reminded her. Usagi swallowed. Something wasn't right…
"I've decided I want to go back," she said, shaking a bit. "I just don't feel right about going in there." Maybe I should have listened to my friends, Usagi thought. Then she looked at Atlantica's eyes. They were trusting, even if only a little bit.
Usagi turned to look at Bunny's eyes. They were cold, but through them, she could see a look a mother gave her child when the child was scared of something. A look of intense trust and calmness.
"You want to go back?" Bunny asked, her voice soft. "Are you sure?"
"No, forget I said it," Usagi said haughtily. She quickly changed her tone. "I was just unsure for a second." My friends were judging them, Usagi thought. I can't judge people. I'm supposed to be queen of Crystal Tokyo one day. I can't afford to judge people.
"Then let's go!" Bunny said enthusiastically. She grabbed Usagi's shoulders and they both walked toward the door. Usagi felt that same dread and negative energy pouring from the door. She paled. Something wasn't right. All she could see was that darkness.
"Um…maybe we can go someplace else?" she whispered. The door was only three feet in front of her. She turned back to Bunny. "I'm too scared." Bunny just frowned, a look of serious determination on her face.
"Too late to think about that now, isn't it?" she whispered, her voice as cold as ice.
Atlantica let go of the door. "See you on the other side, Usagi-chan. Or should I say Sailor Moon?" Usagi's eyes widened.
"Wait, wh-" Too late. Bunny roughly pushed Usagi through the door. Usagi let out a shriek of fear before getting swallowed into the negative black darkness.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Someone's spirit chalice is about to be taken," Megumi said with a sigh in her voice. "I just felt it." Yomicha nodded.
"Me too," she said, touching her henshin pen gently. The two girls were sitting on the balcony of the penthouse Kei lived in. Yomicha looked out over the city. It was a great view, especially of both towers on the side of the building.
"See that darkness emitting from the Starlight Tower?" Yomicha asked, pointing. "It wasn't there earlier."
"We should leave now," Megumi said slowly, her eyes a bit dark. "That chalice could be the one that holds the talisman. The sooner we get it, it's one less problem we'll have to worry about."
"You're right," a voice echoed behind them. Megumi and Yomicha spun around. Kei stood in the frame of the door, leaning against the post. "You're very right, Megumi-chan. The sooner we find this talisman of yours, we'll have less to worry about." Yomicha stared at Kei, but Kei avoided her eyes.
It makes her feel uncomfortable when I'm around her now, Yomicha thought, looking back over the city. Ever since I told her about that dream, she acts as though she doesn't want anything to do with me. I'm sorry if I hurt you Kei-chan.
, Yomicha thought, looking back over the city."It's at the Starlight Tower," Yomicha said, her voice soft as if not to startle anybody. "I'm sure of it. We should leave now before anything major happens." Megumi nodded. Kei just stared at Yomicha strangely as everyone brought out their transformation devices.
"Midnight zodiac power…"
"Capricorn zodiac power…"
"Scorpio zodiac power…"
"…make UP!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Usagi struggled to get up. The fall had knocked her out for a couple of minutes. She looked around her. She was on a black marble plain. Above her, stars glistened in the night sky. Large crystal formations were growing out of the ground.
And there was no door.
Usagi automatically pulled out her eternal brooch. She had no idea how she got there and a very slim chance on how to get out. She looked around. There was no sound, except for her breathing. A star shot from the sky and into the horizon, lighting it up briefly. Usagi took a deep breath.
"Moon eternal power, make UP!"
A flash of white light and Sailor Moon stepped onto the ground. She was still uneasy about this place. She shivered a bit. It was cold too. She wished desperately that her friends were there.
"Hello!" Sailor Moon called, cupping her hands to her face. "Is there anybody here? Hello?" There was no response, only her own echoes to vibrate back to her. The only light came from the moon above. It was almost too eerie for her.
"Sailor Moon, what an honor," a voice laughed through the darkness. "Welcome to the courtyard where the light of the zodiac constellations meet." A figure appeared on top of one of the crystal rocks. Her long pigtails were blowing in the wind.
"Who are you?" Sailor Moon called. Her voice sounded shaky.
"My name is Sailor Sapphire," the girl laughed, stepping into the moonlight. "I'm sure you remember me. We engaged in a fight about a week ago. I'm surprised that you're Tsukino Usagi."
"Well, don't be," Sailor Moon yelled at her. "How dare you kidnap me and use my heart in such an evil way. I am Eternal Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"Oh shut up!" another voice snapped. A second figure appeared on the marble floor. "We know who you are. Now I'd like to know how you're going to fight back. Your powers don't work." Sailor Moon flinched at this remark. Things didn't seem as though they were going to go her way.
"Wait! Where's Bunny-san and Atlanica-san?" Sailor Moon demanded as the second soldier stepped into the light. Sailor Emerald.
Sapphire laughed. "She wants to know where Bunny and Atlantica are, Emerald! She is dumber than she looks." Sailor Moon's jaw dropped.
"I am not dumb!" she exclaimed, throwing a decent fit. "I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm NOT!" Emerald rolled her eyes.
"Really now Miss Moon," she said, flipping a strand of hair elegantly. "No need for such a fit. De-transform. Now." Sailor Moon shook her head as she got prepared to throw her tier wand as she would her tiara.
"Moon Tiara Action!" she called. The tier went spinning like a discus. Sapphire just smiled as she caught the spinning scepter object in her hand. Sailor Moon gasped and walked back a step.
"Ah, same tired old tricks," she said, dropping the tier. She kicked it away and walked to Sailor Moon. "I would like you to meet Sailor Ruby and Sailor Topaz." There were two flashes of light. A black and red clad senshi with a braided green ponytail stepped into the light.
"Sailor Ruby here."
Another figure stepped into the light as well. Her black hair was held in braided odangos and her sailor fuku was black and yellow. "And I'm Sailor Topaz. A sweet, sweet pleasure to meet you Sailor Moon." She pulled the Oracle Mace from behind her back. "Now I'm afraid you must die."
Sailor Moon froze. That was the cursed scepter that had killed Chibi Moon and all those people in the ice arena. She took a deep breath. "Why do you want to kill me? I've never done a thing to you."
"Yes you have," Sapphire snickered. She turned to Sailor Topaz. "Kill her now and get it over with." Topaz grinned and raised the Oracle Mace.
"Good-bye Sailor Moon!" she said and the black electrical beam shot straight for her. Sailor Moon stared in horror as she closed her eyes, waiting to get hit.
A rose stopped the beam.
Sailor Moon opened one eye and saw the red rose sticking up from the ground. She turned to see a man in a tuxedo standing on a crystal formation. He looked down at the five senshi, his face brutal.
"How dare you try and take the beautiful chalice of this pure-hearted girl. Only evil villains who wish only to destroy all love in this world would do such a cruel thing!"
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon yelped happily.
"Don't forget about us now Sailor Moon!" more voices called. Sailor Moon turned and saw her fellow senshi standing behind her. They looked at the crystal senshi angrily.
"You tried to hurt Sailor Moon?" Destiny hissed. "You are going to pay the consequences. Cosmic Ring of Fate!" She raised her hand, waiting for the silver rings to appear around her hand.
They didn't appear.
Destiny gasped. "What happened? My powers are gone too?" Fighter stepped forward.
"Don't worry," she said, looking at the two other starlight senshi. "Our powers still work. Star Serious Laser!"
"Star Gentle Uterus!"
"Star Sensitive Inferno!" There was a dark moment of silence as the realization began to sink in.
Their powers didn't work anymore.
Fighter stared at the others in shock. The Starlights' powers didn't work either. The girls started to look at each other.
Ruby laughed a bit. "This is too good." Mars glared at her.
"You take that back!" she yelled. "We still outnumber you eleven to four! The odds weigh on us." Sapphire cocked her head.
"If you've forgotten, you're on our turf," she said with a sardonic laugh in her voice. She snapped her fingers. Out of nowhere, more crystal foundations erupted out of the ground, behind each of the sailor senshi except for Sailor Moon. Manacles appeared in the crystal foundations, clamping the soldiers' hands and ankles to the crystal foundation. They were only about a foot above the ground.
"Now, what were you saying?" Emerald asked, turning to Sailor Moon. "Let's see, where were we? Ah, yes. It's time for you to give up your spirit chalice. Say good-bye Sailor Moon." Topaz pointed the Oracle Mace back at Sailor Moon.
"De-transform, sweet," Topaz said cruelly. Sailor Moon shook her head, dumbfounded. Her friends had just arrived, but now they were as useless as she was without her powers. Had the silver crystal lost its power? No, if it had, she wouldn't have been able to power up as Sailor Moon. So how come her powers didn't work?
Sailor Moon stared down at the brooch on her chest. "If…if I de-transform, will you let my friends go?" Ruby nodded, smiling a bit.
"Sure, you have my word," she said, placing her hands behind her back. Sailor Moon nodded and touched her brooch calmly. In a shower of pink ribbons, Sailor Moon powered down to Usagi. She stood there, looking at the crystal senshi.
"Let them go," Usagi stated simply. Sapphire shook her head and disappeared. She reappeared behind Usagi. Grabbing Usagi around the neck with her arm, she smiled.
"One thing you need to learn, odango-atama," she whispered. "There's no such thing as a promise here." Sapphire laughed a bit. With her extra arm, she held out her hand. "This is a new trick I learned recently. Wanna see a sword appear from out of nowhere?"
A glowing sword materialized in Sapphire's hand. Sailor Moon closed her eyes from the blinding light. Something was vaguely familiar about that light.
Jupiter blinked from the blinding light. Now what was going on? It was bad enough that within the first minute they arrived, they were already captured. Now, Usagi was standing helpless in the arms of the very people who wanted her dead. The light was fading quickly. Jupiter quickly looked back to where Sapphire held Usagi. Immediately at seeing the sword, her jaw dropped.
Usagi scrunched her face up. The grip around her neck hurt. She tried to push herself away from Sapphire, but the girl was stronger than she looked. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her friends' shocked faces.
"I'm sorry minna!" she cried, tears spilling down her face. "I'm sorry." Chibi Moon just shook her head, her pink pigtails bouncing against the crystal she was strapped to.
"Usagi-chan, look at the sword," she whispered, her voice astounded. Her red eyes were as round as dinner plates. "Look at the sword. Right now." Usagi looked at her future daughter in confusion, but peered at the sword held in Sapphire's hand. For a second, the light glittering off the golden handle blinded her for a bit. But soon, the light faded and the sword could be seen quiet easily. Usagi gasped.
It was the sacred dagger, Uranus' talisman.
"Where'd you get that from?" Venus demanded. She knew that from the last battle against the Sailor Twins, the sacred dagger had been destroyed in the Dark Moon. Sapphire raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" she asked, holding the blade away from Usagi. "I've always had this. And I need Usagi here to tell me exactly where I got it from, what it is, and why on earth do I have it. For that reason, I need her spirit chalice." The sword glimmered and disappeared. Sapphire smiled a bit. "I'd never kill her though."
"Liar!" Fighter yelled, struggling against the manacles that held her tight. "You let her go right now!" Topaz gave them a mocking stare and then turned back to Usagi. She aimed that Oracle Mace right at her.
"Good-bye Usagi-chan," she whispered. A black electrical beam flashed out of the orb on the weapon. Sapphire held Usagi for a second, then jumped out of the way so not to get hit. Usagi staggered forward.
"Usagi!" Chibi Moon screamed.
The beam hit the girl straight in the chest. The pain was the most excruciating and deepest Usagi had ever felt in her entire life. A million times worse than with her star seed or heart crystal. Usagi let out a shriek of pain as she collapsed backwards. Her body crumpled to the ground as her eyes became lifeless. She breathed heavily before stopping completely.
"Usa-ko!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled as a beautiful, glowing pinkish-silver orb flew from Usagi's limp body. She lay unmoving, as cold as the marble itself. Tears sprang from the young man's eyes. His anger suddenly flared up from his loss of the giggling girl. "You give that back!"
Topaz's face was emotionless as she took the glowing orb. Sapphire, Emerald, and Ruby walked to her. The glow was so breath taking, it nearly made them cry. Sapphire looked at it briefly.
"It's not the talisman," she breathed, reaching out to touch it. The senshi were staring at the four with a hate they never experienced before.
"Don't you dare touch it!" Mars screeched in an emotion torn voice. Her violet eyes were glittering from tears that spilled uncontrollably on her face. Emerald looked up at her, but then turned away.
"Help!" Chibi Moon suddenly cried. The other senshi turned to her and what they saw shocked them.
Chibi Moon was disappearing.
She was flashing in and out. Her red eyes, barely visible, were huge. "Someone! Help me! Please, help me! I don't wanna die! Someone! Help me…" Before anyone could say anything, Chibi Moon was gone, disappearing in shower of pink sparks. But her childish cries lasted long after she was gone.
Tuxedo Kamen pulled at the manacles holding him tight. He had lost his wife and daughter in just seconds. He lowered his head. It was all over. Nothing could save any of them. No one could save Usagi or Chibiusa. There was no hope.
"Aurora Borealis!"
A blue energy ball suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It headed straight for the four crystal senshi. Sapphire glared at the oncoming energy, her aqua eyes dark. She raised her hand above her head.
"Chaotic Storm!" she yelled. A dark blue energy ball appeared around her and headed straight for the attack. There was a huge blast. The four crystal senshi were knocked from their feet.
Topaz cried out as the orb flew from her hands. Emerald saw the glowing pink orb roll across the floor, over to Mercury and Healer. She scrambled to her feet.
"No! The chalice!" she yelled. She started running towards it, then stopped. It wasn't a talisman, so she might as well get rid of it. But…Usagi…
Ruby looked up in alarm as three figures emerged from the darkness. All eyes went towards them.
"Who in the world are they?" Healer whispered, her green eyes huge. The tallest of the group, a girl with silver hair and framed in a blue light stepped forward.
"I am the soldier of discipline, with powers coming from the realm of the planet of silence, Saturn! I am Sailor Capricorn!"
"I am the soldier of forgiveness, but I won't forgive you! With powers coming from the planet Pluto, I'm Sailor Scorpio!"
"Last, but not least, I am the soldier of sacrifice with powers coming from the stars of the zodiac! I am Sailor Midnight!"
"We, soldiers of the revelation and your worst nightmare, have arrived!" they finished in unison. Venus looked surprised.
"Sailor soldiers?"
The senshi looked amazed as the trio stepped forward. Midnight rushed over to Usagi. Her red eyes were dark. "She's dead."
"Of course," Capricorn nodded. She looked over at the pink glowing orb. She then looked back over to the crystal senshi. Her gaze rested on Topaz. "I suggest you four leave before any more trouble starts. As you see, this girl does not have the talisman. Your work is done. Leave or I will personally escort you to hell."
Emerald stared open-mouthed at Capricorn. An anger rose from nowhere within her. Her cheeks felt flushed. "You wanna fight? I swear I'll kill you!" Her voice sounded much too shrill and angry then she had wanted it to. Where on earth had that anger come from?
Sapphire and Ruby felt it too. A fiery anger and hatred swelled up inside them from no particular place. Sapphire brought out her sword and pointed it straight at Capricorn. "Make one move and I will slit your head from your body," she hissed.
Capricorn's eyes widened in recognition at the sight of the sword. She looked back at Sapphire. She took a deep breath. "Leave."
Sapphire begin to take a step toward the silver-haired girl. But Topaz grabbed her arm. Her violet eyes were locked onto Capricorn's azure colored eyes. "Let it go Sailor Sapphire."
"But…"
"Come on," Topaz pleaded. "She's right. Usagi-san doesn't have the talisman. Let's leave before she really does kill us." Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald looked at Capricorn with murderous glares. In four flashes of light, the crystal senshi were gone.
The remaining senshi stared at the three new senshi in surprise. Scorpio walked over to the chalice. She stared at it a bit. "It's not the talisman." She held it firmly. "You want to give it back to her?"
"Give it back!" Jupiter yelled threateningly. Her green eyes were flashing. "You give that back to Usagi now! Only she's entitled to that chalice thing!" Capricorn's deadly stared turned to the soldier of protection.
"Shut up," she said, shocking the brunette. "You don't know what you're talking about. We are in control of this game right now. We can decide whether this girl lives or dies. If you keep smart-mouthing like that, we won't do a thing for you."
"Yeah. Her life," Sailor Scorpio interrupted sarcastically, "is in our hands. It's be wise not to anger the people who are deciding whether your beloved Usagi lives or not."
Midnight held the limp body in her arms. "We also decide whether the little girl comes back or not." Then she glared at them. "And if you really did care for that child, you would not let her dress up in a senshi fuku and fight monsters twice her size." Tuxedo Kamen just stared at her.
"Who are you three?" he called out. Capricorn looked up slightly at the call. Her slate-blue eyes were dark.
"I guess you can call me and Scorpio Lady Saturn and Lady Pluto's counterparts," she said. Looking around, there was a touch of emotion in her eyes. "But as I see, they aren't here right now." Destiny fought to control the rage boiling up inside her. How dare she say that about Setsuna and Hotaru!
Carefully, Scorpio took the small item in her hands and walked over to Usagi. She gently pushed the pink and silver orb into the girl's body. Three senshi didn't stand back up until Usagi blinked twice, with a rather silly look on her face.
"Huh?" she muttered, sitting up. "Hey, I know you. Weren't you the three that came and…"
"Quiet!" Mars hissed towards Usagi. Usagi just stuck out her tongue and looked back toward the three.
"Thanks a lot," she said with a smile. "I prefer being alive than dead." She shook her head and held out her hand. "My name is Tsukino Usagi." Capricorn looked at her for a second. Something in her mind told her to ask more about the girl.
"So, how'd you get captured?" she asked, ignoring a horrified look from Sailor Midnight and Sailor Scorpio. "I doubt you just happened to wander in here yourself." Usagi said nothing.
Suddenly, on a blank crystal, pink lights began to flash. A small body slowly materialized on it. A very familiar small body.
"Chibi Moon!" the senshi all cried out in unison. The pink-haired girl opened her eyes, then looked down at Usagi.
"Hey, baka!" she yelled, her fake anger rising. "What took you so long to save me, huh? I die and you're here conversing with the people…"
"Who brought me back to life so you could live," Usagi muttered, turning to her daughter. She stuck out her tongue. "Stop being such a pest." Chibi Moon just stared at the blonde furiously.
"I'm NOT a pest!" she yelled.
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are TOO!"
"Am NOOOOT!"
Capricorn began to back away slowly. She could feel the headache coming on. "I see you have some…uh… family problems here. We'll see you later." She spun around and hastened to leave. Midnight followed her example.
Scorpio stood up and smiled at Chibi Moon. For a second, Chibi Moon thought she had actually seen that smile before. "Good-bye Small Lady. We'll surely meet again."
Usagi realized that her daughter had stopped arguing with her and was now staring at the retreating Scorpio open-mouthed. She just looked at the red-haired girl and then turned back to the pink-clad senshi.
"Some people are just crazy," she noted, shaking her head sadly.