"So they didn't take the news too well?" Hezaa asked Sukotto as they sat in Hezaa's living room that evening.
"No," Sukotto said. "They thought it was outrageous that someone would be after them. Though, they didn't seem to mind that I would be the one keeping an eye on them..." Sukotto trailed off, blushing madly.
Hezaa chuckled and Sukotto laughed with her. Their laughter was cut short as Sukotto and Hezaa's wristwatch communicators began to go off. Hezaa picked up hers first. "It's coming from Arissa's communicator," Hezaa said as she flipped it open. However, it wasn't Arissa's face on the little view screen; it was Jakku's face. "Jakku?" Hezaa said. "What's going on?"
"Arissa has been kidnaped!" Jakku said. Hezaa and Sukotto gasped. "You two need to get to the park ASAP! Go to the lakeside gazebo. Morii and I will meet you there." Hezaa and Sukotto nodded as Jakku disappeared from the screen.
At the gazebo by the lakeside of the lake, Sailors Vesta, Juno, and Ceres waited with Jakku for Hezaa and Sukotto. It wasn't long before the two of them came running up to the gazebo. "We came as fast as possible," Sukotto said, wheezing slightly. "I am not built for that kind of running."
"What happened?" Hezaa asked Jakku as she stared as the three senshi. "And, who are they?"
"We are the Asteroid Senshi," Sailor Vesta answered. "You know us as the Amazon Quartet, though."
"The Amazon Quartet?" Hezaa repeated in question.
"Yes," Juno replied. She pointed to Vesta, then Ceres, and then herself. "Sailors Vesta, Ceres, and Juno."
"Pallas was kidnaped with Arissa, though," Ceres said sadly. "Pallas is Sailor Pallas."
"Pallas was kidnaped, too?" Sukotto asked, having caught his breath. The three senshi nodded.
"Where's Morii?" Hezaa asked. "You said she'd be here."
"She said she had to go home and get something," Vesta said as she stared over the lake. Suddenly she shot her finger over toward the lake. "There it is!" she said. "The portal!"
"Portal?" Hezaa questioned.
"Ahurodite said that if we wanted Arissa and Pallas back," Ceres explained, "We would have to follow that portal into her realm."
"Since it is Ahurodite's realm," Jakku said, "We might be able to find Minako's soul, too."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Hezaa asked as she put her hand behind her ear. "Mercury Keeper Power!"
"Mars Keeper Power!" Sukotto cried.
"Make-Up!" they shouted together. In a flash of fire and ice, Hezaa and Sukotto transformed.
Together, the five senshi stepped toward the lake. When they got to the edge, they prepared to jump. Then, a voice rang out. "Wait for me!" the voice shouted in a commanding way. Everyone turned around to see Morii running up alongside a teenage girl with long blond hair that was falling from a braid.
"Kendora?" Mercury said under her breath. Mars heard and glanced at her.
"Who is that?" Mars asked.
"That's Kaikouno Kendora," Mercury said. "She is Morii's owner."
"Morii, what are you doing?" Jakku asked as he stepped toward the pair. The girl stopped running. Despite how fast and hard she had been running, she didn't seem to be out of breath.
"I'm going too," Kendora declared. "As the leader of the keepers, and as the successor to Aino Minako, I see it my duty to lead you all and to aid in the rescue of my predecessor."
"You're the Keeper of Venus?" Mercury asked in surprise.
"Indeed, I am Sailor Keeper Venus," Kendora said as she held up her golden locket. "Venus Keeper Power, Make-Up!" The locket grew in size as it radiated light. The light surrounded Kendora, and when the light disappeared, Sailor Venus stood in Kendora's spot, the golden locket on her bow and her hair flowing free and straight. "Now, let's go on a rescue mission!" Everyone nodded and turned to the portal. In pairs, they leapt up over the lake. Vesta and Ceres leapt first. As they came down upon the lake, the portal swallowed them. With Jakku on her shoulder, Mercury leapt next, alongside Mars. Finally, Morii and Venus leapt and disappeared. Before the portal closed, a single winged figure flew into the portal. Following the figure were three more shadows that leapt in behind. Then, the portal disappeared.
"This is Ahurodite's realm?" Sailor Vesta asked as the senshi explored the realm. "It looks like a beach."
"With blood for water," Mars noted as she dipped the toe of her boot in the red liquid that lapped at the shoreline. The sand was white, the so-called water was red and thick like blood. Palm trees had black trunks and emerald green leaves. The sky above was blood-red.
"Such a place suits Ahurodite," Venus said as she looked around her. Everyone turned to Venus.
"You say that as if you know her personally," Mercury said.
"So do you," Venus replied as she continued walking. "You know the girl named Ahurodite at school, right Mercury?" Mercury gasped.
"This is the same Ahurodite?" Mercury asked, unbelievingly. Venus nodded.
"She attacked Venus while she was in the hospital," Morii said. "That was the day Venus awoke." For a while, everyone walked in silence until Ceres broke it.
"How long does this beach go one for?" Ceres asked as she rubbed the back of her left leg. "All of this walking in this sand is killing me."
"It hasn't killed you yet!" rang a voice. Everyone turned their heads up. Floating just above them was a woman that had ice-white hair that wrapped around her waist in a sudden breeze and ice-blue lips. Her eyes were black and her nails appeared to be thin icicles. "Ahurodite's beach is rather pleasant to relax at," the woman said as two orbs appeared to either side of her, "but it can be a lethal trap!" The white sand suddenly turned into a spiraling funnel that surrounded the senshi. Jakku clung to Mars' collar as Morii was bracing herself between Venus' and Vesta's legs. The senshi screamed as the sand came down upon them, burying them. "That was too easy," the woman said. The two orbs formed into Ahurodite and a man in a grey uniform like the other generals, only with purple trim. He had cold grey eyes and shoulder-length, messy, dark violet hair.
"Ahurodite," the man said, "This really was a grand plan. It is about time you thought of one."
"They are weak, dear Chronos," Ahurodite said to the man. "They care for their dear friends, and that is their weakness." With a flick of her wrist, the blood-red waters circles around the large lump of sand. The heads of the senshi and the guardians suddenly popped from the sand. They struggled, but it was no use. "Struggling will get you nowhere," Ahurodite laughed as she, Chronos, and the other woman levitated to the ground. "My blood sea it acting as a glue. It is harder than diamonds when solid."
"Give us a minute and we'll break it," Juno said smugly. The three captors laughed.
"Mind telling us who your new friends are, Ahurodite?" Venus asked as she continued to struggle.
"We'll introduce ourselves,"the man named Chronos said. "I am General Chronos of the Black Sun Dynasty. I am the resurrected spirit of the king of Saturn."
Everyone's eyes widened. "I," the white-haired lady said, "I am Lady Ouranus, the reborn spirit of the queen of Uranus!"
"In case you're wondering," Ahurodite said, "I, General Ahurodite, am the resurrected spirit of the queen of Venus!" The senshi stared in shock. Morii and Jakku were speechless.
A loud crackling was heard behind Ouranus, Ahurodite, and Chronos. Everyone looked behind them to see a large ball of lightning form into the form of General Zeusu. Mercury and Mars cried out when they saw Arissa's limp form in one arm. The asteroid senshi gasped when they saw Pallas in his other arm. She was awake and struggling against bindings of lightning. Zeusu let go of her, letting her drop helplessly into the sand. He let go of Arissa's body and had it float harmlessly to the sand.
"It's about time you showed up," Chronos said, irritation evident in his voice.
"I apologize," Zeusu said as he levitated to their level. "Little Miss Whiny has been a headache."
"Pallas, are you all right?" Vesta asked, calling out to Pallas. Pallas looked at her and opened her mouth to respond, but she said nothing.
"I'm afraid she hasn't the voice to talk at the moment," Zeusu said with a chuckle. He held out his hand as a glowing blue diamond appeared. "She hasn't the ability to speak. Even if she could speak, she hasn't the ability to transform." He held out his other hand, revealing a green and purple crystal that was shaped like an eight-pointed star. "By the way, Ahurodite, that trick in removing stars is rather handy"
Ahurodite laughed as a similar star crystal appeared in her left hand. This one was orange. "Indeed," she said. "It was so handy with Aino Minako."
"What did you do!" Mars screamed.
"Nothing major," Zeusu said with a sneer. "I just removed Miss Akikusano's star. One's star is like their soul."
"Just like Minako..." Mars whispered.
Ahurodite smiled as she pointed her hand at Mars. "Would you like to go next?" she asked.
"Pluto Keystone Chime!" A sudden tolling of a clock echoed roughly throughout Ahurodite's realm. The generals stopped their ear. Lady Ouranus screeched something horrid. The senshi cried out in pain, when the hardened sand suddenly fell away, leaving them free. The tolling stopped.
"What the Hell was that!" Lady Ouranus screeched.
"The time has come for wrongs to be righted," said a voice that sounded very American. As if out of nowhere, a dark-skinned sailor senshi in a black skirt with orchid bows appeared, landing softly in the sand. "In the name of time and Pluto," the senshi said in the American-accented voice, " I am Sailor Keeper Pluto!"
"Only death awaits those of evil heart!" said another American-sounding voice. A second senshi landed next to Sailor Keeper Pluto. This senshi appeared to be an altered version of Sailor V. "In the name of the planet of life and death, planet Saturn, I am Sailor Keeper Saturn!"
"The Earth will punish those of evil deeds in due time," said a third voice. To the other side of Sailor Keeper Pluto appeared a brown-skirted, green fuku senshi with shoulder length toffee hair. "In the name of the planet of green life and plants, I am Sailor Keeper Earth!"
"Curses, three more keepers!" Ahurodite said.
"No, Pluto and Saturn we have met," Chronos said, "But Earth is a new face."
"I hope you remember me!" shouted a fourth voice. This one had a definite position, though. Above the three keepers flew a sailor senshi that was all too familiar to the sailor senshi below.
"Eternal Sailor Moon!" Morii shouted happily.
"Indeed," Sailor Moon said as she landed lightly in front of the three new keepers. "Stealing souls and kidnaping innocent girls will not be tolerated! In the name of the moon, we will punish you!" As she said this, Sailor Moon and the three keepers posed in individual poses.
"Senshi, go!" Sailor Moon shouted.
Keeper Earth crossed her arms in front of her chest and yelled, "Earthquake Tremble!" The sands began to quake as the generals became off balanced. They leapt into the air and turned to the attacking senshi in time to see Keeper Pluto flying at them, twirling her staff above her head.
"Pluto Dark Bell Toll!" She swung her staff around her head and brought it down upon the group of generals. All of them but Ouranus scattered. She grabbed the staff between her hands and held it there. As she did, shockwaves of earsplitting tolling poured from the orchid orb on the staff. Lady Ouranus screamed as her body shook violently. She disappeared with a snap.
The other generals looked at each other. "I can handle them," Ahurodite said. Zeusu nodded.
As he did, Sailor Vesta shouted, "Vesta Flaming Asteroid!" A flaming rock appeared from her hands and shot at Zeusu. It hit him in the square of his back, causing him to drop the two crystals he held. He disappeared with a cry as the crystals fell into the thick blood with a heavy plop. Pallas, having managed to stand up, waded into the blood water before going under headfirst.
Ahurodite sent a beam of light after Pallas, but Venus got in front of the beam and reflected it with her mirror as she shouted, "Venus Lovely Beam!" The beam intensified and shot back at Ahurodite. She scream as the beam penetrated her chest. She fell limply into the bloody water. As she did, her realm began to fall apart. The trees were ripped from the ground as the sand-covered beach began to break apart.
"She thought she could handle this?" Chronos shouted as he lifted into the air. He laughed as he put his hands together, palm to palm. "She was weak! You'll never make it out of here!" He bowed his head and disappeared into a black portal.
"He's right!" Keeper Earth shouted over the crashing ground. "The portal closed behind us!"
"Hope is not lost!" shouted Pallas as she popped up from the disappearing blood-water. She was absolutely soaked in red as she stood. "Pallas Asteroid Power, Make-Up!" Water that was as clear as crystal swirled around Pallas, washing away the red blood. It then fell from her, landing at her feet and revealing Sailor Pallas, the blue version of Vesta, Ceres, and Juno. Everything red, pink, and green on the other three was light blue on Pallas. Her front bow was a darker shade of blue while her back bow was a paler shade of blue. While she clutched something in her left hand, she raised her right hand up and yelled, "Everyone gather around me!" Everyone did so. "Pallas Aqua Rise!" The group of senshi was surrounded in a light blue bubble as they rose off of the crumbling ground.
The whole realm was about gone when the bubble glazed over until it was darker and opaque. Without warning, the bubbled burst, letting the senshi fall onto the soft grasses bordering the Hikawa Temple. "We're back!" Sailor Moon shouted happily. It was still dark out, but light pouring out from a room behind the temple. The Asteroid senshi and the inner keepers took the opportunity to examine the three new Sailor Keepers.
The dark-skinned Sailor Keeper Pluto blended in with the night. The girl had black hair that was shoulder length and seemed to be unmanageably bushy and curly. She had a stripe-less black collar and a silver fuku. Around her orchid-belted waist was a silver chain with a white watch centered on it at the point made by the belt. Her black knee boots blended with the night while the inversely-pointed silver strip stood out.
The masked Sailor Keeper Saturn wore navy blue high heels similar to those Sailor V wore. Her skirt had two layers, similar to the three layers Eternal Sailor Moon had on her uniform. The top layer of Keeper Saturn's skirt was navy blue; the bottom was black. Her sand hair went just past her shoulders and it brushed against her non-striped navy collar and black bow. Her hair mainly flowed over her back, revealing her black brooch.
Sailor Keeper Earth wore a green fuku with a golden yellow belt. Her skirt was dark brown and her collar was tan and it, too, lacked in stripes. It connected to a grey bow by way of a brooch the same color as her skirt. She wore a pair of gloves that were grey and had no bands as the gloves of a typical sailor senshi would. Her boots looked strangely like brown hiking boots with a tan trim at the top. She watched the keepers with leaf-green eyes.
"Questions and the such can wait another day," Keeper Earth said. "We must be going." Earth, Pluto, and Saturn leapt into the night and disappeared.
Sailor Moon looked at the keepers sadly before she looked behind Pallas. She sad face turned happy at the sight of Arissa's limp body. "We didn't leave her behind!" Sailor Moon said happily as she ran over to Arissa.
"Pallas, did you get that star crystal thing?" Mars asked as she reverted back to Sukotto. Pallas nodded, holding out Arissa's green and purple crystal. Next to the crystal was Minako's orange crystal. "You got Minako's too!" Sukotto exclaimed.
"Give it here," Morii said. "I'll take it in to Venus." Pallas nodded and held it out for Morii to take into her mouth. Morii took it and ran to the doorway leading to Rei's room. She pushed it open and leapt in.
Now everyone turned to Arissa. By now, everyone was out of their uniforms. Usagi, Sukotto, and Pallas knelt next to Arissa. Vesta, Ceres, and Juno stood to her left while Hezaa and Kendora stood to the right. Jakku sat himself by Arissa's head. Pallas took the crystal and held it to Arissa's chest. The crystal left Pallas' hand as it disappeared into Arissa.
Now everyone looked on, holding their breath. Then, it came; Arissa's chest arose and then fell softly. Everyone sighed in relief. "Minako is all right," Morii said as she and Rei stepped from the room.
"Arissa is all right, too," Usagi said. "I think we should get these two home now."
Everyone smiled and nodded, their minds at ease for the moment.