The Secret behind the Roses
Written by: Jill Annette

Part Two: Battle #21,684

Usagi walked along the sidewalk from the salon. The streets weren't as crowded around this time of day anymore. Once the sun started to set, people gathered their families and went indoors. Usagi was one of the few that didn't take the extra caution others did. No, she knew that even staying inside wasn't always safe.

Even then, her mind wasn't on the dangers of the world these days. Her mind was floating somewhere between her newly cut tendrils of hair. Four feet of it was gone and it left her head feeling light and wonderful. She could shake her head and watch as her hair twisted in the wind before it came to lie right below her shoulder blades. She never realized until now how heavy her hair was.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a scream in the distance. A shrill sound which always meant the same thing: Sailor Moon was needed.

Clutching her brooch and immediately starting a sprint, Usagi flew down the streets faster than she ever remembered. Her hair must have really weighed her down, she thought before another thought crossed her mind: What's going to happen to Sailor Moon now?

Will her style change? Would it make it completely obvious now that Sailor Moon and Usagi have both received the same haircut?

Another scream indicated time was running out and now was not the time to be contemplating these things.

Usagi quickly transformed once she rounded a corner off of the main sidewalk in town. She didn't have to worry much about someone spotting her nowadays. The words that became a second part of her flew out of her mouth and she was instantly surrounded with the power of her alter-ego. She twisted around in the light encasing her body and felt the materializing fuku as it brushed her thighs. Her tiara formed over the crescent moon shining on her forehead and around her head, settling behind her ears. Her golden hair grew heavy again and instinct had Usagi, now Sailor Moon, bringing her hands to her hair to feel the buns atop her head and the long trail of her pigtails.

Apparently having shorter hair in her so-called normal life would not affect her super hero life.

She took her stance and waited for another clue as to where the youma was terrorizing the innocent citizens. Her communicator started beeping almost annoyingly noting another scout coming through with information.

"Speak," Sailor Moon commanded, pressing a button on the communicator hidden beneath the folds of her collar.

"Down by the lake, northbound." Mars' voice sounded urgent. "Mall side."

"Got it!" Moon nodded as if Mars could see her.

The soldier ran across town, easily and quicker than she would have been able to if she hadn't transformed. She arrived at the scene as Jupiter was running up. Sailor Mercury was off to the side analyzing the youma with Mars firing one attack after another to keep if off any civilians.

Venus, as always, making her entrance known, especially when she arrives late, already had her love-me chain wrapped securely around the arms of the monster before she was anywhere in site. It was perfect stall for the troops to discuss a plan to get rid of the youma.

"She looks almost human," Jupiter noted.

The youma's violet eyes shown with hatred at Jupiter's remark of her human-like resemblance. However, it did look human with white-blond hair all the way down its back and the form of a woman. The only thing that kept it from being mistaken was the white as paper skin and fangs for teeth and a long, snake-like tongue to go with it.

"More like a vampire," Venus said, jerking her chain just enough to make the monster fall forward at the waste, hair brushing the ground.

The youma let out a frustrated scream, "You little shit! Nyoka will get you!"

"Nyoka," Mercury repeated, fiddling with her computer.

"Anything yet?" Moon asked impatience filtering through her voice.

"No, she's a tough cookie."

Sailor Moon wasn't sure how in the two seconds she looked away from the fight that she missed Nyoka taking control of the situation, somehow, and used the chain to her advantage. Apparently she had yanked the string Venus was holding on to, flinging the orange scout across the field into a fountain. Jupiter was currently throwing lightening attacks; one after another in hopes to make up for conquering Venus.

She ran over to Venus, cupping her head in her hands. "V, are you going to be alright?"

Sailor Moon watched as Venus' eyes registered her friend hovering above. A groan escaped her lips but the formations of words were not audible.

"I'll watch over her," a deep voice came from behind the senshi of life. "Get back to the fight. It is yours to win."

Moon looked up at the masked man, Tuxedo Kamen, and nodded. "Yes sir."

Back at the fight, Sailor Mars was releasing her vicious meteor attack and it hit Nyoka square in the middle of her chest, stunning the snake-like creature in still. Moon took this initiative to vaporize one of the many tormentors of souls. She took hold of her tiara and whispered her magic.

"Right above the heart!" Mercury yelled out the weakness of the youma that would fall to the ground in ash in less than thirty seconds.

Moon extended her arm from its bent position and released the tiara from her fingers just as Nyoka started to straighten. The golden crown formed into a discus but it didn't seem to be making progress fast enough. Nyoka let out a growl of anger, a spell in her own language and as the discus crashed into her a blinding, colorless light enwrapped both youma and Moon.

When the light dimmed, a heap of ash was left where Nyoka last stood and the girls found Sailor Moon crumpled in her own heap of limbs and blood. The youma had lashed out a horrible attack at the last second in hopes of eliminating the soldier that would defeat it.

However, it took more than energy to knock off Sailor Moon completely but it could slow her breathing and have her half conscious for a while.

"Sailor Moon!" the three girls cried running to her aid.