SAILOR MOON S CHAPTER 20

The Witches 5 were all gathered together in their secret underground lair where Kaori and all their current victims are stayed standing in perpetual zombie form drooling and moaning softly. Their pulsating hearts all inside the large crystal cabinet. Inside his bubble prison the ghost of Nephlite still struggled vainly to get free. The witches themselves were kneeling in a circle with Sailor Moon's scepter and their ouija board in thje center. Tellu was operating the planchette. "Oh Mistress

9. Please reveal to us the secret of this weapon that Eudial brought back with her."

The five of them all had their eyes glued to the board as the planchette slowly guided Tellu's finger to the letters P-H-A-R-O-A-H and then the numbers 9-0. They all gasped in fright remembering how Mistress 9's spirit voice had recently told them that this new powerful demon would be coming soon. Tellu even removed her finger to put her hands to her face. However the planchette eerily carried on moving by itself. W-I-L-L-S-P-E-A-K-T-O-Y-O-U. Mimette actually hugged Byruit to her and Byruit automatically hugged her back. They were shaking in each others arms and the others were all shaking by themselves. Even Eudial, who had always been the bravest and boldest of them, was petrified, particularly after all her recent experiences that had mysteriously landed her constantly in deep trouble with Mistress 9.

Pharoah 90 spoke and his deep, booming voice made them all react with a terrible shock, Mimette and Byruit almost squashed each other. "THIS IS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL SCEPTER THAT CAN ERADICATE ANYBODY YOU DIRECT IT AT. IT HAS BEEN USED TO VAPORIZE SOME OF THOSE ARTIFICIAL BEINGS YOU'VE USED TO HELP FIGHT YOUR BATTLES AND IT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE THE SAME EFFECT ON ANY HUMAN OR ANIMAL."

"W-what are we going to d-d-do with it?' stuttered Cyprine and then they winced at the response.

"SHUT UP! I AM DOING THE TALKING AND NONE OF YOU DARE SPEAK WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!"

The witches all quaked intensely and Pharoah 90 continued. "EUDIAL HAS A VERY SPECIAL MISSION TO PERFORM. A SECRET MISSION THAT I SHALL BRIEF HER UPON IN PRIVATE. AS FOR THE REST OF YOU, MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME TO EXAMINE THIS SCEPTER AND MASTER ITS POWER!"

While the witches were being scared out of their skins, Hotaru was making a plan of her own. She had been feeling sickly for awhile, but she wasn't really ill. It was the psychological shock of losing so many of her sisters and yet she was feeling a bit better. It was strange, but it seemed to her that her lost sisters were living inside her body. They were trapped and wanting to get out to no avail. She couldn't understand why she felt this way, and at the same time it was like they were all giving strength to her and were urging her to get up and go outside. She knew she had to speak privately to Tomodachi about this. "I know it sounds strange Tomo, but I just know they want me to go out and look for help around the town. I feel I'm meant to meet somebody who can give us hope and peace."
"I believe you Hotaru. But our other sisters will never allow you to venture beyond the walls of this house."
Hotaru knew Tomo was right, so she said, "Of course they won't. That's why we must sneak out and make sure nobody notices."
Tomo gasped. "WE?"

"Of course. You'd be terribly worried if I went by myself, wouldn't you Tomo?" Hotaru took her hand and smiled.

Tomo replied, "Yes that's right. I'd be most upset."
"So you'll come with me then?"

Tomo hesitated only a moment. Still holding hands she looked into her sister's eyes. "I admit I'm scared. But I'll go with you Hotaru. We'll face whatever we will together."
Hotaru drew her into a cuddle. "Thank you my dear Tomo. We will be very careful and I feel our sisters telling me that things will turn out right in the end." She thought quietly to herself, "I'm still not altogether certain about these five ladies, though most of them don't seem as intimidating as they used to be. I get the feeling they're actually growing scared of something and my father has never been the same ever since my mother disappeared. I suspect that Tomo and I may actually be safer this way. If only we could get Chagama and all the others to join us too."
She realized none of them would be convinced however and so promising Tomo that she would watch out for her they climbed out the bedroom window which was conveniently on level with the ground behind the back of the house and furtively looking to make sure nobody was in sight the pair ran off down the street.

Meanwhile Serena and her friends were having one of their study buddies sessions at Raye's house. Serena was writing hard on a piece of paper. "I'm finished!" She rapturously proclaimed and Lita clicked the stopwatch she was holding.

"Congratulations. You just beat your own personal record." Lita, Mina and Raye all cheered and applauded and Serena was gushing with thankful exclamations.

However Amy pulled everybody up short. "Wait a minute. You did excellent on the timing, but unfortunately all of your answers are completely wrong."

Serena's knees almost buckled under her and she began to wail. "All wrong again!?"
Mina put an arm around her shoulder and tried to comfort her. "Don't cry Serena. At least you actually answered every single question this time."
"But I'm still a failure."
Raye folded her arms and scornfully said, "Same old story."

As Serena continued to bawl in response to Raye's cold remark Amy and Lita tried to calm and cheer her.

"Mina's right. At least you filled in the whole page and did your best."

"Yeah. That means your making improvement."
"NO! I'll never succeed. I'll never pass these tests."

Raye banged her fist on the table getting all the others' attention. "Serena listen to me. As long as you continue to cry over your failure and tell yourself you'll always fail, then you'll make a failure out of yourself. Why can't you adopt a positive attitude and tell yourself you CAN do better next time? If you're negative you'll achieve nothing."

"Raye's right," said Amy. "Anyway why get so upset over something as trivial as this when you compare it with the pain you felt when our enemies tried to steal your heart?"
Lita added, "That's a good point Serena. Remember how horrible it felt to have your heart magically extracted and you started to turn into a zombie slave?"

Raye enthusiastically agreed. "Precisely Serena. You and Darien have shared the same living nightmare as all of us except Mina. Doesn't it make school exams and studying seem nothing in perspective?"

Serena meekly nodded and Lita asked if she would care to try again.

"Okay. But not for time, and I'd really like a snack first."
Her friends all agreed that they were also ready for something to eat and so they all digged into Lita's freshly cooked refreshments, however Mina was troubled thinking about something.

Later she discussed her feelings with Artemis privately in her bedroom. She lay on her left side upon her bed while he asked, "So why are you moping Mina?"

She sighed. "It's because all four of my friends have at some time or other been attacked by these powerful new enemies of ours and had their hearts extracted."

"Yeah but they're all right now. So why are you acting so glum?"

She shifted onto her back tucking her hands under her head and replied, "Promise if I tell you why you won't say I'm crazy Artemis?"
"Whatever the reason I give my word Mina."
"Well I admit it really does seem like madness, but I just don't feel happy being the odd one out. I've never had my heart attacked and I feel out of place with my friends."
Artemis clearly DID think she was crazy, but he managed to control himself only just. "I understand Mina. It can be very awkward feeling you're the odd one out in any situation."
Mina was grateful for the empathy. She fingered the badge that was still pinned to her clothing. The badge she had been given so that if she was targetted at least she couldn't be transported away in a zombie state via those magic bubble portals. "I don't know what to do Artemis. I just can't shake this despair inside me."

Artemis decided himself to ask Serena to talk to her soon. The two of them were very similar in many ways. Perhaps Serena could help Mina.

Meanwhile Eudial was hearing Pharoah 90's voice pounding exclusively in her own head, so the others couldn't hear. "MISTRESS 9 HAS INFORMED ME ABOUT YOUR BEHAVIOUR EUDIAL. YOU HAVE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. YOU SEEM TO BE DEVELOPING A CONSCIENCE. IF YOU CAN'T LEARN TO CONTROL IT WE SHALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT OURSELVES. AND THAT WILL INCLUDE EXTREME MEASURES."

Perspiration was forming on Eudial and her facial expression showed intense anxiety. Her four friends were also on the verge of despair, especially Mimette, who looked like she wanted to burst into tears. Not one of them said anything having been strictly warned to stay out of the business with Eudial.

"GERMATOID HAS SPOKEN TO DOORKNOBDAR AND COMMANDED HER TO GO TALK TO YOU ON HER OWN. HE HAS NOT LET ANY OF THE OTHER CREATURES KNOW AND FRIGHTENED HER INTO KEEPING SILENCE. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO PROVE YOURSELF REDEEMABLE IN OUR SIGHT. DOORKNOBDAR IS SUCH A HOPELESS PATHETIC WHINER. SHE HAS NO GUTS FOR TRAINING AND IS GAINING THE SYMPATHY OF SOME OF THE OTHERS. SHE IS A POTENTIAL HINDRANCE TO THE PROGRESS OF OUR PLANS. YOUR JOB IS TO TAKE HER AND MAKE SURE SHE DIES. IF NEEDS BE YOU MUST KILL HER YOURSELF. YOU ARE GOING ON YOUR OWN. MISTRESS 9 AND I WILL AWAIT YOUR RETURN. DON'T YOU DARE COME BACK WITH HER ALIVE. UNDERSTOOD?"

"I- I understand clearly and I will obey."
Eudial left the other witches to go and find Doorknobdar with the professor under Germatoid's control. Each step felt like trying to wade through a pool of molasses. She was terrified not knowing what would happen, though she took small comfort that her demonic masters were not accompanying her. "I must kill her. Somehow I'll find a way. I have to. My life depends upon her death," she thought grimly.

While this was happening Chagama was preparing to take a break from training to socialize with Hotaru and Tomo. She was accompanied by Haikyun and another sister known as Henshu. Henshu wore a matching pair of shorts and a small shirt with a tie. They were all yellow with a black stripe pattern similar to that of a tiger. She also uniquely had a pair of horns sticking out of her head through her dark olive-coloured hair. Chagama had made the most of the break as an excuse to remove her shoes and Haikyun was also barefoot, though Henshu chose to change from trainers to her favourite high heels.

Chagama knocked on the door and called out "Hello Tomo. Hi Hotaru."
Normally they would call out for their sisters to come in and the silence was surprising.

Chagama knocked again. "Hello. Hello."
Henshu called out, "Are you both okay?"

Haikyun called, "Please answer us."

The trio exchanged worried glances and tried the door which swung open. It didn't take long to conclude that things were not okay. They were gone and the window was wide open. "Oh no! What could have happened to them?" Henshu practically shrieked.

"They must have been kidnapped," said Haikyun.

"Yet there's no sign of any struggle," observed Chagama.

"You don't mean they ran off on their own. Why would they do that?" Henshu was getting upset.

"Hotaru is so sickly and Tomo has basically the mind of a child. Anything could happen to them," said Haikyun.

Chagama took control. "Okay you two. Don't panic. Let's ask one of our aunties to help us quietly search for them. I think Auntie Mimette will be the best one to approach." All the witches apart from Eudial had been spending time casually socializing with Hotaru and her sisters. They had started to feel more and more bonded to them and not only seemed scared as Hotaru had noted, but sincerely sorry for what had happened to their mother and the others. Chagama and her other sisters all thought their aunties were sweet, even though Eudial seemed a little bit stand-offish personally. Anyway Henshu and Haikyun agreed that Mimette had the most caring personality of all. She was the only one who had actually fully broken down and cried over the tragedies that afflicted them. The trio went to find her and she agreed to speak to them privately about their concerns.

When she heard she was very worried. "We must act fast. Haikyun, you stay behind and tell everybody that the other two have gone for a walk with me and that Hotaru and Tomo are both sleeping and must not be disturbed. I'll use my magic to make Chagama and Henshu look inconspicuously human."
They all agreed to this plan and they quickly put in motion. Chagama wanted to stay barefoot but compromised with sandals at Mimette's recommendation. "You need to protect your feet when you're roaming around town Chagama. You never know what you may unexpectedly step on."
"Thank you Auntie Mimette. You're so caring."
Henshu also similarly agreed to change from her high heels to joggers as they would be moving rather fast and they left Haikyun behind to watch over things.

Getting back to Mina she had decided to go out for what remained of that afternoon and vent her feelings by hitting some volleyballs around at the sports center. She was the only person present at that late time of day. She went through every volleyball she could find in the two baskets hitting them as hard as she could. They flew in all directions whizzing speedily, many of them bouncing off the walls. When she was done she stood panting among all the volleyballs laid out over the floor.

Suddenly she heard a groan and gasped as she turned and saw a figure she knew only too well sprawled by the open doorway. "SERENA! I didn't hit you with a ball, did I?"

As Mina ran towards her Serena raised herself saying, "Let's just say I didn't duck fast enough. But don't worry. My ears will stop ringing in a few minutes."
Mina could see the bruise pattern on Serena's face. It was nothing short of miraculous her nose wasn't bleeding or either of her eyes blackened. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I was just a little concerned about you. I heard about your depression."
"My depression? What do you mean?"

Luna and Artemis suddenly appeared and explained. "I told Luna and Serena what you told me Mina. Then we both asked Serena to try to help you."

Mina was indignant. "Artemis how dare you break my confidentiality? If I'm worried that maybe my heart is not good enough to be targetted by the enemy, that's my own business. Even if I'm trying to secretly come up with a plan to make them notice me it's none of your concern."

"So this is what you're thinking of?" gasped Luna.

"Mina!" exclaimed Artemis.

Mina cursed silently at her own careless remark and Serena went bananas seizing her by the collar and shaking her. "NO MINA! NO NO NO!"

"Stop Serena. Let me go." The two girls struggled together so much they fell in a heap heavy on the ground together.

Meanwhile Hotaru was quick to realize that poor Tomo stood out like a sore thumb and was catching the attention of passers-by. She resembled a giant bug-eyed doll in a kindergarten outfit. They exclaimed among themselves. "Look at that! Is it a robot? I must check it out. How does it work?"
Tomo became very anxious as crowds surrounded her and Hotaru. "No. I don't like being hemmed in and poked and prodded." The people were all trying to grab hold of her at once and she was getting ready to start crying.

This upset Hotaru and even she herself didn't understand what happened next. But as she shouted "LEAVE US ALONE!" a spooky change came over her. She began to glow golden yellow on her skin, her eyes turned bright white making her pupils invisible and a strong electrical force pushed everybody away, including Tomo herself. Nobody actually was injured by the blast, but during the ten or fifteen seconds it lasted they were all completely immobilized. They couldn't move and they, along with Tomo, were terrified half to death and screaming.

Then Hotaru returned to normal and collapsed onto her knees before going face down and closing her eyes sank into unconsciousness. But Tomo was so freaked out she turned and ran away from her companion as the people all dispersed wildly in all directions.

While she lay there the next people to come along were Rini and Amy. Rini saw her first and gasped. "Look Amy. That girl!"

They ran over and could get no response. Rini said, "This is terrible. What can we do?"
Amy said, "Let's call an ambulance and take her to the hospital. My mother works there as a doctor. She'll know what to do."

So Amy and Rini stood next to Hotaru's side while she lay in her hospital bed. Any's mother and the other staff had stabilized her as best they could. Rini wanted to talk to her when she woke up. Find out who her family were and who she was.

They were not the only ones interested in her though. Amara, Michelle and Trista had contacted each other and met up in the library to talk quietly together. "We all sensed it strong and clear," said Trista.

"Yes. I'd recognize the power essence of our leader Saturn without fail. We used the strongest magic to ensure if it ever arose we would be alerted," said Michelle.

"Our search could well be over. How should we conduct things now?"

"That's what we must discuss together Amara," answered Trista.

Meanwhile Eudial had come up with an idea. She knew that Doorknobdar would never set foot willingly outside the house with her. She was such a coward. So she had a box stored in the trunk of her car and asked to speak to her in private. "I have a special surprise for your eyes only Doorknobdar. You'll love it."
Doorknobdar loved surprises. "Oooh goody Auntie Eudial. Here I come."
They went to the car and Eudial motioned to the crate in the open boot. "It's inside there Doorknobdar."

"I can't wait to see it!"
"Look inside the box. It will be too die for."
Trustingly Doorknobdar complied, but as she peered over the edge, Eudial gestured magically and she was sucked inside and the lid slammed firmly shut trapping her. In a flash Eudial dove behind the wheel and drove off in a burst of speed, heart pounding as she thought about the demonic spirit's dire threat. Kill Doorknobdar or die herself.