Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Seventeen - The Black Death

Posted: 18/09/2017

"We can't just leave them down there!"

Usagi couldn't help but agree with Artemis' protest. Unfortunately, she thought, sinking back against the couch behind her, things aren't quite that simple. I have to decide who's more important, who's more deserving of being saved…but how am I supposed to do that?

"We won't," Luna assured him, "But we can't leave Hotaru and Haruka to this 'Black Death' either."

The living room went quiet. Her Mama and Shingo had retreated upstairs, giving them space so they could talk things through. Usagi had barely had a chance to rest herself, but such was the situation they found themselves in. We're all tired, she thought, cradling the aching burn on her back. We're all sore. I just have to tough my way through like everyone else.

Exhaling slowly, she turned to Rei. "Is there any chance Justice can be convinced to help us first? Any chance at all?"

The miko shook her head slowly. "He's not leaving until he gets Minako out of there."

"And Mako," Ami added quickly. "He was very clear on that."

"Was he?" Setsuna leaned forward in her seat, hands clasped before her. "Regardless, this is not the time to be divided. These Hunters are much stronger than before, and it will take all of us working together to stop them."

Usagi slipped off the couch and padded over to the window, her discomfort momentarily eased by a welcome sight: her Papa hurrying down the street towards home, a full duffel over his shoulder. We need to start pushing back, and soon. Supplies are growing scarce, and people are going to start starving soon...if they aren't already…

"Usagi?" Luna joined her, tail swishing slowly from side to side. "I know this must be difficult for you, but we need a decision."

Lost in thought, silence was the only answer she could muster. Corey and Chibiusa are already at the mall, and I'm not about to start another battle with them. They'll get to Mako and Minako...which leaves us the task of saving Hotaru and Haruka.

The familiar old doubts of her younger years began to creep back in. What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail? What if I lose someone else? A moment passed as she inhaled deeply, gathering up all those fears before expelling them in a single breath. No. That's not who I am anymore.

"Usagi?"

"I can't disagree with Corey or Chibiusa," she murmured, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't want to leave Mako and Minako in some dark hole any more than they do…but Hotaru and Haruka are in trouble too. We'll just have to save them on our own."

Setsuna stirred again. "Usagi, with respect…"

"We'll get them back, Setsuna. That's a promise." She stared out at the city, bathed in the scorched orange and red glow of the setting sun. "I refuse to lose anyone else to Chaos, or its servants."

"That's all well and good," Rei said, shuffling uncomfortably, "But you need to understand that these guys won't just stop because we knock them down a few times. They'll keep coming, time and time again, unless we…"

"I know." Usagi found the whole notion horrifying, but she knew she meant it. I will not lose anyone else. "I hope it won't come to that, Rei, but if it does? Our lives, and the lives of our friends, come first."

Luna shared a forlorn glance with Artemis. "That's our hope as well."

Setsuna rose from her chair, visibly calmer now that they had a plan. "Then there's no sense in waiting any longer."

"Agreed." Conscious of her heart pounding in her chest, Usagi turned to Ami. "Any sign of Hunters, or our missing Senshi?"

"I'll start scanning again now, but there's no telling how long…" The blue-haired girl trailed off as her computer began beeping almost immediately. "That's…"

Artemis leaned in closer, his ears flattening quickly. "What is it?"

"They're close. Far too close to be a coincidence."

"Where's close?" Rei asked, with a frown.

"Juuban." Ami's next words sent a chill down Usagi's spine. "The shrine."

Venus slumped against the tunnel wall, another jolt of pain rippling through her spine. She was now reasonably confident it wasn't actually broken. Not that it helped much with the pain, of course, but she was working on that too. We're both hurting, she told herself, by way of motivation. Makoto caught the worst of that explosion. She's burned pretty badly. Not that she'd admit it.

The brunette dumped another chunk of debris on their 'cleared' pile and paused. "You alright?"

After fighting for so long, Venus' first instinct was a snippy retort…but she quickly covered it with a tight smile. "I just need a sec."

"Well, don't slack off too long. There's no telling how long that girder will hold."

Tell me something I don't know, she thought sullenly. Heck, for all we know, those masked jerks are already on their way to finish us off! But that sort of thinking isn't helpful right now, is it? She pushed off the wall, steeled herself, and got back to work.

The compacted remains of the tunnel's ceiling – and the mall above it – seemed never-ending. There was a steadily growing mound of displaced rubble between them, yet they were no closer to getting out than when they'd started...and that was contributing to a renewed increase in tension.

Then, she heard it. An odd sound from behind. Distant and muffled as it was, it almost sounded like...voices? Venus dropped the piece of concrete in her hands and listened carefully. "Did you hear that?"

"No. Are you sure you really heard it?"

"What?!" Her defences sprang back up quicker than she'd thought possible, manifesting as fear and anger. "Did Usagi tell you about that?! She promised!"

"Whoa, whoa! Usagi didn't say anything. I heard about your little episode from Rei-"

"She told Rei?!" Venus began pacing furiously as, like so many times before, fear and self-doubt took control. "I don't believe this! Who doesn't know?! God, you have one little imaginary chat with yourself and everyone assumes you're-"

"Just stop!" Jupiter's angry shout snapped her right out of it again, bringing her to a sudden halt. "I swear, this is what gets me so damned mad about you, Minako. This…immature insanity! You freak out over the stupidest, most inconsequential things, obsessing over every little detail when the truth is it just…doesn't…matter! Just like…" She finished with a brief snort. "Just like you did with me over Corey."

Venus was reminded again of the conversation she'd overheard between Makoto and Rei. Just how many times did I make her pay for that? I don't honestly know…but it was a lot. All those snide little comments I made, the possessive displays with him to rub her nose in my happiness...

"Is it any wonder I can't pretend we're okay anymore?"

It's really not, she realised silently. Sure, Makoto's been a terrible friend these past few weeks, more of an enemy really, but…have I been any better? Her anger faded as guilt welled up instead. I swore to Corey that I'd do better, try harder to be more mature, but I behaved like a jealous fourteen-year-old over the whole thing.

With that in mind, Venus took a deep breath…and nodded. "You're right."

"You're just a-" Jupiter locked up, eyes wide in confusion. "Come again?"

"I said…you're right." It emerged a little stronger this time, more decisive. "I wasn't a good friend to you." Venus shrugged as she considered her next words, at somewhat of a loss to explain herself. "I was mad, but…well, you apologised, and that should've been the end of it. So, I'm saying…I'm sorry."

"Huh." Jupiter stroked her chin a moment, clearly surprised. "Well. Thank you for saying so. I appreciate it."

Several seconds passed in silence before Venus cleared her throat. "You know, if there was anything you maybe wanted to apologise for…?"

Silence was her only answer. And a blank stare. Make that a glare.

"Right." With a meek nod – and a brief, disappointed sigh – she gestured to the rubble. "Well, back to it, huh?"

"Yeah. Let's…" Jupiter trailed off, her gaze drifting to the gaping hole above them. "Oh, god. We're a couple of idiots!"

"Speak for yourself," Venus grumbled, still a little miffed at being stiffed on an apology of her own.

"No, just…just look. Light!"

She glanced up, following the brunette's finger, and saw it. Beyond the girder, beyond the collapsed mall atop it, was a distant, barely-visible patch of sky. "The sun must be setting."

"And we can see it," Jupiter added excitably. "Which means the mall's open to the air, at least partly. We might be able to climb out!"

Venus wasn't quite as confident. "Climb up there?"

"Your Love-Me Chain, you ditz! You sling it up and over that beam, and we use it to winch ourselves out of here."

After a brief consideration of the logistics – she really wasn't an idiot! – Venus nodded slowly. "That's not actually a terrible idea."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Ignoring Jupiter's angry retort, she called her chain and, after two attempts, successfully looped the golden links over the girder and back down to them. She wrapped one end around her waist by way of support, stopping to admire the effect. "Hey, this almost makes me look like some sort of manga hero."

Jupiter snorted rudely. "I'm sure that'd be a thrilling read."

Glaring back at her, Venus reached out to give the other end of her chain an experimental tug. While it did snap the whole length taut, she still wasn't entirely confident. "It seems secure enough, but I'm not sure that girder's going to hold."

"Why? What do you weigh?"

"It's not me I'm worried about."

Jupiter's scowl returned immediately. "Hey!"

"Oh, don't hey me!" Venus retorted. "Between all your muscles and those oversized boobs…"

The brunette tossed her ponytail almost regally. "Jealousy is an ugly shade of green, Minako."

"Please. Like I'd be jealous of those udders."

Jupiter's mouth opened briefly, but snapped shut again quickly. "Look, none of this matters right now! We can argue some more after we get out of here!"

"Oh, goodie."

Somehow – Venus really wasn't sure on the specifics – the brunette wound up on her back. It is my chain, she conceded, and I have to be the one to hold it, to stop it from just fading away…but that doesn't make this any easier! Straightening despite the pain in her lower back, she couldn't resist tossing out one more barb as she prepared to climb. "So, what do you weigh?"

"Seriously?!"

With another muttered "udders" under her breath, Venus began to pull on the chain, one hand after the other. As they began to rise, an abrupt 'crack' sounded above, followed by a brief shower of dust and other particles. She swallowed nervously but kept pulling and, slowly but surely, they continued their ascent. Another low rumble reverberated above, and Jupiter tightened her grip around her shoulders.

"Keep going! Faster!"

"Perhaps," Venus growled, "You'd like to help?"

"Oh. I can do that?"

"Really?!" the blonde hissed. "Have you never seen the bad guys grab my chain and pull before?!" As Jupiter reached for the glowing links, Venus' head was shoved forward painfully. "Ow! Be careful! Your stupid boobs are crushing my neck!"

"Do you want me to help or not?!"

"Remind me again why I couldn't ride on your back?!"

"Because you need to hold onto the chain, you-"

The loudest groan yet signalled their abrupt drop. The chain snapped taut again, tightening painfully around Venus' waist. Her neck snapped upright as Jupiter was nearly thrown off. Another loud rumble echoed above, sending more dust and debris to shower them. A loud 'thud' sounded somewhere below them, then another crack from above. The blonde's eyes widened as she watched the girder begin to move.

"Down!" she cried, panicking. "We need to go back-"

They dropped again as the girder slipped. In all the confusion, Jupiter was flung off her back. Venus made a grab for her but only succeeded in losing focus on her chain. It vanished and she fell, landing on something surprisingly soft.

"Ow!"

Realisation dawned on her. "Huh. Looks like your boobs are good for something after all."

"Get off!" The angry brunette shoved her to the floor and sat up, one arm pressed tight across her chest. "How much do you weigh, anyway?!"

"I'll have you know I-" Another loud thump rang out from the rubble at their backs, followed by the skitter of falling debris. It gave way in the middle, spilling concrete shards everywhere before it was covered up again.

In the midst of all the confusion, a distant and muffled voice called out. "…Minako?"

Venus jerked to her feet. "I did not imagine that!" Another thump echoed through the detritus, with yet more smaller pieces sent tumbling to the tunnel floor. "Hello?!"

Jupiter joined her at the 'wall', scooping more pieces out of the way. "Okay, even I heard that!"

The voice called out again, a little clearer this time…and familiar. "Minako?! Makoto?!"

Venus' hands flew to her mouth as she recognised it. "Corey…?" She coughed with the sudden and unexpected intake of dust, nearly retching. "Corey?! I can hear you! We're in here!"

Jupiter focused her efforts on the apparent point of impact and, with a strained groan of exertion, yanked a large piece of rebar-studded concrete free. The ceiling responded with another hail of dust and the loudest groan yet.

"The girder's shifted again!" Venus cried, instinctively tucking herself tighter against the obstruction. "The whole thing's coming down!" As she spoke, she glanced to the new hole Jupiter had uncovered and saw a familiar silver helmet with gold wings.

"Aw, shit." Her boyfriend – Justice, she reminded herself – pulled back, though his voice was clearer than ever. "Get back! Make room!"

Venus tugged Jupiter aside, immediately understanding his intentions. The brunette fought against her, though, before abruptly shoving her hard. She fell to the floor, anger practically exploding from her throat. "What the hell are you-" A huge piece of steel landed right where she'd been standing a second earlier, and she trailed off quickly. "…I mean thanks?"

A blinding flash lit up the tunnel, worsened by her adjustment to the darkness. Justice appeared, and she caught herself staring. He seemed taller, somehow, perhaps a little more imposing. Are his shoulder-thingies longer? Pointier? The Senshi of Love shook it off as she accepted his hand and was pulled to her feet. He snagged Jupiter with the other, and the tunnel vanished in a second flash…

…replaced with the street outside the mall. Venus reeled a little as he released her, adjusting to her newfound surroundings. It all paled in comparison to the shock she felt upon seeing the mall itself. What had once been a towering structure of glass and steel was a smoking ruin, utterly devastated by Chaos and its minions.

"Back in a sec!" Justice called, before vanishing again.

Jupiter sank slowly to the asphalt, looking utterly exhausted. Venus decided to follow her example, suddenly so very tired. Must be the last few days catching up with me, she reasoned, noticing how bad Jupiter looked in the dying sunlight. Skirt and fuku torn and dirty, soot and other muck marring her skin, she was a real mess…and the blonde suspected she looked no better herself.

"You know, I could really use a nice, hot shower."

"On that," Jupiter answered wearily, "We agree."

Justice reappeared, a dust-covered, wheezing Chibi Moon in his arms. "Everyone alright?"

Venus simply nodded, her initial shock at his return now fading to mild discomfort. He left me alone, and now he just shows up out of the blue like nothing happened? That isn't…it's not right.

Jupiter coughed herself, but waved him off. "I'm alright. Thank you."

Free of his grip, Chibi Moon bent forward, hands on her knees as she retched a little. "I should have backed off down the tunnel when you told me to."

"Uh-huh," the Guardian Knight responded, sounding just a little exasperated.

Ignoring his implied 'I told you so', the pink-haired girl stumbled over and dropped to her knees, embracing first Jupiter and then Venus in turn. "I'm so glad you're both safe. When I saw the mall, I thought…well…"

"Thanks for not leaving us in there," Venus said softly, returning her hug in kind. She caught Justice's gaze over the girl's shoulder as he removed his helmet, and offered him a faint nod. He returned it, giving her enough of a reply for now. We can talk later, she decided. When I know what to say. Instead, she glanced around as a simple question dawned on her.

"Where are Saturn and Uranus? And the others?"

"Oh, hell…"

Sailor Moon couldn't help but agree with Mars' sentiment. They were huddled in the treeline on the edge of Sendai Hill, studying the ruined shrine, and the sight awaiting them was a disheartening one.

The courtyard was occupied by more than a half-dozen masked soldiers with guns. They wore generic black uniforms devoid of markings, making it impossible to know where they'd come from, or how loyal to Chaos they actually were. Across the scorched and cracked stone lay the remains of the once beautiful shrine, now little more than ash and blackened wood.

"Who are they?" Pluto wondered aloud.

They 'they' she referred to were a group of people in everyday clothes, clustered together between a pair of armed Hunters. Knelt before them with their backs to the crowd were their missing friends, Uranus and Saturn.

"Civilians?" Mercury suggested, the quiver in her voice betraying her nervousness. "Extra hostages, perhaps? In case things don't go according to plan?"

"Whose plan?" Mars growled.

"His," Moon whispered, as a familiar figure strode around the crowd to stand behind their friends. "The Black Death." Her heart skipped a beat as he drew a large revolver from beneath his robes, in slow, methodical fashion. Everything he says and does is almost…theatrical. Like a performance for some unseen audience. In that moment, she felt like her fourteen-year-old self again, facing that first youma in Naru's mother's jewellery shop. But I'm not her anymore. She could never consider a plan that might kill someone…but that's what I'm faced with now.

The proselytising Hunter turned to the civilians, his weapon pointed, for now, at the ground. "I bid you welcome, brothers and sisters. We gather here, on this night, to witness the fall of the Sailor Senshi." He whirled about, his robes fluttering in the gentle breeze as he levelled the revolver at the back of Saturn's head. "May Her will be done."

Moon shifted into a ready position, her own head spinning as she relived Michiru's death at Chaos' hands. "He's going to execute them!"

"We have to get in there now," Pluto agreed, similarly primed to move. "Through the soldiers if they will not surrender."

Mars' eyes narrowed. "Blitzing them won't be a problem. Hell, half of them are just standing around as it is!"

"Sailor Moon…" Her heart skipped another beat as the Black Death's voice fluttered across the stone of the courtyard. He pulled back the hammer of his revolver and pressed it gently to Saturn's head. "I know you're here. Don't you want to save your friends? All of these innocent people?"

The ponytailed blonde felt sick to her stomach as she mulled over her next words. "Mars, Pluto. Take the left and right. I'll go right up the middle. Mercury, as soon as we go you hit the courtyard with as big a Sabào Spray as you can." She swallowed hard. "I refuse to lose anyone else to these monsters."

Mercury took hold of her arm. "Just wait a moment, please."

"There's no time," Mars hissed impatiently.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is strange?" the blue-haired Senshi retorted. "He's made no real effort to kill you so far, Usagi, so why this sudden change? Why does he want us rushing in there?"

Moon actually hesitated. It was a good point. One she herself hadn't really considered. "Okay. What if you're right? How do we-" Her blood froze along with her voice as a gunshot rang out in the dark.

The Black Death's oddly melodic voice carried a decidedly ominous lilt. "Tick tock, Sailor Moon."

She saw Saturn tumble forward, blood on her fuku, and the fear for her friends kicked back in. "Go!" She dove for the nearest soldier, Eternal Tiare at the ready, as the others followed behind her.

"Sabào Spray!"

A thick mist descended on the courtyard at Mercury's call. A silhouette appeared ahead of her, the fog lighting up in time with the bark of gunfire. Moon dove to one side and countered with a Spiral Heart Attack, blowing by as it crashed down on top of them.

More gunfire broke out to her left, followed by a familiar call. "Burning Mandala!"

The guns went silent, screams filling the air instead as the haze lit up orange. She saw several silhouettes twirling in place, and swallowed sombrely as she realised they were likely on fire and trying to put themselves out.

"Stop, plea-"

She ran right through the next figure, her boots crashing into their face in a modified dropkick. There was just no time to be sure. I have to get to Hotaru and Haruka!

"Dead Scream!"

A violet glow lit up on her right as Pluto loosed her own attack. Someone howled in pain, followed by more gunfire that ended abruptly with a second attack. There were no more cries of pain.

"Why are you doing this?! We-"

The odd cry ended with a gurgle as Mars called a Flame Sniper, leaving Moon chilled to the bone. A strange thing to hear from an enemy combatant, especially a solider in the service of Chaos. I guess they're entitled to feel fear like anyone else. Like we've felt so many times be-

Something struck her in the small of her back, nearly knocking her to her knees as a gunshot echoed behind her. She pressed a finger to the impact sight and brought her hand to her face, seeing red on her glove. There was no doubt about it; she'd been shot in the back. There was no time to respond, to turn and stop her attacker. They just had to fire a second shot and she'd be-

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

A strange, gurgling cry followed, and Moon turned to see a soldier tumble out of the mist, a layer of ice rapidly consuming his body. Her stomach lurched as he took a final, uneven step before freezing solid, his eyes darting about in fear until they rolled back in his head. Mercury appeared behind him, her own face even paler than usual.

"Sailor Moon, are you-"

"I…I'm fine." She wasn't, but she had to be right now. "We have to…get to…the others!" Rather than asking Mercury if she was alright, she turned and headed for the shrine. The fog was beginning to lift now, revealing the Black Death. He was right where they'd left him, behind their kneeling friends.

"Bravo, Sailor Moon. A magnificent showing indeed."

Every instinct she had told her something was terribly wrong. Why had their three most dangerous opponents made no moves at all during the fight? She turned, taking in the devastation the Senshi had left in their wake. Eight bodies lay crumpled in the courtyard, some blackened and burnt while others yet were crushed or otherwise misshapen. Mercury's victim stood motionless, an icy statue in a sea of death. Her nausea only intensified as her gaze returned to her bound friends…and realised that they were screaming into their gags.

"Usagi…" Mars' slip in address was warning enough that something was wrong. She dropped to her knees by one of the bodies, inspecting it more closely. "The gun, it…it's cable tied to his hands." Her face grew paler she looked up. "His finger is nowhere near the trigger."

"Two of mine as well," Pluto called, albeit calmer. "They've been chained to the ground."

Mercury began turning green. "Oh, no…"

Moon felt herself trembling for a few different reasons as she turned to the Black Death. "Why?"

His head tilted slightly to one side, as if confused by the question. "Why? To ensure this result, of course."

It was only now that she realised it wasn't only Uranus and Saturn who were upset. Many of the hostages were weeping, even wailing. He planned the whole thing. The abduction, the 'execution'. Everything. It was all to get us so paranoid, so worked up that we'd do whatever we thought we had to…

One older woman dropped to her knees, clearly distraught. "My Takeru! You killed him!"

A low chuckle fluttered from beneath the Black Death's mask. "I present your beloved Sailor Senshi. The heroes of Tokyo."

The weeping only grew in intensity, accompanied by several cries and accusations from the crowd. Moon took an unwitting step back, desperately trying to hold back tears of her own. "We didn't...we didn't know! They had guns, we…we had no…" She couldn't bring herself to finish. We failed them. I failed them.

"You killed him! You killed my son!"

"Liars! We trusted you!"

"You were supposed to save us all!"

Mars came to her defence, thrusting a finger angrily at the Hunter. "That bastard tricked us!" It did little to calm the crowd, though. Tears gave way to more anger. More accusations.

We didn't know, Moon thought frantically. We didn't know! Still, there was another voice, a sadder voice. A voice she eventually placed as her own from so many years ago. And you didn't think…

"And lo, the veil was torn back, and the wickedness of the Sailor Senshi exposed for all to see." The Black Death spread his arms wide as he launched into another of his twisted 'sermons'. "Hubris led them to falter, to become the very thing which they despised, and the Lady Chaos was pleased."

"We are become Black," the Hunters intoned solemnly. "In Her image."

"Just…shut up!" Moon's grief began to morph into anger. "You lied to them. Tricked them! You must have promised them something. Anything!"

His bloody mask dipped slightly. "I arranged a…deal, yes."

"But some had second thoughts, didn't they?" Mars snapped, looking up from comforting Mercury. "So, you forced them. Tied them down and made us think…" Even the miko seemed unwilling to say it out loud.

"I promised them I would free their loved ones if they served." The Black Death's gaze turned to the distraught crowd behind him. "Most agreed immediately, eager to secure such a pact, but a few needed additional…convincing. Oh, Senshi, if only you could have heard them."

"Stop it," Mercury whimpered, as a tear slid down her cheek.

He gestured to one body in particular, burned and twisted in death. "This one was adamant. I won't hurt the Senshi, he said. They'll save us, I know it!" His chuckle was cold and mocking, utterly devoid of humour. "Simply precious."

Sailor Moon's anger was palpable now, manifesting physically in a violent tremble. He's a monster. A remorseless, soulless monster! He's enjoying every minute of this!

"But fear not." He pulled back from Uranus and Saturn, instead entering the crowd and grabbing one of the older women. "As promised, I shall free these poor, wretched souls from the burden of their grief."

She lunged forward, her Tiare at the ready. "No! Don't-"

The Hunter swung his hostage around, using her as a shield. "Go free, sister!" His revolver vanished behind her back as she struggled, accompanied by a familiar, ominous click. "May you find Her love in the next life."

The shot itself was muffled, but no less horrifying. Designed to put down other Black Paladins, the revolver made short work of the woman's back, organs, and chest, the bullet bursting through her blouse in a gout of blood. She quivered a moment before going limp, cast aside as he spread his arms open once more.

"May you all find salvation in Her loving arms!"

Moon levelled her Tiare, looking for an angle that wouldn't hit Saturn or anyone behind him…but it was too late. The Hunters at the group's sides opened fire in a cacophony of gunshots and screams, not stopping until every last person lay motionless in the ash of the shrine. Hot tears of rage, grief, and pain streamed down her cheeks as she was forced to acknowledge her own role in their deaths.

They stepped to their master's side and bowed their heads. "Praise be to the Lady Chaos."

Even Pluto, as dispassionate as she could be, showed terrible anger. "We will kill you, Hunter." She stepped forward, the Garnet Orb atop her staff crackling with power…until they brought their guns to bear on Uranus and Saturn.

"Now, now." His grim visage stared into hers as he raised a single finger in reproach. "You wouldn't want any more deaths on your consciences today, would you?"

Moon bit back her initial anger and forced herself to breath. "No. We wouldn't."

"Good." He took a step back from Uranus and Saturn, and slipped his revolver beneath his robes. "I am not unsympathetic. You have all suffered a great deal of grief and pain tonight. That is why I have decided to grant you…a head start."

"You've got to be kidding me," Mars muttered, abruptly drained.

"Not at all, Sailor Mars." He met Moon's gaze with his own and, for the first time, she noticed there was fresh blood adorning his mask. "Gather your friends, and run. You have five minutes. Then, our hunt begins anew." He snapped his fingers, and all three Hunters faded from view.

As the adrenaline wore off, Sailor Moon fought the urge to crumple. Instead, she gestured to Uranus and Saturn. "Go, Pluto. Quickly."

Saturn was bleeding, but the wound was little more than a graze. Just one more way the Black Death had tricked them tonight. Neither Senshi said anything. Uranus' rage was readily apparent, but it seemed she wasn't in the mood for talking any more than the rest of them.

Moon reached out to squeeze Mercury's hand as one more tear ran slowly down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Ami. I should have listened to you."

"So should I, Usagi. So should I."

AN: So, that was...dark. Possibly one of the darkest scenes I've written so far, BUT in service of the story I'm trying to tell. I don't want our heroines coming out of this on the other side the same people they were going in, and while I adore the 90s anime there was a distinct lack of consequences from most of the villains. I could also add in something about "humans are the darkest creatures of all", etc, etc, but honestly the Black Death was just a cool idea for a dark preacher baddie and writing him is heaps of fun! Hopefully he's just as fun to read for you all.

Also, two week turnaround. Woohoo! I actually felt properly motivated writing this for the first time in several chapters, and I'm full of ideas for where to takes things from here. Some of you have been asking about Mamoru, Rinjirou and Sailor Fury, and I assure you they will be returning VERY soon. Perhaps even as soon as next chapter, if I can figure out how to make the return work. There's also the matter of Minako and Mako's reconciliation - hope their arguing-during-a-dangerous-situation bit entertained! - and Corey and Minako's 'talk'. Plus the fallout from that ending, geez! All that goes to say I have LOTS of stuff to work with moving forward, and a pretty good idea where I want to take things next. So I'm hoping to keep the inspiration flowing and get the next chapter out in a similar timeframe. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading!

Lisseas