Chapter 15

Earth

Serena's screams branched out through the temple's grounds as Nikko and Darien rolled around on the ground, throwing punch after punch. She watched helplessly as they pummeled each other, showing no signs of relenting even with the ominous rolls of thunder growing more frequent. Darien's brow split, sending a trickling of blood down the side of his face while Nikko's lip busted, filling his mouth with blood. They continued on as Serena backed away looking for anything she could do to break them apart.

"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

Both men flew backwards from each other, skidding on their backs along the muddy grounds as electricity charged between them. They both were a bloody mess of cuts and bruises, caked with mud. It was in that moment that the skies opened, showering them with cold water as more lightning filled the sky.

"Sailor Moon, get inside!" Nephrite stated as he and Sailor Jupiter appeared from the back of the temple, both with sharp looks of determination on their face.

"But Darien—" Serena began to protest as she cast a look back at the two men. Both were laying on the ground, nearly motionless. She could see their chests heaving up and down with each breath.

"Nephrite will get him." Sailor Jupiter stated as she quickly grabbed Serena's hand, pulling her towards the temple.

Serena followed her, running towards the waiting steps of the temple just as Nephrite raised his arms, gathering a ball of dark energy. In one swift movement he sent it directly at Nikko's exposed chest.

She watched as the dark energy hit Nikko squarely between his shoulders but instead of harming him, he jumped to his feet, laughing. The cuts across his face healed before their eyes as he took a step forwards towards Nephrite, reinvigorated.

"I'm made of dark energy." Nikko stated as he extended his hand, gathering dark energy of his own. "Your powers cannot harm me… but now that you've joined the sailor scouts… I can harm you." He remarked and sent the blast towards Nephrite.

Nephrite dove out of the path just in time but the bottom of his pants sizzled as they caught the tail end of the blast. "Get her inside, NOW!" Nephrite yelled at Sailor Jupiter as he got back to his feet.

Sailor Jupiter, who had stopped with Serena to watch the attack, suddenly sprang into action. She took Serena's arm again and together the two of them ran for the temple, getting soaked in the process. The rain pelted them as the storm intensified, sending large droplets of water down to the saturated ground. Serena hardly noticed the rain hitting her as she fought the tremendous urge to turn around to see if Darien was okay or if Nikko was hurt. How could she feel something for both men and at the same time feel so much anger towards them?

"WORLD SHAKING!" Sailor Uranus screamed, sending her attack straight at Nikko's exposed back.

Nikko spun around just in time to feel the blast hit him square in the chest, sending him flying back into the air and crashing down hard onto the soft, muddy earth.

"How did THAT energy feel?" Sailor Uranus shouted, toying with Nikko who was struggling to get back to his feet.

Nephrite grinned, holding back a chuckle as he joined Sailor Uranus's side. If he couldn't use his powers, he'd have to rely on other means to keep his wife and the princess safe.

While Uranus and Nephrite kept Nikko busy, Sailor Neptune ran towards Darien who was struggling to get to his feet. She grabbed one arm, slinging it over her shoulder as she helped him stand. His face was a mess: both brows were split and bleeding heavily, his left eye was turning black and his lip was swollen. "I have to get you inside." She said to him as she urged him to move towards the temple. She cast a look around the grounds, only Nephrite and Uranus were facing Nikko. "Where is everyone?"

Darien shrugged, wincing as he felt his shoulder nearly pop as he leaned on Sailor Neptune. "I don't know where anyone is… the place was surrounded by cops when Lita, Nephrite and I got here. I had to jump in … he almost had Serena."

Sailor Neptune bit her lip, keeping her comments about Darien and Serena's relationship to herself, but she couldn't help but feel something was awfully wrong. She had seen Serena run to Nikko as if he was the one she belonged with. Her thoughts drifted back to the day she was at the mall with Amy and Serena. Amy had mentioned she was having doubts about Trista and her uncertainty about Serena and Darien's future. Was Sailor Pluto intervening in their lives? What had she seen?

"MINA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Sailor Jupiter screamed as she and Serena finally reached the temple door. Both girls were soaking wet and shivering as the wind picked up, sending down even heavier water droplets. However, it wasn't their current state that concerned Sailor Jupiter, but the fact that Mina, Raye, Kunzite and Jadeite were clearly visible through the windows of the temple, banging on the door with various objects in attempt to get it to open.

"Stand back." Sailor Jupiter said to Serena, finally catching wind of what was happening. "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" She screamed, sending her power charging forwards towards the door.

Mina, Raye, Kunzite, Jadeite, Luna, Artemis and Queen Serenity barely had time to get out of the way before the front door of the temple was obliterated. The electricity shattered the wooden door into a million pieces of dust that fell harmlessly to the ground.

"ABOUT TIME!" Raye shouted as she stood, shaking off the dust that coated her raven black hair.

"Transform!" Sailor Jupiter barked as she pushed Serena inside of the temple. "Sailor Uranus and Nephrite can't hold off Nikko by themselves. And YOU!" She whipped around to Serena, her deep emerald eyes flashing dangerously. "Stay inside and away from Nikko!"

"Venus Crystal Power—"

"Mars Crystal Power—"

"MAKE UP!"

Serena watched helplessly as Mina and Raye transformed and ran off to join the battle with Jadeite and Kunzite. She felt so incredibly guilty. She should be right there beside them. Sailor Moon would never leave her friends alone in a fight. They needed her but she couldn't help them. The feeling of self-pity was growing old. How much longer could she stand idly by while they risked their lives?

Sailor Neptune neared the temple, helping a very injured Darien onto the wooden steps leading to the entrance. She sat him down quickly and turned to Serena. "He needs to stay here, he's no good to us injured." She then jogged away to join the other scouts, leaving Serena and Darien to their own thoughts.

Darien watched her go with his one good eye. He didn't know how to feel about sitting on the sidelines. Nikko didn't even appear to be hurt and here he was, covered in cuts and bruises nursing what felt like a cracked rib. He could hear Serena behind him, walking across the entryway of the temple. She came into view in his peripheral but thankfully her attention was focused on the field.

Nikko watched as Sailor Jupiter, Neptune, Venus and Mars joined Sailor Uranus and Nephrite. Kunzite and Jadeite were not far behind. His chest was still burning from Uranus's last attack but he couldn't falter now, not when the princess was so close. Desperate times called for desperate measures. They didn't have much time before she was going to come.

"I'll give you one last chance sailor scouts." Nikko bellowed as he stood tall, balling his hands into two tight fists. They began to gradually glow, turning first from a soft white glow, to a vivid blue and then a vibrant purple. "Turn around and leave the princess to me."

"If you want her you have to get through us first!" Sailor Venus replied.

"Very well." Nikko stated and lifted his arms above his head. His fists, now shaking with purple energy, opened, releasing his power. The power shot up several feet, spreading out around them and creating a dome that trickled down to the ground, surrounding the scouts and guardians in the field.

"Damn…" Kunzite muttered as the dome sent the energy charging forward, charging at everyone inside. Nikko cackled as the scouts screamed in agony, their bodies overcome with the dark energy. They fell one by one to their knees and sank to the ground, nearly sapped of energy. Beside them the generals fared better, fighting back against the dark energy that rippled across their bodies.

"AHH!" Nephrite shrieked as he felt the energy pulsing within him. He could feel it on the edge of harming him but his powers kept it in check though it took nearly all of his concentration to do so.

Kunzite gathered the energy that charged at him and expertly sent it back at Nikko whose eyebrows lifted in amazement. The charge hit Nikko's shoulder as he attempted to dodge the attack. Kunzite watched as Nikko fell to one knee in pain as the energy overcame him.

"Mina." Kunzite said as he rushed to Sailor Venus who was laying on the ground, shivering. He ran his hand down her pale cheek. Her eyes popped open. They had turned a deep violet. He could see the energy still coursing through her body. "It'll be over in a moment." He said to her as he ran his hands down her body, withdrawing the dark energy, taking it into himself.

Mina groaned as she felt relief overcoming her. She locked eyes with Kunzite as she saw him grimace in pain. "Kunzite…"

Before she could get another word out a blast of energy hit Kunzite on his side, sending him flying against the dome barrier. He crumbled to the ground as she screamed.

Nikko smirked as he watched Kunzite fall. That was one last person standing in his way but Jadeite and Nephrite didn't hesitate. They both charged him but he was ready. He easily dodged their attacks and sent a powerful blast at their backs, sending them too flying towards the wall of the dome.

Now there was only one sailor scout remaining.

Sailor Venus shakily got to her feet. She refused to let fear overcome her. If she was the last guardian standing, then so be it. She was so match for Nikko but she was the only person between him and Serena. If she couldn't stop him she was certainly going to slow him down.

"Turn around and go home Nikko!" Sailor Venus shouted as she powered up for her attack.

Nikko approached her confidently as his smirk only grew. His lavender eyes, cruel and hard, settled on her, not even blinking as he drew closer and closer. "Venus, look at what I've done to your friends, to your lover even… do you think you can beat me?"

Sailor Venus felt anger rising within her as her cheeks flushed a deep red. "I may not be able to defeat you Nikko, but I sure as hell can hurt you."

Nikko paused as his eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Why would you do that? Why would you put yourself in danger when you can't win?"

"Because my job is to protect Sailor Moon and these people are my friends. I would do anything for them..." She said sternly.

"Including die for them?" Nikko stated as his hands began to glow again.

Sailor Venus braced herself as she unleashed her attack. "VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!"

Nikko grinned as he sent his power charging forward, knocking Sailor Venus's chain out of the way. He powered up again to send another attack at her but felt something hit him on his side, sending him flying to the ground. He groaned as he crashed into the mud which seeped into his nose and into every pore of his body. He jumped back up, looking for the source of the hit, enraged.

Fabian stood between him and Mina. His hands were closed around the hilt of his sword which was pointed right at his brother. His dark gray armor shimmered as his royal blue cape, similar to his brothers, sprouted from his shoulders, just barely kissing the top of the muddy earth.

"Fabian!" Nikko shouted as he pushed back the long strands of white blond hair, now caked with mud, that had fallen before his eyes. "I warned you not to interfere. Go back to Charon and wait until you are summoned."

"And I warned you to leave Sailor Venus alone." Fabian stated as his expression hardened. "Go take the princess, do what you will with her scouts and the generals… but I will not allow you to harm Venus."

Sailor Venus stared in awe at the scene unfolding before her. Had she heard that right? Was Fabian actually … protecting her? Why?

Nikko stared hard at his brother for a full minute, contemplating his next course of action. His brother's affliction for Sailor Venus had already caused him a great deal of trouble and now here was again, keeping him from taking the princess. As much as he desired to end the sailor scout before him he needed his brother's support and continued allegiance.

"Very well." Nikko stated as he took a step back, focusing his attention instead on the temple where Serena, Darien and Queen Serenity were watching him. It was time to finish what he had started. He began to walk towards the princess when he paused mid-step.

The wind had shifted. The rains stopped as if someone had just flipped a switch. The clouds above them dissipated revealing the full moon and a sky full of stars. All around them the lights of the city flickered before going out, shrouding the city into darkness. Nikko's dome, which had been crackling with dark energy suddenly disappeared, leaving everyone exposed.

"What is happening?" Serena asked out loud as she watched the city below all but disappear into the night.

Darien shakily got to his feet and went to Serena's side. He could see even the flashing lights from the police cars on the street below had flickered out. The police officers that Nikko had knocked out were all up, watching something above them. His eyes followed theirs.

A ball of fire was tearing across the sky. It was larger than an airplane or spaceship and moving quickly, burning brighter and brighter as it approached the earth.

"What the hell is that?" Sailor Venus asked out loud to no one in particular. She could feel Fabian take a step closer to her but his gaze was still on the fireball.

"Something bad." He replied softly only to her.

Queen Serenity gathered her white silk skirts and rushed down the steps to the temple grounds to get a better view of the fireball. She paled as it drew closer and closer to earth. Her hands went to her mouth, as if she were choking back a scream but no sound came out.

It took five minutes for the fireball to disappear past the horizon, landing somewhere out of sight. All around them the lights of the city flickered back on, as if life was going back to normal.

Nikko cast a long look at Fabian once the fireball disappeared. Fabian's jaw was set tightly, as if he was incredibly annoyed. Neither of them spoke for several moments.

"We had better go." Nikko said to his brother as he turned to Serena. His expression softened as his gaze fell on her. "I will come for you in the morning. I suggest you speak to your friends if you don't want their lives on your conscience. Think about it… you remember now." He waved his hand in the air behind him and a dark portal appeared just above the ground. He gave Serena one last glance before he stepped through.

Fabian turned to Sailor Venus as his brother disappeared. His time was limited. "Leave the city." He told her quickly. "I know you don't have your memories… and I wish there was an easy way for you to regain them, but know that we did know each other once." He cast one more look at the sky, as if the large fireball was going to re-appear. "I mean it Mina… leave."

Sailor Venus felt her mouth open and close as she struggled to get her words out. Could she trust Fabian? She didn't know anything about him and he was completely absent from what few memories she had regained from the Silver Millennium. All she could do was to numbly nod her head.

Fabian, content with her response, turned on his heel and jogged to the open portal. He jumped through and it disappeared, leaving the field in complete silence.

"What happened?" Sailor Mars groaned as she sat up, oblivious to what had just happened. She glanced at everyone standing around the field and at the others that were still on the ground, waking up slowly. "Did we win?"

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"Where are we?" Amy asked as she pressed her hands against the cold rock that lined the pathway she and Zoisite had been following for what felt like an age.

"We aren't on Earth anymore." Zoisite stated as he bent over, grabbing a handful of the dirt that littered the path. It was gray and seemed to be full of specks of metal. "Definitely not anywhere on Earth."

"Fabian could have transported us anywhere." She remarked as she finally came to a stop, leaning against the rock. "If anything, he may have sent us to Charon."

"A cave on Charon perhaps." Zoisite stated. "We'd be frozen if we were on the surface."

Amy looked up. She couldn't tell if there was a roof of rock above them or a black sky. Irritated, she tore off her heels and tossed them aside. Not only was she stuck on a foreign planet but she was still in her too tight dress from dinner and her feet were long past the point of being comfortable.

"Hey…" Zoisite walked over to her and laid his hands on her hips. "Don't get frustrated yet okay? We will figure this out and get back home."

"You're right." Amy nodded though it was an adjustment not to shrink back from his touch. She wasn't used to a man touching her with any type of affection. "We need to focus on getting home."

Zoisite kissed her cheek and pulled her into his arms. "And when we get home we can finally pick up where we left off…"

"How sweet." A coy voice said from just above them.

Amy jumped as her eyes lifted to the source of the voice. There on top of a nearby rock sat Femi, clad in a shimmery white dress with sky high electric blue stilettos. Her long white blond hair was up in an elegant braid and pinned on the back of her head. Her attire made her look very out of place, she seemed to look as if she was going to a dance. "It's really cute how the two of you are trying to be a couple when it's clear a brainy doctor and a dark killer… just don't belong together."

"Femi." Zoisite said as he moved to stand in front of Amy, shielding her from Femi's view. "I should have known you would've had something to do with this."

Amy felt a mix of emotions running through her. Femi's appearance almost certainly confirmed her theory that we were on Charon, but Zoisite was speaking to Femi as if he knew her personally. She wasn't sure how to react to this news.

Femi jumped down from the rock, landing effortlessly on the ground. Her dress rippled behind her, the front of which was just above her knees but the back hem was long, dragging on the floor. "As a friend…" She began as her hand went to her chest dramatically. "I am simply returning a favor that was given to me a very long time ago."

"What favor?" Amy asked. She looked at the expression on Zoisite's face turn from anger to almost fear. His hands balled into tight fists.

"This may sound shocking to you Mercury, but Zoisite and I go way back." Femi said as she cast a long look at Amy, as if annoyed she was speaking right now. She turned her attention back to Zoisite. "Consider this making us even… I'll send you back to Earth but you won't last long there."

"What do you mean? What do you know?" Zoisite asked Femi as the tone in his voice changed to urgency.

Femi sighed and looked down at her stilettos for a moment, as if contemplating her next words. "Prince Nikko would kill me if he knew I told you of all people, anything about his plan." She leaned back against the rock. "Look, Nikko isn't working alone… he's got some inside help and he's got someone bigger on his side." She cast a look around them, making sure no one was listening in. "And that bigger someone is ready to make her move. The Earth is going to be obliterated, one city at a time until she gets what she wants. You need to get out if you even want a chance to live much less to fight."

"How much time do we have?" Zoisite asked.

Femi sighed and took a look at the inside of her wrist. A shiny silver emblem was tattooed on her arm and the colors were slowly changing back and forth from silver to gray. "Sunrise …. maybe… you'd better get a move on." She flicked her wrist at a nearby rock. A dark portal emerged within. "Go." She said.

Amy looked at Zoisite, unsure if they should trust Femi. She didn't like the feeling she was getting from Femi. She couldn't trust someone that had tried to kill her just a week ago yet Zoisite was regarding her as if he did.

"Who is this enemy?" Zoisite asked, hoping that Femi would give them just a little more information.

"Someone you never want to meet." Femi replied quickly and gestured to the portal. "Now go!"

"Thank you Femi." Zoisite said as he gave her a nod. He took Amy's hand in his own and led her to the portal. "Consider us even."

"Put in a good word for me with Kunzite and we will really be even." Femi chuckled though her smile did not reach her eyes.

Amy's left eyebrow perked at her comment but she allowed Zoisite to steer her towards the portal.

"Let's go home." Zoisite told her as his grip on her tightened. "We have to warn the others."

Amy nodded and cast one more look at Femi who was watching them intently. She gave her a knowing nod and together she and Zoisite stepped through the portal.

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"We need to go." Queen Serenity stated as everyone filed back into the temple. "We need to go now."

"What was that out there? Why is everyone acting so weird about it?" Serena asked as she helped Michelle hobble into the temple. Raye, Michelle, Amara, and Lita were covered with bruises from Nikko's attack but didn't seem to be seriously injured. Kunzite, Jadeite and Nephrite hardly seemed to be injured at all from the way they walked into the temple, helping the other scouts inside with ease.

"Something very bad." Serenity replied as she turned to face everyone. "I don't have time to explain things to you right now but you have to trust me… we need to leave. I promise to explain everything to you once we are safe."

"Okay." Serena said, worried about the urgency she could sense in her mother's voice. "You heard her… everyone pack your bags. We leave in fifteen."

"Where are we going?" Lita asked, wincing as Nephrite set her down on a nearby chair.

"My parent's summer cabin." Serena replied. "It's outside of the city."

Lita solemnly nodded and joined the others who had filed down the hall, separating off into their rooms to grab their things. Queen Serenity walked off with Luna and Artemis, speaking to them in hushed tones leaving Serena alone with Darien.

Serena turned her attention to Darien who was leaning against the doorframe, nursing his left side. She felt a wave of emotions overcome her: anger, resentment, betrayal, more anger. She walked over to him and without a word her right hand made contact with the side of his face.

Darien grimaced as he felt Serena's hand smack his cheek. He clutched it as he went down to the ground groaning. "OW!" He shouted at her, his eyes wide. "What was that for?"

"What the hell was that out there?" She asked, her dark blue eyes flashing dangerously at him. "You and I are NOT together! And suddenly I'm your girl?"

Darien felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he pulled himself back to a standing position. "Serena… you know what I meant."

"No I don't Darien. I really don't! As I recall you were the one who left me… FIVE YEARS AGO! That officially doesn't make me your concern anymore." She shouted at him as her cheeks turned red with anger.

"Serena did you not see yourself out there? You were about to hand yourself over to our enemy! I had to do something." Darien protested as he struggled to get back to his feet. "And like it or not, we do have a long history together."

"That does NOT make me yours!" Serena snapped. "I am not an object to be claimed. In case you haven't noticed I'm perfectly happy with Blake!"

"Oh yeah, the American… where is he?" Darien asked as his expression darkened. He instantly regretted his words once they came out and quickly stepped away from Serena's reach in case she decided to slap him again.

"How dare you!" Serena screamed as tears of frustration filled her eyes. Was this really happening right now? Was she torn between three men? Darien was her past and so was Nikko, but Blake was her future. Darien's comment stung though. It was as if he knew things with Blake weren't going so well now that she was back in Tokyo.

"I'm just telling you to be fair to yourself and to him… you and I both know you're not going to live a normal life and clearly he can't handle that." Darien stated as he held up his hands defensively.

"Then maybe you have better come clean to Idra." Serena replied as she turned away from Darien, attempting to hide the tears that were beginning to pour down her cheeks. Her thoughts drifted to Blake, somewhere in the city. She had to warn him to leave. "My love life is no concern of yours. In fact, don't worry about me at all. I can take care of myself." She snapped and before he could reply she turned on her heel and went to her room to back her bag, muttering angrily under her breath.

Darien watched her leave as guilt wrenched his insides. His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking his train of thought.

"Hello?" He stated. His expression darkened as someone on the other line began to talk very rapidly for a full minute. "I'll be there… give me one hour." He replied and hung up. He cast a last look at the temple as if he was seeing it for the last time and left without a word, walking back into the black night.