Sailor Moon: The Order of Black

Chapter Thirty Eight - Denouement, Part Two

Originally published 03/04/2016

Sailor Moon swallowed her fear as the first Black Paladins descended from their helicopter. She couldn't help but focus on the guns in their hands and the blades on their belts; two things the Senshi weren't all that comfortable with. A second aircraft roared overhead, the shrill whine of its turbines deafening as it kicked up dirt and dust all around them. Black ropes hit the ground, same as before, followed by another squad of soldiers. They fanned out as soon as their boots touched the stone, some turning their rifles on the Senshi as others took up defensive positions around the courtyard.

The tall, green-suited Senshi beside her shifted uncomfortably. "Sailor Moon?"

"Easy, Jupiter," she said, waving her hand palm down. "Stay calm. No sudden movements, okay?"

"I don't like this," Sailor Mars muttered, studying the shrine through narrow eyes. "If a fight breaks out here, so close to the shrine-"

"It won't be our doing." Moon was actually quite impressed with her ability to ignore her racing heart. "We're going to do what we should have done from the start. We're going to talk." It sounded so simple but, as the first Black Paladins surrounded them, she couldn't help but swallow nervously. It's definitely not going to be that easy.

The Paladins corralled them back to the shrine, pressing in around them in a rough semi-circle, backs to the low stone wall that bordered part of the courtyard. The only sound was the thud of boots on stone and the occasional click of a safety. Nobody said a word.

Black Paladins, Moon thought sombrely. The elite soldiers of the Order of Black. Normal men and women granted superhuman abilities by Chaos…and sworn to oppose me at all costs. The 'Moon Princess'. None of it felt real at that moment but she could hardly deny her own eyes, or the collection of laser lights on her chest.

The fourth and final helicopter began disgorging its passengers. Four more Paladins dropped to the tiles, followed by an imposing man in a long, tan leather coat. He was tall and powerfully built, the epitome of what a soldier looked like in her mind. His well-trimmed, sandy blonde goatee matched his medium-long hair, offsetting his most striking feature; piercing, steely grey eyes that were locked on her from the moment his boots touched the ground.

Moon frowned as he murmured something, belatedly recognising it as English. It was too quiet to make out clearly, though, and her admittedly poor grasp of the language probably wasn't helping.

"Finally," Mercury whispered, translating for her automatically, "the Council has unshackled us."

She almost rolled her eyes, despite their dire situation. "Thanks, Mercury." Several of the Paladins called out in unison around them and, this time, she understood perfectly. We live to serve the Black.

The man in the coat stepped forward, his pace measured and deliberate. He finally came to a halt just in back of the outer ring of soldiers. "I am Knight-Captain Harcourt, Commander of the Black Paladins." His pronunciation was impeccable, even if his Japanese sounded cold and impersonal. "In the name of Earth and its people, you are now our prisoners. Cooperate, and you have my word as a warrior you will not be harmed unnecessarily."

Sailor Moon considered her response. This Harcourt had chosen his words very carefully, but she noticed his use of 'unnecessarily' as a caveat. What's necessary and unnecessary? According to Grandpa, they're more than happy to kill me, even all of us. His surrender doesn't guarantee our safety at all! She allowed her Tiare to fade from her hands and took a step towards him. The Paladins' speed was disconcerting; in less than second she found several more guns trained on her chest. "I would speak with you, Knight-Captain."

His face betrayed little emotion, if any. "I have no use for such formal speech. Say what you will, Senshi."

"We're not the threat you think we are. We have no desire to rule over Earth, or anywhere else." She left out their foreknowledge of Crystal Tokyo; somehow, it didn't seem like it would help her cause. "I know your forebears saw something, some glimpse of the future, but they were wrong."

Harcourt shook his head curtly. "If that's true, explain your recent aggression. Explain Brussels."

"That was a mistake," Moon admitted, ignoring the gasps from her friends. "We didn't understand what the Order of Black was, or what you actually stood for…and we acted rashly. That's my fault, and-"

"Spare us your honeyed words." He finally broke his intimidating gaze, turning instead to his troops. "All of us know where our hearts lie, Sailor Moon, and we'll not be swayed from our duty so easily. A Paladin died due to your rashness!"

The pang of guilt she felt faded quickly, supplanted by trepidation. A scattered murmur broke out in the Paladin's ranks, quickly growing in strength.

"We live to serve the Black! We live to serve the Black!"

"Please, listen to me!" she cried, as frustration set in. "We made a mistake, I admit that, but there's a far more dangerous evil here than us!"

Harcourt held up a hand, silencing his soldiers immediately. "And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"Chaos!" Moon declared, throwing all her cards on the table. "The creature itself, or an aspect anyway. I saw it myself just before you arrived, masquerading as one of your Hunters. We-"

The Paladin directly opposite her frowned behind his half-mask and turned to Harcourt. "Hunter, sir?"

The Knight-Captain silenced him with a withering glare. "Eyes on your target, soldier!"

His rifle snapped back up to her face. "Yes, sir!"

Harcourt turned his attention to the rest of his troops. "It's just another lie, Paladins, the hallmark of the Moon Kingdom treachery! Once, they swore to guide our world, to watch over us in a new age of peace and prosperity. But when our crops withered and our wells dried up, where were they?"

"He's whipping them into a frenzy," Mercury observed quietly, "playing to their prejudices."

"When famine and disease struck, where were they? When the Witch and her mistress Metallia rose up, where were they?!" He levelled an accusatory finger right at Sailor Moon. "Your attempts to sway us are in vain, Senshi. The Moon Kingdom always lies…and I see no evidence of Chaos here."

Mars stomped forward, virtually shoving Sailor Moon aside. "What are you, stupid?!"

Jupiter made repeated cutting motions across her throat with the edge of her palm. "Uh, Mars?"

The furious miko yanked up her skirt to reveal a jagged, bleeding cut along her outer thigh. "I guess I just did this to myself, then, and Sailor Jupiter torched her own outfit?" She snorted rudely. "Don't be such a moron!"

Mercury poked her rather firmly. "Maybe you could refrain from taunting the people with guns?"

Harcourt was similarly unimpressed. "Have a care, Senshi. We've suffered your provocations until now, but they end here. I have orders from the Council to bring you in, dead or alive, and I intend to see them through." He raised a fist before pointing to Sailor Saturn. "Start with her. Secure that weapon!"

A tall, slender woman with Japanese features stepped forward, long black hair tied back in a ponytail. An ebony mask obscured her face from the nose down, same as many of the Paladins, but Sailor Moon saw something familiar in her movements. They'd met before, she was sure of it.

"By your command, Knight-Captain."

Her voice sealed it, and Mars recognised her at the same time. "That's her! Chaos! She attacked us!"

Harcourt offered an amused snort in response. "Paladin Shoto is many things, Senshi, but Chaos, source of all evil? I think not."

'Paladin Shoto' dropped her hand to the sword at her hip. "Surrender your weapon, Senshi, or I'll take it from you."

Sailor Saturn dropped into a ready stance, the Silence Glaive raised before her. "You're not taking it, or me, creature!"

Sensing that conflict was imminent, Sailor Moon took another step forward. She raised her hands as if to ward off the Paladins herself. "Please, you don't have to do this! We don't need to fight! You can still-"

"We will do what we have been ordered to," the Knight-Captain said coldly. "The time for talk is done. If you won't come in peace, we'll bring you back in body bags. Your choice!"

There followed the sound of several more safeties clicking off, the ring of metal on metal as blades were drawn from their sheathes. The Paladins were ready for battle, but Sailor Moon wasn't so sure she could say the same. Her mind raced – along with her heart – as she sought that mythical third option she once asked Corey for. Surrender, fight, or…?

"Shit!" Justice was forced to concede things had gone terribly wrong. He focused on the shrine when he blinked, as usual – the floor right in front of the actual shrine, in fact, inside the main hall – expecting as smooth a trip as ever. What he hadn't expected was the trio of Black Paladins they'd appeared between! He hastily grabbed the first rifle he saw, directing it into the floor as it fired. Sorry, Rei! The ancient wood exploded in a shower of splinters and dust, no match for high-calibre ammunition.

Venus was already in motion, springing off her hands into a forward somersault as another Paladin fired. Her thick, blonde hair passed just under the spray, the bullets instead ricocheting off Justice's armour. The third soldier cursed loudly as he took some friendly fire in the process. It was the same thing every time; why do people insist on shooting at the magic knight?!

The gun in his grip jerked, drawing his attention again as its owner tried to retrieve it. Justice tugged at it in return, trying to set up a clothesline, but was surprised when the Paladin released it. There was a brief glint of light as he drew a knife from his belt and thrust at the Guardian Knight. "Ghost Blade!"

The now-ethereal weapon passed through his armour and sank deep into his side. It was cold, very cold; the chill seemed to shoot through his veins, following them up to his heart and lungs where it settled. As raw as they already were, Justice coughed painfully as they froze a moment…but he was hardly giving up there. I don't want to kill anyone, but I'm not going to let them kill me either!

With more effort than he might have liked he grabbed the Paladin's shoulder, using the hold as leverage for a head-butt. His reinforced helm struck the soldier's face, breaking his half-mask and the nose behind it. The wet snap left Justice feeling a little guilty, but he still dropped him with a solid uppercut to the jaw; he remembered Brussels all too well. If we don't put them down hard, they'll get right back up and knife us in the back.

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

The Senshi's chain soared across the room, wrapping around her opponent's legs. A mighty tug sent the woman to the floor, her rifle spitting several inadvertent rounds into the ceiling as she lost her grip. She recovered quickly, rolling to her hands and knees…but Venus was quicker still.

"Sailor V Kick!"

The blonde's seemingly dainty foot connected with the woman's jaw. A resounding crack echoed across the room as her mask shattered under the sheer force of the impact. It was enough to send her into the air, spin her, and drop her back on her face. It was a timely reminder that while the Sailor Senshi looked like average, twenty-something girls, they were in reality anything but!

"Damn you!"

Justice whirled at the third Paladin's angry rebuke and found him taking aim at Venus. The barrel spat a burst of flame as the Guardian Knight tackled him to the floor, and another on the way down. A torrent of heavy blows ensured he wouldn't get back up any time soon, but Justice had other concerns. "Venus? Are you…oh."

She stood in the same spot as before, fingering a thin, red graze on her hip almost curiously. Upon closer look, the second bullet had hit too; there was a small hole in the translucent material over her shoulder. Another half-inch lower and she'd be in a world of hurt right now.

"They really tried to kill me…"

Her gift for understatement was new; Justice couldn't believe how flippant she was about it all. "How is it you got so lucky?!"

"Lucky?" she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest in mock irritation. "Since the first day we met I have been clawed by Constructs, I broke my back, and your psycho ex-friend blew a hole clean through my shoulder!" Her bottom lip dropped into a pout. "If anything, I think the universe owes me one!" She trailed off, concern overcoming her features as she noticed the knife in his side. "Oh, for the love of...Corey! Why do you keep letting them hit you?!"

He shrugged, most of the effect lost beneath his pauldrons. "I think your bad luck must've transferred to me somehow." A mild curse helped alleviate some of the pain as he tugged the blade free. "Seriously, all I know is I'm starting to feel a little inadequate against these guys. First my shield stopped working, and now I guess my armour doesn't stop them either."

"Have you considered, you know…moving out of the way?"

"Oh, wow," he muttered good-naturedly, "I never thought of that."

Venus shrugged helplessly at his sarcastic response. "So-"

"You, inside the shrine!" The voice was stern and authoritative; someone obviously used to having their orders obeyed. "We have your friends. If you value their lives, you'll step outside slowly and surrender!"

Justice's heart sank as he surveyed the room around them…and the three Paladins lying unconscious on the floor. "We were too late."

"I'm not worried," Venus said, wearing her game face once again. "We've got you, after all; you can just work your usual mediation magic on them and convince them to call it a night. Right?"

"Actually, I'm not sure my mediation magic is working so well of late. It didn't do much to convince Rei, Mako or the others about rescuing Chibiusa, did it?"

"Wow," she murmured, squeezing his hand gently. "Downer, much?"

Justice acknowledged her righteous return of his earlier sarcasm with a gentle nod. "Just stay behind me, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'm in no hurry to try my luck with bullet number three!"

Sailor Saturn's heart pounded so hard she was certain it would explode. She'd recognised the woman's voice immediately, her memories of Brussels still vivid, and had no intention of surrendering the Silence Glaive. Despite her resolve, she found herself taking a half step back as 'Paladin Shoto' closed in. I'm not afraid, she told herself. I'm not afraid…

Mercifully, the Paladins and Chaos were distracted by the abrupt sound of battle from within the shrine. Saturn blushed as she deciphered a muffled but familiar English curse, followed by two spurts of gunfire and a clear "Venus Love Me Chain!" Two muffled thumps seemed to signal the end of whatever conflict had begun, before two more gunshots and a third, 'body-hitting-the-floor' thud. Then…silence.

Mars glared daggers at the doorway. "It's about time…and they'd better not have caused any damage in there!"

Knight-Captain Harcourt turned to the main doors, along with half the Paladins. "You, inside the shrine! We have your friends. If you value their lives, you'll step outside slowly and surrender!"

At first, the silence continued. Eventually, though, heavy metallic footsteps announced the arrival of the Guardian Knight of Justice, Sailor Venus tucked in close behind him. His silver armour gleamed, catching what little moonlight snuck through the clouds as he descended the steps. About half the Paladins took aim at him instead; Saturn noted that more than enough kept their sights on the Senshi, a telling sign of their training and discipline.

Justice raised his arms slowly, revealing Justiciar snug in its sheath. "Nobody has to die today."

Harcourt snorted derisively. "Says the man who likely just butchered three of my Paladins."

"They're still alive!" Venus protested, peeking out around her boyfriend's back. "A little sore, maybe, but definitely still alive."

"I don't want to kill anyone," Justice agreed, with a glance at Sailor Moon. "None of us do. We can still end this peacefully, before it goes any further."

Harcourt nodded faintly. "We certainly can, with your surrender."

The Guardian Knight ignored him. "If we fight here, now, people will die. That doesn't have to happen though. There's room for discussion, even negotiation!"

Sailor Moon nodded excitedly. "He's right! The Order has concerns about Earth's future, our future. I understand that, Knight-Captain, and it's not too late for us to start working together towards a peace-"

"We have such a solution already," Harcourt snapped, dropping a hand to his sword. "The Sailor Senshi surrender and nobody dies. Resist, and we will cut you down where you stand. Simple enough?"

The same disconcerting chant rose up in the Paladin's ranks once more. "We live to serve the Black! We live to serve the Black!"

Sailor Moon wasn't done yet. "Knight-Captain, please! You must understand we can't do that! We-"

"And you must understand that what happens from here on out is on your head!" Harcourt raised a fist, a determined glower on his face. "Paladins, at the ready! Secure the Senshi. If they resist, kill them!"

Saturn took an instinctive step back as 'Paladin Shoto' started towards her once more. Her youthful and even pretty face was overshadowed by the cold, inhuman gleam in her eyes. As she passed Sailor Mars, however, the fiery miko straightened defiantly.

"You want proof that Chaos is here?" she demanded angrily. "Fine! I'll give you proof!" A familiar slip of paper dropped into her hand as she lunged forward. "Evil Spirit, Be-" She was cut off by an abrupt bang as a Paladin fired…and fell back into Mercury's arms, motionless.

Sailor Moon's blood turned to ice water in her veins, a strange roaring in her ears all she could hear. She watched Mars fall into a stunned Mercury's arms as crimson spattered onto the tiles beneath them. The courtyard was eerily silent, nobody moving or speaking…until all hell broke loose! Jupiter roared angrily as she lunged forward and snatched a Paladin's rifle from his grip, swinging it like a club. He stumbled as she hit him repeatedly, then slammed the butt into another soldier's face.

Moon dove for cover behind the wall around the main hall as several Paladins opened fire. As bullets flew overhead, several tore into the wooden walls of the shrine itself, shredding one of its panels entirely. She dragged herself along on her elbows as a muted explosion registered in the distance, a trail of black smoke rising into the sky not long after. A grenade? Who's throwing grenades?!

Justice stood over Mercury and Mars, the former studying the miko through her visor. Bullets ricocheted off his shield in a veritable hailstorm of lead, making approaching him difficult for even the Paladins. The leader of the Sailor Senshi was shocked to see Jupiter ducking and weaving through their ranks; how she was avoiding serious injury was beyond her. Despite her apparent success, though, Moon wasn't fooling herself about their chances. The Senshi's abilities were frequently blocked or even absorbed outright, in stark contrast to their own vulnerability to blades and bullets. Justice and Saturn could hold them off, to a degree, but it meant taking shelter and sacrificing the one true advantage they did have; agility.

With that in mind, she took two quick, puffed breaths and leapt from cover, tackling the nearest solider to the ground. It seemed incredibly stupid but what choice did she have? Using her attacks would likely results in deaths…and she'd decided she couldn't live with that after all. Not without exhausting all her other options first. Her Tiare swung down at the Paladin's head, meeting his helmet with a dull 'thwack'. He evidently wasn't impressed, blocking most of her hits on his forearms without issue.

Then, just when Moon thought she might be gaining the upper hand, another burst of gunfire rang out. She fell from atop him, clutching her arm in pain. A quick look revealed a small, bloody hole; she'd been shot! Her opponent rolled to his feet and drew a knife from his belt, stomping towards her almost methodically. More gunfire struck the shrine behind her, tearing chunks from the walls and knocking its paper lamps to the ground.

"Cease fire!" The call came from Knight-Captain Harcourt, surprisingly enough. It cut through the din of battle with impressive clarity. "Switch to blades and hand-to-hand combat! There may still be civilians inside!"

It was a little late, but no less of a shock. They were actively trying to limit any damage to the shrine, for fear Rei was still inside. They don't know she's Sailor Mars, she realised, and they're afraid they'll kill her. They're trying to avoid innocent casualties, just like we would! Despite her epiphany, she couldn't help noticing the Paladin pursuing her had been distracted by the call. With all her might, she swung her Tiare into his knee…and wilted as it did nothing.

He loomed over her, his knife ready to strike. "And we were supposed to fear you?"

A brilliant crescent energy blast slammed into the Paladin from the side, tearing through his armour and into the flesh beneath. It lifted him off his feet, driving him a good six feet through the air before he hit the stone again. He made a brief effort to sit up before collapsing, motionless.

Moon glanced up to see Justice give her a grim nod before returning to the battle. He came for me. I did my best to drive him away, yet he still came to help me when I needed him. The shame returned, welling up within her as she relived their bitter spat. We both said some things we regret…but there may just be hope for our friendship yet.

The gunfire had died out completely following Harcourt's order. The Knight-Captain himself was now in the thick of things, forced to duck under Venus' chain as it flew by his head like a whip. Jupiter looked to be heading for him but she was cut off by two sword-wielding Paladins; that left him bearing right down on her.

"Defend yourself, Sailor Moon!"

Each strike was carefully measured, nothing like the wild, almost frantic attacks she'd gotten from Pride or the other Sailor Marauders. Harcourt had skill and technique on his side, and Moon had to concede a lack of both. He was also deceptively fast so – in something of a regression – she fell back on a tried and true routine; shrieking like an idiot and dodging with everything she had.

"Stand and fight me!" he growled, frustrated by his inability to hit her.

"No thanks!" she retorted, rolling under his next swing. "I'd rather talk and find an end to this madness!"

Harcourt shook his head and lunged for her yet again. Moon backpedalled, trip-fell into an overhead roll, and came up to land a hit against his ribs with enough force to stagger him.

"Another Senshi lie," he said bitterly. "Why am I not surprised?"

"What?! I was defending myself, we all are! You're the ones who came to Japan looking for a fight!"

"After you attacked our facility in Brussels!" he shot back, bringing his sword down against her Tiare so hard it left her forearm aching. "After you defended that traitor Payne from our righteous justice!"

Suddenly, it all made sense. "You know, don't you? The Hunters, what really happens to Paladins? All of it!"

Before she could finish, he hurled an iridescent, ebony orb into her chest. The air was driven from her lungs, her legs giving way beneath her as a strange weakness overcame her. In a single, fluid motion Harcourt span, tossing another orb into a distant Sailor Saturn before backhanding a "Shine Aqua Illusion" out of the air. "Of course I know! I lead these men and women, Sailor Moon. I know everything there is to know about them. I care for them all as if they were my own family!"

"Yet you'd sell them out to the Hunters when their time came?" she spat, disgusted by his admission.

"I'd spare them the pain and humiliation of a descent into madness!" he snapped, coming at her again. "When I face the Long Black, as all Paladins inevitably do, I can only hope my death will be as swift."

"And you call us tyrants?!" Moon launched into her own assault, a whirling, spinning mass of limbs. She forgot about her own comparative lack of skill, angered by his defence of such evil. Her Tiare lashed out again and again, striking his sword, his chest, his shoulder; even his head took a blow. Unfortunately, in time, she ran out of steam…and he used his speed to his advantage once again. First, his blade dug into her shoulder, then her hip.

He sneered back at her as several small pieces of her skirt fluttered to the ground. "You're in over your head."

He's right, she thought, backing away slowly. I let myself get angry, tried to hurt him instead of trying to end this. The Tiare seemed to pulse with power in her hands, power she'd so far refrained from using. I know it's a longshot, but I have to try! Her hair fluttered, lifting gently into the air as she channelled the power of the Silver Crystal at last. As Harcourt charged, she lowered the Tiare and summoned her most powerful healing magic. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

He staggered briefly as he was bathed in its cleansing, pink light. Moon held her breath, quietly hopeful, but it was not to be. Harcourt lunged out of its path unaffected and hurled another blast of his own into her chest. She crumpled as the same weakening malaise spread through her body, leaching her strength, but the most disheartening thing of all was what she'd learned. It failed…just like it did with Megumi. We can't heal them, and we can't hold back any longer. If we do…we'll die.

"I've heard all about your little healing spell. Did you really think it would work? That I was enthralled by some evil influence, whispering in my mind? That I'd be cleansed of its corruption and start singing your praises instead?" He flexed his hand and another purplish-black energy orb shimmered into existence. "I make my own choices, Sailor Moon, and this is the end for you. Earth shall fear your tyranny no longer!"

"Stay back!" Saturn cried, slashing at 'Paladin Shoto' – Chaos, she reminded herself – with her Glaive. All around her the battle raged, Senshi versus Black Paladin in a hand-to-hand struggle for survival. She was unable to see Sailor Pluto or the other Outer Senshi, and that left them horribly outnumbered. The Inner Senshi were holding their own for now but, based on her own experience in Brussels, that wouldn't last. And there's nobody here to help me against her…

"This is futile, Hotaru." Chaos called, taunting her as it had before. "I told you I'd find you. Running from me only delays the inevitable."

Saturn spotted Sailor Moon across the courtyard, locked in combat with the leader of the Paladins. They seemed evenly matched, but the blonde Senshi was already displaying hints of desperation. Like me, she thought bitterly, locking eyes with Chaos once again.

"The Order of Black won't save you this time. I will have what's mine."

"I don't even know what you want!" Saturn retorted, anger serving to mask her fear.

"Yes, you do." Chaos' voice grew smug. "You aren't aware of her consciously, of course, but you feel her in your dreams. Drifting deep inside the depths of your subconscious without form or thought…but very much alive. A memento, perhaps, of a darker time in your life."

"Mistress 9…?"

"She may not have been an aspect herself, but she served one for a long time. I can feel it calling to me. She holds an echo, a sliver of my essence. The final piece of the whole." Her eyes flashed red as she took another step forward. "I will have her, Hotaru…even if I have to tear you apart in the process!"

"You're…incomplete." The creature's words all came together now in her mind. "That's what you meant. You didn't just obliterate us in Brussels…because you can't! You're not strong enough! You're still not!" A violent crimson blast erupted from Chaos' palm, enveloping her. Saturn fell to her knees, screaming in pain as it laughed at her plight.

"Have a care, now. I'm more than a match for you any day."

Just when all hope seemed lost, a familiar and very welcome voice called out from above. "So try us on for size instead! Space Sword Blaster!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

Sailor Saturn managed to leap to safety as the ground exploded at Chaos' feet, a blinding white cloud of energy that obscured her from view. Her silhouette darted into the sky as she screeched in pain, an ear-piercing, demonic bird call that did nothing for Saturn's fear levels. What did, however, was the sight of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune; they stood back to back atop the shrine's roof.

Uranus smirked down at Chaos as she landed hard and took a knee. "You're not quite as indestructible as you'd like us to think, are you?"

"Damn you! I will not be denied again!"

Neptune dropped to the ground beside Saturn. "You say that, but like we told you in Brussels…"

Uranus followed her lead. "You're not having her!"

Saturn joined them, for once a completely willing participant in their routine. "We are the Sailor Senshi of the Outer Solar System..."

Neptune nodded emphatically. "And on behalf of Neptune-"

"Uranus-"

"and Saturn-"

They levelled their fingers in unison. "WE WILL PUNISH YOU!"

AN: To be concluded...Denouement, Part Three should be up shortly if it's not already.