Standard disclaimers apply. Most of these characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi, and rightfully belong to her. I'm only borrowing them for a while. New characters, and this story, belong to me. Ask before you use them. :)
AN: Whee, new chapter! I think I said in an earlier note that I don't believe in villains holding back. Well, that's about to play out in this chapter, so consider yourselves warned. That said, I hope you find this installment worth your while, and comments of any kind are always welcome...now on to the story!
Hearts of Darkness
Part 5: The Snare Closes
by JG Chan
THURSDAY
"Man, I'm exhausted!" Usagi said, stifling yet another yawn. She and Naru were walking home after school. Strangely, the street was almost deserted, as if some feeling of impending disaster had kept people away. If that was the case, though, Usagi was too tired to notice.
"No kidding!" Naru replied. "You nodded off three times today. If Haruna-sensei didn't have a date tonight, you'd be in detention for sure!"
"I've just had so much to do these days..." Usagi sighed. 'Three major attacks in less than a week, not even Beryl was that bad,' she thought.
"Does this have anything to do with that guy you call 'Mamo-chan'?" Naru asked, eyes sparkling.
"What? Oh, no, it's not him," Usagi answered quickly. 'It'd be nice if it were just him,' her mind added.
Naru giggled knowingly, and was about to pursue the idea further when a scream froze the words in her throat. Further down the street, a chimera had appeared, and it was heading directly towards Usagi. This one was vaguely catlike, with a horn on its snout and tentacles instead of arms. It screeched as it neared the two girls and lowered its head to charge.
"Aww, another monster? Why me again?" Naru wailed.
"Come on, Naru-chan!" Usagi shouted, grabbing her friend and dragging her into a side alley. The ran through several turns, only to find themselves at a dead end.
'It's all my fault,' Usagi thought despairingly, slumping against a wall. 'Naru-chan's in danger because of me...' She looked at her friend who was nervously watching the corner where they came from. A high-pitched scream could be heard, getting closer and closer...
'Well, I guess I have no choice.' Standing in the middle of the alley, Usagi put her hand to her brooch.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
Naru watched, stunned, as her best friend transformed into Sailor Moon in a flurry of ribbons. "No way..." she whispered.
Sailor Moon smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, Naru-chan, I'll protect you. Now try to find someplace to hide. That thing's only after me, so you'll be safe if it doesn't see you."
Naru nodded and went behind a dumpster at the end of the alley, just as the chimera sprang into view. Sailor Moon struck her pose.
"Listen up, sleazebag! You can come after me all you want, but I will not allow you to put my friends in danger. For love and justice, I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"
The chimera had started charging midway through the speech, and Sailor Moon jumped just in time to avoid its tentacles. She landed behind it and kicked it in the back. Unfortunately, the beast was too strong even for Sailor Moon's enhanced strength. It whirled and lashed out with its tentacles. Sailor Moon ducked under the first one, but the second was aimed low and swept her off her feet. She landed on the ground, and the tentacles quickly coiled around her neck.
"Sailor Moon!" Naru screamed. Sailor Moon barely heard her. She was barely even conscious at the moment, as the chimera's grip tightened inexorably and a feral grin appeared on its face.
Suddenly, a rose struck the beast, paralyzing it for a moment. Tuxedo Kamen landed next to Sailor Moon and jabbed his cane hard at the chimera's throat, causing it to loosen its hold. He quickly picked up Sailor Moon and jumped back.
"Are you alright, Sailor Moon?" he asked worriedly.
"I'll...be alright," she replied as she got her breath back. "Thanks for saving me again, Tuxedo Kamen-sama."
He smiled. "Anytime, Sailor Moon. Now, why don't you call the others?"
"No time," she replied, seeing the chimera also recover and preparing to charge again. "I have to keep it from finding Naru-chan."
"Naru's here?" Tuxedo Kamen exclaimed.
Sailor Moon nodded, stepping forward to face the chimera. She raised her hand and whispered the words 'Moon Tiara'. Her tiara came off and started to glow in her hand, but she did not throw it. As the beast charged, intending to impale her on its horn, she dashed forward as well, ignoring Tuxedo Kamen's warning shout. At the last instant, she stepped aside, holding out her hand in the chimera's path. The shining tiara opened a large gash in the creature's side as its momentum carried it past Sailor Moon. It turned around, screeching furiously, only to see Sailor Moon already spinning her Moon Rod.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
Sailor Moon sat down, panting hard as the dust slowly settled. Tuxedo Kamen and Naru both came over to her.
"Are you alright?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.
"Yeah, just tired," she replied. "That took a lot out of me."
"You were great, Usagi-chan!" Naru told her. Tuxedo Kamen's head came up sharply in surprise.
"I'm just lucky I didn't trip on anything." Sailor Moon turned to the startled man. "Sorry, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, but I had to transform in front of her," she apologized.
Tuxedo Kamen glanced at Naru, then shook his head and de-transformed. "Don't worry about it, Usako," he said as he helped her up. "You did what you had to."
Sailor Moon nodded and de-transformed as well, and the three of them got out of the alley.
"Maybe I should walk you girls home," Mamoru suggested.
Usagi was about to agree, but Naru nudged her. "Usagi-chan, remember what your dad would do."
The blonde sweatdropped. "Oh, yeah..."
"What's the matter?" Mamoru asked.
"Tsukino-san is pretty infamous when it comes to Usagi-chan dating boys," Naru explained with a smirk. "I wouldn't wanna be you if he sees you two together, superhero or not."
"Oh..."
"Don't worry, Mamo-chan," Usagi assured him. "We'll be fine by ourselves."
He didn't look quite convinced, but he didn't try to argue. "If you say so, Usako. But promise me, if you're ever attacked again, call your friends. I don't want you risking your life alone like that."
"I will, Mamo-chan."
He leaned down and kissed her, and then headed for his own apartment. Usagi watched him walk away, her eyes sparkling. 'Someday, my love,' she promised. 'Someday we will be together, with no fighting, no Dark Kingdom, nothing to keep us apart...'
Minako looked at her watch again. It was past 4:30, and no one had showed up. In fact, this area of the park seemed to be completely deserted at the moment, and that made her uneasy. When she'd first arrived, she had found the quiet spot kind of romantic, but as the light began to fade, it started to feel more and more eerie instead.
She glanced down at the letter in her hands. It wasn't signed, and it had been the second one she had found in her locker. It wasn't even that spectacular as far as love letters went, but she had been happy all the same.
This one held more than just a letter, though. She looked at the small diamond ring that was now on her finger. It looked like a real diamond, though it was small, and the ring itself was plain. It gleamed softly in the dim light, but it didn't seem quite so exciting now.
'It...couldn't have been a prank, could it?' Minako wondered, unconsciously biting her lip. 'I mean, the ring must have cost something...who'd go to that kind of trouble just to trick someone? But...why hasn't he showed up?' She reread the letter quickly. 'No, this is the right place. Then...'
A noise shook her out of her thoughts, coming from the trees behind her. "Who's there?" she called out, tensing herself. What if it were the Dark Kingdom?
There was a snickering sound, and then to her surprise a pair of boys stepped out of hiding. They both wore the Shibakouen boys' uniforms, but she didn't recognize either of them.
"You owe me 5000 yen, Akayama," one of them said with a sneer.
"Whatever, Kazu," the other replied. "Jeez, I can't believe these girls always fall for the same thing."
"W-what? What are you talking about?"
"Still don't get it?" the one named Kazu laughed. "You just won me 5000 yen, babe. And I wasn't the one to buy the ring this time, either. Must be my lucky week."
"Heh, I guess there's no helping that we picked a dumb one this time," Akayama added, leering openly at the blonde.
"You...you tricked me?" Minako said incredulously. "You did all that...just for some sick game of yours? A game!?"
"Hey now, don't get angry," Akayama said smoothly. "I mean, yeah, it's kind of a game, but we aren't going to leave you hanging like that."
"Right, right," Kazu agreed. "Hey, why don't you just give the 5000 to her, Akayama? I'm feeling generous tonight."
Whatever else was said at that point was lost on Minako, who could only stare at the pair of boys in shock. 'How did this happen?' her mind thought numbly. 'Why...?'
A hand touched her shoulder, and with a jolt she slapped it away. Not wanting to see or hear those two any longer, she did the only thing her shell-shocked brain could think of: she ran.
Kazu and Akayama watched the fleeing blonde, their expressions slowly dulling to nothing. A shimmering light enveloped the air around them, and when it faded, a tall chimera stood in their place. It resembled a large beetle, with two sets of humanoid arms and a glowing sphere at the end of a prehensile tail. A warphole opened behind the creature, allowing Peridot to step out.
"Excellent, Photoru!" the bald general gloated. "She is sure to fall to the spell now, and when she does, the rest of the Senshi will soon follow. Selenite! You'll see yet what it means to mock me!" His delighted cackle was cut off as a warphole closed about him and his chimera, leaving the park in stark silence.
Rei sat down wearily in front of the fire, stifling a yawn. It was evening already. Her grandpa had gone to bed, and all her chores were done. Now she could finally get down to some Senshi business...'hopefully without falling asleep and setting myself on fire,' she thought wryly.
Sitting upright, she shook off her fatigue and cleared her mind, as she so often did. The flames roared in response as her spirit poured itself into their embrace. Her body completely still, Rei reached out with her mind. Even as the fire was fueled by wood, her will was fueled by the power of the flame, allowing her to reach out into the distance, searching for signs that Ami's computer might have missed.
"Rei..."
Rei tensed up in surprise. The spirit she encountered was familiar somehow, but she knew of no one who could reach her like this, while she was communing with the fire.
"Rei, can you hear me?"
The mental voice was so familiar. She was sure she had heard it recently, but couldn't quite place it. Then, it dawned on her.
"Jadeite? You're still alive?"
She could feel his spirit smiling. "I'm glad you remembered."
"But how did you find me?"
"Magic, Rei. Even with my body encased in crystal, I can still use some of my powers. We really need to talk."
"Can I trust you?"
There was a pause. "You can, and I would like you to." Jadeite's voice was subdued. "But I suppose that's your decision to make. Will you at least hear me out?"
"...Alright. What's going on with the Dark Kingdom? They were never this active before."
"There's a new commander in charge, an important general from the old wars of the Silver Millenium. His name's Adamantite. He's planning on destroying the Senshi, and his trap is already set..."
Rei tensed up again. "A trap?"
"Yes. He sent his henchman Peridot to find out your identities, and then..."
Yuuichirou hummed to himself as he headed towards the meditation room. He'd hoped that Rei would be finished by now, and that they could talk. He stopped abruptly as he turned the corner. There, standing in front of the door to the great fire, were a pair of monsters. The smaller one was a female with white skin in a lion tamer's outfit. She held a whip in one hand and wore a delicate crystal crown. The hulking beast behind her resembled an armadillo with the head of a crocodile. It stood motionless, as if awaiting orders.
"W-what the hell!?"
The female turned at the sound of his voice and raised her free hand. Her lips curled in a savage grin as a bolt of energy flew towards Yuuichirou. He jumped back out of the way, just as Rei opened her eyes.
"Minako-chan..." she whispered, still a bit shocked. Then she saw the pair at the door, and quickly pulled out her wand.
"MARS POWER, MAKE UP!"
The youma snarled and came into the room, followed by the chimera. "Well, well. Nice to finally meet you, Sailor Mars."
"What do you want?"
"General Peridot knew you were the most likely to cause trouble, so he told us to keep an eye on you. It seems he was right."
Mars glared at her. "Do you really think you can stop us? I know your plans now, and we'll deal with the Dark Kingdom once and for all!"
"Not if you die here! Attack!"
The crown on the youma's head flashed, and the eyes of the chimera lit up. It sprang over its mistress and landed in front of Sailor Mars, claws raised. Mars jumped aside, calling out her attack.
"FIRE SOUL!"
The stream of fire struck the chimera's arm and dissipated harmlessly. It let out a rumbling growl and charged her again, tearing through the tatami mats as Mars jumped out of the way.
'Maybe if I aim for the face,' she thought. As the chimera turned around, she prepaped to hurl fire again. Suddenly, she felt something wrap around her foot and pull her down. She glanced behind her and saw the youma's whip binding her right ankle.
"Now you die, Sailor brat!" the monster screamed triumphantly, even as the chimera raised its arm to strike.
CRASH!
The crystal crown shattered into a hundred pieces. The youma whirled around angrily to see Yuuichirou holding his smashed guitar, ready to strike again.
"You pathetic human!" The youma extended her hand again and shot out another energy bolt. Mars screamed as Yuuichirou was slammed into the wall, a smoking hole in the front of his clothes. The youma turned around to finish Sailor Mars, and saw the chimera approaching her menacingly.
"What are you doing? Kill her!"
The beast ignored the order and continued advancing, claws outstretched. The youma's energy bolts did no damage to the chimera, and soon the two of them were locked in a deadly wrestling match, oblivious to their original mission.
'...So you think some of the older Dark Kingdom warriors could still function without Metallia's power?' Mamoru summarized. He was in his room, once again engaged in mental conversation with his guardians whose stones lay on his desk. He had discovered this new means of communication shortly after Sailor Moon had helped him settle his memories, and had taken full advantage of it to regain what knowledge he could of the past.
"Yes, that's most likely," Kunzite replied, his stone pulsing. "There were many other servants of Metallia in the Dark Kingdom. Because they aren't turned humans like ourselves or even Beryl, their lives are not directly sustained by Metallia. They will be weakened with her death, but not destroyed."
"There's also frequent infighting between these creatures," Zoisite added, "as you might have guessed from our own actions before. That limits their numbers, but it also means that whoever's left will be the stronger ones. You need to be careful, Prince."
'That goes without saying,' Mamoru replied silently. 'Do you two remember any...'
His thought was cut short as he felt a jolt from his reawakening psychic senses, similar to his usual warning sense. 'That wasn't Usako,' he thought. 'It felt more like...Rei!' He bolted out of his chair and ran to the phone, then began digging through his pockets. Taking out a piece of paper, he dialed the first number he saw.
"Hello?"
"Ami-chan? It's me, Mamoru."
"Mamoru-san?" She sounded surprised. "What is it?"
"Rei's in danger. Call the girls and go to the shrine, quickly! Trust me!" Without waiting for an answer, he hung up and transformed into Tuxedo Kamen. Quickly snatching up his guardians' stones, he ran out onto his balcony, leapt onto a nearby roof, and disappeared into the night.
"Yuuichirou! Answer me!"
Mars knelt next to her fallen friend, desperately shaking him by the shoulders. His eyelids fluttered open.
"Rei-san?"
"I'm here, Yuuichirou. Don't worry, I'll get you to a hospital, everything will be alright..."
"I'm glad you're safe, Rei..." He coughed. "...and...I always knew...you were special."
"Shh, don't..." she pleaded, tears stinging her eyes. She caressed his face with a trembling hand, parting his unkempt hair to look into those clear blue eyes of his that she never saw, and that she feared she would never see again.
"One last thing, Rei-san," he said, his voice weak but firm. "Promise me, you'll be happy...Don't let this drag you down...promise me."
"I promise," she whispered, and then she bent her head and kissed him, letting their bodies communicate their feelings without words. When she pulled away, his eyes were closed.
"At least," he said almost inaudibly, "this time, I can die in your arms..."
"NOOO!! YUUICHIROU!"
She collapsed atop him, crying out in the familiar agony of lost love that has plagued her for two lifetimes. For those final words had unlocked her memories, at last showing her who she had been mourning when she had begun to fall for Jadeite.
At that moment, the other Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen burst into the hallway. They stared in shock at Sailor Mars sobbing over Yuuichirou's body, while the youma and the chimera were still fighting each other in the meditation room. Sailor Moon moved to kneel beside her friend, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Rei-chan," she said. "I know how much he meant to you. We'll all miss him very much." Unconsciously, her words echoed those used by Prince Endymion in the vision. Sailor Mars straightened and stood up.
"Thank you, Sailor Moon," she replied, and turned to look inside the room. The youma had finally managed to kill the chimera with several blasts to its face, and was trying to catch its breath. "She's mine," Mars declared, anger rising within her. Sailor Moon nodded wordlessly and stepped back, allowing Mars to face the youma alone.
"Well Sailor Mars, why don't we finish up what we started?" the youma said, beginning to gather energy.
"Yes, why don't we?" Sailor Mars dropped into a slight crouch, ready to fight. "You have taken away someone very precious to me, monster, and that I cannot forgive. In the name of Mars, I WILL DESTROY YOU!" She felt the power rushing through her veins, filling every inch of her body with burning heat. Beside her, the sacred fire surged in response and reached out to her with a tongue of fire. She calmly accepted it, letting the dancing flames envelop her body, adding their power to her own.
The youma yelled and flung a barrage of energy at Sailor Mars, only to have it deflected by the shield of fire. Sailor Mars regarded her enemy with steely calm until the youma broke off the attack, its energy spent. Then, she raised her arm, and the flames streamed upwards to gather in her palm.
"FIRE SOUL...BIRD!"
Her arm snapped forward. From her pointing finger emerged a brilliant creature of flame. Spreading its crimson wings, the bird flew straight towards the youma, and engulfed it in an inferno of vengeful heat. Then it disappeared, leaving only a pile of ashes on the floor.
"Sailor Mars, are you alright?" Mercury asked.
"I'll be fine," she replied. The Senshi of Flame was kneeling next to Yuuichirou, holding his head. "He gave his life to save mine. The least I can do is give him a proper burial, but I don't know how to contact his family..."
"He sacrificed himself for you?" Venus asked, an odd catch in her voice. Her eyes were still puffy and red, evidence that she had been crying earlier. Mars raised her head in alarm, remembering what Jadeite had told her. She was about to speak when Venus interrupted her.
"You treat him like dirt and he still died for you!?" Her voice was becoming hysterical, and the other Senshi all stared at her.
"Venus..." Sailor Moon started to say.
"Why!? Why did he do that for a stuck-up, stubborn bitch like you? Why does everyone have someone to love but me? WHY!?"
"That's going too far, Venus!" Jupiter reached out to grab her friend's arm. Venus jerked away and, to everyone's horror, raised her hands to attack.
"CRESCENT CUTTER!"
The crescents of her attack had turned black, and instead of formind a beam, they separated and flew forward. One blasted the wall next to the Senshi, showering them with pieces of wood. The other one hit Jupiter squarely in the face, sending her crashing into the other wall.
"Jupiter!" Sailor Moon screamed as they gathered around their unconscious friend. Sailor Venus had disappeared in the confusion.
"We have to get her to a hospital!" Mercury said.
"We have more important things to do," Mars countered grimly. The others looked at her in shock. She turned to Tuxedo Kamen. "Can you take care of her, please?"
He nodded, and she addressed the two other Senshi. "We have to catch Venus before she can hurt anyone else...or herself. I'll explain on the way." They both nodded reluctantly.
Tuxedo Kamen watched as the three girls leapt into the night after their friend. 'Be careful, Usako,' he called out silently, and somehow he knew she had heard him. 'Please, Gods, let them overcome this obstacle safely.' He stayed there for only a short moment, then headed inside to help Jupiter.
"She's at the park!" Mercury said, looking up from her computer. The three Senshi started to run.
"So what's wrong with Venus?" Sailor Moon asked Sailor Mars.
"She's under the spell of something called a Heart of Darkness." Mars told them. "It's a device the Dark Kingdom uses to twist a person's negative feelings so that they could control them. We have to find out where she keeps the thing and destroy it."
It didn't take them too long to reach the park. They landed on the outer wall, and saw Venus standing before the lake. They hurried up to her.
"Venus, snap out of it!" Sailor Moon pleaded. "You're under the Dark Kingdom's spell!"
Sailor Venus smiled, a smile devoid of warmth. Her eyes were clouded and shifty as she glanced from one Senshi to another.
"And who are you to talk, Sailor Moon?" she asked bitterly. "You're nothing but a whiny, klutzy crybaby, and yet you have an eternal love. I've been fighting longer than any of you, endured so much more! Why am I the one who's alone!?"
"Venus..." Mars said softly.
"Shut up, Pyro! You're still the worst one here. I HATE YOU! CRESCENT CUTTER!"
Because of the surrounding darkness, the Senshi had a lot of trouble seeing Venus' attack. Mars barely jumped out of the way; the other crescent landed a grazing cut on Sailor Moon's leg, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"I found it, guys!" Mercury called out. "It's a ring she's wearing under her right glove.
"Right!" Mars replied.
"SHABON SPRAY!"
Sailor Venus found herself enveloped in a thick mist. She looked around warily, her hand poised to shoot again. Suddenly, Mars jumped up from behind her and grabbed her. They struggled, and finally Venus was able to throw off her opponent. Sailor Mars landed in a crouch, clutching Venus' glove.
"Now, Sailor Moon!" she yelled.
Venus turned just in time to see Sailor Moon raise her Moon Rod through the thinning mist.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
The wave of pure energy knocked Venus back a few steps. She instinctively raised her arms to protect herself, and the attack hit the small diamond ring, shattering it. A loud shriek was heard as dark energy drifted away from the broken accessory.
"We did it!" Sailor Moon cheered.
"Wait, something's wrong," Mercury said. She was typing furiously at her computer. "The dark energy's not disappearing. It's surrounding her!"
The Senshi stared at Venus, who was looking around in confusion. Then her expression turned to panic as she looked down at herself. The others followed her gaze and saw that her feet had turned to stone!
"No, Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon cried, running towards her friend. Unfortunately, she was not fast enough. Before their very eyes, Sailor Venus became a cold, lifeless stone statue.
"NOOOOO!!" Sailor Moon wailed, tears streaming down her face.
Mars looked stunned. "How could this be?" she asked no one in particular, unable to believe what she saw. She turned abruptly when she heard laughter. Something was forming above the lake. A second later, General Peridot's thin frame appeared from the warphole. "Surprised, Sailor failures?"
"You!" Mars shouted. "What did you do to Venus?"
"I didn't do anything, my dear girl," the general taunted. "You were the ones who did this to her."
"This wasn't supposed to happen!"
"Of course not," Peridot agreed mockingly. "However, my Lord plans for every contingency, and knew you would figure out his plan eventually, so he added a little twist to this particular Heart of Darkness. I'm afraid you've lost her for good!" And he burst out in evil laughter.
"No, this can't be," Mars whispered.
"...Rei..." The voice was in her head.
'Jadeite?'
"All's not lost yet. The spell was cast prematurely. There's still a way..."
Mercury looked around her. Sailor Moon sat weeping in front of Venus, and Mars was standing there doing seemingly nothing. It wrenched at her heart to see her friends like this. 'If only I could do something,' she thought.
"Well, that was fun," Peridot was saying. "Now, it's time to finish off the three of you! Warriors, come!"
Five chimeras appeared at Peridot's command, landing with a loud thud on the path nearby. They grinned and started towards the Senshi.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury got ready to fight, but Sailor Mars just stood there, her eyes unseeing.
"Mars, what's wrong?" Sailor Moon asked.
"There's no time," Mercury said, pointing at the rapidly approaching chimeras. "We'll have to keep them away from them."
"Alright." 'Please, Mars,' Sailor Moon thought. 'Whatever you're doing, please come back to us...'
Sailor Mars found herself in a realm of memories. All around her images of Minako's life floated by, displaying joy and sadness, love and pain. Resolutely, she kept from lingering and started to walk towards the darkness thta she felt deep in Minako's heart. As she walked, the background darkened, and more often than not the images around her showed times of loss and loneliness. Tendrils of shadow held these figments in place, smothering the light. Sailor Mars did her best to ignore them, lest her own resolve waver. She needed to focus on what she must do.
Finally, she reached the core of Minako's soul, and there was Minako herself, crying within the choking blackness.
"Minako-chan..."
The blonde looked up, her eyes shiny with tears. "Rei-chan?"
Sailor Mars nodded and de-transformed. She knelt down next to Minako and put her arms around her friend's shoulders.
"Why are you here?" Minako asked dejectedly. "Why are you even bothering with someone like me?"
"Because I'm your friend," Rei replied gently. "And I care for you. We all do."
Minako kept her eyes downcast. "Even after what I said, what I did to Mako-chan?" she asked quietly.
"It wasn't your fault, Minako-chan. We all know that." Rei paused, thinking back on what had happened. "And besides, you were right, I really don't deserve Yuuichiro's love after I ignored him for so long..."
"Rei-chan, I didn't mean..."
"But love isn't like that, is it? When you love someone, you accept them for what they are. You forgive their mistakes, and help them become better people. That's what keeps all of us Sailor Senshi together, isn't it?"
"But what we have isn't true love!" Minako cried. "Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san have loved each other through ten thousand years, and all I have is a cursed love fortune! I thought I could live with that...be a soldier like I'm supposed to...but I can't!" Her tears were flowing again as she admitted her hidden feelings. "Every time I think of them," she sobbed, "all I can see is a love I don't have. I'm a failure. I'm supposed to be the Senshi of Love, but I'm the one who doesn't know anything about love..."
"Don't say that!" Rei snapped angrily. Minako looked up at her. "Don't degrade yourself like that, Minako-chan. You love us, or else you wouldn't be feeling so guilty right now. And we love you too." She took Minako's hand in hers with a tender smile. "I don't want to see you hurt like this, but hiding from it won't change a thing. We need you now, Minako-chan. Won't you come back with me? Won't you give yourself a chance?"
The two were silent as Minako seemed to consider the miko's words, her uncertain gaze fixed to the hand holding her own. Finally, she raised her eyes and smiled.
"Alright, Rei-chan. Let's go."
Standing in front of Mercury's unconscious form, Sailor Moon threw her tiara at the three remaining chimeras, forcing them back. She was beginning to run out of energy, though, and knew she couldn't keep this up for long.
In fact, she was surprised that they had lasted this long. With Mars, Jupiter, and Venus out of commission, hers had been the only attack that could finish a chimera. And with two of the Senshi immobile, Mercury's mist would be more dangerous than beneficial, leaving them with precious few options.
With daring that had surprised Sailor Moon, Mercury had leapt into the middle of the enemy group, and somehow manoeuvered one of the chimeras into impaling one of its comrades. The chagrined creature had then fallen to Sailor Moon's attack, but another one had struck Mercury with a heavy swing of its fist, sending the Senshi of Water flying. And now Sailor Moon stood alone, tired but determined to defend her friends.
Peridot looked on with an appraising eye, still somewhat irritated at Mercury's unexpected tactics. He snapped his fingers, and Photoru appeared beside him. It surveyed the scene, then flew down into the trees behind the Senshi.
Meanwhile, Sailor Moon was bracing herself as the chimeras resumed their advance. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her, and whirled around, prepared to strike. Instead, she gasped in surprise as Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen stepped up on either side of her.
"Jupiter! You're okay!"
"Of course," the brunette replied with a confident grin. "Now, let's finish this!"
Sailor Moon nodded and faced forward, bringing out her weapon. As soon as she did, however, two pairs of arms grabbed her from either side, and the Moon Rod was taken from her. Shocked, she glanced around at her two 'allies'.
"Jupiter? Tuxedo Kamen-sama? What are you doing?"
The two did not reply, as the chimeras began to move once more. Sailor Moon struggled as hard as she could, but their grip held firm. 'What's going on?' she thought, panic rising within her. 'Why are they doing this? Did another enemy get to them?' She whimpered as the lead chimera came in range. It raised a large clawed hand to strike, its fetid breath adding to the churning of her stomach. 'No...no...'
There was a thud and a startled grunt as Tuxedo Kamen landed on top of the attacking monster, driving his knee into its neck. At the same time, the arms holding Sailor Moon released their grip. Turning around, she saw a rose embedded in a blurring of the air as the two forms staggered together. They merged on contact, reverting to Photoru's beetle-like form.
"What...?"
"It's a shapeshifter," Tuxedo Kamen explained, moving to stand beside Sailor Moon with his cane held menacingly before him. "I'm sorry, Sailor Moon, I got here as soon as I could."
She shook her head. "It's okay, Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she said, relieved. Having him by her side was all the reassurance she needed. She got ready to fight again, just as a sudden gout of flame incinerated the still disoriented Photoru.
"You're late, Mars!" Sailor Moon teased, although her eyes said otherwise. Mars smiled back at her.
"Even with one more Senshi, you'll still lose!" Peridot smirked.
"How about two more, then?"
Stunned, Peridot turned just in time to see the statue of Sailor Venus explode into tiny shards, releasing the soldier of love from her prison. He could only gape as Venus gave him a cold stare.
"You. You've manipulated my feelings and made me turn against those I love. Because of you, I've put their lives in danger. And I will not stand for it." Before the astonished eyes of those present, Sailor Venus started to glow. Golden light enveloped her in a bright aura, illuminating the park with the power of a hundred spotlights. From that incandescent core, her voice was heard again, brimming with passion.
"In the name of Venus, I will protect my loved ones and punish those who hurt them!" The light dimmed, or rather, it coalesced into two shining crescents at the tip of her extended hand.
"CRESCENT BEAM...SHOWER!"
Countless rays of light streaked like meteors from Sailor Venus' finger to bombard the enemy. Under an onslaught of such power, the three remaining creatures quickly became dust, and even Peridot was pushed back as several beams hit his hastily raised shield. Shaken, he found himself alone against three Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen.
"Alright, Peridot, now you pay!" Sailor Moon yelled, raising her Moon Rod. The general paled, and retreated back into his warphole before she could attack.
Sailor Moon sighed and turned back to her friends, who were gathering around the awakening Sailor Mercury. Venus looked a bit uncomfortable.
"I...I'm really sorry, you guys," she apologized.
"Don't worry about it," Sailor Moon reassured her. "We know it wasn't your fault."
"How's Jupiter?" Venus asked.
"I took her to the hospital," Tuxedo Kamen answered. "Luckily she de-transformed before we arrived, so I gave them some excuse about an accident and came after you."
"What about Yuuichirou?" Mars asked. He gave her a strange look.
"You'll find out later, Mars. Trust me."
"We should go check on Mako-chan," Mercury said, but he shook his head.
"It's getting really late, girls, and you all have school tomorrow. She'll be fine."
"But..." Sailor Moon's objection was cut short when he asked her what would happen if her parents found out she was gone. Conceding his point, the five of them said their goodnights and headed to their respective homes, relieved that at least some of the danger was past. They missed seeing the dark figure standing under the trees, watching them leave with an undecipherable look in his eyes.
To be continued...