Chapter Four
Lost in the Dark! The Senshi Fight Alone
Njord sat alone in a dark chamber, tending to his wounds. The room had no windows or doors, but only a small cot which ran the entire length of the room, and a small space to stand. Njord sat on the cot and winced in pain as he bandaged the last of the many cuts given to him by Sailor Loki in her wolf form. He snarled in anger, frustrated that the senshi had defeated him without the help of Lucis. What would Hodur do to him when he reported this failure?
A soft giggle sounded from the shadows that surrounded Njord. The spiky haired god looked around in annoyance.
"Go away," he said.
"What's the matter?" a female voice said cruelly. "Did you have a bad night?"
"I said, go away!" Njord screamed.
"Very well," the voice said, "but you should be warned that Master Hodur is not pleased with your recent failures. Try harder next time, for your own good."
Njord bit his lower lip in thought. He had never thought about what would become of him if Master Hodur should be displeased. With a final tug on his bandage, Njord rose and walked through a portal leading out of the room.
********
Akumu walked out of the bedroom she shared with her sister. Her face was more pale than usual and her expression was sad. She moved silently to the family room where Eitai and Kiki were seated and fell onto the couch, exhausted. Eitai looked at her over the top of the book she was reading and Kiki stopped practicing her martial arts to stare at the young woman.
"How is she?" Eitai asked, breaking the silence.
Akumu sighed and shook her head. The dart that had poisoned her sister the night before had taken its toll, and no one knew if Kami would be able to pull through. As the incarnation of Light, any darkness within her would certainly destroy her.
"I will keep trying," Akumu said in a tired voice. "The darkness I absorb will help her, but I don't know if it will be enough."
"Can't you just suck it all out?" Kiki asked in a bored voice. "I mean, you are Darkness, aren't you?"
"Kiki," Eitai reprimanded. "Leave her be."
Akumu managed a weak smile. "She's right, Eitai, but I am the Darkness of Night, the kind that is pure and natural. Hodur is the darkness of evil, warped and manipulated."
"Same thing," Kiki said. "Dark is dark. Light is light."
"Not true," Akumu protested. "If what you said was true, I would be evil."
"Kiki," Eitai said sharply. "Don't bother Akumu right now. She has other things on her mind."
"She has other things on her mind," Kiki imitated in a nasal voice. "Fine. I'm going out for a while."
Eitai and Akumu watched as the flighty blond girl stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Akumu rose and went to the window, looking out on Tokyo. High in the sky, the sun was shining, although not as brightly as it had before.
"It's already beginning, isn't it?" Akumu whispered. "Ragnarok, I mean."
Eitai put down her book and moved to join the younger woman. They both stared out the window and Eitai draped her arm over Akumu's shoulders comfortingly.
"It may be coming," Eitai said, "but it can still be stopped. I have not yet heard the Horn."
Akumu glanced up at her in confusion, but the elder woman did not offer any more information. Akumu sighed.
"Without Lucis, how will we win?" Akumu asked.
"We still have Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal," Eitai said. "We will survive. I cannot allow the universe to be destroyed."
"Neither can I," Akumu said. "The future is too bright."
********
Usagi walked down the street, humming to herself. She swung a pink bag back and forth in time to her movement, her hand clenching it tightly. She and Chibiusa had spent all night making it — a get well present for Kami. Although she knew that it would do little good for the sick girl, at least she would know her friends were thinking of her.
"Hi."
Usagi spun around in surprise to see Haruka standing behind her. Usagi blinked and took a closer look at the icy blue eyes of the girl and realized that it was not Haruka, but Kiki. The mischievous blond girl looked down at the pink bag curiously.
"What's that?" she asked.
"A present for Kami," Usagi replied.
Kiki made a face. "What for? She can't enjoy it. She's too sick."
"Exactly," Usagi said. "If she sees my present, maybe she'll get the strength to be well so she can enjoy it."
Kiki shrugged. "Whatever you say. Are you going to drop it off now?"
Usagi nodded. "I told Eitai over the phone that I was on my way."
"Well, have fun," Kiki said, and she began to walk away.
Usagi watched the girl go, puzzled at her questions. With a shrug, she resumed her walk until she saw a familiar person in front of her.
"Tansei-san!" Usagi cried, waving as he turned around.
"Usagi-san," Tansei greeted with a smile. "How are you today?"
The man with the reddish-brown hair and sparkling green eyes waited patiently as Usagi ran to catch up. He was carrying a book in his hands and a bouquet of flowers.
"Are you going to visit Kami-chan?" Usagi asked, eyeing the flowers.
Tansei blushed. "Yes. I brought her a book she might like to hear. I thought I would read it to her."
Usagi's eyes filled with tears. "That's so sweet, what you will do for love! Mamo-chan never read to me when I was sick!"
Tansei laughed. "I'm sure your Mamo-chan shows you he loves you in other ways."
Usagi brightened. "He does, Tansei-san. He loves me very much."
The two of them resumed their walk to the apartment. From the shadows of the park, someone watched them with malice filled eyes.
Later that afternoon, Usagi was walking down the street on her way home from the grocery store, carrying two heavy bags of food. She was grumbling under her breath at being forced to do such a task for her mother when she bumped into someone. As one of the bags began to fall to the ground, the person reached out and grabbed it before it could spill. Usagi stumbled backwards, frantically trying to keep a hold of her bag.
"I'm sorry," Usagi apologized as she regained her balance. "I should have been more careful."
"Hi."
Usagi peered around her brown paper bag and saw Kiki standing in front of her, holding the other shopping bag in one arm. Usagi blinked and smiled.
"Hi, Kiki," she said.
"Need some help?" the blond girl asked with a smile.
Usagi nodded and the two girls continued to walk down the street, Kiki a step behind Usagi. Usagi watched Kiki out of the corner of her eye, curious as to the mischievous girl's behaviour.
"What did you do all day?" Usagi asked, trying to start a conversation.
Kiki shrugged. "Not much. Do you want to go to the park?"
"I have to bring the groceries home," Usagi replied. "We can go later, okay?"
Kiki sighed. "Why bring the groceries home? You'll only have to go out and buy more."
"My mother asked me to get these for her," Usagi replied. "She needs them to make me delicious food."
"Don't you have servants to make you food?" Kiki asked.
Usagi turned to face the other girl. Kiki's face was filled with genuine confusion which made Usagi frown.
"Of course not," Usagi replied.
"But aren't you the leader?" Kiki pressed. "In our hall, we had servants to feed us and keep our hall clean."
"It's different here," Usagi said. "We all take care of ourselves."
Kiki began looking around impatiently, so Usagi began to walk again. The other girl fell into step behind her, her attention focusing for the first time on the blond pigtailed girl in front of her.
********
Njord watched the two girls walk by, cursing his bad luck. He had hoped to find Sailor Moon alone and grab her for Hodur before any of the senshi would be the wiser. With the pesky Sailor Loki around, Njord found his plans becoming more complex.
He heard some giggling in the shadows behind him and he sighed. Turning slightly, he saw his adversary bathed in shadows so only her eyes were showing.
"That was your plan?" she laughed. "Jump out of the bushes and grab her? How cunning."
"Leave me alone," Njord snapped. "This doesn't concern you."
"Maybe it should," the shadow woman said. "I could be very useful to you, Njord. You need my talents to get these girls, admit it."
"Go away," Njord cried. He pointed a finger at the shadows and sent a burst of wind in her direction. It ruffled the leaves around her but did no damage.
The eyes narrowed dangerously. "Have it your way, Njord."
The woman disappeared and Njord went back to planning his next move.
********
Kami lay lost in a world of dreams. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she struggled to fight the dark poison that coursed through her veins. She whimpered softly in her sleep, squeezing her eyes tight in pain and tossing her head back and forth beneath the covers.
Tansei sat next to her, one hand holding hers while the other turned the pages of the book he read aloud. His grip tightened on her hand reassuringly as she underwent another of her tossing spells and his green eyes filled with worry. When Kami settled down again, Tansei returned to the story.
Akumu sat in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. She was listening to Tansei's story as the words slid from the bedroom and down the hall. She had extracted more of Hodur's poison before Tansei had arrived, but it was taking her longer than it had before for her body to process the darkness. It was almost as if Hodur was growing stronger. Hating herself for even thinking it, Akumu set down her mug and walked out of the apartment onto the balcony.
In the bedroom, Kami slowly opened her eyes. Blinking, she stared up at Tansei who had noticed her stirring and lowered his book. He wiped her sweaty hair off her forehead and smiled at her.
"Welcome back," he said.
"Tansei," Kami whispered. "I had the strangest dream that I was a princess under a spell and when I woke up, my prince was staring at me."
Kami blushed as she realized what she said, and Tansei smiled shyly. He held up the book he had been reading aloud so that Kami could see the title — Sleeping Beauty.
"It's always been one of my favourites," Tansei admitted.
"Mine, too," Kami replied, "especially now that I know it can come true."
Tansei smiled at her, his face reddening and returned to his story. His hand, however, remained on Kami's and she held it tightly as if afraid to let it go.
********
"Damn," Njord cursed. "Isn't that senshi ever going to leave?"
The wind god had been following Usagi and Kiki around all morning, waiting for an opportunity to catch Sailor Moon off guard. No matter where she went, however, the powerful senshi from Parallel Earth was always a step behind.
"Problems?" the woman asked, appearing behind Njord.
"Nothing I can't handle," Njord snapped.
The woman pouted and moved closer to the wind god. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he flinched under the iciness of her touch.
"Poor Njord," the woman said in a sad voice. "Once the favourite, now a nothing. How fast the mighty have fallen."
Njord ignored her, peering out of the shadows at Usagi and Kiki. The two girls were sitting on a bench at the side of the road, each eating an ice cream cone and chatting.
The shadow woman slid closer to Njord until her lips were right beside his ear. "I can help, you know."
Njord turned his head to listen, his eyes not leaving the senshi. "Why?"
"I like you," the woman replied. "Without me, Hodur will have you killed. I can put you back in his good graces."
Njord turned to face her. "I'm listening."
The woman smiled cruelly. "Good."
********
Usagi and Kiki walked down the street together after having enjoyed an ice cream cone. Usagi was getting used to having the strange girl around and was even enjoying her company, although her incessant questions were starting to grate on her nerves.
As the girls rounded a corner, Usagi bumped into a man dressed in a business suit. He glared at her angrily as she apologized.
"Clumsy child," he sneered. "Watch where you're going!"
"Hey!" Kiki protested. "That's no way to speak to S-"
"Sorry, sir," Usagi interrupted, elbowing Kiki to silence her.
The man grunted and crossed the street. Kiki glared at him as he walked away and turned to Usagi.
"Such disrespect!" she exclaimed angrily. "In Asgard, no one would dare snub a senshi!"
"Shhh!" Usagi hushed. "Our identities are secret here, remember?"
"Secret," Kiki repeated the word with distaste. "All you do for these people and you don't get anything for it. Why bother?"
"Because it keeps the world safe," Usagi replied, hurrying Kiki along. "I know these people appreciate what we do without them thanking us."
"But you're nearly gods!" Kiki said loudly. "The people should revere you!"
Usagi grabbed Kiki by the arm and pulled her into Crown's Café before any one on the street could hear them. They headed to a booth and Usagi stared hard at the strange girl.
"Kiki, you must be quiet," Usagi said. "Remember that this is not your world. Please, for all our sakes!"
Kiki crossed her arms across her chest and pouted.
"Not a very good look for you," a kind voice said behind them.
Kiki's troubled expression deepened and Usagi turned around with a smile on her face. Michiru stood behind them, holding her violin case in one hand.
"Michiru-san!" Usagi exclaimed. She looked around. "Where's Haruka?"
Michiru shrugged elegantly. "Out racing. I told her she could have a day off from my recitals."
Usagi moved over in her seat so Michiru could join them. The aquamarine haired woman sat next to Usagi and glanced at the girl across the table. So similar to Haruka, yet completely different, Kiki was a puzzle Michiru wanted to figure out.
"You look just like Aegir," Kiki remarked to Michiru.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "So Aegir is my double on your world?"
Kiki nodded. "You don't act like her, though. Aegir was always tough and gritty. You're too girly."
Michiru frowned at the blond Haruka-double and turned her attention back to Usagi.
"What are you two doing here?" Michiru asked. "It's a little early for a milk shake."
Usagi shrugged. "I'm supposed to meet everyone here later, but I thought I would show the place to Kiki first. Besides, it keeps us off the street."
Kiki scowled at the comment, her eyes shooting daggers at Michiru. The aquamarine haired girl ignored the look, her full attention on Usagi.
"If you don't have plans with the girls, I have two extra tickets to a piano concert this evening," Michiru said. "Would you and Mamoru like to come?"
Usagi bit her lip. "Mamo-chan is busy with school today. Chibiusa and I promised not to bother him."
"Besides, Odin is spending the day with me," Kiki interrupted. "The whole day."
Odin? Michiru thought. She smiled. "Another time, maybe. What do you two have planned?"
Kiki looked like she was about to speak when Unazuki came over with drinks. The red head smiled at Usagi as she served them, then held her tray against her chest. Her green eyes were sparkling with gossip and she slid into the seat next to Kiki.
"Usagi-chan, you'll never guess what just opened up across town," Unazuki said excitedly.
"What?" Usagi asked, leaning forward in eager anticipation.
"An ice cream factory! And they're having tours tonight only with a free all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet at the end!"
Usagi's eyes lit up. "Wow, a free buffet! Kiki, do you want to go?"
"We just had ice cream," Kiki complained. "You had white and I had brown. Remember?"
"But this is a whole factory!" Usagi pleaded. "With free ice cream at the end of the tour! Come on, please?"
Kiki rolled her eyes and sighed. "It doesn't sound like much fun, but okay. If you want to go that badly."
Usagi smiled and clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! Let's go! We should be back with plenty of time to spare before we have to meet the others."
The two girls bounded from their seats and left the café, Kiki much less enthusiastically than Usagi. Unazuki and Michiru watched them go. As the waitress cleaned their cups off the table, Michiru stared at the door and frowned. Rising to her feet, she exited the café in hot pursuit of the princess and unreliable senshi.
********
As Tansei read, Kami drifted in and out of consciousness. She would moan in her sleep and Tansei would pause in his narration to wipe her forehead with a cool cloth. When Kami was awake, she would stare up at Tansei with pain-filled brown eyes and listen quietly to him read.
Suddenly, Kami sat up straight in bed, gasping for breath and clutching at her chest. Tansei leapt off his chair, the book falling forgotten to the floor.
"Akumu-chan!" Tansei called. "Eitai-san! Come quick!"
Tansei sat next to Kami and rubbed her back as she doubled over, her already pale face growing whiter. Akumu and Eitai burst into the room and stared at them in shock. Akumu went straight to her sister.
"Hodur," Kami managed to gasp. "He's in the city. Stronger than before."
"Where?" Eitai demanded, gripping Pluto's staff.
Kami shook her head. "Nearby. I can feel him inside me."
"The poison," Akumu whispered. "Is Hodur using it to drain Kami of her powers? Is that his plan?"
Kami managed to straighten and stared into her sister's eyes. "Go. You have to stop him before he gets stronger."
"But," Akumu protested.
"I'll stay with her," Tansei said. "Please, go."
Akumu nodded, her eyes lined with tears. Without another word, she and Eitai left the room to save the world.
********
Usagi pulled Kiki along by the hand, the hesitant girl already bored of whatever game she thought they were playing. With a huge grin on her face, Usagi stopped outside the new ice cream factory, taking in the building.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Usagi asked.
Kiki looked at the building quizzically. It was a large factory with two huge, grinning ice cream cones on either side of the door. The door itself was made of pink glass with handles made to resemble ice cream scoops. Women dressed in costumes stood outside the door, handing samples to anyone who happened to pass. The building itself was a pale blue colour with a violet domed roof.
"It looks pretty tacky to me," Kiki replied truthfully.
Usagi turned to stare at the girl in disbelief. Kiki shrugged.
"Well, anyway," Usagi said, "let go. We want to catch the tour before it starts, don't we?"
"I guess," Kiki said reluctantly as Usagi pulled her toward the door.
One of the sample women smiled brightly and opened the pink glass doors. Usagi thanked her as she and Kiki went inside. As the door closed behind them, Michiru appeared from around the corner, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Looks like trouble," she said to her wrist communicator.
"Stay with her," Haruka replied. "Let me know if things pick up."
Michiru flipped her communicator closed and entered the building behind Usagi and Kiki, keeping well out of sight.
"Three senshi?" Njord said in amazement.
"Of course," the woman bathed in shadows replied. "What did you expect? I play only to win as much as possible."
"Master Hodur will be so pleased, he may make me second in command!" Njord said with a grin.
The shadowed woman smiled. "Second in command doesn't sound too shabby at all."
********
"Welcome to the Ice Cream Palace, the happiest factory on Earth," the smiling tour guide said to the assembled crowd. "Please don't wander from the tour and there will be plenty of free samples at the end. Any questions, please wait for the end of the tour."
Usagi squealed with delight and jumped up and down as the pink haired tour guide started to walk. Kiki sighed in boredom and followed Usagi, her eyes wandering around the building. She had no idea why Odin's double seemed to hang on the pink haired woman's every word, and wished that they had decided to do something else. As the tour progressed, Kiki became increasingly restless.
"Isn't this fun?" Usagi asked as they passed the large bin where the strawberry ice cream was mixed.
"Thrilling," Kiki said, suppressing a yawn. "When will it be over?"
"Please keep your questions to the end of the tour," the tour guide said, overhearing Kiki speak.
Kiki rolled her eyes and followed Usagi and the rest of the group. As she gazed to her right at the giant mixing bins, she caught a glimpse of a man with spiky white hair and blue eyes. He was standing off to one side and staring straight at her.
"Usagi," Kiki whispered.
The blond haired girl ignored her. Kiki glanced away from the man for a moment to see what had her friend so entranced. Usagi was staring at a clear funnel filled with sprinkles, pointing and laughing. With a sigh, Kiki left the group to see what the enemy was doing in the ice cream factory.
"Kiki?" Usagi asked, sensing her friend was missing.
Usagi turned and caught a glimpse of Kiki disappearing back the way they had come. Blinking with curiousity, Usagi slipped away from the tour to follow her friend through the factory.
********
"Where is she?" Rei demanded angrily.
The senshi were sitting at Crown's café, enjoying drinks and waiting for Usagi to show up. She had promised to meet them after she had run errands for her mother, but had yet to arrive.
"She probably forgot," Chibiusa said with a frown. "She does that a lot."
"Did she come home before you left?" Minako asked.
Chibiusa shook her head. "I didn't see her, but Ikuko-mama got her groceries, so she must have come back at some point."
"She dropped off the groceries and left again?" Ami said. "That doesn't sound like her at all."
"I guess we should just keep waiting," Rei said, sipping her tea. "And when she does show up, we'll tell her exactly how we feel about being forgotten."
The other senshi sighed into their drinks. As Chibiusa sipped hers, she suddenly felt someone standing beside her.
"Hello, pretty girls," Haruka said with a smile. "Mind if I join you?"
Minako's eyes lit up as Haruka slid into the booth next to Chibiusa. Haruka wore a blue man's suit with a white blouse underneath. She leaned back and crossed her legs, smiling at the other senshi.
"Haruka-san," Rei said. "What brings you here?"
Haruka shrugged. "Can't I sit with a group of pretty girls without them wondering why?"
Ami frowned and Minako blushed. Haruka let them sit in silence for a moment longer before she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.
"I received a strange message from Michiru a few minutes ago," Haruka said softly. "She followed Usagi and Kiki from here to a strange factory and suspects that it could be trouble. I thought I would check with you to see if you have sensed anything."
Ami took out her pocket computer and began tapping some buttons. Haruka leaned back again and smiled down at Chibiusa.
"So Usagi was here earlier," Chibiusa said. "We thought she just forgot."
Haruka laughed. "Usagi could never forget her friends."
Ami looked up from her computer, her face a mask of worry. The others looked over to her in anticipation.
"I'm picking up a huge quantity of negative energy somewhere near the edge of the city," Ami replied. "I can't get any definite readings until we're closer."
Haruka reached into her pocket and drew out her car keys. Tossing them into the air, she caught them again easily with one hand.
"What are we waiting for?" she said. "Let's go check it out."
Chibiusa leapt to her feet, eager to fight. She began to run to the door when a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Where are you going?" Rei asked.
"To fight," Chibiusa said.
"Someone should stay here in case Usagi shows up," Minako told her.
Chibiusa frowned as the others headed to the door. Ami waved at her as they left, and Chibiusa sat back down at the table to finish off her drink.
********
"Kiki?" Usagi called. "Kiki, where are you?"
Usagi had started to follow the other girl to the best of her ability, but had quickly lost her in the maze of ice cream bins. It was almost as if the bins were moving and multiplying on their own to keep her lost. Usagi would move down a corridor only to turn and find the way she had just come was blocked. She had no choice but to keep moving forward.
"Kiki!" Usagi called again.
"Princess," a voice said near her.
Nearly jumping with fright, Usagi looked behind her to see her path once again blocked by bins. The voice cleared her throat and she looked up to see Sailor Loki standing on the bins above her. The senshi of mischief smiled and jumped down to join Usagi on the ground.
"What's going on?" Usagi asked.
"A trap," Loki replied. "Maybe you should transform while you have the chance."
Usagi nodded and held out her broach. "Moon Crystal Power, Make-Up!"
As Sailor Moon materialized, a faint applauding was heard. From behind a bin stepped Hodur's minion, Njord. He was applauding them sarcastically with a faint smile on his lips. Sailor Loki stepped protectively in front of Sailor Moon and snarled at him.
"A wise move, sailor senshi," Njord remarked. "Had you delayed, I would have caught you in your mortal forms which would have angered my master a great deal."
"What do you want?" Sailor Moon demanded. "I won't allow you to take anymore of my friends."
"Very well," Njord said. "I will spare your friends and take you."
"Never!" Sailor Loki snapped. "Power of the Beast!"
Loki held her hand over her head and a ball of white power appeared. She began to run toward Njord and her form became that of an immense white wolf. Snarling in anger, the wolf threw herself at Njord.
"Arctic Blast!" Njord said, holding his hand toward the charging wolf.
The wolf was tossed aside as a snow storm picked up and blasted its way through the small corridor where they fought. Loki hit an ice cream bin and disappeared from view.
"And so, Sailor Moon," Njord said. "We are alone at last. My master extends an invitation for you to join him. Please accept."
"Deep Submerge!"
Njord was caught off guard and stumbled aside as the powerful water attack slammed into him. He was knocked into a bin and came shakily to his feet to find Sailor Neptune standing between himself and Sailor Moon.
"The third senshi appeared at last," Njord said with an angry smile. "What makes you think Hodur will be less pleased with you?"
"Neptune," Sailor Moon gasped.
"Be brave," Neptune whispered. "The others are on their way."
Njord took a step towards them when Loki in wolf form came shooting out from behind the bins. Fangs bared, she knocked him to the ground and pinned him, her jaws snapping inches away from his face. In a flash of light, she had transformed herself back to her senshi form and was smiling at Njord as she sat on his chest.
"You tricked me once before," Loki said. "This time, I will save her!"
Njord blinked as Sailor Loki took his hand in hers and gripped it tightly.
"Power Steal!" she exclaimed.
Njord cried out as his powers were drained and brought into Loki's control. The immortal senshi cried out as the new power exploded within her and stood over Njord's weakened body.
"The strength! The power! No wonder we found it difficult to defeat you!" Loki said.
Neptune put her arm protectively in front of Sailor Moon as Loki unleashed Njord's power back at him. The spiky haired man cried out in pain as Loki struck him again and again. The smile on Loki's face grew broader with each blow until Sailor Moon could stand it no longer. Pushing her way past Neptune, she stopped in front of Loki.
"Please, Loki," Sailor Moon begged. "Release him."
"Release him? After all he has done to you?" Loki asked. "Why should I?"
"Eternity Sweep!"
Purple scythes escaped from between the bins and separated Loki from the injured and weakened Njord. From between the bins stepped Sailor Aion and Sailor Nyx, ready to fight. Loki stared at Aion in shock and Njord didn't move.
"What did you do that for?" Loki demanded.
"He has had enough," Aion replied. "Sailor Moon asks for mercy."
Loki grumbled something and back away. Sailor Moon moved to kneel next to Njord, and the weakened god of wind turned his head to look at her.
"Finish me," he replied. "If you do not, Hodur will."
Sailor Moon shook her head. "I will not kill. Is there nowhere else you can go? The place you were before Hodur found you?"
Njord's eyes glowed as he reminisced about a happier life. "There was a place where I would go; Valhalla, the realm of the gods. Since the death of the old gods, it is all but empty, yet it is still a beautiful place of dreams."
Sailor Moon nodded. "Then go there. Escape Hodur and the darkness. Be free."
Njord smiled and closed his eyes. "Thank you, Sailor Moon."
A form appeared, standing beside the injured Njord. Sailor Moon looked up and gasped in fright. The face she was looking at was a cruel reflection of her own. The woman had short icy blue hair, and lifeless gray eyes above a wicked smile. She wore a long dress of midnight blue and stood with her hands on her hips. Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet and backed up to stand near Sailor Neptune.
"Suisei," Njord gasped, opening his eyes to meet hers. "You can do no more harm to me."
The woman laughed. "You think I want to harm you? Naïve Njord, you have been a pawn in my game all this time. Why would I try to harm you when you suited my purpose much more as an ally?"
Njord's pain filled eyes widened. "You would betray me to Hodur? Why?"
Suisei shrugged. "It's what I do. No hard feelings."
She waved her hands over Njord's body, and the god of wind vanished with a terrified scream. With an evil smile, she looked down where he had been.
"Poor Njord," she remarked. "It doesn't look like you'll be visiting Valhalla anytime soon."
"Who are you?" Sailor Moon demanded. "Why would you take away his last chance at happiness."
The woman straightened and stared at Sailor Moon. "I am Suisei, the goddess of betrayal. You will do well to remember my name, Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon said nothing and the senshi around her prepared themselves for an attack. Suisei laughed at them.
"Silly senshi," she said. "You're hardly worth my effort. But Hodur needs you and I wish to please him, so I guess I should return with at least one of you."
She pointed at Sailor Loki and the blonde girl gasped in pain. Curling her hand palm upwards like a claw, Suisei pushed the girl backwards until a black portal began to appear behind her. Loki struggled against the force, but found she could not fight it.
"Forgive me, Odin," Loki said. "I have failed you again."
"Not so fast," Sailor Moon said. "Rainbow Moon Heart Ache!"
The attack struck Suisei, causing her to lose her concentration and drop Loki to the ground. The portal closed and as Sailor Moon's attack died down, Suisei stared at the girl.
"That hurt!" she said. "You're going to pay for that."
Suisei clapped her hands together and pointed to Sailor Moon's feet. Ice quickly formed, trapping her in once place. She struggled to free herself, but found she could not.
"And now, Sailor Moon," Suisei said, stepping closer. "We shall see why Hodur wants you so badly."
********
Haruka's yellow sports car slowed to a halt outside a bright, cheerful building. On either side of its pink doors were smiling, happy ice cream cones, and smiling serving girls were distributing samples to bright eyed children as they walked past. Minako and Chibiusa's eyes lit up with delight as they saw the factory, but Ami was already pushing buttons on her computer while Haruka and Rei stared at the building with mistrusting eyes.
"I feel an evil presence here," Rei said softly.
Haruka grunted in agreement. Ami finished typing and looked up at the smiling ice cream cones.
"This is the centre of the disturbing energy," she reported. "I would guess that Usagi, Kiki, and Michiru are already inside."
"They may need our help," Minako said. "We should follow them."
As the girls got out of the car, they were suddenly pushed aside by a powerful force. Ami drew out her computer again and began to rescan the building.
"It's a force field of negative energy," Ami said in shock. "We can't get in!"
********
Neptune stepped in front of her princess, mirror at the ready. Her talisman glowed as it reflected the evil inside the small, blue haired woman.
"Ooh, what a pretty mirror," Suisei cooed. " May I see it?"
Suisei pointed to the talisman, grinning wickedly. Neptune gasped in horror as her mirror began to slip from her grasp. She tightened her hold, but it suddenly came free and flew neatly into the evil woman's hands. At this, Aion started forward and Suisei moved to throw her into a wall but hesitated, twirling the Aqua Mirror around in her hand.
" Ah, Miss Eternity, awake so soon?" Suisei asked conversationally. "Here, I'll give you another chance to rest up."
She waved her hand in front of the mirror, and the surface changed, darkening to reveal a shapeless prison. Realizing what she was planning for Aion, Neptune threw her attack at the goddess.
"Deep Submerge!"
The huge tidal wave succeeded in only wetting the woman and making her very angry. Sailor Aion took this opportunity to turn to her younger companion.
"Free the princess," Aion told Nyx.
The blue haired senshi nodded and ran to stand in front of Sailor Moon.
"Damn it! My hair! My beautiful hair! You'll suffer for that," Suisei turned her cold silver stare over towards Neptune.
Sailor Loki had been watching the struggle from where Suisei had dropped her, and now tried to move to free the still immobile Sailor Moon. As she crawled across the floor Suisei caught her movement and waved her arm, throwing her into the air and pinning both her and Aion to an ice cream bin. Concentrating once more, she held up the Elegant Soldier's mirror and blasted her with a sick parody of her own attack.
"Glacial Suffocation!"
Out of the mirror, a planet shaped ball of ice rocketed toward Neptune. Without time to dodge, she was hit by the full force of it. She crumpled to the ground and lay still.
"Sailor Neptune!" Moon yelled, tears blurring her vision.
She rubbed her eyes with her only hand free from the ice climbing up her body. Giving up hope, she had begun to cry again when she noticed Sailor Nyx sneaking up from behind the woman who was laughing hysterically.
"Ah, the Mighty Sailor Moon, now you shall fall and my master shall achieve his purpose."
Sailor Moon only bowed her head in response, hiding her smile as Nyx drew closer and closer up from behind her.
********
As Haruka, Rei, Minako, rushed the doors, the pink haired women stopped them. Ami stood by the car, trying to dismantle the force field with her computer. With an annoyed grunt, Haruka moved to push past them when one of the still smiling women pushed her with such force that she flew back to her car.
"Haruka-san!" the girls yelled as they ran to help her up.
"Those are not normal people," Haruka swore.
"There's a structural weakness around the back of the building," Ami reported, looking up from her computer. "I suggest we try to get it there."
The others nodded and they all got back into the car. As soon as they were out of sight of the women, the blonde racer turned the car into a dark alley.
" Okay everyone, transform!"
" Mars Star Power..."
" Venus Star Power..."
" Mercury Star Power..."
" Uranus Planet Power..."
" Make-up!" the girls shouted as one.
Running out of the alley, they noticed a door leading into the garish factory that had been carelessly left ajar.
"This your structural weakness?" Sailor Uranus asked with a half smile.
The senshi passed through the doors. Sailor Venus stopped half way through and shook her head sadly.
"Hodur sure is getting sloppy," she remarked as they made their way inside.
Nyx jumped on the back of the goddess, grabbing her in a chokehold. As the two struggled together, Aion used the diversion to break free from the invisible bonds that held Loki and her to the bin.
Running to see if Neptune was all right, she motioned for Loki to help Sailor Moon. Neptune had sat up and was rubbing her arms to warm herself up. Her teeth were chattering and her lips seemed to be a strange tint of blue.
"Are you all right?" Aion asked, keeping one eye on the unpredictable senshi of mischief.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Neptune said as she struggled to stand.
"Then hurry and help Loki get Sailor Moon out of the ice," Aion ordered. "I'll keep Suisei off your backs."
Just then Nyx came soaring past the two senshi and struck an ice cream bin with a sickening thud. She slid to the ground, blinking rapidly and rubbing her head. Suisei turned to the others, Neptune's mirror in her hand.
Aion ran at her, the orb on Pluto's staff glowing with energy, but she never got the chance to attack. Suisei turned towards her and held up the mirror.
"Icy Entrapment!" she yelled, and an icy vortex appeared, sucking her into the prison of the mirror.
"Aion, no!" Loki yelled as she ran at the evil girl, rage in her eyes.
Sailor Nyx leapt to her feet and headed straight for the enraged senshi. Suisei turned to face them, her eyes glowing eagerly as she held up the mirror once more.
"Neptune, get Sailor Moon out of here!" Nyx yelled as she ran past.
Not waiting to be asked twice, Neptune grabbed the half-thawed Sailor Moon and leapt over the bins and into the factory.
Suisei screamed in rage.
"Icy Entrapment!" she yelled again, aiming the mirror at Loki.
Nyx pushed Loki out of the way as Suisei's attack struck, and was sucked into the talisman.
Loki sat stunned for a second unable to believe what she had just seen. Caressing the mirror like a child, the goddess turned.
"And now for you, Loki."
Loki turned her anger toward the woman and punched her quickly in the stomach. Without pausing, Loki back flipped over the bin and disappeared into the factory. Gasping for air, Suisei dropped the mirror and disappeared.
********
Making their way through the factory, in what they believed to be the general direction of the fight, the four Sailor Senshi wove their way over and through the maze of bins. Hopping over a bin, Sailor Venus landed in an open area surrounded by the ice cream bins. The others soon joined her and they searched the area for signs of a battle. Off to one side was a huge puddle of water and near to it was a large hollow piece of ice.
" Michiru..." Haruka began as she spotted her partner's talisman lying on the floor.
" Why would that be here?" Mars asked, "and where is Neptune?"
Mercury had out her computer and was typing in some figures, "The computer can detect no negative energy here. It also can't locate Sailor Moon or Sailor Neptune."
"I don't feel anything either," Mars admitted, "Except something strange coming from the mirror."
As Haruka picked it up and looked into its depths, two people were seen inside the empty blackness.
"Aion and Nyx!" she said sharply startling the other senshi.
"What?" Venus said coming over from the corner she was investigating.
"Aion and Nyx are trapped in the mirror!" Uranus reported, holding up the talisman for all to see.
The four girls looked into it and saw the two senshi standing in a place of shapeless space, their powers occasionally lighting the darkness as they struggled to escape.
"Neptune must have somehow left it here when they escaped, they probably had to get out really fast," Venus commented.
"Yeah, she couldn't go back for the mirror because she had to protect Sailor Moon," Mercury continued.
Suddenly, the scene became blurry and the brightly colored ice cream factory was turned back into the abandoned warehouse it had been before.
"Come on," Uranus sighed, " Let's go."
Feeling their way through the dark, the girls made their way out of the empty building and into the sunlight.
********
Sailor Loki sat on the rooftops, staring out into the starry night. Hours had passed since the attack and Loki had yet to return to the apartment. She had failed again. Not only Odin, but also Aion who had believed in her and Nyx who had trusted her.
"I'm no senshi," Loki grumbled to herself. "I can't even protect my friends. No wonder the others threw me out."
As she stared up at the full moon, she wondered where Neptune had gone with Sailor Odin — no, she correct herself, Sailor Moon. Odin was long gone, her one true friend betrayed by her blood sister.
Somehow, she would set things right. Somehow she would get Odin back. Somehow, she would keep Ragnarok from destroying this world.
This episode was written jointly by Azura and Hollie. The character of Suisei is Hollie's creation. We both hope you enjoyed this episode.