Chapter 13
Cracked Gates Are Opened! Hodur's Devastating Attack
Yume sat at the small kitchen table in her barren apartment, her communicator resting loosely in her hand, dangling inches above the tiled floor. She stared straight ahead at the off-white wall, thoughts whirling through her mind like a maelstrom. She had not expected to meet Lucis in this world, had never thought to meet her at all. She and her sisters were not governed by the Light, but the words of Lucis had made her pause. The worlds were in danger, both of them. Erebus was at risk, the guardian of Elysium perished. They were at war, whether they liked it or not. She knew Orcus, at least, would be excited.
She glanced over her shoulder to the small room in the back, where the sleeping mortal Tansei lay. She still did not know what to do with him. Clearly he could not be woken – he would risk everything. But he had said he knew senshi; perhaps he should be turned over to them? Yume shook her head. He might have been lying, and she would hate to burden Lucis with a mortal when the world clearly needed her. She would leave him here until she returned, but she must hurry to Erebus without delay. This Hodur character that Lucis had warned her about could strike at any moment, and even though it was impossible for him to pass the Gates, she and her sisters had to be ready. They would succeed in protecting their home where the guardian of Elysium had failed.
She raised the communicator and pushed a few buttons. Almost immediately, the face of Sailor Orcus appeared. The leader of the Erebus senshi did not look pleased, and Yume briefly wondered why. It was not easy to catch Orcus in a good mood – her job as warden of the prison where the souls of the damned resided did not make for many happy times. It rarely concerned Yume, since her own task kept her far from the prison and its inhabitants, but now she hated to put more on Orcus' already overburdened shoulders.
"Problem," Yume said, knowing Orcus hated chitchat. "I met Lucis."
Orcus raised and eyebrow inquiringly but said nothing. Yume quickly outlined what she had been told – Hodur was systematically killing senshi and gathering powers, Elysium was weakened and could not be counted on to defend the Lower World, the senshi of Erebus were required to go to war. Orcus listened patiently and nodded.
"The Gates cannot fall," Orcus reminded her sister senshi, "but we should listen to Lucis' warnings. I'll speak to the others and notify Lord Hades."
"We can't count on help from the Upper World," Yume added as an afterthought. "They're stretched too thinly already, and Lucis admitted she would be useless in Erebus."
"At least we have a warning. Thank her for that. Orcus out."
The image on the screen vanished. Yume sighed and rose to her feet. She looked around her small apartment, her eyes lingering on certain things she had used during her stay in the Upper World; a potted plant, a deck of cards, an old alarm clock. She had no idea why her thoughts dwelled on them, but she pushed them firmly aside in her mind and took a deep breath. It was time to go.
Hodur sat on his throne, tossing Sailor Uranus' Seed up and down as if it were a rubber ball. He was exceptionally careful with it, of course, and the Seed would hover gently down to his palm when he pushed it into the air. He was deep in thought, wondering how to make the next part of his plan work. He had unintentionally given his enemies a great power by showing Noctis her true power, but the girl was untrained and had forgotten much of her former glory. Perhaps she could be wooed to his side in time.
He would not admit it, but her rejection had stung him. He had always believe that he was doing what his former mistress had intended to do with the world. In the old days, he had learned much from Noctis and had always tried to please her, but he found he had disagreed with some of her teachings. He had not been the only one; Chaos was the leader of their group and had convinced Hodur that Noctis was holding back from them, purposefully neglecting to teach them certain things that would give them power. He had asked her mistress and she had denied it, as Chaos had said she would. Then Chaos had shown him what he claimed were Noctis' true intentions for the world, and Hodur had faithfully started following them in the hopes of making his mistress proud.
Hodur dismissed the reminiscing with a shake of his head. The child-Noctis now could not possibly see the entire universe as she had long ago. Her transformation into the mortal Akumu must have done more than erase her memories. Hodur was convinced that he continued to work in her favour – it was only a matter of time before she remembered it. Her Seed would still have to be collected, there was no choice in that, but he head meant what he said about reviving her once Ragnarok had begun. They would be together again – the Lady and her favourite disciple.
Vali appeared before him, materializing from the shadows and falling into a deep bow. Hodur looked at him impatiently, and the demigod straightened and smiled.
"Master, preparations are finished. I am ready to leave at your command."
The splitting of his forces was unfortunate, but necessary. Vali would have to have a strong army to break through the Gates of Erebus, and at the same time Hodur would have to distract the Upper World senshi so they would not interfere. Only the four guardians of Erebus and his former companion Hades stood in his way, which Vali could easily dispose of with the demons Hodur had given him. The dark god nodded his permission and Vali bowed once more before vanishing.
Hodur glanced at the recently repaired mirror that hung near his throne. An image of Elysium materialized on the glass, but Hodur did not wish to see the land of dreams. The worlds of the dead were not his concern at this moment, but rather the world of the living. Waving his hand, he caused the image of Elysium to be replaced by that of a city. Eight senshi left in Tokyo. He would strike at their most powerful and obtain her Seed; he would need the extra energy after Vali's campaign in the underworld. Smiling, he released Uranus' Seed back to its host and stood. He would chase the remaining senshi out of hiding and destroy them one by one.
Eitai sat in bed, reading a magazine. Her arm was bandaged and lay useless across her lap, and she found she still had a headache. The phone rang, and Eitai paused in her reading, wondering if it was Minako again, calling to apologize for the hundredth time. The blonde girl blamed herself for making Eitai go to the hot springs yesterday, and for Haruka's death at Vali's hands. Eitai heard Kami answer the phone – and was grateful it had not been Kiki who took the call – and heard Kami accepting the apology on Eitai's behalf. Eitai had to smile. She had answered the first few calls herself, overwhelmed by Minako's concern for her well being, and had assured her nothing was wrong. Minako had continue to call, not to be a bother but to find out if there was anything Eitai needed to make her recovery more swift. By the fourth call, Kiki had threatened to go to Minako's house and pull the phone from the wall, but Eitai had laughed and asked her no to. Instead the girl from Parallel Earth had turned into a devoted nursemaid, bringing Eitai anything she asked. Eitai recalled with a pang that she had done the same thing when Kiki had been injured not that long ago, when Jun had first arrived among them. She always regretted her harsh words to the priestess of Elysium, especially after seeing Elios, and she hoped wherever Jun was, that she could be forgiven.
"Minako-chan asked if you wanted a movie to watch," Kami said, poking her head into the room. "I told her you were sleeping, and she began apologizing for calling and waking you up. I think I bought us some time."
Eitai smiled. "She means well. I had just finished telling her how much I hate caves when I was trapped in one. She must feel horrible."
Kami grinned. "Kiki's gone to get more chicken broth for some soup. I think she's going to try and make it herself."
Eitai's eyes widened in surprise. "I don't think she's ever cooked a day in her life!"
"I'll stand by with a fire extinguisher, just in case."
Kami disappeared again, leaving Eitai alone with her thoughts. She could hear Kami humming to herself as she moved about the apartment, and she closed her eyes and tried to commit the sound to her memory. It would serve her well when she was once again in the Void. She wondered how Michiru was doing, and hoped the aquamarine haired girl had at least another friend in which to confide. The outer senshi had always been aloof guardians of the solar system's frontier, even during the days of the Sailor Wars. Resting back on her pillows, wincing as her arm was jostled, Eitai returned to her magazine, but her thoughts were far from the article she read.
Akumu watched as Elios stood staring out the window of his palace, completely lost in thought. The priest of Elysium was looking more and more tired as the strain of maintaining the Land of Dreams alone weighed heavily on him. Akumu wished there was something she could do, carry some of the burden with him, but she was not an initiate of the temple, and would not stay long in this realm. She rested her head against the doorframe, her eyes never leaving Elios' back. This man, the closest thing she had to an extended family, his white hair fluttering in the slight breeze and the golden horn on his forehead glowing dimly in the sunlight. She suddenly felt a fierce protectiveness towards him and this world that he and Jun loved. If it was within her power, she would save it.
Elios turned, noticing Akumu for the first time even though she had been standing motionless for several minutes. He smiled at her and held out his hand, indicating for her to join him by the window. Like a child, Akumu grinned and ran over to be with him, hugging his arm. She thought of Chibiusa then, and realized that in the future they would be related when she stole the heart of the white-haired priest. Akumu smiled to herself and Elios patted her on the hand.
"I have an important task for you," Elios said abruptly, breaking the peaceful silence, "if you will take it."
Akumu looked up at him, and he smiled warmly back at her. Reach out with one hand, he pointed to the horizon where Erebus lay. Akumu stared out and blinked, wondering what Elios wanted her to do in the bleak land of the dead.
"Hodur is coming," the priest continued. "He will attack the Gates and enter Erebus if we do not stop him. He will take the souls who wait in judgement, and perhaps those who have been judged, and use them against the senshi above."
He squeezed Akumu's hand, the smile disappearing from his face as he grew serious. "I cannot leave Elysium, but the Gate must not fall. The Erebus senshi will need your help against Hodur. You've learned to control your powers, and to accept who you are, and now the lower worlds need your help."
Akumu nodded. "I'll go to Erebus."
Elios turned and enfolded her in a hug, his cheek resting on top of her head. She held him tightly, trying to comfort him, pleased she could take this small burden from him. A moment later, he released her and gripped her by the shoulders, looking deeply into her brown eyes.
"Go as you are now," Elios instructed. "Hodur will not sense your presence. Find the Erebus senshi and tell them you're here to help. Let them know about Hodur and why the Gates must be defended."
Akumu nodded, tears filling her eyes as she realized she had to leave. She had only been with Elios a short time, but those days had become precious to her. She did not remember her childhood here, but Elysium had felt more like a home to her than anywhere she had ever been, including the ruins of Old Tokyo far in the future. She hugged him one more time and turned to leave the room without looking back. She would see him again. She was certain of that.
Sailor Hypnos passed through the Gates as if they were not there, ignoring the dead souls on the other side. Thousands of shades waited to be ferried across the river, some patiently and accepting of their deaths, while others wailed and pounded on the closed Gates, begging to escape. Many of them remained in their human shapes, some more clear than others, and the utterly hopeless souls faded until they were barely visible. Hypnos ignored them all as they tried to cling to her legs and arms, pleading with her to release them from their eternity. Their cries fell on deaf ears as Hypnos reached the first of a series of rivers, the river Styx, and stepped onto the boat ferried by a man named Charon. Charon was a demigod somehow related to Hades, who had been assigned the task of guarding the river Styx and shepherding the dead deeper into the underworld. He nodded at Hypnos as she boarded and stuck his long pole into the water to push the boat along.
"There are more than usual," Hypnos remarked.
"From Parallel Earth," Charon replied, his muscular arms keeping the boat moving at a swift pace.
Hypnos said nothing. She rarely journeyed to Parallel Earth, since it was the playground of the gods and the mortal who lived there were blessed with long lives. She wondered if the increase in souls was because of the Hodur character Lucis had warned her about.
"War is coming," Hypnos told Charon. "It will come to the Gates."
"That is not my affair," Charon replied. "Sailor Acheron protects the rivers. I am a ferryman."
"You guard the waters. Acheron cannot be everywhere."
Charon grunted and continued his work. Hypnos lapsed into silence, the dark landscape of Erebus drifting by her. The waters were dark and murky, but faces could be seen below the surface – the souls of wicked mortals who had drowned. The landscape was barren and rocky, a vast cavern stretching farther than the eye could see. The only light in the area came from the stone walls, which glowed with a life of their own. Above them was only darkness, the ceiling of the cavern perpetually hidden in shadow. It was not a pleasant place, but what should the dead care for splendour? They were in Erebus only a short time to be judged and sent to their proper place. It didn't matter how desolate the land was.
Charon's ferry bumped against the dock on the far side of the Styx, and Hypnos disembarked without a word. A few dozen souls were with her, but as they were taken to the river Lethe to forget the mortal world, Hypnos continued to the river Acheron where she knew a familiar face would be waiting to greet her.
The lilac haired Sailor Acheron stood at the edge of the river that bore her name. She watched the approaching souls, those who had recently passed through the river Lethe and lost all memories of their lives, and prepared to herd them towards the imposing castle of Hades, where one of her sister senshi waited to judge them. Looking up, she saw a familiar face among the departed souls, and she grinned broadly.
"Yume-chan!"
Sailor Hypnos smiled as she stepped off the boat that had taken her across the river Acheron. Hundreds of souls were pressed behind her, standing in a loose crowd as they waited for their instructions. They had all passed through the river Lethe and had forgotten their mortal lives, making even the most vicious murderer as docile as a lamb. Hypnos paid no attention to them as she watched a tall figure wearing a similar fuku running towards her, her lilac coloured hair streaming behind her.
"Michi-chan!" Hypnos said in a happy voice.
Omoukawa Michishirube, better know as Sailor Acheron, embraced her friend warmly as she reached the shores of her river. Hypnos returned the hug, noticing the small cottage where Acheron had run from looked as pleasant as always. Sailor Acheron held a special place in Hypnos' heart, the only Erebus senshi she could say she truly liked. Acheron was a gentle soul with a fascination for the Upper World, where the souls came from. Hypnos told her stories of her travels, but Acheron always longed to visit the world herself. It always struck Hypnos as cruel that her fate should be so wrapped in darkness, but Acheron bore it well.
"Are you here long?" Acheron asked.
"I have terrible news," Hypnos replied, sobering up after their greeting.
Sailor Acheron looked worried. "You'll have to come to the castle then. Sei and Keishu are probably already there. I had to wait for this lot before I could go."
She gestured absently to the gathered souls. A few looked up expectantly at her gesture and she turned to walk down a long dark road. Hypnos fell into step beside her, and the souls followed instinctively. The route they took was dark and dreary, but Acheron lightened the mood as usual with a steady stream of chatter. She was talking about the most recent book from the Upper World that Hypnos had brought her, and was enthralled by the description of weather.
"Water falls from the top of the cavern!" Acheron was saying animatedly. "Whole rivers just plummet to the ground and soak everything!"
"Rain," Hypnos said absently as they passed the imposing walls of the prison of Orcus.
"But how did the rivers get into the ceiling?" Acheron asked. "I know I've never seen the top of the cavern before, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any rivers up there. I control the rivers in Erebus, I think I would know!"
Hypnos smiled. She wondered if she should start explaining about clouds, when suddenly the tall castle of Hades loomed before them. The souls behind Acheron started to become restless, perhaps even fearful, and the stream of questions was cut short as Acheron exercised her control over the spirits. The massive gates to the castle swung slowly open and a red headed senshi with emerald green eyes stood at the door. She glanced from Acheron to Hypnos and spun on her heel to take her position on the throne against the back wall. To her right, leaning against a wall, was another senshi with her pink hair styled in two braided loops on the top of her head, with the rest of her hair hanging in tight braids down her back. She barely glanced up as Acheron and Hypnos entered. Hypnos remained at the back of the hall, near the doors through which they had just entered, and sat down on a high backed chair. Acheron led the souls to stand before the red headed senshi and took her place against the wall to the left of the throne.
"All ye who have seen the sun, all ye who have tasted life, let ye now resid in death. Be ye of virtue and bravery, a place among laughter shall ye have. Be ye of deception and evil, a tomb of darkness shall be thy reward. I am Sailor Dis! Prepare to be Judged!" Dis intoned.
One by one, Sailor Acheron led the souls she had collected to the throne where Sailor Dis sat. A tall set of balance scales had appeared beside her while she had intoned her speech, and on either side of the scales were two large mirrors. Hypnos watched in bored curiosity as the first soul was brought to the scales and placed on one side. The scales swung until the soul was nearly resting on the ground. Dis frowned.
"In life you were a murderer," she said to the horrified shade. "An eternity in Tartarus is what you have earned."
The mirror to the left of the scales suddenly changed its appearance, becoming a dark tunnel. From inside the tunnel came wails of anguish and torment, and the sounds of crackling fire and rustling chains. The soul had no choice but to move towards the dark mirror, drawn by an unknown force into the appalling sights. As it vanished, the next soul was brought to the scales. This time, the empty side sunk low to the ground, and Dis smiled.
"You have had a virtuous life, doing good to your fellow man," she said. "Your afterlife in the green fields of Elysium is your reward."
The mirror to the right of the scales sprang to life, revealing a meadow of sweet smelling green grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. The sky was a sunny blue with light, fluffy clouds lazily drifting by. Butterflies leapt from the flowers, and other souls could be seen walking hand in hand with smiles on their faces. The soul eagerly rushed forward to its eternity of bliss.
The rest of the judging progressed the same way, with the majority of souls going to the bright fields of Elysium and only a handful more being condemned to the halls of Tartarus. One or two were sent to stand with the pink haired senshi by the wall, and she watched them like a hawk in case they tried to escape. The hundreds of souls had diminished to two, and when the mirror to Elysium was opened for the last one, a strange thing happened. Someone stepped out of the mirror after the soul had gone through. Instantly, all four senshi were on their feet and surrounding the mirror. The pink senshi paused long enough to deal with the souls she had collected.
"Orcus Troubled Soul Seal!" she called, pointing at the group that remained.
Instantly, the souls vanished, transported to the dark prison of Orcus where the most dangerous spirits were banished for their afterlife. The figure that had come through the mirror stared at each of the senshi in surprise as they surrounded her.
"Acheron Dead Eyes!" Sailor Acheron commanded, locking her gaze with the strangers, her eyes flashing red.
The stranger shook her head and Acheron blinked in frustration. "I can't freeze her."
"It's because she's not a soul," Sailor Hypnos said. "She's still alive."
"I am alive," the girl said stubbornly. "My name is Kuusou Akumu, and I was sent by Elios to help the Erebus senshi against Hodur. Are you them?"
Sailor Dis laughed. "Elios sent you to help us against who?"
She glanced over her shoulder at her companions to see if they were sharing her amusement, but she fell silent when she saw the stern expressions on their faces. Even the always-cheerful Acheron looked worried.
"Orcus, what's going on?" Dis demanded, turning to the pink haired senshi and putting her hands on her hips.
"We need to speak with Lord Hades," Hypnos said.
"What about her?" Dis pointed rudely to Akumu.
"Bring her," Orcus ordered. "We'll let Hades deal with her."
Usagi joined Minako and Rei at Rei's shrine, intending to spend the whole day having fun and forgetting the tragedies of the previous few weeks. The battle against Hodur was quickly becoming their most difficult, emotionally as well as physically. Many of their friends had died, their souls stolen for an unknown purpose. The strange Star Seeds that Hodur seemed to be collecting puzzled Usagi the most, and she wished Ami was still around to help them figure out what the Seeds were.
"Usagi-chan!" Minako called. "Let's go to the arcade!"
"Sure!" Usagi said with a smile on her face. "I'll beat you this time, Minako-chan!"
Rei rolled her eyes. "Why the arcade?"
"Come on, Rei-chan," Usagi said. "Try it. You'll like it. They have a fortune telling game there."
"I don't need a game to see the future," Rei huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"We'll do some shopping after," Minako promised. "There's a cute hat shop that just opened down the street."
"We can try on hats!" Usagi exclaimed. "But I don't think I look very good in hats. Mamo-chan once told me.."
Her voice broke off and unshed tears watered her eyes. Minako and Rei exchanged a glance, and each girl went to either side of Usagi and they linked arms. Usagi looked at their smiling faces and forced a grin on her own, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
"We can skip the hat store, if you want," Minako said.
"But we'll go to the arcade first," Rei said. "I bet I can beat you at the new Sailor V game!"
Usagi laughed and the three friends took off down the street, chatting happily about anything that would keep their minds off their problems. A few feet behind them, a stranger followed closely.
"Sure is deserted down here today," Minako remarked about the almost empty streets.
Only a few people were out shopping, and many of the stores that lined the normally busy streets were closed. Rei looked around, instantly suspicious but unable to sense any negative energy in the area.
"Is there a festival today?" Rei asked, but she was certain if there had been a festival she would have heard about it.
"Ice cream!" Usagi exclaimed, breaking free of her friend and running towards a glowing sign of an ice cream cone.
Pressing her face against the glass of the shop, Usagi stared at all the flavours of ice cream in delight. They had strawberry, chocolate, mint, orange, and so many more that Usagi's stomach rumbled menacingly. She ran for the door and tugged on it, but it would not budge. Frowning, she tugged harder, determined to enter the store and eat her fill of the delicious ice cream. The door still wouldn't open.
"Uh, Usagi-chan?" Rei said, coming up behind her friend. "The store is closed."
Usagi looked up and saw the word 'CLOSED' in giant red letters hanging from the glass door. She frowned and released the door handle. Rei laughed as Minako ran up to join them.
"How sad," a voice said. "A girl deprived of her treats."
"Yeah!" Usagi agreed wholeheartedly. She looked around. "Who said that?"
"Behind you, Sailor Moon."
The three girls gasped and spun around. Standing directly behind them, so close they could reach out an touch him, was Hodur. He grinned at them, his dark eyes hard and his white hair fluttering in the sudden breeze. Behind him, the street was completely empty of people, leaving only the three senshi and the dark god.
"Mars Immortal Power, Make-Up!" Rei shouted.
"Mercury Immortal Power, Make-Up!" echoed Minako.
"Moon Immortal Power, Make-Up!" added Usagi.
Hodur's smiled broadened as the three girls transformed into the warriors whose Seeds he had come to steal. He began to laugh as Rei held out her hand, causing a coiled whip to appear.
"Mars Blood Fury!" she called, snapping the whip at Hodur and losing an arc of fire at him.
Hodur leapt into the air, allowing the fire to fly harmlessly beneath him, and landed a shorter distance away, the smile still on his face. He had his hands clasped behind his back, and he was still chuckling under his breath.
"Love Unfaithful Revenge!" Sailor Venus cried, summoning her bow and sending an arrow straight towards Hodur's heart.
Again, the dark god vanished as the attack sailed past him, and reappeared in a different location. The senshi were forced to step further away from the ice cream shop and into the openness of the street to continue their battle.
"Sailor Moon," Hodur said. "A long time ago I told you, you were all I needed to complete my collection. Spare your friends and come with me."
"Usagi!" Mars hissed.
The blonde senshi winked at her friend. "Don't worry, Rei-chan. I'm not going anywhere."
"That's what you think," Hodur laughed.
The sun was directly behind him, casting long shadows across the pavement. With a snap of his fingers, Sailor Moon began to sink into the ground. She gasped, realizing too late that Hodur had placed himself so his shadow stretched beneath her feet. She could feel herself being sucked into the ground, and she cried out for help.
"Usagi!" Venus and Mars exclaimed at the same time, rushing to their friend's assistance.
Hodur's laugh echoed around them as the pulled at Sailor Moon's arms to free her from the shadow. Everything they tried failed as the senshi sunk deeper into the darkness. Sailor Mars wrapped her whip around her leader's wrist for a final effort as Sailor Moon's head sunk beneath the ground, but nothing she did could save her. In seconds, Sailor Moon was gone.
"Usagi!" the remaining senshi yelled.
"She's uninjured," Hodur assured them. "She is my guarantee that you will not try to stop me. If my plans fail, she dies."
"You plan to kill her anyway," Sailor Mars snapped. "How is that a guarantee?"
Hodur shook his head. "I was not entirely honest. Sailor Moon is a fine addition to my collection, but as long as there are senshi on this world, my goal will never be reached."
"Mars Blood Fury!" another arch of fire, fueled by Mars' rage, lashed at Hodur.
This time, the attack struck him, and he staggered backwards. Venus wasted no time in adding her powers to the mix, and the orange arrow embedded itself deep in Hodur's chest. The dark god seemed surprised, but he didn't fall. He stretched out his hand and blasted the two senshi with a wave of dark energy. Screaming, the girls were thrown backwards against the ice cream shop.
"Where is your precious Lucis to save you now?" Hodur sneered, moving to stand over the senshi. "I will have both your Seeds!"
Sailor Venus stared at him defiantly and raised a gloved hand to her lips. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
Hodur was so close to the two senshi that the attack struck him full in the face, knocking him down. He staggered to his feet and stood fuming at the two senshi. Raising his hand, he prepared to finish the girls off when his expression suddenly changed. He seemed puzzled at first, then it looked as if he had suddenly developed a case of indigestion. He fell to his knees, staring at his shadow and breathing deeply. Mars and Venus watched curiously as the dark god cried out.
"Next time," he swore, staring hard at the two girls.
With a final cry, he vanished in an explosion of darkness. Venus and Mars turned away to shield their eyes at the force of the outburst. When they looked back, Hodur was gone and Sailor Moon was standing in his place, holding her fan in one hand and breathing heavily. She fell to her knees as her friends raced towards her.
"Usagi-chan! Are you all right?" Venus exclaimed.
"What happened?" Mars demanded.
"I'm fine," Sailor Moon insisted. "I was inside his shadow, surrounded by darkness, until I remember my fan. I used it to escape."
Mars and Venus helped their friend to her feet and the three of them transformed back to their normal forms. Rei had a worried look on her face as they walked back to the shrine.
"We should call the others," she suggested. "If Hodur is wandering around here, everyone needs to be on their guard."
The four senshi surrounded Akumu, whether for her own protection or to ensure she wouldn't escape, Akumu was not certain. The lilac haired girl had happily introduced each of them to Akumu, although the other three seemed less than pleased to have Akumu know their names. Sailor Orcus led the way, with Akumu directly behind her. Sailor Dis was on her left and Sailor Acheron on her right. The silent Sailor Hypnos walked behind them. They left the hall of judgment and emerged in a long hall with polished wooden floors and dark walls. Tall doors loomed at the end of the hall, leading to the outside, and two stone doors were directly in front of them. The senshi marched Akumu up to the doors and Sailor Dis pushed past her to lay a gloved hand on them. Silently, they swung open. Akumu peered over Orcus' shoulder and saw nothing. The room was completely dark, but she heard a deep growl from within. Boldly, Orcus led them inside.
"Easy, Cerberus," Sailor Dis said.
From out of the gloom emerged a huge dog with three heads. The two on the ends had their teeth bared, but the centre head had relaxed slightly at the appearance of the senshi.
"Lord Hades does not wish to be disturbed," the middle head warned.
"Neither did we," Dis muttered darkly.
"We have a mortal who came from Elysium," Orcus reported, "and Hypnos has returned with grave news. We must speak to Lord Hades."
Cerberus growled as he thought, and Akumu shrank back until she was nearly leaning on Hypnos. Normally she had no fear of dogs, but this one looked like it could swallow her whole without a second thought. Acheron smiled sympathetically at Akumu, and Hypnos took a step backwards.
"Pass," the dog agreed.
Orcus inclined her head courteously to the dog and led the way deeper into the darkness. Akumu passed the dog warily, trying to ignore the three sets of eyes that stared at her as she walked. The Erebus senshi led her into another chamber, the ground padded by a red carpet that was lined with torches burning blue flames. Forcing herself to look straight ahead, Akumu steeled her nerves for meeting the god of the dead. A massive throne waited at the end of the torch-lined path, and all four senshi fell to their knees respectfully. Akumu remained standing to look at Lord Hades. He resembled a normal man, with black hair and dead eyes. An aura of blackness shone around him that reminded Akumu of Hodur, and of herself.
"Welcome," Hades said in a kind voice, a slight smile playing on his lips. "What brings my four warriors together?"
"I received a warning, my lord," Hypnos spoke up. "A dark god is threatening to break the Gates that separate our world from the living, and seize the souls of the damned."
Akumu noticed Orcus' body tense and her eyes widen, but she made no sound. Hades nodded thoughtfully and turned his dead eyes to look at Akumu.
"And what brings you here?"
"Elios sent me," Akumu insisted. "I'm a senshi, and he asked that I help you defend the Gates. Elysium is weak right now, and he can't protect this world alone!"
All four senshi gasped and stared at the strange girl. Orcus' eyes narrowed and Dis raised an eyebrow curiously, but Acheron smiled pleasantly like usual and Hypnos betrayed no emotion. Hades stared at the girl, and Akumu thought she saw an expression of surprise pass over his face.
"A senshi?" he repeated.
"Sailor Nyx," Akumu told him. "I have powers over the mind, and darkness."
"A wise choice for an ally. Welcome, warrior." Hades turned his gaze to Sailor Orcus. "Orcus, you will protect the gates. If Hodur is coming, he cannot be allowed to released the damned back into the mortal world. It is up to you and your warriors to stop him. Do not fail me."
"Never, my lord," Orcus said, bowing her head.
The senshi rose to their feet, bowed once more, and turned to leave. Sailor Dis caught Akumu firmly by the arm and dragged her along with them. Glancing over her shoulder, Akumu thought he saw Hades incline his head towards her, as if the lord of the dead were bowing.
The four senshi walked purposefully out of Lord Hades' chambers and back into the hall with the polished wood floor. They walked straight to the front doors before Orcus seemed to remember something. She stopped and turned back to Akumu.
"You're a senshi?" she demanded.
"Yeah," Akumu said almost embarrassed. "Actually, I'm –"
"We don't need your help."
Akumu blinked in surprise. "Pardon?"
"Go back to the Upper World. The Gates are unbreakable. We can handle it."
"But Hodur.."
"This Hodur that's giving you Upper World senshi so much trouble will be no match for us down here. We can protect our world without you. Go home."
Akumu pulled her henshin pen from her pocket and held it tightly in her hand. Tears were forming in her brown eyes and she stared boldly at Orcus and the other Erebus senshi. Acheron was frowning sadly, but the others only watched. Although smaller than Orcus, Akumu drew herself up to her full height.
"Elios sent me to you to help you, and I will," she said angrily. "I've fought Hodur before, and you'll need my help to defeat him! I know you will!"
Orcus lunged at the girl, and Akumu gasped in surprise. The pink haired senshi moved so quickly the before Akumu knew what was going on, she was on the floor by Orcus' feet, her bottom hurting from the fall, and Sailor Orcus stood over her with her henshin pen in her hand.
"Give that back!" Akumu exclaimed.
"You stay here," Orcus ordered, tucking Akumu's pen away. "You'll be safe."
Turning, she led her senshi team out the door. Acheron glanced back at the blue haired girl, who sat on the ground with tears streaming down her cheeks, but did nothing to help her. The tall doors creaked closed behind them, and Akumu cried, knowing she had failed to help Elios after all.
She pictured Elios' tired face in her mind, his warm smile and the look of hope he had in his mind when he asked her to go to Erebus for him. She knew she could help against Hodur, now that she had trained with Elios. Akumu rose to her feet, determination filling her every pore. Even if she couldn't transform in Sailor Nyx, there was no way she'd let the Gates of Erebus fall. She promised Elios!
She moved to the door and swung it open, staring out across the bleak landscape of the land of the dead. She gasped in spite of herself. She had imagined Erebus to be more like Elysium, with fields of grass and tall shady trees. Instead she saw a rocky and desolate landscape spread out before her. There was no sky, only darkness above, and the faint light that did illuminate the land seemed to come from the rocks themselves. Ahead of her loomed a tall prison, and further still were lights from what appeared to be a small house. The house was on the bank of a wide river, and beyond that was only shadow. Akumu took a deep breath and walked out of the castle, following the path that lead to the river. She could not see the four Erebus senshi anywhere, and she hoped they had taken the warning about Hodur seriously.
Walking quickly, she soon reached the shore of the river, where a small boat bobbed in the water. A lantern was hanging on it, bathing it in a pool of inviting light. Akumu glanced at the cottage she had passed and wondered if she should ask to borrow the boat. The cottage wad dark, however, and Akumu realized it must be the house of one of the senshi. Hesitating only another second, she climbed into the boat. There were no oars, and the vessel didn't move once she sat in it. She looked around, helplessly.
"Please," Akumu asked the boat. "I need to go to the Gates of Erebus to help protect them from Hodur."
As if it had heard her plea, the boat began to set sail, going magically against the current of the river. Akumu sat back on the hard wooden seat and thought about what she would do next. She couldn't get her pen back from Sailor Orcus, and she doubted any of the senshi would be pleased to see her – except maybe Sailor Acheron. She needed a plan. Unfortunately, before she could think one, the boat bumped against the shore and Akumu found herself staring at the most massive gate she had ever seen.
It disappeared into the darkness of the cavern ceiling, and stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction. Stepping carefully off the boat, Akumu found she could not take her eyes off of it. This was the gate she had promise Elios she would guard? It looked like it could withstand any kind of assault. Maybe Sailor Orcus was right; maybe the Gates were unbreakable. Akumu walked towards them, almost in a daze. As she drew closer, she could see that there were faces in the Gates wearing expressions of fear and resignation. She reached out to touch one, but snapped her hand back at the last moment when she saw the face's eyes glow red. Movement behind her warned her to hide, and she ducked behind a large rock as the Erebus senshi approached.
Orcus was still in the lead, and she walked right up to the Gates and held out her gloved hand, like Dis had done to enter Hades' chamber. A small human-size door swung open before her, and Orcus walked through with the other senshi. As the door began to swing closed, Akumu dashed towards it and slide through. She scrambled to her feet and dived behind another rock as Hypnos turned around to see what the sudden noise had been. She saw a cloud of dust, and a smile played across her lips, but she said nothing.
"Looks like we weren't fooled after all," Orcus remarked.
Ahead of them marched an army of demons and other shadowy figures. At their head, riding a black horse, Akumu recognized the demi-god Vali. She gasped and hid again as Vali's army approached slowly to besiege the Gates. The Erebus senshi stood ready meet them, and Akumu wondered what four senshi could possibly do against the hundred of demons that faced them.
"Positions!" Orcus barked.
The four senshi formed a line in front of the Gates, spacing themselves far apart. They all stared straight ahead at the coming tide, their faces full of determination. Akumu scarcely dared to breath as the first wave of dark monsters washed over the four senshi. They were momentarily lost from view, when suddenly a tidal wave of dark water surged over the top of the Gates and barrelled down on the unsuspecting attackers. Akumu gripped the rock tightly, trying not to look at the eerie white faces that appeared within the water. To her surprise, the water didn't touch her, and she raised her head to observe the battle.
Vali kept his distance, directing the onslaught of creatures at the four senshi who guarded the Gates. The Erebus senshi were holding their ground, using their powers to destroy the monsters as quickly as they approached, but Akumu knew they could not continue for long. She had to help, like Elios had asked her to. Taking a deep breath, she dashed out from behind her hiding spot and ran towards Vali. If she could sever the head of this army, the body would quickly die.
"Akumu-kun!" she heard Sailor Acheron exclaim in astonishment.
She ignored the lilac haired senshi and kept her target firmly fixed in her mind. Elios had warned her not to reveal her true nature until the last possible moment, since Hodur could sense it, but Akumu doubted that her former disciple was even in the Lower World. Vali seemed fully in charge of this operation. She dodged the clumsy attacks that were directed her way, using the speed and agility she had not used since her days as a thief. Finally, she skidded to a halt in front of Vali and stared at him, her voice full of anger.
"Vali!" she called in a loud voice. "Face me!"
Sailor Moon walked carefully down the deserted streets, with Sailor Venus and Sailor NeoSun near by. The city had fallen into darkness, the people vanished without a trace, and NeoSun was wary that Hodur had not yet left for Asgard. She had come quickly to the Shrine when Usagi had contacted her, although Eitai and Kiki remained in their small apartment. Once again, it seemed that Usagi was the dark god's target.
The senshi had split up, Sailor Mars and Sailor Neptune investigating the city's harbour while Venus and NeoSun kept a close eye on Sailor Moon. NeoSun hated the thought of using Usagi as bait, but they needed Hodur to reveal himself so they could force him back to Parallel Earth once more. She spread her wings and flew into the darkening sky, feeling her powers weaken as the sun continued to be blocked from view. The city lights helped, but without sunlight NeoSun knew she would not be up to her full strength.
A cry below made her dive back to Earth, her brown eyes looking around for any signs of trouble. She found Sailor Venus facing a huge salivating wolf, with a frightened Sailor Moon standing behind her. NeoSun recognized the wolf as one of Hodur's creations and flew down to join her friends. As she did, she caught sight of three more wolves, circling them from the shadows. She landed next to Sailor Venus and nodded in the direction of the other creatures. Venus nodded back, indicating she understood. She held open her hand, and her bow appeared with an arrow already on the string.
"Love Unfaithful Revenge!" she called, firing a shot at the largest wolf.
The arrow struck it in the shoulder, and it squealed in protest, but did not back down. Growling more deeply, it bared its fangs and took a few steps towards the senshi. NeoSun glanced at the other three wolves and took a step closer to Sailor Moon. Suddenly, all four wolves launched themselves at the girls at once. Sailor Moon cried out in alarm, and NeoSun raised her hand to shield her friends.
"Blinding Glory!" she summoned.
Two of the wolves were incinerated in midair as the power of the Light tore through them.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Sailor Venus added, whipping her chain at the remaining two wolves.
They were knocked aside temporarily and paused to regroup. Sailor NeoSun took a deep, steadying breath and found herself face to face with Sailor Moon. The blonde girl appeared very worried as she stared into her friend's eyes.
"Kami-chan," Sailor Moon began.
NeoSun forced a smile on her face. "I'm fine, Usagi-chan."
"Watch out!" Venus yelped as the wolves gathered for another pass.
Sailor NeoSun turned and found the smaller of the two wolves running towards Sailor Moon. She reached out and pushed the other girl aside, ignoring Sailor Moon's gasp as the wolf's fangs sunk into her arm. NeoSun bit back her cry of pain and landed had on the ground several feet from the senshi she was supposed to be protecting. The wolf was right on top of her, threatening to chew off her arm if she hesitated longer.
"Love Unfaithful Revenge!"
A glowing orange arrow pierced the wolf through the throat, and it fell over dead. NeoSun rose shakily to her feet, blood flowing down her left arm and she smiled in thanks at Sailor Venus. Her expression quickly turned to horror, however, as she saw the largest wolf leap from the shadows for a final assault. Its target was no longer Sailor Moon, however, but the senshi who had destroyed most of its pack. It landed on Sailor Venus and went straight for her throat.
"Blinding – " NeoSun began, only to find spots swimming before her eyes.
She sank to her knees, too weak to do anything to help her friend. The darkness overpowered her, sapping her of any remaining strength. Her eyes were riveted on the wolf and its viciously fighting prey.
"Neo Queen Justice Eyes!" Sailor Moon called, holding up her fan.
Instead of the healing dust the fan normally created, this time it blew a magnificent wind across the deserted streets. The wolf snapped its jaws once more on Sailor Venus before it was blown back and into a dark portal that suddenly appeared behind it. As it flew, NeoSun caught a glimpse of something twinkling in its mouth.
She pulled herself to her feet as Sailor Moon collapsed beside Venus, shaking the girl by her shoulders in an effort to wake her up. NeoSun fell next to Sailor Moon and regarded the still form of Sailor Venus sadly. There was no blood on her, in spite of the wolf's attack, but it was clear she was dead. The twinkling NeoSun had seen had been Venus' Star Seed.
"I applaud your effort," Hodur said as he appeared before them. "You withstood my wolves admirably."
Sailor NeoSun stared hard at her nemesis, but could not move. She kept her right hand clenched around her left shoulder in an effort to stop the bleeding, but she knew she had lost too much blood to fight Hodur now. Sailor Moon glanced up at him with a tear stained face and stood.
"You will not take Minako-chan, like you took the others," Sailor Moon said.
Hodur shook his head. "I have her Seed already. If you keep her body, she'll die."
Sailor Moon hesitated. "She's not dead?"
"How little you foolish senshi understand."
He held out his hands and Venus' body rose into the air and flew gracefully to lie in his arms. Sailor Moon reached out as if to catch her friend before she vanished, but Hodur was already stepping through the portal to Parallel Earth.
"Usagi-chan," Sailor NeoSun said softly. "I'm sorry."
Sailor Moon smiled sadly and waved her fan soothingly over NeoSun's injured arm. The wound began to disappear, and NeoSun felt some of her strength returning. The tears running freely down her face, Sailor Moon stared at the place where Venus had lain before turning and walking slowly away.
"Vali! Face me!"
Sailor Orcus looked up briefly as those words echoed across the battlefield. The human Akumu was standing before the apparent leader of the army and demanding he fight her. Orcus dispatched another monster and sighed, wondering if she should bother to save the girl from her own reckless stupidity. Part of her mind reminded her that if she hadn't stolen the girl's pen, she would be able to defend herself, but Orcus pushed that thought firmly from her mind. All that mattered now was defending the Gates and keeping Erebus safe. If the girl Akumu wanted to die, she was certainly in the right place.
A cry not far from her made her turn swiftly. She saw Sailor Acheron being overwhelmed by black monsters, her eyes wide with fear as they swarmed her. Orcus moved quickly, abandoning her position to save her friend.
"Orcus Oath Breaker!" she called, pointing at the closest demon.
A stream of black energy shot from her finger and struck the creature, turning it to dust. Acheron was able to right herself and knocked all the other demons aside using her skills as a martial artist. She smiled gratefully to Orcus, but her smile broke off as she caught sight of something behind them. Orcus turned as well and found the waves of black monsters had receded and one large man stood in their place. Orcus and Acheron quickly joined Dis and Hypnos in front of the Gates.
"What's that thing?" Dis asked, her voice full of distaste as she looked the large man up and down.
He was certainly not attractive. His head was much too small for his large body, and his thick arms hung so that his knuckles touched the ground. His legs were as thick as tree trunks and as short as stumps, his body square and muscular. He stared at the four senshi with a grin on his face that betrayed his complete lack of intelligence.
"That can't be Hodur!" Orcus exclaimed.
"Doubtful," Hypnos agreed. "Must be one of his minions, like the one the girl is fighting."
"Gate!" the large man said, advancing on the still closed Gates.
Orcus leapt in front of him, pointing one gloved finger at his chest. "Orcus Oath Breaker!"
The power did nothing, not even singe his clothes. The man advanced as if nothing had happened, forcing Orcus to move aside or be trample. Sailor Dis rolled her eyes and sighed. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes.
"Thanatos Embrace!" Dis called.
A shadowy form separated itself from Dis as she opened her arms in the large man's direction. As it moved, the shadow took on the appearance of a hooded man with a scythe, and it swung the weapon at the man. The blade passed through him and nothing happened. Dis frowned. Her attack normally separate the soul from the body, essentially killing her enemy.
"Tickles!" the big man laughed.
He reached down and swept Dis up in his meaty hand, squeezing her hard. Dis cried out once as all the air was forcibly expelled from her body, and lost consciousness. The man continued to carry her as he marched towards the Gates.
"Dis!" Orcus exclaimed, jumping up the man's other arm to rescue her friend.
The man glanced at her with irritation and swatted her aside as if she were a spider crawling on his clothes instead of a person. Orcus flew through the air, hit the Gates, and fell unmoving to the ground. Acheron's face grew determined as she placed herself before the unstoppable man.
"Rivers of Power!" Acheron summoned, holding both hands above her head and focusing her eyes on the man. "Phlegethon!"
As she invoked the name of one of the rivers of the dead, a roar sounded and a river of fire circled the man. He paused only for a moment before stepping through the flames, holding the still form of Dis high enough that she would not burn. As his foot came down, it landed on Acheron. Hypnos gasped as the foot lifted and her friend lay broken and silent.
Having reached the Gates at last, the man tossed Dis aside, where she collided with Hypnos and sent both girls sprawling. Raising his hands, he pounded on the Gates until slowly the began to crack.
Vali accepted Akumu's challenge and a ring was cleared in the middle of his army for the two of them to fight. Akumu waited, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as Vali stepped gracefully into the impromptu ring. He smiled at her, revealing his pointed teeth and bowed mockingly.
"My Lady," he said. "Shall I wait for you to transform?"
Akumu did not move. She raised her head and met his gaze unblinking. As she did so, her mortal form melted away and she stood as Noctis in a silver gown that shone in the dim light of Erebus. Vali seemed suitably impressed, and held out his hand. A black sword appeared, and he saluted Noctis once before attacking.
Noctis easily dodged the attack, forming a sphere of energy between her palms and firing it at Vali. He moved quickly, and the sphere struck some of his demons behind him. As their death screams faded, he attacked again, swinging his sword expertly at his former mistress. Noctis created a shield about herself and deflected all the blows.
"Your master should have told you," she said calmly. "You cannot use my powers to defeat me."
They continued to fight, each avoiding the blows the other tried to inflict. Around them, the demons cheered and did their best to cheat in Vali's favour. The fought to a standstill, but Vali was still smiling.
"I do not mean to defeat you, my Lady," Vali said almost sweetly. "I mean only to distract you long enough for my brother to break through the Gates."
Noctis' eyes widened in alarm and two large black angel wings sprouted from her back. She launched herself into the air, leaving the grinning Vali and his band of monsters below her. She realized quickly she was too late. The Erebus senshi lay scattered like dolls and the Gates were opened. Whoever Vali's brother was, he was nowhere to be seen. Noctis hovered in front of the Gates, tears in her eyes as she shook her head. She had failed Elios in the one small task he had asked her to do.
Already she could see streams of souls pouring from Erebus, no doubt from the prison of Orcus. Cold determination gripped her and she flew down to meet the fleeing spirits. She held out her hands and spread her wings.
"Back!" she commanded. "You shall not leave this place. Back to your torments and cages. Back!"
The flow of spirits faltered. Noctis redoubled her resolve and the angry souls cried out as they were forced through the Gates and banished once more to the darkness. Behind her, Noctis heard Vali's army leaving the Gates, apparently confident that their task had been achieved. Feeling a new power building within her, Noctis pushed the last of the troubled souls back to Erebus and stood before the now quiet Gates. Rising into the air again, she cross her arms over her chest and bowed her head. Slowly, the large Gates closed and the cracks sealed themselves. Noctis settled gently on the ground and found herself once again surrounded by the Erebus senshi.
Orcus stared at her as if she had suddenly grown another head. Acheron sat on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth but her eyes wide in amazement. Hypnos joined them, supporting Dis as they walked. One by one, the Erebus senshi fell to their knees before Noctis.
"Stop that," Noctis said, too tired to deal with the strange senshi again.
"Forgive us, my Lady," Orcus asked. "We did not realize."
"What?"
"Who you are," Acheron replied, coughing. "We should have sensed it, should have known, my Lady."
"Mistress of our Master," Dis added, her voice slightly hoarse. "It was your wish that we be stationed here, in Erebus. You made us what we are."
"My Lady Noctis," Hypnos said. "Welcome home."
If people are reading this, please review or email me! I will only continue if I know people are interested!