Pre-Notes: Ok, let it be known that I'm not that good at depicting fighting scenes. I've known this for a while and have done my best to adapt to it. On top of that, I've been having a difficult time trying to figure out how to make out the fight scene in this chapter, as I don't have much experience depicting a battle between weird monsters and chicks in short school-girl fuku's and such. As a result, this chapter will be a bit shorter than my previous ones, and I apologize in advance for that. However, I'm trying my best with this. I have a general feel as to how I want this story to go now, so I'll try to stick to that as much as I can. With that in mind, on to the story. Cheers everyone!

"Xxx" is talking.

'Xxx' is thinking.

Xxx is writing and/or dream sequences.

Xxx is typed text.

"Xxx" is mental/psychic communication.

Chapter 5: The Immovable Object

I lowered myself into a crouch and waited for whatever was out there to show itself. Just my luck to pick the forest with the youma in it to spend the night. I cursed myself as I heard a twig snap to my left and spun in that direction before hearing an eerie laugh. Just as I raised my knife in defense I heard another twig snap behind me. That thing couldn't have moved that fast, no way in hell! That's when I hear the second laugh. There's two of them out there!

"We finally found you little girl…" echoed one voice overhead. I looked up in time to see a shadow flash over me and into the treetops.

"We've been looking for you for a long time now girl…" echoed the second voice from behind. I spun around and came face-to-face with one of the most hideous creatures I'd ever seen.

It was humanoid in nature. Scaly brown skin, long white fur for hair, green glowing eyes, and about twice as tall as I was. Skinny, but scary looking with its sharp claws and fangs. The face though, it looked familiar…

"You're…" I started, struggling to grasp in my head exactly what I was seeing. "You're the cops from earlier…"

"Yessssss…" hissed the first voice, this time landing behind me. I turned around to see a clone of the brown skinned beast, the only difference is it's skin color was grey rather than brown. "We've been looking for you for a very long time now little girl."

"Very long time now indeed," purred the second monster.

"What do you want from me?" I said, trying to sound innocent. "I'm just a common street punk, I've got nothing you two want!"

"Oh but you do my pet," said the first monster.

"Energy…" said the second.

"We need energy…" replied the first.

"YOUR Energy…" exclaimed the second.

"You have HER energy…"

"The same smell, the same feel, the same mouth watering allure…"

"The energy of the Royals…"

"WE WILL HAVE IT!" they exclaimed all at once before they lunged. I screamed and ducked as they dove over me. I took their overexertion as my queue to start running. I didn't get further than a few steps though, when the grey skinned monster cut me off. A moment later, the brown skinned one was behind me. I looked back and forth as they started to circle around me, a look of glee on their monstrous faces, their faces salivating at whatever horrendous thoughts where going through their head. I felt my heart pounding within my chest, my breathing becoming labored. This whole thing was starting to scare me. It's too close to what happened seven years ago. Too close to what lead me to my darkest moment.

"Well, well, well boys! Look what we have here!"

"Can we keep her boss?"

"Looks like we get to have ourselves a little fun before we're finished with you, little lady…"

"Hehehehehe, nowhere to run little girl. Maybe we should have some fun with you before we finish feasting on your flesh and energy!" exclaimed the brown skinned monster. My eyes snap to him and I snarl. No way in hell I'm gonna let another pair of bastards break me again.

"You have the power to stop them…"

I knew that thought didn't belong to me. Chibiusa had found me and was floating towards me. "I can help you unlock it, with it you'll be able to make these creatures pay dearly for their slight towards us."

"What do I do?" I thought. "How do I unlock it?"

"You must reach within yourself and tap into the well that is within. Then, cry out 'Terra Planet Power, Make-up' to unleash the fury of this planet upon them."

They where lunging for me again. I leaped and rolled to the side to avoid them and snapped back, doing as her voice told me. I could feel the raw power within me stir as I touched it, and with a piercing cry I throw my hand in the air and shout out the phrase that would change my life as I knew it forevermore.

"TERRA PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Time seemed to slow down for an instant. The light blinds me and I close my eyes feel myself start to spin. I felt my clothes disappear, and for a brief moment I felt as if I were naked to the world. Then I felt the leotard appear, followed by the gloves, skirt, boots and ribbons. Finally, as I feel the tiara form on my head, I stop spinning and the light show ends. I open my eyes and look down. The skirt I now donned was gold with silver trim, as where the elbow-long gloves and calf-length boots. I then looked up to my opponents who looked at me with glee.

"She's transformed…"

"Her energy is radiant…"

"IT MUST BE OURS!" they cried as they lunged once more, claws poised to cleave me in half. This time, however, I was ready. I felt a power coursing through me unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I rushed to meet them head on and leapt when they did. I twisted around the attempted claw of number 2's and smashed my right elbow into his face as I twisted my body in mid-strike and lashed out with a vicious roundhouse to number 1's mid-section. They landed in a heap on the forest floor and struggled to get up. I prepared myself for my next attack.

They got up and rushed at me again. I leapt towards them and lashed out with a viscious roundhouse kick that sent one of them flying a good distance. I heard more than saw it crash into a tree and slump back down. I crouched just in time for it's friend to sail over me. I rush at it with the intent of unleashing hell on it's head before I feel movement to my left. I quickly dive to the side as it's partner makes it's presence known in the fight once more.

Now I find myself on the defensive. Dodging attacks to the best of my abilities, blocking the swipes I couldn't avoid, and weaving in a devastating attack when I could find any kind of opening. Finally, I leapt back a ways and assessed the situation again. I was hurt. I was covered in scratches and I'm pretty sure I was gonna bruise all over in the morning. The monsters didn't look nearly as bad, but what little damage I did manage to do was devastating. I saw the first monster reach for it's left shoulder and pushed down on it until it popped loudly back into place. The second one merely puffed it's chest out, a loud crack snapping the eerie silence that had settled upon the land.

"Reach within yourself and call forth the power of the planet. You are it's avatar now, it will respond to your will…"

I felt myself reach within to the connection I now felt to the very earth beneath me. I felt it's power well up inside me and direct itself into my left hand. I gazed at my opponents as they turned to face me, a golden light manifesting itself into my cupped hand. "You've hurt me and mine for the very last time…" I whispered as I cock back my arm.

"TERRA CRUSHER!" I cry out as I launch my attack at them. The golden light expanded into a globe and rushed into the earth as it headed towards the youma. The first one leapt out of the way in time, but the second one got caught in the attack. It screeched an unearthly cry as it disintegrated under the fury of the planet attack. Just as the attack was about to continue on, it exploded in a flash of brilliant light for a brief moment before all the energy that was expended in the area got sucked up in some kind of vacuum effect before disipitating completely. I smirked as the attack ran it's course, when I suddenly felt the weight of extreme fatigue bear upon me. I slumped down afterward, the attack draining me of most of my energy.

"Hahahahaha… you're weak now… vulnerable… you're mine!" cried the remaining youma as it advanced on her. My vision was blurring, and I knew I hadn't much time left before it reached me.

"The planet Terra is immovable… a veritable fortress, capable of withstanding forces that would destroy any other planet… use this strength… use it to protect the innocent…"

I reach down deep, trying to scrape up the energy to attack again, but finding it empty. I grit my teeth, determined not to give into the want to drift off and sleep. I found my body moving on its own accord, standing up, my determination giving me new strength, fortifying my body with the will of the planet. I knew then that I had become the proverbial 'Immovable Object'. I knew that I had the power to defeat this monster as well. It stopped advancing towards me as it saw me standing up.

"Die…" I whisper as I summoned the golden energy of the planet into my hand once more. "Terra Crusher!" I cried as I tossed the attack at it. The monster dodged to the side but the attack clipped it's left leg. It let out a terrific screech as it skidded to a halt. It grabbed it's stump of a leg, it's eyes closed tight as it tried to shut out the pain.

I was upon him in a split second. I reached within and called forth the power of my planed a third time. "It's over!", I exclaimed as I brought forth the Terra Crusher to bear upon him once more.

This time, the attack struck true, the creature perishing in a similar fashion to its counterpart. I felt my face split in a grin that threatened to tear my face in two before I slumped down, knowing that the battle was finally over. My clothing shimmers and dispersed in a flash of white, leaving me in my original street clothing. I'd never felt so drained in my life than I did at that moment. I tried to get up but found myself slumping forward. As I hit the ground I saw a luminescent glow near me.

"Sleep now, Rini. I will watch over you for now… you have earned your rest today…"

So exhausted… even though I wanted to fight it and stay awake, I knew, then and there, that my body would not allow me to continue. I obey the voice and embrace the allure of sleep as I finally give in to the exhaustion that has taken me.

0-0-0-0

The first thing I felt as I woke up was a soreness throughout my body that would have made me groan in pain if I didn't feel so groggy. The floor beneath me was earthy, and the smell of running water and fresh earth was all around me, which meant I was outside. I opened my eyes and slowly took in my surroundings. I had somehow made it back to the Princess's clearing. I sat up only to slump back down. My head was pounding and I was dizzy. I shut my eyes tight as I tried to make the world stop spinning.

"Welcome back, Rini…" I heard. I look to my left to see Chibiusa sitting on the floor at the base of a large tree.

"What happened to me?" I groaned out as I covered my forehead with my hand, trying to put some pressure on it to alleviate some of the pain I was feeling.

"You accessed too much power for your incomplete body to handle," replied the princess.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"A Sailor Senshi is bound to her planet, Rini. Their very soul is connected to their planetary body, and through this connection, they are able to access the full power of their planet. Your soul, however, is fractured. So long as I exist outside of your body, your soul cannot be complete, and so you will only be able to access a fraction of your true potential."

As I processed what she told me I noticed that the spinning had stopped and my head was not pounding as hard. I tried slumping back up again and managed to pull myself into a sitting position upon the forest floor. I felt slightly dizzy at first, but managed to force myself to stay up this time. It seemed like I didn't have a choice in this matter. I knew that, while those monsters where gone, there would be plenty more. I'd need the newfound power within me to protect myself, as well as my family and friends. The mere thought of Rikku and Lina on their own, fending for themselves and worrying about my absence all at once nearly brought me to tears. Hotaru also came to the front of my mind, and how I'd probably lost my chance with her to be anything more than a friend.

"Don't give up hope, dear Serena," said the Princess. "Help is not far from you should you wish to seek it. Already you have an ally amongst the Eternal Senshi, and you have your own Senshi to find as well…"

I pictured 4 other faceless girls fighting against the monstrosities of the night and shuddered.

"No…" I whispered. "No… I will not drag in another group of innocents into my problems…"

I looked up, about to see the spirit before me argue her point, but I cut her off before she could begin. "No! This is my burden to bear, and no one else's. In this, I will stand alone."

She sighed and closed her eyes for a split second before opening them and looking me in the eyes. She smile softly at me, a sad smile. A smile reserved for one who had no hope left. "Very well, if that is your wish."

"It is," I replied. If there where more of those monsters that threatened those I cared about, I would be the immovable object that protected them against the evils out to destroy them. "What must I do then. You said I can't access this power unless we merge. If we do this, I will still be me, right? How would this work?"

"I would have to reach inside you and touch your soul. Since we are one and the same inside, it would recognize me and accept me for what I am. Once it is complete, you will slowly start to recover my memories and take them as yours. You would still be the dominant personality, so do not fear you loosing your own memories or me taking over you. Once the transfer is done, it is done, and I will exist no more as Chibiusa, Princess Small Lady Serenity. We would truly be one."

I nodded my head in acceptance. "Do it. If there are more of those monsters out there, then my family is in danger. I must protect them if they're to have any hopes of survival."

It wasn't what I wanted to do. In that I was currently feeling like a ravid animal cornered into a bad place. I didn't want to be forced into the role of protector.

It was what I needed to do. I would rather this be forced unto me than unto anyone else. I would gladly bare the burden of protector if it meant those I loved would be safe.

She was in front of me now. She was smiling at me, and if she where corporal, I'm sure she would be on the verge of crying. "Remember Rini… though you won't hear my voice anymore… I will always be with you… just as you are a child of Terra, you are also a child of the Moon… my strength will always be there, waiting for you to touch upon it when you need it most."

She knelt down in front of me and reached for my chest before hesitating. "I love you…" I heard her say, before touching me between my breasts. There was a slight pause in the air as soon as she made contact. For a split second, nothing moved, the wind stilled, the water stopped running, the squirrels stopped mid-movement, and the world around us stood still.

Then, the light came.

To Be Continued…

Author's Notes: So yeah, this chapter took long enough. Between work real life I really haven't had much time to sit down and write. I'm afraid updates will continue to come irregularly for the foreseeable future, as I cannot control what happens IRL to keep me away from my stories. I will, however, try to at least work on the development of this story as much as possible, so that when I do have time to sit down and write my chapters, I can do so fairly quickly with everything already organized. That's as much as I can promise. Thank you all for bearing with me on this, and I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of my story.

Until next time, I'll be watching you…