CHAPTER 6 - Sticking to the Plans, or at Least Trying to

All the scouts held on for dear life to a tree trunk as the ground beneath them shook. It felt like the earth was about to split right in half. Sailor Venus was almost sure of it that she kept her eyes glued to the ground for any sign of cracks. Despite the terrible shaking of the ground, Sailor Mercury managed to keep her mini computer up in front of her face as she watched the scanning take place on the screen. "It seems as if this earthquake is only affecting this small region!" She shouted over the rumbling. "According to my calculations, this earthquake isn't reaching any nearby cities. It's only happening at the base of this mountain!" For an earthquake that had such a large magnitude, it was bizarre that it was only affecting a small amount of land.

Just when Sailor Moon thought she couldn't hold on any longer, the earthquake began to slow down and eventually, it stopped. "Whew!" Sailor Jupiter said with relief as she let go of the tree trunk. The rest of the girls steadied themselves on the ground before completely letting go of the tree just in case something were to happen again.

Sailor Mercury continued to tap on the keys of her mini computer looking like a mad scientist at work. Sailor Mars suddenly staggered as a strange feeling overcame her. "Sailor Mars!" Sailor Venus and Jupiter ran to her sides to catch her in case she fell. "What is it?" Sailor Jupiter asked with worry. Sailor Mars shook her head as if to shake the strange feeling. "I felt some supernatural force. It's near." Everyone fell silent. All that was heard was the tapping of the keys on Sailor Mercury's mini computer.

"Sailor Mars is right." Mercury said looking up from her computer. "I'm picking up some data located in the North Western direction. It's giving off some sort of energy waves. I can't tell quite yet what it is. We have to get closer." She started towards the direction that she indicated while the other scouts followed her lead. The terrain was muddy in some spots while rocks littered the area. It was difficult to tell which type of ground was reliable to step on as several types of leaves, twigs, dirt, flowers, and grass covered the grounds. Sailor Venus cursed when her heel sunk into soft mud. "Agh!" She pulled her foot out of her shoe which remained in the mud. "We should've brought our sailor hiking boots!" She expressed with an annoyed look on her face as she yanked her heel out of the mud while standing on one foot.

"Ouch!" Sailor Mars bellowed as she stumbled on a tree root sticking out of the ground. She immediately crouched down to rub her aching toe. "Damnit! Why didn't we think of these things when we found out this area was a rugged terrain?" Sailor Mars's pride didn't let an aching toe keep her down for too long as she shortly stood up. Sailor Mercury quickly glanced back as she caught sight of Sailor Mars. "No time to think about that now. We have to keep going." She urged.

"Hmmph. Easy for you to say. Yeah, that's right. I'm talking to you and your boots!" Sailor Mars retaliated.

Sailor Mercury didn't look back, but only kept trudging on. She wasn't going to lose focus. She never really did.

"Come on Sailor Venus!" Sailor Jupiter urged as she passed Sailor Venus who had stopped to wipe the mud off her shoe on a patch of grass. "I'm sorry guys, but I don't think you'd like it if you had mud on your shoe! It smells and I can't stand it!"

Sailor Mars tried to hold in a laugh, but failed. "What?" Sailor Venus asked curious as to what was so funny. Sailor Mars followed Sailor Jupiter and Mercury up ahead passing Sailor Venus. "It might not even be mud." Sailor Venus's eyes quickly widened as she said, "Wha-What do you mean?" Sailor Mars laughed again. "I'm just saying it could be from an animal-" Sailor Venus shook her head and quickly stopped Sailor Mars from continuing. "Ahhhh!" Sailor Venus wailed as she rubbed her shoe harder on the patch of grass.

"Hurry up Sailor Venus!" Sailor Jupiter hollered. "Drats!" Sailor Venus said as she quickly put her shoe back on. At least most of the mud had come off. No, it's nothing more than mud! Sailor Venus told herself as she ran up ahead to catch up with the girls.

Sailor Mercury unexpectedly made an abrupt stop which almost caused Sailor Jupiter to crash into her. All the same, the abrupt stop made Sailor Jupiter stop which almost allowed Sailor Mars's face become one with Sailor Jupiter's back. "What is it Sailor Mercury?" Sailor Venus asked. Sailor Mercury didn't take her eyes off the screen of her mini computer. While typing, she said, "This is it..." The scouts watched her in anticipation. "This is what is giving off the energy waves." Sailor Mercury turned on her visor and continued to scan the area ahead.

"Bingo. Approximately 40 feet ahead of us is the barrier." The scouts looked ahead. If it wasn't for Sailor Mercury, they would have walked straight into the barrier without knowing it. Beyond the barrier, it seemed like there was nothing special or out of the ordinary. It looked the same as the rest of the area, only the trees were more closer together so that it was impossible to see beyond them.

Suddenly, the ground began to start shaking and rumbling once again. "Grab hold of something!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. Since there were so many trees, each Sailor Scout was able to quickly find one and hold on. The shaking was just as violent as the last time with rumbling that was deafening.

"Look everyone!" Sailor Mercury pointed up far away and to everyone's astonishment, a black plume of smoke appeared in the distant sky transforming into a monster, its back to the Sailor scouts. It floated, heading in the direction of the city.

The scouts continued to hold on to the trees while the shaking of the ground continued. To everyone's relief, however, it soon ceased. "I wonder how many times this is going to happen?" Sailor Venus said pulling a leaf out of her hair.

"It seems," Sailor Mercury began as she continued to scan, "that for a short period of time, the barrier opened." Sailor Jupiter nodded. "That makes sense if they let that creature out." Sailor Mercury nodded. "Yes, they opened the barrier to let that monster out. It appears, that the barrier is rooted deep into the ground." The scouts continued to listen with interest as Mercury explained. "That probably explains the earthquakes! They occur when the barrier opens because somehow, the barrier is rooted deep into the ground."

None of the scouts moved, knowing that the invisible barrier was just a distance in front of them. Sailor Mecury began to take slow and steady steps. "Don't go too far!" Sailor Juptier shouted. "Don't worry!" Sailor Mercury replied, keeping her mini computer in front of her. Eventually, she stopped. "That's odd." The rest of the Sailor Scouts wondered what she was referring to. "My scanner's not picking anything up. Beyond those trees, it seems as if there's nothing else but trees." Sailor Mercury was baffled. "Why would they put up a barrier around trees?" Sailor Mars wondered. "Hold on." Sailor Venus began. "Why would the barrier be rooted deep into the ground?" Sailor Mercury's eyes lit up. "Of course!" Again, Sailor Mercury began to tap on her keys. Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter looked at each other, glad they weren't the only one who wasn't catching on.

"Aha!" Sailor Mercury proclaimed triumphantly. Sailor Mars began to tap her foot. "Brilliant!" Sailor Mercury added. Sailor Jupiter scowled. "Just tell us already!" Sailor Mercury still didn't look away from the screen. "Their base is hidden underground! That's why the barrier is rooted deep into the ground! They really wanted to take the extra measures to protect this place!"

"Great. Now all we need to do is figure out how to get past this barrier." Sailor Mars said. "Well, let's find out." Sailor Jupiter said. "Jupiter, no!!" Sailor Venus cried out, but it was too late.

"Jupiter supreme thunder!" A bolt of lightning shot straight ahead and hit the barrier. It looked as if the lightning had disappeared into nothing. "Relax!" Sailor Jupiter said to Sailor Venus who then in turn placed her hands on her hips. "You didn't know the consequences of that!" Sailor Jupiter waved off the comment. "Nothing happened."

"Actually," Sailor Mercury said as a matter-of-fact wise, her visor scanning furiously. "Something did happen. When the thunder hit the barrier, the part that got hit stayed open for three seconds afterwards." This time, all the sailor scouts understood. "We've got to jump in there right after the barrier is hit." Sailor Mars said. Sailor Mercury nodded. "Yes, but the length of time that the barrier stays open is too short. The best way to do this is for one of us to hit the barrier with one of our attacks and for another to stay as close to the barrier as possible and quickly jump in after it is hit." All the scouts nodded.

"Everyone ready to do this?" Jupiter asked as she turned around to look at all the scouts.

Everyone nodded, but was startled when Sailor Jupiter's face suddenly became panic-stricken.

"There's only four of us." Sailor Jupiter managed to gasp out.

The scouts quickly looked around. She was right. Sailor Moon was missing.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars yelled out. The other scouts began to yell out for her as well, but there was no response.

A look of fear and alarm appeared on everyone's face. Sailor Moon was somewhere out there...alone.


Author's Note: Another long chapter for you!! Please, once again feel free to ask any questions. I don't know if some of you were confused by this chapter or are curious about anything. Don't hesitate to ask or leave a comment. I feel like I'm spoiling everyone with these super long chapters and quick updates.)