The Flower of Carnage

A red-headed woman who carried herself in a manner proper of those born into royalty, walked fast along the long and empty hallway. The brightness and warmth of the three suns filtered through the big tinted windows on one side of the hallway. Her favorite spot in the palace, and perhaps even, in the whole planet, was her private garden, waiting for her just beyond those windows.

She finally reached the other end of the hallway, marked by double doors made in glass, with a golden lock and embedded diamonds all along the door frame. Her hands disappeared underneath her flowing robes, and reappeared quickly with a key that looked just as beautiful as the doors that it was meant to open. The key slid in the keyhole and turned it to the left; she heard a soft click and smiled briefly before pushing both doors open.

The brightness was blinding. Her hand flew above her eyes to protect them and give them time to adjust to the light. It always surprised her just how much brighter it was outside, and she marveled every time at how everything looked more vibrant and alive under the intense but caring light of the three suns. Except nothing looked alive this time. She gasped loudly as her head turned from left to right, her eyes as big as plates as she realized that each and every one of her flowers, the ones she had tended to her whole life, had withered overnight.

She ran from one flower bed to the other, and from one bush to the next, desperately trying to find at least one flower, plant, or tree untouched by whatever it was that had brought this calamity upon her garden. Her mind ran at a hundred miles per hour, thinking of all the possible reasons why this had happened, but couldn't come up with any. This garden had withstood everything that the universe had thrown at it, even time itself; never once had it dried out, not even during Sailor Galaxia's invasion, when she wiped out every life on the planet on her quest to obtain the star seeds. And yet, something had happened this morning.

She knelt in front of one of her favorite flower beds, hoping against all reason to find at least one surviving flower. She tried not to gasp as the withered flowers turned to dust the second they made contact with her delicate fingers. She wrinkled her nose at the faint odor of decay released by the flowers as they disintegrated in her hands.

She crossed to the opposite side of the garden, not ready to accept that all of them had suffered the same fate. She found it harder and harder to hold back her tears as reality began to sink in slowly. The garden, her garden, was gone. She had spent her whole life taking care of it, and in the blink of an eye was gone. Just like that. She began to feel faint as the smell of death seemed to become more noticeable. These are not the flowers! She thought quite alarmed as she realized that the stench was all around her, not just coming from her flowers.

As if on cue, a chilling laugh boomed from all directions, shaking her to the core. She took a couple of steps back, her heart beating fast in her chest as her senses became fully aware of an evil aura that somehow felt very familiar. She spotted the owner of such a terrifying energy standing on the tip of the big water fountain that fed the entire garden. The three suns behind the newcomer hid their face from view, making it impossible for the redhead to identify them.

The evil stranger raised their arm, their index finger pointing toward the sky. a vast amount of dark energy accumulated above her in a heartbeat, and continued getting larger and larger with every passing second. The red-headed woman stared in horror as her unknown enemy pointed at her, the energy above their head immediately flying toward her. She couldn't escape and there was no one around to protect her from, what she knew was, her imminent death. And yet, the only thing she could think of was that she had seen that silhouette before.

The energy attack crossed the garden at full speed, her skin burning like fire as it got closer to her. She couldn't run, she couldn't hide, she was going to get hit no matter what. All she could do in her final moments was try and solve the mystery of that unknown enemy's identity. And she finally did it. Her eyes opened wide as she put it all together and deciphered where she had seen that silhouette before. Oh no! It couldn't possibly be…!

30th Century

"Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon, what's taking you so long?" Kage's voice was low and even, and still, somehow, it sounded more menacing to the two women in front of her, even more so than the few times she had heard her raise her voice.

"Well… you see… the thing is…" the first woman blabbered, trying to find the right words to express her most recent failure. The woman next to her elbowed her in the ribs.

"Spit it out already or I'll force it out of you." Kage warned as dark energy began to gather in her fist.

"Yes, your Highness!" Sailor Adamantium Cobra said with a military-style salute. "The Sailor Guardians from the 21st century have proven a bit more skilful than expected." Her voice was merely a whisper, her eyes suddenly finding the tip of her emerald-colored shoes very interesting. Her leader was known for two things: her beauty and her cruelty. She only hoped she didn't have to experience the latter first hand.

"Is that it?"

"Y-Y-Yes, your Highness!"

Kage broke into laughter. "Nothing to worry about!" She cackled. The two women in front of her exchanged worried glances.

"Yes, nothing to worry about…" the Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon said, trying to remain calm in an unsuccessful attempt to hide her nervousness and overall concern for her well being. She filled the awkward silence with barely audible nervous laughter.

"You both better fix it soon if you care about your worthless lives."

Sailor Adamantium Cobra gulped loudly, and pulled her partner by the arm, forcing her into an exaggerated bow. They both backed away slowly and only raised their faces once they felt they had enough distance between them and Kage. Their leader's eyes were still and, at first glance, completely empty of any emotion. However, behind that fake calmness, they recognized her murderous intent.

They doubled down on their bow, and backed away at a fast pace, until their backs touched the double doors that separated Kage's royal chamber from the rest of the palace. They immediately opened the heavy doors just enough for them to escape. They shoved each other out of the way for a brief moment, neither of them wanting to be the last one in Kage's presence. They heard Kage sighed loudly behind them, and immediately managed to squeeze themselves out at once.

"Just a little longer…" Kage whispered to herself and let out a shrilling laughter.

Ami and Makoto met at their usual spot a few blocks from their high school. It had become a bit of a habit for them to wait for Usagi and Minako there, so they could all walk to school together. Of course that only happened on very rare occasions as the pair of blondes were better known for showing up late to their first class. The blue-haired teen looked at her wristwatch and then at her companion. The taller one nodded in return and both decided to go ahead with a shrug of their shoulders.

"Good morning!"

The two of them stopped on their tracks and turned around with a smile, hoping to see their two friends. Much to their disappointment, only one of them was turning around the corner, bending over as she tried hard to catch her breath.

"Good morning, Minako." Ami greeted with a smile, while her hopeful eyes searched for someone behind the newcomer.

"I'm sorry, I swear I thought I put the alarm on…!" Minako excused herself, still not fully recovered from that morning race.

"Hey, Minako, is Usagi with you?" Makoto asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Minako met her two friends' gaze and shook her head slowly. "I went to her place, but her mother told me she wasn't feeling well today."

"This is the third time this week." Ami said, rightfully concerned for her friend.

"Now that you mention it, we have barely seen Rei these past days." Makoto observed, trying hard to remember when was the last time all five of them had been together.

"You're right, both of them have been acting very strange since that last study session." Minako bit her nail as she recalled that day.

"Do you think they're avoiding us?"

The three of them looked at each other in silence, neither of them knowing the answer to that question. Their high school's bell rang in the distance signaling the start of today's classes. The three girls snapped out of their thoughts and sprinted toward the school gates.

"This is not the time for them to go their own way!" Haruka growled in frustration as she punched the tree trunk she was hiding behind. She had listened to everything the three Inner Guardians had said.

Michiru revealed her presence as well, stepping out into the morning sun. "We cannot afford being upset at them right now, Haruka." She said, putting her hand on Haruka's bruised fist. "We need to watch over them."

"I agree, our enemy is beyond anything we've ever faced before; we cannot be too careful this time." Setsuna's voice came through Michiru's dark blue wristwatch that doubled as her communicator. "I will look after Prince Endymion."

"I'll head towards our Princess's house then." Hotaru's reply came through the device as well.

"Great, in that case I'll keep an eye on Rei." Michiru announced before looking at Haruka. "You should stick around to look over those three." She nodded towards the school building.

"Fine, I'll do that." Haruka sighed.

Michiru closed her communicator's lid, ending all communication with the rest of the group. "You're worried about her, aren't you?" She asked once no one else could hear them.

Haruka looked at her, no longer surprised at how good her partner was at reading her mind. "We will protect the world from this evil at all costs."

Michiru smiled softly, her hand briefly squeezing hers. Haruka gazed into her eyes, letting her own eyes express everything she didn't dare put into words. Michiru nodded, acknowledging her message and stepped back into the shadows, disappearing instantly..

Haruka caressed the hand that Michiru had just touched, the violinist's warmth still lingering on it. "I will protect you." She said with determination before making her exit.

Makoto headed toward the school's greenhouse, happy to put aside all her worries for a little while, and just focus on caring for all the plants and flowers in there. She felt guilty for even thinking of coming here, fully aware that they still ignored who the new enemy was, what they wanted, or how to defeat them. However, all their research so far, and the many hours they had spent on it, had been fruitless. She convinced herself that all she could do right then was to stand by until a new development happened. Knowing Minako and Ami were both at their respective school clubs reassured her that this was the right decision.

The temperature-controlled room was much warmer than she had expected, the humidity in the main room being slightly suffocating. Makoto ran to check on the thermometer hanging on the wall next to the entrance to confirm this was the right setting.

"Hey, Makoto!" A guy popped from behind a big tropical plant. "It's hot in here, huh?"

"Oh, hi!" She replied with a slightly high-pitch tone. Her classmate's sudden appearance had scared her more than she wanted to admit.

"We received a bunch of tropical plants this week, so we agreed to move our regulars to the colder room over there, remember?" He pointed out to the door leading to the next room.

"Ah, right, right…" She lied. She vaguely remembered being part of that meeting, but that had been right after the attack at Hikawa Shrine, so needless to say she had been very distracted.

"Anyway, I'm leaving soon. Can I ask you to water the plants in the other room?"

"Sure, I'll do that." She mumbled and headed into the next room. She waved in return as her classmate wished her a good evening, and closed the door behind her. The change in temperature was brutal. She hugged herself trying not to shiver, as she made her way to the back end of the room, where she was sure to find the tulips she liked so much. "It is much too cold for these flowers." She said to herself as she ran past them, and towards the computer that controlled all the settings in that room.

"This is weird, everything seems normal… but it shouldn't feel this cold…" She bit her nail as she double-checked all the numbers, confirming that all parameters were correct. "It must be my nerves." She slapped her cheeks with both hands, as if to wake herself up from a dream, and went to admire the tulips.

"You killed it today, Minako!" One of the girls said as she took her sports bag out of her locker. "I had never seen you play with so much energy!"

"That's right!" A second girl chimed in as she adjusted her skirt. "I'm sure we will make it to the national volleyball tournament this year!"

"Oh, come on, you're exaggerating!" Minako shrugged off their compliments with an awkward laugh. "I was just trying to keep up with you!"

The two girls blushed at that, and said goodbye to Minako with a beaming smile on their face. She waited until she couldn't listen to their footsteps anymore to begin dressing up. I might have gone a bit hard today, she thought as she felt the soreness in her arms and legs.

A cold breeze hit her in the back, giving her goosebumps all over her body. She immediately turned around, feeling much more relaxed once she noticed one of the windows in the back of the room was wide open. She closed it and went back to the aisle where her locker was. She suddenly realized just how quiet the school was, as if she were the only living person in the whole campus.

She dressed up in the blink of an eye, and proceeded to do her hair, enjoying herself as she practiced her expressions in front of the mirror she had hung from her locker's door. She felt a stronger and much colder breeze touched her back and slammed her locker shut, the mirror inside broke due to the unexpected force. "What the hell?!" She yelled, jumping away from her locker.

She looked around but all the doors and windows were closed this time. She took a step back, her back towards the lockers, her eyes darting back and forth, searching for a logical explanation to it all. "I think I better leave." She whispered, not trying to hide her fear. Something about the atmosphere around her had suddenly changed for the worse, making all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

The ground rumbled under her feet, and the windows shook violently in their frames before a deafening sound filled the place.

Makoto lost track of time as she admired the vivid colors of each of the tulips in front of her. She loved all flowers, but she had a soft spot for this species. She hummed a little song as she walked around the room, inspecting plants at random. All of a sudden, she spotted a withering flower amidst a flower bed. "Oh, what happened he-" Her voice trailed off as she saw her breath coming out of her mouth. When did it get this cold? She asked herself nervously, as she looked around her, her hand instinctively going to her transformation stick.

As if on cue, the ground shook under her, the greenhouse's glass ceiling cracking from one side to the other under the earthquake. The sound of ceramic pots breaking under the earth's movement was swallowed by a loud noise coming from somewhere nearby. Makoto sought cover as shards of glass rained over her. Her ears were ringing, as she attempted to fit her whole body under a small desk. "That came from the school's building!" She realized as a thick smoke column rose above the greenhouse and towards the sky. Her memory replayed the noise she had heard and realized, without a doubt, that there had been an explosion.

Oblivious to anything else, she didn't notice a thick dark fog rapidly filling the room.

Haruka dozed off after watching the school grounds for what felt like centuries. Nothing exciting ever happens at school, she thought, slightly remembering how trapped she was in school herself. Her mind drifted off to those days when all she could do was run, as fast as the wind, to escape the prison of her mind, and the vividly recurring nightmares and visions of the world's imminent annihilation due to the Messiah of Silence fully awakening. She reminisced of that fateful day when Michiru transformed in front of her eyes for the first time, and risked her life to protect her. That memory was so deeply ingrained in her mind that she could still hear the car engines in the background, the terrified boy's screams as he transformed into a monster, and the smell of burning oil as the smoke clogged her nose.

"Smoke…?" She woke up all of a sudden, and sniffed the air. "What in the hell-

The ground rumbled under her throwing her off balance, the bushes under the tree softening her fall. Her enhanced senses told her there was something else in motion at that school. She quickly stood up and took out her communicator. "Something weird is happening at school, I suspect an enemy attack!" She whispered as she reached for her transformation stick. "Make sure the Princess and the others are safe!"

Sailor Uranus took off and ran towards the main high school building. However, she stopped immediately as soon as she approached the greenhouse, currently engulfed by an unnatural amount of mist. For a second, she considered ignoring it and going straight for the building, but a scream from somewhere inside that sea of fog made her reconsider. She searched for the moon in the sky but was unable to find it. "Totally not a bad omen." She said sarcastically, as she threw herself without hesitation into the mist surrounding the greenhouse.

The explosion sent Sailor Mercury flying across the hallway. She hit the ground with a hard thud, but stood up immediately. She was alone and clearly overpowered; she didn't have time to sit there and lick her wounds. Her visor appeared in front of her eyes and began displaying charts and useful text right away.

"This exit is completely blocked off by the fire!" She muttered with a tense tone. She had always considered a brilliant idea to place the computer lab in the basement, thus allowing her to disappear in her own world, away from the otherwise noisy high school experience. Right at that moment, as the fire came fast at her, as if pushed by an invisible force, she questioned how bright that idea truly was. Calm down, Amy! She scolded herself, trying to keep her growing panic under control, This is just fire! You can handle this!

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

She directed her water-based power toward the wall of flames that rushed to her, expecting the fire to die down. However, and much to her surprise, the flames soared as if she had just thrown fuel to it. She took a few steps back, still perplexed at the fire's reaction, her the stats on her visor throwing a ridiculous amount of information at her.

She looked at the long corridor behind her knowing that the only other exit was at the end of it. Nodding to herself, she turned around and sprinted through it, jumping, ducking, and dodging all the debris, electric cords, pipes, and other obstacles that got in her way. She was blasted away by an attack of dark energy just as she was about to reach the stairs to the ground floor. Her body flew across the hallway and landed mere inches away from the advancing wall of flames. Her vision was beginning to falter, but she still managed to recognize the same non-corporeal enemies that had attacked them at Hikawa Shrine.

She knew she wasn't strong enough to face that enemy alone, so trying to escape that way would be a sure death. She looked back at the wall of fire, and her body shivered as she remembered the last time she had been in such a situation. She shook away her fear and raised her hands above her, "Shabon Spray!", shrouding herself with her own attack.

She jumped into the fire without thinking twice, hoping that this time she would make it out alive. The faint smell of burning fabric confirmed that her Sailor uniform was already being devoured by the flames.

Minako's ears rang from the explosion, making her lose her balance and fall to the ground. The whole building trembled as the fire ravaged the basement underneath her. She saw the column of smoke rising from outside the window and realized her life would be in danger if she remained there for much longer. She ran towards the locker room exit, but a bunch of lockers flew past her blocking the path.

"What the hell?!" She yelled, stopping just before crashing against it. She couldn't help but notice, even as her anxiety built up, the condensation coming out of her mouth. She took a quick look at her bare arms and saw it covered in goosebumps. As expected, she thought, reaching out for her transformation stick, "Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

As if on cue, the shadows on the floor started moving, merging with one another until a big black puddle covered all the area surrounding her. The shadow vibrated for a few seconds and immediately started rising off the ground, rapidly taking the shape of the enemies that had attacked them some nights ago. Sailor Venus took a couple of steps back unconsciously, until her back touched one of the many lockers that stood between her and the only way out. Her only other escape option was through one of the windows, but all of them were now blocked by the shadows in front of her.

Without further ado, the shadows began gathering a big amount of dark energy above them. Sailor Venus looked around in panic, trying to ignore the little voice inside her head that told her this was the end. Suddenly, an idea came to her. "Alright… this is it, Minako," she said to herself through clenched teeth, as the tip of her right index finger shone with a bright golden light.

The silhouettes threw the energy ball at her. Sailor Venus nodded to herself and sprinted towards it. "If you cannot do this… you don't deserve to go to the tournament!" She yelled jumping to meet the ball in midair. The energy contained in her index finger spilled all over her hand, covering it in a blinding light. "Crescent… Volleyball… Smash!" She shouted, feeling very proud of herself for coining a new attack amidst the insanity. She hit the energy ball with her hand, sending it back to the shadows at full speed. The attack hit them and made them scatter around the room. Sailor Venus landed and, with one swift movement, made a run for the windows past the enemies.

Here goes my triumphal exit! She threw herself at the window, barely noticing the cuts in her arms and legs from the glass shards as adrenaline rushed through her body. "Venus Love Me Chain!" The golden chain shot out of her hand and flew ahead of her, wrapping itself around the antenna on top of the gym rooftop, many feet away from her.

"Mina!"

"Ami?!"

Sailor Mercury stumbled out of the building. Her outfit and body sustained heavy damage from making her way through the fire. A second explosion went off, this time blowing up the whole building, blasting both Guardians away. Both of them hit the ground with a sickening thud. Their outfits slowly morphed back to their civilian forms. Neither of them moved.

Sailor Jupiter was panting. None of her attacks had even scratched the enemies in front of her. On the other hand, all of their attacks had been very effective. "Damn it!" She growled as she made a move to avoid another attack. The shadows' attack hit the wall behind her, bursting a big water pipe open. Jupiter dodged another attack and ducked behind a fountain that connected and fed the irrigation system for the whole greenhouse.

"It's never a boring day with you."

"Huh?"

Sailor Jupiter lifted her gaze and met Sailor Uranus's eyes. "Sailor Uranus!" She whispered, half surprised and half relieved.

Sailor Uranus gave her one of her signature cocky smiles before turning to face the enemy. The blade of her Space Sword glowed under the pale moonlight. Jupiter noticed how the grip tightened around the handle as she prepared her next move. "Space Sword Blaster!"

The attack cut through the shadows ranks, but newly formed shadows spawned where the previous had disappeared. Jupiter watched with increasing fear as Uranus's confidence faltered for a split second. "It really never is boring with you…!" Uranus muttered, grinding her teeth as she mentally cursed whatever mysterious power allowed their enemies to regenerate so fast.

The shadows were completely unfazed by this and countered with an attack of their own. Both Guardians jumped away as the fountain exploded on impact, water and rocks flying in all directions. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Uranus looked as the silhouettes raised, what they thought were, their arms to the sky in unison. The greenhouse ceiling above them cracked under an invisible pressure. Tiny sparks of energy appeared and disappeared above them, before clumping together into what was surely their final attack. The energy gathered above their heads now covered the whole area above the greenhouse.

"Supreme Thund-

"Are you crazy?!" Sailor Uranus snapped, making her flinch. "Do you want to die this badly?!" She yelled pointing at their feet. The water level had risen above their ankles.

"This is our only chance!" Jupiter shouted back, her pent-up frustration finally getting the best of her. "It's do or die!"

The pressure in the atmosphere changed as soon as she said that. Their ears clogged as the energy above them began its descent at ast speed.

"World Sha-

The energy in Uranus's palm was absorbed by the enemy attack before even being fully released. "Damn it!" Uranus yelled, throwing herself on top of Jupiter as if her body was enough to protect them from that devastating attack.

Jupiter's nose tickled as a sweet fragrance suddenly invaded her sense of smell. She couldn't avoid smiling sadly thinking that would be the last thing she'd smell before her unavoidable ending. "Wait!" She said mostly to herself as she realized that she had never smelled anything like that before.

Yellow petals floated along with the fragrance, revolving slowly around both of them, but picking up speed by the second. The dark energy fell upon them destroying everything it touched. The shadows who had cast that attack were also victims of it; not one single enemy was left standing after it hit the ground. Everything around them was destroyed, except for them. Both Guardians lifted their heads, unsure who or what to thank for the miracle they had just experienced.

"You couldn't wait for your turn, huh?"

The question came out of nowhere. Both Uranus and Jupiter stood up in the blink of an eye, sensing the animosity in that voice.

A curvy woman in a shiny emerald green suit with slanted yellow eyes surrounded by heavy eyeliner stepped out of the shadows. Her fingers ended in long sharp red nails, which matched the red lips that framed the pointy fangs that made up her smile.

"We're the ones who should be saying that, traitor!"

Four slender silhouettes appeared on the other side. However they decided to remain in the shadows so identifying them was impossible. Jupiter and Uranus looked at the newcomers, trying to figure out which side was the most likely to let them live to see another day.

"This was never about loyalties, and all about survival. You know this better than me. This last stance of yours is cute, but it won't last." The first woman replied with a patronizing tone. She had the confidence of someone who knew had the upper hand. Her cold eyes finally noticed Sailor Uranus and Sailor Jupiter. "This battle will be over soon, and the whole Universe has picked their side. I might just spare your life if you show me some respect." She said with a smirk.

"How dare you?!" Uranus snarled, her ego evidently hurt by these words. "World Shaking!"

The woman waved away Uranus's attack as if it were an insignificant mosquito. "Remember this moment, for the next time we meet you'll be begging for your life!" She chuckled as a green fire engulfed her. She was nowhere to be found when the flames dissipated.

"She's right about something."

Uranus and Jupiter turned in the other direction. This time it was the second woman from left to right.

"The final battle for the Universe has begun."

"Everyone has picked a side… I wonder which one you'll pick."

The third and fourth women turned their backs and started walking away from the two Guardians after saying that. The two remaining strangers followed their steps.

"Wait a second! Who are you?" Sailor Jupiter called out slightly less afraid than she was intrigued.

"We're your best allies if you want to make it through this war, or…", the first woman said, stopping dead in her tracks. Everyone else followed her lead, and turned around to take one last look at Uranus and Jupiter. "... we'll make your life very hard."

The yellow petals that somehow seemed to move at the will of one of the four mysterious women surrounded the small group. There was no one to be found when the wind settled down.

"What the hell is going on?!" Jupiter yelled in frustration, her foot stomped the ground a few times, wishing she was stomping on all those newcomers' faces instead.

"Jupiter!" Uranus whispered. "Look!"

"Are those…?" Jupiter didn't finish the sentence. She took off at full speed in the direction Uranus had flagged. Ami, Mina, please be OK!

Her own screams woke her up. The woman opened her eyes slowly, realizing she was in her sumptuous chamber and not where she thought she was. "This was all a nightmare." She sighed relieved, her hand pressed against her chest, as if that could calm down her racing heart. "Everything is ok, it was all a bad dream." She soothed herself, noticing how her breathing slowed down back to normal. She shut her eyes for a long minute and saw again the death and destruction shown in that vivid dream.

OK, just to reassure myself, she thought to herself, trying to suppress the anxiety that those images had provoked in her. She tossed her silky smooth blanket to the floor and took a quick look at herself in the mirror. "This will do," she said as she brushed her hair with her fingers. She put on a crimson robe that matched her hair color and stepped out of her room.

Her walk was steady and calm even though there was no one in sight. It was unbecoming of her status to rush through the palace hallways over a silly dream. However, her fear got the best of her eventually, and forced her to push all protocol away, hoping that she wouldn't run into anyone as she sprinted to the garden doors. The double doors were exactly like she had seen them in her dream, the diamonds shone bright as they reflected the light from the three suns in the sky. She unlocked the glass doors and pushed them open with a little bit too much strength.

Her hand flew to her eyes to protect them from the sudden brightness. She squinted until her eyes adjusted to the view. She let out a sigh of relief at her garden, peaceful and full of life, exactly like it had been the night before. She smiled as she took in all that beauty on display just for her; the chirping of the numerous birds that lived there created a great ambiance. She approached the closest flower bed and touched the petals of the nearest flower, enjoying their suppleness. "It was just a silly dream!" She whispered to them.

That devious laugh that had startled her so much in her nightmare resounded from everywhere at once, near and far, in that exact moment. She shook her head, thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her, but soon realized it was very real. She shivered as she felt the hatred in that laugh seep through her skin and bones. Suddenly, right on top of the fountain that fed water into the underground irrigation system keeping the whole garden alive, stood the silhouette that she had seen in her dream.

The laughter continued until the Princess of Kinmoku planet locked eyes with its owner. The shadowy figure went silent for a second, and then stretched her arm in front of her, her palm turned towards the sky, releasing an energy ball. Princess Kakyuu was more than ready for this; she put both her hands in front of her, her index and middle fingers forming a cross. A translucent light screen appeared in front of her, blocking and dispeling the attack.

"Princess!"

She recognized the three voices calling her from somewhere not so far away. Her protectors rushed to meet her but their legs froze when they saw the stranger standing on the fountain. The enemy launched another attack, this time targeting the three newcomers. They dodged it narrowly, surrounding their Kakyuu. The attack hit the glass doors instead, glass shards and fragmented diamonds scattered all over, reflecting the sunlight intensely.

"How dare you?!" The dark-haired one yelled. "Star Serious La-

"Stop!" Kakyuu hissed. The Starlights looked at her in confusion, but also slightly frightened at the severe tone she had used. "She is too powerful for us. We don't stand a chance, even if we face her all together."

The Starlights were shocked at that. They looked at each other, and then back at their enemy. Their eyes showed no fear, but their princess's warning had shaken them. The invader put her palms together, as if assuming a praying pose. She then separated them slowly, just enough for a tiny light to appear between them. The more the gap between her hands grew, the longer the energy between them got. Suddenly, one of her hands wrapped itself around the closest edge of that energy.

A sword!, Princess Kakyuu looked at the mighty sword that had just appeared in their enemy's hand. Her guardians gasped around her, equally surprised at what had just happened.

The dark blade shone under the light of the three suns that were responsible for providing warmth to Kinmoku planet. She slashed the air a few times, the sound of the blade cutting through it was the only noise in that garden. Princess Kayuu had just realized the birds had stopped singing a while ago. Suddenly, the silhouette stopped her skill display and took one of her fingers to the tip of the blade. She barely pressed against the pointy end, but that was enough to cut it open. She held her injured finger in front of her, the blood rushing to get out through the tiny gash. One droplet of blood separated itself from it and fell in the fountain's water.

Everyone held their breath, not knowing what to expect. Then, small bubbles began appearing on the water's surface. The bubbles grew in size as time passed, as if the water itself was boiling. At the same time, the crystal clear liquid acquired a crimson red hue, which traveled through the irrigation system and reached all the corners of the garden. All the flowers withered and died almost instantly. The trees' branches lost all of their leaves, their trunks drying out from the inside. The Princess of Kinmoku planet watched in horror as her beloved garden died, and thus the nightmare became her reality.

"I will do the same to you." The shadowy woman finally spoke. Her voice itself was terrifying, let alone the threat she had just voiced. The four women in front of her shivered unconsciously at the sound of it.

She threw another energy attack, but this time it wasn't directed at them, but at the area between them. The dust and dead leaves shot up to the sky, making it impossible for them to see anything past their noses. Their newly declared enemy was nowhere to be found once the air settled. Only the death and destruction that she had brought with her remained.

"Princess…"

"... didn't she look just like…"

"This darkness has risen from the Solar System." Princess Kakyuu stated, her expression was blank, but her eyes shone with all the anger and sorrow going inside her. "Now it's our duty to eliminate it."

TBC