TWO WRONGS
Chapter 6: The Serpent
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
The instant she recognized the scream had come from Sailor Pallas, Sailor Ceres pivoted and ran through the bracket of security officers toward her. The officers were startled at first, but recovered quickly and ran after her. As she ran, Ceres took in the situation: Pallas was curled up on the ground, almost in a fetal position, with her head wrapped in her hands. Sailor Vesta was next to her, in human form, protectively guarding her against any perceived threat. Right now, the threat she perceived was the squad of approaching officers and made no effort to hide it. Sailor Saturn had slumped to the ground and was only now regaining consciousness. Sailor Juno hovered over her, trying in vain to offer some sort of assistance.
"Pallas!" Ceres exclaimed, kneeling next to Pallas on the opposite side of Vesta. "What happened, Honey?"
"Scary snake!" Pallas sobbed, refusing to look up. "Scary!"
"BACK UP OR ELSE!" Vesta snapped at the approaching officers. She was about two seconds away from launching herself at them.
"VESTA, SHUT UP!" Ceres uncharacteristically roared. "What about the scary snake? What did it do?"
But Pallas would only shake her head. Her eyes were squeezed shut.
"It," Saturn gasped out, fighting through the distortion and confusion she felt, "knew we were there. It lunged at her. It tried to bite her."
"You going to be OK?" Juno asked anxiously.
"Just give me a minute," Saturn exhaled, "to clear out the cobwebs."
"What snake?" demanded one of the officers. "Is there a dangerous reptile around here?"
Ceres ignored him. "Do you know where the scary snake is?" she asked Pallas. Pallas just continued to quake. "Pallas Honey, can you show us where the scary snake is? Come on, we have to do this for the Princess!"
"Look, just what's going on here?" the officer persisted. "Who has this snake? And who is this 'Princess' you're talking about?"
"Get bent, Cop!" snarled Vesta.
"Ves!" Juno hissed. "We're looking for a woman. Her name is Keika. You wouldn't happen to know her, would you?"
"Is this Keika the person in possession of this dangerous snake?" the officer asked.
"Uh, yeah," Juno responded, wondering how much of the story he'd believe. "And she attacked our Princess with that snake. And we have to find her so we can get, um, the antidote, you know?"
"Unusual name. Maybe Command has something." The officer brought up a communicator. "Command, this is Leader Twenty-two. Any records on a 'Keika'? No other name available."
"Leader Twenty-two, processing," came the response.
"You mentioned Lady Candide earlier," the officer said to Ceres. "Is this 'Earth' part of the Dreamscape?"
"No, we just visit," Ceres replied while she tried to sooth Pallas. "But Keika was part of Elysian. She violated Lady Candide's trust and attacked our Princess, so we're trying to find her."
"Leader Twenty-two, this is Command," came the broadcast from his communications device. "No records on a 'Keika'."
"Leader Twenty-two, acknowledged and out," Leader Twenty-two replied. "So this 'Keika' may be loose in Ploutos? We'll need a description and all pertinent information on this woman. You'll be paid the standard witness fee, of course." Saturn and Juno exchanged puzzled glances.
Without warning, the grass around the Senshi began to swirl in a circle. Soil from between the blades was pulled out of the ground and revolved around them, caught by the air currents. The spinning winds became more intense. Each Senshi looked around anxiously. Then Pallas released her head and looked up into the sky.
"She's coming!" the Senshi cried, a wide-eyed look of nervous anticipation.
The vortex around the Senshi enveloped them, reaching a crescendo with a discharge of electricity that sent the security squad scrambling back. When the vortex finally died away, there was no trace of the Senshi.
"Command, this is Leader Twenty-two!" the officer barked into his communicator. "Requesting issuance of a Level Three General Alert! Stand by for details!" He turned to his squad. "Fan out! Look for anything unusual!"
The energy swirling around the Senshi was just like a transport bubble. Vesta and Juno recognized it and prepared for action. Ceres recognized it, too, but was busy consoling Pallas. Pallas was still terrified, while Saturn was struggling to clear her head. There was the sensation of moving, the same sensation they always got when they used Sailor Teleport. The transport energy began to dissipate around them. When it finally died away, the Senshi found themselves in a modest one floor cottage.
The room was large, a combination kitchen and sitting room, with a shelf containing bottles and several large pots and pans atop a fairly modern stove and counter top. In the opposite corner was a chair with a lamp next to another shelf, this one filled with ancient books. The lamp was off, and the light from outside filled the room inadequately and left it with an ominous gloom. It was a modest cottage, far different from the ultra-modern architecture they'd witnessed before.
"I demand to know why you five are searching for me!" a woman's voice reverberated from behind them.
Everyone turned and saw Keika. She stood against the far wall, her dark eyes burning and her beautiful face incensed. The rich, red mouth was pulled thin and her ample bodice heaved with emotion. She was again dressed in black, the dress's sleeves clasping between her second and third fingers while the hem swept at the floor.
"That her?" Juno asked with a guttural growl.
"That's her," Vesta answered in a similar voice. "Fauna . . .!"
"Vesta, stop!" Ceres snapped. Vesta shot her an impatient look. "If you can control yourself, we MIGHT be able to resolve this peacefully!" Gently breaking away from Pallas, Ceres got to her feet and began to slowly approach the dark woman. "You are the Lady Keika? We are the friends and guardians of the Princess Usagi of Earth."
"No, Ceres! Don't get close to her!" Pallas cried. "The scary snake is there!"
Ceres stopped in her tracks. Everyone looked suspiciously at Keika. The woman only smiled confidently.
"Your friend seems quite frightened of my familiar," Keika observed. "And well she should be. As the daughter of King Horoque, I am not to be taken lightly. Now why do you pursue me? I will not ask again."
"Back in Elysian," Saturn spoke up, her voice thick with emotion at the merest hint of that moment. "Your familiar attacked Sailor Moon! She almost died!"
"She still lives?" gasped Keika incredulously.
"Please, you have to call it off!" Saturn pleaded. "Sailor Moon was innocent!"
"She led my husband on," Keika scowled. "MY husband!"
"That's not how it happened!" barked Vesta. "He attacked her! She didn't want anything to do with him!"
"And he'll not have cause to humiliate me ever again," Keika replied coldly.
"Yes, we saw your handiwork," Juno frowned.
"Sailor Moon was innocent!" Saturn argued. "She had no interest in him! She's the victim in all of this! You have to call it off!"
"Never!" hissed Keika, her dark eyes flaring. "She pays for the crime of turning my husband's head! She pays for committing the ultimate sin, for the crime of being more desirable than me! By rights, she should already be dead! It must be a powerful counter-spell to thwart my will for this long! But my snake familiar is too powerful for any mortal conjure! Your Princess will die because I will it!" She turned dismissively. "And now I grant you all permission to leave." Keika smiled mirthlessly. "After all, I am in mourning."
"FAUNA ASSIMILATION, BURMESE PYTHON!" roared Vesta.
Instantly transforming into a twenty-five foot Burmese python, the Senshi lunged at Keika. She turned too late and found herself trapped in Vesta's mighty coils. But just as suddenly Vesta's head reared back, for another snake appeared. It was ghostly white with gray outlines, the demonic snake just as long and as thick as Vesta. The familiar hissed, baring its fangs and lunging at her. Vesta dodged, but the snake struck again and again, keeping Vesta at bay.
"Aqua Initiation!" Juno shouted, her hands extended from herself.
Water began to collect in the air. When enough had accumulated to form a water globe fifteen inches in diameter, Juno thrust her hands out. The water globe propelled forward and struck Keika in the face. The globe enveloped Keika's head, sealing her off from the air. The sorceress's eyes widened with alarm as her head became encased in water. Instantly the snake familiar ceased attacking Vesta and began bobbing around the outside of the water globe, uncertain as to how to aid its mistress. Freed from defense, Vesta began to tighten her coils. This in turn caused air to expel from Keika's mouth, putting her even closer to drowning. Juno watched intently, waiting for her adversary to slip into unconsciousness before withdrawing the water globe.
Emboldened by the snake familiar's concern over its mistress, Pallas closed her eyes and put her hands to her temples.
"You need to go beddie-bye time now," the diminutive Senshi thought, trying to get past Keika's mental defenses and telepathically plant the suggestion in her mind. Pallas could feel her connection with her center wavering due to her lingering fear of the snake familiar, but she pressed on. Even though Keika didn't respond initially, Pallas continued to project the thought message.
"You think they can take her down?" Saturn asked Ceres, while brandishing her glaive at the ready.
"Be ready if they can't," Ceres responded. "Floral Stimulation," she said softly. At her behest, vines began to poke through the floor. They grew to a certain height, then waited at the ready to intercede when their creator commanded.
At once, the snake familiar struck the water globe, fangs extended. Demonic venom flowed into the water and the globe instantly lost surface tension. The liquid spilled out all over the floor. While Keika gasped in precious air, Juno flinched back from the mental feedback. Vesta squeezed harder, trying to keep Keika from inhaling. However, she was forced to relinquish her hold when the snake familiar struck too closely. Slipping to the floor, Vesta transformed into a crocodile. She growled at the snake familiar, jaws open and ready to snap.
The demonic snake wasn't done. Pallas had continued to send the telepathic message to Keika, hoping to put her to sleep. Sensing this, the snake lunged at Pallas. Both Vesta and Saturn interceded quickly, Vesta snapping at the snake while Saturn's blade cut off the snake's path to Pallas. But the damage had been done. Pallas's fearful reaction broke her concentration and ended the message.
"Filthy little CHILDREN!" fumed Keika. "You DARE to assault the mistress of the eldritch arts!"
At a subtle prod from Ceres, the shoots at Keika's feet sprang up and began wrapping around her legs. More shot up and caught her wrists, quickly winding around them until her arms were restrained. Rather than panic, Keika only grew even more angry.
"AGAROTARAH!" she bellowed. The vines around her went from green to brown in seconds, withering at her touch and growing brittle. Ceres doubled over in pain and sank to one knee.
Keika viciously jerked her limbs free of the brittle vines. But a blink of motion caught her eye and then she stopped when she felt cold steel against her throat. Saturn stood before her, the blade of her glaive pressed up to her neck. The snake familiar was behind Keika, weaving back and forth as if it hoped to hypnotize Saturn and then strike over its mistress's shoulder. Keika glowered at Saturn.
"End it," Keika sneered contemptuously, "if you think you can."
"We don't want to hurt you," Saturn responded with barely restrained emotion. "We just want our Princess back. Lift the spell and we'll leave."
"I am the aggrieved party here!" Keika spat. "Your Princess trespassed against me! My actions are just!"
"We've been through this!" Saturn snapped. "Release the spell!"
The snake continued to bob back and forth. It seemed the only thing holding it back was how close the glaive was to Keika's throat.
"Do it, Saturn!" Vesta the crocodile hissed. "We've been too long messing with this crazy lady!"
"Muzzle your pet," Keika scowled.
"I'll show you 'pet'!" Vesta snarled and started to lunge.
"Vesta, she's baiting you!" Juno yelled. "It's Saturn's play! Don't interfere!"
"Indeed it is your 'play'," Keika said, staring Saturn right in the eyes. "I will not release the spell. So, little girl with the big axe, can you execute me for that? Is it in you?"
"I don't want to," Saturn replied, her jaw firm. "But I will if I have to - - for her. She's the best friend I ever had. I won't see her die if I can prevent it."
"Then drop your blade," Keika stated coldly, "for if you kill me, your precious Princess dies. I am the ONLY ONE who can lift her curse."
And Saturn hesitated for just a moment, silently wondering if what Keika said was true. In that moment's hesitation, Saturn saw fearsome bat-like creatures, fangs bared, grow up out of Keika's eyes, their greedy black orbs focused entirely on her. Reflexively Saturn stepped back, pulling the glaive from Keika's throat and swinging it at the bat creatures that only she saw.
Seeing its chance, the demon snake lunged for Saturn. In turn, Vesta the crocodile lunged for Keika, seeking to bite her right leg off below the knee. Keika jumped back to avoid Vesta's sharp teeth, pulling the snake so that its lunge was stopped short. Her movement also destroyed the vision she had implanted in Saturn. By now Ceres and Juno had recovered enough to bring their powers to bear. Ceres brought forth belladonna nightshade plants that began growing around Keika, the thinking being that if the plants withered against her skin they would release their narcotic into her. Juno began peppering Keika with water pellets, hoping to distract her so that the others could overcome her. Pallas joined in and began firing objects from around them with her telekinesis.
It all quickly became too much for the dark mistress to stand. "Malazindrotha!" Keika bellowed out.
An energy force radiated out from Keika, billowing out her skirt and flinging her black mane back from her body. The energy struck all of the Senshi and flung them back from her. The five Senshi landed on the other side of the room and landed hard. They tried to pull themselves up as Keika gathered herself. The dark woman took three steps toward them.
"You five have more than earned my wrath!" Keika seethed. "The only thing that has saved you so far is that you number more than even my familiar can poison at a time! But do not think for a moment that you are saved!"
Reaching over to the shelf of bottles, Keika grabbed a green-tinted container. The liquid inside instantly began to bubble the moment the bottle made contact with her skin. In one grand gesture, Keika raised the bottle up over her head.
"Begone forever from my sight!" Keika roared. And she flung the bottle at them.
"Silence Wall!" Saturn shouted desperately. The bottle struck the force shield and exploded, filling the area with dense black smoke. It took a full minute for the thick cloud to dissipate. When it finally did, there was nothing left on the floor but a black scorch mark radiating out from the center like a star.
Keika smiled in satisfaction.
Continued in Chapter 7