CHAPTER 32

Luna was very worried about poor Serena. Ever since Darien had disappeared after seeming to be mortally wounded she had never been the same. She was telling all this to the other four girls and Artemis in the grounds of the Cherry Hill Temple.
"Every night I hear her moaning and saying "Darien" or "Tuxedo Mask please come back to me" in her sleep. And when she is awake during the day she goes into a decline and hardly eats anything. At school she won't talk to any of her friends. Not even Molly. Everybody is getting concerned for her. But she won't talk to any one at all."

Amy sighed. "The poor girl."
Lita said, "And she's really not eating properly? This is very very alarming Luna."
"I know," Luna agreed. "She's so weak she's having more and more accident-prone moments than she normally has on average. She may hurt herself really badly any time."
Curled up in Mina's lap Artemis snorted, "Why's she such a wimp? What kind of Moon Princess goes into a hyper self-destructive mood denying all attempts to help her at a time when we need her the most?"
"Don't be so harsh Artemis." It was Raye who had spoken, "Try to understand. Somebody she really cared about has departed from her life forever. The process of shock and grief takes different amounts of time for different people to get over. No matter how difficult things may be we must support her in this time of heartbreak."
Lita was surprised. "So why are you actually standing up for Serena Raye? Didn't you always used to think that she was unworthy to be our leader and that you would be a better person for the position?"
Raye cringed and bowed her head blushing with real shame. The memory of how she had once attempted to use mind control over Lita and Amy to assert herself as the leader of their team hung heavy upon her shoulders.
"I admit it. I never thought she was much of a leader but when I saw how she handled the Imperium Silver Crystal to strike that powerful blow against Zoicite when she was revealed as the Princess I realized how much I had misjudged her. Underneath the whinging, the whining and all her other faults she really is a strong able-bodied leader at heart. I wish I had realized that sooner and striven to try to encourage her to persevere rather than criticize her personal failings."
Lita and Amy both gasped and placed a hand of comfort on each of Raye's shoulders. "There! There! It's okay Raye," they both spoke soothingly to her and she began to cry gratefully.

Artemis then proceeded down to business. "Well then Luna. You'll have to reach out to her and give her consolement."
Luna answered with her head bowed, "Don't think I haven't tried Artemis. But Serena isn't like an electrical appliance you send to the electrician to get fixed. I don't think just talking to her will work."
Then looking up she addressed the whole group, "Perhaps one of you girls can think of a really super major way to cheer her up? I have a feeling it will take something really big to distract her from what her mind is focussed upon."
Mina thought for a minute then said, "Perhaps I know what will do the trick. All the other girls in town are really, really, really wild about this new Hair Salon business that's recently opened up in town. I will try to get Serena keen to go there for a treatment with me."
Luna and the others all wished her good luck.
"I hope Serena will come out of her shell." Raye was sincerely regretful of her past behaviour and she wanted to be able to make amends with Serena.

Later that day Mina went to visit Serena at her house. Her mother was just going out shopping when Mina arrived. "I'm so happy you're here Mina." She gave a smile as she opened the car door to climb in. "I've been very worried about Serena and so has her father and brother. I hope you can cheer her up."
"I'll do my very best," Mina promised as Serena's mother drove away and they waved cheerfully at each other.
Mina went upstairs to Serena's room and found her lying face down on her bed with the musical star locket playing. Her sobs were so piteous to behold.
"Hey Serena. I've come to spend some time with you."
Serena looked up and seeing Mina she actually smiled through her tears. She liked Mina very much. One of the reasons being that she reminded her so much of Sailor V and she still only barely knew her.
She closed the locket and sat up. "Mina. Hi there."
Mina sat down next to her and placed her arm around her shoulders. "You really miss him heaps don't you?"
Serena sniffed, "Yes. I never thought I'd miss hearing him call me Meatball Head."
"But you know he wouldn't want you to cry for him all the time. He'd want you to carry on and enjoy your life."
Serena knew this was true. "I know that's right Mina. I think I know now exactly how Molly felt when Nephlite was killed. But I sure wish Darien would appear to me as a spirit sometime. Molly's at least seen Nephlite twice and realizes he cares for her."
Mina hugged her friend and gave her her handkerchief to blow her nose on.
As Serena blew Mina said consolingly, "I'm sure Tuxedo Mask is still watching over you invisibly though. Why don't you come with me and enjoy something fun and really special?"
"Like what Mina?"
"Let's go to the new Hair and Beauty Salon. They're having 75% discount on all treatment at the moment. Will you please come with me Serena?"
Serena loved getting beauty treatment and so she wiped away her tears and said, "Goodie! I'm with you Mina."

But before Serena and Mina even set out to walk to the salon the people who worked there already had other visitors. One of the Plant Trio, Suzuran had been sent out by Malachite along with Castor and Pollux to assist her in setting up a trap there. Queen Beryl had announced that soon Darien would be completely in her power but in the meantime she wanted her army to try to capture Sailor Moon and try to get the Silver Crystal off of her.
The lady in charge of the salon had a horrible scare as Castor and Pollux materialized out of thin air and began to place all her staff and customers into a hypnotic trance. "Sleep all you stupid humans. Sleep until we tell you to wake up under our control," Pollux yelled while she and Castor laughed loudly.
Then before the poor woman could say or do anything Suzuran appeared in front of her and grabbed her head with both her hands. "You will now obey whatever I command you," Suzuran said this with icy venom in her voice while the woman briefly struggled before submitting to the Nega-influence with a glassy look in her eyes.
"Yes my mistress. I am at your service" she droned in a robotic voice.
Suzuran then gave orders to Castor and Pollux. "Make sure all the devices for hair steam treatment are infected with the sorcery General Malachite obtained from the Negaforce. Then if any of the five Sailor Scouts come here and use them we will be able to take her prisoner. Sailor Moon will have to surrender the Imperium Crystal to save one of her friends. Or if we capture her herself we will force her to hand it over."
"We are right on it Suzuran," Castor replied.
The trap was baited then the three of them hid themselves with magic invisibility while all the women woke up. The current customers marched into the staff room to hide out until required while the boss and her employees tended to new customers as if nothing had happened.
And at this time Mina and Serena were just on their way to get their hair washed, cut, styled and steamed.

When they did arrive the boss greeted them both with a happy smile. "Welcome. What can we do for you today girls?"
Serena said, "I fancy a real make over from head to toe!"
Mina was very pleased to see how keenly Serena was wrapped up in this idea. "I'm interested in just getting my face and hair looked at personally."
The boss replied, "Well I'll begin on your friend personally while Maria tends to you."
She directed the lady she called Maria to lead Mina to a sink for washing her hair while she herself led Serena to another. While the two girls had the full treatment of shampoo and conditioner applied to them all the while the Negaverse enemies had their eyes rivetted to the hair steamer machines. None of the ladies who were in them so far had triggered the magic alarm. Either Serena or Mina would set them off depending on who was ready to go from the washing stage to the steaming stage first.

Eventually it was Maria who finished with Mina while the boss was still doing the finishing touches on Serena. Mina was led by Maria over to the nearest vacant chair and the device was placed over her head. Still invisible Castor and Pollux whispered in excitement to Suzuran, "The alarm is beeping! That girl is a Sailor Scout!"
"Excellent! Now we have what we've been waiting for." Suzuran exerted her influence over all her controlled captives. The boss reacted with a sudden jerk while she was rinsing Serena's hair.
"OUCH!" Serena was startled by the shock of her hair being pulled. "Watch it! That was way too hard." But while her face was covered by the thin cloth designed to keep shampoo and conditioner out of her eyes she failed to realize that the woman had left her side. The customers were taken by surprise as the staff all sprayed them in the face with aerosol cans that knocked them out and the previous customers all came out of the staff room to crowd around Mina to her amazement.
"Hey! Where are you?" Serena called out from under the cloth.

The boss lady placed both her hands firmly on Mina's shoulders as Suzuran, Castor and Pollux made themselves visible on her right and left. "So you are a Sailor Scout," Suzuran sneered at her and the Gemini Twins laughed.
"Which one are you?" Castor guffawed.
"Are you Sailor Moon? Or one of the others?" Pollux chortled.
Mina realized that the salon had been a subtle trap and said nothing.
"We have ways of making you talk back at the Negaverse. We will get the Imperium Crystal for Queen Beryl," added Suzuran.
But in all the excitement they had forgotten about Serena and upon hearing the commotion she had quietly sneaked away, crawling on the floor to a secluded area where she could transform. "MOON PRISM POWER!"

Having transformed she called out a challenge. "Hey you creeps! It's me Sailor Moon! If you want my crystal why don't you fight me instead of bullying my friend?"
Suzuran scoffed, "That's pretty tough talk Sailor Moon considering that we could easily force you to hand over the crystal by threatening whichever one of your friends we've captured."
Sailor Moon realized this was true and said, "Oops," while two other brainwashed women moved in to help the first one restrain Mina securely while she struggled.
But then Suzuran's face turned ugly. "But in fact things are rather personal now Sailor Moon. Your friend is certainly not going anywhere and we will get that crystal. However Queen Beryl's orders do not include keeping you unhurt or even alive. Castor! Pollux! Destroy her as vengeance for Madam Zoicite!"
Castor and Pollux stepped forward with their tails tied together.
"We've learned our lesson Sailor Moon."
"And we still remember what powers our old Commander taught us."
Sailor Moon made a nervous face and muttered, "Hoo boy. I'm in for it now."
As Castor yelled, "MARS FIRE IGNITE!", Sailor Moon desperately ducked down behind a small ledge with rows of potted plants. She screamed as the fire raged over her head and when it dissipated she screamed again to see all the plants in their pots burnt to crumbling cinders.
She desperately rolled over and over somersaulting out of the way as the Twins soared up above her and Pollux attacked in turn, "MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!"
The area of the floor where she had previously been crouched upon and everything in close proximity was frozen solid by the attack of extremely cold bubbles.
While Sailor Moon was tumbling head over heels she hit a trolley laden with hairdressing equipment spilling everything onto the floor. Just as the twins had turned around to give Castor another go at using her deadly fireballs, quick thinkingly Sailor Moon grabbed a small container of talcum powder and lobbed it in her adversary's direction. Before Castor knew what was happening it struck her in the face and the powder burst everywhere making her cough and choke and sneeze. Pollux was also taken by surprise and their tails were pulled apart while Castor jerked about violently.
Sailor Moon prepared to take advantage of this to eliminate the Gemini Twins and she whipped off her tiara.
"MOON TIARA,OUCH!"
As she was preparing to launch her attack she felt something graze her hand making her drop the tiara.
She was stunned. "Ow. What happened? Huh? A-a rose?"
She saw a red rose sticking in the floor and realized it was what had struck her. Quickly picking up her tiara she looked around in wonder to see a familiar figure with a top hat, mask, cape and cane sitting in one of the hair-dressing swivel chairs. As it swung around to face her she gasped in wonderment. "Tuxedo Mask? Is it really you? You're still alive?"
He just stared coldly at her and the red rose he had thrown turned as black as midnight as he got to his feet and approached her tear-stained, smiling face. Castor was coughing and trying to rub the talcum powder out of her eyes. Pollux realized what was happening and calmly produced a rag to help Castor and Suzuran observed the proceedings smugly.
"Hey don't get your hopes up Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said. "I want the Silver Imperium Crystal for Queen Beryl."
Sailor Moon was blown away with shock and so was Mina still under restraint. "Tuxedo Mask's being controlled by the Negaforce," she thought to herself while Sailor Moon trembled and almost fainted with disbelief.
"Wh-wh-what have they done to you Tuxedo Mask?"
Pollux laughed while she wiped Castor's face. "Your hero has had all his memories of his past life completely erased Sailor Moon. All he knows or understands now is that he is to serve and honour Queen Beryl and the Negaforce. And his primary mission is to get the Silver Imperium Crystal you hold."
"No. It can't be." Sailor Moon was crying sorrowful tears once more and Suzuran called out to the Gemini Twins.
"Castor! Pollux! Let Tuxedo Mask take over. I'll send all the brainwashed women after Sailor Moon to help him. You help me take this Scout prisoner to the Negaverse while she is untransformed."
With that the boss lady, all the employees and all the customers converged together and to Sailor Moon's dismay they all magically transformed into one huge 10 foot tall figure armed with a dangerously sharp looking pair of scissors in one hand and a razor blade in the other.
While Castor, Pollux and Suzuran were grappling with Mina in the chair Suzuran called over her shoulder, "Our Negaverse magic is full of frightening surprises isn't it Sailor Moon? In that form our brainwashed victims are all an invincibly combined force. You are finished. Get her!"
As the giant lunged at her swinging the razor and snipping the scissors Sailor Moon shrieked and desperately dodged the attack circling behind.
As Tuxedo Mask himself commanded the giant to destroy her that was the final breaking point for her. With a despairing wail Sailor Moon ran towards the front doors of the salon. As she rushed outside Tuxedo Mask called after her,
"You can run Sailor Moon. But you won't be able to hide."
The giant followed breaking through the door and part of the wall and Tuxedo Mask grimly walked out through the wreckage.

As for Mina while her three assailants were trying to subdue her and Castor produced an aerosol spray can of the same kind that had been used to knock out all the other current customers she realized she needed to act quickly. Fighting with all her might she reached out with one hand seizing Castor's wrist and twisting it with all her strength. Castor screamed and her finger pressed the plunger in a spasm of pain sending the knockout gas flying into Suzuran's face. She coughed and gasped as she breathed it in and collapsed to the floor. Before the others knew what was happening Mina had wrenched the can out of Castor's severely weakened grip and sprayed them both as well. With the Gemini Twins and Suzuran all sprawled unconscious at her feet she reached into her pocket and pulled out the stick that Artemis had given her when he had revealed her powers to her. The same sort of transformation device that Luna had previously given Sailor Moon's other three friends and she held it high calling out, "VENUS POWER!"
Having transformed she knew she needed to go and get the others straight away. Sailor Moon needed their help.

And need it she certainly did. Tuxedo Mask was commanding the giant and he ordered it to relentlessly slash at Sailor Moon with scissors and razor. She was running out of breath from the exertion of trying to stay ahead and from panic. She only narrowly avoided the deadly blades as she ducked and weaved.
"You can't keep dodging forever Sailor Moon." He stood nearby pointing his cane at her. "I'd suggest you hand over the Silver Crystal while you're still alive to do so."
"Never!" Sailor Moon was defiant. "I'll never give in to you. No matter what."
Tuxedo Mask actually had a pained, anguished expression on his face for a split second, but it disappeared as the power of the Negaforce maintained rigid control over him. "So be it. Kill her," he shouted to the giant and as it lunged once more Sailor Moon barely jumped out of the way. But as she landed on her back she realized that the end had come. With no more strength she just lay there helpless and shut her eyes so as not to see the instrument that was going to snuff her out.

But then she heard familiar voices cry out familiar attacks.
"MARS FIRE,"
"JUPITER THUNDER,"
"IGNITE!"
"CRASH!"
A combined attack of fireballs and electrical lightning knocked the giant off its feet. Sailor Moon realized that her friends had arrived in the nick of time and as she crawled out of the way, Sailor Mercury followed up to incapacitate the giant with her chilly bubble spray.
"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!"
While the giant was blinded and shivering with cold Sailor Venus cried out to Sailor Moon to quickly use her wand. Sailor Moon complied and the Silver Imperium Crystal on the end of her wand glowed with power as she brandished it. "MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"
The magical healing energy washed over the giant who changed back into all the poor women who had been put under the Negaverse spell and they collapsed on top of each other in an unconscious pile-up.

Tuxedo Mask growled in fury as Sailor Mars started to approach him.
"Are you okay?" she asked him. "We thought you were dead. It's great to see you again."
Sailor Venus urgently raised her voice. "Don't go near him Mars! He's not the same Tuxedo Mask the rest of you knew before I joined you. Queen Beryl has brainwashed him so that he works for her now."
Everybody gasped including Luna and Artemis who were also present.
Sailor Venus went on while Sailor Moon began to sob. "It's true. He was controlling the monster that was attacking Sailor Moon."
"That's absolutely correct," Tuxedo Mask confirmed Sailor Venus' words with a cold, hard tone in his voice. "I want that crystal for Queen Beryl and I'll fight you one by one or all together in order to get it. So who's first?"
Sailor Mars gasped in disbelief. "This can't be!"
But just as Tuxedo Mask took one threatening step forward two things happened. Firstly he gasped in disbelief and mental anguish for a split second like he had earlier before he'd commanded the monster to kill Sailor Moon.
Secondly Queen Beryl's voice rang out and her head appeared in the sky above them all just like when she had appeared to call Malachite and her other army members back when Sailor Venus had first appeared. "Tuxedo Mask. Report back to me immediately." After a brief pause she added, "You're not ready to take on all five of them yet."
Tuxedo Mask frowned, then he said to the Scouts, "So you have received a lucky reprieve. But I'll be back and next time I'm not leaving without that crystal." He pointed to the wand clutched tightly in Sailor Moon's hands and turned away with a flourishing sweep of his cape. "So long fools."
As he disappeared through a shimmering portal Sailor Moon broke down and cried bitterly.

But as the women who were all piled up on top of each other began to stir and struggle, Luna and Artemis took charge. "Sailor Moon. Please compose yourself. There are people to look after," Luna began and Artemis continued,
"That's right. Help the other Scouts make sure they're all right."
Sailor Moon quickly wiped her eyes and blew her nose, then together she and her friends helped the ladies rise to their feet. They were all confused. But alive and uninjured and extremely grateful to the Sailor Scouts.
"You girls are so wonderful. We're very lucky to have you in our city. Without you who knows what would have become of all of us?" The woman in charge of the salon was smiling broadly and led everybody else in a chorus of applause and cheering.

As they all returned to the salon to check on those who had been rendered unconscious back there Sailor Venus told her friends about Suzuran, Castor and Pollux. The Sailor Scouts were planning to capture them alive and hold them prisoner to question them about Queen Beryl's newest plans and also how they might be able to de-brainwash their ally Tuxedo Mask. But that was alas, not to be.
They discovered all three of them gone and all the customers were slumped in their chairs still out cold. The Sailor Scouts immediately instructed the salon staff to call for ambulances to take the victims straight to hospital.

What had happened was that Queen Beryl had noticed through her crystal ball the unconscious figures of her three soldiers and had sent Gureepo, Housenka and Yasha to retrieve them and bring them back to her throne room. But when they woke up they found their monarch was all out of patience. "I am not amused by the way you allowed yourselves to be so easily overpowered by one of those Sailor Scouts who wasn't even transformed." Her soldiers cringed in apprehensive terror as she spoke harshly to them, "You should have helped Tuxedo Mask get the crystal before the others turned up. Thanks to your bungling that Scout was able to escape and alert the others before Sailor Moon was defeated. We could have had the Silver Crystal and been triumphant by now. This means serious discipline."
So the Doom and Gloom Girls were given permission to play with them for one whole hour. The Gemini Twins were forced to endure the agony of having their tails squeezed in vices while Suzuran had her wrists tied painfully together with thick, strong rope and she was hung up in the air. Castor and Pollux screamed and wailed while Suzuran struggled and jerked herself around as her arms groaned with having to support the weight of her own body. After dangling with her arms locked above her head and nothing to support her feet for almost 15 minutes she began to sob and moan, "Let me down. Please let me down!"
But Queen Beryl decreed one full hour so she had to endure it. Likewise Castor and Pollux with their tails. When they were released they were wrecks. Especially Suzuran, who was sent to the hospital ward.

Queen Beryl warned Malachite and the others not to fail her also. "I will tolerate no more impediments to our invasion plans. I also want you to keep trying to locate those wretched rebels Jedite, Titus and Dream Dolly. As soon as you uncover their hiding place they must be slaughtered. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Queen Beryl," Malachite spoke tremblingly for all of them as the others were so scared stiff they could not speak.
All this time Tuxedo Mask stood in the background observing everything with a cold and unfeeling expression behind his mask. All he cared about was his mission for Queen Beryl though occasionally he wondered for split seconds at a time why he should have to fight against the Sailor Scouts. It didn't seem right. Especially in regards to Sailor Moon.