Chapter 83: A Fatal Error

[Scene: Blackmoon Cove. Saffir rises from his chair and walks to the table covered with implements]

Demande: Lucky Saffir. He gets to draw first blood. [To Esmeraude] What you think? Crowbar?

Esmeraude: I'm betting… crowbar.

Demande: I think you'd have a hard time getting anyone here to bet against you.

[Saffir picks up a crowbar. Then looks at Zoi, who still hasn't taken his eyes off Kunzite.]

[Then Saffir puts it back down and picks up a bullwhip]

Demande: Whoa. What a shocking development. Mr. Crowbar has abandoned his initial gameplan of bludgeoning the poor lad and has decided to adopt the more dramatic but decidedly less lethal bull-whip.

Esmeraude: You think this change in strategy has anything to do with the fact he gets to go first?

Demande: That would certainly explain it. A crowbar might be a bit too senseless for this early in the game, but a whip would provide the wakeup call this youngster needs in order to comprehend just how thoroughly screwed he is at the moment.

[Saffir takes his place behind whipping post, shaking out the coils of the whip and taking aim as Zoi's back.]

[Zoi swallows hard with wide eyes and is finally starting to look frightened.]

Kunzite: Courage, Zoisite. Regardless of how this looks, he won't actually harm you.

[There is a flash next to Neffy. Kunzite frowns as Jeddy appears, dressed like Rambo, with a Bowie knife in each hand.]

Kunzite: [in a low voice] I certainly hope you're not here to try to intervene for Nephrite's sake.

Jeddy: [laughs with glee] And give up our one and only shot at wiping out the Blackmoons once and for all? I wouldn't dream of it!

[Neffy give him a scathing look over his bridle]

Jeddy: No offense Neffy, but I'm just here for my piece of the action. Though I must say, Kunzite, I'm rather hurt that you decided to host a genocide and didn't think to invite me.

Kunzite: [a bit uneasy] You figured out what is about to happen here?

Jeddy: [shrugs] Isn't it obvious?

[Kunzite and Neffy both stare at him. Jeddy sighs]

Jeddy: Beryl explained it to me.

Kunzite: Where's Beryl?

Jeddy: She's back on her divan, sipping cocktails and watching us in her crystal ball. [waves]

Kunzite: So she doesn't want any part of this?

Jeddy: She'd rather not get her gown all messy with bit of flying Blackmoon, so she's happy enough just watching.

Kunzite: Just stay out of my way. [points at Demande] And leave that one for me. I vowed I'd kill him first.

[A few of the Blackmoon are getting nervous, including Demande, who is frowning with open concern.]

[Esmeraude grabs the microphone.]

Emseraude: In case any of you morons are too stupid to figure it out, this is called ACTING! That's when people say stuff that's NOT TRUE, and anyone with half a brain knows it's NOT TRUE, but STUPID people still BELIEVE them! The Shitennou figure if they keep LYING, we might start to FORGET there is absolutely NOTHING they can do to any of us!

[Her voice is so belittling in its tone that any nervous Blackmoons feel foolish and resume a cold and disdainful demeanor.]

Kunzite: You're wrong, you stupid girl.

Esmeraude: Really? Then what's your PLAN, smartass?

Kunzite: The only thing you need to know is that your cousin here is about to break the covenant, and once the covenant is broken, you lose all of Mother's protection from us.

[Kunzite addressed the larger assembly]

Kunzite: This is your last chance. Convince your king to let Zoisite go without further harm and I will be forever in your debt. But persist in this foolishness and you have my solemn word that I will show no mercy to any of you. Your might is nothing compared to the Shitennou. Those moons will vanish from your heads and once they do, you will flee like rats. For all the good it will do you. We will hunt your entire species to extinction.

[Turns his attention to Demande]

Kunzite: This will be the End of Times for the Blackmoon Clan, and you, King Demande, will be the ill-fated monarch who brought about the end of his people. For no good reason I can think of. You won't even have a place in history. As of tomorrow the Blackmoon Clan will all be dead and forgotten.

[There is a moment of absolute silence]

[Saffir stands, uncertain how to proceed. He looks to his Demande.]

[Demande leans close to the microphone]

Demande: Give him hell, brother.

[Saffir draws back his arm, and with a savage warcry, brings it forward to lash out with the whip.]

Jeddy: [grinning] And clang goes the dinner bell.

[The following happens in the blink of an eye….]

[Kunzite releases Neffy, leaving him completely unfettered.]

[Neffy vanishes in a flash and reappears inches from Zoi, catching the barb of the whip in his hand.]

[Neffy screams in terrible agony as his flesh starts to melt from his body, since a Shitennou can do nothing at Blackmoon Cove, but scream in agony as the flesh melts from his body.]

[The Blackmoons scream in mindless terror at the unexpected spectacle of a Shitennou on their land. And a melting, screaming Shitennou at that. Some cower, some just scream, but the ones that have guns draw their weapons and open fire on Neffy.]

[In that very instant they realize what they have just done. They have done the one thing they have been trained from birth not to do. They have willingly and deliberately attacked a Shitennou with intent to cause harm.]

[In a split second Neffy's flesh stops melting. He looks down at his dripping hands, which are rapidly healing themselves, and he laughs hysterically.]

Neffy: You fools! I'm alive! Oh my god! It worked! Kunzite's plan actually worked!

[He laughs harder as the Blackmoons gasp in terror as they watch the moons fading from each other's foreheads.]