Creepy as the hybrids in the air had been, the teams had to remain hopeful the next onslaught would not be as hellish. Living in the underground for days is about as dark and disgusting as it sounds. While there are lights, the group was reduced to using lanterns to conserve energy and be eco-friendly, and Fish Eye took to cleaning the place as it had not been used in so long.

"Hey, Fish Eye, the girls and I were talking, and the subject of boys came up, and we were wondering if you have a crush on one of your male cohorts?" Crystal asked.

"What? No, of course not! Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye are more like older brothers to me." Fish Eye laughed.

"Did you have a boyfriend as a fish?" Alexis questioned, innocent as always.

"No. What is the sudden interest in my love life?" Fish Eye blushed, uncomfortable.

"We don't have much to talk about," Cerecere admitted.

Pallas began rummaging through the weapons, careful not to set off anything, and picking up a laser stinger. Being the most modest members of their respective teams, they are sensible in picking their weapons. Sadly, none of them were physically capable of handling the larger weapons, so Crystal chose the long sword (learning ballet helped her wield it effortlessly), Alexis decided on the shotgun (she knew Holly would want her to use that one), Fish Eye examined the sickles, and Cerecere also came up with a laser stinger.

"I'm not used to these..." Fish Eye tried to figure out how to use the sickles effectively.

"Practice makes perfect." Crystal recited what her intellectual mother had always said to her, and Alexis groaned as Michiru had always told her that, too.

Pallas and Cerecere helped the blue-clad woman practice how to swing her weapon correctly, as they had seen farmers on Concordia always use modified versions of these to cut tall grass and grain. All the girls had to get used to their weapons a little as they should learn to use them as successfully as their powers. As they mimicked fighting moves, Crystal looked at the ceiling, thinking.

"What's up, Crystal?" Alexis inquired of her light brunette friend.

"Do you ever wonder who built these tunnels?" Crystal pondered.

"I thought people made them?" Fish Eye is surprised to learn this is not the case.

"People fitted it with tech, but originally, no, these tunnels are too large to be man-made." Crystal analyzed the walls, which had been attempted to be smoothed, but some parts still had enormous claw marks all over them!

"I just hope whatever did THAT is long gone now." Alexis whimpered, referring to the marks on the walls and blue eyes alight with terror.

"I'm sure nothing is living here now except us." Cerecere tried comforting Neptune's daughter.

"Pallas will help protect Alexis!" Pallas hugged the sea-powered girl.

Alexis gave the young ball balancer a strained smile, not understanding how she could be so chipper at a time like this and still a little unsettled why she talked in 3rd person as she proved she could speak normally, but that was not the most significant concern. Feeling a song would help lighten the mood, Crystal began singing. Unfortunately, Mercury's daughter had a habit of singing just whatever came to mind first, and, due to their situation, she started singing a fan-made song called Gloomy Town, which made the others feel more like they were going to die down here from depression!

"C-C-Crystal, maybe you should sing something else? ANYTHING else. Or don't sing." Alexis tried not to sound too harsh, but did the soldier of water think that song was ideal for this circumstance

"Sorry..." Crystal blushed in embarrassment.

"Why don't you girls just try and relax? I'll go see if anything has changed aboveground." Fish Eye turned to leave.

"Please, be careful." Cerecere implored.

Fish Eye softly smiled and nodded back. Going through a procedure to exit the bunker, the blue-eyed woman thinks back to everything she has learned since turning human, good and bad. She felt highly proud she turned out to be a happy-go-lucky, loyal, and clever person with a kind heart and compassionate soul. Sometimes, she can still be overly curious, flirty, or easily angered, but who does not have a few flaws? Fish Eye could say she experienced and understood more than any ordinary fish. Looking across the landscape, the blue-haired female thought the Moon looked as harmonious and peaceful as Concordia, and the young woman missed it.

Why was Lucius trying to destroy that?! Speaking of Lucius, his following message made the Moon royals' blood boil: He contacted them while Helenia and he lay in bed together! Luna, Artemis, and Diana tried to keep the royals from losing their tempers.

"Your new friend is almost as stunning as my wife, though why is she scurrying about in the shadows like a rat?" Lucius is focusing on someone behind Neo-Queen Serenity.

"That's no way to refer to an old friend." This shadowy guest walked into the lights.

"I have no friends left from over one thousand years ago!" Lucius barked.

"Take a closer look..." This woman used magic to change her red hair to black, red eyes to purple, and clothes.

When Lucius's eyes adjusted to the changes, he almost could not believe it, "Impossible! I heard you died! Beryl, could it be you?!"

"Who would pretend to be me? No one valued me in the past, and I'll be despised in the future." Beryl shrugged as though this fact did not bother her.

"Fair point. I valued you in the past; you were the closest thing I had to a friend. We were in the same boat regarding magic rank, though I disagreed with your decision to wage war with the Moon. I never despised you, for you treated me so kindly." Lucius's voice dripped with the newfound sound of nostalgia.

"Lucius..." Beryl had to remember why she had finally agreed to come here, "stop this. Your attacks have put my daughter and her generals in danger. What will happen if one of your forces misfires a shot and kills Simone?!"

"What? If my forces kill Simone, it will be unfortunate, but Helenia and I can always have another child. Your daughter and her generals?" Lucius had seen Jewrl and her Senshi before but did not know them.

"I had a daughter with Endymion. Her generals are the daughters of my former generals." Beryl did not blame Lucuis for not knowing this, as they had agreed to keep him in the dark as much as possible to give them the advantage.

"So, Endymion had a daughter with you but left to marry Neo-Queen Serenity and had another daughter anyway?" Despite how horrible that sounded, Lucius was right.

"There's a bit more to that story." Endymion's gaze hesitantly shifted between the two women, but they did not seem to pay attention to each other right now.

"I'm sure. It'll be an interesting tale to hear. I'm looking forward to it once my kingdom is back together." Lucius stroked Helenia's head as she lay against his chest.

"How are you going to hear it if you kill us?!" Beryl hissed as Elizabeth rubbed against her legs to try to calm her, which, surprisingly, seemed to work.

"I will try not to kill you or your daughter. Anyone from the former Dark Kingdom is welcome to live in my kingdom. I can't wait to see you in person again, Beryl." Lucius blew her a kiss and ended the communication.

Beryl sighed in annoyance, "I knew he wouldn't recognize me unless I were in my old form. He won't stop."

"We feared he wouldn't." Neo-Quuen Serenity sat down wearily.

"I feel sick..." Swiftly, Beryl left the Command Center, but the couple could tell she was uncomfortable, stressed, and upset.

Meanwhile, Quartz and Rose played with Simone as kittens under Chibiusa's vigilant supervision. Both kittens had decent personality traits, and Simone could benefit from learning. For about 4 or 5 days, nothing happened, then it started: Deep in the tunnels, where Neo-Queen Serenity had assured the girls any old animal burrows had been blocked off, came a skin-crawling sound: Something was pushing itself through the soil! Whatever it is, the animals are terrified as they can be heard scattering about, clearing out!

"What's going on?!" Fish Eye trembled.

"Let's transform, but be quick." Cerecere forewarned.

Transforming did make the girls feel braver as they had more speed, strength, and stamina this way. Emergency sirens went off, and one end of the bunker closed up to prevent whatever was coming towards them from getting closer!

"Is there any magic backup down here?!" Neo-Super Sailor Neptune asked in a shriek.

"Not that I know of. Why?" Neo-Super Sailor Mercury replied, a little shaken.

"Because those doors aren't going to hold for much longer!" Sailor Ceres yelled, drawing the laser stinger.

Looking at the doors, they seemed to be smoking...and melting! Strangely, a voice precisely like Alexis's told Neptune she better turn around and pull out her mirror, so she listened. This short girl guessed this was Guardian Neptune telling her to do this!

"Everyone, look into my mirror! It will protect you!" Not clear WHAT it was supposed to protect them from yet, Neptune's pleading blue eyes convinced the others to do as she said.

Neptune raised her mirror until it was level with the hole in the door. Only something was peeking through the hole at them now! A large, angry, glowing, orange eye with a cat-like pupil spotted them! Mercury and Neptune could not help letting loose a scream, and this mythical monster barreled toward them as they bolted! Too terrified to look behind her, Mercury glanced into Neptune's mirror and saw a basilisk chasing them!

Finding a side room to hide in, Mercury whispered to the Amazoness Senshi, "Does Helenia allow basilisks on Concordia?"

"Lucius must have bred that basilisk." This thought horrified Sailor Aqua, but it was the only explanation of why a creature like a Basilisk would foolishly attack a group of Senshi.

"As long as we don't look directly into its eyes or get too close to its mouth, we'll be OK." Ceres wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Because basilisks are gigantic, they have advanced sight and hearing, which makes it almost impossible for prey to hide! Cornered in this room, Sailor Pallas did whatever she could think of to save their lives. So, she created the same spikes as before, tore them from the ground, and, jumping up, jammed them into the giant snake's eyes! Screeching in pain, the serpent could still hear and smell them! Aqua turned to the younger girls, glaring. She put a finger to her lips to warn them to be as silent as the grave.

Then, she picked up a sizable rock and lobbed it, hard and far, to the other end of the corridor! Bewildered, the basilisk could not fathom how they could have gotten past him, and he took the bait. Taking Pallas's silent advice, the girls took off their heels and used the balls of their feet to walk inaudibly down the hallway. This was the best idea to deal with an adversary until the basilisk realized it had been tricked, and they found their only exit had caved in! While wriggling toward them at terrifying speed, out of the basilisk's mouth shot a torrent of fire!

"Aqua Illusion!" Mercury used a wall of water to protect them all.

"That was quick thinking!" Alexis cheered, which made Crystal smile.

"That's how he must have melted the doors!" Pallas deduced.

"We still have to deal with his sense of smell and venom." Ceres reminded them.

"I've got those covered!" Aqua dashed forward and, in a rage, used her sickles to cut off the reptile's snout! "Wish we had a rooster to finish him off with as we used them to kill all the basilisks on Concordia."

As if having the best or worst timing, depending on which way you look, the Crystal Palace chef came down to see if the girls wanted a meal, and he happened to have his pet rooster with him! This chef was a short, young, yet experienced man with brown hair and a mustache, but he was very kind.

When the guy saw the barely breathing basilisk, "Oh my! You girls MUST be ravenous after this!"

"Better late than never! Can we get a cockadooledoo from your friend, please?" Mercury begged the cook.

"Anything for my princess's Senshi." This cook poked his rooster in the rear, causing him to become startled and squawk!

Making as much noise as possible, the girls felt bad for scaring the bird, but this was the only way they knew he would do what they needed! Finally, he started his cookadoodling! Immediately, the snake hissed as loudly as it could, and it collapsed, dead. This avian flew back to the safety of the kitchens as the girls celebrated and accepted the chef's offer of a meal. When de-transformed and recounting their own horror story to Neo-Queen Serenity as all the Senshi ate together, she gasped, "A basilisk?! You girls are lucky you aren't dead!"

"Thanks to Alexis!" Pallas chirped.

"Alexis?" Neo-Queen Serenity turned to the tiny girl.

"What did I do?" Confusion is written all over Alexis's face.

"Even when looking at a basilisk reflection, it can cause petrification, but you knew your mirror would protect you," Jewel explained.

"I think Guardian Neptune guided me because I didn't know it would work." Alexis smiled softly, silently thanking Guardian Neptune.

"Even if she did, you should be proud of yourself for being so brave." Neo-Queen Serenity put a hand on Alexis's shoulder.

"I am," Alexis assured her queen.

Holly walked in, "Alexis?!"

"Holly!" Alexis jumped into her sister, hugging her.

"I'm glad to have you back and know you're safe." Holly sighed as she hugged Lexi.

"She wouldn't stop worrying!" Christen pointed out.

"Aw, Holly, I'm not defenseless. I just helped take down a basilisk." Alexis should not have mentioned that.

"A WHAT?! YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! DID IT BITE YOU?!" Holly whirled her little sister around, looking for wounds.

"Holly, stop! I'm not injured!" Alexis scolded.

"Holly, you really should stop babying Alexis." Neo-Queen Serenity laughed.

"I thought you said that was OK?" Holly blinked blankly.

"I said, 'It's OK for you to WORRY about Alexis.'" Neo-Queen Serenity reminded her.

"It's just...you've grown much more independent over the last few years. There's more to your interests that I didn't even know, and now, I wonder if I ever really knew you. I feel like a horrible sister for leaving you on your own." Holly admitted.

"It must be hard to see me strike out on my own, but I do it because that's what you taught me to do. I'll never know my true potential unless I take that leap of faith. I know you are proud of me, Holly, but I must feel proud of myself, too." Alexis explained.

"Do you feel proud of yourself?" Holly asked, her green eyes hopeful.

"More and more every day." Alexis grinned.

"OK. So...Lucius is going to strike soon. Are you alright with the possibility of facing him on your own?" Holly could not quite look her technically younger sister in the eye, or she would imagine her alone, cold, in pain, and slowly dying.

"I'll be fine." Alexis calmed her sibling.

"We should all prepare for Lucius himself. While dismayed, I must ask all you girls to return to your positions." Neo-Queen Serenity did look heartbroken with this decision.

All the Senshi could not help groaning in aggravation, but Neo-Queen Serenity was in charge! Thankfully, the groups were allowed to stock up on supplies if needed. Demi also sent a messenger to pick up odds and ends for her. Before leaving, the soldiers went to see Simone, who squealed with joy to be with them again, and she had begun making gestures so the warriors could better understand what she wanted.

All the Senshi wanted was for Helenia to see how much her baby had developed, but was she still safe enough? Only time will tell...