Fully in "Exams? What exams?" mode, I finished the Shades of Gray
revisions. Now I just need to figure how to go about getting these
versions into the various archives...
Oh, and study for those exams.
Aaron Nowack
"Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis."
http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ (for now)
Shades of Gray
A Sailor Moon Fanfic
By: Aaron Nowack
Chapter 15: Shiva
"United we stand, divided we fall."
-saying
***********************************************************************
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi, whose creative
talents far exceed my most humble own. Distribution and other rights to
Sailor Moon belong to lots of different companies that I do not own. I
make or imply no claim to ownership of Sailor Moon or its characters.
However, the text of this fanfic is mine, and should not be used without
permission. Thank you.
***********************************************************************
It was a familiar sight. It did not look magnificent, not in
the way that the ancient Moon Palace had, but it still conveyed a
feeling of power. If its design lacked in splendor, it was due only to
a deficit of desire, not resources or power. Black stone walls
surrounded it, each massive stone block enchanted with powerful
protective magics. Even at the height of the wars following Beryl's
death, when Mordrangar and Scalae had warred over the surrounding
wastelands, no army had dared to attempt to take this stronghold from
the handful of diehard loyalists who held it.
Jadeite's frown deepened as he took in the sight. Once this
palace had been Beryl's. After that, it had been his, but now it had
been stolen from him. Even from this distance, he could tell that he
could no longer claim to control this place. Above the dark steel
gates, a number of fresh heads were spiked, heads that had belonged to
foes of Ishamanar and Nyxan.
A curse escaped Jadeite's lips as he thought of the two
Overlords. He should have realized their treacherous intent long ago.
They had been far too eager to set aside their apparent hatred in the
face of Mordrangar's invasion. It was a little bit humbling, to think
that they had managed to fool him for so long and so well. After their
service in the war with Mordrangar, he had even come to trust them.
That trust had been betrayed, and Jadeite swore that there would be a
reckoning for it.
In the back of his mind, Jadeite realized that vengeance was
unlikely. His body was a mass of terrible burns, and it was only
through sheer willpower that he remained on his feet. He was already
working at healing his wounds, but there was only so much he could do
without time and security, both of which were in short supply.
Yet, even were he at full strength, a part of him feared he
would fail in the task of assaulting the palace alone. He could feel a
new, yet somehow familiar power radiating from the castle, a darkness he
could not hope to triumph against. This had to be the source of the
power surge. But what was it? He felt as though he ought to recognize
it, but however desperately he searched his memories, he could not.
He cautiously probed the palace's magical defenses, and was
relieved to sense that Ishamanar had not yet changed them. He knew
these defenses inside and out; indeed he had created a fair number of
them himself, over the millennia this palace had been his home. He
should be able to get into the castle without triggering any, but where
to go? It would do no good to simply appear in the throne room, not in
the state he was in.
It took him only a moment to decide. His chambers had to be the
best place. From there he could use the monitoring spells he had
created to survey the situation, and hopefully there was less chance of
being spotted.
As Jadeite vanished from the hilltop overlooking the palace,
another figure appeared in his place. Scalae frowned. The wards on the
palace would prevent her from following Jadeite any further, unless she
wanted to risk an all-out magical assault. More troubling was the dark
energy every part of the palace was emanating. Whatever was causing it
had more raw power than herself, and that was a truly frightening
thought.
After a moment, Scalae too vanished. She had preparations to
make, and most likely not too much time to make them.
***********************************************************************
"Welcome." Pluto's voice echoed through Castle Charon's
teleportation chamber even before the new arrivals had taken stock of
their surroundings. "I am glad that you are all here." It had at times
been far too likely that the Senshi would suffer another casualty, but
at least that had not come to pass, even if many of her other fears had.
When the other Senshi had recovered from the disorientation of
their teleportation, Sailor Moon spoke. "The Champions are coming
here."
"I know." Pluto's voice was calm. "They seek to break the Great
Seal. If they succeed, it would be catastrophic."
"Do you know what they plan?" Sailor Mercury asked. "Mamoru, he
said -"
Pluto interrupted her. "They plan to use the Great Seal to free
the ancient rebel fleet." She paused. "When that is done, they will
take it to Earth, and deliver an ultimatum."
Sailor Uranus's eyes narrowed. "What do they plan to demand?"
Pluto met the other Outer Senshi's eyes. "They will demand that
the Gates of Time be sealed and I turned over to them. If the demand is
not met, they will destroy a city, and keep on doing so until you
capitulate." Murmurs of shock and disbelief came from the other Senshi,
but Pluto continued. "That is why we must stop them now. We must end
this today."
After a moment, Sailor Moon nodded. "All right."
Pluto smiled. "Follow me." She turned and led the other
Senshi out of the room and through the castle, through ancient halls
that seemed more than half-familiar to the other Senshi. As they
walked, Pluto spoke. "The Great Seal is in the main courtyard with the
Gates of Time. There are eleven entrances, one for each planet and
Luna. You will each have to enter through the appropriate one to get
through the defenses." Pluto frowned. "I had planned to stop the
Champions in the Halls."
"But?" Mercury asked.
"It would be best to show you," Pluto replied as she stopped in
front of a set of black double doors with the sigil of Pluto marked in
ivory upon them. As they swung open, Pluto continued, "The other halls
are laid out in a circle around the courtyard. I will meet you inside."
Without further word, she stepped inside the dark hallway and vanished
as the doors swung shut behind her.
Uranus sighed. "All right. Mercury is the next on the right,
and they go in order from there." Uranus began to walk left.
"How do you know that?" Sailor Jupiter asked, puzzled.
"We've been here before," Neptune replied as she followed
Uranus.
When the Senshi regathered inside the courtyard, Pluto was
standing atop the Great Seal's dais. Sailor Moon let out an almost
silent gasp as she saw the tiny, dark crack running through the Seal.
Pluto smiled grimly. "This is why we cannot risk defending the
Halls. Were the Seal whole, it would take most, perhaps even all the
Champions to break the wards around the rebel fleet, and if we could
stop but one or two in the Halls, we would win." She paused, weighing
her next words carefully. "As it is, I fear that it might only take one
or two of them to accomplish it."
"So rather try and win seven battles, you would risk it all on
one," Mercury stated, and Pluto silently nodded in response.
Venus giggled nervously. "Just like always, then. We've done
this before."
"But not with the stakes so high," Uranus said.
Sailor Moon suddenly took a step forward, onto the dais. "It's
so close," she said, shuddering. "It's already here."
"What -" Mars began, but she stopped as a light began to glow
from Sailor Moon's brooch. Pluto stepped off the dais, eyes wide.
"So close," Sailor Moon muttered as knelt in the center of the
Great Seal, plucking the Ginzuishou from her brooch. In an instant, a
cocoon of silver light formed around her as her eyes shut. A low hum
began to fill the courtyard, and Sailor Moon did not respond to the
Senshi when they called to her.
"What... what's happening?" Mars finally said, but none of the
others ventured an answer.
After a moment, Jupiter asked, "What now?"
Pluto's gloved hands caressed her staff as she seated herself by
the Gates of Time. "We wait for the Champions."
***********************************************************************
The door to Nyxan's chambers swung open. "Jadeite's here."
Nyxan bolted up from his desk. "What? Are you sure?"
Ishamanar grimaced. "Well, someone just triggered every alarm
we set up in his chambers. I told you it was a mistake for you to come
here!"
Nyxan growled, then calmed himself. "Drop it. Arguing over
that won't do any good now." After a moment Ishamanar nodded, and the
two left the chamber. "What do we do now?"
Ishamanar angrily slammed one of his fists into the dark wall,
cracking the stone. "I don't know. We haven't planned for this, not
now."
"We'll have to guard the sanctum," Nyxan said. "We can't let
him get there."
"You're right. You do that. I'll gather my soldiers and to try
and stop him before he gets that far. We don't have to hold long.
Asphara should be coming here with the last of the energy." Ishamanar
suddenly grinned fiercely. "This is it. All or nothing."
Nyxan nodded, his narrow eyes glowing a soft red. "You're
right. This is the last battle." With another nod, he darted off down
a side corridor.
Ishamanar moved only slightly slower as he burst into the throne
room, shouting orders. It took only a handful of minutes for youma to
fill the hall. He quickly ordered detachments to guard all the other
Overlords, and their retinues. It wouldn't do for hidden loyalists to
rise up at this point.
As alarms began to sound, Ishamanar took the best of the
remaining youma and sent them up the narrow spiral stairs that led to
Jadeite's chambers, atop the highest tower in the palace. Jadeite's
return was only a minor problem. Victory was so near he could almost
taste it.
***********************************************************************
"This is it." Ares glanced over the deserted park. It had an
eerie feel, cloaked in shadows cast by the early morning sun, just
barely peeking out from the tops of the building surrounding the small
patch of nature.
"So it is," Zeus muttered. "Are we sure about this?"
Hades nodded. "We have no other choice. If we hit Pluto now,
we can end this war in one swift stroke."
"There may be other ways," Zeus said.
Medea frowned. "And there may not be."
Zeus was silent a moment, but then he spoke again. "I know at
least one solution," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Poseidon's eyes blazed. "Surrender, you mean?" he said, his own
voice nearly a yell.
Aphrodite shifted uncomfortably, looking at her brother.
"Negotiation," she said after a moment.
"It is far too late for that," Hermes said. "It has been too
late since Vulcan's Gap."
"That was ten thousand years ago," Zeus said.
"We cannot negotiate," Ares said. "Remember why we are taking
this course in the first place. Pluto must be stopped. We've seen what
can result from that sort of meddling before. There can be no
negotiation on that, and the Senshi will not yield her."
After a long moment, Aphrodite nodded. "You are right." Her
brother echoed her a moment later.
"So, are we ready?" Hades asked.
"I think so," Hermes said.
"No." Zeus's voice was quiet, yet it sounded as loud as a
gunshot. "There is one more thing we must do."
"What?" Medea asked impatiently.
"We have put off this decision far too long. We must know what
we plan to do before we leave." Zeus paused. "Will we do it? Will we
turn the fleet on Terra?" He looked straight at Ares.
"We agreed to wait until we had the fleet to decide," Poseidon
said angrily.
Zeus's gaze did not leave Ares. "I want to know now. If you
would, I want no part of it."
Shocked silence greeted this statement, until Aphrodite spoke.
"Nor I." Silence then returned for some time, and the sun inched
further up in the sky.
Medea suddenly walked over to stand beside Zeus. "I will not,
either."
Hades looked torn, but Poseidon exploded. "Damn it, I would!"
He paused, collecting himself. "Either we are right in this, or we are
wrong. If we are wrong, we should not be doing this at all. If we are
right, to hold back so close to victory would be to betray all our
oaths."
"We swore to defend the defenseless, not to kill them!"
Aphrodite retorted.
Hermes sighed. "It is my plan. I suppose I must stand for it."
Hades's eyes hardened. "As do I. I hate this, but... I cannot
see a better path." His fists clenched tightly. "I pray it does not
come to that."
All gazes turned towards Ares, who still stood between the two
groups. Zeus's stare seemed to bore into the Champion of Mars. "Well,
Deinas," Zeus said quietly, "it comes to you."
Ares was silent.
Zeus growled. "Decide, damn you, Deinas!"
Ares clenched his fists, glaring back Zeus. "What kind of
monster do you think I am, Gladian, to easily make such a decision? If
I choose one way, I might bring terrible destruction, but perhaps save
the world from something worse. Another way, and though their blood
will not be on my hands, I may doom those I spared to that same thing."
Zeus's eyes softened slightly, but when he spoke he said, "You
must decide, just as you did before... Betrayer of Peace."
Ares twitched. "I never thought I would hear that name from one
of my own brothers," he said, half-growling the words. Behind him,
Hermes winced.
"You wish another title? Then decide, and earn it!"
Ares shuddered, and lowered his head. "We will not," he
whispered. "We cannot do it. Not without becoming the same thing we
seek to fight. We will threaten it, but if the Senshi do not capitulate
we will... we will have to find another way. So shall it stand, until
all are one."
Zeus smiled. "Then I am content. Until all are one."
Even those who had voted for the plan seemed relieved. After
another moment, Poseidon spoke. "The majority rules. Until all are
one."
A moment later, the other Champions had echoed the ancient oath
as well, and a moment after that, the park was empty.
***********************************************************************
Jadeite smiled as he heard footsteps echoing from the stairwell
below his chambers. He had not chosen these rooms simply for the
symbolism of living atop the entire palace. The fact that they were
easily defensible had also played more than a small role in that
decision.
He flexed his arms, and smiled as he felt only the slightest
pain. The spells he were using were dangerous: when they ran out his
many wounds would return, worse then ever. Most likely he would die
then, but it would grant him enough time to see the traitors dead as
well. Flames gathered in Jadeite's hands. There was no point in
conserving energy now, no reason to hold back.
A fierce grin on his face, Jadeite burst out the door of his
chambers, spraying flame down the stairwell. Screams came back up to
meet him and he smiled even wider as he began to race down the stairs.
It was time for vengeance.
His first attack had not killed all of the enemy youma, of
course. Calling a sword of fire to his hands, Jadeite cut down the
first youma he met with one swift blow. He was past the next few before
they could react, and he paused to half turn and send a burst of fire at
them with his free hand.
An insectile youma flew at him, pale green light gathering in
one clawed hand. Jadeite's fire sword severed that hand, and an instant
later the youma's head. Jadeite was out of sight before the youma's
dissolving body had hit the floor.
A burst of flame sped towards Jadeite as he reached the bottom
of the stairs, and Jadeite blocked it with one gloved hand as he stopped
at the entrance to the throne room. He smiled as he saw who had sent it
on its way. "You will pay for betraying me," Jadeite said, the first
words he had spoken since he arrived at the palace.
Ishamanar laughed, flexing his four arms. "You will try to make
me pay, you mean."
Jadeite laughed as well. "I have always been stronger than you,
Overlord. Even without the Flame Diamond." Jadeite smiled and raised
his free hand. "Soul Flame!"
The firebolt evaporated as it hit the youma Overlord, and
Ishamanar smiled. "You are not strong enough, human. Great Metallia
protects me."
Jadeite hesitated. "What?"
As Jadeite paused, Ishamanar leapt forward and struck Jadeite
with a powerful blow, sending him flying back up the stairs.
"Pathetic," the youma said with yet another laugh.
Jadeite growled as he rose, his sword vanishing. "You think so?
Try this!" Jadeite snarled as he focused all his power. He had never
attempted this without the Diamond, and never would have, if he had any
plans to survive. "Hellfire!"
White flame poured from Jadeite's outstretched hands and covered
his foe. Ishamanar began to scream, stumbling back under the assault.
Yet as he fell, the fire died down and Jadeite collapsed, unable to
finish the spell. For a moment the two were still.
Jadeite rose first, and slowly made his way over to the
Overlord. "Underestimating me was the last mistake you'll ever make,"
Jadeite said he touched Ishamanar's forehead with one finger. He hoped
he had enough strength left to pull this off. "Inciner -"
A sudden bolt of dark lightning hurled Jadeite away. Asphara
hovered protectively over her consort, crackling darkness in one hand
and a globe of energy in the other.
Ishamanar rose, and smiled as he saw Asphara. "You succeeded,"
he said.
Asphara laughed. "Did you ever doubt I would?"
"Never. Where is Orinas?"
Asphara shrugged. "When I left Terra, he was fighting one of
the Champions."
"A pity. He was a strong warrior. Now, then," Ishamanar
replied, chuckling deeply as he paused and turned to Jadeite. "Now to
finish you... your majesty."
The whole palace rang like a bell. Ishamanar's eyes widened.
"Someone's attacking the wards." He closed his eyes a moment.
"Scalae!" he gasped, real fear suddenly in his voice.
He turned away from Jadeite's fallen form. "Quickly," he told
Asphara. "We have to get to the sanctum." His consort nodded, and the
two quickly vanished, leaving Jadeite alone in the throne room. He
began to rise, just as Scalae's first youma began to teleport in.
Far below the throne room, in the dark room that housed
Metallia's chrysalis, a figure stirred from where it had lain against
the far wall. It stood on legs that no longer shook, and it purposely
walked over to the altar. It paused a moment, then slowly took up its
weapon, gazing sightlessly at its dull reflection in the metal.
And Metallia's silent laughter sounded in its deaf ears.
***********************************************************************
Mamoru shuddered in his bed. He winced as the wound in his
chest throbbed slightly. Usagi was in danger, and he was stuck here,
unable to help. He could feel something terrible, something dark that
resonated in his inner being. It was so terribly familiar, so horrible.
And he could do nothing.
Damn it! It seemed that whenever it really mattered, he
couldn't help her. He could feel, deep in his soul, the terrible danger
that surrounded her. Every part of him cried out to leap from the bed,
to race to her side. Yet he could not.
He weakly fingered the blood-stained bandages that covered his
chest. He knew that his wound was healing far faster than any normal
human's would. Yet when his fingers brushed it, his world still
exploded in pain. In another day it might be healed enough for him to
fight, but he did not have a day.
He started as he heard a scratching at the window. As he turned
his head to look at it, the window slowly raised itself, and he smiled
weakly as he saw a feline head peek in over the windowsill. "Hey,
Luna," he said in a voice not far above a whisper.
"Me too," Artemis said as he joined Luna on the windowsill.
"Come on in," Mamoru said, and the two cats quickly took his
advice.
Luna leapt onto the bed and walked up to Mamoru's face. "How
are you doing?"
Mamoru's weak smile faded. "Not good." He looked away,
absently slamming his fist into the bed. "It hurts," he whispered.
"Well, that's to be expected, I suppose," Artemis replied.
"No, not that," Mamoru said. "I know Usagi's in trouble, but I
can't help her!"
"She'll be all right." Luna's quiet voice was calm.
Mamoru sighed. "I hope so. Just before... she told me that she
was hearing voices."
"What?" Luna asked.
"She didn't tell you? She said that she could feel something
evil coming. Something that knew her and hated her." Mamoru paused.
"I can feel it now too."
"Like a darkness at the back of your mind?" Artemis asked.
"You feel that too?" Luna asked.
"Do you?" Artemis said.
Luna paused. "I think it is the same, yes. I thought I was
just nervous." She paused. "It feels so... familiar. I can't quite
place it."
"It does, doesn't it?" Mamoru paused. "Oh God, no!" he said,
and suddenly started to rise, nearly throwing Luna from the bed.
"Calm down!" Luna said. "What's wrong?"
"Can't you tell?!" Mamoru replied, throwing off the sheets.
"It's her!"
"Her? Who?" Artemis asked.
Luna's eyes widened. "It's just like... Metallia!"
"Metallia! She's dead!" Artemis's voice was panicked.
"Got to... warn.. Usagi," Mamoru said as he sat up. "She won't
be... ready..." Mamoru suddenly collapsed back onto the bed,
unconscious.
The two cats wordlessly looked at each other for a moment, then
Luna hit the call button next to the bed with one paw and raced out the
window. Artemis quickly followed.
When they were a safe distance away, he asked, "What do we do
now?"
Luna stopped and sighed. "What can we do?"
"Nothing." Artemis didn't like the answer one bit, but it
didn't make it any less true. "Nothing but hope."
***********************************************************************
The Champion's swords were ready the instant they arrived at
Castle Charon. A brief surge of magical energy poured at them as they
triggered a trap, but they were prepared for the possibility and easily
weathered it.
"I'll scout ahead," Medea said when it became apparent that
there were no other traps. Her suggestion was met with nods from the
other Champions and she slipped out of the teleportation chamber,
followed a short while later by the rest.
They made their way swiftly through the corridors, not surprised
by the lack of resistance. There were too many ways for them to get
from the teleport chamber to the courtyard for Pluto to risk defending
any of them. They knew where she would make her stand.
When the Champions reached the circular hallway that surrounded
the courtyard, they paused in front of their respective doors. Poseidon
laughed nervously. "Are we ready?"
Beside him Hades smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be." His hands
tightened on the hilt of his sword. Most likely Pluto was waiting for
him behind the dark doors before him. The last time he had faced her
here, he had lost, even with Chronus's aid. And now Chronus would never
aid him again.
After a moment, Ares spoke in a loud voice that was heard all
down the hallway. "Now!" As one the Champions burst through the doors,
and as one they halted, ready for any attack. Then they stood still,
surprised at the lack of resistance. The Halls were the best chance to
stop them. Why would Pluto abandon them?
After another moment, the Champions simultaneously rushed into
the courtyard. A barrage of magical attacks met them, but they were
ready for it, and avoided any serious damage.
Ares rose from the ground where he had thrown himself to avoid a
Burning Mandala. "This is your last chance," he said. "Stand aside,
give us Pluto, and nobody has to get hurt."
Sailor Pluto glanced at the Champion. "You think I would give
up that easily?"
Ares's face was grim. "No. But I hope others of you might be
more reasonable."
Uranus unsheathed her Space Sword. "After what you have
planned? Hardly." She launched herself at Ares, who barely raised his
sword in time to deflect the blow.
The courtyard exploded into a storm of magic. Venus's Love Me
Chain swept out like an impossibly long whip, knocking Aphrodite and
Hermes from their feet. Before they could rise, Sailor Jupiter had hit
them both with a powerful Sparkling Wide Pressure. As she prepared a
second ball of electricity, Zeus leapt in front of her, forcing her back
with one sweep of his crackling sword.
Hades, meanwhile, raced straight for Pluto, his sword glowing a
pale, ethereal white. Pluto easily caught the blade on her staff, then
nearly swept her foe off his feet with it. Hades struck again; yet once
more Pluto effortlessly blocked and counterattacked, this time scoring a
light blow to the Champion's shoulder.
Sailor Mercury launched a Shabon Spray that covered half the
courtyard in thick fog. Under this cover, Mars and Neptune pummeled
Poseidon and Hermes with their attacks. Yet even as they did so, Medea
suddenly appeared behind Mercury and knocked her to the ground with a
swift blow of her dark blade.
Medea turned, smiling. No one stood between her and the Seal.
She leapt up on to the dais, frowning as she observed both the thin
crack and Sailor Moon's still, glowing form. She cautiously approached
the kneeling princess. After a moment's hesitation, she struck as she
heard Mercury rising behind her and beginning to shout a warning.
The explosion that resulted when her blade struck the silver
aura sent her flying backwards, hitting Mercury and sending her tumbling
back to the ground.
***********************************************************************
Nyxan frowned as the alarms began to sound, and the music of
battle began to come from the upper stories of the palace. There was
far too much fighting for just Jadeite. Someone else was attacking. He
slowly rose from where he sat against the door to Metallia's sanctum.
Who could it be?
He received his answer as a woman appeared before him in a burst
of flame, and he nearly froze in fear as he saw her solid red eyes.
Scalae.
"Yes." Until the Dragon replied, Nyxan did not realize he had
spoken aloud. "Stand aside, youma, and I will allow you to live, and
serve me."
Nyxan took up a fighting stance. "I am Nyxan, Fire Dragon, and
you may not pass. I stood against Mordrangar, and I will stand against
you too."
"I heard you were dead," Scalae replied with a smile. "No
matter." She gestured and flames engulfed Nyxan. "What a waste," she
stated as she stepped forward, only to stop as Nyxan began to laugh.
The youma Overlord strode, unharmed from the fire. "You will
not defeat me like that, Dragon." Darkness gathered in Nyxan's hands.
"Shadow Bolt!"
Scalae raised her hand to block the attack, but was shocked yet
again as the bolt of dark energy leapt past it and struck her full on.
She stumbled back, but was not truly hurt. "You surprise me, youma.
But that will not be enough." White fire poured from her hands, and it
was Nyxan's turn to be forced back.
The youma growled as he raised a shield to force the fire to
either hand. "I said... you may not pass!" With a sweep of his hand he
sent a wall of darkness racing towards the Dragon, who merely smirked
and summoned a fire aura that the darkness shattered itself upon.
Scalae stepped forward. "Oh, but I will pass. And you... will
die." Fire so white it was painful to look at began to gather in her
hands.
Nyxan frowned, feeling the power the Dragon was gathering. He
could not stand against it, even with the strength he was drawing from
his goddess. One last shot, then. "Shadow... Storm!" All his energy
erupted from his body in a tornado of darkness that swept towards the
Dragon. The youma Overlord sank to his knees, smiling as he heard
Scalae screech in pain.
The smile faded as his final attack vanished, and she rose and
began to stalk towards him. "That... was painful, youma," the Dragon
snarled. "I admit that. For that, you have earned some measure of
respect... and an equally painful death." Fire rippled off of Scalae's
body, and Nyxan was forced to avert his eyes.
A bat-winged figure leapt out of the shadows and tackled the
Dragon. In an instant, Scalae had tossed her attacker aside to fly
against the wall with a sickening thud. The Dragon frowned as she
walked over to Nyxan's now-unconscious form. The doorway the youma had
been guarding was now cracked open. Someone must have slipped through
in the brief moment she was distracted.
Not wasting time to finish Nyxan off, Scalae entered the room,
only to stop in mixed horror and longing at the sight that awaited her.
A four-armed youma - Jadeite's general Ishamanar, a part of her mind
told her - knelt before an altar, offering a massive globe of energy to
a monstrous chrysalis.
As the energy began to pour into the cocoon, Scalae screamed in
pure terror and unleashed her flame.
***********************************************************************
For the third time in a day, a low chime sounded in Castle
Charon's teleportation chamber. It was an automatic response spell,
cast millennia ago by the Silver Millenium's magi to warn people to
clear the chamber in preparation for arrivals. However, now there was
no one to hear it.
The figure appeared in a flare of darkness, and somewhere deep
in the castle an ancient alarm sounded, but none heard it either. The
figure walked forward with a steady gait, passing without noticing layer
upon layer of wards and shields. Were the figure a youma or other
demon, it would have been struck down a thousand times already by the
automated defenses.
As the figure shattered the chamber's doors with one blow of its
weapon, it hesitated. Memories upon memories were sorted and discarded,
until the hidden, long-forgotten one that was needed was found. As
suddenly as it had stopped, the figure resumed its steady walk,
threading its way through the castle's labyrinthine corridors.
Were any present to observe the figure's process, a number of
oddities might have been noticed. It walked in a perfectly straight
line, each step covering the same distance. It did not look from side
to side, its blank eyes remaining fixed straight ahead. The only sound
it made was the sound of its footsteps and its slow, steady breathing.
The figure stopped as it reached a set of double doors, colored
a dark purple with the sigil of Saturn marked upon them in nearly
indistinguishable black. An instant later, the doors swung open and the
figure stepped into the hallway. It ignored both the doors as they shut
behind it and the painting of Saturn as seen from Titan that hung
against one of the short corridor's walls, yet when it reached the
second set of doors it hesitated for a moment.
Then those doors too opened before it, and the figure displayed
a new behavior. It raced forward into the courtyard, ignoring the
battle that raged around it. As the combatants began to notice the new
arrival, it leapt into air, quickly reaching an impossible height,
whirling its weapon around with incredible speed and leveling it at the
Great Seal.
Below the figure, Sailor Moon's eyes snapped open and she raised
the Ginzuishou. Silver light poured up from her hands, racing towards
the figure, which hung motionless in the air. Moments before the light
reached the figure, its weapon snapped back into a defensive position.
"Silence wall." The flat whisper echoed through the suddenly
silent courtyard. The silver light slammed into the shield, pouring
over and beneath it, but none struck home. As the light exhausted
itself, Sailor Moon slumped over, the Ginzuishou still clutched tight in
her hands.
Her eyes flat and her face emotionless, Sailor Saturn once again
leveled the Silence Glaive at Sailor Moon and the Seal that lay beneath
her. "Silence glaive surprise."
And the Great Seal shattered.
***********************************************************************
Loriel, Water Dragon of the East, reclined on his throne.
Matters were proceeding quite nicely. Whatever had caused that
troubling magical surge was quiet, and the war, such as it was, was
delivering success after success. Yes, things were going very nicely
indeed. Better than he had ever dared hoped it might.
One of his Overlords was currently prostrating himself before
him. Loriel gestured for the youma to rise, straightening himself.
"You have news from the front?" the Dragon asked.
"Yes, great one," the Overlord replied as he rose. "Your armies
have reached the Mountains of Desolation, and are preparing to strike
into the Usurper's heartland."
Loriel smiled. "That is good news. And Jadeite has mounted no
resistance?"
The Overlord shook his head. "No, my lord. His dogs do not
dare to face us, and Mordrangar's former servants now rally to your
banner."
Loriel knew his Overlord was exaggerating somewhat. A number of
the survivors of Mordrangar's Overlords had joined him, true, but the
majority were staying holed up in their own keeps, hoping to be left
alone. Even if the entire Northlands was now nominally under his
control, his reach was truly limited for the most part to the ground on
which his armies stood. Given enough time, though, that would change.
"That is good," he said. "Tell my generals to -"
The Overlord blinked in puzzlement as Loriel stopped speaking
and half-rose, aqua eyes distant and hands clutching his throne's
armrests. "What is it, my lord?"
Loriel ignored the Overlord, instead teleporting away in a swirl
of water. He frowned as he took in his new location. A dark hallway,
like countless others in the Dark Kingdom. Had he miscalculated the new
surge's location? No, he could feel it still, not far away.
Loriel stepped forward, and almost tripped over a body. A
female youma, still alive, though barely. Not far away, in a half-open
doorway lay a youma that matched the descriptions of Jadeite's general
Nyxan, in similar condition. Loriel prepared to enter the chamber, only
to stop out of the footsteps sounded behind him.
The Dragon whirled around to see Jadeite himself lurching out of
the darkness, in a state only slightly better than the unconscious
youma. Loriel smiled, and with less than a thought summoned a burst of
water to pummel the former General. Jadeite screamed, and flames formed
around him, turning the water to steam.
Loriel raised an eyebrow in surprise. The human had not seemed
capable of resisting. Jadeite took a step forward, then suddenly
collapsed, and Loriel smiled once more. It took only a glance to see
that the human was not dead, but before Loriel could finish him off, the
door swung fully open.
The Water Dragon took a step back at the sight that appeared
before him. Scalae stumbled out of the chamber, and though she did not
appear to be physically wounded it seemed to him as though she too was
close to passing out. Loriel frowned, and a ball of water formed in his
hand.
Scalae straightened herself slightly, leaning on the doorpost
for support. "Do not," she stated quietly.
Curious, Loriel allowed his attack to vanish unlaunched. "And
why not, Fire Dragon?"
"You are bid to enter, Water Dragon," Scalae said, stepping away
from the doorway.
Truly puzzled, Loriel stepped inside. Almost instantaneously,
his look of confusion vanished to be replaced with one of mixed fear and
adoration. A moment later, the fear too vanished, and Loriel knelt.
"My Queen."
***********************************************************************
Castle Charon was gone. That was the first thought in almost
all the Senshi and Champion's minds as they stirred. The inner
courtyard now floated in a sea of darkness, in which could be seen, if
one looked hard enough, pulsing, malignant lights. By coincidence, or
perhaps by some being's design, the explosion had sent the Champions to
one side of the courtyard and the Senshi to the other.
Over the shallow crater that had once been the Great Seal,
Sailor Saturn floated stilly, surrounded by an aura of flickering dark
purple and black light. Her face was utterly emotionless, and there was
no sign that she either recognized or cared about the people strewn over
the courtyard below her. The Silence Glaive glinted menacingly in her
hands, seeming to shine with an unholy light of its own.
Almost as soon as they had risen, the Champions hurled
themselves at Saturn, wordless, primal screams of rage and terror
emerging from their throats. Sailor Uranus clenched her sword tight,
and seemed halfway to racing forward herself, though whether to stop or
aid the Champions even she could not say. She was decided a moment
later when Sailor Moon leapt up.
"No! Don't hurt her!" she yelled, but the Champions showed know
signs of stopping their charge.
The instant the first Champion reached the crater, Sailor
Saturn, who had watched all this motionlessly, reacted. The Silence
Glaive whirled about with impossible speed. "Silence glaive surprise."
Ares growled as the force of the blast knocked him and the other
Champions back, yet a part of him was surprised. The attack had been
far short of its full power. If it had not been, he might have been
unconscious or dead. As he rose, the question played on his mind: was
Saturn... playing with them?
"Spread out!" he yelled. "Don't let her catch us together
again!"
"Silence wall."
Ares could feel the energy wall in front of him, pinning the
Champions on their side of the courtyard. He had been right... she was
playing with them. But why?
On the other side of the courtyard, Sailor Moon raised the
Ginzuishou. Silver light poured from the crystal, washing over Saturn.
The Senshi of Silence did not even seem to notice, instead floating
closer to where she had pinned the Champions. Slowly, the light faded
away, and Sailor Moon fell to her knees exhausted.
Someone laughed. "She is mine now, Princess."
"Who -" Sailor Moon's question was interrupted by a second
laugh.
A figure emerged from the darkness that surrounded the
courtyard, though shadows clung to it like cobwebs. The Senshi fell
into a defensive stance around Sailor Moon as the figure advanced,
shadows falling away from its now obviously female form. "So, at long
last we meet again, Princess," it said, mirth evident, as it took
another step forward.
"Dead Scream!" Pluto uncharacteristically shouted her attack,
pure panic obvious in her voice. The figure raised one elegant hand and
the energy ball reversed course before it even reached her, hitting
Pluto and knocking her back against the Silence Wall, where she lay
still.
Sailor Moon rose. "You... you... I killed you!"
Even as the Senshi exchanged puzzled glances, the figure
laughed, continuing to advance on Sailor Moon. "You slew Beryl,
Princess. Not I."
Mercury's eyes suddenly widened. "Metallia!"
Metallia laughed. "You just guessed, Ice Senshi?" The shadows
that still hung across her body began to fall away even faster than
before.
As her figure became more clear, Ares gasped in sudden,
horrified recognition. Behind him he heard Aphrodite mutter, "Oh, gods
no," a sentiment he fully agreed with. He hurled himself forward, only
to scream in frustration as he hit Saturn's invisible wall.
"Damn it!" he yelled. "Damn you, face us! We're the ones you
want!"
"Oh, your turn will come, Champion," Metallia said. "But not
quite yet." She looked up at Saturn's motionless, floating form, a
smile evident on her still-shrouded lips. "But until then... Hotaru...
kill."
For the first time some sign of sentience showed itself on
Saturn's face, as her lips twisted into a feral grin. The Silence Wall
suddenly vanished. An instant later, Saturn was among the Champions,
Silence Glaive swinging out in a deadly arc. Ares caught the first
strike on his sword, but a sweep with the unbladed end of the glaive
soon knocked him off his feet.
Metallia took a final step forward, and the last shadows fell
from her. As they did so, the Senshi took a step back in unison.
Metallia was strikingly beautiful, and the black dress she wore did
little to hide this. Her long raven hair was done in a style that
Sailor Moon found far too familiar for comfort, and Metallia's pale blue
eyes stared out from an aristocratic face. And upon her forehead shone
a small, golden crescent moon.
Sailor Moon shrank back. "Who are you?"
Pluto began to rise. "She's -"
"Silence." A burst of darkness flung from Metallia's hand,
which Pluto barely dodged. "I can answer for myself, girl. I am
Metallia." A mocking smile formed on the dark goddess's lips. "But
once I was called Serenity, daughter of Serenity, Queen of the Moon
Kingdom and sovereign of the Golden Millenium. And, my most unworthy
successor, it is time for me to reclaim my throne."
Sailor Moon stepped forward, past the line of Senshi. "You will
not." The Ginzuishou shone in her hand.
Metallia laughed. "Your magic cannot save you, Princess. The
Ginzuishou cannot save you. Nothing can save you."
Sailor Moon ignored her. "Everyone?" she asked, looking to both
sides at the other Senshi.
"We're ready," Mars said as Pluto stumbled back into the line.
Sailor Moon nodded, and once again raised the Ginzuishou. As
she did, her uniform rippled, becoming the familiar white dress as she
became Princess Serenity. Energy poured into her from the other Senshi,
and she focused it through the Ginzuishou, strengthening it a thousand
times until she hurled it at Metallia.
The dark goddess extended both her arms, and a torrent of
darkness poured from them to block the attack. And in the air between
the two Serenity's, darkness and light began to war.
***********************************************************************
It was a dance. An extraordinarily deadly dance, but it was a
dance none the less. Sailor Saturn was vastly outnumbered, yet she
fought with a total unconcern for defense, the Silence Glaive
continuously striking out and changing directions. The Champions were
forced to keep their distance from the deadly weapon.
Ares began to rise, then thought better of it as the Silence
Glaive whirled over his head as Saturn struck at Hermes. Instead he
began to roll out of the way, snagging his fallen sword as he did so.
As he reached the edge of Saturn's range he rose to a crouch, pointing
the blade at her. "Flame Strike!"
Fire poured from the sword as Saturn spun about to face him,
raising the Silence Glaive. As the flames reached her they parted,
shooting off to either side and nearly hitting Poseidon. Ares cursed,
throwing himself to one side to dodge a thrust of the glaive. It seemed
as though all the Champions' nightmares had decided to come true this
day.
Meanwhile, Hades took advantage of Saturn's momentary
distraction to strike her unprotected back with his free hand. "Life
Drain!" Saturn's purple-black aura pulsed, and Hades was flung back a
good twenty feet, and did not rise. An instant later another thrust of
the Silence Glaive struck one of Medea's legs, and she too fell.
Saturn's attentions next fell on Poseidon, and she launched
herself at him. For a few seconds he managed to stave off her attack,
but mere moments before Aphrodite could flank Saturn he fell for a swift
feint and was knocked to the ground by, fortunately for him, the
glaive's unbladed end. Yet he too did not rise.
The dark Senshi spun about impossibly fast to face Aphrodite.
The Champion of Venus risked an attack with her shining blade, and
managed to land a blow, though to no effect. Saturn backed up, rising
into the air as her aura flared. A moment later the Silence Glaive
swung down, severing Aphrodite's sword arm at the elbow.
As she fell, Zeus let loose with a terrible, wordless cry and
charged Saturn. She spun about in midair to face him, and snorted,
leveling her weapon. "Silence Glaive Surprise!"
When Zeus landed, his breastplate was shattered and he lay
unmoving. Saturn smiled coldly as she searched for her two remaining
opponents, sniffing like a hunting dog. She whirled about as she felt
movement behind her, and her smile widened as she saw Ares racing
towards her. She swung her weapon about and prepared another blast.
"Deep Freeze!" The burst of hyper-cold water struck her back,
knocking the Senshi from the air. Instantly, she rose and spun about,
charging Hermes.
"Flame Strike!" This time Ares's fire struck home, sending
Saturn flying. As she landed, the Champion pounced, fiery blade
stabbing down. A wet gurgle escaped Saturn's throat as the sword slid
through her ribcage, and soon the Senshi lay still.
Ares slowly withdrew his bloody sword and turned to Hermes.
"Let's go." The other Champion nodded, and the two charged across the
courtyard to where the Senshi were facing Metallia. Ares's face twisted
into a snarl that made any previous expressions of rage he had made seem
calm, an expression that was nearly matched in intensity by Hermes.
"Serenity!" Ares cried as they drew near.
Both Serenity's eyes turned almost instantly to the Champions.
Metallia raised one hand, and suddenly the darkness halved, and the
light began to surge forward towards the dark goddess. Metallia smirked
at the Champions. "Are you so eager to die?" She gestured with her
free hand, and the ground beneath the two Champions exploded, darkness
pouring upward and launching the Champions into the air.
Yet Ares managed to twist about before he fell, extending his
blade. "Flame Strike!"
Metallia sighed. "I tire of this game." Another flick of her
raised hand, and the firebolt turned in midair, striking Princess
Serenity's back. As she stumbled under the attack, Metallia redoubled
her own attack, and soon the silver light that emanated from the
Ginzuishou began to stutter and fail.
Metallia's harsh laughter was the only sound that could be heard
as her darkness poured over the Senshi.
***********************************************************************
Sailor Moon groaned as she began to stir. It took her a moment
to realize that her dress had vanished, replaced once again by her
Senshi uniform. She breathed a sigh of relief as she discovered the
Ginzuishou, now dull and lifeless, still clutched tightly in her hands.
A brief survey of the area showed that she couldn't have been
out for more than a handful of moments. Metallia hadn't moved from her
position from near one shadowy edge of the courtyard, and so far as
Sailor Moon could tell the dark goddess was the only one still standing.
She could hear pained moans, both male and female, from all around, so
there were other survivors.
She let out a pained moan of her own as she began to roll over
onto her stomach and realized that she too was not in the best of shape.
Her body was fast becoming a mass of ugly bruises, and she felt as
though she had broken numerous bones she hadn't realized she had.
Bracing herself for the pain, she managed to successfully turn
herself over, and found herself face to face with Zeus. The Champion
seemed to be dead, his armor in tatters. Sailor Moon studied his bloody
face for a moment. Intellectually, she understood that he had to be
Motoki, but it seemed hard to connect the friendly arcade clerk that she
had known for years to the fierce enemy that lay dead before her.
Her hands clenched tightly on the Ginzuishou as she thought of
Mamoru, lying unconscious back on Earth because of this man. Because of
someone they had both thought of as a friend. She could not imagine
anything that would make Motoki do that. It was almost as though Zeus
had been a totally different person from the Motoki she had known.
She looked up as she heard a sound, and saw Hades beginning to
rise. He was not the only one, as she could see a number of the other,
less wounded Senshi and Champions joining him. She began to try to
stand herself, but her legs collapsed under her before she could even
get to her knees.
Metallia let off another one of her harsh, grating laughs.
"Good. I was afraid all of you were already dead." She paused. "That
wouldn't have been nearly as much fun."
Though she couldn't see him from her position, Sailor Moon heard
Ares speak. "Fun? You would be wiser to take this more seriously,
Serenity. We defeated you before, at the height of your power. We will
do it again."
Sailor Moon could almost feel Metallia's amusement. "The height
of my power? You are the fool, Champion. The Void did not destroy me
as you hoped. It forged me, it tempered me, and now I have returned,
stronger than before." There was another pause, and Sailor Moon
imagined Metallia was smiling. "And you? Where is the Lord of Fire
now, Champion?"
Ares growled, and Sailor Moon heard him beginning to run. There
was a thunderous crack, and than a loud thud not too far behind her.
"Well? Which of you will be next?" Metallia asked mockingly.
Sailor Moon was suddenly distracted when Zeus let out a raspy
breath. He was surprisingly still alive, but it didn't seem possible
that he would survive much longer. Even if his wounds did not kill him,
it seemed Metallia soon would. Sailor Moon stared at Zeus's face for a
moment, unable to avoid thinking of Mamoru. Zeus had hurt him, and a
part of her was filled with a terrible rage.
Yet, that was not all she felt. Another part of her remembered
that it was Motoki who had saved Mamoru, who had delivered him to the
hospital in time that his life could be saved. It was a decision that
seemed so discordant with what she had seen of Zeus, but it was
something she could easily see Motoki doing. An unpleasant feeling
settled in her gut as it began to truly hit home that this was one of
the people she had always considered a friend who was dying in front of
her eyes.
For some time, Sailor Moon watched Zeus struggle to breathe,
then made a choice of her own. She slowly managed to crawl closer to
the Champion and extended her hands, placing the Ginzuishou on his
shattered breastplate. Her eyes closed, and a flicker of light began to
shine from the crystal.
An instant later, Sailor Moon felt as though she had been
struggling for an eternity, fighting desperately against an implacable
foe. It seemed a hopeless battle. She was weak, more exhausted and
wounded than she could ever recall being, save for the half-remembered
battle against Beryl, swollen to monstrous size by Metallia's power.
She could feel herself failing, feel Motoki's life slipping through her
fingers.
A cold, armored hand grasped her shoulder, and new strength
flowed into her. It was not much, but compared to the tiny trickle she
had left, it was a raging flood of power. Her eyes snapped open in
surprise, and she half-turned to see Ares behind her, his face grim.
The Champion's eyes were as hard as ever, but for once the rage did not
seem directed at her. "Don't stop," Ares whispered.
After a moment, Sailor Moon nodded, and she began to pour Ares's
energy through the Ginzuishou. She heard him gasp and felt him shiver
as it burst into a sudden, blinding light. All she could see was
silver, but she could feel herself rising slightly from the ground,
surrounded by a rapidly growing aura of pure power.
She could feel the energy washing over the battlefield, pouring
into Senshi and Champion alike, both the standing and the fallen. And
she could feel a kernel of darkness and rage at the edge of her
perception, a spirit so given to malice that even the Ginzuishou's power
shrank back from it, unable to penetrate it. She could feeling it
struggling against the silver light, and realized that she could hear
Metallia screaming in frustration, and perhaps even no small amount of
pain.
And then, as suddenly as it had come, the silver light vanished
again. Sailor Moon blinked several times to clear the afterimages from
her eyes as she settled to the ground, lightly landing on her feet. It
was only then that she realized that her numerous wounds had vanished,
and that though she was still somewhat tired, she was no longer nearly
so exhausted as a moment ago. Ares stumbled backward, nearly falling as
weakness ran through his limbs.
In front of her, Zeus was now beginning to stand. His armor was
still cracked and battered, but it was obvious that the skin beneath it
was whole. Zeus gave Ares a significant look over Sailor Moon's
shoulder, then his eyes turned to her. "You have my thanks, your
highness."
Sailor Moon's eyes widened, not sure of exactly how to respond,
but that question was driven from her mind as Metallia spoke. "This
means nothing, Princess. You may have healed yourself, but you still
cannot stand before me." The dark queen raised one hand. "Now, die!"
Crackling darkness leapt from her hand, speeding towards Sailor Moon,
only to be stopped when Zeus caught it on the flat of his blade.
Sailor Moon glanced around the battlefield, confirming her
suspicions that that light had healed the other Senshi and champions as
well, and that they were beginning to rise. As Metallia's attack
dwindled away, Sailor Moon stepped forward, the Ginzuishou beginning to
glow softly again. Behind her gathered both Senshi and Champions, and
before she could even ask she felt energy pouring into her, more than
she had ever handled before.
She could feel the familiar presences of the other Inner Senshi,
their energies melding together with practiced ease. Uranus's and
Neptune's power was like a single, braided cord, Air and Water pulsing
together. Pluto's contribution was dark and cold, but it too easily
melded into the stream.
Those were not the only energies she felt, though. A mighty
torrent of energy poured into her from the Champions, already combined
into a single, surging river of power. At first it took all her control
to avoid being swept away by the flood, but she soon had melded the
Champions' energies into the greater whole.
All this she channeled into the Ginzuishou, until it shone like
a small sun in her hands, so bright she dared not look at it. Slowly,
she raised the shining crystal, feeling it pulse like a heartbeat in her
hands. She somehow knew that with this much energy under her control,
she could with the slightest thought shatter mountains and boil oceans,
all without decreasing the energy but the tiniest fraction.
Metallia laughed. "What are you waiting for, Princess? Strike
me!"
With a wordless cry, Sailor Moon complied, a beam of purest
silver shooting from the Ginzuishou. It raced towards the dark queen,
who stood unmoving until mere fractions of a second before the power
incinerated her. Then, without even the flick of a wrist, darkness
shrouded her, a darkness even the unimaginable power pouring through
Sailor Moon could not pierce.
The dark cocoon pulsed, focusing itself into a beam of its own,
which began to slowly force the light back. As the darkness surged
forward, Metallia once again came into view, a mocking smile etched onto
her lips. "Is this all you can do, Princess?"
Sailor Moon gritted her teeth, refusing to give her opponent the
satisfaction of an answer. Slowly, painstakingly, she managed to first
slow the rushing darkness, then halt it. And once again, light and
darkness fought themselves to a stalemate in the air between her and
Metallia.
"What a pity," Metallia said. "We've already played this game.
I'll have to end it quickly." The darkness seemed to thicken, and began
to creep closer to Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon searched herself, pulling up the few dregs of power
she had not already thrown into the struggle. A part of her tugged at
her connection to Mamoru, so far away, and she drew what strength she
could even from that. All this she poured into the Ginzuishou, and the
advance of the darkness halted once again.
Forgotten, far behind the struggle, the still form of Sailor
Saturn began to twitch. She rose to her knees, then to her feet, all
unnoticed by the combatants. The Silence Glaive leapt into her hands
and pulsed briefly as she began to approach the battle. Though none saw
them, her eyes were cold and hard, her face expressionless.
As she approached, Metallia's face broke into a smile, and her
darkness strengthened as she redoubled her efforts. Sailor Moon saw the
dark goddess's smirk, but could not risk looking over her shoulder to
see what it was that caused it, all her concentration bent on staving
off Metallia's assault.
Behind the Senshi and Champions, Sailor Saturn slowly, shakingly
extended the Silence Glaive, which shone with the sickly, reflected
light of the struggle playing out in front of her. The song of the
Silence rang strongly in its Senshi's ears, beating in time to the pulse
of the confrontation.
Metallia laughed. "Now, it ends!"
Saturn leapt, her weapon unerringly tracking her target. As she
reached the peak of her leap, the glaive pulsed with its own unholy
light and three harsh words escaped her grit teeth. "Silence Glaive...
Surprise!"
The energy blast struck Metallia head on, knocking her back a
half step. Almost instantly, even before Saturn had landed, the dark
queen responded. The ground beneath Saturn cracked open, and a pillar
of darkness sprung up, impaling her upon it. She screamed as the
Silence Glaive dropped from her suddenly weak fingers and the darkness
began to tear her apart from the inside.
Yet these distractions proved enough for Metallia's wave of
darkness to begin to falter. With what seemed like impossible speed
after the slow creeping back and forth, the beam of silver light plunged
forward, scattering the darkness before it. Metallia threw up her arms
to protect herself as the light approached, and screamed when it hit.
A moment later, the dark queen had vanished, and Sailor Saturn
hit the ground with a loud crash. Before anyone could reach the fallen
Senshi, both she and her weapon faded away as well. The darkness that
had shrouded the edges of the courtyard began to fragment and lift,
revealing Castle Charon once again.
Or, more accurately, what was left of the castle. What Sailor
Moon could see of it from the courtyard was little more than rubble.
Within instants, the Senshi and Champions had, seemingly without
thinking about it, formed battle lines on opposite sides of the
courtyard.
The Gates of Time were missing, Sailor Moon suddenly noticed.
The spot on the courtyard's wall directly behind the Champions, where
she remembered seeing them as she had entered the courtyard, was now
home to a gaping hole into the shattered interior of the keep. Sailor
Moon started as she heard someone begin to laugh.
It took her only a moment to locate the source. Sailor Pluto
had sunk to her knees, and was laughing hysterically. Her eyes were
fixed straight ahead, though it was impossible to tell whether they were
looking at Ares or where the Gates of Time had used to stand. Seemingly
of their own volition, Sailor Moon's own eyes sought out those of the
Champion of Mars.
He stood between Hermes and Aphrodite, who was clutching her
restored sword arm as though to reassure herself it was there. Ares
himself held his sword in front of his face, staring into his own
reflection. There was a twisted expression on his face, half a smile
and half a grimace, but his eyes were as cold as ever.
Sailor Moon began to search for words, but none came. No one
else seemed willing to speak either, and for a long time the two groups
observed each other in silence. Then, slowly, Ares lowered his sword.
His face was now expressionless, as he looked up and down the line of
Champions, some wordless question passing from him to his brethren.
Whatever it was he was, met with nods, some quick, some slow and
slight. His eyes suddenly met Sailor Moon's, and he began to slowly
walk forward. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw Mars and Venus,
on either side of her, fall into ready stances, but she remained still
as Ares approached.
For a brief moment, Ares's face twisted again, then smoothed.
He slowly lowered his blade to the ground before him, no more than a few
feet from Sailor Moon. His hands tightly clutched the hilt, and he
almost leaned on the blade.
"Princess," he said after a long moment. "Do you realize who
that was?"
Sailor Moon nodded. She was afraid to speak, something warning
her that any words she might say now could only do harm.
"Serenity the Dark," Ares said, "mother to Serenity the
Peacemaker, to whom we swore our oaths, until all are one." He paused.
"But before that, we swore a different oath. We were created to fight
Serenity the Dark, and we swore to the Master of Death, on the first day
of our existence, that we would do whatever it took to fight her."
Pluto laughed again, sounding as though she did not believe what
she was seeing, but both Ares and Sailor Moon ignored her. The Champion
continued to speak. "That oath still binds us, just as it did when
Serenity the Peacemaker came to us on the eve of the fall of the Golden
Millenium. Serenity the Dark must be stopped."
Ares paused, as though it was a struggle to utter the next
words. "We will help you fight her." He paused, and the struggle that
had passed before was nothing next to the indecision now evident on his
face, but it too passed. "I cannot say I like this, but I fear it is
necessary, or there will be no trust between us." He slowly extended
his blade, hilt first, offering it to Sailor Moon. "We will swear
ourselves to you... if you will have us."
Sailor Moon slowly nodded, still afraid to speak. She reached
out and grasped the blade, taking it from Ares's hands. It was lighter
than she had expected, and warm to the touch. As she looked at it she
saw her own tired and battered reflection. After a moment, she
wordlessly handed the sword back to its owner.
Ares smiled weakly. "Then we are yours... your highness."
***********************************************************************
Author's Random Revised Ramblings
1) A handful of non-cosmetic changes this time, to the scene of the
Champions voting.
2) No C&C whatsoever is desired... in Bizzaro World. In this world,
it's all most welcome.
3) Previous chapters available at
http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~anowack/sogr/
Released: April 09, 2003
Revised: December 16, 2003
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