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Senshi Kurai
Part 11- "An Enemy from the Past"
Jackie ChiangQuick Copyright notes: This is a fanfic based on Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon, an anime/manga created by Takeuchi Naoko. Characters belong to her and all others associated with rights [Toei, Bandai, Kodansha, etc], but the storyline, ideas, and any other characters are created by me. 1997 - Jackie Chiang
*Note: This is the darkest part of the series so far. Previously, there were funny jokes, and were for the most part not serious. However, I repeat, this is darker than any of the other parts, though to a considerably lesser extent than some other stuff I've read. For the third time, do not read this section looking for a chance to laugh.
Sun stared at the moon, her face partially hidden by her golden hair. Nodding, she glanced at the others. "It is time."
The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen all joined hands in a circle, with Luna and Artemis in the center. Closing their eyes, they whispered, "Sailor Teleport."
Each's energy merged with the others', and in an instant, nothing was there, save rocks that were ripped from the concrete and a single leaf.
"There is nothing to say," Asa told them flatly. Her tone had no feeling; she was simply stating the facts. "We only have one chance to save the Sailor Senshi, and we must take it now, while they are recuperating from their losses."
Asa had explained to them that she was the princess from the Sun, a new star to join the alignment of the Silver Millennium. She, like Sailor Earth, was relatively unknown, and only the Outer Senshi knew of her. Her job was to protect the people of the Moon Kingdom, and to guard her Solar Katanas, the relics from the sun. During the attack of the Dark Kingdom and the brainwashing of the Magic Senshi, Sun had been kidnapped, her memories erased from her. She remained with the Senshi Kurai, believing that she was the leader of the Sun Quintet, known as Apollo. Hecate had led her to think that she had some sort of hold over her, and that she could only be free from her bounds by killing the Sailor Senshi.
"But that's all I remember," she had said, staring at the sun, her golden eyes flickering sadly as her wavy gold hair had floated around her face. "I don't recall anything about my life on the sun, or why I was even chosen to be in the Moon Kingdom."
Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "But back to our mission. Our only hope of ever rescuing your friends is to enter the Yin Kingdom now through the Sailor Teleport. Their defenses are down; they haven't much energy left until tonight, when they can regroup themselves."
"Hai." Haruka answer spoke for all of them.
And so, the Sailor Senshi and the Magic Senshi left together to the Yin Kingdom, where they are about to fight the battle of their lives...
They landed in blackness, complete and engulfing darkness that filled them with feelings of dread and uncertainty. In front of them was a large black castle, an ominous mist surrounding them. It was quiet, too quiet, as if death had made his home there. There was nothing but the castle, and it appeared as if it was in the middle of nowhere.
"We have to stay strong, minna," Saturn whispered softly. "For their sake."
Sailor Moon nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. Feelings of fear threatened to overwhelm her, but Hades put her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Trust us, Princess," she said. "We will rescue them."
"We must," Poseidon murmured, observing that a sudden burst of magical energy had encompassed the area around the castle. "There is no turning back now..."
"The fools," Ares said contemptuously, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. "Do they really think that they can defeat us?"
Venus glared at her from the small window in the cell that overlooked the hall. "They will! They will defeat you, and your little cats too!" Her voice was hysterical.
"Venus!" Mercury whispered, pulling her down, slapping her. "Get a grip on yourself!"
"It must be from the lack of sugar that she needs," Jupiter murmured wryly, her poor attempt at a joke drawing strained chuckles from the other girls. They were all nervous wrecks, and they all looked as if they hadn't slept for weeks.
"They will rescue us," Mars said fiercely, more to herself than to the others, but nevertheless, she knelt on her knees to pray to her gods, as well as to a god who was not her own.
Chikyuu stared at the lovely dark haired princess on the ground, who was gasping at the sight of him, her former lover. Her dark eyes were confused, horrified, and bewildered. He felt something tug within him, but he immediately grew cold. She had showed him what Hecate really was... a deceptive, lying, spoiled brat.
"Chikyuu?" she stuttered softly. Her eyes flashed suddenly, a dark wine red color. Her breathing became more controlled, her eyes laughing, as she stood up. She smirked. "So we meet again."
Chikyuu's smile was false, his eyes blue crystals of ice. "Princess." Mockingly said.
"Chikyuu, you know the plan," Metallia ordered, flipping her pale hand dismissively. "Away."
The white haired man bowed, disappearing into air.
"Well, Metallia," Hecate said when he was gone, twirling her black hair around her finger, "what do you want him here for? We don't need him." Her back faced the queen.
Metallia became angry. Why this sudden arrogance? Things must NOT go wrong, she thought. "Are you stupid?" she snapped. "Your Senshi Kurai have failed. We need him. He's the best warrior we have."
"And whose fault is it that they failed?" Hecate's voice was dangerously soft.
The former queen of the Dark Kingdom drew back, her long black hair wrapping around her. Something was wrong... terribly wrong... Though she could not experience human emotions, she felt the faint prickles of fear as Hecate turned around, and she stared into the eyes of not Hecate, but Beryl.
"I'm worried about Hecate," Hermes said finally into the dark room. By agreement, no lights were on. The four girls and two cats sat in silence. "She hasn't been herself recently."
"Have any of us?" Zeus pointed out, her green eyes deceptively calm.
"No..." Hermes said. "But, she's so... cold to us. It's like she's really not herself. Like she's been taken over..."
Cynthia sighed, leaping down from her position on Hecate's throne. "I should have told you all this sooner, but..."
"Nani, Cynthia?" Aphrodite demanded, standing up. "Tell us."
"A few days ago, I discovered a secret chamber in Hecate's room. I went inside, and I saw Hecate talking to a girl..."
"Who was she?" Ares probed. She had put aside her childish impulses and feelings. For this, the others were glad, but immediately aware of what had caused her to change.
"...Hecate called her Metallia..."
"Metallia?!?" they all said together.
"But, she died with Beryl!" Hermes whispered, sinking into her chair. She put her hand on her forehead, pushing her long blue bangs away. "Didn't she?!"
"This is all so mixed up," Zeus murmured. "I don't even know what's going on anymore..."
Sun glanced at the castle. "This way," she said, moving towards the intricate network of huge pipes in the back of the castle.
"Is this the only way to get in?" Neptune asked, studying the pipes. They were large enough for even Uranus to walk through, but were dark and cold, and vague sounds creaked throughout further down.
"Hai," Sun said, her face stony. "They know we're here, but right now, they cannot destroy us directly. We must separate and try to avoid any forces they have inside. We can then meet up at the dungeon where the girls are being held."
"Ok," Uranus said. She glanced at the others. "Princess, you and Tuxedo Kamen go with Sun in the left pipe. Cronus, Sunaru, and Pluto too. Neptune, Poseidon, Hades, Saturn, and I will go into the right pipe."
"Demo..." Moon whispered.
"It's for the best, Princess," Sun said reassuringly. "Neptune has her mirror, and I know my way. It's an even match."
"Ganbatte," Saturn whispered to Cronus. They hugged, as did Hades with Pluto and Sunaru with Uranus.
"Meet you later," Uranus said, and she turned, entering the pipe. Poseidon murmured underneath her breath and a ball of flame appeared in her left hand; it was obviously for light. The five girls vanished.
"Sayonara," Moon said softly to them, then followed Sun and the other girls, who had already entered the pipe. Tuxedo Kamen gave her a smile.
"Beryl..." Metallia gasped. "I thought you were dead!"
Hecate...no, Beryl laughed evilly. "You did, did you? You're an even bigger fool than I thought!"
Metallia sneered with bravado, her red lips twisting into an ugly glare. "You can't do anything! I gave you your power! You, you stupid girl, wasted it on revenge!"
Hecate/Beryl shrieked with laughter. "Imagine that! You think you have _more_ power than me? Too bad I don't need you anymore!"
"What are you talking about?" Metallia snapped. Beryl should be dead.
Beryl snickered, and with incredible ease, left Hecate's body, which slumped to the ground. She reformed as her previous self, ugly, vain, and detestable. Red hair, white skin, twisted, gross face. Evil burning eyes.
"I never died, you silly idiot!" Beryl said. "Don't you think I was smarter than that? I, too, left part of myself behind, and with a great deal more power than you have. I sealed part of myself in a chest, which I flung to Earth. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was awoken by a young, handsome, white haired boy. Endymion's brother. So incredibly ironic.
"Of course, once I discovered all about him, I told him the 'truth' about his little girlfriend, after reviving his memories of course. That's when I told him to ally with you... I always knew that you'd go back to the Senshi Kurai for universal domination... It was so easy for Chikyuu to fool you, and I was with him, using his body as a tool to get to Hecate. From there, I simply left his body and entered hers, and you thought that you had controlled her! Mwahaha! Metallia no baka, ne?"
Metallia felt supreme anger rising up inside of her, threatening to overtake her. Beryl must die now; she had to kill the fool before she destroyed her plans... "Why you little..." Summoning up all of her powers inside of her, she charged Beryl.
Beryl watched, amused, laughing, and with one flick of her wrist, destroyed Metallia in one blow. The thing who had been her was no more, exploding into shiny black dust, which disappeared as Metallia's screams faded, the echoes in the room dying out. This time she was truly dead.
"Foolish, foolish, Metallia will never underestimate me again..." Beryl murmured, laughing. She stood over Hecate's body, her ugly, long laughs growing...
From outside the chamber, Aphrodite muffled Ares's gasp of horror. Moving away quickly, the four girls and the two cats hurried away, transporting to a secluded place that even Hecate didn't know about.
"My god," Hermes whispered, leaning against the wall. "She just killed her..."
"We've all been so blind," Ares said, covering her mouth in horror. She instantly regretted everything she had ever done or said to the Sailor Senshi and her friends...
"So incredibly taken in..." Zeus agreed, clenching her fists. She slammed one of them into the wall behind her, leaving a dent. "What do we do now?"
"First we must save the Sailor Senshi from the trap," Aphrodite said, her t one commanding. Her blue eyes burned with determination. "Then we must free the Inner Senshi... And we have to rescue Hecate before it's too late..."
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