"Sailor Moon Alternity" By Daryll Pung

Go to Previous Page - Part  4 - 5 - 6 

or Go Back to the Stories

    Note: Final Fantasy VII and all of its characters are the property of Squaresoft and Sony.

Sailor Moon Alternity

By Daryll Pung

Part 4: Answers From The Planet

PG13

Round 1:  Old Friends Anew

       "What do you mean, its possible?" asked Cloud Strife, glaring at his old friend and fellow ex-SOLDIER Dev Killwatt.  The team was visiting him in his new residence in Cosmo Canyon.  The rest of the team sat up straight in surprise.

      "I mean, with the threat to the Planet- namely, Sephiroth and Meteor- gone, it may be possible to resurrect Aeris Gainsborough," said Dev.  He glanced at Red XIII.  "I know you are all aware of how the Planet reuses spirit energy.  Well, it takes a little bit, and from the research I've been doing, if we take parts from the bodies of all the WEAPONs, we can fuse them into a special one-use Materia that will bring her back within a certain time frame.  We have the pieces of all but one WEAPON... because we haven't fought that one yet."

      "I was wondering why you wanted us to collect the pieces from the bodies of the WEAPONs," said Tifa Lockheart thoughtfully.  "But I thought all the WEAPONs were destroyed.  What is this last WEAPON?  And how do we do this?"

      "Well, I snuck into what was left of Midgar after it was destroyed, and with Reeve's help, was able to locate some files, actually copies.  We do have to move quickly, because the originals are in the hands of the Turks.  According to these files, Sapphire WEAPON, the last remaining WEAPON, is located on the Glacier near the Crater.  The actual fusing will require all of us to really want Aeris back," elaborated Dev.

      "So it's back north we go?" asked Cid Highwind.  "Repairs are complete on the Highwind, although we kept the jet engines."  He grinned.  "More fun to fly that way."

      "We have to stop at the City of the Ancients anyway.  Two reasons.  First, we have to recover her body.  Second, I have to recover something myself.  Reeves will be joining us as Cait Sith again, and I suggest we get moving," said Dev.

      "I guess I'll have to leave Marlene here again," sighed Barrett Wallace.

      "I guess you'll be needing all that Materia we collected," giggled Yuffie Kisaragi.

      "Then let us go," said Vincent Valentine.

      The Highwind swept low, going into hover as Yuffie brought them back to Wutai.  She climbed down the ladder, and raced to her house.  Ten minutes later, she raced back out, carrying Conformer and a big sack filled with Materia.  The Highwind shot upwards, moving towards the City of the Ancients.

      After landing the Highwind just outside of Bone Village, the team proceeded on their way to the City of the Ancients.  They moved down the narrow path that led to the center, once again approaching the lake where Aeris' body had been laid to rest.  The team paused to put Materia into their weapons.

      "Yuffie, where's that Underwater Materia we used on Emerald WEAPON?" asked Cloud.  He had one remaining slot in his Mystile armor.

      "Here you go," said Yuffie, handing over a purple orb.  Cloud equipped it, and looked at the rest of the team.  He moved to the lake, entering the water.  He dove down to the depths, searching.  In the meantime, the rest of the team readied the special carrying case for Aeris' body.  They watched Dev go off into the shell-house.

      What's he up to? wondered Tifa.  She saw Barrett look at her, and she nodded, running to follow.

      Dev moved down the shell's inside surface, to the secret pathway that led to the underground Ancient holy place.  He glanced around, and then moved down the crystal stairs.  Tifa saw this, and cautiously followed.

      He halted at the bottom.  Tifa stifled a sigh upon seeing the very place where Aeris had died.  She knew that while Aeris had competed with her for Cloud's attention, Aeris really had been a good friend, and deep down, she missed her.

      To her complete surprise, Dev moved to the platform and crossed his arms.  He seemed to be waiting for something, mused Tifa.  She moved closer, and was at the base of the pedestals that led up to the platform when a white light appeared, expanding to fill the platform before vanishing.  When the light faded, she was shocked to see twelve girls, one boy, and two cats standing on the platform in front of him.

      "Hello, Hoppers.  I'm Dev Killwatt.  Let's get you on your way, shall we?" smiled Dev reassuringly.

      "You're a member of the Order."  It was a statement, not a question, and it was the blonde in front who said it.

      Dev nodded.

      "Okay, I think there's some explaining to do," Tifa spoke up, tapping her right foot.  Dev turned, startled.

      "Uh..." Dev trailed off.

      When Tifa and Dev led the Sailor Scouts out of the shell-house, Cloud was already dry, and the special container was sealed.  There were some curious looks exchanged upon sighting the girls.

      Dev sighed.  "Listen.  These people are Hoppers.  They are being sent from world to world, to a special contact that then sends them on their way.  I'm that contact in our world.  It is of utmost importance that we get them home.  Luckily, this coincides with our goals here."

      "So are they going to help us against Sapphire WEAPON?" asked Cloud, one eyebrow raised.

      "And what is your interest in Sapphire WEAPON?" came a voice that caused the entire crew to draw their weapons and whirl around.  Reno, Rude, and Elena stood at the entrance to the special grove, taking in the scene.

      "The Turks," hissed Yuffie.

      "The Troublemakers," sneered Reno.  "You're lucky we don't kill you here and now.  We're out of a job because of you."

      "You call what you did before a job?" asked Barrett angrily.

      "What are you doing here?" demanded Cloud.

      "Looking for a spiky-haired guy who uses a sword," answered Elena.  Cloud tightened his grip on Ultima Weapon.

      Reno laughed.  "Relax.  It's not you.  We want him on our team, and he was rumored to be in Icicle Town.  The fact that it's on the way to Sapphire WEAPON is an added bonus."

      "What is YOUR interest in Sapphire WEAPON?" demanded Tifa.

      "Same as yours, I suspect.  I imagine we'll meet again.  Here's a warning... stay out of our way!"

      With that, the Turks turned and left.

      "What the heck was that all about?  And what is a Sapphire WEAPON?" asked Mina.

      "A spiky haired guy who uses a sword and is not me?" wondered Cloud.  He thought for a second.  "No way!"

      "Zack," whispered Tifa.

      "But he was killed by Shinra troops outside of Midgar," said Cloud, eyes wide.

      "Maybe the fact that he was in SOLDIER like us helped him survive... you never know what Mako will do to you," said Dev.  "Or maybe something else is going on."

      "We'll talk about this on the way to Icicle Town," said Cloud.  "And we'll explain things to you Hoppers also on the way."

      "To the Highwind?" asked Cid.  He received a nod for a reply.  The group began to move out, Barrett and Vincent carrying the special case.

      "But they just threatened you..." began Serena.

      "I know," said Cloud.  He simply smiled.

       The Highwind hovered outside of Icicle Town.  The group climbed down the rope ladder to the snow-covered ground.  As they entered town, they went to the inn.

      "Well," said Cloud, coming back to the table they all took in the corner.  "The innkeep has confirmed that it was Zack.  He went to the glacier on a snowboard.  Luckily, he has enough snowboards for all of us."

      "Snowboarding?  Sounds like fun," said Amara.

      "What if we don't know how?" asked Serena.

      "It's easy... just follow our lead," smiled Tifa reassuringly.

Round 2:  Cold Wastes and Warm Huts

       Cloud drew up short, sliding to a stop.  The Hoppers were handling themselves rather well, he thought.  He looked around.  The scenery was striking.  Glistening white snow, occasional cold, biting winds, and mountains in the background... very pretty.  And somewhere out there on the glacier was Sapphire WEAPON and Zack.

      "Are we ready?" asked Tifa behind him.

      "Yes.  Remember, we gotta keep warm.  Let's go!" said Cloud.

      "Much better," said Cid.

      "Huh?" asked Lita.

      "He used to be so dopey about things like this!" chuckled Cid as he kicked off, heading after Cloud and Tifa.

      The Scouts exchanged glances as they followed.

      The fire burned hotly, warming the tired faces of the group sitting around it.  They were in a cave, and they had called it a day.  There had been no sign of either of their targets.

      "Well, this is interesting," said Amy quietly, studying some Materia with Michelle and Yuffie.  "And you say that this little green orb can rain comets down on people?"

      "Yup," said Yuffie.

      "You know," Raye began thoughtfully.  "I find it amazing we're all coping so easily with this."

      Luna opened an eye as Serena sat up, glancing around.  "Yeah, you're right.  It's become second nature already to be in all these different worlds."

      "I always knew you Sailor Scouts were more than you appear, but I never knew everyone was so versatile," said Artemis, on Mina's lap.

      "So, what's your home world like?" asked Tifa.  She glanced at Dev, in earnest conversation with Cloud.

      "A lot like this one, actually," said Darien.  "But we don't have this... Materia stuff.  Or all the monsters you people deal with."

      "Or airships like the Highwind," put in Trista.

      Dev rejoined the group.  Cloud got up and moved to the entrance of the cave, gazing out at the night.

      "Of the worlds we visited, this one feels the closest to home," commented Samantha.

      Red's head suddenly jerked up, as he smelled something that alarmed him.  At the cave entrance, Cloud snapped alert, hearing something just beyond the edge of his perception.  Almost by magic, Ultima Weapon was in his hands.  He stepped out into the snow, aware that everyone was now at the cave entrance, wondering what was going on.  He heard the barely perceptible sound of metal sliding, like someone pulling a sword out of its sheath.  Snow crunched, and Cloud dodged left as an unknown individual slashed at him, missing narrowly.  Cloud turned and parried the next blow.  He caught a glimpse of the individual in the firelight.

      "Zack!" gasped Cloud.  The individual took a step back.

      "Huh?" asked Zack.  "What did you call me?  Is that my name?"

      Cloud nodded.

      "Why can't I remember?  And how do you know?" asked Zack suspiciously.  "Who are you?"

      "I was in SOLDIER with you," said Cloud.  "We were friends.  We were on our way to Midgar to become mercenaries when some Shinra troops caught up with us and shot you."

      "I don't remember any of that," said Zack, taking a few steps further back and sheathing his weapon.

      "I'm not surprised," said Cloud quietly, sheathing Ultima Weapon.  "I am surprised you survived, though."

      "What's SOLDIER?  What's Shinra?" asked Zack.  He heard a sigh from Tifa. 

      "Come on by the fire," invited Dev.  "We'll see if we can't help you find your memories, like Tifa did with Cloud."

      Morning found the group, with Zack in tow, moving further on the glacier.  The going was rough, and the group soon found themselves at the base of Gaea's Cliffs.

      "Hey, Cloud," said Cait Sith.

      "What?"  Cloud asked, stopping to look at him.

      "Isn't Mr. Holzhoff's place near here?  Maybe he knows something about the whereabouts of Sapphire WEAPON.  And I'm sure we could all use a break," said Cait Sith.

      "Actually, that's a good idea," said Cloud.  "Besides, maybe Sapphire WEAPON is back in the Crater, what with Sephiroth destroyed and all.  Let's find out."

      The group moved off.  Cloud led them along the base of the cliffs until they spotted the flag that was constantly flying as a reminder to travelers.   They moved to the house, and knocked on the door.

      It opened.  Mr. Holzhoff stood in the doorway, and looked pleasantly surprised to see such a large gathering of people.

      "Come in," he said.  He led them into a common room that was nice and toasty warm from the fireplace.  "I remember you,” he said, examining them closely.  He frowned.  "Some of you, anyway.  What are you doing back here?"

      "Looking for a monster called Sapphire WEAPON," said Cloud.

      "WEAPON, eh?" he said.  He looked thoughtful.  "What’s it look like?"

      Cloud glanced at Dev.

      Dev spoke up.  "It's bluish in color, and resembles a giant spider with wings."

      "Now that you mention it, something like that flew overhead a few days ago.  There were some other people that stopped by recently, too.  They were all dressed up in blue suits.  I thought they were crazy, but they just went off and did their own thing," said Holzhoff.

      "The Turks," muttered Cloud.

      "Turks?" asked Zack. 

      "More Shinra," said Barrett.  "They always buttin' their heads where they don't belong."

      "And they have a head start over us," said Cid with a frown.

      To everyone's surprise, Cloud laughed.

      "Hmph.  I seriously doubt the Turks are gonna be able to defeat Sapphire WEAPON all by themselves.  We have lots more experience fighting WEAPONs, and remember how tough Ruby and Emerald were?  No, I think they'll be waiting on us to collect the fruits of our labor."

      "Cloud is right," said Vincent seriously.  "Turks standard procedure in a case like this is make your enemies do the work for you."

      "So now what?" asked Serena.

      "For now, we get a good night's rest.  Tomorrow, we ascend Gaea's Cliffs into the Crater, and fight Sapphire WEAPON," said Cloud decisively.

      "Right this way," said Holzhoff.

       "So, Cloud, who do you think the Turks are trying to revive?" asked Tifa, moving along the narrow cliff trail right next to him.

      "I'm not sure, Tifa.  Maybe Tseng.  I'd hope they'd be smarter than to revive Rufus or even Sephiroth.  I imagine we'll find out in due time," Cloud answered thoughtfully.

      "If they do that, do you think we can win?" worried Tifa.

      "Don't worry, Tifa.  Everything's gonna be all right.  Remember?" he grinned with a wink.

      Tifa smiled back and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

      "Hey lovebirds, let's move!" called Cid, grinning.

      The team stood at the edge of the crater.  Looking upon it, they could see the changes that had been made since Holy's release.  The Crater was now sealed, with occasional deep fissures running through it.  Lifestream was still at work in the center, however.  A single lake of green was visible, green wisps of steam trailing off of it.

      And right on the shore stood a large, bluish, spider-shape with wings.

      Sapphire WEAPON.

Round 3:  The Resurrection and The Turks' New Friend

       "That's him," said Red XIII.  "That's Sapphire WEAPON."

      Cloud gazed intently at several shapes moving closer to them.  "I'm surprised they actually tried," said Cloud.

      "Huh?" asked Raye.

      "The Turks," said Cloud.  As the shapes moved closer, they became identifiable as the Turks.  Rude and Elena were carrying Reno between them.  All three looked beat up and tired.  They saw the group, but there was no antagonism evident in their features.  Only Elena said anything as they passed.

      "Good Luck," she said wearily.

      "What doesn't seem right about that?" asked Yuffie after the Turks passed.

      "Lots," muttered Cloud.

      "You guys don't trust they tried and lost?" asked Luna.

      "No, we don't," said Tifa.

      "As well we shouldn't," said Vincent.  "I was once a Turk, and it's quite possible they are still deceiving us."

      "Enough of that," said Zack.  The excitement of a fight was getting him riled up.

      "Agreed," said Cloud.  "We'll deal with the Turks later.  Right now, Sapphire WEAPON waits!  Move out!"

      They set out.

       The shape of Sapphire WEAPON loomed above them.  It was gazing at the lifestream.

      "Why doesn't it attack?" asked Mina in a whisper.

      "Most WEAPONS didn't, unless you bothered them," said Cait Sith.

      "Well, I'm about to bother it," said Cloud.  He pulled out Ultima Weapon.

      "Yeah," said Tifa, cracking her knuckles, already wearing Premium Heart.

      Yuffie simply smiled as drew Conformer.  Cid was puffing on a cigarette, leaning against Venus Gospel.  Barrett readied Missing Score.  Vincent loaded Death Penalty.  Cait Sith held HP Shout in his hands.  Red XIII already had Limited Moon equipped.

      The Scouts looked at each other.  They glanced at Dev, who had drawn his sword, Plane Protector.  It wasn't as glamorous as Cloud's and Zack's swords, though.  Zack also stood ready, holding his sword.  As one, the Scouts captivated the rest of the team with their transformations into Sailor Scout form.

      "Let's do this in style," said Cloud.  A red orb equipped on his sword gleamed bright red. Cloud put his sword away as he summoned.

      "ULTIMATE END!"

      It caught Sapphire WEAPON by surprise.   A wall of bluish energy rose around him, as Knights of the Round Summons was activated.  Again and again, the knights came, slashing, chopping, blasting, and hitting him as he dropped.  Finally he faced the thirteenth knight... Arthur himself.  The sword came up, and then slashed down, badly injuring him as his surroundings returned him to the Crater.  Sapphire WEAPON turned to face his adversaries.

      "Ultima!" called Tifa.  Raw lifestream gushed out and nailed Sapphire WEAPON.  Then again.  And again.  And one more time, thanks to Quadra-Magic Materia.

      "Comet 2!" cast Yuffie.  Comets rushed out of the sky and impacted with loud explosions into Sapphire.

      "TERA FLARE!" cast Red XIII.  The world seemed to shrink before their eyes as Bahumat ZERO was summoned.  Way above the planet, the gleaming, silvery dragon drew up, extended his six wings, and began to charge.  He blasted his breath towards the planet.  The clouds parted, and a huge beam of green energy blasted Sapphire WEAPON, resulting in an almost nuclear explosion.

      Sapphire retaliated.  He rose up, extending four of his eight legs.  He hit Cloud with his four legs repeatedly, dropping Cloud to his knees.

      "Fullcure!" cast Barrett.  White light rose around Cloud, restoring his energy.  Cloud's fury was building as the Sailor Scouts added some input.

      "URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

      "PLUTO DEADLY SCREAM!"

      "NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

      Sapphire absorbed the impacts of all the power being tossed at him.  He activated his central crystal.  It began to pulse a bright red.

      "GIGA FLARE!" cast Cid.  The ground rumbled beneath Sapphire as he was ripped upwards, in between the clouds, to face Neo Bahumat.  The blazing energy that the bright red dragon nailed him with dropped him to the ground with tremendous force.

      Cloud used a Megalixir on the group.  Sapphire WEAPON regained his feet and reared up.

      "Uh oh," said Yuffie.

      Blazing energy lanced out, nailing the group repeatedly.  Everyone was on his or her knees.  Cait Sith threw up another Megalixir, refreshing everyone as Cloud cast again.

      "ULTIMATE END!"

      This time, when Sapphire WEAPON returned to the normal world it was on its knees... all eight of them.

      "Beta!" cast Yuffie from her Enemy Skills Materia.  A nuclear explosion encompassed Sapphire.

      "Flare!" cast Tifa.  A fiery explosion hit Sapphire.

      Sapphire tried to regain its feet as the three ex-SOLDIERs jumped forward, each one using mastered Double-Cut Materia.  The combined slashes, with fire support from Yuffie, Vincent and Barrett, brought Sapphire crashing down in a huge explosion.  Pieces of Sapphire WEAPON flew everywhere.  When the dust settled, a gleaming sword lay near the lake.  Cloud picked up a piece of Sapphire WEAPON as Zack picked up his ultimate weapon, Sonic Slasher.

      "Sweet," was all he said.  Cloud pulled out his PHS phone.

      "Cloud calling Highwind," he said.  "Clear to come to the center of the crater."

      "Wow," said Raye as the Scouts returned to normal.  "That was fun."

      "And how do we do this?" asked Cloud to Dev.  The pieces from each WEAPON were laid out in front of them... a piece of armor blasted from the WEAPON that had attacked Junon, only to have its head blown off by Shinra's Sister Ray Cannon.  A claw from Diamond WEAPON, destroyed from another blast of pure mako energy from Sister Ray, after it was moved to Midgar.  Next to that was one of the organic laser eyes that Emerald WEAPON had used on the group as they fought it underwater, right outside their sub, thanks to Underwater Materia.  A fragment of wing from Ultima WEAPON, from the crater it had made when Cloud and his friends had killed it from the Highwind over Cosmo Canyon.  A fingertip from Ruby WEAPON, recovered when Cloud, all by himself, had defeated the beast outside of the Gold Saucer in the desert.  Last, but not least, a spine from one of the legs of Sapphire WEAPON.   The pieces were all laid out in a circle, equidistant from each other, with the special case in the middle.  The Sailor Scouts, back in their normal forms, were separate and watching.  Cloud looked intently at Dev.  Only Zack looked unconcerned.

      "All of us, stand in a circle around the pieces," Dev said after consulting his notes.  He and Zack stood apart from the rest, near the Sailor Scouts.

      The team moved into the positions he dictated.  "Now.  All of you must reach deep within yourself.  You must draw out those inner emotions concerning her.  The Planet must be convinced that she really deserves to be back amongst her friends, that your need for her is real.  Only the raw, untamed power of your emotions can do it... begin now.  I'm not sure how long this will take," finished Dev, looking up.

      The team stood taunt, each deeply wishing for Aeris.  The wind blew across the crater, the only sound they heard.  It slowly calmed.  It seemed as though nothing was happening.  Eyes among the team opened, and sighs were heard.

      Suddenly, the pieces began to glow.  Lines of Lifestream shot from each piece to each other.  The glowing star-shape began rotating as the pieces rose off the ground and twirled into one.  They became a glowing orb, green with white lines through it.

      "White Materia," Cloud said in awe.  An explosion was heard, and then the White Materia exploded, totally vanishing.

      "Huh?" asked Tifa.  "It didn't work?"

      "What was the other sound?" asked Cid.

      "That was us," came a gleeful voice.  The team spun, facing the Turks, still looking the way they had before, but seeming to have a lot more energy.

      "So ya'll weren't really hurt, and never really fought WEAPON, huh?" asked Barrett, holding Missing Score ready.

      "Why fight when you do such a good job of it?" taunted Reno.  "By the way, thanks for the piece of Sapphire WEAPON.  We really appreciate it."

      "Who did you try and revive?" asked Cloud suddenly.

      Elena smirked.  "We decided we were tired of being subordinates, and to try our hand at ruling the world.  So we brought back a friend under our control, who will help us do just that."

      "Why you-" began Cait Sith as the ground began to rumble.  Loud popping drew their attention, and they all- except for the Turks- recoiled as they realized the Lifestream lake was boiling.

      Suddenly, Lifestream dripping off of it as it rose, a familiar shape shot upwards out of the lake.  It roared as it rose, a dread shape everyone present-except for Zack and the Sailor Scouts- recognized.

      "Ultima WEAPON," whispered Cloud in shock.

      "A new and improved Ultima WEAPON, combining all the powers of every previous WEAPON," said Reno as Elena held a glowing yellow orb towards Ultima.  The team recognized Manipulate Materia.

      Ultima WEAPON roared again, and charged its central core.

      "Huh?" said Rude, glancing at a suddenly perspiring Elena.

      "This- This isn't what's supposed to be happening!" gasped a panicked Elena.

      "What!?" shouted Reno.

      "Apparently, Ultima is uncontrollable," said Cloud wryly.

      Ultima WEAPON fired his Ultima Beam at the Turks, who all nimbly dodged away.  Ultima roared, and rose skyward, disappearing in a bright blue flash.  The Turks all looked at each other.

      "You do, of course, realize what has just happened," said Tifa, glaring at them, her fist cocked.

      "Well, whom did you attempt to revive?" asked Reno sarcastically, brushing himself off and brushing off Tifa's anger.

      "She's right here!" snapped Cloud, eyes blazing in anger.  He stepped over and yanked open the case.  It was empty.  Cloud's anger subsided to sadness, as the Turks all smiled.

      "I guess we failed," said Cloud sullenly.

      "No, Cloud, you didn't," came a female voice behind them all.  Everyone spun to see Aeris Gainsborough standing behind them on a rock.  Still wearing the same dress, smiling the same smile, and carrying Princess Guard.  She stepped forward.

      "And, apparently, we have to team up with the Turks to hunt down their experiment.  How could you think you could control that which the Planet creates in its anger?" she asked, facing the shocked Turks.

      "I, uh," trailed off Reno, eyes wide.

      "How nice of you all," smiled Aeris, circling to examine the party.  She noted the differences.  The weapons, the armor,, and the Materia.  "Is Sephiroth still around?"

      "Nope," said Cloud, a smile on his face.  "We fought and defeated him to allow your prayer, your memory, Holy, to go free."

      Aeris hugged Cloud.  "It's so nice," she said, eyes shining.

      "And we found someone else you might know," said a smiling Tifa.  She indicated Zack.

      Aeris turned, and her jaw dropped in shock.  She gasped out the name.  "Z… Zack?" she asked in stunned amazement.

      Hearing his name, Zack looked up and saw that which had been haunting his memories:  those beautiful green eyes.  In a rush, memories were unlocked as he fell, clutching his head.

      "Zack!" shouted Cloud in concern.

      "It's okay, Cloud," said Zack, gasping as he gazed steadily at the ground.  "Aeris..." his voice trailed off.   "I remember now.  I was a SOLDIER Third Class.  I met a pretty girl during a tour through the slums.  She was in an abandoned church, tending some flowers.  The first things I noticed were those green eyes.  I dated her as much as SOLDIER allowed.  Then I was transferred to Sephiroth's unit after I made First Class.  That's where I met SOLDIER Trainee Cloud Strife."  Zack looked up.  "It's all slowly coming back to me now.  Nibelhelm.  Tifa.  Sephiroth.  The Reactor.  Cloud, it's a shame you weren't still in SOLDIER.  You'd have certainly made First Class by now."

      "Thanks, Zack," said Cloud.  "I owe it all to you, though."

      "I wasn't the one who took out Sephiroth at Nibelhelm.  I had no part of that.  So, I think you finally found yourself, just as I just did," said Zack, noticing Aeris' funny looks towards Cloud.

      Cloud cleared his throat.  "We'll figure this out as we all chase after Ultima WEAPON," he said.  He glared at the Turks.  "ALL of us," he said, as the Turks glanced guiltily at each other.  He got nods, and pulled out the PHS. 

      "Cloud to Highwind," he said.  "Get over here now... we've got an emergency."

      The whine of jet engines carried them all away from the Crater, searching for the worst adversary they had yet to face... Neo Ultima WEAPON.

Round 4: A New Crisis for the Planet

       "Well," murmured Aeris as she was brought up to date.  "I'm surprised all the WEAPONs had been beaten in the first place… but if this Ultima WEAPON has all the previous WEAPONs' powers, it will be very difficult to beat."  She turned from the window to look over the group.  "As for the Hoppers, I would suggest getting them out of here as soon as possible."

      "I would, since I don't want to endanger them against this WEAPON," began Dev, glancing at the quiet Scouts.  "But we still have to burn another three days before I can."

      "These junctions cause such trouble," said Serena despondently.  "And everywhere we've been, it's been a risk of all of our lives to get us on our way, least of all those from the Order who've helped us all the way."

      "The Order?" asked Reno.

      "Alternate forms of him," Michelle explained quickly, forestalling more questions as she indicated Dev.

      "Oh yeah," said Tifa, glancing at Dev.  "I remember you telling us that."

      "Anyway," said Cloud.  "We need to figure where Neo Ultima is headed next."

      "Well, if the crater is mostly healed, where's the next biggest wound on the Planet?" asked Aeris.

      "Mideel?" asked Yuffie.

      "That was already taken care of by the original Ultima, remember?" answered Red XIII to Yuffie.

      "Midgar," said the Turks in unison.

      Aeris looked startled.  "What happened to Midgar?" she asked.

      "It was destroyed when Holy and Lifestream repelled Meteor," said Cait Sith.

      "Don't worry," said Barrett to Aeris.  "Elmyra is Marlene's baby-sitter in New Corel, where they both are safe."

      "That's great," said Aeris, looking relieved.  "We'll have to visit after this is over.  But yeah, Midgar sounds like the place.  Or it could be headed towards a place where the Planet's power is concentrated."

      "How are we gonna fight this?" asked Zack.

      "With everything we have," said Cloud.  "We have plenty of Materia.  Everyone's going to get as much as they can handle.  Use the most powerful right away, to weaken it as much as we can off the bat.  It's probably gonna take a lot to finish it off.  I'm guessing it'll have double the staying power of Ruby, and it'll have lots of attacks and spells."

      "That's very destructive," said Cid.  He glanced at the Scouts.  "Maybe they should go somewhere safe?"

      "Where's safe?" asked Vincent.

      "Good point," muttered Cid, lighting up a cigarette.  "Here in the Highwind is probably the safest place in the world right now."

      "Okay," said Cloud.  "For now, we head to Midgar.  Everyone rest up.  This one's gonna be a challenge."

      Nods answered him as the meeting adjourned.

       The clouds were mesmerizing, thought Mina as she gazed out of the window in the Highwind Operations Center.  The Scouts were all quiet, thinking of their own world, so far away, yet so near.  She thought back to when Amy had asked to stay on the Enterprise.  Amy had apologized to the team since, but there was no doubt that that technology had touched their lives.  She glanced at Amy, who was looking at pictures on her microcomputer.  Her mother was the one currently on the screen.

      "Should we get involved in this?" asked Hotaru.

      "We're here, aren't we?" replied Samantha.

      "Think about it," said Melanie, glancing at her twin.  "How much help can we really be?"

      Darien, who had both Reeni and Serena leaning against him, looked up.

      "I used to think that, back in the beginning, when I first became Tuxedo Mask," he said.  "I would think that I could handle my mission all by myself, then turn around and realize how alone I truly was."

      "Then you joined with the Sailor Scouts and realized how potent you were together," said Luna from Serena's lap.

      "That's very true," said Artemis, on Mina's shoulder.  "As a team, you are very powerful."

      "Powerful enough to handle this?" asked Raye.

      "Consider something here," spoke up Amy.  "Look at all the challenges we've all faced together.  We have two challenges in front of us right now.  Beat this thing and get on our way.  Plus, the challenge looming over everything we do."

      "Darkstrike," said Trista.

      "And remember," said Serena.  "Every difficult challenge we've ever faced together, no matter how hopeless, we've always won.  We can win anything, provided we all combine like we do in the worst of times.  We've done it before, and we all know what it takes!"

      "Yeah," said Lita.  "Everyone cheer up!  After all, we're the Sailor Scouts!  We can do anything!"

      "Besides," began Amy.  "We're not from this place, so maybe our attacks will have more effect on everything."

      "I guess we'll find out," said Raye confidently, spirits buoyed by the discussion.

      The Highwind drew to a hover near Midgar.  Cloud gazed out of the forward windows.

      Nothing.

      Cloud turned to Aeris, who was standing next to Zack with a thoughtful expression on her face.

      "I don't know, Cloud," she said.  "I'm not sure where it could be.  We need to land somewhere where the Planet's presence is extremely strong, so I can talk to it."

      "Where might that be?" asked Cid, currently piloting the Highwind.

      "The City of Ancients, of course," smiled Aeris.

      "'Kay," said Cid.  He moved the throttle, and the Highwind leapt forward.

      Aeris walked out of the shell-house towards the waiting group, looking anxious.

      "I know where it is," she said.  "We'd better get going!"

      The team moved to the rope ladder that led up to the Highwind.  The airship's turbines were slowly turning in preparation for their departure.  After the last person climbed aboard, the ladder was rolled up, and the turbines screamed to life, propelling the Highwind and its passengers towards their destination, and a dangerous enemy.

      "So, where are we going?" asked Cid as the Highwind moved forward, circling up and away from the City of Ancients.

      "Cosmo Canyon," answered Aeris.  The Scouts noted Dev go pale.

      "What is it?" asked Yuffie, also noticing.

      "That's not good," muttered Dev.

      "Why is it there?" asked Barrett.

      "Two reasons, I think," said Aeris.  "One, it's continuing where the old Ultima left off.   Two, the Planet has a very strong presence there, so Neo Ultima WEAPON can refresh itself."

      "Three, it's where my Planar equipment is to send the Hoppers on their way," interrupted Dev, head in his hands.  He looked up.

      "That can wait," said Cloud.  "That's not as important as reason number 2."

      "Actually, it's the most important," said Dev.  "Listen.  There is an enemy out there that only these Hoppers can fight.  This enemy is bent on destroying the boundaries between its world and theirs.  If it succeeds, then the boundaries separating every one of the worlds will dissolve, fusing them!"

      "And that means?" asked Zack.

      "Total and utter chaos; rampant destruction of every being on every world's way of life.  Collisions between things never meant to see each other.  The end of a whole lot of worlds as everyone knows them," said Dev urgently.  "It just became doubly important that we destroy this thing!"

      "Well, here's our chance.  Cosmo Canyon, dead ahead.  And lookie there, a huge WEAPON charging his powers," said Cid.

      Everyone turned to see the hulking shape of Neo Ultima WEAPON straight ahead of them.  The WEAPON began descending.

      "I think it knows we're coming, and wants to be connected with the Planet for extra power," said Aeris, beginning to worry.

      "Cid, open fire," said Cloud.  "Everyone else, on deck with me!  Neo Ultima WEAPON, prepare to die!"

      The Highwind swooped towards Neo Ultima, opening fire.  Salvoes of rockets streaked towards the WEAPON.  As the first rockets hit, the WEAPON retaliated.  Beams of energy shot at the Highwind.  It was all Cid could do to dodge them.  He brought the airship down, landing one hill over from Neo Ultima.  Everyone disembarked.  The team prepared themselves, and the Sailor Scouts transformed.

      "Yeah!" said Tifa.  She looked at Cloud.

      "Let's go!" he yelled, holding his sword out like he was leading an old-fashioned infantry unit in a charge.

       Things were not going well, reflected Sailor Moon, in a crouch.  Everyone had nailed the thing with his or her most powerful attacks, and it was still going strong.  Every Materia had been used.  Every attack repelled.  They were on the brink of losing.

      "Psst!  Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mercury called.  "I think I've discovered a new way to use our powers!"

      The Scouts gathered around her.  She pulled out a green Materia.

      "Where'd you get that?" asked Sailor Venus.

      "It was extra.  This is an extra one of the kind that can rain comets," explained Mercury.  She glanced at Moon.  "Could you summon your Crescent Moon Wand?"  Moon nodded and did so.  Mercury took it, and she placed the orb right in the crescent, where it fit perfectly.  "Everyone remember how we beat Beryl?  If we channel all of our energy through the Silver Imperium Crystal and then through this, we should be able to drastically weaken that thing."

      They paused to dodge a hail of rock, from Cid impacting to the ground.

      "Let's do it!" said Sailor Moon.  She stood, and began to focus all her energy into the Wand.  The rest of the Inner Scouts each laid a hand on hers, and concentrated, while the Outer Scouts covered them.  The wand began to glow with fierce light, charging the green orb.

      Meanwhile, Neo Ultima reared up.  Reno darted in.

      "Electro-Mag Rod!" he shouted, hitting Ultima.  The WEAPON retaliated, raising its fist as one claw grabbed him, holding him in place.  The rest of the team, seeing this, all attacked nearly simultaneously to release Reno.  They succeeded, at a cost.  Ultima fired its main beam, dropping everyone.  All were barely conscious, needing just that one second to recover.  Ultima charged again for that killing blow.

      Then, out of nowhere, a beam of intense green and white energy, with flaming rocks thrown in for good measure, came from the direction of the Sailor Scouts.  The power of the blast disrupted Ultima, injuring it badly, and providing that one second that everyone needed to release his or her pent-up rage.

      Cid stood first, everyone else behind him.

      "HIGHWIND!" he yelled.  A virtual hailstorm of magical missiles blasted Ultima from all directions.  Right as the missiles tapered off, Barrett jumped in. 

"CATASTROPHE!" Barrett shouted, pointing Missing Score at the ground and blasting himself skyward on a pillar of super-heated energy that he quickly focused on Ultima.  As his ran out, Red and Yuffie charged as Vincent transformed into Chaos.

      "ALL CREATION!"

      "COSMO MEMORY!"

      "SATAN SLAM!"

      A beam of iridescent light issued from Yuffie.  The purplish-white energy combined with Red's blast of pure orange, issuing from the planet as flaming skulls from Chaos all hit the WEAPON at the same time.  As Neo Ultima recovered from that, Tifa charged in with her limit combo.

      "BEAT RUSH!  SOMERSAULT!" she called as her fists hit the WEAPON, followed by a flip-kick.  "WATERKICK!  METEODRIVE!" she called as she spin-kicked and back dropped Ultima.  "DOLPHIN BLOW!"  An uppercut.  "METEOR STRIKE!"  At this point, Tifa was charged with enough energy to actually pick up Neo Ultima WEAPON and drop it on its head.  She reared her fist back and charged.  "FINAL HEAVEN!" she called as she punched with the force of a nuclear explosion.

      "SLOTS!" called Cait Sith.  He came up with three bars, and Knights of the Round was summoned against Ultima.  As it recovered from that, it charged.

      "Not this time!" said Aeris.  She stepped forward.  "GREAT GOSPEL!"  Everyone felt heavenly energy refresh them, and a yellow glow surrounded the entire team.  Neo Ultima WEAPON's main beam didn't even hurt the team while in that glow.

      "Let's combine this!" said Zack to Dev and Cloud.  "We all know the technique... a SOLDIER tradition!"

      "Yeah!" said Dev.

      "Let's finish this!" shouted Cloud.  "Do it NOW!"

      In unison, the three ex-SOLDIERS shouted.  "OMNISLASH!"  All three leapt forward in a blazing frenzy.  Supercharged swords slashed again and again.  They circled, as if they were doing some psychotic dance.  As one, all three jumped for the finishing blow.  White rays of light blinded everyone.  Only the explosion from the final strike was heard.  The ground rumbled, and a thunderous crash was echoed over their heads.  Then all went quiet.

      The dust settled, and everyone was standing in the middle of a new crater.  Cid pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.

      "That is how we do it," he said, puffing contentedly away.

      "And our next destination?" asked Serena, gazing steadily at Dev.

      "You'll be going to E-12.  A dangerous place, but it's the shortest way to get you home," said Dev.  The white glow filled the Node, this one natural.

      "Dangerous?" asked Lita.

      "Its time frame is only a little ahead of your natural one, but the place isn't very pleasant.  You'll see.  In the meantime, good luck and Godspeed.  Time is running out, and the urgency of the situation is deepening.  We're counting on you!" said Dev.

Back to Top

   Note:  Twisted Metal 2 and all related characters are the property of SingleTrac and Sony.

Sailor Moon Alternity

By Daryll Pung

Part 5: So That's The Smell Of Napalm In The Morning

PG13

Round 1:  A Twisted Reality

       The white light faded, and they found themselves standing in front of a burning building.  They glanced around; gazes coming to rest on a burning sign on a hillside- a burning H, O, L, W, O, and D.  Samantha gasped.

      "Do you recognize where we are?" asked Melanie.

      "This is Los Angeles, California, my hometown...except it's not," she murmured, gaze sweeping the destroyed skyline, burning buildings everywhere.  "What happened?"

      Their attention was drawn to a slowly approaching armored vehicle, with a huge gun on top.  It was pointed at them, and swept the group as the vehicle came closer.

      "Ummm..." said Lita.  "Should we be leaving now?"

      The hatch popped open, and the individual that climbed out caused them all to sigh in relief.  The face was instantly recognized.

      "You're a member of the Order," stated Serena. 

      He jumped to the ground.  "Mack Zadre, at your service.  I suggest, Hoppers, that we get you to a safe location.  Please hop aboard, and save your questions for later."

      They all glanced at each other, and then all rushed to the vehicle.

      They were moving off, when a light beeped red on the futuristic instrument panel.

      "Hang on, Groupie coming in!" he shouted over the roar of the engine.  He yanked the wheel hard right, and depressed the trigger.  The team caught a glimpse of a group of brightly dressed hippie-types standing in a pickup, firing rockets at them.  Their vehicle lurched, and the round that was fired left a bluish spiral trail.  The team didn't even see the impact, just the explosion of the vehicle, flaming wreckage flying in all directions.

      They held on as the armored personnel carrier they were riding in sped up, and jumped over a fence.  The APC rocked with the landing, and Mack pressed a button.  Suddenly, the cement slid away on the road in front of them, and they disappeared underground.  Lights clicked on as the slab slid back into place, and they found themselves stopping in a parking area.  A group of white-shrouded objects caught their attention, and then they noticed the door.

      "Follow me," said Mack.  "I'll explain in due time."  He led them towards the door.  They followed him into an ultramodern facility that reflected its origins from the Order.  The room hummed with the sound of computers, and another doorway led to sleeping quarters.

      "Please be seated," he said.  He grabbed a nearby chair, reversed it, and straddled it.  He surveyed them quietly.

      "What... was that weapon on your vehicle?" asked Raye.

      "A railgun," he answered.  "It fires a depleted uranium slug at close to the speed of light."

      They all glanced at Amy.  "It fires a real powerful bullet really, really fast," she said.

      "Why did you have to kill those... 'groupies'?" asked Serena quietly.

      "They were shooting rockets at me.  What, was I supposed to shrug it off?  They're insane, corrupted by Calypso's madness, trying to kill anything that moves, hoping to be a casualty in the tournament," said Mack.

      "Calypso?  Tournament?" asked Darien.

      "Yeah, Calypso's Twisted Metal Tournament.  Drivers pick personalized cars and weapons and kill each other for the prize... which is supposedly whatever they wish.  So many innocent people are killed every day, and people laugh and joke about it.  Death is now a spectator sport," he replied solemnly.  "The violence caused by the contest grows daily, and its popularity is spreading.  Fewer people are entering the contest to end it, and more and more are entering for their own nefarious purposes."

      The Scouts exchanged horrified looks.  Mina looked at him thoughtfully.

      "How long do we have to stay here?" she asked.

      He gazed steadily at her for a moment before answering.  "The next node will drop you off in your prime one week after you left.  At the one-week mark, Darkstrike has begun melding the two primes, and declaring himself ruler of both worlds, but if he is defeated all will be set right.  You will have to survive here for six weeks.  That is my responsibility," he sighed.

      "What's the problem?" queried Trista.  "We'll just stay here until it's time to go, right?"

      "Unfortunately, it's not that simple.  The next node is smack dab in the middle of the Twisted Metal contest's final battleground in Hong Kong.  To get you safely there, I have to enter and do well in the Twisted Metal contest," he said wearily.

      "Can you do it?  I mean, don't you have special powers through the Order?" asked Michelle.

      "Yes, but I'm not the only one with unusual powers, and doing well means lots of random killing," he answered morosely.

      "Not the only one with unusual powers?  Who else is there?" asked Artemis.

      "Well, let's see.  There are a few contestants who want the contest stopped.  Outlaw 2 is an LA cop named Capt. Jamie Roberts.  She wants to rescue her brother and end Calypso's contest.  Grasshopper is Krista Sparks, an underage girl who also wants to end the tournament.  Axel is a man trapped in his vehicle; he just wants freedom.  A crazed bum named Marcus Kane, brother of the driver of Sweettooth, drives Roadkill.  He believes that the whole contest is an illusion, and wants to return to the 'Real World'.  Shadow is Mortimer.  He is an enigma who also wants the contest over.  Rumor is he's a broker of souls.  The rest are greedy, foolish, or stupid.  There's Sweettooth, Needles Kane, who is an insane clown.  He wants his own twisted reality.  There's Mr. Slam, driven by Simon Whittlebone, who wants to build the world's tallest building.  Twister is driven by Amanda Watts, and she wants unlimited speed.  Bruce Cochrane drives Thumper, and he wants to rule the world.  Spectre is driven by Ken Masters, who just wants to be famous.  Two teenage boys named Mike and Stu drive Hammerhead, and they're doing it for fun.  Warthog is driven by Capt. Roberts, rumored to be Jamie Roberts' grandfather.  He wants youth," said Mack.

      "So this Shadow is the only one you need worry about?" asked Hotaru.

      "No.  The others may have powers also.  I'm not sure.  And there's two more that I truly respect.  Mr. Grimm is rumored to be Death himself.  He wants every mortal soul on this planet.  And then there's Minion.  I think he is the devil himself, and supposedly Calypso stole his powers.  He wants them back," trailed off Mack.

      "Wow," said Melanie quietly.

      "So... I've entered as Speed Demon.  I chose for my car the Dodge Viper, and armed it with twin railguns.  Each contestant is allowed five drones, and one real car.  You drive your real car after all five drones are destroyed.  The plan is, hopefully I get to the final fight.  Each contestant is allowed to scout the battlefield prior to the battle.  While I'm scouting, I will blast a hole in a building.  I already have it selected," he said, calling up a map on a monitor.  They crowded around.

      "The APC will then get parked here, and a force field will erect itself.  The APC is preprogrammed to the node, and is the node gate itself.  When the time comes, one of you will have to drive to the node, while I cover you.  With luck, we'll all make it out alive," he paused.

      "I can drive it," said Amara.

      Mack nodded.  "Good."

      "So those shrouded objects are your drones and cars?" asked Luna.

      "Yes, and the converted eighteen-wheeler that is my mobile driving headquarters.  I've already made all the travel arrangements, and the contest starts in two days," he yawned.  "Excuse me.  I think we should all retire now, and we'll start preparations tomorrow."

      "Agreed," said Serena.  Mack left, pausing by the doorway.

      "Oh yeah.  Don't leave this place, as it is extremely dangerous out there," he warned as he proceeded down the hallway.

      "Poor guy," whispered Mina.

      "That just means we'll have to help in every way possible," said Serena.  She yawned.  "Let's get some sleep!" she said enthusiastically.

      They went to the open rooms with eyes rolling.

Round 2:  The Speed Demon's Rage

       Amy and Michelle elected to help Mack prepare his equipment, and so they were duly occupied the following evening.  He was brooding, impatient, and brash.

      "Don't let it get to you," said Amy quietly after Mack snapped at Michelle's efforts on the electrical systems.   "He's got a lot on his mind, and his life is on the line almost constantly past tomorrow."

      Michelle sighed.  "Yeah, I know.  But you would think that a member of the Order had better control over their anxiety."

      "Being in the Order doesn't mean he's immortal," commented Amy.  "And besides, this version of him seems to be a little... not necessarily evil, but not good either, if you get my meaning."

      "I noticed that, too," said Michelle.  They looked at each other, and resumed their work.

      The morning dawned bright and clear.  A variety of vehicles sat ready, near a fenced off area, awaiting the word.  In the trailer with "Speed Demon" painted on the side, Mack was getting ready.  The team gazed around the trailer.  The real car was sitting inside, covered in a white shroud.  The front cab was divided in two- the driver's section and a remote control virtual reality cockpit for controlling the remotes.  Calypso, awaiting the beginning of the fight, currently held one remote in a tractor field.  The other four remotes were attached to the roof of the trailer.

      Mack strapped himself in.  Amy called up on the driver's console Mack's view of the world.  He established connection.  The hatch on the VR unit snapped shut, and the rest of the team sat near Amy, watching the screen.

      "Good Luck," whispered Lita.

      The Scouts exchanged glances.  Everyone was hoping for the best.  The matchups appeared onscreen.  Mack was facing off against Mr. Grimm, Axel, Grasshopper, Outlaw 2, Twister, and Hammerhead.

      It was time for the next battle of LA.

      At once, tractor fields dropped, and Mack jumped forwards, searching for weapons.  Axel, trapped between two huge wheels on a weapons platform, began tearing into Hammerhead's red-orange monster truck, and Grasshopper's green dune buggy joined the fray.   Mack found himself being chased by the little red motorcycle that was Mr. Grimm.  He cut around the wreckage of a burning building as Grimm's Screaming Soul special weapon barely missed.  Mack dropped several mines, and barreled away at high speed.  He punched the brakes and pulled a 180, lining up the shot.  He triggered his rails, and his reactions were so quick that Mr. Grimm exploded with the impact of the rail shots.  Mack drove off, picking up several remotes and power missiles.  He ran into Axel, the sole victor of the pitched three-way battle.  Axel was already weak, so it was a cinch for Mack to destroy him with several well-placed fire missiles.  He blasted through Axel's burning wreckage to the final two, right as Twister nailed Outlaw 2's police car with an ice blast.  Mack triggered his own at Twister's blue Formula One race car, and dropped a remote between the two, detonating as he rolled by.  A fiery blast filled the sky.  Bits and pieces of both rained down as Mack brought Speed Demon to a stop.  He had won the LA battle.  Now he would go on to Moscow.

      3 days later, they arrived at the abandoned missile silo that served as the Moscow battleground.  Mack was again faced off with Twister and Outlaw 2, and also faced Mr. Slam, Spectre, and Warthog.  The battle started, and Spectre's white '67 Corvette Stingray was destroyed almost instantly by Mr. Slam's front-end loader and Warthog's brown humvee.  They proceeded to rip into each other as Twister and Outlaw 2 teamed up on Mack.  He dodged Twister's salvo of homing missiles, nailing her with a power missile.  Then, Outlaw 2's Omni-Taser attack picked him up and threw him into Twister's Tornado Spin attack.  Twister slammed him repeatedly into the wall, then dropped a remote and left.  Mack fell right on the remote, and he cursed loudly as his screens went dark.  The first Speed Demon was dead.

      But the battling had just begun...

Round 3:  The Heat Of The Battle

       Mack gazed at the deck above.  He and the Scouts were on a special ferry, taking the contenders to the Antarctica battleground.  Of the six weeks, only 13 days were left.  Antarctica would be reached in just a few hours, and that fight was due to start tomorrow.  All in all, things were going decent.  Most contestants were down to one remote, and a few were down to their real cars.  Speed Demon was down to the last remote.

      "Mack?" asked Samantha, tentatively.  He turned his head and glanced at her.

      "What?" he asked.

      "Were you trying to kill any of the innocents that you've killed?" she asked.

      He was silent, thinking.  He didn't really remember killing any innocents...  Paris, Amazonia, New York.  "No... except for maybe any mimes I may have run over in Paris," he grinned.  For some reason, the Scouts didn't seem to find the humor in that statement.

      "You've killed twenty people," said Melanie quietly.

      He propped himself up on one elbow.  He looked squarely at the group.  "So what do you want from me?  Like I can help it if they get caught in an explosion, or if some car dodges my missiles and they hit a person, or if I'm running for my life and I run someone over.  We've got bigger fish to fry, people.  I've become desensitized to the violence, and it's for a good cause... like saving the rest of the multiverse."  He sighed.  "I can't say I'm especially happy about things, but that's the way it is on this prime."

      "I suppose," said Hotaru sadly.

      "What, do you expect me to be all noble and righteous?  Not likely... not here.  I'm sorry if I don't measure up to your expectations, but I'm my own person, and that's just the way things are," he finished.  He leaned back, and gazed at the deck.

      The tense silence was finally broken by Darien clearing his throat.  He looked at Mack.  "So what is this battleground going to be like?" he asked.

      "Antarctica is comprised of a bunch of unstable icebergs.  I think Calypso engineered this battleground to fall apart and shrink during the fighting.  On top of that, it's going to be slippery and wet.  This oughta be fun," he grimaced.

      "I guess we'll find out in a few hours, huh?" stated Lita.

      Mack just nodded, and lay back and closed his eyes.

      It started viciously.  Speed Demon faced the real Grasshopper, Roadkill's red junk car final remote, Axel's final remote, Mr. Slam's final remote, Sweettooth's ice cream truck final remote, the real Twister, and Shadow's purple hearse final remote.

      Mack started near Grasshopper.  On a hunch, when she activated her Leap'n'Slam special attack, he took off for an edge of the battlefield.  His guess proved right as Grasshopper slid right off the edge- dune buggies have no grip on snow and ice!  Her scream echoed as he picked up some ricochet bombs.  He barreled around a corner and almost ran right into Mr. Slam.  A few ricochets knocked Mr. Slam's remote off the edge as well.  Axel and Roadkill managed to blow each other up, twin explosions cratering the ice.  Sweettooth was chasing Shadow straight towards Mack.  He planted a remote near the edge, and began moving away.  One of Roadkill's Boomerang missiles, which were still circulating, nailed him on the backswing, sending him careening wildly towards the edge.  He punched turbo as Shadow hit the remote bomb and flew over the edge.  The explosion of the bomb also hurt Sweettooth, and the second he landed, Mack triggered his twin rails, nailing Sweettooth broadside and exploding him into billions of little pieces.  Twister, the sole competitor left besides Speed Demon, charged right at him.  He triggered his rails again, followed by an ice burst.  Then he casually machine-gunned Twister to death, watching as the holes ripped into the car, and sprayed blood as several rounds hit Amanda.  The fire nailed the gas tank and Twister shattered into a fireball, metal and body parts flying everywhere.  Mack was quietly thoughtful as he sat there, victor of Antarctica.  He was slightly shaken at Twister's death, but he shrugged it off and prepared for Holland.

      "That was a rather grisly way of killing her," said Lita.  They were on Calypso's blimp for the final two battles.  They would reach Holland in another day, after which 3 days of travel and one day of fighting remained.

      "Does it matter?  I had to kill her, and it was fairly quick," said Mack, leaning back in a chair, eyes closed.

      "What's Holland like?" asked Darien.

      "There's a reason its called 'Field of Screams'," said Mack.  "It's a box.  There are two windmills, but they're easy to destroy, and once they are, there's nowhere to hide, so it becomes a killing field."

      "Are you nervous?" asked Trista.

      "Just a little," Mack admitted.  He was actually very frightened for his life.

      Speed Demon faced the real Roadkill, the real Mr. Slam, the real Spectre, and the final remotes of Hammerhead, Warthog, Outlaw 2, Mr. Grimm, and Thumper's pink hoopty.  The battle was joined, and the fighting became quick and fierce.  Explosions blossomed as missiles fell short.  Outlaw died first, followed in quick succession by Roadkill and Hammerhead.  Speed Demon was fighting for his life, as Spectre's Ghost Missiles were constantly nailing him.  He nailed Spectre with a rail, sending Spectre sliding sideways, when Warthog unexpectedly assisted, sending his trio of Patriot Missiles right into Spectre's front end.  As Spectre exploded, Warthog turned on Mack, who was already running.  Just as Mack thought he was clear, a Screaming Soul slammed into him broadside.  All Mack could do as the remote exploded and the screens went blank was sit there, holding his head in his hands.

      "Now what?" asked Serena.

      "Now we put our plan into action.  We've made it to Hong Kong, and this is where it gets interesting.  I hope we're all prepared for this..." he trailed off.

      "For what, exactly?" questioned Raye.

      "For the riskiest fight of our lives."

 Round 4:  Perhaps Today Is A Good Day To Die

       Mack was lost in silent thought as he studied the real Speed Demon.  He already knew the final line-up.  Axel, Sweettooth, Shadow, Warthog, Hammerhead, Outlaw 2, Mr. Grimm, and Thumper.  He also knew the layout.  The APC was in place, with the Scouts in it; protected by a force field wall that resembled the wall that had been destroyed.  He was a scant hour away, and it was time to get in position.  He got in, and the first thing he did was check the radio link.

      "Hoppers, Zadre, over," he called.

      "We're here," came a voice back.  There was some interference- to be expected- and there was some static.

      "90 minutes, mark!" he said, glancing at his control console. 

      "Mark!" came the reply.

      Now he just had to survive for a half-hour, long enough to get the Scouts to safety.  Good thing this is a huge battleground, he thought.

      The battle started.  He immediately began tearing away from the fighting, stocking up on weapons and biding his time.  That's not to say he didn't get involved in the killing.  First, a badly injured Shadow blundered into his path, and he dispatched him with a homing missile.  Then Thumper came across him, and a similar result happened.  He glanced down.

      Time.

      "Zadre, APC, now!"

      The APC burst out of hiding, heading for the temple at the center of the battleground.  Mack met them partway.  They burst into the center, and headed for the teleporter. 

      Unfortunately, Sweettooth was sitting there, and just then Axel, Hammerhead, and Warthog blocked the three entrances.

      "Oh, great," muttered Mack as he began shooting everything he had at Sweettooth.  Sweettooth begin unloading his Flaming Ice Cream Missiles.  Mack found himself jolted sideways by each impact, as the slower APC began coming under fire.  He eluded Sweettooth, and drew Axel's fire off the APC.  He saw a white glow begin to encompass the APC.  Then, he heard the rattle of machine gun fire, and felt a searing pain in his chest.  He looked down in disbelief at a bleeding hole in his chest, before he slumped forward.  Speed Demon drove right into Axel's huge tires, and exploded when Axel detonated his Supernova Shockwave.

      "We're almost there!" shouted Amara in excitement.  Just then, a pale glow surrounded the vehicle.

      Mina gasped suddenly.  "Oh, no," she breathed.

      "What?" asked Amy.

      Mina pointed, just in time for the Scouts to witness Speed Demon's fiery demise.

      A missile nailed them.  Flames sprouted up, smoke filling the APC.

      "We're not going to make it!" shouted Raye over the racket.

      Axel, Sweettooth, Warthog, and Hammerhead all fired at once.  Salvo after salvo of missiles raced towards the badly wounded APC.

      "Oh, my, go-" said Serena as everything became white.

      The APC exploded scant seconds after the white light faded, hot metal shrapnel glittering surreally as the murder and mayhem continued...

Back to Top

    Note: Star Trek and all characters are the property of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios.  Final Fantasy VII and all characters are the property of Squaresoft and Sony.

Sailor Moon Alternity

By Daryll Pung

Part 6: War Of The Worlds

PG13

Round 1:  A Bleak Homecoming

       The white energy faded and the Scouts hit the ground with a thump.

      "We made it!" said Luna in relief.  They were in the park.  Patches of gray mist obscured their vision in some areas, and a familiar, cocky person was leaning against a nearby tree.

      "Stryfe!" said Serena.

      He smiled as he walked over.  "Glad you made it... Things are getting serious."

      The Scouts regained their feet, noticing streams of people walking by the park.

      "What's going on?" asked Mina, quietly.

      "These people have been told to gather by Darkstrike.  His name has already begun to be a curse.  Everyone's bemoaning the loss of the Sailor Scouts, and in about two hours, he's got an announcement to make," said Stryfe grimly.

      "So we have two hours to prepare," said Artemis.

      "Let's go to your hide-out and get ready," said Serena softly. 

      Stryfe nodded, and led the way.

      "So, no matter what happens before Darkstrike is destroyed, it will all be normal after he's gone?" asked Raye.

      "Normal for what people would usually be doing.  I'm still trying to come up with some way we can prevent his vortices from hitting you..." Stryfe trailed off, eyeing Amy's PADD.

      "Where did you get that?" he asked.

      "Aboard the Enterprise," Amy answered, typing on it. 

      Stryfe looked around and spotted the green orb in the Crescent Wand hanging at Serena's side.

      "And what's that?" he asked quietly.

      Serena glanced down.  "Oh, that's a spare Comet Materia that Yuffie gave us during the fight against WEAPON."

      An idea began to form in Stryfe's mind.  He was aware of the curious looks the Scouts directed at him.

      "Hmmm.... that may be the key to defeating him," muttered Stryfe.  He stood up and began to pace.

      "What may be?" asked Lita.

      "Using the strength of the multiverse against him.  If we of the Order unite, we may be able to block his planar attacks from happening.... I've got some calls to make," Stryfe said, moving towards the computer consoles.

      "Don't bother contacting Mack," said Darien somberly.

      "Why?" Stryfe asked suspiciously.

      "We saw him die," said Hotaru quietly.  Reeni began to cry.  Darien and Serena moved to comfort her as Stryfe grimly accepted the news.

      "Well, there's still three other members of the Order on that Prime," said Stryfe.  "Excuse me."  He turned and sat down, hands moving rapidly across the screens, as he began calling up all other members of the Order. 

      Serena glanced at the thoughtful frown on Amy and Michelle's faces.  "Anything yet?" she asked.

      "Maybe," said Amy.  She looked back down at the PADD.  "We might be able to trick him...." her voice trailed off and her eyes widened as she read something.

      "What?" asked Trista.

      "I know how we can fight him without being sent to other Primes," said Amy, pointing at the PADD.  That caused Stryfe to turn in his chair and look at her.  He glanced at the words on the PADD.

      "Of course!  I am such an idiot!" he said, smacking himself in the forehead.  "The Border Ethereal!"

Round 2:  Hopes And Announcements

       "The Border Ethereal?" asked Raye.

      "Remember?  Stryfe explained that another plane separates all the Primes, called the Ethereal plane.  Nodes only work between Primes, and since the Ethereal is all over the place in the form of those mists, we can go through those to escape the vortices!" said Michelle excitedly.

      "And the nature of the Ethereal is such that travel is quicker through it, if a bit confusing," said Stryfe.

      "What do you mean?" asked Amy.

      "It's nothing but grayness, with indistinct shadows that reflect the nearest Prime.  You can move three times as fast through the Ethereal than you can normally.  You can also pass through solid objects that you normally couldn't," Stryfe explained.

      "So...how do we find our way around?" asked Amara.

      "It's actually simple," grinned Stryfe.

      "Well, explain," demanded Serena.

      "Close your eyes and think where you want to be.... And then walk," he smiled.  "When you open your eyes, you will be where you wanted to be."

      "How will you know?" queried Melanie.

      "You'll feel your surroundings change, and then you'll just know.  It's that simple," Stryfe explained.  "It's nothing more, nothing less.  Thought is the essence that defines the Ethereal plane.  Even better, because we've already cut him out of the Order... Darkstrike will be powerless if he enters the Ethereal plane.  That also reminds me of a way we can render him powerless as far as the Order is concerned.... No more vortices or other planar attacks.  Trick him into the Ethereal once, and our combined willpower can strip him of all remaining Order powers!  He will still have the essence of the Negaverse, but he will be that much easier to beat," declared Stryfe.

      "So we just have to make sure we get him to follow us into the mists once, and we will be able to fight him like normal Nega-creeps?" asked Lita.

      "Yeah," said Stryfe.  He turned to the monitors.  "You all gettin' this?" he asked the other members of the Order. 

      "You realize, Stryfe, that you will have to be there along with them?" commented Derrelli from the monitor.

      "And that this mission will require stealth and surprise.... Namely, your Scouts will have to approach as they are now and reveal themselves?" Dev asked thoughtfully through another monitor.

      "Why?!" asked Samantha in surprise.

      "If he sees you coming, he'll simply throw vortices at you and stay out of range.  You'll have to get close as you can, and surprise him.  That might also work to our advantage," mused Stryfe.  "Psychologically, he'll be stunned and angry that you're back.  That might rattle him a bit, and maybe he won't think things all the way through, rashly doing whatever he can to destroy you."

      "We can reveal ourselves without harm anyway," said Serena.  She glanced around.  "Everything will be back to normal when he's destroyed!"

      The Scouts all nodded, and from another monitor Pazrek spoke.  "Very well.  We'll all stand ready to assist in stripping him of his powers if he enters the mist.  We must all prepare," he said.

      "Later, then," said Stryfe, as all the monitors went dark.  He turned to look at the Scouts.

      "We're as ready as we'll ever be," said Serena quietly.

      Stryfe nodded.

      "Then let's go," he said solemnly.  He led them up the stairs, pausing only to put on his sunglasses.

      They entered the cool air.  It was nearing dusk, and it was getting colder in the park.  A huge crowd was gathering here.  An ornately carved structure was where Darkstrike was going to be standing.  Stryfe glanced around.  He looked at the Scouts. 

      "Follow me... and stay low and quiet,' he whispered.  He got nods in acknowledgement.

      They crept around trees and ducked past bushes, avoiding the fringes of the worriedly murmuring crowd. 

      "I don't know what we're supposed to do..." they heard someone murmur.

      'If the Sailor Scouts couldn't stand up against this guy, how can we?" they heard another say.

      "He's too strong," said another.

      "Little point in resisting," sighed someone else.

      "Might as well surrender now and save us the pain," grunted another.

      The Scouts all looked at each other.  Determination showed on all of their faces as they kept crawling.  Finally, they stopped behind the structure.  It was constructed of pure white marble, with blood-red streaks.  Its shape reminded them all of an open clawed hand, palm upwards.  It was slightly raised off of the ground, with steps on the back.  Its diameter could safely encompass all of them and Darkstrike, too.  They all sat behind a tree, waiting.  Nervousness became evident.

      "Ironic, that," murmured Stryfe.  They all looked at him.

      "It's Darkstrike's own abuse of his powers that's gonna destroy him.  If he hadn't started melding the planes, we wouldn't have the Ethereal to use against him," he smiled. 

      It helped end the tension.  Smiles appeared on several faces.

      "Shh!" snapped Raye.  "Here he comes!"

      Darkstrike strode arrogantly towards the marble hand, firmly convinced of victory.  He strutted up the stairs, black cape flowing, fangs showing.  He came to a standstill, gazing out at the crowd.  Everyone fell silent.

      " I have waited and waited, and no other puny humans have decided to fight me!" he shouted, pumping his fists.  "Apparently, the pitiful Sailor Scouts were your only hope.... And those pansy girls are destroyed!" he roared.

      Stryfe glanced at the girls.  Rage showed on all their features, Serena's most of all.

      Serena's eyes closed.  She gritted her teeth, and clenched her fists.  She reviewed what had happened.  First, tortured by some evil wizard, rescued by some friends of Derrelli's.  Then a dragon.  Then, trapped on a freakin' space station and various ships... and a flimsy shuttle, powerless to do anything!  Then, against the WEAPONs, we were next to worthless!  Next, the horrors of the Twisted Metal contest...  We were next to useless the whole time!  Serena was angrier than she had ever been.

      Everywhere, people had risked their lives to save us, to save the universe.  I can't let him anger me, thought Serena.  "It all comes down to this," she whispered.  "We can't let him win, no matter what the cost.  We're going to beat him.  For one reason..."

      "It's our responsibility," she whispered, opening her eyes, aware everyone was looking at her.  "All across the multiverse, people risked everything to ensure our safe return.  A member of the Order lost his life for that."

      She looked up, hatred pulsing in her eyes as she glared at Darkstrike.  She closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down.  When she opened them again, she was calm and composed.  "Because this is our home, and not his.  The safety of these people is our responsibility.  This is not supposed to be happening.  We are the Sailor Scouts, and we won't be beaten!" she said coolly, quietly.  Nods all around her, and everyone looked at Darkstrike. 

      "Now," commanded Serena.  "Let's get him."

Round 3:  With Power Comes Responsibility, With Responsibility, Power

       They stood up, straightening their clothes, composing themselves.  Serena moved first, Luna on her shoulder, followed by Darien, Reeni, and the Inner Scouts, Artemis on Mina's shoulder.  The Outer Scouts brought up the rear.  Stryfe watched from the tree.

      "Good Luck," he whispered.

      "And with no one to stop me, all of you shall bow to me!  I declare myself Emperor of the Earth!" roared Darkstrike.  The crowd gasped as the girls moved up on the platform behind him.  Serena crossed her arms and adopted a calm air and a cocky stance.  The rest of the team followed suit.

      "Darkstrike," said Serena.

      He turned, glaring at them.  "Oh ho!  A few puny humans with guts!"

      "Is that all you see?" asked Serena.

      Darkstrike blinked.  He appeared confused.

      "You know how many times we've stomped your kind?  How many times they've attempted to cross over and claim our world?  We won't ever let it happen, but still you people try," said Serena calmly.

      "My kind?" he said blankly.  His eyes searched the girls.

      "Yeah, Nega-creeps," said Raye, examining her fingernails.

      The Scouts noticed their families push to the front of the crowd.   

       "Serena! What are you doing!?" yelled her mother.  All of the Scouts' families were right there.  Darkstrike grinned evilly.

      "He killed the Sailor Scouts!  Who knows what he could do to you?"  Serena's father said.

      "No, he didn't," said Serena, dead calm.

      The crowd fell silent. 

      "I didn't what?" roared Darkstrike.

      "Kill the Sailor Scouts," said Mina matter-of-factly.

      "Hah!  They aren't here, so they're dead!" snapped Darkstrike.

      "Actually, they are here," said Lita.

      Serena looked at the crowd, gaze resting on her family.  "Did you ever wonder why my friends and I, so different, are always together?  We're bound by a higher obligation, and because of that, we have truly become friends."

      "What are you talking about?" asked her mother, frightened.  Even Darkstrike looked interested, standing there with arms crossed.

      Serena looked at her little brother, Sammy.  "Sammy, remember way back when, when Sailor Moon saved you?" she asked.

      "Yeah," he said hesitantly.

      "Do you remember what she told you?" asked Serena.

      "She said that if I was nice to the black cat-" he began.

      "It would bring you luck, right?" Serena finished. 

      "How did you know that?" gasped Sammy.

      "Luna, are you lucky?" asked Serena.

      "I suppose," said Luna.

      Jaws dropped as Luna spoke.  Murmurs ran through the crowd, and Darkstrike was stunned.

      "How-" Darkstrike croaked.

      "What is going on here?" asked Amy's mother.

      "It's simple, Mom," said Amy.  "We're going to end this right now."

      "Amy!  Be sensible.  I knew your friends would get you into trouble!" she gasped.

      "Trouble?  The only person who is in trouble here is... him!" declared Serena, turning and pointing at Darkstrike.  He glared at her.

      "Get to the point, little bug," sneered Darkstrike, recovering his composure.  He raised his hands.

      "I've got a point, Darkstrike," said Stryfe, leaning against a tree nearby, extending a hand with the middle finger on it up, flipping him off.  He then casually pointed to Serena.

      "You see," began Serena conversationally.  "We know all this and have with us two talking cats because...  We ARE the Sailor Scouts."

      Scattered laughter and looks of disbelief greeted that comment.  Serena stared right at Darkstrike and said, nonchalantly, "You really think trying to banish us to another world would get rid of us?"

      "Never!" shouted all the girls, drawing out their wands.  Darien drew out his rose.

      Serena placed her hand on her locket.  She glared at him.

      "You're toast, Darkstrike!  MOON COSMIC POWER!"

      In unison, as Serena began to transform, the rest raised their wands and began to transform.  When the light vanished, the Sailor Scouts stood in front of Darkstrike, who gaped at them.  The crowd began cheering.

      "No...  It can't be...  I killed all of you!" he stammered.

      "Yeah right," said Sailor Moon.  She jumped back a step, resting on one of the fingertips.  "I am Sailor Moon, defender of love and justice!  Your vile plan to enslave two whole worlds of people is evil, and in the name of the moon, I shall punish you!"

      "Aaargh!  Eat this, Moon-brat!" roared Darkstrike, throwing a blast of purple energy at her.  She jumped aside as the Scouts scattered for battle. 

      "MERCURY ICESTORM BLAST!"

      Icy shards ripped into him.  He recoiled a step.

      "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"

      Darkstrike fell backwards as the marble structure shattered.

      "MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

      The impact of the flaming arrow set him ablaze, and he dropped and put himself out.  He didn't notice the Scout's attack pattern was knocking him into a nearby patch of mist.  He staggered to his feet.

      "JUPITER SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

      The blast knocked him into the border.  Grey mist surrounded and disoriented him.  He found himself surrounded.  Hundreds of thousands of Order members stood in a ring around him, and as one, their heads bowed, and Darkstrike felt his powers being drained.

      "No!" he gasped hoarsely, falling to the ground... or where the ground should be.  Finally it stopped, and a voice echoed towards him.

      "Never again, Darkstrike.  All planar powers are no longer yours to command.  Now why don't you go home..."

      "Home..."

      "home.."

      The word echoed in his mind, until he stumbled forwards into one of the Nega-sections of the park.  He dropped to his knees, and planted his fists into the ground.

      "I may no longer be able to send them to other planes," he growled, "But I'm gonna give them all the essence of Negaverse they can handle!"

      With that, he began drawing the power of the Negaverse directly from the soil, inflating his madness and power to ungodly levels...

Round 4:  Return Of Sanity

       The crowd roared as Darkstrike vanished into the mists.

      "That was easy," said a surprised Luna.

      "Too easy," said Artemis.

      The Scouts seemed to agree.  They were uneasy, turning and looking around them constantly.  They noticed Stryfe was gone, presumably doing his thing.

      "This isn't over," said Super Sailor Moon.  She spun, looking around her.  "Darkstrike!  Where are you!  Show yourself!" she shouted.

      Suddenly, an evil chuckle was heard.

      "nEvEr PlaY WiTh FiRe UnleSs YoU WaNT To gEt BurNT!" came a deep, gruesome voice.  Purple flames shot out of the mist and nailed Mars.  Darkstrike strode out as Sailor Mars shakily regained her feet, clutching her burnt arm.  The crowd gasped as a hulking, horned, drooling black shape stalked towards the Scouts.

      "Oh, my," gasped Sailor Mercury.

      "i mAy NoT HAVe PlAnaR PoweRS AnY MoRE, But YoU WiLl DiE JuSt The SaMe," the thing growled.  It became supercharged with energy, sending bolts of purple-black lightning to hit every Scout, knocking them back.  They staggered collectively.

      Tuxedo Mask whipped several roses.  As the thorns tore painfully into

Darkstrike, Sailor Earth-Anger recovered and launched her attack.

      "EARTH ANGER SWARM!"

      Encouraged, several others attacked.  The combined raging animal energy bolts, water blast, meteor, and time-power impacted into the Darkstrike-thing.  It only seemed to enrage the beast.  It jumped upwards, hitting the ground with a tremendous force.  Purple energy shockwaves lashed out, knocking everyone off their feet.  The Sailor Scouts, badly wounded, regrouped. 

      "It's hitting us with pure Nega-power," gasped Sailor Neptune.

      "We can't take much more of this," croaked Sailor Venus.

      "Then we just have to use pure Moon power on it," said Sailor Moon softly.

      "I don't know if we can take the strain," groaned Sailor Mars.

      "Uh, guys, it's turning to face us," said Sailor Jupiter.

      "We can do it," said Sailor Earth-Love.  "EARTH LOVE REFRESH!"

      As the white mist flowed over them, healing them, Super Sailor Moon removed the green orb from the Crescent wand.  She looked at Mercury.

      "Will this shatter if I throw it at him?" she asked.

      "Probably," murmured Mercury.

      "Use your bubbles after it breaks," said Moon.  "We'll need time to prepare." 

      Mercury nodded as Moon chucked the Comet Materia.

      The Darkstrike-thing saw the green orb flying towards him and swatted at it with a misshapen, grotesque claw.  He swiped it with such force that it exploded, and comets began to rain down from the heavens, blasting him again and again.

      "MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!"

      The bubbles were enough to confuse the Darkstrike-thing, giving Sailor Moon the time she needed.

      Sailor Moon held the wand in front of her, and concentrated, accessing the Silver Imperium Crystal.  The crowd was stunned as she turned into Princess Serenity. 

      Darkstrike-thing regained its feet as Serenity pointed the crystal at him.  She concentrated, and a beam of pure white energy flashed out, impacting into the Darkstrike-thing.  It caused him to stagger back a few feet.

      Her will alone was barely coping with his.

      Slowly, the other Scouts, including Tuxedo Mask, joined in, lending their support.

      "Mercury Power!" cried Mercury, the blue crystal on her tiara glowing brightly.

      "Venus Power!" said Venus, hers glowing golden.

      "Earth Power!" said the twin Earths, crystals glowing purple and pink.

      "Mars Power!" cried Mars, crystal glowing red.

      "Jupiter Power!" called Jupiter, crystal glowing green.

      Tuxedo Mask held Mini-Moon, directly behind Serenity and the Inner Scouts.  They concentrated with all their might, giving Serenity their will.

      The four Outer Scouts held hands in intense interest, silently watching the conflux of power.  They had laughed in disbelief once upon a time, when Tuxedo Mask had told them the Inner Scouts were the most powerful when they worked together, that Sailor Moon was the Moon Princess.  Now, they could only watch and hope for the best. 

      The cats could also only watch as their charges glowed with their power.

      The energy coalesced into Serenity, swelling, growing, like the harmony of a tremendous orchestra combining all their instruments into intense, beautiful music.  The symphony of their combined power crested, then burst into a thunderous finale as it climaxed.  The Darkstrike-thing was now completely encompassed in white energy.

      It disintegrated, with a white flash that expanded, not slowing or stopping.  The white energy flowed over the Scouts, breaking their concentration and knocking them out from the effort.  It raced on, sweeping over both primes, culminating in a sudden burst of cataclysmic power...

      The door opened.  A young girl, dressed in a pink blouse and red overalls, with long blonde pigtails, walked in.

      "Mom, I'm home!" she called out.

      "Okay, dear," her mother said, busily cooking.  "Did you pass your math test?"

      "Barely, but yeah," she said.  "My friends are coming over soon.  Do you mind?"

      "No, dear.  Just keep it down, ok?" her mother replied.

      "Okay," she said as she walked up the stairs to her room.  She walked past an open bedroom, and peeked in.  Two brunettes were lying on their bunkbeds, chatting.

      "Hi, Serena," said the one on the lower bunk, with shorter hair.

      "Hey, Mel, Sam.  You almost ready?" she asked.

      Soon, everyone was all in her bedroom.  She closed her door, and sat down gazing at all her friends.

      "I wonder if anyone else but us remembers what happened," Amy said thoughtfully.

      "Anyone else notice the dark-haired guy that seems to be shadowing us?" asked Raye.

      "He's so cute, like my ex-boyfriend!" gushed Lita, to everyone's chuckles.

      Well, everything's back to normal.  Let's hope it stays that way for a while, he thought, gazing in the bedroom window from the tree outside.  He slowly moved away.

      All is as it should be.

 The End... or is it?

Back to Top

Go Back to the Stories