"Sailor Moon:  Quest For Marius" By Daryll Pung

Go to Previous Page - Part  7 - 8 - 9 - Next Page

or Go Back to the Stories

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

Sailor Moon: Quest for Marius

By Daryll Pung

Part 7: A Simple Twist Of Fate

PG13

      "I see," said Red.  He glanced at Dev, who was talking on his PHS to Cloud.  "So, this time our contact will involve us assisting you to locate your nemesis instead of vice versa."

      Amy nodded.  "Yes.  We don't know what she wants here, but so far her theme hinges on acquiring forbidden powers and destroying anything in her path.  We have been able to beat her back up to this point, but it is starting to get old.  We would all be much happier on our own plane."  She unconsciously rubbed her right forearm.  Serena noted this with a raised eyebrow.

      "What kind of power could she be going after?" asked Vincent as Dev hung up.     

      As one, the scouts shrugged. 

      "We don't have a clue," sighed Luna.  "Whatever it is would be devastating in her hands."

      "Used however she likes," finished Artemis.  "And we've already deduced that she would absolutely love to rule every plane."

      "Well, everyone's notified, and all except Cid and the Highwind will be here within a few days.  Fortunately, we all live on this continent, except for Yuffie, but she has all the materia and will make it here easily.  Cid informs me the Highwind's broke, and he's fixing it, but to keep him informed," said Dev.  "In the meantime, the others are on their way.  Cloud and Tifa said something about bringing extra chocobos.  So, there is little to do but wait." 

      "Well, that's that," said Serena.  "You guys wouldn't happen to know what ice cream is, would you?"

      Tifa smiled as she surveyed the room.  It was almost like old times, with only Cid missing.  Herself, Cloud, Cait Sith, Vincent, Barrett, Yuffie, Red XIII, Aeris, Zack, and Dev sat around, surveying the Scouts.  She couldn't help but notice there were only a few of them this time around.  As she looked around and everyone got settled, she reflected on how life was going.  The planet was happy, the people were happy, and she and Cloud were running a very successful Chocobo Ranch.  Truth be told, though, life was a little boring.  She knew she wasn't the only one in the room who missed the old days.

      Dev cleared his throat.  "Okay.  We're all here for one major reason.  The Scouts have been pursuing an enemy of theirs across the planes, leaving half their team behind to guard their home plane.  Now, this intruder, who we'll refer to as a Locust, is a powerful individual, determined to acquire some power from our world and return home with it, and attempt to conquer every plane.  Her name is Marius."

      "And now, the big question is- what is she after?" asked Amy.

      "A WEAPON?" asked Barrett.

      "All destroyed," said Cloud. 

      "The monsters?" asked Yuffie.  "They've previously said they don't have monsters everywhere like we do."

      "Lifestream?" asked Red.

      "Doubtful on both," said Zack.  "I'm sure she has her own powerful minions, and how can anyone steal lifestream?"

      Aeris cleared her throat.  "Oh, it's possible."

      Tifa frowned.  "Yeah.  That's what we battled against Sephiroth for fourteen years ago."

      "Huh?" asked Cait Sith.  His cat face still represented Reeves to the group, and he enjoyed living a normal life and an exciting one at the same time.  His face cleared in recognition.  "Oh, yeah."

      Cloud suddenly looked grim.  "Yeah.  That's right.  Sephiroth was trying to steal lifestream, to combine with it, to become a god."

      "Exactly," said Aeris.  "Which makes me think she'll be after the same thing Sephiroth was.  And it makes perfect sense.  It's portable, and will bring ruin to entire worlds."

      Raye looked at Aeris.  "What are you referring to?" she asked.

      Aeris sighed.  "The very thing I died trying to prevent.  I'm referring to a similar plan the Locust might be pursuing, thinking she can pull off what Sephiroth did not."

      "Oh my," said Tifa, eyes wide.

      Aeris noted Tifa's comprehension.  "Yeah.  I'm talking about Black Materia."

      "Not again," said Cloud quietly.

      Aeris nodded solemnly.

      "Black Materia?" asked Luna.

      "Black Materia is a special materia, used to summon the Ultimate Destruction Magic," Aeris began to explain.

      The Scouts looked at each other in horror. 

      "And what exactly is that?" asked Artemis quietly.

      "Meteor."

      The day was bright and sunny.  People were bustling about.  They would cross over the bridge, and wonder at the crowd outside of a riverfront café.  Some would join the crowd, some would push forward, and a few would glimpse what the people were excited about.

      Seven girls, enjoying a lunch.

      Some would wonder why this was so interesting.  Then they would remember the fantastic events of the past couple of weeks.  They would take another look, and then get excited themselves.

      After all, it wasn't everyday you came face-to-face with a Sailor Scout, much less seven of them.

      Amara leaned back and glanced up.  She could feel it in the wind.  This day would be momentous.

      She just didn't know why.

      "That was yummy!" exclaimed Reeni, setting her fork down.  She still had bits of chocolate cream pie on her face, which held an expression of bliss.

      "This is a great little restaurant," smiled Sam.  Mel nodded agreeably.

      "Indeed," said Trista.

      Michelle sat straight up, drawing Hotaru's attention.  Her eyes drifted over the water.  She noted everyone's sudden awareness of her discomfort.  She had the distinct feeling something was wrong.  She spied several bubbles rising from the river.  In clumps.  As if...

      "He's here," said Amara suddenly.

      General Trouble burst from the river straight towards them.  They scrambled to safety as GT smashed into the café, crunching through the windows, and throwing the tables aside. 

      Amara was first to regain her feet.

      "Not this time!  Today we finish this!  URANUS COSMIC POWER!"  The winds howled around her, and suddenly Sailor Uranus was ready to rumble.  Hurried cries showed the other Scouts were transforming as well.

      "Let's pummel this freak!" shouted Earth-Love.

      "Yes, let's!" said Neptune coolly.  She decided to try a different tack.  "NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"  The blast of oceanic force smashed GT onto the main thoroughfare.

      "SATURN SILENCE RUSH!"  Deadly energy flowed from the Silence Glaive, jolting GT.  He swung in his typical manner, preparing to retreat.  Pluto ducked under the blow, seeing the Earth twins join hands.

      GT faded from view.  This time, however, things were different.  The twins immediately began following him, with the rest of the Scouts trailing. 

      This time, they would finish this humongous freak. 

      The crowd split to allow the Scouts through.  Saturn and Neptune guided the two concentrating twins, as Pluto, Mini-Moon, and Uranus stayed ready to blast.  They moved up two blocks, away from the river, into the shopping district.

      The twins both pointed right.  The team adjusted, and their eyes fell on the mall.  GT seemed to sense he was being followed, as suddenly he faded into view, and shattered the glass doors, charging into the mall.

      Needless to say, the Scouts followed.

      They cautiously walked in.  Screams could be heard, and the Scouts followed the sounds and strewn debris from GT's rampage.  They cornered GT in the food court. 

      "Let's get it on!" shouted Uranus, as the crowds split to allow the Scouts to do their thing.

      "PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!" called Mini-Moon.  The exploding hearts smashed GT backwards.

      "PLUTO FINAL SAY!" called Pluto, letting loose the nine balls of time energy.  Each one smashed GT further back.  Uranus had already gotten behind him, with Saturn. 

      "URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

      "SATURN SILENCE RUSH!"

      The combined blasts sent GT sprawling towards the twins and Neptune.

      "NEPTUNE STUNNING TSUNAMI!"

      The blast of the water knocked GT off his feet.  It slowly climbed to its feet, glaring at the Outer Scout of the Oceans.  It charged.  A huge claw went up, preparing to smash Neptune.  Uranus was about to move, when Pluto grabbed her arm and pointed.  The twins were holding hands, and an aura of power surrounded the two.  Earth-Love pointed her hand out. 

      "EARTH LOVE PURIFY!"

      A ball of bright white light intercepted GT's descending claw.  It drew it back with a cry of rage and agony.  The white ball expanded to include all of GT, then contracted, causing it to scream in pain as it burst.  Then it was Earth-Anger's turn.  She pointed her hand at GT, who was already reeling.

      "EARTH ANGER PETRIFY!"

      A blast of crackling gray energy ranged from Earth-Anger's hand and struck GT dead center.  A gray aura spread over him, and slowly faded.  The twins relaxed and separated.  GT still sat there, still caught in the pose of trying to get up, a perfect statue.  Uranus drew her sword.  She casually walked up to the statue, and just as casually reared back and struck.

      GT shattered into a pile of rubble, which slowly faded from view as the chunks disintegrated. 

      "YES!" the crowd cheered.

      The Scouts smiled and struck victory poses as the police and media began to wrap things up.  Mini-Moon summed it up the best with her perfect imitation of the patented Sailor Moon pose.

      "MOONDUSTED!"

      Deep within the ruins of Midgar, Marius jerked her head up.  She felt the severing of her experiments' contact, and knew instantly that the Sailor Scouts had destroyed her minion.  She blinked, and shrugged.  She had expected it to happen eventually.  She glanced down at the files she was reading. 

      The Turks.  She would use them, instead.  This could get interesting.

      Reno sighed.  He was leaning back.  The Turks had taken up residence in Junon.  But no matter where they lived, they couldn't escape a simple fact.

      Life was boring.

      Take his current position, for example.  He was nice and relaxed, in a patent leather chair, with his feet on his desk.  Most people would find this ideal.

      Not the Turks.

      Reno gazed thoughtfully in to space.  Truth be told, he hadn't been truly happy except for his dealings with Cloud & Company.  Their conflicts, and even when working with them, had made life fun and interesting.

      Rude and Elena coming in interrupted him.

      "Well, anything interesting happening?" asked a bored Reno.  Rude and Elena, as of late, had been spying on the new lives of Cloud and his friends.  He expected the same old mundane answers. 

      Elena nodded.  "We found out something interesting's going on.  With the exception of Cid, who is repairing the Highwind, their entire group is meeting in Cosmo Canyon.  They took their weapons with, too."

      "What's happening?" asked Reno, bringing his feet off his desk and on the floor, facing them fully. 

      Rude shook his head while Elena continued.  "We don't know for certain.  We overheard mention of the Scouts that helped us defeat Neo-Ultima WEAPON, and some new, dangerous enemy that threatens both parties," Elena shrugged.

      Reno narrowed his eyes as he sat back.  He knew damn well that Rude and Elena felt the same way about Cloud and his friends as he did.  When they were working for Shinra, it had been respect.  When Midgar and Shinra had fallen, they had slowly come to like them.  They never admitted it, but they felt a kinship with them, cemented after the whole Neo-Ultima deal. 

      He glanced at them, saw them both nod.  Reno reached for his PHS.

      "Great, just great," sighed Cloud.  "You know, I'll be the first to admit I was getting bored, wanted some action.  Chocobo breeding and racing was barely keeping that desire in check.  But I didn't want anything like this!"  He held his still spiky head in his hands.  Then he surveyed the Scouts with his slightly glowing blue eyes.  The Scouts were unperturbed by this.  Dev had the same eyes, as did Zack.  It was the result of the process used to create members of SOLDIER, as Dev had explained on their previous visit.  Cloud gazed steadily at Aeris.

      "You know, I thought we had put all of this behind us.  I thought the Black and White Materia were consumed," he said.

      "Not the case," sighed Aeris.  "Does any Materia disappear after use?  No, the Black and White Materia were consumed in the casting of their powers, but they will be recreated.  It is not all that unlikely that they've been recreated by now.  They are a part of the natural balance of this planet.  Furthermore, we really don't know where the White or Black will be.  I could ask the Planet if we had a way to get to the City Of The Ancients, but that is also out of the question, as we don't have the Highwind.  Or do you have a Gold Chocobo for everybody?"

      Cloud frowned.  "Pyrite is our only Gold Chocobo at this time."

      Red spoke up.  "Would Materia be usable in their plane?"

      Dev and Amy both nodded.  "We used the spare Comet Materia Yuffie gave us to help beat Darkstrike," Amy said.  "It probably would have been useable after that if we hadn't shattered it on him."

      Barrett winced.  "I'm sure that musta stung."

      "Well, here's another thing," said Tifa.  "How do we intend to beat this Locust anyway?"

      "And what's White Materia used for?" asked Darien.  Aeris beat Amy to the punch. 

      "White Materia is used to summon Holy, the Planet's counter to Meteor.  And now, back to Tifa's question:  How are we going to beat your Locust?" said Aeris.

      Amy smiled.  "I've been working on that.  We've been unprepared so far, but my little project is almost complete."  She reached into her pocketspace and procured the Starfleet case with a flourish.  She cracked it open.  "In another plane we've been on, they have really advanced technology.  I intend to use it against Marius."  Inside the case were quite a few pieces of technology no one was familiar with, and one all the Scouts recognized.

      "A phaser?" asked Mina.

      Amy nodded.  "I've removed the components that make it a weapon, and have been utilizing the knowledge I acquired to rebuild this into a device capable of ending our trip through the planes."

      "How did you acquire the knowledge?" asked Vincent quietly.

      Amy suddenly went quiet.  Serena spoke up.  "They have some really powerful computers," she said, resting her hand on Amy's shoulder with a smile and a squeeze.

      "Next question: How does it work?" asked Cait Sith.

      Amy blinked, and shook off her negative thoughts.  "It reroutes the background energy field that Marius uses to teleport between planes.  I theorized she must rest quite a bit between trips, and it takes a while to rebuild the necessary potential.  So, if we catch her quick enough, it will reverse the polarity of the field, stripping most, if not all of it, from her and using it to send her where she belongs, where we can deal with her as we're supposed to."

      "A-73 or A-74?" asked Dev.

      "To increase chances of success, I'm setting it to send to both," said Amy.

      "Either one will work," said Serena, noting that Amy was learning to leave off the techno-speak so everyone could understand her.

      "Well, then, here's what we'll do," said Cloud decisively.  "We will take the chocobos Tifa and I brought to head to the bay near the Gold Saucer, where our Submarine is parked.  We will then take the Submarine to the cove south of Wutai, and hike through the mountains.  This will enable us to acquire our Materia.  Once that is taken care of, we will decide where to begin as far as tracking Marius, the White Materia, and the Black Materia.  We can work out the rest of the details along the way."

      The PHS rang.  "Must be Cid," said Cloud as he picked up.  He was extremely surprised to hear the voice on the other end, and set it to speaker.

      Reno smiled as he leaned back.  "You heard me right, Cloud.  We Turks are bored, and wish to assist you on your current project.  Like it or not, combined we make one hell of a team."

      Cloud gazed at the PHS.  He noted the other's expressions of surprise.  Except for Vincent.

      "Vincent?" he said quietly.

      Vincent nodded.  "The offer is genuine, for several reasons.  First, he is right, as were you, about boredom.  We all grew used to the fighting, came to welcome it.  It takes awhile for that to pass.  Second, the Turks always like a winner.  And this does directly concern all who were involved in the whole Sephiroth fiasco."

      "It has to do with Sephiroth?" asked Elena suddenly.

      "Not directly," answered Cloud.  "It has to do with an enemy of the Scouts who wants to try what Sephiroth did, because she thinks she can succeed."

      "Well, then, you definitely need our help," said Reno.  "We might have some inside information for you."

      Cloud looked around.  Heads were nodding.  Zack and Barrett looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded.  "Wha' the hell," smiled Barrett.  "If they get outta line, I can smack 'em up."

      "Or slice 'em up," added Zack.

      "Okay, it's decided then.  We accept your offer of assistance.  We will be departing soon, and we'll meet you in Wutai," said Cloud.

      "You won't regret this, Cloud," said Reno.  "We'll meet you in Wutai, and... what the hell?"

      "Reno?" asked Cloud.

      Elena dropped from the grasp of the woman.  She turned to Reno, an evil expression on her face.  His eyes were drawn to the inverted black moon on her forehead.  Just seconds ago, she had burst into his office in a purplish-black flash, and grabbed Elena.  Even now, Elena stopped moving.  Rude dropped back, and punched the ground.

      "GRAND SPARK!" he called as a blast of energy rippled along the floor to explode underneath the mystery visitor.

      "How feisty," she purred evilly, as the PHS clattered out of Reno's unmoving hands, deactivating as it hit the floor.

      Serena gasped as the connection went dead.  "That was Marius!"

      "Then we have to help the Turks," said Lita.  "And we gotta go now!"

      "It's probably already too late," said Luna.

      "Yeah," said Artemis.

      Cloud blinked.  "You can't be serious!"

      Amy sighed.  "Unfortunately, they're right.  And sometime in the near future, we can expect to be facing the Turks... enhanced by the Negaforce.  Whether they were actually going to help or not is a moot point now.  They are now bad guys for sure.  Or as Serena says..."

      "Nega-creeps," Serena said sadly.  Her communicator beeped.  She flipped the top open.

      "Hey, Moonface!" called Amara cheerfully.  "Got some good news for you!"

      Serena blinked.  "Well?" she asked.

      "General Trouble is dusted!  We cornered him in a mall and beat the hell out of him.  The finishing touch was the twin's new attacks.  Earth-Love hit him with light energy, and then Earth-Anger turned him into a statue, which I shattered with my sword," said Amara.

      Despite the recent news, Serena had to smile.  "All right!  Good job, everyone!"

      Amy blinked, and opened her computer.  She typed for a moment, and then interrupted.  "And some bad news as well.  There is roughly an 80% probability that GT will be replaced very soon by one of the Turks!"

      "The Turks?" asked Amara.  "Oh yeah, I remember.  So she got to them, huh?  And she's gonna send one our way?"

      "More than likely," affirmed Amy.

      Serena frowned.  "Amara, if that is the case, you cannot kill whatever Turk it is.  I can restore them, if you can contain them." She glanced around the room.  "Can Earth-Anger reverse her attack?"

      "She doesn't know," responded Amara after consulting.

      "Well, we'll ride that bridge when we get under it," said Mina reassuringly.  She blinked as almost all the Scouts groaned.  "What?" she asked innocently.

      Amy sighed.  "It's 'cross that bridge when we get to it'.  Still, a good idea."

      "Whatever," said Mina, waving it off.

      "Just try and capture the Turk that gets sent your way... if one does.  And keep me informed," smiled Serena.

      "We will," said Amara.  "No need to worry!  How's the chase for Marius going?"

      "We're working on it," said Serena.  "Amy's trap is almost ready, and we're preparing to get going here to catch her."

      "Well, don't let us hold you back," smiled Amara.  "Later, Moonface!"

      "Bye, Amara.  Talk to you later."  Serena closed her communicator.

      "Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Lita.  "Let's go kick some Nega-butt!"

      "By the way," began Raye.  "What are chocobos?"

      "Chocobos are large birds that we can ride places.  I have a group of Green Chocobos, which will let us take a shortcut through the mountains," said Cloud.

      "Large birds?" asked Darien.

      "They don't fly, do they?" asked Lita.

      Tifa smiled.  "No, they don't.  Let's get ready to go.  Cloud and I will go prepare them."

      "Birds, huh?" asked Artemis.  She glanced at Luna.  "Wonder what they taste like?"

      "Artemis!" gasped Luna.  She swiped him with her paw. 

      "Ow!" Artemis rubbed his now sore nose.  "I was just kidding!"

      "Hmph, I don't know," said Cloud teasingly.  "No one's ever been able to kill one!"  **

      Tifa smiled as she circled Midnight, her personal Black Chocobo, around the preparations.  Cloud had left Pyrite, his primary racing Chocobo, at home.  He was riding Shadow, his Black.  He was also growing impatient.  Everyone else had a Green to ride, and they were still lashing their belongings down for the trip.  She occupied herself with making sure they had an adequate supply of Mimett greens along for the chocobos to eat.  After all, Sylkis greens were for racers only, and the chocobos seemed to prefer the taste of Mimett greens anyway.

      Finally, everyone was set, and she spurred Midnight into action, leading the pack as the headed into the hostile mountains around Cosmo Canyon.  She relaxed as they started up the trail.  Cloud was an excellent rider, and he was bringing up the rear.   A crisp wind blew through her hair as the sun began to set, highlighting the sky in yellows, oranges, reds, and purples.

      They paused during the night to set up camp, and feed the chocobos.  As everyone else rested, the three ex-SOLDIERs took turns on watch.  The night passed uneventfully, and soon they were back on their way, Tifa once again carefully picking the path.  It was around midday a few days later when they crested the last mountain and saw the Gold Saucer in the distance.  It was indeed an awe-inspiring sight, as they raced downhill, towards the giant resort. Time was, after all, of utmost importance.

      Amara brought her bike around the last turn.  Racing was one of her favorite things to do, and this race she was enjoying more than most.  She yanked her dirt bike hard over, powersliding around the corner before she gunned it again, feeling it regain traction.  She was now on the home stretch, and she knew her friends were watching.  One of the reasons she was enjoying this race so much was because several of the other competitors were girls, and because the closest person to her was neck and neck with her.  She crested the hill, soaring through the air before landing hard, digging in for a burst of speed.

      Then she thought she saw-

      A woman was standing in front of them with a blue suit.

      Time seemed to stop.

      Amara desperately tried to yank the bike away from hitting her.

      "What the!" began the announcer, drawing everyone's attention to the woman.

      Amara gasped as she saw the purple flash.

      An energy bolt flew towards her-

      And the bike exploded as she hit the dirt hard, rolling twenty feet before stopping, having thrown herself clear in the nick of time.  Fiery wreckage crashed all around her, and a flaming tire rolled by.  She realized the race had stopped.  A set of gloved hands picked her up.

      "Hurry up and transform!" hissed Neptune into her ear.  Then Amara got a good look at the woman.  She was facing the wrecked bike, admiring her handiwork.  She wore a dark blue suit, with black shoes.  Short butter-blonde hair topped her off.  It took a moment for Amara to realize who this was, dazed as she was from the rush of the past few moments.  When her brain caught up with her, she shook her head and raised her hand, calling out her transformation phrase.  The winds spiraled around her, heralding her change into the Outer Scout of Wind.

      The woman turned.  The Scouts could only gasp as she faced them.  Her blue eyes were gone.  Now, her eyes were merely black, empty irises.

      "Elena," said Pluto softly.

      "I am General Elena, of the Negaverse!  My queen has sent me here to stop you!" she shouted, raising a hand towards them.  They knew Moon would probably try and talk her out of it, but no one here cared about that as they dodged the blast that came flying their way.

      "Hmph!" called Neptune.  "Try this on for size!  NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"  The blast of water drenched Elena, knocking her off her feet.  She immediately bounced back up.

      "Nice," she said, wringing out her hair.  "Now you try this!"  She raised her hands, and a shockwave of purple energy smashed into them, electrocuting them and throwing them about like so many rag dolls.  Elena grinned evilly as she stepped closer.

      Earth-Love jumped up.  She balled her fist and charged.  She punched Elena, knocking her into the dirt with enough force to send a cloud of dirt through the air.  Elena struck back, kicking Earth-Love hard in the chin, sending her flying into her twin.  She saw Uranus' fist coming, and grabbed it, yanking Uranus off her feet and throwing her into the stands.  They collapsed on top of her, amid the screams of the crowd and the ripping and cracking sounds of the supports.

      "Sailor Uranus!" shouted Neptune.  Pluto stepped up beside her.

      "PLUTO FINAL SAY!"  The pulsating blasts of time energy smashed into Elena, knocking her back, spinning her around as she hit the ground.

      "SATURN-" Saturn started summoning her attack.

      "Saturn, NO!" called Mini-Moon.  "Remember, we gotta take her alive so Sailor Moon can restore her!"  Mini-Moon grabbed the handle of the Silence glaive, getting Saturn's attention.

      The respite gave Elena the chance she needed.  "We'll meet again," she promised, before vanishing in a flash of negative energy.  Saturn looked over at the stands.  She knew Mini-Moon was right, and there were more important things right now.  Sirens wailed, as the first ambulances arrived on scene, lights flashing.  Neptune was slowly helping Uranus up, and Saturn ran over to assist in the healing.  Mini-Moon glanced around.  Both Earths were okay, so the only major injury was Uranus.

      She could only hope the others were doing better.

** This is meant as a little joke to those who've played Final Fantasy 7.  If you remember, chocobos can survive an Omnislash or Knights Of The Round, even at full power!

Back to Top

Sailor Moon: Quest for Marius

By Daryll Pung

Part 8: Last Action Heroes

PG13

      Serena dismounted, following Tifa's lead.  She noted the wooden plank onto the deck of the once Shinra-owned submarine.  Behind them, Cloud collected the chocobos, and dialed his PHS.  He quickly spoke to a stable hand, who just as quickly got enroute with a buggy to collect the chocobos.  Cloud hung up and faced the group.  Dev had already escorted the Scouts below, and the others followed them down.  A short while later, the chocobos were being taken care of, and the submarine, now called the Avenger, backed out of the rocky cove.

      Inside the control room, Cloud punched the proper buttons; the noise of water rushing increased, and the Avenger became more stable as it sank into the depths.  Cloud activated the screen, and the outer lights came on, allowing an impressive view of the underwater vista.  Cloud slowly banked the Avenger around the promontory the cove was protected by, and the rock outcropping to their starboard gave away to a broad, underwater expanse.  Cloud maneuvered the Avenger and kept the rocky wall on the sub's starboard side. 

      Lita relaxed.  This didn't bother her, as she thought it might.  In water, you can still swim; she smiled to herself, enjoying the view.  She blinked.  Something seemed to be approaching them.

      Cloud frowned as the proximity alarms went off.  "What the?" he asked in surprise, before glancing up.  "Another Shinra sub!  But it looks... weird."

      Serena looked at the view, and gasped.  A torpedo was now coming at them, leaving a trail of dark energy.

      "It's Marius!" she shouted.  Cloud yanked the controls hard, and the Avenger dove hard to port, yanking away from the wall, making the torpedo fired at them miss and smash into the wall.  The resultant explosion shook the Avenger hard, throwing the team out of their chairs.  Except Cloud.  He grimly brought the Avenger to an even keel, and activated his torpedoes.  He brought the sub around, facing the intruder, seeking a lock.  He got it, and as the tone matched, he punched the trigger four times.

      "No use takin' chances, huh?" asked Barrett, clutching the back of Cloud's seat.  Cloud simply nodded.  Four streaks rapidly closed the distance on the viewscreen, bubbles rising.  Just before impact, a black bubble appeared above the target sub and rose to the surface.

      "Marius!" snarled Luna.

      The torpedoes ran true, detonating on the outer hull of the opposing sub.  The sub was tougher than expected, though.  With four huge holes in it, the team watched, idly wondering how long it would last, as it sank into the depths.

      Finally, it imploded in a muted flash, releasing a mass of bubbles to the surface.

      "Well, that was fun," said Artemis from the safety of Mina's arms.

      The Avenger floated lightly in the cove, south of the Wutai Mountain Range.  They were all standing on the beach as Cloud secured the submarine's top hatch, locking it up tight.  He jumped ashore.

      "Well, we have a long walk ahead of us," began Cloud, gazing at the mountains.  "Periodically, we will be crossing on rope bridges and walking on a prepared trail, but for the most part, it's rough going."

      "What are we waiting for?" asked Raye.  "Let's go!"  She hiked her pack up on her shoulders, and began walking towards the first climb.  Smiles followed as Cloud took the lead, Zack brought up the rear, and Yuffie began singing a hiking song, which the Scouts quickly joined in.

      They had little clue of what was in store for them.  They only knew the way was perilous. 

      It was nearing nightfall as they reached the first rope bridge.  Mina gulped.  "We have to cross that?" she asked.  Serena could understand the nervousness, as it was a long way down, and the bridge was very long.

      Tifa nodded.  "Don't worry, its not that bad," she said.  "You'll get used to it even before you're all the way across."

      "Besides," smiled Aeris.  "It's kind of thrilling."

      "Indeed.  I'm sure it will be thrilling all the way down," said an evil voice.  The group whirled to face a pair of dark blue suited individuals.  "I am General Reno, of the Negaverse.  This is General Rude.  And now it's time to meet your doom!"  He put his hands together and blasted a wave of negative energy straight towards the group.  Everyone managed to dive out of the way.

      Serena regained her feet.  "I'm sorry it has to come to this, but..." her hand went up in the air, an aura of white surrounding it.  "MOON HEAVENLY POWER!"  The white energy dropped to surround her completely.  Then the energy cleared and Sailor Moon was on the job.  Darien was enveloped in a swirl of rose petals and transformed into Tuxedo Mask.

      "Let's do it!" shouted Lita.   "JUPITER COSMIC POWER!"  Lightning crackled around her, and then faded, and Sailor Jupiter was ready for a fight.

      "MERCURY COSMIC POWER!"  Water blasted Amy as she was obscured from view.  The water drained away, and Sailor Mercury stood there.

      "MARS COSMIC POWER!"  Fire blazed, surrounding Raye before fading and revealing Sailor Mars.

      "VENUS COSMIC POWER!"  Starlight shimmered, then burst, and as it passed, Mina was gone and Sailor Venus gave a V.   "Let's go!"

      "Remember, just wear them down!  I can restore them!  Be careful!" said Moon, as the Scouts spread out.  Cloud and his friends also spaced themselves out.

      Rude raised a hand.  Bolts of energy blasted out, and Cloud was barely able to dodge them.  Zack leapt forward, swinging.  Reno was barely able to avoid Sonic Slasher.

      "MERCURY SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  The blast of ice smashed into Rude, who was flung back into a boulder.  He stood, shook his head, and noticed Venus coming at him.  He dropped into a Grand Spark, but the spark was of pure black electricity.  The impact knocked Venus back, and her shoe slipped on the edge of the cliff.  She felt herself beginning to fall.  Moon noticed and jumped at her.

      "Venus!" shouted Moon as her hand made contact.  "I got you!"  Venus scrambled back up, and her eyes widened as she saw Reno preparing to attack Moon.

      "I don't think so!" shouted Jupiter.  She ran at Reno, fists cocked.  Tifa got there first.  She smashed into him with a tremendous punch.  It knocked Reno towards Jupiter.  Jupiter grinned fiercely, rearing back to punch, a grin that abruptly changed to fear as Reno dropped and swept her, sending her flying over the edge.  "HELP!"

      "SAILOR JUPITER!  NO!" screamed Moon, scrambling for the edge.  Reno got to his feet and blocked her path.  "Get out of my way!"  Reno simply grinned, then gasped as a staff hit him in the back of the head.  Aeris jumped back, and Mask came in with a swing, his cane preventing Reno's rod from hitting her.  Jupiter screamed as she began falling.

      "NOOO!" screamed Moon, tears streaming from her eyes.  Everything stopped for a moment, and Moon's head dropped.  Mask moved to her, but she leapt to her feet, her face a mask of pure rage.  She whirled to face the two generals, noting that her friends were stunned.  She took a step towards the Turks, willing her staff into her hands.  She pointed the tip at them.  "You'll pay for that!"

      The two corrupted Turks sneered at her, and then looked up, and their faces turned into expressions of shock as a blast of wind blew over the group, accompanied by a shout.

      "JUPITER CHAIN LIGHTNING BURST!"

      Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, jumping between the two Turks, repeatedly blasting both of them.  They both reeled, as everyone looked up to see-

      Sailor Jupiter standing boldly on the deck of the Highwind.  The rod on her tiara was up, and she charged again.

      Reno and Rude glanced at each other, and decided to retreat, as two black ovals opened up behind them.  They jumped through.  As the portals closed, Jupiter shoved the rope ladder overboard, and motioned for everyone to climb.  Moon was the first up the ladder.

      "Sailor Jupiter!  I thought you were a goner!" gushed Moon as she threw her arms around her friend.

      She chuckled in relief, returning the hug.  "Me too.  I never thought I'd be glad to be on an AIRship!"

      "So what was broken this time?" asked Cloud.  They were all on the bridge of the Highwind.  Cid snorted.

      "Nothing.  I was doing some upgrading and had it in pieces.  That's why I couldn't make it.  Lucky for you guys, Cait Sith's signal from Reeves is quite unique.  I tracked on that, and saw the falling Scout.  So, I picked her up on my way to you guys.  What's with those two, anyway?  And where's Elena?" asked Cid, cigarette in his mouth.  "I don't remember you telling me over the PHS about the Turks being involved, although you covered pretty much everything else."

      The discussion was interrupted by a beep.  Serena opened her communicator.  "Hi, Amara!  How's it going?"  Cloud nodded as Serena spoke and explained things to Cid, who flicked his lighter.

      "Not so well," said Amara tiredly.  She flexed her arm.  "Tell brainiac she was right yet again.  Elena showed up here, and did a pretty good job of roughing us up.  Well, me, anyway.  We beat her off, but we're not exactly sure how to capture her for you.  Michelle thinks that Samantha can reverse Melanie's petrification, and I'm inclined to agree, so we'll try that next meeting.  After I pummel her, of course.  She cost me a perfectly good bike and a race!"

      Serena hid a smile.  "Well, do what you've gotta do.  It's been hectic here as well," she said, quickly explaining what had been happening.

      Amara nodded.  "I'll be in touch," she said before cutting the link.  Serena looked up. 

      "Well, all Turks accounted for," she sighed.  Cid shrugged as he flew the Highwind towards Wutai.

      The Highwind swooped low, air currents from its thrusters blowing dirt up as it hovered over Yuffie's House.  The ladder dropped, and Yuffie jumped overboard, running into her house.  She came back out with a large sack that positively glowed with power.  After all, she had been playing with each materia, and every last one of them was now mastered, at full power.  She hoped everyone appreciated that!  Yuffie giggled.  The self-styled Materia Hunter clambered up the rope ladder, jumping on the deck.  Mina was watching, and moved to help roll the ladder back up.

      "Why do you keep the Materia?" asked Mina.

      Yuffie smiled.  "I'm not sure.  I think it has something to do with everyone else choosing to get on with his or her lives.  Ever since I was little, I've wanted to master using materia.  It's something that always fascinated me.  Then I could be strong, and self-reliant.  I wouldn't need to depend on others.  Cloud realized this, I think.  But as he let me keep them, I realized something else."  Yuffie's smile dropped away, and for a second, the obnoxious teenage ninja girl became totally serious.

      Mina nodded.  "You've realized that being powerful is lonely, so you need friends who are equally as powerful."

      Yuffie nodded.  "Exactly.  Only those who have dealt with power can realize what it all means.  So, despite what I've always wanted, I turned around and joined the team.  I should be called Materia Keeper, instead of Materia Hunter.  But then I'd be a huge blue bug. **  Anyway, I enjoy sharing this materia with everyone.  Not that I want them to know that."

      "I think they already do," smiled Mina.

      "Maybe," allowed Yuffie.  Her seriousness suddenly evaporated.  "But, hey, someone's gotta show them how to have fun!"

      "Yeah," Mina chuckled.  "As they say, 'All work and no play keeps the doctor away'!"

      Yuffie blinked in confusion.  "Huh?"

      "So, where do we begin?" asked Cait Sith.  "Where should we start the search?"

      Aeris answered.  "I would think the best place to start would be where it was originally."

      "Where was that?" asked Raye.

      "The temple of the Ancients," said Red XIII.  "Would the temple be back, since that's how it was originally contained?"

      "Possibly," said Aeris.  She stood gracefully, and turned towards the window, watching Wutai fade away beneath them.  Zack watched her appraisingly, and she could only grin.  "Let's find out.  Cid, the location of the old Temple of Ancients, please."

      "'Kay," Cid said as he moved the throttle forward.  The Highwind leapt ahead.

      As the Highwind settled lightly, the Scouts gazed out of the forward windows.  Lita had been with Yuffie, discussing their dislikes of flying, but Cid handled the Highwind with his usual skill and precision.  They felt a gentle bump, and they were landed.  Cid began shutting things off.

      "Alright," said Cloud.  "On deck, everybody."  They all followed as he took the lead.  They walked out onto the open-air deck.  The hot, humid air reeked faintly of plant life.  They were on an open plain, at the very edge of the jungle that led to the temple.  They had seen the temple overhead before they had landed.  Cloud raised his hand, taking charge.

      "Okay.  We've all got our weapons, materia, armor, and accessories figured out.  We're as ready as we'll ever be.  Remember, it's unlikely things are the same, as before, so we should be prepared for a long fight.  Scouts, just stay behind us, and we'll take care of it," finished Cloud.

      In the past, Serena would have simply nodded and agreed.  Now, however, she shook her head no.  "Hm.  That just doesn't seem right," she said.

      Cloud blinked.  "Excuse me?"

      "Well, it occurs to me that Reno, Rude, and Elena are now more potent than anything you're used to.  It also occurs to me that we are far from helpless.  So, it occurs to me that you taking charge of us is silly and won't happen.  We will assist you.  It's what we're here for.  But we will not take orders from you," Serena said coolly.  "We will be fine."

      Cloud grinned slightly, knowing the effects the local monsters could cause.  "Very well," he said.  "Let's go!"

      "Let's!" called Serena, raising her hand.  Darien was enveloped in a swirl of rose petals, as he became Tuxedo Mask.  She smiled as white power swirled from her fingertips.  "MOON HEAVENLY POWER!"

      The others echoed her transformation, and Luna and Artemis watched from the deck of the Highwind as the two groups set off.

      "Good luck," said Luna.

      "They'll be fine," yawned Artemis.  "I wonder if there's any fish on this ship?"  He dodged the swipe Luna aimed at him with a grin.

      Cloud, Dev, and Zack hacked casually through the vegetation.  The team broke thru into a clearing, and blinked as they were suddenly surrounded by a pair of Gagighandi  ** and a pack of Toxic Frogs.  The team was surprised by the suddenness of the attack, and before anyone could do anything, one of the Toxic Frogs used its Frog Song on Mars. 

      The Inner Scout of Fire tried to resist, but suddenly felt herself get smaller.  She tried to blast the offending Toxic Frog, but all that came out was a croak.  "Ribbit?" she said in confusion, glancing down at her now webbed hands and feet.  She suddenly understood.

      Everyone else had leapt into action.  The Scouts attacked the Gagighandi, while Cloud and friends went after the Toxic Frogs.  The fighting was brutal and quick.  The Toxic Frogs were soon dead, and combined blasts from the Scouts easily creamed the Gagighandi.

      Cloud glanced at the red frog, hopping up and down in rage.

      "Ribbit ribbit!  Ribbit ribbit ribbit ribbit!" croaked Mars the frog angrily.  Cloud lost it. His laughter drew everyone else's attention, and only the Scouts were concerned.

      "Well, I coulda warned you," sighed Cloud, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes.  "But you said you guys could handle yourselves.  How are you gonna deal with this?"

      "Cloud, that's not very nice," said Tifa.

      "We are supposed to be helping each other," said Aeris.

      "It's all right," said Moon.  "After all, I did say that.  And many people have underestimated Scouts before.  MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"  Her staff pulsed with power, and a white glow encompassed Mars, returning her to her normal self.  Cloud blinked.  Mars glared at him.

      "I oughta blast you," Mars growled.

      "Now, now, Sailor Mars," smiled Moon.  "You weren't in any real danger, and you did make an awfully cute little froggie!"  The Scouts collectively broke into laughter, enjoying the looks from Cloud's group.

      Mars whirled and glared.  The Scouts were leaning against trees, clutching their sides.

      "Ribbit!" giggled Venus.

      "She was 'hopping mad'!" gasped Jupiter between laughs. 

      Mars' eyes glared at her, then switched to Moon's.  She saw the laughter there, and smiled, letting it go.  The situation was humorous, after all. 

      "I'll remember this next time you want to borrow my comics," Mars said sweetly.

      "Oooh, I think that's a threat!" said Jupiter.  Moon pretended dismay, and glanced back at Mars and grinned.

      Mars shook her head.

      "Well, meatballhead?  Shall we continue?  I do think it was best I was the one to get frogged.  After all, no one else here would have pulled it off with such grace.  Sailor Moon probably would have tried one hop and fallen on her face!" Mars said with a smirk.

      "Hey!" said Moon good-naturedly.  "I resemble that remark!" 

      They continued on their way amidst fresh laughter, unaware of the eyes that watched their every move.

      Aeris gazed at the temple entrance.  It was as it was before, at least on the exterior.  It sent a chill down her spine, as she knew exactly what had happened after they had recovered the Black Materia.  She shuddered involuntarily, remembering the darkness.

      "Are you okay?" Moon asked her quietly.

      She glanced at the leader of the Scouts.  "You wouldn't understand," she said softly.

      "Wouldn't understand what?" asked Moon.

      "Look, we all had a bad experience with this place, hers worst of all," said Cloud.  "After all..."

      "She died," interrupted Moon.  "We know.  You explained that last time we were here."  She noticed Aeris' hurt expression.  "Besides, we would understand.  We know what it feels like, having your body smashed, feeling your lifeblood leave you, the pain, followed by the darkness that doesn't end.  And I imagine your feelings regarding this place are similar to ours if we were to return to D-Point.  You see, that is a location in our Prime where we faced an enemy of ours more powerful than anything we'd faced previously.  An enemy that we had a thousand-year old history with."  She paused for a second.  "And my friends all died there, defending me so I could complete my task.  I was ultimately successful, wielding my crystal in destroying that enemy.  But I used my own lifeforce to do it, which killed me as well, though not before I made one last wish of my crystal.  Which is why we stand here today."

      "And who was that enemy?" asked Cait Sith quietly.  The rest of them were simply blinking in surprise. 

      Moon smiled grimly.  "Queen Beryl of the Negaverse, who combined with an evil entity called Metallia.  We thought the Negaverse collapsed after their death.  Unfortunately, we were wrong.  For the enemy we are here for is none other than her daughter."

      Cloud blinked in understanding.  He nodded slowly.  "I think I understand the situation now.  And I also think-"

      "That it's time for all of you to die!  NEGATIVE MAG ROD!"  The bushes nearby split as Reno charged out, his rod glowing with negative energy.  He swung and nailed Cloud in the midsection.  Cloud gritted his teeth against the powerful, draining shock.  Tifa recovered first, dropping to one hand and swinging her feet into Reno's chest.

      "GRAND NEGA SPARK!"  The shockwave of black energy smashed into Tifa, sending her flying into a nearby tree.  She slumped, dazed.  Rude stepped forward and assisted Reno to his feet.  The two grinned evilly, then turned to face the group, now readying for combat.  Reno moved first, twirling his rod before gripping it like a baseball bat and smashing it full force into Cid's chest.  Cid's Venus Gospel went flying as he plunged into the undergrowth.

      Rude moved after Mercury, who had her visor out by this time.  He figured if he could remove the brains, the Scouts would fall easily.  Mercury ducked the first blow, and kicked low.  She plunged her foot straight into Rude's family jewels.  Rude clutched himself in agony, but recovered quickly as Mercury moved to follow it up, hand catching her throat and lifting her off the ground.  Mercury's hands went to her throat, trying to battle against the choking grasp as her vision began to dim from lack of oxygen.

      Reno saw Venus attempting to come to Mercury's aid, and savagely kicked the Scout of Love in the midsection, dropping her.  As he moved in for more damage, Vincent raised Death Penalty and pulled the trigger.  The double shotgun blast barely fazed Vincent, who calmly absorbed the violent kick and began to reload.  It did faze Reno, knocking him into a nearby tree.  He staggered, barely noticing Mars.

      "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!"  The repeated blasts of flame caused Reno to twitch against the tree trunk as the blasts of fire ripped into him.

      "ULTIMA!" cast Aeris, pointing her hands around her Princess Guard at Reno.  The green blast of lifestream blasted the corrupted Turk senseless and destroyed the tree.  Mercury was now semiconscious, and Rude noticed his friend in trouble.  He hurled the Scout of Ice at the group now attacking Reno.  The limp form of Mercury smashed into the group, bowling them over into one convenient pile.  Rude pulled Reno to his feet, and they both turned to face the team.  They both raised their hand, and tendrils of dark energy raced out.  The tendrils reformed into dark chains, and soon negative chains to various trees bound everyone, save Venus, in the immediate area.  Venus shook her head, and stood.  She surveyed the situation.  It wasn't good.  A few Crescent Beams would cut everyone free, but there was the little detail of she was by herself against two powerful negacreeps.  Or was she?  She saw, out of the corner of her eye, a hand snatch Venus Gospel from where it had impacted.  She turned her attention back to the two Turks, now trying to flank her.

      "Think, Mina," she whispered.  She dodged the first blast of energy, jumping up to catch a tree limb.  She swung herself away and twisted as she let go, dropping behind the Turks.  She jumped at Rude.  He turned in time to catch her kick square on the jaw, and staggered backwards, dazed.

      Moon groaned as she looked up.  The situation was grim, and the chain was draining her energy.  Suddenly, she felt herself tumble to the ground, as Cid slashed with Venus Gospel.  He reached his energy to the embedded Materia, selecting the glistening red orb that held the power of the underworld.  He activated Hades.

      Reno blinked as Venus faded from his vision.  Four fires lit the blackness that surrounded him, flaring up into an immense platform with four columns, a cauldron, and an ominous-looking being.  He waved his hands, and suddenly the cauldron overflowed, multicolored dark tendrils of power impacting into Reno.  The blackness cleared, and Venus grinned as Reno solidified, as a sleeping, poisoned, slowed, and paralyzed frog.  Venus moved towards Reno, as Rude rejoined the fight, smashing into her like a freight train.  Rude glanced at Reno, but before he could take another step, a white glow caught his eye.  He turned to face a grinning Cid, standing next to Sailor Moon, who now held her Imperium Staff, and channeled her power. 

      "MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"  A white stream of energy flowed out, surrounding Reno.  The glow quickly faded, and Reno shook his head, slightly dazed.  As the link between the corrupted Turk and the restored Turk was severed, so were the negative energy chains that bound the team to the trees.  Reno looked around, seeing the situation for the first time.  He glanced at the dark Rude.

      "Rude, what's going on?" he asked.

      Rude grimaced.  His instructions were clear on this.  Once corrupted by the Moon bitch, his queen had instructed him to kill his friend.  He was fairly sure Reno had received similar instructions.  He raised his hands, but something made him hesitate.  Moon took advantage of that. 

      "MOON HEALING ACIVATION!"

      Marius frowned.  That thrice damned Moon Princess!  She had forced her hand.  Marius reluctantly summoned Elena to her.  Elena bowed obediently, and Marius quickly began the excruciatingly painful process of increasing Elena's power.  It was a good question of whom it was more excruciating for...

      Reno frowned.  He glanced at the entrance to the temple.  "So, Elena's still under this bitch's control?"

      Mercury nodded, rubbing her throat.  It already felt better.  There were certain advantages to being a Scout!  "It is most likely that since Sailor Moon has healed the two of you, she will be brought back to slow us down."

      Aeris smiled grimly.  "What Marius doesn't realize is there's no way she can acquire the Black Materia without a sacrifice.  The temple is the Black Materia.  Someone has to be inside, and solve a puzzle, after which they will perish as the temple resizes."

      "Will she send Elena to do that task?" asked Reno after sharing a glance with Rude.

      "Maybe," answered Moon.  "But it's always been our experience that the Negaverse will part with the lesser negacreeps, called youmas, before wasting someone with power."

      "Well, what we waitin' for?" asked Barrett.  "Let's go!"

      The keystone was normally needed to enter, but as her powers as an Ancient had increased, Aeris was able to allow entry.  They moved through the maze; once again past the rolling boulders, and once again into the time room.  They ended at the door maze.  They were greeted by an evil energy supercharged Elena.  There was little to no hesitation this time.  After all, they outnumbered her nineteen to one.  It was a rapidfire beatdown of the worst order, bringing her easily to her knees, and Moon once again activated her powers, restoring Elena.  A quick briefing later, and Elena rejoined their team.  Now twenty strong, they entered the final room.  Mercury held back a second, reaching into her pocketspace and activating her planar phaser. 

      They walked in, and there were more than a few gasps at the murals all over the wall, portraying Meteor.  The placed reeked of ancientness, even though the temple was brand new.  Dust layered the floors. 

      "Well, someone has a touch of the dramatic," murmured Mars.

      Jupiter frowned.  "What's that?"  She pointed to a small model of the temple, on a pedestal with the letters B-L-A-C-K-M-A-T-E-R-I-A around it.

      "That's the puzzle," said Aeris.  "That's-"

      "Mine," hissed a lethal voice.  The team whirled to face Marius.  "You've all been so troublesome," she raged, glaring at Sailor Moon.

      "Jupe, Pyro, blast her!  Distract her!" hissed Mercury as she readied her planar phaser.  She received two nods in reply.

      Marius continued.  "So, I've decided to enlist the help of another friend.  You know it as the Demon Gate.  I've brought it back, and sort of... tweaked it.  So, without further ado..."

      "JUPITER OAK EVOULTION!"

      "MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

      The combined blasts reeled Marius.  Mercury stepped forward and raised her arm, pressing the fire button.  Marius glanced up, saw Mercury fire, and immediately detected the nature of the blast.  She threw herself aside.  The beam barely missed.

      "Not this time!" she taunted as she glowed white, becoming incorporeal.

      "NO!" cursed a frustrated Mercury.  "Damnit!"  Marius disappeared in a white flash.  Mercury noted Dev had his own computer out, and then they were too busy to talk, as Demon Gate attacked once again.  Its first hit nearly killed Cloud. 

      He reeled, anger bursting in him.  He felt the magic of a Fullcure, courtesy of Yuffie, and leapt forward with a snarl.

      "OMNISLASH!"

      The following frenzy of sword strikes ripped Demon Gate practically apart.  Moon leveled her staff as Cloud dropped back from the final hit.  She noticed Aeris also level hers.

      "MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"

      "ULTIMATE END!"

      Their energies swirled together, in a furious mixture of power.  The attack finally started, except this time the knights that smashed the enemy were Scouts wielding weapons.  And the mythical Arthur didn’t deal the final blow; Sailor Moon dealt it.

      Demon Gate was instantly disintegrated.

      "Moondusted!"

      "Well, maybe we'll meet again," said Serena.  Smiles greeted her statement.  They stood before the glowing node, back at Cosmo Canyon.  She turned to face Dev.  "So, where are we going?" 

      "B-21," he answered.

      "Wait a minute..." murmured Darien.  "We were there before."

      "Oh yeah," said Lita.  "We helped kill a dragon there."

      "Great," muttered Mina.  "Out of the frying pan and into the beach, dear friends."

      "That's 'into the fire', and 'Once more unto the breach, dear friends'," corrected Amy.

      "Whatever," said Mina with a shrug and a smile.  She turned, and the Scouts leapt into the whiteness with Darien and their cats.  The world flashed white, and then they appeared, startling a kobold.  He fell back and landed in a barrel of apples, before sheepishly grinning at them in recognition...

Back to Top

    Note:  This particular story is set in a fantasy realm based on Advanced Dungeons And Dragons 2nd Edition, which is owned by TSR and Wizards Of The Coast.  All characters are based on actual role-playing characters from a group I used to DM for!

Sailor Moon: Quest for Marius

By Daryll Pung

Part 9: Gettin' Medieval On Dat Arse

PG13

      Serena smiled as she sipped her apple juice.  Mirk finished his tale, regaling them with some of the past adventures he had experienced.  He had already told them Derrelli was busy, and would be with them soon.

      "Anybody need more?" he asked.

      Darien glanced thoughtfully at the kobold.  "Any idea exactly how long he's going to be?"

      "Such impatience," came a voice from behind them, in the main entryway of the tower.  "Not that I blame you."

      The Scouts turned to see Derrelli and his friends, minus Chrystyn Shadowstorm and Magnus Yenkn, with a new female elven cleric they introduced as Emilisana Brightheart.  The rest were all accounted for.

      "For that impatience will definitely be of assistance in this troubling situation," finished Derrelli.  He motioned the others forward.  Consis raised an eyebrow.

      "So, they are not Hoppers this time?" he asked quietly.

      "That's correct.  This time, they are here by choice to hunt down an enemy of theirs, the Locust I told you about," said Derrelli.

      "So, where is Marius?" asked Serena.

      "Cuttin' right to the chase, eh?" smiled Siko.  "I like that."

      "In due time," said Derrelli.  "We'll talk about it in the morn.  For now, I would suggest we all get some rest.  Odds are, we're going to need it."

      Serena stood in the open entryway of the tower.  The large, thick, oaken doors had been too heavy to open, at least until she had transformed.  She stood there, basking in the warm sunlight, enjoying the breeze.  It carried on it the various foreign, exotic scents of this world.  She felt something move behind her, and an arm draped across her shoulder.  She snuggled into Darien.

      "Something bothering you, meatball-head?" he asked quietly.  The use of that name had become her pet name with him.

      Serena sighed.  "Yeah, muffin, something is.  Marius.  I want to go home.  I want all of this to be over with.  But as long as she keeps this up...  What if we're out here, jumping around, for years?  And it's not Amy's fault.  God knows she tried, and is going to keep on trying.  We all will… but for how long?  I kind of enjoyed the trip at first.  Then Amy was assimilated, and things keep getting worse.  At least Amara and the others report all's quiet, and no one there feels like anything's going to happen soon.  It seems like we're down to a one-dimension threat."

      Darien nodded.  "Sounds reasonable to me.  And if the hops continue?"

      Serena sighed.  "Then I'm going to ask Trista to send Reeni home and have them jump to meet us.  Maybe our entire team will have a better chance against her."  She glanced at Darien.  "Do you think I was too confident in our abilities to catch her?"

      "No, 'Rena, you weren't," said Raye softly behind the two.  They turned to see the rest of the Scouts, Luna, and Artemis watching.

      "Yeah, we've just had a spree of missed opportunities and bad timing," said Amy.

      "Bad luck," offered Lita.

      "Don't lose confidence in your abilities now, Serena," said Luna.

      "It's not your fault," nodded Artemis.  "Besides, we've all been working on strategies for our next encounter with Marius."

      "As they say, 'All's well in end and war'!" said Mina cheerfully.  The groans and eye-rolls were predictable. 

      "That's 'All's well that ends well' and 'All's fair in love and war'," smiled Amy, shaking her head.

      Serena grinned, shrugging it off.  She could always depend on her friends.  "Yeah, you're all absolutely right.  Musta been something about this place that prompts a little soul-searching in the morning.  Thanks, guys."

      "Come on, let's see if Mirk has anything but apples to eat," said Darien with a smile.

      "That's something, too," blinked Serena.  "I like them as much as the next girl, but what is it with him and apples?"

        A short while later, after a nice breakfast that consisted of hotcakes, sausage, and apple juice, the Scouts and the Omega Adventuring Company (which is what the Scouts finally learned is what they called themselves) sat down in the central chamber to discuss the situation.  Derrelli cleared his throat.

      "All right.  We're all here because one of the Scouts' enemies, called Marius, has as of late been causing havoc on several different Prime Material planes.  Now, the object of this skull session is to decide what to do about the threat she poses and what she could be after," he said.  "A little bit of history would help us a little bit."

      "Well, her theme so far hinges on the most powerful thing she could acquire from each realm," said Luna.

      "And she has had little to no success," said Artemis.  "We keep getting in her way."

      "Well, that explains a lot," mused Derrelli. 

      "A lot about what?" asked Amy, eyes narrowing.  "You already know what she's after, don't you?"

      "Possibly.  You see, in realms like ours, power is widespread and has many sources.  Not all of them can influence other Primes, though.  Matter of fact, that list is very short, but the biggest thing on that list is a bit fearsome," began Derrelli.

      "Dragons," hissed Consis.

      Siko blinked in surprise.  "Okay, dragons scare anyone in their right mind, but how do you know?"

      "Ever wonder why dragons practically never travel to other realms?" asked Derrelli wryly.

      "Their power is greatest on Prime Material Planes," said Consis.  "And when you're used to being a superpower, you won't willingly travel to places where you are not a superpower."

      "So, dragons are what she's after?" asked Biggh-Daghe, scratching his beard.  "So, they're going to up and just join her?"

      "You really think she's powerful enough to control a dragon?" asked Wu Sheng.

      "Big lizard bads mean," put in Atuk, trying his best to keep up with the conversation.

      Derrelli shook his head.  "Dragons would be her best bet.  The problem there is dragons are very smart, and supremely powerful.  How could she manage to coerce them?  She could try and strike a deal, but they'd be leery of anything making them leave their home."

      Lita frowned.  "Unless..."

      Raye nodded.  "She promised them they could rule our realm?"

      "Hmph.  They already believe they rule this one," said Mirk, pausing from munching his apple.

      Derrelli nodded.  "Exactly.  Which is why I believe she's behind the attempts to break into the Wizard's Repository in Miras."

      "Why there?" asked Darien.

      "What is the 'Wizards Reposomethingorother'?" asked Mina.

      "It's a place where powerful artifacts are kept sealed by powerful magicks for study, analysis, and protection," explained Consis.

      "So, there's something there that would allow her to control or coerce dragons," said Serena quietly.  "Or something that could be used that way when corrupted by the Negaforce."

      "The Negaforce?" asked Emilie in her musical, elven voice.  She frowned.  "Sounds evil."

      "It is.  It is the essence of our enemies," said Amy.  She looked at Derrelli.  "So, what is there?"

      "It is my belief she is going after Dragonsbane," Derrelli said quietly. The Scouts noted the astonished looks on the faces of the Omega Adventuring Company.

      "I didn't think that sword was real," murmured Wu Sheng.

      "He is," began Derrelli.

      "'He'?" asked Lita.

      Derrelli nodded.  "Dragonsbane is an intelligent sword.  His capacity includes telepathy, healing, defense against dragons, and extra powers when facing dragons... of an evil nature.  Dragonsbane is good aligned.  It has precisely zero effect against good dragons.  We believe that is because Dragonsbane is the ages-old spirit of a good dragon, but we don't know for sure."

      "Good dragons?" blinked Raye.

      "Dragons have three basic varieties," began Derrelli.  "Chromatic dragons, most common of which are red, blue, green, black, and white, are evil.  Gem dragons, most notably amethyst, topaz, crystal, emerald, and sapphire, trend towards neutrality.  Metallic dragons, such as brass, bronze, copper, silver, and gold, are good.  There are a few more rare types of dragons that don't fit in the above categories, but that is the basic genetic structuring.  However, some dragons aren't as intense in an alignment as others.  For example, the most notorious pranksters in the world are copper dragons."

      "Wow," said Darien.  "Sounds like there are a lot of dragons."

      "Not as many as you think," said Consis.  "They're a little too powerful for that.  Your average type of dragon has maybe a few hundred specimens throughout the world.  Their size and power makes it impossible for a large population to exist.  Not to mention, they don't come out much.  There are a lot of beings who would love nothing better than to get glory by slaying a powerful dragon."

      "Like what happened last time we were here?" asked Amy.

      "Sorkanth?" asked Derrelli.  He shook his head.  "Sorkanth was only a few hundred years old.  He was the dragon equivalent of a young adult, equal to about, say, early twenties for a human."  This statement caused the Scouts to blink in surprise.  If a young dragon was that powerful...

      "So what kind would she be after?" asked Biggh-Daghe.

      "Red?" asked Siko.

      "You're thinking small, and probably don't understand the power she wields," said Serena, glancing at Amy.

      Amy nodded.  "If she succeeds in acquiring and corrupting Dragonsbane, she's going to go after them all."

      For once, Mina couldn't think of a saying to mangle.  She settled for one word.

      "Ouch."

      Siko shrugged into his pack.  He glanced around.  All of Omega were now getting their packs on.  He glanced at the Scouts in time to see them pick up their packs, and the packs disappear.

      "Huh?" he asked aloud.  Mars glanced at him.

      "What?" she asked.

      "Your packs," he said.  "Where did you put them?"

      "Our pocketspaces," said Mars, as if that answered everything.

      "Pocketspace?" asked Emilie.

      "Each of us has an individual pocketspace in our powered-up versions.  It's where, for example, Sailor Moon keeps her staff, where I keep my visor and computer, where Tuxedo Mask keeps his roses and cane, where Sailor Mars keeps her ofudas.  We have all learned to keep other things there, too.  Like a bottle of water, or a candy bar," explained Mercury.

      "Or in Sailor Moon's case, a thousand candy bars," observed Mars.

      "Hey!" said Moon.  Then she grinned.  "If you only knew..."

      Derrelli walked in, holding his ornately carved staff.  Mirk was right behind him, ready to go, dressed in all black, carrying his especially enchanted short sword.

      "Are we ready?" asked Derrelli, glancing around.

      "Yeah," said Siko.  "Omega Adventuring Company is ready for anything."

      "You bet," said Moon.  "Sailor Scouts, at your service."

      "Then let's do it," said Consis.  "Let's head for Miras, and try and catch our Locust."

      "Yeah," said Venus.  "Or, as they say, Saddle up!"

      "Wow," said Luna, eyes wide.

      "She got one right," said Artemis.  "Of course, that one is only two words, so it's practically impossible for her to mess it up."

      Venus simply glared at him.  He grinned sheepishly, and was mostly successful at dodging the apple she threw at him.

      Mishar the White was the wizard on guard, and he was well aware of the recent attempts on the Repository.  Someone kept trying to sneak in, and Derrelli had informed him that someone was probably after Dragonsbane.  He stopped by the warded zone where Dragonsbane was kept.

      Greetings, Mishar, he heard the sword say in his head.  How are you tonight?

      "Nervous," he admitted.  Mishar was one of the younger mages, recently assigned, and not nearly as powerful as some of the other mages.  Still, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he was very glad to be here.  "I'm not sure I'll be able to stop whoever it is who is trying to get in here."

      Shouldn't matter, what with all the wards your fellows have placed on this facility, Dragonsbane said, unless the thief resorts to a direct assault and doesn't care if they're caught.

      "Maybe," said Mishar.  He cocked his head curiously at the sword.  "Dragonsbane, does it bother you, being kept here?"

      Sometimes, came the reply.  However, the deal I have with the mages insures my purpose will always be met.  Should any sort of dragon trouble arise, I have already been promised that I will be placed in the hands of a suitable warrior, accompanied by the mages, to fulfill my desire of slaughtering the evil wyrms.  In the meantime, I am extremely patient.  After all, I have all the time in the world.    

      "I see," said Mishar.  "Interesting.  I have always wondered-"

      Mishar! interrupted Dragonsbane.  I sense great evil!

      An explosion echoed throughout the Wizard's Repository.

      Marius casually threw the white-robed body aside.  Apparently, her energy draining abilities were enhanced slightly here, as the mage had dropped rapidly, with his flesh melting away, as she had attacked.  Still, he had gotten off a few spells, and they had stung somewhat.  She could still feel the acid burning into her torso.  She ignored it and continued on her way.  She walked up the spiral staircase, entering the grand hall, where the magic fields protected the goods.  She noted some of them put up powerful auras, and she could feel the danger for herself from them.  Fortunately for her, the protective wards went both ways.  She shrugged it off and moved to the ornately carved long sword, kept in its jeweled scabbard.  She raised her hands and rested them on the wall of force protecting the sword, sensing the other wards in place.  She began channeling her power, weakening the fields.  She knew by the time the night was over, she would be extremely weak from all the effort required to bypass the powerful protections and take control of the sword.  She didn't care.  By that time, her goals for the night would be met.

      "Hello, Dragonsbane," she hissed evilly.

          Bright and early the next day, the combined teams rode into Miras.  Siko, in the lead, slowed his horse to a slow trot, heading for the stables.  Then he glanced around, and noticed the damage to the triple towers of the Wizard's repository.

      "No," he said through gritted teeth.  He spurred his horse on, and the others followed with merely a glance.  They rode through the parting crowds to just in front of the Repository, where they dismounted.  Several of the town guards, and wizards, glanced in their direction, hostile until they spotted Derrelli and Consis.

      "Oh no," said Jupiter, noting the shrouded body.  The Repository was massively damaged.

      "Let me guess," said Derrelli.  "Dragonsbane is missing?"

      An extremely aged wizard with a long, gray beard nodded.  He looked about to speak when Moon spoke up.

      "And also, let me guess.  This poor individual had his energy and lifeforce drained," she sighed, indicating the body, seeing the surprise on the faces of the guards, mages, and Omega Adventuring Company.

      "It's not a pretty sight," muttered one of the guards.

      "Let me guess," said Luna dejectedly, glancing around again before continuing.

      "We're too late."

      Zifisath yawned, and shoved the remainder of the body into a nearby snow bank.  He preferred his food frozen all the way through, not that the primitive from a nearby Eskimo tribe had cooperated.  A simple bite had removed the head, and now he was going to let his meal freeze.  He decided to go count his treasure pile again, and admire his diamond collection.  The great wyrm white dragon was extremely proud of his diamond collection.  He stalked into the central chamber of his lair, and drew up short as a bubble of black energy opened near his treasure pile.  Out dropped a human woman, holding a sword.  Actually, she wasn't quite human... and the sword!  Zifisath growled, recognizing the cursed blade.  It was different, though.  It glowed with a blackish aura.  Then she spoke, and pointed the sword at him.

      "Hello," she crooned evilly.  Then Zifisath was consumed by an agony he had never felt before, and roared in anger and pain...

      Moon sighed as they moved through the badlands.  Derrelli had reasoned that Marius would go after a great wyrm of each evil color, and then explained that a great wyrm was the most powerful type of each dragon, having been alive for at least 1200 years.  He also reasoned that a red would be the hardest challenge, so they were heading for the lair of the only great wyrm red dragon known to any humanoid race.  The wizards at the Repository had thought that they were insane.  He had further reasoned that Marius' information had been gathered from humanoids, which meant it was almost a dead certainty she would eventually show there.

      But the reason she was sighing was boredom.  For an hour now, they had been walking along the rock-strewn bottom of a canyon, and the scenery wasn't changing.  It wasn't physically much of a challenge on horseback, and she could only look at the rocky terrain around so much.  They began arcing around a nearby outcropping, and she smiled as they began heading up hill.  Now the scenery would change!

      She barely saw the shapes charging them from the outcropping, only heard a warning shout from Mirk, as her horse bucked and she flew through the air.

      Fisallieriallis was angry.  The great wyrm black dragon flew away from the remains of the caravan.  She had had it all under control when her younger rival and a companion had shown up to spoil her fun.  Fisallieriallis didn't even see the black blast of energy that hit her, and filled her with agony.  She barely registered the being and the sword that was pointed at her in a nearby tree before her vision went dark...

      Moon saw the canyon wall rapidly approaching.  She brought her legs up, moving into a ball, and then extended them, making contact with and pushing off of the wall, flipping in midair, and twisting to land on her feet.  She stood up and stared right at their attackers, blinking in surprise at the ungainly shapes.  For a split second, she thought they were the same creatures that had attacked them at school.  But there were quite a few differences.  These things didn't have the proper number of claws or the inverted black moon.

      And these things were much uglier.

      Hisatharyn, a great wyrm green dragon, was fast asleep in his lair.  That's not to say he was unaware, for his senses let him know the second the intruder entered his lair.  He pretended to still be asleep as he reached out with his senses and studied the intruder.  When it appeared the intruder's back was turned, he gathered himself and struck.  The shape dodged aside and pointed its weapon... the cursed sword!  Hisatharyn barely had time to register what the sword was before the black blast hit him.  He roared in agony...

      "What are they?" asked Venus, having leapt off her horse.  The bad part was Moon was on the other side of the group of things, of which there were five.  She had dropped into a fighting stance, and was moving slowly around them to rejoin the group.

      "Trolls!" called Siko, drawing his twin long swords, twirling them expertly.  "They're very dangerous!  They can regenerate anything except fire, acid, and certain magics!"  Steel rang as the rest of Omega Adventuring Company drew their weapons.  The Scouts merely looked at Mars.  They were conscious of Derrelli chanting.

      "Except fire, huh?" grinned Mars.  "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!"  The stattaco rapid-fire rings of blazing flame swept the trolls, blasting all but the one clever individual who ducked.  The clever troll straightened up and glanced at the four piles of ash that had been his companions moments before.  It gulped.  Suddenly, the attack on this group didn't seem like such a great idea.  It looked up to see the mage in red and gray, surrounded by a swirl of fire, point his finger at him.  The troll turned and ran.

      Not fast enough.  The dart impacted on his side, and for a split second the troll was thankful that the spell was a dud.  Then it exploded.

      The horses were spooked, but fortunately they had nowhere to go, making it easy to recover them.  After everyone got up from the shockwave of the exploding Fireball spell, that is.  As everyone dusted themselves off, Wu Sheng glanced at Derrelli.

      "You just love that damn spell, don't you, Sparkles," he said.  He just grinned as Derrelli glared at him.  Wu smacked himself in the forehead.  "'Doh!  I forgot!  I'm not supposed to call you that!  What are you gonna do about it?"

      Derrelli pointed his staff at Wu, and the swirl of flame rose around him as he once again began to chant.  Wu blinked.

      "Just kidding, bro!" said Wu with a smile, backing away.  "Ain't nothin' wrong with that spell!  I personally love it.  'Sides, you wouldn't be Derrelli without your fireballs!  No need to get all hot and bothered!"

      Derrelli grinned as Wu busied himself with calming his horse.  He felt the spell energy fade away as he let it go.  He glanced at Mirk. "Well?"

      "Kinda pointless to search the trolls for anything," yawned Mirk, fishing through his pack.  He pulled out his trail rations.  "After all, what treasure is a nuclear shadow gonna have?"

      Derrelli could only grin as Mirk popped a piece of dehydrated apple into his mouth.

            Aferiulliean, the great wyrm blue, leader of her pack, backwinged as she landed at the oasis.  Her wings put up a billowing cloud of sand, one that frightened off the birds.  She moved towards the water hole, and noticed a few nomadic humans turn, glance, and run for their lives.  She relaxed slightly, allowing her dragonfear aura to fade to its normal levels.  She stretched luxuriously, enjoying the desert heat.  She began to drink, when she felt another humanoid approaching.  She turned with a glare, fully preparing to unleash her devastating breath.  She stopped as she realized the weapon the being was carrying, knowing that her breath would have little to no effect on that damned sword and its wielder.  She backed a step, spreading her wings, unleashing the full force of her fear aura, hoping it would work.

      It didn't.  Aferiulliean spread her great wings and prepared herself for flight as the being pointed the blade at her, and a black beam lashed out, and then more pain than Aferiulliean had ever known coursed through her....

      The expanse of the town grew nearer.  Their little caravan had suffered a few more attacks by things that didn't know any better, with similar results each time.  Their journey on horseback would soon be at an end.  Derrelli moved alongside the Scouts.

      "That's our destination, a seaport town by name of Placid.  The red dragon I think she'll be after actually lives in a volcano out at sea.  Our next task will be to get a good night's sleep, and then hire us a ship to take us to the volcano.  More than likely, the dragon will find us.  He's something of a pirate," he said.

      "A pirate, huh?" asked Venus, squinting at the town.  The smell of the salt water was being blown in their face by the brisk coastal breezes.

      "How so?" asked Luna, stretching from her position behind Moon.

      "He's unusual for a red dragon.  You might say he's eccentric in his old age.  Most reds prefer mountainous areas with lots of prey for their lairs.  His domain is a few square miles of volcano, and a vast expanse of ocean.  He extorts every ship that passes in his territory, and he doesn't have to worry about food because a tribe of orcs lives on his volcano, and raises food for him.  He's something of a god to them," elaborated Derrelli.

      "Sounds dangerous for us to go there," said Moon.

      "It's better than the alternative," replied Derrelli.

      Moon couldn't argue with that.

      Zexyr moved towards the open lava pool in his lair.  It was a nice place to soak up the warmth.  The great wyrm red dragon yawned.  His senses told him one of the foolish orcs was bringing him an offering, and a visitor.  A visitor? he wondered.  Hopefully the visitor will taste good.  He preened himself, and moved over to the steam vent.  It always served to heighten his god-like presence when it moved around his huge frame.  He waited patiently.  Presently, the orc appeared, and began groveling.  He stepped through the steam, and drew up short, baring his teeth and preparing to launch a spell.  The visitor held the sword, the sword whose name was known to all dragons!  He roared and let his spell fly, only to see the being and sword disappear in a black flash.  The fireball incinerated the orc instantly, but Zexyr didn't care about that.  He turned as the being reappeared.

      "My, you're a feisty one, aren't you?" she called evilly, pointing the sword at him.  The black beam lanced out...

      Raye leaned back, relaxing.  The first thing they had done in Placid was hiring a ship, and then they had come to this inn.  It had been a challenge getting a ship, but they found an adventurous captain and were all set for tomorrow.  Well, except for no one knew where Derrelli had gone.  Well, she was sure things would be okay tomorrow.  As for right now... 

      She patted her full stomach.

      The food in this inn was good, and everyone had eaten a great deal of it.  She glanced over at Serena.  Some things still didn't change.  Serena was naturally still eating.  She blinked as someone strummed a sequence on a harp, then turned to look at the stage, where a woman in a colorful, yet revealing, outfit, had set up for a show.  Soon, her beautiful music had Raye tapping her feet.

      "She's a bard," someone said.  Raye glanced at Siko.  "Bards are great entertainers, but never underestimate them.  They pick up all sorts of tricks, including magic."

      "It's a pretty song," murmured Raye.  Siko nodded in agreement.

      Amy listened to the song, and relaxed.  She was by the window, by herself, with her computer out, screened by a book of Consis'.  She glanced out the window, at the sleepy, peaceful town, lulled by the gorgeous melody.  She blinked.  What is that? she wondered.  She looked around, and moved her computer to a scanning position at the window.  She blinked in shock.  She faintly heard the flapping of immense, leathery wings, then a sound like someone taking a deep breath.  Suddenly, the inn was doused in blackness.

      "Get down!" she shouted of her own accord, feeling a terror unlike any she had ever known rage through her.  Fortunately, she was able to resist, thanks to her Scout nature.

      The inn shook as though hit by a physical force, and then she heard the awful sound she remembered from her last trip here, a dragon exhaling its awful breath.

      The inn exploded.

      Choking fumes and falling debris trapped Amy in the corner.  Through the screams, and echoing explosions, she faintly heard transformation phrases being shouted.  She stood, dodging a falling, fiery ceiling rafter, and raised her hand.

      "MERCURY COSMIC POWER!" 

      Sailor Mercury moved with quickness, toggling her visor.  She was the last living thing in here, and the roof was about to collapse.  She turned and leapt out of the window as the final supports gave away.  She hit the ground and rolled, and felt someone help her to her feet. 

      It was Mars.  Tears streaked her face.  The inn had been on the edge of town, on the top of the hill leading into the city of Placid.  This afforded the Scouts and Omega a view of the entire town.  As they watched, the sky lit surreally by burning buildings, a huge blue shape dived on the seafront.  A humongous lightning bolt slammed full force from the dragon's mouth into the seafront, and explosions blossomed behind it as it climbed again.  A white shape dove towards the defenses that were even now coming online, and a blast of pure frost slammed into them, instantly freezing the defenders and smashing their equipment.  A black shape swooped, and a stream of acid ripped across the town, destroying innocent citizen's homes.  The ones who ran weren't much better off, as a green shape swooped and breathed, and a cloud of toxic green gas rose from the area where the running crowds were.  The screams of the dying innocents came faintly to their ears.

      "Chlorine gas?" she gasped weakly, reading her visor's scan.  The carnage was widespread, innocents dying by the thousands, and as the red shape swooped nearer, the Scouts had never felt more helpless in their lives.  Then the red shape flew into clear range, and Mercury's visor showed who was riding it. 

      "Marius!" she shouted.  "Marius is on the red!"

      "Damn her!" cried Moon through her tears.  She wiped them away, and her eyes widened as she realized the red was inhaling, and coming right at them.  In a few seconds time, a blast of deadly fire would be raging their way.  And then she realized something else.

      There was nowhere to run, dodge, or hide...

 Back to Top

Go Back to the Stories