Usagi sweated nervously. This was it. She had known it was only a matter of time and that her struggle was ultimately futile, but she had struggled all the same. But it was all for nothing. With one simple word, it was all over.
Ami smiled as she placed her queen next to Usagi’s king. “Check.”
“And mate, it seems,” observed Ryoku as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded.
“I’ve lost!” Usagi lamented as her king toppled over.
Makoto, Chibiusa and Luna sat on Usagi’s bed, the two girls applauding Ami’s victory. “Well done!” Makoto exclaimed, impressed.
Usagi picked up the chess book she had open beside her. “And I even did research, too,” she sighed as she handed the book back to Ryoku.
“Well, you can’t expect to become an advanced chess player within a few minutes,” he remarked as he took the book.
“But, I guess Ami-chan’s as good at chess as she is at schoolwork,” she said.
“Chess requires a calm mind and fine judgment,” Ami explained. “It’s a game for training the mind.”
“Calm mind, fine judgment,” Chibiusa repeated snidely as she slid next to Usagi. “Words that you’ll never be associated with, no matter what you do.”
Usagi grimaced irritably. “You are so uncute!” she grumbled.
“But Ami-chan, you’re amazing!” Chibiusa said, turning toward the blue-haired girl.
“She should be,” Ryoku replied with a half-smirk. “She’s the nation’s Junior Chess Champion.”
“I bet Ami-chan could probably be the all-Japan champion,” Makoto added.
“Oh, no,” Ami said as she put a hand to her face and blushed. “That’s foolish.”
“At any rate, let’s play like Ami-chan and be the champions of tomorrow!” Usagi cheered.
“I’ll pass,” Makoto said sheepishly. “I don’t have much of a calm mind.”
“I understand, Mako-chan,” Usagi nodded. “You’re even worse than me at this kind of thing.”
Makoto cringed. “You don’t have to say it like that….” Beside her, Ami giggled into her hand.
Luna sighed. That’s like the pot calling the kettle black.
Usagi glanced over at Ryoku, who was still leaning against the wall apart from the others. “What about you, Ryo-kun?”
“Hm?” he blinked as he looked up from his study of the chessboard. “Ah. That’s all right. I’m fine just being an amateur, thank you.”
“Hey, Usagi, you wanna play with me?” Chibiusa asked.
“Okay, but I won’t go easy on you,” Usagi agreed. “I’ll show you how hard it is!”
A short time later….
“Check!”
“Ah! Wait, wait!” Usagi flailed desperately as Makoto, Ami and Ryoku all sat on Usagi’s bed, sweatdropping. “I want a do-over!”
“No way!” Chibiusa refused. “Now you know how hard the game is.”
“Not bad, kiddo,” Ryoku remarked.
“Yes,” Ami agreed. “You’re very good, Chibiusa-chan!”
“Hey, Ami-chan,” Usagi said, glancing between Ami and Ryoku, “why don’t you and Ryo-kun play a game? I wanna see how good he is.”
Ami and Ryoku shared a look. “We could, but you’d probably get bored with all the waiting,” he told her. “Our games have been known to stretch for long periods of time.”
“Oh. Never mind, then,” she said.
Makoto stood up. “I’ve got to be going soon.”
Ami stood up as well. “Oh, I have something to do, too,” she added, glancing at her wristwatch.
“What?” Usagi asked. “Do you have cram school, Ami-chan?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m going to Chess Tower.”
“Chess Tower?” Usagi repeated, curiously.
“Oh, you look beautiful!”
“Really?”
Avery frowned at the crystal displaying Katsy as she assisted a customer in her cosmetics shop. “Shameful!”
“Thank you very much!”
Prisma scowled. “She’s a disgrace to the Ayakashi sisters.”
“Yes? May I help you find something?”
“But why?” Bertie asked. “Why did Katsy want to become a normal human?”
“Who knows what a traitor feels?” Avery spat.
“She’s not our sister anymore,” Prisma stated. “That traitor is removed from our family.”
“Our clan has no need for traitors,” Rubeus said.
“Foolish Katsy,” Bertie said as she turned back to the image of her younger sister smiling. Rubeus scowled fiercely, the crystal displaying Katsy cracking underneath the force of his gaze. As she watched, the image of her younger sister faded and disappeared.
“Well, we’ll think of how to deal with the traitor later,” he said as he turned away and walked over to the Crystal Tokyo display in the center of the room. “Here is the new Crystal Point,” he stated as a red light flashed on the display. The display’s image shifted to that of a rook-shaped building.
“Rubeus-sama, leave this to me!” Bertie stated as she stepped through one of the crystal mirrors.
“Bertie seems eager for success,” Prisma remarked.
“There is nothing wrong with that,” Avery said. “If all goes well, we’ll just join in and share the credit.”
Prisma grinned. “That’s true.”
“I will trust you to take care of the rest,” Rubeus told them.
“Yes!” both women said eagerly.
The glory will all be mine and mine alone, he thought with a smirk. In the end, you are all nothing but expendable pawns and I am the king. Just keep up the hard work until I have no further use for you.
In the end, Usagi, Makoto and Ryoku all decided to go with Ami to Chess Tower. The group stopped in front of the main building and took in their surroundings. Along the path from the sidewalk leading up to the entrance to Chess Tower, there were columns topped with statues shaped like different chess pieces, one side white and the opposite side black. The statues alternated colors so that one side was not predominately one color. The main building itself was shaped like a white rook.
“Hmm… this shape looks familiar,” Usagi remarked.
“It should,” Ryoku said dryly. “You were looking at it a few minutes ago.”
“It looks like a cake,” Makoto commented.
Ami laughed. “It’s not a cake. It’s a rook.”
Makoto gave her a confused look. “Rook?”
“Mako-chan, it’s a chess piece that’s shaped like a castle,” Usagi explained, grinning proudly.
“The owner of the castle is a huge fan of chess,” Ami told them.
“Oh,” Makoto said as she glanced back at the rook-shaped building.
“This Sunday, they are having the opening ceremony for this Chess Tower as well as holding a worldwide chess tournament.”
“I get it!” Makoto said, grinning. “You’re going to enter that tournament, right, Ami-chan?”
“Then, you’ll win for sure!” Usagi added.
“Oh, no. I just play chess for fun,” Ami said, blushing. “It doesn’t matter if I win.”
“But winning does matter.”
The group turned to see a young woman with frost-colored braided hair in a red and black checkered dress standing behind them. “A competition that you don’t intend to win is a waste of time, don’t you think?” she inquired. “If it’s not played to win, then it is just a match between children.”
“Who are you?” Usagi asked. The woman merely responded by laughing. “Anyway, even if you lose, if you did your best, then who cares?”
“That’s just an excuse for losers.”
Usagi, Makoto and Ryoku all scowled angrily at the woman.
“Ah, but perhaps your nice, friendly games of chess are nothing more than child’s play.”
“Now, look here–!” Usagi began, but cut off as Ryoku held up a hand.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” the woman said as she stepped past the group and entered the building. “I don’t have time to play with you.”
“What’s her problem?” Makoto muttered irritably.
“Creep!” Usagi spat as well, then turned to Ryoku. “Why didn’t you say anything, Ryo-kun?”
“She wasn’t worth the effort,” he replied. “Besides, that type of person will only listen to someone who proves they’re superior.” With that, he headed toward the building as well. As he entered the building, Ami just continued to stare after him, thinking over with the woman had said.
Some time later, Ami straightened, having finished filling out the last of the tournament entry form. Usagi and Makoto had already left for home after looking around the building, but Ryoku remained behind after filling out an entry form of his own.
“Ah, it’s you, Ami-kun!” an elderly man said as he approached the information desk. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yes,” she replied with a deep respectful bow. “Your building is wonderful.”
“Thank you,” the man replied proudly. “By the way, you’re entering the tournament, too, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Both Ryo-kun and I will be entering the tournament,” she said, glancing toward Ryoku.
Ryoku stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the elder man. “It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Kino Ryoku.”
The elderly man gave Ryoku an appraising look. “Ah. Is this your boyfriend, Ami-kun?” he asked with a playful grin.
Both Ami and Ryoku blushed. “Ah… um… y-yes,” Ami replied, completely embarrassed.
“Well, it’s good to meet you, Ryo-kun,” he said, then turned back to Ami. “Anyway, what do you say?” he asked as he nodded toward an empty chess table. “Since it’s been a while….”
Both Ami and Ryoku glanced toward the table and shared a grin. ”Sure,” she agreed with a smile.
Ryoku took a seat nearby as Ami and the elderly man sat at the chess table and set up their pieces.
“I remember playing chess often like this with your grandfather,” the elderly man said wistfully, several moves into the game.
“Yes,” she agreed as she moved a piece.
“Ami-kun… what’s different about you?” he said suddenly, as he gave her an appraising look.
“Eh?” she exclaimed, surprised at the sudden question.
“Before, it seemed you played to forget your loneliness,” he told her. “But not anymore.” He paused to move another piece. “Of course, it could just be that you’ve found yourself a nice young man, but it feels like there’s more than that. You seem somehow more….”
Ami blushed at the mention of her boyfriend. “I’ve also made some wonderful friends,” she said, moving another piece.
“I see,” he said, moving another piece. “I’m glad to hear that. Good friends are a treasure worth more than anything in the world.”
“Yes, I think so, too,” she agreed as she moved a piece, capturing one of her opponent’s pieces. “Check.”
Ryoku quietly applauded. “Congratulations, Ami-chan.”
The elderly man frowned. “Ami-kun…. This is only because I was distracted by talking, all right?”
Ryoku blinked. “You’re… not serious, are you?”
Ami laughed. “You haven’t changed at all.”
The elderly man laughed as well. “Well, well…. That smile is quite nice.”
Behind him, Ami spotted Bertie dashing past a hallway entrance, startling her. She glanced over to Ryoku, who nodded, indicating that he noticed her as well. “Um… the reception desk closes at six, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” the elderly man agreed. “The only ones left in the building should be you, me and your boyfriend.”
“Would you mind if Ryo-kun and I looked around the place for a little while?” she asked.
“Oh, not at all,” he said, grinning widely.
“Thank you very much,” she said as she stood up.
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Ryoku added as he stood up as well.
“Same here,” he replied. “Next time, we’ll have to have a match. I’d like to see how well you play.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Ryoku said as he followed Ami toward where they last saw Bertie.
Bertie opened the door leading to the main hall. The huge chamber was empty right now, but during the tournament, there would be hundreds of chess tables and hundreds of competitors filling the main hall.
“So, this is the center of the Crystal Point,” she observed as she stepped into center of the hall. She started gathering dark energy around her and raised a hand into the air. “Dark Water!”
Dark tendrils of water lashed out from Bertie’s outstretched hand, filling the room with dark energy.
“Stop it!”
Bertie paused and turned to see who had interrupted her. Standing at the open doorway were two familiar figures.
It’s that nice, friendly girl from before and her friend, she realized with a smile. “You’re very brave, little children,” she said. “But, going against me by yourselves isn’t very smart. Besides,” she added as she started gathering dark energy again, “I hate sweet little things like you. I’ll send you to Hell!” she shouted as she released a globe of dark energy directed toward Ami.
Ryoku quickly jumped in front of her as he drew his Star Sword and deflected the dark sphere. “Who’re you calling a ‘sweet little thing?’” he remarked as he held his blade in a defensive stance.
“Oh?” Bertie said with a smirk as she raised both hands toward him. “Well, perhaps I should try harder, then?” she said as she released two larger spheres of dark energy, one for each of them.
“Look out!” Ryoku shouted as he tried to block both shots. However, the first shot was twice as strong as the last one and overpowered his defenses, knocking him down to the ground in front of Ami. The second ball of energy struck Ami before she could leap out of the way, or even call out her boyfriend’s name to see if he was all right. Ami was knocked to the ground a short distance away as well.
“Oh, did that hurt?” Bertie asked as Ami and Ryoku struggled to stand up. “I’m sorry. Don’t worry; I’ll end your pain with the next blow.”
“That’s what you think,” Ryoku growled as the blade from his Star Sword retracted, returning to its transformation wand state.
“Mercury…,” Ami gasped as she brought out her transformation wand as well.
Bertie blinked as the two children in front of her stood up and raised similar-looking wands into the air.
“Mercury star power, make up!”
“Knight star sword power!”
The frost-haired woman stepped back in surprise at watching Ami and Ryoku transform. “My, what a surprise! So, you’re Sailor Mercury and Sailor Knight. Now, I’ll have some nice souvenirs to take back to Rubeus-sama.” She raised her hands again and fired another pair of dark energy globes.
“Shine aqua illusion!”
“Avalanche barrage!”
Mercury and Knight both released their own attacks. Knight’s attack counted Bertie’s dark spheres, while Mercury’s attack cancelled out the effects of her previous Dark Water attack. Once the attack was wiped out, the dark tendrils of water quickly disappeared, restoring the hall to normal.
Bertie folded her arms across her chest irritably and frowned. “How dare you interfere with my work!” She raised her hands again.
“Sparkling wide pressure!”
Jupiter’s lightning ball attack caught the frost-haired woman off guard as it struck one of her hands hard enough to make it bleed.
“Ouch!” she yelped as she gingerly cradled her hand with her other arm. “That hurt!” she yelled as Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon appeared behind Mercury and Knight. “You’re terrible! Four against one is playing dirty! I’m against violence!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Knight shouted irritably. “You just tried to kill us a minute ago!”
“You’ve got nerve, talking about fair!” Jupiter added. “You want me to fire off another one at you?”
“I’m mad now!” Bertie shouted back. “I’ll pay you back for this!” With that, she vanished.
“This is not good,” Knight said worriedly.
“What do you mean?” Sailor Moon asked.
Mercury and Knight exchanged worried glances. “Our identities have been discovered,” he told them with a faint grimace.
“Eh?!?” Sailor Moon and Jupiter exclaimed.
“We had to transform right in front of Bertie,” Mercury added as she bowed her head apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
Knight bowed his head slightly as well. “Yeah, me, too.”
“If Bertie is after Chess Tower, she’s sure to show up again,” Jupiter said.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Sailor Moon said, waving a hand dismissively. “We’ll sort it out.”
Knight placed a reassuring hand on Mercury’s shoulder and nodded. She smiled back and him and turned back to the others. “Thank you,” she said, smiling gratefully.
Back in the chamber of mirrors, Bertie sat examining the hand Jupiter’s attack had struck. Fortunately, it wasn’t as heavily damaged as she thought it had been. However….
“It’s going to leave a scar,” she sighed, her lips turning down into a tight frown. “My perfect skin is going to be scarred.”
“Oh! You’re bleeding,” Prisma noted as she partially emerged from the mirror next to her.
“No way!” Avery exclaimed as she partially emerged as well. “Oh, it’s true,” she said, noticing the injury.
“Oh, oneesama!” Bertie said, turning to them with a reassuring smile. “That’s–”
“Oh, how awful,” Prisma continued as she and Avery emerged fully from the mirror and took a closer look at Bertie’s hand.
“It’s bleeding,” Avery reaffirmed.
“Don’t tell me you failed,” Prisma remarked with a teasing smirk.
Bertie flinched. “O-of course not!”
“That’s right!” Avery agreed with a spiteful grin. “If you failed after volunteering for the mission, you couldn’t just come crawling back here like nothing happened.”
“If it were me, I would die of shame,” Prisma added, her smirk mirroring Avery’s.
“Oh, no! Of course not!” Bertie insisted, trying her best to reassure her sisters. “I wouldn’t let down my elder sisters! I won’t be needing your help.”
“I’m relieved to hear that,” Prisma said, putting her hands on her hips.
“One fool like Katsy is more than enough,” Avery added, folding her arms underneath her breasts, and laughed. Prisma and Bertie laughed as well, but Bertie’s was strained and died quickly as her mind continued to dwell on her younger sister.
The next day, Bertie returned to the area where she had met her two foes. A light fog had rolled in earlier, but there was still enough light to see by. Her right hand slowly stroked the braid that fell over her right shoulder as she stared out over the railing toward where Chess Tower could be seen if the fog weren’t there.
Ami and Ryoku.… No, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Knight. Let’s meet at the chess tournament. It will be fun.
With a soft laugh, she headed toward Chess Tower as a cold wind began to blow.
Once inside Chess Tower, she walked over to the reception desk and smiled at the receptionist. “I’m here for the chess tournament.”
“All right,” the receptionist replied. “What is your name, please?”
“Let’s see…. What should I do?” Bertie said partly to herself.
The receptionist blinked in confusion. “Eh?”
“I don’t seem to have one,” she said as she stared into the receptionist’s eyes, hypnotizing her. After a few moments, the receptionist’s eyes glazed over.
“This way, please,” she said in a dull monotone as she gestured toward the indicated direction.
“Thank you,” Bertie said as she left, heading toward the main hall.
The main hall was filled with chess tables and competitors, each one deep in concentration as the many games went on. In another room, spectators watched in a theater-like setting where a wide screen displayed three different screens at the same time. On the left, a photo representing each of the chess players. In the middle, the seating arrangements showing which player was currently playing which. On the right, a screen showing one of the games in progress.
In the beginning, there were over a hundred tables and games playing, but as the tournament progressed and players were defeated, unneeded tables were removed. Currently, there were only sixteen tables left and thirty-two players. Among them were Ami, Ryoku and Bertie, each playing at a separate corner of the hall.
“My heart’s pounding!” Usagi exclaimed as she, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Katsy and Luna all watched the tournament progress.
“Yeah!” Rei agreed.
Suddenly, a photo of one of the competitors disappeared from the left screen and Ami’s photo widened to take over the space.
“Oh! She won another one!” Makoto observed excitedly.
On the other side of the left screen, another photo disappeared and Ryoku’s photo widened.
“Ryo-kun, too!” Rei remarked, just as excited.
“Won’t it be great if Ami-san wins?” Katsy said to Minako.
“Yeah, but it’d be great if Ryo-kun won, too,” she replied.
“Oh?” she remarked slyly. “So, you’re rooting for Ryoku-san to win?”
Minako blushed slightly as she coughed into her hand. “I’m rooting for them both.”
“But they can’t both win,” she continued teasingly. “So, who do you think would win?”
“I’m betting on Ryo-chan,” Makoto said proudly. “Ami-chan’s good, but Ryo-chan’s an expert at strategy.”
“Ah, you’re just saying that because he’s your brother,” Rei countered. “I think Ami-chan will win. She’s smarter than him, after all.”
“Same here,” Katsy agreed. “I think Ami-san will win.”
“Well, I think Ryo-kun will win,” Minako stated.
“Why’s that?” Rei asked.
“Well…,” she dithered, trying to think of a reason. “Because… I just think he will!”
Everyone facefaulted.
“That’s not really a reason,” Makoto remarked.
“What about you, Usagi-san?” Katsy inquired.
“Well… I don’t know,” she replied. “So that means, I’m going to cheer them both on!”
Everyone facefaulted again.
She quickly whipped out a pair of fans and started waving them around. “Hooray! Hooray! Ami-chan! Go for it! Go for it! Ryo-kun!”
Rei stormed over to Usagi and snatched the fans out of her hands. “Usagi!”
“You girls…,” an elderly man said from the row in front of them as he turned back to regard them.
“Oh, I’m sorry for the disturbance,” Makoto said, bowing politely.
“No, no,” he replied. “That is, are you all Ami-kun’s friends?”
“Yes!” all five replied at the same time.
“I see,” he said with a smile. “So, you girls are the wonderful friends she mentioned.”
“Who are you, sir?” Usagi asked.
“Just the eccentric old man who built this Chess Tower,” he replied.
“Oh, you’re the owner!”
“That’s right,” he nodded.
“Excuse me, but do you think Ami-chan has a chance of winning?” Minako asked.
“She has two strong rivals,” he stated as he turned back toward the screen. “Aside from her boyfriend, there is one other that she has to look out for.” Another player’s photo disappeared and Bertie’s photo stretched to take up the space. “There. She won another match. This girl is good.”
Katsy stared at the photo of Bertie. That’s Bertie-oneesama.… What is she doing participating in this tournament?
Another photo disappeared, leaving Ami to take her place. “All right!” Minako cheered.
“Ami-chan sure is good!” Makoto said.
“I bet she’ll win this match, too!” Usagi added.
An additional photo disappeared and Ryoku’s photo took his place as well.
“Looks like Ryo-kun’s won another one,” Rei said.
“All right, Ryo-chan!” Makoto cheered.
“I just know he’ll win this next match easily,” Minako added.
Another photo vanished, leaving Bertie’s photo to take up the remaining space.
“Oh, that girl won again,” Minako observed.
“She’s really good, just like the owner said,” Usagi remarked.
Katsy watched the screen apprehensively as photo after photo vanished. On the right side, Ryoku’s photo was the last one remaining, marking him as a finalist. On the left side, both Ami and Bertie won their matches, bringing them to the semi-finals.
“Ryo-chan’s won his semi-finals match,” Makoto said as she gazed with concern at the left side of the screen.
“All that’s left is for Ami-chan to win her match,” Minako added with similar concern.
“And her opponent is that girl, just as expected,” Makoto finished as the screen on the right displayed the remaining chess table, showing Bertie and Ami taking their places at the table.
“Let’s have a fun game of chess,” Ami said as she extended her hand toward her opponent. Bertie smirked as she extended her own hand and took Ami’s.
Ami’s eyes widened in surprise momentarily at the chilling sensation she felt as she took Bertie’s hand. Her hand is so cold!
I’ll beat you, then I’ll beat your friend and fill this place with Dark Power. I can’t wait. Her smirk changed into a warm smile as she lifted her purse. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to use these for our match,” she said as she opened her purse, dumping out several sparkling black and white chess pieces.
Ami stared at the pieces. “They’re beautiful.”
“They aren’t just beautiful.”
Ami blinked, bewildered. “Eh?”
Bertie merely laughed softly to herself in response.
Back in the spectators’ area, Katsy watched the match in concern. Bertie-oneesama.…
The elderly man flinched as Bertie captured another one of Ami’s pieces. “She’s good.”
“Ah! Ami-chan’s pieces…,” Makoto said as another piece was taken off the board.
“Ami-chan…,” Usagi said worriedly.
Inside the hall, Ryoku stood off to the side, waiting for the end of the match. His face was an emotionless mask as Bertie continued on the offensive, capturing yet another piece. Don’t worry, Ami-chan. I know you’re not out of this match yet. I’m waiting for you at the finals, so don’t lose to her!
Ami stared at the chessboard, her expression blank as she considered the pieces in front of her.
“Come now, what’s the matter?” Bertie asked as she grinned triumphantly. “It’s your move.”
Suddenly, Ami’s head came up in realization. That’s it! she thought as she reached for her queen and took her opponent’s bishop.
Out in the spectators’ area, the girls cheered. “Yay! Their positions are reversed now!” Usagi shouted excitedly.
Bertie’s expression grew dark as she found herself on the defensive. However, her moves now were very limited.
“Check,” Ami stated as she moved her queen close to her opponent’s king.
“She did it!” Makoto shouted.
“Not yet,” Bertie sneered as dark energy began to gather around her. “The match isn’t settled yet.”
“Eh?” Ami said, noticing the change in her opponent.
“What?” Ryoku said, noticing the change as well, and leaped to his feet.
“The real competition has only just begun, Sailor Mercury.”
Ami gasped and jumped out of her chair just as Ryoku rushed to her side.
“Playtime is over!” Bertie said angrily as she stood up as well. The whirring sound of the camera zooming in caught her attention long enough for her to raise a hand toward it. “Quiet!” she shouted as she released a blast of Dark Water at it, encasing the camera in a solid block of ice.
Back in the spectators’ area, the three screens all fizzled out as the connection between the room and the main hall went dead. “What? What happened to the picture?” the elderly man inquired as the lights also began to go out.
“Wait!” Rei said as the elderly man began to get up. “We’ll see what’s going on!” With that, the four Sailor Scouts in civilian clothes all started to leave the room.
“Stay right here!” Minako told Katsy as she left.
Outside the spectators’ room, the four girls brought out their transformation items and raised them overhead.
“Moon crystal power–”
“Mars star power–”
“Jupiter star power–”
“Venus star power–”
“–make up!”
Now transformed, the four Sailor Scouts rushed toward the main hall.
Inside the main hall, Ami and Ryoku had already transformed into their Sailor Scout identities. Bertie dropped her disguise as well and had already started unleashing her Dark Water’s power into the main hall. The walls, floor and ceiling were all covered in a thin layer of ice, while here and there, icicles formed along the walls where they met the ceiling.
“Hold it!”
Behind them, the doors to the main hall’s entrance burst open as the four remaining Sailor Scouts rushed into the room.
“You’re one million, fifty thousand years too young to challenge Ami-chan at chess!” Sailor Moon stated. “For someone who doesn’t who her own place, on behalf of the Moon, I’ll punish you!”
Bertie merely smirked. “Fool.”
Suddenly, a huge bubble of dark energy surrounded the four Sailor Scouts and rose into the air above them. “Sailor Moon! Everyone!” Mercury shouted as she watched them float overhead.
“’Those born stupid, die stupid,’ as they say,” Bertie quoted with a laugh. “Sailor Mercury, I challenge you to a match,” she said, holding up her black queen. “If you don’t play the game you’re so proud of….”
Frost began to appear at the bottom of the black bubble. “No way!” Sailor Moon whined as Jupiter stomped her feet, trying to break through the bubble’s skin. “It’s cold!”
“It’s no good!” Mars said.
“What’ll we do?” Venus asked.
“I wouldn’t try it,” Bertie said as Knight brought out his Star Sword. “It won’t pop so easily. Besides…,” her smirk grew darker as the frost on the dark bubble climbed higher, “Sailor Mercury isn’t the only one I want to challenge.” The frost stopped climbing. “So? Feel like playing now?”
“All right,” Mercury agreed.
“Very well,” Knight also agreed.
“Ah, very smart,” she smiled. “I’ll even let you both play as a team. However, since the both of you are very smart, I’ll have to give you both a handicap.” She raised a hand over the chessboard, causing several pieces to disappear off the board. Bertie was left with her king, a rook and four pawns, while Mercury and Knight were left with only a king and three pawns.
“That’s terrible!” Mercury complained as she sat down at the table. Knight stood beside her on her right, his left hand resting on the back of the chair.
“You call this a handicap?” Knight shouted angrily. “You’ve left us with practically nothing!”
“You’d better hurry up and move,” Bertie suggested. “Or else, I’ll put you in check.”
“Fine,” Knight grumbled. “Mercury, you take the first move, then I’ll go. We’ll alternate after that.”
“All right,” she agreed and moved a pawn.
“It’s no use,” Bertie taunted as she moved her own pawn, capturing their pawn.
“What?” Knight gasped as he felt something cold grip his legs. As he looked down, he saw that both his legs and Mercury’s legs were completely encased in a single large block of ice.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Bertie mentioned, “when you play with my special pieces and lose a piece, your bodies become frozen.”
“Mercury! Knight!” Jupiter called out to them.
“Hang in there!” Venus shouted.
“Don’t lose!” Sailor Moon shouted.
“Believe in your own strength!” Mars shouted encouragingly.
“If you forfeit, I will let you and you alone live,” Bertie added.
Both Mercury’s and Knight’s expressions hardened. “Let’s continue,” Mercury stated boldly.
“You haven’t won yet,” Knight added as he advanced a pawn.
“You really are a pair of fools, aren’t you?” she laughed as she captured their pawn. As a result, their upper bodies became encased in ice, leaving only their arms and heads unfrozen.
“Mercury, Knight, that’s enough!” Sailor Moon shouted, pounding on the wall of the dark bubble.
“Run, Mercury, Knight!” Jupiter yelled, also pounding on the bubble.
“All right, since it’s come to this…,” Mars said as she stepped back. “Burning mandala!”
The rings of fire struck the hard wall of the dark bubble and ricocheted off in different random directions. The Scouts all dove to the floor, trying to escape the wild attack.
“Mars, you idiot!” Sailor Moon yelled.
“S-sorry!” Mars said apologetically.
Ignoring the commotion above, Bertie smirked triumphantly as she moved another piece. “Check.”
Mercury’s expression turned grim and she made another move.
“Honestly, you should stop this,” she suggested. “Are you going to give your lives for others? That would be stupid.”
“You’re wrong,” Mercury said, her voice weak from the cold.
Bertie gave her a bewildered look. “Eh?”
“They are not ‘others,’” Knight said, his voice growing weak as well as he made his move.
“They are our friends!” Mercury finished.
Bertie stood up from her chair. “Friends?” she repeated, perplexed at the word.
“Even if it costs us our lives, they’re our precious friends,” she told her.
“We will protect our friends, whatever the cost,” Knight added firmly.
The frost-haired woman snorted derisively as she sat down again. “Stop trying to buy time,” she said coldly.
“Well done, Bertie,” Avery said as she and Prisma suddenly appeared behind her. Bertie’s expression became one of surprise at the unexpected intrusion.
“All three of us will work together to finish them off,” Prisma added.
Bertie sighed in exasperation. “Honestly, you two have some nerve! I can do this myself.”
“Oh, but the three of us make up the three Ayakashi Sisters,” Avery replied.
“That’s right,” Prisma said. “We should share the credit.”
Bertie grimaced, but made her finishing move anyway. “Check–”
The queen was knocked out of Bertie’s hand as a rose struck the chess piece and embedded itself into the floor.
The frost-haired woman stood up and turned a cold smile toward Tuxedo Kamen as she favored her left hand, which the rose also struck. “It’s you again, is it?”
“Check!” he shouted as the black queen shattered into small pieces. The ice that was holding Mercury’s and Knight’s bodies disappeared, along with the dark bubble. The four trapped Scouts all fell to the floor, but only Sailor Moon missed landing on her feet.
“Ouch!” she yelped, rubbing her behind gingerly.
“If you do not understand what it feels like to be a pawn, you have no right to handle a queen,” Tuxedo Kamen stated. “Farewell.” With that, he gathered his cape around himself and leaped away.
Bertie whirled around to her elder sisters. “Oneesama!”
“This is your plan, Bertie,” Prisma said, backing away slightly.
“That’s right,” Avery agreed. “This mess is your problem. As befits a member of our clan, you will pay for your failure with your life. We expect you to do the right thing.” With that, the two sisters teleported away, leaving Bertie behind.
For a moment, Bertie hung her head in despair. However, a second later, she let out a quiet laugh. “See?” she said as she turned to face the Sailor Scouts with a smile. “In the end, this is what you get, even from sisters related by blood. It’s just like I said, there’s no use fighting for the sake of others.”
Her smile became more and more forced as she saw all of the Sailor Scouts giving her sympathetic looks. “What’s the matter?” she asked. “You look so somber. Come on, laugh. Even I think it’s laughable that I held out hope until the very end, and that I could rely on my sisters. It’s so laughable….” She trailed off as tears began to run down her cheeks. “Laugh, damn it!!!” she screamed and started gathering dark energy around her. “Dark Water, Full Power! I’ll take all of you with me!”
The massive burst of dark energy from Bertie quickly covered the entire room in thick layers of ice. Strong gusts of wind battered against the Scouts, as if they were caught in a tremendous blizzard.
“Ultimately, people are alone both when they’re born and when they die,” she said as her body slowly encased itself in ice. “Love…. Love, of all things! There’s no such thing!”
Katsy suddenly ran into the room, struggling against the fierce winds pushing her away. “Stop it, Bertie-oneesama!”
“Katsy!” she spat bitterly. “So, you’ve come to laugh at me, too?”
“Oneesama…,” Katsy said as shards of ice slashed across her face and clothes, ripping into skin and fabric alike. “Oneesama, you are not alone!”
“A traitor like you could never understand what I’m feeling!” she screamed desperately.
“No, oneesama,” she said gently as she continued to come closer. “I understand exactly how you feel, Oneesama! The loneliness in your heart–”
“Shut up!” Bertie screamed again as a huge block of ice slammed into Katsy, knocking her to the ground.
“Katsy!” all of the Sailor Scouts called out as they gathered around her worriedly. She pushed them away with a firm sweep of her arm.
“Oneesama, please listen,” she pleaded as she tried to stand up again. “Humans have–” Katsy almost stumbled, but managed to stay on her feet. “Humans have the capacity for incredibly deep love. Oneesama!”
The wild, furious wind died down as Bertie stared in astonishment at her younger sister. “Katsy…,” she murmured as the ice that had almost encased her entire body melted away. “Will I also be able to see that love?” she asked, her expression softening.
In reply, Katsy ran up to her sister and enveloped her in a warm hug. “Oneesama!”
“Katsy, don’t cry,” she said gently. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I’m just happy.”
“Katsy… I’m so sorry.”
“I love you, Oneesama.”
As the two sisters embraced, the ice that had covered the entire hall rapidly melted away, restoring the large chambers to its normal state. Katsy looked up to her elder sister with a pleading look. Bertie, sensing what she wanted to ask, merely nodded in response, then looked to Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon seemed to understand what the elder sister wanted and held her transformation brooch over her head. “Moon crystal power!” she shouted, letting the Silver Crystal’s power envelope Bertie, washing away the dark energy inside of her.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Mercury asked Katsy as the younger sister watched her elder sister undergo the same purification she went through.
“Yes,” Katsy said, smiling. “Thank you.”
“You hung in there well,” Jupiter remarked, nodding appreciatively.
After the incident resolved itself, the chess tournament went into its final match. Since Ami defeated Bertie before the camera was ruined, she was the one to face Ryoku in the final match. Since the main hall camera wasn’t working anymore, the final match was held with all of the spectators watching from inside the main hall. With all the other chess tables gone, there was now enough room for everyone to watch. Beside the chess table, a larger sideways chess table with magnetic chess piece icons was brought in to show the spectators where the chess pieces on the smaller board lay.
“I knew you’d win, Ami-chan,” Ryoku said as he extended his hand toward her. “Ready?”
“Yes,” she nodded and smiled as she took his hand in hers. “Just make sure you play your best. Don’t hold back on me.”
“Same to you,” he replied with a half-grin.
As the game went underway, the off-duty Sailor Scouts, Luna, Katsy and Bertie all watched silently. The action of the game seemed to follow in waves; first there was a rapid exchange of moves, then the two seemed to go slowly, as if trying to examine possible strategies and game plans. After that, the cycle would repeat its alternating tempo of fast and slow and the two opponents maneuvered their pieces on the board, capturing pieces left and right.
“Who do you think is going to win?” Usagi asked the elderly man who was also the owner of Chess Tower.
“I can’t really tell,” he said, watching the match intently. “They’re both very good.
“Wait!” he said as Ami suddenly captured Ryoku’s queen. “What an excellent move! Ami-kun’s got the advantage now.”
Ryoku grimaced for a moment, then made his move. Two moves later, Ryoku captured Ami’s queen.
“Did you see that?” Makoto said excitedly. “It’s evened out again!”
Everyone went quiet again as the two opponents continued the match. The number of pieces on both sides dwindled until Ami was left with her king, a bishop, a knight and three pawns, while Ryoku was left with his king, a rook, a knight and three pawns.
Ryoku looked down at the board and frowned. The situation was bad. Judging from the positions of the pieces on the board, there was no way he could win. However, knowing something of Ami’s chess strategies from their many previous matches together, there wasn’t any way Ami could win unless he made a mistake.
A stalemate. It wasn’t the first time one of their matches ended in a draw, but considering where they were, a draw would be a very anticlimactic ending to a series of amazing chess matches. He looked up at Ami and saw her watching him with a concerned look on her face. Did she see the same thing he saw? Well, if she did, then she would understand his next move.
Ryoku reached for his king and started to tip it over. Before the king could touch the board, Ami reached out and caught his hand and chess piece in hers.
“Don’t do it, Ryo-kun,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to win just because you gave up. We have to play this to the end, even if no one wins.”
He gave her a considering look for a moment, then sighed as he nodded. “As you wish, Ami-chan,” he relented. As Ami removed her hand, Ryoku stood his king back up and made his next move.
“What just happened?” Minako asked.
“It looked like he was about to resign, but Ami-kun talked him out of it,” the elderly man explained.
“Resign?” Usagi asked, confused.
“If a chess player tips his or her king onto its side, its an indication that the player has resigned, or given up.”
“But why would Ryo-kun just give up?” Minako asked. “That doesn’t sound like him.”
“You’ll see why in just a moment,” the elderly man explained. The two chess players made their remaining moves rapidly, as if both players were following a script, each player knowing their next move immediately after the other player made theirs.
“Six turns,” Ryoku said, looking at Ami with a half-smirk as he made his move.
“Five turns,” Ami replied, her smirk mirroring his as she made her own move.
“Four turns.”
“Three turns.”
“Two turns.”
“One turn.”
“And that’s it,” Ryoku said, making the final move. “Stalemate.”
“Huh?” Usagi blinked, staring at the board in confusion. “What just happened?”
“A stalemate,” the elderly man explained as Ami and Ryoku stood up and shook hands.
“A stale what?” Makoto asked, confused.
“Stalemate. It means a draw,” he explained. “Neither player can make a legal move, but neither player is in check.”
“So, who wins now?” Usagi asked.
“Well…,” the man said, thinking it over, “I suppose they can both win. I can always have another trophy made up, anyway.”
Everyone promptly sweatdropped.
The next day, Ami, Ryoku, Katsy and Bertie all went over to Usagi’s house to play chess. Katsy and Bertie were currently playing as Usagi, Ami, Ryoku and Luna all watched. Katsy seemed to be deep in thought over her next move, while Usagi, Ami and Ryoku all shared a grin at watching the two sisters enjoy themselves like normal humans.
“Oneesama, could you please take back that last move?” Katsy pleaded. Usagi, Ami, Ryoku and Luna all promptly sweatdropped.
“No way!” Bertie refused, holding up a hand. “We may be sisters, but there are no do-overs.” As she finished speaking, a chess piece dropped from inside her shirt.
“No fair!” Katsy exclaimed. “You’re cheating!”
“I could see that kind of cheating in cards, but how does that work in chess?” Ryoku remarked as Bertie hung her head contritely.
“Now, now,” Bertie said placatingly. “Don’t be such a stickler for the rules.”
“That’s not fair!” Katsy stood up and lunged toward her elder sister in a tackling hug while the two sisters fell to laughing. Oneesama, I love you.
To Chapter 68: Sibling Rivalry