Author's Note: If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, don't hesitate to contact me at treetop@voicenet.com. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. All references to Vulcan are the province of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
Across The Millennia
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Part Three: The Elements Of Doom
Rating: PG-13
The air was charged with tension as the girls and the familiars stared intently at Talia who stood only ten feet away from them.
The emotions the girls felt at seeing the stone faced, ebon haired newcomer were many. For Mina, it was unease. For Amy, wariness. For Raye, suspicion. And for Lita, anger. Luna and Artemis were concerned, not knowing how to deal with an unknown. As for Serena, she was openly frightened for Talia because she knew that violence was only moments away as the overprotective Lita was the type who punched first and asked questions later.
"Kirk!" growled Lita, her fists clenched as she glared at Talia. "You've got some nerve coming here after what you did to Serena! How'd you find us?"
"I never had to search for you," Talia replied. "I overheard you and Amy talking about me in the library earlier this afternoon. The two of you discussed a meeting with Serena. I simply followed you here. As for what happened to Serena, she was the unfortunate victim of a....small accident."
"A small accident? From what I've heard, it was lots worse than that!" snapped Raye, her own anger quickly soaring. "What do you want?"
"To talk to Serena."
"About what?"
"That is a private affair between her and me."
"In other words, it's none of our business," said Mina.
"Precisely."
"That does it!" growled Lita. "C'mon, Raye! Let's take out the trash!"
"I'm with you!" said Raye.
Talia, unfazed by the approaching Lita and Raye calmly stared them down. "I strongly advise against your intended course of action."
"Oh, yeah? And why's that?" Raye wanted to know.
Her face still impassive, Talia said in a flat tone: "Because I can defeat you. Both of you. Painfully."
Lita's lips curled into a fierce, shark-like grin. "Where I come from, honeybunch, them's fightin' words! Show us what you've got!"
"STOP!" Serena suddenly yelled, stepping between the girls and Talia. "Please, stop! There's no need to fight!"
"Are you nuts? After what this witch did to you?" Raye snapped back at Serena. "Darn it, Serena! She hurt you!"
"No she didn't, Raye! Like Talia said, it was an accident!" argued Serena. "Talia would never hurt me! Not in a million years!"
"How would you know that?" a curious Luna asked.
There was a pregnant pause as Serena fought to bring the words up from out of her throat, knowing full well what the impact would be for one of the girls. Yet, Serena, feeling the eyes of everyone on her had no choice. She had to reveal the truth, no matter how much pain it would bring.
In a soft voice, Serena said: "Because, Talia is....my best friend."
The Moon: A thousand years ago....
"Your Majesty, I present to you, Ambassador T'Lar from the planet Vulcan," said Princess Mercury after bowing to the Queen. She then took her place next to the brunette.
Queen Serenity smiled. "Ambassador T'Lar. On behalf of the Milky Way system, welcome to the Moon Kingdom."
T'Lar bowed graciously. The ambassador then held up her right hand, her fingers forming a V. "On behalf of Vulcan, we are honored to be in your presence, Queen Serenity." she motioned to the others. "May I introduce to you, my assistants, and my daughter, T'alya."
T'alya bowed. "It is a pleasure to greet you, Madam."
Serenity's smile widened and she chuckled. "Please, enough bowing. You're my guests. You've met Mercury, a member of my royal guard along with Venus and Jupiter to my right, and Mars to my left, all representatives of their home planets in this solar system. Along with the royal familiars and advisors, Luna and Artemis, this is my daughter, and the successor to my throne, Princess Serena."
"Greetings, Ambassador. Welcome to the Moon," said Serena. She then focused on T'alya and gave her a wide smile. "Hello, T'alya. I'm so very happy to meet you at last."
"The feeling is mutual, Princess," T'alya replied simply. She found herself captivated by the blond girl's dazzling smile.
"Ambassador, I can't tell you how happy I was to have heard that Vulcan wishes to enter into diplomatic relations with our people," said Serenity. "To have discovered other races and civilizations beyond our own galaxy was extremely exciting for us. We have read and learned much about your world from the documentary holograms you were kind enough to have provided us. Through our frequent communications, I feel as though I've known you all my life. I sincerely hope the two of us can become good friends."
"That would be most agreeable, your Majesty," T'Lar replied. "I find the idea of establishing a relationship with you to be intriguing. As Vulcan's official representative to this system, I would become a permanent fixture here. A personal association with you would only enrich the overall experience."
"Wonderful. I'm certainly looking forward to that. After we get your party settled in, we can hobnob with the guests, then talk shop regarding the alliance," said Serenity. "But, there's no need to bore our girls with all that. Why don't we let them loose so they could get to know one another. I suspect Serena and T'alya will be spending a great deal of time together."
Serena smiled broadly at the Vulcan girl. "I'd enjoy that, mother. I like T'alya a lot already. She's very pretty."
T'alya arched an eyebrow from curiosity. Never before had anyone expressed feelings of fondness towards her. Yet, this girl, with her easy smile and huge, sparkling eyes had, in only a few scant minutes, developed an emotional attachment to her. She even complemented T'alya on her appearance, something she rarely, if ever thought about. Fascinating, T'alya thought. This sensation, this....warmth in my chest when Serena smiles at me, it is so....pleasing.
"If that was meant as a compliment, Princess, then I accept it. Thank you," she said.
Serena's smile widened. "You're welcome."
T'Lar nodded. While she preferred T'alya remain with her to learn how the diplomatic process worked, it was not her place to refuse the Queen's request. T'Lar decided she would give her daughter a full review later in the evening. "An excellent idea, your Majesty. Enjoy yourself, daughter."
T'alya bowed slightly. "I will endeavor to do so, mother."
With a spontaneous giggle, Serena rose from her chair and walked up to T'alya. Acting now like a schoolgirl just released from the drudgery of classes instead of royalty, Serena linked her arm with T'alya's and pulled her along. "C'mon! I'll show you around. You'll love it here."
"I'm sure I will, Princess," said T'alya. For reasons she couldn't quite fathom, she found the notion of being with Serena....entertaining. As the girls left the throne room, a deep scowl briefly crossed Princess Mars' face, her dark, stormy eyes glared hatefully at the Vulcan teenager.
Tokyo Central Park, present day:
Raye's eyes widened and her mouth fell open after hearing what Serena had said. She felt her head spin and her chest tighten to where it began to hurt.
"Your....best....friend?" she said. The implication staggered Raye. The others saw an expression of deep, raw pain in Raye's eyes, as if her entire world had just come crashing down. Everyone knew Raye loved Serena like a sister, but for reasons known only to her, she refused to publicly admit those feelings. Even to herself. But the look quickly vanished as anger replaced sorrow. "What the hell is going on here? You only just met the girl today!"
"It's like I said, Raye, Talia was with us on the Moon," Serena explained. "She came from another world with her mother who was an ambassador to open diplomatic relations between her planet and the Moon Kingdom. Talia and I became close friends."
Serena's words were met by blank stares and silence, frustrating her. "C'mon, guys! Don't look at me like I'm crazy! I'm telling the truth!" she cried. "Amy! You escorted Talia and her mother to the throne room after their ship arrived! I almost went with you! I can't believe you don't remember her!"
Amy shook her head. "Believe me, Serena, I wish I could recall this event you spoke about. But I can't. I'm sorry."
"Sere, are you sure you didn't imagine all this?" Mina asked.
"Darn it, Mina! I didn't imagine it! I didn't dream it! It happened!" Serena yelled, almost in tears. She turned to Talia, her face still impassive. "Tal! Don't just stand there! For God's sake! Say something! Please!"
Talia's face tightened into a scowl. It bothered her considerably that what she hoped would be a simple meeting with her old friend had become a full-blown mystery. And Talia had no patience for mysteries.
"Calm yourself Serena. Unfortunately, I too am at a loss to understand the complexity of this situation," she said. Restoring her stoic mask, Talia faced the others. "It is extremely puzzling that the four of you----six, counting the felines, and yes, I know you talk----do not remember me when I clearly recall who you are: the Royal Guard of Queen Serenity's daughter."
Talia's pronouncement left everyone gasping. "How do you know that?" Luna demanded.
"As Serena said, because I was there. I am what you might refer to in your vernacular as an extraterrestrial. The Queen, Serena, and you, the Guard received my mother and I when we arrived on the Moon a millennia ago. Perhaps a demonstration of my true heritage might provoke a more positive response."
As the girls and familiars looked on, Talia calmly pulled back her ebony hair to display her pointed ears for all to see. Other than Serena who already knew what to expect, everyone else was shocked.
"Holy crap!" Lita cried.
"Unbelievable!" said Amy.
"Oh, my God!" added Mina.
Raye, on the other hand was enraged. "Monster! What did you do to Serena?" she shouted, launching herself at Talia.
"Raye! NO!" yelled Serena, but it was already too late.
The big, black Ford Expedition quietly parked in a huge lot across the street from an entrance to Tokyo Central Park and five people climbed out and gathered together in front of the vehicle.
To passersby, the quintet could be best described as unusual. The driver was a tall, handsome, brown haired man in an expensive looking jogging suit. Next was a gaunt, bearded, scowling black man in a khaki colored uniform. The third was an attractive woman with long red hair in a brown leather bomber jacket and tight jeans. The fourth was a short, swarthy, nervous looking man with dark hair, garbed in dust covered, dark green overalls. And the fifth was a grim faced, muscular man with close-cropped blond hair, dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and yellow rubber pants held up by suspenders. They all stared intently at the man in the jogging suit who grinned back at them.
"Your prey is waiting for you in the park. I sense her presence there," said Eric Riley, pointing across the street. "I've given you a mental image of what the princess looks like. I expect you to terminate her, and anyone foolish enough to get in your way with extreme prejudice."
"Aren't you coming with us... .boss?" Moses Cleary growled, not bothering to hide his contempt for Riley. "In my line of work, a commander always leads his troops into battle."
Riley chuckled. "That maybe true, Mr. Cleary, but in my world, the world of business, the CEO sits back and lets his underlings do all the dirty work."
"Do we have to kill?" Yakov Ben Nasser asked with a pained expression. He had seen more than his fair share of violence in his homeland of Israel and didn't relish becoming a party to bloodshed.
"If you want to return to normal, Mr. Ben Nasser, yes," said Riley.
"Why is the murder of this fraulein so important to you?" Helmut Schmidt wanted to know, eyeing Riley with suspicion.
"My reasons are not open for discussion, Herr Schmidt. All you need to know is that I want the girl dead." Riley then turned to stare at the woman. "Anything you wish to add to the discussion, Mademoiselle Dupre?"
Giselle Dupre scowled at Riley. "Would it matter to you if I did?"
Riley shook his head. "Not in the slightest. Now get going. Once you've sent the princess to join her bitch of a mother in the afterlife, rendezvous with me at the complex."
Frustrated and seething, the four people turned and headed off towards the park. Riley, watching them smirked. He then consulted the Rolex on his left wrist. He smiled, figuring he had time for a trip to his favorite bathhouse before his date this evening. Life was good, and soon would become better.
This situation has rapidly become unworkable, thought Talia as Raye, her eyes wild with rage charged her. The frustration Talia felt over the inability of Serena's friends to remember her, compounded by an attack by one of them made Talia angry. Unlike the last time, she hoped to control the beast.
Raye, incensed, swung a left fist at Talia who surprised everyone by dodging it. But the Shinto Priestess proved faster than Talia expected as Raye wheeled around and snap punched Talia on her jaw. Talia grunted from pain and stumbled slightly but still managed to stay on her feet. Seeing an opening, Raye uncoiled a thrust kick at Talia's chest, but the girl grabbed Raye by the ankle and, with a heave, hurled her into the air where she crashed to the ground over ten feet away. She didn't get up. The others were horrified.
"RAYE!" Serena cried, rushing to where the fallen girl lay.
"Good Lord!" cried Artemis. "Her strength! It's not human!"
"My turn!" snarled Lita, charging Talia. "Your ass is grass, Kirk! And I'm the lawnmower!"
"I think not," growled Talia, feeling her self-control slipping away as she gave way to both her anger and the heat of battle. Lita uncoiled a heel palm thrust blow which Talia deflected with a forearm before retaliating with a swinging elbow that Lita ducked under to deliver a fist to Talia's solar plexus with enough force to incapacitate a normal human. Talia winced and grunted and dropped to one knee, but remained conscious. Talia ignored the pain and drove a fist into Lita's midsection, cracking two ribs and causing the auburn haired amazon to double over. After taking out Lita's legs with a sweep kick, sending her to the ground, Talia maneuvered behind Lita and put her in a choke hold. Lita choked and gasped from the pressure Talia exerted.
"I do not enjoy being made a target for another person's misplaced anger. Do you hear me? I....don't....LIKE IT!" Talia, now enraged hissed at Lita who thrashed helplessly in Talia's iron grip. She then began to slowly twist Lita's head. "Perhaps I should kill you as a lesson to the others."
"TALIA!! STOP!!" Serena screamed, cradling a semi-conscious Raye in her arms as tears poured down her face. "They don't understand! None of them understand you like I do! Oh, please! I'm begging you! Don't hurt Lita!"
Talia stared at Serena who's wet eyes were filled with pleading, just like this afternoon at school, just like in the long dead past....
The Moon: A thousand years ago....
With Serena as her personal tour guide, T'alya was shown practically the entire castle. While the Vulcan teenager disdained the accumulation of wealth and the trappings of same, even she was impressed with all she had seen. The lavishness of the palace was stunning. Serena then took T'alya into her bedroom and out onto the balcony overlooking the expansive palace gardens, rich with flowers of seemingly every color of the rainbow while fountains gushed beautifully. And high in the star filled night sky, was a bright blue ball.
"Sol," T'alya said simply, already familiar with all the planets in this system from her studies.
Serena nodded, a dreamy expression on her face, her rosy pink lips curling into a smile. "Yes. Only we call it Earth."
T'alya shrugged. "If you must, Princess. You seem, enrapt by the planet. Does it hold some manner of significance for you?"
"It does. On that planet, teeming with people like myself is a very special young man. A man I'm in love with." Serena turned to face T'alya. "Have you ever been in love?"
The Vulcan teenager made a face, one almost of disgust. "Love? Never. That is a human emotion, Princess. I am a Vulcan. Emotions are beneath us. We purge them from our minds in order to gain order, balance and harmony in our lives through the pursuit of logic."
Serena's face clouded from genuine sadness. "That's terrible. Emotions are special. They're what makes us unique. Our ability to feel, to experience and enjoy so many wonderful things. To go through life without being able to laugh, to cry, to treasure everything emotions can bring into your life would be to feel....dead inside. I don't think I could live like that. How do you manage it?"
"Through practice, Princess."
Serena rolled her eyes. "Will you stop calling me Princess? I get enough of that from the Guard and everyone else on this rock! God! I hate formality! My name is Serena. It won't hurt you to call me that."
T'alya nodded. "Very well....Serena."
Serena smirked. "That's better. You say your people disdain and purge emotions, but that face you made when I asked if you've ever been in love tells me you haven't quite mastered that trick, have you?"
T'alya was flustered, not expecting such a question. Serena was more perceptive than she appeared. "Not quite. I have yet to be schooled in the Kohlinar discipline that eliminates the taint of emotion."
"I'm glad." Serena smiled and took T'alya's hand in hers.
The Vulcan girl found that sensation strangely....pleasurable. "Is there some significance to this action?"
"Yes. It's meant to show affection one person has for another. Does it bother you?"
T'alya shook her head. "No. It doesn't."
"Good. I'm glad you still have emotions, T'alya. You're much more interesting with them. When mother told me you were coming here, I was so excited. You see, I don't have any friends because of my station as the heir to the throne. And while the Guard's my age, they're not allowed to socialize with me. Unauthorized fraternization, mother calls it. Sometimes, I get so lonely, my heart aches. Do you know what it's like to be lonely?"
T'alya thought about her life on Vulcan and how she felt isolated from her peers because of her emotions. She found such thoughts to be terribly uncomfortable. Even painful. "It is something I rarely contemplate."
"Well, I don't recommend it. It's awful." Still holding T'alya's hand, Serena paused and stared deep into her eyes. The depth and feeling in them stunned the Vulcan girl. "T'alya, I wasn't kidding when I said I liked you. I've liked you from the moment my mother first showed me a hologram of you. I have everything I could possibly want....except a friend. But now, you're here. I've waited my whole life for someone like you. Would you be my friend? Please?"
T'alya pondered Serena's question for a moment. The Vulcan girl, her latent telepathic powers coming to life felt Serena's crushing loneliness, her deep, emotional pain that she hid from everyone. It saddened her to know that this bright, cheerful girl suffered the way she did. Staring into Serena's eyes, filled with pleading, T'alya wasted no time making her decision. Thinking it the prudent thing to do, she placed her hand on Serena's and nodded.
"Yes, Serena. It would be an honor to become your friend."
Tokyo Central Park, present day:
The sudden flood of memories touched something deep inside Talia's heart and she released Lita from the choke hold. The girl stood and walked towards the lake to compose herself as Amy and Mina along with the familiars rushed to Lita's side as she lay on the ground coughing and gasping for air.
"Lita! Are you alright?" a worried Mina asked, cradling Lita.
Lita could only nod as she struggled to regain her voice. She winced from the pain of her cracked ribs. "Thought I was....a goner. Head....felt like....she was twisting....it off. Her strength....incredible. She coulda....killed me."
Everyone turned to cautiously face Talia who stood motionless, her face back to it's stony rigidness. "I apologize for my actions. I....lost control."
"That goes without saying!" Mina yelled at her. "What the hell are you? Where did you come from?"
Before Talia could respond, she heard the water roil and churn behind her. Ignoring the girls, she turned around to see the lake, greatly agitated as if by some unknown force. The others saw it too and were puzzled.
"Fascinating," Talia muttered.
Raye, still in Serena's arms moaned. Her eyes then snapped open and she gasped. "Something's wrong here! I sense evil! It's all around us!"
Before anyone could respond, the lake suddenly exploded as a towering geyser of water blasted up into the sky, then came down upon the unsuspecting girls with all the force of a battering ram. Save for Talia who, along with Luna were knocked into the lake, the girls were battered by the spout. As they lay senseless by the shack, they saw the spout coalesce into a human shape, complete with eyes and a mouth that was twisted in a smirk.
"Rise and shine, ladies! I'm your wake-up call from hell!" said the creature, it's voice a eerie sounding gurgle. "For the short time you've got left to live, you can call me....Torrent!" The creature then stared intently at a frightened Serena. "And I'm here to kill me a princess!"
The girls and Artemis were caught off guard to hear the creature call Serena 'Princess', and the creature took advantage of the inaction. Torrent extended an arm and a stream of water rushed out and Serena was instantly enveloped in a large, liquid sphere. Serena, her eyes wide began choking.
"Good God! She's drowning!" cried Artemis. "Quick! Transform!"
Just as the frantic girls pulled out their transformation pens, something whizzed past Torrent's face, startling the creature who lost his concentration and the sphere imprisoning Serena dissolved, leaving her soaked and gasping but very much alive. Scowling, Torrent discovered the object that flew past him was a red rose, it's stem buried halfway in the ground. Torrent looked around him and saw a figure casually standing on a thick branch of a tree.
The figure was a tall, lean muscled young man in a black tuxedo with a matching top hat, shoes and a long, flowing cape lined in red. His mask, white as his shirt, tie, vest and gloves partially hid his strong, handsome face. Torrent's scowled deepened at seeing the man.
"Hmph! A pantywaist!" the creature snarled.
"Water is an element of life, but you've perverted it into a weapon of death! That I cannot and will not allow!" Tuxedo Mask proclaimed.
Torrent sneered. "Is that a fact? Well, why don't you come down here and show me the error of my ways, pretty boy!"
Mask returned the smirk. It wasn't often that the bad guys actually asked for a beating. "I'd be happy to!"
With a effortless grace, the caped hero launched himself from the branch, performed a picture perfect somersault and hurtled feet first at Torrent who simply stood and grinned. As the girls and Artemis looked on, Mask hit Torrent squarely on the chest, causing the creature to explode, leaving behind a large puddle of water. Soaked from the dousing, Mask landed near Serena.
"Tuxedo Mask! You saved me!" she cried.
Mask tipped his dripping wet hat to Serena and smiled. "Just doing my job, ma'am."
"Look!" cried Amy, pointing at the spot where Torrent stood. Everyone did and saw the puddle quickly reform into a man-like shape. Torrent roared with laughter.
"If that's the best you can do, then you're in trouble!" he growled.
"Don't bet on it! Let's waste this freak!" snarled Lita, holding her pen high. "JUPITER STAR POWER!" A scorching bolt of lightning accompanied Lita's dramatic transformation into Sailor Jupiter, the Scout of Thunder.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!" Amy's body flowed and shimmered like an ocean's waves and, an instant later stood Sailor Mercury, the Scout of Water.
"MARS STAR POWER!" Red hot flames erupted and lovingly embraced Raye from head to toe, changing her into Sailor Mars, the Scout of Fire.
"VENUS STAR POWER!" The sparkling lights of the stars themselves boldly heralded the arrival of Sailor Venus, the Scout of Love.
Torrent, having watched the transformations wasn't impressed. "Ooooh! I'm scared! Guess what, kids? I didn't come here alone! Here's my back up!"
From above, a sudden whoosh of air caught the attention of the Sailors and a human shaped whirlwind barreled into them, throwing the Scouts off balance. Before they could recover, the trees lit up as a huge bolt of flame came out of the woods, nearly scorching the heroines in it's wake. Then, the ground shook as if from an earthquake and, in a spray of rocks, soil and grass, a mammoth, rock like shape lumbered out of the hole.
"Oh, hell! That walking hydrant's got partners!" growled Jupiter.
"That is correct, mes ami. I am called Cyclone," said the wind creature in a female voice that sounded like the hiss of the wind.
"You--may--call--me--Stonecutter," said the rock creature in a low, slow rumble of a voice.
"And I'm Inferno," said the flame creature in voice that crackled like fire. It pointed at the burning trees behind the Scouts and the flames were absorbed into it's body. "We're here to kill the blond fraulein with the strange hairstyle. Stand aside and you won't be hurt. Stand with her and you'll die!"
Serena, hearing that, gulped. "He means me!" Then, she remembered: "Talia! Where's Talia?"
"Dead, cupcake! Just as you'll soon be!" growled Torrent, shooting a high powered blast of water at Serena and Mask. Scooping the distraught Serena in his arms, the caped hero leaped out of the way before the blast struck the spot where the twosome were only a moment earlier.
"Why do they want you dead?" Mask asked Serena.
"I don't know! And I don't care! We have to go back!" cried Serena. "Talia must've been knocked into the lake! We have to save her!"
"There's no time! They're attacking!" yelled Mars as the creatures charged. Torrent unleashed more water bursts, then Cyclone hurled herself at the Sailors, scattering them like tenpins. Before the dazed heroines could recover, Inferno shot fireballs at them, and Stonecutter, with a speed that belied his bulk slammed his massive fists down on the ground, opening a huge fissure that nearly swallowed them all. Only the Scouts' and Mask's super fast reflexes saved them from being killed. Yet, the barrage kept the heroes off-guard and unable to mount a counterattack.
"This is no good!" shouted Jupiter, dodging a fireball and wincing from the pain of her cracked ribs. "We're hemmed in by the trees! We've gotta get to open ground! Mercury! Give us some cover!"
Mercury nodded and concentrated. "Mercury Bubbles... .BLAST!"
At the Water Scout's command, a thick, freezing fog descended over the area, disorienting the creatures who were unprepared for the icy shroud.
"Cyclone! Clear the air!" yelled Torrent.
With a nod, Cyclone summoned a powerful gust of wind that blew away Mercury's fog. Once the area was clear, the creatures found themselves alone.
"The--females--and--their--friend--are--gone," said Stonecutter.
"No shit, blockhead! Nothing gets past you, does it?" growled Torrent at the rock creature, his watery voice filled with contempt. "No sense standing around with our thumbs up our asses. Let's get after that bunch."
"Wait. Who died and made you boss, Herr Cleary?" Inferno asked.
"I did, goosestepper! Got a problem with that?" Torrent shot back angrily. "I'm a career military man! I know how to lead, how to plan strategy that works! You'll do as I say and like it! All of you! Clear?"
"As crystal," grumbled Cyclone.
"I&emdash;understand," said Stonecutter.
Inferno was silent as he scowled hatefully at Torrent. "It seems I have no choice but to follow you. But don't ever call me a goosestepper again."
Torrent sneered at the fire creature. "Anything you say, sour Kraut."
"Do you think the mystery man can return us to normal?" Cyclone asked.
"Nope. In fact, I think we're expected to die doing that asshole's dirty work," said Torrent. "Those chippies in the sailor suits don't look like pushovers. We'll have to work overtime to waste that pigtailed bimbo, but once we do, all bets are off. Including our boss man's head! Let's go!"
As the creatures pushed off after the Scouts and Mask, they failed to notice a form slowly, quietly emerging from the lake. Like an apparition, Talia, cradling an unmoving Luna in her arms scowled as she watched the elemental monsters walk away. Wading ashore, Talia dropped to her knees and quickly performed CPR on Luna who coughed up water and gasped at Talia.
"Good heavens! You! What happened?" the cat asked.
"We were thrown into the lake by a creature composed of water," Talia replied, ignoring the chill of her sopping wet school uniform. "You were rendered unconscious and nearly drowned, but I revived you."
"After everything that happened, you saved my life? Why?"
"Because it was the human thing to do. But we do not have time for idle conversation, Luna. Serena and the others are in grave danger. The water creature has companions. I have to help the Scouts, but in order to do that, you must restore my power."
Luna was hopelessly confused. "Power? What power? I don't have a clue what you're talking about!"
Frowning, Talia held Luna down with her left hand while she placed the fingers of her right on the familiar's head. "I apologize for what I am about to do, but there is no other way to make you remember me."
As Luna lay helpless in Talia's grip, the girl locked her eyes tight with the familiar's. "My mind to your mind, Luna. My thoughts to your thoughts. You feel what I feel. You know what I know."
Luna cried out as a deluge of memories poured into Luna's mind in an endless stream. Memories of an emotionally conflicted girl from a world of lifeless logic who arrived on the Moon and, for the very first time in her lost and lonely life, experienced the meaning of friendship, of devotion....of love. There were other memories too, ones of camaraderie as the once lonely girl became one with a band of protectors, champions, guardians, and how she was not able to be by their side in their most desperate hour when the Moon came under attack. Lastly, the terrible feelings of guilt as the girl failed to protect the one person in all the universe whom she truly loved. Those feelings were even worse than the physical pain she suffered when she died, apart from her dear friend whom she cherished more than life itself.
Apart from Princess Serena.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Luna as Talia broke the mind meld. The cat looked up at Talia in shock. "I remember! My God! I remember! Princess T'alya! It really is you! I'm so sorry that I failed to recall who you are!"
"Apologies are unnecessary, Luna," said Talia with a dismissive wave of her hand, betraying her impatience. "What matters most at present is joining the others in battle. Only you can enable me to do that."
"Of course, Princess!" Luna leaped high into the air, did a back flip and with a sudden flash of light, two objects appeared before Talia on the ground, a communicator and a transformation pen, both purple in color. Talia quickly fastened the communicator on her left wrist, then stared at the pen, the symbol in the center of the star emblem on top was that of a circle bisected by a triangle.
"The IDIC. How appropriate," said Talia.
"Help them, Talia! Please!" begged Luna.
With a nod, Talia rose to her feet, a look of steely eyed determination on her face. She held the pen high in her hand.
"Worry not, Luna. I intend to."
"Look out! Here they come again!" cried Sailor Venus, barely managing to dodge a pick-up truck thrown at them by Stonecutter.
The Scouts, Mask and Serena, too grief stricken over Talia to transform to Sailor Moon played a deadly game of tag with the elemental creatures who chased them from the park into a nearby construction site for a skyscraper. When the workers saw the heroes and the monsters in a running battle, they fled for their lives. With the area abandoned, the Sailors launched a furious counterattack against the creatures while Mask kept a sobbing Serena safe from the onslaught as the creatures fought back just as hard and as viciously. After several minutes of pitched and violent action, both sides faced each other in a stand-off. There was a deadly silence as both sides stared each other down.
"You chippies give as good as you get. I admire that," said Torrent. "One last time. Hand over Miss Pigtails or we'll really get nasty with you!"
"Come on and try! The only way you'll get Serena is over our dead bodies!" snarled Mars.
Torrent grinned and cracked his knuckles. It sounded like something squishing. "Suit yourselves. Looks like we'll have to scuttle your pretty little behinds. Let's whack 'em, team!"
"STOP!" a voice, loud and strong shouted from behind the creatures. They turned to see who had spoken. The Sailors looked up at where the voice came from and collectively gasped from surprise.
The voice belonged to a girl who stood on a girder of the skyscraper's skeleton three stories above them. Her arms akimbo, the girl wore a uniform similar to the Scouts, her colors being a light violet bow on her bodice held in place by a gold star brooch with a similar bow in back along with a royal purple skirt and black knee high boots with spiked heels. A purple gem adorned the center of her golden tiara behind her center parted bangs and gold, triangular shaped earrings dangled from her noticeably pointed ears as her piercing blue eyes flashed menacingly at the creatures. The girl looked to exude tremendous power from every pore of her body.
"Oh, great. Another broad," growled Torrent. "Who the hell are you?"
The girl glared threateningly at the creatures for what seemed like an eternity before she opened her mouth to speak.
"I am The Scout of Order. My mission is to battle the forces of chaos and protect the innocent from harm," the girl intoned, her voice forceful and commanding. "Logic demands that evil such as yours be dealt with, for I am Sailor Vulcan....and I will eliminate you!"
Next: A Heroine Is Reborn