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. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Resurrection Dilemma
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Seven: Reap The Whirlwind
Rating: R
Miko was afraid to open her eyes, unsure as to what she would find. As it was, she was surprised to be alive.
When she did, Miko gasped at what she saw. She, Toshi and her father, all unhurt were enveloped in a bright, glowing ball of light. And kneeling in front of her, his arms outstretched, his head tilted back, his face lined from intense concentration was Jed. Jed tilted his head forwardto face Miko. She cried out at seeing her lover's eyes glowing like twin suns.
"Jed?" she whispered.
Jed blinked once and his eyes returned to normal while the glowing ball of energy vanished. Exhaling, Jed slumped and grinned tiredly at Miko.
"That, my love, was too close," he said tiredly. Jed saw that Toshi and Shigeiru were unconscious but alive. he sighed from honest relief. "I almost didn't get my force field up in time."
Miko gulped, loud enough for Jed to hear. "Force field? You mean....you did that?"
Jed nodded. "Yes. A little....trick of mine that really came in handy."
"But....but how?"
"That, I'm afraid, is a just a little hard to explain. Like I told you earlier, I'm not human. In fact, I'm not even from this planet. I'm what you might call an extraterrestrial."
"My God. You mean....an alien from outer space?"
Jed nodded again. "Cliche, isn't it? My real name is Jedite."
Miko shook her head, hopelessly confused. "I don't understand this. None of it! How could this be possible? Who are you? What are you? Where are you from? Why have you deceived me like this?"
Jedite saw the hurt and confusion in Miko's eyes and felt ashamed. He never wanted this to happen. And because it did, he became angry. All Jedite desired was to live as normal a life as possible with the woman he loved. Now it was all destroyed. He then looked over Miko's shoulder at the carnage before him. The farmhouse and barn had been destroyed in the crash of the object which rested in a ditch little over two hundred yards away. Rising to his feet, there was no doubt in his mind as to what the object was, or where it came from. That only served to make the ex-General angrier.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but for now, I'm afraid the answers to your questions will just have to wait," Jedite said in a low growl. Miko shivered at how cold and menacing her lover had become. Jedite rose to his feet and began walking towards the downed ship. "See to Toshi and your father, but don't leave this spot. No matter what. There's someone in that vessel I want to greet. And then kill for this unwelcome intrusion."
Luna never expected to open her eyes again, positive she, Artemis and the Scouts were going to die when the ship lurched into a dive during the Scouts' pitched battle with the Steel Demons. The fact that she was alive was, in her mind, a miracle.
The cat looked around her at the surroundings, a mass of shredded, twisted metal. But, none of that mattered to Luna, her eyes scanning the area for the Scouts whom she had lost track of when the ship crashed.
Oh, Lord. If anything happened to the girls....if anything happened to Serena, I'll never forgive myself, Luna thought worriedly.
Wandering through the wreckage, Luna spied a tangle of long blond hair and a meatball not too far away. Luna broke into a run and rushed up to where Sailor Moon lay unmoving on the floor. Luna gasped at the Scout leader's appearance, her uniform had been ripped and torn, her body, cut and bleeding from head to toe. Nervously, Luna put her nose right Moon's nose and felt her heart skip a beat.
Moon wasn't breathing.
Waking up, Dharsite experienced a whole new sensation: pain.
Her body, bruised and battered from the crash, Dharsite ached all over as she struggled to sit up from where she lay on the floor. The madwoman had never been hurt before, at least not physically, and the feeling was sweet to her. Even sweeter was that she survived. But was she the only one?
"Get up," a voice suddenly growled from behind her.
Dharsite turned and stared up at Jedite who loomed over her, his fists clenched, his face twisted into a fierce scowl. Despite his appearance and the strange clothes he sported, Dharsite immediately knew it was Jedite, one of the four legendary Generals of the Negaverse. Her heart soared and she smiled from ear to ear.
"Lord Jedite! Praise the Negaverse! I have found you!" she cried.
"Get up," Jedite said again.
The madwoman rose shakily to her feet and stared at Jedite who then backhanded Dharsite across the face, sending her back to the floor.
"Lord?" a confused Dharsite said, her cheek stinging.
"Shut up!" Jedite roared. "I don't believe this! I thought you were still in deep space after Beryl banished you! What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to Earth after mother had been killed, my Lord. I sought the ones who murdered her," Dharsite replied nervously.
"How did you find me?"
"I felt your mind when you unleashed the full force of your powers. From there, it was quite simple, even for a partial telepath like me to find you."
Jedite scowled. That must've been when I revived Toshi. Wonderful. "Stupid cow! You could've been more discreet! You damn near killed me when you crashed this thing!"
"I'm sorry, Lord. That was not my intention. The ship had been damaged during the battle with the Scouts and the cloaking device was knocked offline. If the braking thrusters had malfunctioned, we surely would've...."
"Hold it!" shouted a surprised Jedite. "Did you say 'Scouts'? As in Sailor Scouts? You mean to tell me those meddlesome brats are here?"
"Yes, Lord. I captured them last night, but they managed to escape a short time ago. I don't know if they survived the crash though."
Thinking about the Scouts brought a wicked, evil smile to Jedite's lips as the last piece of his fractured memory fell into place. He recalled his final battle with the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask at Tokyo International Airport, and his humiliating defeat at their hands which eventually led to his banishment by Queen Beryl. Jedite never thought he'd ever get a chance for revenge against his most hated enemy.
"I assume you're still playing with those tinker toys of yours, the cyborgs?" Jedite asked.
"Yes, Lord."
"Excellent. Your news about the Scouts just stayed your own execution. Gather however many robots that are still functioning and muster outside," Jedite ordered. "We maybe ten miles from town, but there's no way the crash could've gone unnoticed. I don't want this turning into a tourist trap."
"Yes, Lord. And what about you?"
Jedite smiled. But it made him look malevolent. "I have a reunion with some old friends to attend."
"Sailor Moon! SERENA! For the love of heaven, girl! Wake up!" cried a frantic Luna, jostling the unmoving Moon with her front paws. "Open your eyes, lazybones! That's an order! Don't you dare die on me! PLEASE!"
A soft moan escaped Moon's lips. "Lemme sleep, mom. I don't feel like going to school today," she muttered.
Luna smiled from blessed relief. "I'm not your mother, Serena. And I'm afraid you're not home."
Moon opened and she stared in confusion at her gaurdian. "Luna? What happened? Where are we?"
"We've crashed. Don't ask where. How do you feel?"
Moon winced as she slowly sat up. Every square inch of her body ached and throbbed. "Awful. Even my hair hurts. What about the others?"
"I don't know. You were the first one I found," Luna replied. "Hopefully they're nearby. It's a wonder we're alive, or that this thing didn't break into a million pieces on impact. Can you stand? We have to find the girls."
"Yeah. I don't think anything's broken." With a faltering slowness, Moon rose shakily to her feet, grimacing all the way. Weak and dizzy from the exertion, Moon leaned against a fallen pillar for support. "Whew! That took more effort than it should've. I sure hope the fighting's over, Luna, because I'm whipped."
"What a shame," came a mocking voice from behind Moon. A voice that was disturbingly familiar to her. "And I was hoping to have some fun with you. Just like in the good old days."
Moon whirled around and gasped from horror at the figure, no more than five feet away from her. Even though his hair was longer, he sported a thick beard and was dressed like a farmer, there was no mistaking the deep, piercing eyes of the first adversary Moon faced from the Negaverse. Her heart sank like a rock, realizing things had just gone from bad to worse to potentially terminal.
"Oh, my God," Moon whispered. "Jedite."
The ex-General from the Negaverse bowed. The smile he wore chilled Moon to the bone. "At your service, it's really good to see you again, Serena, although you do look a little worse for wear. No matter. What Dharsite started with you and your fellow Sailors, I intend to finish."
Moon girded herself for the worst, too tired and injured to even think about mounting an attack. Jedite's eyes glowed, and a second later, Moon let out a piercing scream of agony as her battered body was ruthlessly seared from within by an embolic seizure. Her eyes rolling back in her head, Moon was already unconscious before she crumpled to the floor.
"MONSTER!" cried an enraged Luna, launching herself at Jedite. "You won't get away with this!"
"Sure I will, pussycat," said Jedite before hitting Luna with a seizure.
Gazing down at the unconscious forms of Moon and Luna, Jedite chuckled. "Well, that was fun. Now, to find your friends. We have so very much to catch up on."
Miko was heartsick as she stared at the ruins of her home.
She had so many memories of the twelve years she spent in that house, from the night Toshiro proposed to the birth of her son to the reawakening of her sad and lonely heart with Jed. But now it was all wrecked while her lover revealed himself to be a creature from outer space. Miko, anguished wanted to cry, wanted to crawl under a rock and die, but refused to. Above all else, she had to be strong. For Toshi's sake.
"Momma? What happened to the house? And where's Jed?" a frightened Toshi asked.
"He's not here, Toshi. But he'll be back soon," said Miko.
Shigeiru, staring beyond the wreckage of the house could see the remains of the saucer. "I'm guessing he's gone to see his relatives," the old man said sarcastically. While he suspected all along that something was terribly wrong about Jed, even he had no idea it was anything like this.
"Father. Shut up," Miko said sharply. Sudenly, she heard the sound of ponderous footfalls coming from the direction of the crater where the saucer lay. Seconds later, eight huge, robotic forms lumbered towards them.
"Wow! Robots!" said an awed Toshi. "Just like on Gundam Wing! Cool!"
But Miko and Shigeiru saw only menace in the approaching robots who held up their arms to reveal gun barrels.
"They're going to fire at us! We've got to get out of here!" cried Shigeiru. But the robots were on them before the trio could move. At that moment, the robots halted and Dharsite sauntered up to the Kimuras. She glared evilly at the trio.
"Hmph! Humans. How pitiful," said the madwoman. She then cast an appreciative eye on Miko and slowly licked her lips from how attractive she was. With Sailor Venus in Jedite's hands, she would need a new companion, and the woman appealed to her ever present sexual appetite.
"Then again, I could just eat you up, my dear," said the madwoman with a lustful smile, lunging towards her.
"STOP!" a voice, loud as thunder commanded.
Dharsite wheeled around and saw Jedite hovering ten feet above her. But he wasn't alone as the Scouts and the familars, awake but held fast by an stasis field hovered beside him. The Kimuras were shocked to see the man they knew as Jed floating in front of them.
"My Lord! I'm sorry! I was just...." Dharsite began.
"Quiet! I know what you were going to do, and I won't have it!" Jedite snarled, his visage radiating pure evil. "The woman, the boy and the old man are not to be harmed"
"But Lord! They're just humans! Our prey! I should be allowed to...."
"Miserable, bootlicking cunt! I said NO!" roared Jedite, felling Dharsite with an energy blast. Landing on the ground, the ex-General pounced on the madwoman. "Get this through your head! If you, or your robots touch so much as a hair on the heads of those three, most of all the woman, I'll skin you alive! Is that understood?"
Dharsite, frightened, and confused from Jedite's behavior nodded quickly. "Yes, Lord. I understand."
The byplay between the two denizens from the Negaverse was not lost on the Sailors, especially Moon, Mercury and Mars who watched the scene unfold. "Amy, 'Rena, am I imagining things, or have we seen this all before?" Sailor Mars asked in a whisper.
"It would definitely appear that way," said a bone weary Sailor Mercury with a nod. Between the energy she expended to free the others onboard Dharsite's ship and the intense concentration to block out the pain of her broken left arm, she was exhausted. "I didn't think this could happen twice."
"What are you guys talking about?" Sailor Jupiter asked, images of the virtual reality torture she suffered still swirling in her mind.
"It happened before you and Mina came along," Moon replied. "One of Beryl's goons, Nephlyte fell in love with Molly and died protecting her from Zoicite when she betrayed him during the hunt for the Imperium Silver Crystal."
"Figures. Love, as always, loses out to violence and death," said a grim faced Sailor Venus, her mind plagued and in turmoil by her repulsive actions while under Dharsite's thrall.
"Don't give up, Mina," cautioned Artemis. "Love might yet win the day,"
"I sure hope you're right," added Luna.
"Yo, Jedite, explain something to me, willya?" Jupiter piped up. "Dharsite told us she's Queen Beryl's daughter. Shouldn't that make her your boss, not vice versa?"
Hearing that, Jedite roared from laughter. "Oh, no! Don't tell me she fed you that load of crap about Beryl being her mom? That's rich! Believe me, girls, Dharsite no more came from Beryl's womb than I did! Besides being a psychotic, sex-starved lesbian, Dharsite suffers from the worst case of maternal fixation I've ever seen. The girl's actually my lieutenant. Isn't that right, dearie?"
Dharsite scowled, but nodded. "Yes....my Lord."
"The awful truth is that Dharsite was a whore in Beryl's court----and Queenie's personal sex kitten. You'd be surprised how kinky the old bitch got when she wasn't on her 'conquer the universe' kick." Jedite paused to chuckle. "Anyway, rumor had it that in addition to how good Dharsite was in bed, Beryl loved how sick and twisted the girl was, so she took her under her wing, adopted her, so to speak. As a result, Dharsite became emotionally attached to Beryl to the point of obsession, actually coming to believe she was her mother. Me? I'd rather be an orphan than have a monster like Beryl for a parent."
Dharsite, glaring at Jedite gritted her teeth, her scowl deepening.
Mars picked up on the madwoman's growing anger, and it chilled her. "Dharsite's giving off some dangerously bad vibes," she whispered worriedly to Moon. "She no more likes Jedite badmouthing Beryl than I did. I've got a scary feeling she's gonna blow, and soon."
"Terrific," Moon grumbled. "Between her, Jedite and the Demons, we're royally screwed. I hate to imagine what those poor people down there are going through right now."
Miko was having a difficult time thinking as everything was moving much too fast for her to comprehend. A scant few minutes ago, her world was happy and simplistic, now it had been demolished, worse even than the house.
"Jed....Jedite. Whatever your name is. What does this woman have to do with you?" she asked.
"Like I said, Dharsite was one of my luietenants," Jedite replied. "Beryl, in her so-called wisdom foisted her off on me because I was the Queen's first General and point man in what was then, my world's conquest of this planet. A grand scheme that eventually went down the toilet."
"Thanks to us!" Mars shouted proudly.
"Yes, thanks to you, Mars. Let me show you my appreciation." Jedite concentrated and Mars shrieked from agony as she was hit by a seizure. The Scout of Fire slumped into semi-unconsciousness.
"Let's see, where was I? Oh, yes. I taught Dharsite everything I knew about power, how to control, how to rule, but all the little tart wanted to do was hump every female in sight," said Jedite, his tone thick with disgust. "When she bedded a surprisingly willing Zoicite and was almost killed by a furious Malachite, Beryl decided the girl was too much of a distraction and had to be dealt with. But, Beryl was too attached to Dharsite to kill her, so she banished her into space on one of our experimental space crusiers. Talk about loyalty, huh, Dharsite?"
"My mother spared my life when she could've destroyed me! That's loyalty enough!" Dharsite shouted angrily.
"Yeah, right. Beryl never did me any favors after you got shipped out! In fact, I became her whipping boy as she blamed me for not keeping you in check!" Jedite snapped at Dharsite, memories of the past fueling his anger. "After my last defeat at the hands of the Scouts, Beryl couldn't get rid of me fast enough! All those years of faithful devotion I gave her, both in this life and my previous one, and that meglomanaical slut threw me away like so much trash! But I survived, and your precious queen is dead as the proverbial damn doornail! I couldn't be happier!"
Dharsite ground her teeth while her eyes flashed from barely controlled rage. "Stop it!" she yelled. "Don't say those things about my mother!"
"Or you'll do what? Sic your tinker toys on me? Don't get so uppity on me, tramp! I'm your lord and master! Remember that!" Jedite roared. Dharsite, seething, stood ramrod still, her thoughts a cauldron of deadly violence.
Miko, watching the scene was terrified, as was Toshi. This was a side of the man they grew to love that they had never seen before, and it unnerved them. Shigeiru, seething from indignity however had seen all he cared to.
"Enough!" he shouted, climbing to his feet and storming towards the Negaverse denizens before Miko could stop him. "How dare the two of you come to our home and cause such chaos? I despise you and want you gone from our land!"
Dharsite, desperate for something to take her anger out on wheeled around and hit the old man full force with a mind blast before Jedite could move to stop her. The force of the blast was so great, Shigeiru's brain exploded in his skull, causing blood to gush from his eyes, nose and mouth. The old man's scream was terrible as he died in pain which Dharsite almost overdosed on.
"Shigeiru!" cried a shocked Jedite.
"Grandpa!" cried Toshi.
"FATHER!" Miko screamed, rushing to his side. Trying in vain to hold back the tears, Miko frantically checked her father's vital signs, but found none. "Oh, no! OH, NO! Father! Please! Don't die! You can't die!"
The Scouts and familiars were horrified. Jedite, wide eyed was stunned nearly senseless. Dharsite giggled like a schoolgirl.
"Oh, I assure you, my pretty. The old fool is quite dead," she said.
"Fiend! How could you? Why would you strike down a defenseless old man who meant so much to me?" an anguished Miko demanded of Dharsite.
Dharsite grinned. "Because I can, that's why."
Jedite, his eyes still wide from shock touched down on the ground and walked towards a weeping Miko, cradling her dead father in her arms. While the ex-General had his arguments with Shigeiru who openly loathed him, Jedite fully appreciated how devoted the old man was to protecting his daughter. If anything, Jedite came to like Miko's father. The senselessness of his murder sickened and enraged him. Jedite looked into Miko's eyes which silently begged him for help before a red mist colored his vision.
Mars sensed Jedite's rage and was physically stunned by the force of his anger. "Better hang on, guys. The shit's about to the hit the fan."
His teeth gritted, Jedite, beside himself with fury turned to face Dharsite. "Congratulations, Dharsite. Your stay of execution has just been rescinded."
Before Dharsite could react, Jedite hit the madwoman full force with a mind blast of his own, slamming her against one of the robots with a sickening thud. However, Dharsite, actually invigorated from the pain she felt smiled from delight, her eyes brimming with the insanity that was in her soul.
"I can sense sorrow in your mind from the old man's death, and concern for the girl and her whelp, my Lord. " The madwoman pressed a series of buttons on her control box. "Very well then, if you care so much for the pathetic humans, you can die with them! I've activated the Demons' auto-programming! As long as I'm breathing, they'll attack until nothing is left standing! Kill, my Demons! Kill! Kill! KILL!"
The Demons came to life, firing their laser weapons at Jedite and the Kimuras. But Jedite deflected the lethal barrage with a force field. However, the effort drove the ex-General to his knees, his face twisted from exertion. Between the energy Jedite used to revive Toshi, protecting the Kimuras when Dharsite's ship crashed and keeping the Scouts in stasis, Jedite's powers had ebbed dangerously. He didn't think he could withstand another assault.
"Jedite! Let us go! We can help!" Moon shouted.
The ex-General considered his options and decided he needed help, even if it was from his most hated enemy, much as it galled him to admit that. Jedite blinked and the Scouts were freed. Immediately, he felt a little stronger and fended off another laser blast.
"C'mon, Scouts! Time to take out the trash!" yelled Moon. "Mercury! You hang back! Freeing us almost killed you! I don't want you in this fight!"
"With all due respect, Sailor Moon....go to hell!" Mercury snarled back, her eyes hard and defiant. "I'm in this to the end! I'd rather die than leave your side! Mercury Bubbles....BLAST!"
As a thick, chilling fog descended over the area, disorienting the robots, Moon couldn't help but grin. She never thought her timid, blue haired friend would get angry enough to swear. Way to go, Ames! There's hope for you yet! "Alright, Merc! Keep that fog in place! Mars! Jupiter! Take out the Demons! Venus! With me! Let's get those people to safety!" Moon ordered.
"Let's toast 'em, pyro!" shouted an angry Jupiter as the antenna rose on her tiara and sparks danced along her body as she yearned for combat. "Jupiter Thunder....CRASH!"
"You bet, thunder girl!" growled Mars her body glowing a bright red as the power built up in her, screaming to be released. "Mars Fire....IGNITE!"
At their command, throwing everything they had into their attack, a huge ball of flame and a white hot bolt of lightning seared the air, striking the phalanx of robots, scattering them like tenpins with a loud blast as several of them exploded. The two Scouts, smiling grimly, gave each other a high five before locking on to more targets.
The diversion gave Moon and Venus, the familiars hot on their heels the opportunity they needed to reach the weakened Jedite and the Kimuras and rush them out of the danger zone.
"It would appear I'm in your debt, Miss Moon, odd as that sounds to my ears after what we went through over a year ago," Jedite said hoarsely.
"Yeah, well, it's my nature to help bad guys who reform," Moon replied.
"I appreciate that. Right now, we have to stop Dharsite. She won't stop until her sexual thirst for inflicting pain is quenched. And I'll be damned if I let that maniac get her hands on my woman!"
Miko, inspite of the chaos around her smiled fondly at Jedite. "Then, you still care! You still love me!"
Jedite grinned and kissed Miko. "What do you think, darling? I said I'd protect you, and by God, I mean to do just that!"
"TRAITOR! I can hear you!" came the crazed voice of Dharsite through the mist.
"I hear you too, monster," Venus growled softly. The Scout of Love stood, her eyes narrowed to slits, her eyes flashing from fury. "My turn to play. Dharsite and I have a few things to discuss."
Moon, staring up at Venus shivered from the demonic expression her friend wore. Even Jedite was taken aback by what he saw. Before Moon could say anything, Venus pushed off.
"Venus! Wait!" cried Artemis, rushing off after her.
"Damnation! That look would've scared the Devil himself! What did Dharsite do to her?" Jedite asked.
Moon dropped her head, her face sorrowful. "You don't want to know."
Dharsite staggered through the icy fog, guided by the voices she heard with her ears and her mind. But there was one mind she read more clearly than the others over the din of combat, a mind filled with bottomless rage.
Just as Dharsite prepared to defend herself, a foot slammed into her chest from a flying kick, sending her to the ground. Dazed, the madwoman looked up at Venus who loomed over her, fists clenched, her teeth bared like fangs. Venus looked more like an animal than a human being.
"Hello, 'Mistress'. Aren't you glad to see me?" Venus snarled. Dharsite tried to stand, but Venus kicked her in the head. The madwoman cried out from the pain. "What's the matter? Don't like being on the receiving end of the torment you dish out?"
Venus grabbed the stunned Dharsite and roughly hoisted her up. "Because of you, there's no more love in me! Only hate! My life's been ruined! You poisoned my soul and exposed me to horrors I'll take to my grave!"
"Horrors? I beg to differ, sweet Mina," Dharsite croaked, a smile spreading across her face. "Remember, darling, I read minds, and yours was an open book. You can deny it all you want, but you loved the attention I gave you. I looked inside your heart, saw the pain and loneliness festering there, and for a brief time, I took it all away. Made you feel like a woman."
"Shut up," Venus growled.
"Despite being the Scout of Love, you're the poster child for disaster at romance. Your relationships have been so fleeting, they make one-night stands seem endless. You've had your heart broken so many times, you stopped counting. That boy who dumped you while in England, Alan. Now there was a really crushing loss. One you've never gotten over."
"Shut up!" Venus shouted.
"Lately, you've wondered if your constant failures with boys meant you prefer girls instead. Secretly, you find the idea of being intimate with another girl tantalizing. Take Lita for instance. You're quite fond of her. I sensed that when you kissed her at the hospital. The two of you would make a very nice couple. Too bad you won't live long enough for that to happen."
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Venus roared, plowing a fist into the center of the madwoman's face, shattering her nose with a sickening crunch the enraged Scout found perversely satisfying. Venus then hit Dharsite again, and again, and again, her fists rising and falling like pistons, becoming more and more bloody with each blow she struck. But Venus wasn't content with merely pummeling the madwoman. Letting Dharsite, barely conscious, her face a pulpy ruin drop to the ground, Venus, caught in the grip of a murderous frenzy ripped off her hair ribbon, stretched it taut, then wrapped it tightly around Dharsite's throat several times and began to squeeze as Artemis ran up to her, Moon, Luna, Jedite and the Kimuras close behind.
"Venus! What are you doing?" the white cat demanded.
"Ending the battle in the only way I know how!" Venus growled, strangling Dharsite with all her strength. The madwoman's skin turned blue and she thrashed about helplessly.
"For God's sake, no! Don't do it! The Sailor Scouts aren't supposed to kill!" a frightened Moon cried.
"Don't hand me that holier than thou crap, Moon!" Venus snapped viciously at her friend. "Your hands are bloodier than all of ours put together! You wasted Malachite and Beryl! Remember?"
"Of course I remember! Not a day passes when I don't think about it!" argued Moon, her voice thick with anguish. "I wish to God I could forget that I took someone's life! But I had no choice! It was them, or us! And I'll never forgive myself for what I was forced to do!"
"Well, I don't have a choice either! Not after what Dharsite did to me!" Venus yelled, tears pouring down her face as she continued to squeeze. "Don't you understand? She violated me! Crawled inside my mind and raped me! I'll never feel clean again! This sick bitch deserves to die, and I'm taking her out!" With a final, brutal squeeze, a death rattle emitted from Dharsite's throat and her struggles ceased. Venus stared down at the motionless body with open contempt. Moon was heartsick, the familiars and the Kimuras horrified. Jedite however, chuckled fiendishly.
"Not bad. Couldn't have done better myself," he said.
A moment later, Mars, Jupiter and Mercury ran up to the party. "The tin cans that were left suddenly stopped fighting, guys! What happened to cause that...." Jupiter gasped at Venus, scowling at Dharsite's body, a length of her ribbon in one hand while the rest was wrapped around the madwoman's throat. "Oh, Venus! What have you done?"
"Done? What you wanted to do, Jupiter! I solved our problem," Venus hissed coldly.
"Not....quite. Your problem....still exists!" croaked Dharsite. Her eyes snapped open and she unleashed a powerful mindblast, blowing everyone off their feet while they screamed from brutal, unending pain. Uncoiling the ribbon from her throat, the madwoman slowly climbed to her feet while she barraged her enemies with lethal mental energy.
"You made an....inaccurate assumption about me. You assumed that I could be killed like any normal human. I'm not human! I....am....Negaverse!" Dharsite bellowed, her eyes on fire from her madness. "I will boil your pathetic brains out of your worthless skulls! Including yours, Lord Jedite! You will scream from endless agony....you will beg for mercy....and I will enjoy every last second of your torment!"
Next: Death....And Life