Okay, after about 6 months, I finally decided to type
up the rest...
Author: Priestess Mars-chan
Rating: PG-13
It Always Gets Worse
Chapter Eleven: Repairs
Chapter Eleven: Repairs
Lightning began to dance around Lady Jupiter as she
glared back up at Tuxedo. "Oh, I'm so scared," she
said sarcastically in response to his challenge.
Involuntarily, Raye pulled out two ofudas, chanted,
then threw. It was just like before. The ofudas froze
the two Scouts, Tuxedo Mask hopped down to join Sailor
Moon and Mars. In just a few moments, a shower of
orange cherry blossoms would announce Lady Venus's
arrival, which would in turn result in the deaths of
Darien and Serena.
"--We came here to save them from the Dark Crystal and
they attacked us!" Sailor Moon was saying. "I can't
heal them! I don't know what to do, Darien!"
Tuxedo Mask turned to Mars, seeking her opinion, but
she ignored him. Violet eyes were transfixed to the
space in between the frozen bodies of Lady Jupiter and
Mercury. Beneath her breath, Mars whispered, "Mars
Fire....." a small blaze erupted from her fingertips.
Lady Venus began her entry. The eyes narrowed. Venus
appeared in her highly feminine outfit and Mars
hesitated. But just for a moment. This was *NOT* Mina
Aino. This was a soulless thing to be wiped out.
"IGNITE!!!" she screamed and the fireball flew,
engulfing Lady Venus.
Lady Venus screamed, but more from shock than actual
pain, but Mars really hadn't expected the attack to
kill her. She just needed a few seconds to think and
barbequing this twit seemed like the best way to buy
them.
Lady Venus quickly doused the flames, revenge shining
in her eyes. "That's not a very nice way to greet one
of your old chums, Sailor Mars!" she spat. She touched
the ofudas....
Damn, it was just like before! But she couldn't let it
happen!
Elbowing Serena out of the way, Mars sent a small
burst of fire to the ofudas, hoping beyond hope that
she incinerated them before they attached
themselves.......a pile of ash landed at her feet. She
breathed a sigh of relief, reveling in her temporary
victory. But she had a bigger problem now. The three
dark mistresses were all free, and unless she wanted
Venus to repeat the same trick, she couldn't use
ofudas.
Beside her, Serena blinked, dumbfounded. "How......?"
she croaked.
The gem was still in her hand. Her mother's words came
back to her, "If you believe it can, it shall...."
That's not very helpful....they should sell these mystic
jewels with an instruction manual, she thought to
herself, not answering Serena's question. "Stay away
from them," she hissed through clenched teeth.
"They're not who you think they are."
Serena gave her the infamous confused look, but nodded
anyway. Darien turned to her. "What do you mean,
Mars?"
She declined to answer. She had other things to worry
about at the moment. She had to get her friends back!
She had promised Amy! Amy's soul who was trapped in
the time vortex was depending on her for a way out!
She had to figure this out!
The gem was hot in her hand.
Mars looked up just in time to see one of Jupiter's
attacks sailing towards her. She had no time to block
it or move out of the way. She closed her eyes and
waited for it to hit.
It never came.
Serena stared wide-eyed at the spot where the red
light had just engulfed her friend, leaving her and
Tuxedo Mask alone with the three demented Scouts.
"Raye?" she whispered.
Well this was certainly her day for taking trips. Now
she was in a....a ... void. She didn't know how else to
describe it other than it being a big black void.
Perfect. At the moment she was needed the most, she's
stuck in between worlds. "I'll bet Pluto's getting a
big laugh out of all this," she grumbled and started
to hoist herself up.
A pair of hands pulled her the rest of the way.
Mars started and whipped around to see...."Lita?!"
The wispy image of her friend smiled gently.
"Surprise, Raye. Are you here permanently, or are you
just visiting?" Raye gaped. Lita shook her head and
then caught sight of the Soul of Fire. "Ahhhh. You've
come to take me home. It's about time! There's some
butt to kick!" she cracker her knuckles for emphasis.
"In this realm of darkness and mystery, I have been
alone, waiting, hoping for someone to find me before
it's too late."
"What?"
Lita shrugged. "I dunno. It sure sounded good, didn't
it?" she closed her hands over the jewel. "Come on, I
wanna go home!"
The red light claimed them both.
"Raye?" Serena whispered. Mars reappeared, causing
Serena to jump. "What is going on??" she moaned,
having been completely lost at the ofuda thingie.
Of course, Mars didn't answer. She was unusually quiet
now, and incredibly focused...almost like she knew what
was going on before it went on. Eerie.
Mercury was getting ready to attack. Peachy. "What a
wonderful day this has turned out to be," she said to
no one in particular. "Oi...."
Lady Jupiter screamed.
Serena's head shot up, to see Lady Jupiter schreeching
and clawing at herself, leaving bloody gashes. "Get
out!! Get out, get out, GET OUT!!!"
Without knowing why, she ripped the brooch from her
bow and held it before her as though she were warding
off some evil spirit. "Moon Crystal Healing
Activation!"
Lady Jupiter collapsed on the hard ground,
unconscious. The blackness from her Sailor uniform
slowly faded until it had become it's familiar green
once more. The black symbol of Jupiter was gone,
replaced by her tiara. The two black Scouts looked
down upon their fallen ally in shock.
From inside the Dark Crystal, the Wiseman howled in
frustration.
Lita was back, that she was sure of. Mars sighed in
relief. One major problem of the day solved, two to
go. Now all she had to do was figure out how she had
done it the first time and repeat it, preferably
before she or Serena or anyone else was killed.
If you believe it can, then it shall....
"I was thinking about not being killed," she mused,
eyeing the jewel in her palm. "If I just...think about
what I want to do, then you allow me to do it? Is that
how it works?"
"Raye?" Darien inquired.
"I think that's it," she said with something
resembling a smile. "I've got it!"
"Got what?" came his confused reply.
She turned to him, bursting with excitement. "I'll be
right back!" she exclaimed. "Please, keep them busy!"
and the light took her again.
"What?" he shook his head. "Whatever you say."
Mina's head hit the table with a satisfactory *CLUNK!*
If she ever got away from here, she would personally
tear the Wiseman apart for his morbid sense of humor.
Beside her, one of the Inner Queens of the Solar
System turned to her, concerned. "Princess? Are you
okay?"
She smiled up weakly, trying not to fall from her seat
onto the floor. "Just fine."
The Queen nodded and turned back to the card game.
Trapping her soul for all eternity in a game of
Bridge? The humanity!! The cruelty!! The sheer evil of
it all!! "Please get me out of here..." she prayed
quietly, hoping for something, anything to happen.
Raye fell from the sky and crashed through the table.
Mina raised her eyes heavenward. "Thank you!" she
chirped and hopped up to assist her friend. "You have
come to save me, right?"
Raye groaned.
Raye had promised to try and bring her back, but Amy
knew the chances of such a thing happening were not
good. The Wiseman knew what he was doing. He wouldn't
allow Raye a chance to save the day. He wasn't a fool.
She was probably dead by now, having failed in her
mission. Amy rubbed at her temples in frustration. It
had been worth the try, they had come close.
"Forgive us, Princess," she whispered and leaned
against an invisible pillar, closing her eyes.
"Aaa---meess!! What are you doing! We're going home!!"
Amy was jerked up to her feet and given a rude shove.
She opened her eyes irritably and her expression
quickly softened. "Mina?"
The blonde nodded. "Yup! Raye's saved the day!" over
the soul's shoulder, Sailor Mars nodded her head. Amy
smiled, more than ready to leave the time warp.
Keep them busy she had said. Darien harrumphed. They
were too busy gawking over Jupiter's transformation to
notice anything. He wasn't worried about them. He was
more worried about the phantom that had risen up from
the concrete before them. He pulled Serena to him,
cane at the ready. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"Why, King Endymion!" it exclaimed with more than a
touch of sarcasm. "What a pleasant surprise! And
Neo-Queen Serenity, how are you this fine day? Heard
anything from Small Lady yet?"
Serena bristled. "So it was you that did that to her!
You're the Wiseman!"
"How kind of you to notice. Unfortunately, you're
little red friend is ruining my plans that I've
already carried out, so I must dispose of her before I
can bother with you."
"Leave Raye alone," she growled.
"But she started it!"
"Leave her alone!!" Serena screamed at him. "Give me
my friends back and leave Earth! Now!!"
If the Wiseman had had a face, he would have sneered.
"No," he said simpily. "Your friends are mine. It's a
mere fluke you retrieved Lady Jupiter's soul and
placed it back. You cannot repeat a fluke."
"Don't bet on that, bedsheet."
That wonderfully familiar haughty voice! "Raye!"
Serena called, peering around the Wiseman. Mars was
back, and beside her, Lady Venus and Mercury lay
unconscious, their outfits shifting back to their old
Scout uniforms. Mars smirked at the Wiseman. "Care to
repeat that little statement?"
"Damn you!" he howled in fury, and turned back to
Serena and Darien. "I'd kill her, but you're closer."
A small disk of lightning slammed into him from
behind, shattering him.
The pieces glittered as they fell, the cloak with the
scortch mark fluttered down beside them. Serena looked
up from the specatacle to see Lita on her knees, arm
still outstretched from her throw. "Lita?"
She nodded. "Yeah. It's me," she glanced around from
the Crystal to the bodies to her Princess and Prince.
"I am...so sorry..."
"Don't apologize, Lita, it wasn't your fault," Serena
smiled and stood. "It's all over now..." she turned to
Raye, who's fist was clenched over who-knew-what.
"Raye? May I ask how?"
"I don't know," she said quietly. "I'm going home."
The uniform of the Soldier of Mars vanished to be
replaced by Raye's Shinto robes. She turned and walked
away without another word.
"I understand..." Serena said under her breath. Then
more loudly, she turned to Darien and asked, "Do you
have any money, Muffin? I'm starving!"
---------
Whelpers, almost done! Hold out for another chapter!
Be strong!
Mars
marsiechan@yahoo.com
=====
A Priestess, a bandit, and a dragon, served fresh every Monday
Priestess Mars-chan's Spa of Insanity
http://anime.at/marsiechan/
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