Author: Priestess Mars-chan
Rating: PG-13
It Always Gets Worse
Chapter Five: Confrontation
Chapter Six: Confrontation
The Dark Crystal loomed infront of them. Sailor Moon
and Mars stopped their frantic running and gaped. In
the few hours they had been away, the Crystal had
practically doubled in size! What was the NegaMoon
planning? To destroy the whole planet?
"They're close," Mars said to Moon, who was still
gawking at the Crystal. "I can feel them."
They slowly proceeded closer to the Dark Crystal, as
if afraid that any sudden movement would detonate the
Crystal and kill them all.
"What do you think it's for?" Sailor Moon whispered,
reaching out her hand as if she meant to touch it, but
didn't. It pulsed with energy, practically bursting
with evil.
"Nothing good, I'm sure," Mars replied, just as
quietly.
They both spotted Amy at the same time, lying in a
crumpled heap by the Crystal.
Sailor Moon gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "Amy!
No!" she started to run to her friend to help her in
anyway possible, but Mars held her back. "Raye! Let
go! I have to help Amy!" Sailor Moon pleaded, pulling
against Mars' grip.
"That's not Amy," Mars said. "That's--" she never
finished. She pulled Sailor Moon to the ground to
avoid being impaled by a flying ice crystal.
Lady Mercury stamped a slippered foot in frustration.
"Missed!"
Sailor Moon felt as though she had just been punched.
"Amy...?" she asked hoarsly. "What's wrong with you?"
"She's like Rini," Mars answered for Mercury. "Look at
her eyes...."
"For an idiot who thinks she can read fire, you're not
that dumb. Oh, and the name's 'Lady Mercury', not
'Amy'."
Lita appeared in a flash of lightning, attired in a
figure-fitting green dress, her eyes cold and hard.
Sailor Moon collapsed to her knees, tears corsing down
her cheeks. "No, Lita! I can't lose you too! How could
you let Wise Man turn you?!"
"'Lady Jupiter' to you, dearie," Lady Jupiter snapped
harshly at her. "Don't give me that crap. Wise Man
just gave me an offer that I would've been an idiot to
refuse. Revenge in exchange for a wardrobe change."
Her dress briefly glowed and reformed into a black
version of her Sailor uniform. "Remember all the times
you bailed on me? No more. Jupiter Thunder Ball!"
A sphere of lightning, about the size of a large beach
ball went flying at Sailor Moon. Seeing that she was
too upset to do anything about it, Mars took the
initiative. "Mars Cellestial Fire Surrond!"
The fire rings collided with the lightning and they
both detonated each other, seconds before Black
Jupiter's attack would've fried Sailor Moon.
"Sailor Moon, heal them!" Mars ordered, striking a
defensive stance.
Sailor Moon nodded and unclasped her locket from her
front bow. "Moon Crystal Healing Activation!" Pink
light flew forth from the locket and engulfed the
traitorous Scouts. They blinked at the light's
intensity, but showed no signs of being healed. "Mars,
it's not working!" she cried, "What should we do?"
"Die is a good option," Lady Mercury answered and
flung an ice crystal. Sailor Moon made no attempt to
stop it as it flew straight for her heart....
A single red rose shattered the crystal before it
could reach its mark.
Lady Mercury and Jupiter whipped their heads around
and groaned. Tuxedo Mask was glaring back down at
them, from atop a lamp post, cape fluttering in the
wind.
"Stop what you're doing Amy," he instructed, "I don't
want to hurt you, but if you force me to, I will."
Lightning began to dance around Lady Jupiter as she
glared back up at Tuxedo. "Oh, I'm so scared," she
said sarcastically and began to form her attack. She
never got to finish.
Two ofudas pelted both Lady Jupiter and Mercury,
freezing them both in place as Tuxedo Mask
effortlessly hopped off the street-light to stand
beside Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars. "What's going on?"
he asked.
"I don't know," Sailor Moon answered. "We came here to
save them from the Dark Crystal and they attacked us.
I don't know what to do, Darien! I can't heal them!"
He blinked from behind his mask. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. "Yes, I tried.
It's almost like there's nothing there to heal. Like
they've been banished or something! Darien, what are
we going to do?!"
He shook his head, helplessness expressed in his
posture. "I don't know. Have any ideas, Raye?"
She also shook her head. "No..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, two great powers stopped by a measly
charm. How pathetic," the three turned to see Lady
Venus standing in between Jupiter and Mercury, looking
amused at the ofudas attached to their foreheads.
Sailor Moon looked as if she could just faint.
"Mina....no......" she murmered.
Lady Venus shot a glare over her shoulder, but said
nothing. She touched the tow ofudas and they briefly
glowed red before striking out and paralyzing Sailor
Moon and Sailor Mars. "Don't talk until I deem it
worthy," she said with an aristocratic air, scoffing
at the two of them. Lady Jupiter stalked behind Venus
and glared, Lady Mercury innocently folded her hands
behind her back and observed. Lady Venus plucked her
sunglasses from her hair and twidled them in between
her fingers for several moments, waiting for someone
to make a move. When no one did, she turned to Tuxedo
Mask. "Well, Tuxie? No smart remarks? No flying
flowers?" Tuxedo grinded his teeth, but said nothing.
"You won't talk to me? I'm crushed!" she put her face
in her hands, pretending to sob. "You're so mean!" she
snapped when she came back up. "Talk to me, or I'll
kill those two!" she blasted a flurry of small,
razor-sharp black hearts at him, which knocked off his
top hat and mask to show her intenions.
"What do you want me to do?" Darien asked. "If I make
any move to help them, you'll hurt them!"
Lady Venus shrugged. "Yeah, well, you're right about
that, I guess. Fine! You won't help them in any way!
You'll just stand there and make no move, while I do
what I please and if you don't, your precious meatball
head over there is sushi, got it?!" Darien nodded
solemly. An evil glint came to Lady Venus' eye which
chilled him. "In fact, standing there doing nothing
seems like a very good idea...." She began to slink
towards him.
"Mina!" Mars shouted at her, trying to warn her off.
She realized it was a futile effort, but she had to
try.
"You know, I'm not really a bad person," Lady Venus
purred, walking around Darien, appreciating every
moment of it. "I've been scorned by my beloved public.
and you know what they say about a woman scorned." Her
fingers curled around Darien's collar and she pulled
him violently down to her face. "Your beloved is about
to lose something dear...." she kissed him, hard, full
on the mouth. Darien tried to move away, but Lady
Venus pulled him close, refusing to release him.
"Mina, stop it!" Sailor Moon ordered, more tears
gushing down her cheeks. "You're going to hurt him!"
Lady Venus reluctantly pulled away, but she still held
Darien tight. She slowly cranned her head around, her
eyes looking vaguely amused. "'Hurt him', Sailor Moon?
I'm going to do far worse than hurt him!" Darien
started to slightly cough. "I was the hero first! I
deserved everything! But noooo! You came along with
your little copycat act and stole everything! I
deserved leadership! I deserved the crystal! I
deserved the prince! Not you!"
"I never knew you felt that way..." Moon whispered,
lowering her eyes.
"You do now! Unfortunatley, it's too late to do
anything about it, Sailor Moon!" she smiled. Raye felt
a shiver go down her spine as she realized what was
about to happen. "You're going to lose something you
never should've had." Darien collasped on all fours,
still coughing, but more violently, blood dribbling
from his mouth, to the concrete below. Lady Venus
kicked him, causing him to fall on his side, back to
the Scouts. "Ah, the Kiss of Death claims its first
and hopefully not last victim. It's a good thing,"
Lady Venus said with a nod. "Bye-bye!" she waved and
disapeered in a shower of orange hearts, quickly
followed by a dumbfounded Jupiter and Mercury.
The ofudas fluttered lifelessly to the ground.
Free of its spell, Serena sprang forward to where
Darien lay, still coughing and convulsing. She gently
turned him, cradling him in her arms. Raye gasped in
despite of herself when she saw his face. Blood
trickled from Darien's nose and shut eyes as well as
his mouth. Boils peppered his skin, some bursting,
their vile insides mixing with the blood. Raye didn't
even want to think about what was happening to Darien
internally.
"Sssshhh, Darien, everything will be allright," Serena
whispered, stroking his face, not caring what she got
on her. "We'll always have each other, no matter what.
I promise." the coughing started to taper off, as did
the seizures. Raye hoped that was a good sign. Serena
laughed nervously. "You'll see, Darien. Once we get
over this current crisis, we'll be able to settle
down. We'll be happier than we ever were before.
You'll see, everything will work out." Darien shook
one more time...and was still. Raye felt the faint
breeze of what felt like a passing soul. "Darien?"
Serena shook his shoulders. "Darien?" she asked again,
a bit more frantic. "Darien?!" she screamed before
collasping on his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
Raye had never felt more useless. She could do nothing
but watched as her dearest friend's heart was ripped
out and crushed. Nothing.....but watch.
Serena slowly lifted her tear-stained face and with
much care, undid the clasp on her locket one more
time. Then she lightly kissed Darien's ruined face.
"Don't worry, Muffin. We'll be together once more."
She withdrew her Moon Scepter.
"Serena, no!" Raye practically shrieked, desperate not
to lose the final friend she had left. "I can't do
this alone! I need your help!"
Serena shook her head and lifted her eyes to meet
Raye's. "You'll fix it, Raye. I can't help you, I have
to bow to my destiny. Together with Darien, no matter
what," she gave a half-hearted chuckle. "It's funny
how destiny works out sometines, isn't it? You're
leader now."
"Serena!" Raye could think of nothing to say, so she
pleaded with her eyes.
"Raye, please, it's not my decision. I'd like to
live," she looked back down at Darien. "But I must be
at Darien's side. You understand, don't you?" Raye bit
her lip and nodded. Serena reached out, grabbing her
hand, and placed her transformation locket into it.
"Thanks. For what it's worth Raye...I believe in you."
She released Raye's hand and lifted her scepter. "Moon
Scepter---!" she flipped the scepter to face herself.
"Elimination!"
There was a blinding flash of pure light and when it
was done...the Moon Princess and her Prince were no
more. A single white rose remained where the two had
been. Raye cautiously walked over to the rose and
picked it up, examing it carefully. When she could
stand it no more, she collapsed to her knees,
squeezing the locket in her hand, and cried untill she
thought her heart would burst. "Serena...." she moaned
as the rose's thorns cut into her palm. "Serena......"
From inside the Dark Crystal, Wicked Lady, once known
as Rini, Small Lady of Crystal Tokyo, vanished
completely from the timeline, having never existed in
the first place.
By a gate she had been sworn to protect, no matter
what the cost, Sailor Pluto's eyes widened with shock.
"Oh no...."
======
You cannot have nothing to say after that. It's not
humanly possible
Mars-chan
marsiechan@yahoo.com
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