Chapter 100

"The talismans!" Sailor Pluto shouted.

"Well..this is a dilemma isn't it?" Tomoe said. I can't walk onto that platform or the things will fire at me too. Hmm...well..fine..they've won this round..but I'll get them back. They can have the talismans for now.

"So..you may have the talismans..but not me!" Tomoe said and started laughing. He started to descend through a hole in the ground.

"He's getting away!" Mars shouted and move to rush forward. She felt several arms hold her back.

"You'll only get hurt, if you try to run across that passageway," Sailor Moon said.

"I have to get him!" Mars said.

"Mars..you can't keep up this quest for revenge," Mercury said.

"Never mind that now," Sailor Pluto said. "The outers are hurt."

"We can't get to them," Sailor Moon said.

"Sure we can," Neptune said.

"How?" The others said.

"We simply have to disarm that weapon," Neptune said.

"And how do we do that?" Venus snapped.

"Like I know.." Neptune said.

"Hmm.." Mercury said as her visor slid across her face. She studied the emplacements.

"Well..it appears there are launchers on either side," she said. "The mechanism that triggers them must be some sort of laser of camera system."

"So it has to see them.." Jupiter said.

"Or could it be the platform itself," Saturn said.

Mercury looked at the platform.

"No..the platform doesn't seem to possess any equipment. It must be some sort of sensor," Mercury said.

"Let me try something," Uranus said and walked up. He picked up a rock. He rolled it near the spot Neptune and Uranus had jumped off. Nothing happened. He picked up another rock and threw it over the chasm. Nothing happened.

"And what did that prove?" Sailor Moon said.

"It proved that thing is well programmed," Sailor Pluto said. "Either way..it takes a human for that thing to fire."

"Hmm...maybe we can destroy the launchers," Jupiter said.

"Worth a try," Sailor Moon said.

"Let us take a shot at it," Pluto said and drew his sword. The four Guardian Scouts walked up near the edge and started firing at either side. A barrage of missile weapons flew at them.

"Duck!" Saturn said. The four dropped the floor. The missile weapons kept flying over them pinning them down.

"We've made it worse," Mars muttered.

"This must be expending energy though," Mercury said.

The weapons stopped abruptly.

"Heh.let's see them try that again," Neptune said and fired another shot. The weapons started firing.

"Hm...I wonder..." Mars said and vaulted forward. She slid under the bullets and leapt onto the platform. Nothing happened.

"Keep firing at it!" She shouted.

"Okay.." Uranus said and the Guardian scouts kept firing. The missile.kept flying at them.

"I think she's got it figured out..." Sailor Moon said.

"Jupiter...come with me," Tuxedo Mask said.

"Right," Jupiter said. The two slid under the energy bullets and raced onto the platform. Mars picked up the hearts and Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask each picked up an outer scout and jumped back to the edge of the platform.

"Stop firing!" Mars shouted. The Guardians stopped. The bullets stopped seconds later. The three scouts jumped forward as bullets flew at them and landed safely on the other side.

"They're hurt very badly..and the fact that they're hearts are talismans complicates things," Sailor Pluto said.

"You can't put their hearts back can you?" Sailor Moon said.

"No, I can't...but I can save them...at least temporarily..." Sailor Pluto said and used her staff to open a vortex. It floated above and Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus and drew them in.

"Where are they going?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"It would be hard to explain, even to you Mercury," Sailor Pluto said.

Meanwhile the two talismans, a sword and a mirror floated in front of them.

"So these are the talismans," Saturn said.

"Hmm..for all this trouble, they aren't really worth it," Neptune muttered.

"That's only because you only have two," Sailor Pluto said.

"Where's the third?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Right here," Sailor Pluto said and pulled the crystal off the top of her staff. It formed into the last talisman.

"You've had it all this time," Mars said.

"Yes...that's one of the reasons I had to come here..to deliver the last talisman. It was Neptune and Uranus' job to find the other two," Sailor Pluto said.

"And a fine job they did," Venus muttered.

"Well..they became a little ambitious, but the stakes are very high for reasons I must explain to you later. For now we have to stop Tomoe."

"But aren't all three supposed to do something?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Oh..of course...we should handle that first," Sailor Pluto said.

"Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask..why don't you do the honors. Each of you hold a talisman up above you," Sailor Pluto said. They each took one. She took the third.

The three talismans were surrounded with light. The light fed into the center of the triangle they formed and a golden cup appeared in the middle of it. The talismans disappeared.

"What is it?" Jupiter said.

"The holy grail," Sailor Pluto said.

"A graillllllllllll?" Neptune, Pluto, and Uranus said in a strange voice.

"Please boys, don't make light of it," Sailor Pluto said.

"Sorry...you're right," Neptune said.

"But we could use the holy hand grenade about now!" Pluto said and the three started laughing.

"Never mind that! We have to get to Tomoe!" Mars shouted.

"Perhaps I can be of service," Came another voice. Everyone turned to see Maverick standing there.

"How long have you been there?" Mars snapped.

"About five minutes..anyway...I'll fire at the targets and keep them busy while you jump across," Maverick said.

"You know you won't be able to follow," Mercury said.

"Well..you all were the powerful ones anyway," Maverick said.

"I'm afraid it's a two person job. I'll help," Sailor Pluto said. "Besides I can go no further. I must protect the grail."

"The holy graiiiiilllll?" Maverick asked.

"Actually it's only a grail shaped beacon," Neptune said.

"Cut that out!" Mars said.

"Anyway...let's go," Sailor Moon said. Maverick and Sailor Pluto walked to where their aim would be accurate. Pluto readied her staff. Maverick his sword.

"On three.." Pluto said. "1..2..3!"

The two fired and ducked. The bullets flew over them. The other scouts scrambled under the bullets and leapt across the walkway landing near the altar platform.

"Now..how do get down?" Sailor Moon said.

"There's a tunnel several feet ahead," Mercury said. "It's opening was closed up..but we can always blast it open."

"Let me give it a whirl," Guardian Pluto said. "PLUTO STORM FIST PUNCH!" he shouted and slammed his attack into the ground. It cracked.

"Okay..let me give it a try," Saturn said.

"SATURN ICE RINGS BLAST!"

The attack flew at the crack and made it larger.

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" Jupiter shouted. Her attack made a hole.

"MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!" Mercury shouted. The attack made a larger hole.

"Ahh..geez..let's just barrage it," Neptune said and the four Guardians drew their swords and fired. They could see the tunnel now..

"Only way down is to jump," Mars said. "I'll go first."

"You sure?" Sailor Moon said.

"We have to fight Tomoe. Let's leave it at that for now...killing him is an option to be considered later," Mars said and leapt down the tunnel.

"We'll follow...then we'll call up and tell you whether it's safe or not. If we don't call..don't come down," Uranus said and the four Guardians jumped down the tunnel after Mars.

Mars landed with some impact.

"Look out below!" she heard someone shout. She stepped aside as the Guardian Scouts landed one after another.

They looked around. They were in a dark cavern of some kind.

"The rest of you can come down..I think," Saturn said.

"All right," Sailor Moon said. She turned to Pluto and Maverick.

"You guys get a message to the authorities, tell them where we are in case we need to get pulled out of here later," Sailor Moon said.

"Will do!" Sailor Pluto said. "Good luck!"

Maverick managed a little salute.

"Shall we..." Tuxedo Mask said.

The other three Sailor Scouts, followed by Sailor Moon and then Tuxedo Mask jumped down the tunnel.

"No sign of him," Mars said as the others landed.

"Hmm..this only seems to be a lobby of some kind," Mercury said. There isn't much room. Her computer visor slid across her face again. "There's a tube of some sort up ahead..looks like an elevator," she said.

"Tomoe must have taken it down," Sailor Moon said.

"So do we follow? There could be traps anywhere." Neptune said.

"What choice do we have?" Sailor Moon said.

"Come on Mars, we'll go first again..then call up when the coast is clear," Uranus said.

"Right," Mars said. The other Guardian scouts followed them and they hurried to the elevator. The door slid open and they walked in.

"Looks like there's several floors," Mars said looking at the buttons.

"Wouldn't Tomoe be on the lowest one?" Neptune said.

"Tomoe isn't conventional though," Saturn said. "Let's try the second to lowest."

"Might as well," Mars said. The lift descended, and soon the doors opened revealing a large cavern. Sitting on a throne at the end of it was Doctor Tomoe.

"Well..I see..you figured me out! One floor from the bottom..brilliant huh!" Tomoe shouted.

"It's the first floor from the bottom," Saturn said into his communicator.

"We're coming," Sailor Moon said. The elevator doors open literally seconds later and the other scouts emerged.

"We didn't want to wait...so we used the express," Sailor Moon said.

"Namely blasting a hole in the top of the car as we jumped down the shaft," Jupiter said.

"Well..now you're all here...except for the two outer scouts..a pity..isn't it..oh and see that pest Maverick isn't around either. Oh..well..you then will get to have my wrath all to yourselves," Tomoe said.

"We can take anything!" Sailor Moon said.

"Oh can you..." Tomoe said. "Well let me introduce you to a few of my friends..I call them...my evil scouts!"

Out of the shadows came a group of daimons. Each of them was dressed to be an exact replica of each of the scouts..except for Sailor Moon. Only their bodies were clearly daimon, but the hair and shape was all the same. Tomoe hadn't seen the need for a Sailor Neptune and Uranus clone since they were gone already. He saved the energy he would have needed to construct them for himself.

"Well this is great, just great," Mars said.

"Hey...how come there isn't one of me?" Sailor Moon said.

"Oh..well..I had different plans for you," Tomoe said and in a flash of light his robes fell away revealing he was wearing a replica of Sailor Moon's outfit. A wig fell on top of his head.

"Hah! I am your clone now!" he shouted.

"It's hideous!" the rest of the scouts said.

"Oh..and I guess this Maverick clone will just have to sit by the wayside..too bad," Tomoe said. "Or better yet it can guard the elevator! Daimons attack!"

The clones each headed after their respected targets. Tomoe advanced on Sailor Moon.

"Moon Sword," Sailor Moon said.

"Tomoe Sword," Tomoe said and a strange looking menagerie of glass and wood appeared in his hand.

"Hah...the Tomoe Sword is quite formidable!" he said and started laughing.

"You're the one wearing a dress," Sailor Moon said.

And the battles began.

Neptune ducked out of the way of his opponent, who raced forward and swung his sword missing by several feet.

"Hah hah!" Neptune shouted and swung his sword....also missing by several feet.

The clone growled and leapt at him. Neptune dived out of the way.

Uranus fired his sword as his clone charged at him. It skimmed the top of the clones head, but it kept coming swinging it's sword. Uranus met the blow and the two started sparring.

Pluto didn't even draw his sword, and neither did his clone. The two began boxing with each other, trying to get in a good punch.

"I am the Muhammad Ali of the scouts you know," Pluto said.

"Ehh...you look like his butt too," the clone said.

"That was quite uncalled for," Pluto said and gave his clone an uppercut.

Saturn and his clone were already involved in a sword fight. His clone thrusted forward, Saturn stepped back and moved to make his own attack. The clone blocked it and they continued to fight.

Jupiter's clone tried to punch her in the stomach. Jupiter stepped back and kicked the clone in knee. The clone stumbled forward. Jupiter grabbed it in a headlock and ran it into a wall.

Venus did a cartwheel to the side as her clone sailed past her.

"Never was good at the offensive attacks," Venus muttered and swung around.

Mars charged forward and delivered a chop, then she kicked and kicked again. Her clone fell to the ground. Mars walked over and picked her up, only to chop her in the neck again. And then kicked her in the head.

"I've come this close."

Mercury and her clone just stood there staring at each other.

"Hmm..we really don't fight hand to hand," Mercury said.

"That's true," the clone said.

Meanwhile near Tomoe's throne the Tuxedo Mask clone and his real counterpart were sparring with their staffs.

Tomoe swung his sword at Sailor Moon, she dived away and flipped her sword to her other hand and pulled off her tiara. Tomoe spun around.

"Moon Tiara..." she shouted as he charged at her. "Magic!" She shouted as he was literally a foot away. The disc smashed into him and pushed him backward.

"You destroyed my sword," Tomoe said throwing it's broken pieces away before unleashing a blast of energy that caught Sailor Moon completely unprepared. She was thrown back into a wall.

"Mars Celestial Fireball Surround!" Mars shouted and vaporized her clone. She turned to see Tomoe fighting. Her eyes narrowed.

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!" Venus shouted. Her opponent did the same. The attacks flew by each other at them. They both dodged out of the way.

Mercury and her clone continued to look at each other.

"This is getting us nowhere," the clone muttered.

"Yes, I can see that," Mercury said.

"Neptune Triton Attack!" Neptune shouted. His golden triton flew from his hands just seconds before he was blasted by his clone with an energy sword. The attack smashed into the Mercury clone.

"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!" Mercury shouted and blasted her clone apart.

"Why didn't I think of that...if we attack the clones that aren't our own we'll have more of an advantage. She turned to see Neptune's clone trying to stab Neptune.

"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!" She shouted and the attack flew very close the to Neptune clone. But it whirled towards her, taking only a second to fire an energy blast. Mercury ducked.

Jupiter punched her clone in the face. The clone punched back continuing their brawl.

Guardian Pluto and his clone both stabbed with their swords, and both managed to hit each other. They both let out shouts.

"That was stupid!" they shouted in unison. Saturn leapt through the air and swung his sword right into the Pluto clone's head. It fell back. The Saturn Clone flew after Saturn firing madly. Guardian Pluto swung his sword out, it embedded itself in the Saturn Clone and caused him to stumble to the ground.

"Pluto Storm Fist Punch!" he shouted and swung it through his clone. It blew apart.

"Saturn Ice Rings Blast!" Saturn shouted and blew his own clone apart.

"Venus crescent beam smash!" Venus shouted. The attack flew over the creature and surprised it. "Hah..you don't have that attack do you?"

The creature started to say something before it was hit in the head with a triton. It staggered around before exploding. Venus whirled to see Neptune standing there.

"Uh.little help here!" Mercury shouted still pinned down by the Neptune clone's attacks.

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" Venus shouted and sent her attack smashing into the Neptune clone which blew apart.

Uranus hit his clone with the spin kick it stumbled into the brawl between Jupiter and her clone and knocked the two apart. A variety of energy attacks slammed into the two clones and destroyed them.

"Where's Tuxedo Mask?" Venus asked.

A figure went flying off the throne area. The Tuxedo Mask clone crashed into the ground. The real Tuxedo Mask flew a barrage of roses destroying it.

"Now..there's just him," Jupiter said turning to the clone by the elevator.

The Maverick clone let out a howl as it was blasted forwards a wound already though it's chest and blew apart.

"The machine ran out of bullets," Maverick said standing in the elevator's doorway.

Mars meanwhile was calling on her power.

"Mars Celestial Fireball Surround."

The attack flew at Tomoe and burned him. He whirled around and fired an enormous burst of energy out of his hands. It smashed into the unprepared and exhausted scouts knocking them all to the ground.

"Hah! That is just the beginning!" Tomoe shouted.

"I'll bet!" Sailor Moon shouted and leapt into the air. She kicked Tomoe he flew backwards towards the throne. He began..to stand up slowly.

"Just for that. I'll invoke my full power!" he said as he did so.

He began to glow and pulsate as the energy flowed through him.

"Moon Spiral Hearts Attack!" She shouted. Her attack flew at him. His attack met hers and the two clashed halfway between them. Tomoe began to grin as more power surged through him and flew at Sailor Moon. She stepped back, but kept all of her energy flowing through her.

"We've got to protect Sailor Moon," Mars said struggling to get up.

"Form a shield," Jupiter said feeling some inspiration.

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

"Mercury Star Power!"

The four scouts walked forward an energy shield flowing between them. The energy smashed against them and pushed them back.

"Saturn Power!"

"Neptune Power!"

"Uranus Power!"

"Pluto Power!"

A second shield formed in front of the first. The energy hit the first shield passed through it and then began to dissipate as it hit the second and barely came out towards the third.

Maverick and Tuxedo Mask looked at each other and nodded. Tuxedo Mask pulled out his transformation Rose. Maverick pulled out his own item and the two formed a third shield right in front of Sailor Moon. The attack disappeared as it hit.

"Now Sailor Moon!" everyone shouted.

"Moon Spiral Hearts Attack!" Sailor Moon shouted and jumped above it all. The attack flew out and slammed into Tomoe. He shrieked as the energy fell away from all around. He collapsed to the ground unconscious. The scouts all let go of their powers and almost all collapsed to the ground of exhaustion. Sailor Moon caught her breath. Mars began to stand.

"Mars..." Sailor Moon said.

"Sailor Moon..heal him..before..I..do something..I'll regret," Mars said.

"Right.." Sailor Moon said. "Moon Healing Power!" she shouted and the white beam flew out and surrounded Tomoe. It surrounded him and he opened his eyes briefly.

"Thank you..I'm free.." He said. "But I'm not alone," he gasped and fell back unconscious.

"Well we won another one," Serena said. They were sitting in Amy's dining room which was quite large and had been used to host the occasional dinner party in the past.

"Yeah!" the rest of the table said. They were all there, the five inner sailors, four guardians, Darrien, Patterson, and Setsuna. Slices of pizza lay all over the table.

"See I think this proves once and for all..." Mike said standing up. "Of the superiority..of the Guardian Scouts.."

Everyone looked at him.

"In going to be getting hit very, very hard..many, many times right?" Mike asked. The group burst into laughter. Patterson cracked a smile for a brief time.

"Well let's enjoy it while it lasts, because tomorrow we'll probably be fighting off the invasion of the evil milk cartons from space," Lita said.

"Or getting detention slips for missing class," Amy muttered. Most of the table sighed.

"So Setsuna what's next for you?" Darrien asked.

"Well there are various tasks for me to perform...." Setsuna said. "But I'd rather not discuss them now."

"But you'll be sticking around."

"For a little while."

"Why? You find her attractive Darrien?" Serena asked suspiciously.

"Uh..as a colleague purely," Darrien said.

"Yeah..right..." the girls at the table said.

"And to that we'll also have to add a yeah right!" the three guys said.

"Does anything phase us?" Greg whispered to Patterson.

"Not for more than five minutes," Patterson replied.

"So Tomoe has failed," the Dark One said sitting in the dark shadows of her throne room.

"I'm afraid so," a voice said.

"Very well..I will take personal charge of this operation," the Dark One said emerging from her chair and walking down the stairs. "There is no time left. Failure is not an option. We will destroy the forces that protect this planet once and for all!"

As she said this she turned and revealed her form to those in attendance. That of a dark haired girl only about sixteen years old.

"Father..you may have failed..but I the Dark One, Hotaru Tomoe will succeed!"

CHAPTER 66 CHAPTER 67 CHAPTER 68 CHAPTER 69 CHAPTER 70  CHAPTER 71 

CHAPTER 72 CHAPTER 73 CHAPTER 74 CHAPTER 75  CHAPTER 76 CHAPTER 77

 CHAPTER 78 CHAPTER 79 CHAPTER 80  CHAPTER 81  CHAPTER 82 CHAPTER 83

CHAPTER 84 CHAPTER 85  CHAPTER 86 CHAPTER 87 CHAPTER 88 CHAPTER 89

 CHAPTER 90 CHAPTER 91 CHAPTER 92 CHAPTER 93 CHAPTER 94 CHAPTER 95

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