Chapter 173
The battles all had entered draw phases again. The two sides stood facing each other.
At the farthest end, Neo-Pluto stood quietly staring at Golkum. Both of them were covered with the dirt of the ground they were standing on.
"Sometimes I wonder," Neo-Pluto said.
"What do you mean?" Golkum asked.
"Well..why do you even bother?"
"What?"
"Okay..here you are, this big rock creature..right?"
"Yeah."
"So..Queen Nehelenia wins right..then what?"
"I continue to serve her."
"That's it? No mansion in the mountains, hordes of women rock creatures to care for you..nothing like that.."
"Well..no.."
"Oh...just serving her..until you die."
"That is all the satisfaction I need."
"I doubt it."
"It is...all these other things that you speak of have no appeal to me."
"That doesn't make sense to me..they should.."
"They don't."
"I see, all you are, is a slave..she doesn't let you want the good life."
"I do not know what the good life is," Golkum said.
"I pity you," Neo-Pluto said.
"Enough talk, let's end this."
"Oh of course..wouldn't want to keep you from your life of endless servitude."
Golkum stared at him.
"All right..so just what do you have that I don't?"
Neo-Pluto managed a brief grin.
"Come on Retago...you gimp!" Uranus shouted.
"AHHH!" Retago shouted and swung forward with his five sword hands. Uranus slid to the side and swung his sword into Retago's limp side. Retago swung around, Uranus quickly slid under the attack and dived away in surprise. Retago turned and grinned.
"You see..I can't feel any pain over there.." he said.
Uranus winced. Retago had cut him across his sword arm. He moved his sword to his other arm.
"Ambidextrous?" Retago asked.
"No thank you.." Uranus said. "Come on..Retago....what are you waiting for?"
"Hah!" Retago said and lunged forward. Uranus charged forward and swung. Retago moved to hit his sword away and block the other attacks. Uranus touched his left foot to the ground and spun away from the swords delivering a spin kick to Retago's good head. Retago let out a cry before crashing to the ground. Uranus turned and readied himself.
"Come on..get up!" Uranus shouted. "If you don't I'll just blast you to pieces."
The swords Retago was holding disappeared. He flipped up on his five hands and held them there.
Uranus' eyes widened. Retago shot forward and hit him before he could even blink he was knocked fifty feet back smashing into the ground. His head ached.
Probably got a concussion..but then again..at that speed..he probably could have killed me. Uranus though. Retago stood where he had hit him and waited.
This changes things..but why didn't he do that before? Uranus muttered before being hit straight on again and thrown to the ground. He winced as the pain increased.
To increase the surprise..or to feel me..out..he thought. Oh well..I'm in trouble then..
Retago waited for him to stand.
"Apparently my powers have little effect on you," Opium said.
"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Neptune said.
"That appears certain," Opium said.
"So..that's it..if that didn't work you're done for."
"Well..not exactly..." Opium said and a fog seemed to form around him. Seconds later he disappeared replaced by an exact replica of Neptune.
"Huh?" Guardian Neptune said.
"I'm you now," Opium Neptune said. "See..I not only inject illusions into your mind, I also can copy your brain..."
"So what?"
"So...I can predict every move you make before you make it."
"And..can't I do the same?"
"Oh..good point."
"YAHHH!" Neptune shouted and charged forward tackling Opium Neptune, the two
were soon brawling in the dirt.
Neo-Saturn took in a breath. Both he and Avictus hadn't even touched each
other, throughout their sparring match they had learned a lot about each
other..but that didn't help. It seemed for every move one of them had, the other
had the counter. Neo-Saturn wanted to be done with it...but his suicidal
tendencies were no help. Leaving himself exposed right now wouldn't lead to
Avictus' defeat. He knew that. The two once again were faced off. Waiting for
their opportunity. Neo-Saturn hadn't seen fit to use his power...for one thing
he was sure Avictus could dodge it, and he wanted to win the fight purely
legally. So.they continued to stare at each other waiting for an opportunity.
Pluto and Xcoi also stood facing each other. They had had their share of
fighting..but to little result. One of Xcoi's fake eyes was gone..but that did
little good. Pluto's right arm was burnt, but since he was left handed it had
little effect on his powers. He knew one thing..that the fireballs didn't have
much force to them and that gave him an idea. It was going to hurt though..
Uris had finally stopped chasing Saturn and chose merely to face him. Saturn still couldn't get to his sword and that bothered him. He was not a hand to hand fighter..and he had no idea how to turn the tide. Uris seemed to sense this..but was taking his time, making sure Saturn didn't have any surprises in store. And that was the only thing keeping him alive...Saturn thought through what he'd have to do next. Then he had an idea.
"Uris.." Saturn said hesitantly.
"What is it human?"
"You're afraid of me aren't you?"
"What? How can you say that..you who are practically shaking."
"No..I can see it..you can't understand how I'm this powerful scout and yet unable to mount much of an attack against you..you think this is all some plot to bring your guard down."
"And if it was.."
"Well..you're certainly right to be afraid after all...why would I have just let you have my sword like that. Could it be that I don't need it...or is it something else. I mean...there it is sticking into the ground behind you. Right behind you..."
Uris glanced back at it.
"Enough of this!" he shouted and raced forward.
Saturn leapt up into the air and over him. Uris spun. Saturn raced towards his sword. The intimidation ploy had worked. Uris couldn't stand not knowing so he attacked, leaving the sword open. Saturn leapt forward and grabbed his sword tugging it out of the ground. He turned expecting Uris to attack any second. But Uris was just standing there.
"I can see it clearly now.." Uris said. "You are nothing without that sword. And now it will do you no good.."
"Uh oh.." Saturn said not sure what to do. There was a flash of light. A missile flew out from Uris....Saturn had no idea where it came from, but he knew he needed to avoid it. He jumped out of the way. The missile flew past. Saturn watched in surprise as it turned and flew at him.
"Heat seeker or something...he doesn't miss.." Saturn muttered diving out of the missiles path again.
"I wouldn't bother," Uris said. "The missile is indestructible and it's only after your characteristics...not mine...so..it will hunt you down..till it gets you."
Saturn dove out of the way again. The missile spun and turned. Saturn fired his sword. The shot bounced off and he dived out of the way yet again.
Great..just great. he thought.
Neo-Neptune and Seven continued their standoff.
"Hmm...tricky isn't it?" Neo-Neptune said tossing the grenade up in his hand.
"You'd really blow yourself up?" Seven asked.
"Don't have much to live for buddy..." Neo-Neptune said.
Seven said nothing.
"In fact while we're here..let me tell you a little about myself."
"I wish you wouldn't" Seven said.
"Oh..and what are you going to do about it?" Neo-Neptune said thumbing the trigger of the grenade.
"Ehh.." Seven muttered.
"It all began a long time ago.." Neo-Neptune began.
Neo-Uranus and the Aiver were covered with scorch marks. Small cuts also covered each of them. It had been a relative stalemate, but at the rate they were going, neither of them would survive the battle. Neo-Uranus took in a breath trying not to grimace that he felt in his chest every time he did so. He held a defensive position. The Aiver waited. Neo-Uranus took in another breath and then began to walk forward. The Aiver's eyes narrowed slightly, not understanding why he was being assailed in this way.
"I can see you coming.." The Aiver said.
"Makes you wonder doesn't it?" Neo-Uranus said.
The Aiver widened his eyes only to return them to their narrow state.
"Very well.." The Aiver said and readied himself. Neo-Uranus took a step. He
bolted forward swinging his sword straight on. The Aiver through out his hands.
The sword flew right into his chest, as he returned a blast of energy which cut
right through Neo-Uranus said. The two both were blown back by another mix of
energies. Both of them landed on their backs and didn't move for a good ten
seconds. Slowly Neo-Uranus came to one knee. The Aiver did the same. The two
looked at each other now covered with more scorches and burns and readied
themselves for their final attacks.
"Who are you?" Sailor Moon asked in shock looking at the apparently human girl standing in front of her.
"You can't be human!" Rini shouted almost angrily.
"Calm down Rini.." Sailor Moon said.
"A privilege to meet you Sailor Moon, Princess Rini," the girl said.
"Just who are you!" Rini shouted.
"I am Aeka," the girl said. "Welcome to the Rebirth."
"What Rebirth?" Sailor Moon asked.
"That's our ship.." Aeka said. "Where you are."
"Oh..of course.." Sailor Moon said. "Mind telling me what's going on."
"I could..but perhaps you'd like to hear it from more trustworthy sources. Sailor Moon watched as Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus walked through the door.
"We have a lot to talk about," Neptune said.
And elsewhere on the ship.
"I still haven't figured this place out.." Venus said.
"No sign of anyone yet.." Jupiter said.
"But this ship has to have a crew right?." Mars said.
"Not necessarily," Mercury said. "It could be run by computer..or for that matter could be a living thing itself."
"It could?" the other three asked.
"Fascinating isn't it?" Mercury asked.
"NO!" the other three shouted.
"Oh....." Mercury said. "Well..I guess we should keep looking around.."
The group found another door and walked through it. They all stopped in surprise.
There was a statue standing in the center of the room...and on it stood the five original Sailor Scouts in battle poses.
The four all stared at it.
"This is all a bad dream.." Venus said.
"No..we'd know if it was," Mercury said.
"Besides, bad dreams don't make this much sense," Jupiter said.
"None of this makes sense," Venus said.
Mercury approached the statue.
"Strange..this is composed in part by electrical components..though it's very advanced."
"Hello.." the statue said in surprisingly her voice. She stepped back.
"Is there anything you wish to know about the Sailor Scouts?" the voice continued.
"Now that you mention it...." the four scouts began in unison.
"Does what we just said explain everything to you?" Uranus asked.
"No.." Sailor Moon and Rini answered in unison.
Neptune and Uranus sighed.
"We should have expected that..." Neptune said.
"How do we know you're even the real Uranus and Neptune anyway?" Rini asked.
"Guess you'll have to trust us.." Neptune said.
"No one trusts you," Sailor Moon said. "Even when we knew you were the real thing."
"Good point," Neptune said with a slight grin. "Let us put it another way."
"You have no choice.." Uranus said. "After all..."
The two girls shrugged.
"So...you're saying..that this ship is composed of a colony of humans who left before crystal Tokyo was formed and settled on a planet several galaxies away..." Sailor Moon said.
"And that you've come back to check on humanity..but wasn't sure you should intrude at the moment," Rini said.
"So you decided to wait and see what happened hoping to draw Nehelenia's attention," Sailor Moon said.
"But you knew that telling Crystal Tokyo you were here would probably complicate things.." Rini said.
"So you just stayed put.." Sailor Moon said.
"But what about all those ships Nehelenia blew up?" Rini asked.
"Decoys.." Aeka said. "They didn't have anyone in them..they were designed to get attacked...this ship is much better defended. We wouldn't let Nehelenia stop us....though if she had used an all out attack we might have been in trouble."
"Though if she had she would have been open to attack from the Scouts," Uranus said.
"And in the meantime we were telling Uranus and Neptune our story and convincing them we told the truth," Aeka said.
"Eventually we believed her.." Neptune said.
"After we had been nursed back to health of course," Uranus said.
"And now that this is done...we'd better go get your friends.." Aeka said.
"Friends?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Of course those four Sailor Scouts wandering around below decks," Aeka said.
"Oh..uh..good idea.." Sailor Moon said.
Golkum lunged at Neo-Pluto.
"Now you've made me depressed!" Golkum shouted. Neo-Pluto dodged out of the way, but Golkum hit him with a massive punch. Neo-Pluto fell to the ground.
"I'm going to crush you!"
"Sorry..I opened my mouth.." Neo-Pluto muttered. Golkum swung at him. He rolled out of the way and kicked forward. The attack didn't work and Golkum grabbed him and swung him into the ground slamming him. Neo-Pluto winced at the pain and slowly mouthed words.
"Pluto...." He whispered and was slammed into the ground again.
"Shock " he continued and hit again. His head began to drift...
"Ram!" He shouted. The attack flew through Golkum and blew him apart.
Neo-Pluto few backward and hit the ground.
Retago hit Uranus again. He had no idea what to do. The minute he stood up he was hit..and his mind was wandering...he was no tactician...but then again..Retago knew that...Uranus continued to lie on the ground.
"Get up or I'll attack you anyway," Retago said mimicking Uranus.
"Knew that would come back to haunt me.." Uranus said, and held his sword at the ready. He stood up. Retago charged. Uranus was hit and smashed into the ground. He let out a gasp and winced..the pain flooded through him..but he looked up. Retago was standing where he had hit him, but he was yelling and shouting flailing about and bouncing up and down. This was because Uranus had thrown his sword out in front of him and it had hit Retago right in the head as he charged.
"Uranus..Fire Spikes....Attack!" Uranus shouted and hit Retago, the creature
glowed and then vanished. Uranus sank to the ground exhausted.
Neptune and Opium Neptune were continuing to punch each other. As it turned out Opium Neptune's sword was worthless and he had done what he could to get rid of Neptune's..so it was hand to hand. Opium Neptune grabbed Neptune hoping to choke him, but Neptune did the same and the two were grappling.
Gotta find someway to end this..Neptune thought. Of course...there is one way. He moved to kick Opium in the shin just as Opium was about to do the same to him. They both connected and fell to the ground. Choking each other still.
"You forget..I don't need air to breathe..." Opium said. Neptune began to feel woozy.
"Oh..." Neptune said and exploited his opportunity. He bit Opium on the arm. Opium let go in an instant.
"Hah.." Neptune said and rolled off of him kicking Opium in the head, he gasped for breath. Opium jumped forward and grabbed Neptune's real sword.
"Uh oh.." Neptune said.
"Hah!" Opium said and swung at him. Neptune dived out of the way...still trying to get air back into his lungs, and he began to get exhausted. Neptune grabbed his sword by the energy blade and shouted in pain as he shocked him. Opium held on.
"Neptune Triton Impale!"
The attack flew out and hit Opium right on. Neptune collapsed as Opium exploded.
"He never thought I'd be that stupid.." he muttered.
Neo-Saturn and Avictus still waited their swords at the ready, once again waiting for some sort of distraction. Neo-Saturn wondered just what he should do...this could go on indefinitely. He sighed and put his sword on his belt.
"What exactly are you doing?" Avictus said.
"Exactly what it seems," Neo-Saturn said.
"You are yielding?"
"No...I am going to fight you?"
"Without your sword?"
"My sword is still here, it is just not facing you..."
"Impossible."
"I disagree."
"You disagree..so be it.." Avictus said with his eyes narrowed. He slid forward and swung his sword. Neo-Saturn slid to the side and swung his sword around and hit Avictus with the handle before it flared to life. Avictus turned off balance and threw his own energy sword into him. It crackled. Neo-Saturn turned bringing his own energy sword to bear. Each of them hit and let out shouts as the energy surged through them. Neo-Saturn grinned slightly.
"We'll both stay like this until we die.." he said.
"You're insane," Avictus said and tried to pull out. Neo-Saturn dug his sword
deeper. Avictus shouted out and couldn't bring his own sword around before he
sank to the ground and vaporized. Neo-Saturn grinned slightly before collapsing
himself.
Then there was Pluto and Xcoi. Pluto knew what he had to do..two things were holding him back, first this was going to really hurt...second..he didn't know if it would work. Still it was the best he could come up with.
"Oh come now..do something old boy.." Xcoi said.
"Ehh.." Pluto said. "You asked for it."
"So I did..." Xcoi said. Pluto raced forward. "Pluto...Storm Fist..."
Xcoi fired a fireball..Pluto felt it singe him as it hit.
"PUNCH!" He shouted and hit Xcoi with all he had. The creature disintegrated
from the uppercut. Pluto dropped to the ground and rolled trying to get the last
bits of fire off of him. When that was done he sighed and fell from exhaustion.
Saturn dodged the missile again...it was getting closer..but he had finally set himself up..he turned..the missile turned to follow him..he jumped away..it turned and flew at him..he jumped away again..bouncing. Uris watched with annoyance. Saturn leapt forward again...the missile followed. Then he spun and leapt right at Uris. The missile flew at him as he did so. Saturn turned and leapt off of the missile it detonated, throwing him farther into the air he slammed into the ground. Uris was blown apart with a scream. Saturn looked out to see it and then fell.
He hadn't missed.. He managed to think.
"Wonderful story wasn't it?" Neo-Neptune said.
"You are a pathetic life form," Seven said.
"Well...sure I am..but I really didn't need you to say that," Neo-Neptune said. "Anyway...here.."
He thumbed the trigger on his grenade and tossed it to Seven. Seven's eyes widened. He never caught it. It exploded in mid air as Neo-Neptune leapt away. The explosion still hit him in mid stream, but he survived after slamming into a tree seven hundred feet away. Seven wasn't as fortunate.
"I told him we had pinpoint accuracy, of course that wasn't a nuke,"
Neo-Neptune muttered with a grin collapsing against the tree.
Neo-Uranus and The Aiver didn't wait long to execute their attacks. There was
a very small dramatic pause. They knew whoever was hit was most likely done for.
Neo-Uranus charged forward amazed at how slow time seemed to be passing. The
Aiver stood there hoping his chosen defense would work. The Aiver through a wave
of energy in front of him. Neo-Uranus couldn't avoid it and hope to attack him,
but Neo-Uranus slid to a stop and threw his arm through the energy swinging his
sword right into the Aiver. Who sunk to the ground, the energy wall disappeared.
Neo-Uranus stared at his arm, which was incredibly singed. He let out a cry of
pain and collapsed.
Maverick watched the battles conclude all around him and winced feeling the pain of his comrades. He turned to Alrie. Alrie met his gaze.
"Oh very well..now we settle this..." Alrie said.
"You've lost already," Maverick said.
"So you think.." Alrie said.
Maverick drew his swords and faced him.
Alrie grinned and held out his hand.
"I'll just blast you if you move towards me," he said.
"Good luck," Maverick said and jumped forward. Alrie fired. Maverick blocked it with his sword attacks. Alrie's eyes widened. Maverick swung his swords in a rotating motion and leapt around Alrie in two passes. The evil commander slid to the ground and vanished. Maverick stopped and held his sword at the ready in case of any more surprises. A minute passed. Maverick looked around at the eight other Guardians lying unconscious. He winced again. A small tear formed ..he wiped it away before it had a chance to slide down his face.
"Very impressive.." came a voice. He whirled. Queen Nehelenia stood there. Maverick's eyes narrowed.
"Oh..dear...look at this..eight Guardian Scouts down and one to go..." she
said.
"Computer identify..." Sailor Saturn said typing commands into the base computer.
The computer went through a computation and flashed information on the object Sailor Saturn saw clearly on the view screen.
"It's as I feared," she said. The doors opened and King Endymion walked in. "What have you found?" he asked.
"I noticed that the plant life around the city has been growing at an unnatural rate..this lead me to search the area and I discovered that another force has arrived it managed to slip by my sensing, and perimeter defenses.."
"What force is that?" Endymion asked.
"The Kisenian Flower has arrived." Sailor Saturn replied.
CHAPTER 161 CHAPTER 162 CHAPTER 163 CHAPTER 164
CHAPTER 165 CHAPTER 166 CHAPTER 167 CHAPTER 168
CHAPTER 169 CHAPTER 170 CHAPTER 171 CHAPTER 172
CHAPTER 173 CHAPTER 174 CHAPTER 175 CHAPTER 176
CHAPTER 177 CHAPTER 178 CHAPTER 179 CHAPTER 180