*Note: This is the darkest part of the series so far. Previously,
there were funny jokes, and were for the most part not serious.
However, I repeat, this is darker than any of the other parts, though
to a considerably lesser extent than some other stuff I've read. For
the third time, do not read this section looking for a chance to
laugh.
Sun stared at the moon, her face partially hidden by her golden
hair. Nodding, she glanced at the others. "It is time."
The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen all joined hands in a circle,
with Luna and Artemis in the center. Closing their eyes, they
whispered, "Sailor Teleport."
Each's energy merged with the others', and in an instant, nothing
was there, save rocks that were ripped from the concrete and a single
leaf.
"There is nothing to say," Asa told them flatly. Her tone had no
feeling; she was simply stating the facts. "We only have one chance
to save the Sailor Senshi, and we must take it now, while they are
recuperating from their losses."
Asa had explained to them that she was the princess from the Sun,
a new star to join the alignment of the Silver Millennium. She, like
Sailor Earth, was relatively unknown, and only the Outer Senshi knew
of her. Her job was to protect the people of the Moon Kingdom, and to
guard her Solar Katanas, the relics from the sun. During the attack
of the Dark Kingdom and the brainwashing of the Magic Senshi, Sun had
been kidnapped, her memories erased from her. She remained with the
Senshi Kurai, believing that she was the leader of the Sun Quintet,
known as Apollo. Hecate had led her to think that she had some sort
of hold over her, and that she could only be free from her bounds by
killing the Sailor Senshi.
"But that's all I remember," she had said, staring at the sun, her
golden eyes flickering sadly as her wavy gold hair had floated around
her face. "I don't recall anything about my life on the sun, or why I
was even chosen to be in the Moon Kingdom." Her eyes narrowed
suddenly. "But back to our mission. Our only hope of ever rescuing
your friends is to enter the Yin Kingdom now through the Sailor
Teleport. Their defenses are down; they haven't much energy left
until tonight, when they can regroup themselves."
"Hai." Haruka answer spoke for all of them.
And so, the Sailor Senshi and the Magic Senshi left together to
the Yin Kingdom, where they are about to fight the battle of their
lives...
***
They landed in blackness, complete and engulfing darkness that
filled them with feelings of dread and uncertainty. In front of them
was a large black castle, an ominous mist surrounding them. It was
quiet, too quiet, as if death had made his home there. There was
nothing but the castle, and it appeared as if it was in the middle of
nowhere.
"We have to stay strong, minna," Saturn whispered softly. "For
their sake."
Sailor Moon nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. Feelings of
fear threatened to overwhelm her, but Hades put her hand on the
girl's shoulder.
"Trust us, Princess," she said. "We _will_ rescue them."
"We must," Poseidon murmured, observing that a sudden burst of
magical energy had encompassed the area around the castle. "There is
no turning back now..."
***
"The fools," Ares said contemptuously, flipping her black hair
over her shoulder. "Do they really think that they can defeat
us?"
Venus glared at her from the small window in the cell that
overlooked the hall. "They will! They will defeat you, and your
little cats too!" Her voice was hysterical.
"Venus!" Mercury whispered, pulling her down, slapping her. "Get a
_grip_ on yourself!"
"It must be from the lack of sugar that she needs," Jupiter
murmured wryly, her poor attempt at a joke drawing strained chuckles
from the other girls. They were all nervous wrecks, and they all
looked as if they hadn't slept for weeks.
"They will rescue us," Mars said fiercely, more to herself than to
the others, but nevertheless, she knelt on her knees to pray to her
gods, as well as to a god who was not her own.
***
Chikyuu stared at the lovely dark haired princess on the ground,
who was gasping at the sight of him, her former lover. Her dark eyes
were confused, horrified, and bewildered. He felt something tug
within him, but he immediately grew cold. _She_ had showed him what
Hecate _really_ was... a deceptive, lying, spoiled brat.
"Chikyuu?" she stuttered softly. Her eyes flashed suddenly, a dark
wine red color. Her breathing became more controlled, her eyes
laughing, as she stood up. She smirked. "So we meet again."
Chikyuu's smile was false, his eyes blue crystals of ice.
"Princess." Mockingly said.
"Chikyuu, you know the plan," Metallia ordered, flipping her pale
hand dismissively. "Away."
The white haired man bowed, disappearing into air.
"Well, Metallia," Hecate said when he was gone, twirling her black
hair around her finger, "what do you want _him_ here for? We don't
need him." Her back faced the queen.
Metallia became angry. Why this sudden arrogance? Things must NOT
go wrong, she thought. "Are you stupid?" she snapped. "Your Senshi
Kurai have failed. We need him. He's the best warrior we have."
"And whose fault is it that they failed?" Hecate's voice was
dangerously soft.
The former queen of the Dark Kingdom drew back, her long black
hair wrapping around her. Something was wrong... terribly wrong...
Though she could not experience human emotions, she felt the faint
prickles of fear as Hecate turned around, and she stared into the
eyes of not Hecate, but Beryl.
***
"I'm worried about Hecate," Hermes said finally into the dark
room. By agreement, no lights were on. The four girls and two cats
sat in silence. "She hasn't been herself recently."
"Have any of us?" Zeus pointed out, her green eyes deceptively
calm.
"No..." Hermes said. "But, she's so... cold to us. It's like she's
really _not_ herself. Like she's been taken over..."
Cynthia sighed, leaping down from her position on Hecate's throne.
"I should have told you all this sooner, but..."
"Nani, Cynthia?" Aphrodite demanded, standing up. "_Tell_ us."
"A few days ago, I discovered a secret chamber in Hecate's room. I
went inside, and I saw Hecate talking to a girl..."
"Who was she?" Ares probed. She had put aside her childish
impulses and feelings. For this, the others were glad, but
immediately aware of what had caused her to change.
"...Hecate called her Metallia..."
"Metallia?!?" they all said together.
"But, she died with Beryl!" Hermes whispered, sinking into her
chair. She put her hand on her forehead, pushing her long blue bangs
away. "Didn't she?!"
"This is all so mixed up," Zeus murmured. "I don't even know
what's going on anymore..."
***
Sun glanced at the castle. "This way," she said, moving towards
the intricate network of huge pipes in the back of the castle.
"Is this the only way to get in?" Neptune asked, studying the
pipes. They were large enough for even Uranus to walk through, but
were dark and cold, and vague sounds creaked throughout further
down.
"Hai," Sun said, her face stony. "They know we're here, but right
now, they cannot destroy us directly. We must separate and try to
avoid any forces they have inside. We can then meet up at the dungeon
where the girls are being held."
"Ok," Uranus said. She glanced at the others. "Princess, you and
Tuxedo Kamen go with Sun in the left pipe. Cronus, Sunaru, and Pluto
too. Neptune, Poseidon, Hades, Saturn, and I will go into the right
pipe."
"Demo..." Moon whispered.
"It's for the best, Princess," Sun said reassuringly. "Neptune has
her mirror, and I know my way. It's an even match."
"Ganbatte," Saturn whispered to Cronus. They hugged, as did Hades
with Pluto and Sunaru with Uranus.
"Meet you later," Uranus said, and she turned, entering the pipe.
Poseidon murmured underneath her breath and a ball of flame appeared
in her left hand; it was obviously for light. The five girls
vanished.
"Sayonara," Moon said softly to them, then followed Sun and the
other girls, who had already entered the pipe. Tuxedo Kamen gave her
a smile.
***
"Beryl..." Metallia gasped. "I thought you were dead!"
Hecate...no, Beryl laughed evilly. "You did, did you? You're an
even bigger fool than I thought!"
Metallia sneered with bravado, her red lips twisting into an ugly
glare. "You can't do anything! I _gave_ you your power! You, you
stupid girl, wasted it on revenge!"
Hecate/Beryl shrieked with laughter. "Imagine that! You think you
have _more_ power than me? Too bad I don't need you anymore!"
"What are you talking about?" Metallia snapped. Beryl should be
_dead_.
Beryl snickered, and with incredible ease, left Hecate's body,
which slumped to the ground. She reformed as her previous self, ugly,
vain, and detestable. Red hair, white skin, twisted, gross face. Evil
burning eyes. "I never _died_, you silly idiot!" Beryl said. "Don't
you think I was smarter than that? I, too, left part of myself
behind, and with a great deal more power than you have. I sealed part
of myself in a chest, which I flung to Earth. Imagine my surprise
when I discovered that I was awoken by a young, handsome, white
haired boy. Endymion's brother. So incredibly ironic.
"Of course, once I discovered all about him, I told him the
'truth' about his little girlfriend, after reviving his memories of
course. That's when I told him to ally with you... I always knew that
you'd go back to the Senshi Kurai for universal domination... It was
so easy for Chikyuu to fool you, and I was with him, using his body
as a tool to get to Hecate. From there, I simply left his body and
entered hers, and you thought that _you_ had controlled her! Mwahaha!
Metallia no baka, ne?"
Metallia felt supreme anger rising up inside of her, threatening
to overtake her. Beryl must die _now_; she had to kill the fool
before she destroyed her plans... "Why you little..." Summoning up
all of her powers inside of her, she charged Beryl.
Beryl watched, amused, laughing, and with one flick of her wrist,
destroyed Metallia in one blow. The thing who had been her was no
more, exploding into shiny black dust, which disappeared as
Metallia's screams faded, the echoes in the room dying out. This time
she was truly dead.
"Foolish, foolish, Metallia will never underestimate me again..."
Beryl murmured, laughing. She stood over Hecate's body, her ugly,
long laughs growing...
***
From outside the chamber, Aphrodite muffled Ares's gasp of horror.
Moving away quickly, the four girls and the two cats hurried away,
transporting to a secluded place that even Hecate didn't know
about.
"My god," Hermes whispered, leaning against the wall. "She just
_killed_ her..."
"We've all been so blind," Ares said, covering her mouth in
horror. She instantly regretted everything she had ever done or said
to the Sailor Senshi and her friends...
"So incredibly taken in..." Zeus agreed, clenching her fists. She
slammed one of them into the wall behind her, leaving a dent. "What
do we do now?"
"First we must save the Sailor Senshi from the trap," Aphrodite
said, her tone commanding. Her blue eyes burned with determination.
"Then we must free the Inner Senshi... And we have to rescue Hecate
before it's too late..."
To be continued...
Part 12
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