"It seems so dark," Mary said eerily.

"The essence of darkness resides there," Naomi shivered. "I see her and the darkness. The people in masks are there as well."

"If we want to find our way back to our present, looks like that's the place to go," Nikki concluded.

Citrine meditated in the crystal garden. They swirled through the empty space, a dark obelisk rising above them. The obelisk's darkness blotted out the surrounding stars.

Jedite approached her. "The Virago have failed."

"I know."

"What exactly do you plan to do about that?" Jedite smirked for he was right in not trusting those guys.

"I have an eternity to wait," she said. "And that's what we'll do."

The darkness blurred, struggled to take shape. An a voice, more an echo than a whisper, emanated from the obelisk. "Chaos cannot be destroyed, Citrine."

Citrine bowed, pulling Jedite down with her. "I know, Pharaoh 1. I thought..."

"Do not think!" the darkness frenzied. "I control you!"

"Yes, my master," Citrine replied, the sudden image of humility.

"Chaos will be back and it will be angry. It is gathering an army in Deep Reaches. Given time, Chaos will return and exact his revenge on you."

"By then we will have wiped out the Senshi and reestablished the Shield. This system will be yours," Citrine stood up. Jedite up hastily followed.

"I don't want this system, Citrine. I want this entire universe in my control." The darkness collapsed in on itself. "I weary. Leave me." With that, the darkness silenced.

Katherine climbed a pile of rubble, Reenie scrambled up after. Together they stood at the top. "The towers look so far away," Reenie moaned. "We'll never make it." She collapsed in despair.

Katherine crouched next to her, caring on her usually impassive face. "What is your one wish? Your last wish?"

Reenie sighed, tears in her eyes. "I want to see Rannon alive again. I even loved the way he'd unconsciously bite his nails when worried."

"And he is alive, in our present." Katherine said, straightening up again. "The way to see Rannon is through the towers. That's why we have to keep going." She held her hand out to Reenie, offering to help her up.

Reenie took Katherine's hand and pulled herself up. "What is it you wish for?"

"To go home."

Citrine faced the Virago. "We have a new plan to defeat the Sailor Senshi."

Crow chuckled behind his mask. "Do we? Since when did you become part of our plans?"

"I say we kill her!" Bear whirled his mace, ever at the ready.

"Yeah!" Weasel agreed.

Bunch of over zealous murderers,Citrine thought.

Wolf shook his head. "I think we should hear her plan."

"Right, Wolf," Crow agreed. "We listen."

Citrine held her hand up. The curtain of time drew aside to reveal Reenie as she walked towards the Towers. The Virago gathered around.

"Magic!" Weasel shouted and jumped around. "She uses magic Crow! Magic!"

Citrine and Crow both shot him a look that easily quieted him. Citrine waved her hand again. Reenie's clothes changed and mutated into that of the pink Sailor fuku of Sailor Moon. "That is Sailor Moon."

Fox nodded. "How does this help us?"

Sound drifted from the image. "What is your one wish? You last wish?"

"I want to see Rannon alive again."

Citrine waved her hand and the image disappeared. "Clearly she feels for this Rannon. We could use this weakness to our advantage."

Crow smiled. "I summon-"

"From beyond the grave-" Fox continued.

Bear added his gravelly voice, "The Puppet-"

"Our servant-" Weasel intoned enthusiastically.

"Rannon." Wolf finished.

Reenie looked around the street. Who had called her?

The voice, a man's voice so painfully familiar as Rannon's, said again, "Sailor Moon."

Reenie looked up. A silhouette darkened the gray sky. "Tuxedo Mask?"

"Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said with Rannon's voice. He turned and ran.

"Wait!" Reenie yelled and without a second thought chased after him through the streets.

The others followed her through many twists and turns of the gray streets. A thick fog rolled into the streets. Reenie, Mary, and Nikki bolted ahead.

Naomi tripped and fell onto the pavement. Katherine stopped to help her up. Rachel glanced through the murky streets. "We've lost them."

Tuxedo Mask leaped down from the top of the building. "Sailor Moon."

Reenie caught up to him. "Tuxedo Mask," she gasped.

"Die!" he whipped his cane at her. She screamed as he struck.

"Jupiter Willow Gale!" The attack struck Tuxedo Mask. Jupiter appeared. "Teach you to mess with my friends. I am Sailor Jupiter."

"I fight for the lost and the lonely, I am Sailor Mercury!" Sailor Mercury joined Jupiter.

"Rannon," Reenie cried.

"This isn't Rannon," said Sailor Nemesis from atop a building. "Talon Blaze!" A mechanical hawk dove from Nemesis' arm and toward Tuxedo Mask. He ducked.

"Talon Return!" The hawk flew back to Nemesis.

"Juno Lantern Pierce!" A beam of light struck Tuxedo Mask. "Bullseye!"

Tuxedo Mask picked up Reenie by the throat and began to strangle her. "One more attack and I break her throat."

"Rannon," Reenie sobbed. "Don't do this."

"I am not Rannon," he tightened his grip.

Reenie passed out in his arms. Tuxedo Mask laughed. "Defeating the Sailor Senshi wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be."

"Reenie!" Sailor Mercury yelled and charged Tuxedo Mask.

The move caught him off guard and Mercury crashed into him. They all fell to the ground. Tuxedo Mask pushed Reenie and Mercury away from him.

Tuxedo Mask blocked the attack with his cane. Juno leaped down from the building and knocked Tuxedo Mask to the ground. She yelled at him, "I protect the Princess!"

"Rannon," Reenie moaned, beginning to wake up. She touched the wedding ring on her finger. "Rannon, look!"

Tuxedo Mask stopped fighting. Reenie crawled towards him. "Rannon, it's our wedding ring." She placed it in his hands.

A slight look of sadness crossed his features. "It can't be this way. I am not Rannon."

Reenie reached out to him. "Somewhere you are Rannon."

He took her hand. The sadness passed and he slapped her across the face. "Don't try it, Sailor Moon."

Like the fog, Tuxedo Mask disappeared into the gray. The wedding ring slipped through his hand and onto the ground. It rusted and disappeared.

Reenie burst into tears.

Mary placed her arm around her and said, "I'm sorry."

"Sailor Moon," said Nemesis. "Don't let illusions deceive you."

Lissa would have liked much more if Carol would just shut up about the monster. The less she thought about it the better.

"If we go where Sailor Pluto went, I bet we can find her. Then she can take us home!" Carol said with sudden determination.

Lissa negated. "Would have already if she had the capability."

"Pluto is the most powerful of the Senshi, well maybe except for Saturn. How can she not have the ability to take us home?" Carol reached a near panic. She had to get out of this hell!

"Not everyone is infallible, Carol," Lissa shrugged. It was somewhat amusing to see her friend's panic.

"How can you be so damn calm!" Carol yelled. She felt angry now. "We're stuck here, far away from home and family, with a nutcase monster chasing after us!" Lissa chuckled derisively at Carol. Carol lost it. "I hate you and your stupid laugh! Aaaaagh!"

Lissa stared intently at a crumbling rooftop. Something had caught her attention. "Shut up. I thought I saw something."

"Don't tell me to shut up!" Carol screamed. "You're always telling me what to do!" As she continued yelling, Carol's voice rose until it collapsed into tears. She shouted incoherently at Lissa while sobbing. "I hate you! I hate you!"

Lissa nerves broke. "Shut up!" she snapped. "There's a monster on the roofs and you won't stop wailing!" Sensitivity had never been Lissa's strong point.

A deep gruff voice boomed through the gray alley. "Lono!"

Lissa tackled Carol and dragged her behind a pile of rubble. She put her hand over Carol's mouth and whispered. "Shut up or the monster will find us."

Carol nodded dumbly and Lissa moved her hand. "Please make it go away," Carol whispered.

"Lono!" the voice was closer this time. The monster stepped into view. It was a lava giant, wakened from the depths of the earth.

Carol shrieked. The monster turned. Lissa swore. It launched it's attack on the pile of rubble. The rocks melted revealing the two girls hiding behind it.

Lissa dodged out of the way. Carol stood, too frightened to move. The monster approached her. "Lono!"

"Move!" Lissa yelled at Carol. Still she stood.

Lono formed his hand into a spear. It raised the spear threateningly. Carol began screaming. With murderous speed, Lono brought the spear down.

The Mars' symbol burned into Carol's forehead. "Mars Stone Power!" Fire burned from deep within and consumed away Carol, leaving behind Sailor Mars. She was dressed in the red double skirt, and star shaped bow clasp.

"Fire Block!" A shield of fire formed between Mars and Lono. The spear glanced off the shield.

Lissa turned back to see Carol fighting a losing battle with Lono. She closed her eyes, knowing what she must do. "Venus Stone Power!" Gold ribbons surrounded her and disappeared. Sailor Venus stood in Lissa's place, dressed in a gold fuku similar to Mars'.

"Venus Gold Storm!" A shower of burning metal struck Lono.

Mars quickly backed away from the monster. "Try cutting it a little closer, Venus."

"Shut up, Mars."

Lava shot between the two, breaking apart the argument. The two both jumped away. Lono, unsure who to attack, stood dumbfounded.

"Double team him, right Mars?"

Mars smiled. "Mars-"

Venus-"

"Inferno-"

"Gold-"

"Blast!"

"Storm!"

The two attacks hit Lono. With a last cry, it disappeared to the breeze. Mars repeated one of her favorite lines from the often told tales of Sailor Moon. "Moon dusted!"

She shook her head glumly. "It's not. It's can't be him."

"There's the towers," Nikki pointed above a nearby building. "We're headed in the right direction."

"Hopefully, that's where Rachel and Katherine are headed," Mary said with her usual enthusiastic belief that good will happen.

"No..." Reenie sighed. "They're probably dead."

Deep and booming, five sets of laughter pounded through the eery gray alleyways. "So Sailor Moon, where is your beloved Tuxedo Mask?"

The three girls whirled. "Show yourself!" shouted Reenie. "They who play with young girls' hearts, I will punish you!"

The Virago stepped into view. "We are the Virago," they said in unison.

"The five who cannot be stopped," chanted Crow.

"We who control the Puppets," Fox laughed.

"They who sold their souls in return to be undefeated!" growled Bear.

"We will kill the pink girl!" shouted Weasel.

"We will talk too much," Wolf added soberly. "Bring out the Puppet!"|

They stepped aside to reveal Tuxedo Mask. "Come fight your true love," taunted Crow. "Perhaps somewhere he is Rannon." The Virago disappeared like the light after sunset.

Tuxedo Mask said nothing, merely leapt into an attack. The girls were caught off guard, and Tuxedo Mask knocked Reenie to the ground.

"Mercury Stone Power!"

"Jupiter Stone Power!"

"Moon Stone-"

Tuxedo Mask punched Reenie in the face, breaking her concentration. "Shut up, Sailor Slut."

Blood dripped from Reenie's nose. "You are not Rannon!"

"Jupiter Willow Gale!" The attack caught Tuxedo Mask across the back. He stumbled and fell away from Reenie.

"Mercury Ice Snap!" Tuxedo Mask stumbled and fell again. He took a deep breath and stood. Thinking, he put his hand to his mouth and chewed his nails.

Jupiter charged him from behind. He whirled and threw his rose at her. It sliced her face.

Mercury twisted her earring to create her visor. Staring through it, she searched for Tuxedo Mask's weakness. "Keep him distracted, Jupiter," Mercury called out. Jupiter nodded.

Reenie stood as she watched Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask fight, strangely transfixed. She remembered her comment to Katherine earlier that day, "I even love the way he unconsciously chews his nails when worried." Was it just coincidence?

"Talon Strike!" Sailor Nemesis' metal bird raked talons across Tuxedo Mask face, knocking away his mask. It fluttered to the ground, revealing Tuxedo Mask's face.

"Juno Lantern Pierce!"

"No!" screamed Reenie. "It's him! It's Rannon!"

She threw herself into Juno's attack. The strength of the attack, the pain, pulled away Reenie's consciousness. Collapsing, Reenie draped into a pathetic heap on the dusty pavement.

"Reenie," Rannon said softly as he dropped to her side. Gently he pulled her hair away from her face. "I'm sorry."

Rannon opened his hand. Inside, a small gold ring rested on his palm. He placed the ring in Reenie's palm. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead.

"You've killed her!" shouted a new voice. It continued. "I am Sailor Mars of the red high heel. In the name of Mars, I will punish you!"

"I am Sailor Venus, V for Victory. In the name of the Venus, I will punish you!"

"Venus-"

"Mars-"

"Gold-"

"Inferno-"

"Storm!"

"Blast!"

The supercharged ray hit Rannon full force. "Goodbye, Reenie," he said quietly. Rannon left his unnatural life with a slight smile, happy to be release from his servitude to the Virago.

"He was Rannon!" yelled Jupiter. "You killed someone on our side!"

Reenie slowly sat up, tears in her eyes. She had seen Rannon's smile. As she placed the ring on her finger, she said quietly, "At least we're together."

Mercury, more than mildly confused, piped in, "Yeah! Now all we have to do is find Pluto and the others!"

"And that shouldn't be hard at all," griped Venus.

In the Deep Reaches, Chaos brooded. He had been defeated by a mere girl! "I have lived since the beginning of time, and by time itself, I swear I will return and I will destroy the Senshi and that miserable little girl, Citrine."

What better way to do that than with your own army of nightmares?

Return to Index

This page hostedGet your ownfree homepage.