Serena heard an alarm go off. Somewhere a red light began to flash warningly. She grabbed a stray creature that was running by. "What's going on?" she demanded. A while back she had discovered that she had taken on the disguise of the Crimson Guard, an elite and feared fighting force of the Mistress. She got instant results in her disguise.
"The targets of the Mistress have arrived. They came through a portal not long ago." The small furry thing shrank as far from her as it could while it stammered out its answer.
"Where?"
It pointed down a now empty passageway. "Down that way." The second she let go it was running again. She ignored it and pelted in the direction the creature had pointed. She had to get to the Scouts before something happened to them. As she ran she heard crashes and cries ahead of her. Worry lending her strength, she ran even faster in the direction of the disturbance. A small distance further she skidded to a halt. She'd arrived in a huge cavern and the same kind of fireballs that had been hurled at her in the park were flying at the five Scouts in the back of the cavern. The Crimson Guard was closing in on the beleaguered girls, but they were keeping a safe distance back, waiting for the fireballs to do their work. Serena ran toward the girls.
*****
Mars grunted as she held her arms out in front of her. She was holding off the fireballs with her own fire, but everyone could see she couldn't keep it up forever. Jupiter suddenly tensed. "One of those white haired freaks is coming this way!" she called. "Supreme-"
"Don't!" Mercury cried as she looked at the advancing creature through her visor, "It's not who you think!"
The red suited creature stopped and held out a small object. "Moon Crystal Power...Make Up!"
"It's Sailor Moon!" cried Venus happily.
"But how-can we disguise ourselves too?" Earth asked, looking confused.
"No, only Sailor Moon," Mercury responded.
"Guys," Mars gasped, "I need help!"
"Gotcha!" Mercury cried. "Mercury Ice Storm Blast!"
"Hi, guys. Watch out, it's a trap! The Mistress of those octopus creatures lives here-and those are her elite guard."
"How'd you manage to find that out?" asked Earth with interest, still scanning the slowly advancing Crimson Guard.
Sailor Moon smiled. "Hey, even I can think on my feet if I'm forced to." Her smile faded. "Uh, guys? I lost my scepter somewhere..."
"We found it," Jupiter interrupted, "It was a bit scuffed up. We thought- well, we all thought you were dead. Here." Jupiter handed her her scepter, all cleaned up.
"Thanks. I'm sorry you guys were worried. I got a message from Mercury that the signal originated from the park. I gotta tell you guys, some of the things I overheard really worry me."
"I didn't find the origin of the signal until after you disappeared, Sailor Moon." Mercury looked worried and glanced at her still slightly bruised arm. She noticed that Jupiter couldn't resist a glance as well. Sailor Moon smiled at Mercury.
"I'm sure you didn't. Don't worry, Mercury, I trust you. We'll figure out what happened later." Suddenly Jupiter hissed a warning and Sailor Moon turned to face the now close Crimson Guard. With a twirl of her scepter she anchored her feet a shoulder width apart. "All right, nega-trash! I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you! Moon Princess Halation!" She swung the wand around the cavern and cut a swath through the guard.
"Crescent Beam!" Venus chased off the last few.
"Do you know where this `Mistress' is?" Jupiter asked, cracking her knuckles in expectation.
"Yes," Sailor Moon nodded. "Follow me!"
*****
Tuxedo Mask leaned against the damp tunnel wall in relief. When Lita had told him about finding Sailor Moon's scepter and going back to search the park a second time, he'd been sick with worry. Now he knew she was all right. He'd been about to enter the fight in the park, but the girls had defeated that ugly octopus creature before he ran in. Maybe it was good that the enemy didn't know that he was here yet. The girls seemed tired and a little drained, despite Jupiter's bravado. He pushed off the stone and set out to follow the Sailor Scouts.
*****
Sailor Earth looked around at the other five faces. "Ready?" she whispered.
"Ready!"
"Let's do it!"
"All right!"
"Yeah!"
"C'mon!"
With Sailor Moon's determined nod they burst into the dark chamber.
"Mercury! Do you see anything?"
"No, I don't-"
"WELCOME, SAILOR SCOUTS!"
"Who's there?" Venus crouched as she scanned the room.
"Show yourself!" Jupiter bellowed.
"As you wish," chuckled the woman's voice.
The girls gasped and took a shocked step back. The woman was beautiful beyond belief, in a blood red dress and white hair. In her cupped, delicate hands she held a pulsing white ball of energy.
"Hmmmmm...do you children really think you can handle me?"
Sailor Moon held up an angry fist. "We did well enough against your minions! We're not afraid of you!" The other Scouts formed a semi-circle behind her and nodded sharply. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"
"Ha! I'm just another powerful resident of the Negaverse after a choice piece of real estate." With a yell she hurled the orb at the Scouts. They dived out of its path, and it left a smoking pit in the middle of the floor.
"She's too strong, Sailor Moon-I don't know if we can beat her!" Earth sounded worried.
Mars grabbed her. "Don't give her any ideas! You may make her use the Silver Crystal!"
"What?"
"Oh, there's no time to explain. Let's just concentrate on the fight." She glared at the woman. "Fire Soul!"
The fireball enveloped the woman, but she walked out unharmed. "Is that the best you can do?" she taunted.
Jupiter glared at her angrily. "I'll keep her busy, Sailor Moon, and you use the scepter. Supreme Thunder!"
"Crescent Beam!"
A lightning-laced laser tore through the air, toward the slight woman. She closed her eyes and seemed to shimmer slightly, and the beam went through her without doing any damage. Mercury's shout rang through to cavern.
"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!"
A miniature glacier of sparkling ice formed around the enemy, and with a calm expression she again shimmered and strolled unharmed from out of the ice.
"Moon Princess Halation!" With a determined expression on her face Sailor Moon leveled the tip of the scepter. The energy blast had no discernible effect on the woman.
"What a pretty fireworks show you children put on! Now," for the first time an expression akin to amusement crossed her features, "watch what real power can do!" Her arms rose into the air theatrically.
"Now what?" Earth whispered to Jupiter nervously.
Sailor Moon cupped her hands around her transformation broach. "I don't seem to have a choice," she whispered.
"No, you can't-we'll be able to manage her!" Venus cried, "I can already see we can't. This is all I have that is more powerful than my scepter." Her eyes pleaded for understanding. "Please, I can't let anybody get hurt, and we have to stop her from taking over the Earth."
The Scouts gathered behind her. "We support you, you know that."
Earth looked around. "What's going on?"
Mars looked at her with tears in her eyes. "We're going to attempt something very dangerous. Just follow our lead."
Earth nodded. Sailor Moon closed her eyes and concentrated. With a glimmer her skirt lengthened and turned snow white. A stand of pearls adorned her hair, the golden crescent moon appeared on her brow and she held the Silver Crystal out separate from the broach, ready to do battle.
"I will not allow you to take over my world!" she proclaimed in a voice suddenly, somehow, more refined. She lifted her cupped hands and thrust the Silver Crystal out toward the red clad woman.
Mercury lifted her bowed head. "Mercury Star Power!"
Jupiter grinned wickedly at the enemy. "Jupiter Star Power!"
"Mars Star Power!" Mars cried, looking with worry at Princess Serenity.
"Venus Star Power!" Venus called and looked at Earth expectantly.
Earth looked ahead with determination. "Earth Star Power!"
Princess Serenity felt the sailor's encouragement and support. Strangely, having Sailor Earth didn't make her feel any stronger, but she could feel her presence in the link. She took a slightly shaky breath. "Moon...Crystal...Power!"
A red globe of energy grew around the Silver Crystal, and slowly enlarged as Princess Serenity fed more and more of her energy into it. The dainty red clad woman stood in front of her with the same abstracted expression on her face. Serenity gritted her teeth as she prepared to send her attack.
*****
Tuxedo Mask ran into the room he'd followed the Scouts to. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Serenity holding the Silver Crystal. He was about to run to her side and offer any help he could when he noticed something odd. He rearranged the mask atop of his nose as his eyes strained to pierce the murk in the back of the room. It seemed as if someone was hiding behind that strange looking white-haired woman.
*****
Earth broke ranks and ran up toward the still serene enemy.
"Earth! What are you doing?" Venus cried out, shocked.
Earth held out her open palm toward Princess Serenity, and suddenly snapped closed her fist. Serenity screamed and fell to her knees. The Silver Crystal hovered above her head as her hands fell to the ground to hold her up. "Serena! What's wrong?!" Mercury broke away and stumbled to Serena's side. She seemed too weak to answer. Mercury looked up at Earth. "What's going on?"
Earth snapped her fingers, and a cape and cowl swirled over her. The exquisite woman with white hair and red dress shimmered and disappeared.
"Sable?!" Serenity gasped.
"That woman was only a hologram! How'd you fool the computer?" Mercury asked, surprised, as information flashed across her visor. "I see you saw much more than I thought, Sailor Moon. I may have underestimated you," Sable proclaimed.
"But, your power! You helped us!" Jupiter cried angrily.
Sable shook her head and the hood fell back to reveal her face. She smiled as the Scouts gasped. "Recognize me? Ann and Alan weren't the only ones of their kind to survive, only the weakest-the ones least able to make it on their own without the tree. Only the weak and stupid ones bothered with the tree when it refused to give energy only to the strongest of us." She shook her head of pink hair arrogantly and clenched her fist harder. The red globe of energy contracted and Serenity cried out again. "As for my power, surely that is familiar as well. It's something we all posses, even poor little Ann and Alan," she laughed.
"Why us?" Mars cried out.
"We need energy. Humans really are the perfect source. But you Sailor Scouts would get in our way, we already knew that from observing your bout with Ann and Alan. Oh, and your battle with Beryl did not go unnoticed. We've been watching you almost since you appeared. Both your ability to face Beryl, a strong foe, and the outpouring of energy you produced when you purged the tree were hard to miss, so we've researched you all. We had to get rid of you before we could exploit Earth, and I came up with an ingenious plan. This-" she held up her hand and the globe of energy flew up to her as Serenity gasped, "-is just a plus of getting rid of you Scouts. We got not only the Silver Crystal, but all of your combined energy as well. I just had to be included in your link in order to steal it."
Jupiter stood up straight with obvious effort. "I won't let you get away with this! Supreme Thunder!" A weak thunder bolt aimed itself at Sable, but she teleported out of its path. Jupiter collapsed to the ground, completely spent.
"You are all helpless before me. I hold all your energy within my hands." She looked over her shoulder. "Have I pleased you, Mother?"
"You've done well, child. Now don't gloat, it's unseemly. Destroy them." The voice seemed to come out of nothing but shadow, then a creature like Sable only with gray hair strode forward and watched with crossed arms.
"As you command, Mistress." Sable turned to the horrified Scouts. "Enough boasting. Good-bye, Sailor Scouts!" She let loose a high pitched scream as she turned her open hand in their direction. "AAAAH!" Her hand came up to her face, a line of blood etched on her pale skin. A red rose quivered between her feet. "You!" she shrieked as she saw Tuxedo Mask step into the light. "You are too late! I will destroy you now as well!"
Serenity looked over at him with mingled joy and fear. "Be careful." She forced out between gritted teeth.
He wasted no time, and jumped in front of Sable. She laughed at him. "There's no way you can defeat me with nothing but that poor cane. I have more power than you've ever dreamed of! You don't know what you're messing with!" Tuxedo Mask took a step back.
"Neither do you," he responded quietly as he transformed into Prince Darien. He pulled out his sword and chopped at her. She teleported back a few steps and aimed a concussion at him, but he leapt out of its path to safety.
"Did you see that?" Mercury's visor was still down and she lay on the floor furiously typing on her computer. "It seems that she's holding more power than she safely should. When she teleported, her control wavered."
She looked up at the Scouts around her. "If we distract her enough, she'll lose hold of the power and Serena can regain control. We have to help him distract Sable, even if it's just by yelling!"
Mars and Venus nodded. Jupiter was still out cold. Mercury looked down at Serenity. "Will you be okay for a few seconds?" Serenity nodded.
"Help him," she forced between gritted teeth, her eyes riveted on the furious battle raging between Darien and Sable.
Mercury looked up, running her hand through sweat soaked blue hair to brush it out of her face. "Let's do it."
"Fire..."
"Crescent..."
"Shabon..."
Serenity struggled to her feet and grasped the Silver Crystal. "We can do it..." she mumbled.
"...Soul!"
"...Beam!"
"...Spray!"
A weak fire-laced beam shot out at Sable as a light mist appeared in the air. She was so busy concentrating on her bout with Prince Darien that she didn't notice what the Scouts were doing until the beam hit. It didn't do any serious damage but it did what was intended.
Serenity straightened as she felt her control of the energy return. With a cry she thrust Sable out of the link and dissolved the energy back into the Scouts. She transformed back into Sailor Moon and collapsed once more to her knees.
"Sailor Moon! Are you all right?" The Scouts leaned over her, concerned.
"I'm just tired. Help Darien." She waved them away.
"Gotcha!"
"You bet!"
"Don't worry, Sailor Moon!"
The three turned in unison toward Sable and Darien with renewed energy. Jupiter fought her way back to her feet, and strode forward with the other three. Sable looked up to see the advancing Scouts. With a cry she turned around and fled into the dark, while the Scouts and Darien pursued. A few seconds later they returned.
"She's gone," Tuxedo Mask said shortly. "It seems my eldest offspring was not worthy of the honor I bestowed on her." The older woman's voice reached their ears, "I have invested too much in this battle already. You are lucky, Sailor Scouts. You get to live. Until we meet again! Just remember how close we got this time-and how much closer we will get next time." An ice cold wave of darkness enveloped the group, and passed. The cavern was still dark, but the shadows somehow seemed less deep and impenetrable. The older woman was gone.
Tuxedo Mask looked down at Sailor Moon, "We should leave. We're all tired, and there's nothing else we can do here."
Mercury looked up at him. "Already on it. I think I've almost got it...there!" She pressed one last key and a vortex opened in front of her. "Hurry! I can't hold it open forever!"
They all ran through, with Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask assisting Sailor Moon.
*****
They sat in a circle around Mina's bed.
"Oooohhh, what happened?" Luna groaned.
"There was a major attack by the Negaverse. They attacked you to keep us from learning the truth about their plan. It's okay now, though. We stopped them."
"Well, I'm glad you stopped them," Artemis said. "I'm beat-I feel like I took the brunt of the fighting myself. I think I'm going to take a nap. Good night." He closed his eyes again, and let out a small snore.
Luna yawned. "That sounds like a great idea," and she followed suit.
Amy smiled. "They should be okay now. They're just rebuilding their reserves. Let them sleep."
Serena laughed. "I think Luna's lazier than me! Even I don't wake up from a week-long nap only to take another one."
Rei looked at her and stuck out her tongue. "Only because you've never had a chance!"
"Hey!" Serena bellowed, outraged.
Mina, Amy, and Lita rolled their eyes as Rei and Serena began to quarrel in earnest.
*****
"Well, my children, your late lamented sister has failed me. I wonder if any of you think you are capable of doing better."
"Mother, just give me the chance, I know I can succeed."
"Very well, child. I give you my blessing."