Chapter 9 - Episode 8: Unseeing

Sailor Moon P
Episode 8: Unseeing

Neon orange bolts of lighting bombarded the sides of Jessi McClorn’s transformation dome. The walls were a deep purple, dark strips of sinuous fiber, like clumps of sticky spider threads lashed out and clung to her. Her lone, thin, straight red hair was pinned to her body as the anchors bound her like a caterpillar inside a cocoon of negative energy. Electric orange light flashed again. The wind ripped the string from the wall and whipped it about in a frayed mass. More lighting struck and two bolts forked into her eyes. Orange light lit them from within like flame in her sockets. The energy of the bolts tore through her chrysalis and released her new self to float in her dome of chaotic power. The creature she had become was a powerful, dark Sailor Soldier dressed in a purple uniform with black bow and tiara and purple drawstring boots. Her voice cried out in the torrent of her new power. “No more a child! Not a servant of naiveté and innocence; I am self-sufficient! I am a leader! I am unequalled! I am honored and trusted and feared by all! I am Sailor Ara! I am WHOLE!!!” The walls of her dome cracked and vanished. The soldier of darkness stood upon the earth.

Fear reflected in the eyes of the turquoise cat. She saw who she’d come to find…Garth, the navy cat of Midnight was watching will pleasure and content. The eyes of this cat were slitted and yellow, and inverted moon was on his forehead. And evil sneer was on his face. The spectator caught her breath. “What has he done to her!?!”
Sailor Ara stood proud. She held in her hand a golden wand like a giant golf tee. Her symbol, the hand with the double ‘X’, was etched in black at the flat end. Garth smiled at his creation. “Sailor Ara, you will find all the crystal fractures for us. And you will do my bidding as well as a favor. You will bring humans to their knees and pay them for al they’ve done to my people. And when you run into those Sailor Soldiers; I want you to kill them because they were the ones who destroyed Chatla back in their Sailor War.”
“Aren’t I a Sailor Soldier?” Ara asked.
“Yes, but you are different.” He said, he rose and headed out from the cover of the bleachers. The turquoise cat ducked under one of the lower steps. Garth wasn’t searching, so he didn’t sense here, but her heart was beating fast. His scent was so dark compared to those of her friends back in the Silver Millennium. He lead his new prize out to face the crowd. “You, Ara, know the truth, and you are on my side. That makes you a queen among humans.”
“He’s got it all wrong!” The cat under the steps fretted. “He doesn’t understand the past at all! I have to stop him and get him straight before he hurts someone!”
Sailor Ara and Garth moved onto the field, the football game was going on as they entered. The players didn’t notice her, but the people in the stands looked over and saw. Ara seemed much taller, older, and more important than Jessi had moments before.
“Address the crowd.” Garth instructed. “You have their trust, they will believe everything you say. They will devote everything to you.”
Ara raised her head, her long bangs falling in locks. “Good people! Hear me!” The game stopped, the players turned, the cheerleaders froze, the band stopped playing, and all eyes in the stadium were focused on Ara. Every soul was transfixed on her. “I am Sailor Ara! I am here!”
They crowd broke into cheers and sighs of relief as if they had been lost without her. Her power was already taking hold. Outside the stadium, all the people milling around Olivia, Jennifer, and Darien ran to see what all the cheering was about. Darien glanced about as they were deserted. Olivia and Jennifer stopped fighting.
“What’s going on?” Olivia asked.
“All your yelling probably drove them off.” Darien said under his breath.
“What was THAT!?!” Jennifer snapped. He hushed up again.
“Listen to all that commotion.” Olivia directed.
“Someone must have scored.” Jennifer assumed.
“No, there’s something strange.” Olivia stated. “Something wrong.”
Darien put his hand to his head. “I feel it too.”
“I felt something strange before, too.” Olivia recalled. “Maybe it’s the Negaverse again.”
“But they’ve already attacked once today.” Jennifer said. “They usually only hit once a day.”
“There’s no law that says they have to.” Olivia shot.
“Whatever.” Jennifer cried.
Darien’d had enough. “Would you two SHUT UP!?! My gosh! I’d hate to be on car trip with you, you’d scratch each other’s eyes out!!!” Olivia snarled at him, her fingers hooked like claws. Jennifer huffed and looked at the ground. They were alone now, outside the field and inside was packed.
Garth stood beside Sailor Ara as she raised her wand in the air. “Take control of them.” He purred. “They believe in you.”
“I will take care of you!” Ara announced. “If you let me take control of you, I will protect you from harm! Please trust me.”
“Sailor Ara! Sailor Ara!” The pole cried. Up in the bleachers, Courtney was on her feet and Luna and Artemis were jumping up and down. “
“I trust you Ara! Take me! Take me!”
Down on the field, the five girls who had gotten up to check on the disturbance had been drawn into it. “Choose me Ara!” Serena cried. “Take me!”
“I trust you Ara!” Lita yelled across the field.
“Me too!” Raye added.
“Control me Ara!” Mina pleaded.
“Sailor Ara…” Amy stared in awe.
The whole place was in agreement. “They trust me.” Ara resolved. “All their lives are trusted to me alone.”
“Now give them what they want.” Garth instructed. “Place them under your power.”
Ara bowed her 11-year-old head and closed her eyes. A swell of blackish purple began to flow slowly from the end of her wand. It rose straight into the air and broke into two branches. The arms extended down to the people around her. Everyone who looked to her was shrouded in purple haze. The entire stadium seemed heavy with this dark cloud.
The fight between the two siblings was quickly forgotten as their eyes locked on the disturbance. Jennifer pointed. “That’s not normal is it?”
“I TOLD you there was something wrong!” Olivia shot.
“Enough of this!” Darien interrupted. “You two transform! WE have a lot of people to save here!” the two of them looked up to him and nodded. “Right.” Two pens came out and were held in the air. Darien magically produced a rose.
“Polaris POWER!!!”
“Earth POWER!!!”

The tinkle of clattering crystals cued the ice princess Polaris to begin her transformation. Her body nothing but blue glitter and pink specks, she twirled around. A blast of frozen water cascaded upward and became solid. The girl inside the ice changed. A crack and a shatter gained her her freedom and light-blue clad Sailor Polaris posed before the shape of an eight-pointed star.

Inside a separate dome of wind, Jennifer was changing. Navy blue and aqua was blown in the air like leaves and kicked up her now speckled hair as it blew on her from behind. Raising her arms, the current dispersed and wound back, changing her silhoette to flesh and a sailor soldier uniform. Turning to the front and bringing up her arms, the posed in front of a footprint shaped symbol.

Darien’s skin was black. A white diamond-shaped mask grew across his face. The 20-year-old was clad in a black suit and had a long red and black cape. It spun out behind him as his transformation turned him around. His top hat, thrown like a disk, flew out and around to complete his transformation and leave Tuxedo Mask standing in front of the image of a rose.

Three forces for justice, ready for action, emerged back into the realm of space and time. Sailor Earth turned to her fellows. “We have a job to do! Let’s save those people before something terrible happens to them!”
“Right.” Sailor Polaris agreed. “Let’s go.”
The three of them rushed into the thick of the haze. Everyone was silent, now, consumed by the power of Sailor Ara’s spell. They shoved through the assembled zombies and saw the soldier in the center of the playing field. The purple cloud finished spreading from her staff and settled on the stands. The soldier lowered her arm, placing the head of the wand in her other hand. Polaris’s eyes widened and quaked in disbelief. “Jessi!?!”
Earth shared the thought. “Oh no.”
“Is that someone you know?” asked Tuxedo Mask.
“Yes.” Polaris answered. “At least it was.”
“We’ve got to find out what she had done to everyone!” Earth resolved. “And find Sailor Moon so that she can heal her before she loses her essence.”
“You go find the other soldiers.” Polaris directed her sister. “I’ll talk to Jessi.”
“I’ll come with you.” Tuxedo Mask decided. He and the blonde took off to the field, while Sailor Earth headed to the stands.

* * *

“Zoicite!?!?”
Knives were whizzing through the air, Malachite was darting around, trying to avoid being hit. He’d lost his girlfriend in the fray. Selenite hopped down from her concession stand striking point, sending out a line of knives before her heeled boots made contact with the pavement. Malachite dove over a counter, one of the knives ripping a hole in his cloak. Selenite cackled. “What a blundering idiot! You look like a rodeo clown! I don’t know how you ever became head of the army! Stand still and let me kill you, I’ve got other people on my hit list.”
“I won’t give you the pleasure.” Malachite snarled, leaning over the countertop.
“On the contrary,” Selenite felt superior as she slitted her narrow, pointed orange eyes. “I find this way much more fun!” She spread a fan of knives in her throwing hand and prepared for another rain of blades. Behind her, the red-headed Zoicite took up a trash barrel and lobbed it at her. The can caught her across the back. She stepped forward to regain balance and the knives clattered on the ground.
Malachite hurdled the barrier. “Zoicite! Get out of here!”
“You’ll never get us!” Zoicite spat at Selenite.
Selenite uncoiled and flung a handful of the fallen knives at the female general. Malachite tried to summon up an energy laser, but it fizzled out. Beryl had cut off his energy supply. The blades sang through the air, but their hum was cut short as they stuck two in the wall and one in Zoicite’s shoulder. The woman let out a wail of pain and anger.
Malachite’s face twisted in rage. “Zoicite!” He stared at the 18-year-old assassin as Zoicite sank to the ground opposite him, clutching the knife handle. His hand twitched, he could feel a crackling of energy between his fingers. It didn’t matter if Beryl wanted him to have access; if he knew where to find it, he could use energy. He willed a ball to grow in his palm and shot a laser of blue light out at his attacker’s back. Selenite was unaware, and felt the penetration and sting of his ray as it hit her. She thrashed backwards and fell to her hands and knees, her back smoking. Malachite’s palm throbbed. He ran over to his fallen love.
She looked up to him. “I – I have failed.” He said nothing to her, but swiftly grabbed the knife handle and yanked, the blade coming freely out with another cry of pain and surprise from the wounded. Zoicite’s eyes moistened. “Malachite…”
Selenite shoved herself uneasily up, hunched over because of he soreness of her back and huffed like a bull as she stared at the two of them.

* * *

Beryl had her hand on her chin and watched with interest as the fight between the general and her assassin unfolded. The energy window she was looking through took a long shot of the determination and rage on Malachite’s face. “That man is more powerful than I thought.” She watched as he defended Zoicite from more knives with the stolen energy he had to force past Beryl’s barrier to use. “He is VERY powerful! He has found a way through my blockade and is using energy . No normal, second-class soldier can do that.” She leaned forward. “Perhaps, I could use him after all. I will be getting rid of my military head soon; I will need a replacement. Since he did tell me the truth about the cat and my daughter, he has truly done no wrong to my authority.” She smiled. “If he lives, then I will consider him to have proved himself. That is IF he lives.” SHE watched the fight with a new sense of pleasure.

* * *

Selenite stumbled to the side and flung another blade at Malachite. He focused his mind and brought up a wall of energy. It did not come easy, he had to fight to use it. Beryl’s power was trying to take it back from him even as he held it in his hand. Hitting the shield, the knife ricocheted away. Malachite dropped the barrier. Zoicite got to her feet behind him, her hand over the bloody spot in her uniform.
Selenite panted. “How!? How do you get to use energy and not me!? I’M supposed to kill YOU!”
“What did I tell you? You’ll not take me so easily.” Malachite answered. She blew a piece of loose black hair out of her face. Malachite moved away from Zoicite. “I’m not afraid to die.” Selenite began to circle, too, her lipstick smudged. Malachite narrowed his pale blue eyes. “I just refuse to be killed by a schoolgirl like you.”
“Don’t mistake my youth for a lack of skill.” Selenite shot. “I’ve got skill pal! And I’m going to be a general. You are all that is standing in my way.” She yelled up to the sky. “Beryl! Lend me some energy so that I can fight him fairly!”
“What fairly!?” Malachite cried.
Beryl was apparently smiling on the unfair odds because Selenite willed up a huge, crackling ball of energy. It swelled largely above her head and she stuck her hands into it. She let it merge with her own energy, gaining control of it as if it were an extension of herself. “Take this!!” With one hand, she tore a chunk of the energy ball of and threw it at Malachite. He dodged easily and began willing up another laser, but she spotted him. Both hands in the ball, she sent a plume of it out and struck hum.
He let out a cry as the crackling, burning current of offensive energy permeated his body and began to seer away at him. He tried to brace himself against it, but the plume shoved him back. Sparks of it flew off. His heart was beating at an astronomical rate, excited by the charge. His vision phased to white. The tips of his fingers became seized with numbness that began to creep up his hands. His blood heated up to near a boil. Thankfully, Selenite stopped the blast before he got the bends. Blind, his muscles twitching, Malachite dropped to his hands and knees.
Zoicite stumbled, fearing the worst. “MALACHITE!?!” She collapsed next to him and tried to comfort him, but he was busy trying to get his body under control. His teeth clenched and his blinded eyes squeezed shut, he threw up his hand and urged her away. She turned a furious face to Selenite.
“I’m an energy trainer.” Selenite explained. “I’ve had as much experience with energy as you have. Like I said, don’t mistake my age and rank for ability.
“I can’t let you go through with this!” Zoicite cried.
“You’ve got no choice.” Selenite said, the ball growing as it recharged. “Beryl’s on my side. She wants me to kill him. And she probably wants me to kill you too, since you are in the way.” She turned and blasted Zoicite with another plume of power. The general turned her back, and was shoved into the corner of the stand. She let out a cry as it burned her.
Malachite shoved himself to his feet. This child was unbelievable, and she was beating the both of them. He couldn’t let Beryl destroy him like this, and he’d never let Zoicite be killed on his account. At the moment, he realized that Selenite was distracted. He charged.
Selenite was hit broadside as the general barreled into her, his eyes cleared enough to make out the huge ball of power above her head. She was torn from the energy and Zoicite was released and slumped back to the ground. The gathered energy had dispersed, but Malachite was well trained. He stood up and raised his hands. The energy condensed around them. “You are nothing compared to my experience. There are tons of lower ranksmen who think that they are all-powerful. The point is that I have fought my way up this system and have a right to be there. You won’t kill me.” He called up to the sky. “Beryl! If you want me dead, I request the honor of having you do it yourself! I won’t be your entertainment!!!”
“As long as I live, I will focus on killing you.” Selenite said, shoving herself up.
“Then I guess I have no choice but to get rid of you right now!” Malachite hissed with rage. He roared and turned the whole orb of power on the 18–year-old.
Selenite’s narrow eyes opened wide. The huge fountain of deadly, crackling energy exploded out in a disk from Malachite’s wrists, then funneled, narrowed, and contracted into a beam that speedily flew to hit the fallen youth. Selenite let out a scream that was quickly muffled as the burning power, one-hundred times the strength of her attacks, penetrated and disintegrated her in seconds. When the energy in the ball was used up, there was nothing left of the assassin but a thin black film that was whisked away in a slight breeze.
Malachte dropped his hands and his sneer. He just stood, cold, aching, and exhausted. Zoicite stumbled over and took his arm. He closed his eyes. Just then, a black hole, a doorway to the Negaverse, opened up beside them. They were surprised to see it, but knew it was for them. The man, whose silver hair was frayed, and scorched, turned to look into it with a sigh. “Beryl is granting my request.”
“No, Malachite.” Zoicite pleaded, grabbing his hand. “After all of that, you are going to walk willingly into death?” But he looked at her, and she knew that he wasn’t going to comply. He was headstrong still, and she loved him for it. He was going through that portal to face whatever waited for him there because that was who he was. And that was why she wasn’t going to let him go alone. His eyes told her that his strength was accompanied by a sorrow. She stepped up and took his arm again. “Let’s go.”
His eyes smiled for an instant, but he closed them and took a deep breath before the two of them entered the portal and disappeared.

* * *

Earth spotted the five un-transformed soldiers right on the sidelines. They were all frozen silent and shrouded in purple mist. She hopped the guardrail. “Guys!” They, of course, didn’t move. They were completely zombified. It only took Earth a second to translate the scene. “Hey! Wake up!” She grabbed Lita’s arm. “We’ve got a crisis here!” Lita shook her arm free and shoved Earth backward over the guardrail. The soldier landed on her face on the other side. She shoved herself up. “Oh yeah? So that’s how you wanna play it, huh?” She had to get them free of the purple mist. She decided to focus on the most important of the Sailor Soldiers first. She hopped back over the guardrail and grabbed Serena by the legs. Flopping her over her shoulder, Earth made to leave. The other zombified audience members, however, did not seem thrilled. As Sailor Earth made off with Serena, the other four girls began to chase her. “Uh oh!!”
Serena was still covered in purple cloud, and was hitting mechanically at Earth’s legs as her ponytails streamed out like ribbons along the ground. The four pursuers were like a troop of robots following behind. A burdened Sailor Earth trudged as fast as she could in circles around the playing field, the leader of a very bizarre parade.
Tuxedo Mask watched her as she made a wide circle around he, Polaris, and the offenders. Polaris was focused on her fiend, Jessi, who has taken up in the dark energy of the anxious cat next to her.
“Jessi!” Sailor Polaris cried, standing in front of Sailor Ara. The mock soldier’s eyes stared unseeing through her terra cotta bangs. Polaris grabbed her arms. “Wake up! What are they making you do to everybody?!?”
“Ara, these soldiers think you are going to hurt all these people.” Garth said with a flick of his tail.
“I will protect them. They trust me.” Ara stated. “Don’t you trust me?”
“That’s not the point.” Tuxedo Mask stated.
“They don’t trust you,” Garth told Ara, “what are you going to do about that?”
“I will make them.” Ara raised up her wand, a bubble of purple energy welling up on the end. Polaris stepped back, puzzled, but Tuxedo Mask recognized what Ara meant. The end of the staff came slowly down to face Polaris and the result would not be a favorable one.
He leapt into action. “Polaris! Look Out!” She snapped her head around, but didn’t move. It was up to him to save the day again. As time ran out, he jumped and shove her away. The purple on the staff shot out and sent a cloudy film over him. He collapsed onto his side, his blue eyes empty and staring without interest.
Polaris jumped up. “Tuxedo Mask!!!”
Ara turned her wand to the blonde soldier, but she knew what would happen, now. The young heroine refused to fall to the same fate as every other soul in the stadium and realized that there was nothing she could do until she found a way to get rid of the haze. She deserted the scene and her friends to see how her sister was doing with the other soldiers and hopefully get their help with this problem.
Garth turned to Ara. “You have done well.”
Ara lowered her staff and reached a hand out to Tuxedo Mask. He stood up and stepped back to take his place near a congregation of captured players, coaches, and cheerleaders that were standing at attention nearby. The soldier surveyed her devoted masses, her eyes as empty as all of theirs.
From behind, the turquoise cat approached. She stared around her at the same assembled legions held by Ara’s power. Up ahead was her fellow Chatlan with his victim. “All these people…Why is he doing this?”

* * *

Tears came quietly. Chrysoberyl was balled up on a chair in the corner of the chamber she and her husband had shared, but he was gone. They would never be together here again. This was their world. When they had been exhausted of pretending to be what everyone else thought they were, they would return here and be separated from the rest of the Negaverse. She recalled days of laughing, evenings of being in love and sitting together alone in each other’s hearts. It had been beautiful. And now it was over.
She had her knees pulled up to her chin, her tears matting the velvet and ruining the beauty of her gown. Yet another perfect and wonderful thing lost because of her.
She bowed her head on her knees, her arms strung around them, she was feeling miserable, when another cat wandered in. The cat was dark gray, and very elegant and fluid. Her eyes were pointed and pupil-less, as well as light purplish white in color. On her forehead was the shape of a three-tongued flame etched in pale yellow. She wore a diamond-studded black collar and the fur on her chin was slicked back into two points near her ears, which were eternally laid back across her neck. She had a devious look about her overall.
“Pulsar!?” She called in a satin voice. The princess’s head rose, the cat came across the room and sat a few feet away from the chair.
Chrysoberyl wiped her eyes and hung her legs back over the seat of the chair. “Hecate, what is happening?”
“Haven’t you been watching!?!” Hecate demanded in a reprimansive tone. “Something horrible has happened.!”
Chrysoberyl’s green eyes went wide. “Is Ky all right!? What has she done to him!?”
“Is that what you have been doing in here? Crying over Quasar?” Hecate demanded, twitching her whiskers. “You know very well that Sailor Quasar can look after himself. He is very powerful. There is no point in wasting time and tears on him.”
“But he’s alone down there. He and your husband, Garth, are going to have to search out the crystal fractures. That means they will have to stay in hiding while facing off with the Sailor Soldiers and avoiding Mother’s bloodthirsty henchmen. And all the time, I’m going to have to watch up here alone pretending like I’ve disowned him! You are in the same situation, you must understand how I feel?”
“The weak are the ones who bother with worries and emotion.” Hecate replied, without a hint of emotion in her voice. “Besides, you’ll be seeing him soon enough.”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you had been paying attention to the battle and not wasting your time on this pointless dribble, you would have seen that the victim killed the assassin.”
“General Malachite lives?” Pulsar had new hope. “So he can remain with Garth and Ky can come home!?!”
“The General evaded the assassin…” Hecate continued, “but not until after he revealed our plans to your mother.” Pulsar cast her eyes down, comprehending. The cat vocalized her thoughts. “We need to get out of here.”
Chrysoberyl wiped the last traces of grief from her face and became serious. “We are all in danger. Mother was suspicious of Garth and didn’t trust Kyanite. There is no reason why she shouldn’t believe what General Malachite has said. He was loyal. I will be in mortal danger soon if not already. I have to go through with my original plan and follow Quasar down to earth. Together, perhaps, we can go through with out means of overtaking the queen. But I don’t think that you should come.”
“How much more dangerous do you predict it would be to be in the universe as opposed to staying in the Negaverse?” Hecate asked.
“We can move fairly well with two humans and a cat.” Pulsar stated. “You, however, have the rest of your family to worry about.”
Hecate nodded in agreement. She had her children to think of.
“Stay up here in hiding.” The princess said, standing up. She stretched out her hand and opened up a portal. “When we return to take control, we will all be reunited again.”
“You are a decent human being.” Hecate said. “And the only one. I am hoping they you succeed. And I look forward to seeing your kingdom in the future.”
“Thank you for your confidence.” Pulsar said. “Farewell.”

* * *

Earth glanced quickly over her shoulder. She was still being pursued. With Serena a dead weight n her shoulder, and the exhaustion from the fight on the rooftop only hours before nagging at her legs, she was feeling anxious and confused. What on Earth was she going to do about this? Surprising to her, she suddenly had her sister run up behind her.
She glanced over Serena’s butt “What are you doing here!?”
“I think the more obvious question is what are you doing.” Polaris replied.
“I’m trying to save Sailor Moon.” Earth answered.
“You’re doing a lousy job!” Polaris observed. She gestured over her shoulder. “What’s with them?”
Behind, the four girls were running in sync and not blinking. They let out a dull, monotone battle cry of “Get her”.
“I think they’re trying to get Serena back.” Earth said.
“And what gave you that idea?” Polaris asked, sarcastically. “What are you going to do about them!?”
“To heck if I know!” Earth panted. “Got any ideas?”
“Leave it to me.” Polaris skidded to a stop and turned on the approaching girls. She raised her hands above her head. “North Star Power…NOW!” A spiraling icicle froze the ground before them. Amy, who was in front, got her feet frozen in the attack. Raye careened into her and hit her head on the ground. She was left unconscious. The other two slipped on the carpet of ice and fell flat. Polaris called to her sister. “Jennifer! Hurry up!”
Sailor Earth dropped Serena on the ground where she sat zombified and looked to her sister. “What do we do now?”
“Sit on them so they don’t get up.” Polaris said.
“What!?” Earth looked at Lita and Mina who were beginning to shove themselves back into the chase. “Never mind.” Earth plopped down on Lita’s stomach while Polaris made herself comfy on Mina. They looked at each other Jennifer cocked an eyebrow. “Now what?”
“Serena is still covered in that cloudy junk.” Polaris observed. “We’ve got to get rid of it.”
“You’re the one with all the bright ideas, right?” Sailor Earth said, sarcastically, patting Lita on the thigh.
“Have you tried blowing it off yet?” Polaris asked.
“Blowing it off?” Her sister responded. “We’d have to chase her around.”
“But if it works, it’d be worth it.” Polaris observed. From where she was seated, she couldn’t perform her whole attack, but threw out her hand. “Rushing WIND!”
Serena flew backward, the mist ruffling but not leaving her. She lay sprawled out on the grass.
Polaris frowned. “Well, icing these guys didn’t help. How do you normally get rid of a mist?”
“Wind would probably do the trick.” Earth recalled, but shook her head. “That didn’t work before. Maybe if we combine our powers into an icy haze we could thicken it and it could fall off into liquid.”
“We can do that?”
“Who knows, it sounds plausible anyway.” Earth shrugged. “Lets try it.”
The two of them wound up. “North Star Power…” “Rushing…”
“NOW!”
“WIND!”
Unexpectedly, however, the icicle did not blend with the gust as predicted. The ice attack missed Serena completely and flew on to strike someone in the crowd. They froze in a block of ice, but Earth’s wind attack pushed them over. The ice shattered and the other two cringed. They thought they’d just injured an innocent bystander until they noticed that the ice had a purple hue, and the person in the ice was unharmed and not to mention, free of the spell.
“Whatayaknow?” Polaris grinned. “The mist froze first and the person inside wasn’t hurt.”
Earth glanced backward at the mess behind them. “So I guess Amy’s feet are healed?”
“Let’s finish them off.” Polaris suggested. She jumped up off Mina and Earth freed Lita as well. They backed up near where Serena had fallen. The girls got up and started trudging toward them.
Earth turned to her sister. “You freeze ‘em, I’ll knock ‘em down.”
“Right.” Polaris agreed. She raised her hands, gathering icy crystals and shooting out two icicles. Both Mina and Lita froze. Earth wound up and sent two gusts of wind to knock them over. The mist broke apart and the girls’ color was back to normal. Polaris stepped around. “Okay, get Raye next. If we freeze her to the ground, we’ll never break it apart.”
“What about Serena?” Earth asked.
“We’ll get her in a minute.” Polaris assured. “Grab Raye.”
Earth traipsed around and yanked Raye up from where she was out cold behind Amy. Once Earth pulled Raye up to standing position. The blue haired girl began to whack her with one arm.
“Ouch! Polaris! Hurry up!”
“Okay!” Her sister called. “Get ready!”
“Ow!” Amy hit her again. “Ready!”
“NOW!” Another spiraling icicle flew and froze Raye and Amy together. Earth leapt out of the way to avoid being hit. Raye was frozen mid-fall and the lopsided way she was standing pulled both she and Amy over to shatter and return to normal.
“Now for Sailor Moon.” Earth resolved. She headed over to where Serena was, but something strange began to happen. All the people who where under Ara’s spell began to change. Their eyes blanked out, the color draining. The two girls exchanged glances, then stared over at Sailor Ara. The girl had her wand in the air again.
She stood staring straight ahead. Garth was atwitter with anticipation. “At last! Revenge! You, Sailor Ara, could possibly be one of the crystal fracture carriers, but even if you are, there are still two more to be found quickly. So, with your power, you can take the essence of everyone in this arena. You can force the essence out of them as you fill their minds with your power. And at the same time there will be hundreds of people who will die without surrendering a fracture. This is my revenge! For Chatla! Take them, Ara! Take their essence!”
Ara paused. She stood straight ahead and spoke in a monotone. “But they trust me.”
“That is your power entering their minds.” Garth said.
“I promised to protect them. They believed me.”
Garth lowered his head. “Don’t you know? The backbone of trust is betrayal. There is no reason to gain trust but to betray in the end. That is what happened to my home planet. To my native people. To my mother and my brothers and sisters and my friends. The sailor soldiers, in their blasted Sailor War, destroyed Chatla and left me and my father two of the last survivors. They promised they would look after the small planets. They failed, and betrayed us. That is what happens to trust.”
“It is?” She asked.
“Yes, and the time has come for you to complete you job.” Garth assured her. “You will reach your maximum once you take the lives of all these people and steal their essence from them. At that point, the takeover will be complete and you will surrender your crystal fragment.”
“Stop!”
Garth whirled around and there stood the turquoise cat. Briefly, his ears came up off of his neck. “Who are you?”
“I am a Chatlan.” She announced. “My name is Niobe.”
Ara relaxed into her new mission. Her wand began glowing brighter. Earth and Polaris were faced with the prospect of not only having an arena full of loose essence, including that of Tuxedo Mask who still stood assembled among the field personnel, but also that of Sailor Moon. Serena was still a victim of the purple mist and if her essence was taken, there would be no one to heal her or anyone else. They had to stop Ara before a disaster occurred. They took off and ran past the two cats not acknowledging their presence. Earth turned and spat an order to her sister. “You get the stick! I’ll get the girl!”
“Why do you get the girl? I can take her! She’s my friend!”
“I’m bigger.” Earth replied.
“I’ve been a soldier longer than you have!” Polaris insisted.
“Just get the stick!” Earth growled.
They attacked. Earth flattened Ara onto her back. Polaris ran around and began yanking on the staff. Ara struggled. “Let go of me!”
“Give me the stick!” Polaris cried.
“No! Help me, my followers who trust me!”
“Jessi! Wake up!” Polaris yelled.
Earth looked up from where she’d pinned Ara’s face and free hand to the turf. “Polaris! Watch out! The zombies are alive!” At Ara’s call, all the victims on the field, including the cheerleaders, the coaches, Tuxedo Mask, and all the football players, had moved in to defend her.
Polaris jumped back, but didn’t let go of the staff. “Yeow!!!”
“Don’t give up on that stick!” Earth told her sister. “I’ll try and occupy them!” With that, the soldier released the girl and raced to stand against the oncoming attackers. The football players were looking particularly nasty.

Niobe the turquoise cat stared intently at Garth. She searched his pupil-less yellow eyes and realized his state. She sighed with a touch of sorrow. “You cannot see.”
“I can see!” Garth hissed. “I see fine, and right now, I am witnessing the revenge of the Chatlans that has been so long in coming. You are of my race, you should feel it too.” He squinted at her. “How did you survive. My father and I thought we were the only ones left. Were you with the off planet peoples? My wife was one of them. You were fortunate enough to have evacuated before the destruction.”
“I never doubted the Sailor Soldiers to even think of evacuating.” Niobe answered. “I owe my life to them.”
“How can you say something like that after what they did to Chatla!” Garth roared, his yellow eyes glowed brighter.
Niobe’s large brown ones narrowed in concern. “No, you cannot see. Your eyes are clouded in hate. But if you knew the truth, you would be able to see clearly.”
“What are you talking about?” Garth asked.
She closed her eyes and sat back. “I will show you the true fate of Chatla. Please open your eyes and let my message clear the darkness that has clouded your mind.” Her eyes opened, they sparkled with a deepness and had flecks and points of changing colors. The crescent moon on her forehead twinkled with golden light. His eyebrows raised, the slanted sharpness of his eyes rounding as anger was replaced with wonder. He fell into them, taken up in the swirling depths until he found himself standing on familiar ground. He looked around.
“No! I can’t be!? Back home?” the ground beneath him was covered in soft mossy grass. The sky above was lavender blue, but thin enough to see the brighter stars through the morning sky and wispy clouds. A small blue sun shone down, warming the navy fur of his back. Overjoyed, the cat began to romp in the field, feeling like a kitten again. The planet was small, and gravity less, and his romping was like bounding, comparable to walking on the moon. He reached the top of a ridge and looked down on a settlement. A smile, most uncommon on Garth’s face, broke at the sight, his ears coming forward. “I’m home!” He headed down the hill toward the hovel-looking shelters and streets full of multi-colored cats. “I’m HOME!!!”
Just then, however, an explosion shook the scene, knocking him broadside and leaving him lying on the hill. A bright white light cut through the atmosphere at and angle and began to blow away the mountains bordering the town to Garth’s left. The people below screamed and deserted their homes. Rocks flew down and smashed the buildings. Garth stared around frantically.
“No! Not again!”
the attack was the Sailor Soldier’s Planet Attack. It was aimed at the forces of Chaos that had assembled nearby. They had promised the people of Chatla that they would protect their planet from the war. Now he was witnessing on the planet what he and his father saw from space; the destruction of an entire way of life. The beam continued to bore into the planet to it’s core, widening and spreading destruction. He turned his eyes to the land below. He saw cats running away. The young little kittens, the toned, strong adults, the wrinkled elders, all of them trying to avoid being smashed by debris on their way over the hill to the right. His eyes caught n one small ball of turquoise fur scampering as fast as her little legs could carry her. She was running behind a tall pale green female and a tall blue male. Debris from the Planet attack rained down. Once hovel had its walls knocked out. The little kitten let out a squeal as the roof collapsed on top of her. Garth felt the fear in her amber eyes. “Mommy!”
the light green cat skidded to a halt. “Oh no! Niobe!!!” She turned to the blue cat. “Tantalus!”
He stopped and looked back. Niobe’s mother tried to shove the roof aside, but her daughter was pinned and crying. She turned back to the father, but fear for his own life drove him off, deserting the rest of t hem.
“Tantalus!?!”
“Daddy!?!”
Garth stared anxiously at the scene. Was there a father that could be as cold as to desert his family when in trouble? How would rescue come for them?
It came from the sky. A large ship landed just over the hill to Garth’s right. The green cat’s ears shot up. “The Sailor Soldiers!” The white planet attack had ended before. Garth was so involved with the family that he hadn’t noticed it. Even though the attack was over, stones still fell. He noticed that magma was seeping out of the cracks. The planet was self-destructing. The mother called over the hill. “Help! Help us, please!!!” But she was too far out of reach and they couldn’t hear her through the turmoil. An earthquake started.
The ground shook and another building nearby toppled down. The green cat looked from it to her young daughter, to the hillside and the ship beyond. She crouched down to her daughter. “I’ll be right back.”
“Mommy!?!” Little Niobe’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’ll be right back with help, I promise.” She kissed her daughter and ran off.
Niobe cried out as she watched her bound away. “Mommy don’t leave me!” But the cat was gone, and the little one was left there, rocks still falling and the earth shaking sporadically. She began to weep to herself. “Don’t leave me here alone!”
Garth gathered himself. He couldn’t believe that both parents had deserted their daughter. He, himself was a father, and his eyes set in determination. For the first time, he forgot he was merely witnessing the past and hurried down to be with the kitten. “Don’t cry.” He said as he halted beside her. “You’re not alone.”
The kitten couldn’t see him, tears running from her closed eyes, the debris on top of her shaking with another shockwave. Garth crouched to keep his balance. The shockwave gained intensity. The rest of the building, parts standing at strange angles, waved threatening with the tremors. Garth moved to cover the head of the young girl as a crack split open in the study earth nearby. He looked to the hillside. “Hurry! Hurry and come back! What kind of mother are you!?” There was no stirring on the hillside. Niobe cried in terror. Garth stared frantically around, calling even though his voice couldn’t be heard. “Someone help! Anyone! Come and save this little girl! She didn’t want this war! Don’t let the innocent suffer in your pointless struggle! Help her!”
There was movement and a pair of figures sprang over the hill. They were humans, women dressed in variations of the Sailor Soldier uniforms. Garth was amazed. He backed off as the two of them landed. One was dressed in a light blue Sailor Suit with pink bows, her dark hair pulled back in a clip. The other’s was long and blonde. Her uniform was navy and aqua. They were sailors Earth and Polaris from the past. Both seemed to be in their thirties. Sailor Polaris set Niobe’s mother back on the ground.
The light green cat rushed to her daughter. “I’m here! I’m back! Are you okay?”
“Mommy!?” Niobe wept.
The mother turned. “Can you help her?”
“We’ll help, don’t worry.” Sailor Polaris said. She turned to Earth. “Mary, you take care of the little kitten. I’ll move the barrier.”
“Be careful, Sister.” Earth warned. “We’re in a hurry, are you sure you don’t want me to do it, I am the older sister after all.”
“Those days are over, Mary, I’m taller than you now.” Sister replied. Garth watched in wonder as she hoisted the roof off the ground and the blonde gently took the kitten in her arms.
“We’re sorry this happened.” Mary told the green cat. “But we’ll hurry and get you both on the ship. We have to evacuate the planet as fast as we can.”
“Thank you, Sailor Soldiers!” The cat said, tears in her eyes. The ground began to shake again and the cracks opened wide in the surface. Polaris dropped the roof.
“Come on! Let’s get out of here!” Sister picked up the mother cat the two of them bounded off over the hill to their ship, barely avoiding the rest of the hovel as it collapsed over where they had been, and leaving Garth behind. He watched as the evacuation craft deserted Chatla to its fate, carrying all of its residents. The image faded as the planet deteriorated and he found himself sucked back into the present facing a full-grown Niobe. She blinked and the enchantment was over. Garth stared; blinking away the emotional twitching that had seized his eyes.
“They rescued her?”
“Yes.” The turquoise cat answered.
“The heartless demons my father told me about, they endangered themselves to rescue the Chatlans from their planet, and went out of their way to save one little kitten from destruction?”
“Yes.” Niobe said again. “The soldiers promised they would protect us and they did. The destruction of our planet was an accident, but they didn’t abandon us with the consequences of their mistake. They rescued us, and moved us to a new home on the Earth’s moon, where we lived in peace and prosperity all through the Silver Millennium along with the royal family of the moon.”
Garth’s eyes wavered. “Humans would do this?”
“Humans are very kind hearted and thoughtful.” Niobe said. “Only some are mean and cruel. It is true that some humans are irrational and full of hatred, but…” She looked knowingly into his wide yellow eyes. “so are some cats.”
“My father…” He took gasping breaths. “If this is true, then I can see now that…that my father was wrong.” Light his the trembling pools as tears welled up. “He taught me lies! After learning the truth and seeing…seeing you alive…” His emotion gave birth to resolve as the tears spilled over. “And I cannot hate humans if Chatlans still live! My culture lives! If that little kitten lives then I – I owe everything to humans! I – I love humans!” His heart swelling, the pupil-less-ness of his eyes began to fade. The yellow sank into white until al that was left was a golden iris and an enlightened look on the strong face of a navy cat.
Niobe smiled, looking relieved and exhausted. “Now you can see.”
There was a cry of pain and the two of them were forced back into the current conflict. Earth had been knocked to the ground by one strong high school football player. The cheerleaders were kicking her. Garth’s handsome new eyes flashed to the scene. “Oh no!” He looked around at the stands full of people teetering on the edge of death. “All of these innocent people are about to die!” He turned to Niobe. “If Sailor Ara reaches her maximum, then there’ll be no stopping it! We’ve got to do something!” But Niobe didn’t look well, he eyes were blanking and she slumped down. “Niobe!?”
“I’m glad that you see the truth…now you can stop it…” She sank to the ground. “I used all of my energy and memories to show it to you. Now I am fading quickly.”
“Niobe!?! You can’t – “ Garth pressured. He glanced from her to the fight and back.
“I did it to save you.” She said with a weakened smile. “So that you can save everyone else… If I am wasted… This was all I could do to help and save everyone… to save you… please go.” Her amber eyes closed. She collapsed on the turf, the memories that had been so hard to translate to images having left her mind unconscious and her body limp on the field.
“Please don’t – “ Garth said with anxiety. He focused himself and set his attention to his new duty. He turned to the motionless form of the cat. “I’ll protect you, Niobe. I won’t let you die in another war you weren’t asked to be involved in. I won’t let the work of the Sailor Soldiers of the past be abandoned to vanity.” He turned and scampered into the fighting.
Earth squinted through the bandage and stared up at the chalken faces of her attackers, their throats, even now beginning to glow with condensing essence. She threw up a hand. “Rushing WIND!” The girls flew off and Earth got to her feet. She saw a football player heading for Polaris. “Rushing WIND!” the boy got the full force of her attack and blew off into the barrier by the bleachers. The multitudes left there seemed unconcerned. Suddenly, she was struck across the back by a cane and kicked down by the zombie Tuxedo Mask. He stood over her, tall and emotionless as she stared up through his shadow. “Darien!?!”
Polaris was playing tug-of-war with Ara and the magic staff. “Let go of it!” Olivia insisted. “Jessi! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
“I need to complete my mission!” Ara insisted. “I need to fulfill my calling.”
“Nothing good will ever come out of Negative stuff like this!” Polaris insisted, giving the staff a tug. “You’re not thinking straight.”
“Turst leads to betrayal!” Ara cried, her eyes flaring. “TRUST LEADS TO BETRAYAL!!!”
Tuxedo Mask reached down and pulled Earth up by the wrist, then placed his gloved hands around her neck. She let out an exasperated and suffocated gasp. “Darien!!!” Earth’s heart was beating fast…all the feelings that she felt for him were helping him choke her as she stared into his blank, colorless, unseeing eyes. The purple mist was keeping her face from reflecting in them. She felt herself rise from the ground. His face didn’t move, his eyes never changed. He didn’t’ blink. She grabbed his wrists to support her weight. She cried in frustration and disbelief. “I love you, Darien!” His cold, heartless expression stared back and the squeezing of her neck tightened to keep her from speaking again.
Garth stared at Sailors Earth and Polaris. He had seen them minutes before in Niobe’s vision, and even though they were different people, knowing that they were being killed by his creation gave him a sense of responsibility, and he knew how to end the attack.
Polaris tugged hard. “Jessi! Stop!” Sailor Ara yanked the staff closer to her. Garth ran up behind and bounded onto Ara’s shoulder. Polaris set her eyes on the staff. He moved down Ara’s arm and spoke to the blonde. “I’m going to help you!” Polaris didn’t’ believe him until he scratched at Ara’s hand, tearing the off-white of her gloves and forcing her to let go. Polaris fell backward with the staff in her possession. “Destroy it, Sailor Polaris!” Garth commanded. “Ara’s power is held in that! Free these people and destroy it forever!”
The young soldier glanced around. The football players were still advancing on her, slowly, the stands were full of helpless persons. She threw the staff in the air. “North Star Power…NOW!!!”
The icicle from her attack struck the staff, causing it to freeze solid. It fell back and broke on the ground, weakened by her ice power. When the staff was destroyed, all the people were released from Ara’s spell. Color sprang back to the faces and eyes of everyone, who stared around, confused as to what had happened to them. Tuxedo Mask suddenly found himself with his hands around Jennifer’s neck. He dropped her and she fell down to the ground. He kneeled quickly to make sure that she was all right, his whole emotion returned and his eyes bright blue again. The oncoming football players were not approaching anymore, but took off their helmets and looked to each other, puzzled. Across the field, Serena straightened up, rubbing her backside. The other girls were just coming to from their fall in the ice. She hurried over to see if they were okay. Al that was left to deal with was Ara herself. “My staff!” She cried. “My magic staff! How could you!?!” She stared furiously up at Polaris. “You’ll pay!”
As Ara ataqtcked her physically, Garth rushed out to the cat at the center of the field. Niobe was still unconscious, so he eased her onto his shoulder and moved her to the sidelines. There he laid her down against the protective barrier. “I’ll keep you safe like I promised.” Garth assured her. “I had to get your out of the way of danger, now that you are safe, I have to go help Ara. I’ll be right back.”

In the bleachers, Courtney, Luna and Artemis had reawaken from the spell and now stared down at the field. All three were in dismay. Luna and Artemis exchanged glances. “Something has happened.” Luna whispered. “The girls need us.”
Artemis nodded. “Let’s go.” They dashed down to the field. Courtney was staring too, however, and she recognized the girls near the opposite side.
“Is that Serena?” She also headed down the stairs to the field.” What in the world is going on around here!? Was I asleep?”
Serena was helping Mina and Lita up; they both rubbed the backs of their heads. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” Serena answered. “But Olivia and Jennifer are over there fighting.”
“We should help them.” Amy observed, from where she sat. Raye was next to her, moaning.
“My head hurts so bad!”
“Girls!” Luna and Artemis had taken one look at the action near their set of bleachers and made a b-line to them. “We don’t know what has happened, but there is an evil soldier there and Polaris is taking her on all by herself!”
“You need to transform and help her.” Artemis stated.
The girls nodded. “You’re right.”

“I’ll kill you!” Ara cried. “You’ve ruined my chance to be complete!”
“Ara! Stop this!” Garth cried. “You were not meant to betray! Use your power for good and surrender your negativity!”
“You helped her destroy my power!” Ara hissed. “You are a betrayer AND a liar!” She shoved Polaris down and ran toward Garth. He stepped backward, his ears falling back in fear.
“Wait – “
“This is what you get for double-crossing me!” Ara bared her teeth and bunted the cat in the head. With a yeowl, Garth flew and slammed against the hard wooden planks of the barrier. He flopped unconscious next to Niobe.
Sailor Earth and Tuxedo Mask were back on their feet. “That wasn’t nice!” Earth cried.
“I don’t really know exactly what’s been going on,” Tuxedo Mask added. “But you aren’t going to hurt any more people.”
“We’ll make sure of that!” Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Soldiers ran up, fully transformed and ready, at last, to fight on the good side. The pigtailed blonde in front pointed to Ara. “You’ve threatened tons of people here in this ball park and deserve to be taught a lesson! I am a warrior for love and justice! A pretty Soldier in a Sailor Suit! I am Sailor Moon!” She posed for the crowd. “And in the name of the moon, I shall punish you!” The people in the bleachers cheered and Sailor Moon waved to them. “Thank you, thank you adoring fans!”
Ara fumed. “I can take you all out! I will, with – With my bare hands!”
“How did that sweet little Jessi turn into someone like this?” Jupiter asked, scratching the back of her brown head.
“That’s not her.” Mars answered. “That is what she has become with the negative influence in her mind.”
“Hurry and heal her, Sailor Moon.” Venus pressured.
“Can I do that?” Moon asked. “I mean, she hasn’t lost her ghost thingy.”
“Essence.” Mercury corrected.
“Yeah, that.” Moon continued. “If it hasn’t come out, yet, then how can I put it back in?”
“You just need to clear her mind of the negative presence.” Mars insisted. She turned to Sailors Earth and Polaris. “You two hold her still while moon gets her with the wand.”
Earth and Polaris looked at each other. This, by far, was going to be the easiest job they’d done yet. “No problem.”
Each grabbing an arm, the held Ara in place, and Sailor Moon stepped up to bat. The soldier took out her crescent moon wand and twirled it, then brining it down, she traced a cirle and yelled; “Moon…Healing…ACTIVATION!!!” White-silver light shot out at Ara and entered her head. Instantly, the cloud of black energy escaped and the purple and black uniform changed into Jessi’s normal clothes. Polaris and Earth let her go and she sank to her knees.
“Wh-what happened?”
“You got in a tangle with the Dark Side.” Polaris said with a grin. “But you’re alright now.”
“What do we do now?” Sailor Venus asked.
But through all of the fighting, there was a flash of lightening and a column like a mushroom cloud shot down from the sky somewhere in the city. The girls turned and saw it through the open margin between the bleachers. Jupiter stepped toward it. “that didn’t look good.”
“Something or someone just used a huge amount of energy.” Mars said, her eyes closed. “Their aura is strong. Whatever it is, it must be very powerful.”
“Come on! We’ve got to check it out!” Venus cried, running forward. The other girls nodded and followed suit.
Polaris, Earth and Tuxedo Mask paused. Polaris stared at the dark ripples the column had made in the sky. “This is big. Bigger than anything yet.”
“What do you make of it?” Earth asked Tuxedo Mask.
The man had his hand to his head, his intuition stinging and aching behind his eyes. “It feels like this…this may be the end.”

~To be Continued~

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