Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.

Chapter 10-C

As soon as the queen and the martial artist got out, Serenity breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks like I was just in time… Do you realize what kind of peril you were in?!"

Ranma folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. "I… don't think I was in any.

Serenity looked sternly at him. "Oh, yes you were. You were in terrible peril…"

The black-haired young man pointed toward the door. "Look, just let me go back and face that 'peril.' Ranma Saotome never runs away from a challenge." He paused. "Well, not the second time… Usually."

"No," the blonde woman replied in a firm tone, closing her eyes. "It's too… perilous!"

"Hey, it's my job to… sample as much peril as I can!"

"You're just not getting it, are you? Let's go. Come on…"

Ranma looked downtrodden. "Oh… Can't I just have a little peril for once in my life!?"

"No," the queen snapped, "it's wrong! It's… peril!"

"You really like that word, don't you?"

Serenity sighed and sat down by the cupid statue, then noted the brooch hanging off of the arrow. "Ranma, Ranma… What am I going to do about you?"

Ranma had been looking back anxiously at the door. He stopped and turned toward her. "What do you mean?"

The woman took the Sailor Earth brooch off of the statue. "The Outer Senshi have, shall we say, 'looser' rules than the Inners. It has been that way for as long as I can remember… but you are an Inner Senshi, Ranma!"

"Great," Ranma muttered, turning away, "first the sailor fuku, now dumping more rules on me, and—"

"You agreed to this," Serenity said, "or have you forgotten?"

"Yeah, but that was just 'cause you wouldn't…" the martial artist broke off when he noticed something: He was a guy… and Neo-Queen Serenity only met him as a girl…

"I wouldn't what?" Serenity asked.

Ranma suddenly turned back toward her. "Umm… I'm a… guy right now. How—"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," the pigtailed woman said.

The martial artist blinked. "Oh…"

The queen nodded. "The Star Lights, for example, took a male appearance while not fighting. I won't bore you with why, but they did." She sighed. "But… I keep thinking of you as Terra, and I shouldn't expect you to have the same attitude… or values, for that matter…"

"Hey… What's all that supposed to mean?"

Serenity looked him in the eye. "It means that for some reason, I feel that you are somehow… desecrating Terra's memory for taking a form like that; for corrupting her appearance into—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ranma said, waving his hands in front of him wildly. "It ain't like that at all!"

The Queen looked down at the brooch she held in her hand, a tear falling down her left cheek. "But that is what it feels like… to me." She shook her head. "And what it looked like you were going to do with all those—"

"I could… change back," Ranma offered, "y'know, if it'd make you feel better…"

Serenity looked up at him and sniffled slightly. "You'd do that for me?"

"Uh… Sure! I mean… why not?"

Just outside a pair of titanic metal doors, blue-suited workers hurried to unload the crates they had been ordered to deliver to this position. Many had been brought in already, and they sat stationary near the doors.

"Put that one over there," Sailor Pluto said, motioning with her staff. She paused, looking at one worker. "What do you think you're doing?"

The worker in question, a teenage male, had the lid of a crate half-off, and peeked into it.

*SQUEARRRK!!!* Something inside of the crate made a horrific sound, throwing the boy several meters away.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" the boy screamed, his eyes wide and unseeing, as his body erupted into wild convulsions.

"See to him," Pluto snapped at another worker, "and close that lid!"

*Scree…* A noise from another crate sounded.

*Scraaaaw*

*Pykaaaaah*

A rapid series of clicks and other primitive modes of communication occurred.

*PYKAAA!*WHUMP-WHUMP-WHUMP!!!* The largest of the crates began vibrating, wobbling across the ground, bright light shining through the cracks between the wooden boards.

"TIE THAT DOWN!" the Time Guardian screeched.

A few workers with ropes approached, hurriedly lashing the crate to a post.

The worker that attended to the victim of what was contained in the crates held the boy in her arms and looked with horror at Sailor Pluto. "What… what are you doing with these?!"

The green-haired woman glared at her, lips drawn back. "That is not for you to know… Now complete your task!"

Many of the volunteer laborers looked at each other. What sort of diabolical plot could Sailor Pluto be planning with all these creatures!?

Jadeite-chan sighed, tugging at her white sailor-blouse as she walked through the corridors of the subterranean base.

"Four thousand channels," she muttered to herself, "five million holographic simulations, and a billion databases with information beyond belief…" She growled cutely, turning to a computer panel on the wall, which read 'Access Denied'.

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "And all of it has security lockouts!" She turned away. "I simply try to… borrow… one starship, and the central computer goes ballistic!"

[Hi there! If you like, I have a very nice modeling program that you're cleared for,] the structure's main computer offered in an overly helpful voice, which switched to a higher pitch in the next sentence, [You could try on all sorts of cute dresses and—]

"Shut… up," Jadeite-chan growled.

The computer squeaked. [Hey, it sounded like a good idea to me!]

The supernaturally cute girl gritted her teeth, and proceeded to tell the infernal machine, in excruciating detail, precisely what she thought of its idea, its probable mechanical ancestry, and its personal habits during any downtime it might have.

[…Oh my! A young lady like yourself should not be speaking so harshly. What would 'Tim say?]

"Knowing him, he'd probably agree with me and smash your core into a thousand fragments with an axe, like he did last time!"

[Oh dear…]

Since the… incident a week ago, "Jade" had crystallized her fear of the unstable computer system into a healthy dislike. She had often in the past prided herself on her intelligence, and was not about to let fear get the best of her.

Then again, once bitten, twice shy.

Jadeite-chan slapped the instant palm-scanning panel just outside the door to her room and stepped inside once it opened. Despite the bedroom's cutesy appearance, she greeted it with relief. At her request, her current benefactor, 'Tim Knight, had removed— ripped and torn, actually— all of the computer's voice functions and sensory devices from the entire area. He seemed very determined about it, and very thorough.

Of course, then he had called one of those maintenance droids in to piece the place back together when he was done, so there was really no guarantee that all of the computer's influence was completely gone.

Still, she considered, it had been a nice gesture… Too nice, actually. Any force that had the capability to rescue her from the high-security of a Negaversal Dark Kingdom direct-to-Metallia execution-sacrifice couldn't possibly be a fighter for the forces of good…

Jadeite-chan went over that last train of thought… and found that it left much to be desired. Rubbing her temples, she sat down on her fluffy, pink-highlighted bed… then stopped as she noticed an odd texture to the quilt.

Standing, she looked down to see a boy's blue school uniform laid out at the edge of the bed.

Jadeite-chan frowned. "What would that be doing here…?"

She stood, tensed for battle as she sensed the presence of another in the room; one that-

"Hiya, Jadeite!" a cute girl's voice bubbled.

Jadeite-chan whirled around to see… herself. Before her stood an exact replica of her, down to the short-yet-threatening-to-grow-longer-and-make-her-look-even-more-cute blonde hair, wearing one of the many sailor fuku uniforms that the computer had created for her.

The replica stood, smiling at her.

Jadeite-chan stood momentarily in shock, then looked to the blue uniform on the bed, and back at the replica, narrowing her eyes. "Paracite… Just what do you think you're doing?!"

The former general's shapeshifting cousin opened her mouth to speak, then paused, thinking it over. "Hmm… Are you sure you want to know?"

It was Jadeite-chan's turn to puzzle that one out. Why might Paracite be in her room, using her form, wearing her clothes? "That's a good point… Actually, I don't think I do."

Paracite blinked her huge, cute blue eyes. "It's not anything bad. Those two girls, Serena and Terra, were talking about asking you to go shopping with them, you know… to get to know you. I wanted to go along with all of you and get something for you, but I wasn't sure about what's comfortable and what isn't, so since you're not supposed to ask a girl her measurements, I decided that the best thing to do would be go in, use all my spatial glamour skills, and find out for myself." She tilted her head. "And, it just seems to me that I've been waaay too insensitive about your… change. Sure, you put up a brave front and all, but it's obvious you don't like it. So, I needed a way to empathize with it." She smiled. "And like the saying goes: You can't understand someone unless you've worn their shoes and walked around for in them for a little while."

Jadeite-chan closed her eyes, recoiling. "I told you I didn't want to know, Paracite…"

The duplicate pseudo-girl frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"

The other blonde stared at her for a long moment. "You? The day you, Paracite, do anything really evil, that is the day when Queen Beryl becomes a schoolteacher; It's just not going to happen."

Paracite smiled. "Oh, thanks."

Jadeite-chan sighed. "You would have to be the only youma I know that wouldn't be insulted beyond all comprehension at this moment."

"Well, what's so great about evil? I mean… evil's… evil, right?"

Jadeite-chan turned away, muttering, "Stuck as young girl in a strange land with only the companionship of a raving psychotic…"

"What was that, Cousin Jadeite?"

The 'real' girl turned toward the other. "Nothing. Just leave, I need time to think… and plan." She took the blue school uniform off the bed and handed it to Paracite.

"Oh, thanks!" Paracite giggled, taking the outfit. "I'll go in the back room and change."

Jadeite-chan's left eye twitched. "I suppose I'll go take a walk instead." She pushed a button by the door, and exited, holding her somewhat pained head.

Meanwhile, inside that same somewhat pained head, another force plotted the active persona's destruction.

Almost time… Guardian Jadeite said to himself in a mental whisper. What energy I can control is almost it its peak…

At that last thought, he laughed. I've really got to get out of here… I'm starting to sound like Nephrite…

Inside the random, shifting dreamscape, Guardian Jadeite turned toward the force that he had found; his best— and indeed only— chance to regain control and purge the corruption from his soul and body once and for all.

The 'pink' presence had grown and become 'brighter' in the week of Jadeite's preparation. As he had become stronger to control it, it had in turn become stronger to match his new capabilities. It was as if he and it were linked somehow…

Of course, he was linked with practically everything here. It was his mind, after all. The only thing not directly linked to him was the corruption: ‘General Jadeite’.

That… thing had done countless unspeakable acts under his guise. The general, aside from doing an obnoxiously stupid impression of him… well, that was quite enough, but… This ‘General’ had played a significant role in destroying all he held dear. Now, that's all fine and dandy; political games and a war now and again is pretty much par for the course in any sort of governmental position… but using him to help accomplish it…

Well, that just wasn't very nice.

Besides, I think I'm going to miss Mars… She was such a cute little thing… Guardian Jadeite paused. Of course, so was young Queen Serenity… Assuming the throne just after her mother died… Her husband departing for realms unknown to find the Ultimate Anti-Evil Force, or something… I wonder if he ever made it back…

Jadeite searched his counterpart's memory. Ah, yes, he did… Found the next-best thing… Gave it to his adopted daughter, as a matter of fact. Aww… That's so sweet!

The 'pink' presence pulsed in response to that line of thought. Jadeite took a deep mental breath. He had to remain calm, and save his strength for the coming attack. If he didn't, he would risk leaving enough of the general around to find out about him and retaliate, leaving him even worse off than he was now.

He did the mental equivalent of a sigh and considered sadly what he had been brought to: Annihilation of another individual.

Even though the ‘other person’ was generated by copying and corrupting him with massive amounts of dark energy, the general was a distinct personality.

Guardian Jadeite was not about to just let things go on like this, however. The calm dreamscape was like a background of Country and Western music: Not really all that bad once you get used to it, but play the same song over enough, and it can drive you mad. Still, this sort of plotting was really no more than premeditated murder. But… Jadeite wanted his life back… and felt that his cause was without a doubt infinitely more righteous than the corruption's.

So, if he made his move and struck at just the right moment; the point where the general's mental defenses were at their weakest, it would at least be over quickly, without undue pain or hurt. If he missed that specific point, though, the other mental resident would likely feel pain beyond everything that had been experienced before, and agony beyond all comprehension as what constituted General Jadeite was methodically ripped to shreds over a period of several hours.

As much as the guardian disliked what the general had done, he did not want to be the one to cause such suffering. He would wait for the proper moment.

Jadeite-chan gazed through a thick transparent wall into the base's cavernous docking bay, which contained a multitude of spacecraft in varying states of construction and repair. Of particular interest was a chrome-colored vessel with a dual hull: A saucer section connected to a drive section with two large struts that seemed to have propulsion as their only possible purpose.

On the tour just before her first stay here, some specifics on the ship's capabilities had been expounded upon. "If I had that," the cute blonde whispered, "I could—"

"Destroy the world," 'Tim noted as he walked up beside her, "And still have time to swing back over to the capital of the Juraian Empire to raze a few buildings." He looked down at her. "I know, I've done it."

Jadeite-chan paused, then turned toward the pink-haired man, then gasped as she noticed the golden crescent moon on his forehead.

"What?" 'Tim asked. "Didn't I get all the marks out of my shirt?" He looked down at his new-looking green gi-jacket, smoothing back his bangs, the glow from the crescent moon mark illuminating the immediate area.

The girl, not having quite enough time to recover from the shock and come up with suitable composure, started to back off.

"You're one of THEM!"

'Tim looked at her. "Them?"

"That mark on your forehead…"

The pink-haired man glanced to the semi-reflective surface of the transparent wall and noticed the problem. "Oh… Yeah, looks a lot like what those cats and Queen Serenity had, doesn't it?" He looked back at Jadeite-chan. "I have no idea where that came from. I was just getting into a little training exercise a few minutes ago, and… Hmm, I guess that'd explain why my forehead's been stinging since…"

Jadeite-chan took a few deep breaths, looked the man over, and stopped again. "What the… Did you lose a bet with a ten-year-old girl?!"

"If you're talking about the clothes, they were a gift from my most recent sensei. Ever hear of Namek?"

"No…"

"Too bad. We could've had a fiery discussion over if we thought they'd make it past another year."

"So… you're not of the house of the Moon Kingdom, then?"

'Tim had to think about that one. "Technically, as in right this moment?"

"Er…"

"The short answer to your question: I have no idea. I'd have to run a DNA scan or two, then debate the philosophy of whether Terra still counts."

Jadeite-chan blinked.

'Tim sighed. "But all that doesn't matter now. If it bugs you, I'll just tie a bandanna around it or something." He put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "For now, though, we've got a meeting to go to."

A rabid wind blew its foul contents across the blood-red plain, the sky darkened with ominous clouds of a similar crimson color. Jagged cliffs hung, curling like black talons through the forbidden landscape, beasts of a strange and alien nature clawing their way amidst the depressing, overpowering atmosphere.

One human figure stood atop one of these cliffs. A mane of spiked red hair tied with a ragged blue band topped his head, and red on pure-black eyes stared out of sockets full of malice. His muscled jaw curled back, exposing a set of large, haphazardly sharp teeth.

These features, though fearsome, were nothing in comparison to the rest of his massive, muscular frame. Indescribably thick, sinewed arms tore their way out of his tattered blue gi, which was unable to even begin to hide the sheer power radiated from this individual. A red mark adorned the back of his gi. This monster of a man looked up into the sky, and narrowed his hateful eyes as he caught a glimpse of an unmarked silver jet speeding toward him from over the horizon.

"So," the demon-beastman whispered in his deep, echoing growl, "he is coming…" Akuma dug his feet into the ground, and held his arms to the sides, his huge, brown-gauntleted hands clenched upwards. "GrrrRRR!!!"

Tongues of a fiery aura swirled their way above his head and shoulders, the energy around him building up. The wind rippled with the flows of his high-level Ki. As the aircraft came closer, the man thrust his right hand forward, the Ki erupting from his palm to form a short, surging, plasma-like blast, which sped toward the plane.

*Ksssh!* The shot sheared off the plane's right wing, sending it spiraling toward the ground.

*Rrrr* Akuma swung his other hand around, unleashing another massive burst of red energy toward the jet.

*CRASH-BLAM-blam-BLAM!* As the Ki-bolt impacted, the plane literally exploded in a burst of flame, its burning debris falling to the ground a mere dozen meters away from its destroyer.

Akuma stood with a jagged smile as he watched the wreckage burn, the smoke from the flames rising high into the air like a tortured, misguided ghost.

*CraWWSH!!!* Suddenly, the debris blasted outward, leaving a black-shrouded figure levitating in the midst of the ruined aircraft.

"WHO DARES ATTACK THE MIGHTY M. BISON?!" the man shouted in rage. He wore a red general's cap and was surrounded in a long, black cape.

Akuma let out a low, roaring peel of malevolent laughter.

"So, you want to fight me?" Bison asked in disgust, narrowing his eyes. "You're no match for my power."

The red-haired monster folded his massive arms. "I will teach you the true meaning of power."

Bison grabbed his back cape, and threw it aside, revealing the rest of his military fatigue: a red uniform and black boots. "We'll see, won't we?"

The red-clothed man moved into a combat stance, as did Akuma. There was one difference, however: Akuma was smiling.

Bison ran forward, his fists clenched and gathering energy.

Akuma jumped into a somersault and landed directly in front of his opponent, then grabbed him, jumped into the air, threw him under his knee, and smashed him into the ground with his weight.

*KRUNCH* "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHH!" Bison yelled in agony.

Akuma backed away with an expression that just dared Bison to get back up.

Holding his chest, his eyes bulging, the red-clad fighter stood, breathing raggedly.

"Now," Akuma growled, "FEEL HOW WEAK YOU TRULY ARE!!!" The demon flew forward, leaving a trail of dark shadows in his wake, grabbed Bison by the front of his uniform, and drew back a fist that radiated a bright aura.

*Bam* WHAM* THWAK* KSSH-KSSH-KSSH* BLAM* WHAM* POW* WHACK-WHACK-WHACK* *KABLAAAM!!!* Akuma pumped so many Ki-enhanced punches and kicks into his opponent that there was naught left but a quivering red mass, which the victor let slither to the ground like so much raw ground beef.

The beast laughed. "That was no fight," he said, "that was—" He broke off as he heard the faint sound of applause behind him. He whirled around to see a black-haired man in black, yellow, and blue armor clapping at him.

"Bravo," the armored man cheered, "that sure was cute!" He laughed. "Especially considering how ugly you are."

"WHO ARE YOU?" Akuma bellowed.

"I'm Kakkarotto," the Sayajin replied. "Nice to meetcha." He smiled in a pleasant manner. "So, who are you?"

Akuma narrowed his eyes and flexed his arm. "I," he began, "am power made flesh."

"What a coincidence," Kakkarotto smiled, "so am I. Except I'm a lot better-looking than you are, leather-face."

"Your next insult will be your last, insect."

"Ppht!" Kakkarotto blew a raspberry at him, wiggling his hands by his head in a taunting manner. "Nya-ni-nya-ni-nya-naaa! Your brother wears nursing-boots!"

"Die," Akuma growled, bringing his hands to the sides and charging up with his red, flaming Ki. "Messatsu-go-Hadou!" He cupped his hands together in front of him, firing off a very large red blast at the black-haired man.

*Whack!*Blam!* Kakkarotto batted the shot aside, sending it off into a small, nearby outcropping. "Oooh, nice," the Sayajin commented.

Undaunted, Akuma leapt forward, just below him, and jumped into a flaming, spinning uppercut.

Kakkarotto stepped aside, whistling.

Akuma looked at him, made a flip backward, then jumped back at him.

Kakkarotto hopped into the air in front of him, then became partially transparent as Akuma grabbed him, made a midair leap to go even higher, than slammed him back-first into the ground.

The man Akuma held vanished.

"Hey, ugly!" Kakkarotto called from behind him. "Can't you do any better than that?!"

The red-haired demonic creature turned to him, roared his rage, and pressed the attack.

"Uh oh," Kakkarotto taunted as he avoided each blow through backing off and sidestepping, "looks like I've made it mad."

Akuma stopped, his eyes seething with a glowing hatred. In a sudden motion, his stance tensed, and his image faded to a dark blur, which surged forward, passed through the Sayajin, stopping directly behind him, where the large man reformed.

Kakkarotto ducked the other man's flaming uppercut and kicked Akuma's feet out from under him when he landed.

*Thud* Akuma came crashing to the ground. In the next fraction of a second, he was back up and roughly twice as mad as before.

"Sorry," Kakkarotto grinned, "I just saw an opening that just seemed to scream out, 'attack'."

"Stand and fight," Akuma literally spat.

The armored fighter cracked his knuckles and got into an exaggerated fighting pose. "You got it," he said.

"GrrrRRR," Akuma grunted as he dove forward with a flurry of punches and kicks.

Kakkarotto never lost his grin as he blocked each of the attacks, periodically returning what he considered a weak blow.

By the end of the fast, intense struggle, Akuma was violently resisting the temptation to lean against a nearby outcropping as he stood, breathing raggedly and ignoring the horrible pain coursing throughout his badly pummeled body.

The Sayajin took a step back and folded his arms. "Hey, you're looking pretty ragged out… Could you use a break?"

Akuma's red-on-black eyes burned. He bared his teeth and shot back, "I NEED NO REST FROM YOU!" Immediately, he leapt into the air, his fiery Ki charging up as he threw his hands forward, creating a blast much larger than the ones he had previously created.

*KSSRRROW* Kakkarotto caught the shot, experimented with the energies momentarily, then tossed it back at the sender.

An instant before the blast could hit him, Akuma vanished, his shadow flowing to a point in front of the Sayajin, where he reappeared, his huge fist headed toward Kakkarotto’s head at a nigh-impossible rate.

The black-haired combatant caught the fist in both hands, then swung Akuma around in a quick circle, getting ready to shot-put him over the horizon, when Akuma vanished and reappeared behind him.

"Not bad," Kakkarotto commented as a set of fireballs went past him. "Not bad at all…" He ignored a shot that impacted against a spherical barrier surrounding him and continued, "Can you do this?" He held his hands in front of him.

*KAAAAAABOOOOOOOOM!!!* Akuma, even with a fortunately timed teleport, barely managed to avoid the twenty-meter-in-diameter energy sphere that swept past him and obliterated nearly the entirety of the landscape behind him.

"Hey," Kakkarotto said, "no fair dodging." He thrust a hand out toward the other fighter, causing a continuous blue blast to erupt from the ground beneath Akuma, causing his flesh to gradually roast.

Amidst the crackling energy, Akuma's expression grew from mere anger to a boiling rage that defied all human comprehension. Though damaged, drained, and badly out-powered, he was not about to give up. Not by a long shot.

Akuma burst forth out of the power stream, his shadow trailing behind him, several orders of magnitude faster than the technique had been in the battle against Bison. The demon's tremendous fist wrapped around Kakkarotto’s neck, his other hand charged and poised to strike. The scenery blurred under the light created by Akuma's dozens of strikes, the sound echoing across the forbidden landscape. For nearly a full minute, he poured out his wrath upon his foe, every ringing strike bringing a sort of joy to the once-human's life. Finally, his eyes glowing and his almost-torn muscles flexed in triumph, Akuma released his grip on Kakkarotto.

"So… is that it?" the Sayajin asked, his body unscathed and his armor unscratched. He shook his head. "I'm kinda disappointed…"

Akuma's eyes widened at the utter ineffectiveness of his most vicious attack to date, then narrowed as his rage overpowered what insignificant shreds of fear and doubt crept up beneath his subconscious.

Kakkarotto sighed. In the next heartbeat, he took Akuma by the arm and threw him into the air, then pointed his index finger at the skyborne individual.

*BLAAAAAAAM!* The terrain shook from the force of the blast that engulfed Akuma, light flashing brilliantly as several smaller explosions wracked the target.

Kakkarotto blew a short breath at his finger, and dusted his hands off as he watched his opponent's remains fall to the ground. "Too bad, really," he muttered as he approached the landing site to get a better look, "I thought he might actually—"

*BLAM!!!* Akuma sat up and threw a fast, raging fire-blast at the Sayajin, cutting him off mid-thought.

The standing fighter reached up to feel his singed hair, then narrowed his eyes at Akuma. "You shouldn't have done that…"

Akuma growled through clenched teeth as he fell to the red dirt, the muscles in his back involuntarily ceased all function, his body utterly totaled. Still not willing to accept any form of defeat whatsoever, Akuma swung his left arm forward, firing off another stream of fireballs, which Kakkarotto either absorbed, blocked, or deflected. Finally, though, all fibers in his being that were useful in combat gave out, leaving him to be able to do nothing but look in anger, hatred, malice, and defiance at his oppressor.

If his chest had been a cannon…

"Now," Kakkarotto whispered in a deathly silent, yet powerful tone, "is when you die."

Akuma roared his defiance, red Ki building up in his eyes.

The black-haired man drew his fist back in the way to make it most effective upon impact, and thrust it down at the broken beast… "KYAAAAA!!!" The fist flew at speeds that shattered the sound barrier, reaching for the defeated one's face…

*Honk*Honk* Kakkarotto squeezed Akuma's nose, twice.

Akuma blinked… in a dark, demonic sort of way.

"Ha-ha!" the Sayajin laughed, smiling in a very content manner. "Gotcha!" He stood up, looking down at the other man.

"Why…" Akuma began in a quiet— but most assuredly not weak— manner, "why haven't you finished your strike, coward?!"

"I don't want to!" Kakkarotto exclaimed. "You've been the best fight I've had all day! For a human, you're great! I mean, this is real potential you've got here. A few more decades, and you might be able to come up with something worth batting an eyelash over! And you didn't just give up and die like that bird-guy did! You kept on going, and going, and going…!"

*Boom*Boom*Boom* A pink rabbit walked by, beating a drum, then spun around and walked off. *Boom*Boom*Boom*

"So," Kakkarotto continued, "you know what this means?"

"That I am going to hunt you down like the insect you are," Akuma growled, "slaughter you slowly as I make—"

The Sayajin shook his head. "No! It means I'm not going to kill you this time." He made a quick salute with his right hand. "So long. It's been fun!"

A thick blue aura flared around Kakkarotto, leaving a trail as he shot up into the sky, speeding off into the distance…

The barely-living pulpy red mass known as M. Bison looked over at Akuma. "So, how does it feel to be shown how weak you truly are?"

"Shut up…"

"Hey, want some Nuprin?"

"SHUT UP!"

"And you see, Mister Knight," the counselor continued, "Jade has been far too violent and has destroyed an unacceptable level of school property during her bouts of… frustration."

The counselor was a woman in the latter years of middle age. She had graying black hair, a substantial build, and a menacing look about her. She held herself in a very stern posture as she looked across to the desk to a tall pink-haired man in green and pink attire.

'Tim nodded as he looked over a few snapshots of the damage that had been caused. "Yes…" He handed one of them to the excessively cute blonde girl sitting next to him. "Very nice… I like how you made it a clean cut… That's not easy to do with a straightforward blast. Usually, you have to use a narrowed beam to get it like that."

Jade blinked at this. "I… couldn't stand Haruna's boring, incessant banter any longer."

The counselor glared down at her. "Miss Haruna spent the entire day in tears because of that!"

'Tim looked sideways at Jade. "A good tactic for preventing stuff like that is to go up and give 'er a hug after you've blown away her chalkboard."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "A hug?!"

The green-attired man nodded. "Yeah. It—"

The counselor cleared her throat.

'Tim tried not to look at her. "Yes?"

"Why do I get the impression that you are not taking this at all seriously?!"

"Err… What's to be serious about?"

"She has destroyed—"

"Look, if that's a problem, I can send something over to get that fixed. Maybe even let… what's her name… Patricia Haruna borrow my psychiatrist for a while."

"No, the school has it covered. The damage isn't the problem, and Miss Haruna is more than capable of handling her own emotional state."

"Then what are you complaining about?"

The counselor sighed. "The fact that Jade cannot keep herself from doing this reflects a severe inner lack of control!"

"I disagree," 'Tim said, handing the snapshots of destruction to the black-haired counselor. "If you look closely, you can tell that these blasts weren't just tossed. They were calculated, aimed, fired, and used for maximum effect. If she really wanted Haruna and that Melvin kid dead, she'd have done it."

"Wrong," Jade whispered, "I would savor their elimination, but then I could not—"

"See?" 'Tim said. "Perfectly in control. She wasn't fighting to kill. Just to maim."

"Too bad I missed," Jade muttered cutely.

The counselor's eyes narrowed. "You aren't understanding me… You're not even looking at me!"

"Well, if I looked at you," the pink-haired man said, "then my only working thought process would be caught up in that huge, hairy—"

"Look at me, Tim," the counselor snapped.

'Tim did so. "Yes, your fuzziness."

"What was your relation to Miss Cyte again…?"

'Tim shrugged, looking intently at her. "Jade Cyte's my wart. Pimple as that."

"…What?"

"You know, she's a cute li’l' melanoma head."

"What are you talking about?"

The pink-haired man tore his gaze away. "Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"You are coming dangerously close to embarrassing me," Jade half-growled, her arms folded and eyes narrowed in an adorable way.

'Tim looked at her. "Yeah, and knowing me, it won't be the last time." He leaned in to whisper, "But don't worry. If you're cute, you can get away with anything. I know this for a fact."

"How encouraging," Jade deadpanned.

The counselor quasi-patiently rapped her fingers against the desk. "Hmm… Jade, I believe it would be best if you were to leave the room for the final part of this discussion."

*Zrr*Thump!* There was a quick flash of light and Jade had created a small crystal dagger and imbedded it into the desk. Still holding on to it, she said, "I am not going to let my fate be decided by a despotic social bureaucrat and a mindless psychotic!"

"That psychotic," the counselor said, not fazed by the attack, "is your legal guardian, responsible for you, and authorized to make these decisions for you."

Jade cocked an eyebrow at her. "Who are you to tell me who makes my decisions?" She pouted. "I have destroyed hundreds for far less than you propose to—"

"Whatever happened to the idea we had a while back about trying to keep a low profile?" 'Tim asked.

"It got old," the cute blonde snapped, "FAST."

The counselor stood, glaring down at her. "Wait outside, young lady!"

Jade cowered visibly from the verbal assault, cringed, then backed out of the room, opening and closing the door behind her as she left.

The crystal dagger vanished, leaving a large hole in the desk.

"This is all sounding so familiar to me," the man whispered to himself. "So we have a girl, not happy with her place, unwillingly separated from her preferred way of life, lashing out after a failed attempt to adapt to the new culture. Hmm… Hope she doesn't plan on killing me."

The counselor sat down and looked at 'Tim. "Now, is she always this… expressive of her opinion?"

"Only when she feels threatened. When she has a firm grasp of what's going on, she's really calm and calculating… Like a certain general I once knew, actually."

"You knew a general?"

"Of an evil King or Queendom, whatever. He got blown away. My computer says it was by some version of me from a future that doesn't exist anymore." 'Tim looked up. "I don't get that… I mean, if a future me came back to change things in a way that made it so I wouldn't have gone back to change it, it wouldn't have been changed, would it? Or… would it?"

The counselor frowned. "I see…"

"I think it has something to do with my rivalry with a certain local time guardian. We were actually close once, but then we had a basic philosophical disagreement and went our separate ways."

"A… disagreement?"

"Yeah. She believes in destiny… and don't get me wrong, so do I… but just because it's the best way for things to turn out for most people doesn't mean it's the best way for me. So I tried to hijack the time gate and she stopped me. Our relationship was never the same. Too bad, really… I liked her style: She'd do anything to get her job done right. Gotta love that focus. Plus, by human standards, she was very—"

"Umm," the counselor interrupted, "can't we bring this discussion back to the girl you are supposed to be raising?"

"Oh, her. Sure, let's do that. I'm taking care of her and her cousin as a favor to a friend, by the way."

"A friend? Who?"

"His codename is Mister R.B. Fish. The password is 'Shroomsyeruncle'. You can meet him by beating a drum on the top of Tokyo Tower, singing several Native American rain dances. Come back the next full moon, but be sure to bring the Emerald Mushroom before walking up to a man in a brown trench coat on the elevator. Tell him the password and shake his hand… with your foot. My friend will then meet you at the top of the tower with further instructions. Bring a two-by-four."

"Excuse me?"

"You'll need it when the conversation begins," 'Tim said, then smiled. "I had to translate that from the original reformed Grey ArbyFish. Not an easy task, let me tell you. A very cultured group, they are."

"ArbyFish…?"

"Yeah. They're cultured. Kind of like cheese, you see… or at least the Green ones are."

"We were talking about Jade, remember…?"

"Oh yeah… Jade's green, isn't it?"

"I'm speaking of the girl."

'Tim sighed. "Very well. State your business."

The counselor took a deep breath and looked at him sternly. "The girl in your care has shown unacceptable behavior. She's shown signs of becoming very reckless and of being a delinquent. She has destroyed school property countless times, endangered others for her own selfish purposes, disrupted the lives of others, and it's painfully obvious that she does not take her scholastic career seriously! She shouldn't be—"

'Tim stood, anger in his eyes. "OH YES, SHE SHOULD!!!" he shouted in the woman's face, and continued with a scowl, "To tell you the truth, I don't think I want to know a fourteen-year-old girl who isn't reckless or a delinquent… and I sure don't want to meet one that actually takes their school career seriously!" He looked at her. "I hold at least four doctorates from every major University this pitiful little planet has to offer, and I've done more this year alone than I have in the past millennia! And that doesn't count what I've accomplished with four sailor-suited heroines, either. So I know a great kid when I see one!"

The counselor, mildly taken aback, opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by 'Tim's continued yelling.

"And you know what? They're all great kids! Every last one of 'em… at least until dried-out, brain-dead concrete slabs like you drag them down and tell them they shouldn't vent, so they keep it all inside, waiting for the moment they'll snap… Jade doesn't need this sort of repression right now… or ever, for that matter!" He narrowed his eyes. "If you so much as tell her, or anyone else for that matter, that they can't do something and I hear about it, I will hunt you down!"

The counselor blinked, her hair blown back from the force of the rant.

'Tim pulled something out of his pocket and continued to glare at the woman. "Take this quarter," he said, flipping the coin over to her from his thumb, "go down to the docks, and have a RAT gnaw that thing off your face!!!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Uh… yeah!" the counselor shouted back. "And… And the glare from that crescent moon on your forehead was giving me eyestrain!"

The counselor sat down, sighed, and pulled off a rubbery mask, revealing a beautiful, pale, soft-skinned face with a blue mark on her forehead, and long, white-blonde hair. The woman pulled out a small communicator and flipped it open. "Skuld, this is Urd. Are you there?"

The device crackled before a voice came on, [I'm here! Find that guy?]

"Yup, sure have," Urd replied.

[Think we can get his cooperation on this?]

"Uh… no. I don't think so. Actually, I think we should forget the whole thing and switch to plan B."

[What's plan B?]

"I'll… get back to you on that. But I think we just might need another room at the temple when we're done."

[…You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, I hope.]

"Why? What am I thinking?"

[He'd look terrible in a dress!]

"Hey! I wasn't—" Urd began, then paused. "But THAT'S an idea. I guess we could fix that…"

[Nooooo, no. No way.]

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!"

~~~ Yet another time shift ~~~

Meanwhile, in the future, in the throne room of the Crystal Palace, Neo-Queen Serenity was listening to her self-appointed Zeroth Advisor…

"They take the two petitioning individuals and string 'em up boiy their tails. The first one ta pass out wins. N' they get their idea passed inta' counsel. Unfortunately, ArbyFish tend ta forget what they were thinkin' about when they pass out. So, the group 'as ta debate about what 'e woz originally gonna say. So, it's all theoretical when all's said n' done. We neva' actually come ta an agreement, so we all wroite down our own idea ta wot we thought it wuz. Then we debate 'bout it a bit more. Foinally, we all get bloindfolded n' taken inta' a secret base somewhere in the middle of Wyoming where the great, um… Wot-ever-it-woz speaks ta us about the importance of makin' good decisions. Then, we all shrug, play a quick friendly game 'a fisticuffs, n' mail ourselves back ta our own homes via UPS n' get on with our loives. N' that's 'ow ArbyFish make laws," the green and white-patterned seal-like creature finished.

The Queen had nodded off, snoozing soundly as she leaned against the arm of her throne. The two moon cats, Luna and Artemis, lay soundly asleep on the floor.

Arby fluttered up and waved a flipper in front of the woman's eyes. "'Scuse me…" No response. "Scuse me!"

"Ummh… What now? Just five more minutes, Mom…" Serenity muttered, not coming out of her unconscious state. "I was listening, Miss Haruna… Why's this test so hard…?"

The ArbyFish blinked, then smiled. "Oh, goodie! She's 'avin' flashbacks! That means more bottle caps for th' department!"

"Terra, no…" the Queen continued, "Starlight, where are you going? Please, wait! Don't go!"

"Oh, 'er loife's flashin' before 'er oyes!" Arby exclaimed gleefully. "That means she's foinally gonna congeal, n' Li’l' Mucus c'n take ova'!" The ArbyFish went down to the crystal floor and began tapping at it with his ever-present ceremonial chisel.

Serenity finally stirred. "Mmmh… Ah, Arby, what are you doing?"

The green creature looked up at her. "Diggin' ya grave, ya ol' sludge!"

The Queen gasped. "Arby!"

"Wot???" the ArbyFish asked innocently.

"Don't mess with the floor. The palace is built right on a fault line!"

"Why'dja go n' do a thing loike that? No trouble, though. I'll just go get me buddies n' we'll move it awl roight noicely, we will!"

"Speaking of which, I have yet to see a single shred of evidence that there's more than one of you, Arby…"

Arby sat up on his tail. "'Course there iz!" He cupped his right flipper in the air beside him. "See this gouy 'ere? 'Is name's Murray. 'E's a Translucent ArbyFish. Very rare."

"Cute, Arby. Very cute."

"Oh, roight! Speakin' of cute, I've got sum legal matta's ta attend to. See ya lata'!" He turned to the air next to him. "G'boye, Murray."

"G'day ta you, sir," the air responded.

The green ArbyFish nodded, then fluttered out of the room.

Neo-Queen Serenity raised an eyebrow, then shrugged, shaking her head. "He's been that way for as long as I can remember… Why should he stop now?" She stood and took a few steps forward.

*Rumble*Chink*Chink*Chink-chink-chink-chink* The floor shook and cracked underneath her. "Whaaaa!?" the Queen exclaimed in shock as a two-foot radius crystal circle cut itself out of the foundation beneath her.

"Luna! Artemis!" Serenity called as the ground dropped out from underneath her.

The cats were awake and on their feet in an instant, but were only able to watch as their queen was pulled down.

*Rrrrk-thump!*hiSSSS!!* The cut crystal was put back and welded into place by an unseen force.

The blonde woman found herself doing a reasonable Marilyn Monroe impression as she held her skirt down while being carried on swift air currents through a red-hot metal tunnel.

"Ooomph…" Neo-Queen Serenity grunted as she recovered from her landing on a huge, feather-down bed, the deceleration not being enough to cause measurable physical injury, but sufficient to cause her a quick, intense headache.

The room she was in was fairly large, and consisted of an unmade bed, a nightstand, an unlit lamp, a set of flickering lights on the ceiling, a broken panel on the wall, and a still-sealing hole in the roof. Cables of various colors and varieties led out the jammed door from a section of wall that had part of the metal plating torn off. Chunks of broken steel lay scattered on the floor, appearing to have been thrown there from a powerful explosion, judging by the craters marking the center of the room in the roof and the floor.

"Where am I?" the Queen wondered aloud.

In the corner of the room, a computer terminal flashed red. A rich, full female voice echoed through the room and through the corridors outside, {Warning: Reactors Three through nine are approaching critical mass. Seventeen minutes remain until reactor containment field reaches critical levels. Power system running at nine thousand percent of maximum recommended safety tolerances. Requesting permission to initiate shutdown procedures.}

Serenity frowned. "Is there anyone here?"

{Requesting immediate shutdown,} the voice added.

The pigtailed woman took another quick glance around, and took a few quick steps toward the terminal.

{Requesting permission to deactivate reactor system,} the voice repeated, and added in a desperate tone, {Please… Help me.}

"How do I do that?" Serenity asked, unable to decipher any of the computer console's workings.

A keyboard slid out of an alcove below the screen. {Input deactivation sequence.} The screen cleared, save for a blinking, square cursor.

The Queen held her hands up helplessly. "What is that?"

{Login: RBfish. Password: Shroomsyeruncle.}

Serenity typed in the sequence as she heard it.

*WAAARK* {Access denied.}

"I cannot help you if you will not let me!"

{System parameters have been locked. Unable to countermand. Alternative sequence… Login: Ask. Password: ‘Tim.}

Serenity typed these in. The screen flashed green.

{Access granted. Enter request.}

"What do I enter?"

{Deactivate reactors three through nine.}

"Ummm… How do you spell 'deactivate'?"

There was a beeping noise. {Verbal requests are now acknowledged. Submit request.}

"Deactivate reactors three through nine."

*Waaark* {Voice pattern not recognized. Fourteen minutes until critical mass.}

"What now?!"

{Deactivate is spelled: dee, ee, ae, see, tee, eye, vee, ae, tee, ee.}

The Queen typed in the request.

*Waaark* {Unable to comply. Automation systems have been damaged. Thirteen minutes until critical mass is reached.}

"Could I do it manually?"

{Negative,} the voice said, beginning to sound very downtrodden, {Diagnostics indicate shutdown mechanisms have been destroyed.}

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

{The computer core cannot be removed…}

"Why was I brought here, then?"

{It was my creator's last wish that you, specifically, be informed that…} the voice trailed off momentarily, then continued, {Processing… Initiating data recovery… Data recovery complete. His last wish was for you to be in some manner brought to the knowledge of what happened to him.}

"Who created you?"

*BLAM!* Suddenly, the jammed door exploded outward and a series of flashing strips on the wall directed outside. {Follow directions to Holodeck Four.}

Serenity hesitated, beginning to ask another question.

{Ten minutes until critical mass is reached. The blast will be contained… But I haven't much time. Please…}

The woman hurried out the door, following the lights through the darkened corridor. After half a minute of difficult running in her gown, she reached a very poorly-lit intersection.

*GrAAAH!!!* There was a horrible growling sound, and several sets of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness.

{Activating force fields.}

Just as the thing began to charge, a blue wall winked into place, and the beast smashed into it, then reared back and roared in anger.

{Redirecting path to Holodeck Three.}

The lights changed directions, and Serenity followed them.

*ZRRT!* Behind her, there was a very loud electrical noise.

{Force field damaged.}

*GRAAAAH!!!* The monster approached, lumbering forward.

Serenity hurried her pace, and whipped out her crystal, turned, and—

{Activating combat droids.}

Two panels on either side of the wall burst open, allowing two large metal balls to roll out.

*Chink!* The spheres split open into lizard-like robotic shapes, each with two metal arms with rod-like protrusions. A round energy shield expanded around them.

{Hurry,} the computer pleaded.

*BLAM-BLAM-BLAM* The droids fired off several large blasts, forcing their target back.

*GRAAAH!* The dark creature flailed at the droids.

*SNICK!* Another droid leapt from behind and latched itself onto the thing's neck.

The Queen put away her wand and followed the lights to a set of large, interlocked doors.

{Seven minutes until critical mass,} the computer intoned, then added, {Activating program.}

*Hiss* The doors slid open to reveal a room similar to the one Serenity had left, although much cleaner. Standing in the center of it was a tall, black-haired man, badly injured, and wearing cracked green and black armor.

Serenity gasped. "Starlight!"

The Starlight Knight coughed, struggling to keep himself upright as he paced around the room. "The 'rescue mission'," he spat, "has ended in utter failure!"

"Starlight…?" Serenity repeated.

{This is only a recording. The message lasts forty-five minutes and requires a multitude of visual aids. Attempting to utilize alternate technologies to hasten the process.}

"All right, but what—"

*ZZZRT!*

The Atomic Starlight Knight paced around his bedroom, his face a mask of anger and frustration. "Computer!" he shouted. "Status on the starship!"

[The creature infestation has spread to the docking bay. All spacecraft have been destroyed by the assault.]

"Transporters! Can they be configured for time or dimensional jumps?"

[Negative. Repairs on the transporters will be completed in one hour, sixteen—]

"I don't have that much time! Find a solution!"

[Working…]

A.S.K. turned back to his pacing. "Continuing my record. After Tuxedo Mask's capture by that idiot Kunzite, I invaded the Negaverse, finally managed to kill that giggling loon Zoicite, and discovered where they were holding their captive."

He sighed. "I was hacking and slashing my way to the cell. Then, what can I say? Things got a little too hairy for me. I teleported out, but some of the nasties followed me and invaded my home! The inner defenses were able to keep them at bay, but we couldn't get rid of them."

A.S.K. shook his head. "Then Beryl staged a major assault that I just couldn't ignore, like when they took over the… Starlight tower, I think it was. That was sometime around when Tux was captured, come to think of it…"

He flickered. "AAAAH!" he screamed as his existence wavered, then an intense expression of concentration filled his face. His being stabilized. The green-armored knight took a few breaths, then continued. "So, after I fought off the assault with the… Scouts, Sailor Moon seemed _really_ down about Tuxy's capture. So, I told 'er about what I'd been trying to do. She and the others talked me into letting them come along. After all, they've handled a lot before, so why not something like this? We went in, but Sailor Earth was soon separated from the group, so I went to look for her. Then, the—"

"GRAAAAAAHH!!!" Another shockwave tore through him. After recovering, he looked up and said, "Computer! Do we have the visual record of the mission on file?"

[Affirmative.]

"Download it into the log."

[Confirmed.]

*ZRRT*

Five Sailor Senshi, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus wound their way through the rocklike dimensional tunnels. They had been given directions and instructions that told them that their goal was just down the next passageway. They stopped as a full-length mirror appeared in front of each of them, reflecting their images with precise detail. Suddenly, those images began to warp.

Mercury's image shrank into a shriveled green goblin with jagged teeth, sharp claws, and a visor, still wearing the blue Mercury fuku.

The expression on the reflection of Mars took on a malevolent twist.

Jupiter's image bulked up, straining the sailor suit until it reached nine feet tall, muscles upon muscles… With a tearing sound, a pair of black wings tore their way out of the back of its outfit.

Venus's counterpart hunched over with a maniacal look on her face, the blonde hair turning grey and splaying haphazardly around her.

Sailor Moon's image burst into a sudden flash of dark blue light, a titanic demon infusing itself before settling into a rough copy of her, albeit with red eyes, messed-up hair, tattered clothes, and a severe underbite.

The Senshi stared in horror at the images…

Then, the mirrors shattered and the monstrous versions of them attacked! The originals were caught off guard, and barely managed to avoid the first strike.

Mercury dodged her counterpart's claws.

Mars crossed her arms in front of her and blocked a burst of fire sent at her.

Jupiter leapt over the monster parodying her, landing behind it and getting it in a headlock.

Venus put her hands up, blocking the leather whip sent at her, wrapping around her wrist instead of her neck.

And, while those four Senshi dealt with their battles, Sailor Moon was locked in her own. Her opponent had at first leapt into a kick at her, which she stumbled out of the way of. It turned to her, no expression save for hatred in its eyes. A hand went to its black-jeweled tiara.

Sailor Moon whipped out the Crescent Moon Wand and its accompanying Silver Crystal. She twirled it around in her hand once before pointing it at the creature. "Moon… Healing… Activation!"

The white energies poured over the warped individual without effect.

As the original Sailor Moon wasted her time doing that, the other charged up and threw its tiara at her, painfully knocking the wand out of her hand. The warped and twisted Senshi took out a wand of its own, topped with a black crystal. It held that device forward.

An explosion of vine-like tentacles forced its way out of the crystal, entangling Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon screamed as it blasted her with a powerful lightning energy.

Suddenly, the shocking stopped. Sailor Moon looked up to see the Starlight Knight with his sword imbedded down to the hilt in the monster's shoulder.

"Go find your Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon," the black-haired knight said, "I'll fight them." He pulled out his handgun with his left hand, then turned and fired a shot at the other corruptions, getting their attention. He grabbed the tiara of the girl he held onto, smashing it in his hand.

The modified versions of the Senshi flickered and vanished, leaving behind several butterfly-winged female youma in very scanty outfits.

"Hurry up! Now!" the Starlight Knight commanded.

The Senshi nodded. "Right!" They abandoned their current fights and sped down the corridor to the Negaverse entrance.

The youma that the knight had his sword imbedded in turned her head and looked at him, not at all appearing to be in pain.

"Ah… The family-man…" She turned to her sisters. "What do you say, girls? Shall we have roast knight on a stick?"

In the next instant, the DD Girls had their shocking tentacles all over him, blasting him with their energy.

The Senshi found the way to their goal to be completely clear of foes. Indeed, the castle they were in seemed to be vacant. Mercury, with a program designed to detect Prince Endymion's energy, led the way. Finally, they reached a cavernous room with a large, garish throne decorating the center of it.

Standing partially hidden in the shadows was a red-haired woman in a long, dark-purple dress. The Senshi gasped as they realized whom they were facing. "Queen Beryl!"

"Indeed, I am Queen Beryl," the woman replied. The light shifted to reveal that she held a staff with a crystal globe atop it. Perhaps more important than that was the fact that kneeling beside her, kissing her hand, was Prince Endymion. "Endymion," Beryl commanded, "destroy them."

The man's eyes shot open and flashed red. "As you command." He stood and drew his sword.

Sailor Earth walked among the twisting passageways of the inter-dimensional warp. There were so many directions to get lost in, and she didn't know the way. In addition to that, many inner… voices and almost-forgotten memories had come to her, instructing her and calling to her. This left her confused, her mind wandering…

Then it all became clear to her. She smiled, nodded, and headed off through another tunnel.

"aaaAAAAAHHH!" A.S.K. yelled as he shielded himself from the attacks of the DD Girls.

"Well, well," the leader said, "you actually managed to survive… How delightful!"

A.S.K. tore the last of the vines off of him and leapt away, shifting his sword around to point the hilt upward, a white crystal imbedded in it. "Eat THIS!"

*Zrrrr*Crash!* The crystal began to draw in power, but was soon shattered by a red energy-blade. A.S.K. turned to see an enraged Kunzite glaring at him. "Oh, hello."

"Your pathetic imitations are no match for ME!"

"Really? Pummeled the tar out of you last time…"

"You killed Zoicite," Kunzite growled, another energy blade forming in his hand.

"How nice of you to notice. I was wondering what it took to get some credit around here…"

"DIE!"

The DD Girls giggled, then backed off to let their general handle this fight.

Endymion threw a black rose at the huddled Senshi, which snapped into a black net trapping them. A series of black lightning bolts coursed through them.

"Grrr," Jupiter began, "they've got him in some sort of mind-control. You need to use the Silver Crystal on him, Sailor Moon!"

"Right…" Sailor Moon said weakly.

"Okay, get ready… BREAK!" Venus shouted. The Senshi forced their way out of the rose-embossed net.

Sailor Moon held out the Crescent Moon Wand. "Moon… Healing… Activation!" A burst of light washed over Endymion…

His expression did not change.

"Metallia's energy is coursing through his veins," Beryl explained. "Even with the Crystal, your powers are still too weak and immature."

Venus looked at Jupiter, who nodded and turned to Mercury and Mars, who knew what they were planning. The four Senshi formed a circle around Sailor Moon.

"Mars… Planet Power!"

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Jupiter Cosmic Power!"

"Venus… Eternal Power!!!"

Sailor Moon gasped as she realized what was going on. She held her wand forward. "Moon Prism Power!" All the powers merged together, energizing the attack.

"Moon… Healing… ESCALATION!!!"

The massive burst of magical white energy swept through Endymion, purging every last drop of Metallia's influence from his system. The armored prince fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Cool," Venus commented. She grinned at Beryl. "Guess who's next…"

Beryl watched in shock as Endymion stood, flashed a quick, thankful smile at Sailor Moon, and stood with them.

"Somehow," Jupiter said, "I don't think you'll be able to turn him against us again…"

"Stealing Endymion from me…" the evil queen whispered, before her expression hardened. "THEN SO BE IT!"

She raised her staff. A series of tentacles snatched Jupiter, dragging her away into the shadows.

Endymion quickly threw a high-velocity rose at Beryl… which she deflected with a swing of her staff.

"You will suffer with them, Endymion!" The floor melted underneath the prince, sucking him down into its depths.

Sailor Moon gasped. "NO!" She tried to raise her wand, but more vines came and entangled her.

"You will all feed Metallia's resurrection!"

Continued in Part 10-D

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: January 7, 2006