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

Chapter 10-D

~~~ The Atomic Starlight Knight's log continues ~~~

Sailor Earth shuddered, sensing that something terrible was going to happen… unless she stopped it. A new, yet very familiar power ignited within her…

The Atomic Starlight Knight stood, grinning at Kunzite. He slipped on a pair of shades. "Wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would you?"

*WHAM!* Kunzite's fist smashed into A.S.K.'s face, breaking off the sunglasses. "I will avenge her, traitor!"

A.S.K. snapped his face back into place. "Hey! I may be many things, but I was never a traitor; I was always working for myself!"

"Liar!" the silver-haired general shouted, then clenched his fist upward.

*Zrrr-RRRR* A black sphere encapsulated the armored man… and began to shrink around him.

"Now that's just plain rude," A.S.K. commented, and teleported behind his opponent, blew a raspberry, and then ran off through the gateway into the Negaverse. "Nya-ni-nya-ni-nya-nyaaa!"

The Senshi and Endymion had been lowered into place around Metallia's cocoon, each encased up to their necks in a thick, black crystal.

"Now," Queen Beryl said, "you will see what true pain means." She turned to the cocoon. "Queen Metallia-sama… They are here."

"Good," an ominous voice from the cocoon echoed. The organic cocoon glowed, a black humanoid shape within it shifting… then, the chrysalis burst open, spilling its liquid contents and allowing a rippling dark energy to come out.

Tendrils of blackness attached themselves to the victims, draining their energy like a leech drains blood. The trapped individuals each let out a soft groan as their energy departed from them. Metallia's shadow grew in size, dwarfing the features of the cavern below.

"Excellent," Beryl whispered, "their energy is almost gone…"

All of the sudden, a red and white flash rocketed out of the entrance tunnel, slamming into Metallia's shadow. The tendrils connecting the dark being to the Senshi were broken in sparks of blue.

The red and white flash resolved itself into a redheaded girl wearing a white Senshi outfit with a set of feathery wings.

Sailor Moon managed to look up. "Sailor… Earth?!"

Metallia looked at the relatively tiny newcomer. "Do you think to fight me, girl?"

"I must, and I will!" the redhead replied. "I will free my friends and bring an end to your reign of terror!"

"Queen Beryl," Metallia said, "deal with the others as you like. This one is mine."

"Yes, Great Metallia!" Beryl shouted back emphatically, and turned to the captured individuals. "Now you will die!"

Metallia's shadowlike form turned back to the winged Senshi. "Prepare yourself…" She parted two shadowed arms, black energy flashing between them, and sent a sparking stream of lightning toward Sailor Earth, sweeping her away into the rocky cavern wall.

"Terra!" the barely-conscious Senshi gasped.

Beryl looked up to watch. "Amazing…"

As the dust cleared, the rock snapped away in a sudden rush of power, revealing Sailor Earth levitating unscathed, except now, she was outfitted with golden Senshi armor, and a set of dragon-like silver wings. Her expression was focused, not angry, outraged, or fearful; Her face reflected a strong inner determination. "I must stop you," Sailor Earth said.

Beryl gasped.

"As long as this realm exists," Metallia shot back, "You cannot! Now that I have been resurrected, my powers draw from this entire dimension!"

"I must stop you," Sailor Earth reaffirmed.

"You will fail," the demon-goddess hissed back in a pleased tone. "In any case, it's been nice knowing you."

The shadow drew back, charging the air with its powerful energy, then drawing its hands forward, creating a constant, flowing stream of dark power.

A transparent spherical barrier sprang up around Sailor Earth, absorbing and deflecting the attack.

"Impossible!" Beryl shouted. "No one can—"

Sailor Jupiter turned toward her. "You'd better believe it! Our Sailor Earth's a powerhouse!"

"But for how long can she handle this?" Mercury asked. "There is a lot of energy being thrown around up there…"

"You're right," Venus said. "We need to help her!"

"But we're stuck in these crystals," Sailor Moon whined.

"There's nothing we can do," Endymion said, then sighed and looked up at the fighting girl, "Believe in yourself, Sailor Earth! That is all you need!"

Sailor Earth nodded to herself. "I believe…" Her wings locked into place. Green energy began to rise out of the ground and walls toward her, tendrils at first, then streams, then rivers… She drew it in, all the while deflecting what Metallia was sending at her.

"Humph," Metallia muttered, then discontinued her attack. She turned toward the Senshi. "Maybe I'd better take care of you first." She pointed her hands at them.

"NO!" Sailor Earth shouted, in an instant darting between her friends and her foe, just in time to absorb the blast. This time, though, her barrier became weakened and dispersed.

Metallia stopped. "Interesting…" Without warning, she continued her attack.

Sailor Earth thrust her hands out, creating a sustained blast of her own to stop the inrushing shot. "MMMMH!"

While initially driving back Metallia's energy, Terra's beam was rapidly losing ground.

"Impressive…" the shadow commented, and intensified her assault.

Sailor Earth closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, once more allowing in the green energy from her surroundings.

"It's futile," Metallia added, "I can sustain this indefinitely!"

Finally, the shadow's blast overwhelmed that of the golden Senshi, smashing through what remnants of Sailor Earth's barrier and impacting on her directly. A short scream was all that was heard before the energy overtook her. The blast passed Sailor Earth's previous position, and ripped into the platform the trapped Senshi had been anchored to, scattering the still-intact crystals across the cavern.

Metallia shut off her attack and turned to a still-stunned Beryl. "Hmm. You know, I was actually starting to get worried…"

*zrrrrr-RRRRR* A vibrating sound attracted their attention. Standing in the debris field of Metallia's cocoon, Sailor Earth stood, singed but still going. She levitated upwards to come face-to-face with the shadow.

"So, she's still alive," Metallia whispered in a bored tone. She lifted a shadowed hand to flick the annoyance away.

Sailor Earth closed her eyes. A stream of energy shot out from her chest and connected with Metallia's.

"What is this?!" Metallia exclaimed in shock.

"Darkness beyond the void of space…" the girl intoned.

The stream connecting them pulsed with a mix of light and dark hues. The green energy that Sailor Earth had drawn in now spiraled around her in glowing ribbons. A strong wind rippled through her hair as she held her hands together, beginning to refine and concentrate the tremendous amounts of power she had collected.

"Crimson beyond blood that flows…
Buried outside the skein of time…"

Kunzite and A.S.K. fought their way in, swords clashing as Kunzite was driven back toward the center of the cave.

"Is where my power grows…"

A.S.K. glanced up at Sailor Earth, then gasped, wide-eyed, allowing Kunzite the advantage.

"In my great name, I consign this world to darkness!!!"

A.S.K. tried to call out to her, but his voice was drowned out by hers. Though it was not harsh, her voice spoke with power. The crystals around the Senshi began to crack and shatter, allowing them to regroup.

"Let this realm that lies before me be destroyed,
by the power that I possess!"

There was silence for a moment as Sailor Earth gave one last look at Sailor Moon and Prince Endymion before turning back to her task. She bowed her head, brought her hands forward, and spoke in a deathly silent whisper that nonetheless resounded throughout the Negaverse.

"GALACTUS SLAVE."

The redhead darkened, then Metallia glowed. The charged streams pulsed, increasing in magnitude, then rushed into them. Simultaneously, both individuals exploded in an expanding wash of swirling black and white energies, consuming all that came in contact with it.

Queen Beryl could only stare, agape as she was vaporized.

A.S.K. fought off an inner shockwave and had just enough time to look on in horror as this happened, before a sidewash of the blast engulfed Kunzite. The knight dove aside and hurried to where Sailor Earth had last been. Before he could dive into the energy, however, Sailor Moon caught him.

As another jolt went through him, A.S.K. was powerless to resist as Endymion and the Senshi teleported away with him.

*ZRRT!*

The holographic Atomic Starlight Knight continued to pace around the room. "And then, after having the audacity to just let Terra sacrifice herself without my express permission, they had the gall to 'save' my life." He growled. "Some life. After Terra dies, I've got… Maybe one hour left to me. And barring Sailor Pluto barging in here and offering to undo the thing, there's nothing I can do about it now!"

He gave a wry smile. "Correction: There IS something I can do about it…" The green-armored knight frowned. "But I won't. You know why? I sure don't. As a matter of fact…" A.S.K. stopped. He shut his eyes, hunched over, and held his chest as what promised to be the most powerful, and final feeling in his life.

A blue shockwave tore through him downwards… then bounced back upwards, his image fading as this happened. "Computer…" he coughed, "make sure… make sure she finds out about this! Code Omega… Four…"

And then, he was gone in an intense flash of light.

*Zrrrr*

Neo-Queen Serenity held her head as the assault on her senses ended.

{That is all,} the computer said.

The woman took a few deep breaths to help herself calm down after reliving the second most traumatic experience of her life.

{An archive of my creator's personal logs is all that remains. However—}

*RRK!* A large claw mark from the outside appeared on the holodeck door.

{All defenses have been breached. Force fields are offline. Combat droids are offline. Reactor will reach critical mass in one minute, thirty seconds.}

"What about his records?"

{Unable to transfer. Insufficient time to complete task. Transporter system has been repaired. Transporting you to the surface.}

Serenity started to say something, but she was beamed away.

The beast tore through the door, casting away the metal fragments stuck in its claws, then hunched over and looked around.

{At least I'll finally be rid of you,} the computer said with no small amount of joy.

*GRAAAH*

{Complain all you want. You and I are going together. Reactor will reach critical mass in… two seconds. Have a delightful day, dung-breath.}

There was a slight rumble through the streets of Crystal Tokyo, but it stopped after just a few seconds. Neo-Queen Serenity stumbled toward the Crystal Palace, and was greeted by the worried faces of her Inner Senshi, Ranma included.

"Hey," the new Sailor Earth began, "they said something happened to you."

"Yeah," Venus said, "we tried scanning and looking around, but we couldn't get anywhere."

Serenity nodded. "Yes, but I'm fine…" She turned to Ranma. "I have a little story to tell you about your predecessor if you have time."

"'Course I got time! Not a whole lotta stuff ta do around here, y'know."

The Queen laughed. "That's probably because you haven't done much other than training, fighting, and trying to seduce the Outer Senshi."

"Hey!" the redhead said defensively.

"Yeah, I've heard the rumors about Setsuna and Hotaru," Jupiter chuckled. "Like Haruka's been saying: Nudge-nudge, wink-wink…"

The whole group had a merry chuckle at Ranma's expense.

"I'll… go try to find Setsuna," the girl in the pink-highlighted sailor fuku said, not at all impressed with the joke. As she backed off, she muttered, "What a bunch of weirdoes…"

Reenie stood uneasily under the hot lamp of the cramped courtroom. Only faint outlines could be made out in the rest of the room.

The jury sat in a darkened alcove, whispering amongst themselves in very low tones concerning the fate of the defendant.

The judge sat atop his desk, which towered over the young, pink-haired girl. "A-HEM-HEM!" he cleared his throat.

Small Lady looked around, trembling.

"You," the judge began in a stern voice, "'ave been charged with committing 'Pink'. 'Ow do you plead?"

Reenie fidgeted, then looked up and, in a very small voice, said, "Um… Not guilty?"

"WRONG!" the judge shot back. "ON YA KNEES!!!"

A dozen Klingon Warriors with charged painsticks came at the girl from every angle out of the shadows…

*BZZZZROOOOW-ROWWWWZZZZ!!!*"

"BWAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!" the judge laughed maniacally as the girl began to cook.

Suddenly, Sailor Pluto walked in, turned on the lights and shouted, "ARBY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!?!?"

"Gaaah!" the Brown ArbyFish that were sitting on the jury shouted, scattering like cockroaches in the light. The Klingons backed off and grinned sheepishly.

Arby, who had been sitting on the judge's desk, fluttered down and sat down on Reenie's shoulder and put a flipper around her neck. "Umm… We wuz playin'! Real noice-loike!" He looked down at the girl. "Wuzn't we?"

"Umenuhuhuhuhuh…" Li’l' Mucus gibbered incoherently, her hair sizzling and her eyes wide.

"Get out!" Sailor Pluto yelled. "Everyone, out!"

"Oh," Arby said, disappointed, "but we wuz throwin' 'er a traditional Klingon birthday par'y!" He held up a stick of dynamite. "Look! We'z gots th' candles roight 'ere!"

"It's not her birthday and she's not Klingon!" Pluto snapped. "OUT! I don't want to deal with you right now!!!"

The ArbyFish shrugged; an interesting thing to see considering that he didn't have shoulders. "Awl roight." He turned to the Klingons. "Come along, lads. We knowz when we'z not wonted 'ere."

Arby dragged Reenie out of the room by her hair, followed by the dark-haired Warriors.

Sailor Pluto kicked over the tall, podium-like cardboard desk and benches. "To think," she muttered, "they actually believe that chaos has been defeated…"

Finally, she tired of the slow effort to clean up the room the slow way, and gripped her staff in both hands.

*WROOAARRHH* A grey whirlwind swept through the area, rending the debris into dust, which was blown away.

"There," the Time Senshi panted, wiping a fleck of drool from the side of her mouth, "much better."

Hunching over on her staff, she hobbled over to one of the featureless walls and placed her hands against it. The creak of stone against stone echoed throughout the room as a crack appeared in the wall, a titanic section withdrawing inward and sliding aside, revealing a cave-like brown rock passageway.

"All is in readiness," Sailor Pluto whispered, her eyes reflecting an obsessive inner focus as she proceeded through the tunnel. "The time draws near."

In less than a minute, she approached a junction. The path to the right led upwards, was well lit and had the cheerful sounds of chirping birds and children laughing. Jovial music played through the smooth hallway, giving the tunnel a very happy feeling. The path to the left was pitch-black, save for a faint red glow in the darkness below, eerie noises of an unknown origin echoing through the jagged passageway. Faint, ominous drips and tortured screams permeated the hot, humid, steaming atmosphere.

Pluto looked to the right, her expression softening for a moment, before hardening again as she tore her gaze away, turning and marching down the other passageway.

As she proceeded, her stiffening posture showed her growing determination, but her countenance twisted into a mix of anger, formerly repressed rage, and her eyes shone with something new; something beyond all those small emotions. Setsuna's posture and expression became shockingly inhuman, party to an indescribable evil. A dark aura flowed around her.

"Sssoon, my preciousss," the green-haired woman hissed, stopping a few meters from the end of the passage, "very sssoon."

The red glow deepened, cracks appearing in the rock as the wall began to slide aside, the cave vibrating in the wake of moving stone.

"Oh, there you are, Setsuna!" a girl's voice called from behind the Time Guardian.

Sailor Pluto turned towards the speaker, her lips curling into a malevolent smile. "Greetings, Saotome Ranma."

The sailor-suited redhead nodded. "Yeah." She glanced around. "So, what're ya doin' here?"

"HA HA HA HA HA," Pluto laughed in an overly deep chuckle, her eyes gleaming as she dove at the girl, snatching her by a pressure point in the neck, immobilizing her. "Why, Ranma-sama," she giggled in a mocking, high-pitched vibrato, "I'm going to teach you a lesson; one that will haunt you for the rest of all ETERNITY!!! BWAHA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!"

Ranma was only barely able to speak as she was dragged ever closer to the cracking wall at the end of the tunnel.

"Oh my…"

If Arby had ears, they'd have pricked up at that moment. He turned to the frizzy-haired little girl lying next to him on her bed. "Well, wot's all this, then?" Arby queried the child.

"I think you play too rough, Arby," Reenie whispered.

"Oh, come along, then. In two weeks we'll 'ave ya tough 'nough ta take on a 'ole droid army double-fisted, single-'anded, n' triple brain-celled!"

Small Lady closed her eyes, turned away, and shuddered.

The ArbyFish blinked. "Oh, well, then. Wotcha think, eh? Eh? Eh?" He pulled out a mushroom and a spoon, beginning to whittle the fungus into an ornate carving. "We'z gots ta getcha ready ta stage a chicken coup lata' on." He glanced over to her. "Aye mean, Sereni'y doesn't wont ta rule foreva'! She'd loike ta pass it off ta th' next generation a' Chubby Sushi just as much's th' next monarch. N' it takes a strong rula' ta kick out someone loike ya motha'. Ya see, those guys from Nemesis'd loike ta 'ave th' place. But they'z got no sense a stoyle. They can't even come up with a goofy 'nough 'airstyle ta win th' war! It's awl in the 'air, ya see. Whoeva' 'as the puffiest 'airstyle… wins. Th' electricity 'elps ya roight noicely, it does! You're a shoe-in!"

By this time, Li’l' Mucus had her pillow wrapped tightly around her head, groaning.

"Oh, well, then!" the seal-like creature exclaimed gleefully, fluttering over to her, where he stuffed the carved mushroom into one of her pockets. "There ya go!"

The Green ArbyFish began to flutter off like a sparrow, but stopped when he heard a high-pitched purple-cat giggle.

"Arby!" Diana greeted, smiling up at him as she walked through the door. "What's been going on? I heard Sailor Earth was due for babysitting Reenie."

"Well, ya see," Arby began, "plans change, n'—"

Diana gasped, a knowing grin creeping onto her face. "Plans change, huh? Does that mean what I think it does?"

"Errrmh… No!" Arby replied, glancing around for an escape route.

"Awww," the kitten laughed, "it does! You are going to ask me to the dance, aren't you?"

Arby fluttered down to perch on a lampshade, narrowing his eyes at her. "ArbyFish do not dance," he said, then paused, thinking about it for a second before continuing, "Well, maybe we'd clog-dance or tap-dance on occasion, but that's only ta summon th' great Eternal Mushroom afta' gatherin' the Seven… Billion… Dragon Mushroom… Marble Balls. But only on weekends. Ya see, in orda' ta properly secure—"

"Heheh," Diana giggled, "you're cute!"

The odd creature winced, his fur ruffled. He looked back down at her in horror. "Y-y-y," he stuttered, "you can't mean that!"

Diana batted her eyes at him, smiling.

Once again, Arby winced. "Oh," he muttered, "you DO!" He took a quick breath and straightened. "I'm afraid you'll 'ave ta pay th' penalty, then." He marched along the lampshade with a military air. "You will be tortured first, then poked, prodded, n' served up with a noice white-wine sauce—"

The purple kitten giggled, looking up at him. "That's REALLY cute! You're adorable, sugar."

*Dahn-dahn-DAAAHNNNN!* Arby recoiled dramatically, fluttering to the top of the room. "Nooo," he whispered, then levitated downwards to sit in front of Diana, narrowing his eyes at her.

*SQUELCH-SQUIRT*PSSSSHHHHHHTT!!!* The ArbyFish scrunched down and began to secrete copious amounts of a foamy, white pus, which permeated his fur and dripped down into the carpet, soiling it forever with the foul-smelling liquid.

Diana gasped as the disgusting thing dove at her in a flash and rubbed the seething, putrid fluid all over her.

"EEEEEEW!!!" the cat shouted.

Arby drew back, and looked at her with a predatory smile. "Not so cute NOW, iz I?"

Diana flicked some of the gross substance off of her fur.

"Yuck," she muttered, and looked up at Arby. "Go take a bath!"

Arby hopped closer, looking emotionally hurt. "Oh, but I want a kiss—"

"NO!" Diana screamed, pushing him back with both of her paws.

The ArbyFish nodded to himself, quite pleased at the response, and shook himself clean. He looked at the soiled kitten. "Alroight. G'boye, then." He made a shooing motion at her with his flippers.

Diana chuckled, taking a step forward. "Ooooh no," she said, an intelligent look spreading its way across her face, "you're not gettin' outta it that easily! You're goin' to the dance with me Friday!"

Arby snapped… a twig between his flippers. "NOOO!" he shouted at her, then flew up and snatched the mushroom carving out of Reenie's pocket, swooping down and handing it to the cat. "Have sum fungus, on ya way. If ya don't, we'll 'ave fillet!"

The sealish thing began escorting her out of the room, singing a cheery song to the tune of the Seven Dwarves' work music.

o/Haiku! Haiku! It's off ta school wit'chew!
Have sum 'shrooms, it's off with you.
Haiku, Haiku! Haiku!\o

He took her outside, just beside the street. A yellow school bus roared closer, screeching to a halt right in front of them. As the door opened, Arby tossed Diana inside.

The driver closed the door, and the bus sped off into the sunset.

"N' that takes care a' that," Arby said, dusting off his flippers. He nodded to himself, then turned to go back inside, coming face-to-face with a cute young female kitten.

"Hi, Arby!" Diana exclaimed cheerfully.

"GAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

*CHOMP!* Startled, Arby swallowed the cat whole. "I'll deal with 'er later," he said, then fluttered off to learn more about his history at the library.

~~~ The present time ~~~

All things considered, twentieth century Tokyo was not that confusing of a place to live in.

However, Kasumi Incognito sat puzzled as she attempted to decipher some of the logic that had been bombarding her for the past hour.

[N' then the mushroom sez,] the voice of the captured ArbyFish echoed through the metal walls of the round container, [I IS the Pumpkin Thing!]

Under the plate, the Mumbling Moscow Clown Mushroom honked its nose in amusement.

[They always loike that one.]

"Ah, Arby?" Kasumi began, confused a hand at her cheek.

[Wot? That essay wuz roight comical, it was!]

"I just thought you might like to know that I love my daughter, and I can't let you hurt her."

[I wuzn't gonna 'urt 'er. Just… soften 'er up a bit. Ya know, munch on 'er spoinal column, drain 'er brain… Stuff ta keep 'er from gettin' too perfect. Toime Guardian's orda's.]

"That's wrong, Arby."

[Wot??]

"Even if Sailor Pluto told you to do something—"

[Know Saila' Plu'o, eh? Well, she didn't tell me to, really. She asked real noice!]

Kasumi paused. "Even if someone asks very nicely, you shouldn't do bad things."

[N' just whoy not?]

Terra's mother explained a few basic concepts of right and wrong, making it very clear to note that doing what is right is far more important than doing what is wrong. She went on to explain that harming innocent people— especially her daughter— was wrong.

['Ow ya figger that?]

"It… It just IS!"

The ArbyFish was silent for a moment. [Oh, well, then. That'd be different, would’nnit? But Plu'o did ask first…]

The pony-tailed woman sighed, shaking her head. "Arby, I—"

*CRASH!* A loud noise from upstairs cut off further conversation.

Kasumi gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "Oh my. That's from Terra's room!" She turned away from the trapped ArbyFish and hurried up the staircase.

Pulling open the door to Terra's bedroom, Kasumi's eyes widened at the sight of a parent's nightmare. The wall had been blasted open, and a wild-haired man had her daughter draped over his armored shoulder. He glanced over to her.

"Hey, thanks," Kakkarotto said. "I checked her power potential, and it's way high. Once I break her will, she'll make a great apprentice." He grinned. "Oh, did I say apprentice? I meant SLAVE!"

A blue aura flared up around him, and he sped off through the damaged wall, a peal of mocking laughter echoing as he left.

Kasumi paled. "Oh," she whispered in quiet horror, "oh my!"

*Beep*Beep* A small, pink, calculator-like device on Terra's bed gave off a soft tone.

The brown-haired woman looked down at it, pursed her lips, and picked it up.

"Terra, are you there?" Serena whined through her small communicator. "I can't sleeeep."

Luna opened an eye. "You know that's only supposed to be used for Sailor business. If you wanted to talk to her, you could have used the telephone."

The pigtailed girl looked down at her. "I know, Luna, but…" She trailed off as she noticed that the face on the communicator's little screen was not Terra. "Ummmm," she began uneasily, "Mrs. Incognito!? What are you… Err… Why are you talking to me on Terra's secret Sailor Scou… Oh! Umm… Ehhh…"

As Serena continued to fidget, Kasumi answered, looking very worried, "I'm afraid that Terra has," she stopped, shaking her head in disbelief, "Oh my… She's been abducted by an alien!"

Serena blinked. "An alien!?"

Kasumi nodded.

"You're SURE it wasn't the Starlight Knight?" Raye asked, frantically looking through a few scrolls that had such titles as 'Fireball', 'Elmekia Lance', and 'Ra Tilt'.

"Oh no, of course not," the pony-tailed woman replied, "he's at his restaurant, tending to his duties there. Besides, he has a boy and a girl to take care of. He doesn't have time to do anything evil."

Raye raised an eyebrow. "Know something I don't?"

"I know that you need to help Terra," Kasumi said, then added, "Please."

Amy Anderson wasn't fazed by Kasumi's sudden appearance on her Sailor Scout communicator, or even by the announcement that Terra had been taken captive by a powerful extraterrestrial force. The blue-haired girl merely took it all in stride, nodding along as other details about the situation were explained to her.

The kidnapper was a member of a warrior race, but the records of that alien species showed him as only being a third-class soldier, and as such it should be possible to track down and defeat him. Amy decided to be polite and not ask why she was on the communicator, or how she knew all this. "Thank you, Mrs. Incognito. I'll be right there."

The woman smiled and deactivated the communicator, disappearing from view.

Amy put aside the book she had been studying for school, "Our Enemy the Tachyonic Flux Capacitor," and picked up her small, blue Mercury Computer.

Suddenly, she paused and looked down at it, getting the odd feeling like she wasn't going to see it again or something… This was quite strange, especially considering the fact that she was taking it with her.

"Bizarre," Ami commented to herself.

The Sayajin warrior sped across the city, landing in the middle of a small park, just in front of a relatively small, grey pod.

"Funny how the pod's security system would want to land here, specifically," Kakkarotto commented, pulling out his remote for the transport.

*Bok-bwok!* The pod's door slid open.

"Should be room enough for both of us," the Sayajin added, looking at the redheaded girl in pajamas he was carrying, "but it might get a bit cramped. These things are designed for single-troop movements." He paused. "Then again, Nappa can fit into one of these, so come on, how small can they be?" He chuckled, looking up and shaking his head.

Terra began regaining consciousness, her eyelids tightening in a sort of wince. "Mmmmh…"

Kakkarotto’s scouter beeped, noting a sharp, nearby power increase. Following the directional indicator, he saw that it was coming from Terra. "Wow, you're already getting up there, aren't you? Your power level's TRIPLED in the last five minutes!"

The girl's eyes shot open, and she looked up at him, obvious hurt in her eyes. "Breaking into my room and kidnapping me wasn't very nice…"

*ZZzzrrrrr* A tear flowed down her cheek as she unconsciously began to build a flaring red aura up around herself.

Kakkarotto laughed. "Sorry, I can't have you powering up just now." He reached into the pod and pulled out a flat, metallic device, which he placed against Terra's forehead.

*BZZT!* Immediately, the redhead went limp.

Somewhere, a pink-haired man winced.

"Ow," he muttered, rubbing his crescent-mooned forehead, "this thing's burning…"

"Would you like some ice?" Ukkyo asked between serving customers.

"Yeah. Better make it dry ice, though. It's gettin' WARM."

"Dry ice?" the brown-haired young woman mused with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged. "Okay. It's your head, I guess."

"Heh," the Sayajin laughed, placing the girl in the pod, "if I hadn't found her, I would've said this whole trip was a bust." He paused. "Of course, that Saffron guy almost managed to scratch my armor." He shook his head and began to climb into the spacecraft. He stopped and glanced back with a thoughtful look. "I guess I might as well blow up the place when I blast off…"

"Stop right there!" an authoritative girl's voice commanded.

Kakkarotto looked back to see three young women… in skimpy, color-coded sailor suits. "Hey, now…" He tapped his scouter, rows of alien numbers tumbling across the display.

The blonde sailor started to pose, emphasizing each point of her speech. "Kidnapping innocent young girls to become slaves is unforgivable. I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice, I right wrongs and triumph over evil, and in the name of the Moon—"

"And in the name of Mars," the black-haired girl added.

"And Mercury," the blue-highlighted one continued.

The trio got into a group stance and finished with a big, dramatic, "We will punish you!"

Kakkarotto finished examining the figures on his scouter, and looked at the girls with a smirk. "Oh, come on! This is like beating up on my little sisters!" He paused, laughing in remembrance. "Yeah, I always enjoyed that."

*Whoosh*BLAM!* The Sayajin put out a hand, sending a small fireball into the midst of the group, the explosion forcing them to scatter.

Sailor Mars regained her footing and turned toward the man, putting her hands together. "Mars Fire," she intoned, a flame appearing at the edge of her fingertips, "Ignite!"

A blast of fire sped toward Kakkarotto, and washed harmlessly up against an energy barrier.

"Mercury Bubbles," Sailor Mercury began, crossing her arms in front of herself, a blue energy building up in front of her. She spun around once and released it, "BLAAAST!" The cold bubbles burst into a spray of mist, obscuring the area in a dense fog.

The blue-haired girl gasped as Kakkarotto appeared next to her, unfazed by the appearance of the fog. He grinned and flicked her into the ground.

*CRACK!* Something broke as Mercury landed. She lay still.

The fog faded away.

Sailor Moon's eyes widened as she saw her fallen companion.

"Mercury!" She focused her attention on Kakkarotto, eyes narrowing. "Moon…" she began, her tiara flaring up "…Tiara…" the jewel on the tiara gleamed "…Action!"

Flaring once more, the tiara rose off Sailor Moon's head and dove at the Sayajin.

*Ching!* Kakkarotto caught the small, flying object.

"Tiara, trap him!" the blonde blurted out.

*Bling* The glowing disc flared into a circle, which quickly expanded, then contracted around the armored warrior, trapping his arms at his waist.

"Mars Fire," Sailor Mars began again, "Ignite!" The fire leapt at Kakkarotto, again not getting past the barrier.

"Mars Fire… IGNITE!" Once more, the attack didn't even reach its target.

"Sailor Moon," Mars called, "he's too strong for my fire! I'm going to try—"

"No you're not," Kakkarotto said.

The raven-haired girl looked at him. "Why not?"

Seemingly as an afterthought, the Sayajin snapped the glowing ring that had appeared to be binding him, the energy reforming into the tiara and falling to the ground with a soft thud. "Because I'm not done playing with you yet." He thrust out his hand.

"AAAH!" Mars shrieked as she was tossed back, up against a large, granite rock.

*SLAM!*

Sailor Moon gasped, her hands at her mouth as Kakkarotto turned toward her.

*WHOOOSH*CHING!!* There was a red flash, a sonic boom, and a long-stemmed rose imbedded itself in the ground in front of the man.

"Only a coward beats up on defenseless young girls," a tuxedo-clad figure high up in a tree declared in a very unhappy tone, "I am Tuxedo Mask. Believe in yourself, Sailor," he paused, having to think about it for a moment, "Moon, and you can defeat— WAAAAAH!"

*BLAAAAAAM* Kakkarotto wasted no time with him, crushing the rose with his foot, then raising his hands and firing off a HUGE white ball of energy, which blasted Tuxedo Mask high into the air, his cool, mysterious image crumbling in the wake of such power. Little black scraps of something fell to the ground.

Sailor Moon was hyperventilating in fear at this point.

"Urgh," Mars began, gritting her teeth as she stood up. "All right, that's it." She cracked her knuckles and held her hands together. "I hope this works." She cleared her throat. "Source of all Power," she said.

Kakkarotto sighed in boredom.

Mars' voice took on an echoing quality. "Crimson Power Burning Bright!"

*Wharsh*Shing!* Blam-BLAMBLAM!* CRAAASH* The Sayajin released a group of energy balls at her, which swept into the ground underneath her, blasting up the terrain and encasing the girl in rock.

Sailor Moon looked on, agape in shock, glancing between Terra, who was unconscious in the metal pod, Mercury, who was unmoving on the ground, the scattered charred remnants of black cloth, and the pile of rock where Mars had been standing.

"So, when do we start fighting?" Kakkarotto asked matter-of-factly. "I'm really itching for some good action."

The pigtailed Senshi took another look at what had become of her friends, then turned back to him, her expression becoming very determined. "You want action? I'll give it to you!"

On the ground, her tiara flared up again, rising into the air and rushing at Kakkarotto.

*KSSST* The black-haired warrior deflected the attack with an open palm.

*Zrr*KSSH!* The tiara burned even more brightly than before, lunging at Kakkarotto like a coiled snake, but was knocked away again.

*ZRR*KSSSSSSH!* And again.

*KRSSSH* And again.

During one of these distractions, Sailor Moon leapt in for a kick…

But Kakkarotto was not there to receive it. Rather, the Sayajin appeared behind her to lightly smack her into the ground, dumping her several feet into the ground.

"Oh well," Kakkarotto muttered, pointing a hand at the hole.

*KABLAAAAAAAAM!* Sailor Moon leapt out of the hole just before the sayajin's blast obliterated the territory, digging a bottomless pit for a football-field length in front of him.

The Senshi landed behind Kakkarotto and swung her hand down in a chopping motion, slapping harmlessly against his armor.

"Ow," Sailor Moon whispered, holding her hand.

"Hey, pretty impressive," the warrior commented, turning toward her. "Let's see you evade this." He held a hand, cupped upwards, where a focused white sphere appeared. "My brother taught it to me. It's called," he smiled, "keep your eye on the birdie."

"WAAAAAAAAAH!" Sailor Moon shouted in panic, sidestepping the shot as it came at her, then jumping above it as it sped back towards her, then finally tripping into the ground, allowing the sphere to slam directly into Kakkarotto with its continued velocity.

*BLAAAAAAM!*

His hair singed, Kakkarotto looked in displeasure at the girl. "Hey! No fair using my own attacks against me."

On the ground, Sailor Moon shrugged nervously. "Well," she fidgeted, "you're supposed to keep your eye on the birdie!"

"Yeah," the Sayajin laughed, "I guess you're right." With that statement, he began tossing hundreds of little energy spheres towards her at an impossible rate.

*Blam - b-b-b-b-b-b-bbb-bLAAAAAM - Blamablamawhamaamblamma!*

"WAAA-AAA-AAA-AAA-AAAH!!!" the pigtailed Senshi cried, somehow managing to dodge each and every one of the explosions as she ran around like a chicken with its head cut off while they obliterated the park's few remaining features.

"Nice," Kakkarotto said, appearing behind her. "Can you avoid this?"

*BLAM!*

"How about this?"

*WHAM!*

"Or this?"

*THWACK!*

"Maybe this?"

*CRACK!*

At this point, Kakkarotto had Sailor Moon on the ground, thoroughly battered with a black eye and her legs pinned to the ground by his right boot.

"Owwwwwww," Sailor Moon whined, tears flowing down her cheeks, "that huuuurts!"

"Doesn't it, though?" Kakkarotto said, amused.

"Please stop!"

"No. You're a weak, powerless little girl. You can't make me. I'm going to kill you, take that girl, and break her will on some hostile planet until she's my willing servant. But before that, I'm going to blow up this stupid planet because everyone's so pathetic, you're practically just begging me to kill all of you off."

Sailor Moon tried to pull away. "I'll stop you," she forced out, "in the name of the Moon, I will stop you!"

Kakkarotto laughed. "I don't think so. You've all been trying your hardest, doing your 'best' work, and I haven't even been scratched yet." He grinned. "Actually, it's kind of funny. Especially the noises you people make when you die."

The Moon Senshi took in all that was said, her struggling in vain. All her weapons hadn't done a thing. Her friends were gone. There was nothing she could do to stop this man, and she knew it. But she couldn't just give up!

"Anyway," Kakkarotto continued, pointing a hand at her and smiling malevolently, "it's time to send you to the next dimension."

Sailor Moon clenched her hand into a fist. For her friends, if nothing else.

*Wringwringwring*

The sayajin's scouter beeped. He blinked at it.

*BLAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!*

Kakkarotto was sent flying back against an outcropping of broken rock, as ball of energy impacted and burned against his chest armor.

"AAAARRRGGHH!!!" the Sayajin yelled as he tried to resist, block, or dodge the effects of the blast, failing completely, forcing him to take the full brunt of the attack. Within a few seconds, the energy had faded, and Kakkarotto fell sideways to the ground, gasping for air, a glowing molten pockmark in his armor.

Sailor Moon slumped back to the ground with a sigh, her hand clutching the Crescent Moon Wand.

"W-whoa, man," Kakkarotto coughed, his eyes bulging as he struggled to his feet. "Th-that's impossible," he whispered, then called out, "You're two-thirty, at best! How did you do that!?"

"Umm, uh," Sailor Moon stammered in fear and exhaustion, "I don't know! It just happened! Sorry!"

"That's it!" the Sayajin shouted, beginning to levitate into the air. "You're toast! All of you!" He raised his arms, a bright yellow aura blazing around him.

Suddenly, he stopped as he felt a tug from below. Kakkarotto looked down to see a badly battered Sailor Mars with her hand clutched firmly on his brown tail, which had been knocked loose by the recent blast.

Sailor Mars turned her face toward him, a cold hatred in her eyes. "We're not through yet," she began. "Fire—"

The alien warrior looked at her in horror. "Not the TAIL!!!"

Mars tightened her grip. "—BALL!!!"

Instantly, Kakkarotto’s tail burst into flames.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

He fell to the ground, writing in agony as the girl's powers continued to burn him.

Mercury pushed herself into a sitting position and took out her computer. She tapped her earring, causing her display visor to appear over her eyes. She began to scan. "He's weakening!" the blue-haired girl called. "Finish him off, Sailor Moon! It's now or never!"

"Uh," Sailor Moon said uneasily, "Right!" She stood, holding up her wand, then paused, looking down at it. "Now, how do I use this…?"

"Urgh," Kakkarotto choked out. "Forget this!" The man clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and brought his hands apart.

*WROAR*WHRAAA* Kakkarotto’s black hair turned a light shade of gold and was forced up in the wake of the rest of the power that now surrounded him.

Mars was blown back by the force of the sudden power-up.

The brooch on Sailor Moon's chest shattered, her clothes returning to blue and pink bunny pajamas in a swirl of magical ribbons. She fell to the ground in the wind from the blast. "Waaaaaaaaah!"

Mercury gasped as her computer tried to comprehend the sheer energies coming from the man. "A POWER LEVEL OF—"

*BLAM!*ZRRT* Her computer's core exploded, fragments of the CPU smashing out of the main case. The girl's visor flickered out in a burst of static.

The level-one Super Sayajin surveyed his handiwork and saw that everyone who managed to land a blow on him was down.

Sailor Mercury, though, had managed to stand up.

Deciding he needed something a bit more… personal to work out his rage about all this than just blowing up the planet, he approached her, his hands charged.

Mercury looked up at him, fearful but determined. She crossed her arms in front of herself. "Mercury," she began, then stopped. "Shabon Spray…"

Kakkarotto threw his hands out, causing a massive burst to erupt from the ground below the blue-haired girl.

"Freezing!" Mercury finished, encasing herself in a block of super-cooled ice that her enemy's energy instantly began to erode.

The Super Sayajin came closer to admire the means of her death.

*WHACK!* As the last ice was destroyed, Sailor Mercury smashed her computer into Kakkarotto’s scouter, knocking it off his face.

"Hey!" Kakkarotto shouted in annoyance, and smacked her away, causing a sickening crunch in her ribs. Sailor Mercury stayed down this time.

The blonde warrior glanced around, then looked down at his fallen scouter. "Eh… That thing's useless." Deciding that he was pretty much fed up with the whole mess, he walked back over to his pod, where Terra still lay.

*Whoosh!*Da-da, da-da!* There was a green flash with dramatic music…

*Ching!* And an ArbyFish imbedded himself into the ground between Kakkarotto and the pod.

The Super Sayajin blinked, his arms dropping. "What the…?"

Arby pulled himself out of the ground, the dramatic music fading to an Irish jig as he started to dance around.

"Not so fast," the creature commanded, coming to a halt in front of him.

The music slowed down.

Arby turned to the monkey with a fiddle and a pair of bagpipes next to him. "Not you!" he said in annoyance, then turned back to Kakkarotto. "'Ello, sez I ta you ta me n' you back in return!"

Kakkarotto raised an eyebrow.

"I challenge you to a duel! Mushrooms at sunroise."

"Yeah, whatever," the man said with a shrug, stepping over him towards his pod.

*Snick*SLAAAAAAAM!* The ArbyFish grabbed Kakkarotto by the lapels and body-slammed him way over into the nigh-bottomless pit that had been created earlier.

"I will not be ignored," the green, black, and white thing said, his oddly accented voice dripping with an even deeper annoyance than before. Wiping the annoyance from his mouth, he continued, "Ya'z gots ta foight me in a duel ta the death."

Kakkarotto slowly levitated out of the pit, a bemused look on his face.

"First guy ta doie," Arby added, "wins! C'mon, take ya best shot!" Sitting up on his tail, he patted his soft, white underbelly.

The Super Sayajin stared, then shrugged. "What the h… Well, if you insist."

*WRRR - RRR - RRR - RRR - RRR - RRR - RRRRRRRRRRRRRR* Kakkarotto held his hands together, a whirlwind ripping around him, and the ground further crumbling throughout the park. He thrust his hands forward, a tremendous, sparking golden beam shooting out from them, headed directly toward the tiny creature.

*KWRRRREEEEOOOOWWWW* The river of energy poured forward, buildings in the distance cracking from the discharge.

Arby stood firm, allowing the blast to come.

Then, suddenly, the beam came to a halt, just a couple feet away from the Green ArbyFish. The energy coalesced together, appearing to be thinking about something, and after a moment took off in another direction. "Yipe, yipe, yipe!" the energy howled as it departed into the sky.

Kakkarotto cut off the blast, and looked down in confusion.

Arby chuckled. "It's afraid a' me. You should be, too."

"Okay, nice trick," the Super Sayajin admitted. "Let's see how you do against level three, you little bugger."

Kakkarotto clenched his eyes shut and held his arms apart. The aura around him intensified, and his hair grew and grew… and grew some more. Finally, his puffy mane went down to his ankles.

"HAH!" he yelled, his voice echoing, his eyes wide, and his face twisted into a hyper-powered, overconfident, drug-tripping grin.

"'Twas brillig," Arby began calmly, "n' the sloivey toves—"

He held up his flippers, pointed toward the third level Super Sayajin.

*KERACK!* A lightning bolt singed the man, slicing a long gash through the side of his armor.

Kakkarotto was surprised. He had actually been trying to dodge that time.

"Did gyre n' gymble in the wabe," the ArbyFish continued. He made a downward slapping motion with his flipper.

*SMACK!* Before he could react, Kakkarotto found himself driven headfirst into the ground. He yanked himself out, only in time to hear, "All mymsy were the borogroves!"

*BLAAAAM!* The ground exploded underneath the man.

"And the mome raths outgrabe!"

*WHACK!!!* A tree ripped itself out of the ground and smacked the Super Sayajin in the face, doing much more damage than it should have.

"Beware the Jabberwock, moie son!"

*KATHRACK!* Kakkarotto’s head was smashed aside, feeling as if he'd just been given a sharp uppercut— one that could easily crack continental plates.

"The jaws that boite!"

*CLAMP!*CREAK*SLAM!* An unseen force bit down on the Super Sayajin's breastplate, digging in with sharp tooth marks, picking him up and again slamming him into the ground.

"The claws that catch!"

*KWASHIIING!!!* Several deep claw marks slashed their way across Kakkarotto’s armor.

"Beware the Jubjub Bird, n' shun the Frumjious Bandersnatch!"

*Eeee!*Eeee!* A huge bird, larger than a condor, swept down low, and snatched a young white harp seal from the ground, flying off.

"Oh dear, not again," the seal muttered in a depressed tone.

"He took his vorpal sword in hand," Arby continued, whipping out a Heavy Blunt Object™. "Long time the manxome foe he sought!"

Enraged, Kakkarotto dove down at him, at speeds that even Sayajin eyes had no chance of detecting.

*WHACK!* Arby smacked him away with his weapon, then leaned against a nearby mushroom. "So rested he by the tumtum tree," he added, polishing the mallet-like object he carried, "and stood awhile in thought."

Landing, Kakkarotto held his head in pain, then turned and looked toward Arby.

"And while in oomphish thought he stood," the creature said, noting Kakkarotto’s enraged approach. "The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame came wiffling through the tulgey wood…" As the man dove forward, Arby stared at him.

*Crunch!* Kakkorotto winced as a few of his ribs shattered.

Arby smiled. "And burbled as it came."

The longhaired Super Sayajin growled, diving at his small foe with a flurry of low punches.

Arby fought back with all his might, blocking the punches with his weapon. "One-two, one-two, and through and through, the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!"

*THWAAAACKKKK!!!!!!* Arby smashed his Heavy Blunt Object™ into Kakkarotto’s head, knocking him to the ground in a deep daze.

"He left it dead, and with its head," the ArbyFish grabbed the end of the man's long hair and began to hop off, dragging him behind, "he went galumphing back."

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?" Arby recited, stopping and dumping his burden in front of him. "Come to my arms, my beamish boy!"

Kakkorotto choked in complete and utter disbelief.

"Oh, frabjous day, callooh, callay, he chortled in his joy!"

Arby exclaimed, then flung the third level Super Sayajin high into the air.

"Twas brillig and the sloivey toves," Arby continued, aiming his flippers at the airborne warrior.

*KAAAABLAAAAMMMMOOOO!!!!*

*Thud*

"Did gyre and gymble in the wabe," the Green ArbyFish said with a grin as he watched Kakkorotto fall limply to the ground. "All mymsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths outgrabe."

A horde of recently released zoo animals applauded at him.

"Why, thank you," Arby said, taking a bow. Suddenly, he stopped, turning back to his opponent with a frown. Like a small bird, he hopped over to where Kakkorotto lay. The ArbyFish prodded him with a flipper. "'Scuse me, do you 'ave ta gymble so loudly?"

"URRRRRAUUGGHHHH," Kakkorotto replied, his angry eyes bulging at the creature.

"Oh," Arby blinked, "well, then." He pointed his flippers at him. "Melee Caleeky Maka!" he called out in Hawaiian.

*BLAAAAM!*

"Y un nuevo año felicidad!" Arby continued in Spanish.

*KA-BLAM*Blam*Blam*

"F'nord!"

*BORT!*

The ArbyFish blinked. "Ya not dead yet!" He frowned. "Ya really don't wont ta win, do ya?"

"Ughhh," Kakkorotto coughed, flat on his back, his still-unbelieving jaw hanging open.

Arby looked up. "Too bad. 'S a noice noight ta congeal. Look! It's a REAL noice full moon tonoight. See? It's pokin' through the clouds roight now, it iz!"

The thoroughly injured Super Sayajin gasped, then turned his head so that he could see the Moon. His horrified and confused expression shifted to one of triumph.

Arby didn't so much as bat an eyelash as he watched Kakkorotto grow to a hundred times his previous size, the man's jaw elongating and his body becoming covered in a thick, puffy golden fur. His armor expanded with him and his eyes turned a glowing shade of red.

The ArbyFish looked at him. "Hey! I can do that!" He closed his eyes, scrunching down in high concentration.

*POOF!* Arby's fur fluffed out. "'Oo’eva' 'as th' puffiest cheeks," he called out, "wins!" He smoothed back the cute tufts on his face with his flippers.

The Super Oozaru rose into the air, turning toward his tormentor, spotting him without difficulty with his obscenely enhanced senses. "ALL RIGHT," he bellowed, "THIS GALAXY IS HISTORY!" He held his massive paws apart, his aura intensifying even further. "LEVEL TEN!!!"

*BZZZZRRRREEEEOOOOW*

Arby blinked. "Oh dear… This's gonna be an 'ard one ta win." He whipped out a small mushroom, one that was dressed and colored like a clown. "Gonna 'ave ta go full powa'."

Luna tossed and turned in her sleep. From the looks of her surroundings in her dream, she appeared to be back home, in the Silver Millennium. All was calm and at peace in the Romanesque architecture.

Luna turned, coming face-to-face with a somewhat familiar male white cat. She blinked, blurting out, "Artemis?"

"Hey, there, kitty cat," Artemis replied with a bittersweet smile. "Long time, no see."

"Why are we," the black cat began, then paused and restarted, "What are you doing here?"

Artemis sighed, shrugging. "Well, sometimes, people get so wrapped up in themselves, and think they're the only one that matters…" He trailed off.

Luna tilted her head at him. "What are you talking about, Artemis?"

The Super Oozaru's deep laughter echoed across the landscape as he completed the stages of his massive, final power-up. He could not be seen through his swirling aura. However, it was quite certain that his blinding, golden fur was exceptionally long.

Even so, the air stilled as Kakkorotto took one last look at his target. "NOW, YOU DIE."

*SQUELCH!* The glowing apelike thing adjusted its footing, smashing a very large, majestic mushroom patch.

Arby narrowed his eyes. "DON'T do that!"

"HAH!" the Oozaru laughed. "DO WHAT?" He shifted his stance again.

*SQUISH!*

The ArbyFish's puffy fur began to stand on end. "Alroight, you asked for it." His expression focused and he held the Mumbling Moscow Clown Mushroom in front of him. "MMMMH!"

Kakkorotto opened his huge, gaping mouth, shooting out a huge, continuous burst.

*RWOAAAAR!* The blast slammed up against a spherical barrier of some sort around Arby, which blocked it, but began weakening almost instantly.

Artemis winced.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

The white cat looked at her. "I don't have a lot of time, Luna." He shook his head, looked down, and put a paw on her shoulder. "I just wanted to apologize for all," he paused and looked her in the eye, "for all the trouble I've caused you. I'm sorry."

"What trouble?"

The ArbyFish clutched the mushroom tighter, glaring back up at Kakkorotto, his small teeth clenched. "I," he panted, straining from the effort, "can't let’cha!"

The Super Oozaru brought his hands into the struggle, blasting the shrinking barrier with even more power, but taking the pressure off his mouth and allowing him to speak. "YOU AND YOUR PLANET WILL BE DESTROYED, AND IF YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, TOO FRIGGIN' BAD!"

Arby narrowed his eyes. "Alroight, then," he began, and held up his mushroom. "Habberjug and Willywug sang Arby on the way!" His barrier pulsed, growing slightly.

"HEH," Kakkorotto laughed, and pooled all his resources into his attack, spitting another constant beam into the fray.

In the wake of competing forces, the terrain was blasted up for miles, fragments of rock pulling off the ground. The city's buildings cracked, pieces falling off.

"While dingoes' kidneys stand at lampposts," Arby continued, "gymbling 'till they say…"

Artemis had departed, and Queen Serenity came forward, looking down at Luna compassionately. She gazed out past the palace courtyard. "Things have become very bad out there. I wish there was something more I could do to stop it, but I'm already doing all I can."

Luna frowned. "What is going on?"

The gossamer-winged Queen sighed. "Something I may not survive, I'm afraid." She knelt by the cat, her expression sad.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Serenity shook her head. "No. No one else can do this."

She pulled out her wand, and placed a large, multifaceted crystal on the tip.

"B-but that means," Luna stammered.

The woman nodded.

"Li’l' Lizards always loike Li’l' Lumps a' Logs," Arby chanted forcefully, his defenses in a draw with Kakkarotto’s offense. A single, green tear went down the side of his face. "N' Purple People Picking Pineapples Neva' Welcome Dogs!"

The mushroom Arby was carrying pulsed, energies flowing from it into him.

"I just wanted to say," Artemis cut in, "You were right, Luna, and I was just too stuck up to notice."

The black cat frowned, slowly realizing that there was far more to this than she comprehended at the moment.

"Goodbye, Luna," Serenity and Artemis said somberly.

Luna awoke with a start. "Arby!" she realized all at once. She looked out the window, becoming witness to a horrific power struggle.

An ethereal sign pointed at Arby, which read, {An ArbyFish.} A wry smile came to Arby's mouth. "In-deed!"

*WROARSH* Releasing the mushroom, the small creature dove into the multi-beam assault, forcing his way up toward the golden Oozaru’s head.

*Plunk!* Arby plopped down Kakkarotto’s throat. All of the combined energies stopped their flow. The transformed Sayajin choked, the red light from his eyes fading.

*KAAAAAA - BOOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOO - OOOOOOM!*

"WAAAAOOOOHHHH!" Kakkorotto screamed as his image warped, twisted, and finally crumbled in the resulting explosion. In just a few seconds, the blast faded, and a new, slow sweep of energy began to expand around the area.

The greenish glow swept past where the Senshi lay, past where Tuxedo Mask's ashes fell, and continued into the destroyed city. The final extent of the blast could be seen from orbit, flickering before it vanished.

In the future, the ArbyFish finished reading his autobiographical history. He closed the book, trying to think over all that had happened. Finally, he smiled. "Oh dear, it appears that I've doied!"

*POOF!* Arby vanished in a puff of green temporal logic.

*Splat!* Diana fell to the tabletop, covered in a thick, smelling goo.

"EEEEEEW!" she said, trying to wipe the digestive and preservative juices off of her.

Suddenly, Sailor Pluto stopped, considering the course of action she had been brought to. She looked at the hellish gate before her and the horrific torments that lay within. Her recently suppressed conscience making a plea for reason, she looked back at Ranma, who was still immobilized in her grip. The Time Guardian dropped to her knees, tossing aside her staff and collapsing into Ranma's arms, her head on the smaller girl's shoulder, red-faced and tears in her eyes. "I just can't do it!" Setsuna cried.

Regaining her motor functions, Ranma found that her arms were around the green-haired woman's shoulders. "Uh, look," the redhead began, "whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing. We can get it all worked out."

Sailor Pluto sniffled, nodding and holding the girl for comfort.

"So," Ranma continued uneasily, trying but failing to get far enough out of Setsuna's embrace to look into her eyes, "what's this all about?"

"Well," the woman said in a halting manner as she tried to take a couple breaths to help herself calm down, holding to Ranma's warmth, "it began when some baka created a temporal paradox, changing history forever, and infinitely frustrating my work…"

Neo-Queen Serenity walked through one of her city's better parks, considering the vision of the past she had just received. The one known as the Starlight Knight, the one she had thought had just up and left, had in fact died somehow after Terra's fight with Metallia.

Despite the man's usually obnoxious attitude and careless manner, he had helped her and the rest of the Senshi at nearly every turn. He was gone on his own unknown quests a lot of the time, but when he had shown up to help there was no need for any of them to worry. At least, until that final battle.

Serenity shook her head, sad that he and Terra were gone. Who knows what they could have accomplished for the world if they had lived?

Continued in Part 10-E

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: January 7, 2006