Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailormoon Dark ❯ Episode 5: The Witches of Valhalla Charm the Present. Sailordarkcosmos Terrorizes the Future! ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sailormoon Dark: Episode Five
"The Witches of Valhalla charm the present. Sailordarkcosmos terrorizes the future!"

written by Laurel Wilson ( Sailorhathor@aol.com )
Inspired by the Japanese animated show Pretty Soldier Sailormoon.
The ideas for this fanfic were conceived in 1995, but this actual episode was written in June-July 2000.


"I don't believe in ghosts. Nope, not me."
"Usagi-chan, it is okay to admit you're scared. Rei has been killed, several new senshi have popped up, and we're off to the home of a Witch. Just don't let your fear keep you from moving ahead."
"Right, Luna! Moving ahead... um, do you think you could move my feet for me?"
"Usagi..."
"I DO believe in spooks, I do, I do!"
"Pretty Soldier Sailormoon Dark Episode 5: The Witches of Valhalla charm the present. Sailordarkcosmos terrorizes the future! The moonlight carries the message of love."

        "Ahhh.. . it's all so beautiful!" Turning around and around, Usagi took in the glory of the hill covered with lavish, colorful gardens and over thirty sculpted fountains, for as far as the eye could see. Witch Hill.
        Michiru examined the closest fountain, which was sculpted in the form of a mermaid pouring water from a conch shell. The craftsmanship was breathtakingly beautiful. She hoped the creator of such beauty would be as lovely on the inside as this fountain was on the outside; otherwise, they could be walking into a trap.
        "She looks like you," Haruka remarked of the statue. "Perhaps you were the artist's muse."
        "Do you think it's possible?"
        "Yes. You certainly inspire me."
        "To do what?" Michiru asked innocently, her smile full of mischief.
        Mirroring Michiru's grin, Tara squeezed in between them. "Well, you two sure are cozy. Enjoying the scenery?"
        Haruka's eyes never left Michiru's face. "Yes."
        "Everyone, over here! This gate says 'Valhalla.' The house is beyond this fence," called Setsuna to the others.
        Ban seemed to be happy to hear this; he hurried toward the gate, teetering and shifting the wrapped bundle of Rei in his arms clumsily.
        "Is she getting heavy?" Makoto asked. She watched him carefully.
        His eyes darting from her to the bundle in his arms, Ban shifted Rei again and puffed out his chest. "No, I'm fine." He hurried through the gate with Makoto right behind him. Kitaeru followed behind them with a rather amused smile on her face.
        Tara, leaving Michiru and Haruka, ran to catch up with Ursula, who was shadowing the others. "What do you think the story is between those two? Think either one of them... drives stick?"
        "Oh sure, it's totally impossible for two adult women to spend so much time together and not be a couple, huh?" Ursula replied while rolling her eyes. "You'll notice my sarcasm, one who I spend so much time with."
        Tara continued up the flower-lined trail. "But Ursula, everyone knows you have a monster crush on me."
        In return, Ursula laughed and shook her head. "Seriously, why are you even concerned with the relationship between those two? You don't think there are more important things to worry about right now?" She quietly walked beside her friend, her hands folded together in front of her, listening to the leaves crunch under her penny loafers. "Like her?" Ursula gestured toward Rei in Ban's arms.
        Struggling and grunting with effort, Ban teetered in their direction. He noticed them looking at him. "What?"
        Tara sighed. "Well, like, if they're a couple, then I don't have to worry about her stealing all the cute guys at Mirai Mugen. Michiru-san. I mean, did you see her perfect hair? And look at... well..." She self-consciously ran a hand through her short hair before putting her cap back on.
        Ursula's eyes softened; she put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "You're a very pretty girl. I've got a huge crush on you, remember?"
        "You mean--it's true?" Tara asked in mock-horror. "I never knew you cared!"
        The group was rounding a bend in the trail--laid out before them was a row of lovely trees on both sides of the road; the trees had grown together to form a natural arch over the walkway. "This is so beautiful! Words can't do it justice," Hotaru exclaimed.
        At the end of this tree-lined section of the trail was a large dark blue house. Several cars and two bicycles sat in the driveway.
        "I think I see a muscle car," Ursula joked, elbowing Tara in the side. "Bet some men work here. Shirtless men with rippling muscles."
        "You go for that type?" Haruka asked in a rhetorical tone.
        Tara took this as an opportunity to pry some more. "What type do you go for, Haruka-san?"
        "No type. I've already found my very important partner."
        Loud wheezing coming from nearby Ban took the attention off Haruka. His knees were shaking and his eyes were almost bugging out. "Rei's got a lot of extra weight on her from the cryogenic crystals. Let's get a move on!" He stumbled off toward the house like a baby learning to walk.
        Makoto, folding her hands smugly behind her back, still followed close behind. "Are you sure you don't want any help? Helium crystals should not be so heavy..."
        Although the scenery was some of the most beautiful she had ever seen, Usagi did not seem cheered up by it anymore; she was lost in her thoughts, a look of sadness on her face. Tara walked up beside her.
        "I don't think you have anything to fear here, Usagi-chan. This place seems harmless enough. It's quite beautiful here on Witch Hill, don't you--wait a minute..." Shielding her eyes with her hand, she pretended to examine the house carefully. "...that house is made of gingerbread!"
        Us agi had to laugh. "You're quite silly, Tara. You make me laugh."
        "Me too," a deep male voice said. He slid out from under the "muscle car," a shirtless, muscular, dark green-haired hunk, skin glistening with the sweat of effort... his face smudged with motor oil. He smiled. You could almost hear his white teeth twinkle. Ding! "Everyone knows Witches live in houses made of candy."
        Haruka leaned over to Ursula. "Good call."
        "I'm Glen. How can I help you all?" the hunk asked.
        Tara and Ursula could not repress their huge heart-shaped eyes from pulsating in time with their heartbeats. "Uhhhh... you can... ooooh..."
        As he stood up, the girls noticed Glen was looking past them, rather puzzled. "Are you okay?"
        Ban's legs were absolutely quaking; he was sinking toward the ground while panting with effort. "You can... show me... to... your nearest... couch!" WUMP! Ban fell backward with the Rei bundle on top of him.
        "Can I help you now?" asked Makoto innocently.
        Shrugging, Glen picked up Rei with little effort and carried her toward the house. "Sure, come on in."
        "Oooooooh..." Tara and Ursula glanced at each other, then scurried after him.
        Ban sat up. "Grumblegrumblegrumbshowoffgrumble..."


        "Hello?" Whap whap whap. "You have to wake up. I can't make it down the tunnel with you unconscious."
        Heri's eyes opened to see Sailorcharon's face leaning over her. The girl was lightly smacking her cheeks. "Wha-wha... what's happening?" The sky above was nearly blocked out by the thickness of the trees. Heri could not tell if it was night or day. "Where are we?"
        Sitting down beside her, Sailorcharon gestured to the forest with her key staff. "This is a very undeveloped section of Paradise Forest. Very few people come here because it is rumored that demons roam its depths."
        "Depths?"
        "Yes. Under this forest are many tunnels and caverns. I can assure you that the rumors are well founded, so it is good that people stay away from this place of overgrowth." While speaking, she finger-combed her light green hair.
        "If the rumors are 'well founded,' then what are we doing here?" Heri asked. She took in more of her surroundings, noticing that the strange outfit from before was gone, replaced with her college uniform. "And when will I stop feeling so weak?"
        "We are here because I am bringing you to my home to take care of you until you gain your strength back. I will also answer your many questions about your new life. This is one of few ways into the Underworld for the living. You will eventually feel better, but it will take a little time. I'm sure it was quite overwhelming for all of us the first time we fought as senshi. One often feels disoriented after awakening from a long sleep, hm?"
        As Charon spoke, Heri's eyes just got bigger and bigger. "The Underworld?! Senshi?! A long sleep?! What the heck are you talking about?! Am I still dreaming? Did I fall asleep in the park, and this whole thing from the blue-haired girl on has been a bad dream? Wake up Heri!"
        Sailorcharon suddenly smacked the girl's face quite hard. "Yes Heri, wake up."
        "That wasn't necessary, you know," Heri responded angrily, rubbing her face.
        "If you want to hit me back, go ahead. But don't let your denial and anger keep you from accepting the truth. This is deadly serious! You are a senshi. As Sailorhelium, you are a protector of the entire universe--helium can be found all through the galaxies. It is better for you if you accept this right away. Your duty will catch up with you if you try to run." Her voice cracked on the last few words of that sentence.
        Heri commented, "I suppose now you're going to tell me that you had to learn that lesson the hard way?"
        Sailorcharon's head snapped to the side so that she was giving Heri a hard, cold stare. "I'm not going to tell you that." Suddenly she raised her chin, as if listening very intently to the forest around them.
        Heri was still concentrating on the meaning of that cold stare. "Hey, I wasn't serious. I'm sorry if I struck a nerve..."
        "Be quiet for a minute," Sailorcharon instructed gently. She listened harder; her eyes narrowed. "We should head for my home now. Someone's coming. I can protect you better on the move."
        "Who's coming?" Heri asked, glancing around.
        Sailorcharon continued without answering the question. "This is why I needed you awake. I need my hands free. You hop up on my back and hold on to me with your arms and legs. Do you have the strength to do that?"
        "Uh, sure. I think so."
        "Then let's go."
        After a minute of adjustment, Heri was situated for a piggy back ride, with her arms wrapped around the senshi's neck and her legs in a death grip around her waist. "Okay, I'm ready."
        "Whatever you do, don't let go." Sailorcharon walked into a pitch black cave that was nearby, at the base of the tall hill that bordered Paradise Forest. Witch Hill.
        "How do you know where we are? It's so dark."
        "Shhhh."
&nb sp;       Having been shushed, Heri figured that the girl knew where they were. At first all she could hear was the sound of Sailorcharon walking through the tunnel as water dripped around them. Heri slowly became aware of other noises, which became louder and more coherent the farther they moved inside... somewhere deeper in the tunnel, people were moaning and screaming, as if in pain. It made her want to jump off Sailorcharon's back and run back down the tunnel to... safety? Where was safe in an unfamiliar place like this? The next noise Heri became aware of sounded like... breathing. Not her frightened breathing, or Sailorcharon's steady, controlled breaths, but the heavy breathing of a stranger. Creepy, rattly breaths, accompanied by an awful stench, like rotten meat.
        She almost dared not speak, but Heri had to ask. "Are we alone in here?"
        "No," Sailorcharon answered simply.
        Instantly a flame burst to life, and five low voices made themselves heard with a group chuckle. Heri was terrified to see that the flame was coming from the head of a very large... well, it could only be described as a monster. He was very thin, but very tall, and although it was almost too much for Heri to accept, he had set his own head on fire. His hair became strands of flame like he was a big torch. The monster had four friends with him who were equally frightening--their skin like leather, their features resembling something part man and part beast, and all with the same horrible stench of rottenness.
        "Welly welly well, it's Charon and a very cute friend. The cute ones are my favorites." As the others snickered, he licked his lips, eyeing Heri.
        "She's got 'er on her back. That's kinda suggestive... hehheh..."
        "Is that mucous coming out of your pores?!" Heri asked with disgust.
        The demons laughed uproariously. "Yeah, makes it easier for us to stick together."
        "Ew!"
&n bsp;       Sailorcharon loudly slammed her staff into the wall next to her. The sound of metal clanking against rock echoed all through the tunnel. "I'm not going to play with you turds today. Kindly step aside."
        "We don't do anything 'kindly,' toots," the head demon replied.
        "Then slimily step aside."
        The demons burst out laughing, clapping each other on the back. "Let us know when you plan to intimidate us, okay? Otherwise, make us move."
        Sailorcharon pretended to consider it. "Fair enough. I'm going to intimidate you now." As an aside to Heri, she whispered over her shoulder, "Hold on tight."


         "Neo-Queen Serenity, what have you done to your hair? And why are you dressed in that?" Elios asked the woman who had just slapped him. He suddenly noticed how much younger she looked. "My Lady, somehow I don't think you are quite yourself."
        "Isn't that the understatement of this century. Answer my question, or I kill you first--where is your pretty girl? Your maiden?"
        From one side of the two intruders came a shower of sharp, pointed, golden shards of crystal that gave off tremendous heat. Sailortriton, still hiding beneath her hood, turned to jump out of the way, but Sailordarkcosmos simply raised her staff toward the shards. They stopped in midair, then shattered with a hot burst of sparks.
        "You wouldn't happen to know where the princess is?" Darkcosmos asked sarcastically.
        The white-haired girl emerged from the shadows of the temple. Sunlight highlighted the lavendar in her hair. Dressed in a sailor fuku that resembled Elios' priest uniform, with long lavendar sleeves, she raised a unicorn-headed stave. "How dare you impersonate the beloved queen of the Earth. Desecrating this temple with your presence, and striking the priest of Elysion--I will never forgive you! My blood shields the temples of this world from harm as I wield the stave of the Golden Crystal. I am the soldier of paradise, Sailorelysion!"
        Darkcos mos was obviously less than impressed. "Where'd you get that thing, off a merry-go-round? I'll give you one more chance. Where is the princess?"
        Getting to his feet, Elios cried, "Sacred Fire!" and opened his hand. A line of liquid flame shot out toward the intruders. Sailorelysion added her help by twirling around with the Golden Unicorn Stave and calling, "Sacred Elysion Carousel!" A whirlwind of small sharp shards of Golden Crystal soared up from between her feet; they danced up and down in imitation of a pretty carousel. When Sailorelysion abruptly pointed her stave at Darkcosmos and Triton, the shards barreled toward them, giving off the intense heat they had before.
        Darkcosmos, with a shake of her head, raised the Dark Pearl in the path of the two attacks. Sailortriton was about to return the attack, to fend them off, but she immediately saw she was not needed as the Sacred Fire and the Elysion Carousel were turned and shot back down the paths they had come. Elios and Sailorelysion both let out intense screams of pain as their own powers attacked them, blowing each of them backward. Elios struck his head on a column of the temple before sliding to the ground with an anguished look on his face; Sailorelysion rolled across the floor and landed in a heap on the stairs that led to the main altar.
        "You two are siblings, right? Your power levels are similar. Nice try, but I'm tired of this game. I'll bring the princess out of hiding." Sailordarkcosmos, closing her eyes, produced a large, jagged crystal from the air around her. "It's as purple as the highlights in your hair, Sailorelysion. I think it needs more color, though. What was it you said, you protect the temples of Elysion with your very blood? Well, it looks like they could use some shielding right about now." Darkcosmos snatched the crystal out of the air and slowly raised it above her head like a dagger.
        Sailorelysion held up her hand in a protesting motion, unable to flee because her legs hurt too much from her own attack being turned on her.
        How many times have I seen helpless people do that as a big ol' baddie loomed over them? thought Darkcosmos. Just waiting to die or to be rescued. Why did I ever make it my duty to save the simpering babies? It is much more satisfying to be on this side of the aggression.
        "Don't! " screamed Elios.
        Darkcosmos swept the crystal down toward Sailorelysion's chest.
        "PINK SUGAR ETERNAL CARESS!"
        Before she could react, Darkcosmos was knocked to the floor by the flying body of Sailortriton. "Beautifuuuuuuul!" Triton cried as a kaleidoscope of gorgeously colored pieces of crystal flew around her. The others could not see because they did not have the girl on top of them, but Darkcosmos could see that Sailortriton's fuku was dissolving under her cloak, leaving her dressed in her college uniform again. At first Sailordarkcosmos was angry because whoever had hit them from behind was very powerful to be able to detransform Triton so suddenly. But then she realized she recognized such a power. "Pink sugar"? A power that imitated her own Eternalsailormoon power from the past, from before the personality split?
        It had to be...
        "Chibimoon."
        "You interrupt the rituals of an earnest Elysion priest in his own temple, and threaten the lives of my family--I am Eternalsailormoon, and they are my heart. Attacking them was your final mistake! I cannot forgive you!"
        "As I cannot forgive you!" A pint-sized pink-haired child stepped from behind the new Eternalsailormoon. " Sailormiraimoon !"
        "In the name of the moon, WE WILL PUNISH YOU!"
        Sailordarkcosmos, pushing Triton off of her, stood so she could take in this scene better. Could she believe her eyes? A grown Chibimoon, now the new Eternalsailormoon, with longer hair, but the same old bunny-ear odango. The skirt of her fuku had three layers, just like the Eternal make-up of the past, and lovely white wings protruded from the small of her back. The new Eternalmoon's wand had evolved into something between the Spiral Heart Moon Rod and the Tier in appearance.
        And who was this? A miniature Chibimoon, with no odango, but big pink ponytails? Just look at that fuku with the light pink skirt--now Chibimoon knows what it feels like to have a pint-sized shadow. The girl even has a cute little blue wand... Sailordarkcosmos had to grin. Chibimoon... no, Eternalsailormoon... had played right into her hands.
        Miraimoon gasped, tugging at her mother's skirts. "Mommy, she looks almost like Gramma. Who is she?"
        Her face surprised, Darkcosmos could not help but burst out laughing. "I've been called a lot of things, but I've never been called Gramma... yet. Yes Darling, it's Gramma." She grinned ferally.
        "Don't you dare tell her you are my mother!" Eternalmoon angrily yelled. She put herself between Darkcosmos and her child. "You are not the Queen! Who do you think you are?"
        Elios and Sailorelysion were trying to get to their feet, but both were in obvious, awful pain. "My maiden, turn back! Run away! She came here looking for you. She'll kill you!"
        "Elios!" Eternalsailormoon cried in anguish. Her husband and her beloved friend, in such pain--what power did this woman have?
        Darkcosmos smiled before throwing off her cloak, so Eternalmoon could see who had come to kill her in her full glory. "He's right, you know. You should have run."
        "Honey, I want you to get away from here," Eternalsailormoon said to her daughter. She had been told of the legend, and knew all about the power of the Cosmos senshi. The woman's fuku was that of Sailorcosmos... but dark-colored... could she be an evil Cosmos? Was it possible? "This is a very dangerous situation. I won't see you get hurt."
        Behind her, Sailordarkcosmos was concentrating; several dark, purplish crystals appeared in the air around her.
        "Mommy, I won't leave you! I want to stay and help."
        Two feline figures at the bottom of the temple steps began to run up toward the commotion. "Mother, where is that power coming from? Can you feel that evil aura?" the lavendar cat asked.
        The black cat running next to her could only shake her head. "I don't know. Let's get up there and find out."
        "Dark Crystal..."
        Eternal sailormoon pushed Miraimoon toward the stairs. "Baby, go! Run and hide!" The hair on the back of her neck was standing up from the dark energy in the air.
        "Blood..."< br>         "I won't leave you and Daddy. We can fight her together!"
        Struggling against the pain, Elios tried to get up. "Both of you, RUN!"
        Vivian shoved him down with her foot, then booted him in the side. As an afterthought, she went over and kicked the Unicorn Stave from Sailorelysion's weakened hand. It spun across the floor of the temple, out of her reach. "I won't let anyone foil Sailordarkcosmos' plans."
        Eternalmoon would not leave her husband and close friend, nor would her daughter leave her. Running would not save her from the frightening power of the Cosmos senshi; there was no escape from such power.
        "...EMBRACE!< /i>"
        Eternalsailormoon turned to cover her child's body, to shield her from harm, as the dark crystals soared toward her. Miraimoon heard her mother grunt as if struck hard in the stomach. When she opened her eyes, she saw Eternalmoon's hair fly forward around her face as a look of shock and pain overtook her eyes. Mommy was falling toward her. "Mommy?" Sailormiraimoon looked down. "MOMMY!"
        Three large dark crystals had driven themselves through Eternalmoon's chest and stomach, impaling her. She desperately tried to stay on her feet--until she knew Miraimoon was safe.
        "MAIDEEEEEEEN!"         "CHIBIUSA!"
 &n bsp;      The two moon cats arrived at the summit of the temple. The scene before them was horrible and shocking. "SMALL LADY!"
        Darkcosmos grinned with delight at the sight of the two cats. "Diana, how you've grown! And Luna, you're looking a bit grey around the temples. I could use an advisor in my plans..."
        Looking up in horror, Sailormiraimoon caught her mother's weakened body as she fell. She collapsed to her knees and began to cry. "Mommy! Mommy!"
        Diana immediately leapt upon the murderous woman's shoulder and bit her ear hard. She was thrown into a nearby column for her trouble. "Meeeeooooow!" Diana moaned.
        "Infernal cat! You made me bleed," Sailordarkcosmos lamented, checking her ear with her fingers.
        Luna raised her head to the woman, so she could see her eyes. The cat was greying around the temples, and now that she was an official advisor to the Queen, she wore a tiara much like the Neo-Queen's to indicate her rank in the kingdom. "I don't know who you are, but I see who you are disguised as. You will pay for committing such deeds in the disguise of our Queen. Do you really think you can get away with this?"
        Sailordarkcosmos gently smiled at the cat who had made her who she was. If she was going to win this war, she'd need a good strategist. "I'm already getting away with it. And of course you don't know who I am. I haven't changed the past until today. But soon, everyone will know of my legacy as the leader of the Dark Senshi. Now, be a good kitty and do as your master tells you." As she opened her hand, another dark crystal materialized in her palm. "Die."
        Luna leapt out of the way as the crystal was hurled at her. She easily avoided it... a little too easily. Why was it turning around in midair? "DIANA! Diana, get up!"
        The lavendar cat raised her head wearily. "M-Mother?"
        "Diana!< /i>" Using all her strength, Luna jumped for the crystal, intending to knock it off its course. Her reflexes had diminished with age. She was slashed across her side by the crystal, and fell to the ground beside Diana.
        "Luna!" sobbed Miraimoon.
        Things were becoming more grim by the second. "Why are you doing this?!" Elios cried.
        "Don't be so impatient. Just watch," snapped Darkcosmos.
        As they did watch, two brilliantly lit objects floated from the hearts of Eternalsailormoon and Luna, then hovered above them. "Soul Shields. This is what I came for. Triton, help."
        Triton? thought Sailorelysion.
        As instructed previously, Vivian took one of the Soul Shields in her hand and held it up. "You shouldn't call me Triton in front of them," she remarked.
        Sailordarkcos mos touched the Soul Shield with the Dark Pearl. "What's the matter, Triton? Afraid of a few little consequences?" Her last few words were nearly drowned out by the sound of the Soul Shield being torn apart. It sounded like an entire orchestra playing different notes at the same time, all sour and out of tune.
        "Ugh. Is a cat walking across a piano?"
        "Certainly not that cat," Darkcosmos joked in mean spirits, pointing at Luna.
        Eternalmoon let out a cry of pain as her Soul Shield came apart, Dark side with its touch of Light, and Light side with its touch of Dark. Then she fell to her side, lifelessly.
        "Mommy!< /i>"
        Next, Sailordarkcosmos did the same to Luna's Soul Shield as Vivian collected each Dark half. "All right, we got what we came for." She turned to leave, but stopped; it was amazing what was happening before her at the top of the steps. A stream of colors, mostly pink and blue, was winding its way down the stairs. The colors were draining from Sailormiraimoon's fuku as she wept over her mother's lifeless body. Darkcosmos watched the pink run from her skirt like tears, leaving behind only white.
        She confidently leaned over the child. "Where have all your colors gone? You can't be a senshi in an all-white fuku." Clapping her hands together, Darkcosmos said mockingly, "I know! Once I destroy all life on this planet, you can be its senshi! Sailordeadearth . How does that sound?"
        The little girl raised her head and shoved her wand in the woman's face. "Silver Twinkle!" Small silver stars popped out of the wand, smacking Darkcosmos in the nose.
        "Ow!" She sprang back, hands to her face. "Brat!"
        Elios finally got to his feet, grimacing. "Get away from my child!"
        "You're so intimidating, really. Mind that limp," Sailordarkcosmos mocked as she waved the Dark Pearl staff in a circle; purple translucent crystals taller than all of them materialized between herself and Vivian and the others. Elios searched for a way around them. He had to get the Soul Shield halves back, he just knew it!
        "Oh, by the way, your security around this temple--might want to beef it up. Good-bye." With a mischievous laugh, Sailordarkcosmos turned to run down the stairs and make a quick getaway. Vivian followed her. Quite suddenly, Darkcosmos tripped on her own cape and tumbled down the stairs in a rather comical fashion. Vivian continued to follow, but a large collection of sweatdrops obscured her retreating head.
        "Darkcosmos, are you all right?"
        "Unlucky for me that most of the bad traits went with me, the Dark half. It's the price I pay for being so beautifully evil." With a shrug and a final wave of her staff, Sailordarkcosmos created a portal, and she and Vivian disappeared into it.
        The purple crystals that blocked the stairs dissolved once she was gone, steaming as if they had been bathed in acid.
        Elios fell to his knees beside his wife and daughter and took Eternalsailormoon into his arms. "Pretty girl... do not go!" He tried to return the Light half of her Soul Shield to her body, but it would not go; the body seemed to repel it without its other half.
        "My attack... was useless... against her..." Eternalmoon forced out. "She almost... killed Nozomi."
        "Mommy..." the child wailed. "Please be okay! Don't die!"
        "I'm sorry my little gumdrop, but... I could not protect... us all. She was... too... strong... ohhhh!"
        "Don't speak, Chibiusa. Save your strength. You have to hold on."
        "What can... you do to save me? She was too strong. I... I... can't believe... how much she looked like... my mother." Eternalsailormoon suddenly gasped sharply and grabbed at the crystals impaling her.
        "I can't stand to see my maiden in such pain!" Elios anguished. "Sailorelysion! Can you get up? You must go to the surface, to Crystal Tokyo, and find the other senshi. Bring them back here, especially Miraisaturn!"
        Sailorely sion tentatively got to her feet, still feeling the effects of her own power turned on her. "I will hurry." She made her way down the stairs as quickly as she could.
        Diana nuzzled the lifeless body of her mother Luna. "How could this happen? How did they get in here? Will the princess and my mother ever recover? Elios, what will we do?!"


      &n bsp; "Are your arms okay?" Kitaeru asked, massaging Ban's biceps.
        "Hai."
&nbs p;       "What about your heart rate?" She rubbed his chest through his shirt.
        "Hai," Ban replied, looking into her eyes.
        Glen, now sporting a shirt and standing nearby, caught Haruka's glance. "Funny, I would have thought his heart rate would be up at such a moment."
        Haruka chuckled.
        "They're cute, aren't they?" Michiru remarked quietly.
        "Hai," Haruka replied.
        "Oh, it's catching," Glen teased. He bit into an apple that he had taken from the kitchen.
        "We were told to bring Rei here, to the Witches. Are they... home?" asked Usagi. "She is my very beloved friend. I cannot leave her here in good faith without meeting these Witches."
        "Oh, so men can't be Witches? You've already met one of them. Glen Shukuen." He bowed.
        "Gomen, I did not know... well, I did not even know that Witches were real before this day. Where are the others?"
        Feigning hurt, Glen replied, "You are disappointed that I am the only one. All right, I will conjure more Witches for you." He put his hands together and hummed, pretending to concentrate.
        Usagi blinked at him. "........You can do that?"
        Again Haruka chuckled. "This one thinks he is very funny."
        "You called his number," a woman said from the hallway as she entered the room. "Our Glen is quite transparent, isn't he? As easy to read as a book with no cover."
        Glen rapped the girl on the head playfully. "How dare you say I have no cover. My cover is very handsome, real leather, with gold engraving."
        "All right, you have a handsome leather cover, Glen."
        "With gold engraving."
        "Yes yes, with gold engraving."
        "It says 'GLEN' in big fancy letters."
        "Hai, HAI," she sighed. "Hello; we seem to have many guests today. I will get Yotogi to make tea. Pleased to meet you all, I am Samantha Kishikaisei. What brings you here to Valhalla today?" As she spoke, Samantha ran her fingers through her very long wavy black hair, causing the light to skim across its orange highlights.
        Usagi began where she had with Glen, telling most of the story over again. "Then Sailorodin told us to bring Rei here to the Witches, so here we are. Can you help us?"
        Samantha clapped her hands sharply. A girl with light shoulder-length blonde hair appeared in another doorway. "Yes?"
        " Yotogi, bring tea please. Enough for everyone."
        "Yes ma'am."
        Clearing her throat, Samantha took a seat among her guests. "What Odin told you was true. We are the Witches, and we can take care of your friend. I will show you how after tea. First, you must meet the others."
        "They've already met me," Glen reminded her.
        "How could anyone miss you?" Samantha joked. "Anyway, let me call them. Sabrina, Laurie, Phoebe, Endora! We have visitors!"
        Five girls of college age bounded into the room. Two of them tried to go through the doorway at once and got stuck.
        "Laurie, I should go first! I come first in the year!"
        "That depends on which calendar you go by, Phoebe." Laurie elbowed the other girl in the gut.
        "Ow! That hurt!" Phoebe stomped on Laurie's foot.
        Suddenly the two girls fell forward. "Gah!!"
        The woman behind them had shoved them out of the way. "Are you two at it again?" asked Sabrina. She stepped over them as they struggled to detangle themselves from each other.
        Endora, with a bubbly grin, sat down next to Usagi. "Hi! What brings you here today? Here to see our greenhouse?"
        "Odin sent them, Endora," Samantha explained.
        "Oh, Odin... then this must be serious." Her light brown ponytails bobbed when she turned back to Usagi. "I'm sorry for whatever has brought you here. But I promise you, it will be okay."
        "Thank you."
        "I'm Endora Noeru," she added brightly. "This is my friend, Sabrina Harudansaa."
        Sabrina waved at everyone.
        Looking at Sabrina's odd braided hairstyle, Usagi remarked, "Your hairstyle is very unique. Where did you get the idea to section your ponytails into four separate braids each like that?"
        "My hair is unique?" the girl giggled, pointing at the odango on Usagi's head.
        "Hm?" Suddenly, she got it. "Oh, uhhehhehheh! Yes, my odango... do you like it?"
        "Certainly. They suit you. Well, I style my hair like this because the braids remind me of ribbons spinning around a maypole. A very pretty image, don't you think?"
        "Oh, uhm hm!"
        Smiling, Sabrina continued with the introductions. "This is Tabitha Mirukuno."
        The fuschia-haired Tabitha ran a hand over all her curls before settling herself on the arm of one of the couches. "Hello everyone. The pile of girl you see over there is Laurie Tojino, and somewhere underneath her is Phoebe Shubunno."
        Laurie finally got the button on her overalls unhooked from Phoebe's necklace. "Thanks for the help guys, sheesh," she whined sarcastically. "Hi all. Sorry for the rough entrance. It was all her fault."
        Phoebe thumped Laurie on the side of her grey-haired head. "Was not." She tossed her coppery brown hair over her shoulder and sat cross-legged before the tea table.
        "This really is a commune; how many people live here?" asked Setsuna.
        "Let's see..." Samantha began. "...there's all of us, and Yotogi--she takes care of most of the domestic chores. Then we have Su; she brings in quite a bit of extra income for the landscaping fund with her fortunetelling business."
        "A fortuneteller? Oooooh... I want my fortune read!"
        "That can be arranged. I think Su is in the greenhouse. And last but not least is Glen's sister, Wilamina."
        "She's away on a business trip," Glen explained. "Wil is the publicist for the Kyomu Sisters' Tour."
        "The Kyomu Sisters?" Hotaru exclaimed. Her face lit up. "You mean Nezumiiro and Kikan Kyomu? They are two of my favorite performers! Nezumiiro is an amazing operatic singer, and Kikan plays the piano--they both have the talents of angels! Your sister is their publicist?"
        "Yes. I'm sure she can arrange for you to meet them once they arrive back in Japan."
        "Oh thank you! I would like that," Hotaru replied happily.
        Yotogi came back into the room carrying a tray of tea cups and a lovely silver teapot. After placing the tray on the table, she turned to leave.
        "Yotogi, why don't you join us?" Samantha suggested.
        Her face rather sad, Yotogi stared at Rei's bundled body on the couch under the front window. "No thank you ma'am. I will meet you in the greenhouse." She exited the room without further words.
        "She's awfully serious," Tara quietly commented.
        Usagi watched the sad girl go with sympathy; she knew how Yotogi felt, she thought. The bundle on the couch put her off her tea too.


      &nb sp; Once the tea was finished, Ban (with Makoto's help this time) carried Rei to the greenhouse. A woman with silver-tinted white hair was watering some of the plants, while her other arm was occupied with the holding of a very plump raccoon.
        "A raccoon dog? What an odd pet," said Makoto.
        "Hai, odd indeed." Setting the watering can down, the woman bowed to the visitors. "Pleased to meet you; I am Su. My friend here is Rooreru."
        The fat raccoon curled up on Su's shoulder, balancing himself carefully. "Meeeeeoooooow..."
        Ever yone sweatdropped. "Did he just say meow?"
        "That he did." As Su stepped into better light, the others could see her eyes more clearly.
        "Her eyes are gold and black," Setsuna whispered.
        Haruka finished, "Just like Sailorodin's eyes."
        Ban gazed all around him. "What an impressive garden! So many beautiful plants and flowers!"
        "You are interested in horticulture and botany?"
        "Hai! Very much so."
        "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Pulling a curtain at the back of the greenhouse, Su revealed a very large, bushy tree, growing up toward the high roof and the sun.
        "What a strange tree... it's like a great oak... and a weeping willow... all squished together. And these flowers that bloom from it... they sprout berries. I don't think I've ever seen a tree quite like it." Ban walked around the trunk to examine it more closely as he spoke.
        "That's because it was bred right here in our greenhouse."
        "What do you call it?"
        "Gaaah!" Makoto nearly dropped Rei as she tried to back away from the tree. One of the stronger branches was reaching for Rei! It moved swiftly, branches creaking and leaves swishing.
        "We call it the Tree of Life." Stroking the errant branch, Su held her hand out to Makoto. "There's nothing to be afraid of. It won't hurt you. This tree will cradle Rei within its energy and protect her from harm, until it is time for her to return to this world."
        The tree creaked and swished, causing several wind chimes tied to its branches to tinkle together, as if caught in a light, cool breeze.
        "What an amazing tree! It's really alive! It knows what we're saying," Ban exclaimed, petting the branch.
        Usagi stepped forward. "Are you sure we can trust this tree with the safekeeping of my friend?" She desperately clasped her hands together; it was as if she was begging for the tree to be trustworthy.
        "You can," a rather melancholy voice said from within the tree's branches. A thick branch lowered itself toward the ground; Yotogi was sitting on this branch, and she stepped off it once it got close enough to the floor. "I would put my life in its hands in a second." Her hand stole to the trunk of the tree to touch it, to run her fingers through the grooves in its bark.
        "Well... Makoto, I think we can trust it. This is no ordinary tree," Usagi asserted with wonder.
        When Makoto stepped back, and held Rei out to the tree, the wind chimes sounded again. "Be careful with her." The branch that had reached for Rei before cradled her in its crook. Many of the weeping willow leaves followed suit, wrapping themselves around the crystal encasing.
        "Now she will be lifted into the heart of the tree, where she will be hidden from harm," Yotogi explained. She continued to caress the tree's trunk. "You said there was a Soul Shield too?"
        Setsuna handed her the velvet pouch.
        "We will put this Soul Shield in the knothole in the middle of the tree, which will hide its light from the ones who would dim it. This will give Rei time to heal."
        "You seem to have a great deal of faith in this tree," Usagi commented with a gentle smile.
        Yotogi only nodded in reply, feeling the texture of the tree's bark with her fingers. The branch holding Rei began to lift her up off the ground.
        Suddenly there was a loud crash above them. A figure broke through the glass ceiling of the greenhouse and leapt onto the branch that held Rei. It was a girl dressed in the fuku of the Elemental Senshi, like the others from earlier that day. Her eyes were absolutely demented, her hair sticking out crazily, as she stabbed the branch with a piece of the glass.
        "No!" Yotogi screamed. The tree shook and quaked like it was in pain.
        "Ahahahahaha, I followed you here! Meet me, Sailorlithiumowl!"

"Agggh, another evil Elemental Senshi has attacked. How many of them are there?"
"And we're still in big trouble here in the future--Eternalsailormoon and Luna are still mortally wounded!"
"Don't forget about us, Sailorcharon and Heri. We're still in danger down her in the caves that lead to the Underworld."
"Hiiiii, what are you girls up to on this side of the cave? Doing a voice-over?"
"Foul demon, back away from the microphone!"
Sailormoon Dark Episode 6: Triple Attack! Witch Hill, Underworld, Crystal Tokyo! The moonlight carries the message of love.

----------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Karen for the evil Luna idea, and thanks to Nancy for helping me name Endora. ^_^

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