Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailormoon Dark ❯ Episode 12: A Vision of the Void! The Bride Borrows Something Blue. ( Chapter 12 )

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

Sailormoon Dark: Episode Twelve
"A Vision of the Void! The Bride Borrows Something Blue."

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 January 2001.

The character 'Nelope (SailorColour) appears courtesy of Snow/SailorCharon, who wrote all of 'Nelope's lines and descriptions. She comes from Snow's fanfic series which is not currently available online.

Again, if you have problems with same-sex relationships being portrayed in fictional stories, you'll want to leave this fanfic now.


"My first day of college! I can't believe I have to face it without my study group. It's just me and Mako-chan now. How will we ever make good grades without Ami's intelligence... Rei's discipline... Minako's good humor... I miss my friends. I don't care about my grades! If fate will bring my friends back to me, I'll gladly fail all of college! I've never felt so alone."
"Usagi, don't cry. You're never alone."
"Rei... are you real?"
Pretty Soldier Sailormoon Dark Episode 12: A Vision of the Void! The Bride Borrows Something Blue. The moonlight carries the message of love.

        Usagi stood in the middle of her new dorm room, the middle of this nicely furnished room, and thought about how empty it really was. Two beds, two desks, a table in the middle... and no Rei. "Who will be my roommate now? Who will keep me company on late study nights, and tell me when to go to bed? 'That's enough, baka Usagi. If you don't know it now, you're never going to know it. Put out the light and go to sleep!' Who will do that if Rei is not here? Who?" By this time, she was on her knees before the low table, tears beginning to flow freely from her eyes. "We were supposed to discover what the freedom was like together... the freedom of our new independence... and now... I can't do this. I can't look at your empty bed every night. It's such a grim reminder... of the fact that... you're gone. I've never felt so alone."
        Someone knocked at the door. Usagi hurriedly wiped her eyes dry as she got up to answer it. "Coming..."
        It was Makoto, with Luna at her feet. "Good morning Usagi. Are you ready to go to class?"
        "Almost. Come in. Luna, what are you doing here? You know they don't allow cats in the dorm."
        Padding into the room, Luna winked. "I'll be stealthy. I can't leave you here at college without my guardianship, especially after... well, anyway, I'm not staying back at your parent's house without you. I'd get lonely."
        "Yeah... lonely." Usagi looked at the second bed.
        Makoto stepped into the room, and with a smile, held the door open. "Someone else is here to see you too."
        Artemis slunk in.
        "Oh, Artemis. Hi," Usagi said, her tone hesitant. Does he blame me?
        The white cat's eyes were blurry from lack of sleep. He looked run down and sad, and some of his fur was dirty with mud. Artemis briefly glanced up at Usagi. "Hello." Obviously, he blamed himself.
        "Artemis is going to stay with me for awhile," Makoto said. "Cats need someone to--that is, cats need care." She blushed with shame at the slip-up she almost made.
        "Oh..." Usagi sat on her bed. "Do you have a roommate?" The hope in her voice indicated that she wished Makoto did not have a roomie, so that maybe...
        "Yes I do. A girl named Kita. I met her before I came here. She seems sweet."
        "Oh." Looking at the floor, Usagi continued. "Artemis, you should have a bath today. You're filthy. Where have you been?"
        "Just walking around," Artemis replied sadly. He sat near the table, distracted, grief-stricken, ashamed.
        "Well, you should have a bath today. If Minako saw your fur like that, she'd throw you in a tub so fast-"
        "Please don't say her name!" Artemis suddenly cried. "I can't stand to hear it right now!" Tears instantly began to fall from his eyes.
        This brought Usagi to tears again too. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her, Artemis. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
        "Usagi..." Luna said with sympathy.
        "It wasn't your fault," Artemis replied. "You just got there too late. But me, I am her guardian. I should have gotten there sooner!" He lowered his head, tears dripping on the floor. "If I had, I could have talked the Dark Venus out of what she was planning."
        "No one knows that for sure," Makoto remarked. She hoped this would comfort him. "Something awful could have happened to you if you had tried to reason with her. She probably would have turned you Dark too. She's very unstable right now, Artemis. We don't want to lose you too."
        "What does it matter? What's the point of being here if a guardian has no one to advise?"
        "Artemis..." Luna was moved to tears.
        With a sob, Usagi scooped Artemis up in her arms. "You're so much more to us than Venus' guardian, Artemis. You're our friend. We love you. Please don't believe that you're worthless without Venus here."
        "But I've never felt so alone."
        Hearing her own words come out of Artemis' mouth set her off again; Usagi began to sob so hard she could not speak.
        Makoto touched her shoulder. "I know this is a tough time for us all, but Usagi, we've got to get to class now. We can't blow off the first day. I'm so sorry for all your hurting... I wish we could just stay here, but you've got to get ahold of yourself."
        Luna thought it was obvious that Makoto was hiding much of her own grief, putting up a brave front.
        Usagi finally found the breath to speak. "If only I had been able to transform into Sailorcosmos, I could have saved Minako and Ami. Why can't I transform now?!"
        Suddenly the crescent moon on Usagi's forehead shined with bright, iridescent light. The crescent moon on Artemis' forehead followed suit, and then Luna's crescent moon also reacted. The symbol of Jupiter radiated from Makoto's forehead. The room filled with light.
        "Oh my God..." Makoto fell to her knees next to the table.
        Standing near the bed were the ghosts of Rei, Ami, and Minako.
        "Usagi, it wasn't your fault."
        Artemis still in her arms, Usagi turned to see who was there. She was just as shocked as Makoto had been. "Rei-chan! Ami-chan! Minako-chan! You're-" She looked at the light surrounding their bodies. "You're spirits."
        "We had to come visit to tell you that you are not alone. You're never alone, Usagi-chan... Mako-chan... Artemis... and Luna. We're so very proud of how bravely you fought to protect us yesterday. Even when you could not transform, Usagi," Ami said.
        Minako knelt beside Makoto. "And you risked your life to defend my Soul Shield. How could any of you feel responsible for my death after all the valiant effort you made to save me?"
        "Minako..." Artemis sadly looked up at her. "I'm so sorry I was too late."
        "Stop blaming yourself for something you had absolutely no control over. We're fighting a battle here, and there are unforeseen casualties in any battle. It wasn't your fault."
        Artemis actually smiled. "I feel better, hearing you say that."
        "Now you make sure you get a bath today, Artemis. You're filthy! No cat of mine is going to go around that dirty," Minako scolded.
        This made Artemis smile bigger. "I promise I will, Minako."
        Crossing her arms, Rei declared, "The worst thing you could do would be to stay here and cry the day away. To just give up! There are more Dark senshi out there, and you are going to have to fight them. What's worse is that if you don't get a move on, you're going to miss your first class! Do you know how important the first day is, Usagi?! You'll miss the explaining of all your syllabi!"
        "Oh gosh Rei, you're right!" She almost dropped Artemis in her haste to gather her books. Instead, Usagi fumbled her brooch right off the front of her uniform. It clattered to the floor. She looked at it sadly. "Rei, I cannot fight the Dark senshi. My brooch... it doesn't work anymore. I could not transform yesterday."
        "Usagi!" Rei scolded. "Don't say you cannot until all is hopeless. That's not such a hard one. We are all still the Inner Senshi, are we not?"
        "Yes, we are," Makoto replied, wiping the tears from her eyes.
        "Then we have the power to help Usagi." Although the power of Mars had been sealed inside Albatross' music box, Rei still had her own strength as Rei the mystic, the fire reader, the banisher of evil spirits, to lend to the cause. "Makoto, pick up the brooch."
        Makoto picked it up, and held it out. Each of the ghost senshi placed a hand over the brooch. Their respective planetary symbols glowed forth on their foreheads. Each concentrated, including Makoto, until the brooch gave off a bright aura of transformation.
        "Usagi, do you truly want to wield the power of the cosmos?" Rei asked.
        "Oh yes! Yes I do! To protect my friends. To protect the world!" She put her hand on top of the others. The crescent moon on her forehead filled the room with golden light. Luna and Artemis' crescent moons glowed again also. Usagi's brooch metamorphosised before everyone's eyes. The heart-shaped cover turned from gold to pearl with the star-symbol of the Cosmos engraved into it. On the inside, the Silver Crystal flashed in reaction. The wings of the brooch grew bigger. When they were done, Makoto handed the Cosmos Brooch to Usagi.
        "Thank you, my friends. Now I can protect the world. Thank you so much," Usagi sobbed, holding the brooch to her chest protectively.
        "You're truly ready to use it, Usagi-chan. See you later." Rei winked, Minako blew a kiss, and Ami smiled as they faded from the room.
        "I'm so glad," Makoto said, touching the brooch. "If you couldn't transform, who would save us all? Certainly not me. Not by myself. They came back just for this, you know. We are not alone."
        "No, we never have to feel alone again. They are always with me, in here." Usagi held the brooch to her heart.


      & nbsp; The first day of classes was fairly uneventful, in terms of Dark senshi activity. However, it was not without its challenges. Usagi already felt overwhelmed, looking at her various syllabi. So much work ahead...
        Once classes were over, she went to her dorm room to get ready for a night out. When Glen gave her the concert tickets, Mamoru had later insisted that he be privileged to take his pretty Usa-ko out for a fancy night on the town. A chance to wear a formal dress!
        Makoto declined to go, saying that she had much preparation to get started on for the semester class load. This worried Usagi, not being able to watch over her friend, the last of the Inner Senshi, but Luna gave her a talk about the whole thing.
        "You can't always be there to protect everyone," Luna had said. "If you try, you'll only pull yourself in too many directions at once. Life is not worth living if you're worried about death all the time. Just live your life and meet the challenges as they come. They won't get here any faster just because you're thinking about them all the time."
        So Usagi worked on getting ready and tried not to think about possible danger her friends could be in.
        A few miles away, Heri stood outside the small entrance to the cave, the cave that Sailorcharon had taken into the Underworld. After classes, please come back and see me, Charon had asked of her. I need your support when I go see Isis and Osiris. Will you do that for me?
        Of course, Heri had replied. But now, she stood motionless, wondering how she was going to keep her promise. I don't know the way to the Underworld. It's so dark in there, she thought. I could get lost in those caves.
        Turning on her flashlight, Heri poked her head in the cave entrance. "RUUUUUUUUUKIIIIIIII!" she called loudly. "I DON'T KNOW MY WAY AROUND IN THEEEEEEEERE!"
        "You'rrr e hurrrting my earrrs," Buster's voice said from inside the tunnel.
        Heri trained her flashlight on Buster's face. "Oh, hi Buster! I'm glad you're here."
        "Charrron sent me, to guide you in. Come along."
        Squeezing into the cave, Heri began to follow the dog. "Thanks! I was afraid I'd get lost in here."
        "That's not harrrd to do."
        "So... you think Sailorcharon wants me to hang around more?" Heri tentatively asked, watching her feet walk along the rock.
        "Therrre's a rrreason I didn't get to sleep in Charrron's bed last night, isn't therrre? It would have been a bit too crrrowded? That should tell you something," Buster replied, a bit of mischief in his voice.
        Heri blushed bright red. "If you don't stop that teasing, I'll soon not need this flashlight anymore--we'll be able to see by the light from my cheeks."
        "You'rrre going to moon me?"
        She lightly bonked Buster's head with the flashlight. "No; you'd probably bite it."
        "It's an acquirrred taste."
        "You're wacky!"
        After a pause, Buster suddenly became serious. "You will come visit us often, won't you?"
        "As long as someone is always there to lead me in, I'll visit as often as I can," Heri replied with a gentle smile.
        The dog seemed to grin. "That is good. Charrron could use a frrriend."
        They walked on toward the Underworld without incident. Heri did not fear the caves this time, not because Buster was with her, but because she was too busy thinking of Sailorcharon to remember that there was reason to be afraid. Will she still be depressed? Will Isis and Osiris listen to us? Will they help Charon's parents so she can be happy again? Will her hair still smell like strawberries? The last thought brought a telltale grin to Heri's face. She was smiling all the way into the Underworld.
        Sailorcharo n was sitting on a boulder near her cottage, the Key of Styx resting across her lap. Her chin sat on one gloved hand, her elbow on her knee, as if she was lost in thought. Heri considered with amusement the fact that Charon resembled the statue The Thinker, sitting like that. Except that the statue did not have flower petals falling all around it.
        Look at those petals light in her hair... she looks so beautiful...
        Sudden ly Sailorcharon glanced up, and her face came alight. "Heri! You're here!" She jumped to her feet and ran toward her. The girl just opened her arms to receive the other senshi; she had been thinking about this embrace all day. They hugged gratefully, each happy to be with the other again.
        "How were your classes?" Charon asked.
        "They were fine; the usual first day stuff. These petals aren't for you, are they?" She caught a few in her hand.
        "No, just some guy. Who knows who. Although it's a sad circumstance that makes them fall, the way they fall is quite beautiful, isn't it?"
        "Yeah." Heri watched them drift down to catch in Sailorcharon's hair some more. "Especially the way they do that." She pointed to the petals in Charon's light green tresses.
        "Oh, do I have some...?" She moved to shake them from her hair.
        Heri sharply caught her hand. "Don't."
        This brought a flattered smile to Sailorcharon's lips. "Alright. Do they make me look pretty?" she tittered.
        "Gorgeous." Heri pulled the taller girl to her and kissed her, sinking her hands in that petal-littered green hair... that still smelled like strawberries.
        Charon was a little surprised, but certainly did not resist. When the kiss was broken, she said, "Now now, no panting. We have an important visit to make first, remember? The panting comes later."
        "Of course. I just want you to anticipate it." Heri mischievously smiled to herself. "How do we make our little visit to the Grand Poohbah?"
        "We have to cross all of the rivers. Sailorisis and Soldierosiris are on the other side. Each river is guarded by a different senshi; they will let me pass on sight. You better transform. They'll get nosy and give us trouble if I go across with someone in street clothes."
        A few minutes later, they were in Charon's boat, crossing the river Styx. Buster stayed behind to watch the gates. As the boat moved across the water, Sailorhelium began to sing, "The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed,%" and shook the boat lightly.
        Charon snickered.
        Helium sang some more. "Over the river and over the river and over the river and over the--how many rivers are there again?"
        This time Charon laughed out loud. "Silly."
        Sailorhelium began to look at all the new, fascinating sights along the way--the strange water, the way the flower petals floated on its surface... suddenly, several petals were sucked down into the river.
        Knowing questions were inevitable, Charon already started to answer them. "The monsters, they eat the petals. The water demons. They like the taste of such bitter things as dead hope."
        "Oh... the petals really taste so bitter?"
        "Yes." Pausing, Sailorcharon looked out over the water. "When I was first drawn here, when I began to accept the destiny that had been laid out for me, I was sixteen. The Charon transformation wand had been in the bottom of a drawer for two years. I refused to say those words, the ones that would turn me into a senshi. What was the point; there was no one left to save... but I could not deny the life that waited for me anymore. The demons were following me around--they could smell it all over me, the scent of a pure soldier's heart. A soldier of their land, the Underworld. The only way to protect myself was to come here, and accept the powers that were waiting for me to call on them.
        "But I got lost in the caves on the way in, and was attacked by several demons. Sailorisis wasted them all. She saved me. Ever since then, she and her husband have grown to be like second parents to me. I've never asked them for anything since, because I was too grateful for my life. That is why I have never asked if they could do anything for my parents."
        "I see. And that is why you want my moral support, because it is hard to ask them for a favor?" Sailorhelium asked.
        "Yes. But I also wanted you with me so they could meet you." Smiling, Charon winked.
        "Oh wow, now I'm going to get embarassed. The ol' meet the parents routine."
        To that, Charon snickered.
        "You minx."
        Sailorcharon's position as a senshi took them across each river without question, until they reached the place where the Styx wound around the Underworld a second time. Another one of Charon's boats took them across it, and before them now lay a small pyramid--small, but still majestic--made of gold stones. This pyramid guarded the way to the two cities of the Underworld--Elysion, and Hell. Helium noted with wonder that these cities of rest and torment could not be entered by normal means. Each had a gateway on a pedestal that led inside. A thin barrier prevented anyone from entering the cities any other way; the wall barrier was almost transparent, but it was obvious it was there from the number of ghosts who were currently trying to get through it. They floated up against it and moaned when they were bumped away.
        "No one can enter that way," Sailorcharon explained. "They must go through the gates to be judged."
        Both gateways were shaped like the Egyptian symbol for life, the ankh; the gateway into Elysion was right-sideup, with the hole in the top forming the gate, while the gateway into Hell was upsidedown. Stairs climbed up to both pedestals.
        "Woah... this is intense," Sailorhelium marveled.
        "It's pretty neat, huh?" Charon helped her out of the boat. "Do you see them up there?"
        Beyond two stylized statues of a jackal and an ibis were the stairs that reached halfway up the pyramid, where the thrones of Sailorisis and Soldierosiris regally sat. Isis' throne was empty because she was sitting in Osiris' lap, feeding him from a platter of snacks. Both laughed happily, the picture of a loving married couple. Osiris' skin was darkly tanned, and his long skinny beard had been bound up in the style of the ancient pharaohs. His soldier colors were all Earth tones. Isis, on the other hand, wore a bit more brightly colored fuku, though her skin was close in shade to Osiris'. When she saw Sailorcharon and Helium coming, she turned a bit in Osiris' lap so she could greet them, bracing her arm on the other side of the throne. This made the sleeves of her fuku easier to see. Helium gaped at how beautiful the extra long sleeves were, because they were painted to look like Isis' arms had breathtakingly lovely golden wings attached to them.
        Kneeling at the bottom of the stairs, Sailorcharon said, "It is I, Charon, guardian of the gates. May I climb the stairs, Majesty?"
        "You may," Sailorisis replied.
        "Now you must ask," Charon instructed Helium.
        At the moment she was too flabbergasted to do so; the two statues had come to life and were leveling warning stares at her. She gaped again, resembling a dead fish. "What is this place?" Sailorhelium suddenly asked.
        "We are at the level between the rivers and the final destination. We are Nowhere."


     &nbs p;  "Oh 'Nelope! Yoooooohoooooo! Hey Mellow 'Nelo! Get your honeybuns out here! Concert time!" Glen yelled from his car. He was dressed in nice slacks and a dress shirt, with his hair pulled back in a ponytail; a semi-fancy concert where opera would be sung was not the place to wear a t-shirt and jeans.
        Endora sat in the back seat, wearing a very nice red dress. Her hair, not in its usual style, was done up with pretty combs shaped like holly leaves. She scolded, "You know, you could just walk up to her door and knock..."
        "This is much lazier, just the way I like it." Honk honk!
        'Nelope stuck her head out the window of her second-story apartment. Her hair was done up in the same odango. She razzed Glen loudly. "I tol' you 'haveseff!" She finished buttoning up her pretty lavender dress and pulled on the bronze silk shawl to go along with it.
        "You should see me when I'm not behaving myself!" Glen called, and honked out, "Shave-and-a-hair-cut, two-bits."
        Once they had collected 'Nelope, Glen drove to the concert hall, where they got supreme parking by way of a pass Wilamina gave her brother. Glen offered an arm to each of his lovely dates for the evening and walked them through the crowd waiting to get in. "Coming through, VIPs, coming through, thank you."
        "You are SO bad," Endora giggled.
        'Nelope frowned in mock-dourness. "I said 'haveseff. You no lissen ver' good, nope."
        "Would you forgive me if I told you you look lovely tonight?" Glen asked with a charming look.
        'Nelope dissolved into giggles and blushed. "F'rgiven!"
        Their backstage passes got them just where they were intended to--backstage, where Glen spotted his sister quickly. Wila's medium red hair had been tied in a knot at the back of her head, her favorite styling trick. She was dressed very professionally in black slacks, a patterned dress shirt, and blazer, standing near the stage entrance with her cell phone at her ear. Glen paid that no mind, sneaking up and grabbing her in a bear hug.
        "SIS!" he growled.
        "Aiiiiiieeee! I'll have to let you go; something came up." Wila barely had the room to hang up as Glen had her arms pinned to her in the position he grabbed her in. He started to spin her back and forth. "Hello brother dear."
        'Nelope giggled insanely, barely holding in the bright stars in her eyes. "Sooooo coolmuch stuff!"
        Endora giggled with her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
        "Hi there! It's been so long," he said as he swung her this way and that in time with his words. "How's the biz? You remember Endora and Penelope."
        "Of course." Wila swatted Glen to get him to put her down. She bowed to the two girls. "Good evening. How are you?"
        "Just spiffy," Endora replied.
        'Nelope stared around, eyes starry. "Wowwww...." She blinked, shook her head, and woke herself up. "Ver'ver' good an' you?"
        "I'm doing very well. You enjoying being backstage at a big concert hall? It's a very grand place; I'm thrilled to be able to book the sisters here."
        They made polite small talk for a few minutes until a very nervous little man flitted past Wila. "Wilaaaaaaa, we need you in wardrobe. Some reporter snuck back there and is trying to interview Nezumi in her slip."
        "I'll be right there. Please excuse me." Wila bowed to them again before disappearing into another room.
        "Nezumi... is in her slip?" Glen swallowed noisily.
        Nearby, Endora spotted two girls she knew fairly well but had not seen for quite awhile. Sutoriikingu Tsurara, Nezumi Kyomu's voice coach, and Adrianna Kyomu , Nezumi and Kikan's little sister. Tori was a bit of a snob, but polite enough, and Adrianna was a very sweet young lady with a very noticeable stuttering problem.
        "Hey, it's Tori and Adrianna. Let's go say hello," Endora said to 'Nelope.
        "Yeahyeah! We go..." She stared at Adrianna for a moment before shaking her head. "Makemake talk!" Her Japanese was breaking up. She was very excited.
        Tori met their approach with a polite but obviously-sizing-up-their-outfits kind of look. "Endora, Penelope, hello! It's been a long time. Doing well?"
        Nodding, Endora turned right to Adrianna, who had been put in a corner; Endora surmised that that had probably been done on purpose so she would blend in and no one would be encouraged to talk to her. Tori's idea, most likely. "Good evening Adrianna. Have you enjoyed the tour so far?"
        Tori made a face at being purposefully ignored.
        "V-v-v-very mu-much so," the teen replied. "I-I-I get-get t-t-"
        "Spit it out," Tori murmured loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
        This seemed to make Adrianna more determined to speak without stuttering, to just get the words out. "I g-get to sing w-w-with my sisters tonight," she said as carefully as she could. "I don't st-stutter when I sing."
        "Oh who cares if you stutter, and you do have a lovely singing voice. I can't wait to hear you sing."
        'Nelope bobbed her head violently in agreement. "Ver'ver' nice. 'Nelope wishes 'Nelope could sing..."
        Adrianna smiled brightly at both 'Nelope and Endora. "Th-thank you. I did-didn't th-think I-I was go-going t-t-to have a v-voice, but even-tu-tually, it-it developed. Who kn-knows, m-ma-maybe you c-c-can s-sing too."
        There was a sudden commotion as Nezumi and Kikan emerged from their dressing room. Several persons were fussing over them, taking care of the final touches that would ready them for the stage. Two blonde girls who looked exactly alike were among the group; one was patting Kikan's face with a powder puff, the other was finishing a mending of Nezumi's slipped hem.
        "That's fine Gen-chan , I'm ready," Kikan instructed.
        "This hem will be done in just a minute, Nezumi-san," the other twin told her.
        "Thank you Maba-chan ." As she stood to wait patiently, Nezumi exuded charm and grace in her long wine-colored ball gown.
        Kikan was also pretty and charming, but she was dressed quite differently, in a pair of red leather pants and black tank top. It was part of the sisters' gimmick--one was the picture of romance and elegance, the other was raw and sexy.
        "Dat da da, enter the royalty," Endora joked where only 'Nelope could hear.
        'Nelope giggled insanely for a moment but silenced herself before anybody could stare too much.
        Wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, Glen approached the two sisters. "Hi Nezumi-san. Welcome back to Japan," he said with wide, nervous, lovesick eyes.
        'Nelope watched Glen and giggled a little.
        "Hello Shukuen-san. Good to see you again." She smiled at him warmly, a smile that melted his knees.
        "Hi Glen-kun," Kikan spat excitedly. Her expression resembled Glen's, only she definitely wasn't looking at Nezumi.
        "Hey Kiki-chan." It was a nickname he had created for her.
        Kikan's eyes lit up when she heard that. He remembered!
        'Nelope giggled and leaned back against the nearest available big thing. "'Nudder! 'Nelope sees 'nudder!"
        The giggling was contagious; Endora chortled as she asked, "Nudder? Huh? What do you see? Nutter Butters?" This made her giggle harder.
        'Nelope started to guffaw before slapping her hands back over her mouth. Tori glanced at her as if she was crazy.
        "You can call me Glen, Nezumi," he said.
        "Alright, Glen. I'm glad to see you well, after all these months."
        "Yeah, me too," Kikan added, eyeing him in his nice clothes. "You're looking very well."
        Endora watched the whole exchange like a tennis match. "I see nothing's changed here. -sigh- This could get messy..." she said quietly to 'Nelope and Adrianna.
        "Ha-have we g-g-got our-ourselves a l-love tri-tri-angle?"
        'Nelope laughed raucously before slapping both pale hands over her wide mouth.
        Again, Endora started giggling breathlessly. "What's so funny; tell me! Pleeeease tell Endie-Dora!"
        'Nelope continued giggling. "Love-tri-things sooooo funny!"
        "Oh!" Endora chortled, adding, "It's just like Marmalade Boy*!"
        'Nelope squeaked and clamped her hands over her mouth, blushing brightly. "'Malade Boy! Yahyah! 'Cept no step-step-brover-an'... Ne'min'."
        Tori "humph"ed to herself over the whole thing.
        Happy for a distraction, Endora pointed to Michiru and Hotaru, who had just come backstage. "Look everyone, it's the famous violinist, Kaioh Michiru."
        Michiru gracefully took the attention; she wagged a finger at Endora. "Now now, Endora, I'm just an audience member tonight. An audience member with a lifetime backstage pass to this concert hall..."
        Endora giggled.
        "You know her?!" Tori asked in amazement.
        "Why yes. She was over at my house just yesterday."
        Tori's mouth dropped open.
        With a wry smile, Endora introduced 'Nelope to Michiru and Hotaru. Both girls bowed to her. "Good evening."
        'Nelope bowed deeply and muttered several compliments on various clothing pieces.
        "Why thank you," Michiru replied with a warm smile.
        Then Hotaru got her introduction to the Kyomu sisters, just like Glen had promised her. "I think you sisters are two of the most talented singers and musicians out there right now. I'm very glad to meet you, and to see you perform tonight."
        "Thank you very much, Miss Hotaru. Would you like an autograph and a picture?" Nezumi offered.
        "Yes, I would! Oh thank you!"
        "You should get one from our little sis Adrianna too; we've been trying her out in the concert the last few months, and her voice is shaping up to be very beautiful. You could say you knew her when," Kikan suggested with a wink.
        Adrianna dissolved into embarassed, flattered giggles.
        Once the autographs were done, Maba-chan said, "Your hem's finished."
        "You two are ready," Gen-chan added.
        "Knock 'em dead," they said together.
        "Okay, you guys are doing the stereo twin thing. Stop that," Glen joked.
        "Why?"
  ;       "Are we..."
        "Creeping you out?" they finished in unison.
        "Ahaha, no really, quit. If you don't stop that, you'll wake up Mothra." He pretended to be frightened of them.
        The twins mischievously giggled. 'Nelope laughed raucously, falling backwards on the floor in a kawaii super-deformed fashion.
        This set Endora off again too; soon she was holding her mouth and giggling until she couldn't breathe. Glen stood over 'Nelope with his hands on his hips, like a scolding older brother. "Now who's misbehaving?"
        'Nelope couldn't help it. "Nah 'Nelope. Endie-Dora's fault! 'Nelope swears!"
        Endora's mouth popped open. "You traitor! She sold me out!" she tittered.
        The scolding look stayed on Glen's face for a few more seconds before he broke out in chuckles too. "We're going out for ice cream after the concert--that's all you guys need is more sugar."
        "Hotaru, we should find our seats. The show is starting soon," Michiru said.
        "Yeah, ditto for us." Glen offered his arm to 'Nelope and Endora.
        'Nelope was up off the ground in a flash, trying to cover up her blush with a big close-mouthed grin. "Comingcoming!"
        "Your cat that ate the canary impression?" Endora asked her privately, and pointed to that smile. 'Nelope simply blushed indignantly, a sweatdrop obscuring half her face.
        A few minutes later, everyone had found their seats and was waiting for the show to begin. Besides Michiru and Hotaru, Usagi and Mamoru had also come to the concert, along with Ban and Kitaeru. All were dressed fancy. "That was awfully nice of Glen to give us these tickets, wasn't it?" Kitaeru said to Usagi.
        "Yes! Especially since I get to see Mamo-chan all dressed up! He is the handsomest," she nearly drooled back.
        "Usa-ko..." Mamoru scolded, and tickled her side.
        "Eeeheehee, Mamo-chan, I am so ticklish there!"
        "I can see Glen and his friends sitting near the front. They got better seats than us." Kitaeru stood up to look around at the crowd. This made Ban grin at her; always curious!
        Once the concert began, they all quieted down. The sisters performed for two hours, doing mostly Nezumi's standard light music in her famous soprano opera voice. Kikan accompanied her on the piano for many songs, and sang on others in a very different, but lovely, style, as the orchestra backed them both up. At times their styles were as different as night and day, but still beautifully complimentary.
        Just as she had said, Adrianna did come out, shyly, to sing a duet with her sister Nezumi. "Her voice is pretty. What a talented family," Endora remarked.
        "Yeah..." Glen added, his voice full of emotion. Nezumi's singing... it's like the song of angels...
        'Nelope smiled gently. "Two soun' good 'gether. 'Nelope likes..."
        "Yes, they compliment each other well," Endora said.
        The last song Nezumi sang by herself, with just the orchestra, and Kikan on the organ, to accompany her. It was "Pie Jesu" by Andrew Lloyd Webber. "One of my favorite requiems!" Kitaeru whispered to Ban. "I've never heard her do this song before." She bounced excitedly in her seat.
        When Nezumi reached the lyric, "Qui tollis peccata mundi**," it sounded as if another singing voice joined her, a voice that was a little older and a tad deeper. But the only other person on the stage was Kikan, and she clearly was not singing. Kitaeru started to turn to ask Ban if he heard it too, when she suddenly saw a horrifying vision on the stage before her. The vision played like a glimpse into a potential catastrophe. As it did, the requiem was replaced by a more sinister theme for only Kitaeru--it sounded like sirens weaving their song of entrapment.
        Nezumi was no longer Nezumi. She was dressed in the fuku of Sailorblackhole , a cloud of black mist hanging over her head. The cloud moved behind her and began to turn and swirl. Soon Kitaeru could not see the cloud anymore, just the image of the stage backdrop being twisted as the invisible black hole turned in front of it. Looking through the black hole warped what was behind it.
        "I am the Bride of the Void," Sailorblackhole said. She put her hands together as if praying, and the black hole suddenly grew ten times larger. "Grant them everlasting peace in oblivion." Spreading from her back were bat-like wings. Fwoosh!
        People began to scream as the black hole sucked them in; they grabbed fruitlessly at their chairs and each other but the void pulled in one person after another to feed on.
        "Kitaeru? Are you okay? You're squeezing my hand pretty hard, babe," Ban's voice said from down inside a tunnel. Kitaeru fought to release herself from this vision, but it wasn't through with her yet.
        Now she saw Kikan turning to look at her, wearing the fuku of The Senshi of Revenge, Sailorhathor . There in her hands was the very talisman Kitaeru had made for Hathor, the Sistrum--a long pole with a rattle on one end and an oval-shaped mirror on the other, decorated with the Egyptian sun disc and cattle horns. One of the most visually daunting weapons she had ever made. "I will grant your request," Hathor said.
        A sea of blood flowed from behind her, drenching Sailorhathor up to her waist and gushing into the audience. People, screaming in terror, began to drown. Black wings just like Blackhole's stretched from her back also, splashing through the blood.
        "Kitaeru?! Why are you squeezing my hand like that?!"
        Dipping her gloved hand in the blood, Hathor drank it joyously. "I will carry out your vengeance."
        "I didn't ask for any vengeance!" vision-Kitaeru screamed. "Stop!"
        "I'm not talking to you," Sailorhathor declared, and showed her the reflection in the mirror of her Sistrum. There in the mirror Kitaeru could see herself, Ban, and 'Nori lying dead, and covered in blood.
        Kitaeru nearly jumped out of her seat as she let out a frightened, startled scream. At the same time, the rest of the audience exploded in applause, getting to their feet for a standing ovation.
        "Kitaeru!" Ban shouted. Everyone was cheering for an encore, so they hardly noticed. Suddenly she looked at Ban as if she really saw him, then looked desperately at the stage. Things up there were back to normal; Kikan and Nezumi were bowing to the clapping audience. Kitaeru moved her eyes back to Ban. Her face was about as frightened as he had ever seen her.
        "Baby, let go of my hand." Ban had to pry her fingers off; both of their hands had turned purple by the way she was clutching him. "Kitaeru, honey, what's the matter? What did you see?"
        With wide eyes and shaking hands, Kitaeru opened her mouth and stammered, "They're here."#

"Readers, quake in fear, for the next episode heralds the arrival of THE THREE MOST PERVERTED SENSHI EVER! Gaaaaaaah! Two new powerful soldiers appear to combat them; their attacks about scare the fuku off of Sailorvulcan."
"What?! Someone's going to lose their fuku?! Ooooooh!"
"See what I mean? Pervert! Oh yeah, and I get to meet my new college roommate. You'll never guess who it is!"
"Is she hot?"
"Shut up before I punish you on behalf of the cosmos!"
"Oh punish me! I've been baaaaaaaaad..."
Sailormoon Dark Episode 13: The Episode of Bad Luck! Attack of the Pervert Senshi Team. The moonlight carries the message of love.

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% I'm sure you know where this ref is from. ~_^ If you don't, it's part of the "Gilligan's Island" theme song.
* This is a joke I put in here just for my friend Karen, who loves "Marmalade Boy" and is always saying that the show doesn't have love triangles, it has "love polygons." ^_^
** Translation: "You who take away the sins of the world."
# If you don't know where this ref comes from, you must be young. ~_^ Go rent the movie Poltergeist and you'll get it.

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