Mythic Sailor Moon

(Standard fanfic disclaimer, as fully stated in episode one.)
     Mythic Sailor Moon 
      
     EPISODE EIGHT 
     Last time, on Mythic Sailor Moon 
      
     Image: Lord Feldspar confronts Sailor Mercury and Lady Clarissa, ready  
     to throw his crystal blast; Sailor Mercury tries to protect Lady  
     Clarissa, but she steps forward and destroys him with a flame jet spell 
      
     Image: Xena's chakram hovers in midair between her outstretched hands,  
     blazing with power and bathing Professor Tomoe with its rebirth  
     energies. 
      
     Image: Nemesis troops chase Mythic Sailor Venus through London, Jacinth  
     and Hyacinth blast at her with their powers while her teammates race to  
     the rescue 
      
     Image: Mythic Sailor Jupiter and Naru drive through the barriers at  
     customs in a sportscar 
      
     Image: Jacinth and Hyacinth combine their power into a huge black sphere  
     which disintegrates an entire skyscraper.  
      
      
          And now our story continues... 
      
     Hikawa Shrine, Crystal Era 
     Rei's Bedroom 
      
     Hino Rei sat bolt upright in bed. The room was washed in the warm golden  
     light of mid-morning and everything was just as it should be.  "Hino- 
     san," said Merle, her assistant, as she stuck her head in the door. "You  
     need to hurry up and get dressed! You have an audience at Crystal Palace  
     in just over an hour!"   
      
     "Oh no, I can't be late," yelped Rei as she flung off the covers and  
     darted for the bathroom. " Usagi never lets me hear the end of it if I'm  
     late!"  
      
     She showered quickly and tossed on a stylish designer outfit in a bold  
     shade of red and dashed into the kitchen to sit down for a quick bowl of  
     miso soup that Merle had prepared. Topaz was there, slowly and  
     methodically eating his soup. "Good morning, Rei," he said warmly as she  
     entered. 
      
     She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Good morning Darling," she  
     said, and beamed. Topaz stopped his mechanical soup-eating and beamed  
     back. Merle walked by the table and beamed as well. They both grinned,  
     and beamed back at Merle. Songbirds chirped melodically outside. 
      
     One improvement to the neighborhood which she greatly appreciated was a  
     new subway station, just a few blocks away.  A quick run down the steps  
     of the shrine and down two blocks (the short way) and they were off to  
     the palace.  
      
     When they got to the palace, Topaz was still grinning like a crazy  
     American. So was Rei, for that matter. 
      
     The guards let them right in, without Rei even showing her government  
     agency pass. "Go right in Sailor Mars, uh, I uh mean, Hino-san," said  
     Toshi, one of the regular guards, with a wink. Rei smiled. Of course  
     everyone *knew* she was Sailor Mars. They just tried to not bring it up  
     when it wasn't necessary. Everyone grinned. 
      
     In the throne room, the Queen had a lot of celebrities and other guests  
     present. At least, more than the number usually present in an audience  
     of this nature. There were also reps from Fuji-TV, W-Vision, CNN, and  
     Tokyo TV.  
      
     "Good morning,"  Neo-Queen Serenity greeted them. "Hino-san, you have  
     done a remarkable job as Our special governmental attach‚ to the Nemesis  
     government." 
      
     "Thank you Neo-Queen Serenity," Rei replied. "It gives me great pleasure  
     to present to you his Royal Highness, Prince Topaz of Nemesis,  
     Ambassador to Earth!" 
      
     Topaz smiled warmly if somewhat theatrically; light gleamed off his  
     shiny white teeth. "Wow Rei, he's hot," whispered Neo-Queen Serenity in  
     Usagi's voice. "Reminds me of that US comedian who was so tall, the one  
     who decked Yuuichirou for you when he got out of line at that benefit  
     concert." 
      
     "Yeah, Kilbourne-san, he was tall!" Rei whispered back.  The two girls  
     giggled. Rei noticed then that Neo-Queen Serenity was actually Tsukino  
     Usagi, dressed in her high school uniform, and looked way too small for  
     the throne.  But then she was the queen again and she winked at Rei.  
     Everything was going to be Just Fine, Rei knew. 
      
     Then Topaz's smile twisted into a malevolent smirk, a Black Moon  
     crescent appeared on his forehead, and his face rotted away to reveal an  
     ashen skull. "Neo-Queen Serenity, DIE!" he roared in Wiseman's voice. He  
     unleashed a powerful plasma beam and vaporized NeoQueen Serenity's  
     torso.  
      
     "Usagi," she whispered in denial. "NO!" she screamed in horror. 
      
     "NO!" She was yelling as she sat bolt upright in bed.  Footsteps came  
     running down the hall and the door to her room slid open. Merle, closely  
     followed by Ami's mother Dr. Masami Mizuno,  came rushing into the room.  
     Topaz, who was now wearing a simple temple attendant hakimah,  poked his  
     head around the doorway, and also looked in.  
      
     "Rei-san! Are you ok?" asked Merle as Dr. Mizuno calmly reached over and  
     took her wrist in one hand, starting to time her pulse by her  
     wristwatch. 
      
     Rei reflexively nodded. "Sure, I'm O.K.," she started saying when she  
     noticed that Topaz did, in fact, now sport a Dark Moon sigil on his  
     forehead, which was when she remembered... 
      
     Her dreams sometimes came true. 
      
      
     [ROLL CREDITS: "YOU'RE STILL THE ONE," LUCY LAWLESS VERSION] 
     TITLE SCREEN: 
      

Episode Eight
Revealed at Last: The Power that Shakes Time!

     At that moment in Hyde Park, Citrine and Peridot exchanged a toast as  
     the BBC kindly provided a bird's eye view of downtown London through a  
     high-flying helicopter.  "I DO love it when a plan comes together," she  
     cooed. Citrine grinned evilly and toasted the TV set. 
      
     Meanwhile the actors in the scene they were viewing were scrambling to  
     come to terms with the threat facing them. "Absolute destruction . . . "  
     said Mythic Sailor Moon with grim resignation in her voice. "Such power  
     as is wielded by Sailor Saturn. . . ." 
      
     "If only we had HER with us," commented Mythic Sailor Mercury.  Her  
     teammates nodded in agreement. 
      
     Above them, Jacinth and Hyacinth were unsuccessfully playing Scissors- 
     Paper-Rock in an attempt to determine if they would destroy the Tower of  
     London or Big Ben next. Both agreed that the third blow should  
     obliterate the senshi, but their likeness of mind was producing a tie  
     each and every time. 
      
     "We need Neo-Queen Serenity," said Minako turning to Makoto.  
      
     "I don't think she's up to it. Remember Nemesis and the fight against  
     Chaos!" her teammate replied. 
      
     "What choice do we have? They could probably level a city! Only the  
     Ginzuishou could fight that power! Or the Holy Grail, but--" 
      
     "What?" said Mythic Sailor Moon interrupting Minako. "Art thou referring  
     to the Sacred Chalice of the Moon?" 
      
     "Yeah but--" 
      
     "We brought it with us, but to tap its power is normally proscribed. My  
     mother used her crystal to tap its power and unite it with that of  
     Saturn and Pluto to send us here.  Yet, if its power can stop those two,  
     it's worth a try; at the least it should enhance my shield," Mythic  
     Sailor Moon concluded. She held out her hands and golden light blazed  
     above her palms. Quite obligingly the "holy grail" materialized.  
     "Please, Sacred Chalice, help me fight their dark destruction with your  
     holy light," she intoned as she reached out and took a firm grasp on the  
     chalice with every intent of opening it by hand. Previously, Queen  
     Selene had prepared the grail to be tapped by the use of the Ginzuishou;  
     this time, no such preparation had been made. 
      
     Princess Serenity was not "The Chosen." 
      
     Mythic Sailor Moon was immediately blasted with blinding light. Her body  
     went rigid as if she were being electrified and her mouth froze half-way  
     into a scream as the grail defenses automatically reacted.  Light  
     blasted out from her body, blazing so bright it wiped all color away,  
     and even Jacinth and Hyacinth averted their gaze. 
      
     The power sealed within the chalice was the light of pure creation,  
     timeless and timefree. It was a thing of eternity, and while not  
     sentient in the sense a human being is, it was a form of life and it did  
     have a certain awareness on the cosmic scale.  
      
     It reacted initially in reflex, but in the split-second before Mythic  
     Sailor Moon was reduced to ashes by its power, it became aware of a  
     second life linked to her own. And that life WAS "The Chosen."  The  
     Light existed in nearly all times at once, and when this was sensed, it  
     prepared to incarnate its power in "The Chosen," sending surges of power  
     throughout the corridors of time, fusing causality and overwriting  
     certain paths of the time stream. The moment the Light found "The  
     Chosen" as yet unborn in Crystal Tokyo, it also found her previous  
     incarnation in the 1990s and realized that was the true incarnation.   
     However, in order to preserve the past, the future would need to be  
     guarded as well and so. . .  
      
     It split. 
      
     These two moments become synchronized as relative points in the  
     space/time continuum by the flow of cosmic forces. And the power of the  
     grail flowed into the life force that *guarded* the "One" to be. The  
     harsh blazing light changed in intensity, softened and became warm and  
     comforting. The glare began to recede, allowing those surrounding the  
     princess able to see a little bit again. 
      
     Once before Princess Serenity had been at the threshold of death and was  
     saved by being transformed into a being of pure light and reformed as  
     Sailor Moon. Now that process repeated itself. She found her awareness  
     reforming in a pool of light contained in golden walls. Those walls  
     opened before her and she emerged into the material world again, now  
     clad in a sailor toga and skirt of pure white with ribbons of  red and  
     blue at her hem and at her wrists.  
      
     "Super Sailor Moon?" gasped Minako and Makoto. 
      
     "She powered up!" exclaimed Amica. 
      
     Just then Hyacinth and Jacinth descended to the plaza. "Pretty  
     lightshow," "Sailor Moon," they said. "We have decided to simply kill  
     you all," "and THEN ravage the city," the duo threatened, taking turns  
     speaking. 
      
     They put their hands together, palms facing and chorused, "Dark  
     ETERNAL!" Once again a sphere of absolute obliteration began to form  
     between them but this time everyone could tell it would be launched  
     straight at the senshi. 
      
     Mythic Sailor Moon brought up her scepter and began to channel the new  
     power loaned to her by the grail. As the power began to flow through  
     her, the scepter in her hands twisted and transformed into a new shape,  
     assuming a form capable of handling the strain of channeling even more  
     energy than before.  
      
     With a thought of the trust given her by the grail, and still wondering  
     why she hadn't been destroyed, Mythic Sailor Moon called all the colors  
     of life to swirl around her to fight the dark destruction building  
     against her. She pirouetted in place as she caught all the colors of the  
     rainbow on her new magical rod as if it were the spindle used by the  
     fate Clotho to create the threads of life.  
      
     "Rainbow . . . Moon . . . Star . . . QUAKE!" She yelled as she dropped  
     to one knee and slammed the tip of the rod into the ground. A cascade of  
     stars, trailed by a rainbow of energy blasted out and through the two  
     children of the Dark Moon, disrupting their attack and blasting them  
     back; finally, a huge golden star of solidified energy slammed into  
     them, pounding them into the ground. 
      
     As one, they cried out and teleported away in retreat. Sailor Moon  
     didn't have time for a single cry of triumph before her power-up faded  
     and she fell to her knees, nearly passing out. 
      
     Red Cross Army Tent 
     Macedonian Border 
      
     Michiru was washing her hands in one of the camp's few sinks, a public  
     affair just outside the triage tent. The camp had been donated to the UN  
     Forces by the former US Army and it was one of their old 'mobile army  
     surgical hospitals' that had been used a long time ago and been kept for  
     nostalgia reasons. 
      
     Handy that.  
      
     She suddenly stiffened as the bar of soap fell out of her grasp. She  
     felt chilled to the very bone. "What is this feeling?" she mumbled to  
     herself as she mentally examined the strange feeling from every angle.  
     "Impossible! This thing I'm feeling is a New Wave, and it's very  
     strong!" 
      
     She closed her eyes, hands half-plunged into the sink. Reaching.  
     Opening. Searching. Somewhere, a power like a shining golden rose was  
     opening up. It felt familiar but it couldn't be... but what was that  
     other thing she sensed? Nearer to her? Michiru stiffened as she shifted  
     the focus of her senses to the nearer presence. It was a broad ribbon of  
     power so dark violet it was almost darker than black, and it was burning  
     hotly like a summer night sky with no moon in sight.  Someone very  
     powerful, and very near. A Dark Wave. 
      
     Her hands plunged deeper into the sink of hot water, she shivered,  
     chilled to her core. Had Saturn re-awakened just then? Was that it?  
     Frighteningly, the power did feel like Sailor Saturn's but far more...  
     evil. 
      
     She gasped and pulled her hands out of the sink, finally aware she had  
     almost burned herself.  In the background, she heard Haruka yelling for  
     her. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, and then walked around  
     the corner of the tent to meet her partner. 
      
     Nearby, Xena and Professor Tomoe were examining the camp from a ridge of  
     hills. The same hills Mythic Sailor Mercury had wandered out of just a  
     day or so before.  "Are you well, Xena?" Souichi inquired. Xena, whose  
     eyes had gone out of focus a moment before, snapped back to full  
     attention. "I'm fine. I felt the Princess for a moment. I think she's  
     increased her power, but I'm not sure." She looked over at the camp.  
     "It's a large encampment for so few forces," she commented.  
      
     "It's a medical camp, for civilian refugees as well as the UN Forces,"  
     Tomoe explained. "I think we should check it out.  If Hotaru wandered  
     off, or if someone dug her out and carried her off, this might be where  
     she went. And you did say that you felt senshi energies in this  
     direction." 
      
     "Yes but weak...I suppose we'll have to take the chance. My armor isn't  
     going to blend in here is it?" 
      
     Tomoe shrugged. And paused to smile when the reflex brought him no pain.  
     "Well, at least my hair color still matches my drivers license picture,"  
     he said. "Though I don't understand how you could turn back time when  
     the Queen couldn't keep me from aging." 
      
     Xena shrugged and smirked. "I have many skills. And you have a great  
     need to rescue your daughter. " Tomoe nodded in agreement.  
      
     "Well, anyway, I think I should drive." Xena assented with slight lift  
     of her shoulders but curled her lip slightly. She really seemed to enjoy  
     driving the jeep, but her driving still scared Tomoe. They got back in  
     the jeep, switching places this time, and slowly headed over the hill  
     and towards the camp. They didn't get much nearer until armed sentries  
     stood up from behind barricades and motioned for them to come to a halt. 
      
     An armed guard walked up to the jeep and looked over Tomoe and Xena. 
     "This area is *not* appropriate for civilians, since you're coming from  
     the south I can tell you're not refugees. You'll have to turn around and  
     go back the way you came," he ordered. 
      
     "I'm ... Professor Souichi Tomoe," the professor said, hesitating a  
     moment at using the western form of address. "We're here from a small  
     archaeological survey team. Unfortunately, there's been a cave in. There  
     was an un-coordinated rescue effort and now one of my team members is  
     missing. We thought perhaps she might have been brought here for medical  
     attention. She looks a lot like this woman, but younger." 
      
     Xena blinked. "Younger" indeed... 
      
     The guard looked at Xena, in her strange, black leather armor and asked  
     her "Why are you dressed like that for an expedition?" 
      
     "My name is Xena, and this is my usual combat armor," she replied  
     coolly. 
      
     The guard blinked in surprise and took a step back. "Xena? I thought she  
     was only a legend local to the villages of my home area. Supposedly the  
     ancient city of Amphipo--" he broke off suddenly and stared at Tomoe.  
     "You're meddling at the site of the old Covington expedition aren't  
     you??" he demanded. "You mustn't do that! You might disturb, aahh, er  
     well, the, the site's not safe," he finished lamely. 
      
     "Ares is already free," Xena said. "And you're from Amphipolis eh? Small  
     world." 
      
     The man's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "How do you -- that legend  
     is NEVER spoken of to anyone outside --" 
      
     "I told you, I'm Xena," said Xena. "THE Xena. Now can we come in and  
     look around? This man's daughter is missing." 
      
     "I guess so," the guard said. "You can park your jeep over there by the  
     motor pool," he gestured.  Xena nodded and Tomoe started the jeep up  
     again and drove it to the parking area the guard had indicated. 
      
     They had just parked and started to get out of the jeep when a somewhat  
     familiar voice called out, "Professor Tomoe??"  
      
     The professor turned to see the surprised faces of Ten'ou Haruka and  
     Kai'oh Michiru. "Ladies!" he said happily. "Am I glad to see you two!" 
      
     "Professor, you look well," Michiru said stepping forward and extending  
     her hand. The professor made a show of bowing and kissing her hand while  
     she giggled. She took a look at the woman next to him. With her long   
     lustrous black hair she had expected it to be Hotaru. But while there  
     was similarity in her coloring and features, clearly she was someone  
     else. "How is Hotaru?" she asked as Haruka stepped forward to give the  
     professor a firm handshake, and the smiles wiped right off his face.  
      
     "She's missing," the Professor said. "And ... we unleashed something.  
     Something bad. " 
      
     "What happened Professor?" said Haruka. 
      
     "Hotaru felt a resonance of the Saturn Power. We investigated, and  
     accidentally freed the war-god Ares from his ancient tomb. Apparently,  
     Ares was an ancient enemy of Queen Serenity." He turned to Xena. "These  
     must be the people you felt," he looked around and dropped his voice.  
     "These are the former Uranus and Neptune. Their identities are a secret  
     -- the world at large does not even know the Outer Senshi ever existed." 
      
     "Who is she?" Haruka demanded. 
      
     "She's the one who sealed Ares up," Tomoe said. "She's the Saturn of  
     that bygone, Mythic Age -- but her powers have been sealed up as part of  
     traveling here to the present. Or more precisely, Hotaru's problems with  
     her powers have been somewhat...contagious." 
      
     Michiru looked at Xena appraisingly. When she'd first seen the pretty  
     woman, Xena had assumed she was not a warrior. She was obviously  
     beautiful and graceful, and she gave off a cultured air.  Xena's first  
     thought was that she was like Gabrielle, a companion to a warrior, which  
     the Haruka woman obviously was.  But looking in her eyes, Xena  
     immediately realized she was as much a warrior as her companion. Yes,  
     both of them were skilled. Though there was something... lacking about  
     them. Self-confidence, perhaps. But then, she supposed, for a senshi to  
     lose her powers would do that. 
      
      "Well this new problem couldn't have come at a worse time," commented  
     Haruka. The Nemesite ground forces have been going full force around  
     Europe. "It's been a real mess." 
      
     Michiru nodded in agreement with Haruka and turned to Xena. "And in  
     other news, we've met another of your teammates. The Sailor Mercury of  
     your time. We put her in touch with the UN and I believe that she should  
     be in Crystal Tokyo by now." Xena pursed her lips consideringly. Amica  
     would have been a useful ally, but perhaps she was doing more good where  
     she was...which reminded her... 
      
     "Ga... Minako. Would she be in Crystal Tokyo?" Xena asked.  
      
     Michiru nodded. "She should be." Xena nodded at the confirmation. 
      
     "Professor, your stomach is growing. We can show you folks the mess  
     tent," Haruka offered. 
      
     Souichi grinned. "Good, I have an appetite like I haven't had in years!" 
      
     "Then it's a real tragedy what you're about to eat, " smirked Haruka as  
     she turned to lead them off. That was when the first shell flew and the  
     ground just inside the eastern perimeter of the MASH encampment  
     exploded. 
      
     "Oh cupcakes!" said Tomoe. The three women looked at him askance. "When  
     you have young daughters," he said defensively, "You will train  
     yourselves to not swear around them very quickly or you will regret it."  
     Xena looked slightly guilty for a moment, but before she could do more  
     than open her mouth to reply, the second shell sent them scrambling for  
     cover. 
      
     Crystal Tokyo, Downtown 
     The Ginza 
      
     "I can't believe they had no shirts in your size," Rei practically  
     snarled. "If I had thought for a moment we'd have this problem, I'd have  
     given you time to pack your bags before teleporting in." 
      
     Topaz shrugged nonchalantly. "It's just fortunate your temple had some  
     spare clothing for a man of my height and build," he replied. "Of  
     course, I did have some really fine clothing suitable for ambassadorial  
     duty on the ship, in the Nemesis style, but we didn't have a choice  
     about getting out of there. You felt the moment, and you seized it." 
       
     Rei simply frowned as they continued down the busy street. Suddenly her  
     eyes lit up. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Donna Karen will have  
     something for you, surely!" she grabbed him by the material of the  
     hakimah and pulled him along as quickly as he could follow (which using  
     a crutch, wasn't that fast).  Across the street, Beruche Ayakashi got a  
     good look at them and dropped several shopping bags so she could put her  
     hands to her mouth and stifle a horrified scream. Dimando's bastard  
     half-brother apparently on a date with Sailor Mars? Surely it was some  
     scheme the Nemesite forces had put together...she had to warn her  
     sisters...she had to warn the Queen!!  She grabbed her bags up and  
     dashed back to their apartment. 
      
     Two hours later, Rei and Topaz emerged from Donna Karen's Tokyo shop.  
     Even at a western designer's shop, there just hadn't been much to choose  
     from; fortunately, there had been a few things in a workable size and  
     the staff tailors were willing to make the alterations immediately.   
     Topaz was now wearing a striking black silk suit with just the faintest  
     shimmer of a bluish-gray pinstripe; a black shirt and a deep blue tie  
     almost matching his eyes completed the outfit.  They were halfway to the  
     nearest subway station when something in a store window seemed to catch  
     Rei's eye. "Stay here a moment," she said and darted inside.  Topaz  
     glanced over the window; it was a jewelry store and he smiled wryly. 
      
     "Who are you?" a man demanded in angry tones. He turned to face the  
     stranger, the mild smile melting off his face. Topaz glared at a well- 
     dressed man with long brown hair artfully arranged to just barely cover  
     one eye.  
      
     "Who are you? Why should I answer?" Topaz replied disdainfully. 
      
     "What are you doing with Rei?? She's my girlfriend," the man snarled. 
      
     "Business," said Topaz and turned away. Something about the man was  
     wrong but he wasn't quite sure what... he didn't feel like he was lying,  
     but he didn't feel like he was being completely truthful either. That's  
     when the man kicked the crutch out from under him and Topaz fell against  
     the glass window, applying his telekinesis just in time to keep from  
     falling against it hard enough to break it. 
      
     Three schoolgirls walking down the street suddenly saw the spectacle and  
     screamed, "Kameda-san! SUGOI!!" and ran toward them.  
      
     "Who the hell are you?" Kameda demanded of Topaz. "You've got that mark  
     on your head? Are you a Nemesite? What the hell??" 
      
     "YUUICHIRO!" bellowed Rei as she kicked the shop door open and took up a  
     position on the street, hands on her hips and red heels nearly smoking  
     with the speed she'd dashed outdoors with. "What are you DOING? You  
     kicked an injured man? Am I going to have to go through with that  
     restraining order??"  The fangirls running up the street braked to a  
     halt and yelped at the sight of Rei. 
      
     "Who is he Rei? This is your new boyfriend right? And he's from Nemesis?  
     Can't you see the Black Moon Sign on his forehead? Of course not, he's  
     enspelled you. Don't worry Rei, I'll save you from him--" Yuuichiro  
     broke off when Rei slapped him as hard as she could across the face and  
     mouth.  
      
     "Yuuichiro, hear me for the last time," she grated. "It is completely,  
     finally, over between us. I am on palace business. Now go back to your  
     fan girls and leave me alone or I swear--" 
      
     Rei broke off under Yuuichiro's obsessive gaze. Even in the middle of  
     the tirade he was looking at her in a frighteningly hungry sort of way.   
     Making an ultimatum suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea. Just  
     then, Topaz tapped him on his right shoulder. Startled, Yuuichiro turned  
     around and Topaz punched him right in the face. Yuuichiro went down. 
      
     Glaring Rei said, "I don't need you to defend me Topaz." Topaz rubbed  
     his fist nonchalantly and smiled. 
      
     "I wasn't defending you Rei. That punch was for me. Kicking my crutch  
     and breaking it. The nerve. He's lucky I didn't pick him up and slam him  
     into the ground a few times." 
      
     Rei's expression softened. "Oh well, if the punch was for you, that's  
     all right." She kicked Yuuichiro in the ribs once. "That's for attacking  
     my guest you jackass. Remember what I said and stay away!" Rei glanced  
     at Topaz' crutch, which was broken in half. "Uhoh, can you get by  
     without that?" she asked pointing. 
      
     Topaz sighed. "I can support my leg telekinetically, it's no strain, I  
     just thought it would be rude to use any power at all in the presence of  
     your queen." Rei nodded. "I'll explain the situation and see about the  
     protocols before you meet her," she said, feeling the icy cold finger of  
     fear stroke her spine.  Topaz gestured and the broken parts of the  
     crutch obligingly levitated into the nearest garbage can. 
      
     "I'm ready." Rei forced herself to smile. 
      
      
     Red Cross MASH Unit, Under Attack 
     Macedonian Border 
      
     "I'm out of rounds," announced Xena as she hefted the rocket launcher  
     off her shoulder and set it beside her in the slight trench forming what  
     vaguely passed for a defensive perimeter.   
      
     "You learn fast for a living myth," said the guardsman from Amphipolis  
     (as Xena thought of him).  Xena opened her mouth but he continued, "But  
     you have 'Many Skills, it is said."  Xena pursed her lips and nodded  
     once.  
      
     "Are all the wounded who can be moved evacuated yet?" she asked without  
     removing her sight from the spread-out Nemesite forces working their way  
     forward. 
      
     "Mostly. The bad risks are being e-vacced now," he said. "We need ten  
     more minutes." 
      
     "You've got four. Tell them." He loped off back toward the camp, running  
     low.  Xena wasn't sure she could deliver two. She didn't have her senshi  
     powers and the attackers had long-range weapons more deadly than arrows.  
     Inspired, she grabbed her chakram and with an ululating warcry, threw it  
     across the field. She managed to shear off the barrels of four of those  
     energy weapons before the chakram hit a rock in the field and bounced  
     back in her general direction. With another sudden cry she leaped up  
     into the air, turned a backflip and grabbed the chakram, and landed  
     several feet to the left of where she had been. She ran; the Nemesite  
     fire began to focus on her. 
      
     Meanwhile, Professor Tomoe, Haruka, and Michiru were loading people onto  
     transport vehicles: old busses, jeeps, hummers, pickup trucks, whatever  
     was available. The encampment was woefully unprepared for the attack.  
     The Nemesite forces must have smashed through UN lines or somehow  
     slipped through them. The advance continued for six minutes before it  
     crossed the north-eastern perimeter, at which point the Nemesites began  
     to overrun the camp, simply shooting everything in sight.  
      
     Haruka and Michiru gave a nurse a good push to get her up onto one of  
     the overloaded trucks and Michiru glanced back to see their jeep right  
     in the line of fire. Without a second thought she dashed toward it.  
     "Michiru!" bellowed Haruka in surprise. But it wasn't the blond who came  
     dashing to her, it was Xena, angling in from the side.  
      
     "Forget it, let's go!" yelled Xena as she ran toward Michiru. "There are  
     other cars!" 
      
     "No, I need my purse," Michiru yelled as she passed Xena still heading  
     to the jeep.  
      
     Xena pivoted and chased her. "Are you crazed??" she snarled as she  
     grabbed Michiru by the shoulder and whirled her around. Michiru blinked  
     in total surprise. No one had EVER done the like to her before. Her  
     thoughts focused. 
      
     "Medicine!" she spat out. It was now Xena's turn to blink. She nodded  
     once and yanked Michiru's arm to start her moving toward the escape  
     convoy. Xena darted toward the jeep, seeing this Michiru somewhat  
     hesitantly ran back toward the vehicles. Haruka was at the wheel of a  
     hum-vee, with an emphatic Dr. Tomoe yelling something at her and  
     gesturing wildly. Another dark-haired man in the back spotted her, then  
     turned back to  yell something into Haruka's ear. Xena meanwhile reached  
     the jeep, grabbed the handbag and did a series of backflips away from  
     the jeep just as it was shot by an energy weapon and blew up.  As the  
     last of the vehicles roared up a slight mountain grade and out of the  
     camp, Haruka drove the short distance to near Xena, executing a  
     bootlegger's turn which nearly smashed the hummer into the warrior  
     princess, but instead she leapt into the back with the grace of a jungle  
     cat. Xena grabbed on tightly as Haruka slammed the accelerator down and  
     the vehicle nearly leapt forward in response.  
      
     "I like the way you drive!" Xena exclaimed as she handed the bag to  
     Michiru. Dr. Tomoe groaned in despair. Michiru smiled indulgently and  
     hugged the bag tight, feeling the hard oval shape within. She had been  
     willing to risk her life to retrieve the Deep Aqua Mirror - the last  
     unbroken Outer Senshi Talisman. 

End of Episode Eight
[End Credits Roll - See Episode 3]

Next time, on Mythic Sailor Moon:
Falling Water~Battle On! Sailor Neptune!

Image: Michiru draws the Deep Aqua mirror from her purse and holds it as if to ward off something... Haruka gapes in shock.

Email me, Nightman. I love to hear from my readers.
Return to the homepage for Mythic Sailor Moon.