Sailor Moon heard footsteps coming toward her. She frantically looked for a hiding place, and ran toward a small crag in the cave wall. She pressed up against the cold stone as she watched a troop of nega-creatures march by from the shadows. She seemed to be underground. The air was slightly stagnant and cold. She'd come back to consciousness here, wherever here was. She assumed she'd stumbled onto the Negaverse somehow, since sickly gray-green rock wasn't common anywhere in her universe. Somewhere she'd lost her Moon Scepter, and now here she was, trapped and virtually defenseless. She shakily brushed at her tattered suit as she struggled to think clearly on what her next step should be.
*****
"What do you mean you didn't get her?"
"One of my monsters saw her fall into a gateway. She's down here in the tunnels under our control-we just have to find where, Mistress." The creature was on its knees and bowed over as far as it could bend before the older woman. Though her face was unlined, her steel gray hair was a testament to her age. "I have five troops already combing the perimeter."
"I don't know exactly what she's capable of. My agent in the universe above-my daughter-is to report back to me soon. Until then I want no one- I repeat- NO ONE to open a gate. I don't want her to escape. Leave me now!" The woman's voice was pleasant to listen to even when harsh with anger. The creature bowed even lower, got to its feet and ran out of the dark audience chamber.
*****
"She's not dead! I know it!"
Amy put a comforting arm around Rei's shoulders. "I don't think so either, Rei."
Mina looked at the two sadly. "I don't think she'd let go of her Moon Scepter willingly."
Rei looked over to her as moisture brimmed in her eyes. "You know Serena-she'd forget her head if it weren't attached." She looked down to the ground. "She has to be fine!" Rei asserted vehemently, almost violently.
"I feel the same way you do, but it doesn't look good."
Stray tears scattered as Rei vigorously shook her head. "You don't understand. I know she's not dead, Lita. I can feel it. But she's in horrible danger. I need to consult the fire. I think it will tell us something."
"Consult the fire?"
"There's a reason Rei lives at the temple, Erin. Let's go!" Lita pulled urgently on Erin's arm, and they all sprinted to the shrine with newfound hope in their eyes.
*****
From her vantage point in the crag in the cavern wall Sailor Moon examined a group of nega-creatures that looked very human. They all wore dark red uniforms and had white hair with large, strange, and luminous sea green eyes. Finally she had an idea.
She fished out her transformation pen. "Moon Power ...ni nare! Make me look like one of those nega-creatures!" After she transformed she scurried nervously after the large troop of creatures.
*****
"I was right! She's not dead, but she's trapped somewhere-somewhere dark and cold. I couldn't get any more than that. We'll just have to find her." Rei was slightly wobbly after gazing in the fire.
"How are we going to do that? She could be anywhere!" Lita was grateful for a chance to vent her frustration, since they'd all had to remain silent while Rei had meditated in front of the flames.
"Cold and dark. That sounds bad."
Amy nodded. "I think we're all thinking the same thing."
"The Negaverse!" they exchanged worried looks as they shouted in unison.
*****
"Mistress! A portal has been opened! Someone is entering near here!" Just behind the agitated monster a figure wearing a cape and cowl strolled calmly into the chamber. The monster gasped, "Oh, it was you, M'Lady!"
"Sable!" thundered the old woman, "I have been waiting for you. What news?"
"I have watched the girls carefully since I found out their identities."
"I want to know who they are, but first things first. What happened last night?"
"They have found Sailor Moon's Moon Scepter. I assume then that you have her?"
"No, I do not! She escaped my clutches! She stumbled into a gateway, so she's somewhere in the caves. I have all of my army searching the area, but she still eludes them." Her voice dropped to an annoyed growl.
"I don't know how she could do this, but I have found that there is a lot to find out about the Scouts. They have a long history and many skills. The information we gathered before undertaking this mission was woefully inadequate. They would be formidable even without their powers. Maybe there's more to Sailor Moon than we thought." The dark figure tilted her head.
"You work for me. I order you to find her. She's ruining everything! Even the Crimson Guard is exhausted with searching for her."
"I will try." Sable bowed slightly.
"You will do more than try. Do not think that just because you are my daughter, you can get away with failure. I have other children who would be glad to replace you. I don't enjoy waiting. Our energy reserves are starting to run dry."
"I cannot stay here long, or the plan won't work, and all your waiting will have been for nothing. You know that, Mistress, as I'm sure you know that I am saying this because it is my most earnest desire that you succeed."
"Mmmmm. Very well. But when you open a gate make sure it is well guarded. She must not escape above."
"Yes, Mistress." Sable clasped her fist to her chest and was about to back out the room.
"Wait!" the old woman's voice rang through the audience chamber.
Sable halted.
"I have an idea. I want you to continue with our plan as if we did have Sailor Moon. The Scouts can't know whether or not she is our prisoner. If she is not captured by then, we'll use them to get her to come to us. Either way, we get what we want. Yes, that will work nicely. There will be a few details for you to iron out. Proceed as ordered, Sable."
"As you have ordered, Mistress."
*****
Serena hid in a fold of scarlet curtain as the mysterious Sable stalked out. She was grateful her wine-red uniform blended into the shadows perfectly. For some reason the Mistress wanted all the Sailors together. She had to find out what was going on, before anything hurt them. She considered following Sable and trying to sneak through the gateway with her, but she decided against it. She didn't want to see what "well guarded" meant. She'd try to hook up with the Scouts when they came here. If she could, then they would be able to unite and surprise the enemy in her lair.
*****
"I'm so worried about Luna and Artemis! I think we have to go back to that park today and search it by daylight. Maybe we can find a clue that will lead to Sailor Moon, or at least a cure for the cats. They're getting weaker by the hour." Mina wrung her hands with worry. "He's too weak to even stir in his sleep."
"That's a good idea, Mina," Erin approved. "Let's go now. We can call the others on the way.
The two girls took off, running.
*****
"I don't see anything," Lita said, tired.
"Wait! Is that a piece of paper?" Rei pointed, excited.
"Let's check it out."
"Stop!" Amy hissed as she opened her minicomputer. "I'm getting some very ominous readings from that direction. Some sort of demonic energy is over there. Before we walk into anything we should transform."
"Good idea!" Erin approved, and held up her brown pen. "Earth Star Power...Make Up!"
"Mercury Star Power...Make Up!"
"Venus Star Power...Make Up!"
"Mars Star Power...Make Up!"
"Jupiter Star Power...Make Up!"
Mercury reached up and brought down her virtual reality visor, to the surprise of Earth. Flashing numbers poured across it. "Careful, everyone," she warned, "the readings are peaking!"
They all nodded acknowledgment and stalked forward slowly.
Venus began to climb the tree toward the bright white object caught high in a branch. "Watch out, Venus! Here it comes!" Mercury called out.
Air shimmered around the Scouts. Venus leapt down to them and they formed a defensive circle, back to back. "It's another one of those octopus creatures!" Mercury said, worried. "Don't let it drain you or we'll never defeat it!"
"Yooooou have noo chaaance!"
"Fire Soul!"
"Supreme Thunder!"
The octopus creature flung three tentacles out to an adjoining tree and pulled sharply. It whipped around the trunk to the other side and ripped the tree out of the ground. It flung it at the Scouts. With cries of panic they all jumped out of its path, but the tree trunk caught Mercury in her right leg and she went down. She desperately tried to release her leg from under a heavy branch as the monster made for her with a yell.
"Crescent Beam!" Venus swung her finger after the monster in order to stop its advance.
"Mars! Help Mercury!" Earth cried. She whipped her head around toward the creature. Her long auburn braid flailed against her back as it began to become undone. "Hurricane Blast!" she screamed, and held her spread palms out to the creature. A shockwave shot out from her hands toward the monster. It dodged quickly and two tentacles snaked out to catch her in their grip. She struggled desperately, and Jupiter noticed her plight. She sprinted toward the creature.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She lobbed the scintillating orb at the octopus, and it cut through one of the tentacles that grasped Earth. Jupiter knelt beside her as she collapsed. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine, help the others!" Earth waved her off weakly, and Jupiter nodded and ran to help the others.
"Weeeeell, yoooou five arrrre mooore difficult than the otheeeer one wasssss." The monster gasped as it danced out from under another magical attack. Venus was thrown to the ground by a few arms and her head cracked against the ground. She lay still.
Jupiter swore, "Another one to protect. Mars, can you get Mercury out from under that branch if I hold off this creature?" Mars ran off to help Mercury out.
"What do you mean the other one?" Earth cried as she struggled to her feet.
"Ahhh, the one we captured a night agoooo." It hurled another tree at Jupiter.
"Burning Mandala!" Mars chopped the tree into small burning chunks, but Jupiter was caught up by the monster. "I'll take care of yooooou!" it hissed angrily.
"No, you won't!" Venus said, on her knees and rubbing her sore head. "Venus Love Me Chain!" She sliced through another tentacle, and Jupiter threw off the severed limb, and ran over to the Scouts just as Mercury finally freed herself from under the offending branch.
"Hurricane..."
"Mercury Ice Storm..."
"Venus Love Me..."
"Burning..."
"Supreme..."
With a shriek of fear the monster ran away through the wood. "Follow it! It knows something about Sailor Moon!" cried Earth as she sprinted after it. They all took off running. The monster jumped into a swirling vortex of black and green, and with a cry the Scouts followed.