Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Within ❯ Misery Loves Company ( Chapter 5 )

Misery Loves Company

Outside, Andre banged the huge gate with his knuckles. His face looked distraught. The door didn't open, yet he continued to hit the door with all of his might, while shouting furiously,

"Mamoru! Ms. Tsukino! Open the door, please! Anyone, open the door!" Ray tried to stop him by pulling him away,

"Hey, would you stop it! You are hurting yourself only! They will call us later, beside we just have to…" To his surprise, the American brushed him like a leaf. Ray rolled backward, while Jessie went to a defensive stance. The Indonesian youth was visibly shaken, when he saw Andre's eyes had became bloodshot and the face was pallid like a corpse. It was like the blood was drained from Andre's face. He was startled when heard Andre spoke in an inhuman tone,

"Stay away from me! This is none of your business!" However, Jessie was ready for the worst, which fortunately never came. Within seconds, Andre returned to normal again. In contrast, he looked afraid and perspired heavily now. Slowly, the Russian relaxed her stance and asked him,

"Are you all right, Mr. Stevens?" The American answered hesitantly,

"Yes, I'm all right now…thanks," Then he turned to Ray with a guilty look,

"Ray, I apologize for what happened awhile ago. Really, it isn't your fault…" Still disbelieved, Ray merely said,

"It's all right…I'm not supposedly bother you…" As the Indonesian turned away, Andre sighed regretfully,

I hate when this is happening again! The black mana drives me crazy…let's hope there is nothing worse than this will happen. Suddenly, the gates creaked and opened wide. They almost jumped in surprise. Andre started to call,

"Mamoru, are you there?" There was no answer came. Next, Ray followed,

"Ms. Kino, is that you?" Again, there was no answer. Both looked each other until Andre gestured to Ray,

"You go first, Ray." Ray exclaimed mockingly,

"Hoo, I thought you're the one who wanted to come inside, and now you want me to come first?" The American replied,

"Something has happened inside…I don't like this,"

"Yeah, so? Do you want me to become bait? No thanks! You first…" While they were arguing, Jessie strode forward, and then chided them,

"Thanks for allowing the lady to enter first! Both of you are the real gentlemen…" Andre and Ray were startled as they watched her enter inside. Finally, Andre said,

"OK, I enter first!" The Indonesian quipped jokingly,

"You heard what she say: follow the leader!" Then he followed the others inside.

Meanwhile, the Overlords still enjoyed their unexpected victory, while the Sailor Senshi and the Magic Knights still lying unconscious. De Haargen took his mitre and brushed the dust away. Lezon commented,

"That was so easy! I didn't expect they are so easy like that!" The Dutch sorcerer replied as he put the mitre back to his head,

"I have to salute their courage and persistence, despite the odds. Moreover, they never fight an enemy like us. Not to mention, they were not know each other and Anderion very well…" Soul Chaser quacked,

"Yeh, these poor girls look confused…"Faraway, Siratyl picked Mercury's mini-computer and examined it without any interest. She smirked then,

"In other words, they are losers! What do you think, Requiem?" Then her horn flute transformed into a blue-golden serpent that slithered around her and spoke,

"…the losersss don't desserve to live, my dear," The skeletal counterpart of Requiem remarked,

"That's what I like from you, Requiem." Instead replying, the female Overlord threw the device away. Lezon quickly took it with telekinetic. He instantly examined the mini-computer,

"First, let's see what inside this…Wyshdom!" A red light appeared in response to the Overlord's call. It formed something like a spiked armor and adorned with the circuitry lines. The yellowish gleam came from its helmet like and it spoke,

"Greetings, Master Lezon. What can I do for you? " The digital creature noted the damaged armor and the surrounding,

"Your armor are damaged, Master…" Lezon answered nonchalantly,

"I'm fine, Wyshdom!" The red creature replied again,

"Let me fix it for you, Master." Instantly, a red light bathed the Overlord and the broken armoring had become whole again. Lezon smiled with satisfaction,

"Thank you, Wyshdom!"

"Your welcome, Master! It seems you just have a big battle…and if I'm not mistaken, these peoples are

the Sailor Senshi of Silver Millenium and the Magic Knights from Zephyr…" Automatically, the analytical mind of Wyshdom worked to catalog the situation, starting from Sailor Uranus,

"Sailor Uranus, estimated age, 21. Trauma due to collision with the wall, condition: alive! Sailor Venus, estimated age, 18. Fracture of the ribs, possible bleeding inside. Condition: critical. Sailor Jupiter, estimated age, 18, trauma due to the repeated collision, condition: alive. Sailor Neptune…" Before the creature finished, the Overlord shouted impatiently and shoved the mini-computer,

"Stop the crap! I ask you to check this thing!" Stopped, Wyshdom took the device and put it inside its body. While waiting the results, Lezon pulled Massacre and said,

"Well, if we don't have anything else with them, I'm going to spill their blood now…starting with their leader!" As he walked toward Sailor Moon who slumped at the throne, De Haargen blocked his way and put the Soul Chaser in front. Lezon asked with annoyance,

"What is the meaning of this?" His older colleague answered coldly, "You shall not touch her, I warn you!" Instantly, the situation became tense between those evil sorcerers; Siratyl watched them worriedly.

The younger one smiled cruelly, "Try me then!"

At the same time, Jessie, Andre and Ray have arrived at a small portion with the intersections. Once again, Ray complained,

"Great, which way should we take?" The American scratched his head,

"I have no idea; I don't think they are taking this place…" Yet, the Russian girl didn't want to wait any longer. She immediately went to the left. Incensed, Ray shouted to her,

"Hey, would you care to wait us?" Jessie ignored him completely, and at the same time Andre took the right direction without telling him. Now Ray was really upset, he never been ignored by others before. He muttered only,

"Yes! Everyone goes his or her own way without waiting me! Fine! I'll take the middle then!" Still angry, he went to the middle direction. As they left, the black smoke filled the tunnel behind them.

Jessie trailed the tunnel slowly, while she still thinking about Ami and Fuu. Truthfully, there were few people who cared her since she was born. She pondered,

Actually, I don't have to worrying them so much…they're older than me and can taking care of themselves…She smiled bitterly,

Friends? Who knows what mischief they planned later? They are nice people, but not to be trusted further! I have the reason to believe that the shaking wasn't coming from them…Then she stopped dead when she saw someone in front of her. Jessie was shocked as the person came closer to the light,

"Ms. Mizuno?"

Sailor Mercury appeared and watched the Russian blankly. Jessie noticed that the person in front of her was really looked like Ami Mizuno; only she wore a different costume. Then she asked her,

"Ms. Mizuno, are you all right? Where are Ms. Houhouji and the others?" Instead answering the question, the Senshi attacked her with sudden movement. Jessie was surprised, yet she managed to evade the attack as she could. She shouted to the blue-haired senshi,

"Ms. Mizuno! What are you doing? It is I, Jessie Cross! Remember?" Sailor Mercury didn't listen; she continued to attack Jessie. In every succession, her attack became faster and furious. The Russian couldn't help to scream, pleading,

"Ms. Mizuno! Stop this! This is not funny anymore! If you persists, I have to take the drastic measures!" Her plead seemed fall to the deaf ears. Finally, Jessie couldn't take this any longer; she spoke in an icy tone,

"This is the last warning! Don't force me to do something worse than you've done!" The Senshi shoved her thrust, however the platinum-haired girl immediately crossed her arms to catch the attack. Swiftly, she took her attacker's wrist and instantly threw her downward. Sailor Mercury was stunned, but it wasn't enough to convince her not to attack. When she resumed the attack, Jessie already in offensive position. She sent a high kick that almost clocked the Senshi, followed with a low sweep upon the ankle. Once again, Mercury fell flat on the floor. For a moment, the Russian took a respite to scan her opponent; she felt turmoil inside,

Why? Why are you doing this, Ms.Mizuno? Are you wanted to break my trust? I thought we're… She gritted her teeth sharply as the word came out in her mind,

…friends! No, there is no such thing now! Only kill or to be killed! But I will give you the benefit of the doubt…to prove whether you're truthful or lying! As the senshi sent slashing attack with her right hand, Jessie blocked and twisted it backward. She managed to pin Sailor Mercury to the floor again. Yet, Mercury thrust her body upward suddenly, forcing her opponent to release her again. As they went to the position, the senshi has released her attack first,

"Mercury Bubble Spray!" The fog instantly covered the surrounding. However, it did little to prevent Jessie to unleash her hidden power,

"Lightning Rage!" Instantly, her hands were filled with crackles of magical force, even she was trembled due to the extent of the power. As the silhouette became clearer, she unleashed the power toward the target. In fraction of seconds, the attack hit Sailor Mercury squarely without leaving her chance to evade. She was slammed to the nearest wall with a loud thud. When the mist dispersed, Jessie saw her opponent didn't move anymore. Without turning back, the Russian ran toward the end of tunnel, wiping her tears. A question echoed inside her: Why?

Back to the Throne Hall, Siratyl quickly intervened both of her colleague. She said to Lezon,

"Wait, Lezon! If he doesn't want you to kill Sailor Moon, give what he wants! Beside, you have 13 people to kill. What's wrong if you give one for him?" The blond-haired sorcerer snorted, but he admitted that Siratyl has a point. Then he turned to Shidou Hikaru, while saying,

"I'll have her! I'm going to maim her for what she and her boyfriend almost done to me…when I finished, he won't even recognize her anymore…" To his annoyance, the Dutch demonologist materialized in front of her once again. De Haargen warned gently,

"I'm very sorry, you won't touch her either…" This time, Lezon's patience has worn off. Without reason, he pulled Gore sword as well and shrieked in anger,

"You have pissed me more than once! I'm going to give you a lesson for crossing my path!" The eldest sorcerer merely put his staff in defiance, and said,

"I'm not afraid, Lezon! Are you daring to take the risk?" In return, the young sorcerer mocked,

"What are you wanted from them? Don't say that you want to make them your slaves, do you?" Instantly a cold rage blossomed inside De Haargen. He gritted his teeth in anger,

"Pull back your words, Lezon! I won't allow this insult goes unpunished!" Soul Chaser quipped,

"Uh-oh, we're in trouble…"

In other direction, Andre walked along the corridor. He was thinking about what happened today.

Perhaps, I'm not supposedly coming to Japan with Mamoru…I have made his relationship with Ms. Tsukino strained. He sighed again,

Other than Adrian, Chris and Kaiser, he befriends me without any reluctance…but then I haven't told him about my darkest secret…the secret that I wish to not reveal to others, lest they will abhor and hate me. How about Ms.Tsukino's friends? The Priestess probably hinted who I am…what about the tomboy-looking woman? She seems dislikes me very much. Strange, why does she doing that? I barely know her. Her companion shows the different response,

Suddenly someone stood, blocking his way. The American surprised to see whom the person was,

"You!"

He was stood transfixed when he saw Sailor Uranus in front of him. Though she wore a different costume,

Andre recognized her as the same woman who accompanied Michiru. Hesitantly, he said,

"Thanks, you're here…I'm glad to see you around…did you see Mamoru and the others?" The senshi didn't reply. The American continued,

"Miss, at least you can tell me where they are now…" No answer came. Thinking that she has hurt, Andre went closer to her and asked,

"Miss, are you all right? Answer me…" Before he even finished his sentence, Uranus moved like a lightning and sent a punch to him. Aghast, Andre evaded the attack in a nick of time, and he saw the senshi delivered a kick to his torso. Instinctively, he blocked the attack with his arms and use the force to push him away. He stared the short-cropped senshi with disbelief,

"Miss, what is my fault? Why do you attack me?" Uranus once again ignored the plea. Instead, she ran toward him in order to charge him. The American quickly avoid the attack, yet he was confused with the hostile attitude that the senshi displayed to him.

It doesn't make any sense! Does the black mana affect her like me? Suddenly he got punched at his cheek, his body flew quite far. Sailor Uranus took the chance to deliver a punch toward Andre, while he was distracted. When he arose, his eyes have become bloodshot again and his incisors elongated into fangs. As he spoke, a low growl came out,

"Please, don't force me to harm you!" Deaf to the warning, the senshi ran toward him again; ready to slam Andre with her body. Amazingly, the American instantly disappeared into a thin, white mist. Uranus only hit the empty place. When she looked for his opponent, the mist mysteriously rolled out from the tunnel.

At the same time, Ray walked along the way, while still pondering the event,

Damn, what a vacation is this! First, I was enjoying my walk at Tokyo, but then I'm teleported to another planet with plenty of strangers! Well, at least not one of them… Image of Makoto Kino passed in his imagination; he smiled to himself,

At least, I will have stories to tell! I hope Alex and Akiyo wouldn't mind to… The thought was abruptly cut as Ray saw someone in front of him. He called,

"Ms. Kino, is that you?" Then Sailor Jupiter appeared to him. Ray was astonished when saw the change upon the Japanese girl, yet he managed to say,

"Uhm, nice costume! Do we have a cosplay contest here?" She didn't answer. He asked again,

"Er, where is everybody goes? We have worried you so much…" To his surprise, Jupiter charged him, howling a sharp "kiii-aiiii!" The youth quickly threw himself out and rolled to the right side.

"Ms. Kino! What is wrong with you? I'm your friend!"

The senshi attacked Ray again, this time it was more vicious than the previous. Ray was able to avoid her punches and kicks due to his agility or luck either. He realized if he didn't do something, he would be in trouble.

Damn, why is she doing this? Few hours ago, we're talked like friends, now she looks like to kill me! She is very adept in hand-to-hand combat and my pentjak silat can delay her for a moment…unless I use… The Indonesian shook his head violently,

No, damn! I won't use the skill right now! The fist jerked him back to reality. Instinctively, Ray caught Jupiter's fist and shoved her to the ground. Before the opponent managed to rise, he immediately pin her down, much to his discomfort,

"Ms. Kino! Wake up! I'm not your enemy!" However, the senshi use her right limb as leverage, pushing herself up from the pin. Before Ray realized it, she whirled around and sent a kick toward him. Yet, he let his body fell flat on the floor, thus allowing the attack hit the empty place. When rose up again, he countered the next attack and swept the opponent's ankle. Now it was Jupiter's turn to fell. Instead pressed the attack, Ray merely took a distance away. Once again, he pleaded,

"Ms. Kino! Stop it, please! What is wrong?" The answer came,

"Jupiter Sparkling Wide Pressure!" In a window of few second, a powerful electric bolt hit the wall behind Ray. The Indonesian shocked as he saw the attack has destroyed the portion of the wall, and then turned to Sailor Jupiter worriedly,

Shit! Magical Attack! If she wanted, I would've ended as satay (Indonesian chicken barbecue)! His fear rose high as he saw the senshi was ready to unleash the same attack again. Without wasting time, Ray shouted,

"Synchronize Skill!" Like a burst of light, information were gathered inside his cerebral cortex and processed immediately. Within a second, Ray saw a bright trail starting from him goes to the nearest entrance. It also gave him the possibilities to avoid the attack. Back to the reality, Jupiter has finished charging and already unleashed the attack to Ray.

Surprisingly, everything around Ray mired in a bullet-time fashion! Even the crackling attack moved so slow. Ray somersaulted backward and landed his feet upon the wall. Then he ran along the wall like running on the ground. Behind him, the wall exploded into shards, following his track, yet the Indonesian ran faster.

In reality, Ray moved so fast…very damn fast that Jupiter had a hard time to following him. When the attack ended, he cartwheeled on the floor again, before turned back. The distance between them was quite far. Even so, Ray saw the senshi has prepared another attack again. Filled with dismay and frustration, he pointed his right palm and shouted,

"Lockdown Magic!" A pinkish sparkle appeared from his palm and flew in a blinding speed, knocking over Jupiter to the ground. The senshi rose again and tried to throw her magical attack, only to find out that she wasn't able to produce it. Ray shouted aloud, while a pained look was obvious in his face,

"Ms. Kino, it won't hurt you, but you can't use your power for two hours…I can't believe this! I thought we're friends!" Tearfully, the Indonesian ran away from her. At the same time, 'Mercury' and 'Uranus' came and the black smoke was behind them. A voice spoke,

"Excellent!"

How far she ran, she didn't know. What she wanted now was to forget the stung of betrayal and abandonment upon her heart. She didn't even realize that she already passed the gate and now outside the city.

Jessie walked silently, pondering the event. She cursed herself for trusting Mizuno Ami and Houhouji Fuu too much, and look what she'd got now!

It was a mistake to trust those girls! Once again, I've forgotten the rules: don't trust anyone…if ever they're lying again, I will… Suddenly she stopped,

No, Maydrine said before that everyone commits mistake, we should be patient and forgiving…but how? It is so painful…I don't think I can forget it…Then someone swung the dead branch toward her. Instinctively, Jessie broke it with a single slash. She turned to her right and saw Ray holding the broken branch.

"I thought you are the senshi…" The Russian was surprised to hear that,

"The senshi? You have been attacked by one of them?" Ray threw the branch away, while saying,

"Of course, who else? She attacked me like crazy and…so on…" Jessie held her chin in amazement,

"What a coincidence. I was attacked by the senshi too…Wait, I thought you're with Ms. Kino…" The Indonesian asked her back,

"And…you with Ms. Mizuno…damn, what is really happening here?" Jessie pondered whether she should trust the boy or not. The event inside was quite traumatic to her, though it was pale in comparison with what she had experienced before. Suprisingly, another voice came to them,

"Why not tell the story now? We have much time here…" She and Ray looked above and saw Andre sat on the tree. They saw that his face was briefly pale and the reddish eyes stared them back.

Once again, Siratyl stopped her colleagues from fighting. She screamed,

"Stop it, both of you! In case you've forgotten, we still have something to do here…" The sorceress turned to Lezon, "As I said before, you have plenty people to kill, Lezon! Which is better, two people or twelve people to kill?" Then she looked De Haargen with annoyance,

"As for you, I think Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth is more than enough! Don't push your luck harder…" The Dutch nodded only,

"I can't think the otherwise…fine, all but those two are yours, Lezon." Disgusted, the young Overlord didn't answer. Instead he asked Wyshdom who had finished the scanning,

"Wyshdom, what do you get from Mercury's mini-computer?" The digital creature answered,

"Not so much, Master! The computer function is quite very basic, there is nothing valuable inside…"

"As I thought before," Then Lezon raised his hand and Sailor Jupiter went to her. He immediately grabbed the brunette hair, pulling her head upward so he could see her neck. With a sneering smile, he took the jagged Massacre and lifted it high, ready to cut Jupiter's neck,

"If we don't have anything to do with them again, I say: Kill them!!" At the same time, the Requiem was transformed into a barbed whip in Siratyl's hand. She turned to the unconscious Sailor Mars with malicious smile, saying,

"See you in hell, priestess…" De Haargen knew that he could stop them, but he wouldn't! He merely turned his sight to Tsukino Usagi and Shidou Hikaru who was still unconscious. Before the Overlords carried their dastardly intention, a shrill, hideous voice boomed inside the hall,

"Stop! In the name of Darkness, don't kill them!!" Instantly, the brackish, suffocating smoke appeared from nowhere. Lezon and Siratyl forced to pinch their nose, because of the obnoxious smell from the smoke. For a moment, they have forgotten their victims. Undisturbed, the Dutch sorcerer watched the smoke that slowly materialized into a figure. An old man with the black garment appeared from the smoke, the white mask covered the left portion of his face. The right face looked gaunt with the dirty white beard. Then De Haargen said,

"Is that you, Sylvarius?" The old man smiled widely,

"Of course, it is I, Sylvarius the Blackener…" Sylvarius turned to the scene around him and smiled lustfully,

"I see that you've got those girls for yourself, Soul Chaser…I wonder if they can fit in my Crypt of Flesh…"The elder Overlord cut him disgustedly,

"If you think I would give them to satisfy your sickly lust, you've better forgot it!" The old sorcerer rasped only,

"Ah, but you've chose the best for yourself…am I right?" They turned to Usagi and Hikaru. Before the verbal fight happened, suddenly a powerful vibration shook the hall and the sky above them turned into the eerie purple color. At the same time, the furious blue flame came and formed something like head…the horned skull. The skull still had some muscles attached on, yet it also oozed with some blood. The slit-like eyes stared the Overlords below. Slowly, De Haargen and Sylvarius kneeled on the floor, while Lezon and Siratyl followed with fear and awe. Wyshdom dematerialized back into a red light beside its master. Then the floor beneath them glowed into purple color and formed the huge, lizard-like eye, almost like the relief.

The black sorcerer glanced to his rival, "Oops, I forget to tell you…" The elder sorcerer gritted his teeth. Then the horned skull started to speak,

"OVERLORDS, GIVE YOUR REPORT! HAVE YOU FOUND THE BANE?" De Haargen replied,

"Not yet, Lord Chimaera! We just…encounter a minor problem here…" The skull scanned its surrounding and said,

"IS THAT TRUE WHAT I'VE SEE? THE SAILOR SENSHI OF SILVER MILLENIUM AND THE MAGIC KNIGHTS OF ZEPHYR?"

"Yes, my Lord! They dared to intrude our territory and we do what we should do…" The Soul Chaser quacked,

"Yep, we'd beat the crap out of them!" De Haargen quickly knocked the staff to shut its mouth. Chimaera laughed aloud when he heard that,

"HEHEHEH, HA HA HA! THE NEGAVERSE WAS UNABLE TO DEFEAT THOSE PESKY SENSHI, YET YOU…UNTESTED AND UNTRIED, MANAGED TO DEFEAT THEM…WHAT A SWEET VICTORY FOR THE DARKNESS, ESPECIALLY TO THE TWISTING SHADE!! EXCELLENT, OVERLORDS! I'M PROUD OF YOU!!" Lezon dared himself to ask,

"My Lord, could we kill them? To spill their blood as the sacrifice…" Suddenly the Dutch spoke again,

"I'm afraid not!" The young Overlord was shocked to heard the words, however his older colleague continued,

"My Lord, though we have defeated the Eternal Sailor Moon and broke the Ginzuishou, I can't guarantee what happen if we've killed Sailor Pluto and Saturn." De Haargen turned to Pluto and Saturn,

"If Sailor Pluto and Saturn was slaughtered, I'm afraid we might create the cataclysm over time and space, which is fatal for us. That's the reason why I have to struck them quickly, before Saturn have the chance to use Death Reborn Revolution and Pluto uses Time Stop upon us…" Chimaera pondered the explanation, while Lezon looked angry with that. Finally, the demonlord said,

"FINE, SOUL CHASER! YOUR EXPLANATION IS MAKE SENSE! THEN THE SENSHIS AND THE MAGIC KNIGHTS MUST NOT BE HARMED, HOWEVER, DELIVER SAILOR MOON AND MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH TO ME IMMEDIATELY! I'LL PRESENT THEM TO THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS AS A TRIBUTE…" De Haargen surprised to hear the command, yet he decided to not show his sentiment. He came forward,

"I will be the one who deliver Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth personally to you, my Lord…" Satisfied, Chimaera turned to Sylvarius,

"SYLVARIUS, I'M ASSIGN YOU TO FIND THE BANE! IT IS IMPERATIVE…THE FATE OF THE SAILOR SENSHI AND MAGIC KNIGHTS IS YOURS TO DECIDE…AS FOR NOW…LEZON, BRING ME THE SAILOR MOON AND MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH!

Hesitantly, the young Overlord rose and lifted his hand. Instantly, Usagi and Hikaru floated on the air, while still unconscious. Carefully, he brought them forward. At the same time, De Haargen cast Soul Barrier surrounding those girls. The stray spirits immediately encased them into a sphere. Sylvarius nodded in satisfaction.

From nowhere, two huge skeletal hands appeared and took hold the sphere.

Without anyone's knowledge, Sailor Mercury started to awake. She couldn't see anything, since her vision was blurred. Yet, she could discern the images inside the sphere. She croaked weakly,

"Sailor Moon…" Forcing herself to crawl, Mercury went to the direction of the sphere.

De Haargen knocked the floor with Soul Chaser and a black portal formed in front of him. Before left, he turned to Sylvarius,

"I'll deliver Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth to Lord Chimaera, so I leave their friends to you! Keep everything in control…" The shadowy sorcerer smiled,

"Don't worry, I'm going to keep everything intact. You can trust me!" The young sorcerer frowned,

"I hope so…" As De Haargen entered the portal, the skeletal hands pulled the sphere containing Tsukino Usagi and Shidou Hikaru inside.

Mercury wanted to scream, but she was too weak due to her injuries. Fell again to the floor, the blue-haired senshi croaked with teary eyes,

"Sailor Moon…Usagi…" She fell unconscious again…

Meanwhile, Andre jumped from the tree and landed safely, while the rest watched warily. His look has turned to normal again. Realizing their stare, he said,

"Don't worry, I mean no harm. By the way, I overheard your conversation a while ago. You were attacked by the senshi too?" Jessie didn't answer; she asked the American back,

"Where is Mr.Chiba?" To this, Andre shook his head,

"I don't know where he is either, before I manage to look for him I was attacked by the senshi…" Ray quickly cut them,

"Wait a minute! I have three questions; first, who are the Sailor Senshi? Two, why do they attack us? And three, what the heck happened inside? I really don't understand at all…" The Russian girl sarcastically replied,

"Good thing, you have three questions only. Otherwise, your mouth won't stop to talk until it foamed…"

"What did you sa…?" The Indonesian was unable to continue, as his face was shocked, and pointed nervously to Jessie and Andre. When they turned back, the fiery-maned lion stood behind them with displeasure. The creature roared aloud,

"ARE YOU DEAF OR WHAT? DID I TELL YOU TO NOT GO TO DARKSPYRE?" Though stunned, Andre tried to explain the situation,

"Er, we actually don't want to going there, but Ms. Tsukino insisted us to go, since we met the children who claimed that they're coming from the city…" Now Leyon looked troubled with that,

"CHILDREN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? SEE THE CITY AGAIN WITH YOUR EYES…" Doubtful, they went to the direction and what they saw shocked them to the core. Instead the beautiful city that they saw a moment ago, now it was the abandoned and derelict ruins. The magnificent tower has decayed for long time ago, the vines and wild plants were everywhere. The eerie silence rested upon the ruins. When they turned above, the bright crystal upon the tower had turned into purple-black color. Andre exclaimed with aghast,

"But…I saw the city was fully populated two hours ago…I was sure!" Ray followed with disbelief,

"Yes, I even bumped to the real people…is this kind of the joke?" However, Jessie said with sudden understanding,

"This is the trap…they lures us to their trap…" Then Andre stared her with a horrified look,

"Then what happened to Mamoru and the others?"

Back to the Throne Hall, Lezon vented his frustration by slashing the nearby pillars. He was very mad, unable to satisfy his bloodlust. Siratyl, Requiem, Wyshdom and Sylvarius simply watched from faraway. Tired, the young Overlord sheathed his weapons again, and then lifted his left hand. Instantly, the unconscious Sailor Pluto floated to the air.

"Don't kill them! If not, something bad will happen…yeah, great! I know it! I know that de Haargen would screw me again…pathetic weakling!" Then he dropped her rudely to the floor. The sorceress watched Saturn with amazement and malice,

"Probably he's right! Have you remember what happened to Pharaoh 90? This little girl vanquished it to the depths of Hades…" Requiem added,

"Though Soul Chaser's heart iss weak, he's not to be doubted…" Wyshdom followed,

"I agree with Requiem. Pluto is the Guardian of Time, while Saturn is the Destroyer… though it is still theoretical, killing both of them might upset the dimensional balance, thus creates premature Apocalypse…"

Lezon shouted angrily, "Stop that craps, Wyshdom! I don't want to hear it anymore…" The black sorcerer merely poured the content of his pouch. It was the gleaming colorful gems. Then he spoke to them,

"If we couldn't kill them, why don't we play with them?" Now everyone's attention turned to Sylvarius. Siratyl asked curiously,

"What kind of game you suggest?" The old sorcerer said,

"Do you ever wonder if the Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights really turned to our side?" Lezon mocked,

"Nonsense, these people would rather dead than serving us…" Slowly, Sylvarius grinned maliciously,

"Oh, who knows? With Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth, no doubt they strong…but now they are gone…do you think they will act the same? Don't forget, the senshi still possess human fickleness though they could easily reborn, much more the Magic Knights who are completely human…" Nobody answered, as the black sorcerer continued,

"If you followed my plan, I'm assure you that not only the Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights will change their side; they will help us willingly! With all of their hearts…their pure and undefiled hearts…" Suddenly Siratyl and Lezon understood what he meant. Then they asked again,

"What shall we do to them now?"

"Heal them first…"

Outside, Andre and Ray still astonished to what they witnessed. The American commented,

"Unbelievable, we're fall to the trap with our consent…what kind of sorcery is that?" The huge lion-like creature answered,

"BEFORE, DARKSPYRE WAS THE PLACE OF THE ANDERION KINGS, NOW IT WAS BELONGED TO THE OVERLORDS…" Jessie watched Leyon incredulously,

"The Overlords? Who are they?"

"THE OVERLORDS WERE THE EVIL SORCERERS FROM ANOTHER WORLDS…NOBODY KNOW WHY THEY ARE COMING HERE…" Ray quipped absentmindedly,

"So, those children were the followers of the Overlords…" The Russian cut him through,

"Or the Overlord themselves! They already know our coming; it was proven from the trap they've prepared for us…" Then she said with certain coldness,

"If so, probably the others had been captured and taken hostage by them…" Now it was Andre's turn to say,

"Then we must help them immediately!" The Indonesian quickly stopped,

"Wait, have you forget that we still have the senshi around? We must beat them first…" Silently, he said,

If so, Ms.Kino were in danger! She was taken hostage by the evil senshi…I must help her! Then Jessie's question jerked him to the reality,

"Leyon, I have a question! Why does our power weaken when we use it? Are the Overlords having something to do with that?" Leyon roared again,

"NO, BUT THERE IS A RULE IN ANDERION; THE PLANET WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE ANOTHER POWERS OTHER THAN MYSTICAL ENERGY…"Once again, Ray snubbed,

"Then the Overlord were in the same table like us, right?" Instantly the Russian reproved him,

"Silly, do you think the Overlords are so stupid to allow themselves to be vulnerable? That's the reason why they lure us to Darkspyre! The city has become their playground; we have to play on their ground and their rule!"

"Black mana!" Andre exclaimed, "That's why the city is full with the black mana! The city has been turned into a cursed ground! Anyone who fight inside would find themselves weakened…" The Indonesian startled to heard such information, then he said resignedly,

"Then there is no hope for us! We can't go back to Earth, and now we can't help our friends either! What shall we do?" Everyone turned to the fiery-maned lion that answered,

"DON'T GIVE UP! THE ONLY THING YOU'VE TO DO IS TO FIND THE SUMMONER AND THE SOUL FRAGMENTS…THE SUMMONER IS HARD TO FIND; I SUGGEST TO FIND THE FRAGMENTS FIRST…"

"Soul Fragments? What is that?"

"THAT IS THE CRYSTALIZED MYSTICAL ENERGY! IT IS LOCATED EAST FROM OUR PLACE. WITH THAT, YOU CAN USE YOUR POWERS AND SKILLS IN DEFINITE TIME, UNLESS…"

"Unless what?" Leyon stared them meaningfully,

"UNLESS THE CRYSTAL HAS CHOSEN YOU AS ITS BEARER! IT IS UP TO YOUR HEART AND FAITH…" Ray lifted his hand,

"Last question, why do we have to use the mystical energy? Is it the same like the others?" The lion roared angrily,

"NOT THE SAME! I TELL YOU, YOU WILL BE ASTONISHED WHEN YOU SEE THE TRUE MYSTICAL POWER OF ANDERION! YOU'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN YOU SEE THE HALF OF IT! THE OVERLORDS CAN'T COMPREHEND THAT…" While Ray shook in fear, Andre asked again,

"Leyon, where do we can find the fragments? Once we find it, how do we use it?"

"GO TO THE SOUL PILLAR AND YOU WILL FIND IT THERE, HOWEVER THE FRAGMENT MIGHT NOT COMPLETE, AND THE SAME WITH YOUR POWERS. ONCE YOU FIND IT, THE FRAGMENT WILL SHOW YOU THE NEXT LOCATION. WHEN IT HAS COMPLETE, YOUR POWERS WILL RETURNED…YET ONLY THE MASTERS WHO CAN BROUGHT YOUR FULL POTENTIAL OUT…"

Nodded, the American turned to his companions,

"Would you come with me, Ms. Cross? Mr. Evans?"

Jessie answered sharply, "Do I have any choice? The Indonesian followed,

"So do I!" The great lion roared proudly and said,

"IF SO, ALLOW THE COURAGEOUS LEYON TO BRING YOU TO THE SOUL PILLAR, OUTLANDERS! THE REST IS YOURS…" Without warning, the lion took them and vanished from the sight…

At the same time, the Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights awoke. It seemed they have been in deep slumber. When opened her eyes, Ami found out that she already in her normal clothing, not in the Sailor costume. Mina asked her,

"Ami, are you all right?" The blue-haired girl nodded, while turning her attention to Kino Makoto and Houhouji Fuu. Makoto held his pained back and neck,

"Ouch, I must be exercised so hard…what a pain!" Meanwhile, Fuu wondered how her glasses could be chipped, but then she smiled,

"I must be careless…" As everyone pondered what happened, they found out that they were inside the Throne Hall. Not for long, they realized that someone isn't with them! Mina was the one, who expressed that,

"Hey, did anyone see Usagi? I don't see her since I awake…" Then Umi said the same thing,

"I don't see Hikaru either…where is he?" Rei joked,

"Ah, probably they went somewhere else…" This time, nobody laughed. Mamoru was disturbed with such thought when Makoto quipped,

"The only thing I've remember that…we're fighting someone here…" Instantly, the memories streamed back to Ami's mind and she exclaimed unconsciously,

"They were kidnapped! I saw it by myself!" Everyone turned to her; instantly Mamoru held her shoulders tight enough. He asked,

"Who did it, Ami? Who?" The blue-haired girl merely turned away,

"Mamoru-san, you've hurt me…" He didn't flinch until Lantis took him gently,

"Calm down…" Instantly Mamoru let her hold go. Then Haruka called them; her face bore a look of pain and nervousness at the same time,

"My prince, you'd better to see this…" They went to Haruka's direction and saw the Outers were there already. Setsuna dropped her head like she was mourned someone, while Hotaru hugged her tightly. When they saw the nearby wall, nobody could hold their shock, anger and surprise anymore. The bloodstained letters was written in…Japanese kanji and it was read like this:

Dear Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights,

Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth would be our guests indefinitely…we know that you'll missed them very much! If you want to know their whereabouts, try it…you're welcome to try…

By the way, they were kind enough to provide us these inks to write this letter…

The Overlords of Anderion

Mamoru watched the letters with aghast, while Minako couldn't hold her emotion. She screamed hysterically,

"Sailor Moon! Give Usagi back to us!!" Makoto fell on the ground, punching the floor to vent her anger and inability to protect her dear friend. Behind her, Rei tried to calm her, while struggling hard to not cry. Ami let her tears flowing freely upon her cheeks. She said to herself,

We're failed! We have been sworn to protect Princess Serenity for eternity, yet…we failed! Why? Are we not deserved to be the senshi anymore? Fuu held Umi who cried at her shoulder, however she struggled to find an answer for this but no avail,

Hikaru, forgive us! We have failed you! We had promised to be together, yet…we can't fulfill it at the end! While everyone cried, Lantis did the contrary. His cold face became hardened; even Haruka couldn't even look to his blue eyes. In swift movement, he pulled his sword and slashed the wall bearing the mocking letter. Instantly the wall crumbled into dust and everyone was silent. He glared dangerously and hissed,

"Hikaru, I'll find you no matter where you are…even if I have to damned myself!"

Few hours later, they came out from the palace. The roads looked busy once again. Ami noticed that their ` new friends' were no longer around. Instantly, Rei complained,

"Great, what kind of friends is that? They left us, while we're fighting to death…" The blue-haired girl replied with tinge of anger,

"Rei, there's something that make Ms. Cross leave us like this…" Yet, the raven-haired girl answered back,

"Sure, probably they were the Overlords' minions! Tell me, Ami! Why do they appear to us suddenly, and then disappeared again? Then we're met the Overlords who had kidnapped Usagi and…whoever the name is! Do you think it is more than a coincidence?" Unable to keep her emotion, Ami shouted back

"Rei-chan! Why do you talk so rudely? Is it not enough to add our problems?" Then Fuu intervened,

"Mizuno-san, calm down! Don't be so judgmental, beside we aren't sure that…" The priestess snapped impatiently,

" Be careful to whom you talk! You…aren't our friend, so stay away from our business!" The brown-haired girl stunned with such scathing words; instantly Umi came for her defense,

"Hey, watch your mouth! Nobody ever talk rudely to my friends…" Rei smiled mockingly,

"No wonder, she is strange like you are…"

"Why, you…" Before those girls could rip each other, Mako and Mina instantly pulled Rei away. The brunette tried to calm her friend,

"Rei-chan, don't be so bitchy now! Usagi-chan has disappeared…we need to calm down!" Then an old vendor passed them by. Everyone was quiet until Haruka said something,

"Probably the strangers know where the Overlords took Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth. Find them, and we'll know the truth…" Michiru and Setsuna looked uneasily to her words. Later, the green-haired woman asked,

"Are you sure, Haruka? It seems too hasty to conclude that…" The short-cropped girl replied,

"What's wrong with that? If they're innocent, there's nothing to be afraid of…" Setsuna was about to protest, but then Hotaru followed,

"Haruka's right! We must find out the truth from them first…by then we'll know what is really happening," Michiru nodded in agreement. Now it was Mamoru's turn to say,

"It looks like we're condemning them right away…Andre wouldn't able to do such thing…I know him well…" Then Haruka asked half-doubtful,

"How long do you know the boy, my Prince?" To this, Mamoru was silent. Truthfully, he knew Andre for six months only. Even he met his guardian, Adrian just before he left to Japan. Adrian asked a question that still tugged inside his mind until now,

Are you ready for the truth when the time has arrived? Will you dare to consider Andre as your friend once you know it?

He has answered `yes', but now he didn't know what he going to say. Usagi has gone, so is Andre…his heart was torn in two. He had a fiancée to save, but in another hand he has another responsibility. Minako's word brought him back again,

"That's enough! I suggest we're looking for Andre Stevens, Jessie Cross and Ray Evans right now! Involve or not, we'll know the truth from them! It is better that we're dispersing to other directions," Everyone were stunned to saw Minako's sudden change, but then it wouldn't come to surprise for the senshi. Sailor Venus was second-in-command after Sailor Moon herself. Lantis, Umi and Fuu didn't protest the arrangement. The blond-haired girl turned to the Outers and said,

"Setsuna, Hotaru, Haruka and Michiru will go to the east, while Ami, Rei, Mamoru and me shall go to the opposite. The Magic Knights can choose their own direction…" Mamoru added,

"Remember, don't harm them until it is proven otherwise…" Ami noticed that Rei and Haruka were quite displeased with the instruction. Suddenly, three old vendors came to them, offering their necklaces. Minako tried to shoo them away,

"Please, we're not in mood to buy anything…" But the vendors didn't budge. It wasn't over until Mako suggested,

"Probably we should take their necklaces, by then they won't disturb us…" The brunette immediately took the green gem, followed by the other who had chosen the gems according their favorite colors. Lantis and Mamoru ignored them. Finally they departed from the cities and waved their hands to the generous vendors.

After a distance, the `vendors' morphed into…the Overlords! Lezon glanced to his companions,

"I can't believe this…they ate our baits twice! What a fool!" Siratyl smiled viciously,

"I can't wait the surprise later…Your Memory Charm worked perfectly," Sylvarius nodded, while his right eye gleamed with unnatural expression,

"They somehow didn't think clearly, loss of Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth have a serious impact to them than I've expected…even they started to quarrel…" They turned to the black-purple crystal above them,

"The Eye of Bane will watch them…we shall see what will become of the strangers, Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights…" Instantly, the city reverted again to the original form, while the dark cloud surrounded the dark crystal, forming a lizard-like eye. It watched the Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights without their knowledge…

Meanwhile De Haargen was inside the peculiar place. He held Soul Chaser staff proudly, while watching the gleaming spirit sphere in the middle of the place. Tsukino Usagi and Shidou Hikaru floated peacefully inside, unaware of the dangers that their friends would face…

Author's note: What will happen later? Will Jessie, Andre and Ray reach the Soul Pillar on time? Will the Sailor Senshi and Magic Knights succumb to the prejudices? What is Sylvarius' plan for them? Watch the confrontation of the Outer Senshi with the strangers on `Insult to Injury'! Give your reviews (or flames)!