Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Over The Rainbow ❯ Malachite's Decision ( Chapter 19 )

Over The Rainbow 19

Malachite's Decision

I just made up Sailor Rainbow/Lydia, Lucky and Madam Indigo with whatever brain cells are left in my head.

Princess Serena looked out at the Earth and sighed. "I wish I could meet a prince someday and--"

Lydia got an idea. Her two best friends ending up together. It was perfect!

"Serena, I need to go back to Earth for a while." Lydia said. "May I borrow the Silver Imperium Crystal?"

"So soon?" Serena asked.

"I'm afraid so."

"Can I come with you?" she questioned.

"I'll be right back," Lydia promised. "I'll be bringing a friend along, from Earth. You'll love him, Serena. He's a great laddie and my best friend from Earth."

"Oh, hurry back," Serena said, giving her the moon crystal. "And be careful."

"Of course."

It was nighttime when Lydia arrived on Earth. She hurried to Darien's castle and climbed up an oak tree outside his window. She climbed the tree many times before, but it was hard now because she was wearing a fancy gown. She managed to get the window open and get in, but she fell onto the floor.

"Oof," she groaned and got back to her feet. "Ow…I should've changed first." She walked to Darien's bedside and shook him. "Darien. Darien, wake up."

"Hmm?" he woke up and saw a face in front of him. It was dark and he didn't recognize Lydia. He opened his mouth to scream. "GUARDS!"

"Noo! Shh!" Lydia put her hand on his mouth. "Darien, it's me!"

"Meedeeeya?"

"Yes, Darien," she said, taking her hand off his mouth.

"You're back from the moon!" he gasped. He sat up and embraced her. He noticed her fancy gown. "Lydia, you look like a princess."

"It's because I am," she said.

"What?"

"I heard Prince Darien," said a guard, "let's---"

"Oh, hide, quickly, under the bed," Darien urged, taking her ar and lifted up a cover. The guards came in just as Lydia pulled her legs underneath.

"Are you all right, your highness?"

"Yes."

"We heard a noise."

"I um…just a bad dream," he lied. "That's all."

"Oh, well, good night then."

"Good night."

The guards left. Coast was clear. Darien got on his hands and knees. "Now, what was that you said? You're really a princess and you never told me?"

"I just found out when I went to the moon," Lydia explained, crawling out from underneath the bed. "Darien, come with me."

"Really? Come to the moon?"

"Yes, the moon princess. She's wonderful, Darien! You will love her!" Lydia exclaimed. "I want you to meet her."

Darien could not pass up an opportunity like that. "I'll get dressed. Wait for me at the bottom of the tree."

"Good!" She walked to the window and grabbed for the branch.

"Be careful, Lydia," Darien warned.

"Oh, I'm fine," Lydia said, scurrying down the tree. However, just 2 thirds down the tree, she fell.

"Lydia, are you all right?" Darien asked.

"Yes…just hurry and get dressed," she replied, getting up. "Oh, I ripped my dress!"

Darien dressed quickly and bustled down the tree. He took Lydia's hand and they ran off the palace ground. Lydia pulled out a crystal and held it up at the moon.

"MOON COSMIC POWER!"

Before Darien could ask about the crystal, a sphere went around them and carried them to the moon.

*****

"Lydia, you're back!" Serena cried.

"I told you I would," Lydia said and hugged her. She gave the crystal back.

Darien looked at Serena in surprise. He could not believe it. The princess was real.

"Serena, I want you to meet my best friend from Earth," Lydia said, looking behind her. "Prince Darien."

Serena gasped and reached her hand out in greeting. "Welcome to the Moon Kingdom."

Darien stepped passed Lydia and reached for Serena's hand. He kissed it. "Pleasure to be here."

"Pleasure all mine."

Lydia grinned. She had found a perfect princess for her friend. There was nothing more she could want, except, that maybe if she could be that princess. But Serena was a princess longer than Lydia and even if Lydia and Darien were best friends, falling in love, taking their friendship to the next level would be risky. They were too good of friends to be anything else.

*****

"You learned you were a princess," Queen Azure said, "but even after that, you did not want to complicate things with Darien. I knew you were a princess and so did the people of the moon kingdom. But no one on Earth knew your identity."

"Well, I think I'm too good for him anyway," Sailor Rainbow joked. "And I'm sure I'll find someone someday. Maybe Darien has a friend he hasn't introduced me to yet."

*****

The three cats were still walking through the tunnel. They could see a teeny bit of day light at the end.

"Is that light down there?" Luna asked.

"Aye, lassie," Lucky replied.

"And about time too," Artemis groaned, "my paws are getting sore."

"Ah, it's good for yeh, laddie," Lucky said, "puts hair on your chest."

"I already have a hairy chest!" Artemis gasped. "I'm a cat!"

"Not as much as me," Lucky said, puffing out his furry chest and meowing deeply. Luna pretended not to find it funny.

"Let's keep moving, gentlemen." She said in her proper voice.

They left the tunnel and found them selves into a frozen wasteland.

"What is this place?" Luna asked, "It's so cold and bleak."

"It's the perfect place for Beryl to launch her attack from," Artemis said.

"Aye," Lucky agreed.

*****

Princess Serena and Princess Lydia walked down the stairs to the ball. Serena was sad that Darien was not there, because he had to go to Earth for battle. Lydia had suggested going with him and helping him fight, but he had urged her to stay with Serena.

"Maybe he'll come back," Lydia said.

"You think so?" Serena asked.

"Good evening, princesses," said a young man at the foot of the stairs. He was dressed in a tuxedo, a mask and a black and red cape.

The princesses recognized him immediately.

"Darien," Serena said.

"I told yeh he'd come back," Lydia reminded. "Evening, Darien."

They came to the bottom of the stairs and he kissed each hand. "May I have this dance, Princess Serena? It may be our last one."

"As long as you promise Lydia one," Serena said.

"Oh, no, no," Lydia said, taking both of their hands and putting them together. "You dance, talk. I'm sure another laddie will ask me to dance."

"Thanks, Lydia," Serena said as Darien took her to the dance floor.

"This Beryl," Darien said as they danced, "she's more dangerous than I thought. The whole universe is in danger."

"Even the moon?" Serena asked.

"Especially the moon." He explained, "to conquer the universe, she has to start with the moon. I'll stay and protect you and your home."

*****

The fateful, sad day arrived. Queen Beryl, the Negaforce, her warriors arrived for a battle. The cats spread the news.

"We're under attack!" Luna shouted. "Under attack!"

"Get ready for battle!" Artemis added. "We need everyone we can get to fight!"

"To the armaments immediately!" Lucky finished. "Our day has come!"

The Negaforce crated an explosion that shook the foundation of the palace. The four sailor scouts counter attacked.

"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!"

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!"

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!"

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!"

However, their efforts were no match for the Negaforce. "Ha-ha-ha. Pathetic humans. I shall vanquish you."

Queen Beryl was ecstatic. She laughed evilly. "The universe will be mine! I'll have you all begging for mercy! You cannot defeat the Negaverse!" Behind her was Malachite with the rest of her warriors and generals.

"Only the Negaverse will prevail!"

Malachite laughed in agreement. Beryl decided to face the moon princess face to face. "Well, isn't it the moon princess? All dressed up with no place to go except OLBLIVION!" She charged her.

"BACK OFF YOU WITCH!" Princess Lydia threatened, stepping in front of Serena.

Darien repelled her attack with a rose.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Prince Darien," he replied. "Sworn to defend the moon kingdom from evil like you."

"Prince Darien from Earth?! I've heard of you. You have great promise. Well, I can see why she'd hang onto you, but you're wasting your time with this twit. Why not come taste the joy of winning, Darien? We'll rule the Negaverse together."

"He won't do it!" Princess Lydia shouted. "None of us will!"

"Hold your tongue," Queen Beryl ordered. "I wasn't asking you."

"She's right," Prince Darien said, "why would I want to join forces with a snake like you, all twisted and ugly from bitterness?"

Lydia grinned at his answer. However, Queen Beryl was not very pleased. "Oh, no one speaks to Queen Beryl like that!"

"Well, he just did!" Lydia snapped, "and there's nothing yeh can do about it! Yeh snake!" Lydia spat at Beryl's boots.

The Negaforce continued to shoot beams throughout the palace, tearing it apart. Serena and Lydia are almost hit by one, but Darien pushed them away. His sacrifice was an act of honor and he paid the price by being pulled up by the beam's power.

"Darien, what is happening?" Serena asked.

"Run, Serena, just run!" he shouted back. "Lydia, get Serena out of here! Take her to Earth!"

Lydia held on to her hand. "Come, Serena," she said, trying to keep her tears back. "Make his sacrifice an act of honor."

"But I can't leave him," Serena sniffed. "Darien, I want to be with you!" she wriggled out of Lydia's grasp and throws herself up onto a beam.

"Serena, come back!" Lydia cried.

"Darien!" Serena cried.

"Serena!"

They reached for each other's hands but then the Negaforce separated them. They were gone. Lydia looked up in disbelief, shaking her head. "No…no…Darien…Serena…no…no…!"

"No! She's taken them both!" Queen Serenity cried, her hand clenched in Azure's.

"Now Lydia is all alone again," Azure said.

Tears welling up in her eyes soon to fall down her cheeks, Lydia fell to her knees. "No. Now…now I've lost BOTH of them!" She hit the ground. "This can't be! I don't believe this!"

Queen Beryl laughed at Lydia and her friend's demise, "the little twit and her prince are gone, their pixie friend is all alone and the snake lives!"

Lydia glared over at Queen Beryl with a revenge-hunger look in her eyes.

*****

The cats were not doing well in the frozen wasteland. They had to be traveling too long. Artemis collapsed. Lucky stopped next to him in an effort to warm him up, since his fur was thicker than the two other cats.

"No Artemis, we can't quit now," Luna said, though she was cold herself.

"Get up laddie," Lucky insisted. "It shouldn't be long."

"In five minutes we'll be frozen cat sickles," Artemis groaned. He glanced at Lucky's fur. "At least one of us."

"But Central Control said there were strong Negaverse vibes here." Luna said. "We need to check it out."

"Lean against me," Lucky ordered. "Hopefully my fur will be enough to keep all three of us warm."

"Thank you, Lucky," Luna said, leaning against him. Artemis pushed himself up, though tired and leaned against the other side of Lucky.

"Good think you're here, pal," Artemis mumbled.

"Everything will be all right," Lucky said. "Just hold on."

Not long after, they found a thick rising smoke from a crater in the ice.

"ARTEMIS! LUCKY! LOOK AT THAT!" Luna shouted.

"Worse than I thought, Luna," Artemis said, "Beryl's already here to set up the attack on earth."

"This is very bad," Lucky agreed. "We should get back and tell the scouts."

"So, the kittens are out without their mittens," Malachite said, stepping out from the smoke.

Artemis screamed, Luna gasped and Lucky hissed.

*****

After the story told, the scouts were sent back to the cavern.

"We're back!" Venus shouted.

"Look the cave!" Mars added.

Sailor Moon was in tears after seeing her mother. Sailor Rainbow rested her arm around her shoulders.

"They saved us," Moon told her friend.

"Aye, they saved us all." Rainbow said. "And now we have to stop Queen Beryl."

They heard screaming. "Your guardian days are over, fur balls!" Malachite shouted, who was giving the cats a serious beating.

"No, Luna!" Moon gasped.

"Artemis, we'll save you!"

"Box his ears, Lucky!"

Artemis collapsed over Luna. Lucky fell next them. "Yer day has come."

"This is low," Moon grunted, "Even for a slime ball like you!"

"You can't blame me, brat!" Malachite snarled. "They're the ones who train you to be as annoying as you are!"

"Why don't we show him what they really taught us?" Jupiter asked.

"Yeah, you're going down, creep!" Mars added.

"I'm warning you, Malachite!" Moon cried, "You're not winning this one. And you're never getting my crystal!"

"Didn't your mother ever teach you 'Never say never?'" he demanded. A dark, evil shadow loomed over them. The whole place was filled with evil energy. He produced two boomerang-like weapons, which he threw at Sailor Moon. Rainbow gasped, recognizing the weapons and stepped through to catch them.

Surprised, Malachite backed up.

Rainbow dropped the weapons into the ground. "Yeh should talk, Malachite."

"What?"

"I've told yeh the very same thing, don't yeh remember?"

"Can't say I do," he said, producing two more. He prepared himself to throw them at her.

"Still taking orders from Queen Beryl, eh?" she demanded. "Don't follow her orders! Follow yer instincts! I know yeh don't want to hurt me, Malachite. I pity yeh. Yeh should see yehself."

Those words echoed in Malachite's mind. I pity yeh. Yeh should see yehself. He heard them before.

*****

Queen Beryl noticed Lydia's icy glare. "Oh, you miss your friends? Well we can arrange that. Eliminate her, Malachite."

"Yes, my queen."

Lydia laughed, "what a joke. Can't take me yehself, Queen Beryl? Yeh need to have yer hound dog to do it for yeh?" She stood up. "Yeh killed my friends! Yeh took 'em away from me and I will not forget it! I will have justice for what yeh have done! In this life or the next, I will hunt yeh all down like the dogs yeh are!" she spat into Queen Beryl's eyeball.

"Princess Lydia, what are you doing?" Luna asked.

"No," Lucky said, "just wait."

"She's going to get herself killed," Artemis muttered.

"Let us watch."

"Do away with her quickly, Malachite! Now!" Queen Beryl screamed.

Malachite stepped forward, creating two boomerang weapons. As he tossed them to Princess Lydia, she set them on fire and ducked out of the way. They crashed to the ground and melted away.

"I'm not going down that easily," Lydia hissed.

"Ah, a challenge," Malachite said. "Fine."

Lydia created a mist, keeping him from using his old attack. She lay flat on the ground and kept quiet.

"Where did she go?" he demanded, walking around in the mist.

"I don't see her," said Zoicite. "Has anyone?"

The other generals mumbled their nos.

"Find her and kill her, Malachite!" Queen Beryl ordered. "I don't have time for this!"

Malachite stepped right over Lydia's body and she felt the vibration of his feet. She pulled up some of the sand from the moon and stood up as the mist began to thin.

"I see her, Malachite, she's behind you!" Zoicite warned.

"Huh?" he turned around and Lydia threw the sand in his eyes. He screamed, blinking as he backed away. "You'll pay for that!"

"Yeh have sand in yeh eyes," Lydia told him. "But I don't mean the sand I just threw. I mean the kind that Queen Beryl blinded yeh with. Yeh have sand in yer eyes." She looked at the other generals. "Yeh all have sand in yer eyes! She's herding yeh like cattle! And I will clean it out if I have to put some sand in it of my own! I will stop you all! I'll have my vengeance for the loss of my friends!"

Malachite heard enough. He wiped the sand out of his eyes and focused on Lydia. "You'll never stop us."

"Never say never to me," Lydia said.

His hand glowed with intense energy and he hurled his most powerful energy blast at her. Lydia was fatally wounded. She screamed as she was knocked back. She held her side and looked up at Malachite. He walked over at her and grinned.

"Oh?" he said. "What were you saying?"

Blood trickled down her lip. She might have been fatally wounded but she had to say one last thing to Malachite. "I pity yeh. Yeh should see yehself."

"What?" a surprised, almost a look of remorse appeared on his face.

Lydia slumped face down on the ground and died.

"Lydia's right!" Azure shouted. "We won't let you take our daughters' future!"

"What do you expect to do?" Queen Beryl demanded.

Queen Azure held up the Prism Crystal and Queen Serenity held up the wand with the silver Imperium crystal. "We're sending you back where you came from!" Queen Serenity hissed. "MOON COSMIC POWER!"

"RAINBOW BRILLIANT RADIATION!"

******

"Yeh still have sand in yer eyes, dun't yeh, Malachite?" Sailor Rainbow asked. "Dun't yeh think it's time to take it out? Yeh have served Beryl for a thousand years and who knows how long before that. Are you going to serve her for another thousand years?"

Malachite stalled and pulled his hands to the side. In his heart, he knew Sailor Rainbow was right.

"Malachite! What are you doing?" Queen Beryl demanded.

"Something I should have done a millennium ago," he replied, dropping the weapons he planned to use to strike Sailor Rainbow down.

"No! Malachite! You fool!"

"I don't serve you, anymore Queen Beryl," he said, "I am a free man now."

"I want you to get that crystal now!"

"Get it yourself!" he shouted. "I'm sick of following your orders! You'll just kill me in the end anyway!"

Queen Beryl ceased her little talk with him. Sailor Rainbow laughed in surprise, pleased.

He looked tiredly up to Sailor Rainbow and Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon, Sailor Rainbow, I have been working for Queen Beryl too long. I ask you to end my misery now."

Sailor Moon and Sailor Rainbow exchanged glances. "It will be our pleasure, Malachite," Sailor Moon voiced.

"This shouldn't hurt too much," Sailor Rainbow said.

"It has to be better than whatever punishment Queen Beryl would give me," he sighed.

Sailor Moon raised the wand and Sailor Rainbow held up the prism crystal.

"MOON COSMIC POWER!"

"RAINBOW BRILLIANT RADIATION!"

Malachite watched the great blast of light swarm toward him. He smiled and sighed. The blast had to have hurt, but he felt no pain. He fell onto his back, close to death.

Sailor Rainbow walked to him. She knelt down and took his hand in hers. "Yeh dun good, laddie. Yeh dun good."

"I'm sorry, forgive me," he said weakly. "I've gone too far. I should've listened to you a millennium ago. Now Queen Beryl is stronger and the whole universe is doomed. I wish there was something I can do but…I feel so…tired."

"Shh," Sailor Rainbow said, "that will do, laddie, that will do. Yeh have served her far too long. Yeh need to finally rest."

Malachite opened his palm and a new indigo bow appeared inside of it. "This is for you, a token of my gratitude. Beware of the Negaverse. There is more evil. Things are not always what they seem."

"Thanks for the bow, Malachite and the good advice."

"We'll remember it," Mercury said.

"Do something for me," Malachite said weakly.

"Anything," Sailor Moon said.

"Win this battle for me."

"You got it," Sailor Moon promised.

"Let us handle it from now on," Mars said.

Malachite smiled, "You girls are brave, but it's going to take a lot more than just bravery to dethrone Queen Beryl."

"Yeah, we know," Venus nodded.

Sailor Rainbow patted the back of his hand, took her new bow, put in on her back, and pulled Malachite's hands to his chest. "Zoicite is waiting for you, Malachite." She rose to her feet. "Go to her."

"Yes…I'll do that…thank you for freeing me, sailor scouts. Good luck." He closed his eyes and he decomposed into glowing dust. It flew over to a swarm of cherry blossoms that took the shape of Zoicite for a short moment. She smiled and then both Zoicite and Malachite were gone.

"We have to keep our promise," Sailor Rainbow said, "for him, for Tuxedo Mask, for everyone!"

"There's no way we'll let Queen Beryl win this time," Sailor Moon said. "The Negaverse is history!"

"Way to go, Sailor Rainbow, Sailor Moon," Luna said, "you put Malachite's soul to rest."

"Just like your mothers did," Lucky added.

"Thanks," Rainbow said.

"Artemis, you guys," Venus began, "what were you thinking, going against him?"

"We had to try stopping him somehow," Artemis said.

"Well, Beryl has met her match," Sailor Moon said. "We are going to trash her! For good!"

*****

"Malachite you fool," Beryl muttered. "How dare you turn against me! No matter. I no longer needed you anyway."

"Queen Beryl, I believe it is my turn for the spot light," Sailor Shadow said, coming out of the shadow.

"Yes, but I want you to stay here just in case they make it here," Queen Beryl said. "I want you to make a surprise for Sailor Rainbow. The doom and gloom girls will make sure Moon and Rainbow won't be having company."

"Good idea," Sailor Shadow said. The doom and gloom girls stood behind her. "I'll finish whatever the doom and gloom girls start."

"You can count on us, my queen," the lead doom and gloom girl, "we won't betray you like that traitor Malachite."

"Our day has come!" Sailor Shadow snarled. "I can't wait!"

Concluding Chapter: Rainbow's Shadow