Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Ascension Trilogy, Book 3: Ressurrection ❯ Showdown Over Juuban Park ( Chapter 10 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

RESSURRECTION,
Chapter 10: "Showdown over Juuban Park"

By Bill K.

The four senshi ran into the clearing by the lake in Juuban Park
just in time to witness Serenity and Kakyuu be engulfed by a massive
fireball. Jupiter's eyes went wide and she stumbled to a stop. Mercury
choked, her hands flying up to her mouth. Venus let out a strangled
little sob as her worst nightmare seemed to sweep over her like a giant
wave. Echoing through the trees was a bellowed snarl of pain and rage
that sounded like it might be Sailor Star Fighter. Then Mars turned to
them, eyes huge and mouth drawn back in a delirious smile, and for a
tense moment the others thought she had collapsed into madness.

"It's OK!" she said, almost giddy with relief. "She's not dead!
I can feel it!"

Mercury had trouble reconciling the clear evidence she'd witnessed
against the supernatural sight of Mars. The other two dared for a
moment to hope. Then they noticed Endymion poised atop a lamppost, his
sword drawn, waiting for a reason to act. Cautiously they all looked
back at where they had seemingly seen Serenity and Kakyuu immolated.

"STAR SERIOUS LASER!" rang out from the trees. It was followed by
a beam of energy knifing out and striking the Fire Giant squarely in the
temple. The giant recoiled from the pain the beam inflicted upon it.
The beam couldn't destroy it, but it was hurting the giant. The quartet
had to squint, for the beam was far more intense and brilliant than any
they could recall Star Fighter ever emitting before.

And all at once the fireball withdrew, condensing down into nearly
nothing. There floated Serenity and Kakyuu, unscathed by the fire.
Kakyuu had her hands cupped and the once massive flames danced and
cavorted in her palms like a playful puppy. Caressing the fire
lovingly, Kakyuu turned to the Fire Giant.

"You have chosen the wrong way to attack me," she gently
admonished the giant. "The fire and I are old and dear friends. I was
born of the fire. I matured in the fire. I listened to the fire and
heard its wisdom and felt its power." She held out her hand, the fire
cupped in her palm, and gently thrust out. The fire seemed to leap back
to the giant like a docile pet. "I implore you now," she said kindly
and the giant seemed to cock its head and listen. "Leave this place and
return to where you belong."

The giant hesitated, torn between its mission and the siren song
of Kakyuu. Then the sky seemed to thunder above it. Huge flames roared
out through the temporal portal, disgorging heat and smoke as if from
Hell itself. Serenity flinched back, though Kakyuu watched with calm
assurance. The portal seemed to stretch to its limit, then spat out
three more Fire Giants and a man.

The man was tall and wiry, but with a chiseled frame of powerful
muscles. He wore loose red pants, cinched at the waist with a woven
leather belt, and thick leather boots. His shirt was brilliant orange,
again loose and flowing, and he had a cape of red with yellow lining.
His features were long and thin, his eyes sloped and his nose tapered.
Wild, unkempt thick orange hair topped his skull and a gold earring
dangled from his left ear. The stranger levitated in the center of the
quintet of Fire Giants and looked to the two princesses with a menacing
glower.

"You seek to command my subjects, woman?" he snapped, his words
contemptuous, but warning tones hidden beneath.

"I seek merely to return them to their home," Kakyuu replied, calm
and pleasant.

"You would best be served by surrender," he told her. "I am
Nefris, King of the Children of Surt. Do you speak for this pitiful lot
of creatures we have come to judge?"

"That would be her," Kakyuu said, bowing and floating back behind
and to the right of Serenity. "She is Usagi, the Princess Serenity."

Nefris looked Serenity over.

"You're a fair wench," he said, an eyebrow raised, "but I doubt
you're much of a challenge. I give you a choice: accept the judgment
and die a quick death or fight and die slowly and painfully, but with
honor."

Serenity's chest heaved. "Do we have to go through this again?"
she asked.

The question seemed to catch everybody off guard, except Kakyuu.

"We've all been through so much already," Serenity continued.
"Can't you just go? Go back where you came from and live in peace, and
let us live in peace? This won't accomplish anything except get people
hurt! I don't want that!"

"If you've no stomach for battle," Nefris sneered, "then I'll
accept your surrender - - on your knees!"

"Why do you all sound alike?" sighed Serenity. "Do you all go to
some school and learn to do it that way?" The loud snicker that escaped
from Venus's mouth echoed over the lake. "Go home. We've already gone
through your world's 'judgment' and we passed! Leave us alone! Go
home! Go home to your families and your friends and leave us in peace!
And if you don't have any families to go home to - - well, maybe that's
your problem!"

The jaunty superiority was gone from her foe's face, replaced by
simmering anger.

"Indeed, Princess?" Nefris said with a low, threatening tone.
"Perhaps you first need a lesson in the price of mockery."

Watching from the clump of trees, Star Fighter saw the invader's
arm track around until it pointed at the group of firefighters parked by
the lake. Instantly sensing what was coming, Star Fighter bolted toward
them at blinding speed, trying to arrive in time to push them out of
harm's way. As she ran, she knew she couldn't make it.

The fire exploded out from Nefris, much the way it had exploded
out from Candes; however this was far more intense. The gigantic ball
of flame hurled down at the wide-eyed firefighters. They were frozen in
their tracks, the threat barely having time to register in their minds
before it was upon them.

But at the last moment, the fire struck an invisible shield and
fanned out from the impact point. Grass was scorched and trees set
afire, but the firefighters were protected. Star Fighter stopped and
backtracked from the flames, then looked up to the two princesses.
Serenity was gesturing; she had thrown up the energy shield. Star
Fighter smiled proudly.

"Who are you to think you can thwart my will?" demanded Nefris,
whirling on her and Kakyuu. Then his eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you are
this mysterious princess of Midgard? The one who defeated King Vodun
and laid waste to the wretched Sons of Ymir? You strike me as little
more than a kitchen wench - - yet perhaps there is more to you than
meets the eye. Perhaps I will enjoy this challenge more than I thought
I would."

"Ohhhh!" fumed Serenity. "Poopy on your challenge!"

Venus snickered again. Mars put her hand to her forehead and
shook her head in disgust. But Nefris was not amused.

"I won't let you hurt anyone," Serenity told him. "I don't want
to fight you! I don't want this silly little war you seem so eager to
fight! But I won't let you hurt anyone!"

"You dare!" Nefris hissed, eyes flaring with anger. "You dare
deride the challenge? The challenge is our life! We of Knorr wage war
for centuries to win the right to present the challenge to a lower race!
I have seen the blood of friends and family spill to secure the right!
And you, an insignificant human and a woman besides, dare to sneer at
it! You'll die for that!"

His arms came up, ready to throw another fireball. In an
eye-blink, a dark shadow passed in front of his vision. Cold steel
hammered against the leather gauntlets on his forearms, blocking them
from fixing on Serenity. Nefris refocused and found Endymion face to
face with him. The man stared into the fire king's eyes, his message
clear.

"You defend her?" Nefris asked, his eyes dancing. His hand
extended and a sword grew from it. It was a sword of pure fire. "Very
well. Have at it, while your world burns! Destroy them all, my
giants!"

The five Fire Giants lunged forward, their arms extended to
project more flame. Endymion began to move to intercept them, but fell
back into a defensive position when Nefris brought his sword into play.

"Jupiter! Oak Evolution!" Jupiter's voice sang out.

"Exploding Golden Kiss!" Venus yelled.

The twin attacks exploded into the Fire Giants in the lead of the
pack. They fell back, hurt by the bursts of energy and electricity.
Emboldened, Star Fighter brought her power to bear.

"Star Serious Laser!" she cried out and her beam struck the giant
Venus had staggered. The giant's fire seemed to burn even more brightly
for a moment, then snuffed, sending the ashen remains beneath tumbling
to the ground.

"Mars! Flame Sniper!" came the call from Mars. She loosened a
shaft of fire that pierced the heart of the giant reeling from Jupiter's
electrical bursts. But rather than finish it off, the arrow seemed to
revitalize the giant.

"Obviously you can't fight fire with fire in this case," Mercury
told her.

"Then I'll have to fight it a different way," Mars replied.

Producing one of her wards, Mars pressed it to her forehead while
reciting the chant that invoked its power. Chaos was breaking out all
around her, but Sailor Mars remained steady and in command. With a
sudden burst of speed, Mars shot forward several paces and launched the
ward at the nearest Fire Giant. Defying the flames, the paper ward
struck the forehead of the giant and attached itself. Immediately the
giant stopped, lunging around blindly in a futile attempt to find the
ward and remove it.

"Take it, Mercury!" Mars said.

"Sparkling Tsunami!" Mercury called out.

Immediately the giant was inundated by a torrential blizzard.
Chill wind and ice and snow pelted the giant, whipping at its flames and
dousing them little by little. The creature fumbled blindly, confused
and unable to mount a defense until little by little the creature was
snuffed out and disintegrated into ashes.

"Good going, team!" Venus shouted in encouragement. "But there's
still plenty more where they came from! You all know the drill by now!"

Endymion's sword slashed once again through the sword of flame.
As it did, the sword flashed brilliantly. The seemingly intangible
flame deflected Endymion's blade. As it did, the sound of steel on
steel echoed around them. Endymion glared at Nefris and was greeted
with a mocking smile.

"So, 'Champion', the mettle of Nefris is more than you first
imagined," Nefris gloated.

"I never underestimated you," Endymion replied as he parried a
thrust of the flaming sword and felt his own deflected away. "It's you
who have underestimated Earth - - you and your opposite chess piece,
Vodun. You think of us as inferior, as unworthy of you both. How
little you both know of us!"

Endymion evaded a thrust by executing a perfect pirouette and
slashing down at Nefris, who blocked. With each clash of sword blades,
Endymion studied the sword. It didn't react normally. If it was truly
made of fire, his blade should pass through it. There was something in
the center of the flame, whether tangible or mystical, that gave the
blade substance. He parried another thrust and came up face to face
with Nefris.

"I know more than I care to know!" sneered Nefris. "Vodun died
because he grew weak and complacent in victory! We of the grace of Surt
have hungered for our time and that time is now! We will not be denied,
not by the dog sons of Ymir or by the mud children of Midgard!" He
hacked at Endymion, driving the man back. With every plunge of the
sword, the blade grew hotter and more brilliant. "You will not stop us!
You don't have the power!"

"We do!" retorted Endymion, dancing out of the way of another
hacking swing of the fiery blade. "I will defeat you! For the sake of
the billions of voices that cry out to me in pain and anger, demanding
an end to this vile contest of yours! And for the sake of a single
woman who has graced me with the greatest gift she could ever bestow!"

Their blades clashed again, shooting sparks. Each ember fell to
the ground and from them grew more Fire Giants.

"This is threatening to get out of hand!" Mercury judged.
"Serenity! Contain them!"

Mesmerized by the battle and her fear for Endymion's safety,
Serenity shook herself and looked down. Mercury's words seemed to
register in her brain for the first time. Nodding, she swooped down on
the spreading Fire Giants. As they shot their flames out at anything
that lived, Serenity gestured. An invisible wall sprang up around the
Giants, blocking and containing their bursts.

"Please stop this," Serenity pleaded with the nearest giant,
levitating near the creature.

It replied by shooting fire at her, fire that was easily blocked
by the barrier. Sighing in resignation, Serenity cupped her hands and
the barrier became a bubble around the giants. They all struck at the
bubble, filling it with fire until the sight of them was obliterated.

"You have them, Serenity!" Star Fighter called out. "Crush them
while you can!"

"No, Star Fighter," Serenity replied. "There's still a place for
mercy in this world." She looked up to Kakyuu, who was calmly observing
the battles. "Kakyuu! Can you help me? Can you open a portal to Knorr
so I can send these creatures back?"

"For you, dear friend, anything," Kakyuu smiled serenely.

Her hands came up and she seemed to wipe at nothing. The sky
shimmered and a patch began to open. It was visible only because the
blue of the sky within seemed brighter and bluer than the one over
Tokyo.

Nefris seemed distressed by this turn of events and his
distraction gave Endymion an opening. Shifting his sword to his other
hand, Endymion materialized a rose and flung it. The rose embedded
itself in the wrist of the sword hand of Nefris. The sword dropped from
his grip and the flame snuffed out, revealing a deadly blade that hid in
the center of the flame. Endymion's sword came up, its tip pointed
under the chin of Nefris.

"Endgame," Endymion proclaimed.

"Impossible!" Nefris gasped, reeling with the thought of defeat.
"What are you? No human is capable of this!"

"All humans are capable of this," replied Endymion. "I am the
Prince of this world and its strength flows through me."

On the ground, Uranus had finally roused. Though battered and
bruised, she ignored the pain and made her way over to Neptune.

"Neptune?" she asked fearfully, gently shaking the woman.

"I'll make it," Neptune whispered, rousing painfully. "I guess
the others came through where we didn't."

"We would have beaten them eventually," Uranus replied.

Neptune flashed her a playful smile, then glanced over her
shoulder. Pluto was already up and observing what transpired above
them. Feeling Uranus supporting her, Neptune looked, too.

"So?" Nefris asked bitterly. "Kill me and be done with it."

"I'd like to," Endymion told him. "I know the mindset that
possesses you all too well. Peace is an alien thing to you. It's
almost a slow death. So you'll be back to attack us again, to inflict
more pain and suffering and revel in it."

"Then do it! What stays your hand? Cowardice?"

"She wouldn't approve," Endymion stated. He could feel Serenity
look back at him, even as she shoved eight Fire Giants through the
dimensional portal Kakyuu had opened up. He felt her grateful, loving
smile. "And her love and approval is worth a thousand of you."
Endymion lowered his sword. "You're beaten. Go home."

Pluto watched from the ground with a grimace, like she knew what
was coming. It gave Neptune a sudden flash of apprehension and she
turned back to the skies.

As Endymion's sword lowered, Nefris raised his arm. Suddenly fire
shot out from his hand, aimed at Endymion's head. Endymion flinched
back and Nefris pivoted, gesturing to his sword.

"NOW!" he bellowed, lunging with his newly energized sword at
Endymion.

More Fire Giants lunged from the temporal portal. They threw fire
at the startled Serenity and Kakyuu and at the senshi on the ground.
Neptune's eyes widened and she tried to speak her attack phrase before
it was too late.

"CHRONOS WHIRLPOOL!" Neptune heard Pluto shout and her blood ran
cold.

For all the senshi, for Serenity and Endymion, and for Kakyuu and
Star Fighter, the world ground to a halt around them. The fireballs
that were streaming at them slowed and stopped. The movements of Nefris
and of his Fire Giants stopped. Everything around them was frozen.

"What happened?" puzzled Serenity.

"We have been given a reprieve," judged Kakyuu. "I will dissipate
the fireballs, Usagi. I leave the disposition of the invaders to you."

While keeping the portal to Knorr open, Kakyuu focused on a
fireball and slowly dissipated it. She moved from fireball to fireball
until each one was neutralized.

"What are you going to do with them, Serenity?" Jupiter asked as
Serenity gathered Nefris and the Fire Giants in the temporal portal into
another bubble.

"Send them home," Serenity replied. "Then find a way to seal off
that time hole once and for all."

"What happens if they come back?" Venus posed. "Just because you
beat them and sent them home doesn't mean they'll accept it and stay
there."

Everyone seemed to hang on Serenity's words.

"If they come back," Serenity said finally, with conviction in her
voice, "I'll just have to stop them again - - I mean we'll have to stop
them. But everyone deserves a chance to make amends and learn from
their mistakes."

"I hope we all don't end up regretting that decision," Mars
cautioned.

"If we do, I'm sure you'll let me know about it," Serenity
replied. The two flashed playful grins at each other, then Serenity
shoved the intruders through the portal back to Knorr.

Instantly the world began to move normally again. Satisfied
things were finally set right, Serenity turned back to her senshi.
That's when she spotted Sailor Pluto flat on her back, the Time Staff
inches from her hand. Sailor Neptune was already crouching next to her,
with Uranus behind her.

"Pluto!" Serenity shrieked.

She flew down to the ground where Neptune cradled Sailor Pluto.
Serenity knelt beside her.

"Is she . . .?" Serenity gasped.

"Not yet," Neptune whispered, feeling for a pulse. "I can barely
feel a pulse, though." Mercury instantly shoved her way in and felt the
pulse.

"She's going into shock," Mercury said. "Get something to cover
her with! Get those paramedics over here! I'm going to need their
equipment!"

"Come on, Pluto! Hang on a little longer!" Neptune implored her.

"What happened?" Serenity pleaded. "Was she hit?"

"No," Neptune said. "It was when she stopped time! She tried it
once before, but the strain and the energy expenditure was too much for
her! It nearly killed her then!"

"She's going into cardiac arrest!" Mercury said. Her hands went
to Pluto's chest to begin heart massage. "If you medics have any
Eppodrine over there, I need it stat!" Eppodrine was the new wonder
drug used to treat emergency heart attack patients.

"NO!" wailed Serenity.

Before Mercury could touch her, Serenity seized Pluto's shoulders.
Upon contact, a silver glow enveloped them both. Mercury snatched her
hands away and she and Neptune stared in wonder. Endymion and Kakyuu
glided down to flank Serenity, while the others crowded around to watch.
They saw the edges of Pluto's mouth begin to curl.

Then contact was broken. The glow dissipated. Serenity fell
backwards, swooning, and was caught by Endymion. He cradled his wife
gently and caressed her cheek. Shaking herself, Mercury checked Pluto.

"Pulse," she mumbled, "breathing - - all normal."

"Pluto's all right?" asked Neptune.

"Don't ask me how," Mercury said. "Although I suppose it's
obvious." Then she looked, awe-struck, at Serenity. "Endymion . . .?"

"It took a little out of her," Endymion said, cradling Serenity
protectively. "But she'll be all right."

"She took a great risk," Kakyuu said, Star Fighter flanking her.
"This woman was slipping past life into death and Usagi plucked her
back. She could very easily have slipped in with her."

"I'm not that clumsy anymore," Serenity mumbled.

"Forgive me for doubting you," Kakyuu replied in good humor.

"Serenity, are you . . .?" Mercury began.

"I'll be all right," Serenity told her, rousing and sitting up.
"How's Pluto?"

"Recovering," Pluto whispered, her eyes inching open. "I thank
you for my life, My Queen."

"I'm just glad I could save you," Serenity smiled, weakly pulling
herself over next to Pluto. Then she grew cross. "But don't you ever,
ever, EVER do that again! It's too dangerous! Don't you ever stop time
ever again! I absolutely forbid it!"

Pluto, sitting up as well, bowed her head, then smothered a smile.
"By your decree, My Queen: From this day forth, I am forbidden to stop
time," and she looked up at Serenity, her smile quite wry, "under
penalty of death."

"Nice to know you still have your weird sense of humor," Neptune
jabbed playfully. Everybody else smiled except Serenity, who didn't get
the joke. Then Pluto sobered. She looked at Serenity, distress and
apology obvious in her eyes.

"I fear though, My Queen," she said painfully, "that one day
circumstances will compel me to disobey you."

Continued in Chapter 11