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Blowing kisses at me, Alraune pranced about in the manner of a peacock while Sailor Mars remained barely conscious. The Outer Senshi were on a mysterious errand, and it was up to the Inner Senshi and myself to buy time until they arrived. But a question remained... besides the power of my blood, why did Alraune want me? Was she an agent of some higher power?
"We have to rescue Mars quickly!" Sailor Moon warned.
"Yes, but how? We don't know her full capabilities yet!" Sailor Mercury added.
"So what? Let's get Mars and worry about the rest later!" Sailor Jupiter said as she started to dash off.
"Wait." I said as I thrust my arm in front of her.
"Wait? Why?" she asked.
"Mercury is right. We do not know the extent of her powers just yet. And you are the third-strongest among us. If I fail, the others will need your might." I spoke as I looked at her from the corner of my eye.
"All right. But be careful!" Jupiter warned.
Running forward while watching the ground for erupting vines, I drew my sword and began to hack through the vines trapping Sailor Mars. The sharp THWACK of my blade upon them could be compared to someone chopping through a jungle thicket with a machete. The vines began to tighten, then loosen as I kept cutting away at them, determined to release Sailor Mars before it was too late. They fell to the ground and cushioned her as she fell with them. As I stooped over to pick her up, I heard a faint rustle of fabric, an indication that I was not alone!
"Behind you!" Sailor Venus screamed.
Turning around with Sailor Mars in my arms, I jumped with a start as Alraune's face met mine! Her blue eyes met mine, an alluring sight that displayed amorous intent and malicious plans simultaneously. Darting behind me before I could turn around, Alraune wrapped her arms around my neck and shoulders and began to speak to me.
"Why don't you drop that little girl and carry a real woman in your arms?" she asked in a low, disturbing yet attractive voice.
"Why are you after me?" I asked.
"Because royalty sent me. And you know how they are... riiiight?" she answered with a cheerful tone.
"Who?" I asked.
"That's for YOU to find out, you handsome devil!" she said as I felt her arms lift off of my neck and shoulders and see her flit in front of me again. She was undoubtedly in the employ of an evil being, and they were royalty of sorts. But that question had to wait. Without warning, she drew my face to hers and kissed me in the mouth!
I dropped Sailor Mars and flailed about for a few seconds before she let go of me. As I staggered about, she dashed off giggling like a schoolgirl. When I caught sight of her again, my vision inexplicably began to turn hazy and colors began to flash before my eyes. I walked towards her for a second, but then she appeared somewhere else, and the colors were intensifying.
"Hehehehe! Like it? It's one of my favorite lipsticks, a little something I call Dance of Illusions!" Alraune crowed.
I walked forward a few more steps, then tripped and landed on my face. The colors had stopped, but the hazy vision remained the same. My coordination suffered as I tried to get up but placed my hands too wide.
"What's happening to him?" Sailor Venus asked.
"I don't know. Sailor Mercury and I will get Sailor Mars. Sailor Venus, you and Sailor Jupiter get him, but hurry!" Sailor Moon warned as she set off towards where I had dropped Mars.
"Go get her for all I care. I won't stop you." Alraune said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Mercury, watch her while I get Mars!" Sailor Moon ordered.
"OK. But be fast!" Sailor Mercury answered.
After strenuous effort, I managed to balance myself on my knees and began to make the last effort to get on my feet. My vision was still fuzzy as I began to rise hesitantly, but I was almost there when I caught sight of something. I thought I saw two girls in sailor outfits running towards me, but something seemed out of place. For one thing, I saw something that looked like blood trailing with each step they took. Their features seemed familiar, but they were somehow distorted.
Only when they drew closer did I realize the extent of their condition. The blond-haired girl's body was badly cut and scarred with dried blood covering the wounds, her hair was disheveled and her skin was a sickly shade of green, a stark contrast to her blue eyes. The brown-haired girl was in the same shape but was missing an eye and some teeth! The one eye looking at me was green, much like an emerald. I saw them reaching out to claim me like revenants from another world.
Panicking, I fumbled for my blade as I stepped backwards while watching them nervously. As I watched them, they looked at me with puzzled expressions and began to say something to me. It took me a few times to hear what they were saying, but my blood froze as I began to understand their words.
"We will consume your flesh and soul, Jordan. We will claim you as our rich prize. You will be a worthy meal for us."
My eyes widened as they stepped closer to me, bloody footprints being formed with each step. In a panic, I turned to run and put as much distance between me and them as possible. To my horror, they ran after me with the same speed, easily matching and surpassing it. As they literally jumped in front of me, I fell sideways and landed on my left leg, which caused a sickening CRACK to fill the air.
I tried to get up, but my left leg refused to work. A shooting pain coursed through my leg each time I tried to use it, an alarming sign that it was badly injured. Unable to easily escape, I was easier prey for the revenants who stood in front of me. I did not imagine that I would end up in this situation, but now was the time to make my last stand. Drawing my blade and firing up my courage, I prepared for a fight to the death.
"Come and get me, you foul creatures! I'll give you a fight before I let you claim my soul!" I shouted as I slashed at the blond-haired girl's arm. An expression of shock appeared on her face as she quickly pulled it back... perhaps those creatures were unused to prey that fought back! They had not reckoned on my might!
"Come on! You have to do better than that!" I shouted further, feeling the blood rush to my face. The brown-haired one leaned down to pick me up, but I dealt her a strong kick to the midsection with my right leg. Doubling over in pain, she looked at me with her eye and a gaping mouth. She appeared to motion to the other to run away, probably to seek backup. My courage fired up by adrenaline, I determined to give chase.
"Yes... flee before me! I'm going to kill every last one of your disgusting ilk, then make a bonfire with the parts!" I thought as I used my blade like a cane. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I stumbled after them, my rage growing by the moment. I saw visions of Queen Serenity, her daughter Princess Serenity, and the royal guardians lying in pools of blood at the feet of those... things and felt a combination of revulsion and rage. Their deaths would not go unavenged as long as I lived.
Stumbling after the two fleeing creatures, I found that there were two more in the same costume, sailor outfits with varying colors. One was blue-haired and the other had blond hair arranged in a strange hairstyle. The blond was holding a raven-haired creature in her arms. With the five eying me fearfully, I began to think.
"They're used to easy prey. I broke that pattern. Why not kill them all and show those bottom-feeding demons the true meaning of power?" I thought. Shinigami's raspy voice chimed in to second my opinion.
"Yessss... spill their blood. You were meant to do that... BORN to do that. Fulfill your birthright, mortal! Fulfill your birthright as heir to my power!" Shinigami demanded.
Needing no further encouragement, I began to collect power in my fist for my Fallen Phoenix Crush attack. If I timed it right, I could catch them all in the blast of energy. They could not survive its power, but the trick was to catch them in its radius. Despite their horribly battered bodies, their agility matched mine. But that only added to the thrill of victory when I finally defeated them!
"Prepare to embrace your demise!" I said as I finished gathering energy and prepared to slam my crimson fist into the ground. My hand had nearly reached the ground when a sharp blow from a purple energy ball disrupted my attack.
"What happened? What disrupted the Fallen Phoenix Crush?" I wondered. All of a sudden, four more of the creatures appeared, but these were different. A blond-haired one was holding a sword, a marine-blue haired one carried a mirror, a small violet-haired one was carrying a strange spear, and a dark green-haired one was holding a staff with a strange red jewel. I felt something different about the last two creatures. Something told me they were not to be trifled with.
"Stay this madness!" the staff-bearing one shouted.
"Your numbers mean nothing, evil beasts!" I shouted while jabbing my left index finger at them.
"So he means to fight, Neptune." the sword carrier said.
"Indeed he does. We should have finished this long ago." the mirror-bearer answered back.
Suddenly my vision cleared a bit. I saw the familiar forms of Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn next to the two item-bearing demons and started to warn them when they attacked!
Raising my sword to block that of the demon, I fended it off and made to punch with my left hand when the other raised her mirror and began an attack. Rolling out of the way, I missed a large blue sparkling beam attack that engulfed the area where I was standing. Raising up to one knee, I blocked another sword attack but caught a jump kick to the chest from the mirror-holding one called Neptune. I was sent flying backwards and sliding on my back for about ten feet until I stopped and rolled over on my chest.
"Uranus, stronger attacks are needed." Neptune said.
"Indeed, Neptune." The one called Uranus replied.
They raised their arms above their heads and began to charge power into their items, which pulsed blue for the mirror and gold for the sword. While I struggled to get to my feet, I heard laughter and clapping from nowhere. Suddenly, Alraune teleported to my side.
"Ha ha ha ha! What a wonderful show! Don't just sit there waiting to die, defend yourself! Show them your true power!" Alraune said with a laugh.
As much as I hated to admit it, Alraune was right. If I sat there, I would be caught in their combined attack with little hope of survival. I needed to act immediately. Holding my blade in the air and focusing my energy into it, it began to glow red, then blue, then red again in an alternating pattern. The flashing grew faster with each passing moment until it stopped entirely and began to glow a deep purple hue.
My blade crackled with energy and pulsated in my hand, begging to be used. Drawing myself to my feet, I began to see the images of the Royal Family, the Moon Kingdom in ruins, and the bodies of the royal guardians lying about. I saw the face of Princess Jupiter, the lifeless green eyes peering into mine with a blank look born of death.
The hour of revenge was at hand, and I would not lose my chance.
"I am the doorman to the underworld, and I open the gates for you!" I said with a malicious smile. I could see the fear in the faces of Uranus and Neptune as I brought my sword down in my Claws of Cerberus attack. I was going to kill those that wanted my life... a purpose that seemed to be the only one I had in my life.
The ground began to tear the moment my sword touched the ground, and three violet shockwaves pulsed forth and rushed rapidly, churning ground as they went. Soon their lives would be over... but Sailor Saturn stepped in front of my attack and somehow set up a black wall of energy with her spear! As I watched my attack be blocked by the wall of energy, I wondered if Sailor Saturn had joined the side of evil.
"Sailor Saturn, why do you align yourself with evil?" I asked. She said nothing, but rather looked down and away. Her expressive eyes looked sad, like something bad was about to happen.
"Sorry..." a voice said as a massive jolt of electricity ripped into my body. I gritted my teeth and felt my sword slip from my right hand as I convulsed in agony. I came to a realization... only Sailor Jupiter could focus that much electrical power into an attack!
As I lay vanquished upon the ground, I heard Alraune's voice saying something to someone as a drawn-out, metallic CLING filled the air. Apparently someone else was drawing a sword, but who? I could barely make the voices out as the creatures gasped.
"Who are you? What business have you here?" Alraune asked.
"You have harmed my brother. I come to deal justice to evil-doers such as yourself." a mysterious female voice said.
"I don't have time to deal with you right now! My work here is done... but I will be back! Mark my words little girl , I am not done with you OR your brother!" Alraune said as she vanished into thin air, leaving little more than blue rose petals to mark her disappearance.
I heard sharp metallic footsteps heading my way, but I was unable to move, let alone face the source.
"How is he?" the voice asked.
"He's temporarily numb all over. I hit him with a jolt strong enough to take down a bull elephant..." another female voice mused.
"At least he's not dead. Otherwise YOUR head would be next on the chopping block." the voice threatened.
Hearing the metallic footsteps grow closer and suddenly stop, I felt myself being turned over onto my back. I saw the hazy face of a blond-haired girl with freckles and green eyes. Her armor was styled much like Zero's from Mega Man X3, and she had long hair to match. She produced a vial of a blue liquid and poured it into my mouth.
All of a sudden, my vision cleared up as the entire Senshi group clustered around me. No longer were they hideous revenants, but they were my companions once again.
"Is it safe to approach him?" Sailor Venus asked the girl.
"He has difficulty moving right now... so you may." she answered.
"He almost killed us! What happened to him?" Sailor Jupiter asked as she began to pick me up.
"He was affected with a special lipstick called Dance of Illusions. It alters the victim's perceptions and distorts their vision, producing horrific illusions of people they know." the girl answered matter-of-factly.
"So that explains his strange behavior... but how did you know about it?" Sailor Mercury asked.
"Alraune is an old foe of mine." was the terse reply.
With the aid of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Pluto, I stood up enough to look at the armor-clad girl. Her green eyes looked unflinchingly into mine as she began to speak.
"Greetings brother. I have been seeking you for some time." she said.
"I have no sister... unless... do you come from the Moon Kingdom era?" I said.
"Precisely. Like the Sailor Senshi, I too was resurrected when the kingdom was destroyed. Ever since that time, I have sought you to no avail. But now we meet at last. And your power has grown since that time, as befits the bearer of Shinigami." she answered with more information than expected.
"She beat us to it. And your altered state rendered my telling you the information highly impractical, not to say hazardous." Sailor Pluto said.
"So that was the errand." I said in an implied question.
"Sort of. The nature of the errand WAS to get information, but also to obtain this letter from Queen Serenity. Finding out the existence of your sister, if she IS your sister, was a bonus of sorts." Sailor Neptune answered.
"Sorry to break up the party, but we should get back to the real world. I can treat his injured leg there." my sister said.
"Good idea. Everyone, let's go!" Sailor Moon said with a theatrical voice.
-30 Minutes Later-
Arriving back in the real world, everyone returned to their civilian forms, including my "sister." She was a girl about as tall as Setsuna and athletically built like Makoto... an interesting combination, to say the least. As she examined my leg, I felt a strange familiarity, like I had known her all my life. Perhaps she was my sister, perhaps she was not... but at any rate, she felt somehow reassuring. I had a sudden urge to ask the question... what was her name?
"My name is Alexandra, but you can call me Alex, little brother." she said with a wink.
"What? He's the younger brother?" Minako asked.
"Indeed. I was born ahead of him, making me around Setsuna's age and him around Darien's age." Alexandra replied.
"Getting old, eh Setsuna?" Usagi joked.
Setsuna answered with a withering glare, a glare even I feared to face. Usagi visibly shrank back as the rest of us began to laugh. Even the normally serious Rei was laughing at Usagi's predicament, which was a good sign. But many questions remained unanswered... how did Alex know as much as she did? And how was it that I did not remember having a sister?
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