Celestial Moon by: drama81 Chapter Six The next week was quiet. The senshi had agreed to stay on guard, because no one knew when the Dark Kingdom would strike next. Ami had been getting closer to locating the base, but at her current rate it would still be a while before she found it. She happen to be passing by the Osa-P Jewelry store at the moment its alarms went off seemed a little too convenient for her. Ami quickly ducked into an alley and emerged as Sailor Mercury a couple seconds later. She ran into the store and saw Nephrite standing over a girl Ami recognized from having gone to high school with. 'Naru? What is she doing here? Wait, this must be her mother's store. I remember her talking about it one day before class,' she thought. She quickly pulled out her communicator and called the other senshi, then set about trying to rescue the frightened girl. "Where is the Ginzuishou? I know you have it here!" Nephrite demanded. "I have no idea what you are talking about! There is no stone called the Ginzuishou that I have heard of," Naru said, tears streaming down her face. Mercury had enough of listening to Nephrite harrass the girl and powered up. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" she shouted. The icy jet of water smashed into Nephrite, sending him into the wall. Mercury turned and looked at Naru. "Get out of here," she said. Naru didn't waste a moment and ran out of the store. Mercury turned her attention back to where Nephrite had flown. A frown appeared on her face to find the spot empty. She activated her visor and began to scan for Nephrite. "There's no need to scan Lady Mercury, I'm up here," Nephrite said. Mercury looked up and saw Nephrite nearly on top of her. A cruel smile graced his face as he looked down at her. "Star Shower!" he said, causing a mass of light dots to appears and rain down on Mercury. As he moved down for the kill he was struck by a golden globe of energy. He flew into another wall and then looked up to see the senshi crowding into the store. "This is getting a little too crowded for my liking. Let's take this outside. Star Axis!" Nephrite said. The attack blasted the senshi out into the street and Nephrite stood in the doorway. "Here, I'll let you have some fun with a friend of mine. Leo the lion come forth!" he shouted. A lion-type youma appeared above Nephrite and sprung forward to take on the senshi. Nephrite smiled as he saw the youma charge forward. He levitated into the air to keep from being hit by any stray attacks. Leo landed in the center of the senshi and began attack immediately, slashing Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The three outer senshi backed away from the fight, knowing they would only hinder the rest of the senshi. Hotaru soon joined them, breathing heavily. Her body had finally caught up with her, she had been pushing herself all day long trying to do all her chores as quickly as she could. Mars looked up to see Leo about to strike at Jupiter. "Jupiter duck!" Mars yelled out as she powered up. "Burning Mandala!" The rings of fire left Sailor Mars's hands just as Jupiter ducked down. The youma was shocked into paralysis as it saw the fire heading for it. The flames engulfed it, causing it to roar in pain. Nephrite sneered at the senshi. "If you think that will stop Leo, then you've got another thing coming!" he shouted out. The lion-appearing youma jumped out of the fire and came down slashing at Sailor Mars. She pulled out an ofuda scroll and pressed it on the youma's head. It froze in place, but Mars knew it wouldn't hold for long. "If you guys can do anything, you better do it now!" she shouted. "Dead Scream!" "World Shaking!" "Deep Submerge!" The three attacks merged into one rainbow colored globe and smashed into the youma. It roared again before turning into dust. Sailor Venus turned and looked at Nephrite. "Now it's your turn," she shouted. "Venus Love-Me Chain!" The golden chain sprung to life from her waist and wrapped around Nephrite's leg. She gave a hard tug and brought the general down from the air. He landed with a grunt. He quickly stood back up and glared at the senshi. "Star Axis!" he shouted. The three globe attack flew into the middle of the senshi, sending them scatting in all different directions. Before any of the senshi could retaliate a bright light filled the area. Sailor Celestia floated down, looking like an angel from the heavens. She landed and allowed the light to fade and her wings to retract into her. She looked over at Nephrite and frowned. "You aren't Nephrite. Is he afraid to face the senshi?" she asked. "My master is afraid of nothing, much less girls dressed in too little. I am merely here because you are too far beneath him," 'Nephrite' said. "If that isn't Nephrite, then who is it?" Uranus demanded. "Haven't you figured out that this is his shadow?" Celestia asked, annoyed. "How observant you are Sailor Celestia. I think you should be rewarded. Here, I have a prize for you. Star Shower!" the shadow said. The attack flew forth and pelted Sailor Celestia with its many points of light. She kneeled down after the attack had finished hitting her, her breathing labored. "Is that all you have?" she asked. "No, I have plenty more where that came from senshi," the shadow said, beginning to power up. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter shouted. The glowing discus slammed into the shadows side, causing him to lose the power he had built up. He turned and glared at Jupiter. "All of you senshi are bothersome pests. I shall deal with you in a moment so please wait your turn," he said. He turned back to Celestia to see her standing with her staff ready. "This ends here shadow!" she said. Before the shadow could retaliate the outer and inner senshi unleashed their powers at him. He cried out in pain as each of the powers washed over him. Celestia walked up to him after the last of the powers finished washing over him. "When you see your master in hell tell her that we are more than just 'girls dressed in too little.' We are warriors, soldiers of love and justice. We are not afraid of facing her or her minions. We are not afraid of Metallia, not now, not ever," she said, raising her staff. "Celestial Healing!" The wave of healing energy washed over the shadow and the senshi. The shadow screamed one last time before fading into nothingness, while the senshi were healed of all wounds they had gotten. Celestia started to leave when Jupiter walked up to her. Celestia smiled at Jupiter. "Hello, what can I do for you?" she asked. "Listen, I don't want the other senshi to know, but could you come over to my house either later today or tomorrow? My mother, Luna, is needing to talk to you," Jupiter said. "Alright. I'll come over later today. I shall see you later Sailor Jupiter," Celestia said before geting ready to leave again. "Hang on, what did you mean when you called the shadow's master a female? I thought it was Nephrite," Jupiter said, loud enough for all the senshi to hear. "Metallia is the shadow's master, not Nephrite," Celestia said, then took off before any other questions could be asked. ~~~~~~~~~~ "Nephrite, come forth!" Beryl demanded from her throne. Nephrite quickly appeared and kneeled down. "Yes Beryl-sama," the general said. "You've failed me once again. You should know that failure is not tolerated. Look at what happened to Jadeite. You are on your last chance. If you fail again, then you will not live," Beryl sneered. Nephrite nodded then stood and disappeared. Endymion walked out from the shadows. "Beryl, I'll kill him. There's no point in him living anyways. He's already failed too many times. Plus it will show that failure is not tolerated. I will also be able to see these senshi in action," he said. Beryl nodded and Endymion disappeared as well. Beryl stood and walked to a room behind her throne. She kneeled before a void. "O great Metallia, ruler of all. Please accept this gift from your servant," she said, giving energy to the void. An area seemed to shimmer then grow a bit darker than the rest. "My goddess, please forgive me. I have my servants searching for it even as we speak," Beryl said. "I have given them orders to kill the senshi," Beryl answered. Beryl nodded and stood. She quickly retreated from the room, her mood becoming even more sour than before. ~~~~~~~~~~ Nephrite appeared outside the Tomoe residence. He had been there when Jadeite had told of the true identity of Sailor Saturn. He had tracked her down to her house before and kept watch. He realized he perhaps should have told of his discovery, but that would not have been rewarded very well. After all, any youma could have tailed the senshi of destruction and found her house. He held his hand out and let a blast fly out, smashing through the roof of the house. He smiled as he watched Hotaru and a man with white hair run out of the house. A moment later three more women ran out, one with green hair, one with aqua, and one with blonde. They all looked up and saw Nephrite. Setsuna glared at the general. He had finally done something that had truly upset her. He had attacked her friend and her father, an innocent person. Since they had already revealed that they were senshi to Dr. Tomoe, Setsuna raised her arm, her henshin wand clutched in it. The other three outer senshi followed suit. "Pluto Crystal Power," "Uranus Crystal Power," "Neptune Crystal Power," "Saturn Crystal Power," "Make Up!" The four transformed quickly and then sent out bursts of power at the general. His sheild easily deflected them. He glowered at the senshi. "Oh what a marvelous day this is. Even if I fail to destroy you, then I will live. I know who each of you are. I have seen your true faces and can easily find you at any time I choose," he said. "Shut up traitor. You swore to defend the Earth and have failed. Now you serve to destroy it. Ushered in by the new era, we are the senshi from the outer planets of the system. Guarded by Pluto, planet of time, I am the soldier of revolution, Sailor Pluto," Pluto shouted. "Guarded by Neptune, the planet of the deep seas, I am the soldier of affinity, Sailor Neptune," Neptune called out. "Guarded by Uranus, planet of the skies, I am the soldier of flight, Sailor Uranus," Uranus yelled. "Guarded by Saturn, planet of rebirth, I am the soldier of destruction, Sailor Saturn," Saturn said. "Those are pretty speeches, but they are not going to save you," Nephrite said. "Star Axis!" The outer senshi quickly scattered. Saturn looked up at Nephrite and glared. "Silence Glaive Surprise!" she yelled. The bolt of power quickly hit the dark general and caused him to fall to the ground. "You'll pay for that one," he said. "World Shaking!" "Deep Submerge!" The two attack smashed into him from either side, making Nephrite to call out in pain. Pluto walked up to him and held out her staff. "Dead Scream!" she said in her normal voice. The attack smashed into him with more power than any of the other attacks had done. He skittered down the road, finally ending in a roll. The light that signified Sailor Celestia flared to life as the winged senshi flew down. She looked over to the outer senshi. "Thank you. As much as I hate to see anyone hurt, he had to be weaked, or I would not be able to heal him," she said. She turned back to Nephrite and drew out her staff. "Say good-bye to the demon inside you Nephrite. Celestial Seperation!" she shouted. The burst of holy light washed over Nephrite, freezing him in place. A moment later he seperated into two beings, one made up of shadows. The one of shadows faded away and Nephrite fell to his knees, his shoulder cuffs falling off and disintegrating. He looked up, tears of joy flowing from his eyes. "Thank you senshi. Thank you so very much. I am finally free again," he said. Endymion appeared above the senshi. "Nephrite, you've failed again. Now you will pay the price for failure. Star Axis!" he shouted. Endymion fired a blast of power that Nephrite had used many times. It flew down and smashed into the general of the stars. His body reverted to a round piece of Nephrite and flew into the waiting hand of Endymion. "You win this round senshi, but this war is far from over," he said before disappearing. "Iie! Not you too Nephrite," Celestia said, tears flowing from her eyes. "Good riddance. We didn't need that traitor around anymore," Uranus said. Celestia spun around and marched up to Uranus. She slapped the taller senshi across the face with a fierceness Haruka has seen from very few people. "You have no idea do you? The generals are not evil. They are being controlled by Beryl and Metallia. Here I am trying to save them, and you are trying to kill them. Let me remind you that the senshi were made to fight evil and rescue those who can be. So far I have healed two generals only to have them killed before my eyes. If you wish to kill them, then maybe you don't deserve to be a senshi," she said. Before the soldier of wind could respond Sailor Celestia took off. She had another place she had to be. ~~~~~~~~~~ Alright, well that's another chapter down. I'm about halfway finished with this now. I can barely believe it. Now you all know what I want you to do. Please, please, please review. Until next chapter, ja ne.