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. 
As they watched their daughters play outside, Queen Azure and Queen Serenity walked down a corridor.
“It is so good for Serena to have Lydia here,” said Serenity.
“For Lydia too,” Azure nodded. “I’ve missed this place.”
“The time is approaching for Serena to find a suitor and take my place,” Serenity added.
“Why, are you ill?” Azure stopped and looked concerned. “Do—do you think you cannot rule the moon kingdom longer?”
“I am not ill,” she replied, “but Queen Beryl is becoming a threat to our kingdom. Serena needs to find a suitor before Beryl attacks incase anything happens to me.”
“I remember you telling me about Queen Beryl,” Azure said. “But surely, she can’t destroy the whole kingdom, can she?”
“If she gets powerful enough, she can,” Serinity explained. “But I do not know of any princes for Serena.”
“I do,” said Azure quickly. “Lydia is good friends with one back on Earth. I can tell her to go and fetch him.”
“You will?” Serenity said hopefully.
Azure nodded, “I will go and speak with her now.”
“Thank you, Azure.” Serenity whispered and Azure went to speak with Lydia. She handed her a crystal to provide her way to get to Earth and back.
“Make haste, Lydia,” said Azure.
“Yes mother.”
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?"
"You see--" she began.
"I heard Prince Darien," said a guard, "let's---"
"Oh, hide, quickly, under the bed," Darien urged, taking her arm 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 and Darien gave a moment to check the hall to see how far they went. 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. "My mother met the Queen when she was younger and she made her a princess. But when she came back to Earth, she continued her life as a peasant and that's how she raised me. Darien, come with me."
"Really? Come to the moon?"
"Yes, Darien,” she said. “You will love it!”
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 stopped and looked her over. Maybe it was the moonlight, maybe it was the dress she was wearing, but Darien slid his hands over Lydia's cheeks and looked at her in admiration.
"Darien?" Lydia mumbled, "What are you?"
Darien kissed her on the mouth and Lydia blinked several times. Then she closed her eyes and rested her hand on his wrist until he finished the kiss. She grinned and pushed him back playfully. "Oh Darien…"
"Lydia…" he leaned down to kiss her again and she puckered her lips to accept then she realized this wasn't what she wanted. She punched him in the jaw before he could kiss her again.
"No, Darien!" she cried.
"But Lydia, you're a princess now!"
“But deep inside,” she insisted, “I’m still a peasant.”
Darien frowned and rubbed his head. "But, isn't this what you've always wanted? To be a princess so that we can marry?"
“Darien, I came down to introduce you to the moon princess,” Lydia explained, “Queen Serenity sent me to come and get you.”
“What? Why?”
“Because her mother is looking for suitors for Princess Serena,” Lydia said.
“I don’t understand,” Darien said, “I—I thought—you—you and me--”
Lydia put her hand on her mouth. “It is not time for me to find my prince just yet. There are too many things for me to learn about being a princess.”
“You, you really want me to do this?” he demanded, “Marry the moon princess?”
“Just meet her, Darien,” she persisted, “you will love her.”
He sighed. “All right. Let’s go.”
Lydia smiled and took his hand and held up the silver crystal." COSMIC MOON 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. Behind her were Queen Serenity and Queen Azure.
“So is the prince?” Serenity asked.
“Yes, that’s Prince Darien,” Azure answered. “Handsome, isn’t he?”
“He is indeed.”
Darien looked at Serena in surprise. He could not believe it. The princess was real. He stood in shock.
"Lydia--you were right," he whispered. “You were right about the Moon Kingdom.”
"I told you it was real,” she whispered back. She cleared her throat and stepped back.
"Serena, I want you to meet my best friend from Earth," Lydia said, looking behind her. "Prince Darien." Lydia stepped to the side and held her hands to Darien. "Darien, this is Princess Serena."
Serena gasped and reached her hand out in greeting. "Welcome to the Moon Kingdom."
Darien stood unable to move. His eyes never beheld such beauty. They were fixed on her without blinking.
"Darien," Lydia muttered, "go on, you fool! Kiss her hand, do something!" She pushed Darien toward her and he almost tripped over his feet. He straightened up in front of her and cleared his throat while he gave a quick glare to Lydia. He took Serena's hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, Princess."
"Pleasure all mine," Serena sighed and glanced up to Lydia. "He's so handsome!" she mouthed to her.
"I know!" Lydia mouthed back. 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. Lydia sighed, remembering Darien's sudden kiss. Maybe being the princess that won his heart was a dream she'll never have. 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. Lydia was unable to contain herself. She couldn't remember being so happy. She had found a princess for Darien and instead of being selfish to having him all for herself, she handed him over to the right princess.
“I see that this suitor is working for Princess Serena,” Queen Azure said thoughtfully as she took her place next to Lydia.
“He almost didn’t want to come,” said Lydia, “we were friends for as long as I remember. He was surprised and happy to see me as a princess—oh mother, did, did I do the right thing by bringing him here?”
“Yes you did,” Queen Azure answered. “Don’t worry my dear, you will meet your prince one day.”
Lydia sighed, “yes, one day.”
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.
Lydia walked away, trying to make herself available to other bachelors but no one asked her. "Oh, of all the luck," she muttered. She waited by the buffet table and tried an appetizer. "Blech!" She dropped it. "What is that?"
"This Beryl," Darien said as he danced with Serena, "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." He danced with her for a while and then as Lydia was taking out her harmonica, Darien approached her.
"Lydia, I owe you a dance," he said.
"Go on, Lydia," Serena said, "I must talk with my mother."
"Thank yeh, but do not eat these!" Lydia said, pointing at the snack she had just tried. "I don't know what it is, but it tastes awful!"
Serena walked to her mother and Darien took Lydia to the dance floor. "Your dancing has improved, Lydia." Darien said.
"I've always danced fine," Lydia muttered.
"I meant ballroom," he said, "not Celtic."
"Oh, right," she blushed. "I'm glad yeh back, Darien. I was worried about yeh. Yeh really should've taken me with yeh. What if something happened to yeh?"
"I couldn't have taken you with me," he said.
"But Earth is my home too," she reminded him, "and I have druid powers. I could've put them to use."
"But then if you came with me, who would've stayed with Serena?" he questioned, "and if something happened to her, who would protect her? I had to go alone."
"I understand," Lydia sighed. "But if there is another battle, I want to fight. I'm not about to let anything happen to yeh, or Serena or Earth! I won't let Queen Beryl take everything without a fight, understand?"
"Oh, trust me, Lydia," Darien said, "You'll get to fight."
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!"
Princess Lydia whirled around. “My armor!” She ran down to the armor. “Get me my armor!” She took off her gown and pulled on a sleeveless undershirt and underskirt. Servants opened a wardrobe and took a glittering colorful breastplate and strapped it around her body. Attached to her shoulders was a long golden cape. She pulled on one leather glove and put a golden armband around her forearm. After putting on her boots, a servant handed out her sword. She picked it up at looked at it. It was a Celtic sword with two rainbows at the bottom and top of the hilt.
AN: Here is a picture I based the sword on only that this picture has crescent moons and Rainbow’s is rainbows but this should help ?IDWEAPONS&SORT&ITEMKE-2002
Queen Azure walked in, “Lydia, you’re going to fight?” she gasped.
“I have to,” Lydia muttered, “I can’t let Beryl destroy the moon. I must fight!”
Princess Lydia sheathed her sword and ran out of the armory to face the fight.
--
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, holding her sword.
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.
Beryl slapped Lydia across the face, her nails cutting her cheek.
"Lydia!" Darien cried, pulling her back. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she grimaced.
"Now, you will all pay!" Beryl shouted. "All of you!"
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.
"Dis not good!" Lydia gasped.
"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.
"But I can't leave him," Serena sniffed. "Darien, I want to be with you!" she wriggled out of Lydia's grasp and threw herself up onto a beam.
"Serena, come back!" Lydia commanded, reaching for her.
"Darien!" Serena cried.
"Serena!" He cried.
"Darien, Serena!" Lydia shouted, "No! Come back! Don't leave me!"
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!"
"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 multiple times. "This can't be! I dun'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. "Y-yeh killed them! My only friends! Y-yeh took them away from me!"
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 repelled them with her shamrock shower.
"Still taking orders from Queen Beryl, eh?" she demanded. "Don't follow her orders! Follow yer instincts! 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." He said.
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 and unsheathed her sword. "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 da dogs yeh are!" she spat into Queen Beryl's eyeball.
Malachite’s attack burst through hers, throwing her backwards. She gasped and tried to get up. Malachite walked over to her and took out his own sword. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
With a yell, Lydia charged Malachite and swiped at him. Darien trained her with the sword since they were children and she has become excellent at it. Malchaite brought down his sword onto hers. She pushed it back and cut him across the chest, making a long wide slit in his clothes and drawing blood. He looked at his chest and at her.
“That was for Darien!” she hissed.
Grunting, he came at her. She jumped out of the way and created a mist around her. Malachite swung the sword around to thin out the mist as she came up and wounded him again, now in the leg.
“Fool!” he muttered.
“And that was for Serena!”
“I will not be beaten by a girl like you!” Malachite roared, bringing down his sword onto her arm. She made a yelp as she dropped her sword and he cut her face. Lydia backed up, wiping the blood from her face with her good arm. Grimacing, she held up her uninjured arm and sent fire attack at him.
“DRUID FIRE!”
Malachite protected himself with a shield.
“Say your prayers!” he exclaimed, sheathing a sword and sending a powerful force at her. Princess Lydia was sent flying and landed on her injured her arm. She cried out in pain.
He conjured two more boomerangs to suck out whatever energy she had left. “Any last words before I destroy you?”
Lydia groaned, trying to push herself up. She coughed, spitting blood on the ground. “You…Malachite…”
“Yes?”
"I pity yeh. Yeh should see yehself." She spat, “you fool…”
"What?" a look of surprise appeared on his face and he cast his boomerangs down on her. Princess Lydia screamed and fell lifeless on the ground.
“Ah-ha!” Beryl laughed. “Victory is mine!”
“Not quite, Berly!” Azure shouted.
"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 have served Beryl for a thousand years and who knows how long before that.” Sailor Rainbow said. “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 the scouts. "Beware of the Negaverse once you get there. Things are not always what they seem. Win this battle.”
“Oh, why, thank you,” Sailor Moon said, surprised and impressed at the same time.
I want you to do something for me.”
“All right,” said Sailor Rainbow, “what is it?”
“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 closed his eyes and fell onto his back, close to death. The scouts circled around him.
“Thank you, Malachite,” Sailor Moon said, “goodbye.”
“Free at last,” Malachite whispered he opened his eyes, “thank you, scouts.”
“You’re welcome,” said Sailor Venus.
He closed his eyes one last time with a sigh and his body began glowing into sparkles of dust. They were lifted into the air joined by some flower petals. The sailors waved and Sailor Rainbow finally spoke.
"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."
"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!"