The world is spinning out of control! Mercury thought as she surveyed the damage at Crossroads Junior High. Why did Jadeite have to pick THIS day to attack? How are we ever going to stop her without Sailor Moon? At the thought of her friend, her eyes filled with tears. How will we ever get along without you?
Sailor Mars noticed her friend's tears and sighed. She wanted to sit down and cry herself despite her anger at the situation. "Come on, Mercury, we have to stop Pyro-Head. We can't stop because of our personal feelings." All we have to do if follow the trail of destruction. "If we don't stop that Negatrash soon, she'll have enough energy to bring forth the Negaforce." Just what we need, all hell breaking loose...
But she couldn't lose the picture in her mind, of Luna perched next to her student's lifeless form, weeping softly. She simply repeated again and again that she had failed. You didn't fail, Luna, we did. And we're going to get that Pyro-Head. We're going to make it up to Serena if it has to kill us! She looked over at her weeping friend, wiped a few tears from her own face and said, "Let's do it!" Mercury sobered quickly and nodded. "For Serena."
Jadeite floated effortlessly above the scene of destruction below and laughed with excitement! What luck, Pyro-Head was devastating the city inch by inch. He watched with excitement as she incinerated everything in her path, and laughed as she mercilessly sucked the energy out of every pathetic mortal she came into contact with. Typical humans, all they do is scream and run! Why don't they stand and fight? Ah, who cares... It's more fun to find them and steal their energy!
Turning his blond head to the left a bit, he anticipated Pyro-Head's destination. That's it, go to the crowded merchant's area of this vile city, suck the life energy from its weak, whiny inhabitants! He laughed heartily; this was his dream come true. "Beryl will be pleased! A little more energy and we will bring forth the Negaforce onto this vile peaceful planet!"
Queen Beryl sat on her throne watching the stores of human energy increase before her very eyes. "That's it!" she cheered triumphantly, "A little more energy and we can break free and destroy the Earth, as we should have done a millennium ago!" And who is there to stop us? With the matriarch of the Moon Kingdom gone, the Earth's only defense was a trio of pathetic girls with magic tricks for powers? She snorted at the thought that those annoying Sailor Scouts would be an easily forgotten memory. "Soon," she promised the hoards of the Negaverse, "soon we will be free again!" The assembled hoards cheered at the coming of their victory.
The hospital's emergency room filled quickly with comatose patients and burn victims. Medical staff rushed to help each injured victim. Cots were brought out into the halls and waiting rooms to accommodate the influx of injured people. People, young and old, cried out helplessly for aid as doctors and nurses rushed past to help the critically injured.
Media crews soon burst into report on the disaster at hand. One reporter, a young woman with short raven colored hair pulled her stylish red jacket back into place and began, "This is Christina Morgan, reporting for the Daily News. As the city's disaster continues, General Hospital has been filled to overflowing with the victims of this calamity. People are now being cared for in waiting rooms, hallways, and even on the lawn and in the parking lot of the hospital. There just isn't any more room!"
The camera panned across the waiting room, to show the suffering victims, crowded onto cots, calling pitifully for help, for acknowledgment of their pain and suffering. "This reporter wonders, `Who will help Tokyo's victims? Who will stop the evil destroying our beloved city?'" There were no answers, except for moans of pain and pleas for help.
Christina Morgan made a decision at that moment, one she knew she might regret. She looked at the camera crew in front of her and nodded. She walked over to the triage station, and put her microphone down. The camera crew did the same, unloading their equipment onto the already crowded desk. Walking up to the only nurse in the waiting room, she tried to smile as she said, "How can we help?"
Tuxedo Mask was crouched on the edge of a rooftop, surveying the damage below. All hell has broken loose! Where are Sailor Moon and the Scouts? How could they let this happen? He gasped suddenly as a wave of nausea overtook him. He clamped his gloved hands onto the side of the rooftop to keep his precarious balance. What has happened? The nausea overcame him again along with a feeling of dread. His dizzy mind tried to understand this reaction. It was nothing that he had ever felt before. Sailor Moon? his mind gasped suddenly. Something has happened to her... or worse.
Pyro-Head appeared in his line of sight, sucking the energy from small child who had been unable to escape her evil grasp. Tuxedo Mask's worry and questions were eliminated as his mind flooded with rage and he jumped from his perch to confront his enemy.
The Negaverse monster squealed in sudden pain as a single rose pierced the skin of her hand. She let go of the child she was draining and the girl slumped carelessly to the ground. The hideous minion of Jadeite looked up to find a tuxedo-suited man in front of her, complete with top hat and cane.
"How dare you assault the weak and innocent?!" Tuxedo Mask shouted in anger. "How dare you prey on this innocent city?! I, Tuxedo Mask, vow to stop you and make you pay for what you have done!"
She only laughed and stepped over her child, to advance upon her latest opponent. This would provide her with a lot of energy, her master, Jadeite, would be pleased. "I'm Pyro-Head, feel my fire!" she responded with her acidic voice. She launched a powerful ball of fire in the male's direction and laughed, expecting him to be incinerated!
With grace and agility, Tuxedo Mask leaped out of the way of the fireball and landed easily on his feet. "You'll have to do better than that!" he responded and launched a dozen roses towards the enemy before him.
But Pyro-Head only laughed. "You think those TOYS will stop me?" She called forth a powerful blast of fire that easily burned his weapons until the charred dust that remained floated effortlessly to the ground. She had consumed a lot of human energy and was now more powerful than she has ever believed possible. "Feel my fire!" she shouted.
Tuxedo Mask's eyebrows raised in surprise. I don't know how long I can keep this scum busy. Sailor Scouts, where are you?! Taking out his cane again, he raised it as a staff, batted the fireball out of the way, and quickly attacked his foe. "I'll stop you, Pyro-Head, if it's the last thing I do!" He vowed.
"Oh, it will be the last thing you do, but you still won't stop me!" she laughed.
Sailor Mars and Mercury landed adeptly onto a rooftop, and noticed the battle scene below. "It's Tuxedo Mask!" exclaimed Mercury, relieved that he had appeared to help them.
"It's about time he showed up!" Mars exclaimed moodily. She wanted this over with quickly; she wanted to make the Negaverse scum suffer just as her heart suffered now. "Let's go!" she exclaimed and the two jumped off the roof into the thick of the battle.
Tuxedo Mask rolled out of the way of an oncoming fireball when he heard the words, "Mercury Bubbles Blast!" The area around him crowded with a thick, white mist.
"Mars Fire Ignite!" a blast of fire hit Pyro-Head quickly, knocking her onto her backside.
"How dare you attack me?!" shouted the infuriated monster.
"Oh I dare! I am Sailor Mars," the red-suited Sailor Scout said as she looked down on her enemy.
A blue-suited Sailor Scout appeared next to her, solemn in her stance. "And I am Sailor Mercury," she said almost quietly.
"We will destroy you," stated Mars.
Tuxedo Mask was confused. Where was Sailor Moon? "Scouts be careful. She's very powerful. She'll..."
Before he could finish his warning, Pyro-Head let out a pulse of fire. Mercury dived to the ground, and rolled out the way, while Mars did a large backflip and landed safely out of the way of the danger.
"You wanna play with fire, fine!" shouted Mars in rage. "Mars Fire Ignite!"
Pyro-Head jumped to her feet and laughed. "Great, two more weak humans to slaughter!" She launched a large pulse of fire towards the red skirted teenager before her.
"Mars!" shouted Mercury. Before she could get to her feet to join the battle, she lifted off the ground and out of the way of the large explosion as the two attacks collided. He shielded her from harm with his cape. They both peaked as the sequence quickly repeated itself.
"You want more, fine! Mars Fire Ignite!" Her skirt was blackened from her heat, and a few burns adorned her face and legs.
"Ha ha, feel my fire again!" shouted the Negaverse monster.
"No Mars, don't! You'll be killed!" shouted Mercury, struggling to escape her protector's firm grasp.
"No wait, Mercury, she is the only hope we have right now of defeating that monster until Sailor Moon gets here."
Tears began to slide down the blue haired Scout's delicate features. "She won't be coming," she whimpered, "She's dead."
Tuxedo Mask gasped in shock and covered them both with his cape as another explosion ensued. "Sailor Moon, gone?" He looked over to where Mars knelt, struggling to get to her feet. "How are we ever going to stop Pyro-Head?"
Jadeite laughed in surprised glee, as he surveyed Pyro-Head's battle with the remaining Scouts. "Sailor Moon dead? Really, this is the best day of my life!" he laughed happily, clutching his sides. "No more Champion of Love and Justice crying because she fell on her butt? Ha ha! Someone pinch me. I think I'm dreaming!"
Before his could continue, a voice pulled him from his personal celebration. "Jadeite, report to me at once!" a rough female voice ordered.
"As you command, My Queen," Jadeite said, with a more sober tone. For once, he did not have to fear her recriminations.
Mercury pushed herself out of Tuxedo Mask's firm grasp. "We have to help her, or she'll die!"
"I agree," Tuxedo Mask said, jumping effortlessly to his feet. "I'll distract her from behind."
"I'll backup Mars." She activated her VR visor to survey the situation. "Mars is very weak, however, Pyro-Head's power levels have not diminished."
Tuxedo Mask leapt into the air, twisted, launched a handful of powerful roses, and landed safely onto his feet. "Eat this, Pyro-Head!" he shouted.
Mercury jumped and landed next to Mars, shouting, "Mercury Bubbles Blast!"
The roses hit their mark, causing Pyro-Head to shout in pain, and grapple for the roses embedded in her back. Her eyesight clouded as the mist enveloped the combatants.
"You can't stop me, no matter how hard you try!" shrieked the red haired creature. "My fire will destroy you!"
Mercury pulled a shaky Sailor Mars to her feet. "We can't stop now, Mars. We have to stop her or she'll destroy all of Tokyo!"
Mars leaned on her friend, her body bruised, burned, and shaky. "I know, but how can we stop her? We need Sailor Moon."
Mercury sniffled a bit, "I know but it won't happen, you know that. This is our duty. We have to fulfill it."
"Right," Sailor Mars agreed. She lifted her blistered hands in front of her. "Mars Fire Ignite!"
Pyro-Head raised a hand, so that one was pointed at the caped fool behind her and at the teenaged failures in front of her. She pulsed a strong amount of fire at each of them.
Mars' fire collided with Pyro-Head's attack as Tuxedo Mask tried to escape the first attack. The shock from the explosion was so intense the ground shook and the building ignited besides them.
When the smoke cleared, only Pyro-Head stood. She laughed in glee, readying herself to drain their remaining energy.
"Pyro-Head, return at once!" Jadeite suddenly commanded.
"But Jadeite, I'm about to drain the energy from the Scouts."
"Never mind the Scouts," Mercury heard, as she awoke. That's Jadeite's voice. "You have done well. Beryl now has enough energy to bring forth the Negaforce. We will be victorious."
In a flash of flames, Pyro-Head was gone. Mercury pushed herself onto her knees, groaning at the pain in her body. She crawled a few feet to where Mars lay. She pushed her friend onto her back and gasped at the lifeless gaze. "No, not you too! Please don't leave me! I'm all alone!" She cried over her friend's body for a moment, and then turned to where Tuxedo Mask was slumped against a building. Her body too injured to go that far, she activated her visor. The visor could find no lifesigns. "Oh my God, he's dead too! Oh my God, I'm all alone, and they're coming! The world is doomed!" She slumped over Mars' battered body and began to sob in earnest... They had failed.
The funerals took place that very night. She had watched solemnly as a small group of friends buried Tuxedo Mask, who she now knew to be Darien. She was amazed at how someone that Serena hated so much had been her ultimate protector. But she would never know now; they were both gone.
The funeral for Rei and Serena were done together, as their parents had somehow deduced who they truly were. What does it matter? If my calculations are correct, the Negaforce will burst into this world within twenty-four hours. She cried as the caskets of the best friends were lowered into the ground. Oh Serena, I'm so sorry, we failed you. We should have been more patient, more understanding. Instead, we pushed you away! But it doesn't matter now, soon it will all be over.
Later, much later, she opened her blue eyes. She groaned in confusion for a moment, not remembering where she was. Wincing at the light invading the darkness from her bedroom window, she groaned again and turned onto her side.
But then, in one instant, she became aware. She sat up in bed and looked around the room. Everything was as it should be. Shaking her fists in the air in frustration, she screamed in rage, "NOOOOOOOOO!"
