Starlit Ruins Read online

Copyright 1998, 2016-17 Simon Woodington

  Prologue

  His crimson glare caused her to flinch, betraying fear where arrogant confidence once resided. What was a war of attrition had become unmitigated defeat. 'Beryl, I should send you to the Abyss!' his voice crackled, short of sounding menacing. 'I cannot believe you were defeated by such foolish girls!'

  She said nothing.

  'You masterminded the destruction of the Moon Kingdom? What will you do next, claim a rock from the ground as your pet?'

  Resentment became clear in her eyes.

  'A child! Uraki-Ayo-sama, that girl - Usagi! - she was no child! She had the ginzuishou.'

  'Dispense with my name, foul woman!' he growled and struck her to the marble floor. She fell with practiced ease, defiance unfeigned in her eyes when she raised them to his. 'Know your place! Impertinent creature. That you should be spared is beyond my comprehension.'

  She sighed internally, relieved, but did not relax. Midnight tones around them shimmered with dark streaks of blue and red light, indicating the strong presence of the NegaForce. Her shelter of purpose was now the promise of nightmares made reality.

  'You will not be allowed to fail again,' he began, getting to his feet awkwardly with the aid of his staff. 'Of that you may be certain.'

  She began to tremble, not revelling in the notion of eternal sleep, or service to him. Stubbornly, she assessed herself. Being reduced to less than atoms did little for comfort. Regaining the strength to merely stand took several long, anger inducing minutes.

  Her wavy, waist length red hair appeared flawless, despite her literal physical reconstruction. While the robe did cover her body, only her stiffly unemotional face could mask the agony she had been subjected to under the possession of Galaxia.

  'It was foolish of you to let yourself become possessed by Galaxia as you did. To reach that point optimizes your defeat. Pah!' he spat.

  'And you would question Galaxia!'

  'Question!' he flared, a bright red aura flashing about him briefly. 'By whose whim do you preside? This tirade is utter foolishness!'

  'My foe, the senshi…' she muttered, curling up inside.

  'They were never yours, woman,' he intoned and broke into her personal space, heat of his breath on her chin. 'You will leave now and await Galaxia.'

  She looked back at him, gaze steady, yet indomitably furious. Even as she thought to speak, her mouth formed not a single sound. He did not relent, determined to bury her pride. Finally, her eyes fell, and her head bowed. She said softly, 'I obey.'

  He paused, knowing she would not leave immediately, so he baited her. Turning eyes away, too, then back and when he grew restless, his back to her. With a click of some verbal cue he said, 'Go.'

  Her well-figured form faded into darkness with a pitiful scowl upon her face. He grinned, waved a hand in the air and declared, 'Deposed one, witness my rule.'

  @~%~~~

  'Mercury, no!' Sailor Moon cried as her friend jumped at the flame lion that had appeared out of the strange portal only minutes before.

  'I won't let you hurt my friends!' the blue haired sailor suited warrior declared. “Shabon Spray Freezing!”

  A cold wind blew across the park, where they had happened into the shimmering blue gateway. As the icy uttering swept nearby trees, their leaves froze, losing their earlier animation. The flame lion stood, the intensity of its fiery coat waning under the frigid attack of Mercury's summoning.

  The lion had yet to speak; its first cry foreboding thunder predicting the child of cruel war. Mercury could no more avoid leaping claw and snapping teeth than the comprehension of its declaration. She fell limp to the ground, teeth caught in the shoulder of her ragdoll body.

  “Supreme Thunder!” came a voice. A flash of light seized the already fazed flame beast, which dropped Mercury's motionless frame.

  'Jupiter!' exclaimed the blond haired leader of the senshi.

  'I couldn't let that Nega-creep get the best of you, I…' her voice faltered as she took stock of why her friend had not moved to help Mercury. Sailor Moon looked up at Jupiter, tears trailing down her face. In her arms she held a badly wounded Mars.

  'Th-that…' Jupiter stammered as she knelt down next to Sailor Moon. Mars' eyes trembled as they opened again, and came to regard Jupiter.

  'Makoto…' she breathed.

  'What happened…?'

  'The… lion came through that,' Usagi supplied in hushed tones as she pointed to the portal, 'and attacked us… we barely had time to transform…!'

  Sailor Jupiter merely bowed her head for a moment, before raising it again and standing. Her eyes glowered angrily under the brown locks and ponytail of her hair.

  'Jupiter! Wait! I'll help you,' Mina ran up to stand next to her, her long straight blond hair flowing out behind her.

  Jupiter simply nodded, looking deeply wronged and darkly intense. Mina regarded her friend for a moment, noting uneasily that she could not remember her seeming so fierce.

  Mina raised her hand, her transformation pen turning aside it before it closed as she said, “Venus Star Power - Make Up!”

  Moments later, that same voice rang out: “Crescent Beam!”

  Just as the yellow beam sought the flame lion, it began to change color. It came to match the tinge of the flame lion, which had turned a dull sapphire. The sliver of blue light touched the lion, and as it did, Venus screamed.

  'Venus!' Jupiter cried, eyes wide.

  'No!!' Usagi shrieked, and burst into passionate tears.

  Venus stood, her face transfixed in an expression of pain, before her form wavered and faded in a nimbus of blue light. A sapphire point of light appeared and hung in mid-air. The breach in reality expanded, forming an oval portal. Jupiter looked aghast, as she noted Mina, gazing helplessly at them.

  'Okay Nega-jerk, you're going to get moon-dusted!' Jupiter snarled. “Sparkling Wide Pressure!”

  A brilliant shard of electric blue light oriented on the flame lion as Jupiter gave a powerful underhand motion. Before she had even completed the arc, the lion roared, and the shard halted. Jupiter gasped, all at once astonished and scared. There was a moment of silence, and Jupiter screamed.

  'Jupiter!'

  Before Usagi could utter another word in desperation, the lion gave out another low war cry. The blue portal uttered out, grasping the forms within reach. Usagi held tightly to the badly wounded Mars, determined not to let her go.

  Each of the five Sailors fought against the consuming blue light as it gripped them. Moments passed, and the struggle reigned. Mercury dropped to her knees, her shimmering transparent form falling unconscious.

  'Ngggh… Mercury!' Usagi managed tensely. She grit her teeth as pain wracked her body. Mina fell, no longer able to hold against the force that struggled to overwhelm her. Usagi found she could not even cry out at her friend's collapse. Somehow, she felt that this was one battle that the senshi might not win.

  'I'm so sorry Sailor M—uunn,' Jupiter gave, and fell to her knees, her strength failing her.

  Usagi winced against the blue light, the grasping blue portal. She felt the fight leaving her as a warm faint feeling began to consume her.

  As Mars slipped from her arms, taken by unseen hands, Usagi found that she lacked the strength to struggle. She held for a moment, but her fingers slipped easily. She fell forward, darkness grasping her mind.

  As felines always do, the deep blue flame lion appeared to grin. If one was to pay attention, one might hear a low chuckle rise in its throat. As the portal took the last of the Sailor Senshi into it's frame, it faded, and disappeared, leaving only the stale evening breeze alone in the darkness of the evening.

  Chapter 1

  Escape Atlantis