Two hands touch a black six-sided crystal. One hand wears a white glove, the other is bare. The first male, the second is female. A white light ignites in the crystal. The white light struggles with the blackness and the first hand tries to pull the crystal away. "You can't stop me, little girl," the male says with contempt. "This crystal is mine." For a moment, the darkness starts to swallow the light. "IT'S NOT YOUR CRYSTAL! IT WAS HIS! YOU KILLED HIM FOR IT! I WON'T LET YOU KEEP IT!!!!!!!," the young girl shouts with rage and frustration. The white light pulses and swallows the darkness, which gutters and goes out. The crystal shines with a white light, that explodes forth. The gloved hand smoulders for a second, then combusts into flame. The male voice screams as the flesh begins to burn away, and the hand releases the crystal. The woman speaks again, "I won't let you hurt anyone else! So I do swear!" The dream memory ended with a start and Zoicite woke up, drenched in sweat. He rolled over and stared at Malachite, who was still asleep, dreaming peacefully. Or maybe not dreaming at all. Zoicite sat up and stared at his hand, which was slowly healing, but still looked like a spare part from a zombie, with blackened skin peeking through the bandages. He shuddered. My beautiful hand, destroyed by that wretched girl. She will pay. Dearly. I've already taken one revenge...but she herself will pay in blood. "I'll get you for this..." Malachite stirred. "Zoicite, are you obsessing over your hand again?" Zoicite quickly hid his hand under the covers. "I'm just thinking." "I understand why you want revenge, dear Zoicite, but we're treading on thin enough ice with Queen Beryl as it is. Revenge can wait for when the Dark Kingdom rules all. Patience is the virtue we must cultivate until then." Zoicite nodded. "If we lose any more of the crystals to those wretched Sailor Brats..." "Eternal Sleep or worse." Zoicite reached over Malachite to the box that sat near the bed. He opened it. Two crystals glimmered at him. "At least Beryl never knew we had the Star Crystal...And I didn't lose the one she gave me...If I lost that, she'd probably destroy me on the spot." Zoicite shuddered. Malachite put an arm around Zoicite's shoulders. "Well, in the morning, we can go deal with them. For now, I need some sleep." He laid back down. Zoicite sat and stared at the crystals for a long time, then went back to sleep. ****************************************************************** Sailor Moon Elseworlds: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Mercury # 32 Help is on the way! But who is Tuxedo Mask's New partner? Translated by Jenny "Tex" Borchelt from the BSSM Anime Comic #11. adapted to story format by John Walter Biles **************************************************************** It was raining at the funeral. The group of mourners was small, but clearly shaken. Two adults stood closest to the priest and the grave, crying as the urn was lowered into it. They both wore typical middle class dignified mourning garb, and the man wore thick glasses that obscured his eyes. Close to them, a knot of junior high students stood, crying in the rain. Ami, with Luna in her arms, tried not to cry, while Urawa htried to comfort her with his hand on her shoulder. He wished he knew what to say. Next to them stood Naru, crying as if she would never stop. Makoto was hugging her, but it didn't help much. Usagi was hugging Naru also, and she was crying even more than Naru was. A few feet away were Usagi's parents, standing under a single umbrella with Shingo. Naru's mother was there also, watching Naru's friends try to comfort her, uncertain of what to do. Ami lost herself in thought. Did I make the right decisions? Was there some way we could have saved him? If only we had had Rei...but Rei was gone now, maybe even dead. She and her grandfather had sacrificed themselves to stop Jadeite. Their deaths hadn't been the only ones. Later, only Tuxedo Kamen's arrival had saved me and Naru and Usagi from dying like Nephrite did, she thought. Nephrite...if we could have saved him from dying, we'd be better able to face Zoicite now. Still, we did get the Star Crystal back from Zoicite...Ami paused, remembering the sheer shock they had all experienced when they arrived just in time to see Naru somehow blasting Zoicite across the graveyard... First she lost Nephrite...and now Umino. I can't see how she can bear so much pain...I hope she doesn't resent me for being able to save Urawa when we couldn't save Umino...Ami turned and looked at Makoto. I wish I was as strong a fighter as you...I wish I knew how to comfort them. Being the leader is so hard...I wasn't raised to be a leader. I'm just glad I have friends I can count on...We've got to defeat the Dark Kingdom or no one will be safe! She looked at Usagi. Oh Usagi, I'm so sorry. I won't let Zoicite do that to you. I swear. You shouldn't have to be going through this...You and Umino aren't supposed to be part of this war. That's the duty of the Sailor Senshi. We should be protecting you. We will protect you. Zoicite's not going to kill any more of my friends! Almost unseen, a lone college student stood nearby in the rain, alone under an umbrella. This is all my fault, he thought. If only I hadn't been so obsessed with getting the crystals...he shouldn't have died. Curse these stupid rocks... *************************************************************** The Senshi met at their usual meeting place, Makoto's apartment. It was warm and dry and peaceful here, though much more somber than their usual meetings. The death of Umino still haunted them, especially Naru. Makoto had a big plate of snacks on the table and drinks for everyone. Makoto, Ami, Naru, and Urawa sat at the table, while Luna sat ON the table. Ami had her computer out, put where everyone could see. "Well, the program I wrote seems to have finally worked. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be finding Zoicite and her crystals...but we have located the two Tuxedo Kamen has. This address is probably his workplace or home. Now we have to decide if we want to confront him or not." Urawa blinked and stared off into space for a moment. They all waited, knowing this meant he was having a vision again. Urawa wasn't really a Senshi, but his power had been a great help to them. They had been able to predict all of the crystal carriers in advance after they met him. They still hadn't gotten all the crystals...but it had helped them survive some bad situations. It had taken some effort to enable him to stay in the area, but it had been worth it. Ami wondered again exactly how Central Control, as Luna called it, had been able to arrange for Urawa's father's transfer to be cancelled. What exactly IS Central Control? He turned to Ami and said, "Ami-chan, he's going after Usagi's family next...to take them all hostages to try and get us to give up the Rainbow crystals..." Makoto growled. "That bastard! If he'd just fight us fair and square, I'd rip him apart!" "I think he knows that, Makoto-chan," Ami said. Naru pounded her fist into the table. "If he hurts Usagi, I'll hunt him to the end of the earth and RIP OUT HIS LUNGS! I'LL MAKE HIM WISH HE'D NEVER BEEN BORN!" Naru breathed heavily and the burst of rage washed out of her. She started to cry again. "Not like Umino...I won't let him hurt Usagi. She's my best friend..." Urawa said, "I think it will be tonight. It looked kinda dark in the vision...There was someone else too..." "Maybe it's the other Sailor that Central Control told me was coming," Luna said. "There's another Sailor coming?" Ami asked. That would be great! Luna nodded. "She could get here at any time." "We'd better get moving so we can protect Usagi!" Makoto said. "Poor kid, caught up in all this." She got up. Ami nodded. "Let's go, Senshi!" **************************************************************************** When they reached Usagi's house, they knocked on the door and Ikuko, Usagi's mother let them in. "Do you know where Usagi is? She hasn't come home..." Makoto growled. "That creep Zoicite had better not have grabbed her!" "Zoicite? Who is Zoicite, Makoto?" Ikuko asked. "He's that creep who killed Umino! If I get my hands on him..." Ikuko sighed. "All these monsters and strange beings that have been attacking people. Poor Mrs. Osaka got attacked, and Naru and so many other of Usagi's friends...and Usagi too. If that Tuxedo boy hadn't saved her that time...Oh god, I hope she's all right!" Naru hugged Ikuko. "Don't worry, we'll find her. She'll be okay. She has to be okay." There was a knock at the door. It was a tall blond man with a glasses and a pony-tail in a fairly typical teacher suit. Luna stirred. Something was strange about this man. "Hello. I'm Ishano Asaka, one of the new vice-principals at Juuban. Can I talk with your daughter, Usagi?" "She's not here..." Mr. Asaka frowned, then saw Naru. His eyes narrowed. She stared back at him, reached in her pocket and touched the Star Crystal. She could feel it pulse. That was no ordinary vice-principal... Luna frowned. Something odd about this vice-principal. "So, I've caught you without your little sailor friends, Naru..." Asaka said. Ikuko blinked. "What?" "Zoicite!" Naru pulled out the star crystal. "What's going on here?" Ikuko said, backing up. Ami sighed. This was not going according to plan...She nudged Urawa who ran off to take cover, dragging Ikuko with him. He was good at predicting fights...not winning them. We should have left him at Makoto's...but we can't protect him if he's too far away from us. Zoicite must not have Usagi...he wouldn't waste time looking for someone he has. She whispered to Makoto, "Get out of his sight and change." Ami and Makoto bolted. Luna quietly dived under the couch. Zoicite laughed. "I see your friends are abandoning you. They're wiser than they know." Ikuko backed up to the kitchen door. Naru smiled. "You're the one who doesn't understand...STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" The star crystal flared with a white light and power rushed over her, transforming her clothing and body. Her dress whipped about and reshaped into a red outfit that matched that worn by the four generals, with white trim and a white heart where the button over the right breast usually was. "I'm going to kill you for what you've done, Zoicite!" Zoicite laughed. "You're no match for me all by yourself. And I brought company." Three women with green, mauve, and off-mauve skin rushed in. "Girls, destroy her and bring me the crystal. I'm going to make sure they haven't hidden Usagi around here somewhere...She'll make a good bait for cape boy." The three youma charged at Senshi Crystal, who leaped straight up, letting them go through where she had been. They crashed into the couch. "You want to fight? Come and get me!" Zoicite turned to go upstairs, while the three youma chased Naru out the front door. However, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter were blocking the stairs. "We won't let you harm any more innocents, Zoicite!" Mercury said. "Ohh, I'm shaking. Well, I've been wanting to deal with all of you Sailor Brats. Hand over the crystals and..." "No deals!" Jupiter shouted. "I'm gonna pry the crystals from your COLD DEAD HANDS! SUPREME THUNDER!" Lightning blasted at Zoicite, who vanished in a spray of petals. "Take it outside so we don't wreck Usagi's house," Luna said. Mercury nodded. Usagi's not here, so we don't have to worry about him grabbing Usagi, she thought. They headed for outside. Senshi Crystal was leaping about, trying to dodge the three youma's blasts. She had managed to wing one youma, but unless she could get all three with one shot, it was clear she was going to have a hard time with all of them. Mercury shouted, "SHABON SPRAY!" A mist settled over the yard, and the three Senshi quickly regrouped while the Youma wandered around, looking for them. "Where's Zoicite?" Senshi Crystal asked. "I can't get a lock on him with my computer," Mercury said. "You two take out these Youma while I look for him." They nodded. Mercury located them with her computer and pointed. "Crystal Power STRIKE!" "SUPREME THUNDER!" A beam of white hot energy struck the off-mauve youma, who evaporated. Electricity claimed the mauve youma's existence. However, this evaporated a swathe of fog, and the green youma fired a blast of energy spheres. Crystal and Jupiter were forced to run and dodge the blasts. A voice cried out from the roof. "Halt, or she gets it!" They all looked up. It was Zoicite, holding Usagi's mom with a crystal knife to her throat. "Give me the crystals, or she gets it." The three Senshi stared at each other. Crystal reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out three identical but differently colored crystals. "You're a bastard! You know that, right?" Zoicite laughed. "You humans are all so pathetic. Now give me the crystals or she gets a second smile." The Senshi looked nervously at each other. Finally, Mercury said, "Give her the crystals, Crystal. We can't risk Usagi's mother's life." Jupiter put a hand in front of her mouth and apparently coughed. Zoicite smiled. Human simpletons. So pathetic. Once I have the crystals, I can kill them all. Especially Naru. Little bitch, burning MY HAND! Zoicite held out his bandaged hand. "Give them to me." Crystal leaped up to the roof. She dropped the crystals into Zoicite's palm. Zoicite stared. Naru seemed about to laugh for some reason...Crazy humans. "Well, now to get rid of this hostage, so I don't have to waste any more time making sure she doesn't fall." Dropping the crystals into his pocket, he began to move the knife to cut Ikuko's throat. Mercury gasped, while Crystal and Jupiter snarled. Before Zoicite could actually cut her throat, however, faint music played and a top hat whirled across everyone's field of vision, striking Zoicite's hand and shattering the knife into a million tiny spheres of crystal, which rained harmlessly to the ground. At the same time, a rose flew into sight and struck Zoicite in the shoulder. Everyone turned and saw two figures sillhouetted against the moon on a roof across the street. One was Tuxedo Mask. The other was a woman, who caught her returning top hat and put it on her head. Her hair was long and blonde and hung free to mid-back. She wore an outfit similar to Tuxedo Kamen's, but cut for a woman, and with fishnet stockings instead of pants. In her right hand was a long cane, with two of the rainbow crystals set into it, one on top, the other on the bottom of the cane. "You've killed too many innocents, Zoicite," Tuxedo Kamen said. "You'll never get our crystals, and we're taking you down NOW!" The woman nodded. "I am Tuxedo Staff, defender of justice and protector of the innocent! Your reign of terror is over! In the name of love and justice, I will punish you!" "Ooh, cape boy got a girlfriend. I'm quaking in my boots." Zoicite turned his attention to Tuxedo Kamen. "I've got five crystals now! I think I'll go for a full set!" While he was distracted, Crystal grabbed Ikuko and leaped to the ground with her. "You'll be okay, Mrs. Tsukino." "My daughter...my daughter..." She began to babble. Crystal took her inside. "Jupiter, take out the youma now!" Mercury shouted. The youma, like everyone else, had been just watching all this. Jupiter smiled. "SUPREME THUNDER!" Lightning crackled and knocked down, but did not destroy the youma. "I don't die that easy! I have the power of my sisters now!" The green youma fired a massive blast at Jupiter, who dodged desperately. "Slay one of us and the others gain her power!" "What about if we slay all of you?" Jupiter shouted. The green youma lacked an adequate answer for that. Zoicite gestured and threw a barrage of crystal knives at Tuxedo Staff, who squealed and leaped for cover. "Hey, you're not supposed to be able to do that!" Tuxedo Mask hurled another rose at Zoicite, who barely dodged it. Meanwhile, the green youma continued to chase Jupiter, who dodged all the blasts, leading the youma around the yard, and right in front of Mercury. Crystal stepped out of the house, and they surrounded the youma on three sides. "SHABON SPRAY!" "SUPREME THUNDER!" "CRYSTAL POWER STRIKE!" The three attacks struck the youma, who screamed and evaporated. Zoicite began chasing Tuxedo Mask and Tuxedo Staff rooftop to rooftop around the neighborhood. The Senshi leaped up to the roofs and joined the chase. Unfortunately, Tuxedo Staff managed to snag her foot on a loose tile and fell down. Zoicite leaped at her with two crystal blades in his hands. She swung the Rainbow Cane at him desperately and the two blades shattered, the pieces sticking into Zoicite, who howled in pain and rage. "You win this time...but I have all the Rainbow crystals but your two! I'll be BACK!" He vanished in a spray of petals. Tuxedo Staff tried hard not to hyperventilate. She staggered to her feet with Tuxedo Kamen's help as the three Senshi leaped to her side. She smiled nervously at them. "I guess you won?" "Yeah! Those three youma sisters weren't so tough." Jupiter said. "I'm Sailor Jupiter! Nice to meet ya! Are you and Tuxedo Mask gonna stick around for once, or are you gonna do the disappearing thing again now?" Tuxedo Mask frowned. "Now Zoicite has five of the crystals...if only we'd been faster." Mercury, Crystal, and Jupiter started to laugh. "It's NOT funny!" The three Senshi each reached into a pocket and pulled out...a Rainbow Crystal. "But you...I saw you...you handed them to him!" Tuxedo Staff said. "What I handed him was three pieces of glass worth a few hundred yen each. I think Queen Beryl is not going to be amused." Crystal laughed and pulled out some more fake Rainbow Crystals. "Would you like some?" They all laughed. "Are you...a senshi like us?" Mercury asked. "Luna said a new Sailor would be joining us...you're not a sailor, but..." Tuxedo Staff looked over at Tuxedo Kamen, who said, "She's a...friend of mine. She wants a piece of Zoicite for what he's done..." Tuxedo Staff nodded. "He's killed too many innocent people and threatened...I'm not going to let him get away with hurting anyone else! I...I don't like fighting, but I've got the power now and I'm not afraid to use it! Well...not very afraid." She sighed. "I just wish I could have done something earlier..." Her eyes began to tear up. "If only I'd known I could do this before...before..." Crystal nodded. "I know exactly how you feel. Zoicite killed two people who were very important to me. I won't rest until I get revenge." Her voice was cold and bitter. "He's going to pay." "Have either of you two seen Usagi? She's missing..." Tuxedo Staff and Kamen looked at each other briefly, then Tuxedo Kamen said, "She's safe. I'll get her home soon...I ran into her this afternoon...I was afraid Zoicite would come after her next. You can tell her mother she'll be home soon." Tuxedo Staff nodded. "We have to go." "Wait!" Mercury said. "Why don't we join forces! That way we'll have a much better chance to find Zoicite and defeat him!" "All right," Tuxedo Staff said. "I need all the help I can get." "I'm used to being a solo act...but we HAVE to stop Zoicite...I have to warn you...I have to get the crystals...The princess is depending on me." Tuxedo Kamen sighed. "We can cross that bridge when we get to it. I failed to save Umino...because I was so obsessed with the crystals...I didn't realize he was in such danger until it was too late. I won't let that happen again. I swear." "Don't blame yourself," Mercury said. "Even with someone predicting the future for us, we weren't able to save him. The important thing is that we work together. Besides, we're looking for the princess too, so we can protect her! If only we could find her..." "I've REALLY got to go," Tuxedo Staff said. "How about if we meet somewhere after school tomorrow?" "At the park?" Mercury suggested. "Right. See ya!" Tuxedo Staff and Tuxedo Kamen bounded off across the rooftops, out of sight. "We'd better get back to Usagi's mom," Mercury said. Jupiter smiled. "You just want to snuggle with Urawa." Mercury blushed. "She's going to be worried about us..." "Yeah, yeah. Wink wink nudge nudge nod nod, know what you mean." Mercury blushed more. *************************************************************************** Zoicite appeared in his chambers in the Dark Kingdom. Kunzite looked up. "You look happy." "The little fiery haired monster lived, but I got the three crystals the Senshi had. Queen Beryl will be pleased." He put the three crystals in the box with the other two. Kunzite looked at them and frowned. "I have a bad feeling...you'd better check these." For a moment, Zoicite was silent, then scanned the crystals with the Dark Crystal Queen Beryl had given him. "THIS IS NOTHING BUT GLASS!!!!" Kunzite nodded. What could he say to that? "I WAS TRICKED!" "Yes. Queen Beryl isn't going to like this." "There's another one of them too...Tuxedo Kamen used his two crystals to empower someone, I think. Of course...if he can do that, maybe we can too..." Zoicite felt the beginning of another plan coming on. *************************************************************************** Ikuko woke up in the kitchen...had this all been a dream? She staggered out into the living room, right as Usagi ran in the door. "Mom!" Usagi ran over to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry I'm late, Mom...these people were after me..." Her mother cried and hugged her. "I was so afraid...Horrible monsters attacked the house and..." "Don't cry, Mom. I'm okay. We're all gonna be okay. We've got people watching out for us." Usagi held her mother tightly. "I almost got killed...but they saved me...oh god, what is happening to this city? All these monsters..the police can't do anything about it...noone is safe." Ikuko sobbed in her daughter's arms. "Your father is out looking for you...your friends were here...I don't know what happened to them..." Ami, Urawa, Makoto and Naru came down the stairs. "I guess the fight is over?" Urawa asked. Naru came over and hugged Usagi's mom. "Don't worry. The monsters are gone. The Senshi got rid of them. You're going to be okay." Luna rubbed up against Ikuko's leg. She smiled faintly and picked Luna up. "Your cat is so friendly and smart, Ami. I'd almost think she could understand what we're saying. If cats could talk..." Everyone laughed, except Luna, who quietly pouted. ************************************************************************* Translator's notes: This episode is the begining of the climax of the Crystal War arc of the first season of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Mercury. The Crystal War lasts until Episode 34-5, with the revelation of the Moon Princess, which then leads into the Final Conflict arc as the Dark Kingdom forces try to close in for the kill. This will be added to my BSSM web page once I have time to add it in. Comments are appreciated! Let me know if I mistranslated anything. Jenny "Tex" Borchelt University of Kansagon at Lawland. Still working on that Ph.D in Computer Science in my spare time of course :) tex@wombat.cc.ukansagon.edu ************************** Author's notes: Well, I started this elseworlds as the result of a dream of Naru grabbing the Star Crystal from Zoicite and blasting him to dust :) I'm trying to decide how many of the "Episodes" to do, and which ones. I started with this one, mainly 'cause it was the one I had clearest in my mind. Lemme know what you think :)