Confrontation The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Thirteen by Rick Federle A sudden stillness was left by the abrupt departure of Azmaria and her Negawarriors. The Scouts looked in astonishment at the spot where Azmaria had been only a heartbeat or two before. "This is all YOUR FAULT!" Sailor Venus yelled, leveling an accusing finger at Sailor Moon, whose mouth fell open at the accusation. "If it hadn't been for YOU, he'd still be here!" The other Scouts were shocked into silence by Venus' words. She leaped over and snatched up Artemis in both her hands. "Can I use the portal?" She demanded. "You should." Artemis got out in a choked sounding voice, so tight was Venus holding him. Without another word, she dropped the cat and ran into the portal, raising her arms in front of her face. "Oh, my. She's really lost it." Neptune broke the silence. The others looked over at her inquiringly. "She believes we rejected her and we won't help her so she's going to rescue him by herself. And the Negaverse will kill her in the process." As Jupiter watched the scene unfold, she struggled with the emotions inside of her. She realized that she was not suspicious of William because he might be a spy from the Negaverse, but it was something else entirely. She was acting the way she was because she longed for the kind of relationship Mina and William shared. She blinked, finally able to push aside the distrust she had, pushing it out from between her and Mina and William. "Then we'll just have to help her whether she wants it or not." Jupiter said suddenly. The others blinked in surprise at Jupiter's sudden declaration. "Right." Sailor Moon agreed. She looked over at Luna. "Is the portal safe to use?" "It should be." Luna said. Sailor Moon glanced over at Mercury, who was deactivating her scanner. "Well?" She asked and Mercury nodded to the affirmative. "Let's go, Scouts." Sailor Moon led the others into the portal. Sailor Venus lowered her arms as the fog began to clear, walking along the tunnel that the portal represented. A small corner of her brain, the rational part, she supposed, told her that her reactions earlier that day were completely wrong. She mulled over it as she walked, her eyes scanning for any sign of danger, or of her true love. Neither seemed to present itself. She shook her head, angry at herself. She'd jumped to conclusions, assuming her friends were rejecting them like that. She'd tell them how sorry she was and how wrong she'd been for treating them that way after she got the Guardsman back. She loved him more than life itself and she'd jumped at the chance to be with him. That time would come soon enough, no matter how eagerly she wanted it. They belonged together. They both knew that. She shook her head again. The fog cleared abruptly and Venus drew to a halt as she found several dozen Negawarriors standing in a semicircle, blocking her from going any further forward. Energy globes appeared in the hands of the Negawarriors. "One Sailor Scout, well done." One of them called. * * * Azmaria flickered into existence in the Negaforce's presence, shoving the unconscious Guardsman off of her and standing up. "I have done as you commanded." Azmaria said. "The Guardsman. Excellent." Azmaria bowed slightly in acknowledgment to the praise. "Now you will stay and watch my victory over the Sailor Scouts once and for all." A Negawarrior appeared next to Azmaria, whispered something in her ear so that she nodded, then vanished. "I must go, master. The Scouts press our lines heavily." "You will stay here and watch." Azmaria frowned. "I am the general of the army of the Negaverse. I must attend to my troops. Besides, the Scouts might think it's a trap if I don't show up to try to hold them off." She vanished. * * * Venus panted, dodging another set of energy globes. She'd managed to take out a few of the Negawarriors, but there were too many of them. Her heart reached out to her love, but she couldn't reach him, she only knew he was in terrible danger if she didn't get to him. She had to get to him but she knew she'd die unless she got some help. She collapsed, exhausted as another volley of globes narrowly missed her. She closed her eyes and waited for the end. "Dead Scream." "World Shaking!" "Deep Submerge!" "Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" "Mars Flame Sniper!" "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Venus opened her eyes with a start. Azmaria was calling her Negawarriors back and she felt strong hands lift her to her feet, supporting her. She turned her head to look. "Hey, girl." Jupiter smiled at her encouragingly. "We'll help you get him back." Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury along with the Outers formed a line between her and the Negawarriors. "Thanks." Venus whispered to Jupiter as she smiled back weakly. Jupiter nodded in agreement. The Negawarriors disappeared at a gesture from Azmaria. "Truce." Azmaria walked forward hesitantly, holding her hands before her in a gesture of submission. "And why should we trust you, Negatrash?" Sailor Moon asked from the center of the line, her staff leveled threateningly at Azmaria. Azmaria shook her head. "Because I'll take you to the Guardsman." Azmaria's eyes were intent. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" "You should know, kidnapper." "You can take him and go. None of us will interfere with you." Azmaria promised. "I'll take you to him." Azmaria turned her back on them and began to walk away. "It's a trap." Sailor Mars called to Sailor Moon from where she was supporting Sailor Venus. "But it's our only chance to get him back." Venus said wearily. She shook off the supporting hands and took a step forward. "I'll go." She walked past Sailor Moon, only to have a hand grasp her on the shoulder and stop her. "We'll go with you." Sailor Moon offered when Venus turned to her. "He's in here." Azmaria drew to a halt before a door. "And so is the Negaforce." Azmaria gestured and the doors opened. She flickered and vanished from sight before those within could see her. "Mars?" Sailor Moon asked without taking her eyes off the opening. "I sense great evil." She frowned. "Guardsman!" Venus launched herself from the midst of her friends and into the room, running toward his unconscious form. The other Scouts hurried after her. "Stop!" The Negaforce commanded, a blast of energy sending Venus flying into the arms of her friends. She gave a groan, slumped in the grip of Jupiter and Mars. * * * "Who, what, where am I?" The Guardsman asked, looking around on the flat grey featureless plain. "In your mind." A voice told him. It was his own, but not his own in some way he couldn't place. He turned to look. Before him stood a white and gold armored figure. Himself, he realized. Slightly different, but himself. "I was wondering how much longer it would be." "Be before what?" He asked the other version of himself. "Before you realized who you are." His other self explained. "Who am I?" He asked, suddenly realizing how stupid it sounded. "You tell me." The white and gold armored figure demanded. "I'm me." "Yes, that's true." "But are you also?" "You already know that." His other self told him. "If you didn't know you wouldn't be here." "Then you are me." "Yes. Or rather, I am what you are to be." His other self removed one of the gauntlets and raised the hand, letting the gold ring resting there become visible to him. "I'm your future." His mouth opened and closed once and his other self replaced the gauntlet. "I don't understand." He said finally. "Yes you do." His other self said. "Reach down deep inside of yourself and you will." The other nodded in encouragement and he closed his eyes, reaching down into himself. * * * "Foolish humans, you have come to your doom." The Negaforce said as the Scouts drew to a halt. "Hardly." Sailor Moon said. "It's time to end this. Right now." She leveled the staff at the Negaforce but before she could do anything else, a brilliant white sphere of light encircled the Guardsman. "What?" "I guess I should thank you." The Guardsman stepped out of the sphere of light toward the Negaforce, his white and gold armor gleaming. "You finally unlocked the secret within me." He explained as the sphere of light vanished. "No!" The Negaforce called in anguish. "It can't be. Not you." "I am the Guardsman, the Warrior of Light! As darkness gives way before the Light, so you must give way before me." He leveled a warning finger at the Negaforce. "Stay out of my dimension or you will be destroyed. This is your only warning. And so you don't forget: Sun Fire Flare!" The brilliant beam of light energy tore into the Negaforce, causing it to let off a scream of pain. The Guardsman raised a hand. "Light Teleport!" He and the Scouts vanished in a flash of light.