MANIFOLD DESTINY Book One: Other lives, other paths By: Rick Federle and WolfByte _______________________________________________________________________ Sailor Moon and all associated characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi, and are trademark of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd., and Toei Animation Co., Ltd. Usage of them is without permission, and for the sole purpose of entertainment. Solar is property of WolfByte, and if you wish to use the character he requests you ask permission first. The Guardsman/Warrior of Light is the property of Rick Federle, and if you wish to use the character please ask permission before hand. All other characters are joint creations of the two. _______________________________________________________________________ Chapter 3: "Twists and Turns" William made it a short three steps before his left toe collided with his right foot, sending him falling towards the hard stone floor. He caught himself on hands and knees, gritting his teeth at the pain that shot though him from the forceful impact. "William!" Mina cried with worry, unable to see the smile that had crept onto his face. Rei and Jason blinked at the speed that the blonde ran to her husband's side, unaware that Minako, or any version of Minako, could move quite so fast. "Love, are you all right?" "I'm better than all right actually," he told her. "In fact, I feel the best I've felt since waking up in this nightmarish place." "I don't understand," Jason admitted. "Then why did you trip?" William stood up, and turned to his wife. "Relax for a second and you should feel it too." Mina closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her eyes popping open wide in mid-breath. "It's back!" William nodded. "Err..." Rei interrupted. "I really hate to break up this bizarre bonding moment, but would one of you two mind explaining exactly what's going on here?" "My connection to the Light is back," William explained. "And... this is a good thing, right?" inquired Rei, her face still covered with confusion. "You weren't paying attention dear," Jason chuckled. "Sue me!" Rei declared, sticking her tongue out at her smirking boyfriend. "What do you think caused you to get back in touch?" Jason asked, purposely ignoring the childish taunt that would usually lead into one of several 'romantic' engagements. "My best guess," William said after a slight pause. "Would be that the cell was shielded." "Smart kitties," Jason commented with a nod. "Think you can transform now?" "Couldn't hurt to try," Mina chimed. White and orange power pens were thrust in the air. "Sailor Venus..." Mina began. "Warrior of Light..." William followed. "Transform!" They finished together. Mina's body was washed with ripples of white, yellow, and orange energy as a ribbon of golden stars spiraled down from her transformation wand. She twirled around as her uniform flashed into being upon her body, her gloves and sandals following mere moments later. She flicked several strands of hair over her shoulder before thrusting an open hand up into the air, her skin having once more resumed its normal appearance. White light extended downward from William's white pen, engulfing his body from the shoulders down. The light melded into white body armor trimmed with gold, and a flowing white cape blazed into existence. His left hand dropped to his side, and firmly grasped the hilt of his sword as it appeared in it's sheath at his hip. The last of the light faded as he stood for a moment, his cape billowing in a non-existent breeze. "See, some people are lucky," Jason grumbled quietly to Rei. "They get armor to help them out." "But armor would cover your wonderful figure," Raye said with a sparkle in her eye. "Besides, it would cut down on your flexibility, and we both know how wonderfully flexible you are." Jason coughed loudly, his gaze turning away quickly. "Yes well, I think it's your turn honey." Rei smiled widely as she her red power stick flashed into her hand. Raising it into the air, she paused to take a deep breath. "Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!" As usual, Jason tried not to stare at his girlfriend while she transformed, so he turned his attention to his two new companions, once more giving them a look over. Sailor Venus' uniform caught his attention as he noticed that her front bow clasp was ornamented by a small golden sun in the center of the heart shaped bow clasp. 'Must be another difference in universes,' he thought. A soft tap on his shoulder sent Jason spinning around, where he found Sailor Mars smiling at him. She gave him a peck on the cheek,and grabbed his arm. "You stay by me," she ordered. "No Pauhl means no playing around." "Yes mother." He doged the daggers her eyes flashed him, and turned back towards their new associates. "We need to get out of here, but it seems," he said, looking around at the hall they stood in, "that we have two possible ways to go." "Well?" the girls asked in unison. "Right," Guardsman stated. "Left," Jason argued calmly. "Well, your left." Sailor Mars raised one eyebrow. "Oookay," she mouthed silently. "Which way is it then?" She asked. "We go right," Venus stated flatly. "Oh? And why is that?" Mars asked. "Simply because your husband said we should go that way?" "Good enough reason for me." "Not for me. I think we should go left." "Oh?" Sailor Venus snapped. "And what makes you think your boyfriend has better judgement than my husband?!" "I've known him longer," Mars snapped, "so I'd trust his opinion over you or your husband's any day!" "Well I've known William since the Silver Millennium, and I know he usually makes good decisions." "And was following his decisions how you wound up here, Venus?" "Like you're one to talk!" Both Guardsman and Jason sighed and shook their head, the actions done with almost perfect synchronization. Each looked at the other, and groaned slightly. "Yours started it," Guardsman pointed out. "And yours continued it," Jason replied. "I suppose we're going to have to finish it." Jason nodded. "But which way to go?" A thick beam of crackling yellow-gray energy slammed into the wall next to them, catching the attention of all four warriors. The two men looked at each other and nodded. "Left!" The hall echoed with the sound of metal on stone as nearly a dozen of the large felinoids guards ran into view, their metal boots threatening to force submission upon the four warriors by sheer noise. "Run or fight?" Guardsman asked his two new companions, uncertain of their reaction to such a situation. Jason slipped one foot back behind him, turning his body sideways as if to brace himself from some oncoming object. He extended his arms out slightly, open palms facing the enemy. "I suppose that means fight," Guardsman noted. "Don't!" Mars snapped at her boyfriend. "Don't use your powers! You need to conserve your energy since you can't transform. Stay back." Jason gritted his teeth, muttering what seemed to be an incomprehensible gibberish. Knowing several sets of eyes were focussed on him, he ground his teeth and simply said "Don't ask." The squad of guards stopped several feet from them, each guard looking them over with a combination of arrogance and hunger. Several of the guards raised their rifles and fired, the beams darting out with great speed. Diving to avoid being hit, Guardsman let out a cry of pain as one of the energy beams grazed his upper left arm, causing it to go numb for a moment, and sending waves of extreme pain running all the way to his fingertips. Venus' eyes darkened with anger as she rose up from her in her crouched position. "Venus," she began, thrusting her right forefinger into the air. "Light arrow," she continued as she spun her forefinger around in a circle. She pointed her finger at one of the guards, "STRIKE!" The incandescent beam of white energy shot from her fingertip, spearing the feline soldier through chest, punching a fist sized hole through his armor with surprising ease. Jason whistled as the guard fell back limp, the single attack having killed the creature. "No matter what the dimension," he commented, "I must remember never to get Venus angry." A single feline warrior pushed his way through the squad. "No energy weapons!" he told the rest. "The First Fel does not want to do too much damage to them, and even repeated stun blasts can do significant damage to their bodies. Remember they are to be studied!" "If you think that your men can handle us with weapons, let alone without them," Jason spat. "You're greatly mistaken." Sailor Mars shook her head in slight embarrassment "Well his ego wasn't bruised when he was brought here. Jason, be careful." The guards swarmed around them like angry bees. Lashing out with his palm, Guardsman struck another in it's nose, knocking it back. Two more of the feline soldiers rushed in where their comrade had been. One large soldier slashed at Jason with a clawed hand, his orders to keep the humans intact long forgotten. He fell backwards, somersaulting when he hit the floor. Lashing out with one leg, he tripped another of the guards, sending it face-fist onto the floor. Standing side-by-side, the two girls lashed out with their feet, catching one guard in the chest, and sending his back into another of his fellow soldiers. But as fast as they could down their foes, the feline warriors would get back up, and attack again. "This is getting nowhere real fast!" Mars shouted. Jason kicked high, inwardly smiling at the snapping sound that occurred when his heel smashed into the nose of the guard before him. "Why don't you girls scout ahead while we deal with these furballs?" "We can barely manage with the four of us," Venus snapped. "What makes you think the two of you could handle all of them?" The Guardsman smashed another felinoid in the nose, having figured out as his male associate had, that it was a weak point for the large cats. "I think it's a good idea," he said over his shoulder. He jumped above a swinging rifle, kicking its owner as he landed. "If we have to fall back, it might help to know where we're going, and that any minor obstacles had been eliminated." "But-" Sailor Venus's protest died as Sailor Mars grabbed her by the arm, kicked a guard in the chest, and started to run, dragging the surprised blonde behind her. "Be careful!" Venus cried. 'You too Jason,' Mars thought. 'Don't you dare get killed here.' "Thanks for the support Guardsman." Dodging another set of swinging claws Jason glanced around to make certain the girls were out of sight. Ducking low, he reached into his pant leg, and withdrew a small, silver knife. Lunging foreword, he slashed the blade across the throat of one of the large cats, causing the other felinoid soldiers to pause for a moment. "The thing is," he continued with a cold tone. "I don't intend to retreat." Several of the guards stepped back, clearly uncertain of what to make of the strange turn of events. Several of them eyed the sword on Guardsman's belt, their ears flattening back against their heads. The largest of the soldiers, obviously the leader of the group, shook his head slightly and tapped a finger to his slightly bleeding nose. The rest of the felinoids nodded in agreement, and backed up in their tracks to where the hall turned a corner. As they disappeared a large metalic barrier dropped from the ceiling, sealing off the retreating guards from the two warriors. Jason looked down at the small knife in his hand, then back at the sealed hall. "That was rather unexpected," he admitted. Kneeling down, he tore a strip of cloth from the uniform of the guard he'd killed. He wiped the blood off the blade, before slipping back into the hidden sheath on his leg. * * * Sailor Mars rounded another corner, still pulling Venus along by the arm. "Just wait a second!" Sailor Venus demanded, wrenching her arm loose. She shot a sour glance at her companion and rubbed her biceps absently. "I don't need you to drag me, thank you very much." "If I hadn't drug you this far," Mars snapped. "You probably would have stayed behind to help your husband." "And the problem with that is?" Mars flashed a frigid stare back at a slightly snappier version of Sailor Venus then she was used to, and stepped forward in an unconscious attempt to intimidate. But the blonde didn't falter under steely gaze of Sailor Mars, and in return countered with a glare equally icy. Both women stood their ground, their eyes digging into each other, looking for a sign of weakness. Instead they found familiarity and compassion, beneath the iron exteriors that both women put forward they saw the same glimmer that they knew from the Mars and Venus' of their own worlds. Both gazes softened, and both women smiled. "This is stupid," Sailor Venus admitted. "The last people we should be fighting with is ourselves. I'm just really worried that those overgrown kitties will be too much for them." Mars nodded her agreement. "Still," she noted, "I think Jason is right. If they do have to fall back, they'll need the way clear, at least long enough for them to get a grip on the situation." "The four of us couldn't drive a small group of those guys back. How are the two of them supposed to do by themselves what they couldn't do with our help? And what if we run into another group of guards? Are we supposed be able to handle them with just the two of us?" Mars' two violet eyes fell to the polished tile floor. "I understand how worried you are. When Jason suggested it, the first thing I thought was 'I could loose him!' I just got him back after a long time. And I won't always be around to help him out, so I have to respect and trust his judgement." "Besides," Mars continued, sniffling back the tiny beginnings of a tear, "the boys will figure out something. And since the guards will be expecting us to all be together, the only groups we should run into will be sm-" The sound of multiple guns being readied echoed around them, the sound being obviously close to them. Sailor Venus' eyes grew cold again, and Mars craned her neck to look behind her. "Small ones." Jason knelt beside the dead guard, looking for anything of use on the creature's body. "Did something about that retreat seem off?" Guardsman asked as he looked over another guard, who lay unconscious on the floor. "Perhaps," came his reply. "It seemed a bit, well.. staged. As though they'd done enough." He flashed Guardsman a grin. "Then again, maybe they got scared when they realized we were armed." "The sword at my hip would have scared them off right away then," Guardsman argued. "No, I think you got it right on the first part. I think they'd planned to retreat when something had been achieved." Jason grabbed a small device from the belt of the fallen felinoid and stood up. "Well maybe we can figure it out with this," he offered, holding the object up for inspection. "It looks like a radio, or some sort of communicator at least. Might come in handy don't you think?" "Very likely," Guardsman agreed, finishing his search of the unconscious guard. "Now we'd best-" His eyes narrowing sharply as he paused. He turned to look down the hall in the direction their loved ones had run, his hand unconsciously moving to the hilt of his sword. "What's up?" "Trouble." The hall around them disappeared instantly, sending something similar to a dizzy spell running through Jason's head for a brief instant. 'So that's what it's like to be teleported without expecting it.' Sailor Venus locked eyes with Mars, trying to determine what her next move would be. The guards before her were still, but she knew that would change any moment. Her teammate, or rather some extremely similar version of her teammate stood before her, back to the six or seven armed soldiers. The violet eyes of her companion burned as bright as any fire the woman could summon, and as would be the case with the Sailor Mars she knew, this Mars' patience ran out. The senshi of fire drew a circle in the air with her arm, a ring of fire forming behind her hand. "Burning..." Spinning around, the ring of flames followed, forming into seven large orbs of fire between the two scouts and the surprised guards. Sailor Mars threw her arms forwards in anger. "Mandala!" The orbs turned into tiny rings, and shot forward at the guards who dove this way and that in an attempt to dodge the burning projectiles. Their weapons clattered to the floor as they leapt up at the two scouts in retaliation for the attack, anger plastered across their faces, and sharp teeth bared at their prey. The room erupted in a blinding light, as though several spotlights had been switched on, each one pointed at the eyes of a single combatant. Several feral cries rang through the hall as many of the feline guards cried in pain, their vision momentarily lost. Sailor Mars spun about reflexively, rubbing her aching eyes. She followed the sounds of several hurried footsteps as they moved quickly around the room, bracing herself should they come near her. Two of the guards grunted, one thudding to the floor. 'Must be Mina,' she thought. One set of footsteps approached, and Mars braced herself, her hands balling tightly into fists, ready to strike out against her assailant. She breathed uneasy, the presence of someone leaning over her practically smothering. Two arms wrapped around her body, and she started at the contact. Strongly they held her, but strangely the hold on her was not forceful or malicious, instead it held a caring feel to it. "Are you all right?" The familiar voice at her ear relaxed her tensed muscles, and for a moment she leaned back into him, thankful that he was there, and seemingly all right. "I'm so glad you're all right," she told him, turning around in his grasp. And as much as I like being in your arms, this isn't exactly the time or place for it." His face turned a slight shade of pink, "Err.. right. I just wanted to check on you. You seemed a bit out of it." "I couldn't see," she huffed. "Neither could they-" "Heads up!" Venus' yell broke into their conversation. Mars threw her weight back and pulled the two down to the floor as one guard flew through the air above them. "I'd say they can now," she snapped, pushing herself back up to her feet. "So I suppose I'll have to take a rain check on the cozy moment." "Typical," Jason grunted. "Always running off at the good part. Ahh well." He sprung up to his feet, and dashed into the battle, kicking one of the feline soldiers as it lunged towards Guardsman. Sailor Venus grumbled to herself as the two companions finally joined the fight. Turning away as one guard fell before her, she spotted an exceptionally large figure dashing unnoticed at the raven-haired senshi. "Venus crescent beam smash!" The beam of gold darted from her finger, spearing through the feline's shoulder. The guard twirled around from the impact, and fell loudly to the floor, catching its target's attention. Mars turned to Venus and flashed her a thumbs-up, smiling at the help. Venus smiled back, and flashed a confident V back before turning to the next solider. Jason backed up to Guardsman, the two turning in a circle as three of the felinoids closed on them. "Didn't we just leave this party?" "Mmm, seems like it," the warrior replied. "On three?" The guard before Jason spun about, its heavy tail lashing at him. Ducking at the last moment, The appendage skimmed of his head, leaving behind a loud ringing in his ears. Steadying his head in his hand, he stood back up. "Three." In unison the two lashed out, Guardsman's palm slamming into the nose of the nearest soldier as Jason's shoe connected with the center of one's chest. Turning as he stepped sideways he jammed his elbow into the third felinoids chin, the white booted foot of Guardsman slamming into its chest a instant later. "Nice one," Jason commented as the feline warrior fell to the ground. Wiping perspiration from his forehead, he recieved a nod from the Guardsman. "Same to you." "Heads up!" Sailor Venus's warning caught their attention, bringing them to notice another half dozen felinoid soldiers racing down the hall towards them. The current group of guards narrowed their eyes for a moment, but all seemed to brighten their expressions and began to back away from the four warriors as their replacements approached. "They're retreating," Guardsman noted aloud. Sailor Mars ran past, an almost evil gleam in her eye. "That's what they think!" she shouted behind her. Jason took a heavy breath and shrugged in reply to the two inquisitive looks shot his way before jogging off in the direction his girlfriend had ran. "Hold the fort, we'll be back." "Going to retrieve your partner?" Guardsman inquired. The dark-haired young man shook his head, a grin plastered on his face. "Going to join the fun." Sailor Venus watched as Jason darted around the corner in hot pursuit. "Unbelievable," she declared. "Well, one thing's for sure." "What's that?" Her husband asked as he stepped forward to meet the oncoming guards. Venus likewise turned her attention forward, tossing loose strands of hair back over her shoulder. "They definitely deserve each other." "Perhaps... but why do I have a feeling that they did exactly what these felines wanted?" * * * The feline soldier stood braced at attention, not daring to move, much less wipe away the still drying blood from under his nose. The First Fel continued to glare at him in the silence. The silence continued to stretch out until it seemed at the point of breaking until the First Fel spoke. "You lost two soldiers," the First Fel snarled at him, his entire posture suggesting that he was furious. "This is inexcusable." The soldier hastily spoke as the First Fel's ears flattened back against his head. "Yes, First Fel." "There were supposed to be no losses among your squad." The First Fel continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Your incompetence has cost me two valuable warriors. Have you nothing to add?" He asked as he raised a bared claw before the soldier's eyes. "No, First Fel." The soldier acknowledged, not letting his eyes focus on the claw in front of his nose. The First Fel continued to glare at the soldier for another moment before lowering his claw. "Then return to your unit." The First Fel dismissed him, turning his back to the soldier, ignoring the offered salute before the soldier left the room. The First Fel waited until the soldier left his office before crossing into the chamber behind his office where his Chief Scientist was currently monitoring the progress of the subjects. "Well?" The Chief Scientist glanced over at him from where he was watching a bank of approximately a dozen monitors set into the far wall. "It appears that the specimens are reacting the way we expected them to." He pointed to one of the monitors where the female who had been identified as 'Sailor Mars' and her mate were currently entering the labyrinth. The First Fel glanced at the indicated monitor as he joined his Chief Scientist. He turned his attention to the one that currently showed the other pair of specimens. "The squadron leader of the first group reports that the females seem to be protective of their male counterparts." "Yes." The Chief Scientist entered something into the keyboard on the table at the base of the monitors and one of the monitors flashed with a playback of Sailor Venus' energy attack. "This female reacted to the attack upon her male counterpart in a highly protective and aggressive manner." The Chief Scientist explained. "And the males seem to treat the females as equals." The First Fel turned and stared at his Chief Scientist in surprise. "Unheard of," he stated. "You must be wrong." The Chief Scientist shook his head. "The evidence seems to indicate that the 'couples' form a partnership on more or less equal terms." He scratched behind his right ear with a foreclaw. "Explain." The Chief Scientist finished scratching and lowered his hands back to the keyboard so he could enter another command. "I can't. Not yet." * * * The massive wall slammed down behind them, shaking the floor, and causing Jason to fall painfully onto the ground. Sitting back up, he looked over at his girlfriend, who stood in frustration as the half dozen feline soldiers had seemingly vanished. "Just how," he inquired, "can you keep your balance in those shoes, even when the floor's shaking?" Sailor Mars simply shrugged, and offered him a hand. "Practice." Taking her hand, he struggled back to his feet, looking around with distaste. "Well, I suppose this is what we deserved, running off like two idiots." "Oh, so I'm an idiot for wanting to stop them before they can get even more help?" "Come on Rei-chan, you know what I meant. We should have been more careful in unknown territory." "I don't really care," she stated flatly. "I'm getting out of here." Turning to the section of wall that sealed them off from the way they had come, she clasped her hands together, forefingers extended. She closed her eyes and concentrated, using her current anger to further fuel her powers. "Fire Soul!" The large ball of magical fire erupted from her fingertips, spiraling towards its target. The flame splashed off the wall, like a wave breaking on a rock cliff, leaving no trace of damage, not even a single singe mark. A familiar hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned to glare at her boyfriend in displeasure. Solar staggered back under the gaze, a failed attempt at smiling covering his lips. "I, um, guess we follow this hall," he noted. Mars stalked past him angrily. "Well DUH! What a genius you are." "Rei-chan!" He chased after her for several moments, matching pace at her side when he caught up. "Come on, what's got you so steamed?" "Oh, I dunno," she snapped. "Let me think. Could it be because we're on an alien world, trapped in an unknown building with no immediate sign of a way home?!" She jerked to a stop as he grabbed her shoulder. Turning to face him, she steeled her hard gaze. He frowned at her current mood, but stopped himself when he realized the frown would only make things worse. "That's hardly a reason to storm away from me." Mars quickly turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry." After a moment of silence she turned her attention back to him. "You haven't been back for long. I'm just worried that something's going to happen to you and this time..." "I understand. I promise, I'll be careful." Mars nodded and returned her attention to the situation at hand, wandering through the hall and quickly getting annoyed at its many sharp corners and lack of intersections or doors. Frustrated, she slumped against the wall, letting her eyes fall closed. She felt his arms on each side as he propped himself against the wall, leaning over her. She wrapped her arms about his neck, letting her head rest forward on his chest. She inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of his presence. "Well be back home soon." His voice was quiet and soothing, calming her frustrations. "Promise?" "You bet. Your grandfather hasn't caught me yet right? I plan on pushing my luck for quite some time still. She slapped him playfully. "Idiot," she said with a giggle. "Come on, lets keep going." With smiles on their faces they rounded the next corner, sighing heavily when they found a seemingly endless hall before them. Mars shook her head, "He's not catching you tonight." * * * Sailor Venus eyed the suddenly still feline soldiers as she moved to a position to protect her husband's back. Flashes of concern and anxiety were mixed in with the love she normally felt from him across the link they shared. She knew what was bothering him, of course. He was worried about how they were going to get out of this situation and even more so he was worried about her safety. She stepped almost close enough to lean against him and his anxiety faded some, reassured by her closeness. After a long pause the guards retreated, with a large metallic wall dropping out of the ceiling a short distance down the corridor, cutting off any pursuit. "Now what was that about?" Venus asked after the wall had fell into place. "I don't know." Guardsman replied, his voice sounding puzzled. "We'd better find the others." "Yes." The two turned and began down the corridor in the direction that the other two had headed. They rounded the second corner and hesitated at the sound of motors running on both sides of them. Uncertain what to expect, they were unable to react until too late to the pair of walls that shot up out of the floor, trapping them inside and sending them tumbling to the floor. Even as she struggled to her feet in the near dark, a wave of intense terror and nearly overwhelming panic slashed at her consciousness. "Venus!" Guardsman called out, his voice terror filled, echoing within the enclosed space. She knelt down in front of where he had curled up in a quivering heap, unable or unwilling to get up. Automatically, she put her arms around him, hugging him tightly to herself. "I'm here." She whispered soothingly, kissing him on the top of the head tenderly. He collapsed into her embrace, putting his arms around her and clinging to her. Whoever had set this up had recreated the physical size and lighting of the cell that the Negaverse had imprisoned him in almost perfectly. She continued to whisper soothingly to him and kiss him tenderly until he regained some measure of control over the terror that gripped him. After what seemed like an eternity, he loosed his grip on her, having regained control of himself. "I thought that it was all only a dream there for a moment." He whispered to her as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "I thought that I'd lost you forever and could never be with you again." "I'm never going to leave you, my heart." She whispered back. "Just like you'd never leave me." He raised his head and she turned her eyes to meet his. They twinkled in the dim lighting and she could see within them the overwhelming love he had for her. She felt an intense burst of love from him that filled the link they shared. He leaned forward. "I can't survive without you." He reminded her, his lips hovering over hers. "I know." She pressed her lips against his in a love filled kiss and pulled him tightly against her, squeezing her eyes closed to keep back the tears that had suddenly welled up in her eyes. Finally, she took her lips from his and rested her forehead against his, staring into his eyes. "I love you, my Venus." He told her. "Now and forever." "And I love you." She whispered back. "Now and forever." Somehow the words seemed inadequate but they both knew how they really felt. "Are you okay?" She asked after another moment. "I'll manage." The two looked over at the sound of one of the walls retracting into the floor. "So much for a private moment." He even managed a weak smile. She nodded in agreement and the two got back to their feet. She slipped her hand into his and he gave her hand a gentle knowing squeeze as they began down the corridor once again. She glanced over at him as they left the barrier behind. Knowing what he had gone through, all the pain and agony, it made her angry that someone would have done this to him. It enraged her down in the center of herself. Someone was going to pay for this, Sailor Venus promised herself. * * * Rounding yet another corner, Sailor Mars and Jason halted in mid steps. The hall stopped before them cut off by a large metalic wall. Its dull surface was pockmarked with slight bumps protruding towards them, as though it'd seen serious blows on the other side before. Sailor Mars approached it, waving her boyfriend over a moment later. "Look at this." She ran her finger along a faint line in the wall. "There's a seem in this wall." "Then it's not a wall," Jason concluded. "It's a d-" With a loud groan the wall split in half, each half slowly retracting into the surrounding corridor walls. "-oor." A bright light snapped to life, blinding the two as they took a few steps forward through the doorway. The blazing light dimmed a slightly, allowing them their first look at their surroundings. High walls of faded gray stone surrounded them on three sides, towering several feet above them, where the stone ended and some transparent material continued up towards the towering ceiling. Blackness shrouded the space behind the clear windows, and only a slight glare from the overhead lights noted the existence of the barriers. Behind them, stretching from ground to ceiling, was an immense wall of dull silver, metalic just as the doors had been. A third of the way up the wall sat a ledge barely wide enough to walk along, vacant of any form of sentry, much to their relief. A loud thud alerted them to the fact the doors had shut as they'd been looking around. Uncertain of what to do next, the couple backed up to the metalic wall, waiting for a sign of what was to come next. The darkness behind the barriers lit up revealing a countless number of the felinoids who all gave a roar of approval as they spotted the two warriors. The crowd again cheered as a single enormous figure emerged from some unseen opening in the ground opposite them. It stepped forward slowly, the ground shaking with each heavy footstep. Slowly approaching the two senshi, it seemed to be almost hours before they could make it out in full detail. Three times them shoulder to shoulder, and almost twice Solar's height, its somewhat translucent white skin was mottled with large patches lightly discolored in faint blue. Pink and orange veins were visible running under the surface of its skin, and in several areas large green shapes that the two figured to be organs could be made out pulsating in slow rhythm. Its head was small for its figure, shaped like a human's with the exception of an extremely blunt muzzle, and two black fangs that protruded from beneath the purple upper lips, and with a slight curl, extended below its chin. It tilted its head back and let out a low roar that seemed closer to a sonic boom, the sound of it shaking the ground as much as its footsteps had. Roaring again, it raised its four stocky arms in the air and shook them in rage, each hand's two opposable thumbs tightly curled around the two fingers as it balled up four massive fists. Behind it, two ridged tails, resembling those of lizards, pounded the ground in either anger or anticipation. The crowd of felinoids once again let out a roar of approval at the great beast's actions. Sailor Mars pressed herself back against her boyfriend to ease her fear, but she was quickly aware that his body was tense, shaking slightly as it wasn't quite able to restrain the fearful shivers running through him. "Jason, what on Earth is that thing?" "We aren't on Earth," he reminded her. "And I haven't any idea what that is. And some part of me is telling me I really don't want to know." Her fingers darted to her lips as Sailor Mars let out a near silent gasp. "That thing, its legs have some sort of brown clothes on them, I thought it was just skin color." "You're right," Jason agreed. "Whatever it is, it must be sentient." The creature roared once more, narrowing its eyes at them. "Or at least, it was at one time." Impatient with the situation, the large creature rushed forward with startling speed, rapidly closing the distance between the arena's two other occupants. It thrust its four arms forward, the lower two spreading apart as it prepared to grasp one of them. Jason and Mars dove aside at the last moment, and the creature clumsily slammed into the wall. The impact, however, didn't phase the giant, and it quickly looked around for its prey. Looking slightly confused for a moment, it seemed to ponder which way to go, as it had two targets, and each one had gone a different way. After a moment it decided the smaller one to be less worth its troubles, and it immediately took after Jason. Normally brave, at least in appearance, the young man found himself doing something he hadn't done in years, running away as fast as his legs would take him. 'Not good, not good!' he thought in fear. 'If this thing can take half the pounding it looks like, then I'm in big trouble without Pauhl around.' With a startled yelp, he jumped aside as the huge creature lunged at him. 'Crap! Being chased like this makes it hard to concentrate enough.' "This is nuts!" he yelled. "I'm not about to die in some twisted version of the Roman collesium." "Fire Soul!" Jason dove to the ground as the fireball shot at him. Rolling away he was half glad, half terror-filled to hear the creature scream in pain, its agonizing cry a surprisingly high-pitched screech. The monstrous creature clutched its stomach with all four hands, standing bent over in pain as it cried out. He hopped up to his feet and ran over to Sailor Mars, panting as he rested for a moment. "Thank you," he managed in gasp. "It almost caught me." "Don't thank me yet," she told him. "I think I only upset it." Jason slowly swiveled his head around, turning back towards the monstrous creature as it stood up, its gut singed, but still very much intact. Its eyes burned with rage, its hands flexing in raw anger. The pupils in its eyes narrowed to slits and its lips curled up exposing a mouth containing several jagged teeth. Once again it tilted its head back and roared. The sound shook the ground and slammed into them like a truck. The couple was knocked backwards, the force making them dizzy. The crowd cheered when they realized the two humans were having difficulty regaining their footing. Noting the same, the giant creature jumped forward into the air, crossing the arena in one leap. Again the ground shook as it landed, but they held their footing by steadying each other. As thought he were a simple fly, the creature batted Jason away with one hand, knocking the now dizzy and disoriented young man to the ground once more. Sailor Mars clasped her hands together, and tried to concentrate. "Fire So-" Quickly the enraged giant grabbed her wrists in its upper right hand and lifted her off her ground, bringing her face level with its own. Its two lower hands grasped her torso tightly, squeezing with great strength as it toyed with its victim. Mars cried out in pain as her body was slowly crushed. Only the fact she was a scout kept her bones from snapping under the considerable strain, but even the heightened toughness had its limits, and they were being greatly pressed. Jason shook his head as he sat up. His vision was blurry and his ears rang with several uncomfortable noises, a single one greatly more painful than the others. He tried to focus, his vision returning to normal in small spots, the rest of his vision taking its time with its recovery. The sounds around him, however, quickly became distinguishable. The crowd was cheering, no, chanting. Repeating the word "kill" rapidly with a lust in their voices. The monstrous creature was laughing, a deep echoing chuckle that drove chills into his nerves. The third noise... Jason was petrified as the realization struck him. The girl he loved was screaming in pain. He turned to the noise and strained to focus on the scene. His eyes shot open wide when he realized what was happening. Before him the insane creature was enjoying itself by trying to slowly crush Sailor Mars. His blood felt like it was boiling, yet his veins felt like ice at the same time. The scene seemed to slow in his mind, the chanting of the crowd the only sound he could register. Fire erupted around his body suddenly, the flames stretching into thin ribbons which crawled over him. He cupped his hands together and thrust his arms out. The tendrils of flame were drawn to his hand, flowing into a large burning orb at the end of his hands. "Leave her alone!" The flaming orb swirled and shot from his hands like a bullet, beelining for the creature which held his girlfriend captive. The onlooking crowd silenced, giving the arena a strange air for the few critical seconds. Things continued in slow motion to Jason as his mind tracked every tiny detail. Suddenly he realized that Sailor Mars sat in potential danger from his blast as long as the creature continued to hold on. A smaller ball of flame flared to life in his right hand, and he tossed it forward as well. Blue at the fringes, its center burning white hot, the tiny flame flew with incredible speed, passing the larger blast. It split in two, and seared the creature's two right elbows into black masses. In agony it dropped the hurting senshi, and turned to look at its current attacker The massive fireball hit a moment later, slamming into its face, burning its flesh. The impact sent out a large splash of sparks, some of it raining upon Sailor Mars, who sat on her knees, clutching her ribs. Jason's lungs were burning, his vision spacey and disconnected. He ran clumsily to her, falling to his knees beside her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged as tight as he could. She looked up at him, her face black, her eyes puzzled. He ran a hand along her cheek, his fingers leaving a trail of flesh tone along her face. "It's only soot," she told him, reading his worried thoughts. "I'll be okay, I just need to rest a moment." "You're okay," he sighed, exhaling a long held breath. "I was so afraid that it was going to kill you." She looked over at that fallen form of the giant creature. Laying face down in the dirt, its head and neck were black and disfigured, burnt and warped from the intense heat. "It's okay," she assured him. "You stopped it." He buried his face into the crook of her neck. "I was so worried. I thought I was going to lose you." "You saved me. It's okay. Let's just find a way out of here." He sat up straight, trying to lock eyes with her, fighting to keep his heavy eyelids open. His attempts failed as he quickly admitted to himself that he was simply too exahsted to go on. Reaching out with his hands, he held her face gently, straining to hold her image as long as he could. "Go without me," he told her. "I'm too tired to move any further Rei-chan. Those guards are so much stronger, I've been pushing myself beyond my limit to fight them. I've been acting like I'm a Senshi, and it's just too much." Sailor Mars stared wide eyed as the man she loved stared blankly at her. His eyes were out of focus, his voice soft and melancholy. He leaned forward and placed a kiss upon her forehead, but as he did so his hands slipped from her face, and his head slid limply onto her shoulder. "Jason?" Frozen in fear she called his name repeatedly, receiving no answer from him. She pushed him away from her slightly and looked at him in terror. His eyes were shut, his skin seemed slightly flushed. She could hear his breathing, but it was weak and frighteningly slow. "There's nothing left in me Rei-chan," he whispered. "Please, hang in there Jason," she cried. "I'll get you out of here. Somehow." "I'm afraid that won't be happening human." Mars looked up in shock. Row upon row of figures stood before her. Built like the felinoid guards that she'd fought earlier, these soldiers had dull brown scales instead of fur, their hands ending in three clawed fingers. One stood in front of the others, obviously the leader. It looked at her with a hunger that froze her blood. Grinning it ran a forked tongue over its teeth. "We are Firoins," it told her. "And you are a long awaited meal." The crowd cheered again, its long silence broken by the change of events. The rows of scaled felines licked their lips and bared their fangs. She hugged her boyfriend tighter to her, shaking him slightly. "Jason, come on. Get up! Get up, for me?"