Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Sailor Moon franchise. No copyright infringement in intended. ONLY LOVE CAN CONQUER HATE
By SailorJane & Anonymous
PROLOGUE
“MINA! MINA!!!”
Sailor Mars’ screams echoed throughout the Sierra Nevadas as she held Sailor Venus’ lifeless body in the middle of Death Valley, California. The hot desert sun beat down on the Sailor Scout; Death Valley practically was Hell. There was not a drop of water beneath the soil. There was not another creature within miles of them. There was no civilization of any kind. The Sierra Mountains surrounding them were just as intimidating. But to Raye Hino, Sailor Mars’ alter-ego, it might as well have been snowing. Her teary eyes were fixated on her blonde-haired lover Minako Aino.
She had come as far as she could with Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury, now standing over the blonde, but Mina’s wound had finally brought her to the ground. She lied on her back, her hair now covered in dirt, her gloved arms out to her sides. If she wasn’t already dead, she was dying.
“Mina please!” Raye screamed, “We gotta get out of here now!” She shook the unconscious body until Amy Mizuno pushed her aside.
“Raye stop,” Amy said as she checked the blonde’s pulse. Along with being experienced with medicine, Mercury was the healer of the group, but her strength was weakening. “I don’t feel a pulse.”
Raye was crying heavily now, “No! Save her Amy!”
Amy took out her computer, put on her blue goggles, and checked the girl’s condition. “She needs water really badly.”
“So make it!” Raye screamed with all her emotions escaping.
Mercury was drained with sweat. Her hair looked like she had just gotten out of the shower. Her face was so red. The white uniform was now see-through, her hard nipples were visible, and her gloves were soaking wet. Yet Mercury could barely make any water; only a few squirts emerged from her gloved hands into the blonde’s mouth.
“What are you doing?” asked Sailor Mars.
“I’m dehydrated, I can’t,” Mercury panted. “I don’t know what else I can do.” She thought at this point, she might need a defibrillator. “I wish Jupiter was here,” Amy said trembling as a tear came to her eye.
“I told you we shouldn’t have left her,” Mars snapped. “She’s probably being eaten alive by God knows what.”
Laughter soon echoed throughout the desert. It was a deep whispy voice, almost like the voice of a zen-master. The voice’s motive was most certainly evil:
“You Sailor Scouts are much too predictable.
“It’s him!” Mercury shot up in anger. There was no one to be seen for miles. She shouted at a decibel almost foreign to her shy voice, “Where are you?!”
“Can’t you follow my voice Sailor Mercury?” The voice echoed in the distance, “Don’t you want to save your precious Sailor Moon?”
Mercury turned her head to the West and started running that way. Mars shot up from Mina’s body to tackle her blue-haired friend:
“Amy!” She screamed as she tackled her to the ground.
“Stop,” Mercury fidgeted kicking her friend off of her, “What are you doing?”
Mars stood up, “We’re just walking into his trap,” she said forcefully, “You have to stop falling for it!”
“Raye,” Mercury jumped up with fire in her eyes, “If we don’t catch him, Sailor Moon, the girl I love, is going to be killed!”
“Oh yeah?” Mars snapped and moved back over towards Mina, “Well the girl I love is now lying dead in the middle of the fucking desert!” The level of her angry voice was rising.
“We swore to protect our princess,” Amy shouted back, “Have you forgotten that?”
“Amy listen to me,” Raye ran over and grabbed Amy’s arms, “I know you love her, I know your emotions are getting the better of you, but you need to stop this NOW!”
“I can’t stop Raye,” The blunette tried to shake the girl’s grip.
“I’m telling you, we’re-“ Suddenly Raye’s eyes widened as she saw a black figure, nearly silhouetted in the distance. A spark of light escaped from the figure. “GET DOWN!”
Sailor Mars threw Mercury to the ground as the spark of fiery light exploded into her body. The black-haired girl flew back and bounced on the ground like a stone skipping on a lake. She finally stopped with her back to the ground.
“RAYE!” Mercury jumped up and ran towards her.
“As the saying goes,” The evil voice laughed, “You must fight fire with fire.”
Sailor Mercury tripped face first into the ground just before she could get to her raven-haired friend. She screamed in pain as she brought her mud-covered face up from the ground. Taking no time to see if she was okay, Amy crawled up next to Raye. Her leotard was torn and burned. Her long arms and legs had bloody cuts everywhere. There was a nasty scar across the side of her face, surrounded by dirt. Raye could barely open her eyes to see Mercury beside her.
“Take it easy Raye,” Mercury put her hand on the priestess’s chest. The fire-scout, unable to speak or shout in pain, brought her eyes towards Mercury’s hand (her dirty white glove, now almost appeared to be brown). “I’m sorry for everything.” Tears came down the water-scouts eyes. Mars managed to bring her shakey hand towards Mercury’s. She held it weakly.
“Don’t you know,” a voice appeared behind her. Mercury turned around to see a silhouetted black figure standing over her, “That you should never take your eye off your opponent.
“Where’s Sailor Moon?” Mercury asked him angrily.
The figure simply laughed and ignored the question.
Raye held Amy’s hand tighter. As she saw Raye’s eyes close and her jaw become tense, she could feel energy generating from her hand. “Raye no,” Mercury tried to let go of Mars hand, but she was holding tight, “Save your strength, you need it-“ Suddenly Mars hand dropped the ground. The fire-scout appeared as white as a sheet. Mercury felt no pulse in her chest. But she didn’t have time to grieve.
“Now you know how it feels Mercury,” the figure said softly, “To lose the ones you love."
Mercury could feel cool water returning to her fingertips. She only had one shot at this. After one last glimpse of Raye’s lifeless body, Amy Mizuno, Sailor Mercury, quickly stood up, turned around, and shouted:
“MERCURY AQUA MIRAGE!”