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“Ancient... Havoc!” Guardian Sailor Asteroid growled, letting the blast knock the two Sailor Sith off their feet.
Iyagaru bounced up and unleashed a flurry of black holes, and Eternal Sailor Bakura had to leap to avoid. While she was employed in this, Bakura didn’t realize Eimin had sent Black Lightning toward her. The white-haired girl only realized it when she heard Guardian Asteroid’s surprised grunt.
“Asteroid!” Bakura turned and cried. “Are you okay?”
The girl rubbed her shoulder. “I’m fine...” she said, offering a grin. “Watch out!” the Guardian Sailor shouted as another round of dark energy was directed at Bakura.
The Eternal put her hands over her face trying to protect herself from the blast. She peeked through her fingers when nothing hit her. “Is always saving the day part of your job description or something?”
“Ugh,” Asteroid groaned. “I’m not doing too good a job of it.” The black-winged sailor stumbled a bit before catching herself. Despite the fact that Asteroid’s wings could absorb most forms of energy directed at her, Eimin and Iyagaru’s combined onslaught seemed to be weakening her.
“They’re more powerful,” Bakura wined. “This isn’t fair!”
Iyagaru giggled. “Pretty birdy not look good!” she snickered, pointing at Asteroid. “Bang!” She pretended like she was holding a weapon. “Birdy go bye bye!”
Catching herself with one hand, Asteroid prevented herself from collapsing all the way. “Bakura, get out of the way!” the fallen senshi shouted, stretching her dark wings up to block the attack that was spiraling Bakura’s way.
“Stop protecting me!” the Princess yelled, turning to Asteroid. “Never mind!” She changed her mind as a dark attack shoved her to the ground. “This is not how I wanted today to go,” Bakura sniffled. “I wanted it to be easy. They were supposed to listen...”
Guardian Sailor Asteroid pushed herself up until she was on one knee with her wings spread behind her. She looked almost as if she was preparing to take off. “This day couldn’t get much worse, so let’s make it a little better!”
Unfortunately for the pair, the words Asteroid had spoken seemed to be a potent Force... A bolthole tore itself open behind the two Sailor Sith, and Ayameru stepped out. “What do you idiots need help with?” She let her fiery eyes take in the scene in front of her. It brought a smile to the evil woman’s lips to see both Guardian Sailor Asteroid and Eternal Sailor Bakura in their weakened states. “How wonderful. I get called away from murdering your parents to murder you.” The comment was directed at Asteroid.
Asteroid cocked her head to the side. “You were... what?”
Very carefully pronouncing every hopefully painful syllable, Ayameru repeated her words adding a flourish at the end. “And it looks like I can kill Bakura for my Evil Queen, as well.”
Tears tried to surface in Bakura’s blue eyes at the mention of Kendra. That was one woman Bakura wished she could save more than anyone else.
“No,” Guardian Sailor Asteroid found the strength to growl. “I... won’t let you.”
Ayameru laughed cruelly. “What can you do about it?”
For a moment, Eimin froze, watching both sets of women. One pair was dressed in red leather, preparing to kill the other pair. That pair was winged, and one looked sad, while the other seemed prepared to do anything she had to. Bakura... and Asteroid. Bakura wanted to love the Sith, Emi could feel. Asteroid... well, she wasn’t sure what Asteroid wanted, but it seemed that Sailor was prepared for whatever had to be done. Emi admired her for that. Asteroid wasn’t going to let her emotions get her hurt... but Bakura, on the other hand... Sailor Bakura wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her emotions. Emi admired both of them... but wondered which Senshi was the best.
Asteroid stood shakily to her feet, then steeled herself with her purpose. She tossed a look back to Bakura and smiled. “Let’s get them.” Executing a move that would have made Yuki proud, Guardian Asteroid attempted to knock Ayameru off her feet.
It didn’t work.
Skidding almost back to where she’d started, the blonde threw an evil look at Ayameru. Somehow the Sailor Sith had used her Force powers to create a shield and protect herself. Asteroid said something decisively unladylike as Ayameru — protected behind her shield — opened a bolthole. Through it, Bakura could feel dark energy being transferred. “Kendra! She’s getting power from Kendra!” The blue-eyed girl shot her green-eyed companion a glare before the other could say a word. Especially a curse word.
Ayameru laughed cruelly as an aura of darkness surrounded her. It spread like a malicious fog, reaching deep red tendrils out to engulf the two winged warriors. Bakura reached out and grabbed Asteroid’s hand, holding tightly to the other girl. Offering up a half-hearted grin, Asteroid gave her friend’s hand a squeeze.
Suddenly, Ayameru’s black power stopped advancing. Instead of devouring the two Senshi as the Sith had planned, the power was pushed back by a pure white light. The light surrounded the Eternal and the Guardian preventing the evil from getting to them. In response, Ayameru growled and called on more of the Evil Queen’s power.
~*~*~*~*~
As if they were mirror images of each other, two identical Sailors scanned the rooftops of Coruscant. “I can feel her,” one said to the other.
The third member of their trio shook her head. “They’re not here.”
The Sailor who had spoken earlier shook her head. “Just look for the spot with the most trouble. You’ll find our missing Sailors.”
The only senshi who had been silent during this exchange pointed with her staff. “There is a tear in space/time. In that direction.”
“That would be who we’re looking for.”
The three senshi stepped together through a portal.
~*~*~*~*~
“We can do it, if we work together,” Eternal Sailor Bakura said through her clenched teeth.
“It’s not worth it,” Guardian Sailor Asteroid responded in kind. She tightened her free hand into a fist. “Some people aren’t meant to be saved...”
‘Heard of that new mercenary?’
Laughter.
‘What? That female? You’ve got to be kidding.’
More laughter.
‘Females are not meant to be mercs. They don’t have the strength.’
Blaster shot.
Body falling.
‘Anyone else share his opinion?’
Her hands... but different. Unscarred. Murdering.
Her voice... but different. Harsh. Hating. Like the Sith’s...
Bakura looked at Asteroid. What was wrong with her? The blonde was just staring off into the distance. Bakura used her teeth to work her glove off. When her hand was bare, she laid it on Asteroid’s cheek, using whatever little Force talent she had to get into Asteroid’s head...
‘Priire...’ Annika yelled. There she was. Leaning against a tree. This had to be some kind of dream, because she’d never expect to see Priire in a dress in any normal application of time.
Annika worked her way over to where Priire was, realizing on the way that she too was in a dress. ‘Where are we?’
‘Ask your friend over there,’ Priire said, gesturing with her hand.
Turning to look, Annika had to restrain a smile. Despite the fact that there was no perceivable wind, the beautiful woman’s hair was still wafting gently. ‘You are to follow your heart,’ the woman insisted. ‘Follow it, and it will lead you to places that you have never dreamed of and let you do things that you still do not believe are possible.’ The last part was obviously directed at Priire.
‘Please understand,’ the woman continued. ‘You must work together or you will not survive.’
‘I’ve got to survive!’ Annika said urgently. ‘For my daughters!’
The woman’s smile was gently secretive. ‘Both of you must survive for those who are to come.’
Priire opened her mouth as if she was going to say something; then she changed her mind and shook her head.
‘So... if we have to survive, but we have to work together to survive...’ Annika looked confused.
The woman paused for a moment. ‘You will survive. But if you do not work as one, you will not survive in such a way as to be any good to anyone.’
Annika shook her head. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I think I do. And I don’t like it,’ Priire words were harsh. ‘We can’t do anything against Ariel when she’s drawing power through those... boltholes.’ Priire had half a mind to insert a less than ladylike word before ‘boltholes’ but thought better of it.
‘That,’ the woman smiled, ‘will be taken care of in its Time...’
Eternal Bakura opened her blue eyes and met Guardian Asteroid’s green ones. Asteroid looked away, focusing her eyes on Ayameru. The Sailor grinned suddenly. “Kick her six,” the green-eyed senshi whispered.
“That is not for her to do.”
Asteroid was getting more and more used to strange things happening. That was probably why turning around and seeing an exact — if older — copy of her twin sister didn’t faze her much. Either that, or she’d been taking lessons from Kousotsu. “I take it you’re Sailor Yavin, Guardian of the Time Gates.”
The flame-haired woman nodded. “Of my time, yes. Of her Time, she is the Guardian.”
“I won’t let you misuse time!” the younger Yavin yelled. “It’s my duty to protect the integrity of the Space/Time Continuum, and I will!” The fiery-haired girl slammed the end of her staff on the roof and glared at the Sith.
Ayameru shrugged and held out her red-gloved hand. A wisp of dark Force began to work its way toward the Time Guardian. Yavin shook her head, then held out her Time Staff. “You Sailor Sith have been abusing my Guardianship long enough!” A burst of light from the end of Yavin’s staff chewed its way through the darkness and connected with the bolthole. It was like a flame applied to two bits of metal to wield them together.
Ayameru said a word akin to one Asteroid had mentioned earlier. Bakura, who was now standing, glared at the Sith. The pink-attired Sailor held up her hands to start an attack when she and Asteroid heard the voice of the woman from their dream. 'Follow your heart!'
Bakura looked at Asteroid, a light dawning in her eyes. “That’s it!”
“What?” Asteroid was still confused. “I don’t...” She didn’t finish her sentence, because Bakura still had her hand on Asteroid’s cheek. This time, instead of participating in a dream, she was showing one.
When their eyes opened, both green and blue were filled with determination. They stood up and stared at the Sith. “Redemption is Love made pure!” Asteroid yelled, producing her Redemption Crystal.
“Love is Redemption in action!” Bakura yelled, producing her wand.
“Together, Love and Redemption are perfected!” they yelled together, turning to stand back to back. The wings of the two Senshi were folded backwards, with only the very tips touching. Faint sparks seemed to emanate where silvery black met pinkish white and hold their position for a moment like stars before fading out.
Guardian Sailor Asteroid held her Redemption Crystal with both black gloved hands in front of her and closed her eyes. Eternal Sailor Bakura did the same, holding her wand out in front of her. The two were almost perfect mirror images of each other, with heads slightly bowed and scepters held out in front of themselves.
“Follow... Your...” the two spoke quietly, heads still slightly bowed. From Bakura’s wand, a distinctly pinkish glow began to form. It spiraled off the wand down toward the ground, then began to spread around Bakura’s feet. Asteroid’s Redemption Crystal gave off the same aura of power, only in a dark blue.
By the time the two smoky glows had covered the feet of the pair of winged warriors, the Sith were getting suspicious. Ayameru glared at the two and had just turned to Iyagaru to tell her to get out of the way when Bakura and Asteroid snapped their heads up. They turned their faces to the sky, and the smoky glows erupted around them, shooting straight up into eternity. Time paused long enough for the glows to spiral together and crash down to earth as the two senshi held their respective wands pointed toward the Sailor Sith. The two auras merged, turning deep purple and forming into a pair of hearts as the two Sailors yelled, “HEART!”
The three Sith had no time to wonder what effect the phrase “Follow Your Heart” would have on the rest of their lives. Ayameru grabbed Iyagaru and pushed her off the building. The two landed safely in a waiting flitter... but Eimin was not nearly so lucky.
The Beta Sith held her hands up in front of her face as the hearts wrapped themselves around her, bathing her in an ethereal purple glow. Eimin screamed, a sound somewhere between desperation and deep awe. The sheer power of the attack — but no, it wasn’t an “attack” in the traditional sense. There was nothing offensive about it... this was something meant only to help the person it was directed it. But it was so much power engulfing the woman’s body that she fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands as tears poured from her eyes. A moment later, she was unconscious.
~*~*~*~*~
“Can I help them yet?” Sailor Yavin asked her older double through clenched teeth.
The older Sailor shook her head. “First, there are things you need to know.”
Sailor Yavin was not in the kind of mood that lent itself to listening politely. She had just seen some kind of attack come from her twin sister and Annika, hit Emi, miss Ariel and Geri — who escaped — then she saw each of the three collapse, one at a time. And now her older self wouldn’t let her go help!
“Ariel has made claims that are only partially true. She expects you to be dead because she has abused your Time Portals. Unfortunately, she does not realize that had it not been destiny for her to go back in time, she would have surely been stopped.” The older Yavin’s head drooped. “Your sister is a very angry person. She... harbors a great hatred... or at least dislike... for those who bore you. Do not let her hurt them.”
For a moment, the younger Yavin stared at her older self. Impossible! Her parents... alive? Before she could ask the older Yavin and her companion — Sailor Pluto — were gone.
She took the opportunity to rush to her fallen sister’s side.
~*~*~*~*~
No one on the rooftop moved. Annika was slumped over as if she’d just collapsed from the strain. Next to her, Priire was curled in a tight ball, seeming as if she was trying to protect herself from something. Ippin looked around. There wasn’t any threat she could see... except for the Sailor Sith over there.
Ippin did a double take. “Emi?”
Of course, the unconscious girl didn’t answer. With one hand on her ever-present lightsaber, Ippin moved slowly over to where the dark-haired girl lay. After a moment, she realized that Emi wasn’t a threat. Not only was the girl not moving, there was a... good?... feel towards her. Like she wasn’t evil anymore. Ippin almost laughed at her crazy thought. That was absurd. No one could save the Sailor Sith!
But the fire-haired Senshi didn’t have time to ponder that. She needed to get Annika and Priire back to the temple. As an afterthought, Ippin picked Emi up with the Force too, and dragged her along.
