Evil is Brewing

"Amai," said a sultry, ominous-sounding voice, "come here."

The short girl came timidly forward into the light. Mayoke sat in her glistening throne, the one she made Amai's now-deceased sister Neko shine everyday. She wondered how it still managed to sparkle.

"It is time. Go after the senshi first thing tomorrow," Mayoke demanded. Her lovely, dark purple hair fell in soft waves to her feet and trailed on the slightly deteriorating tile floor as she sat in her throne.

Amai knew not to argue. She already knew what happened if one was to argue with Mayoke - her sister Neko had learned that the hard way. "Yes, Lady Mayoke," she said in her high-pitched voice. "I will not fail you."

"You had better not," Mayoke said in her richly deep voice. Her golden eyes sparkled with an evil glint. "Now, leave my presence," she said, pointing to the door.

Amai curtsied and scurried quickly away into the shadows. She walked through the darkness of lower-level Coruscant until she reached her room. It was dimly lit, with a bed and pictures of famous stars on the walls. "I will not fail you, Mayoke," she whispered quietly.

"Annika! You just ate breakfast! How could you be hungry?" Kairiku asked in amazement.

"Kairi-chan, any time's a good time for candy!" Annika said excitedly as she, Kairiku, Lys, Kirana, Koumi and Renako walked into the candy shop.

"Ooh, Ithor Sugar Treats, my favorite," Kirana said, happily snatching them up.

After everyone had bought candy - some more than others - they went to the bookstore. It was a small store that sold books, manga, comics, coloring books, magazines, and even souvenirs.

"Ooh, look, they have a little 'I Saw the Jedi Temple' keychain!" Lys laughed. Kirana ran over to see. Meanwhile, Annika was grabbing all the manga she could find, and Koumi was buying some coloring books for the younger senshi. Renako was helping her. Kairiku was looking at a book the shopkeeper thought was "too advanced" for her. She just laughed.

"Hold it right there, Sailor Senshi!" cried a somewhat squeaky, but very cute, voice. "I am Amai and I'm here to get you!"

The senshi turned to see a very short and tiny girl. Her hair, white with two pink streaks in the front, was worn in two curly pigtails with pink odango. White fluffy earmuffs covered her ears. Her pink eyes glittered, and she wore pink jewels - in her hair, on her forehead, and as a necklace. She wore a white outfit with pink ribbons, and gloves and knee-length white boots tipped with white fur. She even had a curly tail.

"You are here to get us?" Lys said doubtfully as Annika cried, "What a cute outfit! Where did you get it?"

Amai tightly balled her hands into fists. "Why doesn't anyone ever take me seriously? I mean business!" she cried, as pink light flew from her hands and hit Kairiku.

"We'd better transform," she said to the others. It was a good thing the store was enpty; the owner was taking a coffee break.

"I don't know who you think you are, Mousie-girl," Sailor Chibi Bakura cried, "but you're going down!"

Amai laughed, a high-pitched, hysterical giggle.

"She - she dodged my attack," Chibi Bakura said in amazement.

"Banshee Scream!" Chibi Kessel cried, singing a high note. Everyone, including the other senshi, covered their ears - it was at such high frequency. Amai stumbled a bit but kept attacking.

"She's really tough," Sailor Bakura admitted.

Finally, when Amai was almost beaten, she called, "Bye, Senshi. I'm letting you go. But don't worry; Mayoke will have your power soon!" She giggled as she ran away.

I wonder who Mayoke is? Sailor Kessel asked when she was gone.

"I don't know," Sailor Chibi Naboo replied, "but she doesn't sound good."

"You didn't get the senshi?" Mayoke screamed hysterically. Amai winced.

"Lady Mayoke - they were much more powerful than I anticipated," she stammered. "I knew I wasn't going to beat them, so -"

"You ran away." Mayoke laughed a bitter laugh. "I knew you weren't any better than your sister."

Amai held back tears. Mayoke-sama wasn't going to kill her too, was she? She wouldn't, Amai decided. Then who would get the senshi for her?

"I'm very sorry, Lady Mayoke," Amai said quietly. "Next time I'll get them for you, I promise."

"Hmmph," was all the purple-haired beauty said. Then she added, "You may go now, you wretched little rodent," and began to rub her temples.

Sniffling softly, Amai scurried from the room. Why can't I ever stand up to her? she wondered when she reached her room. Why do I always have to be such a meek little... mouse?

"She said 'Mayoke' wanted us - whoever Mayoke is," Annika said.

Minae nodded. "I've never heard of her. I'll bet she's just another crazed chick on a power trip."

Annika giggled at that. "I have a feeling Amai will be back, though. So we'd better prepare."

Amai sat on her bed, looking through a Bantha Beat magazine. Jason from N*aboo is so hot! she thought with a giggle.

Suddenly there was a knock at the thin, wooden door. "You are requested in the throne room," Kirent, a guard for Mayoke, said.

Amai nervously got up. Oh, no! She is going to kill me!

Kirent led her through the shabby hallways into the lovely, but sinister, throne room. "You - wanted me, Lady Mayoke?" Amai asked.

The beautiful woman nodded. "Come here, Amai." Amai walked up to her throne and braced herself for the attack she knew was coming. Nothing happened.

"If you would open your eyes, I'd like to show you something," Mayoke said. Amai looked up. Mayoke was holding an odd-looking pair of bracelets. "Put these on, and you will be shielded from the Senshi's attacks. That way you can get them for me."

Amai obediently put the bracelets on. "I will certainly get them this time," she promised, determined. "I will get the senshi for you."

"This is such a nice restaurant!"Tashita exclaimed. It was called Galaxy Dreams, and it had the most interesting - and expensive - food around. Tashita, Kalil, Tejina, Gareth, Yuki, Ben, Kirana, Kendren, Annika, and Obi-Wan were on a quintuple date. And, so far, the evening was going well - exactly as planned. Too bad it didn't stay that way.

"HAHAHAHEHEHEHEHOOHOOHOO!" laughed a high-pitched, evil voice.

"What in the Sith -" Ben turned to look. There, cutely perched on a balcony, was Amai.

Annika nearly choked on her food. "Oh, no! She's here!" she cried. She dove under the table and transformed. The others gave each other perplexed looks but did the same.

"I will get you once and for all! For Lady Mayoke!" she cried. The customers ducked and hid, and some ran out of the restaurant.

"No, you won't! For Ice and Innocence, I shall punish you!" Sailor Hoth cried. "Hoth Blizzard Blast!"

"Thanks for the cool-down," Amai taunted. "It was getting a little stuffy in here."

"What? My attack didn't even do anything to her!" Sailor Hoth said in amazement.

Sailor Omwat, looking determined, blew a kiss at Amai using her Death Kiss attack. It went right through her and crumbled the balcony she was standing on. "AAHH! You stupid Senshi!" Amai cried as she grappled part of the remaining balcony with her tail.

"I WILL GET YOU!" she shouted as she flew down. She landed right on Gareth's head. "Hehehehe!" she cried as she covered his eyes. He desperately tried to throw her off.

"Hey! Nobody does that to my boyfriend!" Sailor Chibi Omwat cried. She flung her arms out, and a wave of colored light and glitter flew at Amai. "Illusion Confusion!"

"Your stupid party tricks don't scare me," she laughed as she pulled something out of a hidden pocket on her costume. It was a small compact of some kind.

"What is that?" the Shadow Knight asked.

"A surprise," she said, her bright pink eyes lighting up and sparkling more than they usually did. "One that's not good for you!"

She pushed a button, and a glowing pink rope flew out. It lassoed the senshi and their friends, rendering them unconscious. "A job well done!" she giggled maniacally.

"Where are we?" Sailor Hoth asked. They were in a large, dark room, their hands and feet bound with thick rope.

"You're in my domain now," said an evil-sounding voice, much different than Amai's sweet one. They turned to see a tall, gorgeous woman with floor-length purple hair and glittering golden eyes. She wore a long gown of purple and gold silk. She wore two golden bracelets and a golden band in her hair.

"And - who are you?" Sailor Eclipse asked.

"My name is Mayoke," she said ominously. Everyone gasped. "I was left powerless in a battle on my home planet of Chandrila, so now I'm going to take your power. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-HA!"

"You can't take our power," Chibi Omwat said, rolling her ruby eyes.

"Yes, I can! With my newest invention." Mayoke held up an odd-looking collar. "All I have to do is put these around your necks, and your powers go into them. Then, I put them on and - poof! Powers for me!" she laughed some more.

"Yeah, whatever," Chibi Omwat said. Mayoke looked enraged. Why, oh why, does my daughter have to have such a big mouth? Sailor Omwat and Kendren wondered at the same time.

"Uh, excuse me, lady," Kendren spoke up. "I'm just an ordinary guy. I don't have any powers at all. So... what do you plan to do with me?"

"Hm..." Mayoke thought for a moment. Then her eyes lit up. "I know! You'll become my slave. As will the rest of you."

Meanwhile, as Mayoke told the senshi her plans for them, Amai sat quietly in the corner, thinking. This was not right. Mayoke was not right. She wasn't right for killing Neko, and she wasn't right for taking the senshi's powers. Amai stood up as she made her decision. Mayoke was going down. Now.

"...So, then I'll make you - huh?" Mayoke turned to see Amai, a new look of determination on her face. "You won't do anything to them," she said, and for the first time she really sounded like she meant it.

Mayoke rolled her eyes. "Oh, not now, Amai. Can't you see that I'm -"

"A very evil person? About to rob people of their powers, their lives? A horrible individual that doesn't deserve to live?" Fury burned in her bright-colored eyes. "I'm sick of you, Mayoke. You're a witch and nothing else. I'm going to avenge my sister!" With that, Amai flung her arms out, unleashing a blinding ray of pink light. It was so bright that no one could see for minutes. When their eyes adjusted, they gasped. Mayoke was lying on the floor, probably dead. And Amai didn't look much better herself.

"I - I did it," she said with a weak smile. She ordered Kirent to untie the senshi. Then she went unconscious.

"Hey, everybody! Amai woke up!" Kirana announced, running into the room. The senshi had taken Amai to the Jedi Temple to be healed. After almost a day in the bacta tank, she was almost back to normal.

"Amai! Are you feeling better?" Yukiko asked. The girl nodded. "But, Yuki, I - I think I lost my powers," she said miserably. "I can't - do any attacks anymore. I think I used them too much before so - now I don't have them."

Yuki felt horrible for the girl. She had prevented Mayoke from stealing their powers, but had sacrificed her own. "Amai, if there's anything we can do for you -"

"Just promise me you'll forgive me and still be my friend," Amai said. Yuki nodded and hugged the girl.

"I'm glad to see you here," Amai said, grinning happily as Annika and Chouko walked into the candy store. She worked there now and visited the senshi often. She had also gotten a new apartment, one much better than the lower levels, that was near the Jedi Temple. She was preparing for a career in a magic show. Tejina, of course, had helped her with some of the illusions. She sometimes held shows, and the senshi always went to them to show their support. Amai missed her powers, but they were a small price to pay for the end of Mayoke's evil.