FicWad

Chapter 23



V looked around, and she said, "Why did the glaciers do this? I thought that everything was protected from..." and then she stopped herself. That would only happen if Usagi had a fully charged crystal. She then asked, "Well, if nothing survived, then how are all these youma around?"

"It is possible that Lin-Lin went underground with her army and did what Sailor Moon would have done: put them in a suspended animation," said Pluto.

"That would explain the castle over there," said Ceres, pointing to the elaborate palace that now stood where the Imperial Palace once stood. Normally, the buildings in the Juban District kept anyone there from being able to see it as it sat to the north, but with everything scraped clean by the glaciers, it was as plain as day. To the west sat Mt. Fuji, although it looked different than it had. The glaciers had smoothed it out, but it had erupted afew times since then, so the cone looked a little different now. "Would the mirrors still be there?" asked Neptune.

"That's highly doubtful," said Saturn, "However, if we can get the mirrors, we can set one up once we get there."

"Then that means we have to go to the palace, no question," affirmed Uranus.

"Out of the frying pan, out of the fire, into the mouth of the shark we go!"said Ceres sarcastically.



As they made their way along, indeed youma dominated, but it was also clearly seen that there was still human life around, but of quite an international flavor. It seemed that, in this future, Lin-Lin had conquered the world, killed off many people, turned many others into youma, and enslaved what was left. It was a sad state of affairs indeed, as they saw the misery in which everyone lived, and everyone seemed to be like uneducated serfs of the Middle Ages. Indeed, a new Dark Age had descended on the earth. They were able to make their way along unnoticed, as people were being too worked into the ground by their youma masters to even notice who was skulking around. Soon they made their way to the grounds, and they saw how heavily guarded the entrance was. V then said, "Let's try the park in back where the Nippon Budoken hall is. It may not be as heavily guarded.



They made their way around the perimeter on the city side of the moat that surrounded the park on which the palace stood. Everywhere around the grounds, and on their side of the moats, were statues of Lin-Lin and others showing the demise of the Sailor Scouts. They made their way around, but unfortunately, it was heavily guarded as well. They looked at each other at a loss for what to do. However as they did, they suddenly heard a hushed, but excited, voice from a young girl, who said, "You can't be! But you must-you're standing right there!"

They all looked over to see a girl of about 15 dressed in a crude senshi outfit that indeed reflected the Sailor Scouts of old. It was an old high school uniform that had been altered, but it was apparent that the Sailor Scouts had not been forgotten. She began to gush, "We had always heard that there were some that had not been accounted for, but we never thought that we would see them here and now! How did you survive the centuries?"

"Um...that would be Sailor Pluto," said Ceres, pointing to her. The girl became more ecstatic, and she then said, "Then we really DO have a chance! Come on, you have to meet the leader!"

Not knowing whether or not to trust her, they let her guide them, and they went into a secret entrance that went lower than the moat, and underneath the palace grounds. As they went, they saw many dressed in similar fashion to the scouts, or as Ceres, and as they went, people saw the group and a buzz began to go around. Before long word was spreading, and now there was a trail in the catacombs under the palace within which these people lived. It was apparent that this was some kind of resistance movement, but it was doubtful in their condition they could resist against anything. The girl that had found them began to spread the word saying, "They have come back to us! They have returned!"

Soon, they were led into a large hall wherein sat a crude courtroom and as elaborate a chair as they could produce on the other side, but no one was sitting there. The girl then said, "I'll go get our leader."



Their leader sat in her room, in the dark, brooding about the past as normal. She sat there looking at a picture of the Sailor Scouts taken when they had been at the beach receiving their new attacks. A knock came to her door, and she said, "What do you want?"

"Forgive my intrusion, but they have come back!" said the girl.

"What are you talking about?" she said as she spun around annoyed.

"The lost ones-they have returned!" the girl said all excited.

She was about to tell the girl to get lost when she saw the commotion outside, and she went out to investigate. When the people saw her, they parted like the Red Sea as she made her way to the court. The Outer Scouts, Ceres, Chibi Moon, and Tuxedo Mask watched the parting of the ways as they stood in the center of the room, and of all people, out stepped Sailor Jupiter! She was wearing her uniform, which was in tatters by this point, and she did not look in a good mood. When she saw who was standing there, especially one of the males, instead of being happy, she became enraged. She marched up to the pack as Ceres said, "Baby...you're..."

That was as far as Ceres got as she gave him a right cross, a knee to the gut, and a chop to the back of the head. It did not knock him out, but it sure put him in pain! "HOW...DARE...YOU?" she thundered, "How could you have abandoned us when we needed you the most?"

Saturn swung her halberd around to block Jupiter's advance, and she said, "You shall stand down now!"

Everyone around watched confused at the proceedings. They were sure she would have been overjoyed by seeing them, but now she wanted to kill them? "And you!" exclaimed Jupiter, "You ran off just before we were captured. Why!"

"You cannot see the way I am dressed," said V, "Lin-Lin is my little problem, and I had to get free and rally the others, but we took a detour to come here to then go back and resolve it."

"And you let me go through a living Hell?" screamed Jupiter, "Do you have any idea what it been like?"

Pluto then spoke and said, "I fear you not. You are only a phantom of what could be. If we succeed here, then this will never happen."

Jupiter was confused now. Considering the time travel abilities of Pluto, indeed what she saw could happen. By this point, Tom stood up, wiping away the last trickles of a bloody lip, and he said, "Believe me, you are one of the main reasons why I am here to start with."

"Oh really?" scoffed Jupiter, "Then what is this great master plan?"

"We are going to steal transport and go to the top of Fuji and set up a charger for the Silver Crystal," said Uranus as she displayed it. There were murmurs around the room, as the people had heard tales about the crystal, but they figured that it just could not have survived the ice age. Yet, now they knew well what had happened to it. Tuxedo Mask then asked, "How did you survive?"

She went and sat on her chair and said, "Find seats, because this is going to take a bit."



She then began to spin the tale of what happened after Venus had escaped. They were being untied to be moved to a place for their execution, but Lin-Lin did not account for their abilities. They all valiantly fought, but there were too many. One by one the scouts had been picked off, but Jupiter used her Shockwave attack to get away. She managed to hide and survive at the old shrine. She watched as Lin-Lin began her conquest of the world, and she fought her every chance she got. However, one scout could only do so much. She knew that the others had not been caught, and she had lived in constant hope that they somehow would emerge and put an end to the madness, but they never did. Soon, the new ice age moved in, and the humans she wanted to keep for slaves and all the youma were moved to underground caverns, and she had her inventors come up with a device to put everyone in suspended animation until the age had passed. Jupiter had managed to disguise herself and be suspended with the others, if for no other reason than to survive, just to spite Lin-Lin. The fact that Jupiter lived meant that she had not gotten her full victory over the scouts. After it was over, she began to gather to her all those that would listen, and she had been attempting to put together a resistance ever since. She told all the people the stories of the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, and she told them that there may be others that would one day emerge. She knew that it was more than likely a story, but she had to keep these people together somehow. Ever since the age, every day had been a struggle. Would they still be there the next day? Would they be found? Would there be food for everyone that day? Ceres stepped forward and said, "I swear you, if we can get back with a charged crystal, I will do all within my power that this will not be the future!"

Pluto then got a worried look on her face, and she said, "Ceres, I thought we talked..." but that was answered, with a, "SHUT UP!"

Ceres was now angry, and he said, "Maybe one day that might be an issue, or maybe I might decide to forsake a position of noncommissioned officer so that our love can blossom! You yourself said that this is only one of many futures. Well, I make my own future! That future is going to be with her no matter what it takes! I told you already-no one controls my destiny. Each one of us forges our own! I will not be controlled by a past that is just that-passed. I will not make my decisions for the future based on a past that I don't have to relive. If you tell me I must, then please tell me exactly what power in the universe there is that would make it so I could not change things outside of God? If it is not God, then God willing, I shall have the final say!"

Pluto now fell silent. She had to admit he was right. Too much of the fatalistic mindset that pockets of the Japanese culture seem to possess had overtaken her, and she knew that she, of all people, should know that what he said was true. She then said, "Then let us prepare. Jupiter, tell me: is there any kind of rapid transit that we can use?"

"The only thing like that is up in the palace itself," said Jupiter, "Lin-Lin has her hover chariot, and there are many hover cycles that she uses for escort."

Uranus smiled at the prospect of being able to straddle one of those, and she said, "How do we get them?"



Soon, a floor plan for the palace that had been copied while it was under construction by the resistance was laid out on the grand table of the hall. The palace was large and elaborate, including every luxury imaginable, and even many secret passages. The man showing it said, "With these many passages, we enter and exit the palace and take what we need to either feed everyone we can, or steal what we need to further the resistance. They really keep a close track on the slaves they have in there, so we have to be careful."

"How do we get to the vehicles without being detected," asked Uranus, at which Ceres followed up with, "Because we sure are going to create a racket when we do steal those rides!"

"Leave that to me!" said Jupiter, "I've been itching for paybacks!"

There was a buzz, because there was an excitement in their leader that they had never seen. "Shall we ready for battle," cried one dressed like a Marine Scout.

"Dude, I like the righteous 'tude," said Ceres, speaking in English, (because it seemed to be the majority language, "But, dude, this is youma we're talking about, man! What do you have to fight them?"

He looked down, ashamed that there was really nothing he could do. However, Jupiter then said, "You may not be able to destroy them, but you can cause them hurt while we move in."

Neptune then gave one of her sweet looks and said, "You keep them busy, because we have what it takes to get the job done."

"Right!" said the first man and he said, "Scouts, Marines-ready for battle! We go to wreak havoc on the enemy! If we succeed in our part, we may be able to prevent all that we now know! Be brave, and fight like scouts!"

He then looked upwards and said, "Lin-Lin, in the name of the great Sailor Moon, we shall punish you!"

A loud cheer came over the hall, and Ceres was so pumped up that he shouted,"OORAH!" to which they all echoed. A new courage overcame the Scouts, and they just knew they would not fail.



Lin-Lin was in her massage parlor, being kneaded like so much dough by the handful of slaves that she allowed in the house to serve her. They were cleaned, bathed, and given three hots and a cot, which is more than she felt they deserved. Life had been good ever since she exacted her revenge...sort of. True, Minako had gotten away, as did Jupiter, but she knew there was no way they could have survived the ice age in the same way that the others that had been unaccounted for could not have survived. That fool Sark had blown everything, but she was happy that she had been able to overcome his stupidity and gain what she wanted. The last of the Dark Kingdom was gone, and she wondered how they managed to gain the victory in the past they way that they did. The scouts were powerful, and she knew that, as incompetent as Queen Beryl and her cronies were, they should have been crushed. However, considering that the scouts had been beaten for the most part in the Old Moon Kingdom, it was no wonder to her how she had gained the victory in the first place. She had outfoxed Sailor V when V thought she had been destroyed, and this was sweet justice to her. However, things were not going to go well for her that day.



In the royal motor pool rested her chariot and about 75 hover bikes. They looked like crotch rockets without tires. As they began to spread out, Ceres'heart leapt for joy when he saw one that looked like a Harley-Davidson designed for hovering. "MINE!" he exclaimed and got on it. They all looked at him funny, and said, "What's wrong?"

"That belongs to the leader of the human guard around here," said one of the troops, to which Ceres said, "Dude, he has awesome taste!"

"Oh, and what's wrong with a good Japanese bike?" said Uranus.

"Honey," said Ceres, "Unless you've ridden on a Harley, you'll never understand!"

However, security cameras were picking up the action, and one of the human guards burst into Lin-Lin's private message parlor with the news. She shrieked because of the state of her dress, and she screamed, "THIS HAD BETTER BE GOOD, OR YOU'RE DEAD WHERE YOU STAND!"

"A thousand pardons, your majesty," said the man, "but there are about 100 people in the motor pool, and they are either dressed like odd school kids, in tuxedoes, or in an odd green jacketed uniform."

That changed Lin-Lin's mood in an instant. Now she did not care about her state of dress as she rushed over to a computer monitor to see what was going on, her servants behind her trying to get a kimono on her body. She flipped on the system and went to the cameras in the motor pool. What she was told was true, but what got her goat was the fact that some of them were too well dressed to be mere serfs. However, she zoomed in on them, and her face went chalk white when she saw who was there. It was Sailor Jupiter, the Outer Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, that pesky marine, and...no...it couldn't be! Her blood started to boil, and she thundered, "SAILOR V!"

The guard, obviously a man of rank, saw the image as well, and he screamed, " MY RIDE!"

She got on the loudspeaker and screamed, "Guards, youma, to the motor pool-crush the scouts!"



As they were preparing to take the rides, the alarms started to sound, and the lead man for the resistance said, "This is it! Prepare for battle!"

A loud scream came from the group just as the guard and youma thundered in. Jupiter shouted, "Take the guard, we'll take the youma! SHOCKWAVE!"

Many of the youma staggered back as the scouts and Mask dove into the fray with relish. Meanwhile Saturn and Chibi Moon were looking at the chariot, and they found Lin-Lin's vanity case with a bunch of mirrors! "Puu!" shouted Chibi Moon, "There are enough mirrors in here to do the job!"

"Excellent," said Pluto, "You two take that, and we'll get the rides!"

The human guard was falling fast, but the youma were starting to come in numbers now, and Jupiter said, "Fall back to the fortress, and we'll lead the youma away!"

The scouts all picked a ride, Ceres on the Harley, and they all charged them up. Of course, it was the sound of turbines instead of the roar of the engines, but the Harley still managed to sound loud and rough. Ceres revved it up a couple of times and said, "Let's roll! TSUNAMI ATTACK!"

This punched a hole for them to escape, and Chibi Moon followed up with Saturn in a combo attack-Silent Lunar Candy Wall. That took care of almost all the remaining youma, allowing for the escape of the resistance, and they all took off. Lin-Lin was white hot. Not only were the scouts there, they were taking her chariot! She grabbed the guard and she went down herself. He told her to grab one of them, and she rode in back, shouting, "FOLLOW THEM!"

The remaining guard found their way to the motor pool and mounted up, taking off after the scouts. Lin-Lin had no clue what they had in mind, but knowing the scouts, it had nothing to do with anything that would benefit her.



The bikes and chariot took off like shot from a gun, and they now wished they had taken goggles with them for the wind. They ducked down behind the small windshield as best they could which afforded some protection, but also made them more aerodynamic. They were tearing down what was left of the highway, which now was nothing more than an over glorified dirt path. The only thing left was indeed the large grooves that were the same size as what had been there, but there was the occasional tree or bolder that did not seem to care that it had once been a major highway. As they went, Fuji loomed larger and larger, and they wondered how they were going to get to the top, considering that it was a treacherous climb. However, Jupiter glanced back and said, "We have company!"

About 30 bikes chased them now, and as they approached the base of the mountain, they had to make a harsh decision-face them down and risk losing, or take a chance that the bikes could climb the peak. They cut right and started taking the overland route to the base of the mountain. Yet, they were fortunate to find that the bikes were up to the task and roared their way up. Since they hovered, then there were no terrain risks, and they held the ground despite the steep climb. Lin-Lin watched them tear up the peak, and she wondered what that was all about. Whatever it was, it was not something that she figured would aid her, and thus, even if it was to put the scouts to rest forever, she was going to put a stop to it. She gave the signal for her guards to open up, and they let loose with beam weapons on the bike. Red beams rocketed past them, and they started to take evasive maneuvers. They could not be stopped. The first beam whizzed past Ceres' head, and he said, "Oh no! You did not just fire that red junk at me!"

"We have no time for that," screamed Jupiter, "Get to the top!"

Indeed, she was right, because the horizon began to glow with a faint orange, and that meant the sun was coming up. They would not have much time to set up the array. However, near the top, the fire intensified. The one that carried Lin-Lin got a bead on Ceres, and Jupiter spotted this. With no time to retaliate, she charged her bike in front of his. She cried, "I love you, my darling!" just as the beam struck her and vaporized her and destroy the bike. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" screamed Ceres, and he went postal. He turned his bike towards the advancing horde, and opened fire. Pluto screamed, "TOM, DON'T!"but it was too late. However, Neptune said, "We can do nothing, and he just might be buying us some time."

They agreed, and kept going.



Lin-Lin smiled and evil smile as she saw in her peep sight just who got fried, but then it changed to horror when she saw the bike behind her peg a tight U-turn, and then start to rain red beams and yellow energy rocks on them with pinpoint accuracy. Bikes were dropping left and right, and they heard echo down the hill, "BANZAI!"

"Look out you idiot!" she thundered to her driver, but the bike was hit with ablast, followed by, "DIE YOU EVIL WITCH-DIE!" and the enraged face and the Tsunami Attack would be the last thing this Lin-Lin would ever see.



At the top, they others made haste as they heard the fight below. Tuxedo Mask looked over the edge at the light show, and it seemed like the one on the offensive was fighting like he was fifty, and for a brief moment, he actually felt sorry for their attackers. They had the last mirror in place just as the first rays of the sun hit the top of Fuji. They put the crystal in place and it charged. After about five minutes, the sun shifted, but it was enough. They then began the descent to get Ceres-if he was still alive-and go home. As they did, the last sounds of combat were ending, and they saw about three bikes heading down the road as they heard a voice shouting, "WANT SOME? GET SOME!"over and over as he picked them off. It was Ceres, and he dismounted, and went to a certain spot. When they caught up to him, he was still shaking a bit and breathing hard with a look of disgust on his face as he looked over a dead Lin-Lin on the ground. They approached slowly, lest he was still in the fog of war, and Pluto gently said, "Tom, it's us. It's over. It's time to go back."

He looked at them, but before he went with them, he spit in the face of the corps and said, "That was for Makoto-I hope you rot in Hell!"

He wheeled around and looked at them, saying, "Let's go back and finish this."

With silent agreement, they gathered together, and prepared to put an end to the madness.