Derilaan Sailor Nova Episode One: "Friend or Foe? The new senshi of light is evil?" Pain shot through the young woman's body, as she grappled against the darkness in vain. Her mind screamed in agony, unable to block out the undying torture that ripped through her. How long had it been, that she was in this void? How long had it been, when she tried to escape this hell, to reach anything other than this absolute coldness, the pure nothingness that was the Negaverse? She had tried to escape when Beryl had opened the portal to the Earth, but just as she had reached the way to her freedom, something had happened....something had destroyed Beryl, Queen of the Negaverse, and then the chance to escape was lost forever, as the doorway to light was closed right in front of the girl, leaving her in the merciless grip of the evil force that stole energy from everything it touched. So, now, she was trapped, unable to die, unable to breathe, forever devoured by the unyielding dimension.. Something twinkled in the darkness. The girl shook her head, wondering what cruel joke the Negaverse had in store for her. The twinkling grew brighter, until it seemed a ray of the brightest light broke through the abyss, burning away the void around it. The girl blinked, and at first shied away from the light, fearing its piercing brightness would hurt her more than the dark, but then it seemed as if she was drawn to it, and let herself be pulled into its light. She found herself falling suddenly, and realized she was being pulled towards the source of the light. Faster she fell, and it occurred to her as she neared the source that the light was from a portal, a door. Tears of joy burning in her golden eyes, she let herself fall. "Freedom," she whispered. ********** "I've done it! Haha!" cackled Saphrine. She pointed to her two companions. "Pyrite, do something useful and make sure the crystal is in place. Onyx, get the dais ready." She brushed a strand of azure hair out of her eyes, tucking it back into the maze of ponytails she wore. "Years of hard work have finally paid off for me," she sighed. Her expression soured as she scanned the two before her. She turned to the man near her, who was carefully steadying a glowing star-shaped crystal into a metal fixture. "Pyrite," she growled. "Did you have to bring your little sister with you? Can't you find her a baby-sitter?" The young girl by the dais stood up and scowled. "If it weren't for me," she pouted. "You wouldn't even have your stupid crystal. I'm the one who figured out it ran on solar energy and human emotions." She stuck her tongue out, then stomped around to the other side of the dais, checking lights and switches. Saphrine rolled her eyes. As intelligent as she was, she had to admit that she never would have thought of the correct amount of human and solar energy to infuse into the crystal in time for today's eclipse. It was Onyx's innate psychic abilities and knowledge that had helped. It astounded her that Onyx could be so smart for a child, and yet her brother Pyrite, handsome as he was, couldn't tell you a diamond from salt. They both had their uses, however, so Saphrine would bear their presence for now. "All clear," the siblings chimed. Saphrine paused to gaze up above the dais, where a star shaped hole was cut into the roof of the lab where sun shone brightly through. Slowly, fraction by fraction, the glowing star was being hidden by the moon. The eclipse had started. The trio stepped back as the crystal began to grow brighter, radiating a warm orange-gold glow. Outside grew darker as the sun was hidden from view. A shining beam of light shot from the crystal to the hole in the roof, and another beam sprang from the gem and covered the dais in an unearthly darkness. A shadow opened up on the dais, and the crystal pulsed rapidly. Saphrine giggled with glee. "Jadeite, Kunzite, even Beryl failed to rule this world. Everyone who has walked this path before us has failed, miserably. Why? Because of those pesky little Sailor Senshi. Well, we shall learn from our fallen comrades' mistakes, and fight fire with fire," she threw her hands in the air triumphantly. "The names of Beryl's avengers shall be written on the highest stars!" "Lucky bunch," sighed Pyrite. "Of course we get to do all the dirty work....figures." Saphrine turned, her face twisted with rage. "We ARE the avengers, you dolt!" She clasped her hand to her head. "Why do I even bother with you?" "Shh! Look!" gasped Onyx. The shadow-door closed, and the beam from the sky faded away, as the rays from the crystal to the dais grew brighter, spilling a pool of light across it. A form of a woman lay there unmoving, her bright orange hair splayed out about her still body. The crystal's light faded. "Yes!" cheered Saphrine. "We found her!" The girl on the dais slowly opened her eyes and sat up carefully, her hair dropping over her like a fiery curtain. The pain that she had known for so long was gone, replaced with emotions she thought she would never feel again. Joy. Happiness. Relief. She was free. She turned to look about her, and the returning sunlight sparkled off her golden eyes. Before her were three people, those she owed her freedom to, no doubt. A woman, a man, and a young child. The little girl stepped forward to cover the shivering newcomer with a blanket. "Where...where am I?" she whispered. She could not help the tears of joy from spilling over onto her cheeks. She grabbed the arm of the little girl, who gazed at her with awe and wonder. "Please," she whispered. Saphrine stepped forward, her smile greeting the orange-haired woman. "Welcome to Earth, Hitomi Taiyono." she said. "Welcome, my dear Senshi of the Sun. You have come at a most special time. This world is soon to see a dawning of a new age, and you, Sailor Nova, will help us light its way." ********** Usagi ran along, late as usual. Her ponytails swung behind her as she bolted for school. "Argh, why can't school be voluntary?" she whined. Behind her, Luna frowned as she caught up. "Usagi, have you heard anything I've been saying this morning? I've been getting strange feelings ever since the eclipse..." "Luna, you can't possibly expect me to get ready for school, eat, and listen to you all at once! A girl has limits, you know!" Usagi heard the school bells up ahead. Great, another morning of sitting outside the classroom. Mrs. Haruna was gonna have her neck. She hung her head, sniffing. "Really, Usagi!" Luna groaned. "This is important! I think something may have happened a week ag--Usagi! Watch out!" Usagi looked up, but too late, she ran right into a schoolgirl, tripping both and spilling their books everywhere. "Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Usagi started to pick up the books, stopping to read the cover of one. "Art History". The book was snatched out of her hands by the girl, whose angry golden eyes glared at her. The girl stood up, brushing leaves out of her orange hair, and turned to Usagi. "Humph. Nosy, tardy, and a klutz! You'll have a hard time getting a boyfriend with those qualities!" she helped Usagi to her feet, but her frown continued. Usagi stuck her tongue out. "You're one to talk! I don't see you on time!" The girl blinked, and then suddenly burst out laughing. Usagi looked at her with a confused look. "You're right. I guess I'm late too. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I tend to snap a lot when I'm nervous." The girl patted Usagi's shoulder, wiping some of the dust and leaves from her uniform. She smiled and offered her hand. "Hi, my name is Hitomi Taiyono, I'm new to this school." she shook Usagi's hand. "Please forgive me for being in your way." Usagi cheerfully smiled. "No, that's all right. Everyone's entitled to be in a bad mood, sometimes. Come on, we better go in or our teachers will cook us for lunch!" She and Hitomi laughed and skipped inside. At Haruna's classroom, Usagi stopped to open the door, when Mrs. H burst out. "USAGI! You are LATE AGAIN!" she fumed. "That's a week detention!" Usagi paled, but Hitomi stepped forward. "Please, Mrs. Haruna. She was on time, but I wanted her to show me around. I'm your new student, Hitomi Taiyono." She bowed. "Please forgive her tardiness. It is my fault, really." Mrs. H glanced at Hitomi, surprised. Her demeanor cooled, and she smiled. "Oh, is that it?" she cooed. "Please, come in. Next time, though, you should find one of the teachers to show you around." Usagi stared unbelieving at Hitomi, who neared in and whispered, "I hope that helps to make up for my attitude back there." Hitomi winked. "Tomorrow we'll just have to get up earlier, right?" "Uh...right." Usagi stammered. But, hey, it was one less detention, so she smiled and went over to her seat. Hitomi took an empty desk near her. "Do you mind if I sit down here?" She asked Usagi. "I'm no good at this subject, I bet we'd make great study buddies!" "Well, uh," Usagi grimaced. "I'm not exactly the star student here, either. I would love to have you sit here, but I'm afraid, uh....that you'd have to find someone a bit better to help you." I'm sure she wouldn't want someone who failed their last three tests to help her, Usagi thought wistfully. "Oh, that's all right," Hitomi laughed. "But maybe sometime we can get together to study something we can help each other with. Don't worry, I'm sure you don't do that bad." At lunch, Usagi was talking with Naru, Ami, and Umino when she noticed Hitomi sitting by herself. "Hi Hitomi!" she called. Hitomi looked up, smiled, but went back to a notebook she was writing in. "Hey, what's up with that?" Naru said. "Is she shy or something?" "Maybe she's snobby, and doesn't want to hang out with the ultra-smart kids," Umino pondered. "Of course, Usagi's here, so that may not be the case." "HEY!" growled Usagi as she bopped Umino over the head. "I heard that!" She turned towards the corner where her new friend sat. "Anyway, I'm sure she just doesn't want to feel like she's intruding. Let's go say hello, Ami." She waved good-bye to Naru, then walked with Amy over to the table where Hitomi sat. "Hitomi, I'd like you to meet my friend Ami. She's a little quiet but she's really sweet. I'm sure she could help you with your homework, too!" Ami bent over to say hello and stopped. Her eyes grew big as she looked down at the notebook Hitomi was using. It was a sketch pad, with drawings in it. "Wow, those are really good!" Ami pointed at a picture of a cat. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to point like that...its just they are so well done." Hitomi smiled. "Yeah, well, I love drawing. Makes me feel like I using my energy to actually create something, you know? Thanks for coming over. I'm usually pretty outgoing, but I have to get used to the school first I guess.." They spent the rest of the lunch time talking, and Hitomi slowly warmed up, becoming more enthusiastic and energetic as the time went by. Usagi invited Hitomi to come by after school, but Hitomi said she had to go home right after school, but perhaps another time she would be able to. The class bell rang, and the girls went back into class to finish the day. ********** Saphrine sat on a park bench next to Pyrite, who was busy gobbling down a hamburger as he listened to his favorite rock band on headphones. Saphrine looked away in disgust. If I'm to get those Senshi here, she thought, I have to bring something in for them to fight from the Negaverse. Of course, they will probably destroy it, but that's where my Senshi comes in... She turned back to Pyrite and poked him. "This plan is so perfect, I amaze myself with it!" she chirped. "Why use worthless monsters and demons to fight the Sailors when you can use one of their own! Hahaha! What is twinkly little moon dust to the fiery explosion of the sun?" She relaxed and put her head on Pyrite's shoulder. "When the world is ours, Pyrite my dear, what will you wish for? I want a thousand servants doing my every will. Queen Saphrine I shall be, and the Negaforce will rule this world again!" Pyrite studied her and nodded. "Yeah," he mumbled. "But I bet they still wouldn't take the pickles off my burger. That would make me happy." Saphrine sat up. "They must have transplanted your brain to your stomach when you were born, I swear....oh, here she is!" She stood and greeted Hitomi, who was walking from the school. She looked very worn down and tired. "Saphrine, Pyrite, hello." she smiled. "I really hope you got the pendant ready. After being in the Negaverse for so long, its hard for me to keep my energy, even for a short while." Saphrine handed her a small replica of the star crystal that had summoned her to this world. Hitomi placed it around her neck, and color came back to her face as it glowed softly. "Thank you," she sighed. "That crystal is but a small piece of the real thing," Saphrine explained. "Just like its counterpart, it needs solar energy to work, so don't try running around at night all the time or you'll wear out faster. Soon you won't need it, after your body gets used to this dimension, but for now keep it on at all times." She flicked the crystal so it soared into the air, sparkling in the setting sun's light. "Oh, and one more thing." She caught the crystal as it came down and shook it gently at Hitomi's face. "You'll have to use this little crystal to connect a psychic link to the larger one in order to transform. Onyx says your body can't handle the energy needed right now, and this tiny one can't hold the power to do so without causing you harm. So be careful." Hitomi nodded and stared at the tiny shining gem, and then tucked it into her shirt. "Hi, Hitomi!" sang Onyx as she skipped up the walkway, waving a small bag as she came. "I got you a present! I hope you like cookies! I made them myself!" Onyx stopped in front of Hitomi and happily shoved the bag of cookies into her hands. "Thank you, Onyx!" Hitomi placed the snack in her tote bag. "I'll make sure to try them later." "Heh, if she made them, you'll probably want to chuck them instead," snorted Pyrite. "She's not exactly Chef Boyardee." "Shut up, you!" stomped Onyx. "I can make cookies for whoever I want!" she turned and glared at Saphrine. "Just because SHE has no taste in fine gourmet doesn't mean I'm such a horrible cook!" "What!" blinked Saphrine. "I was sick for two weeks because of those cookies! Why you little br--" Hitomi cut her off with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure they are fine," she chuckled. "Anyways, we have more important things to do. I still don't understand why Sailor Moon would close the door to the Negaverse if she knew I was trying to get out! With the power I sensed, she could have destroyed most of the Negaverse, but instead she simply killed Beryl, and closed the portal, just as I was about to be freed." Her eyes closed for a minute as she remembered the torment she was forced to endure. "You see, Hitomi," Saphrine offered, "You are the true leader of the Sailor Senshi. Look at how the universe works. The planets revolve around the sun, not the moon! The moon does not rule the solar system. Instead it steals its light from the sun! Without the sun, no life would exist on the planets. The system would be a dark place, bereft of love and light! Sailor Moon knew this, and kept you locked in the Negaverse so she could run the Senshi herself, and slowly turn the solar system like the Moon, cold and empty! Her mother, Queen Serenity, knew this and tried to stop her, and even she lost her life to her rebellious daughter!" Tears filled Saphrine's blue eyes as she spoke. "This is why we freed you from the Negaverse. We need to stop Sailor Moon before its too late!" Hitomi nodded, and her features hardened as she heard the tale. "I don't understand, then, why we have to take energy from people, and also summon youma from the Negaverse. Won't people get hurt?" "That may happen," Onyx piped in, "But please remember that the Negaforce needs human emotions and energy to pull monsters from it. One person's energy is a small price to pay for the safety of the solar system. The reason we are summoning the youma is to lure Sailor Moon here! She won't want any competition from the Negaforce, so she'll be sure to show up!" Onyx touched Hitomi's hand softly, and looked up into her eyes. "Isn't that worth saving this world, and its bright patterns of life?" Hitomi 's eyes narrowed into golden slits, and her hands clenched in anger. She nodded. "Let's do it then!" Onyx nodded and skipped forward, pointing at a jogger who was at that moment enjoying his run through the park. "Watch this!" She closed her eyes and concentrated. A shadowy mirage of the Star Crystal appeared in front of her, and as the group watched, a beam of light shot from the crystal, striking the jogger, freezing him in his tracks. He sunk to the ground as his energy was depleted, and the image of the crystal glowed softly, A shady mist, all too familiar to Hitomi, oozed from the psychic image Onyx was creating, and the form of a youma dressed in jogging clothes appeared. "How odd! Its looks like the jogger!" Pyrite exclaimed. "Yes," said Hitomi softly. "The Negaforce takes the form of the energy it has extracted. In this case, it uses the energy from the jogger to make a youma of speed." "RRRRR SPEED!" The youma growled. Its glowing eyes surveyed the park, looking for more energy to extract. Rushing towards a group of joggers coming through the trails, it soared at them, claws extended, ready to attack. ********** Luna rode on Usagi's shoulder as the two headed home after school. "Luna, I made a new friend today! She was mean at first but then she was nice and she draws well, and..." "Usagi, I'm happy for you, but you still have to pay attention to what I am trying to tell you!" Usagi stopped and frowned at Luna. "Oh yeah, I know. Bad vibes during last week's eclipse, bad vibes since then." She stuck her nose in the air. "Really Luna, even I am not that superstitious. You should be more practical! Maybe we should get you a lucky charm or something? Hey! I know! A walk in the park. You've been too cooped up to concentrate properly!" Giggling, Usagi ran into the entrance to the park. "So, you were listening, you just chose to ignore me?" Luna hissed. "And you should not be taking this time to goof off! You're talking about being practical and here you have a test to study for! We have to go home! I'm serious about those vibes!" "Ah, Luna, you're too stuffy sometimes! Come on, let's relax, just for a few minutes!" Usagi skipped into the park, and suddenly stopped short as screams filled the air. People ran past Usagi as she stared ahead at the monster in the park. "RRR! SPEED!" roared the youma as it flashed from person to person, quickly draining them of energy. Usagi trembled, until Luna yelled in her ear, "Usagi! Don't just stand there! Transform!" "Uh...Yeah! OK!" Usagi took out her magickal transformation brooch. "MOON CRYSTAL POWER.....MAKE UP!" ********** Hitomi touched her necklace lightly as she sullenly watched people fall around her. She turned to Saphrine, who was watching Pyrite and Onyx leave the scene. "Why isn't she here?" Hitomi asked. "I don't know how long I can watch this go on! These people are innocents!" Tears sparkled in her sad eyes. Saphrine smiled coyly. "She'll be here. Like Onyx said, isn't a few injuries worth saving this planet? You'd better transform now, or you won't get the chance to do so once Moon gets here." Hitomi nodded. And if she does not arrive, I'll fight the youma myself, she thought. Grasping the pendant around her neck, she closed her eyes and drew upon its power to transform. She felt her body and mind weaken, still hurt from her ordeal from the Negaforce. Then, like the beacon of light in the void, she was filled with power and light as the Star Crystal linked itself to her and filled her with its warmth. "STAR CRISIS...MAKE UP!" She cried. Her world was suddenly filled with light. Sunlight filled her entire being, and she swirled around in it's warm glow, smiling for the love and health it gave her. This was her essence, the mirror of her own soul that gave her power. She felt her long orange hair rush up behind her and twist itself into three braids, which placed themselves around her head. She felt a sudden heat at her chest as the small crystal she bore seemed to explode, and she felt the shockwave from it bestow her senshi's outfit onto her. Full of fire and the full power of her home, the Sun, Sailor Nova clenched her fists into a fighting stance. Saphrine looked on with wonder. She had known that the power of the Sun was powerful, but simply assumed she would have no trouble getting rid of Hitomi once she was finished with her or better yet, make her a slave. Now, experiencing the transformation of this powerful warrior, she felt fear at how she would deal with Sailor Nova in time. Hitomi was fiery tempered, but was also weak, and human. The woman now before her was strong, invincible, untamable. Saphrine knew no doubt would she fall to such a one as Nova. Her countenance hardened. She will either serve me, or return to the void I delivered her from, Saphrine promised herself. "RRRR SPEED!" shouted the youma. Seeing a small child by a duck pond, he charged full force, claws extended. Easy prey. Sailor Nova's eyes went wild. "No! Not a child!" She started to run forward as the child's screams filled her ears. The youma grabbed hold of the little boy. "SPEED!" It shouted. "ENOUGH!" The youma, Saphrine, Sailor Nova and the boy all turned to the voice. In the light of the day, Sailor Moon stood, her arms crossed in a authoritative stance. "People come to the park to relax and enjoy the day! They aren't here to be hassled by monsters during their days off! I will not forgive you!" Sailor Moon cried. "In the name of the Moon...I will punish you!" Sailor Nova forgot about the youma as she looked at Sailor Moon. Here was her true enemy. Here was the reason she was prisoner so long in the cold clutches of the Negaverse. Here was why innocent people had to suffer in order to lure her to this location. Here was the one who had shown up to destroy the youma not in the name of justice, but for her own selfish reasons. Her fists clenched, Sailor Nova could hardly control her rage. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon was busy dashing out of the way of the youma, fast attacks. She ran this way and that, just missing the youma with her kicks. Basically she looked like she was just dancing around as she dodged the youma's assaults. "Sailor Moon, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" yelled Luna. "Its too fast for me! I won't be able to hit it! This is harder than it looks!" yelled Sailor Moon. Her attention distracted by Luna's complaining, she tripped and fell. The youma summoned a long shoelace from its jogging gear and threw it at Moon, wrapping the rope around her tightly. "RRR!" the youma laughed gleefully. Sailor Nova looked on and clapped her hands together. Here's my chance! she thought. I can destroy Sailor Moon and the youma in one shot! She ran toward the youma. "W-what are you doing!" called Saphrine angrily. Deciding to watch the fight from a safer distance, Saphrine pulled out her own crystal pendant and concentrated. A shining portal opened up to her right, which she jumped into. Appearing in her laboratory, she screamed at her two followers to get the fight on a view screen. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon struggled to free herself as the youma started to drain her energy. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a bright orange clad....Senshi? Twisting her head, she stared in complete shock at the girl running toward her. She was dressed in the usual white Senshi outfit, with a yellow skirt and orange bows. Her hair was up in three braids that framed her pretty face. The strange girl stopped just as she reached the youma. "Sailor Moon!" she screamed. "I should let the youma take care of you here and now! But I cannot allow anyone to take my chance of revenge away!" Pointing her left arm to the sky, she continued, "The sun shall forever shine over this beautiful world, and you will never take that away! I am Sailor Nova, and for your actions--" she lowered her left arm so it was now pointing at Sailor Moon, "--you will face the burning fury that is my anger!" "Sailor....Nova?" Sailor Moon said quietly. There was no time for answers, however, as Sailor Nova summoned a ball of shining light to her right hand. Twirling around, she spun until the light made a bright ring of fire around her. She stopped, and raising her arms to the sky, brought the flame searing around her in a crackling spiral of flame. The fire gathered in her raised hands, and Sailor Nova, her eyes filled with rage, brought her hands down rapidly, sending out the deadly flame wave. "NOVA CRUSADING INFERNO!" she screamed. Sailor Moon screamed as she saw the wave of fire and light coming toward her. She was trapped and even if the youma tried to escape, she would still be tied up and unable to run. She didn't know who this girl was, didn't know why she was attacking her, but Sailor Nova seemed to know who she was. Another senshi? How could that be? Why was she attacking Sailor Moon? The heat from the oncoming wave started to hurt her, and she cried out in pain. "SHABON SPRAY!" cried Sailor Mercury as she let loose her barrage of freezing bubbles. The bubbles overtook the flame wave just enough to dissipate it slightly. The wave hit the youma and Moon, burning away the laces that held Sailor Moon and causing a great deal of damage to the unsuspecting youma. But because of Mercury's bubbles, Sailor Moon came out only slightly singed. Sailor Jupiter, Mars and Venus came running up as well, Luna fast behind them. "Luna told us you were in trouble!" called Venus. Moon nodded weakly and she pointed at Sailor Nova. The other four girls gasped as they noticed her for the first time. "This isn't time for introductions, Sailor Moon!" called Mercury. "The youma is weakened. Take care of it first!" Sailor Moon stood up and took out her moon wand. Raising it high, she called upon its power, and the power of love to destroy the evil youma. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" she cried, and the youma disappeared, its energy returning to those who had been caught in the monster's path. She then turned to Nova, who stood there staring at her seething. "Sailor Nova! Who are you? Are you a Senshi?" called Sailor Moon. Sailor Nova clenched her fists and called upon her other power. Collecting a ball of light in her left hand, she spun around again, this time waving her arm about so a framework of light appeared around her. When she stopped spinning, the network of light turned into flame and solidified, making the area around Sailor Nova burst into an aura-like shield. "BURNING AURA, EMBRACE!" Sailor Mars gasped. "Her powers are fire also! How can that be!" "I don't know," growled Jupiter. "But I don't think she was after the youma when she tried that flame wave attack." Nodding her head at Mercury she said, "I say we ask questions later." "Enough!" screamed Sailor Nova. She took a step toward the Senshi. "I will burn your soul into defeat, Sailor Moon! Prepare to die!" She rushed forward at Moon, her fire-shield blazing madly. "Sailor Moon, watch out!" screamed Venus. "Her shield will burn you!" Suddenly, the shield on Sailor Nova went out, and she slumped to the ground. Her world became dizzy and unfocused. She peeked down at her crystal, and saw its normal bright glow had flickered to a small glimmer. "No!" she whispered. "No!" As the girls rushed forward to Sailor Moon, they watched, fascinated, as a pool of light opened up under Sailor Nova. Nova sank into the ground, and the light dimmed. "A portal?" mused Mars. "Sailor Moon, are you all right?" they asked her, each looking her over to make sure she wasn't very hurt. Sailor Moon just stared out at the spot where the mysterious new senshi had disappeared. "Sailor Nova," she whispered. ********** Saphrine stood over Sailor Nova's form on the dais. "The transformation must have taken more energy than we thought. Onyx is reworking your crystal shard to allow you a more potent connection to the Star Crystal." She frowned as Sailor Nova's Senshi outfit glimmered and disappeared in shower of sparks, leaving the worn figure of Hitomi laying there. "Next time, you will do as I say, and you will not attack the youma I summon. Is that understood?" She stomped her foot on the dais. "You owe your freedom to me, Hitomi! I expect some respect and obedience in return!" Saphrine frowned a few moments more and then stormed out of the lab into the main area she shared with her two lackeys. Onyx was there watching TV with Pyrite. Saphrine made sure Hitomi was still in the other room, and suddenly her face was filled with glee. "Did you see that!" she cooed. "Did you see? That Sailor Mercury's attack couldn't even slow down Sailor Nova's fire! She was the one I was most worried about! If water cant stop her, there's no way those others will have anything strong enough to drench it! We're gonna win!" She threw her arms around Pyrite, nearly strangling him in her excitement. Onyx rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'm going to bed. I'll finish working on the new pendant tomorrow. There must be a flaw somewhere in its connection to the Star Crystal. It used too much energy transforming Hitomi." Gathering a few books, Onyx went off into her room. She turned at the door. "Hitomi's staying in my room with me, right?" Saphrine nodded in response. "Get to work on that pendant soon, Onyx." Saphrine growled. "The sooner we destroy that Moon-brat, the sooner I will be Queen of this wretched place." She snickered as she looked over Onyx in her pajamas and yellow hair ribbons. "Maybe I'll get you some friends finally. Of course they may not like it, but they won't have much of a choice, will they?" Onyx frowned and walked out of the room angrily. Onyx walked down the hallway and into her room. She stopped as she saw Hitomi sitting at the edge of one of the two beds in the room. Her face was in her hands. Onyx dropped her books and ran over. Hitomi looked up, her golden eyes tired and worn. "Saphrine is disappointed in me, isn't she?" Hitomi said softly. "I tried, Onyx. I really did. The energy just ran out on me, that's all. I truly want to destroy Sailor Moon. I dont want Saphrine to think I'm ungrateful or unwilling to do this. I dont want her to think I'm a villain simply because I'm a senshi too!" she clasped Onyx's small hands in her own. "Please, please dont let her think I'm evil! Ill do anything to save this world!" Onyx uncomfortably smiled. If she knew the truth, that Sailor Moon is the one trying to save this earth from Saphrine, our plans could be ended. Or, rather, Saphrine's plans, anyway. She smiled and moved away to pick up her fallen books. "I'm sure Saphrine understands that. She just is hard to understand sometimes." Hitomi smiled too and bent over to pick up some of the books as well. "Onyx....its hard being smarter than everyone else your age, isn't it?" she said suddenly. Onyx froze, her two black ponytails bobbing at the sides of her head as she turned to look into Hitomi's face. "You know, Onyx, when I was growing up I was always the best artist in my school, " Hitomi said quietly. "I was well known for my art, and it was hard because I never knew if people wanted to be my friends or if they just wanted free drawings, or just wanted to say they knew me." she smiled at Onyx. "I know its hard, but I know you are a kind person. You'll find friends who do understand you and care about you, even if you don't think so now." She reached over and ruffled Onyx's hair playfully. Onyx blinked in disbelief and then smiled. Putting her books on a bookshelf, she realized she had forgotten one out in the main room. "I'll be right back," she told Hitomi. She ran out to the main room, where Saphrine lay sleeping on Pyrite's lap. "Onyx, sis, you know you never told me what you wanted when we, uh, rule the world or whatever Saphrine is gonna do." Pyrite moved his blonde hair out of his eyes and smiled down at his little sister. Onyx rolled her eyes back at Pyrite. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you know what's going on at all! Maybe when Saphrine rules the world we can get you a working brain." Sticking her tongue out at Pyrite, who simply laughed heartily, Onyx ran back into her room and placed the last book on the shelf. Turning around, she saw Hitomi had fallen asleep in her bed already. Climbing into her own bed on the other side of the room, Onyx pulled the covers to her eyes and closed her eyes. When we rule the world, I want a sister as nice and as pretty as Hitomi. That is my wish, thought Onyx as her dreams carried her away.