Sailor Moon: Hidden Memories

Chapter 14

For what seemed like forever, Sailor Sirius lay on her stomach on the cold metal floor, unmoving and barely breathing. Then, her eyelids slowly fluttered opened and she took a long, deep breath of the cold, stale air, which was only slightly warmer than the outside air. She slowly raised her upper body on her hands and looked around. Pain like no other racked through her body, and as she reached up to touch the side of her head, she felt a slippery, sticky liquid, and knew it was her own blood. By Allah, we must have fallen a long way! Sirius thought to herself. She looked around some more, feeling lucky at least nothing was broken. She could barely make out anything as the whole area was surrounded in darkness. The little light source that was available was much too dim to discern anything. What she was able to see, however, was that she as in a large room, with the ceiling very high and the walls made of solid dark ice. There were no windows or any kind of opening for a chance of escape. A little ahead of her was a slightly raised floor with one step going up, and at the top of it was a single seat....a throne actually as Sirius squinted her eyes to try and see, and it was all black and dusty, even in the darkened light.

With a painful groan, Sirius stood on her weak and shaken legs, looking all around her in the darkened light. Never before had she been in such a dismal and depressing place. It was devoid of any sound, any bright light, and the aura was filled with such evil, such...loneliness, that Sirius could only shiver from it along with the cold. Then her eyes widened and her heart beat loudly in her chest as she suddenly remembered what happened up on the surface. The fight with those ice creatures! That hole that swallowed them up!

"P..Polaris! Where are you?" she whispered, not wanting to risk anyone else hearing her.

There was a small moan, barely audible, made on her left side not too far away. With a gasp, Sirius quickly rushed over to a figure lying on the floor. It wasn't until she was nearly upon it that she saw it was indeed Super Sailor Polaris, her eyes just beginning to open. On the side of her head was a large nasty looking bump, and she moaned in pain as she reached up and touched it gingerly. "Sailor Polaris! Are you alright? Can you get up?" Sirius tried to help her cousin to her feet, but the taller girl was still groggy from the pain of the fall and she leaned heavily on Sirius as she tried to stand. It was a moment before Polaris opened her eyes fully and looked around. She finally looked down at her shorter cousin.

"Sailor Sirius! What...what happened?" she gasped out, her eyes filled with confusion. "Where the heck are we? The last thing I remember..."

"SHH! We have to be careful," Sirius pressed her finger against Polaris's lips to quiet her. "I don't know where we are, but we better keep a low profile. Someone could be watching or listening for us!"

The taller Star Senshi sighed tiredly, then nodded in agreement. She was right. Whoever, or whatever, brought them here, they would surely be looking to see if they were awake yet. Unconsciously, Polaris shivered with the cold and the feeling of this place as Sirius did. Like her cousin, Polaris was empathic, but not as strong as Sirius was. Even though it wasn't as strong, the North Star Senshi could still feel all the emotions and torment that went on in this area. This place contained so much evil! It was as though it was choking her insides and she wanted nothing more than to get out as soon as she could. She turned to look at Sirius and knew the girl was thinking the same thing when she looked into her eyes. Sirius reached out and held Polaris's trembling hand in her own. "I know..." she whispered, also wanting nothing more than to get out.

"We have to get out of here, now!" said Polaris. She reached into her subspace pocket and took out the mini-computer. After several seconds of typing, the numbers and figures that showed up on the screen was not very helpful as they flashed across the screen.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, not liking the look of despair on Polaris's face. She moved closer and looked into the computer screen too, then back at Polaris.

"I'm...I'm not sure," Polaris ran a hand through her hair, fully confused. "It's like...this place is here, then not here, then here again. Or rather, it's here, AND not here! It's so confusing!" She growled in frustration and slammed the lid shut on the mini-computer.

"Are you saying there's no way out?" Sirius looked up fearfully at her cousin, slight tears already brimming in her eyes. This is what she had feared the most, never seeing her family or friends again and never leaving this place alive. Why oh why hadn't Marco and Dief come with them? They would have already found a way out of this mess! Sirius already felt a lump of sadness growing in her throat.

Polaris smiled slightly and laid a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. "Sirius, don't worry, I'll get us out of here, I promise," She winked and playfully punched Sirius on her shoulder. "Besides, I still have to beat you in playing Mortal Combat, that video game you like so much!"

Just as Sirius was about to laugh in response, the lights suddenly blared on, and the girls yelled in pain as the intensity of it blared into their eyes. When it dimmed down slightly, Valera's form materialized before them, her red eyes as cold as ever, her smile full of evil and malice. "I'm afraid that will not be possible..." She smirked even more and narrowed her eyes at them scornfully..."little girls!" The green haired woman laughed loudly, already feeling confident she would defeat them once and for all.

"YOU!" screamed out Polaris. She stepped forward and pointed a finger at her. "Tell me where Tevra is! I'm getting tired of your games! Return him now, or suffer the judgment of the stars!" Beside her, Sailor Sirius stood in a fighting stance, ready to fight despite her pain filled body.

Valera's eyes narrowed in barely contained anger. "Game? You stupid little wench! This isn't some silly game! When I'm done with you, you'll regret the day your mothers spewed you forth in this world from her stinking loins!" Her smile was as arrogant as ever.

"Don't you DARE say anything about my mother!" With tears spilling down her dark face, Polaris gave a rageful scream and rushed forward, intending to pummel the evil woman to death. But as Sirius looked on in shock, Valera simply smiled and disappeared from site, causing the taller Star Senshi to skid and trip in surprise when she reached the spot the woman was just a second ago.

With a throaty chuckle, Valera appeared once again in a shimmer of air a few feet from Polaris, her red eyes filled with glee. She watched as Polaris lay on the floor sobbing for a few moments, until Sirius rushed over and helped her up.

"I thought that would get you all riled up!" the woman smiled. "Good, I like that! Maybe now you can finally be a worthy opponent." She paused for a moment. "Oh, and by the way, if you're thinking that your brave and valiant Tevra would come rushing in to save you at the last moment...think again," With cruel twist of her lips, Valera flicked her wrist, and right behind her in a bright flash appeared the prone and unconscious figure of Tevra, still seated in the large metallic seat and strapped in, though the mind erasing device was removed. His bare chest barely moved and he was so pale. The woman moved to the side for a moment to allow them a view of the still man.

"TEVRA!" screamed both girls.

They were about to rush forward when the tall woman raised her hand and stepped in front of Tevra. "You stop right there or you'll watch him die an excruciating death!" Her eyes glowed even brighter as she growled deep in her throat. She then reached behind her and brought out a small ball-like device. Polaris and Sirius gasped as they were reminded of the small metal balls Pitkin had used when they fought King Meerages, but this one was different. It was slightly bigger, and on the top was a hole, big enough to put something in, or let something out.

"Do you girls have any idea how useful fear can be?" Valera's eyes glowed with madness as she smiled. "With this, I've seen the galaxy's greatest warriors curl up and cry like children when they had to face with what they feared the most. Because of this little thing, I've watched how mothers scream in horror at the sight of their babies and end up killing them in cold blood. I've seen planets and nations crumble by the things they have seen because of their fears, and it's all because of this little device, thought to be lost thousands of years ago. Who would have thought that all this time, that old, delusional Beryl had it and used it along with her magic to destroy that disgusting Moon Kingdom," She turned to look at the girls as she finished admiring it. "And now, I think I'll use it on you first, before unleashing it on this stinking planet!" With a high-pitched cackle, she pressed a series of buttons on the ball, and threw it at them.

It landed with a clank on the metal ground and lay silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, it began to spin around and around, and through the hole a white misty cloud began to emerge from it. As it rose higher and higher, it began to float towards the icy walls and envelope it. When the cloud touched it, the ice seemed to melt and slide off the walls, and in liquid form, began traveling down to the ball and go inside of it through the hole. The misty cloud also traveled back to float above the ball, then began to get more solid when the liquid ice shot out of the ball and into it. It slowly took the form of a gigantic ice spider. When it was all done, the cloud mixed with the ice turned into a 9 feet tall spider, and its crystallized, icy mouth snapped open and shut as it roared loudly. Its razor sharp arms and legs banged against the floor with loud thumps, nearly shaking the former throne room to its core.

With a small scream, Polaris stepped back, fresh tears springing from her eyes. The very thing she feared the most had come to destroy her! Fear like nothing flashed through her heart and soul as her body shook.

But Sailor Sirius realized the image for what it was...a hologram. At least she hoped it was. "NO! Sailor Polaris, it's only an image, like she said! It's not real! You have to fight it!" Sirius grabbed her cousin's shoulders and began to shake her. "Come on, you have to fight it!"

"HAHA! Not real? That's what you think little girl!" Valera laughed out loud. "I've made a some modifications to it. Did I forget to mention that? It can break down and reconstruct any material it touches down to its molecular core, turning it into whatever it wants. In this case, the material available being ice! That thing is VERY real now!" She laughed in delight again as the giant ice spider advanced towards Polaris and Sirius.

In one quick movement, the monster grabbed Polaris in its right icy claw as she screamed in terror. Sirius rushed forward and was about to use her powers, but the spider shot out a blast of ice and hit her full force. She flew back and smashed hard against the ice walls. Immediately, Sailor Sirius's body was partially covered in ice and stuck against wall. After that, the spider monster continued to squeeze its prey in its claw very hard. Polaris screamed in pain from the depths of her soul.

I have to do something! Anna will die! Sirius thought desperately. Suddenly, she saw the still form of Tevre out of the corner of her eye behind the madwoman. That's it! She had to get Tevre up, she just had too! "Tevra!" the Star Senshi screamed out over the monster's roars. "Tevra, if you can hear me, you have to get up! If you don't, Sailor Polaris...Lady Anja will die! You have to remember, Tevra! She was Lady Anja Poelaryes in the Silver Millennium, and you were Tevra Illumate, and you loved her!"

"He can't hear you fool, so stop wasting your breath!" sneered Valera, but Sirius just ignored her.

"Tevra, come on, you HAVE to get up and help her!" Tears spilled heavily down Sirius's dark face, "You can't just let her die like this! I know she's still important to you. I know you still care! Tevra, you've got to get up now, PLEASE! GET UP!! Tevra!! TEVVVVVVRAAAAA!" But the man remained still, oblivious to all. Giving one last sob, Sirius dropped her head to her chest in defeat and cried silently to herself.

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Unknown to everyone else, that one final scream and plea from Sailor Sirius reverberated throughout the whole area, and it did get through by some miracle to the still form of the man, echoing throughout the silence of his mind. That...that name. Is...is that me? Is that my name? Anja...I remember a sweet girl named Anja... An image of a smiling dark-skinned girl with brown hair came into his mind then, and he slowly began to remember his lost and forgotten life... and his long time love the beautiful Lady Anja. Although younger than him, she had captured his heart more quickly than any other woman his age during the Silver Millennium. His heart began to fill with love, love for the girl that always made him smile through good and bad times so long ago. The more he thought about her, the more his determination to break from the cold and dark silence became. Anja...he had to find his Anja! With no one noticing, the man's eyes slowly opened, and he began to strain against the tight bonds holding him to the chair...

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"Fool! I told you he wouldn't hear you!" hissed out Valera. Her red eyes continued to glow madly. "Now you can watch your friend die by what she fears the most, and you will be next!" The evil woman threw back her head and laughed loudly, then signaled the monster to finish off the girl in its claws. The monster roared once again and raised Polaris to its mouth. She gave a final weak scream before nearly going unconscious. Super Sailor Sirius could only turn her head away in defeat.

Suddenly from behind Valera, a heavy blast of black energy shot forth and hit the gigantic ice monster right in its middle. With a painful ear-splitting roar, the monster dropped Polaris from its claws, sending her falling heavily to the ground. The ice binding Sirius to the wall crumbled and fell, and she rushed over to Polaris to help her stand.

"What the...?" Valera quickly turned around in surprise, and found Tevra standing there, breathing very hard and his eyes narrowed at her. The woman's eyes flew wide open in shock and found she could not even speak from from the surprise and rage of seeing him up.

"How dare you," the man breathed out quietly, stepping closer to her as she backed away. "How dare you use and manipulate me into doing such horrible things. You took my memories away from me, everything that I held dear to my heart. You made me forget my feelings and my love for the Lady Anja, and you nearly made me kill her. Not only her, but you wanted me to kill the one she cares for too....Sailor Sirius. I won't let you get away with that. I will destroy you first!"

He turned to Polaris as she was just getting up painfully. "Sailor Polaris, listen to me, no matter how she may have modified the device, it will still only work if you feed it your fears! Be strong, fight against it!" Tevra shouted.

Polaris nodded, a small smile on her lips, then closed her eyes in concentration, trying with all her might to overcome her fears of spiders. As the monster got back up and advance towards her again, its strength suddenly began to leave it, feeling no more fear from its prey. It wobbled and growled with confusion.

"And now to you!" said Tevra, looking back at the now trembling Valera. "I know what your greatest fear is! It's to know that somehow, someway, King Meerages never loved you!"

The woman's eyes widened even more, "WHAT! How did you...nobody was supposed to know!" she stammered. A few feet away, the monster began to gather strength as it felt a new source of fear.

"You feel that if you did everything he told you, everything he wanted, he would leave his obsession over the Princess Tonicia and come to you. Well, he didn't, and now he never will! He never loved you Valera, and now you must face that!"

"NOOO!" the woman screamed, her eyes wide with fear and insanity. "He did love me I tell you! He did! HE DID!"

The monster's face began to change then, and with a bright flash, it turned into a warped and deformed image of the dead King Meerages. With a deafening roar, the gigantic humanoid form rushed forward and grabbed the woman in its arms as she screamed.

"NOOOO! You're supposed to get them! Kill them, not meee!" No, this was wrong, all wrong! It wasn't true Meerages didn't love her! She had to get out somehow, and show them! But as the monster continued to squeeze her, Valera knew there was no way she was getting out of this. It was at that moment, the woman felt a tiny spark of an emotion she never thought she would feel...regret for the evils she had done. But it was quickly replaced with fear as she knew it was too late to do anything about it. The monster raised her against its mouth and opened wide.

"Sailor Polaris, Sailor Sirius, do it now! We have to destroy it before it goes into the outside world!" Tevra shouted.

Polaris turned to her cousin, "Come on, let's do this!" She raised both hands into the air, "POLARIS MAGNETA...FREEZE!"

Sirius threw her left hand into the air, "SIRIUS INFRARED LASER...DISINTEGRATE!"

Together, the girls glowed in their respective colors as they shot forth their powers and struck the monster and Valera with full force. Tevra took a deep breath and shot forth his black energy powers along with them, adding to their strength. It seemed like they struggled for long moments,and were losing, until Sailor Polaris felt a presence come beside her. A presence full of love and innocence.

Alexi! she thought happily, Yes, please lend me your powers, your strength, and help me defeat this evil!

I will, sister, the sweet, young voice replied back. Take what powers I have, and destroy this evil! I love you so much!

Instantly, a figure appeared next to the North Star Senshi and began to solidify as she turned towards the tall girl. It formed into the image of a small girl, who looked similar to Polaris but had much younger features, looking to be about 12 years old. Her eyes were a crystal clear sapphire. Her hair was to her shoulders and was just as brown as Polaris's. The symbol of Polaris shined brightly on the girl's dark forehead. She wore a silvery flowing dress and her arms were outstretched towards Polaris, as though giving her every last bit of her strength. Power flowed out from the child and shot into the body of Polaris. The little girl smiled gently when she felt the senshi's love for her.

It was then that Polaris suddenly felt her powers double, and she poured out them out with more determination. Suddenly, the Polaris Sapphire Star stone and the Sirius Emerald Star stone appeared in a flash before Sailor Sirius and Polaris's chests, glowing brightly with pure energy and light, and adding to the powers of the girls. Within a second, there was a huge explosion from the spider monster that filled the whole area with intense light and fire, and it engulfed everything in it with a loud bang.

All around, the former throne of the evil Queen Beryl began to shake and rumble, falling to ruin. Pieces of the icy ceiling fell and crumbled when it smashed onto the hard flooring and pillars fell down in rumbles. When it finally ended and dimmed, silence once more entered the darkened room. Cracks appeared in the walls then ran up to the ceiling and down the floors, creating large gaps and holes. In a matter of moments, the room where the Dark Kingdom Generals formerly gathered and plotted the demise of the Sailor Senshi collapsed and was destroyed forever, and with one final explosion, a huge cloud of smoke burst through the ceiling and dissipated in the cold North Pole air, as though signifying that finally, the Dark Kingdom of long ago was defeated. Then, all was silent.

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To Be Continued.

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