Sailor Moon: The Rise of B'aal
Chapter 19
When the smoke finally cleared away and the light from her power dimmed, Eternal Sailor Sirius glared at Legion, trying hard to keep her body from shaking with sheer strain of controlling all her emotions and power. Then an angry roar filled the air, and Legion landed heavily with his hoofed feet in front of Sirius. He raised his leg and kicked her hard in the stomach away from him, his eyes blazing angrily. "Stupid human wench! I spent hundreds of years training all those Nemesis demons and keeping them a secret! All those years...all that work, and you destroyed them in moments! You'll suffer for this!" As Sirius got up painfully, he shot forth a blast of black energy.
"I don't think so," Eternal Sirius panted as she raised her staff in front of her. The powers Legion threw forth merely absorbed into it. With a vengeful scream, Legion rushed forward, and the two were locked into a life or death fight for long minutes. With each punch Legion threw over and over again, Sirius quickly ducked, dodged, or blocked it with her staff. He kicked out, and Sirius flipped high over his head in a double twist, landing cat-like on her feet. She then twirled around and delivered a spinning kick to the side of his head, knocking him down heavily. Legion screamed and jumped up, filled with rage at being bested by a mere mortal, and rushed her again. Sirius waited until the last moment when he was just upon her, and jumping high, double flipped over his head, and when she landed expertly behind him, she twirled around, and raising her staff, brought it down and smashed it hard against his head, knocking him down again.
Blood running down the side of his head, Legion raised up on shaky knees, his eyes filled with scorn and hate. "You think you've won, don't you? But you will soon suffer just like all the others! It's time to meet the one who will bring your doom!" Legion reached behind his back and brought out a glowing Purity Soul crystal, the last his master would need to regain his former strength. With a malicious grin, he turned around to the large hole that was not too far away behind him...the hole that opened the rift between Earth and Hell, smoke still pouring out of it. He threw it as hard as he could towards it.
"NO!" Sirius remembered what Miriam had said before, about how the head priest was not among the men that attacked them. That could only mean that the soul Legion just threw had belonged to the man, being a devote religious leader with loyal followers. She started to run after it, but then stopped herself as she realized it was too late.
The silvery ball slipped into the smoky hole, and seconds later, the ground began to shake like it never did before. Eternal Sirius fell to the floor with a painful grunt, unable to keep her footing. Her concentration lost, Sirius's staff disappeared in a soft wisp of smoke and entered back into her body.
"Sailor Sirius!" a voice rang out over the rumble.
The dark-skinned senshi looked up to see Eternal Moon hurrying as fast as she could towards her, her fuku smeared with blood as the others.
"Sailor Moon! You're okay!" Sirius hugged Moon closely after blonde senshi dropped down next to her.
Moon hugged her back tightly, but then looked at her with sad eyes. "Yes, but... but Mamo-chan and the others...they..." Tears spilled down her cheeks, but Sirius reached over and gently wiped them away.
"I know...but we won't make their sacrifice go in vain. We have to stick together if we're going to do this, okay? Me and you." The rumbling continued, and the girls held onto each other for support.
Eternal Moon nodded her head sadly, and was about say something when the rumbling suddenly stopped.
For a moment, there was an eerie silence that filled the entire area in the still air...then a burst of fire erupted from the hole, followed by acrid smoke and debris. As the two looked on in horror, a flash of light floated out of the fire and landed a few feet away from Moon and Sirius. The light began to take on form, and when it dimmed, B'aal, the Prince of Darkness, stood before them, his hands at his sides clenching and unclenching with each deep breath he took.
At slightly over 7 feet tall, his skin was now darker than ever, nearly the color of slate, and along with his thick muscled body and the centurion armor he wore, the last Purity Soul had now given him his face. Cruelty, evilness, and hate twisted his face, which otherwise would been described as handsome with a high cheekbones and square jaw. Black hair cascaded down his back, and on top of his head was his ancient Roman soldier helmet. He turned to look at the two, and his eyes blazed a harsh red. He blinked, then threw back his head and laughed, filled with the strength of the last Purity Soul he had just ingested.
"It is done!" B'aal screamed out as he raised his arms over his head. "Earth is now ours for the taking, and a new age has dawned!"
"Not if we can help it!" Eternal Moon and Sirius said as they struggled to stand, giving the Demon Prince a defiant look.
B'aal's face twisted into an even more scornful look. "Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking," He raised his hand, and with a flick of a wrist, blew them both away with an invisible force from his hand.
Moon and Sirius screamed in pain when they were smashed into the ground, but they stubbornly struggled to get back up. "Sailor Moon, are you okay?" Sirius asked softly.
"Y...yeah...I think so," she breathed out heavily in pain. B'aal laughed again, and barely paid attention to Legion as the demon staggered up to him.
"Father! Now is our time to rise up and take back what is ours! With my powers restored, I release you! Come forth out of your imprisonment, and lead us all into victory!" A massive beam of energy flashed out of B'aal's hands and went straight into the gigantic hole. Another earthquake erupted right then, this one stronger than the last. The Earth itself seemed to split apart, making the hole bigger than ever as Satan's prison was blasted open below. Very soon after, a gigantic black paw covered with fire and looking like it belonged to a great beast rose out of the fiery hole, and slammed down on the ground as the earthquake began to subside. Then, another paw rose up, and as Sirius and Moon screamed, a beast like none had ever seen before rose up partially out of the hole. Giant, black horns surrounded its head, and razor-sharp teeth filled its mouth while it dripped with slime. It blinked its glowing, cat-like eyes, then threw its head back and roared loudly.
"OH NO! What do we do now? We'll never defeat that thing!" Sailor Moon yelled out. Pure evil and power like nothing they've felt before emanated from the beast, and Sailor Moon could feel her body shake with uncontrollable fear at the mere sight of it.
"The only thing we CAN do," Sirius said, turning to look sadly into Moon's eyes. "We have to use our crystals..."
Sailor Moon turned to look at Sirius, her eyes wide with fright. "That's insane! We don't know if it'll work!" Tears once again flowed down the blonde girl's cheeks as she thought of what might happen if they released the powers of their crystals. But she then thought of her friends; Rei, Minako, Makoto...all the girls and her love Mamoru, and understood why it was so important that they do it. If it would help prevent anymore loved ones from being lost, then that was the risk they would have to take, and Sailor Moon knew that from the bottom of her heart, as well as Sailor Sirius.
"Sailor Moon, are you with me? We can't let them win. Everyone's depending on us; our family, our friends, our home...Earth." Eternal Sirius placed her hand over her Star Stone and took a deep breath as a tear fell down her cheek.
For a moment Moon was silent, a thousand thoughts going through her head. Then she gave a small smile as she accepted her decision. "Yeah, you bet I am!" she said, taking Sirius's hand in her own. "You're my best friend Ti-chan, and we've been through so much together, both in the past and present. Whatever you do, I'm behind you." With a nod, Sailor Moon turned to look at the monster getting ready to get out of the hole and narrowed her eyes. "Let's do this!"
The girls reached forward and hugged each other hard, then stood besides one another, placing their hands over their respective brooches containing their crystals as they closed their eyes. A light surrounded them as they concentrated and their crystals emerged, feeling their power flow all through them. In a brilliant flash of light, their fukus disappeared and were replaced by their princess gowns, turning them into Princess Serenity Crestmoon and Princess Tonicia Knightstar. The two disappeared, and a second later both reappeared and stood before the snarling beast. Their eyes snapped open, and with strong, defiant eyes, they held their crystals out before them. Their respective symbols, the crescent moon for Serenity and the six-pointed white star for Tonicia, shined brightly on their foreheads.
"It's no use!" B'aal laughed out. You two don't have a chance in hell!" He narrowed his glowing red eyes at them. "Soon, all will suffer for our humiliation!"
But the Princesses didn't bother to listen to him or answer back. With a nod, they raised their crystals high and began to glow brightly in their respective colors, white for Serenity, violet for Tonicia. The large demon beast blinked his eyes scornfully at the sight of the two young women in front of him, and with a growl, opened his mouth wide to let loose an immense stream of unholy fire.
But right before it reached them, the crystals Serenity and Tonicia were holding glowed even brighter, and a burst of pure energy, fueled by the goodness and purity in their souls, erupted out towards the ancient monster's flames. The two beams from the crystals swayed together and converged into one energy, and slammed into the creature's fire. For long moments, the princesses from the time of the Silver Millennium struggled against the powers of Satan himself as sweat poured down their faces, continuing to pour all their hearts and souls into destroying this creature...or at least blast it back to where it came from. But the monster kept on spewing forth his might, not letting up for a moment.
Soon, Serenity and Felicity were driven to their knees, and doubt began to slowly creep in their hearts. No, I can't let it end like this! Serenity thought to herself. Her eyes opened slightly and saw Felicity was struggling too. The Moon Princess closed her eyes again and thought about the other Sailor Senshi and the many adventures they shared together. Endymion, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter...Mars! I can still feel you, my friends! the princess thought desperately. Please, come help us defeat this thing!
Princess Tonicia struggled for breath, the strain of the power almost too much for her. Somehow, she knew what Serenity was thinking, and images of the senshi of the Outer Planets flashed through her mind. Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Pluto! Starlights! Please, lend us your powers! We can't do this without you! Please give us the strength to carry on and fight this evil! You're all with me, I know it!
Suddenly, the transparent, past forms of Tuxedo Kamen and the senshi of the Inner and Outer Planets from the Silver Millennium began to appear around the two. The Starlight's souls, wearing princely armor similar to Endymion's to signify their decision to stay male, stood around Tonicia and Serenity in a protective inner circle along with the regal and handsome soul of Prince Endymion. The senshi of the Solar System each now wore an elegant, flowing white princess dress that accented the curves on their bodies, and on their foreheads glowed the symbols of the planets they originated from.
One by one, their eyes snapped open and they raised their heads, glaring at the beast as he still spat fire. The symbols of their respective planets gave off a beautiful flash of light as they powered up. Princess Mercury was the first to step up as they each called for their powers from the castles of the planets they once ruled from...and will rule again one day;
"My planet, Mercury, Mariner Castle!"
"My planet, Mars, Phobos Deimos Castle!"
"My planet, Jupiter, Io Castle!"
"My planet, Venus, Magellan Castle!"
"My planet, Uranus, Miranda Castle!"
"My planet, Neptune, Triton Castle!"
"My planet, Pluto, Charon Castle!"
"My planet, Saturn, Titan Castle!"
"My planet, Earth, Golden Castle!"
"From our planet, Kinmouku, First Imperial Castle!"
Then together, feeling the strength of the others, Princesses Serenity and Tonicia shouted out, "Evil presence, be gone from our world, we banish you!" The crystals glowed even brighter, and bright, dazzling lights erupted from all of the transparent souls of the Silver Millennium's princesses and prince, as well as the Starlights. With their arms outstretched, they all directed their powers straight into the crystals the Sirius and Moon princesses were holding, increasing the powers of the crystals a thousand fold. It erupted into a nearly blinding light and slammed heavily into the beast that was once called Lucifer for what seemed like an eternity. Tonicia and Serenity nearly buckled under the amount of energy they were using, but still focused it relentlessly. No sooner did that happen, than a new source of pure energy shot down from the black sky and into the crystals, as if from Heaven itself. It was silvery white with golden sprinkles, and unknown to the others, the forms of angels glided down and merged with the powers.
Right then, the power from the crystals grew even more, and in a deafening boom, the beam overwhelmed the monster, engulfing him entirely in a golden wall of power. The ancient beast began screaming in unbearable pain, falling back into the pit from whence he came from as he was then surrounded in flames.
The power surrounding the beast grew larger to also engulf B'aal and Legion, and both never had a chance to even scream before they exploded in a bright light, followed by a boom. For long moments after the demons fell back into the pit, there were sounds of loud explosions and screams from the other demons below. Fire erupted and smoke nearly colored the sky blacker than it already was.
Then, the noise died down and a seal began to cover the hole. All the cracks that were around it began to close in and disappear all together. Sand once more raced across where the hole had closed up, and shrubbery began to magically grow there. Soon, the area was completed restored, with no evidence of any hole ever being there. Moments later, the translucent forms of the former Sol prince, princesses and Starlights began to dissipate and move towards their respective physical forms. The forms turned into a smoky wisp, then merged back into their bodies. All the injuries they had sustained in their fight against the Nemesis demons were instantly healed by their strengthened spirits.
Princess Serenity and Princess Tonicia dropped heavily to their knees when the glowing around them subsided, sweat pouring down the faces and panting. In a flash, the princess gowns and their symbols on their foreheads vanished, and in its place was their Eternal fukus. The crystals floated from of their hands and slowly moved towards their chests to reabsorb into their brooch on their bows.
Sirius looked to her right to Moon a moment later, and with a joyous sob, jumped up and rushed over to help her stand. "Sailor Moon! We did it! WE DID IT!" Fresh tears fell down the dark-skinned girl's cheeks, and she threw her arms about the neck of Moon, her body shaking with joy.
Sailor Moon smiled and returned the hug with as much passion as Sirius, feeling truly relieved that they had gone through this and lived. "Yes, we did it! We made it! We all..." Suddenly, the blonde girl stopped, and leaning away from Sirius, looked to the other senshi still lying on the ground with saddened eyes. "Oh no, please God, please..."
Sirius and Moon rushed over the others, each going over to their respective loves. "Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan, can you hear me? Please wake up!" Eternal Moon gently shook the young man's body, praying deep in her heart that he was now alright. A second later, his eyes flutter opened, and with a painful moan he looked up into Moon's eyes.
"U...Usako?" he whispered out, his voice gravelly.
Sailor Moon gave a loud cry of joy and threw her arms around him. "MAMO-CHAN! You're okay! Oh thank God! I don't know what I would have done without you!" She leaned her head on the young man's broad chest and cried softly in happiness as he gently leaned up and stroked her blonde hair.
"Yaten?" Sirius called out softly as she took his face gently in her hands. He was still for what seemed like eternity...until he too slowly opened his eyes and moaned, drawing a long breath. The other Starlights began to open their eyes too.
"Oh thank HEAVENS!" Sirius cried out in joy. Quickly, she helped them cut away the rope they were tied in, then with tears in her eyes, she helped Star Healer to stand. Unable to help herself, the shorter senshi rushed into Healer's arms, the tears streaming down her face. "If I had lost you, life would have no meaning!" Sirius said through sobs as Healer gently hugged her back.
"You know I'd never leave you if I could help it, love," Healer replied, smiling despite his pain. He then looked down at her in her eyes. "But...even when everything turned dark, I could still feel your love, your powers. You used the crystals, didn't you?" He looked at her worriedly. "You could have been killed. What made you do it?"
"Because I knew I had to do something to save everyone...to save the Earth." She took Healer's hands in her own and smiled shyly. "And because I love you...silly!" She stood on tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips.
"Great, we have to wake up now to see them smooching?" Starfighter said sarcastically, jerking his thumb towards the couple in front of him, then to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen as they also gently kissed.
Star Maker rolled his eyes and punched him playfully on the arm, and was about to make a remark when more sounds of moaning came from the rest of the senshi, as they too slowly began to stir and get up.
"Minna-san! Guys!" Moon and Sirius cried out together. They both rushed over to the team and helped them to stand.
"Whoa, what happened?" said Venus, putting a hand to the side of her head as she shook it.
"Yeah, the last thing I remember, those demons...they were so fierce, and they...they..." Uranus looked around with widened eyes, remembering everything, and when she saw Neptune and Saturn just starting to get up besides her, she gave a sigh of relief and helped Neptune to her feet, then Saturn.
"Sailor Moon, Sailor Sirius," Pluto's voice sounded very serious when she walked up to the two girls. Moon and Sirius looked at each other at the expression on Pluto's face, gulped, and turned back to her.
"The both of you know how dangerous it is for you to just release the powers of the Ginzuishou and Emerald Star Stone like that. There could have been very serious repercussions!"
Sirius lowered her head, understanding what the Time Senshi was trying to say. "Yes, we know Pluto, but it was the only thing we could think of..."
"But..." Pluto interrupted, her eyes softening as she looked at them. "...you did a splendid job, and I see now that you have matured enough to handle the crystals. I'm very proud of you." She smiled softly, and when she nodded her head, Sirius and Moon gave a squeal of delight and rushed forward to give her a big hug.
"But wait...what about the demons?" Sirius asked as she leaned away. "What about B'aal and his father and all that?"
"No need to worry about them," said a strange, new voice. Everyone gasped in surprise and turned to look behind them. Walking up behind them was a very ordinary looking man, with dark blonde hair that reached slightly past his shoulders, and dark blue eyes speckled with gold. He had a rich tan color, and was medium build with average height. He held a walking stick in his right hand, and with a limp, he walked up to them from the shadows, his eyes shining and a small smile on his lips. He wore a simple pair of jeans and a white t-shirt.
"Where did you come from?" Sailor Jupiter blurted out, blinking her eyes in surprise.
The man smiled, and looking at Pluto, nodded his head. Pluto's eyes lit up with recognition and she nodded back, as though already knowing this strange yet ordinary man.
"B'aal and his father were not completely destroyed, but they will not bother humanity again for a very long time. They are back where they belong. Beings like them...they can never be completely destroyed. They can only be sealed, locked away with their powers diminished. They cannot be truly destroyed because they are needed to keep a balance...a balance between Good and Evil.. It is a balance that lives in the human heart and every living thing. Now, that balance is restored." He looked around at the forms of the still unconscious Arab men.
"How...how did you know that?" Sirius asked, looking at him curiously. But the strange man only smiled his mysterious smile.
"I only know that you have done a great service to humanity today. It will not be forgotten. Everyone is grateful to you." With that, the older looking man turned around to walk away, but after a few steps, Uranus called out, "Wait! Who are you?"
Just about to reach a tall bushel, the man turned around and smiled mysteriously again. "Just an old, concerned friend." he replied softly.
"An old friend?" Sirius cocked her head to the side, looking deeply into the man's eyes. What she saw then nearly made her buckle at the knees; pure goodness emanated from those eyes, and a gentleness she had never known existed. In his eyes, she saw and felt all that was good, almost felt the answers to the mysteries of the universe, and she gasped aloud as the other senshi looked at each other in confusion. "Oh...my God," she whispered out.
The man smiled in amusement, but at that moment, the sounds of painful moaning rose out of the men that were once possessed, and Sirius turned her head for a moment to look at them. The other senshi rushed over to help them, and when Sirius turned back to get a last look at the man, he was gone, vanished into thin air.
"Hey!" Sirius called out. She was about to run off after the old man, but she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Star Healer smiling gently down at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his green eyes soft and concerned.
"I think...I mean, I think I saw...I...I think it was.." Sirius turned to look at where the man disappeared, then shook her head after a moment and sighed. "Forget it, it's nothing. Just call me silly..."
Star Healer smiled, and cupping her chin in his hand, gave her a quick soft kiss on the lips. "Well, come on then, "silly". The men are alright, and Pluto is about to transport us back." He looked up to see the sun just beginning to rise.
"Sailor Sirius!" A figure was running towards them from a short distance away. Shielding her eyes, Sirius smiled to see that it was Miriam.
"Miriam!" Sirius ran to meet her halfway, and the two hugged each other closely. "Oh Miriam, I almost forgot about you! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" she said, feeling her eyes fill with tears again at seeing the young girl safe.
"It's okay, I'm fine!" the girl smiled back. "I had faith in you, I knew you would win the fight. I saw everything. Allah has shined his grace on you this day."
"Thank you, I knew I couldn't let everyone down, especially you!" Sirius looked into the girl's eyes sadly. "But it's time for us to go now. Thank you Miriam...for everything. We couldn't have made it here without you."
"Of course, anything to help!" Miriam took the shorter dark-skinned girl's hand in her own. "I'll miss you Sailor Sirius, and I won't forget you. I hope to see you again.....one day."
"Yes, someday." Sirius hugged her again, "Are you going to be alright now, getting back to your camp?"
"Yes, the men will take me back. You have a safe journey, and may Allah be with you always!" Miriam wiped away a tear that ran down her cheek and smiled encouragingly.
"Sirius, we have to go now," Pluto called out, looking anxiously at the two.
The Star Senshi nodded at her, then turned back to look at Miriam. "You too Miriam. Good bye, and thanks a millions times over for everything!"
After a last hug, Sirius rushed off to where the others were gathered for the Sailor Teleport, unmindful of the stares that the men...with no memory of ever being possessed, were giving them. Taking Star Healer's hand in her own, Sirius closed her eyes with the other Sailor Senshi and concentrated hard on her home. Their bodies began to glow in their respective colors a second later, and with a bright flash, they all shouted out "SAILOR, TELEPORT!" In an instant, they vanished, and in their place, a beautiful sunrise, indicating a new day with a new hope, rose over the many hills of the ancient world, as if bathing the Earth with the promise of a great future. Once more, birds flew in the sky and desert animals scurried about, as if they knew deep in their hearts, the Earth was safe for now.
As Miriam looked sadly to the spot the senshi disappeared from, one of the men stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl looked up into the man's caring eyes, and with a smile and a nod, they both turned way and headed back to the camp, slight tears filling their eyes and feeling more hope than they've had in a very long time. Allah had blessed them now, and with new faith, they will reach their new home very soon, thanks to the courage and strength of the world famous Sailor Senshi.
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To Be Continued...
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