CHAPTER TWO

NEGAVERSE RETURNS

“I don’t understand,” Luna was saying. “Why attack Jenny?”

Raye shrugged. “It does seem strange that they would want her to become a Sailor Scout.”

“Don’t they think five is enough to deal with?” Lita added with a smile.

The Scouts and their two feline advisors were seated around the table in Raye’s room at the Cherry Hill Temple, discussing the events of the past few days. Amy, Raye, and Mina sat at the table, while Serena and Jenny sat on Raye’s bed. Lita stood and leaned against the wall. Suddenly, a burst of hysterical laughter came from the bed and the other scouts turned to stare at their friends.

“Will you guys pay attention?” Raye fumed. “This is serious.”

Serena kept laughing and turned the magazine around to show her friends.

“This is terrific!” she laughed. “You have to read it.”

Jenny, on the other hand, sobered up immediately.

“Sorry,” she muttered, lowering her eyes.

Raye exchanged a four way look with the other scouts.

“Lighten up, Raye,” Serena muttered, putting the magazine down.

“So, what do we know?” Mina asked, interrupting Raye's angry reply.

“They've tracked her down twice,” Lita said.

“The monsters were looking for her specifically,” Amy agreed. “The library monster even said ‘You must be the one’.”

“The one what?” Raye wondered. “That’s what we have to figure out.”

Jenny often sat out of these discussions, listening but never speaking unless asked. Luna saw this as a sign of Jenny's old self coming out. Back on the Moon, Serena’s lady-in-waiting barely ever spoke.

“What do you think Jenny?” Serena asked, turning to her newest friend.

“I . . I'll get back to you,” Jenny said hesitantly.

With that, she stood and quickly left the room.

*****

“So, what do you guys think of her?” Serena asked.

The scouts watched out the window as Jenny stood on the hill outside Raye’s room, her face lifted up towards the Sun and her eyes closed in concentration.

“I like her. She gives me company when we study because we're in almost all the same classes,” Amy said.

“She's fun to go shopping with,” Lita added.

“And great to watch movies with,” Mina said with a smile.

“She's a hard worker and very determined. She'd do anything just to make someone else happy. I like her a lot,” Raye said softly.

“There's something about her that I don't quite like. I'm not sure what it is, but it's been bothering me,” Luna said.

“It's because she's so quiet. You need to get used to it, after living with Serena,” Artemis answered.

“What did you say?” Serena said angrily, looking down at the cat.

“Ah . . . nothing,” Artemis replied sheepishly from behind Mina.

*****

Jenny stood alone on the hill outside the Temple. “Mighty Star, why have you summoned me?” she whispered.

Jenny concentrated on the sun once more. Visions swam before her eyes. She saw a silhouette of a person, wrapped in darkness. Jenny was fearful of the shadow and felt it advancing towards her. She knew she should run, but for some reason she didn’t. The shadow beckoned to her invitingly, and she wanted nothing more than to be with it. She heard her friends’ voices in the back of her mind, crying out, and she knew at once the shadow was responsible. Jenny didn't even notice when her new friends came out to see if she was all right.

*****

“Jenny?” Amy asked, taking a step towards her.

Raye put her hand on Amy's shoulder.

“Don't bother her. She's trying to get an image from the Sun, like when I get images from the Great Fire. I imagine the Sun is a lot more powerful,” Raye said.

Suddenly, Jenny's head came up and she had a surprised and worried expression on her face. It melted away as she bowed to the Sun and turned to her friends.

“Where you worried about me?” she asked in a confused voice.

They all nodded.

“Why did you leave?” Mina asked gently.

Jenny shook her head and tried to force a smile. “It's hard to explain. Ever since I was a small girl, I would often have these strange urges to stare at the Sun. When I did, I would get these weird glimpses into my future.”

“Is that what just happened?” Luna said.

Again, Jenny nodded, all traces of her weak smile fading. She looked like she was about to cry.

“Did it have to do with the Sailor Scouts?” Amy said.

“Yes,” Jenny whispered.

“So, spill it already! What did you see?” Serena said happily and loudly.

Jenny looked at Serena with a strange expression on her face.

“I'm sorry, I have to go now,” she said running towards the steps.

“Wait!” Raye cried, grabbing her arm as she ran past.

Jenny stopped and tried to jerk her arm free.

“Please,” she said with tears streaming down her cheeks, “just let me go. I can't be a scout any more and I can't be your friend.”

Raye let go and Jenny ran off crying. The scouts watched her go with shocked expressions.

“Was it something I said?” Serena asked.

*****

Jenny ran through the street. She kept her head lowered to conceal the tears that were streaking down her cheeks. The vision the Sun had shown her replayed in her mind and she knew that if she remained a Sailor Scout, her friends would suffer horribly.

Jenny rounded a corner and walked into someone. She raised her head in surprise. The man was much taller than her with pale white skin and jet black hair. His piercing blue eyes seemed to look directly into Jenny's soul.

“I’m sorry,” Jenny said, moving to pass the man. He caught hold of her arm and held her in place.

“Now, now,” he said, his voice deep and cold. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Jenny looked up again and found she couldn’t see her reflection in the man’s eyes. She tried to jerk her arm free, but the man would not release her.

“You’re hurting me!” Jenny cried. “Let me go, or – “

“Or you’ll what?” the man said with a cruel smile.

Jenny took a deep breath and let out a loud scream. The man smiled at her and began to laugh.

“No one can hear you, Sunchild,” he said. “Now, to find out if you really are all that my Master wishes.”

He grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look into his eyes. Jenny tried to look away, but found herself drawn into his gaze. They remained motionless for several minutes before the stranger threw her away roughly.

“It was nice making your acquaintance, Sunchild,” he said. “I will give my Master your regards and perhaps the next time we meet, it will be on a battle field.”

Jenny could only stare weakly as the stranger took a step away from her and held a hand over his head. In it was a dark ball of black energy.

“Nega-Away!” he said and the ball consumed him. In seconds, they were gone.

Jenny raised her arm weakly as if to protest his disappearance, and lost consciousness.

*****

“I hope she isn’t mad at me,” Serena said for the hundredth time.

Amy and Lita exchanged worried looks. They were seated outside for lunch like usual, but Serena had hardly touched her meal. Normally, she would have eaten all her food and most of Lita’s by now.

“She’s probably forgotten about it already,” Lita said reassuringly.

“Then why isn’t she eating lunch with us?” Serena asked.

“Hi, guys,” a voice said from behind them.

Serena leapt to her feet and embraced Jenny in a giant hug. Jenny seemed surprised, and gently pried her friend away before sitting down.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” Serena asked.

Jenny blinked. “Why? What did you do?”

“Yesterday, remember?”

Jenny shook her head. “I – I don’t really remember anything that happened yesterday…”

“What do you remember?” Amy asked, her voice full of concern.

“We were at the temple,” Jenny started, “then . . . that’s it.”

“You got a reading from the Sun,” Serena said, “and I said something to make you leave in a hurry.”

Jenny shook her head slowly. “The Sun? Wait, I remember a man and he kept calling me Sunchild and said something about meeting on a battle field. I think he did something to me.”

“Another Negaverse general?” Lita wondered, keeping her voice low.

Amy shrugged. “Unless Jenny remembers, I don’t think we’ll ever know.”

“Until we come to that battle field he was talking about,” Serena added.

The thought sobered the four girls up and they spend the rest of their lunch hour in silence.

*****

Jenny wasn’t at school the next day, or at the meeting that night. The scouts waited for almost an entire hour before starting, in the hopes that Jenny would show up late with a lame excuse. Even Serena began pacing in anticipation, but the sixth scout didn’t return.

“Jenny's mother hasn't seen her at all today either,” Amy told her friends as she hung up the phone.

“Raye, why don't you check the Great Fire?” Luna suggested. “Jenny may need our help.”

Raye nodded and led the way into the temple. They all sat behind Raye as she tried to get a reading. They waited for a long time before Raye lifted her head and spoke.

“She must have left Tokyo because the Fire can't find her,” she reported somewhat sadly. “But the Fire did tell me of a strange energy increase at train station.”

“It may be a Negaverse monster,” Lita exclaimed. “Let’s go!”

*****

At the train station, a spider-like monster drained the energy of the waiting passengers. It had a human face and arms, with a large arachnid abdomen and eight long, thin legs. It crouched over a fainted woman, drawing energy from her.

“Hold it right there!” a voice from the shadows called out.

The monster raised its head, a look of irritation on its face.

“I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the Moon and the Sailor Scouts, we will right wrongs and triumph over evil and that means trash like you!” Sailor Moon said.

“Come and try it Moon brat. I have something of yours!” the spider rasped.

It pointed to a nearby wall and the scouts turned their heads at once to see. There was Sailor Sun, standing perfectly still, unrestrained.

“Sailor Sun!” Sailor Moon cried.

“Run! I can't control my actions! Forget about . . ,” Sailor Sun said.

“Take care of them, Sunchild,” the spider turned its attention back to its victim.

“Why you stupid insect,” Sailor Jupiter fumed. “Jupiter Thunder Crash!” she called.

The lightning bolt when straight to the spider, but it didn't notice when it got hit. Sailor Sun, however, fell to her knees.

“Venus Crescent Beam Smash!” Venus called, pointing at the spider.

Again, Sailor Sun was hit and injured.

“Sailor Sun gets hurt every time we try to hit the monster,” Sailor Mars said.

“I'll look for weaknesses,” Sailor Mercury said, bringing up her visor.

“Look out!” Sailor Venus yelled.

“Day-Star Solar Ray Charge!” Sailor Sun cried.

Sailor Mercury dived out of the way just in time. Sailor Sun had tears streaming down her cheeks and looked apologetic.

“I have an idea,” Sailor Mercury said.

All the scouts moved between the spider and Sailor Sun. The spider dropped its victim and turned to face its enemy.

“Now!” Mercury cried.

“Sorry about this Sailor Sun,” Venus apologized.

“Venus Crescent Beam . . “

“Mars Fire . . “

“Jupiter Thunder . . “

“Moon Tiara . . “

“Mercury Bubble . . . “

Sailor Sun watched as the scouts combined their powers against her.

“Smash!”
“Ignite!”

“Crash!”

“Magic!”
“Blast!”

With a scream of pain, Sailor Sun fell to the ground.

“You shouldn't have done that,” she said weakly. “Now they'll make me kill you, my friends.”

She stood and held out both hands, wrists touching and fingers outspread.

“Solar Flare Sprout!” she yelled.

A huge tongue of flame shot towards the scouts. They leapt out of the way and it hit the spider.

“No!” it yelled as it vanished.

Sailor Sun cried out at the same time and her form began to waver.

“Sailor Sun is disappearing too! Save her Sailor Moon!” Luna cried.

“Moon Crystal Healing Activation!” Sailor Moon shouted, holding up her opened locket.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Sun seemed to be locked in a fight for a few minutes. Sailor Moon fell to one knee as she strained to keep the Negaverse from taking her friend. Finally, Sailor Sun reappeared and began to collapse. The scouts rushed to her and Sailor Jupiter caught her as she fell.

“Help me stand,” Sailor Sun said weakly.

Jupiter did as she was told, holding her friend up as she stood on shaking legs.

“Solar Recharge Radiation!” Sailor Sun called as she raised her hand.

A pale yellow light came from her ring and surrounded the weak girl and instantly refreshed her.

“Are you all right?” Sailor Mercury asked.

Sailor Sun smiled. “I think so,” she replied. “Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem,” Sailor Jupiter said.

“The Sailor Scouts always stick together,” Sailor Mars said.

“And you've gotten your new power,” Luna added.

“Can we go now?” Sailor Moon asked.

The others laughed and the reunited Scouts left the train station together.

*****

“So, what exactly happened?” Serena asked.

“I was at home when suddenly that man I told you about before appeared in my room,” Jenny said. “He pointed at me and the next thing I knew, we were standing in the train station. I quickly transformed, but before I could do anything, the man pointed to the spider monster and said ‘Nega-Bind’. Then, he left and the spider monster made me destroy a train to get at the people inside. Then you guys showed up.”

The two of them were at Serena's house and, after careful persuasion, Jenny was sleeping over. At Luna's suggestion, they took this time to talk about Jenny's experience.

“Did you find out anything else?” Luna asked.

“I believe the man said something about his Master being the Ruler of the Negaverse.”

“At least we have an idea about who we’re dealing with,” Luna said.

Jenny nodded and fell over as Serena knocked her from behind with a pillow.

“Ha! Gotcha,” she laughed.

“Oh yeah?” Jenny said as she whacked Serena with her pillow.

Soon, they were beating each other with pillows and laughing uncontrollably.

“One step forward, three steps back,” Luna muttered.