The great dining hall of the Moon Palace was an exercise in excess. High, vaulted ceilings and elegant white columns gave the vast room a cavernous appearance. Gorgeous paintings and tapestries lined the walls. A long wooden dining table, capable of seating fifty people, stood in the center of the room.

  These days, it was all pomp and circumstance, devoid of life. Princess Serenity had used the power of the Silver Crystal to restore the palace, but the rest of the kingdom lay in ruins. The people were long extinct. It was a mausoleum.

  Berthier sat at the end of the dining table, her chair turned to face toward the arched doorway as she waited for her sisters to arrive. On the outside, she was relaxed, but inside her raged a storm of emotions.

  She tapped her foot on the floor in a quick, steady rhythm. She had received a message that Rubeus wished to speak with her and the other Ayakashi Sisters. Now, here she sat and waited.

  Her mind wandered to Earth and her old friend, Sailor Mercury. Millennia had passed since they last saw each other, and now, reunited, Mercury couldn’t remember her. Worse still, they were enemies. Fate was cruel.

  The click-clack of heels against the marble floors pulled Berthier back to the present. She straightened. Koan’s fast, aggressive steps echoed through the halls, with Calaveras’ slower, measured steps close behind. Koan was volatile, just waiting for a spark to combust. Calaveras was the soothing balm that came in her wake.

  Koan swept into the great dining hall like a whirlwind. Her long, violet hair waved behind her sharp, angular face. She wore a skintight purple and black catsuit with high black boots. Her black crystal earrings swung at her ears with each step. She exuded an air of confidence and elegance. Her deep violet eyes scanned the room.

  Calaveras strode in behind Koan, her steps more deliberate. She wore her brown hair pulled back into a tight bun held together with a yellow bow. Her clothes looked almost like those of a Sailor Guardian; her arms and legs were bare. She wore a golden bodice, a red skirt, and orange boots. Her golden bracelets gleamed in the light of the dining hall.

  Koan’s gaze locked onto Berthier, and she strode toward her with hurried steps.

  “Berthier! Do you know what is going on here?”

  Koan was the youngest of the four sisters, yet she acted as if she were the eldest. Berthier’s eyes remained cool. So did her voice when she spoke.

  “No, I don’t.”

  Koan scowled and placed her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t like it when Rubeus keeps us in the dark. Since we’ve come to the past, we’ve just been sitting around and waiting.”

  She looked Berthier up and down and wrinkled her nose.

  “Except you, of course. What have you been doing on Earth? You still haven’t found Serenity’s brat.”

  Berthier sighed.

  “The girl is well-hidden and protected.”

  Koan laughed, a high-pitched sound like nails on a chalkboard. Calaveras stood behind her and flinched, but remained silent. Sometimes it was best to let their younger sister get it out of her system.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “If Rubeus had sent me to Earth, I would have gotten the job done already,” Koan said. “You’re too soft, Berthier.”

  She leaned against a nearby column. There was an evil twinkle in her eye.

  “What about Sailor Mars? Have you encountered her yet?”

  Berthier rolled her eyes.

  “No, I have not. Only Sailor Moon has reclaimed her powers so far. The other Guardians have not surfaced.”

  Koan huffed.

  “If I were Sailor Mars, I would have already reclaimed my powers.” Her voice became small and soft. “Queen Serenity made the wrong choice.”

  She noticed her moment of vulnerability. Her eyes turned cruel once more as they locked onto Berthier.

  “It seems I am surrounded by incompetence.”

  She looked over her shoulder at Calaveras, as if seeking support from her older sister. Calaveras was not interested in playing her game. She placed a hand on Koan’s shoulder and glared at her.

  “That’s enough, Koan. You’d do well to remember that we are all on the same side.”

  Koan scowled but said nothing. She knew better than to antagonize Calaveras; her patience did not run as deep as that of Berthier.

  Calaveras tilted her head and locked eyes with Berthier.

  “Are you alright?”

  Berthier feigned ignorance.

  “Of course I’m fine. Koan’s taunts are nothing new to me.”

  Calaveras shook her head.

  “That’s not what I meant.” She stared, almost as if to peer into her soul. “She’s not your friend anymore, you know? In truth, she never was.”

  Before Berthier could respond, Crimson Rubeus strode into the dining hall. Their oldest sister, Petz, walked beside him. Rubeus was moving slower, less confident than usual. A large bandage ran across one eye and down his face. His red scarf hung limp around his neck.

  Petz wore her long dark green hair in a loose bun. She wore a short, dark green dress, black tights, short boots, and long gloves. She gazed at Rubeus with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. It wasn’t just concern; it was something more. Genuine affection.

  The other Ayakashi Sisters had long ago learned to tolerate her infatuation with Rubeus. He was no doubt aware of Petz’s love for him, but he didn’t reciprocate it.

  Rubeus did not waste any time. He spoke between hoarse breaths.

  “I have met Sailors Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter in battle. I injured Jupiter, but she’s still alive. The Guardians tricked me and Sailor Moon…she disfigured me!”

  His nostrils flared. His hands clenched and unclenched again and again.

  “I need time to heal, to recover my strength. We must press our advantage now. It is your turn to finish the job.”

  Petz’s voice was deep and threatening as she interjected.

  “Let me avenge you, Rubeus. Send me to destroy Sailor Moon.”

  Rubeus glanced at her, his expression cold.

  “You cannot defeat her.” He hesitated. “Perhaps you can hurt her. Make her hurt for me, Petz. Make her bleed . Saphir has created new droids. Take one with you.”

  A grimace of pain appeared on his face. He took a deep breath and his face normalized. He turned his attention toward Berthier.

  “No doubt, Jupiter will be recovering under Sailor Mercury’s care. Take a droid. Use your knowledge of Mercury. Get close to her, then kill them both.”

  Berthier felt a flicker of regret cross her face before she could mask it. She did not want to kill Mercury.

  Rubeus saw the flash of distaste on her face. Dark energy erupted from his hands as he released a hoarse scream. Streaks of black lightning crackled through the air and ignited two of the tapestries on the wall. Smoke filled the dining hall.

  He charged toward Berthier, seized her arm, and pulled her up from her chair. His voice was low and dangerous.

  “Someone will pay for what happened to me.”

  With his free hand, he removed the bandage from his face, then leaned in close to Berthier. A gaping wound stretched across his left eye and down his face. No doubt, he would lose the use of his eye. Berthier swallowed hard.

  “You will make Mercury and Jupiter suffer,” Rubeus said. “Should you fail or refuse me…I will make you suffer instead.”

  She met his gaze, but remained silent.

  “You’re nothing but a disposable foot soldier, Berthier. Make yourself useful, or I will dispose of you.”

  He released her from his grip, then stormed from the dining hall. Petz sneered at Berthier, then hurried after him.

  Silence settled over the dining hall. Koan and Calaveras exchanged glances. Berthier stood frozen.

  She had to kill her former friend or die. She was out of options.

  This is the end, Mercury. Today you die.