“That’s your plan?” Minako expelled breathlessly as she evaded another of Morgan’s red spheres. It went on to consume an elevator car and cause the shaft above it to collapse.

“It’s our best option,” Ami insisted. “We can’t dodge her blasts forever and they’re going to bring the mall down on top of us if this continues much longer. We have to go on the offense.”

Venus winced in pain from the prolonged use of her unstable powers. “It’s so risky, though. How sure are you that it will work? I won’t be able to help if it doesn’t!”

“I’m about seventy percent sure it will work,” Ami asserted weakly.

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then I’ll go with plan B—”

“Which is even riskier!” Venus snapped before landing on the second-floor promenade and dropping to one knee in pain. She observed the skin on her arms and sighed. It was quickly reddening. “Well, I guess it’s now or never. If you’re sure?”

“I am,” Mercury responded unconvincingly.

“Okay, let’s do it!”

The two Sailor Soldiers shot into the air as the spot they were standing in was vaporized by another red sphere, and they Skywalked toward their enemies at speed.

“Here they come, Mistress,” Jadeite warned.

From above, Sailor Venus summoned the last of her strength, and commanded, “Crescent Beam Shower!” Multiple yellow blasts erupted from her fingertip and hurtled toward the villainous pair like falling meteors.

“Don’t underestimate me!” cried Morgan, erecting a red magical barrier before her and her Lieutenant, as she had done before.

“On the contrary,” Mercury muttered to herself as she entered commands into her computer, “We’re not underestimating you at all. We’ve factored your impressive powers into our plan and…” Mercury hit a final button with fervor.

Behind her protective red shield, which was vibrating violently from the incredible force that assaulted it, Morgan began to stammer in disbelief, “M-my barrier… It-it’s failing! Jadeite! Jadeite, do something! Aaaagghhh—”

Mercury touched down and caught her falling, now unconscious partner, whose transformation had finally failed. She observed the spot where their enemies had stood, now an inferno of photonic energy. Part of the floor above had collapsed on top of it.

“It worked Minako,” she said quietly, then placed the girl gently on the wall of the mall’s fountain, which was remarkably unscathed. “The frequency of her barrier’s magic was the same as the one outside, after all!”

Just then, there was a loud crunching. Mercury turned, her jaw dropping in shock. Amidst the impact point of Sailor Venus’ attack, Jadeite and Morgan had emerged, a ring of rubble surrounding them. Their clothes were tattered, their skin was burned, and they were limping, but they were alive.

“Impossible…” said Mercury in disbelief. “I disabled your barrier!”

“You didn’t account for my powers, Sailor Soldier!” Jadeite spat. “Combined with my mistress’s magic, they were enough to fend off your comrade’s last-ditch attack. Now she’s defenseless, and the Silver Crystal is ours for the taking!”

“She’s not defenseless!” Mercury asserted. “She has me!”

Jadeite laughed maniacally. “You? You think you can do what the crystal’s protector could not?”

“Jadeite,” Morgan uttered feebly, then fell to her knees, clinging to her staff for support.

“Don’t worry, Mistress. I will take care of this one myself. I owe her!”

“I warned you before Jadeite,” said Mercury, taking a fighting stance as the Dark Kingdom lieutenant limped toward her. “You’re mistaken if you believe my powers haven’t developed since we last met.”

“What are you going to do? Create some more mist? Shoot some bubbles at me?”

“No,” said Mercury defiantly, entering a command on her computer. “I’m going with plan B!”

Suddenly, the mall’s fire alarm began to sound again. Seconds later, the sprinkler system kicked in.

Jadeite bent over, roaring with laughter once more. “Is that it?”

“Mercury!”

“You’re pathetic!” he expelled between cackles. However, his laughter trailed off as he started to take in what he was witnessing. As Sailor Mercury strummed her lyre in deep concentration, water began to gather around her; water that she had created, water from the fountain next to her, and the water that was being released by the sprinklers all around them.

Jadeite decided to act, releasing a barrage of telekinetic pulses at the woman, but it was no use, he had waited too long. The water swirling around the woman protected her from harm as it continued to grow. His attacks merely splashed against the wall of liquid, which continued to spiral upward like a vertical river.

The man stumbled backwards in fear as the growing mass began to cast a shadow over him, then he heard the soldier shout from within.

“Aqua Rhapsody!”

The water suddenly swelled and increased in velocity before shooting into the air and dropping down like a raging waterfall.

Jadeite shook his head. There was no way to escape it. It was too big and too fast.

“JADEITE!” Morgan screamed from behind him.

The man extended his damaged arms and used his telekinetic powers to defend them, but the impact was too great. He and Morgan were swept away by the surging tide, their bodies surely crushed between the sheer volume of liquid and the rubble left by Sailor Venus’ earlier attack.

Soaked and panting, Sailor Mercury’s knees shook, and arms flopped uselessly at her sides. Her impressive display of power had taken everything she had. That was the plan, of course, but she was still surprised by the mental and physical energy it had taken to amass so much water. She hadn’t even taken any damage during the fight, but now she could hardly move. She cursed as her legs buckled and her transformation disappeared with a faint flash of blue.

Ami struggled to stay conscious, thinking that after resting for a few minutes, it would be best to escape with Minako before the authorities arrived. She was sure they would assume the pair were victims of the Youma, but Minako’s more severe condition needed to be treated right away, and she was the best person for that. If it weren’t for the distracting clunking noise, Ami thought she might have passed out by now.

*Clunk*

There it was again. Every few seconds.

*Clunk*

It was growing steadily louder.

*Clunk*

With some effort, Ami turned her head. “No…” she muttered, her heart sinking. Slowly hobbling toward her, one *clunk* at a time, were Jadeite and Morgan, using each other and the latter’s staff for support. Ami shed a silent tear and screwed up her face in frustration. Morgan must have reduced the damage somehow with her strange gem.

*Clunk*

Each clunk of Morgan’s staff felt like a death knell, ringing not just for Ami, but for her big plan. With just a day to go until she could finally enact it, it was over. She had failed everyone; failed her friends, failed the world.

“The crystal,” said Morgan. “Get the crystal and bring it to me.”

Jadeite set the woman down against a piece of fallen concrete and limped the rest of the way toward Ami and Minako under his own power, one leg dragging behind him.

“Stay away from them,” Ami heard a voice call out over the sound of approaching footsteps.

The stranger stood boldly between Jadeite and the fallen soldiers, her shadow looming over Ami.

“Dispose of the interloper,” Morgan ordered.

Jadeite chuckled as he eyed the attractive girl in her pretty blue dress. “Fool!” he said, drawing her into his clutches with his mental power. Gripping her tightly by the neck with both hands, he scowled, and said, “What’s one more weakling to deal with before I claim my prize?”

The girl gripped each of his wrists, squeezed tightly, and gradually wrenched them apart, forcing Jadeite to relinquish his grip from her throat and leave himself exposed. “I am NOT weak!” she asserted before yanking the man toward her by his wrists and burying her knee in his abdomen.

“Idiot! What are you doing?” Morgan barked, getting to her feet with the aid of her staff.

Jadeite doubled over, spittle escaping from his mouth as he gasped for air. Completely defenseless as a memory of the schoolteacher’s face surfaced in his mind seconds too late, he could only watch in horror as she drew back her arm, stepped into his space and sunk her fist into his face with bone-breaking strength.

Ami watched with relief as Jadeite’s limp form soared through the air and slammed into Morgan, knocking her staff out of her hand, and causing it to roll away. She instantly relaxed, closed her eyes and succumbed to her fatigue. Only one person she knew could throw a punch like that. They were okay now. The old Makoto was back!