"Trail of Fears"
Chapter 12
"No, but I can fight!" shouted Sailor Moon, catching the attention of Phobius.
Phobius turned around, sneering, "It's Sailor Moon..."
"That's right, you nega-creep! I'm the defender of love and justice! And we humans don't appreciate having our fears exploited for your selfish motives!"
"Oh? what are you going to do about it?" chuckled the monster.
"Umm..." stammered Sailor Moon, looking around. "I'll, umm, beat you up! Yeah!"
"I don't think so! Prepare to be afraid once more!" Phobius held out her palms, as several dark orbs flew out toward Sailor Moon.
"I do," muttered Molly, picking up the pocketknife and stabbing Phobius in the ankle.
"You'll pay for that!" screamed Phobius, losing her concentration and allowing the orbs to melt away a few inches before hitting Sailor Moon.
"No! You will!" continued Sailor Moon, as she stepped forward. "Moon, Tiara, Magic!!" Sailor Moon quickly flung her tiara at the monster, knocking it on the floor. "Hurry, get out of here, Molly! And find your friends!"
Molly nodded and sprinted away.
The door behind them swung open as Sailor Mercury stepped in, panting. "Mind if I join in?"
"Not at all," grinned Sailor Moon.
"Stay right there, you nega-trash! I am-" Sailor Mercury started.
"Sailor Mercury.... Yeah, yeah, like I care! Just shut up and prepare for the ultimate nightmare!" Phobius yelled, standing up.
"Chill down already! Mercury, Ice Bubbles, Freeze!!" shouted Amy, freezing Phobius. "Now to scan her..." she initiated her V.R. Visor and examined Phobius. "It's Raye!" she shouted. "Sailor Nega must have transformed her!"
"Wait, if I heal her, will Melvin and Sammy wake up?" asked Sailor Moon. "Molly! Where are you?"
"I'm over here!" came Molly's reply from another room.
"Keep an eye on Raye," commanded Sailor Moon, and ran toward the direction of Molly's voice.
Molly was kneeling beside the sprawled bodies of Sammy and Melvin, who were screaming and crying, when Sailor Moon arrived in the room. "What's the matter with them?" asked Molly, a worried expression over her face.
"That nega-creep has them under her power," answered Sailor Moon, "Giving them nightmares and draining their energy. But don't worry, I'll take care of it, just move out of the way."
Molly stood up and moved to the wall, watching.
Sailor Moon pulled out her Crescent Moon Wand and cried, "Moon, Healing, Activation!!" A stream of moondust erupted from the wand and circled the two on the floor. Sammy and Melvin quickly jumped up, screaming.
"What's going on?" asked Sammy, then saw Sailor Moon and looked in awe.
"Wow! Sailor Moon!" exclaimed Melvin. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small black book, and handed it to Sailor Moon. "Can I have your autograph?"
"Uh, sure... Do you have a pen?" Sailor Moon responded.
"Yeah, sure!" Melvin replied, and started fumbling around in his pockets.
"She's melting! Could you please get back over here, Sailor Moon?" came Sailor Mercury's screaming voice.
"How about a raincheck on that autograph?" asked Sailor Moon.
"No problem!" grinned Melvin, as Sailor Moon ran back in the direction of Sailor Mercury and Phobius.
"Mercury, Ice Bubbles, Freeze!!" Sailor Mercury yelled again, recoating Phobius in ice.
"Okay, I healed Melvin and Sammy!" announced Sailor Moon as she arrived.
"Is that everyone that Raye had under her spell?"
"Yeah, she didn't attack us until we arrived at this mansion..." replied Sailor Moon. Holding up her Crescent Moon Wand once more, she shouted, "Moon, Healing, Activation!!" A circle of light slowly began to orbit the frozen monster, then after a bright flash, Phobius was gone and Raye was lying on the floor, asleep.
"Can you get her back home, Mercury?" asked Sailor Moon. "I've got to get back to my other identity," she whispered, making sure that her friends in the other room wouldn't be able to hear her over the pounding rain.
"What?" Sailor Nega suddenly felt a chill run through her. "They've defeated Phobius! How could that be?" I've got to rejoin the others as Aurora, I guess... she realized, then jumped to the ground.
"I've got an emergency!" shouted Sailor Jupiter, busting open the front door of the hospital. "She's been drained by the negaverse! A lot! Can you take care of her?" she asked as she put her on a spare stretcher.
"Sure," nodded the receptionist.
"Thanks, I've got to get back to defending!" smiled Sailor Jupiter as she left.
"Molly! Where are you?" asked Serena as she stepped down the stairs.
"We're over here, Serena!" called Molly, standing with Melvin and Sammy. "What happened?"
"Well, after we ran upstairs, that monster attacked me. And I had the worst nightmare," shuddered Serena.
"What was yours about? It seems this monster put us into a trance where we had dreams about our worst fears, and it drained energy from us through our emotion of fear," rambled Melvin.
"Huh?" said the others in unison.
Suddenly, there was a loud knocking and then the front door creaked open. "Is anyone home?" called out Aurora. She was soaking wet, the water dripping off her and forming a puddle on the floor.
"Aurora!" yelled Serena, running to her friend. "What happened to you?"
"Well Raye and I ran after Mina, then... I think somebody attacked us, I don't remember... The next thing I knew I was lying under a bush soaking wet... So I looked for shelter... And I found you guys!" Aurora answered, shivering. "Speaking of Raye and Mina, where are they?"
"I don't know," answered Molly. "After you three ran off, we got lost, then took cover from the rain in here. Then some ugly thing attacked us... I'm just glad it's over..."
"Do you want to try and head back?" asked Aurora. "From the top floor, I bet we could see the Cherry Hill Temple..."
"That's a good idea! Let's go!" exclaimed Serena.
"How are we going to find our way up there?" asked Sammy. "There's no electricity here, remember... The only light that we've got is our fireplace here..."
"I've got a flashlight!" answered Melvin, pulling it from his backpack. "Let's go!"
As Sailor Jupiter ran up the steps of the Cherry Hill Temple, she immediately saw Sailor Mercury holding the limp body of Raye. "What happened to her?"
"Sailor Nega did," answered Sailor Mercury as sailor Jupiter caught up with them. "She attacked, and must have transformed Raye into some monster... But Serena managed to heal her..."
"Heal who?" Raye mumbled, her eyes slowly opening. "What happened?"
"You're awake!" exclaimed Sailor Mercury. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah, I think so... Put me down, okay?" answered Raye, her eyes flickering.
"Sure..." Sailor Mercury slowly lowered Raye to the floor, who then pushed herself into a standing position. "Let's get you inside, okay?"
Raye nodded, then headed to the front door.
"We made it!" exclaimed Melvin as the group reached the Cherry Hill Temple. "Let's see if Raye's home yet..." Melvin walked up to the front door and knocked lightly with his knuckles.
The door slid open with Lita standing in the doorway. "Come on in, everybody! We've got hot chocolate and muffins, as well as some dry towels!" announced Lita, motioning in the group.
"Where's Raye?" asked Serena, removing her shoes, and stepping inside.
"She's in her room with Amy," answered Lita, sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
"Mind if I join you?" asked Serena, sliding open the door and stepping in the room.
"Not at all," answered Amy.
"So what does she remember?"
"Well," answered Amy to Serena, "She says she remembers Sailor Nega draining Mina then attacking her. She doesn't remember anything else..."
"Hey! Stop talking about me like I'm in third person!" exclaimed Raye.
"Sorry," apoligized Amy.
"But, I remember her transforming and then attacking us. It was the same person I saw in the flame once. But now I just can't remember the face at all... But for some reason, I'm sure she knows who I am now..."
"Great," muttered Serena. "Now Sailor Nega knows about two of us... Just what we need..."
"Like it's my fault!" shouted Raye.
"Shut up, Raye!"
"No, you shut up, meatball head!"
"Mushroom breath!"
"Pig face!"
"I give up on them," sighed Amy, walking out on Raye and Serena, still squabbling.
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(All original Sailor Moon characters that I have not created are owned by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei Animation, and DiC.)