Now Jupiter was torn between the choices. The decision was entirely hers. If she chose to fight Maja, Kurama might bleed to death and die if she didn�t tend to him. However, if she chose to go to Kurama and help him, precious time would be wasted. She was confused and absolutely flustered, when suddenly, a low, calm voice sounded in her head.

 �Kurama can handle himself. Fight the Maja bastard.�

 Jupiter was startled. Whose voice was that? But she paid heed to what he said, deciding to go against Maja. Kurama, after all, wasn�t an ordinary human. She remembered the thorn whip he used and how fast he was in avoiding Maja�s attacks. Again, she faced Maja, a determined look on her face.

 �All right, Maja!!� She hollered to him, fighting stance ready. �Yurusenai!! I
am Sailorjupiter, senshi of thunder and lightning! And I will defeat you, Maja!!�

 �We�ll see, sailor senshi. We�ll see.� Maja looked arrogantly at her and smiled evilly. He took Jupiter�s fighting stance as well� and attacked first!

 Jupiter gasped as she wasn�t expecting such speed. She jumped back a pace to avoid the blow he was going to give her. She thought she was in the clear from his attack when she felt a presence behind her. Her eyes widened as she turned. She saw Maja�s sneer before his knee made a hard impact on her back! She let out another gasp, but this time, of pain. But before she could hit the ground, Maja sped in front of her and jammed his fist into her gut!

 The senshi found the excruciating pain dizzying. As she fell limply to the ground, she couldn�t utter a sound. Maja laughed, mocking her. But she didn�t believe in giving up that easily. She struggled to get up while her body felt dead-weight from aches and weariness.

 �Kono yarou!!� She yelled at him. She shot her long leg forward to at least sweep him off his feet. No such luck. Maja jumped to dodge it. And before Jupiter could react, Maja�s foot rammed her chin, sending her flying backwards.

 �AAUUGGHH!!!!� She cried out, landing roughly on her back. The cold stone ground gave her slight relief from the bruises on her back, but it didn�t take the discomfort away completely. She was now breathing hard and she could taste her blood on her lips. Wiping it away with her gloved hand, Jupiter clenched a fist and tried to stand up again.

 �Foolish, foolish woman,� Maja shook his head, smiling. �Fine then. Let us have some more fun, then I can take your soul! And Meikai shall rule!� He laughed loudly.

 �Mako-chan�� He whispered, gritting his teeth at the pain. With his remaining strength, Kurama got up from his resting place and ran towards the direction of where the girl who meant a great deal to him was.

 �Yomi,� Kurama said, never stopping from running. He could feel the wound opening again. �How is she?�

 The response was a quiet one. �I told her to fight. She doesn�t stand a chance against the Meikai bastard, but this is all for the best.�

 Kurama reacted violently. �WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN �THIS IS ALL FOR THE BEST�?! DAMN YOU!!�

 Yomi remained calm as usual. �You will see what I mean later.�

 When Kurama reached his destination, Jupiter was on the ground struggling to get to her feet. She had bruises and cuts all over her body. Her sailor fuku was dirty and torn at the edges. She was panting and blood trickled down her cheek from her forehead. Panic flooded Kurama as he felt her energy level diminishing.

 �MAKO-CHAN!!� Kurama rushed towards her. Jupiter smiled faintly at him. But seeing Kurama all right gave her the strength to continue battle with Maja. She stood up, ignoring the hot pain that traveled all over her body. The antenna on her tiara appeared as she summoned her powers. A green glow surrounded her body as she raised her hands above her head, calling the power of the planet jupiter.

 �Ah,� Maja looked pleased somehow. �Now we shall really have some fun!� A glow surrounded him as well and he blasted her with the same amount of ki she was summoning. Jupiter cried out as she fell back, hitting her upper back on the sharp, jagged wall, but the verdant glow around her did not disappear.

 �MAKO-CHAAN!!!� Kurama yelled. He narrowed his emerald eyes at Maja, contempt burning in his gaze. He ran towards Jupiter and kneeled down beside her. �Mako-chan, daijoubu? Don�t fight him! He�s much stronger than you are!�

 The glow of energy never left her. She smiled slightly at him, caressing his cheek. �Don�t worry. Leave everything to me.� She stood up again, wobbling,  and faced Maja.

 �Mako-cha---!!� Suddenly, Kurama couldn�t move. Then, he realized that Yomi was holding him back, preventing him from interfering with Maja and Jupiter�s fight. �Yomi!! Let me go!!� But Yomi had no intention of doing so.

 Kurama was gaping in shock as Jupiter took every single blow from Maja. Still, the glow didn�t leave her. Every inch of her body was sore. She crumpled to the ground on her knees, but then got up again. Kurama felt as though his heart was breaking as he watched her.

 �SHIIIINEEEE!!!� Maja shouted and threw his strongest blast at Jupiter. Jupiter closed her eyes as the light surrounding her turned brighter. The golden tiara disappeared, replaced by the symbol of Mokusei, the character of Jupiter. Her green fuku vanished completely. Goddess-like, her shining nakedness was brilliant against the darkness that circled them. Satiny, transparent ribbons suddenly wrapped loosely around her body, slightly shielding her nudity. Then, she opened her eyes. The sparkle in them was gone. There was only the look of determination.

 �JUPITER� OAK� EVOLUTION!!!� She shouted back. And as she said this, the character on her forehead lit up with a fierce intensity. Kurama watched, torn between being dumb-founded and being mesmerized. Jupiter spun around gracefully like a ballerina. The stench in the air evaporated once again and was replaced by the sweet aroma of leaves and flowers. And then, it began raining glowing, fragrant leaves. The Jupiter Oak Evolution was just like his Fuu Ka En Bu Jin. The blast counterattacked Maja�s attack. As the two ki blasts made impact on each other, a loud explosion followed. Kurama stared wide-eyed as both parties were sent flying in opposite directions.

 There was a long pause before Yomi decided to let Kurama go. Kurama was still shocked at what took place. He didn�t waste a moment, though, and rushed towards the fallen girl. She lay there, unmoving, on her back. Her soiled sailor fuku was back and her mahogany hair, which had always been tied in a high ponytail, was now loose and cascading above her head and down her shoulders, framing her pale, but pretty, face. Kurama gently supported her with his arm. At first, he was afraid to speak, lest his voice would fail him.

 He shook her gently. �Mako-chan? Mako-chan!� There was no response. Not even a flutter of an eyelash, or a twitch of a finger. Kurama was starting to panic. �Mako-chan!! Bright-eyes, talk to me!!� And then he felt her wrist for a pulse. He let go of her arm with trembling hands. He went listless when he couldn�t find any�
 

 �I--- I�� Sailorvenus lowered her yellow head, fighting the tears brimming in her eyes. �I can�t feel Mako-chan�s chi��

 �Nan---!� Venus was right. Uranus lowered her head as well, but recovered quickly. She touched Venus� shoulder lightly and said softly, �Let�s go. We have to be strong for her.� Venus nodded and followed Uranus faithfully.

 �Mako-chan�� Venus thought sadly. She ran faster, ignoring the burning ache in her thighs. Her vision was getting blurry from tears, but she held them back. �Aino Minako does not cry!�

 Uranus� footsteps died down shortly. Venus saw her eyeing the vicinity warily. Her guard was up, since her fists were clenched tightly. With jade-like eyes narrowed, Uranus uttered a curse as her head turned to the left, then to the right.

 Venus slowly walked towards her and whispered, �What�s wrong?�

 Uranus glanced at Venus briefly, then returned her gaze towards the blackness of the underworld. �There�s someone watching us.� She roughly whispered back.

 �Ehh?� Venus gasped softly. She prepared herself, readying herself to fight whatever was coming their way. Then, an echoing laugh filled their ears. Uranus and Venus stood back to back, prepared for the unexpected. They were both breathing hard from the slight fear and panic they felt. Venus could hear her own heartbeat. It was pulsating loudly in her ears, almost like a bomb about to go off. Even Uranus was not at ease at the situation. Venus had come across her death that time they were at the Crown Arcade Center. Their enemies were stronger than what she had anticipated. What would happen if Venus� soul was taken once again? Cold sweat beaded her brows. The laughter continued, only it was fading. A moment later, it was replaced by a shadow of a person coming their way.

 The two senshi held their ground, their hands clenched into fists, their legs slightly spread apart for easy kicking. The person walked steadily towards them. The darkness that shadowed him diminished slowly. Then, they saw him clearly. The two made a sound of surprise in unison. Venus gasped, while Uranus cursed. And then the person smiled crookedly at them.
 

 Sailorneptune picked up her mirror and observed the lifeless Jupiter and the young, red-haired man who was hunched beside her. Neptune sadly watched as the man shook her, trying to revive her somehow. Neptune kept her peace, afraid she might say something not to Sailormoon�s liking.

 The mirror suddenly changed scenes. From the dark, dreary passageway of the underworld, the image was replaced by five huddled figures, fighting for their lives. They were struggling desperately to control the giant tsunami that was about to fatally envelope them and crush them. But what was holding the giant wave back? Neptune took a closer look and saw the hero. Or heroine, rather. A petite, pretty young girl held back the wave with some sort of ice shield.

 Shizuru had her arms around the shivering Keiko. Keiko had wrapped her arms around herself. Yuuichirou and Rei�s grandfather were gathered closely together, hoping to keep themselves warm. It was no use, however. Yukina was born among the Koorime. The land of Koorime was a floating island of ice and snow on Makai, the demon world. Yukina was immune to the biting and chilling winds and cold of winter. Her other assets were summoning ice and snow, and she had the certain power of healing.

 �Yu-Yukina-chan�� Shizuru tried saying her name without stuttering, but couldn�t. She suddenly felt a heavy thing on her shoulder. Keiko had leaned her head there. When Shizuru looked at her, Keiko�s eyes had drifted closed. Shaking her, Shizuru said, �K-Keiko-chan! D-don�t� s-s-sleepp!! Y-you� have to re�remain aw-wake!!�

 Yuuichirou wailed, �We�re gonna die!!! Waahhh!!!�

 Even with the terrible cold, Rei�s grandfather found the strength to bonk his disciple on the head. �Baka!! Be a man, will ya?? You�re not marrying my grand-daughter in that wimpish state!!�

 �Mou�� Yukina whispered weakly. �Dame�� She felt her eyes close and her head collapse. Her rei ki had been drained. The last of her spirit energy was released from her fingertips. Then, without warning, the ice barrier shattered! Three people behind her, excluding Keiko, let out a cry of panic as the wave was set free.

 �FIRE� SOUL!!!�
 
 �SHABON� SPRAAY!!!�

 �DEATH REBORN� REVOLUTION!!!�

 �YUKINA-SAAAAANNN!!!!!!!�

 A smile lit up Shizuru�s face as she saw the five people who had come to their rescue. Sailormars, Sailormercury, and Sailorsaturn were busy fighting off the tsunami. Hinageshi rushed to Keiko and Shizuru�s side, ready to heal the cuts and the agonies of frostbite. Shizuru�s brother, Kazuma, of course, rushed to his beloved�s side. He cradled her in his arms. Her eyes remained closed for a lengthy moment, her long lashes were like black crescents against her cheeks. She was paler than usual. Kuwabara thought he�d die then and there, seeing Yukina in such a sorry state. Then, as though Kuwabara�s heart would stop beating, Yukina slowly opened her beautiful, lava-colored eyes. Kuwabara thought his heart would burst with happiness.

 �Yukina-saaan!! Thank goodness you�re all right!!� Kuwabara thought he might weep on that very spot. He held back, though. He wanted to be tough and manly in Yukina�s eyes. He wanted to keep that reputation. He wanted to be the one and only man who would protect her from all those evil individuals.

 Yukina gave him a soft, heart-melting smile. �Kazuma-san��

 Later, the three senshi of fire, water, and destruction overpowered the tsunami. Thanks to Sailormoon, they were able to find the source of power within themselves to help defeat Meikai. And after several minutes of healing -�courtesy of Hinageshi and Saturn---, relief, and giving of gratitude, all ten of them sat down to talk and have a cup of tea.

 Worn out, Mars walked towards Yuuichirou, who was drinking his hot tea, a thick blanket wrapped around him. Mars smiled sadly and said, �Thank heavens you�re all right, Yuuichirou.� Yuuichirou was about to reply with a warm smile, when she added softly, �The girl you�re going to marry would have been devastated if she knew you were gone. Please, don�t forget to remember me on your special day. I wish you luck.� Yuuichirou was speechless. Mars turned away from him, and he saw the sparkle of a tear in the corner of her eye.

 �Rei-san!� He called to her, but she left the room, leaving him gaping at the paper door, which was called a shooji. Yuuichirou sighed and took out the velvet ring case from his pocket. He stared at it for a long moment, then opened it. The fire diamond was brilliant under the pale light of the room.

 Shizuru saw the conflict taking place, but didn�t say anything. Calmly, she lit a cigarette. It made the insides of her body warm. And what�s more, she could think more clearly with a cigarette at hand. While nobody was paying attention, Shizuru placed a comforting hand on Yuuichirou�s shoulder.

 �Go to her, Yuuichirou-kun,� She winked and patted him. �She wants to hear the truth from you.�

 The young man eyed Shizuru through his unruly, brown bangs. He gulped nervously, but nodded in reply. Gathering some courage, Yuuichirou stood up and marched over to where Rei was.

 Shizuru huffed on her cigarette, blew a ringlet of smoke, then whispered, smiling, �Good luck.�
 

 Without warning, the wall at the far end of the tunnel lifted, revealing a narrow doorway. Still not saying a word, the two enigmatic individuals nodded to each other and headed toward the direction of the cramped entrance of the passageway that they knew not where it lead. Cautiously, they entered it, wary of the danger that lurked within its depths. The crevice-filled walls were lined with torches of black fire. The smaller one of the two, Mukuro, smiled slightly as she remembered Hiei�s Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuuha. It was also known as the dark fire of evil.

 Sailorpluto finally spoke up. �Where---?�
 
 �Raigo�s just beyond those set of staircases,� Mukuro cut in. �Let�s go!� And she ran on ahead, wanting to get Hiei back as soon as possible. Pluto nodded curtly and followed behind, trying to keep the gait, her heeled boots clacking loudly and echoing through the stone hallway. Pluto knew that Mukuro would have an advantage when it came to fighting the enemy. She was using Hiei�s body as a host at the moment, and Hiei was well-known for his speed and sword fighting capabilities.

 Pluto suddenly slowed down her pace. Mukuro eyed the senshi from the corner of her eye, and impatiently said, �Nanda? Doshita no yo? (�What is it? What�s wrong?�)�. Pluto shook her head and went back to following Mukuro up the caliginous spiral staircase.

 Mukuro knew what the cause of Pluto�s sudden change of mood was. The senshi wearing the green sailor fuku was dead. She couldn�t feel her chi, and that meant only one possible explanation: she�d been killed. She smirked, though, because she knew that nothing could keep that senshi dead if she was with Kurama. Mukuro knew Yomi knew that fact as well. However, the youkai on Makai had a motto: �Only the strong survive. If you�re weak, you die.� The S-class and A-class youkai, however, had more finesse and intelligence, and didn�t always go by that rule. They were just too honorable and proud for that sort of silly game.

 As the series of steps began to feel endless, the two finally reached the plain above the staircases. There was nothing there. It was as bare as a baby�s buttocks. Giant mice with horned tails and tiger teeth scurried about. Pluto gave out a low shriek as one of the critters jumped her. Mukuro blasted it, sending it flying splat on the wall. Mukuro turned her attention back to the area, ignoring the dead rat whose head was now hanging a skin away from its neck, its rough fur soaked in its blood. Pluto�s eyes flickered slightly at the scene. Mukuro laughed inside, knowing that Pluto was cringing secretly, but refused to show any emotion.

 The demoness, Mukuro, could feel Raigo�s presence, but there was actually no one there. And then it hit her, as she looked up. She smiled, pleased with her intuitive mind. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a ball of youki and rammed it into the fissure-lined ceiling. Pluto gasped as the roof of the tunnel crashed down on the giant mice, killing them all. Mukuro leaped up on to the hole she made, leaving Pluto to catch up. The cave in was purposeful, though, since it was easier for Pluto to climb up.

 As soon as Pluto reached the top, she heard Mukuro say, �Hiei!�

 The senshi of time saw the flame of Hiei�s soul encased in a glass compartment. Hiei�s aura was very strong and filled with vengeful anger. Pluto watched as Mukuro approached the glass encasement. She tried touching the surface of the glass with a finger, but suddenly, without warning, a powerful force pushed her back, making her collide with several pillars and a wall.

 �Mukuro-san!!� Pluto exclaimed. And then Raigo�s laughter followed shortly. Pluto put up her guard, holding her staff with both hands in front of her.

 �Welcome to my tavern, foolish ones,� Raigo appeared before them, his cape looking majestic on his broad shoulders.  He walked slowly and meaningfully towards Pluto. Pluto took a step back, knowing the possibility of extreme danger when he came too near. �Sailor senshi of the underworld, how nice to see you.�

 Pluto narrowed her dark, ruby eyes at him. �We are here to take back the souls which do not rightly belong to you, Raigo!�

 �Oh, you mean all these?� And as he raised his hand, the tavern grew bright. Pluto gasped as she saw the place filled with glass containers, which were just like Hiei�s. In them, were the souls of the innocent people of Ningenkai. Pluto was angered at this. She eyed Raigo with much hostility.

 �What do you plan to do with all of them?� She demanded. Her guard was still up.
 
 �Why, rebuild my kingdom, of course,� He replied nonchalantly, then said more passionately, �You know how much energy these souls possess? If I take all souls from all worlds, the universe will be mine!�

 ��And if you drain the souls of their power, they will� vanish into nothingness. The people who once owned those souls will cease to exist,� Pluto said softly. She gripped her staff tighter, quiet rage boiling her blood. Then, something inside her snapped like a high-strung wire. �Yurusenai, Raigo! You can�t take the souls of these innocent victims due to your selfish desires!�

 �Yakumo was a fool! All he wanted was the sphere of Meikai, when there was something much more powerful!� He laughed like a deranged lunatic. �I shall be ruler of all worlds!! And there will be no one who can stop me!!� Then, he opened the evil eye on his forehead. It opened wide, and Pluto made the mistake of staring into it. An invisible force knocked the wind out of her, sending her staggering back. She released her garnet orb staff and it fell to the ground, just like she did. She was knocked down with a thud, her dark locks of hair now a pool around her. The last thing Pluto saw and heard was Raigo�s ugly sneer and his demented, booming laughter. Then, she fell in to that forbidding world of the oblivion, in to that state of unconsciousness.

• To Be Continued
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