Lights of Change (Part 8)
By: Minako Kou and Makoto Kou
Date started:  September 6, 1998
Date finished: December 24, 1998
Inspirational music: "Starlights Transformation Theme," "Route Venus," "Nagareboshi he," "Ginga Isshinbun Chigai na Kata Omoi," "Mayou Naka Hotori," "Todokanu Omoi," "Ai no Megami no," "Rashiku Ikimasho," "Kaze mo Sora mo Kitto," "Golden Queen Galaxia," "Ai o Shinjiteru (Believe in Love)," "My Only Love," "It's A New Day," "Call My Name (And I'll Be There)," "Sailor Stars Song," "We Believe You," "The Power of Love(You've Got to Believe)," "I am Sailor Moon," "Sailor Team no Theme," and "Moon Revenge"

Chapter 1
Salla walked into the room where they were keeping Jeremy, Hinagiku, and Michiru.  Michiru was feeling uncomfortable in the bonds that she'd been in for so long.  Jeremy was trying to figure a way out of his ropes, but realized it was futile when Salla walked in.
"Something's different about you... your uniform! It's changed!" Hina noticed.
"Ya, ya... we'll get to that on the way to Kusso."
"Hey wait!" Jeremy shouted,  "Why are we being harassed like this? I thought we were 'guests'!"
Hina's eyes got wide. She whispered to her husband, "Jeremy, this isn't a hotel."
"Yea no sh-"
"HEY! HEY! I don't wanna hear this ok?" Shadowhawk looked pissed.  "You are NOT my guests.  YOU," she pointed at them, "Are however, MY  hostages." (Victims really.)
Hina and Jeremy looked down. They understood. Michiru looked up at Shadowhawk. 
"They will come and get us out you know. You will never win this battle."
Michiru succeeded in making Shadowhawk REALLY mad. So mad she slapped Michiru.  Michiru looked up at Shadowhawk with a look of more defiance. 
Shadowhawk sighed. "Fine, have it your way." She turned around and stared at the three. The look on her face was so evil they all jumped. (Not literally jumped, seeing as they were all tied up on the floor.) "SHADOWHAWK SANDSTORM-"     
Kusso burst through the door. "JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" 
Shadowhawk stiffened. "I was just...was just..."
"Was just what?!"
"Just gonna go do laundry." She smiled. (sweatdrop!)
"You don't know how. Besides that's what we have your mother for. And I never mentioned anything about laundry; I told you to bring THEM to ME!!"
Shadowhawk smiled. "Gotta jet!" She started running.
But Kusso was suddenly in her way in the door.  He moved so fast that the three captives had thought he had disappeared for a moment.  Salla stopped dead in her tracks.  She looked down and started to cry.  Kusso told her to untie the captives and bring them along.  All the way back to the throne room he lectured her on controlling her temper.  She just glared at the three they had in tow.

Healer and Jupiter sat in the throne room awaiting the return of their master.  Suddenly, Mako started trying to come on to Healer.  Healer started talking about the inappropriateness of Jupiter's actions.
"Oh, come on, honey... we've never done anything while we we're in a situation like this," Jupiter whined.
"Yea, well, I promise we'll do all sorts of stuff after this situation is over.  Right now, we can hear our friends and family moving closer and closer to us, fighting all the way.  We may even have to kill them when they arrive, because we will be compelled to do so by Kusso's evil charms.  And we are under his direct control.  How do you think he would feel if his parents-in-law were having sex in his throne?"
Jupiter started to laugh, but got really quiet when Kusso and Shadowhawk walked in with Michiru, Hina, and Jeremy.  She and Healer looked worriedly at each other.  Kusso just strutted over to his throne and sat down with a swoop of his cape.  Shadowhawk held back their captives.  Healer and Jupiter stared at Kusso in askance.
"What shall we do, honey?" Shadowhawk asked Kusso.
"Kill them."

Chapter 2

"Now wait a second!"  Jupiter shouted.
"You can't do that yet!" Yelled Healer.
Kusso raised an eyebrow and stared at them for a moment.  
"And why not?"
"Really!"  said Shadowhawk,  "I've been itching to kill somebody, and I aim to do it!"
"Because..." Jupiter started walking towards Kusso.  "It would be better to time it so the senshi see them die. Otherwise, they may be inclined to not believe you, or they may get more mad."
"But wouldn't they be more upset if they see them die?" Shadowhawk asked with impatience.
"Yes, upset." Healer explained.  "If they see their friends die, then they be so upset with grief, that we can take them off guard!  What, did you go to a second rate villain school, my dear daughter?? I would have thought my money could have bought you a better education than this!"
Shadowhawk looked hurt for a second, then thoughtful.  Kusso sat on his throne and stared into a dark corner, thinking.  He stroked his chin, then looked up at Shadowhawk.
"They're right."
"What?! You can't be serious!! Kusso! I want to kill somebody!!!" She stomped and threw a fit like a little girl.
Kusso called in his chief advisor.  The young deformed man hurried in, looking like he just woke up.
"What are you doing now, Kusso??" Shadowhawk whined.
"Kill him."
"What?" The advisor looked shocked.
"Can I really!!!!??" Shadowhawk squealed.
"Do it quick before I lose my patience!" Kusso shouted, obviously getting annoyed with her.  Jupiter and Healer just stood back and watched as Shadowhawk slinked forward.  
She moved up to the advisor looking very sexy.  She ran her hands over his forehead, where sweat was developing on his brow.  Then she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for a kiss. At first he looked extremely shocked, then like he was enjoying it.  When Shadowhawk pulled away, he was flabbergasted.  Suddenly though, he turned a shade of blue, his eyes rolled up in his head, and he fell to the ground.
"OOO! That was fun!" Shadowhawk squealed again.  Healer and Jupiter just looked a little surprised for a moment.
"Kusso, do you have anybody else I could kill?" Shadowhawk said sweetly and batted her eyelashes at him.  He just looked bored.
"No, I don't want you killing all the people I depend on.  I let you have your fun already... Now, when the senshi make it to the main guard posted outside this room, we'll know.  It will take them perhaps two minutes to get past the guards.  I want our captives here attacked right then.  We want them to be able to talk to the others with their last breathes... while we laugh at them."

Usagi hollered out to the slightly injured Star Fighter.  Fighter turned around and caught her surprise attacker under the chin with her fist.  The battle raged on around them as they tried to get closer to the doors of the throne room.  Fighter and Moon ran around and through the senshi that continued to fight and protect them.  Sailor Cosmos remained unharmed and waiting for them, pointing the way.  Sailor Moon looked back just in time to see Mercury take a fatal blow.  But she couldn't stop; she had to keep running.  She let a tear fall though.
Fighter kept right along side Moon, with her eyes trained on Cosmos.  She knew what she would see if she looked back, her friends and loved ones dying.  It was bad enough to hear the sounds anyway.
Cosmos suddenly held up her hand and waved them away.  They stopped dead in their tracks.  Fighter looked to Moon with a questioning glance.  Moon just shrugged.  Right then another group of Kusso's henchmen ran out of a room, blasting, right where Moon and Fighter would have been if they had kept running.  But when nobody was there as had been expected, the ugly green men stopped shooting and stood there looking at Moon and Fighter.  Suddenly Moon and Fighter blasted them all.  They didn't even use an attack, just the pure concentration of their wills into energy.  With the way cleared, they continued on  again.

Jupiter and Healer anxiously watched the action on the monitors.  They were secretly delighted at the success of their friends.  Just then they saw Mercury get hit.  Jupiter cried out slightly but held herself back.  Kusso just eyed them suspiciously and went back to what he was doing.  They may have wanted their friends to win, but in the end, they could never do anything to help. 
Salla just stared at her parents, not quite sure what to make of seeing her father as a girl.  But she stood back and watched as her parents lightly hugged each other with comfort and affection.  She found it quite touching actually, that even in this situation the love between her parents was quite evident.  Healer, still taking the dominant male role, placed her arm softly about Jupiter's waste and held her close.  Jupiter sighed and laid her head on Healer's shoulder while they continued to watch the situation of their friends and loved ones on the screen.
	Slowly Shadowhawk walked over closer to where they were standing and looked over their shoulders at the screen.  Right then she saw her sister get hit with a major blast.  Salla called out her sister's name, startling her parents.  Before they could say anything though, Salla whirled on Kusso.
	"Didn't you tell those idiots that the Neo-Starlights were to be left unharmed?!"
	"Huh?" Was all that Kusso could say, then he realized what must have happened.   He jumped up from his throne and walked over to the monitor.  Sailor Star Shaker lay unmoving on the ground.  
	"Well, obviously she's not dead, or else you wouldn't be here."  Then he waved it away with his hand and started to walk away.  But Salla suddenly reached out and caught him by his sleeve.
	"You fool!  Don't you see! We're connected! She could die, but I still feel what's happened to her even in that state.  Just because she isn't dead doesn't mean I'm not hurt!"  Her eyes shifted wildly.
	Kusso's eyes widened.  "What?  What do you mean??"
	Salla slowly sank to the ground, unable to speak, unable to explain what was happening to her.
	Slowly Jupiter and Healer walked forward.  They hated seeing their daughters go through this, but couldn't help but think of this as a good thing.  They knew that Mina and Seiya's daughters were not quite so affected.   They were weaker yes, but they only were really hurt, killed, if Shaker or Shadowhawk was. 
	Healer began to explain.  "She's right you know.  She's become much weaker because of her sister's state.  If her sister dies, Salla will be powerless to stop it, but because of their closeness, Salla is affected the same as her sister is by that blast."
	 Kusso began to go wild.  He started throwing things and breaking them.  He looked down at the prone Salla and yelled at her for her folly.
	"Why didn't you tell me this!!!???"
	Jupiter stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.  "She obviously thought that because you knew there was the potential for harm to her, you would have told your minions not to harm the Neo-Starlights.  It is as much your folly as hers."
	Kusso just walked over to his Comm. system and told his fighters not to harm any of the Neo-Starlights, but to bring the hurt Shaker to him, and to capture the others if possible.  Then with a swoop of his cloak, he sat back in the throne and just stared down at Salla laying passed out in the floor.  Finally, Jupiter came forward, picked up her daughter and took her to a couch near one of the side walls.

	Ai and Ashita stood in protection of their partner.  They could tell that these purple mutant's orders had changed.  No longer were they trying to wound or kill the Neo-Starlights, but they had already, unsuccessfully tried more than once to take away Kirei.  But the sisters continued to protect their best friend.  They rest of the senshi would have come to help, but their priority was protecting the Princess.  The Neo-Starlights were now permanently on the defensive, until Kirei was well enough to wake on her own that was.   And because she seemed to be getting worse by the second, causing Ai and Ashita to get worse, their situation seemed hopeless.  They were going to die.

	Moon and Fighter managed to fight their way past the continuous onslaughts of  multi-colored, mutilated, men-like creatures.  Cosmos showed them into a room, that at first Usagi had thought would be the throne room, but when she saw that not even Fighter recognized it, she stopped cold.  She just glanced to Cosmos.
	"What are we doing in here?"  Fighter asked Cosmos.
	"You two need your rest."
	"What?!  Our friends and loved ones are out there getting blasted to bits for us and you're making us stand back and listen to it all!?"
	Cosmos placed her hands on Moon's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.  Fighter just stood back and watched as Cosmos was able to completely relax the frantic Moon with this intense connection alone.  Slowly, Cosmos allowed her arms to drop to her sides, still staring into Moon's eyes.
	"What is it Cosmos?"  Sailor Moon's voice came out in a slow monotone.
	"I have something to show you.  You, Fighter, when you were with the others, had mentioned to us that this place was just like the Moon Palace.  I think you're right.  But not our Moon Palace, the Eternal Moon Palace.   If I'm correct, this room will hold more significance to you two than you know." 
	Fighter listened to her words as they slowly came.  When Cosmos had clearly finished, Fighter couldn't help but wonder what it meant.  She just looked at Cosmos with wonder.  But as she looked at Cosmos, she also looked past her.  It wasn't until then that Fighter had noticed that the room was much bigger than it seemed.  There was no artificial light in the room, but rather moonlight (how could that be?) from a skylight above the door.  But the room being as big as it was, was not illuminated by this minimal light source.  Fighter, once again, glanced questioningly towards Cosmos.
	Sailor Moon was apparently making all the same connections as Fighter, and just looked confused.  Finally she spoke up.
	"Cosmos," she started slowly, sounding normal again, "Where are we?  I see the moon from here, but I thought that the Moon Palace was on the Moon."
	"I already told you," Cosmos explained.  "We're not in the Moon Palace.  The Eternal Moon Palace is located in your future.  It's on the ruins of Earth."

Chapter 3
	"Why this room? What happened to Earth?  How'd we get tot the future?  How far in the future are we?  What's so significant?"  The questions poured out of Cosmos's audience.
	Cosmos held up her hand for peace.  They grew quiet for her again, and stood and waited.
	"When you first came here, to this place, what was the feeling you got, Fighter?"
	Fighter stood and thought for a second.  She tried to recall her feelings for the Eternal Moon Palace.  She tried thinking, I'm not at the Moon Palace, and I'm not in a bad place, where my friends are dying, what do I know?
	Suddenly she spoke her thoughts aloud.  "As you've said, we are on Earth.  I always had the feeling I had never left.  As we told you before, we had the feeling that the void through which the plane traveled to here was time.  I also get the feeling that I've been here before... or... no, not exactly before.  It was the feeling that I will be here again."
	Cosmos smiled and nodded.  "And you Sailor Moon?  What do you feel?"
	Moon, who'd been thinking before Fighter had spoke, spoke up.  "I feel the same.  As a matter of fact, I was going to phrase it similarly.  But it something more than that.  I've dreamed of this place before.  I've the distinct feeling that I belong here more than anywhere else I may go.  This is my destiny."
	Once again Cosmos smiled.  "You two are quite accurate.  Come over here.  There is something I want to show you."
	Sailor Cosmos lit a candle and led them to the far side of the room.  "When we first arrived here, it was supposed that it was possible that Kusso could have rebuilt the palace.  But no.  This is the palace.  Just not the one you all know as of yet.  I can prove that you will be here in the future.  Kusso took this palace from you, Sailor Moon, when he defeated your senshi and stole the Neo-Senshi.  This is why the Neo-Starlights and I came back to find you.  This is your palace.  And you must win it back."
	Sailor Moon and Fighter followed her over to a table.  On the table were several picture frames.   The pictures were holograms of the senshi.   Of the Neo-Starlights in their youth.  Of Mina pregnant and happy with Seiya beside her, hugging her happily.  Even one picture was of the young Salla playing at the foot of the throne as the Eternal Moon Princess sat in it.  Fighter's breath caught in her throat.
	"Who's room is this?"  Fighter's eyes were wide as she stared imploringly at Cosmos.
	"Your daughter, Ai's room."

Salla was slowly regaining consciousness on the couch, but she looked worse.  She reached her hand out and took her mom's in it. Jupiter just looked down on her daughter, trying not to seem worried or upset.  Salla knew that if they didn't help her sister that they would both die, but she was more afraid of how her mom would feel.  Healer just stood back and looked over Jupiter's shoulders.
Kusso went back to ordering people around and didn't seem to give a second thought to his wife.  But Healer knew that all the orders being given were in attempt to regain the Neo-Starlights and heal Shaker.  Healer looked back and forth between the two events once more, then turned and left the throne room in a rush.
Kusso's head snapped up as Healer left the room.  She was not supposed to go anywhere without orders!  Maybe, Kusso thought, she's not under my control... 
"Jupiter!! I'll take care of my wife!  Go find out what Healer is up to!" Then when Jupiter began to protest, he said "NOW!"  It was an order she could not deny.
Jupiter ran out of the room.  Kusso stood and glared at her as she left.  Suddenly his face softened, and he looked over at Salla.  No longer was she in the form of Shadowhawk.  He slowly walked over and knelt beside her.  He took her hand up in his, and she opened her eyes and turned her head to face him.  Suddenly a worried look passed over his face.  But he put it away and smiled at her.
"I'm sorry, I made a mistake." Kusso looked down.  A wet tear dropped onto Salla's hand.
Sluggishly she lifted up her other hand and placed it on top of his.  "It's okay... I was the idiot who... let them escape... the first time..."  Her words came forced, as if it were difficult for her to speak.
Kusso looked up into her eyes and she saw that his were full of tears.  Her eyes filled with them too.  "No," he started.  "I should have remembered... realized..."
Suddenly, Healer burst into the room with Shaker in her arms and Mover and Lover trailing behind.  Behind them, Jupiter closed the door.  Salla tried to sit up as mats were lain on the floor beside her for her sister.
"No," she said.  "She's the one who's really hurt.  Put her on the couch."
"How touching, Salla.  You show compassion for your sister, only when your own life's in danger,"  Ai said coldly.
"Shut up!  I love my sister!!"  Salla managed enough strength to get angry, but passed out.
Kusso spoke up.  "Yes, she cares about her sister.  More than you know, Ai."
"Well, she sure has a funny way of showing it," Ashita butt in.
Kusso grew angry.  "Jupiter-"
Jupiter knocked the twins out before he even finished her name.  She then dragged them to a far corner and tied them up well.  Just then, Michiru spoke up.
"You realize, Kusso, that you're putting yourself at an even greater risk by keeping them around."  She hollered.  "You should just kill them all, including your wife, then things would be much simpler!"
Suddenly, Michiru was shut up though.  Jupiter had gotten pissed off by what was being said, and smacked her.
"That's my daughters you're talking about!"  Then she knocked her out too.
Healer began to treat the wounds on her good daughter.  "Kusso, don't you have any magical healing potions, or something?!" She asked franticly.  
Kusso nodded then sent for his medical aide.  He began pacing about the room, when the aide showed up.
"My Lord," The aide knelt before Kusso.  Kusso grabbed him by the collar and picked him up.
"This is no time for formalities! Heal them!!" Then he shoved the guy in the direction of the couch.
"But... but-" He stammered.
"What is it?!"
"Oh, wise Master, when you had me create those attacks for our soldiers..."  He trembled and shivered with fear,  "You had me make sure that the wounds would not be treatable by potion-"
"WHAT?!"  Kusso's eyes went wide.
"You.. you told me... you told me that Cosmos would have magical treatment, and you wanted to make sure all were ineffective..."
Kusso glared at the man for a second. "But if you created the attacks, can't you use our magic to treat it?!"
"Well... uh... you see, I uh, didn't know what kind of magic she had... or could acquire... and uh, since I didn't think this would be necessary..."
"Are you trying to say that you made even our potions and spells ineffective against it?!"  Jupiter yelled in a rage.
The man hung his head in shame.  Everyone's eyes in the room went wide.  They all looked over to the hurt twins.  Kusso grew furious.
"You idiot!!!"  Then he blasted the man to the opposite wall, where his neck was broken.  Kusso just turned back to face his wife, who thankfully had passed out before she had heard the conversation.  His eyes filled with tears when he saw the sisters holding hands as they lay there in pain.
"What are we going to do?"  Healer asked helplessly.
"We have no choice..." Jupiter started.  Healer's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the woman she loved, the woman with whom she shared these children.
Kusso's head even snapped up.  "No-"
"Kusso, My Lord and Master, you know just as well as I do, for I follow your will, and protect your best interests," a tear fell down her cheek, "that I must kill my daughter and your wife, if we're to win this battle.  As of now, they're all liabilities.  And the only ones who can do anything, out of all four of the girls, are totally and completely against us."


Chapter 4

Mina, who had joined Fighter and Moon in the room, suddenly went limp.  Her legs just fell out from beneath her.  Fighter rushed to her side to help her.  Slowly they sank to the floor, Mina gripping tightly to her lover.
"What is it, Mina?" Cosmos asked worriedly.
"I just got mega-bad vibes... oh my god! The girls!"
"They're gone..."  The four in the room turned to look in the doorway.  Mina started to cry, while Fighter continued to hold her.  Sailor Moon's eyes went wide.  Mars stood there, looking down on Mina, with a sad look.
"They're not dead.. I'd know..." Mina cried through her tears.
"I do not know that... but we were trying to protect you guys, when Shaker got hit.  Mover and Lover tried to protect her, and actually held off, until Healer and Jupiter came up to them.  The bad guys stood back and Healer just swooped down and picked her up.  They all ran off towards the throne room as the onslaught continued.  We didn't even have time to help..."
"How did Healer look?  What was the uniform; the old one?"  Cosmos suddenly questioned.  Mars stopped for a second and thought.
"No... she looked.. like you Fighter, only dark... non-reflective... Jupiter too."
"Damn!  This means that Kusso's given them new powers!  We must hurry, come along!"
Cosmos ran out of the room and Sailor Moon followed without a thought.  Fighter had to help the upset Venus off the ground.  Mars came over and helped, and they all followed Cosmos towards the throne room.  
When they got into the hall, Mina could see the result of the battle she'd been a part of for awhile and then only heard.  All of Kusso's men lay dying on the ground.  Only some of the senshi remained standing.  Mina saw only herself, Fighter, Cosmos, Sailor Moon, Mars, Maker, Uranus, and Pluto before her.  
They all headed towards the throne room.  There may have been booby-traps, for none of Kusso's men blocked their way, but it only seemed that Kusso and the others were too preoccupied with other things.
They all barged right into the throne room, without hesitation.  Half of them set themselves ready to start attacking, but when they saw the scene that lay before them, they all stopped dead in the huge doorway.
All the captives, Hina, Jeremy, Michiru, Ai, Ashita, Kirei, and even Salla, were tied together in one big group in the center of the room.  Mina's breath caught in her throat.  Jupiter and Healer stood, glaring on the other side of the room, with the group between the two parties.  Cosmos strode confidently forward and glared at Kusso.
"Do you actually intend to kill them?!"
Kusso just looked back at her, eyes wide, as if he didn't understand the words coming from her.
It was Healer who spoke up.  "Of course we do!  You must be really stupid," She began pacing back and forth.  "do you think we'd bring our daughters here and do this to them, and not go through with it?!"
Sailor Moon spoke up, "Of course we do! Do actually think we'd believe that you'd be willing to kill your own daughters... just for this purpose?!"
Jupiter laughed. "Well, duh!" She held up her arm to display the charm that Kusso had placed on her.
"I can't say as they have much choice about the matter," Kusso said, walking up to Cosmos. He gave her a deep bow with a sarcastic smile, then slowly backed away. "Do it already."
Jupiter and Healer looked at each other with tears in their eyes.  Then they turned to their children and began to power up.  They planned to just blast them with raw energy so their new attacks wouldn't be given away.  They raised their arms in front of them.  The energy could be seen coalescing about their bodies and gathering at their hands.  They glanced once more at each other then fired.
A scream was heard echoing through out the hall before anybody had realized what happened.  The energy blast had blinded even Kusso, so no one knew who had screamed.  When everyone's vision cleared, Cosmos was laying on the ground, between the captive group and Kusso's evil henchmen.
Sailor Moon cried out and ran forward, picking Cosmos's head up and placing it in her lap.  The other senshi released the ones tied up... even Salla.
Sailor Moon spoke, tears running down her face, over the commotion. "Why? Why did you do this? You said there had to be loses and that they were going to die anyway... we need your help!"
"No," Cosmos said weakly, "I wouldn't have been able to help you.  At least now, you have more fighting power for this moment.  Seize your opportunities, Sailor Moon; seize the day!"
"I can't do this without you though!  Sailor Cosmos! Sailor Cosmos?! Sailor Cosmos!!!"  Sailor Moon screamed a blood curdling battle cry as Cosmos's body disintegrated and flew away.  She rose to her feet and glared at Kusso.
Kusso just looked to his wife and his in-laws in disgust.  "You fools!  You did it all wrong.. she was supposed to be overwhelmed with grief, not blood thirsty!!"
"They can't save you now.  They're not the ones to blame either.  It was you and you idiotic craze for power that lead you here.  I cannot tolerate it any longer.  I am the pretty sailor suited warrior, Sailor Moon.  In the name of the Past Moon, the Future Moon, and the Full Moon!! I will punish you!!!" 
Sailor Moon struck her battle pose and all the senshi lined up on either side of her, also in their battle poses.
Jupiter, Healer, Shadowhawk, and Kusso all lined up opposite the senshi.  The two factions stood and glared at each other for a full minute, trying to decided when and where to make the first move.
Suddenly the first blow was thrown.  All of the evil ones standing nearer to Kusso's thrown were smashed up against the wall behind them.  Kusso blinked.
Jupiter climbed to her feet and began shouting, "What the hell did you just do?!"
It was Mina who answered. "That's part of the power of being on the good side.  We fight together as one."
"That blast came from all of you?!" Kusso demanded.  That certainly explains why it was so powerful...
"Kusso," Sailor Moon shouted, "do you actually think we'd tell you how we do our fighting... you'll just have to watch and observe!"
And then another blast was thrown out against the New Moon forces.  This time Salla fell down unconscious.  Both Healer and Jupiter ignored her as they protected Kusso while he tended to her.  The senshi squared off again, and this time it was the New Moon forces who threw the blow.
"Jupiter!  Lightening-strike, ascend!"
It was the Sailor Senshi who taken off guard this time.  They expected Jupiter's strike to follow suit with most attacks, and have the power be directed from Jupiter.  But instead the senshi were all mildly electrocuted from the floor.  Sailor Moon jumped and squealed in her normal fashion, and only one senshi was down from the blast.  Once again, the two opposing forces stared across the room at each other defiantly.
Kusso finally joined up with his forces, standing slightly behind them. "Alright, let's get this over with already!  All this staring is boring the hell out of me!"

End of Part 8