Alina GOM: Pyramids of Ice Chapter 5 AN: 1. Actually,this is really chapter 4 continued, but the document got so long I split it up. 2. This picks up immediately after the last scene. "Plenty"--Sarah Maclaclan I would not let myself believe that you might stray and I would stand by you no matter what they might say I thought I'd be with you until my dying day **************** PRESENT--STANTON TOWER ************** "Give up...you're surrounded." A dark haired woman said....Hino he realized. Her face lost its composure when she looked at him, repeating the same word. "If we were playing Chess that might matter...but we're not..so you'll just hand me all your transformation pens." "No way Creep Face" Moon shouted. "Why would we do a dumb thing like that!? We've beaten you before, and we can do it again." "Oh really? I think not. If you refuse, I'll explode this building...and everyone inside. You won't have time to rescue them." The wall behind him slid open, revealing a helicopter hovering. "You won't have time to try." Jupiter said crossing her hands, the familiar jewel rising from her tiara. "Let's double team him, Mars " "Mars Celestial--" "Jupiter thunder---" "STOP" Mercury screamed. Jupiter blinked and looked at Mercury, who'd run in the path. "The attack will just bounce back...he'll use it against us." Mercury continued to analyze the situation. "Ah, the sweet voice of reason." Sineheart laughed. "Yes why don't you cooperate with me...you've lost my game, stop fighting my power.." "I'm not playing your game." Mercury said spinning back to face him. "But I won't give up.... I can't forgive what you've done!" Inside her mind she calculated the possibilities. He'd tried his gambit of forced sacrifice. He'd maneuvered his pawns into the line of attack to stage a trap. Mercury turned her head and surveyed the room. Spying a spigot for the sprinkler system, she turned towards Mars. "Trigger the Fire Alarm" She called. Mars nodded. Mars generated a blast of flame which hit the sensitive fire alarm. Immediately the sprinkling system went off. Klaxons blared through the building, instructing people to leave the building as quickly as possible. Sineheart stared dumbfounded at the quick response. He'd figured his threat would buy him time, and control of the information. He was so close and he didn't really *want* to destroy them. He wasn't sure he could...yet...he hadn't expected her to strike back. "There go your hostages."Mercury replied. "You'll never make it to your little helicopter. The minute you open that door, we'll attack it." "Nice move, but the game continues." He smiled. "Any attack you throw at me, my machine absorbs. Your hands are tied. But mine are not. I'll just take the wands from you when you can't resist.." A wave of dark energy swept forward spiraling towards Mercury. She dodged barely avoiding the energy which hit the walls, knocking down a hole. "It's a pity to destroy you." He said. "Then why try?" She said. "What do you hope to gain?" Mars dodged a blast heading her way. A slew of roses hit the shield, it flickered for a second and the black roses sprayed back out at them. "The question is what do I have to lose." Sineheart said. * * * * Venus was running out of ways to stall EZ. Maybe she wasn't thinking about it hard enough. Ordinarily, keeping the attention of a guy she liked wouldn't have been an unpleasant task, but right now she wanted to be with the others. What's going on in there? Besides, she had to admit there wasn't much fun about entertaining a guy who didn't think he was with *her*. Somehow she'd convinced him to take a stroll through the park that lay opposite the building. They stood in the Gazebo, in the center of the park which gave them a good vantage point of the building. Then everything happened all at once. "What's that helicopter doing hovering there?" EZ asked looking up. They both noticed the crowd of people rushing out of the building. "Look at all those people." Venus replied. "Hey, isn't that Greg?" Ez said as someone ran past them. Venus caught a glimpse of Greg running into the building. "I've got to stop them!" She said taking off after the two of them. At the superhuman pace she could move, she took off and caught up with Field. "Greg!" She yelled "Don't go in there!" He didn't even turn. "Venus, call the others, Amy's in trouble." She wondered briefly how he knew her, despite the disguise. Field didn't see through it, he was a few steps behind Greg. "Amy, what happened? Did it work?" He asked "Where's Lita?" "I'm Venus, and I don't know. Something must have gone wrong." Her communicator beeped and she switched it on to see the room, the edge of Mercury's skirt and observe the details of the fight. She heard Sineheart threaten and reveal his escape route plan. "I've got to stop him." She said, looking up. If only she could fly. "Amy, what's going on?" EZ said, finally catching up to her, out of breath. "You ran so fast..." "Field, watch EZ for me." Venus said. She ran into the building, up to a floor above where she'd seen the helicopter. She smashed out a window and threw her chain, and leaped into the cockpit of the helicopter. "Land this thing right now." She said to the pilot. It, for it appeared to be a robot, ignored her demand. "Request denied." "All right, then, I'll do it." She reached over the Robot, which raised a hand to stop her. She blocked it's grab. "Guess I need to reprogram you!" She said to it. "Let's see..." Inside the room, Mercury saw Venus (though still looking like Amy) jump into the Helicopter hovering outside. A series of sparks ensued, and Mercury barely dodged Sineheart/Zoicite's attacks. Could Venus cut off his escape route? Was she being attacked? She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the copter stumble for a minute, then rise and disappear. Greg sped through the stairwell, his breath raging in huge gasps that hurt. Finally after an eternity of climbing he felt something. She was near--but where? Suddenly a blur sped by him to the floor below. He was sure he'd seen blue hair--so he followed. "AMY!" He called. To his shock, he heard Venus call out "Greg, get out of here, it's dangerous." She cast Venus' chain and jumped out the smashed window of the lobby area, swinging with a crash into the hidden room below. Greg leaned over perplexed. A voice behind him called "Hold the drapes, I'm going after her." Moon sprawled on the ground, her posterior smacking the ground as she tripped over a beam of energy. "Now, I'll show *you* punishment!" Laughed Sineheart, advancing away from the yawning window behind him. Venus' voice rang out "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" The shield absorbed the energy and shot it right back at her. She slipped, momentarily stunned. "His shield deflects our attacks, Venus" Mercury said. "Now you tell me" She murmured wearily. She felt EZ's hands steady her. How had he gotten here? Sineheart watched in confusion as three people in succession entered the room. One was a beautiful girl, recovering from being hit, who looked oddly familiar to him, as did the one called Mercury. The next one he didn't know, but realized wasn't a threat. He gasped in shock at the third. "What's going on in here?"Spade demanded, in unison with Greg, as he caught Venus. "Amy are you all right?" He asked her. "Spade, get out of here." Sineheart said. "These people are attacking me..." "So, Stepdad, no hello for the long-lost son?" Field asked as he entered. Sineheart turned to see Field stepping off the makeshift drapery ladder which the three had used to enter the room. He blanched visibly. "You're dead." "I'd love to say the same to you." Field said viciously. "But, no I'm not." "Not Yet" Sineheart said as he began to back up, the shield pulsing with light it struck out and hit Field. The force spiraled his body out the window. Jupiter screamed and charged forward, bouncing off the shield. "Detransform or I knock your other friends out as well." Mercury felt the room spin, but she fought for control. She had to think. Greg looked at her, and realized she needed time...they needed to stall. "Are you mad!?" Spade said, in shock. "What's going on Sineheart?" "EZ, I don't want to hurt you...but this is a dangerous situation, you shouldn't have come." Sineheart said. "The way I see it, your the one that's in trouble, Sineheart." Greg said... "This is your building, so how are you going to hush this up? You can't just kill all of us...If you push us out the window, the people on the street will see. Besides, they're not going to be so easy to kill... Whatever you want, I suggest we negotiate." That interchange gave Mercury time to think. She frowned, analyzing the device. If only they could shut it down somehow... They couldn't reach it unless they got inside that barrier She looked over at Jaedite. "Can you get Venus past that barrier of his?" She called while Sineheart spoke to EZ and Greg, distracted. "I've got enough power back now, yes." His eyes held the rest of the question which he didn't ask as he moved closer to EZ and Venus. Mercury nodded. She turned to the still stunned Venus. "You get the device, he'll cover." "What?" Venus asked confused. "Trust me." She looked up at Greg too, thanking him for buying them time. SailorMoon was pleading with Sineheart not to hurt anyone, as Mars restrained Jupiter from charging again. "We'll cooperate." She said, not seeing a choice. Tears ran down her face as she thought of Field, and Greg standing there. Sineheart smiled in victory. "Spade, you've just witnessed a great day for me....why don't you join me and make my victory that much sweeter? I will offer you unlimited power! I will unravel the secrets of the universe!" "Join you? Your mind is unravelled...I don't know what's going on but you're a murderer" EZ broke off his response to Sineheart noticing that the girl in his arms had disappeared. Suddenly two people appeared inside the small space of Sineheart's field. They watched as Jaedite punched the stunned Sineheart, and began to grapple with him. Venus (appearing as herself now, the transport destroying the illusion Jaedite had created earlier) grabbed and pushed the control box. "How does this work?" She muttered, as it exploded when she touched it. The shield disappeared. "good enough." She smiled. Sineheart pulled a stone knife and stabbed Jaedite in the thigh, when Jaedite turned his head to look at Venus and the explosion. Mars screamed Jaedite's name, and ran forward. A rush of wind pushed her back, as Neflite appeared next to the fighters. "That's for me." He said, decking Sineheart in the jaw. "That's for my family" With another blow to the back of the neck Sineheart slumped, like a doll to the ground. "And this is for touching *Lita*" He said about to kick Sineheart in the head. EZ grabbed him, the kick swinging and hitting the shoulder instead. "Stop or You'll kill him" EZ shouted as Neflite struggled, easily shrugging him off. "GOOD." Neflite said coldly. This time Mercury and Greg both blocked the attack. "Get out of my way!" Neflite yelled. "Let him get what he deserves!" Mercury looked up. "Do you want his death on your hands?" Greg added "I don't know who you are, but whatever he's done to you, don't let him turn you into him." Jaedite, weak, but determined reached out and touched the fallen man on the head. "Remember" He said removing the natural memory blocks all at once. And then all Zoicite could do was scream. ********************** *******************************... @)--------> PAST--Silver Millennium *********)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)* "I knew you would come." Zoicite said, staring at his fellow generals. He stood beside Beryl, his Queen in the great hall of her fortress. The once proud land now lay covered in Ice, the castle the only livable spot in the wasteland. An Eerie glow of energy lit the room, and the astonished faces of the Generals. Zoicite's mind wandered briefly. Was it only seconds ago, that he'd pledged himself to Beryl? And yet a small part of him resisted, persisting in conjuring up the image of a sweet smile below ocean-deep eyes. The fragment floated in the void that was now his life. So much of his past was hazy, and distant. But he knew these men... "I don't want to harm you...but I follow Beryl now." "Make them my Generals, Zoicite." Beryl commanded as she vanished. "Let them feel the force of the dark ones run through them...but remember, since you're memory was damaged, I need one of them to reveal how to access the Moon Kingdom." "TRAITOR" Jaedite yelled, about to attack as Neflite held him back. "You've been mind-wiped Zoi, we've got to help you." Malachite said. "And get you out of here." Neflite added. "I don't need help." Zoicite laughed. He hesitated. "If you don't resist, it'll make things easier." "We're not leaving without you." Neflite argued "So don't resist." "I'll have to destroy you then." "You wouldn't." Malachite said. "I know you." "What I want changed. What I am changed. The man you knew is dead." Zoicite said. "I hear her voice now. I do not serve Endymion." "Endymion is your Prince--"Neflite started putting his hand out to Zoicite.. "Shut up." Malachite said. "That honorless coward, has no place in this. I' don't serve him either. I'm here to save you from Beryl." "Then you're too late." Zoicite said. He rose into the air, shoving Neflite to the floor. Jaedite jumped forward and stabbed him in the thigh with his sword. To his shock, green blood squirted forth. He stumbled backwards. "What are you?" He asked. Neflite rose, his face mirroring the expression on Jaedite's face. "Taste the power that is the Negaverse, the dark kingdom of power." Zoicite. "ZOI" He cried flinging a flurry of petals that knocked out both Jaedite and Neflite. He looked at Malachite. "Believe me, the way *SHE* converts you is more painful... Your memory stripped, your soul ripped out. I'll spare you that......you'll know who you are...." Taking the knife from his thigh, Zoicite closed the distance between him and Malachite. Malachite stepped forward. "What has she done to you?" "Given me eternal life, youth and enormous power. Join me. Fight by my side again, this time for a worthy ruler." He took the knife and handed it to Malachite. "She's given me part of her life force, and cleansed my form of that pitifully weak humanity." "We'll cure you, we'll find away..."Malachite said grabbing Zoicite's shoulders. He didn't notice the two monsters silently carrying away the forms of Neflite and Jaedite. "It won't hurt a bit." Zoicite said licking the knife, and then forcing the drops of the green fluid down Malachite's throat with a kiss. "Welcome to the Negaverse, General Malachite." Zoicite could remember his own transformation. The image and experience stood out in his mind like a lighthouse in a storm. How his entire body inverted itself... From what he no longer remembered, but then, he no longer cared about the gaps in his memory. Malachite was with him now. The one person he remembered with clarity. He smiled as he felt the surge of his friend's life force exchanging with his. "What.."Malachite stumbled, but Zoicite held him. "You are joining the Negaverse, its glorious isn't it?" His voice was lilting, exhilarated. Yet that feeling did not stop the blue shadow from flitting across Zoicite's mind. Blue Eyes, a shy smile and a field of squares and statues. What was this memory? Why did it torture him? END OF CHAPTER