"My! Aren't you the jealous one?" someone said behind her.
She whirled around quickly. "Who are you?" she asked the girl behind her.
"Someone who wants to thank you for being my bait. Earthly Might!"
Hoshi just had time to scream before she the attack could hit her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenshi hadn't gotten very far when she heard Hoshi yelling. She quickly turned around and ran back in time to see a stunningly attractive girl about to attack. She didn't hesitate, but ran at Hoshi and body tackled her, sending them both into the bushes, before the energy attack hit her.
Pretty sure Hoshi hadn't seen her, Tenshi transformed. Hoshi might not trust her, but Night Angel was a guy, and since his entire face was covered except for the eyes, she shouldn't be able to recognize that Tenshi and he were the same person.
"Daijoubu ka?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
She pushed herself off the ground, rubbing her shoulder where it had connected with the ground. "Where'd you-?"
He put a finger to his lips. "Stay here."
The violet-haired villainess had to be nearby, Night Angel knew. He pulled his b� out and concentrated on where she might be. She made it easier by offering her position up. "I know you're in there. Come out and maybe I'll play nice."
He did as she asked and jumped out of the bushes. But she wasn't counting on the b� he held up to her throat to keep her at bay. Still she kept her cool.
"Oh, a Knight," she said condescendingly. "I was hoping for a Sailor Senshi, frankly."
Night Angel tried not to let her get to him. He lifted her chin up with the b� and studied her. Her brownish-green eyes stared back, betraying not a hint of worry. Three magenta jewels glittered on her forehead, suggesting a bit of exoticism. Her face seemed almost too innocent to think she was seriously dangerous, but Night Angel knew better. Still, right now at the end of his b�, she didn't seem too threatening. Of course, she had mentioned the same about him. His response was a mocking, "I'll try to be challenging enough for you, princess. But first, what do you want with that girl?"
"Nothing. She's just a decoy to get you Senshi here. Pity. I was hoping for more. I'm Amethyst, by the way. I'll be taking over your planet."
And with that, she disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of purple smoke. Night Angel blinked. That was too easy. In fact, much too easy.
He whirled around just before an energy attack of some kind connected with him. He staggered back from it, almost into bushes, but managed to keep his footing.
"Pretty impressive," Amethyst said. "But not impressive enough." No sooner had she spoken than something seemed to sprout from the earth Night Angel stood on and coil around his legs.
"Nani?" Night Angel tried to move his legs but found they were restricted. And to make matters worse, the vine confining them continued winding its way up his body. "Wha- What is this?" he asked as he struggled against it.
"Oh, I forgot to mention my vine trap? It's great. The more you struggle the more effective it is. And no one's ever been able to get out of it."
Night Angel winced as the plant that had managed to weave itself all around him suddenly grew thorns that dug through his fuku and into his skin. But the pinpricks weren't the real source of harm. Pain flowed through his entire body.
"Not to mention the added bonus of being able to drain its hostage's energy down to nothing. Now, don't move." She walked calmly up to him and reached up to pull down his mask.
"Leave him alone!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hoshi didn't know what made her do it. The guy had come out of nowhere and when she looked in his cerulean eyes, they had inspired nothing but annoyance. But he had saved her life, and tried to keep her out of harm's way, so at the sight of Amethyst about to do who-knows-what to him, she felt she couldn't just sit there, hiding in the bushes. She ran at Amethyst, totally clueless about what she would do after she body tackled the girl.
She didn't even get that far. With amazing force, Amethyst backhanded her into the ledge around the fountain.
The last thing Hoshi thought before she hit was how stupid and worthless the whole effort apparently had been.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Both twins had run in the direction that Hoshi's scream had come from. Unfortunately, the gardens weren't that easy to navigate. Finally, they hit the courtyard.
"Hoshi! Night Angel!" Neko whispered, as she saw her friend unconscious on the ground and her Knight ensnared in some kind of vine. She could tell Night Angel was in pain as well. She froze in fear.
"Neko-chan, henshin yo," Mi-chan whispered to her. When she didn't respond, she repeated more forcefully, "Neko-chan!"
Neko seemed to come to her senses. She nodded and took out her henshin stick, as did Mi-chan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Haruka gave her wife a meaningful look. "Did you feel that?" it said.
Michiru nodded. Someone from beyond the solar system was using power here on Earth
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Now let's see what kind of dreams you have, Mr. Knight," Amethyst said, as she pulled down his mask. He had wisely stopped struggling against the vine, but still jerked away from her as she approached him. It didn't seem to bother her. "My, don't we have a pretty face," she complimented him, as she was still in a pleasant mood.
The mood quickly changed though as she was hit with a series of lightning bolts. She turned around quickly
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