Chapter 21: Facing the Nightmare

Scorpios glanced at Galena with narrow eyes as she entered the main chamber. She mechanically knelt at the foot of his throne, keeping her eyes on the ground. He gestured her to stand and rose from the ornate chair.

"Where's Gypsum?" he asked, tipping her chin to make her look at him.

"One of the outer corridors," she replied evenly.

Scorpios smiled. "So, you finally managed to settle that old score between you two. I must say that I'm impress, Galena. Very impressed."

She stood motionless, her eyes betraying no emotion.

"Yet," he continued, his tone cold and biting, "I know of your interference. You should have taken Sol up on her offer and left, Elena."

He was disappointed that she didn't cry out in pain or beg for mercy as his hands locked around her throat. Her yellow-green eyes just looked steadily into his. His grip suddenly slacked as he realized that her eyes seemed to be thanking him.

With a roar of disgust, Scorpios threw her to the floor. She slowly propped herself up with her arms and studied him with a questioning look. However, he stared at the angry red marks his fingers left on her pale throat.

"Why did you stay, Elena?" he demanded.

"I have nothing to go to. I have nothing but you."

"I am not Charon!"

"I know," she replied, continuing in her soft monotone.

He stared at her. She remained motionless, waiting for his command to move. 'Damn her,' he seethed. 'Damn her and her foolishness.'

"Get up," he ordered.

She rose to her feet, whipping her purple hair over her shoulder. He walked slowly to her, circling. Finally he faced her again.

"I can't have you interfering," he said. "I could forgive what you did to Gypsum. I have been waiting for you to finish that score. But you tried to help Sol escape. For that, I can't forgive you."

The blast sent Galena flying back into the wall. Scorpios calmly walked across the room and grabbed her by the throat. Her eyes locked briefly with his before closing for the final time.

With a satisfied smile, he let her drop to the floor. He would not let anything, or anyone, stand between him and Sol. Without a glance back, he left the room and headed down a corridor.

* * * * *

Sol shifted Jonathan's weight across her shoulders. Her muscles of her back and arms were burning from supporting his weight. "Just a little further," she muttered softly.

She heard a sound and turned as quickly possible. Sol's eyes narrowed as the figure emerged from the shadows. Scorpios gave her a leering smile.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Does everyone around here ask such stupid questions?"

Scorpios laughed, the sound chilling as it reverberated off the walls. He waved a hand and the surroundings suddenly blurred. Shaking her head, Sol looked around in disbelief.

"Where are we?" she demanded, tightening her grip on Jonathan.

"My favorite room in this whole fortress," he declared, sweeping his arms around. "Don't you remember, Ten-chan? Don't you remember this room?"

Sol swallowed hard. She scanned the room, stopping as her gaze turned near the throne. Shaking her head, she gasped. "No. Oh, no."

Scorpios strolled casually across the room. He nudged the form on the floor with the toe of his boot. He turned to Sol with a smile.

"I didn't know you cared so much about Elena, Ten-chan, especially considering that you ruined her life."

"That is not true," she stated steadily.

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

He walked over to her, looking down at her. "Think of all the lives that have ended prematurely once they came in contact with you. How many are there? How many lives how have you wasted in the futile hope of protecting this system?"

"What do you want from me, Scorpios? Why go through all of this to get to me?"

"I need your power, Sol."

"I can't let you do that," she replied icily. "Now let Jonathan go."

"You really care a lot about him, don't you?"

She stared at him. "Jonathan is the one friend I have. I have to protect him."

Scorpios smiled. "Then it is time for our final battle, Sol."

Sol carried Jonathan to a corner and arranged him as comfortably as she could. She fought not to look at Elena's crumpled form just a few feet away. She needed all of her strength for this battle. She had to get Jonathan out of there, especially since she had now lost Elena.

She turned and rose to her feet. As Shinsei Tennyo, she had sparred against Charon. She won, but just barely. Scorpios had Charon's power, if not more. She formed the Sun Staff and walked to the center of the room, taking a defense stance.

"I'm ready."


Facing the Nightmare Scorpios glanced at Galena with narrow eyes as she entered the main chamber. She mechanically knelt at the foot of his throne, keeping her eyes on the ground. He gestured her to stand and rose from the ornate chair. "Where's Gypsum?" he asked, tipping her chin to make her look at him. "One of the outer corridors," she replied evenly. Scorpios smiled. "So, you finally managed to settle that old score between you two. I must say that I'm impress, Galena. Very impressed." She stood motionless, her eyes betraying no emotion. "Yet," he continued, his tone cold and biting, "I know of your interference. You should have taken Sol up on her offer and left, Elena." He was disappointed that she didn't cry out in pain or beg for mercy as his hands locked around her throat. Her yellow-green eyes just looked steadily into his. His grip suddenly slacked as he realized that her eyes seemed to be thanking him. With a roar of disgust, Scorpios threw her to the floor. She slowly propped herself up with her arms and studied him with a questioning look. However, he stared at the angry red marks his fingers left on her pale throat. "Why did you stay, Elena?" he demanded. "I have nothing to go to. I have nothing but you." "I am not Charon!" "I know," she replied, continuing in her soft monotone. He stared at her. She remained motionless, waiting for his command to move. 'Damn her,' he seethed. 'Damn her and her foolishness.' "Get up," he ordered. She rose to her feet, whipping her purple hair over her shoulder. He walked slowly to her, circling. Finally he faced her again. "I can't have you interfering," he said. "I could forgive what you did to Gypsum. I have been waiting for you to finish that score. But you tried to help Sol escape. For that, I can't forgive you." The blast sent Galena flying back into the wall. Scorpios calmly walked across the room and grabbed her by the throat. Her eyes locked briefly with his before closing for the final time. With a satisfied smile, he let her drop to the floor. He would not let anything, or anyone, stand between him and Sol. Without a glance back, he left the room and headed down a corridor. * * * * * Sol shifted Jonathan's weight across her shoulders. Her muscles of her back and arms were burning from supporting his weight. "Just a little further," she muttered softly. She heard a sound and turned as quickly possible. Sol's eyes narrowed as the figure emerged from the shadows. Scorpios gave her a leering smile. "Leaving so soon?" "Does everyone around here ask such stupid questions?" Scorpios laughed, the sound chilling as it reverberated off the walls. He waved a hand and the surroundings suddenly blurred. Shaking her head, Sol looked around in disbelief. "Where are we?" she demanded, tightening her grip on Jonathan. "My favorite room in this whole fortress," he declared, sweeping his arms around. "Don't you remember, Ten-chan? Don't you remember this room?" Sol swallowed hard. She scanned the room, stopping as her gaze turned near the throne. Shaking her head, she gasped. "No. Oh, no." Scorpios strolled casually across the room. He nudged the form on the floor with the toe of his boot. He turned to Sol with a smile. "I didn't know you cared so much about Elena, Ten-chan, especially considering that you ruined her life." "That is not true," she stated steadily. "Really? Are you sure about that?" He walked over to her, looking down at her. "Think of all the lives that have ended prematurely once they came in contact with you. How many are there? How many lives how have you wasted in the futile hope of protecting this system?" "What do you want from me, Scorpios? Why go through all of this to get to me?" "I need your power, Sol." "I can't let you do that," she replied icily. "Now let Jonathan go." "You really care a lot about him, don't you?" She stared at him. "Jonathan is the one friend I have. I have to protect him." Scorpios smiled. "Then it is time for our final battle, Sol." Sol carried Jonathan to a corner and arranged him as comfortably as she could. She fought not to look at Elena's crumpled form just a few feet away. She needed all of her strength for this battle. She had to get Jonathan out of there, especially since she had now lost Elena. She turned and rose to her feet. As Shinsei Tennyo, she had sparred against Charon. She won, but just barely. Scorpios had Charon's power, if not more. She formed the Sun Staff and walked to the center of the room, taking a defense stance. "I'm ready."


Chapter 22: The Final Battle Resurrection: Sailor Sol Sarah's Sanctuary