Chapter 13: Hell's Fury

‘God, will I even survive this to see Celeste again? Don’t think like that,’ Jonathan chided himself. Taking a deep breath, he faced Zephyr. He tried to brace himself for the next strike of wind.

Zephyr obliged, sending an attack that Jonathan managed to dodge. However, Jonathan was not as fortunate the next time. The windblast sent him flying down the hallway, landing in a heap several feet away from Zephyr. Groaning in pain, Jonathan labored to his knees.

“You are a good match for her,” Zephyr said, slowly walking down the hallway toward Jonathan. “I can’t think of a higher compliment than that. Now, enough of this. I can’t let you delay me anymore.”

Jonathan merely watched him approach. Every part of his body screamed in pain. He couldn’t even stand. ‘So, this is it.’

“Sol Corona Flare!”

Zephyr jumped aside, eluding the attack. With a malicious smile, he turned toward Sol. “Here, Sol, catch.”

The blast of wind sent Jonathan flying toward her. Realizing she had no true choice, Sol threw her staff aside. She tried to catch Jonathan, but the attack was too strong. She cried out as she and Jonathan slammed into a wall.

“Celeste?” Jonathan called softly, trying to move out of her arms.

“Easy, Jonathan. I’m here,” she replied. “Do you think you can stand?”

He tried but he leaned heavily on the wall for support. “I’m okay. You have to go after him.”

“You are not okay,” she protested.

“Celeste, he’s gone after Mara.” She paled. “You have to stop him.”

She nodded. "I will."

“Be careful, Celeste.”

“Aren’t I always?” And, with that, she was gone.

* * * * *

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Zephyr called. He listened but he heard no sound that betrayed her whereabouts. “No more games, Mara.”

He continued walking through the hallway toward the courtyard. “You’re only delaying the inevitable. You belong with us. You feel it.”

Again, he paused. There was still no noise, and he was running out of time. The guardian would be delayed, but not for long. Then, he noticed the door to one of the classrooms was slightly ajar.

“I’m coming for you, Mara. Yes, my sweet ‘bitter one,’ soon you will be home.”

* * * * *

Mara pressed herself further under a desk in the desert classroom. She felt foolish, hiding in the dark from a monster. However, if she let herself get caught, all of Sol’s battles would have been useless.

‘I don’t belong with him,’ she thought defiantly, wrapping her arms tighter around her knees. ‘I’m not like him.’

Suddenly, the door slammed opened, making Mara cringe. ‘How could he have found me so quickly?’ she wondered desperately. ‘Where is Sol?’

“Mara, I know you are in here. Aren’t you tired of these games? I know that I am.”

He carefully scanned the room. Zephyr headed toward the closet but kept listening for any noise that betrayed the girl’s presence. With a smile of triumph, he threw the closet door open.

Summoning her courage, Mara left the desk and ran for the hallway. He whirled and aimed a gust of wind at the door. However, he realized he was too late as the door slammed shut behind her.

With another blast of wind, Zephyr destroyed the door and followed the girl into the hallway. She was running toward the courtyard. Taking careful aim, he sent a strike above her head, shattering the windows.

Mara screamed and covered her face with her arms against the flying glass. As the wind died down, she lowered her arms and looked back at Zephyr. “What do you want with me!”

“What I’ve been telling you all along,” he replied, slowly walking toward her. “I want to take you where you belong, so you can be with other people who are like me and you.”

“I am nothing like you!”

He shook his head. “Is that what that woman tells you? Does Sol say she is protecting you from me?”

He continued walking toward her, slowly backing her against a wall. Mara’s eyes searched frantically for any means of escape, but she found none. “Please, leave me alone.”

Zephyr smiled as he closed the distance between them. “I can’t do that. You do belong with us, Hecate. You know that.”

“Leave me alone,” the girl whispered, pressing further against the wall. “Go away.”

He shook his head. “Our master is waiting.”

As he moved to grab her arm, a black circle of light appeared in the middle of Mara’s forehead. Zephyr stared at it for a moment before he noticed her eyes were now completely black. “What the hell?”

The burst of light sent him flying across the hallway. He glanced back at the girl, who was now dressed in a gray and black sailor uniform. In her hands, she held a black staff topped with a glowing red sphere and a curved silver blade.

Jumping to his feet, Zephyr sent a blast of wind in her direction. The girl didn’t move. She smiled and deflected the strike easily with her staff.

“What are you?”

“I am the Mistress of Shadows. I am the Warrior of the Dark Moon. I’m Sailor Hecate.” Again, the girl smiled. “What? Surprised?”

Sol rounded the corner and froze. She found Zephyr and a girl. It was the Dark Senshi, instead of Mara, that he was facing. Her dream was suddenly happening right in front of her.

“Mara! Stop. Don’t do anything!”

Hecate merely glanced in Sol’s direction before resuming her focus on Zephyr. “You were asked to leave, to go away. You wouldn’t listen. Now you will pay the price.”

“Mara!”

The blade of the staff sliced through Zephyr’s throat. Blood erupted. Like the dream, Sol found her hands coated with it.

“Hell’s Fury!”

A column of black energy encased Zephyr, trapping him completely. Then, with a flash of light, he was gone. As her eyes adjusted, Sol saw the crumpled form of the girl and ran toward her. She had already changed back into her normal form. As Sol stroked her hair, Mara stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

“Sol?” With a cry of joy, she sat up and hugged her guardian. “Thank God, you’re okay. How did you beat Zephyr?”

Sol continued to hug the girl. Was she serious? She didn’t remember anything about the battle? “That’s not important right now, Mara. The important thing is that you and Jonathan are okay. Come on. We need to check on the others.”

As she followed Mara back toward the auditorium, Sol wondered what she was going to do.


Hell’s Fury ‘God, will I even survive this to see Celeste again? Don’t think like that,’ Jonathan chided himself. Taking a deep breath, he faced Zephyr. He tried to brace himself for the next strike of wind. Zephyr obliged, sending an attack that Jonathan managed to dodge. However, Jonathan was not as fortunate the next time. The windblast sent him flying down the hallway, landing in a heap several feet away from Zephyr. Groaning in pain, Jonathan labored to his knees. “You are a good match for her,” Zephyr said, slowly walking down the hallway toward Jonathan. “I can’t think of a higher compliment than that. Now, enough of this. I can’t let you delay me anymore.” Jonathan merely watched him approach. Every part of his body screamed in pain. He couldn’t even stand. ‘So, this is it.’ “Sol Corona Flare!” Zephyr jumped aside, eluding the attack. With a malicious smile, he turned toward Sol. “Here, Sol, catch.” The blast of wind sent Jonathan flying toward her. Realizing she had no true choice, Sol threw her staff aside. She tried to catch Jonathan, but the attack was too strong. She cried out as she and Jonathan slammed into a wall. “Celeste?” Jonathan called softly, trying to move out of her arms. “Easy, Jonathan. I’m here,” she replied. “Do you think you can stand?” He tried but he leaned heavily on the wall for support. “I’m okay. You have to go after him.” “You are not okay,” she protested. “Celeste, he’s gone after Mara.” She paled. “You have to stop him.” She nodded. "I will." “Be careful, Celeste.” “Aren’t I always?” And, with that, she was gone. * * * * * “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Zephyr called. He listened but he heard no sound that betrayed her whereabouts. “No more games, Mara.” He continued walking through the hallway toward the courtyard. “You’re only delaying the inevitable. You belong with us. You feel it.” Again, he paused. There was still no noise, and he was running out of time. The guardian would be delayed, but not for long. Then, he noticed the door to one of the classrooms was slightly ajar. “I’m coming for you, Mara. Yes, my sweet ‘bitter one,’ soon you will be home.” * * * * * Mara pressed herself further under a desk in the desert classroom. She felt foolish, hiding in the dark from a monster. However, if she let herself get caught, all of Sol’s battles would have been useless. ‘I don’t belong with him,’ she thought defiantly, wrapping her arms tighter around her knees. ‘I’m not like him.’ Suddenly, the door slammed opened, making Mara cringe. ‘How could he have found me so quickly?’ she wondered desperately. ‘Where is Sol?’ “Mara, I know you are in here. Aren’t you tired of these games? I know that I am.” He carefully scanned the room. Zephyr headed toward the closet but kept listening for any noise that betrayed the girl’s presence. With a smile of triumph, he threw the closet door open. Summoning her courage, Mara left the desk and ran for the hallway. He whirled and aimed a gust of wind at the door. However, he realized he was too late as the door slammed shut behind her. With another blast of wind, Zephyr destroyed the door and followed the girl into the hallway. She was running toward the courtyard. Taking careful aim, he sent a strike above her head, shattering the windows. Mara screamed and covered her face with her arms against the flying glass. As the wind died down, she lowered her arms and looked back at Zephyr. “What do you want with me!” “What I’ve been telling you all along,” he replied, slowly walking toward her. “I want to take you where you belong, so you can be with other people who are like me and you.” “I am nothing like you!” He shook his head. “Is that what that woman tells you? Does Sol say she is protecting you from me?” He continued walking toward her, slowly backing her against a wall. Mara’s eyes searched frantically for any means of escape, but she found none. “Please, leave me alone.” Zephyr smiled as he closed the distance between them. “I can’t do that. You do belong with us, Hecate. You know that.” “Leave me alone,” the girl whispered, pressing further against the wall. “Go away.” He shook his head. “Our master is waiting.” As he moved to grab her arm, a black circle of light appeared in the middle of Mara’s forehead. Zephyr stared at it for a moment before he noticed her eyes were now completely black. “What the hell?” The burst of light sent him flying across the hallway. He glanced back at the girl, who was now dressed in a gray and black sailor uniform. In her hands, she held a black staff topped with a glowing red sphere and a curved silver blade. Jumping to his feet, Zephyr sent a blast of wind in her direction. The girl didn’t move. She smiled and deflected the strike easily with her staff. “What are you?” “I am the Mistress of Shadows. I am the Warrior of the Dark Moon. I’m Sailor Hecate.” Again, the girl smiled. “What? Surprised?” Sol rounded the corner and froze. She found Zephyr and a girl. It was the Dark Senshi, instead of Mara, that he was facing. Her dream was suddenly happening right in front of her. “Mara! Stop. Don’t do anything!” Hecate merely glanced in Sol’s direction before resuming her focus on Zephyr. “You were asked to leave, to go away. You wouldn’t listen. Now you will pay the price.” “Mara!” The blade of the staff sliced through Zephyr’s throat. Blood erupted. Like the dream, Sol found her hands coated with it. “Hell’s Fury!” A column of black energy encased Zephyr, trapping him completely. Then, with a flash of light, he was gone. As her eyes adjusted, Sol saw the crumpled form of the girl and ran toward her. She had already changed back into her normal form. As Sol stroked her hair, Mara stirred and slowly opened her eyes. “Sol?” With a cry of joy, she sat up and hugged her guardian. “Thank God, you’re okay. How did you beat Zephyr?” Sol continued to hug the girl. Was she serious? She didn’t remember anything about the battle? “That’s not important right now, Mara. The important thing is that you and Jonathan are okay. Come on. We need to check on the others.” As she followed Mara back toward the auditorium, Sol wondered what she was going to do.


Chapter 14: A Hard's Day Night Sailor Sol: Battle Against the Winds