Sailor Moon Millennium – Dark Sun Rising
Chapter # 19 – An Old Enemy : Lost In a Heartbeat –
Created Frbruary 3rd, 2002
By K.W. Isenor (sailor_sun_@hotmail.com) & Jason (Omartin6@home.com)

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"Sure it is, it made me laugh didn't it?" she teased before she noticed Jessica watching them, "slaggit I'm sure I had dose keys here somewheres" she said before Skorr handed her the keys to her cycle.

He grinned while she glared at him, "your not the only pick pocket my nightlily." He teased.

Tasha just shook her head before the cycle roared to life and the couple disappeared on down the road.

Jessica just looked at Tasha and Skorr, hoping that they weren't going to do anything stupid. And that they would enjoy themselves. Jessica sighed as she turned to go back into the house. Her parents had already left for the kitchen to clean up the dinner mess and her two young siblings had found their usually spots in front of the television set.

From another house Reikon Tou watched Sailor Sun, having already witnessed the events between Skorr and Sailor Eclipse the dark sorcerer had glowered distastefully at the couple.

Love was a stupid emotion, it had no place in the world and once he and his minions were done the world, correction every realm in the universe would belong to him and him alone ...

... once Skorr and his family were out of the way he thought before he looked at a small scurrying pool before he removed a knife and then slashed his right wrist letting the blood fall into the pool before him.

"Let her fear become the weapon that will destroy her." He chanted laughing as the pool began to glow a strange silver color, "and let her first victim be the one she holds above all others." he continued.

Turning back towards the front door Jessica slowly walked towards it. She could sense something, something from outside. She opened the door and looked out into the night, a car drove by and a dog barked in the distance. Other then that there was no sound, there wasn't even a sound as the wind blew through the trees, sending a cold chill down her spine.

But there was nothing to be seen, no threats anywhere, no nothing.

Before heading back inside she took another look around, but was yet again presented with nothing out of the ordinary. She turned and went into the house and up the stairs to her room.

Reickon watched her before he grinned then picked up a phone and dialled the number for her house. The phone rang and Jessica was the first to pick it up. "Yes I'm calling on behalf of the Halifax emergency" Reickon began calmly.

"Excuse me?" She said confused into the phone.

"This is 843-7385 correct?"

"Yes . . ." She said, wondering if this was just a prank call.

"Can you tell me who the insurance provider for a Miss Tasha James is ma'am?"

Jessica heart leapt into her throat. "What? Is Tasha alright? What happened?" She blurted out all at once.

"I'm sorry miss but she ... well she has been in an accident. I'm really sorry, their taking her to the emergency room now."

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Jessica demanded.

"Please miss calm down, now I understand that this is pressing but I need to know who her medical insurance provider is."

"I don't know, please tell me what happened! Is she going to be alright?"

"She has a broken arm and several lacerations and some broken ribs but other then that she is fine."

"Hold . . . hold on, I'll go get my parents."

"Alright." Reickon said grinning, knowing that his curse for Tasha had begun.

Jessica set down the phone with shaky hands and quickly made her way downstairs to tell her parents. She walked into the kitchen, with a look on her face as if she had just seen a ghost. "Mom, Dad you might want to pick up the phone . . . Tasha, Tasha has been in an accident."

She lay there in the white room, cuts and bruises coloring her face from both the collision with the other car, the pavement and the handle bars her black and green hair smeared a little with blood and some grease, her breathing shallow, an iv hooked up to her as well as breathing apparatus. 

Kat was there beside the bed along with Bianca both of them scared and concern for their friend  who lay there in the hospital bed, according to the doctor not only was Tasha with child but she'd also been causing herself to throw up recently. A fact which worried them both since they knew how self destructive Tasha could be at times - especially when she was scared and angry with herself.

Jeffrey and Harriet entered the room with Jessica and Kevin behind them. Harriet was crying and Jessica's face was white with fear, she looked at Kat and Bianca, not with anger or hate but with an understanding. They knew Tasha a lot better then Jessica or just about anyone else did, so they had every right to be there.

"Do you girls mind waiting in the lobby for a minute, we won't be long. We will call you in when we are done." Jeffrey asked kindly as he looked at the two girls with sad eyes.

Bianca looked as if she was going to argue but after getting a warning look from Kat she shrugged then walked out followed by Kat whose eyes regarded Jessica warily as she left the room. Jessica mouthed a 'Thank-you' as they walked by. Harriet walked up to Tasha's side with Jeffrey while Jessica and Kevin moved around to the other side of the bed.

Harriet looked down at Tasha, tears threatening to overtake her again as she looked at Tasha ... her niece seemed so ... small, so insignificant and it terrified her even more then the way Tasha acted at times.

Looking down on her battered cousin Jessica let the tears come. She had seen Tasha come back all beaten up, but that was nothing compared to what the young girl looked like now, she was lucky to be alive. Kevin held Jessica and rubbed his hand on her back as she cried softly into his shoulder.

"She'll be alright and get through this." Kevin said in a tone that didn't allow argue yet was still loving and kind.

Harriet cried as Jeffrey hugged his wife nodding in thanks to Kevin as he too looked at his niece with worry and concern inwardly hoping that she would make it. From his current dwelling Reickon Tou smiled evilly as he looked at the small orb he held in his right hand, it would be such a simple thing to crush it and end the life force of the beings inside it, but for the moment as much as he was loathed to admit it he needed Skorr alive.

Looking at the unconscious demi-god the sorcerer chuckled evilly, soon he would have everything he wanted. But for now he needed Skorr alive in order to siphon off his memories and in order to copy his powers, especially since he needed the next phase of his plan to work, turning to Baraka and Mileena he smiled cruelly, "go - have fun and enjoy yourselves." He commanded before he looked at another orb and the unconscious centaur within. "Soon, very soon" he stated before he turned back to the scurrying pond and watched Sailor Sun and her wretched family with disdain and contempt before he noticed Sailor Scourge and Sailor Malice waiting outside patiently.

Kat watched the family for a few moments, desperately wishing for a cigarette, both she and Bianca were nervous, what if the Walkers didn't want them hanging around Tasha?

Jessica and her family walked out of the room and turned back to Kat and Bianca. "Has she been conscious while you two where in there?" Harriet asked with a hopeful tone.

"No" Kat said biting her lip a little. "Keep remembering when I and Bianca first found her and took her in, she'd just been left in a ditch, beaten, broken and so on."

Jeffrey hugged his wife closely and nodded at the girls. "Will you two be staying here for the night?"

"Yep" Bianca said with shrug, "ain't no way we're gonna leave her."

"That is good of you girls. Your good friends." Harriet said through sobs. "We will also be staying close by, well at least Jessica and Kevin will be." She turned to her daughter and nodded her head.

"Mara's comin' soon so it'll git a little crowded." Bianca said looking in on Tasha.

"We will set something up with the doctors for you girls." Jeffrey said as he and his wife left the little lobby area and went down the hall to the floor desk.

Bianca watched before turning to Kat. "How kin we let them be near her?"

"Their her family too Bi." Kat said quietly

"We will try not to get in your way alright. But we care for her as well. You might have been there for Tasha when her life was the shits, but I am her family, her blood and she is mine." Jessica said as she looked towards Kat and Bianca. "Please understand that."

Bianca glared at Jessica angrily before Kat sighed. "Look, Jessica? We're all she knows, she may be the leader but she's just like us and we are family to her just as she is to us. Doesn't mean I'm going to say that you or your parents or siblings don't get a say, you obviously care about her a great deal." Kat said before looking at Bianca. "Go check and see if Mara's on her way."

"Why should Ahh?"

"'cause of Tasha." Kat said before she rubbed her head as the other girl left. "Sorry about Bi, she's not really all that trusting"

"I don't blame her; you all have gone through a lot. And it has been tough no doubt." Jessica smiled. "Thanks for being understanding about this."

Kat shrugged, "I can understand because we do care for her, may not be biological but we're blood sisters, kinda how we did our initiation and all. Your cousin whenever she wasn't self destructive would talk about you a lot. Always wanted to meet you." She said returning the smile.

Jessica nodded. "Thanks," she looked down the hall, her parents where still talking to the doctor. "Do you need anything at the vending machine?" She offered.

Kat grinned, "Bi's probably taking care of that now." She said with a wink, "and we don't have to pay either.

Jessica didn't know what to say to that but nodded her head and excused herself. She walked down to where her parents were, leaving Kevin with Kat.

Kat eyed him for a few moments before Bianca returned with a bunch of candy. "Still not answering her cell phone?"  Bianca shook her head.

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With a blast of energy a portal ripped open and then Shi-ryuu emerged followed by numerous demons, "it's soooo good to be back." He said with a grin.

With a laugh he watched from the shadows as the demons began their attack, "can't wait too see alll of the Stellars again." he said making himself invisible so that he could wait for the right time.

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Jessica walked down the hall and something caught her eye in the distance. There was fair flickering and she could see energy blasts going up in the air. She quickened her pace and went up to Kevin’s  side. "We have to go . . . NOW!"

"What? Why?" He asked confused. "What about Tasha?"

"The city is under attack again, but this time it can't be Tasha and her gang of Skorr, it has to be someone else. We have to go."

Kat watched them go before she smiled a bit, *your too impatient Shy* she said telepathically.

*Want to join the fun?*

*Sure*

Kevin nodded. "I'll call the others, you get down there."

With that Kevin and Jessica excuse themselves for a minute as they made a hasty retreat towards the elevator. Once inside they both transformed and Kevin contacted the other senshi on his com unit.

As soon as they left Kat turned to Bianca, "stay with her." She said before she vanished instantly transforming into Sailor Scourge.

She then reappeared in the shadows along with Shi-ryuu, "heys."

After getting off the elevator on the main floor both Sailor Sun and Daystar Knight ran out of the building and down the street towards the sounds of mayhem and terror.

A swarm of demons were attacking viciously as the duo began to fight the other demons more arrived all of them easily being bested by the Stellar Scouts and the Daystar Knight.

Four of the demons attacked hurling fire at them but Sailor Shaula's attacks nullified them then Sailor Spica attacked using her own attacks to destroy the demons.

Sailor Sun turned to the other senshi with raised eyebrows. "Aright did any of you notice how easy that was?"

The other nodded their heads. "Yeah, that was a lot easier then it normally has been." Sailor Capella admitted.

Loud clapping was heard from behind them and then a figure emerged from the shadows. "Hi guys." Shi-ryuu said with a grin, "miss me?"

The group of senshi turned around with shock and fear written all over their faces. "You . . . you were dead." Sailor Pollux said as she looked at the demon with wide eyes and a gapping mouth.

"Now that's not true, see? I'm tanned, I'm rested and I'm ready to have some fun." He crowed before Sailor Scourge emerged wrapping her right arm around his waist. "Did you guys miss me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Actually it was nice to be rid of you for awhile." Sailor Spica said smugly as she walked forward, not being afraid of the demon before her.

Shi grinned as he walked out, his skin now the color of fire itself. "I also ascended" he said snapping his fingers grinning as a circle of fire appeared around Sailor Spica.

The senshi of lava and fire still did not back down. She punched her hands together and the Spica Fire Gloves appeared in place of her normal senshi gloves. She snapped her fingers and two balls of fire formed in the palms of her hands. "Yeah so, that is only party tricks." She snapped her fingers again and a ring of fire leapt from her gloves to go around Shi-ryuu.

Shi looked at her and grinned as the ring of fire vanished. "I'm the demigod of fire now girl - your puny fire attacks can't harm me" he said before he directed the ring of fire back at her. 

With a smile Sailor Scourge summoned up thorny plants to attack the other Stellar Scouts. "Ya know Sailor Sun I don't appreciate you killing Shi. I mean he is my boyfriend after all or rather lover." She said as she faced Sailor Sun.

"Be that as it may, he was evil, and we are good. Good destroys evil hence the killing of your boy . . . lover."

Scourge's eyes glowed and instantly she attacked with her two twin swords Shi meanwhile attacking Spica laughing at her.  Shi grinned then snapped his fingers and demons made out of fire attacked the Stellar Scouts, "this is fun no? I mean here I am coming into my own and I've got the girl who loves me, whom I love at my side. Life is so fun!" he said with a grin.

"Thanks sweetie" Scourge said as she attacked Cappella with a flurry of kicks and punches.

"No problem Kit-kat" Shi teased.

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Shi for a moment, "call me that again and I will be knocking you upside the head."

Sailor Capella fell to the ground, bring down Sailor Shaula with her fall. The pair struggled to get up, both bruised and bloody.

Shi held up his hands in mock surrender before he began to attack Sailor Spica with several fire attacks of his own.

Scourge then turned and looked at Sailor Pollux, Sailor Sun and Daystar Knight. "Sailor Eclipse and Skorr are a pretty good team, interested in seeing how me and Shi are?" she asked mockingly.

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"Think their tooo scared Kit-kat." Shi said with contempt as he moved to stand alongside Sailor Scourge.

At that Sailor Scourge smacked him playfully across the arm, "I warned you."

"We aren't scared of either of you. We are just scared that you might get angry if we beat your asses!" Sailor Spica said angrily as she got into a fighting stance with the other Stellar Senshi.

"Ya know, you are beginning to piss me off girl." Scourge said angrily, nodding to Shi who cupped his hands together, then she did a small jump, used his hands as a springboard and flipped over Sailor Spica hitting her in the back hard with her right knee.

Shi for the most part had removed a sword made of fire and was attacking Sailor Sun and Daystar Knight. "I's been soo long hasn't it Sailor Sun? Remember when I used your fears against you? Remember when I stole your boyfriend’s heart stone?" he gloated.

Sailor Sun gritted her teeth and kicked Shi-Ryuu in the stomach, causing the creature to stumble backwards. She then jumped into the air and kicked the sword clear from the monsters hand. "Oh yes Shi, I remember it like it were yesterday. And I intend to make you pay for the pain that I went through." She swung the white blade of her sword making a diagonal cut where his heart would be.

Thinking quickly Shi formed a shield made of fire and then blocked her attack grinning, the fiery stripes on his body glowing as his tail wrapped around her and he then threw her onto the ground. "Give it up - I'm stronger and more powerful then before girl. And with every soul I take I will grow stronger."

"I will never give up!" Sailor Sun screamed as she took her blade and sliced his tail. Daystar Knight was there to catch her as Shi recoiled at the sudden attack.

He screamed then roared and spat fire at her like a dragon then began hurling fire balls at her, his tail bleeding before he crossed his hands on either side of his chest then his body was covered in fire for a few moments before the blood vanished and the wound on his tail healed itself, after a few moments the shroud of fire vanished and he looked at her with that smirk of his.

"That. Hurt!" he snarled before he hurled more fireballs at the couple.

Shielding himself and his love behind his cape Daystar Knight took the brunt of the attack even though his cape had some fire resistant powers it could not block all of the heat and scorching pain.

Sailor Shaula sent a wave of water over both her comrades and the monster, extinguishing the flames.

He stumbled back before he turned and glared at Sailor Shaula, his body looking as if it were smaller then before seeing that Shi had been weakened Scourge attacked causing four vines to erupt from the ground and wrap around Sailor Shaula, "do that again and I'll rip out your tongue." She said with a snarl before she moved to Shi's side, helping him to stand before she offered him her throat.

Growling he bent forward then bit into her neck, pulling back a few moments later before he looked at the other couple. "Later" he said and the two of them vanished in a flash of fire.

"That was slightly odd. . ." Sailor Pollux said as she helped Sailor Capella to her feet again.

"I would have to agree with you there." Takai said appearing out of nowhere along with Scorpion and Reptile. "But then those two were always out there." he replied nodding to the other two. 

"Where. Is. Skorr?" Takai demanded as he looked at Sailor Sun, while Reptile went invisible and Scorpion stood at the ready.

"We . . . we don't know. Him and Tasha went out, and got into an accident." She explained. Sailor Shaula looked on in the background trying not to look at Takai too much.

"You. Lie" He said angrily before he blasted Sailor Sun with dark energy watching angrily as she and the Daystar Knight were both hit. "He did not come home and I'd like to know what you did to him."

"She is not lying, go and ask Tasha. She might be able to tell you what happened if she is conscious." She stood in Takai's way so that he would have to hurt her to hurt any of the others.

Takai watched Shaula warily before Scorpion attacked from behind, his hook shooting out towards Sailor Pollux.

"GET OVER HERE!" Scorpion said, the hook wrapping around Sailor Pollux before he then started pulling her to himself.

Reptile reappeared behind Sailor Spica and Sailor Cappella, whom he then began to attack ruthlessly, Takai stood there eyeing Sailor Shaula debating whether or not he should attack her - he didn't want to hurt her but one of them knew where Skorr was - Reickon Tou had seen it in a vision.

*Don't lie to me Brooke; we know one of your number kidnapped him. Reickon saw it in a vision* he said telepathically.

*I promise you Takai that we didn't, Jessica just heard of the accident earlier this night. Tasha went out on a date and she got a call from someone about who Tasha's insurance provider was. And they went to the hospital.*

*Attack me* he told her.

*No, I can't*. She said as she just looked at him with a blank face.

*You have to, we can't just stand here looking at each other* he said looking at her getting ready for a fight. *I don't want to fight you but I have no choice.*

*I . . . I can't*

*You have to, I.. I can't just stand here and not fight. I have my orders and I have to fulfill them.*

*Fine.*

*I'm sorry* he said before he attacked a spinning kick to her right only to have her block it then hurl a water attack at him which he teleported away from before he appeared behind her, attacking her again his punches being met with her blocks. *You are doing fine* he told her as he blocked her own attacks. *Don't ever be ashamed of how well you can fight* he told her with a small smile.

*But I don't want to hurt you, I can't* She said as she found herself blocking more attacks then actually throwing her own.

*I don't want to hurt you either, but we need to play this hand through* he said before he dropped to the floor in an attempt to knock her off of her feet only she flipped over him, causing him to grin mentally. *Good move - you've been practicing* he said in approval.

* I try, but I will never be as good as you. * She admitted as she kicked at Takai’s feet hoping to trip him.

He blocked the blow and laughed a bit. *You will be in time water goddess*

He threw a punch only to have her easily catch it, then he threw another punch which she also caught he tried to head bang her but she moved her head to the side then judged him and he smirked getting up.

*Maybe I am getting better* She said proudly.

*You should be, you are after all linked to me* he said before a crackle of thunder was heard and a lightning bolt hit him in the back throwing him to the ground.

Quickly Takai back flipped up before he nodded to Scorpion and Reptile, he glared at Rayden who had appeared out of nowhere. "You have a habit of sticking your nose where it does not belong." He replied.

Rayden said nothing, before he hurled another thunderbolt which hit Reptile knocking the hapless lizard man onto his back before he vanished as did the other two.

"Thank you Rayden" Sailor Sun said as she looked at Daystar Knight and then the others. "You guys okay?

"Been better." Sailor Spica said as she got up, "first it was Takai, then Skorr now Shi. What's up with that?"

"Akajun used the amulet - there's no other way he could have resurrected Shi-ryuu." Rayden said slowly.

The amulet can resurrect people?" Sailor Pollux asked in surprise.

"It has the power to do that and so much more. When he first entered this world he took control of the weather, and every other form of power and then used it against me, during my war with him I was able to steal the amulet then I used it to banish him and his children to the Neatherealm."

"Great" Sailor Spica mumbled, "any way of getting it away from him?"

"You would have to enter the Neatherealm itself, I can not enter there. My powers would be useless."

"That sounds like a barrel of fun." Sailor Pollux joked.

Rayden laughed a little. "I came to warn you that another of the Apocalypse Scouts has been discovered. Sailor Maura - your own counterpart Sailor Shaula."

"This just keeps getting better and better." Sailor Spica said with a sigh.

"Rayden?" Sailor Capella asked. "Are they all our counterparts?" She asked slowly.

Rayden nodded. "Yes, Sailor Malice is Sailor Pollux's, yours is Sailor Scourge, Sailor Eclipse is yours Sailor Sun and the last one, Sailor Archais is your counterpart Sailor Spica." He admitted.

"So would Skorr be Daystar Knights then?" Sailor Sun asked.

He shook his head. "All three of them are." He said grimly, "be very thankful they have not fought together ... yet. Even without Kurai-ki they are far more powerful then anyone I have encountered."

Sighing Rayden smiled before he vanished in a flash of lightning without a word leaving them behind.

"I'm . . . I'm going to go see how Tasha is doing."

"Okay" the others said, Sailor Shaula looking sombre for a few moments as if something was bothering her, but she said nothing.

 

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Tasha lay there unconscious on the hospital bed. Bianca having already left, like before Tasha looked frail and small, she didn't look tough at all, instead she looked ... like the girl Jessica had known when they had been younger, but instead of a smile there was sadness, would her cousin ever wake up?

The monitor beeped, as the respirator continued it's steady beat, like before Tasha's breathing was shallow, most of her cuts and bruises had been attended to but there were still a few on her cousin's face as well as her neck, arms and legs. Was it not for these things keeping her alive though ... Tasha may as well be dead, and where was Skorr? Jessica wondered as she sat down beside her cousin.

Gently she took Tasha's left hand and squeezed it gently, would her cousin ever wake up? She wondered while looking on sadly.

She could feel the coldness of her cousin's hand, suddenly fear leapt into her chest, paining her heart. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes; she looked down at Tasha and feared for her cousin’s life. Her cousin wasn't in the hospital due to a battle, but from an accident and she didn't look good at all. Even the doctors seemed to be more worried then they were letting on. The tears began to flow freely down her face now as Jessica rested her head carefully on Tasha's cold hand.

As she cried a hand gently moved, squeezing her own as two eyes slowly opened revealing two tired jade green eyes, one of which had some scarring.

"He..y..ey..J..es..sy" Tasha said weakly, her entire body hurting as she tried to remain awake but she just felt so tired, her eyes growing heavy as they started to close, the heart monitor suddenly starting to emit a series of beeps, before she lapsed into unconsciousness, Jessica screaming frantically, doctors hurrying into the room.

"Clear!" one of them said removing two shock paddles.

"Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep" the heart monitor went ... and then she could hear nothing else.

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© 1999-2002. Sailor Moon Millennium: Dark Sun Rising is copyright material of K.W.Isenor also known as Sunrose and Jason along with any characters mentioned excluding the original Sailor Moon characters. Pretty Soldier Sailormoon is copyright of Takeuchi Naoko-sensei, TOEI animation, and other companies. This site and its stories are non-profit and are only for free entertainment purposes.

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