Chapter 8: Niji Kaiou, Stoic Child! Attack of the Evil Senshi! “Mama, what should we do? Should we go try to find Kaori-oneesan and bring her back to our side?” Chibi asked that evening. Minako looked into her younger daughter’s blue eyes sadly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The reason we could find Rei-chan the other time was because the enemy gave us a place to find her at,” she pointed out. Chibi understood. “Actually, it’s more likely that they’ll have her and Megumi-san attack us. And when they come, we’ll be ready,” she said with determination, clutching her pendant. Akane gazed despondently at a photo on her bedroom wall. It was a picture of when Setsuna had let her, Megumi, and Mika come visit her architect’s studio. When were they going to be able to have fun times like that again? Would she ever get to see Megumi again; not as Anti-Chibi Pluto, but as her regular, non-evil Senshi self. These thoughts were going through Akane’s head when Setsuna and Mika came into the room. “I want Megumi back. I want her back as a Senshi who helps us again,” she said, starting to cry. “Niji-san, you shouldn’t have tried to fight them!” Kuniko was begging. “Look at it this way. At least she wasn’t turned evil! Broken legs are easier to take care of than the affliction of evil energy,” Chikara said cheerfully. Niji didn’t even look at them. She was sitting on her bed, right leg hanging over the edge and her left leg, in a cast, propped up on a pillow. She was cradling her transformation brooch in her hands, staring at it and thinking. Why was she so weak? The power of Neptune should be strong; it should’ve been able to beat those two Anti-Senshi. Instead, she had to be rescued by those she considered to be ditzy wimps. Were they the weak ones, or was she, the strong, stern, stoic one, the truly weak Senshi? Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Princess Usagi and her two daughters, Kodachi and Himeko. Chikara and Yumemi sprang off the bed. “My Queen and Princesses! What are your inquiries?” asked Chikara, bowing gracefully. Usagi giggled. “I’m not the Queen yet, silly. And we’re just going around to the afflicted homes and asking what we can do to help you,” she explained. “Our home is afflicted...you’re referring to what happened to Niji-chan, right? Well, unless you have a magic healing potion with you, there isn’t much you can do. I think Niji-chan would like to be alone, too. She seems like she’s thinking about her Senshi brooch,” Yumemi said. “Yes, let’s depart and find how to conquer our fiendish friends!” Chikara announced, striking a battle pose, then smacking into the wall. Usagi, Yumemi, and Kuniko sweatdropped, but Niji didn’t even notice. Meanwhile, in the other dimension, Basil was talking to Anti-Chibi Pluto and Anti-Chibi Venus. “There is a girl that we need you to get for us. She is the elusive Niji Kaiou,” he said. “Why her? Why not the Queen or one of her kids?” asked Anti-Chibi Venus, feeling strong enough to take on the royal family. “Because they aren’t as fun to see squeal. It’s much more fun to torture a stoic girl until she finally gives in,” Basil explained, slowly and evilly. Anti-Chibi Venus’s eyes brightened. Well, with the prospect of evil fun, maybe Niji WAS a better target. “Yes, she will be easy to beat. I was able to completely overpower her,” added Anti-Chibi Pluto, sounding confident for the first time in her life. “To win, we must figure out how to turn them back to being good again,” Usagi said. “I thought it was their choice. We should just get rid of them for abandoning us in the first place,” Himeko said coldly. Chikara suddenly lunged at the lavender-haired girl, grabbing her slight frame violently. “How dare you say that!!! It’s because they WERE Senshi in the first place that we can get them back to our side!” she shouted. Usagi put her hand on Chikara’s shoulder. “Enough. Don’t hurt my daughter. You’re both right, I think. We should be able to get them back to our side, but they will probably need some sort of punishment for running to the evil,” she said wisely. “Maybe the punishments should be left up to Meiou-san and Aino-san,” Kuniko suggested quietly. Yumemi thought of something. “Chikara-san, didn’t you say that Megumi-sempai hates herself and wants to be an introvert like Setsuna-san?” she asked. “Yes, but what does that have to do with her going to the evil side? That won’t make her have a quieter personality, just a meaner one,” Chikara pointed out. “That’s right. Maybe it IS better for me to be an extrovert,” said a familiar, but now evil-sounding voice. Anti-Chibi Pluto and Anti-Chibi Venus were standing in the doorway, along with Basil. “What do you want?” Usagi snarled, touching her brooch. “We want to see Niji Kaiou,” Anti-Chibi Venus replied calmly. “You are NOT going to hurt my little sister! Song Celestial Power!” “Uranus Prism Power!” “Moon Eternal Power!” “Moon Prism Power!” “Infinity Cosmic Power!” “Comet Cosmic Power!” “Make Up!” The 6 Senshi transformed, ready for battle. When they looked at the doorway, however, the three villains were gone! “Where did they go?!” gasped Sailor Song. “Where do you think they went? They’re probably attacking Niji-chan as we speak,” said Sailor Moon urgently. Oddly enough, what they found wasn’t an attack but an attempt at convincing Niji to join the evil side as well. “Come on. Don’t you want to be powerful like us?” Anti-Chibi Pluto cajoled. “And it’s much more fun to be evil,” added Anti-Chibi Venus. “That’s not true! Don’t you get bossed around there by the other villains?” Sailor Infinity blurted out, her green ponytail bobbing as she leapt into the room, followed by the other 5 Senshi. Anti-Chibi Venus suddenly flinched as the Venus symbol on her forehead started flipping over and back again a bunch of times. “Don’t you see? I’m sure Mama and I aren’t bossy to you, Kaori-san!” Sailor Moon shouted. “Yes, Megumi-sempai! Remember your dream? You want to be quieter, right? Doing this villain business is only making you be more aggressive!” added Sailor Comet. Almost simutaneously, the two Senshi’s forehead symbols returned to their proper positions, and there was a flash of light as their outfits returned to normal. “What?!” Basil yelled, shocked and angry. “Chikara-chan is right. Becoming evil didn’t help my dream of becoming reserved one bit,” Chibi Pluto retorted. “And I can have more fun here, where YOU aren’t telling me who to attack!” finished Chibi Venus. Basil started glowing with a strange energy. “How dare you do this kind of thing and betray us!” he shouted, and then he threw a bunch of colorful slime at the two reborn Senshi. Like a flash of aqua water, Niji suddenly threw herself in the path of the attack, protecting Chibi Venus and Chibi Pluto. “Hey! Now we’ll stop YOU! Venus Rolling Heart Vibration!” “Chronos Typhoon!” “Space Turbulence!” Chibi Venus, Chibi Uranus, and Chibi Pluto all shot their attacks at Basil, who teleported away to his dimension.