Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or Sailormoon. Hey Arnold! is owned by Nickelodeon and created by Craig Bartlett. Sailormoon is owned/created by Naoko Takeuchi.
Note: For the sake of clarity, whenever a character is in their transformed state, their name will be given in italics.
For example:
Helga G. Pataki = Helga
Sailor Moon = Helga
The girls all sat solemnly in a circle in Helga's room, with Diana taking up the space in the centre. Liam sat quietly on the bed, in silence.
"Wow," said Rhonda. "I can't believe that this is it."
"After all we've been through," continued Phoebe. "It could finally be over."
Lila winced at the word 'over'.
"Come on, you guys," cautioned Patty. "Show some sympathy. This isn't exactly an easy thing for all of us."
"That's right," agreed Diana. "In case you've forgotten, we're asking someone to risk their life to save this city."
"Not only that..." all heads turned to look at Liam, who took to looking vacantly out the window. "But all of you. You'll be risking a great lot as well. I know my dreams. They're not safe. Some of you may..."
Helga snorted audibly, interrupting Liam; she stood up to make her point heard. "Look – we're no strangers to danger. We've been smashed, beaten, burnt, drowned...we've suffered unbearable pains, both physically and...and otherwise. But in the end, we've always come out in one piece."
"Do you really believe that?" asked Lila.
"Absolutely. It's an in-and-out operation. Nothing's going to go wrong."
The door opened unexpectedly, and Diana shot under the bed. Liam disappeared into shadow and stood in the darkened corner of the room.
"Olga!" said Helga angrily. "Criminy, ever heard of knocking?"
"I'm sorry," Olga said at the entrance. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything..."
"Well, you are, so can you come back a little later?"
"Actually, I think we're done here," said Lila. "We'll talk again tomorrow. There are some things I need to take care of."
"Me too," said Patty.
"I also have some unfinished business to attend to," said Phoebe.
"See you tomorrow, Helga," said Rhonda, who was the last of the girls to leave the room (Diana quietly trailed behind). Liam nodded furtively to Helga, then vanished completely out of the room. It was just the two Pataki sisters alone now.
"Well, if you're done barging in and interrupting us, I've got chores to do..."
"Helga..."
"What?"
"I heard you, Helga."
Helga froze mid-motion to her closet. "H-how much did you hear?"
"Enough. Is Hillwood really in danger of...?"
"...Yes."
"And you and...and the other girls are the only ones who could stop it?"
"This doesn't concern you, Olga. So don't try to talk me out of it or try to guilt-trip me because I'm your baby sister or..."
Suddenly Helga was caught in an embrace. As usual, Olga's mascara was running from the tears.
"You're my sister, Helga. But you're not a baby anymore."
"Uh, Olga....?"
"I believe in you, Helga. I know what you're capable of. And I know that...despite everything that you've been through...you'll do what needs to be done."
Olga held Helga even closer. "You're strong. Stronger than I could ever be. Save the city. We'll all be rooting for you."
Helga quickly wiped her eyes, then nodded to Olga in compliance. Olga sighed dramatically and looked into Helga's eyes. "My sister's going to save the world."
Helga rolled her eyes. "Oh, Criminy..."
They both laughed. Then Helga hugged her sister one last time.
---
Lila emerged from her room, and was surprised to see her father sitting on the couch, looking at an old photograph.
"Daddy," asked Lila cautiously. "What are you doing?"
"Oh...just reminiscing, honey," replied her father. The photo was of Lila, her father and mother, and was taken in Pleasantville. In the photograph Lila was still an infant, and she was being cradled in her mother's arms.
Lila's father sighed heavily, a weary look dressed his face. "Things were so much simpler back then. Sometimes I wonder if I've made the right decision after your mother's death, leaving Pleasantville and moving you to the city."
"You didn't have a choice," said Lila. "You were going to lose the farm and..."
"I know, I know," said her father, waving her off before she could finish. "I just wish...I just feel that things should have been different, you know?"
At that, Lila didn't know what to say.
"Did you want to talk to me about something, honey?"
Lila shook her head. She crossed the space between them in the living room and hugged her father with all her might.
"I love you, daddy. And everything will be okay."
A low rumble had emanated outside. At first it seemed like thunder, but then it went on to shake the entire foundation of the house.
It would be okay, Lila thought to herself. And if she believed it strongly enough, perhaps it would be true.
---
It was late night at the Sawyer household. Lila's father was out as usual, working. Liam lay on the couch, awake, while the girls in their senshi forms stood around him.
"So, how is this going to work?" asked Rhonda.
"Well, Liam needs to be asleep," explained Diana. "I'll use what power I have to sedate him and keep him from waking. As for you five...you'll have to warp into his mind while he's dreaming."
"Mind explaining how the heck we're supposed to do that?" asked Helga.
"All of you will have to pool your energy to accomplish a Sailor Teleport. It should get you exactly where you need to be to seek out the source of Liam's nightmares and destroy it."
"And we should be able to teleport out after, right?" asked Phoebe.
Diana balked. "It should be possible..."
"W-wait a minute," said Helga, a little nervously. "You're not CERTAIN?"
"Well, the teleport isn't an exact science..."
Helga buried her head in her hands. Phoebe and Rhonda looked at each other uneasily.
"I don't know about this," admitted Patty.
"The fate of the city's at stake!" chimed in Lila. "We're not just doing this for us. We're doing this for everyone we love and care about."
"But what if we can't come back?" retorted Rhonda. "This just seems too risky...!"
As the other four girls debated amongst themselves, Helga removed herself from the group to be alone for a moment.
"I don't know what I should do..." Helga said to herself, quietly.
She was expecting to hear Arnold's voice, as before, but no response came. It was at that point that she realized she would be all alone in her decision. This was one choice that she would have to make on her own.
"Miss Helga," asked Diana. "Are you all right?"
The arguing stopped long enough for everyone to take notice of Helga by herself, facing away from them.
"What do you say?"
The room was silent for the longest time. Finally, Helga turned and nodded to the group.
"It's now or never. Let's do this."
The girls stood around Liam once again. Diana sat on Liam's chest and stared at him intently.
"Just try to relax, okay?"
"Uh, I'll try..." said Liam, not feeling at all at ease by the situation.
Diana closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. When she opened them again, her crescent moon glowed brightly, and shot a beam directly onto Liam's forehead. Almost instantly, Liam closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
"How long can he stay like that?" asked Phoebe.
"As long as it takes," replied Diana. "Now is your chance to attempt the teleport."
Helga, Rhonda, Phoebe, Patty, and Lila gathered in a circle in front of Liam and held hands.
Mercury Power, Make-up!
Mars Power, Make-up!
Jupiter Power, Make-up!
Venus Power, Make-up!
Moon Prism Power, Make-up!
The girls began to glow; then in a blast strong enough to smash the windows, they vanished completely from the room.
"Good luck, girls," said Diana.
---
The five girls reappeared in a deep in the belly of a deep, dark cavern.
"I think we messed up," Rhonda said disappointedly. "This looks a lot like the caves on Elk Island.
"I wouldn't bet on that," said Phoebe, immediately activating her visor. "This place is swarming with negative energy. We're definitely in Liam's dreams."
"Goodie," Helga said, sarcastically. "So what now?"
"I suppose we should find a way out of the cave first, then track down the source of the energy," replied Phoebe.
"Sounds like a plan," said Patty.
"Well, no point in just standing around – let's get moving!" Helga led the way as they walked single-file down the vast caverns. Aside from the sound of the occasional drip of moisture coming from the overhead stalactites, they went along unheeded/unhindered.
"This isn't so bad..." commented Lila.
"See? What did I tell you?" said Helga confidently. "We'll be in and out in no time."
"Wait a minute..." the girls paused as Phoebe appeared to stare past them, studying something of interest on her visor screen. "There's something up ahead."
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed off the cavern walls from the darkness. The girls braced themselves for the encounter with the mysterious "something". Finally, a girl came into a view.
"It can't be..." said Phoebe.
The girl had shoulder-length red hair and freckles.
"No way..." said Rhonda
She too was wearing a sailor uniform, but it was solid black.
"I don't believe it..." said Patty.
As the girl approached ever closer, the other senshi could see that she had no pupils; rather, her eyes were nothing more than orbs of pitch black. Helga looked at the stranger in disbelief, then turned to look at Lila, who was the most horror-stricken of all.
"Lila...it's YOU."
The black-eyed Lila grinned maliciously at Lila, who was still too stunned to speak.
"Phoebe, what the heck is that thing?" asked Rhonda. "Why does it look like Lila?"
"I-I don't know..." said Phoebe anxiously. "My visor doesn't say."
"Is THAT the source of the energy?" asked Patty.
"I seriously doubt it..."
The black-eyed Lila pointed to the original, which caused the other senshi to stand in front of her to protect her.
"What does it want?"
"It wants ME," Lila finally spoke.
"Well, it's not getting you!" snapped Helga.
"It won't let you pass until I give myself up,"
Helga looked at Lila as if she had grown a second head. "Are you nuts? I don't know what the heck this thing is, but you can be sure we're going to fight it!"
"Helga...no," Lila moved past Helga and the others and towards the ominous doppelganger.
"Lila...er, Venus...whatever...you get back here right now!" yelled Helga. "That's an order!"
"This is something I have to do," said Lila; the tone in her voice certain, as if she had come to some grand epiphany. Lila walked towards the black-eyed clone. "Let the others go. It's me you want."
The black-eyed Lila's eyes narrowed, but she grinned even more broadly as she struck a hand straight for Lila's neck.
"Lila!" yelled the others.
"Don't worry, Lila – we'll save you!" Rhonda got ready to attack. "Fire So...!"
But suddenly the black Lila had changed into a black shapeless smoke and went inside Lila's body. Lila knelt to the ground and gripped her neck with both her hands. On the outside, she appeared fine, but there was definitely some sort of struggle going on inside her.
"Lila...!" Helga ran towards her, but Lila used one of her hands to motion for her to stop.
"Get out of here," Lila strained to say. "Run."
"Lila..."
"Venus Crescent Beam!" Lila shot her attack at the ceiling of the cave, causing the entire cavern to quake.
"The cavern is collapsing!" cried Phoebe.
"Let's go!" yelled Rhonda.
"Patty, grab Lila!" commanded Helga. Patty nodded and went for Lila, but was thrown back by an invisible force field around her.
"Go," repeated Lila.
"We're not leaving without you!" argued Helga.
But Lila pointed her hand at Helga and blasted her several yards away. Rocks were falling from the ceiling. Helga and the others had no choice but to run towards the exit.
When they reached the outside of the cave, the entrance was blocked off by several large boulders. Helga, Phoebe, Rhonda, and Patty stared in shock as the dust quietly settled around the only way out of the cavern.
Helga got up and began pulling on one of the boulders ten times her size.
"We've got to go back," she said, tugging futilely on the boulder that wouldn't so much as budge. "We've got to get Lila...!"
"Helga..." Phoebe said quietly.
"Help me move this! We can't leave Lila behind...!"
"Helga, please stop!"
"We can't leave her behind, we're a team...!"
"Helga...!"
"I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE ANYONE ELSE!" she turned and screamed at her teammate. She then collapsed onto the boulder and sobbed hysterically. Rhonda and Patty were still too shocked to react. Phoebe moved slowly towards Helga. She turned her around so that she could look at her.
"We can't leave her beh-!"
But Helga was abruptly cut off; Phoebe had slapped her across the face.
"Look at me," said Phoebe. "We. Can't. Go. Back. Besides...we don't know the entire cavern. Perhaps Lila had found another way out. We'll never meet up with her if we stay here. We have to keep moving."
Too stricken from the slap, Helga could only nod slowly. Phoebe helped Helga on her feet. Not saying another word, Helga walked forward. The other scouts followed behind as they moved into a strange lush forest area.
---
It was almost like a jungle; there were vines strewn everywhere and across the team's walking path.
"So where are we now?" asked Rhonda, knocking a low-hanging vine out of her way.
"Another part of Liam's dream," replied Phoebe, still focused on her visor. "Liam wasn't kidding when he said his dreams were unpredictable."
"Are we close to the source?' inquired Patty.
Phoebe shook her head and pointed straight ahead. "Approximately 4.2 miles in that direction."
"Thank goodness for that computer thing you've got, Phoebe," remarked Rhonda.
All of a sudden, something zipped through the trees and struck Phoebe in the side of the neck.
"Oww!" Phoebe fell to the ground in surprise; Rhonda and Patty went into a defensive stance. Helga turned around and immediately came to her friend's aid.
"What happened?" she asked frantically. Phoebe pulled the culprit, a dart, from her neck, and threw it to the ground. "Are you alright? Say something!"
"I'm fine," Phoebe said, quickly getting to her feet and brushing herself off. "I was merely startled. Let's move on, shall we?"
"Time out – you were just attacked!" said Rhonda. "Don't you think we should check this out?" Patty picked up the dart and inspected it, turning it over several times in her hand.
"She's right," said Patty. "What if you've been poisoned? You'd better analyze this dart."
"Very well," said Phoebe, an exasperated edge to her voice. She studied the dart briefly, then turned off her visor. "Like I said, the injury is negligible. We should press on."
"Negligible, huh? Well, what's that on your neck?" Helga pointed to the glowing red mark that appeared where the dart and struck Phoebe in the neck.
"It looks like a Chinese symbol. See?" Rhonda held up her compact mirror at such an angle that Phoebe could get a good look at the mark.
Phoebe took a brief look, then walked away.
"What does that mean?" pressed Rhonda
"Probably nothing. Shall we?"
Though the others were still concerned for the welfare of Phoebe, they decided to continue onward.
Eventually, the group of four reached a clearing that opened up to a huge, steep escarpment overlooking a swamp far below.
Out of Phoebe's peripheral vision, she saw a fast-approaching figure shooting another dart toward the team.
"Look out!" Phoebe pushed Rhonda out of the way just in time, as a dart zipped by and hit the side of a tree. Now all eyes were on the birdlike warrior coming their way.
The bird creature was initially heading straight for Helga, but was cut off when Patty grabbed it and threw it to the ground.
"Yeah! Alright, Patty!" cheered Helga.
The bird creature let out an ungodly squawk, then kicked Patty hard in the ribs, knocking her back. The creature then used its winged-arm appendages to fly towards Helga a second time, but Patty had grabbed it by its long tail feathers and swung it around several times before smashing it again into the earth.
By now, Rhonda and Phoebe had gotten back on their feet and were ready to join the fight. Rhonda approached the creature, leaving about 5 meters between them. "Fire Soul!"
A string of flames threatened to engulf the monster, but at the last minute it shielded itself with its massive wings, completely extinguishing the flames.
"No good," said Phoebe. "Those wings are impervious to our powers. "
Once again, the bird creature went for Helga, but once again, it was cut off as Patty had wrestled it to the ground. Helga had her wand in her hand and was preparing to use it.
"It looks as though it's attracted to the Crystal for some reason," deduced Phoebe.
"Well, if it wants it, it can have it!" Helga waved her moon wand once and then directed it at the creature. "Moon Healing Escalation!"
The move had no effect; rather, it enraged the monster even more, to the point where it almost went berserk. Several darts shot out from its body in all directions, though the girls were able to dodge these ones by hiding in the fringe of trees near the clearing's border.
"Patty, get out of there!" yelled Rhonda. "We can't fight this thing!"
Faster and faster the bird creature flapped its wings, until it was a few feet off the ground. Patty had held on to the creature's feet, so she was hovering off the ground as well. All the while, the bird was shooting the same darts as before.
"Look, it's trying to get away!" pointed out Rhonda. Sure enough, the bird was making its way to the edge of the escarpment. Patty, however, refused to let go of the creature's legs.
"Patty! Patty, you idiot! Let go of it! If you don't come back here right now, I'm calling you Fatty Patty for the rest of your life!"
Patty's legs dangled off the edge of the cliff as the bird creature struggled to retreat. Eventually, the added weight proved too much for it, and both and Patty fell to the swamp below. As they plummeted, Patty wrapped her arms tightly around the monster so that it couldn't get away.
"Supreme Thunder!"
There was a huge bolt of lightning, followed by a blinding flash of light. And then silence. Phoebe, Helga, and Rhonda walked over to the edge of the escarpment and cautioned a look over the edge. The swamp bubbled furiously and was completely littered with feathers.
There was no sign of Patty.
---
The three remaining girls trudged in silence, with Helga taking the lead.
At one point, Rhonda paused. "Look at that," she said, pointing ahead. There, in the distance, a tall dark tower loomed in the horizon.
"Let me guess – that's where we're supposed to be?" Helga turned to get Phoebe's response in the form of a solemn nod.
"Well, we better get a move on, we've got a lot of ground to cover."
"Um..." interrupted Rhonda. "Do you guys get the feeling that we're being watched?"
Helga looked around. "I don't see anything..."
Suddenly, Rhonda shrieked. Out of thin air, a very large eye appeared in front of them.
"Phoebe, what the heck is that thing?...Hey, Phoebes!" Helga yelled at her teammate, who seemed to be in her own little world. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," replied Phoebe. "I'm just a little lightheaded..."
"I think that thing really did poison you!"
As Helga focused on Phoebe, the eye disappeared, giving way to what looked like a wormhole. Inside the wormhole were millions upon millions of pale arms with hands reaching out blindly for anything to grab. Some of the hands were reaching outward from the hole.
Suddenly, air was being sucked into the vortex, pulling anything and everything in the vicinity within.
"We've got to find something to grab onto! Come on, Phoebes!" Helga grabbed onto the weakened Phoebe and fought the pull of the vortex by hooking her wand to a branch on one of the trees. Rhonda crawled her way to another tree and held on tightly to the trunk.
The outreaching hands began to spin furiously, and as they did, the vacuum of the vortex increased in intensity.
"Helga..." said Phoebe. "I don't think I can hold on any longer..." Before finishing her sentence, Phoebe's grip had loosened on the branch, and she had let go.
"Phoebe!" Helga grabbed onto Phoebe's hand just in time, so now she was just holding onto the tree branch with one hand.
To make matters worse, the branch was starting to give under the added stress and was starting to break free from its position on the tree. Rhonda had noticed this, but she knew Helga and Phoebe wouldn't. Rhonda turned and looked at the vortex, the hands still spinning.
"Fire Soul!" Rhonda shot the flames at the vortex, but they were quickly sucked into the wormhole. However, when they reached the arms within the vortex, the wormhole appeared to convulse momentarily.
Rhonda looked over at her teammates, who were holding on for dear life.
"Hey....Helga....!" she yelled over the roar of the vacuum.
Helga struggled to glance over without loosening her grip. "Kinda busy here, Rhonda-loid – what?"
Rhonda smiled faintly. "I'm sorry....that I never invited you to any of my sleep-overs...."
"What are you talking about?"
"If it's any consolation...I was always jealous of your toughness. Your no-nonsense attitude...Maybe if I wasn't so obsessed about being cool, we could've been friends..."
"Rhonda..."
"Say goodbye to Nadine for me..." Rhonda let go of the tree.
"Rhonda!" But it was too late, and Rhonda was sucked into the vortex. Seconds later, they could hear her voice from deep inside the wormhole.
"FIRE SOUL!"
Flames literally exploded from within the wormhole, burning the hands that writhed on the outside until they were charred to ashes. The vortex convulsed violently, then finally blinked out of existence.
The branch that Helga had held onto finally broke, and with no sucking force of the vacuum, both she and Phoebe fell hard to the ground with the full force of gravity.
Neither girl was harmed, but it took several minutes before either made the effort to stand up.
---
There was still a way to go to close the remaining distance to the tower, and the trek was slow-going.
Phoebe's condition was deteriorating, and fast. It had gotten to the point where Helga had to support her as she walked, for her legs kept giving way. She was pale and she was sweating, but otherwise still cogent, and constantly reassured Helga that she would be okay.
At last, they reached the tower. The building was as ominous as it was threatening, piercing the orange sky with its dark, crystalline structure.
The tower was separated from the rest of the area by a drawbridge. But rather than be surrounded by water, a dark nothingness was underneath.
The drawbridge lowered slowly, and Helga and Phoebe hobbled across.
"We're here..." Phoebe said weakly.
"Save your strength, Phoebes," chided Helga. "We're going to need it for whatever big bad it is we'll have to fight."
Just as they passed the threshold, Phoebe let out a sigh and crumpled to the ground.
"Phoebe? Phoebe! Snap out of it!" Helga knelt down and shook Phoebe until she regained consciousness. Phoebe's gaze had an almost dreamlike gaze that frightened her best friend.
"What's happening to you?"
It was then that Helga caught sight of the mark on Phoebe's neck. It was bright red, and looked as though it was searing straight through her skin.
"Do you remember....when I tried to teach you Japanese?"
"Yeah, I was terrible at it...I barely got through the numbers..."
"Do you remember...shi?"
"Sure, that's 4...I think."
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, you mentioned how 4 is an unlucky number because it could also mean..."
Helga froze. She looked hard at Phoebe, who merely closed her eyes. "So now you know."
"Hey...hey! Why wouldn't you tell me sooner?"
Phoebe took a long time to respond. "I didn't want to worry you and the others. We had just lost Lila and the last thing I wanted you to think was that we were being hunted one by one."
"Hunted?"
Phoebe went silent.
"Hey! Don't you give up on me! We can still do this! We...I can't do it without you!"
Slowly Phoebe opened her eyes again, and used her last ounce of strength to point. "It's up to you now. Keeping walking straight ahead. Confront the source."
"Then we can go home, right?"
"Right..." Phoebe went to sleep.
"Phoebe? Phoebe!" Helga shook her, but this time she wouldn't wake up. A light mist surrounded her as she went from opaque to translucent, and then transparent. Phoebe was dissolving.
"Phoebe..." Helga held her best friend with all her might until there was nothing left to hold. All that remained was Phoebe's glasses. Helga cradled them in her arms, stood and walked forward.
---
The corridor seemed endless. Helga walked in an almost aimless straight line, totally numb.
First Lila. Then Patty and Rhonda. Now, finally her best friend, Phoebe.
Gone. All gone.
At this point, Helga no longer cared if she ever found the source of Hillwood's demise, or if she even found a way home. This was no victory; she couldn't face Diana as the only survivor.
Helga's zombie gait was interrupted when she reached a large gap within the tower. The corridor continued on the other side of the gap, but the gap was bottomless, just a big black void of nothingness.
Finally, Helga could hold it in no longer. She knelt to the floor and collapsed in loud, shuddering sobs.
"You jerks!" she spat bitterly, between tears. "How could all leave me to do this on my own?" She splayed out on the ground so that her cheek could feel the coolness of the floor. "I'm the worst leader ever."
But she had no time to feel sorry for herself. Helga abruptly stood up and wiped her face. "Don't worry, you guys. I won't let your sacrifices be in vain."
Helga mentally assessed the distance of the gap. She backed up so that she was at least ten feet from the edge. Then she made a running start.
At the edge of the gap she gave a diving leap towards the opposite end. Unfortunately, she only made it halfway before dropping like a rock.
"Well, at least I tried..." thought Helga, not at all bothered that that could be her very last thought.
But suddenly Helga stopped falling and started to slowly rise. Somehow the glasses in her hands had vanished and transformed into a giant blue bubble, which she was now occupying.
Helga sat patiently as the bubble glided harmlessly over the gap and transported her safely on the other side. When Helga was finally hovering over solid ground again, the bubble popped into several smaller bubbles, releasing her.
"Good luck," whispered Phoebe's voice from the smaller bubbles before they dissipated.
Up ahead, Helga detected a faint glowing light. Certain that she had finally found the source, Helga ran towards the light. When she was mere inches away, Helga reached out to touch it.
Suddenly the world around her shifted.
---
When Helga opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself in the room of the house. It was a small house, modestly furnished with a sofa and table.
What caught Helga's eye was the sight outside. The sky was on fire, and spilling destruction onto the civilians of a doomed city in the distance. The city looked almost exactly like Hillwood, and yet Helga was sure that it was not...
"Am I...dreaming?" said Helga to herself.
Helga turned when she heard the sound of creaking wood coming from the room. There, sitting on the opposite corner of the room, a young woman was rocking slowly on a rocking chair. Helga couldn't see the woman's face, as she was facing away from her, but she did notice that she had long, red, waist-length hair.
With the utmost caution, Helga approached the woman. At first she thought that she'd be able to surprise her, but then the woman spoke.
"You are here," said the woman.
"Are you the source? The source of Liam's nightmares?" asked Helga.
"How dare you show your face in my household. After what you've done."
"Excuse me?"
"You and your family. They destroyed mine. You robbed me of my family. Of my happiness."
"What are you talking about? You mean Liam? Is Liam your son?"
The woman stopped rocking. "When will your kind learn that destruction is inevitable? Chaos is a natural progression in the cycle of the universe. Last Haste was doomed to fall. But you had the gall to challenge that fate, and in the process, I was robbed of happiness."
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about! I don't remember anything about this Last Haste place! And as far as Liam is concerned, if that's what this is all about, I can take him to you right now!"
"No. I have a new son."
The house and all of its surroundings vanished so that it was just Helga and the woman standing in a void of nothing.
Helga detected the sound of footsteps approaching behind her. She turned around quickly. Her heart leapt as she refused to believe what was before her eyes.
"Arnold!"
Arnold stood in front of Helga, his expression blank. When she realized that he wasn't reacting normally, Helga scowled angrily at the woman in the rocking chair.
"What did you do to him?"
The woman resumed rocking. "You took away the ones I love. So I've done the same for you."
"Arnold...Arnold, snap out of it! It's me, it's Helga!"
Suddenly Helga felt a jolt and was hurled violently back. When she got over the initial shock, she realized that Arnold had a look of pure hatred on his face.
"Of course he wouldn't be happy to see you," said the woman in the chair. "Why would anyone be fond of a person who calls you a "football-head"?"
"Arnold, I..." Helga shrieked as she was struck back by the mere menace of his gaze.
"Did you honestly think he would forget so easily what you've put him through? The teasing, the taunts, the pranks, the put-downs, the embarrassments, the bossiness? Face it, you've made Arnold's life a living hell."
Helga stood up and walked toward Arnold again, only to get blasted even more powerfully than before. Helga screamed in pain as she felt her arm break from underneath her.
"I hate you, Helga!" said Arnold.
Helga looked at Arnold in sheer horror. The pain of her broken limb was nothing compared to the unadulterated malice nearly seeping from the boy.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" asked the woman, as if reading Helga's mind. "Maybe now you understand the torment that I had to endure. Unlike you, however, I'll show you the mercy you never had the capacity to offer me. I'll let Arnold end your life."
Helga struggled to her feet. Clutching her broken arm, she limped towards Arnold.
"I hate you, Helga!" Arnold repeated.
Helga shook her head slowly, and actually smiled a bit. "You don't mean that."
"I hate you!" The force of Arnold's malice threatened to knock Helga down again, but this time she stood her ground.
"She's got your mind all twisted up and flipped around. You don't know what you're saying. You don't hate me. You're not capable of it."
She continued to approach Arnold, who actually began to back away from Helga with a look of uncertainty at the woman in the chair for guidance.
"Stop trying to manipulate my son." Helga was hurtled a great distance and hit the ground with a deafening thud, a senshi no longer. This time she was definitely hurt, as she couldn't get off her back.
Arnold came to her side and stared down at the injured Helga with the same look of malice as before.
"Kill her," ordered the woman. "Kill this girl. Do it for your Mother."
Helga looked at Arnold with pleading eyes, but his gaze was unreceptive. Arnold clenched his fists and raised one with the intent to strike Helga...
Arnold froze midway. Holding it with her unbroken arm, the bloodied and bruised Helga held her locket right in Arnold's face. At that moment, Arnold was literally staring Helga's true feelings right in the face.
"Arnold..." Helga choked out, ignoring the taste of blood in her mouth. "Listen to me. I know that I make fun of you. I know that I call you a football-head and a klutz. And I know that on the outside, I may seem pushy and overbearing, and overall just a really mean person...but on the inside, I'm really not all that bad. I don't hate you...quite the contrary...I like you, I mean, I like you like you...heck, as a matter of fact, I guess you could say that I'm deeply, deeply in love with you."
"I....I..." A brief glimmer of humanity returned to Arnold's eyes. He knelt down beside Helga and cupped his hands around her hand that was still clutching the locket.
"So now the secret's out," said Helga softly. "This is the deep, dark, torment of my soul that I've been holding in for 9 years. Better late than never, huh?"
Tears came from Arnold's eyes. "All this time...ever since Future Tech...I had a feeling...I was just never sure...Helga...I'm so sorry..."
"It's not your fault. I wasn't ready yet. It took a near-death experience for me to finally get off my butt and confess. But now none of that matters, because I finally have you. I knew in my heart you were still alive..."
Arnold embraced Helga. Helga grabbed onto him as hard as she possibly could with one free hand.
"My son...my son! I've lost you again!" the woman buried her head in her hands and both she and her rocking chair disappeared in a ripple of dark energy.
"Is it over?" asked Arnold.
"I don't think so. She's going to destroy Hillwood. I've got to stop her."
"You're in no condition to fight."
"Don't be stupid, football-head. If I don't fight, then we all die."
"I just wish I could help...wait a minute! This time I can!"
"What are you talking about?"
"The day I was rescued from the fire, I felt this weird energy, like something was put inside me. I'm not sure what it is, but I think it's powerful. Actually...I think it's what's keeping me alive right now."
Helga looked at Arnold gravely. "Arnold...no. No way. I can't accept that."
"But Helga – "
"Arnold, you'll die!"
Arnold was taken aback when Helga had yelled. "I can't stand the thought of losing you again..."
This time it was Arnold's turn to get serious. "Helga, you've gone this far for the ones that you love...it's time that I do the same..."
Helga said nothing, but lowered her head and sobbed quietly.
"Let me help you?"
"OK. On one condition?"
"Sure."
"Kiss me."
Arnold looked at Helga earnestly, then leaned down to her level and gave her a long kiss on the lips. As they kissed in the nothingness, both Arnold and the moon wand began to glow. As the millions of tiny specks embedded within Arnold lit up and were taken into the wand, he smiled, then faded away completely.
Helga was healed, the moon wand had absorbed the second half of the crystal, and she became Sailor Moon once again. There was no more time for tears. She had a job to do.
---
A distraught woman with red hair stood alone in the nothingness.
"I will make them all suffer," she said, clenching her fists in determination. "They will all feel my pain."
---
Meanwhile, in the Sawyers' living room, Diana was thrown off-guard when Liam woke up of his own accord.
"Liam? What's wrong?" Diana asked anxiously.
Liam sat up and gripped his sides, doubling over in pain. "I'm sorry..." he gasped. "She's trying to get out...I can't hold her any longer....!"
An aura of shadow enveloped the red-haired boy just as the entire city began to quake. The tremors were strong enough to cause the streets outside to split and the trees to uproot.
Diana lost her footing and slid into the wall of the house. "Miss Helga, you have to hurry!"
---
The woman sensed she was not alone. She glanced over her shoulder; sure enough, Helga stood right behind her.
The woman stared at her icily. "You just won't quit, will you?"
Helga returned the woman's expression with a smirk. "Quitting's not in my vocabulary. Too much is on the line."
The red-haired woman turned to face Helga head-on. She then pointed her open palm at her to shoot out an invisible attack. This time, however, a previously-unseen barrier had protected Helga from the full force of the attack.
"So you have the full power of the Crystal," said the woman. "No matter, you still won't be able to stop me. Even as we speak, your city is on its last minutes."
"Go ahead," Helga shot back matter-of-factly. "It won't bring your family back."
At that, the woman blanched. "Shut up!" She set an unrelenting wave of energy at Helga, testing the full strength of the barrier. Helga resisted the attack, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up indefinitely.
"Time to see what this hunk of rock is truly capable of," Helga said to herself. "Imperium Silver Crystal...help me out here....give me something...anything...that will make this woman see the light."
There was a bright flash of light, momentarily blinding the woman. When her eyes had adjusted, she was surprised to see Helga flanked at three sides by three strange women.
"That little brat...!" choked out the redhead.
On one side stood a stylishly-dressed woman with waist-long raven black hair, on the other side stood a woman in a conservative business-suit wearing glasses with her black hair pinned into a bun. The woman who stood in front was brawnier than the other two, and wearing military fatigues; her messy hair was covered by a beret.
"What is this?" snapped the red-headed woman furiously. "Stop defending that girl! Can't you see she's responsible for my family's...!"
The woman in fatigues moved aside so there was a clear view of the person standing behind her. The redhead gasped.
Physically, the girl looked the same as Helga, but her whole demeanor was dramatically different, like a completely different soul was occupying her. Her blonde hair was in the odango hairstyle of Sailor Moon, but her white lace dress resembled that of a princess. The only thing that wasn't visible was the girl's face, which was obscured by a light, probably from the power of the Crystal.
None of this mattered to the woman; her eyes were fixated on the bundle cradled in the girl's arms, an infant girl.
Slowly the woman walked toward the baby, drawn by its light cooing. The girl handed the woman the bundle, who graciously accepted and rocked it softly in her arms. As she did this, the woman began to sob quietly.
"They are alive and well," said a voice that came from Helga's body but sounded nothing like her. "Take comfort in that knowledge and please...Let go of your anger."
The woman nodded, kissing the baby on the forehead.
"Thank you," the woman simply said; she handed the baby back to Helga before walking away and simply disappearing forever.
The three women surrounded Helga and linked hands as Helga held onto the baby. There was a bright flash of red, blue, green, and orange before they all disappeared as well.
---
In a bright flash of light, Helga reappeared in the Sawyer living room, which was noticeably missing a roof.
"It's a disaster zone, Miss Helga!" cried Diana, using her claws to desperately cling to any upholstery.
Helga looked up to the sky. The sight was eerily similar to the image she saw in Liam's mind: the sky was orange and raining fire. Only difference was that Liam could be seen floating high above the house, no control over the catastrophic destruction he was causing.
"But I got rid of the source! Why is this still happening?" yelled Helga.
Suddenly Helga was reminded of something the redheaded woman had said earlier.
Chaos is a natural progression in the cycle of the universe. Last Haste was doomed to fall...
"Without chaos, there can be no order..." Helga gripped the moon wand tightly. "Diana, I'm going to stop this."
Totally flummoxed by her intent, Diana could only watch as Helga pointed the wand at Liam. "Moon Healing Escalation!"
Helga's body was completely awash in light, while Liam's became solid shadow. Both had combined, then exploded. At that moment, the very fabric of reality began to unravel. The city's buildings crumbled and disintegrated, floating into the sky that was quickly become a void of nothingness.
In the blink of an eye, the inevitable happened.
Hillwood had imploded on itself.