Urania nearly lost her focus as Thalia was attacked, but she quickly stood back up as if nothing had happened. That was a relief. She narrowed her eyes at Lachesis' taunt, glaring at the despicable warrior and readjusting her aim straight to her eyes. Of the three sisters, she was definitely the one that she could not stand at all. Straight-up psycho, if she ever saw one. Honestly, if everything else that she tried failed, Urania would be rather satisfied if she was able to at least take Lachesis down with her.

"If that's what you want," she retorted. Sure, she knew that an arrow would not defeat her - if it were that simple, they would have won this battle much sooner than this.

It'd just feel good.

But before she got the opportunity to fire away, the older sister brought reinforcements. Outnumbered? That did not stop them the other times before this one. How suspicious. The monster was scary-looking sure enough, but what could it do that the three sisters couldn't?

Turning around, she aimed her arrow at one of the monster's rear heads and let it fly to its target. She quickly averted her gaze, the squelching sound only confirming the impact. Even if it's a monster, it would still be a repulsive sight.

Perhaps she could have watched if it had been Lachesis in its place.

Erato's feet were swept out from under her by Clotho's attack, but she quickly recovered and regained her stance. She wasn't really sure how they were going to defeat the Chaos sisters, and now they had a giant monster to worry about.

The monster seemed familiar, like something she had seen in a book or a movie before. She bit her lip, trying to remember, but she was never very good in school. But then Thalia's comment about its heads struck a memory. It was a Hydra! Erato wracked her brain, but she couldn't remember how to defeat it. She knew there was some sort of exception, something unique about this monster that made it hard to defeat. But what was it?

Urania seemed to have all kinds of knowledge under her belt - maybe she would understand what Erato was trying to figure out. "Urania!" she called, rushing to the dark-haired senshi and grabbing her arm. "Nice shot! Too bad it wasn't Lachesis - she could use an arrow in the head. This thing is a Hydra - isn't there something special about their heads? I can't remember for the life of me, and I think we should figure it out before we go chopping things off."

Urania was momentarily taken aback by Erato's exclamation, but grinned at the other girl's remark - it looks like they both shared the same not-very-nice thoughts about the middle of the three villainous sisters.

"Hydra..." she said out loud, more to herself, trying to remember. Urania knew a lot about the stars, and Clio knew a lot about history, and apparently ancient Earthen myths were significantly interrelated with the stars. She enjoyed discussing with her, sharing her own knowledge and learning more about the meaning attributed by the ancient civilizations to the constellations she observed in the night sky.

"The constellation of the water serpent..." she continued, her eyes closed, trying to picture it. "Right! The ancient beast. Legend had it that if one of its heads were cut off..." she paused for a moment and looked back at the creature warily.

"...two more would grow in its place?"

Erato's smile was bright as the lightbulb went off in her head. "That's right!" she cheered, snapping her fingers. "You're a genius!"

The glamour senshi's hands began to glow a faint pink color as she prepared to begin her assault, but before she did, she shouted: "Everyone! Be careful not to cut off its heads - if you do, more will grow back! Find a different way to take it out!" Following her announcement, Erato's body became engulfed in pink, and standing in her place was an exact replication of Lachesis, from the split-ends to the hideous bruises she never bothers to cover with some decent foundation.

Perhaps, Erato thought, she could distract the Chaos senshi while her friends went after the monster. After quickly strumming her lyre to render herself invisible, Erato utilized the speed granted to her by Calliope and sprinted back over the battlefield to Lachesis's side. The invisibility wore off just in time for Erato to mimic Lachesis's current pose. Hopefully, her dimwitted sisters wouldn't be able to tell who was who.

Euterpe jumped back and away once the note finished, evading any side-winds from the tornado racing towards them. It missed her, but Thalia went flying - she was worried, but only for a moment, as Thalia quickly regained her feet. She smiled at her but returned her attention to what was going on. Something felt creepy - like someone was looking at her, but Cosmos spoke and said together so together they'd stay! She nodded in agreement and held her flute securely in front of her, listening as Lachesis - with the creepy bruises - teased Urania, providing an opening to say that they wouldn't shoot! It'd be perfect timing! 

Or... it would have been, if Atropos didn't summon a whirling cloud over her head and a giant sticky mass fell out (with a splat. It totally splatted. Just - thwonk! down it went. Not that it was funny. It was scary. It was a totally scary, respectable monster-creating miasma. That went splat.). The thick air settled into a multi-headed monster, and Euterpe moved her flute to her lips as her eyes traveled up and up to see the writhing mass of heads. Seven of them. Okay. Monsters they could handle. And maybe defeating it would get them to reconsider and come over to Cosmos's side! 

Calliope directed their attention to the legs, Thalia pointed out how their number matched the heads - !! Which it did! How thoughtful! - and Urania wasted no time in taking one out, only for she and Erato to decide they should not fight the heads, so -- feet?! Feet. !! Oh and maybe she could mess with the Fates, too, just to encourage them to hang back a bit while they showed off defeating the monster~ Bringing her flute to her lips, she played Euterpe Vivacious Vibrato!

AOE Distraction and damage attack! Damage focused on Hydra (which could eventually lead to it falling down!), distraction can rise for the other three~:

Calliope gave a heavy sigh of relief upon seeing that Erato and Thalia were, for the most part, unharmed by the attack that had been summoned before the beast had. Granted they should still be checked for their injures after the battle-whenever that would be-the fact that the two were still standing, ready and agile for the fight ensuing before them, did give Calliope some piece of mind.

Calliope almost uttered a groan of annoyance-of COURSE it would mimic the beast of old with regeneration. Well, technically they had no proof of Erato and Urania's jointed claims, but now was not the time nor the place to find out. She desperately wanted Erato to stay with the group, but announcing so now would only endanger her friends' current position as trying to imitate the form of one of the enemies. Calliope could only grit her teeth as to keep the cry down as she moved to position herself next to Sailor Euterpe; the most innocent of the group-who had decided to take initiative and attempt to attack the Hydra's legs. 

" 'Tis as Urania claims! Do not harm the heads!" Was she repeating things when there was a high chance that everyone already knew of the plan? Perhaps, but one can't be too careful during a fight with such stakes as this. Better to repeat what was already heard then have some lack proper information. They'd lost allies because of such misinformation before. Calliope gave a quick yet firm pat on Euterpe's shoulder, a gesture of reassurance; telling the young one that she had her back, before whipping out her harp, playing an intense tune and directing it at the Hydra's many heads. 

Many heads would have many ears, no?

Attack:

Atropos watched the team of soldiers react to her beautiful monster. She motioned with her hands for the hydra to move forward and it followed her commands, just like an obedient puppy. Once it had moved ahead of her, Atropos float up to get an aerial view of the show as well as keep an eye out on her two sisters below. While doing so, she could feel a strange tickling along her skin. This felt familiar. Another one of those cursed Cosmos Warriors abilities. Atropos made a small noise of frustration while trying to recall who was responsible for this.

Meanwhile, as the hydra moved forward, a blast of flowers hit one of the outer heads. It roaring and hissing, causing the other heads to get irritated and snapped at the air towards the Soldiers threateningly. Then an arrow from Urania, hit a rear head, the creature roaring again. Although the attacks caused it to pause, it recovered and continued its assault towards the group.

”You will have to do better than that,” Atropos said, not loud enough for anyone to hear as she lifted her hand. A dark glow emanated from it as she prepared an attack, though she hesitated. That tickling on the skin reminded her of something but...There was a quick pink movement that she caught in her peripheral vision. One of them as up to something but what?  She kept an eye on the battlefield but was distracted by the sound of Euterpe’s flute.

It release waves of irritating sound towards them, mainly aimed at her beast. It stumbled on one leg and its several heads writhed about even more agitated. Another song was played, this time by Calliope’s harp. The hyrdra began thrashing about even more as it reacted in fear!

Three of it’s heads launched forward instinctively in fear, towards whatever Sailor Soldier was nearest, opening its fearsome jaws, clearly showing their rows of sharp teeth. With the three heads jaws wide out, black miasma cloud spewed out with a hissing roar, throwing back whoever got caught in its path.

It was once said that the breath of the hydra was poisonous and this one was no different. While the effects were not so severe due to the cloud dispersing in the air and wind, whoever was caught in the cloud would be feel stinging pain wherever the cloud touched their bodies.

Sailor Cosmos remained at the center of their formation, not because she was frightened or needed protection, but because she felt that she had few options in this current battle. She needed to stay near as many of her soldiers as possible, to continue to protect them with the nullifying barrier that surrounded her. Already those who had wandered too far forward, such as Thalia, found themselves subject to the attacks of the agents of Chaos. Keen sapphire eyes watched the brunette crawl to her feet, and she released a small sigh of relief that the girl was not overly harmed. She wished she could have protected all of them. She wanted to wrap them in her cloak, shielding them from all danger, hiding them from the encroaching forces of evil... but the mysterious soldier knew, as well, that it would be at the expense of the rest of the universe. They fought not for themselves, but for everyone else who could not. That was their sacred task.

They could not abandon it now.

Atropos raised her hand, summoning powers of darkness, luring a massive monster into the battlefield between the two opposing forces. The beast's seven snake-like heads writhed and wailed. Cosmos felt a flash of recognition, finding herself on this battered street. It felt familiar. She couldn't say exactly when she had been here, but in the hint of remembrance she understood that it was not this ruined cityscape she had stood in, but still she knew this area somehow. It called to her, whispering about a time that may or may not have ever been hers. Whose memory was this? She could not identify the source of this recollection, she only understood that it was precious and deserved to be cherished and protected.

Sailor Cosmos watched and listened as her friends discussed their strategy, the brilliant Urania responding to Sailor Erato's question, saving the group the risks of allowing this creature to terrorize them with additional strength. Everyone had heard, had they not? She felt a surge of pride at their smart thinking, and—as the others took to battle, each showing her prowess—their collective skills. This was how they would win: teamwork. They fought together because they shared the same goal. As long as they cherished that hope, they would not be defeated here.

The woman in white continued to observe—and then the hydra bellowed, three heads baring flashes of sharp teeth and a plume of black smoke. Her eyes widened, understanding the intent. Cosmos did not have to be the most knowledgeable on this specific monster to have observed eons of similar creatures. She knew better than to trust the thing. It served Chaos, and she had seen all sorts of traps and tricks from other monsters.

Sailor Cosmos summoned her Lambda power, feeling the warmth in her chest, and gracefully extended the arm not holding her staff in a sweeping gesture. The energy manifested as a gale of wind, blowing back the beast's miasma, dissipating the cloud into nothingness as she purified the darkness it originated from. Cosmos did not want to use her powers too often or unnecessarily—she was powerful, yes, but she knew this battle would rage on. The soldiers who fought alongside her had their own strengths, and she had to rely on them to assist her. Still, Cosmos did not want to see her teammates too badly injured. She kept an alert watch for anyone who might need to be restored or encouraged. They had to stay focused. They had to keep trying.

She felt that familiar sinking in her stomach as she watched the woman in white and orange take the brunt of her attack, sliding backwards across the rubble. On the one hand, Sailor Clotho nearly wanted to cheer—she had landed a successful hit on one of the annoying warriors fighting with the Sailor Cosmos that Sailor Chaos nearly obsessed over, and in front of her sisters, no less! On the other, she had hurt someone, and that tightened something in her chest and shot jolts of sympathetic concern through her mind. She almost felt glad when Sailor Thalia rose to her feet and rejoined the others, but she made sure not to reflect a single hint of that in her expression or stance. She knew exactly what her sisters would call that: weakness. Clotho wouldn't give them a reason to think less of her, especially not here.

The hydra shocked and awed her—a masterful piece from Mother, certainly. Clotho never doubted Sailor Chaos' powers, but how could she (how could anyone?) when she looked upon something like this? Atropos and Lachesis possessed skill and experience, but only Chaos could let loose a monster of this type upon the forces that opposed her. The pink-haired girl couldn't see the thing clearly, but she could hear the blood-curdling roar and feel the force of the thing rumble the ground as it trundled forward at its task. It would be a formidable foe for the fools who thought they could dare stand against such amazing strength.

She wanted to help her big sisters. Sailor Clotho didn't want to hurt the others, but she knew that she had to. What... what was that? The veiled girl turned, unsure of what caught in her peripheral vision, only to notice... two... Lachesis? How were there two? She froze, unsure of what to do.

Sailor Lachesis laughed. Such folly! Do you really think you can fool my sisters? Are you capable of the things I am, Soldier of Cosmos?" She turned to where her sisters were. "If you really think my sisters are as foolish as you think, you will die here."

Sailor Lachesis summoned her measuring rod, ready to fight. Her hiss echoed throughout the battlefield, almost as if to call out to her sisters. Atropos! Clotho! Do not let this false image sway you from attacking. After all, the fake me cannot handle pain like I!!!.

At this point, Lachesis had become completely maniacal at the thought of this pathetic charade. She of course noticed Clotho's demeanor change as well, as it usually did. Sometimes Lachesis thought killing her would be the easiest to ensure the mission mother gave them was completed without any error. 

"CLOTHO!" Lachesis hissed towards her sister. "Do you want to be the next to die!?" Lachesis knew Clotho would understand she would make anyone who got in her way suffer. Looking back to the disguised Erato, Sailor Lachesis raised her hand.

"Lachesis Chaos Venom!!!" Lachesis raised her left, sending a blast of dark acid from her palms. With an unparalleled rage, almost immediately Lachesis raised her other hand, aiming for the soldier's heart. "Mea Culpa!!"

Spoiler:

Looking to the hydra, she hissed something in a serpentine language. It sounded more threatening than encouraging. She wasn't going to die, not now, not after all the pain she felt, all the suffering. The Cosmos Soldeirs would be the ones to perish. She would cut down anyone in her way. Even one of her sisters that she cared for so deeply, if they were to show themselves as weak.

The creature remained their focus, the others sending their attacks towards the foul creature. Its dark form was blurred to Sailor Melpomene's eyes, but she could tell it had several heads. More than enough to cause a lot of damage very quickly.

She was about to ready another attack as Urania shared information about the creature in question. So, the heads could regenerate in double. It seemed an even riskier foe, then. More risks. More dangers. Would the odds ever stack in their favor?

Melpomene could not see the impending venom breath attack coming towards her sisters, but she could see the pulse in Cosmos's power. The bright light grew in strength as she used her power to ward off some invisible attack. Melpomene swallowed back her worry at the idea of how dangerous it must have been for Cosmos to intervene.

Instead of aiming for one of the creature's heads as she had been ready to moments before, Melpomene focused on the largest coiling mass of color depicting the many-headed creature. She began the trilling of Peripateia Chant, focusing all of the energy pellets towards the bulk of the Hydra's body. In such a concentrated ray, the attack was bound to do some damage.

She released the collected energy towards the target, cutting off the last note with a sharp tone. She was not one to wish the kiss of Death to anyone, but she knew the gravity of their situation. She would not falter to rid the world of that which only sought to destroy.  

She noticed, then, Erato's ashen ember colors. Shaded though they were by a disguise, Melpomene could still clearly make out the details of her friend. Erato was so far away, surrounded by enemies. There was an attack from Lachesis, sadism practically radiating from her form, but Erato was too far. Melpomene had no shield or aid to give her friend, but perhaps there was something else she could do to aid their group as a whole. A distraction to give Erato time, if nothing else.

With that, Melpomene glanced towards Thalia. There was a certain kind of comfort to be found in the familiar blurred presence of her long time friend and partner. Even amongst all of this stress and anxiety, there was constants to give strength.

The Mask of Tragedy materialized in Melpomene's hands, its all-encompassing black and saddened expression catching no light at all. She raised it up towards her face, an invitation to her counterpart, before donning the Mask. "Thalia, let us take one of these players out of the game for a while."

She listened to the conversation between Urania and Erato near her, and was surprised to hear that taking out the head of a hydra meant two more would sprout in its place. They were so lucky to have Urania in their team. "You're so smart," she grinned at Urania, holding a thumbs up sign.

She didn't know how they were going to take this hydra out without hurting the heads, but she was confident her friends would find a way. In the next moment, Erato disappeared, and then suddenly across the battlefield there were two Lachesis. This was alarming. Did the enemy have the ability to multiply now? Or was it an illusion? Or... was it Erato?

More attacks flew from her team, and then the hydra retaliated, spitting some kind of cloud that looked dangerous. However, Cosmos stepped in then, creating a wind that swept it safely away. Thalia felt the need to cheer for her display of power; it was rare to see Cosmos interfering directly, but when she did, it was always raising morale and rendering her awestruck.

One of the Lachesis began to attack the other, and she worried for Erato, being in the thick of things. Just then, Melpomene spoke to her, and Thalia saw the mask in her hands.

She understood immediately what Melpomene meant. Nodding, her own Mask of Comedy materialized in her hands and she donned it quickly, trying to pick a target. Clotho was the least dangerous of them all, and Melpomene could probably tell which of the two Lachesis was Erato, but... Atropos was the most dangerous and she had summoned the hydra. Who knew what else she could summon next?

"Atropos?" she whispered to Melpomene with her suggestion.

Erato laughed at Lachesis, mimicking the girl's sinister tone and constant hiss that seemed to be stuck in the back of her throat. "Fool! You think my sisters are naive enough to fall for your tricks?" she hissed back. "You underestimate the power of Chaos, just as you always have."

Lachesis attacked, and Erato wasn't sure which attack to avoid. But then Lachesis's words rang through her mind, and she realized that if she was really going to pull this illusion off, she would have to sit and take the pain.

The venom was sporadic enough so that it didn't hit her too much, but Erato was splashed in a couple places along her legs and arms. The burning was unlike anything Erato had ever experienced before, and it took every ounce of her willpower to hold her illusion and keep from crying out in pain. Her fists were clenched so tightly, blood began to drip from her palms - anything to distract from the pain, Erato thought. She felt as if her skin was burning off, and for the first time, she slightly understood the kind of pain that Lachesis and Atropos went through every waking moment of their lives.

She felt bad for them. But only for a moment.

The red string entwined itself around Erato's bruised wrist, and she knew she only had a few moments before it transformed into a serpent. Concealing the immense pain she felt and the panic in her chest, Erato performed Lachesis' hissing laugh again and turned her gaze to Clotho. "You see her attacks have no effect on me! I am the true Sister. Clotho, this is your time to prove yourself to us. Choose your true sister, and attack!"

So yeah. Heads were a no-go. It was good that her arrow couldn't exactly cut off a head, as apparently it would just irritate it more. Erato continued with her own initiatives and apparently decided to duplicate Lachesis. Would that actually work against her sisters? What if she attacked - would Erato be able to mimic that?

Well, if anything, she must have been desperate to take her revenge if she was able to take the form of the most repulsive one of them, considering the pride she took in her appearance.

The hydra went on the offensive, but Cosmos was able to effortlessly eliminate its ominous dark cloud. Urania couldn't help but to wonder, why did she always seem to hold back? It feels like she would have been able to single-handedly defeat them once and for all, if she put her will into it. So why didn't she? Why were they the ones who had to do it - even when they were so obviously failing?

Perhaps all of this was her fault.

Whatever. What difference would it make? Right now she should focus on the Hydra, and they'll just have to see what happens next. She summoned her astral arrow once more, this time aiming at the Hydra's... heart? Does a Hydra even have a heart? And where would it be located? Its anatomy didn't necessarily have to resemble a human's. She hadn't discussed such details with Clio.

She just shot her arrow somewhere in the monster's body and hoped for the best, instead.

Clotho looked from one to the other, feeling her anxiety spike as both of the Lachesis berated her. She needed to act; she needed to prove to her sisters that she belonged alongside them. She was always trying to be as strong and powerful as they were, but she constantly tripped herself up in her own efforts, waylaid by how terrible this fighting made her feel. Right now she wanted to run and hide, but the only thing keeping her cemented in place was how very badly that would be taken by her older sister... whichever of the two was actually the real one. She could almost hear Lachesis' hiss in her ears, reproving her, calling her out for being weak and worthless; it was praise that Clotho sought.

Her long skirt fluttered around her legs as she agonized over what to do. She had to act quickly. Which one? Which one?

"Choose your true sister," one of them had said. "Do you want to be the next to die?" had hissed the other.

The fibre and thread still on her weapons, Sailor Clotho gritted her teeth and swung her Fated Spindle in a wind arc, her veiled eyes looking towards the pair of Lachesis. "Tension Twist!" she cried. The red thread appeared, hovering in the air around the two, pausing for just a moment. She had to pick. She had to pick one of them. With a horrible sinking feeling in her chest, Clotho called the thread to bind around the one who had spoken second.

She could already feel the tears on her cheeks, wet and cold, the salt unpleasant on her flaking skin. She hoped that if she had chosen wrong, the real Sailor Lachesis would forgive her.

Calliope was ready to cheer with delight upon seeing the Hydra's many heads rear back in terror. Even such a legendary creature such as this, even one made of the darkest of elements one can imagine, isn't immune to fear and terror! 

But then, three of the heads retaliated and emitted something from it's mouth. Calliope could have screamed. Of course such a beast would attack out of fear! What was she thinking? Her mind began to race in panic; as she placed both hands on the solders of the one closest to her-Sailor Euterpe-ready to fully shove her down and cover her with her own body to protect her from whatever was about to consume them. 

Of course it would be one of her mistakes that would cause them to lose. They'd lost someone already due to her assumptions, after all.

it was at this moment, she felt the gentle yet holy power of Sailor Cosmos as a heavy breeze picked up. As Calliope realized that she and her allies were NOT about to get consumed by flames-but by a thin yet potent gas, only then did she realize she'd still been gripping Euterpe's shoulders. She released the girl with a very quick apology. 

Sailor Melpomene's mask had appeared in her hands, and she was talking with Sailor Thalia. It seemed like the pair were ready to try to take out one of the Chaos Sisters, and while Calliope would have rather they deal with the biggest beast on the battlefield, at least they were working as a pair and not going solo like..

"Erato!" Calliope couldn't help but give a muffled cry of the senshi's name as one of the two forms of Sailor Lachesis attacked the other. Only those closest to her position would have even heard her silent scream. She couldn't tell who attacked whom, but this could only lead to a deadly situation for her. But she nor the other senshi could get to her-they had the hydra to deal with, after all, and the other Chaos Sisters. Many a battlefield was flashing through her mind, and it was crippling. Perhaps, had they not lost three of their own, she wouldn't be feeling this horrid in the midst of battle.

The sound of Urania's arrow zipping through the air snapped her back into reality. If she really wanted to have the team closer together, she'd have to get rid of the Hydra. Calliope raised her harp into the air, the outermost crystal glowing with an intense light. 


"Light of Basaroch, Heed my Cry!" She thrust it into the direction of one of the legs. "Calliope Kaleidoscope!" 

And with that a beam of energy shot out. Calliope could only hope it would damage the hydra enough so she'd be able to rush to Erato's their aid.

Nothing really seemed to be going her way today. But perhaps she had at least managed to buy her friends some time.

Lachesis's serpent bit into her just as Clotho attacked her. How had she known? Did the Chaos Sisters really have as strong as a bond as the Muse senshi? With the way Lachesis and Atropos treated Clotho, Erato was certain she would be able to convince Clotho to choose the wrong one.

The tight binding of the string took Erato's breath away, and she let out a small cry. Her adrenaline could only protect her from so much, and she was starting to realize how much trouble she had really gotten herself into. Not bothering to hold the hideous glamour anymore, Erato let go of her Lachesis illusion and returned to her normal self. She really had only one option at this point, and it was doing what she did best: persuasion.

"Really, this is the life you want?" she yelled at both sisters. "You want to hurt people, to turn the universe into ash and dust? What will become of you when there's nothing left but darkness and emptiness? Do you really think that will take your pain away?" The burns on her body from Lachesis's attack earlier started to really settle in, and it made Erato's legs tremble. "I can never relate to how you all feel every day - just those burns alone were almost too much for me to handle. But I do know what it's like to question your purpose - your reasons for existing when all the world seems to do is cause you pain. And I've learned that despite how the world has wronged us, there is a way to feel better, and it's with people like them, people who will stand by your side and support you no matter what mistakes you make. You can have that - all of you. Together, we can have that." She gestured with her head towards the other senshi, and just the action alone caused Clotho's string to tighten around her. Erato grimaced, clenching her teeth to keep from crying out again.

Did she dare to hope that her words would be enough?

It worked! Of course it did. She kept up the vibrato even as the beast stumbled, reserving her air supply and wondering, honestly, if that breathe-in-while-breathing-out thing was something that was even possible. It was worth a shot! Blonde brows furrowing in careful concentration, she tried to breathe in while keeping the note going and ---

The creepy creature lurched its heads forward and started hiss-roaring a dark cloud towards her. Calliope appeared, taking her by the shoulders like she was going to knock her down to protect her, disengaging her flute in the process. She gasped in a breath in surprise just as Cosmos swept the evil looking miasma away, keeping them safe. Calliope ran off, but Euterpe cheered, "Thanks Cosmos!!" and took another deep breath for an additional attack, light blue eyes focused on the hydra, rather than what her friends were doing. Get rid of the hydra, get the Fate senshi over to their side, and have a party! Everyone's gotta have goals~

But as she released another Vicious Vibrato, aiming once again towards the legs of the beast, she caught sight of Erato near Lachesis and Clotho, hearing bits of their conversation on the wind beneath the sound of her vibrating note, and started to wander forward, finally away from Cosmos's shield. This could be the moment to turn them over to their side, if they listened! Maybe they didn't have to defeat the hydra after all - maybe it'd be a new pet! It'd be hard to feed. But huge, which made it neat. Seven flower crowns though...hmm.. and that big... she'd definitely need backup, but with Clotho's ability to weave they could get it done in no time!

She kept up the note but paused, eyeing the great beast. Erato and the others were on the other side, and the thing was huge and had a lot of heads, so she stayed put, rather than walking on by like she had originally intended. It had a pointy looking tail. 

Oh!!

Wait!!

The note stopped as she sucked in a breath and changed to Enchanting Trill, hoping to distract the hydra as, long blonde hair bouncing behind her, she rushed underneath the creature to approach the Fates and Erato, stopping the distracting noise only when she reached Clotho's side, having subconsciously chosen the youngest as her main focus. "She's right, you know!" she said to Clotho with a cheerful smile, "A lot of bad stuff's happened, but if you wanted to give it all up and join us we'll protect you! There's so much more to life than this. Let's stop fighting and enjoy it!" She winked playfully, "What do you say, Clotho?"

Cosmos finally showed off her power and it was quite a showing indeed. While Atropos was disappointed that her creature’s poison was unable to do damage, she kept a tiny tight smile on her lips as she continued to observe the battle from above, a dark energy attacked still charged in her hand. She glanced down to check on her sisters to see how they were faring and found an interesting sight.

There were two Lachesises and Clotho seemed she was in doubt of who to attack. It must be that Sailor Erato again. This wasn’t the first time they’d experience her illusion abilities. Who did she think she was trying to trick her sisters like that?  They knew better. Atropos kept an eye on them, ignoring the onslaught on her hydra for now.

Meanwhile, the hydra was recovering from the previous attacks, the fear having subsided some. It struggled back onto all four legs again, tail swinging wildly. One of the heads went into attack after the three failed with their breath, only for a barrage of small pellets of energy to hit it over and over again. The Hydra took a few steps back. It was clearly starting to suffer as its heads roared and wailed in pain. For a brief moment, it’s chest was exposed where a small glimmer of light could be seen. Urania’s arrow had perfect timing as it struct true and hit just to the left of the hydra’s heart, damaging it severely. A deafening roar escaped as all heads reared upwards, spewing its poisonous breath into the area above. Then the poor suffering beast was hit with another energy beam to its leg, causing it to topple over.

It was clearly suffering and crying out in pain as it felt its heart begin to give out. The hyrdra’s writing heads began to drop with loud, Earth trembling thuds. The hydra had been distracted even more and did not notice as Euterpe skirted past it.

So much pain...

Why was there so much pain…

The thunderous thud distracted Atropos from the fight between Clotho, Lachesis and Erato. Both Clotho and Lachesis were doing quite well, having easily seen through Erato’s illusion. The girl was suffering now for her foolish attack, and Atropos was confident that Erato’s demise was eminent and with the hydra’s life ending...well, needless to say, Atropos was surprisingly not that concerned.

She felt no pity for the creature, only slight disappointment that one of Mother and her creations was being murdered much too soon. She so enjoyed when Mother included her in her plans and creating this being with her had brought her much pride and joy. Watching the Cosmos Sailor Soldiers destroy the being made her want to fight all the harder for Mother’s purpose. Their precious hydra had not even attacked the team of muses before they launched their vicious onslaught. For all their talk of justice, love and friendship, they certainly were quite hypocritical. The hydra was merely just a victim of their hypocrisy.

Looking back towards Clotho and Lachesis, Atropos could just make out an exchange of words with the now bound, Erato. She decided to descend towards the two, her hand aiming the charged chaos energy towards Erato, only to catch the sight of the bubbly blonde Sailor Euterpe. Whatever it was that she just babbled, it annoyed Atropos. How dare she try to tempt her sister to join them!

She moved her hand in Euterpe’s direction, releasing her the energy at the annoying blonde just as the tips of her sandals touched the rubble of the destroyed street they were battling in.

Attack:

Sailor Chaos's mouth turned downward. The creature- the battle- was not going as she wished. Her eyes narrowed into slits as the battle raged on. She could feel her skin tighten as the battle progressed. The side of her mouth ticked at the turn of the battle continued.  She had no doubt that her girls could be victorious, but the loss of the Hydra on its' feet was something she barely could tolerate.  

All that time working on it, making it a lovely being that it was drowned in darkness, and this is what happened!  Barely getting even one attack in!  It was an outrage. It was an insult to her core in some regards.  She had crafted it to be devastating and this is what happened?

"Pathetic." Though her nails dug deep into the skull of her arm chair. "Just pathetic!"   Her sickly bright green eyes danced across the screen. More and more she felt her anger pricked by these Cosmos Soldiers.  Cosmos had, in all this, done very little. It was quite amusing for a part of her mind to observe the uselessness of her counterpart. 

A counterpart she still craved and longed for.  It was truly an insidious feeling that she could do little about. Even if she were to do as she wanted and imprison Cosmos, she doubted that alone would satisfy her. 

Before her mind's eye she saw it- a flash of white belonging to someone Not Cosmos.  This Not Cosmos was bathed in a light, surrounded by other tinier lights.  Rude little creatures that got in her way of the other. The Not Cosmos who was sheltering a light that was far more attractive but still too juvenile to bother.  Not Cosmos was within her grasp and then-

Chaos blinked, it happened once more.  That memory from another- possibly one of her former offspring that had died?  It didn't matter. 

Nothing mattered. 

Except the now, that she stared up with contempt and a bit of a smirk that suddenly flourished.  Good. She started laughing softly to herself, a thought that came upon her as she summoned her spear with it's many blades at the end.  

Not yet going, but she prepared herself.  They shall know her soon enough.

She didn't respond for a few moments, stunned by the words of the two opponent sailor soldiers. The tears continued to stream down her face, her sniffling barely obscured. Her eyes could not have been seen behind the veil that concealed them, but there would have been no softening there for Euterpe or Erato. She did not have time to celebrate her lucky guess, that moment she decided that the aggression of the first Lachesis seemed more on-character for the sister she adored. The soldier with the purple hair and bruises may not have been traditionally loving, but that didn't dim Clotho's affection for her. Lachesis and Atropos had always been by her side.

How dare these strangers think she would leave them?

Clotho could feel her heart pounding in her chest, as though it would break free from her rib cage like one of Mother's "pets". Her head swam; a whirring noise intensified in her ears. The one with the flower crown offered protection—protection from... from what? Leaving... leaving her sisters? Never again feeling the gentle hand on her shoulder or seeing Atropos' approving smile? Never again hearing Lachesis call her name, begging her to join in the fun? She didn't even think about the horrible things that Sailor Chaos would surely have in store for her—it wasn't that threat alone that kept her here. (Sailor Clotho knew, as well, that the sailor soldiers could never save her from Mother's wrath. She had seen enough of it to be sure of that.) Her sisters... her beloved, cherished, wonderful sisters, who had cared for her and kept her with them... All she wanted was for them to be with her, forever!

"You don't know anything about me!" the pink-haired girl screamed, her voice rising and breaking, high and hysterical. She tightened the cord that wrapped around Sailor Erato, desperate for some outlet for the frantic panic that filled her core.

Instead of returning Sailor Euterpe's wink, Clotho reached up one bloodied hand to shove her veil aside, revealing clouded eyes that gleamed like mother-of-pearl, turning her gaze on the girl.

Attack:

Lachesis remained fairly quiet while the Cosmos Soldier's tried to sway Sailor Clotho. Somewhere in her cold soul, she was worried. Clotho wasn't exactly as...enthusiastic as her and Atropos.

"I don't have time to play with you anymore, wretch! Sailor Lachesis jumped into the air, and ran to the hydra, jumping on it's central head. It was already screaming in pain, which made Lachesis even more excited than usual. Even though the hydra was dying, she figured she would at least pay her 'respects'. She dug her heel into the hydra's scales. "It's such a pity."

Sailor Lachesis turned to Sailor Clotho. "My beloved younger sister... I am so very proud of you. Keep on making me proud, and our mother and myself will reward you greatly."

She noticed the glossy eyes of her sister and howled up into the sky. "Soldiers of Cosmos. Prepare to meet your end!" She had to contain her pleasure for now. There would be time for that later, of course.

She had done just enough to protect them, but she could not risk much more. Not right now. It was strange, to be in a situation where she could not use her powers to their full extent, even though it had been years now since she had fought as she had in her younger years, straining against the boundaries of her capabilities. She was stronger now, more powerful, but that power could too quickly turn to something overwhelming and unnecessary. She knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security in this battle. Cosmos had fought Chaos for a long time now, in this seemingly-endless war. She could not risk it now, both to expose what she could do, making it easier for their opponents to form additional strategies, and to waste her powers—they were not truly boundless, even though it might seem that way to some others, sometimes. This did not seem to Sailor Cosmos like a battle that would be over as soon as the three sisters were subdued, nor did she expect to turn them towards the side of Light without much effort. They had served Chaos faithfully for so long, committing atrocities in the name of that powerful force. Her dear friends tried, but she was not surprised to find that these agents would not embrace the ideals of Cosmos so quickly. She waited, watchful, trying to judge the right moment to intervene.

The fight against the Hydra was going well. Too well, even, one might dare say. The poor beast was not even getting a chance to strike back. For a second, just a brief second, Urania was almost led to believe that she had been wrong all along. That, if she just hoped, like Thalia did, things would be okay. Together, they would make it.

So what happened next was good. She needed that. She needed to be brought back to reality. She needed to remember why they were losing. That feeling, the one that Erato and Euterpe so clearly demonstrated. No, it was not hope, after all.

It was delusion.

After countless, tragic battles. After three of their beloved comrades fell to those wretched beings... They decided it was finally the right time to turn them over to the good side! Oh, gee, how come none of them had thought of this before?! So brilliant! That ought to settle things, once and for all! Now they would all be able to happily chill together - perhaps they should invite them over for a cup of tea~

Sometime ago, she would probably have yelled at them to come to their senses. To open their eyes. To stop being so naive and get their act together.

But... not now. She almost laughed. She wanted to laugh at the stupidity of this whole thing. She wanted to laugh at herself, for once believing that they could do it together.

But she did not. She simply watched as Clotho and Lachesis oh-so-surprisingly dismissed the whole peace talk, with the latter jumping straight on the wounded beast's head. How curious. Perhaps that psycho reveled in the pain and suffering of friends and foes alike.

How sad it was that this psycho was doing a far better job than her team.

Oh well, Erato thought, it was worth a shot.

And as if it took a snap of her fingers, Erato was back to hating the Chaos senshi with ever fibre of her being. As Clotho's stupid string wrapped itself tighter around her, Erato looked frantically to Euterpe and the rest of the Muse senshi. "And to think," she spat to Clotho, "I actually thought you were somewhat intelligent. Serves me right." 

Erato was starting to feel exhaustion settle in. Her body screamed to be left alone, to recover, to escape the pain. The tightness of the string made it hard for Erato to catch her breath, but she didn't let it show. She'd be damned if she let these...things defeat her. 

In one final burst of determination and energy, Erato shouted, "Cosmic Charm!!" A burst of pink magic erupted from Erato's chest, heading straight towards Clotho. Hopefully, with her attention on Euterpe, the attack would hit its mark. 

Attack:

Calliope gave a cry of victory when the hydra fell, emitting a cry of it's demise.

"Take that! Ye foul beast!" She exclaimed, spinning her harp for good measure. When was the last time she'd the team taste victory of any kind from the Chaos sisters? Calliope could seldom remember-but it certainly felt good. They'd defeated the creature of darkness! They could do this! So long as everyone stuck to fighting the fight for good, there's no way they could lose!

Which is why when Sailor Erato offered for them to join the side of good, Calliope could feel her jaw drop in disbelief; doubly so when when Eutrope dashed past her, offering a playful wink and a cheerful offer of the same merit. Her heart began to race and she stood there, mortified.

Try to sway the sisters to the side of good? After the destruction they caused? After the death they brought? They'd witnessed the burning of many lands, the fires of many civilizations burning-and the brutal murder of Sailor Themis just moments before. 

"Are thy hearts all full of fancy!?" Sailor Calliope felt her blood boil at the very thought of these three beasts returning to a civilization, full of happiness and light-when so many others would forever be unable to. Before Calliope could continue to protest, the offer was quickly turned down, to which Calliope could only offer a satisfied-and somewhat sinister-smile. 

"An eye for an eye is the law of beasts-and that thee shall remain." Calliope pointed her harp in the direction of Sailor Clotho. "Words of mercy mean nothing to animals."


With all the anger in her heart, she fired her Calliope Kaleidoscope once more; hoping to follow up Sailor Erato's attack. 

She could never forgive the Chaos Sisters for what they've done.

Not now, Not ever.

Attack:

Atropos blast had hit Euterpe, sending her flying back several feet, and with a sense of satisfaction, she quickly turned heel to face Erato, who was still constricted by Clotho. She had heard Clotho’s cries of confusion and saw the tears stain her cheeks. Normally, she would be upset with this behavior from her but these Cosmos Soldiers had tried to meddle with something they knew nothing of.

Lachesis had moved over to taunt at the hydra. Well, she’ll be extra please in a few moments. Atropos help a constant small, knowing smile. As she made her way to towards Erato, sword gripped tightly, the soldier sent out an attack in desperation towards Clotho.

No!  

She would not let these wretches hurt her dear sister. Atropos launched herself in a giant leap to take the attack aimed at Clotho, knocking her sister out of the way of the attack. Atropos had not seen the other beam of magic coming their way, an attack from Sailor Calliope, but now she lay in the path of that as well. She showed no look of shock or pain on her face as she braced for the attacks to hit. She could endure the pain as this was nothing to what she already suffered on a daily basis.

First was Erato’s mind warping attack, her mind fought it but she suddenly could feel affection for the blonde fiesty Sailor Solier in front of her. How beautif--no! Atropos grimaced, fighting against the magic only to then get hit with Sailor Calliope’s Kaleidoscope attack. Atropos dug her heels into the ground, bracing it, the force pushing her back a few feet, but she did not fall. She felt the pain but she would not fall, not yet.

---

As Lachesis was digging her heel into the hydra, she would notice that as it gave it’s last breath, the dark miasma that had appeared before during its summoning, appeared again. This time it completely covered and then dissolved the reptilian creature’s body.  As the hydra dissolved away, it shrunk in size considerably. The miasma initially made it hard to tell what was left behind as it slowly dissipated with the wind.

Once the cloud of chaotic energy completely faded away, the body of a now deceased human woman was left behind. The body was battered and bloody but to one, it would not be mistaken.

The woman was Sailor Erato’s aunt.

She had been the hydra.

Her attention had drifted for a moment, taking stock and value of the body she wore. It was such an odd form in the sense it physically trembled with nervous energy. What an odd thing for it to do.  All over such an exciting moment.  The moment the Hydra- her attention going back to the silent screeching of the beast as it entered its' death throes- had fallen to the ground and Lachesis was putting part of the beast out of it's misery.  It was, rather a sad ending for it.  

Sad in the fact it did little to what it was supposed to do!  

But that didn't matter.  It didn't matter because the expressions she wanted to see them when the Hydra's form melted and changed into that of a lovely gift for a special annoying soldier in the midst of them. She, personally, wanted to drink in the image of despair and horror.  It filled her with even more giddy emotions that were at odds with her fearsome appearance.  Still, Sailor Chaos turned her eyes towards the darkness that was her home and left it.

her arrival was heralded by a feeling, first and foremost.  The sort of feeling that hits a person in their chest and sinks heavily to the pit of their stomach.  Dread, some would call it. Fear, others would cry out as it persisted growing ever more with each passing moment.  If any had such an animal instinct within, it would be screaming 'danger'. It would whimper for forgiveness and hope that whatever this 'danger' was would pass them by. 

And this was before she actually appeared above them all with dark clouds gathering behind her as she appeared to slip from them.  Her wings, bat-like in shape, were dark as they were wide. Behind her fluttered her almost translucent black cape that shimmered slightly in what little light caught it. Though her wild untamed hair seemed to be everywhere as she floated down towards them.  The pressure- the need to run in those lowly mortals and beings who weren't protected by any light would've overwhelmed them if they were still around at this point. 

It didn't matter, none of it truly did in the grand scheme of things.  It was just a cute little game her agents played with these girls.  Black lips turned into a smile, almost a gentle one, as she spotted the one she sought the most.  In the midst of them all, Sailor Cosmos.   Her Light.  It had been so long, so very long since she's felt its' presence and now, here it was, wearing a stubborn shell that didn't know well enough to come back. 

Soon, she'll have it back where it belonged.  Til then, however...


"Having fun, children?"  Her voice came out almost softly but it was loud enough to carry over the battlefield.  She did not land, however, her black winged boots stayed together as if she was on a platform as she looked down at them at them all. "Though, I had expected more from this."

She extended her hand, immense darkness curled around her, waiting for the moment for her to use it. 


"Sailor Cosmos!"  She called to the being- her light- in white. "Finally, we meet! It has been a long time, my dear beloved light. Have you ceased with this foolish notion of fighting me, yet? Are you ready, now, to return?"


At that last, Sailor Chaos tilted her head, "Or do you wish for more?"

While she waited for Melpomene's reply, she watched the conversation unfolding on the other side of the battlefield. Erato and Euterpe were trying to convince Clotho to join their side. Thalia hoped she would take it; she'd always seemed like the most reluctant of the three to cause destruction. Sometimes it almost seemed like she didn't even enjoy it.

But the girl said no. Thalia hadn't expected it to be that easy, but a part of her, like always, had hoped. If she didn't even want to fight... why do it at all? Why did any of them do it? What kind of person could grow up to enjoy death and destruction just for the sake of it? She didn't understand.

She flinched at Calliope's harsh words, and actually felt horrified at what she said. 'An eye for an eye'? If everyone thought like that, then what was going to be left in the world? Everyone would just keep killing each other as revenge and then there would be nothing anymore. Then what was the point of them fighting at all? What were they supposed to protect?

She watched Atropos dive to protect Clotho from an attack and knew that these people were not animals. They cared for each other. Maybe that was why Clotho said no. Maybe it was because they loved each other and would never betray each other, just like the Cosmos senshi wouldn't. If they wanted to convince the three sisters to join their fight, they'd have to convince all three of them.

The dark cloud appearing from the defeated hydra caught her attention then, and with dread she wondered what it was going to morph into this time. She didn't expect it to die so easily, but...

It shrunk? She narrowed her eyes, trying to see what was behind it...

And gasped.

It was a human woman, who looked decidedly dead. The monster... was a human?! And they had killed her?!

Terror filled her from this realization, and that feeling of trying to gasp for breath, like a drowning person trying to reach the surface, threatened to overwhelm her. The feeling she always got whenever something terrible happened and she could not immediately find a silver lining as her lifeline. She could not deal with this. 

And then the feeling somehow got worse, almost physical tendrils of fear and dread seemed to weigh her down, and Thalia knew this was something else entirely. Something was coming... something terrible.

Dark clouds appeared in the sky, and she looked up shakily, taking off her mask to see better. A figure appeared from it, a horrifying, nightmarish figure that seemed to represent every dark and scary thought one had ever had. Who was this?!

She had the appearance of a senshi, but she emitted no light. In fact, she was everything but light. She reminded her of their enemies, only a thousandfold worse. She felt the strange urge to fall to her knees in the face of such terrible power, but stayed standing somehow.

As the mysterious soldier of darkness addressed Sailor Cosmos, Thalia turned to look at her, partly to borrow power from her light, and partly to see if she knew who this new foe was.

Melpomene nodded in response to Thalia's suggestion. At the moment, Atropos seemed the most dangerous of their foes. And with the hydra falling before them, they needed to ensure that the Chaos Senshi could not summon something else. They needed to keep the tide of the battle in their own favor.

Focusing on Atropos with the gaze of her Mask of Tragedy, Melpomene was momentarily distracted by the attempts being made to turn the Chaos Senshi against their instincts. The attempts to reason with them. She did not believe it to be a possibility, though she envied their conviction in trying the impossible.

The offer of truce was rebuffed in an instant, no matter how much sense the senshi had made. Darkness could not change. Her sisters should have known that by now. But still, their innocence, their hope, was as beautiful as it was misplaced.

Dread grasped at her, overwhelming and thick, sudden in its appearance as it choked her. It felt everywhere, in her chest, in her bones, in her very mind itself. As strong as it was, it took a few moments to right herself and realize that she was not the only one feeling such stark emotions within her. The emotions amplified as each one of her sisters' auras darkened in their unique way. Melpomene froze, caught up in the eye of a emotional storm. Something terrible was arriving.

Death, it seemed, had come for them all this day.

The deepest pit of darkness began to coalesce into a new enemy. Melpomene had never seen such a pitch black being before, but she knew without a doubt that this person was an enemy. And powerful. Strange, that this new being seemed the exact opposite of Cosmos. Where Cosmos was blindingly bright no matter the situation around them, this person's aura was made of darkness, absorbing all light within its black center.

Melpomene shivered as the voice called out, and she looked to Cosmos then, her earlier plans with Thalia thoroughly set aside at the moment as this new situation played out. Still, she moved closer Thalia's side, to be nearer to her counterpart, and to Cosmos herself.

She had a feeling this battle was only just now truly beginning.