Subject: [FANFIC] Sailor Moon: Celebration (part 2 of 3)
From: Chris Davies
Date: 2/16/1997, 4:27 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com, nomad@cyberverse.com, kasumi.tendo@worldnet.att.net, chin@ACS1.BU.EDU, chocobo@cris.com, gooball@shell.iSTAR.ca, olivier@duke.usask.ca, wwolfshohl@logicon.com, lhudson@ids.net, awlam@sfu.ca, mileena@ix.netcom.com, mwilson@cts.com, seabaugh@earthlink.com, see449@mail.usask.ca, jetwolf@ix.netcom.com, ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu, jhosmer@ix.netcom.com, Ken_Wolfe@MBnet.mb.CA, wchiang@mydoc.com, nwl9354@unix.tamu.edu, falcon@best.com

                                Sailor Moon
                                Celebration

                                Chapter Two

(The story thus far:  The day of Serena and Darien's wedding has come, a 
day which arouses mixed feelings in Raye.  The Sailor Scouts have 
appointed themselves to be Darien's guardians, to ensure that nothing 
happens to prevent Darien's safe arrival at the chapel -- especially 
nothing Darien does himself.  After an uncomfortable while, Raye flees 
into the bathroom, works out what she's feeling, and, returning to the 
living room of Darien's appartment, announces without looking at Darien 
that she still has feelings for him, but that he must ignore them.)

    There was a long silence, and I turned to look at Darien.

    Erica's face filled my vision.  "Raye," she said sadly, "I never knew 
you felt for me so much."

    Gack!

    "Shelly," Erica cried, turning to Michelle, who was standing near the 
door, holding a hand over her face silently, "how can I bring myself to 
choose between you two!  I cannot!  I WOULD DATE WITH YOU BOTH!"

    Michelle lifted her gaze, and gave the sigh of one who has endured 
much and expected to endure even more.  "Hello, Raye, how are things?"

    "Wha -- what are you two doing here?" I managed to get out.

    "Susan wanted to talk over a few things with Darien," Erica said, 
smiling her wicked grin.  "Things that mere mortals such as we are not 
meant to hear, so they went for a walk while you were in the bathroom.  I 
take it this means you weren't talking about me?" she pressed.  "Drat.  
Shelly, forget what I just said, okay?"

    "I liked her better when she was taciturn and obsessed, didn't you?" 
Michelle asked me.

    "Uh-huh," I nodded.  "Of course, we all know that this air of gaiety, 
if you'll pardon the expression, is really just a front."

    "Huh?" Erica inquired.

    "Oh, yes, certainly," Michelle agreed, her smile showing only in her 
eyes.

    "It's a way of coping with her feelings of inadequacy for having such 
a *gorgeous* person in love with her," I explained, looking Michelle up 
and down in a frankly admiring manner.  "She can't believe it's true, so 
she gives you every excuse to dump her.  You know, Michelle, that if you 
decide to do just that, I'm available, right?"

    "Actually, Raye, I wasn't aware of that," Michelle said, musingly.  
She gave *me* the once over, and it was all I could do to keep my 
embarassment under control.  "But I'll keep it in mind, now ..."

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Erica's jaw had been dropping 
steadily throughout my speech, and that she was now staring at both of us 
with complete and unmitigated horror.  Michelle and I turned to look full 
at her ... and as one, we stuck our tongues out.

    A choking noise escaped Erica's throat.

    Michelle giggled.  "Oh, Raye ... thank you!  I've been waiting for 
someone to pull her legs out from under her since we met!"

    "No problem," I said dismissively.

    "Emotional cruelty," Erica babbled.  "No jury would ever convict me 
... not when they heard ..." she trailed off, then let out a deep breath.  
"Hooooooo.  You, young lady, are dangerous," she said, shaking her finger 
at me.  "You're gonna be a terror when you start looking for the right 
woman ..."

    I flinched.  "No, I'm not, I was just kidding.  I mean, I'm not ... 
like that.  Really."

    Erica and Michelle exchanged a frustrated look.  "Same thing as when 
we were in that forest," Michelle sighed.

    "It's terrible to see so much denial in a person, isn't it?" Erica 
said sadly.

    "Hey!  I'm in the room!" I reminded them.

    "All right, Raye, since you insist ... when you start looking for the 
right *person*.  Better?"  Erica inquired.

    I nodded grudgingly.  "So where's Lydia?"

    "We left her with Serena," Michelle answered.  "She's really excited 
about all this, didn't get a wink of sleep last night."

    "Can you blame her?" Erica interjected.  "This is one of the big 
events that leads to Reenie being born, after all.  If I was around when 
*my* best friend's parents were getting hitched, I'd probably have gotten 
excited too."

    A long sigh came from the doorway.  "I just get finished discussing 
this with *him*, and I come back and find that the two of you are falling 
into the same trap ..."

    Susan stepped into the appartment, with Darien following close 
behind.  Darien had an almost haunted expression.

    "What trap?" Erica asked.

    "The trap of assuming that the future has been written, simply because 
you have met and spoken to an individual from the future.  I would have 
*thought* that Serenity's account of what happened to Small Lady during 
our confrontation with Neherenia would have convinced you of this ..."

    "But Susan, this isn't the same thing.  If Darien and Serena are 
married today, then there isn't any way that Reenie can be ... not born," 
Michelle protested.

    Susan's eyes went distant.  "Not so.  Unless certain things are done 
within the next four years, a cabal of genetic and eugenic researchers 
will inadvertantly earn the wrath of an advanced extraterrestrial 
civilization, which will unleash a disaster on Earth in which all of the 
Sailor Scouts will die, and the defense of humanity will be left in the 
hands of --"  She broke off suddenly, and shook her head.  "That isn't 
important.  Suffice to say that I have explained to Endymion that this 
ceremony is by no means the end of our vigilance, nor even the beginning 
of the end.  It is a step towards the correct future, nothing more."

    Erica and Michelle exchanged a look, then nodded.  "What things?" I 
barked.

    "That situation is well in hand, Mars.  It does not concern you."  She 
fixed me with a stare, and I realized that it was hard to look into those 
dark red eyes for any length of time.  Something about them ... they 
screamed, `I have seen things that you would go insane to imagine.'

    "In any case, Uranus, Neptune, I believe that it is time that we took 
our leave.  Endymion, I ask that you consider what I have told you.  Mars, 
good day."

    Erica gave us a jaunty wave as she and Michelle followed Susan out.

    "So ... what all did she tell you?" I asked softly.

    "All the ways that things could go wrong without my being able to do 
anything about it," he murmured as he slumped into the couch.  "As a pep 
talk, it sucked."

    I looked at him, concerned.  "Are you really that nervous?"

    "Of course!" he snapped.  "Lita was right ... this is the first real 
serious relationship that I've ever had, and as if that wasn't bad enough, 
the fate of the *world* is resting on it!"  He turned to me quickly.  "I 
... I didn't mean that the way that it sounded."

    I nodded, wearily.  "I know ... we've talked about it.  I don't mind 
that your memories of our ... dates aren't as complete as they could be."  
<I don't mind.  I'm upset, I'm angry, I'm hurt, but I don't mind.>

    "Was it this bad before?" he wondered.  "Back in the Silver Millenium, 
before everything went to pot ... were we all right with the idea that 
everything depended on us?"

    "Darien ..."

    There was a sudden buzzing noise.  We both jumped a bit.  Darien got 
up and walked over to the security system.  "Yes?" he said into the 
intercom.

    "Yo, Chiba ... I'm here to pick you and Rei-san up, are you ready?" 
Chad's voice boomed.

    Darien stood staring at the intercom for a few moments.  I walked over 
to stand by him.  "Well?" I asked softly.  "Are you ready?"

    Darien looked at me, closed his eyes, let out a deep sigh.  Then he 
smiled.  It was a dangerous smile; the smile that Tuxedo Mask sometimes 
flashed at an adversary when he was in absolute command of the situation 
and knew it.

    "Am I ready?" he asked.  "Come on.  Let's give 'em hell."

                                 *   *   *

    We got to the chapel without incident, and Darien and Chad were rushed 
into the men's dressing room where Mr. Tsukino was already getting ready.  
I proceeded at an easier pace to the women's room.

    "All right!" Mina cheered as I arrived.  She looked a bit better ... 
but not much.  "Ladies, I declare Operation:  Getcha to the Church on Time 
a complete success!"

    "Everything going okay?" Lita asked.  For a moment, I tensed up, 
thinking that she had gone back to thinking that I might yet try to 
interfere ... then cooled down.  Lita was looking a little concerned, that 
was all.

    "Everything's fine.  Well?  Where's the blushing bride to be?"

    "Oh, you're gonna love this," Mina giggled.  "Serena!  Come out and 
say hi to Raye!" she called out.

    The door in the back of the room opened up, and the vision came into 
sight.

    Serena's wedding dress had been patterned on one that she'd once used 
as a disguise during our battles with Nephrite.  It was a little less 
ostentatious than the original had been, but still gorgeous.

    My heart skipped a beat as she glided into view ...

    ... and then I saw that someone had pinned up the edge of the huge 
hoop skirt so that Serena couldn't trip on it, and I groaned.  "Anybody 
wanna set up a betting pool for when she falls on her face during the 
wedding march?" I asked.

    "RAAAAAAYEEE!" Serena whined.  "Why are you --"

    "-- `always so meeeannn to meeee?'" I finished, in the same nasal 
tone.  "Serena, you've been asking me that for the better part of four 
years, and in that time I think everyone has figured out *exactly* why I'm 
so rough on you!"

    "Oh yeah?  Why?"

    "You *DESERVE* it!"

    "Oh yeah?  Well ... well ..." Serena's nostrils flared, and she stuck 
out her tongue at me, blowing a raspberry.

    I prepared to stick my tongue out in response, but paused when I saw 
Lita and Mina quietly pull out their wallets and start paying Amy a small 
fortune.  Serena stared too, her tongue hanging from her mouth.

    "Betting pool on how long it'd take the two of you to start a tongue 
war," Lita explained quietly.  "Amy really cleaned up ..."

    I glared in unison with Serena at Amy, who had the decency to look 
embarrassed for a moment.  Then a vague look of mischief shone in her 
eyes, and she said quietly, "By the way, Raye, I've come up with a more 
likely motivation ... the reason you're so cruel to Serena sometimes has 
to do with the fact that you're embarassed by how much you care about her, 
and so you overcompensate ... am I close?"

    I stared at Amy in horror.  Behind me, Lita started to giggle.  "I 
said from the very start the two of them acted just like sisters ..."

    "We do not!" Serena and I burst out at the same time and in much the 
same tone.

    Suddenly, Mina let out a sigh.  "This has been very fun, you two," she 
said, "but it's time to let it go.  Raye, we know that you care about 
Serena as much as we do.  You've proven it time and time again ... from 
little gestures when you thought nobody was watching, right up to the way 
you've been willing to give up everything for Serena's life.  You're not 
fooling anyone, anymore ..."

    I suddenly felt Serena staring at me, and turned slowly to meet her 
gaze.  "Raye?" she asked in a tiny voice.

    "Guess you were wrong about me not fooling anyone," I muttered to Mina 
as Serena suddenly rushed and grabbed me in a tight hug.

    I felt her heart beating so fast against me ... for only a moment I 
wanted to hug her back as tightly as she was holding me.

    But I'd probably break her if I held her as tightly as I wanted to.

    I eased her away, gently.  "Don't do stuff like that, dummy, you'll 
wreck your dress," I told her.  But I smiled when I said it.

    Her answering smile was dazzling.

                                  *  *  *

    Eventually, all the guests had gathered in the chapel.  The Sailor 
Scouts were seated in the front two rows, with Serena's parents, her 
little brother Sammy, and a handful of Serena's Canadian relatives who had 
kept in contact with her mother over the years.  The other rows were 
filled with Serena's classmates from Jyuban, and a few guests that the 
others had invited -- like my Grandpa, or one of Erica's motorcycle 
buddies ...

    I was sitting next to a fellow named Richard McNichol -- a distant 
cousin of Serena's grandfather, as he'd told me the moment we met.  I 
spent a few moments staring up at him -- Kami-sama, but he was *tall* -- 
and figured out that he was on a hunt for girls almost immediately, and 
resolved to ignore him.

    The ceremony began, as the wedding march played.  Lydia entered first, 
pale and demure in her dress, scattering flowers as she went.  She was a 
little old, now, to be a flower girl -- a conservative guess would have 
had her about fourteen, which was fairly close.  But she had insisted on 
taking the part.

    Next, Molly moved slowly down the aisle, her blue dress setting off 
her red hair beautifully.  I heard the sound of someone falling over as 
she moved past the aisle where Melvin had been seated.  Molly didn't miss 
a step, but I swear that I saw her close her eyes for a moment in an 
expression of extreme embarassment.

    Then Darien and Chad entered, both attired in tuxedos that were only a 
little inferior to the one that Darien wore normally.  Chad walked a step 
behind, and I couldn't help but notice that he'd been especially careful 
shaving for this ... normally after he took a razor to his face, it 
suffered a lot.

    I tried to avoid looking at Darien.  I succeeded.  Barely.

    There was a brief pause, and then Serena entered on her father's arm.  
He was also dressed in a tuxedo, but his face was by turns baffled and 
stormy when compared to the calm that Darien and Chad had shown.  He was 
still somewhere just past "My little girl has been running around with a 
man who's five years older than she is ..."

    I heard sudden sobbing as Serena and Mr. Tsukino moved down the aisle, 
and realized at once that Serena's tendency towards excessive tears must 
be genetic ...

    Finally, they were all gathered at the front of the chapel, before the 
minister.  He was a rather well-known Japanese Christian evangelist whose 
career had begun, strangely enough, not long after we had all become 
Sailor Scouts.  Apparently, Serena and Molly had met him at some point 
that I wasn't exactly clear about.  Lita knew something about it, because 
she'd grinned broadly on hearing the news, but refused to discuss it with 
us.

    The ceremony proceeded as such things generally do, I guess.  I wasn't 
really paying much attention.  All the things the minister was saying 
seemed to be basically repititions of "this is something for people who 
love each other only, so if you two want to back out, now's a good time."  
I think I would have preferred a Shinto wedding, if I'd ever planned on 
getting married.

    Then the minister said something that did grab my attention.

    "If there is any present with cause that these two should not be 
married, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

    I found myself clutching to the seat of the pew, thinking wild 
thoughts of standing up and saying `They shouldn't be married because I 
love ...'

    And then the doors at the back of the chapel were flung open.

    "I SAY THAT THIS MARRIAGE MUST NOT PROCEED!" boomed a voice.

    Every head in the place whirled around to stare at the tall man in 
dark armour who stood there, his sword in hand ...

    But only the Sailor Scouts present recognized him.

    It was Prince Endymion.

    "Who ... who are ..." the minister gasped.  I guess this really isn't 
the sort of thing you expect when you're hired to get two people hitched.

    "*I* am Endymion.  Lord of Earth.  I have come to take my rightful 
bride from this pretender!"  He sneered as Darien stepped in front of 
Serena, who was looking from one to the other of him in a confused manner.

    "I don't know who you are or who your tailor is, pal, but you've got 
no right to come barging in ..." Darien shouted.

    "Shut up and die, fool!" Endymion bellowed, and leveled his sword at 
them.

    A huge bolt of energy leapt from the blade.

    It's strange the way time can slow down in moments like this.  Your 
mind is racing faster than your body can respond, and you watch the 
universe just grind to a near halt.

    The bolt of annihilating energy traveled towards Darien at a blinding 
rate.  I knew with a heart-shattering certainty that I would never be able 
to interpose myself between it and him in time ... and that I'd probably 
not even slow it down ...

    ... and then Chad, eyes filled with utter terror, knocked Darien out 
of the path of the bolt.

    And it slammed into him instead.

    He was knocked back nearly three yards, slammed into the back wall of 
the chapel with a dull thump, and slid to the ground.

    His upper chest was a red mash of shattered ribs and battered tissue.  
I could hear the low sucking noise of a pierced lung.

    And then time sped up again.  So fast that all I could do was stand 
and watch as the one who looked like Endymion leapt up into the chapel, 
coming down at the front, flung something at Darien, grabbed Serena, and 
twirled his cloak around both of them, vanishing immediately.

    For a long moment, the chapel was absolutely still.

    Then the minister looked from Darien's still body to Chad's, lifted 
his head to look at the audience, and said calmly, "Is there by chance a 
doctor in the house?"

    Everything exploded at once.  I heard Dr. Mizuno's voice lift above 
the others.  She was shouting for Amy to call the ambulance, and trying to 
work her way through the suddenly panicked crowd.

    I moved slowly to the front.  It was strange how the crowd almost 
seemed to part in front of me, as though there were something odd about 
me.  I saw one of the people in front of me do a double take at my face 
before he got out of my way but I didn't really pay any attention.

    I walked to where Chad was lying, slumped and broken, against the back 
wall of the chapel.  The front of his tuxedo had been burned away, and so 
had much of his chest.  I listened to the sick, queasy sounds of his 
breathing for a few seconds.

    And then I became aware of a very strange noise.  It sounded like 
something very large grinding against something just as big.  I realized 
that there was all the other noises in the chapel had suddenly become 
quiet.

    I suddenly knew that the noise was my teeth grinding together.

    Immediately, my transformation wand was in my hand.

    Before I could lift my arm, however, I felt a firm but gentle hand on 
my shoulder.  I turned around to look straight into Mina's bright blue 
eyes.

    "Not now, Raye," she whispered.  "Not here."

    I blinked.  I looked back at the chapel.  Every eye was on me ... most 
of them were staring confusedly, others looked like they thought that they 
understood, and six people in that place had a look in their eyes to match 
Mina's own.

    They were scared and hurt, but most of all, there was anger in those 
eyes.  In some it was a cold fury, in others it was a white hot rage.  But 
all of the other Sailor Scouts were feeling just as angry as I was.

    I nodded to Mina and let the transformation wand fade into oblivion.  
I looked away from Chad's body, so that I could see what had been done to 
Darien.  He was lying on the floor of the chapel, his face a mask of 
agony, and there was a heavy black rose sticking out of his upper left 
chest.

    Just above the heart.

    <How cliched,> I thought vaguely, <first this person posing as 
Endymion steals Darien's symbolic heart, and then he tries to destroy his 
actual heart.  Such a cliched villain cannot be allowed to live, he will 
cause other villains to start becoming cliched in their turn ...>

    Mina gently led me to the back of the chapel.  She murmured excuses 
about my being in shock over Chad to people who were still staring at me.  
The others gathered around us as we went back.  Just as we got to the 
entrance, the emergency response team that Amy had phoned a few minutes 
before stomped into the building, and Susan calmly directed them to the 
victims.

    We stepped into the coatroom, and Mina closed the door.  She took a 
deep breath, and turned to look at Susan.  "Pluto," she said calmly, every 
trace of the hyperactivity she'd been laboring under gone, "I will ask you 
this once and once only.  Did you know that this would happen?"

    "I did not, Venus," Susan answered.  "I had no indications whatsoever 
that anyone would target Serenity or Endymion for an attack on their 
wedding day.  I *am* aware of several potential threats which *may* be 
behind this situation, but it does not seem very probable that any of them 
is truly responsible.  This is something new."

    "A simple `no' would have sufficed," Mina said calmly, "but I thank 
you for your input.  Amy, please get your computer and start running one 
of the programs that you've designed to keep track of Serena's movements."

    "I didn't know you could do that," Lita said quietly.

    "Greg made a vague suggestion that it might be a good idea a little 
while ago," Amy answered, beginning to tap at the keyboard.

    "Foresight?"

    "Maybe."  Amy stared at the screen.  "Nothing.  She's either out of 
range or she's being hidden somehow."

    "All right," Mina said, sounding edgy.  "Now what?"

    Nobody had anything to say.

    Suddenly *it* happened.  It was like a cat's claw being drawn across a 
chalk board at a hundred miles an hour, and a sudden terrible sense of 
foulness in the stomach, as if whatever I'd eaten was suddenly rotten.  I 
almost collapsed

    From the way they were bent over, Amy, Lita and Mina were obviously 
experiencing it just as I was, but Erica, Michelle, Susan, and Lydia were 
staring at us, uncomprehendingly.

    And then the voice began.  "HELLLLLLLLLLPPPPP MEEEEEEEEE!"

    It was Serena's voice and she was in agony.

    "Serena!  She's ..." Mina cried.

    "Someone is twisting her, but I can't ... I don't ..." Amy bit out.

    "Focus!" Susan cried, her eyes suddenly alight with understanding.  
"This is a manifestation of your link to the Princess ... you can know 
what she is feeling, if her feelings are intense enough!  Find her by that 
way!"

    I tried.  I formed images of peace and security to send to Serena, 
struggling to understand exactly what was being done to her ...

    And then it stopped.

    I was drenched in sweat, and tears were running down my face.  "I ... 
couldn't ..." I gasped out.

    "Neither could I," Mina whispered agonizedly.

    There was only a broken sob from Amy.

    "I SAW."

    Lita's voice was almost frightening.  We all turned to look at her.  
Her eyes were dark with anger.  "I know ... at the very least, I know the 
path that her taker took to wherever he is.  He is ... he's trying to 
corrupt her somehow ..."

    "Where is he?" Erica pressed.

    An angry smile twisted Lita's lips.  "He's in the sub-basement of a 
certain video arcade in Jyuban."  She looked at the three Inner Scouts.  
"You all know what I'm talking about, right?"

    Amy blinked.  "Of course ... the arcade with the portals that led to 
the Dark Kingdom!"

    "But why there?" Mina wondered.

    "Does it really matter?" Michelle interjected.  "We need to go there, 
in force, at once."

    "Yes," Mina said softly.  "*We* do.  The four of you, however ..."

    "What?" Erica burst, and Michelle and Lydia also looked shocked.  
Susan was smiling faintly at Mina.

    "Suppose for a moment that this whole thing is a set up to lure us 
into a trap so that we can be taken out all at once," Mina explained.  "We 
can't go rushing in all at once, then, because we'd be going along with 
their plan.  Whoever *they* are," she muttered as an afterthought.

    And then Mina smiled faintly.  "Besides ... the eight of us don't work 
well together ..."

    I realized that Michelle was looking at me, and I returned the look 
steadily.  During our final battle with Neherenia, when I'd been forced by 
circumstances to work with Neptune, we'd spent half the encounter getting 
in each other's way, and wound up getting toasted anyway.  The only match 
in that situation that had worked well had been Saturn and Li'l Moon.  And 
since Reenie wasn't here right now ...

    "But what if you need our support?" Lydia interjected.

    "Then we'll send you a sign, Lydia-chan," Mina said simply.

    "I don't like it ..." Erica muttered.

    Suddenly, Mina was standing in front of Erica, looking up into her 
face with an expression that was much frightening than any she'd given to 
Darien or Amy, earlier.  "You don't *have* to like it, Uranus," she 
hissed.  "I don't *care* if you like it or not.  But by God, if you *dare* 
to do anything without my okay, I'll see you put through whatever the 
Silver Millenium used to court martial disobedient Senshi.  There was a 
procedure for that, Pluto?" she asked, turning suddenly to look at the 
eldest Sailor Scout.

    Susan nodded gravely.  "And the penalty for insubordination towards 
the designated commander of the Sailor Senshi during a time of Royal 
Crisis -- when the royal family is imperiled -- was death.  Administered 
by *me*."  Her words were very close to the crack of doom.

    Erica swallowed, and took a step back from Mina.  "All right ... what 
will this sign be?"

    Mina smiled.  "You'll know it when you see it, Uranus.  Trust me."  
She let out a deep breath, and for a few moments the iron control that she 
was exerting over herself flickered.  Then she recovered.  "Amy, Raye ... 
I want both of you to go and tell your families that you've been asked by 
the police to come give a description of the kidnapper, and then get back 
here.  Lita, I'd appreciate it if you'd check in on Serena's family, make 
sure that they're not completely irrational, and give them as much hope as 
you can without revealing the secret.  Lydia, you could check on Darien 
... make sure that he's all right.  Well, ladies ... it would seem that 
the wedding is off.  It's up to us, once more, to make sure things work 
out."  She smiled wanly, and lifted her fingers in the V for victory.  
"Just like always."

    I paused as we marched out of the coatroom, to look back at Mina, who 
was examining the sleeves of one of the garments.  "Aren't you going to go 
talk to your parents?" I asked.

    "I didn't invite mine," she answered without looking at me.  "They're 
too busy for something like this."

    I turned to go ... then turned back, and closed the door behind me.  
She looked up.

    "I just wanted to thank you," I said quietly.  "For making sure I 
didn't ... lose control up there."

    Mina shrugged.  "You'd do the same for me.  We pull each other back 
from the ledge ... that's what friends are for."

    "True.  But ..." I paused, trying to think of how to put this gently, 
and failing.  "But for a while, after what happened in Nerima ... I 
thought you hated me ..."

    She gazed at me unblinkingly.  "For a while, I did."

    As if it had just happened ...

    <I watched as Mina pleaded with the lovely brown-haired woman with the 
shining blue eyes to tell her what had happened to her ... lover?  I 
wasn't sure how far she had gone with the beast ... and seeing the gentle 
entity (I didn't *want* her to be a goddess, she didn't *act* like one) 
tell her patiently what he had done to himself ... and why.>

    <And Mina turned to look at me, her face cold, and said two words.>

    <"Damn you.">

    "But," Mina interrupted my reminiscence, "after a while ... I asked 
myself something.  Which would I rather have -- Aethan hurt badly, or even 
crippled ... or Aethan dead?"  She paused.  "I knew what my answer was.  
And I knew that you did what you thought was right."  She shook her head.  
"I don't hate you, Raye."

    Then she smiled, even more wanly than before.  "I've probably been 
driving all of you crazy this last little while, haven't I?"

    "Well ..." I temporized.

    "I'm sorry.  It's just that ... didn't you feel so *helpless* back 
then?  I did.  I hated it.  So, like Amy said about you, I 
overcompensated.  I found a mission, and tried to keep it under as much 
control as I could.  And look what happened."  Mina sighed, bemusedly.  
"This is why I didn't want to be the leader ..."

    "It's not your fault!" I interjected.

    She looked at me oddly.  "I never said it was.  But I could and should 
have guessed that something like this might happen.  We wouldn't be so 
flat-footed now if I had."  She shrugged.  "Nothing for it ..."

    Before I could reply to that, the door opened, and Lita and Amy 
stepped in.  "Serena's parents are almost out of their minds," Lita 
reported glumly.  "Susan's watching them, though, so I don't think they'll 
do anything crazy ..."

    "All right, that's probably the best we could hope for under the 
circumstances.  Ideally, this will all be written up as yet another random 
incident, and no one will start to put things together about the fact that 
Serena or the rest of us generally tend to be near any manifestations of 
supernatural activity in Jyuban."

    Mina paused then.  "Amy, what does the fact that our adversary is 
using the gate tunnels that lead to where the Dark Kingdom used to be 
suggest to you?"

    "Nothing," Amy said firmly.  "It would be a mistake to state that he 
is certainly or even probably some representative of the Dark Kingdom.  
While the deaths of two of the Dark Kingdom's generals -- Jadeite and 
Zoisite, of course -- are not confirmed in my view, it is illogical to 
assume that they would have survived the collapse after Serena destroyed 
Queen Beryl and eradicated the Negaforce."

    "In other words, assume nothing?" Mina asked.

    "Not other words; those will do nicely," Amy said, with just a hint of 
a smile.

    "All right, then.  I'm not going to remind you of what's at stake 
here, we all know that," Mina said calmly.  "But needless to say, if you 
can get Serena back to safety ..."

    "It's worth our lives to do that," I interjected.

    They all looked at me.  "If the only way to get her out of there in 
one piece is to abandon *me* to whatever we're fighting," I said slowly, 
"I want you to promise me that you'll do it."

    "Raye ... no," Lita said simply.  "She'd never be able to live with 
herself if she knew that ..."

    "Then you make sure that she never does!" I shouted.

    "Could you seriously do that to her, Raye?" Lita demanded, her eyes 
narrowed.

    "Yes," I said.  "I wouldn't do it *to* her, I'd do it *for* her.  
You're right, she couldn't live with that ... and I'd rather she was 
alive, frankly.  And so should you."

    "That's enough," Mina said forcefully.  "Nobody is going to sacrifice 
their lives today, Raye.  We're going to go in, get Serena, pound the hell 
out of the one who took her ... and get out again.  In one piece."

    "Nobody's going to sacrifice their lives?!" I shouted.  "Newsflash, 
Mina -- someone already --"

    Amy slapped me.

    Distantly, I heard Amy say, "Raye, Chad is in the care of competent 
professionals.  He's going to be okay.  If you think you can somehow pay 
this false Endymion back by sacrificing your life to avenge Chad, you're 
mistaken.  You're going to have to go on."

    I looked at Amy, holding my cheek.  She didn't seem ashamed, as she 
had in the arctic when she had slapped Serena ...

    I nodded.  "All right.  Let's go, then."

                              To Be Continued

    In case anyone wonders, my mother's maiden name is "Nichols".  Not 
"McNichol".  And the fact that my middle name is Richard is just a 
coincidence.  Really.

    The potential disaster that Susan refers to is an oblique reference to 
Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the few extremely popular anime that I 
*haven't* considered trying to fit into the timeline I've worked out.  
Suffice to say that the people who are trying to prevent the events that 
Susan talks about succeed.

    Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi and brought to North America 
by DiC.  This story, while incorporating aspects of this motion picture 
held under copyright by others, is copyright 1997 of Chris Davies.

    Nobody sue me okay?