C & C is really, really, REALLY encouraged, be it via private
E-mail or on the ffml.
     Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi and all terms, names etc used in the 
original series are owned by Kodansha and Naoko Takeuchi. 

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	Metallica's first avatar
	Prologue: Before Beryl
	A Sailor Moon Fanficion
	Jenny 'Android18' Chan
	android18@hotmail.com
	www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Padoga/4071/index.html
*****************************************************************

	I'm cold. I feel frozen. My limbs are numb.  But there is
nothing strange about that. I am often cold. I have very poor
circulation.
	The fact that makes my earlier statements strange however,
poor circulation or not, is the fact that I am on Earth while I
say this. It is the middle of summer here, and the sun is smack 
in the middle of the sky.
	I guess I should say that several solid feet of steel and
then several hundred feet of earth separate me from the surface
of the earth.
	My teeth are chattering. I do not like it here.
	The room is completely black. There is no light whatsoever
at all. I am in a small steel room, and I rock myself, my knees
up to my chest. My eyes are wide, and not blinking. They look
straight forward.
	Suddenly, my keen ears detect a sound. 
	I stop rocking, and strain to listen to the voice and the
feet of the two people who come closer and closer towards me.
	"I don't think it's a good idea..." Someone was saying.
"The prisoner's highly unstable at the moment... I'm afraid..."
	I recognize the voice. I snarl, and I have to fight the
urge to leap against a wall and try to claw my way to the
voice, and silence it.
	"Nonsense." Another voice retorts, "I demand to see him
NOW." The speaker spoke in a cool monotone. Her voice radiates
power and authority.
	I recognize this voice as well. My heart leaps into my
throat. I do not believe she actually came.
	"Really, Ma'am, I high recommend just turning around now,
and walking-"
	"Open the door."
	"Ma'am, I-"
	"Now."
	"Y-Yes Ma'am."
	Slowly, I get into a crouched position. I hear the first
person take out a set of keys to open the door.
	I hear the gears turn, and the long creak as the door
opens. I stare at the spot I know the person entering would
put her shoe.
	I wait for the perfect second, just waiting, until the
time comes.... Now!
	The foot comes into view. I roar, and spring off the
floor.
	The timing was perfect. I catch her head on. Her face
was a mask of surprise. She screams as I fall on top of her,
slamming the back of her head onto the steel floor.
	I want to rip her to shreds! I claw at her face, 
shouting, screaming incoherently.
	I hear other voices scream and shout. Apparently, I was
grossly wrong when I thought there were only two people.
	A dozens hands are already ripping at me, pulling me
off the woman who ruined my life.
	"Let go!! Let go!!" I shout, "don't you understand?!
She's playing you ALL for saps! She's the enemy! She's the
betrayer! I HAVE to kill her!! I HAVE to kill her!! Let GO
of me!! Let go!!" 
	The people ignore me. They shoot me full of depressants.
I am not surprised. If I were them, I'd do the same thing.
	I sag to the floor, and I look up at my visitor, the one
who insisted on seeing me. The one who was helping the woman
I attacked to her feet. The one who was looking at me with
horror etched in every line on her face.
	And I suddenly regret my actions. She... she shouldn't
have seen this. True, she was a warrior, and a seasoned one
at that. But she was first a princess, and royalty should not
have to see the carnage I just displayed. I am ashamed.
	"J...upi..er.." I pleaded. "K...il..lll... ki...l... 
h...er.... n..n.ow..."
	I can not keep my eyes open, but I do not loose 
consciousness just yet, either. I can hear the two women
talk as a dozen hands drag me back into my dark little cell.
	"I-I'm sorry," my visitor was saying to my victim.
"Gees, I'm really, really sorry!" Her voice was no longer
calm and controlled.
	My victim apparently was not calmed by the apology.
"I TOLD you, Senshi Jupiter! I TOLD you!! He's not stable!
I TOLD YOU!!"
	Jupiter sighed. It's getting hard to hear her, she's so
quiet. "I... know.. But... I thought... I hoped... that the
stories... weren't true.... but...HAS gone.... insane..."
	My victim is still angry. "I TOLD you... you senshi
never listen to us! You think you're all that! Gees, you don't
even have any common sense!"
	Jupiter decided to change the topic. "Is your face 
alright? Are you hurt that bad?"
	She snorts, "I was CLAWED in the face! What do YOU think?!"
	"Gees," Jupiter says, feeling slightly annoyed, "I SAID
I was sorry, Beryl! I didn't know!"
	Beryl, my victim, apparently ignores the senshi, and I 
hear her stamp angrily away.
	That is when the door closes, and I am in darkness once
more. Before I loose consciousness totally, I mumble out a final
warning.
	"B...er...ll.... betra... yer... watch out... watch out...
wa...ch... t...t.. wa...tt..."

*****************************************************************

	I continue to rock myself. That's the only thing I can ever
do in this cell. It is too small for me to practice my katas,
and it is too dark to read or write.
	Not that they'd give me a pencil to write. The guards here
are convinced I can kill them with a sharpened pencil. They are
not wrong, but I am surprised they know this. I go to great
lengths to keep my strength a secret.
	A knock on the door snaps me out of the trance I can go
into for days at a time.
	A knock. Something must be wrong. No one EVER knocks on
my door.
	They slide open a small hole in the door, and light
shines in briefly before a head covers the light.
	"You have visitors." Says a gruff voice.
	I frown. The guard's voice sounded different to my
ears today. There was no tremble of fear, or stutter of
inexperience. But the voice does not stunned me more than the
message.
	Visitors? This is most peculiar. I haven't had a visitor
since Senshi Jupiter came, months ago.
	I nod. "Let me out."
	"Not a chance," the man replies with a smirk. "You will
talk through the door. We will make the door transparent so
your visitor can see you. Do NOT try to fight. You'd only be
hitting solid steel.
	I nod.
	The door goes transparent, and I instantly wince and 
shield my eyes. To normal people, the light would appear soft,
but to me, since I am used only to the dimmest of lights, it
is agonizing.
	It takes a few minutes before my pupils dilute enough
for me to be able to stand the light.
	There are five people standing in the doorway. Four are
male, and they stand around the fifth, the female. The one
who has come to see me.
	I snarl when I see the person who came to see me and I
leap to me feet. I have to remind myself repeatedly that there
is a steel door separating us.
	"What do you want?" I demand.
	She laughs. "Is that any way to greet your captor?"
	I note that the scars on her face have healed since we
last met. "What do you want, Beryl?" I demand again.
	She steps through the door, at least, I think she does.
I blink. She couldn't have stepped through the door, it must
have been a trick of light, since I am so sensitive to it.
	I chalk it up to a trick of light.
	I repeat my question one more time.
	"What do you want Beryl?"
	She smiles, and walks towards me
	Walking towards me?
	More tricks of light. Yes. That was it.
	"Our master wants to talk to you," Beryl says in a low,
soothing tone. She touches me cheek.
	THAT could NOT be a trick of light. I convince myself 
that this was an hallucination brought on by my months of
isolation.
	Yes, that was it.
	"I serve no master you serve," I reply, as calmly as 
possible. Of course, I am not calm at all. I am shaken to the core.
"Unless, of course, you have decided to serve the Sailor Senshi
faithfully?"
	Beryl laughs. "That'll be the day!" She walks around me,
studying me. I try not to move.
	She's back at the doorway, I tell myself. If I react at
all, she will laugh. I will not be laughed at, I tell myself.
I will NOT be laughed at.
	She stops, directly behind me. She puts her arms around
my neck. Her skin is cool against me. I do not react.
	It's an hallucination. An hallucination.
	She whispers into my ear. 
	"The master I am referring to is Metallica."
	I can not help it. I visibly tense up.
	"M-Metallica?" I croak.
	"Yes."
	"H-How did you know? No one knows!"
	"She has unresolved matters to take up with you."
	Her hands are on my chest, directly on top of my heart.
I'm positive she could feel my heart beat quicken.
	"You know," Beryl whispers. Her lips are so close to my
ear, I fell as though she was nibbling it. "If I didn't like
you so much, I'd have to kill you. I'm insanely jealous."
	I do not move, but I am intrigued. I try to hide my
surprise.
	"I always thought I was Metallica's first avatar,"
Beryl continues. "Imagine my surprise when she tells me I
was not. When I learn of the first's identity, well, I just
HAD to come see you. I find it ironic. You call ME the
betrayer, but yet, you succumb before I do."
	"I didn't succumb!" I cry, "she forced her power on me!
I tried to reject! I tried to reject! But... she was too
strong..."
	"You must be strong too," Beryl purrs, "you managed
to reject her, go back to your people, and tell them about
them. Too bad they didn't believe you. Maybe you shouldn't
have raved and ranted so much. People tend to think you
more sane if you don't rave and rant."
	I swallow. "Why are you doing this to me?" I croak.
	"I came to give you a choice," Beryl replied,
rubbing her hair against my cheek. "You can either stay
locked up in here, forever, treated like a wacko. Or, you
can become an avatar for Metallica once more."
	I snort. "Why would you want me?"
	Beryl smiled, and turns my head so I can look at
her right in her eyes. I do not like her smile. It is much
too predatory. "Do you even have to ask?" Beryl says. "You
are the most handsome, more eligible bachelor in the entire
galaxy. You will be my consort."
	"Since when were you interested in me?" I ask.
	The playfulness disappears from Beryll's face. "Since
your brother engaged himself to that moon child."
	Suddenly, I understand her. I am finally getting some
ground. "You want me as a substitute for my brother."
	"Well..." Beryl says, the playfulness returning. "You're
more handsome than he is... and you ARE smarter, even if they
all think you're insane..."
	She lies. Endymion is more handsome than me and much
more intelligent. That's why HE'S not in a cell somewhere,
locked away forever. Beryl is only trying to convince herself
that she is getting someone equal to my brother.
	"I want nothing to do with you, or Metallica." I 
say.
	Beryl scowls. She glances to the door, then looks
back at me. She pulls me close to her and caress my cheek.
"Nothing at all?" 
	"Nothing."
	"I'll convince you otherwise," Beryl says. She kisses
me. Our lips only contact for a few moments, but already I
am revolted. I push her away.
	She is no longer an hallucination. The door was not
transparent. The door was open.
	She snarls at me, her face a mask of anger.
	Suddenly, four swords are pointed at my neck. I look
up and see... my former guardians.
	I am beyond shocked.
	The four men who trained my brother and I are pointed
they're swords at me. The men who I trust my life with are
going to kill me.
	"Why?" I whisper, although I already know the answer.
	"No!" I cry, "no!! Jadeite! Zoicite! Nephrite! Kunzite!
No! NO!! Metallica can't have gotten you! She can't!! No!
Fight her! Fight her! You can free yourself from her, you
can! Look at me! Fight her, please! You CAN'T be on the
Dark Kingdom's side!"
	Beryl is standing beside the four. There is a smug
smile on her face. "There is a difference between them and
you." Beryl says. "You see, this avatar thing works much
better when the hosts are willing." 
	"WHAT?!"
	"That's right. Your right hand men gave themselves to
Metallica willingly."
	"No! NO!! They would never do that!"
	"They wouldn't?" Beryl asks. "You know as well as I
that they would do anything to protect you and Endymion from
harm. Anything. Anything at all."
	"No..."
	Beryl laughs. "Come, my generals. We shall leave."
She turns to me. "I'll be back. You can think about my
offer until I return."
	They walk through the door. I want to lunge after
them, get free, and tell someone, but my legs fail to
respond.
	It is only AFTER they have stepped through the door
do I regain control of my legs. I lunge to the doorway...
and slam into the transparent door.
	"NO!!" I shout. I pound against the invisible door.

*****************************************************************

	Beryl continues to harass me on a daily basis. But each
time, my answer is the same. I will not join Metallica. 
	One day, she stopped coming. I an surprised when her
visits stop. I do not know whither to be happy or sad.
	I am alone in my little cell for a loooong time after
that. I think I lived without human contact for 2 years. The
guards were replaced with robots, and a robot on a time clock
delivers food.
	If I wasn't crazy before, I am starting to go crazy from
the solitude now.
	One day, there is a knock on my door once more.
	I am so startled, I fall to the floor. It has been FOREVER
since I heard some noise other than the hum of robots outside
my door.
	I have trouble finding my voice, I haven't spoken in such
a long time.
	"W-who?" I say. I curse the stutter in my voice.
	There is a pause. Finally, a voice. An actual, HUMAN
voice.
	"It's me..."
	My eyes go wide. It's been years since I heard that voice,
but it is etched in my memory forever.
	"Ju.Pi.Ter?" I ask brokenly.
	The door opens, and she steps into the cell hesitantly.
I give a roar of pain at the light, and I shield my face. I will
never adjust to light, ever again. I am sure of it.
	However, my sense of hearing has grown much better. I hear
her walk, no, RUN over to me, and throw her arms around me,
sobbing wildly.
	Other footsteps and voice follow into the room. They belong
to the other senshi no doubt.
	Jupiter is incoherent, but I can make out a few words.
"Sorry" is spoken several times.
	Finally, she releases me.
	"Oh, Noimydne," she says, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! I
should have realized! I should have realized! You weren't insane!
You weren't insane! You were telling the truth! Oh god, I'm so
sorry! I'm sooo sorry!!"
	She is not making sense to me.
	"What?" I ask. "Why? How?"
	"Beryl," says another voice. I recognize it as Senshi
Mars's. "She's in league with Metallica. She lead an entire
army and over threw Earth's government last week. It was then
that we realize that you had been speaking the truth, all
those years ago. We have to get back to the moon before they attack
but we HAD to get you. Come one, we have to get back to the portal.
We have to get back to the moon before they attack!"
	I am lifted to my feet by the Sailor Senshi. They rush
me out of my cell, and we make our way to the surface, where
a portal is waiting.
	All the time, I shield my eyes.

*****************************************************************

	Some time later, I am on the moon. I can not believe that
I am out of that infernal cell. I am too shocked at what has
happened to enjoy my freedom.
	There is a visor on my eyes to shield away the light. I
was right. I would never see again. For some reason, I am not
too overly sad about it.
	I have been bathed for the first time in years, and it
feels wonderful. My black hair, which had grown down to my
waist, has been cut back into its original, short style, not
unlike my brother.
	In my hand, I grasp Jupiter's hand. I have not thought
about her much the past years. It was too painful. Actually,
I have not thought much about anything the past years. 
Everything was too painful. The only things I ever thought
about, was Metallica's plan and Beryll's betrayal, and what
I could do about it.
	I believe it's time to think about better things.
	Jupiter squeezes my hand. "I'm sorry," she says again.
	"You have sad that many times today," I say. It's 
amazing. I can actually speak more or less normal. "However,
you have yet to tell me WHY you're sorry?"
	"I thought you were dead," she says. "Nephrite told
me you were dead. That's why I didn't come to see you since
that last time."
	I am surprised. "You associate much with Nephrite?"
	She is silent. I do not like this silence.
	"I was engaged to him," she says softly.
	Of all the shocks I have been through today, I believe
THIS tops them all. "N-Nephrite?" I ask.
	"I'm sorry," Jupiter says again, "I thought you were
dead. You supposedly died! At least, that's what Nephrite
told me. I... I was so sad... and... he was there... please..
please don't be mad!"
	Actually, I am not mad at all. If anything, I'm rather
ashamed of myself. For the past years, I have not thought
of Jupiter, convincing myself that was because it hurt so
much. Yet, she had the strength to deal with my supposed
death, and move on.
	"I'm not mad," I say. "I'm... sorry. For you. Do you
know Nephrite is with the Dark Kingdom?"
	Jupiter is very quiet, but I can still hear her. "Yes.
H-He lead the attack on us when we came to get you."
	We are silent for the next few minutes.
	Then, foot steps come towards us. I turn in the
direction of the sound.
	"Noimydne!!"
	I recognize the voice of my brother.
	"Endymion."
	He embraces me. "My god, you're still alive!! You're
still alive!!"
	Jupiter is surprised. "Endymion, shouldn't you be
on earth?"
	If I could see, I would have seen Endymion give an 
impish smile.
	"I came to give Princess Serenity one last dance."
	"Then shouldn't you be with her?"
	"I was on my way, but then I heard that my brother,
Noimydne was alive and well, and I had to come see him!"
	"You've seen me," I say. "You should go to the
princess now."
	I know Endymion is surprised by my bluntness, but
not for long. He knows I can be quite blunt when I want
to be.
	"I-I'll talk to you afterwards, Noimydne."
	"We will have plenty of time to talk after this
war is over."
	I shouldn't have sent him away so quickly. But I
truly thought we'd win this war. Of course, everyone knows
how THAT ended.

			   PROLOGUE END
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