The final segment of the repost.

Chapter 11 will be released probably sometime Friday. The delay is
due to personal illness.

For author's notes and disclaimers, please see the first part of the
repost.



	PART TWO: A New Battle

	Chapter Seven

	"Your Majesty," Artemis said, performing a feline bow before
Serenity's throne.
	"Something's troubling you, Artemis," Serenity stated. It was not a
question.
	The white cat frowned. "Originally, Luna and I planned not to bother
you with this, but...I thought it might be best if you were aware..."
	"Of what?" Serenity asked.
	"Before the wedding, Luna and I noticed a spark of dark energy
coming from the west side of the shopping district." He paused,
shifting uncomfortably. "We didn't think anything of it at first, but
earlier today we felt a much stronger evil presence."
	Serenity's eyes widened. "Could it be another enemy?" she wondered.
	Artemis shrugged. "We're not sure, but I can tell you one thing,
which is the reason I decided to tell you." He sighed. "The energy
signature...I recognized it. So did Luna."
	"Recognized it?" Serenity asked.
	Artemis nodded. "No mistake. It was a youma."
	Serenity gasped. "A youma...are you positive?"
	"Hai, Serenity-sama."
	"A youma..." Serenity frowned. "Is it very powerful?"
	"We couldn't tell. It's powerful enough to detect, but it's
disappeared again."
	Serenity was quiet for several moments. "Find Ami-chan and Rei-chan,
and ask them to come see me."
	"Hai, Serenity-sama," Artemis said, turning to pad out of the throne
room. Before he left, he said, "By the way...Luna's begun selecting
candidates for the palace guard. If you want to watch the first
qualifying session, they're in the class three training room now."
	Serenity smiled. "I believe I will have a look," she said, rising
from her throne.

	*****

	"Whew," Saturn said, wiping her forehead with her gloved hand as she
climbed back into her suite. "You sure that's gonna hold, Mimas?"
	"Of course, Lady Saturn," Mimas said. "The base of the satellite
receiver is safely encased in the outer wall of the Palace."
	"Sure beats nails and screws," Saturn commented. "And there's no
chance of it breaking loose?"
	"Not under normal conditions." Mimas paused. "You forgot about the
connection cables."
	"Oh no," Saturn said, groaning. She leaned outside. "Great, how am I
supposed to do this?"
	"Just push them against the wall," Mimas said. Saturn did so, and
the crystal began pulling the wires through. Within seconds, the ends
of the cables poked through the interior wall of Saturn's quarters. 
	"Sugoi," Saturn said, moving away from the window. It closed behind
her, and went opaque. Working quietly for a few minutes, she finished
setting everything up. "There, all done. Now I need to find
Shingo-kun so I can show him."
	"Lord Shingo is currently in the class three training facility on
sublevel one," Mimas said after a moment. 
	Saturn blinked. "Wonder what he's doing there...I'll be back
afterwhile, Mimas," she said as she headed out the door.

	*****

	Shingo grunted as he staggered back a step. The crystal rod in his
hands shuddered under the impact from Pluto's staff. 
	Pluto twirled her staff lazily. "Come at me," she said. 	Shingo
shifted his grip on his quarterstaff, and swung it at Pluto. She
batted it away easily. He aimed for her head. She dodged, and brought
the staff down in an arc, knocking his feet out from under him. He
grunted as he hit the floor.
	Pluto stood over him, the Garnet Orb hovering inches above his
chest. Part of him wanted to stay where he was, to not move, to
submit. *If I think that way though, I end up dead,* he told himself.
Shifting his rod to one hand, he reached up and grabbed the haft of
Pluto's staff, pushing it away. He rolled to the side to avoid a fast
strike, and brought his staff up and forward, catching Pluto in the
gut before she had a chance to block. Pluto grunted as Shingo got to
his feet. 
	"Impressive," she said, before coming at him with a flurry of fast
strikes.

	In the doorway, Serenity and Saturn stood side-by-side, watching.
Both had been surprised when they met at the entrance and looked in
to see Pluto and Shingo fighting. The bigger surprise came when they
realized that Shingo was holding his own. From across the room, Luna
had given them a signal to keep quiet, so they watched silently as
Shingo took one of Pluto's rapid strikes to the stomach.

	"Oof," Shingo said, his breath whooshing out. He scrambled backwards
as Pluto pressed her attack, barely blocking a few of the strikes.
Finally, he dropped to one knee, leaning against his quarterstaff.
Pluto twirled the Time Staff, raised it over her head, and brought it
down...

	"SHINGO!!" Saturn cried out.

	...and lightly bopped him on the head. She stepped back, leaning
against her staff, and smiled. "Not bad for a beginner," she said.
	Shingo grinned, and pulled himself to his feet. "Thanks," he said.
"Although if you'd been going all out, I'd be dead right now."
	Serenity strode quickly into the room, attempting to show the
decorum and grace she knew was expected of her. Saturn, on the other
hand, ran over and flung herself at Shingo. 
	"Shingo-kun!" she said, throwing her arms around her boyfriend as
she crashed into him.
 	"Oof! Take it easy, Hotaru-chan," Shingo said, catching her before
she collided with his abused midsection. 	
	Saturn whirled angrily on Pluto. "What on earth were you *doing*?"
	"Just a test," Pluto said. "We needed to see how well Shingo could
fight already before he begins training."
	Luna padded over to them. "You did very well," she said to Shingo. 
	"Training?" Saturn asked, blinking.
	"Shingo is going to be one of the palace guards," Luna replied. 
	"More than that," he said, smiling at Saturn. "Luna's going to let
me be your bodyguard."
	Saturn blinked. "Bodyguard? Shingo-kun...I don't need..."
	"Yes you do," he said. "There's lots of curious and crazy people
outside the Palace, that won't realize how dangerous it is to mess
with a Sailor Senshi. But they're still just ordinary people. You
wouldn't want to use your powers against them, would you?" Saturn
blinked. "That's why the Senshi need bodyguards," Shingo said.
"Especially you, Hotaru-chan."
	Saturn sighed, looking down. "I suppose so," she said. "You're
right." 
	Shingo frowned. "Hotaru-chan...gomen..."
	Serenity looked puzzled. "What's wrong with Hotaru-chan?" Pluto
whispered something to her. After a few moments, Serenity's brow
furrowed. "Hmmm..."
	As Shingo consoled Saturn, Luna approached, dragging a strip of
silver cloth. She dropped it at Shingo's feet. "Here, wear this," she
said.
	Shingo picked it up and unrolled it. It was a silver sash. He
blinked, but put it on over his left shoulder, straightening it. Luna
then produced a small white crescent moon pin, and instructed him to
pin it over his chest. 
	Saturn smiled. "It looks good," she said. She still seemed upset. 
	"Follow me, please," Luna instructed, padding over to a door at the
far end of the room. The group looked at each other, shrugged, and
followed the black cat.
	The door opened, and Luna stepped to one side. "This is the guards'
armory," she said. "Select a weapon you like from inside, it will be
your weapon from now on."
	Shingo walked into the weapons room, and whistled. Staves, swords,
bladed guantlets, and more lined the walls of the armory. *How am I
ever going to decide on one?* he wondered.
	Then, he saw it. A weapon which seemed to call to him. A naginata,
with a crystal haft and a pure silver blade. He picked it up, and
swung it experimentally. It felt natural in his grip.
	He walked out of the armory, holding his naginata proudly. His
sister and his girlfriend smiled at him. 
	"We'll begin your training tomorrow," Luna said. The group began
leaving the training room.
	As she left, Serenity's mind churned...

	*****

	/The Japanese government has released an official statement
regarding the Fushigi no Suishou. According to the JSDF, the large
crystal structure appears to be inhabited by the famous Tokyo urban
legends, the Sailor Senshi. At this time, the government of Japan has
decided, based on careful review of all known data on the Sailor
Senshi, that the super-powered vigilantes and their mysterious
dwelling pose no threat to the Japanese public./
	*So, that explains it,* Mika thought. *The Sailor Senshi built that
crystal monstrosity.* She scowled. *This is bad. I'll need to gather
a lot more energy if I'm to have any hopes of destroying them.* 
	As she walked away from the shop window, she felt the spark of evil
energy again. *There!* She walked to the edge of the street, and
peered down into the storm drain. *It's in the sewers,* she realized.
*Ugh. Oh well, it could be worse.* Making sure nobody was watching,
she willed herself insubstantial, and passed through the storm drain.
She slipped beneath street level before she could notice the two
Sailor Senshi approaching from a nearby intersection.

	"That's odd," Mercury said. "I was sure I picked something up around
here."
	"Me too," Mars said, "but it's gone now."
	The two Senshi walked away, continuing to look for the evil Artemis
had warned Serenity about.

	*****

	Pandemonium reigned on the studio lot.
	"What is it?"
	"It's got to be some kind of promotional stunt."
	"I don't think so..."
	The crowd of onlookers continued to murmur, even as the loud thumps
drew closer. They gasped as the body of a security guard flew from
behind a building, crashing into the guardhouse with a solid thud.
The thumps grew closer still.
	Some studio workers began running in terror and panic, crashing
right through the studio gate. They were screaming incoherently as
they scrambled away. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" one man screamed. "GORO'S
COMING!"
	"Goro? The thing from Mortal Kombat?" one of the onlookers asked.
	"Told you it was a publicity stunt."
	Just then, all two-and-a-half-plus meters of Goro rounded the
corner, walking towards the gate. He dropped the two dead bodies he
held, his eyes glowing dark red. 
	"Shit...I don't think this is publicity!" the first onlooker yelled.
	"How very observant of you," Goro rumbled as he approached the
panicking crowd. "If you do not resist me, I promise to make your
deaths as painless as possible," he continued. "But if you dare to
defy me..." The sounds of twelve thick knuckles cracking rang out
like gunshots. Half the crowd was already in motion, running for
their lives.
	"Heh, what a show," the skeptical observer said. 
	"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Goro said. "Because it'll be the last
thing you ever enjoy." He grabbed the hapless man by the collar.
"Your life force...give it to me!" he roared, eyes glowing intensely.

	The man screamed as his very soul was ripped from his body,
collecting into a ball in one of Goro's upraised hands. A final spark
of energy drifted out of the corpse, and the powerful beast tossed
the empty shell aside. 
	Three police cars pulled up. "Hold it right there, you!" said an
officer as he jumped out of one car, gun aimed at Goro's head.
	The youma regarded the new arrivals with curiosity. "And what if I
should refuse?" he rumbled, advancing.
	The cop fired. The bullet tore a chunk of flesh from the beast's
shoulder, exposing muscles of metallic fiber. 
	Goro roared, and clutched at his injured shoulder. "You shall pay
dearly for that!" he growled, extending his lower arms. Black energy
gathered between his hands, and he unleashed a ball of dark flames at
the police officer. The man tried to dodge, but was hit head-on by
the blast, and screamed as he burst into flames.
	"Your soul is *mine*," Goro bellowed, stalking towards the cop. The
others began firing, but he leapt high into the air. Everyone looked
up, then around, confused.
	Goro landed on one of the cars, crushing it. With two quick swipes
of his powerful arms, he downed the four officers surrounding it.
Before the cops from the next car could open fire, he leapt again. 
	It was over in a matter of seconds. Three police cars destroyed, and
ten dead policemen. Goro laughed evilly as he robbed them of their
life force. 
	"Soon, my savior, I will have the power to return to you, to serve
you with my full might." 
	The evil youma stomped down the street, in search of fresh prey.

	*****

	"You sent for us, Your Majesty?"
	"Yes."
	Saturn and Shingo knelt before their queen. Serenity gazed intently
at Saturn. "Sailor Saturn, it is my understanding that the terrible
power you wield weighs heavily upon your mind."
	"Hai, Your Majesty," Saturn said. 
	Serenity sighed. "It is terrible for one so young to be the bearer
of such destructive forces. And yet, this is the nature of what you
are, and cannot be changed." She turned her gaze upon Shingo.
"Shingo," she said. "You have made me, and everyone else, proud of
you. You have shown your courage, your loyalty, and most of all, your
deep love for Sailor Saturn."
	"I'd lay down my life for her," Shingo said.
	Serenity smiled. "Yes, you would," she said. "Yet you feel
inadequate to the task of protecting her, not only from the world
outside, but from herself, and from her destiny."
	There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Serenity rose from her
throne, and approached the two kneeling teens. "Please face each
other," she directed softly.
	Saturn and Shingo turned to look at one another, still kneeling.
Both were extremely puzzled. 
	Serenity touched Saturn on the shoulder. "Give me your hand," she
directed. Saturn did so. Serenity then took Shingo's hand, and
instructed them to join hands with one another.
	The other Outer Senshi entered the throne room at this point, but
Pluto motioned them to stay put as she saw what was going on. *She's
not going to...*
	Serenity closed her eyes, and the Ginzuishou's soft glow
intensified. Saturn's tiara dissolved, replaced by her glowing sigil,
and a soft violet aura surrounded her. The aura slowly crept up
Serenity's arm, flickering across the Ginzuishou briefly, before
traveling down her other arm, passing into Shingo's.
	"What the..." Uranus whispered.
	Shingo gasped as he felt a gentle surge of power flow into his body.
The power intensified, coursing through him, surging, changing him
somehow. 
	As the Outer Senshi watched, Shingo's forehead began to glow. Weak
and diffuse at first, the soft lavender light slowly intensified,
focusing. After a full minute, the same sigil that shone upon
Saturn's brow also shone brightly upon Shingo's. 
	Shingo's uniform began to darken, the crisp white becoming a dark
purple, with darker patches on the elbows of the tunic. The silver
sash he wore took on a shimmering orchid color, and the white
crescent moon pin upon the sash transformed into a dark purple Saturn
crest. His boots turned silver, and silver gloves formed on his
hands. His naginata, which he had laid on the floor before him, also
began to change; the haft darkened like smoked glass, and developed a
ring-shaped buttcap at the bare end. An ornate crystal mounting,
engraved with both the silver moon crest and the insignia of Saturn,
grew around the base of the blade, which transformed from pure silver
into sharp, silver crystal, with a raised crystal pattern in the
center, equally beautiful and deadly. 
	The Ginzuishou resumed its usual soft glow, and Serenity opened her
eyes. The glowing sigils on the two teens' foreheads disappeared.
Serenity smiled, and turned to face Shingo. "Arise, and accept your
new destiny...General Dosei."

	*****

	Mika scowled at the stench as she approached the source of the evil
energy she'd been feeling. Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of
the sewer, and she spotted a gleaming black crystal, lying amid a
pile of rotted animal corpses. 
	The tiny shard of crystal, no larger than her fingertip, radiated
death and malice. <I am hungry,> a voice whispered in her mind. <Come
to me, feed me your soul, your life force.>
	Mika narrowed her eyes. Telepathic suggestion, is it? <Feed me
*your* soul,> she projected. <I need energy far more than a piece of
glass.> She bent down, and picked up the crystal, studying it. It was
trying desparately to absorb her life, to drain the precious energy
from her, but she easily resisted its efforts.
	<You are strong,> it said after a while. <And I sense a familiar
darkness about you.>	
	<It is your darkness that drew me here,> Mika projected. <A soul as
black as my own...how did you come to be trapped in a sliver of
crystal?>
	Fragmented images filled her mind, of a vast city of glass,
sparkling in the rising sun; of a beautiful, powerful queen who
rejected all things dark in the nature of man; of warriors wearing
sailor fuku, erecting an impenetrable forcefield; of a young,
innocent girl with hair the color of cotton candy, and the same girl
all grown up, her nature dark and twisted; of a massive crystal
spaceship; and of death at the hands of a princess bearing a crescent
moon upon her brow. Finally, an image of the loss of identity, of
body, of spirit; becoming nothing more than a concentrated essence of
evil, existing for no other purpose than to suck the life from
everything around it. The last two images struck Mika as painfully
familiar. 
	<This great city of crystal,> Mika said, <it exists in the future of
this world, does it not?>
	<Yes.>
	<Would you like to see that the future dominated by the city of
crystal never comes to pass?>
	<More than anything else.>
	<Then join with me,> Mika said. <Together, with our combined
knowledge and power, we can crush the future of light, and replace it
with one of darkness.>
	<Yes...> the voice within the crystal said.
	Mika pressed the shard of crystal against her forehead. It began to
glow, and her back arched as black sparks coursed across her body.
When she withdrew her hand, the crystal was gone, having been
absorbed into her body. Her forehead now sported an inverted, black
crescent moon, which seemed to radiate a black aura all its own. 
	More memories of her former life emerged, combined with fresh
memories from the other entity. The dark being Mika had become merged
with the shredded evil soul from the crystal, giving rise to a new,
more powerful entity. *I was once Metallia, supreme ruler of the Dark
Kingdom,* she realized, *and I was also once Death Phantom, of the
Black Moon Family, enemies of Crystal Tokyo.* Narrowing her eyes and
scowling, she spoke aloud, "Now, I am she who will crush Serenity and
her Sailor Senshi, and destroy their precious Palace. I will take
their lives, and I will take their power, and use it to rule this
world in darkness. Beware, Serenity...beware the Bringer of Despair,
Princess Wraith!"
	Princess Wraith threw her head back and laughed maniacally. 

	*****

	The Ayakashi Sisters were practicing in the class two training room.
Suddenly, they froze, looks of shock on their faces. 
	"Did you feel--?" Cooan asked.
	"I felt it," Karaberas said.
	"So did I," Petz agreed. "We'd better inform Her Majesty."

	*****

	Shingo picked up his naginata as he stood, and examined it, then
himself. "What--?"
	"Your Majesty, what did you just do?" Uranus asked as she and the
other Outer Senshi approached the throne.
	Serenity smiled. "Using the Ginzuishou, I have taken a portion of
Sailor Saturn's power, and transferred it to Shingo."
	The others gasped. "That is highly irregular," Pluto commented.
	"I know this, Pluto, but..." Serenity sighed. "Hotaru needed
something to lessen her burden, and Shingo needed the power to defend
his love without sacrificing his life for her." She paused. "If I'm
right, Shingo will look after Hotaru the way Endymion looks after me.
His love is that strong. Without what I've done, that would likely
get him killed, should a true foe arise to challenge us."
	"But...how much does this weaken Saturn? And what kind of power does
Shingo have now?" Uranus wondered.
	"The only effect the transfer has had on Saturn is to temper her
basic Senshi powers," Serenity said. "Her attacks are no longer
capable of instantly killing ordinary humans."
	"But...her Silence..."
	"Is a power which requires the sacrifice of her own life to use,"
Serenity said, "and was not affected." She turned to Shingo.
"Shingo...from now on, to the outside world and in this court, you
will be known by the name General Dosei. Your powers are not on par
with those of a Sailor Senshi, but are far beyond those of an
ordinary human being. You must work hard with the Senshi to learn how
to properly use and control these new powers."
	Shingo bowed. "Hai, Neo-Queen Serenity-sama." 
	Saturn stared first at Shingo, then at her queen, and back at
Shingo. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "Your Majesty...I don't
know how to thank you for this..."
	Serenity smiled. "You are one of my Senshi, and I care very deeply
for all of you. No thanks are neccessary." 
	"I wonder what side effects this transfer is going to have on them,"
Pluto wondered.
	"Their souls are now bonded together for eternity, as are mine and
Endymion's," Serenity said. "Even should both die, they will find
each other in the next life. It's a bond of love, of destiny, deeper
and stronger than any marriage on Earth." The young queen's eyes
twinkled mischeviously. "You might say I've just established the
standard practice for Sailor Senshi weddings." 
	Sailor Saturn and General Dosei blinked, then blushed deeply. The
other Outer Senshi chuckled. "Congratulations, you two," Uranus said.
"Wait a few years to have the honeymoon, you're too young yet." 
	Neptune elbowed her in the ribs. "Uranus! Be nice." 
	Pluto recovered from her mirth, and frowned thoughtfully. "I hope
this doesn't cause any serious problems," she said.
	"If I thought it would, I wouldn't have done it," Serenity said.
"Please have faith in me...and in them."
	Pluto bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty."
	Saturn grabbed the somewhat stunned Shingo by the arm, and dragged
him towards the door. "C'mon, I got something to show you," she said,
"and then we can talk about this." She paused to glare at the other
Outer Senshi. "No spying, okay?" She summoned the Silence Glaive to
back up her point.
	This only sent the Outers and Serenity into another fit of laughter.
"Don't worry, we'll leave you two newlyweds alone," Uranus teased.
Saturn made a frustrated noise, and dragged her shellshocked soulmate
out of the throne room. 

	Mere seconds after the two teens left, the Ayakashi Sisters rushed
into the room. "Your Majesty," Petz said, "we may have a problem..."

	*****

	"Hey! Hey you!" 
	Princess Wraith turned, and smirked at the burly workman bearing
down on her. "You're addressing me?"
	"Look, you ain't supposed to be down here in the sewers, kid. C'mon,
get back up where you belong," the worker said.
	Wraith examined him, frowning. "You'll do nicely," she said.
	"Eh?" the workman blinked. Wraith traced a circle in the air with
her index finger. A disk of blinding white light appeared, trapping
the sewer worker in the middle. "Hey! What the--!?" 
	Wraith smiled nastily, and made a gesture as though closing a
ricepaper door. An inky blackness crept across the disk, eclipsing
it. The disk exploded, and where the workman stood before, now stood
what appeared to be a partially decayed zombie, weilding a massive
pickaxe. 
	"Go, Gesshoku Mattock," Wraith said. "Go to the surface, and spread
darkness across the souls that dwell in the light. Collect their
brightness, and bring it to me."
	Mattock screeched, and leapt up, smashing a hole in the street
above. 
	Wraith laughed. "Yes...soon, I will have an army of Gesshoku,
powerful enough to eclipse the Crystal Palace for all time." 

	Chapter Eight

	Unazuki met her older brother at the entrance to the snack parlor
above the arcade. "Oniichan," she said, "Reika's here waiting for
you." She paused. "What's with that outfit?"
	Motoki smiled at his younger sister. "Please, come over here. I have
something very important to discuss with both of you."
	Puzzled, Unazuki followed her brother over to the table where his
fiancee sat, waiting. Reika stared at Motoki, then giggled. "I like
the outfit," she said, "but what are you supposed to be?"
	Sitting down, Motoki took Reika's hands. "I have something to talk
to you about, that's very important."
	Hearing the intensity in his voice, Reika frowned. "Motoki...what is
it?"
	Motoki paused for a moment. "Reika-chan," he began, "how is your
work coming along?"
	Reika blinked, then sighed. "It's alright, I suppose," she said,
"although there just aren't any really interesting finds right now."
She involuntarily glanced out the window, where the spire of the
Fushigi no Suishou glinted in the bright midday sun. 
	Motoki smiled. "You'd love to get a good look at it, wouldn't you?"
	"Anyone would," Reika said.
	"Yeah, Oniichan," Unazuki said. "Did you hear? The news said that
they found out the Sailor Senshi have something to do with that
crystal..."
	"I'd like to meet one of the Senshi again," Reika commented, "just
to ask where they're really from, where that...thing is from." She
paused, and chuckled. "I mean, for all we know, it's from outer
space..."
	"The moon," Motoki said.
	The two ladies blinked at him. "Nani?" Reika asked.
	"It's from the moon," Motoki said. "A relic of a civilization that
disappeared thousands of years ago."
	"How would you know that?" Reika demanded. 
	Unazuki eyed the clasp of her brother's jacket collar, and her eyes
widened. "Oniichan...you were at the wedding, weren't you? When the
shrine became...became..."
	Motoki nodded. "Hai. I've been inside there for the past day."
	Reika gaped. "You...you were in *there*?" she asked, pointing out
the window.
	"Shhh," Motoki said, "keep your voices down. I don't want to attract
attention to myself." he paused. "Reika-chan, Unazuki-chan, there's a
lot I need to tell you..."
	Suddenly, there was a scream from downstairs. "What the--?" Motoki
wondered. 
	The building began to shake, and the center of the floor exploded. A
hulking creature, resembling a decaying corpse, leapt through the
floor. A tattoo of an inverted black crescent moon graced its rotted
forehead, and it carried a massive pickaxe. "MATTOCK!" it rumbled. 
	The girls began to scream. Motoki cursed. "Hold on," he said to
them, grabbing their wrists tightly. Mattock began to advance on
them...
	
	...but they were no longer there. Motoki heaved a sigh of relief as
the graceful facets of the Round Hall materialized around them. "I
thought Mercury said two kilometers," he mused. 
	Reika and Unazuki blinked, and glanced around. Their eyes widened,
and they gaped at the glassy walls around them. "Oniichan," Unazuki
asked, "is this...?"
	Motoki smiled. "Welcome to the Crystal Palace," he said. Then he
frowned. "There's a lot I need to discuss with the two of you, but
right now I need to report to Her Majesty."
	"Her Majesty?" Reika asked. Motoki was already in motion, and the
two girls nearly failed to register the doorway forming in the wall
before him. They raced to follow him through. 
	
	The two girls gasped at the majestic beauty of the room they
entered. Three Sailor Senshi were present, along with four oddly
dressed women, who all glanced at the new arrivals curiously. Neither
girl noticed the figures seated upon crystalline thrones in the
center of the room until they heard Motoki speak.
	Motoki was kneeling before the thrones. "Your Majesties," he said.
	"You may rise," Serenity said. "What troubles you?"
	"There is a dangerous monster," Motoki said. "It is attacking people
at Crown Game Center."
	Serenity sighed. "It is, then, as we feared. Another threat has
arisen."
	"The taint of Black Moon energy is strong, Neo-Queen Serenity-sama,"
Petz said. "All four of us have felt it."
	"Motoki," Serenity asked, "did you notice any unusual markings on
the monster?"
	Motoki nodded. "Hai. It had a tattoo of a black crescent moon on its
forehead."
	The Ayakashi Sisters cursed. Serenity closed her eyes. "I feel the
evil of the creature," she said softly. "Its power...its power is
terrifying." The Ginzuishou began to glow, and a portion of the
ceiling tilted down. The sigils of Mercury and Venus flashed upon it.
After a moment, the images of Ami and Minako appeared on the crystal
screen. "Your Majesty," they said in unison. 
	"I apologize for this," Serenity said. "I know you were looking
forward to meeting with your families right now. Nevertheless, there
is a crisis."
	"What's wrong, Serenity-sama?" Minako asked.
	"A powerful monster has appeared in the shopping district," Serenity
said. "According to Motoki, the creature is somehow related to the
Black Moon Family."
	The two Senshi gasped. "That's not possible, is it?" Ami wondered.
	Serenity sighed. "The Ayakashi Sisters have felt the Black Moon
energy from this creature. I would like the two of you to
investigate, to test the creature's defenses. I'll summon the others
to join you. Be careful. This creature appears to be very powerful."
	"On my way," Minako said. "Venus out." Her image disappeared.
	"Acknowledged," Ami said, also disappearing from the screen.
	Serenity quickly paged Jupiter and Mars, already transformed and
ready for action, and appraised them of the situation. The remaining
two Inner Senshi teleported into the combat zone. 
	As the crystal screen slid back into the ceiling, Serenity recalled
the words of her long-departed mother. *Do not lapse in your
training, my daughter.* After a moment's consideration, she rose from
her throne.
	"Uranus, Neptune, Pluto," she said, "The three of you will remain
here and see to the safety of Endymion, my subjects, and our guests."
	"Your Majesty?" Pluto asked.
	"I will join the others in confronting the new enemy."
	The Outers gasped. "Serenity-sama, this isn't your battle," Neptune
said. "The Senshi will handle this. You must remain here, where it's
safe."
	"Though I may be Queen, I am still a Sailor Senshi," Serenity said.
"I must not allow myself to forget that I am a warrior as well as a
ruler."
	"Serenity-sama," Pluto said, "I can't allow you to take the risk of
getting hurt, or worse, fighting an unknown enemy."
	"You can, and you will," Serenity said. "I'm still a Sailor Senshi.
This is my fight too."
	"Usako..." Endymion began.
	"Endymion," Serenity said, "please...you know why I must do this."
	Endymion's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded. "Be careful,
my love," he said. "I should join you--"
	"No," Serenity said. "You are needed here." She smiled. "I'll be
fine. I'm considerably more powerful now than I was even as Eternal
Sailormoon." Giving everyone a reassuring smile, Serenity spread her
wings and rose into the air, disappearing in a flash of silver light.
	
	"Oniichan," Unazuki asked, "who was that? What's going on here?"
	Motoki took his sister's and fiancee's hands, and smiled. "Come," he
said, "I have a lot to tell you..."

	*****

	"So what do you think?" Saturn asked.
	Shingo eyed the array of electronics set up along the interior wall
of the suite's living room. A large-screen television was the
centerpiece of a set of crystal shelves containing every manner of
entertainment device Shingo could imagine. A shelf stereo sat on a
shelf above the television, its large speakers set on shelves in the
corners of the room. "Sugoi," he said.
	Saturn giggled. "Only the best for Sailor Senshi...and their
boyfriends," she said, leaning against him. Looking into his eyes,
she added, "or is that husbands?"
	Shingo blushed. "We gotta talk about that," he said. 
	Saturn nodded. "Yeah, we do. This is a big deal," she said. 
	Suddenly, the walls of the suite began strobing violet light.
"Wh-what the--?" Shingo asked.
	Mimas dropped into the center of the room, spinning rapidly and
flashing like an emergency light. "Sailor Saturn," it said, "there is
a Palace-wide alert."
	"An alert?" Saturn asked. "What's going on?"
	"Inner Senshi have been summoned to confront a monster which has
appeared in the shopping district," Mimas said. "Outer Senshi are
under orders to remain in the Palace to guard the King and the
civilian populace."
	"Where's Serenity-sama?" Shingo asked.
	"Neo-Queen Serenity has joined the Inner Senshi," Mimas replied.
	Saturn's eyes widened. "She...she wouldn't have! Why would...?"
	"The personal assistant module to the royal suite has assured me
that the queen has a good reason for joining the battle," Mimas said.
"Sailor Saturn, alert procedures require that all Senshi on Palace
duty report to the throne room or other designated post and await
further instructions."
	Saturn nodded. "Thanks, Mimas," she said. "We'd better get back down
there," she said to Shingo.
	He nodded. "Hai." The two teens left the suite and headed for the
lift.

	*****
	
	Panicked onlookers and fleeing crowds greeted the Senshi as they
arrived on the scene. Mars and Jupiter scowled at the screeches
coming from within. Ami and Minako appeared, and ducked into an
alleyway. The other two Senshi joined them as Ami pulled out her
computer.
	"What've you got on it, Ami?" Jupiter asked.
	Ami blinked at her readings. "This...this can't be right," she said.

	"What is it?" Minako asked.
	"I'm reading a droid alright...the Black Moon energy signature is
very clear...but..."
	"But what?" 
	"It's also registering as a youma," Ami continued. "In addition to
the Black Moon energy, it's radiating something that my computer
reads as a Dark Kingdom energy signature."
	The others blinked. "What...what does this mean?" Mars wondered.
	"We can worry about that later," Minako said, summoning a small
silver wand with a glowing orange crystal tip. "Venus Silver Power,
Make-Up!"
	Ami summoned a similar wand, with a blue crystal. "Mercury Silver
Power, Make-Up!"
	Transformations complete, the Inner Senshi rushed out into the
street. The general public was fleeing in terror as a dozen wasted,
decaying corpses staggered out of the arcade, reeking of death. Every
time one of them touched a straggler, a disk of white light emerged
from the person's chest, only to be eclipsed by a dark, evil shadow.
Those affected by this touch quickly rotted and began marching
amongst the other zombies.
	"This...this is..." Jupiter began.
	"They're draining all the life essence from those people," Mercury
said, her visor in place. "Turning them into zombies..." 
	"If we don't stop those zombies, the whole city could be in
trouble," Mars said. 
	Mercury nodded. "I suspect it may be too late for these poor people,
anyway."
	"It's also too late for you!" screeched a voice, as the front of the
game center exploded. A hulking, rotten corpse walked out of the
wreckage, wielding a massive pickaxe. 
	"There's our boy," Jupiter said. "This is the one causing all this
trouble." 
	"You there! For transforming innocent people into the walking dead,
the Sailor Senshi will never forgive you!" Venus called out. "On
behalf of the Crystal Millenium...we'll punish you!"
	The monster lurched into motion. "MATTOCK!" it roared. 
	"Time to test our new powers!" Mars shouted. She spread her arms
out, drawing a circle in the air around her, before bringing her
hands together in front of her navel. "ETHEREAL FLARE!" 
	The air around Mattock began to shimmer, and searing yellow flames
swirled, converging on the decayed creature. The flames darkened to
red, compacting into a tight, hot ball, before exploding outward
again. Bits of charred zombie flesh rained outward. Mattock roared in
pain, staggering. 
	"Yosh'! STATIC COMPRESSION!" Jupiter called, spinning on one toe. A
mass of thick green vines spun away from her body, coiling around
Mattock. Arcs of electricity popped and sizzled as the vines
tightened around the monster.
	"Good work, Jupiter!" Venus called. The four Senshi began circling
the cocooned enemy.
	Suddenly, the mass of vines shuddered, and exploded, sending up a
shower of sparks. "MATTOCK!" the monster roared. It spun around,
swinging its pick. A line of blackness traced outward from the
weapon, striking the Senshi before they could react. The four
warriors cried out in pain as they took painful yet shallow cuts
across their abdomens. The force of the impact knocked them all off
their feet and flung them back a few meters.
	"This one's tough," Jupiter grunted as she struggled to her feet.
	Laughing evilly, Mattock raised its pick, preparing to strike at
Sailor Mercury. Suddenly, there was a flash of silver, and the
monster's weapon was sent flying, embedding itself in the remains of
the arcade's front wall.
	"You've done enough damage," a soft yet dangerous voice said from
above. Mattock and the four Senshi looked up to see an angry angel
descending into the combat zone, her feathery wings spread wide and
her elegant dress billowing in the wind. "I don't know where you came
from, or what your purpose is, but I'm stopping you here and now."
	As the Senshi regained their footing, and Serenity descended to the
ground, Mattock laughed evilly. "Legion of the undead! Heed my
command! Destroy them!" The zombies reversed course, and headed for
the battlefield, while Mattock shambled over to the game center to
retrieve its weapon. 
	"Your Majesty, you shouldn't be here," Venus said. "This is
dangerous."
	"We can't risk you getting hurt," Jupiter said. "Let us handle it."
	"No...I'm still a Senshi, and you need me," Serenity said.
	The zombies began closing in, and Mattock tore its pick out of the
wall, raising it into the air. "MATTOCK!" 
	"Please, Serenity," Mars said softly. "Get out of here."
	"No," Serenity said. "My place is here with you." The Ginzuishou
began to glow brightly on her chest, and a soft wind stirred at her
feet. "Moon Queen..."
	The zombies closed in. Mattock's pickaxe began glowing darkly.
	"Power..."
	"Ahahahahahahaha...eh? What--?"
	"Make-UP!" 
	The battlefield exploded in silver light.
	"Wh--what is this power...?" 
	The light faded, and everyone gasped. Serenity hovered in the air,
clad in a white sailor fuku with a silver skirt and collar. Rather
than boots, as in previous incarnations, she wore gleaming silver
pumps. The Ginzuishou rested in the center of a golden crescent moon
upon her chest, framed by a white bow. The jewels on her odangos were
shimmering pearls, and her choker was silver, with a crystal moon in
the center. Her gloves were the same as in her Eternal Sailormoon
form, except that the trim had changed from red to silver. Her
wings...her real wings, not the stylized wings of her old
fuku...spread out behind her, stirring the tails of the silver bow at
her back. 
	"What--?" Mattock screeched.
	"Ai to seigi no," the beautiful angel said, performing her customary
hand gestures, "sailor-fuku bishoujo senshi no ouhi...Sailor
Serenity! Tsuki ni kawatte, oshioki yo!" 
	"Sailor Serenity..." the Inner Senshi breathed, staring at her. 
	"ATTACK!" Mattock roared. The zombies rushed the Inner Senshi, who
were hard pressed to dodge the madly dashing corpses. Mattock reared
back his pickaxe. "Catch!" he yelled, hurling the massive pick at
Sailor Serenity.
	"Serenity-sama!" Mars cried out. "Look out!"
	Gracefully, Sailor Serenity moved to one side, dodging the
projectile. Reaching out almost casually, she caught the handle as it
passed, and spun in midair, flinging the weapon back at its owner.
Mattock's decaying eyes widened as the huge pick slammed into its
midsection, knocking it down the street.
	Serenity flew in the direction of Mattock's departure, and hovered
above the creature. "For corrupting the lives and souls of innocent,
peaceful citizens, your sentence is banishment to Hell," she said
softly. Drawing one leg up behind her, she spun gracefully in the
air, fully extending her arms and wings. "Crystal Millenium Royal
Decree!" 
	Mattock screeched as a blinding wave of light poured from Sailor
Serenity, spreading to encompass all the zombies cursed by the
monster's dark power. The black crescent moon on Mattock's forehead
began to glow white, and exploded. 
	When the light faded, the street was littered with bodies. Sailor
Serenity dropped to the ground and fell to her knees, taking a deep
breath. The other Senshi were immediately at her side.
	"Serenity!" Mars cried. "Are you alright?"
	Serenity smiled. "I'm fine, Rei-chan. I'm just a little exhausted.
That took a lot out of me."
	"We need to get you back to the Palace," Venus insisted. 
	Serenity nodded. "Hai, but first...Mercury, are these people--?"
	"Most of them are alive," Mercury said, "although the ones touched
earliest are all in deep comas. The rest will probably awaken soon."
She sighed, scanning the body of a burly sewer worker. "This was
Mattock," she said. "I'm afraid he's dead now."
	Serenity cursed. "That was a human being?"
	"You had no way of knowing," Jupiter said, soothing the young queen.
	"Even if you had, it wouldn't have mattered," Mercury said.
"According to this, he's been dead ever since turning into that
creature." She dispelled her visor, and knelt before Serenity.
"You've done him a favor," she said. "He can rest in peace now,
instead of wandering the earth as the slave of whoever did this to
him."
	Serenity frowned, anger burning in her clear blue eyes. "This cannot
be allowed to happen again," she said. "We've got to find the one
responsible and stop them quickly." She stood slowly, and her sailor
fuku reverted to the flowing formal wear of Neo-Queen Serenity.
"Let's go home."
	The Queen and her Senshi teleported back to the Palace just as the
first police cars began streaming into the area.

	*****

	Wraith cursed as the image floating in the air before her vanished
in a flare of silver light. "Damn you, Serenity," she spat. "I can
see this is not going to be an easy war to win." Closing her eyes,
she focused on her overseas operative. *Goro...report.*
	*These humans are pathetic,* Goro's telepathic rumble resounded in
her mind. *Taking their energy and their souls is proving to be far
too simple.*
	*You long for a challenge, do you?* Wraith projected.
	*Yes. I will soon have enough energy to join you.*
	*I want you to remain there for a while, and continue your
collection operations.*
	*Remain here? Why should I?*
	Wraith projected a recap of the recent battle, beginning with
Mattock's arrival on the street, and ending with Sailor Serenity's
power wave winning the day. She also projected images of her past
lives, her defeats at the hands of the Senshi.
	*...I see. Forgive me for saying so, but it was folly to execute
such an operation when you knew of these Sailor Senshi.*
	*Oh? Explain yourself,* Wraith demanded angrily.
	*From your accounts, I see that your past history with these Sailor
Senshi involves using brainless minions to achieve your goals. Your
minions do nothing to cover their operations, relying on thin
disguises. They cause a scene, which attracts the attention of the
Sailor Senshi, who show up and destroy the minions, undermining the
entire operation and resulting in nothing but waste.*
	*Get to the point, Goro,* Wraith seethed.
	*In order to succeed,* Goro continued, *in order to gather the
power, the strength, and the forces you need to crush the Sailor
Senshi, you must conceal your operations. Quick, tactical strikes. No
idiotic minions. Surface only long enough to get the job done, then
disappear before they can find you. Leave no evidence of your
intrusions. Occasional strikes against the Senshi themselves, to test
their strengths and weaknesses. Time everything to seem completely
random. Only this way can you hope to gain the power needed to crush
them for all time.*
	Wraith blinked. *I would not have expected such an analysis from one
such as yourself, Goro.*
	Goro projected a snort. *My talents are not limited to mindless
violence,* he said. *Here, in this place with no Sailor Senshi, it is
the most useful tactic, because there is nothing with the power to
oppose me. However, I am not fool enough to openly invite the wrath
of these Sailor Senshi until I know my power is great enough to
defeat them.*
	Wraith silently congratulated herself on selecting the perfect youma
to be her right hand. *You impress me, Prince Goro,* she said. *A
general who speaks his mind and is not afraid to point out the faults
of his leader is a general who will surely be victorious in all
battles.* 
	*Within a month's time, I should have all the power I need,* Goro
said. *I would be finished sooner, but I've just learned that the
local government is prepared to dispatch a militia to confront me. I
may be required to lay low for a while.*
	*Understood,* Wraith said.
	*You may wish to select another general to assist you in the
interim,* Goro advised. *A general with a brain, one that is not
foolish enough to bring those blasted Senshi down on your head.*
	*Report back to me when your energy gathering operations are
complete, Prince Goro,* Wraith said, breaking contact. She sighed. It
made perfect sense, what Goro had said...it certainly explained her
repeated failures in dealing with the Sailor Senshi, both as Metallia
and as Death Phantom. Beryl had been competent but foolish, and the
Black Moon Family had made the mistake of sending fools into the past
to deal with the rabbit. Wraith narrowed her eyes. This time, there
would be no foolish mistakes. There would be no missions ending in
folly. 
	Now, she needed to find another general to aid her in Goro's
absence...

	Chapter Nine

	Mercury's report had done nothing to improve Serenity's mood. In
fact, the young queen was fairly radiating anger. Motoki had taken
his sister and fiancee aside to explain things, while the Ayakashi
sisters and the Inner Senshi discussed the significance of a
potential return visit by the Black Moon. The Outer Senshi discussed
defense strategies for the palace itself, while most of the civilian
populace gathered into small knots to ponder the situation.
	Shingo noticed Hotaru's father standing alone over in one corner,
and walked over to him. "Tomoe-sensei," he said, "what's wrong? You
look upset."
	The white-haired man sighed. "Two enemies from the past have
returned, it seems. The first demons fought by the Sailor Senshi, and
the future enemies of our kingdom. It troubles me...I can't help but
wonder if...if..."
	"If what?"
	He turned, his glasses reflecting the bright lighting of the throne
room, obscuring his eyes. "If the Death Busters will be returning as
well."
	"Death Busters?" Shingo asked.
	Tomoe sighed. "My involvement with the Sailor Senshi goes beyond the
fact that my daughter is Sailor Saturn," he said. "I...I was their
enemy at one time."
	Shingo blinked. "Huh?"
	Tomoe sat down, removing his glasses, examining them almost
curiously. "When Hotaru was very young, I had taken her to the lab
with me one day. There was an experiment I was in charge
of...something terrible happened during that experiment. There was an
explosion." He paused. "Hotaru was badly wounded. She...wouldn't have
survived. But..."
	Shingo placed a hand on his shoulder. "But what?"
	"From the wreckage, something dark appeared, and spoke to me. It
identified itself as Germatos, a daimon, the servant of a powerful
entity known as Pharoah 90. 
	"Germatos offered a way to prevent Hotaru from dying, if I would
agree to become its vessel. It would use me to begin construction of
a gateway to the Tau system, to bring its master to Earth." He hung
his head. "I...agreed. I became the servant of the Death Busters,
breeding thousands of daimon with which to find the Holy Chalice,
which would awaken the dormant Evil Messiah, Mistress Nine..."
	Shingo blinked. "You lost me, sensei."
	"Hotaru's 'healing' at the hands of the Death Busters involved her
possession by Mistress Nine, the Evil Messiah, the one who would open
the path for Pharoah 90 to destroy Earth." Tomoe paused. "As
Germatos, it was my job to ensure that Mistress Nine awakened, to
bring about the end of the world."
	Shingo gasped. "That's terrible..."
	Tomoe laughed bitterly. "Now you understand what I meant when I said
I have an obligation to Her Majesty. I need to make penance for the
evil I wrought..."
	"But you weren't in control," Shingo said. "It's not your fault."
	Tomoe snorted. "Do you think I don't know that? It doesn't make it
easier to sleep at night, with the knowledge of what I was part of."
He scowled. "And that's why all this bothers me. The monster...part
of the two early enemies of the Sailor Senshi. What--what if the
Death Busters return?" He slipped his glasses back on. "Even though
Germatos was destroyed...what if another daimon appears? What if the
Death Busters seek me out again, to use me for their evil
purposes...?"
	Shingo clenched his jaw. "We won't let that happen," he said.
"Serenity-sama won't let that happen." 
	"I hope so," Tomoe said. "I don't want to be...can't be part of that
terrible monster again. I'd sooner die."

	*****

	In the ICU ward of a hospital just outside the Juuban district, a
monitor that had not fluctuated in years suddenly came to life.
	Nurses and doctors rushed to a room tucked in the corner of the coma
unit. Upon the bed in this room lay a pale, tall young woman with
flowing red hair. Thin pink lines of flesh upon her arms, face, and
upper chest told tell of terrible wounds that time had healed. The
woman had lain here, in a coma, for years, with no indication that
she would ever recover.
	Now, the machines monitoring her vital signs beeped and flickered.
Her breathing broke from the deep, regular pattern of assisted
respiration, and her eyelids began to flutter. 
	Doctors and nursed hovered about, carefully monitoring all her vital
functions, as her eyelids slowly opened. She immediately winced from
the bright light.
	"How do you feel?" a doctor asked.
	She blinked, squinting up at the light. "Where--?"
	"Kimazaki General and Surgical Hospital," the doctor said. "You've
been in a coma for a very long time."
	"Coma--?" 
	"Can you tell us your name?" a nurse prompted gently. "You weren't
carrying any identification, and nobody came forth with any
information about you."
	The redhead blinked, then frowned. "K--" she began, then coughed
slightly. "I think my name's Kaori," she slurred. "Yes, it's Kaori.
I'm certain."
	"Do you have a family name?" the same nurse prompted.
	Kaori thought about that, then shook her head. "Don't think so," she
said. "Just Kaori."

	*****

	High above the clouds, invisible even to radar, Princess Wraith,
encased in a dark bubble, sped to the north. A general...she needed a
second general, to serve until Goro could return to her side. Her
Mika and Death Phantom aspects had come up blank. 
	Her remaining aspect, however, knew of one option...
	
	*****

	After a short while, discussions of the new threat wound down, the
majority of the palace occupants had found other business to attend
to, and the Sailor Senshi turned their attention to other matters.
	"Serenity-sama," Mars asked in a casual tone, "I noticed that Shingo
is wearing a different uniform than the last time I saw him."
	"Yeah, not to mention that weapon he's carrying around," Jupiter
added. "That's definitely a new accessory."
	Serenity filled them in on what she had done. When she was finished,
Mercury silently opened her computer, and began scanning. After a
moment, she nodded. "The power reading on one is much weaker," she
said, "but my computer insists that there are *two* Sailor Saturns in
the throne room, with a link between them that involves the Saturn
powers. I can't get a solid reading on that link..." she frowned. 
	Serenity smiled. "It's a soul bond...much like the bond I share with
Endymion." 
	"Are you sure you did the right thing?" Venus asked. "I mean, are
you sure it's what they would have chosen for themselves?"
	Serenity nodded. "I'm certain of it."
	Mercury glanced at Shingo, who was embroiled in conversation with
Hotaru's father. She then glanced over at the knot of Outer Senshi in
another corner of the room, and noticed that Saturn was sneaking
glances over at the pair every so often, smiling. "Do they understand
this new element to their relationship?" she wondered aloud. 
	"I think Saturn, at least, understands it," Serenity said. She
sighed. "They were going to talk about it, before this terrible new
business came up." 
	A rear entrance to the throne room opened, admitting boisterious
laughter. The Inner Senshi and Serenity turned, amused, to watch as
Endymion, Yuuichirou, and Umino emerged, trailed by Naru and Luna.
Yuuichirou and Umino now sported silver sashes and white crescent
moon pins on their uniforms. A crystal quarterstaff was tucked
through the back of Yuuichirou's sash, while Umino had a pair of
silver sai tucked into his belt. They bowed respectfully as they
caught the gaze of the queen and her Senshi. 
	Luna glanced about the room, and smirked as her eyes fell upon the
lone purple uniform. "It's just like you," she said to Serenity, "to
do something so impulsive."
	Serenity shot the cat a hurt look. "Luna...I would have thought that
by now, you'd trust me to know what I'm doing."
	Luna sighed. "Gomen, Your Majesty," she said. "I just wish you had
talked it over with me first..." she shook her head. "What's done is
done. We'll just have to hope it works out for the best."
	"I know it will. For their sake, it has to," Serenity said.
	"Well, he's going to require special training sessions now," Luna
said. "He'll need to learn what it means to have powers similar to a
Senshi, and more importantly, how to control them." 
	"I think it'd be a good idea if you didn't spring that on him until
after he's had a chance to be alone with Hotaru for a little while,"
Serenity said. "They have a lot to talk about now."
	Luna nodded, frowning. "Yes...the significance of the bond you've
forged between them..."
	"Is nothing compared to the bond that was already forming between
them," Serenity interrupted, smiling.
	Luna's expression softened. "I suppose so."
	"There's only one thing that bothers me," Jupiter said.
	"What's that?" Serenity asked.
	"Did it occur to anyone else," Jupiter commented, "that his uniform
looks a *lot* like the ones Beryl's generals wore?"
	This took a few moments to sink in. "Serenity," Luna said slowly,
"did you bestow a title upon Shingo when you changed him?"
	"Hai," Serenity said, blinking. "I gave him the name General
Dosei--" she trailed off.
	"Interesting decision," Mars remarked, frowning.
	"It does make sense," Mercury said. The others turned to her. "The
uniform style and the titles may have been a universal standard
during the time of the Silver Millenium." She paused. "This is
probably a holdover from that era."
	"Yeah, probably," Venus said, nodding. "Still, you gotta admit it's
a little creepy."
	
	*****

	The lethal cold didn't bother Wraith in the least as she stood upon
a mound of snow, searching. The rift was weak, so weak that she could
barely detect it, but it was still there. Time had nearly completely
sealed the small tear between worlds...not that it mattered, as the
world on the other side of the rift was now dead.
	Except for one entity...
	Wraith paused for a moment, debating this course of action. *If I do
this,* she thought, *I could end up shooting myself in the foot.* 
	She gazed at the barely perceptible rift. *But in the end, what
other choice do I have?*
	Gathering her resolve, Wraith reached out, and tore the
partially-healed fabric of space. The rift opened before her like a
raw, bleeding wound, dirtying the snowy plain upon which she stood
with the oppressive, lifeless darkness of the world beyond.
	After a moment's preparation, Wraith stepped through the rift, into
the Dark Kingdom.

	*****

	Once all discussion of Palace affairs had wound down, Mercury and
Venus had left, to conduct some important personal business. Mizuno
Ami, clad in a simple blue sun dress, greeted the woman at the
nurses' station by name. The young nurse smiled warmly at her.
"Konnichiwa, Ami-chan. Mizuno-sensei is working in the ICU ward
today. I'll get a message to her that you're here."
	"Arigatou," Ami said. She then headed for the waiting area nearest
ICU. A short while later, she heard a slight commotion, and looked
up. Several doctors and nurses were gathered in a small knot, moving
down the corridor behind a woman in a wheelchair. The hospital
staffers were murmuring excitedly. Ami stood up, and moved to take a
closer look. 
	The woman in the wheelchair was rather young, and beautiful, with
flowing red hair. She was smiling, and chatting amicably with one
young male nurse walking beside her, as well as with the doctor
pushing her wheelchair. The group suddenly stopped moving, and the
doctor moved over, allowing the nurse to take over pushing the chair.
She waved to Ami, who smiled and waved back. "Konnichiwa, Okaa-san,"
Ami said.
	Mizuno-sensei smiled and waved. "Konnichiwa, Ami-chan," she said. 
	As her mother approached, Ami asked, "What's going on? Everyone
seems rather excited today."
	The doctor smiled. "We've had a rather curious development in one of
our older coma patients," she said, gesturing towards the wheelchair.
"She's been here a very long time. We never expected her to wake
up...we certainly never expected her injuries to heal as well as they
did." Turning, she waved at the group. "Go on ahead," she called.
"I'm going on a lunch break." 
	The woman in the chair waved, and called back, "It was nice meeting
you, Mizuno-sensei!" Then the group moved away. Not, however, before
Ami had gotten a good look at the woman's face. *Masaka...*
	"Ami-chan? Is something wrong? You look positively pale," the doctor
frowned. 
	Ami shook her head, smiling. "I'm fine, Okaa-san." She paused. "Are
you sure you can afford to leave your patient?" 
	Her mother laughed. "Kaori-san is in very capable hands. Everyone in
this hospital is curious about her. Her recovery is quite amazing." 
	*Kaori...* The name echoed in Ami's head. Forcing the thought out of
her mind, she decided to concentrate on the business at hand.
"Okaa-san," she began, "might we grab a bite to eat and go someplace
private to talk, where we won't be disturbed? I have something
important to tell you."
	A look of concern crossed the older woman's face. "What is it?" she
asked.
	"Not here," Ami said. "We need to be alone." 
	The concerned look on her mother's face deepened. "Alright," she
said. "We'll pick up some food from the hospital cafeteria and head
for my office. Will that be alright?" Ami nodded. 

	Fifteen minutes later, the two women sat in Mizuno-sensei's office,
picking at dinner trays from the cafeteria. At Ami's insistence, the
door was locked. "Alright, Ami-chan," the older woman said. "We're
alone...what is it you want to tell me?"
	Ami was silent for a moment. "Okaa-san...there's a secret I've had
to keep for a long time now..." she began.
	Her mother raised an eyebrow. "A secret? How long...?"
	"Since I attended Juuban-gakkou," Ami said.
	"That's quite some time," the elder Mizuno said. "What is this
secret you've felt compelled to keep for all those years?" 
	Ami stood, and walked over to the window. In the distance, the
barely-visible spire of the Crystal Palace gleamed in the afternoon
sun. 
	Her mother stood, and walked over to stand beside her. "Beautiful,
isn't it?" the older woman asked. 
	Ami nodded, smiling. "Un." 
	"But it still may be dangerous," the doctor said. "We still don't
know what it is, where it came from, what it's going to do..." She
noticed that her daughter was looking down, and that the younger
woman's fists were clenched. "Ami-chan...?"
	Ami seemed to remember herself, and looked up, relaxing. "It's not
dangerous, Okaa-san," Ami said. 
	"And how do you know this for certain?" the elder woman asked. 
	"Because..." Ami took several steps away from her mother, standing
in the center of the room. A small, silver wand with a glowing
crystal tip appeared in her hand. She whispered, "Mercury Silver
Power, Make-Up." 
	Mizuno-sensei gasped as the room exploded with silver-blue light...

	*****

	Kaori gasped and doubled over in her wheelchair. The doctors and
nurses crowded around her. "Daijobu ka, Kaori-san?" they asked.
	*Power...I feel a curious, familiar power...* The redhead
straightened, and smiled gently, though her face was somewhat pale.
"Yes...yes, I'm fine," she said. "It's nothing." 

	*****

	Wraith stood before a large, dark slab of crystal. A pair of gloved
hands pressed against the interior surface of the crystal. Beneath
the surface of the crystal, a face was locked forever in an
expression of...outrage? Disbelief? Protest? It was impossible to
know. *Do I really want to do this?* she asked herself, with some
trepidation. *Yes. I am supreme, and peerless in dark power. My will
shall dominate all. Starting with this.* 
	Closing her eyes, she gathered her power, and began feeding it into
the crystal. A column of black light formed around the cold glass
prison. 
	After a moment, she felt something drawing her power. Alarmed, she
stopped the process, throwing up a defensive field and backing away
from the crystal warily. 
	Dark lightning crackled along the surface of the crystal, as cracks
began spiderwebbing its surface. Wraith watched in astonishment as
pieces of the crystal began dissolving into darkness, and were sucked
into its depths. A strong, dark forcefield rose around the crystal as
more of it began vanishing. After a few moments, the entire crystal
had vanished, and the forcefield began folding in on itself. The
figure within rose into the air, crackling with dark energy. The
expression which had been frozen on his face was gone, replaced by an
evil grin. Sharp green eyes gleamed maniacally, crackling with the
dark power surrounding him. 
	*He's...he shouldn't be this powerful...what--?* Wraith's mind
whirled. "J--Jadeite..." she said cautiously. 
	The blond, green-eyed general turned his gaze upon her. He then
turned his gaze upward. "At last...free..." Jadeite floated across
the room, and Wraith's hair stood on end from the power coarsing
around him. 
	"Yes, you're free. I have freed you. Now, you will serve me," Wraith
said.
	Jadeite looked down at her curiously, much as one might look upon an
insect. "Serve?" he asked. "Serve..." he stroked his chin, as though
pondering the word. Then, he extended his hand, bolts of darkness
crackling around it. "Serve this!" he roared, flinging a solid ball
of black energy at her. 
	Wraith screamed as the attack tore into her defenses, and she was
flung across the room. She slumped limply against the wall of the
chamber.
	"FREE!" Jadeite shouted. He threw his head back and laughed
maniacally. The corona of energy surrounding him coalesced, and
Jadeite teleported out. 

	*****

	"A--Ami-chan..." Ami's mother gaped in shock at the young warrior
standing before her. "Ami-chan...?"
	Sailor Mercury nodded, smiling. "Hai, Okaa-san, it's me." She walked
over and gently clasped her mother's hands, grimacing as she felt the
older woman tense.
	"You...you're a..."
	"Sailor Senshi, hai," Mercury said. 
	Mizuno-sensei walked over to the window and looked out. "The Fushigi
no Suishou..."
	"Actually, it's called the Crystal Palace," Mercury said. 
	The doctor slowly turned to look at her daughter. "So...it's true?
The Sailor Senshi created it?"
	Mercury frowned. "Not so much as created it...more like we're
responsible for its existence." At her mother's raised eyebrow, she
laughed softly. "It's a long story..."

	*****

	"I still say this is a stupid idea."
	"Oh, come on Artemis," Venus said, giggling. "It'll be fun!" Opening
the door and stepping inside the house, she briefly contemplated the
slippers by the entrance, and snorted. "That would be an interesting
image, ne Artemis?"
	Artemis caught sight of what Venus was referring to, and snickered.
"No kidding."
	Ignoring the slippers, Venus called out, "Tadaima!"
	"Okaeri nasai, Minako-chan!" her mother's voice called from within.
There was a shuffle of footsteps as the elder Aino moved to greet her
daughter. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you...since..."
Minako's mother stood, baffled, as she walked into the room, staring
at Sailor Venus.
	Venus giggled. "Sorry Mom. Been kinda busy." She blinked as the
woman fell to the floor with an audible *whump*. "Anou..."
	Artemis sweatdropped.

	*****

	Motoki, Reika, and Unazuki approached Serenity's throne, kneeling.
At the queen's nod, the trio stood. "Your Majesty," he said, "It has
been decided." He clasped Reika's hand. "Reika and I wish to remain
here."
	Serenity nodded, smiling. "I'm pleased. And you, Unazuki-chan?"
	Unazuki shook her head. "Gomen, Your Majesty. I can't right now."
	Serenity smiled gently. "I understand. Please remember not to
disclose anything you've seen in here to anyone outside, alright?"
	Unazuki nodded. "Of course." She paused. "Serenity-sama...are you
really Usagi?"
	Serenity giggled softly. "Hai, Unazuki-chan. I was...am...Usagi.
Also, Sailor Moon." 
	Unazuki shook her head. "Incredible."
	Everyone laughed. "Be well, Unazuki-chan," Serenity said. 
	"I'll be in touch, sis," Motoki said. 
	Unazuki nodded. "I'm happy to have had the chance to see all of
this," she said. Serenity closed her eyes, and the Ginzuishou flashed
briefly. Unazuki disappeared. 
	Mars raised an eyebrow. "You're becoming very skilled at controlling
that thing, Serenity-sama."
	Serenity shrugged. "I think it's the Palace causing it. Both the
Palace and the Ginzuishou seem to...resonate with me, somehow."
Suddenly, Serenity winced, and doubled over, nearly pitching off of
her throne. Immediately, everyone present gathered around her, looks
of concern on all their faces. 
	"Serenity-sama!" Mars said. "What's wrong?"
	Slowly, Serenity righted herself, sliding back into the throne. She
tilted her head back. Her face was somewhat pale, and a fine sheen of
sweat shone on her brow. "Dark...dark energy..." she said, gasping
for breath. "Powerful...dark...energy..." After a moment, she
regained her composure. "I'm...I'm alright," she said, frowning. "I
just...sensed something. Something very evil..."
	"Can you get a fix on it?" Luna asked.
	Serenity shook her head. "No...couldn't pin it down. It's very far
from here, but it's moving. That's all I can tell."
	"What could this mean?" Jupiter wondered.
	"It means we have a problem," Uranus said. 
	"Serenity-sama," Saturn said, "perhaps you should rest."
	"Yes, that's a good idea," Mars seconded.
	Serenity nodded. "I...I believe I will." She stood shakily, and
Endymion escorted her out of the throne room.
	"This is a bad sign," Luna said. "We need to be on our guard at all
times now."
	
	*****

	A small, black storm moved swiftly over the icy plains of the
Arctic. At least, that's what the casual observer would have seen. 
	But then, the casual observer wouldn't have heard the storm talking
to itself, either.
	"That bitch Beryl...heh. Got what she deserved. Yep, dead dead
dead...dammit. I wanted to kill her. Hm? Kill the ones that killed
her? Just as good...yeah. Just as good. Sailor Senshi. Kill the
Sailor Senshi. Hmm? Endymion? Endymion...Tuxedo Kamen...should have
known. Heh. Killed him already. Serves him right. Bastard. Sailor
Senshi...gonna kill 'em real slow...have some fun doing it. Heh.
Fun...yes. A lot of fun. Make Jadeite look bad...get Jadeite put in
Eternal Sleep...little whores. You'll get yours. You'll all get
yours...heh...hahahahahaha...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
	Chunks of ice on the ground were blasted into steam by bolts of dark
lightning, as Jadeite picked up speed. 

	Chapter Ten

	"Just imagine you have a really deep pocket behind your back."
	"Okay..."
	"Now, concentrate on putting it in that pocket."
	Shingo closed his eyes, and put his naginata, which had been dubbed
the Gravity Lance, behind his back, silently willing it to disappear.
When he brought his hand back to his side, the naginata was gone. He
blinked. "Sugee..."
	"Good work, Shingo-kun!" Hotaru said, applauding. She hugged him,
causing him to blush slightly. "Later on, we'll work on more advanced
stuff." She paused. "First though, we need to talk."
	"Hai." An uncomfortable silence followed. "Ummm...are you sure
you're okay with all this? What Serenity did, I mean?"
	Hotaru nodded. "Of course I am. Are you, though?"
	"Of course!" Shingo said. "I'd do anything for you, Hotaru-chan. For
us." He took her hands. 
	Hotaru smiled. "I'm glad," she said. She sighed. "I'm very lucky to
have you, Shingo-kun."
	"I'm the one who's lucky, Hotaru-chan," Shingo said, leaning forward
and cupping her chin in his hand. The two teens shared a long, deep
kiss.
	Watching unseen from above, Mimas silently changed Shingo's status
to 'suite occupant', before deciding that perhaps it would be a good
idea to shut down for a while.

	*****

	As Kaori slept, still being heavily monitored, she began to dream.
Her dreams were filled with disturbing and confusing images, as well
as shadows of memories. 
	
	Two women stood beside her bed, watching her. "So, she has
near-total amnesia?" the younger of the two asked.
	"Hai," the elder answered. "It's not surprising, considering how
badly she was injured. There wasn't a single part of her body that
wasn't damaged when she arrived here." After a pause, she amended,
"Except, oddly enough, her neck."
	"And nobody knows anything about her?" the younger asked.
	"She's been here for around three years, Ami-chan. In all that time,
nobody has come forth looking for her, and nobody has been able to
find any information about her, anywhere," Mizuno-sensei said.
	"Hmmm..." Ami rubbed her chin thoughtfully, brow furrowed.
	Her mother looked at her askance. "What is it, dear?"
	"It's...it's nothing, Okaa-san," Ami said. 
	"Are you sure?" 
	Ami nodded. "Yeah. Just thinking."

	The monitors began beeping, and Kaori's eyes snapped open. She
screamed. 
	As various hospital staff began flooding the room, Mizuno-sensei
rushed to the side of the bed and asked, "Kaori-san? What's wrong?" 
	Kaori looked around frantically, then let out a whooshing breath,
her frame shuddering. "N--nothing, sensei. Just a bad dream."
	"A dream?" the doctor asked. "Can you remember? It might be
important."
	"I...I think I was falling," Kaori said. "Yes, I was falling...off
some kind of tower..."
	Ami blinked, and had to struggle to keep her composure. *Falling off
a tower...so. It really is her...*
	"Well, you're alright now, Kaori-san. Why don't you relax, and try
to go back to sleep," Mizuno-sensei said. 
	"H--hai," Kaori said, laying back on her pillow. 
	"Okaa-san...excuse me," Ami said. "I have to take care of
something." She waved. "It was nice meeting you, Kaori-san."
	The redhead smiled, and waved. "It was nice meeting you also. Visit
again soon, alright?"
	"Count on it," Ami said, as she departed.

	*****

	As Jadeite flew over ice-riddled waters, he reflected, as best as he
was able, on the things he had thought and remembered during his time
in the Eternal Sleep. 
	His first thought was disbelief, that he had ever served such an
idiot as Beryl. The foolish bitch should have known better than to
seal him in Eternal Sleep, knowing that it leaves the mind awake and
aware. After all, was not his greatest weapon his telekinesis? Surely
Beryl should have known that he would, in time, find a way to drain
the very crystal which imprisoned him. 
	After months of endless, seething rage and frustration directed at
Beryl, the Sailor Senshi, and the world in general, some sort of dam
broke. Jadeite suddenly began remembering things from the distant
past, memories which had been sealed away when he was taken into the
Dark Kingdom. He remembered his service under Prince Endymion, during
the days of the Silver Millenium. At first, the memories were almost
fond, but as he continued to siphon the infinite energy of the prison
crystal, he began to look upon those times with hatred and loathing.
Endymion had found a beautiful princess, an eternal love. What had he
found? A brief fling with that bitch Mars, an utter lack of respect
by his peers, and finally...the Dark Kingdom. His chance to get even
with Endymion for everything the stuck-up prince had that he didn't. 
	Why, after all, should such a pathetic man be given a free ride in
life? Without his advisors, Endymion was next to useless. Jadeite
knew he could kill the little shit by spitting on him if he wanted
to. Surely, shouldn't such rewards go to the powerful, to the strong,
and to those most worthy?
	And after a while, he realized that Tuxedo Kamen, the interfering
bastard he destroyed during his last encounter with the Sailor
Senshi, had in fact been Endymion. That thought filled him with a
cold, dark satisfaction. He had avenged himself against the little
brat that walked all over him, flaunting everything he had that his
advisors didn't. How could those other idiots stand it? Couldn't they
see what an insufferable little turd Endymion was?
	But he had been denied his revenge against Beryl. He could only
assume that Endymion's tramp and the Sailor Senshi had been
responsible for that. He swore that if he ever broke out of Eternal
Sleep, he would hunt them down and destroy them, slowly and
painfully.
	He had paid a price for the energy he collected from the crystal
prison. Unfortunately, he was hard-pressed to decide what exactly
that price had been. It didn't matter, though. All that mattered was
the power.
	However, that drain had proved to be far too slow to be
useful...under normal circumstances, it would have taken him at least
one hundred years to siphon enough power to free himself. He was
fortunate that some fool had taken care of that for him...
	Now, he was free, and more powerful than ever. Chuckling darkly, he
increased his flight speed. He hungered for revenge. 
	"I will kill all of you, slowly," he vowed. "I will cut your hearts
from your pretty chests and devour them. And then I will reduce your
pretty carcasses to smoldering cinders." 

	*****

	Sailor Mercury arrived in the throne room, and blinked. "Where is
Serenity-sama?" she asked Luna. 
	"Her Majesty is resting," the feline said. "Earlier, she detected
powerful dark energy someplace far from here."
	Mercury blinked. "From where? From what?"
	"We're not sure. She couldn't identify it, or locate it," Luna
replied, shaking her head. "All we know is it was powerful enough for
the Ginzuishou to detect it from a distance."
	Mercury cursed. "It keeps getting worse and worse," she muttered.
	Luna nodded. "Hai...an enemy we don't know, that's got something to
do with the Black Moon *and* the Dark Kingdom, some unidentified
source of dark energy..."
	"And something else, as well," Mercury said. 
	Luna blinked. "What is it?"
	Mercury looked pensive for a moment. "Well...there's a patient at my
mother's hospital who just woke up from a long coma..." She paused.
"It's...it's Kaolinite."
	The black cat's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
	Mercury nodded. "I hoped I was wrong, but...I don't have any doubt.
She's lost her memory, and she doesn't seem to be dangerous right
now, but...it's definitely her."
	Luna sighed. "It figures."

	*****

	Anger. Hatred. Hatred of humanity. The desire to destroy everything.
	Mission. Searching. Seeking that which would bring about the end.
	Interference. Failure. Hatred. The desire to destroy those who
interfered with the mission.
	Death. Shock. How could it be possible? The interlopers won the
battle...
	Rebirth. Surprise. The mission has changed. 
	Betrayal. Death, again. 
	Sleep. Awakening. Confusion...

	Kaori awoke, the last flickering images of her dreams laughing at
her as they fled her consciousness. And yet, something remained...she
knew, somehow, that these were not mere dreams...they were memories,
tormenting her with fleeting glimpses of her life.
	"Who...who am I?" she asked the empty room, clutching at her head.

	*****

	Endymion held his wife gently, gazing at her with deep concern. "How
do you feel now, Usako?"
	Serenity smiled weakly. "Better...it's still there, but the shock
has worn off...I think it was the shock that made it hurt so much..."
	Endymion nodded. "So, you're still feeling this dark power?"
	The young queen nodded. "Hai...I still can't tell exactly where it
is, or what it is, but it's moving. It's getting closer." She paused.
"Mamo-chan...I'm scared. Whatever's coming...it's strong. The
power...it's terrifying, even from this distance."
	Endymion smiled reassuringly. "Serenity...please, don't worry too
much. The Sailor Senshi are all here, you've reached your full power,
as have I, and we have the Crystal Palace. Whatever's coming, we can
deal with it." He brushed a lock of hair from her face, and kissed
her gently upon her brow. "No matter what has come, we have always
endured, ne?"
	Serenity glanced towards the door of the bedchamber. "Except for the
one time, in our past..."
	Endymion sighed. "In another life, yes. In this life,
you...Neo-Queen Serenity...Sailor Moon...have always surpassed every
evil that has challenged you." 
	Serenity smiled. "Perhaps you're right...we'll be fine, just like
always." She sighed. "Still..."

	*****

	Venus had spent some time after her mother recovered telling her
parents everything. Everyone was now relaxed, and chatting amicably,
with Venus sharing an anecdote about a time she had to pretend to be
Sailor Moon. Suddenly, Artemis let out a curse, and sat up, alert.
Minako's parents blinked, not completely used to the idea of talking
cats yet.
	"What's wrong, Artemis?" Venus asked. "I didn't tell the story that
badly, did I?"
	"Venus," he said, his tone dead serious. "I sense..." 
	"You sense what?" Venus asked.
	Artemis shook his head. "No...it's not possible. It must be the
confusion over the new enemy. It's getting to me. I can't have
sensed..."
	"What?" Venus asked again, brow furrowed.
	Artemis looked down. "Nevermind. I didn't sense anything."
	Venus shot him a wary glance, but decided not to press the issue.

	*****

	"Tomoe-sensei," Mercury called as she approached the silent man.
	Tomoe looked up, and smiled. "Konnichiwa, Lady Mercury," he said. 
	"Sensei...I need to ask you something. I'm afraid this isn't going
to be very pleasant..."
	Tomoe frowned. "Alright..."
	Mercury sat down beside him, drawing her knees up to her chest.
"Tell me about Kaolinite."
	The white-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Mercury...no offense, but
why do you want to drag up something like that?"
	"Gomen nasai, sensei," Mercury said, "but it's important. If it
wasn't, I wouldn't ask."
	Tomoe was silent for a moment, his gaze locked intently upon the
Sailor Senshi's countenance. After a moment, he looked off into the
distance, his expression unreadable. "She's turned up alive again,
hasn't she?"
	Mercury nodded. "Hai."
	Tomoe snorted. "It figures. Is she looking for ways to cause
trouble?"
	Mercury shook her head. "She's been in a coma ever since...ever
since Mistress Nine," she said, grimacing at the man's noticeable
wince. "She has complete amnesia."
	Tomoe shook his head slightly. "It won't last. All we can hope is
she doesn't ally herself with the new enemy when she recovers her
memory."
	Mercury blinked. "Ally herself? But...she was one of the Death
Busters, wasn't she?"
	Tomoe shook his head. "Not quite...it's complicated." He sighed.
"Kaolinite came to me after I...well, after the incident...long after
I had begun growing the daimon for use in finding the Talismans. She
had learned of our existence, somehow, and wanted to assist us in
achieving our mission."
	Mercury blinked. "She what?"
	The sensei nodded. "That's right. She said that she had been waiting
a very long time for a chance to wipe out humanity."
	The blue-haired Senshi gasped. "What--what kind of creature is she?"
	Tomoe shrugged. "I never found out. The most I can gather is that
she's human...and yet, not human. She was rather enigmatic about
herself, and..." he chuckled bitterly, "and during that time, I was
too unhinged to truly care, at any rate." He turned to gaze at
Mercury. "There is one thing I can tell you. If what Kaolinite once
told me is accurate, there's no way to kill her."
	Mercury's eyes widened. Then, she nodded. "That would definitely
explain how she could be lying in a hospital nearby, after what
happened to her..."
	"What is she like, without her memory?" Tomoe asked.
	"She's...peaceful. Friendly, even," Mercury replied.
	Tomoe nodded, then placed a hand on the Senshi's shoulder. "Sailor
Mercury...you must befriend Kaolinite. Do whatever you can to keep
her friendly. Even when she recovers her memory, there's a chance
that, if you form a friendship with her, she may be changed by that
friendship."
	Mercury nodded, then rubbed her chin. "Couldn't we have
Serenity-sama use the Ginzuishou--"
	"No," Tomoe said. "I've heard of how Sailor Moon healed the Ayakashi
Sisters, but it would not work on Kaolinite. She isn't possessed or
infused with dark energy." He sighed. "Her hatred of humanity is
simply part of her nature."
	"Then, all I can do is hope to change her nature, before she
remembers what her nature is," Mercury said. She stood. "Arigatou,
sensei." 
	Tomoe nodded. "Ganbatte, Sailor Mercury."

	*****

	At a small Storm Prediction Center north of Hokkaido, the long-range
scope began beeping insistently. 
	The man on duty sighed, abandoning his attempt to coax a can of tea
from the slightly busted vending machine in the tiny lounge, and
headed over to the monitors. "Another day, another squall," he said,
peering at the scope. He blinked. "Wh--what the HELL!?" Picking up
the direct line to the station's parent base, he shouted, "Are you
guys seeing this? My scope is reading something that looks like a
miniature typhoon, and it's hauling serious ass." He paused to do a
quick check of his equipment. "No...this thing's working
okay...there's definitely something out there..."
	On the screen, an angry, flashing scarlet dot zoomed from the
northeast, on a trajectory that would take it less than three
kilometers east of the station. As the dot neared the center of the
scope, the air was torn by a deafening thunderclap, and the radar
suddenly died. 
	"Holy SHIT!" the attendant exclaimed into the phone, before dropping
it and dashing to the window. In the distance, he could barely make
out a spot of blackness flying to the south. Then, the rest of the
area around him caught his attention. 
	The wooden poles of power lines, for as far as he could see, were
burning, and the power lines themselves were nowhere to be found.
Everything was without electricity. 	
	"What in the hell *was* that?" he said breathlessly.

	*****

	Artemis' head jerked up, and his eyes widened. "Masaka..." 
	Venus looked down. "Artemis? What's wrong?"
	Artemis stood. "Venus...we need to go. Now."
	Venus nodded, and turned to her parents. "I'll talk to you later."
	Her mother nodded. "Be careful." 

	As they ran from the house, Venus asked, "Artemis, what's wrong? You
sensed something, didn't you?"
	Artemis' brow furrowed. "Hai. An incredible dark power, and it's
headed here very quickly." He hopped down onto the sidewalk, landing
in front of Venus, and stared up at her intently. "Venus, I hoped I
was wrong, but at this range, there's no mistaking that energy.
Whatever's coming this way, it's Dark Kingdom."
	"Dark Kingdom? Are you certain?" 
	"There's no doubt."
	Venus frowned. "We'd better teleport back to the Palace,
immediately." 
	Artemis hopped onto her shoulder, and the pair disappeared. 

	*****

	Jadeite scowled as another bolt leapt away from his body. His scowl
turned into a cackle of delight as the bolt slammed into a marina,
which exploded in a tremendous shower of flames. He could see the
survivors and passersby fleeing in panic, and could almost hear their
shrieks of terror. He laughed. "Foolish humans...once I have
destroyed those sailor-suited whores, I'm going to have a lot of fun
with these humans..." 
	A glint of light on the horizon caught his attention. "What's this?"
he wondered, using his power to augment his sight. At this distance,
only the sunlight gleaming off the object was visible, but it was
obvious that whatever it was, it wasn't like anything the humans in
this century were capable of building. Further than that, he felt a
pull towards the object, a familiar energy...
	Another dark bolt snaked forth from the black corona surrounding
him, obliterating a passing train. He frowned. "Why is my glorious
power acting of its own will?" Remembering his purpose, he continued
his swift flight towards Tokyo.

	*****

	Mercury was just about to teleport, when Venus and Artemis suddenly
appeared near the center of the throne room. "We've got trouble!"
Venus shouted. "BIG trouble!" 
	Luna padded over, frowning. "What sort of trouble?"
	Artemis blinked. "Luna? Can't you sense it?"
	"Sense what?" Luna asked, puzzled. 
	"Artemis sensed something heading this way," Venus said. 
	Mercury pulled out her computer, and began working furiously. Her
eyes widened, and she gasped. "Impossible," she said.
	Luna hopped onto her shoulder, and peered into the screen. Her jaw
dropped. "Kami-sama...how could I not sense something like *that*?"
	"The Palace's natural defensive fields," Mercury said. "They're
designed to prevent any type of evil energy from approaching the
Palace...I suspect that as a side-effect, it has dampened your
ability to sense the same evil energy." 
	Artemis' brow furrowed in concentration for a moment. "She's right,"
he said. "I can't sense it now, either."
	"But I can," a soft voice spoke from the back of the room. Everyone
present turned to see Serenity and Endymion striding into the throne
room. Serenity looked very upset. "I want everyone without powers to
go to the sub-levels, immediately. Petz, you and your sisters go with
them, just in case. I believe this powerful evil is headed directly
for the Crystal Palace."

	*****

	Some sixth sense she hadn't figured out yet prompted Kaori to look
out the window. Although it was too far away to see, she *felt*,
somehow, something that was approaching the city with extreme
velocity. 
	"All these strange sensations..." she mused. "I wish I could figure
out what it all means..."
	
	*****

	During the early evening hours, a state of emergency was being
declared for much of the Hokkaido and Honshu areas, as a malevolent,
unidentifiable object streaked across the skies, occassionally
striking out with bizarre, lethal bolts of black lightning. Entire
power grids had been destroyed, trains blown to pieces, fuel stations
turned into blossoming infernos...the destruction was widespread,
horrific, and costly in both property damage and loss of life. 
	As the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, the JSDF had confirmed
the destination of the dark, angry, violent object. "Within two
hours," an official news report stated, "this dangerous force will
arrive in Juuban. Its precise destination appears to be the Fushigi
no Suishou. All residents are advised to evacuate the Juuban area
immediately." 

	*****

	As Jadeite neared Tokyo, more and more of his power striking out
despite his attempts to regain control, he got a better idea about
the object he was approaching. More memories began unlocking, fueling
his fury.
	He knew, with little room for doubt, that this thing had to be the
Crystal Palace, a joint engineering project of the ruling kingdom of
Earth and the Moon Kingdom. 
	The existence of the Crystal Palace in Tokyo could only mean one
thing.
	Endymion was not dead after all.
	"Curse you, Endymion," Jadeite snarled, his rage burning hotter than
the surface of the sun. "You've escaped your justified death for the
last time, you bastard. This time...this time, you die." 

	*****

	Under the dim, purplish-blue twilight sky, the city of Tokyo raged
with widespread panic.
	Despite attempts by the JSDF and Tokyo Police to control the
populace, it was impossible to prevent the chaotic, riotous crowds
attempting to flee the city. 
	As the dark object entered the metropolis, widespread fires began to
burn. Unlike the random, chaotic destruction seen earlier, the
searing infernos were clearly methodical and deliberate. The
malevolent invader was attempting to burn Tokyo to the ground. 
	As firefighting teams worked furiously to control the blazes, the
evil object entered Juuban, and hovered a half kilometer from the
'Fushigi no Suishou'. Intense blackness swirled around the unknown
invader. Within the half-kilometer radius around the crystalline
structure, the fires did not burn, and on the fringes of that radius,
the flames were weaker, easier to contain. 
	JSDF ground troops watched the floating object, waiting to see what
it would do next, waiting for a signal to take offensive action. 
	"Where are the Sailor Senshi?" a young officer asked the major in
charge. "What are they doing?"
	"They'll be here," the major said. "I don't know what's keeping
them, but they'll show."
	A sharp crack of thunder ripped through the air, startling everyone
on the ground. After several seconds of silence, a shout, as loud as
any thunder, echoed across Juuban, filled with unmistakable fury.
	"*ENDYMION!*"

	*****

	The throne room suddenly darkened. Everyone gasped. "What's going
on?" Dosei whispered to Sailor Saturn, who shrugged.
	A ring of flames suddenly lined the walls of the crystalline
chamber, casting a dark, angry red glow over everything. Several of
the Senshi shifted into defensive postures, ready to call upon their
powers. Mercury's visor flashed, its blue glow out of place amid the
scarlet light of the flames. "It's a projection," Mercury said. "A
hologram."
	"*ENDYMION!*" a voice bellowed. Within the flames, a ring of
identical, silhouetted faces wavered into existence. Piercing green
eyes, filled with dark rage, glared at the assemblage. "*SHOW
YOURSELF, YOU INSUFFERABLE SNOT!*"
	Endymion glared at one of the faces. "Who are you?" he demanded. 
	Harsh laughter rumbled like thunder. "*SURELY YOU CANNOT MEAN YOU
HAVE FORGOTTEN ME? ESPECIALLY AFTER OUR BATTLE...A BATTLE IN WHICH
YOU SHOULD HAVE PERISHED....*" The silhouetted faces became more
distinct, features filling in, topped by slightly wild blond hair. 
	Serenity, Mercury, and Mars gasped. Endymion's face registered shock
and surprise as he exclaimed, "Jadeite!?"
	The countenance of Jadeite sneered. "*HOW GOOD OF YOU TO
REMEMBER...AND NOW, IT IS TIME FOR US TO FINISH CERTAIN BUSINESS.*" A
pause. "*TELL ME, SERENITY...OR SHOULD I SAY, SAILOR MOON?...DO YOU
REMEMBER OUR LAST BATTLE?*" He paused. "*THIS TIME, THE CITY BURNS,
REGARDLESS OF MY CHALLENGE. IN FACT, TOKYO IS BEING REDUCED TO
SMOLDERING RUBBLE AS WE SPEAK.*"
	Everyone gasped. Serenity scowled. "Jadeite! So help me, if you've
done what you claim to have done, you will regret it!"
	"*OH, I THINK NOT,*" Jadeite bellowed, his laughter mocking the
young queen. "*FOR YOU SEE...I HAVE COME HERE TO KILL ALL OF YOU.
STARTING WITH ENDYMION...I FAILED TO FINISH YOU OFF THE LAST TIME WE
FOUGHT. I ASSURE YOU, THIS TIME, YOU SHALL DIE.*"
	"He's right outside," Mercury said. "And as he said, there are fires
everywhere. We've got to stop him." 
	"*I'M WAITING, YOU ANNOYING LITTLE PRICK,*" Jadeite said. "*YOU, AND
YOUR LITTLE MOON SLUT, AND ALL THE SAILOR WHORES...I'M WAITING...*"
	Endymion scowled. "You've gone too far, Jadeite. I'm going to rip
you apart with my bare hands." Without further ado, Endymion vanished
from the throne room.
	"Minna...we've got to get out there and put an end to Jadeite,"
Serenity said. "We must hurry." In a flash of silver light, Serenity
shifted to her new Senshi form, and vanished.
	"Well, what's everyone standing around here for?" Uranus said.
"We've got to protect Their Majesties!" There was no need for further
discussion. Everyone remaining in the throne room teleported to the
battlefield.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Eternal Lost Lurker
"Gettin' Ficcy Wit' It"
Lost Lurker Style
Capsule Corp
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We gualantee derivery in thirty minute, or you get
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What, what, what, what 
Hah hah, hah hah 
Unh, 

On your mark ready set let's go
Fanfic pro I know you know
I go psycho when my new muse hit
Just can't sit
Gotta get ficcy wit' it
Umm that's it now all y'all come look
E-L-L writin' fics like a book
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Here like this handsome kid
Saiya-Saiya-jin right from Dragonball Z
I just write it
It's for the look I don't fight it
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give it up ficcy make it read like swordplay
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Getin' ficcy wit' it...