"What are we doing here boss?" Shiro asked.

      "Yeah!  Hospitals gives me the creeps," Yatin commented as well.

      "We're here to see if that lady is all right," Jun answered.

      "You mean the one that you shot a few hours ago?" Yatin asked a little
confused.

      "Shut up moron!  Do you want everyone to know?" Shiro snarled quietly at
Yatin.

      All three men were wearing what casual clothes.  As they approached the
entrance of the hospital, both Shiro and Yatin started to look about them
nervously.  All of them were hoping for the best.  In Shiro's hand was a
bouquet of flowers.  

      Walking to the front desk, "I was wondering if you could tell us if a
lady was admitted a few hours ago with a bullet wound and if so, where we
could find her?" Jun asked with all the persuasive skills he had.  He couldn't
help but gaze at the lady behind the desk.

      The nurse on duty looked up at Jun.  Seeing the gaze she usually get
from men, "What is the lady's name?" she asked a little annoyed.  

      "That's it, I don't know.  I was there when she got shot and was
wondering how she was doing." Jun continued to apply every once of charisma he
had.  Seeing the nurse relax a little, Jun allowed himself to smile a little
more.

      Moments later the three men were standing in front of the door that
would ultimately determine their fate.  Opening the door, they were startled
to see the young man beside the bed the lady was in.  
  
      Looking up from his mother's side, Ranma's eyes narrowed as he
recognized the three men in front of him.  "What do you want?" Ranma asked,
the glass of water in his hands shattered.  

For a moment all three thugs forgot what they were about to say.  They noticed
that Ranma's hand was not bleeding.  "We're here to see how the lady is
doing," Jun answered after clearing his throat, "We brought her some flowers
as well," elbowing Shiro who was just standing there looking at the shattered
glass on the floor.

      Walking up to the end of the bed, Shiro placed the bouquet of flowers on
the table.  

      "Just pray she makes it," Ranma commented, never taking his eyes off of
the trio.

      "Hai," they all answered, swiftly backing out of the room as they
noticed Ranma's eyes were starting to glow and taking on a goldish glint.

      Returning to gaze at his mother, *What should I do?* Ranma asked
himself.  Looking at his mother's calm face, "What should I do, Okaasan?  I
want to finish my nightly patrols but I don't want to leave you, yet I don't
want someone else to suffer like you did.  I'm so tired, please give me an
answer." Ranma pleaded, kneeling next to her bed-side.  Closing his eyes, he
prayed.  Silence soon filled the room.  No one was present when Ranma's body
started to glow slightly for a few short moments.  As Ranma's glow subsided,
Nodoka breathing became more relaxed and still there were no witnesses but the
machines.  Opening his eyes, Ranma stared at the machines that held his mother
in their cold embrace.  *Live,* was his only thought.    

* * * * *

	"What are we going to do now, boss?" Yatin asked as he and his two comrades
left the hospital.

	"Yeah, we didn't get to have any fun tonight." Shiro added.

	"The same thing we do every night, boys." Jun answered. 

	"I don't want to mess with that kid again, boss." Shiro said in a tone very
close to whining.

	"What are you worrying about?  He said he'll kill us if the lady dies.  He
didn't say anything else so lets get some excitement before the night's out."
Jun reassured his men.   

	"Where to?" Yatin wondered.

	"We wait," was the reply Yatin got.

* * * * *

	Having finished their shopping and supposed patrol of Down town Tokyo, they
were walking home when suddenly Luna felt a chill run up her spine.  Leaping
onto Usagi's shoulders, "Usagi, I feel some negative energy close by." Luna
whispered into her ears.

     "Are you sure?" Usagi asked.

     "Yes, but this time there is something different about it.  It's not from
the Dark Kingdom."

     "The Dark Moon?"

     "Close.  It's something new though.  I want to know if Ami's computer
picked up anything." Luna commented.  Usagi nodded, and called Ami on the
communicator.

     Ami's face appeared in the screen a few moments later. "What's up, Usagi?
Have you managed to locate the figure?" she asked.

     "Ami, Luna senses something.  Could be another droid.  Better get the
rest of the Senshi"

     "Better keep your head down, Usagi. We'll be there as soon as we can!"
Ami said, before her image faded.

     "Count on it!" Usagi agreed.  

* * * * *

	"Do we have to wait any longer?" Shiro asked.

	"Any time now," Jun answered, "And stop whining."

	"But boss, we've been here for over 3 hours." Yatin said.

	"Patience.  Ah, there she is," Jun pointed at a young lady walking out and
away from the hospital.

	"Hey, it's that nurse you spoke to," Shiro commented, having recognized the
nurse that was working behind the counter.

	"Shut up and follow me quietly," Jun ordered.

	Coming out from behind one of the alleys nearby the hospital, the three men
followed the young nurse.  Yatin and Shiro were looking around for trouble and
while Jun was keeping an eye on their unsuspecting target.  Having deemed it
far away enough from the hospital, Jun gave the signal for Shiro and Yatin to
close in on the lady and escort her into one of the numerous alleys.  

	As Hakura found herself flanked on both sides by two large men, she was able
to scream out for help and make a run for it when she saw a knife in the hand
of the man to her right.  "Please don't hurt me," she pleaded, "I'll give you
anything you want."

	Shiro smiled, "We just want some fun, Lady."

	Understanding instantly came to Hakura when the man to her left said that.
*They're going to rape me,* she thought with panic.  Before she had a chance
to run, she found herself in an alleyway.  A third man appeared.  "You're the
people that came in earlier," Hakura spoke up in recognition.  

	Jun just shook her head, "Why did you go and have to do something like that.
Seeing as how you could identify us, I can't let you leave here alive.  What a
shame too." He said in mock sympathy.

	With all her might, "HELP!" Hakura shouted, hoping someone would hear her.  

	"Yatin, shut her up." Jun ordered.  

	Grabbing the nurse by one of her collars, Yatin punched her in the stomach.

	"Try not to damage her before we've had our fun," Jun reprimanded Yatin, with
no real force behind his words.

	Nodding his head, Yatin reached out and ripped open her shirt.  

	"No fair, Yatin is having all the fun, Boss.  I want a piece of the lady as
well." Shiro complained.

	"All in good time," Jun assured Shiro.  

	Before they could get any further, "Will you three ever learn?  I mean, how
stupid can you be.  You have been warned and now you will pay for your
transgression against this lady as well as many others." A voice rang out in
the dark.  

	All three men turned their heads around to see a man standing at the entrance
of the alley.  *Shit, it's that boy.* they all thought before realizing that
it wasn't.  The newcomer was way to old to be the kid, even in a disguise.

	"Can't a guy get a good funk these days?" Jun murmured.  

	Hope filled Hakura's heart after having realized that the stranger was not
part of the group that was trying to rape her.

	Ordering Shiro and Yatin to get the man, Jun moved into a fight or flight
position.  He has had it with strangers who turned out to be more than they're
not.  Seeing as how the man quickly dispatched Yatin with a sword, Jun started
to flee, leaving behind Shiro to face the man by himself.

	As both Yatin and Shiro charged the man, the stranger's right hand darted
towards his left hip and wrapped around the hilt of a sword.  He ran towards
the two men, ready to unsheathe the sword at a moment's notice.  Nearing the
two would-be rapist, his hand blurred and in a blink of an eye the blade was
naked, freed from its sheathe.  Two upward swings quickly finished off both
thugs.  Without missing a beat, the stranger's gaze started to follow the
retreat Jun.  Walking pasted the two moaning men clutching their groin, who
were in too much pain to notice that they were missing an important organ, he
went to check on the condition of the woman he had just saved before racing
after the man.  Flicking the blood off the blade, "There's two people who will
never have kids again," the man chuckled.  "Are you alright?" he asked.

	Taking the remains of her shirt, she covered herself as best as possible.
Nodding her head, "Thanks you so much.  I never knew that there were still men
like you these days." She spoke in gratitude.  Looking at the two men on the
floor, "Are they dead?" she asked.

	"No, they're in a lot of pain.  Be well." Having said that, the stranger
started to sprint after the last of the three thugs that had tried to rape
her.

	The last thing she saw of her knight was his face and cape.  *He is so
handsome,* she thought.       

* * * * *

	The sound of battle could be heard by people who passed by the park.
Whatever was happening inside was none of their business.  Within the concrete
divider that held the outside world at bay, the forces of light were battling
a minion of darkness.  All around the once peaceful park, trees were uprooted,
benches were destroyed, and a few unlucky objects were burnt beyond human
recognition.  

      The forces of light which consisted of a group of female warriors were
facing off against something that looked like a very large Roman soldier.
This particular monster was over eight feet tall, composed of iron and was
wielding a monstrous broad sword.

      The battle had lasted for all but ten minutes.  The balance of the
battle had shifted to the Iron Golem the moment the first punch was thrown.
In short, the Senshi were losing.  Sailor Mars and Jupiter had been knocked
out earlier by flying debris.  Hope for victory was brief with the arrival of
the Outer Senshi.  That spark was soon extinguished when the monster had
defeated both Uranus and Neptune after shrugging off their most powerful
attacks.  Saturn had very little luck as well when the Golem penetrated her
Silent Wall and knocked her into one of the few trees that were still
standing.  Venus was soon by her side attending to a badly injured Saturn.
The only ones left to face off against the Golem were Sailor Moon, Mercury and
Pluto.  

      Mercury again glanced at the monster.  The Senshi had been patrolling
the neighborhood, trying to locate the strange energy signature she had picked
up on her small computer when this monster showed up.  Even with her visor,
she couldn't find a single weakness.  That thing had already shrugged off most
of the Senshi's attack.  Nothing seemed to faze it as it slowly approach the
remaining Senshi.  

      Sailor Moon looked over at the blue-haired Senshi, "Anything at all,
Mercury?"    

      Shaking her head, "I can't find any weak points on that monster. It's as
though he was immune to all of our attacks.  I just don't understand how this
is possible?" she declared in frustration.  Looking at Pluto, the only Outer
Senshi still capable of fighting, "Pluto?"

      "It's a Golem.  I haven't seen one in such a long time that I've
forgotten all about them.  They were built during the Silver Millennium as
guardians versus any magic user.  So in essence, all of our attacks save
Sailor Moon's tiara attack wouldn't work." Pluto answered, worried about the
outcome of this battle.

      Taking its time, the Iron Golem slowly marched towards the trio super
heroines.  Suddenly it stopped and looked down at the rose that was embedded
within its chest.

      "Oh and Tuxedo Kamen's roses," Pluto corrected herself.  

      "Tuxedo Kamen!" both Sailor Moon and Mercury shouted.     

      "Sorry I'm late, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Kamen replied, 

      "Seems like the odds are shifting," Mercury commented.

      "Yeah, that monster will be moon dust!" said Moon.

      Roaring with anger, the Iron Golem started to move once again in the
direction of its attackers.        

       "Well, it's worth a try," Mercury agreed with Moon's plan.  Both Sailor
Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were preparing to attack at the same time as Mercury
crossed her arms in preparation for her Shabon Spray attack to cover their
retreat if the attack failed.  

      Before either one attacked, a man suddenly ran through the clearing, his
face as white as a ghost.  "Help me. He's going to kill me!" he cried, and ran
blindly in the middle of the battle, right into the arms of the Iron Golem.  

      As the beast picked the man up and began to drain the life from it,
another figure burst through the trees.  The new arrival was wearing a gray
uniform with a cape flowing behind him.  Over his heart, a symbol could be
seen.  Two crescent moons were joined to create a circle.  One was silver and
the other black.  In the center was a bright yellow sun.  All three were
inside what seems to be a ring that looked a lot like the one circling a few
of the outer planets.  "YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME!" the figure declared.  Seeing
that the monster was draining his prey, "Drop him. NOW!" he demanded.  

      Hearing a mortal demand something from him, the large Daimon stopped
draining the human in his arms, as it contemplated the figure before him.  It
was a man in his late twenties, dressed in a grey uniform with cape and sword.
His hair was tied back in a ponytail.  The Golem blinked a couple more times,
as the man repeated his demands.  *Did this human think to order me around?*
the Golem thought.  With a snort of contempt, the monster crushed the skull of
the man he was holding and let the corpse drop to the ground.  

      For a moment, all was quiet.  Sailor Moon was holding on to Tuxedo Kamen
while both Mercury and Pluto were looking at the newcomer.  Looking at the
corpse, the man soon raised his head to face the monster, his eyes were
glowing.  In a quiet, chilling tone, "That was your last mistake, EVER!" he
spoke in a whisper that could be heard by all.  Drawing a katana from its
sheath on his back, the blade gleamed in the moonlight.  The man was about to
charge the monster when he suddenly slid the katana back into its sheath.

      Puzzled by the reaction from the stranger, Mercury took the time to
examine the man with her visor.  Gasping in shock, "He was part of the Silver
Millennium," Mercury spoke.  

      "What?" Moon asked equally shocked.  Here was a man that was wearing a
uniform similar to the four Dark Kingdom generals they had fought so long ago
and Mercury was telling her that he was from the Moon?  She was confused.   

      "It can't be.  Ran?" Pluto whispered.

      Looking to his left at the source of the commotion, he spotted the
remaining Senshi.

     Seeing as how the stranger was looking this way, Tuxedo Kamen readied one
of his roses as he saw the look of anger deepen as he scanned the Senshi.

      From one of the bushes, two pair of eyes, locked onto the new arrival.  

      "I remember him from somewhere," Luna spoke.

      "Where?" Artemis asked.

      "During the last battle on the Moon versus the Dark Kingdom."

      Turning his attention back to the monster, "That blade had never taken a
life," Ran replied at the unspoken question.  Holding his hands out in front
of him, a ball of silver light appeared.  Closing his hands on the ball
created a bright flash of light.  In their dazed condition, the Senshi heard
the stranger shout out loud, "Across time, From all that is pure, I call unto
thee, Mother Nature, Lady of Terra, Grant me your power, Earth Sword appear!"
When their vision returned, the Senshi could see that the stranger was now
holding a sword.  At night where there were little light other than from the
moon overhead, the blade reflected it and started glowing, giving off an eerie
lavender aura.  

      At an  unseen sign, the monster charged the figure but the man remained
still, unmoving.  

      As it drew closer to the man, "Watch out!" Sailor Moon shouted.  *I have
to do something fast or else he'll be crushed or even killed like the other
man,* she thought.  Concentrating on the Golem, she threw her tiara at the
iron monster.  Her aim was true as it tore off a chunk of metal from the
monster's arm, causing it to roar in pain.  

      The Golem spun around to face this new threat, when a blur caught
everyone's attention.  The monster's roar dwindled off into a small squeak and
the sound of grinding stone assaulted everyone's ears, as the monster appeared
to slide against itself.  A small line formed at the top of its head and
quickly spread down through the torso.  It may have taken a few seconds but it
lasted an eternity for the Senshi as the creature fell in half and quickly
turned to dust.  A small egg fell out of the center of the right half of the
monster, which cracked open and dissipated.  

     The Senshi could only stare in shock at what the stranger had just done.
The man turned towards the three Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen.  Pointing his sword
at them, "Do not involve yourselves in my affairs.  I will consider it a
threat to my personage and you would not like it when I'm mad.  Right,
Princess?"  he spoke in the same voice that he had addressed the monster.  The
sword in his hand soon disappeared as he turned around and walked away.  

      "What did he mean with the last statement?" Mercury wondered aloud.

      "Yeah!  How did he know I was the Princess?" Moon commented.

      "I don't know.  Who was he?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

      All three were busy talking to one another and did not see Pluto nod her
head.  

      High above, Ambyra's eye shone with hatred as she gazed at the awaking
Senshi.  When her gazed appeared upon the back of the retreating man, her
expression changed to one of bafflement.  *Who is he?* she wondered.  Looking
back down at the Senshi, "I'll get you the next time, Sailor brats." she
vowed.  *The Master will not be pleased with this turn of events.* Ambrya
thought before disappearing. 

      Appearing from behind the bushes, two cats approach the Senshi.  

      "Are you sure he was part of the Dark Kingdom, Luna?" Artemis asked.

      "He was watching the fighting from one of the hills.  He must have been
one of the generals that were coordinating the battle against us." Luna
explained.  "Plus, he had on the same uniform as the four Dark Kingdom
generals."

      "I suppose you are right.  This calls for an emergency Senshi meeting."
Looking around, "After everyone has recovered from this battle," Artemis
added.    

     Pluto nodded in agreement. "I have some personal business to attend to,
Artemis. I suggest that we all get some rest as it promises to be more
difficult from here on."

     Artemis gave her one of his patented, 'What do you mean,' look.  Before
he could ask, he found himself staring at the spot where Sailor Pluto had been
moments before.  Seeing how she was nowhere in sight, Artemis sighed and
quickly made his way over to Minako.

     As she watched the last of the Senshi leave, Setsuna Meio stepped out
from behind a group of trees and made her way to one of the few benches that
were still intact; her gaze remaining on the spot where the mysterious man had
arrived and then left.  A few tears were shedded as she started to recall
events that happened over a millennium before.  *In the name of Serene, what
have I done?* Pluto thought miserably.  The howling wind from a deserted park
was the only response she got.

To be continued


Author's notes: 

Started September 29, 1998
Finished November 20, 1998
Revised November 21, 1998

Thanks to my pre readers: Octavion, Jason Liao, Eric McGinnis, Tony Loco,
David Johnston 

Recently I've been taking scenes from a few of my other fics that I've never
released and using them for my current projects.  I might release a story in
the future with similar scenes so please be patient and forgiving.  The first
scene was written about 1 year ago when I was still writing Fate and Destiny.

Well until next time.  Ja ne.