Welp, my day hasn't been going all that well today.
So my fellow FFMLers, I've decided to treat you (if you
want to call it that) to ease all those rabid fans who
are demanding me to hurry this up......

Ah, hell, who am I kidding?  <shrug>
Here's some snippets of what I've done so far.

Hey, and if you like what you see, then let me know, (ya know
encouragement = faster writing <grin>)

Enjoy (I hope)....

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

	Ken's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring at the
vaulted ceiling shadowed by a sliver of light.

	Carefully, Ken turned his throbbing head toward the door
leaking this light from fissures along its edge.  Ken could hear
the voices beyond the door, and his cluttered mind screamed for
answers to his many questions.

	Ken trembled as he willed himself to his feet and stumbling
toward the guiding light.  After a few exstrutiating steps, he
reached the door and rested his head against its smooth surface.
  More voices vibrated against his ear through the door and Ken
haulted his breathing.

	"Are you ready to leave, Venus?"

	Ken's brow narrowed.  'Venus?' 

	"I think so."

	"Good.  Now, if you will, transform." 

	"Transform?"  Ken croaked silently, his mind now churning with
even more questions.  

	'I must-'  Ken shaking steadied himself on frail limbs.

	"VENUS-" Mina's voice pierced through the door.

	'-get beyond-' A breath filled his tired lungs.

	"CRYSTAL-" 

	'-this door.'  A shaky hand groped the door.   

	"POWER!"  

	Ken opened the door to see a fleeting glimpse of Mina holding
on high a small decorative rod, beaming with warm, golden rays. 
Ken guarded his weary eyes from the stinging array of oranges
and yellows bombarding his senses.  Once Ken's eyes could stand
the dissapating glow, he saw standing in place of Mina a woman
whose beauty matched even Lita's.  Her face, her blonde hair,
her mysticism, and her scandalously short orange skirt notified
Ken that he was dealing with the one and only. . . .

	"Sailor V?"  Ken's voice crackled with disbelief.  "You're
Sailor V, Mina?"

	Mina looked up and waved politely while grinning nervously. 
"Hiya, Ken."


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

	Halebit continued to smile his fervored smile, enjoying the
effect his words had upon Cindy.  "I should have never told you
Tracer had killed them.  Ever since then, you have let your need
for vengance blind you, Cindy.  I consider that a weakness."

	Halebit eyes burned through Cindy.  "And I do not tolerate
weakness." 	

	Cindy's fury exstinguished under the General's frosty gaze. 
She turned away and sat on the edge of the platform, dangling
her legs.  With her mind now clear of horrible visions once
more, she could hear an intermediate rattling of the cage.  The
rattling indicated some discomfort of the child within the small
confinements.  

	Cindy remarked internally at Reenie's transformation into a
mute.  Not a word came out of her mouth after Halebit's surprise
attack on the temple.  Not a word as Cindy put her into that
cage.  The eyes, though, communitcated all she had to say.  And
Cindy didn't like what they said.

	Why?  They asked.  Why did you lie?  Why did you let them do
this?  Why did you misuse our trust?  Why did you waste it all?

	Cindy moved her trembling hands to her ears, and tried to
squeeze the memories, the pain, the knowledge from her mind. 
Her chest heaved with her every breath, sending little tremors
through her body.  She wanted to get away from it all.  She
wanted to wake up and leave this surreal reality.  Even with her
hands on her ears she could hear the echoes of the gentle
tingling of metal from the cage ebbing her senses.  Then,
through all the rattling, she heard something she never would
have expected.

	Humming.  Cindy's hands fell onto her lap as she raised her
head.  Halebit was humming.  She twisted her head to let her
eyes prove to her unbelieving ears the truth.  There was
Halebit, eyes closed, standing in place letting his body sway to
the imaginary tune he hummed happily.  

	Cindy's mouth slacked.  Never in her years of knowing the
General had she witness such a radical display of emotion.  

	Halebit basked in the glow of his perfect plan.  The Silver
Crystal would soon be in hand and then he could finally vanquish
that demon voice, Nihil, from his mind.  

	'Now, Nihil, I will show you I am not weak.'  Then, he heard it.

	Music echoing off the cold, bare walls of the warehouse.  The
sound haunted his mind as if more heavenly creators sung a song
of victory.  He had proven his worthiness everyone, to Cindy, to
Malance, to Tracer, and more importantly to the Moon Princess
and her hapless flock of minions.  The music soothed over his
senses.  He had mastered the art of control.  A master of any
other art would could not match him, for the fools didn't
realize control is power.   

	'And, I am power.'  

	"Wha-what are you doing?"  She asked once the shock subsided.

	Halebit continued to sway lost in the dream-like rhythm. 
"Can't you hear it, Cindy?  It's the music.  Sweet, glorious
music."


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

That's all.  For now.  I am trying as hard as I can to get this part
done, but for some reason my mind is hitting that block and hitting
it often.  Comments, criticisms, and accusations of plagerism can
be sent to bastion@ix.netcom.com or just hit <r>.

See ya.

Bastion