*--*--SAILOR MOON:  Elementary, Dear Makoto--*--*

DISCLAIMER
Sailor Moon, the Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, Queen Beryl,
and all those happy people and the locations, events, and
other stuff related to them are the creation and property
of Naoko Takeuchi.  I am in no way trying to compromise
Naoko-sensei's copyrights or work, I'm doing this for fun
and because I love Sailor Moon.  Also because if I didn't,
I think my Moonie sister would disembowel me.  -_^

NOTES
This story takes place after Sailor Moon R, and before Sailor
Moon S.   In case you didn't know by now, I'm using the 
original Japanese names because they make more sense and are 
(IMHO) very pretty.


*--*--Part 3--*--*

	Before the angel of stone reached either Sailor Moon 
or Sailor Mars, a red rose got in it's way, forcing it to fall 
to the side.  All the senshi, and the lead creature, looked up.
     The formalwear store on the second level seemed abandoned.  
It's mannequins looked at the scene with artificial eyes, their 
tuxes impeccably tailored.  Then one of them moved, the newspaper 
it had been reading disappearing.  He stood above the atrium, cape 
flapping in the wind coming from the ceiling shattered by the 
enterance of the creature.
     "Attacking young girls and the innocent is no way to get 
what you want," he told the creature.  "Why don't you try asking 
nicely!"
     "Tuxedo Kamen!!" all the senshi yelled.
     "Is there no end to this world's meddlings?" the creature asked.  
Sailor Jupiter saw it's back and, with it, an opportunity.
     "SUPREME THUNDER!" The shower of lightning was dead-on, but 
the creature flinched, no screaming, no falling.  It turned on 
them and grinned.
     "You know," he said, "iron is a great conductor."  With that, he 
raised his arms and threw the lightning Jupiter had launched at him 
back at the senshi, only magnified.  Their screams echoed in the 
abandoned mall, and they fell, stunned.  Tuxedo Kamen leapt at the 
creature, who casually batted him out of the sky.
     "Now I will rip you limb from limb until the Dark Ronin arrives."
     "He is already here."
     The creature spun, eyes wide in disbelief.  The senshi slowly 
raised their heads to the rim of the second level balcony.
     The dark man stood there, cloak billowing, katana visible at his 
side, resting in its sheath like a dragon in its lair.
     "The darkness may seem powerful, but darkness always flees in the
presence of light.  I am darkness by birth, light by choice.  I am the
Dark Ronin.  And you, Ferrus, have just crossed the line.  Now feel 
the power of the light."
     The Dark Ronin drew his katana, and executed a very fast kata.  
It ended with the katana pointed to the sky, his arm extended upwards,
his eyes shut.  The blade pulsated with energy.  The stone angels 
went after him.
     "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"
     "SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!"
     Lightning and water knocked the angels out of the sky as the 
Dark Ronin leapt into the air.  With a grunt, he brought his katana 
down.  A wave of energy shot through the air, rune-blades riding it, 
cleaving a stone soldier in half and severing Ferrus' arm at the 
elbow.  The creature of iron howled and charged, approaching where 
the Dark Ronin landed.
     "Oh no, you don't," said Sailor Moon.  "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
     But one of the stone soldiers got in the way and took the blast,
falling away into moondust.  Ferrus moved to crush the Dark Ronin's 
head.
     But the Dark Ronin was not there to be crushed.  He too moved, 
rolling forward between the huge creature's legs, coming up in a 
battle-ready stance behind him.  Before Ferrus could turn around, the
Dark Ronin's katana had laid him open.  Greenish-brown fluid flowed 
from the wound.
     "Eeewwww!" Sailor Moon cried.  "What is that stuff?"
     "I can tell you in a moment," Sailor Mercury replied, her 
glasses in place again.  Sailor Jupiter glowered at the creature 
and the open wound in it's back.
     "SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!"
     The creature of living lightning plowed into Ferrus, flowing 
into the wound.  The Dark Ronin took a step back as the dragon 
began to wreck havok on the creature from the inside.  Sensing 
their commander's plight, the remaining stone soldiers converged on 
Sailor Jupiter.
     Before she or any of the other senshi could react, the Dark 
Ronin seemed to just *appear* between them and her.
     "You will NOT harm her," he vowed to them, hand on the 
sword's hilt.  Jupiter heard him draw in air through his teeth, 
and the weapon began to glow as he drew it slowly.
	"Cover him!" she told the others, as he stepped forward to 
cleave one of them in half.  "CRESCENT BEAM!"  One fell back, 
staggered by the beam, as his compatriot was cut open at the neck.  
"BURNING MANDALA!"  Rings of fire deflected a stray stone angel as 
the third stone soldier fell under the sword.  The other angels 
saw a chance to enter the fray.  While one of them dove for the 
Dark Ronin, the other one went after the stirring Tuxedo Kamen.
     "MAMO-CHAN!" Serena yelled.  But she had no need to fear.
     As the Dark Ronin took flight, his still-glowing katana 
eliminating the incoming stone angel, Tuxedo Kamen tossed a 
rose right in the face of his attacker.  Blinded, the flyer 
went screaming into the storefront of a fashion boutique.  
Ferrus was still howling, the dragon destorying him from within.
     "Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen cried.  "Finish this guy off!"
     "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
     Ferrus disintegrated into moondust with a dazzle of light.  
The Dark Ronin dashed into the fashion boutique after the last 
angel.  Sailor Jupiter ran to follow.
     The explosion from within floored her.  
     She hauled herself up, ignoring her sore rear, searching 
desperately for any sign the Dark Ronin had escaped or survived.  
The other senshi followed her, with the exception of Mercury, who 
was studying her readings intently.
     "Is he there?" Sailor Moon asked.
     "I don't know," Sailor Jupiter replied sadly.  "There's no 
way to tell..."
     "If this guy is as powerful as he seems, he'll be fine," 
said Sailor Venus, laying a hand on Jupiter's shoulder.  "I'm 
sure we'll be seeing him again."
     "I hope so," Makoto replied.
	
     "So what have you got?"
     Not far from where the fire department and police were assesing 
the damage, five girls and a tall young gentleman were walking 
towards Mamoru's car.  Ami shook her head.
     "It's odd," she replied.  "Ferrus' blood was mostly liquid iron.  
And the blood of the creature we fought the other day was made up 
almost entirely of liquid titanium."
     "You mean melted?" Mamoru asked.
     "No, I mean liquid.  Somehow it was in a liquid form, but was 
only 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature."
     "That's really wierd," Usagi commented.  "You saying these 
things bleed metal?"
     "Not only that," Rei chimed in.  "Remember how Ferrus threw 
some of Mako's lightning back at her?  And he said iron was a great 
conductor?"
     "Yeah.  So?"
     "So...this guy has all the properties of the metal he's named 
after," Ami concluded.  "As did the titanium-based creature...very 
tough, but quite dense."
     "Yeah, he didn't speak," Minako observed.
     Mako had been silent ever since they had left the mall.  
Suddenly, her head snapped up.
     "Hikari!"
     "What?"
     "We left Hikari all by himself at the ice cream parlour!"
     "I'm sure he's fine," Usagi said, but Mako shook her head.
     "We gotta go make sure!!  I just have this really bad feeling 
something's happened to him!"

*

     "You did well."
     It was that voice again.
     "I still don't know who you are.  Or, for that matter, who I 
am."
     "You're Kuromori Hikari, the Dark Ronin, remember?"
     "I know that much, yes.  But where did I come from?  Why do I
havethese powers?  Why..."
     "The answers will come in time.  I will help you when the time
is right."
     "But...who are you?"
     "Someone who has a vested interest in your survival and in 
the survival of your world, and the cosmos that it's in."
     "Why won't you tell me..."
     "Because there is no time.  And I..."
     "What is it?"
     "I am needed elsewhere.  I shall return, however."
     "Wait!"
     Silence.
     "Hikari?"
     He opened his eyes.  Mako was by his side, a concerned look 
on her face.
     "Are you all right?" she asked.
     "Yeah, I'm okay," Hikari replied, sitting up on the couch.  
"Just... needed to rest."
     "Told you he'd be okay!" Usagi said proudly, as if she'd done 
it all herself.
     "I just wanted to make sure," Mako replied.  "I was worried 
you might be hurt or lost or something."
     He smiled at her.
     "No need to worry, I know the way back here very well, even 
after a day."
     "Funny...can't remember his past, but he knows the way to your 
apartment," Mamoru mused.
     "Yeah...kinda weird," Mako agreed, somehow unable to take her 
eyes off Hikari.  Their gazes did not break, even when Usagi's 
and Mako's communicators went off.
     "Usagi here," she said into the wrist device.
     "As soon as you can, come down to the temple," was Rei's reply.  
"Ami's got something she wants to show you."
     "We'll be there as soon as we can," Usagi said, and closed the 
communicator.  "Mako...we should go."
     The other girl did not budge.  She stroked her fingers over the 
back of Hikari's hand.  The two of them were gazing deep into each 
other's eyes...
     "Earth to Makoto, come in Makoto!!"
     "Huh?"
     She turned to see Usagi making a face at her.
     "Could you possibly do this later?  We have important... um... 
stuff to talk about."
     "Right," Mako replied, giving one last long look to Hikari and 
finally walking out the door.  Mamoru hit the lights on the way out, 
and Hikari was left alone with his thoughts.

     "So what did you need to show us?" Usagi asked.
     "Take a look," Artemis replied, turning to the computer and 
typing in a command.  A video played, of the Dark Ronin slicing open 
the first creature they had fought.
     "I've been analyzing the energy the Dark Ronin has been using," 
Ami said.  "And I've turned up some very interesting evidence."
     "What kind of evidence?" Mako asked, not sure she wanted to hear 
the answer.
     "We believe," Luna began, "that the energy he's been using is 
also from the Dark Kingdom."
     Four very surprised girls gasped at the cat.
     "That's impossible!" Mako protested.  "If he's from the Dark 
Kingdom, why is he helping us?  Why'd he save my life?"
     "There's more," Ami cut in.  "It's not pure dark energy.  There's 
also some of the same energy we ourselves use."
     "'Darkness by birth, light by choice...'" Rei recalled.  "That's 
what he said, isn't it?" Mako nodded.
     "I don't like it," said Minako.  "I say we grab this guy and ask 
him some tough questions."
     "I agree," Luna added.  "There are many that he could answer."
     "Listen to yourselves!" Mako yelled.  "You're talking about an 
ally... a *friend* of the Sailor Scouts, like he's some kind of 
monster!"
     "He very well could be, under that mask," Rei mused.
     "Well maybe we should ask him, next time we see him," Usagi 
suggested.
     "If he's still alive," Ami added quietly.
     "Of course he is," Mako replied, somewhat withdrawn.
     "Are you okay, Makoto?" Artemis asked.  "You look like 
something's on your mind."
     "It's nothing, Artemis.  Nothing at all."
     She turned and walked out the door, leaving her friends very 
puzzled.
     "I've never seen her like this," said Minako.
     "But I *have* seen someone act like her," Rei said with a 
smile.  "Usagi, whenever she has trouble with Mamoru!"
     "Hey, that's no fair!"
     "Usagi, you have to admit, Makoto is acting the same way you 
do when something happens between you and Mamoru," Luna said.
     "Well...yeah, maybe.  I'll go talk to her."
     Usagi moved outside, where the starlight glittered softly.  
Mako was sitting out under a tree near the temple, gazing up at 
the stars.
     "You okay?" Usagi asked.
     "I don't know," Mako replied after a moment.  "I can't shake the 
feeling that the Dark Ronin is a friend of ours.  I mean, he *did* 
save my life."
     "That's true.  We could have never beaten that first monster 
without his help.  Likewise, Ferrus wouldn't have gone down as soon 
as he did without the Dark Ronin."
     "Usagi, can you help me convince the others?"
     "Here, let me suggest this.  I'll try and tell them not to shoot 
him on sight.  Why don't you head home and keep Hikari company."
     Mako looked up at Usagi, shocked.
     "I can tell you really like him."
     The taller girl, blushing, turned away.
     "I just feel sorry for him, that's all."
     "Sure you do.  Look, let me talk to them, you get going.  You're 
no good to the Sailor Scouts in this state."
     "You know, Usagi, that almost sounded like you're being a 
leader."
     "Don't get used to it.  I plan to come find you later to finish 
our strawberry shakes from earlier!!"
     Mako and Usagi laughed under the starlight.

*

     The head of a Stone Soldier was crushed by Lord Kartaron's 
mighty fist.
     "Ferrus is DEAD?!?"
     "Yes, my lord," Granitus replied.  "But, I have two new 
warriors for your approval." 
     From behind Granitus came two similar misshapen figures.  
One was a glowing white, the other dark lavendar.
     "You call these warriors?"
     "This is Magnesius, and Plutonius, my lord.  One can glow 
brighterthan the sun, and use such heat for a weapon.  The 
other can create devastation with his bare hands."
     "Can they handle these sailor girls?"
     "Undoubtedly, my lord."
     "And the Dark Ronin?"
     "They are, in fact, designed to double-team and destroy the 
Dark Ronin, my lord, while the sailor girls are bested by 
Carbonius."
     "Excellent.  When does your plan go into effect?"
     "Tomorrow, my lord.  Carbonius will attack a public place with 
our remaining Stone Soldiers, and when the Dark Ronin appears, 
Magnesius and Plutonius will destroy him."
     "While Carbonius makes hash of the sailor brats.  Marvelous.  
Just do not fail me, Granitus."
     "I will do my utmost, my lord."
     "One more thing."
     "My lord?"
     "I want the passage to the core unsealed."
     If he had been capable, Granitus would have felt shock.
     "I do not feel that is wise, my lord."
     "If these pests continue to stand in my way, I will have no 
choice but to destroy this entire world."  And for once, Lord 
Kartaron smiled.  "Beryl would have liked it that way."

*

     A dream of the past came to him.
     He was dressed plainly, which surprised those who knew him 
as a wizard.  But he was not a wizard, simply a man with special 
gifts and the will to use them for good.
     He was standing before the armies, awaiting the royal 
address.  The huge doors of the palace flew open and the Emperor 
was there, and all the armies cheered.  But he held his tongue, 
scanning the steps of the palace for...
     There she was.
     Almost as tall as her father, slim and well-built, the Princess
smiled at her subjects, and her eyes fell on him.  He held her gaze 
as he knew he could, for he was her teacher and protector in one.  
There was more between them, but it was unspoken, for the law did 
not permit them to pursue their relationship.
     The king was talking about the coming celebration on the Moon, 
and the gossip of a relationship between the Princess there and 
a Prince on Earth.  As he spoke, something caught his eye.  
The princess' earrings, fashioned in the likeness of a flower 
on Earth... what was it called? A rose?
     Then sirens split the air with their wail.  It was an attack.  
Without thinking, he leapt up the stairs, gathered the princess in 
his arms, and made for a safe place.  The invaders did not look 
human, but made of stone.  He waved his hand before a blank wall, 
and a doorway opened.  Suddenly he could hear her words.
     "I can't leave you!" she cried over the howl of battle.
     "You must!  You are the only one who can escape to the Moon and 
tell Queen Serenity what is happening here!"
     "I can't!" she repeated.  "I love you!"
     For a moment, as the words sank into him, time lost all meaning.
He took her in his arms, holding her close as he had always wanted to.
     "I love you, as well," he whispered.  "I always have.  And I 
always will.  That is why I must do this.  But I will come for you 
one day.  Farewell, my princess."
     And he all but pushed her into the portal.  He sealed it as she 
cried his name...
     "Hikari?"
     His eyes snapped open, searching for the source of the voice.  
It was Mako, smiling at him.
     "How'd you like to try that strawberry shake thing again?"
     He smiled, rising, trying to hold on to the dream as it slipped 
away from him...
     It was then that the doorbell rang.
     Mako opened it to reveal a girl of about her height, with blonde 
hair and ice blue eyes.  She smiled at Makoto.
     "Hello!  My name is Miaka Mitsuishi and I'm a psychology student.
I was told there's an amnesiac here..."
     Hikari's head whipped up as Mako tried to recite the name.
     "Great Jupiter," he thought.  "That's the voice..."

*--*--End of Part 3--*--*

Well, we're past the half-way point... still with us?  A lot happened
this week...if you have questions, of C&C (hint, hint), feel free
to email me...I love talking about my work!  ^_^ Until then, my fellow
Otaku...

Joshua Loomis       ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._		
English Major        `6_ 6  )   `-.  (     ).`-.__.`)   
      &              (_Y_.)'  ._   )  `._ `. ``-..-'	
Jedi Master        _..`--'_..-_/  /--'_.' ,'		
		  (il),-''  (li),'  ((!.-'

email:  jeloomis@planetx.bloomu.edu
	cougar_jel@hotmail.com
homepage:  http://members.xoom.com/cougar_jel/

"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"  -Percy Bysshe Shelley,
"Ozymandias"

"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact." 
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream 
(Act V, Scene 1, l.7-8)

"Try not.  Do.  Or do not.  There is no try."
-Yoda

"The worst foe lies within the self."
-Parasite Eve

"Faith can move mountains.  Lack of faith makes them out of 
molehills." 
- The Sage, "Ziggy"

Follow your heart and you'll never get lost.