And now, the remainder of book one. Some important changes have been made
from previous versions, and those who haven't read this since it was last
posted on the FFML a long time ago may wish to note that there is an
additional chapter which was added more recently.

I'll be posting chapters of book two over the week; I may slow down the
posting, since I haven't got very much of book two finished yet.

Brief warning to the anal-retentive: I don't have a clue how things are
actually done in the Japanese government, much like a lot of writers have no
clue how things are actually done in various US government agencies. So bear
with my bullshit.



                      <><><><><><><><><><><>
                      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 flicker 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 we do know one thing, which is the
reason I decided to bring it to your attention." 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."

"At once, 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 quarterstaff in his
hands shuddered under the impact from Pluto's Time Key.

Pluto twirled her staff lazily. "Come at me," she commanded. 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 her 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 weapon 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 Key, raised it over her head, and brought it down...

"SHINGO!!" Saturn cried out.

...and lightly bopped him with it. 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 did a backflip, producing a crystal
medallion engraved with a silver crescent moon, attached to a short grey
ribbon. She dropped it at Shingo's feet. "Here, wear this," she said. Shingo
picked it up, blinking, before carefully pinning it to the breast of his
jacket, just below his insignia of rank.

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 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 superheroes 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 intangible,
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 youma 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 OUT OF CONTROL!"

"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 toward 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 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, clutching the wound. "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 in
confusion.

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 towering youma stomped down the street, in search of fresh prey.


       *****


"You sent for us, Your Majesty?"

"Hai."

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."

"Yes, 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 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.

"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 change, the crisp white becoming a dark purple.
The silver trim took on a deep maroon hue, as did the shoulderguards, which
elongated, becoming more ornate--as well as more protective than decorative
in purpose. His boots adopted the same dark crimson hue, while his cape and
gloves took on a lavender tint. The ribbon of the medallion pinned to his
jacket turned violet, and the spire-and-moon crest became a brilliant
amethyst Saturn crest, backed by a pure silver moon. The collar clasp and
epaulets remained unchanged, gleaming even more brilliantly in contrast with
the dark elegance of the new uniform.

His naginata, which he had laid on the floor before him, also began to
change; the haft darkened like smoked glass and now sported a ring-shaped
buttcap at the previously bare end. An ornate crystal mounting, engraved
with both the silver moon crest and the insignia of Saturn, grew around the
base of the pure silver blade. An additional shorter crescent blade extended
from the mounting, ornately etched with a runed pattern; 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
Titan."


       *****


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 dark 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!"

The newborn evil being 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
risking his own life." She paused. "Shingo will fight to protect Hotaru the
way Endymion protects 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 can now be controlled...she can
exert her power without causing immediate death should the need arise. Her
attack power is now on par with the other Senshi."

"But...the Silence..."

"Is a power beyond the capacity of the Ginzuishou to alter, 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 Titan. 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 knelt, bowing. "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 Titan 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've got something to show you," she said, "and
then we can talk about this." She paused to glare at the other 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, wielding 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 Mamoru and Usagi's 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 voice 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's a dangerous monster," Motoki said. "It's 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 apprised 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 frowned thoughtfully, nodding. "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 stereo sat on a shelf above the television, its large
speakers embedded in the walls at each corner 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. "Lady Saturn," it said, "there is a Palace-wide
alert."

"An alert?" Saturn asked. "What's going on?"

"The Senshi have been summoned to confront a monster which has appeared in
the shopping district," Mimas said. "Yourself, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto
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. "Lady 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 corpse strode out of the wreckage, carrying 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
Serenity...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 onto the pavement. 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 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 shallow yet
painful 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.

The zombies closed in. Mattock's pickaxe began glowing darkly.

"Moon...Royal..."

"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
blindingly white sailor fuku with a silver skirt and collar. Rather than
boots, as in previous incarnations, she wore pearly white pumps. The
Ginzuishou rested in the center of a golden crescent moon upon her chest,
framed by a white bow. The jewels on her odango 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 swore softly. "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 scowled, 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 disdainful 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?"

The professor 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..."

The teen 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 spoke 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 began 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 the medallions of the Royal Guard on their uniforms. A
crystal quarterstaff was stashed under Yuuichirou's arm, 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 Titan..." 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 almost 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 stepped aside, 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 miraculous development in one of our
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. "Are you alright, 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 hungrily sucking power from her, far more
than she had used for the task. 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 blonde, 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 vanished.


       *****


"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 created it as are 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 smiled. "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...heheh...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 weapon 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."

"And nobody knows anything about her?" the younger asked.

"She's been here for three years, Ami-chan. In all that time nobody has come
looking for her, and nobody has been able to find any information about her
whatsoever," 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 recall 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 a 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." He paused, a thoughtful expression on his
face. "Or perhaps I'll rape your pretty carcasses and *then* reduce them to
smoldering cinders..." He cackled as he sped toward his goal.


       *****


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 happens, 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 sighed. "I can't say it surprises me. 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 professor'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 true, 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 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 fireballs...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 rein in 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 tensed. "What's going on?"
Shingo 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 blonde 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.


                 Chapter Eleven


The darkness of night accentuated the carnage that Jadeite had wrought. The
battlefield was a cacophony of flickering shadows and eery crimson, orange,
and pale yellow illumination cast by the towering infernos that engulfed a
large portion of the city, providing a backdrop for the imminent conflict
all too reminscent of various portrayals of Hell. Less than a kilometer
away, the silhouettes of JSDF troops and tanks could be seen, wavering in
the heat of the flames. The street fronting the Palace was completely
blocked off by the defense force.

The group of eleven warriors spent a moment taking in this scene before
scowling up at the evil general. His powerful dark aura crackled menacingly
as he sneered down at them.

"Well, well...Endymion. And the Sailor Whores. And another little punk..."

Sailor Saturn whirled to see General Titan standing beside her, Gravity
Lance held at the ready. "You shouldn't be here," she said. "Serenity-sama
said for everyone but the Senshi to go to the sub-levels..."

"Everyone *without* powers," Titan said. "That doesn't include me. I refuse
to go into hiding when you're out here putting yourself in danger."

Saturn shook her head. "You don't even know how to use your powers yet."

"Gotta learn sometime," Titan said. "Might as well be now."

"Baka..." Saturn muttered, worry clouding her violet eyes.


"I shouldn't be surprised that goody-goodies like you breed like
cockroaches," Jadeite said, smirking.

"And you've got the personality of one," Serenity retorted, rising into the
air with two powerful beats of her great, feathery wings. "You will not be
forgiven for your transgressions against this city."

Jadeite made a great show of yawning. "Yes, I've heard it before, in the
name of the moon, you'll punish me. I don't think so." He extended one hand
before him, and a thick, black energy beam shot forth. Serenity frantically
dodged it.

"Serenity-sama! Be careful!" Mars called.

Jadeite laughed. "Even now, you are too feeble to threaten me, Your
*Highness*," he said, the last word dripping with sarcasm.

The Ginzuishou began to pulse, fueled by Serenity's anger. "Your sentence is
banishment back to whatever rock you crawled out from under! Crystal
Millenium Royal Decree!"

The wave of silver light that signified Sailor Serenity's attack flooded the
battlefield, momentarily erasing the shadows cast by the blazes. As the
light faded, a voice cackled maniacally. The Senshi, Endymion, and Titan
gasped as they looked up to see Jadeite floating unharmed, a pulsating
barrier of darkness strobing in front of him. "Sonna..." Serenity said,
floating closer to the ground.

Jadeite smirked. "The much-acclaimed Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, I take it?" He
snorted. "Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Give up, moon slut," he sneered,
"your pitiful little rock is no match for me." He spat in her direction.
"Wait your turn. I'll kill you after I finish with Endymion."

"Okay, how the hell did Jadeite get that kind of power?" Mars wondered.

Mercury's visor was already in place and flashing. After a few moments, her
eyes widened behind the translucent blue device. "Minna...we've got to
subdue Jadeite as quickly as possible, and force him to bleed off as much of
that energy as we can. If we don't..."

"What is it, Mercury?" Endymion asked.

Mercury looked grim. "Jadeite's power is unstable, and it's feeding on
itself. The more power he generates, the more unstable it becomes."

"So what you're saying is..." Jupiter prompted.

"Jadeite's literally a time bomb," Mercury said. "If we don't drain him
soon, he's going to blow, and he could take at least half of this island
with him."

"Just perfect," Venus muttered.


Jadeite glared down at Endymion. "Are you prepared to die?"

Endymion glared back. "You should ask yourself that, Jadeite."

Jadeite chuckled menacingly. A black lightning bolt lashed out, striking
Endymion full in the chest and sending him sprawling onto the street.

"MAMO-CHAN!" Serenity shrieked. Glaring up at Jadeite, she took to the sky
again, the Ginzuishou strobing with brilliant silver light. Not bothering to
make a speech or call an attack, she extended her hands before her,
directing a pure beam of power towards Jadeite. The evil general smirked,
pushing his barrier forth with both hands. The strobing dark energy folded
around the beam, and began pushing against it. Serenity's brow creased, and
she closed her eyes, straining to break the dark forcefield.

Mercury's eyes widened. "Serenity-sama! Break off!"

The ensnared end of Serenity's attack began to bulge, swirls of blackness
creeping into the silver-white light. The bulge suddenly rocketed backwards
through the beam, causing the pure light to terminate in its wake, and
slammed into Sailor Serenity, sending her flying backward to collide with
the front wall of the Crystal Palace.

"SERENITY-SAMA!" the Senshi cried in unison. Their winged leader slid down
the wall slowly. The Ginzuishou began to throb with bright light, which
spread out over her body. A similar luminescence began to pour from the
palace wall, amplifying the power of the Ginzuishou. By the time Serenity
hit the ground, she was encased in a thick, silvery-white cocoon of light.
Sailor Mars dashed over to the fallen queen, deep concern evident in her
eyes.

"USAKO!" Endymion shouted as he stood up, seemingly unharmed except for the
burn marks on his shirt. He glared up at Jadeite. "You die," he snarled. His
clothing shifted, becoming a gleaming lilac-white suit of armor. The sheath
which hung at his side widened, and he drew forth from that sheath a
double-edged broadsword which seemed to shine with a pure, bright light all
its own. With an incoherent yell of rage, Endymion leapt towards the Palace,
striking the wall feet-first and springboarding off, launching himself
straight at Jadeite. As he approached, he took a swing with his sword,
attempting to behead the man that had once been one of his most trusted
protectors.

Jadeite floated back a few paces, smiling nastily. "You missed," he said,
before striking Endymion with an energy-covered fist. Endymion shouted in
pain and surprise, losing his grip on his sword as he plummeted to the
ground.

"Endymion!" the Senshi gasped.

Jadeite cackled maniacally. "Now, you insufferable bastard," he said,
glaring menacingly down at the fallen king, "you *die*." Bolts of dark
energy began crackling between his hands.

"We've got to get Jadeite on the ground," Mercury said. "There's no way we
can stop him as long as he's up there."

"Do you know what I'm going to do?" Jadeite gloated as he hovered over
Endymion, gathering his power. "After I kill you, I'm going to rape your
moon slut. Then, I'm going to kill all the little sailor whores." He grinned
nastily.

Endymion rose shakily to his hands and knees, glaring defiantly up at
Jadeite. "You'll die first," he spat.

Titan blinked. "I've got it, I think," he said. The Senshi turned to him.
"Let me try something..."

"It better not be something like what Endymion-sama just tried," Saturn
said.

Titan shook his head. "Just watch. I think I just figured out an attack..."

Jadeite chuckled. "Really? Who's going to kill me? You?" He snorted. "You're
pathetic, Endymion. And your moon slut is just as pathetic. So are the
Sailor Whores. You're all pathetic losers." He narrowed his eyes. "And
you're all going to be *dead* losers." He unleashed his power, sending a
dozen narrow, deadly bolts of dark energy surging towards Endymion. The
young king let out a strangled cry, writhing in agony as the evil general's
attack buffeted him.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast, kid!" Uranus said.

Standing apart from the group, Titan raised his naginata over his head and
began spinning it. As it spun, the blade and buttcap seemed to glow darkly,
leaving a circle of energy in their wake. "Gravity Ring!" he called, halting
the spin and pointing the Gravity Lance at Jadeite. The dark ring of power
created by his weapon shot off in the direction of the evil general, whose
efforts to kill Endymion left him wide open. The ring encircled him, and he
gave a cry of surprise as he suddenly dropped to the ground. His aura seemed
to shrink slightly as the ring faded away, its energy spent. As the surging
dark energies broke off their assault, Endymion slumped to the ground,
unconscious.

"Saturn! Go help Endymion," Venus instructed. Saturn and Titan dashed down
the palace steps to examine the fallen king.

"He's weakened, but alive," Mercury reported, her visor flickering.

"What about Jadeite?" Jupiter asked.

Mercury's visor flashed as she scanned Jadeite. "He's lost about ten percent
of his power," she said incredulously. "I'm reading an area of higher
gravity around his body."

Uranus whistled. "The kid's not too shabby," she said.

As Saturn examined Endymion, Jadeite picked himself up off the ground. "Nice
trick, you little shit," he said, glaring at Titan. "I hope you enjoy
watching your entrails pour out onto the ground when I rip you open for
that."

Saturn stood in front of Titan, brandishing the Silence Glaive with clear
menace. "Over my dead body," she said. Titan moved to stand beside her,
holding the Gravity Lance at the ready, consequently barring Jadeite from a
clear shot at Endymion.

"That can be arranged, little girl," Jadeite sneered.

"Enough of this shit," Jupiter said, running over to join the fray. "STATIC
COMPRESSION!"

Jadeite laughed, arcs of his power stabbing out to slash the mass of
electrified vines attempting to ensnare him. Jupiter's attack fell short,
the broken vines withering and crumbling as their power faded. "You like
electricty, I take it?" he asked. "Here, have some!" He gathered a tightly
compressed disk of dark lightning, similar to Jupiter's own Sparkling Wide
Pressure, and flung it at her.

"SHABON SHIELD!" Mercury shouted. Several large bubbles sprayed forth from
her raised hands, encasing Jupiter, Endymion, and the two teens just as
Jadeite's attack was about to hit. The static disk exploded as it struck the
bubble, which wavered slightly, but held, leaving Jupiter completely
unharmed.

"Thanks, Mercury," Jupiter said.

"No problem," Mercury said. "That'll protect you for a little while."

"Okay, you..." Venus said, facing Jadeite. "Nobody attacks my friends and
gets away with it. VENUS SHOCKING BEAUTY SNARE!" Venus whirled, raising one
hand to the sky, and a flurry of glowing orange hearts circled her--far too
many to be the familiar Love-Me Chain. She brought a hand to her lips, as
though blowing Jadeite a kiss. The flurry of hearts flew forth in a wide
spray. As they approached Jadeite, they formed into a massive net. The dark
general ducked to one side, but the glowing web tracked him, ensnaring him
and knocking him to the ground. He struggled against it to no avail.

"My turn," Uranus said, raising a fist above her head. "WORLD..." A ball of
golden energy began to form around her raised fist. "PRESS!" She opened her
hand, and the sphere rose straight into the air, vanishing among the stars.
It reappeared right above Jadeite, who had nearly succeeded in freeing
himself and had risen to his knees. Uranus' attack then dropped straight
down, slamming Jadeite back to the ground hard. The impact had an effect on
Venus' net as well, as the glowing hearts began flickering. Like a string of
firecrackers, the hearts exploded one by one, each detonation causing
Jadeite's dark corona to flicker wildly.

"He's losing power," Mercury said. "Keep it up!"

"DEEP TRIDENT!" Neptune shouted, raising her arms skyward, then flinging
them forward. A giant, glistening trident, seemingly made entirely of water,
launched forth from her outstretched hands. The aquatic weapon struck
Jadeite, flinging him several meters away. At this point, the bubble shields
Mercury had conjured wavered and popped.

Jadeite rose to his feet, scowling. "You Senshi have always been an annoying
pack of bitches," he spat. His aura intensified, a large black ball of
energy forming between his hands. "DIE!" he roared. The sphere quickly
expanded away from Jadeite, sending a wave of dark power in all directions.
The group scrambled to evade the attack, but it tore through them, knocking
everyone to the ground, with the exception of Saturn, Titan, and Endymion,
all of whom were protected by a hastily erected Silence Wall.

Jadeite glared at the two teens. "Shouldn't children be in bed at this time
of night?" he sneered, flinging bolts of dark power at them. The two
warriors of Saturn scrambled to evade Jadeite's attacks without compromising
Endymion's safety, their efforts made more difficult by the fact that they
were fighting on the palace steps.

Unnoticed by all, Endymion groaned, rising shakily to his hands and knees.

At one point, as Saturn and Titan ducked and dodged Jadeite's bolts, the
blades of the Silence Glaive and the Gravity Lance came into contact with
one another. There was a strange spark, and the two teens stared at one
another, wide-eyed.

"Did you--?" Titan asked.

"Yeah," Saturn said.

"DIE!" Jadeite bellowed, preparing to fire a massive bolt at them. Just as
he was about to release the blast, there was a strange tinkling sound, and
he lost control, the bolt dissipating back into his aura. "What--?" He
glanced at his left hand, which was bleeding, then at the ground before him.

A crystal rose struck the street below, embedding its stem in the pavement.
Its glassy thorns were stained with grey-green blood.

Jadeite spun, to find Endymion standing behind him, his sword held at the
ready. "I'm your opponent," the king said, "not these children."

Jadeite smiled darkly. "As you wish, Endymion," he said. A large, black
crystal sword formed in his uninjured right hand. "En garde."


"We need to check on the others," Saturn said.

"What about Endymion?" Titan asked.

Saturn looked over at the two combatants, warily circling each other, each
waiting for the other to make the first strike. "He'll have to hold Jadeite
off for a bit. We've got to make sure the others are alright." With that,
she ran over to Mercury, kneeling over the blue-haired Senshi and placing a
hand on her neck. "Cover me," she said to Titan, who nodded.


Endymion and Jadeite glared at each other as they circled, the very air
around them charged with their anger and hatred for one another. Endymion's
sword shone with a bright aura, while dark, angry sparks arced and snapped
along the length of Jadeite's blade.

Finally growing weary of the standoff, Jadeite charged, bellowing
incoherently. Endymion met Jadeite's initial strike, and the clang of the
two swords rang out across the battleground.


Sailor Saturn's hand began to glow with a pale violet light as she
concentrated. She could feel the slow yet steady beat of Mercury's heart,
could feel the expansion of her lungs as she continued to breathe. Gently,
she urged Mercury's body to recover from Jadeite's assault. Her power flowed
through Mercury's body, undoing the more serious damage from Jadeite's
assault.

Mercury groaned softly, and her eyes fluttered open. She looked up.

"Easy, Mercury," Saturn said.

Mercury sat up despite Saturn's insistence, glancing around. She gasped as
she saw Endymion and Jadeite facing off, the clash of their blades louder
than any bell. "We've got to help Endymion!" she cried, struggling to stand.

Saturn placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down. "You're not
strong enough to fight yet. That blast took a lot out of you."

Mercury resisted for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. "You're right,"
she admitted. Reactivating her visor, she scanned the other Senshi.
"Everyone's unconscious," she said. "I can't get a reading on Serenity-sama,
though. Whatever the Ginzuishou did is interfering with my sensors." Looking
back at the two combatants, she gasped.

"What is it?" Saturn asked, glancing in that direction.


Jadeite made a quick feint, his blade sliding to the left of Endymion's
parry. A loud crunch reported the impact of the black sword against
Endymion's shoulderguard. The pristine armor held, but sported a nasty
crack, which crackled with dark energy.

Gritting his teeth, Endymion brought his blade up, angling for a slash at
Jadeite's throat. Jadeite dodged badly, and Endymion's sword rent a deep
gash in his left shoulder.

Titan cheered as the king landed a solid blow to Jadeite. Mercury, on the
other hand, was frowning.

"What's wrong, Mercury?" Saturn asked.

"Jadeite's power...it's replenishing itself," Mercury said. "Everything we
threw at him...it didn't do any good."

Saturn glanced over at the dueling men, noticing the increasing number of
sparks flowing around Jadeite like electrons orbiting an unstable, deadly
atom. "I need to revive the others," she said.

"You have some skill, Endymion," Jadeite seethed. "I'm surprised." He jabbed
at the king's abdomen.

Endymion deflected the strike. "More than enough skill to destroy you," he
said.

Jadeite chuckled. "I seriously doubt that." He charged, delivering a hard
slash to Endymion's side. The king managed to move quickly enough to lessen
the damage, but was not able to completely evade the strike, which tore a
gash in his armor. He grunted in pain, dropping to one knee.

Jupiter and Venus, recently revived by Saturn, gasped, struggling to stand
and intervene.

"We gotta do something!" Jupiter said. "He's gonna get killed!" She tried to
summon her power--even a little bit--but collapsed back to the ground, spent
and exhausted.

"Shingo! You've got to help Endymion!" Venus called.

Titan grimaced, holding his position. "I can't," he said. "Anything I try to
do to Jadeite, I risk hitting Endymion-sama too."

Jadeite cackled, raising his sword overhead. His eyes gleamed maniacally as
he sneered down at Endymion. "Say goodbye," he said.

"Good-BYE!" Endymion shouted, suddenly rising from the ground in a swift
motion, catching Jadeite completely by surprise. Jadeite swung downward...

All the Senshi were now awake, and struggling to stand, to attack, to do
anything. Saturn and Titan were already in motion, seemingly prepared to
bodily tackle Jadeite...

Twisting to the side, Endymion brought his sword up, swinging it in a manner
reminiscent of a baseball player. The edge of the blade made contact with
Jadeite's left elbow...

The crystal blade of Jadeite's sword sank into the landing, jagged cracks
ribboning down the steps almost halfway to street level. The evil general
caught himself on its hilt as he pitched forward. His eyes were wide with
shock and surprise.

Silence filled the air as Endymion's sword came to rest at his side, broken
by a soft, meaty thud.

On the steps half a meter below the stunned general lay an arm, severed at
the elbow, clothed in a ragged, stained grey sleeve. Greyish-green blood
pooled around the jagged, torn flesh.

Jadeite stared at the stump of his left arm in disbelief. He then slowly
stood, turning his incredulous gaze to Endymion. His look of confusion
twisted into a scowl of rage, his evil, black aura flaring around him.
"YOU'LL PAY DEARLY FOR THAT!!" he bellowed, green eyes burning with hatred.

"Finish him, Endymion-sama!" Titan yelled. "Hurry!"

Endymion brought his sword back up to a ready stance, eyeing Jadeite warily.

Mercury's eyes widened as her visor flashed a warning. "Endymion-sama! Look
out!"

With all eyes fixed on the two combatants, nobody saw the shimmering coccoon
of light resting against the Palace wall fade away. Sailor Serenity stirred,
blinking her eyes open.

Jadeite's fierce gaze locked upon Endymion's wary one. Endymion's muscles
suddenly locked up. He would have given a shout of surprise, but his vocal
cords refused to respond.

Standing closest to the battle, Titan immediately saw what was happening,
and made his move. "GRAVITY RING!"

The dark ring sped towards Jadeite. The evil general's sword suddenly rose
from the ground, spinning in the air. Titan's attack was deflected into the
sky.

Jadeite laughed maniacally. "Fool," he said. "Nothing can stop me!" Fixing
the frozen king with a look of pure menace, he snarled, "Now...*DIE*."

Serenity rose shakily to her feet, glancing around. She saw all the Senshi
struggling to stand, saw Saturn and Titan ahead of the pack, running towards
Jadeite, who stood farther away, facing Endymion. She saw the black crystal
sword stop spinning, pointed directly at her husband.

She took to the air, crying out as she used all her strength to carry her
across the battlefield.

None of the Senshi noticed Serenity's cries, transfixed as they were on the
spectacle before them.

Arcs of dark power surged around the black sword as its deadly tip aimed
itself directly at Endymion's heart. Jadeite leveled his remaining arm at
the stricken king.

The dark crystal sword shot forth, faster than the eye could follow.

A terrible sound rent the still air, a mixture of glass shattering, metal
tearing, and the crunch of abused bone.

The paralysis broke, and Endymion pitched forward, eyes wide. His face went
pale, and a small stream of blood flowed from his mouth. He looked down to
see the dark crystal hilt of Jadeite's sword sprouting from his chest.

The end of the blade, jagged and cracked, emerged from between his
shoulderblades.

Endymion fell to the ground. Jadeite laughed cruelly, a small storm of dark
lightning erupting around him.

All of the Senshi cried out in despair. Serenity froze, dropping to the
ground in shock, staring incredulously at the fallen king. "No..." she
sobbed. "No...NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Jadeite strode slowly forward, planting a booted foot on Endymion's neck.
Sneering at his fallen foe, he grasped the hilt of the dark sword with his
remaining hand, and pulled it free of the body. Crimson blood dripped from
the shattered blade, joining the swiftly spreading pool on the ground.

Serenity stood, head bowed, bangs obscuring her eyes. "Mamo-chan..." A
single tear fell to the ground.

Jadeite laughed.

"Mamo...chan..." Two more tears joined the first.

"Good riddance, Endymion!" Jadeite cackled.

"You...killed...Mamo...chan..."

Everyone turned to watch the young queen, not willing to gaze upon the body
of Endymion.

Serenity slowly raised her head. Her crystal blue eyes were filled with dark
stormclouds of seething rage. Those eyes locked onto Jadeite, radiating more
hatred than anyone present could begin to imagine. Saturn and Titan quickly
cleared out of the blast radius, and the Senshi that had regained enough
strength to move scrambled away from their angry queen.

"*BASTARD!!*" Serenity screamed. The Ginzuishou began to glow brightly,
illuminating the gloating general and the body of his victim in strobing
silver light.

Jadeite sneered at her. "It's your turn now, moon slut," he said.

The Crystal Palace began to glow, strobing with the same light as the
Ginzuishou. Everyone felt the hair on their necks stand on end as raw power
surged across the surface of the edifice's central spire.

A narrow beam of energy lanced from the Ginzuishou, striking Jadeite
squarely between the eyes. His laughter stopped; his dark aura seemed to
recoil away from the pencil-thin ray of light.

"Your sentence is death," Serenity whispered hoarsely.

A massive beam of pure energy ripped away from the Crystal Palace, slamming
into Jadeite with the force of a bullet train. The dark general was lifted
off the ground and blasted into the distance, driven into the distant
horizon by the power of the beam.

As abruptly as it began, the wave of energy stopped, and the Palace resumed
its normal appearance. the Ginzuishou's furious strobe settled back to its
normal, quiet glow.

"What the--?" Uranus gasped.

"The true power of Serenity," Pluto whispered in awe.

"Incredible," Neptune said.

Having recovered their strength, all of the Sailor Senshi rose, moving to
stand behind their queen. Shifting out of her Senshi form, Neo-Queen
Serenity slowly, shakily strode across the battleground, kneeling beside the
body of her husband. "Mamo-chan..." she said softly, cradling his head in
her lap.

Endymion's eyes opened slightly, and he coughed wetly, a small spray of
blood issuing from his mouth. "U...sa...ko..." he rasped. "I...I'm sorry..."

"Mamo-chan..."

The king lapsed into a coughing fit, spitting out more blood.
"The...Earth...calling me...back..." He trailed off, wheezing as he took a
deep, shuddering breath. "T...take...care...Usako. I...love...you..."

"Mamo-chan! Don't leave me!" Serenity pleaded. The Ginzuishou's glow
brightened.

Endymion smiled gently. "I...I'm always...with you..." He began to lose
focus, his body wracked with spasms. "We...we'll be...together...again..."

A fit of ragged, wet coughs seized him then. Blood covered his mouth and
chin as he gazed up at his wife one last time. His armor faded to his more
familiar black tuxedo, and he withdrew a rose from his jacket, pressing it
into the young queen's hand. Then, with one last painful, rattling breath,
the light in his eyes died, and King Endymion was no more.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" Serenity screamed. Not relenquishing her hold on Endymion's
body, she raised her hand to the crystal upon her chest.

The Senshi gasped, moving in around her. "Serenity-sama!" Pluto said. "You
mustn't...you can't risk it..."

"Mamo-chan," Serenity whispered. The Ginzuishou began to strobe...


       *****


"Is it over?" a troop asked the JSDF major in charge of the situation.

"Looks like it," the major said.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Multiple shouts of confusion rang out
as troops scrambled to maintain their footing.

"What the--?"

"An earthquake?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," the major said. Indicating three of his
best men, he marched purposefully towards the crystal steps. Checking their
weapons, the men followed.


       *****


"Usagi...please...don't do it..." Mars pleaded.

Serenity was beyond hearing. The crystal flared, bathing the battered
remains of Endymion in soft, ethereal light.

"Mamo-chan...come back..." Serenity pleaded softly.


Four uniformed, armed men ascended the landing, settling into wary,
defensive stances. "What's going on up here?" the obvious leader asked.

Sailor Mars moved to intercept them. "You should leave this place," she
said.

"Can't do that," the major said. "The government has appointed me to
investigate this situation."

"Major," one of the men said, "take a look at this." The man indicated
Serenity, cradling her husband's body, the silver glow of the Ginzuishou
bathing both in pure, strobing light.

"What the--?" The major started to move in that direction, but was stopped
short by the two sharp spears thrust in his face by two angry-looking
teenagers. "Move aside," he commanded.

"You will not approach Serenity-sama," said General Titan.

"I'm authorized by the Japanese government to assess the situation," the
major said sternly. "You are impeding an officer of the Japan Defence
Agency."

The two teens held their ground. "Our Queen has just lost her husband,"
Sailor Saturn said quietly. "You will give her the respect she is due, and
leave her be."

"Queen?" The major asked, raising an eyebrow.

Behind them, the light of the Ginzuishou abruptly faded, and Serenity cried
out. All argument ceased, as every eye was trained upon the young woman with
the feathery wings. Tears spilled from her eyes as the crescent moon upon
her brow shed a subdued glow. The body of Endymion began to lose the pallor
of death, instead taking on a hue remeniscent of the earth in the fields.
Before their very eyes, the body of King Endymion slowly crumbled to dust,
carried away by a sudden breeze.

Neo-Queen Serenity stared, mouth agape, as the remains of her love floated
away with the winds. She uttered a strangled cry of anguish and collapsed,
wings drawing tightly around her shuddering frame.

"SERENITY-SAMA!" the Senshi shouted in unison. Sailor Mars and Sailor
Mercury ran to the stricken woman.

"She's very weak," Mercury said after a moment. "She'll recover, but she
needs rest." She sighed. "Her body will recover, anyway. Her heart..."

The four JSDF troops glanced at each other, unsure how to proceed.
"Sumimasen..." the major said.

Sailor Pluto stepped forward. "Major," she said, "as you can see, we are
presently in a state of crisis. If you would be so kind as to hold off any
further investigation here, at least until Her Majesty has had a chance to
recover..."

The major gestured at the shellshocked woman being led away by two of the
Senshi. "I assume you're referring to her?" he asked.

Pluto nodded. "Neo-Queen Serenity, ruler of this Crystal Palace. Her
husband, King Endymion, has just been slain in battle. I'm sure you'll
understand that all things considered, now is not the time to badger her
with a lot of questions."

The major gave this some thought, then nodded. "I will return tomorrow
afternoon," he said. "At that time, I will demand answers," he warned.

"Of course," Pluto said. "Give the regards of the Crystal Palace to your
superiors." With that, she turned and joined the other Senshi, disappearing
through the front wall of the Palace.


       *****


"The brilliant shine of the brightest star in the heavens has become dim and
weak."

"Something horrible must have happened."

"To see such a shining star fade..."


       *****


As the major and his entourage arrived at their jeep, another jeep pulled up
to the Palace, its markings identifying it as a group of seismologists.

The major walked over to the new arrival as four scientists climbed out of
the vehicle, carrying various equipment. "You shouldn't be here," he
commented."This is a restricted area."

"We have clearance," said one of the seismologists, holding up a security
badge. "Unusual seismic activity has been detected in this area."

The major nodded. "We felt the quake."

"There shouldn't have been a quake," said the scientist. "And especially not
with its epicenter right here. That's what we've come to investigate."

"Are you sure it wasn't a result of the battle up there?" the major asked.

The scientist snorted. "Don't be stupid. A quake is a quake."


       *****


*Usako.*

Serenity floated in a void, nude except for her great, feathery wings.

*Usako.*

She looked up, to see the face of her lover, her husband, her companion
through two lives. His image was translucent, wavering.

*Usako. Please listen.*

*Mamo-chan...*

*My soul has become part of the Earth.*

*I...couldn't save you...*

*The Earth prevented you from restoring me with the Ginzuishou. It is meant
to be this way.*

*But...but...*

*Please, do not despair. My spirit will always be with you, will always
guide you. In time, I will be reborn, and I will return to you.*

Silence.

*I must go now, my love. I cannot remain here, and neither can you. I will
always love you, Usako. We will be together again. Farewell.*

*Mamo-chan...*


       *****


"Her shine is faint now. She has suffered a grave tragedy."

"You long to be with her."

"I cannot. My place is here."

"Your heart betrays your words. Your heart knows where your place truly is."

"But..."

"You are needed there now. She will need you. Go to her."

"But..."

"Your presence will be missed here, but things will be fine in your absence.
Go to her."

"Thank you."


       *****


While the Senshi held vigil over their queen inside the Palace and the JSDF
and seismologists began setting up equipment at street level, a small speck
of darkness appeared over the Palace. Dropping roughly to the ground, the
black haze cleared to reveal the battered, bleeding form of Jadeite. Pushing
himself to his feet with his remaining hand, Jadeite staggered over to the
spot where he had slain Endymion, gritting his teeth.
"Cursed...moon...bitch..." he spat. "If...it takes...my own death...to
destroy you...then...so...BE IT!"

The weakened vortex of dark energy surrounding the evil general surged
suddenly, arcs of power flowing from the black corona into Jadeite's body.
He chuckled grimly as he stood in the slowly coagulating pool of Endymion's
blood, turning his power inward. "Burn in hell, Serenity," he hissed.


       *****


The JSDF men and the scientists were thrown off their feet as a dome of
blackness swelled at the top of the steps. A deafening roar shredded the
still night air. Bits of charred, seared flesh and cloth began raining down
on the street below.

The dark dome suddenly rushed in upon itself, shaking the ground and
shattering windows for kilometers around with a tremendous sonic boom.

"WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT!?" the major bellowed, straining to be heard over
the deafening roar.


       *****


The Senshi looked up, startled. "What the--?" Venus asked.

"What else could *possibly* happen tonight?" Luna grumbled.

Mercury's visor flashed as she linked her sensors to the Palace to determine
the cause of the sound. She gasped. "Everyone, get down!" she shouted.

Before they had time to comply, the ground beneath them bucked violently.


       *****


Troops who couldn't scramble away quickly enough were crushed as tanks and
jeeps overturned. The entire assemblage of troops lay scattered about the
street like toppled bowling pins.

The ground continued to shake. Cars, police call boxes, public telephones,
vending machines, and lightposts collapsed. Buildings began to groan, bits
of masonry raining down. Wide cracks opened in the street, pulling loose
debris down into the yawning abyss.

Still the sudden, violent earthquake continued. People screamed in panic as
the buildings they took refuge inside began to collapse around them.

The rumble of the quake was punctuated by small explosions, the crackling of
fresh blazes, and the occasional rush of water erupting from broken pipes.

For fifteen minutes, the earth shook. When the incredible earthquake finally
ended, the only thing in Juuban that remained standing in one piece was the
Crystal Palace.



                                 Interlude


       TOKYO, JAPAN (AP) - Two days ago, a mysterious
           crystal spire appeared in the heart of this
           bustling metropolis. Today, the nation of Japan
           is left in a state of shock and distress, and
           widespread fear and uncertainty.
           At approximately 8:30 PM local time yesterday
           evening, an unknown object which meteorologists
           had been tracking across Japan during the course
           of the afternoon arrived in Tokyo, leaving a trail
           of destruction in its wake. Once the trajectory of
           the object was determined, the Juuban district in
           the heart of the city was evacuated.
           Between 8:45 and 9:00 PM, emergency crews began
           reporting strange flashes of light from the object
           the Japanese government calls 'Fushigi no Suishou'.
           Shortly after 9:00 PM, an intense earthquake struck
           the Juuban district. Seismologists on the scene at
           the time were unable to determine the strength of
           the quake, which lasted for fifteen minutes with no
           aftershocks, and which levelled the Juuban district.
           In what was once a prosperous and bustling part of
           Tokyo, all that remains standing is the mysterious
           tower of crystal which is reported to be the current
           headquarters of the Sailor Senshi. As this structure
           is situated at the very epicenter of the earthquake
           which razed Juuban to the ground, the government is
           now taking under consideration the possibility that
           the 'Fushigi no Suishou' and its occupants are, in
           fact, a hostile force.
                               --Associated Press, 2 July 2001

                <><><><><><><><><><><><>
                            EPILOGUE:  Earth Requiem
                            <><><><><><><><><><><><>


                                 Chapter Twelve


"You two can't sleep either, huh?"

Hotaru and Shingo, dressed in ordinary street clothes, wandered into the
small commissary that branched off of the main kitchen. Intended for use by
the guard and Senshi, it was no surprise to the teens that they found three
of their comrades sitting around a large table, looking thoroughly
miserable. It was Haruka who had spoken; Michiru was seated beside her, and
Minako across from the both of them. Makoto was busily preparing snacks, but
it was clear she was only going through the motions to have something to do.

Shingo plopped down at the table, shaking his head. "Even if I could, I'd be
afraid of nightmares." He shuddered. "Endymion...and Serenity..." He buried
his face in his hands. "I can't believe this could happen..."

Hotaru put her arm around him, but her eyes were also haunted. "Who...who
*was* that?" she asked the other Senshi present.

Makoto wandered over listlessly, plopping plates on the table. "A ghost,"
she said. "The last spectre of a kingdom that died years ago." She heaved a
sigh. "At least, I hope he was the last."

"There couldn't have been any more," Venus sobbed. "The others saw Nephrite
die...we were both there when Zoisite died...Sailor Moon killed
Kunzite...and Beryl..."

"So how did that bastard survive?" Haruka asked. "Serenity nuked the whole
goddamn Dark Kingdom, from what I hear."

Makoto shrugged, picking idly at her food. "I wish I knew." She looked down.
"We swept D-point. After we got our memories back, we made damn sure the
Dark Kingdom was gone for good. It was *gone*..."

"None of that matters now," another voice entered the conversation. Mercury
dropped into a chair, not bothering to change out of her Senshi form. "What
matters now is Serenity. She's going to need all of us to survive this..."
Tears filled her gentle eyes. "Our queen...our friend...her heart was ripped
out tonight. I know how strong she is, but..."

"This is killing her," Minako said softly. "If we don't do everything
possible to see her through this, she could just...fade away."

"Dammit," Shingo choked out miserably. "I feel so ashamed...I failed her. I
failed everyone..."

Hotaru wrapped her soulmate in a tight hug. "Shingo-kun..."

Mercury patted his hand gently. "You shouldn't feel that way, Shingo-kun."
She looked down. "You tried your best. There wasn't really anything any of
us could do."

Haruka grunted. "Yeah, I don't know where that bastard got all that power,
but..." she sighed in frustration. "Anyway, kid...you did damn good for your
first time in battle."

"That's right," Makoto said. "It's not easy when you're just learning what
your powers are. And this..." She frowned. "This was far from a normal
battle."

Shingo looked around at all the encouragement, and smiled slightly. It
didn't quite reach his eyes. "Arigatou." He looked at Hotaru. *I can't let
anything like this happen again,* he decided. *I can't just sit helplessly
and watch people I love get hurt...die...*

"So, Mercury," Haruka began, "how's it looking out there?"

The blue-haired Senshi sighed. "Juuban is rubble," she said. "I helped the
emergency crews get all the fires under control, and they're setting up
shelters for the wounded and the homeless everywhere...they managed to
evacuate most of the area before..."

Michiru frowned. "Things are going to get worse before they get better," she
said. "They're going to try to blame us for what happened."

The others looked uncomfortable at that thought, and Haruka cursed.
"Chikushou...harassment from the government is the last thing we need right
now."

Several moments were spent in silence. Finally, Minako assumed a more
authoritative tone. "Mercury, I want you and Pluto to deal with outside
relations for the time being. You two are best suited to diplomacy."

Sailor Mercury nodded. "I'll coordinate with Pluto as soon as possible."

"Get some rest first," the blonde said. "That goes for everyone...I know
it's hard, but we're going to have to take care of ourselves so we can take
care of everyone and everything else."

"I want to spend tomorrow healing the wounded in the refugee camps," Hotaru
said.

Minako shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea, Hotaru. If you go
out there as Saturn, you'll cause a panic. If you go out as you are now,
your power will rouse suspicion. Besides," she added, "you still get weak
when you use your healing power too much. We don't need any more tragedies
on our hands from you pushing yourself too hard."

"What we really need to do for these people," Michiru mused, "is figure out
a way to make amends for all the damage caused by Jadeite."

"I've been considering that," Mercury said. Grimacing, she added, "I'm
ashamed to say it falls under the realm of political agenda."

"You're thinking this is where Crystal Tokyo is supposed to begin," Haruka
commented matter-of-factly.

The azure-haired Senshi nodded. "The timing is horrendous, but...yes." An
uncomfortable silence followed that statement.

Shingo stifled a yawn. "I think I'm gonna try to get some sleep," he
muttered. As he stood, Hotaru rose with him, and they departed together.

"Maybe I should check in on Her Majesty before I retire for the night,"
Mercury said.

Minako shook her head. "She was asleep when I left. Mars is with her." She
yawned. "We should all get some sleep now." Five exhausted young women
shambled off to the lift, weary in body and spirit.

Outside, Minako held Mercury back. "Ami," she said quietly, "I know you're
tired, but..."

"What's on your mind?" the blue-haired girl asked, detransforming.

"I didn't want to bring this up in front of the others, but..." The blonde
sighed, frustrated. "We're gonna have to get in touch with the government,
soon, or things are going to get very ugly very fast. I can only begin to
imagine the way the cabinet and the Diet must be panicking."

Ami nodded. "I agree. The cabinet is probably meeting at the Prime
Minister's official residence. I'll go now--"

Minako shook her head. "No, you've done enough tonight...you need your rest.
I'll need you tomorrow..." She fidgeted. "I don't know much about this kind
of thing, but I think the best way to approach them is with a formal apology
for..." She spread her arms.

"Yes, that would be...prudent."

"Also..." The blonde frowned. "Okay...I know it's really early for it, but I
think we need to hold a funeral for King Endymion tomorrow." She swallowed.
"With everything we've got ahead of us, it's for the best if we deal with
that and get it behind us."

Ami sighed. "It's going to be hard on Serenity, but...you're right." She
frowned thoughtfully. "We should probably hold a state funeral, and extend
an invitation to the Emperor and the Prime Minister. It might smooth
tensions if they learn that we were affected by all this too."

Minako was silent for a moment. "Yeah, that's a good idea," she said. She
then looked at her friend pensively. "Ami...it's not my place to be making
these kinds of decisions, is it?"

The blue-haired girl shrugged. "In the Silver Millenium, Venus was the
commander of the Senshi. I'm pretty sure Chibiusa said it's the same way in
her time. So..." She tilted her head. "Well, you're certainly thinking and
acting the part, so yes, I'd say it *is* your place." She smiled softly, and
sketched a slight bow. "I await your command, Lady Venus."

The blonde giggled despite herself. "Go get some sleep," she said in an
authoritative tone. "That's an order." She looked down the corridor, and
sighed.  "I'm going to check in on Her Majesty, and then I'll try to meet
with the Prime Minister."

Ami raised an eyebrow. "It's a good thing you're not planning on handling
most of the diplomatic missions." She shrugged. "Still, with the current
situation, they might be hoping one of us will come forward. In any
case...good luck."

Minako nodded, and the two girls proceeded to the lift.


         *****


Hino Rei kept a vigil over her queen and friend, tears falling from her own
eyes as she watched the regal young woman with the long golden pigtails sob
in her sleep.

"Oh, Usagi," she whispered. "I should have done more...so much more.
I...dammit, I just stood there and let it happen..." She buried her face in
her hands and wept. "My queen and king were under attack and I stood and did
nothing. What kind of Senshi am I?"

"You're the kind of Senshi who would die to protect her queen," Minako said
softly from behind her. "You stayed at your post. You protected her first
and foremost." She embraced the raven-haired Senshi from behind. "That's all
any of us were able to do."

Rei turned around. "Mina-chan..." She looked up into the other girl's eyes,
and saw a battle-hardened, ages-old soldier rather than the flighty young
woman who had been one of her closest friends for years now. It bothered her
for a moment, but she banished that thought and buried her head against the
blonde's shoulder, sobbing. "Why did this have to happen? Why?"

Minako comforted her as best she could. "I know, Rei...I know. I feel the
same way." After a long moment, she gently pulled away, and glanced over at
the sleeping queen. "But as hard as it was for her to see him
die...again..." She sighed. "The next few days will be harder still. There's
so much that's going to need to be done..." She took Rei's hands and
squeezed them firmly. "I'm trusting you to be her strength," she said. "As
her best friend...more than any of us, you'll be the one that's going to see
her through this."

The raven-haired girl nodded, wiping a few tears from her face. "I'll
try...I don't know if I can bear it myself, but..."

"Listen," Minako said, looking down slightly. "I hate to tell you this, and
I know you'll probably hate me for it, but..." She sighed. "I've decided to
hold a funeral for the king. Tomorrow at noon."

Rei gasped. "What!? Don't you think that's a little soon?"

The blonde sighed. "Rei, we've got a whole lot of problems to deal with, and
time isn't exactly on our side. I wish we had the luxury of waiting, but..."
She ran her fingers through her bangs. "I talked it over with Ami, and she
agrees that the best course of action is to go public as soon as possible.
Then..." She shrugged. "Then I guess we try to help all the people whose
homes were destroyed...and who lost loved ones too."

The dark-haired Senshi eyed her friend curiously. "You don't expect the
queen to be in any shape to deal with any official matters so soon, do you?"

Minako shook her head. "No, of course not. But I know she'd want us to do
what we have to, and so do you." She glanced again at the young queen, and
sighed. "I'm hoping she can get through the funeral, though...it might help
her deal with the pain, at the very least." The expression of grief on her
face washed away as she silently transformed, replaced by the stoic,
professional visage of Sailor Venus.

Rei blinked. "Minako?"

"I have something important to do," the Senshi commander said as she turned
to leave. "Please get some rest," she admonished. "Her Majesty will need you
when she wakes up...she'll need you to lean on."

Rei watched the still, quieted form of the young queen for a long time
before sleep finally claimed her as well.


          *****


In the heart of the Japanese government, nerves were frayed and tempers were
high. Coffee was being consumed almost faster than aides could brew it as
the Prime Minister, the cabinet, and various agency heads met to discuss the
disaster in the Minato ward, the potential threat posed by the 'Fushigi no
Suishou', and the unusual report submitted at the Defense Agency by one
Major Takada.

"The first question we need to ask ourselves," the weary commander of the
Japan Self Defense Force began, "is whether or not the Sailor Senshi are a
direct threat to national security."

"I find it hard to believe that we're considering a bunch of girls in sailor
suits to be a public menace."

"Please," one man at the table snorted. "We've all read the reports over the
years of the activities in that particular area of Tokyo. After tonight,
there's no doubt that these Sailor Senshi are involved in...something, which
is a direct threat to public safety."

"There's something in the report which disturbs me," the Minister of Foreign
Affairs said. "According to your Major Takada, he clearly heard the Senshi
refer to two individuals present as 'queen' and 'king', the latter of which
is listed as presently deceased." He paused. "I hate to jump to conclusions,
but it sounds to me like the Sailor Senshi have declared themselves to be a
sovereign state."

"That's ridiculous," someone scoffed. "That would imply that--"

"I'm not saying it would imply anything. All I'm saying is that this could
be a delicate situation, especially if it becomes a matter for my
department."

"Are you suggesting diplomatic relations with a group of people who
destroyed a large section of Tokyo?" one of the others asked, not bothering
to cover his anger and disbelief.

"Now...we have no proof the Senshi themselves are responsible for this
destruction," the Minister of Education broke in. "After all, the apparent
source didn't originate from the Suishou."

The Prime Minister sighed. "The fact is, we have no idea what the hell is
going on, except that a lot of people are wounded or dead, a lot of people
are now without homes, and we have a completely unknown element situated
right in the middle of it all. We need to find out what exactly we're
dealing with here before we go making any rash decisions about HOW to deal
with it."

An aide suddenly burst into the room, a panicked expression on his face.
"Sirs...forgive the intrusion, but there's someone outside who insists on
meeting with the Prime Minister immediately."

"This is a closed emergency session of the Cabinet. We're not entertaining
outside concerns."

"Ummm..." the aide hesitated. "You might want to make time for this one." He
withered a bit under the glares of the surly politicians. "Gomen kudasai...I
don't think we can get rid of her very easily."

The Prime Minister grumbled. "Who would have the temerity to barge in here
demanding an audience at such a time?" He sighed. "Fine, let's just deal
with it and be quick about it...we're not getting anywhere right now
anyway."

The young aide bowed, and disappeared into the antechamber. A moment later,
he returned, swallowing nervously. "I present..." he paused, apparently
listening to someone standing behind him. "I present before you the
Commander of Defense of the Crystal Palace, Her Ladyship Sailor Venus." The
aide quickly stepped aside, bowed, and exited.

The gathered politicians stared, murmured, and generally appeared bewildered
as a young woman with long blonde hair in a shimmering seifuku entered the
room. She bowed gracefully. Acting on autopilot, the men stood, returning
the bow. "Gentlemen," Venus greeted softly.

"Ahh..." The Prime Minister swallowed. "This is highly irregular, you
understand."

The Senshi nodded. "I realize, and I apologize. However, the circumstances
are beyond my control, and certain measures are necessary at this point."
She walked a few steps away from the door. "I believe we're all in agreement
that this is a crisis situation for all concerned."

"Yes..." the JSDF commander said. "About that..."

Venus raised a gloved hand to forestall the question. "Let me first
apologize on behalf of the throne of Serenity for the destruction tonight.
We're very upset by it ourselves...the last thing any of us wanted was to
see Juuban-cho destroyed. We just weren't able to do enough this time." She
looked down, sadness in her eyes.

The men around the table looked uncomfortable. "Ah...yes. Well, umm..." The
Prime Minister paused, looking to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who
shrugged.

Sailor Venus, for her part, quickly picked up on the source of the
discomfort. "You may address me as Venus," she said.

"Very well then, Miss Venus, are we to understand that the Sailor Senshi
were in fact not responsible for the destruction of Juuban-cho?"

The Senshi looked horrified. "Of course not! We tried to stop it." She
looked away for a moment. "The being that destroyed Juuban-cho was after us
specifically, however, so it is somewhat our fault." At the nervous looks
around the table, she continued, "You need not be concerned about a return
visit by the enemy. Sailor Mercury determined that the earthquake which
destroyed Juuban-cho was caused by our enemy destroying himself."

"A kamikaze attack?" one cabinet member asked.

Venus nodded. "That's our best guess."

"That sounds consistent with the human remains we found scattered around the
perimeter," the military commander said.

The Prime Minister seemed a bit bewildered, but nodded. "Very well
then...but how can we be assured that there won't be other...incidents?"

Venus swallowed. "We can't," she admitted. "But that's *why* the Sailor
Senshi are here in the first place. We're dealing with things that no
military on Earth could stop." She fidgeted a bit. "If not for us, this
world would have been conquered or destroyed outright several times over by
now."

There were many raised eyebrows around the table. "Is that so?" the JSDF man
asked in a rhetorical fashion.

The Senshi blushed. "I don't mean to sound like..." she looked genuinely
nervous for a moment. "Forgive me," she said. "I'm not good at this sort of
thing." She paused. "In any case, it is time I got to the point of my visit,
so that you gentlemen may return to your urgent business."

"Right now, young lady, you and your comrades *are* our urgent business,"
the Prime Minister said.

Venus nodded. "Yes, I would suppose so, but it's probably best if I leave
the explanations for later. This is a bit out of my expertise." She paused.
"The reason I'm here is to extend a request to all of you, as heads of
state, which also extends to the Emperor." She paused awkwardly.

"What sort of request?"

The Senshi looked uncomfortable for a moment. Steeling herself, she adopted
the most formal demeanor she could manage. "On behalf of Her Majesty,
Neo-Queen Serenity, of the line of Serenity, I humbly request that the
Emperor, Prime Minister, and the members of the Cabinet of the nation of
Japan attend the state funeral of King Endymion, to be held at noon tomorrow
at the Crystal Palace." She swallowed. "I understand that such a request is
rather irregular at this time, but again, the circumstances are far beyond
our control." She paused. "Following the funeral, our diplomatic staff will
meet with you to answer questions about the incident, the Senshi, and the
Crystal Palace." Venus fidgeted for a moment. *Kami-sama, I hope I did that
right.*

There was a round of whispering and murmuring, and the Prime Minister
stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We'll take your request under advisement,"
he said. "We need time to confer and to assess the danger level of exposing
the Emperor and other high-ranking officials in such a manner. However," he
paused, "if the situation is as it seems...it would potentially reflect
poorly upon this government to refuse your request."

Sailor Venus bowed, bade the assembled officials goodbye, and disappeared.
The men looked around the table at one another for a long time. Finally, the
Prime Minister stood. "Gentlemen, I believe it is time to adjourn for the
evening. It seems we'll be getting the answers we want very soon." As the
assembled officials rose, he added, "We shall be attending a state funeral
at noon tomorrow."


          *****


The morning sun greeted Neo-Queen Serenity as she stirred. She slowly sat
up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, and looked around. Her eyes
fell upon Rei, curled up on one of the sofas, and she smiled slightly.

That smile quickly gave way to a fresh bout of tears, and she buried her
face in her hands. "Mamo-chan..."

Serenity stood finally, walking over to the window and looking out over the
city below. Her eyes widened, a hand flying to her mouth. "Sonna..."

Her startled gasp roused Rei, who lumbered off the sofa and moved to stand
beside her queen. "Jadeite's final revenge," she said. "He destroyed
himself...he apparently meant to take all of us with him. But..." Tears
brimmed in her dark eyes.

Serenity crumpled to the ground, leaning against the wall. "What have we
done?" she sobbed. "What in the world have we done, Rei?"

The dark-haired girl sat beside her best friend and queen. "We're not to
blame, Usagi," she said. "You know it isn't our fault. Jadeite was
thoroughly evil, and completely out of control. I don't know how it is he
came back, but..." She paused, feeling a lump in her throat. "You and
Endymion saved more than was lost." She looked Serenity in the eyes. "Ami
says Jadeite had enough power to destroy most of Japan...maybe even more
than that. I know it...I know it's not much comfort, but..."

Serenity smiled softly. "I appreciate it, Rei." She sighed, wiping her eyes.
"I just...losing him again..."

Rei embraced the young queen tightly. "I know, Usagi. I know." She looked
deep into the blonde's clear blue eyes, and spoke softly, seriously. "Venus
has a funeral set for noon. Do you think you'll be okay? We'll understand
if..."

"I..." Serenity's voice was a hoarse whisper. "I don't think I'll be okay,
but I'll be there." She frowned. "Did anything else happen after...?"

Rei shook her head. "No...we've all just been trying to recover from the
battle, and thinking about things." She held Serenity's hand tightly.
"Minako especially. I think between her and Ami, they're making a lot of
plans for the next few days."

Serenity nodded. "That's good...I'll have to check with them later and see
what they have in mind."

"You shouldn't concern yourself with it right now, Your Majesty," Rei said.
"You need time to rest and recover..."

The young queen shook her head. "No...it's my duty. I'm..." She looked down,
sighing heavily. "It won't be easy for me to move on, but...my duties as
queen are too important to neglect. Mam...Endymion would agree." Slowly, she
stood. "Allow me a few moments to gather myself, and I'll be in the throne
room."

Rei nodded. "Hai, Serenity-sama. I'll go on ahead, if you don't mind."

Serenity smiled. "Rei-chan...arigatou."

The raven-haired Senshi returned the smile. "I'll always be here for you,
Your Majesty."


          *****


Hotaru entered the class two training facility, and promptly felt her body
become extremely heavy. "Nani...?"

"Hotaru-chan!" The overwhelming pressure suddenly disappeared, and Hotaru
gasped, panting. Shingo rushed over to her. "Are you alright?"

"Hai..." Hotaru nodded somewhat shakily. "What was...?"

The young general smiled sheepishly. "I was practicing." He extended one
hand, and a small ball of purple-black energy formed in front of him. He
seemed to strain for a moment...and then the sphere shot across the vast
room, slamming into a floating chunk of crystal on the other end. The
crystal spun rapidly before crashing to the floor, wreathed in dark energy.

"Sugoi," Saturn said, blinking. "How long have you been at this?"

"About an hour. When I woke up..." He shrugged. "I just felt like I had to
*do* something, so I came down here to try and figure out what kind of
powers I have."

The crystal drone lit up brilliantly and rose back into the air, Shingo's
attack having dissipated. He winced. "It lasts longer when I use the Lance,"
he complained.

Hotaru giggled. "So what have you found out?"

Shingo shrugged, running a hand through his messy hair. "Well, I've got that
Gravity Ring attack, like...like last night." He coughed. "Ummm...what I did
just now is something I figured out a few minutes before you came in. It's
pretty weak, but it's faster than the Ring, and I can control it. I'm not
sure *how*, but..." He shrugged. "Anyway, that's what I was doing when you
came in..."

"And I just accidentally walked right into it," the Senshi realized.

"Umm...hai," Shingo blushed. "But at least now I know I can make it stop if
it hits the wrong person."

Hotaru nodded. "Well, that's good..." She paused. "Anything else? I mean,
having two attacks is plenty for starting out, but...do you think you have
any more?"

Shingo looked uncomfortable. "There...there's one other thing, but I..." He
grimaced.

"But what?"

"I don't like it," he said. "I don't like it, and I'm not sure I want to use
it."

"Well, what is it?" Hotaru asked. "Come on, tell me."

The general frowned, but nodded. Summoning the Gravity Lance, he moved a few
steps away from Hotaru. "Stay back," he said. "I don't want to risk this
getting anywhere *near* you."

As Hotaru moved a safe distance away, Shingo leveled his weapon at the
silently floating drone. In a whisper that echoed ominously through the
room, he intoned, "Null Drain." The naginata throbbed with dark energy, and
an almost tangible essence of--something--filled the air, causing Hotaru to
shiver slightly.

Across the room, the crystal drone began to dim, motes of energy flickering
away from it. The dimmer the floating target became, the brighter the blade
of the Gravity Lance grew.

The drone went completely dark and fell to the floor, shattering and
startling Hotaru. Energy flowed from the blade of Shingo's weapon down the
shaft, disappearing into his hands. A brief violet flash lit his eyes as the
last of the energy was absorbed.

Hotaru stared at him. "What...what *was* that?" she breathed.

Shingo looked at her somberly. "I absorbed its energy. All of its
energy...if it was alive, I'd have just killed it." He banished the Gravity
Lance and looked down at his hands. "It's a terrible power..."

Rushing across the room, Hotaru embraced him. "I understand," she said.
"Believe me, I understand..."

"So..." Shingo said quietly. "Is this what it's like...to have the Saturn
power?"

"A little," Hotaru said. "You don't have the full power...you can't bring
the Silence...but that particular attack..." She paused. "Although I don't
believe I have anything like that," she mused. "Most of my attacks just
erase life force." She grimaced. "That's even worse, I think."

Shingo shuddered. "I think I'll avoid using that drain attack unless it's a
last resort," he decided.


          *****


As the morning progressed, the mood in the Palace was somber. Venus,
Mercury, and Pluto were going over ideas and plans, Jupiter and Mars were
sticking to the queen like glue, Saturn and Shingo were helping with the
preparations in the courtyard, Uranus and Neptune were inspecting the Palace
and the grounds for damage caused by the quake, and the two cats were busily
piecing together the details of a traditional Silver Millenium royal
funeral. Given the damaged memories of both cats, they found they were
improvising more than remembering outright.

All too quickly, the noon hour approached. The Palace occupants assembled in
the throne room. Luna spoke up. "Everyone...I know this is a painful time
for all of us, but please do your best to observe formal protocol in front
of our guests." She turned to Sailor Venus. "Do you have your speech?"

The Senshi commander held up a piece of paper and nodded.

"Very well then." Luna turned. "General Titan, would you mind welcoming our
guests and escorting them to the courtyard?"

The young general nodded. "When will they be arriving?"

Serenity briefly seemed to be looking beyond the walls of the throne room.
"They are arriving now," she said. She stood. "Thank you, Luna, for briefing
everyone. We should go out to the courtyard now."


          *****


A convoy of limousines, jeeps, and police officers on motorcycles made their
way along the deserted streets of Juuban, passing police checkpoints and
barricades as they approached the massive crystal structure which was the
sole remaining building in the district. No civilians were allowed within
the devastated area, nor any press; the JSDF presence had tripled during the
night, and all troops were ordered to remain especially vigilant for the
duration of the official visit.

The line of vehicles arrived at their destination, and valets and bodyguards
began opening doors for the assorted VIPs. A distinguished-looking elderly
man bedecked with an array of medals and his equally distinguished wife
exited the lead car, flanked by guards. The Prime Minister and the members
of the cabinet emerged from the other vehicles, as did the commander of the
JSDF.

The procession made their way up the glassy steps, making no effort to mask
their awe at the sheer beauty of the crystalline tower above them.

As they neared the front of the majestic spire, an aperture slid open at its
base, discharging a young boy, perhaps fourteen years of age, wearing a
crisp purple uniform with maroon trim. His lavender cape fluttered in the
gentle breeze as he approached. He stopped two meters in front of them and
bowed. "Your Imperial Majesties, Mister Prime Minister, honored guests," he
inclined his head to each respectfully. "I am General Titan of the Crystal
Palace Royal Guard." He bowed again, briefly, sweeping a hand behind him.
"It is my honor to welcome you to the Crystal Palace. Please, follow me." He
turned and strode back through the doorway.

"A *general*? That boy?" the JSDF commander whispered to the Prime Minister,
who shrugged.

The procession followed the young man into the Palace, where they were led
down a circular hallway, pausing at a section of the wall with a single
colored crystal embedded in it. "The courtyard is this way, gentlemen,"
Titan said, opening another door which didn't seem to be there a moment
earlier. Somewhat in awe of the incredible structure, the VIPs filed out
into the expansive, beautiful courtyard.


          *****


A number of padded seats were set up in the courtyard, with a center aisle
parting the way, leading to a small rectangular dais between two silvery
trees. Upon that platform stood a crystalline throne embellished with silver
crescent moons and a podium, similarly decorated. A number of people were
already seated; the Sailor Senshi flanked the dais, four to each side.

As the dignitaries took their seats, Titan took up a position off to the
side.

Sailor Venus stepped forward. "Officers and nobles of the Court of the
Crystal Millenium, honored guests, please rise in respect for Her Majesty,
Neo-Queen Serenity."

With a flash of silver light, the young queen appeared in midair above the
throne, resplendent in her white dress, feathery wings spread wide as she
glided slowly to the ground. There was, nevertheless, a deep pain of loss in
her eyes. The Senshi and Titan faced her and knelt, heads bowed, while the
seated guests rose from their seats and bowed deeply. Serenity inclined her
head, then moved to sit upon the throne.

Venus smoothly stepped behind the podium as the other Senshi stood at
attention and the guests were once again seated. "Friends, loved ones,
honorable heads of state," she began, "We gather together on this day to pay
final respects to he who is no longer among us, having given his life in
defense of his queen and country." A pause. "We are here today to say
farewell to His Highness King Endymion, last heir to the throne of the
kingdom of Atlantis, husband to Her Majesty, Neo-Queen Serenity.

"Endymion was a kind, noble man," the Senshi continued. "And a brave
warrior. He met his death on the battlefield with honor and courage, and in
so doing brought that honor to his crown and his lineage.

"As he came to us, a child of the Earth, so has he left us. Upon his death,
the body of Endymion became the dust of the land, returning his essence to
the world from whence he came.

"Endymion will be dearly missed, as a friend, as a husband, and as a king.
His noble sacrifice will be recorded and passed down through the ages, his
legacy never to be forgotten so long as the kingdom of Serenity flourishes
upon the Earth.

"Let us now hold a moment of silence." Venus bowed her head; those assembled
followed suit. After a time, the Senshi spoke again. "Her Majesty will now
commence the ceremony of memorial." Genuflecting to the throne, she stepped
down from the dais, rejoining her fellow Senshi.

Neo-Queen Serenity rose from the throne, stepping down from the dais. She
produced from her dress a single, long-stemmed red rose. "This rose is the
symbol of life eternal, the symbol of the Earth itself," she said softly.
"It was given to me by my husband as he lay dying in my arms." She looked
down at the simple, elegant flower for a moment, before bowing her head and
closing her eyes. The crystal brooch upon her breast began to glow.

The visiting dignitaries gaped in awe as the dais and its contents began to
change shape, folding in upon themselves, contracting and elongating. A
wistful smile crossed Serenity's face, tears leaking from her closed eyes,
as the mass of crystal began to settle into a new form, indistinct facets
resolving into finer details.

Between the two silvery trees, a crystal statue now stood, mounted on a
pedestal. The delicate-looking life-sized sculpture resembled a man, tall
and stately, clad in full formal wear. A thin glass cape hung stiffly behind
him, a broad mask covered his upper face, and a top hat graced his head. His
hands were folded around the hilt of a pure silver sword, whose gleaming
blade stood perfectly perpendicular to the pedestal.

Serenity approached the statue, holding out the rose. It gently floated from
her hands, passing through the crystal until it had positioned itself in the
center of the sculpture's torso. The flower tilted a bit to the statue's
left, positioning itself in the approximate location of the heart, and
remained there.

The queen regarded the statue and the embedded rose for a long moment, then
turned away, choking back a sob. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks as
she excused herself, making her way gracefully yet swiftly down the aisle
and disappearing into the Palace itself.

After a moment of unease over the emotional ordeal, Sailor Venus nodded
toward the other Senshi, who began to form a circle around the memorial.
Turning their gazes to the sky, the eight warriors' foreheads began to
shimmer, emitting beams of colored light which met high above. A pure, clear
note, like the ringing of a chime, filled the courtyard. A small spark of
prismatic energy formed where the magical beams met, slowly descending
toward the monument below. As the Senshi lowered their gazes to face the
statue, the ball of light sank into it; the delicate crystal shimmered with
prism hues. The Sailor Senshi knelt, heads bowed, for a moment.

Finally, they stood, and Venus addressed the assembly. "On behalf of Her
Majesty, I thank you all for coming. I'm sure many of you have urgent
matters to attend to; we will not detain you any longer." She paused. "Those
who wish to remain to discuss matters of importance relevant to the incident
last night, the Crystal Palace, and the Senshi, please follow Sailor Mercury
to the meeting hall." She bowed. "Good day, gentlemen." The Senshi, the
Royal Guard, and all the courtiers filed down the aisle toward the palace,
save for Titan and Mercury, who remained to see the departing guests out and
lead those remaining to the meeting room, respectively.


          *****


Serenity sat on her bed, sobbing, as Mars entered the royal suite. Without
saying a single word, the Senshi sat beside her queen, wrapping her up in a
tight hug.

"I know, Usagi, I know," Mars said softly. "It's going to be alright.
It's...it's hard, but..." She stroked the blonde's hair soothingly. "You'll
get through this. You have to get through this. We all need you. We need you
every bit as much as he needed you..."

Two friends, a queen and her warrior, ages old yet far too young, held each
other, weeping.


<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILORMOON CRYSTAL - - END OF BOOK ONE
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

-------------------------------------------

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