Hello folks,

I decided to break from my busy life for a moment to bring you, what else, but 
fanfiction.  This is a story I've been working on and constantly revising for
what seems like forever now, and I think it's time to put it to rest and just
write the damn thing and be done with it.

So enjoy it and since I haven't been very active on the list feel free to C&C at 
your leisure.

------------------------------
Terrible Things to Waste
Part 1: Warm Receptions
------------------------------

     "Once upon a time..."

     Serena stared at these barren scribbles on her notepad
as she thoughtfully chewed on the end of her pencil.  After
hours upon hours of thinking, and several ruined pencils,
these words were the only thing she could put to paper.  She
glanced at the pile of autobiographies seated on the floor
next to the desk, most of which were several centimeters
thick.  Amy gave them to her when she had asked for books by
famous people.  So far they only helped as a door jam.

     After putting down her pencil on the cramped desk, the
girl sighed and leaned back letting the tips of her two long
blond tails pool on the floor.  She turned her head towards
the window overlooking her bed and admired the soft glow of
the city.

     A smile crept onto her face when she noticed her pink
bunny pattern curtains framing the glass.  She had been
meaning to get them replaced, but she couldn't bear to part
with a relic from her childhood.  Perhaps Reenie might
appreciate them better than she could.

     So many distractions, she mused returning herself to
her barren paper, and so much to say.  What would she say
about her life?  What *should* she say?  Should she talk
about the people who shaped it?

     She found herself gazing at the shelf above her desk
where she'd put pictures of friends and family as well as
little knick-knacks she'd collected over the years.   Each
one of these items brought to mind warm memories.  Then her
eyes roamed to the center of the shelf where something
sparkled and glimmered beckoning for her attention.

     Fondly, she picked up the gift, a star-shaped locket,
and opened it to hear its sweet melody.  Her fiancé had
given it to her a very long time ago and the song always
comforted her.  She closed her eyes, imagining herself as a
princess dancing a waltz to the melody with her dashing dark-
haired prince in the middle of a grand royal ball.

     'Someday, Serena,' she thought as she placed the now
closed locket back on the shelf.

     Above the momentos were various clippings from the
newspaper.
'New Heroine "Sailor Moon" In Action!' one headline said.
'Sailor Moon Defeats Mysterious Creature,' said another.
Usually on every article graced the picture of a fair-haired
heroine with two flowing pony-tails framed by a jewel-
studded tiara dressed in an outfit very similar to any
Japanese school uniform.

     Sailor Moon had become a strange role model for her.
Each article painted the heroine as graceful, level-headed,
compassionate, and all around great leader.  Things she
wished she had, many things in fact, like great grades for
instance.  At least she had the consolation she had
accomplished so many things in her life without those
stellar grades.

     "But what to write?"  She asked shooting her eyes to
the ceiling as she balanced the pencil on her upper lip.

     "It doesn't matter what you write, Serena."  The blonde
girl twisted her head over to the open doorway.

     A black cat streaked through the door, hopped
gracefully onto her bed, and sat with the regal of royalty.
It stared at its master with its cool blue eyes and spoke
evenly, "It's not like they'll understand you amidst all of
your horrible grammar."

     The blonde feigned a pout before a soft smile crept
upon her face.

     "Oh, Luna,” The girl nonchalantly reached out and
scratched her pet on its head just left of its crescent
shaped yellow birth mark, "Whatever am I going to do with
you?"

     The feline purred in appreciation of the attention
before being picked it up by its master and leveled a look.

     "Maybe I should just sell you off to some television
station.  What's the going price on talking cats?"  Serena
found the expression she received quite amusing.

     "You wouldn't dare..."

     "Wanna try me?"

     The cat sighed as her master placed her back on the
bed.  "I can see where Reenie gets her wicked sense of humor
from.  It's certainly not Darien."

     The girl's face sobered slightly.  "So is she asleep?"

     "Sound asleep."  Luna decided to ignore her master's
change of mood and spread herself across the comfortable bed
sheets.

     A small smile formed.  "Good.  Now help me with my
memoirs."

     "Really Serena, we've been through this already, I
don't see why you need to write down your memoirs now."  The
cat groaned.

     "I'd like to write the events in my life when they're
still fresh in my mind." The blonde protested.

     "I can understand the need to do so, but now is not the
time. What if your mother finds them?"  Going on the
offensive, Luna now stood on all four paws readying for
another crusade on the side of reason.

     Leaning back in her chair, the girl shrugged.  "Then
I'll tell her I'm Sailor Moon, no big deal.  What's no
danger in her finding out.  I was going to tell her
eventually."

     "What about Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina?  Do you tell
them about this?"

     "Well..."  Serena's eyes wandered around the room.

     "Well?"  Luna narrowed her eyes.

     With slumped shoulders, Serena surrendered.  "You have
a point."

     The feline relaxed and sighed.  "Please remember
Serena, the other girls trust you.  What would you do if
they felt like they couldn't trust you anymore?"

     "Yes, yes, yes, I understand Luna."  Serena's slightly
agitated voice radiated from the shelter of her closet
before she emerged with her long pink bunny patterned
pajamas.  "I'll ask them about it before I do anything."

     After laying out her bed clothes, the girl paused and
gave her pet a thoughtful look.  "Do you trust me?"

     Luna's ears perked at this yet her eyes remained
closed.
Silence passed as she contemplated the question.

     Unfortunately, the silence had been too much for the
blonde's patience.  "Don't tell me you-"

     "Trust is a very particular thing, Serena."   Luna
interrupted and proceeded carefully.  "I can't trust that
you'll be to school on time, but I can always trust you're
decisions."

     "Why's that?"

     The cat paused once again before meeting her master's
eyes.  "It’s because you have a good heart, Serena.  You
only wish to do the right thing.  You've proven it time and
again. That's why I trust you."

     The blonde girl smiled and decided against bothering
her advisor with any more questions and get ready for bed.

     As Serena struggled with the top button of her blouse,
a sudden rapid pounding broke the peace of the house.  Both
master and pet jumped to attention and glanced at each
before rushing out the bedroom door.

     "I'm coming, I'm coming, jeez."  Serena whispered to
herself as the knocking continued.

     'I wonder ... ' Serena racked her brain with questions
as the pounding became louder and more urgent.

     Who could it be?  Could it be Raye?  No, why would she
be out at this time of night?  In fact, why would any of her
friends is pounding at her door this late without calling
her first?

     'Could it be him?  Maybe he got out early from Osaka,’
The thought of her fiancé sent her racing down the stairs
even faster, ‘knowing he'd be coming here to a virtually
empty house.'

     'Very convenient,’ unvirtuous fantasies danced through
Serena's mind as she chimed.  "I'm coming."

     Luna gracefully leapt down the stairs after Serena,
beating her to the bottom.  Serena's eagerness worried her,
especially when she noticed the wry grin pasted on her face.

     "Listen, Serena,” Luna lectured as her master hopped
over her, "I know you've missed Darien very much over the
last few weeks, but you really has no idea know who's at the
door."

     "Calm down Luna," Serena rolled her eyes at the dark
feline while the pounding continued.  "Remember I am Sailor
Moon.  If I need to, I'll transform and zap em'.

     "Now if you'll excuse me," the blonde girl grabbed the
door handle, "I have to welcome Darien home."

     With one clean jerk, Serena threw open the door and
flung her arms wide.  "Welcome-"

     Serena's large smile wilted once she saw a complete
stranger staring back at her, "... back."

     Instead of Serena's tall, dark, and handsome prince, a
woman in filthy, gray military-type clothing badly in need
of tailoring leaned against the doorframe.  Upon seeing
Serena, the strange woman gasped and fell to her knees in
homage.

     Stunned, Serena could only cough and croak.  "Um...
please get up.  Please?  You don't have to kneel like that."

     Slowly, the woman raised herself to her feet.  The
woman kept her red reamed eyes fixed on the floor and
brushed aside some of her dirt streaked blonde hair.  "I'm
sorry your Majesty.  I did not mean any disrespect."

     Both cat and master glanced at each.

     "Um, I don't think you got the right house."  Serena
stammered.

     Curious, the woman raised her eyes and studied Serena's
visage carefully.  "Are you not Neo Queen Serenity?"

     Serena reeled backward, and the woman reacted in turn.
"Oh I'm sorry, I mean I thought I had the right time - Oh,
nevermind.  Um, perhaps I've made a mistake, you're still
going by Sailor Moon, aren't you?  Please ignore anything I
was saying earlier."


     "No!"  Serena paused realizing that both her cat and
the stranger looked at her dumbfounded.  "No, uh, um, I'm
not her at all.  You must be mistaken.  Try a couple of
houses down.  You might find her there."

     "You are Usagi Tskuino, right?"

     "No, I'm Serena Tskuino."

     "Oh."  The stranger blinked at the girl before noticing
the black cat seated on the stairs behind her.  "Luna's
here, so I must be in a different time stream or something."

     "Time stream?"  Luna whispered to herself hoping the
stranger didn't notice.  "Who is this woman?"

     "Hey Serena!" A shrill voice bellowed from atop of the
stairs, "What's going on!?  Who's at the door?  Is it
Darien?!"

     Both Serena and Luna bristled, as they became keenly
aware that Reenie had awakened.  Even before Serena could
utter any protest, Reenie appeared at the foot of the stairs
in a flash.

     "Darien!"  Reenie squeaked as she blindly leapt at the
stranger.

     Her excitement quickly faded when she noticed that she
clung to a chest much softer and rounder than the muscular,
broad one she had expected.  The shocked little pink haired
girl let go and involuntarily wiped her hands on her blue
nightgown.

     "You must be the crown princess of Crystal Tokyo."  A
smile grew on the woman's face, as she patted the pink-
haired child on the head, "You look so much like your
mother."

     Reenie jumped back and stammered, "Uhhh, heh, I don't
know what you're talking about, heh."

     Quickly, the child regained her composure and grinned
while growling softly to Serena. "Who is this woman?"

     Serena couldn't answer and she could hear none from
Luna either.  The blonde woman began to rub the side of her
arm and studied the doorframe.  Silence passed, as the
Serena, her daughter, and the stranger fidgeted in place.
Finally, the blonde stranger drove up her courage to speak.

     "Well, um, I'm very sorry.  You must think I'm rude.  I
haven't introduced myself."  The stranger smiled meekly
while toying with her ruby bracelet.  "Uh, I'm-"

     "A Traveller."  A cold, calm voice finished.  "And an
unwelcome guest."

     "The Time Guardian."  The blonde woman froze and a vice
grip held her throat as a tall woman emerged from the
darkness.  "Oh no."

     "Puu?"  The child chirped curiously.

     "Sailor Pluto?"  Serena heard Luna murmur.

     The tall woman came closer, stabbing her staff into the
concrete startling the blonde stranger.  Even with the light
of her house, Serena had a hard time discerning the tall
woman from the darkness.  Though Sailor Pluto wore a white
bodice, her tanned skin and long, enveloping dark hair made
her hard to distinguish from the night.

     Pluto stared down the trembling stranger.  The stranger
in turn focused on the red orb perched on Pluto's staff that
burned of crimson.

     The glowing orb disturbed Serena since she only
remembered it being that intense during some of their
fiercest battles.

     "Leave now.  Traveller."  The Time Guardian ordered as
she pointed the glowing orb at the blonde stranger.  "You
have no business here."

     Serena noticed the meek stranger seemed to wilt under
Sailor Pluto's intense gaze, but to her astonishment the
blonde woman said softly.  "I'm sorry Time Guardian, but I
have little time before my enemies find me."

     "They're already here."  The Time Guardian replied.
"So I advise you leave."

     "Then you know they'll tear apart this city before
they're satisfied I'm not here."  Serena could only admire
the stranger's resolve under such intense hostility.

     "We'll be able to handle them."  The Time Guardian
answered.

     "But with my help, you won't be putting the Senshi's
lives at risk."  The stranger retorted.

     'Senshi?'  Serena wondered.

     "We don't need your help, Traveller."  With that the
Time Guardian grew silent and crossed her arms.

     "Please don't do this."  Serena could see the
stranger's fist dig harder into her palms and her red reamed
eyes began to water.  Her jaw clenched and went slack before
she squeezed her eyes shut.  Luna, Serena, and Reenie all
held their breath.  Finally, the dirt covered, weary blonde
woman gave in and sighed in defeat.

     A feeling of despair weighed heavily on Serena as she
watched the poor stranger stew in her own desperation while
the taller woman approached her.

     "It has been decided then."  The Time Guardian gingerly
rested her hand on the stranger's shoulder.

     "No."  The blonde stranger's stark blue eyes shot open.
"This is not your decision to make."

     The Time Guardian stepped back surprised and the blonde
stranger took advantage.  Rushing up to Serena, the stranger
knelt in front of the girl shedding her modesty.

     "Your Highness, I implore you to listen to my pleas!"
The intensity Serena watched building up in this woman had
found release.  "I'm a rebel with a group called the Society
that is fighting the corruption of my world.  Our enemies
have sent their soldiers after me, who will ruthlessly and
tenaciously pursue me.  They've killed my friends and wiped
out my entire family before my own eyes!"

     Tears began to carve through the dark smudges on the
stranger's flushed cheeks.  "Please, my Queen, only you and
your court of Senshi possess my last hope for survival!"
Suddenly, the stranger hopped to her feet and held Serena's
hands in her own and looked directly into her eyes.  "I
trust you, your Highness.  I know that you fight for those
who are in grave need and I know that you fight for justice
and all that's right.  I know you'll make the right
decision."

     Serena looked toward the Time Guardian whom she had
expected to cut in, but instead she waited anxiously for her
to answer.  In the past, if Pluto had told them to do
something, they did it. Serena and the other Scouts found it
hard to argue against the vast wisdom of someone who has
seen everything from the past, present, and future.

     'But Pluto's never waited on me to make a decision.'
Serena glanced at Luna hoping for some advice, but, like
Pluto, waited for her decision.  All of the sudden Serena
could feel the burden that this decision was truly hers to
make.

     With no one else she could turn to, Serena reflected
inward. This stranger must have come a long way, she
reasoned, crossing many dimensions to find her.  In fact,
out of all those she could have chosen, the stranger
entrusted her life to Serena.  Serena couldn't deny her pain
either, the pangs in her heart told her that much.  So what
should she do?

     Serena now noticed Pluto wring her staff with her
clenched fist and, with a sense of urgency, continued to
think.  Even though the blonde woman was obviously
suffering, she was a stranger and Pluto had strong
convictions against her staying here.

     The pangs of her heart, though, troubled her and
conflicted entirely with Pluto's wishes.  She felt an
obligation to stand up for this stranger, just as she had
with many others when no one gave them any hope.  What
should she trust, her heart or the ageless wisdom of Sailor
Pluto?  Serena looked down at Reenie who was now clinging to
her leg, anxiously waiting for her to answer.  What Sailor
Moon would do?

     "She stays, Pluto."  Serena stated softly.

     Immediately, Pluto replied sternly.  "Let me reiterate
myself, Sailor Moon, it would not be wise to permit the
Traveller to remain here.  There's no telling what damage
she could cause to your future."

     With unusually strong composure akin to that of
royalty, Serena remained firm against the intimidating
presence of the Time Guardian.  "I'm well aware of this
Sailor Pluto, but I fight for love, justice, and helping
those who are in need.  My heart tells me to help this woman
and I trust it, and I implore you to do the same.  This
woman is in need of our help, and you are telling me to
ignore her pleas.  I can't do that.  I wouldn't be Sailor
Moon, or your Queen, if I deny her or any others who are in
need."

     Serena could see Pluto's face contort every so slightly
with confusion and she only could guess the conflicting
emotions twisting up inside Pluto.  It killed her to do that
to a friend, but she knew deep down what she was doing was
right.

     With a resigning sigh, Pluto caved in.  "As you wish,
my Queen.  But this Traveller will not be staying with you
she is too dangerous to be near you especially if her
enemies are looking for her.  I will take her someplace
where she will be protected and safely away from you."

     Sensing a need to make Pluto feel better, Serena nodded
her head in compliance, and then turned to the beaming
blonde stranger.

     "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"  The stranger
gripped Serena in an embrace.  "I don't know how I'll ever
repay you!"

     "Well,” Serena wheezed, "you can start by telling me
you name."

     "Ah,” The blonde stranger let go, composed herself, and
curtseyed, "My name is Xendyte Animi, Your Highness, but you
may also call me Cindy."

     Nodding and bowing, Serena smiled back at Cindy.
"Welcome Cindy.  My name is Serena but I insist that you
call me Serena.  I will not have any of this 'Your Highness'
nonsense among my friends."

     A genuine grin spread across Cindy's face.  "Yes
ma'am!"



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



     A brisk wind welcomed Greg as he crested the steps from
the subway station.  His wavy brown locks tossed about with
the gusts.  Looking down the darkened streets, he saw the
lamps had kindly illuminated his path through the night.
Thrusting his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he
contemplated the new wrinkle in his relationship with Amy.

     'I should have seen it coming.'  He chaste himself.

     Though they had been close friends for awhile,
especially now that his family moved back to Tokyo, they
knew of their attraction to one another.  The studying
sessions they had only agitated it further.  Slowly the
level of intimacy increased starting with incidental contact
to its crescendo tonight.

     A dark red glow highlighted Greg's cheeks making him
glad that the street was nearly deserted.  Though his
relationship with Amy had developed into something more
serious, Amy quickly reasoned with him that they needed to
focus on school.

     He agreed, but it made him wonder what this meant for
them.  He resisted the temptation to close his eyes and take
a quick peek into the future.  He didn't want to take the
chance and see himself broken hearted.  Some people would
die for the special abilities he possessed, but to him they
were mere annoyances.  Though it came in handy on occasion,
he always felt guilty when he used them for his own personal
gain, usually to get good test scores.  He wondered if Amy
and the other Sailor Scouts felt the same way.

     Turning from the main road, Greg found himself passing
through a narrow street towards his home, a shortcut he'd
taken many times.  He looked up at the sparse lights, which
glowed with less intensity here.  The buildings crowded the
street, their titled surface making the pathway seem more
like a hall of mirrors.

     Suddenly a meow startled Greg.  Jumping back, Greg saw
the end of a cat's tail streak into one of the alleyways
between buildings.

     "How?"  Greg murmured, amazed that the cat surprised
him.  His senses should have warned him but they didn't.  "I
must be getting rusty or something."

     Greg's heart began to rush.  He closed his eyes and
tried to concentrate.  Visions of the future always seemed
to calm him.  Nothing.  He squeezed his eyes tighter,
reaching out for anything.  Finally, he could sense
something, not a vision, but more like a murmur he could
barely make out.

     Before Greg could grasp it, a gust of wind nearly
knocked him off his feet.  Cool blue flashes illuminated the
narrow alley as a small torrent of air tossed the boy
around.

     Without warning, the wind calmed.  Pausing a moment to
catch his breath, Greg gingerly lifted himself up from the
pavement.  A few meters away, Greg could see a few lithe
arms of energy wave from one of the alleyways ahead.

     All of Greg's instincts told him to run, but his
intuitive mind found the mystery hard to resist.
Approaching with caution, Greg heart raced.  Was this some
kind of spirit?  Perhaps it was something extraterrestrial.
Whatever it was, Greg knew he had to confirm whether or not
this was friend or foe for the sake of Amy and her friends.

     With grim determination, the boy crept his head around
the corner.  As Greg eased his eyes closer to the edge, a
title above his head exploded into concrete splinters
sending him to the ground.

     Reeling back to the street, the boy back-pedaled with
both hands and turned to scramble away.

     "Hold it!"  Greg dared not disobey the command barked
at him.

     "Turn around."  Carefully, Greg did what he was told
and found himself staring down a barrel of a gun.

     Quickly, Greg assessed his situation.  Was he being
robbed?  He hardly had any money left after the subway.  The
man had to be foreign since his height towered over the
average Japanese man.   A large vertical scar dominated the
right side of his pale face indicating a rough character.

     But none of this made any sense.  What about the wind
and the surge of mysterious energy?  Why would a robber just
seem to emerge from it?

     "Hello, sir."  Greg said evenly while keeping his
attention focused on the foreigner instead of the gun
pointed at him or the large glowing, broad sword hanging
from his waist.  "I have nothing for you to rob-"

     "Oh, I'm sure you don't."  The foreigner smirked and
flipped a few of his dirty black locks from his dark brown
eyes.  "The gun's just my personal lie detector."

     Greg tore his sights away from the eerie glow of the
sword and slacked his jaw.  "Lie detector?"

     The man chuckled.  "Exactly.  I need you to tell me
where your Queen is."

     "Queen?  I don't-"

     *BANG!*

     Greg paused a moment to let his heart start beating
again and he opened his eyes.  A smoking barrel welcomed his
sight and looking down he noticed a small crater at his
feet.

     "Well, kiddo, looks like you're not tellin' the truth."
A slight scowl framed the man's face.  "Where is your
Queen?"

     "You mean the Empress of Japan?"  Greg blurted out in
desperation.

     The man gnashed his teeth and hissed while thrusting
his weapon at the boy.  "No, damn it, I mean Neo-Queen
Serenity!  You stupid bastard!  Where the hell is she?!"


     Beneath his confusion, Greg began to panic.  Was this
man an enemy from the future?  How else would he known of
Serenity?  If so, by the looks of this man and his mystical
sword he had truly gotten in over his head.  "Serenity?  Uh,
I've neve-"

     "Shhh!"   The stranger cut off the boy's babbling and
searched the sky letting his ear guide him.

     Perplexed, Greg watched as the stranger prowled around
the narrow street, keeping his weapon ready and pointed in
Greg's general direction.  The boy had no idea what to
listen for among all the sounds of cars driving on elevated
thorough fares and the occasional tolling of crossing guards
in the distance.

     One sound out the muddled mess, however, began to grow
louder.  At first, it sounded like a plane passing overhead,
but soon it grew too close to be several hundred feet above
them and its volume grew rapidly.

     "Damn it!"  The stranger screamed as a blast tore apart
the wall behind him.

     Greg jumped for one of the alleyways on the opposite
side of the street as small debris showered upon him.  A
roar of an engine resonated down the alley.  The dust
swirled around his head, the smell of scorched concrete
filled his nose.  Torrents of gun fire followed, from the
stranger he guessed, assaulting his eardrums.

     Lifting his hands away from his head, he peered from
his prone position through the floating debris and spied the
stranger, his guns wailing a rain of bullets as he gnashed
his teeth.   The firestorm of bullets intensified with the
engine's roar until a blue streak nearly toppled the
stranger.

     Then there was quiet.  Greg raised his sore and
concrete battered body and viewed the standoff before him.
A blue metallic suit hovered at the entrance of the alley,
it's mirrored helmet aimed in the viscidity of the stranger.
The blue suit swayed calmly as its lithe clawed fingers
clicked against each other like icicles.  In contrast, the
stranger's wild soot covered mane flayed about as his
bloodshot brown eyes narrowed and his fingers danced on the
trigger.

     "You're still alive, Timelord?"  The unnaturally deep
voice resonated from underneath the metallic helmet.  "No
matter.  I'll just eradicate you now and save the General
the effort."

      "Where is that bastard, you puny asshole!?"  The
stranger hissed.

     The floating suit's taunting sway stopped abruptly and
the synthetic voice now seemed to have an edge.  "Heh, I
should thank you, Rodent.  The General will surely vindicate
me once I serve him your head on a platter-"

     A sudden barrage of bullets connected with the metallic
suit sending it tearing around the alley erratically.

     "Talkin' tough now, you Society bastard!"  The stranger
screamed, continuing his unrelenting attack.  "How do you
like that now, huh!?  You freakin' fairy!"

     Greg ducked behind the building's wall as flecks of
concrete hit him in the face.  From his vantage point, he
could see the suit shot in every direction, convulsing with
jolts of electricity with each bullet.

     Among all the gunfire he could hear the stranger
cackle.  "Is this how you like it from your precious
General?"

     In desperation, the blue suit began to spin around
until finally it punch its fist toward the stranger.  For a
split second Greg saw something pop up from the suit's
forearm before another blast rocked the alley.

     The blast flung Greg further down the alleyway and
pummeled his body with more debris.  Bolting to his feet,
Greg rushed back to what was left of the wall and was taken
back by the devastation.  The entire side of the building
had collapsed onto the alley leaving its internals exposed
to the night.  He didn't see anyone inside and he hoped no
one had been trapped beneath the debris.

     Meanwhile, the blue suit clawed at the pile of bricks
on the ground, possibly looking for the stranger completely
oblivious to the destruction it had just caused.

     "Malance!"  A muffled voice barked from inside the
helmet, so loudly it made Greg jump backwards.

     "Yes General!"  The suit immediately jumped to
attention.

     A short pause passed as the suit stood anxiously.

     "Malance!  Why aren't you answering!?"  The voice
demanded amongst the static.

     "I'm here General!"  The suit banged its helmet in vain
to get it to cooperate.

     "Return here at once."  The cold voice ordered.  "I
grow weary of your delay."

     Greg could hear the engine on the back of the suit
charge up and as it growled.  "This isn't over Timelord."

     As the metal suit disappeared into the darkness, Greg
crept out from his hiding place.  What was going on?  First
the gun wielding stranger and then the man in a robotic
suit, and finally this 'General' person whose voice still
was sending shivers down the Greg's spine.

     There was time to think this through later, right now
he had to search for the injured.  With a purposeful pace,
Greg began removing the bricks when the pile shifted.
Quickening his pace, Greg tossed debris out of the way.

     Suddenly, the stranger burst from the pile and jammed
his gun right in the stunned boy's face.  Greg's throat
tightened as he looked into the stranger's grinning bloody
facade.  His wild pitch black pupils glowed through his dark
mane.

     "Where you goin' boy?"  The stranger chuckled.  "You're
my tour guide."

     Needing to know, Greg closed his eyes and searched for
a vision of his fate.

     And he saw nothing...



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



     After exchanging good-byes and condolences, the Time
Guardian whisked the Traveller, Cindy, safely away.  Serena,
Luna and Reenie stood at the front door a moment to finally
let soak what had just transpired.

     Finally, the black feline hopped on the blonde
teenager's shoulder.  "I think it's time to go to bed."

     All parties quietly nodded their heads.  In a shocked
silence, Serena and Reenie ascended the stairs.  Serena led
Reenie into the child's bedroom as Luna raced toward
Serena's bedroom.  After tucking Reenie into her bed, Serena
began to make her way back to her own room.  Before she
could reach the door, Reenie stopped her.

     "Serena?"

     "Yes?"  Serena turned back toward the pink-haired
child, ready to provide any comfort to her.

     Reenie chewed on her lip gingerly, searching for
something to say before she noticed the growing concern on
her guardian's face.  "Goodnite."

     Serena smiled.  "Sleep well, Reenie.  I know alot has
happened just now, but let me worry about this.  Okay?"

     The child smiled back and nodded before pulling the
covers over herself.

     As she closed the door, Serena mood sobered.  Deep in
contemplation, Serena walked back to her room and quietly
sat on her bed next to the black feline.

     Looking to her advisor for approval, Serena asked, "Are
you sure that I made the right decision, Luna?"

     Luna paused a moment to think.  "I'm not sure, Serena.
I hate to say it, but only time will tell.  However truth be
told, none of this makes any sense to me.  This Cindy woman,
Pluto, and these 'Travellers.'"

     The girl sighed.  "I know.  Pluto was so insistent that
Cindy had to leave, but when I said she could stay, she
obeyed me without protest.  It's scary Luna, Pluto trusts me
enough to follow my orders."

     Serena stared out her window once more, hoping that
maybe the stars might give her some condolence.

     Luna didn't respond and thought about how their new
predicament changed things.  "How do you suppose the others
will take this?"

     Serena stayed silent for a long moment still looking
out her window, focusing on the full moon, "Probably not too
well.  Either way, we'll definitely find out tomorrow."

     Serena opened a drawer near her bed and found a thin
device which looked similar to a credit card.  She pressed a
button at the bottom, and an image of her friend, Amy,
flashed into view in the opposing corner.   The girl's short
blue hair was in disarray and she struggled to keep her head
straight up.  She rubbed her eyes, swollen with sleep,
before yawning; “What is it Serena?"

     Serena forced an apologetic smile to her drowsy friend,
"Amy, we need to schedule an emergency Scout meeting."

End of part 1

Disclaimer:
Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and in America by various other companies.

I know that this has some grammar errors littered throughout but the majority of 
my prereaders have long since disappeared, so I apologize to those of you who I
know this bugs to no end.  Anyway thanks for reading and I hope that you will 
continue to patronize my story.

Also, I have to thank Setsu-P & The Magical Elf for their input and suggestions.

Um, I can't think of anything more clever to say, so adios!

Bastion
bastion@ix.netcom.com



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