Roight, then...

Gotten some comments back on the story...  Basically if you think the story's
been mediocre before this, it's improving significantly, starting with this
chapter.

Previously, Terra Incognita joined up with a fledgeling group of miniskirted
superheroines, but hadn't been able to contribute much up to this point. 
Earlier chapters are at the Florestica site:

http://boliver.florestica.com/tint/index.htm

The previous chapter had the title as, "And They All Died..."  And they did all
die.  And now, this chapter is...

Nuke 'Em 'Till They Glow!!
Terra in Tokyo

---Chapter 6:  But It Was Just a Dream.

	Terra wanted to throw up, but that was probably just from a minor case of the
flu coming on.  What really bothered her right now, the death of all her
friends, still hadn't fully registered in her mind.  No, that wasn't true.  She
knew all too well that, despite her best efforts, she failed to save or even aid
significantly her friends.

	Sure sucks to be you, doesn't it? a voice from inside the girl's head said. 
"Shut up," she moaned in reply.  She'd already been through insults from the
four generals who killed the other girls as well as a working over earlier by
Arby the ArbyFish.  Her mind's remarks weren't helping very much.

	"What?  I didn't say anything," the Star Light Knight said, "and neither did
I."  He twitched and pounded on his own head.  "Quiet, you!"

	Terra turned her thoughts to the Star Light Knight, who had enough strength to
stop a combined attack from all the generals without much effort.  He hadn't
seemed winded, like he'd arrived in a hurry or something.  He only interfered
in the fight when she was in danger.  The failure of a Sailor Soldier finally
found the strength to speak.  "Why... why didn't you save them?" she asked.

	S.L.K. glanced at her.  "Finally snapped out of it, huh?"

	"Why?"

	"Why didn't I save them?  Why didn't YOU save them, if they're so important to
you?"

	Sailor Chibimoon choked back the tears.  "You're so strong!  Crazy-strong!  And
I... I don't have any power--!"

	"BALONEY!" S.L.K. shot back.  "And by that I mean the cheap stuff that rots
five minutes after you open the package."

	Terra shook with confusion at his remark that gave way to a flabbergasted rage.
 "What do you mean?!"

	"You've got more raw power than I do!  More than anyone else could ever have! 
Don't you know who you are?!  I figured that, since you weren't doing anything
about it when they were in such obvious mortal danger, you must have wanted it
that way.  It's your own dang fault for not helping those people back there."

	"But I thought you loved Sailor Moon!" Terra protested.  "You're always out
there, helping her and showing her how to use her powers better!  Didn't that
mean anything?!"

	"Not really," S.L.K. said.  "There was a mix-up and I thought she was you. 
But, just after you showed up this time, something happened to Sailor Moon that
would never happen to you.  It was waaay simple, but what she said, I know you
never would.  Not in any lifetime, not in any sailor suit."

	"So you caring about her was a mistake," Chibimoon sniffed.  "And everything
she liked about you was a lie!  You... you jerk!"

	S.L.K. found a quiet rooftop and set the girl down.  He stared at her.  "You
know," he whispered, "I've been called a lot of things in my life, but coming
from you, how you just said that, really hurts.  And I don't care what people
say.  I don't care what ANYONE says.  I thought I didn't care about what you
say, but I guess I do."

	"Whatever."  Terra sat down, holding her arms around her legs.  "You big jerk,"
she repeated quietly.  "Usagi's dead and you can't say anything nice about her."

	"Hah.  Just blondie?  No grieving for tuxy, brainy, tomboy, or firebrand, huh?"

	Terra winced.  Thank you, she thought sarcastically, for slicing the wound back
open, and rubbing salt and vinegar into it.

	"You're welcome," S.L.K. replied.  "Now maybe next time you'll actually get up
and DO something when your next batch of friends get into danger."

	Sailor Chibimoon sighed and shook her head.  "And you're a mind-reader, too?"

	"Not usually.  I do dabble, though."

	Looking back towards the airport, Terra saw a large black vortex open.  She
watched an army of vaguely human-shaped figures pour out.  The blackness spread
wider, and fires began across the city as the enemy began its work.  "This is
horrible."

	S.L.K. leaned against a chimney, folded his arms, and nodded.  "Yeah, that's
what they'd do, isn't it?  The heroes are all gone, so it's time to party. 
Looks like a pretty good foothold they've got there.  Still spreading, too." 
He looked like he was working out some figures in his head.  "If they stopped
right now, and if I didn't worry about collateral damage, all that'd take me a
couple hours to mop up.  Oh!  Would you look at that.  They're taking human
prisoners, draining them, and leaving them as broken, empty shells.  Looks
like... about a thousand casualties in the past minute alone."

	Terra found herself speechless.  She heard the stifled screams in the distance,
along with the chattering of the approaching foes.

	"But don't worry," S.L.K. said.  "It'll all be over soon, thanks to you.  After
all, if you can't be bothered to lift a finger to save your best buddies to stop
the end of the world, I suppose you've got something better in mind.  Please,
tell me, I'd love to know your plan."

	"I--!" Terra was struggling for words.  "Even if I have power, I don't know how
to use it!"

	"Pish posh, and all that rot," S.L.K. waved off her remark.  "If those other
kids really meant anything to you, you'd have found a way to use your powers."

	"But I do care about them!" Terra protested.

	"Or did, rather.  They're kind of toasty right now."

	"How can you be so insensitive?!"

	"Because I have no sympathy for you.  If you were me and had been through all
I've been through, you'd have no sympathy for you, either.  Why?  Because you
won't do anything except feel sorry for yourself, you little whiny baby.  Next
time, if you care about anything, protect it, like I'm protecting YOU!"  S.L.K.
glanced over in the direction of the airport.  "Oh, here come those generals
again.  And they've got an army this time.  A truckload of youma teleported in
behind us--I know you didn't see them--so we're surrounded.  Looks like we're
going to have to fight."  He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.  "I
LOVE fighting."

	Terra stood up and saw what the man was talking about.  She looked back at the
knight and said, "But I can't fight!  I don't have any weapons."

	S.L.K. sneered at her like she was some sort of dirty, wet ferret.  "Look, if
you really care about anything, you'll figure out a way to fight to protect it.
 Whatever you can get your hands on is a weapon.  If there's nothing to grab,
then your whole body is your weapon.  And when your body's broken and you can't
use it anymore, then your spirit is your weapon!  And that only gives out when
you give up.  But you're right: if you've already given up, you have no
weapons."

	The girl's mind worked steadily to pick apart all of the knight's statemement. 
"You can't be right.  People die all the time, and they've got TONS of
motivation!  You can't tell me all those others who've died in wars and stuff
didn't care enough or give it their all."

	"What other people?  I'm talking about YOU!"

	Flying like some kind of magic vampire, Jadeite approached with his monstrous
entourage.  "Ha-hah!  There you are."

	S.L.K. tilted his head at Terra and said, "Right now, you're looking kind of
upset.  Hey, no big deal, I understand.  After all, I've just been ragging on
you ever since those other kids died, and I won't fault you if you want me dead
right now.  Tell you what, I'm going to do something really stupid and
life-threatening right now.  They've probably gone and revived their demon
goddess by now, so all their youma and generals have all kinds of new funky,
gnarly powers they got from her.  So, I'll probably get killed pretty easy if I
don't have any backup.  If you want me dead--and that's fine by me--just keep
sitting there and don't worry about it.  On the other hand, if you want to make
a difference, now's the time to start."  He gave her a casual two-finger salute.
 "Cheers."

	The man left Terra to process his words.  Yes, she was upset.  No, she didn't
want S.L.K. dead as such, even if he was being such an uncaring brash fellow
about the whole thing.  What he said about the demon goddess looked fairly
true, what with the giant horned shadow descending out of the vortex over the
airport and all.  Sailor Chibimoon wanted to make a difference, but how?

	As S.L.K. approached Jadeite, the knight started toying with him.  "Hey, Jed! 
Whassup?"  He raised his hands raised in a feigned friendly manner.  "Remember
all the fun times we had back on Mars?  Get over here.  I've got something I
want to show you."

	"Kill this buffoon," General Jadeite ordered his heavily-armored youma
entourage.  "He's not worth my time."

	"Yesss, massster!" the juggernauts hissed.

	S.L.K. looked emotionally hurt.  "Not worth your time?  After I kicked your
lousy donkey around town and back that first time?  Jeddy, Jeddy, Jeddy, for
shame!"  He took out his gun, backhanded one of the giant youma away, and fired
four shots at the general's head.

	"Forty-four magnum, steel-jacketed," Jadeite said as he caught the bullets
effortlessly with one hand, "PLAY-DOUGH!"  He threw the rounds to the ground.

	The Star Light Knight then took out a bucket of water, labeled "Spring of
Drowned *CUTE* Girl."

	Jadeite rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, please!  Not that sorry old trick again.
 I'm immune to that now, thanks to our Great Leader."

	"You are?"  S.L.K. frowned, then shrugged and tossed it onto the closest
monster.  "Well, waste not, want not."

	"WAAAH!" the cute black-haired ten-year-old ex-youma cried, before S.L.K.
kicked her away, off the side of the building.  The remaining youma closed in
and pinned the man to the roof.

	Jadeite grabbed the knight's arm and, in a shower of shredded electronics and
metal, ripped it off.  "A machine?  Hah!  So, you weren't reborn after all."

	Terra gasped.

	"Hey, it's hard to stay solid without the right kind of power.  I did what I
had to for survival," S.L.K. said.  "But I guess we can't count on that now,
can we?  So, here's my final gift."  The armor on his chest cavity slid aside
to reveal a device with a digital counter on it, which was only a couple of
seconds away from zero.  He took it out and thrust it up against the general's
face.  "THERMONUKE TO THE HEAD!!!"

	The device fizzled and let out a puff of smoke.

	S.L.K. frowned.  "Oh, bugger it."

	Jadeite smirked, then took the device and looked at it.  "All of this kind of
technology stops working in the presence of our Great Leader, including your
bombs and your clockwork body, it seems."  Without another moment's hesitation
he ripped the knight's head off and threw it aside.

	"GYAAH!" Terra shrieked as the robotic head landed in her hands.

	"The horror," S.L.K. said, his voice slowing and grinding to a halt.  "The
horror...."  The artificial excuse for a cranium went dark and cold.  Terra
dropped it and started scrambling away.

	"Let's see now," said Jadeite to Terra.  "That was all of your friends, wasn't
it?  We found that feisty feline of yours and gutted it as well.  What a shame
you won't live to see it."

	Terra Incognita turned around and saw the blast the general was generating.  It
looked bigger than any of the other ones that had been used before.  Plus, it
was tinged by an evil, sparking energy--probably that of the demon goddess
mentioned by her robot ex-protector.  The girl glanced at the black lightning
raining down from the sky, which was stricken by the vortex.  The gigantic
shadow rained beams of destruction upon the helpless city.

	Somebody had to stop this, Terra asserted to herself, but even now, it was too
late.  Tens of thousands were already dead, her friends gone, and a demon
goddess resurrected.  There was no possible way anyone could hope to defeat
even the generals, much less that huge thing.  But, like she'd often been told,
an attitude like that would get her nowhere.

	"All right, mind," Terra forced out through clenched teeth as her determination
escalated, "find me a way to fix this, and no arguments this time!"

	A burning blackness arose within her.  It felt like what had happened when
she'd been grabbed in a sensitive spot while taking the bus home earlier. 
Only, it was stronger this time; more coherent.

	Jadeite's blast sped towards her.

	The girl grappled with an existentialistic concept, and pulled.

	The energy burst slowed, gradually at first, and then stopped, as did all of
the general's and monsters' movements.  Time and space bent around Terra as she
tried to look around.  Her movements were very much restrained, but it was quite
obvious that she had gotten time to stop.

	Now we're talking, thought Terra.  So, she had a power, and it was manipulating
time.  Very well, she considered, let's see how far this new gift of mine goes. 
She yanked on time with all her might.

	The energy ball began moving backwards.

	YES, Terra shouted within herself.  Let's go further!

	Engaged in an agonizing tug of war with the events that passed, the girl
dragged time along second by second.  S.L.K reassembled, talked with her, and
carried her backward to the airport.  Her friends were restored to life, though
they hung helpless in the air.

	Then Terra couldn't take it anymore.  Her mind burned.  However it happened,
whether by expending effort to send her brain patterns back in time or by
actually changing the universe around her, it expended a lot of effort.  It was
like trying to hold her breath while running a marathon; she couldn't keep it up
for any longer.

	Time slammed back to normal speed and Sailor Chibimoon fell gasping for breath,
red-faced with a sudden effort.

	"Chibimoon!" Sailor Moon cried.

	"You just got here and you've already fainted?" Zoicite observed with no small
hint of amusement.  "Don't pass out just yet.  We want you to see this."  He
pointed his hand at Sailor Moon.  "Die!"

	"NO!" Chibimoon yelled, but it wasn't a despairing yell of the helpless this
time.  She'd already witnessed her friends' deaths once.  Never again, she
vowed.  But, part of her mind protested, she still had no weapons.

	Yet another part of her mind recalled the words of the Star Light Knight: 
"Look, if you really care about anything, you'll figure out a way to fight to
protect it.  Whatever you can get your hands on is a weapon.  If there's
nothing to grab, then your whole body is your weapon."

	There was nothing to grab, Terra noticed, when Zoicite fired.

	"STOP!" she shouted, and grabbed hold of time with all her might.  Whatever
metaphysical muscle she had for manipulating time was extremely sore.  She
couldn't reverse time.  In fact, she couldn't even fully stop it.  The ball
flew in slow motion toward its terrified target.

	Block it! a voice in her mind commanded.  She would have nodded, but it seemed
that her body as well was affected by the slowed time.  Nevertheless, she
forced herself to move.  Pebbles from the runway tore free under her boots as
she advanced.  The out-of-shape muscles in her legs burned a little as she used
them to run.

	If that energy ball took half a second to hit Sailor Moon, Terra calculated, I
will have to travel faster than a speeding corvette to save her.

	Somehow, mystically, she caught up with the ball.  She tried to push Usagi out
of the way, but she wouldn't budge, held fast in the air by Jadeite's magic. 
Plus, little bruises instantly appeared on Sailor Moon's skin as she touched
her.

	Terra turned and faced the energy ball.  She stuck out her hands and cupped
them against it.  The energy started pouring from between her fingers, which it
started to sear.  The girl adjusted her grasp and pushed at several locations,
reforming the ball until it no longer headed toward Usagi.

	As far as deep time swimming went, it was time for Sailor Chibimoon to come up
and take a breath.  When she did, her world erupted into a white screaming mass
of pain.  The dull ache in her legs was actually an intense agony distributed
over several fractions of a second.  The skin under her gloves was scorched
from contact with the energy blast, and the rest of her body just ached.  She
again fell to her knees, which throbbed with such pressure they could have been
hearts themselves.

	However, Terra did see the energy ball speed away from Usagi, and impact at
several times its original velocity.  It hit Zoicite's face and exploded quite
spectacularly.

	"AAAAAAAAAAAUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Zoicite screamed, clutching at his face, which
was scorched beyond all recognition.  "IT BURNS!  IT BURNS!!!"

	Kunzite's mouth fell open.  "Zoicite!"  He dashed over to catch the injured
general as he fell.  "But... HOW?!"

	"WHAT!?" shouted Jadeite.  He looked at the brown-haired general near Sailor
Jupiter.  "Nephrite!  Kill the others, NOW!"

	Despite the pain, Sailor Chibimoon refocused her determination.  "NO," she
intoned, rising to her feet.  "I WILL PROTECT THEM THIS TIME!"  The power
within her flickered, but remained strong.  She grasped time again and pulled
it to nearly a halt.

	Nephrite had just lifted his hand to prepare another blast.

	Terra dashed towards him.  Time was even more compressed than before, but this
time her legs protested just as bad as when she had started this latest
temporal manipulation.  She had to stop that other general from killing her
friends as well.  While it was true she had no real weapons, she would find a
way.

	No, she corrected herself.  She had a weapon.  Her whole body was her weapon.

	The girl forced her legs to move faster as she sped toward her target.  Her
knees rattled and little by little her muscles snapped.  The soles of her boots
left long dark marks on the runway as they scraped away.  She drew back her
right fist and thrust it toward the general's face.

	The bones in her fist cracked and broke on the hard skull of General Nephrite. 
As she followed through with the blow, her wrist was crushed and the innards of
her arm fragmented.

	Kinetic energy, remembered Terra, equals mass times velocity squared. 
Therefore, the size or strength of her arm was exponentially less important
than how fast she threw the punch.  By her rough calculations, it must have
been somewhere just under the speed of sound.

	She didn't see what kind of damage she did to Nephrite's skull.  Instead, she
lost control of her body as gravity failed to provide her with sufficient
traction.  She flew, spinning and falling, past the general and skidded a good
long distance before stopping when she hit a thick concrete wall, which cracked
from the impact.  Whatever her sailor suit was made of, it managed to survive
the skid relatively intact.

	Chibimoon dreaded what her body might feel like when she crashed back to normal
time, but she couldn't maintain the warp any longer.  Her fears were well
justified.  She barely had enough breath to scream, the pain was so intense. 
Both her legs were badly broken, on top of the arm she sacrificed.

	"Sailor Chibimoon, no!" Sailor Jupiter cried when she saw what state her new
friend was in.  "I'll get you for this, you--"  Then she stopped when she
discovered that Nephrite was in far worse condition.  "Oh, YECCH!"

	"Incredible!" exclaimed Sailor Mars.

	"How timely," noted Mercury.

	The fallen general twitched and gurgled from his crushed, misshapen head. 
Green ichor poured out of his mouth.  It was a miracle--or some sort of
horrible curse--that he was still alive, for however long that would last.

	"Nephrite!" Kunzite shouted.  He flew over to Nephrite's location with Zoicite,
glanced at Jadeite, and vanished along with his two maimed comrades.

	"You'll pay for that," Jadeite growled at Chibimoon.

	Terra cried out in pain again when she tried to move.  "Oh, I paid for that all
right," she said weakly.  She would likely never walk again, for one thing, and
she'd need to relearn how to write with her left hand.  That is, provided she
survived.

	"Troublesome brat," Jadeite said, "now that you're done interfering.  I'll just
finish you all off now."  He stuck out his hand and a long sharp crystal sword
appeared in it.  He raised it over Sailor Mars' head.

	"No," Terra whispered.  This time, it really was the whisper of a poor defeated
soul.  She had given her all and sacrificed her body--that rather pretty body
she'd hoped to use for modeling next week--but had only managed to remove three
generals from the equation.  One of them seemed quite capable of killing
everyone by himself.  Besides, she remembered how fearsome he'd been in tearing
apart the Star Light Knight, the mighty man--er, robot--who hadn't ever even
flinched before.

	Then she remembered his words:  "And when your body's broken and you can't use
it anymore, then your spirit is your weapon!"

	How can my spirit be my weapon? she wondered.  She had no energy attacks, no
flashy moves she could prance around and call out.  What could she do besides
hold time in her metaphysical grasp?

	If only she could leave her body... or project her spirit and have it fight. 
Her power pulsed within her.

	"Mind, help me figure this one out!"

	Meanwhile, Jadeite slashed downwards at Mars's neck...

	...only to have his blade parried by another sword!

	The new weapon flared into existence, starting with the edge that held back
Jadeite's sword, and worked its way back to the hand that held it.  Sparkles
danced in the air and became the wielder's body.

	Before Jadeite stood a youngish woman that looked sort of like Terra, dressed
in ancient Roman soldier-style garb.  She wore a shining white breastplate,
armored skirt, plated boots, and a sparkling helmet with a gem at the forehead.
 She flickered every once in a while, as if her existence wasn't quite certain.

	"I'm not done interfering yet," the shimmering female soldier said.

	"Clever, girl, very clever," Jadeite said, glancing back at the broken redhead
back up against the wall.  Terra had her eyes closed and her remaining hand
raised toward where the new soldier stood.  She sweated and trembled, looking
as if she was trying to solve a particularly difficult problem for a
life-or-death math exam.

	"I am the Sailor Knight Centurion," the white Roman-style soldier said, drawing
Jadeite's attention back to her.  "Created only to fight, I am your opponent." 
She parried the general's sword and pushed him away from Sailor Mars.

	"And a solid spirit projection," Jadeite whispered as he and his foe circled
each other with their swords locked, seeming rather fascinated with the idea. 
"With a mind of its own, even.  It looks like we underestimated you after all. 
Those are quite difficult to make like you are.  Let's see if your skills are as
impressive as you are incorrigible."

	He stepped to the side.  "If I move like this...."

	The Sailor Knight Centurion made a comparable motion and thrust at him, but he
parried.

	"Very good.  Do well and we may not destroy you.  You could become a very
valuable youma in the service of our Great Leader."

	"Shut up and fight," S.K.C. shot back.

	What followed was a mighty duel.  Both fighters seemed to excel in the art of
fencing.  Jadeite's style seemed rather gentlemanlike, whereas S.K.C. relied on
more antique brute-force methods used by soldiers to just bring down the enemy. 
At first, neither gained the upper hand against the other, but the projection
was quickly running out of stamina.

	During a particularly grueling melee, their swords locked, but the blade of
S.K.C. flickered out of existence at just the wrong time and at just the wrong
place.  Jadeite's sword slid through and bit her deeply in the chest.

	Terra cried out in pain, and S.K.C. staggered under the blow.  White light
energy bled out from the gash.  She tried to hold the wound closed, but the
leak continued.

	Jadeite shook his head.  "Tsk tsk, and I had such high hopes for you."  In his
next motion, he lopped off S.K.C.'s head.

	Chibimoon shrieked and Sailor Knight Centurion tore apart under the wake of
damaged psychic forces.

	After taking several breaths to help her recover, Terra looked up and saw the
general looming over her.  He lifted his hand and she levitated upwards into
the same frozen position her friends were in.

	"It looks like you'll have to feed Queen Metallia's resurrection," said
Jadeite, "just like the rest of your friends.  It's been nice dueling with you,
Sailor Chibimoon, but now is when you die."

	"You people have said that before," spat Chibimoon, "but I stopped you each
time."

	The general looked her over battered form and said, "No, I really think you're
done for this time."

	What now?! Terra screamed at her mind.  It had been so helpful thus far, maybe
it had some sort of suggestion.  Maybe she could make area-effect blastwaves. 
Perhaps she could rewind time again and try some other plan.  But no, all those
felt impossible.  She could hardly use any of her limbs anymore, and the burning
blackness inside of her had nearly faded away.

	"I'll run you through with my sword," said Jadeite.  "I don't want to burn that
pretty skin of yours.  I'll hang it up on my wall as a trophy when this is all
over."  He looked closely at her face, seeming to revel in her defiance.

	"It doesn't scare me," replied Chibimoon.

	"Oh, and that of your friends as well.  I want to remember this moment for a
long time."

	That remark sort of helped rekindle the fire inside of her.  "YOU... JERK!!!" 
Terra clenched her teeth, grabbed hold of time, crunched it as much as her
remaining strength would let her, and she launched her head at Jadeite's face. 
The resulting crack threw her right back into normal time.

	Jadeite stood there, seemingly paralyzed with his mouth open and his eyes wide.
 Green ichor flowed down his forehead, just as red blood flowed down Terra's.

	Sailor Chibimoon fell to the ground as the trap spell dissipated.

	The youma general staggered backwards, clutching his head.  He looked like he
was in quite a lot of pain from the strike.  It took him half a minute to
recover and refocus back on his most stubborn opponent.  "You think you're
really funny, don't you?!  Well, I'll show you funny--"

	Then Jadeite shrieked in surprise when a large spike of ice forced its way out
his chest.  He stumbled around and cried out again when he saw the burst of
flame hit him head-on.

	"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGH!!!"  A bolt of lightning struck the man, and finally a
glowing golden disc impacted on his midsection.  The area around him burned
bright with the tsunami of powers hitting him.  Where the golden disc struck,
his chest and waist flowed away as they vaporized into ashes, followed by the
rest of his body.

	"You're right," Terra coughed.  "That WAS pretty funny."

	The four Sailor Soldiers stepped forward, breathing harshly from their ordeal. 
Mars walked over and kicked Jadeite's ashes to make sure they wouldn't react.

	"An ignoble end to an ignoble man," Mars said.

	Tuxedo Kamen, held up by the Star Light Knight, limped over to where everyone
else was.

	"I'm not fishing you out of the ocean next time, Tux-boy," said the knight. 
"So you better watch yourself."

	"Why did you save me, anyway?" asked the tuxedoed man.

	"I don't know, I just got the idea I might want to have you around later, for
some stupid reason."

	Sailor Moon came up and hugged the Star Light Knight.  "Thanks for rescuing
Tuxedo Kamen.  He's a big help to Chibimoon, and she needs the moral support."

	Tuxedo Kamen saw Terra's condition.  Agape, he asked, "Chibimoon!  What
happened?!"

	"She took on everyone by herself and saved us all," said Jupiter.  She didn't
speak very loud, though.  She was also worried about Chibimoon's injuries.

	"I'm just glad it's over!" squeaked Sailor Moon as she knelt down next to
Sailor Chibimoon.  "Chibimoon!  Are you okay?"

	"Oh yeah," Terra lied softly.  "Fine."  Her fading vision and total body
numbness spoke otherwise.  "So, everyone... did I finally make a difference?"

	"Of course!" said Sailor Moon.

	"You saved us all," whispered Mars.

	"You did the impossible," added Mercury.

	Sailor Moon nodded.  "You single-handedly defeated four of the Dark Kingdom's
finest warriors!"

	"Negamafoozles," Terra said derisively.  "Gotta whack 'em, you see."

	"You saved your fellow Sailor Soldiers," beamed Usagi.

	"I'm glad you finally found your powers," congratulated Jupiter.

	"For however long they lasted," Terra whispered, "yes."  I'm going to die, she
thought.  She had skull fractures, broken limbs, her spine was probably messed
up and she was likely bleeding internally.  She couldn't feel her heart beating
and her breathing was becoming increasingly shallow.  If she had unfinished
business, now was the time to get it out.  Not really much of anything, except
to notify her family.

	Chibimoon coughed up a little bit of blood.  "Usagi... Everyone, it's getting
dark.  Tell my mom what happened.  She'll understand."

	Sailor Moon frowned.  "What do you mean?"

	"She's dying, nitwit!" Mars said.

	"She can't be dying!" retorted Moon.  "Right, Chibimoon?  You can't be dying! 
You're my best friend!"

	"You're my best friend too, Usagi," Terra whispered.  "It's been nice knowing
you.  And thanks for putting up with me."

	"Chibimoon!" protested Usagi.

	"Please, call me Terra."

	Terra didn't hear what the others were saying since her hearing faded out as
well.  But just before her vision was gone, they seemed to be shouting, shaking
her, and moving about frantically.  Just before everything went black, she
thought she could picture each of them as children--long-time friends, in a
life long ago.

	I would have liked to know them longer, she reflected.  But dying a heroine and
surrounded by friends didn't seem so bad after all.

---

	Any regrets?

	No.

	Would you have liked to live longer?

	Yes.  Oh, yes.

	The girl's vision came back to her.  She found herself walking in a sort of
temple with many white marble pillars.  She wore a white dress with gold trim.

	There was a bright white light ahead of her.  She strode forward.  Is this what
they talked about?  A tunnel and a bright light?

	In the light stood a tall woman.  She had platinum blonde hair in a style like
Usagi's and wore a long white strapless wedding gown.

	"You did a very brave thing," she said.  "Against all the odds, you saved them
all."

	"No, no," Terra said.  "I failed, but I got another chance."

	"Even so, you did it that second time."

	Terra looked down.  "I guess so."

	"Do you know who I am?" the woman asked.

	The girl looked up at her.  There really was something familiar about her. 
Then little veils over her memory were ripped aside and she caught an important
glimpse into her past.

	"You were my mother," Terra said, "in a life long forgotten.  It's good to see
you again."

	The woman pulled her into a warm embrace.  "Rest," she said.  "For now, your
work is over.  Sleep, in the peace that I can bring you."

	Terra looked up at her and smiled.  Here, everything was so warm and peaceful. 
After all that she'd been through, it would be very nice to have a break.

---End of Chapter 6

And now it's time for... MIND YOUR MANNERS!!! with Sailor Nuke!

(Scene of the Senshi getting killed.)

Sailor Nuke:  Sometimes, you have to deal with other people who have firepower.

(Scene of Terra breaking her arm on Nephrite's face.)

Sailor Nuke:  That just means you have get your own firepower sent right back at
them!

(Scene of Terra manipulating time to reflect Zoicite's blast back at his face.)

Sailor Nuke:  Brute force ALWAYS works best.  Sailor Nuke sez. 
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA!!!

Sailor Kawaii(off reading a cute magazine):  Hmm?  Oh, right.  And if you have
to use firepower, do your best to look cute while doing it.  Sailor Kawaii
says!  Tee-hee!

--
Benjamin A Oliver
boliver@email.arizona.edu

Second-Year Management Information Systems Graduate Student
Eller College of Management
University of Arizona

Writings: Fan Fiction
http://boliver.florestica.com/

Webcomic: Nuke 'Em 'Till They Glow!! The Early Years
http://nettg.com


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