Jadeite sat on his throne, viewing the obsidian 
conference table through steepled hands.  The eight chairs 
surrounding it were empty and some would never again be 
filled.

	Pyroxenite had been insane and uncontrolled, but had 
brought a vital energy to the Dark Kingdom's armies.  
Alexandrite had been a fop and a blowhard, but whose 
Artificers provided valuable services.  Now they were gone, 
slain at the hands of the Senshi.

	The Kingdom's energy-draining operations continued to 
be interrupted by the Senshi, but many of the covert 
operations had gone unnoticed long enough to yield a 
profit.

	His connections with the so-called Zodiac had provided 
little in the way of power, though information on their 
successes (few) and failures (many) had been amusing.  
Hematite's reports on the recent "outing" of the Senshi to 
their parents had actually made him chuckle.  True to form, 
however, the Senshi seemed to be rallying.  The Zodiac's 
grand plan had been little more than a stumbling block.

	His enemies were powerful, united, and determined.  
They had thwarted everything he had thrown at them, had 
defeated Beryl and Metallia, and held the power to totally 
annihilate his forces.

	A laugh broke forth from his lips at that.  The poor 
fools didn't even know how close they were to defeat!

*****

Naru:	I'm tired of always running
		I've grown tired of the night
		I wish I had some cunning,
		Had some power, had some might.

	We see a collage of Naru running from monsters,
grabbed by monsters, trapped inside big moss balls by
monsters, etc.

Sailors:  You don't need to keep on running.
		You don't need to fear the night.
		We can save you with our cunning,
		With our power, with our might.

	We see a collage of images of Usagi and the other
Sailors saving Naru and many other people from monster
attacks.

Naru:	I don't want someone to save me;
		I'd just like to save myself
		I don't want to be a helpless doll
		That must sit upon the shelf.

	We see Naru sitting at her window, looking out on the
starry night sky of the city.  One by one, lines trace the
constellations.

Pluto:    If you want to have the power
		You must reach into your heart
		Look inside to find your strength
		For that's where power starts

	We see Pluto holding out an eight-pointed star, which
hovers just above her hand.

*****

Sailor Moon Z:

Series Concept by Jeff Hosmer and John Biles
Primary Writer this Episode: Jeff Hosmer

Based on the Series Sailor Moon, copyrighted by a whole lot
of people who aren't us.

Episode 22
"The Power of Love.
 A Senshi Falls!"

*****

	Aurora watched helplessly as Prince Endymion danced 
with Princess Serenity.  Jealousy filled her mind, but she 
couldn't tell whom she was jealous of.  It was enough to 
make her head hurt.

	I could go up and there and cut in, she thought 
desperately.  They've been dancing together the entire 
ball.  No one would think it amiss.  Just go out there and 
dance with--

	The song ended and the dancers applauded politely.  
Aurora didn't even notice, so focused was she on the pair.  
Serenity was smiling happily at the dashing Prince of 
Earth, and he leaned close, as if he was going to--

	"I'd like to dedicate this next song," came a deep 
voice from the direction of the band, "to the lovely 
Princess of Mars, Aurora, Senshi to the Princess."

	That broke Aurora out of her daze and she looked over.  
A blond man was standing in front of the band as it played 
the opening chords to "The Empyrean Forge," one of the best 
operas ever produced by her home planet.  As she watched, 
the nobles between her and the man pulling away to give her 
an unimpeded path to him, he began to sing the part of 
Hephaestus, the son of Vulcan and the first King of Mars.

	The words washed over her, their meaning clear even in 
the archaic tongue, as Hephaestus lamented his father's 
absence and the loneliness he felt on the throne.  Was 
there no one who would hold his heart?

	Then he paused, and Aurora knew what came next.  The 
serving maid Phrodite, who was spying on the King, would 
sing of her unrequited love for him, knowing that they 
would never be together.  The opera, when done in its full, 
unabridged length, went on for hours on their inability to 
declare the love they felt for each other, while 
politicians intrigued around them, until they finally 
admitted what they felt and she married him.

	The silence drew on, and the band began to falter 
slightly.  Jadeite's eyes met hers in a heartfelt plea... 
and Aurora found herself singing the first line of 
Phrodite's lament.  The smile that broke out on Jadeite's 
face was stunning, and banished the despair and jealousy 
that she had been feeling.  Her voice grew stronger, 
proclaiming Phrodite's love to the young king, and she 
wondered if the love she was seeking was before her as 
well.

	Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Serenity and 
Endymion smiling at her, gesturing for her to join Jadeite 
on stage.  She walked slowly, concentrating on the song.  
She reached him just as her verses ended, and he took her 
hands as together, they sung the chorus, each proclaiming 
their desire for a love that knew no ending.

	And Rei woke up, the Vulcan opera still resounding in 
her ears.  

	At first, she didn't realize where she was and reached 
over to try and find her Princess.  Then she remembered 
that she was no longer staying with the Tsukinos.  Grandpa 
had brought her back to the Shrine for more "training" 
after Dr. Mizuno had revealed the Senshis' secret to 
everyone.

	"Jadeite," she murmured to herself, hugging her knees 
to her chest.  He plagued her dreams every night, memories 
of her life as Aurora taunting her, showing a love that she 
had yet to discover in this life... or at least could not 
accept in this life.

	A knock at her door made her look up.  It was faint 
and tentative... too soft to wake her if she had been 
asleep.  "Yes?"

	"Are you alright, Rei-san?" Yuuichirou's said through 
the door.  "I thought I heard something--"  He trailed off 
embarrassedly.

	"I'm fine, Kumada-san," Rei said.  "Go back to bed."

	"Good night, Rei-san," he said.  She could hear the 
dejection in his voice, but didn't reply to it.

	Drawing her blankets around her, she tried to fall 
asleep.  She would have a long day tomorrow, beginning with 
more of Grandpa's physical training, then school, and then 
fire meditations.  She would need her sleep.

	She curled up into a ball, unconsciously spooning a 
body that was not there in the bed next to her.

*****

	"I'm so glad your Mom let you move back in, 'mi-chan!" 
Noriko said, helping her roommate move another box of 
books.

	Ami looked around the dorm room and smiled.  "After 
getting her to agree to let me be Sailor Mercury, letting 
me move back to the dorms was simple."  She wiped some 
sweat off her forehead.  "I hope I don't have to move out 
again before the end of the year.  These boxes are heavy."

	Noriko grinned and lifted the end of her bed with one 
hand.  "You're just weak, 'mi-chan!" she teased.

	"Don't make me transform and beat you up, Noriko," Ami 
joked back.  "How many more loads do we have?"

	"This was the last one," Noriko said.  She opened one 
of the boxes and started handing Ami her clothes.  "Better 
hang these up in the closet."  She looked at a very short 
blue dress, "Hmmm, 'yo-kun will like this when he sees it, 
'mi-chan."

	"He's already seen it," Ami said with a giggle.  Her 
voice grew a little sultrier as she continued.  "He 
couldn't wait to get me out of it."

	Noriko cocked her head to one side.  "Are you alright, 
'mi-chan?  You sound different."

	"I'm fine," Ami said, pulling some lacy bits of cloth 
out of another bag that Noriko hesitantly classified as 
lingerie or silk scraps.  "Just got in touch with my inner 
feelings while I was at Mother's."

	"If you say so, 'mi-chan," Noriko said with a shrug.

*****

	Steven studied his blade curiously.  It looked solid, 
and cut through a wide variety of substances with ease.  It 
has some heft to it, though it was lighter than a sword of 
its size should be.  It felt real when he held it.

	But to his special sight, it was translucent and 
wavering.

	"I don't think it's a part of our reality, Mina-chan," 
he said.

	"Very interesting, Steve-kun, but I'm busy with this 
schoolwork right now," Minako sang out from where she was 
scribbling frantically on a sheet of paper at her desk.

	"Need help?" he asked, putting the sword back in the 
bag he had brought it in.

	"No, I think I've almost got it."

	"Your parents are really cracking down on your grades, 
aren't they?"

	Minako leaned back from the desk with a sigh.  "After 
we forgot them--"

	"You never told me they were coming with us."

	"Ahem!  After WE forgot them," Minako said, giving her 
boyfriend a poke in the ribs.

	"Ow!  Right, right... after WE forgot them, even 
though only you knew," Steven said, grinning.  He received 
another poke for that.

	"Anyway, they can't ground me here in the dorms, so 
they said that if I don't bring my grades up, they'll do 
something horrible!"

	"What?  Show me your baby pictures?" he said with a 
laugh, trying to calm her down.

	Minako looked at him with wide eyes.  "She said she 
wouldn't if I got my grades up!  What do you think you were 
doing, Steven?!"

	"Huh?  Mina-chan, you're not making sense.  I haven't 
seen your baby pictures.  Your mom didn't show them to me."

	"Oh... well, forget about it then."

	"I was going to say that you seem a lot more focused 
since our trip to Arcadia... maybe it did some good?"

	Minako chewed on the end of her pencil and looked 
thoughtful.  "I guess...  I don't FEEL any different from 
before, but...."

	"But what?" Steven asked, sitting on the bed across 
from her.

	"Well, I saw how all those fey acted... they made ME 
look like Ami!  It just put things into perspective, 
really, so I stopped worrying about it."  She giggled a 
bit.  "It seems to be a lot easier to focus now that I'm 
not making out every minute about it."

	"'Spazzing out," Steven corrected absently.  Suddenly 
he had a lapful of blonde-elf.

	"I think I prefer my way," Minako purred, nibbling on 
his neck.

	Okay, maybe her focus isn't THAT much better, Steven 
thought, but I'm not complaining!

	He did have some complaints when Hime-chan and half 
the Trans-Dimensional Defense Club barged in through the 
unlocked door, however.

*****

	Just knock on his door, Makoto berated herself, 
shifting a plate of cookies from one hand to the other.  
She was currently standing outside Clark's door, trying to 
work up the courage to knock.

	"Oh, Maguson-sensei, I was just in the area and 
brought you some home-baked cookies--" she tried rehearsing 
her lines, trying to make her tone sound as innocent as her 
words, "and I was hoping that we could eat them... 
together?"

	She wanted to bang her head against a wall.  She 
finally met someone who had driven all thoughts of her 
sempai out of her head... and she couldn't do anything 
about it!  It was driving her crazy.

	"Maguson-sensei, I brought you some cookies because 
you're the best... sexiest... hunkiest... man... ARGH!"

	"Kino-san?"

	Makoto froze and resisted the urge to put her hand 
behind her head and laugh nervously.  Clark was standing on 
the street beside her, a bag of groceries in one hand and 
his keys in the other.

	"Maguson-sensei?" she asked weakly.

	"Is there something I can help you with, Kino-san?" he 
asked nervously.  He resisted the urge to look around to 
see if anyone was taking notice.  He had to be 
professional.

	"I was just bringing you a batch of cookies I made, 
Sensei," she said too loudly.

	"Ah, well, that's nice."  Don't invite her in.  Don't 
invite her in.  Don't invite her in.  "Would you like to 
come in?"  Argh!

	As he fumbled with the keys, she stepped forward to 
help him and their hands touched.  They both froze again, 
staring at each other. Then, before either of them realized 
it, they were inside his apartment, kissing, with cookies 
and groceries spilled all over his foyer.

	Much later, Makoto spoke.  "Was it different than in a 
dream?" she asked, resting her head on his chest.  Say it's 
better in real life, she thought.

	"We shouldn't have done this, Mako-chan," he said 
quietly, almost despairingly.

	She didn't turn her head to look at him.  "I know.  
But we can't help it, can we?"

	"I'm your teacher.  What we did is wrong."

	Now she turned to look at him, her green eyes blazing.  
"I didn't exactly do this on my own, you know."

	"I know... that was my mistake."

	"Is that what we are?  A mistake?  Because if it's 
such a mistake, I know how we can avoid making it ever 
again," she spat, getting up.  She clutched the sheets to 
her body, leaving Clark using a pillow to cover himself.

	Stupid! he berated himself.  "Mako-chan, it's not like 
that... we just have to wait."

	Gathering her clothes, Makoto didn't answer him.  She 
stormed off into his bathroom.

	Thoughts of losing her forever drove Clark to action.  
He pulled on a robe and ran to the bathroom.  "Makoto, 
please...."

	The door opened at his touch, revealing Makoto sitting 
on the toilet, sobbing into her hands.  He reached down to 
hug her, but she pulled away.

	"Mako-chan," he whispered.

	"How long do we have to wait?  How long CAN we wait, 
Clark?" she whispered.  "We fight MONSTERS.  I could die 
tomorrow."  Her voice caught.  "You could die.  The whole 
world could be destroyed.  How can we wait?"

	He winced.  "Mako-chan.  I love you.  I've loved you 
through two lifetimes.  I believe that we will have our 
time."

	"You don't know that.  Maybe we're not destined to be 
together."

	"Mako-chan, just because our daughter hasn't come back 
in time doesn't mean that we won't be together.  I want us 
to be together."

	"You won't see me, we have to sneak around to be 
together--"

	"That's because of my job, Mako-chan.  Once you 
graduate--"

	Her fist caught him squarely on his cheek.  Clark fell 
back in surprise, his hand going to the bruise.  Makoto 
looked shocked at her actions, but ran out of the bedroom 
without another word.  He could hear her gathering her 
clothes, but he couldn't move until the door slammed behind 
her.

	"What'd I say?"

*****

	Libra studied her scales.  Her Ascendancy was waning, 
but she was still strong enough to salvage something.

	The Senshi recovered far more quickly than I 
anticipated, she thought to herself.  I had expected them 
to still be off-balance when I attacked.  Between their 
personal problems and the Dark Kingdom, we should have been 
able to claim the Star Princess.  But something threw my 
calculations off.  What?

	"We do not appreciate being used, Ascendant of the 
Zodiac."

	Libra spun around, struggling not to let her surprise 
show on her face.  No one should have been able to enter 
her private chambers.  Not at least without her knowing 
about it!

	"Who are you?" she asked the pale, silver-haired man.

	"I am Marcasite, a General of the Dark Kingdom," the 
man said, striding forward.  "My liege Jadeite sent me 
to... complain.  Does the Zodiac not find our current truce 
favorable?"

	"Truce?" Libra asked.  What was going on?

	Marcasite walked forward, his gray eyes intent on 
Libra's scales.  "Balancing us against the Senshi, I see."  
He waved his hand and the collection of youma that 
represented the Dark Kingdom wavered and vanished.  "When 
Pisces brokered the truce with Lord Jadeite, we understood 
that the Senshi were our common enemy.  Was this 
understanding mistaken?"

	Pisces brokered a truce?  Without telling the rest of 
the Zodiac?  "The Senshi are still our enemy," Libra said, 
still trying to figure out what to do.  "As long as they 
protect the Star Princess."

	"Yes, the Star Princess."  Marcasite considered Libra 
for a moment, his passionless eyes giving nothing away.  
"May I suggest something else for you to balance?  In the 
interests of furthering our truce."

	He waved his hand again and the balance changed.  
Instead of the Dark Kingdom and the Senshi, the Senshi were 
split.  The four Inner Senshi were balanced against the 
four Outer Senshi, with Sailor Moon being the pivot on 
which they both rested.

	"This is the true state of our enemy."

	Libra stared at the balance.  "But there are others... 
Odysseus, the White Knight--"

	"Immaterial, minor factors.  They do not change the 
basic equation."

	Libra called upon her power and... yes, she could see 
the powers at work.  It was a true balance.  "I still don't 
see how this helps... us."

	"Watch."  Marcasite reached out a hand and one of the 
figures vanished.  The balance teetered for a moment.

	And the pivot broke.

	"THAT is how you manipulate the Senshi," Marcasite 
said.  "And my liege has a plan for how we can do this."

*****

	"I don't know, Princess," Haruka said, shaking her 
head.  "The more people we bring in--"

	"We could use her help, tactically," Ami countered.

	"It would be very dangerous for a civilian to be 
present at our fights," Michiru said.  "It's too risky."

	The latest Senshi meeting, held at the Hikawa Shrine, 
had once again degenerated into an Inners vs. the Outers 
debate.  Usagi sighed and snagged another muffin from the 
plate.

	"That's your fourth one, Meatball Head," Rei said, 
slapping Usagi's hand.  "Save some for the rest of us!"

	"Rei!  You're a meanie!"  Usagi stuck out her tongue.

	"And you're a ditz!"  Another tongue war was in 
progress.

	"And they say we're bad," Haruka whispered to Michiru.

	After peace had been restored (and Usagi had snagged a 
fifth muffin without Rei noticing), the debate resumed.

	"Yuki already knows a lot about how we fight, and she 
was helpful when we fought the Zodiac," Makoto said.

	"Yes, but HOW does she know so much?  She could be a 
spy for the Dark Kingdom or the Zodiac," Haruka replied.

	"She says she got it from interviewing people we 
rescued, and following what was written about us in the 
papers."

	Haruka shot Setsuna an aggravated look.

	"Don't bother looking at me like that, Haruka," 
Setsuna said calmly.  "Despite what you may think, I am not 
omnipotent.  I do what I can to keep us out of the news, 
but I can't make everyone forget what happened, or turn 
back time so as to erase mistakes.  Only one person here 
can do that."

	The Inners grew silent at that, especially Usagi.

	"Princess, it's your call, but you must remember the 
risk involved in what we do.  I cannot say what is going to 
happen, but it will soon be very dangerous for us.  Both 
the Zodiac and the Dark Kingdom are about to make major 
assaults on us."

	Usagi turned away from the rest, considering.  Then 
she turned to Rei.  "What should I do, Rei-chan?"

	Rei sighed.  "I don't know, Usagi.  We fight because 
it's our destiny, and we have the powers to protect 
ourselves.  Even Umino has power now, hard as it is to 
believe."  The Senshi giggled at that, and Umino blushed as 
Naru gave him a kiss on the cheek.

	Usagi nodded.  "We won't bring Yuki into this.  It's 
too dangerous for a normal human."  Her voice dropped so 
that only Rei could hear her.  "And none of us are normal 
anymore...."

	Ami sighed.  "Well, I think she could have helped us 
train, but if that's what you want, Usagi.  Can I at least 
talk to her about tactics... without giving away our 
identities?"

	"I guess, so, Ami-chan."

	"OK, so, when do we train?" Haruka said, standing up 
and cracking her knuckles.  "I think I need to pound 
something into the ground."

	Setsuna sipped her tea and smiled.  "It's endurance 
training for you and Ami.  You get to run around the Shrine 
until one of you drops."

	"Aw, damn," Haruka said.  "That's no fun.  I'll barely 
work up a sweat."

	Ami smiled mysteriously.  "Shall we make it 
interesting, then, Haruka?  A bet on who drops first?"

	Haruka laughed.  "Sure, what do you want to bet?"

	"If I win, you have to tune up my mother's car."

	"And if I win?"

	Ami smirked and leaned over to whisper something in 
Haruka's ear.  The Senshi of Uranus suddenly blushed bright 
red.  "Ah... eh... what... are you sure?"

	Ami nodded.  "Of course... unless you're not up to it, 
of course...."

	"YOU'RE ON!"

	Michiru sighed.  "Haruka...."

*****

	"Giving up so soon, Haruka-chan?" Sailor Mercury said, 
tauntingly.  The Senshi of Ice was jogging in place next to 
a gasping Sailor Uranus.

	"How... how did you... do that...?"

	"I've been in Avalon for four months their time," 
Mercury said. "I did a lot of things to help my endurance 
there.  Guess I'm too much for you?" she said with a wink.

	Uranus fell over backward.

	Michiru came over and swatted Haruka over the head.  
"Baka."

*****

	Libra stood in the woods surrounding the shrine, 
keeping to the shadows as much as possible.  This plan was 
madness, but if it worked....

	My soul will most likely be damned, she thought.  To 
condemn one of the Senshi to--no, I must think of the 
objective.  This plan will work.  I know it.

*****

	Sailor Mars and Sailor Neptune stood facing each other 
silently.  A stray breeze rustled the branches of the trees 
around them.

	"FIRE SOUL!"

	"FANG OF THE RAINBOW SERPENT!"

	Neptune swung the Aqua Mirror like a tennis racket and 
a long snake-like jet of water shot up into the sky, 
towards Mars's Fire Soul.  It missed.

	"You were closer that time, Neptune," Mars said.

	"I'm better with Deep Submerge," Neptune groused, her 
pride a little stung.

	"That's why we're practicing your new attack, 
Michiru," Sailor Moon said from the sidelines.

	"Speaking of practicing," Sailor Jupiter said, tapping 
her foot impatiently.  "We're supposed to be working on 
your hand to hand, Sailor Moon."

	"Ooops," Sailor Moon said, holding one hand behind her 
head.  "OK... let's see... Hee HAW!" she screamed, leaping 
at Sailor Jupiter... who dodged to one side and let Sailor 
Moon land on her butt in the grass.

	"'Hee Haw,' Meatball Head?" Mars asked sarcastically.  
"What kind of battle cry is that?"

	"A not very good one... owwwwww...."

	"Now, now... it'd surprise the enemy, at least," 
Sailor Jupiter said, struggling to keep a grin off her 
face.  She wasn't succeeding.  "It could be worse."

	Sailor Moon stood up and tried to brush off her skirt.  
"You mean like Minako telling Steven to yell out 'Go, go, 
Gekiganger?'"

	They all shared a laugh at that before getting back to 
their practice.

	"FIRE SOUL!"

	"FANG OF THE RAINBOW SERPENT!"

	"Come on, Sailor Moon, give it another try."

	Sailor Moon slowly began to circle Jupiter, watching 
her opponent carefully.  Her face was a carefully set mask 
of concentration.  Inwardly, Sailor Jupiter had to give her 
credit.  Usagi DID try.  It wasn't her fault that it always 
turned out badly unless something important was at stake.

	Jupiter was so busy trying to think of ways to improve 
Sailor Moon's skills that she almost missed the attack when 
it came.  There was no kiai, no battle yell to focus her 
energy, just a near perfect knife hand thrust at Jupiter's 
throat.

	NEAR perfect.

*****

	Now, thought Libra, reaching out with her power and 
giving a certain balance a small, almost insignificant 
push.  It was up to her allies to do the rest.

*****

	Sailor Mars suddenly paused and looked around.  She 
had felt... something?  It was so hard to tell.  Before the 
Gibberlings had destroyed the Shrine, she had been 
perfectly in tune with the buildings and grounds.  Now, 
after having been away so long and with all the 
construction and people around, she felt like she didn't 
even know the place anymore.  That feeling would go away as 
she re-attuned herself, but at the moment.  Well, it was 
probably nothing.

*****

	Jupiter dodged and, noting Usagi was over-extended, 
used the blonde scout's own momentum to flip her forward.  
It was, again, a near perfect move.

	But in their circling, Jupiter hadn't noticed that the 
back of the newly rebuilt Fire Shrine was behind her.  With 
a yelp, Sailor Moon hit the wall and collapsed at the 
bottom of it.  She spat out a mouthful of dirt.  "Waaaah!" 
she cried.

	"Oh, don't be such a crybaby, Sailor Moon," Mars 
snapped.

	"Rei, why are you... huh?"  Usagi caught something 
sparkling in the crawlspace beneath the shrine.  "What's 
this?"  She reached out to touch it.

	Sailor Mars looked up in alarm.  "USAGI!  NO!"

	Sailor Moon's fingers lightly brushed the dark crystal 
that had, cloaked in magic, gone unnoticed since Ravator 
had placed it there so many months ago.  Now, it acted.

	The crystal exploded, sending shards of itself 
everywhere, shredding wood and dirt.  Sailor Moon, warned 
by Mars' shout, flinched back just in time to spare herself 
the worst of it.  The rest of the Senshi dove for cover.

	When they finally looked up, a large hole had been 
blown in the side of the shrine.  But instead of seeing 
into the shrine, all they saw was blackness.  A hole in 
reality.  And out of that hole came a glowing hand.

	Mars froze.  Her mind flashed back to their desperate 
battle outside Mugen Gakuen when Mistress Nine had reached 
through just such a hole and taken Usagi into the heart of 
the Deathbusters' power.  An act that had almost doomed the 
world to Silence.  She and the other Inner Senshi had tried 
to save Sailor Moon, but Mistress Nine's dark power had 
sent them reeling.  Now, seeing a similar hand reaching for 
her princess again, she reacted.

	She leapt at her princess, running faster than she 
ever had before.  Moments before the hand could grab the 
still stunned Sailor Moon, the raven-haired Senshi of Fire 
shoved her princess away.

	"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" she screamed as the burning 
cold hand closed on her instead.  It burned through her 
uniform, seeping into her bones.

	"REI-CHAN!"

	Her princess was safe, Mars thought numbly.  Then 
everything went black.

*****

	Libra watched, horrified, as the claw-like hand pulled 
Sailor Mars into the portal.  She had chosen to do it, had 
wanted it to happen, but the evil she felt coming from that 
portal shocked her to her core.  Whatever lay beyond there 
was far worse than she could ever imagine.

	And her pride had made her responsible for whatever 
happened to that poor girl on the other side.  She had 
wanted to show that she was worthy of the power of the 
Ascendant and could contribute just as well as the more 
combat-oriented members of the Zodiac.

	Now, she fought merely to keep from throwing up as she 
stumbled away.

*****

	Sailor Moon stared in shock at the place where the 
portal and Sailor Mars had been a moment ago.  They were 
both gone, leaving only a partially wrecked wall to show 
they had been there.

	"Rei-chan...." she said, not even noticing as the 
other Senshi and Auxiliaries came running up.  Questions 
flew back and forth.  Sailor Mercury had her computer out, 
scanning for some clue as to what happened.

	"Rei-chan...."

	"Usagi... Come on, Usagi, snap out of it," Sailor 
Venus said, giving her leader a shake.

	"Lots of traces of dark energy... definitely the Dark 
Kingdom," Mercury babbled.  "I'm getting all sorts of 
contradictory results, though... I think they've masked 
their point of origin--"

	"Crystal Tokyo... it's dimming...."  This was Sailor 
Pluto, staring off at something only she could see.  

	"Rei-chan."

	Everyone looked over at Super Sailor Moon in shock.  
There had been no transformation phrase, no light show, 
just a burst of energy.  Then, with flash of light, Super 
Sailor Moon was gone.

	"Sensei's lab, now!" Pluto barked, vanishing as well.

*****

	Tethys stared with fierce concentration at the screen, 
barely even bothering to blink.

	"Mr. Soup, I--"

	"Yes, Ms. Noodle?"

	"I... I..."

	Come on! Tethys thought at the screen where "The Ramen 
of Our Lives" was playing on TV.  You two have been dancing 
around this for the last three weeks!  Propose already!

	"I l--"

	Tethys suddenly got a very close, very personal look 
at the screen.  Far closer and more personal that she 
wanted, however.  But having an enraged Super Sailor Moon 
shoving your head through a television has that effect.

	"Intruder alert!" Horus said from his monitor, and 
alarms and flashing lights began to go off around the room.

	Super Sailor Moon pulled the dazed youma out of the 
remains of the monitor.  "Dark Kingdom, NOW!" she said.

	Tethys recovered quickly, even after being taken by 
surprise.  She had spent the months of her imprisonment, 
lax as it was, to hoard her energy.  It helped that Sensei 
had no idea of how much a youma actually needed to survive.  
She was close to the power levels she had held when she and 
Jadeite had run their phony love cruise, in fact.

	But it didn't do me any good then, she thought, 
looking at the enraged Senshi standing over her.  And it's 
not going to do me any good now.

	"I don't know HOW--"

	She was suddenly flying across the lab, and not under 
her own power.  She slammed shoulder first into Sensei's 
cobbled together refrigerator, which began to vent huge 
clouds of cold fog.

	"You will take me there, NOW!" Super Sailor Moon 
grated out through clenched teeth.  Tears were running down 
her face.

	Somewhere, somehow, the Dark Kingdom managed a victory 
over the Senshi, Tethys thought.  Probably got the fiery 
one.  Metallia, I wish I DID know how to send her there!

	"I don't know how to get there anymore!" she shouted, 
almost certain it wouldn't do any good.  They had never 
really believed her all the other times she had told them.

	Sailor Pluto appeared in the fog- and siren-filled 
lab.  "Sailor Moon, this won't--"

	"They have Rei-chan, Setsuna!  I've got to save her!  
You know what they did to Mamoru!  I can't--"  The tears 
were flowing more freely now.  "I can't fight someone I 
love again...."

	Super Sailor Moon transformed back to Usagi, the rage 
leaving her.  The blonde schoolgirl slumped to the floor, 
to be caught by the Senshi of Time.

*****

	Darkness surrounded her.  All was quiet, calm, and 
empty.  There was nothing for her to do, no expectations to 
live up to, and no one needed her.  It was peaceful.

	It was empty.

*****

	Soon after Usagi had collapsed, the other Senshi had 
arrived at Sensei's lab.  Some managed to teleport, others 
had to travel over land.  Usagi remained unconscious 
throughout.  Mamoru knelt beside her and held her hand.  
The alarms had been shut off, once Pluto had a chance to 
talk to him.  Little robots that resembled multi-legged 
bugs were scuttling around, fixing the damage Sailor Moon 
had caused.

	"This is terrible," Venus said.

	"We need to go and rescue Mars!"  Jupiter smacked a 
fist into the palm of her hand.

	"And how are we going to get there, hmmm?" Venus said.  
"Click our seals three times?"

	"Heels, Mina-chan," Mercury said, staring intently at 
her computer screen.  "And I think we have more serious 
problems."

	"More serious than losing a member of the team?" 
Hotaru said timidly, clutching the Silence Glaive close to 
her.

	"Possibly... it seems--"

	"WHAT is going on in here?"

	Sensei had finally arrived, alerted by Horus's initial 
alert.  He stared open mouthed at the Senshi standing in 
little groups around his lab and at the damage that had 
been done.

	"The Senshi dropped by, Sensei," Horus said calmly.  
"If you would like something to drink--"

	"Yes, please, Horus," Sensei said.

	"--I'm afraid the refrigerator is broken."

	"I am sorry about this, Udaigaku-sensei," Pluto said.  
"It was an emergency."

	"Did a youma attack?"

	"A youma WAS attacked," Tethys muttered from her cell 
nearby.

	"Sailor Moon was... upset and tried to get answers 
from Tethys about the Dark Kingdom."

	"I see," Sensei said.  He glanced over at Horus's 
screen.  "How bad was it?"

	"Sailor Pluto forced me to delete the video and audio 
coverage, Sensei."

	"Hmmm...."

	"Um excuse me, Sensei, Pluto?" Mercury said, coming up 
with her computer.  "I think we have a problem."

*****

	The darkness was no longer comforting and warm.  
Instead, it hid things from her.  Things that could not 
bear the light... or that the light could not bear to see.  
She flailed out, but could not even see her own arms and 
legs.

	She was not alone, and it terrified her.

*****

	"Interesting," Sensei said, peering at the image Horus 
displayed.  "I wish Tomoe-san was here.  This is more his 
field, but this crystal seems have an odd molecular 
configuration, one designed to collect energy.  I wish it 
was complete."

	Sailor Pluto stepped back and disappeared with a flash 
of light.  Neither Mercury nor Sensei noticed.

	"It exploded when Sailor Moon got too close.  Do you 
think she overloaded it?"

	"Could have been a self-destruct mechanism, to keep us 
from finding out too much about it."

	"How long was it there, that's what I'd like to know," 
Jupiter said.

	"Can't tell," Mercury said.  "It could have been 
planted by one of the workmen who repaired the--"  She 
trailed off and glanced at Sensei.  "--the place where we 
found it.  Or perhaps it's been there since the Gibberling 
attack.  Or even Ravator could have placed it when we 
fought him."

	"Maybe it was the Zodiac?  They fought us at--there, 
too," Venus said.

	"They never seemed interested in collecting energy, 
which this seemed designed to do."

	There was a flash of light.  Sailor Pluto and Souichi 
Tomoe appeared in the middle of the lab.

	"Sailor Pluto said you wanted me to look at something, 
Sensei?"

	"Souichi-kun!  Good to see you, good to see you.  Yes, 
they found this crystal--"

	"Hmmm--"

	"I hate this," Jupiter said quietly.  "I'm no good at 
this sort of thing."

	"You're doing fine, Jupiter," Uranus said from where 
she and Neptune were sitting quietly.  Neptune had her 
mirror out and was peering into it quietly.  "Best us 
active sorts can do now is keep out of the brainy ones' 
way."

	"I just want to hit something!"

	Uranus smiled.  "Wanna spar?"

	"Outside, please, Uranus," Neptune said, not even 
looking up.  "You're fixing anything you break."

	Uranus let out a mock sigh as she led Jupiter outside.

	"Wait up, guys!" Venus said.  "I want to boot some 
shed, too!"

	Meanwhile, Tomoe-sensei looked away from the diagrams 
and charts Horus was showing him.  "I think this gem's 
purpose was not just to collect energy, Sensei.  I think it 
transmitted it, too."

	"Can we track its transmissions?" Mercury said 
eagerly.  "If it's going back to the Dark Kingdom and we 
can find it--"

	"No.  It's not transmitting any more.  If we could 
find an intact crystal...." Tomoe-sensei said.

	"If they placed one of these, they may have placed 
more.  Probably in places where lots of people gather, to 
drain their energy," Sensei added.

	"I don't think so... this doesn't look like it's 
designed to drain the energy of living beings... at least, 
not directly," Tomoe-sensei said, frowning.

	Sensei looked over the data again.  "Are you sure, 
Souichi-kun?  I don't see what you base that on.  We know 
the Dark Kingdom steals energy from people."

	"Yes, but... it's a feeling I get.  Something about 
this isn't right for dealing with people."  Tomoe-sensei 
turned away and found himself looking into a pair of warm, 
red eyes.

	Sailor Pluto quietly took one of his hands and gave it 
a gentle squeeze.  Seeing this, Mercury turned back to her 
computer tried not to embarrass them by noticing.

	"I... I had an experience with monsters, myself, 
Sensei.  They... used me as their tool.  I know something 
about how they do it."

	"That's why you stopped corresponding for all those 
years, then?  It started with the explosion?"

	"Yes."

	"So many years," Sensei said.  "I wish I had pursued 
the matter.  I wish--"

	"You couldn't know, Sensei."

	Sensei took a deep breath.  "I can at least help you 
now.  Sailor Mercury?"

	"Yes, Sensei?" the blue-haired Senshi asked.

	"You have some readings of the energy this crystal put 
out, don't you?"

	"Yes, Sensei."

	"Give it to Horus.  We can use my network of sensors 
and traps to see if there are any other sources of that 
energy in Tokyo."

	Right away, Sensei!" Mercury said, turning to talk to 
Horus about communication protocols.

	"Traps?" Tomoe-sensei asked.

	"Eheh... I 'lost' an experiment a while back.  I've 
been trying to recapture him ever since, but he's too 
cunning... I did capture a pair of talking cats, however, 
once," Sensei said with a smile at Pluto.  "I seem to 
recall someone came into my lab and, the next thing I knew, 
they were running out the door."

	"Not a dangerous experiment, I hope?" Tomoe-sensei 
said, noticing a slight pink hue to Pluto's cheeks.  No one 
else could have noticed it, but he knew his fiancee was 
slightly embarrassed over being called on the episode.

	"No, no... it was an attempt to recreate some of the 
systems in Noriko.  An android cat, in fact," Sensei said 
with a chuckle.  "Worked too well.  Old Tom escaped and has 
been doing as he pleased for the last year or so."

	"That would be the cat that Luna and Artemis think is 
a moon cat, then," Pluto said evenly.

	"Because of his I/O port on his forehead?  I guess it 
does look like a crescent.  I would like to speak to Luna 
and Artemis and apologize for that incident... and to learn 
more about this Moon Kingdom.  To talk to people who 
actually saw it...."

	"They don't like to come near here after being trapped 
in that cage," Pluto said.  "But I will ask them."

	"Data download complete," Horus said.  "Now scanning.  
And, I must say, Sailor Mercury, that it was a pleasure 
interfacing with such a thoroughly logical mind for once."

	Mercury blushed.  "Thank you, Horus.  I enjoy talking 
to you, too."

	"I meant your computer," Horus said in his usual 
deadpan voice.  "Nine sources found."

	The four of them looked at the map of Tokyo Horus 
displayed.

	"The Crystal Points," Mercury said.  "It's the same as 
the Black Moon Family's attacks, isn't it, Pluto?"

	"Yes.  Horus, add the Hikawa Shrine and connect the 
sites."

	"Pluto!  Should we really--?"

	"It will be alright, Mercury."

	Horus obediently drew lines between the dots and they 
connected in a pentagram, with a crystal at each 
intersection.  And at the center....

	"The site of Mugen Gakuen," Tomoe-sensei said.  "It's 
at the center of all of this.  Why?"  His eyes seemed 
haunted as he looked at a once-proud dream that had turned 
into a nightmare.

	"It is the heart of the city," Pluto said, her eyes 
narrowing, "and it seems we've severely underestimated our 
foe."

*****

	She tried to run, but the darkness was everywhere.  
There was no place to run.

	Then, in the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a distant 
speck of light.  The light was familiar, yet so distant.  
She had to keep it at arms-length or it would burn her 
alive.

	Oh my god... the darkness was crawling over her.  Get 
it off!  Get it off!

*****

	"Rei-chan!"

	Mamoru clutched Usagi's hand ever tighter as she cried 
out in her sleep.  He was pouring every bit of energy into 
her that he could manage, just as he had done when 
Chibiusa's heart crystal had been stolen, but it didn't 
seem to do any good.  In fact, Usagi was draining him dry.  
Her transformation locket kept glowing fitfully and he 
wondered what it meant.

	"How is she doing, Mamoru-san?" Pluto asked gently.

	"She keeps calling out Rei's name, but she won't wake 
up.  I don't know what's happening to her...."

	Pluto reached out a hand to touch Usagi's feverish 
brow.  For a moment, the sign of Pluto glowed on her 
forehead.  Usagi's brooch began to glow steadily, if 
faintly, and the blonde seemed to relax.

	"Baka himesama," Pluto muttered to herself.

	"What is it, Setsuna-san?" Mamoru asked.

	"She won't let go of Rei-san.  She's clinging to her 
connection to Mars and won't let go, no matter what."

	"That's good, isn't it?"

	"Mamoru-san, the Dark Kingdom may drive Rei-san mad... 
or worse.  If that happens, she may take our Princess with 
her."

*****

	Steven and Ryo climbed slowly up the stairs to the 
Hikawa shrine.  It seemed like it was an eternity ago that 
they all had been training together here.  But it had only 
been an hour.

	"I should have seen it coming," Ryo said bitterly.  "I 
could have warned them."

	Steven shrugged.  "Maybe.  Maybe not.  We'll never 
know.  You can't blame yourself for it."

	"I'm the one who can see the future.  Who else should 
be blamed?"

	"I don't know, maybe Sailor Pluto?  She's supposed to 
be the Mistress of Time.  Or we could blame the Dark 
Kingdom and the Zodiac."  Steven's voice began to rise.  
"We seem to have enough culprits and certainly don't need 
any volunteers!"

	"Shut up!  What do you know, Mr. I-Can-See-The-
Obvious?"

	Steven's fist came up and hit Ryo in the face.  "Did 
you see THAT coming?" he sneered.

	Ryo leapt at Steven, grappling the Englishman around 
the waist.  In another moment, the two would have been 
tumbling down the stairs.

	"STOP IT!" roared a voice.

	The two looked up the steps to see Rei's Grandfather 
glaring down at them.  "This is a shrine, not a wrestling 
ring!"

	"Sorry, Hino-san," they chorused.

	"Hino-sama," Steven said.  "Something--"

	"I know, Grant-san," Grandpa said.  Now that he was no 
longer yelling, he seemed very, very old.  "I felt it 
happen.  Rei-chan is gone."

	"We'll get her back, sir," Ryo said.  "I mean, the 
Senshi will.  They've never lost before."

	"They have always saved the world," Grandpa corrected 
gently.  "That's not the same as never losing."

	"Sir?" Steven asked.

	"Never mind.  Rei-chan never talked about it, but the 
fire showed me some things, once I knew her secret."  He 
turned and began to shuffle up the stairs.  "In a way, it 
was gentler for her then.  I fear that it will not be so 
easy this time."

	The two boys looked at each other, puzzled, wondering 
what he was talking about.

	"Boys, could you go and break the news to Kumada-san?  
I'm afraid I'm feeling very tired."

	"Of course, Hino-sama," Steven said, bowing slightly.

	Grandpa walked off towards the house, his mind filled 
with only one image:  Sailor Mars lying so very still in 
the middle of a crater of ice.

	"What was that about?" Ryo said.

	"Beats me.  Let's go find Yuuichiro and get this over 
with."  He was still smarting over Ryo's comments, but 
Grandpa was right.  This wasn't the place or the time.

	It was easy enough to find the other resident of the 
shrine.  The sound of hammering attracted their attention 
first.  Yuuichiro was behind the fire room, repairing the 
hole made when the black crystal had exploded.  He didn't 
look up when the two boys approached.

	Steven didn't quite know what to do or say.  Yuuichiro 
was older than the rest of them, and they didn't have a lot 
in common.  He knew that Yuuichiro worked at the shrine and 
had a crush on Rei, but that was about it.  With Rei living 
at the Tsukino house while the shrine was being rebuilt, it 
hadn't been easy to get to know the shaggy-looking acolyte.

	"Kumada-san?" he called out.

	The hammering didn't stop, except when Yuuichiro 
picked up a new board.  "I'm sorry, Grant-san, I'm a little 
busy right now.  I have to fix this before Rei-san gets 
back.  She won't be happy if the shrine's a mess."

	"Yuuichiro-san," Ryo said.  "Something horrible 
happened... with Rei-san.  She's--"

	"She'll be back," Yuuichiro said, growling slightly.  
"And the shrine will be ready for her."

	Steven didn't like to use his power on people.  It 
seemed like an invasion of privacy.  But in this case, he 
made an exception.  He had to know if Yuuichiro was truly 
blocking the knowledge of what had happened, or if he was 
just clinging, in his own way, to hope.

	Despite his reservations, he had looked on many people 
with his power, especially before he managed to control it.  
It reminded him of a story he had once read of a painter 
who had asked a sorcerer for the power to paint men's 
souls.  The painter had seen horrible ugliness behind the 
faces of the rich, the powerful, and the righteous, but 
great beauty had resided in the faces of the poor, the 
humble, and the lowly.  The sorcerer had offered to take 
the power back, but the painter had refused, recognizing 
the gift for what it was.

	Behind Yuuichiro's face was confusion.  Both strength 
and weakness resided there.  The edges of his soul wavered 
like a mirage in the desert but the core was solid, burning 
white with a purity of purpose that was rarely seen.  The 
Senshi had it, as did a few others, like Umino.  He 
remembered Minako telling him of the Deathbusters and their 
quest for pure heart crystals.  Yuuichiro had been one of 
their targets and he could see why.

	The strongest impression he got was puzzling, however.  
It made him think of a square peg hammered into a round 
hole.  That's why the edges wavered and Yuuichiro often 
felt lost and without purpose.  He had one, but he had been 
hammered into place without regard for the fit.  It was 
like he was standing in for someone else who could not be 
there and was performing better than anyone had expected.

	He looked deeper, and saw Rei was at the center of his 
heart.  Yuuichiro literally worshipped Rei with all of his 
being, but at the same time felt unworthy of her.  He and 
Rei were a lot more alike than they knew, Steven thought.  
He peered deeper, trying to see beyond the present.  It 
wasn't really his purview, but sometimes, especially if 
someone was reincarnated, he could see the signs of what 
they had been in what they were now.

	Nothing.  Yuuichiro was entirely of the present.  
There was no past life, nothing to even suggest that he had 
been brought forward from the Silver Millennium.  I suppose 
that somebody in this wide world had to NOT come from the 
Silver Millennium, Steven thought.... but the odds weren't 
looking good that we'd run into any of them.

	He shook his head.  He was getting off-topic here.  He 
confirmed what he thought.  Yuuichiro was just doing the 
only thing he could think of to help.

	"Sailor Moon will get her back, Kumada-san.  She never 
gives up on her friends," he said.

	Yuuichiro paused and looked over his shoulder at them, 
his eyes gleaming beneath his shaggy bangs.  "If you find 
out where she is, I'm going with you."  It was not a 
question or a plea.  It was a statement of fact.  It 
brooked no argument.  "I have some things I need to tell 
the bastards that took her."

	His hammer hit the board in front of him so hard that 
it split crookedly down its entire length.

*****

	It was a normal day in the life of an ice cream store, 
Miki thought to herself from behind the counter.  Serving 
ice cream to perfectly normal people, and nothing weird 
happening, especially this close to closing.  It's nice to 
have at least one sanctuary from my crazy life.

	Then one of the legendary Sailor Senshi entered.

	"Welcome!  How can... I... serve you...?" Miki began, 
then faltered.

	"I'm sorry.  This will just take a second," the short-
haired, blue-suited Senshi said, scanning around the room 
with a visor.

	"Ahahaha... right... I'll be taking the rest of the 
day off, then..." Miki said, deciding that she was going to 
go home and beat her head repeatedly against something 
hard.  I HAD to think that, didn't I?

	Sailor Mercury didn't spare the departing girl any 
thought.  She was too busy studying the readings her 
sensors were giving her.  It seemed like a lifetime ago 
that they had fought Beruche here.  The store had changed 
and come under new ownership, but it should still be one of 
the Crystal Points.

	Back in Sensei's lab it had quickly become apparent 
that the only chance they had of finding the Dark Kingdom 
and rescuing Rei was to get a working dark crystal.  The 
Senshi had quickly volunteered to check out the various 
sites.  It gave them a sense of doing something.

	Aha! she thought, spotting a "blank" spot in her 
sensor scan.  The crystals were shielded from discovery, 
but a determined scan could find them.  She peeked behind 
one of the milkshake machines.  There, stuck to the wall by 
some sort of gummy adhesive, was the crystal.

	Using her Senshi strength, Sailor Mercury soon pried 
the machine away from the wall.  Don't worry, Usagi-chan, 
she thought to herself, we'll find Rei.

	She reached for the crystal.

*****

	Jadeite watched the coffin-shaped crystal that lay in 
the room with a sense of eagerness and disquiet.  It 
resembled that damnable crystal Beryl had sealed him in far 
too much for his liking.  He idly wished that his former 
monarch had survived long enough for him to return the 
favor.

	The subject now encased in the milky-green crystal was 
the source of his eagerness.  Sailor Mars lay there, still 
as death, as waves of darkness swept over her again and 
again.  The sigil of Mars glowed brightly on her brow, 
however, not dimming in the slightest.

	"My lord?"

	Jadeite scowled as he turned to face Sapphire.  "I 
gave orders not to be disturbed, Sapphire.  You have done 
well in my service so far.  I trust you have an EXCELLENT 
reason for disturbing me?"

	"The Senshi are approaching the remaining Dark 
Crystals, my lord.  I would like to send some of the latest 
droids to defend them--"

	"The Dark Crystals have served their purpose, 
Sapphire," Jadeite said to his General.  "Terminate them."

	"But, my lord, the energy they gather--"

	"--has been stockpiled.  We have sufficient for our 
plans.  Destroy the Crystals."

	"Yes, my lord."  Sapphire seemed disgruntled, but did 
not hesitate.

	"Sapphire?"

	"Yes, my lord?"

	"If you can catch some of the Senshi in the blasts, I 
won't be displeased."

*****

	She huddled around a small, faint, silver flame.  It 
was the only light and heat in the eternal cold of the 
darkness.  It was hardly more than a mote, but it made her 
feel safe.  She clung to it, focused on it, and made it her 
universe, as she always had.

*****

	The crystal exploded in Mercury's face.  She let out a 
yelp of surprise and fell backward.  A sphere of black 
nothingness expanded outward from the point of the 
explosion and then vanished with a pop.  Where the sphere 
had been, nothing remained.  It had cut into the wall and 
the milkshake machine cleanly and destroyed whatever it 
touched.  Sparks fell from the shattered refrigeration 
coils as Mercury watched.

	That could have been my hand, she thought numbly.  
Then she was on her communicator.  "Everyone!  The crystals 
may be rigged to explode!  Be careful."

	Sailor Venus appeared in the communicator, her hair 
blown away from her face and she was dripping with some 
sort of pink goo.  "I noticed.  Did you know that Slurpee 
machines could explode?"  Her eyes seemed a little glazed 
over.

	She's in shock, Mercury thought.  "Did anyone get an 
intact crystal?"

	The other Sailors, some similarly battered, quickly 
reported back negative.

	Sailor Mercury sighed.  It had probably been a long 
shot, anyway, she told herself.  "Jupiter, you're closest 
to Venus, see if she needs any help.  We'll all meet back 
in Sensei's lab."

*****

	Libra stood beneath a vast dome of the stars, looking 
up at her constellation.  It was strange for her to feel so 
unbalanced.  Ever since she had graduated from being Libra 
istarii, she had always felt perfectly centered, in 
control.  Now....

	I should resign and give my position to my student, 
she thought.

	Overhead, the blue-green Earth seemed like a paradise.  
She knew it was not, but it could be so much worse.  Most 
of the evils on that sphere were of human making.  The 
Things From Beyond had never gained a foothold there, 
despite many attempts, and the Zodiac had done their share 
to repel them.

	"Student, attend me," she said aloud, willing her 
words to reach her istarii.  Soon, she heard the door open 
to the observation dome.

	"You called me?" he asked.

	Libra turned to look at her istarii.  He was a dark-
complected young man, and his black eyes had a world-
weariness that seemed out of place in such a young face.  
She had found him in the West Bank two years earlier.  The 
chosen of Libra seemed drawn to places that teetered in an 
uneasy balance.

	"Ibrahim, I will be stepping down to an advisory role 
after my Ascendancy passes," she said, without preamble, 
studying her istarii's reaction.

	"This is sudden, Teacher," Ibrahim said.  "Is 
something the matter?"  He seemed to take the news in 
stride and she smiled to herself.  Yes, he was far more in 
balance than she was at the moment.

	"I made a choice that gained us a victory... but I am 
troubled by it.  My balance is off, and I do not think I 
can continue in this manner."

	"I do not think I can take on all of your duties by 
myself, Teacher," Ibrahim said, a slight hint of worry 
crossing his eyes.  "I have only been studying--"

	"Long enough, and I am not throwing you to the wolves.  
I will remain here to guide you through your first 
Ascendancy at least."

	"I do not wish you to go, Teacher."

	"Everyone must leave the nest eventually, Ibrahim.  
Look at where we are now, if you want proof of that."

	Together, they looked out over the gray plains that 
surrounded them.

	"It is truly a miracle, all of this."

	Libra snorted.  "Yes, but not of our making."

	"Teacher?"

	"It's time you knew, Ibrahim.  We didn't make this.  
We found it and used it for our own purposes, just like we 
used Byzantium, Rome, Alexandria, Carthage, and a number of 
other places throughout the ages."

	"We founded the Great Library--"

	"We used it.  The Zodiac was too busy pitting empires 
against each other to collect scrolls and books.  We just 
like to say it was our creation."  Libra sighed.

	"Teacher, why are you saying this?"

	"Because it's true.  You must know if you are to take 
my place."

	"Then... why the lies?" Ibrahim asked, struggling to 
understand this sudden change in his worldview. 

	"Because we don't like the truth.  Because the truth 
is inconvenient.  I had many comfortable lies ripped away 
from me today, and I would not have them clouding your 
vision as you begin."

	"Who did make this place?"

	"It was here millennia ago and was the capital of a 
civilization that spanned the Solar System.  You know of 
the Silver Millennium, of course.  This was the Moon Palace 
once, where Queen Serenity ruled."

	"And--"

	Libra smiled, guessing what was coming next.  "And 
what, student?"

	"Did she really conspire with the Things to destroy 
us?  The histories say--"

	"No.  She did not conspire, but rather sought justice.  
The Star Kingdom had declared us illegal for manipulating 
events to serve our purposes rather than the common good.  
She no more persecuted us than Interpol persecutes 
terrorists."

	Ibrahim's shoulders sagged slightly.  He looked a 
little lost.

	"Feeling betrayed?" she asked, not unkindly.  When he 
nodded, she said, "Don't be.  The Zodiac still has done 
some good, for all our blemishes.  When Odysseus was 
destroyed, we returned, despite our banishment, and did 
what we could to rescue the people.  We have fought and 
died to keep the Things from Beyond outside the Great 
Shield.  We have stopped great evils from being done.  But, 
we are just human.  Never forget that."

	"Yes, Teacher... Could I--?"

	"Yes, yes.  Go and think about it.  I will talk to you 
tomorrow."

	Ibrahim left swiftly and Libra felt sorry for him.  
Still, better the small hurt now, than the near mortal blow 
she had received.

	"Some would call your words treasonous," came a silky 
voice.

	Libra frowned now as she looked at the leather-clad 
figure of Scorpio.  "What do you want, Scorpio?  The 
Ceremony of Ascendance isn't until tomorrow.  Can't you 
wait?"

	"I thought I would congratulate you on your success.  
The Star Princess now has one less guardian."

	"And I should be proud of that fact?  That I damned a 
young girl to something so akin to hell that it makes no 
difference?"

	"We are at war."

	"With the Things, yes, but not with the Senshi.  They 
did us all a favor in destroying the Death Busters, or have 
you forgotten that?"

	"They are in our way now," Scorpio said, walking 
closer to Libra, her leather outfit creaking slightly.  "We 
must recover our full power, before the Star Princess 
learns how to cut us off.  You know this to be true."

	"I am no longer certain of that.  The Star Princess 
has allied herself with the Senshi, and I am beginning to 
think that we should have done so as well."

	Scorpio sneered at Libra.  "And shackle ourselves to a 
decrepit monarchy again?  The best thing our ancestors ever 
did for us was to abandon the Star Kingdom to its fate."

	"That is a distorted view of what happened."

	"No matter.  I will be the Ascendant, not you, and I 
will grab the Star Princess.  Her power will be ours."

	Libra turned her back on Scorpio.  "I think not.  Not 
once I tell the rest of what I've learned: that some of us 
have been communicating with creatures from beyond the 
Shield, cutting deals and pacts without the full knowledge 
of the Zodiac.  I know you and Pisces have been at the 
forefront of this.  Consider it my last balance to put 
right--URK!"

	It was just a pinprick, but the agony that followed 
sent her crashing to the floor.  She gaped upwards, her 
limbs thrashing, to see Scorpio standing over her.

	"I was hoping not to have to use this.  It's quite 
hard to come by.  Even to Sagittarius, it will look like 
you had sudden, fatal stroke."  Blood began to gush from 
Libra's nose.  "Don't worry, I'll see that your student 
gets a 'proper' advisor."  She turned away from the former 
Ascendant.  "And the Star Princess will soon be joining 
you."

	Libra was dead before Scorpio left the room.

*****

	The darkness was growing closer, and her mind was 
beginning to waver.  She huddled closer to the silver 
light.

	The edges of the light were beginning to dull, she 
noted with horror, turning from bright silver to dull gray.  
The darkness was beginning to tarnish the light.

	That could not happen.  She could not let it happen.  
The silver light was the one pure and perfect thing in her 
world.  It could not be sullied because of her.  It had a 
destiny, a purpose that far outweighed her life.

	The light sang a siren call into her mind.  Don't 
leave me, it cried.  Together, we can do anything.  
Together, we are stronger than we are apart.  We can beat 
this, all of us together.  Just stay with me.

	Love can bring people together, end wars, and bring 
peace.  It can inspire the mind and give strength to the 
body.  It is a weapon of tremendous power.  But, like all 
weapons, it can cut both ways.

	She shoved the fire away.  It could not be made any 
brighter by her actions.  Indeed, she held the light back, 
keeping it close for her own selfish reasons.  She had to 
step aside, surrender, so that the light wouldn't die.  She 
ran into the embrace of the darkness.

*****

	Jadeite watched as the sign of Mars flickered and went 
out on Sailor Mars' brow.

	"At last," he gloated.

*****

	"Rei-chan!  No!" Usagi screamed, suddenly sitting 
upright.  Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared down at 
her hands.  "Rei-chan, you idiot," she whispered before 
burying her face in her hands, sobbing.

	Mamoru pulled the blanket around his princess.  She 
had been moved to a cot and made comfortable.  He had been 
staying close, wiping her brow, keeping her from falling 
off the cot as she twisted and turned, and generally 
feeling useless.  There was no enemy to attack, no 
carefully timed "Now, Sailor Moon!"  He could only stand by 
her side and love her with all his heart.

	"Usako," he said, putting one arm around her shoulder.

	"Mamo-chan!  She's gone," Usagi said, burying her face 
now in his chest.  "She pushed me away.  She did it again!"

	Mamoru had no idea what Usagi was talking about, so he 
just held her close and made shushing noises, rocking the 
blonde schoolgirl back and forth.

	"They all do it, Mamo-chan....  They leave me alone.  
Am I that bad a person?"

	"I'm sure they don't mean to leave you, Usako.  It may 
seem that way, but they only want to do what's best for 
you."

	"Not for me...." Usagi said softly.  "No one thinks of 
me.  They think of my destiny, or saving the world, or 
keeping me a pure and innocent little girl.  They put me on 
a pedestal, at a distance, and worship me as a goddess, not 
like a friend."  Her voice changed slightly, growing deeper 
and more refined.  A bit of Serenity? he wondered.

	"That's not true, Usagi," he said, feeling a surge of 
anger.  She was hitting close to the mark on his own 
feelings.  How often had he found himself taking her for 
granted, simply because he knew they were destined to be 
together.  Despite all Pluto had said, he often thought 
that the future was set in stone.  Hadn't Chibiusa come 
back to prove it?  He and Usagi would be together, it was a 
given.  But with that certainty, their love lost its 
passion, became comfortable, mundane.  Had he treated her 
like a goddess to be worshipped rather than a woman to be 
loved?  He didn't think so, but he may have treated her as 
an object that could be safely placed on a shelf when it 
became inconvenient.

	"They are your friends, Usako.  And if they would 
sacrifice for you, what about yourself?  Wouldn't you give 
up as much for them?  I don't think you're being fair--"

	"I don't know how much more I can give," the 
frightened little girl in his arms sobbed.  "I give so 
much, again and again.  Will there come a time when there's 
nothing left of me to give?  Will I fail, then?  Or will I 
be an empty shell, a beautiful doll on a shelf?"

	Her words hit too close to his earlier thoughts for 
his comfort.  "That won't happen, Usako.  Your heart is too 
big to ever run out."

	Usagi clutched the brooch at her breast.  "My heart... 
Mamo-chan, my heart is a weapon."

	"That's not true.  It's--"

	"Fighting Master Pharaoh 90.... I couldn't transform 
to Super Sailor Moon.  The Holy Grail was gone.  Mistress 9 
told me that I would need a perfect crystal that embodied 
all hope, all fear, all emotions to the ultimate degree, to 
replace it.  I couldn't transform without it.  I felt all 
of my friends then, giving me their power."  She sighed.  
"I used my own heart crystal, Mamo-chan.  You see?  I'm a 
weapon, even in my heart, and I can't do it anymore.  I 
can't fight any more."

	"Usako.  If the Dark Kingdom attacks--"

	Usagi's eyes blazed.  "This isn't a temper tantrum, 
Mamo-chan!  I CAN'T fight them.  Not this time.  They'll 
use Rei-chan...."

	Mamoru stood.  "You fought me, Usagi," he said.  A 
cold shiver ran through his heart.  "I remember that much."

	The image of the Moon Tiara cutting through his body 
flashed through both their minds.  When she became Sailor 
Moon again, she stopped using the tiara, he realized.  It 
would not work any more.  Could it be because of what she 
did with it?

	Usagi stood up, the tears still falling from her eyes.  
Slowly, she took her brooch off her chest and opened it, 
looking into the depths of the red heart that the Silver 
Crystal had become.

	"I can't use my heart as a weapon any more, Mamo-
chan," she said.  "It'll break."  With that, she dashed the 
brooch against the concrete wall of Sensei's lab.  Mamoru 
gave a shout and tried to grab it, to stop her, but it was 
too late.  The brooch shattered against the hard stone.  
The red heart, which he and Usagi had made with their love, 
flashed.  Then it changed in shape and color, leaving the 
Silver Empyrean Crystal behind, its facets dull and blank.

	Usagi leaned over and picked it up.  She held it in 
the palm of her hand and concentrated.  Silver fire began 
to flash from its facets and she closed her hand around it, 
forming a fist.

	"If the Dark Kingdom attacks, I can't fight them," 
Usagi said. 

	Mamoru watched in horror, seeing in his mind the image 
of Queen Serenity holding the Moon Wand high and the Silver 
Crystal shining as it struck.

	"But I will destroy them," Princess Serenity finished.

*****

	Elsewhere in Sensei's lab, the various Senshi all 
froze, feeling as if someone had driven a spear of ice 
through their hearts.

	"What... what was that?" Ami asked, shaken.

	"Mina-chan," Steven asked, holding his girlfriend 
close, "are you OK?"

	"I wish Rei-chan was here," Makoto muttered.  "She 
understood this sort of freaky stuff."

	"It was love," Minako said, "love denied."

	Everyone looked at her oddly.

	"The future has dimmed," Setsuna said, echoing her 
earlier words.  "I can't see much of anything."

	"Shame you couldn't see this mess coming," Naru said.

	Setsuna looked away.

	"Don't attack her.  You didn't see it in your precious 
stars, either," Haruka said.

	Naru bristled, but said nothing.  She had been 
studying with Augur, but her horoscopes still came out too 
vague to be much good.  Augur assured her that if she 
recovered the Orb of the Stars, her accuracy would 
increase....

	She thought a moment about that.

	"Setsuna-san," she said carefully, "I apologize for my 
words.  But I just had a thought that may help us find the 
Dark Kingdom."

*****

	Tethys paced back and forth inside her prison.  It 
wasn't fair, she thought for the millionth time.  She had 
been the model prisoner, done nothing wrong, had even 
helped these ungrateful bitches, and what did she get for 
it?  Her face shoved through a wall.

	"Are you hurt, Tethys-san?" came a timid voice.

	Tethys looked up, prepared to verbally tear the 
intruder a new one, only to stop in fear.

	The deadliest Senshi tried again.  "I could try to 
heal those cuts, if you like," Hotaru said.

	"Just stay away from me, OK?" Tethys muttered, trying 
to keep the fear out of her voice.

	Hotaru turned away, her shoulders slumping.  She felt 
so useless.  There was nothing she could do to help the 
others.  She wasn't as smart as Ami, nor as strong as 
Makoto and Haruka.  She didn't have the experience of 
Minako or a talisman like Michiru's mirror.  She could 
destroy a planet... or even the entire universe, under the 
right conditions.  But what good was such a power?  It was 
like a cartoon she had seen.  It was a killer act, but it 
could only be performed once.

	She passed a tall cabinet with glass doors and saw her 
reflection.  An eighteen-year-old stared back at her.  I 
was nearly thirteen a year ago, she thought, and I spent 
four years of that possessed by Mistress 9.  My life has 
sped past me.  I don't know if I should be an adult or a 
child, a warrior or a healer.  I have a power inside me 
that wishes to destroy everything.  What do I want?

	"Hotaru-chan?"  Someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

	"Poppa."  She took his hand in her own.  "I don't know 
what to do, Poppa."

	"Oh, Hotaru-chan," he said sadly, giving her a small 
hug.  "I wish I could fix everything for you.  I wish--"

	"Don't Poppa.... it wasn't your fault."  Hotaru 
returned the hug.  "I would have been Sailor Saturn even if 
you hadn't done that experiment.  And maybe, if you and I 
hadn't been possessed, if it had been someone else, 
Mistress 9 would have won.  We helped save the world."

	Tomoe-sensei patted his daughter's head.  "You're 
wiser than I, Hotaru-chan."

	"No, I'm not," Hotaru said, shaking her head.

	Tomoe-sensei smiled down at Hotaru.  "Yes, you are.  
Setsuna-chan sent me to look for you.  It seems Osaka-san 
has an idea on how we can get Hino-san back."

	"Really?"  Hotaru followed her father back.  She 
seemed to consider something.  "Poppa?"

	"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"

	"I think Setsuna-san would make a great Momma."

	She thought she understood why her father went into a 
coughing fit, but it was still hard to understand these 
grownups.

*****

	"It might work," Setsuna said, mostly to herself.

	"You woke me for this?" Hime-chan muttered.  "You 
haven't taught me a thing about tracking magical links or 
breaching dimensional barriers yet."

	"All the more reason for you to learn," Setsuna said.

	"We're not going to do it tonight, so why--?"

	"Stop bickering!" Osaka Naru snapped.  "I swear, you 
two get along as well as Usagi and--"  She stopped suddenly 
and looked guilty.  "I shouldn't have said that."

	The other Senshi looked away from each other.

	"So, let me see if I understand," Ami said, in a calm 
and level voice.  "We learned in the Library of the Star 
Kingdom that Odysseus' talisman, the Orb of Stars, is in 
the Dark Kingdom somewhere.  You're going to use Naru's 
link to her talisman to locate and open a portal to the 
Dark Kingdom, right?"

	"Essentially," Setsuna agreed.  "We'll need myself, 
Hime-chan, and Michiru with her Aqua Mirror to track the 
link.  Your computer, Ami, will lock onto the exact 
coordinates once we find it.  Then, Hotaru will open the 
way."

	"I will?" Hotaru asked nervously, entering the room 
with her father.

	"Don't worry, Hotaru-chan," Setsuna said.  "We'll 
guide you.  Once there--"  She broke off, looking through 
the doorway.  "Mamoru-san?"

	Mamoru entered the room.  He looked a little haggard.

	"What's wrong?" Minako asked.  "Is Usagi OK?"

	"No," Mamoru said.  "She's not.  She's awake, but 
she's.... different."

	"We have a plan, Mamoru-san," Ami said, quickly.  "We 
think we can find the Dark Kingdom and--"

	"Usagi's not going to fight the Dark Kingdom," he 
said.  "She's going to use the Silver Crystal on them."

	"What?!?!?" Everyone said.

	"She'll die if she uses the Crystal!" Makoto 
exclaimed.

	"She knows, but she doesn't seem to care," Mamoru said 
helplessly.  "She won't listen to me anymore.  She just 
sits there, staring at it."

	Everyone looked at each other.  Some, like Steven, 
Clark, and Ryo, looked a little confused.  Others, like the 
Inners, remembered too well what the Silver Crystal could 
do.  Setsuna was as inscrutable as ever, but Michiru and 
Haruka actually seemed to approve.

	"Does she want our help, then?" Ami asked carefully.

	"No.  She told me to say good-bye."

	Again, the helpless glances.  Usually, they knew whom 
to send, but that was no longer an option.  And Mamoru had 
already struck out.  Then the confusion lifted and almost 
all of them headed for the door en masse.

	"STOP!"

	The mob of Senshi nearly fell over at the tone of 
command.  Confused, they looked back at Naru.

	"I'll talk to her," she said.  "As her oldest friend."

	"Shouldn't we all go?" Ami asked.

	"No, Naru is right," said Setsuna, who hadn't stirred 
from her seat.  "Too many of you would just put her on the 
defensive.  This is Naru's fight."

	"Sheesh," Naru said, "she's always getting into 
trouble and needing me to get her out of it."  She took a 
deep breath and headed for the door.

	"Good luck, Naru-chan," Umino said, quietly.

*****

	Such a little thing, Usagi thought, looking at the 
most powerful force on the planet.  The Crystal seemed to 
pulse in time with her heart.  Each time, the pulses grew 
brighter.

	"Hi, Usagi-chan," her oldest friend said from behind 
her.  "The others asked me to see if YOU'VE COMPLETELY LOST 
YOUR MIND!"

	"Hi, Naru-chan," Usagi said calmly.  The Crystal 
flashed again, still brighter.

	"We have a plan, you know.  We think we can find the 
Dark Kingdom and rescue Rei."

	"I don't want you to risk yourselves."

	"Dammit, Usagi, she was my friend too!  You can't go 
to pieces over this."

	"I'm not," the blonde girl replied.  "It's very clear 
now.  My mother in the past should have destroyed the Dark 
Kingdom from the start.  She could have saved us all.  She 
didn't.  I'm not going to make the same mistake."

	"Usagi," Naru pleaded, putting a hand on Usagi's 
shoulder.  "You don't have to do this."

	"I guess Chibiusa will never be born now," Usagi said 
calmly.  "I'll be doing my mother one better.  I won't 
saddle the whole mess on my daughter."

	"Usagi, if you destroy the Dark Kingdom, you'll kill 
Rei-san, too."

	For a moment, Usagi was still.  "She's already dead," 
she said at last.

	Naru hauled Usagi up her blouse.  "Don't say that!  
She's not dead, you will rescue her, and that's FINAL!"

	"I felt it, Naru-chan," Usagi whispered.  "She shoved 
me away.  She's doing it again.  Oh, no, can't risk Usagi, 
she's the princess," Usagi rambled, mostly to herself.  
"No, Rei has to go and take all the risks.  She has to go 
and get beaten up by the Zodiac, she has to go and get 
killed by the Dark Kingdom.  She has to PROTECT me."  Usagi 
practically hissed the last words, even as tears fell from 
her eyes.  "I'm not worth it anymore, Naru-chan.  It hurts 
too much."

	Naru resisted the urge to slap the other girl silly.  
"Usagi, you need to rest.  You're talking nonsense."

	"I'll rest.  Soon.  Once this is done."

	"I won't let you kill yourself over this, Usagi.  Do 
you think that's what Rei wants?"

	Usagi flinched, but merely said, "I don't care 
anymore."

	Naru saw red.  "Oh, I see now," she said through 
clenched teeth.  "This has nothing to do with destiny or 
anything like that.  Rei-san hurt your feelings, pushed you 
away one too many times.  Is that it?  You're going to kill 
her because of a fit of pique?"

	Usagi stopped crying and glared at Naru.  "Don't say 
that about Rei-chan!"

	"Usagi, I won't even pretend to understand how things 
are between you and Rei-san.  I don't think even you two 
understand it.  But I will NOT allow you to kill yourself 
and her.  You're not thinking straight."

	Usagi drew herself up and changed from a simple 
schoolgirl into Princess Serenity.  There was no light 
show, no pyrotechnics.  It was like looking at a picture 
that was both a young girl and an old woman, depending on 
how you looked at it.  She just WAS Serenity.  "I don't see 
how you can stop me," she said.

	Naru stared into the eyes of her friend.  All the 
warmth and caring she was used to seeing was missing.  
Instead, they seemed cold as ice.  She reached deep down 
inside herself.  I am Princess Astra the Last of the Star 
Kingdom she thought over and over.  There was a flash of 
light and Naru stood transformed.

	A dress of purest black, similar in cut to Serenity's, 
covered her body.  Glittering in the depths of the gown 
were stars that formed different constellations as she 
moved.  A tiara topped with an eight-pointed star rested on 
her forehead.  She held out her hand and the Silver Crystal 
flew from Serenity and hovered midway between them.  "I am 
the heir to Astra, one of the founding wizards," she said, 
her voice every bit as regal and commanding as Serenity's.  
"How else could I have used the Silver Crystal to restore 
Umino to life?"  She smiled, but it was without humor.  "Do 
you care to duel with me?"

*****

	In the Grand Hall of the Zodac, an emergency meeting 
was taking place.  The Ascendant had died, unexpectedly, 
and measures had to be taken.

	Sagittarius, the eldest of the Zodiac, spoke.  "The 
time is not right, but the Zodiac cannot remain leaderless.  
Libra has fallen, and her Istarii be too inexperienced to 
lead."

	Scorpio stepped forward, an eager smile on her face.

	"So, we, the assembled Zodiac, do pass the Ascendency 
to Scorpio.  Let her take her place."

	Scorpio strode out onto her glowing symbol...

	...which flickered and died.

	The shock and surprise of the Zodiac quickly turned to 
debilitating pain as the Star Power ran out of their bodies 
like water through a hole.  All of them save Taurus fell to 
their knees, and even the large man seemed shaken.

	"Look!" Capricorn said, pointing to the center of the 
Hall.  An image appeared of a woman in a black, star-
studded dress and bearing the eight-pointed star of the 
Star Kingdom on her brow.

	"The Star Princess has claimed her power!" Aries 
croaked.

*****

	"The backlash will destroy this building," Serenity 
said.  "You wouldn't dare."

	"It may destroy this planet," Astra said.  "But, if 
you persist in this foolishness, that will happen anyway."

	"Why are you doing this?"

	"Serenity, believe me, I understand.  It is hard to 
accept one's destiny.  Your mother was destined to do what 
she did by the stars.  You are not."

	"I do not care any more about destiny!"

	"That does not matter."  Astra kept staring coolly 
into Serenity's eyes.  "You, perhaps more than anyone, have 
the power to derail the plans of destiny.  But, if you do, 
you will be condemning this planet, and your friends, to 
death.  It is written in the stars.  I do not lie to you."

	Serenity stretched out her hand to the Silver Crystal.  
"And now I suppose you will say that great happiness will 
be mine if I accept destiny.  That Rei-chan will return?  
That she will finally be happy?"

	Astra shook her head, sadly.  "No.  I cannot make 
those promises.  There will be joy, yes, but also despair.  
There will be hardships and pleasures.  Rei-san, if she 
returns, will have to chart her own path.  You cannot take 
responsibility for that."

	"I just want her to be happy."

	"Then help her to be happy.  But you cannot take 
responsibility for it."  Astra gestured to the Silver 
Crystal.  "You could 'make' her happy with that."

	Serenity looked horrified.  "I could not do that to 
her."

	"Yet you assume that she cannot be happy without your 
approval.  I have watched Rei-san.  She is happy, some of 
the time.  No one can be happy all of the time, not without 
drugs or magic.  Would you deny her her choices?"

	"I cannot do what would make her happy," Serenity 
whispered.

	"Do not be so sure, either that you cannot do it, or 
that it truly would make her happy.  Some roles in 
destiny's plan may be filled by more than one player.  But 
most players are best in one role over others."

	"Can I rescue Rei-chan?  Is it possible?"

	"All things are possible."

	"Do not speak like Pluto and answer me!"

	Astra sighed.  "Serenity, I have no certainties except 
this.  If you kill yourself now, Rei-san will not return."

	Serenity sighed.  "It hurts, Naru.  It hurts worse 
than I could have imagined."  Her features and clothes 
flickered, and Usagi Tsukino appeared in Serenity's place.  
"I just wanted it to end."

	"There are no beginnings or endings, not really.  You 
know that, Usagi-chan," Astra said.  She transformed back 
to Naru, who stumbled.  "I think... that took... too much," 
she gasped and fell, only to be caught by her friend's 
arms.

*****

	Back in the Grand Hall, the Zodiac slowly regained 
their feet.

	"We are out of time," Scorpio said.  "The Star 
Princess will soon deny us our rightful power.  Even now, 
she tests what she can do to us.  This was just the first 
attack of many.  We cannot let this happen!"

	A ragged cheer of approval went up from the other 
members.  Some stayed silent and glanced at each other, 
uncertain, but many cheered.

	"We will take the Star Princess, and woe to anyone who 
stands in our way!"

*****

	"She'll be fine, Usagi," Sensei said.  He had an old 
and battered stethoscope out and was listening to Naru's 
heartbeat.  "I think she's just exhausted.  What happened?"

	"We argued," Usagi said in a tired voice.  Mamoru 
stood next to her, his arms supporting her.  "She became 
the Star Princess and...."  She shook her head.  "It 
doesn't matter."  She looked up at Mamoru.  "Can you take 
me home, Mamo-chan?  I'm very tired."

	"Usagi?" Setsuna asked.

	"Can it wait, Setsuna?  Please?"

	"No, my princess.  I'm sorry.  What are you going to 
do about that?" she asked, pointing at the Silver Crystal, 
which was cupped loosely in the blonde's hand.

	Usagi stared at her talisman blankly for a moment, as 
if she couldn't recognize it for what it was.  Then she 
gave a wry smile.  "Guess I can't wear it as a brooch 
anymore," she said.  She giggled.  "It was pretty tacky, 
anyway."  The Crystal seemed to flash a little brighter, as 
if it perceived the insult.

	Setsuna and Mamoru exchanged glances over the giggling 
blonde's head.  Then the green-haired Senshi of Time tried 
again.  "One of us could hold onto it for you, Princess."

	Usagi, still giggling, shook her head.  "No, no, 
no...."  She took a deep breath to calm herself, then 
looked up at the two of them.  On seeing their serious 
expressions, she burst out laughing again.  Except the 
laughter sounded closer to sobs and tears ran down her 
cheeks.  "I'm sorry... I'm just tired," she said, when she 
could finally speak again.

	"It's understandable, Usagi," Setsuna said.  "I'm 
sorry to ask you about it, but it's important."

	"Right, right," Usagi said.  She held the Silver 
Crystal before her chest and concentrated.  With a flash of 
silver light, the crystal sank into her flesh and vanished.  
"There, it's much safer there," she said, swaying on her 
feet even with Mamoru's arm supporting her.  "Can I go to 
bed now?"

	Setsuna nodded.  Mamoru led his princess away and 
ignored the stinging in his eyes from unshed tears.  He 
also chose to overlook the fact that the Senshi of Time's 
eyes had seemed suspiciously moist.

*****

	Clark and Makoto walked silently away from Sensei's 
lab.  Clark made sure he kept a "safe" distance from the 
brunette.  He couldn't help but look around, to see if 
anyone saw them together.

	"If it's THAT much trouble, I can walk home myself, 
you know," Makoto said acerbically.

	Clark started guiltily.  "I'm sorry, Mako-chan--"

	"Kino-san, if you please, SENSEI," Makoto said, her 
tone still dripping acid.  "We wouldn't want someone to get 
the wrong impression."

	"Ma--Kino-san, I've done something to upset you."

	"No, really?"

	"I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to hurt you.  Now would you 
PLEASE," he asked, "tell me what I did wrong?"

	She stared at him incredulously.  "Don't you know?  
You haven't had many girlfriends, then."

	Clark sighed and rubbed the back of his neck 
nervously.  "I've had one or two.  Most of them ended after 
a few months.  Haruna-san--"  Oh, THAT was a mistake, he 
knew.

	"Yes, Magnuson-sensei?" Makoto said in a sweet voice.  
"What about Haruna-sensei?"

	"She lasted the longest, but we decided we were better 
friends," he finished lamely.  "Mako-chan, I--"

	Makoto began to walk faster.  "I think I can make it 
home on my own.  Thank you for walking me this far, 
SENSEI."

	"Mako-chan, wait!  Please!"  He reached out to grab 
her hand.

	"Don't touch me," Makoto said, not even looking back 
at him.

	Clark flinched backward.  "Makoto...."

	Makoto turned around and glared at him, her green eyes 
glittering dangerously.  "I love you, Clark Magnuson, 
formerly Parias, but you can be damn stupid!"

	Clark nodded, quick to agree.  "I know, but I don't 
know what I did wrong, Makoto-san!  Can't you just tell 
me?"

	"You said that our love was wrong, that's what you 
did!  You made it seem dirty and ugly!"

	"Mako-chan, I--"

	"I thought you'd be different, Maguson-sensei!  But 
no, once you-- once we-- you know, you're saying it's wrong 
and throwing me out!"

	"Hey, I said it was wrong BEFORE--"

	Damn my mouth, Clark thought, a moment before her fist 
slammed into his cheek, sending him sprawling.  As he 
looked up at his seething "girlfriend" he wondered for a 
moment if she was going to finish the job.

	"Well, if it's so WRONG," she snapped, "then you don't 
have to worry about it again!"

	"Makoto, wait!" he called as she began to walk away.  
He stumbled after her, gratified to see that she stopped.

	"Makoto... san," he said to her back, wishing she 
would face him.  "I'm an idiot.  I don't know how to talk 
to a girl, especially one your age."  He saw her shoulders 
stiffen and knew he was walking on thin ice, so he hurried 
along.  "I only said... what I said because other people 
would view it as wrong.  They'd ostracize us.  I could live 
with that, but I don't want it to happen to you.  You're 
young--"  Dangerous ground, he thought, seeing her begin to 
shake, "and I love you too much to put you through that.   
Worse, they would keep us apart.  They'd put a restraining 
order, at least, on me to keep me away from you.  I 
wouldn't be able to see you at all."  He looked at the 
ground.  "I don't want that.  I would like nothing more 
than, for the rest of my life, to wake up in the morning 
and let the first thing I see be your smiling face.  
Please, give me another chance."

	Makoto turned slightly, looking at him from the corner 
of her eye.  "What are you saying, exactly, Maguson-
sensei?"  she said at last.

	Clark swallowed nervously and reached into his pocket.  
Slowly he fished out a small box.  "I'm told this belonged 
to my mother, Makoto-san," he said.  "My father gave it to 
her.  After they died, it was kept safe for me, with a few 
other things," he said, thinking of Quietus.  "I was going 
to wait, get it resized, but--"

	He knelt at her feet and opened the box to reveal a 
glittering diamond ring.  It wasn't very large, but it 
seemed to almost glow in the starlight.  "Will you--" he 
began and then stuttered to a stop, his heart in his 
throat.

*****

	Jadeite watched the sarcophagus eagerly.  His plan, 
his gamble, would pay off.

	"My lord."

	"Report, Marcasite," Jadeite said, turning to face his 
subordinate.

	"Libra of the Zodiac has died suddenly, and Scorpio 
has moved to take the Ascendancy early."

	"Hmmm.  The timing of that is rather curious, isn't 
it?" Jadeite said, looking evenly at Marcasite.

	"A coincidence, I'm sure," Marcasite said, in the same 
tone of voice.

	"Libra could have been a thorn in our side," Jadeite 
mused, half to himself.

	"The new Libra will not take power for a year, and he 
is young and... easily influenced," Marcasite was quick to 
put in.

	"Do not underestimate the young, Marcasite," Jadeite 
said.  "Remember how old the Senshi are."

	"I stand corrected, my lord," the silver-haired 
General said without the slightest inflection.

	"How stands the Zodiac?"

	"Pisces and Scorpio stand firmly in our camp.  They 
claim they will support us in return for a privileged 
position once we invade.  They are no doubt plotting to 
stab us in the back once we are sufficiently weakened.  
They think they are using us to strengthen their hands in 
their endless squabbling with the other Zodiac members."

	"And the others?  How do they stand?"

	"They believe that they can convince at least three 
others to support their position.  Two more can be ignored.  
They don't have enough power or influence to be a factor.

	"The new Libra is one of these?"

	"Yes, my lord.  We might be able to get him to shift 
if we claim one side or the other killed his mentor."

	Jadeite considered it.  "No.  It's too late in the 
game for such an involved plan, and his influence is, as 
you say, too little to be worth the effort.  What of the 
other five?"

	"Six, my lord."

	"Six?" Jadeite asked, distractedly.  His eyes were 
already drifting back toward the coffin in which lay Sailor 
Mars.

	"With the two Gemini, the Zodiac numbers thirteen, my 
lord."

	"Yes, yes," Jadeite said, waving his hand 
dismissively.  "What of them?"

	"With the current Ascendant supporting us, I do not 
think they can muster enough resistance to stop us, my 
lord."

	"Good.  You may go."

	Marcasite bowed and vanished.  Jadeite didn't even 
notice, for he had already turned back to the coffin.

*****

	Both Sailor Plutos and Sailor Neptune, sat around 
Naru's cot in Sensei's lab, talking softly.  Sailor Mercury 
sat nearby, typing into her computer.  Sailor Uranus and 
Sailor Saturn stood by the door.  Uranus was casually 
leaning against the wall, apparently nonchalant, but Saturn 
was fidgeting slightly.

	"Should we really try this now, while Naru is 
sleeping?" Younger Pluto whispered.

	"What does your future sight tell you, Hime-chan?" 
Pluto asked calmly.

	"I can't... it's pretty dark," the younger girl, 
looking sour.  "And it seems to be getting darker.  Care to 
tell me WHY?  I never really wanted this power, but it 
seems to choose a damn inconvenient time to go on the 
blink."

	Pluto looked at her apprentice, apparently considering 
what to say.  "The future is uncertain," she said at last, 
"and too many possibilities are leading into times we 
cannot see.  It's hard to pick out the remaining futures 
from the darkness."

	"'Cannot see?'  What sort of futures can't WE see?"

	Mercury spoke up, then, "I would assume they are 
futures you are not present in.  That's the only thing that 
really makes sense, since you said that your 'possibility 
sight' shows you the immediate results of your actions, the 
darkness must be timelines where you can take no actions."

	"But what kind of timeline would keep me from taking 
action?" Hime-chan asked, curiously.

	Mercury looked up from her computer and seemed to 
consider, for the first time, what she had said.  "Oh, I'm 
sure it's nothing serious," she said quickly.  She turned 
to the older Pluto.  "I assume your longer-range visions, 
like that of Crystal Tokyo, come from the Gate of Time and-
-"

	"What. Kind. Of. Timeline?" Younger Pluto asked.

	"One in which you're dead," Uranus said suddenly.

	Younger Pluto turned to stare at the Outer Senshi in 
horror, then looked at her mentor.

	"It's true," Pluto said with a sigh.  "Our sight 
becomes unreliable as our death approaches."  She shot a 
glare at Uranus, and then turned back to her apprentice.  
"I'm sorry, Hime-chan."

	"It's not set in stone, is it?" Younger Pluto asked 
hesitantly.  "Right?  You said there were other futures, we 
just couldn't see them well, right?"  Her voice began to 
rise in pitch and volume.

	"Yes, Hime-chan.  Do not worry.  It will be okay," 
Pluto said, as soothingly as she could.  "But this is why 
we must hurry."

	The door to the small room slid open and Sensei 
escorted Tethys in.  "Here you are, Sailor Pluto" he said.  
"I'm sorry it took so long, but Tethys insisted on having a 
snack."  Sensei patted the youma on the shoulder and left.

	"Indeed," Pluto said, looking at the youma, whose 
mask-like face seemed a little paler than usual as she 
looked around.  The youma's wounds seemed to have mostly 
healed, showing where her energy had gone.

	"Hey, I didn't do anything to that girl," she said, 
pointing to Naru.  "You can't blame that on me."

	"We know you didn't, Tethys," Pluto said.

	"Probably got shoved around by that psycho-blonde," 
Tethys grumbled bitterly.

	There was a faint whisper of noise and the blue-haired 
youma found the Silence Glaive and the Space Sword at her 
neck.

	"I'm sorry!  I'm sorry!  I didn't mean it!"

	"Uranus, Saturn, let her go," Pluto said.  "Tethys 
is... somewhat justified in her opinion, given what 
happened earlier."  Tethys let out a sigh of relief as the 
weapons were removed.  "However," Pluto continued, "I 
wouldn't push my luck by repeating such an opinion in our 
company, youma."

	Tethys nodded briskly.  "So," she finally said.  "What 
do you need me here for?"

	"We're going to find a way to the Dark Kingdom."

	"I already told you!  I don't know how to get there!  
How many times do I--"

	"Don't wake Naru-chan," Uranus said as the youma's 
voice rose.

	"Yes, ma'am," Tethys said meekly.

	"You're not here to find it, Tethys.  Simply to 
identify it for us."

	"You're going to find the Dark Kingdom?  I could go 
home?"

	"THAT," Uranus said, "depends on your behavior."

	"Oh, I'll be good, I will!"

	No one seemed to totally believe the youma's 
statement, but they let it slide.

	"Stand back, then," Pluto said, "and do not interfere.  
The results would be bad... for you."

	Tethys seemed to wilt under that ruby-eyed gaze and 
moved to stand in a corner.

	"Now, Pluto and Neptune, take my hands," Pluto said.  
"Neptune, make sure you have the Mirror ready.  I will lead 
us through this."

	The other two nodded.

	"Mercury, you'll scan with your computer and record.  
Saturn and Uranus, make sure no one disturbs us."  For a 
moment, her gaze flicks to Tethys in the corner.

	"And what am I supposed to do?" Tethys asked, a little 
angry at the treatment.

	"Just watch," Pluto said.

	The green-haired Senshi sat at the head of Naru's cot, 
with Neptune on her right and Younger Pluto on her left.  
The three held hands.  Behind the Plutos, their staffs 
stood upright as if planted into the concrete floor.  In 
her right hand, Neptune held her Talisman, face up, over 
Naru's chest.  Pluto closed her eyes and touched her 
forehead to Naru's.

	Both Neptune and the Younger Pluto stiffened, and then 
they slumped forward slightly, their chins resting on their 
chests.

	The Aqua Mirror began to glow, softly at first, then 
more brightly.  Images began to form in the air above it, 
showing the Senshis' path as they traced Naru's link to the 
Orb of Stars.  At first, the image showed the grounds of 
Tsunami, but then the point of view rocketed upward and 
into space.  It flew across the Solar System, zooming close 
enough to see Jupiter's swirling bands of gas, and then out 
into darkness.  A swirling tunnel of dark, roiling clouds 
formed, shot with silver lightning.  Sometimes the clouds 
parted just enough to give the impression of something 
flying through them.  Each time it happened, Uranus and 
Saturn blanched.  Even Tethys looked away.  All three were 
glad that they didn't get a clearer look.

	The tunnel grew darker and narrower as they 
progressed, and soon there was nothing but a sphere of 
total darkness floating over Naru's cot.

	Sweat was beginning to bead on the three Senshi's 
faces and Naru was starting to moan in her sleep, and still 
the darkness continued.

	Then, finally, something burst into the image.  They 
were now apparently underground.  The rocky walls were a 
dark gray, shot through with veins of red and purple 
crystals.  There was a half-melted look to the walls, as if 
they had once been subjected to great heat.  The floor had 
been worn smooth, especially in the center of the cavern, 
leading down to the far end.

	There, on a raised dais, stood a chair, less 
ostentatious than a throne, and obviously much newer in 
construction than the rest of the hall.  The floor was 
discolored here, as if a larger object had once sat there, 
but had been replaced.

	The image was beginning to fade, but there seemed to 
be a small sphere floating over the dais.  Uranus hardly 
noticed, however, for her eyes were on the only creatures 
visible.  They were obviously youma and, in perhaps the 
most disturbing part of the whole image, they were 
constructing a second chair next to the first.

	The image was lost.  With a gasp, the three Senshi 
around the cot let go of each others' hands and sat up.  
Pluto seemed particularly drained.

	"Well, Tethys?" she asked, her voice thick with 
fatigue.

	"That was Beryl's throne room," the youma said.  "But, 
someone put up a new throne!"  Tethys didn't know why it 
had shocked her so badly.  She had known that Beryl was 
dead.  But to see the truth of it.... It left her with a 
hollow feeling in her heart.

	Before this moment, she would have sworn she hadn't 
had one.

	"Good," Pluto said.  "Fix the image you saw in your 
mind, Hotaru... tomorrow, we'll attack."

*****

	Usagi sat beside her window, staring up at the Moon.  
There would be no answers there, she knew from long 
experience, but it brought her a sense of peace.

	"Usagi-chan?" a sleepy voice came from the direction 
of the bed.

	"Go back to sleep, Luna, I'm alright," Usagi said 
softly.

	"Are you sure, Usagi-chan?" her guardian asked softly.

	"I just slept all day.  It's only natural that I'd be 
awake all night."

	"If you say so," Luna said doubtfully.  She had seen 
her charge sleep through apocalypses.  "Do you want to 
talk?"

	Usagi considered the question for a moment, and Luna 
was struck with how much she resembled Queen Serenity.  "I 
guess.  I'm trying to think of an excuse not to take Naru 
along tomorrow."

	"Well, that's easy enough.  She's still exhausted from 
her little fight with you," Luna said bitterly.

	"I know, Luna.  I'm sorry about that."

	Luna padded over the window, noting how drained Usagi 
seemed.  "Are you sure we shouldn't use that excuse to keep 
you from going?"

	Usagi's head snapped around, and Luna saw, for a 
moment, a bit of her old spirit.  "I'm going to rescue Rei-
chan, Luna.  You cannot stop me."

	Regal command laced that last sentence.  Luna shook 
her head to clear it.  Usagi was alternating between 
herself and Princess Serenity.  It was only acerbating the 
emotional distress the young girl felt.  Speaking calmly, 
she tried to distract her.  "Why won't you take Naru?  It's 
her talisman that you're going after.  Won't you need her?"

	"No.  Naru herself proved that.  Any of the founding 
wizards' lines can use the artifacts.  I could use the Orb 
just like she used the Crystal."  Usagi sighed.  "I'm just 
remembering the last time we went after the Dark Kingdom in 
their own territory.  I don't want to risk anyone.  So, 
I've decided that only the Senshi are going."

	"All of them?" Luna asked.  "Maybe the Outers should 
stay here..."

	Usagi considered that for a moment.  It was tempting, 
very tempting, to leave behind the Outers and the problems 
that usually came when the two groups tried to work 
together.  But finally, she shook her head.  "No.  I meant 
what I said back at the beach.  We have to work as a team, 
Inners and Outers."

	"And if the Zodiac attacks Naru while you're gone?"

	"She'll have the Younger Pluto, Maguson-sensei, Ryo, 
Steven, and Umino--crazy as that sounds-- to protect her.  
The White Knight is especially powerful against the Zodiac.  
They'll be okay."  Usagi managed a small grin.  "And 
they'll have all the cats around to help them."

	Luna sighed as she lowered herself into Usagi's lap.  
"I just know that this is going to go over well tomorrow."

*****

	The following day, the Senshi gathered together at the 
Hikawa Shrine.  Most of them had spent a rather sleepless 
night explaining to their parents what they had to do (and 
why it had to be done on a school day.)  The Outers and 
Sailor Jupiter did not have that excuse, but they still 
looked like they had not gotten a full night's sleep.

	"--and so, only the Inner and the Outer Senshi will be 
going on this mission," Sailor Moon finished.  Grandpa had 
closed the Shrine and was off sweeping the stairs to head 
off any visitors, so they were all alone, the Senshi and 
the Auxiliaries.  

	Uranus and Neptune seemed to approve, however 
grudgingly, with the idea of keeping it a Senshi operation.  
She could tell that they still held reservations about the 
other Senshi's abilities, but at least they were not saying 
anything about it.

	Pluto, as usual, kept her silence, but Moon knew that 
the Senshi of Time's precognition was not as accurate as it 
had been.  The timelines were dimming with the loss of 
Mars.  Saturn stood nearby, her Glaive held ready.  She 
looked uncertain but ready.

	The Inners appeared more resigned than enthusiastic.

	"Once more unto the quiche, huh?" Venus quipped.

	There was more outrage amongst the Auxiliaries, but 
also a guilty relief.  The only one who seemed really upset 
was Naru.

	"Usagi, you can't go and get my talisman without me!"

	Sailor Moon walked over to her friend and placed her 
hands on Naru's shoulders.  "Naru-chan, I can't risk you.  
We need you to face the Zodiac, and your power still tires 
you horribly.  We're going into enemy territory.  I'm not 
taking anyone who doesn't have years of fighting experience 
or," she said with a slight nod towards Hotaru, "enough raw 
power to protect her."

	"And what of HER?" Naru asked, pointing at Tethys.

	"I don't like it, but she might be able to guide us 
though the Dark Kingdom.  No one else has been there."

	Naru looked away.  "I just thought... I thought the 
days when I needed someone to save me were over.  I thought 
I could save myself for once."

	Sailor Moon gently hugged Naru close.  "Naru-chan," 
she whispered, "you saved me the other day."

	The two girls hugged for a minute, tears running from 
their eyes.

*****

	"Mako-chan, I--" Clark began, not sure what to say to 
his girlfriend.  If she still was his girlfriend.

	Sailor Jupiter looked him squarely in the eyes.  "I 
know, Clark... there's never enough time, is there?"  She 
looked down.  "This is what I tried to tell you.  We can 
never be certain of tomorrow."

	"No one ever knows what tomorrow will bring, Mako-
chan," Clark said fiercely.  "I don't care anymore about 
what everyone else thinks.  I want you in my life."

	Jupiter looked at him carefully.  "I already said no, 
Clark.  I'm sorry."  She raised her hands and let a little 
spark of lightning dance over them.  "This is what I was 
born to do.  I've always been a scrapper, but I thought I 
could be a normal girl as well.  But I can't, not really.  
I'm a soldier in a war."  Her voice grew soft.  "And that's 
not what you want."

	"I do!  I want you, Mako-chan!  I told you that I 
don't care anymore what other people think, what they say."

	Jupiter raised one finger to his lips, cutting him 
off.  "But you do, Clark.  You do.  If I accepted your 
proposal, you soon would have us skulking around again, 
afraid of who might see you.  You see, you think that you 
can still have a normal life."

	"It's still possible.  We can do it."

	"I don't believe that any more.  I'm sorry, Clark."  
She could feel her heart threatening to break wide open.  
She wanted to tell him it would be alright, that they could 
be together... but not now, not when the Senshi were going 
into the heart of the Dark Kingdom.  "Maybe... Maybe some 
day."  She could not say any more.  She chastely kissed him 
on the lips.  "I'm sorry."

	Clark turned and stalked away, so no one could see the 
tears in his eyes.

*****

	The Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and one youma gathered in 
the courtyard of the Shrine.  Grandpa and Yuuichiro had 
hung charms and prayer strips all around the area, in case 
any evil energy escaped what they were going to do.

	Sailor Moon turned back to Naru.  "I trust you will 
keep these guys in line?" she tried to joke, indicating the 
Auxiliaries.

	Naru reached back and took Umino's hand.  "We'll do 
our best," she said simply.  "Come back safe."  Then she 
and the Sailor Auxiliaries stepped back to the safety of 
the shrine.

	Sailor Moon merely nodded and turned to face her 
Senshi.  "Everyone, I don't need to say it, but I want 
to... thank you, for everything."  She started to say 
something more, but stopped.  That simple speech was best.

	Pluto nodded to Sailor Saturn.  "Ready, Hotaru?"

	"Yes, Pluto," Saturn said, raising her Glaive.

	"Think of the throne room.  Imagine that it's just 
behind a wall and that you're going to cut that wall with 
the Glaive," Pluto said.

	The Sailor Senshi gathered in a half-circle behind 
Saturn and began to concentrate.  One by one, their sigils 
flared to life.  Saturn closed her eyes and held the Glaive 
before her, thinking of the brief scene she had seen the 
day before, the throne room of the Dark Kingdom.  The sigil 
of Saturn began to glow on her brow.

	With one sweeping motion, she brought the Glaive down.  
Impossibly, the tip of the Glaive seemed to catch on thin 
air, and a rip appeared in the middle of the shrine's 
grounds.  It was a hole of total blackness, and overhead 
the sun seemed to dim and the wind began to pick up, air 
swirling into the vortex.

	Sailor Mercury studied the readings she was getting 
off the hole.  "That's it!" she said.  "It leads to the 
Dark Kingdom!"

	"Everyone!  Through the portal!"  Pluto called as she 
ushered Tethys toward the hole.  The youma was to be their 
guide, if they needed one.

	Sailor Moon was already in motion and jumped through 
the vortex without a second thought.  Soon, the others 
followed her.  Hotaru was the last, knowing that the gate 
would close once the Glaive was taken through.  With almost 
no hesitation, she followed Haruka through the gate.

	The vortex began to shrink immediately.  But before it 
closed, a figure ran out of the shrine and jumped through 
it.

	"Kumada-san!" Naru yelled.

*****

	To those who entered it, the black hole of the portal 
quickly became a swirling tunnel of light and shadow.  
Things seemed to press against the sides of the tunnels, as 
if trying to force their way through the walls.  The shapes 
of those things seemed utterly wrong and terrible.  More 
than one Senshi closed her eyes rather then try and see 
what it was.

	Fortunately, the journey was swift, and, one by one, 
they were catapulted out of the tunnel and into something 
that one could generously refer to as reality.

	A reality where they were surrounded by youma and 
droids.

	"Welcome, Senshi!" Jadeite cackled.  "How nice of you 
to drop in."

	The Senshi instinctively took up a circle around 
Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.  The youma and droids didn't 
seem eager to close with them, but none of them, save 
Pluto, could ever remember seeing so many in one place.  
They came in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  Most of them 
appeared human, and not all of them were in good shape, but 
there were enough to give even Uranus and Jupiter pause.

	"Where's Sailor Mars, Jadeite?" Sailor Moon asked.

	"Why, she's right here," Jadeite said, extending a 
hand to the shadows behind him.

	Rei stepped out of the shadows, and the Senshi all 
gasped on seeing her.  The Armor of Mars covered her, but 
it had changed in shape and color into a form-fitting 
pitch-black collection of scales and leather.  Shadows 
seeped out of every joint and surrounded her in a nimbus of 
darkness.  No tiara graced her head, but instead the sigil 
of Mars glowed there with a black flame.  In her hands she 
held the Hammer of Vulcan, which also had darkened 
ominously.

	"May I present my Queen, Aurora," Jadeite said.

	"Rei-chan!" Sailor Moon screamed.

	Aurora smirked and raised the hammer high.  "Goodbye, 
Sailor Moon," she said.

	And brought the hammer down.

The End.

*****

Closing Credits:


     "My road leads me far away."

     We see Nephrite telling Juno that he must go soon for
a great conflict is about to begin.

     "Though my heart tells me to stay,"

     We see Princess Serenity clinging to a worried looking
Endymion.

     "When my duty calls, I must go"

     We see Pluto appearing in the midst of the ballroom at
the Diamond Gala.

     "'Twixt worlds of fire and worlds of snow."

     We cut to a shot of the solar system, with the nine
planets and the moon lined up from the Sun at the left to
Pluto at the right, with the Senshi and Prince Endymion
standing on their planets as shadowy figures.

     "The road I travel will be long"

     We see the White Knight galloping down a Tokyo street
on horseback.

     "To set things right, to end the wrongs."

     We see Tuxedo Mask tossing a red rose into the barrel
of a gun, which backfires and explodes.

     "But this message will I send,"

     We see Rei picking up a blue crystal, which starts to
play back a message.

     "Wait for me at Journey's End."

     We see Naru waiting for someone outside a restaurant.

     "Do not forget the love we share"

     We see Princess Serenity and Endymion tearfully
bidding each other farewell.

     "Though I must leave, my heart will stay."

     We see Naru crying as Nephrite dissolves away in her
arms.

     "Do not think I ceased to care"

     We see Beryl implanting crystals in the foreheads of
the four Guardians and cackling maniacally.

     "When my duty took me away."

     We see Steven waiting at a restaurant, then sighing as
he checks his watch.

     "The road I travel will be long"

     We see the Sailors using the Sailor Teleport to travel
to the ruins of the Moon Kingdom.

     "To set things right, to end the wrongs."

     We see Umino trying to fight a monster in "Tuxedo
Umino Kamen" mode.

     "But this message will I send,"

     We see Luna trying to use a dial only phone.

     "Wait for me at Journey's End."

     We see Umino leap to his feet as Naru comes running up
the sidewalk to him with Usagi and company.

     "I have only my heart to give"

     We see Haruka and Michiru sharing a quiet moment.

     "For my life is not my own."

     We see the baby Saturn in a crib.

     "It is for others that I must live"

     We see Pluto having a frustrating time trying to
counsel a young girl.

     "But it is for you that I come home."

     We see Mamoru following a trail of smoke to Usagi in
his kitchen.

     "The road I travel will be long"

     We see Capricorn vanishing through a portal.

     "To set things right, to end the wrongs."

     We see a chamber with stars for a ceiling and a
horoscope on the floor.  A man stands in grey robes in the
center and stares down at the horoscope.

     "But this message will I send,"

     We see Usagi listening to a message on the phone, her
eyes getting big.

     "Wait for me at Journey's End."

     We see a closing tableux of the Sailors, Umino, Naru,
Steven, Tuxedo Mask, and twelve shadowy figures standing on
a Zodiac wheel.

*****

EXCEL SAYS:

[A very hyper blonde girl in a Japanimation-cosplay outfit 
stand at attention.  A very sickly girl with dark blue hair 
and a similar costume stands next to her.  They are both 
standing in front of throne, where sits a very bishonen man 
with purple hair and extremely large shoulderpads.]

Excel:  HAIL, ILPALAZZO-SAMA!

Hyatt:  --zzo [slumps to the ground with blood trickling 
from her mouth.]

Ilpalazzo:  Ah, Excel-kun, as energetic as ever.

Excel:  [speaking very quickly] I am you ever attentive 
servant, Ilpalazzo-sama, and the fair young maiden whose 
heart you hold in you hands and I wish for nothing more 
than to serve you to the very best of my abilities.  
Whatever you ask of me, I will do, whether it is to--

[A cord drops from the ceiling in front of Ilpalazzo.  
Excel becomes very quiet as he raises his hand to pull it.]

Ilpalazzo:  Good.  Now, Excel-kun, as you know, our 
ideological secret society, ACROSS, is planning to take 
over the world.  Since the world is not yet ready for our 
leadership, we will concentrate on one country.  [map of 
Japan appears]  Furthermore, so as not to strain ourselves, 
we will focus on one city.  [picture of F City, F 
prefecture appears.]  Any questions.

Excel:  Hai, Ilpalazzo-sama!  Why are you repeating the 
exposition from the first episode of the Excel Saga TV 
series?

[Ilpalazzo pulls a bazooka out of nowhere and blasts Excel 
into tiny bits.]

RESET

[The Great Will of the Macrocosm runs by as Excel, Hyatt, 
and Ilpalazzo are once more in the throne room, perfectly 
unhurt.]

Ilpalazzo:  To further our goals of taking over the city, 
we will concentrate on dominating an obscure but 
influential section of society:  fanfiction.

Excel:  Fanfiction?

Hyatt:  Isn't that where fans of a TV show or movie 
unlawfully use the characters and settings in their own 
writings?

[Everyone, including the author, sweatdrops.]

Excel:  No matter!  Ilpalazzo, I, Excel, your most devoted 
servant, will spare no effort to totally dominate the world 
of fanfiction.

Ilpalazzo:  We will begin by taking over a small segmnent 
of a popular fanfiction known as "Sailor Moon Z."  Sadly, 
our efforts have been stalled by one of the authors not 
writing for almost nine months.

Excel:  That criminal!

Hyatt:  That wasn't very nice--URK!

[Hyatt again collapses, this time into a puddle of blood.]

Ilpalazzo:  Excel-kun, you will take over the "Sailor Moon 
Says" portion.  I have reason to believe that you are 
uniquely suited for this role.

Excel:  Of course, Ilpalazzo-sama!  [she turns to the 
audience]  Listen up!  Excel says that you must all worship 
Ilpalazzo!  He is the best, most stupendous, oh, this sweet 
maiden heart of mine can't take anymore--

[Ilpalazzo pulls the cord and a trap door opens under 
Excel's feet, sending her plummeting.]

Excel:  Ack!  I'm in "The Core!"  [her voice fades away.]

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
	For those who weren't aware, Mitsuishi Kotono supplies 
the voice for both Sailor Moon and Excel... though she 
speaks much, MUCH faster as Excel.  I don't think anyone 
else could keep up.
	Why didn't Sailor Moon show up to take back her spot?  
Well, she's been missing since the last scene of this 
episode. ;)