Hey, everyone, this is my first fic, hope you enjoy it. Any
comments are welcome at h_chan@sympatico.ca. I'll be using the Japanese
names, so here's a list for those who don't know them:

Serena --- Tsukino Usagi
Darien --- Chiba Mamoru
Amy --- Mizuno Ami
Raye --- Hino Rei
Lita --- Kino Makoto
Mina --- Aino Minako
Tuxedo Mask --- Tuxedo Kamen
Serena's parents and Sammy ---(Tsukino) Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo
the negaverse --- the dark kingdom
Jedite --- Jadeite
Nephlyte --- Nephrite
Zoycite? --- Zoisite
Malachite --- Kunzite
Molly --- Osaka Naru
Melvin --- Gurio Umino
Ms. Haruna --- Sakurada Haruna
Greg --- Uwara Ryo
Chad --- Kumada Yuuichiro
Ken --- ? Shinozaki
Andrew --- Furuhata Motoki

	Standard disclaimers apply. Most of these characters belong to
Naoko Takeuchi, and I'm just borrowing them for a while.

NOTE: This series takes place after the first season and replaces the
Doom Tree series. There is one major change that I'm making. The Silver
Millenium and the war with the dark kingdom happened *ten* thousand
years ago, not one thousand. This won't come into play until later, but
I thought I'd warn you.


HEARTS OF DARKNESS
PART I: DESTINIES RE-EMERGING
by JG Chan


	A biting gale howled across the dark, barren arctic plains. It
swept up the snow in blinding flurries, arranging and rearranging the
landscape, like a child experimenting with different sand castles.
Although in general, the arctic was merely a cold place, this
particular area has been perpetually wracked by storms for over a month
now. In fact, the storms started not too long after five very special
young girls came here to face their destiny.
	As the stars overhead watched in silence, a form emerged from
the chaotic elements. Snow started to pile up in certain places,
remaining there undisturbed as more and more was added on, infused
with a strange aura. The law of gravity was suspended as this force
caused the snow to expand and connect above a network of frozen walls,
forming a single floor of a building.
	This strange phenomenon continued through the night, as spires
of white rose like claws trying to rend the heavens. As the sun rose to
shine on the arctic plains, its light reflected off the thousands of
polished crystal surfaces of the new structure. If anyone were here to
behold this vision, they would certainly agree that it was an image of
a future paradise.
	So thought the tall, armored male figure enthroned at the heart
of this crystal palace, and he laughed at the perfect irony of it. The
cold, soulless sound filled those cowering before him with terror. The
shadowy figure rose to his full height. Standing eight feet tall, he
glared at the ranks of his servants arrayed before him and began to
speak. His voice was cold as the ice outside his palace, yet his eyes
held passion burning like the fires of hell.
	"Hear me, my warriors!  Now the time has come for our dark
kingdom to rise once more! This world WILL be mine, and nothing will
stand in the way of our power! The dark kingdom WILL triumph!"
	As the army of creatures before him roared their approval, the
new lord of the dark kingdom smiled with all the warmth of a corpse.
"And to ensure our victory," he finished to himself, "I have a little
present for those pretty little sailor scouts. . ."


	"OH GODS, I'M GONNA BE LATE AGAIN!!"
	As a blonde, meatball-headed figure dashed past the Hikawa
Temple, a young, raven-haired Shinto priestess looked up from her
sweeping in surprise.
	"There she goes again," Rei sighed. "It's the same thing every
morning. . .wait, today's Saturday! Jeez, she must have been more
asleep than usual on her way out."
	Sure enough, a few minutes later, Rei saw the blonde girl
going back the way she came, slumped over with a large sweatdrop over
her head. The priestess smiled. There was just something about that
girl's antics that stirred warm feelings deep inside her, though she
couldn't tell what they were. She shrugged, and went back to her
chores.


	Back at the Tsukino home, two old friends were lying on the
roof, enjoying the sun and chatting quietly. These meetings have been a
daily routine ever since that fateful day a month ago, when their
young charges won the battle against evil. At the moment, Artemis was
trying hard to hold back his amusement as Usagi dragged herself inside
again, intent on returning to bed as soon as possible. Finally, as the
door closed, he couldn't hold it in any longer and collapsed laughing.
	"That girl is getting more scatter-brained everyday!" Luna
exclaimed, ignoring the white cat's laughter. She wasn't too happy
herself for having been woken up this early on a Saturday. "When is she
going to grow up?"
	"Ca. . .calm down, Luna," Artemis replied, trying to follow his
own advice. "She's only fourteen, after all. Let her enjoy her life.
She certainly deserves it, after what she's been through."
	"I guess you're right.  Besides, I couldn't do anything
anyways; she forgot all about the Sailor Scouts after that last
battle."
	"It's just as well.  Hopefully, they'll get a few more weeks
before we have to reawaken their memories. . ."
	Luna stared at her companion, perplexed.  "What do you mean by
that?"
	"You don't remember, Luna?  The dark kingdom wasn't only Beryl,
you know." Artemis' face took on a grim expression. "There will be more
coming from that hellhole, and none of it will be pleasant."
	Luna sighed. Poor Usagi, she thought. Soon you'll have to face
the horrors of the dark kingdom again. I just hope we'll be able to
pull through this one.


	"M-my lord. . .!?" Peridot stammered, barely containing his
surprise.
	The dark figure did not stir from his obsidian throne. His
eyes, however, shone brighter with annoyance, and his voice was colder
than ever. "Is your hearing failing in your old age, general? Or did
you simply wish me to repeat myself?"
	"Of course not, my lord! I am honored to accept this mission. I
swear I will not fail you!"
	"Indeed you shall not," the dark lord whispered as his
underling slowly backed away. "For your own sake."
	His plan was perfect. It had taken him weeks of personal labor
to obtain the small artifact which he had entrusted to Peridot, but it
was well worth it. There was no way that the Sailor Scouts could
escape destruction now.


	It was a beautiful summer day. The sky was clear, the birds
sang, and the people of Tokyo went about their business. In short, life
was peaceful and relaxing. . .except in the small suburban
neighborhood of Minato-ku, where the quiet afternoon was shattered by
a terrible, ear-piercing sound.
	"Hahahahaha. . ."
	"Usagi! Naru's on the phone!"
	Usagi put down the manga she was reading and ran downstairs.
"Thanks, mom," she said as she grabbed the receiver. "Hi, Naru. . .
sure, I'll see you there. Mom! I'm going to the mall!"
	As the door slamming downstairs announced Usagi's departure,
Shingo poked his head out from his room while Luna crawled from under
the bed. Both were thinking exactly the same thing.
	"Boy, am I glad the hyena's gone. . ."


	"Hey, isn't that Ami over there?" Usagi asked, pointing
towards the computer store.
	"Probably," Naru replied. "She's either there, at the library,
or at school. It's like all she ever does is *work*!"
	"Well, that can't be healthy. Come on, let's ask her to come
along with us. She can't spend all her time stuOWW! Hey, watch where
you're going!" Usagi sat rubbing her rear end as she glared at the man
whom she had bumped into. He seemed to be a college student, tall,
dark-haired, and handsome, although Usagi was too irritated to notice
that last part.
	"Excuse me, but you're the one who should pay more attention,"
Mamoru said, offering her a hand. She ignored it and got up by herself.
	"Hmmpf! I have more important things to do than to talk with
creepy guys."
	"Like trying to hold your head up with those two meatballs on
it?"
	"You. . ." Usagi turned her baleful gaze from the slightly
amused Mamoru to the hysterically laughing Rei, who just came out of
the shoe store. "What are you laughing at?"
	"He's right, you know," answered Rei, catching her breath.
"Those do look like meatballs. So, were you late for class this
morning, Meatball Head?"
	"WAAH! You guys are so mean!" Usagi collapsed again, streaming
tears.
	"She's right, you really shouldn't have been so mean with her."
Rei and Mamoru turned to see the tall brunette standing beside Naru,
with several bags of groceries at her feet. She seemed ready to fight,
and Naru saw it.
	"Now, just calm down, Mako. Usagi's going to be okay, she does
this all the time. . ."
	By now, a small crowd had gathered around the commotion caused
by the girls and Mamoru. A pretty blonde with a red ribbon in her hair
stood close to the front, holding a white cat and several shopping
bags. Further back, a less-than-impressive middle-aged man surveyed
the scene with interest. He was bald, with a face reminiscent of a
vulture's. He absently fingered the small object in his pocket, which
pulsed with energy.
	Quite intriguing, thought Peridot. Perhaps all these people
would enjoy a little more. . .entertainment.
	

	"ROARRR!"
	All the shoppers turned towards the source of the noise. Then,
all of them started screaming and running in random directions, away
from the abomination in their midst that seemingly appeared from
nowhere. It was covered in brown fur and had the head of a lion. Its
massive claws appeared sharper than any knife, as did the row of spines
on its back. In the confusion, Usagi was separated from Naru and found
herself huddled in a side hallway with four other girls.
	"WAAH! A monster!"
	"Shut up, meatball head, or it'll hear you," Rei snapped
quietly.
	"I wonder where that creature came from?" Ami whispered.
	"*I* wonder how we're gonna get away?" Minako asked. "That
thing's got us blocked off from the exits."
	Artemis peered around to see if anyone was nearby. Seeing no
one, he decided to act, and jumped out of Minako's arms, startling her.
	"What are you doing, Artemis?"
	"There's no time to talk. We have to beat that chimera."
Artemis indicated the creature with a motion of his head.
	The others turned around at the sound of his voice. Minako was
just gaping at Artemis.
	"Did. . .did that cat just talk?" Makoto asked, disbelief plain
in her voice.
	"Yes, I did," Artemis answered calmly. "Now don't move."
	Five faint beams of golden light shot from the crescent moon on
the cat's forehead and connected him with the five girls. Their eyes
glazed over for a moment as a rush of memories assailed them. Then, as
one, they snapped out of it.
	"I. . .I remember everything now," Rei said.
	"So do I," Ami replied. She looked at Artemis. "Does this mean
we have to fight again?"
	"I'm afraid so. The dark kingdom still has several more
generals up their sleeves."
	"But. . ." Usagi began, her voice shifting into whine mode.
	"No time for that, Usagi," Minako said. "We have to get rid of
that thing before it hurts anyone."
	"I guess you're right." Usagi sighed, and raised her brooch.
"MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"MERCURY POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"MARS POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"JUPITER POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"VENUS POWER, MAKE UP!"
	The five Sailor Scouts rushed out of the side passage and
surrounded the monster. Sailor Moon stepped forward.
	"Today was a perfect day to go to the mall, but you ruined it
for everybody. For love and justice, I am the pretty sailor-suited
soldier Sailor Moon, and defender of people's right to go shopping. In
the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"
	"You're sure she *had* to remember the speeches too?" Mars
asked Artemis. Before the cat could answer, the creature crouched and
sprang at Sailor Moon, claws outstretched. Sailor Moon squeaked and
quickly rolled aside, her hand going to her tiara.
	"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
	The glowing disk flew unerringly towards the creature, but its
reflexes were lightning-fast. It spun around, knocking the disk away
with its claws. Then, it roared and pounced on Sailor Moon again. She
barely avoided getting her head crushed beneath its massive paw.
	"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter yelled. She ran towards the creature
and flung herself hard against its side, sending both of them rolling
away from Sailor Moon. Unfortunately, Jupiter ended up on the bottom.
The creature quickly had its paws around her throat and proceeded to
strangle her.
	"CRESCENT BEAM!"
	The beam of light smashed the creature in the face, knocking it
away. It tried to get up again, shaking its head.
	"Alright guys, combine our attacks!" Mars shouted. Moon and
Jupiter nodded, both a bit shaky.
	"FIRE SOUL!"
	"SUPREME THUNDER!"
	"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
	The three attacks met and combined into a supercharged discus,
slicing cleanly through the monster's chest. It roared one last time
before crumbling into dust.
	"Moondusted!" Sailor Moon cheered.
	"Good work, girls." Artemis joined them. "You haven't forgotten
your training. Now, why don't we head to the temple and have a talk?"
The girls nodded and ducked back into the side passage to detransform.
None of them noticed the floating green eye in a corner that was
silently observing them. As they left, Peridot reappeared in a dark
corner, smirking evilly. "I've got you now, Sailor brats. . ."


	The group that met at the temple was a rather subdued one.
Luna, whom Usagi had brought along, looked around from one face to
another. "What's the matter, girls? Why are all of you so gloomy?"
	Silence.
	"I think. . ." Rei began after a moment. "It's just that we all
kinda wanted to live the rest of our lives in peace, that's all."
	"Yeah," Makoto agreed. "I mean, it's exciting to be fighting
again, but I really wanted to just be a normal person for a while."
	"And we did meet up again, even without our memories," Minako
added. "It would have been nice to become friends again without having
to deal with monsters and stuff. . ."
	Luna sighed. "I understand how you feel. I was hoping for the
same thing." Her voice hardened. "But what's done is done, and we have
to make the best of our situation. There's no telling what the dark
kingdom is up to this time. We have to be ready when they strike
again."
	"Speaking of which, today's attack made no sense." They all
turned to stare a Ami, who blushed a bit at the attention. "What I mean
is, that. . .what did you call it, Artemis?"
	"Chimera."
	"That chimera wasn't stealing energy or hunting down anyone
specific. And as fast as it was, it could have done a lot of damage
long before we transformed. Something feels wrong. . ."
	"Do you think it was sent to lure *us* into a fight?" Rei
asked.
	"That's possible," Luna answered, "but it's kind of a strange
coincidence that you all happened to be there at the time. What do you
think, Usagi? Usagi? USAGI!"
	"Huh, what?" Usagi asked, snapping out of her daydream.
	Luna let out an exasperated sigh. "Never mind, Usagi. Why don't
we all just go home. We can't really do much right now, anyway."
	"Umm, Luna? Can you get home by yourself?" Usagi asked after
the others started leaving.
	"Yes, but. . ."
	"Alright, see ya at home!" Luna stared after Usagi as her
young charge dashed outside and back towards the mall. "What's gotten
into her?"


	"Well?" the shadow on the throne asked. His eyes burned with
malice, as if daring Peridot to say even one wrong word. The general
easily got the message.
	"All is going well, my lord," Peridot reported. "I have been
able to learn the identities of the Sailor Scouts. It will take no more
than a week to determine the best recipient for our little. . .'gift'."
	"I'm pleasantly surprised, my dear general," his master said,
his voice still cold. "You have earned my trust and accomplished what
Beryl's lackeys were never able to do. Proceed with the mission."
	"Yes, my lord."
	As Peridot left the throne room, the dark lord smiled slightly.
I'm going to win, he gloated silently. I will destroy the Sailor
Scouts, and achieve what Beryl herself could not do!
	"I wouldn't be so sure, my lord Adamantite."
	Adamantite whirled around, armor clinking and energy crackling
in his fist. From the shadows at the back of the throne room emerged a
handsome young man dressed in the standard dark kingdom uniform. His
dark hair was streaked with a lock of silver, and his eyes were pools
of blackness. He wore a neutral expression, but his tone was
unmistakably mocking.
	The dark lord settled down when he saw who had dared address
him so insolently.
	"Have you suddenly become a mind reader, Selenite?"
	"I've been around long enough to recognize that smile."
Selenite stepped onto the dais. "I would not place too much trust in
Peridot if I were you, my lord. He has grown overconfident. One small
slip would put him at the mercy of the Sailor Scouts."
	"That matters little. Peridot is but a small part of my plan.
His failure would not seriously disrupt our efforts. He is merely to
keep those brats occupied, until my real power can be brought to bear."
Adamantite erupted with evil laughter.
	"I suppose so. . ." Selenite agreed, his face unreadable.


	Where is he? Usagi wondered as she looked around the mall. The
fight had done surprisingly little damage, and the police had given up
long ago on finding anything from these battles. It was getting late,
though, and the number of shoppers were dwindling. There was no sign of
the one she was looking for.
	Maybe he went home, Usagi thought, and she took off for his
apartment. Midway there, she recognized a tall figure walking ahead of
her.
	"Mamo-chan!"
	Mamoru turned around just in time to receive Usagi's flying
tackle. He stepped back, startled, with the blonde clinging to him like
glue.
	"Oh, Mamo-chan, I'm so glad to see you again! I'm sorry I
didn't recognize you at the mall. . .wait, are you okay? Did the
monster hurt you?"
	"H-hold on a second!" Mamoru took hold of Usagi's shoulders and
pushed her back a bit. "You're that meatball-headed girl, right? How do
you know my name?"
	Usagi was stunned. "What do you mean, 'how do I know your
name'? It's me, Mamo-chan, Usagi! We were. . ."
	"Look," Mamoru interrupted, holding up his hand. "I don't know
you, alright? Today's the first time we've met. Now, if you'll excuse
me, I'll be going home."
	Usagi stood there, dumbfounded, as he turned and walked away.
Moments later, as the door to his apartment building closed, she
collapsed to the ground, tears in her eyes.
	"He. . .he doesn't remember." Usagi whispered softly. "He
doesn't remember me. . .us, our love for each other, our destiny! Oh
Gods, I've lost him again, after all we've been through!" With that,
she broke out in choked sobs, curled in on herself like a child. The
pain of this new loss was unbearable. It tore at her heart and soul,
exactly like the time she had lost him to Beryl's brainwashing. She
just stayed there, softly expressing her grief to the unconcerned
world.


	Luna raised her head from her paws when she heard the front
door open.
	"Usagi, where have you been?" Mrs. Tsukino asked, concerned.
"You're late for supper!"
	"Sorry, mom, I got caught up talking to my friends." Usagi's
voice was listless. "I'm not hungry, I think I'll just go to bed. . ."
	"Are you sure, dear? Is something wrong?"
	"I'm fine, mom, really. Night."
	Luna listened to Usagi's footsteps as she dragged herself
upstairs, shuffled down the hallway and came into the room. She
immediately jumped off the bed and padded over to her. Usagi barely
acknowledged the cat's presence as she closed the door and started
rummaging around for her pajamas. Luna jumped back onto the bed and
looked directly at Usagi's face.
	"What's wrong, Usagi? Having to fight again can't be depressing
enough to make you lose your appetite."
	"It's not that, Luna." Usagi said tiredly as she sat down
beside her friend. "It's about. . .*him*."
	It didn't take too long for Luna to figure things out. "You
mean Mamoru?"
	Usagi nodded. "I went looking for him after the meeting.
He. . .he doesn't remember anything, Luna! Nothing!"
	She was close to the point of tears again. Luna climbed on her
shoulders and gently licked her face. "Don't worry yourself so much,
Usagi. I'm sure he'll remember in time."
	"Well, I'm not. *I* wouldn't even have remembered if it
weren't for that chimera and Artemis. . ." A glimmer of hope passed
through her. "Luna, can you do the same thing to him as Artemis did to
us?"
	Luna looked away. "I'm sorry, Usagi, but he's not a Sailor
Scout. I can't use the mind meld on him."
	Usagi's shoulders started to slump in defeat. Then, she sat
back up, determination shining in her expressive blue eyes. "Well, if
nobody can help me, I'll just have to make him remember myself!" Her
cheerfulness seemed to be returning. "Yep, I'll go find him first thing
in the morning. Now, for some food. . ."
	Luna watched as Usagi went back downstairs, seemingly back to
her normal, perky, gluttonous self. I hope this works out for you,
Usagi, she thought. Turning around, the black cat looked out the
window at the clear night sky and sent out a prayer. Please watch over
your daughter, Serenity. Please let her find happiness.


	Darkness reigned within the chambers in the depths of the
crystal palace. Some of it was simply the absence of light; the rest
were writhing, malevolent shades of youmas and generals long gone. Over
all of them hung the shadow of evil that pervaded the dark kingdom,
drawing power from the anguish of the lost souls. Any normal human even
glimpsing this scene would go mad with fear. Indeed, it is for this
reason that both Beryl and Adamantite have used this place as a prison,
both for humans and those of their own kind.
	At the back of this maze of dank corridors was a faint
luminescence. Its source was a large block of crystal, securely
chained to the wall and surrounded by an oppressive aura. All around
it shadows flew, moaning and screeching. None of this, however, could
penetrate the crystal, where a man rested, not quite at peace.
	* * *
	He was walking slowly through a quiet garden. The flowers were
in full bloom, carpeting the ground in rainbow colors. Behind him, a
palace rose in all its glory, and sounds of reveling could be heard
from inside. He smiled, slightly envious. Immediately upon their
arrival, his charge had disappeared from sight, and he knew exactly
what the boy was up to. It seemed like everybody around him had found
love, and he was left behind, alone.
	At least they're happy, he thought, but he could not still the
regrets and feelings of loneliness deep in his soul. Surely he deserved
happiness, as well?
	A soft sound interrupted his train of thought, and he
unconsciously reached for his sword. Overtrained fool, he chided
himself, relaxing. No one could have penetrated the security of this
place, not when so many important people were here.
	He followed the sound to a secluded spot in the garden, where
a bench had been set up for couples to enjoy the view of Earth hanging
like a jewel in the night sky. The person sitting there at the moment,
however, was alone and in no condition to enjoy the view.
	He listened to the soft sobs for a few more moments before
deciding to show himself. As he aprroached the bench, he thought there
was something familiar about the blue-black mane and red silk dress in
front of him. His suspicions were confirmed when he got close enough to
see the girl's tear-streaked face.
	"P-Princess? What are you doing here?" he blurted out in
surprise.
	"Hmm? Oh, it's you, Colonel." The princess quickly wiped her
tears away. "I. . .just wanted to be alone for awhile, that's all."
	A flash of insight hit him. "Is it about the last battle?"
	The princess nodded, trembling, eyes averted. He could tell she
was trying to hold her emotions inside. Without thinking, he sat down
next to her. She glanced up at him, startled, as he put his arm around
her shoulders.
	"It was unavoidable, you know," he began, suddenly awkward. "We
were too badly outnumbered. If he hadn't sacrificed himself, many more
of us would have died."
	"I know, I know," she snapped, irritated. Too many people had
told her the same thing already.
	"I'm sorry, Your Highness." He rose and bowed gracefully. "I'll
leave you alone now."
	"No, wait," she called out as he turned to leave. "I'm sorry
for losing my temper like that," she apologized.
	"No, it's my own fault. I can't pretend to understand what
you're feeling right now."
	She seemed slightly taken aback by the pain in his voice.
"Well. . .thanks for trying to help, in any case." She glanced at the
palace. "Would you mind going back to the party with me? I really need
a distraction right now."
	"Of course, Your Highness."
	She frowned. "No need to be so formal, Colonel."
	"Very well. . .Rei."
	She smiled shyly at him, and through the wall of sadness in her
eyes he could see a spark of something else, something that touched off
an answering flame in his heart. He smiled back, and the two of them
slowly made their back inside.
	* * *
	Back in the hellish prison of the dark kingdom, the block of
crystal glowed more brightly. If the shadows around it were sane at
all, they would have noticed the tears that appeared, for the first
time in over ten thousand years, on Jadeite's face.


	Rei sat up abruptly in bed. It's that dream again, she thought.
Her alarm clock told her that it was past midnight. Sighing, Rei lay
back down, pondering this strange vision.
	At least now I know where I was, she thought. Queen Serenity's
palace on the Moon, during one of her grand balls. But who was it that
she was mourning? And who was that man who tried to comfort her?
Whenever she had had the dream, his face had been blurred. The whole
thing seemed like a puzzle that refused to be solved.
	Oh, well, maybe I'll ask the fire tomorrow, she decided, and
promptly fell asleep.


	Minako was having a lot more trouble sleeping than Rei had.
	"Gods, how long has it been?" she asked herself. "A month? Two?
Hell, I haven't had a good date since I came back to Tokyo. Ever
since. . .since. . .Alan. . ." She trailed off, feeling the pain of her
failed relationship with the boy she had loved. In the end, he did not
really return her love, not the way she wanted him to anyway. And now,
remembering the eternal bond between Princess Serenity and Prince
Endymion made everything feel worse.
	"Why do they have each other, when the rest of us have no one?"
Minako felt ashamed even as the words left her mouth. She should not be
jealous of her friends, she should be happy for them. But try though
she did, she could not dispel the small twinge of envy deep in her
heart.
	This is going to be a long night, she thought.


To be continued. . .