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


HEARTS OF DARKNESS
PART III: PAST REMEMBERED
by Judson Chan


	Ami nervously checked her watch. 4:30. This is strange, she
thought. The train's rarely this late. Could something have happened?
Is it the dark kingdom?
	A low rumbling made her look up. She heaved a sigh of relief as
she saw the train entering the station. Nothing seemed amiss, yet. I'll
feel much better once I see him, she thought, scanning the crowd of
disembarking passengers. Finally, she caught a glimpse of who she was
looking for.
	"Ryo! Over here!" she called, waving at him. He saw her and
quickly came over, dropped his suitcase and hugged her.
	"Ryo. . .not in public!" she protested, blushing. He smiled
sweetly in reply.
	"Sorry, Ami. I'm just so glad to see you again. I missed you a
lot, you know."
	"So did I. How long are you staying?"
	He grinned. "Actually, I just transferred back to your school.
I'll be staying here from now on."
	"Really? That's great!" Ami almost couldn't believe it. Now she
could study with him whenever she wanted. Is studying *all* you want to
do with him? A part of her asked. She blushed a bit thinking about
that.
	"What's wrong Ami?" Ryo asked her, seeing that she was just
standing there.
	"Hmm? Oh, I'm just so happy, that's all. So, where are you
going to stay?"
	"One of my mom's friends agreed to let me stay with him. I'm
supposed to call him when I get here so that he can pick me up." His
face turned serious. "Listen, Ami, is there anywhere I could talk with
you and your friends? Privately, I mean."
	Ami was perplexed. "Well, we usually meet at the temple,
but. . ."
	"Perfect. How about tomorrow after school?"
	"Sure, but why?"
	"We'll talk about it then. Trust me, Ami." He embraced her
again, then picked up his suitcase and went looking for a phone. Ami
just stood there looking after him. What's going on? she wondered. Why
is he acting so strangely?


	"So what *did* you tell your parents, anyway?" Mamoru asked.
	Usagi finished gobbling up her slice of pizza. "Actually, I
didn't even talk to them. Queen Serenity said she'd take care of it, in
case I got too nervous and blurted something out." She reached for
another slice.
	Mamoru sat back, a bit more relaxed now. His greatest worry
taken care of, he could just enjoy the rest of the evening with his
Usako. . . He thought back on what she had given him almost two hours
ago, and once again felt love rising within him. He smiled, watching
her pigging out in front of him. And I promise you as well, my love, he
thought. Nothing will ever come between us again. . .


	Minako looked around at the empty park. It was past 7:30, and
her 'secret admirer' still hadn't shown up. "Aaughh. . .what's taking
him so long?" she grumbled under her breath. It was starting to get a
little chilly, and she hadn't brought a jacket or anything. She
shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself.
	Probably some kind of prank, a voice inside her said bitterly.
A secret admirer? Me? As if! She tried to shut the voice out, but it
persisted, mocking her. She started pacing around, both for warmth and
to keep her mind from thinking too much.
	Minako held up her hand and looked at the small diamond ring.
Under the light of the street lamp, it was dull and uninteresting. She
looked at her watch again. Almost 8:00.
	"This is NOT turning out like it's supposed to!" she
complained. "Gods, how could I have been so damn stupid!" That
surprised her a bit. She usually didn't swear, even to herself. I'm
probably too stressed out over this, she thought. I need a good night's
sleep. She started walking back home, feeling dejected, not noticing
that someone was watching her from the shadow of the trees.
	After she was gone, a young man stepped out into the light. He
looked after Minako for awhile, his eyes showing nothing. Then, he
passed his hand through his hair, pushing a silver strand out of the
way.
	"I'm sorry, Minako." he said, although his voice remained
emotionless. The street lamp flickered, and he was gone.


	"OH GODS, I'M GONNA BE LATE AGAIN!!"
	Usagi charged up the stairs to the temple. She had actually
been on time to class this morning, since Mamo-chan woke her up early.
Unfortunately, she'd also spent half the class dreaming about the
night before, and so she gave the wrong answer to Miss Sakurada's
question. . .after she'd been asked five times already. And to
detention she went.
	"Finally!" Rei snapped when Usagi stepped into the room. "Did
you forget your way here so soon after you got your memories back?"
	Usagi turned her nose up. "Hmmpf! For your information, Rei, I
had detention."
	"And I suppose you're proud of that?"
	"Oh, shut up, you big meanie!" Usagi stuck her tongue out at
Rei. Round thirty-something of the tongue wars began.
	"Stop acting like children, both of you!" Luna ordered. She
turned to face the only boy in the room. "Alright, Ryo, why did you
have Ami call this meeting?"
	Ryo looked around, just a little shy. He had known the Sailor
Scouts' identities for a while now, but had never gotten the chance to
know them, except for Ami of course. He took a folded piece of paper
from his pocket and held it so that the girls and the cats could see.
	"Do any of you recognize this?" he asked.
	The girls stared at the drawing. It seemed to be a strange
symbol of some sort, with a crescent moon outline in the background.
	"What the heck is this thing?" Usagi asked, blinking. The
complicated design was making her dizzy.
	"It appears to be a magical rune, like the kind used by old
European religions." Ami said. "But I've never seen one like this
before. . ."
	"A Mark of Banishing!" Artemis said suddenly. Luna jerked her
head up, her eyes wide. "You don't mean. . ."
	"What's a Mark of Banishing?" Makoto asked. The doctor had
decided her injury was unlikely to cause any trouble, so she was up and
about like nothing happened.
	"It's a magical symbol drawn on the forehead of criminals
sentenced to exile, back in the Silver Millenium." Luna told them. "It
prevented them from ever returning to the planets of the Moon Kingdom
alliance. It wasn't used very often, either, because so few of the
*real* evildoers ever surrendered."
	"Does this mean we're dealing with someone from the past?"
Minako asked.
	"Probably," Artemis replied.
	"Definitely," Luna corrected grimly, "and I know exactly who it
is."
	"Who?" everyone asked.
	"Prince Athan."
	Everyone except Artemis stared blankly. They had no idea who
Luna was talking about.
	"Who is this Prince Athan?" Rei asked. "Someone from the dark
kingdom?"
	Luna ignored her. "How did you find this?" she asked Ryo.
	"A week or so ago, I started having visions of it. I had no
idea what it was then, but I could feel it was connected to you guys,
somehow, so I asked to transfer back here on my own."
	"Luna, what does all this mean?" Ami asked. "And who is Prince
Athan?"
	Artemis and Luna exchanged glances, hesitant. Then Luna nodded.
"It all began ten years before Princess Serenity was born, during one
of the early skirmishes with the dark kingdom. . ."
	* * *
	"It can't be. . ." Queen Serenity whispered, collapsing back on
the chair. "He can't. . ."
	Prince Andrinor averted his eyes. He couldn't bear watching
the Queen in such pain. They were in one of the small antechambers to
the great hall of the Moon Palace. He had just returned from the
asteroid Ceres, where the dark kingdom had established a temporary
outpost and where the alliance armies were engaged. "I'm sorry, your
Majesty," he said. "I have failed in mu duty, and will accept any
punishment."
	Serenity composed herself. "You need not place any blame on
yourself, my friend. We all knew of Metallia's strength. There was
nothing. . .anyone. . .could have done. . ." Her voice trailed off,
leaving an uncomfortable silence behind.
	"Mother?"
	Serenity and Andrinor turned towards the door. A young boy,
about seven, entered with Luna behind him. "What's going on, Mother?
Where's Father?"
	Serenity hesitated slightly, then decided to tell the truth.
"Sweetheart, your father. . .he's. . .dead."
	Andrinor felt his heart tearing again at the sight of the young
Prince. At first, he looked ready to burst in tears, but slowly, his
expression changed to one of anger, and then determination.
	"It's the dark kingdom, isn't it?" he asked through clenched
teeth. "I'll make them pay for this. I'll get stronger and avenge my
father!" He yelled the last part as he ran out the door.
	Serenity buried her face in her hands, finally allowing the
tears to come. "I'm sorry, Athan. . ."
	* * *
	"Prince Athan was as good as his word," Artemis continued. "By
the time he was fifteen, he was at the forefront of the war, pushing
back the dark kingdom at every turn. But then. . ."
	"What happened?" Minako asked.
	"The enemy just suddenly disappeared. There were no more
attacks on the Moon Kingdom, and no sign of youmas anywhere. Everyone
thought we'd won and started celebrating, except Athan. He was obsessed
with getting revenge for King Leigan, and started to look for ways to
get to the dark kingdom. After a while, he just disappeared without a
trace."
	Luna took up the story again. "Not long after that, Queen
Serenity married Prince Andrinor of Jupiter, and the Princess was born
a year later. During the festivities, Prince Athan returned and accused
the Queen of being unfaithful to his father. And then. . .he killed
King Andrinor."
	"What!?" Rei and Makoto both shouted. Usagi just sat there
looking stunned.
	"He went after the Princess next, but Queen Serenity used the
Silver Crystal to disable him, and he was captured. Since he was still
a member of the royal family, his life was spared. He was banished
instead. That was the last anybody heard of him."
	There was silence for a while as everyone digested the new
information. Both Rei and Luna were watching Usagi to see how she would
react, but so far she just sat there, staring at nothing.
	"Can't fit everything inside your head, Usagi?" Rei asked. The
others all looked up worriedly when she got no reaction.
	"Usagi, what's wrong?" Ami asked, shaking her friend by the
shoulder. Still no reply. Luna jumped onto her shoulder.
	"USAGI!!!" the cat yelled into Usagi's ear, causing her to
jump four feet in the air and both of them to land on their faces.
	"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU LUNA!" Usagi shouted. "YOU ALMOST MADE
ME DEAF!"
	"Calm down, Usagi," Minako said, wincing. "You had us worried
there. What's bothering you?"
	Usagi sighed, and looked down. "I. . .I'm scared, guys," she
said softly.
	The girls looked at each other, unsure of what to say; they
have almost never seen Usagi this serious before. After a moment, she
went on:
	"I mean, all this time, I never knew anything about my family
back then, except for Mother. And now, I find out I have an older
brother who killed my father, and I have to fight him, and. . .and I
don't know if I can do that. . ." And you'll all be in danger because
of me, she finished silently.
	Surprisingly, it was Ryo who took action first. He went over
to Usagi and knelt in front of her. She looked up, startled.
	"You shouldn't worry like this, Usagi," he told her, looking
straight into her eyes. "I might not have known you very long, but I
*have* seen the five of you in my visions. Nothing can stop you when
you're working together. I'm sure you'll be able to do what is needed
when the time comes." He smiled slightly. "Besides, who said Prince
Athan *is* the enemy?"
	"Huh?" Usagi blinked.
	"What do you mean, Ryo?" Ami asked.
	"When I saw that symbol, I didn't get any sense of good or
evil from it. There's no telling what connection he has with what's
happening now. He could be working for the dark kingdom. He could be
repenting for what he's done and trying to help you. He could have
reincarnated and not remember anything. We don't *know* what he'll do."
	"I guess you're right," Luna agreed. "Still, I find it hard
to believe that he would help us, considering what he's done. . ."
	"You knew him, didn't you?" Rei asked. "What was he like?"
	Luna thought for a moment, trying to sort through her memories.
"He was very quiet, even as a boy. He rarely got into trouble and was
kind to others. He's very smart; he mastered battle tactics easily, and
planned out what he would do beforehand. . .in short, he's like Usagi's
opposite."
	"Luna. . ." Usagi grumbled, sweatdropping.
	"It's the truth," the cat replied. "Anyway, after the end of
the fighting, he started to change. He became focused on revenge to the
exclusion of everything else, and even more withdrawn. Then he
disappeared, so I can't tell you anything more."
	"Do you think he could have been manipulated?" Artemis asked.
	"I don't know."
	"What about these new monsters?" Ami asked. "Could they have
any connection with Prince Athan?"
	"No," Artemis answered. "The chimeras have always been around
the dark kingdom. It's really a matter of preference on the generals'
part. Chimeras are more brutish and aggressive than youmas, and
physically stronger, but very few of them can gather energy or be
subtle."
	"If only we knew what the dark kingdom wants. . ." Luna said.
	"You mean other than to destroy the world?" Minako quipped.
	"We'll keep an eye out the next time we fight," Makoto said,
"but since we can't do anything know, why don't we all go home?" She
grinned. "There's this cute guy who just moved in at my apartment. He
looks just like my old senpai."
	"*Sure* he does, Mako," Rei said.
	"You're just jealous, Rei," Usagi couldn't resist teasing.
"She's got a cute guy, and all you have is Yuuichiro."
	Rei glared at her and stuck her tongue out. Usagi did the same,
and everybody else sweatdropped as they got up to leave.
	"So, Ami," Ryo began, not looking at her. "Do you. . .ahhh. . .
want to come over and study with me?"
	"Sure," Ami said, ignoring Makoto's nudge and wink. They left,
followed by Luna and Artemis, then Makoto. Minako stood at the door,
watching them and ignoring the tongue war behind her.
	Mako too, she thought glumly. Am I gonna end up being the only
one without a boyfriend? She quickly shook her head to clear it and
headed for home.


	Peridot walked swiftly towards the throne room of the crystal
palace. Actually, 'slunk' would have been a more appropriate term, as
the vulture-faced general always seemed a bit sneaky. At the moment,
though, he carried an air of self-importance as well, convinced that
his success would earn him his master's favor. The guards at the doors
stepped aside for him as he entered the great hall and bowed to
Adamantite.
	"We are ready for the next phase, my lord," he reported.
	"About time." Peridot raised his face to glare at Selenite, who
had just appeared from behind the throne. The young warrior returned
the hate-filled gaze coolly, almost daring him to a fight. Peridot's
fists clenched as he struggled to contain himself.
	"This is no time for such foolishness," Adamantite said
coldly. "General, proceed with your mission, and do not return without
the head of one of the Sailor Scouts."
	"Yes, my lord," Peridot responded, backing away from the
throne. He threw one more hard glance at Selenite before leaving to
join his troops.
	"Do not underestimate Peridot, Selenite," the dark lord
admonished. "He can be a formidable foe if you irritate him."
	Selenite shrugged. "I know what I'm doing, my lord. The old
vulture is far from being a match for me."
	"In any case, you *will* wait until our plan is completed
before you start playing with him. He is still of use to me."
	"I suppose he is. . ."


	"So, the Scouts really did defeat Beryl, didn't they?" Jadeite
mused. His spirit self smiled wryly. "I bet she never saw *that*
coming."
	"You've managed to find out a few things, I see." It was the
voice again.
	"I have a few old tricks up my sleeve," Jadeite replied
easily. Since recovering his memories, he had started experimenting
with his forgotten powers and remastered them. This new strength gave
him the confidence to endure his imprisonment for a while longer. "And
to what do I owe this visit?"
	"Peridot's plan is about to enter its final stages. You will
need to help the Scouts in the battles to come."
	Jadeite frowned. "I still don't have enough power to travel
that far."
	"I will lend you my strength, if necessary."
	"But why?" Jadeite finally asked the question that had been
gnawing at him. "Why are *you* helping the Sailor Scouts? Who are you,
anyway?"
	Their was a brief moment of silence, as if the entity was
trying to decide what to say. Then, the shadows around Jadeite's
prison began to swirl and coalesce into human form. Although the
trapped general could not open his eyes, his spirit clearly saw who
was standing before him.
	"You!" Jadeite exclaimed, disbelieving. "How could this be?"
	The person before him smiled. "It's a *long* story, old
friend. . ."


	Rei sat down with a sigh in front of the Great Fire. At least
Usagi seemed okay now, she thought. It isn't like her to be so serious.
And who would have thought *Ryo* would be the one to comfort her? Ami
sure is lucky. . .
	A horribly familiar noise suddenly interrupted her train of
thought. She ground her teeth together and got up. Moments later, she
flung open the door to Yuuichiro's room with flames in her eyes.
	"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU *NOT* TO PRACTICE IN THE TEMPLE!!" she
screamed.
	The unwitting recipient of her wrath cautiously poked his head
up from behind a chair. He had jumped back there the moment he saw
Rei's face.
	"W-whoa. . .calm down, Rei. I didn't mean to disturb you or
anything. . ."
	"Well, you did. Now, I have to meditate and I don't want to
hear anything from you, got it?"
	He gulped. "Yeah, no problem."
	She glared at him for another second, then turned to leave.
	"Wait, Rei," Yuuichiro said. "I. . .uh. . .I'm really sorry
to have bothered you. I should have remembered not to play in here."
	Rei let out a big breath and turned around again. She seemed
more relaxed now, and her expression was slightly sheepish.
	"It's okay, Yuuichiro. I shouldn't have yelled at you like
that. I've got a lot on my mind recently."
	"That's okay," he said, giving her that goofy grin of his. "I'm
pretty much used to it by now."
	Almost in spite of herself, Rei smiled back at him before
leaving his room. He could be very disarming at times. She settled
herself back down in front of the fire, and emptied her mind. Soon, she
could feel the flames roaring around her as her spirit dove into its
embrace, trying yet again to discover the answers that she needed. . .
	* * *
	She was walking slowly through a quiet garden. The flowers
were in full bloom, carpeting the ground in rainbow colors. Before her,
a palace rose in all its glory, and sounds of reveling could be heard
from inside. I'm in my dream, she thought, quickening her pace
slightly. Maybe this time, I'll finally know what this is all
about. . .
	A soft sound interrupted her train of thought, and she saw her
past self, Princess Rei of Mars, sitting on one of the benches. She was
sobbing, mourning a loss that Rei herself still could not remember.
	"P-Princess? What are you doing here?"
	Both Reis turned towards the trees to the left of the bench.
Someone was there, and as he came closer, the earthlight revealed the
blue and green uniform of its officers. Then, his face came into the
light, and Rei stepped back in shock, her hand coming up to stifle an
instinctive cry. Unable to move, she could only watch as Jadeite sat
down next to her past self and tried to comfort her. And when they
left, she could see the unmistakable look that passed between them,
and then everything faded to black as she returned to her body.
	* * *
	Rei opened her eyes, gasping. Now that she knew who she was
dreaming of, bits and pieces of memories started to surface. Images of
the two of them together and happy assaulted her vision, and she could
feel the spark of their lost love buried within her soul. Deeply
shaken, she hurried back to her room and buried her face in her pillow,
trying to shut out the memories, to find some kind of peace so she
could think.


	"ALRIGHT!! 50,000 points!" Usagi shouted, startling several
other players. She stood in front of the Sailor V game, beaming as the
screen displayed her score in big, flashing digits.
	"Hey Usako."
	"Mamo-chan!" She hurled herself into his arms, almost sending
both of them crashing through the glass doors. He laughed and set her
down. "So, what are you doing here?" she asked.
	"My classes are over for today, so I thought we could go eat
and maybe see a movie together. I had a feeling you'd probably be here
after school."
	"Great! I'll call my mom and tell her I won't be home for
supper."
	He followed her at a leisurely pace as she headed for the
phone booth. Finally, he thought, we can spend some time together,
just relax. Gods, I can't understand how I never saw what a treasure
she was. . .
	His thoughts were interrupted by a stab of pain at the back of
his head, a warning from his danger sense. He ran after Usagi and
threw both of them to the ground as a shadow passed over the phone
booth.
	"Mamo-chan! What was that?" Usagi asked.
	Still covering her body with his, he motioned behind him with
his head. Looking over his shoulder, she saw the falcon-headed mantis
crouched on the sidewalk while the top half of the phone booth fell,
sliced clean through.
	"Mamo-chan. . ."
	"Run to that alley over there and transform," he whispered
tersely. "I'll buy you some time."
	"But. . ."
	"Don't worry about me. Just go."
	She nodded and crawled out from under him. He got up and stood
between her and the chimera, who was preparing to launch another
attack. She quickly ducked into the alley and raised her communicator.
	"Guys, me and Mamo-chan were just attacked by a chimera
outside the arcade, and we need help," she said shakily. There was no
answer. Her fear started to grow. "Guys? Is anybody there?"
	There was a bit of static, then Makoto's face appeared, and
she was already transformed.
	"Sorry, Usagi, but I've got my hands full right now," she said
above what sounded like explosions in the background.
	"Same here," Ami's voice added. "I'm afraid you're going to
have to fight alone." Then the communicator went silent.
	Usagi almost collapsed on the spot. They know, her mind
screamed. They know who we are. . .
	The sound of a lamp post hitting the ground snapped her out of
her momentary despair. Mamo-chan's still out there! she thought. Her
hand went to her brooch.
	"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
	Sailor Moon turned the corner just in time to see Mamoru
backing away from the chimera, panting and sweating. She decided then
and there to forgo her speech.
	"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
	The creature looked up and quickly ducked under the shining
projectile. What it didn't realize, though, was that the disc was
aimed at the only standing lamp post nearby, which just happened to be
behind it. It screeched when the heavy pole crashed into it and pinned
it down, even as Sailor Moon summoned her scepter. "MOON PRINCESS
HALATION!" turned the chimera into a pile of dust, and Sailor Moon ran
to her beloved.
	"Are you alright, Mamo-chan?" she asked worriedly.
	"I'm. . .fine," he answered between gasps. "You did great
today, Usako."
	She smiled briefly at the compliment, but quickly remembered
something. "Mamo-chan, would you go to the temple and wait for me
there? I need to go check on the others."
	He nodded, and she ran back into the alley. Mako's place isn't
too far from here, she thought, jumping onto a roof. She wasted no
time getting to her friend's apartment, where a column of smoke was
coming from Makoto's floor. Sailor Moon landed on the small balcony
and peered inside. Sailor Jupiter was facing off with a youma with a
gun where its left hand should have been. There were large holes in
the walls and furniture, confirming that the gun was *very* functional.
	Just then, the youma raised her gun and fired another shot.
Jupiter rolled to the side, releasing an electric charge she had been
holding in her tiara. The attack hit its target and sent it tumbling
into the wall. Sailor Moon slid the door open and pulled out her
scepter.
	"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
	Jupiter gaped first at the floating dust where the youma was,
then at Sailor Moon.
	"What was that!?"
	Sailor Moon blushed a little. "Umm, I forgot to mention I had
a new attack back at the meeting. Are you alright?"
	"*I'm* fine, but. . ." Jupiter looked around. The only thing
still standing in her living room was the television. She sighed.
"This will be *hell* to clean up. . ."
	Sailor Moon was about to say something when her communicator
beeped. Rei's face appeared on the small screen. "Are you okay, Sailor
Moon?"
	"Jupiter and I are fine," she replied. "How about you and the
others?"
	"We're okay. Luna just got here, and she's calling another
meeting right now."
	Sailor Moon nodded and signed off. As she and Jupiter got out
on the balcony, she couldn't help shivering a bit. They know who we
are, she thought again. They can come after us anytime now. . .or
after our families. Oh, Mother, what can I do to protect them? What can
I do?


To be continued. . .