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


HEARTS OF DARKNESS
PART V: FRIENDSHIP RE-AFFIRMED
by Judson Chan


	"She's at the park!" Mercury said, looking up from her
computer. They started running.
	"So what's the deal with Venus?" Sailor Moon asked Sailor Mars.
	"She's under the spell of something called the Heart of
Darkness." Mars told them. "It's a device the dark kingdom uses to
twist a person's negative feelings so that they could control them. We
have to find out where she keeps the thing and destroy it."
	It didn't take them too long to reach the park. They landed on
the outer wall, and saw Sailor Venus standing before the lake. They
ran up to her.
	"Venus, snap out of it!" Sailor Moon pleaded. "You're under
the dark kingdom's control!"
	Sailor Venus smiled, a smile devoid of warmth. Her eyes were
clouded and shifty as she glanced from one Scout to another.
	"And who are *you* to talk, Sailor Moon?" she asked bitterly.
"You're nothing but a whiny, klutzy crybaby, and yet *you* have an
eternal love. I've been fighting longer than any of you, endured so
much more! Why am *I* the one who's alone!?"
	"Venus. . ." Mars said softly.
	"Shut up, Pyro! You're still the worse one here. I HATE YOU!
CRESCENT CUTTER!"
	Because of the surrounding darkness, the Scouts had a lot of
trouble seeing Venus' attack. Mars barely jumped out of the way; the
other crescent cut Sailor Moon's leg, sending her tumbling to the
ground.
	"I found it, guys," Mercury shouted. "It's a ring she's wearing
under her right glove!"
	"Right!" Mars replied.
	"SHABON SPRAY!"
	Sailor Venus found herself enveloped in a thick mist. She
looked around warily, her hand poised to shoot again. Suddenly, Mars
jumped up from behind her and grabbed her. They struggled, and finally
Venus was able to throw off her opponent. Sailor Mars landed on the
ground, clutching Venus' glove.
	"Now, Sailor Moon!" she yelled.
	Venus turned just in time to see Sailor Moon raise her
scepter through the thinning mist.
	"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
	The wave of pure energy knocked Venus back a few steps. She
instinctively raised her arms to protect herself, and the attack hit
her ring, shattering it. A loud shriek was heard as dark energy drifted
away from the broken accessory.
	"We did it!" Sailor Moon cheered.
	"Wait, something's wrong," Mercury announced. She was typing
furiously at her computer. "The dark energy's not disappearing. It's
surrounding her!"
	The Scouts stared at Venus, who was looking around in
confusion. Then her expression turned into panic as she looked down at
herself. The other Scouts followed her gaze and saw that her feet had
turned to stone!
	"No, Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon cried, running towards her
friend. Unfortunately, she was not fast enough, even if she *could*
have done anything. Before their very eyes, Sailor Venus became a cold,
lifeless stone statue.
	"NOOOOO!!" Sailor Moon wailed, tears streaming down her face.
	Mars looked stunned. "How could this be?" she asked softly,
unable to believe what she saw. She turned abruptly when she heard
laughter. Something was forming above the lake. General Peridot's
thin frame appeared from the warphole. "Surprised, Sailor failures?"
	"You!" Mars shouted. "What did you do to Venus?"
	"I didn't do anything, my dear girl," the general taunted.
"*You* were the ones who did this to her!"
	"This wasn't supposed to happen!"
	"Of course not," Peridot agreed mockingly. "However, my lord
knew you would figure out his plan eventually, so he added a little
twist to this particular Heart of Darkness. I'm afraid you've lost her
for good, Scouts!" And he burst out in evil laughter.
	"No, this can't be," Mars whispered.
	". . .Rei. . ." The voice was in her head.
	"Jadeite?"
	"All's not lost. There is still a way. . ."
	Mercury looked around her. Sailor Moon sat weeping in front of
Venus, and Mars was just standing there. It wrenched at her heart to
see them like this, and to know that there's nothing she could do to
help.
	"Well, that was fun," Peridot said. "Now, it's time to finish
off the three of you! Warriors, come!"
	Six chimeras appeared at Peridot's command, landing with a loud
thud on the path nearby. They grinned and started towards the Scouts.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury got ready to fight, but Sailor Mars
just stood there, eyes unseeing.
	"Mars, what's wrong?" Sailor Moon asked.
	"There's no time," Mercury said, pointing at the rapidly
approaching chimeras. "We'll have to keep them away from her."
	"Alright." Please, Mars, Sailor Moon thought. Whatever you're
doing, please come back to us. . .


	Sailor Mars found herself in a realm of memories. All around
her images of Minako's life floated, displaying joy and sadness, love
and pain. Resolutely, she kept from lingering and started walking
towards the darkness that she felt in the depths of Minako's heart. As
she walked, the background darkened, and more often than not the images
around her showed times of pain and loneliness. Sailor Mars tried hard
to ignore them, lest her own resolve wavers. She needed to focus on
what she must do.
	Finally, she reached the core of Minako's soul, and there she
was, curled up on herself and crying.
	"Minako. . ."
	She looked up, her eyes shiny with tears. "Rei?"
	Sailor Mars nodded and detransformed. She sat down next to
Minako and put her arm around her friend's shoulders.
	"Why are you here?" Minako asked dejectedly. "Why are you even
bothering with me?"
	"Because I'm your friend," Rei replied. "And I care for you.
We all do."
	Minako kept her eyes downcast. "Even after what I said, what I
did to Mako?" she asked quietly.
	"It wasn't your fault, Minako. We all know that." Rei thought
for a moment. "And besides, I sort of had that coming. . ."
	Minako looked up at her, uncomprehending.
	"What you said about me before was true. I *can* be stuck-up
and stubborn at times. And I certainly don't deserve Yuuichiro's love
after I ignored him for so long."
	"Rei, I didn't mean. . ."
	"But love isn't like that. When you love someone, you accept
them for what they are. You forgive their mistakes, and help them
become better people. That's what keeps all of us Sailor Scouts
together, isn't it?"
	"But what we have isn't true love! *That's* the problem! Usagi
and Mamoru have loved each other for ten thousand years, and now I
find out that you and Yuuichiro were lovers back then as well. I just
can't help feeling jealous!" Her tears were flowing again as she
admitted her hidden feelings. "I'm a failure. I'm supposed to be the
fighter of love, but I'm the one who doesn't know *anything* about
love. . ."
	"Don't say that!" Rei said angrily. Minako looked up at her.
"Don't demean yourself like that, Minako. You *do* know about love. You
love us, or else you wouldn't be feeling so guilty right now. And we
love you as well." She took Minako's hand in hers, and smiled. "I
promise you, once this is over, we'll all go out and find you a
boyfriend. Right now, we need you. Will you help us?"
	Minako smiled back. It's true, she realised. We *do* truly love
each other. I was a fool for not seeing that sooner, and letting the
dark kingdom use me against my friends. And besides, why am I so
impatient? I'm only fourteen, I have plenty of time to find true love!
Right now, what the five of us have is definitely enough.
	"Alright, Rei. Let's go."


	Sailor Moon jumped in front of Sailor Mercury, covering her
friend's body with her own. With Mars, Jupiter, and Venus out of the
way, hers was the only attack that would finish a chimera, and they
were seriously outmatched. They had only dusted one of the chimeras
before Mercury was knocked out, and she was being hard pressed
defending both her friends against five opponents.
	She braced herself as one of the monsters charged again, but at
the last moment, a rose flew in its path and stopped it. Tuxedo Kamen
landed beside Sailor Moon, his cane held menacingly in front of him.
	"Are you alright, Sailor Moon?" he asked.
	She nodded, and stood up to fight, reassured by his presence.
While Tuxedo Kamen blocked the chimeras with his cane, her tiara flew
out among them, slashing whatever was in its path. Soon, another
chimera fell, but Sailor Moon was running out of energy. Above them,
Peridot floated, gloating as he saw victory in his grasp.
	"FIRE SOUL!"
	A large gout of flame incinerated another chimera as Sailor
Mars came up to stand on Sailor Moon's left.
	"You're late, Mars!" Sailor Moon said, although her eyes said
otherwise. Mars smiled back at her.
	"Even with one more Scout, you'll still lose!" Peridot smirked.
	"How about two more, then?"
	Stunned, Peridot turned just in time to see the statue of
Sailor Venus explode into tiny pieces, releasing the warrior of love
from her prison. He could only gape as Venus gave him a cold stare.
	"You. You've manipulated my feelings and made me turn against
those I love. Because of you, I've put their lives in danger. And I
will *not* stand for it." Before the astonished eyes of all those
present, Sailor Venus started to glow. Golden light envelopped her in
a bright aura, illuminating the park with the power of a thousand
spotlights. From that incandescent spark, her voice was heard again,
brimming with passion.
	"In the name of Venus, I *will* protect my loved ones and
punish those who hurt them!" The light dimmed, or rather, it coalesced
into two shining crescents at the tip of her extended hand.
	"CRESCENT BEAM. . .SHOWER!"
	Countless rays of light streaked like meteors from Sailor
Venus' fingers to bombard the chimeras gathered before her friends.
Under the onslaught of such power, the four remaining creatures quickly
became dust, leaving a shaking Peridot alone against three Sailor
Scouts and Tuxedo Kamen.
	"Alright, Peridot, now you pay!" Sailor Moon yelled, raising
her Moon Scepter. The general paled, and retreated back into his
warphole before she could attack.
	Sailor Moon sighed and turned back towards her friends, who
were gathered around the awakening Sailor Mercury. Venus looked a bit
uncomfortable.
	"I. . .I'm really sorry, you guys," she apologized.
	"Don't worry about it," Sailor Moon reassured her. "We know it
wasn't your fault."
	"How's Jupiter?" Venus asked.
	"The doctors are looking after her at the hospital," Tuxedo
Kamen answered. "Luckily, she detransformed before they got there, so
I gave them some vague excuse about an accident and came after you."
	"What about Yuuichiro?" Mars asked. He gave her a strange look.
	"You'll find out later, Mars. Trust me."
	"We should go check on Mako," Mercury said, but he shook his
head.
	"It's getting really late, and you all have school tomorrow.
You can see her tomorrow afternoon."
	"But. . ." Sailor Moon objection was cut short when he asked
her what would happen if her parents found out that she was gone. The
five of them said goodnight to each other and headed to their
respective homes, relieved that at least *some* of the danger was
over. They missed seeing the dark figure standing under the trees,
watching them leave with an undecipherable look in his eyes.


	"How nice of you to drop by, Peridot," Adamantite grated. His
voice was cold, and his eyes burned. Peridot immediately fell on his
face begging.
	"Please, my lord! Please, just one more chance! I-I won't fail
you again, I promise! My lord, I beg you. . ."
	His last words never came out. Selenite jerked his partisan
out of Peridot's throat and wiped the blood off on the fallen general's
uniform. "One less incompetent. . ."
	Adamantite smiled grimly. "At least he did succeed at
*something*. Sailor Mars' grief and Sailor Venus' instant of despair
have boosted our energy reserves enormously." Then he looked out among
his remaining generals. "Which one of you would care to take Peridot's
place?"
	A young woman stepped up to the throne. She was strikingly
pretty, with purple hair, light blue eyes and an attractive figure that
was evident despite the stiff regulation uniform.
	"My lord," she said. "I would like the honour of serving at
your side." Her voice was sultry and cruel, betraying the danger behind
her appearance.
	"Very well, Amethyst. I give you three days to come up with a
suitable plan. Do not disappoint me, or the consequences will be. . .
unpleasant."
	"I understand, my lord."
	"She is quite an interesting one, isn't she?" Adamantite
observed once the generals have left. "She might actually have a
chance against the Sailor Scouts."
	"I suppose so. . ."


	Rei opened her eyes to find herself lying on a couch instead
of in her bed. Looking around, she saw that the others were there as
well, minus Makoto, and they were dressed like she was, in their royal
gowns. I'm in my dream again, she thought.
	"Rei?" Usagi murmured sleepily, sitting up. "What are you
doing in my room? Wait, this isn't my room! Where am I?"
	Rei stared at her. "You mean you're really here?"
	"Well of course I am, you can see me can't you?"
	"I thought this was just a dream!"
	"Then, it would appear that we are all having the same dream,"
Ami observed.
	"Where's Makoto?" Minako asked.
	"She is not well enough yet to be here," a voice said from the
doorway. The girls turned to see who it was and gasped.
	"Mother. . ." Usagi said softly. She got up and started
towards her, and tripped over her own dress, landing face first on the
carpet.
	"Yep, this *is* the real Usagi," Rei remarked.
	"Come with me, all of you," Queen Serenity told them. She left
the room with the girls following her. Everyone walked in silence
until they reached a set of doors at the end of a long hallway. They
opened themselves for the Queen, and she led the girls inside.
	They were in a small chapel dedicated to the Moon Goddess
Selene, the creator of the Moon Kingdom and of the Illusion Silver
Crystal. Rei dimly noticed that, her attention focused on the back of
the room. There was a coffin there, and two men standing next to it,
one of which she never expected to see in the flesh. The other girls
followed her gaze and started. Usagi took a few steps back.
	"Jadeite?" Ami said. "What are *you* doing here?" Her voice
showed no hatred, only disbelief.
	"Don't worry, Sailor Scouts," Jadeite replied. "I have no more
quarrels with you. I'm here to pay my respects to an old friend. . .
among other things." He added, looking at Rei. She did not return the
look, turning instead to Mamoru, who now wore his royal armor.
	"Is this what you meant earlier?" she asked.
	Mamoru nodded. "After you left, Queen Serenity appeared and
took Yuuichiro's body with her. She told me not to tell you anything
yet."
	"It is time," the Queen announced solemnly from the altar,
cutting off any further conversation. Instinctively, the princesses
joined Mamoru and Jadeite around the coffin, with Usagi closest to her
mother. Rei gazed down at the man whom she had loved without realising
it. Lying motionless in the coffin, he seemed so different from the
man she knew. She blinked, trying to clear away her tears.
	"We are gathered here tonight to honour the passing of a great
hero among us," Queen Serenity intoned. "This man, Kumada Yuuichiro,
has given his first life to defend the Moon Kingdom alliance against
the dark kingdom. Through his own love and willpower, he has
reincarnated in the present and found his Princess. And once more, he
gave his life in battle, this time to save the life of his beloved.
For all his heroic deeds, he has earned his place in the hall of our
heroes." She nodded to Usagi, who took out her brooch. She
concentrated hard and the Illusion Silver Crystal rose in the air
before her.
	As everyone watched in awe, crescent moons appeared on both
Queen Serenity's and her daughter's foreheads, and started to glow.
The Silver Crystal began to shine in response, and its pale light
washed over Yuuichiro's body. A soft mist appeared above the coffin,
swirling slowly as the light of the Crystal suffused it. Rei found
herself staring open-mouthed at Yuuichiro's spirit, drawn from his body
by the power of the Crystal.
	Queen Serenity stepped around the altar and headed for the
doors. "We'll leave you alone now," she said softly to Rei as she
passed in young priestess. The others followed the Queen, Usagi
unconsciously taking Mamoru's hand and Jadeite trailing the others. He
glanced back at her once more before the doors closed behind him.
	"Grandpa doesn't remember you at all, you know?" Rei said, her
head bowed.
	"I know. It's much easier this way." His voice was slightly
regretful, but otherwise calm.
	"Yuuichiro, I. . .I'm sorry."
	"You have nothing to be sorry for, my love," he answered. He
approached her and enfolded her in his ghostly arms. Rei was surprised;
she could actually feel him! But his forgiveness only served to twist
the knife in her heart, and she sobbed out loud as she clung to him.
	"I've. . .treated you. . .so badly," she choked out between
sobs. "I don't. . .deserve. . .to be. . .forgiven. . ."
	"Don't say that, Rei. No matter what you do, I'll still love
you. You can't get rid of me that easily."
	"But Yuuichiro, I. . ."
	He put his finger on her lips, silencing her. His other hand
raked his hair aside so that he could look her clearly in the eyes. "I
know you don't feel the same way anymore, Rei." A guilty look passed
through her eyes. "But I don't blame you. I want you to be happy, and
I don't mind if it's someone else making you happy. You promised me,
Rei, that you wouldn't let me drag you down. That doesn't just apply
to Sailor business; it goes for everything in your life. Don't forget
that."
	He kissed her lightly and stepped back. "Well, that's all I
wanted to say. I'm glad I got this chance to see you again, Rei." As if
on cue, the others came back in. Queen Serenity stood to Yuuichiro's
right, and Usagi, still holding the Silver Crystal, took up a position
on his left. The Crystal floated upwards until it was directly above
him. A pillar of light appeared, and he began to fade. He smiled that
goofy smile of his and waved heartily at Rei, then disappeared
completely. The column of light surged through the roof and faded into
the starry night.
	Usagi went around to Rei's side and put an arm around her
shoulders, while Ami and Minako gathered close. Rei smiled wanly and
let her friends steer her away. She did not look at Jadeite. The
former general stared after her as the girls and Mamoru left the
chapel and returned to their bodies.
	"Thank you for allowing me to be present, your Majesty."
Jadeite said gratefully.
	"Think nothing of it. I am glad that you have regained your
true self, Jadeite." She gave him a sidelong glance. "You *will* watch
over her, won't you?" she asked in a more casual tone.
	"Of course, your Majesty."
	Queen Serenity smiled one last time, and the chapel faded to
darkness as Jadeite's soul returned to his body.
	"Thank you too, old friend."
	"Don't worry about it." The voice replied.


	"Well?" Minako asked nervously. Behind her, the other girls
held their breath. They had all come here after school, eager to see
how Makoto was doing. They were now gathered outside her room.
	"Luckily, there was no internal damage or bleeding," Dr. Mizuno
told them. "She's awake and coherent, and she'll probably be released
very soon." She hesitated a bit. "The bad news is that she might have
a lasting scar."
	The girls gasped. "Can we see her now?" Usagi asked.
	Dr. Mizuno nodded, and the girls went inside. Minako hung back
a bit, her emotions tumbling over each other. How can I face her after
what I did? she asked herself. It'll be my fault if she has a scar. How
will she ever forgive me?
	She looked around. Dr. Mizuno had gone to check on her other
patients, and the girls were already talking with Makoto. I can't do
this, she decided. Dr. Mizuno said she would be okay. She doesn't need
me around. And with that thought, she quietly slipped away.


	"So that's why. . ." Makoto said thoughtfully, after the girls
finished their story. She gingerly touched the bandage that covered
her right cheek. "Minako must be feeling really bad right now. Is that
why she didn't come?"
	"What?" The girls turned and looked around. Indeed, Minako
wasn't there.
	"She was with us just a moment ago," Ami said.
	"I think I know what her problem is," Rei said. "I'll talk to
her later."
	"Tell her that I forgive her, okay?" Makoto said. Then she
smiled. "She should come visit me sometime, there's this real cute
intern around here who looks just like my old senpai. . ."
	They all laughed at that, and Usagi reached over to hug her
friend. "I'm just glad you're alright, Mako. I was so worried. . ."
	"Hey, it takes a lot more than that to get Sailor Jupiter
down! You'll see, I'll be up in no time and we'll beat the dark
kingdom!"
	"Speaking of which," Rei said, "we need to have a meeting as
soon as you get out of here. I have some information about our
enemies. That's why they attacked me, actually."
	The other girls nodded, and they chatted for a while longer
about school and whatever else came up. Then, around supper time,
Usagi, Ami and Rei left.
	Makoto was in the middle of eating her meal when there was a
knock on the door. "Come in," she said.
	The first thing that appeared was a small bouquet of flowers.
Behind it came a boy about Makoto's age, with short brown hair and
serious dark eyes, which lit up at the sight of her. Makoto almost
dropped her chopsticks. "Shino?" she breathed.
	"I'm so glad you're alright, Mako." He put down the flowers
and embraced her.
	"How did you know I was here?"
	"I asked your landlord. The insurance company called
Senkaku-sensei this morning about your apartment. He tried to reach
you, but of course your phone was dead, so he sent me here." He smiled
fondly. "Its frightening sometimes how he's disconnected with modern
times."
	Makoto giggled. "That's true. Remember that time we wired that
recording to the phone, and it took him a week to figure it out?"
	Shinozaki winced. "You should talk," he muttered. "You weren't
the one he punished."
	Makoto smirked at him. "Well, I can't help it if he likes me
better!" She started laughing at his sour expression, and try though
he might, he couldn't hold back a smile.
	"I've missed you, you know," he said seriously.
	Makoto quickly sobered up as well. "So have I."
	"You think you're ready to come back home?"
	"Home," Makoto repeated, just a hint of wistfulness in her
voice. "I suppose the dojo *is* home. . .but I can't go back yet," she
added brightly. "I have some great friends here. I won't leave them
behind."
	"Alright," he acquiesced. He stood up. "I'll let you get back
to your meal now." She snorted.
	"They call this a meal? I could do better with one hand!"
	He smiled, and handed her a note. "Here's my number. I'll be
staying here for a week. Call me whenever you want."
	"Sure."
	He started towards the door, then turned back at the threshold.
"Oh, and don't worry about the apartment. Sensei already paid to have
it repaired. It should be ready in about a week."
	"He didn't have to do that. . ."
	"But he did anyways. Besides," he mimicked her earlier smirk,
"it's your money."
	After he was gone, Makoto leaned back on her pillow, staring
at the paper in her hand. "I really missed you, Shino," she said to no
one in particular. "A lot more than you think."


	Artemis jumped onto the windowsill and peered inside. Sure
enough, Minako lay on her bed, her face resting on her crossed arms.
There was no evidence of tears, but her eyes had a lost look to them.
He jumped inside and curled up against her side.
	Silence.
	"So?" Artemis asked cryptically.
	"So what?"
	"Why didn't you talk to Mako?"
	Minako didn't answer for a long time. "I have no right to talk
to her," she said in a small voice.
	"Why not? You're still friends, after all."
	"After what I've done to her? I seriously doubt she'll forgive
me."
	"And I seriously doubt that she wouldn't," Artemis replied.
Minako looked up. "Think for a bit, Minako. Do you believe you can
convince me, that one of you wouldn't forgive a friend for something
she couldn't control?"
	Silence.
	"I think," he continued sagely, "that the problem is you won't
forgive yourself."
	Still no response, although she did tense a bit.
	"This is pathetic," Artemis growled. "Snap out of it, Minako!
The dark kingdom is very active right now, and you girls need to be a
team to win. We don't have time for your indecision, or your
self-pity." He jumped off the bed, subtly watching Minako's expression
change. "You shame me, Minako," he said dramatically. "I'll just have
to pretend I don't know you."
	"Fine," Minako snapped back. "You're nothing but a furry pain
in the butt anyways. You'd be living on rotten fish in back alleys if
it weren't for me."
	"And you wouldn't have become Sailor V if it weren't for *me*.
Besides, I'd prefer rotten fish to your cooking."
	"You keep that up and curiosity won't be skinning the cat, *I*
will!"
	They stared at each other, then burst out laughing. It was
almost a minute before they calmed down.
	"Thanks. . .Artemis," Minako said breathlessly. "I needed. . .
that."
	"You almost. . .got that. . .right. . .for once," Artemis was
just as breathless as his ward. He padded back over to the bed and
jumped up. Minako affectionately stroked his back.
	"You're right, Artemis," she said. "I don't have time to feel
sorry for myself. Right now, what's most important is that I protect
my friends. I won't let them get hurt again, I swear!"
	Artemis smiled. I'm so proud of you, Minako, he thought. You're
growing up into a wonderful young lady, and one day, you'll find the
happiness you want. . . Sighing contentedly, the white cat curled up
again, and promptly fell asleep.


To be continued. . .


AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, what do you think? I haven't gotten much feedback
about my stories, so I don't now if they're any good or not. If you
have any comments, please send them to h_chan@sympatico.ca. I'd really
appreciate that!