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


HEARTS OF DARKNESS
PART VI: HEART'S FEARS REMOVED
by Judson Chan


	"So, what are we up against?" Makoto asked. It was Friday, and
she had been released from the hospital the day before. All of them,
including Ryo and Mamoru, were once again gathered at the Hikawa
Temple.
	"The dark kingdom has a new ruler called Adamantite," Rei
told them. "He's a former general of Beryl's who managed to somehow
gain enormous power." She made a face. "He wants to kill us and conquer
the Earth by gathering lots of energy," she drawled sarcastically.
	"That sounds familiar," Minako said. "Why *do* they have this
fascination with Earth anyways? Aren't there any *other* worlds for
them to pester?" Artemis gave her a warning glance. "Sorry."
	"In any case," Rei continued, "we can't underestimate this
Adamantite. It seems that he's already gathered a sizable energy
supply without directly draining anyone."
	"How is that possible?" Luna asked.
	"I think I know," Ami said. "The dark kingdom has always used
people's negative emotions to control them. Maybe this time, they've
decided to just channel the emotions themselves into a viable energy
source."
	"What?" Usagi asked blankly.
	"The dark kingdom is sucking up people's fear and sadness and
turning it into energy," Mamoru explained patiently.
	"Oh."
	"That's a very good idea, Ami," Luna said. "But if that *is*
what they're doing, we have no way of stopping them. The chimeras only
have to *appear* for it to work."
	The others nodded glumly. "How about that other guy?" Makoto
asked Rei. "Is he anything to worry about?"
	"Peridot? Oh, we won't be hearing from him anymore," she
replied, grinning maliciously. "Adamantite's decided that he's failed
one time too many."
	"Good," Minako said fiercely.
	"Unfortunately, he's been replaced by this woman named
Amethyst. I haven't found out much about her, but she's probably
dangerous."
	"Anyone else?" Ryo asked.
	Rei nodded. "There's also this other guy named Selenite. He's
Adamantite's second-in-command. He is *very* dangerous. His power is
overwhelming, even while he's hiding most of it. But he never seems to
do anything. . ."
	"And when you get down to it, neither do we," Makoto
complained. "All we do is sit around waiting for them to make a move. I
*hate* this."
	"Actually, we *can* do something about them," Rei said. "I now
where they are."
	"Where?" The question came from several directions at once.
	"The North Pole. D-Point, to be exact."
	"Now why didn't *I* think of that?" Luna muttered.
	"That explains why my scanners couldn't find anything," Ami
observed. "The magnetic interference at the Pole must have blocked the
satellite signals."
	"Well," Artemis began, "now that we know where they are,
should we go ahead and attack?"
	Mamoru looked around at the girls. "I think it would be better
if we wait a little," he suggested. "This Adamantite sounds like he
could be as strong as Beryl, and he still has two generals working for
him. It would be dangerous to attack them before all of you have gotten
your powerups."
	"But if we wait," Rei objected, "they might target our families
this time. We're more experienced now than when we fought Beryl. I
think we have a chance."
	"Yeah," Makoto added, "I'm tired of sitting around waiting.
Let's go and finish this!"
	"Still," Ami said, "it would be better if we had more
information to work with. Charging into battle like this is. . .well,
reckless."
	Ryo nodded. "Ami's right. Besides, we still haven't figured
out how Prince Athan is connected to this."
	"I say we should go," Minako said. "We can't let them find more
energy and get even stronger."
	Everybody turned to look at Usagi. "Well?" Rei asked.
	"It's your call, Usagi," Luna said, watching the young girl
carefully.
	Usagi lowered her eyes. The expectant gaze of her friends only
added to the turmoil in her head. On the one hand, she was afraid that
the dark kingdom would indeed attack their families. She remembered
her fear that time, when the evil Endymion had summoned an angry spirit
near the hot springs that she and her family were visiting. Her father
had tried to defend them, but he almost got killed. Usagi never wanted
that to happen again.
	On the other hand, she didn't want to put her friends in danger
either. If Adamantite and Selenite really were as strong as Beryl, one
of them might very well die fighting against them. She wasn't going to
let that happen again, either. I *hate* this, she thought. I *hate*
being leader. I would *never* forgive myself if anything happened to
my friends, all because of some stupid mistake I made. . .
	Her thoughts and emotions were whirling around as she sat there
undecided. A gentle hand on hers jerked her out of her confused
musings. She raised her head to look into Mamoru's eyes.
	"Usako, I know this must be hard for you. Just remember, we'll
all support you in whatever decision you make." The others nod
earnestly. "Just do what your heart says, love."
	Usagi smiled and nodded. She turned back towards her friends
and took a deep breath. "Alright, we'll go. *But*," she added, "I want
all of you to promise to be really, *really* careful."
	"You should worry about yourself, Usagi," Rei said. "You'd
probably trip and knock yourself out before we even get to the enemy."
	"Hey, you take that back!" Usagi yelled.
	"You two, stop it! There's no time for that," Luna intervened.
Usagi and Rei held back at the last moment from sticking their tongues
out. "Since we are going to attack," the cat continued, "I think we
should work on your training tomorrow and leave on Sunday. It'll be
easier than sneaking you out of school."
	"Oh, and by the way, Mako," Ami started, looking around in her
schoolbag. "I have your homework from the past few days. . ."
	"Homework? Now?" Makoto sighed. "Only *you* could think of
that, Ami."
	"Well, I'm sure it would do you good to keep up with the rest
of the class," the blue-haired girl replied.
	Makoto grumbled something under her breath as everyone started
to leave. Once again, Mamoru hung back. When the others were gone, he
turned to Rei. "Jadeite told you all that, didn't he?" he asked
without preamble.
	Rei nodded. "His body was trapped in crystal when he couldn't
kill us, but his spirit is still free."
	"Are you going to do anything about that?"
	Rei hesitated, but decided there was no point lying to him.
"Yes."
	"Then why didn't you tell anyone?"
	"I don't think they would trust him," she replied. "Especially
Luna. She can be very stubborn sometimes, and she's not nearly as
warm-hearted as Usagi."
	"Well. . ."
	"Besides, this is my personal problem. I'll be doing this
alone."
	"You promised Usako you'd be careful!" Mamoru almost shouted.
	"Actually, no, I didn't," she answered calmly, her eyes
defiant. He was trying hard to keep himself in control.
	"Rei, you can't do this alone. Even with your powerup, there's
no way you'll survive long enough in enemy territory to find him.
Usako would worry herself to death if you suddenly went off on your
own! Think about that!"
	Rei looked stricken for a moment, but then her eyes hardened
again. "I *have* thought about that, Mamoru. But it can't be helped. I
*will* do this alone."
	They stared at each other for a long time, neither of them
willing to back down. Then, realisation dawned in his mind, and the
look of consternation on Rei's face confirmed it.
	"You're afraid, aren't you?" he asked gently.
	She averted her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."
	"You're afraid the others will think you've forgotten about
Yuuichiro."
	She didn't answer.
	"Rei, they're above that. They'll understand if you explain
your feelings to them."
	Still nothing.
	Mamoru searched his mind for another argument, but found
nothing. With a sigh he turned to leave.
	"Will you tell her?" Rei asked softly.
	He stopped, thinking. "No, I guess not. I just hope you'll
change your mind on your own. . ."
	He left, and Rei stared after him, wondering at the bond they
seemed to share. Then she went inside to cook supper.


	Adamantite's eyes squinted as he thought over Amethyst's
proposal. His right hand was clamped over the crystal orb that
contained the sum of his energy, that which gave him complete mastery
over the dark kingdom. Beside him, Selenite stood nonchalantly,
seeming almost disinterested in the plan.
	"And what makes you believe that you will be any more
successful than Peridot?" the dark lord asked coldly.
	"The strength of the Sailor Scouts lie in their teamwork,"
Amethyst explained. "If we can isolate one of them and attack at full
force, she cannot survive. I will send a second youma to distract the
other Scouts, if my lord so wishes."
	"Very well," Adamantite agreed. "We will see the outcome for
ourselves. Proceed with your plan."
	"Thank you, my lord."
	Amethyst disappeared in a rainbow-hued glow. Adamantite idly
watched as the last glitters faded, then leaned back against the hard
obsidian throne.
	"Soon. . ." he whispered, his eyes burning brightly. "Soon we
shall attack, and nothing can stand in our way. Nothing." The swirling
energy in the orb surged through his hand and into his body, wrapping
him in black flames. His gloating laughter echoed in the vast, empty
hall. Selenite shrugged and disappeared back into the shadows.


The next day. . .


	"Come on, Mamo-chan! Hurry up!" Usagi was waiting for him
impatiently, staring longingly at the ice cream stand down the path.
He chuckled and caught up with her.
	After lunch, Usagi had told her parents that she would be
spending the day with her friends, and then they were going to have a
sleepover at the temple. Obviously, she hadn't told them which 'friend'
she was really going to be with. Since training wouldn't begin until
evening when fewer people were about, the two of them had the entire
afternoon to themselves.
	First, Usagi had dragged Mamoru to the arcade, where she coaxed
him into playing a fighting game with her, then proceeded to beat the
crap out of him. Even after he stopped holding back, she kept winning
every match, quickly divesting him of all his spare change. Seeing
that, Motoki had laughed and apologized to Mamoru for not warning him
in advance.
	Then, they went for a walk in the park. The day was warm and
sunny, with just a hint of a breeze. It was a lot like the day Mamoru
regained his memories, except this time they were no chimeras to ruin
it. They passed the lake, where a young couple were having a picnic
with their little boy. The two of them watched as the toddler,
squealing happily, wading out into the shallow water after a passing
butterfly. Then, he turned around and, seeing his dad trying to sneak
up on him, began splashing water at the young man. He waded out after
his son and started splashing back, while his wife laughingly watched
them. Mamoru had felt Usagi tense slightly as they watched that scene,
and he understood how she must have felt. He was thinking almost the
same thing. As he was about to ask her about it, though, she turned
bright, sparkling eyes upon him and said she wanted some ice cream.
Her gaze melted into his heart, and he had forgotten what he was about
to say as she led him along the path.
	Now, the two of them sat on one of the benches on a small hill
overlooking the lake, trying to keep up with the melting cones in their
hands. Mamoru occasionally sneaked glances at Usagi, who seemed totally
absorbed in the task at hand. He wondered whether to bring up the
subject or not, even as he finished his ice cream.
	"Usako. . ." he started.
	"Today was great, wasn't it, Mamo-chan?" she interrupted. "I
had so much fun! Especially at the arcade, I bet you didn't know I'm
that good, did you? That one time, you didn't even hit me once!" She
giggled.
	"Usako. . ." he tried again.
	"You should have seen the look on your face!" She started
babbling again. "I heard Motoki laughing at you, you know, but you
were so desperate you didn't notice a thing! And I still won!"
	"Usako. . ."
	"Yep, I may be a klutz and everything, but no one beats me at
video games!" she continued with a forced smile. "Not even Rei! So it
doesn't matter that I'm no good at school, or that I cry a lot. . ."
	"Usako. . ."
	". . .or that my room's a mess, or that I can't cook, or that
I'll. . .never be. . .a good wife. . ." Mamoru could feel her
trembling, trying to hold back her tears. He put a finger under her
chin and lifted her face for a tender kiss.
	"Don't say that, Usako," he whispered soothingly. "You'll be a
wonderful wife and mother someday, I'm sure of that. You still have a
lot of growth ahead of you, that's all."
	"But Mamo-chan, what if we don't *have* that time?" she asked,
tears rolling down her cheeks. "What if something happens tomorrow,
and. . ."
	"It'll be okay, Usako. I won't let you get hurt. They'll have
to get through me before they can touch you."
	"But that's what I'm afraid of! I don't want you getting hurt
again because of me, Mamo-chan! I don't even want you to go!" She
sniffed. "When I saw that family back there, I thought, how great it
would be if it were you in the water with our child, and me watching
you, knowing we'll always be happy together. I just can't bear to lose
you again, Mamo-chan. . ."
	Mamoru sighed and pulled Usagi closer to him. She was quiet,
but he could feel her tears wetting his shirt, and the trembling. He
remembered that night she had healed him of his tainted memories, how
strong she had been for him. But she was still just a fourteen
year-old girl, whose innocence was threatened at every battle. And he
desperately wanted to protect that innocence, that part of her that
made her so loveable, so able to love. . .
	"Usako. . ." He stroked her hair with one hand while the other
squeezed hers. "I wish I could tell you we'll be okay, but I can't. So
I'll give you a promise instead: I will do my best to make sure all of
us get back safe and sound. Remember what you said that night?
Together we'll survive anything. . . So don't worry, Usako. We'll be
together, and we'll beat whatever the dark kingdom throws at us. We'll
stop them once and for all, and come back. And one day, I'll take you
and our baby for a picnic at the lake. . ."
	Usagi snuggled closer to him, not saying anything, but he
could feel a bit of the tension leaving her. He just hoped she couldn't
feel *his* tension right now. . .and that Rei would give up that crazy
idea of hers.


	"So, how about that one over there?" Makoto asked, pointing.
"He looks just like my old senpai," she added absently.
	Minako followed Makoto's hand. "No way! That guy's in my class,
and he's a total jerk!"
	Rei was sweatdropping. "You guys sound like you're shopping for
clothes or something. . ." she muttered.
	"Oh come on, Rei, like *you* haven't done this before!" Makoto
shot back lightly. The three of them were at the mall, ostensibly to
take advantage of the sale at one of the stores. That idea, however,
went out the window as Makoto and Minako planted themselves against a
wall and started eyeing every passing guy. Rei was *very* tempted to
just leave them there.
	"Oh, look at that one!" Minako exclaimed, indicating a guy
sitting at a snack bar not far away. He turned around, saw the girls,
and started coming towards them. "Wow, he is kinda cute. . .Mako? Why
aren't you saying anything?"
	"Yeah, don't you think he looks just like your old senpai?"
Rei snickered. Makoto didn't reply, just stood there with a strange
expression on her face.
	The man coming towards them looked to be a year or two older
than them. He had almost shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and wore an
unbuttoned white shirt and jeans. His eyes were blue, but there was
something in his gaze that made Rei uncomfortable. He also had a simple
gold chain around his neck.
	"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Makoto?" he asked. His tone
was slightly arrogant and had just a hint of an edge to it. Rei and
Minako stared at him in surprise, and were even more surprised when
they heard Makoto's reply.
	"What do you want, senpai?"


	"Ami, you sure you should be studying now?" Ryo asked, looking
on as Ami scanned the shelves of the library. She stopped and picked
out a large book on medicine, which she carried to a nearby table. Ryo
followed her, his eyes still questioning.
	"It doesn't hurt to have an early start," Ami replied. "I want
to be completely ready when I go to medical school."
	"Which probably isn't for another four years. You're only in
junior high, Ami, and you're already *way* ahead of everyone else.
Just relax for a bit, won't you?"
	Ami was silent, already absorbed in the text in front of her.
Ryo waited a bit, then sat across the table from her and pulled the
book away. She looked up, startled.
	"Alright, Ami," he said firmly. "I think that's enough. Why
can't you just stay away from the books for a while, hmm?"
	"And since when were *you* so indifferent to studying?"
	Ryo was a bit taken aback by the harshness of her tone. He had
never seen Ami get angry this easily, which confirmed that she indeed
was hiding something. He glanced around. No one was near enough to
listen in on them, so he decided to go ahead. He went around the table
and wrapped his arms around her from behind, causing the automatic
blush to appear on her cheeks. She squirmed a bit, but he held on.
	"You really shouldn't keep your feelings bottled up like that,
Ami," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. "If you're worried,
you should talk about it. I'm sure your friends will listen, and I'll
always be here for you."
	She tensed a that statement, her eyes wide, that being the
closest thing to a declaration of love she had ever gotten. Her mouth
opened to reply, but nothing came out. She struggled with herself as
her feelings for Ryo clashed with her habit of keeping them down.
Finally, her feelings won, and she let herself lean back against Ryo's
chest.
	"I feel helpless," she said in a subdued voice. "The others all
have powerful attacks, and all I can do is create mist. I'm afraid
I'll only be a burden to them tomorrow. . ."
	"For once, Ami, you are completely wrong."
	She started a bit when he said that, and he smiled. Apparently,
she was not accustomed to hearing that. "Would you believe it," he
asked, "if I told you I was in my school's american football team?"
	She stared at him, taking in his lean frame and his height.
Her expression obviously meant she didn't. He grinned.
	"It's true. I didn't *do* much, but I helped with the plays
and all, and they all accepted me. That's why you're so important to
the Sailor Scouts, Ami. You're the one who can come up with weaknesses
and strategies, and that's as important as power. Don't ever forget
that."
	Ami didn't reply for a while, but he knew she was thinking. He
unconsciously held his breath, not sure that he got through. He was
greatly relieved when she looked up and he saw her eyes.
	"Thanks, Ryo. I really appreciated that."
	"That's what I'm here for."
	Ami looked at him for a bit longer, then started giggling.
	"What's so funny?" he asked.
	"You would look so silly in a football uniform. . ." She
giggled again, and he laughed along with her. Just then, they heard a
commotion coming from the entrance. Ryo went to the corner and looked
around. He turned back to her, his face tense, and mouthed the word
'Youma'. Ami nodded, and went behind a bookshelf.
	Ryo turned his attention back to the scene at the entrance.
The youma was standing there, randomly breaking shelves and tables. It
was obviously waiting for a Scout to show up. Its body was sleek,
vaguely humanoid, and green, with an oily sheen about it. It had no
face as such, only two red eyes on the top where it's head should be.
As Ryo watched, it pointed at the checkout counter. A stream of liquid
came out from its 'hand' and melted its way through the wood. Acid, Ryo
thought.
	"Hold it right there, creep!"
	The youma turned and saw Sailor Mercury. She faced it with no
hint of fear. "The library is a place of knowledge and learning, and I
will not allow you to deprive us of it. I am Sailor Mercury, and in the
name of Mercury, I WILL PUNISH YOU!"
	The youma smirked and raised both arms, sending twin streams of
acid at Mercury. She dodged behind a table, summoning her visor even as
the table melted. The youma sommersaulted and landed where it thought
Mercury was hiding, only to find nothing.
	"SHABON SPRAY!"
	Mercury watched the youma as it spun around, trying to locate
her. With her visor on, she had no trouble pinpointing it.
	"Sailor Mercury? Are you here?" Sailor Moon's voice came
through the mist. The youma turned and launched a spray of acid. There
was a surprised 'Huh?', a thud, but no scream of pain. Mercury quickly
took out her computer and placed herself in line with the youma and
Sailor Venus.
	"Venus!" she called out. "Aim this way!" And with that she
raised her computer, revealing its flashing screen. Moments later, a
beam of light briefly illuminated the mist, followed by a grunt.
Mercury checked her computer. Five percent damage. It wasn't working,
she thought frantically.
	The youma retaliated with another stream of acid. Venus leapt
out of the way, but only barely. By now, the mist was dissipating.
	Mercury hesitated a bit, then stepped forward. If it can throw
acid, then it must be partially composed of water, she deduced. Acid
without water is harmless. Armed with that certainty, she reached
within herself, searching for the source of her power.
	Water freezes, she thought. And mine is the power most suitable
for generating cold. She felt a rush of strength as a new power filled
her, spreading from the core of her being to every part of her body.
She called on it silently, feeling the waves of cold gather about her
body. Droplets of water froze as they neared her, blurring her image
with thousands of sparkles. Mercury crossed her arms across her chest.
	"SHABON SPRAY. . .FREEZING!"
	A blast of bubbles surrounded the youma. Within seconds, it had
turned into a solid block of ice as the water molecules froze and
dissociated with the acid. Sailor Moon gave Mercury a thumbs up, then
snatched Tuxedo Kamen's cane and proceeded to smash the ice into little
pieces. "Take that, Negatrash!" Everybody else sweatdropped. Mars
detransformed and took the cane away from Sailor Moon.
	"There's no time for this, Meatball Head!" she snapped. "We
have to find Mako!"
	"Huh?" Sailor Moon detransformed as well and looked around.
"Wasn't she with you?"
	Minako shook her head and started to explain. "We were at the
mall, and this guy came up to us and started to talk to her about
succession or something. When he left, she called Shinozaki and told
him to meet her at the bus station. Then she ran off, and Mercury
called, so we couldn't go after her."
	Usagi blinked. "Huh?"
	"She called him 'senpai'," Rei said. "I guess he's the famous
senpai she keeps talking about, but something about him feels wrong. I
think we should follow her."
	"But how?" Minako asked. "We have no idea where she's going."
	"That's not a problem." Ami had kept her computer out after
she detransformed, and started tampering with it. "There, I found her.
She's in the rural area south of Tokyo."
	"Alright, then, let's go," Usagi said, and they started off
towards the bus station.


	Makoto and Shinozaki got off the bus and looked around. They
were in a wooded area, at the beginning of a path that led under the
trees. To the north, they could still see the skyscrapers of Tokyo.
	"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Shinozaki remarked, his
voice hushed.
	"Yeah," Makoto replied in the same tone. These woods held so
many memories for the two of them, that they almost felt that loud
conversations would be disrespectful.
	They started walking along the path. Makoto glanced around,
taking in all the familiar sights that she thought she wouldn't ever
see again. Over on one side, there was that crooked tree that she used
to climb on to look at birds' eggs. And ahead of them was the small
creek with the worn stepping stones that she used to cross every day.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, past the almost unnoticeable
curved scar on her jawline.
	"It's too bad we had to come back like this," Shinozaki said.
	Makoto nodded. She had known Genkyou very well, and she was a
bit surprised that he would go this far. Still, she'd suspected that
her senpai had only broken up with her because of their sensei's
apparent preference for her. Of course, back then, she still had a lot
respect for him and was so upset by the break-up, that she ended up
injuring someone and getting expelled. That's when she had decided to
go live on her own, away from the memories of this place.
	So now I'm finally back, she thought wistfully. But why are
you doing this, senpai? Why. . .
	They got to the end of the path and stood in a clearing. It
was littered with various old training props, and across it stood an
old-fashioned house. The words 'Senkaku Dojo' were displayed proudly
above the wooden gate.
	Makoto and Shinozaki exchanged a glance and walked through the
courtyard to the main doors. Inside, there were about ten young men
gathered in groups and talking quietly. A few of them saw Shinozaki and
waved to him.
	"What's all this about?" he asked one of the young men.
	"Some guy came in half an hour ago asking to speak with
Senkaku-sensei. They went out back."
	Shinozaki nodded, and he and Makoto headed for the door to the
sensei's private training area. It was another clearing behind the
house, smaller than the one in front. In the middle of it stood Genkyou
and an old man. Makoto stepped forward.
	"Senkaku-sensei. . ." she said, her voice trembling with
emotion. The old man turned around. His white hair was tied back in a
short ponytail, and his face was wrinkled. Otherwise, he showed no sign
of his age as he stood there tall and unbowed. His clothes were baggy,
but Makoto knew that underneath them he was all muscle. The hard, keen
eyes softened when he saw her.
	"Mako! I'm glad to see you again," he said, stepping forward
with arms wide open. She ran to him and embraced him, the man who was
almost a second father to her.
	"Don't I get a hug, little Makoto?" Genkyou asked mockingly.
She let go of her sensei and glared at the arrogant man.
	"Why don't you just go back home, senpai?" she suggested. "You
have no business here."
	"Actually, I'm told our dear sensei here neglected to cross
out my name from the student rolls when I left. That means I have the
right to succeed him as master of this dojo."
	"I was going to give you second chance," Senkaku growled
angrily. "I thought you had potential. It appears that I was mistaken.
You are unfit to carry on the tradition of this dojo!"
	"Nevertheless, the challenge has been issued. There is no
turning back now." He gave Makoto a challenging look. "Well?"
	Her voice was sad but firm as she replied. "I don't want to
fight you, senpai. . .I really don't. But seeing how you are now, I
just can't let you ruin Senkaku-sensei's hard work. I accept your
challenge."
	Senkaku looked at her, his piercing eyes gauging her strength.
She winked at him and gave him a confident smile. Senkaku nodded.
Shinozaki went back inside and came out with three bokkens. He handed
one to Makoto and threw the other to Tenkyou. Then he placed himself
in the middle of the clearing.
	The battle was about to begin. . .


To be continued. . .