While it’s true that the posting of these chapters are spaced further apart, they’re also a good deal larger. I could break it into two, much smaller sections and post them every two weeks, but I’d really prefer to be able to update once a month with a solid, well paced chapter. I know I’m neurotic, picky and somewhat compulsive about these stories, but if I’m going to ask you to send your precious free time on them, I owe it you to put out the best I’m capable of. I can only hope you agree. Many thanks to Donnar-I for taking the time to beta-read for me and for the very cute Tuxedo Kamen plushie that [I]mysteriously[/I] turned up on my doorstep. The woman is a wonder! Getting mail is the only form of “payment: we fanfics author ever get, so please feel free to drop me a line at Mearari@aol.com and let me know if you’re enjoying my work. Standard Disclaimer: “Sailor Moon” was created by the talented and clever Naoko Takeuchi and the rights to it are owned by Toei, Bandai and plethora of incredibly huge international corporations. I am grateful that Takeuchi-san allows us to play in the universe she created and I have no expectations of fiscal reward from this fanfic. Please don’t sue me. I don’t have anything worth taking – really! *************************************** “The Quest” By Meara Chapter Three *************************************** “Only when the nine soldiers act as one can the Seal be broken,” Usagi said, puzzled. “So just what’s that supposed to mean, anyway?” Mamoru and Usagi snuggled in the large bed. The comfort of being together was helping to heal the worst of the psychic damage from the shattered rapport. It was becoming more and more apparent to Mamoru that while his memory was returning fast, Usagi’s still had some gaping holes in it. She’d been shocked to discover that Earth was locked in the spell of crystal sleep. Her last, clear memory was the resurrection of the Moon Castle and the sad but necessary break from Earth. After that everything was a jumbled mixture of names, faces and events. Mamoru played with a few strands of her golden hair. He wondered how long it would be before she remembered that her hair had been silver when the world had gone into suspension. “I don’t know. At first I thought that it might mean that the Ginzuishou had been somehow sealed inside you again.” Closing her eyes, Usagi placed a hand over her heart. A small star of silver light came to her calling. She cupped her hands and the stone settled between them, spinning in lazy circles. “That can’t be it. I still seem to have access to the Ginzuishou.” The sweet, healing song of power warmed Usagi inside. With a sigh she opened her hands and the crystal faded away once more. “I don’t have to carry it around in a locket anymore, do I?” It was less a question than a statement. Mamoru smiled, letting a finger trace the outline of the crescent moon on her brow. “Once you became Queen you only used the locket once or twice. Most of the time it resides in the prayer room at the center of the castle.” Usagi had a flash of memory. She could see Mamoru, dressed as Tuxedo Kamen and the two of them were walking through the palace together. “The prayer room… We transformed there once,” she said, slowly at first. The memory became clearer and she propped herself up on one elbow to look at her husband. “Your hat is gone and you have this,” the tapped Mamoru just above the collarbone, “ornamental thingy on your bow-tie now!” The smile of satisfaction faded, a look of outrage quickly coming over her face. “You!” Usagi’s hand snaked out and thumped Mamoru on the chest. “You went to Earth without me when I told you that we should go together! I don’t remember why I wanted to go, but you should have listened to me!” She was so cute that Mamoru had to laugh. “You were right and I was wrong. There, do you feel better now?” “It’ll do for now,” she settled back into her beloved’s arms. “This not being able to remember things is a huge pain. I keep getting little bits and pieces of images that don’t make a lot of sense. Was it really Prince Demando standing over me or was that another dream?” Usagi asked hesitantly. “Oh, it was Demando, all right,” Mamoru was unlikely to ever forget the man who had kidnapped Usagi. “You shouldn’t say his name like that, Mamo-chan. He wasn’t really evil, you know,” Usagi cocked her head at Mamoru, a sad smile at the memory of the White Prince coming to her lips. “Demando died to save me from Wiseman. He saw that he’d been lied to at the end, that maybe it was possible for all of us to live in peace together.” “If the future we saw is true, Usako, then I’m going to get a lot more practice saying his name.” Mamoru had always wondered just how the White Prince had come to be so utterly and totally obsessed with Neo-Queen Serenity. To be honest, he was not looking forward to that part of the future. That idea made Mamoru wonder if it was possible to change the course of events. And if they could change the way the future unfolded, did they have the right to do so? A sigh from Usagi brought Mamoru back to the problems at hand. “The Earth can’t have much of a future still locked in suspension, can it?” The future Pluto said that I have the power inside me to break the spell of crystal sleep, but we need all nine Senshi to break some kind of Seal. Rei, Minako, Ami and Mako are all missing. Hotaru…” Usagi paused, mourning in her voice. ““Hotaru died when she dropped the Silence Glaive on Death Phantom and the power of Saturn died with her. I don’t know what to do, Mamo-chan. It’s all such a mess! Maybe I should just go into the Balance and try to break the spell that way. I mean, it should be more than enough power, right?” “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Usako.” Mamoru could remember Usagi transfigured by the ultimate magic of the White Moon Kingdom. He could also clearly remember the feeling of holding a dying Usagi, her life slipping away as she paid the lethal price for the power. “We should exhaust all other options before doing something that dangerous. Setsuna is working on finding the others. Let’s give her a chance before we consider something as drastic as your going into the Balance.” That comment made Usagi sigh and snuggle once again into the warmth and comfort of Mamoru’s embrace. “I suppose after sleeping for a thousand years, another few days won’t really matter. For once, I think time may actually be on our side.” *************************************** Ami walked alone in a city full of people. Dazed and reeling, Ami couldn’t get her mind to work properly and that caused her no end of worry. The tide of humanity seemed to pull her along with it and Ami continued to walk among the crowd, not really caring where she was going. The throng stopped moving for a moment, waiting for the street light to allow them to cross safely. That pause allowed her to look at her reflection in the plate glass window of an upscale department store. Hair so black it looked blue in the afternoon light fell to the top of her shoulders and framed a face of delicate beauty. A tentative hand was raised to the reflection. Was this her face? A confusing blur of fragmented thoughts darted through her mind as she looked at the enchanting stranger in the glass. Although the cream colored, silk blouse she wore with the navy pants suited her well, Ami had a flash of another outfit. The image of herself in a sailor fuku only made the confusion in her mind worse. Closing her eyes in an attempt to concentrate, she felt a definite pull; an urgent impulse telling her that she needed to find water. Things would make more sense to her once she was near the cool, sweet water an inner voice told her. Her mind still in shock from the abrupt way she’d been forced out of suspension, the beautiful young woman couldn’t fight the inner prompting. She let her feet guide her towards the ocean as the sun began to set. *************************************** Power was everything for Demando. It ruled his past, shaped his present and fed his dreams of the future. The only truth that he had never doubted was that the one with the most power would control the most beautiful of worlds, Earth. Endymion had Earth, Demando had been raised to believe, only because the Neo-King had stolen the birth-right that belonged to him alone. It was Demando’s destiny to have everything Endymion did, to take back the world of his ancestors and that required, of course, power. Demando understood power; loved it, craved it and cultivated it. It was the lure of power that had called the shivering and desperate exiles to Nemesis. It was his power as the first born and greatest of the gifted children of Nemesis that made Demando the undisputed ruler of the Black Moon Clan. It was the unbridled power of the Black Poison Crystal that would make him King of Earth. Until a few days ago, Demando had believed that there was nothing else in the universe that could possibly rival the ebony power of which he was master. Then the silver energies of the Ginzuishou touched the Prince of Nemesis and everything changed. Even from that briefest of contacts, Demando could sense the raw, primal energies that were contained within the crystal and the woman who was bonded to it. Most remarkable of all, was his reaction to it. The White Prince could feel the great power of Nemesis absorb the energy Serenity generated, feed on it and become even stronger. How much of the bright, shining energies could the Black Poison Crystal take into itself? The thought was a heady one for Demando. It was less so for Saffir. “So you’re saying that the Black Poison Crystal can absorb the power Serenity controls?” He looked up from the calculations he was studying to eye his brother nervously. Demando had a sly smile on his face. “Recall what all our stories tell us, Saffir. Endymion went to great lengths to seduce and bind the Princess of the Moon Kingdom to his will. Why did he go to such lengths? To acquire not only the comely Princess of the Moon, but the power she wields, of course.” Saffir was looking at the readings from the proto-gate once again. “He also set her up to take the blame for the fall of the Golden Kingdom and the slaughter of the Moon’s people a millennium before. Endymion used her then and he’s using her now. So what? The powerful always use the weak. It’s the way of the universe.” The eyes of the White Prince shone with both excitement and a growing avarice. “So it is. Endymion manipulates Serenity into doing what he wants. I can go him one better, though. I don’t have to have her under an enchantment to make her into doing as I wish. Through my link with the Black Poison Crystal, I can take Serenity’s power into myself and use it as I see fit.” That made Saffir’s head snap up with alarm. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. It’s the Jakozuishou that absorbs the bright energy Serenity produces, not you. You’re acting as a channel to let that hunk of black rock feed.” “I control the Jakozuishou, Saffir, it doesn’t control me.” Demando sounded annoyed by the implication. “If you say so, Onii-san,” Saffir didn’t seem convinced, but chastised he lowered his head to work on the proto-gate once more. “I need to run another test with the gate and I’d like to take the two aliens with me for it. It’s just as well you didn’t let Rubeus kill them outright. There’s an anomalous reading I get that puzzles me and they may be the only ones with enough knowledge about this device to help me figure it all out.” “Is something wrong with the machine?” Demando was truly concerned. A great deal of his plans now hinged on using the gate. If it proved to be unreliable… Saffir was staring down at the control panel and he tapped it with one finger as if to try and coax the answer he wanted from it. “No, no, it works all right.” Saffir closed his eyes, rubbing them tiredly. “All my life, I’ve tinkered with the smashed control box that father brought with him during the exile, but I don’t really have a complete understanding of the way the gate works. Until I do, using it could be risky.” The White Prince sat down hard on a nearby chair. He began to tap his fingers on the arm, annoyed. “There are always risks in war, Saffir.” While his brother would usually listen to his good advice, Saffir knew Demando well enough to realize that you sometimes had to give him at least part of what he wanted. “Wars are won by using a sound, well thought out strategy and strategies require information. If we’re going to rely on this gate as a part of that plan, then I need to know everything about the way it operates.” “I thought you said that the machine was following the energy signature of the bright power Serenity controls,” Demando said. “It does,” Saffir moved closer to his brother. Although the two appeared to be alone, Saffir was wise enough to know that there were very few places on Nemesis where it was safe to speak openly. “And that’s part of what worries me. Wherever it is she disappears to has some sort of barrier or mystic ward that prevents my opening a portal there. Right now all we can do is wait for her to leave that protected place then follow where she goes. But if we can’t learn to direct the gate to go where we want it to, our freedom from Nemesis will always be tied to Serenity and the power she controls.” Demando may have been occasionally impulsive, but he was never stupid. “I understand how that could be a problem. See, I can be reasonable, Saffir-chan.” Folding his arms across his chest, Demando struck a regal pose. “I’ve waited a lifetime to gain revenge on Endymion and the Earthers for the wrongs done to our ancestors. What makes you think I’d be so foolish as to risk anything now that we may finally have the means to that goal?” “You, act impulsively? Perish the thought.” Saffir teased. He only laughed when his brother reached out and whacked him on the arm in retribution. “Actually, I have an idea that might satisfy a number of needs at the same time. As you said, a solid strategy for war requires information.” A wolfish smile came to the lips of the White Prince. “Make the necessary arrangements for your test, little brother, and I’ll accompany you. You’re quite right. Wars are won with knowledge as much as with power. With luck, this trip will yield information for both us that will help win our war.” *************************************** The music was exquisite, as was the setting. Haruka sat back in her chair, appreciating the sweetness of the moment. It was a violin concerto by Tchaikovsky, one of Michiru’s favorites. She poured her heart and soul into the instrument she used so skillfully. The violin was one of the few things that Michiru had brought with her when they’d been forced into exile from Earth. Lorilei accompanied her on the piano the two weaving a spell as potent as any of the magics Haruka had been witness to over the years. The piano had been something of a surprise. It wasn’t just any piano but a concert grand at that. Haruka wondered what other goodies Helios had hidden around here. To be honest though, Haruka wasn’t sure what was sweeter to her ears, the music from in front of her, or the small sounds that came from Goruden Kobushi in back of her. That the carefully preserved “truths” of the Sons of the Golden Kingdom weren’t accurate pleased her to no end. Every time Helios found another discrepancy Goruden would make the most delightful sound, as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. All good things must end and so it was with both the Tchaikovsky piece and the humbling of Kobushi, at least for now. “Marvelous,” Haruka smiled broadly at Michiru. “You two should play together more often.” Michiru gave a half bow, “Thank you, even if you are a bit biased.” “You really are wonderful,” Goruden rose and went to first Michiru. He took her hand and gave it a genteel kiss. “I saw you perform once back in Tokyo and I was stunned by your talent then and remain so today.” He moved to Lorilei who sat at the keyboard, blushing at his frank gaze. “And you Meiou-san, are also very talented. I hope to hear more from both of you in the future.” Before she could protest he took her hand also and gave it a kiss. “T…thank you, Goruden-san,” Lorilei stammered nervously. Damn, but she hated it when she stuttered like a school girl! Even after all the years of performing publicly she’d never gotten good at just accepting a compliment. “You’re very kind.” “Please, call me Kobushi. There’s no need to be so shy. I’m really quite harmless.” He gave her his most charming smile. Haruka was tempted to debate the point, but didn’t. Part of her hoped that Setsuna would pick up on the distress Lorilei was feeling. She entertained the very pleasant fantasy of Pluto coming out here and launching a Dead Scream right up Goruden’s butt. Unfortunately, Helios picked that moment to find yet another of the discrepancies between the records kept in Elysion and the Book of the Golden Kingdom. “The Black Death - of course!” Helios said in a cheerful voice. “I think I may have found where the major break happened!” “Duty calls ladies,” Kobushi sighed. He gave both Michiru and Lorilei a final smile then turned to walk back to Helios. Haruka noted as he passed that Kobushi was all ready grinding his teeth together. She leaned back in the chair, a small but very smug smile on her face. Life was good sometimes. “You don’t trust him, do you?” Michiru asked, moving to sit beside her life-mate. She watched Lorilei start to play softly again. Letting her eyes close the pianist withdrew into her own world. The quiet musician was able to hide from her worries and concerns inside the music she created. The aqua haired Senshi of Neptune envied her that ability. The snort Haruka gave spoke volumes. “Should I? Not too long ago Goruden was telling cheering crowds that the Moon Kingdom was a dark den of ‘eeevil”,” she drew the word out melodramatically. “He saved Mamoru’s life,” Michiru loved to play devil’s advocate. “Which would not have needed saving if Goruden and his thrice damned Sons’ hadn’t kidnapped him in the first place,” Haruka was good at this game, too. “Minako loves him.” That statement made Haruka narrow her eyes dangerously. “Goruden Kobushi has made his career out of being charming. For all I know he could very well have seduced Minako just to get closer to Mamoru.” It was time to lay the last card on the table. “Usagi trusts him.” “Usagi can be too trusting,” Haruka replied. “This is why someone with the kind of power she has needs guardians like us to keep her safe.” This was what was really bothering Haruka, Michiru suspected. With the four Inner Senshi missing, the primary task of protecting their Queen and King now fell to them. “And that makes you uncomfortable?” “Well, it’s not as if I’ve ever been particularly good at it,” Haruka ran a hand through her short, blonde hair. “I swear that she waits for me to point out any possible dangers then purposely heads straight for it. Mistress Nine, Nephelenia, Seiya,” Haruka ignored the annoyed look Michiru gave her when she included Seiya in the list, “Galaxia; I warned her about them all and Usagi still jumped right in to save them.” Michiru had to smile at the frustration in her life-mate’s tone of voice. “So,” she asked with a sly glance, “What bothers you more? The fact that Usagi didn’t listen to you, or that she was right about them all?” That made Haruka laugh softly “Yes, Usagi was right about all of them, but that doesn’t change the fact that she still could have very easily ended up dead. If there’s a lost soul or an impossible cause Usagi is right in the middle of it. I swear that she’s drawn to trouble like ions to an electrode.” She tugged at a few strands of her golden hair. “There are days when I’m surprised that my hair hasn’t turned gray from the stress.” “That’s okay,” Michiru leaned over and kissed her beloved. “I’ll still love you even when you’re old and gray.” The kiss ended and Haruka let her hand graze Michiru’s cheek affectionately. No matter what trials lay ahead of them, as long as they had each other Haruka could face the devil himself. “Michiru…” “There you are!” Luna’s voice broke the moment and both turned to see the small black cat bounding towards them. A hop brought her up into the bench beside them. Luna cast a bright and hopeful glance at the two women. “Setsuna asked me to fetch you. She’s found Ami.” *************************************** Setsuna had given it considerable thought after the last trip into the past. Determined to make sure that none of the protocols she lived by were dismissed as unimportant, the Senshi of Pluto had re-worked her instructions speech. This time she was sure that she’d found the perfect metaphor to get her point across. “Time travel is like Star Trek,” Setsuna started out. “The prime directive is non-interference.” Haruka leaned slightly to whisper to Michiru. “I’ve always liked Babylon Five better myself.” Pluto had heard the comment and raised an eyebrow at Uranus while she continued. “We want to find Ami, our Ami, and get her back here with as little disruption as possible. That means that we stay out of local affairs and try to avoid attracting the attention of the minions of the Dark Kingdom. The fewer chances there are to create a temporal anomaly the better.” “Excuse me Sailor Star Fleet,” Uranus said, “but aren’t the silver fuku and wings of Eternal Sailor Moon have going to be something of a ‘temporal anomaly’? And what about the fact that Tuxedo Kamen has decided to expand his wardrobe from basic black to lavender?” “Actually, we’ve got that part of it covered,” Mamoru smiled. A twist if his wrist called a rose and that, in turn, triggered his henshin. Mamoru closed his eyes when the power washed over him, using what he had learned about the Golden Crystal. The great power of Earth was the ability to shape and mold and he used it now. When the flash of magic faded, he was adorned in the formal black tuxedo. “Black is a better color for you anyway,” Usagi smiled. She reached up and tapped the small ornament that was attached to his bow tie before going back to finish working on the hair tossed over her shoulder. It was being put into a simple braid, albeit a long one that trailed to her hips. The crescent moon on her brow had been clumsily covered by a rolled up scrap of cloth that was tied around her head like a bandana. “Usagi isn’t going to transform,” Setsuna said. “As you pointed out, the wings and silver fuku are just too distinctive to hide. It’ll be up to we three,” she gestured at Neptune and Uranus,” to protect her. Tuxedo Kamen will try to handle any problems we run into.” Artemis coughed once to gain everyone’s attention. “Luna and I have been running over a few things that could all add up to trouble. While Ami was in her Senshi form when the spell of crystal sleep was shattered, her henshin may or may not have been broken. If the way Mamoru and Usagi reacted to the manner in which suspension was ended is any indication, then Ami isn’t herself right now. She could be wandering around Tokyo in a daze, not sure of who she is or where she is. In that state she’d be easy prey for the Dark Kingdom.” “My biggest worry is that the ripple in time that allowed me to find Ami is going to attract the attention of the Dark Kingdom,” Pluto continued. “It’s imperative that we find her before they do.” “Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus were all sharing power with Usagi when the spell of crystal sleep was shattered,” Luna said. “Our best guess is that they were ‘burned’ both psychically and neurologically when the proto-gate had its little accident. Happily, we do have a way to deal with that kind of trauma.” “Then why not bring Ami here to the safety of Elysion to heal her?” Michiru asked reasonably. “We don’t know just how badly she’s been hurt, or how deep the ‘burn’ is,” Setsuna replied. “The trauma of moving Ami through another Gate before healing her could very well kill her.” Usagi was putting the last touches on her braid. “The good news is that since I came into the full powers of the Ginzuishou, I don’t have to henshin to use it anymore. The bad news is that from what Luna tells me, this is going to be the kind of healing that requires a lot of concentration.” She patted the end of her braid, stopping to really look at it for a second. “Hey, wait a minute… Wasn’t my hair silver for a while?” “And let me guess. You’re going to be so involved in the healing process that you’ll be open to attack?” Uranus leaned over and whispered to Neptune. “What did I tell you? Like ions to an electrode…” The one word I want all of you to remember,” she favored Haruka with a direct look, “is ‘subtle’. The hope is that we won’t have to fight. If we do have to step in we must remain as anonymous as possible. As much as we love to introduce ourselves, restraint has to be used. No names!” “Maybe we’ll get lucky this time and Ami will be somewhere nice, quiet and safe,” Usagi sighed, looking the portal to the Timegate. “We’re certainly overdue for the breaks going our way for a change.” “Where would the fun in that be, kitten? I’ve always wanted to get a crack at some of Beryl’s inky minions and this could be my only chance,” Uranus teased. The smile she’d hoped to provoke in Usagi was her reward. With a slap Haruka rubbed her hands together and looked at Pluto. “Okay, let’s go kick some Dark Kingdom butt.” *************************************** The dock she wandered onto was nice and quiet, any activity having ceased with the coming of evening. The lack of other more confusing sounds suited her quite well at the moment. She settled on the very end of the wooden jetty, feet dangling over the edge of it. The tide was coming in and each time a wave crashed gently against the pier a light spray of water would bathe her. She closed her eyes as the latest infusion of salt water caressed her skin like a lover. There was a name that drifted into her mind – Ami. Yes, she thought, that’s who I am; Mizuno Ami. The rhythm of incoming tide was an intoxicating, eternal melody as old as the planet itself. The symphony of the waters called to her and Ami listened to the things it told her. It sang of people and places, names and faces. It sang of those she loved, and those she had fought. Her entire life was in the aquatic rhapsody and Ami listened intently to it. So lost in the rapture of the timeless song of the waters was Ami that she never noticed the Youma that stalked her until it was too late. Something grabbed her, pulling her from the ocean’s healing embrace. The creature laughed, words coming from it’s mouth that Ami couldn’t make sense of. Then the pain started and the world around Ami began to grow dark as her life and energy were ripped from her. A phrase was at the outer edge of her elusive memories. Frustration welled up in Ami as she struggled against both the physical pain and the maddening notion that she had the power to save herself if she could only remember! “Stop right there!” That voice, Ami thought, I know that voice! Despite the pain, she attempted to concentrate. A jumble of images flashed through her mind, too fast to make much sense of any of them. The voice came again and the creature that held Ami turned to face it. “The ocean is a place of beauty and tranquility,” a tall man in a tuxedo and cape said. He held a white rose in one hand, the stem sharper than a dagger. “How dare you attack someone who has come to enjoy it!” Oh God, Mamoru thought, I hate these speeches. Why do I make them when I always come off sounding like a total moron? “Release her now or I will not forgive you!” Surprisingly, the Youma dropped Ami and she hit the ground, hard. Not surprisingly, the Youma then launched itself for Tuxedo Kamen. He easily leapt out of the way. As he landed the Earth beneath his feet filled him with a gentle hum that ran right to the top of his head. A flick of the wrist sent the rose streaking through the air. It impaled itself where the monsters heart should be and the creature gave a howl of pain. “Do you think a simple flower can stop a warrior of the Dark Kingdom?” it hissed, clawing at the rose. Mamoru opened himself to the power of Earth. The gentle hum exploded into a song that filled him. A single hand was raised and, palm out,\ he gestured at the Youma. “As a matter of fact,” his fist snapped closed and the white rose gave off a flash of golden fire that ran through the creature in a heartbeat, reducing it to ash. “Yes I do.” “Oooh, I’m impressed,” Usagi cooed, walking up behind him. He was so devastatingly handsome in that black tux, she observed, “Nicely done, Tuxedo Kamen-sama.” Usagi knelt down beside the shivering Ami. “Everything’s going to all right now, Ami-chan. Let me help you.” “I know you,” Ami said in a soft voice, blinking owlishly. “I think I know you…” Even shock and Youma attack couldn’t completely shut down the agile mind of Mizuno Ami. As Usagi summoned the great power of the White Moon Kingdom, a ghostly figure in the shape of silver wings cupped her body for an instant. They enfolded her, then snapped open and disappeared. Usagi’s body shimmered with the subtle radiance of moonlight. She slowly, gently reached out and cupped Ami’s cheek. “Moon healing – escalation,” her words were soft, but the power in them was unmistakable. The wave of stardust flowed into Ami and the young woman gave a gasp of relief. The sigil of Mercury was faintly outlined on her brow. Usagi felt the moment she made contact with the sailor crystal locked deep inside the young woman. Falling deeply into a healing trance, Usagi started to mend the terrible damage done by the traumatic rupturing of stasis. From where the three Outer Senshi observed, carefully hidden in the shadows of some large crates, Setsuna smiled. “See, that’s what I mean by subtle. No fireworks, no loud explosions, no crowd drawing theatrics,” she gestured with her hands in a delighted fashion, “just poof, no more Youma.” “I do have to admit that the way Tuxedo Kamen dispatched that Youma has a certain, elegant flair to it,” Michiru agreed. Uranus grunted in reply, folding her arms across her chest. It seemed that she’d underestimated just how strong Mamoru had become. “Remind me again. Just why are we here when it seems that Tuxedo Kamen has everything under control?” “In case of trouble,” Neptune replied lightly, teasing her life-mate. “Well, well,” came tenor voice from the air around them. The scorn was readily apparent in it. “It seems that those roses you throw are good for something after all.” A whirlwind of cherry blossom petals filled the air. The form of a slender man in a dark uniform appeared within them. He laughed, taking a tendril of his long, blond hair and playing with it between his fingers. “Do I want to know who that is?” Uranus asked, not liking the looks of the young man at all. “Trouble. That is one of the four Lords of the Dark Kingdom.” Setsuna sighed in a long suffering fashion. “Oh pooh, I knew this was going too well.” “Zoicite,” Tuxedo Kamen growled unhappily. Oh great, it just had to be Zoicite didn’t it? Mamoru had never gotten the chance to repay him for impaling him with that crystal spear. And he wasn’t going to, either, Mamoru’s conscience told him. Zoicite was executed by Beryl shortly after the aborted fight at the Tokyo Tower. That little confrontation had culminated in Mamoru’s being kidnapped, brainwashed and used as Beryl’s personal boy-toy. Tuxedo Kamen glanced at Usagi and Ami. Caught up in the healing magic of the Ginzuishou they were oblivious to what was going on around them. He had to find a way to keep Zoicite away from them but was handicapped by the knowledge of what had to happen in the near future. As much as Mamoru might like to try and pound some sense into Zoicite, he couldn’t let anything too awful happen to him or the conflict in the Tokyo Tower might never take place. If that never happened, the Ginzuishou wouldn’t appear and Usagi wouldn’t be revealed as the Moon Princess. Mamoru was beginning to understand why Setsuna was so nervous about allowing people to travel through time. A single accident or misstep and the future went right down the tubes. “I was hoping to lure Sailor Moon here, but you’re the one I really wanted to see,” Zoicite laughed darkly. He glanced at where Ami and Usagi sat together, both suffused by the subtle power of the Ginzuishou. “These two humans seem to possess an unusual power. I intend to take it and their lives unless, of course, you give me all of the rainbow crystals you have.” The arrogance in that statement made Mamoru laugh. “I don’t think so Zoicite. Call it a night and go home. Whether or not you want to believe it, I really don’t want to have to hurt you.” The power of Earth sang inside him. His feet touched the ground and a feral smile crept across Zoicite’s face. “Oh, but I so want to hurt you, Tuxedo Kamen.” He snapped his fingers and three more Youma faded into existence around him. With careful indifference, Zoicite examined his fingernails. “I’m going to have those crystals one way or another. You may have beaten one Youma by yourself, but I think you’ll find things more difficult now.” “Well,” Uranus said cracking her knuckles. “That’s our cue.” “Remember, the word of the day is ‘subtle!” Pluto cautioned as they prepared to enter the fray. “Don’t worry,” Uranus raised her fist. It glowed with building energy. “I’m the very soul of discretion.” The fist was brought slamming to earth in a single gesture. “World shaking!” One of the Youma bared long fangs and gathered itself for a leap at the tuxedo clad hero. It had no more than shifted its weight in preparation to move when the bolt of bright power churned up the ground. No one could possibly mistake it for anything other than what it was, a challenge. The monsters turned as one to regard the three warriors of the outer planets who appeared to stand between Tuxedo Kamen and the trio of Youma. Pluto glanced back at Mamoru. “We’ll handle these creatures, Tuxedo Kamen-sama. You do what you have to.” “Who the hell are you?” Zoicite’s voice ran up an octave in outrage and it broke girlishly. Haruka drew a deep breath to reply when Pluto used her garnet rod to deftly whack Uranus on the ankle. “Star Trek,” Setsuna hissed angrily. Uranus glanced at Pluto and without missing a beat replied in a loud, clear voice. “I am Captain Katherine Janeway of the Federation star ship Voyager.” Her attack was powered up, waiting for the words to release it and Michiru fairly glowed. “Stand down or we’ll open fire with our photon torpedoes.” Pluto rolled her eyes at Uranus’s speech. “You just love to yank my chain whenever possible, don’t you?” “We do our best,” Uranus replied with a satisfied smile. If Zoicite was rattled by the appearance of these strange, new Senshi he didn’t show it. “Very funny. I’d love to stay and listen to more but I have crystals to collect.” He waved dismissively to the slavering Youma. “Make sure there’s nothing left of them.” Zoicite didn’t so much as glance at the three Senshi, just turned his back in a motion of contempt and moved towards where Usagi held Ami. Tuxedo Kamen was suddenly there, standing between the Dark Lord and his beloved. He raised his hand, another rose ready to be launched in it. “I warned you Zoicite,” Mamoru said in a dangerously low voice. “Leave now or face the consequences.” “Consequences?” Zoicite laughed darkly. “I am one of the four Lords of the Dark Kingdom, cape boy. Who do you think you are that you could possibly stop me from taking what I want?” Would you believe the future King of Earth, Mamoru thought? Over the years he’d forgotten just how much he disliked the arrogant, superior attitude that seemed to be a job requirement for the forces of darkness. Their own egos refused to allow them to consider that they might fail. A sword of crystal appeared in Zoicite’s hand and he charged Tuxedo Kamen, blood lust in his eyes. The temptation to shift into his princely form of Endymion (and the very large sword that went with it) was strong, but Mamoru called for his cane instead. The power of the planet coursed through him and Mamoru had never felt like this before. He was stronger and faster than he’d ever dreamed of being. The blow by Zoicite was easily parried and Tuxedo Kamen let a fraction of the energy at his command flow through the cane as he struck Zoicite. A look of surprise on his face, the Dark Lord was lifted off his feet by the impact. He landed a short distance away with the wind and a good deal of the fight knocked out of him. The memory of what he and Usagi has suffered because of Zoicite’s machinations filled Mamoru with an anger that was unexpectedly intense. The planet reflected its prince’s rage and with each step he took the ground shuddered in sympathy. He stood over Zoicite and put the tip of his cane to the Dark Lord’s throat. “This fight is over Zoicite,” Mamoru growled. “And you lost. Get your sorry butt back to the Dark Kingdom – now.” His hand trembling with both shock and anger, Zoicite wiped away a small trace of blood that trickled from his nose. “I won’t forget this insult,” he hissed and disappeared in his trademark whirlwind of flower petals. “This is not over between us, Tuxedo Kamen.” “For you, Zoicite, yes it is,” Mamoru said. If Setsuna was right about the timing, Sailor Venus would appear tomorrow on these same docks. A few hours after that, Zoicite would be executed by Beryl. Mamoru glanced over at where the three Outer Senshi were fighting the trio of Youma. “Do you need any help?” he called out. To be honest, Haruka had always wondered just how much of a challenge the denizens of the Dark Kingdom had truly been. She’d harbored the illusion that the Outer Senshi would have been able to deal with them handily. This fight was dissuading her of that notion rather quickly. A long, thin cut was opened on Uranus’ arm and she hissed in pain. “We’re just fine, thank you!” she snapped back. “Temper, temper, life-mate,” Neptune called out lightly. In an instant her attack was powered up and she singled out her target. “Deep submerge!” The Youma shrieked when it was engulfed by the energy then, literally, went to pieces. Neptune smiled, fastidiously dusting her hands clean of the dirt the fight had raised. “Next,” she said. Youmas had earned the reputation of being vicious fighters that were totally and slavishly devoted to their Queen. Beryl liked her subjects the way she liked her men; brutal yet subservient. The Dark Kingdom lackey Pluto was fighting had enough presence of mind to look concerned when the Soldier of Time summoned the bright energies she controlled, but not enough brains to run. Magenta eyes narrowed in contempt at the pawn before her. “I am the soldier with the blessings of the underworld. Give your mistress my regards when you see her in hell.” With a graceful gesture, Pluto let her staff settle back into her hands. “Dead scream.” The last remaining Youma looked nervously at the small piles of dust that were floating away on the wind. It paused, considering that it might be better to flee and risk Zoicite’s wrath than certain destruction by staying here. Unfortunately, Youma’s were built for fighting, not for thinking and the concentration needed to come up with the thought left it wide open. Uranus was not the kind of solider to let that opportunity pass. A hand was raised over the head of the soldier of the sky, the power of her guardian world rushing up to meet it. In a gesture that was needed to both release the attack and satisfy Haruka’s bad temper, she slammed the fist to the ground. “World shaking!” Exploding into several million tiny pieces, the last Youma was carried away on the ocean breeze. Uranus nodded her head with satisfaction. “Well, that’s that.” There was a flash of blue light that grabbed the attention of all three Senshi. It happened too fast. In the instant they turned, something moved through the veil of dust that was all that remained of the dark kingdom denizens. Before anyone could stop it, the creature slithered between the guardian Senshi and headed towards its goal. The very spot where a defenseless Usagi was healing Ami. *************************************** The only thing that made perfect sense to Saffir right now was why Demando had insisted Rubeus come along on this jaunt. That the two aliens would be tempted to try an escape once they were off of Nemesis was a given. The job of Crimson Rubeus (at least in Saffir’s eyes) was to look threatening. He did it quite well actually, Saffir had to admit. There was a semi-permanent sneer on the man’s face that gave you the impression that he was currently thinking of ways to hurt you. The two droids that flanked the red-headed thug only added to the incredibly unsubtle message that was being projected. [I]Please try to escape so that I can inflict a slow, lingering and excessively painful death on you.[/I] Here they were on Earth and the foremost thing in the mind of Crimson Rubeus was still the many applications of pain. The man was indeed the moron he’d suspected all along. Unfortunately, Rubeus was so good at his task that it was affecting Saffir’s. The young man with the ebony hair tapped the smaller of the two aliens on the arm to regain his attention. “These indicate the coordinates of where we were. These,” he pointed to another set of numbers in an alien script, “are where we are now. This set of numbers is some kind of time value, ne?” Rory nodded, glancing once at again Rubeus. The jackbooted thug had a hand on Dirk’s shoulder and whatever he was whispering to his older brother made him sweat and go pale. “Ummm, yes. This is a clock, for lack of a better term. It tells you how long it took you to get here.” “How long we were in the gate or how much time has passed since we left Nemesis?” Saffir asked with acute interest. All the pieces of a puzzle first started a quarter of a century ago were starting to come together in his mind. “How long has passed since we left, Lord Saffir,” Rory replied carefully. The numb, drunken euphoria had worn off and every nerve in his body throbbed painfully at him. He vowed that he would never, ever, try something this stupid again. If, that was, he and Dirk managed to survive their current predicament. “Time can flow a little differently inside the lesser gates. You can lose hours, sometimes as much as a day going between one place and another. That’s why old proto-gates like this one were taken out of use by my people about a century ago.” Rory privately cursed the day he’d found this one in private use and stolen it. “There were stories of strange temporal phenomenon that circulated for years. Not that I believed any of those silly tales of people arriving before they left and the like.” A small bark of laughter that had a slightly hysterical edge to it burst from Saffir. “Oh yes, I’ll bet they were quite unbelievable.” Saffir stared at the control panel for a long moment, letting the knowledge of what he held in his hands seep into his clever mind. Demando was going to be very pleased with this bit of information, Saffir knew. His enthusiasm was dampened by a look at his brother. Saffir wondered what he was thinking, but from the look on the White Prince’s face, it wasn’t good. Using the power of the Jakozuishou, it had been easy enough to stay hidden from sight. That gave Demando the luxury of standing back and observing his rival in action. It wasn’t the power that Endymion displayed or the fact that those three female warriors popped up to fight for him that caused a slow and steady rage to burn in the heart of the White Prince. It was, oddly enough, the sight of the vast and seemingly endless water that got him angry. It took Demando’s mind a moment to come up with the proper name for it – ocean. This must the ocean that his mother had told him about as a child. There was more water here, in this one place, than Demando had ever dreamed of. It was an example of the natural wonders on this jewel of a world and the fact that Endymion barely seemed to notice it only made Demando all the angrier. The Black Moon Clan had been forced into exile on a small, dark moon while Endymion ruled in luxury here. He was so jaded by the riches he possessed that he barely noticed them anymore. Well that would end soon enough, Demando vowed. He would see Endymion a broken man. The White Prince would take everything that the so-called King of Earth held dear and make it his own. Purple eyes narrowed, becoming as cold and hard as amethysts as he watched the woman with the long, golden braid use the magic at her command. It was Serenity, Demando knew, and the clumsy attempt to hide her true identity only added to the insult the prince of Nemesis was currently feeling. “Onii-san?” Saffir’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Did you get the answers you were looking for?” Demando replied sharply. “Yes and I think you’ll be quite pleased by what I found out,” the joy of discovery was dampened by the black mood of his brother. Saffir knew the look on Demando’s face and didn’t like it at all. His brother was angry and getting angrier by the second. Unless Saffir could take preemptive action, Demando was about to do something rash, he suspected. “I don’t want to discuss it here,” Saffir leaned closer to Demando, his voice lowered to a whisper. “There are too many others around and this is for your ears alone.” “Very well. I have just one thing to do before we go,” Demando growled. He snapped his fingers at one of the two droids that had accompanied them. “That woman with the blue hair,” Demando gestured to the spot where Ami was being healed. He had no idea who the woman Serenity was pouring power into truly was, but it didn’t really matter. That Endymion wanted her was reason enough to act. “Kill her.” *************************************** The healing aspect of the Ginzuishou had always been considered the more minor of the magics it possessed, but Usagi loved to use it. Sealing away demons or stopping the fatal plunge of an asteroid was certainly more spectacular, but healing an enemy had always been preferable to destroying them for Usagi. This “lesser” power was what stopped Chaos when he’d possessed Galaxia. It was the light that freed Fiore from the hateful grip of the Kisinean flower. The warm, sweet energies that filled her were as welcome as the first day of spring after a long, cold winter. There was life and the promise of renewal in the power. Usagi let it flow into Ami, wrapping them both in the warm, comforting balm of the Ginzuishou. Usagi sensed the places that had been damaged by the proto-gate accident. Ami’s bond with the power of Mercury had been fractured and that, in turn, had caused a cascade of problems. Ami was disconnected from herself at the most basic level. With a thought, Usagi carefully directed the mystic energies to the crumbling bond. Ami sighed, relief etched on her elegant features as she was made whole once more. A blue aura flickered around Ami’s body, the edges of the light still carrying the distinctive silver glow of the Ginzuishou. The confusion and fog that had clouded her eyes cleared. On her brow, the sign of Mercury appeared and a rush of power filled the young woman. Throwing back her head, Ami called out in a strong, confident voice. “Mercury power – make up!” The cerulean fire that engulfed the elfin woman was at odds with the sound of flowing water that accompanied it. There was an intensity to this transformation, a subtle yet unmistakable strength that was unprecedented. What that change was became more obvious as Ami’s clothes melted away and the fuku of Sailor Mercury took its place. The bow with its long, trailing ribbons and the translucent sleeves were gone; replaced by the simple uniform that Ami had first worn as the soldier of wisdom. It was as if everything nonessential had been burned away, leaving only the primal power of Mercury. Mamoru came up softly in back of Usagi, not wanting to startle or distract her. She looked like an angel, he thought, suffused as she was by the light of the Ginzuishou. It wasn’t until Ami called out her henshin phrase the he placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. Usagi’s hand reached up and was placed over Tuxedo Kamen’s. “Mamo-chan,” she whispered, coming back to herself. She looked back up at him and smiled. Usagi’s eyes suddenly went wide as she saw the dark shape racing toward them. “Mamo-chan!” Mamoru only caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye. His reaction was automatic and instinctive. He grabbed Usagi, pulling her into the safety of his embrace. Together they rolled away from the danger, but Tuxedo Kamen realized too late that Usagi wasn’t the target of the attack – Ami was. The light from her henshin hadn’t finished dying away when Mercury was grabbed by the throat and hauled to her feet. The cold, inhuman hands tightened, cutting off her air and Ami’s own hands came up, trying to pry them loose. The droid pulled back one arm but the vise like grip never slackened for a moment. The hand shifted and flowed into the shape of a scythe. “My Master has ordered your death,” the construct hissed at Mercury. It prepared to strike. “Die!” There was only one chance to stop this thing, Ami knew. Ignoring the fact that her vision was going gray at the edges, she raised her arms and crossed them. Using the last of her breath she called out the words to loose her attack. “Bubble spray – freezing!” The mist she’d expected formed quickly. Mercury’s will guided her power and the fog contracted into an icy vapor. The droid didn’t even have to time to protest as the icy fog seeped into it. In a heartbeat the creature was frozen in place. Ami pulled back both feet and planted the hardest blow she could produce right on the droid’s torso. It shattered into a million shards of ice. *************************************** Demando watched from their hiding place, arms folded across his chest in annoyance. Nothing was left of the droid but bits of ice that fell to the ground around the woman with the blue hair. “So, the woman is a Sailor Senshi.” Saffir wanted nothing more than to get out of here before they were spotted. He silently cursed at his brother’s tendencies towards impulsive actions. “All of our stories say that these Sailor Senshi are powerful. We’re not prepared to face a nest of them right now. We need to go before we’re spotted, Demando.” “I’m not afraid of the ‘King of Earth’ or his pet witches,” the White Prince growled. “Nor should you be,” Saffir quickly added. “But as you said, this is a mission to collect information. We don’t want to tip our hand to Endymion too soon, do we?” Demando smiled, knowing that his brother was right. “No, we don’t. Let’s go then, little brother. I have the opening strike in our war to plan.” The amethyst eyes of the Prince of the Black Moon Clan were bright and hard. “Enjoy your victory today, Endymion. The day of reckoning is almost at hand. I’ll be coming for you soon - very soon.” *************************************** Next – The first fight in the war of vengeance against Endymion is fought on a battle field from the past – Mugen! Demando wants to provoke a display of Usagi’s power but gets much more than he dreamed of. Be here in four weeks for a fight against and through time.