As you may have noticed, I’m touching briefly on each of the five seasons of Sailor Moon in this story. Part of it is a way for Usagi, Mamoru and crew to have one last look at the events that brought them here before Crystal Tokyo rises and changes their lives forever. This will also allow them all to make peace with the past, then move on to the unknown future. I loved the “Supers” arc. It was everything a good anime is supposed to be. The villains were evil but there was the possibility of redemption. The Good Guys acted in ways that weren’t always “good” but still only wanted to save the world. There was comedy and drama, hope and despair, and most importantly, the idea that the power of love can truly be the savior of us all. It was the very best of Sailor Moon (followed by the very worst of Sailor Moon, that dreadful “Super S” but that get addressed in the next chapter). Thank you, Donnar-I, for taking time out your hectic life to look at this chapter for me. Your insights make me a better writer and I am grateful beyond all telling! Standard Disclaimer: I do not own “Sailor Moon” or any of the attendant characters to which valid copyright laws apply. I am the creator of the original characters created in this story, so please ask me if you’d like to use them in a story of your own. ***************************** “The Quest” By Meara Chapter Four “Time is the last forbidden territory.” King Endymion. ****************************** “Time?” Demando leaned forward in his chair, almost unable to believe that he’d heard his brother correctly. “We’ve been moving through time? Are you sure?” Saffir looked around nervously. He and the White Prince were the only ones in the great hall at the moment, but the walls were known to have ears inside the castle of the Black Moon. “Yes, I’m reasonably sure that we’ve been moving into Earth of the past.” “Earth of the past…” Demando took a deep drink from the wine glass in his hand, mind all ready turning over the potential to use this development to his advantage. Saffir bit at his bottom lip as he put an idea he had into words. “We’ve always known that the power of the Black Poison Crystal has allowed Nemesis to stay somehow hidden from view. I’m now beginning to suspect that this planet exists outside of the normal boundaries of time and space. Don’t you see?” The excitement in the young man’s voice made it grow louder for a moment. “This is the reason Endymion and his forces have never come after us. When our parents came to Nemesis, they quite literally vanished from his universe. We’re on a world that exists outside of time! Endymion must be experimenting with time travel and during one of those attempts he accidentally opened a portal to another place outside of time and space; Nemesis.” “Even if what you’re saying is correct, Earth is very much within the ‘normal’ boundaries of time and space. So how is Endymion doing it?” Demando had always sensed that there was much more to the Black Poison Crystal than anyone had thought. The idea that he might be able to use it to bend time and space to his will was a heady one. “How is he getting into the past? More importantly, how are we able to follow him?” That brought a small sigh from Saffir. “To be honest, I’m not completely sure, but I suspect that he’s somehow trying to use the power Serenity holds to do it. Since our gate seems tied to her and that energy she produces, we just go where and when she goes. This is all speculation, Onii-san. I need to be sure and the only way to be sure is by forcing her to use that power so I can take definitive readings.” The crystal goblet of his favorite sat on the arm of his throne and Demando picked it up. A half smile of pure avarice came to his face as he contemplated how to achieve his goals. “This game is getting more interesting at each turn. A small conflict staged for our purposes could prove quite useful about now.” “You just want an excuse to try and hurt Endymion,” Saffir laughed. He knew his brother too well. The White Prince took a deep drink, enjoying the way the warm, sweet wine slid down his throat. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing, Saffir. Oh yes, I plan to hurt Endymion a great deal. That’s what we were raised to live for, isn’t it – revenge? He’ll die by my hand, make no mistake about it, but it’s going to be a death by inches.” “This game of yours is a dangerous one,” Saffir said, suddenly more serious. “We’ve seen the kind of power Serenity is capable of and right now it’s Endymion who controls it. If what we’ve been told is true, then those Senshi of his are very powerful as well.” There was a part of Demando that was eternally linked to the Jakozuishou. He could feel the power waiting for him to call on it. “For all that your father went on and on about it, I very much doubt if Earth’s Golden Crystal is a match for the Jakozuishou. Don’t worry Saffir, I’m a master at the game I’m playing. It’s like chess, you see, a series of intricate, strategic moves intended to draw your opponent out.” “With you as the White King of course,” there was a look of wry amusement on Saffir’s face. “I suppose that would make Endymion the Black King?" There was a predatory gleam in Demando’s eyes. “Think of those Senshi as his knights. Like any good chess player, I need to gauge the strength of his forces before I can make an effective battle plan. This confrontation will give you the information you need and me a chance to test out a theory of my own.” “Don’t look so concerned, Saffir,” continued Demando. “I’m not going to do anything dramatic. This is just the opening skirmish in our war. A quick death is much too easy for Endymion. He’s going to suffer long and slowly for all that he did to our ancestors.” The White Prince held up his glass, considering the way the light reflected through it before taking one more deep draught. “And I intend to s avor each and every moment of his agony.” *************************************** He was supposed to be meditating but Yuuichirou found that task difficult to say the least. His wife of less than a year was missing. Yuuichirou long ago accepted that there were parts of Rei’s life that he would never fully understand. That didn’t assuage the worry, though. There was much more going on with her disappearance than the technically worded explanation of a Gate mishap that Setsuna had given him – much more. His eyes fell on Goruden Kobushi, who was speaking with Helios. The sight of the young man with the golden eyes made the anger that burned in his heart flare up higher than the sacred pyre in front of him. “So, do you hate him?” Startled, Yuuichirou jumped slightly, almost falling forward from his kneeling position. He inclined his head in the direction from which the voice had come. He knew who it was without looking, of course. He’d been a student of Rei’s grandfather for the better part of a decade now. “Yes…no…I don’t know,” Yuuichirou felt tears spring up behind his eyes. “He was responsible for Rei’s miscarriage.” The old man sighed heavily, feeling the weight of his years. He moved closer to the fire, kneeling down beside his granddaughter’s husband. “That was the work of another man, Kunshin Tetsu.” “It was still his damned ‘Sons of the Golden Kingdom’ that sent that assassin in the first place,” Yuuichirou hissed. “An American soldier killed my father in the war,” the old man countered. “Does that mean I should hate every American I ever meet?” That made Yuuichirou look at his Sensei. “But…but…that’s different,” he stammered. With seeming ease the old man closed his eyes and found his center. “The loss of the baby still hurts. I know what you’re feeling right now, boy. I lost my wife, Yuriko, to cancer and then less than six months later, my daughter was gone too. I wanted to kill Hino Rokojou for what he’d done to my little girl, but I had to make a choice. I could either live for vengeance, or I could live for Rei.” “How did you do it?” Yuuichirou asked softly. “How did you forgive Rei’s father for what he did to her mother?” Clapping his hands together, the old man prayed for the wisdom to properly teach this lesson. “I didn’t and I don’t know if I ever will, but it doesn’t matter. “Don’t mistake vengeance for justice, Yuuichirou. Vengeance would be making public the fact that Rei’s father used to beat his wife and child. I had some pictures, but not nearly enough legal proof to have the man convicted and sent to jail for his role in Miya’s death. Public disclosure would hurt Rokojou, but it would also hurt Rei. That’s the problem with revenge. It’s a double edged sword. Never use it unless you’re prepared to bleed.” Yuuichirou struggled with the lesson he was being taught. “So, how do you live with the anger you feel? With the need to do…to do something, anything to make it all right again!” There was a sad smile on the old man’s face. “By accepting my place in the grand fabric of creation. You and me Yuuichirou, even people as important as Rei or Usagi and Mamoru, we’re just cogs that help to turn the wheel of fate.” The sad smile took on a feral edge. “I also find comfort in a simple lesson that life has taught me. The Christians have a saying. ‘Those who live by the sword, die by the sword’. People whose lives are built on hate will find that the fire they start with it is indiscriminate. Given time, it’ll consume them, too.” *************************************** The Mugen complex had taken five years to complete and had been considered by many to be the crown jewel of the Tokyo waterfront revitalization project. Once the sight of crumbling factories and rat infested wharfs, it had become the home of sleek, glass skyscrapers that housed the prestigious Mugen School. The dozen buildings had been designed with the latest engineering advances. The builders boasted that the structures could survive a major earthquake or a category five typhoon and remain intact. They could not, however, have ever predicted the kind of storm that would erupt without warning. In the course of less than ten minutes what had been three square miles of shining promise was reduced to ruin. The skeletal remains of several of the largest of the buildings still stood, the tallest of them the Mugen school itself. From out of the shattered windows a thick, red substance flowed, as if the building was bleeding. It gathered together as it dripped to the ground, becoming a malevolent tide. That tide rose against the forces of the White Moon gathering at Mugen to stop the destruction of their world. “Oh no,” Usagi whispered, the color draining from her face. Only Mamoru was close enough to hear her, “Oh no, not this.” Uranus, Neptune at her side, surveyed the nightmarish scene that played out between the ornate double doors that made up the portal to the Timegate. “You know, Setsuna, you were wrong,” said the Senshi of the Sky. “Time travel isn’t like either “Star Wars” or “Star Trek”. That we’re about to take a day trip into this particular corner of hell has a definite ‘Twilight Zone’ feeling to it.” Setsuna knew that the remark was Haruka’s way of coping with the horror of the situation, and let the comment pass. “The good news is that our Rei is at the very edge of the battle field. Even in her confused state of mind, I’m willing to bet that her sixth sense will be dragging her towards the focal point of the dark energy she can feel. The only good thing about that chaos is that with all that’s going on she’s unlikely to attract the attention of Mistress Nine or Master Pharoah 90,” Pluto had her back to the portal. She had no wish to see it again. Usagi inhaled sharply at the mention of Master Pharoah 90’s name. She collected herself but Mamoru could sense the struggle inside her. As far as he knew, Mamoru was the only one that Usagi had told what had truly happened when she went into the void after Sailor Saturn. He had the feeling that there were parts of the tale that she’d never been able to talk about and he silently damned whatever twist of fate had sent Rei there. “Whenever you start out with the good news, Setsuna, there’s invariably bad news to go with it.” Neptune said dryly. She hadn’t missed the way Usagi had gone deathly pale and gently touched her life-mate’s hand to get her attention. A glance in Usagi’s direction got Uranus to notice the distress their Princess was in. “Because of my part in what happened that day I need to make a couple of things clear before we go after Rei,” Pluto looked directly at Uranus and Neptune. “This whole situation could get…complicated. Do you remember what happened in the helicopter on our way to confront the Death Busters?” “How could I forget?” Neptune replied. The images of ruin were strangely compelling to watch. “You stopped time to save us from being killed when it exploded.” That caught Ami’s attention. “You stopped time?! I didn’t think that was possible!” Pluto blushed, looking somewhat chagrined. “I didn’t actually stop time. What I did was to open a portal inside the heart of the explosion and manipulate the temporal matrix so that time was flowing at two different speeds. The helicopter still blew up, but in the space that Uranus and Neptune occupied, time had slowed down so far as to seem to have stopped all together. That delay allowed me to get them out of the helicopter and then push them back into ‘normal’ time before the explosion. It was an incredibly dangerous thing to do and I paid the price for it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Mind you, I can play with temporal mechanics to some extent but certain laws of physics are immutable: Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time.” “Why does that phrase fill me with foreboding?” Haruka asked in a deceptively light tone. A dark chuckle came from Pluto. “Once my past self pulls that little temporal trick in the helicopter, I can’t open my Gate for several minutes after we see that explosion. The portals would be much too close together and that brings up the whole ‘two objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time’ argument. Bad things happen when you try to open two Gates in the same place at the same time; really bad things.” “So that means we’ll be stuck there, in the middle of that insanity with no way out?” Unreasoning, blind panic was trying to take hold of Usagi. If not for Mamoru’s presence, so calm and supportive, she’d have run from the room by now. Also, the fact that he slipped his arm around her waist impeded her ability to flee. “No,” Mamoru seemed to be speaking to everyone, but his words were primarily aimed at Usagi. “That means if we can’t find Rei and heal her enough to move through Setsuna’s Gate in time, then we’ll leave the battlefield. We can stay out of sight until it’s safe to return to Elysion.” “What if Master Pharoah 90 senses us enter the area?” Usagi said softly, the words coming out of her mouth almost against her will. She was starting to tremble now, the more she thought about what had happened all those years ago the more nervous she was getting. “We won’t go in as Sailor Senshi,” Ami noticed Usagi’s growing agitation with concern. “He’s unlikely to notice a few more ‘ordinary’ humans with all the power our past selves were putting out at the time.” “You don’t understand! That thing was attracted to power, needed it like we need air. It may take a little longer but he will figure out what and who we are,” Usagi’s gaze was riveted to the horrors that played out in the portal, “and then he’ll come after us.” Mamoru glanced at a pale Usagi. He could feel her shaking against him. “Would you give the two of us a moment alone, please?” he said to the others. Uranus opened her mouth to speak, concerned for Usagi. “Kitten, what’s…” Neptune grabbed her by the upper arm, dragging her towards the door, “Of course, Mamoru-san. We’ll be down the corridor if you need us.” “I am such a coward,” the self loathing in Usagi’s voice made Mamoru flinch. “Rei is out there in the middle of that war, hurt and confused, and I all I can think of is myself!” Mamoru turned her away from the scene playing out in the portal, pulling her close. It would have been easier if Usagi had cried or screamed. The soft whisper that came from her, the horror behind the words tore at his soul. Usagi closed her eyes and leaned into him. “He was inside me, Mamo-chan, that thing was inside me and I couldn’t stop him. I tried so hard but I couldn’t stop him!” “You did in the end,” Mamoru whispered, stroking her hair and placing a tender kiss on the top of her head. He understood what Usagi had been through all too well. The pain and shame she felt when Master Pharoah 90 had managed to possess her while in the void was a demon he lived with, too. “You’re not a coward. Of course you’re scared. Any rational person would be frightened after what happened the last time you fought that thing. But you’re not alone this time, Usako. ‘Together, whatever happens.’ That’s a promise I intend to keep.” He’d been keeping Chibi-Usa alive at the time of the battle, pouring his own life force into the child to keep her heart beating. The facts did nothing to ease the guilt he felt. Usagi had faced the creature from the Tau system, paid a terrible price to save Hotaru and her own soul, all alone. “Pluto said that Rei is at the edge of the Mugen property. We’ll find her and then get out of the area as fast as we can. If necessary, the rest of us will transform, but not you. You said it yourself, he was drawn to power and lots of power was being thrown around there during the battle. If you don’t go beyond the healing level with the Ginzuishou then Master Pharoah 90 shouldn’t even notice you.” Whatever the cost, Mamoru swore that she would never have to face that horror again. “I know I have to go. I know that Rei needs me but I’m scared, Mamo- chan. I’m so scared that he’ll get inside me again. That this time I won’t be able to break his hold on me,” she held Mamoru tightly, trying to draw strength from him. “I won’t let that thing near you again, Usako.” This time, Mamoru vowed, he’d keep her safe. “I promise.” *************************************** The four had gone out into the corridor, Michiru continuing to tug on Haruka’s arm to keep her moving away. “When Mamoru said, ‘give us a few minutes’ he didn’t mean ‘hang around the door and listen’. They’ll call us if they need us,” she chided her life-mate. Not convinced, Uranus kept glancing back over her shoulder. Mercury, she noticed, had stopped and was looking in the direction they had just come from. Disengaging her arm from Neptune’s amazingly effective grip, she walked over to the young woman. “Ami, do you know what’s going on with Usagi?” Haruka put a hand on her shoulder. “Sacrifices,” came the terse, one word reply. That surprised Uranus. “What…?” “That’s what you said back then wasn’t it? ‘Sacrifices must be made if Earth is to be saved from the Silence.’” She turned to face Uranus, pushing the hand on her shoulder away with a quiet and terrible anger. “I don’t know the details of what happened to Usagi when she faced Master Pharoah 90, but I do know that it traumatized her to the point where she regressed emotionally for the better part of a year afterwards. Take a good look at her when we go back in that room, Haruka. Look at the horror on Usagi’s face at the thought of going back there and tell me if you judge her sacrifice to be enough to satisfy you.” Braced to confront an angry Uranus, Mercury was taken aback when a low bark of laughter came from the Soldier of the Sky. “Well, well. It seems that the Soldier of Wisdom has found her claws at last. The changes in you are more than just cosmetic, ne?” Standing proud, Ami gave a curt nod. “I’m not a child anymore, Haruka, none of us are. I don’t need a complicated title, long bow or an ornate locket anymore to prove to myself or anyone else that I’m powerful.” “You are Mercury,” Setsuna said with a fey smile. There was sense that she was seeing a pivotal moment, a vital part of the future falling into place. There was a serene elegance about Ami and a subtle confidence radiated from her, “But still Mizuno Ami as well. For too many years I tried to keep the soldier and the woman separate, as if being too much of one denied the destiny of the other. I was wrong.” “So you finally figured that out?” There was an amused smile on Uranus’s face. “Just as you were wrong,” Ami continued as if Haruka hadn’t spoken, “when you made Usagi fight you to prove she was worthy of being the Princess. What did you think you were doing? Was it a challenge or a punishment because she wasn’t willing to kill Hotaru before she awoke as Sailor Saturn?” “Perhaps a little of both,” Haruka admitted. It was a bitter truth. “The point was to make Usagi realize that there were times when you have to stand and fight; that the path you want to take isn’t always the one you’re forced to travel.” Neptune came to stand with her life-mate and partner. “Our methods of fighting have always been different from yours, Ami, but you can’t question our loyalty. We would give our lives to protect our King and Queen, to save this world.” A look of sorrow passed across the elegant features of Neptune. “Hotaru did just that.” “Then don’t let her sacrifice be in vain,” Mercury replied gently. “Don’t you understand? The ends can never justify the means. If we do that, then we’ve taken our first step towards becoming the very evil against which we fight.” *************************************** Rei felt as if she was sleepwalking. She ached with a bone deep exhaustion that made her long for sleep. That sweet release from was reaching for her even now, but Rei stubbornly pushed it away. The small part of her mind that was working wondered if, perhaps, this was a vision of some sort. It certainly had the otherworldly feel of one. Whatever the reason, Rei seemed to be taking her own private tour of hell on Earth. She stumbled through the rubble, her feet causing the masonry dust that was everywhere to rise with each unsure step she took. Trembling with a dangerous fatigue, Rei found that she couldn’t go any further. Gasping for breath she collapsed to sit on the nearest chunk of debris. On one side of her the afternoon sun cast a long, golden shadow over Tokyo Bay. On the other side was what was left of the Mugen School. There was a darkness there that was more than just physical. It pulled at her soul, a small voice deep inside her telling that she needed to respond to it – to fight. Exhausted and confused, all Rei could do was put a hand to her head in order to try to quiet the conflicting emotions that tore through her. This had to be a vision, Rei finally decided, or a dream. Which ever it was, she seemed unable to do more than sit and observe. Years of her Grandfather’s training took hold of the Chief Priestess of the Hikawa Temple. Sometimes, Rei knew with grim certainty, you just had to wait and let the answers come to you. She sat on the boulder, determined to do just that, unaware that her body was sliding deeper and deeper into shock with each passing moment. *************************************** Although Setsuna opened the portal as close as she dared to, getting through the ruinous minefield that was now the Mugen property took much longer than expected. Each footfall brought a small cloud of dust and they had to carefully pick their way around half buried chunks of debris, mangled pieces of cars and the broken glass that seemed to be everywhere. Off in the distance was the sound of an inhuman moaning. Usagi looked up when, in a ball of fire, several hundred pounds of jet fuel reached its ignition point as the helicopter the Outer Senshi of that time rode in exploded. The sound took a few seconds longer to reach them but when it did the ground shook as if in sympathy. A cold sweat suddenly covered Usagi’s body as she remembered Setsuna’s words. Pluto would be unable to open her Gate for a while because her past self had manipulated time to allow Uranus and Neptune to cheat death. They were trapped here. They were trapped here and Master Pharoah 90 would soon be emerging from the Tau system, burning with an inhuman hunger that wanted to devour the light inside her. Mamoru’s hand was at her elbow, helping to steady her when she tripped. He drew her close for a moment, doing his best to send calm support across the bond they shared. “You need to keep focused on where we’re going,” he said, catching her eye. He could feel the fear she was trying so hard to keep at bay. “The past is the past. It can’t hurt you anymore.” From behind her came the soft sound of Haruka cursing as she barked her shin against a piece of concrete that was partially hidden in the masonry dust. Oddly enough the very earthy phrase used made Usagi smile at her husband. “Pieces of the past can still get you when you least expect it, ne?” “I guess this means we go with plan ‘b’, then?” The tall, blonde said. She stopped to tap the toe of her boot on the ground in an attempt to dislodge the grit that had migrated into it. “Now if only we can find Rei.” Her fingers dancing over the keyboard of her palm top device, Ami nodded to herself, pleased with what she was seeing. “Well, if what I’m getting is correct, she’s less than a quarter mile or so from here.” “Good,” Mamoru replied as they kept walking. He noticed that Usagi kept sneaking glances in the direction of the Mugen School. “Then let’s keep this simple. We find Rei and once she’s stable enough to move, get out of this area and lay low until it’s safe for Setsuna to open her Gate.” “I like that idea. Simple is good,” Usagi agreed. There was a subtle pull at the back of her mind, a sense of the building darkness that was infesting this area. “I’ve had all the surprises I can handle for a while.” *************************************** Crimson Rubeus was the by-blow son of one of the peers of the Black Moon Clan. Gifted with power, but born on the wrong side of the blanket, Rubeus wanted nothing more than to achieve by force of arms what had been denied him by the circumstances of his birth – respect. He was ruthless, driven and perfect for the job which the White Prince had in mind. “So, four of those women are the legendary Sailor Senshi?” Rubeus mused, looking at the tableau displayed before him. A feral smile slithered across Rubeus’s face. “I wonder how much it takes to kill one of them?” Following Endymion, Serenity and their companions had been easy enough. Demando used the power of the Jakozuishou to keep them hidden from the King of Earth and they had a splendid view of what was going on from here. That Rubeus was with them annoyed Saffir to no end. He slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation at the man’s lack of curiosity about anything that didn’t involve the application of pain. He considered it a sure sign that Crimson Rubeus truly was a moron. Saffir had a thousand questions. Why was Endymion going to the past? A powerful mystic ward was keeping Saffir from seeing just where it was Serenity went to between trips through the time travel device. Just where was that – the crystal palace his mother had spoken of or somewhere else? “This is Earth, the place our parents were banished from,” Saffir said. “Aren’t you at all curious about it? Your own father died with the name of this planet on his lips.” Despite the staggering amount of ruin about him, Saffir couldn’t help but notice that just beyond the battlefield the sky was the most amazing blue he’d ever seen. And the water! There was so much of it that it was overwhelming. Actually, the only regret Rubeus had about his late and unlamented father was that the man hadn’t died sooner. “I’m a soldier, Lord Saffir. My first thoughts are how best to serve my Prince, as yours should be.” He did glance around him in a cursory fashion. The shattered buildings and rubble reminded him of Nemesis in a way. Although the way the warm, salty breeze that blew off the large body of water was startling in its own right. And to serve your own ambitions, the White Prince thought to himself. Saffir was right, Demando knew. Crimson Rubeus was a driven and ruthless man, but as long as the White Prince could use those qualities to his own ends, then he had no problem with that little personality flaw. “You’ll get a chance to satisfy your curiosity Rubeus,” It seemed to Demando that Serenity was nervous about something. She kept looking over her shoulder and off into the distance. Demando watched as Endymion reached out and let an arm slide around her waist in what seemed an openly possessive manner to the White Prince. The action annoyed him more than a little. “But you’ll strike under my orders. Oh, and there’s one other thing I want you to remember. Do you see that woman, the one with the long, golden hair?” “Yes, Prince Demando.” Rubeus barely gave the tiny woman a second look. The royal purple eyes narrowed, a dangerous gleam in them. That caught the attention of the feral man with the red hair and Demando smiled. The White Prince knew just how and when to use the force of his personality. “She is not to be harmed by any actions you take. Do as much damage as you like to the Sailor Senshi, but the woman is mine to deal with, as is the man with her. Do I make myself clear?” “I’m sure a good soldier like Rubeus knows how to follows orders, Onii-san,” Saffir folded his arms across his chest in a mocking manner. Rubeus fidgeted ever so slightly. He didn’t like Saffir and the influence he had with Demando. Although only Demando’s half brother, the White Prince trusted Saffir more than any other living soul on Nemesis. Rubeus’s own half sister, Esmerodo, was a miserable cow who never missed the opportunity to point out that he was a bastard. “I understand, my Prince, and I thank you for the confidence you show in me.” Rubeus couldn’t wait to run into his dear sibling and rub this newly found favor with Demando in her aristocratic face. “I won’t fail you.” Demando gave Rubeus a look that pierced the man to his soul. “See that you don’t.” *************************************** “Rei-chan!” Usagi saw her as they scrambled around a large piece of what might have been a shattered foundation. Sitting quietly on the boulder, Rei seemed to take little notice of the people that walked towards her. She continued to contemplate the way the sunlight danced on the water. It wasn’t until Usagi actually touched her on the shoulder that Rei even raised her face to look at her. “Rei-chan, are you hurt?” Rei looked first at the blonde, then slowly at the devastated landscape around her. She blinked, her eyebrows furrowing together in a moment of recognition. “Usagi, is it really you?” she asked uncertainly. “I feel so strange. Am I dreaming?” Trying to put a confidence into her smile that she was far from feeling, Usagi gently shook her head. “No, Rei-chan, it’s us and everything’s going to be all right now.” Hanging back with Setsuna and Haruka to form an unconscious defensive line, Michiru looked back over her shoulder. “How badly off is she?” “Rei, can you look at me?” Ami asked in an even and soothing voice. She reached out, gently taking the young woman by the chin when she made no move to comply. “Shock?” she said, glancing at Mamoru. “Definitely,” he nodded in agreement. “But I think shock is the worst of it. I don’t see any other signs of trauma.” Hands all ready cupped were prepared to call on the Silver Crystal. “So do you need me to heal Rei now?” Usagi asked, trying not to sound impatient. More than anything she wanted to leave this place. “No,” Mamoru murmured, to himself at first. “No, I think she’s stable enough to move.” Rei was shocky and confused to be sure, but her condition wasn’t serious enough to warrant Usagi’s use of the Ginzuishou here and now. A pang of guilt lanced through Mamoru when he looked into Usagi’s eyes and saw the fear she was desperately trying to keep under control. She could have waited for them in Elysion, he realized, could have been spared the trauma of coming back here. “We shouldn’t be here should we? And where’s Yuuichirou and Grandpa? Blinking owlishly in an attempt to clear her mind, she took a deep breath. “Are you sure this isn’t a dream, or maybe a vision? It sure feels like one.” Her voice held a note of annoyance, as if she suspected that some celestial Deity was playing tricks on her. Scanning the area with narrowed eyes, Setsuna was unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. She’d hoped that it was just her reaction to Usagi’s nervousness, but the sensation had gotten stronger in the past few minutes. Perhaps it was because the wailing in the distance had gotten more frenzied. The discordant howling was enough to unsettle anyone. Michiru noticed the look on the normally staid Setsuna’s face. “What is it?” The sense of mounting evil in the area was making her skin crawl. “If Rei is mobile, then I think that now would be a very good time to leave,” she said, peering nervously over her shoulder. Setsuna could sense the dark forces there growing. “We’ve been lucky so far but let’s not tempt fate by hanging around here too long.” “Can you open your Gate yet?” Usagi asked Setsuna. As much as she tried to ignore it, something was pulling her attention back to where Master Pharoah 90 was getting ready to emerge. The Gatekeeper allowed the part of her that held the Timegate to test the “feel” of the area. It was still too chaotic for her to risk opening a portal. “No, but soon. The further we get from here the faster the disruptions will fade.” “Rei-chan,” Ami asked gently but firmly. “Do you think you can walk?” “Of course I can walk,” she insisted with a hint of annoyance. It was easier said then done and Rei swayed on her feet. The bone deep exhaustion and the desperate need to sleep made it hard to think straight. “At least I think I can walk. Kami-sama, I’m so tired.” Haruka moved to assist Rei, motioning for Mamoru to go to Usagi. The Priestess wavered unsteadily again and would have fallen if not for the arm the tall blonde slipped around her waist. “Then let me help you. Hold onto me Rei, ne?” Michiru joined her partner, giving her life-mate an amused look as she came up on the other side of the dazed young woman. Together the two started to propel Rei forward. “Even after all these years you’re still picking up all the girls you meet. Some things never change.” It helped to let Haruka support a great deal of her weight while she regained her sense of balance. Her head was still muzzy and it took a fair amount of concentration to walk right. That, perhaps, was why the comment slipped from Rei. She looked at the tall blonde and shook her head almost regretfully. “Wow, you’re strong, you know that? It’s shame you’re not a man, Haruka. Don’t tell Yuui-chan I said so, but you’d make a really cute bishouen.” The delighted laugh that came from Michiru was like bird song in the desert. She glanced at her blushing life-mate. “As I said, some things never change.” *************************************** The flashes of light and the eerie sounds in the distance intrigued Saffir. “What do you suppose that’s all about?” The White Prince glanced dismissively at the horizon. Earth’s history was little more than a repetition of various wars. “Some local uprising, no doubt. Ignore it, Saffir. What’s about to happen here is going to be much more interesting.” “Or maybe not,” Saffir observed. He watched Endymion turn Serenity to start walking back the way they’d come. Unlike the last trip into the past, it seemed that Serenity wasn’t going to access that bright power she controlled today. “It looks like they’re not going to give me the opportunity to get those readings.” “I thought you knew me better than that, little brother. You’ll get what you need. I have no intention of letting the whims of fate rule my life. I make my own opportunities.” The attention of the White Prince was riveted on his rival and on the woman at his side. “Rubeus follow me. It’s time to begin.” *************************************** Usagi and Mamoru had taken less than a dozen steps before the storm of negative energy broke around them, effectively isolating them from the rest of their group. The two were pulled apart and Usagi had time to do no more than shout in surprise before she was lifted up and away from him. Impossibly she didn’t fall but hovered above the ground. Mamoru, too, was lifted into the air, but instead hovering was slammed back to the rocky ground. “Mamo-chan!” Usagi screamed his name, reached for him but was unable to free herself from the mystic winds that buffeted her. “Mamo-chan!” She gave another yelp of surprise when she felt arms wrap around her and pull her close. “We haven’t been properly introduced, Serenity,” the White Prince was behind her, leaning down to speak into her ear. “I am Demando, Prince of Nemesis.” “D…Demando?” Usagi stammered, confused. He wasn’t supposed to be here, in this time. “What are you doing here?” Much to his surprise, the White Prince found that he liked the way his name sounded on her lips. He felt a pang of regret for what he was about to do, but told himself that it was necessary. “I have some business with Endymion and as much as I enjoy your company, Angel, I’m afraid I have to insist you wait right here.” Demando gestured with his hands, molding the chaotic energies of the Jakozuishou to his will. Ribbons of ebony power danced around Usagi’s body. They enveloped her in a heartbeat, writhing and twisting into a cage that held her trapped in a silent and opaque prison. She called out to Mamoru but her voice couldn’t penetrate the cage. Frustrated, she balled her hands into fists and pounded against the dark prison. The ebony walls sparked, sending an agonizing jolt through Usagi. The sight of her soundless scream of pain bothered Demando and he turned away from it. There was only one way to break the cage, he knew. The burst of power Serenity would need to tear it open should give Saffir the readings he wanted. In the meantime the White Prince would try to goad her into action by indulging himself in a long held dream of revenge. Demando floated to the ground. Mamoru was all ready staggering to his feet, his gaze going first to Usagi, then to the distant Mugen School. He was resisting the urge to transform, knowing that another spike of power could attract the attention of the Death Busters. Ocean blue eyes narrowed in anger. “Let her go. Let her go right now,” he growled in a low and dangerous voice. A thousand questions ran through Mamoru’s mind at a dizzying pace. The foremost was the puzzle of what was Demando doing here, in this time? How had the White Prince known that they were here? Demando merely folded his arms across his chest and glanced back at where Usagi was trapped. “Serenity is a woman of both beauty and power, Endymion. I’ll enjoy making excellent use of all her many charms,” he paused just long enough to make his point. “Unless, of course, you think you can stop me.” “You want Endymion,” Mamoru snarled, knowing that he’d run out of options. If he didn’t take steps to defend himself, Demando would most likely kill him and take Usagi. “You’ve got him.” A wave of magic rippled over Chiba Mamoru. The black armor of the last Crown Prince of Earth now adorned his body. Ocean blue eyes narrowed with contained fury and a flash of golden fire surrounded him. Opening his link to the Golden Crystal, Mamoru let the power of Earth flow into him. Almost faster than the eye could follow he backhanded Demando. The White Prince was spun off his feet by the force of the blow, landing in the rubble hard enough to raise a veil of dust. “You fool, do you have any idea what you may have done?” Mamoru walked right by Demando, barely giving him a second look as he headed for where Usagi floated in her dark prison. “There are forces at work here that you can’t begin to comprehend. Get the hell out of here before you make things any worse!” Angry at the humiliating way Endymion had backhanded him, Demando got to his feet. The ebony fire of the Jakozuishou radiated from him, building until his silver hair was standing on end. He reached out and grabbed Mamoru by the shoulders, letting some of his power run down and into his hands. It was Mamoru’s turn to be catapulted into the dirt. “Dead Scream.” So intent on his own agenda was Demando that he didn’t see the bolt of lilac power coming at him until it was almost too late. He barely managed to deflect it using the power of the Jakozuishou. His eyes crackling with annoyance, Demando turned in the direction from which it had come. “I am the Soldier with the blessings of the underworld,” the tall Senshi with the long, green hair said. “And I am not a happy woman.” Until now, they had avoided transforming in an effort to remain un- noticed. Once Demando unleashed the power of the Jakozuishou, that point became moot in Setsuna’s eyes. The chance of discovery by Master Pharoah 90 and the ensuing temporal anomalies that confrontation could cause made her head hurt to think about. It was an extremely ticked off Sailor Pluto who had launched her attack at the White Prince. “It takes a lot to get her this mad,” Uranus said with a jerk of her head in Pluto’s direction, “So unless you have a death wish, I suggest you go back to your dark, little moon, Demando.” The staff in her hand was still glowing faintly. She stood with Uranus on one side, Mercury on the other. Neptune hung back slightly, protecting the dazed and exhausted Rei who was, by now, struggling just to stay awake. “I was wondering when you’d reveal yourselves as Sailor Senshi,” The White Prince turned to face them. “Rubeus, I require your services now.” On cue the vicious man with the red hair materialized between where Demando faced Mamoru and the Senshi. He seemed quite pleased with his role, martial zeal written on his face. “I am Crimson Rubeus, loyal subject to Prince Demando and I have been given the honor of the first strike in our war of vengeance.” Whether it was the noise of battle or Rubeus’ braying voice, Rei roused from her semi-stupor. The sight of him caused her temper to flare hotly and she had a moment of clarity. “You,” she shouted with exasperation. Rei raised her hand and pointed directly at Rubeus, outrage in her voice. “You should be dead and roasting in hell, you thug!” A dozen droids appeared behind Rubeus and he gave an evil smile. “That’s easier said than done, but you’re welcome to try.” Satisfied that Rubeus would keep the Senshi busy for a while, the White Prince turned back to where he’d left a stunned Mamoru. Demando had an instant of surprise when he turned to find that the man had gotten to his feet. “We can’t do this, not here and not now,” Mamoru said sharply. “Save this pointless fighting for another day. You have to leave here now!” “I told you once, Endymion, I give orders, I don’t take them and certainly not from you.” Demando’s voice shook with rage. “Do you always turn tail and run from a fight? Or is it that you need her,” he jerked his head in the direction of Usagi, “power to win your battles?” Waving a hand, Mamoru gestured to the area of the Mugen School. There was a dark dome building around the area, slowly creeping outwards. “Do you know what that is? There’s a creature at the heart of that war that eats power. By forcing this fight you’re obligingly ringing the dinner bell and inviting him here.” “Then let it come,” Demando replied with an arrogant laugh. “You have no idea what kind of power I possess. Childish tales of a monster don’t frighten me. I’ll crush that thing the same way I’m going to crush you,” He let the intoxicating rush of the Black Poison Crystal run through his body. “You are going to suffer long and slowly, Endymion; die a little at a time. You’re going to watch as I take your life apart piece by piece and make it mine.” Cold eyes of royal purple glanced at the woman trapped in the dark cage and a sensuous smile slid across Demando’s face, “starting with her. By the time I’ve finished with you, you’ll beg me to put an end to your… misery?” Demando’s voice trailed off, the statement of vengeance becoming something else as the area was swept by a cold shadow. There was a feeling that came with the darkness, a sense that the shadows had a life of their own and more, that they were hungry. They swirled around both Mamoru and the White Prince and moved ever forward. Both men looked around to see that the battle between Rubeus, his droids and the Senshi had come to an abrupt halt as they, too were touched by the slithering shadows. The droids, creatures of both magic and science, were immediately engulfed by the darkness. They gave a short, shrill shriek as they were obliterated. The shadow grew as it absorbed the mystic energies released by their destruction. Not satisfied by what little energy the constructs had held inside them, the writhing tendrils moved on. “What trick is this?” Demando asked angrily. “I won’t be fooled by your games, Endymion!” “This is no game,” Mamoru said. He spun, starting to run to where Usagi was trapped inside the cage of dark energy. A rose formed in his hand, white as snow, and he let it fly. The tendril of night merely split away from the disrupting magics inherent in the flower, oozing to either side of it and continuing on. The shadows crept up the outside of the ball of energy that Usagi was inside. It moved as if alive, testing the walls and seeking a way in. Usagi tried to scurry away but there was no where for her to go. She was trapped inside the prison Demando had crafted with no avenue of escape. Usagi began to shake her head, mouthing words Mamoru didn’t need to hear to know what they were about. The panic, the stark terror on her face was plain to see in the brief second before the cage, Usagi still inside, was engulfed. “No - USAKO!” The cage exploded in burst of primal power, shattering to dust in a nano-second. The white hot energies of the Ginzuishou were fueled by Usagi’s fears and they seared the tendrils of darkness that sought her. Unstoppable as a tidal wave the silver light moved outwards in a circle that touched friend and foe alike with its power. In the center of the light was Usagi, now wearing the flowing white gown that marked her as the rightful mistress of the power she wielded. She held the Ginzuishou between cupped hands, effortlessly riding the storm of magic she’d loosed. Rubeus had watched as, in a heartbeat, his very comfortable advantage had melted away with his droids. He was now alone and surrounded by angry Senshi. To make matters worse, the light from the Ginzuishou flooded over him. The warm, healing energies of the Silver Crystal started to burn Rubeus clean of the taint of the Jakozuishou. Faced with not only a painful defeat at the hands of the Sailor Senshi, but with the loss of the power he had worked so long to attain, Crimson Rubeus was beginning to panic. He looked to his Prince, hoping to find an avenue of escape that would not cost him the favor he’d so recently found. Demando, too, was caught up in the storm of magic. He looked up at the woman in the light, a rapt expression on his face. “So beautiful,” he said to himself, “Like an angel.” As soon as the silver glow washed over Demando he felt the cold, dark energies of the Jakozuishou awaken inside him. It absorbed the power flowing around him, consuming it with a ravening, insatiable hunger. There was pleasure in the taking of the light and a sensual rush filled the White Prince. Saffir’s comment about his being little more than a way for the Jakozuishou to feed came back to Demando. He suddenly wondered if, since he was able to channel and use the power of the Black Poison Crystal, he would be able to do the same thing with the silver energies coming from Serenity. The mounting intensity of the pleasure he was feeling overrode any natural caution and in an impulsive move the White Prince tried to pull the power of the Ginzuishou directly into himself. It may have been the fact that he was attempting to channel two diametrically opposing energies at the same time. Or perhaps it was that his own body was incapable of handling that much raw power at once. Whatever the reason, the White Prince was caught up in a mystic backlash that propelled him away from Mamoru like he’d been shot from a cannon. He landed hard to lay unmoving. Never one to miss an opening, Crimson Rubeus teleported to Demando’s side. This was his way out and, perhaps, an opportunity to further ingratiate himself to Demando. He wrapped his arms around the White Prince and with the last of his power, the two teleported away from the battlefield. Mamoru barely noticed his rival’s departure. Shielding his eyes with a hand, he looked for Usagi and when he found her his worst fears were confirmed. She was transfigured by the mystic energies and floated on wings of silver fire. Usagi’s arms opened wide and the crystal between her hands moved to spin in lazy circles above her heart. Her clothes melted away into stardust as she reached for the fatally euphoric state called “the Balance”. She was becoming one with the Ginzuishou, the power using her as much as she used it. Something was different this time. The river of power that flowed through Usagi was rough and uneven, not at all like the seamless and brilliant stream he remembered. The Ginzuishou continued to move in circles in front of her heart but just behind it an image was trying to form. It was a cup, Mamoru saw, large and ornate. The ghostly vessel was trying to open, light like that of the Ginzuishou leaking from it. “Master of Life have mercy,” Setsuna said with both awe and reverence, “Is that what I think it is? Shock seemed to root Neptune to the spot on which she stood for an instant. “That’s the sacred Moon Chalice, the Holy Grail!” Usagi’s crystal blue eyes, which were glazed with a building bliss, suddenly widened in shock. She threw back her head and gave a piercing scream of pain just as a blinding flash exploded from the Ginzuishou. Arcing like lighting during a storm, the radiance abruptly withdrew back into Usagi’s body, the Ginzuishou and the ghostly cup disappearing with the light. She was all ready unconscious before she began to fall. “Usako!” Mamoru leapt to catch her, saving Usagi from tumbling onto the unforgiving ground. She fell limply into his arms, so utterly still that Mamoru feared the worst. He knelt down, cradling her against him and was relieved to see that she was breathing. Linked to Earth, Mamoru shuddered as he felt the life energy in the ground beneath him sucked away by the slithering darkness. The tendrils of night writhed on the now barren soil, still hungry. Everything went deathly quiet and there was the sense that something large, dark and monstrous was now turning its interest towards them. The howling from the Mugen School grew louder, the dome of night pushing ever outwards. “Pluto, we need to leave now,” Mamoru picked up Usagi, holding her tightly to him. Rei was trying desperately to clear her head but was still totally defenseless. Usagi was unconscious in Mamoru’s arms and they were all surrounded by a growing evil that would soon move to consume them. Pluto knew they were out of options. Closing her eyes in concentration, Setsuna probed the area with the part of her that held her Gate. The whole fabric of space in this area was still wild and chaotic. “Hang on; this is going to be a rough ride.” The Timestaff, the garnet orb at its crown glowing brightly, appeared in Setsuna’s hands. “Pluto Gate - open!” A pulse of light, faint at first came to her calling. The silver light had odd tones around the edges, brilliant greens and blues casting rainbow sparks. With a skill honed over a millennia, Setsuna crafted the energies, forcing it into the shape she desired by the strength of her will alone. The frame of the portal shuddered, threatening the fold back in on itself but at last the familiar doorway began to appear. The portal shivered then seemed to split into two, the second doorway little more than a ghostly echo of the first. A third faint portal appeared almost on top of the second one. Within each of the doorways a different scene played out. Elysion was shown on the first, the Moon Kingdom in the second. Disturbingly enough, what looked like Beryl’s throne room in the Dark Kingdom played out in the third. “Hurry, go into that one,” Setsuna gestured towards Elysion. She had a thin sheen of perspiration on her brow, reflecting her struggle to maintain control. “The walls between worlds are breaking down and other realities are trying to seep through. We have to get out of here before they touch each other!” As promised, the trip through the portal was chaotic. It felt as if they were relentlessly falling, tumbling end over end. The warm, welcoming sunshine of Elysion had never been so sweet to Mamoru as they at last stepped out of the portal and into Earth’s hidden shrine. Dr. Mizuno was waiting for them, he noticed in a distracted way, as were both Rei’s grandfather and Yuuichirou. “Firebird!” Yuuichirou called out, taking Rei from Haruka and Michiru. “Are you all right?” She blinked owlishly, pulling away from him to run a tender hand along the lines of his face. “Yuui-chan?” She glanced at the small man behind the two, “Grandpa?” “Welcome back, Little Girl,” there were tears in the old man’s eyes. “You gave us quite a scare.” Kneeling, Mamoru gently settled Usagi against him, noting with relief that she was all ready beginning to come around. “Usako,” he called gently, “Come on love, open your eyes for me.” He sensed more than saw the other Senshi gather around him. “Mamo-chan?” Anxiety filled her and she gave a gasp, trying to remember why she was so upset. “Something’s wrong, something’s terribly wrong!” “It’s all right, we’re back in Elysion,” he said, trying to ease her fears. “You’re safe now, Master Pharoah 90 is gone.” “The Balance,” she shook her head, the memories flooding back. “I tried to go into the Balance but the power wouldn’t come to me.” Usagi grabbed at his arm and Mamoru finally understood that the panic she was feeling wasn’t because of Master Pharoah 90. “Mamo-chan, if I can’t go into the Balance then how am I going to awaken Earth from the spell of crystal sleep?” *************************************** It was the pounding in his head that convinced Demando that he was still alive. His stomach gave a nauseating lurch as well when he opened his eyes. He was lying down on his own bed, Demando was surprised to realize. “Onii-san, can you hear me? Are you all right?” Saffir was just s hort of frantic with worry and it was a fight not to shout the words. “That depends,” the White Prince slowly raised his hands to gently massage his throbbing head. “If feeling like someone is trying to drive a very large spike through my head is normal, then yes, I’m just fine. Oh and I think I’m going to throw up, too.” “Crystal, you scared me out of a year of my life,” Saffir was free to feel a little angry now that he was sure that his much loved brother wasn’t dying. “What did you do?!” A weak smile played across the handsome face of the ruling Prince of Nemesis. “I tried to directly channel that power Serenity produces,” a small laugh was next at the look on Saffir’s face. “Hey, you’re the one who said that I shouldn’t allow the Jakozuishou to use me to ‘feed’. I was just following your advice.” “Well you picked a fine time to start listening to me,” Saffir grumbled in reply. “You could have been killed for nothing. Our Gate may be tied to her, but the one that moves through time isn’t. I’m sure of that now.” “It’s all right, Saffir. I told you that our war is like a game of chess. This little confrontation has shown me what I’ll need to do in order to win.” Fatigue was catching up with Demando. More than anything he needed to sleep and his voice was slurred. “Like any good chess player, I’m going to strip Endymion of his most powerful piece.” Drifting off, Demando let a last thought follow him down into dreams. “I’m going to take his queen.”