I am very blessed in my two Beta-Readers, Masked Maiden and Donnar-I. These two always manage to find the places where I left a hole in the plot or where I haven’t made what I’m trying to do clear enough to the reader. They take time out of their hectic lives to do this and I wanted to thank them for their generosity of spirit and the gift of their friendship! Standard Disclaimer: I don’t own Sailor Moon or any of the attendant character to which valid copyright laws apply. They are used here without any expectation of gain other than the occasional fan letter. Some of the original characters created for this story, such as the S’Eyre and the Sons of the Golden Kingdom are the products of warped and twisted little mind. Please ask permission if you’d like to use them in a story of your own. ***************************** “The Quest” Chapter Six By Meara “Nothing and silence follow me.” Wiseman, episode 86 ***************************** Nemesis was shattered world. Roughly shaped and oblong, it had traveled through the silent, frigid depth of space for a thousand years. The planet itself was no more than a mass of dark crystal covered by a thin layer of desiccated soil. The Black Poison Crystal was the source of power that allowed those who lived on the small, dark moon to survive there. For the one who existed at the heart of the tiny, barren world, the Jakozuishou was life itself. And like the world to which the creature was bound, he too was a shattered soul. At the core of the planet was a crystalline chamber. There were three walls inside this stone womb each with a smooth, polished surface. A ball of dark crystal was suspended in the air in the middle of the chamber, spinning in slow circles. It gave off a sickly, greenish- black glow and as it moved that light was cast briefly on each of the dark mirrors. Reflected inside the first and largest of the walls was a cloaked figure. He stood upright, his tattered robe of night flowing around his skeletal body. Held firmly in his grasp was a reflection of a crystal ball. The second figure was similar to the first, but seated. His strange, mottled hands moved in endless circles around the dark globe between them but never touched it. The last and smallest of the mirror-like walls held the image a man who appeared to be human. He stood motionless and silent most of the time, not even attempting to grasp the crystalline sphere that floated in lazy circles in front of him. The creature that appeared in the three mirrors was, in reality, a single entity. A thousand years ago he had been bound and sealed by the power of the Ginzuishou to this place. When Sailor Saturn’s Glaive had shattered Nemesis, he had suffered the same fate as the world he was so intimately tied to. Three distinct personalities were trapped in one tortured soul. Death Phantom was the dominant personality, the one who set the goals. Wiseman acted to achieve those goals but was always subservient to his “master”, Death Phantom. Kunshin Tetsu was the weakest of the triumvirate. It was he who held the memories of the past and future, of their shared history. He hoarded that knowledge tightly to himself. Overshadowed most of the time by Death Phantom and Wiseman, he refused to share what he knew willingly. That forced Death Phantom to make his plans based on the fragments of memories he was able to rip out of Tetsu. Because of that Kunshin would wake only rarely, screaming out his feelings of rage and betrayal like an insane child in the moments before being smothered by the more dominant characters. Those who now infested Death Phantom’s world, the Black Moon Clan, served the purpose for which they had been called. Their undying hate and relentless thirst for a bloody vengeance fed the creature that existed in the crystalline heart of Nemesis. Death Phantom absorbed the dark energy greedily, trying to gain enough power to fully emerge from his millennia long hibernation and once against take up his great quest. Silence was everything to him. It was his greatest desire, his burning passion, his longed for savior. He hated the cacophony of sounds that ran in circles inside his broken mind, all shouting and tearing at him at the same time. The noise was an abomination, an obscene parody of the way things were meant to be. The truth of his existence could be answered only in silence and towards that end he worked now as he had for the past thousand years. The whole of his past was in three, separate and unequal pieces tied together by the one desire - silence. The crystal ball in the center of the chamber was the touchstone, the link that kept the three aspects of his personality in contact. The slow, steady pulse of green fire that roiled inside the crystalline sphere changed abruptly. It burned more brightly, casting light on the image of Death Phantom. Inside his stone prison he motioned with one hand. “My servant, Wiseman, come forth.” The black rocked on the floor of the stone womb slithered and oozed. It began to rise, slowly taking the desired form, that of a vaguely human shape. The shadows in this place gathered together until they draped the stone figure in a cloak of night. Hands the same color and texture as the crystal around him began to move. They circled the glowing ball, endlessly caressing, yet never touching it. From within the tattered robe of shadows two pin points of light burned brightly. “I hear your call, my Master,” the whispered voice from the stone man was rough and grating. “How may I serve you, almighty Death Phantom?” Harsh laughter bounced off the walls of the stone womb. “I can feel it, the limitless energy of the stone of Illusions. It has touched me again, closer and stronger this time. I must have it. I must have the power of the Ginzuishou and you will help me in this task my unworthy servant. Go now and introduce yourself to Prince Demando.” “I can feel his hatred and jealously from here,” Wiseman commented. “Such powerful negative emotions feed you well Master, but Demando is only a feeble mortal. Will he truly serve the purpose?” “He will do for now. Demando is ready to be guided by you, Wiseman. Tempt him with the power of the stone of illusions that he may desire it. Show Demando the beauty of the one who holds it that he may desire her even more. Do what you must but have him bring Serenity and the Ginzuishou to Nemesis. I need the power of the White Moon if I am to break the seal that holds me here. Go!” “I exist to serve you, my Master,” the form of the being known as Wiseman shuddered, then collapsed in on itself. It became an oily mist that slithered into the nearest vein of Black Poison Crystal and headed for the surface. The crystalline mirror that had held his image was now dark and vacant. Inside the largest mirror Death Phantom was being swallowed up by the green and purple shadows of the Black Poison Crystal. He looked once at the spot where the faint image of Kunshin Tetsu lay sleeping and smiled. “Only when I wed the brilliant power of the Ginzuishou to that of the Jakozusho will I have the mastery over time and space that will allow me to fulfill my great quest. I will bring perfection to the universe.” The creature inside the crystal pressed his hand against the rock that held him fast. The other facets of his broken mind would sleep now that Wiseman was active. Death Phantom relished the sweet solitude of oblivion as he allowed Wiseman to take control. His last words were whispered like a prayer. “Bring me the Ginzuishou and the one who holds it, that I may be free once more.” *************************************** “Problems?” Goruden Kobushi responded to Mamoru’s question but was distracted by the feeling of Minako’s skin as he casually ran a hand down the length of her arm. The delighted shiver she gave at the contact encouraged him to continue. “What kind of problems?” Kobushi had a look on his face, a rapt attention to the woman he had an arm casually draped over that spoke of a man head over heels in love. He played with strands of Minako’s long, golden hair, enjoying feel of the silken mass as he let it slip through his fingers. She, in turn, would lean back into his comfort of his arms, giving a soft sigh of contentment. “When the Sons finally figured out that I was Endymion, how did they take that news? Was there any dissention?” Mamoru wondered if he’d ever looked that obviously love struck. “Waiting for a legendary figure to reappear is one thing,” Michiru tried to keep the comment light. As much as she and Haruka distrusted Goruden Kobushi, she had to admit there was a faint but unmistakable resemblance between the man and Mamoru that went beyond facial features. Both were tall and had the same build, moved in a similar way. Michiru found herself wondering if Usagi had noticed. “Actually having the living, breathing Endymion before you is another. I imagine that after a thousand years there had to be other people within your group who saw themselves as the ‘True Prince’.” Goruden Kobushi grimaced at the memory. “Yes, there was some dissention among one of the more strident factions within the Sons. There are always those who political aspirations or delusions of grandeur made them think that they’d be the one who sat on the throne of Earth once the seal on the Golden Crystal was broken.” Haruka stood in the shade of a large tree. She made it a point to always know where Goruden Kobushi was and what he was up to. Despite what Usagi and Mamoru thought about the man she had her doubts about him. “Weren’t you one of the people that your elders suspected might be the ‘True Prince’?” Kobushi barely glanced over his shoulder at her. “Well, yes but there were also about a dozen others who were considered candidates. We were supposed to be direct descendants of the Princes of the Golden Kingdom. They called us the ‘Circle of the Chosen’ and the Elders usually spread the lot of us across the planet as a measure of safety. Both Kunshin Tetsu and I lived in the same city, Tokyo and it made the Elders very nervous. They were forever at Kunshin to move to Yokohama but he kept telling them no. That only made them pressure him all the harder. The Elders were used to getting their way and could be very… insistent.” Kobushi knew that the open favor the Elders had shown him was source of resentment for Kunshin Tetsu; one that festered into a deep, abiding hatred. The irony of it all was that Kobushi had never wanted the crown of Earth. “Actually,” Goruden continued, “I’m just as glad that you returned when you did, my Prince. I have no desire to be the King of Earth, thank you very much. And they really wanted me to have the job,” he flushed slightly, looking at his Prince. “Not that being King of Earth isn’t a great thing, Mamoru-san. It’s just that I have other plans for my life.” “So do I,” Mamoru had to laugh at the comment. “I was in my last year of residency before becoming a doctor when all hell broke loose. No matter what the future holds I am not about to give that part of my life up.” “Do those plans include Minako, Kobushi?” Usagi asked slyly. Happily married she now wanted all of her friends to experience the joys of matrimony. A bright crimson flush spread across the elegant features of Aino Minako. “Usagi-chan!” In a gallant gesture Kobushi took her hand and a placed a sweet kiss on the palm, “Nothing would please me more than to spend my life worshipping at the altar of my goddess of love.” “Oh, Kobu-chan that is so sweet,” Minako cooed, turning her head to look up at him. He pulled her into his lap, bending over to capture her lips with his own in a tender yet passionate kiss. “Ah, but so true my Mina-ko.” “Mamo-chan,” Usagi leaned over to whisper in her husband’s ear, “If you want to ask him anything else you’d better hurry. In about two minutes they won’t even know we’re here anymore.” If her comment registered Mamoru gave no sign of it. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and his hands clasped tightly together under his chin. “There were only a dozen in this Circle of the Chosen? That seems like a dangerously small number of potential ‘princes’ when the Sons placed so much importance on the True Prince. Weren’t your Elders afraid that a single mishap or illness could thin your gene pool down to unacceptable levels?” The scent of Minako’s perfume, jasmine, flooded his senses when she snuggled closer to him. “No,” he waved his hand in a distracted fashion, fidgeting slightly in his seat to get more comfortable. He absently wondered if Minako had a clue what she did to him. Somehow, he doubted it. “Not since cryogenics became reliable. The Elders have…” he paused suddenly realizing what he was about to say. “…have samples from each of us. They’re kept in a secure location just incase we die before we could produce children.” “Samples?” Usagi was confused. The words tumbled out before she could stop them. “What kind of samples?” “A sperm bank?” That brought a bark of ribald laughter from Haruka. “God, but you Sons really do know how to take all the joy out life. What do they do, hand you a cup and tell you to think of Earth?” “Did they make all those in the Circle of the Chosen do that?” Mamoru tried to sound nonchalant but it was difficult. If the Black Moon Clan really were the descendants of the Sons, then that raised a number of very unpleasant questions in Mamoru’s mind. He could feel Usagi staring at him. Damn but it was hard to keep things from her! “Did the Elders make all of those in the Circle of the Chosen do that?” Mamoru repeated, trying not to sound urgent. “Well, you have to understand that we were raised not to question an order given by one of the Elders. We were taught that we were different from the rest of mankind and as such, had a higher duty. Part and parcel of that duty was obedience.” The bright red flush that was creeping across Kobushi’s face was answer enough. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Minako put in. “Contrary to what you were taught, you Sons are just as fallible as the rest of us. You did question the wisdom of your ‘Elders” enough to realize that they were wrong about the Moon Kingdom.” “Yeah, now,” the young man with the golden eyes sighed with relief. He’d been afraid that Minako would be less than understanding. “But when I fifteen years old I wasn’t exactly in a position to do so. I believed that they knew best and I should do as I was told. I don’t think I could have refused any request that came from the Elders back then.” Unknowingly Kobushi had just said aloud what worried Mamoru most. When he’d been kidnapped by the Sons, Mamoru had been heavily drugged those first few days to keep him complaint. Doped to the eyeballs the Elders could have made Mamoru do anything number of things that he wouldn’t be able to remember. Including making an unwilling deposit into the Sons little “bank account”. Demando had called himself the True Prince. That particular title was one the Sons of the Golden Kingdom reserved for a man who was a linear descendant of the royal family of the Golden Kingdom. From what Kobushi had just told him, Mamoru deduced that, as of right now, there were only thirteen people who could fit that description – the twelve in the Circle of the Chosen and himself. Was the Demando a member of the Circle of the Chosen, or was he a child of one those who had aspired to be the King of Earth? With access to the sperm bank they could have easily done just that. If so, that raised a question that made Mamoru’s stomach turn in knots. Who had fathered Demando? *************************************** The ruling Prince of Nemesis was frustrated and in a dreadfully bad temper. He was frustrated because he’d twice come up against Endymion and twice been forced to withdraw from the field of battle. His bad temper stemmed from the insult Serenity had done not only to his body but also to his ego. Ever since he’d discovered the delightful differences between boys and girls when puberty overtook him, all the women in Demando’s life had been more than eager to fall into his arms. Serenity’s rather pointed rejection of him came as a nasty shock. The White Prince shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the ache an unpleasant reminder that he had failed to win the golden haired Queen of Earth over. Saffir had been unusually blunt in his assessment of the situation. He’d simply shrugged his shoulders when Demando insisted that all he really needed was some time alone with his Angel to make her see things his way. “Your ‘Angel’ kneed you in the groin,” Saffir had said. “I don’t think charm alone is going to work with her.” A small part of Demando knew that his brother was right but the larger part of his ego rejected the idea vehemently. The White Prince had been raised to believe that he truly was the second coming; in this case the second coming of the True Prince. He had been carefully groomed for his future position as the absolute ruler of Earth. Those men instilled in Demando the ideas that strength was more important than compassion, that power was the final arbiter of what was right and just. The White Prince was the ultimate instrument of vengeance for all that his ancestors had suffered but so far he had failed miserably each time he’d come up against Endymion. The burden of being the last hope of a thousand years of struggle had never been an easy one to bear for Demando. It elevated him, made him the undisputed Prince of his Clan but it also brutally isolated him from those he ruled over. Out of all the people on the small, dark moon of Nemesis, only two people had ever loved him for who he really was, not for what he represented; his late mother and Saffir. His people idolized and even to an extent worshipped him but the White Prince knew that all of that loyalty was tied to one thing. Demando was expected to take back Earth and gain for the Black Moon Clan the bloody vengeance they so longed for. Rising abruptly, Demando moved to a small table and poured himself a glass of his favorite wine with hands that shook with anger and an emotion he was unused to, self-loathing. He took a deep drink, his mind seething in turmoil as he thought of his previous encounters with the King of Earth. If the expectations of a hundred generations of his ancestors weighed heavily on him, then his inability to defeat Endymion thus far was crushing. The normally sweet wine tasted bitter in mouth. He took the snifter and nestled it in his hand, swirling the contents. It was a tidy, little trap the White Prince was ensnared in. As long as he was unable to get Serenity away from Endymion, Demando knew, he would never be able to gain control of the Silver Crystal. Without control of that brilliant, shining power of hers, Saffir assured Demando that they could never have control of the Gate in their possession. Without the Gate they couldn’t leave Nemesis. Unable to leave Nemesis he would forever be Prince of the Black Moon Clan but never King of Earth. It all boiled down to a very simple equation. He raised the glass and looked at it for an instant before flinging it across the room. The delicate snifter shattered, the blood red wine dripping slowly down the wall. “Whoever possesses Serenity will have Earth.” “Then you must have her, great Prince,” the voice was soft, yet rough at the same time. “You must have both the power of the stone of illusions and the one who controls it.” Demando whirled, facing the direction from which the voice had come. In a cold corner of the room where the shadows gathered together, the darkness stirred. Two pin points of light flared in the very center of the pool of night and a figure slowly became visible. “Hail Demando, Prince of the Black Moon Clan,” the creature hissed. The veil of shadows pulled back to reveal a small man dressed in ragged robes. He was seated, this strange creature of shadows. His hands moved in endless circles around a crystal ball that glowed with green-black light. Opening his link with the Black Poison Crystal, Demando stood his ground. “Who are you? How did you get in here?” He paused, eyes narrowing in sudden recognition. “I know you. You’re the voice that I’ve been hearing in my dreams.” “I am your most humble servant, great Prince,” the creature replied. “I am called Wiseman,” there was a hint of amusement in the grating voice, “and I have been searching through the endless wastes of the fourth dimension for you.” “For me? I’m flattered,” Demando let a charge start to build inside him. The moment this creature made a move that the White Prince didn’t like he was going to blast him into very small pieces. “Your caution does you credit,” Wiseman’s voice took on a low, soothing tone. “But it is un-necessary. I was one of those who was forced to flee Earth during the exile but something went wrong. A few of us ended up far from here, lost and separated from our brethren. I am the last of that lonely band and I have been searching for you to bring you the victory that is your birthright.” “You tell an interesting story, creature. But I’m not inclined to believe you.” With a snap the fire of the Black Poison Crystal came to Demando, wreathing his body in its ebony power. “I bring you a gift – knowledge. Even if you distrust me, what harm can there be in letting me tell you what I know? You will decide how best to use this new knowledge. I am simply an advisor and your loyal servant. I can show you how to beat Endymion and have all that you desire.” Demando’s body still held the faint, dark aura that was the deadly power of the Jakozuishou. He paused to consider Wiseman’s words. Even if this creature was an enemy, the White Prince had little doubt that he could overcome him. Knowledge, as Saffir has told him endlessly, was the greatest weapon a man could have. “Very well,” Demando’s voice held the regal air of someone granting a favor. “Tell me what you know.” The sphere between Wiseman’s hand glowed and a dark, oily sheen rippled across the surface. An ebony mist rose from it, an image appearing and slowly resolving into that of a woman. She was exquisite, this woman with the sunshine hair and between her hands was cradled a small but brilliant star. “Serenity…” Demando breathed the name softly, captivated by the shifting image. “Beautiful, isn’t she?” Wiseman said. He noticed the intense interest on the face of the White Prince. He also noticed that Demando kept his link to the Jakozuishou open. That not-so subtle threat hung in the air like the image of the Queen of Earth. “Her true worth, though, is far more than as just another pretty bed- toy. She holds the key to victory over your enemy, great Prince. Serenity controls the great power of the White Moon, the Ginzuishou. Endymion doesn’t even suspect the true power he possesses in his Queen. His pitiful Golden Crystal will never be able to harness the primal forces she holds inside her lovely body.” “You tell me nothing I don’t all ready know, creature,” the White Prince said with contempt. “If that’s all you have, then leave before I kill you for wasting my time.” The light that pulsed between Serenity’s hands glowed more brightly. “Time, Prince Demando? That is the crux of the matter isn’t it – time? What if I told you that you I know where she goes to between the trips through time?” Wiseman had to hold back the laughter at the surprise that flickered across Demando’s face. “Yes, I know of your temporal travels. I’ve learned many things during my long journey to find and serve you, my Prince. With that knowledge I can show you a way to break through the wards and enter the sanctuary Serenity retreats to,” Wiseman carefully baited the hook. He waited a moment for the White Prince to process that information. “And just where might that be?” Demando asked slowly. He almost had him now, Wiseman knew. “Where else but the place Endymion’s power would be strongest, where he would feel safest – Elysion.” “Elysion,” Demando breathed the name almost against his will. This was the land where the Golden Kingdom had once flourished. The tales his mother told him at bedtime of that legendary vale were among his earliest, and happiest, memories. “You are the True Prince, are you not? The wards around Earth’s hidden shrine were meant to keep out those who do not belong there. The machine you are using, this ‘Gate’ is an alien device and thus Elysion will not permit entry unless those wards are lowered. By combining your birthright as a direct descendant of the royal house of Earth and your power as Prince of the Black Moon Clan you’ll be able to break that seal. Then you will have the chance you need to take what should be yours; Serenity and the power of the White Moon she holds inside her.” The image of Serenity above the crystal ball shimmered and flowed. When it finally resolved, the Queen of Earth appeared in a very different form. Clothed only in the silken fall of her golden tresses, she opened her arms to Demando, beckoning to him. The White Prince knew that this was merely an image conjured by this creature, Wiseman, but he was still affected by the radiant beauty of the woman. Wiseman’s voice dropped to a sibilant whisper. “You’ve felt the Jakozuishou feast on the bright energies of the stone of illusions, sensed that it grew stronger each time it devoured that light. Think of how powerful the Jakozuishou will become once it has consumed all the energies of the Silver Crystal. You must have Serenity, make her yours. Only she can call on the supreme power of the Ginzuishou. Once you have combined its power with that of the Jakozuishou, Earth, it’s King and the traitorous mongrels that now inhabit it will fall before you. You shall have everything that you desire. If,” the image of Serenity abruptly disappeared, “you will let me help, great Prince. All I ask is that you allow me the honor of serving you.” The White Prince said nothing at first, but his mind seethed with the possibilities. His gaze narrowed suspiciously at the odd, shadowy creature. “Why should I trust you?” A dark laugh came from the dark man robed in shadows. “You shouldn’t. The journey I took through the tides of the fourth dimension have changed me but I still remember the men who raised you, Prince Demando. They no doubt taught you the wisdom of skepticism. Trust is never given, only earned. Then let me earn yours by giving you what you most want. I can teach you a very old lesson; one that the Elders in charge of your education probably left out.” “What lesson would that be?” the White Prince folded his arms across his chest, a sardonic smile coming to his lips. Wiseman was quite right about the cadre of men who had taught him the ways of power. Perhaps there might be some truth, however small, to the tale he told. If this creature could gain him a real chance to snatch Serenity from Endymion, then it was worth the risk to listen to him. The mottled hands of the strange man never stopped their compulsive, eternal movement for an instant. An oily glow slithered across the surface of the crystal ball and it flared with suppressed power. That same light was reflected in the recessed eyes of the creature called Wiseman. “Give your opponent what they expect and the same time, do the unexpected. In order to win, you must be prepared to appear to lose.” *************************************** For the first time since the pair of graceful, white columns had been erected as a portal for the Timegate, they sat in total silence. There was no hint of power, no veil of rainbow light that shimmered and danced between the two pillars of marble. As a measure of precaution Pluto had completely closed the Timegate. The mystic wards around Elysion were ancient and formidable but Setsuna remembered all too well that a pair of less than competent thieves had managed to get through those barriers. Meiou Setsuna, however, was not a woman who liked to take un-necessary risks. Fate, she had found, just loved to toss surprises at you when least expected or desired them. “I found the time period that Makoto was thrown back into with less difficulty than I’d expected. It might mean that although she’d been displaced in time, Makoto is relatively undamaged.” “Great!” Rei gave a sharp nod of enthusiasm. “Then let’s go find her and get her back here. We can all ‘act with one heart’ so Usagi can break the Seal on the Grail, go into the Balance and awakened Earth.” “You make it sound so easy, Rei-chan,” Usagi said with some trepidation. As the time to break the Seal drew closer, Usagi was getting more and more nervous about the idea. What if she couldn’t handle the wild power of the Grail and the Ginzuishou at the same time? Setsuna gently cleared her throat, “Before we do that, there’s a problem I think you need to know about. With Ami’s help, I’ve eliminated all but one scenario that could explain why Demando is able to travel through time,” Pluto started out slowly. Why was it that she was always the one who gave out the bad news? “Actually,” Ami added, taking a deep drink from the mug of coffee in her hand. It had been a long night, “we started out with about half a dozen scenarios. We eliminated all the other possibilities one by one.” “Ami, only you could make something as incredible as time travel sound like you’re balancing your checkbook,” Rei teased gently. She loved Ami dearly but knew that the elfin woman could all too easily get caught up in the heady worlds only her mind was capable of navigating. It didn’t hurt to remind Ami that not everyone was as comfortable with complex temporal theories as Setsuna. “Ignore Rei, I’m very impressed,” Usagi paused and gave a rough cough, as if she had a cold. Her larynx had been badly bruised by the throttling she’d taken from the droid and her voice still reflected that. “Then again I can’t balance a checkbook either.” The sound of Usagi’s voice only reinforced Setsuna’s concerns. Mamoru sat next to his tiny wife. Although he was doing his best to appear relaxed, Pluto could tell from the way he kept gently tapping his lips with his fist that he was more than a little worried, too. With what Setsuna was about to say, he had every reason to be. “Nemesis is a world that seems to exist, at least partially, in the fourth dimension. I suspect it sits on the threshold of ‘normal’ space and a trans-dimensional axis.” “Like straddling a fence, they can be on both sides at once” Mamoru said, trying to simplify it in his own mind. “We’d suspected something like that out from our previous encounters with them in the 30th century.” Taking a deep breath, Setsuna knew that there was no good way to deliver bad news. Sometimes the kindest thing was to just get it over with. “As you know, Gates take you from one place to another by traveling through the fourth dimension. When Demando opens a portal, he’s all ready in the fourth dimension to begin with. That’s what allows him to travel through time; his starting point is all ready outside the boundaries of time. Demando’s Gate is really very small, though. I believe it’s a proto-gate that’s being augmented by an outside compatible power source. But there’s no control with this pseudo-Timegate, at least none on Demando’s part. His Gate is locked into a particular energy signature. When that energy moves through the fourth dimension all he can do is follow where-ever and when-ever it goes.” “What could possibly be strong enough to pull the Black Moon Clan through time?” As soon as the words were out of Michiru’s mouth, she knew the answer. “The light that cuts across time and space,” Mamoru said softly, turning to look at Usagi. Every eye in the room was on her and it took Usagi a moment to figure out why. When it did her jaw dropped open. “The Ginzuishou?! You think that Demando’s Gate is following the Ginzuishou?” “That’s impossible,” Venus interjected. She seemed offended by the idea. “Only Usagi can use the Silver Crystal.” Ami shook her head. That’s not quite right. Only Usagi can control the Ginzuishou and use it properly. Others can use the power of the silver crystal. Of course it’ll burn them into ash when they do but that fact hadn’t stopped the more insane of our opponents in the past from trying to get hold of it.” Setsuna sighed in resigned fashion. “The Gate the Black Moon Clan is using isn’t accessing the power it’s locked onto, just following it. I’ve done much the same thing in tracking you down when you were scattered across time.” It all came together in Mamoru’s mind at once. “It makes perfect sense if you think about it. We always wondered why we didn’t run into Demando or the Black Moon Clan in any other time period. Why, if they knew that Chibi-Usa had the Ginzuishou and what time period she’d gone to, didn’t they simply arrive there before she did and be waiting for her.” “Because their Gate is bound to the time and place the Ginzuishou goes to,” Setsuna nodded sagely. “Damn, no wonder he’s been able to show up everywhere we go. Demando has his own, personal homing beacon,” Haruka folded her arms across her chest with an unhappy grunt. “And when we go to get Makoto, he can follow us again.” A single finger was raised by the Keeper of the Timegate, “Actually, there is one way to prevent Demando from following us.” She turned her head toward Usagi, “And that’s to keep the Ginzuishou safely behind the wards of Elysion. If it doesn’t leave here then Demando’s Gate will have no way to track us through the tides of time and space.” “You want me to stay here?” Usagi didn’t like that idea very much. “What if Mako-chan needs me to heal her before she can be moved through your Gate?” Ami shook her head, “I don’t think that’s as necessary as we first thought. Rei was in shock but have would have had little trouble going through Setsuna’s Gate if we hadn’t been stopped by Demando.” “And Minako was physically sound enough, just too stubborn to move without a fight,” Michiru added. “And of course she got one when Mister tall, white and creepy showed up.” “I’m beginning to see a pattern,” Usagi admitted reluctantly. “I still wish I could go in case there’s trouble…” “Whatever happened to the girl I used to have to coax to fight?” Mamoru teased. “She grew up and discovered she controls a crystal that can level whole city blocks,” Usagi replied, whacking him gently on the arm. Rei laughed. “This is one of the advantages of being Queen, Usagi. We do all the leg work rounding up what could be a very cranky Mako- chan while you get to stay here in Elysion and play kissy face with your hubby.” “Considering your knack for attracting trouble, Kitten,” Haruka smiled to take the sting out her words, “I think that Elysion is safest place for you to be.” *************************************** The names floated through her mind like a litany of old friends; American Beauty, English Cottage, Gold of Ophir and White Damask. She knew each of them, knew their special needs and what it would take to make them flourish. She reached out to the White Damask with an experienced hand, gently cupping it so that the delicate blossom was not damaged, and inhaled deeply. Kino Makoto closed her eyes and let the perfume of the hybrid rose sooth her troubled mind. The scent was as elusive and delicate as the memories that it evoked in her. Most people would have been unable to make sense of the jumble of faces, names and voices that flitted through her mind like bright butterflies but Kino Makoto was not like most people. She had dealt with crushing loss before. The terrible emptiness that ripped at her soul was an old enemy; one she knew how to deal with. When her parents had died all Makoto had left of them was a few precious photographs and the even more precious memories of them she carried inside herself. She had learned to cling to those memories engrave them so deeply into her heart that nothing could ever erase them. Makoto focused all of energy on the memories that danced in her mind’s eye, calling on the iron will that had served her so well as the Soldier of Protection. She ignored the pain, ignored the confusion and refused to give into the soft fog that wanted to shroud her mind. So intent was Makoto on this inner journey of discovery that she was all but oblivious to her surroundings for the moment. She no longer truly saw the display of hybrid roses before her, no longer took in the intent gaze of the owner of shop. Emerald eyes didn’t notice the woman only a few feet from her when under any other circumstances she would have been impossible to miss. The woman was tall and exotic with silver hair that fell to her knees. Taking one of the dusty pink tea roses by the long stem, she looked at in a slightly puzzled manner then popped it into her mouth. The stem was pulled out, the bud gone as the alien female closed her eyes in appreciation. “That was very tasty!” the woman said with a satisfied sigh. She turned and walked towards the middle aged man who ran this small shop, his look of utter amazement not fazing her in the least. Reaching into the pocket of the long coat she wore, pulled out a small business card and handed it to him with a polite smile. “Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sailor Aluminum Siren and as good as that snack was I’m still going to have to take your star seed.” *************************************** As requested, Saffir had opened the portal to the proto-gate that the Black Moon Clan was using. He looked at his brother in a slightly confused manner, not understanding just why Demando wanted to look at nothing. That was the current view in the portal: a silvery mist so deep and thick that it obscured whatever was on the other side. The White Prince just stood there for a long moment, taking in the swirling mists silently. With slow deliberation he raised his hand, letting the palm skim across the veil. He could feel the wards react to him, a tingling that changed to a buzzing that quickly grew unpleasant. He snatched back his hand, giving a low grumble as he did so. “Did you finish that special droid I asked for?” Demando still looked thoughtfully at the misty portal. “And did you acquire the items I need?” Saffir nodded his head, his curiosity nagging him keenly. “Yes. Everything is ready to go when you give the word. Although I have to admit that the Healer gave me a very strange look when I told him what you wanted.” The Healer, like all of those in the Black Moon Clan, was too well trained his duty to deny his Prince anything he asked for and Demando didn’t give him a second thought. The White Prince looked over his shoulder at his younger brother, seeing that the Healer wasn’t the only one who was curious. “I’ll need several of your droids, as well.” “It takes a lot of time and effort to make perfect droids; especially the one you requested,” Saffir said. “Rubeus has been going through them at an alarming rate. The special one you wanted is complete. The others will be less than one hundred percent ready, but they can fight.” The sharp tone of Saffir’s voice betrayed his burning curiosity and Demando had to smile at that. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that Rubeus isn’t coming with us this time. This mission is much too…” he paused, a sly smile of anticipation coming to his lips, “…too delicate to trust to his somewhat brutish tactics.” Unable to suppress the question any more, Saffir nevertheless managed to keep the words from exploding from his mouth. “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me what you have planned?” Demando placed both hands on the silvery mist, letting it envelop him up to his wrists. The magics in the seal reacted to the part of him that was a child of the Golden Kingdom with warm caress. The mists started to give way to him, allowing him entry when the magics of Elysion touched the other part of him, the one that was linked to the Jakozuishou. The warmth became a bitter, biting cold that rejected him and the plaint mist became as hard as ice. Removing his hands for now, Demando looked at his brother, his eyes eager and bright. “Remember how I said that it was time to rethink the way my war with Endymion will play out? Well, this is the first step. We’re going to pay him a call.” “But we can’t get to wherever it is Endymion goes to. So how…” Saffir began, gesturing at the misty portal. Demando folded his arms across his chest, “Wiseman, come and introduce yourself to my brother.” The cold shadows in the room gathered into a single, churning mass. From the heart of that ebony morass came the figure of man in a tattered robe. His legs crossed together, the strange, dark man floated out of the pool of night. “I come at your command, great Prince. Greetings, Lord Saffir,” Wiseman hissed, amusement in his voice at the look on Saffir’s face. For a long moment all Saffir could do was gape at the creature who floated a few feet above the floor. A cold and terrible hand seemed to reach into his heart as the strange, dark man spoke and Saffir shivered in atavistic reaction. His eyes narrowed as he tried vainly to see the creature’s face but it was cloaked in shadows. “What are you?” The way Wiseman’s hands endlessly caressed yet never touched the ball between his hands spoke to Saffir of compulsion and madness. “And where the hell did you come from?” There was smugness in the creature’s grating voice; a delight in the fear his appearance had caused that was barely hidden by his silken words. “As Prince Demando has said, I am Wiseman. I have come a great distance to serve our Prince and will give him the keys to achieve the victory that has been long promised.” *************************************** It was the sound of fear in the voice of the middle-aged store owner that pulled Makoto out of the fugue state she’d fallen into. She looked up, blinking hard to try and clear the fog that shrouded her thoughts. Emerald green eyes watched, slightly detached as the small round, man backed nervously away from Sailor Aluminum Siren. “No, please!” he brought up his arms as if they could ward her off, “take the money in the register but please don’t hurt me!” A predatory grin came to the animate’s face. “Silly man, I don’t want your useless currency. It’s your star seed I’m after.” The tall woman with silver hair brought her arms up, turning them so that the bracelets on her wrists could be seen glowing with power. The sight of that sent painful memories lancing through Makoto. She had a moment of recollection so sharp she gasped. The feeling, that terrible searing pain as a part of her soul was ripped from her, lingered in her mind. “No,” she said softly. In that moment, Kino Makoto remembered. She was the Soldier of Protection, the Senshi of Thunder and she would not let this happen to anyone else. “Leave him alone!” A small voice in her mind whispered to Mako that she couldn’t henshin here in the open. There were secrets to keep, other lives that would be impacted by the knowledge that Kino Makoto was Sailor Jupiter. But neither that nor her own physical condition kept her from acting. She raced for the Sailor Animate, tossing the nearest object that came to hand at her. The large, heavy earthenware plate was round enough so that when Mako tossed it, it took flight. The ceramic projectile whizzed past Aluminum Siren’s head, shattering on the wall near her into a million pieces. Mako didn’t expect the plate to do more than distract the Animate’s attention long enough for her to try and gain the upper hand. Sailor Aluminum Siren was surprised, all right and the ploy might have worked under other circumstances, but the traumatic rupturing of stasis has left Makoto slower than normal. She got no more than a few feet before the now annoyed Animate lashed out with the power Galaxia had given her. It caught Mako in mid air, sending her flying. “It’s very rude to insert yourself into other people’s private conversations!” she huffed, watching the tall, lithe brunette land hard in the floor. “Once I finish with this business I’ll take of you.” The linoleum flooring has recently been waxed and Makoto slid for several feet after landing on it. The wind had been knocked out of her but she still tried to rise. “I won’t let you hurt that man,” she gasped. With a dismissive glance, Sailor Aluminum Siren turned her back on Makoto. “All by yourself, human? The odds are that you wouldn’t last a minute against me.” “Mars flame sniper!” While it may have been easy to ignore what the Sailor Animate considered a mere human, it was much harder to ignore the flaming arrows that came so close to her face as it passed that her hair was singed. Aluminum Siren whirled to see that the woman on the floor was now surrounded by six Sailor Senshi. Truly ticked off, Mars had another arrow in her flaming bow. The arrogance the animates had displayed against people had always annoyed her to no end. At last, she was getting a chance to do something about it. “I think the odds have changed considerably.” From the floor the dazed brunette smiled softly. “What took you guys so long to get here, anyway?” *************************************** In one shadowed corner of the secluded grove that had been set aside for the use of the Timegate, a ghostly doorway began to appear. It started to brighten for a moment before a golden vapor rose from the ground to cover it like a shroud. The doorway pulsed slightly, fighting the wards that kept it from materializing. For a long moment the amber fire appeared to be winning the fight, continuing to cover the would-be portal no matter which way it slithered to escape it. While this struggle continued, a thin ebony strand started at one corner of the portal. It weaved through the golden power, slipped around and through the wards until it formed a spider’s web of energy. The web expanded slowly until it at last it gave a burst of green black fire. The wards vibrated, then shattered, blown to shards like so many pieces of bright glass. “Well that did it!” Saffir moaned as he stepped through the portal a step behind his brother. In back of him a handful of droids followed silently. “So much for sneaking in unnoticed. Whoever put up those wards can’t miss the way they were just broken. Someone is bound to investigate.” There was a sly smile on the face of the White Prince. “Then let’s give something else to keep them occupied, ne?” *************************************** “People living here?” Mamoru seemed surprised by the idea, “in Elysion?” “Why not? We had a growing Kingdom on the Moon before the cataclysm.” He looked so cute when he was surprised, Usagi thought, like a little boy. Helios nodded at his Prince. “The Golden Kingdom was never all that large but it was a vibrant, tight-knit community. When you, when Endymion, died the Golden Crystal was lost to us. Elysion couldn’t support more than a handful and those that survived the war with the Moon Kingdom were forced into the world above. Now that the rightful Prince of Earth has broken the seal, the power of the Golden Crystal flourishes again. We could start small, with say a couple of hundred people.” Mamoru looked over at where Goruden Kobushi was trying his best to charm Lorilei and engage her in conversation. The shy musician was at the piano again, using music to help lift the spirits of those waiting for their loved ones to return (and hiding behind the large, impressive piece of furniture, Mamoru suspected). Despite the life- long indoctrination, Kobushi had managed to see the truth, that the Moon Kingdom wasn’t an evil empire bent on enslaving mankind. There had to be others within the Sons of the Golden Kingdom that could also be reached. “I know that it would be a dream come true for the Sons,” Mamoru remarked. “It would be a challenge, though, to find people as open minded as Kobushi. The Sons can be very dogmatic, especially the Elders.” Usagi gave a snort of disdain. “Oh please. This isn’t about righteous convictions with the ‘Elders’. It all boils down to one thing – power. The men at the top of the Sons, as much as they preach about living only to serve the True Prince, were no doubt very unhappy when Endymion reappeared. That the rightful master of the Golden Crystal was revealed meant that they had lost all chance of ruling Earth. They were no longer potential princes but plain old mortals and some men take that revelation harder than others.” Mamoru, who had been smiling delightedly at his wife’s uncanny insights, suddenly had the oddest feeling. A sharp pain lanced through his head and he gasped. Usagi was at his side in an instant, concern etched on her delicate features. “Mamo-chan, what’s wrong?” She placed a gentle hand on his arm. It was worse for Helios. He reeled, “It’s the wards. Someone’s trying to…to…” he gasped then cried out in pain. All the color drained from his face until he was as pale as the white tunic he wore. Eyes rolling up into the back of his head, the guardian priest of Elysion tumbled to the ground, unconscious. They arrived with the suddenness of a summer storm, dark and foreboding. They were droids, the strange creatures that were a mixture of the mystic and the mechanical but it took Usagi an instant to recognize them as such. The ones she had faced in the past were colorful to say least. These constructs were crude, resembling malevolent manikins dressed in plain, black coveralls. Their faces were blank and expressionless as they hovered in the air. The air above Usagi and Mamoru shimmered, a chill wind springing up. Demando, Prince of Nemesis appeared to look down at them coldly. “I’ve come for the woman.” “The woman?” Usagi’s shock faded before the anger that rose quickly. Demando was talking about her as if she was object. “The woman?!” The White Prince didn’t even look at her. His attention was firmly fixed on Mamoru. “I propose a duel, Endymion, a personal battle between you and I. The winner takes Serenity. As an added incentive, you also fight to save the mongrels that dare to walk the sacred soil Elysion from my minions. Are you up to the challenge?” That the normally polished Demando sounded like a B-movie villain bothered Mamoru but he had no time to reflect on it. Raising his palm, the White Prince let loose a burst of black fire at his rival, not seeming to notice that the woman he purported to “win” was standing next to him. Mamoru pushed Usagi away from him. “Take care of Helios!” he called as they tumbled in opposite directions. With a single gesture a snow white rose came to his hand and Chiba Mamoru was replaced by Tuxedo Kamen. He could feel the mystic energies of the planet singing inside him, filling him with power. Golden fire ran up his body and into his hands. “You made a mistake in coming here, Demando,” his hands began to shimmer with the power growing in them and Mamoru thrust them in front of him, “Never confront your opponent on their home territory unless you’re prepared to pay the price!” To his surprise a brilliant discharge erupted from Tuxedo Kamen as he channeled the power of the Golden Crystal through his hands. Demando’s amethyst eyes went wide with surprise as he was caught up in the blast. He vanished for a moment, then reappeared a bit further away. “Come Endymion,” he stood on the ground, one hand beckoning to the Prince of Earth. “Come and face me if you dare!” Strangely enough, both the tone of Demando’s voice and the expression on his face lacked the burning, passionate hatred Mamoru had seen there before. Tuxedo Kamen had little time to puzzle over his rival’s cool demeanor and bad dialogue. The White Prince stepped a little further back, raising his hands to attack and Mamoru moved to pursue him, “If you insist.” Helios was still out cold when Usagi knelt beside him. She glanced around to see that the strange droids had come to life. They went after those closest to them. It should have been a slaughter, but these foot soldiers of the Black Moon weren’t nearly as good as Usagi remembered them to be. Yuuichirou was defending both himself and Rei’s grandfather. He was managing to hold off a droid with a long pole, using it like a staff. Every time the thing got close enough Yuuichirou would let the pole snake out to hit and it hard enough to knock it over. Rei’s grandfather seemed quite pleased by his student’s actions and was yelling encouragement at him while he rushed as fast as his aged legs would carry him towards Lorilei. She was tossing any object that came to hand at the droid near her; sheet music, pens and pencils even her metronome. They didn’t slow the thing down much and Lorilei reached for the bench she was sitting on. When Souji finally got there Goruden Kobushi had tackled the monstrosity and the two rolled end over end on the lush grass. The old man looked around to see that Ami’s mother and the two shrine maidens had one droid on the ground. The two maidens were sitting on it and Dr. Mizuno was shouting nasty invectives at the construct as she thumped heartily on its head and shoulders. It was chaos, utter, total chaos and Usagi knew that at any moment the droids could gain the upper hand and start to kill people. She wasn’t about to let that happen. A hand was thrust out and she took a deep breath. “Moon Eternal…” Before she could finish calling out her henshin phrase an arm snaked around her waist from behind. A damp cloth was pressed over her nose and mouth. Usagi gave a gasp of surprise that was her undoing. The sickly, sweet smell of whatever was on the cloth was strong, so strong that it overwhelmed her senses. Usagi’s knees gave out almost at once and she fell backwards against Demando. Her lungs burned from whatever she had inhaled and Usagi tried to toss her head from side to side in an attempt to get away from the sweet, cloying vapor but she was unable to muster the will to do even that. The world was quickly fading away, a gray mist rising to veil her vision. “Don’t struggle Angel,” Demando’s voice came out of the mist, filling her ears. “You can’t fight the drug. It always wins and so do I.” The White Prince pulled Usagi behind the cover of the large tree trunk. He continued to hold the cloth over her mouth for a moment even after she collapsed back into him. Demando wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t wake before they reached Saffir and the Gate. A careful glimpse around the tree showed that Endymion was still engaged by the droid masquerading as the White Prince. Demando knew that the King of Earth would destroy the construct within minutes, but by then he and his prize would be long gone. Letting the drug soaked rag at last fall away, he picked up the now limp woman in his arms and headed away from the fight. There was a sly smile on his face as he enjoyed the thought of the rage Endymion would feel when he realized that Demando had out maneuvered him. Something wasn’t right, Mamoru knew, even as he easily dodged another bolt of power that lanced from the palm of the White Prince. Their martial dance was moving them both away from the heart of the shrine, Mamoru noticed. His attention was immediately brought back to Demando as the man formed ball of dark energy between his hands. “Time to die, Endymion,” came the voice Mamoru had come to know too well. But Demando’s voice was again strangely devoid of emotion. There was no sense of triumph, just a cold statement of fact. The ball of black fire was launched, but once again Mamoru dodged it. “My turn!” he called out, opening his link to the Golden Crystal to its fullest. With a growl the last Crown Prince of Earth brought his hands together and thrust them outwards. A column of soil rose at his command. It caught the White Prince in the mid-section and slammed him to the ground. Mamoru’s body was shaking from the effort, but he stayed focused and kept Demando pinned down. “Give up, Demando, before I have to really hurt…” Mamoru’s voice trailed off as he got closer to where his opponent was. A shower of sparks rose from the moist soil, arcing once before dying away. Mamoru’s eyes went wide when he saw the gaping hole in Demando’s body. The White Prince should have been bleeding profusely but instead of flesh and bone, all Mamoru could see was intricate circuitry. “Time to…time to…time to…die…” the creature gasped mechanically. A final burst of power fried the construct and it law motionless on the ground. It was a droid, Mamoru realized, one of the constructs that were creatures of both science and magic used as foot soldiers by the Black Moon Clan. The column of earth holding the thing down crumbled when the shock of this discovery broke Mamoru’s concentration. The incompetent droids, the odd ramblings of the White Prince, the meandering course of the fight; it all suddenly made sense for Mamoru. This so-called duel wasn’t a meant to be a battle at all. It was meant to be a distraction. “Usako,” his heart went cold in his chest as Mamoru spun around to look for her. Helios, he could see, was still on the ground where he had fallen but Usagi was gone. The fight had pulled him halfway across the expansive, lush lawns that surrounded the main temple. Mamoru looked around frantically and caught the barest glimpse of a figure in white moving into one of the shadowed doorways of the shrine. That was all he needed to see. The Prince of Earth started to run back towards the main building that housed the heart of the shrine as fast as his legs could carry him. *************************************** While parts of Tokyo were full of the shining glass towers and soaring temples of commerce that were a source of civic pride, there were others sections of the city that were not as grand. This was one such place, a collection of old brick and concrete structures that usually ran only five or so stories high. While not sky scrapers by any means, they were tall enough so that the maze of narrow alleys never saw the sunlight. Small, dank and musty, they were not a spot most people chose to hang out in. That perhaps was why there was such surprise when Setsuna had hustled the group into the shadowy alley. “You’re going to open your Gate here?” Haruka asked, looking carefully around. “Are you sure you should be doing that?” “Do I tell you how to drive?” Setsuna replied dryly. “It does seem a little cramped,” Mars ventured uneasily. The sounds of rats scurrying through the rubbish in the back of the narrow alley made Michiru all too aware of how much leg her fuku left exposed. She hated rats, especially the cat-sized monsters Tokyo seemed to breed in abundance. “I thought you needed lots of open space to safely open a Gate.” “I hold one of the Greater Gates. It’s much more powerful and precise than a mere proto-gate,” Pluto said, letting the bottom of her staff tap on the ground with annoyance. “Do you want to stand here and discuss this or would you like to leave? “Well I’m sure ready to go,” Makoto said in a tired voice. “You’re right. The sooner we’re out of this God forsaken time the better,” Uranus grumbled. “You sound almost nervous,” Venus teased. She had meant the comment to be light enough to break the tension she could sense in both Uranus and Neptune. “Damn right I’m nervous,” Uranus shot back. “Only a fool wouldn’t be concerned about the prospect of running into Galaxia. She shrugged off our strongest attacks as if they were nothing.” This was what really had Haruka on edge, the memories of their final stand against Galaxia. Unable to stop the golden queen with any weapon in their arsenal, Uranus and Neptune did what they had always done. They put their own personal convictions aside and found a way to try and complete their mission. She was aware that Usagi and Mamoru as well as the Inner Senshi didn’t always agree with their methods of fighting. They probably never would but that was an idea Haruka had come to grips with a long time ago. The orb in her staff glowed a brilliant red as Setsuna raised it. “Then let’s go.” A portal appeared at her calling, the silvery mist across the surface parting like a curtain. There was a slight disharmony in the song the portal sang to Setsuna, so subtle that she wondered if she was imagining it. She cocked her head, using her psychic senses to listen to her Gate. Whatever the disturbance was she couldn’t sense it anymore. “Is something wrong?” Mercury asked when she saw the momentary flicker of question on Setsuna’s face. “It’s nothing,” Pluto replied quickly with a slight smile. “I think that Uranus is right. This time and place has too many bad memories for all of us. Let’s leave the past where it belongs and concentrate on the future.” *************************************** Demando could hear Endymion roaring his wife’s name. The anger in that voice along with the frustration made the White Prince chuckle with satisfaction. The King of Earth was closing in on him fast but not quickly enough to stop Demando from what he planned to do. “Don’t worry, Angel” he said to the unconscious woman in his arms, “He won’t catch us.” He turned the corner and found Saffir waiting for him. “You did it!” the younger man said triumphantly. There was nothing that Demando could not do when he set his mind to it, Saffir knew. “I haven’t completely succeeded yet. Endymion is right behind me,” there was a wicked gleam in Demando’s eyes. He had managed to get into Elysion and steal Endymion’s wife right from under his nose. It was bold, daring and totally audacious. Demando was enjoying this moment immensely. “Get ready to open the portal on my signal, Saffir.” So intent on this victory were both brothers that they didn’t notice the flickering of rainbows that danced between the twin pillars in this grove. It exploded to life, filling the small garden with light. Mamoru burst into the grove just as the Timegate opened. He saw Pluto, the other Senshi arrayed behind her just on the other side of the portal. “Checkmate, Endymion,” the White Prince crowed with triumph. “I’ve taken your Queen and this game belongs to me. Now, Saffir!” It all happened at once. Mamoru leapt for Demando, desperate to stop him. Setsuna’s magenta eyes widened in pure horror when she saw the proto-gate control pad in Saffir’s hand and realized what he was about to do. “No!” It was ironic that the Keeper of the Timegate didn’t have time enough to do more than scream out that single word of denial. The very first lesson she had learned as a Gatekeeper came rushing back to her even as she screamed out the one sound. ~You must never, ever open two Gates in the same place at the same time. To do so is to risk death – and worse than death.~ Pluto tried to slam her own portal shut but with people still inside, she couldn’t do so fast enough. Saffir hit the button, opening the proto-gate wide. The edges of the two portals overlapped and the grove exploded. The flash of harsh light preceded the sound that followed it by a heartbeat. Elysion was filled for an instant with an inhuman wailing that pulsed through the bodies of all that heard it. The ground shook in explosive reaction to the inter-dimensional forces that were released in a sudden, shattering burst. When at last the light faded and the earth stopped convulsing all that was left of the once bucolic garden was a ragged hole; a deep and gaping wound in the heart of Elysion that smoked at its edges. The ruins were crowned by the shattered remains of the columns that had been the Timegate’s portal. The grove and everyone in it was gone. ***************************************