Okay, here it is FINALLY, Chapter 7. BEFORE you start reading it there are three things you need to realize:
1) I would never have had any descent villains without my friend Alex.
2) Without cometmoon21 this would *still* be in the works simply because I'd still be proof reading. And cometmoon21 gave constant encouragement and ideas when the dreaded writer's block hit. Be very, very thankful.
3) *Sobbing* I don't own Sailor Moon or its associated characters! I wish! *Perks up and looks decidedly threatening as a giant sword appears in her outstretched hand. * But I *do* own my original characters and the plot, steal them and I will personally give you insight into what a dying yoma thinks and feels.
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Usagi fell to her hands and knees, vomiting. Weakly she crawled to the nearest wall and leaned against it, trying to quell the dry heaves of her rebellious stomach. Distantly she noticed when Luna crawled into her lap, trembling and absently she rubbed her friend's fur. Gradually her sickness began to recede into a resounding headache and Usagi fervently wished she made a practice of carrying Tylenol in her subspace pocket. Of course, she had never expected to be abducted by the enemy or to have such a violent reaction to the evil energy if she was.

Then a pair of bony green legs covered in rags came into her field of vision, swiftly followed by the owner's smiling face. Like the rest of him, his face was bony but, startling against his general appearance, were a pair of luminous black eyes. Instinctively, Usagi shrank from him, clutching her cat tightly. Something flashed in his eyes, then his smile faded and he became emotionless.

"Here." He instructed holding out a jug of water and an empty basin. "Wash your mouth out and spit."

Obediently Usagi did as she was told, even offering Luna some of the water.

She smiled a waveringly, cautious smile up at him. "Thanks."

"Here. Swallow these." He held out a pair of tablets.

Usagi squinted at them suspiciously as she took them. "What are they?"

"Aspirin. You're hurting, aren't you?"

Usagi nodded, her eyes wide. Then she winced as her head complained about the movement. "How'd you know?"

"You had a very bad reaction to the teleport. I'd imagine that you're hurting somewhere."

She smiled a little less warily at him. "Thank you." With a little more of the water, she downed the pills.

He nodded, then took the basin and disappeared into the shadows. Usagi watched the spot where he had disappeared for a moment, then turned to look inquisitively around her. A millisecond later she gasped and pressed herself against the wall, tears coming to her eyes.

Usagi! Luna twisted in Usagi suddenly slack arms. What's wrong Usagi?

Can't you tell where we are?

Luna frowned. Somewhere in the Dark Kingdom. That's all I can really say.

Beryl's throne room. We're in Beryl's throne room.

Are you sure?!

I'd never forget this place. Never.

Usagi peered around the room, openly looking for guards. She saw no one. Not even Kikyoku and Gedkidoku, although she was sure they were in the room somewhere. Carefully she stood up, Luna in one arm and the jug in the other hand, and made her way to the center of the room. Pausing, she rubbed at the stone floor with the toe of one shoe, clearing the mud and dirt from that spot, revealing a deep nick in the floor.

Here. Here's where Endymion tried to kill me with his sword. He swung very hard. It even left a mark.

She wandered around the huge throne room, inspecting the floor, the walls, and the columns that made up the place, gradually making her way towards Beryl's throne where she made her next discovery.

Shrieking, Usagi skittered back only to trip and fall on her backside. Paralyzed, she sat where she fell, simply staring at the man in the wall.

He's dead! Her mind babbled to Luna. I killed him! I know I did! He screamed! He screamed when he died and called to Zoisite! He asked that his soul be taken to the place where Zoisite's soul rested! Then he died and turned into bubbles before he even hit the ground! You were there! You saw! Luna-

Usagi! Control yourself! You resurrected the Sailor Senshi and it's possible for someone else to have resurrected him! NOW CALM DOWN!

Obediently, Usagi quieted. She sat where she was for a moment or two more, then got to her feet and slowly, very slowly, approached the mop of long platinum hair hanging from the wall. Suddenly the face under the hair jerked up and a pair of burning blue eyes met her. She shrieked again, clutching her cat and the jug to her chest.

Luna. He's looking at me.

That just means he's alive.

I don't like it.

Get closer. He's trapped in a wall. He can't hurt us.

Luna, in case you missed this, that's Kunzite! We don't get close to Kunzite. Kunzite would sooner rip my intestines out through my nose and use them for shoelaces than accept help from us. And he'd do it with his eyes - the eyes that are looking at me.

Usagi, it's impossible to rip someone's intestines out through their nose.

Luna, he'd do it with his eyes.

U-SA-GI!

LU-NA! HE'S SCARY!

But Usagi tentatively stepped closer anyway. Encouraged by Kunzite's lack of response she moved a little closer.

"Who are you?" Demanded the man.

Usagi squeaked as she leaped in the air. Panic stricken she stumbled back from him until she fell, landing on her bottom again. She watched him smile slightly and felt nauseous again.

Luna, he's going to blast us now. We're going to die.

And how would he do this? Look at him Usagi. He hasn't even got the ability to comb his own hair or wash his own face much less blast us into oblivion. He's helpless.

Usagi regarded him much more closely this time, ignoring his eyes as much as she could, to take in his matted and dirty hair and his filthy face. She noticed the vines that seemed to hold him prisoner as they clung to him like parasites. For the once mighty and immaculate Kunzite, this captivity and filth was quite a blow. Tentatively she took a few steps toward him. His eyes never wavered from her but he didn't strike her dead either. Heartened, she moved closer still.

"Who are you?" he demanded again and Usagi jumped. This time Usagi noticed that his voice was raspy from disuse.

"Usagi. People call me Usagi." She edged closer. "What do they call you?"

His eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter."

"So should I call you 'Hey You' or 'Boy'?"

Careful Usagi, Luna cautioned.

Hai.

He barked a bitter, derisive laugh.

"I didn't think it was that funny."

"It's nothing you'd understand girl."

"Usagi! Use my name!" She forgot to be afraid of him and glared. She hated it when people did that!

"Why?"

"Would you like it if I called you Blondie? Or Boy Toy?"

"If I weren't in this wall-"

"-You'd be bleaching your roots!"

They subsided into a glaring match.

Kunzite took a deep breath and visibly took control of himself. Calm control settled over him like a mantle. Suddenly he was as Usagi remembered him to be when she had first met him. Back when Zoisite and he had been an unbeatable team. He was the essence of calm, cool, and aloof. In a word: untouchable.

If Beryl hadn't been such a fool, Luna, we would have lost that first war.

But she was.

"Aren't you even concerned about where you are? Or who kidnapped you?"

Usagi continued to glare at him. "Of course I am!"

"I see you've found Kunzite." Murmured a childish voice from behind her.

Usagi gasped and, pivoting on the ball of one foot, she turned.

"You two" she hissed.

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your hosts?" Kikyoku said mockingly. "And we went to all the trouble to invite and collect you."

Usagi snorted. "Kidnapping someone and trying to murder their friends is certainly a strange way to be hospitable."

"What do you mean trying?" demanded Gekidoku. "They're dead!"

"You got your friends killed." Kikyoku laughed viciously.

Usagi shock her head stubbornly. "The Sailor Senshi saved them. And anyway, what happened was not my fault. It was your fault. Why'd you kidnap me anyway?"

"Zoisite."

Usagi blinked. "Excuse me but I missed something. What does a semi-precious gem have to do with anything?"

"Not the rock. The man."

Usagi still looked confused. "I've only ever heard of one person by that name. He murdered my best friend's boyfriend. What does he have to do with anything?"

Kikyoku and Gekidoku stared at her.

"You're making fun of us." Gekidoku said flatly.

"Why would I do that?"

"So you have no idea who your boyfriend is?" Kikyoku asked.

Usagi stared at the two, confused. "Of course I know who my boyfriend is,
Mamo-Chan's in America at the moment, studying. What does that have to do with anything?"

Kunzite started to laugh. Throwing his head back, he laughed until tears came to his eyes.

Gekidoku gritted her teeth furiously and Kikyoku clenched her fists. As one they darted forward and slapped Kunzite's cheeks. He continued to laugh. Usagi just stared.

The girls turned back to Usagi.

"That man you've been seeing a lot of recently-the one who carried your groceries for your picnic-is called Zoisite." Gekidoku said too calmly. "Originally the fourth King of the Dark Kingdom, he killed Nephrite and was later killed by Beryl."

Kunzite winced at the reference. Usagi stared at the girl. She'd known Kenji-kun had his secrets but . . . this? Several little things clicked in Usagi's mind and she sat down, hard, where she was.

Is this true Usagi-chan?

Well . . . It may be . . .

U-sa-gi Luna gritted out.

Yes?

Have you been hanging out with Zoisite?

WellyesbutIdidn'tknowitatthetime!

Again and slowly this time, Usagi.

Well, yes but I didn't know at the time!

U-sa-gi! Where did you even find him?!

Remember the man in the park? Er . . .

USAGI!!

Can you yell at me later? Even Kunzite is staring at us . . .er . . . me.

You'll get an earful later. Luna promised.

Usagi sighed.

"I guess you really didn't know." Kikyoku laughed.

Usagi mustered her scattered wits and stood up. "So what does knowing . . .er . . . Zoisite-kun have to do with anything?"

"We hate Kunzite." Kikyoku said simply. "And we want to make him suffer. Unfortunately we can't touch him. However, we can touch you and Zoisite. Since you seem to be Zoisite's new lover . . . Need I elaborate?"

Usagi stared at the pair of girls, her mouth hanging open. "B-but Z-Zoisite-kun's gay! He doesn't even consider women attractive!" Usagi was getting angry again. "And anyway boys and girls can be friends without any romantic involvement!"

They laughed at her. "Whatever you say. It still stands that you're important to Zoisite and we aren't going to let you go."

"I wasn't asking you to! And stop treating him so familiarly! It should at least be Zoisite-san to you!"

Kikyoku slapped Usagi. Anger overcame common sense. Usagi's hand snapped up and slapped Kikyoku's cheek even harder.

Kikyoku and Gedkidoku glared daggers at her. Usagi was still too angry to be afraid and glared right back. Then the man who had given her the water-Hadn't Kikyoku said his name was Ekiri before the fight in the clearing? -Came back.

"Girls, come away from her."

"She slapped Kikyoku!"

"You can punish her later. For right now, leave her alone. Come on."

Reluctantly they did as he said, promising agony with their eyes. Usagi forced herself to stand perfectly still and stare back. When they were gone she let her breath out explosively and flopped onto the floor.

"Scary." Was all she said as she put her cat and the jug down, noting that her arms were aching.

"I can't decide if you're brave or stupid." Kunzite's voice was emotionless.

She decided not to answer that, instead tilting her head back to look at him.

"They called you Kunzite, didn't they?"

"Kunzite-sama to you."

"Kunzite-san. You're not my king." She said firmly.

He looked at her inscrutably.

Usagi squirmed under his gaze and reached for the water.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked.

"I'm not sure I can drink."

Usagi eyed the vines dubiously. "Does that hurt?"

"More than you can imagine."

Silence.

Luna, you should leave me and hide. Just in case I need someone to save me.

Luna snorted. You always need someone to save you. If only from yourself.

HEY!

But Luna did as she was asked and calmly trotted away, pretending to be interested in exploring by herself. Usagi went back to staring at Kunzite. He leveled a cold, indifferent gaze on her. The silence-and his look-started to grate on her nerves.

"When did you last see Zoisite-kun?"

"The last time the Master called him in here." His eyes became shadowy, then cleared again.

Usagi twiddled her thumbs. And discovered a comb, a handkerchief, two rubber bands, a paper clip, several balls of lint, a mint, a few waded up receipts, a pen that was out of ink, and a few yen in her pocket. She fiddled with the ends of her hair. Growling under her breath she snatched up the jug of water and pulled out the handkerchief. Liberally applying water to the cloth, she stood up and began to wash Kunzite's face.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded.

"Washing your face. It's filthy and I'm bored and uncomfortable."

"Stop it!"

"So you look bad when Zoisite-kun shows? You should thank me for cleaning you up." She pursed her lips. "It's really too early to say, but you might actually be good looking under all this yucky stuff." He seemed to choke on something. "Anyway, this is much better than just sitting around."

"Being a prisoner isn't supposed to be entertaining."

"Luckily you're here to fix that!" Usagi replied cheerfully. Very casually she asked, "Are you Zoisite-kun's boyfriend?"

Kunzite choked.

"Did I offend you? Should I have said 'lover'?"

Kunzite sighed. "Are you always this disturbing?"

"Most of the time, yes. At least you said, "disturbing" instead of "annoying". That's what Rei would have said if she were you."

He sighed. "You were frightened of me earlier."

"That was before I realized that you weren't going to blast me or rip my intestines out through my nose and use them for shoelaces."

"I see."

Usagi chattered to Kunzite as she continued to clean his face. She was telling him all about the newest game at the arcade when Kunzite finally asked, "How close of a friend are you to Zoisite?"

"I'm not sure anymore. I still like him but . . . He's not the same person in my mind anymore. Before though, we were close enough that I called him 'Kenji-kun'-That's what he told me his name was. He used to appear out of nowhere and we'd talk for ages and ages." Her eyes became unfocused and her hand stopped cleaning Kunzite's face. "He was so sad and lonely. He used to try to hide it by being terribly angry but it's hard to be angry all the time." With an almost audible snap, she came back to her surroundings and continued cleaning Kunzite's face. "Well, this explains why he'd never had a triple hot fudge sundae before!" She half grimaced, half smiled at the memory. "We certainly gave the other customers something to talk about!"

Kunzite looked at her, intrigued. "How did you meet Zoisaito?"

"I ran into him. Literally!" She laughed again. "He was walking through the park, scowling so hard that everyone with any sense was keeping out of his way even though he wasn't really looking where he was going. I was late though, and panicking so I was running as fast as I could, also not looking where I was going. Life, being the way it is, demands that when two people aren't looking where they are going, they run into each other. And we did. So hard that we both fell down with a crash that everyone in the park could hear! He was so furious he couldn't speak. I thought I'd hurt him; then he found his voice and started screaming at me and shaking me. When I got over my shock at his behavior, I got angry and started screaming at him and jamming my finger into his chest. So there we are, standing in the middle of the park, shrieking at the top of our lungs at each other. Finally, I stormed away with a parting insult."

"You're lucky he didn't kill you." Kunzite said scornfully, although his lips twitched.

"Fate and Destiny wouldn't be that careless with me."

Now Kunzite did laugh, but it was bitter, disillusioned laughter. "You'd be surprised."

In silence Usagi finished cleaning his face. Finishing, she stood back and nodded at her handiwork. "Very nice. Now let's see about your hair."

Kunzite watched her fish a comb out of her pocket and winced slightly. Noticing his look, she chuckled. "I promise to be gentle." She waved one of her streamers of hair at him. "I have even longer hair. I can imagine how it would hurt."

True to her word she was gentle with him. Or as gentle as she could be as she stood on tiptoes and leaned on the vines to comb his hair as best she could. As if his wince had nullified the unspoken taboo on speaking, Usagi started happily chattering to him once again.

"You should be worried."

Usagi stopped talking mid-word and frowned at him. "I am." She admitted. "That's one of the reasons I'm talking so much." Then she grinned at him and started telling him all the reasons why she hated carrots but adored ice cream.


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Mamoru sighed. "I really don't know." He repeated. "One second I was on the plane, on the way to the University of Chicago and the next I was in the rubble of Ginga Television Studios with Sailor Moon leaning over me. The only thing that separates the two is a flash of golden light."

FBI Agent Honda leaned closer. "Are you certain that's all you can tell us?"

Mamoru glared at him angrily. "Of course it's all I can tell you! It's all that I know!"

FBI Agent Ford, Honda's partner, leaned closer. "It's not that we don't believe you Mr. Chiba but we have to check our facts. It's very serious for a man to disappear off of an airplane at thirty thousand feet and reappear six months later in Japan with no memory of events. If whoever it was could do it to you and leave no trace, than why not all the key international figures? We need to protect our future."

Mamoru looked at the man steadily. "I'd help you if I could but I can't. I'm sorry." Mamoru stiffened as uneasiness and evil washed over him. Usako was in trouble! Agent Honda regarded Mamoru suspiciously with one beady eye. "Are you well Mr. Chiba?"

Mamoru pretended to check his watch, thinking quickly. "I'm sorry but I have an appointment in about fifteen minutes. I'm going to be late as it is. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Both agents looked at him with thinly veiled annoyance.

"Of course." Agent Honda agreed. "We're so sorry to take up your time."

All three men stood and Mamoru accompanied the Agents to the hallway, grabbing his jacket as he passed his coat rack. He then escorted the Agents into the hallway as he put his jacket on.

"Will you be available later this evening?" Agent Ford as suspiciously as they waited for the elevator. Mamoru decided to lie. "I had plans to see the sights tonight. I won't be in America forever so I plan to make the most of it while I go to school here."

"I see." Agent Honda said, grimacing slightly. "Then perhaps we can get together when it's more convenient to you?"

'That would be "never",' Mamoru thought. Out loud he said, "I'm pretty busy for the next few days. How's next Friday?"

Both agents looked at him disapprovingly. "So long?" asked Agent Ford.

"I want to be certain to make time for you." Mamoru replied smoothly. 'And restock my painkillers. I have such a headache . . . Usako, what kind of trouble are you in that you won't even tell me about it?'

They were in front of his apartment building now.

"Have fun at the dentist" Agent Honda said nonchalantly by way of a farewell.

Mamoru blinked. "But I didn't say I was going to the dentist." He pretended to glance at his watch. "I'm even later than I thought. Ja!" He swiftly hailed a cab and sped off.

Safe in the backseat of the cab, Mamoru smirked in relief. He had thought he was never going to get rid of them! Mamoru was engulfed by a sense of vertigo. Usako! Her danger had increased exponentially. Softly he cursed. What was that girl up to? Barely, he held his Tuxedo Kamen transformation at bay as he fought overwhelming waves of sickness. Biting his lower lip he forced himself to lean against the backseat of the cab and ignore his screaming head. All he had to do was hold out until the cab stopped at his destination and he found a handy alley. Then he was going to Japan.


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Venus snarled curses as the yoma's blood splattered across her chest. As she reached for the other senshi's mind, Setsuna's burst into hers.

I need help! A portal opened at the top of Tokyo Tower and yoma are pouring through it! I can't even begin to stem them!

Michiru and I are on our way, Setsuna.

So am I. Ami and Rei said in unison.

Minako and Makoto bit out several rather shocking phrases.

We have other problems. Venus informed the other soldiers through her curses. Usagi-chan was kidnapped.

WHAT?!

Venus caught a yoma in her chain and held it while Jupiter electrocuted it.

Usagi-chan was kidnapped. Saturn repeated for her as she blocked an attack. A few minutes ago, two of the Shiin Family-the youngest two-appeared at our picnic and took her.

YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT THEM!! Haruka shrieked as Michiru began her own litany of curses.

There were humans at our picnic. She wished to protect them from battle and find out why the Shiin Family is interested in Tsukino Usagi. Saturn explained. She was worried that they knew about her alternate identity.

AND YOU ALLOWED THE PRINCESS TO GO WITH THEM BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO?! Setsuna, having gotten over her initial shock, screamed.

We had no choice! Jupiter snapped as she sidestepped a charging yoma and kicked her in the back. It was more complicated than it sounds! We fought against her decision as hard as we could! But in the end we had to support her!

WHY DIDN'T YOU GO AFTER HER?! Rei demanded furiously. OR CALL US!

We would have but they double-crossed her and left yoma to kill us. Saturn said flatly as she chopped a yoma in half with her glaive. And she ordered us not to. Luna is with her though.

Enough with the chitchat Venus cut in as she rained Crescent Beams down on her opponent. Pluto, can you contain the yoma? One of them hit the yoma squarely. Within milliseconds, the yoma was a mound of green mush.

Pluto was silent for a moment. I believe I can.

Good. Do so. Pluto's mind vanished from their conference. We can't consult with Usagi-chan at the moment. She closed her mind off to us just before they teleported away with her so we'll just have to assume she's well. Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, and Mars join Pluto and deal with the yoma. Mercury, you contact Jadeite, inform him of events, and ask him to either join us at the Tower or go after Usagi. She's not his princess so he has no obligation, but I believe he will make the correct decision. We'll finish this lot off, deal with the humans, and join you at the Tower.

What about Usagi? Demanded Rei. We can't rely on Jadeite to save her.

I know you can never have faith in Jadeite, but Usagi-chan . . . Believe in her as she believes in us.

Venus felt the others leave her mind as Jupiter and Saturn finished off the last two yoma.

Fiercely she scanned the park for the other members of their picnic party. Seeing that the danger was over, they were obliging enough to emerge from their hiding place and walked over to join the senshi. Naru seemed totally composed by anyone's standards and Venus couldn't tell what the two men were thinking. It was Hikaru who caught at Venus' heart though. Although she was much better off than before, her expression was heart wrenching, made all the more forlorn by the rapidly appearing bruises on her cheeks. Venus shoved her feelings for Hikaru aside and concentrated on the task at hand.

She was the leader of the Sailor Senshi that protected the Moon Princess. Right now she had soldiers to lead and business to attend to and she couldn't afford to let Hikaru or her other emotions get in the way. Usagi was counting on her to keep her head and lead the others to her rescue and she wouldn't let her down. When she found battle though . . . Then she would allow her emotions a hand in matters.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn had moved to stand beside her and was watching the people she had been laughing with less than thirty minutes ago with a closed expression. Her eyes were remote, even cold, as she gazed upon them. She was the embodiment of the Soldier of Silence. Jupiter, meanwhile, had locked gazes with Aequila. His face was expressionless and his posture neutral. Venus glimpsed his eyes and something inside her shuddered for Makoto. His eyes were flat and reflected nothing of his thought or emotions. Jupiter's face and posture were as unenlightening as her lover's but her eyes displayed her emotions and thoughts painfully clearly. Venus knew she was witnessing an extremely private moment and looked away. Instead, she addressed herself to her other human friends, her voice unavoidably cold.

"You've seen things today that we never meant for you to see. We never expected that to happen or for you to be so directly involved in our wars. I'm sorry. The only thing we can do is to try to explain but there isn't time. There's a major attack going on at Tokyo Tower right now and Usagi-chan needs our help. When everything is over, we'll explain what we can to you." Venus turned to leave. Over her shoulder, she called, "Artemis."

Her cat leapt from Naru's shoulder and ran to her, jumping at the last moment to land on her shoulder and dig his claws into her body suit.

"So that's it?" Motoki demanded harshly. "They kidnap Usagi-chan because you're Sailor Senshi and you write her off as another casualty of war?"

Saturn answered for her, her voice as cold as Mercury's ice. "She knew the risks better than you can imagine and is more than capable of dealing with them. We have faith in her."

Motoki glared. "She's probably alone and frightened! Usagi-chan-"

"-is Sailor Moon," Naru cut in calmly. "Sailor Venus, Sailor Saturn, I understand what you've been trying to say. Why don't we all get together later? After Usagi's back, safe and sound, of course."

Venus nodded without turning around and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Saturn doing the same. "Thank you," Venus murmured gravely.

Mako? She asked tentatively.

I'm coming Minako . . . She radiated sadness in Venus' mind as she turned from her love to join the other two. Venus saw her turn from the unresponsive Aequila and sent her warmth, and love, and sympathy, feeling Saturn do so at the same time. Artemis sent her the mental equivalent of a hug as he joined his love for Jupiter with theirs.

"Makoto-Sailor Jupiter." Jupiter stopped halfway to her destination but did not turn around. "Are we still on for dinner tonight? Assuming you've concluded your business, of course, and Usagi-chan is safe."

Jupiter turned around, a beautiful smile lighting her face up. "Of course." She breathed. "If you still want to that is. I'd understand if you didn't . . ."

He offered her a small smile. "Having seen you in the shortest of short mini-skirts? Now you're going to have trouble keeping me away!"

Jupiter laughed. She started to run in the general direction or Tokyo Tower, flashing a wave to Aequila and the other members of the ill-fated picnic over her shoulder. Venus and Saturn joined her, smiling to each other mentally.

Artemis frowned. Are you certain that we shouldn't have awakened him? We could use his strength in our current situation.

Positive. We promised Mako-chan that we would leave him out of Senshi business for the time being. Venus replied.

Besides, Saturn added now is not the time to teach him how to fight alongside us.

Artemis sighed. Perhaps you're right. He frowned again. Luna and I are going to have to watch that boy . . . he told them darkly.

We certainly are . . .Venus agreed. Despite the present circumstances she mentally smirked at her partner. They're going to be quite interesting.

MINAKO!

Venus and Saturn laugh.


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Pluto shuddered. She hated mental contact but it had been necessary. It had been so easy to become accustomed to companionship from the other senshi but she couldn't afford this, more intimate, form of companionship. It would make it that much harder to return to her duties in the Time Stream. The end of the Silver Millennium had taught her that. Her returns to the Time Stream from her trips to Earth had only reinforced the knowledge. She shook her head and forced her mind back to her current task. She had to find a way to contain the yoma. Turning back to the Tokyo Tower, she studied her situation. The portal was between the legs of the tower itself and yoma were still coming from it. Already they were beginning to surge into the surrounding parts of the city.

Pluto closed her eyes and began to marshal her strength, the Sign of Pluto blazing on her forehead. Slowly, she began to rise until she was floating in the nimbus of her power. Swiftly she flew out of her ally and over the army of yoma. Attacks flew in her general direction but they either missed due to terrible aim or Pluto dodged them, not wishing to waste the energy it would take to deflect them. A few connected, though. Soon she was floating high over the point of the Tokyo Tower. She raised her hands into a prayer position.

"PLUTO COSMIC POWER!"

Her power shot out in a wave from her nimbus, falling down to earth as a dome of power over and around the Tokyo Tower and its invading yoma. The buildings and yoma unfortunate enough to be where the walls of her dome fell were instantly incinerated by its sheer power. Any yoma that touched those walls soon followed their comrades. Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, Pluto fought her own inner demons. In the back of her mind, a small voice asked, 'What of the humans in there?'

'If there were any, they're probably already dead.' The rest of her replied. 'Except for Usagi-chan, they don't take prisoners.'

'Usually' the voice agreed. 'But what if this is one of those strange exceptions?'

'I have to save the rest of the humans! Sacrifices must be made!'

'Usagi-chan never believed in sacrifices.' The voice whispered back.

Tears welled in her eyes that she refused to let fall. 'I'm not Usagi-chan! I can't do that! I don't have that kind of power! I'll be lucky to maintain this of barrier as long as I need to!'

The voice fell silent but Pluto's heart still wept for those who died. Those she had been forced to sacrifice.


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It had been something as a shock to check the energy reserves that Zoisite had gathered and find that he almost had enough energy for his plans. That particular discovery had almost made him regret giving the Shiin Family permission to destroy Zoisite. Almost.

The Master looked at the cocoons forming under his outstretched hands lovingly. Soon, very soon, he would have minions of his own. Then he would have no need for the arrogant Rubeus, the overly cautious Safir and Demando, the meddling Nephrite, the secretive Zoisite, or the tragic Kunzite. These, his children, would be utterly loyal to him. They wouldn't be unpredictable or unreliable and they would carry out his will without forcing him to put up with petty squabbling or feuds. They would be perfect.

All he needed now was a little more energy from the Shiin Family's revenge and Kunzite. He was certain he could get both. Energy in one form or another would be used during the destruction of Zoisite and he could siphon what he needed. Then he would take his unborn children to Earth and come back for Kunzite. He would need Kunzite's dark emotions to make his children grow. After that he would no longer have any use for the Dark Kingdom or its denizens and he planned to leave it to its fate. He could only hope that the Sailor Senshi would be so kind as to destroy it and everyone and everything in it after he left.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Jiyuujin Hisui was in a rather important meeting when his briefcase started to bleep insistently. The other men and women at the long table looked at their president expectantly. Swiftly, he asked his vice president to take over and excused himself, taking his beeping briefcase with him. Returning to his office in unseemly haste, he extracted his bubble gum pink communicator, grimacing in passing at the color. He needed to talk to Usagi-chan as soon as possible about getting a new, more masculine, communicator. Pressing the 'On' button he smiled and called "Jadeite here."

Mercury's pinched face appeared, her eyes twin chips of ice. When she spoke, her voice was precise and clipped. "Jadeite, we have serious problems. The Shiin Family has kidnapped Usagi-chan-"

Jadeite paled. "NO!"

Mercury nodded solemnly. "There's more. There's a portal open in the Tokyo Tower and hordes of yoma are coming out of it. Pluto's trying to contain them. We're trying to deal with them. After that we'll go after Usagi-chan."

"We can't leave her alone in the clutches of the Shiin Family!"

Jadeite ground his teeth, in the grips of an intense struggle. He cared a great deal for Meioh Setsuna but could he honestly say he was in love with her? Had she ever once expressed a depth of emotion for him other than, at best, casual friendship? The answer was no to both questions. Even on their dates, Setsuna had held him at a distance, never allowing him to get close to her. Usagi was her polar opposite though. While he was not in love with Usagi, he did love her and she had often expressed a depth of emotion for him that went beyond simple friendship. She was like the family he had never had and he was certain he had a place in her heart of hearts, however unworthy his past made him of it. Words to explain these things did not come to him though as he haltingly tried to tell Mercury his thoughts. "I do believe in her . . .but . . .I . . ." He gave up. "I'm sorry Mercury but I won't be joining you at the Tower."

Her eyes and voice soften slightly. "Acknowledged. Mercury out." Her face disappeared and static took its place as Hisui shut his communicator off. In a flash of light, Jadeite now stood in Hisui's place. Calmly he toggled the intercom. "Chan-san, important business has unexpectedly come up. Would you cancel and reschedule all my appointments for today and tomorrow?"

When he disappeared from the human world, having been locked into the Eternal Crystal, Kimi Chan, his secretary, had calmly gone about running the companies against his eventual return. When he had returned, appearing on the doorstep one morning before work she had greeted him in her usual fashion. Thanks to her, the transfer of power over his companies back into his hands had gone smoothly. Naturally, he had offered to make her his second but she had declined saying that she preferred to be his secretary, although she wouldn't mind a pay raise. Naturally, he had given her the raise and a bonus to go with it. Briefly he reflected on his luck in picking this capable woman for his secretary as her voice calmly agreed to his plans.

"After you finish, you can have the rest of today and tomorrow off."

"Thank you sir."

"And I'll be going out by the back way."

"Right. Good luck in your venture sir."

"Thank you. I'm going to need it. Goodbye Chan-san."

"Goodbye sir."

Then Jadeite disappeared.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Usagi was discussing Sailor V with Kunzite and combing his hair when Zetsumei arrived in the shadows that Ekiri, Kikyoku, and Gekidoku were watching the pair from. Or rather, she was talking to Kunzite about Sailor V. Kunzite, for his part, had a faintly pained expression. Zetsumei listened to the blond chatterbox for a moment, then turned to Ekiri, Gekidoku and Kikyoku. "Has she been chattering like this the entire time?"

Ekiri grinned. "Pretty much, yes."

"After she got over being sick from the teleport here." Kikyoku put in.

"And her fear of Kunzite." Gekidoku added.

Ekiri grinned even more widely. "Kunzite's reactions to her are priceless."

"How did your yoma collection go?" Kikyoku asked.

"Well," Zetsumei replied. "And your kidnapping?"

Gekidoku frowned. "She slapped Kikyoku."

Zetsumei arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"After she yelled at us to treat Zoisite with more respect." Kikyoku answered. "She said that we should refer to him as 'Zoisite-san'."

"How spirited of her. It shall be fun to break her of it. Speaking of breaking people, have Sado and Shikaku returned yet?"

"Not yet." Ekiri replied.

Zetsumei frowned. "I would rather not get behind schedule." She sighed. "But it cannot be helped. Gekidoku, Kikyoku, go find Zoisite. When you find him-"

As if her words had been a summons, Sado and Shikaku appeared in the shadows. Shikaku grimaced. "What a mess. The long and short of the entire affair is, from our perspective, the mission was a success. Even if Rubeus dies-which is more than likely."

Sado smirked. "We should only be so lucky."

Zetsumei smiled at her brother's jest. "No matter. Kikyoku, Gekidoku, go wait for Zoisite in his quarters. Give him a warm welcome and invite him to join us."

"Don't you mean 'Zoisite-san', Zetsumei?" Kikyoku asked innocently.

Zetsumei tweaked her little sister's nose. "I'm not the one, Kikyoku, who received the lecture, now am I?"

Kikyoku made a face at her older sister. Then she and Gekidoku linked hands and teleported.

"Ekiri, Sado, and Shikaku, go collect yoma. I'll watch our guests. Return in thirty minutes to see if Kikyoku and Gekidoku have collected Zoisite. If not, Shikaku can watch over the girl and Kunzite, Ekiri and Sado can go and wait for Zoisite, and the girls and I will go collect yoma. If Zoisite's still not back, we'll rotate again."

They nodded.

"See you in thirty minutes" Was all Ekiri said in farewell before he and the other men teleported. Zetsumei settled down to watch their guest, laughing when something she said caused Kunzite to pale.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


When Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn arrived, Pluto was still holding the dome. Mercury was standing outside of it, her visor on and laptop out. Uranus, Neptune, and Mars had formed a V-shaped wedge and were creating a path of blood through the yoma. Mars had formed a firewall around the three of them inside the dome. From this circle, they struck down all those yoma within the range of their powers. Venus could see other circles, now merely glowing embers, surrounded by dead yoma in various stages and forms of decay.

Artemis leapt from her shoulder and began to transform. In moments, A slender young man with long white hair, blue eyes, and long fingers stood next to her. Dressed in two shades of white, the human Artemis' forehead was adorned with a golden Crescent Moon.

"Mercury, what's going on?"

"Uranus, Neptune, and Mars are dealing with the yoma. Or at least trying to lessen their numbers. I'm trying to find a way to destroy the portal." Her laptop let out a demanding whistle. "Found it! She tapped on the earring that activated her visor.

"Can we help?" Venus asked.

"No, you'd need my visor to see what to hit."

"Right. Good luck, Mercury." She turned to Artemis, Jupiter and Saturn. "Let's go help the others."

As her friends waded in to join the others, Mercury started to float. She sat down on a seat of air and a harp of water appeared in her hands.

"MERCURY AQUA RAPSODY!"

As beautiful music poured from her instrument, deadly jets of ice water shot from where ever her fingers touched a string. The ice jets cut through the yoma with shocking ease, first freezing then into icy statues, then shattering them as they passed through them on the way to their target. With a loud detonation, half of the portal collapsed on the yoma emerging from it.

"MERCURY AQUA RAPSODY!"

Again she attacked the portal, this time destroying it entirely and stopping the advance of yoma onto Earth. Grinning savagely, Mercury joined her sisters-in-arms and Artemis in dealing with the yoma under Pluto's dome.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Luna had found the perfect spot for what she had in mind. It was high and hidden by the shadows that seemed to be everywhere. It was just large enough for her as a human and it commanded a view of the entire throne room. There was just one problem. Someone else was already in it.

Carefully she approached the gray- clad back, feeling that there was something vaguely familiar about the masses of chestnut locks. 'It couldn't be . . .' He chose that moment to glance to the side and froze, seeing her out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned all the way around. 'Nephrite!'

"Meow?" Luna offered hopefully as she inched closer.

His eyes narrowed and he raised one hand but it didn't matter. A beam of golden light shot from her Crescent Moon and landed on his forehead. Instantly, he sought to fight her with his mind, to drive him out. But this was Luna's specialty and ruthlessly she cut down each of his defenses as she gently burrowed more and more deeply into his consciousness. To the bitter end he fought her. All the way until the moment she found the barrier she was looking for and smashed its floodgates open did he fight. Then his eyes glazed over and he became unnaturally docile as he crouched there, frozen in the position Luna had found him in. Finally, his eyes cleared and he smiled mockingly.

"Defeated by Sailor Moon's cat."

Luna snorted. "I'm more than a cat and I don't belong to her."

He started. "You can talk?!"

Luna swished her tail in obvious annoyance. "I wish people would get over it. Yes, I can talk." She peered at him. "Aren't you dead?"

His mocking smile returned full force. "The Master-sama was kind enough to change that." He peered into the throne room. "Why did they kidnap her? Do they know?"

Luna sat down next to him. "No. She decided to befriend Zoisite while he was pretending to be human. They saw it and thought to use her as a way to get at him. Ultimately, the entire thing is a way to get at Kunzite. At least I think so." She frowned, or as much as a cat could. "At least I think that's it. For some reason, they seem unable to touch Kunzite themselves."

"Master-sama probably forbade it."

Luna blinked at him. "Who? You've mentioned him twice now."

He shrugged as he stared at Usagi and Kunzite. "I'm not really sure. I've only met him a few times myself. Anyway, he set a rule that none of us are to kill any of the rest of us but he seems to have lifted that protection from Zoisite. Speaking of death, why aren't you trying to kill me?"

Luna looked away from him, suddenly extremely uncomfortable. "She told me how
you died. There's good somewhere in you. She wouldn't forgive me for destroying you."

He snorted but didn't comment. Instead he changed the subject. "Why is she doing that for him anyway?"

"What?"

"The girl. Your precious Usagi. Why is she doing that for Kunzite-san?"

Luna herself peered down at the pair, saw Usagi fiddling with Kunzite's hair, and groaned. "She probably got bored. That girl has the shortest attention span!"

Nephrite actually laughed. There was more than a trace of bitterness in it, but it was still a laugh. "I imagine she's a handful."

"A bigger handful than you can possibly imagine. I-" she cut off as a body materialized just over Nephrite's head and proceeded to fall on him. In the tangle of arms, legs, and curses that ensued, Luna identified a shock of blond hair, a pair of blue eyes, and a familiar voice. "If you please!" Luna hissed at the pair. "Do you want everyone to know where we are?"

At the vehemence in her voice, the pair stopped struggling and looked up at the angry cat.

"Sorry Luna-san," Jadeite apologized contritely. He spoiled his apology by shooting an accusative glare at Nephrite over his shoulder, "I wasn't expecting someone else to be here."

"Surprises are good for you Jadeite-san," Nephrite told him lazily, ignoring the fact that Jadeite was basically sitting on him. "Keeps you on your toes. And you need all the help you can get. Let's not forget your debacles before the Eternal Sleep."

Jadeite shot him a nasty glare. "Aren't you dead?"

"Was is the correct verb. I was dead. Of course, I could ask you the same thing about the Eternal Sleep."

As Jadeite opened his mouth to retaliate, Luna cut him. "Gentlemen! We don't have time for this. Usagi-chan's counting on us!"

"You" Nephrite reminded her. "I don't believe she knows about Jadeite and I. And I didn't agree to help."

Luna sighed. "Whatever." The two youngest of the girls-Gekidoku and Kikyoku, she vaguely remembered-appeared in the throne room, a furious Zoisite between them. "It doesn't matter right now. I don't care what you do but get out of my recess and stay out of my way," her form began to shimmer, "I've got a princess to protect."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Tuxedo Kamen appeared in Chiba Mamoru's apartment. It had occurred to him that he might not be strong enough to teleport directly to Tokyo, so he had bought a map of the Pacific and had island-jumped, until he was close enough to Tokyo to risk a long jump. Heedless of the dust covering the sheets he had left over his furniture, he collapsed in a chair, exhausted. Only to double over in a fit of coughing.

When he could breathe again, he cast his mind out, searching for Usagi. With a sinking heart, he realized that she wasn't in the city. But there were massive amounts of dark energy near the Tokyo Tower. Silently he debated with himself as he traced the bond between Usagi and himself. With a sinking heart he realized where she was. The Dark Kingdom. He groaned.

He couldn't leave her, his only love, to rot in the Dark Kingdom. But, on the other hand, neither could he allow that much dark energy to fester in the city. With an iron-will he clamped down on his feelings and opened the catch on his French windows. Gracefully, he leapt from his balcony to the one below, then to the one below that. His destination: Tokyo Tower.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Usagi was putting the finishing touches on Kunzite's hair when she felt them. Instinctively she stiffened as she watched Kunzite gaze over her shoulder. Slowly, she replaced the comb in her subspace pocket and turned around. Between Gekidoku and Kikyoku stood Zoisite. He was disheveled and missing his coat. Instead he wore a green undershirt that matched both the green trim on his uniform and his green eyes. There were broad streaks of dirt across his forehead and one on his left cheek. Unconsciously, her eyes darted over his stiffly erect form, looking for injury. As she sighed with relief over his well being, it occurred to her what her eyes had been doing and why she was suddenly so happy. She held back a groan. Things were too complicated.

Next to Gekidoku appeared Sado, dressed in his customary leather and carrying a new whip. Next to Kikyoku appeared Shikaku, his customary shadows still clinging to him. Behind Zoisite appeared Ekiri, still attired in his rags. In front of Zoisite, her back to him so that she faced Kunzite, appeared Zetsunei, majestic as always.

Her crimson eyes on Kunzite, she intoned in a ringing voice, "And thus do we keep our oath of vengeance upon you for the humiliation of our beloved Kikyoku."

Kunzite's eyes narrowed. "Would it not have been more humiliating if I had chosen to use your little sister's love? I was honest when I rejected her, something that rarely happens here."

"You made her cry!" Gekidoku shrieked. "I can never, never forgive you for that! Not even if you suffered a million times her pain for a billion years! NEVER!"

'Those two are children!' Usagi realized with a shock as she listened to the vow of undying hatred. 'And Kunzite was probably Kikyoku's first crush.' She made a face in her mind. 'They react to heartbreaks even worse than Daddy.'

Kunzite sighed the sigh of one who has been pushed beyond all endurance. "I was honest with her, little girl. I could have used her and her foolish love to get out of this wall, then killed her the first chance I had. But I didn't. I already had a love," here his eyes moved to meet Zoisite's, "whom I could never betray in that way."

"Love is never foolish!" Usagi instinctively protested. "But just because it didn't end up the way you wanted it to is no reason to destroy everything your would-be lover ever loved."

"Love is always foolish in the Dark Kingdom" Kunzite informed her flatly.

Kikyoku looked at her coldly. "If he won't love me, then he will love nothing."

Usagi looked at the other members of the Shiin Family hopelessly. "And you would allow her to do this? To taint her soul this way?"

Ekiri looked at her with a kind of pity. "You are human. You would never, could never, understand. But this is very, very necessary among our people."

Kunzite looked down on her emotionlessly. "Don't feel too badly for me. I understand completely. You should be more concerned for your own welfare."

Usagi stared at him, shocked.

Then Zoisite, speaking for the first time, piped up. "Gomen Usagi-chan. I did not mean to involve you in this but . . ." he sighed, "I was lonely. And now you must pay for my weakness."

Usagi blasted the depressed man with one of her sunniest smiles. "Don't worry about it Zoisite-kun. It'll be okay."

"How do you reckon that?" Sado sneered.

Usagi favored him with one of her sweetest smiles as she confidently answered. "The Sailor Senshi will save us."

He roared with laughter as he pulled his whip. "You think so?" With a flick of his wrist the thing lashed out, seemingly stretching as it flew across the room, to catch Usagi, wrapping around her chest and shoulders as its tassel dug into her side. Inexorably he began to pull her toward himself, despite her frantic struggles. "Let's see them save you from me." His eyes began to glitter evilly. "My, but you are a pretty thing. Or should I say were?"

Zoisite, despite his own danger, whirled to face Sado's direction, his hand flying up.

"ZOI!"

Torrents of acidic cherry blossom petals flew from his hand, catching Gekidoku fully in the face as they whirled around her to hit Sado along his side. Gekidoku screamed in agony as she fell over and Sado, shouting hoarsely, fell on his unharmed side. With all of her strength Kikyoku kicked Zoisite in the groin, sending the small man crashing to the floor, doubled over in pain. Ekiri knelt beside him and seemed to breathe on him. Zoisite whimpered then gave a racking cough.

Sado, despite his pain, had not released the handle of his whip. Now, he yanked vicious, pulling Usagi off her feet. Desperately, Usagi's feet scrabbled to find a purchase as the long arm of the whip pulled her across the floor. With each of her efforts, however, the tassel dug even more deeply into her side and her mind flailed around the room. Then, Luna's mental voice was there, sternly commanding her to hold still. Obediently, Usagi instantly stopped fighting.

"LUNAR ARROW!"

A tawny arrow arced from the shadows on the far side of the room to slam into the whip's length and cause an explosion.

LUNAR ARROW!

LUNAR ARROW!

LUNAR ARROW!

Three more arrows arced from the shadows to slam into the flagstones of the throne room. Gravel that had once been the stone of the floor of the throne room showered down on them as a cloud of dust obscured everything.

An especially sharp pebble cut Usagi's cheek as a man's form materialized beside her. With an almost inaudible yelp Usagi tried to dart away from the man, but his arms encircled her waist, dragging her back to him. Futilely her legs kicked at the air as she squirmed fiercely in his grip. "Usa-chan" Jadeite's voice ground out in her ear, "if you keep this up, I'm going to drop you." Instantly, she stilled in his arms. Then he teleported away with her to reappear floating over a nook in which Luna stood, fully human. Nephrite reappeared, Zoisite slung over one shoulder.

Usagi started in Jadeite's arms. "N-Nephrite?" Her eyes slid to Zoisite's form. "Why?"

"Don't blame me for the little rat's continued existence. She," he nodded at Luna, "made me go get him."

Jadeite floated down to slip an arm around Luna's waist. "Your place?" he asked Nephrite. Nephrite nodded his assent, then teleported. Jadeite teleported after him.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


When the debris cleared, Kikyoku lay over Gekidoku, protecting her twin from further harm as she held a bandage, hastily made from her own skirt, to the other girl's damaged face. Slowly she sat up to take stock of the rest of her family, the pressure her hand was applying to her twin's face never wavering.

Zetsumei was crouching over Sado, protecting him and his wounded side from the attack and the resulting shower of dirt and stones. Ekiri lay unconscious, a vicious gash in his side and a slash down his arm both of which are rapidly soaking his rags and dying them so deep a red, it's almost black. Next to him knelt Shikaku, quickly ripping his clothing into bandages. He turned to her, sensing her gaze upon him. "Kikyoku, come here."

Wordlessly, Gekidoku's hand came up to hold her own bandage. Kikyoku, pausing long enough to make certain that her sister was holding the bandage on firmly, scampered to her brothers' side. Silently, she held the bandages where Shikaku told her to hold them as he bound them tightly in place. "Watch over him." She nodded. Then Shikaku went to check on Gekidoku.

"What happened to Ekiri?" Zetsumei asked, her voice calm but strained.

"Nephrite," Shikaku answered as he worked on Gekidoku. "He appeared, used his Star Sword on Ekiri, and stole Zoisite." There was a pause. "His transgression will kill him though. Ekiri infected Zoisite with a plague from one of Saturn's moons and knowing Ekiri it's probably incredibly contagious. Zoisite's as good as dead and he'll infect Nephrite, the girl, and whoever else is helping them before he goes so that they can follow him into death."

As Shikaku took care of Sado, Zetsumei strode up to Kunzite. Dead, emotionless ice blue eyes staring into coldly burning crimson eyes. She held her hand out to the side, her si appearing in it. The weapon and the arms that held blurred as they arced down. Kikyoku thought she saw a slight smile appear on the Ice King's face as the si cleanly severed his head from his neck. The head arced gracefully through the air, before hit the ground with an audible thump. From there it rolled a few feet before halting, face down, in a newly formed depression in the floor. Kikyoku started at the head, fascinated, until something warm and wet trickled onto her fingers. Looking down, she saw that Ekiri's blood soaked through the first layer of bandages. Kikyoku quickly shredded her skirt for another layer. "Shikaku, he's loosing a lot of blood."

"Put another layer of bandages on."

"I have."

He reappeared at her side, frowning. "Zetsumei, he can't wait much longer for a transfusion and real attention."

"Leave Gekidoku and Sado to me. Take Kikyoku and Ekiri back to Ekiri's lab and start the transfusion."

"Right."

He placed a hand on Ekiri's chest and one on Kikyoku shoulder. In a flash of welcoming darkness they were in Ekiri's lab. Kikyoku eyes slid into slits against the sudden increase in light. The throne room had been rather dark and Ekiri's lab was like being in the center of the sun. Ekiri had always loved light.

Shoving her thought away, she scrambled onto a nearby table as Shikaku came towards her with the medical equipment necessary for a transfusion. Sudden changes in anything had never fazed him. He merely continued doing whatever it was he needed to do, adjusting to the changes as he went. Quickly and efficiently he got the transfusion going before he started seriously working on their brother.

Thoughtfully, Kikyoku gazed down on Ekiri. Of her three brothers, she had always considered him to be the most fragile and, despite his outward appearances, one of the most beautiful people who had ever lived. He was thoughtful, brilliant, and curious. If he didn't know the answer to your question, he would find out for you so that he could teach it to you. He loved teaching almost as much as learning. Her eyes took in the many tubes in his flesh that poured her blood, among other, less identifiable fluids, into Ekiri. Now, he looked so vulnerable and helpless . . . even more fragile than he usually appeared to Kikyoku.

Perhaps because of his own looks, he loved beauty. Her thoughts turned to that Usagi girl. Perhaps that was why he had been so kind to her. Why he had kept Gekidoku and she from hurting her unduly. Perhaps . . . She was beautiful, Kikyoku admitted silently to herself. Physically, she was merely pretty, perhaps even lovely. No, it wasn't her physical attraction that caused Kikyoku to say she was beautiful. There was innocence in her eyes. And Purity seemed to encircle her in her arms. Then there was that Inner Light . . . The Light that seemed to radiate from her to gently caress everything and everyone around her. Was it the Light that had bent Zoisite to feel concern for her well being? Or was it something else? Something Kikyoku hadn't noticed?

Zetsumei gently shaking her shoulder roused her from her musings.

"KiKyoku? Kikyoku?"

Kikyoku blinked owlishly. When had Shikaku stopped working on Ekiri? She hadn't noticed. "Uhhn . . . Zetsumei?" As from a distance, she noticed that her sister's caftan was still spattered with Sado's blood. Kunzite hadn't had any blood.

"Kikyoku, you have given enough blood. Go rest in Ekiri's bedroom. When Shikaku's finished with Gekidoku, she will join you."

Kikyoku nodded mutely, suddenly realizing that she was exhausted. Suddenly terrified by her tiredness, Kikyoku blurted "Zetsumei, what if something bad happens? What if we're attacked and I'm too tired to help protect the others? What if the Master-sama attacks us for killing Kunzite?" She shuddered, caught between her macabre imagination and simple exhaustion. Gently, Zetsumei took Kikyoku's shoulders and shook them, her crimson eyes glowing slightly. "Nothing bad is going to happen and the others will be fine. I'll make certain of it. And never call the Master '-sama'!" Her eyes lost their glow "You're very tired Kikyoku. Go sleep."

Numbly, Kikyoku nodded before ambling to Ekiri's room, only vaguely aware of Zetsumei giving blood to Ekiri as she had. Tumbling into bed, she prayed that the deaths of the Zoisite and his girl would be long and painful. Then she fell into a dark and dreamless sleep.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Jadeite frown at her side and Usagi devoutly wished Luna were there. When they had appeared in Nephrite's rather luxurious room, Usagi had demanded to know who else had been resurrected. Upon hearing that Rubeus Demando and Safir had been resurrected and Nephrite knew where Demando and Safir were, Usagi had begged her to go get them. At first, Luna had flatly refused to leave her. Then she had claimed no knowledge of their whereabouts in the Dark Kingdom and Usagi had enlisted the aide of the Boss, after another protracted battle. Now Luna, and the Boss's headset, was gone. And she was feeling rather naked in just her bra.

Jadeite had forced her to remove her shirt so that he could examine her wound from the whip. She couldn't really see the wound, but she knew from the fabric of the divan she was on that it was still bleeding and she knew every time she breathed that the whip's tassel had become more embedded into her flesh. And now Jadeite's grim face was scaring her.

"So, um, why're you here?"

"To get you, of course." He frowned harder still and Usagi gulped.

Nephrite reappeared from his bedroom, where he had been making the unconscious Zoisite comfortable in his bed. Usagi had been insistent about that. Nephrite had refused her at first, but she had nagged and begged and, in the end, threatened to wail. That had gotten him to concede defeat on the matter.

"Nephrite, take a look at her side."

Usagi, who was already scarlet, blushed several shades deeper as Nephrite came to kneel next to Jadeite who was kneeling next to Usagi's divan. He peered at her side for a few moments, before something curious happened. His face got the same expression as Jadeite's. Jadeite seemed to notice this too because he nodded to himself. "So you agree then." Usagi could tell that it was more of a statement and less of a question. Like a confirmation of a known fact.

"I'm afraid I do. I'll go get what I have in the way of tools." He made a face. "I never studied real medicine, just the field kind so I have no real medical supplies."

"Well that makes two of us."

Nephrite nodded and left and, suddenly, Usagi was terrified. Jadeite, turning back to her, must have noticed her distress because his own, rather grim, expression softened slightly. Gently he began to stroke her hair as he held a bloody bandage to her wound. "It's okay Usa-chan. We know what we're doing and we've done it before. We're really very good at it. If Kunzite were here, you could ask him."

Usagi nodded slowly as her panic ebbed to less overwhelming levels.

"Just what are you going to do to me, Jadeite-kun?"

"We're going to have to take the whip tassel out of your side."

Usagi's panic soared. It was one thing to know that they were going to have to take the whip tassel out of her, quite another to have someone calmly tell you that little fact. Jadeite moved from his knees to pull her into his lap so that her head rested on his shoulder. One of his arms curled around her waist and held a bandage to her wound while the other cradled and supported her.

"Usa-chan, we wouldn't do this to you if it weren't absolutely necessary. I would never ever hurt you unnecessarily. You do know that, Usa-chan?"

Usagi nodded silently. "Will it hurt?"

"Dreadfully."

She shivered convulsively. Just then Nephrite returned carrying a box and Usagi hid her face in Jadeite's shoulder. She screamed once, near the beginning, before passed out, blissfully oblivious to the pain.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Kikyoku was having a lovely dream when everything began to shake. Frowning, she woke up to Shikaku shaking her.

"What?" she asked tiredly.

"We have to leave. Now. Zoisite's Master has discovered Kunzite's body and seems to be moderately displeased. Zetsumei is holding him off. She didn't say it but she means to cover our escape, kill Zoisite's Master, and destroy this whole stinking kingdom in one move. Unfortunately, I think she will die in the process . . .if left to her own devises. She can't expend that much energy and escape this place."

"We aren't going to leave it to her, are we?" Kikyoku asked anxiously.

"Of course not." Shikaku said impatiently as he laid a hand on Sado's shoulder. "Sado, Ekiri, and Gekidoku are out cold because of some drugs I gave them earlier. Hold onto Kikyoku and Ekiri and take my hand."

Kikyoku squirmed over her sister to gently take Ekiri's head in her lap. With one hand she took her twin's limp hand and with the other she took Shikaku's hand.

Then they disappeared.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


When Usagi woke up, her side hurt hideously. Squeezing her eyes even more tightly shut, she tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, it was all but impossible. Her side throbbed hotly, the silky sheets and blankets heaped on to of her became unbearably hot, and the person next to her was wheezing. Grudgingly she opened her eyes.

The room around her was colossal but was sparsely decorated, making the place look even larger. There was the bed she was lying on, a dresser complete with mirror, a wine rack, two large book cases, three doors on opposite sides of the room and another mirror, this one full length. All of the furniture, including the filled wine rack, was amazingly large, and was backed up against the walls. The doors and walls had been created from the same disgusting gray, organic yet stone material that seemed to be everywhere in the Dark Kingdom. The cadence of muted voices came from behind the farthest of the doors. In the seconds she had taken to observe what she presumed was Nephrite's bedroom, the wheezing behind her had grown worse. Despite the protests from her side, Usagi rolled over to come face to face with . . . Zoisite.

The slight man was flushed and sweating heavily despite his violent shivering. His breathing, rapid and shallow, was punctuated with slight coughs and, as she watched, his coughs became racking and his limbs began to flail wildly. The blood he hacked up splattered on the pillows, staining them crimson. Blood spattering on her horrified face jolted Usagi from her paralysis.

Ignoring her objecting side, Usagi lurched out of bed and, using the wall for support, lurched toward the sound of the voices. Somehow she forced the door to open, nearly falling through it in the process. Then Jadeite and Luna were there, Jadeite picking her up and Luna fussing at her for getting out of bed.

"Zoisite," she croaked, pointing vaguely over her shoulder. "Zoisite needs help." Her eyes fell on Nephrite, lounging in a chair across the room. "Help him" she ordered, suddenly every inch the imperial princess she was the reincarnation of, energy rolling off of her slight form.

Living in the Dark Kingdom for so many centuries had made obedience to absolute authority combined with sheer power instinctive to Nephrite. Before he had realized it, he was halfway across the room. Logic overcoming ingrained habit, Nephrite stopped and glared at the girl. Faintly she smiled at him.

"Please Nephrite?"

Scowling darkly, he brushed past her as Jadeite carried her to a chair. Looking around, Usagi realized that this was the room she had been in earlier when . . . Her eyes checked off items and people in the room: a large table, a few chairs, Safir, Demando, a giant tapestry of the stars, and three large bookcases filled with books. That was it. So where was that couch? Noticing the way her eyes scanned the room, Jadeite asked, "What are you looking for?"

"Isn't this the room we were in earlier?"

"Yes."

"So what happened to my couch?"

"We got rid of it," Demando said, speaking for the first time. "It was covered in your blood."

Usagi stared at him surprised. Mentally, she reviewed her list: a large table, a few chairs, Safir, Demando, a gia-Waitaminute! Usagi felt like hitting herself in the head.

"Um . . .Hi guys." She offered suddenly shy at the prospect of re-meeting the brothers. "I'm Tsukino Usagi."

"The past form of Neo-Queen Selenity." Safir added, smiling kindly at her. Usagi's eyes threatened to take over her entire face. Then Safir and Demando did something that frightened Usagi. Both men bowed deeply before her, right fist over their hearts. And stayed that way.

"Er . . .Could you two stop that? Looking at you two do that is making my side hurt."

Both men shot startled looks at her as Luna groaned miserably. Jadeite simply laughed. As Luna opened her mouth to say something, there were loud thumps from the next room. Worried, Usagi staggered to her feet as Jadeite and Luna ducked into the next room. Gently, Safir scooped Usagi up as he and Demando followed. Usagi blushed at the unexpected close contact but was happy for the lift. Nephrite was sitting on the side of the bed, slumped over a bottle of wine. Jadeite was sitting next to him, his face in his hands. Luna knelt by the bed, her hand gently smoothing Zoisite's damp hair away from his agonized face and a peculiar expression on her face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially dead!" Nephrite proclaimed bitterly, chugging some more wine, straight from the bottle.

"Why?" Demando asked sharply.

"Zoisite has a plague from one of Saturn's moons" Luna replied simply. "It wiped out an entire moon's population before we found an antidote."

"So why are we dead? Luna just said that there's an antidote!"

"I don't know how to make it." She gently traced a small patch of skin on the inside of her forearm that was slightly lighter than the skin surrounding it. "Do you see this? It's a sign that I've already contracted the plague from Zoisite. These little patches have probably already popped up all over my body. They're extremely painful under even the lightest of brushes. It's because the plague has already started to destroy my nervous system. Not too much later, my organs and muscles will become liquid and I will sweat them out. It's supposed to be indescribably painful. Assuming I'm not lucky enough to be dead before then. Unfortunately for Zoisite, he's almost to that stage." Her eyes racked the people in the room. "It's air born so we're all probably infected. It's only a matter of time until our bodies succumb to it."

Fear clutched at Usagi's heart as Safir's arms tightened around her and Demando's face became devoid of emotion. Carefully, Usagi pushed her rising panic down. If nothing else, she had the Ginzuishou.

"We can't leave here, can we Luna? We'll give everyone else the plague and they'll all die because there is no cure." She took a deep breath. "Unless I use the Ginzuishou, that is."

"Usagi! I-"

They never found out what Luna meant to say because two colossal waves of evil and darkness crashed over them leaving Usagi limp in Safir's suddenly tight arms. Luna would have collapsed to the floor but Jadeite, unsteady himself, caught her in time. Again the evil assaulted them. Usagi began to glow with silver light. In a flash of blinding, Princess Selenity lay in Safir's arms and a dome covered the small group.

Princess Selenity smiled wryly at her partner. "It looks like the choice is no longer ours, eh Luna?"


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Zetsumei easily blocked the Master's attack, her eyes glowing red despite her cool demeanor and uncaring posture.

"You will not win," she told him calmly. "I will see to it."

"And what will you do to stop my punishment?" the Master snarled.

A small smile graced her lips as she felt her siblings' teleport from the kingdom. Abruptly, she ceased to be on the defensive as her eyes suddenly flared to life, searing the crumbling cavern around her with an unholy light. Her eyes snapped shut, her eyelids doing nothing to impede the red light of her eyes. She threw her head back, and called in a rolling, echoing voice words that somehow were slurred to the ear so that they became one long, defiling epithet. A cloud of darkness darker than the blackest black formed around her and seemed to congeal in a solid, jelly like mass that distorted the Master's view of her.

Wasting no more time on observing his enemy, the Master began to collect his own powers, ignoring the tingling sensation that her power created on his skin. He concentrated, sending his power out to harness all the negative emotions to be found in the Dark Kingdom. He drew from the mindless cruelty of the yoma, the pain of those who had been wounded either on the missions to Earth or in the ceaseless struggle for existence that was considered a natural part of life in the Dark Kingdom. He siphoned off the agony of the yoma who were being eaten alive by their fellows, too weak to hold their own. He found and drew on Zoisite's ghastly dying throes as an ancient plague slowly turned his insides to liquid as it ate away at his neural system. He diverted the fears of Zoisite's allies and their own painfully dying bodies informed them of their illness and drew on the general negativity of the Dark Kingdom as a place.

The power he had called on threatened to claw its way out of his body, as his skin threatened to crack from holding it in. Vaguely, he was aware that he was glowing slightly and that his hair was standing on end. From the pyrotechnics and her agonized shrieks, Zetsumei was faring no better. With a slight gesture, he blasted Zetsumei with a small portion of his power. His blast disintegrated against her dark jelly.

Tentacles of the jelly-like darkness reached for him. Contemptuously he slapped them away, adding an infuriating sting. Zetsumei, deep within the jelly like substance, turned the infernos of her eyes on him and suddenly he felt fear. He had not felt fear since long before his imprisonment. Not even at the moment of his imprisonment under Metallia had he felt fear. But the eyes of the young woman in front of him struck a deep chord within him. It hit his imbedded, natural instinct to survive. With effort, he forced his fear down and concentrated on becoming angry. He would destroy this woman. If he couldn't defeat her, then he deserved to die! With that thought in mind, he launched himself fully into battle, no turning back.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


About halfway through the battle, Tuxedo Kamen had arrived. Calmly he had sat on the top of a street lamp, watching the others fight. It was not until Venus stumbled that he bothered to bestir himself. Leaping to her rescue, he soon found that he could not make his trademark entry, rescue, and exit. Rather, the battle caught him and refused to let him out. From the circle of his arms, Venus shot her Crescent Beams at their enemies until finally, fed up with his botched rescue, she had punched Tuxedo Kamen in the face and scrambled out of his arms. The nearest group of Senshi, Jupiter, Mercury, and Artemis, had surged over and joined them.

Now, the battle was almost over when they felt it: two waves of unimaginable evil. Mars, the most sensitive to such things, cried out and collapsed on the ground. The yoma she had been about to incinerate smirked to itself and prepared to kill the Sailor Senshi of Fiery Passions and War when a sword blade was thrust through its neck. A blood sprayed from the wound as the sword blade jerked up, slicing the youma's skull in two. The Sailor Soldiers of Uranus and Neptune stood over the raggedly breathing Mars as she moaned and clutched her head with her bloody gloves.

On the far side of the battlefield, Saturn, fighting back to back with Tuxedo Kamen, lost her attention as the waves hit and stumbled at a critical moment in her private battle with a yoma that was both twice her height and twice her width. The yoma, assuming that the battle was now over, moved in for the kill. Needless to say, she was beyond surprised when Saturn twisted unnaturally and cut her legs off. She didn't even have time to register that her legs had been decapitated as she dead-eyed Soldier of Silence finished her off.

Then Venus and Jupiter were at Saturn's side. The golden warrior gave Saturn the quick once over before asking, "Are you alright?"

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

Two yoma were suddenly without heads.

"Fine" Saturn grunted as she swiftly cut a yoma in half.

The three stood back to back and slowly worked their way towards the besieged Mercury and Artemis, who stood back to back in a solid circle of yoma. Just as the trio reached the pair, more waves of evil crashed over the city.

Venus gritted her teeth against the overwhelming evil and continued fighting.

Mercury, go to the center of the circle and find out where they're coming from!

Hai!

The circle got smaller as Mercury got to work on their newest problem. She gasped in horror. "No!" She whispered violently. Then, with more force, "NO!"

What is it? Venus demanded harshly.

The evil . . . It's from the Dark Kingdom!

With Usagi.

The phrase hung unsaid between the Soldiers and their Guardian.

She'll be fine. Venus told the others firmly. She's the strongest of all of us. And she has Luna and Jadeite to protect her.

Let's just hurry this up. Uranus said briefly.

The nine women and one man sworn to the Moon fought with renewed vigor.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Princess Selenity smiled gently at the people in the room.

"I think it's about time we took an active role in our survival."

More waves of evil smashed against her shield and Princess Selenity began to emit a soft silver glow. She cupped her hands before her face, holding them a slight distance apart. Swirling motes of white light gathered there, then, with a small flash of white light, the mighty Ginzuishou appeared. Her hands slid around so that they cupped beneath the floating crystal as her eyes peered into the Ginzuishou's crystalline depths.

"Onegai Ginzuishou," she murmured at last. "Show me what is happening."

The glow from the Ginzuishou became a fraction brighter as Selenity's eyes widened. A single tear slowly trickled from her eye, over her cheek, and off her chin. Finally, after a small eternity, she nodded to the Ginzuishou and looked up at Safir.

"Would it be too much to ask for you to hold me a little longer?" She colored slightly and hastily added, "If I'm not too heavy."

He looked at her in surprise. "I can hold you as long as you need me to. And no, you are not heavy, Selenity-hime."

Selenity's color deepened slightly but all she said was, "Arigatou Safir-san."

Then her attention was once more riveted on the softly glowing Ginzuishou. Her petite body glowed silver as her Crescent Moon flared to life, spilling its golden light in all directions. The Ginzuishou flared to life, its hot white light melding with the silver and gold of its Princess. Across the room, Luna's Crescent Moon flared to life in response to the Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou. Selenity's magic flowed out from her, lovingly embracing each person in the room. Gently it soothed their aches and weariness, while healing them of the deadly plague.

Slowly Zoisite's eyes fluttered open as warmth and love cradled and healed him. Suddenly, he felt much better. As if he had never been sick. Slowly he sat up to a bizarre sight. Princess Selenity lay in Safir's arms, the Ginzuishou cradled between her hands. Demando stood near them and Nephrite sat on the bed near him, a forgotten bottle of wine in his hands. Jadeite was there as was a woman he did not know. Recognizing the room, he stiffened.

'As long as Kunzaito-sama and Usagi-chan are well, I don't care where I am or what's going on.'

Princess Selenity, noticing that he was awake, smiled brilliantly at him. He scowled in reply. She and Endymion had gotten him killed in his first life.

"What happened to Kunzaito-sama and Usagi-chan?"

"All will be well," she promised firmly.

Then another mind brushed his. Irritably he shoved it away and shot Jadeite a venomous glare.

"I don't know why or how you're here but stop it," he snarled.

Jadeite blinked. "I didn't do it."

The mind touched his again. He barely had enough time to realize that it was feminine and shoot Princess Selenity a murderous glare before he collapsed on the bed, unconscious. The other occupants of the room stared at the small king for a moment. Finally Nephrite spoke.

"I assume you have a good reason for doing that. There is no love lost between Zoisite and I but still . . ."

"It seems wrong" she finished for him. He nodded and she sighed. "It was necessary. Kunzite is dead and I'd rather he didn't know that."

"You can't keep him unconscious forever. He's going to have to wake up and hear the truth eventually."

"I know Jade-kun. But I don't plan on allowing Kunzite to remain dead."

Her silver aura flared up for a second as her Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou exploded with light. When their eyes cleared, the others now found themselves in the throne room. Kunzite's body lay broken on the floor,

"Would someone please find Kunzite's head?"

"What happened?" Jadeite asked as he, Nephrite, Luna, and Demando picked through the debris for Kunzite's missing head.

"Zetsumei of the Shiin family murdered him in an act of retaliation for the harming of her family members. The Master found his headless body and took the edge off of his blinding rage by abusing the corpse." Selenity's eyes were sad, "He wasn't a bad person. Not deep down. But then no one is purely evil."

Jadeite snorted. "Didn't you kill him in his last life?"

"Hai, demo it was necessary. He was trying to kill my Inner Senshi , Luna, and Artemis. Besides," her eyes became suspiciously damp as they landed on the form of Zoisite, "He didn't really want to live anymore anyway. Not without Zoisite. He just couldn't see taking the easy way out and falling on his sword in some dark corner of his chambers. And he couldn't leave Beryl. Death in a battle was his only option."

"I found it!" Luna announced, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice. Gingerly she picked it up, holding the gruesome thing by its hair and away from her as she hurried back to Kunzite's body.

"Safir-san please put me down."

Safir gently placed the small woman next to Kunzite's body. Mindless of the gore, Selenity gently turned he corpse onto its back and tenderly placed the head over its severe neck, facing the correct way up. Kneeling beside him, she lightly ran her hand over Kunzite's face, her hand coming to rest over his halved neck.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION" she whispered softly.

Almost immediately the pair was engulfed in white light, tinged with silver. The light was so intense that they were all forced to look away for fear of being blinded. When their eyes cleared, Princess Selenity knelt over an undamaged Kunzite, clean and dressed in black slacks, a black collared shirt and ankle high boots. Selenity herself slowly stood and faced her companions.

"Demando-san, would you please carry Kunzite? Nephrite-san, please take Zoisite."

Demando bowed slightly. "As you command, Selenity-hime."

Demando lifted Kunzite into a fireman's hold as Nephrite slung Zoisite over one shoulder. Princess Selenity raised the Ginzuishou again as her aura, her Crescent Moon, and the Ginzuishou itself all flashed to life again. This time, when their eyes cleared they found themselves under a dome of some sort a battle between Sailor Senshi and yoma raging around them. A wave of silver power flowed from the Moon Princess and engulfed the scene, invading their eyes and noses, their minds and hearts.

When the light cleared, leaving them bereft of Selenity's love, the dome no longer existed and humans lay scattered all over the ground, appearing to be peacefully sleeping despite their surroundings. Nine senshi and two men stared at the Moon Princess and Luna, unaware of their entourage for a timeless moment. Then, with a collective shout, they rushed them crushing the two in their hugs as they alternately berated her for her foolishness and praised her for her ingenuity.

Jadeite was the recipient of many jubilant hugs. Uranus contented herself with slapping him on the back but Venus made up for her lack of display by giving Jadeite a violent hug and a resounding kiss on the lips. He was paralyzed for a moment when Mars, the senshi most firmly opposed to him gave him a fierce hug. Tentatively he returned it before she slipped from his grasp to go hug her best friend again.

The Inner Senshi welcomed even Demando, Safir, and Nephrite into their midst. Their welcomes were so wholehearted and enthusiastic that Nephrite and Demando were forced to put their burdens down in order to cope with the four sailors. And above it all soared the delighted laughter of the Moon Princess.

Artemis, had lightly kissed Princess Selenity, despite Tuxedo Kamen's immense disapproval, when an overwhelming wave of evil crashed over them, ending their reunion abruptly.

"Oh yeah," she mused almost to herself, "I'd almost forgotten about that."

'If we were anime characters' Mars thought wildly as she stared at her best friend, 'we'd have pinprick eyes and magnificent sweat drops.'

"Forgotten what?" Venus demanded, once again snapping into leader mode.

Princess Selenity looked more than slightly sheepish. She took a deep breath then allowed the words to pour out of her.

"ThereweretwosuperpowerfulevilfiendshavingabattlewhenwelefttheDarkKingdom. NowIhavetostopthemfromdestroyingtheEarth. Ja!"

Then she disappeared in a flash of silver, leaving the others to puzzle out what she had just said.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Shikaku had found a remote house, quickly murdered its inhabitants, and left his younger siblings with the cooling corpses while he went back for his older sibling. Now he stumbled through the twisted corridors of the Dark Kingdom, stubbornly making his way towards the powers that threatened to destroy him. The sheer power those two were emitting beat at his body and he knew at least part of this was intentional. Zetsumei was trying to make him leave again. Without her. Scowling, he increased his speed.

Rounding a bend, he caught sight of the battle. Zetsumei and the Master were physically hacking at each other while they pounded at each other magically. Zetsumei was almost frightening with her wildly flying hair and the infernos that constituted her eyes as she fought with a vicious snarl over her lovely features. The Master was no better, his tousled white hair starkly contrasting against the grayness of his surroundings, as his black eyes seemed to absorb the burning light his sister's eyes emitted. He too was grimacing with effort as he fought. Sliding into the welcoming shadows he watched the pair, wincing every time the Master caught his sister out.

Gradually he became aware of a foreign power slowly but surely advancing through the Dark Kingdom. Instead of being composed of Darkness as most powers in the Dark Kingdom were, this one was made up of sheer Light. As it advanced, it methodically ripped the very fibers of the Dark Kingdom apart, leaving a void in its wake. Tentatively he reached towards the Light with his own power only to withdraw it instantly upon contact, hissing through his teeth. It had burned . . .Like Sailor Moon's discus . . .Could this be the vaunted Moon Princess approaching then?

Anxiously he peered at his sister to see if she had noticed the newest power but if she did, she gave no sign of it. Carefully he watched the pair. If he were careful and quick, could he interfere with their duel? No. Aside from the fact that his sister would personally kill him afterwards, the duel was too intense, too fiercely focused on the two of them, for an outsider to intrude. Well, except for the one that was currently demolishing the Dark Kingdom, of course. Sighing, he mentally prepared himself for the Moon Princess. There was no way he was leaving without Zetsumei.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


It took them a minute to decipher their princess' hurried babble.

"WHAT?!" shrieked Mars furiously, then first comprehend Selenity's plan. She lunged at Venus and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her, "WE CAN'T LET HER DO THIS!! IT'LL KILL HER!!"

"I agree!" Mercury announced, crowding closer to Venus and Mars.

Venus frowned, not bothering to hide her irritation. "I'm still not sure what Selenity said before she left!"

"Me neither" Jadeite muttered to Jupiter who nodded.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't good though" she replied.

"Directly quoting her" Mercury said fiercely "she said '"There were two super powerful evil fiends having a battle when we left the Dark Kingdom. Now I have to stop them from destroying the Earth. Ja!"

"WE CAN'T LET HER DO THAT!!" Jadeite bellowed.

Mars favored him with a withering glare. "Exactly. So let's go teleport in there and drag her back here by the hair."

"That's a waste of energy." Artemis argued, frowning. "You know her. She usually gets what she wants."

"WE CAN'T LET HER KILL HERSELF!" Uranus exploded.

"We can't be so weak we're no use to her either!" Luna shot back venomously, her voice barely controlled.

"Listen up!" Venus commanded, cutting off Neptune's hot retort. "We're going to help the Princess without teleporting who-knows-where after her." Her hot glare killed all protests before they were even formed. "Senshi and cats, join hands! In case you haven't forgotten, we're all linked to her. We don't need to be with her to help her." As the others linked hands, Venus transferred her intense gaze to Jadeite for a moment. "Take the others and the humans and get clear of here." Then, trusting him to do as she had ordered she returned her attention to the Sailor Senshi and Guardians in the circle with her. "Senshi, Ready?"

Frantically, Jadeite yanked the sleeping humans away from the circle with his telekinesis as Safir and Demando each grabbed their designated King and lugged them to the shadows of the nearest buildings.

"Ready!"

"A little help here, Nephrite!" Cursing, Nephrite helped him as Demando stood and opened his third eye, adding to their efforts.

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

Barely they pulled the last human from harm's way and scrambled to cover themselves as Venus's power surged up around her in a column of orange. Darker orange hearts floated in the column as crescent moons shot around her, mimicking shooting stars. Around her the pavement cracked.

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"

A column of ice blue joined hers. Chips of ice floated in it as foggy tendrils wafted around them and the pavement around her cracked and shattered.

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"

A maroon column joined the other two. Flames clearly danced in it, religious symbols lighter maroon against the flames. Around Mars' feet, the pavement burned and boiled.

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"

A sugar pink column shot into the heavens. In it crackled lightening as storms blustered and young green leaves budded. The pavement around the column exploded from the electrical currents and grew moss.

"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!"

A dark purple column of light blasted towards the waiting skies. Darkness deeper than the deepest black twisted and twinned through the column as pinpricks of pale purple light glittered and glistened throughout the entire column, even in the midst of the darkness. The pavement groaned, and shattered under the feet of the youngest Sailor Senshi.

"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

An aquamarine column exploded into being around the Senshi of the Wind as the pavement around her exploded. Dirt caught itself up in her column as windstorms in her column blew it about her.

"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!"

Another navy blue column burst into being, this one awash with waves and bubbles that looked almost like musical notes. The pavement at the feet of the Senshi of the Sea was drenched with salt water.

"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!"

A Maroon column joined its brethren in the skies above. It shimmered, as if from a heat haze, and within it tiny ivory keys serenely floated while asteroids whizzed around them. Under her feet, the pavement withered and turned to dust, as if a thousand years had passed in an instant.

"MOON GUARDIAN POWER!"

A tawny column of power burst into being around Luna. In it floated silver and golden crescent moons as well as light yellow shooting stars that whizzed in a dizzying display. Around her feet, the pavement exploded.

"MOON GUARDIAN POWER!"

An ivory column of power burst into existence around Artemis. In his too floated gold and silver crescent moons as streaks of a blue so pale their edges blurred with their surrounds arced through out the column. Around him, the pavement burst.

For a moment they stared at each other, their planetary insignias blazing as their eyes glowed with color. Slowly, they melded their powers into a single, unitary beam that swirled with all their colors and symbols. Together the Sailor Soldiers reached out with both their powers and their minds to touch their errant leader, their voices becoming one as their powers had.

Usagi?

Her mind touched them back, already strained and exhausted.

Minna?

Let us help.

Arigatou.

Then their power joined with hers and the Moon Princess could do what she needed to do.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


He knew how dreadfully close she was when his skin started to tingle, then ache. Still they fought, seemingly oblivious to their mounting danger. His skin was starting to feel as if hot needles were slowly being pushed into it when Zetsumei finally gained the upper hand, if only for a brief second. Desperate to grab her and escape, Shikaku created a shadowy dagger in one hand and threw it at the Master.

As always, his aim was true and his dagger pinned the other man to the wall. Two pairs of furious, bloodthirsty eyes snapped over to his location as he burst from the shadows, intent on getting across the cavern in the least amount of time possible. He knew the precise moment each of the former combatants became aware of their peril through their facial expressions although neither openly displayed their emotions.

Spinning on the ball of her foot, Zetsumei took the Master's momentary distraction and, her si glowing gray, cleaved the Master in half from his left shoulder to his right hip. The Master stared at her for a moment, his eyes filled with disbelief before a sickly orange cloud burst from his dying body, churned in midair for a moment, then disappeared. Then Shikaku was there, snatching Zetsumei up in his arms and teleporting away from there, milliseconds before the entire area was engulfed in burning, white light.


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His dying consciousness reappeared over the cocoons of his children. Slowly he let his last energies bleed into them, ensuring their lives.

"Soon," murmured the dying voice of what had once been known as the Master, "Soon I will triumph over them all through you, my children. Destroy them all. Des . . .troy . . .them . . .aaalllllllll . . . .lll . . ."

The cocoons glowed in response to his final words as he faded into nonexistence, never to walk the material world again.

And still, his children glowed.


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Zoisite awoke to a most unbearable light assaulting his closed eyes. Crossly he cracked his eyes to see a nimbus of white light forming in the sky over the glowing Sailor Senshi. In the center of the nimbus appeared Princess Selenity, her silver aura blazing and her golden Crescent Moon radiating its golden light. For a moment she hovered there, her pristine wings gloriously spread to either side of her body; her white robes, soiled and stained only enhancing her beauty.

Then her lights abruptly ceased to shine and she fell, tumbling through the air as Sailor Moon. Seconds passed, the earth-bound Sailor Senshi panicked, and Jadeite started to fly up to catch her. Sailor Moon was replaced by Tsukino Usagi and - TSUKINO USAGI?!

Bewildered and shocked, Zoisite lunged from his prone position into the air; mid-air he teleported to a position underneath her freefall and raced up to catch her, narrowly beating Jadeite out. The only thing he could think as he stared down at Usagi's pale, unconscious face as she lay limply in his arms was, 'USAGI?!'

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Here are the translations if you need them...(If you didn't notice I added some of my own names to the character names from the series-ex.-Jadeite's and Zoisite's human names.)
Tsukino Usagi = Serena = Sailor Moon = Princess Selenity
Mizuno Ami = Amy Anderson = Sailor Mercury
Hino Rei = Raye Hino = Sailor Mars
Kino Makoto = Lita = Sailor Jupiter
Aino Minako = Mina = Sailor Venus
Meioh Setsuna = Sailor Pluto
Tenoh Haruka = Sailor Uranus
Kaioh Michiru = Sailor Neptune
Tomoe Hotaru = Sailor Saturn
Chiba Mamoru = Darien Shields = Tuxedo Kamen/Mask = Prince Endymion
Luna = Luna
Artemis = Artemis
Jiyuujin Hisui = Jadeite = Jedite
Nephrite = Nephlite = Nephlyte
Hanafubuki Kenji = Zoisite = Zoicite = Zoycite
Kunzite =Malachite
Rubeus = Rubeus
Safir = Sapphire
Prince Demando = Prince Diamond
Tsukino Shino = Sammy, Serena's brother
Tsukino Kenji = Serena's father
Tsukino Ikuko = Serena's mother
Furuhata Motoki = Andrew (from the arcade)
Reika = Rita
Ryo Urawa = Greg
Osaka Naru = Molly Baker
Hikaru = She's from the Sailor V manga and Minako's best friend. Oddly enough she both looks and acts a lot like Ami.
My Characters:
Tellosummo Ventum Aequila = ( vice versa) = Eagle from the Top of the World
Inferus Kane
Kikyoku = Serious Depression
Gekidoku = Deadly Poisons
Sado = Sadism
Ekirei = Plagues
Shikaku = Shadowy Assassinations
Zetsumei = Death
Shiin = Death
Ate = Discord