Title: Sailor Moon: Parallel Universe Part 2 Author: Brian Cable --------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMERS: The Sailor Scouts, etc., are not mine, they are copyrighted by a very nice person named Naoko Takeuchi. I am using them without a lovely thing called permission but I have no Negaversial intent, only to glorify the series. Hopefully, sueage lawsuits can escape an innocent author such as myself. As a precaution, there is somewhat graphic violence in this fanfic. I did this so as to help portray how evil some of these beings can be. Well, last time he was thrown into a portal, let's see what happens now. This took an extremely long time to write, mostly because I let it sit one seventh of the way finished for about five months, but now it has been finished, and I'm into writing once again. I'm rewriting the first, because I changed to a more interesting story line in this one and I need to fix the first and write it better to correlate with this one. Without further adieu, enjoy! To contact me, you can either reach me via e-mail at virgilamg@yahoo.com, or visit my homepage at http://virgilamg.cjb.net. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Sailor Moon : Parallel Universe Part 2 of 6 By: Brian Cable ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ He remembered... His old high school had held prom that night, the biggest dance of the year, at the only dance club there was in town. The man's date had been a beautiful young blossom, light brown hair shoulder-length, a wonderful smile, and her heart was generous and caring. They danced for slightly over a couple hours, then she suggested for them to go outside for a walk into a nearby park. He complied, and they were soon talking, giggling and briefly pecking each other as they walked along the path leading towards the center of the park. It was late at night, and no one was in the surrounding area. Feinting that her feet were a little tired, she beckoned him for them to sit at a nearby bench. Soon she was grinning madly and whispering about how she was sooo tired, and how she was glad he was there with him. She captured his lips in her own, and they stood there in union for several moments before breaking the kiss. Suggestively, she commenced to stretch out along the bench, and gestured for himself to come to her. Only a few people had heard their cries of pleasure that night, for few were in the park but themselves. He shook the image forcibly out of his mind. That was all she wanted him for. Her own insignificant toy to play with. A one night stand, but not quite. Apparently she had rather enjoyed the charade, because she kept wanting more for the next couple of weeks. Eventually, he saw through the little blind dog campaign, and seeing nothing that could turn up out of it, broke it off with her. Dammit! he thought. Why do I always choose those who don't give mute parrot's ass about anything other than sex? Two other instances sprung to his mind. He quickly dispelled those and concentrated on the situation of the moment. Preparing for the attack that would soon befall the planet, that only he and a few others could defeat. He relaxed himself again and began to meditate. ******** The boy broke from his unconsciousness to find a soreness emanating from his back. Gradually, he reached a hand behind him to feel his injury. A sharp pain shot up his shoulders and quickly subsided, showing that he the wound was not deep. Good, it's not broken, he thought to himself. He opened his eyes. Or maybe he didn't, for he was treated with the same dismal darkness as he had when they were closed. Groaning and getting on his knees, he fumbled around on the floor. Keeping a hand placed on the wall, he wobbled along until he reached what seemed like a window sill. Parting the folds, he saw the moon grinning silently from behind a tower at him, alerting him to the fact that it was indeed nighttime. Looking back in the room, he barely saw the light switch on the wall opposite of him. He tried to stand but fell back to the ground in pain. Waiting for the pain to secede, he resolved to hobble over to the switch. Flicking it on, he found the room to be sparsely decorated with the basic necessities and few others. Some things the room included were a bed, desk, television and stand, and a few posters. All the posters had either hiragana or kanji characters on them that he could not read because he was not lingual in either Japanese or Chinese. He could find no other clues, anywhere on desk, table, or otherwise so, complying with the pain, decided he should lay down on the pallet and get some rest. The next morning, the youth awoke to find himself broken out into a sweat again. He had had another dream about those Sailor Scouts again. "I've got to stop envisioning myself as that Tuxedo Mask guy," he said groggily to himself. "I'm having too many damn dreams about me as him." He sat up in his bed and felt his back once again. The pain that was permeating his body as early as last night had simply vanished, leaving no trace that the soreness had even existed. He walked over to the hardwood dresser the television was placed upon, and flicked it on. To his surprise, a Slayers anime popped up in his face, with Lena Inverse shouting at Dowry in the native Japanese, without any subtitles to portray their meaning. "Hmmm... a new anime channel. Funny, no one announced that there would be one in the States." He presses the Channel Up button, except it said it in Chinese, the only way to tell was that it was above the Channel Down button, and tuned to a few more channels. All of the stations were talking in perfect Japanese, and still no subtitles. Few of the channels had any English coming from them at all, and certainly no NBC, ABC, or CBS. "Er, okay. This is just a tad bit odd. Are hotels really so cheap that they have to use imported televisions? I didn't know the channels came with the television, either." A glitter caught his vision to his right. Looking out, he saw... and gaped. A tower, taller than that of half a dozen skyscrapers placed upon each others and wider than a stadium filled his line of sight, providing a massive reflection from the water that wavered back and forth behind it. He could see hoards of people walking shoulder to shoulder down cement parks of buildings just beneath him. They all seemed as if they had no team to spare, yet all the time in the world to get there. Towering over their heads, signs proclaimed their respective buildings' presence, symbols interweaved with English cultural letters. He was in Japan, the metal structure none other than Tokyo Tower itself. "Crap. What happened? Well," he stated, looking around at all the paraphinilia around him, "I guess that would be the only plausible reason for all these posters, and the T.V., as well! Crap." A sudden thought came across him, and he checked the pockets on his pants. "Dammit! No wallet. Now how the hell am I going to get anything, or afford the room, much less? I can't speak Japanese worth a damn. There is no way in hell I'll get a job here. I might as well just sit on this bed and wait for time to bring an end to it all." The bed did seem enticing to him, but there were too many doors in the room, too many possibilities. There might have been something else of worth in there. The adolescent dashed over to the closet, throwing open the door with a rattling SMASH! Absolutely nothing was in there awaiting him. The only other plausible hiding place was the dresser. Yanking on the handles to the top drawer, it loudly scuffed itself open. The youth grinned, and removed a thin black cartridge-shaped black piece of plastic, a brand-new wallet, and a few sets of clothes and tossed them on the bed. He found nothing in the remaining three drawers beneath it. He swiftly ran into the main room and kitchen to check, but there was nothing else out of the ordinary. Returning back to the bedroom, he sat on the bed and contemplated the items for a few moments, paying particular close attention to the black device. The top had embossed katakana and hiragana letters Tim could barely make out as "poketto ni ireru," whatever that was supposed to mean. He ran a finger along the sides and discovered two latches that sprung the apex up and portrayed a handheld computer apparatus, or maybe an advanced version of an organizer. The youth jabbed at a few of the buttons, and the small screen scuttled to life. After a few moments, the screen displayed two kanji plus three hiragana symbols commenced onto a pale white background. "Kangei subeki, Harper Tim-sama." Tim stared in total amazement. The screen was speaking to him! "Ohayo gozaimasu. Hajimemashite." A few of the phrases made sense, but the screen was speaking in such rapidity and fluency that the youth could not keep up. The background on the screen... changed, somehow, modified itself to something that was going on about it. "Anata ga kowarete iru desu ka?" A picture fades into view of the keyboard and a big red arrow pointing to one of the keys. Tim looked down at about the location and sees a key that says the only thing in English, "Translate." He hesitated, then finally pushed it. The device seemed to melt into his hand, puddling into a black glob of tar-like fluid. A few seconds later it reformed, and the kanji had been replaced by English letters. This time it clearly proclaimed, "Put in Pocket." The highly confused youth obliged, stuffing it into his trousers. Nothing happened. Stupefied, he took it back out again, and saw that the newly formed words said, "That's my name, dumbass." Again he opened it up, and the hiragana keyboard had been replaced with the QWERTY one. Pressing the on button, the new background proclaimed "Put in Pocket!" and the screen, now supplied with a Caucasian body, stated, "Oh, god no. Not a slowass. I hate idiots who don't understand. The RED ARROW is point- wait that is probably to hard for you to comprehend with that menial mind of yours." "Give me a break. I know hardly any Japanese." "That big red arrow WASN'T Japanese, you stupid kid! It was clearly telling you to press the translate button, wasn't it now? But you just sat there, looking like a Jamaican seal driver on the shores of Zimbabwe! You hadn't a clue what a large-sized, shiny red, arrow meant, you illiterate! About as much as what a shiny red apple REALLY means to the teacher!" "What does an apple really mean to a teacher?" "Bah! Nevermind. You probably gave her a rotting green one with a worm popping his head out and asking her which way the nearest landfill was, anyway. I guess it doesn't matter, Tim-sama." Something that seemed wrong probed his mind, something not right... "How did you know my name?" "...problem with slowa... What?" "How did you know my name?" "Er, well, I don't remember. Th' Fates must have stuffed some information in my head or somethin'." "The Fates? Who are they?" Put in Pocket stared at Tim for a moment, as if the answer to that was as plain as a building to the eye. "The Fates are... nevermind. Your stubborn stupid mind wouldn't comprehend it all anyway." The device's image suddenly stood stock still, eyes falling back into its head so that only the whites of the eyes were showing. The voice began in monotone, "Message for Tim, silent servant of time everlasting. Though thou has been able to be breached beyond dimensions withstanding, what thou has found shalt not always be so. You must find elsewhere to reside, lest the minions of the Dark feast upon you. There is but little time, thine faithful servant of silence. Become resourceful in this location, and seek the others of the five, twice done and come again. Through them thou shalt find the key to defeat the Dark once more, as thou hast done throughout the passages of time. Go out and defeat the dark, faithful warrior. I deem it be done. Farewell." The pupils reappeared in the eyes, and Put in Pocket shook as if awakening from a dream. "What the hell was that about?" "Servant of silence, of time everlasting," mouthed Tim as he stared wide-eyed at Put in Pocket as if he were an apparition meant to disappear when touched. "Er... you haven't been stoking some weed, have you? I can't take a slowass who becomes even slower because of his own stupidity." "Ah, no. We need to leave here, right? Isn't that what you said?" "Listen, kid. I don't remember a damn thing that just happened. You ought to be telling me!" "Anyway, where's... the nearest park, or somewhere that there's lots of people?" "Well, there's the streets, the harems, the lingerie pubs... "PUT IN POCKET! I SAID THE PARKS!" "Oh, well... Okinawa park isn't too far away from here." "Then that's where we'll go then." Tim picked up the wallet and Put in Pocket and placed both in his pocket, noting he would have to deal with a very pissed off PC later on. "Hey! Whafj js thr mrdddf..." The device's voice was masked by the pocket. With one last look at his surroundings, he ran out the door. "Ack! What the hell!" His shirt had caught on one of the doorjambs and refused to let go. He struggled for a moment, trying to pull it away. RRRIIIPP! A scrap of shirt tore away, as if leaving his past behind him as he traveled towards destiny unknown. ******** The pure darkness was split by a ripple, flowing outward across the entire span of the jet black marble wall. A hand passed through, and led to a body, clothed in a deep evening purple, and then an entire being. Again a ripple spliced the wall, and a metal structure passed through, its sleek exterior glowing as if with inner light, a green pool shifting within its center. As both objects passed through, the ripple faded and became solid marble once more. The man clothed in black grimaced. He had gone through the portal countless of times before, and each time it produced the same haziness, the same nausea, the feeling of having been pulled and prodded in every which direction, of being spread taut on a rack, of having been crushed under enormous amounts of weight, of floating through murky water. It was with great difficulty that he did not retch right on the spot. He did not wish the master to find him with his innards displayed across his face, after all. The only satisfaction he received was that his enemies must have felt similarly when they passed through the portal of his own making, that of passing through dimensions. He glanced upon his creation, and his thin lips pulled back into a grin. Its titanium plating held together by the magic the powers of the dark provided him. Looking into its reflection one could find the secrets to its soul, granted one looked closely enough and one had a soul. Otherwise, all one could see would be that of swirling chaos, glowing with a hidden flame that no one could even hope to understand. No one except himself. He was certain the Lord of the Night himself could not even find this secret, no matter how hard he might try. This one secret was safe to him and no one else. His leverage amongst the rest of the universe. The thought pleased him. A noise startled him from his trance, that of a grating against stone, as the wall across the way groaned and gave way, marble parting from marble, a small crevice just large enough for a man to pass through. A servant, with white cloak draped across his back and a suit of black, entered the room, his face contorted into a wicked smile. "The Master awaits your presence," the smile did not change even through speech. He was one of the Blasphemed, those who had denounced the Light and Dark alight whilst they walked the path of the material plane. Doomed to spend an eternity serving those of which they denounced, they passed from one master to another, from the Day and Night. A fitting punishment for nonbelievers. The servant bowed his head and retreated back within the chambers, letting the stone keep its slight opening. Arkindel followed suit, beckoning his creation to follow. The Master liked his chamber to be in tradition with ages past, such as with walls that had to be separated in order to enter. The walls were the same black marble inside as well, with tall pillars barely able to be seen at the edge of the slight glow emanating from two golden flame pillars by the throne. The throne was rose out of the floor, consisting of bone marrow and thin remnants of flesh stretched across to form a seat, acting as leather would for a chair of normal proportions. Tapestries as large as a dozen fiends of the night could be seen draped across the room, depicting glorious battles of old, those of the Night overcoming the Day, the earliest being a few thousand years old. And, of course, the Lord himself, standing beside the dais, waiting. Standing. Arkindel bowed his head low, placing his chin across the frigid lack of warmth of the marble. "I greet thee, Lord of All That is Night, conqueror of all that is of the Day. I pray the time has come, as all things done, to which you might lead your followers to rule the land as has been ordained in prophesetic truth, in death, and life, of time everlasting. I deem it be done." "I greet thee, servant of the Night, to a time where you may rule eternally by my side, at the time, of time everlasting, when the Night shall triumph over the day once more. I deem it be done. Welcome once more, Arkindel. I trust you have brought good news?" Arkindel could feel the burning of the eyes creep into his flesh, yet was relieved by the pleasantness of his Master's voice. "Yes. I bring good news milord. One of the five has now gone to another dimension. The five can no longer join. We have as good as won." It felt wonderful to bring good news to his Master. He could feel the happiness ebbing from him at that moment. He lifted his eyes, and saw... his Master eye's glaring at him, screaming in disappointment. Confused, he immediately cowered, unknowing as to what was wrong. "Only one. I have given you this much time, and only one has been disposed of?" "But Master, the five can no longer join and..." "The five may no longer be able to join, but the four could still work together to impede my progress. They could hinder me enough to buy time for that ONE person to find its way back here, so that they may join again. I CANNOT take any risks, Arkindel. They ALL must be taken care of." "But, they have hidden themselves, milord. The Fates have shielded them, or that to which they have hidden in such a way that I cannot..." "THE FATES HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS SITUATION!" The Master's voice echoed across the chambers, twice, three times over. "They have no control. They are ignorant, as I have insured them to be so. They will not interfere. Now, Arkindel, you have one last chance to redeem yourself. GET RID OF THE OTHER FOUR AT ONCE!" "Ye-yes, Master," Arkindel had his face pressed as close to the marble as possible, hoping to retreat even further so, feeling the intense heat of his Master's eyes upon him. "Your will is my will, as is the will of the Night, so that you may rule over the world once more, for time everlasting. I deem it be done." he recited, tears welling into his cheeks, knowing there would be two holes of flesh in his back where the eyes of his Master had stared, rending at his mind and flesh at once. But not soul. He did not have a soul to rend. "The will of the Night, of time everlasting, is the will of all creatures of the Night. I deem it be done." he heard, and knew he was released. Head still pressed against the floor, he crept out of the chambers, out of the Night itself, and prepared for how he would please his Master, how he could earn his place at his side, for the time when the Night would rule once again. Inside the chambers, the Master reclaimed his seat at the throne. He could feel the flesh retreat at his touch, cowering before him. He smiled. He liked the power he possessed, the power granted to him, that which made all others cower with fear. He promised them, all of his followers a right hand position at his side, even though they knew only once person could be the second in command. The Lord of the Night would be proud. Not at his ability to fool everyone into believing he was the Lord of All That is Night, that there was none higher than he, but that the power granted to him would not be put to waste. The fear he instilled would provide results. Or else. "Did you hear all of which I asked, Nixx," the Master called into the darkness. From behind one of the pillars of night a body appeared and stepped into the flamelight. It stood without cloth or cloak, but its appearance was as dark as the Night itself. Its spindly arms and legs swayed and bounded off the floor, like a cat would in stealth of prey. "Yes, Master. I have heard all." "Good. I wish you to keep an eye on Arkindel and see that he truly finds the other Four and disposes of him. If he is not doing his job correctly, report to me at once, and then you shall have to dispose of them yourself. Understood?" "Yes, Master," and Nixx was gone at second glance. A true follower does need not recite the code to believe. This Arkindel is not to be trusted. The Master shrugged. If he does not do as he is told, he shall be dealt with later. But something nagged at his mind, something he couldn't quite place... It was as if Arkindel knew something he could not even fathom to comprehend. The smirk that existed in his eyes even while groveling. But that was impossible. He told all that happened throughout his life during the Breaking, as all had done, and his soul now belonged to him. Yet there definitely was something... The dark departed in confusion while the Master contemplated his follower's thoughts, the smirk still present before his eyes. ******** The early afternoon bells of the nearby Juuban Junior High School resonated throughout Tokyo as its students poured forth at the close of another day. School uniforms were partially unbuttoned and scarfs taken off as they head for the nearest hangout, consisting of the arcade, a few restaurants, and some shops. Four such individuals walk along towards one of their own hangouts, from passage from school to home, Okinawa Park. "Oooh, I can't believe this!" exclaimed Usagi to no one in particular. "Flunking another test? What's not to believe? You do it all the time!" Rei shouted back at her mercilessly. "I knooooow, but never this badly before. It's a 24!" "It's okay, Usagi. I only got a 67, if that helps any," offered Naru. "Thanks, Naru-chan,you help sooo much." Usagi mimicked. "At least your passing. Besides, that's like, three times my grade!" "I was only trying to help!" "Well, you didn't- UUYYAAAA!" Usagi struck a rock, and after flailing her arms in the air for a second, promptly fell to the ground, taking Naru with her. "See, that's what smart people get, Naru-chan, when they try to use their egos to their advantage." Rei smirked. "Enough, you three, I've had heard quite enough!" Ami shouted back at them. "If you are going to fight, wait till you get home." With looks of resignation on their faces, everyone complied, although looking for some chance to begin bickering once more. Their path was all but simple to their home. They would walk down the main path from the school for a few blocks then left across Okinawa park. Once past, Rei would separate from them, turning left again for a about six blocks to the temple where she resided while the other three would continue to go straight, down a street almost parallel to downtown Tokyo. Usually during this, Usagi would either stop by the ice cream parlor or street vendor for some ice cream, or stop in the arcades and shovel her yen into the new Sailor V video game. Once Usagi was dragged from the premises, Ami would turn right, taking the street down to her mother's mansion, while Usagi and Naru left. Naru would stop at her home then, or follow Usagi home for a while. Usagi would walk another block and arrive at her own home, and face the wrath of her mother. Except it didn't quite happen on this day. Some hidden variable was present that would soon alter others and possibly endanger their own. Or possibly it would help them conquer the very evil of which they feared once and for all. What would happen, only the Fates were certain, and the Night determined to upheave. A hidden variable, and eventually others. "Oh my god!" Rei gasped as she skirked behind a tree. She received startled looks from the other girls. They had just minutes passed into Okinawa Park; Tokyo Tower could be seen grazing the tops of some of the buildings to the West. Rei was holding a hand to her scarf and taking long, deep breaths. The others followed suit. "What's wrong Rei?" Ami whispered, glancing left to right, as if in fear of an ambush at any moment. "N-nothing, I- just saw a really cute guy, is all," Rei bit her lip. "Yeah. A really... er, cute... guy." "Okay. Earth to Rei? You've always been so aggressive before, why the sudden change? Have you grown soft?" Usagi egged on Rei. "I HAVE NOT GROWN SOFT!" Everyone stared gaping at her. "Er, I mean, I'm just... overwhelmed, that's all." Usagi looked out from behind the tree. A youth was sitting at a nearby wooden bench, looking at an organizer and mumbling to himself. "What do you mean? He isn't THAT cute. He doesn't look a thing like Motoki-san at all." "We all have our tastes, Usagi. Mine just isn't with the arcade guy, or ice cream, either." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Nothing, meatball head. Or should I say, ice cream head?" "You take that back!" "Why? You know it's true!" "ENOUGH!" Ami screamed. "Enough, enough, enough! Oi, I don't know why I put up with you two." Usagi and Rei stood dumbfounded for a moment, then Rei twitched and began peeking out at the boy from the tree's protection. "Well..." Usagi stated, obviously waiting for something. "Come on! Let's meet him! Say hi! Make your move!" Usagi motioned at Naru and each of them grabbed one of Rei's arms, dragging her along. "Hey! Let... go!" "No need to make a scene, Rei," scorned Usagi, as she continued to take Rei, arms flailing, with her. "You're the one causing the scene! Let go, I'll take care of it!" she forcibly shook away from their grip, regained composure, and strolled down the path, as if on a mission. The others crossly followed short after. "Now, are you sure you want to stop here?" Put in Pocket asked one last time, obviously showing great distaste for their location. They had arrived in Okinawa Park, and, much to the PC's dismay, stopped on one of the paths leading almost directly through the heart of it. Nature's last stance against the city was caged up within, cherry blossom trees giving away their leaves and allowing them to float gracefully to the ground. People of various shapes and sizes passed along, many immensed in the daily newspaper, some with attache cases swinging back and forth from an arm that did the same, or clusters of students chatting and giggling to the others amongst their clique. A somewhat crowded place to talk about important mannerisms. "Look, all I know is that the message I was given this morning told me to get out of there," Tim Harper hissed at Put in Pocket, keeping his voice low so as to arouse the least amount of suspicion possible. "You may think me ignorant, but even I won't spit at a warning staring at me straight in my face. This is the best location to meet people usually, and I, for one, intend to find elsewhere than this bench to sleep in tonight if at all possible." "Speak of the devil, someone's heading your way now." "Wha-what? Where?" Tim began to raise his head, but Put in Pocket halted him. "Keep looking at me, boy. If you're wanting anything, you'll not earn it gaping like some damn blasted fool at a singing chiuhahua balancing on a circus ball, not if I have anything to do about it. She's a female... student, it seems like, and not too bad lookin' either, to be sure. Except I don't know your tastes. If you prefer the rear bumping type, then power to you, but I'm not stayin'. I'll wouldn't mind having some... journeys... with her, howe- "Rear bumping? I'm a flaming heterosexual, thank you very much." "You're a bit late there, although I had already figured out as much. You seem to be a homophobe, now, as well. Wait! Quiet!" With that, Put in Pocket blipped out of existence and what appeared to be a normal graphic application program blipped onto the display. He heard what sounded like one was trying to clear one's throat, and looked up. Before him stood one who made the beauty of nature shy away in comparison. She indeed was wearing the mark of a student, a grayish white sailor uniform with crimson red scarf laid across a darker gray collar. A gray skirt all but covered what looked like long slender legs. Her raven black hair extended slightly below her waist. A stray breath of wind blew a few strands across her face, and a delicate hand deftly brushed them out of the way. She looked to be at least as tall as himself, if not taller than he, and a strong and defiant personage hung about herself, confidence abundant. Except in her eyes. Those dark blue eyes quivered, betraying her uncertainty to him. She wanted something, and was not sure how to try to get it, that much was obvious. At least she looked American, her Caucasian body contrasted with the others that passed down the cement. "Hello," he offered, attempting to break the stillness that clamped on the two individuals. She stiffened in place, those same eyes quivering ever more. She bit her lip ever so slightly, yet visibly, and she glanced to her left briefly. Following her gaze, he saw three other... students, judging by the garb, watching intently off in the distance, then back at her own. He could sense what her eyes were trying to tell him without words. Fear. She was afraid, and it immediately hit him like a filled oil drum. She couldn't speak English. His face grew pale, and he felt the nervousness creep into his own flesh. He hoped what he knew of Japanese would be enough. "Uh.. uh... Konbanwa." He immediately knew that was right. Her eye's passed into confusion, and her nose wrinkled for a moment, yet brief enough. A mistake. What did that mean again? Good evening? Yet it was still early afternoon, at least. How did that go again? "Er... Konnichiwa." he corrected himself. He did not have the chance to see her reaction, for a shock racked his mind, numbing it's ability to function. After a breath's time it passed, and his vision slowly came back to him, showing her mouth moving yet no sound pouring forth, or perhaps his mind could not register that quite yet. He glanced at Put in Pocket, seeking some sort of escape, and found a message flashing on the screen, 'Excuse yourself for a moment and we'll talk.' He looked back up at her. She seemed as if she was pausing, waiting for some sort of response. He stumbled out of the bench, and saw her immediately frown, her eyes questioning. Raising a finger, hoping she would realize it as meaning he would be back soon after, he retreated into the forage of trees the park provided him. "That was exactly what I wanted NOT to happen," exclaimed Put in Pocket, as soon as he was out of earshot. "You making a damn fool of yourself because you didn't know the language. You really should be shot and do the world a favor, you know that?" "And what was I supposed to do, just sit there dumbly and wait for her to pass on, to possibly deny me the chance at food and shelter! It was clear she came up to me for a reason, and I contend not to just let it pass!" "You expect me to believe that rubbish, Tim? I know how you kids think. The real reason you looked like a fool was because you liked her." Tim stopped pacing, hand frozen in space from its recent gesture. "I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled incessantly, eyes avoiding the mini-computer. "It's as plain as a bare wall, Tim. Don't think I can't tell. I'm not the slowass of the two. You are." Put in Pocket waited for some form of interjection, hearing none, before going on. "I remember... some of what information was plugged in my head before I was atom spliced in that damn portal. There's a compartment on the lower right hand side that, if you slide it open, has some sort of device you can set in each of your ears, and one for one side of your mouth. I believe it has something to do with translation of languages. This will help you get what you want, what you need." Tim complied, still in silence, sliding open the compartment and placing the small metallic yet fleshtone pieces in their respective locations. Nothing felt any different than before. He tried speaking. "Testing. Hmmm... Konnichiwa. Arggh. Does this need to be turned on?" "Your speech won't sound any different to you, boy, but it will be heard in the preferred language of the observer. Likewise, their speaking will seem like regular speech to yourself. Go over and try it out, skeptical one." Tim emerged back from his retreat and felt relieved to see her still standing there, waiting. A grin flashed across her face as well. He walked up to her again, and said, "Let's try this again. How are you today?" Something felt wrong. His lips didn't seem to quite follow his sound, yet they felt as if they were following it at the same time. She immediately grinned again, however, and all uncertainty fled from her eyes. "I'm fine thank you." It sounded almost as if the Japanese was flowing into English, sounding quite odd, yet something he was sure he could get used to. He smiled warmly back at her. "I'm doing alright." "What happened back there? It sounded as if you barely knew a word of Japanese, but when you come back from the trees, you speak it as well as a resident." His head swam fighting the murky feeling floating through his mind. This definitely would take some getting used to. "My mind... lost focus or something, I dunno. I stepped into the trees to collect myself, and I could speak clearly again." Her lips curled up into a smirk, a cute one at that. "Whatever you did, I'm glad it happened. Oh, pardon me. My name's Rei Hino." His mind stumbled on the words. Rei Hino... he had heard that somewhere before, but where? He couldn't quite remember. But there was something, from before... he thought he almost had it, but lost it again. She was looking at him again, with another one of those worried glances on her face. He quickly shook the thought away, and offered his hand. "The name's Tim Harper." His hand stood grasping open air. She looked at it for a moment, then, as if the thought struck her like a bell, reached out and shook his own. A firm grip, he realized. He could sense the strength behind there, like a hidden flame... "For a moment I didn't realize you were attempting the American custom of shaking hands in acceptance of friendship. You are American, are you not?" "Ye-yes. I am. Are you not American?" She paused for a moment, and Tim could feel her hands tremble ever so slightly. It passed as quickly as it came, however. "Ah... my... mother was, before she came over here. My... mother." Her eyes betrayed her once again. There was either something she was holding back, or some sort of fabrication of the truth was present. He decided to let it slide. "Where have you been staying?" Tim stared at her aghast. Why would she ask a question like that? Did she actually have a deep interest in him, as Put in Pocket suggested, or was it some unknown Japanese custom he was not aware of? No, that couldn't be it, he thought. But if not, then what...? Rei caught his wondering glance, and stammered, "Well, you said you were American. I doubt you live here. Are you staying at the Mishaka Hotel? Or at the Lakeside Okado, or where?" It occurred to him that he did not catch the name of where he had left. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. If he could catch where the conversation was leading to, she was trying to find out to visit later anyway. If he could catch her intentions. He was trying to find a place to stay, at any rate. "I..I... My parents and I came over here for vacation, because they have a lot of money, and like to travel overseas... my father holds a great deal of stocks over here anyway, and likes to check up on things close-hand. We were in the airport terminal on the way here..." he sighed, hanging his head low and faking emotion to sweeten the story. "My parents never saw it coming. Two madmen were running down the terminal, carrying a briefcase. My father bumped into one of them on accident and sent him tumbling to the ground. The case broke apart and... and... two disembodied heads were seen peering through plastic bags. The other guy reached into his trench coat and pulled out a pistol and fired, twice. Both fell to the ground, heads pierced with a bullet between their eyes." He shuddered, for effect. "I was at a nearby booth, buying the local newspaper at the time, and saw the whole thing. Such a tragedy. The two madmen jumped out the window directly opposite me, and presumably died. They better have died! Some sort of police came, and collected the bodies. I left before they saw me. I didn't want to get caught up in some sort of child's home. They were the last members of my family I had. My grandparents have died, and my parents were single children. I'm all that's left." She frowned, troubled by... something. "So, in other words, your stuck here without any place to stay." "Exactly." Tim hoped she didn't see his apprehension. She stood there for a moment, then grabbed my hand. "Come on, you can stay at the temple with me. I'll have to do some fancy talking to Grandfather, though." "Wa-wait! What about your friends that were back there?" "What? Oh, they left a long time ago. They didn't quite understand why I was just standing there, but that's their problem." Tim looked back, and sure enough, the trees stood bare where once three bodies had been. He felt a jerk of his wrist, and was soon being led through Okinawa Park. He had found a place to reside at last, and perhaps something else as well. What now? He attempted to query his messenger from inside his mind. What now? ******** The stillness of the hallway split in two as a bolt of lightning formed into a man. His silvery white hair complimented his white cap on gray garb, rigid and stiff as the man himself. Two gilds of gold curled their way inward on each of the man's shoulders. He walked through the stillness as if making a sound did not matter, and indeed no sound arose from his step. As he came to the door at the end of the hall, he stopped. This is the one, he thought. He could sense what he was seeking, even from the other side of the room. Just beyond those doors, he must lay. The aura would not be so strong if it were otherwise. It could not be. A person was the only entity that could give such a strong aura. He was to seek the traveler of dimensions. The Negaverse's prophecies foretold of him, that he would lead them to victory against the Moon once and for all. One even more powerful than Metalia, suppressive. He had to be coerced, the prophecy had proclaimed, into joining those of the Dark, but it could be so, it stated, for he had some of the Dark within his blood. Queen Beryl sent him immediately after she could verify that it was him indeed. She had sent him to find the traveler, and to bring him to her. It could be deemed as an honorable mission to some, perhaps, but he hated it himself. He had to play fetch for his master while Nephrite waged war against the Moon. He grated his teeth. Nephrite was the leader for now, he and his accursed fortune telling through star patterns. A simple belief, nothing more, even the Queen herself had stated that it was a fool's dream to believe the stars and not the Negaversal teachings. The prophecies were enough for him, at least. He would insure they were carried out, at all costs. He paused for a moment more, only a moment, then let his energy burst open the flimsy barrier, the door. He stepped in confidently, ready to take his Queen's prey to her. And found an empty room. Actually, it wasn't empty, but he didn't see what he sought. No man sat at the bed leisurely reading some sort of magazine, nor at the desk, nor the window. He wasn't there at all. The closets stood half opened and vacuous as well. Yet he could still feel the presence. He could not mistake the power being this close to it. Kunzite overturned the bed in rage, and, seeing nothing, smashed his fist into the television. Sparks flew out, then spiraled in amongst his own electricity pulsing about him. He wasn't here. That much was plain to see. The traveler of dimensions had tricked him. He began to teleport himself in a bolt of lightning back emptyhanded, a dangerous deed indeed, when something pristine white caught his eye. Halting in mid-transport, he moved over to the doorjamb. A small white fabric clung to it, even though the door had just been blasted from its frame moments before. He could sense the power flowing from the fabric, and immediately understood Queen Beryl's comparison of his power. If enough power for a man was present in the scrap of a shirt, surely there was power beyond imagination present that could be harnessed for the final destruction of the Moon Kingdom's heirs as well. Or to destroy the Negaverse. His lips pursed at that thought. He would just have to get to him first. The man unhooked the fabric from the jamb, and an image flashed through his mind. A young man could be seen walking with some woman down the sidewalk of a street. The traveler of dimensions. His grin grew wider, stretching cheek to cheek. He had something the scouts did not, and could find him at any time. Queen Beryl will be very pleased. With laugh that shook the very foundation of the room, he disappeared in a bolt of light. ******** Tim Harper took in all the sites and sounds as he past them, following Rei to her temple. It was one thing to hear about some of Japan's customs and quirks, entirely another to experience them firsthand. Some of the streets were like outdoor markets, with vendors sitting outside with some fish, produce, ancient beads, or "magical" charms. Heckling was common here as well, he could see, and next to no pedestrians seemed to be bothered by it. "Curry here! Come get some spicy hot curry!" "Young man, why don't you check out this fine collection of Shinto lanterns..." "The finest in the east! Ancient Spirit Love Bracelets. Never worry about finding that special someone again..." The markets were only a cinder compared to the flame, however. Rei had most of his attention. He loved her smirks, the way she brushed her hand through her hair, and how she tended to raise her voice to make a point. Tim couldn't help but wonder if she really seemed to like him or not; he could not tell. What he did know was that he was spending time with her now, and that was enough. "So, the temple has been your family's for over 1000 years?" I asked. She hesitated a moment then nodded. There was something about the temple that bothered her, yet she would not say why. "My relatives acquired Hikawa Jijan after the Shogun Wars. They kept adding to it to make it more beautiful, but they left the nature and layout untouched. 'Tis best to leave great things lie,' my grandfather used to tell me. The temple really is great. Many cherry blossom trees are planted on the grounds, and birds of all varieties come visit all the time. It's one of the best of all the ancient temples. 'Hikawa Jijan, symbol of triumph and thereafter peace for the Hino family.' My grandfather, again." "That sounds great. I wish my old home was like that. I wouldn't have the urge to go to parks so frequently otherwise. I know they're not a perfect display of nature, but it's all I have at home." "If you hadn't gone to that park, you wouldn't have had a place to stay now, would you?" "I guess not, its just that- "Down!" Rei slammed her body into Tim's, and both sprawled onto the ground. She laid huddled across his chest, her breath rasping deeply. Her just recently smooth raven hair mingled across his eyes in haphazard directions. Two slender arms wrapped themselves across the youth's torso and held on firmly, refusing to let go. Tim would have quite enjoyed the position they were in, but the sense of urgency in her actions caused more worry at that moment. Several feet in front of the two laid a dagger that had cleaved the pavement where it had struck. Its golden hilt was set with multiple gems of onyx. The blade was what caused Tim to gasp in wonder, however. It was comprised of crystal or... diamond, he believed, from the crack left in the cement, cut in such intricate and deadly detail it could cleave through bone at point blank with barely a hair's span of movement by the host. A shiver coursed through his entire body and met Rei's own. "Don't worry, I wouldn't kill someone without their prior knowledge," came a voice from behind him. "One Who Comes From Beyond The Universe, servant of silence. Yes, the stars have told me about you." Servant of silence... time everlasting. The messenger's words. What did this guy know about him? He slowly turned to face the self-proclaimed adversary. The man stood tall, with a stiff gray uniform pressed taut over his body. Long red curls fell across a smooth, young face, and a sinister smile above all. His hands drew back behind the towering man, but he caught some sort of black marking etched upon it. A student fresh out of college would believe the man to be younger than he, Tim realized, and he was speaking to me. Rei's eyes searched Tim's in hopes of finding sense of the situation. It didn't bother him as much as if he hadn't been dragged into the portal by... dammit, what had he been taken through the portal by? He remembered his body feeling like it was being flayed alive, roasted and frozen at once. Those pursuant eyes of Rei's then focused on the intruder, hardening with hatred. Twice she almost rose from her position, almost as if he had come for her instead. Defiance twisted in her gaze, but she remained motionless. "The stars have foretold of what you will do for quite some time now. Rend the universe in your attempt to stamp out the Dark Kingdom. It is also foretold that you can be bent, brought to our will and serve our ways. You have a choice. Join us, or die. That is all there can be. For if you do not join us, we will have no choice but to kill you, before the Dark Kingdom is destroyed." A matter of fact tone permeated his voice, not persuasive, as if he did not care one wit whether or not he actually came to his side or not. "Hold it right there Nega-scum!" Another voice invaded the area as a wispy shape flashed across his eyes. Landing on the ground in front of him, he saw that the newcomer was wearing a... tight, he noticed without meaning to do so, blouse, with blue skirt and scarf, kept together with a bright red bow. The girl's hair had two long ponytails that fell nearly to her knees and collected into two balls of hair at the top. She looked familiar, as if he had seen her before... The girl thrust a finger at the interloper and said, "Have you come to attacking innocent bystanders now, Nephrite? Your evil shows clearly, yet you have gone too far! For love and justice, I'm Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. In place of the moon, I punish you!" Sailor Moon! Memories swirled through Tim's mind, attempting to puncture a layer of mist that had blocked them back. He shuddered as some broke through, the feeling like that of piercing through flesh. Images floated through his mind. Sailor Moon. Mercury. Mars. Jupiter. Venus. Nephrite. Tsukino Usagi. Mizuno Ami. Hino Rei. Tim mouthed a gasp, though no sound came out. Rei Hino was Sailor Mars! That was what she was holding back. Tim's vision slowly came back to him, and there was another girl in place of Sailor Moon. Wearing an almost entirely blue uniform, it could unmistakenably be Sailor Mercury. Except her hair threw him off. In the series, the hair was a deep royal blue, yet in the street before him, it was a dark brown. He guessed that where he was at the moment had about the same physical properties as his own, so therefore for her hair to be blue, she would have to dye it. With Ami's quiet intellectual nature, however, he doubted that it would be likely that she do that. Looking across to the other side, he noticed that Rei was no longer on top of him, and that Nephrite was no longer there as well. In place of him, however, was some... thing. It stood probably a head taller than Nephrite did, and at least twice as wide. His crustacean face had two thin tendrils snaking out into the air. His arms had scales haphazardly arranged that led to feathery talons in place of hands. A thin cloth covered his torso, sprouting two grotesque scaled limbs with feathers protruding violently at random intervals. The beast- no, youma, he remembered it was called, screeched in such a way to pierce eardrums, and ambled towards him. Tim hastily scrambled to his feet, and attempted to move out of the youma's path. Heading no longer for his direction, the youma went straight for Sailor Mercury. He heard a "Shabon Spray" emit from her lips, and bubbles surged forth to cover the area into a heavy mist. Tim was unable to see. "Fire Soul!" A dim light flashed a bit in front of him, and then a screech. "Moon...Tiara...Halation!" A grisly wail faded and vanished, as did the creature, he assumed. The only remains would be moondust after that attack had been made. At least, until it no longer worked. The mist diminished, and he could see Rei huddled behind a tree. Nice try, Tim thought to himself, but I know you were just out there fighting that thing. He decided he would play along, though, for a little while at least. Running over to her, he leaned down and asked, "Are you okay?" She hesitated, made an exaggerated swallow as if she were frightened, and raised a slightly trembling hand. "I'm al-right," she said. "Could you help me up?" "Of course," Tim stated, and pulled her up to her feet. "Now, how about we head to the temple, like we planned earlier?" Rei nodded. As they continued down the street, he noticed that there were other pedestrians as well. All continued smoothly, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Tim shuddered as he walked on. If they had not been bothered by what had transpired, then he did not want to know what would. He left the battleground, the youma, and the prophesized omen behind him. ******** Dispose of them. That had been the Master's last words for him to carry out. He did not even care if that Arkindel was going to send them through the damn portal or not; killing them would be far more effective. Better not to let them have any chances at all, he figured. Nixx emerged from the Dark Portal onto a street, where he could spot one of the Four and another peon passing by an electronic store. Melting into the shadows, he waited for her to reach him. "So, when are you going out with that Chris guy?" asked Jessica, Niki's companion as she nudged her friend in the ribs. "What do you mean, when are we going out?" Niki asked, somewhat perturbed. "I mean, when are you going out? He's captain of the varsity football team and the most popular guy at school. When are you going out?" "What makes you think I will go out with a guy just because he's popular?" "All of us do it. Come on, you're the most popular girl in school, and the most popular girl always goes out with the most popular guy. It's an unwritten rule!" "Well, damn me for breaking this rule then. I don't want to go out with him." "But he's the captain of the- "Jess, I don't want to hear it. If you're going to keep bugging me to go out with Chris, I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave right now." "Fine." Raising her nose high to the heavens, Jessica turned and walked the other direction. That's what she hated about her friends. All they cared about was going out with the popular guys and being popular themselves. It sometimes led her to wonder how she had gotten into this mess of them all, if not just for Vince to notice her. A charming demeanor and pleasant voice, soothing touch and gentle caress, were what made Vince so special. She remembered a time when they had been assigned to work on a project together. A synopsis presentation of the schematics of several chemical elements, along with general history and purposes of each. They had eaten at an old-fashioned diner while they decided on how they would design it one time, and she could still remember the tone in his voice that sounded protective, that he would never let anything happen to her. Well, not her exactly. The tone was his normal voice, and if directed toward anybody, it would have to of been his girlfriend, of which he had dated for over a year. Niki had not given up insuring she would be close-by in case anything had happened, however. Vince associated with the popular preppie group because some of those were friends of his all the way back in elementary school, when class was not important. Associating with them helped keep herself close to Vince, so she was happi...er. A firm hand grabbed her by the wrist. She turned her head to meet a tall, burly man greeting her presence. His eyes were a deep brown, almost red in color, while his nose protruded outward as if to get as far away from them as possible. A thick mustached covered the jeer in his smile. Looking and smelling as if he had not left the streets in a couple of weeks at least, his presence was not the most comforting. "You're coming with me, bitch." The hand jerks her away from the street and into an alleyway, her having to run just to keep her legs from being thrown out from under her and being dragged down it. With a grunt, he threw her body against the brick wall of the building, her body convulsing slightly from the blow. Planting an arm firmly on her shoulder, he stated, "Pardon, but I need to let off some tension, if you know what I mean." His mouth widened into a grin and grimy teeth, where none were missing at least, could be seen amidst it. "RA-" His free hand silenced her screams. He's going to rape me, she thought. She had heard the horror stories before, known that there is little getting out of being raped; except to hope, and pray. She raised her hand in one last act of defiance and swung it towards the only location where he would be in enough pain to let go. His arm grabbed her fist. "Listen here, you little bitch. I'm in control, and if you don't struggle this will be easier on the both of us." Niki spat in his face. "Bitch!" He slapped her with back of his hand, the force sending her mind into chaos. She couldn't quite get herself to do much else. He ripped at her shirt, exposing what was underneath. "Yes, I'll have fun with you." he decided. "I knew I would." He fumbled around with his belt for a moment, he managed to remove it and worked on his pants. Then he in turn proceeded with taking off her jeans as well. "You can't even possibly realize how long it has been since I've done this last. I have to experience it again or else go crazy. You'll understand when your older." Then he reeled to the side, a black fist in his stead. Niki noticed that the newcomer was all black though, not clothed black with only eyes showing or anything to that nature, except for a crimson trident that seemed to glow in the center. It then proceeded to slam what seemed to be a knee into the rapist's gut. Twirling around, another arm backhanded him onto the pavement. The attacker's eyes lolled back into his head. The being's... hand raised up, and came down onto the man's face. The sound of bone cracking and body fluids met her ears. When the hand was pulled back, an imprint halfway into the attacker's skull presented itself. His brain could be seen through the crevice in his skull, half crushed by the blow. A pool of blood seeped outward from the man's face. His eyes were bulged outward from their sockets and his mouth was contorted into a silent scream... and she fainted. Nixx loved the scent of blood on his hands, and his mouth parted so that he could partake in its pleasurable taste. He then turned toward the fallen woman. Her body had been sprayed partially by blood, and her clothing stood in ruins, her jeans separated from her body. The man had done a fine job making it easier for him. She would not be able to retaliate with her powers now. The image of torture danced across his mind. He decided he would not kill her, not yet, but to play with her, then, when she was spent, to kill her. Let Arkindel try to find the others. She would be his. Taking her into his arms, he called forth the Dark Portal, and passed through. ******** Hikawa Jijan stood out among the regular block-shaped residences surrounding it. It's triangular dome rose high amongst the rest, it's curved tile roof showing more elegance as well. Everything about the temple was beautiful to Tim. The two familiar tall headstones in front, proclaiming the four elements to all. The cherry blossom trees, the pure green grass. It was truly a monument to nature. He remembered what he had seen on the anime show from his own home, but this was more beautiful by far. Where was he, then, where cartoons became real before him? Was this just a prolonged dream? The last thing he could remember, though, was of some sort of metallic structure forcing him inside, and a man clothed in a dark purple robe, and that pulsing red trident on his forehead. After letting him take in the surroundings, Rei grabbed his arm again and took him up to the platform to the entrance of the temple. "Wait here," Rei said. "I've got some convincing to do." A few moments after she had walked inside, he could hear screaming. "I WILL NOT KEEP BOYS IN THE TEMPLE FOR YOUR PLEASURE, REI!" He grinned. That was how he remembered her grandfather from watching the show. A lecherous man himself, but when it came to his daughter... He would bend, if not now, to Chad... er, Yuchiro, he thought he might be called. He would be found sleeping outside the temple and offer to be taught in the ways of the Shinto, and would fall in love with Rei. Dammit. He had forgotten about that. Then again, Rei was taking a far greater interest in him now than she ever seemed to with Yuchiro... on the show, at least. The temple door slid open. Rei appeared from within. "Um... he wants to... examine you, is how he put it." she stated. "Okay, I guess." Tim walked inside, and was met by sliding rooms with cloth and wooden support walls and sliding doors. Following Rei, he came into what seemed to be some sort of dining room. A bookshelf lined its end, with a menagerie of tattered books residing upon it. A table only about a foot tall laid in the center. Some Japanese did not have chairs, and ate sitting cross-legged, he remembered. A short man in a white linen robe with another cyan one over stood near the center of the room. When he saw Tim, he ran over to him. Staring at his eyes, he heard a harumph, then the man dashed to one side of him, another harumph being heard. This continued for several moments, then the man said, "Dinner begins in five minutes. Wash up," and walked out of the room. "I take that as an approval?" I asked of Rei. She shrugged, then nodded, leading me to a wash basin and towel. "This may seem almost primitive, but at least we have soap," she handed a bar to him and he scrubbed some of the grime from his hands. "You can wash the rest of your body later." he saw a slight blush arise upon her cheek. "Of course. I would not dare risk such a thing." She laughed, a little. "Finish up. I'll meet you at the table." He knew Sailor Mars personally, he thought to himself, and had seen Sailor Moon and Mercury. And Nephrite. He wondered how closely this fit with story continuity. If Nephrite was the current general, that means Makoto and Minako, the other two Scouts, were not in the picture as of yet. He wondered how they would look in person as well. Somehow, he had to tell Rei what he knew about her, but he didn't want to make it seem like he was from the Negaverse by knowing the information about them. He supposed waiting was the best course of action. Walking into the dining room once more, he awkwardly sat cross-legged before it. Succeeding, he waited for the others to say something. They picked up their chopsticks, and began stirring around in their bowls of vegetables and noodles. "You start learning the ways of the Shinto tomorrow, Tim-sama." grandfather said. Tim's head jerked upward. He remembered when Yuchiro would swing from tree to tree, quite often slamming into the trunk of one or another. "Is that a requirement for all who live here?" I ask, almost pitifully. "No one else has lived here besides me and Rei. We both know the ways of the Shinto, so... yes, I guess so." "Whatever happened to freedom of religion?" "This isn't America." he grinned. "Just because I'm having you learn the ways of the Shinto does not mean it has to be your religion. Believe what you wish, but I require you to have some knowledge of it if you are to stay." "As you wish." The rest of the meal finished in silence. Laying on the pallet in the guest room he had been quartered in, he could not help but marvel at how different it was without some of the modern technologies. Rei collected manga, and she lent some of them to himself, but he couldn't read Japanese anyway, so he didn't bother to look through them. Other than that, the house was an image of the past. Water was pumped into the temple as opposed to being ushered out a faucet, and there was only one outlet for electricity, usually used only if something needed to be done quickly, like a massive ironing of clothes he was told they do to raise money on occasion. It all seemed too surreal. He heard a knock on the sliding door, and a female voice, "May I come in?" "Sure. I haven't fallen asleep yet." The door opened silently on its track, and she crept inside, clothed in a red kimono and white socks. He couldn't help but notice how cute she was, and noted to remember the red kimono later. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and smiled. "I was just wondering. What were your parents like?" Were. He had nearly forgotten he had told them they had died. "Well, like any family, I guess. They would be harsh to get their point across, hoping to mold their children into images of themselves. When you did what they wanted you to do, they would reward you like they might feed a treat to a dog. All parents seem to do that. Since they are only middle class, however, they struggle a bit to support me." Oops. He slipped, "Er... they did, at any rate." Rei frowned at that, but finally nodded. "Sounds like most Japanese families as well. I didn't experience that because, my parents... had died when I was only five years old, in a car accident. My grandfather had told me that they had a long business meeting at the time so that I wouldn't be worried, but I eventually figured it out when they didn't come back. My grandfather has raised me ever since." she bit her lip. "Tim, don't you have a girlfriend worrying about you at home?" Shaking his head, Tim said, "No. I had always sort of isolated myself from that. Kept myself out of the cliques except my own, which was pretty much all guys. Because of that and the fact that I had never explicitly tried to really talk with any, I haven't ever had a girlfriend." "Ah. For a while I was the same way. I kept quiet, because of what had happened to my parents. A little while back, though, I became somewhat aggressive. That didn't really seem to work, either. It seems that Japanese guys seem to get somewhat offended if the women aren't passive and submissive." He could see the anger in her eyes brightened, then it dissipated. Leaning close to Tim, she whispered in his ear. "I'm going to bed. If grandpa caught me in here, he'd kill me. Night, Tim-sama." she kissed him on his cheek. His mind caught off guard, he mumbled a slight, "Night, Rei." She retreated from the bed, and quietly left the room. A bolt of lightning visualized in his mind, causing him to shake convulsively. Remembering a tantrum held by a certain Put in Pocket earlier, he yanked the device out of his jeans pocket. The screen showed him to be in a very perturbed state, with his hands crossing chest to convey anger. "About time you decided to talk to me again, dumbass." Put in Pocket changed into a mimicking voice. "Tim and Rei, sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Tim Jr. in the baby carriage." "Aw, shut up already!" Tim tossed the PC onto the bed. "Hey, I'm an expensive piece of equipment here! Don't forget who made all this possible, dumbass. The least you could have done was talk to me sometime today. It get's boring on this screen sometimes, and it's not like I have the ability to download a companion now, is there?" "Forget this. Pip, I need some sleep. Leave me alone for this evening." "PIP! Why're you calling me some damn British name now?" "Your initials. Put In Pocket. Pip. The other is too long to say." "Can't it be cool, though, like Kick yo Ass? That's shorter." "But it's not even remotely acceptable in public." "And a sentient computer is?" "Quiet, I'm getting some sleep." He pressed the off button. "Wa-wait. I hate the off button-" the power fully fled from the PC, and Tim finally fell asleep to dreams of beautiful raven haired women, talking computers, and deadly youma. ******* "Nephrite!" A scream came out of nothingness. "What is your current status with the disposal of the Sailor Scouts?" "I-have everything under control, my queen," the general stated. "You needn't worry yourself about it." Cherry blossoms swirled about in the air, and another man emerged from within the chaos. A laugh filled the chambers, its echoes clamoring loudly. "Queen Beryl, you know how worthless Nephrite's diligence has been so far. Why not let a man with a little more style do the trick?" "My work has not been worthless!" Nephrite pleaded. "Enough! Nephrite, you have been worked hardest than most while in command, but Zoisite is correct in regards to your limited success. You have done no more to take care of the Scouts than Jadeite had, and we all know his punishment for not taking care of them. I wish I would not have to do the same with you." "Of course not, my Queen, it's just that... " he cut himself short. Zoisite was the last person he wished to know about the One Who Comes From Beyond The Universe. That blasted general would find some way to use it against him. The desire could to do so could be seen in his eyes. One screw up was all that was needed for Zoisite to betray him and take command. He had gained a slight edge over Nephrite with his blasted style already, from the look in the Queen's eyes. "I can see you two would like to be alone. Just don't wake me up with your screams, Nephrite." A shrill laughter pierced the air as Zoisite disappear amidst blossoms. "My Queen, I have something to tell you," irked at Zoisite's comment, yet glad to be able to use his departure to his advantage. "I have found the One Who Comes From Beyond The Universe. I saw him in person today. The stars had told me where he could be found, and he was there." "Nephrite, your job is to destroy the Sailor Scouts in any way possible, not to seek out the traveler of dimensions." "But with his powers, he could wipe out the Scouts easily! I'd say that's pretty much any way possible." "That's Kunzite's duty, not yours. He is the emissary for the Negaverse, and you are to collect energy for Metalia and stop any opposition of you carrying out that task. I don't care if you brought the traveler of dimensions kneeling before me, all I want is to see the Sailor Scout's heads on a stake! Do you understand, Nephrite? Fail me and meet the same fate as Jadeite!" "Understood, my Queen." Nephrite bowed to her, then turned and disappeared into the folds of the Negaverse. Nephrite will not fail me, Beryl thought. If he does... her fist slammed on her throne. I might have to reopen my torture chamber, she decided. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ How did you like it? I would very much appreciate any comments you could give to me. Please send me email and let me know! Lastly, this is a story I have created, even if the characters are anything but originals to write about; as I said they are copyrighted. Since I did write this I would appreciate it if you left it unmodified. Arigato gozaimasu. This probably did not get out in as quick a time as some might have expected. Gomen nasai, but genius can't always think clearly, ne? You know the drill. Brian Cable virgilamg@yahoo.com -1st Revision, released 11-23-98.