UsAgI iS dEaD uSaGi Is DeAd HiP hIp HiP hOoRaY by DARK DAY FOR ANIME Diclaimer - Sailormoon is owned by Takeuchi Naoko and Bandai, so these characters really belong to them, except ones I made up. You know who they are! They're the ones that run around doing bad things to the original cast. ^_^ Well, most of them, anyway. This chapter is dedicated to Chris Davies, whose constructive criticism and dry wit are a credit to the world of Sailormoon fanfic writing. (*snort*) ^_^ Part Sixteen Under a Blood Red Sky Usako stared at the tendrils of the city as she raced for their enticing embrace. Behind her, she could hear Aosagi's voice beckoning her to stop. But she could not, would not, stop. The City... The place where she was born, beckoned to her to fulfill a destiny that nobody would have thought possible when she rose from the tanks back in the Production Plant. For the first time in her short life, she felt she had a purpose. She was NEEDED. Those moments, alone and unwanted, they were over now.... Strange thoughts ran through her head that she tried to ignore. Memories of lives past lived. That was not really possible, of course. For an Usagi clone, there was no such thing as a past life.... They were nothing more than a shattered fragment of the spirit of the original. And yet, these were hard to ignore. Some of them appeared to be memories of the past. She expected that. All Usagis contained within the the thoughts, fears and emotions of the original Tsukino Usagi. But, unlike many, those memories were not something that could skipped over as a vapid by- product of Usagi's genes. Usako could remember almost everything, and then have it all disappear, only for it to return. And then there were other memories... Memories that were not memories. Memories of the future, of events that were yet to occur. She wondered about this, sometimes. Wasn't Pluto capable of such things? Her very nervous system was supposed to be attached to the continuum of time.... She felt her body shivering. She normally hated the concepts of time, destiny and their duplicity. She much rathered the ideal of the free will. And yet, her creative impulses and sociability would not allow her to exercise that ideal, like a puppet with its strings being pulled in many different directions. Was she being a puppet now, allowing the Eteranl City to grab hold of her conciousness in this way... To draw her in so they could make physical contact... So they could... Become whole once more. Half of her WAS the City. Half of her WAS that collecitve mind. And perhaps that is where she truly came from. One of the collective, the gestalt, that was cast away in a vessel not of her own making. If that were so, she wanted to be a part of the collective once more, and end this existence of loneliness. Damn the other clones and their search for individuality. Several Destroyers flew overhead, casting heavy shadows down upon the scene. She didn't notice them, nor did they seem to notice her. She ran through old blockades, past burning buildings, past the wanton destruction that she so despised. The City knew what to do. The City had seen what had happened here. The City wanted to end this chaos. If that was what the City wanted, then it was what she wanted. Dr Mizuno smiled at the patient. Yet another survivor of the chaos that had befallen Tokyo. Now, within this small local hospice in the outlying regions of the city, she began to feel the weight of time resting upon her shoulders. She had been awake for altogether too long. There had been periods when she had spent somewhere in the region of two to three days, awake and working. It wasn't good practice, but the demands of the medical profession were such that, anyone who was even vaguely competent at their job quickly found themselves earning the overtime of a lifetime. It was different now. She'd heard stories from her parents about what it had been like during the war.... The air raids on Tokyo. She'd never thought she'd get to experience something of a similar nature. But even worse than that.... Ami was missing. In her heart of hearts, she knew she was dead. When she saw Ami fall, and literally melt, into the pool, she knew she would never see her daughter alive again. All of the strange events that followed only cemented that belief in her mind.... She stepped away from the patient as a nurse pulled the bedsheet higher over his form. He had several broken ribs and a fractured jaw... Courtesy of climbing onto his roof to get a better view of the dimensional breach and everything that went with it. He was one of the lucky ones. She'd seen worse injuries that day. She entered the passageway that lead from the room. JSDF soldiers nodded to her as she strode past. Fortunately, the hospice had been under the control of a more benign element within the military, when they had attempted to regain order in the streets. She had been shipped from the inner-city hospital by them, along with everyone else there at the time, for their own protection. Roaming bands of extremists had attacked another hospital and tried to use it as a stronghold, keeping staff and patients hostage for two hours. Then that monster that had been rampaging through the city took to the hospital.... There were no reports of survivors. Since then, things had not quietened down. She fell against a wall, along with the soldiers, when they heard a jet flying over, with the explosive launching of missiles. This had happened before, also. Missiles meant for one of the floating blue-black things, bouncing off its side and hurtling towards the ground. There were multiple blasts, ringing through the air. She got to her feet and continued on her way. She wondered when the UN would attempt an equally useless gesture. She had heard stories about the UN, considering a suitable course of action against whatever it was that had befallen the city of Tokyo. It would have been no philanthropic gesture. Everyone was terrified of the damn thing spreading. News pictures broadcast the breach around the world... The destruction laid down by the monster that appeared to come out of nowhere. Then these things, shooting needle-like projections that would devour an entire suburb in an incandescent blast of multicoloured proportions. Several of them had been taken down, but there were still seven or so left, and having just one up there was more than enough to frighten everyone. There was also the rain of Usagis. When the breach had occured, hundreds of thousands of figures fell from the sky. And each and every one of them was an Usagi. All were different, some in fairly shallow ways, but they all bore the same face, the same build and the same general personality. Almost. They had caused the emergency services a headache. Masses of stampeding Usagis, trying to get away from the monster and the floating things.... And, of course, being so associated with the events of the breach, some had taken to blaming the Usagis for the ensuing events. She had had Usagis in the hospital for injuries caused by frightened people. Many of the Usagis, however, had the capacity to defend themselves. Magical powers, so to speak, which didn't exactly enhance their reputation, but was enough to see them through without being harmed. She hated to think what would happen to them all after all this was over. If it would ever end positively. If it would ever end at all. She arrived at the small office area at the other end, which was empty. She sighed.... Most of the staff had taken off when things had started to get a little rough. Now the hospice was full of people, many whom streamed out into the carpark on stretchers which had been covered over with tarpaulins thanks to the efforts of one of the JSDF's more competent divisions. Not that she could describe the JSDF as competent. Military minds at work, as soon as something beyond your capacity to deal with faces you, attack everything. She'd had to help carry the body of a six year old girl away from the injured patients. She had half her head missing, thanks to the efforts of a JSDF soldier to whom she'd looked the wrong way. She stared out of the office's window at those unfortunates unlucky enough to have been injured late in the event.... thus seeing them stuck out there. There were various doctors, nurses and trainees working on them.... Mostly trainees. If there was one clear thing about the modern medical profession, very few of those who worked within it had any voluntary goodwill. She must have stared out of that window for some time, she didn't know how long.... The effects of sleep deprivation were starting to wear on her senses. But the sky.... The red fluid glow seemed to wash into her mind, drawing her deeper into its soporific waves. She thought she could hear voices emanating from those waves. The distinctive tones of her late mother, singing to her when she was a child. The way she used to sing to Ami.... She hummed the tune, so softly it was almost imperceptible. "Okaasama..." Said the soft voice behind her. For some reason, she wasn't surprised when she heard it. Slowly, she managed to turn her head. Her eyes felt tired as Ami paced across the office floor, stopping about seven feet from her. "Ami-chan...." She mumbled. Ami smiled at her, sweetly. "You look tired." Ami said simply. It seemed so matter of fact that she might as well have been carrying on a normal domestic conversation. "I am tired." Her mother took a few steps forward, and only then noticed that Ami was translucent. She stopped, shaking on her feet. "Have you come... to say goodbye to me?" Ami shook her head. "In life and death, it is never goodbye." She smiled. "I heard you humming that tune.... It was nice. How long has it been since you sang it to me?" Her mother shook her head, looking down. Ami shrugged. "I came to warn you. Soon we shall be together again." Ami lowered her face and looked aside. "That's all I really have to say to you. I'm sorry things turned out this way between us." "Ami..." "I guess some things had to be sacrificed for your career. And I know you were just like me when you were my age." Ami's voice began to crackle, as if it were becoming hard for her to talk. "But in the end, we all make our choices about who we shall live with, be they good or bad. If our souls ever achieve as close a relationship as our past one, I hope it is more...." "What's up, Doctor Mizuno?" Ami's mother turned to the young army medic who had stepped into the office. For a moment, she seemed annoyed, then turned back to Ami. But her daughter was gone. She stared at the spot for several minutes, almost incapable of standing on her feet any further. Slowly, she slid to the floor, the medic only just catching her before her head hit. IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST and again IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST Motto Motto Radical Fight Usagi felt herself being dragged through the water one more time before emerging to the surface. Water sprayed everywhere, dramatically, creating a rainbow. She giggled and heard Siren do the same behind her. Most of her feelings, about her current situation, had now subsided and she was beginning to enjoy this sensation. She paddled away after Siren released her, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. Perhaps this place WAS a kind of afterlife. A kind of Heaven. She closed her eyes and floated, thinking to herself. Death. She had died twice in a very short space of time, and both times at the hands of people she'd trusted. The first time, at the hands of Setsuna. An energy beam... A Dead Scream or whatever it was that she used. Then, after being brought back to life by Setsuna, she found herself being beaten to a bloodied pulp by Ami. She frowned, gritting her teeth. She had wanted to forget these events. She HAD forgotten them in this new experience, or had at least tried. But then, those times she had bathed, had swam, were always the times where her brain would go into data sorting mode. She felt a figure floating beside her, and she lazily opened her eyes. Ami floated there. For some reason, she wasn't surprised by this turn of events. "Hello." She said, her face expressionless. Ami opened her eyes and looked at her, smiling. "Hello, Usagi-chan." She turned back to face the ceiling. "Are you having fun?" "Uh, yeah, I suppose so." "Hmm..." Ami blinked. "This won't last forever, you know?" "But it makes for a good distraction." Ami chuckled. "The Usagi I remember would never have said something like that. Nor would the Usagi I remember have dealt with, as calmly as you have done, my sudden arrival." "I guess I'm not the Usagi you remember." "Indeed not." Ami kicked slightly, managing to catch up with Usagi's floating form. "I just wanted to say sorry. For everything that has happened." "I should think so, too. After what you did to me." Ami flinched. "Ouch. Yes, sorry about that specifically." She turned to Usagi. "I know I only killed you, but I'm sure we can still be friends." Usagi let out a small, slightly bitter laugh. "Yeah, right." "Do you realise the full course of events here, Usagi?" "Eh?" Usagi raised an eyebrow. "We were manipulated into doing what we did. The full depths of our being were preyed upon by a being of immense power. We were convinced that, if we didn't kill you, you would kill us." "I'd never have done that. How could you have even thought it possible?" Usagi stopped floating on her back and turned vertically. Ami did likewise and stared at her, trying to read her. "Have you seen the visions?" "I've... seen some." "Did you see how I died? For nothing. For no reason. Not even in the defence of the Kingdom. I just died. I didn't want to have my death be so meaningless. And yet, that is what happened." Usagi's eyes opened wide. "You... You're DEAD?" Ami nodded. "I am now. All things considered, life can be a real bitch when it wants to be." She sniffed. "My mind... When it was affected by the manipulation, dragged out the full horrors of who it was that I had been in my past life. And that was someone I didn't want to be again." "Who... Who was this?" "Miste Kiele. A high-ranking graduate of the Academy. She graduated earlier and with higher scores than anyone else in history, and proceeded to use her intelligence to tear the Kingdom apart under the reign of Queen Serenity. The very fabric by which the Kingdom had operated was shed because of her power games." "You speak of her as if she were separate to you." "She was. Is. I am no more Miste Kiele than she has to be of me. That is why I died, or allowed myself to die. Had things gone on the way they did, I would have become her once more." "But that seed of Miste shall always be a part of you. Can't you see that?" "Hai. It shall be. Just as what your Youma counterpart has become shall always be a part of you." "My Youma counterpart?" "Jadeite created a Youma version of you. That was why Setsuna brought you back to life. Only you have the ability to truly stop her." "Why? How?" "Because she carries your soul. You spirit. If you were to remove that... Then its powers are halved. As it is, it will just tear through the others, killing as it pleases, perhaps at the expense of the lives of all." "How can I stop it?" "For one thing, you must leave this place, this limbo. Things are already prepared for that to happen. There are people who have entered this place to achieve such a task." "Who?" "You shall know them when you see them." Ami was silent for a few moments more. "Usagi..." "Yes?" "I can't lie to you about what is going to happen next. You may not like it. But it is going to happen, and there is nothing you shall be able to do about it." "What? What is it?" Ami smiled at her, and disappeared. She felt herself being grabbed around the midsection and dragged underwater. Her mouth filled with water as she let out a short cry, but felt her lungs filling up with air, so she knew, instinctively, that it was Siren who had grabbed her. She just wasn't prepared for when Siren literally tore her bikini from her. She struggled as Siren dropped the articles of clothing to the bottom of the pool and dragged her naked form up to the deep end. Usagi stared at her... Or, at the very least, her dark eyes which were the only things she could truly see of Siren underwater. "Wha... What are you DOING?" She telepathically spoke to her companion. "Saving your life, stupid." Siren replied. She spun Usagi round as several shell rounds exploded into the pool where they had been. "Wha... What was THAT?" "There are several men in the courtyard around the pool. I don't know who the hell they are, but they look, to me, like the type one would expect from an establishment like that run by our fine Madame Scorpia and her right-hand snill, Mistral LeFevre." Before Usagi had the opportunity to ask Siren what a snill was, the woman spun her head around and kissed her heavily. Usagi's eyes opened wide and she struggled to get away. She felt something' shoot from Siren's mouth into hers, piercing her gums like a needle dart. Usagi gagged as she momentarily tasted blood, then felt waves of pleasure run through her. The taste was gone as soon as Siren let go of her, swimming away. Usagi put a hand to her lips and watched as Siren looked back at her. "Don't leave the water. As you are, now, they won't be able to see you." "What did you do to me?" "I've inserted an essence of my being into you. For a period of time, we are one and the same species." Siren smiled. "I can see why your lover was so fond of you. I had to constrain myself just then." Usagi blushed as well as someone who appeared the same colour as her surroundings could. "Wh.. What are you going to do?" Siren just smiled and took a position at the bottom of the pool. Then, with a kick, she thrust herself upwards, disappearing through the surface. Usagi only just resisted the temptation to see what was happening above. She could hear gunshots and shouting as if the sounds were passing through normal air. Slowly, she sank to the bottom, holding her legs in a foetal position as she watched shapes flittering around the pool, above the surface. Shadows of the future.... Professor Tomoe stared at the empty bedroom. Hotaru's empty bedroom, holding the note. Several of the Usagi's stood in the doorway, staring in at him as Usako pushed through. "She has left?" Usako asked simply. He proffered the note to her without turning. She took it and started reading. Dear father, In all likelihood, if you are reading this, then I have already left. Please forgive me for this and all I have done to hurt you over the past few years. I never wished for you to endure such pains. You must feel terribly ashamed to have had a child like me. But then, I suppose you will never know what it is like to have endured what I have during these times. I am alone. Even with you. Even, now, with Usako... I am alone. The only one who could understand what I feel is now gone. That freak, I despise so much. A woman you were willing to share your bed with! Only she understood those feelings of abandonement. Abandonement by the others. Why did they have to die, leaving me to live this way? Leaving me to endure the tortures I've suffered at the hands of others. You so often have said you've forgiven me for the atrocities I've committed. How could you? Can you hear the screams of all those people in your head, day and night? All those people whose lives ended because of ME? And more, could you understand what it feels like to have your body violated the way mine was! I could have died that day. I wanted to die! I was willing to let that man kill me and end this miserable existence. It was only the intervention of that freak that saved me. Because she said she UNDERSTOOD the pain. That freak... The one who took the lives of so many I cared about, saved my life because she felt an EMPATHY. I watched her, torturing that man for days as she allowed me to recover. Tortures she asked of me when I was in a state of mind incapable of understanding the consequences. And you know what? I LIKED what I saw. I LIKED seeing him die that way. If this is not a prime example of the corruption that has taken me over, I do not know what is. The freak chose to keep this from you. She wanted to see me live... To feed off my pain, for to her, pain is a drug. She enjoyed the pain. And to make sure I never finished myself off she told me that, if I die, then she would kill you. Did you know that? The woman you would SLEEP with, with all those powers at her disposal, would've spread you like a paste across the walls of the fortress had I so much as succeeded in topping myself. HA HA HA! How does that make YOU feel, eh? So don't try following me. Don't let Usako or any of those others come after me. Because I'll KILL you if any of you do. I shall not return. Goodbye, father. Hotaru Usako folded the note and placed her hands in front of her. "I take it you knew about this already?" Tomoe half-turned to her. She could see he had been crying. "I didn't know about it." "You experienced it." "Yes." "Why did you not tell me about it, straight out?" "Because, as I said, I wanted you to ask her for yourself." He turned away again. "I came in here to do just that. This is what I found." His shoulders began to shake, as if he were laughing. Choked sobs started to leave his throat. "Professor... This isn't the end... Despite what she says, she shall return to you." "Where is she now? Do you know?" "She is a long way from here, now. She is asleep, in an old farmhouse." He turned to her, sniffing and blinking his reddened eyes for a few moments. "And who says I will be here for her to return to, when the time comes?" "Destiny says so." Usako handed him back the note. "Read through that, again and again and again. I want you to FEEL her pain, and then finally understand who she is. You owe it to her, as her father." Usako turned and left the room, pushing past the other Usagis on her way out. Mamoru stood at the base of the steps to Setsuna's apartment, looking up at the gathered group... Or what was left of it. Chibiusa stood next to him, hanging onto his arm. For a moment, he considered shrugging her off, feeling uncomfortable with someone who reminded him of Usagi being so close, not to mention the fact that the mind behind the 4P Eternal Sailormoon was his daughter's. "...So we have a choice, now. Do we or do we not go after Usako and Aosagi?" "We can't very well leave them to fend for themselves." Came Michiru's voice. Of course, it wasn't Michiru speaking, since neither Haruka nor Michiru had been able to re-swap bodies when they tried. "Yes we can." PalaPala giggled. "Its very simple. We just continue to stand here and talk about it." JunJun bapped Pala one over the head. "I'm worried about her intentions.... Usako, I mean." Jun bit her lower lip. "She showed a form of power I think none of us expected from her." "I'm sure I felt Serenity within her." Mamoru shook his head. "Then I felt that she wasn't the one. Although.... I could be wrong. But she also felt like Usagi. The waves I got from her. She was more like an evolved form of Usagi... One that was further down the developmental path than the Usagi we remember. Maybe that's why I rejected the sensations I was receiving." "So what do you think her intentions are?" Michiru, through Haruka, speaking that time. "I'm not sure, but it just seemed...." Jun looked back at her. Now Luna stepped forward. "Did she not head in the direction of the Eternal City?" "That seems to be the case. She almost looked like she was making contact with the Destroyer, as if to try and stop it from doing what it was doing." Mamoru rubbed his chin. "So then it is possible that she has made contact with the intelligence behind the City?" Artemis looked from Mamoru to Luna. "I don't know, it seemed a bit more than that to me...." Jun left that statement in mid-air. "Perhaps she's going to try to get the City to go back to its world?" Chibiusa looked up at Mamoru, hopefully. He looked down at her and smiled. "The City that I know wouldn't do something like that. With the breach it has seen a whole new universe to move into...." "But surely, if Usako is able to contact it, then we can get her to impress upon it the danger of the situation." Michiru again. "I get the feeling we might have to impress upon Usako the danger, first." Luna frowned. "Urp..." Misagi belched, sitting on the railing at the back of the group, next to Akunatsuka, who was staring away into the sky, lost in thought. They all turned to her and looked daggers. She just shook her head. "You're all so stupid. Why don't you just go after her now, instead of mucking around, discussing it. Stuff what she does or deosn't want to do." She looked from one to the next, then pointed up at the sky. "Look at that. It looks like the end of the world up there. I'm damned if I'm going to waste my last few moments of life, sitting here inactively. And besides, if you look the other way, we've got another Destroyer ready to bear down on us." They turned to see another of the dark dirigible-like creatures floating slowly in their direction. It had mottling on its side, like it had been struck by weapons fire (which it had). Whatever it had been had failed to penetrate its outer shell. "I doubt our energy reserves shall be able to deal with that when the time comes, or any of the others." Mamoru nodded. "Then I think it is time to make our move." "There is one thing we haven't discussed." Usashin stepped forward, turning back to look at the group. "Sailors Saturn and Pluto are missing. We presume that Saturn used Pluto's powers to transport them away. We have no idea where they have gone." "That's precisely the point." Pala sniffed. "We don't know WHERE they are, and with what we've been told about Saturn's control of Pluto's powers, neither would they. For all we know, they could be sitting on the bottom of the Pacific by now." "She's right, much as it pains me to agree with her." Haruka stared down at Pala, who smiled back in response. "We just have to trust in fate that they aren't harmed in any way." "Umm, guys, just thought you'd like to know, but the Destroyer ain't slowing down or anything." Makoto began to jump on her feet, a little edgily. "Then I suggest we move it, quite rapidly." Mamoru pointed back towards the yard gate. "Usashin, do you have powers as a tracker?" "It is amongst my retinue of abilities, yes." "Then I suggest you use them to find Usako and Aosagi." Usashin nodded and stepped down, past Mamoru and towards the gate. She closed her eyes and concentrated, then opened them and pointed down the street. "I have their power signals. Follow me." Usashin took off, followed by Makoto, who leapt past Mamoru and Chibiusa, almost without thinking. The two cats followed her. Mamoru looked back at the others. "Well? Are we going?" He took Chibiusa by the hand and virtually dragged her along. The four remaining senshi followed them. Akunatsuka started his way down the stairs, not looking forward to having to run after even the most vaguely fit youth. He stopped and looked back at Misagi, who stared at the Destroyer, holding onto a sixpack of beer almost protectively. "What are you doing? Do you want to die here? That thing will blow you into a million pieces if you don't move." "It might be a blessing." Misagi looked depressed. Slowly, she jumped down from the railing and trotted towards Akunatsuka. "What's your name, anyway, old man?" "Old man?" He stared at her as she passed him. "Akunatsuka. Akunatsuka Kaji." "Hmm... Aku... Doesn't that mean evil?" He stuck his tongue out at her as the Destroyer arrived above the apartment. The two of them were only just able to get clear in time when it levelled it and its surrounds in an explosion the size of a small baseball field. The Tsukino family sat on the deck of the ship that was berthed on the wharves of Tokyo Bay, along with over five hundred others. For all intents and purposes, Ikuko felt that she had the right to be an emotional wreck. It was Kenji, however, who had lost his nerve soon after the attack on the police station by the monster. Ikuko was left holding his head in her lap as they felt the ship begin to rock, its engines starting up. Shingo, for his part, was excited about the events, although the possibility of never again seeing his home, his big sister, or even Mika, worried him. He, nevertheless, had tried to remain as stoic as possible, for fear of how he would be seen by his mother. Not that she would have seen him as anything other than her frightened child. Sitting next to them was DCI Rikai, who had helped them to escape from the station when it was attacked. He had been speaking to them, about the Usagi that they'd held for questioning, that she'd denied just about everything, even including a relationship with them, when all went to hell. The first thing they'd known about the attack was the fact that the whole building shook. Then Aburatsubo had come running into his office, shouting that a monster was killing everyone at the station. Considering that they'd left Shingo with one of the female duty officers, the Tsukino's panicked. Rikai guided them towards the woman's office, only to find that part of the station demolished. The Tsukino's went into fits of hysterics, especially Kenji. However, Shingo was a boy of unnatural survival capabilities. Rikai heard his sobs from underneath the rubble and he, Kenji and Aburatsubo started to dig him out, something that was particularly dangerous since the Resonator had been rampaging through the station not that far away. After pulling Shingo out from the wreckage, he said he'd been holding onto the hand of the female duty officer. They'd dug through the wreckage when they saw her hand, only to find the arm came to a dead end. Sickened, Rikai told Aburatsubo to get back to his house to make sure his family were safe. This reminded Rikai of his own family situation. At that point, the breach had occured and things were starting to fall apart within Tokyo. He told the Tsukino's that he was leaving town, and said it would be a particularly good idea if they joined him. He managed to swipe a police van and, after a short stop at the Tsukino house where they were able to grab a few of their things, he continued on to his house. What he'd found, when he got there, was a crushed home, and the bodies of his family. Since then, it had been Ikuko making all the arrangements for their flight from the city. Having found all the motorways near impassable, she turned the vehicle around and headed back towards the docks. It had been announced over the emergency radio that several shipping companies were taking on passengers at the behest of the Japanese parliament, the Diet, so that as many people as possible could be cleared from the disaster area in case things got worse.... And so here they were, preparing to leave Tokyo by ship. Ikuko wondered why, with so many men around, it had been up to her to make all the decisions. Both herself and Kumada Yuuichirou. They had bumped into both he and Rei's Grandfather on the docks. All had been familiar with each other through the rare moments they had been acquainted. Ojiichan was not feeling all that well, after having been made to leave the devastated remains of the Hikawa Shrine, not knowing if Rei was alive or dead. Yuuichirou had managed to guide him to the docks, where the old man had attempted to take his mind off things by praying for the souls of those wounded who had died before getting onto the various ships that were leaving. It reminded him of his youth.... His time as a trainee priest during the war. He'd managed to avoid service because of this, as the head priest of the temple had died soon after the hostilities had begun. For the rest of the war, he was forced to serve as the Hikawa Shrine's head priest... A position he kept in the aftermath, during the occupation. It was also in the war that he lost his first love. For years after that, he would chase young girls, almost in an effort to regain some sense of his youth, his past, and her love. Eventually, he married into a wealthy family. But even then, the love he'd received was not enough to settle the horrors of the war in his mind. And now, here it was again. A different event, this time. Less predictable than a war, but seemingly just as devastating. Rei was missing, probably dead.... The last light in his life.... Yuuichirou wasn't in all that joyous a mood, himself. Despite the fact that both he and Rei had never really "got it together", so to speak, the fact that she was probably dead made him feel.... He didn't know WHAT to feel. She had always been so standoffish, yet there were times.... That time, when he was about to leave and was attacked by that thing, that Daimon.... Yuuichirou was the one who had found the Tsukino's on the dock. Familiar faces in a crowd made them feel as if they'd all known each other like the best of friends. They'd exchanged stories, comforted each other, and patiently waited their turn to get onto one of the ships, praying that the chaos that had swept the city would not extend itself to the wharf. With a blast of the horn, the ship began to move out of the harbour, following a traffic jam of hundreds of other such vehicles. Naru opened her eyes. Aoi looked down upon her. "Naiad-sama..." She muttered to herself as she tried to sit up. Instantly, she knew she was back in the land of the living. One couldn't feel this bad in a fantasy realm. Well, one could if one tried... But she wasn't trying. "N.. Naiad?" Aoi stared at her for a few moments and she stared back. "Wh... Who is this Naiad-sama?" "Captain Kikotsuka?" Naru frowned. "The original?" "It would appear so." Naru turned to the voice, to see a woman approaching from the other side of a large chamber. The woman was dressed in a gilden senshi uniform, with similarly couloured braids, sitting like a crown, around her head. "Whatever has happened to Millenia's mind, it has chosen not to return to this woman's body. Not this body, anyway." Naru looked around the chamber, not entirely with wonderment. She'd seen too much, recently, to look at it that way. Galaxia watched her quietly as Aoi slowly sank to the floor, sitting cross- legged. "Ah, fascinated in the layout of this humble construction, are we? Interesting. I helped in designing the architecture." "Where are we?" Naru said simply, flatly even. The question struck her as being one would use against someone familiar, although she had to think long and hard to work out just who this new arrival might be. "The revival room within the Keep, of course." The woman said with a slight smile. "And you would be.... Galaxia?" Naru was genuinely surprised when the woman laughed. "Who else would I be?" She turned, smiled and walked away. Naru sighed and shook her head, only then realising that she was stark naked. She threw her hands over vital parts of her body and let out a short cry. "Iyaaa! Galaxia no ecchi!" Both Galaxia and Aoi facefaulted. The two Usagi clones wandered the streets, aimlessly. Both of them wondering where they were and how they had got here. They'd both been flung into what looked like a rubbish tip, and appeared the worse for wear. Ushayla-Ushayla was still picking bits and pieces from her red minidress and hair. "Look at this! Look! I'm absolutely FILTHY. I'm gonna fix whoever did this to me, well and truly!" She snorted. She knew EXACTLY who did this to her. That bloody, inconsiderate BITCH, Saturn! "Hah! Even though we may be filthy, we yet live. Now I can continue my eternal search for that traitorous Lina Tsukiverse!" Ushayla's companion began to laugh THAT laugh. The laugh with the power to level entire armies. Ushayla put her hands over her ears, cowering from its sinister tones. "Yes, Lina. I, Unagi the Serpent, Unagi the White Snake, shall bring your felony to light!" Well, thought Ushayla, she certainly had enough chest with which to generate that laugh. Still, the sound... It was just SO horrible. As was Unagi's choice in clothing.... Which was but the merest slip of black to cover important areas, completed with a simple black cape. Along with the black hair, she certainly looked the part of an evil sorceress. A truck came trundling up the road behind them, and they spun to see a strange white-haired man, with glasses, at the steering wheel. They stood aside as the truck came to a stop. In the back of the truck sat close to thirty other Usagi clones, all of which looked down at their likenesses standing on the side of the road. The driver's window rolled down, and the man stared at them. "Would you two ladies like a lift somewhere?" "Who are you?" Asked Unagi snobbishly. The man raised his eyebrows. "My name is Tomoe Souichi, as if that is of any concern to you." He huffed. "Well, would you like a lift or not? I've been told by certain interested parties that armageddon is upon us, and to find as safe a place as possible for as many of you... Umm... Usagis." He smiled. "Good thing I'm a mad scientist. I have a nice safe basement in which we can shelter." He chuckled, all too knowingly. Ushayla smiled. "Of course I shall appreciate a lift, if things are going to be that bad." She stepped forward. Unagi, however just huffed. "I have someone I must find first. I'm afraid I must reject your offer. I'm not the kind to skulk within darkened dens when danger is at hand." Unagi tossed her hair, and walked away, watched by the Professor, Ushayla and all the other Usagis on the truck. "Oh, one thing.... Before you go..." The Professor shouted out to her. Unagi paused and looked over her shoulder. "Have you seen a young girl, about fourteen years of age, with medium-length straight black hair and pale skin. She's a Sailorsenshi, too." "You mean Saturn, do you not?" Unagi sneered at him. "Uh yeah..." "I have not had the misfortune of crossing that monster's sinister path. But I can assure you, if I were to do so, I would smite her with all the power I have vested within me." She threw her head back, once more performing the almighty laugh of doom. Everyone in or around the truck were thankful as she disappeared from sight around the street corner. "That is one seriously twisted Usagi." The Professor shook his head. He turned to Ushayla. "And you? Have you seen Saturn?" "I saw her.... But not here." "Where then?" The Professor frowned, eager for news of his daughter's whereabouts. Ushayla simply pointed up, at the sky. He involuntarily followed her point's direction, and stared at the cracking surface of the world up there. "Oh Kami, I most certainly hope she isn't STILL there." Hotaru and Setsuna flashed into existence at the top observation deck of the Tokyo Tower, and Hotaru cursed. "Aww jeez! How did I get HERE?" She looked back down at the delirious Setsuna, whose clothing had reformed into a purple mindress with accompanying black ribbon. The reverse of what the Saturn uniform had been when Hotaru was wearing it. What the hell was this saying, Hotaru thought. Just what the hell are my powers trying to tell me? She sighed and gripped the Time Key, getting mightily sick of having to take up the Pluto role, although she was quite happy not to have been Saturn for a while, she doubted whether Setsuna would let her hold these powers for long, once she recovered. Hotaru placed her hand on top of Setsuna once more and concentrated. Her tiara flashed, and the pair were gone once more. Somehow, they'd managed to drag Madame Scorpia through the halls of her establishment without any of her employees batting an eyelid. Scorpia was also quite confident, which was something of a worry to them, but still. Nyanko had kept Scorpia covered with one of her weapons. Since Nyanko seemed to have an unending supply of them within her jacket. Crow wondered about the dimensional stability of Nyanko's clothing, but decided to let it pass. The weapon took the form of a knuckleduster with holes, so it could be easily hidden from anyone passing by. Nyanko assured everyone, mostly Scorpia, that it conformed to the rule that a weapon's destructive capacity was inversely proportional to its size. Crow took this to mean that Nyanko's mouth was inversely proportional to her brain. She let that one pass as well. Mouse had guided them towards an old-style elevator, with an ornamental gate. Scorpia raised her eyebrows when she saw they were going to use it. "We are going down into the tunnels?" "Not just the tunnels, Madame." Mouse said, bowing to their captive. "To a portion of your establishment I'm quite sure you haven't seen before." Scorpia snorted. "Oh yes, I'm sure. I know every section of this place." "Do you? I wonder how much you servant, Mistral, lets you see?" Crow sidled up to Scorpia, her face close enough to make the woman cringe. "Mistral is my servant. I rescued him from the ministrations of the slavers." "Ah yes, well... It makes me wonder how much he has learnt from his former masters." Crow sneered and stepped back as Mouse opened the gate to the elevator. Scorpia stared at Crow, not understanding any of what she had said. As Mouse stepped into the elevator, she felt herself being prodded in the back by Nyanko. And followed the shorter girl in. Usagi lay within the pool for what seemed like forever, but was, in truth, nothing more than a few minutes. The sounds and shapes that had come from above were now gone. She wondered if Siren had managed to escape them, or whether she was now captured. Or worse.... Usagi shook her head, wanting to cry. That made her wonder how Siren's people cried. Above the oceans, they were free to express their feelings in that so obvious manner. Yet, below them, in that environment they were so familiar with, such an action was almost pointless. Usagi wrapped her arms tightly around her legs, pressing her knees deeper into her chin. Something dropped into the water, making Usagi flinch. She now noticed figures above, staring into the water. For a few moments, she shied away from the object that slowly floated downwards. that was, until she noticed that it was a fishhook and sinker on a line! She boggled. Who the hell would be trying to fish in a swimming pool? Either that, or those people Siren had mentioned before were mocking her! Whatever the case, she felt intensely curious. Slowly, she swam over to the line and looked at it. She took hold of the sinker and gave it a tug. She let go as the line was reeled upwards. There were a few sighs of disappointment from above, and it was dropped back again, eventually stopping in front of her. For some reason, she didn't feel that those above meant her any harm. She gripped onto the sinker and gave it an almighty yank. There was a short cry from above as a figure staggered forward, only being stopped from falling in at the last moment by a companion. The line was dragged upwards, and Usagi with it. She emerged through the surface, gasping for air as her lungs resumed their normal volume. "Ah, Odango-atama. It's about time you chose to join the real world." Usagi opened her eyes and stared with disbelief. Hanging onto the line was Starhealer. Hnaging onto her was Starmaker. They both smiled at Usagi as her face changed. "Oooh, you TWO!" She splashed them as they stepped back, giggling. Slowly, she emerged from the pool, Starmaker placing a towel around her naked form. She turned to see Siren, sitting against the wall, smiling at her tiredly. "Yo." She waved at her. "You with her?" Starhealer thumbed Siren, who looked daggers back. Usagi nodded. Starhealer giggled. "Whoops. We thought she was with those other guys, and was going to dish her one. Course, she went all googly and said she wasn't, and begged for her life and all that." "They just wouldn't listen to me, the bastards." Siren huffed and turned her head away. "They still haven't forgiven me for the last time." "What happened to those people?" Usagi looked at the two Starlights, who smiled back. "Well, I'm very much afraid they won't be annoying us again. Siren saw to much of that. We finished the job." Siren looked away from Usagi. For one moment, Usagi wondered what they meant, then opened her eyes wide. "You didn't... You didn't kill..." "How does one kill the dead?" Starmaker bit her lower lip. "They were deconstructed, so to speak. Their souls returned to the void from this realm." "Are you dead, too?" Usagi looked at them. Starhealer just laughed, tossing back her head. "We may be here, but our bodies remain very much alive. Back in the Keep with our esteemed supreme leader." "And who is that?" Usagi twitched an eyebrow. "Galaxia, of course." "I see... So Mercury is...." Galaxia pondered this revelation for several moments. Naru, who was now dressed in a loose-flowing ceremonial cloak, standing in the centre of the small chamber, watching as bodies glided past, along a kind of conveyor from behind a crystal partition, nodded mutely. The pair stood grimly, in silence, trying to get their thoughts together. Aoi sat on the opposite side of the chamber, looking strung out. Naru turned to her, sadly. "What happened to her? From what I was able to ascertain, she was supposed to be the vessel for Naiad." "Naiad... Millenia, as I know her, planted a seed of her conciousness in the mind of the woman upon her conception. In truth, her soul is a portion of Millenia, but one that has gained self-awareness.... When the core spirit isn't thugging on her, of course." "And that is what happened before.... Naia... Millenia's spirit took control of what was nothing more than an aspect of it?" "As I said, the conciousness of the woman has grown as a separate entity. And, I think, having realised this, Millenia has chosen to leave her alone. She may be a lot of things, but Millenia is not cruel. Well, not THAT cruel." Galaxia sighed. "But I thought you said she was your enemy...." Naru raised a questioning eyebrow. Galaxia looked at her for a moment, blankly, then smiled. "Ah.... Well, an enemy in that we have often played off each other. We are both.... Empresses.... Of an Empire that stretches almost from one side of this universe to the other. With the kind of ambition required to run such a beast, one has to expect a clash of egos." Galaxia's eyes went distant, something that seemed, to Naru, to be natural for her.... But then, Galaxia's great age and single life mitigated against the dissolution of memory.... "You know..." Galaxia muttered, quietly. "...It wasn't always this way.... I used to be envious of her. Before the harnessing of the Home System's elemental energies.... There were four of us.... Graduates of the first Academy to be set up. We were students of the four main faculties. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. That was myself, Gaea, Ascentia and Millenia.... In those days, control of the elements were sporadic and dangerous, so anyone who showed even the slightest competence were admitted into the Academy." "What happened.... To those other two? Did they die?" "No. Well, not what you would strictly call 'death'. You see, we had formed a group within the campus... A kind of society, really, that was dedicated to finding the source of all existence. This had been known as the Cauldron.... A kind of intergalactic womb of life and conciousness." "I... seem to have memories pertaining to the Cauldron...." "Well, that shouldn't be surprising. Anyone who had spent a past life as part of the Empire's establishment would have heard of it." She rubbed her chin, thoughtfully. "After leaving the Academy, we set up a foundation that gathered money and resources, towards the readings of ancient texts, to unlock the codes as to the location of the Cauldron itself. It was during this time that we discovered the possibilities of Harnessing the elements of a system. And so we went ahead, holus bolus, with the process and ceremony of harnessing the energies of this one, against the will of the powerbrokers of the day." "And both Millenia and yourself became the wielders of these energies?" Naru frowned. "Ah yes, we did. At the cost of Gaea and Ascentia. All four of us had hoped to gain control of the four main elements through the harnessing ceremony. I succeeded in gaining control of the element of fire.... The bright energies of the day. And Millenia, she gained control of water, the dark energies of night. But for Gaea and Ascentia...." Galaxia went silent for a few moments. "For them... Four of us stepped onto the ceremonial platform that day. Only two stepped off." "They failed?" "They were missing. They'd vanished into thin air the very moment the ceremony had reached its peak. And the strangest thing of all is that the elements of earth and air HAD been harnessed. By whom, I don't know... Maybe they did succeed, wherever they had found themselves. But at no stage, if they were alive, did they use their powers. I mean, use them in an obvious manner." "Have you ever tried to find out what happened to them?" "Oh, in later years, I did find traces of their existences. I traced them to various locations across the universe. But by the time either Millenia or myself would get there, they were gone. It was like a cat and mouse game. One that the cats kept losing." "So they were being reborn...." Naru mused. Galaxia nodded. "Yes. From world to world, they were reborn as senshi, or miko, or even courtesans... The shogunate, so to speak.... I eventually gave up looking for them. But Millenia... she was a different one in MANY respects." Galaxia stepped away from the partition and beckoned to Naru. "Come with me for a few moments." Naru nodded. The two stepped from the chamber, leaving the catatonic Aoi to her mindlessness. Naru felt strange, like walking in this body was more an acrobatic feat than a natural, unconcious act. She was a good foot or so taller than she had been before, which gave her quite a tall figure for a woman. Certainly, she was now looking down on the long-suffering Aoi. She rather liked the sense of height, the capacity to look down on others. Except when it came to tangling up legs and feet due to a mind that hadn't been calibrated with the body. Still, she wondered why this had happened. Every time she had seen her reflection, she saw Tranquility staring back.... She followed Galaxia through the huge cavern that contained the millions of sleeping senshi, miko etc.... The red lighting giving the store a kind of apocalyptic feel. Off to one side was another doorway, that they stepped through. This lead to a small but light passage, made to look green because of the colour of the lighting. She couldn't say much for the tastes of the interior designers of this place.... Soon, they found themselves facing a very simple set of ornamental doors that ended the passageway. Naru had trouble finding the hinges on either side. Galaxia was about to touch one of the door handles, but paused, looking back at Naru for a few moments. "You know, Millenia never did anything without some kind of reason. Even before the Harnessing, she was a manipulative sort. But she didn't have anywhere near the power she has now." Naru frowned at Galaxia, not following her train of thought. "Naru... Tranquility... Would you like to open these doors?" "Umm... If you insist..." Galaxia stepped aside and allowed Naru to stand before the doors. Naru reached down, slowly, and touched the door handle. She could feel the energies within the metal, running through her like some kind of security check. There was a soft chime, and the doors swung open. Not just open.... For the doors were nowhere near as small as they appeared from the passageway. Naru peered through the opening and saw the doors swinging hundreds of meters away from the entrance. On the other side, the doors were literally walls.... Then Naru registered the light. What appeared to be a beacon sitting in the middle of the vast, darkened chamber. She studied it, trying to make out its distance. "What is that?" She asked softly as she registered the path leading to it actually disappeared into a thin line in the distance. Whatever it was had to have been pretty bright, because they were a good half an hour's walk from it. When Naru didn't receive a response from her companion, she turned. Galaxia was staring at her in a manner that suggested both curiosity and wonderment... Mixed in with a little sadness. She shook herself from her reverie. "Ahh, this... This is... Well. I suggest we have a look at it for ourselves. It is most interesting." "What is it?" Naru repeated the question, sounding rather more tired than she'd intended. Galaxia's lips quivered, slightly. "Its... The Cauldron itself." Naru's eyes widened and she turned back to look at the distant light. "NO WAY!" She gasped. "Indeed." Galaxia stepped forward, proudly. "This is the reason why we call this construction the Keep of the Cauldron. Its where we keep the thing." Galaxia chuckled to herself. "How did you ever find it...?" She thought for a few seconds. "A power source such as this.... Virtually unguarded..." "No, not entirely unguarded. There is the Corps of the Originals.... A group of those who are purebred Homeworlders, dedicated to guarding the Keep. I have sent them away for the time being...." Galaxia smiled. "But then, they are only here to guard the sleepers, anyway. This room has its own defences, powered by the elemental energies of the system." "So how was I able to just open the door like that? I'm not even a senshi of this world...." "How indeed. There are only four people capable of opening these doors. Myself, Millenia, Ascentia... and Gaea." Galaxia underlined the last name. Naru stared at her, quietly. The meaning of her words only slowly starting to sink in. "Perhaps... You should tell me more about this Gaea, and her relationship with Millenia." They started forward. Naru felt a little nervous as the path to the beacon was a sheer edge, dropping into a darkened pit of indeterminate depth. As they walked, Galaxia spoke. "Gaea was Millenia's lover. In a way. In those days, homosexual relationships were... fairly illicit and frowned upon. They weren't discouraged, but there was an element of social disapproval. All the same, they were both top students of the Academy, and the daughters of rich families." "Sounds like Tranquility and Naiad." Naru almost cringed when she said that, especially as Galaxia seemed to agree with the idea so strongly. "But there had been a triangle between them and Ascentia, who was male. Perhaps both Gaea and Millenia were bisexual, I don't know. They would both play a relationship with Ascentia off each other. There were times when it was quite embarassing to watch the three making fools of themselves." "What were they like? Personally, I mean?" "They lived up to their elemental aspects. Gaea was very simple and basic in her wants and needs. She was emotional and creative, but also very conservative and practical. Millenia, on the other hand, was a VERY different creature. She, too, was emotional and creative. Perhaps moreso than Gaea, for reasons that she was NOT conservative in her attitudes and views. Her personal needs were very complex. She was attractive... Extremely so. I was often envious of her wasted beauty..." "Yes, you said you used to envy her..." "Hmm.... She was a gorgeously exotic woman.... Not the figure you saw in that dreamworld created when you were fused with the water element.... That was what she became after a few thousand years. No, in her heyday she was more loved, and more highly respected, than the rest of us put together.... I guess there is an attraction to the dark and mysterious. Millenia became an attractive representative of those aspects of human nature." "The attraction to evil." "Not evil, as such, but the antithesis. I don't think you could ever use the term evil when referring to Millenia." Galaxia bit her lower lip. "Then there was Ascentia. He was particularly strange. Not in an unlikeable way. In fact, he was the most sociable of all of us. He just had his moments where he seemed to be more interested in intellectual pursuits.... At the expense of his social life. It would come and go. I don't think I ever quite grasped who the real Ascentia was...." "A private individual." "A flittering intellectual would be the term. I'd hate to think what would happen to him if he were born into a body that was less than perfect.... Because he was a most beautiful man. Long white hair, clear skin, steel grey eyes.... He had the capacity to hypnotise with those eyes." Naru shivered. And that sounds exactly like Astute, she thought to herself. Exactly, said a little voice in her head. She looked at Galaxia, who was smiling at her. You bloody cow, she thought. Stop reading my mind. Why? Said the voice. Does it frighten you that your mind is so open to my probings? Just get out! "I'm out of there." Galaxia said, eventually. "You have a nice mind, you know. So clear and uncomplicated. Except for the fact you willingly participated in the murder of someone who used to be your friend." "Who said that was willing. I was the victim of suggestions planted in my mind in a manner not unlike what you did just now." "And what about that makes you a victim? You have more than enough power within you to defend yourself against the ministrations of someone versed in mind manipulation through biochemical interface." "Well, I didn't know then how to use it. And I'm not entirely versed with it now, either." Galaxia sighed. "Oh well, at least I detected within you a concern for those you have left behind on your home planet. Mostly for one who goes by the name of Umino Gurio." Umino.... Naru stopped in her tracks, and Galaxia followed suit. Her face fell and she began to shiver. "Did you love this man? This Umino Gurio?" "Yes." "So why did you leave him behind when Pluto came to you that day? The day she told you the truth about everything?" "I didn't leave him. I just.... I shunned him. No, that's not the right word. I knew what they had been involved with was dangerous, and I didn't want him to get hurt." "You did hurt him, though. From what I've been able to collect in your mind, he was particularly upset. Was he not?" Naru began to tremble even more. "But the one who was hurt the most was you, in having to tell him to keep out of your life. For a while, anyway." "He's so fragile. He's always been that way. Because of the way he looks, and the way he acts around others, he hurts inside. But that's just him. And I left him behind, the only girl he'd ever been able to get that close to. Jeez, I'm a rampant idiot, sometimes." "Yes, you are." "Don't show me any sympathy, why don't you." "Okay. I won't. Would you like to see how things are back on your world as we continue on our walk?" "Ano..." Naru turned and looked over the side of the walkway. "How does one achieve this?" "I implant the images into your mind as we walk along." "Uh, things are hard enough as they are. And besides, I don't exactly feel like walking over the side." "The Cauldron protects all of its visitors from harm. You have nothing to fear." Naru stared at her in total silence, eventually nodding. They continued walking. Jadeite arrived at the scene of what appeared to be nothing short of a small nuclear blast. In the epicentre of the now-dead explosion, sitting on a rock, was the Youma Usagi. She held a lead, which was tied around the neck of a moderately injured Mars, who was on the ground on all fours. Moderately, if you discounted the fact that she no longer had her sight. The Youma was now wearing a short dress. Jadeite was damned if he knew where she'd got the thing from. She also appeared none the worse for wear after her brush with being roasted. "What is going on here?" Naru asked. "Is that Usagi?" "Not really." Galaxia sniffed. "That, for all that it appears, is a Youma.... A beast of the Dark Kingdom. The negative forces that exist within that system. Although, that can only be said to be partly true. She DOES contain the spirit of Serenity, the positive forces...." "So if she does, why is she doing that to Sailormars... Treating her in such a manner...." "What would you do to someone you knew had killed you, if you'd had every form of social morality removed?" "I'd probably be doing what she is doing now." "Precisely." "Can I ask a question?" "Yes?" "Why am I being so calm about this?" "Why indeed? Perhaps you suddenly feel you no longer belong simply to the constricting demands of that world." "Hello Jade-chan." The Youma grinned, pulling on the lead a couple of times. "Say hello to our guest, Rex." "Wan... Wanwanwan." Mars said deliriously. "Wh... What are you doing to her?" Jadeite strode forward. "How did you unfuse her from her element?" "Oh, Jade-chan. I AM Serenity. I can do whatever I like with the powers I have been given. And ONE of those powers is the capacity to emulate everything my senshi are capable of. It was simplicity in itself. Wasn't it, Rex?" "Wanwanwan!" "St...Stop that! How could you degrade her that way?" "Easy. Would you like to see a little bit more?" The Youma jumped from the rock and stepped up beside Mars, who flinched when she sensed her presence. "Now, doggy, play dead. Roll over. Beat your head a couple of times against the ground..." "ENOUGH!" Jadeite shrieked and the Youma stood, smiling. "Oh, really, Jade-chan. This emotional attachment to this... thing..." She kicked Mars in the side a couple of times. The senshi fell to the ground, clutching herself. "She used to be my lover... In the old Kingdom.... Please... I don't want to see her harmed..." "Oh YEAH? So why did you give me this body, eh?" She snorted. "You knew what I was going to do with it. And besides, who said that memory, of her being your lover in the Silver Millenium, is even true? Anyone can have their memories altered by those with sufficient ability. I'd say someone has had a field day with you." "What are you trying to say?" The Youma dropped the lead, which, as if it had a life of its own, wrapped itself around the arms and legs of Mars, bending her back painfully. "Stay!" The Youma wagged a finger at the prone Mars and slowly started to step forward, towards Jadeite. "Now, Jade-chan. I suppose you want me to spare this girl's pathetic little existence? Well, that's all well and good, and as it turns out, I'd rather kill her. But I will consider it if you give me one thing..." "And that would be?" The Youma giggled, continuing forward, swinging her hips slightly, a smile on her face. He'd seen that look before. "Oh no... I'm not going to do that." "Why, Jade-chan? Aren't I good enough for you?" "Call it a habit of mine. Never screw anyone who had a habit of trying to kill you in the past." The Youma giggled. "You have such a way with words." She stepped right up to Jadeite and put her arms around his shoulders. She stared into his face. For some reason, he found the look in her eyes to be quite disturbing, not to mention disturbed. "I'm sure you can fit in a bit of room for me, Jade-chan. Wouldn't you like to test your craftsmanship?" "I can't... Not with you..." "Oohh, Jade-chan. Don't tell me the good Knight of the Silver Millenium is feeling squeamish about taking advantage of his once and future Queen?" She giggled and planted her mouth on his. He was shocked about the forthrightness of the action. The Youma had to hold him tightly to settle his protests. He seemed to go still, and she let out an appreciative groan. Then he pushed her away, taking a step back. She stared at him in surprise. "NO! I said NO and I mean NO!" He shouted at her. Mars cocked her head, as if listening to this. The Youma's face went dark. She gritted her teeth and shook angrily. "JADEITE! YOU REFUSE ME!?!?!" Jadeite shivered. It was no longer the voice of Usagi speaking. "I AM YOUR QUEEN, JADEITE. YOY SHALL OBEY ME! YOU SHALL OBEY ME!" Jadeite felt himself being drawn forward. The Youma energies being fired at him from her affecting his mind. There was no more resistance from him as she gripped him by the hair, pulling his head back. "I AM YOUR QUEEN, JADEITE! YOU SHALL PLEASURE ME UPON MY DEMAND1 DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" "Be... Beryl..." Jadeite croaked. The Youma laughed. "WHO ELSE DID YOU EXPECT ME TO BE, LITTLE MAN! YOU HAVE GIVEN ME A NEW BODY. NOW, YOU SHALL GIVE ME YOURS!" "St...stop this! Please." She laughed and threw him on the ground, pinning his arms with her knees. She grabbed his shirt and tore it off viciously with one hand, punching him in his already-wounded face with the other. Blood flew from a reopened wound, splattering on her fingers. She stared at the blood and licked it off lasciviously. She then leaned down and kissed him fully on the mouth. "Enough!" Naru croaked. "I don't want to see any more of this!" She shuddered. "Very well. We shall move to other events." Galaxia nodded. IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST and again IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST END OF PART 16 Notes A major rewrite of this chapter. A lot of new stuff added. If you have the old version of chapter 16, you'll know how much has changed. You'll also know there is NO WAY Usagi is Dead shall be finished by the end of chapter 17, something that is going to get me in trouble with Will Wolfshohl (sorry Will ^_^;;) Chapter 17 is now "The Dark and Variable Indecisions", and should be out pretty soon. DDFA ayanami@merlin.net.au 20th Feb 1998