Times Not Known By Andrew M Hujsak Comments, questions, etc.: e-mail andyhme@mix-net.net This is a short story, not related to my other works. The usual disclaimers apply. The fire didn't seem to burn as bright these days. Perhaps it was because of the encroaching evil that was slowly eating up the city. Ever since those final days when the Sailor Senshi couldn't defeat the invading hoards. There were times when the woman looked back with regret at the fateful decision she made those many years ago, the decision to not accept the calling of her destiny, to stay with the Temple and carry on in her grandfathers path. Those memories floated up to the surface at this moment, causing a sharp sting of sorrow. Would the help of Mars made a difference? Would the addition of those now unknown abilites been the turning point which would have ensured the survival of those valiant Soldiers of Justice? But most of all, how would her own life been different? She was all alone here, all the duties of the Temple fell on her shoulders, Grandfather having died five years ago and the man that had been his apprentice, having left shortly thereafter. To blot out the pain of her loss, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the running of the Temple, but it was more than she could handle by herself, and slowly over time, first one thing was neglected, then another. Now all that was left was the Sacred Fire, and even that was doing poorly. As she turned away to leave the comfort of the flame, she caught a brief reflection of herself in a mirrror. Pausing for a moment, she deliberatly went back for another look, forcing herself to see what she had become. The hair was still long, down to her waist, and still the same raven black, though these days it was in more of a disarray than in the past. As her gaze slowly traveled down the reflection, she next saw her own eyes, violet almost to black in their color, the haunted look of lonliness and regret filling them. She couldn't hold her own gaze for long, remembering the fire that used to blaze out of those eyes, so full of life. Further down were the lips, once alive and ready to respond to any verbal sting, now thin and pale, a perpetual turning down of the corners. Slowly bringing her hands up in front of her, she was momentarily startled, almost seeming to percieve a sparking of fire from the tips of her fingers. Was it possible? Then sadly shaking her head, remembering that she had refused the henshin pen that was offered to her, the magical power stick that would allow her transformation into one of the Senshi. Why, oh why had she done that. The other Sailor Senshi had tried so hard to convince her, pleaded with her, but her stubborness had prevailed. Hindsight, she could see now where her destiny would have brought her, if she had only had the wisdom to follow it. The others, Usagi, Ami, then later Makoto and finally Minako, they all had continued to come around, to try to be her friend, even if she wouldn't join their ranks. Then, as the attacks of the Dark Kingdom came more often and with greater intensity, more and more of their time was spent battling those dark forces, until it was almost a constant fight, and they had no more time to spend with her. She didn't realize how much she needed them, missed them, until they were gone. And now, the Dark Kingdom seemed to have won, their evil pallor spreading from the center of the city, the Sailor Senshi either dead, or in hiding. In either case, they seemed no longer to be giving any resistance. Soon, the dark wave would reach the Temple, and it and she would be swallowed up into it. A thin wail escaped her at the thought, her beloved Temple, a place for peace and harmony, overrun by those... those... creatures. There were no terms harsh enough to describe those who would defile this Holy Place. She turned away from the mirror and headed out the door to go to her quarters. Proceeding at a slow spiritless shuffle, she stopped, having heard something, or thinking she had. After a moment, shaking her head, she started again, then she did hear something, a soft voice, a strained whisper: "Rei-chan, please." Slowly looking up, she saw... THEM. The Sailor Senshi. Their Sailor fuku torn, dirty, themselves a bedraggled mess, their faces wearing forlorn, strained expresions. "Rei-chan, please, we need Mars" said the one who was Sailor Moon, Usagi. "What can *I* do?" Rei asked, not believing anything could help. The small black cat with the golden crescent moon on her forehead, limped slowly forward, many bandages and battle scars evident. "Perhaps even more than you can possibly know." she said. "There is still a chance to win, but we need Sailor Mars to do it." Hino Rei looked up at the other Senshi, the battle damage very much in evidence. Sailor Venus, being supported by Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, her arm in a sling, either broken or sprained, was still working her mini-computer, trying to come up with alternate plans. Then Sailor Moon, her wide blue eyes having lost some of their usual brilliant luster, many bandages and bruises. Refocusing on Sailor Moon, Rei saw that she was holding her hands out open, a henshin pen laying in them, the Mars symbol glinting brightly in what little light was left. Staring at it, she began to feel a strange sensation, starting in the pit of her stomach, something she hadn't felt for a long, long time, building, spreading throughout her being, finally bursting through in a blaze of outrage and anger! Striding forth with a long unknown determination, she reached out and took hold of the pen, and with eyes blazing with a fire she had thought long dead, she grimly nodded and said: "Lets go kick some Dark Kingdom butt! MARS POWER... MAKE-UP!" Inside the Temple, the Sacred Fire blazed up anew, and the god Mars smiled. The End -- /------------/| Andrew M. Hujsak / / | / / | e-mail: andyhme@mix-net.net / / | / / / /------------/ / http://www.commdesign.com/~andyhme | | / } |/--------| | /{/ /_______ / | | / |_______| |__|/} / / / / / {/ /--/ /--/ / |OO----OO|/ } |--------|{/