Quests for Truth, chapter three, by Sailor GlitterGirl &
Rose Aquarius, with assistence from Raveneye. August, 2001

GlitterGirl: I'm too pooped to say anything. You guys
introduce this chapter. Oh! But before you do that I have to
say this:

	I LOVE YOU, SARAH CATHERINE NORMAN!!! MY NEW,
ONE-DAY-OLD BABY COUSIN!!!

	Okay, now you guys can *yawn* take over *falls
asleep on top of computer.*



	*****@ THE UNIVERSAL GALAXY SAGA @*****
		 ~The Quests For Truth~


Chapter Three: Return of Tryran Mars
Rated: G
By: Sailor GlitterGirl & Rose Aquarius, with RavenEye
At:
SailorGlitterGirl@sailormoon.com
Rose Aaquarius@aol.com
jcsteward@pc-intouch.com



	Versia woke with a start, remembering suddenly all
that had happened before she'd fallen asleep from exhaustion,
and crying her broken heart out.

	"What have I done?" Versia said aloud, touching her
lips in disbelief. She finally realized what she had really
done; She ruined her chances at true love. Or had she?
Eclipse had said he'd wait for her to realize that they were
meant to be. She didn't need to realize it; she already knew
it all too well. But was she ready to accept it? To live up
to it?

	Sighing, she looked out her window. 

	"I was out longer than I thought," she remarked
absently at the dawn. She turned over in her bed, trying to
grasp rest before she would have to become 'super mom' once
more. She thought of what her test might be, desperately
trying to push back thoughts of a certain dark haired,
emerald eyed young man...

	"Logan..." she whispered, and a single tear streaked
down her face. Rubbing it away angrily, she grabbed a pillow
and forced herself to think of sleep.

	It took her hours but she finally got what sleep
allowed her.


*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*


	Laxa stopped at the foot of the grand stairs that
led up to the enormous mansion. Laxa raised an eyebrow and 
laughed. Well, Raven *had* been a prince in the past!

	The night before, after the wonderous midnight
flight -Laxa shuddered in delight at the memory- he had asked
for her number. She had given it to him, and that morning he
had called, asking for her address. When she gave it to him,
he hung up with a quick 'love you,' and 'bye.'

	Partially hurt and more than a little miffed, she'd
all but gone into laughing hysterics when ten minutes later
she got a call from the registration desk on the main floor
that there was a limousine outside waiting for her, from a
Mr. R. Solaris.

	Now here she was, the limousine behind her after the
chaffuer had let her out. She pulled the collar of her white
fleese lined, white leather coat higher, tugging the flaps
tighter over her silver metallic spaghetti strap top, 
smoothing the hem over polyester black pants that flared out
at the knees, the hems embrodered with silver filigrees

	Smiling widely, and shoving her cold hands into her
pocket, she started up the steps. 

	Reaching the door, she hadn't even gotten a chance to
knock before the door was flung open, and a grinning,
panting, hair mussed and eyes sparkling Raven swooped her up
into his arms, laughing. Completely dumbfounded, all Laxa
could do was hold on.

	Finally setting her down inside the mansion, in the
entry way, before Laxa could get a word in edgewise, she
found her lips encased in warmth, strong arms wrapped tightly
around her.

	Laughing slightly in amusement and enjoyment through
the kiss, she returned it with equal fervor.

	"What was *that* for?" Laxa laughed, her cheeks
flushed and eyes sparkling as she pulled away. Raven just
smiled.
	
	"What? I'm not allowed to be happy to see the love of
my life?" Raven asked, and Laxa shook her head, smiling
widely.

	"So, why'd you ask me here?" She asked, absently
playing with a strand of hair at the back of his neck. "And 
don't say it was just to be with me." Raven's expression
darkened, and he sighed.

	"Do you know what went on last night between Eclipse
and Versia?" He asked, leading her out of the entry way, a
arm lingering around her waist. Laxa sighed and shook her
head.

	"No, she refuses to talk about it, and she cried all
night. And this morning, when I walked in to ask her if she
wanted breakfast, I heard her say, 'What have I done?'" Laxa
gasped. "You don't think they...well, you know..."

	"Eclipse?" Raven exclaimed. "No way! And I may not
know your sister like I know you, but I do know that neither
of them would do anything like *that!* Especially not until
they're married!" Laxa blushed, then laughed.

	"Yeah, you're right. Can't believe I even thought of
that!"

	"*I* can't believe you thought that," Raven murmured.
Laxa laughed and playfully punched him in the arm.


*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*


	"Princess?" Versia called softly as she tapped on
the door with a pink bunny sign hanging off the door.
"Serena? Highness?" Frowning at no answer, she quietly peeked
inside, Versia glimpsed a golden head, asleep over the small
desk by the bed, papers and books everywhere. In the bed,
Rose and Rini lay taking a nap. 

	Smiling gently, she silently pushed open the door
just enough so that she could slip inside. Padding across
the soft off-white carpeting, over the large oval pink bunny
rug by the bed, she reached over Rini and nudged her foster
daughter. Rose stirred, mumbled something unintelligable, and
began snoring again. 

	Biting her upper lip gently to keep from laughing,
the warrior of starlight was forced to resort to drastic
measures. 

	Grinning evilly, she reached her hand behind her back
and, with a faded glow of gold and black streamed light, a
black, gold veined feather appeared in her hand. Reaching
over the slumbering neo-princess once again, Versia proceeded
to stroke and tickle and tease her charge's nose. Rose's
nostrils flared, and she wriggled the feature, trying to rid
herself of the irritation, even in her sleep.

	"Dumt...ay wanwa sweepp..." Rose's pale pink lips
murmured. Rolling her eyes, Versia continued, until finally
the black haired, young teen reached up a hand to rub her 
nose. Catching the limb before it could fall down to her 
side, Versia shook her, until long at last Rose managed to
force a single sapphire blue eye open.

	"Versia-mama?" She managed to croak through a
sleep-sealed throat. Versia chuckled quietly. "C'mon, baby,"
She whispered. "Time to go."

	Rose pouted. "But mama-"

	"No buts." Versia gave a tug on her foster daughter's
arm then left the bedside, and managed to wrestle a clean she
sheet of paper out from under the slumbering Moon Princess,
whom was still in dreamland over her homework from Friday, 
that day being Sunday, and school not starting again for 
another two weeks, for winter break.

	Selecting a pink, bunny eraser-topped pen, Versia
scribbled a note that she'd come while they were asleep and
collected Rose, and that she'd be at their apartment. She
wrote down the address and number, and placed it under Rini's
hair scrunches, as the small girl had her hair down, and was
sure to put her bun cones back up as soon as she awoke, so
she couldn't miss the note.

	"Come on," Versia helped a still sleepy Rose climb
over Rini without disturbing her, and together they quietly
crept out of the room, collecting a small duffle with Rose's
neccessities and nightgown and extra pair of clothes.

	Thanking Mrs. Tsukino on their way out, Versia asked
Rose why she'd gone to bed in her clothes. The girl, with a
yawn, had simply replied that after talking and laughing all
night, they'd been too tired to change.

	Versia laughed, then asked Rose where she'd like to
go for breakfast.

	"How about Crown Fruit Parlor?" Rose yawned.

	"Alright," Versia nodded, smiling. Despite Rose being
only three years younger than her -appearence and maturity
wise, anyway- at times it was as if Rose were Rini's age.

	"Then can we go see Eclipse-papa?" Rose asked
innocently. Because she was still almost asleep on her feet,
she didn't see Versia pale noticably. While she did *not* 
wish to see her lover-wanna be, she had no right to deprive
Rose of the only father figure she had ever known.

	"Sure," she said, in almost a whisper. "I'll call
Laxa and see if she knows Raven's number. I'm sure those two
are staying together. Or at least he'll know where he is."

	"Oh-" Rose yawned. "-kay." Despite her gloomy mood,
Versia laughed. 

	"Come on," she said. "Lets get some chocolate milk
and pancakes in you, then some icecream; you need some
sugar."


*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*


	Versia raised an eyebrow as she looked up at Raven's 'nest.'
A large mansion loomed over them, one that had an eerie
resemblence to a minature version of the Sol Palace -save
this one was steccoed and had gray bricks and wasn't made out
of gold and topazes.

	"Well, this is it," Rose said, comparing the numbers
near the large door to the paper in her hands.

	Convientently, when they'd gotten back the apartment,
they'd discovered that Laxa had left a note saying where and
when she had gone, including the address.

	"Yup," Versia took a deep breath, and took Rose's
hand -more for her own comfort than for Rose's- and walked up
the steps, her pose and demeaner much more confident than she
felt.

	Rining the doorbell, a grinning butler answered the
door, and cheerily invited them in, even *before* asking
their names. When he heard who they were, he quickly ushured
them into the dining room, where the two midnight haired
girls spotted Laxa and Raven laughing and smiling.

	"Mr. Ralph, sir, Miss Alisia and Miss Roseanne are
here," the man said, still smiling. Rose couldn't help but
think how unusual it was to have a friendly and happy
*butler!*

	"Ver-Ali!" Laxa corrected herself just in time as she
rose and went to her sister, enfolding her in a big hug.

	"Hi," Versia smiled, returning the embrace. "*What* a
surprise to see *you* here!" She laughed, her voice sarcastic.
Laxa laughed, and pulled a way, giving Rose and quick,
sisterly squeeze and a wink.

	"Um..." Versia said slowly. Laxa raised an eyebrow,
and looked at how Versia was fidgeting and looking at Raven.
Glancing at Rose, she saw that the fifteen year old girl saw
the same.

	"Hey, Rose, I got something for you," she said with
a wink. "It's in my coat pocket. Wanna come with me and get
it?"

	"Sure!" Smiling, the two left the room, the butler
closing the door behind him as he followed.

	"Raven, can I speak with you for a moment?" Versia
asked softly, as soon as the two were gone.

	"Anytime, Versia," Raven said warmly and ushered her
to sit down, and Versia complied, looking rather jittery.

	"Um...Rose...Rose wanted to spend a little time with
Eclipse." She looked nervouce. "Is Logan here?" she asked
softly.

	Raven regarded her for a moment before answering.
"No, actually. I'm afraid you missed him by a couple of
hours. He left early this morning and didn't say when he'd be
back. What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. Versia was very
nervous; and she *never* came unglued.

	"Um, well...There's a meeting at the temple tonight
at 5:00," She rambled. "Could you tell Logan for me? Oh,
and... sorry I missed him." She rose and headed for the door
rather quickly. "Oh, and if you see him before us, could you
tell Orion of the meeting as well?" She asked. Raven hid his
growing concern. She was more than unglued, she was being
positivly *odd*.
	
	"Sure. Are you okay?" He inquired warmly.

	"I'm fine, yeah, I'm great... I just came to find
Logan, and drop off Rose; I'll leave her here, in case Logan
comes back. I'll be going. Bye." she said after herself
practly running out of the room, and out of the house, not
even noticing when she sped past the giggling and whispering
pair the entry way.

	Laxa narrowed her eyes. Something was up, and she was
going to find out what.

	"Stay here," she told Rose. "I believe I guess right
when I say you came to see Eclipse?" Rose nodded. "Good," she
accepted her coat and scarf from the butler. "Raven's here;
stay with him until Eclipse gets back."

	Rose nodded. "Alright," She said, her voice mirroring
Laxa's own expression of worry.

	Slipping into her coat, she looked and smiled warmly
at her foster niece. "Thank you," she said.

	"For what?" Rose blinked in surprise.

	"For being there for my sister." Laxa wrapped her
scarf around her neck. "You needed to be taken care of when
she needed someone who needed her. And even now, long after
you're more than old and responsible enough for her to stop
mothering you, you let her. I just wanted to thank you for
it."

	Rose blushed the color of her name, and smiled back.

	"You're welcome," she whispered, and Laxa smiled
again before turning and jogging outside.

	Her breath coming out in puffs of glittering white
frost, Laxa knew that something big was wrong. She had heard
Versia call Eclipse *Logan*. Her usual comment was
'Eclipse-baka' or 'Icky-Eclipse,' but never 'Logan'. 

	Narrowing her eyes, Laxa vowed that she would find
out what was going on, from Eclipse, if no one else, and set
it to rights if it was at all in her power to do so.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

	"What happened last night?" Raven point-blank asked
Eclipse, before the man had even had a chance to slip out of
his coat.

	"What do you mean?" Eclipse asked back, curious to
see what brought this about.

	"You know what I mean. Versia came here looking for
you, *supposedly* to drop off Rose-" He started, but was cut
off from saying anything else.

	"So, she came to drop off Rose. And?!" He said, he
couldn't let him know about what happened, it was bad enough 
he kissed her. But his only self defense was that she hadn't
stopped him. No, *far* from it.

	"She wanted to talk to me alone," he said simply. 
"She was also calling you 'Logan' and not 'baka' as usual.
And she wanted out of here as soon as she entered." 

	"And?" 

	"What happened?! She's always the 'ice queen' what
turned her into a frightened bird?" he inquired.

	"I gave her somethings to ponder, that's all," He
sighed, wondering if she might finally change.

	Raven watched his friend for a moment, before shaking
his head.

	"Anyway, there's a meeting at the temple," He glanced
at the clock. "We should get going. We've got to face our
tests." Raven said. Eclipse nodded, and they left for the
temple.


*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*


	Even though the gang had been assembled for more than
half an hour, all they could do as they sat or stood in a
semi circle, was stare at the book on the table in the center.

	"So, who wants go first?" Lita finally broke the eery
silence, and asked the group. An unexpected answer came.

	"I will," A pale Versia said, standing tall.

	"No, not until Mar- er, Raye is back. It's too
dangerous." Eclipse said.

	"She's fine. Anyway, I know more than you do about
it." She shot back. "I'd be perfectly fine."

	"Not now Versia. It's not time. We need you here." He
replied.

	"No, Rose needs you. And I need to find my truth, and
tell the truth," she said softly but with strength.

	"It's not time. And she needs family more," he said
with venom in his voice. This was turning out to be a fight.

	"You're better family than me," She said through
gritted teeth. When a suprising thing occured.

	"*ENOUGH!*" Serena bellowed. Her regal tone coming
back to her. "We wait for Raye to return, *then* we deside
what to do. *Understood?*" 

	"As you wish." Versia said and bowed lightly to her
princess and sat down, not happy at all, but obediant.

	"Now," Serena stated, still acting her part of
leader. "You said you knew more about this, Versia. What did
you mean?"

	When Versia was stonily silent, Laxa sighed, and
turned to the Princess.

	"Highness, I'm afraid its... sort of a family
secret." Laxa said apologetically. "But trust me; not knowing
will not hinder your tests at all."

	Serena was silent for a moment, the Inner Senshi
couldn't stop gawking. The Outers were simply grinning smugly
at their leader. Darien, ever silent and observant, was
grinning widely, eyes shinning at his future wife. Rini was
stiffling a giggle.

	Finally, the blonde noticed the looks she was
recieving.

	"*WHAT?*" She exclaimed. Suddenly, she frowmed, then
her expression changed to surprised, then to shocked, then
finally to total disbelief.

	That was when Rose spotted it.

	"Hey, Serena-sama, did you...get something in your
hair?" The fifteen year old asked. Looking down at the tips
of her golden hair, Serena shrieked as she spotted the very
obvious curls of silver among her bright blonde tresses.

	Jaws dropped as Amy came over with her computer.
Darien helped Serena to a chair, her eyes still locked onto
the ends of her ponytails. Amy lifted a lock of the colored
hair, and pointed her computer at it, pressed a button, and
her eyebrows sky rocketed.

	"Ames..." Mina started, coming up behind her. "It
isn't what we think it is, is it?"

	"I'm afraid so," Amy croaked. She looked up at her
Princess. "Serena..."

	"What?" Darien asked for Serena.

	Observing all, Laxa, Versia, and Setsuna exchanged
smug, knowing glances.

	"Serena, your body is physically becoming the
Princess from the Silver Millennium!!" Amy's face was
positively unbelieving. "Even your DNA patterns are changing!"

	"But thats not possible!" Michelle exclaimed, taking
a step forward.

	"Apparently it *is* possible," Amara said.

	"Does this mean...?" Serena whispered. She looked at
Darien, then they both looked at Rini.

	"The Millennial Freezing is near," Rini whispered,
fear making her young voice shake. Hotaru gave her best
friend's hand a squeeze.

	"Millennial Freezing?" Everyone echoed. Rini looked
to Setsuna.

	"Puu?" She asked. The Time Guardian shook her head. 

	"Not yet," she said. She looked to the Princess.
"Highness, I'm sorry but you will know soon enough. It is
better if you do not know what is nearing, other than the
Shadow Kingdom. It will only impair your fighting with this
present danger."

	"Which brings us back to why we're here in the first
place," A dark voice said from the corner. Versia glowered.

	"Orion!" Laxa cried. 

	"You're late," Versia snapped. Orion stepped out from
the shadows, looking sheepish.

	"Sorry, sis." He said, initiating a begging puppy dog
look. "Forgive me?" Versia rolled her eyes, and Laxa laughed.

	"Whatever," she said. Orion smiled, and looked to the
still pale Moon Princess.

	"Highness," he nodded to her. Serena nodded in
return, a bit shaky. As they watched, resolve seemed to come
over her face, and she stood again, squaring her shoulders.

	"I'm not going to let this get to me!" She stated. 
"We've beaten every evil thats come our way before; this one
is no different. This is the evil that the Senshi were
*meant* to fight. By kicking Shadow butt we'll be fullfilling
what our Grandmothers and Mothers were meant to do. We will
win!"

	"Thats my Meatball head!" A voice flared up admists
the cheers of the Senshi. Everyone gasped in awe and surprise
as the Book of Truths flared up with an intense flaming light.
From the the center of the cover of the book, a spinning
flame shot out. In the center of the whirling fireball, a
round, red crystal was barely visible.

	No one noticed Setsuna's nod of satisfaction, and
Laxa and Versia exchanging knowing and excited smiles.

	The fireball spun away from the book, away from the
table. The girls all moved to allow it room. The fireball
stopped, floating only about a foot above the ground.

	The occupants of the room cried out and shielded
their eyes, partially turning away as the fireball exploded 
into an array of fiery red and gold light.

	Then all was quiet again, and the Senshi and men were
prompted to look when a cry was heard from Serena.

	"Raye!" Serena screeched, and lunged for her friend,
engulfing the red, brown, and gold clad warrior in a tight
bear hug. The girls stood embracing for a long time, before
the others finally snapped out of it and rushed at the two
all at once. Before she knew it, Raye was laughing as she
found herself surrounded by happy, crying faces, the air
forced from her lungs as she was crushed in the center of 
extra large group hug.

	When everyone finally realized that Raye probably
needed to breathe, they backed away, leaving Raye with tears
in her eyes, smiling brightly.

	As Serena regared her friend as she accepted hugs and
'welcome backs' from the other Senshi, the former Moon
Princess realized that there was something different about
the proud, impossibly stonily stong Sailor Mars.

	"Raye?" Serena asked quietly, looking at her with
questions in her large eyes. Slowly, Raye turned away from
the Senshi, and stood before her Princess. 

	As everyone watched, Raye knelt smoothly, completely
willingly. Even in the Silver Millennium, Laxa and Versia
remembered, she had been reluctant to so much as nod
respectfully to the heiress.

	Now, they saw nothing but admiration and affection in
her movements, as well as a perfectly willing trust and
respect.

	Then, before either Serena or the others could
register, Raye leaped up, and grabbed the meatball headed one
in a tight hug.

	"I'm sorry," Raye whispered into her friend's ear as
she clutched her tight. Serena returned the hug full force. 
"For everything." She added. "Forgive me?"

	Serena cried into Raye's shoulder, tears of happiness
for her friend who had finally learned when to be weak, and
whose wounds were finally beginning to heal.

	"I forgave you every time, Raye," Serena whispered. 
"You never needed to ask." They pulled away, smiling fondly
at each other.

	"Thanks," Raye whispered. Then, louder, "Meatball
Head." Everyone laughed.

	Then chatter and laughter filled the air again as
Raye showed off her knew attire, 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed at the
nifty minature-becoming-real-sized bow.

	Then, everyone watching, Raye let her Mars Fire Light
Crystal float above her hand, shinning steadily with its
eternal inner fire.

	Raye winked at the Guardian sisters. They smiled.

	"One down, fifteen to go." Raye said, before
enclosing the Crystal in her fist and stringing it over her
head again, letting it hang over her heart.

	Oddly, no one asked her about her test. It was as if
there was an unwritten, unspoken, but still somehow known
rule that a person's Test was for that person, and that
person alone.

	It was quite some time before everyone was calm
again, Raye having detransformed from Tryran Sailor Mars into
Raye Hino.

	"So, you told my school and grandpa that I went to
that mountain retreat to meditate?" Raye repeated.

	"Yup," Mina said. "They bought it pretty easily."

	"Its rather convienient that its now Winter Break,"
Raven commented.

	"Very convenient." Eclipse agreed.

	"I was thinking that we could tell our parents we're
going to a camp up in the mountains," Lita said. "Well, some
of us don't have to worry about that, but for those of us
that do..."

	"Sounds good to me." Raye said. No one could get over
the new, intense bright fire that now burned in her eyes.

	"Now that we know that this thing isn't out to kill
us," Rose motioned to the book. "Should we take our tests?"

	"Now?" Rini said.

	"No time like the present," Darien qouted. "I think
waiting will just frazzle our nerves."

	"The Prince is right," Versia agreed. "We take our
Tests now."

	"But I vote that we do it in shifts," Laxa said.
"That way Earth is never completely defenseless."

	"Good idea," Serena said, rubbing her brow. Darien
squeezed her shoulder, and she looked at him thankfully. "So,
we split into four groups. Group one will go first, while the
other three stay behind. Once group one gets back, group two
will go, once they get back, group three will take their
tests, and so on. Agreed?"

	Everyone nodded or voiced their agreement.

	"Be right back," Raye said, and stood and walked into
the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a handful of
straws. "Shortest ones are in group one," she said, and began
to hold out her fist to the girls and guys. "Longest are
group four, second to longest is group three, and the last
length is group three."

	When they were all passed out, Raye, Rose, and Rini
were the only ones not holding a straw. Raye, since she had
already gone, and Rose because she was not a Senshi, nor was
she from any planetary royal family.

	Rini was not allowed to go because, since her mother
was still alive and older than her (Duh), it was Serena who
held the Light Crystal of the Moon, so she did not, therefore
there was no reason for her to take her test.

	Taking a deep breath, Serena signaled for them all to
raise their straws, to reveal their length. Amy retrieved a
pad of paper and a pencil, to chart dowm who was in what
group. 

	Everyone waited stiffly as she looked up at everyone,
then down at her paper and scribbled something, then up
again, then down, scribble, up, down, scribble, up, down,
scribble...

	"Why is Eclipse going?" Versia suddenly demanded. "He
is not the heir of any royal family, so he doesn't hold a Light
Crystal."

	Everyone blinked, Eclipse looked dumbfounded as he
realized the same thing.

	"How...how many Light Crystals are there?" Serena
asked slowly.

	"Fourteen," The sisters answered automatically.

	"One for each planet, one for the Silver Moon, then
one for the sun, and then two more for Laxa and I." Versia
elaborated.

	Amy didn't even have to think about the numbers to
see the problem.

	"But there are nine planets. Nine Light Crystals for
each of the planets, plus the moon and sun, then your two
only comes up to thirteen, not fourteen."

	There was silence.

	"This is confusing," Rini stated. A few people
chuckled. "Are you sure *I* don't hold one?"

	"No; we've already determined that Serena holds the
Light Crystal of the Moon," Laxa told her gently, but firmly.
Disappointment was evident in the girls features.

	"So that means we're missing a Senshi," Mina frowned.
"Maybe Eclipse is some sort of lost prince, or something. He
certainly is the only other possible carrier for a Crystal."

	"Maybe you got mixed up some time?" Lita asked. "A
thousand years is a long time to be iscolated in an abandoned
dimensional kingdom. Maybe you accidently got the numbers
screwed."

	Laxa and Versia both shook their heads.

	"No, our mothers split the Cosmos Crystal into the
fourteen legendary Light Crystals, one for each planet, two
for us, one for the moon, and one for the sun." Laxa stated
without a shadow of a doubt in her mind or voice.

	"Either Eclipse is the carrier, or we're missing a
Senshi," Amara said flatly.

	"But we *can't* be missing a Senshi," Serena frowned.
"We're all here! Plus all the Planet Princesses are accounted
for, and you can't be a Senshi without a Planet or a star!"

	"Not neccessarily, Princess," Laxa corrected.
"Neither Versia or I have a Planet. Nor does Rini.
Technically, the powers of the Moon still belong to you. She
can just tap them because she is your daughter. But then how
do you explain how she has her own, unique powers, hm?"

	There was more silence.

	"Hey, I know!" Hotaru spoke up. Everyone looked at 
her. "Why don't we just see if the Book will accept Eclipse?
If it won't let him in, then we know he's not a carrier. But
if he does go in, then we know that he probably does hold the
missing Light Crystal."

	"Makes sense," Darien pointed out. "More sense than
anything we've thought of."

	"I guess..." Serena gnawed a lip, then her eyes fell
on her hair once again, and something seemed to filter in
through her still hazy mind...
	
	But the tired girl lost it before she could grasp it,
and she sighed.

	"Thats what we'll do then," she announced wearily.
She looked at Amy. "Ames? What are the groups, please?"

	Amy turned back down to her pad, scribbled a few
more things after calling on a few more Senshi.

	When she was done, she looked up nervously and began
reciting from the list.

	"Two groups will only have three, since we have an
uneven number," Amy explained first. "Group one," she began.
"Which will leave tonight, consists of Setsuna, Darien, Amara,
and Michelle."

	Unconsciously, group one moved to the center of the
room, and sat on the floor around the book. Serena went
with Darien, to sit with him.

	"Group two," Amy began, "Will be Mina, Orion, and
Lita." Group two went to sit on the couch, which before then
had only consisted of Mina and Orion. No one noticed their
clasped hands.

	"Group three," Amy gulped. "Is myself, Hotaru, and
Serena. 

	"The last group, is, of course, Laxa, Versia, Raven,
and Eclipse."

	Everyone looked at everyone else. Rini came and sat
in her mother's lap, Serena leaning against Darien. There was
silence for a moment, giving everyone time to gather their
thoughts.

	Finally, Setsuna stepped forward, waving her hand as
she did so. Her Time Staff appeared in her hand, and she
stood over the book. The rest of Group One moved away from
the table as the book, and Setsuna began glowing a dark, dark
forest green, threaded with maroon. The symbol of Pluto
flared to life on Setsuna's forehead, and the woman abruptly
raised her staff, and brought her Garnet Sphere down,
slamming it into the center of the top of the book.

	With a cry, her body disappeared into her aroura, and
was rapidly pulled into the book as it flopped open on its
own.

	When the last tendril of Pluto power was gone, the
Book of Truths snapped shut once again, and everything was
silent.

	After a moment, Amara squared her shoulders, and
walked forward. She raised her hand, then brought it down
swiftly with the royal battle cry of a Senshi of Uranus. When
her fist was halfway down to the book, a flash of yellow
light flashed into existence, and in the blink of an eye, the
Space Sabor Sword was in her hand, her aroura was blidingly
bright, and the insignia of Uranus glowed brightly on her
forehead.

	With a loud ringing sound, like metal on metal, the
sword struck the book. Yet instead of cutting through it like
butter, as it would have with any normal object, it did the
same as with Pluto's staff, and popped open to a select page,
near the end of the blank pages.

	The sword blade stuck to the book like glue, and 
Amara's power around her flashed even brighter. Then, like
the swiftness that was her power's trademark, she was gone in
a flurry of wind and speeding yellow and blue light.

	Without hesitation, Michelle moved to follow her
cousin's example, though instead of slaming her newly formed
Neptune Mirage Mirror into the book, she kneeled next to the
table, and gently laid it, glass side down, on the cover of
the Book of Truths.

	Instead of flaring up and flashing like the other
two, her glowing powers came slowly, trickling lightly, like
the water that was her family's inherited power. Steadily, a
sea green, watery blue light was seen glowing from within her
skin. 

	The only thing quick about her acceptance into the
Book was her symbol, as it flashed sharply above and between
her closed eyes, then settled into a constant, bright glow.

	As they watched, the book slowly drank her in, like
a napkin soaking up the water that she was becoming.

	With an almost audible slurp, the last of her self,
and her aroura, was sucked into the book. The pages flipped
all to one side, followed by the cover, and the audible click
as it locked once more.

	Serena muffled a choked sob into Darien's shirt.
While she had seen the good that going through the test had
done for Raye, she was not naiive enough not to notice the
slightly haunted look, either. She knew that to reach the
truth, the senshi of Mars had gone through somethings that
were horrible, even more horrible because they were true.

	Darien wasn't doing much better. He had a very good
idea about what his would be. His lonely past, most likely,
his fear of loosing his future wife and daughter, of this
happiness that he had found.

	Taking a deep breath, he swallowed hard, then turned
and gave his girlfriend -and soon to be fiance if he hand
anything to say about it- a sweet, lingering kiss full on the
lips. They clung to each other for a moment, before he was
forced to give her soft lips one last stroking pull, and
parted from her.

	Leaning down, he gave Rini, in Serena's arms, a kiss
on the forehead and a tight hug.

	Squaring his shoulders, his face set, he walked to
the book, and pulled out something from under his shirt.
Pulling it over his head, everyone except Serena, Laxa, and
Versia gasped as the minature sword with a rose wrapped
around it became a full sized, gold hilted, silver bladed
broad sword with rubies in the shape of roses and emeralds
for the stems, wrapped around the hilt.

	Serena smiled gently; he had told her that she was
the only one he'd ever shown it to, and Serena supposed since
Laxa and Versia had come straight from the Silver Millennium,
never even witnessing the battle on the Moon with Beryl and
Metallia, that they'd already knew about the Legendary Royal
Rose Sword of Earth. It was Darien's 'transformation pen,'
basically.

	"I thought he used that Crystal Rose," Eclipse
murmured.

	"He does," Versia answered smugly, trying to put a
bit of annoyance into her voice. "He uses the Rose to
transform into Tuxedo Mask, but for Prince Endymion, he uses
the Rose Sword."

	"Oh."

	"I didn't know that," Raven said quietly, pulling
Laxa into his arms. Laxa smiled up at him sadly. She knew
that if she were in Serena's position, she'd latch onto Raven
and not let him out of her sight. It took a lot of courage,
Laxa knew, for Serena to be letting her love go into that
Book.

	As they all watched, or what was left of them 'all,'
Darien softly laid the tip of his blade in the center of the
cover of Book.

	Quickly, but not startling so as with Amara and
Setsuna, a deep, but bright gold color, threaded with
midnight blue and forest green began to shimmer around his
form.

	Darien's symbol, a virticle and horizontal figure
eight, crossing each other, flared golden on his forehead. In
response, only Serena noticed the small, virticle figure
eight glow ever so faintly pink on her daughter's forehead.
Across it, an even fainter golden crescent moon glittered
slightly.

	The golden light encased him, and he closed his eyes,
and let his body seep into his aroura, then by tugged and
pulled slowly, but steadily into the book. Faster and faster
he disappeared, until he was completely gone.

	The book snapped shut, and the lock clicked loudly
closed in the solid silence.

	Raye, the only one who knew what they were headed
into, looked out the window, where Uranus, Pluto, and Neptune
glittered in a perfect trio.

	"Good luck," Someone whispered. 

	It turned out to be Rose. In the stony heaviness, no
one noticed something glimmer, then vanish on her forehead.


To Be Continued...


GlitterGirl: Ooooh, I LOVED how this one turned out! It was
one of the harder ones, but not too bad, once I got past a
slight writer's block in the middle.

Rose-chan: Agreed. I wrote the first half, then stopped
abruptly cause I was completely out of ideas.

GlitterGirl: Then being the chicken she is, she dumped it on
me, then *I* had a writters block.

Rose-chan: Yeah, whatever. You were just being lazy. Do you
know how much bugging and prodding I had to do to get her to
work on it?

GlitterGirl: Well at least I did it at all! And once I got
started again it only took me five hours! Thats pretty good!

Rose-chan: *mutters* for you.

GlitterGirl: *glares at sister* Whatever. Anyway, I got an
e-mail last week asking us if Rose-chan and I really were
sisters. She said we sounded like real sisters.

Rose-chan: Well, we do argue enough! And we do love each
other like sisters, but unfortunately, genetically, 
biologically, officially...

GlitterGirl: No, we are not blood related at all. In fact,
we've never even met in person! We are sisters in Christ,
however. So, since Jesus is our heavenly Daddy *big smile*
that makes us sisters in spirit, if not body. *hugs
Rose-chan*

Rose-chan: *hugs back* And if any of you have a problem with
us being Christians, we just have one thing to say:

Together: STUFF IT!!!

GlitterGirl: lol

Rose-chan: *smiles* Well, ja ne! See you in Chapter Four!

GlitterGirl: Sayonnara!

*ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY*


(AN: You won't believe this, minna, but I actually wrote out all the
Scout's names and pulled them out in groups of four, and they ended up
like that! It was complete coincidence that Laxa, Versia, and their
guys ended up together! Cool, ne? Later! -GlitterGirl)