Author's Name: Nightbreak

Fic Title: Vampire Princess Michiru Part 1

e-mail:  cadz0001@algonquinc.on.ca

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes: I should point out now that this story will not remain
faithful
to the plot line from either of the series.  This is an original crossover
which
will fuse both of them.  So don't expect Exorcists, demons, or Negaverse
youma.  This time, the battle is a little different.  If you don't like it,
I really
can't say I'm sorry.  I'm working on a creative license here.  Comments can
go
to cadz0001@algonquinc.on.ca
     Assuming, that is, that my college knows how to keep a server running.
     C&C credit:   Greenbeans, Blazej, and of course, His Lordship Chaos.

- - - -
Vampire Princess Michiru  (Part 1)
- - - -

     "Haruka?"
     Silence greeted her question.
     "Haruka?"
     More silence.  Not even a rustle.
     Michiru sat up on the couch, twisting around to look across the
living room.
     Her partner was gone from her spot in front of the fire.
     Something prickled at the base of Michiru's spine.  In a blur of
vampiric
speed, she was across the room and melting into the shadows, completely
immersing herself in the blackness.  Wrapping her red and white kimono
even tighter around her body, she crouched and waited.
     Ever since their punishment from Serenity had begun a couple of days
earlier, the two Senshi had discovered their respective curses brought new
abilities.  New aids in finding their four missing allies, the Asteroid
Senshi.
     Haruka was unable to become Uranus, since she could no longer speak,
but
she was being resourceful, helping Michiru recover from her operation by
testing her reactions.  Even with her face and voice sealed away behind the
steel mask, Haruka still had strength and speed matching, if not exceeding,
that
of her Senshi form.
     Michiru's abilities had also increased; her own speed nearly tripled if
she
wished.  Also, with her body cursed to seek new blood to survive, she had
found other skills to aid in the hunt.
     Now she scanned the room more closely, waiting for Haruka to appear.
There was very little she could hide behind. . . .
     Then her sharpened hearing caught the faint whisper of clothes.
     Right above her.
     Reaching up, Michiru saw the dim image of a metal face gleaming at her
before the weight slammed into her arms.  Normally, a body blow like this
one
would have knocked her down, but her own body had changed, adapted so she
withstood the shock.
     With almost no effort, she tossed Haruka away from her and into the
middle of the room.  Her partner twisted in midair and landed just as
effortlessly on her feet.
     Michiru moved forward like liquid, trying to slip behind her, but
Haruka spun away, sweeping her own backhand through the empty space.
Silently, her chest heaved as her masked face stared into the
now-golden eyes.
     Michiru grinned, showing her new fangs.  "Nice try.  You had me worried
for a few seconds."
     Dressed in black jeans and a loose black dress shirt, Haruka nodded
once,
then wrote something quickly on a pad and turned it around.
     *Thanks.  You're feeling better, I take it.*
     She nodded back.  "Almost."
     Haruka sat down on the couch, crossing her legs.
     *Hungry?*
     Slowly, she nodded again.  "I . . . don't know what to do.  As soon as
I bite
someone, they may either become immortal or die, depending on my wishes."
Going
over, she sat and leaned against her partner's side, closing her eyes and
giving
a tired sigh.
     She felt Haruka put an arm around her and she nestled closer.  "What
can
we do?" she murmured, "The Asteroids are out there, hurt and confused.  We
have to find them and help send them back to their sleep.  But how?"
     The sound of pen scratching on paper reached her ears.  Then she
reopened one
 eye to stare at the pad in front of her nose.
     *I don't know.  But I know one thing: I won't let you go hungry.*
     She looked up.  "I don't understand."
     Removing her right arm from Michiru's shoulders, Haruka pushed her left
sleeve
up.  Then she reached into subspace and pulled out the Space Sword.
     Michiru's eyes widened as she saw what her partner planned to do.
"Haruka, no!"
     Ignoring her, the Senshi of Uranus raised her bare arm and pressed the
edge
of the sword against her wrist.  Almost instantly, a thin line of red welled
up
around the blade.
     Michiru grabbed her other wrist and yanked the sword away.  "What are
you thinking?"
     Quickly, Haruka took up her pen and jotted something down.  Tearing the
paper off, she handed it to the shocked Michiru.
     *No bite, no problem.  Ne?*
     "Haruka. . . ."  Looking into the steel mask, she could almost swear
she saw
her partner's eyes sparkle.  "Thank you, you silly, silly, girl."  She
kissed the
cold metal forehead, then gently took Haruka's wrist and bent over it, her
aquamarine hair hiding her face as she fed.

-----
     As quietly as she could, Michiru eased their bedroom door shut and
returned to the living room.  After Michiru had drunk her blood, Haruka
hadn't
been able to keep her eyes open and the Senshi of Neptune had insisted that
her lover go to bed.
     She had stood over the silent form of her partner, watching the one she
loved more than life itself sink into the comfort of sleep.  And it had
started her thinking about the task set for them.
     Michiru opened the doors to the patio and stepped out into the night
air.
With the new blood coursing through her system, she felt more energetic than
she had in days.  Sleep would come later.
     With the slightest of movements, she sprang onto the roof, kimono
flapping
in the breeze.  There she sat, staring into the distant lights of Tokyo,
hoping to
somehow find the Senshi she had to collect.  She glanced down at her hands,
where she had a picture of the four Asteroids:  PalaPala, CereCere, JunJun,
and VesVes.  Sailors Pallas, Ceres, Juno, and Vesta.
     They were supposed to be the guardians of Small Lady.  Yet, at the same
time, they considered themselves above the Inner Senshi and even disdained
the presence of the Outers.  Their loyalties were to the Kingdom and to each
other.  And woe betide anyone who got in the way of either, even another
Senshi.
     Michiru sighed.  The four of them were still young, in their late
teens, and
convincing them of anything was a challenge.  And she had to find them while
they were in a fighting mood?
     She put the photo away again, then glanced down at her own bare arm.
On
a sudden whim, she placed a finger over the soft flesh of her other palm,
just
beneath her thumb.  And waited.
     Seconds ticked away.  Still she didn't move.
     Faintly, beneath the now-flushed skin, she could feel the slow pulse of
her
blood.
     Michiru let her breath out in relief.  She had wondered if she was
dead,
but her heart still beat. That showed her that Serenity had not fully turned
her
back on her now disgraced soldiers.
     She thought she understood why Queen Serenity had imposed the
punishments on them.  It was definitely an encouragement to complete their
task quickly, but it would also stand as a warning to the guardians to come.
Breaking the darkness, even to save a life, carried a penalty.
     On a sudden impulse, she raised her eyes again to look at the city.
Lights
from buildings, streets, and cars all called for her attention.  The soft
sounds of night life reached her newly improved hearing.
     Then, off to one side, a dark shape caught her eyes.
     Getting slowly to her feet, Michiru peered into the blackness.  The
shape
seemed somehow . . .  familiar.  Then her eyes focused on the tall spires of
an
ancient church rising above the lights.
     Another tingling ran across her shoulders.  Something in that building
held a
clue to her search.  She could *feel* it.  "Answers . . . " she murmured.
With a
swirl of her kimono, she ran to the edge of the roof and leapt off, heading
for
the cathedral.

-----
     High above the city, bats fluttered in the two belfry towers.  Michiru
found herself eyeing them, wondering if she could become one.  The image of
a kawaii little bat with turquoise hair perched on Haruka's shoulder flashed
through her mind and she chuckled.
     Leaning on the railing of the roof, she peered down, watching the
people
leaving the church.  She didn't recognize any of them, but that meant
nothing.
The feeling of this place's importance still gnawed at her.  She had already
checked both belfries and found nothing, which meant her answers lay inside
the cathedral.  So she made her way down to the street.
     As she climbed the steps to the front doors, Michiru watched as other
people walked past her.  None of them stood out to her senses as important.
Few paid her any attention, except for a couple of the older ladies, who
smiled
at her.  She nodded back, not trusting herself to smile and show her fangs.
The dears would probably faint away if she did that.
     At the doors, she hesitated, wondering if she could even enter the
building.
According to popular myth, vampires were not allowed to enter churches.
Finally, she surreptitiously inched her foot forward.  It crossed the
threshold
without incident.
     Letting out a small sigh of relief, she stepped inside and quietly
looked
around.  The narthex was nearly empty.  Only a few people remained, talking
amongst themselves.  Michiru moved past them into the nave and leaned
against the back wall, waiting for them to leave.
     She let her gaze roam over the magnificent architecture of the building
while she waited.  From where she stood, she could see that the dark windows
were made of stained glass; she wondered what they looked like in the
bright daylight.  The vaulted ceiling arched high overhead.  Candlelight
reflected from the various holders around the church.
     Shifting around, she accidentally bumped against the small font beside
her,
sending some droplets splashing onto the back of her hand.  The cold shock
of
the liquid against her skin made her recoil, then she raised her hand and
sniffed
it cautiously.
    "Holy Water," came a soft voice from the corner.  "It purifies whatever
it
touches, making it acceptable to God."
     Michiru turned to see a nun step out of the shadows, her black and
white
habit blending into the background.  "I see.  So, am I acceptable?"
     "We all can be.  God will be faithful, even when we are not."  She
moved
closer.  And as she did, a shock of recognition ran through Michiru.
     Years earlier, while the Dead Moon Circus still hung over Tokyo, Tiger
Eye had chosen the same young nun as a target for the Golden Mirror and had
attacked her while she was praying.  Her mirror had not held the Pegasus
and he would have killed her had not the Inner Senshi shown up in time to
save
her life.
     Were the scars of that attack still in her heart?  Did she remember
*anything*
from that time?  Michiru mentally squared her shoulders.  Only one way to
know for
sure. . . .
     "You talk about your God to many people, don't you?" she asked softly,
"How many of them can you remember?"
     "A few stay in my memory," she replied, smiling back.  "They are the
ones
who have heard His Word and obeyed."
     "And the ones who refuse?  What about them?"
     Now she shrugged.  "I don't know.  Once they leave this place, I have
very
little chance of seeing them again.  They fade with time."
     Michiru slowly walked to the back pew, sitting down on the end of it.
"Would this one have faded?  Four or five years ago, a man asked you for
your
God's love.  Then he betrayed, attacked, and injured you."
     A frightened look appeared on her face.  "Nothing like that . . .  ever
happened to me," she stammered.
     "Didn't it?" Michiru asked quietly, "I'm afraid I don't believe you."
With a
flourish, she produced her Deep Aqua Mirror from inside her kimono.  "He
was after a mirror like this, a mirror for your dreams.  Yours was not the
one
he was seeking, so he was prepared to kill you."  Holding the Mirror in her
lap,
face up, she cocked her head to one side.  "See for yourself."  She lifted
the
mirror up to face the Sister.
     As the nun stared, the Deep Aqua Mirror cleared to show the truth of
that
day:  Tiger Eye standing in front of her as she was manacled to the Dream
Table.
Her own Dream Mirror was shining brightly in front of her body and she was
helpless before him.
     Quickly, she looked away from the scene in the Mirror.  "No. . . that
never
happened," she whispered, hands at her head. "I've never told anyone about
that.  No one knows!"
     Slowly, Michiru lowered it again.  "I'm afraid it did happen, Sister.
There
was no one else there that day, except for those who saved you.  Do you
remember that?"
     The nun's eyes were unfocused, but she blinked a few times.  "Girls. .
. I
remember there were girls there."  She looked up at Michiru.  "You?"
     "Associates of mine," the vampire girl admitted, "Friends I haven't
seen in
years."
     "Who. . . who are you, then?" she asked softly, "You see things none of
us
can.  What do you want here?"
     "First of all, I wouldn't mind knowing who I'm talking to," Michiru
said,
holding out a hand.  "My name is Kaioh Michiru.  And I've come for your
help."
     Hesitantly, the nun reached out.  She lightly touched Michiru's
fingertips,
then drew back, afraid.  "My name . . . is Sister Mary Therese.  The other
sisters
just call me Therese."  A little more boldly, she took Michiru's hand in her
own.
"If you did save my life all those years ago, I owe you a debt of
gratitude."
     Michiru smiled slightly.  "In that case, I've come to collect.  It's a
matter of life or death, in more ways than one.  And something tells me that
you
can help."

-----
     Mary Therese tilted the photograph slightly.  "So, these four girls are
missing?"
     Michiru nodded, crossing her arms and leaning back.  The two women were
sitting in the front pews as she filled Therese in on her task, leaving out
several
minor details about her powers and her curse, of course.  "They were lost
during an
accident.  Normally they would return on their own, but they could be hurt
or
confused.  So it's fallen to my partner and I to bring them back.  The
trouble is,
we have no idea where they are."
     "And what makes you think I would know?" Therese asked, "I don't leave
the
church very often, you know."
     The vampire Senshi shrugged.  "Your order is known, though, for its
charities.  They serve in hospitals, in soup kitchens, and in other places.
Places
where our missing girls are more than likely to turn up, ne?"
     "Why not just go to the police?  Or are you afraid of something?"
     Michiru sighed.  "If the police get involved, it will not be good for
their
health.  Our friends don't care much for authority, honestly, and I'll
consider
myself lucky if they even listen to me.  Bring in police and they'll have to
start demanding hazard pay, if you understand me."
     Therese narrowed her eyes.  "Interesting.  So, what do I do if I hear
about
one of your girls?"
     "Call me."  Michiru scribbled down her phone number and handed it over.
"Haruka and I will take care of things from there.  I would strongly suggest
that
whoever sees them not approach them.  It could scare them into reacting.
And
we do not want that."
     The nun hesitated, then accepted the paper.  "All right.  I'll do what
I can to
help.  I suppose it's the least I can do for the ones who saved my life."
     Michiru smiled.  "How do you know I'm telling you the truth about
that?"
     Therese smiled back.
     Michiru did a double take.  It was not a reaction she had expected.
     The nun smiled even wider at her expression.  "Ah, you forgot that some
of
the people in this religion can see the struggle between good and evil all
too
well.  I knew you were telling me the truth.  I felt no evil or malice in
your heart
when I first met you."  Then she paused again.  "But there is something
about
you that I can't quite understand.  Power. . . of some kind?"
     She waited expectantly, but Michiru stayed silent.
     Therese sighed.  "I figured it was worth a try."  She stood up.  "Then
I'll
start with my sisters tomorrow morning before we go about our duties."
     Michiru stood as well.  "Thank you, even if we do not find them."  She
slipped out of the pew and began walking back down the aisle.
     "Michiru. . ."
     She spun back around.
     Therese walked out of her pew and faced the Senshi.  "The man who
attacked me.  Whatever happened to him?"
     Michiru's lips twitched.  "He failed in his mission and died.  Before
he did,
though, he managed to save my friends, the ones he was supposed to kill."
     "You don't feel sorry for him?"
     At that, she hesitated . . . but only for a second.  "I never had that
luxury," she
retorted.  Then under her breath, she added, "I was too busy feeling sorry
for
the world I was defending."  With a jerk, she swung back around and walked
out.

-----
     The silence was shattered by the loud shrieking of the alarm.
     In the artifical darkness, a figure stirred.  From the warmth of the
covers, a
hand emerged to slam down onto the clock, rendering it as quiet as she who
had shut
it off.
     A groan from the other side of the bed, as Michiru rolled over and
nestled
her chin on her partner's shoulder.  "What time is it?"
     The hand picked up the clock and passed it over.
     "That early?  I had thought I'd at least wake up after the sun went
down.
But that's just another myth."  With a snort, Michiru tossed the clock over
her
shoulder and onto the floor, then she slowly sat up and rested her chin on
her hand,
wincing at a brief, stabbing pain behind her eyebrows. "Not that myth ever
worked on me before, ne?"
     She received no answer.  Not even a nod.  Haruka had already gone back
to
sleep.
     Michiru sighed and went into the bathroom to wake herself up.  She
couldn't
blame her lover for being so tired.  Four days had passed already and they
still
had yet to find a single Senshi.  It was as if they had vanished into thin
air.
     Beneath the hot, pulsing spray of the shower, she leaned her head
against the
wall and sighed again.  Serenity's punishment was beginning to wear on
her.  If results were not produced soon, she could find herself doomed to
this form for eternity.  And Haruka couldn't afford to lose too much blood.
Soon she
would have to find another source.
     The cool tile against her aching forehead made her feel a little
better, a little
more focused.  She still hadn't heard from Therese, she realized, and made
up
her mind to call on the sister that night.
     But she didn't have to.
     Out of the shower, she had just tucked the edge of the towel underneath
her
arms and begun wrapping a second one around her wet hair when the telephone
rang.  She hurried to the living room to answer it before it could ring a
second
time and wake Haruka up.
     "Moshi moshi?"
     "Kaioh Michiru?  It's Sister Mary Therese . . . ."
     As she listened, Michiru clenched one fist in triumph.  Her first break
had
just come.

-----
     She ignored the people walking past the mouth of the alley, going out
for the
evening.  They were unaware of all she had done for them in her life.  Even
now,
they couldn't see the danger heading their way.
     Unfortunately, neither could she.  Which was unusual.  Her senses
could find nothing in the air that suggested an attack, and it bothered her.
Why
had she and her sisters been awakened, if not to defend this little planet?
     VesVes gave a small groan as she placed the last crate on the loading
dock and straightened up, rubbing the small of her back.  The four of them
had
been split up when the darkness had flung them out into the world once more.
She didn't know where the others were, but knew they were all still alive.
No
matter.  When the attack came, they would all know where to meet.
     Until then, she was doing her best to blend into this world.  In order
to
live, she had taken a job in the local vegetable market.  She didn't mind.
Anything was better than going back into the darkness.
     "Some reward. . . " she muttered, "I'll bet no one else had the same
nightmares I did."  She winced uneasily as the images flashed through her
mind
again.
     Shaking her head to dispell them, VesVes turned to go back inside.
Then she paused, frowning.  The unease refused to leave her.  She shook her
head again.  Still, it persisted.
     Behind her, she could hear the wind blowing the garbage in the alley
around.  A piece of newspaper flew by her, followed by a few leaves.
     Then a few cherry blossoms.
     VesVes stiffened as one of them landed on the back of her hand.
Slowly, very slowly, she turned around.
     The girl with the aquamarine hair bowed her head with a small smile.
"Hello, Vesta."
     "Neptune," she sighed, "I was wondering when the guardians would
come for us."  Reaching up, she touched her flare-tailed reddish hair.  "I
guess I
wasn't too hard to find, ne?"
     Michiru stepped forward.  "It took a bit longer than expected."
     "Ah, well.  I suppose you're here to tell me about the fight, huh?  Who
do I have to kill?"
     "Vesta. . . ."  Something in Michiru's soft voice made her look up.
"There was a mistake.  There's no attack, no danger to the Earth.  Haruka
broke
the darkness to save my life and she accidentally woke you up."
     VesVes felt her legs begin to waver, so she sat back against the
loading
dock.  She knew what the Outer was going to say next.
     "I've come to take you back home, Vesta.  You can rest again."
     "No."
     It was only one word, spoken softly, but it stopped Michiru cold.  She
paused, studying the girl dressed in jeans, red shirt, and working apron.
The
answer was completely unexpected and she couldn't understand it.
     "No?" she asked, "Why not?  There's no one to fight here."
     VesVes did her best to keep calm.  The mere thought of returning to the
darkness below frightened her.  The nightmares would come over her once
again and she would be helpless, alone, and scared.
     "Sorry, Neptune.  You may see it as a reward.  To me, it's nothing
short
of a curse."  She turned away.  "Now, if you'll excuse me. . ."
     "You want to talk curses?"  The voice was almost a whisper.
     She half-turned.  Michiru had bent her head forward, shoulders
rising and falling with each breath.  Then, in a sudden blur of motion, she
shot
forward.  VesVes found herself pinned against the dock, bent over backwards
with a hand at her throat.  Flat on her back, she stared up into the golden
eyes,
now shining with an inner light.
     The wind blew around them, lifting Michiru's shoulder length hair off
her
neck.  As it swirled around her face, she bared her fangs and hissed
defiantly,
features contorted in rage.
     "You want to talk curses?!" she snarled, "Take a good, long look Vesta!
This is *my* curse, placed on me by our Queen!  Until you four are returned,
I
can't rest!  I can't live as normally as you have!  I can't even. . . see my
Haruka's
face. . ."  Choking off a sob, she let the stunned Asteroid Senshi go and
stepped
back.
     Wiping angrily at the tears on her cheeks, Michiru glared at the girl.
"Like it
or not, Vesta, you have to come back with me."
     Rubbing her sore neck, VesVes stared at her in fright.  "Neptune,
what's happened
 to you?" she whispered.
     "I told you, Haruka broke the seal to save my life.  This is the
penalty we had
to pay for doing that.  This and returning you Asteroids."
     "Neptune . . . Michiru . . . I'm sorry.  But I can't go back.  You
don't
understand. . ."
     "I understand my duty, Vesta.  And I *will* fulfill it."  She moved
forward,
hands clenching into fists.
     VesVes seized a nearby crowbar and lifted it.  "Forget it, Neptune.
I've just
begun to sleep well again.  I'm not going back to those nightmares!!"  She
swung
the metal bar in a wide arc, forcing Michiru to stop.  As she slashed
through the
air on the backswing, a sharp pain stabbed into her wrist and she came to a
sudden halt.
     Haruka kept a tight grip on VesVes' arm and used her other hand to
wrench
the crowbar away.  She loomed over the smaller girl, blue eyes boring into
her.
     "If she could speak right now, she would be telling you not to try
anything
foolish," Michiru said, "And since Queen Serenity sealed her face and voice
away, she's been rather testy.  I wouldn't try her patience."
     Still restrained, VesVes spat into the ground at Michiru's feet.  "You
don't
know what it was like down there!  That precious sleep you revere so much
was
nothing but one long, neverending seige of horror for me!"
     "Michiru, what are you doing?!"
     The Senshi of Neptune spun around.  There, at the mouth of the alley,
stood
Sister Mary Therese, her habit fluttering in the wind.  She clutched her
rosary in
one hand as she stared, wide-eyed, at the three girls in front of her.
     Haruka's arm slackened a bit at the intrusion and VesVes took full
opportunity.  With a twist, she freed her arm from the iron grip and climbed
the
stack of crates like a ladder.  Another leap and she was on the roof of the
market.
     The two Senshi exchanged glances, Haruka's surprised one with Michiru's
startled one.  Then the vampire girl gestured upwards.  "Go after her.  I'll
catch
up."
     The masked figure nodded and jumped straight up to the roof, ignoring
the
ladder of crates.  With a last swirl of her black trenchcoat, Haruka
vanished into
the night after her target.
     Mary Therese moved forward.  "I'm disappointed in you, Kaioh Michiru.
I thought of you as more than a bully.  Just how honest were you being with
me?"
     She brushed the question aside.  "As honest as I could be, under the
circumstances.  Now, I have my own question: How much did you hear?"
     "I didn't have to hear anything.  What I saw was cause enough to be
worried.
You don't really care about those girls, do you?"
     That stung Michiru.  "They are my allies, or at least, are supposed to
be!  We
all have a job to do.  Whether or not I care about them . . ."
     "Makes all the difference in the world." Mary Therese finished softly.
     "Does it?" she snapped back, "I told you the truth, Sister.  Haruka and
I have
to bring those four girls home, no matter what.  If we don't, we pay the
price."
     "And if they don't want to go back, as that girl seemed to be saying?"
     "Our. . . superior doesn't take no for an answer." Michiru answered,
more
calmly.  "We all took an oath to obey her, them included.  They just have a
problem taking orders from others.  I told you I'd be lucky if they'd
listen."
     Mary Therese came right up to her.  "Maybe you're not talking to them
in the
right way.  Are you going to drag them back against their will, kicking and
screaming?"
     "If necessary, yes."
     "After this, I'm going to have to reconsider the help I've given you,
Kaioh
Michiru, if this is the way you conduct yourself.  Don't call me; I'll call
you."
     As the sister walked away, Michiru stared after her.  Then she shook
herself
and took off after Haruka and VesVes.

-----
     Leaping from wall to rooftop to railing, VesVes was trying her best to
shake
the black figure that dogged her.  As she ran across a ledge, she risked a
look
back over her shoulder to see Haruka soar across the street behind her, coat
flapping like a cape.
     "Geez, Serenity must have really come down hard on them," she mumbled,
dropping down onto a flashing neon sign.  "Remind me never to get Her Royal
Highness too mad.  She'd probably turn me into a mouse or something and sic
the cats on me."
     Jumping down to the street, she dodged into another dark alley and
breathed
a sigh of relief.  Haruka couldn't have seen that last sequence of moves
from the
back of the building.
     Reaching up, she whipped the bands out of her hair, letting it fall
loose down
her back.  The apron went next, leaving her in denim jeans and a red shirt.
     Going down the alley, she checked the rooftops before stepping out into
the
crowded streets.  She hated to leave Tokyo now, but having two extremely
outraged Outer Senshi on her tail would definitely put a crimp in her work
schedule.
     Suddenly the world went black around her and she smashed into an
invisible wall.
Cursing at the pain in her shoulder, she whirled around to see Michiru
standing
not ten feet away. The two of them were closed off from the outside world.
The
sidewalk was still solid beneath her feet, but it was like a black dome
separated
them from everything else.
     "I should have done this sooner," Michiru said quietly, "But I hadn't
expected
that little turn of events.  Now, VesVes.  Where were we?"
     Moving her shoulder around gingerly, the girl still managed a wry grin.
"I
was about to leave you guys in the dust.  I told you, I hated the darkness.
I
don't mind the idea of having a rest and all.  Hell, give me a nice pillow
and a
broken alarm clock on most mornings.  But the nightmares were killing me
down
there, Neptune!  That's why I was actually glad to find myself back here, as
weird as that may be.  My dreams are better here!"
     Michiru looked uncomfortable.  "So we can't convince you to return
willingly, can we?"
     VesVes moved closer and peered into the golden eyes once again, this
time
seeing the pain within them.  "I. . . damn, Neptune.  Serenity really let
you two
have it, didn't she?  Haruka must've gotten her up on the wrong side of her
royal
bed when she broke the seal, huh?"
     At that, Michiru covered her mouth and chuckled softly.  "Our Queen is
worried about you, Vesta.  That's why she wants you home.  Just leaving you
here on Earth is dangerous, for both you and the normal humans."
     Taking her hand away from her shoulder, VesVes waved it around.  "Yeah,
yeah.
I know.  Listen, if I go . . . can you promise me that I won't have the
nightmares
any more?  That's all I want, Neptune.  To have that peaceful sleep that I
couldn't have before.  You give me that, I'll go back to the darkness."
     The vampire girl sighed.  "I'll do what I can.  That's all I can
promise right
now, Vesta.  But I won't send you back if it's going to cause you that much
pain.
Is that good enough for you?"
     She nodded.  "It is."
     "Excellent."  The space around them opened up once again, sending
VesVes
stumbling backwards, only stopping when she fell into another body.
     A gleaming sword came down in front of her face and the flat of the
blade
tapped her on the nose.  Attached to it was a note: *I hate chases.*
     VesVes tilted her head back and looked up into the metal mask and the
now-angry
eyes.  "Hey, Uranus.  Serenity finally got tired of looking at that ugly mug
of yours,
huh?"
     Michiru caught Haruka's upraised arm.  "Be nice, dear.  She's our
guest, for now."

-----
     Less than an hour later, VesVes sat meekly in front of the fire as
Michiru
inspected her shoulder.  "So what happened back there, Neptune?  One minute
you were all set to rip my head off; the next, you're negotiating.  And who
was
that woman in the penguin outfit?"  Then she winced.  "Ow, that hurt."
     "It's only bruised," Michiru stated, "And that woman helped us find
you.
Although, after our little display, I think I lost her support."
     VesVes nodded knowingly.  "You got shamed into talking to me.  Not too
fond of your methods, was she?"
     "Pretty much," Michiru admitted.  "But let me worry about that.  Tell
me
about your nightmares.  Why are they so bad down there?"
     The Asteroid Senshi drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
"The Dead Moon Circus, maybe?  Most of my nightmares are about my days in
the Circus.  All that time spent under Zirconia's power really can't be
removed in
one shot, Neptune.  Or have you forgotten what it's like to be under the
control
of evil?"
     Leaning on the doorframe to the kitchen, Haruka smacked her fist into
her
palm.
     VesVes tilted her head.  "Oh, you've done your best to shrug it off.
But
what's going to happen when it's your turn to sleep in the darkness?  Are
those
little memories of Galaxia going to come back and haunt you?  Deep down, I
hope they do, Uranus.  Then you'll understand what I went through."
     Michiru rubbed a hand across her forehead, feeling tired.  She hadn't
fed for
nearly a day.  "I might be able to remove those memories from you, Vesta, or
at
least dull them.  Queen Serenity made me like the Shinma, able to bring
immortality and eternal happiness to those who wish.  But I don't know the
extent of the effects on another Senshi.  I could cover over those
nightmares,
replacing them with happier dreams.  But I could also end up killing you.
You
could be sleeping forever, trapped in that dreamworld.  Or the dreams would
control your life."
     VesVes shrugged.  "Right now, any option sounds better than going back
to the darkness alone.  Uh, Serenity is gonna be really mad if you kill me,
right?"
     Haruka flipped her pad up.  *Who knows?  She never said.  It would
probably save us the trouble of fighting with you again, though.*
     "Cute, Uranus.  I like you much better this way, you know.  You're much
easier to talk with."
     Haruka gestured at her in annoyance.
     "Eh, you and what army?"
     Michiru shot a glare at Haruka, stifling any further charades.  "If you
two are
finished insulting each other, I'm anxious to try this.  The sooner it's
over with,
the sooner we can take you back.  That, and I'm hungry."  She flashed her
fangs,
bringing a scared look to VesVes' face.
     "Whoa, whoa!  You didn't say anything about biting me!"
     "What did you think," Michiru asked, "That I was going to do all of
this
through some telepathic link?  I told you I was like Shinma.  I must enter
your
dreams through your blood for this to work."
     The Asteroid Senshi looked uneasy.  "It's not going to hurt, is it?"
     She shrugged.  "I wouldn't know.  You would be the first person I've
bitten.
Haruka's been cutting herself for me, but it can't go on."
     Taking a deep breath, VesVes stared at the floor.  "Looks like I really
don't
have a choice, huh?"  Reaching back, she bound her hair into a long
ponytail,
baring her neck.  "Hey, Uranus?  Don't get too jealous when she bites me,
huh?
I'm sure your turn will come."
     Haruka stiffened, but subsided after another glance from Michiru, who
put her
arm around VesVes' shoulders and gently leaned her back.  "Thank you, Vesta.
If this doesn't work, I'm sorry."
     "Not as sorry as you will be," she retorted, relaxing in the embrace,
"Because
if I die, I'm going to come back and haunt the two of you crazy."
     Michiru smiled.  "I'll be waiting, then."  With that, she bent her head
to
VesVes' neck, bared her fangs, and sank them deep into the soft flesh.  The
girl
stiffened, then her whole body went limp as they pierced her skin.  Her head
lolled to one side and she let out a deep sigh before losing consciousness.

     As Michiru pressed her mouth to the two puncture wounds and began
drinking VesVes' blood, images overwhelmed her mind.
     She was attacking person after person, knocking their dream mirrors out
of
their bodies.  Always afraid of failing, yet unable to stop.  Intoxicated by
the power she received from Zirconia, then from Nehelenia, she was always
on the edge of losing it.  As the images passed through her mind, the
feeling
of helplessness persisted, the knowledge that she was not doing what she was
supposed to.  The longing for escape was there, but she had nowhere to turn.
She was trapped.
     [I've found them,] she realized, [But what should I do with them?  We
all
have nightmares that we want to forget, but they also help shape our lives.
If I
destroy all these memories, VesVes may change.]
     Then she took a second look at the images and saw others.
     The camaraderie of the Quartet as they plotted behind Zirconia's back,
their
talents in the circus as they practised and performed, the joy the four of
them
had in playing their games and the tricks they played on each other.
     [I might not be able to erase her memories,] Michiru thought, [But I
can
certainly change what she remembers.  All she needs is a new focus.]
     She began clearing the emotions that had tortured the young woman for
so
long.  All the fear and hate that she couldn't get rid of were shoved aside.
The
memories that had haunted her dreams were torn asunder and scattered.
Fragments
would always turn up once and again, but they would not have the same
chilling
impact that they once did.
     In their place, Michiru placed the memories worth remembering and
prayed that
her new dreams would be filled with peace rather than agony.

     Carefully, she withdrew her fangs from the side of VesVes' neck.  As
she did,
the girl arched her head back and groaned softly.
     Michiru placed one hand over the marks and cradled VesVes with the
other.
"It's okay, Ves-chan," she whispered, "It's all over.  Your dreams will be
quiet from
now on, I promise."
     She looked up to see Haruka kneeling beside them both, note held out.
     *Did it work?*
     Michiru nodded.  "It did.  I think we can take her home."

-----

     As the three figures approached the cliffs, Setsuna stepped out of her
hiding
place, Time Staff at the ready.  "Ah, the hunters return at last!  Michiru,
Haruka,
it's wonderful to see you again!"
     "It's only been a week!" Michiru laughed as she and her partner took
turns to
hug their friend.
     "Yes, but the first time since we ruffled Serenity's and Endymion's
royal
feathers.  Are you two all right?  I heard about your punishments."
     Haruka and Michiru looked at each other.
     "We're managing," Michiru admitted, placing a hand on Haruka's
shoulder.
"It's hard, Setsuna, but punishments are never supposed to be easy.  How
about
yours?"
     Setsuna shrugged.  "It's bearable.  I wouldn't have enough strength to
guard
the darkness myself, but Queen Serenity was kind enough to up my powers as
long as I stand guard here."  Then she looked past them.  "Finally found
one, did
you?  Hello, Vesta.  We've been waiting for you."
     VesVes grinned.  "I'm sure you have."
     The Senshi of Pluto reached out a hand to her.  "I'll take you down
myself.
I'm sure that you're anxious to get back to your rest."
     "You don't know the half of it," VesVes mumbled.  Stopping by Michiru's
side, she held out her hands.  "Thanks, Neptune.  And good luck in finding
my
sisters."
     "You don't have any idea where they are, do you?" she asked, taking
the hands in her own and squeezing them lightly.  "It would save us a lot of
trouble, you know."
     "I wish I did.  All I know is that they're still alive."  Dropping
Michiru's
hands, she elbowed Haruka lightly in the ribs.  "Take care, Uranus.  And
don't
talk too much, or you might lose that great voice of yours."
     Haruka's hand twitched and began reaching for the Space Sword, only to
halt
at another glance from Michiru.
     Grinning evily, VesVes moved forward and took Setsuna's outstretched
hand.
"Ready when you are, Pluto."
     Setsuna lifted the Time Staff and waved it over the rock face.  With a
shimmering, one section of the cliff faded away to reveal a passage leading
into the depths of the earth.
     VesVes turned around just inside the entrance, lifted her hand once
more, and
smiled, then allowed Setsuna to guide her into the blackness.

-----

               ~I did not believe because I could not see,
                 Though you came to me in the night,
                 When the dawn seemed forever lost,
                 You showed me your love in the light of the stars . . .

                 Cast your eyes on the ocean,
                 Cast your soul to the sea,
                 When the dark night seems endless,
                 Please remember me . . .  ~

"Dante's Prayer", Loreena McKennitt, "Book of Secrets" album,   1997