"Chad..."  Ekomin said as he silently moved towards the sleeping guy.  "Good, he's asleep, I think.  Time to get to the fire room... without making a sound."  Ekomin carefully moved to the fire room.
    Upon arriving he found Raye deep in meditation.  Stupid girl!  Why can't she shop like a normal girl? Apparently Ekomin had forgotten their meeting at the mall.  She looked up, her eyes piercing through him.  "What do you want, Ekomin?"
    "Don't worry Raye.  I'm here to meditate on something."
    "What?"
    "None of your business."
    "Fine!"

    Ami sat in her room, alone at night.  The book she was reading had gotten rather dull, even by Ami standards.  She decided to read that book she had seen earlier.  'White Rose Chronicles'.  It wasn't the best thing she ever read, decent at best.  Better than what she was reading before.  She was about half way through when there was a knock on the door.
    "Who is it?"
    "It's me, Ami open up." the voice of the younger brother yelled.
    "Come in, it's open," she said as the boy did so.
    "Ami, have you seen my necklace?"
    She thought about it for a moment until she remembered the object she had in her pocket.  "What is it," she asked, removing it from her pocket.
    "A Leo symbol.  You know, astrology and all.  I really need it."
    "Don't tell me you believe in that," she said, handing it to him.
    "No, I'm just interested in old beliefs," he said, tying his medallion on.
    "Maybe you should talk to Raye.  She could get you work at the temple."
    "And be a centimeter closer to that jerk Ekomin?  No thank you.  You hungry? I hear the restaurant here's great."
    "Where do you get your money.  You don't have a job," Ami said, smiling.  She wanted to know.
    "Emeralds are valuable."  Another knock.  "You expecting company?"
    "No.  Maybe it's your brother?"
    "Or Zentar... or even worse... Both."

    Iopee disappeared down the hall.  As soon as Mizuno appeared in the hall, WHACK! Out the window she goes.  But, the blue haired genius didn't step out.  It was a boy, about fourteen. His black hair was unkempt, and his eyes perused the halls.  He noticed the slightly ajar door by the stairwell.
    Matt whispered in to Ami.  "Ami, someone's out here.  Wait at your balcony."
    "What?"
    "I need to get something."  Matt disappeared into his room, while Ami went to hers.  The boy entered his room and remained there for several seconds until he emerged seconds later, rapier in hand. "COME OUT," he bellowed down the hall.
    A purple, rather squat looking child walked out.  It wasn't a child though.  The demonic claws and wicked spear-like tail failed to hide its true nature. "I am Iopee.  Who are you?  Defender of this building?"
    "I am Matthias the Magnificent, defender of the weak, protector of the frail..."
    Matt noticed Ami's door slowly opening.  "...and, I am you're superior!"
    "Well spoken!  Now show me you strength!"
    Matt ducked into the hallway with the elevators. Iopee followed him, and the fight commenced.  The claws blazed down on the young fencer, but he managed to stay away.  After a few minutes, Ami appeared to cheer Matt on, and he landed a good solid pierce through the imp's tail.
    Faltering back, the imp yelled.  "Oh!  You're going to pay!"  Energy swarmed around the purple imp.  "Flaming ball... STRIKE!" Matt leapt between Ami and the fireball. She didn't notice him tap his medallion.
    Then he grasped Ami close in a hug as the fireball circled around them. "Try that again, and you'll get burned," Matt said, not singed, moving towards Iopee.  They squared off, each with a back to the elevator.

    "Open the elevator doors he says.  Make sure the cart isn't there," Zentar mumbled as it pressed buttons on the security system.  Certainly Matt wasn't trying to fight a demon.  Maybe he was just going to terrify Ami?  All that mattered, was that in ten seconds, all four elevator doors on the eighth floor opened up...

    Iopee charged Matthias, who jumped to the side.  Screeching, Iopee stopped in front of the open elevator shaft.  "You wouldn't kill an imp, would you now," It asked, with Ami and Matthias standing behind him.  Iopee felt a poke in his back.  A dagger.
    "We're the victors then," Matt asked.
    "Yes! Don't kill me......"  Iopee's eyes rolled into his head.  Matt had brought the pommel down hard on his head.
    "Then, get out of here!"

    All Iopee knows is that in two or three hours, he awoke, on a ship setting out for London.  He was tied, and couldn't move.  Finally, he broke loose from his confinements.  Soon he would destroy this whole ship, or maybe not.  They had guns, which was not a very fair fight.  Not that Iopee would mind if the odds were tilted in his favor.  "Matthias! I'll get you for this! Mark my words!  Trevor, come save me!"
    The blue circle appeared, and Trevor walked out of it.  "Iopee, the kid beat you.  Just a normal kid.  Not even the girls, or the boy with the cane or sword.  Just a kid, who tied you up, and stowed you away to London!"
    "I'm sorry sir."
    "Yes Iopee, you are.  I can't have failures hanging around.  The only advice you gave me failed, and you didn't kill our target.  Goodbye, Iopee!"
    With that, a shining dagger pierced Iopee.  All that appeared in London, was a small purple stone.

    "Tell me again, Ami," came the voice of Raye, smiling happily at the news of victory. "Matt, captured the imp."
    "I don't know how, he just sat there, took the fireball, and knocked it out cold.  He put it in a box, and shipped it to London on boat."
    Serena and Mina were laughing at this.  Imagine, one of Trevor's goons tied and took away to a zoo in London.  Of course, that was probably dangerous.  Maybe the guards there would kill it.  Luna sighed.  "The imp is dead.  I got a massive power reading from that boat.  The stone will probably be put in a museum."
    Lita sighed, and trudge along through the meeting.  She hadn't been feeling well since she and Ken went to the park.  Must have been something in the air.  "Anyway," Lita cut in, "all that matters is that the imp's gone, and Trevor's down one more goon!"
    "It's not that simple, we don't know how many more goons he's got," Mina said.
    "Right as usual Mina!" Artemis chimed in.  Tuna tonight!
    "All that aside, we know something is up with Matt,"  Raye observed.
    Ami sighed; she didn't want her new friend to be a spy from the nega-verse.  "You know, Ekomin's odd, too."
    Darien had fallen asleep again at the meeting.  No... not now.  His eyes fell closed, and slept.  Snore.  Snore. Snore. "Darien," Serena whispered, sliding next to him.  "Wake up Darien... WAKE UP DARIEN!
    "I'm awake... five more minutes."
    Luna sighed.  Why did she have to get stuck with them. If this is some sort of cosmic joke, it's not funny at all.
    "Anyway, before Darien fell asleep, we were about to move on to other things," The white cat said, he curled up in Mina's lap. "Talk, Luna."
    "Right.  Before the guys left, what were you saying, Luna," Serena asked, shaking Darien ever so gently.
    "There seems to have been a draining at the 'Crown Arcade'.  I think you girls should check it out."
    Lita smiled.  Andrew! Serena smiled.  Arcade! Raye smiled.  No Serena!  Mina smiled. New Sailor V game! Ami frowned.  She'd have to go.  Darien just kept on sleeping, praying it was all a dream.  Luna sighed.  Not one of them was going to take this seriously.  Not one.
    The black cat elegantly strolled to Raye's stereo, tuned it to the loudest static she could find, and asked, "May I have your attention?"
    Nods all around.

    Andrew glanced around the Crown Arcade.  Something was off, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.  What was wrong?   Well, that was the third person to pass out at the Arcade.  Suspicious, he finally decided he had to close it down.  He had to find the cause of the random passing out that his customers were experiencing.  At first he thought it was the PAC-man game, but again and again he played it.  Not boring at all.
    Finally he approached the new machine.  A Sailor V game.  This couldn't be the one people were falling asleep at, could it? He popped a coin into the machine, and promptly felt sick and queasy.  Then, he felt nothing.
    As the light show began, a single rose struck into the machine's electrical cord. The power was cut!  Trevor appeared sitting on the counter where the food is served.
    "Ah, Tuxedo Mask, about time you showed up!"
    "And, you would be,"  The cape wearing hero shouted towards him.
    "I am Trevor, and that's all you need to know.  Good-bye, Tuxedo Mask."
    A fistful of energy flew towards him.  Tuxedo Mask shielded himself with his cape.  The massive force threw him backwards anyway.  It was at that time, when Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Mercury appeared.
    "I am Sailor Moon! I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!  On behalf the Moon I will..."  Before Serena finished her speech, she was blasted aside.  "OUCH! That's a cheap shot!"
    "Mercury Bubbles... Blast!"  A fog filled the room, and Lita ran down to rescue Andrew.
   "Come on Andrew, we're going to take you outside now."
    Sailor Jupiter dragged Andrew out of the Crown Arcade while Trevor threw his daggers at random.  Finally, a lucky dagger streaked towards Sailor Moon.  Just inches away from her face, it was broke in two by Tuxedo Mask's rose.
    "Take care of him, now, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask yelled down to her as she magically caused her scepter to materialize.
    "Boomerang! Deal with them!"
    A stone materialized in Trevor's hand, bright yellow, and a boom of thunder echoed through the arcade.  Serena screamed at the sound, and ran out the door, scared out of her mind.  Trevor smirked.  He enjoyed Boomerang.  He played on their fears.  The demon could enter there... wait... The fog cleared.  The only two in there were Tuxedo Mask, and Sailor Mercury.  The swirling dervish formulated in front of them.  Boomerang roared.  It was a bright yellow skinned man.  But the robes were dark and mystical.  Tuxedo Mask easily parried the first bolt of lightening.  "Open your minds to me!"  The electricity circled around Boomerang.  The next bolt blasted by Tuxedo Mask, and struck into the wall.
    "You cannot resist my power!"
    Boomerang charged forward, streaking like the lightening.  At first it connected with Tuxedo Mask, rippling through him.  But he was merely moved aside, and it struck into Sailor Mercury.  She screamed, and collapsed.  The electricity constantly surged through her, and then Boomerang appeared back near Trevor.
    "Good job.  Take care of Tux.  Goodbye," Trevor said evilly as he disappeared.  Boomerang charged forward, and grappled with Tuxedo Mask.  The creature's electrical grasp sent a ripple of pain through him.  He attempted to stay up, but his eyes felt heavy.  Tuxedo Mask went down to one knee, then fell forward.

    "Finally, things are going my way," Trevor said aloud to no one.
    "Boomerang should've been used first, but he does require so much energy to summon..."
    Rochelle walked in, and tapped Trevor. "Well, General Idiocy, how are you doing?"
    "Victory.  See!  Sailor Mercury is down, and so is Tuxedo Mask."
    "Are they dead?"
    "Rochelle, I'm playing with them.  A little game."
    "Haven't you learned?  What if Boomerang is destroyed," Rochelle asked, tossing her hair.
    "Oh, Mercury will die. I'll have Farless deal with her little allies."
    Trevor picked up an aqua green stone.  In front of them stood a sickly looking old man.  His beard was a beautiful shade of green while the aqua stone from where he came was fused into the old man.  It was a disgusting site. Finally, the crazy man's eyes slowly twisted into a disgusting spiral.  The man squat on the ground, drawing some sort of mystical swirling energy from it. "Farless..."
    "I am Farless, strong and wise! Who are you?"
    "I am Trevor Gains, your leader!  Go; strike at the Sailor Scouts outside of the Arcade.  Draw them away from there.  If you do, I'll give you energy. Rochelle, you go, too."
    "What!?  You can't boss me around."
    "I can and I have,"  Trevor said with a laugh.  "Be careful Rochelle.  Sailor Moon is very dangerous."
    "Fungus."

    Glowing red light showers around Jupiter and Sailor Moon.  Both look around until they finally spot an old man approaching them.
    "I am Farless, strong and wise!  Destroy Sailor Scouts is my mission!  For Master Trevor!"
    "Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon?"
    Lita, in her Sailor Jupiter guise, looked over her shoulder.  Sailor Moon was there, but she wasn't answering.  Serena was scared stiff while a beautiful girl floated above her.  The red haired girl was laughing as she summoned a bolt of flame from nowhere and knocked Serena aside.
    "Who are you?"
    "You're worst nightmare, Sailor girls."
    The second ball flew towards Andrew.  Lita put her body between the blast.  Grimacing, she felt the burning pain.  Where were Raye and Mina?
    "Farless, destroy them!"
    The blue bearded man drew in the ground, and an earthen hand reached through the ground, grasping Sailor Jupiter.  Serena yelled, running away from the scene.
    Minutes went by.  Sailor Jupiter was slowly being crushed.  She needed to get her arms free.  She couldn't, she concluded, still struggling helplessly.   "Sailor Moon... don't run."
    "Well, looks like your friend ran out on you!"  Rochelle continued laughing maniacally, while Farless drew another symbol.  This somehow affected the hand, causing it to begin pulling back into the ground.
    Lita felt nearly completely drained.  She had somehow shaken one arm loose.
    Rochelle watched the pitiful display and laughed. "Sailor Jupiter, surrender yourself to our side."
    Lita pointed her hand towards the red haired girl, who responded by simply grabbing the hand.  Lita felt a twinge of pain in her arm from the vicious twist it was given, then more pain as a surge of energy rippled through her.  The entire rocky hand was going to crush her. "I'd never surrender to you!  I'd die before that!"
    "So be it." Lita's slight pain turned into a snapping feeling.  Her arm fell limp at her side. "You've chosen your side.  Time for you to die."
    A blue twinkling appeared near Lita.
    "Rochelle!  She isn't a target! Let her go, now, or else I'll step in, on her behalf." The angry voice of Trevor emanated from the blue light.
    "Fiiiine.  Go on your own way!  Go on Trevor, you and your noble way." Rochelle said.  She wrinkled her nose at him. Rochelle motioned to Farless.  The hand rotated around and threw the limp body down the street. The massive girl slammed into the wall, feeling the pain shoot through her body.  She slumped to the ground, holding her hand to her head, feeling the blood flow. There were numerous other bruises and cuts also running red with blood.  She closed her eyes, and fell motionless, barely moving.

    Mina, in her Sailor Venus garb, ran from the slithering snakes that slithered through the entirety of the park.  Raye, also in her special garb as Mars, ran next to her in stride. There was a weird yellow skinned man attacking the town, and they had gotten in the way.  Mina leapt into the tree, but Raye wasn't quick enough.
    "Venus! Help,"  Raye yelled, as the man cut her off.  Stuck between snakes, and a strange creature known as Boomerang.
    "You cannot resist my power!"
    A bolt of electricity shot her into the air.  Mars landed between the slithering snakes, and she promptly started screaming.  She got up, but several snakes latched onto her arms and stomach.  She saw no way out, desperately running towards the large lake in the park.
    "Venus Crescent Beam, SMASH," Mina shouted from her perch.  Her latent powers erupted, creating a blast of pure yellow energy that knocked Boomerang back.  Strangely, the snakes disappeared, leaving nothing behind except several small holes where they had bitten into Raye.
    "You, cannot resist my power!"
    A bolt of lightning struck the tree, causing it to burst into flames.  Mina screamed, expecting burning pain, but none came.  Just a green streak of light from next to her.
    "I am Lucent Knight, defender of the defenseless, protector of the weak.  You cannot resist my power!"
    Boomerang felt the energy strike into it, and the yellow man disappeared in a flash.
    Mina fell from the tree as the branch fell.  Lucent Knight, however, was no longer anywhere to be seen.  Raye limped over.  "Is it dead?"
    "There's no stone," Venus remarked as their leader, Sailor Moon, ran by screaming about some sort of monster.  Raye slapped her and she seemed to get herself back to her senses.
    "What monster?"
    "I didn't see a monster," Serena said rubbing the slap mark on her face.  "Why'd you hit me?"
    "Where's Jupiter and Mercury?"
    "At the Arcade!"
    "Let's check on them.  Lucent Knight saved us," Raye stated.
    "I missed it.  Darn!"

    Ami looked around; she was lying in an open plain.  Her school uniform was on her and she felt an odd twinge in side of her.  She looked around.  Far in front of her was Darien.  He was waking about this time.  "Darien!  Where are we?"
    Darien looked around, his green suit replacing the disguise of Tuxedo Mask.  "Looks rather plain... nothing anywhere."  He tapped the red clay that was the ground. "Hmmm, no I've never seen here before."
    With that, Trevor walked forward.  Ami reached for her pen, and Darien grabbed at a rose.  They both found nothing in their pockets.  "I come in peace," Trevor said with a sadistic smile.
    "What are you in my domain for?"
    "Release us, now," Darien commanded him.
    "But my dear Tuxedo Mask, I've every intention of letting you go...  When you find the way out."
    "Where is it," Ami said, beginning to think of a way out.
    "That's part of the secret.  Find it, get in, and then get out."
    "That's simple enough," Darien said, searching his green suit again for the rose.
    "What's the catch," Ami asked.
    "The catch is five days.  You have to get there, in, and then out and it'll take you home.  Any questions Mizuno? Tuxedo Mask?"
    "Is there a map," Ami asked, knowing the answer was most likely no.
    "I enjoy fairness in my games," he said.  With a snap of Trevor's fingers, a wispy familiar image appeared in front of Ami and Darien. "This boy is your guide.  He'll show you the way, but he cannot help you in any other way.  I chose an image of someone you were friends with, and could identify with."
    Ami and Darien stared at the wisp.  With that, Trevor disappeared.  His laugh filled the air.
    "Man oh man, five days!  We don't even know how far we have to go!"
    "Calm down, we should get going.  Wisp, what is your name?"
    The wisp slowly answered.  "I am a friend.  Follow me."
    The voice was mechanical but slightly familiar to Ami.  She nodded to Darien and the two followed the wisp.

    "Jupiter," Sailor Moon cried, as she shook her bloodied friend, "Wake up."
    "You ran away," Mars shouted to the air, again repeating what Sailor Moon had told her.  "Didn't you think?  Don't you ever think?"
    "I'm sorry Mars... I'm a loser!"  Serena felt the tears come, and let them.  Mina finished with the last of the wounds.  The two blonde girls left, as they had to get home before their parents wondered about them.
    Raye slowly changed from Sailor Mars to her original form. "Poor, poor Lita.  Stuck with Serena. I hope you get better soon.  Stupid Serena."
    "Ugh... Raye, where is everyone else?"
    "Serena and Mina had to run.  Ami just disappeared."
    "Oh..."  With that Lita fell into a deep sleep.

    "Luna...." Serena sniffled, then bawling again.  Why did she have to run?  She swore that Lita was right next to her.  She was ahead of her for most the time.
    "I swear she was ahead of me.  I swear it."
    "Serena, I don't want you to lie.  There's got to be an explanation if you told me the truth." 'Which you probably aren't,' Luna thought.
    "Luna, if Ami were here she'd believe me."  More tears.
    "Yes, and you ran out on her as well," Luna said with a stately sigh.  Serena replied with tears.
    "I thought you had gotten to be so much braver.  But no, now you deserted our friends when they needed you the most.  Too bad Ami isn't here.  At least we wouldn't be down 40% of our team."
    "I'm sorry," Serena wailed.
    "At least Lita will get better.  But tomorrow we must find Ami and Darien," Luna said.
    "Darien's gone, too!  Wahhhhh!!!"
    "Pay attention.  Raye is reading the fire.  If anyone can find them, she can."
    "WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    "Great Fire! Tell me where my friends are, please."  All she saw were images of Lita and Serena.  "Not those!  Ami... you know the blue haired one."  The fire flared slightly. "That's not the issue," Raye stated calmly.  "She's in grave danger.  Please, I must know where she is." The fire softened slightly.
   "Why not?" Again, the fire lost intensity, almost going out.
   "Thanks a lot."  Raye got up, and left the fire room.

    Ekomin quickly went in after her.  Soon, very soon, he would learn his purpose here.  His recent escapades were a blur to him.  Where had he seen that before?

    Artemis happily ate his tuna fish that Mina had given so he wouldn't bother her about her date with Nick.  It was a happy exchange, since he didn't care either way.  It was free tuna.  The white cat finished, and curled up on Mina's bed.  Napping, he finally awoke as Mina skipped happily in.  She had a pretty yellow dress on.  She happily whispered to Artemis.  The cat smiled, thinking, "Nick's a lucky guy."
   "Artemis, we're going out again, tomorrow."
   "Do I get tuna?"
   "Yes."
   "Good for you."
   "Thank you, Artemis. I like him, a lot," Mina said, as she removed her red ribbon.  Artemis stretched on the pillow.
   "OK."
   "He likes me, too, you know."
   "Right as usual, Mina." Tuna!

    "Darien..." Ami said as she trudged across the plain.  The forest was ahead, and it looked nice and crisp.  Ami had been sun burnt.  Her whole face was red and her arms and legs were red with the burn.  Darien seemed fine with the amount of sun.  He just seemed to tan in it. "I can't bear this much sun.  It's burning."
    "I'm sorry, but it just doesn't bother me," Darien explained.  Then, referring to the strange wisp guy, "You, up ahead!  Got an umbrella or something to hide her from the sun?"
    A mechanical, almost programmed voice replied. "No.  The sun may not be blocked.  I am sorry."
    "What's your name, shade?  Please tell us," Ami said.  The sun beat down hard on her fair skin.  It certainly hurt to be burnt so much.  "Please tell me."
    "I am a friend."
    Darien stomped his foot angrily into the ground, then cursed.  He looked ahead; the forest was only about ten, twenty minutes away.  Slowly they approached it.  Ami was tired, and practically leaned on Darien for support as they entered the wooded areas. "Ami, this isn't going to work.  We're lost.  Besides, you're probably parched.  How much farther do we have to go?"
    "Not much farther," the shade's mechanical voice responded.  "Only two more days."
    "Two days!"
    Ami sat down on the ground.  "Darien, how are we going to go two days!  I can barely stand that sun for a few hours.  I'm drying up... this is hopeless.  I'm just not good enough."
    "No Ami," Darien implored, "You can do this.  Believe in yourself, and you'll do fine. Have faith.  Anyway look, the forest goes on for a pretty long time, we'll just keep out of the sun.  There should be a river."
    The shade looked back, and Ami recognized the face.  It was...

    "Dad!" Greg said calmly sitting on the couch.  "I like it here.  I can't just leave.  I have friends, and they really need me."
    Greg's father looked on him with sincerity.  Steven, his father, simply sighed. "I know you like your life here, but, Greg, we simply will be leaving in a few weeks, so say your good-byes."
    "Dad, I'll find a way for us to stay here, just you wait."
 
    "I'm sorry Lita," Serena said, applying a wet cloth to Lita's forehead.
    Lita had been out for a day now.  It had been one day and there was no sign of Darien or Ami anywhere.  Luckily, they were able to lie to Ami's mom and keep her from worrying.  Soon, though, they wouldn't be able to cover for her.  "Ugh, Serena." A flicker of life came from Lita's bloodshot eyes.  "I don't know... why did you run?"
    "Because Lita... I'm not a fit leader.  Raye's been right the entire time.  I can't lead.  I'm nobody.  Get some sleep, Lita."
    "Ami... Darien?" Lita asked, with a glint of hope.
    "Not a word.  I'm sorry Lita. If only..."
 
Chapter 5:  Dream Space...

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