Sailor Moon: Legend of the Torn
Part One: On Her Own




	“Mama, who is that in that picture?” the young, red-haired Princess Serena asked.  Her 
mother, the queen of Crystal Tokyo, gently gazed over the portrait her daughter had seen.  Again, 
as was so usual to happen, the memories washed over her in a drowning flood.  She closed her 
eyes, remembrance echoing throughout her strong body.   “Mama?”  Queen Serenity turned to 
look at her daughter, now nine, and smiled painfully.
	“Come now, Serena.  I have a story to tell you.”  And the queen, in all her grace, led her 
daughter to her bed, where she would learn a tragedy that haunted her mother.  Serenity looked 
down upon her, knowing with a sick feeling in her heart that this day, her nine year old princess 
would lose just a little of that innocence that made her so lovable.
	“The woman in that picture was named Asia.  She was a Sailor Scout, just like we have 
now.  She didn’t grow up in the universe, but in someplace else, someplace more...harsh.  She 
had lost everything she loved because of one woman, a woman of pure innocence, who can’t 
really be blamed for what she did.  Her name was Kurushimi.  Asia was not like the Sailor Scouts 
you know now, she was different.  She understood the balance of the universe, and of things 
beyond that.  She understood life, death, and everything in between.  She realized her purpose, 
something most are incapable of doing.  She knew her destiny was to save humanity, love, and the 
Existence as we know it.”  And the queen, daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity, began her tale.


Prologue


	Asia was running and jumping over dead bodies, strewn everywhere.  There was great 
noise around her as the battle against Kurushimi raged on.  Her sailor suit was torn everywhere, 
burnt straight through to the flesh.  “Asia, my lady, you must get out of here!  You may be our 
general, but you are still of royalty, and therefore cannot be harmed!  This is your last chance to 
leave!”  One of her officers, Zach, pulled her arm toward the tents, where she would be safe.
	She pulled away from him in the direction of the battle.  “I can’t just leave!  I am the only 
one who can defeat Kurushimi in fair battle!  I have to find her!” Asia yelled back at him.  “I have 
some payback for her,” she added quietly.  Then, on her other side, her best officer, Matthew, 
stepped beside her and nodded at her.  He was her most loyal warrior, and understood why she
wanted this battle to end the war, the pain, and was willing to fight to the death next to her.  He
smiled as protectively as a father to her, and the two of them then set out to find Kurushimi.
Reluctantly, Zach followed.
	After about ten minutes of searching and fighting their way into the heart of the battle, they 
finally found Kurushimi, standing in the middle of all the fighting, not once getting attacked.  It 
was as if she were waiting for them.  “So, you’re finally ready to fight, little princess?”  
Kurushimi looked at her quite mockingly, laughing a little at her own joke. 
	“Little?  I am a good deal older than you, Kurushimi.  You should know that by now.”
	“Then I guess you’re past your prime!  You can’t win this one, Sailor Soul!”  Kurushimi 
charged Asia, who easily sidestepped.  Asia pulled out her sword, as did Kurushimi.  Every blow 
was blocked; every attack countered; throughout the entire fight neither received a hit.  All around, 
the fighting eventually stopped, and instead both sides were cheering for their respective leaders.  
It seemed as thought the battle would rage on forever, during the snide remarks to each other 
among other cheap shots.  Finally, both fell back, gasping for air.  She ordered all her men to 
leave, get as far away as possible.  Asia stood and did the same.  
	“You heard her.  Leave here,” she commanded.  Kurushimi and Asia had reached a new 
level, one of which just being near one of them could kill a normal being.  That would be the only 
reason Kurushimi would disarm her army.  Just witnessing the battle could kill the majority of her 
forces.  Asia motioned to the Scouts.  “Scouts, stay.  Matthew, get the army out of here.  
Continue the battle elsewhere.”
	Matthew looked at her as if she were crazy.  “You can’t expect me to actually leave, can 
you?” he asked in a soft tone.  The look on his face said he thought this was some kind of 
betrayal, like she didn’t trust him to take care on himself.
	Asia glared at him.  “Do as I say and get the hell out of here!”
	“Yes, my lady,” Matthew said, unemotionally and with clenched teeth.  He turned and 
called for the entire army to retreat.  As he turned away, Asia’s entire life flashed before his eyes.  
He remembered the day she was born; when she first discovered her powers as Sailor Soul, and 
the pain it brought her; the fighting over her between Danielle and Ares; her first love, her first 
dance.  He remembered the less joyous times, like her brief marriage to Jesse, and the child they 
bore.  His last visions were because of Kurushimi, and all the trouble and pain she brought.  He 
saw her when she killed Danielle, Asia’s mother, right in front of her; Gabriel, the one who 
restored Asia’s soul because she was such a good friend; and Phillip, Asia’s second husband. 
Phillip’s face stayed in his mind for a few moments as he remembered the day Asia had married 
him, how he himself had walked her down the aisle since Ares could not come.  He remembered 
her love for Phillip, how he was what made her whole.  And he remembered the day she found 
him gutted, with Kurushimi’s knife next to him.  What a horrible day that had been.  That fateful 
day she had unleashed a power which could not be surpassed by anyone else, not even Emperor 
Deleos.  With one last look over his shoulder, Matthew left the battlefield, fearing he would never 
see Asia again.  He was right.


Chapter One

	The small projection of a blue and green globe rotated delicately in front of her.  Her blond 
hair swayed as she stood and grasped the object, it dissipating at her touch.  
	“It is almost time, Jonathan.  Not long now, and Earth will be mine.  They won’t even 
know what’s coming to them.”  Her voice, although beautiful, sang of bitterness.  “They can’t 
stop me.  Those maggots have no idea of my strength.”
	Jonathan, tall and handsome, stepped forth.  “Why is Earth of any importance, my lady?  
Once we have conquered the Existence, or even the Dark Realm, Earth could be taken by a few 
commands.  They are quite weak, and very vulnerable.”
	Kurushimi twisted her wrist in a delicate circle and the image of Earth reappeared.  “Do not 
underestimate the Sailor Scouts.  You must remember, they did defeat Queen Beryl, a formidable 
opponent.  True, I could smush them all by myself, but not with the Imperium Silver Crystal.  
Even being near it weakens me.  I just hope I never have to battle someone holding the original.  I 
can’t take my chances.  But once this Sailor Moon is by herself, I shouldn’t have as much trouble.  
With her crystal, I can achieve great things.  The fools themselves don’t even know how powerful 
it is.”  She smirked, never taking her eyes off the Earth.  “But they will.  I will show them.”  She 
smiled, a smile of true evil.


	Mina, Lita, Ami, Luna and Artemis sat around the front of the Cherri Hill Temple, talking 
about normal Scout business.  Or, at least the absence of normal Scout business.
	“These meetings are getting quite pointless, you know.  There isn’t anyone left to fight!”
Mina sighed, wishing she was at home, playing a video game or anything other than talking 
about the absentee monsters of the Negaverse.  Flirting was a definite good at this point of her 
boring life.
	“Be glad, Mina.  At least there is finally some peace in the universe,” Luna said, surprised 
at how the scouts almost wanted the Negaverse to return.  “They could be back giving us trouble 
about everything.  Don’t I remember you complaining about how you couldn’t do anything 
because the Negaverse always got in the way?  Think about it.  Now you will have time to try to 
get into high school.  Don’t forget, entrance exams are coming up.”
	Lita sighed, exasperated.  “Come on, Luna!  We finally get some peace around here, and 
all that you can tell us to do is study.”  She got a sly look on her face and stole a glance at Ami.  
“Maybe, we can even fix Ami up with someone!”  
	Ami blushed slightly, and looked deeper into the book in her lap, Advanced Physics 
Volume Eight.  “You know, Lita, I don’t have time for any of that stuff.  I have to be sure that I 
will pass the exams.”
	Artemis looked over at her.  “Ami, do you actually think that you could fail the entrance 
exams?”
	“No, but I would like to be positive there is no question, even theoretical, that I will not 
pass with a one hundred percent.  By the way, where are Rei and Serena?”
	“Inside fighting over something.  You think they will ever grow up?”  Lita asked.  A loud 
wail sounded from inside the temple.  “Nope.  Didn’t think so.”  Everyone went inside to see what 
had happened to Serena, and to try and shut her up.


	“Hey Serena, have you seen that new girl around here lately?  She is absolutely gorgeous. 
Even Melvin checked her out.  Serena?  Serena?”  Molly shook her hard before she succeeded in 
awakening the sleeping heroine.
	“Oh, sorry, Molly.  I didn’t get much sleep last night.  And, I was late again this 
morning.”  Serena was still not fully awake.  Then she bolted upright and moved straight into 
gossip mode.  “Yeah, I saw her.  Red hair, tall, VERY  pretty?”  Serena managed the saddest pout 
as she remembered.  “Darien and I saw her yesterday in the park.  I think the way it went, though, 
was I smashed into her, although for once it wasn’t my fault.  She was running as if the hounds of 
Hell were chasing her.  Anyway, as Darien was helping me up, she looked over at us and said, 
‘Just remember, you never saw me, never heard of me.’  And then she took off.  Weird.”  Serena 
shook her head to clear the memory.  “Anyway, I heard she has lived around here for a while, but 
she just now started showing up, like, just a few days ago.  Is that weird, or what?”
	“Class, class, settle down, please.  We have exams coming up and from you latest test 
scores, Ami is the only one ready,” Ms. Haruna said, looking straight at Serena.
	“Like that’s a surprise,” one of the students commented about Ami.
	“Now, has everyone taken the math test?”  When all she saw was nodding heads, she 
picked up a pile of papers off her desk and started handing them out.  “Well, then here they are.  
You may take them home.  If you received less than a twenty, please bring it back signed.”
	“Who would get less than a twenty?” Melvin said, before he realized his mistake.  “Never 
mind.”  Serena gave him a resounding whack over the head.
	When Serena received her grade, she let out a loud wail made everyone in the class 
cover their ears.  “A FIFTEEN!!!  How could I have done so badly?!!”
	Molly leaned over, “Idiot, shut up or you’ll have detention again!”
	Ms. Haruna was standing over Serena.  “Too late.”  She sighed.  “Serena, I want your 
test signed and brought back tomorrow.  And, if you don’t start doing your homework, I’ll have 
to call your parents for a conference.  If you don’t watch out, you won’t pass this year.  And trust 
me, neither one of us wants that.”
	“Aww, come on, Ms. Haruna!  Please don’t call my parents!  They’ll kill me!”
	“That’s the point.”
	A loud crash outside got everyone’s attention.  The entire class ran outside to see what was 
happening.  In the courtyard, Rei, as Sailor Mars, was fighting a tall, dark haired man that looked 
much like Darien.  His slender form and uniform made it clear he was a general of some kind, 
but not like Beryl’s.  He fought with all the confidence in the world, but failed to intimidate Mars. 		“Look, its Sailor Mars!” someone yelled.  Some of the kids started forward, but Mars 
yelled at them to stay back.
	“Mars Celestial Fire Surround!”  The fire attack singed the man, but didn’t do much 
damage.  Mars glared at Lita, Serena, and Ami, trying to tell them to transform without the other 
kids knowing.  The trio got the point.  They ran around the corner and yelled, “Moon Crystal 
Power!” “Mercury Star Power!” “Jupiter Star Power!”
	The mysterious new-comer blasted Mars with a ball of energy.  Her fan club gasped and 
yelled encouragement.  “You are REALLY starting to get on my nerves,”  Sailor Mars muttered 
angrily as she stood.
	“That so?  And what are you planning to do about it?” the man retorted.
	“This,” she said, shrugging happily.  Jupiter and Mercury jumped over her as she dropped 
to her knees.  “Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!” “Shine Aqua Illusion!”  The double attack hit the man 
head on.  The kids started cheering for Mercury and Jupiter.
	Sailor Moon appeared standing on top of a lunch table, in her usual trying-to-intimidate-
but-not-quite-succeeding stance.  “Yo!  Negatrash!  I am Sailor Moon, and I stand for love, and 
justice, and to kick the shit out of people like you!  On behalf of the Moon, I shall punish YOU!”
	“I hate those little speeches.  And since when do we stand just to ‘kick the shit out of 
people’?  There are little kids around, you know.” Mars said as Sailor Moon shrugged.  Another 
ball of energy, this time in the form of fire, blasted her from behind.  “Behind you all the way, 
girl.”
	“Hey, its Sailor Moon!  Come on, get ‘em, Sailor Moon!”  The crowd gave a renewed 
cheer louder than any of those before as she flashed them a picture perfect smile.  The man took 
her moment of loss of concentration to send a pulsing orb of energy at her.
	“Innocence Revoke!” echoed through the courtyard, as a silver wall surrounded the man 
and beams from five points on the walls shot inward to meet him.  A huge explosion occurred, 
blocked only by the wall that had begun it.  Sailor Moon glanced at where she thought the yell had 
come from, and saw another Sailor Scout.  This one was wearing a black skirt and collar, with 
silver knee-high boots and bows.  The woman (for she was full grown) had long red hair tied back
somewhat like Mina’s.
	“You’re...Sailor Soul, are you not?” the man asked, somewhat arrogantly.  The new 
Scout, Sailor Soul, nodded her head in agreement.  “A battle is not what I came for,” the man said, 
rather shaken at her answer.  He flipped a whip at Sailor Jupiter, and it split at the handle to tie 
itself around her waist, wrists, and ankles.
	“Hey!  What’s going on!  Sailor Moon, get me down!”  Jupiter cried.
	“I’m trying!  Moon Scepter Elimination!”  She directed the beam at the sphere, but it just 
reflected it like nothing.  No matter what Sailor Moon did, she couldn’t break the arms of the 
whip.  It lifted into the air, along with the man.
	“We shall meet again, Sailor Moon.  Until then, I would keep a close eye on your friends.”
The man disappeared, leaving only his evil laugh and Jupiter.  Just then, Tuxedo Mask showed 
up.
	“What happened?” Tux asked.  Sailor Moon simply pointed to the sky where Sailor Jupiter 
was helpless in her prison.  He threw a rose, to no avail.  Soul gave a glance, then turned and 
disappeared.
	Sailor Moon fell into his arms, weeping for her friend.  “He took her...and I couldn’t free 
her...it’s all my fault...I should have...What am I going to do, Tuxedo Mask?”  Tux just put his 
arm around Sailor Moon protectively, and that was enough to slow her flow of tears.
	“I wish I knew,” he said.  Just then, Sailor Jupiter disappeared, leaving only empty 
space and four friends hoping that she would be okay.


	The woman typed away easily at her keyboard, every stroke smooth, quick, as if trained 
into her fingers.  It was an art, really, her profession.  As a creature of the unknown, she had 
learned the ways to survive.  She grimaced when the screen flashed ‘LOCKED’ yet her fingers
continued to do their typing trick.  With only a few more strokes from the long, self-manicured 
tips, the flashing ‘LOCKED’ sign disappeared, and charts after charts replaced the one word 
considered evil to her kind.  She looked on intently, a small smile playing at the tips of her full 
lips.  Her red hair swayed as she leaned back to admire her work.
	“Kind men, those politicians.  Ten thousand dollars, and nothing to spend it on.”  And the 
best hacker in the world turned off her computer and went to bed.


	“I’m so mad at myself for not being there.  Why, today of all days, did I have a dentist 
appointment?”  Mina was angry for not having been there when Sailor Jupiter was abducted.  
	“There wasn’t anything you could have done.  Even I couldn’t get her free,”  Serena said
softly.
	“What’s with her?”  Mina asked Darien softly.
	“This is really bugging her,” he replied.  “She thinks there was something she could have 
done.”
	“Okay, Scouts.  Now it’s time to get down to some serious business.  We seem to have a 
new enemy, and we need to find out what he wants,” Luna said.  “Ami, could you check your 
computer for any other strange occurrences?  And Rei, how about a fire reading?”
	“Sure Luna.”
	“Whatever you say.”
	“What about me?  After all, I am the leader.  There must be something I can do to help.”  
All of the Scouts looked at Serena, remembering the many times her ‘help’ had landed them in 
more trouble that they had initially.  She threw her hands up in the air defensively.  “Hey, I want 
to get Lita back too, you know.”
	“You can help by protecting the other Scouts.  This enemy knew right where to hit us,”
Artemis said.  “He had no intention of fighting, just capturing Jupiter.  For sure he will come after 
the others.”  This last statement said aloud what all the scouts had been thinking, and made them
all look uncomfortable, even a little scared.  
	Luna saw all their looks and added, “Well, it’s true.  Whoever this is must be either very 
smart or very stupid, because they didn’t go after Sailor Moon, so they have one of two plans.  
They either don’t know that Sailor Moon is the leader, or they are going to try and take out each 
and every one of you before they go after Sailor Moon.  The latter is probably what they are going 
to do, since that way she won’t have anyone to protect her.”
	“Aww, Luna!  Now you’ve got me all scared!  How am I supposed to live my life 
knowing the mastermind plan of the masterminds!  And knowing my luck, it’s probably the 
mastermind plan of the masterminds of the masterminds!”  Serena let out her trademark wail 
could be heard from Timbuktu.
	All the Scouts covered their ears.  “Idiot Meatball Head!  Will you SHUT-THE-HELL-
UP!!!!  Some of us are trying to preserve our hearing!”  Rei shouted at her, and popped her over 
the head.
	“Oh, Rei, why are you always so mean to me?  You’re the meanest person I know!”  
	The other Scouts all sighed simultaneously.  “Why us?  If this is the girl who is supposed 
to protect the Earth, we’re doomed.”  Luna hung her head in humiliation for ever believing this 
girl could maybe, just maybe, mature.


	So, Dannon, did you find the crystal?”  A deep voice sounded in the cavern.
	“No, my lord.  There was an intrusion.”  The man who had captured Sailor Jupiter spoke 
to his master.  “The Sailor Scouts.  Their leader is the holder of the crystal.  I have devised a plan 
to capture all her allies, the other scouts, then blackmail her into giving up the crystal.  I have 
already captured one,” he pointed at Jupiter, “Sailor Jupiter.”
	“Acceptable.  Try to hurry.  I don’t want to keep Kurushimi waiting any longer.  Do what 
you will to this nuisance to keep her weak.  Dismissed.”  The dark man with the deep voice sighed 
as Dannon left.  “This is my last chance.  Dannon had better not mess it up.”


	“Oh, my head feels like it was split in two.”  Sailor Jupiter groaned as pain shot through 
her body as she sat up.
	“Looks like it, too,” a voice said from the darkness.
	“Who’s there?  I can’t see you.  Show yourself or I will attack.”  Jupiter blinked a few 
times, trying to adjust to the darkness.  She stood and got ready for a battle, even though she could 
only feel the evil presence of the guards, she didn’t want to be caught off guard.
	“Calm down, I won’t hurt you.  I couldn’t.  Name’s Dimitri.  And you are?”
	“Sailor Jupiter, of the Sailor Scouts.  I said show yourself.  I’m not in the mood for 
games.”
	“I can see that.”  A man, young, stepped out from the darkness.  “Don’t worry, I’m not 
one of them.  I was taken just like you were, and thrown in here.”
	“Where are we?” Jupiter asked.
	“A dungeon of King Roland.  Mean guy.  Don’t get on his nerves.”  Dimitri smiled at that.
	“You don’t seem to mind talking to me; helping me out.”  Sailor Jupiter regarded him 
warily.
	“You’re the first one who was able to put up a real fight.  You might not remember, you 
got such a whack on your head.  After they transported you here and got you out of the sphere, 
you smacked them with some kind of lightning, and almost got out, if one of the guards hadn’t hit 
you over the head with a stick.  You just may be able to get us out of here.”  Dimitri smiled again. 
It occurred to Jupiter’s subconscious at just how cute he looked, standing so relaxed around her,  
smiling as if nothing were wrong.  “All the others were dead within minutes.”  He found that she 
was quite stunning, even in her disheveled state.  She was tall, almost as tall as him, with brown 
hair tied back on top of her head.  She wore a strange suit, though, consisting of elbow length 
gloves, and collar reaching halfway down her back, set on top of a leather body piece, and a very 
short skirt.  She also had ankle boots and a tiara on her forehead.  Parts of her suit were green, 
and the bows that were attached were pink.
	Sailor Jupiter sat down.  “How did you get here, and how long have you been here?”
	“I was taken from my home in Riano three years ago.  King Roland suspected me of 
helping to destroy some army of his, one that had ravenged my country and one of his favorites.  
I went to a royal court, and continually denied ever raising a hand against him.  This apparently 
angered him, and he had my wife and daughter killed.  But that was a long time ago, and I have 
learned to stay alive.  That is, do everything asked of me, and one day, hope he trusts me enough 
to be foolish and leave an opening for me to escape.”  He sat down next to her.  “So, what about 
you?”
	She regarded him carefully, deciding whether or not she should tell him.  She decided to.  
“Like I said, I am Sailor Jupiter and the Princess of Jupiter.  I really don’t know why I’m here, not 
very well.  All I really know is that someone named Kurushimi wants the Imperium Silver 
Crystal.  You know, it seems like everyone wants the crystal.  Why don’t they just get their own?  
Anyway, I’m supposed to be some kind of blackmail.  The Sailor Scouts, well, you could say 
we’re the super heroes of Earth, and the universe.  Anyway, where is this Riano?  Never heard of 
it.”
	Dimitri laughed.  “A long way from the universe, that’s for sure.  But I wouldn’t want to 
be there right now.  Roland is sending a warrior there.  I hear he’s demolished realms within 
hours.  I feel sorry for whoever is there.”
	Jupiter leapt to her feet.  “What do you mean demolished realms?!  I’ve got a princess to 
protect there!”
	“Then I suggest you come up with a plan to get us out of here.”


	Serena was sitting in Darien’s apartment, trying to decide on some way to protect the 
Scouts.  Luna and Darien were with her.  “Is there any way for me to always know what is 
happening to the other Scouts?  You know, some kind of way the communicators are always on?”
	“Not that I know of.  The only good way to watch them is to follow them, but they won’t 
be too happy about that,”  Luna reasoned.
	“Well, you could look over Ami while you are in school.  And after that, go to Mina’s or 
Rei’s.  That way, everyday you could watch Ami, and switch off between Mina and Rei.  But 
don’t forget, you can’t let them know what you are doing, especially Rei.  And if you’re with Rei, 
I’ll try to watch Mina.”  Darien gave Serena his best cheering up smile.
	“That sounds like a good plan.  Go ahead and head over to the temple and tell Rei that your 
family is out and ask to stay for dinner.”  Luna thought for a minute.  “Never mind, just ask if you 
can stay the night.  Rei would refuse dinner.”
	Luna never saw the pillow coming.


	Detectives Steve Marsh and Alan O’Conner knocked impatiently on the door.  “Asia 
Seishin open up!  We know you’re home!”  Marsh pulled back his hand yet again to deliver 
another pounding blow to the weak wood.  The door opened just when the fist would connect, and 
a young, beautiful redhead caught the fist with a look of surprise.
	“Well, cops don’t usually immediately attack people, now do they?  Isn’t that against the 
law?”  Marsh retrieved his fist and blushed uncontrollably.  O’Conner, sensing his comrade’s 
embarrassment, spoke for him.
	“Ms. Seishin, could we please step inside?  We have some rather important business to 
address.”
	“Badges?”
	With looks of remembrance, the two pulled out their badges, and Asia, seeing they were 
who they said, opened the door into a clean, one bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and bath.
	“Now, is there anything wrong, officers?”  Asia asked.
	Marsh walked over to a chair and sat as O’Conner glanced around.  “Yes, actually,” Marsh 
began.  “We are here to question you about a recent crime committed by a hacker.  This person 
stole a large amount of money from the government, converted it to dollars, and placed it into an 
American account.  From there, we know that it was converted into several other currencies and 
moved from account to account in different countries.  It is now in New Zealand.  We are here 
because some clues led us to believe that you have accounts in all the countries involved, and all of 
which have been active the past few days.  Each was activated in the same order the money 
traveled.  Naturally, this led us to you.”  He leaned back, pleased with himself, as O’Conner came 
and sat down next to him.
	“Well,” Asia began slowly, “if the police of Tokyo are good enough to figure out the exact 
accounts being used, why can’t they find out whose account it is?  That alone would bring about 
your answer.”  Marsh’s smug look immediately deteriorated into a fallen look of defeat.  Asia, on 
the other hand, brightened.  “And, as I’m sure you know, a crime of this sort would take plenty of 
time on a computer, and frankly, I don’t have one.  You’re free to look around for one.  And two, 
if I was capably of laundering great deals of money, would I be living in a small dump like this?”
	The two detectives, obviously stupefied, made their apologies for interrupting her day, and 
showed themselves to the door.  After exiting the apartment building, Marsh turned to O’Conner.
	“Do you feel a dumb as I do?”
	“All the way, man.”


	Dannon walked across a marble floor of his lair.  At his command, all the torches in the 
cave lit up, revealing a woman, blond and beautiful, sitting on a chair twenty feet from him.  At the 
sight of her Dannon threw himself to his knees.  “My lady, I did not know you were here.  Please 
forgive me for my lack of organization.”
	“Nonsense, Dannon.  You may rise.”  The woman stood and walked over to him.  Dannon 
stood slowly, and as she neared, began to pale he was so humbled by her power.  “Calm down, I 
do not wish you hurt.  Just the opposite, I have a special mission for you.  I would give it to 
Roland, but he does not get close enough.  He just sends out his minions to do the work.  That is 
what I like about you.  You are not afraid to question anyone, and realize it is best to do things
yourself, than have others fail.”
	“With no offense, Lady Kurushimi, is that not what you are doing now?  Sending Roland 
to take out Asia?”  Dannon immediately regretted saying that, thinking for sure he would be killed.
	Kurushimi turned to him.  “True, you are right, to some extent.  I am sending Roland 
because I want to see how Asia has been doing, and if I need to become stronger to overcome her. 
Besides, I need a good excuse to have him die.  Now, about this mission I have for you.  I think 
you will enjoy it.”  
	Kurushimi smiled.


Chapter Two

	“I take it this means I have to feed you, too?”  Rei made exasperated look pleasant.
	“Oh, come on, Rei.  I have no family, no food, my life is over.  You have to let me in.  
Help me, Rei.  What’s going on, Rei?  I can’t see!  How am I supposed to find my way home!?  HELP ME, REI!!”
	Rei sighed.  “Come in, Serena, just shut up.”  Serena bounded in, her overwhelming 
hunger and blindness suddenly gone.  First place she headed, the kitchen.
	“Hey, Grandpa, what’s cooking’?”  
	Grandpa looked up from the rice he was eating.  “Good evening, Serena.  How are you this evening?”  
	“Oh, fine, I guess.  Got any extra food?”  He couldn’t help but laugh at how well Serena 
was at hiding the ravenous food monster behind that angelic face.
	He motioned to a cabinet.  “Get whatever you want, just leave something for me in the 
morning.”  Serena bounded over to the cabinet, and started stuffing her face.  At that moment, Rei 
walked in, looking disgusted.
	“How can you just let her eat us out of house and home like that?  We’ll starve!”
	“Lay off her, Rei.  She has a talent like all of us, except she is a destroyer.  You read fire, 
she destroys everything between her and food.  We must allow her exercise her talent,”  Grandpa 
replied.
	Rei scowled.  “You make it sound so romantic.”  Serena was finally full, and stood and 
swayed for a minute.
	“Maybe I ate just a little too fast.”  She thought for a minute.  “Couldn’t be.”
	Grandpa smiled at her.  “You two need to get to bed.  Don’t you have school tomorrow?”
	“Not if you let us skip,”  Serena said hopefully.
	Rei knocked her on her head.  “Let’s go, Meatball Head.  You would think after all this 
time that spaghetti in your head would have turned into brains.”
	“Aww, Rei, why are you so mean to me?”  Serena wailed as they walked toward Rei’s 
room.  Grandpa hung his head as Chad walked into the room.
	“What’s the matter, Grandpa?” he asked.
	Grandpa looked up at him.  He had almost a sad, grieving look to him.  It lasted for only a 
second, then changed to his usual, cheer some expression.  “Just wondering if those two will ever 
grow up!”
	Chad looked after the two departing girls.  “Doubt it.”


	“Serena,”  Rei started, “Have you noticed Grandpa acting a little differently lately?”
	Serena looked over at Rei.  She was always worried about her grandfather, but not quietly.  
“No.  Why, is something wrong?”
	Rei looked down and sighed.  “I don’t know.  He’s been quiet for a few days now, and 
sometimes I catch him in a daze, like he’s remembering something, but he looks really sad.”
	Serena smiled as she pushed open Rei’s door.  “He’ll be fine.  I mean, come on, he’s 
Grandpa!”  She saw a pile of comics and dove for them, literally.
	Rei shook her head as she watched Serena become completely entranced at them.  “You 
will never grow up, you know that?”  Serena looked up just long enough to stick her tongue out.  
“I mean, come on, you’re Sailor Moon!  You’ve destroyed monsters who threatened the world!  
You killed Queen Beryl, who was like fifty times bigger than you, and waaay more mature.  You 
managed to help Alan and Ann, and God, you even have your own damn boyfriend, who is 
completely head over heels for a ditzy, irresponsible, blond fourteen year old girl!”  Rei was 
getting really fired up.  
	Serena never even bothered to look up.  “Jealous?”  Before she could react, she got a face 
full of pillow feathers.  “HEY!  I wasn’t ready!”  Within two seconds, an all-out pillow war was 
raging inside a tiny bedroom.  Feathers flew everywhere.  Chad stopped by and slid the door 
open a few inches and peered inside.  
	“Definitely doubt it.”
	After negotiations, the war ended.  Serena went back to Rei’s comics, and Rei sat there, 
thinking.  After about half an hour, Serena heard soft sobbing.  She looked up at Rei, and saw her 
with her head buried in her knees, on her bed.  It was obvious she was trying to keep quiet, so 
Serena wouldn’t hear her.  To see the strong, dependable Rei crying her heart out with Serena in 
the same room not even noticing broke Serena’s heart.  She quietly walked over to her, and placed 
an arm around her.  Rei immediately leaned on her for support.  She thought of how she had never 
let anyone know about the pain she was in, and how she used to enjoy her image of self-reliance.  
Now, as she let Serena support her, let her cry into her arms, she thought of how nice it was, to 
have someone willingly feel her pain, even if they did not know what it was about.  Serena just sat 
there, holding Rei, letting her cry out whatever it was that was bothering her.  This felt strange, the 
two most argumentative people, doing an act done only by the closest of friends.  
	“Rei, do you want to tell me what’s the matter?”  Serena asked.  When all she received 
was more sobs, she smiled and rested her chin on Rei’s head.  “It’s alright.  Just cry it out.  If you 
want to tell me, I’ll listen.”  
	‘What a kind person Serena is,’ Rei realized.  ‘She doesn’t have a clue what is the matter, 
and is not even going to try to press me.  She’s happy just being there for me.’  This made Rei cry 
even harder.  The two of them sat there for at least a hour, Serena holding Rei as she cried for the 
first time to another. 
	When her sobs finally diminished to an occasional sniffle, Rei looked up at Serena.
	“I’m sorry, Serena, to break down like that.”
	Serena smiled.  “It’s okay, Rei.  Do you want to tell me what it was about?”
	A look  of shame flashed over Rei’s face.  She looked up at Serena, and saw a friendly, yet 
worried face.  It was no longer the face of that annoying crybaby Serena, but of her princess, the 
one she swore to protect.  It was of a girl who cared about her friends and family more than 
anything in the world.  It was the face of the most selfless person Rei would ever meet.
	“I guess all this stuff about Lita.  You know, her being kidnapped, and the threat to 
the rest of us, and the threat to you.  If this plan Luna thought of really happened, then you would 
be left all alone, with no one to defend you.  If something happened to you, I would have failed 
my duty and you.”  She made a few more small sobs.
	Serena looked relieved.  “Rei, let me tell you something.  You could never fail.  
You are my best friend in the universe.  We may fight a lot, but still, you are the one who always 
held me up, like when we faced Beryl.  You were the one to lay out the facts, and show me what 
to do.You were the one to listen to my fears, and not laugh at them.  When Darien didn’t 
remember who I was, you were the one who let me cry on your shoulder and didn’t tell me to get 
over it; well, not much, anyway.  You’ve already done more for me than anyone else in the world, 
no matter how mean you act sometimes.  Don’t ever worry about failing me or your duty; you’ve 
already done more than your share.”
	Rei looked at her, than gave her a hug.  It was the first time Rei had given her a hug 
because she had really wanted to, and they sat there, just hugging each other, knowing how close 
they really were, and understanding each other’s pain and fear.


	“Ami!  Where are you!?  Come to the kitchen!”  Her mother yelled from the front hall.  
	“I’m coming, Mother!  Wait a second, for once!” was the reply given.  Her mother just 
stood there for a moment, not comprehending what Ami had just said.  Then, Ami was bouncing 
down the steps, or, bouncing like her usual way, of lightly springing of the pads of her feet.  
“Sorry, I was in the bathroom.”
	All signs of worry ceased to exist on her mother’s face.  “That’s okay.  Come on, dinner’s 
ready.”  The two walked into the dining room, where an as usual spectacular meal awaited them.  
	“Looks great, Mother.”  The two sat quietly eating their supper, conversing only to make a 
few brief comments about world news.  Then, they heard a faint beeping coming from upstairs.  
Ami, realizing it was her communicator, stood up.
	“I’ll go see what that was, Mother,” and vanished before her mother could tell her to hurry, 
her supper would get cold.  
	Upstairs in her room, Ami picked up the communicator.  “What’s up, guys?”  Serena
showed up on the communicator, and from the looks of it, she was already transformed and out of 
breath.
	“Hurry, Ami.  Major fight here at the temple.  This guy’s really strong.  Venus and Tuxedo 
Mask are already down, and we’re fading fast.”  Serena’s expression showed she was really 
scared, more so than Ami had ever seen her, even when she had faced Beryl.  She knew this was a
big battle.  Ami ran down the stairs, to find her mother waiting for her, angry.  She felt like just 
pushing her out of the way, but she, of course, didn’t.
	“Mother, I have to go.  It’s really important.”
	“No.”	
	Ami just stood there, in partial shock.  Her mother had never said no to her before, no 
matter what.
	“I’m tired of you just up and leaving, young lady.  You will stay in tonight, and study, do 
you understand?”
	“But Mom, I study every night.  Isn’t that enough to let me go?”  Her mother put on a 
determined expression, but said nothing.  The seconds ticked by slower and slower for Ami.  She 
couldn’t disobey her mother, but she couldn’t leave the other Scouts to die out there all alone, 
either.  She quickly weighed the pros and cons of what to do, as she did so frequently now.  She 
made her decision.
	“Mother, I have to go.  Please step aside.” she said as she straightened her posture, like all 
the ‘little lady’ classes had told her to do.  Both were surprised at the calmness and yet
forcefulness in her voice.  Ami had never disobeyed her mother, not till now.  It was like the scare 
of their lives.  Ami pushed past her mother, and continued on to the door.  Her mother watched, 
awed.
	“If you leave, don’t come back until you’re sorry for going!” she exclaimed.  Ami didn’t 
even turn around, just kept going.  She knew her duty, and would fulfill it.  After shutting the 
door, she put the unusual incident behind her and continued down the street.  After turning the 
corner, she looked around to make sure it was clear to transform, then did.


	Dannon was growing tired.  He never thought that the Scouts could be so strong.  They 
were even missing one.  He knew that this raven-haired girl who worked at the temple was Rei,
a.k.a. Sailor Mars.  But Sailor Moon had appeared out of nowhere, as had Sailor Venus.  He was 
winning, he thought, as he glanced at Venus’s body that lay lifeless on the grass.  His diverted 
attention left an opening for Sailor Mars, though.  
	“Mars Celestial Fire Surround!”  The flaming rings smashed into him, weakening him a good deal. ‘No 
matter,’ he thought.  ‘I’ll get one of them or I won’t return.’  He flung an invisible force at Mars, 
sending her flying into the wall.  She crumpled on the grass in a heap, just like a cloth rag-doll.  
Sailor Moon cried out for her friend, then turned to Dannon.
	“You will PAY!!!  Moon Scepter Elimination!!!”  She sent a super strong beam at 
him, and hit him square in the chest.  The beam was strong enough to knock the breath out of him, 
but also took a lot of energy out of Sailor Moon.  Dannon began to rise, struggling for his breath.
	‘I can’t defend myself,’ Sailor Moon thought.  ‘Tuxedo Mask or Mars or Jupiter can’t 
save me.  This is it.  Where ARE you, Sailor Mercury?’  As if to answer her question, she heard 
Ami’s voice.
	“Mercury Bubbles Blast!”  With the fog intensifying around her, Mercury walked around 
to Sailor Moon.  “Sorry I’m late.  Are you okay?”
	“I’ll be fine,” was the reply.  “A little low on energy, but nothing five cakes won’t help.  
Find Mars; she was knocked out somewhere.”  The fog began to clear, and Mercury got ready to 
fight off Dannon.  She couldn’t find Mars, though.  She checked everywhere, wishing the fog she 
had created would get the hell out of there.  She felt something grip her ankle, and almost kicked in 
Tux’s face, stopping her foot two inches away.
	“Sorry about that, Tuxedo Mask.  Where is Sailor Mars?”
	Tux coughed, covering his mouth, and pulling away a freshly blood covered gloved hand.
“Came..for me.  Took...Mars...to.Jupiter.  Couldn’t....stop...tried.  Came out of...the...
ground.”  That was as far as he got before passing out.  Of course, that was also the moment 
Sailor Moon chose to show up.  With her annoyingly scared way, she wailed and cried over Tux, 
until Sailor Mercury broke it to her that he was still alive.  This cleared up, Sailor Moon shut up, 
and the two of them carried Sailor Venus and Tuxedo Mask to the woods.  
	“What else needs to be done, Ami?” Serena asked once they had changed back to regular 
clothes.
	“Well,” was the reply, “there’s nothing else we can do, for now.  They should wake up 
sooner or later.”
	Serena looked at Tux.  “We could take them to your mother!”  She thought for a moment.  
“No, that wouldn’t be a good idea.  She would want to know why we were bringing Sailor Venus 
and Tuxedo Mask to her.”
	Ami smirked and looked down.  “She probably wouldn’t help any of my friends right 
now.  She and I . . . aren’t on good terms.”  Serena started laughing.  “What?  WHAT!? What are 
you laughing at!?”
	Serena just kept laughing.  “You and your mother?  Not on good terms?  Next you’ll tell 
me you’re grounded!!!”
	“You guessed that, too.”  This only kept Serena laughing even harder.  
	Even though Serena was laughing harder than anyone else on the planet could, Ami 
wondered what she was really thinking.  After all, Rei just had been abducted.  ‘Could she not 
care?’  Ami wondered.  ‘No, she isn’t heartless.  To not care would be heartless.  Maybe, because 
they got along so badly, it just didn’t affect her like Jupiter’s did.  Yes, that has to be it,’ Ami 
thought as she searched for a reason to explain Serena’s light mood.
	In her mind, Serena didn’t feel like laughing at all.  Rei was gone, her best friend.  She 
would never tell any of the other Scouts this, and even if she did, they wouldn’t believe her.  But 
Rei was her best friend of all, out of their five and Molly and Melvin.  They fought, they made 
gangsters look friendly they fought so much.  But underneath it all, they really loved each other.  
That night before only had reinforced it.  And now, now she was gone.  They had finally under-
stood each other, and now, she was gone.


	“Okay, so here’s the plan,”  Jupiter whispered dangerously to Dimitri.  She spoke to him 
quietly for a few minutes, trying to keep the guards from overhearing.  “Got it?”
	Dimitri smiled seductively back at her.  “And how old are you?”
	Sailor Jupiter looked startled.  “Fourteen.  What does that have to do with anything?”
	Dimitri scowled.  “Fourteen, huh?  Waaay too young.  By about one hundred and thirty 
years.  Damn.”
	Jupiter looked truly flattered, then smiled secretly.  “Actually, I’m about one thousand 
thirty-two.  I just said fourteen so I didn’t make you look young.”  She turned from the surprised 
Dimitri, and walked to the edge of the cell.  
	“Hey, guard, isn’t it time for dinner?  What good are starving captives?”
	The guards turned and smirked at her.  “I suppose we could give her food,” one said.  He 
walked over to a bin that housed all the food, and opened it up, sending dust flying.
	“Very sanitary,” she commented.  The guard gave her an evil look and shoved the top to 
the bin closed.  He then walked over to the door and pulled out his keys.  Sailor Jupiter was 
mentally calculating each action.  ‘Unlocking the door’.  She moved a step away from him, but 
readied herself to pounce.  ‘Step inside.’  Then, she did.
	It all moved very quickly.  She jumped forward to the guard, and Dimitri flung himself 
outside the cell.  The guard, though, was more of a challenge than he appeared.  Jupiter had to use 
her thunder to kill him, and when she did, she found that he was not in fact a monster, but a 
human.  Trauma-rama.  She had never killed a human before.  ‘But,’ she thought, ‘he was still 
evil and in part to kill Serena.’  That helped.  Dimitri had overcome the other guard, who lay dead 
at his feet.  
	“Let’s go!” he quietly urged her.
	“Time to kick some stinky-people-who-kidnapped-me-and-you ass, okey-dokey?” she said 
happily.  “That sounded so not like me.”  Dimitri smiled and they filed out of the dungeon.  They 
ended up in a corridor, one of which Jupiter did not remember.  The two ran down it, only to find 
that it was a dead end.  They turned around, and ran back to the door of the dungeon.  To their left 
they heard voices.
	“How could they have known?” Dimitri mumbled under his breath.
	“Who cares!  Come on, we’ve gotta go!”  With that said, Jupiter grabbed his arm and took 
off in the other direction.  They ran for what seemed like hours, bashing unexpecting guards left 
and right.  After what seemed like thirty minutes, Jupiter and Dimitri saw a light at the end of the 
corridor.  “Finally,” she commented.  They ran huffing and puffing into the light, and stopped in 
their moment of blindness.  
	“Uh oh.  That describes our current situation.”  In front of them was at least fifty or so 
armed and very pissed off guards.  Quite of few of them were laughing.  One, dressed more 
elegantly than the rest, stepped forward.
	“Very good, I must say.  You made it all the way outside.  ‘Tis an awful shame for you, so 
did we.”  The man motioned with his hand for them to be taken.  When the first guard came for 
her, Jupiter smashed in his chest with a resounding kick, and heard bones breaking.  She threw 
punches, swirled and twirled with roundhouse kicks, and dished out anything else she could think 
of.  But, after the tenth or so soldier, she began to tire and was quickly taken.  Dimitri, on the 
other hand, had never put up a fight; he knew he couldn’t stand a chance.  “You will return to your
cell, and there, await your punishment.  And trust me, it won’t be pleasant.”  Dimitri and Sailor 
Jupiter were dragged back to the dungeon and thrown in.
	“Now you shall learn what pain really is, and it shall be given by thy master,” one guard 
with long, dark hair and sickly features sneered.
	“Why is it that none of you people can talk normally?  I feel like I’m talking to that Spear-
Shaker or whatever.”  She got a backhand for a reply.  “That’s not a reason,” she hissed.
	Both guards snickered.  “It will not matter soon enough.  I cannot wait to see you beg for 
your miserable lives.  Should be easily enjoyable,” one said.
	“You will be the ones begging for mercy at the end.”
	“I’ll look forward to it.”  
	Ten big, burly men came into the cell and drug Sailor Jupiter out, leaving Dimitri.  They 
took her to a large room, dimly lit, and spread her onto a table, belting her down on her stomach.
	“So, you’re the infamous Sailor Jupiter.  I thought you would somehow, put up more of a 
fight,” said a voice from the darkness.  A man walked forward, tall, lean, and handsome.  “I am 
King Roland, obedient server of Lady Kurushimi.  Let me explain what is happening to you.  
Your friend, Serena, or otherwise known as as Sailor Moon, holds something we want dearly.  
It’s called the Imperium Silver Crystal.  I’m sure you’ve heard of it.  You’re little friend has used it 
before.  I didn’t think she would give it to us willingly.”  He paused for a moment, scratching his 
clean shaven chin.  “Blackmail was the next best thing.
	“Now, since you decided you would rather be someplace other than this lovely castle, you 
will have to pay.  Kids these days, they have no respect for their guardians.  Or, in your case, 
their kidnappers.”  With that, Lita felt something slam into her back with unimaginable force.  
She screamed as loudly as she could, more at surprise than pain, although a few moments later, 
she screamed again and this one was definitely out of pain.  She felt like her entire body was being 
ripped apart.  All thoughts left her mind except for the thinking of the pain coursing through her. 
Luckily for her, she passed out early.


	Serena was tired of crying.  She had been crying for days now.  There hadn’t been another 
attack since the one at the temple, and she was glad for it.  She needed to mourn, and she knew it.  
Darien had been a big help, as had Luna.  But neither had ever really understood.  She was 
walking now, not really sure of where she was going, not really caring, dazed.  All she knew was 
that her friends were dying.  At least, that’s what she thought.  For the first time in her life, she 
was doing the smart thing, one that no one else was.  She was preparing herself for the worst.  
She hadn’t given up hope, but she was ready to.  For these enemies to have the two strongest of 
the scouts, she was afraid to find out what their true power was.  And as she worried, she felt 
herself being torn apart by the guilt of letting her friends be taken.  
	Here she was, sitting in a playground, on the swing she used to let Rini get on.  Even 
though she had accepted her daughter’s departure for the future, right now she felt as if she was 
the only one she could turn to, but no one was there.
	“What’s the matter?” 
	“Nothing, nothing’s wrong!”  Serena screamed at the voice resounding through her head.
	“Please tell me.  Something must be wrong for a beautiful young girl to cry with such 
pain.”
	Serena struggled with herself to keep it all in, to not let go and face it on her own.  It didn’t 
work.  “I let them die, I know I did!  Darien and Luna say it wasn’t my fault, but I know it 
was!  I’m their princess!  I’m supposed to protect them!”
	“Let who die?  What has happened?” the voice asked.
	“Rei and Lita.  I was there with Rei, I should have stepped in sooner.  She 
transformed, and ran out front of the temple, and I just stood there, in shock.  I remember the 
same man was back, and said ‘Sailor Mars, how nice of you to join me,’ to Rei.  Then it was like I 
finally snapped out of it, and transformed.  I ran out, just as Rei got blasted.  I tried to attack, but I 
never hit!  I know I could have done something else!  Now, because of me, we’re down to three 
Scouts and a guy in a mask.  There’s no way I can get them back, not anymore!”  With that said, 
she let a fresh burst of tears spill down her cheeks onto the lush green grass beneath her feet.
	A hand rested on Serena’s back, but she didn’t feel it.  She was too busy trying to breath 
and cry at the same time.  She didn’t notice she was in the presence of another until she found 
herself cradled in strong, feminine arms.  With a great deal of surprise, she looked up to find the 
most beautiful face she had ever seen.  
	“Hey, I recognize you!  You’re that girl I ran into a few days ago!  What do you want with 
me?”  she asked.
	The woman smiled.  She had deep, blue eyes, a slim face (like the rest of her body), and 
fiery red hair that reached below her hips.  A small part of it was tied back in a low partial, secured 
by a small barrette with two blue streams flowing down.  She was absolutely breathtaking.  ‘No 
wonder Melvin went for her,’ Serena thought.  She looked to be about twenty-one or twenty-two, 
yet had the aura of someone much, much older.  “I am sorry if I scared you that day, but I was 
quite surprised myself.  Now, what’s all this about your friends, the Sailor Scouts, being taken?  
I’m taking a guess that you’re Sailor Moon.”
	Serena looked sharply at her.  “How did you know that?”
	The woman laughed lightly.  “Well, I’m surprised that no one else has figured it out.  I 
mean, how many girls do you see walking around that are the exact same height, weight, body 
type, AND have the same hair as Sailor Moon?  If you put two and two together, it’s really not 
that hard.  Now, please explain.”
	Serena sighed.  “Don’t I at least get a name?”
	“I’m sorry, it’s Asia.  Asia Seishin.  And you are?”
	“Serena Tsukino.”
	“Good, now that we know a little about one another, please tell me what has you crying 
so.”
	Serena sniffled a few times before beginning.  “Well, I guess since you’ve already figured 
out that I’m Sailor Moon, maybe you’ve heard about what happened at the school a few days 
ago?”  When Asia shook her head, Serena continued.  “Well, we were attacked.  Sailor Mars was 
already out there, and”
	“So this Rei is Sailor Mars?” Asia interrupted.
	“Yeah.  And Lita is Sailor Jupiter.  But, what ended up happening is that Sailor Jupiter 
got taken.  The enemy we were fighting just snatched her up and took her.  Then, a few days ago, 
the same thing happened, except to Sailor Mars.  I was over there at the time, and froze, and 
because of me, Rei is gone!”  Serena’s tears started back up again, just as heavy as before.  Asia 
pulled the younger girl into a hug, hushing her as much as she could.  People passing by looked at 
them strangely, as if wondering what was horrible enough to have happened to have made this girl 
cry so horribly loud.
	Asia pulled Serena’s chin up so she was looking at her.  “Serena, why don’t you tell me a 
little about yourself?  Any other friends?  Other habits?”  
	Serena sniffled a few more times, then looked down ashamed.  “There’s not much more to 
tell,” she began.  “Of course I have more friends, but the majority of them are Sailor Scouts.  And 
I have a boyfriend, but only because of my destiny.  I’m failing in school, my parents have given 
up on me ever making something out of myself, and the one thing I’m halfway good at, being 
Sailor Moon, I’m failing in.”  Her eyes clouded over as she fought back the tears.  She abruptly 
turned her head up to Asia.  “Sad, isn’t it?  The world’s greatest super hero can’t even keep her life
together.”
	Asia’s face never changed from quiet and caring.  “No, Serena.  From what you’ve just 
told me, you’ve been doing quite well.  I always thought of Sailor Moon as always being Sailor 
Moon.  I never thought that she was someone who had to go home at night and lie to her parents 
about what she did all day.  I never thought of Sailor Moon as being a young girl still learning 
about life, then having the extra weight of the duty to save the world on her shoulders.  I never 
thought of Sailor Moon as having to wake up in the morning and worry over whether or not she 
did her homework the night before.”
	Serena laughed a little, dryly.  “Don’t worry, you weren’t wrong there.  I  DON’T worry 
about whether or not I did my homework the night before.”
	Asia playfully swiped at the back of her head.  “You see?  Your life isn’t pathetic.  You’ve 
made more of a difference in this world than just about anyone else ever did.  You have managed 
to continue to function a daily life while grappling with evil.  That’s quite an accomplishment for 
someone who has yet to turn sixteen.”  A sly grin passed over Asia’s face.  “Now, tell me more 
about this love of yours.”
	Serena managed a small laugh as she began to tell all about Darien, the other Scouts, the 
cats, and anything else she could think of.  The two talked long into the afternoon.


	Dannon sat on his throne-like chair, contemplating what was necessary to carry out his 
orders.  They were really quite simple, but he knew better than to underestimate the Sailor Scouts.  
Kurushimi had shown him a replay of the battle against Queen Beryl.  Although he was not from 
the Negaverse and held no allegiance to her, he could plainly see that her death was not honorable.
In a way, he almost pitied her.  Then he remembered why she died.  He would make sure that the 
same did not happen to him.
	“Axial, come forth.”  A tall, dark red humanoid creature appeared.  “I have your orders. 
You are to disguise yourself and live on Earth.  I want you to spy on the Sailor Scouts, especially 
Sailor Moon.  I have their alternate egos, so you can follow them no matter what form they are in.  
You may also take five other monsters with you.  Make sure none of you are seen, but find out 
everything you can about them, and their allies and friends.  But under no circumstances are you to 
try to confront them in any way.  Do you understand?”	
	“Yes, my liege.”
	“Good.  And...I have another assignment for you, personally.  We have learned that Asia, 
the princess from the Dark Realm, also known as Sailor Soul, is on Earth.  I have orders to find 
anyone she holds dear to her.  Later, Kurushimi will kill them.  But for now, I just want you to 
find who she holds close to her heart.  Can you manage that?”
	“Gladly.”
	“Very well.  Dismissed.”  And in the dim lights of his cavern, Dannon smiled.


	Darien was worried.  He couldn’t find his Serena anywhere.  He had already tried to call 
her home, only to have her father bitch him out about his going out with a girl six years younger.
There had been something about if he ever hurt her in any way, he would be spending the rest of 
his years in a ditch in the Alps.  Somehow, he got the impression Serena’s father didn’t like him.  
He had tried Mina’s, but she wasn’t there.  He had stopped by Ami’s, but her mother said not to 
expect Ami to be there for awhile.  He didn’t know what that was about, and he wasn’t about to 
ask.  If there was one thing he had learned from the Scouts so far, it was never to press matters.  
But it disturbed him that he couldn’t find Serena.  He had stopped by the park, and ice cream 
shops, the arcade, and anywhere else he could think of.  He had thought of going to the Rei’s  
temple, but didn’t think that she would want to be there.
	So Darien was driving back to his apartment, despising the thought of another night of 
nothing to do except worry over his love.  A blond streak turning the corner farther ahead caught 
his gaze.  He sped up, ignoring the speed limit, and turned the corner.  Sure enough, there was 
Serena walking alone, back in the direction of her home.  He pulled over and opened the door.
	“Need a ride?” he asked.  Serena didn’t even look over.  
	“No.”
	At this he shrank back a little in surprise.  “Serena, what’s the matter?”
	When she heard her nickname, she brightened and turned to him.  “Darien, it’s you!” 
She jumped into the passenger seat.  “I didn’t recognize your voice.”
	He smiled.  “That’s okay.  Where are you going?  Home?”  She nodded her head.  “So, 
where’ve you been?  I was worried.  I couldn’t find you anywhere,” he told her.
	She looked up, touched that he cared.  “Around,” she said, almost sorrowfully.  “I went to 
that park on the other side of town.”
	“Oh.  I didn’t check there.”  The couple pulled up in front of her house.  Serena still sat, 
not wanting to move.  She loved being around Darien.  He always surprised her in so many 
ways. And, in the back of her mind, she knew she wanted to spend as much time with him in case 
they should ever be separated again.  She knew what that was like.  
	“Are you going to get out?  Or shall we just stay here?”  Reluctantly, still sullen, she 
opened the door and got out.  
	“Serena!  Come here for a second.”  She bent back in, looking Darien straight in the face.
“I have something for you.  Close your eyes.”  She obeyed him, not knowing what to expect.  He 
gently touched her cheeks and pulled her down to his level.  She felt her face get a little hotter, then 
the wetness of his lips on hers.  She kissed him back, and they stayed interlocked until they heard 
some passerbyer’s whistle.  The two broke apart, each blushing considerably.
	“What was that for?” Serena asked Darien.
	He smiled secretly.  “I’ll let you know around...seven?”
	Serena blushed again, then said, “Sure.  I’ll tell my parents I’m out with Ami.”  She began
to walk towards the house.  
	“Serena!”  She turned around again.  “Dress VERY nicely.”
	He drove off again, hoping that this date would cheer her up.  Then, when he thought 
about how much it would cost him, he grimaced.  “There goes my paycheck,” he murmured to 
himself.  Darien drove back to his apartment, and checked to make sure he had a clean tuxedo.  
With his alter ego, he had a few lying around.  He then called up one of the most expensive 
restaurants in the city, Alfonso’s, and made reservations.  Next stop: the bank.
	Serena, meanwhile, asked her mother if she could have a little bit of extra money.  “Mom, 
there’s this really fancy party that Ami’s mother was invited to, and she couldn’t go.  You know, 
one of those doctor’s parties.  But, she gave the invitations to Ami, and she offered to bring me 
along.  But, it’s one of those black-tie things.  So, do you think I could borrow some money?” she 
rushed.
	“Sure, honey,” her father said as he walked in.  “I’ll give you...two hundred dollars.” 
Serena’s mouth dropped open.  “Just remember, you have to pay me back.”  Serena numbly 
nodded her head.
	Her mother watched on with a curious expression.  “Serena, can I see you in your room?”
Both Serena and her father looked at her curiously.  Or for Serena, rather nervously.
	“Uh, sure..Mom.”  And mother and daughter went for a little chat.
	“So Serena,” her mother began when they were seated on her bed, “you’re going out with 
that Darien again tonight?”
	Serena knew it was rhetorical.  But, if she didn’t answer, she’d be shit out of luck.  ‘This 
is another of those lose/lose situations,’ she thought.  ‘Maybe, she should try that honesty thing.  
Some say it actually works.’
	“Ummm, yeah?”
	Her mother sighed.  Serena winced, fully expecting a blow-up.  “I wish you would have 
told us.  Instead, you lied.  I’m disappointed in you, Serena.”  Serena shrank back in guilt.  “Now 
don’t get me wrong, I think Darien is a good boy, and he won’t try anything.  I also understand 
why you didn’t tell your father.  If you did, you’d never be out of the house again.”
	“How did you know?” Serena asked tentatively.  Her mother smiled.
	“He called today.  He was worried about you, couldn’t find you anywhere.  He really 
cares for you.  But still, he is quite a bit older than you.  How many years?”
	“Six.”
	Her mother looked taken aback.  “Six?  Wow.  That’s more than I thought.”  It took her a 
minute to recover, but when she did, she smiled slightly.  “So, when’s he picking you up?”
	Serena brightened completely.  Her mother was actually okay with this.  “Seven.”
	Her mother clasped her hand over Serena’s.  “Well, it’s only three.  If we hurry, we can 
get you a stunning outfit.”  Serena yelped for joy, and dragged her mother out of the house, 
pausing only so she could get her purse.
	Later that night, around six forty-five, Serena’s mother calmly approached Kenji, her 
husband.  “Darling, would you do me a favor?”
	Kenji looked over at Ikuko.  “Sure honey.  What is it?”
	“Go grocery shopping?”
	Kenji raised his eyebrows and eyed Ikuko.  “You want me out of the house, don’t you?  
That’s the only time you ever ask me to go grocery shopping.”
	Ikuko blushed slightly, then opened the fridge, revealing it to be empty.  “See?  I really 
need you to go.”  
	Kenji regarded her for a moment.  “Okay, I guess I was wrong.”  He grabbed his keys and 
walked out the door.  “See you in a half hour!” he called over his shoulder.
	Ikuko raced back upstairs to help Serena with her dress.  When she opened the door, there 
was Serena, dressed except for her shoes.  
	“How do I look, Mom?” she asked sheepishly.
	Ikuko just stood there, stunned.  Her little girl, the one who slept in late, made bad grades, 
was rarely at home, had just grown up.  No longer was there the little girl with buns on the side of
her head, but a young woman, standing proudly, awaiting her man.  Big difference from what she 
had seen that morning at seven.
	“You’re...beautiful.  Absolutely beautiful.  Oh!  But there’s something missing.  I don’t 
know what, but something’s missing.”  She seemed to think it over as Serena stood there, about 
to burst from waiting.  “Got it.  Stay right there, honey.  I’ll be right back.”  And Ikuko left, only 
to return a few minutes later with a navy velvet covered box.  “This is a family heirloom passed 
down from mother to daughter, generation after generation.  I think it’s time for you to wear it.”  
And she began, ever so slowly to open the box.  Serena looked on eagerly, for she had never seen
this heirloom.  She didn’t even know they had one.  When she saw what was inside, she gasped, 
not out of awe, but recognition.  “Do you like it?” her mother asked.
	Serena picked it up, and placed it on her head.  It felt familiar, from the few times she had 
worn it.  “I love it.  I’ll wear it every day I can,” she said.  ‘You have no idea how true that is,’ 
she thought to herself.  
	Ikuko smiled across from her daughter.  “You know, you used to have a dress almost
exactly like that, when you were small,” she said with a smile.  “You played in it all the time.  You 
loved it so much.”  Ikuko smiled at the memory.  “There was one other dress that you were really 
fond of.  In fact, we made it.  You told me what you wanted it to look like, and I made it.  It was 
white, and the top had these golden rings, with a line of beads below it, with frilly sleeves.  That 
was my idea, the sleeves.  As soon as you could, you tore them off and added another set of beads 
to the bottom.  If only I could make another that fit you,” she said smiling.
	“Don’t worry about it Mom, I’m sure we’ll find something someday,” Serena said with a 
knowing smile.  From downstairs, they heard a knock.  “Oh!  He’s here!  And I still have to get 
on my shoes!”  Serena slipped into the white heels they had bought, and grabbed her bag 
containing an extra pair of clothes.
	“Now, remember, Serena.  After you two are done, go to a friend’s house.  Stay there 
tonight, so your father doesn’t see you coming home in a gown like that.  He’ll know it was more 
than two hundred.”
	Serena bent up and kissed her mother’s cheek.  “Thank you, Mom.  See you tomorrow!” 
and she opened the door.
	Darien had heard Serena shouting something about her shoes from upstairs, about the 
time he was wondering if he had told her exactly how dressy Alfonso’s was.  Now that he thought 
about it, he never did even tell her where they were going.  ‘I hope she overdressed,’ he thought.
‘She always looks more beautiful that way.’  He hear her race down the stairs, and say a few 
words to her mother.  Then, she opened the door.
	Standing before him was Serena, looking much older than she really was, at least sixteen 
or seventeen.  She was wearing a white ball gown, satin, flowing down to the ground.  It was so 
long you could barely see her toes.  With it’s spaghetti straps, tight design and low cleavage, it 
accented her thinness and curves perfectly.  About at her knee, on the left side, and sweeping 
down to the midcalf on her right leg, the bottom of the dress had a bell-bottom like effect, so it 
would sway better.  Wearing goldish-silvery earring, what topped it off was the tiara on her head. 
Unlike her Sailor Moon one, this was actually atop her head.  Darien recognized it immediately.  
It was the one she would wear as Neo-Queen Serenity.
	“Well?”
	“I’m speechless,” was all he could utter.  “You look...like royalty,” he added with a smile.  
Serena blushed slightly, and Darien caught a glimpse of her mother watching in the background.  
“Shall we?” he asked offering his arm.
	“Yeah, we better get out of here before my dad comes back,” she replied with a smile.
	“So,” he began once they were inside his red Porsche, “your mother knows about us?” 
	“Yes.  She figured it out, but she’s okay with it.  She got kind of worried about the age 
difference, but that lasted for about two seconds.  We decided not to tell dad until he’s drunk one 
night.  He should take things better then.”  Darien laughed and turned down a side street that led 
to Alfonso’s.  “So, where are we going?” she asked him.
	“You’ll find out soon enough.  Have you ever noticed when we are dressed up, either as 
Prince Darien and Princess Serena, or for you, Neo-Queen Serenity, we always talk better?
I just noticed that.”
	Serena smirked.  “You are one observant guy.  I see you saw my tiara?”
	“Yes,” Darien said, raising his eyebrows.  “Where did you get it?”
	“Family heirloom.”
	“So when you’re the queen, you’ll tie in both families into your royalness.”
	“Hey, don’t forget you have to do it too.  After all, you will be my husband, so you have 
to put up with TWO mother-in-laws.  Plus Dad,” Serena added, laughing.
	“I wonder if he’ll take back all those threats when I’m King,” Darien wondered aloud.  
“Though I doubt it.”  He paused for a minute.  “What’s it like, being you future self?” he asked 
Serena.  She looked up at him, surprised at the question.
	“What do you mean?”
	He looked hesitant, then went on.  “Well, during the Doom Phantom fight, you became 
Neo-Queen Serenity.  How did you do it?  What was it like?  Did you have all those memories that 
haven’t happened to us yet?”  Serena could tell this problem was troubling him.
	“I don’t really know how I did it.  It wasn’t the same as turning into Princess Serena, like 
you can into Prince Darien.  It was harder, somehow.  I just really concentrated, and poof!  
there I was.  It was strange, like it was another person inside of me as I watched on.  I felt braver 
somehow; more mature.  I felt confident.  I didn’t have the memories, though.”  Serena bowed her 
head, feeling sorry that he couldn’t share what she had experienced.
	Darien smiled, thinking of what it must be like.  They were pretty well off, he knew.  It 
kind of stunk, though, knowing that SOMEDAY he would pop the question; SOMEDAY they 
would have all the problems newlyweds would; SOMEDAY they would have a child; SOMEDAY 
they would rule the Earth.  It was almost like the fun of figuring out the future was gone.  They 
knew their destinies, and there was nothing they could do to stop them.  Not that they really 
wanted to, though.
	“Why?”
	His smile faded, taking on a forlorn face.  “I don’t really know.  I just feel like...I’m 
missing out on something.”
	“What you’re missing out on is the itchiness of clothes that fancy.  Nothing much.”
	Darien laughed again, and Serena smiled a little.  “Serena, you are so funny.”  They pulled 
up to the restaurant, and a valet came out to open Serena’s door.  She stepped out, receiving 
several gasps from those around her.  She looked afraid, as if wondering if they were gasping at 
how weird she looked, all dressed up.  She had never felt so self-conscious before in her life.  One 
look at Darien, though, and all her doubts vanished.  Darien handed the key to the valet, then 
took Serena’s arm and the couple waltzed into the restaurant together.  
	When they stepped inside the door, there was a thin corridor, opening to reveal a mass of
finely dressed and elegant people.  An usher presented himself at their side immediately, took their 
names, and showed them to a table.  Darien noticed several people turn their heads at the sight of 
Serena, and heard a few utter comments about how beautiful she was.  ‘I am quite lucky to be with 
her; to have her still want me.’  He pulled out a chair for her, and she sank quietly into it.  He sat, 
and ordered their best wine.  
	When Serena heard Darien ask for the restaurant’s best wine, she raised her eyebrows.  
“You know, I’ve never had wine before.”
	Darien smiled secretly and said, “I do know that.  I also know there’s a first time for 
everything.”  The waiter came back with the wine, and asked for their orders.  This was the part 
Darien had dreaded.  He nodded for Serena to go ahead.
	“I’ll have the filet mignon please.”  ‘That’s it?’ Darien asked himself.  This wouldn’t be 
as expensive as he thought.
	“Salad?” the waiter asked.
	“Please.”  ‘And she has manners,’ he commented to himself.
	“Sir?  What for you?”
	Darien looked at Serena.  “The same.”  The waiter bowed slightly and walked hurriedly 
back to the kitchen.  The two talked about different things, but nothing about the Scouts.
	“I’m afraid to ask you, Serena, about your schoolwork?” Darien asked with a smile.  He 
loved, contrary to most people, to hear about what wild thing Melvin had done, or what excuse 
Ms. Haruna had used to send Serena to detention.  It could be very amusing.
	Serena rolled her eyes slightly, then brightened a little.  “Well, yesterday, Melvin got this 
bright idea that Molly would like snakes.  So, he put one in all of the desks she would sit in, and 
her lunch.  All I need to say is Molly DOESN’T like snakes.  If you thought I screamed loud, it’s 
nothing compared to her.  Then, she picked one up and tried to tie it around Melvin’s neck, but 
Haruna stopped it.  Too bad, that would’ve brightened up my day.”  Darien laughed 
softly, and Serena thought, ‘I wonder why he likes hearing about things like that.  I mean, we’re 
just a few fourteen-year-olds.  Why would he like hearing about that and not things from people 
his age?’  “Well, I also have to have my parents come in for a conference.”  She muttered the last 
sentence quickly, hoping he wouldn’t pay any attention to it.
	“Why?”
	Oops, he did pay attention to it.  “Well, Haruna thinks for some absurd reason...”
	“Where did you learn the word ‘absurd’?” Darien interrupted.
	Serena narrowed her eyes playfully and said, “I’m not that stupid.  As I was saying, 
Haruna thinks I’m not doing well in class.  She thinks my last test grade was a little to low. 
I, on the other hand, completely disagree.  I believe I’m doing well in class, and not all students 
should be judged on the same scoring system.”
	“What was your last test grade?” Darien asked unemotionally.
	Serena bowed her head and muttered, “A fifteen.”
	“Wow.  Serena, if you don’t do better, you won’t pass into high school.  I’ve seen some 
of the kids in the next grade, and you don’t want to be with them.  Besides that, you’ll be a much 
better queen if you know a few things here and there.”
	Serena looked skeptical a minute, the said, “I think you’re right.  How can I be a good 
queen if I don’t know anything.  I just might work a little now.”  Darien raised his eyebrows.
	“Don’t you mean work a little harder?”
	“No, I mean work a LITTLE now.”  As Darien shook his head, the waiter came to report 
it would be about ten more minutes until their food was ready.  Following him was a violinist, 
playing Pachebel’s Canon.  As Serena watched the violinist intently, Darien stood, walked to 
Serena, and pulled her out from the table a few inches.  Curious to what he had in mind, she 
stood.  He led her out to an empty space and pulled her close.
	“Now, you do remember how to dance, don’t you?  You were quite good in the Silver 
Millennium,” he whispered in her ear.
	“I could also ice skate back then, too, but look at me now,” she whispered back.  But, 
surprisingly enough, she found that she could dance.  She didn’t even step on his toes once.  
Darien, on the other hand, wasn’t as good.  At first, people just turned their heads to watch, then 
a few stood and began to dance too.  The violinist found his way to the royal couple, and played 
beside them.  After about five minutes, the majority of the staff was out dancing too.  The song 
ended, and the other dancers began to clap at Serena and Darien.  The two took their respective 
bows, and returned to their table where their meal awaited them.  ‘My plan has worked,’ Darien
thought to himself.  ‘I am a genius.’  And the two began the rest of the night.


	Mina reached over Ami for her glass of water, squishing Ami into Serena, Serena into 
Darien, and inevitably, Darien into Luna, who let out the cat equivalent of a blood-curling 
scream, which ended up sounding like a blood-curling scream.  Artemis just laughed from his spot 
on a chair.
	“Mina!!  GET OFF US!” Serena screeched.  In response, everybody else covered their ears.
	“Is this how meetings always go?” Darien asked Luna once things had quieted down.
	Luna scowled and answered, “Always.”  She then stood and cleared her throat.  “Okay
Scouts.  We have serious business today.”  Serena bonked Mina.  “All the Scouts are being 
targeted.  Soon, they will come after Serena.”  A pillow slammed into Ami’s face.  “So, I need all 
of you to watch out for her!”  Artemis got thrown into the wall.
	“Hey!  I don’t need anybody to watch out for me!” Serena said as she walked toward the 
kitchen to dry off her shirt, of which Mina had spilled water onto.  She promptly tripped over 
the ottoman lying in plain sight.  Standing quickly, she said, “I’m very responsible.”  The room 
filled with groans.  
	When she returned, Mina was trying to beat Ami in hangman.  Ami, though, was having 
no trouble.  She had come up with the word, and it looked to be close to twenty letters.  Luna was 
staring off into space, and Artemis was snoring, sprawled over a sleeping Darien.  ‘Here I am, 
came all this way for a meeting, and they can’t even keep awake!’ Serena screamed to herself.  
‘Why must I put up with all of this?  I am the leader!  I don’t have to stand for this!’  And that 
realization finally dawned on her.
	“HELLO!!!” she yelled in all her might.  “Wake up, people!  We have a new enemy, and 
I will NOT have you sleeping!!”  She picked up a pillow and whacked Darien, getting Artemis 
too.  “Now GET your ass up!!!”
	“Now now, Serena.  What did I tell you about that language?” Luna asked sleepily.  In 
response, Serena threw the pillow at her.  “And about being violent?”  Serena stood up, ready to 
teach her cat a lesson, but Darien held her back.  “See what I mean?” she asked no one in 
particular.  When Serena gave her a black look, she reluctantly stood and stretched.
	“Okay everybody.  Serena’s right.  We do need to find out something.  All we know is that 
someone new has moved into town and stealing our girls.  Do we even have a name?” she asked 
the group.
	“Nope.”
	“Sorry.”
	“Zippo.”
	“None.”
	Luna looked at Artemis, the only one who hadn’t said anything.  “What!?  You don’t 
actually think I might know?” he exclaimed defensively.
	“Okay...” she continued.  “Well, I guess we just need to stay in groups.  During school, 
Ami, you and Serena keep close.  Darien, check on Mina whenever you can.”  Serena scowled.
“Mina, after school, you find Ami and Serena and all of you go home together.  Try to never be 
left alone.  It’s the safest way to go.”
	Serena looked astounded for a minute before speaking.  “And what about him?” she asked, 
pointing at Darien.  “He needs to stay with someone!”
	Luna pulled in a deep breath and said, “And we know you’re the one he should be with, 
right?”  Serena blushed.  
	Darien laughed.  “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.”
	Luna looked over to him with a knowing smile.  “I don’t think so.  Artemis and I will be 
with you as much as we can.  Then at least we can quickly get in touch with the Scouts.”
	“Aww, Luna, you know I can take care of myself.  I’ve done it since the beginning!”
	“Yeah, only to get taken by the Negaverse twice; get completely freaked by some dreams 
and not tell us; try to steal the Imperium Silver Crystal; shall I go on?” Artemis asked.  “Hey, 
besides, you’ll get to be around the coolest cat!”
	“With the biggest ego,” Mina muttered.
	“Watch it Mina, don’t forget I know many embarrassing secrets about you.”
	“And don’t forget, DEAR Artemis, that I know the name of the meanest vet around,” Mina 
retorted.
	“That reminds me, what about that new Scout?” Serena asked.
	“What new Scouts?” Luna asked impatiently.
	“What reminded you of a new Scout?  That Mina knows the meanest vet?” Artemis asked.
	“Come on, didn’t anyone else see her?” Serena asked.  Everyone shook their heads.  “Well 
yeah, there was a new one, Sailor Soul.  Her getup had a three colored skirt, and huge pink back 
bow, silver boots, and little feathers in her hair.  Plus weird shoulder things, but definitely a
Scouts.  I can’t believe no one else saw her.
	“Did she do anything?” Mina asked.
	“Yeah, she was the one who beat up that guy so bad.  You know, with that silver wall and 
everything.”
	“Oh, I had just thought that was you,” she continued.
	“Just keep a lookout for her,” Luna said.  “She’s probably on our side, but until we find 
out more about what’s going on, we can’t trust anybody we don’t know.”
	“Okay!  We have a plan,” Serena declared.  “But we still have gotten nowhere on what to 
do about this new guy, or how to get Lita and Rei back.”
	“And,” Ami said, glancing up from her computer, “what are we going to tell the schools 
and Rei’s family?”
	All seemed to be at a loss of words on that one.  “Well, I’m sure we will think of 
something.  Until then, if anyone asks, just say that we don’t know, okay?” Darien said.  “Now 
come on,” he continued, standing.  “Now, not to be rude, but it IS eleven.  And the last I heard, 
Serena is ‘Not to be out past ten,’” he said, imitating Kenji.
	“Not bad, Darien.  Make your voice a little more monotone and you got it!” Artemis said, 
laughing.  Everyone got up, and made their way to the door.  
	“Goodbye!”
	“See your tomorrow!”
	“’Night!”
	“Bye!”
	Serena stayed back as the others left.  Luna saw why and walked silently out of the room.
Darien turned to her and smiled.  They shared a passionate kiss, clinging to each other, and 
Darien pulled her into a hug.  ‘I don’t know what I’d do without him,’ Serena thought to herself.  
	She asked from the hug, “Darien, do you really think we can find them?”
	He pushed her away at arms length and gently pulled her chin up so she was looking at 
him.  “Of course.  Why would you think we wouldn’t?  We have every time before.”
	She looked down at the ground, as if wondering if she should tell him of her uncertain 
fears.  “I don’t know.  Something feels different.  As if there’s still something to be introduced.”
	“Like the new Scouts?” Darien interrupted.
	“Yeah, but something else.  I don’t think we’ll be able to get them back on our own.  I 
think we’ll need help from someone else.  Maybe this new Scouts, Sailor Soul.”  She looked up at 
him, expecting backup, but instead she received a worried look.
	“Serena, you know we can’t tell anyone who we are.”
	“I know that.  I just think, there’s going to be a Shakespearean ending.  Tragic.  That’s
all.”  She looked back up at him quickly, and gave him peck on the lips.  “See you tomorrow.”
She turned and ran out of the apartment, leaving Darien there, stunned.  
	‘Wow.  I never thought she was able to predict things like that.  She’s really starting to 
learn to be a leader.  Finally, she’s listening to that sixth sense of hers.’  Luna walked out from 
where she had been watching in Darien’s room.  ‘Queen Serenity, you would be so proud.  I 
am.’
	“Darien, what’s the matter?” she asked, pretending not to know.
	“I don’t know.  I think she might tell someone who she really is,” he answered.
	Luna contemplated her next statement for a moment.  “Darien, what you have to 
remember with Serena is, that who she really is, is Serena.  Not Sailor Moon, not Princess Serena, 
not Neo-Queen Serenity.  Serena is who she really is.  Trust her,” she added with a motherly 
overtone.She promptly turned and walked through the door.
	“Luna!”  She turned to see Darien rush after her.  “Watch over her, okay?”  Luna smiled 
the best she could, and went home.


			*			*			*

	
	“Hey!  Watch it, cloak man!”  The men around the drunkard laughed as he pushed the 
cloaked figure some eight feet.  The three men with the figure glared at the drunkard, but kept 
moving.  The figure stumbled on a loose board, and fell to their knees, bringing on a new bout of 
laughter.  Phillip wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw long, red hair flash out from beneath the 
hood.  A woman’s hair.  It was gone before he could be sure, though.  Two of the men helped the 
figure up, and quickly left the tavern.  Curiosity was gnawing away at Phillip, and he turned to 
leave the tavern.  His friend, Zach, stopped him.
	“Hey buddy!  Where’re ya goin’?” he asked Phillip, slightly intoxicated.
	Phillip patted him on the back.  “Nowhere, good friend.  You could use some sleep.”  He 
left as Zach did just that.  
	Once outside, the figure fell again, and this time, one of the men with them just let them 
lean on him.  Phillip walked up behind the last man, and touched him on his shoulder.  The man 
spun so quickly it would be hard to watch with human eyes, and swung his fist with the reflexes 
of a warrior.  Phillip, with the same reflexes, caught the fist, and with a few swift movements, had 
the man’s arm around his own neck.  By this time, the hooded figure and its companions had 
turned to watch.  
	“All I wanted to know is if you needed a place to stay for the night.  I wish you no harm,” 
he said as he released his captive.  The group, seeing this as an act of good will, nodded, but 
turned and walked toward the edge of town.  Upon reaching it, the figure collapsed yet again, 
though this time, without stumbling.
	The companion who had been supporting the figure scooped them up.  After conversing 
with his colleagues, the group made their way back to where Phillip stood, watching.
	“You name, sir?” one asked.
	Phillip replied promptly.  “Prince Phillip, of Lancadia.”
	“The men nodded, approving his identity.  ‘They must be some high placed men, if a 
prince does not intimidate them.’
	“I am Matthew, and we are the guardians of the Royal Princess Asia,” one said.  ‘That 
would explain it,’ Phillip thought.
	“I am Nathan.”
	“Daniel.”
	“And Lous,” said a fourth voice.  A black cat with a strange symbol on his forehead 
stepped out of the darkness.  Phillip hadn’t even noticed that he was there, until now.  “I am the 
chief Royal Advisor to Emperor Deleos and chief Guardian to the Princess Asia.  We will accept 
your offer of hospitality, if it still stands, Prince Phillip.”  He bowed his head a little, but not too 
much.
	“Of course.  You are welcome, and please, call me Phillip.  I hate all the formality.”  
Phillip smiled, then turned and led the way to his house.  It wasn’t large, like a prince’s should be, 
but small, well-made, and practical.  He opened the door slowly, so as not to knock the glass 
bottle on the other side.  Moving the bottle, he let the others in.
	He remembered his princely duties and pointed to his bedroom.  “That’s probably the best 
place for her.”  He followed them into the bedroom, and placed her on his bed.  ‘Thank the gods I 
cleaned up this morning.’  Matthew, the one who had carried her in, came back and asked if he 
had any medical supplies.
	“Yes, right this way, what do you need?”  As Matthew described the topicals and 
antidotes, Phillip led him to his armory and unlocked and opened the door.
	“HOLY SHIT!!!  No wonder you’re so damn paranoid about people breaking in!  This 
could arm an entire army!”  Phillip and Matthew turned around to see Nathan.  His face was pale,
yet with some kind of a mischievous look on it.
	“Don’t get any ideas,” Matthew said.  “His toys,” he continued, pointing to Phillip, “not
ours.”  Nathan put on his best unhappy puppy face, but continued to look around.
	Phillip returned to rummaging through the room.  “With as much fighting as I do, you pick 
up a few things now and then.”
	“Why do you fight?” asked Lous, who had joined them.
	“Royal Guard.”  Phillip looked to the cat, sensing enormous energy and strength, and 
respecting him very much.
	At that remark, Nathan looked even more interested.  “What company?”
	“Imperial.  Bingo!”
	They all turned to him, confused.  “First of all,” Lous said, “why have we never met you; 
we are also Imperial.  And secondly, what is ‘bingo’?”
	Phillip shrugged and tossed Matthew a small box filled with medicine.  “I’ve never worked
in the Imperial City, just for provincial kings; and hell if I know, but it fit, didn’t it?”
	They all laughed and filed out of the room, Phillip locking the door behind them.  Lous and
Matthew returned to the princess, but Nathan stayed with Phillip as he made everyone some 
drinks.
	“So,” he began, “why is a rich prince like you working as a guard?”
	Phillip laughed a little at Nathan’s boldness, then shut his mouth.  “I don’t want to be king
 of Lancadia.  It is a weak military province.  That’s another reason I’m here.  If I become a good 
military man, then become king, I can strengthen Lancadia.  Of course, maybe I’ll be lucky and get
out of being king.”
	Nathan looked bewildered.  “Don’t want to be king?  Man, you is a damn stupid idiot.  
Absolutely crazy.  Don’t want to be king of Lancadia!  That is THE most politically powerful 
province in the entire Dark Realm!”
	“Maybe so,” was the reply, “but should the Realm be attacked, Lancadia would only be a 
hindrance.  If I must be king, I will only be king of a strong province, not just a talkative one.”
	“You may be a prince, but you’ve got the ambition of a god,” Nathan smiled.
	Phillip smiled back a little.  “Best way to go.”
	Matthew, Daniel, and Lous came into the room just as Nathan and Phillip sat down.  “How 
is she?” Nathan asked, standing.
	Matthew smiled weakly.  “Tired.  She’ll sleep for a few days, I’d bet.”  He turned to
Phillip.  “We are very grateful to you, sir.”
	Phillip nodded his head in welcome, then looked at Lous.  He was getting the feeling the 
feline was the leader of the group, never mind his size.  “May I ask what happened?”
	Lous smiled as much as a cat could.  “She was ambushed.  Her guard, who I’ll admit 
could take on ten others alone, died.  And the princess knows how to fight.  There must have been 
over thirty.”
	“Were you guys not there?”
	“They were off at battle,” Lous said, nodding at Matthew, Nathan, and Daniel.  “I was
back at camp.  She was traveling a back road, returning from a nearby village.  She was already 
ill, and then shot by a poisoned arrow.  That’s when they were ambushed.  She managed to fight 
her way out, and make it back to camp.  We still don’t know what kind of poison was used.  It 
must be something she has never been hit with, though, because she usually takes fine to them.”
	Phillip raised an eyebrow.  “You speak as if she was used to being poisoned.”
	“Well, she is.”  Lous sighed.  “Asia is, well, a bit of a special princess.  She is the 
heir to Emperor Deleos’s throne, as well as the Commanding General of the Lost Armies.”
	“You guys are part of the Lost Armies!?” Phillip exclaimed.
	“Yes,” Lous continued.  “Each are Commanders of the different companies.  As you can 
imagine, Asia has many enemies.  But, this is a new and strange form of poison.  We can’t 
tell what it is, or what it will do.  She has just fallen into a deep sleep.  We are taking her back to 
the Imperial City as fast as we can.  We have just one horse,” Lous mused.
	Phillip hesitated, with a thoughtful look on his face.  “Could I see the arrow?” he asked.
Lous raised an eyebrow, but motioned for Daniel to hand him the arrow.  Phillip sniffed it a few 
seconds, then appeared to be thinking.  He looked worried as he sniffed it again, then shoved it 
away from himself.  “Put it away.  I’d burn it.  The poison is chloractno.  Not pretty stuff.  If one 
of us gets infected, there’s no clue what will happen.  That’s probably the most deadly stuff you 
can find.”	
	“He’s right,” came a new, sixth voice.  All four men and the feline looked up to see the 
Princess Asia standing in the doorway, ragged and pale.  She had long red hair, reaching below 
her hips, and tied back in a low partial ponytail.  She was stunning, even in her ragged state.  
Phillip couldn’t keep from staring.  In all his years of meeting princesses, he had never met one 
with such utter beauty.  Nathan and Daniel rushed to her side, as the other two stood, readying the 
couch for her to lay on.  She simply sat, with barely any help.“Had you guys let me talk,” she said
with a teasing annoyance, casting iced glances at her companions, who blushed, “I could have told 
you that the first day.  We need to get to the City as soon as possible.”
	“Umm, Asia, I have a question,” Daniel spoke.  “Three minutes ago you were out 
cold, and now you’re up and walking.  What’s with that?”
	“Chloractno has stages.  The first is the deep sleep.  Then, there is a period of wakeness 
and vitality.  Just enough to lead you on.  The next stage isn’t so pleasant.  I’ll become delusional, 
chaotic, like on a rampage.  Then, if I survive that, I’ll die.  Nasty little stuff it is.”
	“Well, what about an antidote?” Matthew asked, taking the news the best. 
	“I’m sure Kurushimi’s army has some.  They wouldn’t keep this stuff around without a 
ton of the antidote too.  It’s only a matter of infiltrating and stealing it,” Asia said, her face staying 
straight the entire time.  It occurred to Phillip how strong she must be, being able to talk so easily 
about her impending doom.
	“Are we sure that it was Kurushimi who shot the arrow?” Daniel asked.
	“Yes.  I don’t know of anyone else who would stick around here if the two of us are 
fighting.  That, and if they were stupid enough to, they would never have been able to get to me so 
quickly.  It had to be her,” Asia answered.  “Phillip, have you seen anyone new around here?”
	Phillip searched his memory of the faces passing through.  “Yes.  But all of them wore 
uniforms either like the ones you do,” pointing at the trio of men, “or wearing black with navy 
sashes.  Everyone else has been the usual wanderer or traveler.  And those two groups are the only
that have traveled in more that ten at a time.”
	“So, it was Kurushimi for sure,” Nathan said.  “Then do I get to go in and get the antidote?  
I reeeaaaallllyyy want to.”  Lous raised his eyebrows, Matthew shook his head, and Daniel 
blinked.
	“If you want to, you can,” Asia said, smiling.  “But while you do that, we need to get back 
to the City.  Daniel, if you will take Light and ride on to the City, I need you to make sure 
Ares gets there, and make sure Deleos is around.  I’ll need to see them both.  Nathan, go on 
to Kurushimi’s camp and find the antidote.  Matthew, you and I will go on on foot.”  She looked 
around at the group of men.  “Well, I guess that’s it.”
	“Wait,” Phillip said, “I’m going to the Imperial City in a few days.  New charge.  How 
about I go ahead and go with you two?  It sounds as if you could use an extra hand.  I can also fix 
all of us up with some horses.”
	Asia looked around at her companions, who nodded their heads that they didn’t care.  “All 
right, works for us.”  She got up and walked back into the bedroom, reemerging a moment later 
with her original cape on.  Her dress, a slimming black satin one with large slits up either thigh, 
was well hidden beneath it.  Except for the fact that the hood wasn’t drawn, it would be near 
impossible to tell it was her.  Phillip gathered a few things, and the group walked out to a stable 
nearby and collected four horses.  At a loud whistle from Asia, a fifth appeared, at first seeming to 
be a white mare, yet after close examination, it became apparent that she was a unicorn, for she 
bore a long horn on her forehead.  This, as Phillip was introduced, was Light, short for 
Moonlight.  Daniel mounted Light and rode off quickly to make the twelve hour trip to the City.  
Nathan rode off to find the antidote, and the leftovers, Lous, Asia, Phillip, and Matthew, set off a 
good deal slower.  Whereas it took Daniel only a few hours to travel the distance because of the 
speed he maintained, it took the group one full day.  By the time they had arrived to the City, Asia 
was being carried on Matthew’s horse, and Lous rode with Phillip.  
	Daniel greeted the four out front, and led Phillip to a temporary room.  Matthew, Asia and 
Lous headed off in the direction of her chambers.
	“Did you guys get here alright?” Daniel asked.
	“Yes, there were no problems.  Do you think Asia will be alright?” Phillip replied.
	“Probably.  Nothing really seems to hurt her.  In fact, why don’t we go see how she is 
now?”  The two men set off in the direction Phillip had seen them take her.  They passed through 
extravagantly decorated halls, passed a ballroom, kitchen, and everything else a palace should 
have.  
	“Where are her chambers?” he asked.
	“In the heart of the palace.  There’s so much more protection there.”
	“Well, why isn’t Emperor Deleos there instead?”
	“He treasures Asia.  Won’t let anything happen to her; or at least he tries.  Come on, one 
more room to go.”  They reached a large, heavy mahogany door, with two guards standing at 
either side.  Daniel raised his eyebrow, but still proceeded to enter.
	“Hey!  What’s going on?” he exclaimed when the guards stopped his entrance.  Matthew, 
who was standing a few feet away, hurried up to the situation.
	“Daniel, Phillip, come here for a second.  Let me explain things.”  The trio walked 
over to a more secluded corner of the room.  “Something has been happening.  Asia is giving off 
pulses of energy.  All she said was that she wanted Deleos, Ares and I to go to her.  But when I 
tried to enter the room, one of the pulses shot me so hard I went flying out the door.  I don’t know 
what to do.”
	“All I can say is try to go back in,” Phillip advised.  “Where is the Emperor and Ares?” 
	“Right here,” came a third voice.  The trio bowed respectfully to the Emperor Deleos, a tall
and lanky man, not the usual picture of power, but underneath, he contained enormous magical 
energy.  Behind him was Ares, the god of war, peace, and anything having to do with peoples 
relationships with one another.  “I take it she’s having a fit?”
	Matthew snorted and said, “Yeah, you could call it a fit.”
	“Prince Phillip, do you know anything about this poison?” Ares asked.
	“Yes.  Its called chloractno.  From what I know, it hasn’t been used for centuries.  I had 
thought that it was completely wiped out.  These ‘fits’ will continue until she is too tired to have 
them anymore.  By that time, she will most likely be too tired to live.”
	“Can it be stopped?”
	“Yes, Nathan has gone to find the antidote,” Daniel said.  “He should be back within a few 
hours.  That’ll give him enough time to make it into Kurushimi’s camp, find the antidote, return, 
all with a few fights along the way.  You know Nathan, he can’t go anywhere without a fight.”
	“Sirs, I believe Princess Asia is calling for you from inside,” one of the guards said, 
his ear to the door.  Ares, Deleos and Matthew all moved carefully toward the door, and slipped 
inside.From their point outside the chambers, they could here yelling.  
	“What’s going to happen?” Daniel asked Phillip.
	“I think, I’m not sure, she’ll start to emit large surges of power.  She shouldn’t have much 
control over the size of them, so she might cause a little damage.”
	Daniel nearly choked on his own spit.  “Little bit of damage?  She’ll rip this place to pieces!
Those three are going to have to put up a barrier or she’ll blow this city sky high!”
	Phillip half grinned.  “I doubt she could do that much damage.  After all she IS a princess.”
	Daniel turned to him with a serious expression.  “She may be a princess, but trust me, she 
is the most powerful person I know.  I think her power exceeds that of the Emperor,” he said, 
his voice barely above a whisper.  Just then, they heard the explosions begin inside the room.
	Ten hours later, Phillip was standing, dressed in his royal clothing, inside an enormous 
foyer, next to massive, engraved doors which housed a ballroom full of Dark Realm nobles.  He 
had no idea why he was there, he had just done as a ragged Emperor Deleos had told him; and 
dressed as royalty.  The room in which he stood had high walls, with intricate designs on them, 
and led up to a high ceiling which had a large skylight.  It was said that from this room was the 
best place to watch the setting suns and rising moons.  He walked outside to the balcony; a quite 
famous one at that, for this was the balcony the Emperor often made his addresses from.  In his 
opinion, this was the most beautiful sight.  Directly below him were rose bushes of all different 
colors.  The roses they bore were blue, purple, pink, orange, navy, a seagreen, midnight, black, 
yellow, red and finally, and numbering the most, white.  He had no idea where a bush such as 
those below him had come from, for he had only seen a few roses in his life.  There were not 
common, for they were not native to the Dark Realm, where they came from he did not know.  
Past the roses was a spectacular view of the Imperial City, with all its lights and the busy people 
walking the streets.  It was actually quite a sight to behold.
	“Amazing, isn’t it?”
	Phillip whirled to see who had intruded upon his moment of solitude and admiration.  
Standing before him was the princess Asia, looking as beautiful as ever.  She wore a white ball 
gown, with a tight bodice and a flaring, full skirt.  She leaned forward over the railing, and studied 
the roses below.  Her hair swayed slightly in the light breeze, adding on to her beauty.  Phillip was 
at a loss for words, he had never seen such utter beauty in his life.  Now, as she stood looking in 
full health, not as the sickly looking child he had first encountered, her womanhood stood out 
starkly from his earlier visions.  He turned back the the view and uttered, “Yes, it certainly is.  Are
you sure you should be out?  After all, you were just infected with a deathly fatal chemical.”
	“I’ll be fine,” she replied, turning to him.  Phillip double taked as he saw her eyes for the 
first time, her true eyes.  She was easily readable to him, showing no barriers to the woman 
beneath.  They were eyes of wisdom, eyes of truth, but what struck him as odd, they were not 
eyes of innocence.  She had an old look, almost, like she had lived beyond her years.  Yet, they 
were still the most entrancing eyes he had ever seen, and would ever again.  She smiled and turned 
back again, as if this brief moment of self portrayal had been for his benefit and his only.  “Do you 
know the story behind these roses?”
	His attention again diverted to the flowers, he gave them no more than a second glance.  
“No.  I didn’t know there was a story.”
	She smiled again and closed her eyes, as if remembering the story herself.  “There was 
once a princess, from very long ago, that lived with her mother.  They lived together in a star
system with nine planets, a powerful moon and a sun.  Each of these held their own people.  The 
princess and her mother lived on the moon.  Now, the princess’s father did not know of her, and 
upon hearing that he had a daughter, went into a tremendous rage.”
	“This wouldn’t by any chance be the same princess and family that started the Sailor 
Massacre?” Phillip interrupted.
	“Maybe.  I know that story but it is for a different time.  Anyway, the parents of this child 
went to war, and it was the bloodiest ever seen.  In the end, the father won out, for he had the 
connections and armies the mother did not.  The princess returned with her father to a home she 
had never known, but soon became homesick.  Showing compassion for his daughter for the first 
time, he permitted her to return to her mother’s long enough to pick something to take with her.  
She chose roses.  She took one bush from every planet, one from the moon, and one from the 
sun.  Still, she was homesick, but it was bearable.  She never returned to her mother, but always 
felt she carried a little of her real home with her.  This is where she put the bushes,” Asia said, 
motioning to the roses below.  “The yellow is for the sun, the colors for the planets, and the white 
for the moon.  They have been growing ever since.”
	“And how long ago did this happen?” Phillip asked skeptically.
	“A little over a thousand years ago.”  Asia turned her head as she heard their names being 
called, and the two walked back into the foyer where a weary Matthew explained that he, Ares, or 
the Emperor would not be making the ball.  Asia instead was to give any speeches for other events 
planned for the evening.  Taking Phillip’s arm, the two stood waiting to be announced.
	“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess Asia and His Royal Highness Prince Phillip!”
The heavy mahogany doors swung open, and the stunning couple descended the stairs to begin an 
evening that would be remembered by all attending for years to come.


			*			*			*
	
Chapter Three


	“The sooner you quiet yourself, the sooner you will be out of your misery,” a guard said 
as he drug a screaming, wriggling, and very pissed-off Sailor Mars behind him.  She was giving 
them as much trouble as she could; burning their hands, kicking whenever possible, punching if 
an arm got loose.  In the mist from the last fight, she had been enclosed in one of the black spheres 
and taken her into a castle-like place.  She had a major headache, and the guards’ continued hitting 
was not helping.  A small part of her brain had registered that she would probably be taken to 
Sailor Jupiter.  But for the majority of her mind, all she knew was that she was not happy and 
would probably be subjected to a great amount of pain.  ‘Yet,’ the rational half argued back, ‘now 
we will have more information about the enemy.  That is, if I ever get out of this alive and in time.’
	After a long corridor, she was pushed down some stairs, and through yet another part.  
They seemed to be taking her as deep as the castle would go, probably to a dungeon or jail of some 
sort.  After four flights of stairs, they finally reached the end, where there was a heavy wooden 
door guarded by four guards.  Being led inside, she saw a young man standing in one cell, close 
to the back, hovered over something.  ‘I wonder where Lita is?’ she thought.  She was pushed 
inside and adjacent cell, and it was locked behind her.  The five guards that had escorted her left 
the dungeon, leaving the room empty except for the man beside her and the guards on the outside 
of the door.  She stood, dusting off her suit, and walked around the cell, looking for any 
weaknesses.  All in all, it was a very cold and uninviting place.
	“You’re one of them too, aren’t you?”  The question startled her.  She turned to the cell 
beside her, finding it was the young man who had spoken.  He was tall, with blond hair and ice 
blue eyes.  He was dressed in old, raggy clothing, just enough to keep him from freezing, it 
looked like.  “You’re a Sailor Scouts too, am I right?” he asked again.
	“How do you know about us?” she asked.
	Dimitri stepped to the back of the cell and picked up something.  It was large and heavy, 
from the sound of the grunt he gave out.  Carrying it over to Rei, he laid it down.  As the figure 
came into the sunlight shining through a barred window, she gave a gasp of surprise.  Lying 
before her was Sailor Jupiter, looking extremely beat up.  She had bandages made from the man’s 
clothing on her head and arm, and was unconscious.  “Lita...” she breathed.  “What’s 
happened to her?” she asked of the man.
	“Escape plan gone wrong,” he answered.  “Now, let’s get some things straight.  As in, 
who are you?”
	“Sailor Mars.  You?”
	“Dimitri.  I’m a friend.”
	“It’ll take more than that to convince me.  How long has she been out?”
	Just then, the doors opened again, and four guards entered.  “Put the red one in with her 
friend,” one said.  The guards entered the cell, unaware of what was about to happen.
	“Mars Celestial Fire Surround!”  Screaming, the guards fell down, trying to put out the 
flames.  Mars ran out of the cell, and made for the door.  Three other guards rushed in, only to be 
burned like the colleagues.  Once outside, Mars came face in face with about twenty or so people, 
and promptly turned and walked back into the dungeon, where Dimitri was watching with a slight 
snicker.  A guard walked in front of her, a big mistake.  Whereas she didn’t try to run, she just 
killed him dead for making it.  This time, three guards came and unlocked the door to which Mars 
walked calmly through.  The large group of people outside began to slowly file into the dungeon, 
and took up Mars’s former cell.  They were bandit looking people, but Mars wasn’t afraid.  The 
way she saw it, if they could defeat the Doom Phantom, then bandits would be no problem.  
Instead, she turned her attention to Sailor Jupiter.  After twenty minutes of trying to wake her, she 
finally sat back and started talking to Dimitri.
	“My god, she’s harder to wake than Serena...” she muttered under her breath.  She told 
Dimitri about all the attacks, and what he thought was going on.  After the discussion had
deteriorated to listening to the bandits beside the, Jupiter finally started to come around.
	“Lita?” Rei asked as she rushed to her side.  “Lita, can you hear me?”
	“Re..Rei?”
	“Hey girl.  You okay?”
	Lita finally started to sit up.  “Wow.  What a headache.  Where am I?”
	“Same place you’ve been for the past few days,” Dimitri said.
	“Oh, Dimitri.  I take it the plan didn’t work?”  Dimitri just smirked in response.  “Oh.  
Then I guess we’ll just have to come up with another, right?  And now we’ll have Sailor Mars on 
our side.”
	“You guys just never give up, do you?”  Dimitri sighed and resolved himself to another 
night of endless planning.


	He was bored.  He always was as of late.  Everything had been done, and he found no 
pleasure in his old hobbies.  It had been this way for the past few hundred years.  Sure, he got to 
fight a war once in awhile, overtake a few kingdoms, but come on, he’d been doing that for 
THOUSANDS of years.  Everything was just so old now, and it was getting him down in the 
dumps.  
	“Hmmm, are there any kingdoms violating policies?” he mumbled to himself.  “No..., but 
maybe someone is on bad terms with an outside kingdom?”  He rifled through a stack of papers 
that lay next to him.  “Of course not, that would give me something to do.  Old enemies?”  He 
searched the papers again, and came across an interesting fact.  Beryl was dead.  “Well, well, what 
do we have here?”  He read the report on the battle, a smile beginning to play on the corners of his 
lips.  “These Sailor Scouts could prove to be a threat...” he smiled again, an amused air coming to 
him, “Okay, so they don’t even know about us, but apparently there is something desirable about 
Earth.  I wonder if any of the other kingdoms in the universe are still thriving?  The Moon, 
perhaps.  After all, if Beryl and Metallia wanted it, then there must be something good about it.  
And, it only seems fair that we should control Earth, considering it is Asia’s.  Finally, something 
is going to happen around here.”  He pounded the side of the throne he was reclined on, and the 
doors in front of him opened. 
	“Your Majesty,” a servant spoke, bowing.  “You wish of something?”
	“Yes,” he said, “that I do.  I would like you to bring Prince Solon, King Matthew, and 
Nathan here.  As soon as possible, understood?”  The servant bowed again, and quietly slipped 
from the room.  He twirled a piece of gray hair around his finger.  “What to do, what to do.”
	Within the hour, three men materialized in front of him.  By this time, he had twirled and 
curled his hair so much that it resembled an Brit in the 1700s.  The three looked at him, amused, 
but only one had the audacity to smirk.
	“Deleos, love the hair.  Suits you perfectly.”  The two that had not spoken rolled their eyes 
at the bold blond.
	“Shut up, Nathan.  I don’t feel like dealing with your dumb-ass comments right now.  I’m 
bored,” Deleos said.
	“So we’re going to conquer someplace, or start a war, or something of the sort?” Solon 
asked.
	“Have I gotten that predictable?” Deleos asked.
	“Yes,” the two men said together.  Deleos put on a mock angered expression, when really 
he didn’t mind in the least.  He liked this duo, he liked them alot.  Maybe it was just because they 
were all related to Asia in some way, and that was his way of remembering her.  Or maybe it was 
just because they were really amusing.  He liked Matthew, too, but more because he had been so 
close to her.  But Nathan and Solon, well, they were one of a kind.  If only someone knew what 
kind.
	“Well, these people will actually put up a fight.  The planetary Sailor Scouts and Princess 
Serena.  They are located on the planet Earth, in the universe.”
	“Deleos, what are you thinking!?” Matthew shouted.  Nathan blinked, Solon only raised an 
eyebrow.  Deleos, on the other hand, calmly accepted it.  “Why the hell are we attacking Earth!?  
We have no need of that planet.  The smartest thing to do would just be to leave it alone,” he 
finished.
	“I feel that it should belong to us; you know why.  Is it such a problem?”
	“Of course it’s a problem.  How do we know Serenity isn’t still alive, or the Silver 
Millennium isn’t still in existence?  The last time we messed with the universe, we suffered 
enormous loses.  Are you willing to go through that again?!” 
	“I doubt Serenity is alive, or that the other planets’ kingdoms’ even exist.  Princess 
Serena, the great-granddaughter of the Serenity we know, is living on Earth, as well as the Sailor 
Scouts of the other planets.  Therefore, something must have happened for them to have moved 
there.  Earth is rightfully ours, and I have every intention of taking it back.”
	“I think it’s a mistake,” Matthew retorted.
	“I don’t care.”
	“If things get messy, I’m not taking any blame.”
	“You will if I say you will.”
	“No way.”
	Nathan and Solon’s heads swiveled back and forth between their Emperor and friend as 
they bickered on.
	“ENOUGH!!!!!   We’ll just go and kill the bitches, okay?” Nathan said exasperatly.  “The 
only thing I’m worried about, though, is the other Sailors.  They won’t like this, you know.  And 
I am never going to fight that Sailor Spirit.  She’ll kick my ass yet AGAIN.”
	“Don’t worry about the other Sailors, Nathan, just take care of the ones on Earth.  They are 
...Sailor Moon, the leader; Sailor Mercury; Sailor Mars; Sailor Jupiter; Sailor Venus; and this guy 
Tuxedo Mask.  I think he’s one of the descendants of the royal Earth family.  Just take care of 
them, okay?  With them out of the way, we’ll be able to take back the Earth easily.  No rush.”
	“Yeah, that’s what you say,” Matthew muttered, “I do have things back at Lancadia, you 
know.”
	“Shut up, Matthew.  You act so pissy sometimes.  Live a little,” Nathan said.
	“Yeah, I’d better.  With this new assignment, my days are limited.”	
	“You don’t actually think these Scouts are going to pose a threat, do you, Matthew?” Solon 
asked.
	“It’s not them I’m worried about; it’s Nathan,” he retorted.  Nathan just grinned, slinging 
an arm over each man’s shoulders. 
	Nathan grinned even louder as he started in his off-pitch voice, “We’re off to see the 
wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!  Lala lala lalalalalalalalalalala!”


	‘This is fun,’ Asia thought to herself as she watched Serena in the park.  She wasn’t 
spying really, she had only happened to see her.  But, as she had begun to walk toward her, she 
saw that Serena was talking to someone.  A boy.  ‘I hope that isn’t this Darien of hers.  If so, he’d 
better 
have an amazing personality.’  The boy was shorter than Serena, and wore huge glasses, making 
his eyes look out of focus.  Though she couldn’t hear exactly what was said, she definitely could 
tell how high and squeaky his voice was.  After awhile and a good deal of yelling, another girl 
walked up to the two.  She had short shoulder-length wavy hair, and appeared to be about 
Serena’s age.  She began talking to Serena, and Serena put on a shocked expression.  She 
continued to stare at the new girl with eyes wide.  Asia, still concealed in her bush, crept forward 
so she could hear better.  It seemed the talk was about Serena’s friend, Lita.  The girl was asking if 
Serena knew where she was, but there was no mention of Rei Hino.  Then, the boy mentioned 
her, saying something about how he had read in one of his mags about how this girl had gotten 
abducted by aliens, and maybe that was what had happened to her.  ‘You have no idea how right 
you are,’ Asia thought as the girl bonked him on the head with a book.  Asia started to settle down 
to what was seeming to be a very entertaining conversation.
	“So, do you usually spy on fourteen year olds?” a male voice whispered from behind her.
	Asia turned slightly, acknowledging the young, dark-haired, handsome man behind her.
“Only when the topics as interesting as this.  And only when I’m waiting to jump out and scare the 
crap out of a friend.”
	“And who’s the friend?” 
	“The blond.  She won’t know what’s coming at her.”  Asia settled down lower into the 
bush.  The young man suddenly had a vision of this woman as a lion getting ready for the kill.  Of 
course, since it was Serena she was going for, he wouldn’t stop her.  
	Asia crouched as low as she could.  ‘All those years of spying are finally paying off,’ she 
laughed to herself.  As she watched, the boy and girl moved off, and Serena stood there for a 
moment, as if wondering what to do.  Asia took the chance to silently move from her spot in the 
bushes to creep behind her.  Darien took her place, and accidentally stepped on a twig.  Serena 
heard the movement, and swung her head around to peer at the bush.  She started stepping toward 
it, full of uncertainty.  When she was but a few feet from the bush, Asia took the opportunity to 
slip up right behind her.  As Serena neared the bushes, fingers inches apart from unmasking 
Darien, Asia leaned her head right next to Serena’s ear.  She was so focused on the bushes she 
didn’t even notice it.
	“Boo,” Asia whispered.  Serena eyes flew wide, and she jumped at least three feet off the 
ground, screaming as she did.  She started forward, only to scream again as Darien stood from 
the bushes.  By this time, Asia was on the ground rolling with laughter, and was soon Darien.
Serena, still spooked, turned and started to run, only to trip over a bench in plain sight and land 
flat on her face.  
	“Hey!  That wasn’t funny!” Serena yelled at both of them.  “You aren’t allowed to team up 
on me!” she yelled, rubbing her forehead.
	“Sorry, Serena, but it was just too funny,” Darien laughed out.  Asia looked at him, then 
Serena, back to Darien, Serena, Darien, Serena, and finally Darien.  
	“Ha!  You must be this Darien I keep hearing about!” she exclaimed.  “Why, I feel as if I 
know you already.”	
	Darien looked at her and raised an eyebrow.  “You do?”
	“No.  I just thought it fit, didn’t you?”
	Serena finally managed to get up, and walked over to Asia.  “Asia, this is Darien Shields.
Darien, this is Asia Seishin.  Glad to see you two already met.  Of course, this means I’ll 
have to get back at both of you,” she said with a smile.
	“Whoa.  I didn’t do anything.  I was just trying to see what she was doing,” Darien said, 
backing away.  “I’ve seen how you get back at your brother sometimes, and I don’t ever want to 
be in that situation.”
	“I’d like to see you try,” came Asia’s calm reply.  Serena put on a fake mad expression, 
but it quickly gave way to a radiant smile.
	“Come on, let’s go get ice cream.”  Darien rolled his eyes as Asia’s eyes flashed with 
fear.  She drug them along, and pouted until Darien bought her some quadruple scoop chocolate.
Asia just picked up a small vanilla cone.  They trio walked along, carefree, all over the suburb.  
Asia noticed as Serena quieted down quickly.  She looked up and noticed they were passing the 
Cherri Hill Temple.  
	Serena started sniffling a little, and both Asia and Darien put an arm around her.  “Come 
on, Serena.  Rei’s alright, you know she is.”  Darien looked up sharply.
	“Huh?”
	Asia turned from his confused expression to look at Serena.  “You didn’t tell him, did 
you?” she asked.  Serena shook her head, looking down.  “Serena, why not?  He has a right to 
know.”
	“I was afraid he’d tell Luna.”
	By this time, Darien was finally getting it.  “You TOLD her?” he exclaimed.  When 
Serena nodded, he looked up at Asia.  “Hey, listen Asia.  You’d be better just forgetting it.  Pretty 
much, anyone who finds out ends up dying.  It happens every time.  It’s kinda like a tradition.”
	“Don’t worry, Darien.  I won’t die.  Trust me on that.”
	“Hey!  That reminds me!”  The two older people looked down at Serena, who had 
switched from crying to a happy, carefree and chocolate covered expression.  “I need you help 
with something, Asia.  I need to get someone to cover for Lita and Rei.  This would be the perfect 
way!  Nobody knows you, so they wouldn’t question it much.  You could pose as distant family 
or something.  Everybody know Darien, and the schools and Rei’s family would know whatever 
he says is crap.”
	“Hey!  Why would they think that?!” Darien pouted.
	Serena just rolled her eyes.  “So, would you?” she asked.
	Asia wrinkled her nose.  “Oh, alright.  What do you want me to say?”


	“Cherri Hill Temple, Chad Kumada speaking.”
	“Um, hello hello, my I speak with Hiroshi Hino*, please?”
	“Just a moment.”  The line was silent for a moment until Rei’s grandfather picked up.
	“Hello? Hiroshi Hino speaking.”
	“Hino?  Hi, this is Christina Douglas speaking.  I work down at the Red Cross in 
Kyushu.  I’m calling on behalf of your granddaughter, Rei?”  Asia looked over at Darien and 
Serena as if asking if what she was saying was correct.  Serena nodded her head while Darien’s 
lips played a smile.
	“Yes, is she alright?  Nothing’s happened, has it?!”  Asia could feel his anxiety build even 
through the line.
	“Yes, she is fine.  She is down here in Kyushu, though.  A friend was in an accident, and 
she felt she was needed.  She’ll be fine; she’s staying with me and visiting a nearby Shinto temple 
to continue her training.  Right now she’s at the hospital, but she wanted you to know she 
wouldn’t be home for awhile.  Is that alright with you?”
	“You say she’s continuing with her training?”
	“Yes.”
	“And visiting a friend?  What happened?”
	“Car wreck.  She’ll need lots of care after she is released from the hospital, and Rei 
volunteered.”
	“Alright, as long as she’s helping others.  I’m proud of that girl.  When you see her, tell 
her to give me a call when she can, okay?”
	“Sure.”
	“Thank you.”
	“Thank YOU.  Take care.”  Asia hung up the phone and turned to the couple.  “Well, that 
wasn’t so hard.”
	“Great,” Serena chirped.  “Now, I just need you to call the school and come up with an 
excuse for Lita.”
	“What about parents or relatives?”
	“None.  Parents died awhile back, and she doesn’t have any other family.”
	Asia sighed and picked up the phone to call Crossroads Junior High.  “You’re going to 
owe me so bad after this,” she growled as she dialed the number.  “Hi, may I please speak to the 
head of the school, please?”
	“Sayona Yushi speaking.”
	“Yes, I’m calling regarding a student; one Lita Kino?”	
	“Yes, she’s been out the past few days.”
	“Yes, well, I’m calling to tell you that she is with an uncle she couldn’t find until recently. 
They are in the Bahamas.”
	“Bahamas?  Wow.  And you’re name?”
	“Christina O’Malley.  A close friend.”
	“Thank you for calling, Ms. O’Malley.  Oh, just a moment please.”  Asia could hear in the 
background a woman yelling.
	“Yushi!  Where is that Serena Tsukino?!  She’s not in school but Molly and Melvin said 
they saw her earlier this morning!  If I find out she skipped I swear to you I’ll fail her!”
	“Haruna, if you fail her then you’ll have her again next year.  Do you really want that?” 
Yushi asked.  Asia could still hear the woman grumble as she left the office.  “I’m quite sorry 
about that.  Anyway, thank you for calling and tell Lita to have a good time.”
	“Thank you.”  Asia hung up the phone and turned to Serena.  “It’s done,” she growled 
out.Darien and Serena looked at her, worried.
	“What’s the matter, Asia?” Darien asked.
	“I’ll tell you what’s the matter.  Serena, I thought school was out for the day?”
	“Well, it is.”
	“Then why were you’re friends wearing the uniforms?”
	Serena seemed at a loss for words.  “Um, they didn’t have any clean clothes?”	
	“Then why did a Ms. Haruna come screaming into Yushi’s office saying that if she found 
out you skipped, she was going to fail you?”
	“She said she would fail me?!” Serena gasped.
	“Serena, did you skip school?” Darien asked, very pissed off.
	“Um, yes?”
	“Serena!!!!  I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!  You’re already about to fail!” he finished in a 
hushed whisper, barely containing his anger.	 Asia shot him an annoyed look.  “And if they call 
your parents?” she asked Serena.
	“Out of town.  If they leave a message I’ll erase it before they get home.  And Sammy 
thinks I’m out of town with Rei.”
	Asia’s lips danced a small smile.  “Good.  At least you know how to cover up.  Ever see 
‘Ferris Bueler’s Day Off’?”
	Darien turned to Asia fuming.  “You’re not helping.”  Asia gave him a sweet smile.  
“I’ve got to get to work.  Serena, go to school,” he commanded.  With that said, he turned and 
stalked down the sidewalk.
	“So, do you want that ice cream?” Serena asked of Asia’s half eaten cone.  Asia smiled and 
handed it to her as the two took a walk in the park.


	Ami left Lita’s apartment for Crossroads Junior High.  She felt guilty about staying there 
without Lita, but she was going to do as her mother said and not return until she was sorry for 
going.  What her mother didn’t realize, though, was that it was going to be a long time until she 
would be back.  So, she was staying at Lita’s.  Luckily, Lita had given her an extra key 
when they had first met, so she could easily get in.  She had sneaked back into her house to get 
clothing and her books.  It was strange, living on her own.  She really didn’t see how Lita and 
Darien did it.  Walking into a cold, lonely house was not exactly heartwarming.  But until she and 
her mother made up, it would have to do.  She knew that her mother had called the temple, the 
Tsukino’s, and the Aino’s to see if they knew where she was.  Her friends had been kind enough 
to say that they didn’t know where she was staying.  Ami just hoped her mother didn’t come 
looking for her at school.  
	All throughout the school day Ami began to feel more and more alone.  Serena was
nowhere to be seen, and with Lita ‘at the Bahamas,’ as Ms. Haruna had told the class (probably 
Serena’s handiwork), Ami didn’t have many friends.  She ate with Molly and Melvin, which 
proved to be almost as interesting as eating with Serena.  After school, she figured she would see 
if she could find Serena and see why she didn’t come to school that day.  Walking along the streets 
of suburban Tokyo, she passed the Four Sisters’ new cosmetics shop, and noted with pleasure 
that they were happy and bickering with each other.  She stopped at an ice cream shop a few doors 
down to see if Serena was there, but ended up ordering one herself.  ‘I’m spending WAY too 
much time with her,’ she thought.  ‘Her eating habits are starting to wear off on me.’  Now THAT 
was a scary thought.
	“Ami!  Ami!  AMI!”  Ami finally turned to look at whoever was screaming at her and was 
not surprised to see Mina.
	“Yes, Mina?”
	“Well, whatcha doin’?”
	“Looking for Serena, she wasn’t in school today,” Ami explained.
	“Ohhhh,” Mina drawled out.  “Weeell, maybe she was sick!”
	Ami raised an eyebrow at her unusually hyper friend.  “So, why are you so happy?”
	Mina just lowered her head and whispered in Ami’s ear, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Ami’s look didn’t stray from calm and cool.  “Okay, okay.  This guy, Billy Bob, asked me out,”
she said with a little too much enthusiasm.
	Ami blinked.  “Billy Bob?”
	“Oh I know, isn’t it so great?!!”
	Ami burst out in fits of laughter.  “I don’t know much about dating, but BILLY BOB?!!  
Who the hell names their kid BILLY BOB if they live in the middle of Tokyo?!”
	“I think you’re just jealous.”
	“Of what?!”
	“The fact that I’ve got a boyfriend and you don’t.”
	“So you finally have a boyfriend, huh, Mina?” a new voice asked.  The two girls turned 
to find Darien.
	“Hey Darien.  Yeah, Mina says she has a boyfriend.  His name is Billy Bob,” Ami 
snickered.  Darien clenched his jaw, trying to hold in the laughter.  He wasn’t very successful.
	Mina put her hands on her hips.  “Well, what’s with you two today?  Ami, its a common 
rule that you don’t laugh at things like this, and Darien, you don’t laugh PERIOD!”
	“That may be true, but you have to admit, the whole idea of Sailor V going out with a 
country bumpkin is kinda, well, absurd?!!”  Ami and Darien burst out laughing.  That is, until the 
lamppost and bench they were next to blew up.  That shut them up pretty quick.
	“Move it!  Get into the alley so we can transform!” Darien hissed out.  The younger girls 
did as they were told, and moments later, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Tuxedo Mask 
emerged.
	“Serena, there’s a monster down at that ice cream place you like so much on the corner of 
1st and 4th.  Get down here NOW!” Mercury whispered into the communicator.
	“VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!” Venus yelled, sending it flying at Dannon, who was poised 
above them.  He let the chain wrap around his midsection, and a look of victory crossed Venus’s 
face.  “Where are the others?!” she yelled at him.  He smiled, grabbed hold of the chain, and
pulled as hard as he could.  Venus, having the chain wrapped around her hand, flew toward him.
Dannon reached out to grab her when a red rose unexpectantly slashed his arm.  His attention 
diverted from Venus, who crashed into him.  She quickly unwrapped her hand and fell to the 
ground, running to a safe distance away.  Mercury was behind her, trying to get civilians away 
from the fight.
	Dannon, having regained his composure, got the chain ready to use.  He lashed out, 
circling it around Mercury.  She screamed at the searing pain that went with the energy it used.  He 
dropped to the ground and wrapped her around a light post.
	Back in the park, Serena received the call from Mercury.  Asia looked at her and smiled.  
“Go on, the world needs you.  I’ll stay out of the way.”  Serena smiled a thanks, then rose and ran 
toward the fight.  Asia stood and slipped after her, careful not to let herself be seen.  When Serena 
reached the battle sight, she had already transformed.  Asia slipped into a nearby alley to watch.  
She thought briefly about transforming, but then decided she had better not let herself be seen too 
much this early in the game.
	By the time Sailor Moon arrived, Sailor Mercury was tied to a lamppost, Sailor Venus was 
struggling to get out from underneath a huge sheet of metal, resembling the top to a dumpster, and 
Tuxedo Mask was struggling to stand.  Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes and looked up at her 
opponent.
	“Okay!  The only speech you get is one of defeat!  I will not allow you to hurt my friends!
For this you must be punished!”  Asia wrinkled her nose at how corny that whole thing sounded.
It wasn’t exactly helping Sailor Moon’s image as a powerful warrior.  Dannon glanced dubiously 
at her, and then disappeared.  The Scouts looked around frantically, until he reappeared beside 
Sailor Mercury.  Unwrapping her from the light post, he held onto the chain and dragged her along 
side of him.
	“Moon Scepter Elimination!” she shouted and pointed her scepter at Dannon.  He easily 
dodged it, stepping away from Mercury.  She quickly jumped to her feet and began running away 
from him.  
	“No you don’t,” Dannon hissed.  He created a huge fireball of molten lava and flung it at 
her.  She didn’t even have the chance to scream before she was engulfed in the searing heat.  The 
others screamed for her, and Asia got ready to rush in.  Sailor Moon stood shakily up, and 
powered up for another attack.  “Moon Scepter Elimination!” she screamed again, and this time put 
more force into the attack.Dannon reflected the majority of it, but some went through.
	“You’ll pay for that!  No one hurts Dannon!”  He closed his eyes as a white, somewhat 
electrical aura formed around him.  He gathered a ton of energy in his right hand while sending a 
small blast from his left which rendered Sailor Moon defenseless on the ground.  When she looked 
up, a huge ball of white deadly energy was headed straight for her.


			*			*			*
	

	“CHARGE!!”  The company rushed forward, destroying anything in their way.  Asia 
paused a moment, turning to look up at her father.  	
	“Ares, are you sure this is the right thing?” she asked.
	“Yes, child, we don’t have freedom enough to worry about what others might think of the 
way we do things.  These are a very fierce people, and they have been threatening us too long.  It 
is time to stop that.  Now go, your help will be invaluable.”
	Asia looked at him one more time, worry showing through her hardened eyes.  “Soul 
Crisis,” she whispered, as the energy began to filter through her body.  Her broach 
raised on its own, and ribbons burst forth, surrounding her entire body, yet not touching it.  After 
a few moments, they seemed to expand, then attach themselves to her, forming her silver boots, 
black skirt, silver bows, and black collar, as well as her white cloves and golden tiara.  With a 
brief thought, her sword appeared at her side, and she walked down into the battling village 
below.
	She walked around the battle, no one really ever trying to attack her, for they all knew she 
was probably the strongest warrior on the field.  She was probably one of the oldest, to be sure.  
Those foolish enough to, though, learned their lessons rather quickly.  She didn’t care for war, 
though many thought otherwise.  She had a real understanding of death, so much that few others 
shared the knowledge.  But, life was war, and she was used to it.  A young woman, a few houses 
down from where she was, was trying to defend her children as she fought off two men.  It was 
obvious that the woman had never held a sword, and even more obvious she would be dead within 
minutes.  Asia sauntered up to the sight, and placed her sword in front of one of the soldiers 
before he slipped his sword inside the woman.
	“We are warriors, not butchers,” she said calmly.  “These people of are no threat, they 
don’t even know how to fight.”
	“But...they could learn!” the soldier stuttered.
	“Then I will deal with them.  You have your order, obey it,” she retorted.  The soldiers, 
disgusted, turned and left, leaving Asia alone with the family.  “I suggest you run,” she said, 
turning to the woman.  “Not everyone here has as much understanding as I do.”  Asia turned and 
looked at the children.  There were three, all blondes, the oldest around fourteen or so, the 
youngest about five.  She looked into the oldest’s eyes, for they were much too hard for someone 
of such a young age.  Dark green, but with hidden tones of blue, brown, and red.  They held an 
anger she had never seen before, yet also a look of longing for someone to hold her, comfort her.  
They were enthralling, the type of eyes that you couldn’t break contact with.  Asia turned away 
from the sight and walked back into the battle.
	After about ten minutes of easy fighting, she heard screams echoing from the hills.  Even 
from her distance in the village, she could see the family being slaughtered by the two soldiers she 
had called off earlier.  Even from her distance in the village, she could feel the oldest girl’s eyes 
burning into her before she turned from her family’s massacred bodies and ran into the woods.  
Asia, anger flaring through her, whispered, “Innocence Revoke,” and watched as the two soldiers 
crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain.  Her attack had worked as planned, and the protective 
wall of innocence around the men was demolished, revealing to them the pain they had caused, 
and amplifying the guilt they faced.  But then again, her attacks never failed.


			*			*			*


	Sailor Moon barely had time to look up, much less scream.  She remained on the ground, 
her legs, arms, head, useless to the terror that swept her conscience.  This was it, and she closed 
her eyes waiting for the moment of eternity to arrive.  She had always thought she would go down 
fighting, not sitting on her ass like a fat cow.  She had beaten Beryl, almost by herself, and yet she
could not even stand her own in a fight as insignificant as this.  Talk about embarrassment.  And 
how the hell was she thinking so much in such short a time to live?
	She opened her eyes, squinting as the light so bright, blinded her to the truth. 

	Red, red all around.
	
	It was slippery and soft like silk, running all over her.  Yet, it was not cold, nor hot, like the 
red silk should be.  It was not runny, nor reeking of a human, earthly smell as it should have.  It 
was like strands, strands of red silk.  The light was unbearable, and her uncovered arms and 
legs felt the rising heat.  Her smothered nose somehow managed to smell the burning flesh, her 
concealed eyes saw more than they should.
	Before her was Asia, bent over her, protecting her, saving her.  This is not the way it was 
supposed to be, this was not the usual order of events.  Asia could not hold up to this kind of 
power; she was but a normal human.  Sailor Moon caught her in her arms after the burn had 
subsided, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Venus rushing to her side.  Asia’s breath came in gasps, but 
she didn’t appear to be mortally wounded.  Her eyes opened, and the floods of relief showed 
flowing in Sailor Moon’s eyes.  She squinted hard at Asia, mock anger on her face.
	“Don’t.  Ever.  Do.  That.  Again.”
	Asia laughed her sweet laugh, and shakily stood.  She regained her balance, and with the 
help of Venus, moved out of the line of fire to her alley again.  Venus returned to where Sailor 
Moon and Dannon were arguing.
	Asia stood up straight, not a hint of discomfort on her face or movements.  ‘I hate playing 
weak,’ she thought.  ‘It makes me feel so...Broadway dirty.’
	“Venus Love Me Chain!” “Moon Scepter Elimination!”  The double attack sped towards 
Dannon, but he easily reflected it.  
	“Venus, it’s going to take some good thinking for us to beat him,” Sailor Moon stated.
	“Another time, girls, another time,” Dannon said, before disappearing into thin air.  
Tuxedo Mask led away a sniffling Moon, while Venus came over to check on Asia.  ‘Here we 
go, theatrical time again.’
	“Hey, you there, I wanted to make sure you’re alright, not harmed?” she asked as she did 
a quick check over of Asia.  “Nothing’s broken, sore, or missing?”
	“No...no I think I’m okay.  How bout you guys?  I hear you’ve been having a hard time as
of late.”
	Venus scowled.  “Sailor Moon is fine, thanks to you.  But we are starting to struggle, a 
little, because of our missing friends.  You sure you’ll be okay?  I didn’t catch your name.”
	“Asia Seishin.  Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.  And I’m sure you’ll find a way to get the other 
Scouts back.  I mean, after all, you ARE the Pretty Sailor Suited Soldiers, are you not?” Asia 
exclaimed with a smile.  Venus smiled back and the two parted their brief meeting.


	“Jonathan!  Oh, JONATHAN!”  Kurushimi growled.  The handsome man materialized 
beside her. 
	“Yes, Lady Kurushimi?” he said tiredly, yet respectfully.
	“What generals do we have in the army now?  How many?”
	“All the elites, about five.”
	“Good.  I want you to do something.  I want you to tell them that they will be fighting the 
Lost Armies in a few weeks.  Make sure they’re ready.”
	“Yes, whatever you say.”
	“Yes, whatever I say.”


	Darien walked on the campus grounds, leisurely taking his time.  His next class didn’t 
start for another fifteen minutes, and it only took five to get there.  To him the grounds stunk.  He 
had always wanted to go to school that had grassy quads, not concrete squares.  Some really old 
university, with barely hanging together buildings; not ones that were restored every ten years 
because they were built bad in the first place.
	“Darien Shields, right?” 
	Darien turned to see a blond guy about his age, tall, with a slim but muscular build much 
like his own.  “Yeah.  And you are?”
	“Jacob Anderson.  Yes, it is American,” he said, before Darien could ask.  “I think we’re 
in a few classes together.”
	“Yeah, I’ve seen you in...biochemistry I think.  New here, aren’t you?”
	“Yep.  I lived in the Phillipines for the past few years, but decided that since I hated the 
place, I’d move.  So, here I am!”
	“Know many people yet?” Darien inquired.
	“No one.  Why do you think I’m talking to you?” Jacob asked, eyebrow raised.  “You 
look like one of the few people around here worth talking to.  A bunch of them just kinda look at 
me and say, ‘He’s AMERICAN,’ like it’s some kinda disease.”
	“And what makes you think I’m any different?”
	“Well, you haven’t said it yet.”
	“True enough.  How’s this, I’ll make you a deal.  I’ve got a class in a few minutes, but I’ll 
meet you afterwards.  How about at six at the McDonald’s down the street?”
	“Hey, this nice thing worked better than I thought!  Do I get a free tour with the package?”
	“If I have to.”
	“You have to.”
	“Alright, you get a tour and I’ll introduce you to anyone I see I know.  Then you won’t 
feel like a dunce the rest of your life.”
	“You really know how to boost a guy’s self-respect, don’t you?”
	“I’m the best,” Darien called as he left for his class.
	“What a weirdo,” Jacob murmured under his breath.  “I like him already.”


Chapter Four


	“Mina!  Artemis!  Somebody WAKE UP!”
	“Whaa...What’s up, Luna?” Mina replied sleepily over the communicator.  “It’s four in 
the morning!”
	“Yeah Luna, what’s the big idea?!” Artemis added.
	“Get up idiots!  Transform and meet at Serena’s house in five minutes!”  And with that 
Luna disappeared from the screen.  
	“Man, this sucks.”
	Mina gave a glaring glance over to Artemis.  “Shut up, flea bag hairball.  You don’t have 
room to talk.  You’re a cat, and get to sleep the rest of the day.”
	Serena stood shivering in the cool morning air outside her house.
	“You know, we heroines should get more than these skimpy suits, you know, Luna.  We 
should accessorize more; get cold weather suites and fire resistant and deep diving stuff.  Kinda 
like Superman, except we’re...girls, and...young...and...well you get the point.  We need an 
official Sailor Scouts shopping spree,” she finished sarcastically, arms wrapped around herself.
“Hey!”  Two stronger arms wrapped around her, pulling her close and warming her up.  “I could 
get used to this suit,” she said dreamily, snuggling closer into Tuxedo Mask’s embrace.  “What 
are you doing here?  I didn’t call.”	
	“You forget; I feel it when you transform,” Tux said, whispering in her ear.  “So what’s 
going on?” he asked.
	“Don't know.  Luna said she’d tell us later, when Venus and Artemis get here,” she 
whispered back.  “Whatever it is, it’s got her in a bad mood.”
	“Luna!  Tomorrow morning I’m going to kill you!” Venus shouted, jumping down from a 
nearby rooftop.  “I would do it tonight...” she said with a yawn, “but I’m too tired.  So tomorrow 
morning, you’re going to get it.”
	“Shut up Venus.  Now everyone, listen close.  We have a major problem on our hands,”
Luna said gravely.  “Do you think just the two of you can do a Sailor Teleport?” she asked of 
Moon and Venus.  They looked at each other and shrugged.  “I hope so, because we need to get to 
the North Pole again.”
	“Whoaaaaaa!  I’m not going there again!  Not only bad memories, but do you have any 
idea how cold it must be there this time of year?!  I can barely deal with forty degrees, much less
negative twenty!”
	“Sailor Moon, DO IT!” Luna shouted.  Sailor Moon rolled her eyes and curled her lip at 
Luna.  She, Artemis and Tuxedo Mask all moved close together as Venus and Sailor Moon 
joined hands around them.  
	“Sailor Teleport!” they shouted, and pouring all their energy into teleporting to the northern 
latitudes.  The group seemed to flicker between locations a little, before finally resting down on 
cold snow up north.
	“I don’t think I’ve ever done something so hard,” Venus said, sagging until Tuxedo 
Mask supported her.
	“Then you haven’t done much,” Luna retorted.
	“What’s with all these towers?” Artemis asked, looking around.  Four large towers were in 
sight, and another could be seen, off in the distance, much larger than the rest.  Sailor Moon 
looked around, tears brimming her eyes.
	“That’s where each of the Scouts died, in the battle against Beryl,” she said.  “They each 
went into a explosion large enough to cause those things,” she finished, pointing at the nearest,
Jupiter’s once deathbed.  “The one in the distance is where the final battle took place; where the 
Scouts and I stood, up on the top.”


	Unbeknownst to them, Sailor Soul watched from a careful distance.  She had snuck in to 
the teleportation without the others knowing, for they all had their eyes closed.  That was why they
had had so much trouble, there was an extra person.  But, she wanted to make sure they’d be
okay.  
	She knew about the fight against Beryl - more than even Luna and Artemis knew.  So she 
was figuring that something in Beryl’s old base had reactivated, whether it was another monster or 
just some equipment.  Luna was right in that regard; the best thing to do was put the whole place to 
waste.
	She watched as they moved off toward one of the few entrances to Beryl’s underground 
lair.  Following close behind, she could hear snippets of the conversation, but it appeared to just be 
Sailor Moon’s account of the fight.  ‘Just a little farther,’ she thought as she saw Tuxedo Mask 
near a dark spot on the ice.  ‘Just step right on it and you’ll fall right in.  That’s one of the monster 
entrances to the place.’


	“Man, why does it have to be so cold around here?  And why do we have to be here, of all 
places?!” Nathan yelled.
	“Shut up idiot.  This is where Beryl was destroyed.  Aren’t you at least a little curious 
about exactly what happened?  After all, you did have a little affair with her,” Matthew retorted.
Solon managed to keep from laughing, but failed miserably.
	Nathan turned to glare at Matthew.  “And if you don’t remember, I broke it off after she 
tried to KILL ME!”
	“Keep your voice down,” Matthew whispered.
	“Matthew, we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Solon said.  “There’s no one to hear us.”
	“There always could be.”
	“You’re no fun.”
	“You’re still in puberty.”
	“I’m over one thousand years old!”
	“Yes, well, you look like you’re in puberty.”
	“Yeah well, you act like you’re PMSing.”
	“Hey hey hey!  Somebody’s coming!” Nathan whispered, pounding Matthew’s arm.  
Matthew, long used to it, looked in the direction he was pointing.
	“They’re still too far off to tell who they are,” he said.  “Be ready to fight, though.”
	They figures in the distance slowly grew in size.  It appeared two of them were wearing 
short skirts, and one seemed to be in more of a suit.  A little black dot moved along next to them, 
also.
	“Matthew, those are Sailor Scouts!” Solon whispered.
	“How can you tell?  They’re too far off,” he said back.
	“I’m not old like you.  I’ve still got some sight,” Solon retorted.  “Trust me, it looks like 
two are Scouts, and the other must be that Tuxedo Mask guy.  Plus there’s something at their 
feet.”
	“So Matt, how do you want to do this?  Just come out and kill them all without letting them 
know, or ask for their leader or something and have some fun?” Nathan asked.
	“Deleos wouldn’t want us to kill them without a chance; besides, it will be good practice if 
they can stand a chance.”
	The trio walked out in front of the oncoming party.  The Scouts seemed to hesitate, but 
continued toward them.  When they got up close, they saw in fact that it was two Scouts; one with 
a red and blue suit, the other orange and blue, both blondes.  There was a tall man in a tuxedo, 
and two cats at their feet, one black and one white.
	“Sailor Scouts right?  Aren’t there supposed to be more of you?” Nathan asked snidely.
	“And you are?” Tuxedo Mask asked.
	“You don’t want to know,” Matthew said distractedly.  He had seen some very small 
movement from behind one of the huge ice pillars moments before, and was preparing himself for 
an ambush.  “And who exactly is Sailor Moon?”
	“Why?” the black cat asked.
	“Because she’s the planetary Sailor Scouts’s leader, and we were sent to destroy her,” he 
said simply.
	“Sailor Moon’s not the leader,” the orange clad one said.  “She’s allowed on the team but 
not fighting; she has other responsibilities.”  The red and blue one shot her a pissed off look. 
‘That must be Sailor Moon,’ Matthew thought.  ‘Though I don’t know which one this orange girl 
is.’
	“Then who is the leader?” Solon asked, amused.
	“I am,” came a new voice.  A woman, with long red hair, tricolored skirt, and billowing 
wings stepped out from behind the Scouts.  She stood tall, proud, and quite full of annoyance.  
“Sailor Moon will not be destroyed.  Not if I have anything to do with it,” she said.


	The Scouts regarded these newcomers closely.  One, appearing to be the oldest, had long 
white hair tied back in a ponytail.  He was mildly handsome, but carried more of a old, wise 
stature.  His build was quite masculine, with strong limbs and torso.  His forehead, though, had 
lines from furrowing his brow.  His eyes were old and haggard; the lines around his mouth 
bunched.  His appearance, although intimidating, had a certain sorrowful air to it.
	The other man was very different.  He appeared much younger, with a wild head of brown 
hair.  He was quite handsome, in spite of his disheveled appearance.  He was somewhat lean, and 
a very relaxed posture.  The third was no more than a boy, about nine or ten years old.  He had 
bleach-blond hair, with dark roots.  He stood between the men, although he didn’t seem the least 
bit scared at the possibility of a fight.  His eyes were a deep blue, and a speck of a tattoo showed 
on the back of his neck.
	All of the Scouts started when a winged woman stepped out from behind them.  At first, 
Sailor Moon didn’t realize who she was.  Then it dawned on her that this was Sailor Soul, just 
with a different suit.
	“That is Sailor Soul,” she whispered down to Luna.  The three in front of her seemed to 
falter at the appearance of this new member, a very intimidating woman.  Sailor Moon motioned 
for Tux to stay back, as he seemed he was about to stop this charade.  The two on the sides, the 
two full grown men, paled to the point of whiteness, and dropped onto one knee, bowing their 
heads.  The supposed leader of the group hit the boy in the back of one knee, causing him to also 
bow.


	“What are you doing here?” Sailor Soul asked.  Matthew and Nathan stared, 
dumbfounded.  “I said, what are you doing here?”
	“You...you’re alive!” Nathan exclaimed.
	“Yes, very good.  Answer my question, I’m losing patience.”


	ÝCome stop your cryingÝ
	ÝIt will be alright.Ý


	“We were sent to destroy the planetary Sailor Scouts,” Solon said.
	“By who?”
	“Emperor Deleos,” he answered warily.
	“Let me guess, he’s bored again,” she said with a slight smile.  “And he figured the best 
way to pass the time is start a war?”
	“You...you’re alive!” Nathan exclaimed.
	“You’re not getting past that concept very well, are you?” she asked with a sly smile.  
Matthew walked slowly up to her and touched her head, arm, and shoulders.
	“You’re real?”
	“What do you think!?”
	Nathan slammed into her full speed and embraced her in a huge hug.  Matthew soon joined 
in, leaving the Scouts and Solon dumbfounded.
	“Um...Excuse me, but what’s going on here?” Sailor Moon asked.  Soul broke out of the 
hug and walked over to her.
	“You are to disregard Deleos’s orders.  If he has a problem with it then he can take it up 
with me.  I want you, instead, to make sure none of these people get hurt in any way.  Sailor 
Moon, is, well, very important here on Earth,” Soul explained.  “These are some people I know 
from, well, a few years ago,” she said, motioning to the trio.  With a thought, the wings on her 
back disappeared.  “Much better.  I think it’s time to go home now.”
	“Wait just a second,” Artemis said.  “We don’t know we can trust you; we don’t know we 
can trust them; we don’t know we can trust ourselves!” Venus gave him a dubious look.  “Okay so 
maybe we can trust ourselves, but definitely not you people.  Mind explaining who you are?” he 
asked of them.
	“Fine.  I’m Sailor Soul.  You haven’t met me before because I didn’t want you to meet me 
before.  This is Matthew, Nathan, and Solon.  They’re from another realm.  You’ll find out more 
about that soon enough.  Get that?” Soul rushed.
	Artemis seemed to think it over.  “Okay.  Can we trust all of you?”
	“Of course.”
	“Well great.  Anyone care for some food?”  Luna ignored Sailor Moon’s raised hand.
	“You’re not going to trust them just because they asked you to?” she asked Artemis.
	“Why not?”
	“Because we don’t know anything about them!”
	“Sure we do.  They are from another dimension; she’s a Scouts, not to mention pretty; 
isn’t that enough?!  Now get ready for a Teleport.”
	“We can’t do it with all these people!  You’re asking us to transport five people with just 
the two of us!” Venus exclaimed.
	“Three,” Soul added.  “Come on, we should be able to do this.”  The trio stepped inside 
the circle next to a wary Tuxedo Mask. 
	“What about the old base?” Luna asked.  
	“I’ll take care of it,” Soul replied.  The three Scouts joined hands with the four men and 
two cats in the middle. 
	“Heya buddy!  How ya doin’?” Nathan asked Tux just before they disappeared from the 
cold, freezing wasteland.


	“Ooooo.  Ahhhhh.  Wooowwww.  Neeeaaattt.”
	“Nathan, will you shut up?!” Solon exclaimed.  Nathan shot him a dirty look before he 
saw the toilet. 
	“Oh wow!  What does this thing do?” he asked, just before flushing it.  “AAAHHHH!  
IT’S SOME KIND OF DEMONIC MONSTER!!!! SAVE ME! SAVE ME!” he screamed while 
running wildly around the house.	
	“Nathan, it’s just something you take a shit in,” Asia called from where she was sitting on 
her bed.  Nathan poked his head into the room.
	“Really?” 
	“Yes Nathan,” she said, sighing.
	“You look tired,” Matthew said coming into the room and sitting next to her.  “What’s 
been going on?”  He squinted his eyes.  “Never mind, not the right question.  How the hell are 
you still alive?”
	“I’m sure you remember the last fight,” she said quietly.  Matthew nodded his head in 
agreement.  Asia related all that had happened that fateful day, so long ago.  By the end of the 
story, Matthew sat quietly shaking his head.  His face had paled as if he had seen a ghost; the 
image he gave was one of astonishment.  “Matthew, are you alright?”
	“No...no,” he answered shakily.  “You said you killed her, right?”  Asia nodded her head.
“Well she’s alive.  Very much alive.”  Asia gasped, sagging a little.  “Why do you think Daniel’s 
not with us?” he asked as he studied his hands.  “She killed him a few hundred years ago.  He was
attacked at home, and died protecting his family.  A lovely wife, two sons and a daughter.”
	“OOOUUUCCCHHH!   WHAT’S THAT HOT BOX IN THE KITCHEN!” Nathan 
screamed, running out of the kitchen, holding his red hand.
	Matthew and Asia sighed simultaneously.  “It’s called a toaster, Nathan,” Asia said.
	“Did they live?”
	“No, of course not.  That would hurt Kurushimi’s image,” he finished sarcastically.  They 
talked a few more minutes before he left to stop Nathan from destroying the house.
	Asia sat in her room alone, thinking about all that Matthew had said and all that had to be 
done.  She’d have to return to the Dark Realm, defeat Kurushimi, and do something about Solon.
What, exactly, she wasn’t so sure about.  True, there was the possibility of telling him, but that 
could prove to be a threat to him if her enemies ever found that she had a son.  But she felt 
awkward acting as a friend he knew nothing about.
	A light knock beat against her door, startling her.  “Come in,” she called.  Solon walked 
in, eyes haggard, step slow.  “What’s the matter?” she asked softly.
	“Tired.  Tried to think too much too fast,” he said, sitting down and rubbing his head.
	Asia smiled.  “Then don’t think for a while.  That’s happened to me way too many times.  
I would just leave the matter alone for a few hours and come back to one part of it,” she advised.  
It was true; she had run across the same problem countless times before.
	“There’s the problem; I don’t want to leave it alone,” he said.  His brow creased as he 
cupped his chin in his hands.  “Tell me more about you, Asia.  I know that you’re Sailor Soul, but 
what else?  Nathan and Matthew don’t exactly bow to many people like that, much less hug them.  
Well, at least not Nathan.  You also seemed to know some facts about the Emperor’s manner, not 
many do.”
	Asia sat back and smiled.  ‘He is like me in so many ways,’ she thought.  ‘I would have 
noticed the same things.’  “Well, like you said, I’m Sailor Soul, the leader of the Karmic Scouts.”
	“I thought Sailor Spirit was,” he interrupted.
	“You would know her as the leader because I wasn’t around.  But when I was, I was the 
leader,” she explained.  “I’m sure you know about the wars against the universe, thousands of 
years ago?” she asked.  He nodded his head.  “Well, let’s just say I had a big part in that.  My 
mother was Gabriel, my father is Ares,” she paused as Solon gasped.  “I was the princess that the 
wars were fought over.  As you probably know, Ares defeated my mother.”  Solon nodded 
solemnly.  “I returned with him to the Dark Realm, and stayed there for years.  I fought in wars, 
and eventually led the Elite Immortals.  Deleos didn’t like that very much; I was the Crown 
Princess and the last thing he needed was for me to go off and get killed.  But I fought, and I led, 
until about a thousand years ago when Lous sent me here, to the future.  Get all that?”
	Solon nodded his head slowly.  “Pretty much, but I do have a few questions.  Like, who’s 
Lous?  And why did he send you to the future?”
	Asia blinked.  “You don’t know who Lous is?”  Solon shook his head.  “Let’s just say he 
is a little feline friend of mine.  As to why I was sent to the future, because of a woman who didn’t 
like me very much.  She...was formidable.  I was fighting her once, when Lous thought I was in 
too much danger and sent me to the future.  I was lucky though; I managed to wound the woman.  
I slashed her face and ran her through my sword.”
	“You’re talking about Kurushimi?”
	Asia looked at him sharply.  “Yes.  How did you know?”
	“Well, she’s still alive,” he answered.  “She was the one that killed Daniel, and friend of 
ours.”
	“Yes, Matthew told me.  He was a dear friend.  But unfortunately, no match for Kurushimi.
God I wish I could have been there.  By the way, what ever happened to Darma?  The one you 
lived with?”
	“How do you know them?”
	“Let’s just say...they did me a favor, one which saved the life of someone I loved very 
much.”
	Solon looked at her a moment, a memory tugging at the back of his mind.


	ÝJust take my handÝ
	ÝHold it tight.Ý


	“What?” Asia asked.
	“Nothing...I just feel like I’ve met you before,” he said, distracted and confused.  “I’m 
probably just thinking things up right?  I mean, we’ve never met before.”  Asia glanced down at 
her hands sadly.
	“Just...dreaming things.”


	The empty playground felt like a graveyard.  No children played on the monkey bars, no 
laughter could be heard from the slides.  The merry-go-round turned slowly as if by a ghost as the 
cool November wind swept through the desolate haven.  Leaves fell heavily to the ground, and 
bushes rustled loudly.  Serena’s hair fell lightly on the ground, dragging the ground as she swung 
forward and back on the swing set.  She stared down at the ground, her mind in a zero activity 
zone.  Contrary to popular belief, that was unusual for her.
	She stared silently, comprehending her situation and wishing she wasn’t.  It was so much 
easier to play the ditzy leader that held little responsibility.  It didn’t matter if that was the real her, 
all that mattered were the Scouts.  One thing that she had learned from her visit to the future was 
that the Scouts were powerful, moreso than they thought.  She wasn’t a great leader; she was a 
horrible decision maker.  Ami, or even Mina at times, were much better.  So she found the best 
way to do things were to sit back and let them decide what needed to be done.  
	“So I wonder why it’s always here that we meet,” Asia said from behind her.  Serena 
jumped at the sudden noise.  Asia was dressed for the cold in a heavy jacket and wool pants.
	“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come up,” Serena blushed.
	“Let me guess, the Scouts are on your mind?”
	“Of course.  I’m just wondering what’s going on.  First, all of us are being targeted; a big 
no fun situation.  Then, this Sailor Soul shows up and in my opinion, is far more powerful than us 
but we don’t know a thing about her.  Then there’s these three guys...” Serena went on to tell her 
all about Solon, Matt, and Nathan.  She voiced that she wanted to trust them, but was afraid of 
what the other Scouts might think.
	“Well, all I can say to that is this:  you are the leader, and have to act accordingly.  I think 
the best thing to do is go by what your heart tells you; in the end, it’s always the right choice.  But 
you can’t forget who you are, and that is Sailor Moon, as well as the Moon Princess, and future 
queen.  If you want your reign to last, you’ll have to make plenty of good choices.  So, the best 
time is now when it will affect less people.  But hey, what do I know?  I’m just a dirt-poor social 
worker.”  Asia smiled and rested her hands on her hips.  “You have to do something.  What else 
do you know about this Sailor Soul?”
	“Nothing.  She has a few different forms, one is like mine with different colors, and the 
other has wings and all sorts of neat stuff.  We don’t even know if she’s on our side.”  Serena 
sighed.  “I want to trust her, I really do.  But the way she always shows up, as in not, kind of 
throws you off.  It’s like she doesn’t really care that much.”
	“Maybe she just has a bigger picture in mind,” Asia suggested.  “Now come on, let’s get 
you out of this cold.  You can’t save the world if you’re sneezing all the time.”  She pulled Serena 
to her feet and prodded her along.
	“WOW!  Feel like some ice cream?” Serena exclaimed at the sight of a cranky looking 
vendor farther up the street.
	“You’re unbelievable, you know?  It’s like minus thirty and you want frozen foods.”
	“What can I say, I follow my heart, remember?”


	“VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!!!”  The golden hearts flew towards Dannon, surprisingly 
enough wrapping around him.  It was one of the few hits Sailor Venus had made.  She and this 
Knight had been holding their own against the fiend.  The communicators were down, and she had 
only been able to send Luna and Artemis to find Darien and Serena.  She was also kinda hoping 
Sailor Soul would show up.  They needed her.
	Knight, his blond hair trailing his slim build rushed Dannon, knocking his jaw hard into the 
wall behind him.  Knight retrieved his fist quickly, preparing another punch.  He jumped to the 
roof he had first come down from, when Venus and Dannon had been slugging it out.  Dannon 
was proving to be a very formidable opponent, well-trained and conditioned.  
	In a flash of blue and red, Sailor Moon jumped down in front of her and punched Dannon.
He pushed her away as she began an onslaught of carnage, and she retreated to check on Venus.
Quickly Tuxedo Mask joined them, readying himself for the fight.  Between the four of them, 
Dannon had a hard time.
	“VENUS!  TODAY IS YOUR DAY!!!!” he screamed at her, clearly intending to capture 
her like all the others.  His body recoiled as Sailor Moon’s tiara smashed into his stomach.
	“It may not be strong enough to kill you, but it can still do damage!” she yelled at him.
Turning, she fixed her attention on a movement at the entrance to a nearby alley, expecting some 
sort of ambush.  What she saw instead was Sailor Soul leaning against the wall with Solon, Matt, 
and Nathan beside her.  “A little help maybe?!”
	“You’re doing fine!” Soul called back.
	“Maybe we should help them,” Nathan offered.
	“No, they need to strengthen themselves.  Best way is through experience,” she told him.
“They’ll need it.  I want to take them Dark Realm soon.  I’ll need their help.  But first they need to 
be able to fight.”
	“Do you think they’ll be able to make it?” Matthew asked.
	“I hope so.”  
	Their talk attracted Dannon.  “You!  Where’s the boy?!  Where’s Solon?!”  Soul visibly 
stiffened and moved in front of her son.
	“You should know better than to attack one of us!  It’ll be your death wish!” she called out 
to him.  This gave Sailor Moon an opportunity to land a kick as Venus trapped it in her chain, and 
she pulled out her scepter.
	“Moon Scepter Elimination!” she screamed out.  Just before the crescent moon hit him, 
Dannon let out a growl and disappeared into the evening sky.  “Hey!  He’s not allowed to do that!” 
she yelled at the empty air.  Soul couldn’t contain herself and began to giggle.  It caught Sailor 
Moon’s attention.  “And YOU!  You could’ve helped out a little!”
	Soul calmed her giggles down a little.  “Hey, like I said, you were doing fine on your
own.  Why risk others if you can do it yourself?”
	“I could bring that back at you!”
	“Sure, but you won’t.  After all, looks like you’ve got a new member to the team,” she 
pointed out, nodding at Knight.  Sailor Moon seemed torn between yelling at her some more and 
seeing about this new guy.  In the end, her love for men won out.  She scurried over to Knight and 
joined in the barrage of questions.
	“Who are you?”
	“Where did you come from?”
	“Are you on our side?”
	“Of course he is, idiot!  Why else would he have helped us?  By the way, would you like 
to go on a date?”
	“I thought you already had a boyfriend?”
	“Billy Bob can wait.”
	Knight raised his eyebrows and shielded himself from their questions.  “Okay, okay, I 
can’t remember them all!  My name is Tuxedo Knight, but call me Knight, and I came from around 
here.  Yes, I am on your side, and sorry, but I’ve gotta go meet somebody.”  He turned and began 
walking away.  “Hey, where’s the McDonald’s around here?”  Venus shouted some directions as 
Darien looked at the retreating back intently.
	“Jacob?” he called out.  Knight stopped and turned around.  He walked right up to Tuxy 
and pulled off his mask.
	“Hey!  Darien!  Well, I guess we have more in common than we thought.  Bet you’re 
jumping out of your skin.”  Darien snatched his mask back and placed it over his eyes.
	“You know this guy?” Luna asked, walking out from the shadows.  Darien nodded his 
head as Knight looked for the source of the voice.
	“AAAAAAHHHHHH!  A TALKING CAT!” he shrieked as he found it.


	
			*			*			*


	The ballroom floor was littered with gold, silver, and other pastel-colored silks and fine 
clothes.  Each swirled in their own dance, none the same, yet somehow none different.  They 
covered the room, sparkling like the diamonds worn with them.  Raised above the sparkling gems 
was the greatest of all, one of a rich purple satin, with few yet majestic diamonds adorning the skin 
they lay on.
	The music slowed as the musicians prepared for yet another waltz.  The sparkling gems 
slowed with it, resting their folds until the dance would begin again.  The greatest rose, and turned 
toward the black tuxedo at her side.
	“Phillip, this dance if you please?”
	“Of course, milady.”  The pair swayed down the steps and out onto the floor.  The gems 
retreated to give the royal wardrobes room to dance.  The music began again, and the two began 
their dance.  Soon, the gems joined in, and the floor was as it was before, the showcase for the 
gowns and jewelry of the nobility of the Dark Realm.  
	The past few weeks had been joyful, at least joyful in Dark Realm terms.  There had, of 
course, been the attempts at Asia’s life, quite a few of which Phillip had trouble with.  There was 
usually one every two or three nights, more than he had ever encountered.  Being the guardian of 
the Crown Princess was proving to be more demanding than that of any job he had ever had 
before.
	Asia’s illness had not, while worrying them, panicked the public of the City, they had 
simply expressed their concern and left it at that.  Her miraculous recovery had passed throughout 
the palace like a normal occurrence, something Phillip found deeply disturbing.  She had seemed 
to have no side effects or problems of any kind, at least, none that he had been informed about.  
Out of numerous occasions he had seen that she would not be completely open to anyone but 
Matthew, Nathan, and Daniel.  He had also learned that she was closely related to Ares, in some 
way or another.  No one really seemed to want to talk much about her.  Whenever he asked 
someone about her past especially, they just clammed up.
	The couple returned to the thrones upon the stairs, where Asia sat presiding over the ball. 
Although he called on them, the Emperor attended few of these balls.  Instead, he put Asia in 
charge as he retired to his chambers.
	An officer from the palace stepped out from behind the throne and whispered something 
into Asia’s ear.  Phillip leaned closer as Asia paled, and shakily stood.  It was at that moment that 
the walls shook slightly.  The crowd before them shrieked, and all looked toward Asia for her 
reassurance.  Seeing that that was needed, she stood and addressed the nobles.
	“My friends, do not worry.  I am told that the army’s practice got...out of hand.  I do 
believe that my dear friend Nathan managed to set off a few rockets and canons.”  Giggles could 
be heard from down below.  “Yes, you all know Nathan.  Unless someone actually manages to 
stop him, meaning me, you will probably feel a few more shocks.  Don’t panic, it’s just a drunk 
Nathan, and we all know how that can be.”  The air in the room seemed to relax as Asia slipped 
behind the throne, gently tapping Phillip’s arm.
	As soon as she was out in the hall, she broke into a run.  Confused, Phillip followed. 
They ran through countless halls, until they came to one deserted.  Asia skidded to a stop in front 
of a plain painting of Emperor Deleos’ father.  Moving it slightly, she revealed a secret room in 
which Deleos himself stood.
	“What is happening?” she asked, walking to the desk he sat on.  The room had paintings 
of the famous Soul Slayer, in different suits.  One, a young portrait, had her in a black skirt and 
collar, with silver boots and bows on a bodice.  There was another group of portraits with her in 
the same suit except she was older, and a third group with her in a slightly altered suit.  This one 
had the same silver boots and bows, but the skirt now had three colors, white, black, and a deep
burgundy.  She also had a black scabbard slung carelessly on a leather belt around her waist.  
Looking at these detailed paintings, Phillip began to see the similarities between the Slayer and 
Asia.
	“So Jesse has joined together with Kurushimi?” Asia summed up.
	“Yes.  They are awaiting you outside.  They said if you don’t come out, they will destroy 
the city,” Deleos remarked casually.  Phillip tore his attention away from the art back to the 
conversation.
	“Then I guess I’ll have to go see them.”
	“No way.  They’ll likely team up on you.  And you’re still having side effects of that 
poison.”  He had been right; but decided not to bring up honesty issues right now.
	Asia pursed her lips and walked toward the door.  “And I suppose I should just let them 
tear down the City?” she didn’t even wait for an answer as she stormed out of the room and
toward the front of the palace.  Deleos moved to follow.
	“Emperor, I don’t understand what is happening,” Phillip stated, catching up.
	“The City is under attack,” he replied, sending a sideways glance at him.  “Asia’s old 
husband, Jesse, has teamed up with Kurushimi.  She, being a warrior and general, wants to fight.
And her being the Crown Princess I want her safe inside.”
	“Would you like me to try and bring her back?”
	“No, no.  You wouldn’t be able to stop her.  But I do want you out there in case she gets 
into trouble.”  He turned and regarded Phillip closely.  “You make sure she walks back into this 
palace alive, understand?”
	“Of course.”
	Phillip and Deleos arrived outside to a laughing crowd.  Surrounding the palace gates were 
the Elite Immortals, with Asia standing at the front.  Opposite them was another small regiment of 
an army, with a blond woman standing next to an enraged dark haired man.  The Elites were 
laughing as if nothing were wrong, and the other regiment was amused, except the man.
	“The woman is Kurushimi.  I doubt she’ll take part in the fighting today,” Deleos
whispered in Phillip’s ear.  “The man next to her is Jesse.”
	“They’ll be fighting for sure?” Phillip asked.
	“There always is.”  Phillip strained his ears to hear what was being said.
	“...So,” Asia was saying, “you had to join forces with Kurushimi because you are too 
afraid of me to fight me alone?”
	“I’ll fight you any time of the day!” Jesse growled through gritted teeth.  “Kurushimi and I 
have...an understanding.”
	Asia raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly.  “An...understanding?”  She turned and 
addressed her army.  “They have an *understanding.*  This is just getting better and better,” she 
laughed.  She redirected her gaze to Jesse, then the ground.  “You know,” she muttered while 
tapping her foot against the dusty dirt, “I was wondering, who’s on top in this relationship?”  The 
army behind her broke into fits of laughter, and a few of the enemies smirked slightly.
	Jesse’s face flushed redder than the evening sky above.  “Who was on top in ours?”
	Asia smirked.  “Certainly wasn’t you!”
	Jesse’s whole body began to shake with anger.  “Right now!  You fight me, one on one, 
right now!”  
	Asia looked over at her commanders, Matthew, Nathan and Daniel, and then back at Jesse.
“Why not?”  The two stepped forward into the gap between the forces.  Both paused, one waiting 
on the other.
	“Well?” Jesse asked.
	“Well what?”
	“Are you not going to change?”
	“Why should I?”
	“Because you won’t put up a worthy fight if you don’t.”	
	“Fine, fine.”  Asia pulled out a round broach.  “If you say so.  Soul Crisis!”  
Silver light engulfed her, blinding Phillip for the briefest moment.  When he was able to see her 
again, Princess Asia no longer stood there.  Now instead stood the famed Soul Slayer, sword and 
all.
	Kurushimi smiled from her stance.  “Jesse, if you please.  She’s all yours.”
	Jesse gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to her, closed his eyes, and concentrated his
energy on his hands.  A bright red ball of light exploded into existence between them, and grew as
he moved his hands farther apart.  Soul stood by all the while and watched, amused.
	“You’re going to defeat me with that?!” she exclaimed.  Jesse smiled and threw the ball at 
her.  When the ball reached her, Soul lifted her hand and knocked it away.  “Jesse, you should 
know me better than that.  Here, let me show you how to do that the right way.”  Soul brought her
hands together as Jesse had earlier, though she didn’t close her eyes.  A silver ball of energy 
formed as she stared straight at Jesse.  With a thought, the ball flew at him.  He stepped to the 
side, fully expecting to dodge the ball.  It was a bit of a surprise when the ball followed him.  
	Jesse shrieked in pain as he was encompassed by silver light.  When the light faded, he 
collapsed onto the ground, shaking.
	“Take good notes?” Asia asked.  Jesse slowly rose to his feet, his eyes burning with hate.
	“I could flatten you right now if you want, Sailor Soul,” he said sarcastically.
	“Don’t flatter yourself.”
	“I speak the truth.”
	“You speak shit.”
	Jesse ran straight at her, and the two engaged in hand to hand fighting.  Soul went the 
entire time with a smile, not even breaking a sweat.  Jesse, on the other hand, was huffing and
puffing.  Soul threw punches, kicks, every one of them finding its target.
	Suddenly, the fighting stopped.  Soul stepped back a few feet, and looked curiously at
Jesse.  “I’m getting tired of this.  I’ll make you a deal.  Each of us has one shot to kill the other.
Magic only.  Work for you?” she asked.  Jesse nodded his head in agreement.
	“You forget, dear wife, I know all of your attacks.”
	“I’m sure you do.  Anyway, on three.  One, two,” Jesse shot out a red beam of light from
the tip of his fingers.  Phillip started to move to protect Asia, but Deleos held him back.  
	“INNOCENCE REVOKE!”
	Soul directed her attack to become physical instead of spiritual, and a silver wall around 
Jesse formed.  From five sparkling points beams shot inwards toward him, resulting in a huge 
explosion.  When the smoke and fire calmed down, it cleared to reveal the man, beaten, burned 
and bruised, lying on the ground.
	“Why, thank you Asia.  I was going to have to do something about him soon enough. 
You just saved me some trouble,” Kurushimi said from her side.
	“Anytime.  I find great pleasure in killing your followers,” Soul countered with a smile.  
	“Well, do I get to fight you?” she asked.
	“If you please,” was Soul’s answer.  Some of Kurushimi’s men dragged the dying Jesse 
from the empty buffer.  Kurushimi now took his place.
	“Light sparring.  Sound good to you?  I just want a workout.”  Soul nodded in agreement.
Surprisingly enough, the two began fighting lightly, not even really trying to hurt one another.  
After they seemed to have ‘warmed up,’ they jumped away from another, both calm and cool.
Kurushimi began to concentrate, and Soul prepared herself for whatever was to come.  A tiny 
white speck of light emerged from Kurushimi and slowly drifted over to Soul.  She grinned at 
Kurushimi.
	“You know that won’t hurt me.  You’ve tried it before.”
	Suddenly, the speck flew with lightening speed over to the Emperor and Phillip, and began
to glow brighter.  Soul followed it, running as fast as she could.  Dropping her guard, she 
concentrated on her hands, then shoved them towards Deleos and Phillip.  The two, plus a few 
people standing nearby, flew backwards a hundred feet.  At that moment, the speck exploded.
	When the dust cleared and Phillip could see again, everything had changed.  Part of the 
City wall behind him had collapsed, and many of the army were struggling to rise to their feet.
Kurushimi’s regiment was nowhere to be seen, although she remained standing where she had 
been.  He frantically searched with his eyes for Asia.  She was lying where she had been, the back
of her suit burnt off.  Phillip struggled to his feet and staggered towards her, falling on his knees 
beside her.  Her back was bleeding, with burns covering it and the back of her legs where the
boots did not cover them.  Flipping her over, he propped her up in his lap and checked to make 
sure she was breathing.  Despite her injuries from the explosion, she still breathed, life still 
remained.  Phillip looked up into Kurushimi’s eyes with emotions of hate running through him.
She smiled, then turned and walked away.


			*			*			*


	Darien sighed as he gathered his books to leave the classroom.  Due tomorrow, he had a 
five page report due.  Jacob joined him as he began descending the classroom steps, looking 
equally despaired.  Ever since they had discovered each other’s identities, the two had become 
much better friends.  Jacob was no longer the weird American, and Darien was no longer the 
easily conned jerk.
	“So, you think we’ll be able to pull off the essay?” Jacob asked.
	Darien looked dubiously at him.  “If we were normal, yes.  But whenever something like
this comes up, we have to go off and get brainwashed, lose our memories, or go to the future to 
save the world or something.  If you know the Scouts, don’t expect to do well in school.”
	Jacob raised an eyebrow.  “Are you talking from experience?”
	“What do you think?”
	“Hey!  Chiba!”  Darien and Jacob turned to the new voice.  Studying his face carefully, 
Darien recognized him from the orphanage of so long ago.
	“Jacob, I’ll catch up to you,” he said distractedly.  Jacob looked ready to protest, but then 
decided better of it.
	“Alright.  Catch you at Rei’s.”  He turned and walked away from the building.  Darien 
moved toward Zach, the guy from the orphanage.
	“Well, surprise surprise,” he said dryly.  “Didn’t think I’d see you around here.”
	“Neither did I,” Zach said, then turned to his friends.  “This guy here, Darien, used to 
live in the same orphanage I did.”  He turned to face Darien again.  “Never did like him, and I’m 
sure I won’t today.”
	“What can I say, I never did get along with creeps,” Darien tossed in.
	“Creep?  I believe you’re the one that I’ve heard about being the creep.  You brush off even
the sexiest of women, breaking their hearts.  You don’t even get a chance.  Of course, I’m sure 
you get...satisfied...with that little girl of yours.  I hear she’s quite good in bed, actually.  
Surprising for a fourteen year old.  Maybe I should check to see if the rumors are true.”  A 
triumphant smile spread across Zach’s face.
	Darien stood, shocked for a moment.  “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”
	Zach turned back to his friends.  “What’s the maximum penalty for rape?” he asked with a 
smile.  His friends laughed and began throwing out numbers.  Zach turned back to Darien just in 
time to meet Darien’s fist.  Zach crashed back into his friends, all to stunned to move.  He picked 
Zach up by his shirt and shook him violently in front of him. 
	“No one insults my girlfriend if I’m around.  Especially punks like you.  You always were 
like this in the orphanage.  I couldn’t stand you then and I can’t stand you now.”  Zach’s friends 
finally started to get it together.  All at once, they charged Darien.  Easily, he leveled each one to 
the ground writhing a matter of seconds.  He turned back to Zach.  “If you ever hurt Serena, or 
even talk to her, I will send you to your grave,” he growled out.  Zach looked genuinely terrified.  
Scowling, he turned and walked the way Jacob had earlier.  To his non-existent surprise, Jacob 
stood watching a few feet away.
	“Playtime’s over.  Have to do the hard stuff now,” he joked.  The two began walked down 
the sidewalk as if nothing had ever happened, much to the amazement of onlookers. 
	“Maybe I was too hard on them,” Darien said as they disappeared down the street.	
	“No,” Jacob countered.  “You could’ve chucked roses at them.”


	Mina giggled and slid behind a trash can.  The two gorgeous guys in front of her 
paused, then turned to see if anyone was behind them.  They had been suspecting her for the past 
two blocks, but that made it all the more fun.  They turned around and started forward again.  
When she was sure that they weren’t looking, she rose and started after them.  She also managed 
to get her foot caught on the can.  It toppled over onto her, sending banana peels all over her head.
She grumbled some curses, but scurried away before the guys saw her.
	She followed them a little farther, and when they stopped again, she ducked into a nearby 
alley.  Right into someone.  Mina looked up into the face of Darien and Jacob, both about to bust 
out laughing.  
	“Following someone?” Jacob asked with a sneer.  Mina blushed a deep red, and the 
guys started laughing all the more.  “Hey Darien, I think Mina here wants us to introduce her 
to those guys she was following.  What do you think?”
	Mina paled to the point as if she looked like she would faint.  Darien laughed almost 
gleefully.  “No,” she whispered.
	“I think we should,” Darien agreed.  “She might end up with one of them.”
	Jacob and Darien dragged her out of the alley and down the street, catching up to them.
Right before Jacob was about to call out, a small fireball blew up the two guys in front of them.
	“Well, there goes that idea,” Jacob remarked.  Darien managed to pull them into another 
alley just before another fireball hit the sidewalk.  
	“Transform, hurry!” he hissed.  He pulled a rose out from his jacket and was quickly 
Tuxedo Mask.  Jacob also pulled out a rose, a white one.  His transformation was exactly like 
Tuxedo Mask’s, and his suit almost identical.  Everything on Tuxy that would normally be red 
was white, such as the underside of their capes.  He was also minus the top hat and cane.  In its
place was a thin but lethal katana.
	“Venus Star Power!”  Sailor Venus took the place of Mina, and Jacob glanced over at her, 
rather impressed by the nude show she had just put on.
	“Didn’t even have to pay for that,” he commented to himself.  Tuxedo Mask shot him a 
dirty look, and Venus swiped him over the head.
	“Comments to yourself, please.”
	Venus pulled out her communicator as Tuxedo Mask and Knight rushed out into the street.
“Serena, Serena pick up!  We need you down at the corner of King and 3rd.  Hurry!”  She placed 
the communicator back into her subspace pocket and rushed out to help Tux and Knight.  
“Venus!”  Her hair flew upwards by an unknown wind.  “Meteor!”  She pointed her finger at the 
monster, a gigantic womanlike creature with computer screens and scanners on her torso.  
“Shower!”  The beam shot straight at her, and the monster get itself ready to block the head-on 
ray.  Just at the last minute, the beam split into five different ones and hit the monster from all 
sides.  Knight raised his eyebrows, impressed.
	“Venus Meteor Shower!”  This time, the rays hit Venus, sending her sprawling on the 
ground, writhing in pain.
	“What’s going on?!  Why did she hit herself?” Tuxy asked, pulling up next to Knight.
	“Not a clue,” he replied.  The monster started heading straight for Venus, and Tuxedo 
Mask pulled out a rose.  
	“AAAAHHHH!”  The monster made a semi-human wail as the rose hit its hand.  Eyes 
burning, it turned to the guys.
	“Uh oh, I think you made it mad,” Knight remarked.  The monster let forth a barrage of 
Darien’s red roses, surprising the two.  Knight managed to dodge all of them, but Mask caught
one in his arm.  He closed his eyes at the pain of thorns embedded deep within him, but the poison 
in them did not affect him.
	“Hey!  You hurt my guy!” Sailor Moon screamed from atop a building.
	“What a speech,” Venus commented as she struggled to her feet.  The monster hurled itself 
at her, but she rolled out of the way just in time.  “Venus Crescent Beam Smash!”  The beam hit 
the monster square between the eyes.  
	“Well, that was easy,” Sailor Moon commented.  Venus smirked, surprised that the 
monster, less than two feet away from her, was beaten so easily.  She smiled up at Sailor Moon at 
the top of the building.
	“VENUS!!!  GET AWAY FROM IT!!!” Tuxedo Mask yelled, running for her.  Venus 
looked back at the monster, and noticed on the chest screen, flashing red, was a counter with 
SELF-DESTRUCT written at the top.  And time was up.  
	The monster exploded.  Tuxedo Mask knelt and covered himself with his cape.  Sailor 
Moon jumped back in surprise, then screamed Venus’ name.  Venus herself was blown back, and 
not up miraculously.  Finally, all the commotion settled down, and she looked around.  She was 
covered with purple slime, probably from the monster.  
	Sailor Moon sighed with relief when she saw that Venus was okay, save a few burns on 
her arms.  She sighed, glad that it was over.  Tuxedo Mask was okay, Knight was there, although 
she had kind of been hoping to see Sailor Soul, and maybe learn a little more about her.  She 
glanced back at Venus, after hearing a small ‘ouch’ coming from that direction.  
	“Venus, move!” she yelled as she jumped down off the building.  When she landed, she 
began sprinting toward the unsuspecting scout.  An orange light somehow appearing on the 
concrete of the street glowed brighter, and suddenly the street exploded upwards all around Venus.
She screamed as Dannon’s whip shot up from the ground and wrapped itself around her waist, 
then pulled her down into the sewers below.  Sailor Moon stopped, terrified.  Tuxedo Mask just 
watched in shock, as did Tuxedo Knight.  Quietly from behind her, Sailor Soul shot forward, but 
Sailor Moon grabbed her as she passed by.
	“Don’t,” she muttered.  “It’s too late.  I can feel it.”  Soul looked at her, then back at the 
street, and stood down.  
	“Are you sure?” Tuxedo Mask asked.
	“Yes.”
	“How do you know?” he insisted.
	She turned an angry glare at him.  “I just know, okay?”  She turned back to the place 
where Sailor Venus had once lay.  “We’re on our own now.”


	“Shh, shh, stop crying Serena,” Asia soothed.  “Calm down or you’ll never be able to get 
them back.”  Serena looked up from her gentle crying.
	“I’ll never get them back anyway.  It’s all so familiar, but I just can’t place anything,” she 
cried.
	Asia looked at her blankly.  “What do you mean, familiar?”
	“The way they’re taken.  I feel as if I’ve seen it before, kinda like deja vu, but I can’t 
remember where from.  It’s right on the tip of my tongue,” Serena’s eyes began to cloud up and 
she started tapping the tip of her tongue.  Asia tried to hold back the laughter of the comical scene.
“What?” Serena asked.  “What?  What’s so funny?”
	Asia calmed down to just the occasional snicker.  “Do you want me to cover for them?  
People will start asking questions about where they are.”
	Serena looked up at her with adoring eyes.  “That’d be great.”  The two made their way to 
the nearest phone booth.  “What are you going to say?” Serena asked.
	“I was hoping you could tell me,” was the reply.
	“Umm...Mina...maybe...oh, I don’t know!  I’m not good at making up lies for why my 
friends skipped town!”
	“I wouldn’t exactly call being abducted by a super-powered man as they fought in their 
mini-skirts skipping town.  Can I just say Ami went with Rei and Mina with Lita?”
	“Sure, why not.”
	Asia dialed the Mizuno’s number and waited for five rings.  After that, the answering 
machine picked up.  “Hi, Dr. Mizuno?  This is Christina Douglas from the Red Cross.  I was just 
calling to tell you that you’re daughter, Ami, has left town to help her friend, the priestess, Rei, 
and her friend down in Kyushu.  She’ll be gone a few weeks, but has promised to make up her 
missed schoolwork when she gets back.  I’m sorry that she didn’t get a chance to tell you herself,
but...” the answering machine beeped and the recording stopped.  Asia pulled away from the 
phone as the line went dead, then hung it back up.  “I hate those things.  So, what’s Mina’s 
number?”  She dialed the number.  
	“Hello, this is the Aino residence,” came a deep male voice.  “We’ll be out of town until 
the middle of December.  If you need to reach us immediately, please contact our daughter.  Thank 
you.”  The machine beeped and Asia hung up.  
	“We’re in luck.  The Aino’s are out of town until mid-December.  So we don’t have to 
worry about it until then.”
	“We?  Why do you always refer to this as ‘we’?  There is no way I’m allowing you to get 
in harm’s way,” Serena said.  “You are our adult helper.  You get us out of this kind of trouble.  
No way are you actually going to fight.”
	“Don’t worry, Serena.  I’ll leave that up to the Sailors.  I meant ‘we’ as in, you and me, 
having that much time to cover for them.  Not ‘we’ as in me fighting.  Lighten up, things will
work out.”
	Serena flashed a sly grin at her.  “I could lighten up a lot easier if I were munching on 
some lunch.”
	Asia rolled her eyes.  “You are such a pig!  You just had lunch!  If you keep eating like 
that, you won’t be able to fit into that skimpy sailor suit of yours!”
	“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.  Now come on!  I’m *majorly* tense!”  She ran 
forward a few steps and then turned back to Asia.  “You haven’t, by any chance, seen my cat?  
She’s black with a crescent moon on her forehead.”  Asia shook her head.  “What about a white 
one?”  Asia shook her head again.  “Hmm,” Serena said, her forehead wrinkled, deep in thought.


	Darien sat, waiting for his new friend, Jacob, to show up for their lunch date.  Darien 
had promised to show him around Tokyo. 
	“Hey, Darien.  Sorry I’m late.  Traffic.”  Jacob sat down in front of him and picked up a 
menu.  “So, what here is good?  Never mind, that chicken sandwich is mine.”
	Their waitress walked over to them.  “So, whatya want?  Our special today is lobster.”  
She put on a face of ‘hurry up, I don’t have all day.’
	Jacob spoke up.  “I’ll have the chicken sandwich, and a Coke.”
	Darien took his turn.  “Cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke.  I’m paying for him.”  Jacob 
looked ready to object, then thought about it, and gave an evil yet innocent smile.  Darien 
continued.  “So, tell me a little about yourself, you know, what you like.”
	Jacob straightened up in his chair.  “Well, I like cars, drawing, and martial arts.  Especially 
swords.  After all, my trusty Ginzu knife doesn’t always cut it.”  He thought for a 
moment, then added, “That was a bad pun, wasn’t it?”  Darien regarded him as a lunatic, the started laughing.
	“Anything else?  Family, friends?”  Darien looked at him with a sly smile on his face.  
“Girlfriends?”
	“Mother, father, sister, good friend Max, bad friend John, last one Jessica a year and a half 
ago.  Mom’s nice, Dad’s okay, sister Nicole a bitch.  Max is too funny, but kinda crazy, like me.  
Let’s not talk about John.  Jessica expected me to throw in ten thousand dollars to help her buy a 
Jaguar, so that ended.  You?”
	“Orphan.  Lived there til I was of age to move out.  Everyone there sucked.  Always 
crying.  New friends are NOT at work, but there’s Andrew from the arcade, this guy Dave from 
college, and little sister-like friends, some junior high girls; Ami, who’s already learned what I 
will next year; Rei, who’s a priestess at the Cherri Hill Temple; Lita, who could beat me and ten 
thugs up at the same time; and Mina, who you’ve already met.”
	“You avoided the subject of girlfriends, you realize that?”  Jacob looked so evil he could 
scare someone from the Negaverse.
	Darien looked slightly uncomfortable.  “That’s because the majority of people I tell don’t 
agree with me on this one.  Serena, she’s well,”  he lowered his voice and coughed 
as he said, “fourteen.”
	Jacob looked slightly amused.  “Fourteen?  Pretty young.  Is she Sailor Moon?”
	“Of course.”
	“So tell me about her.”  The waitress showed up with their food.
	“Well, she’s nice, caring, the usual gotta have stuff.  She’s also the most clumsy thing I 
have ever met.  Toddlers can walk better than she can.  But, she’s brave.  And strong.  And a pig.  
But the way I see it, that gives her character.  She’s one of a kind.”  He smiled.
	“What kind?”
	He thought for a moment, then laughed a little at the answer he came up with.  “Tell you if 
I knew.”  They started their meal.


	When Serena and Asia had finished their lunch, they began to talk about everything that 
had happened to the Scouts.  “So, how are you holding up?”  Asia asked.
	“Pretty well, actually.  I kinda expected them to go after the other Scouts, but not Luna and 
Artemis.  Whoever this is must know a lot about us to know to take away the cats.  Or I’m just 
guessing they took them, I haven’t seen them in days.  So now there’s really only Darien, Jacob 
and I; Sailor Soul doesn’t seem to want to meet except in battle.”  A scream cut Serena short.  
“Damn.”  Both stood, and Asia turned to her.
	“Go.  Hey, the world needs you.”  Asia smiled.  Serena ran off, and she watched her 
round the corner.  When Serena was out of sight, Asia dropped some money on the table and ran 
to a nearby deserted alley.  She looked around, then raised a locket high into the air.  “Cosmic 
Soul Power!”  Ribbons of energy surrounded her, then suddenly clung to her body, forming the 
black leather boots, black skirt, and silver bows and tiara.  The light show suddenly ended, the
whole transformation taking less than a second.  She took off out of the alley, to find Sailor Moon 
get thrown against a brick wall, landing in a heap.  Three huge men stood in the middle of the 
street.  “Well, isn’t this lovely?”  She advanced with a smirk on her face.  “This shouldn’t be too 
hard, although I never did like the Jolly Green Giant.  Too much of a talker, he was.”  She made 
the first move, sword in front.  The giants were fast, and moved aside.
	“I thought you said this wouldn’t be hard!” one giant laughed.
	“What, you think just because you can dodge, you’re a good fighter?”  Asia replied.  She 
managed to decapitate one, and ran another on her sword.  She and the last stopped, the giant 
breathing hard, Soul not anywhere near out of breath.  A group of people had gathered to watch 
the spectacular display.  The giant charged and just before he reached her, she yelled casually, 
“Soul Spirit Awaken!”  She quickly touched her forehead and stepped to her left , so when the 
giant reached her, he was beside her.  She moved her hand from her forehead to his.  A silver ball 
of light passed from her head through her fingers to his head.  The giant collapsed.  No screaming, 
no wail, nothing.  The crowd gasped at how powerful this attack was.  “See? Easy as pie.”
	A semi-conscious Sailor Moon walked up beside her.  Just when Soul was going to ask if 
Sailor Moon was alright, the giant slowly sat up.  When the crowd yelled to look behind them, 
Soul turned, surprised.  “Shit, you should be proud.  You are the first to survive that!”  
	The giant began to go into a rage.  “Queen Kurushimi cannot be stopped!  She will get her 
revenge!”  Asia blasted him with the light again, her face pale from the mention of Kurushimi.
	“Why did you do that!?  We could have gotten something else out of him!” Sailor Moon 
exclaimed.
	“I heard all I need to know.”  Soul lowered her eyes and began to walk away.  Sailor 
Moon stood for a moment, then caught up.
	“You know something.”  Sailor Moon lowered her voice.  “You can contact me at the
Cherri Hill Temple, if you ever plan on joining us.  We’d like to know what side you’re on.”
	“So would I.  So would I.”  Soul paused, then turned away.
	“SAILOR SOUL!  BEHIND YOU!”  Soul whirled around as Dannon lunged at Solon, 
who had apparently come to the fight with Matthew and Nathan.  With a sprint, she placed herself 
between Solon and Dannon.  Her suit changed from the white, silver, and maroon into a silver 
ball gown, and a sign appeared on her forehead as the dagger was plunged deep within her.  
	“Asia?” Sailor Moon whispered.	





Okay!  End of part one!  Finally!  It took me sooo long!  Okay, enough with the exclamations.  
That piece took me months to write, so don’t expect another until after January 2000.  Well, I hope 
you liked it.  A few of the notes:

* - that was the official name of Grandpa.  Actually, I don’t know the official name of Grandpa, 
but since no one else did either, I decided to make it up.  I don’t think him answering and saying,
“Hi, Grandpa here,” would have sounded all that good.

Well, I hope that everyone is understanding that when I do three of *s, that means there is a 
flashback enclosed.  Hopefully this wasn’t too terribly confusing, cause there’s still alot more to 
be introduced.  Drop me a write at    sailor_soul_99@yahoo.com.

By the way, the new home of Legend of the Torn, and the place you’ll find the first updates is 
http://www.angelfire.com/az/sailorsoul

Keep Shinin’
Sailor Soul