The Light Never Fades, June, 2001, by Sailor GlitterGirl & Rose Aquarius Greetings, earthlings! Well, not in the mood to chat, so I'll leave any AN's to Rose-chan. Ja! -Sailor GlitterGirl Rose-chan: Yeah! Just like her to give me this job! *grumbles under breath* Oh! Welcome to Chapter three! If you held on this long I'm proud! All you action lovers out there- here ya go! Well, on with the show! ***@THE UNIVERSAL GALAXY SAGA@*** The Light Never Fades Chapter Three: Newest Encounter Rated: PG, for mild violence By: Sailor GlitterGirl & Rose Aquarius At: sailorglittergirl@sailormoon.com or roseaquarius@aol.com Amara turned cold eyes onto Setsuna as the others watched the two new girls walk into the apartment building. "Care to explain things, *Puu*?" She hissed through gritted teeth. Eight other pairs of eyes -including two that belonged to girls under ten- turned onto the Senshi of Time. Setsuna sighed. *FLASH*BACK* They all sat in silence for a moment after Alex and Ali had made a hasty -and slightly nervous- retreat. "Ali called Alex, 'Laxa,'" Raye said, needlessly. "I say we follow them," Lita said, her voice somewhat low. Amara nodded her agreement. The group of ten somehow managed to silently slip outside and trot to catch up the two 'cousins,' in time to hear them talking. "Well, that was freaky." They heard Ali laugh as they followed her and Alex down the many steps leading up to the shrine. "Guess we'll have to stay someplace else. You know, I'm getting us an apartment!" Ali said with a graceful move of her arm. "I know just the one; I saw an advertisement on the way over to the shrine. Let's go!" She grabbed her companion's arm and they quickened their pace, as did their followers. "We're in sooo much trouble." They heard Alex mutter, half to herself as they walked away from the shrine. "Puu was there! What if she heard? She'll be steamed! You know how stuffy she is about the whole time line gig." The whole group collectively dropped their jaws, except Setsuna, who shook her head, and Serena, who giggled, and silently high fived Mina. They couldn't agree more! "I know, that was bad!" Ali answered as they came to an apartment buliding. She sighed. "Well, nothing we can do now. Just hope that Guardian doesn't come after us and bonk us on the head with her oversized key!" Alex chuckled at Ali's attempts to cheer her, and unknown to them Serena, Mina, Lita, and Rini snorted in stifled laughter, Raye rolled her eyes, Hotaru and Amara and Darien just smiled, Michelle chuckled, and Setsuna shook her head again. "Well, this is the best apartment buliding as far as getting to all of the senshi," Ali announced as they stood before a tall, very classy looking apartment complex. "It's the same distance from them all, and only a five minute walk from the shrine. Room 220, 10th floor." "All except the Terran Prince, that is," Alex corrected. "We still don't know where he lives." The group stiffened, and Serena squeezed Darien's hand. "True," Ali shrugged, and they went to the building. *END*FLASH*BACK* "Uh, that was, er, rather...shocking," Amy commented, as they all stood up from behind the line of shrubs they'd been hiding behind. "It is obvious that they know that Setsuna is the guardian of Time, and that comment on the 'Terran Prince,' leads me to believe that they at least suspect you, Darien, of being Endymion." "Setsuna," Serena asked quietly. "Yes, Princess," Setsuna answered smoothly. "What's going on?" The golden haired girl asked, looking her friend and aunt in the eye. Very few -not even the scouts- knew that Setsuna was Serena's aunt from the Silver Millennium. "Who are those girls? How do they know who we are?" "Princess..." Setsuna trailed off, then sighed. Amara narrowed her eyes. "What the heck is going on here, Pluto?" The masculine looking Sailor Uranus demanded. "Who are they?" "I hope thay're not an enemy." Raye said. Everyone looked at her, the attention momentarily drawn away from Setsuna. Raye rarely stated her opinions about an enemy. To state that she wished somone NOT to be an enemy, usually meant something...bad. "Why?" Mina asked. "What would be so bad about them being the enemy? Aside from the fact that they're wicked cool people." "They have a strange energy signiture." Raye said. "What do you mean, strange?" Hotaru asked quietly, she and Rini holding hands. Ami had gotten out her Mercury compact computer, and had aimed it at the building, scanning two select girls within. suddenly, she gasped, and dropped the computer. "Amy, what is it?" Serena asked. Amy looked at Setsuna with wide eyes. "It can't be..." The blue haired girl whispered. Quickly, she looked at Raye. "Probe them, look at their energy with your powers, Raye! Tell me I'm dreaming!" Not at all surprised, Raye did as asked, knowing what she would find. She brought her hands together before her, her index fingers pressed together and pointing away. She closed her eyes, her brow scunched slightly with concentration. Suddenly, her eyes flew open. "I knew that they were unusual the moment I laid eyes on them," she breathed. "And I was positive when I heard them talking, and I probed gently, and sensed that they had powers similar to... to Pluto's, but, I never in a thousand years would dream that..." "What? What is it?" Michelle asked gently. Raye looked at them all. "I'm not...sure..." Raye said quietly. "I feel like I ought to remember them, or something about them, but when I think about it I just draw a blank." She sighed and shook her head. "All I can say for certain is that they have a very strong energy signature. It's rather similar to a Senshi's, but, not quite." "Are they an enemy?" Rini asked, her young voice and face far too serious for her years. "No," Raye said confidently. Ami spoke up. "They're good. They're energy signiture is a powerful one, similer to Sailor Pluto, but it is positive nonetheless." "What does that mean?" Mina asked puzzled. "Just how powerful are they? If they're energy is like a Senshi's...They do seem very familer. Maybe another scout or two?" "More? More?! Was there 50 of us or something?!!!!!!!" Serena screeched. "Sssssshhhh!!!!" Several pairs of lips hushed the princess. "There's really nothing we can do now," Darien said logically. "It sounds like they know who we are, so I think it would be best not to let them know that we know. We can try and get closer to them, get to know them and see what they're after." They all nodded their agreement, but Serena wasn't done. "We just won a battle!" She cried quietly, her voice harsh. "I mean, how many people did I tick off by being a princess, huh?" "Would you stop it, Meatball Brains! You do this every time there's a chance of a new enemy. Would you please grow-" Raye suddenly cut off her own sentence, eyes wide. "Amy, check the area for any evil energy." The priestess demanded. Hotaru handed Amy the small blue mini computer that she had picked up. Smiling her thanks, Amy began typing and scanning, and she gasped. Looking at Raye, the raven haired senshi nodded. "I felt a presence." Raye stated, "And this one is definately a youma." Comprehension came swiftly to her friends' features, and they all reached into their subspace portals for their wands, and together took off at a trot towards the place that Amy directed them to, faces grim. So set on this new enemy however, they didn't notice that Setsuna stayed behind for a moment, looking up at a window on the tenth floor, she narrowed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head, before following. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Their faces set, Ali and Alex silently slipped into a small alley behind the apartment complex. They griped their Light Crystals, lifting them up over their heads. Raising their fists with their crystals in their grips, they together they called out. "UNIVERSAL GALACTIC POWER: TRANSFORM!!!!" Simontaniously, they were lifted up by an unseen wind, streamers if silver and gold carried on that wind as they were enfolded within layers of sparkling, radiant ribbons of silky silver, white, gold, and black light. A miniature supernova seemed to explode outwards, leaving two immortal warriors to float down to earth. Ali/Versia, now Sailor Universe, and Alex/Laxa, now Sailor Galaxy, was clad in the traditional Senshi fuku style, save for some minor changes, since they weren't the tranditional senshi. Versia was in black satin skirt, gathered, not pleated, and regular triangle collar, lined with gold. With gold bows, and black ankle boots with gold lacings, and black choker with her symbol on in in gold, with gold, spiral shaped earrings. She was Sailor Universe. Laxa was in a white, opalescent silk skirt, gathered as well, with the same opalescent material making out her collar and choker. Silver bows and white knee length boots lined with silver, with her symbol in silver topping the points of the boots and on the center of her choker, and diamond and silver curly cue earings. She was Sailor Galaxy. Their ensembles were completed with their Light Crystals in the center of their front bows, and their Light Staffs held deftly in their hands. Universe's crystal being a squat, gold tinged diamond shaped crystal, and Galaxy's a clear, silverish, opalescent diamond shaped crystal. Their staffs, as long as the girls were tall, were their respective colors, Universe's being gold with black diamonds and black pearls, the long staff flowing outward into a large version of her symbol at the top, with a larger version of her Universal Light Crystal in the center. Sailor Galaxy's was glittering silver, with diamonds and pearls adding to the sparkle. It too flared out at the top into her personal senshi symbol, a larger replica of her Galactica Light Crystal in the center of the filigree. (AN: I know, I know, long descriptions, but hey, I'm a girl!) Galaxy hissed mentally. Universe reminded her sister and comrade as they took to the roofs, leaping silently and quickly towards the evil disruption. Galaxy nodded, gripping her Galaxy Staff tighter. Something told her that they would be needed, and needed badly. A glance at her sister told her that Sailor Universe thought the same. They thought together, their mental voices grim. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* "What the..." Mina trailed off, her body suddenly shaking in pure terror at what lay before her as she and eleven others burst through a grove of trees in Crossroads Park. "What the heck is that thing?" Amara breathed, her eyes wide in horror, not expecting an answer, as no one else knew either. In the center of the park, surrounded by smashed and destroyed groves of trees, stood a swarming, crawling, oozing ant-like covered mass. As they watched, the mass formed arms and reached out to snatch people running and screaming, and pulled them in. In the center of the mound, you could just barely make out a face, and hidiously evil face with red, flashing slits for eyes, three virticle, flared openings for a nose, and gnashing, hideous, fanged mouth that was grinning evilly. "Oh, lord..." Michelle breathed, her aqua eyes wide as she took a step back. Never had any of them encountered something so hideous, so pulsing with evil. "Come...come on...guys..." Serena managed to choke out, pulling away from Darien's embrace. Everyone looked at her in surprise, Rini and Setsuna in pride. It was about time she took the lead. Clutching the invisible gold and red locket over her heart, she pulled it from her body, making it visible, and rasised it to the sky. "Moon Cosmic: POWER!" The Moon princess called. "Moon Prism: POWER!" Rini followed her mother's lead, and the others, catching on and managing to shove back their fear, raised their transformation wands to the sky. "Mercury Planet: POWER!" Amy called. "Mars Planet: POWER!" Raye shouted with all her might. "Jupiter Planet: POWER!" Lita thrust her wand upwards, her energy renewed. "Venus Planet: POWER!" Mina called out with experience in her voice. "Saturn Planet: POWER!" Hotaru's small voice was strengthened with determination as she took the lead for the Outer Senshi. "Uranas Planet: POWER!" Amara called, a snarl in her voice and determination written in her features. "Neptune Planet: POWER!" Michelle followed her cousin, swallowing her fear. "Pluto Planet: POWER!" Setsuna raised her Time Staff that had appeared. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* "Oh...my..." Universe breathed, her eyes wide as she and her sister spotted the new evil, a hideous black mass in the center of the park. "Oh, yeah." Galaxy said somberly, her voice grim. Sailor Galaxy could never sense powers and energies as well as her sibling, but just looking at the thing was enough, and she was still able to take her word for it. "They need our help...." Universe breathed almost inaudible, but her partner heard her all too well. "They haven't even reached the next level of their powers! They're helpless against THAT thing!" Universe finished, and readied herself to leap down, to join the newly transformed Senshi. But before she could go to help a hand clamped onto her arm. "No. We wait till they're in real danger-" "They ARE if we don't go NOW!" Sailor Universe argued. "Trust me! We have to-" Her last fleeting words were drowned out by all too familar cries... "Oh, no..." Galaxy breathed, as she finally saw what her sister saw. A faint, hardly visible insignia on the top of the youma's nearly flat head, pusling red. "Oh, no... Goddess help them..." *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* "Yo, ant-face!" A strong, high voice cried, and the great swarming mound twisted slightly to face eleven angry warriors. The creature laughed. "Ah, yes, the lovely guardians of Earth," a voice mocked. Not so much aloud, as in their minds, inticing fear unwillingly into the hearts of the young girls against their will. But, despite the growing fear, and trembling limbs, Super Sailor Moon continued. "The park is a place for people to enjoy themselves and to play and have fun and converse, but you have turned into a place of terror! And for that I shall punish you on behalf of my home, The Moon! For I am Sailor Moon!" "You have desicrated the beauty of my home, this wonderful Earth. As it's guardian, I will not allow you to soil it further with you hidious evil! I am Prince Endymion, Tuxedo Mask!" "With the light of the future moon, and the love of my family of the future kingdom of earth, I will destroy all who threaten my loved ones, I am Sailor Mini Moon!" Mini Moon followed her parents, the small girl standing up bravely. "With the anger of Fire that I feel, on behalf of the planet of Fire, Mars, I am Sailor Mars!" Raye, now clad in dark red and violet, called out. Following her lead, the others in turn shouted out their representatives and planets. "Thunder and Lightning rule the skies, and by the power of the thunder of Jupiter, I am Sailor Jupiter!" "Silence is golden, and with the shadow of the silent planet behind me, I am Sailor Saturn!" "This park used to be a place of beauty, where love could grow and flourish, for destroying that, I, with the powers of the planet of love, Venus, will destroy you! I am Sailor Venus!" "With the roar of the sea, the simple, calm power of the ocean planet of Neptune, home to the rulers of the sea, I am Sailor Neptune!" "The winds are angered by your evil deeds, with the power of the planet of the flying winds, Uranus, I am Sailor Uranus!" "Your heart is as cold as ice, and with the planet of ice and wisdom at my command, I will vanquish you in the name of Mercury! I am Sailor Mercury!" "Many have gone to great lengths to keep the peace and protect this world and ensure it's rightful time line, for threatening to destroy that, you shall suffer my wrath. I am the Guardian of Time, Sailor Pluto!" All eleven of them stood in an arc to one side of the evil creature. "You're evil, and dispicable," Sailor Moon hissed, an unusual and uncharastic anger and hate flashing in her sapphire eyes. "Why, thank you," the youma seemed to bow, slightly, and as it's somewhat bent over form straightened, it rose higher and higher, becoming thinner and more gangly, it's arms stretching to the sides, growing wider, the body becoming more humaoid. With a flash of blood red light, there stood a gigantic, two story high youma, the most hideous ever imagined. For the most part, it resembled an overgrown bat, with a more humaoid torso and legs. Its eyes, ears, nose structure, and enormous bat-wings being the only bat-like charastics. Fangs dripping venom protruded down over it's lower lips, it's nose two virticle slits, his eyes slanted and red, glimmering evilly in the moonlight. "My master has bid me to get rid of you, warriors, before he continues with his plans." The bat-youma hissed nasaly, his tone for some reason reminding the girls of a vampire. "You can tell your freakbutt master that if he wants us out of the way, he's gonna have to do more than send the result of a looney overgrown lab bat science experiment gone wrong." Sailor Venus antagonized. From above, across the street and atop a building, Sailor Galaxy chuckled. "Same old Venus." She said, smiling slightly, despite the gloomy circumstances. "They may not have the power, sister, but they have plenty of spirit." "Spirit is all fine and dandy," Universe muttered, "But it doesn't help much, and it'll help even less when he sucks that very thing out of them." She looked at her sibling out of the corner of her eye. "Or don't you recognize those?" "I remember them," Galaxy said lowly, her face and expression dark. "I remember them, all right. I remember what that one did to our parents as well, sister." "Up for a little payback?" Universe asked, her voice anything but joking, her eyes hard, a glimmer of vengeance sparkling within them. Sailor Galaxy nodded. "Definately. But we must wait. We need to know just how the Planetary Senshi and the Earth Prince measure up, then we can intervene if neccesary." Sailor Galaxy's eyes narrowed. "This may not be the one that slayed our family, but we will have vengeance, nontheless." She felt a black satin gloved hand squeeze her own white one, and she flashed her sister, her comrade, Sailor Universe, a fleeting smile. They were in this together. "C'mon, negatrash!" Jupiter screamed from down below, dragging the sisters' attention back to the battle being waged below. Together, Sailors Jupiter, Venus, and Mars called on their powers for a triple attack, while Saturn and Uranus -being the fastest- antagonized and bated the bat-youma, keeping it busy. "Venus..." "Jupiter..." "Mars..." "LOVE & BEAUTY-" "OAK EVOLUTION!!" "FLAME SNIPER!!!" "SHOCK!!!" A barrage of golden light littered with glittering stars and hearts threaded with razor sharp leaves, crackling with electricity, and surrounded by a wall of flaming arrows, raced towards the monster. The evil creature turned just in time to emit a screech of shock, nothing more, before the attack completely engulfed him. His form wracked with pain from the goodness and love of Venus's power, the electicity and deep gashes from the oak leaves, and the smoking and smoldering burns of the aflame arrows embedded in his flesh. "Now, Princess!" Uranus cried, grabbing small Saturn out of the way of a string of vemon from the youma, let loose in his agony. Determination etched into her face, Super Sailor Moon, the former Moon Princess, waved her arm, and in a glittering cloud of silver and pink dust, the legendary Moon Spiral Heart Scepter appeared in her hand. No moon warrior, or any warrior, had been powerful enough to wield it since it had first been created, by the very first Soldier of the Moon. Now, the last heir to the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Moon, brandished it high over her head, swinging it in a complex activation pattern, that for some reason was nessecary for it to power up. As the two Sailor Guardians watched from the rooftop, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars kept it busy and distracted -as it was coming out of it's agonized stupor- with razor tipped roses and flame ignited arrows. "Moon..." Sailor Moon called, her voice coated with the power of the moon. "Spiral... Heart..." The monster glanced at Sailor Moon, then swiped at the Terran Prince, who nimbly dodged away. "AAATTTAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!" Sailor Moon's war cry rang out through the night as a onslaught of powerful, glowing pink hearts and gold and silver crescent moons, with butterfly rainbows overcame the youma, gigantic pink, pusling hearts slamming into him, breaking over his head and releasing their power to rip agony through his evil form. Silver, pink, and white light exploded outward from him, and when it cleared, cheering filled the night as the Senshi saw the seemingly lifeless form of their foe. Not a pile of dust as the youma's usually were, but it was still, the scant fur it had left after Mars' fire arrows smoking. Sailor Universe narrowed her eyes as they began to walk away, chattering to themselves. "Never turn your back to the enemy while's he's still in one piece." Universe muttered, tensing, ready to leap should the youma still be alive and try something. Galaxy flexed her grip over her staff, renewing her grip, anxious, waiting. They didn't have to wait long. Sailor Mini Moon suddenly screamed, and the Senshi whirled to see that a string of blood red organic rope was whipped firmly around their senshi in training, dragging her back towards a smoldering, gasping, but very much alive evil bat-youma. "Rini!!!!!!!!" Sailor Moon cried as the youma rose to it's feet, dragging the screaming, crying, and kicking princess back to it. Grabbing her up in it's claw fingers that tipped it's wings, the creature brought it near to it's mouth. The Senshi darted towards the thing, Uranus and Jupiter snarling curses and battle cries. "Put my daughter DOWN!!!" Tuxedo Mask roared, flinging what had to be an entire garden full of perfect, deadly, and precisely aimed roses at the creature, at the same time Sailor Moon released her tiara, Mars her deadliest arrows, and Venus emplowing shadow and evil slicing golden moon beams from her fingers. The creature laughed evilly as the attacks, and the charging Uranus and Jupiter bounced harmlessly off a wall of darkness. The wall flickered under the attacks, but held, and they could see Mini Moon now breathing raggedly, slowly sufficating under the harsh grip, and being so near such intense and potent evil. "Tell me, Princess," It was unsure whether the creature was addressing it's captive or her distraught and nearly boiling-with-rage mother. "Tell me, do you know who I am? WHAT I am?" "You're an evil, loathful, disgusting creature who has no right to exist," Sailor Saturn screamed, tears at seeing her best friend being hurt run down her face. "Let Rini go!" The youma burst into laughter. "No, I think not." His eyes turned greedy, bloodthirsty, power hungry. "Do you know what power can be optained by absorbing such a warrior as she? Or even any one of you?" A pointed, double snakes tongue licked over his lips as he gazed down at the small girl warrior in his grasp. "Great power, yes..." He looked up again, his face turning regretful. "Unfortunately, my master forbade me to absorb any of you. So, unfortunately, this one," He held out the now unconscious Sailor Mini Moon, dangling her by one of the webbing threads that held her captive. "Along with the rest of you, will die. Tonight. "But I will ask you once again, do you any of you know who or what I am?" "You little..." He heard the one in red, the one with those somewhat painful arrows -more annoying than anything else, really- cursed vehemetly, and charged at him. Opening his mouth wide, a stream of dark, vile smelling liquid hissed out, catching her in the arm. With a cry of agony, the Martian Warrior fell back into the arms of Jupiter, whimpering in pain. "A-acid..." She managed to choke out before falling back, gasping in pain and nearly loosing consciousness. "Yes, acid. Very affective," he turned to a tear-streaked faced Sailor Moon and glowering Prince. "And I'm afraid your baby will suffer the same. Only very, very, slowly." He threw back his head and laughed, then turned his gaze on his prisoner once more, and opening his mouth, acidic vemon foaming at the tip of his fangs, his store replenishing itself to the fullest. With his Shadow Shield about him, he knew that they could do nothing. Oh, how pleased the master would be! Sailor Saturn snarled. The small warrior's hands itched to call upon her destructive forces, the blood thirsty nature that came with being Sailor Saturn bubbling up, and she was tempted to use it on this creature. "One last chance," the creature drawled. "Tell me who I am and maybe I'll spare her." "You're one of the foulest creatures ever to walk the planet." A tight, snarling voice hissed loudly, the owner nowhere to be seen. "You feed on the soul energy of innocents, growing and strengthening off their agony and misery." A second voice continued. This one was frightening with it's calm, barely suppressed rage. The youma suddenly for some reason felt slightly afraid. "You and your kind are an astrocity, an abomination upon those who were created with a choice to be good or evil." The first voice, carrying sharp daggers of hate in it's voice, said. "You, however," Continued the second. "Were created with evil intertwined with your very beings. There is no hope for you." "You have no souls, so you feed off of others." The first was back. "And that is why we will fight you till the end of time." The second. "You are known as many things, Night Creature." The first voice somehow seemed closer, though it was no louder. "You are Heart Eaters," the first named. "Spirit Stealers," added the second, "Dream Thieves," "Life Destroyers." "But mostly," the second voice was cold, loathing, filled with the barely suppressed rage that came from sorrow and the agony of the heart. "You are a Soul Vampire, creatures of blood and darkness." "Who..who are YOU?" The bat creatured snarled. "Who ARE you? Show yourself!" "Very well." Growled the first voice, the tone mocking. "If you insist." The second said, malice hidden by the sweet tone. Suddenly, two figures seemed to materialize out of thin air as they jumped out of the darkness. Sisters, obviously, though they looked hardly anything alike. They leaped down from their invisible perch, landing in front of the Senshi. The The one on their right was clad in a black skirt and collar, gold bows, black ankle boots with gold lacings, and held a long, black pearl and black diamond encrusted staff. Inside the center of a ornate symbol on the top was a squate, gold tinged crystal. Her long, knee length black-hole dark hair, darker than even Sailor Mars' or Tuxedo Mask's. The one on the left was clad in a white, pearlescent, pale rainbow-effect skirt and collar, with bright silver bows, and white knee high boots. Her long, ankle length silver white-gold hair glittered in the moonlight. She carried a long, silver staff studded with diamonds and pearls. In the center of the top symbol, a clear, opalescent and slightly silver crystal gleamed. "I am Sailor Universe!" Cried the first voice, eminating from the gold and black fuku bearer, the one holding the gold and black pearl and black diamond, slightly more ornate staff. "And I am her sister, Sailor Galaxy!" The one on the left was the owner of the second voice. "We are the Sailor Guardians!" They shouted. "And I am your doom, Light Bringers!" The youma roared. Acid vemon shot from it's mouth, and the girls darted to opposite sides. Sailor Universe shot gold sparks from her staff, distracting the creature and making it think she was trying to attack it. The youma laughed and advanced onto the raven haired warrior, not noticing the glimmer of silver that darted behind him. Another thick, oozing stream of acid hissed through the air, and Universe held her golden staff out before her, striking the ground with the bottom. She closed her eyes -much to the horror of the other Senshi- and suddenly a black, gold threaded shield surrounded her. The youma roared in rage, flinging his arms up in frustration and anger. Quick as a moonbeam, Sailor Galaxy, who had snuck around the youma, jumped up and over, irridensent, transparent gosamer silver fairy wings bursting from her back for an instant, long enough to give her the extra boost she needed to snatch Sailor Mini-Moon from the youma's grasp and flutter back down to earth. Clutching the unconscious ten year old, she darted away and stood with the other Senshi, cradling th small child and examining her as she handed the stirring princess to her mother. The silver clad warrior turned and nodded firmly to the gold and black clad senshi, the one who had made the shield. She had obviously been waiting for the nod from her comrade, and when it came she dropped the sheid and started her attack. "UNIVERSAL..." She raised the staff she carried over her head and pointed to the now night sky. Mercury noted the staff was pointed at the constallaion of Aquarius. The water warrior also kept an eye on the dark one's compainon who seemed to be standing before the Princess and her future daughter, shielding the young girl from anything or anyone. "AQUARIAN" Mercury's assumption was correct, and as watched, the black clad warrior was surrounded by minature stars that drifted and swirled down from the Aquarius constellation. She took her power from the stars. "FLOOD" The dark one pointed her staff at the very ugly youma, "DISTROY!!!" It didn't have a chance. "My god..." The blue senshi whispired as she gazed down at the wildly beeping min computer in her hands. the greatest energy reading she ever had was blowing the readings right off the scale, as the youma screamed in a sould tearing agonizing scream. As she looked, the remains -red and black dust- blew away in the wind, and the dark one looked with hate in her gold eyes at the burnt grass where the youma once was, walked up to it and spit in the spot. Glaring at the area once more, she rushed to her light friend with worry and they did as well and heard the conversation. "Is the child alright?" The dark one asked, and you could hear concern in her voice. "She'll be just fine." The white one said with pride as her compainon sighed with relief and bowed to the young girl. "You gave us all a scare, Princess," The black clad one looked at Sailor Moon. "Good luck, your highness. You'll need it." "Farewell, Princess," The white one blew a kiss to Mini Moon, and with that, and a brisk nodd to Sailor Pluto, the two of them leaped straight up into the air, wings -gold for the black warrior- sprouted from their backs, and they disappeared into the starlit sky. To Be Continued... Sailor GlitterGirl: You like? Man, that was a hard chapter to write! Rose-chan, you can deal with the AN's again. I'm zapped!