OK, here's a brief note about my "End" series. Someone asked me where Haruka and Michiru were, and the answer: nowhere. This series takes place after Sailor Pluto's introduction (which is why she's in the first one), but before the introduction of the other outers. K? K. Prince Darien Prologue The water fountain in front of the Dark-light palace was stained red. A fierce battle between the head of the palace and the sailor scoutshad taken place. The red was from the blood of Sailor Mercury. While she had not been killed, she had been severely wounded, causing the other scouts to retreat. While Sailors Venus, Mars, & Jupiter managed to get away, Sailor Mercury was kidnapped. The head of the palace, being the lord of the Dark Universe, the dimension which had spawned from the Negaverse, was able to overpower all of the Scouts. This had been the sole reason that they were forced to retreat. Sailor Mercury was being kept alive by a sort of life support system. This included Artificial respiration. The head of the palace was named Alucard. He was cloaked in darkness. The only part of his body that was visible was the bottom half of his face. It had a scar that went from his lower left jaw to his upper right jaw. He had received it during the fight. Mars had sent her Celestial Fire Surround attack, and wounded him. That was when he became mad, and nearly killed Sailor Mercury. As Alucard stared at his wounded opponent, he was trying to think of how he could use the present situation to his advantage. "Diamite! Present yourself to me!" His loud booming voice echoed throughout his entire palace. A black flame appeared in front of Alucard. "Yes, master," a voice said before the flame had time to disappear. "I want you to keep tabs on the Sailor Scouts. Make sure that they don't reach my palace again. I have waited too long for this opportunity to go down the tubes." "Yes, master," said Diamite. The monster was made up of a substance very similar to that of a diamond. The only difference was that the monster could be killed, but no one had yet found a way. The monster disappeared. "So, I do have people to oppose me." Alucard looked at Sailor Mercury. "Oh well...they won't be able to hold me off much longer. And as soon as this one wakes up, she will join me in conquering the world." Alucard laughed maniacally. * * * Darien was looking out his apartment window. It was 4:30 in the afternoon. He had the look of fear in his face. His forehead was covered with sweat. "So," he said to himself. "You're back." Chapter One Raye was running for all she was worth. She was late for school. I have been hanging around Serena way too much," she thought to herself. But that was not the main trouble. She was worried about Amy. She had every right to be, of course. They had been friends for a long time, and now it could be all over. Wose yet, Amy could have been brainwashed, and become an enemy of the Sailor Scouts. As Raye got to school, the tardy bell rang. "Damn!" Raye thought aloud. This would be the first time ever that she was tardy. She walked through the door, and was greeted by the principal. "Miss Hino," he said, "tardy for school?" Raye just nodded. "Is this your first time?" Raye nodded at this, also. "Well, then. I'll let it slide this once. But next time, you'll have detention. Understood?" "Yes, sir." "OK. Get to class." Raye walked down the hall to her class. She was still thinking about Amy, and what had become of her. * * * * Alucard was still staring at the unconcious girl he had on life support. He had been doing so for over an hour. All he wanted was for her to awaken, so he could have a new body. For eons, Alucard had been a demon, whose real name was not Alucard, but was Natas, the son of Satan. Natas had been so evil in his first three years that Satan did not want him. Satan thought his son would overpower him, and sent him to Earth. There, Natas adopted the name of Alucard, and made friends with a young boy in an orphanage. This young boy had been none other than Darien. Soon after, Darien found out about his new friend's true identity. Darien then wore a cross pendant around his neck, and Natas could not go within a 20 feet radius of Darien. He was soon exposed to the rest of the orphanage, and a ceremony was held to banish Natas. He was sent to the Negaverse, and accepted by Queen Beryl. She trained him in using his powers, and soon he became a loyal follower. She neglected to use him to get rid of the Sailor Scouts, and put him into another dimension. This dimension was the Dark Universe, and Queen Beryl told him to wait for a while, then to attack the Sailor Scouts once he had gotten even stronger. "The time is now," Natas said to himself. His eyes began glowing red. "For Queen Beryl, revenge shall come through me." He made a fist, and a ball of flame surrounded it. "The Sailor Scouts will die for what they have done with my Queen!" * * * * Serena was glad to be a senior. Finally, maybe she would have a little free time. This was a big mistake, especially since she was a Sailor Scout. By the time the school year was over, Serena would be lucky to be able to remember what free time was. Mostly because of Natas, but she thought one more fight would take care of him. She was dead wrong. Serena was in Math class, and was about ready to doze off, when she received a vision. It was Natas, sending a challenge to the Sailor Scouts. Serena nearly jumped out of her chair, but remembered she was in school. There weren't many things Serena was dedicated to, or even good at, but there was being a Sailor Scout. And, of course, there was her relationship with Darien. The thought of Darien's lips pressed against hers made Serena feel all gooey inside. But then, something would always happen to disrupt that thought, so she tried not to think about that anymore. She would always wind up mad that something dared to disturb her pleasant thought. As she sat in class, she found herself wishing she was with her eternal love. In less than a year, they would be legally married, and they would spend eternity together. But first she would have to defeat Natas. It was not going to be easy. * * * * Darien was running. He had no idea where he was going, but he was running. He was trying to escape the memories, which he had done for so long. But, as the past often does, it caught up with him. He saw the visions of Natas, with his true identity exposed, slowly disappearing. He could still hear the blood curdling screams. Now, the memories suddenly bacame vividly clear. Natas's human face disappeared, and there was a bloody skull engulfed in flame. Darien remembered how he felt, and screamed. He sighed a sigh of relief when he saw no one around. He continued trying to outrun the painful memories... To Be Continued... Chapter Two Diamite was searching for the Sailor Scouts. He found Sailor Mars rather quickly, only she was not as Sailor Mars, but as Raye. She was in school. Diamite felt necessary to kill her. He jumped through a window, which was not open. Glass shattered everywhere. Diamite looked at the frightened people hide under their desks, which was everyone in the room. Everyone, except Raye. She stood up, and decided that there was no more time to keep her other identity a secret. "Mars Star Power!" Raye transformed into Sailor Mars. "Damn you! Why did you have to do that!?" "My master bids it so." Diamite thrust out his right arm, which extended to reach Sailor Mars. It came to a point. "Die!" Light blue energy began to show inside the arm. Sailor Mars jumped to the side to avoid the blast that was soon to come. Almost immediately, a blast of pure blue negative energy was emitted from the arm, and it went crashing into the wall at the opposite end of the room. The wall seemed to just absorb the energy. "What the...?" "See ya!" Diamite disappeared. Sailor Mars turned to the rest of her classmates. "Everyone, get out of the room now!" They all did as she said. At least, they tried to. The wall exploded, and large chunks of it were sent hurling into several people, including Sailor Mars. Just at that time, a rose flew into the chunk of wall holding Sailor Mars down, and shattered the piece of wall. Sailor Mars looked at the now open window. "Thought you could use my help," said the caped man. "Tuxedo Mask!" "In the flesh." Tuxedo Mask turned and disappeared, saying "I will return." Sailor Mars helped the others to get out of the room. **** The dark alley was dark. And empty, with one small exception. The back. There, standing at a height of seven feet, was Natas. He was facing the front of the alley. In his hand was a nearly invisible ball of negative energy. He was pondering what to do. While he knew it was best to wait to attack the Sailor Scouts, he wanted them dead very badly. He also knew that Diamite had probably already killed at least one of them. Natas walked toward the street adjacent to the alley. He then hurled the ball of negative energy toward it. The ball hit a car that was passing by at the time, and caused the car to explode. The man inside the car died instantly. "There," Natas said. "There went some of my anger." He disappeared, while people stopped to see what had happened. Natas appeared in his palace in front of a waiting Diamite. He stared at his minion for a moment, before asking his question. "So?" "I killed Sailor Mars." "You're sure?" "Yes." Natas took a deep breath at this point, and exhaled. He the grabbed Diamite by the throat and slammed him up against the nearest wall. "You idiot! I told you to keep tabs on the Sailor Scouts, not to kill them!" With a scream of rage, Natas squeezed Diamite's throat, and killed the minion. He then flung the limp mass of diamond-like material across the room. Diamite shattered on impact of the wall which was about 30 feet away. Another deep breath, followed by a heavy exhalation. "Why couldn't you just do what I told you to?" Natas looked at Sailor Mercury, who was still on life support, and in a coma. "How the hell did you people find me?" he asked. As a sort of involuntary action, Sailor Mercury transformed back into Amy. This was done because she had been unconscious for such a long time, and her power as a Sailor Scout had diminished from being in the Dark Universe for such a long time. Natas watched this, partly in awe, partly in shock. "You aren't really human...are you?" Sailor Mars was running. She was trying to find Diamite, who had gone in the general direction she was presently running. She bumped into Darien, who was running in the opposite direction of her. Sailor Mars ran into Darien so hard that they both fell backwards. Sailor Mars yelled, not even realizing that it was Darien she had ran into. "Whoa, Raye!" Darien yelled. "Shhh! I'm not Raye, I'm Sailor Mars." "Where were you going in such a hurry?" "I could ask you the same question." "Well, don't. Besides, you probably don't really care." Shock made itself visible on Sailor Mars's face. "What do you MEAN I don't care?" "Nothing. Look, I've gotta go." Darien got up, and continued running. Natas's bloody skull, surrounded in flame, still tortured him. "Weird," Sailor Mars said to herself. She then teleported to her temple. When she arrived, she saw no one. "Good," she thought. She transformed into Raye. She then called the other Scouts. Darien continued to run, and memories continued to haunt him. "I can't let the Sailor Scouts know how this is bothering me," he thought. "Still, I can't hold anything back from Serena." He had no idea how he was going to face her later that afternoon. After a long time of thinking, he started running again. But he wasn't trying to run away from the memories of Natas anymore. He wasn't even trying to run away from anything. "Serena's in trouble," he thought. "Big trouble...I can feel it." Natas was watching one of his minions from a rooftop. His minion was battling Sailor Moon. It was a fierce battle, but Sailor Moon was winning. As she began using her Moon Scepter Elimination, the monster gained the upper hand. It dodged the blast, and knocked the scepter out of her hand. Natas reveled at this, but soon a rose flew into the monster. It was stunned. "Sailor Moon, I am here." "Tuxedo Mask! I knew you would save me!" Natas became impatient, which was one of his major flaws. He jumped down into the fray. "Hello, cape-boy. So glad to see you could make it." "Natas, don't you recognize me?" "No. Should I? And how do you know my name?" Tuxedo Mask took his mask off. "Those eyes...I know those eyes!" "It's me. Darien." "Darien...Darien! You! After all these years, finally I get my pay-back!" "We'll see about that. Enguard!" Tuxedo Mask put his mask back on. His cane extended. Natas stared at Darien, and his eyes began glowing. "Time to DIE!" Tuxedo Mask was thrown backwards. He slammed into a brick wall. "Unngh..." "Now, on with more important business," Natas said. "Nooo! You're an evil creature!" "Yes, I am. Thank you for noticing," Natas said with a smile. "Moon...Cosmic...Power!!" The powerful beams flew into Natas, weakening him. "Master!" "Back off, Jalobe! I don't need your help. Go watch our guest." "Yes, master." Jalobe vanished instantly. "Guest?!?" Sailor Moon asked in amazement. "You mean Sailor Mercury-" "Is still alive. But be forewarned, the next time you see her...it will be your last." Natas felt a strange feeling come over him. It was very strange. He felt as if he had a heart. And, for the first time, he did. A conscience had developed within him many years ago, and only now had it emerged. "You were lucky this time. But next time..." Natas disappeared. Sailor Moon turned to Tuxedo Mask, only to find that he had disappeared as well. "Oh, Darien. How did he know you?" Serena asked as the sun set behind the horizon. Chapter Three Natas watched Sailor Mercury sleep. She had moved her head once, and he had thought she was coming to. He had thought wrong. "Damn it! Wake up!" Natas was growing furious. "I need a new body!" he shouted. At this time, Jalobe appeared. "Master, I have some good news." "What?" Natas asked without taking his gaze off of Sailor Mercury. "The Sailor Scouts are at their weakest when in human form." "Jalobe, how stupid do you think I am?" "What do you mean, master?" Jalobe was starting to grow anxious. "Why did you just tell me something I already knew?" "I-I'm sorry, my lord." "I'm sorry, too." Saying that, Natas's eyes became bright red, and a whirlwind surrounded him. Seconds later, Jalobe combusted. The flames stopped with the whirlwind, and Natas's eyes went back to their original color, which was black. "I've got to learn to control my temper," he whispered. He had no idea how right he was on that. * * * * * * * * * The rain was coming down hard as Serena stared out her bedroom window. She thought the weather was very fitting for the mood she was in. She felt this way for a number of reasons. She was worried about Amy, and she was thinking of how Natas had known her beloved Darien. "Serena," Luna said. "What's wrong?" "Nothing, Luna," Serena said, trying to hide her depression. "Serena, I know that look. What's on your mind?" "Oh, lots of things. Amy. Darien. Our new enemy." "You mean Natas?" "Yeah, how'd you know?" "I was with you at the fight. Remember? Anyway, I think I know why he's here, and I think I know why he chose now to appear." "Well, spill it!" "OK. A long time ago, Natas was born the son of Satan. He was afraid his son would overpower him, so he sent Natas to Earth. Natas was exposed somehow, and sent to the Negaverse, and accepted by Queen Beryl. After time, she sent him to another dimension. This was called the Dark Universe. He has been waiting there to attack, and destroy the Earth. He believes that by attacking the Sailor Scouts, he is getting revenge. But his REAL purpose is to jump-start Armageddon." "Armageddon?" "That's why he's here? He chose Tokyo to jump-start Armageddon?" "Yes, but to do so he needs a vessel. One born in the shadows, and raised in the light of day." "Is that why he has Amy?" "What do you mean?" "Think about it, Serena. Natas needs someone born in the shadows, or, taken literally, at night-time. Amy was born just after sun-up." "How do you know?" "I've been checking birth certificates," Luna replied calmly. "There is only one person that we know who was born at night-time." "Who?" Serena asked impatiently. "Let's just say, he loves you more than you'll ever know." Serena's jaw dropped, and her eyes became tear-filled. * * * * * * * * * "Damn!" Natas shouted. "This girl is not the one!" Natas had been thoroughly examining Amy for quite some time. "Warrior Cashia, present yourself!" A monster of about seven feet, six inches, with long appendages, a tail three feet long, and a spiky, scaly body appeared from a black cloud of smoke. "Yesss, massster?" "Cashia, I want you to take this human back to Earth, and bring back this man." Natas made an image of Darien appear, then Tuxedo Mask, then Prince Darien. "They are all the same man. And this man, I need. He is to be unharmed. Do you understand?" "Yesss, massster." Cashia disappeared, and took Amy with him. "Soon, the world will belong to the Dark Universe, and I will get revenge for the death of Queen Beryl!" Natas turned around. An image of Tokyo appeared. "I've picked the perfect spot," Natas muttered. * * * * * * * * * Amy awoke with a jerk. She was in her own bed, and was no longer in her Sailor Scout uniform. She was in her school uniform. She looked out her window. It was raining hard, and she could see lightning in the sky. She heard a loud crack of thunder. Amy pulled the covers over her head. "This is not good," she said to herself. "Definitely not good at all." Amy had a premonotion that something bad was about to happen to somebody she knew very well. She couldn't shake the feeling. It haunted her all night long. To Be Continued... Chapter Four Lita and Mina were sitting on Lita's living room floor. They were having a sleep-over, but neither one of them could sleep because of the storm outside. They were cold, despite the fact the heater was on. "Lita," Mina said drearily. "Huh..?" "Tell the thunder to stop. I'm tired." "C'mon, Mina. Just try to drown it out and get some sleep." Lita laid down, but was unable to sleep. She tossed and turned, but could not find a comfortable position. "This sucks," Mina said. "Why can't the thunder and the lightning just go away?" "I know it's getting on your nerves." "And what about you?" "Frankly, it's annoying the hell outta me," Lita said sleepily. At that time, they heard someone knocking at the door. "I'll get it," Lita said. She stumbled to her front door. "Who is it?" "It's Raye," said the voice on the other side of the door. "Hurry up and open this door already!" Lita did just that. Raye burst into the room. "What's going on?" Mina asked. "I don't know," Raye replied. "But whatever it is, it's big. I have a real bad feeling about it." "Should we call Serena?" asked Lita. "Wait until morning," Raye said. "I don't feel like listening to her whine all night." The other two agreed. "What about Darien?" "What about him?" Lita asked. "Well, it seems to me we could call him. I have a few questions to ask." "Raye, you know how he feels about Serena." "I don't mean that. He seems...different, or something. He's been acting strange lately." "So let's call him!" Mina exclaimed. "You sure your parents won't mind, Lita?" "I'm sure. Besides, they're out of town for a couple of days." Mina picked up the phone, and dialed Darien's number. His answering machine answered. Mina left a message, explaining that they needed to see him as soon as possible. "Answering machine, huh?" Raye said. "Yep." Another bright flash of light, followed by a loud crack of thunder. The three girls jumped. They looked at each other. The look of fear was evident on each of their faces. "Call Serena," Raye said. * * * * * * * * * Serena made her way downstairs to the kitchen, her eyes still filled with tears. She opened the refrigerator door. The cold air brushed against her. It seemed to calm her. She sighed, and her communicator sounded. She answered it. "Hello." "Hi, Serena," said Lita. "We have a situation over here." "Where are you you guys?" "At my house." "I'll be right over! Hang on." Serena put away her communicator, and rushed out the door. Her family never heard her. * * * * * * * * * Serena ran for all she was worth. She was still thinking about Darien, and Armageddon. Her boyfriend could be the one to start it, and there was nothing she could do about that. At least, that is what she thought. She thought right. She was powerless to stop Natas in physical battle. Since he was spawned from hell, no weapon forged could stop him. Serena ran all the way to Lita's house, not caring that she was getting soaked by the rain. When she got there, she knocked on the door, and was let in. They other three girls could not tell that Serena had been crying, since the raindrops and the teardrops had run together on her face. "What's up?" Serena asked. "We were just discussing the fact that Darien has been acting strange lately, and Raye got some bad vibes," Mina said. "What about Amy? Does anybody know what we're going to do about her?" Serena asked. "No," Raye replied calmly. "I think it's best if we try to solve one problem at a time, though." Raye looked around. Then, she noticed something. "Does anybody hear that?" "I don't hear anything," Lita said. "Exactly! It's quit raining!" The four girls looked out the window. The rain had stopped, and the clouds were breaking up. "This is a good sign," Raye said. "A good sign about what?" Mina and Serena asked at the same time. "I'm not quite sure, but I'll bet it has something to do with Amy or Darien." "Hello, girls." The four girls turned to the stairs, startled. They saw Darien. "How did you get here?" "I walked. I got your message, Mina. What's up." There was a tone in Darien's voice that the girls had not heard before. "Darien, I'm so glad you're here!" Serena shouted before rushing to him. They embraced each other, but the warmth Serena normally felt was not there. "Darien, what's wrong? You seem...different." "What?" he asked as if he didn't really care. "You..." "Serena, honey, it's the same old me," Darien said with a smile that was not a smile of comfort. Rather, it was a sort of smile that usually meant he was laughing on the inside. "Darien..." "Darien," Raye said. "Quit being mean to her." "What? And risk a touchy feely moment?" Serena's eyes began to water. "How can you say something like that to me?" Darien turned around. His reply made Serena burst into full-fledged tears. "Because I can." Darien went up the stairs, and jumped out the window. He landed on his feet. Then, he turned into Cashia, since he was not really Darien at all. "Massster will be pleasssed. Now, I mussst find thisss Darien." Back in Lita's house, Serena was crying her eyes out. "Guys," Raye said. "I don't think that was Darien." "Me neither," Lita said. "Who could it be?" Serena asked, her words barely audible. "Maybe a minion from the Dark Universe?" Just then, Raye had a brilliant idea. "Aha! Now I've got it! Natas feeds off of hatred and destruction, and he also knows that Serena and Darien love each other deeply. He's trying to get them to hate each other, thereby increasing his strength!" "That would explain what just happened," Mina said. "So let's go kick his butt!" Lita exclaimed. "Uh-uh. No can do," Raye said. "If we face him in battle, he'll kill us. We have only one option." The four girls huddled close to each other, and Raye explained her plan. They would get Natas to witness Serena and Darien's love. If all went well, Natas would be weakened from their open displayment of true love. It was the perfect plan, as far as Raye was concerned. The other three girls felt the same way. Now all they had to do was get the real Darien, and let him in on the plan. Easier said than done. * * * * * * * * * Cashia was searching for Darien. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, but could not find his target. Then, when on the rooftop of the Crown Game Center, he spotted a man who looked very much like Darien. This was because he was Darien. Darien had decided to take a walk right after the rain had stopped. He needed to clear his head. He kept thinking about the event which had occurred so many years ago. Every time he thought about it, he wanted to scream. But, he was out in public, and screaming would make him look insane. As Darien stood at a corner, waiting for the cars to pass, he saw Cashia out of the corner of his eye. As the last car passed, Darien took off running, and Cashia followed in hot pursuit. Darien ran as fast as he could, but Cashia was faster. Cashia caought up with his target, and grabbed him. Then, they disappeared. The whole thing lasted all of ten seconds. Darien couldn't even yell for help. * * * * * * * * * Natas was staring into cold, empty space. He was pondering how to bring forth the demons of hell, and at the same time get revenge for the loss of Queen Beryl. The answer seemed so simple, yet it was very complicated. Destroy the Sailor Scouts. It seemed like an easy thing to do, but it was really one of the hardest things an entity could try to do. They were smart, and knew when to retreat. Also, they were true friends, which was their real main strength. As a matter of fact, it would prove to be their greatest weapon. Natas was thinking of all this when Cashia appeared, with Darien. Nothing was said. It was the most awkward silence Darien could ever remember. Finally, after three minutes of deafening silence, Natas spoke. "Bring him here." Cashia did just that, and Natas looked Darien in the eyes. "You just had to expose me, didn't you? You just HAD to make my existence completely miserable!" "I was a little-" "Silence! I don't want to hear you speak. You will serve me well in my conquest of the world." "What if I don't want to be a part of it?" "Then you will die like the rest of Earth's pitiful humans. Now, I must take my new form." "What...?" Natas slowly moved toward Darien, still being held by Cashia, and smiled. "Now have a taste of my hell." Natas grabbed Darien by the throat, and merged into him. The experience was the most painful Darien had ever felt. But, as quickly as the pain came, it went away. Darien's eyes were now black, and his voice was slightly lower. "Burn, baby burn." He smiled wickedly. * * * * * * * * * Serena, Lita, and Raye were sitting by a fire. Raye was trying to get a reading from the fire. "Oh, great fires of Mars, show me where Amy is." An image of Amy, sitting up in her bed, appeared. "She's escaped!" Then, an image of Darien appeared. It looked right at the three girls, and began to laugh maniacally. "What the...?" Serena said. "How......?" said Lita. "Oh no..." said Raye. To Be Continued... Chapter Five Darien was walking to Serena's house. Well, he LOOKED liked Darien, butin reality he was Natas inside Darien's body. As part of hisbanishment, he was not able to be in the Earth realm for more than one hour unless he was inside the body of a human born in the shadows, and raised in the light of day. Darien fit the bill perfectly. Now, Natas was going to see if he could ruin the life of Sailor Moon. He had all of Darien's memories. Now, he was going to use them to ruin Serena's life. Perfect plan, right? Of course it was. Natas knew that force alone was not enough to beat Sailor Moon. To really hurt her, to really crush her, he had to work from the inside. In short, he had to "love" her. As Natas continued walking to Serena's house, he realized that it was still night out, and she would probably be asleep. He decided to wait until morning came. He continued to walk the streets of Tokyo, and every human he came in contact with, he burned. Literally. He had fun doing it, too. He couldn't wait until he got to do the same to Sailor Moon, and the rest of the Sailor Scouts. With every life Natas took, he grew stronger. Within a half hour, he had taken over fifty lives. Most of them had been those of bums and prostitutes, since everybody else was inside their homes. Natas was approaching the point of invincibility once again. He had lost it once when banished to the Negaverse, but he still remained very powerful. Natas was still wandering about the streets when he decided to visit a graveyard. This graveyard was not in the Earth realm, however, but in the realm of the Negaverse. * * * * * * * * * Natas appeared in a space of darkness. There were many ghosts, all of which were from Negaverse generals, youma, etc. Natas was about to select three of the beings for resurrection. The selection of the first two was easy. Zoisite and Nephlite, two of the most cunning and ruthless Negaverse generals. Now, he had a hard decision. Malachite, who had proven to be very worthy, or Ninjana, who has proven to be able to infiltrate the Sailor Scouts? Natas finally decided on Malachite. Then, he realized that three would not be enough. He realized that he would need at least five. He then resurrected Dolomite and Sylvite. Natas examined his team of five warriors. He had upgraded their powers, and made them a force to be reckoned with. "All of you must work together to defeat the Sailor Scouts." "What?" Zoisite asked angrily. "Those Sailor Bitches are still alive? And who are you to order us around?" "I am Natas, son of Satan, and the lone ruler of the Dark Universe." "You look suspiciously like Darien to me," Malachite said. "Fools! I am Natas! I am merely inside Darien's body, so I may have way to be in the Earth realm." "So why did you select us?" Nephlite asked. "I chose you five to lead my Army of Darkness, to lead the world into Armageddon!" "So," said Sylvite, "why did you pick a spineless wimp like Dolomite?" "Hey!" shouted Dolomite. "He may be spineless, but he has a great power. He may not be a real leader, but I think he will suffice. No one else has a power like his." "Thank you," said Dolomite. "Now," said Natas, "follow me to my palace. We have much to discuss." Natas stepped through a portal, and the five warriors followed. Zoisite and Nephlite were the last to go through. "Let's get something straight," Zoisite said. "Just because we are working together does not mean I have any feeling of friendship toward you." "I feel the same way about you," Nephlite calmly responded. "But I won't try to kill you. I have too much class." Nephlite stepped through the portal. "Ass-hole," Zoisite said as she stepped through the portal. * * * * * * * * * Serena entered her house undetected. It was 7:30 a.m. She went to her bedroom and fell onto her bed, crying. She had a feeling that Darien had left her, one way or another. She began remembering all the good times they had shared, and all the battles he had come to her aid in. "Why?" she whimpered. "Why now?" "Serena," Luna said. "I don't think he's doing it on his own free will. I think Natas could be behind it." "I know," Serena said. "Just leave me alone. I need to get some sleep." Luna didn't say another word. * * * * * * * * * "All right, recruits!" Natas shouted. "Cashia is going to test all of you. Who ever can defeat him in one-on-one battle will be the supreme commander of my Army of Darkness." Natas then whispered to Cashia that none of the five warriors were to be killed. "First, Dolomite! Enter the arena!" A boxing ring appeared, minus the ropes. "Begin!" Dolomite made a void appear between his hands, and blasted Cashia. The blast was ineffective, and Cashia quickly defeated Dolomite by throwing him against a wall, 25 feet away. Dolomite was unconscious. "Nephlite! Get in there!" shouted Natas. Nephlite entered the arena. "Begin!" Cashia whipped his tail around to hit Nephlite, who effortlessly dodged. Nephlite made a purple energy sword appear in his right hand, and charged Cashia. The sword went through Cashia's abdomen. Cashia then turned to charcoal. "Nephlite, you will be the supreme ruler of my army." "It is an honor, my lord," Nephlite said with the utmost sincerity. "But we didn't even get a chance!" Zoisite shouted. "You dare raise your voice to me?" Natas asked, eyes turning red. "Please, forgive her," Malachite said. "She has forgotten herself." "Make sure that it does not happen again," Natas said. "Yes, my lord." "I will be going now," Natas said to his five warriors. "Nephlite will be in charge. I am putting Zoisite and Malachite in charge of ensuring his safety from now on." "You mean we have the honor of being his personal bodyguards?" Zoisite asked. "Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" "No," Malachite said before Zoisite had a chance to speak. Natas disappeared. Nephlite walked over to Zoisite. "Ironic, isn't it? You kill me, then you have to protect me." "You had just better watch your back," Zoisite said. "Sylvite," Nephlite said. "Yes, Nephlite?" "Keep an eye on Zoisite and Malachite. I don't trust them." "Yes, commander. It will be done." Sylvite felt something about Nephlite that she had once felt about Dolomite. It was not a very strong feeling, but she thought it could be love. Or maybe it was lust? She didn't know, but she was going to find out. * * * * * * * * * Natas appeared in front of Serena's house. He was seen by no one. He knocked on the front door. Serena's mother answered the door. "Hello?" "Hello. Is Serena home?" "Yes, Darien, but she's asleep. Can you come back after a while?" "Actually, I really need to talk to her. It's kind of an emergency." "Well, wait here. I'll go get her." Serena's mother went upstairs to get Serena, while Natas waited outside. After a short time, Serena came down the stairs. When she saw Darien, she was ecstatic. "Darien!" "Serena! Could you step outside for a minute? I have to talk to you." "Sure, muffin." Serena stepped outside, and closed the door. "What is it?" "Serena, I just came by to tell you that..." "Yes? What is it?" "Well...this is really hard to say. But...I don't think it's best if we see each other for a while." "What?" Serena nearly wailed, but held back, mostly. "It's just that, with this new threat and all, I have a lot going on, and I don't think I can handle a relationship." "How can you say that? After all we've been through!" "Serena, I'm sorry, but we're through!" Natas/Darien ran away as fast as he could. When he was out of sight of Serena, he teleported back to his palace. * * * * * * * * * Dolomite was slow in waking up. When he finally did, he saw Nephlite standing over him. "What the hell...?" "It's about time you woke up," Nephlite said. "How in the hell did you get chosen for resurrection?" "My power, I guess." "You should learn to use it better." At this point, Nephlite started to whisper. "Do you really want to serve Natas?" "What?" "Just answer my question." "Well, not really, but--" "OK. Here's the deal. I can help you out, if you help me. I don't want to serve him either." "But--" "Shh! Listen, I have someone in the Earth realm that I really care about, but I don't want to hurt her." "It's not Sailor Moon, is it?" Now Dolomite was starting to whisper. "No. Her name is Molly Baker. But that is not the issue. Will you help me?" "In doing what?" "Getting out of here." "Sure...I guess." At this point, Natas appeared. "Shh," Nephlite whispered to Dolomite. "Nephlite," Natas said. "Yes, my lord?" "I want you to visit Sailor Moon. Give her a message for me." Nephlite realized this as his one and only opportunity to carry out his plan. He just wished he had more time to prepare. "Anything, my lord." "Tell her that you have a message from Darien, and then hurt her badly." "It will be done, but I request Dolomite's assistance." "Why?" "If she discovers who I am, I may need help fending off the Sailor Scouts. They are hardly ever apart." "Very well. Anything else?" "No." Nephlite and Dolomite disappeared. Natas thought his plan was going perfectly. It had, up until now. Now, it was about to take a turn for the worse. If only Natas had looked into Nephlite's past a little more, he could have prevented his biggest mistake. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Disclaimer: Yes, it's a weird place to put one, but I keep forgetting to, and I figure I will keep forgetting if I don't do it now. This fanfic is based on Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon, created by Naoko Takeuchi (or Takeuchi Naoko if you want to be more Japanese) which is a copyright of Bandai, Kodansha, DIC, and other big companies. The characters I created are mine. If they are similar to other characters in other fanfics, it is purely coincidental. The characters Dolomite and Sylvite belong to Jupiter Knight. I did not get permission for Sylvite, but at least I am giving due credit. IN NO WAY DO I TAKE ANY KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CREATION OF SYLVITE OR DOLOMITE! Chapter Six Raye had just received a phone call from Mina. Mina had sounded very ecstatic about something, but Raye did not know what about. She decided to visit Mina. Raye ran out of Cherry Hill Temple as fast as she could. She nearly fell flat on her face! But she didn't. After all, she wasn't Serena. On her way to Mina's house, Raye ran into Nephlite and Dolomite. Well, not really. She saw them, but they did not see her. "This is not good," Raye thought. "I should see what their up to, but I've really gotta go to Mina's." Raye continued on, wondering what exactly was going on. Nephlite and Dolomite were still talking in the alleyway. "Nephlite," Dolomite said. "I don't feel comfortable about this." "Why not? You just keep your mouth shut, and everything will be all right." "But what if Natas comes looking for us? What then?" "I've read into Natas. Despite his tough exterior, he has a conscience. I have a way of manipulating anything with a conscience." "And what about you? Do you have a conscience?" "I'll let you figure that one out," Nephlite said as he looked away from Dolomite. "In the meantime, get some new clothes. You don't want to look like a reject." Nephlite changed his clothing to that of his alter-ego, Maxfield Stanton. "Just what am I supposed to do?" Nephlite turned to Dolomite. "Just what I did." Dolomite changed his clothing to that of an executive businessman. "Now choose a name." "How does Skippy sound?" "Like you're a jackass." "How about Marvin?" "It's better. Now, get out of sight. If Natas comes looking for you, don't fight it. It's better to die quick." "Why's that?" "You really are a moron, ya know that? Less pain." Nephlite walked away. Dolomite walked to the nearest pharmacy. He felt it best to get some painkillers. * * * * * * * * Zoisite and Malachite were alive and together again, and that made them happy. They were Nephlite's personal bodyguards, and that made them unhappy. "Malachite, why do we have to be under Nephlite? He's proven once before to be a traitor." "Zoisite, my love, I don't have an answer to that. But I think it's best if we do not question Natas. I need to study him." "And then what?" "If at all possible, we rebel. I would rather not serve someone who would trust Nephlite." "Oh, Malachite." Zoisite and Malachite embraced and kissed. * * * * * * * * Sylvite was sitting beside the remaining ashes of Cashia. She was thinking about Nephlite, and her feelings toward him. She realized that she probably didn't have a chance. Someone as valiant as Nephlite must already be taken right? Right. But Sylvite would have been disgusted to find out who had stolen Nephlite's heart. Natas walked up to Sylvite. She did not notice him at first. When she did notice him, she quickly stood, and bowed. "My lord. What do you bid of me?" "Sylvite, I have one simple request. Make sure that no one tries to double cross me. If they do, kill them." "Yes, my lord," Sylvite said, not knowing that she had just said she would kill her former lover, and the one she hoped would be her future lover. * * * * * * * * Raye arrived at Mina's house, out of breath. She knocked on the door, and Mina answered. "Thank goodness you're here! Come on inside!" Mina pulled Raye inside before she had a chance to respond. "What is it, Mina?" "I just got a phone call from Serena, and she and Darien broke up!" Raye was shocked when she heard this. "So, who dumped who?" Raye asked. "Darien dumped her!" Raye didn't say a single word at this. "No," Raye thought. "It wasn't him." At that time, Raye heard someone knocking at the door. "I'll get it," Raye said. She walked to the door, and opened it to see Nephlite. "You!" "Shh! I'm not who I used to be." "How do I know?" "Listen, I'll explain everything once I'm sure I was not followed. May I come in?" "Sure." Nephlite walked into the house. "How did you find me?" Raye asked. "I walked out of an alley, and I saw you. I decided to follow you." Raye and Nephlite went into the room where Mina was, which was the living room. "Who's this?" Mina asked. "My name is Maxfield Stanton." "It's OK," Raye said. "She's a Sailor Scout." "Raye!" Mina shouted. "In that case, my name is Nephlite, and I used to be a general for the Negaverse. Don't worry, though. I'm a good guy now." "Good. Then I don't have to kill you," Mina said. "You're blunt. I like that." Nephlite explained what all was going on, and how he did not want to be a part of it. But, if he had to, he wanted to be a good guy, and help the Sailor Scouts. "Well, Nephlite," Raye said. "I think you should talk to Serena. She seems pretty upset. She thinks Darien dumped her." "I will talk with Sailor Moon. But first I must see Molly." "I understand," Raye said. "But what about Dolomite?" "He has no interest in the events taking place. He only wants to have a clean start." Nephlite was only partially correct in this. Dolomite had no interest in the events taking place. He merely wanted to rule the world by himself. * * * * * * * * Molly Baker was watching her favorite soap opera on TV. It was Days of Our Lives. She was completely wrapped up in the show. She was wrapped up so much that she did not hear Nephlite knocking on her door. She didn't even hear him yell that it was him. Nephlite heard her crying, and thought she was ignoring him. Actually, she was crying about the way the episode was going, but Nephlite did not know that. How could he have known? Instead, he thought she was crying because of him. Had he done something wrong? Or had she just grown tired of him? Nephlite decided to knock again. He simply *had* to talk to her. He pounded on the door. This time, Molly heard. "Who is it?" Molly asked after turning the volume down. "Maxfield--er, Nephlite." Molly was surprised, then angered. "I don't know who you are, but it's not nice to play jokes like this on someone!" "Molly, please! It's not a joke! Just open the door. I need to talk to you." Molly decided to open the door. When she saw Nephlite, her jaw dropped. "Nephlite..." "Oh Molly. I have so much to tell you. May I come inside." Molly made a gesture, indicating that he was allowed inside. Nephlite told Molly about everything that happened, and about everything that was going to happen. "It doesn't matter, as long as I'm with you," Molly said. "I have an idea," Nephlite said. "Why don't we have a chocolate parfait?" "Oh, Nephlite...you remembered." "How could I forget?" * * * * * * * * Sylvite was watching Zoisite and Malachite. They had been away from the rest of the group far too much. She was spying on them, and overheard a startling conversation. "Malachite, we have to act now! If we wait too long, Natas will be too powerful to stop, and we will be stuck serving under that son of a bitch Nephlite!" "Zoisite, calm down. Remember what happened the last time you acted hastily," Malachite said, referring to her death. "I know, but last time I was wrong. This time I know I'm right. We have to act now!" "Zoisite, I only need to study a little more. Once I confirm that Natas is not too strong, we will rebel, I will rule the Universe, with you at my side." "Oh, Malachite." Sylvite decided she would have to kill Malachite and Zoisite. * * * * * * * * Dolomite was walking along a street in downtown Tokyo, when he saw Serena. She saw him, and they both remembered what had happened to them recently. Dolomite wanted revenge for his death, so he attacked Serena. He made a void appear between his hands, and blasted her into a telephone pole. She was weakened greatly, and had bruises over 70 percent of her body. "You bitch! Why did you have to kill me!?!!" he yelled. Too weak to respond, Serena just moaned. "I have a message from Darien. Fuck you!" Dolomite ran away, for fear of a mob attacking him, and he did not want to expend too much energy. Many people saw what happened, and called the hospital. She was rushed to the ER, and received immediate treatment. Serena was then listed in poor condition, one step above critical condition. She was allowed one visitor at a time. The first to visit was Raye. "Serena," Raye said, "I heard about--" "Raye, he's stronger now. He managed to do this in one blow." "What? How...how can that be?" Raye thought for a moment, then came to the only reasonable answer. When Natas resurrected him, he was made more powerful. That was logical, wasn't it? Yeah, logic. As if anything in the Scouts' lives had logic anymore. The only things that made sense anymore was the fact that the world kept on turning, and every living person still could breathe, eat, and drink. "Serena, just take it easy. We'll figure something out." Raye left, at Serena's will. Amy then entered. "Hey Serena, long time no see. I wish it was under better circumstances." "Amy, what is going on?" "I have no idea." This was ironic, since Amy was supposed to be the brains of the outfit. "I'll do my best to figure it out." "I know you will," Serena said with a smile. Amy left, and the other Scouts visited Serena one at a time. Serena then fell into a deep sleep. She had a dream. It was a dream about everything that was going on with Darien. (BEGIN DREAM) Serena saw Darien, her lover, in the woods. He was in the form of Tuxedo Mask. She saw him stare at her, the run into the woods as fast as he could. He distanced himself from her, and she began to weep. Tears ran from her eyes, down her cheeks, and fell onto the ground. Then, she saw him again, and a black rose flew into her chest, and her blood fell where the tears had fallen. She whispered "why?" He replied "because I hate you, as I hate the world." (END DREAM) Serena awoke with a spring. She shot right up in bed. "This can't be happening," she said to herself. "It just can't." * * * * * * * * Raye, Mina, Amy, and Lita were at Raye's temple, trying to figure out what to do. Artemis and Luna were there, too. "Guys, do you think it's possible that Natas has taken over Darien?" Amy asked. "It's just not natural that he broke up with Serena." "I know," Raye said. "But what if he really IS doing this? I mean, what if Darien really doesn't want to be around Serena? What then?" "I have no idea," Amy said. "Well, I think it's time we teach Natas who the boss is," Lita said. "Who does he think he is, anyway?" "Probably judge, jury and executioner," Artemis said. "He probably has enough power to wipe out the world now, or at least half of it." "Yes," Luna said. "We have no idea how powerful he is." "Then let's find out!" Mina shouted. "We won't get anything done like this!" "We should wait for Serena to heal," Raye said. "What?!" Mina asked in surprise. "YOU want to wait for SERENA?" "I know we've had our differences it the past, but we're really solid. We have a really strong friendship, and besides, I don't think we'll fare well without her." "But what if Natas attacks?" "Then it's already too late," Artemis said. "So we're just supposed to sit idley by while the world gets destroyed?" Lita asked in disgust. "No," Luna said. "We wait 48 hours for Serena to recover. By then she will be strong enough to fight as Sailor Moon." The others agreed. While this was probably not the best strategy, it was the only available option. The Sailor Scouts would wait. And they would pray. To Be Continued...... Final Chapter Natas and Sylvite were having a discussion about Malachite and Zoisite. Sylvite had reported what she had heard. Natas was not pleased. He had become enraged, and threw a temper tantrum. He was not happy that two of the chosen ones would be plotting against him. Then again, what good would it do to try to kill him? He was already nearly invincible, but that was the strongest he could get. He was not going to get any stronger. Why? He wasted too much of his power in his temper tantrums. Every time he threw one, it weakened him. He had no control over his temper, however. It proved to be his greatest setback. "Sylvite, kill them! If they will not serve me, then they will die!" Natas shouted at the top of his lungs. "Yes, my lord," Sylvite said humbly. She then disappeared. "Those fucking ingrates! How dare they challenge me!" * * * * * * * * Serena was still in the hospital, but she was feeling better. At least, physically. She still had the same dream every time she tried to get some sleep. Why was this happening to her? Could it be that she was no longer interesting to Darien? Was she too much of a klutz to live with? Or was she just imagining the whole thing, because of Natas? Could he be behind it? All these, and many more questions raced through her mind all the time. Especially right after her dream. "What the hell does it mean?" Serena tried to forget it, but that was impossible. "That's it," she finally said to herself. "No more miss nice Sailor Moon." * * * * * * * * Raye, Lita, Mina, and Amy were still at Raye's temple, along with Luna and Artemis. They were waiting for Serena to get out of the hospital. They did not have to wait as long as they thought they would. "What's that?" Lita asked as she saw something coming at them. "I don't know," Mina replied. The thing kept coming, coming, coming. It was Serena! "Hey guys!" she yelled as she ran up to the other Scouts. "Are you--" Raye did not get to finish. "I'm fine. We've got to go kick some Dark Universe ass!" "Hang on, Serena!" Luna shouted. "First, we have to be one hundred percent sure that you're OK." "Luna, I'm FINE!" "OK, OK. Now we have to find a way to get to the Dark Universe." "Why don't we use the portal we stumbled across before," Lita said. "Uh-uh, no way. They're probably expecting us to go that way. We need to find a back door," Artemis said. "If we can surprise them, all the better." "Artemis, I really don't have time! If we don't act now, I may lose Darien!" "Who told you?" Mina asked. "I've been having the same dream every time I try to go to sleep. I see Tuxedo Mask, he runs away, reappears, and throws a black rose at me." "Serena, Natas has taken over Darien's body." "That's what I was afraid of. How long do we have to save him?" "Not long, I'm afraid," Luna said. "We may already be too late." "Well, I say we bust through the front door of that palace and see what we can do!" Lita said. "I agree," said Raye, Amy, and Mina in unison. "All right," Luna said hesitantly. "But be on your guard!" "We will!" all of the Scouts said in unison. * * * * * * * * Sylvite went unnoticed to Malachite and Zoisite. The two lovers were just about to launch their plan into action, but they never got the chance. Sylvite sneaked up behind them, and made a fireball appear in her right hand. She then threw it into Malachite, and killed him instantly. Zoisite jumped up and stared at her lover's ashes in horror. Then , she faced Sylvite. "You bitch!" "He deserved it, as you deserve it." Sylvite threw several small fireballs at Zoisite. Most of them hit her, and wounded her greatly. As Zoisite lay on the floor of Natas' palace, she stared up at Sylvite with pleading eyes. "We don't tolerate traitors," Sylvite said. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be your line? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" "Malachite...I...will...be with you..." Zoisite's voice trailed off, and she became a pile of slightly scorched pink flower petals. "How touching," Sylvite said. "Two fools dead. Now, to get Nephlite, and see what he thinks about me." * * * * * * * * The restaurant near the Crown Game Center was packed. They were having a special: All you can eat for $3.95. Molly and Nephlite were sharing a chocolate parfait. "Oh, Nephlite. I'm so happy." "Me too," replied Nephlite. "Me too." At this point, Sylvite entered the restaurant. She thought it best to look human, and teleporting would ruin that plan. Sylvite entered the restaurant in a white blouse, a black skirt which went down to just above her knees, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had a blue diamond-shaped earring in each ear. She saw Nephlite and Molly, and overheard their conversation. Sylvite learned that Nephlite wanted nothing to do with Natas, and he wanted nothing to do with anyone in the Dark Universe. "He doesn't like me?" Sylvite asked herself mentally. Her hurt turned to anger, and she made a fist with each hand. "He doesn't like me!" she thought. "Then he will die!" she thought. Sylvite forgot about subtlety, and made a fireball, and hurled it at Nephlite. She missed, and hit Molly. "Molly! No!" Nephlite shouted. He quickly found the source of the fireball. "You!" he shouted, letting his anger show. Molly, while not dead, was hanging on to life by only a very thin thread. "Nephlite, you traitor! Malachite and Zoisite were right!" She threw another fireball, this time hitting her target. Nephlite went flying backward, and crashed into Molly. By this time the other people had left the building. Tell you what," Sylvite said. "Since it's evident you care so much about her, I'll kill your little girlfriend right before I make you wish you had never been born!" Sylvite summoned a lot of her energy, and made a really, REALLY BIG fireball. "Die!" she shouted as she flung the ball to Molly. Nephlite, still not extremely weak, ran to cover Molly. He was hit, and sent flying into a wall. He managed to get back up, though he could barely stand to breathe. "You...will...not...kill...her," he said in between gasps of air. "Yes...I will." Sylvite made a sword appear in her right hand, and lunged at Molly. Molly screamed a weak scream, and just as it appeared she was shish kabob, the sword shattered! Sylvite went flying over Molly, and landed on her head. "Ow," she said. "What the hell?" Molly, Nephlite, and Sylvite looked at the object that was now in the floor of the restaurant. It was a white rose. "Tuxedo Mask," Sylvite whispered. "No," said a man in a white cape and turban, with a small sword attached to his belt on his white clothing. "I am the Moonlight Knight. Nephlite, take Molly and get out of here. I'll deal with Sylvite." Nephlite picked up Molly, and teleported the both of them out of the restaurant. "Ha ha ha! You can't kill me," Sylvite said mockingly. "I don't want to, but if I must..." Sylvite lunged at the Moonlight Knight. He pulled out his sword and held it so it pointed directly at her. She did not react in time. She went onto the sword, and gasped. She slowly disappeared, and the Moonlight Knight sighed. "What is it with these Negaverse morons? They always have to learn the hard way." * * * * * * * * Natas was sitting in his throne. He knew that Malachite and Zoisite were dead, and he had just received news that Nephlite had died, too. This information had come from Dolomite. Dolomite had been too much of a coward to not follow Natas' bidding. He had told Natas that Nephlite had been killed in battle, so Nephlite could still have a chance. Dolomite was not a very good liar. "Dolomite, why do you lie?" "I-I-I-I'm not, m-my l-l-lord," Dolomite replied, starting to sweat. Natas' eyes began to glow, and Dolomite became very warm. "What...is...happening...to me?" "Burn in hell," Natas replied, right before Dolomite combusted. "So, now Nephlite has turned to. He must be stopped. Sylvite!" She did not answer. "Sylvite!" Again, no answer. Natas now knew that she was dead. "Shit," he mumbled. "Fine! *I'll* just lead my Army of Darkness. I should have known better than to trust a bunch of misfits from the Negaverse." He went to his private chamber. "Let the games begin," he said. * * * * * * * * "Moon Crystal Power!" "Mars Star Power!" "Mercury Star Power!" "Jupiter Star Power!" "Venus Star Power!" The Sailor Scouts were ready. It was now or never. Either they beat Natas now, or the world was doomed. "Let's go!" shouted Sailor Moon. "Amazing," Luna said. "She's actually doing this ON HER OWN." "Yeah," Artemis replied. The Scouts headed for the portal. When they got there, they leaped through it one at a time. Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, then Moon. "What can we do?" Artemis asked. "Nothing," Luna replied. "Nothing at all." ---------------------------- Natas was just about to start Armageddon, but he felt a familiar presence. He had felt it only once before. "They are here," he muttered. He exited his private chamber to see the Sailor Scouts waiting for him. "Very punctual, even for your own funeral." Serena saw Natas (still in Darien's body), and a tear formed in her eye. "Crying won't do you any good, Serena. I am Natas, son of--" "Yeah, yeah," said Sailor Jupiter. "We know. Jupiter Thunder Crash...ZAP!" Sailor Jupiter threw a ball of lightning toward Natas. It hit him, and he only laughed. "Sure, make stronger! That's what I want!" Natas raised his arms, and a wall of fire surrounded Sailor Jupiter. She stood in the exact center of the circle, and was only 10 feet away from the flames. Natas clapped his hands, and the circle began to shrink. "Say goodbye to your friend, girls!" At that time, Nephlite entered the room, and ran into the fire! He threw Sailor Jupiter out of the circle, at his own expense. "Don't give up..." he said as he breathed his last breath. He vanished into nothingness. "He was a fool," Natas mumbled. Again, Natas raised his arms, but before the wall of fire could rise, a white rose flew into Natas' face. "Aaaarrrgh!!!" "Sailor Moon, I am here, by your side." The Moonlight Knight had just had his turn at saving Sailor Jupiter's life. "Moonlight Knight...but, how?" "Darien's body has been taken over, but not his soul. That is something Natas will never have as long as he continues to love you." Natas, still unable to move as a result of the rose hitting his face, was disgusted. "Ha! Love! What a crock of shit! There is no such thing as love!" "Yes, there is," said the Moonlight Knight. "It is the one true constant of life." "There are two true constants of life. Everybody hates and everything burns!" Natas was now able to move. His eyes began to glow bright red. The Moonlight Knight disappeared right before fire sprouted up where he stood. "Damn!" Natas shouted. "Darien!" Sailor Moon shouted. "I know you're in there! Fight it! Don't let him win!" "It's too late, Sailor Moon! There is nothing you can do, and even the Moonlight Knight has deserted you! Darien does not love you." Just then, a voice spoke inside Serena's head. It was Darien, who was speaking to her telepathically. "Serena, my love. Natas is an evil entity who feed off of hatred and destruction. Long ago, when we were friends, he was actually nice, but now..." "Darien, what is happening?" Serena asked telepathically to Darien. "What will become of us." "Serena, we will be together again..." Darien used all of his strength to override Natas' control on him. He found a sword, which happened to be the one the Moonlight Knight used (he had left it behind for some reason), and picked it up. "Darien, what are you doing?" Sailor Moon asked, teary-eyed. "I'm sorry, Serena. This is the only way." Darien stabbed himself in the stomach. "Nooooooo!" shouted Serena. The other Scouts simply watched in horror. "Serena," Darien said weakly, "we will be together again." Darien's life force faded out of him. Natas escaped Darien's body before he, too was killed. Serena ran to Darien, and held him close to her. Darien died in her arms, saying "I will always love you." "And I you," said a weeping Serena. Darien's body became limp, and he stopped breathing. "The fool!" Natas said. "He died for 'love'! What a sap!" "Listen, you! I've had just about enough of that!" shouted Jupiter. "Venus Love Chain, Encircle!" shouted Venus. The chain hit Natas, and weakened him greatly. Now Sailor Moon!" "No!" said a strange, yet familiar voice. "There is only one way. This dimension must be closed!" The Scouts looked around, and saw Sailor Pluto. "Get out of here, now." The Scouts exited the palace, and went through the portal. "Dark Dome Close!" shouted Sailor Pluto. The attack was powerful enough to destroy the portal, and the Dark Universe was sealed off from all other dimensions. Natas was then killed, along with Sailor Pluto as the Dark Universe collapsed. * * * * * * * * All of the Sailor Scouts were at Raye's temple. They were thinking of the events that had just transpired. "He's gone," Serena whispered. "I can't believe it." "I'm sorry, Serena," Raye said. "I can just imagine what you're going through. "No...you can't," Serena said softly. "No one can." Serena got up, and went home, wondering what might have happened if they had acted sooner. She looked down at her skirt, and realized that she was still in Sailor Scout form. She did not care. All she cared about was that Darien's blood, her one true love's blood, was on her uniform. She began to cry as the sun set, and the moon shone down upon the earth. In the Moonlight, she could swear that she saw Darien floating away, waving to her. The End. Questions? Comments? Flames? Oh, good. Send your emails to cowboys@wwd.net I promise not to sue if you don't steal my ideas or my characters. Again, Sailor Moon and related characters are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Dic, Bandai, and other companies that can probably sue the hell out of me. The characters I created are mine, don't use them without my permission. Dolomite and Sylvite are property of Jupiter Knight, get his permission to use them. If you want to know more about Dolomite and Sylvite, read his fanfic, Sailor Clones. It can be found at http://www.dragonfire.net/~JupiterKnight/fanfics.htm Thank you for reading my story, and PLEASE EMAIL ME!