Note: this is heavily inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the
TV series, and may seem a lot like the last episode Angel is in.  Sorry,
but I gotta do it.  Sailor Moon is not mine, yadda yadda yadda.
All of the Sailor Soldiers are in the 12th grade.  Also, Rei has
transferred to Serena's school.  For the sake of this fic, Darien is
Serena's lover (Duh) as well as, well...  Why don't you just read?  I
will say this: Throw out pretty much any Sailor Moon history you know
about Darien.  He goes through a few changes in this fic ^_^  (If you saw
the 3rd season finale of Buffy, you'll know this title is shared by it)


                             Graduation Day
                                Prologue

        Serena walked happily down the hallway which led to the school
library.  She was thinking of one thing, and one thing only.  School was
almost out!  All of her work was finally being paid off.  In a week, she
would graduate!  <This is like a dream!  I'm finally getting out of
school!>  Oh sure, there was college ahead, but why think of that now?
        Serena found herself at the school library.  Over the course of
this past year she had been to this place often.  Why?  Darien had gotten
a job there.  He had graduated from college, and was going to be a doctor
soon.  But for now, he had settled as school librarian so he could be
closer to Serena.  Their romance was hard at first, but they had learned
to just not kiss during school.  Visits were okay.  And this was going to
be one of those visits.
        "Hey Dar--"  The whole gang was there.  And they seemed to be
upset.  But about what?  They were all graduating!  "Uh..  Did I miss
something?"  Rei stood up from her seat at the circular table situated in
the center of the bottom level of the library.
        "We got some trouble," she said.  Amy was the next to speak.
        "Big trouble."
        "Very big," Lita said.
        "Bigger than ever," Mina added.
        "That's big..." Serena said.
        "Serena," Darien said.  "We have learned that the principal may
not be who he says he is."
        "You mean Principal Lemaster has a different name?"
        "I wish," Mina said.
        "Oh his name is Anthony Lemaster.  But he's been alive for over a
hundred years."
        "What?"  Darien showed Serena a photograph he had found in one of
his drawers.  It was dated from the late thirties.  Not exactly a hundred
years back, but the man in the photograph was clearly the same man as
Principal Lemaster.  The same eyes, which were blue.  The same black
hair.  The same medium sized nose.  The same mouth.  The same forehead...
        "Um...  This is creepy," Serena said as she stared at the
photograph.  "You mean this is..."
        "Not Anthony Lemaster III.  Probably the first."
        "So what makes this a bad thing?  He's a really nice guy."
        "I stumbled upon a secret meeting he was having with his
associates.  I heard him talking about something called the ascension."
        "The ascension?" Mina asked.  "You didn’t say anything about that
before."
        "I wanted to wait until everybody was here.  Apparently the
ascension is a big deal to Principal Lemaster.  I’m not sure exactly what
it is, but…"
        "Well," Rei said.  "I say we find out."
        "How?  Ask him?" Lita said.  "Oh yeah.  Hey Principal Lemaster.
What’s the ascension?"  She looked at Rei.  "Yeah.  THAT’S gonna work."
        "Hey, you got any better ideas?!" Rei shouted.
        "HEY!" Darien yelled.  All eyes focused on him.  "Calm it down."
The bell rang.  "And get to class.  Don’t wanna be late.  Especially
after some of us corrected that little habit," he said playfully, looking
at Serena.  The four girls sitting at the round table got up and went to
their classes.  Serena followed them after they had left the library.


        Anthony Lemaster sat at his desk in his small office.  It had
irked him, having such a small office.  Though it made little difference
now.  Soon he would make all of his dreams come true.  Soon, he would be
something better.  Soon, his body would be no more, as it would be
something else more majestic.  Something much greater.  Something much
more evil.

Welcome to the first full chapter of this fic.  I hope you like it.  If
you like rip-offs, you'll like it though (it's a joke, sweetie) J  Oh
yeah, characters aren't mine, and this idea is only half mine.  Actually,
it's just my idea to do Buffy w/ SM characters…  Oh and just a warning,
one of the Soldiers has what I call the "Faith syndrome".  If you watch
BTVS you know what I am talking about.  But if not, then you have a
reason to read on now!  And no matter who it is with the "Faith syndrome"
just go with it, OK?  Pretty please? 


Graduation Day
Chapter 1
[Monday]
        Darien was busy searching the book in the library.  Anything to
do with the ascension, whatever it was.  He had no idea which section to
look in.  He had never heard of this before.  But with it called the
ascension, it shouldn't be too bad, should it?  Of course not.  Why
should it be?
        Darien thought it would make sense to look in the mythology
section.  After all, ninety-five percent of the things he had seen would
be called mythology.  He looked over the section.  Looking…  Looking…
And finally, he found something!  "Spells and Rituals" was the book's
name.
        "Well, let's see…"  Darien flipped open the book.  He began
leafing through the pages.  About halfway though the book, he saw in bold
lettering "THE RITUAL OF ASCENSION".  Darien began reading.  It was not
long before he realized that this was not a nice ritual.  His eyes
widened in the horror of the words he read.
        "Oh no."


        Serena walked in her first period classroom to find that she was
late.  Class had already started.  She tried to quietly sink into her
seat, but her teacher, Mr. Greene called on her.
        "Miss Tsukino.  So nice of you to join our class."  He turned
around to the blackboard, and drew a diagram on the board.  Actually, it
wasn't a diagram, but it was something Serena was glad to see.  "Let's
let Miss Tsukino have the first try."  Serena looked at the board.
        "E?"
        "No," Mr. Greene said as he wrote an E on the board.  He chuckled
as he quietly said to himself "They always go for the E."
        < There's always an E in hangman… > Serena thought.  She looked
over at her friend Molly.  She whispered to her.  "Isn't there always an
E?"
        "I always thought so," her friend replied.


        For Serena, lunch hour could not come quickly enough.  However,
when it did come, she hurried to the library.  What met her was not the
same Darien she knew and loved.  This Darien was even more solemn.
        "Serena…" he said, unable to say anything else.  There was a
definite… fear.  Yes, a fear in his eyes.
        "What is it?"  Serena saw the book on the central table.  It was
open, and the big letters were very readable to her.  "Great!  You found
it!  What is the ascension all about?"
        "Not something good."  Darien almost hated to say his next words.
"It's gonna destroy us all."  After saying those words, he realized he
not almost hated, but fully hated saying them.  Serena knew he was
sincere.
        "Darien, we've faced bad things before.  We can—."
        "No.  Not like this.  We've faced the Dark Kingdom, Galaxia, and
many evil things.  But never have we faced anything like this."
        "Well, what is it?"
        "Get the others.  They need to hear this."


        The rest of the group came as soon as Serena called them on their
communicators.  They rushed in and waited for Darien to begin telling
them what the ascension was all about.
        "The ascension is not a pretty thing.  According to what I read,
in the ascension an already evil person becomes a pure demon.  They are
no longer human at all but transform into the embodiment of pure evil.
And the evil person seeking the ascension is already a half-demon.  Not
just an evil person."
        All faces were on Darien for more information.  All faces were
grim.  No more information was coming without some questions.  Rei asked
the first.
        "Wouldn't what we've faced before be demons?"
        "No," Darien replied flatly.  "We've never seen a demon.  I saw a
picture of the last record of an ascension.  For one thing, a pure demon
is bigger.  A lot bigger."
        "How much bigger?" Amy asked.
        "Well the picture was only the top half of the demon.  And it
took up two full pages.  And we're talking horns, flaming snout, eyes of
blood, teeth that can chew through the hardest steel like a knife goes
through hot butter."
        "So is there a way to stop it?"
        "Well, maybe.  There is a period of immortality that precedes the
actual ascension.  I don’t know if it lasts forever, but there are one
hundred days of immortality beforehand."       
        "When you overheard him," Serena said, "did he say when he would
do this?"
        "I think," Darien said, "that it is to be this Saturday."
        "The ascension is going to be on our graduation day?!" Mina
almost shouted.  The doors to the library flew open, and in walked
Anthony Lemaster.
        "Hey what’s going on?" he said with a smile.  He saw the book and
immediately his usually smiling face was replaced by a face with a
coldness.  "The ritual of ascension…  Did somebody tell you about this?"
        "Actually, I overheard—."
        "Never mind that.  You know about the ascension.  Well I might as
well tell you it’s gonna happen this Saturday."
        "No it’s not," Darien said.  "We’ll stop it."
        "How?  By using those ridiculous Sailor Powers?"  The whole group
was surprised.  "Oh come now.  You didn’t think I wouldn’t do my homework
would you?"
        "Get out," Serena said, hatred in her voice.  Anthony laughed.
        My that’s a spunky girl you have there," he said cheerfully.
Again he went from cheerful to cold.  "I’m going to eat her."  Darien
picked a pencil up from the desk plunged it into Anthony’s chest with
full force.  Anthony backed up from the impact, and finally regained his
balance.  "Whoa!  That was un-called for!"  He pulled the pencil out of
his chest, and the small hole quickly closed.  He looked at the five
girls and Darien.  "I smell fear.  That’s smart."  He laid the pencil
gently on the table.  "Let’s just see what this book says."
        Anthony picked up the book and began reading from a little
further down that Darien had read.  "The half-breed demons and humans, as
well as any other living or un-dead thing shall unite as one in their
screaming and running from certain death."  He looked up and smiled, and
looked as if he was the best person on the planet.  "Oh that’s kinda
sweet.  Different races coming together."
        "I think you should leave," Darien said.
        "Oh I’ll leave.  But don’t think that you can stop me with those
powers of yours.  It’s gonna take a miracle."  He calmly walked out of
the library.  They heard him call from the hallway.  "And you girls get
to class!  Wouldn’t want to see you in detention!"


        The end of the school day came in no hurry.  But Serena was glad
when it came.  She met Darien outside, in the front school yard.  She was
glad to be with him.  Even knowing that the principal was going to try to
eat her was not so bad when he was around.
        "Serena," Darien said before she could get her arms around him.
"This ascension thing is big."  As if by cue, the principal walked past
them toward his car.
        "Hey you guys," he said cheerfully.  "Make sure you pay attention
to my graduation speech.  It’s a doozy," he said with a cheery smile.  He
got in his car and drove off.
        "That is weird.  You’d think he was a nice guy," Serena said.
        "But remember the library."
        "Yeah…  How did he know about the Soldiers?  I thought we—."
        "We were careful.  I don’t know how he could have figured it
out."


        Anthony walked into his house to see his information and
right-hand girl was already there.  She had heard about his plans a few
weeks earlier and joined alliances with him so he would spare her.  And
of course, he accepted.  Now he had someone to do his dirty work for him.
And of course he had every intention of sparing her.  Even as a pure
demon, he would retain all of his memories and his personality as a
half-demon.  This half-demon called a day-walker.  Not a vampire, but
similar.  His feeding came from the blood of people who had been killed
recently.
        "So how’s my girl?" he asked in a delightful tone of voice.
        "Fine," responded the blonde-haired girl.  She was once a fighter
for good, but now, since she feared the ascension so much….
        "That’s good to hear.  Now go get into your night clothes.
Wouldn’t want you to dirty up that pretty outfit you’ve got on."
        "Sure thing."  The girl went into the guest bedroom and minutes
later, came out in an all black leather ensemble.  It wasn’t especially
tight, but definitely was not the average girl-next-door ensemble.  "How
do I look?" she asked as she turned around, arms held out sideways.
        "Absolutely stunning.  If looks could kill, well… the knife will
take care of that, won’t it?"  The girl pulled said knife out of her
boot.  It was a large, hideous knife, with a skull decoration at the base
of the handle.  The knife was double-edged, so as to be able to cut two
ways.  She looked at it while licking her lips slowly, and she slowly
rotated the knife in her hand.
        "Oh yeah.  It’ll get the job done."


        The bearded man was sitting at his desk, looking over an article
he had recently written.  He was seeing if there was any detail he had
left out about his most recent trip.  He heard a knocking on the door.
Upon opening it, he saw a young girl standing there.
        "Professor Fawl?"
        "Yes.  But I am open to university students during office hours."
        "Oh I’m not a student.  I work for Anthony Lemaster."
        "OH!  I didn’t know!  Please, come in!"  The good professor
stepped aside to allow entry.  The girl walked in, and looked around.
The apartment was not the best lit place she had ever seen.  The walls
were a deep gray color, with pictures of different things adorning them.
There was a picture of a mountain, the ocean, and there was one of a
volcano.  "What did you say your name was?"
        "Mina."
        "I had no idea Anthony liked my work."  Mina walked over to a
globe, and spun it around slowly with one finger.
        "Yeah, he’s a big fan."
        "It’s just that we go way back, but I never thought he was into
this stuff."
        "We alone here, professor?" Mina asked, waving her hand slightly
to the left and right.
        "Yeah.  Life long bachelor.  I like my space," Professor Fawl
said with a smile.  Mina pulled the knife quickly.
        "Good.  Now turn around and I promise I’ll make this real quick."
        "What are you doing?" the professor asked, horrified.
        "Sorry.  Boss wants you dead."  Mina quickly closed in on him,
backing him to a wall.
        "Wh—why?"
        "Ya know…" Mina stabbed him in the stomach.  "I didn’t think to
ask."


                                        To Be Continued…