THE LONG SLEEPLESS NIGHT

        Sailor Pluto watched as Neo-Queen Serenity, Neo-King Endymion,
the Sailor Scouts and their spouses were reunited with their children.
She did not join them in their joyous greetings of each other, but
watched the scene in a detached, emotionless manner.  The scene took
place in the large, ornate throne room of the Crystal Palace.
        The Guardian of the Time Gate glanced briefly at the cathedral
ceiling towering above her.  <How appropriate,> she thought, <that this
reunion should take place in a room which depicts different scenes from
the last two thousand years.>  She glanced at the murals that had been
painstakingly painted by an artist over a thousand years ago.  <Above
me, to my left, is a scene of the Moon Kingdom, during the Silver
Millennium, with Queen Serenity standing in all of her queenly splendor,
looking down at her kingdom below.  At her side was the young Princess,
wearing a look of gentleness and pride.>
        Sailor Pluto glanced at the scene directly above her head.
There is a scene depicting the happenings of a thousand years ago.
<Funny, it seems as it was only yesterday. In the center, is a picture
of Old Tokyo at sunset.  To the left of the city scene, there is Sailor
Moon and the Sailor Scouts, poised for battle.  On the right, Serena,
Darien, and all of the Scouts as they had looked as teenagers.  They are
all smiling so happily there,> she thought, <as if oblivious to their
almost constant battles with evil.  And finally, to my left is a mural
of Crystal Tokyo.  Looking down from the balcony of the Crystal Palace,
at dawn, are Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion.  Next to the
Queen stood Neo-Princess Serenity, at the age of fourteen.  Behind them
were the Sailor Scouts.> Sailor Pluto sighed to herself.  They are no
longer children now.  But they are still willful and stubborn and their
battles are not over yet.
        In this room, Sailor Pluto watched as the past, the present and
the future blurred as parents and children were reunited.  Neo-Princess
Serenity walked up to her parents.  She hugged her father fiercely, and
laughed as her father proceeded to call her his Pointy Meatball Head.
She turned to her mother, and laid her pink haired head down on her
mother's left shoulder, as she had done many times before.  The Queen
was speechless and could only wipe away her tears with the back of her
hand.
        Skye, as she preferred to float in the air telekinetically
instead of walking, floated ever so gracefully into Michiru's open arms.
Haruka stood next to them and ruffled the little girl's green hair.
Sailor Pluto smiled as Skye began to demand another training lesson and
asked when the next battle would take place.  Haruka laughed and Michiru
glared at her.  Haruka then took on a look of seriousness and ordered
their child to bed.
        Rei and Chad walked up to their son.  Rei hugged his fiercely,
which betrayed her emotional state and would not let Lyn go.  Chad
laughed and thumped his son on the back.  Rhetta walked up to her
mother.  Amy and her daughter hugged and kissed briefly, then both
proceeded to scan each other, with identical wrist computers, for signs
of ill health.  Pluto shook her head.  Those two will never change.
Amy's husband interrupted the scans and hugged his daughter, who
proceeded to scan him in turn.  <He is definitely a patient man,>
thought Pluto, <to put up with their obsession with facts and
knowledge.>
        Mina ran up to Amber and tearfully took her daughter in her
arms.  Amber accepted this show of emotion briefly, but soon rolled her
eyes heavenwards.  She pushed her mother away, and exclaimed in a
teenage way that her show of emotions was about to cause the short
haired teenager to gag.  Hotaru and Hannah met each other in the center
of the throne room.  They stood silently for a few moment, their only
movements being the tears streaming down their delicate faces.  Hotaru
cupped her child's face in her hands and kissed her daughter gently on
the forehead.  Sailor Pluto shook her head in disapproval.  <That,> she
thought emphatically, <was not supposed to take place. Neither of them
understand the gravity of that situation that took place.  The timeline
could have been seriously compromised.>  Eden, Lita, and her husband
greeted each other warmly.  Eden was congratulated on her successful
mission by her mother and told how proud they were of her by her father.
        Sailor Pluto watched the group as they made their way, out of
the throne room, to their private quarters.  <I wish I could join them.
But then, they might know and they mustn't find out now, it could
jeopardize everything to come.>
        As the King, Queen, and Princess slowly exited the room,
Neo-Queen Serenity stopped to address Sailor Pluto from across the room.
She gave the Guardian of Time a gentle smile, and asked, "Would you like
to join us, Setsuna, we are going to have a mini-feast before going to
bed.  We're all very hungry after the day's events."  She gave her
friend a brilliant smile.  Setsuna shook her head.
        "I cannot, My Queen  I am afraid I have tired and must now
retire." Neo-Queen Serenity nodded in understanding, and watched as the
ageless Scout reversed her transformation and exited through the door
behind the thrones.
        <Oh Setsuna, take care of yourself.  I see the sorrow in you and
only wish I could be there to help you.> Looking to her husband, she
asked, "When do you think she will tell us?"
        Endymion shook his head.  "Be patient, Meatball Head.  She will,
in her own time." The trio made their way to their quarters.
*************************************************

        Setsuna could not sleep.  She tossed and turned in her bed in
futile attempts to find a comfortable position.  Finally, she relaxed
enough to promote comfort and fell into a restless sleep.  During sleep,
Setsuna dreamed, a familiar dream, one she had had for over two thousand
years.....
        She stood alone, in the center of a clearing in a forest.  It
was nighttime, and she could hear the sounds of the animals and insects
as they roamed at night.  Setsuna could hear a voice, a deep masculine
voice calling out her name... over and over again.
"Setsuna....Setsuna..." the voice cried out breathlessly.  She felt
strong hands sensuously caress her shoulders, then felt the same strong
hands grasp her, from behind, by the waist. Warm lips kissed her
shoulders, slowly, and moving up her neck. The lips stopped, just behind
her ear and Setsuna felt warm, moist air tickle behind her ears as a
deep voice began to whisper.
        "Remember, Setsuna, remember...." Setsuna awoke suddenly, tears
streaming down her face.  She was breathless and could almost feel the
warmth of those delicate kissed on her neck.  She rolled onto her
stomach, and buried her tearful face in her pillow.  <I remember...I have
always remembered.  I have had no peace for so long.>
*************************************************

        Michiru crawled into bed, snuggled up next to her partner and
sighed, "When will that child learn to go to sleep?" she whispered to
Haruka.
        "I don't know.  All she wants to do is fight," Haruka responded
with amusement.  Michiru eyed the blond woman next to her through the
darkness.
        "I wonder where she gets that from, hummm?" Haruka tried not to
laugh, so that she would not wake their child up.
        "It feels like.." said the blond woman, "that we haven't had a
good night's sleep since she was born." The green haired woman next to
her yawned in agreement....
        She remembered that day well. They had all been gathered in the
meeting room for their morning briefing.  Neo-King Endymion, Neo-Queen
Serenity and all of the Sailor Scouts were there to share information
and plan the day's activities.  All of their children played noisily in
the background, but no one minded.  Haruka did not notice the children
very much, but Michiru did, and watched them closely. <I love those
children as if they are my own,> she thought, <but they are not mine and
that makes all the difference.>
        Haruka looked to Michiru suddenly and nodded in understanding.
<I wish I could make Michiru happy, but there is no possible way.>
        Neo-Queen Serenity glanced from Michiru to Haruka, then to all
of the children playing around the large, square, meeting table.  She
saw Reenie, now twelve, as she chased Lyn around the room.  I wish I
could grant them their fondest wish.  Suddenly, the Silver Imperium
Crystal began to glow brightly.  The Queen stood up and held out her
hands, expecting the crystal to float between them.  The light became
brighter, blinding them all.  Her hands fell to the table, as a weight
settle in her hands.  When the light disappeared, everyone in the room
gasped.  Cradled in her hands was a tiny baby.  She had little green
curls on her head and immediately began to scream lustily.
        Neo-Queen Serenity stood up and cradled the baby in her arms.
While barely able to see through her tears, she walked over to Haruka,
who sat with a comforting arm around Michiru.  She looked to the two,
looked down for a moment and then handed the child to Michiru.
        "Here she is, Michiru, your fondest wish come true." Michiru
held the baby close to herself.  She looked to Haruka, and saw her
smiling through her own tears.  Haruka leaned over and kissed the baby
on her head.
        "We'll call her Skye," Whispered Michiru emotionally, "for the
color of her eyes." The rest of the Scouts, Endymion and the children
all gathered around to welcome the newest member of their family.
        Michiru smiled to herself as she remembered that happy day.  She
rolled over and flung a tired arm over Haruka's waist.  But before they
could fall asleep, the sound of a door closing woke them up.  The two
women jumped out of bed and  quickly put on their robes.  Haruka sighed.
        "Like usual, we'll split up and meet back here in a half an
hour," she stated dryly.
        "Okay, but I have a good idea where she's going," replied her
partner.
*************************************************

        Amber rolled over on her side to avoid the laser burn on the
other side.  <Man, I should've let Hannah fix that when I had the
chance.  It doesn't make sleeping very easy.>  She had just fallen
asleep when she felt someone climb onto the foot of her bed.  With a
groan, she sat up and opened her hazel eyes.  A small figure sat on her
bed wearing a little white night gown.  <Why the heck isn't she tired
after the day we had?>
        "Skye, what are you doing here?" The little girl crawled up the
bed to sit next to Amber.
        "Come on Amber, let's go practice." Amber shook her head in
response.  I really need to know where she gets her energy levels.
        "Sorry sweetie, it's night time. It's time to go to bed and
sleep." The little girl's face contorted into an unhappy pout.
        "But I'm not sleepy," she whined.
        "But I am," replied Amber.  She rose, but on a blue robe over
her red and green pajamas.  <I won't bother with shoes, I won't be gone
long.>
        "Come on Skye, time for you to go back to bed.  I promise, we'll
practice in the morning after the meeting."  Your parents are probably
searching all of the Crystal Palace for you, you little stinker.  She
took the little girl by the hand, and led her little floating friend
down the corridors of the Palace.  She quietly opened the door to the
quarters of Michiru and Haruka.  Upon entering, the two were faced with
two very unhappy, tired looking women.
        "Skye, how many times have I told you to stay in your bed at
night?" asked Haruka.
        "Plus, you can't keep waking Amber up every night, she'll never
get any sleep," reminded Michiru.
        "I know..." began their little girl.  "But I'm not sleepy and
want to practice."
        Michiru looked over to her blond partner and mouthed, "She is
definitely you child." She picked up the child out of midair and placed
her on her hip.
        "Time for bed young lady, for the night." And brought her into
her bedroom.
        Haruka shook her head in exasperation and Amber tried not to
laugh.
        "Thanks Amber, once again we owe you one." Amber only smiled.
        "Don't worry, I'm used to her midnight visits." She left Haruka
and Michiru so that they could attempt to put the child to bed.
*************************************************

        Her scream was muffled by her fluffy pillow.  Still shaking in
fear, Rhetta threw a blue robe over her short, white nightshirt and
quietly left the quarters she shared with her parents.  She ran to Lyn's
quarters and insistently knocked on the door.  <I am happy he has his
own quarters now.  I will not wake anyone else.>  The door opened to
reveal a groggy Lyn, wearing only pajama bottoms.
        "What's the matter, Rhetta?" he asked in concern.  She grabbed
her tall boyfriend by the arm and dragged him into the hall.
        "I must speak with you." She pulled him down the corridors, to
the exit that led to the gardens.  "But not here, too many people could
hear us." Lyn silently followed his girlfriend, and wondered what had
gone so incredibly wrong.
*************************************************

        Hotaru and her daughter sat on their comfortable pink couch,
each reading a book.  Hannah suddenly looked up from her reading.
        "Something is amiss, child?" asked Hotaru.  Hannah nodded slowly,
her eyes narrowing in her effort to ascertain the situation.
        "Something is definitely amiss.  There will be a robot on the
way soon." She turned her head sideways, as if to better see the
situation in her mind.  "But more importantly, there is trouble with the
Princess." Hotaru nodded in agreement.
        "This has been a long time in coming, Hannah, guard your
Princess well." Hannah got up from the couch and headed for the door to
their quarters.
        "I will ensure that no harm will come to the Princess.  Do not
worry about the robot, I will take care of it."
*************************************************

        Amber made her way quietly through the halls of the Palace,
trying hard not to let the sounds of her footsteps echo off of the high,
cathedral ceilings.  She made her way quietly through the dark, with
only her outstretched fingers following along the wall for guidance.
<Man, they have to staple that kid to her bed, I really could use a good
night's sleep.>  She turned silently left and entered the main corridor.
The main corridor was large and every sound echoed through it.  Its
walls were lined with portraits of important people.  There was one of
Queen Serenity, sitting on her throne in all of the Moon Kingdom's
glory.  There was one of the Sailor Scouts.  Amber stopped in front of
her favorite painting, as if she could see it in the dark.  Surrounded
by a magnificent crystal frame was a picture of a pond.  On one side of
the pond was a picture of Queen Serenity gazing into the water.  The
Moon Kingdom could be seen behind her and a little blond haired
princess, looking to be about the age of five or six, peaked from behind
her while holding onto her knees.  On the opposite side of the pond was
Neo-Queen Serenity looking into the water with Crystal Tokyo reflected
behind her. A little pink haired princess, peaking out from behind her
mother's knees could be seen, smiling mischievously into the water.  It
was a nighttime scene, with the full moon gleaming brilliantly in the
Moonlight.  Amber smiled in the dark.  <My mom sure can paint.  Her
paintings are all over Crystal Tokyo.  Maybe someday I'll figure out
something I'm that good at.>
        A sound interrupted her thoughts.  She looked down the hall to
see two figures approaching the balcony doors at the end of the hall.
Now who in the name of anything would be up at this time of night,
except for me of course.  She hurried up the hall to investigate.
*************************************************

        Eden dreamed...  In her dream, Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon and the
Jewel Wielders were in a clearing, surrounded by dense forest.  They
battled a strong robot, larger and more powerful than anything they had
fought before.  One by one, each person attacked.  Amber used a strong
spiral, but it was easily repulsed and she was thrown many feet away and
collided with the thick trunk of an old tree.  Lyn sent a series of
sharp rectangles towards the robot, but they were reflected back at him.
The explosion threw him backwards and he lay unconscious and unmoving.
Eden ran towards the robot and sent three strong blasts of purple energy
towards the robot's head.  The energy blasts had no effect and the robot
targeted a large metallic hand towards her.  The hand swatted at her and
sent her body flying.  She landed in the brush, far away from the
clearing and could only barely look up to see the battle.  Neo-Eternal
Sailor Moon raised her scepter and yelled, "Crystal Tokyo Princess
Attack!"  Large amounts of fuchsia colored energy gathered atop her
scepter and she leveled it at the robot.  But before she could launch
it, the energy disappeared in a brilliant flash, leaving Sailor Moon
defenseless.  She raised her scepter again, but her transformation
reversed itself.  The robot blasted her with laser fire.  Hannah ran to
shield her and Rhetta sent a large sphere of ruby energy towards the
robot.  Eden's eyes opened in fear and she screamed, "NO, SAILOR
MOON!!!!"
        Eden sat up in her bed, crying.  She wiped the tears from her
face, a took a sip of water from the glass on the night table next to
her bed.  She walked into the living room of the quarters she shared
with her family, careful not to wake anyone.  She sat on the couch and
ran a hand through her now fuzzy purple curls.  <Sailor Moon was going
to get killed in that dream.  What am I going to do?  What if that dream
is real, how will I stop it? What if it was just a dream?  Maybe, we all
just experienced a great ordeal.>  Suddenly Eden turned towards the
door.  She could hear footsteps and whispered voices.  <What is
happening?  Who would be up at this hour?>  She shook her head.  <I do
not know, but I aim to find out.>  She opened the door to her quarters,
forgetting that she was wearing nothing but a short night shirt.
*************************************************

        "Hannah.." whispered Amber urgently, "What the heck is going
on?" Hannah did not look away from the Princess who was headed towards
the balcony.
        "Neo-Princess Serenity is sleepwalking," Hannah answered in a
casual tone, as if this situation was a frequent occurrence.
        "Why don't you just wake her up?" asked the short haired
teenager with great frustration.
        "I have tried.." sighed Hannah.. "But she is not ready to wake
up." Amber heard a door close behind her.  She turned quickly to see
Eden, looking tired and disheveled, clad only in a night shirt.
        "I heard voices," said Eden. "What is happening?"
        "Reenie is sleepwalking and Hannah can't wake her up," answered
Amber.
        "Then what do we do?" asked the purple haired teenager.
        "I guess we make sure she doesn't take a tumble off the
balcony." Hannah approached the Princess and put a hand on her shoulder.
        "Princess Serenity, it is time to wake." Neo-Princess Serenity
did not look at her dark haired friend and stared at the Moonlight that
shined through the patio doors at the end of the long corridor.
        "I must go now," she whispered so quietly Hannah had to strain
to hear her.  "It is my destiny that I must meet now." Hannah put a hand
on Serenity's shoulders.
        "The time to meet your destiny is not quite at hand.  You must
be patient."
        "What is she talking about?" asked Amber.
        "You will all know in time," replied Hannah.
        Suddenly Neo-Princess Serenity stopped walking.  A look of
confusion came upon her face as she looked down at herself, then around
to study her surroundings.  She turned to see Hannah, Amber and Eden
gathered behind her.  Hannah looked calm, but Amber and Eden looked
frightened and just as confused.  The corridor was dark, except for the
pale light of the Moon.  Serenity looked at her friends and asked, "What
am I doing here?"
        "You were sleepwalking and we were trying to wake you up,"
Answered Amber.
        "What do you remember?" asked Hannah.  The Princess thought
about it for a few moments.
        "I remember having a huge meal with my mom and dad, then going
to bed because I was so exhausted. I think I dreamed, but I don't
remember the dream.  Then I woke up and I was here, in my pajamas, with
the three of you in the main hall of the Palace." Hannah wrapped her
arms around the shoulders of the tall pinked haired teenager and hugged
her.
        "Everything will be well, I promise." Suddenly they heard the
explosion of laser blasts hitting the Palace.  The four girls flung open
the door to the balcony and looked down to see a large robot.
        "No rest for the weary," stated Amber in her displeasure.
        "Let's take care of this so we can get some sleep," said the
Princess.
*************************************************

        Rhetta pulled Lyn into a small clearing in the gardens where
they always liked to sit and enjoy the view.  By the night's full moon,
it would have been a perfect night to do so, but Rhetta had no regard
for the Moonlight's beauty surrounding them both.  Lyn was confused and
frightened.  <We've always planned our nightly rendezvous in the
gardens, why would she wake me up in the middle of the night?> With
Lyn's arm still tightly in her grip, she dragged them to a bench and sat
down.  Lyn looked down at his girlfriend and studied her carefully.  Her
long red hair was pulled back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck,
which was normal for her at night.  Her eyes were puffy with dark
circles around them.  Rhetta could not sit still and snapped her fingers
nervously with her left hand.  Lyn grabbed that hand to steady it.
<She's so nervous, almost paranoid.  What's going on here?>
        Rhetta took both of his hands in hers, suddenly and looked into
his eyes.  Her eyes reflected the paranoid fear that had overtaken her.
        "How much do you love me, Lyn?"  Lyn's eyes widened in surprise
and irritation.
        "Rhett, you know I love you, what kind of a question is that in
the middle of the night?" She held onto his hands, and maintained her
intense gaze.
        "Do you love me enough to marry me?
        "Of course, you know I will," he replied.  <What the hell is she
up to?> Rhetta sighed in relief and let go of his hands.
        "Great we than we will be married in the morning." Lyn almost
fell over from shock when he heard her words.
        "What???  I didn't say now."  He cupped her small face in his
hands.  "Rhetta you know I'll marry you, but not now."  Tears welled up
in her eyes.  Her disappointment was clear.  He didn't understand it,
but it broke his heart anyway.  "You're barely fifteen years old.
You're too young, never mind, I'm too young.  We've got all the time in
the world," he explained gently, careful not to hurt her more.  Rhetta
shook her head in disagreement and the tears fell down her cheeks.
        Suddenly angry, she pushed him violently away from her.
        "No, I don't have all the time in the world.  I don't have much
time left. Do you not understand that if we do not marry now, we may
never marry?!"  She began to pace back and forth on a small patch of
smooth stone. "Something will happen to me?"
        "Rhett, what's going to happen to you?  You can tell me, you
know that?"  <Is she dying?>
        "I do not know what will happen or when." She shook her head
vehemently.  "But it will happen soon.  And I do not wish to have any
regrets or waste any time." Lyn grabbed her to him and hugged her
fiercely.
        "Rhetta, I won't let anything happen to you, and neither will
anyone else.  You're safe with me nothing will happen." Rhetta closed
her eyes.  <I can barely remember the dream now, the fear, the pain.  I
wish that you are right, but you are most definitely wrong.  Soon, you
will never see me again.>
        They broke from their embrace when Rhetta's wrist computer
beeped insistently.
        "There is a robot is close proximity to the Palace," she
reported.
        "Let's go," replied Lyn.
*************************************************

        Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon, Amber, Eden, and Hannah stared at the
robot in the courtyard.  They stood still in amazement.
        "Exactly what is that?" asked Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon.
        "I think it is an octopus," replied Eden.  Amber shook her head.
        "Whatever it is, Yargus is getting awfully creative.  The maniac
has too much free time on his hands." Eden was correct in her
assumption. The robot was indeed the mechanical representation of an
octopus. It propelled itself using four or five of its tentacles, while
the others aimed directly at its enemies.  Where its eyes should have
been, two deadly looking lasers were perched, ready to fire.
        "I think we can dispense with the customary introductions,"
stated Hannah.  Before they could agree, the tentacles fired bright
yellow laser shots at them. They jumped out of the path of the blasts.
Rhetta and Lyn ran up and attacked the robot from behind.  Small red
spheres of ruby energy and larger green squares of energy sheered two of
the metal octopus' tentacles.  Two smaller, but deadly looking tentacles
emerged soon after.  Amber shook her head.  This is gonna take a while.
So much for my idea of actually sleeping tonight.
        "Cover me!" yelled Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon.  She raised her
scepter in the air.  "Starlight, Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" Meanwhile, her
protectors flung various blasts of multicolored energy at the robot.
Tentacles instantaneously duplicated themselves upon explosion.
        Sailor Moon aimed her scepter at the octopus and released her
attacked.  Four of the octopus' tentacles were sheared off and bursts of
fire escaped from the damaged areas.  Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon fell to
her knees.  <What's going on tonight? I feel so tired.  That robot
should be moondust.> She looked up to see a blast of yellow laser fire
aimed directly at her.  Hannah attempted to create a shield of energy
around her Princess, while the others simultaneously attacked the source
of the blast.  The robot flung its tentacles as if to attack again, then
its movement stopped.  The blast exploded having hit its target and
everyone gasped in fear.  There, in the exact spot where the blast hit,
was only the shared remains of the courtyard's carefully erected stone
pathway.
        Suddenly, they noticed a figure in the shadows, cradling
Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon in his arms.  A black cape covered her, as to
protect her from the blasts.  He stood up, revealing his appearance.  He
wore a black tuxedo, complete with a top hat and bow tie.  His face was
disguised by a white mask.  They all stared in shock.  Sailor Moon saw
her friends freeze and looked up at the person who saved her, and half
expected to see a familiar face.  The person was not familiar.  He
gently put her back onto her feet and she looked up into the most
beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen.  She could not see his hair,
except from the wisps that escaped from his top hat.
        "Tuxedo Mask?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.
<This can't be.>  The figure before her nodded.  <Wow, he is sooo
gorgeous!> She smiled broadly at him.  "You saved me!"  A deep, strong
voice answered her.
        "Yes Sailor Moon, I saved you. I will always protect you."
        Hannah tired of this scenario quickly.  <We have a task to
perform and she is busy ogling a guy in a cape.>
        "Then you may wish to do so again."  Before anyone could reply,
she aimed her staff at the immobile robot and fired a blast of angry
energy at the robot.  A great burst of heat ensued, but there was no
explosion.  Only dust remained where the robot stood.  They all stared
at what was left of the robot.  Amber, Eden, Rhetta, and Lyn looked at a
visibly annoyed Hannah then to a stunned Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon who
continued to stare at the pile of dust.  She turned to talk to the young
man who had saved her, but he had disappeared.
        "He certainly made a quick exit," commented Amber.
        "We could not even ask his name," said Eden.
        "I did not have the time to scan him," commented Rhetta, as if
in a daze.
        "It doesn't matter," sighed Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon, who yawned
in exhaustion suddenly.  "He'll be back again."   She smiled
mischievously.  Rhetta began to look agitated.  Amber looked to her best
friend.
        "Rhetta, you okay?" Rhetta shook her head.
        "No, I am not."  She turned from the group without explanation
and walked away.  They looked to Lyn, who glared angrily in the
direction his girlfriend went.
        "What is happening to upset Rhetta so?" asked Eden.
        "I have no clue," replied the tall man.  "She won't tell me.  I
don't know what to do with her.  I'm going to bed.  Maybe she'll calm
down in the morning."  He turned from his friends and made his way back
to the Palace.
        The group was silent after that.  Sailor Moon's eyes suddenly
rolled back in their sockets and she slumped to the ground.  Hannah
cradled her Princess' head in her lap and they all watched her
transformation reverse itself.
        "What is wrong with her tonight?" asked Eden.  "Her attack
should have destroyed the monster.
        "I know," agreed Amber.  "That thing should've been toast."
        "I think her use of the Crystal Tokyo Princess attack has tired
her powers," answered Hannah.  <It has done more than that, but I wish I
could tell you.>  "She will need some rest." Neo-Princess Serenity
opened her eyes.
        "Let's get you back to bed," said Amber.  <At least someone will
get to sleep.>  The Princess smiled.
        "What are thinking?" asked Eden.
        "I'm thinking that I can't wait to meet Tuxedo Mask again."
        "Why?" asked Amber.
        "He is sooo good looking."
        "Uhh," exclaimed Amber, as she pretended to gag.  "Not you too?"
        "That is enough!" Hannah exclaimed suddenly.  "She needs to
rest."  They helped the weak Princess to her feet and began to lead her
to her quarters.   "We will talk after the meeting tomorrow."
*************************************************

        Setsuna looked down from her balcony into the courtyard.  She
watched as Hannah, Amber, and Eden led Neo-Princess Serenity back to her
quarters.  She sighed in dismay.  <Much has happened tonight.  I am
sorry that I cannot help you.  I wish I could guide you in the days to
come.  But I cannot.  What is to come is your struggle, not the struggle
of your elders. You need to act of your own accord, to form your own
future.  In that, I cannot interfere, as I could not interfere in the
Silver Millennium, during the attack of the Dark Forces.> She sighed
again and looked up at the crescent moon gleaming brilliantly in the
dark sky.
        <What price must you pay for following your own path. I will
not be able to bear losing all of you to evil, as I did in the Silver
Millennium. I cannot bear to lose those I love again.  I could not wait
another thousand years for you, if you were fortunate enough to be
reborn.>  She searched the stars and remembered her dream.  She did not
cry, she had lost the ability to shed tears over two thousand years
before.  <I have not forgotten, I will always remember.   That is the
burden I must solely bare.>


                           THE MORNING AFTER

        Rhetta sat on her bed and stared into space.  <I do not wish to
sleep again.  I will only have the same dream.>  A portable scanner lay
on her bed, its lights partially illuminated the dark bedroom with an
eerie blue glow.  She looked to it absentmindedly, and picked it up
again.  Numerous calculations comparing the statistics of the last three
robots the group had encountered covered the square screen.  As if in
disgust of the information it presented, she threw the scanner to the
ground.  Its landing created little noise, as the floor was covered with
a thick, plush carpet.  <My calculations are in vain, the information
they will provide cannot change what will happen.>  She gave a long yawn
and found that sleep was approaching rapidly, without her consent.  When
she could keep her eyes open no longer, Rhetta found a comfortable
position, longing on her back and with a deep dread, drifted off to
sleep.
        The dream returned.....
        She was trapped, that she knew.  The darkness of the room was
dreadful, as if threatening to suffocate her.  Movement was impossible,
as was speech.  She tried to scream, but no sound escaped her mouth.
Tears of frustration ran down her face.  She could not call for help.
She had been bound to a cold wall; she could not escape.  Her wrist
computer had been removed, she could not have sent a plea for help even
if her arms had been free.  They will save me.  They will come for me.
That I am certain of.  But do they know where I am?  Do they understand
the peril that surrounds me.  She heard footsteps coming down the
corridor.  In the darkness, nothing could be seen.  Cold air rushed into
the small room that had become her prison as the metallic door opened.
She could not see the figure, but she was certain of its presence.  Each
of its footsteps could be heard in the small room.  She felt its breath
on her face as it came close to her.  A cold hand caressed her face,
feigning affection.
        "Do not fret," the dark voice said aloud, with great pleasure.
"Your agony will soon be over."
        Rhetta gave a shrill scream of terror.  The noise echoed
endlessly through the small, cold room as the voice laughed in
delight....
        "Rhetta.." she heard a voice call. "Rhetta, it's time to wake
up." She opened her eyes to see her mother sitting on the edge of her
bed.
        "I know you haven't had much sleep, but the meeting will be
starting soon and you shouldn't be late," said Amy, looking down at her
daughter.
        Amy smiled and tried to caress her daughter's cheek as she had
done so many times when she was a child. The teenager flinched from her
touch and jumped quickly out of her bed.
        "Are you all right, Rhetta?" asked Amy, shocked at her
daughter's reaction.  Rhetta nervously ran a trembling hand through her
messy hair, and tried to smile.
        "I am fine.  I simply had quite a nightmare."
        "Okay," Amy replied, uncertain of how to react.  "I'll leave you
to get dressed now." She watched her mother close the door to her
bedroom.  She rubbed her hand along her right cheek, the cheek it
caressed in her dream.  <I am sorry mother, I did not mean to upset
you.>
*************************************************

        Setsuna tossed and turned as her mind tried to avoid the dream.
Her mind failed.....
        Sailor Pluto was in the time portal, and stood before the door
of time.  A figure walked up to her.  She turned to try and avoid the
tall man before her but could not.  He pulled her to him and hugged her
fiercely.  Warm lips found hers and they kissed passionately for a time.
Pluto pulled away from him and looked up into his dark eyes as tears
streaked her face.  She lifter her staff, the Key of Time, and activated
a time portal.  More tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the man
enter the portal.  She watched him for a time and then used the Key of
Time to close the door.  As the Door of Time closed, she heard the man's
deep voice.
        "I wish there could be another way, my love, but there isn't."
        "I know," she whispered in response.
        "We are but small figures in the grand scheme of this universe.
For its continuance, we must sacrifice everything." The Door of Time
closed and she could no longer hear him.  Sailor Pluto turned from the
Door.  I understand my duty.  It is ultimately to guard the Door of
Time.  Your duty is harsh and complicated in comparison.
        "Be well, my love," she whispered and allowed the tears to fall
once again.
        Setsuna opened her eyes and sighed.  <I have shed no tears since
that moment.>  She sat up in her bed, and pulled the hair out of her
eyes.  <Time can be cruel, it can rob us of our youth and vitality.  But
so can dreams.  They can remind of of what we have lost or of what can
potentially be lost.>  She shook her head, to escape the morbid thought.
<Time to get dressed,> she thought to herself.  Duty calls once again.
*************************************************

        Amber yawned as she walked out of her bedroom.  She found her
mother and her little brother sitting as the breakfast table.  She
greeted the little boy as he sat and loudly ate a bowl of mushy cereal.
        "Yuck! How can you eat that every morning?" she exclaimed in
disgust. He spooned up a lump of milky mush and aimed it her way.
        "Bite?" he asked.  The horrified face he received from his big
sister in response was great.  He laughed in delight and proceeded to
shovel the spoonful into him mouth.
        Mina looked up from the book she was reading and said, "Really
Amber, must you?  He likes his cereal.  I'm not asking you to eat it.
So leave him be."
        "Good," replied her daughter. "I'd have to be sick to my
stomach."
        "Besides," continued Mina, as if she didn't hear her daughter,
"He's leaving in a minute.  Sophie's coming to pick him up any minute."
Sophie was a woman that Amber liked a great deal.  She worked in the
daycare, where Amber frequently visited to help with lessons and to
frequently occupy a restless Skye.
        There was soon a knock at the door and the little boy ran and
flung the door open.  He jumped into the arms of the waiting woman and
said, "Bye Mommy".
        He waived in Amber's direction. "Bye-bye, scary."
        Amber didn't look up from the toast she was buttering and waved
over her shoulder.  "See-ya later, cretin."
        Mina waived good-bye to her son and shot Amber an annoyed
glance. "Cretin?  What's that all about?" Amber rolled her eyes.
        "Remember last week. I told the little ones a scary story?"
        "Yes," Interrupted Mina, "Skye kept crawling into bed with you
complaining of nightmares if I remember correctly."
        "Anyway, the kid has called me Scary since then, so I decided to
call him Cretin until he stops."
        "I swear you're as bad as he is," said Mina, suddenly
remembering the way Serena and Reenie carried on in Old Tokyo.  She
smiled, despite herself.
        Amber ate her toast in silence and soon became lost in her
thoughts.  She did not even notice her mother talking to her. "Amber,
hey space cadet, are you listening to me?" called Mina.  Amber looked up
to see her mom waiving her hands in the air to grab her attention in a
very animated way.  She hesitated for a moment and decided to ask her
mom the dreaded question.
        "Mom, did you really get engaged to Jadeite?"
        Mina looked at her daughter, not surprised at her question.
"Well," she said, "that was two thousand years ago...."
        "Come on Mom, don't beat around the bush.  Were you or not?"
        Mina sighed.  "I was, but Amber that was two thousand years ago
and a different lifetime."
        "Did you actually love him?" Amber's face contorted into a
scowl.
        Mina rolled her eyes.  "What kind of a question is that?  Of
course I did; he was actually a nice guy then."
        Amber was silent for a moment.  "When you were purified by the
Silver Crystal and got back your memories, did you feel sad for Jadeite
or angry because he worked for the Dark Forces?"
        Mina shook her head.  "No, I didn't.  It's hard to explain.  To
me Jadeite the Guard of Endymion and Jadeite the General of the Dark
Forces are two different people.  It's like Serena and Neo-Queen
Serenity, they're the same person, but so different."
        Amber could relate to that. "Serena looked and sounded like the
Queen, but you didn't bow to her.  She was a little clumsy and so funny.
She talked like she was sooo..." she couldn't find the words.
        But her mother could predict them.  "Like she was young.  It's
true. She was only twenty or so when you met her. Just remember, a
thousand years tends to change people."
        Amber became silent at that.  <So does two thousand years,> she
thought.
        Mina studied her daughter's face, seeing the conflict.  "Amber,
what are you thinking?"
        Amber shook her head.  "You were different in the Moon Kingdom.
You looked the same and even sounded almost the same.  But...." Mina
looked at her daughter expectantly.  "You were so happy then."
        Mina was surprised.  "What's that supposed to mean?"
        "I haven't seen you that happy since Dad was alive." <There, I
said it,> thought Amber. Mina finally understood what the problem was.
        "Amber, I'm happy now.  I know it took me a while to grieve, but
that's not unusual.  Your father was a wonderful, kind, and gentle man.
He was such an important part of my life.  But I am happy now, I want
you to know that.  I have so much to make me happy.  I have you and your
brother, you both make me so proud.  I have a wonderful career as an
artist and I'm a Sailor Scout.  It would be perfect if your dad was
alive, but he's not."
        Amber agreed, "It would be perfect."  Mina walked up to her
daughter and hugged her.  This time, Amber accepted her mother's show of
affection gladly.
        "Amber I love you and I'm proud of you and you do make me happy.
Don't forget that okay?" whispered Mina.
        "I won't," replied her daughter.
*************************************************

        Lyn walked into his parent's quarters and sat at the breakfast
table.  He hadn't eaten with them in a long time and for that reason
hadn't refused when he was asked.  That he regretted now.  <I didn't get
any sleep,> he thought, <and I still can't figure out Rhetta. <What am I
going to do with her?>
        Chad sat down at the breakfast table, already dressed for the
day.  He noticed his son's unshaven face and angry disposition. <So much
for a nice, quiet, uneventful breakfast,> he thought.  "Rei'll be out in
a bit, she's still meditating."  He watched Lyn as he grunted in
response and absentmindedly drank a steaming cup of coffee.
        Lyn noticed his father's insistent gaze and finally looked up.
<I'm not in the mood,> he thought.  Sighing dramatically, he said, "Got
something on your mind, Dad?"
        Chad nodded, in a thousand years he had lost his clumsy, goofy
mannerisms and speech, "I remembered that battle this morning. You know
the one where you all battle that huge robot?" Lyn nodded, and tried
hard to be patient. "I saw the whole battle, from behind a tree.  You
were magnificent, all of you.  But I mostly watched your mother and you.
You fight the same way, you know, both with bravery, with determination
and with such a fierceness...I'll never forget that battle. I was so
proud." He shook his head and chuckled. "I know that was a thousand
years ago, and I didn't even know you then, but I was impressed then and
I'm proud now."  He got up to find himself a cup of coffee and continued
from the kitchen, "Plus, it's not just anyone who can survive taking
your mom shopping..."
        A sharp voice interrupted from the bedroom, "I heard that Chad."
Chad nodded in the direction of his wife and smiled.  Despite his awful
mood Lyn smiled.
*************************************************

        Eden walked out of her bedroom and was confronted by her parents
chasing a naked two year old out of the room.  Her little sister,
squealed in delight as she successfully avoided her parents.  But she
did not notice her sister who leaned down and caught the little naked
girl in her arms.  "Where do you think you are going, Leah?"  The little
girl shook her auburn hair, her curls flying widely around her head.
She pointed a chubby finger towards Eden's feet and said, "I down." Eden
laughed and handed the kid to her father.
        Kevin thanked his eldest daughter, "I'll get this little imp
dressed," he said, heading towards the bedroom.  Lita agreed and
returned to the kitchen to finish breakfast.
        Eden walked into the kitchen and began to dig in the crowded
fridge for a glass of milk.  Lita, cooking omelets as only she could,
looked at her daughter.  "You look like hell," she commented, "Long
night?"
        Eden nodded.  "Serenity was sleepwalking last night. I went to
help wake her up.  Then, this robot appeared, shaped like an octopus."
Lita raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Hannah destroyed it, but not
before this Tuxedo Mask appeared to save her."
        Lita was shocked, he hadn't become Tuxedo Mask since he had
married Serenity.  Eden saw her mother's surprise and shook her head.
"No mother, it was not Endymion.  He was a teenage boy with green hair.
I have never seen him before."
        Lita placed her beautiful omelet on a plate.  "So, a new Tuxedo
Mask had appeared." She smiled and remembered how they had once felt
about Tuxedo Mask.  "He said that he would always be there to protect
Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon.  The Princess cannot wait to meet her again.
She thinks he is handsome and Amber decided that the whole situation was
enough to make her sick."
        Lita nodded, amused.  <That sounds like Amber,>
she thought.
        "Rhetta was very distraught last night and stormed off, and Lyn
did not go after her."
        "I wouldn't worry about that," answered her mother, "Maybe they
had an argument. Lyn is hot headed like his mother and Rhetta is so
analytical. They've been together for about a year now, they're bound to
fight."  Eden hoped her mother was right.
        Lita handed her daughter her breakfast.  "Sounds like you had
quite the night.  Get used to it, things can get hectic protecting
princesses." Eden smiled in agreement.  She took her plate of food and
her milk and sat at the kitchen table.  Lita studied her daughter and
watched as her daughter's usually calm face began to show signs of fear
and stress.  "So," began her mother, "are you going to tell me what's
really bothering you?"
        Eden looked up at her mother and sighed.  "I cannot hide
anything from you, can I?"
        Her mother shook her head.  "No you can't.  Why would you?  I'm
here to help you."
        Eden thought back to her dream she had had the night before.  "I
had a terrible nightmare, one where Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon's
transformation failed.  She was about to be killed and there was nothing
we could do but watch as it happened.  We were all helpless, then the
Princess screamed, in a shilling, haunting manner," she shuddered as she
remembered.
        Lita understood.  She took her daughter's hand and squeezed in
gently.  "Eden, I used to have dreams like that all the time.  I have
had so many dreams where the Scouts couldn't get to Sailor Moon in time
and we had to watch her die agonizing deaths. I've had dreams where
Tuxedo Mask has blamed me and tried to kill me, and I've had dreams
where everyone died except for me, and it was solely my fault."  She
stopped, and remembered the nights she woke up screaming and in tears.
"But Eden, they were just dreams; dreams that mirrored my worries and
fears."
        "So you do not believe that dreams are real then?" asked her
daughter.
        "Rei believes that dreams can remind us of the past or foretell
the future.  But I don't.  That's just never happened to me."
        Eden nodded in agreement. "I hope you are right," she said.
<But the dream was so real,> she thought, <Could that have only been a
dream?>
*************************************************

        Neo-Queen Serenity watched her daughter as she stared out the
window at the morning sun.  <What is going on in that girl's mind?> she
thought, <She hasn't even eaten yet.>  She nudged her daughter on the
shoulder.  "Earth to Reenie, are you there, space cadet?"
        Reenie came out of her daze and looked at her mother.  "Space
cadet, me?"  They both laughed.  "I'm sorry, Mother, I was thinking
about something that happened last night."
        Her father walked into the living room.  "So is that before or
after you were sleepwalking?"
        Neo-Princess Serenity blushed.  "Oh after."  She sat down on
the couch with her mother and tried not to smile again.
        "So, Small Lady, what's on your mind?" asked her father.
        "A guy I met last night," she said and sighed at the memory.
Endymion's eyes became wide with shock and he looked at his wife in
horror.  She smiled at them both.
        Neo-Queen Serenity was baffled.  <Who do you meet in the middle
of the night during battle?>
        She watched as her daughter continued, "We were fighting that
robot, the one that was octopus shaped, I told you that right?"  They
both nodded, engrossed in her story already.  "It was about to blast me,
when I was rescued."
        The Queen's eyebrows raised in surprise.  She looked at her
husband accusingly, <I thought you were in bed all last night,> she
thought.  Serenity caught her mother's accusatory look and laughed.
        "No, Mother, Dad wasn't out last night.  It was Tuxedo Mask
though."
        "How could that be?" wondered Neo-King Endymion.
        "I don't know," replied his daughter, "but he had green hair and
looked totally cool in his outfit.  He said he'd always protect me." She
smiled dreamily again and her parents could almost see hearts shining
from her eyes.  She suddenly jumped up and headed for her bedroom.
"Anyway, I have to get dressed for the meeting."
        Neo-King Endymion looked at his wife helplessly.  "He'll always
protect her? What is THAT supposed to mean?" He began to pace the floor
in front of the couch.
        The Queen looked up at her husband and laughed.  <He's acting
like my father did,> she thought.  "Now Endymion, you're not forgetting
how we were at that age?" she teased, smiling up at him.
        He looked down at her, horrified.  "NO, I'm not forgetting.
Actually I remember all too well.  If he so much as touches her..."
began the King.  Serenity laughed, fully amused.  He noticed her
laughter and calmed down.  "Another Tuxedo Mask?" he asked.  "How can
that be?"
        "Well, I'm no longer Sailor Moon nor are you Tuxedo Mask.  I
guess it's only natural that a new Tuxedo Mask appears."
        "I guess you're right, Meatball Head, but how do we find out who
he is?"
*************************************************

        Hotaru and her daughter sat on their couch, each were eating
fruit salad.  There was a knock at the door.  Hannah put her bowl on the
coffee table and went to greet their visitor.  She opened the door and
Setsuna entered.  "Hello Aunt Setsuna, how are you today?"
        "I am well, she answered, and smiled in affection. "But I have
come to ask the same of you." Hannah returned to the couch and Setsuna
seated herself in a comfortable cream colored armchair across from them.
        Hannah's good humor faded into a determined seriousness.  "I am
well, but I fear Neo-Princess Serenity is not.  She dreams of her
destiny now, I know this because I experienced the same dream last
night.  But her dreams are unclear and confusing.  She knows that
something must be done, but does not understand what actions should be
taken."
        "There is little time left," began Hotaru, "Serenity's abilities
as Sailor Moon have begun to fail her.  Hannah told me that last night
Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon's Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack failed her."
        Setsuna nodded, understanding all too well the dilemma.  "Small
Lady has not been properly trained to interpret her dreams.  It will
take some time for her to understand them.  But we cannot interfere, she
must face her destiny on her own.  Hannah, I would like you to be with
her, support her but do not instruct her. When the time comes, she will
fully understand what must be done."
        "Oh, Aunt Setsuna, I must tell you of another development.  A
new Tuxedo Mask has appeared.  He is young and has pledged to her his
protection."
        She shook her head in irritation.  <He will only distract her,>
she thought.  "Do you know who he is?" she asked.
        Setsuna shook her head.  "No I do not." she lied.  <I know only
too well,> she thought, <but there is nothing I can do.  I must let time
evolve as it must.>
        "We have to get ready for the meeting," Hotaru reminded them.
Setsuna left their quarters and Hannah went to her room to change.  <Be
strong, Hannah,> thought Hotaru, <You will need to be.>
*************************************************

        Setsuna walked into the gardens.  There she found Lyn, sitting
on a bench.  He looked worried.  She stood in front of him and he looked
up to her.  "I have come to warn you, Lyn.  While I cannot tell you
what will happen, or change the course or events, I can give you some
advice."
        Lyn nodded gratefully.  "I need it, I don't know what to do."
        "You must remember, Lyn, that Rhetta is not prone to acting
impulsively or to taking risks."
        "I know that, Setsuna.  She is analytical and logical and
doesn't do anything without first thinking it through.  But this is so
unlike her.  I have never seen her that scared or desperate."
        Setsuna nodded in understanding.  "What she wants may be
strange, but I want you to understand her fear and try to help her as
much as you can."
        He nodded and stood up to go find her.  "Thank-you, Setsuna."
        She nodded in response and waited for him to be out of sight.
When he was finally gone, she sighed.  <Time is cruel,> she thought.  <I
can't tell you this Lyn, but Rhetta's fate is already sealed.>  Setsuna
stood up and began to walk to the Palace.



                          THE DREAMS COME TRUE

        Rhetta sat on the smooth marble bench in the center of the
gardens.  Until her brief visit to the Silver Millennium, she had never
fully appreciated Neo-Queen Serenity's gardens.  She had slipped out of
her quarters this morning to avoid further contact with her family.
Until she had seated herself on the bench, quarters she had never fully
realized the significance of the this place.  Rhetta sat and enjoyed a
brief moment of pleasure.  She cool feel the dew between her toes, as
she had taken off her shoes and the coolness from the bench relaxed her.
The gardens of Crystal Tokyo were an exact replica of the gardens of the
Moon Kingdom.  Rhetta smiled to herself as she remembered her mother's
words, long ago when she was a child....

        That day, her mother had given her a little minicomputer that
was small enough to fit in her little hands.  They had sat on the marble
bench in the corner of the gardens.  Ami had put her arms around her
daughter and had shown her how to manipulate the computer.  They
analyzed the gardens, and Rhetta discovered a world she had never
dreamed possible.  There, on that tiny screen was so much information,
more than she could possibly understand at once.

        "Mommy," she had said in amazement, "it's like magic." Her
mother had shaken her blue haired head and chuckled in amusement.
        "No, it's not magic, Rhetta, it's nature." She took her
daughter's hand and led her over to a cluster of colorful flowers.  "See
these flowers. Neo-Queen Serenity picked out each plant and flower that
was to be planted in her gardens.  She came out here and planted them
with her own hands and she watered them every day.  To her, the gardens
represent Crystal Tokyo and she was determined to work hard and take
good care of everything."
        She had seated her daughter on the bench again and had begun to
show her how to analyze the flowers.
        "With this computer, you can scan everything around you.  You
can study everything, from the ground to the sky.  Then you can learn
why the flowers grow and what you need to do to take care of them."
        Rhetta had smiled in delight.
        "Then Mommy, I can learn lots of things and I can be a doctor
just like you."
        "Yes, you can do that," replied her mother.  "But that's not for
a long time.  Right now, you can just be my little girl."  She nodded in
agreement and picked up her new minicomputer.  "But can we go see how
the flowers grow now?"  They had ventured into the gardens together to
begin their explorations...

        <The gardens were important to the Queen because they
represented that the traditions begun in the Silver Millennium were once
again alive and would be so for a long time.>  Rhetta's brief moment of
pleasure and calm vanished.  <I wish I could say the same for me.>  She
remembered the ominous voice as it told her that her agony would soon be
over.  She shuddered as she remembered the feeling of the cold, dry hand
as it had caressed her cheek.  <Soon, the nightmare that will end my
life will begin.>
*************************************************************************
*

        Pluto watched from the rose bushes that hid her a few feet away.
Lyn approached Rhetta who was seated on a marble bench in the middle of
the gardens.  He sat down next to her and she leaned her head down on
his chest and began to sob.  Lyn hugged his girlfriend tightly, and
tried hard not to let his emotions be unleashed.  She quieted down after
a few moment and looked up at him with red, tear-filled eyes.  He wiped
the tears away from her face carefully with one hand, and moved away the
stray strands of hair that were clinging to her face.
        The tenderness in his movement made Pluto angry.  <Why does it
always have to be this way?  Why can't people in love be left to
themselves...first Queen Serenity and her husband, then Serena and
Darien, and also..> her thoughts stopped as she sighed.  <I cannot think
of myself now.  She looked up to see Lyn take Rhetta's hand.  They stood
up and began to walk, but Lyn stopped her.
        "Rhetta, I just want you to know that I love you and even if I
don't understand what's going on I'll be there with you, always."
        The two kissed for a long moment then made their way out of the
gardens.  Pluto watched them leave and wiped away a single tear that
trickled down her cheeks.  <I wish you both strength in what is to
come,> she wished them silently.
*************************************************************************
*
        Neo-Queen Serenity was ready to leave for the meeting.  She went
out on her balcony overlooking her gardens to relax for a moment.  The
balcony was high enough that she could see the entire splendor of the
gardens.  She looked down casually and something caught her eye.  She
saw Sailor Pluto standing behind some roses watching as Lyn and Rhetta
left the meeting hand in hand.
        She saw Pluto wipe her hand over her face and her eyes widened
in surprise.  <Are you crying, Setsuna?  That is something I have never
seen before.>  She watched as Sailor Pluto left the gardens to make her
way to the meeting.  <What secrets have you held in your heart for over
a thousand years... I wonder... What secret torments your soul?  Will we
ever know?> She turned when she heard Neo-King Endymion call to her that
it was now time to leave.  <May you find peace in your heart, Setsuna>.
*************************************************************************
*

        Neo-Queen Serenity sighed in dismay.  Up until this moment the
meeting had been relatively uneventful, but productive. They had
reviewed in detail the events that had taken place when the Jewel
Wielders had been plummeted throughout the past.  They had even reviewed
the events of the evening before.  All had proceeded in a orderly,
organized fashion.  They had agreed that Yargus was now on the
offensive.  They had agreed that the Jewel Wielders' ability to control
their respective jewel's had improved dramatically.  Skye had burst into
the meeting and demanded not to be excluded.  No one had argued.  In
fact, no one had disagreed about anything that had been said about
anyone...Until now.
        Neo-Queen Serenity watched as Super Sailor Pluto slowly,
purposefully stood up.  She placed both her hands on the table and
leaned forward to add meaning to the words they had all hoped to avoid.
        "Now," she said with determination, "your attempts at avoiding
this discussion are over."  She watched as the younger members of the
meeting began to squirm and the elder members tried not to groan.  "We
are going to discuss what COULD have taken place is the balance of time
had been disrupted."
        Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion stole a glance at each
other.  Neither said a word.  They had learned a thousand years ago that
when Pluto lectured, it was quicker not to argue.  Their daughter sat in
her chair and paled a bit. <She did warn me not to let the Wielders use
their jewels at the same time.  I guess I've got it coming.>
        Super Sailor Saturn smiled to herself.  <Ah Setsuna, you are in
your glory now.>  She leaned back in her chair and tried to find a
comfortable position.  <This may take some time.>  She looked across the
table to her daughter.  To her amusement, Hannah was not nervous.  She
was irritated. <Why must she lecture us now? There is so much that has
to be done.>  She flashed an angry look to her mother, who simply shook
her head in warning.  Hannah quieted, respecting her mother's wishes.
        The Sailor Scouts prepared themselves for the coming verbal
onslaught.  Super Sailor Mercury tried to look interested, but did not
succeed.  <My daughter is not well...How can I help her... But I should
really pay attention...> Mars' eyes narrowed.
        <I hate her litanies! Why can't she just get to the point? She's
going to bore us to death!> Venus tried not to twirl a long piece of
straight blond hair around her finger.  That was a well known sign that
she was bored.
        Jupiter's face remained blank.  <If I don't react, maybe she'll
shut up faster.> After a thousand years, the Scouts were accustomed to
Pluto's speeches about the timeline.  Neptune and Uranus grinned at each
other in amusement.  Only Pluto could extract such reactions from the
group.
        Amber ran a hand slowly through her hair and began to wind a
strand around her index finger.  She stifled a yawn with the other hand
and fidgeted in her seat.  <I hope she's not going to give us that hyper
technical bull about the integrity of the timeline.  That stuff puts me
to sleep.>
        Lyn began to tap his fingers angrily against the table top.
<Rhetta thinks she has very little time left to live and Pluto here is
going to waste time with a lecture no one is going to pay attention to.>
He looked over to his girlfriend.  Rhetta, who usually took great
pleasure in her lectures and tried to mathematically provide proof of
her theories simply sat there with a blank expression on her face. Lyn's
eyes widened. <She isn't even paying attention!  She's clueless!>
        Eden worried that perhaps the Jewel Wielders had revealed too
much in the past. <We all knew that this discussion would indeed take
place.  Oh well...>  She sat back comfortably in her chair, resigned to
her fate.
        Skye floated over to her parents and landed easily in her
mother's lap. <Yippee!!!  Pluto's gonna tell a story!  Maybe she can
tell me the story about the planets again.  I like that one!>
        Pluto, satisfied that in the moments of her brief pause that she
had tortured her unwilling audience enough began.  "Considering the
tension of the last few days, I will be brief."  <Too much will happen
that I cannot interfere in. You at least deserve my brevity for once.>
Everyone, stared in disbelief, even Rhetta.  Sky was disappointed that
she was not going to hear the story that she loved so much.
        "While some of your interactions in the past were critical, you
all did well."  Jaws dropped in shock and both Mercury and Rhetta began
to scan Pluto for signs of illness. "Very little of the timeline was
changed, but that was due to the unforeseen actions of Yargus and his
newfound ability to change the timestream himself."
        Her audience recovered and nodded.  "Up until now, we have
simply defended the Kingdom against his attacks.  While we have been
repelling them successfully, it is now time to take the offensive."  All
at once, the group began to discuss amongst themselves this idea.
        "While I agree with you that the time has come to do more than
defend ourselves," began Uranus, "we have been unable to pinpoint any
activity from him in the outer solar system. Checkpoints on Uranus,
Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn have been unable to pick up anything.  How
can we attack an enemy we can't find?"
        "Is it possible," countered Saturn, "that Yargus and his forces
are not situated in the outer solar system? Perhaps he has hidden
himself closer to us?"
        Jupiter became irritated. She was in command of the manned
outposts on all of the planets in the inner solar system.  "That's
impossible," she stated sharply and banged her fist on the table.  "All
outposts within the inner solar system have been working day and night
to detect any signs of Yargus in the solar system and haven't found
anything.  Are you saying I'm not properly doing my job?"
        Saturn shook her head. "No, that's not what I'm saying.  I'm
trying to explain that maybe he had successfully hidden himself from
us."
        Mercury began to calculate the possibilities on her computer and
looked over to her daughter, expecting Rhetta to be doing the same.
Instead, Rhetta hadn't paid attention to the situation and was staring
blankly into space.  Mercury looked over to Lyn and found him carefully
studying his girlfriend.  <What is going on with those two???  I'm going
to have a talk with that child later.>
        Amber what unimpressed with this idea.  "So you're saying Yargus
has been under our noses all this time and we haven't kicked his butt
out of here?"
        Mars was undaunted by the notion.  "My psychic abilities have
increased over the last thousand years and I can only sense an
approaching robot when its almost here.  Yargus has to be somewhere
close by."  Hannah nodded in agreement.  Mars' eyes narrowed in her
direction.  "If I remember correctly, when you showed up at my temple a
thousand years ago, you told me that you were not a psychic."
        Hannah returned her stare with an equally intense gaze.  "I am
not.  I simply can detect when harm will come to the Princess."  Eden,
Amber, and Neo-Princess Serenity nodded in agreement.
        "She's really good at it," added the Princess.  Skye nodded in
agreement and clapped her hands for emphasis.  They looked down at the
girl and smiled in amusement.
        "Nevertheless," began King Endymion, "we still need to find the
source of his offensives.'
        Neo-Queen Serenity looked directly at Pluto.  <I know what your
answer will be, but I'll try anyway. "Pluto, do you have any idea where
his base of operations is?"  She was not surprised when Pluto shook her
head.
        "I am afraid I do not."  <And if I did, I would not reveal it to
you.  Haven't you learned that my primary purpose is to guard time.  You
are too stubborn.>  "Truthfully, I have no idea how Yargus penetrated
the timestream.  The possibility exists that his future actions could
destroy the balance of time in the universe.  We must stop him."
        "We were successful in stopping Yargus in the past," reminded
Eden.
        "Yes, but that doesn't mean he won't try again," said Venus.
        "Pluto, you have no way of preventing Yargus from corrupting the
timestream?" asked Neptune.
        Pluto shook her head in dismay.  <For the fist time in three
thousand years, I have lost control.  This is humiliating.>
        Mars was surprised. "That's a first."  Pluto was stung by this
comment and sat down in her chair.
        Neo-Queen Serenity had enough. She looked at Mars.  "That was
uncalled for.  We don't have the time for this.  How are we going to
attack an enemy we can't find?"
        Mars quieted immediately.  Eden cleared her throat to gain
attention.  All eyes turned to her.  "I have a suggestion.  The next
time we fight a robot, instead of obliterating it, maybe we should
capture it."  Eden wondered if her suggestion was too simplistic.
        Mercury began to punch away at her computer again.  She sole
another look at her daughter, whose attention had drifted again.  <Where
are your thoughts, little one?>  She then returned her attention to the
dilemma before her.  "That is a very valid commentary.  Keep in mind
that we would have to immobilize it so that it could no longer do any
damage."
        Neo-King Endymion chuckled.  "I guess there's no sense bringing
it home and watching it level the Palace." Everyone in the room also
chuckled.
        Rhetta, who finally had been able to concentrate a bit on the
discussion, decided to add her thoughts.  "Perhaps a robot will contain
a transmitter of a sort that we could use to trace its origins."
        Amber liked this idea. "Cool, then we can follow it home and do
some serious damage to Yargus."  Many in the meeting room chuckled and
agreed.
        Pluto did not agree. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm..." she
suddenly stopped in midsentence.  A look of shock came over her face.
She rose, produced the Time Key and said, "A situation has arisen, I
must leave." She had barely said these words when the time portal that
she had so quickly created closed behind her.
        The group simply stared at the area where the time portal had
briefly existed.  "What was that all about?" asked Sailor Venus.  No one
had a respectable answer.
        Neo-Queen Serenity looked at her husband.  He was not surprised
at her hasty dismissal and simply raised an eyebrow.  "There is much we
do not know about the Guardian of Time."  Mars looked at the King and
shook her head.  <There's too much we don't know about that woman,> she
thought.
*************************************************************************
*

        Super Sailor Pluto slammed the end of her staff onto the ground
in frustration.  "Damn it!" she cursed out loud.  "Who the hell does
Yargus think he is, tramping through MY time portals just like that?!"
she snapped her fingers in emphasis.
        When she had arrived before the Door of Time, a group of drones
was about to follow a large robot into the timestream.  Super Sailor
Pluto had lifted her staff and whispered, "Dead scream."  The attack had
simply caused the drones to gather more tightly around the robot.
        Using the Key of Time, she had tried to command the time portal
to dissipate.  Nothing had happened.  She had tried to close the Door of
Time, but nothing happened.  She had then gathered all of the energy she
could and sent a breathtaking version of her Dead Scream attack towards
the robot.  In response, a ring of energy had pulsed from the robot.
The energy had rushed under her feet and she had fallen to her knees.
When she had looked up, the time portal was no more and the Door of Time
had closed.
        Now she stood in front of the Door of Time and watched as the
events unfolded in front of her.  "There is nothing I can do?" she
shouted in anger.  "Why must I watch this take place again?  Must time
be so cruel?" She could not interfere.  The balance of time in the
universe had not been compromised.
        She raised the Time Key high in the air, so that it was held
horizontally above her head.  "I swear to you, Yargus," she vowed, "I
WILL find you.  And when I do, I will make you SUFFER for the torment
you have caused those I love." She wiped the tears away that had fallen
down her cheeks.  <I will make you pay because once again I will be
blamed.  After this, no one will trust me. Once again I am a slave to my
duty.>
*************************************************************************
*

        Before anyone could further comment on the swift disappearance
of Pluto, an alarm sounded on the computer console before the King and
Queen.  Neo-King Endymion leaned over and pressed a button that blinked
insistently before him.  His face quickly distorted into a look of
concern.  "There is a group of drones that has gathered in front of the
Palace in the gardens."  The Sailor Scouts jumped up almost
simultaneously to face the challenge.  The King lifted his hand.  "Wait,
another group of drones has gathered in a commercial area of the city."
        "That's our first concern," stated Jupiter.
        "Let's do it," said Uranus.
        The King nodded to his daughter.  "I expect you can handled the
drones here," he stated in amusement.  Neo-Princess Serenity, who had
not transformed for the meeting, raised her transformation broach in
response.
        "Not a problem!" she said with a smile.  "Moon Eternal Make Up!"
By the time her brief transformation had taken place, Neo-Queen
Serenity, Neo-King Endymion, and the Sailor Scouts had left to fight the
drones.  Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon nodded to her friends.  A rainbow of
light shone briefly in the room as each of the Jewel Wielders summoned
their powers.  They ran from the room to the gardens.
        Skye trailed behind them.  <Yippee! More targets to shoot!> she
thought.  Amber noticed her as they were about to exit the Palace.  She
skidded to a halt and plucked the little girl from midair.
        "Hold it sweetie!" she said as she shook her head.
        "What, I want to fight!" Skye pleaded with wide, imploring eyes.
        "Not likely, sweetie. Your mom would kill me if you got hurt."
She turned the girl gently toward the inside of the Palace and have her
a little shove.  "I'll tell you all about it later!"
        Skye floated towards the door and watched her companions run
towards the gardens.  <They get all the fun!  Wait till I'm bigger, I'll
show them!>
*************************************************************************
*

        A group of drones floated in the sky above the center of the
gardens.  They were like nothing Sailor Moon or the Jewel Wielders had
ever seen before.  They were shaped in various geometrical shapes, with
a single area in their middle from which a laser shot.  Rhetta began to
punch away at her wrist computer.  "They are weak," she asserted, "We
should be able to easily destroy them!"
        "But there are so many. Can we handle them?" asked Eden.
        "No problem, let's just kick some butt!" responded Amber.
        They gathered in a circle, with their backs facing inward.  Neo-
Eternal Sailor Moon raised her scepter and commanded, "Starlight,
Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" The attack obliterated a large amount of
drones.  Lyn gathered a few small rectangles of emerald energy in his
hand and launched them into the air.  The rectangles logged themselves
in the center of the drones and they exploded.  Hannah raised her staff
and fired a strong stream of energy at the drones gathered above her
head.  They were destroyed easily and she narrowed her eyes in
suspicion.  <What is this foolishness?  Yargus has thus far never toyed
with us?>
        Amber, who enjoyed the practice, launched small spirals of
yellow orange energy to her enemies.  <This is great!  The drones don't
even have time to shoot back!>
        Eden blasted a few drones easily, but drew no satisfaction.
<What's going on here?>
        Rhetta simply stared up at the quickly dwindling number of
drones.  <The calm before the storm? Must it begin so soon?>
        As the last of the drones were destroyed, Rhetta left the circle
they had gathered in.  She walked towards a path that led to the part of
the gardens that were furthest from the Palace.  Her eyes widened in
horror and she screamed in alarm as a nightmarish vision appeared before
her.  The others heard her scream and ran towards her.  They looked up
to see it too.
        "Holy shit!" swore Amber.
        "What the hell is that?" asked Lyn.
        Eden breathed in ragged gasps.  She looked up at the evil before
her.
        "I know what that is.... It's my nightmare... It's my dream come
true!"
*************************************************************************
*

        The drones had been easily destroyed.
        "This was too easy," stated Uranus flatly.  Neptune nodded in
silent agreement.
        Jupiter looked up at the King and Queen.  She clenched her fists
in rage. "Damn it!  We are just as stupid as we were a thousand years
ago!"
        "Then we took the bait?" asked Venus.
        "Essentially yes," began Mercury, scanning the view of the
Palace threw her visor.  "There is a surge of activity near the Palace."
        Saturn turned to the King and Queen. "You should see to the
defenses of the Crystal Palace."  A brilliant light flashed for a moment
as the two monarchs teleported to their destinations.  The others looked
at each other, gathered hands and began to teleport.
        Just before the teleport took effect, Saturn shook her head.
<Destiny is unfolding.  I hope the children are strong.>
*************************************************************************
*

        It was the most terrifying robot they had ever seen.  The shape
of the robot itself was humanoid.  It had a head, two arms, and two
legs.  That was the end of its similarities to humans.  The were no
facial features and no apparent weapons.  The entire surface of the
robot's body was covered with small, pointy spikes, except for its
hands.
        The sight before her eyes disgusted Amber.  "Yuck! This sucker
is butt ugly.  Someone has to send Yargus a few art mags." She looked
over to her best friend, and expected an amused response.  Rhetta only
stood immobile in shock.  Amber looked at her friend in horror.
        <This IS my dream,> thought Eden in desperation. <But we're not
in a forest. We are in the center of the gardens.>
        Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon and the Jewel Wielders were trapped in
the clearing, surrounded by the dense vegetation and trees of the Royal
Gardens. The enemy they began to battle was a strong robot, larger and
more powerful than anything they had fought before.  Rhetta stood and
watched in horror as, one by one, each person attacked.
        Amber used a strong spiral, but it was easily repulsed as an
energy field gathered around the robot and pulsed outwards in all
directions.  She was thrown many feet away and collided with the thick
trunk of an old tree.  "Amber!!!!!" yelled Rhetta, but could not seem to
move to help her friend. The short haired fighter shook her head and
tried to get back up.  Her limbs gave out and she collapsed in pain.
        Rhetta turned and saw that Lyn had sent a series of sharp
rectangles towards the robot. With another powerful energy pulse they
were reflected back at him.  The impact of his own attack as it hit his
body and the ensuing explosion threw him backwards and he lay
unconscious and unmoving.  "No!!" screamed Rhetta. <Not Lyn, please Lyn
don't be dead!> she pleaded.  She wanted desperately to fight, but she
could not.
        <I don't care if this is my dream come true,> thought Eden.  <I
have to do something...I can't just stand here.> Eden ran towards the
robot and sent three strong blasts of purple energy towards the robot's
head.  The energy blasts had no effect and the robot targeted a large
metallic hand towards her.  The hand swatted at her and sent her body
flying.  She landed in the brush, far away from the clearing and could
only barely look up to see the battle. Tears of pain and frustration
rolled down her face. <My mother was wrong, dreams can be real.> She
tried to get up again, but could not.  Pain shot from her hips, all the
way up her spinal column and she collapsed.  <I can only watch... I can
only watch as this nightmare comes true.>
        Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon raised her scepter and yelled, "Crystal
Tokyo Princess Attack!"
        "No Sailor Moon, you cannot," warned Hannah, "You are not yet
strong enough."
        Sailor Moon did not listen.  <I have to save my friends,> she
thought.  <I can't let them be destroyed this way.  I owed them too
much.> Large amounts of fuchsia colored energy gathered atop her scepter
and she leveled it at the robot.  But before she could launch it, the
energy disappeared in a brilliant flash, leaving Sailor Moon
defenseless.  She looked down at her scepter and panicked.  <No... This
can't be happening again... I need to fight...> She looked around and
saw her friends.  <I have to fight for them...> She raised her scepter
again, but her transformation reversed itself. The robot gathered energy
to blast her with.
        Rhetta watched this with a detachment that she could not
understand.  It was as if she was not in the midst of the battle, as if
she was watching a movie with a battle scene.  Suddenly, she saw the
robot as it began to send an energy pulse out again.  Clarity suddenly
came upon her.  <What am I doing???  I have to do something!>  The small
ruby began to shine brightly as she gathered her energy to attack.
        Hannah ran to shield her and Rhetta sent a large sphere of ruby
energy towards the robot.  "Over here!" she yelled and sent another
powerful sphere at the robot. The robot turned towards her.  The energy
pulsed from the robot anyway. Eden saw the energy surge towards the
Princess. Her eyes opened in fear and she screamed, "NO, SAILOR
MOON!!!!"
        Rhetta noticed this and aimed a strong blast directly at the
robot's head, as Eden had done.  The robot's hand opened and its body
stooped towards Rhetta.
        Hannah erected a shield to cover Neo-Princess Serenity from the
energy pulse.  Before the pulse reached its target, Tuxedo Mask appeared
and swept the Princess out of its path.  Hannah, distracted by this, was
hit by the energy pulse and fell to her knees.  Her legs weak beneath
her, she raised her weapon and aimed it at the robot.  The staff fell
from her hands and she gasped in shock at what she saw.
        The robot had picked up Rhetta in one metallic hand.  Amber saw
this.  "Rhetta.... No Rhetta!!" she yelled.
        A time portal suddenly opened and the robot, with Rhetta still
captured in its fist, disappeared within it.
*************************************************************************
*

        The teleport transported the Sailor Scouts directly to the
clearing in the middle of the Royal Gardens.  They found an unconscious
Neo-Princess Serenity in the arms of a young, green haired Tuxedo Mask.
        The Scouts ran to their different children.  Saturn found Hannah
on her knees near the center of the clearing.  Mars found her son
unconscious and badly injured.  Venus helped her daughter to her feet
and pulled the teenager into her arms as she was wracked with sobs.
Jupiter ran to Eden who lay immobile on the ground and whispered, "It's
my dream, it came true..."
        Mercury used her visor to scan for Rhetta.  She found no trace
of the girl.  She ran towards Hannah.  "Where is she??? Where is Rhetta?
What has happened to my daughter?" she said, the panic evident in her
voice.
        Hannah stood up and looked to Mercury with guilty eyes.  "I
couldn't save them both... I tried, I'm sorry?"  Mercury grabbed Hannah
by her shoulders and began to shake the teenager.
        "What happened to her, tell me!"
        Hannah looked at the ground.  She could not let Mercury see her
shame.  She watched as the tears formed a puddle near her toes.
        "The robot took her through a time portal.  Yargus has her now."
Mercury screamed in shock and sank to the ground, unconscious.
*************************************************************************
*

        She was trapped, that she knew.  The darkness of the room was
dreadful, as if threatening to suffocate her.  Movement was impossible,
as was speech.  She tried to scream, but no sound escaped her mouth.
Tears of frustration ran down her face.  She could not call for help.
She had been bound to a cold wall; she could not escape. Her wrist
computer had been removed, she could not have sent a plea for help even
if her arms had been free.  <They will save me.  They will come for me.
That I am certain of.  But do they know where I am?  Do they understand
the peril that surrounds me?>  She heard footsteps coming down the
corridor.   In the darkness, nothing could be seen.
        Cold air rushed into the small room that had become her prison
as the metallic door opened.  She could not see the figure, but she was
certain of its presence.  Each of its footsteps could be heard in the
small room.  She felt its breath on her face as it came close to her.  A
cold hand caressed her face, feigning affection.
        "Do not fret," the dark voice said aloud, with great pleasure,
"Your agony will soon be over."
        Rhetta turned her face away from the hand and tried to scream
again.  No sound emerged from her mouth.  Tears ran down her face.
<This is it... This is my dream come true.....> Her body slumped as she
fell unconscious.....

                      PICKING UP THE PIECES

        Amy walked solemnly to her quarters.  Her husband would have
dinner waiting for her.  <How am I going to tell him...> She opened the
door and expected to find her husband sitting casually on the couch.
Instead, the onyx haired man was standing in the middle of the living
room.  He saw that his wife was alone.
        "I guess I heard correctly then...She is gone."
        Amy nodded.  He always kept the military communication link open
when she went into battle.  "Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Venus are in
the meeting room trying to find any trace of Yargus, his robot, or
Rhetta."
        She looked her husband straight in the eyes.  "She distracted
the robot to save Small Lady." She watched the feelings of rage and
sorrow as they swept through her husband.  "She did her duty."  Such a
statement, though true, would never dispel the pain or anguish at the
loss of a loved one.  "It's my fault. I did not get there in time."
        She sat on the couch, leaned over and rubbed her hands through
her blue hair.  "We were fooled.  We went into Crystal Tokyo the same as
flies to honey..."
        Her husband sat next to her.  Tears welled up in his eyes.  "Do
you think she's dead?" he uttered.  He watched his wife pale
considerably...
        "I don't know," she answered.  She turned to him with the look
of a doctor giving deadly news to a patient.  "She could be well, she
could be injured, she could be dead." A look of sorrow flashed over her
face for a moment. Then it was gone, replaced by a solemn look of
determination.
        She watched the tears slide down her husband's face.  <He would
never show this kind of emotion in public.> She pulled him down to her
shoulder and hugged him fiercely as shudders racked his usually strong
body. She wanted to cry along with him...to scream her rage.  She wanted
to feel the pain of their loss tear through her heart as it should.
Instead she felt nothing....
        <I will be strong now. I have to.> Her husband looked up at her
and she gently wiped the tears away.  "I am going to find her," she
promised him, in an attempt to convince herself.
        He pulled away from his beautiful wife.  <You can mask your
feelings, Amy. I know you too well.> With one slightly unsteady hand he
moved the short blue hair out of her eyes.  He caressed her cheek gently
and tried to smile bravely.  "I know you will," he whispered.
        She stood up and picked up her medical kit.  "First, I have to
help Small Lady."

*************************************************************************
*
        Hannah sat on the couch in her living room and contemplated her
next course of action. The battle was over.  Neo-Princess Serenity was
unconscious, the Wielders injured, and Rhetta kidnapped. <This is not an
acceptable situation. I have to go the Princess; she will need me.  But
first, I have to help my friends.> She left her quarters and headed for
the quarters of the nearest Jewel Wielder.
        Eden was the easiest to heal.  While her injuries had been
serious, she had not resisted her friend's ministrations.  Hannah healed
her friend's physical injuries, but was unable to do any more.  Eden
simply let the tears stream down her face.  "It was my fault. I should
have saved her...I saw what was coming...I dreamt about it."  Hannah sat
next to her on the double bed.
        "You must remember that the Jewel Wielders' duty is to
Neo-Princess Serenity.  Rhetta knew this, and chose to distract the
robot.  There was nothing you could have done to prevent her capture;
you were injured." <And I would have intervened in her capture, if I had
known that annoying Tuxedo Mask wasn't trustworthy enough to appear.>
But this did not appease Eden and she continued to cry.  Her father
entered the room and ushered Hannah out.
        Amber adamantly refused to be healed.  In her anger, she pushed
Hannah away.  "I'm fine, now LEAVE ME ALONE!" Hannah could understand
her anger but insisted that Amber be healed.  "I don't have time for
this..." Amber tried to pull herself out of her bed.  She groaned,
doubled over, and clutched at the laser wound she had sustained in the
Moon Kingdom.  Her head began to spin and Hannah had lowered her back
into her bed.
        "I am sorry, but you need to be healed, Amber."  Blue-black
energy had glowed from her hands, which were positioned on Amber's
shoulder's and glowed around her small, strong friend.  Amber fell
quietly asleep.  Satisfied that Amber was well again, Hannah retreated
from the room and prepared for the worst.
        The worst would be Lyn.  Hannah would have like to simply avoid
him, she knew what his reaction would be.  <I know you will blame me,
Lyn, but I hope you understand....> She made her way to Lyn's quarters,
and tried not to succumb to the fatigue that was ailing her.
        His parents had brought him to his quarters had left him only
for a moment when he had somehow succeeded to lock his door despite his
injuries.
        The door lock did not present a problem.  She lifted her staff
and tried to aim a small stream of energy towards the doorknob.  She was
a might overzealous and had blown a whole in the door.  Hannah grimaced
at the results of her efforts.  <Clumsy, but effective...I will have to
replace that later...>
        She found Lyn unconscious on his bed.  <He is strong to have
made it all this way alone.>  She put away her weapon, put a hand on
Lyn's shoulder, and had begun the process of healing Lyn.  But Hannah
had already healed too much and she became weak and dizzy.
        Lyn suddenly sprang from the bed and slammed Hannah into the
wall.  A look of rage twisted his reddened face and for the first time
Hannah was scared.  He slammed her against the wall violently, again and
again... "You, it's all your fault! You could have saved her...You could
have save her!  YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HER!!!!"
        Hannah could do nothing.  She felt her blood drip down the wall
as her head cracked off the hard surface behind her.  <He will kill me,>
she thought weekly.  Her head drooped down and she passed out from the
pain.  Lyn, continued.  He lifted the unconscious form of Hannah up by
the front of her shirt and yelled, "YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HER!!!"
        A blinding blast of energy through Lyn violently against the
back wall of his bedroom.  Super Sailor Saturn, her staff raised in her
left hand, caught the unconscious form of her daughter in her right as
she slumped to the ground.
        Chad burst into the room and tackled his son as he began to
lunge forward again.  "Stop it, Lyn!!! It's not her fault." The last of
Lyn's strength finally escaped him and he dropped to his knees. Saturn
brought her daughter into the hall, kneeled down next to her and quickly
healed her battered daughter.
        Hannah opened her eyes.  She looked up at her mother in
disbelief.  "He was going to kill me."
        Saturn sent an accusing look in the direction of Chad and Lyn.
"Yes." Her features softened as she looked down at her daughter.
"Child, you have to rest now."
        "I can't," insisted Hannah, as she struggled to a standing
position.  "I must wait with Serenity. She will need me."
        "She will need you strong and well," reminded her mother.
        "I will be fine," insisted Hannah, and she began to make her way
to the Royal Quarters...
*************************************************************************
        Amy sat in front of the console in her office.  The long day
began to take its toll and she could barely concentrate. She rubbed her
eyes to clear away a stray tear that had escaped.  <I can't keep going
like this.  I HAVE to find out what is wrong with the Princess...>  She
wiped another tear from her face.  <I can't help but worry about
Rhetta... OH Rhetta, I hope you are okay...>
        She pushed herself away from her desk and absentmindedly rubbed
the ache that had afflicted the back of her neck. <Why has she not woken
up?? I cannot explain her condition.>
        Earlier in the afternoon she had helped bring the children back
to the Crystal Palace. Hotaru and Hannah had taken care of Amber, Eden,
and Lyn.  After those brief, painful moments with her husband, Amy had
helped transport the Princess to the Royal Chambers and had immediately
examined her.  All she had wanted to do was leave to find Rhetta, but
the situation would not permit such emotional abandon. <I have to do my
duty, that comes before all else,> she thought to herself, again and
again, as if repeating it would eventually leave her to believe that.
        Neo-Queen Serenity, Neo-King Endymion, Diana, Luna, and Artemis
had all gathered around to find out her condition.  Amy had scanned her
again and again, forgetting her pain, her anguish, her worry... <I have
to forget my problems...> she had told herself. <My duty, first, is to
the Queen, the King, and the Princess...> To concentrate on the task at
hand had been difficult.  All she had wanted to do was to join Super
Sailors Uranus and Jupiter as they began the search for Rhetta. <I
should be there, finding my daughter, instead of here, performing my
duty.>  But she could not, she was the most skilled physician on the
planet and the Princess was injured.
        When her scan had been finished, she had looked up to those
gathered around the bed where they had carefully brought the unconscious
Princess.  "Neo-Princess Serenity is in a comatose state."  She had
waited with all the patience her tired, worried mind could muster.
Neo-Queen Serenity leaned into the arms of her husband and began to
quietly cry.  Hannah entered the room at that moment and asked to try to
wake her.
        Amy scanned the teenager and shook her head.  "I am sorry
Hannah, you are too weak. You have healed too much already." Normally
Hannah would have erupted into a litany of rage, expressing her sense of
need and duty to help the Princess even at the cost of herself.  But she
had done nothing.  Too much had already happened; too many people had
already been healed.  She had nodded silently, walked to an area near
the entrance to the Princess' bedroom, crossed her arms and prepared
herself to wait as long as necessary.
        Luna, ever thoughtful and logical had been the next to speak.
"What is wrong with her?" To Luna, sometimes explaining a dilemma could
clarify a situation immensely.
        Amy had turned to Luna and Artemis, who had both stood at
attention on a soft chair.  "Nothing.  Except for a few minor
lacerations, nothing is wrong with her.  I can only surmise that the
last time she fought as Sailor Moon drained her.  Perhaps this is her
body's mechanism to recover."
        Amy silently began to wonder what injuries Rhetta would have.
<The longer it takes to find you, Rhetta, the worse off you could be...
You could even be dead and we would not know it..>  Her eyes widened and
her face became so pale the blue veins underneath could be seen.  She
looked around nervously.  <I can't do this....I can't...> This caused
her to panic.  <I cannot stay here....>
        Before any more questions could take place, she had taken a
blood sample from the Princess and said, "I will do further tests to try
and determine the cause of her coma."
        Amy had been studying the Princess' blood sample for more than
an hour, but nothing had been accomplished. <I shouldn't be doing
this... I should be looking for Rhetta...>  An image of Rhetta, lying in
torment on a cold prison floor formed in her mind, her daughter lying
limply in her own blood... She wanted to scream in rage..in terror..in
sorrow...  A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she turned
to see one of the guards in her lab.
        He cleared his throat discretely. "Excuse me, Ma'am, you have
been summoned by Neo-Queen Serenity to her private quarters."
        She nodded in response and the young man turned an left the
laboratory.  She stood up, wiped away any stray tears from her face and
tried to dispel that dreadful image of her injured daughter from her
thoughts. She gathered a few portable display screens.  <First, I must
fulfill my duty...>
*************************************************************************
*
        Super Sailor Pluto watched as time unfolded before her.  She
shook her head.  <She is going to summon me soon.  She will ask of me
many things that I cannot answer.>  She had not moved from her position
in front of the Door of Time since the robot and drones had manipulated
time.  <But I must remain here.  Yargus cannot be allowed to further
invade this space and time.>  She watched the people she loved in their
anguish.  <I only wish I could be there to support you now.  I wish I
could give you all of the answers... I wish I could have prevented that
child's capture. But, I am bound by my duty!> She slammed the Key of
Time on the ground in anger.
        <I knew that this would take place.  I was warned.  That was a
long time ago... I was barely more than a girl...>
        The class wars had just taken place on Pluto.  She remembered
them well.  The upper classes had been attacked by the masses of poor,
underfed people who's only motivation had been desperation.  The floods
of the year before had left little in the way of crops.  Food was
scarce, a year later, as well as safe drinking water.  The monarchy and
nobility had hoarded all the food and clean water they could find.  They
had spent most of their prize possessions: money, jewels, and even fine
clothes to accumulate a sufficient store.  When crops failed and
drinking water had been depleted, the masses became violent and
desperate.
        Her family had been slain in the attack.  She had tried to help
them, but to no avail.  She had been saved only by the emergence of her
abilities as Sailor Pluto.  Elder Pluto had found her and taken her away
from the battle.  She had refused and had even attacked her future
mentor.  Pluto had only taken the brunt of her useless attack and had
sighed.  "There is nothing more you can do here.  You must live to
fulfill your destiny."  She had complied with the older woman and had
returned to her family's estate only when the battles had ceased.
        Setsuna had buried her slain family members. Pluto returned to
find her as she finished burying her mother.  Setsuna knelt next to the
grave and cried.  She turned to see Pluto, as she stood behind her, and
looked up into the grave expression of the woman she would soon come to
know.
        "What do I do now? I am alone now."  She stood up and turned to
face the older woman.
        "You are destined to be alone, since you will be the next
Guardian of Time.  For now, you will not be alone."
        "You won't be with me always?" The woman smiled, as if
remembering a time when she had asked her own mentor a similar question.
        "The Guardian of Time is a solitary responsibility.  You will
exist outside of time, as I have for five thousand years.  You will
learn to see the balance of time in the universe and will strive, as I
have, to maintain it."
        "But I am not strong enough... I'm just a girl." The older woman
smiled affectionately.  <Funny, I was the same way a long time ago.
Poor thing, she'll have to learn.>
        "Setsuna, you will learn to be strong and to do anything
necessary to fulfill your duty.  You will be feared by the masses,
kings, queens, and emperors will fall to their knees and obey you.  The
duty to maintain the integrity of time will be all consuming." She
paused for a moment, her face had become sullen.  "You will become a
slave to that duty, all else in your life will be pushed aside."
        Pluto watched as Setsuna's face paled.  "You may be hated for
you'll be safe, at least for a short time. Decisions, to those within
the timestream they may seem cold and unfeeling.  But you will take
satisfaction in knowing that they will."
        "Why would I willingly submit myself to such a fate?  I want a
husband, family."
        Pluto smiled.  <She is so young, so innocent... She will learn.>
"Can't you feel destiny calling to you?  Haven't you ever felt outside
of what happens around you, as if you were observing?"
        Setsuna nodded, she had always felt such a detachment.  Pluto
held out her hand, palm facing the sky and with a glow of dark green
energy, a transformation pen appeared.  She handed it to Setsuna.
        "Now Setsuna, take this transformation pen and accept your
destiny." Setsuna, with nervous, shaking hands took the pen into her
hands.  "Raise it above you and say `Pluto Planet Power Make-up.'"
        Setsuna had done as she was bidden.  She transformed herself
into Sailor Pluto, the student.  From that day she had learned about her
duty and the price of it...
        Now, three thousand years later, she remembered the words of her
mentor.  <You were with me for fifty years, then the price of your
burden took your life.  I understand your words now; it has taken me
this long...> She smiled suddenly. <And I complain that in a thousand
years Neo-Queen Serenity has not yet understood the need to maintain the
timestream.  I hope it will not take another two thousand.>
*************************************************************************
*
        Super Sailors Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus were bent over the main
display console in the main meeting room.  Neptune and Venus sat at a
far end of the table discussing options.  They were all tired, hungry,
and frustrated.  Few options existed and they had been unable to find
any trace of Rhetta or the robot that had taken her.
        "That's it! There's no trace of either of them!" said Uranus in
an angry tone.  She slammed her fist down on the console as if new
information would suddenly appear.
        "I can't believe this. We're going to have to tell Amy that we
can't find her kid?" spat Mars in disgust.
        "I'll do it," said Jupiter, guilt finally showed on her face. "I
am the Head of Defense, I should have known what was coming.  It's my
responsibility."
        They reluctantly nodded in agreement.  "Then we should wait
until morning to work again.  Nothing will be gained without food and
rest." Neptune and Venus stood up and they all headed for the door.
        "Plus, we all have personal matters to attend to," reminded
Sailor Venus.
        The lights automatically dimmed as they exited the meeting room
as if in reflection of Jupiter's sense of hope.
*************************************************************************
*
        Amy walked slowly down the hall that led to the Royal Quarters.
Despite her resolve, her mind began to torture her anew.  In her
thoughts, she saw her daughter take her last dying breaths.  A thin
trickled of blood ran from her cracked lips.  Rhetta raised her head,
her tired, black rimmed eyes trying to look around her.  She raised
shaking arms for a moment in an attempt to find something... someone...
She looked wildly around and whispered, "Mother, where are you?  Why
haven't you found me?" Her head fell to the ground, she took two more
ragged breath and died there, in the dark, alone...
        Amy could not help but gasp at this horrid image. <What if it's
true? What if she dies alone, without anyone, injured???> Amy shook
these thoughts from her head and tried to quietly pass a group of people
unnoticed. She tried to nod and smile politely at the compassionate nods
and brave smiles from people as they passed her by.  Her composure was
beginning to slip and these looks pity made it hard for her continue.
<They should simply leave me alone...> she thought, <I cannot do this
for much longer.>
        Just before the door to the Royal Quarters, a hand grabbed her
elbow.  She spun quickly around to find a disheveled Super Sailor
Jupiter standing before her.
        For a brief moment, Amy allowed herself to forget her duty and
to feel hope at her daughter's return.  "Have you found her? Is there
any news?" Her face illuminated in hope for a brief moment.
        Jupiter saw this and it almost broke her heart.  She avoided her
friend's eyes for a moment and tried to stare at the floor.  Amy saw
this look of avoidance and her face whittled into a worried frown.
        She grabbed Jupiter's arm and tugged it to gain her friend's
attention. "What has happened? You have to tell me!" she insisted.
Jupiter met her gaze and she continued, "What have you heard, Jupiter? I
have to know!"
        The guilty look on Jupiter's face returned.  "We did everything
we could, Amy.  Really, we've been going over every nook and cranny of
the solar system.  We can't find a thing." She ran her hand through her
hair and sighed. "We've turned in for the night to rest and to take care
of our families, I hope you do the same."
        Amy, stubbornly, kept her guard up.  "I understand," she said
and entered the quarters belonging to the King, Queen, and Princess.
        Jupiter shook her head.  She felt as if she had single-handedly
stabbed her friend directly in her heart with a jagged knife.  <I'm
sorry, Amy, I wish I could find her.  I hope you know I'd do anything to
keep you and your family safe.  You'd do the same for me...>
*************************************************************************
*
        Mina came down the hall leading to her quarters.  She could hear
soft music and was sure it emanated from her daughter's bedroom. <Great,
Amber has been into the historical archives again.> As she approached
the entrance to her quarters, she sighed.  The music was loud, but was
not unbearable. <At least it's not that tribal junk from a couple of
weeks ago, or last month's death metal, whatever that is...>
        She opened the door and was attacked by a speedy five year old
boy who decided to leap into her arms with little agility.  Mina almost
fell over from the impact of the little boy's pudgy body as it slammed
into hers, but she only smiled.  <Pretty soon he'll be too big for
this...>
        "Hi guy, how are you?"
        The little boy smiled gleefully and wrapped his chubby arms
around his mother's neck.  "I'm fine..." he answered automatically.  He
pulled himself up, pointed to Amber's bedroom door and made a face.
"Scary's not, she's weird."
        Mina smiled.  <That is one thing I can agree with.>  "That's
enough with you, young man, time for you to go to bed." She tucked her
boy in and read him a story after convincing him that it would not be a
scary one.  She stayed with him until he fell asleep. <That's it, little
one, don't you have any worries... You look so much like your father...
I wish he was here now. Maybe he could help me make sense of this
horrible mess.>  She stood up and tiptoed out of the room.  She closed
the door and sighed.  <Poor Amy, I don't know what I would do if someone
had my child.>  She shook her head and resigned herself to the
penetration of the loud wall of music that led into Amber's bedroom.
*************************************************************************
*
        Amy entered Princess Serenity's bedroom.  It was as if no time
had passed.  The King sat silently on the bed next to his daughter while
Neo-Queen Serenity passed the floor, back and forth.  Luna, Artemis, and
Diana sat on a pillow in the far corner of the room, and quietly talked
amongst themselves. Hannah stood next to the door, jewel glowing faintly
on her forehead, her staff ready for anything.
        All eyes turned to Amy as she walked to the bed.  Neo-Queen
Serenity walked up to her.  She seemed to expect Amy to provide all the
answers as she usually had done in the past.  "So, do you know what's
wrong with my daughter?"
        "I could not find anything physically wrong with Small Lady,"
whispered Amy in a monotone voice.
        "Then why won't she wake up?" asked the King.
        "I do not have an answer," whispered Amy.
        Luna stood up and walked over to the two women.  "Do you know
why her transformation reversed itself and why her attack failed?"
        Amy was frustrated.  <I can't do this... I didn't find
anything...> "I could find no reason for that either."
        "What are we supposed to do now?" Neo-Queen Serenity started to
cry.  "I can't help her, I tried.  She won't respond to the Crystal and
she won't transform into Sailor Moon... How do I help my daughter, Amy?
What do you know?"
        Amy flinched as if she had been hit.  Her face hardened as if it
had turned to stone.  "I do know..." she said calmly, without a hint of
emotion, "that a man named Yargus is running around doing whatever he
wants.  I know that we can't stop him.  And I know he had my Rhetta, and
there's nothing I can do about it."
        She looked at the King and asked, "May I be dismissed?"  He only
nodded his consent.  Without a further word, she turned and left the
bedroom.
*************************************************************************
*
        Hannah watched this display and sighed.  <She will not wake up
because of your pleading.  She will wake up only when it is time for her
to face her destiny...> With a faint glow of blue-black light, she
powered herself down and made her way to the Princess' bed.
        The last few hours had been long for her.  She had helped the
Scouts and the King and Queen bring the Jewel Wielders back to their
respective quarters.  She had taken it upon herself to heal them. She
had tried to comfort Eden and Amber, to no avail.  She had even tried to
help Lyn.  She tried not to shudder at the memory of her body being
slammed against the wall.
        <Serenity, I think he is right... I know I could have saved
Rhetta.  But I had to quickly make a choice, between you and her.  It is
my duty to protect you, Serenity, my duty above all other.  I will
protect you now and always.  Please wake up soon. Then, strong, may you
soon face your destiny..>
        Hannah walked back to her position near the room's entrance.
<Then we will find Rhetta...>
*************************************************************************
*
        Mina walked into her daughter's room and stopped for a moment as
she listened for a moment to the words.
        "Remember everything I told you, keep it in your heart, like a
stone.  And when the winds have blown things round and back again what
was once your pain will be your home..." Mina raised her eyes in
surprise. "That's not your usual sort of thing," she commented to her
daughter.
        Amber sat up on her bed and looked at her mother.  "I found it
in the archives. It seemed appropriate."  Mina sat down next to her
daughter.  "How are you doing?" The teenager tried to act nonchalant.
        "I'm fine." She leaned over and programmed the computer to play
the song at a certain point.  "This is a sample of what is called
`contemporary folk' from the late twentieth century.  I'm surprised you
haven't heard of this group.  Don't you remember it? You were THERE!"
        Mina's eyes narrowed in annoyance.  <She takes every chance to
remind me.>
        Amber leaned over and began to play the section of the song.
"Listen to this and you'll understand why I've been listening to this
over and over again." Mina nodded and the song suddenly continued...
        "We own nothing, nothing is ours.
        Not even love so fierce it burns like baby stars.
        But this poverty is our greatest gift.
        The weightlessness of us as things around begin to shift."
        "I can see why you picked this song," commented Mina.  "It's
oddly comforting, considering what's happened."
        Amber stiffened.  "What's happened? Did you find anything?"
        Mina shook her head. "No, we couldn't find a thing.  Jupiter and
Uranus went over everything a million times.  There's no trace of
Yargus, his robot, or of Rhetta."
        Amber's eyes filled with tears.  "Do you think she's okay?" Mina
only shrugged her shoulders.  <I don't know. I wish I could say yes.>
        Amber stood up and flipped her hair out of her face.  "Rhetta
was so stupid," she began softly. "She should've stayed out of the way.
That new Tuxedo Mask would have saved her. I know he would have."  She
let the tears fall down her face and they landed in the carpet.
        Mina stood up and hugged her daughter.  Amber did not usually
allow herself to be so easily consoled.  "She was only protecting Small
Lady; you would have done the same." Amber nodded her agreement.  "That
doesn't mean I like what happened."
        "Neither do I," replied Mina.
        Amber suddenly pulled away and held up her index finger to tell
her mother to wait a second.  She programmed the song again and smiled.
"Pluto would like this part."

        "A lesson learned, a loving god, and things in there
        own time. In nothing more do I trust."

She stopped to program the computer again. The song began to play again,
this time the end of the song:

        "Everything in its own time.
        Everything in its own time..."

Mina smiled in amusement.  "Yes Amber, Pluto would love that part."
*************************************************************************
*
        Neo-Princess Serenity awoke and found herself in her civilian
form, lying on the cold muddy ground.  "Yuck," she exclaimed out loud.
"Where the hell am I?"  She stood up and looked around.  The area was
dark, so that she could barely see the her outstretched hand before her.
She found her way to the wall and touched it.  <Yuck,> she thought.  The
wall was damp and slimy.
        She heard a voice as it called to her. "Princess, Small Lady,
you must follow my voice. You must come to me. It is your destiny."
        Serenity recognized this dream.  She had had it before.  Both
times, she had woken up after sleepwalking.  <Let's hope I wake up soon,
this is gross!"
        The strong male voice began to call to her again. She turned to
her left and began to walk towards it.
*************************************************************************
*
        Haruka and Michiru walked into their quarters and watched as
Skye buzzed around the room, making buzzing sounds.  "Bzzz... Look Mama,
Mommy, I'm a bee..."  Michiru and Haruka smiled to each other.  Michiru
nodded to her partner.
        Haruka hopped into the air and expertly caught her flying
daughter.  "That's enough for you, bumble bee..." she said with a laugh.
"It's time for us to have a talk."
        They all sat on the couch, Skye between both her mothers.
Haruka nodded and Michiru began.
        "Something bad happened today..." began Skye's mommy.
        Skye looked from one mother to another and nodded.  "I know."
The two women almost jumped in surprise.  <If she was told, I'll kill
them...> thought Haruka.
        "What do you know happened?" asked Michiru.
        "A big robot came and took Rhetta." Both their jobs dropped in
shock.
        "Who told you that?" asked Haruka as she contemplated how she
would harm the person who told her daughter unpleasant things.
        Skye scrunched her face up as she carefully remembered
something.  "A big man with brown hair in my dreams when I was
sleeping." The two women looked at each other, perplexed. Skye couldn't
understand why both Mama and Mommy didn't believe her.
        "He did, really.  He was way tall like you," she pointed to
Haruka, "and had a big stick in his hand." Haruka's eyes narrowed in
suspicion.  She looked at Michiru who nodded and mouthed, "Pluto."
        "What else did the man tell you?" asked Michiru.  Skye thought
about this carefully. She couldn't figure what the big deal was.
        "He told me that bad things gonna happen.  Lots of things..."
She looked up at Michiru.  "I don't know what bad things... Scary
things..." Michiru pulled her little daughter to her and hugged her.
        "Nothing is going to happen to you." Michiru consoled her
daughter.
        "Yeah," Haruka added softly, rubbing her daughter's back
affectionately.  "We will always be here to protect you."
        Skye nodded, suddenly happy again.  "I know, that's what HE told
me."
        Michiru pulled her daughter onto her hip and headed for her
bedroom.  "Time for bed, young lady..." Skye objected, wanting instead
to go visit Amber for practice.  "You can practice tomorrow...." she
responded as she entered the small girl's bedroom.
        Haruka was unamused.  <Why would Pluto play with my little
girl's dreams?  Damn, why can't she just talk to us? We're her parents.>
"That's it!" she stated out loud.  "This ends now." She opened the door
to leave. <I'm going to find you Pluto. You'd better be ready to
explain.>
*************************************************************************
*
        Lita walked into her quarters to find a tearful Eden sitting on
the couch.  Her daughter looked up to her and said, "Dad, put Leah down
for the night.  He's with her right now..." her voice broke as she began
to cry harder.
        Lita walked up to her daughter, knelt down before her and
wrapped her arms protectively around her.  Her sobs did not subside and
Lita found herself crying too.  "I couldn't stop it... I couldn't
move... I should've stopped it... I knew.."
        "How could you have known, Eden?" Lita tried to soothe her
daughter despite her own distress.  "No one could have predicted that."
        Eden looked up at her mother, her lips trembled as she tried to
form her words.  "But I knew that battle would happen... I thought the
Princess was the target... Or I would have stayed closer to Rhetta..."
She buried her face in her mother's shoulder and cried harder.
        "Remember I asked you about dream?  I had a dream," said Eden.
She pushed herself out of her mother's arms and reached for a tissue.
"I dreamed, the other night, that large robot would attack.  We would
all be injured and Sailor Moon's transformation would fail.  She'd be
defenseless and the robot would kill her."
        Lita did not know what to say.  She watched her daughter's
features crumple into tears once again.  "I couldn't stop it... I
couldn't move... I tried..."
        "I know you did, Eden, I know you always do your best..." She
pulled her daughter to her again.  <I know you feel helpless... so do
I.> "It'll be all right, I promise."
        Eden's father came out of Leah's room and noticed the emotional
scene.  He walked up to them, knelt next to his wife and hugged them
both.  "I'm here now..." he said in a soothing tone. "Everything is
going to be fine..."
*************************************************************************
*
        Amy sat on her couch.  Her husband had gone to bed, in an
attempt to sleep.  She could not.  Every time she closed her eyes a
vision of Rhetta being tortured killed filled her mind.
        Amy heard a knock on the door.  She opened it to see an
exhausted Neo-Queen Serenity before her.  Amy motioned for the Queen to
come in.  Amy's face became emotionless again.  "I assigned Dr. Nathania
and Dr. Kingsley to monitor Small Lady's condition."
        Serenity nodded, her guilt clear on her face.  "Oh Amy, I'm
sorry, it was very selfish of me to insist you care for Small Lady."
        Amy struggled to keep her composure.  "My duty is to you first
and to the Princess."  She faced her friend with a serious, almost cold
expression.
        "No," said Serenity. "You needed to be with your family, to help
find Rhetta.  All I wanted you to do was to fix Reenie."  Tears streamed
down her face.  "I'm so sorry, Amy, can you ever forgive me?  Please say
you can."
        Amy began to tremble.  It was enough that she could barely
contain her grief over her daughter's capture, but now the most
important woman in her life was begging her forgiveness?  Her resolve
broke and she hid her sobs in her hands.  "They can't find her... They
don't know where she is... They don't even know if she's okay, if she's
alive..." Her small, usually strong frame shook harder with the force of
her sobs.
        <I've never ever seen Amy like this...> Neo-Queen Serenity
walked over and pulled her friend into her arms.  She wrapped them
tightly around Amy, and tried, in vain, to force the pain and grief to
subside. "It's okay, Amy, you cry all you want... I'm here and I won't
leave you..."  She felt the tears from Amy's face stream down the front
of her dress.  <I wish I could find her and bring her back to you... I
feel as helpless as I did a thousand years before, watching you all die,
one by one...>
        "What am I going to do?" cried Amy. "What if she's dead? She
could be injured, lying there alone... I keep seeing her like that in my
mind, being tortured, left to die.  She keeps calling to me to help
her..." Amy's distress intensified.  Her breathing came out in ragged
gasps, her wide, bloodshot eyes, darting around the room in a wild
fashion. "I have to look for her... I have to find her!!" She pushed
Serenity away, and began to pace the room.  "I can't help her... I can't
do ANYTHING..." She turned to her friend, choking now on her sobs. "I'm
helpless. I can't do anything! I CAN'T FIX THIS!"
        Neo-Queen Serenity cried with her friend.  She grabbed her
gently by the arm and led her to the couch.  Pulling out a clean
handkerchief, she wiped the tears slowly from Amy's face.
        "Amy, you're my friend and I love you... You're not alone and
you're not helpless." She put her arm around Amy's shoulder and pulled
so that she rested on the Queen's shoulder.  "We're going to find her
Amy.  You have to imagine her safe and strong.  You have to believe that
we'll find her and bring her home safe and sound." Amy cried harder and
Serenity put her other arm comfortingly around her friend. <Go ahead
Amy, cry as much as you need to... I'm here now.>
*************************************************************************
*
        Lyn sat in the gardens where he had found Rhetta a few hours
before. <How could I have doubted you?  Now you're gone...>
        He looked around himself, at the gardens.  He had spent so many
evenings with Rhetta; he had watched her study the gardens with the
happiness of a child...
        A year and a half before, on the night of her birthday, he had
finally gathered enough courage to tell her that he loved her.  The
large party they had thrown for her birthday had been a success and the
entire crowd was busy as they danced and sang.
        He had tried, in vain, for more than an hour to find her.  She
was nowhere to be found.  Amy, who had watched his search for some time
with amusement, smiled to her husband.  He nodded and walked over to the
young man.
        "You know, you're never going to find Rhetta in here," he said
with a stern expression on his face.
        Lyn looked at the tall man.  <Am I going to get a `You leave my
daughter alone!' speech now?>
        Rhetta's father watched Lyn squirm and tried not to laugh.  With
great effort, he kept his stern expression.  "She doesn't like to stay
in big crowds.  She likes to go outside and explore."
        Lyn prepared himself for the worst. <Here it comes...> He looked
up at the tall man, wearing such a stern expression and waited.  But the
man said nothing.
        Finally, Amy's husband could not take it any longer.  He burst
out laughing, holding his midriff as if it would shake in response.
"Aren't you going to ask me where the heck my daughter is hiding... Come
on, we're not blind you know."
        Lyn almost fell over in shock and he blushed in embarrassment.
        "Lyn, she's at the center of the gardens, probably analyzing one
of the new breeds of roses that were just introduced.  Go find her, and
for Pete's sake, tell her how you feel.  We're really tired of her
mopping around our quarters like she's been doing."
        He had thanked Amy's father and had run out into the garden,
heedless of the crowds enthusiastic cheer of encouragement.  He had
found her directly where her father said she would be.
        He stopped for a moment breathless... She was wearing a
beautiful white dress, with thin straps at the shoulder that curved in
the front into the shape of a heart.  The silky material clung to her,
in a way that accentuated her beautiful figure, yet revealed nothing.
Her hair was pulled on top of her head in a loose bun and was adorned
with a ring of delicate yellow miniature roses.
        She was holding in her hands a large pink rose that she had
somehow managed to pick without pricking her fingers.  She smiled at
Lyn, not at all surprised that he had come.
        He opened his jacket and revealed a package covered loosely in a
soft material.  He handed it to her and said, "This is your birthday
gift. I hope you like it."
        She handed him the pink rose and opened up her gift.  She gasped
as she realized what she held in her hands and smiled in absolute
delight.  "It's a rose bush!"  She ran over to him and hugged him.  As
she pulled away, she smiled up at him.
        He didn't let go of her, and held her gently at her waist.  "I'm
not sure what kind it is, but I know the roses bloom a dark ruby red
color."
        Rhetta smiled in delight.  "And you know that is my favorite
color." She pulled away and began surveying the ground around her.  "And
where will we plant this?"
        They found a small area of dirt, a little away from the rest of
the roses.  They both bent down, and with their hands, dug a whole in
which to place the gift.  After they placed it there, they covered it
with soft, cool dirt.  Their hands touched briefly and Rhetta smiled.
Lyn leaned down and kissed Rhetta softly.  She pulled away and smiled,
this time he returned the smile.
        She lead him to the marble bench and they sat close together.
He began to speak, but she silenced him with one slightly dirty finger.
"You do not have to say a thing, Lyn, I already know."  They had sat on
that bench, in the middle of the gardens for the rest of the evening...
        Lyn walked up to that rose bush they had planted so long ago.
This summer it had grown tall and had bloomed, gigantic, beautiful ruby
red roses.  He plucked one off the vine, not caring as a thorn pierced
his finger.  He sat himself on the bench again and absentmindedly
smelled the rose.
        <I will find you, Rhetta... I promise... What am I going to do
without you?  I'll never stop looking for you!  I promise...>
        He looked down at the rose and whispered softly, "I love you,
Rhetta..."


                  BEHIND THE DREAMS

        Neo-Princess Serenity walked steadily through the darkness.
Occasionally she heard a voice as it called, "Come this way, Princess of
the Moon..."
        She saw light ahead and walked into a cave.  In the center
burned a small campfire.  Serenity could see the figure of a small
child.  She looked to be about five with cute little blond pigtails and
huge blue eyes.  She wore small blue overalls.  The child looked at
Serenity and whispered in a quiet, sweet voice, "You should not be here,
little girl."
        Serenity gasped.  "What are you talking about?" she gasped again
in disbelief.  The voice she heard, was not her own, but was that of a
child.  She looked down at herself to see the body of a child, a seven
year old child to be exact.  Her hands were short and chubby, as they
had been many years before.  She was wearing the dark blue school
uniform she had always worn the first time she had gone to old Tokyo.
She felt her hair and was surprised that she did not feel, the long,
sleek ponytails that she was now accustomed to.  Instead they were short
and thick.  "Oh no!" Reenie cried in panic, "I'm a kid again!!"
        Reenie watched as the little blond girl's face contorted into an
evil looking grimace.  She opened her mouth to speak, but it was not the
same sweet voice that Reenie had heard.  "I told you that you shouldn't
be in here." Her voice was raspy and old sounding.
        Reenie backed away in shock as black energy began to emanate
from the blond girl before her.  The now shadowed figure began to grow
until it was six feet tall.  She saw a gray clock, reminiscent of
Wiseman, with scraggly, long gray hair that hung from a tangled mess
from the hood.  Its hands were long, knarled, with pointed black and
green sharp-looking nails.
        Reenie reached for the center of the bow on her outfit expecting
to find her all too familiar transformation brooch.  Instead she found
nothing.  She screamed in horror as the cloak exploded and thousands of
gray tentacles burst towards her.  She turned to run but she was caught
by the ankle.  <I'm helpless! What am I going to do?!>
        "Someone help me!!!" she screamed and as her face contorted in
her fear, her crescent moon sigil appeared on her forehead.  The room
exploded in light as Reenie's energy discharged from her small, seven
year old body.
        She was suddenly released and she guarded her face with her arms
to break her fall.  But she never hit the ground.  She was swept out of
harm's way.
        She looked up to see familiar eyes looking at her in concern.
"Don't be scared, Reenie," said Tuxedo Mask, with his familiar smile,
"I've got you."
        She heard a voice began her customary speech, "I am Sailor Moon,
Champion of Justice..." and she looked from the protection of Tuxedo
Mask's cloak to see Sailor Moon, not Super Sailor Moon, not Eternal
Sailor Moon, but HER Sailor Moon, her mother, the first Sailor Moon,
with Mercury and Mars on her left and Venus and Jupiter on her right. "I
will right wrongs and triumph over evil..."
        Sailor Moon looked behind her, at Reenie and smiled.  "Don't be
afraid, Reenie, you know we'll always protect you." She smiled again and
turned towards the enemy.  "And you are the WORST kind of evil."
        She produced the Moon Scepter aimed it at the Negaverse monster
and asserted, "Prepare to be Moon Dusted."
        Reenie cowered in Tuxedo Mask's arms as Venus shouted, "Venus
crescent beam smash!" The tentacles that were quickly extending towards
the Scouts were severed by her attack.
        Mars shouted, "Mars fire ignite!" and the tentacles that began
to grow back were scorched.  Mercury used her attack to fill the room
with a thick white mist.
        Jupiter shouted, in a loud, deep voice, "Jupiter Thunder Crash!"
and with an explosion of thunder and lighting the monster fell to the
ground.  "Sailor Moon, finish it off NOW!" shouted Jupiter.
        Sailor Moon raised the Moon Scepter and shouted, "Moon Scepter
Elimination!" Her attack hit the monster with such a force that it
disintegrated.  "Dusted!!" she shouted in triumph.

        To Reenie's disbelief, Sailor Moon and the Scouts began to fade.
"No, don't go..." she shouted in anguish, "What am I going to do? I need
you!"
        Tuxedo Mask put her small form down and caressed her cheek
affectionately.  Suddenly, she was eye to eye with the man that would be
and was her father.
        "See, Reenie, you don't have to be worried.  We always were and
always will be with you..." and he faded before her eyes.
        Serenity reached out for him and screamed, "No, don't leave me
alone!!!!"
*********************************************************************
        Hotaru walked into Princess Serenity's room.  The King and Queen
were busy in discussion with three doctors.  Luna, Artemis, and Diana
sat near the Princess' bed, deep in discussion themselves.  She found
her daughter as she stood barely towards the door.  Her worry of the
Princess' condition did not cloud her judgment.
        "Hannah," she said to her daughter. "You need rest. I will stay
here."  Hannah opened her mouth to protest but said nothing.  She turned
and left the room. <She is exhausted; she didn't even argue with me.>
        She walked to the Princess' bed and looked down at her
unconscious friend.  <Reenie, we've been through so much together.> She
gently took Serenity's hand in her own and squeezed it gently. <I can't
let anything happen to you know... I know Hannah wants to help you, but
it's me that will. You were my first real friend so long ago... You made
me so happy... Let me help you now.>
        Neo-Queen Serenity walked over to her daughter's bed.  "They
can't find anything wrong with her.  Other than a slightly high
epinephrine level, there's nothing wrong."  She watched her daughter for
a moment, as if willing her daughter to wake up.  "I want to try and
heal her," began Hotaru.
        Neo-Queen Serenity shook her head.  "There's nothing wrong with
her, Hotaru," she began.  "I want her to be well as much as you do."
        "But she is my friend," explained Hotaru, "I have to at least
try.  She means so much to me..." She looked down at her friend.  In the
more recent past, Serenity had become close friends with Hannah.  She
had never begrudged her daughter that special friendship, but wished
only that hers could be the same again. She looked up at the Queen, her
eyes pleading.
        "I want you to try, Hotaru," said the Queen, placing her hands
on the other woman's shoulders.  "I want you to be successful so badly.
Please try."
        Hotaru nodded.  With a serious look on her face, she placed her
hand on Serenity's hand and began...
*********************************************************************

        Rei and Chad found their son sitting quietly on a bench at the
center of the Royal Gardens.  He looked terrible.  His eyes were
bloodshot, an angry bruise had spread over the left side of his face.
Lyn stared down at a rose with a large red bloom.  They watched for a
moment as he lifted up to his eye level, stared at it for a brief time
and then sighed in anguish.
        "Poor guy," whispered Chad, "He's taking this really hard."
        "At least he's not on a rampage," she commented.  Chad shot her
a dirty look.  He was not amused, but he had to agree.
        They walked up to where Lyn was seated.  He saw them and made to
stand up and leave.  He was stopped by Chad who stood before him and
pushed him firmly back onto the bench.  Lyn was surprised.  His Dad,
normally cheerful and mellow looked tense and unhappy.  He looked to his
Mom and found her in a comparative state.
        Rei was the first to speak.  It had been a long day, with the
meeting, the battle and the ensuing search for Yargus and Rhetta.  The
meeting had been serious, the battle intense and the search frustrating
and futile.  Rei was not in a good mood.  Chad had told her of Lyn's
attack on Hannah.  She understood his anger and why he could feel so.
Still she was not amused.
        "You know beating Hannah up is not going to bring Rhetta back,"
she commented dryly.  Chad groaned.  This was not the way he had wanted
to talk to his son.
        A comparable look overcame Lyn's face.  "Leave it to you to
start a pleasant conversation." Both of their faces became red with
anger.  Chad was sure one of them would soon explode.
        "I'm not the one who decided to try and beat Hannah to a pulp!"
she shouted. Lyn stood up and leaned down close to her.  Eye to eye, his
rage was a match for hers.
        Chad sighed. <Here they go...> he thought in dismay.
        "She deserves it!" he yelled back. "It's her fault Rhetta's
gone."
        Rei pointed one finger straight into his face.  "I really don't
care what she did," she said in a murderous tone. "You don't try and
kill people." Her eyes began to flame with her anger.  "WE RAISED YOU
BETTER THAN THAT!!" she yelled as loud as she could.
        Chad was sure that if he didn't intervene the two would end up
trying to annihilate each other.  He moved in between his wife and son
and pushed the two apart. "Sit down, both of you. This isn't going to
solve anything."
        Rei quieted immediately and grudgingly nodded in agreement.  Lyn
glared into space.  He knelt in front of the bench and placed a hand in
his wife's. "Chad, we really didn't come here to argue with you." He
shot his wife a look that said `thanks a lot.'  "We understand that
you're upset..."
        Lyn looked at him in anger.  "Upset?! You think I'm just upset?"
        Rei rolled her eyes in annoyance. "NO, we don't just think
you're upset.  We think you feel like your heart's been ripped viciously
out of your chest because the one you love has been cruelly taken from
you." Lyn looked at his mother in shock at her accuracy.  Rei was not
finished.  "We THINK that you want to find her and protect her forever.
We THINK that you want to go find you took her and make her pay in the
most painful way possible for what he did to her."
        Lyn stared open mouthed at his mother and so did Chad. In a
thousand years she had rarely admitted to such feelings.  "And we know
that somewhere inside you feel responsible for her kidnapping." She
grabbed her son's hand.  The angry look faded from her face and her
voice became gentle.  "But Lyn, blaming Hannah is not going to bring
Rhetta back."
        "Now this may seem heartless but it's true," she began.  Chad
braced himself for another violent outburst from his son.  "When you
became a Jewel Wielder, you swore, all of you, to protect the Princess.
That means you swore to protect her at any cost."
        "I know what I promised, Mother," he shot back.
        Rei had anticipated this reaction.  But she knew, she had to say
what was to come. "And so did Rhetta.  She could have let the robot take
Small Lady, but she didn't.  She did her duty."
        "Are we so much slaves to our duty that we have to sacrifice
everything, even our lives?" Rei nodded.  She had had over a thousand
years to deal with her duty and its pitfalls.  Lyn was young, and had
never before had to face the price of his duty. "That's not fair!" he
said, his grief suddenly surfacing.
        "No, it's not fair," agreed his mother.  "But that's the way it
is."
        "You can't go around hurting everything and everyone in anger,"
added Chad.  "You also have a duty to the other Jewel Wielders.  That
means, you have to do everything in your power to find Rhetta and to
support the others.  You're not the only one that's been affected."
        Lyn nodded and stood up.
        "Where are you going?" asked Chad.
        "I'm going to apologize to Hannah."
        Chad and Rei watched as their son walked away.  "That wasn't so
bad," said Rei.
        "You're right.  I think he actually listened to us."  He was
silent for a moment and then smiled.  His wife had entertained a similar
thought.
        "I wouldn't want to be him," she said with smile.  "He'll be
lucky if Hannah doesn't beat the stuffing out of him." They both
chuckled.
*********************************************************************

        Princess Serenity was confused.  <What in the hell is happening
to me?  Where am I?> She walked out of the cave and heard the voice
beckoning her again.  "I guess I don't have much of a choice," she
muttered to herself.
        She walked down a barely lit corridor.  The walls were made out
of a smooth gray stone, parts of which had been chipped away with age.
At the end of corridor she saw a light.
        She ran quickly to the light, not watching where she was going.
She collided with something hard.  Landing on her backside she looked up
to see Electrolus.  "This can't be!" she shouted.  "Eden finished you
off in old Tokyo." Electrolus began to advance towards her and Serenity
crawled backward, in a crab-like manner, and tried to get away from it.
        Electrolus sent a burst of laser fire towards her.  Serenity
knew, that without her Sailor Moon powers she had no escape.  She closed
her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable.  After a second, she
noticed nothing happened.  She opened an eye and found that she was
encased in a blue-black energy shield.  She looked up to see Hannah
standing above her.  Hannah lowered her hand and helped her Princess to
her feet.
        Once standing, she noticed that Eden, Rhetta, Lyn, and Amber
stood before her, protecting her from the robot.  Eden looked over her
shoulder at Serenity.  "Did you think you were all alone?"
        "We would not let you battle Electrolus by yourself," reminded
Rhetta.
        "Plus," added Amber with her brilliant smile, "You can't hog all
the fun of kicking some metal butt!"
        Hannah stood besides Serenity and continued to shield her from
any possible harm.  The others began their attack.  Their actions were
unspoken, as if they had battle the same robot over a thousand times.
        Rhetta and Amber advanced first.  Amber surrounded a powerful
spiral of yellow-orange light around the robot. Rhetta followed with
three bursts of small red spheres.  They all shielded themselves from
the ensuing explosion.
        Without hesitation Lyn sent a group of emerald green rectangles
at Electrolus.  Eden gathered a powerful blast of purple energy in her
hands and sent it reeling towards Electrolus' head.  The blast sheared
the robot's head from its body and it exploded in a colorful display of
fire and smoke.
        When all was quiet again, they lowered their shields.  Before
she could say anything, Serenity watched in shock as Amber, Rhetta, Lyn,
and Eden faded before her eyes.
        She turned to Hannah, "I don't understand, why is this
happening." Hannah only shook her head.
        "It is not for me to explain. You must continue your journey.
It is your destiny."
        Serenity watched as Hannah began to fade.  Just as her friend
disappeared, she heard her voice one last time, "Remember, you were and
never will be alone."
*******************************************************************
        Super Sailor Pluto sighed.  She walked down the corridor leading
to the throne room of the Crystal Palace.  She had been summoned by
Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion.  She had no choice but to
appear.  That was her duty.  Pluto knew what was to come.  <They will
ask me what I cannot answer.  They will order me to answer, but I will
have to deny them.> She had not faced such a situation for over two
thousand years.  Queen Serenity had summoned her to the Throne Room when
she had learned of Queen Beryl's attack.  <I could not interfere then,
and I cannot now.>
        She entered the Throne Room to find Queen Serenity pacing the
floor in front of the throne in an impatient manner. She stopped her
pacing when she noticed the Guardian of Time and the King stood up and
walked towards her.
        "Thank you for coming so quickly, Setsuna," said the King.  She
only nodded.  <Soon, you will not thank me,> she thought.
        The Queen stalked towards the two with an air of determination.
<I hate to question you like this, Setsuna, but I need answers.> "Pluto,
I need to ask you a few questions."
        "I will answer if I can," replied the Guardian of Time. <Or if
circumstances permit me.>
        Neo-Queen Serenity took a deep breath and began, "Do you know
where Yargus' forces are coming from?"
        "No," the tall green haired woman simply answered.
        "But you left the meeting directly before the attack," countered
the Queen in an accusatory tone.
        "Are you accusing me of deceitfulness?" Pluto was not amused.
<I remember this very conversation with her mother.  How they can be
alike sometimes...>
        The Queen backed away a bit.  "No, it's just that..."
        Super Sailor Pluto nodded.  "I left the meeting abruptly and at
the same moment, the drones and the robot attacked."
        "Do you know where Rhetta has been taken?" asked the King.  "Do
you know what has happened to her?"
        Pluto simply shook her head.  "I do not know where she is." <I
cannot tell you her condition, even if I know it.>
        "I think you do," Serenity bluntly stated.  "And if I order you
to tell me?" she asked grimly.
        "I will not," Pluto responded dryly.
        "I'm not asking you to tell me every small detail of my life, or
how the future is going to go.  I'm asking you to tell me where Yargus
is coming from.  There is so much at stake here..." She looked at her
husband and tears welled up in her large blue eyes.  "Including the
lives of our children and their futures..."
        Pluto sighed.  Her mother had said something similar just before
facing Queen Beryl.  She had not understood her desperation then, but
she did now.
        "I know what is at stake..." she began. <I was once in your
position.> "But my duty comes before my oath to serve you, Queen
Serenity. I am the Guardian of Time.  I must answer to that duty
always."
        Serenity's eyes widened, tears streamed slowly down her face.
Kind Endymion looked intently at Pluto and put a comforting arm around
his wife's shoulders. Pluto calmly watched her, expecting a formidable
show of rage and indignation.  Instead, Neo-Queen Serenity broke down in
tears.  As she leaned on her husband for support, Pluto could hear her
mutter, "Then we're doomed to watch Yargus appear whenever he wants to
take our children."
        Neo-King Endymion silently dismissed Super Sailor Pluto with a
nod.  He held his wife gently and led her out of the throne room.
        Pluto watched them exit the room. <I know your pain, Serenity; I
know your fears. I wish I could alleviate them, but I cannot.>  She
decided then that she would pay a visit to the ailing Princess to check
on her progress. "And then Yargus..." she vowed aloud, "I am coming for
you.  You will never again abuse the Door of Time again!"
*********************************************************************
        Hotaru's brow was knitted in concern.  Luna, Artemis, and Diana
stood near her, waiting for her to speak.  "She is not in pain." She
looked down at the cats who all sighed in relief. "I can't find any sign
of injury."  She paused a moment, and tilted her head a bit as if
listening to something.  "But she is in conflict; she is experiencing a
great deal of stress."
        "What from?" asked Luna.  She jumped on the bed and studied the
Princess, as if she would be able to find signs of stress herself.
        Hotaru shook her head, "I am not sure..."
*********************************************************************
        As Pluto made her way to the royal quarters, she was suddenly
confronted by a very livid Haruka.  Haruka stalked angrily up to her and
pushed her against the wall.
        "Who the hell do you think you are, playing with MY DAUGHTER's
dreams like that?" she yelled.  She did not lose her grip on the
Guardian of Time.
        "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to anyone's
dreams." <I have no access to that domain,> she thought.
        "Don't lie to me. I know you did. Skye told me."
        Pluto was confused.  "Until I was summoned to the Throne Room, I
was guarding the Door of Time." She pushed Haruka away with a surprising
amount of strength.  "What makes you think that?"
        Haruka looked like she was going to start punching any second.
She pointed an accusatory finger straight into Pluto's face.  "When we
went to explain to Skye that Rhetta had been taken, she said she already
knew, that a man, with a staff, had told her in her dreams."
        "What?" shouted Pluto.  <A man told her, carrying a staff, in
her dreams... It can't be.> "Are you sure?"
        Haruka's eyes narrowed. "Do you think MY DAUGHTER would make
something like that up?"
        "Of course not," replied the green haired woman. She had a
strange, look on her face, as if her thoughts were far away.  "Children
tend to have vivid imaginations." <Not Skye, she has always been very
aware of what is real... Could it be?> She looked at Haruka.  "Did she
describe the person any?"
        Haruka was clearly unhappy.  "Yeah, she said it was a tall man
with brown hair with a big stick."
        "No..." Pluto said in shock. "It can't be..." <Is it really you?
Have you appeared after so long?> She began to walk quickly down the
hall.
        "Wait!" yelled Haruka. "I'm not finished with you!"
        "Sorry!" Pluto responded over her shoulder.  "I must check on
the Princess' condition."
        Pluto tried hard not to run down the corridor.  <Could it be
true? After two thousand years??>
        She suddenly stopped, turned towards Haruka, with a dangerous
look on her face, the Time Key ready in her hands.  "And if ever you
attack me again, you will live to regret it!" Finished with her warning,
she threw the Time Key quickly into its subspace pocket and began to
make her way, again, to the Princess' quarters.
*********************************************************************
        While finding her way to her quarters, Hannah's mind began to
wander.  She began to remember the events of the day.  She became
saddened as she remembered Rhetta's capture and shuddered as she
suddenly remembered Lyn's hateful eyes as he had accused her of being
responsible.  <My duty is to protect the Princess. I know that and so
does he...> She suddenly felt as if she was going to cry.  <But he is
right, I could have saved her... I should have known Tuxedo Mask would
protect her...>
        Lyn found Hannah as she was about to enter her quarters.
"Hannah!" he called to her.
        She swung quickly around, her staff in trembling hands, ready to
be attacked again.  "Are you here to try and annihilate me again?" She
put her staff away and her whole body began to tremble.  "I cannot fight
you anymore..."
        He held his hands up in front of himself, in surrender. "No, I'm
not going to attack you..."
        "Why? Do you not consider me responsible for Rhetta's capture?"
She crossed her arms in an attempt to stop them from shaking more.  "I
don't blame you if you do..." Her eyes filled with tears. She looked
down guiltily. "I am responsible."
        Lyn gasped in utter shock.  His dark eyes widened and his mouth
hung open for the moment it took him to recover.  He was expecting
Hannah to be angry with him, to hastily assert her responsibility for
the Princess, or even try to beat the living tar out of him.  He had
never ever seen her like this before.
        "What?" He walked up to her and she shrank away from his touch
as he gently laid his hands on her elbows to steady her. "I didn't come
here to blame you... I came here to apologize to you."
        Tears began to roll down her face and she sniffled as she
talked... "But... I could have stopped... her... I should..." She shook
her head as if to try and clear her mind. "I sh-should have... trusted
him..."
        Lyn raised an eyebrow in question.  "Who's him?"
        She looked up at him in anguish. "Tuxedo Mask!" she exclaimed
and began to sob..
        <I can't believe this... Look what I've done to her...>
        "Hannah," he began, pushing the dampened hair out of her face.
"You had no reason to trust him.  He only showed up once before.  We
don't even know who he is."
        "But it was my choice..." she argued, and covered her face in her
hands to hide her shame.
        Lyn pulled Hannah to him and hugged her.  He was relieved when
she did not pull away or cower.  <It's not bad enough that I blame
myself, I have her convinced that she's to blame... She should be trying
to kill me right now, not sobbing in shame...>
        "Hannah, there was NO choice," he began in a gentle whisper.
"You had a job to do and you did it.  I know Rhetta would understand
that. And SHE would never blame you."
        She looked up at him but did not pull away.  "Some job I did...
Princess Serenity is in a coma now... that I didn't even do right..."
She finally leaned against him and began to cry in earnest.
        Lyn held her for a few minutes wishing he could take back his
words and actions from before.  <She tried to heal me and what did I
do... I hurt her.  And now she's crushed, convinced she's a terrible
person.> He rubbed her back to try and comfort her.  "It's all right,
Hannah.  Everything is going to be all right, I promise."
        She finally composed herself a little and pushed away,
embarrassed by her actions.  "I am sorry, Lyn..."
        "No Hannah, I'm sorry.  I'll never try to hurt you again, that
was unfair of me."
        She nodded. "Good, I'm too tired to fight." She didn't threaten
to beat him severely if he tried it again, she made no curt remarks, she
didn't even make a face.  "I need to rest now.  The day has been long."
        He watched her enter her quarters and shut the door behind her.
"I'm sorry, Hannah," he whispered as he walked solemnly away.
*********************************************************************
        Neo-Princess Serenity heard the voice again, "Come to me,
Princess of the Moon, your destiny awaits you."
        She, still a seven year old child, walked through a series of
rooms.  One large room was filled with dungeon-like cells.  It was a
large passage way with heavy, stained, wooden doors.  Serenity covered
her nose at the stench and tried not to gag. The walls were covered with
a thick layer of mildew and mold and the floor were covered in dirt and
debris. <Uhh, this is disgusting...>
        She stopped at the sight of a pile of what seemed to be bones at
her feet. She backed away and screamed when a large cat-sized rat
exploded from the pile and scurried over her feet.  "I have to get out
of here..."
        "Do not run away..." commanded the deep male voice.  "Soon, your
questions will be answered."
        She hurried through the malodorous room and tried not to look at
the floor or into any of the cells that had been left open.
        After leaving that room, she took a deep breath of air.  <Yuck,
this smells no better.>  The air was stale and by the smell she knew
that the walls were similarly covered in growths.
        She wandered for a time, down several corridor, always following
the beckoning voice.
        She opened a set of double wooden doors, with ornate carvings
and gasped as she entered the room.  The gigantic room was almost bare,
except for a demonic looking throne at the end of the room.  "Where am
I?" she whispered.  For some reason the room was familiar to her,
vaguely and she searched her memories for the answer.
        A shiver ran down her back as she realized the answer.  "This
reminds me of the throne room my mother described to me... when she
battled Dad when he was brainwashed by the Nega..."
        She stopped and looked around the room.  "Am I in the old Arctic
outpost of the Negaverse?"  She made past the throne and shivered again.
"This must be it... This place gives me the creeps."
        Behind the throne room she found another set of heavy, wooden
doors.  <If this is the old Arctic Negaverse base, how did I get here
and what the hell am I supposed to be doing here?"
        As if in response, she heard the voice again, "There will be a
door at the end of the hall, directly in front of you.  Open it and your
questions will be answered, Princess of the Moon."
        The hall was long.  Serenity thought it was endless. She walked
up to the door and turned its ornate knob. It turned but the door would
not open.  She put her shoulder against it, thankful that it was not
covered in slime like the walls. She gave it one shove, but nothing
happened.  She moved away and slammed her body into the door.
        The door opened so suddenly, with such easy that she fell into
the room.  Serenity landed on her side.  She pushed herself up on both
hands and looked around.  The room was illuminated brightly by a series
of burning torches hanging securely on the walls.
        She stood up and began to walk around the room.  Three large
dark crystals were in the room. She put hand on one, surprised by its
smoothness and warmth.
        <I need more light here.> Serenity walked over to the wall and
grabbed a burning torch.  She held it over the largest crystal and
gasped.  "Someone is in there!"
        As if summoned, a figure appeared before her.  He was tall,
taller than even Setsuna and Haruka, she noted.  His hair, parted at the
center, was brown and hung in small waves down to the middle of his
back.  He wore black pants, a dark green shirt, and a matching green
cape. His image was slightly transparent. She could not see the color of
his eyes.  In his left hand he held a large staff, made out of a raven
black substance, a large jewel was embedded in what looked to be like
two cupped hands a the top of the staff. The jewel was rainbow colored,
with black lines dispersed throughout.
        Serenity retreated a few paces.  <Was he the one calling me?>
"Who are you?" she asked, "Why have I been brought here?"
        The man walked toward Serenity and extended his arm in welcome.
"My greetings to you, Princess of the Moon.  I am Obsidian.  Welcome to
the Dreamscape."
*********************************************************************
        Pluto entered Neo-Princess Serenity's room.  The King and Queen
had retired to their chambers for a much needed rest.  Artemis and Diana
stood on the floor next to the bed. Luna sat on the bed and watched as
Hotaru tried to heal Serenity.
        "How is she, Hotaru?" asked Pluto.
        Hotaru looked up at Pluto.  "There's nothing wrong with her...
except for a good deal of stress, I sense nothing..." She leaned her
head down for a moment, as if listening to Serenity once again.  "I
think she's dreaming."
        Pluto's eyes widened.  <What are you dreaming of, Princess, that
would keep you in such a state for so long?>  She moved closer to Hotaru
to the gaze at the Princess.  She seemed asleep, her features relaxed.
<Could it really be you, after so long?> she silently asked a person she
had not seen for thousands of years.  <Would you really come back after
all this time?>
        Hotaru suddenly wrenched her hand away from the Princess and
backed away.  A chair was brought to her and she sat down in it, tired.
        "What is it, Hotaru? What's wrong?"
        "Nothing is wrong, Pluto. She is definitely dreaming." She ran a
hand through her hair and yawned.  "I sensed something from her dream, a
word, whispered in my mind, so softly I could barely hear it..."
        The cats leaned closer to hear her.  "What is it?" asked
Artemis.
        Pluto's eyes widened, almost in fear. <Should I even hope?>
        Hotaru looked up at Pluto.  "I heard the word `obsidian'."
        Super Sailor Pluto backed away as if she had been stung and
gasped.  Before anyone could react, she slumped to the ground.

The End

Edited by "Tuxedo" Will

         THE POWER FROM WITHIN

        Amber ran quickly through the dark corridor.  She ran for her
life.  Careful to make the next corner, she peeked quickly over her
shoulder.  The jewel on her forehead illuminated the scene behind her.
<I can hear them coming...> she thought.  <Damn, I can see their
shadows; they're not far behind.> The sound of heavy metal stomping into
the floor echoed through the empty maze or corridors. Amber began to run
faster, faster than she had ever imagined she could.  <I can't let them
get me! I have to find Rhetta...>
        Laser fire struck near her feet.  She stopped, turned, and faced
her enemy.  Before her appeared a group of drones surrounding a thin
robot made of a shiny, smooth looking metal.  It was so smooth, Amber
could see her reflection in its torso.
        "That's it!" the short warrior decided.  "I've had it with you!"
Oddly enough, the drones and the robot stopped for a moment, as if to
listen.  "I am Amber, keeper of the sacred amber jewel." She raised her
right palm towards her pursuers, a small swirl of yellow-orange energy
materialized.  "Consider yourselves toast."
        As if in response, the robot began to fire and the droids began
to attack.  Amber backed up a bit, pointed both of her hands in front of
her, and shot a strong spiral of energy towards them.  Her attack made
contact with the laser fire and exploded taking most of the droids with
it.  The robot did not wait for the explosion to subside and began to
fire a lethal round of shots towards her.
        She ran around the corner, all the while shielding herself from
the blasts, and found herself face to face with another robot, identical
except for the larger laser riffle it wielded. She looked quickly behind
her and was faced with the first robot.
        "Shit!" she swore out loud. "I'm cornered!" Wide hazel eyes
looked first to one robot then the next.  <I can't be stopped now. I'm
so close to you Rhetta, I can feel you now!>
        Suddenly, she felt a tug at her pant legs.  Amber looked down to
see Skye standing next to her, in identical clothes.  "What the hell are
you doing here?! You're going to get yourself killed!" she explained, as
she tried to shield the child with her body.
        Skye floated up to her eye level and simply laughed.  "I can't
get killed here, silly," she responded with a smile. "This is a dream,
remember?" She looked to one robot then the other and smiled.  "I came
to help you fight 'cause you're going to have to wake up soon."
        Amber looked around her.  It was as if time had stopped,
everything was still, including laser fire, suspended in midair.  <Man,
she's woken me up too many times; now she's in my dreams.>
        Skye looked to the second robot.  "I get to kill the one with
the big gun, okay?" Before Amber could answer, she raised her right
hand.  A gleaming white arrow shot from her bracelet and split the robot
down the middle. The entire robot rusted into a pile of reddish dust on
the ground.
        The little girl floating casually in midair smiled proudly as
Amber gawked in shock.  "How the heck did you do that?" she gasped.
<What is going on here?>
        Her little green haired companion giggled in pleasure.  "Come on
Amber, that one's for you to shoot!"
        "Oh all right, then can you tell me what's going on?"  Skye
nodded and clapped her hands enthusiastically as Amber began her attack.
Amber, who's mood was quickly souring, rolled her eyes for a moment.
<Might as well humor the kid...> Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the
robot.  It suddenly erupted into a burst of amber colored energy and
exploded.
        To Amber's utter amazement, the flames from the explosion
stopped a centimeter before it touched the two Jewel Wielders.  She
looked up at Skye who still floated in midair.  "Did you do that?" she
asked the child.
        Skye smiled with pride. "The big man showed me how to do that,"
she said pointing at all the objects stationary in midair. "He said that
in dreams, I can do whatever I want." With these words, her arms
motioned in animated gestures.
        "But this is MY dream," reminded Amber.  Skye nodded solemnly.
        "I know.  But you're looking for Rhetta and I know where she
is."
        Amber raised an eyebrow in suspicion.  <Let me guess...> "Gee,
did the man tell you that too?" she said sarcastically.
        "Uh huh," replied the girl as she vigorously nodded her
agreement.
        <That's it,> thought Amber, <I'm going nuts. I'm going to wake
up in a nut house.>
        The girl tugged her along a corridor.  Everything remained
frozen in time. "Come on, you have to wake up soon, hurry!"
        A large, heavy, metal door painted in red suddenly appeared
before the two.  Skye floated up to a small touch pad in the wall.
"Three, P, four, G, two." She looked to Amber and smiled. "That's how
the door goes open."
        The door suddenly opened.  The room was barely lit except for
the small light at the back of the room.  Amber gasped at the sight.
There, she saw Rhetta.  The girl hung from the metal bands around her
wrist.  Her hair was loose and knotted.  Her face was bruised, battered,
and bloody.  The normally beautiful blue alert eyes stared blindly into
nothing, dark shadows surrounding them.
        "Oh my god..." uttered Amber in shock. Tears rolled down her
face.  "Oh my god, Rhetta, what have they done to you?"
        Her slender body was naked.  Wires and metal instruments pierced
her body in several places.  Blood oozed slowly from a gash on her left
thigh.  As if in response, she blinked and looked directly at Amber.
Bruised lips began to move... slowly, and her face cringed with pain...
"Sa... Saave me..." her words came out as a raspy plea.
        "RHETTA!!!! NO! RHETTA!" yelled Amber.  She sat up in her bed
sobbing. <Oh Rhetta, I'll find you, I promise.  And when I do, I'll make
Yargus pay!>
*************************************************************************
*

        Hotaru gasped as she watched the tall Guardian of Time slump
limply to the floor.  "Oh my god, Setsuna!" she cried as she ran to her
friend. She cradled the green haired woman's head in her lap as she
began to probe in search of the problem.
        Luna and Artemis ran up to the two.
        "Hotaru, do you know what's wrong?"
        "I've never seen her do that before," wondered Artemis.
        Before they could answer, Super Sailor Pluto opened her eyes.  A
viscous look came over her face and she growled.  In one graceful, fluid
motion, she jumped to her feet.  Turning to the stunned onlookers, she
simply stated, "I am needed elsewhere," and disappeared through a brief
time portal.
        "What was that all about?" asked one of the doctors assigned to
care for the Princess.
        "I don't know," said Hotaru.  <What is happening to you,
Setsuna?>
        "Hopefully, we'll find out soon," added Luna.
*************************************************************************
*

        Eden awoke suddenly, surprised to find herself asleep on the
couch.  She heard the screams of her little sister and burst quickly
into the room.  The little girl sat cringing in her bed, broken glass
all around her. Smooth metal drones, with small, round lasers attached
swarmed into the room.  The pointed in all directions and began to fire.
        Leah screamed in fear, hiding her head under a pillow.  Eden
dove for the bed and shielded her with her power.  The purple jewel
filled the dark room, not already illuminated by the laser fire.  <What
am going to do?> she wondered. <I have to protect Leah. I can't fight
now!>  She watched helplessly as more and more drones flew from outside
and headed towards the living room.
        "Monsters!!!" cried Leah in her distress. Eden clutched the
child to her, laser blasts simply bouncing off her purple energy shield.
        "It's okay, I've got you," she crooned to her crying sister.
"The monsters won't get you, I promise."  <But what do I do now? They
just keep coming... I can't fight them all...> Then she heard her
answer.
        "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" she heard Super Sailor Jupiter cry.  A
large explosion ensued as most of the drones in the living room
exploded.
        Eden let the girl go and with both hands sent a series of
powerful blasts out the window to stop the next swarm of drones from
entering.  Leah sat suddenly quiet, as she watched her big sister in
fascination.  After watching the explosion as her blasts connected with
their targets, she turned to her sister and smiled.  "See, no more
monster."
        Leah smiled and laughed in glee, clapping her little chubby
hands in enthusiasm.  "All gone!" She declared happily.  Super Sailor
Jupiter burst wildly into the room, followed by her husband.  "Mama,
Daddy, hi!" she said with a smile.
        Jupiter's features softened and she scooped up her little girl
off the bed.  "Are you okay, little one?" she asked.
        Leah nodded and pointed to Eden, once again firing at another
group of drones that approached. "Monsters go boom!" she said
energetically, waving her arms around for emphasis.
        Jupiter smiled broadly.  "I can see that," she answered. Her
husband chuckled in amusement. To Eden she said, "I'm going to take Leah
somewhere safe downstairs.  Can you find out where these things are
coming from?"
        "I will," answered Eden.  She backed quickly away from the
window and they all quickly ran from their quarters.
*************************************************************************
*

        Hannah suddenly burst form her quarters, shaking of the feelings
drowsiness still clinging to her mind.  She was confronted by a cloud of
drones that charged at her from every direction.  Unimpressed, she shut
the door to her quarters, plucked her staff quickly from its subspace
pocket and stated, "Fine."
        Easily clutching her weapon with both hands, she began to fire
at the swarm surrounding her.  They exploded, one by one, as her
blue-black energy made contact with them.  But more continued towards
her.  "This is not amusing," she muttered as she continued her attack.
        She began to make her way down the corridor annihilating drones
as she tried to run.  <I must find the others,> She thought.
*************************************************************************
*

        Lyn walked slowly down the hall.  Hannah's anguished face echoed
in his mind.  <I can't believe I did that to her. She really thinks this
is all her fault...> He turned a corner absentmindedly and did not
notice a swarm of drones easily surrounding him.
        Hannah had noticed his appearance and what surprised when he did
not begin to defend himself. <This is not the time for deep
introspection,> her mind grumbled as she yelled, "Lyn watch out!!  Lyn
did not hear him and continued to be oblivious to the danger surrounding
him.  Just as the drones began to fire at him, Hannah leapt towards his
tall form.  She tackled him to the ground, and shielded him from the
oncoming blasts.
        "Pay attention, you idiot!" the dark haired girl growled. Lyn,
startled by the commotion around him, looked at an angry, fuming Hannah
sitting on his chest.  With one arm, her staff was raised shielding them
successfully from harm.  With the other, she grabbed a handful of his
brown hair.  She tugged it as she continued, "There is a swarm of drones
flying through Crystal Palace and you are too busy worrying about Rhetta
to notice!!" she shouted this in frustration as more drones began to
surround them.
        Lyn cringed in pain as Hannah tugged harder on her fistful of
his hair. He pushed her off his chest and sat up.  "All right, enough
already, Hannah, I get it," he said in an irritated tone.  He stood up,
helped up his friend, and watched the drones swarm towards them. He
opened his mouth to explain, but stopped and shook his head.  "First
things first!"
        He raised his hands high above his head, then quickly flung a
series of tiny emerald powered squares at the drones.  Drones began to
explode around him.  Hannah joined in and began to blast whole groups of
drones in one blast.  They waited as their mechanized enemies exploded.
Hannah grabbed Lyn by the arm.
        "This way," she said as she began to run in the direction of the
Meeting Room.
        Lyn followed quietly for a moment.  He suddenly stopped her in
mid-stride, turned her around and said.  "Just to let you know, I was
worried about you."
        Hannah looked up into his eyes. A brief moment of guilt
flickered over her face. She nodded wordlessly to him, turned, and
continued down the corridor. Lyn followed behind her. <You're welcome,
Hannah..>
*************************************************************************
*

        Hotaru, the two cats and the doctors had not had the time to
discuss Pluto's hasty exit when a swarm of drones made it through the
balcony doors.  They all protected themselves from the shattered glass
flying towards them.  The doctors dove for cover. Luna and Artemis
headed under the bed.
        "Serenity!" they cried in unison.
        Hotaru quickly transformed.  Sailor Saturn began to attack.
        "Princess!" she cried as she looked back to check on the
Princess.  Instead of finding the Princess of Crystal Tokyo covered in
shards of glass, she found her covered by the protective cape of a young
green haired Tuxedo Mask.  "You!" she cried.
        He simply nodded for her to continue her attack.  <I have been
watching over you, Princess> he thought, <I will always protect you...>
        Super Sailor Saturn raised her staff and began to annihilate the
hoards of drones flying continuously into the room. <Setsuna, did you
know this would happen?> she wondered.
*************************************************************************
*

        Pluto appeared in front of the Gate of Time just as the largest
robot she had ever seen was entering a time portal.  Rage flowed from
within her, consuming her with a need for vengeance she had never before
known... She plucked her staff quickly from its subspace pocket. Rage
from two thousand years ago, towards a Queen that had, in one attack,
obliterated those that belonged to her... She pointed her weapon
directly at the robot... Rage for the loss that had burned within her
for too long... She felt the power burn within her, straining to be
realized.  Rage for the control Yargus had claimed over HER Door of
Time... She began to control the power, channeling it..." Rage for the
damage Yargus had inflicted... The power grew in its intensity, fueled
by her emotions. She gripped her staff tighter in her hands.  Rage for
the two thousand years that she had waited to hear that name again.
Suddenly, despite her emotions, her whole being calmed. She closed her
eyes for a moment and breathed deeply.
        "Dead scream," she whispered, aiming her staff at the enemy.
        The power burst violently from within her as her momentary
calmness dissipated. It blasted through her staff and hurled itself
towards the gigantic robot that dwarfed her.  She screamed her rage to
it, watching the burst of blinding light as her attack contacted with
its recipient.
        Super Sailor Pluto stood before the open Door of Time.  She held
her staff in her right hand.  Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she
surveyed the damage she had inflicted on her enemy with dark, fierce
eyes.  She clenched her other hand tightly, controlling her emotions
once again.  The portal that had been opened closed upon her command.
Where the robot had stood, there was nothing but a black, charred spot
on the ground.
        A determined look came upon her face.  She raised her staff in
the air, and in a cruel, husky voice, she said, "Now Yargus, I am in
control..."
*************************************************************************
*

        Amber's thoughts of revenge were interrupted by the shouts of
her brother. "SCARRYYYY!!" he cried. "Get in here! NOW!"
        She flipped the hair out of her face and wiped the tears away.
The wall in front of her suddenly exploded and she could see directly
into the living room.
        Super Sailor Venus stood at the back of the room, with her
little brother huddled behind her.  She had just used her Crescent Beam
attack to annihilate a large group of drones.
        "What's going on here?" asked Amber. She watched as another
swarm of drones filed in from her brother's room.  "Where are they
coming from?" she asked before her mother could answer her.
        Venus only shook her head. "I don't have any idea, Amber. You
mind helping us out here?"
        "Sure!" replied her short daughter in an emotionless tone of
voice.  Amber colored energy began to swirl around her, almost like a
tornado.  She lifted her towards the regrouped enemy and fired tiny
lethal blasts of swirled yellow orange energy towards them.
        Adam peaked from behind his mother's legs to get a better look
at the drones' destruction, but was pushed safely back again by his
mother's firm hand. "Oh no you don't..." she warned. "Leave the fighting
to the experts, young man."
        Super Sailor Venus watched as her young daughter stared with
intense hatred at the drones and laughed in a creepy satisfaction at
their destruction.  <She's really been affected by Rhetta's capture...
It's like she's been pushed too far...>
        Before Amber could prepare for another attack, more drones
swooped quickly into the room.  "Amber, get back!" shouted Venus. She
put her fingers to her lip and yelled, "Venus, Love and Beauty Shock!"
and made a gesture as if she was blowing her enemies a kiss.
        The next explosion pushed the Sailor Scout and her son against
hard against the wall.  But it did not harm Amber.  She stood there,
fully shielded from it all, chuckling in amusement. "First, we kill your
drones, Yargus," she muttered. "And then I'm coming for you..."
        Venus checked to make sure her son was all right.  "You okay,
Adam?" she asked.  He nodded absently, staring in fascination at his
crazy sister.  She began to lead him by the hand out of the room,
saying, "Amber, I'm going to bring Adam downstairs to safety..." She
stopped when she noticed that her daughter wasn't listening. "Amber!"
she said, in her motherly, you'd better be paying attention tone of
voice.
        Amber snapped suddenly to attention and looked towards her mom.
"I'm going to bring him downstairs to safety. Get to the Meeting Room!"
Amber only nodded and didn't move for a moment.
        Mother and son began make their way down a slightly smoky hall.
"Know what, Mum?" he asked, smiling up at her.
        She looked down at her son and smiled.  <Nothing fazes this kid,
He's just like his sister!>  "What's up?" she asked in amusement.
        "She's not Scary any more." He paused as his blond mother raised
her eyebrows in surprise. <I never thought he'd drop that one..> she
thought.  "Naw, she's `Crazy' now."
        Venus shot her son an unamused look.  <It's not funny... I
almost think he's right.>
*************************************************************************
*

        Haruka arrived at her quarters to find her daughter safely in
her bed and Michiru also taking a nap.  She crawled under the covers and
settled down next to her. But she found that she could not sleep.  Her
confrontation with Pluto had unsettled her.  <Setsuna wouldn't lie to
me.  She would have admitted appearing in Skye's dreams...> She rolled
over and threw an arm over Michiru's waist. <So why is Skye having those
dreams... Poor kid... I only wish I could help her.>
        Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of an explosion and
the smell of smoke and melting metal coming from the living room.  Both
women bolted out of bed.  They ran into the living room to find their
daughter surrounded by smoke and fire. She floated gracefully in the
middle of the room. She was dressed in a pair of cotton pants and a
T-shirt.  Her diamond gleamed brightly from her delicate bracelet,
shielding her from harm.  She laughed at the explosion and her parents
gasped as drones began to fill the room.
        "Neptune Crystal Power Make-Up!"
        "Uranus Crystal Power Make-Up!" the two women shouted in unison.
        Skye began to shoot arrows at drones, laughing in glee as they
exploded.  She waved contentedly to Super Sailor Uranus and Super Sailor
Neptune and smiled.
        "I'm practicing," she said as she blasted another drone.
        Distracted, she missed a couple of drones as they began to shoot
at her with colorful beams of laser fire.
        "Skye!!" shouted both women instantly.
        Skye moved quickly out of the way, barely missing the laser
fire.  One blast knicked her T-shirt, leaving a black, shared whole.
        "Damn, I can't fire on them with her there!" swore Uranus.
Neptune nodded in agreement.
        The two Outer Scouts knew instantly what to do.  They both ran
towards the door, Uranus plucking her daughter out of midair on her way
passed.  Skye wailed in protest.
        "Mommy, I was practicing," she said in an evil tone.
        Uranus just kept running with a firm hold on her daughter.  "You
can practice later."
        Neptune stopped, turned towards a swarm or drones and shouted
"Deep Submerge!" Her attack hit the drones and they exploded.
        Suddenly a large group of drones burst through the floor in
front of Uranus.  She pitched her girl into midair, raised a powerful
arm and shouted, "World Shaking!" A round sphere of energy blasted to
the drones.  They exploded with a crash that collapsed more of the floor
ahead of them.
        "That should hold them for now!" said Uranus.  The green haired
Sailor Scout nodded in reply.
        Neptune plucked the girl out of the air and began to run in the
other direction, sure that Uranus followed.
*************************************************************************
*

        Amber heard the scream of a woman, and veered into one of the
dining halls used to entertain important guests.  She found a young
kitchen girl, cowering in fear on the balcony as a hoard of drones blew
past above her.  Amber ran into the room and yelled, "Watch out!" She
raised her hands and sent a rapid spiral of yellow orange energy towards
the swarm.  Amber dove for the girl and shielded her as the drones
exploded above them.
        The girl continued to scream in fear, panicked by the danger she
was in. Amber pulled the girl to her and hugged her. <I remember you,>
she thought. <You're the one that works part time in the kitchen because
you started a food fight in one of the high schools a while back.>  She
pulled away from the girl.
        "Can you get downstairs?" she asked her.
        The girl nodded, still afraid but more calm.
        "Good, you do that. I'll take care of our metal guests."
        She started to fire at oncoming drones as the girl ran from the
room.  "I'll nail everything you can throw at me, Yargus!" she swore.
"And then I'm coming for you!"
        The sky seemed to darken before her and Amber looked up to see a
huge, metallic object floating in the sky.  Small hatches opened and
large groups of drones, filed out, one by one. "So that's where they're
coming from."
        Glad that the balcony was only six feet down, Amber launched
herself over the rail of the balcony. She landed on her feet easily,
unconcerned for her personal safety. Her jewel began to glow in soft,
timed pulses. <That should get the Jewel Wielders' attention,> she
thought. <When they get here, we can finish this thing off.>
*************************************************************************
*

        Skye screamed as Super Sailor Uranus continued to carry her down
the hall. Her small bracelet shined with soft, intermittent bursts of
energy.  "I have to go Mommy, Mama. Tell her I have to go. They need me!
I have to help."
        "Sorry Skye, you're just too young," answered Neptune.
        "When you're older, it'll be no problem," Uranus assured her
daughter.
        "But I'm good at fighting!" wailed the little girl. "I can
help!!"
        Uranus, Neptune, and Skye rounded a corner only to meet Eden,
Lyn, and Hannah running towards a nearby exit.  Eden had encountered
Hannah and Lyn in the last corridor.
        They stopped for a moment when they heard the girl screaming,
"I want to help! I'm good at shooting arrows!"
        Hannah ran up to Uranus and nodded.  "She is correct. We will
need her help."
        "Sorry Hannah," said Uranus, shooting her the look of death for
encouraging the girl. "She's too young."
        "She fought in the past," said Eden.
        "She did well," added Lyn.
        Neptune looked at Uranus and nodded silently.  Uranus handed
over her little girl to Eden and opened her mouth for a warning.
        Hannah waived a small hand in the air, unconcerned and said,
"Yes I know, if anything happens to her, there will be things far worse
than death done to us."
        Super Sailor Neptune giggled as she watched the group dash
towards the exit leading to the gardens. Uranus shot her an annoyed
look. "When did she start talking to us that way?"
        The two began to make their way towards the Meeting Room.  "When
she stopped being scared of you," added her partner with a snicker.
*************************************************************************
*

        Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion burst into their
daughter's bedroom. Chaos had erupted not a moment before.  They found
Super Sailor Saturn near the balcony door destroying most of the drones
as they entered the room. The doctors were huddled under a table at the
far corner of the room.
        They stopped as they noticed a figure in front of the Princess'
bed.  He was young, dressed in a tuxedo complete with top hat and cane.
His short hair, which could be seen from under the hat, was a mint green
color. With one arm, he protected the Princess' unconscious form from
any stray laser blasts. With the other he used his canes to fight any
drones that came this way.
        Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion both gasped in shock.
Serenity looked towards her husband, back at the young man and then back
at her husband.
        "Tuxedo Mask?" they managed to gasp at the same time.  He looked
their way and nodded.
        Endymion looked at his wife in alarm.  "We can't just leave her
with HIM!" he growled.
        "He's fine. He's doing a good job.  We have to stop those
drones," she assured her husband.
        "But we don't even know WHO he is," he insisted.
        "Oh and we knew who you were?" she reminded the "former" Tuxedo
Mask.
        He nodded, and resigned himself to agree with her.  She was
right.  They ran towards Saturn, who allowed them to pass.
        At the same time, both the King and Queen jumped off the
balcony, as if they could fly. Neo-Queen Serenity's gown flowed
gracefully around her as she became suspended in midair by the power of
the Silver Crystal. She raised her hands in front of her and began to
blast at the cloud of drones that surrounded them.
        Endymion landed on the roof of the garden gazebo.  He began to
destroy drones, one by one, with his powerful strokes of his sword.  He
looked down to see a large, metallic object hovering above Amber.
Drones seemed to be coming from it.  All at once he saw the Jewel
Wielders surround it. <Oh, I don't think that thing is long for the
world...>
*************************************************************************
*

        Amber, Eden, Lyn, Skye, and Hannah surrounded the metallic
object that was spewing drones.
        "How do we defeat this?" asked Eden.  A wave of drones came
towards them and they began to defend themselves.
        "Some of us should concentrate on the drones while the others
can take care of this metal monstrosity," said Eden
        Skye began to shoot drones, one by one, laughing as each
exploded.  Amber smiled at her young friend. "Sounds like fun to me,"
she told her.  To the others, she said, "I'll cover the kid.  We'll take
care of the pets.  You guys can take care of the freak show here."
        They all nodded in agreement and set out to do their jobs.
        Hannah eyed the metal object in front of her with tired eyes.
<I'm tiring of this quickly...> She raised her staff, aimed it at
the monster and sent a powerful blast towards her mechanical
opponent.
        The object responded with a new surge of drones.  Eden destroyed
the drones blazing towards Hannah and Lyn responded with a wave of green
rectangles towards the metal foe.
        The explosion that followed sent the Wielders to the ground.
Lyn, Eden and Hannah landed near each other. Amber held Skye close to
her as she wailed in surprise.  "Don't worry, Sweetie, I've got you."
The short haired Jewel Wielder said to soothe the child.  <I wish you
were here, Rhetta, then we'd know what to do...>
*************************************************************************
*

        Super Sailor Uranus and Neptune ran into the Meeting Room and
found Sailor Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus already performing a scan
of Crystal Tokyo.
        "Where are the drones coming from?" asked Uranus. Venus moved
aside for her to view the data on the screen in front of her.
        "They are coming from three metallic objects," began Jupiter,
"One in the center of the industrial district of the city, one near the
front gates of Crystal Palace, and the largest one, here..." she said as
she pointed to the spot on the view screen. "In the gardens. As we speak
the Jewel Wielders have begun their attack." She smiled toward Uranus
and Neptune suddenly. "Looks like Skye is doing a good job pegging off
the drones with Amber."
        Neptune smiled with pride. <I knew she would do okay.> Uranus
was still not amused.  <If one hair on that little girl's head is
harmed...> she silently fumed, <someone will pay!>
        "Also," continued Jupiter, "Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King
Endymion are in the gardens, near the Princess' chambers, fighting
drones."
        "They seem to have the situation under control there," remarked
Mercury.
        "Who's defending the Princess?" asked Venus.
        As if in response, Uranus hit a button that activated a
communications channel within the Palace. "Uranus to Saturn, what is
your position?"
        Saturn responded quickly. "I with the Princess, everyone is okay
here.  I'm near the balcony stopping the drones."
        "Who is with the Princess directly?" asked Jupiter, wondering if
one of them shouldn't teleport over to help.
        "It seems Tuxedo Mask is here to help," she responded, an
explosion was heard as Saturn destroyed a new group of drones.
        Neptune shook her head.  "I know they said that he had appeared
before, but we know now that Endymion is in the gardens."
        "See for yourself," said Saturn breathlessly. "I really don't
have time to argue right now."
        With the touch of a crystal button, Uranus activated the viewer.
Super Sailor Saturn stood near the door leading to the balcony, sending
a powerful attack to a small group of drones.  She moved the viewer
towards the Princess' bed and saw a young Tuxedo Mask loyally protecting
the Princess.
        "She's right!" gasped Mercury.  She made a few calculations and
shook her head.  "He is real all right."
        "Mercury, are you up for a fight?" Jupiter asked her tired
looking friend.
        "Sure," she replied, though the others were doubtful.
        "Fine," said Jupiter. "Mercury, Venus, Mars, get the object in
the industrial sector. Uranus, Neptune, get the one at the gates." She
began to punch at specific buttons. "I'll make sure all the people who
were evacuated to the basement remain safe.
        "Let's do it," said Venus and they all teleported away to fight.
*************************************************************************
*

        More and more drones began to exit from the metallic object.
There were suddenly so many drones, they seemed to block the light of
the sun.  Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion began to fight harder
as the drones surrounded them at a quicker pace.
        Amber's eyes began to narrow in her impatience. "Any time now,
guys!" She looked over to Skye, who hadn't stopped laughing in her
pleasure. Her arrows came smoothly from her bracelet now and she fired
them with fatal accuracy.
        "We need a distraction!" called Eden.
        "You got it!" said Amber, "Distractions are my specialty."  <I
just wish Rhetta was here...> She let her power flow around her.  The
swirl around her became so powerful, she began to levitate in the air.
"Skye, get out of the way!" she called.
        Skye, decided to ignore Amber's warning.  She was having too
much fun and didn't want to stop.  Not paying attention, she found
herself suddenly surrounded by a lot more drones than she cared to see.
<OH!> she thought and covered her face with her arms as the drones moved
in closer to her. She felt herself being yanked from midair. She looked
up to see Hannah's face and wrapped her arms around the older girl's
neck as Eden and Lyn took care of the drones that had attacked her.
        "I want you to stay close to me," warned Hannah. "I promised
your mother you would be fine." She looked over to Amber. "Amber will be
busy for now."
        Hannah moved out of the way quickly, pulling a hesitant little
girl behind her, who was suddenly startled by her friend's powerful
display.  She did so just in time. Amber floated up so high, she was at
the same level as the object.  Drones began to surround her like a swarm
of hornets, but Amber didn't care.  Her eyes began to glow with yellow
orange energy.  She focused her thoughts on Rhetta. <My friend, I will
find you.  I'll make them pay... This one is for you!>  Suddenly, her
energy exploded, taking with it every drone in a twelve foot radius of
her.
        The Wielders shielded themselves from their friend's powerful
display, stunned at her power.  Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion did
the same.  The Queen shot her husband a worried look, knowing that the
display was proof of the girl's intense grief at the capture of her
friend.
        When the explosion had subsided, Amber began to fall towards the
ground, unconscious.  Skye used her telekinetic abilities to cushion her
friend's fall.  The other's began their attack.
        Hannah's staff suddenly appeared and she sent a breathtaking
sphere of energy towards her enemy.  Lyn added his attack not a moment
later.  Just as the two Jewel Wielder's attacks impacted, Eden sent a
strong blast of purple energy towards the object and Skye sent an
amazing succession of brilliant, white, arrows towards her target.  They
ran towards Amber and shielded themselves from the explosions that
continued.
        Amber began to stir.  Eden got to her first and helped her sit
up.  "Are you okay, Amber?" she asked.
        Amber shook her head and smiled weakly at her friends
surrounding her.
        "Sure, did we destroy that thing."
        They looked up to see what was left of the object.  To their
surprise, the object was unharmed.
        "We have that thing everything we've got," said Lyn in anger.
        "So what are we going to do now?" asked Amber is disappointment.
        "We do it again?" said Skye with a questioning tone of voice.
<That's what Mommy would do.>
        They all smiled at this. "Leave it to the kid to be the only
rational one here," chuckled Amber.
        "I have the feeling that she spends too much time with you,"
said Hannah with a grin.
        "Maybe," replied the short haired girl, "But she's right."
        The object began to spin rapidly.  All of the sudden, a
compartment opened at the top of the metallic and so did another at the
bottom. To the amazement of the Jewel Wielders and the King and Queen,
the object transformed itself into a large, smooth, robot, shaped as a
phoenix.
        "Great," muttered Amber.  She was highly unimpressed. "Yargus is
getting smart." <At least this one is better looking than the last one.>
*************************************************************************
*

        Neo-Princess Serenity looked up to the figure before her.  "So
you led me here, through this Dreamscape?" she asked Obsidian.
        "Yes," he replied, his deep voice echoing through the room.
        "But why?" she answered, as she shook her head.
        "To free me," he added simply.
        "Why not bring someone stronger?" Asked Serenity.  "My mother
would be a better choice."
        "The Queen is needed elsewhere," Obsidian answered easily.
        Serenity began to bombard him with questions. "So who exactly
are you? And what is this Dreamscape? How were you able to lead me here?
And how do you know me?"
        She was interrupted by the tall man before her who pointed his
staff directly at her.  "There is no time now.  You must come here and
free me.  Then all will be revealed to you," he said forcefully.
        Serenity packed away a few step. "But I can't fight," she
whispered in defeat. "I lost my transformation last time I was Sailor
Moon and I almost got myself killed."
        Obsidian looked down and smiled at her gently.  "The self doubt
within you is what prevents you from fighting."  He put a hand on her
head, as if she were a small child.  "You must believe in yourself,
Princess.  The power is within you; as it always has been."
*************************************************************************
*

        Super Sailor Uranus and Neptune encountered the same opposition.
A smooth, robotic phoenix flew above them, poised to attack at any
moment.  Uranus was thankful that they had been able to destroy the
drones and clear most of the civilians from the area.
        "Once again he has divided us," Uranus complained to the green
haired Sailor Scout standing next to her.
        "I know," Neptune replied softly.  "But what choice did we have,
we must protect the people of Crystal Tokyo."
        "True, but we will never defeat Yargus this way," Uranus
concluded.
        "Somehow, Uranus, we have a more pressing matter at hand."  She
dove to the ground, as the mechanized phoenix swooped down and shot a
blast of fire towards her.
        Uranus dodged the next blast as it came her way.  "Agreed.  But
let's hurry. I want to get back to Skye."
*************************************************************************
*

        Mercury scanned the robotic bird flying in the air with her
visor.  "Watch out, Sailor Scouts.  This one can spew fire as well as
laser blasts."
        "Fine," said Mars. "Then I'll fight fire with fire," she said
with determination. "Mars Fire Sniper!" Super Sailor Mars shot a strong
arrow made of fire at the robot. The bird was damaged a little, but
swooped towards its prey, spraying fire from its mechanical beak.
        Mercury reacted instantly.  "Shining Aqua Illusion!" she
shouted, sending a dangerous blast of water towards her opponent.  This
stopped the burst of fire towards Mars, but did not damage it in the
least.
        Venus watched the bird for a moment.  "Mercury, can you estimate
when it will swoop next?"
        Mercury activated her visor and scanned their opponent for a
moment.  "Now!" she warned.
        Venus began her attack. "Venus Love Chain Encircle!" She used
the length of chain as a whip to ensnare the phoenix and pull it to the
ground.
        Mercury smiled and without hesitation shouted: "Mercury Ice
Storm Freeze!" Her attack left the bird a frozen, lifeless mass that
clanked as it hit the ground.
        Mars shouted with pleasure, "My turn!" she said with a vicious
smile.  "Mars Celestial Fire Surround!" As her brutal attack hit their
opponent it shattered into a million small pieces and then burst into
flame.
        Mercury scanned the debris and sighed. She looked to Mars who
nodded in agreement. "I am tired of being toyed with," said the blue
haired Sailor Scout.
        "Then it's time we take control of the game," said Venus.
Quickly they teleported back to the Palace.
*************************************************************************
*

        Serenity and Endymion watched the bird swoop towards the Jewel
Wielders.  Super Sailor Saturn had obliterated the last of the drones
that had tried to enter her daughter's bedroom, Endymion had destroyed
the last of them that had attacked outdoors.  All that was left was this
phoenix.
        The phoenix was huge, with a wing span of about ten feet.
Despite its size it was very fast and the Jewel Wielders, despite their
strength and growing control were having trouble attacking it.
        "That's it," she said suddenly, with a very queenly attitude.
"I'm ending this now."
*************************************************************************
*

        Uranus and Pluto dodged another attack.  The bird was small, but
very fast.  Despite their continued warnings, a crowd had formed to
watch the display.
        The phoenix suddenly swooped towards a group of boys, who stood
huddled near the fence.
        "Stupid people!" muttered Uranus.  She didn't want to use her
World Shaking attack around too many people for fear of injuring
someone.
        Neptune ran towards the boys and shouted, "Deep Submerge!" The
powerful sphere of water hit the phoenix and sent it crashing into the
fence.  The boys screamed and ran and the phoenix began to swoop again.
        A small girl had pushed her way through the crowd.  She was
about five years old, with small green eyes and a little blue ponytail.
The phoenix set its targets on her and began an attack of lethal laser
fire.
        "NO!!" yelled Uranus.  She launched herself towards the girl,
knocking her down.  She pulled the crying child towards her with
powerful arms, rolled with her to avoid the laser fire.  She jumped to
her feet, and thrust the terrified girl into the crowd.
        "This is no place for gawking. The danger is real. This isn't a
movie!" she yelled at the onlookers angrily.  "Why don't we take this
problem closer to home?" asked her partner, smiling mischievously.
        "Good idea, there we would be more in control," replied Uranus.
"The gardens should be clear by now," she said.  Neptune nodded.
        Just as the small bird swooped to attack with a wall of fire,
the two Outer Scouts joined their hands and shouted, "Sailor Teleport!"
The mechanical phoenix was caught in the teleport and the three
disappeared with cry of disappointment from the crowd that had circled
them.
*************************************************************************
*

        Neo-Queen Serenity floated towards the phoenix who attacked its
enemies with ease.  "I'm going to finish this thing off!" she yelled
down to the Jewel Wielders. "The phoenix is no match for the Silver
Crystal."
        The Silver Crystal appeared between her hands.  Amber and Skye
reacted simultaneously, both firing at the phoenix.  It took the bait
and swooped towards them.
        "Oh no you don't," the said the Queen of Crystal Tokyo with calm
certainty.  She fired a single blast of white energy towards the
mechanical bird.
        The phoenix erupted into a ball of flames and then crashed to
the ground.  Neo-Queen Serenity landed in front of its charred remains,
smiled and said triumphantly, "Dusted!!"  She looked around and smiled
as the teenagers around her began to cheer and the little girl began to
clap her hands in glee.
*************************************************************************
*

        Neo-Princess Serenity opened her eyes.  She sat up and tried to
focus them.  She found herself being protected by her young Tuxedo Mask.
"Sorry, no time to chat," she said as she pushed him out of the way and
leaped out of bed.
        Super Sailor Saturn gasped in shock. "Small Lady, you're awake!"
she said with pleasure.  She ran up to hug the Princess, but she was
quickly shoved aside.
        "I don't have time for this, Saturn."  She walked quickly
towards the open balcony doors. "I have to save my mother."
        Neo-Princess Serenity paused for a moment. <I hope you're right
Obsidian...>  She jumped over the balcony rails and shouted,
"Neo-Eternal Moon Make-Up!"
*************************************************************************
*

        Just as the Queen shouted, "Dusted!" Super Sailor Uranus and
Neptune appeared with their flying enemy still swooping towards them.
The two nimble Outer Scouts avoided the bird, but could not stop it as
it aimed directly for Neo-Queen Serenity, who stood triumphantly over
the ruin remains of her enemy.
        "Serenity watch out!" called King Endymion as he jumped from his
perch on the roof to save his wife.
        "Damn!" swore Uranus.
        Neo-Queen Serenity, reacted with a swiftness born of great
experience. She raised her left hand, twisted towards the oncoming
phoenix and sent a single, powerful blast of energy towards it.  It
exploded quickly and the Queen used the crystal to shield herself from
its burning remains.  Neo-King Endymion ran to his wife as she descended
to the ground and hugged her fiercely.
        "I'm fine," she whispered to him. She was accustomed to his need
to protect her, and understood it even more with their daughter lying
unconscious in her bed.
        "Where did that come from?" asked Amber.  All the Jewel Wielders
looked up and began to cheer.
        Super Sailor Mars, Mercury, and Venus appeared next to the Jewel
Wielders.  Just at the same moment, Jupiter ran from the Palace, hungry
to fight.
        Suddenly the sky darkened above them.  They all looked up to see
a strange, bird-like ship hovering above the Crystal Palace.  The
spacecraft was huge and built out of a black, smooth metal. A round
hatch opened up, and with a flash of brilliant orange light, fired
directly at the King and Queen.
        The Scouts reacted at once. They summoned the power of their
respective planets to shield their monarchs from the blast. The Jewel
Wielders followed suit by firing at the blast with all their might. The
blast did not let up.  It continued its assault on the King and Queen
despite the Scouts' shield.  Smaller bird like robots flew from the
drones and began to fire at the Jewel Wielders.
        In response the Jewel Wielders began to fire upon them.
        "What are we going to do?" asked Eden.  She fired at a small
bird screeching rapidly towards her.
        "We can't help them this way!" growled Amber.
        "This is intolerable!" spat Hannah, as she destroyed two robots
in front of her.
        Suddenly a powerful blast of fuchsia colored energy hit the
orange laser beam.  Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon flew closer to the beam,
despite the danger to herself.  <I have to save them all...> she thought
as she gritted her teeth and continued her attack.
        Super Sailor Saturn appeared in front of the King and Queen.
She raised her staff high into the air with both hands sent a powerful
blast of energy towards the beam attacking the King and Queen.
        Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon renewed her efforts. She looked up
towards the ship and yelled, "Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack!"
        The pink haired Sailor Moon sent a more powerful blast of
fuchsia energy towards the enemy's attack.  She heard the explosions
below as her friends finished off the small robots.  With the help of
Sailor Saturn below, the beam suddenly bounced off the shields made of
planetary power and only nearly missed the ship.
        The alien ship floated upwards a ways and did not attack again.
The Wielders shouted in pride, at the success of their combined attacks.
The Scouts gathered around Neo-King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity.
Both rulers hugged their friends, thankful for their protection.
Neo-Queen Serenity looked up into the sky, unsure of what she expected
to see.  To her great surprise and happiness, she saw the most beautiful
sight she had ever seen.
        Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon easily landed in front of her mother.
        "Looks like I got here just in time," she said with a smile.
        "Reenie!" gasped the King and Queen.
        "Small Lady!" gasped the Sailor Scouts, at such an exact moment,
Princess Serenity wondered briefly if they practiced these things.
        "Princess!" gasped Hannah.
        "Yippee!" shouted Skye.  She looked to Amber who smiled broadly
at her friend and to Eden and Lyn who nodded their approval with equally
brilliant smiles. "Sailor Moon is here!!"
        Neo-Queen Serenity cupped her beautiful daughter's face in
trembling hands. She smiled through her tears, staring deeply into the
teenagers large, red eyes.  "You're awake..." she said in wonder.
Sailor Moon felt the tears begin to spill from her eyes.
        She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.  Instead, she
threw herself into her mother's arms with a sob.  They hugged for what
seemed to both of them an eternity, both crying and clinging to each
other. Neo-Queen Serenity finally pulled away from her daughter, quite
reluctantly, to allow her friends and family to greet her also.
        The King and Queen stood side by side and watched as the Jewel
Wielders, and the Sailor Scouts gathered around their daughter.
Neo-Queen Serenity smiled at her husband in pleasure.  But the smile
quickly faded as she noticed Mercury, standing to the side, as she tried
to hide her tears.
        Neo-Queen Serenity walked over to her old friend and hugged her
fiercely. "Don't worry, Amy, we'll get her back. I promise."
        "What the hell is that thing?" asked Uranus, grabbing her
daughter to protectively.
        "That," said the Queen, "Is Yargus playing his next hand."
        "He won't win this time!" swore Mercury.
        "No he won't," said Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon with determination,
"This time he'll pay."

To be continued...

FRUSTRATIONS AND COMPLICATIONS

        The Sailor Scouts, the Jewel Wielders, and the King and Queen
stared up at the ship above them for what seemed an endless moment.
Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon tried to concentrate on the sight before her but
found she could not. <Was I just dreaming about you, Obsidian? Are you
real? I want to find you. But I can't now. I have to stop Yargus! This
can't continue.>
        She was not the only one distracted. Amber's thoughts had also
drifted to her recent dream. <This is the ship I saw in my dream. I know
it is. Rhetta is in there.> She looked over to Skye, expecting the
little girl to accept the ship's presence with ease, having traveled
with Amber in the dream. Instead, she saw a panicked little girl, whose
arms were wrapped tightly around her mother's neck. Amber wondered how
Uranus could manage to breathe despite her daughter's death grip on her
neck. Skye continued to stare up at the ship, her eyes widened even
more. She buried her face in her mother's neck in an attempt to hide. <I
guess she wasn't in my dream after all... but it was so real.> The
teenager shook her head. <Come on... What the heck was I thinking? The
kid's only six, as if!>
        Suddenly an arc of ebony energy emanated from the ship. Everyone
threw themselves to the ground to avoid harm. Neo-Queen Serenity watched
helplessly as the energy arc made contact with the Crystal Palace and
caused numerous small explosions. "Why haven't the automatic defense
systems activated?!" she yelled in anger.
        "I don't know!" responded Jupiter. The group began to run
towards the Palace, now charred in some areas, still smoldering in
others. As if summoned, small openings in the outer walls began to
appear and laser weapons emerged. Three holes opened in the gardens
behind them. Large laser rifles mounted on pedestals were raised from
subterranean storage areas.
        The Scouts, Wielders, and the King and Queen looked around,
stunned. A strange, high-pitched noise flooded their ears. "What is
that?" asked Eden, covering her ears. She stared up at one of the weapon
mounts.
        "That's the weapons powering up!" Venus said in a pleased tone.
        "Well its about time!" Mars commented dryly.
        "Get ready!" shouted Uranus.
        The weapons did not react as expected. Instead of firing at the
target above, the various weapons that made up the exterior defenses of
the Crystal Palace began to fire on the group itself.
        The Jewel Wielders scattered through the gardens and stumbled as
more weapon mounts appeared from below.
        "No!" shouted Neo-Queen Serenity as the Scouts and the King
advanced on the Palace, prepared to subdue their newest adversary. "This
can't be happening!"
        "It is," responded her husband. "We have no choice."
        Skye screamed in fear and clamped harder to Uranus' neck. The
tall Sailor Scout swore under her breath and wrapped a comforting arm
around her daughter. "You'll be okay. I'll keep you safe," she whispered
to the frightened little girl. <Damn, I shouldn't have allowed her out
here. How can I fight and protect her at the same time?>
        The ship above began to fire at those below. Neo-Eternal Sailor
Moon launched herself into the sky. "Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack!" she
yelled in anger. <I've really had it!> A strong beam of fuchsia colored
energy was launched towards the ship. The enemy shook upon impact but
did not cease to fire.
        Hannah looked up at the battle above her. She raised her staff
as high as she could, pointed it at her friend, and sent a beam of
blue/black energy that surrounded Sailor Moon and shielded her from
incoming blasts.
        Super Sailor Saturn decided to provide backup for her daughter.
She raised the Silence Glaive and sent a powerful blast of energy
skyward that collided with the ship and caused small explosions.
        Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon smiled and leveled another attack
towards her mechanical enemy. This time she maintained the beam,
clenching her teeth. She held on to her scepter so hard that her
knuckles whitened.
        "Take out the Palace's outer defenses!" shouted Endymion. He
unsheathed his sword and charged towards one of the extended weapons,
slicing it from its base. As he expected a new weapon emerged in its
place. He had helped design the weapon system of the Palace and
understood its extensive capabilities.
        "We can't take them all out!" argued Venus. "We'll be
defenseless once we regain control!"
        "We have no choice in the matter," responded the Queen as she
blasted one the weapons for the third time. "We can deal with the rest
when we get inside."
        Amber dodged an unexpected laser blast and shouted in anger,
"What the heck am I supposed to do with this?!" <I don't know what to
do, Rhetta's the one who usually figures these things out.> She noticed
Sailor Moon and Saturn as they blasted the ship and gasped. "No, you
can't!" she yelled. She ran up to Super Sailor Saturn and tried to push
the woman away.
        "Amber?" asked Saturn angrily, "What are you doing?"
        "You can't destroy that ship," the short Jewel Wielder pleaded
dramatically, "Rhetta is in there!"
        Saturn began to wonder if the strain of recent events had begun
to affect the girl before her. <Poor thing...> But then she saw the
conviction in the girl's eyes and knew that she believed what Amber had
said. "All right, but you'll have to explain later."
        "No problem," said Amber seriously and she returned to the
repetitious task of destroying weapons mounts.
        Saturn immediately began to repel ebony colored laser blasts
from the ship. She was about to yell to Sailor Moon not to destroy the
ship when Mercury interrupted.
        "We have to destroy the weapon control matrixes. They are
located in the second and third opening of the weapons array and in the
first weapon's mount that appeared in the garden."
        "Fine," said Neo-Queen Serenity.
        "We're on it!" shouted Lyn and Eden in unison.
        As Neo-Queen Serenity used the power of the Silver Crystal to
float effortlessly into the air, Eden and Lyn prepared their most
powerful attacks. The Queen raised a palm, gathered a small amount of
energy lazily in each of her hands and sent them careening towards the
second and third openings of the weapon's array. Lyn and Eden vaulted
into the air at the same time. In one powerful, flawless motion, Lyn
spun in the air and flung three groupings of emerald colored triangles
at the weapons mount. Eden flipped over the weapon's mount and blasted
it at the precise moment Lyn's attack made contact with its target.
        Two powerful explosions rocked the ground under the feet of the
many warriors. Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon, meanwhile, shouted in glee as
the ship's weapons failed. As she raised her scepter to begin her final,
lethal attack, she found herself plucked out of the air by a certain
masked adolescent who gently set her on the ground.
        "What do you think you're doing?" accused the Princess,
oblivious to the explosions going on around her.
        "You cannot destroy that ship, Princess," the newest Tuxedo Mask
said with a calmness that totally aggravated Sailor Moon.
        "What are you talking about?!" yelled Sailor Moon, pointing to
the ship. The Jewel Wielders and Sailor Scouts began to gather around
the two. "Yargus might be in there. That could be the answer to our
problems!"
        "I hate to say this," began Amber as she pushed her way to the
front of the group, "but the Masked Wonder here is right. Rhetta's in
there. We can't destroy the ship."
        Sailor Moon's features seemed to melt as she processed Amber's
words. "What do you mean she's IN there?"
        Hannah looked at the ground, a brief look of guilt flickered
over her features. "Rhetta distracted the robot so that we could save
you. She was captured, and until that ship appeared, there was little
hope of finding her."
        Mercury cringed at the teenager's words and nodded as the
Princess looked at her for confirmation. "She did her duty," the blue
haired woman whispered sadly.
        Tears began to run down Sailor Moon's face and she threw herself
into her mother's open arms. "I knew this would happen," she sobbed into
her mother's shoulder. "I knew I'd lose them if they took the vow. I
should have never let them."
        Neo-Queen Serenity motioned for the others to leave and led her
tearful daughter into the slightly charred gardens. She brought her into
the gazebo and sat her down on one of the few benches left intact. The
blond Queen let her daughter cry for a few moments and brushed the
strays strands of hair out of the teenager's face.
        "I know that you're upset, Reenie, I understand. Rhetta
distracted the robot so that Hannah could protect you."
        Serenity looked into her mother's eyes, seeing her own sadness
reflected in the Queen's large blue eyes. "I was afraid this would
happen, Mom. That's why I really didn't want them to become Jewel
Wielders in the first place. If she dies, I'll never forgive myself."
        Neo-Queen Serenity's face took on a haunted look as her mind
drifted to events a thousand years before. Then she looked at her
daughter with a seriousness born of experience. "I know how you're
feeling. I watched my friends die, one by one, when we fought Queen
Beryl. Plus I've seen the Sailor Scouts suffer to protect me so many
times." Sailor Moon watched her mother relive those painful memories.
The Queen finally smiled, her face brightening a little. She took her
daughter's trembling hands in her own and said, "Just remember while
Rhetta has been captured, we don't know if she's dead. We don't even
know where she is. At least now," she said, shooting a look to the ship
strangely silent above them, "we have an idea where to start looking for
her."
        Hannah walked quietly up to the two and discreetly cleared her
throat to announce her presence. "Excuse me for the interruption, Your
Highness, the King wishes to speak with you."
        Neo-Queen Serenity gave her daughter on final hug and left to
join her husband inside the Crystal Palace. Hannah sat down next to
Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon and looked at her guiltily. <I have been
dreading facing the Princess after Rhetta's capture. What will she
think?> She sighed and decided not to avoid the issue. "Princess, I will
understand if you hold me responsible for Rhetta's kidnapping."
        Sailor Moon raised her eyebrows and tried not to gasp in
surprise.  <Who the heck told you something stupid like that? Hannah?
Feeling guilty? This can't be happening!> She shot her friend a
horrified look, aghast at the thought. "Hannah, you're my friend. Why in
all of Crystal Tokyo would I think something terrible like that?"
        Hannah sighed. She did not want to explain herself, since the
whole situation seemed very clear. <But she was unconscious for quite
some time.> "I should have known that `new' Tuxedo Mask," <annoying
person that he is,> "would have appeared to protect you. I could have
stopped Rhetta."
        The pink haired Sailor Scout's mind reeled from the evening's
event. "Are you kidding, Hannah? I don't expect you to depend on his
appearance! That guy only showed up once before that." A smile spread
across her face at that thought. "While he's good looking, you had no
reason to trust him."
        Hannah ignored the irritating commentary her Princess made about
Tuxedo Mask's looks and continued, "But I should have been able to save
you both." This she whispered in shame, looking at her feet instead of
at her friend.
        Sailor Moon smiled in an attempt to lighten her friend's mood.
"Hannah, you're only one person. I don't expect you to be Wonder Woman."
        Hannah looked at Sailor Moon blankly, not understanding the
reference.  "Who?"
        Sailor Moon shook her head. "I'll tell you about that another
time. Better yet, ask Amber, she's the comic book expert. The point is,
you can't save everyone. I know how powerful you are," <And don't I know
you know it!> "but you have to remember that you're part of team. We're
all here to help each other."
        "I wish I could have prevented your capture," whispered the dark
haired girl.
        Sailor Moon nodded silently, intensely feeling the weight of her
own guilt. <Rhetta, wherever you are, we'll find you. We'll get you
back, I promise. And then Yargus, you're going to pay!>
*************************************************************************
*
        Neo-Queen Serenity rushed into the Main Control Room of the
Crystal Palace. She could smell the smoke from the computer circuits
that had been ruined as the outer defense system was destroyed. <What a
mess!> she complained to herself.
        Suddenly she heard a shout as Super Sailor Venus used her
attack, "Venus, Love and Beauty Shock!" She entered the meeting room,
finally, hoping nothing more had gone wrong. But she knew her hopes
were in vain.
        She found Super Sailors Venus and Mars standing in a circle,
ready to attack an unconscious young guard. She stood still for a
moment, speechless. <Why would Venus attack one of our own? Nothing can
be simple today, can it?> She watched for a moment as Mercury kneeled
near the fallen soldier, scanning him for injuries.
        "I can't believe this," said Jupiter, "He was one of the best
guards we've got."
        The group noticed Neo-Queen Serenity standing just inside the
doorway.
        "We found him in the process of disabling the inner defenses
systems of the Palace," explained Venus.
        Endymion, who busied himself at the computer, looked over his
shoulder towards his wife with a grave expression. "He almost succeeded.
If we would have been one minute later, we would be completely
defenseless."
        "Why would he do such a thing?" she asked her husband, in an
attempt to rationalize his actions. "He has always been incredibly
loyal, to the point of almost being fanatical."
        "I think I know the answer," said Mercury. She stood up and
looked as Mars who nodded in agreement. "He isn't human."
        "What?!?!" shouted the two monarchs at the exact same time.
        "What you see before us is in fact a robot," began Mercury. "At
least it WAS a robot. Venus' attack caused its bioelectrical circuitry
to overload."
        "So where is the real guard?" asked Jupiter.
        "And how did it get here?" asked Venus.
        "Probability dictates that Yargus is indeed responsible."
        "The question is," said Neo-Queen Serenity, "how many more
robots have infiltrated the Crystal Palace?"
        "And how do we find them?" added her husband, leaving his work,
for a moment, to join the circle of women.
        Mercury moved the robot in question onto its stomach, reminding
herself that this was not the young guard she had trusted so much. She
scanned him carefully and stopped near the base of its neck. She lifted
the fair hair and found that a small square compartment was apparent.
The blue haired Sailor Scout, who had been a medical doctor for over a
thousand years tried not to cringe as she pressed on the robot's
compartment. <Mercury, this is a ROBOT,> she reminded herself, <You will
not hurt him in any fashion.> With the touch of her index finger the
compartment opened to reveal miniature bioelectrical circuits, smoking
from the overload.
        "I would like to study the robot," she asked the Queen. "Perhaps
I can find a way to locate others."
        Serenity looked to Endymion; he nodded silently in agreement.
"Fine," she responded. "Mars, go with her, just in case that thing wakes
up again." <That's all we'd need.>
        Endymion returned to the computer console, in yet another
attempt to reprogram the outer defense systems. The Queen watched him
for a moment, a plan formulating in her mind. <This has to stop. I can't
let this go on one more minute.> She thought of their children, outside
in the gardens, and of Rhetta, somewhere, held prisoner by Yargus.
        "Jupiter, help the King re-establish the outer defense systems."
Jupiter joined Endymion at the computer console, and scratched her head
at the confused reading before her. "Venus, I want you outside with
Sailor Moon and the Jewel Wielders just in case the ship decides to
attack again." Venus, with an obedient nod to Serenity, quickly exited
the room.
        Serenity walked up to Endymion, putting a soft hand on his
shoulder.  "Where are the others?" she asked him.
        Endymion punched a few buttons and looked up at her with always
patient eyes. "Neptune and Uranus are bringing Skye to the safe area and
Saturn is also below, checking for injuries."
        "Call them here. We're going to find Rhetta." <And then we're
taking care of you, Yargus.>
*************************************************************************
*
        Skye didn't pay attention as her Mommy and Mama assured her that
she would be all right in the safe zone. Her thoughts were occupied by
the scary image of the dark ship still looming above them. <That big
ship is still there. It's way scary!> She noticed her parents leaving
suddenly and gasped. With a skill born of great practice, the six year
old launched herself from her perch on a child sized stool and floated
quickly through the air. Before her mothers could walk out of the room,
she attached herself to the first appendage she could grab.
        Neptune almost tripped when she found her movements hampered by
a little, shaking, pigtailed body wrapped tightly around her left leg.
She leaned over, careful not to lose her balance and stroked her little
girl's green hair.
        "It's okay, Skye. You'll be safe here, I promise."
        Skye began to panic, shaking her little head, fresh tears
falling down her cheeks. "Don't leave me here. I'll be a good girl,
promise too."
        Uranus knelt next to the girl and tried unsuccessfully to detach
her from her mother's leg. "Skye," she began in a soft tone of voice,
"you have to stay here. The ship won't hurt you here."
        Skye peeked around Neptune's leg and shook her head vehemently.
"Uh, Uh, I don't believe you."
        Neptune, despite the seriousness of the situation, couldn't help
but giggle for a moment. <Sometimes she can be as stubborn as Haruka.>
        Uranus, on the other hand, tried hard not to be angry. She
understood her daughter's fears. <Poor kid, but I swear, she's as
stubborn as Neo-Queen Serenity herself.> "Why don't you believe me?" she
asked softly, "I would never lie to you. You're my little girl."
        Skye unlatched herself from Neptune's leg enough to gaze up at
her for confirmation. The green haired Sailor Scout nodded down at her
daughter in agreement and caressed the girl's hair gently. Skye remained
unconvinced and sniffled, "But it's still there."
        Neptune squatted down to her daughter's height, effectively
disengaging the girl's tight grip on her leg. She rubbed her thigh, for
a second, where little child size handprints were painfully obvious.
"It is still there. But Mommy and I want you to be safe. We don't want
anything to happen to you. We love you. See," she put her hands on the
little girl's shoulders and turned her towards a group of children being
supervised by Sophie, "Lots of parents have left their kids here to be
safe. And Sophie's here too. She'll always take good care of you." Skye
found herself unable to argue with Mommy. Sophie was fun to play with
and she always let Amber come and play too.
        Neptune smiled and nodded to Uranus. Seeing her cue, the blond
Sailor Scout said, "And see those two guards right there. Their job is
to make sure nothing bad happens here."
        Skye looked over to the guards, then to Sophie. "Okay," she
agreed reluctantly, an unamused expression spread across her face. "But
I don't want you to go. Why can't you stay here too?"
        "You know we have to, Skye. We're Sailor Scouts."
        "I'm a Jewel Wielder," replied the little girl, showing her
parents her delicate bracelet. "And I have to stay here."
        Uranus rolled her eyes. <I knew this one was coming.> "Yes and
when you're older, you can do all the fighting and we'll stay inside and
be quiet, okay?"
        This was not the response the little pigtailed girl wanted to
hear. She proceeded to float over to her little stool. Sitting herself
down on it, she sighed dramatically, crossed her arms stubbornly, and
began to pout. Uranus took on a concerned expression at this, watching
her little girl stare angrily into space.
        Neptune shook her head and smiled. <That proves it. She is as
stubborn as Haruka.> Both Sailor Scouts stood up. Neptune motioned
silently towards the door and the two quickly left the safe zone.
*************************************************************************
*
        Neo-Queen Serenity met the three Outer Scouts in a smaller
meeting room. Sitting at a round table, she outlined her thoughts on how
to proceed with the situation. <I'm surprised that no one has argued
that I shouldn't go on this mission. But I have to. I am the one who
made their children Jewel Wielders. I should be involved in saving
Rhetta.>
        "We don't even know that she is in there," stated Uranus.
        "It is our only lead," stated Super Sailor Saturn quietly.
        "What if we walk into a trap?" asked Neptune, as she considered
the consequences of such an action.
        "We can't wait any longer," Serenity began. <And I don't know
how long Rhetta will last.> "Yargus has infiltrated the Crystal Palace.
Our outer defenses have been compromised and the inner defenses are
barely functioning. That why we have to strike now!" she suddenly said
angrily. A delicate hand came down hard on the table before her.
        Suddenly a noise brought their attention to a figure standing in
the doorway. There was Amber, looking tired and uncomfortable. "Um, hi,"
she said weakly.
        "You are supposed to be outside, standing watch over the ship,"
stated the Queen dryly.
        "I know, and I'm sorry," she said, wringing her hands nervously.
"I have something to tell you. Mom said you'd understand."
        "Fine, but make it quick. We have plans to make here."
        <OH boy, Amber, here's your only chance. Don't blow it!> she
warned herself before beginning. <They're gonna think I'm nuts, and
maybe I am. She took a deep breath and began. "You have to let me go to
that ship to find Rhetta." <Aahh! Damn, Mom told me not to forget
protocol.>
        "I'm sorry Amber," answered the Queen sadly, "I know she is your
best friend, but it's too dangerous."
        The shorthaired girl's face burned red with a sudden intense
rage. "Don't you dare treat me like a little kid. I'm not Skye. I knew
damn well what I was getting myself into when I took my oath as a Jewel
Wielder and I've never shied away from a fight!" <I can't believe this.
I might as well be six!>
        Neo-Queen Serenity's eyebrows raised. She was unimpressed. Never
before had one of the children ever raised their voice to her. But
before she let her anger get the best of her, she let her mind wander
briefly to a time she had once felt so helpless. <Remember how you felt
watching them die in the North Pole? Desperate times call for desperate
actions. She's only fifteen. The poor thing has been through a lot in a
short time. I don't really blame her.>
        Uranus, on the other hand was outraged. She jumped from her seat
and leaned towards the angry teen. "Why you... How dare you talk to the
Queen that way. Didn't your mother..." But she was cut short by a subtle
motion of her Queen's small white hand. <Sniffling brat, you need a
beating,> she thought and sat down.
        Serenity turned towards the angry Jewel Wielder. "Amber, I'm not
trying to demean your position and I understand that you are worried
about Rhetta. We all are. But I had planned that Sailor Moon and Jewel
Wielders would hold off any attacks from the ship since the outer
defenses are still inoperable." She watched Amber's reaction with a
patience born of dealing with Rei for over a thousand years. The short
teenager's fists balled and her eyes narrowed into small, hazel slits.
        Amber talked carefully, trying hard to control her emotions,
trying to hold off the tears threatening to overcome her. "I know where
she is," she said flatly, without emotion.
        "That's impossible, Amber," interrupted Neptune. "Scans of the
ship have proven useless. We have no indications of what is inside that
ship."
        <I can't take this much longer. I'm going to crack soon...> She
took a deep breath and let it out slowly, in a controlled manner,
silently willing away the tears forming in her eyes. Her face became
blank as she fought her emotions.
        Uranus didn't give her a chance to answer. "Do you claim to know
more than the scientific abilities of Sailor Mercury, the psychic powers
of Sailor Mars, or even the sophisticated computers of the Crystal
Palace?" This was too much for the fifteen year old girl, who suddenly
felt like she was on trial for murder. She let out a shaky breath,
revealing finally the depth of her emotions.
        Saturn, until this moment, had watched the exchange silently,
considering all sides. She understood Uranus' intense loyalty towards
Crystal Tokyo, but at the same time, she understood Amber's deep loyalty
towards her kidnapped friend. <Reenie was my very first friend. I know I
would have done the same for her a million times over.> "Let the child
explain herself, Uranus. She may somehow have information we do not."
        Amber shot Sailor Saturn a grateful look. <Finally, a chance to
explain.> With an encouraging nod from Neo-Queen Serenity, she
continued, "I had a dream last night." She watched Uranus' face erupt in
renewed outrage. Neptune pushed her firmly back into her chair. "I know
you must think I'm nuts, but I'm not. I saw that ship in my dreams. The
ship was heavily guarded and the halls were narrow. I wandered around
long enough to know that there are three main rooms at the center of a
maze of halls."
        "And you found Rhetta?" asked Serenity.
        Amber stopped for a moment, readying herself for the painful
answer.
*************************************************************************
*
        Mars shuddered as Mercury began to carefully take apart the back
of the robot's neck. With her arms crossed in displeasure, the dark
haired Sailor Scout stayed close to the exit. She had always hated the
science labs. The walls were bare, the air sterile. It had never been a
welcoming environment for Rei. <That's disgusting!> she complained
silently. "How the heck can you do that, Amy?"
        Mercury chuckled as she worked. It had been awkward the first
few pieces she dislodged from the robot. But after a few minutes she had
forgotten who the robot was supposed to be and had begun to see it
simply as an interesting scientific puzzle to solve. "There is a simple
answer. This robot is not a person." For the first time in a few days
the feeling of helplessness she had carried with her had faded away. The
energy emissions of the robot had quickly proven to be predictable. Now
it was a matter to find its central processing unit. From that, she
surmised, it would be simple to detect other robots.
        "I've got it!" the blue haired Sailor Scout said triumphantly.
        "Amy!" her friend snapped, "Don't you dare tell me you pulled
out a major organ."
        Sailor Mercury turned, holding up a small, round metallic
object, with a tiny pair of tweezers. "No, I have found the robot's
central processing unit. Assuming, of course, that all of Yargus robot's
emit the same energy signature, we should now be able to successfully
detect our mechanical enemies."
        "Fine, but do it fast before Yargus decides to attack again."
        Mercury ignored her retort and walked over to her computer
console. She pressed a square crystal button, and a small scanner
emerged. She placed the minuscule metallic chip onto the scanners
diagnostic center and said, "Begin scan for identical energy signatures
through out the Crystal Palace."
        "It shouldn't be long," advised Mercury.
        "I certainly hope so," replied her disgruntled companion.
*************************************************************************
*
        Skye watched the other children play as she peeked around the
corner. <I don't wanna play,> she complained to herself. Sophie was
playing a really stupid game with the kids, Ring Around the Rosy. All of
them were holding hands and walking in a circle, singing. <I want Mama
and Mommy.>
        Sophie suddenly stopped singing. A weird look appeared upon her
face, as if she was void of emotion. Her eyes suddenly glowed red.
Children began to cry and scream, older children pulling away the
younger ones to hide. Skye saw this and her eyes widened. <Sophie's
sick?> she wondered.
        She floated slowly over to Sophie, studying her. She wasn't
afraid like the others. <Mommy and Mama had said that Sophie would take
good care of me. Mama and Mommy are Sailor Scouts,> she thought to
herself proudly, <They know stuff like that. But how come Sophie's eyes
are so weird? Does she have fake ones like that weirdo cook lady in the
kitchen?>
        Suddenly Sophie's head snapped towards Skye's direction.
"Detection accomplished," she said. But it wasn't Sophie's voice. The
voice was electronic, unlike the kind woman's soft and pleasant voice.
Skye's eyes almost bugged out of her head and she began to back away.
<What happened to Sophie?>
        "You!" Sophie commanded, an angered look appearing on her face.
"You will come here NOW!" she shouted.
        Skye almost flew around the corner. "Not!" she said out loud.
<What's happening? Sophie's my friend. I don't think that's Sophie...>
The little girl shouted in alarm as a cold, hard hand grabbed her by the
back of the neck.
        "Now!" said the menacing voice, "You are mine!"
*************************************************************************
*
        Amber leaned onto the table, trying to control her shaking
limbs. "I was about to be clobbered by two robots when Skye suddenly
popped into my dreams." Uranus quieted instantly and Neptune's eyes
widened. "She blew away one of the robots. Then she led me to this door.
She showed me the code and the door opened." Amber covered her face with
trembling hands to hide her tears.
        Serenity pulled the girl into her arms and let her cry. <I can
only imagine what you saw.> Then she wondered silently, <But can this be
true?>
        "It was awful," Amber said between sobs. "Her arms and legs were
tied. She was out cold." She looked up at the Queen with anguished eyes.
"Tubes and stuff were sticking out of her body..." She clutched tightly
at the taller woman's shoulders with her small hands. "There were
bruises all over her body." Serenity felt Amber's sobs as they racked
her short body. She rubbed the girl's back gently in an attempt to calm
her. "I couldn't..." the teenager began sorrowfully, "I couldn't save
her."
        Super Sailor Saturn shut her eyes as the horrific image filled
her mind. <Maybe if we got to her quickly enough I could save her.>
Uranus and Neptune looked at each other wishing that the girl's dream
was not true.
        The Queen fought her own tears as she soothed the sobbing Jewel
Wielder in her arms. "Amber, we'll do our best to get her home safely."
She remembered being told of Eden's dream by her mother, how she had
dreamt of Rhetta's capture. <Could it be true?>
        An electronic beep interrupted her thoughts, alerting her to an
incoming voice message. "Neo-Queen Serenity, this is Sailor Mercury.
Another robot has been successfully detected."
        "Where?" asked the Queen, nervous of her answer.
        "In the safe zone," said Mercury.
        Neptune and Uranus practically flew from their seats. Saturn
waited for a quick nod from the Queen and followed. "I'm going to kill
it!" roared Uranus as she made her way quickly down the corridor.
        Amber pulled away, stunned. "Isn't Skye in the safe zone?" she
wondered.
        "Yes," said the Queen gravely.
        Amber turned towards the door. "I have to help Skye," she said.
        But she was stopped by Neo-Queen Serenity who grabbed her firmly
by a forearm.
        "Mercury, Mars, proceed to the Main Control Room. Amber," she
said with a softer tone, "I'll think about what you said. I understand
how hard that was for you. But I want you to go outside and stand guard
with the others. When Yargus figures out that his last spy has been
taken out, there's going to be hell to pay!"
*************************************************************************
*
        Amber went to the group outside. Super Sailor Venus, Neo-Eternal
Sailor Moon, Eden, Lyn, and Hannah were deep in discussion about the
possible weak points of Yargus' ship. "I don't know, Hannah," said
Venus, "I don't know how the weakest point of the ship could be its main
weapons array in the center."
        They stopped as they saw the puffy eyed Jewel Wielder approach.
"What did Her Highness decide?" asked Hannah.
        "Nothing. Mercury was able to detect another robot," answered
the teenager as she activated her amber jewel.
        She was barely able to finish her sentence when the strange ship
above began to emanate another energy arc.
        "Get ready!" yelled Super Sailor Venus.
        "Right!" said Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon. She produced her scepter
out of its subspace pocket, flew a few feet into the air, and yelled,
"Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack!"
        "Fine," Hannah stated flatly as she raised her staff high into
the air and began to form a protective barrier around her Princess.
        "Let's kick some butt!" muttered Amber, her hazel eyes narrowing
in concentration. Her jewel glowing brightly on her forehead, she
gathered a strong swirl of yellow-orange energy around her. Lyn backed
her up with a shield of emerald energy that surrounded her, providing
protection during her upcoming attack.
        Venus stopped for a moment, worried about Amber. <She's taking
this really hard. I hope she's okay." She raised both hands in the air
and shouted, "Venus Crystal Power!" and smiled as orange energy began to
gather between her hands. She was startled momentarily as a purple aura
surrounded her. She looked to her right to find Eden just behind her,
the amethyst glowing brightly on her forehead, her energy forming a
protective dome around them both.
        "Here it comes!" yelled Sailor Moon. A perfectly round, ebony
colored energy arc pulsed smoothly from the evil ship above. "Now!"
shouted Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon as she unleashed her attack.
        Amber shouted in all her rage as she let the biggest, most
powerful swirl of energy she had ever created into the air. Super Sailor
Venus felt her energy pulse from her body towards the oncoming dark
energy.
        But their attack was not powerful enough. The ebony energy
pulsed through their combined attack easily, and threw them all
violently to the ground. As it hit the Crystal Palace, the entire
building shook from the impact, several explosions taking place on the
outer structure.
*************************************************************************
*
        "Damn it!" swore Jupiter, as she surveyed the damage from the
last energy arc. "It's stronger than the last one!"
        Mercury and Mars ran into the room. "Let me guess," said Mars
sarcastically, "our evil friend decided to announce his presence again."
        "It's more like he is announcing his intentions," responded
Mercury.
        "We can't take another hit like that!" said Neo-King Endymion.
He turned as his wife ran into the room.
        "One more hit like that, Meatball Head, and we'll all be
destroyed," he said in a grave tone of voice.
        Serenity nodded. They had discussed this possibility many years
ago. There was only one way left for Crystal Tokyo to be saved. She
hadn't been able to do this during the attack of the Black Moon Family;
the Silver Crystal had disappeared. But now, eleven years later, it was
her last resort. <Can we have no peace?> she asked herself as she walked
to the center of the room, the exact center of the Crystal Palace, the
nucleus of Crystal Tokyo.
        Endymion met her there and took her hands in his. Serenity
looked to Mercury and said, "Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, take Venus and the
Jewel Wielders. Find Rhetta and take care of Yargus." Before they could
argue, she continued, "We'll keep Crystal Tokyo safe. We have to, it's
our destiny."
        Endymion pulled her into his arms and kissed her lovingly. "This
time, we do this together," he whispered. She nodded and still in his
embrace, called forth the Silver Crystal.
        The Scouts gasped, but said nothing. They knew their duty and
they understood the risk to everyone. The three women ran quickly from
the room. Mars stopped just outside the exit, turned, and whispered,
"Please be careful."
        Neo-Queen Serenity pulled away from her husband. With her
husband at arm's length, and with his powerful hands still clasping
hers, she watched as the Silver Crystal appeared between them. As he
nodded his encouragement, she called upon its power, "Silver Crystal,
help us save our home. Help us save Crystal Tokyo!"
        Brilliant white light emanated from the Crystal. It was
channeled by the two monarchs into the air, blasting through the
Palace's infrastructure. From the apex of the Crystal Palace, the
brilliant white energy fanned out in all directions forming a protective
dome around the Palace itself.
        <I wish you all success...> prayed the Queen, <The future of
Crystal Tokyo depends on it!>

The End.

DESTINY AT HAND - Part One

        As Eden and Amber appeared in the darkened corridor of the ship,
Amber
swore never again to agree to a Sailor Teleport. <Oh man, we have to
figure out our own way to get around, Teleports majorly suck!>
        Eden looked at her short haired friend and smiled, despite their
surrounding.  Noticing Amber's unamused grimace she knew exactly what the
Jewel Wielder was thinking.  Her thoughts sobered quickly as she noticed
that she was alone with Amber and Lyn. "Where are the other?"
        "Funny, you'd think after a thousand years they'd get good at
Teleporting." Commented Amber.
        "I hope nothing happened to them." Wondered the purple haired
teenager.
Lyn threw them both a look that would ignite stone. "It doesn't matter,"
he growled.
"we have a job to do, so lets do it."
"Hey, don't be incentive," pounced Amber, "those Scouts are our parents,
and last time I checked we should be worried about them."
The tall brown haired teenager glared down at her. "Last time I checked
they are over a thousand years old and can take care of themselves." He
pointed a finger in her face and began to shout. "Neo Eternal Sailor Moon
and Hannah can kick butt any day. Our job is to FIND RHETTA, that's what
we've come for and that's what we'll do."
"How dare you think I don't care about Rhetta, I love her too you know!"
Amber shouted back in response.
Eden squeezed herself between her two friend. "No one is accusing you of
anything Amber," she said calmly. "But Lyn is right. No matter where the
others are, or what danger they are in, we have our duty."
Lyn and Amber continued to glare at each other. Amber, though angry
could
not deny her duty. <Good for nothing idiot, when this is over, I'm going
to kick your butt...your not the only one who misses Rhetta...> She
nodded
in agreement.
"This is your dream come true Amber, lead the way." Said Eden.
Amber backed off from Lyn, turned towards a darkened, metallic corridor,
and began to lead her friends to Rhetta.
*************************************************************************
*
************
As the light from the Sailor Teleport faded, Hannah quickly noticed that
they had not arrived at their destination.
"It seems the plot thickens." She stated to Neo Eternal Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon looked around in awe. The place was familiar to her. A thick
fog surrounded them, impairing their vision.  She saw a light in the
distance and suddenly remembered. Grabbing Hannah by the arm, she led her
forward. "I know where we are Hannah, exactly."
They walked through the thick fog for about three feet until they
encountered a mysterious figure, who blended into the surroundings.
Hannah wiped her staff out of its subspace pocket and pointed it
menacingly towards her possible enemy. "Who is there?" she called out.
A voice chuckled in amusement. <Funny, she has good reflexes, Sailor Moon
did not even produce her scepter when I almost  attacked her in front of
the Door of Time..> "Hannah, Neo Eternal Sailor Moon, welcome to my
domain."
Neo Eternal Sailor Moon broke into a huge, amused smile. Hannah's
reaction
was less than enthusiastic. To Hannah, most everything was black and
white. She had a duty to perform, there was no time for a social call.
"Sailor Pluto." She uttered, as if answering an unspoken question.
<Wonderful, the time is at hand to destroy Yargus and she decides to have
us visit.> "Wonderful."  Hannah complained out loud. "THIS is just
wonderful."
*************************************************************************
*
************
        Super Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus arrived in the
darkened
corridor of the metallic ship.
        Jupiter looked around in shock. "Where did the kids go?"
        "I don't know." Said Mercury. She activated her visor and began
to
scan both her surroundings in both possible directions. She winced at the
strange readings. She could find no proof of the existence of any life
forms on the ship, not even theirs.
        "This is just great." Complained Mars. "How are we supposed to
get the
job done, when we don't even know what the others are doing?"
        "Or if they are actually on the ship." Said Venus.
        "Let's hope they haven't been captured by Yargus." Added Jupiter.
        Mercury startled for a moment. Though her need to find her
daughter
was great, the possibility of defeating Yargus once and for all had
momentarily distracted her from Rhetta's plight. She shook her head,
avoiding the tears threatening to break free once again. "There is no way
to know. I can not establish any life signs on the ship at all. The walls
are built by an unknown metallic substance that seems to be blocking my
scan. But Amber did say, that in her dreams there were three main
chambers. We could safely assume that if they are on the ship, Sailor
Moon
and the Jewel Wielders will eventually meet with us."
        Venus nodded in agreement. "I guess we have to trust that our
kids can
take care of themselves."
        "And that they know their duty." Added Jupiter, knowing full well
that
Eden would not stray.
        Mars shook her head. "Lyn and Amber are pretty stubborn, at least
if
they fight, we'll be able to hear if from across the ship.
        Mercury smiled despite her worries. <Be strong Rhetta, we are
coming
for you!> "Let's go in this direction." She said pointing directly in
front of them.
*************************************************************************
*
************
 "You brought us here Pu, why?" asked Neo Eternal Sailor Moon. "We should
be on Yargus' ship, finding Rhetta."
"We are wasting our time here." Complained Hannah. "We will miss the
final
battle."
"The Sailor Scouts and Jewel Wielders will be fine." Answered the
Guardian
of the Door of Time. "Destiny is at hand Sailor Moon, and you alone must
answer its call
 "She can do that later. Right now the lives of her friends and family
depend on her presence on that ship." Hannah was not about to back down,
she really didn't care what status Pluto held or how powerful she was.
"All is as it should be." Said Pluto, knowing they would never
understand.
But she did. "You will both be there Hannah, I would not deprive you of
such an event. Nevertheless to maintain the balance of time, my
interference was necessary." <They will not understand, it is my failure
to find Obsidian in the first place that has made this situation
necessary.>
        A look of surprise came over the young Sailor Scout's face. "So
my
dream was real?" She watched the Guardian of Time as she nodded her
ascent. "I thought it was just some majorly bizarre dream.  So Obsidian
was real too..." She paused for a moment, remembering her dream. " I do
want to free him Puu, if I can. But not now. I have to find Rhetta, she
was captured because of me and its my responsibility to save her. I have
a
duty as Sailor Moon, I can't abandon it because of one person."
        Super Sailor Pluto's expression softened. She understood the
young
Sailor Scout's pain all too well. "Small Lady, don't blame yourself for
what happened to Rhetta." She put a kind hand on her charge's shoulder.
"Our destinies all follow different paths. Yours is to free Obsidian." <I
cannot force you to do this Small Lady, please agree, I don't wish to
beg.>
        "Why should Sailor Moon free a man she doesn't know, that she
only
dreamed about, at a moment's notice when it is time to destroy Yargus.
You
of all people should understand the threat he is to the well being of
Crystal Tokyo." She said this with great anger, slamming the base of her
staff in emphasis. "The needs of one captured man does not compare to the
needs of a whole people."
        "It is imperative that you go now. While you can still can. I do
not
know how long you have to free Obsidian.  But I can tell you this. Yargus
has been gravely underestimated." She made a disgusted face, embarrassed
of her failure to do her duty. "Even I have not been able to stop him. I
almost killed myself maintaining control over the Door of Time." She
watched as Sailor Moon's eyes widened and as Hannah raised a suspicious
eyebrow. "As the situation is now, he cannot be stopped. If you free
Obsidian you may have a chance. Serenity is using the Silver Crystal to
shield her Kingdom from harm. She will be too weak to defeat Yargus with
it. It is my hope that Obisdian will posses a means for you to do so."
        Hannah rolled her eyes. <It is not like Pluto to send us on a
wild
goose chase..> "And what stake to you have this adventure, and why can
you
not go yourself?"
        Pluto looked at the child and shook her head. If she had not know
the
girl's future purpose she would discouraged such behaviour long before
now. "My personal involvement in this matter is none of your concern" she
replied curtly. "I have never strayed from my duty, despite  its cost. I
cannot free Obsidian myself. When he was captured by Queen Beryl,
Mettalia
cast a spell that allowed him to stay undetected from the stream of time.
Until I understood your dream, Small Lady, I had feared him dead. I
cannot
free him. I cannot leave the Door of Time for fear that Yargus will try
and abuse it again."
        "So if I free him, he might have a way to defeat Yargus?"
        "That I hope is true."
        "I'll do it then." Said Neo Eternal Sailor Moon. 
        Pluto tried not to sigh in relief. She turned towards the Door of
Time, raised her staff and commanded it to open. As they watched the Door
of Time open, Pluto turned once again to Sailor Moon. "Be careful Small
Lady. Remember, I will be watching you, as will another."
        The two teenagers entered the time portal and the Guardian of
Time
heard their last words. These made her smile. 
        "Let us hope that she does not mean that annoying Tuxedo Mask."
complained Hannah.
        "I wouldn't mind if he showed up." said Sailor Moon with
amusement in
her voice.
*************************************************************************
*
        The Jewel Wielders didn't even get very far down the corridor
before
they encountered resistance. A robot advanced menacingly towards them,
weapons poised to fight. The three teenagers looked behind them to find
another identical robot poised to attack. The robots were tall, slim and
shiny. The foreign metal of their construction was so shiny, it reflected
the light from their jewels painfully back into their eyes.
        "Yargus isn't wasting any time." Lyn commented dryly.
        "Yeah, he's pulling out the good ammunition." said Eden, looking
from
one robot to the other.
        Amber was not surprised. These were identical to the ones who had
almost defeated her in her dreams. "Watch out guys, these ones are
nothing
like we've encountered before. They pack quite a punch."
        "Then its time for some robot crunching." said Lyn. 
        "Fine." said Amber. She looked slowly from one robot to another,
"I am
Amber, wielder of the sacred amber jewel."
        Eden stood to her right. "I am Eden, keeper of the sacred
amethyst
jewel."
        "I am Lyn," growled her tall male companion, "keeper of the
sacred
Emerald."
        Amber's face took on a look of such amusement, Eden wondered if
she
had finally cracked. She laughed almost maniacally. "Consider yourselves
toast."
*************************************************************************
*
        The Inner Scouts were confronted by four, of the same robots, two
before them, and two behind them.
        "Looks like the welcome wagon is here." Mars commented
sarcastically.
        "Let's not disappoint them." said Jupiter, ready for a fight.
        Mercury was frustrated. <I just want to find Rhetta, I don't want
to
fight, I just want to bring my girl home, safe and sound.> Anger flared
in
her, an anger her controlled, disciplined mind had never allowed her to
feel before. She pulled her arms to her chest and shouted: "Shine Aqua
Illusion!" She watched in perverse fascination as her violent attack hit
the robot in its metallic torso.<You will pay for taking my child Yargus.
I will make you feel my pain.> As if in response, the four robots began
their advance.
        The three other Super Sailor Scouts advanced on their mechanical
prey.
        "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
        "Mars Fire Sniper!"
        "Jupiter, Oak Evolution!"
        Mercury, enrapt in her rage, tried again! "Mercury Aqua
Rhapsody!"
        The four women pulled back as their attacks met their intended
targets
and they shielded themselves with their forearms from the intensity of
the
blasts. But when a response of laser fire rained down upon them, they
dove
to the floor.
        "This is going to take a while." complained Venus.
*************************************************************************
*
        Uranus burst into the safe zone, followed by Super Sailors
Neptune and
Saturn. The three Outer Scouts stopped dead in their tracks. Sophie, her
eyes glowing mechanical red, held Skye by her neck, at arms length. The
girl's diamond energy flowed around her, making hard for the robot to
bring her in any closer.
        "You let her go right now!" hissed Uranus in a deep, menacing
tone,
"Or face my WRATH!" she yelled.
        "Commencing offensive maneuvers." said Sophie's impostor. The
palm of
her free hand opened up to reveal two small, smooth grey spheres. She
turned her palm downward letting the two drop to the ground.
        Skye tried to look towards her mother, but could not turn her
head.
"Mommieee!! Mama!" she whimpered, pulling at the fingers around her neck.
        "Where's coming for you Skye!" shouted Uranus, she tried to
advance
but was stopped as the robot raised its hand. 
        "If you continue, I will drop the girl, she will be destroyed."
She
motioned to the two spheres, now mutating before their eyes.
        They began to grow, at first simply expanding and then forming
what
would be a head and limbs. Their size increased to about four feet, a
humanoid shape formed. Their heads were as smooth as the rest of their
metallic bodies, and featureless. Small weapons openings formed at
various
points. What should have been the palms of humanoid hands, held small
laser weapons, the knees opened up to reveal the same. "One move," said
the impostor, "and the child will be destroyed."
        Neptune heard the whimpers of other children hiding from the
robot.
She watched her daughter's face fill with renewed fear, little teardrops
streaking down her reddened cheeks. The power of Skye's diamond began to
glow with an unexpected intensity, but the robot still would not release
her.
        She heard her partner growl in anger and put a hand on her
shoulder to
restrain her. She shook her head silently.
        Saturn looked at the two Outer Scouts anguished faces as they
watched
their precious little girl suffer so. "We must be cautious in our attack,
we cannot harm the other children."
        Uranus growled again. The robot would pay, she would take it
apart,
bit by bit with her own bare hands and feed the pieces one by one into a
pit of acid. Then she would dance over the remains. "Wonderful." she
commented through gritted teeth.
*************************************************************************
*
        Rhetta struggled to stay conscious. Through her swollen eyes she
could
see very little, but she knew that her hearing was still good. She had
been awakened by the sounds of someone being dragged into the room.
        She heard, as if she was miles away, a male voice shout his
defiance,
swearing that Neo Queen Serenity herself would protect Crystal Tokyo to
the bitter end. He yelled some more, vowing to his captor that the Sailor
Scouts and even the young Jewel Wielders would stop him once and for all,
would make him pay for his attacks. The other figure in the room laughed
almost maniacally. 
        The sound of that throaty, viscious laugh made her stomach turn
in
revulsion. She heard footsteps and a callused, rough hand caressed her
cheeks and her battered body shrank away in disgust.
        "This one has taken longer than expected, but she will not last
long.
Soon, my young man, you will face the same fate." the dreadful voice
explained to its newest captive.
        Rhetta had managed to resist the process as much as possible to
stay
alive. She had secretly drawn from the power of her ruby as a lifeline.
But is power was fading. Recent quakes in the ship told that an offensive
against Yargus had finally begun. <I have to stay alive.> She encouraged
herself. <I have to stay alive so that the new one will not suffer the
same fate as I have.> As she succumbed once again to unconsciousness, one
thought comforted her. <They will come and save me now...>
*************************************************************************
*
        Neo Eternal Sailor Moon and Hannah arrived in what Sailor Moon
knew to
be the old Negaverse complex in the North Pole. As if on cue, Hannah
asked
"Where are we? What is this disgusting place?"
        Her pigtailed friend smiled. "Well, we are in the old Negaverse
base,
the one the Scouts took down in the final battle with Metallia over a
thousand years ago." She marveled silently at the accuracy of her dream.
"This is totally weird Hannah, this is my dream, exactly." She began to
walk forward and was about to lean against the wall for support when she
stopped. "Oh, just to warn you Hannah, the walls are pretty gross, don't
touch them."
        Hannah shot her an unamused look. <We are wasting our time. Pluto
will
answer for this, I promise.> She produced her staff; the light of her
jewel began to glow. "It is not much light, but I will do. Perhaps we
will
not trip over any relics of the Negaverse."
        Sailor Moon half expected to hear Obsidian's voice calling to
her,
leading her to him once again. The only sound that echoed was their
footsteps hitting the cold, stone floor and the sounds of moisture
dripping off mildewed walls. "In my dream I encountered an old Negaverse
monster and a robot."
        Hannah raised an eyebrow in comment and stared at her Princess in
exasperation. "I CAN believe that this is the old Negaverse base, fine. I
can believe that you must free this Obsidian, though Pluto had better not
be in error. But I find it terribly hard to believe that one of Yargus'
robots found its way here to destroy us."
        The princess of Crystal Tokyo flung a long pink ponytail over her
shoulder. "Hannah, I'm used to the fact that nothing surprises you
normally. But you didn't even blink when Pluto mentioned Obsidian or my
destiny."
        Her dark haired friend nodded and smiled gently. "Long before I
knew
that I would be a Jewel Wielder I had a dream. A figure was before me,
tall, carrying a staff adorned with a brilliant gem. The voice was male
and told me that I was destined to be your guardian. He explained that
the
time for you to face your destiny would soon present itself and that when
the proper time arrived, you would know what to do." She smiled gently at
her companion, a show of affection, that Sailor Moon had rarely seen
since
her friend had taken their oaths as Jewel Wielders. "Before that dream, I
knew that I would follow you to the ends of the universe without question
Serenity, you are my friend. But after that dream, it was clear that it
was also my duty to do so." She smiled broadly all of the sudden. "This
is
not the edge of the universe, only the North Pole, why should I be
concerned?" 
        Sailor Moon stopped and pulled her friend into a hug. <I'm so
lucky to
have such good friends.> "Thanks Hannah." she said.  Pulling away, she
looked into the once again serious face of her friend. "I would do the
same for all of you."
        Hannah nodded easily. "I know." the short girl replied before
continuing their progress through the darkened area.
*************************************************************************
*
        "We should end this quickly." said Saturn. "The longer we wait,
the
larger the chance the children will be harmed. She looked towards the
impostor of Sophie, a woman she had trusted her child with. "I will take
care of this impostor." she said, raising the Silence Glaive.
        Neptune and Uranus nodded to each other. As the two small robots
began
to fire, the two Super Outer Scouts began their attacks.
        "World Shaking!"
        "Deep Submerge!"
        At the same moment, Saturn launched a powerful blast at her
enemy,
certain that Skye would be able to withstand the blast with the large
shield she had erected around herself. Her parents released their attacks
towards the smaller robots.
        Saturn's blast hit Sophie's midriff and sent her flying
backwards. But
she did not release her young captive. The little girl  began to scream
in
fear, she pointed a palm towards her captor's face and sent an arrow of
diamond energy that landed just between the robot's glowing eyes.
        Sophie's impostor clutched at her eyes and dropped the little
girl.
Skye crawled backwards, in a crab like fashion and watched with wide,
fearful eyes as the two smaller robots exploded and the three Sailor
Scouts surrounded the distracted robot.
        Skye threw herself at her Mama and attached herself to the green
haired Outer Scout's leg with a grib unlike anything the woman had felt
before. "Don't worry Skye," said Neptune comfortingly, "its over now."
        The mechanical impostor, her face smoking from the little girl's
attack, looked around at the three Sailor Scouts who were ready to
attack.
        Uranus smiled, the smile of a hunter before the capture of its
prey.
"Now," she said in a husky voice, "my turn."
*************************************************************************
*
        The robot was much harder to destroy than in her dreams and Amber
was
by no means impressed. She launched  a series of small, letal spirals
towards
her enemy. <At this rate, Yargus will take over the galaxy.> she
complained to herself.
        Eden and Lyn were faring little better. The robot was beginning
to
weaken, a few of its multiple lasers had been destroyed. Lyn was
mercilessly attacking the robot, sending an unfailing shower of emerald
rectangles towards his prey.
        Eden turned to help Amber. "Amber duck!" She shouted while
shielding
herself from an oncoming blast. She raised both hands towards the robot
and sent a larger, brilliant blast of purple energy squarely in the
humanoid robot's torso. The explosion was large and smoky. 
        Amber was glad that she had ducked and waited for a moment until
the
smoke cleared. But then, she liked her friend's intentions. "Tag team,
YES!" hollered the short haired Jewel Wielder. She jumped up and the two
girls began to pelt the robot in front of them steadily with their
attacks.
        Lyn decided that they were wasting too much time. <I have to save
Rhetta, this is doing me no good!> "ENOUGH!" he yelled so fiercely that
his two friends jumped. His emerald energy began to glow brightly around
him. A large rectangle of energy formed as tall as the Jewel Wielder
himself. With a shout of rage, he sent it violently towards his enemy.
The
attack quickly impacted with its target. The battered robot fell to the
ground and erupted into a powerful explosion that knocked Lyn to his
knees.
        "Hey cool idea!" said Amber. She gathered a large swirl of her
power
around herself, feeding it with her anger, her need to stop Yargus, the
capture of her best friend, the pain Yargus' attacks had caused her
friends and family.
        Eden did the same, the image of Rhetta's capture fresh in her
mind,
remembering screaming in terror as the large mechanical hand had closed
on
her friend.  Anger flared in her as the robot disappeared instantly,
leaving them all, injured and helpless. Her energy output became so
fierce, it almost blistered her skin.
        "NOW!" shouted Amber. The two girls let loose the torrent of
their
energy towards the attacking robot. The impact of their collective power,
that hit their target simultaneously, caused the robot to shatter into a
thousand pieces and then exploded. Amber wasted no time and waved her
friend around the flaming remains and further down the corridor. "It's
this way, I'm sure of it!"
*************************************************************************
*
        The Inner Scouts stood, back to back, in a circle, the power of
their
respective planets swirling around them. Mars smiled in satisfaction
enjoying the sight of the smoldering remains of the four robots that
attacked them. A similar smile appeared on Mercury's face, an
uncharacteristic mannerism that surprised the other scouts. Jupiter eyes
widened at the sight. "You okay Mercury?" she asked hesitantly. It was
usually Mars they had to tip toe around, not Mercury.
        The blue haired Super Sailor Scout shook her head and nodded.
"I'm
fine." answered and activated her visor. She began to type away at her
mini computer. "I still cannot register any definitive readings." she
said
somewhat absentmindedly, the glorious feeling of revenge against Yargus
still burning within her. <We will find you Yargus,> her mind swore
silently, <we WILL destroy you.>
        Venus shrugged her shoulders. She understood her friend's
distraction,
they all did. Motherhood had brought out a fierceness in all of them,
that
not even Mercury could deny. "Where do we go?"
        Mercury didn't have the answer. She really didn't care, all she
wanted
to do was find her daughter and make Yargus pay for his actions. "We
should proceed on our original course."
        Mars nodded. <If Yargus took my child, I'd rip out his insides
one
organ at a time...I've never seen her like that before. She can't even
tell us which way to go.> "Then lets go. Okay Yargus," she said to thin
air, "you better break out everything you've got. This is it!"
*************************************************************************
*
        Hannah and Sailor Moon found their way into a dark corridor. <Why
must
every evil lair have long, winding, dark corridors?> Hannah complained to
herself.
        "There should have been a cave." said Sailor Moon, comtemplating
her
dream. "The cave where the little girl turned into a Negaverse monster."
        "You have imaginative dreams Serenity." said Hannah.
        They came to a large wooden door, its white and rotted with age.
Sailor Moon stopped and stared up at the thick, tall door for a moment.
"This is the door to the throne room." She said in amazement, "Finally
something looks familiar." She tried the ornate door knob, but the door
would not budge. 
        "Allow me." said Hannah. She pointed her staff towards the
ancient
door, and fired a single, blue-black blast towards it. The door exploded
and the two teenagers shielded themselves from sharp shards of wood.
        Sailor Moon gasped. A little girl stood at the opening. The girl
was
the cutest girl the two had ever seen. She had blond pigtails and large
blue eyes. She looked to be around five years of age. The winged Sailor
Scout began to back away.
        Hannah looked at the girl and then over her shoulder to the
retreating
Sailor Scout. "What is this?" she asked in confusion.
        "You should not be here." said the little girl. But her voice was
not
young and sweet, but old and haggard, as if she had been alive a few
thousand years.
        "She's was in my dream!" Exclaimed Sailor Moon. "Look!" 
        The girl began to mutate. Black, evil energy began to emanate
from
her. The now shadowed figure began to grow until it was six feet tall.
Hannah stepped into the doorway, shielding Sailor Moon from what was to
come. She saw a gray clock, reminiscent of Wiseman, with scraggly, long
gray hair that hung from a tangled mess from the hood.  Its hands were
long, gnarled, with pointed black and green sharp-looking nails. Hannah
grimaced at the sight. 
        "Obviously your dream was correct." said Hannah.
        The monster's cloak burst open as thousands of thin, prickly
tentacles
lunged towards them. Hannah placed herself in the path of the tentacles
and began her attack. The energy discharge withered the nearest of the
oncoming tentacles, but did not stop them all.
        "Hannah watch out!" called Sailor Moon, who had found her
composure.
She pushed her friend out of the way and was caught by the tentacles as
they wrapped tightly around her ankles. She groaned in pain as the
prickles of the tentacles stuck into her skin. 
        "No Sailor Moon!" yelled Hannah in anger. She pointed her staff
towards the monster and sent a powerful blast in its direction. The
attack
hit its target but this did deter the tentacles that now had wound
themselves around Sailor Moon's wings.
        She leveled another blast near her friend's feet. The tentacles
severed, Sailor Moon reached down to free her feet as her friend leveled
another blast at the monster. Her feet free, she began to stand up, and
found herself aided by a strong pair of hands. She looked over her
shoulder into the smiling face of Tuxedo Mask.
        "Tuxedo Mask, you came!" She said with pleasure.
        Hannah blasted the monster again and looked towards her two
companions. "While I hate to distract you from your loving reunion, but I
NEED HELP HERE!" she shouted in anger.
        "Oh sorry Hannah." Neo Eternal Sailor Moon apologized sheepishly.
She
produced her scepter and aimed it at their enemy. "Crystal Tokyo Princess
Attack!" she shouted. Fuscia coloured energy hit the old Negaverse
Monster. There was a flash as the attack impacted with its target. When
the room darkened again, all that was left was a pile of greyish dust.
"Moon dusted!" said Sailor Moon in triumph. 
        Hannah could not help but smile. Sailor Moon's attack had been
flawless as usual. She looked over to grudgingly thank Tuxedo Mask for
his
help, and gasped. "He is gone!" she said in wonder.
        Sailor Moon turned to where he had been and shook her head.
"Yeah,
he's gone." she said in disappointment. "I shouldn't be surprised, Mom
says Dad was the same way."
        "Oh and now you are making wedding plans?" asked Hannah as they
made
their way through the huge throne room.
        "I didn't say that," replied her friend, blushing at the thought.
"Mind you he is awfully cute.." A groan was the answer she received.
*************************************************************************
*
        Super Sailor Saturn and Uranus burst into the hall of Crystal
Tokyo
where Neo Queen Serenity and Neo King Endymion wielded the Silver Crystal
to protect the palace. Neptune followed a few seconds later, slowed by
the
weight of a six year old, plastered to her hip in fright.
        The palace suddenly shook from the impact of what the Scouts knew
to
be another energy arc. Saturn pressed a crystalline button on the
console,
thankful that the King had been able to reactivate the external viewers.
The view of the compound around the Palace was crowded by wave after wave
of drones as they hurried towards their target.
        "Looks like we have our job cut out for us." said Uranus.
        "What do we do with Skye?" asked Neptune, stroking the little
girl's
back to comfort her.
        "She has fought the drones before." reminded Saturn. She walked
over
to Neptune and leaned down to the girl's level. "Skye darling, you were
very brave when you helped Amber fight the drones." 
        The little girl looked up from her mother's shoulder. Her eyes
were
wide, her cheeks reddened. She looked up into Saturn's kind face and
nodded. "I..I helped Amber." she whispered hesitantly.
        "And you did a really good job." answered Saturn. "Do you think
you
could help me fight the drones?"
        Uranus crossed her arms in objection and shook her head. "The
kid's
terrified of the ship." She scowled, remembering her inability to defend
the palace as her child had screamed in fear.
        "The only other option would be to leave her in the safe zone
with the
others." said Neptune softly, in a tone she knew would get through to her
stubborn partner.
        "Absolutely not!" replied Sailor Uranus.
        "Then its settled." said Saturn. She held out her arms to Skye
and
plucked her out of her mother's arms. "Now, if you get scared you have to
tell me, okay Little One?"
        Skye looked to her parents for permission. Neptune smiled softly
and
Uranus grudgingly agreed. "Okay!" she agreed with a brave smile. 
        "Good girl." answered Saturn.<The child will not have the time to
be
scared, there are too many drones. Now Uranus and Neptune will be able to
fight without worry.>
        A deep, male voice interrupted her thoughts. "Sailor Scouts."
said Neo
King Endymion. Three women and one pigtailed girl rushed over to where
the
King and Queen wielded the Silver Crystal. Neo Queen Serenity stood
still,
with her eyes closed, concentrating on her task. Though experienced at
the
use of her Crystal, the women understood the risk she took. "You must
hurry," he said, and gritted his teeth for a moment as a wave of energy
passed from him. "Serenity is beginning to weaken." His eyes stared up
into the face of the woman he had loved for two thousand years. "The
energy arcs from Yargus' ship are taking their toll. You must stop them,
quickly."
        The Super Outer Scouts nodded and made their towards the exit.
Skye
lingered for a moment, staring up at the monarchs surrounded by the power
of their jewel. "I'll be brave just like you." she whispered, and floated
quickly away to rejoin the adults.
*************************************************************************
*
        "That was disgusting!" complained Hannah, covering her nose as
she
remembered the stench. "I would not imprison my worst enemy there."
        "That was a dungeon room." replied her winged friend. Sailor Moon
remembered visiting that room long before the throne room. <Weird, things
from my dream are not happening in perfect order.>"Not even Yargus?"
Sailor Moon asked with a smile.
        "No, him I would simply kill. It would prevent the possibility of
his
escape." she said firmly.
        Sailor Moon was about to reply and stopped. They came upon a
large
wooden door, similar to the one in the throne room, but not as ornate.
"This is it Hannah, we've finally made it." She turned grabbed the door
knob and opened the door carefully, remembering her clumsy entrance in
her
dream.
        Illuminated by the light of Hannah's jewel, three large crystals
were
could be seen in the dim, blue-black light. Each rested on a perch of
blackened, shiny wood. "Obsidian appeared to me in this room." said
Sailor
Moon. "He told me that it is my destiny to free him." She shook her head.
"I told him I couldn't, that my powers were gone. He said the power was
within me, that it always had been."
        "He was right." her dark haired friend stated. 
        Sailor Moon walked up to the nearest and largest of the three and
peered inside. She could barely make out the figure of a tall man. " This
is Obsidian. We have to hurry." She said in wonder. Stepping back from
the
large crystal imprisonment, she leveled her scepter in its direction and
shouted: "Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack!" A well controlled beam of
fuscia
coloured energy was launched towards her target. 
        A blinding flash resulted from the impact and the two teenage
girls
heard the sound of shattering crystal. Neo Eternal Sailor Moon opened her
eyes and gasped. Before her stood a huge man, well over six feet tall.
His
hair, parted at the center, was brown and hung in small waves down to the
middle of his back.  He wore black pants, a dark green shirt, and a
matching green cape. His image was slightly transparent. She could not
see
the color of his eyes.  In his left hand he held a large staff, made out
of a raven black substance, a large jewel was embedded in what looked to
be like two cupped hands a the top of the staff. The jewel was rainbow
colored, with black lines dispersed throughout. Neo Eternal Sailor Moon's
eyes widened in horror as the man pointed the staff menacingly in her
direction.
        "I do not know who you are," said he said in the deepest voice
she had
ever heard. ",but I am Obisidan, Keeper of the Dreamscape. You will NEVER
deter me from my duty!" 
        "Wait!" said Sailor Moon, waving her arms expressively in front
of
her, "We are not your enemies!"
        "LIAR!" roared Obisidian. Sailor Moon backed away a bit and
Hannah
moved to stand protectively in front of her, her weapon ready. "I have
withstood your taunts and insults long enough! THE NEGAVERSE WILL NEVER
SUCCEED!" Hannah's power's began to glow protectively around the two.
"Nightmare Eternal Onslaught!" yelled the tall, powerful man. A burst of
energy, in the form of small, lethal crystalline shards was launched
towards his adversaries.
        Sailor Moon heard her friend growl in rage as she launched her
most
powerful attack in her newfound enemy's direction. Sailor Moon did not
bother with her normal attack phrase. She launched a powerful amount of
fuscia coloured energy from outstretched, shaking hands and  braced for
impact...
        
TO BE CONTINUED....
        
Destiny At Hand Part 2

        The impact from their attacks threw Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon and
Hannah off their feet. Hannah landed gracefully on one knee still aiming
her staff at their newest of enemies. Sailor Moon landed painfully onto
her backside and cried out in protest.
        <Shades of my mom...> she grumbled to herself. She spread her
wings and effortlessly swept herself into the air and then onto her
feet.
        She produced her scepter from its subspace pocket and prepared
to enact her most vicious attack. She gasped at the sight before her. In
the path of Obisidian's weapon stood Setsuna, not Super Sailor Pluto.
She wore a flowing, cream colored satin gown. Her hair hung loose and
silken around her. On her forehead rested a delicate circlet of gold,
embedded with a pale green stone.
        The pink haired Sailor Scout looked over to her friend, half
expecting Hannah to provide a logical explanation. But the girl only
shrugged her shoulders as bewildered as her friend. Hannah had rarely
seen Setsuna out of her role as Sailor Pluto and did not understand this
incarnation before her.
        Obsidian pulled his weapon out of Setsuna's aim and rested it
comfortably in his left hand. He bowed ornately and smiled at the lovely
sight before him. "I extend profound greetings to you, Setsuna, Crown
Princess of Pluto."
        Setsuna sighed briefly in relief. She had harbored doubts that
this would shake him from his fury. His incarceration in the crystal had
been long and torturous and she understood the extent of his wrath. <You
have not changed in a thousand years my love...> she thought to herself
as she curtsied pristinely before him. "Greetings to you, Obsidian,
Master of the Dreamscape and Crown Prince of Pluto."
        She extended her hands gracefully, expecting him to kiss them,
as he had done thousands of years ago, upon their betrothal.  Instead,
he took two steps towards her, and pulled her into his strong arms. She
gasped as his quick movement but her words were muffled as he kissed her
passionately.
        Sailor Moon was totally enthralled with this most recent
development. <Well this makes sense now. No wonder she was so hot for us
to find Obsidian...> She elbowed her lifelong friend in the ribs and
giggled like the teenager she was. "Isn't this romantic?" she whispered.
        Hannah shook her head angrily. She was tempted to attack the two
in anger. The Sailor Scouts and the Jewel Wielders were embroiled in a
dangerous fight to rid the planet of Yargus and the King and Queen were
wielding the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to protect the Palace
and its occupants from attack. This was no time for passionate reunions.
<Is Pluto that much of a fool? Has she forgotten her duty?> She slammed
the base of her staff onto the cold stone floor and noisily cleared her
throat. "I sincerely regret interrupting this touching moment," she said
sarcastically, "but there are more pressing issues that must be dealt
with."
        Setsuna reluctantly pulled away from Obsidian and nodded. "The
child is correct. This is not the time." In a brief flash of light, she
transformed into Super Sailor Pluto. She turned and aimed her staff
quickly at the remaining crystal prison and whispered, "Dead Scream."
        Hannah had only enough time to shield herself and her Princess
as the crystal tomb shattered into tiny pieces. Where the crystal
imprisonment had remained for over two thousand years now stood a young
man. He was dressed in black, in a similar fashion to Obsidian. His hair
was cropped short except for loose bangs that hung over his forehead.
        Sailor Moon's face exploded into an ecstatic smile. "Oh cool, so
you are real!" she said, with starry, lovestruck eyes.
        Hannah eyed her friend dubiously. <Wonderful...> she thought to
herself, but she found her Princess' pleasure contagious and had to
grin. "If it isn't the Masked Wonder," she cracked
        Pluto looked up into Obisidian's dark eyes and smiled with
pleasure. Obsidian nodded in agreement. "It seems," he commented, his
deep voice startling the three teenagers before him, "that introductions
are in order."
        "Allow me," replied Pluto formally. "This is Obsidian," she
began.
        Hannah nodded. "We know. We knew that while coming here..."
        Pluto ignored her impatient commentary. "Master of the
Dreamscape... and my husband."
        Hannah's shocked glare snapped from Pluto, to Obsidian, to her
Princess, and then to the person she dreaded most in the ancient,
decaying room. "If you are married..." she said reluctantly, "then HE
must be."
        "Oh cool!" interrupted Sailor Moon, "He's your kid!"
        But before a reply could be uttered, Hannah's mood turned
somber. "This is ridiculous. This reunion," she said with vicious
sarcasm, angered at herself for forgetting her duty, their purpose,
"comes at the expense of the others. It is time for us to leave this
place... and to destroy Yargus."
        Obsidian looked to his wife. "Yargus? What of Beryl? Metallia?"
        "Princess Serenity and the Scouts destroyed her over a thousand
years ago," she stated.
        The tall man standing close to her raised his eyebrows
inquisitively. "And what of these girls?"
        Pluto smiled. "This is Neo-Eternal Sailor Moon, also known as
Neo-Princess Serenity or Small Lady." Sailor Moon nodded her greeting.
"She is Princess Serenity's daughter." Obsidian returned the teenager's
nod with a brilliant smile. "The scowling one here," she continued,
pointing to the dark haired teenager before them, "is Hannah, daughter
of Hotaru, Princess of Saturn."
        "You have still not answered why we were brought here," reminded
Hannah sternly.
        "That is because they did not." All eyes turned to the teenaged
boy, just released from his prison of a millenium. "I led you here. I
needed to carry out my father's duty since he was imprisoned outside the
Dreamscape or the timestream. My control over the Realm of Dreams is
limited. I am not its Master, nor is it my calling." In a flash of red
light, he stood before them clad in a sleek black tuxedo, complete with
cape, top hat, and a white mask. "The process of leading you here was
slow. I could not risk detection by any evil forces. But I could not let
you be harmed, so I assumed this form. One it seems you know well,
Princess."
        "Of course," agreed Sailor Moon, remembering his first
appearance.
        The young Tuxedo Mask bowed elegantly before her. "You may call
me by my given name, Miral."
        "And now..." Obsidian began, holding his staff high above him
with his left hand, "we begin..."
*************************************************************************
*

        The pain tore through her, threatening to rip her apart, one
cell at a time. <Yargus is desperate now...> she rationalized.  She had
felt the tremors of the ship, heard the advance of the robots through
the metallic corridors. <He won't win...> She gasped loudly as another
instrument pierced her bruised flesh.
        <I won't let him win... He will never learn what I know...>
Bright colors flashed before her swollen eyes. Her thin, battered body
arched with the pain, she heard her painful scream as it echoed
throughout the laboratory. Drawing from the last of her jewel's energy,
she struggled to open her eyes. She could barely make out the face of a
young man, bound as she was. His body was slumped over; he seemed
unconscious. "I won't give up... Never give up... Never..." she
whispered, her hoarse voice barely audible. The blackness overtook her
once more.
*************************************************************************
*

        The sky was infested with drones. Uranus noticed this and swore
to herself, <We'll never get to the ship at this rate!> She looked over
her shoulder to check on her daughter. The little girl floated behind
Saturn, her little pudgy arms wrapped around the dark haired Scout's
neck. <She'll be fine...> she told herself, trying hard to believe it.
        Neptune approached her daughter and kissed the little girl as
she stared fearfully up into the sky. "You'll be okay, sweetie, Saturn
will take good care of you." The pigtailed girl nodded absently, still
staring up into the crowded space far above her.
        "She will be fine," soothed Saturn, understanding Neptune's
concern. She patted the little girl's hand and said, "Shall we get rid
of some drones, Skye?"
        Skye wasn't sure about the whole thing anymore. The bravery she
had briefly felt inside had melted at the sight of that scary black,
shiny ship surrounded by all those drones. <I don't wanna go back to
that safe room. There's robots there...> she rationalized. She wrapped
her arms safely around Saturn's neck and nodded. "Uh-huh..." she
whispered hesitantly.
        Super Sailor Saturn smiled over her shoulder and said, "Don't
worry, this is the fun part!" She raised the Silence Glaive towards the
swarm of small, robotic devices advancing towards them and prepared to
do battle.
*************************************************************************
*

        They were surrounded. Amber groaned as her shot missed its
target. They were surrounded by a small army of thin, metallic robots
made of shiny, smooth metal. A cloud of drones surrounded them. "Damn
it!" she swore in frustration. There were so many shots reigning down on
the three Jewel Wielders, they were spending most of their time
shielding themselves from blasts and not fighting back.
        Eden wore a strong laser blast directly in the chest and fell
backwards from the impact. Amber knelt down next to her friend and
sighed in relief. "I'm okay, Amber. It just knocked the wind out of me."
        "They aren't playing games now," said Amber. Despite the mixture
of laser fire and projectile ammunition flying toward them, Amber sent a
strong spiral towards the targets before her.
        "The Sailor Scouts must be close to finding Yargus. He's pulling
out everything he's got."
        "Then lets get this over with," said Eden, jumping unsteadily to
her feet. "I'm not going to be able to stand much more of this
pounding..."
        Suddenly a metallic grinding noise could be heard behind them.
Lyn looked over his shoulder to find the passageway from which they had
come blocked off by a descending wall of thick, grayish metal.
"Wonderful, looks like things are getting serious."
        "Yeah, now we're boxed in!" said Eden, cringing as the laser
burn on her chest began to throb painfully.
        "Too bad that wall couldn't take out a few robots as it was
closing..." complained Amber, jumping as small bullet pierced her energy
shield and grazed the side of her cheek. As one hand sent a sleek spiral
of energy towards the drone that effected such an assault, she put the
other hand against the painful gash. She took her hand away and
inspected it. There was a lot of blood. For the first time, Amber was
scared. <Are we in over our heads? Are we going to make it out of here
alive? I don't want to be the youngest person on the Monument to those
who died in the line of duty...>
        The robots and drones closed in on the three teenagers. Amber,
Eden, and Lyn formed a circle, back to back, so that all angles were
covered. "We'd better get our act in gear," warned Lyn, suddenly nervous
himself. <Damn it! I never imagined it would be this bad.>
        Distracted by his thoughts he didn't notice the group of laser
fire blazing towards him and his attempts at shielding himself failed.
He was struck in the chest, and his left thigh. With a gasp of surprise,
he bent to clutch at the source of pain.He didn't see the next shot that
struck him on his right temple, shoving him backward from the impact.
Having all his weight centered on his left thigh, he toppled backwards
easily and the back of his head impacted heavily with the hard, metallic
floor.
        "Lyn!" both girls gasped as Lyn was down and surrounded him
protectively. Eden almost cried at the sight of her unconscious friend.
The wound on his temple bled, as did leg where his thigh had been pierced
by laser fire. Eden couldn't believe that things were going to badly. <At
this rate, we'll never make it out alive...>
        Amber's mind reeled as everything happened too quickly for her
mind to process. "Hannah, Sailor Moon where the hell are you?" she
snarled angrily, "We need you!"
*************************************************************************
*

        An endless stream of robots assaulted the Inner Sailor Scouts,
one by one, they plowed through their adversaries, though more took
their place.
        "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
        "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
        "Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
        "Mars Flame Sniper!"
        These words echoed through the metallic corridors of the ship as
the scouts destroyed the robots one after another.
        Mercury took a moment to scan the area with her visor. They were
proceeding at an agonizingly slow pace. She feared her daughter wouldn't
last that long. The corridor they had followed proven to lead them
nowhere. They had come to a fork in the corridor and were now being
assaulted from three directions. She scanned the two possible directions
they could travel in. To her surprise, the one on the right was
exhibiting large power surges. "This is the way to go!" she yelled
suddenly, and began to plow her way through the metallic obstacles
before her.  "Shine Aqua Illusion!" she shouted and launched her
powerful attack towards an advancing robot.
        The laser shots fired towards them as well as the Super Sailor
Scouts powerful attacks illuminated the dark, cold corridors somewhat
like a light show from fireworks. The other Sailor Scouts followed her
lead, backing themselves towards that direction even as more robots
followed. Venus shouted in pain as a laser blast connected with her
shoulder.
        "You okay, Venus?" asked Jupiter, between her attacks.
        "I'm fine!" the blond Sailor Scout answered, quickly checking
her shoulder. It was only a mild laser burn, nothing to worry about. But
if they were taking mild injuries, how were the Jewel Wielders doing?
She became worried suddenly, wondering if they should have allowed them
access to this battle. <What the hell am I thinking? As if I could've
kept Amber away!>
        A grinding noise could be heard faintly over the sound of
exploding robots. Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter found that all the
corridors were being closed off by thick walls of metal.
        "No!" yelled Mercury. <I have to get to him! I have to find
Rhetta! Look what he's doing to us! We have to stop him!> "We can't let
him block us in!" She became so angry that the power of Mercury began to
shine freely around her. "No one will stop me!" she said in a detached,
emotionless tone of voice. "Mercury Crystal Power!" She launched all the
energy she could towards the wall barring the corridor.
        The blue beam of energy was powerful and merciless in its
onslaught but the barrier did not buckle or bend. "You won't stop me!"
she growled, "I won't let you... you'll never succeed."
        Mars finished off the last robot in front of her. <Stupid move,
Yargus. Box us in so we can finish off what you've sent...> Venus and
Jupiter did the same and then turned to see Mercury's fit of rage.
        "Mercury stop this!" yelled Mars. "We can get through this
easily together; no use weakening yourself over a wall!"
        "No, I'll never stop!" she answered, tears running down her face
as she continued her attack. "Never!" she shouted, her hands shaking
with emotion, never." Suddenly the barrier in front of her crumpled
under her attack. In a move so swift and reckless the Sailor Scout of
Mercury jumped over the heap of melted metal and headed straight into
the path of two, large robots poised to attack.
*************************************************************************
*

        Sailor Saturn fired a powerful blast at the cloud of drones
surrounding them. As they exploded easily, Skye hid her face into the
crook of her neck, avoiding the battle around her. She opened an eye,
peaked, and was surprised at the damage done.
<Wow, they're all gone!> she mused to herself. <Maybe I can do
that too!> But when a drone exploded too close to her for her
liking; the little girl decided otherwise. "Too scary!" she said
out loud.
        Saturn heard the girl's comment and patted the hands tightly
clamping on to her neck. "It's okay, Skye. You're safe with me."
        "Sophie said that too," replied the little girl, rolling her
eyes. <Why do grownups always say that?>
        A large arc of dark, ebony energy gathered dangerously around
the ship. Neptune looked up at the brilliant energy that surrounded the
Palace and shook her head. While the energy from the Silver Crystal
showed no signs of diminishing, she understood the price the Queen would
eventually pay. "We should disable the ship as quickly as possible," she
commented, worried about the state of the two Monarchs inside the
Palace.
        Super Sailor Uranus agreed. "Good then we can get on that ship
and kick some..."
        The energy arch dispersed from the ship and the Scouts knew what
to do. Uranus and Neptune raised their arms into the air and shouted,
"World Shaking!"
        "Deep Submerge!"
        They launched their powerful attacks towards the rapidly
approaching energy arc. But it was not enough, the strength of the
energy arc shoved the two Outer Sailor Scouts to their knees.
        Skye saw her mothers in trouble and let go of Saturn's neck.
"Mommie, Mama!" she yelled and started to float towards them.  Saturn
grabbed her gently by the elbow and stopped them.
        "No don't go there, Skye, they'll be okay. How about we help
them?" She raised the Silence Glaive towards the sky and launched a
viscious blast towards the energy arc. This was enough to lesson the
impact upon Neptune and Uranus.
        Uranus smiled over her shoulder and shouted, "Thanks Saturn!"
        Skye clapped her hands in glee. <Mommie and Mama are winning
now!> "Yay!" she yelled. She looked at Saturn and said, "I wanna help
too!"
        "Okay but you better do it fast, honey, that arc isn't going to
last too long!"
        Skye stared at her bracelet for a moment, willing the diamond to
come to life. It flickered with light for a moment and then went dark.
<Hey, come on... work!> She tapped the diamond with a finger and
suddenly it flared brightly in its setting on her arm. She created a
large arrow and sent it flying into the air and joined the Outer Scouts'
powerful attack.
        The sudden explosion from above as the energy arc collapsed
terrified the little girl. She dropped down and clamped herself tightly
to her guardian's leg.
        Saturn gasped in pain as the little girl's finger pinched the
skin of her thigh. She looked down to find the little girl cowering in
fear. Reaching down, she tugged the girl from her leg and pulled her
into her arms. "I know you're scared, honey.  It'll be over soon!"
        Uranus and Neptune smiled triumphantly at each other. "My turn!"
said Super Sailor Uranus, wearing a mischievous smile.
*************************************************************************
*

        Rhetta struggled for each breath now, concentrating on breathing
in then out. He had stopped torturing her a little while ago. He had
decided drastic procedures were in order. She remembered the sound as he
had rammed his fist onto the metallic console near her, admonishing his
rage against Crystal Tokyo and the Sailor Scouts. He had fled the
laboratory finally... <They will come for me now,> she thought between
painful breaths. <They will save me...> She felt the last of her
strength leaving her and she drew upon the power of her ruby. There was
a brief flash of red light as the ruby shattered. <This is it... There's
nothing more I can rely on...> A tear streamed down her face as the
realization hit her. Death was near... very near. She faintly heard the
voice of the person across from her, as he begged her to be strong, to
stay alive. She could hear his sobs, and understood the pain and fear in
his voice. Now he knew what fate would soon be his... She tried to open
her eyes, but she couldn't summon the strength to do so. "I'll try..."
she whispered weakly... <I'll try...>
*************************************************************************
*

        Neo-Queen Serenity gasped. She had felt something through the
Crystal, as if a great power had been lost. She stared into Endymion's
worried eyes with her own tearful, blue eyes. He nodded in
understanding, having felt the phenomenon. <Oh please Silver Crystal,>
she silently pleaded, <help me bring them all home safely.> Staring into
her husband's eyes, she knew that her wish would not be granted this
day.
*************************************************************************
*

        "Mercury watch out!" shouted Jupiter and tackled the blue haired
Sailor Scout roughly to the ground. Venus and Mars each took aim at one
of the largest pair of robots the team had ever seen.
        "Mars Crystal Power!"
        "Venus Crystal Power!"
        The two robots exploded easily under the onslaught of their
hurried attack.
        Mercury continued to struggle, trying to free herself from
Jupiter's grasp. "Let me go!" she shouted vicously, as she pushed her
friend's arms away from her. "Let me go! I have to find her!" Mars and
Venus each grabbed a shoulder and helped keep her down. They looked at
each other, horrified at their friend's reaction. Mercury had never once
lost control like this. They had fought Beryl... Wiseman... Galaxia, but
never had she acted in such an irrational, desperate way.
        Jupiter grabbed the woman by her shoulder and roughly shook her.
"Snap out of it, Mercury! You're just going to get yourself killed! What
the hell will that do for Rhetta?!"
        Mercury's struggles stopped suddenly, at the mention of her
child and looked around her bewildered. "What is happening to me?" she
whispered in shame. "What is happening to me?" She began to sob in
earnest since she could no longer hold back her fear or her sadness. She
slumped into Jupiter's arms and began to cry harder.
        Jupiter pulled the sobbing woman close to her and hugged her
tightly. "We'll find her, Amy, I promise." She looked over the woman's
form, at Venus and Mars and shook her head. Time was running out for
Rhetta, it was taking too long to find her and Yargus was definitely
aware of their presence on the ship.
        <But will she be alive when we find her?> wondered Venus.
*************************************************************************
*

        Obsidian's staff began to glow with a rainbow of colors. Sailor
Moon
and Hannah shielded their eyes protectively with their forearms. Miral,
accustomed to the process smiled to his mother as small images began to
appear before them. She returned his smile with great pleasure. She had
waited two millenims for this day. 
        The two teenaged girls looked around in awe. "What is all this?"
asked
Sailor Moon, touching an image of a small girl playing with a tiny black
puppy. She jerked her hand back when the image rippled as if it was a
reflection in pond.
        "Welcome to the Dreamscape." Obsidian replied easily. "Two
thousand
years ago, when the Silver Millenium was a beautiful and prosperous
place, peace reigned throughout the Kingdom.  Queen Serenity knew that
she had much to thank her good fortunes for. Peace reigned in her
kingdom. Her beautiful daughter, Serenity, was betrothed to the Prince
of the Earth, Endymion, and would soon take her place at his side."
        He looked over to Pluto and they both smiled. That had been a
wonderful happy time for them. For a brief period, they had lived as a
typical married couple.
        Obsidian continued, "The attack of Mettalia and the Dark Forces
ended that that age forever. After breaking many of the planets of the
Silver Millenium, Queen Beryl set her gready eyes on earth. She vanquised
its defenses, turning Endymion's guards to her side as Generals of the
Dark Forces. Then came the viscious attack on the Moon Kingdom, forever
ending the peaceful reign of Queen Serenity."
                "You tell a wonderful faery tale Obisidian," commented
Hannah in
her usual abrupt fashion, "what does this have to do with your 'duty'?"
She crossed her arms in front of her and raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
                Pluto sighed and ignored the child's rudeness. "As the
Guardian of
Time, I am sworn to protect the timeline to conserve the balance of the
universe. I was unable to warn the Queen of Mettallia's attack, despite
the knowledge that the Moon Kingdom would soon be destroyed."
        "I am not bound by Time." said Obsidian. He pointed his glowing
staff
to an image far above him. "Though my duty as Master of the Dreamscape is
to maintain the balance of Time in the universe." 
        Sailor Moon gasped as she recognized the image. "Hannah do you
know what that is?" She pointed to a tall, red haired figure laughing at
the destruction and chaos below her. "That's Queen Beryl, the Negaverse
is
destroying the Moon Kingdom." She looked to Obsidian with sorrowful eyes.
"Why are you showing us the past, when we are supposed to be fighting for
the future of our planet?"       
                Hannah's eyes widened as she remembered Amber's
description of the
Moon Kingdom. "Wait, I know what this is. Do you remember what Amber said
about her visit to the Moon Kingdom?"
                Pluto rolled her eyes in annoyance. Why must they speak
of time
travel on such casual terms? Amber and Rhetta could have easily have
changed the past.
                Sailor Moon thought about if for a moment and nodded. "I
do, she
said that when Rhetta appeared, Queen Serenity thought that she was Beryl
and tried to kill Rhetta." She looked up to the image of destruction
before her.
                "So this is a dream!" <Perhaps there will be a point to
our visit
here afterall...>"You warned Queen Serenity?" asked Hannah, impressed.
"That was a very clever move. She gained some knowledge of the future
without threatening the Time Line."
                "That's right." interjected Tuxedo Mask. "But that
ability made
him a perfect tool for the Negaverse and that is why we were captured."
                Hannah looked to Pluto questioningly. She remembered the
Guardian
of Time's promise that he might be able to provide them with a manner to
destroy Yargus.
                "Up until now," Pluto explained, "We have had only had
moderate
success battling robots. We did not know of Yargus' whereabouts until he
revealed his ship to us. He had successfully infiltrated the palace and
replaced certain people with duplicates loyal to him. And," she said in
an
annoyed tone of voice, "he was able to toy with the Door of Time and open
Time Portals of his own. He toyed with us like puppets on strings."
                Sailor Moon agreed. "And are we walking into a trap by
boarding
his ship? Is that what he wants?"
                "I have had my doubts also." revealed the Guardian of
Time. "With
the ability to control the Door of Time, Yargus could have easily escaped
into different time periods and could have soured the course of events to
his gain." She turned to her husband and smiled. "When Miral revealed
your
presence to Small Lady, I was encouraged." She caressed his cheek with
her
hand, forgetting the presence of the others for a brief moment. "I hoped
that you would be able to provide us with some information about Yargus
that could help defeat him."
                "What can you do?" asked Sailor Moon. "I know that
neither of you
will reveal the future."
                "No, I cannot reveal future events to you." responded
Obsidian.
Another image began to take shape before them. It was of Earth. But not
the Earth as they knew it now. Large complexes covered the earth. No
children played outside, not one person smiled with happiness. Everyone
that appeared in the image was devoid of emotion. "This is Yargus' dream.
He hopes to conquer the Earth.." the tall man stopped for a moment as he
read the dream. "He wishes to replace every human on the planet with
android counterparts. To him, humanity is weak and flawed."
                "I could have told you that." said Hannah." We have
wasted our
time here. This does nothing change the fact that as we speak the most
important battle of my life is taking place!" she shouted in frustration.
Would no one listen to her? Did they all forget that at this very moment
the Sailor Scouts and the Jewel Wielders were attacking  Yargus? Did they
forget about Rhetta?
        "Why do you worry so, young one?" laughed Obsidian. <I like her.
Her temper is short but she is an intelligent one...>"You are in the
presence of the Master of the Dreamscape,"
        "And the Guardian of Time," reminded Pluto, smiling at the
girl's humorous scowl.
                "Anything is possible." grinned Tuxedo Mask.
        "Now," continued Obsidian, "let me tell you about Yargus' fondest
dreams.."
*************************************************************************
*

        They were surrounded by four robots, larger than the rest. "How
did THEY get in here?" asked Eden. The two teenaged girls were back to
back, standing above an unconscious Lyn.
        "I don't have the foggiest..." answered Amber, but she was
distracted. She considered how much time Lyn had before his condition
became serious. They couldn't stop to help him; the four robots were
quickly advancing. <Rhetta, I wish you were here, you'd know what to
do... You'd find a weakness in those robots.>
        She didn't have time to consider their situation any more. The
robots began to fire. Amber was thrown backwards, into one of the thick
barriers, from the force of a few nasty laser shots as they impacted
with her energy shield. She groaned and slid to her knees, her knuckles
bruising as her fists wore the cold, hard floor.
        Eden threw herself over Lyn and shielded them both. She gasped
as a shot pierced her defenses and seared her back. <What are we going
to do?> "Amber, it's up to you!" she shouted to her friend.
        Amber's mind was filled with a vision... A vision so powerful
she became oblivious to the chaos surrounding her. She saw Rhetta, the
battered and torn ghost of her best friend that she had seen in her
dreams. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered the girl's limp
body. As she heard the sound of her harsh, hoarse breathing something
snapped within her.
        "NO MORE!!!!!!!!!" she yelled. Her hot, salty, tears scorched
her cheeks, as she fired in every direction. "I won't let you win!" She
growled savagely, her eyes wide and reddened with her fury. "You won't
hurt anyone I love anymore, Yargus! You'd better hear me! I won't stop
until this ship falls to the ground and burns!" Her yellow orange spirals
began to ricochet off the barriers blocking the corridors.  "You'd better
run Yargus! 'Cause when I find you, you'll wish your heart was made of
the
same damned steel you love so much!"
        The robots continued to fire upon her, but her fury was too
great. No shot reached her angry young body. She began to pelt them, as
if in a precise motion, one by one, leaving pockmarks in their armor,
causing their frames to smoke and melt from the abuse. "You'd better
enjoy the last minutes of your life!" she screamed, her anger causing
every cell in her body to shake.  "I'M GOING TO SEND YOU TO HELL,
YARGUS, SO YOU'D BETTER BE READY!!!"
        She threw all her pain and sadness into her next attack, searing
the exoskeletons of the robots bold enough to come near her. The remains
suddenly exploded in a mix of blue-black light and fire.  Through a
jagged whole in one of the barriers stood Hannah, her staff pointed in
the direction of her eliminated enemies. She laughed heartily and said,
"Sounds like fun!"
*************************************************************************

        Mercury let herself be helped to her feet. "You're right,
Jupiter, thanks!"
        "Don't mention it!" said Jupiter, forcing her voice to be light
and cheerful. "We all need a kick in the butt once in a while." She
forced a smile onto her face, hoping to keep the Sailor Scout of Mercury
remain calm. Mars and Venus exchanged worried glances with the tall
Sailor Scout.
        Mercury began to scan down the short corridor. The remains of
what used to be two, large, powerful robots lay before her. Down the
short corridor about five feet in front of them was a large, black metal
door. She allowed herself to be intrigued by its presence on this dark,
plain ship. The characters of an alien language were embossed on the
door, gilded in gold. She tried to study the characters, but could make
no sense of them. The power reading she received from beyond the
mysterious door seemed to prove her previous assumption. They had
reached the center of the ship, "Yargus is there!" she declared. "My
visor is picking up a large power source behind the large set of doors
at the end of the corridor."
        "Then lets do it!" said Mars, with an air of determination.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
        Mercury nodded, sure of herself for the first time since they
had entered the enemy ship. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
        "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" She smiled as she felt the power
of her attack swirl around her, relishing the destruction that was to
come. <And I wondered where Amber learned to enjoy a good fight...>
        "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" shouted the tall Sailor Scout,
envisioning the demise of their latest enemy.
        "ATTACK!" they shouted in unison and sent forth their attacks.
As the combined force of their powers reached its target, they began run
into the room beyond, certain no obstacle would block their path.
*************************************************************************
*

        Uranus and Neptune continued to pelt the ship with their vicious
attacks. They were rewarded as the final energy arc was dispelled
easily. Uranus chuckled and smiled knowingly at her partner. Neptune
returned her smile with an absolutely brilliant one.
        Saturn with Skye firmly attached to her neck once again finished
off the rest of the drones. She pressed a small button to a device
attached to her long gloves. "Serenity, Endymion, the energy arc has
been disabled and the drones destroyed. It is time."
        "Understood," replied the King. The brilliant shield around the
Palace suddenly faded. "It's time to pay a visit to Yargus..."
*************************************************************************
*

        The four Inner Sailor Scouts burst into the room and began to
fire. They knew immediately that they were surrounded by every sort of
robot imaginable. Two were almost eight feet tall and humanoid in form.
Some were in the shape of animals, some in the form of insects. Mercury
scanned the room quickly, while dodging the attack of a robot in the
shape of an eagle. "Our search ends beyond those doors," she said with
intent.
        Venus took a shot to her shoulder and fell backwards. "Fine but
we're going to be here forever!" she shouted." The blond haired Sailor
Scout jumped agilely to her feet and began her next attack. "Venus Love
Chain Encircle!"
        "Not if we work together!" answered Mars. She flung the hair
from her face and smiled. "I'm not letting a few robots stop me from
getting to Yargus!" Standing next to her friend she shouted, "Mars Flame
Sniper!" and the two women began to clear the right side of the room.
        Jupiter backed into the Mercury. "If we're going to get to
Yargus before he tries to escape, we're going to need some backup!" She
raised strong arms in the air and shouted, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" A
strange robot shaped like a giant ant disintegrated in front of her, but
soon another took its place.
        "I concur!" said Mercury, avoiding the sharp claws of the cat
like monstrosity before her. "At this rate, we'll never get to Yargus!"
she cried, desperation tinting her usually calm voice.  "We need Sailor
Moon and the others. Where are they?" The robot dropped to her feet,
mutilated and destroyed by Mercury's fierce attack. As its systems
deactivated, green mechanical eyes darkened. In her frustration, she
kicked it angrily. "I will never stop!" she cried, her chest heaving
from exertion. Looking wildly around her,  "I will never give up!" she
swore, waiving an angry fist in front of her.
                "Neither will I!" said a voice from above. The figure
floated in
mid air, fuchsia colored energy gathering around her.
        The four women looked and exclaimed, "Sailor Moon!" at the exact
same time.
        "You're a meatball head just like your mother!" yelled Rei,
decapitating a humanoid robot before her. "Where the hell have you
been?"
        The winged Sailor Scout made a face but decided to ignore that
statement. "I'll tell you later!" she said. "But trust me, I wasn't
twiddling my thumbs!" She raised the scepter above her and yelled,
"Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack!" She smiled as the energy she launched
obliterated a group of robots below her. She cheered as they exploded
and didn't notice the pterodactyl-like robot racing towards her.
        A chain of gold, hearts surrounded the robot and sent it
crashing to the ground. "Hey, watch your back up there!" shouted Venus
with a smile.
         A series of explosions took place close to their goal. When the
dust cleared, Super Sailors Uranus and Neptune were seen, standing back
to back. Super Sailor Saturn stood, close to them, her weapon poised for
her next attack. The three Outer Scouts eyed the damage they caused with
pleasure. "Yargus, get ready!" shouted Neptune.
        "We're coming for you!" Uranus yelled with a growl.
        The two women stepped back as small openings began to open in
the walls all over the room and more robots pulled out.
        "We need to get in there!" said Mercury, lunging past the
obstacles before her. "He's going to get away!" Strong arms surrounded
her, pulling her out the awaiting aim of an ugly flying mechanism. The
frantic woman struggled at first and then quieted as she discovered the
identity of her captor.
        "We will not let him escape, Mercury. You have to believe that,"
said Endymion with a warm smile.
        "We're going to find Rhetta and then we'll make him pay for
everything," promised Neo-Queen Serenity.
        The Sailor Scouts cheered at their arrival, despite their dire
situation. "Now Yargus," cried Neo-Queen Serenity. "Destiny is at hand,
and your fate is sealed!"
                
*************************************************************************
*

        Amber tried the code again and slammed her fists against the
wall. "Damn it! It worked in my dream!"
        "It's not going to work, Amber. He knows we're here," argued
Eden.
        "Then we do it the hard way!" commented Hannah. She gathered a
large amount of power and sent it flying towards the door.
        Amber pushed her short body away from the console and grudgingly
agreed. She sent a powerful attack towards the door and Eden followed
suit.
        The door melted away, as if made of thin plastic wrap. A
torpedo-like projectile sprang from its hiding place. Eden cried, "Watch
out!" and pushed Hannah and Amber out of the way.  She shielded herself
quickly with purple colored energy and gasped as the weapon hit her in
the stomach and exploded.
        Amber dragged herself to her feet, holding her throbbing head in
her hands. She said her to friends and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh
my god! Hannah, Eden." Hannah's forehead and face was covered with
blood, from as gash on her head when she had been pushed against the
wall. Eden was slumped against the wall, unconscious. She looked a few
feet down where they had left Lyn. He was still unconscious. "I'm the
only
one left? What hell am I supposed to do?" she asked the thin air.
        "You're supposed to find Rhetta, or have you forgotten so
quickly?" asked a groggy Hannah. She pushed herself onto her knees and
looked around.
        "Oh AS IF!" Amber retorted angrily. "Don't you dare start that
routine right now! We don't have the time."
        Hannah ignored Amber's statement and crawled over to Eden. "She
is very badly hurt."
        Amber felt hot, salty tears streak down her cheeks, burning the
open gash she had suffered. "She took the hit the for us."
        Hannah covered the bleeding wound with her hand. "Lyn's injury
can wait. I already stopped the bleeding. But this will not." She
sighed, frustrated, how would she help find Rhetta and take care of Eden
at the same time. She didn't want to abandon any of her friends. She
could feel Eden struggle for breath, and her erratic heartbeat. "She's
dying, Amber, I have to save her."
        Amber nodded, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
She flipped the hair out of her face. She gathered a small swirl of
energy in her hand, to light her way. "Do what you have to have to do,
Hannah, I'll take care of Rhetta." <Oh Rhetta, I hope I'm not too
late...>
*************************************************************************
*

        Pluto stood before the Door of Time and sighed. She had always
tried not to let it bother her, but she was never successful.  She
turned sorrowful eyes up to her husband. "I feel selfish, almost, I
finally have you back after a thousand years and look what has taken
place."
        "The universe is not a fair one, my love," soothed Obsidian,
understanding her pain. They had lost so many of their family and friend
over the milleniums. "But the balance of Time must be maintained, as
must be the Dreamscape."
        "I know," Pluto grudgingly agreed. She stopped her musings and
raised an eyebrow. "Well, Time never ceases to amaze me."
        Obsidian took a moment to understand. Since the timestream and
Dreamscape were interconnected in many ways, he understood what she saw.
"Ah, I see what you mean..."
*************************************************************************
*

        Amber walked slowly into the room, trying not to give into her
fear. There were no robots in the room and nothing had tried to take her
out. She was almost out of breath, anticipating the worst. <Why am I so
scared? This is what I came here to do... to find Rhetta! But what if
I'm too late? What if she already dead?> She almost started to cry
again, thinking about it.  "That's enough, Amber, get with it!" she
scolded herself out loud.
        The room was a laboratory, that she was sure of. There were
weird devices strewn haphazardly around sterile looking tables.  Amber
noticed what looked to be like mechanized limbs or body parts. She
couldn't help but remember her dream... The sight of Rhetta, battered,
bruised, close to death...
        "Hurry!" She heard a sobbing male voice cry. "You have to
hurry!" She ran to the back of the room, and pushed a table out of her
way. She gasped at what she saw.
        "OH MY GOD! RHETTA!" It was worse than her dream, worse than
what she had ever imagined. Rhetta was bound at the wrists and ankles.
She hung limply by the metal bands holding her upright.  Amber ran up to
her lifelong friend, and cupped shaking hands around the girl's bruised
and bloody cheeks.
        "Oh Rhetta!" she sobbed as she raised her face to the light
emanating from nearby instruments. Her face felt cold, she could barely
feel warmth. Lifeless blue eyes stared into her hazels ones. Amber began
to sob, feeling her sorrow rack through her body. She leaned her face
onto Rhetta's, caressing it with her warm cheek, wetting Rhetta's pale
face with her tears. "Oh Rhetta, we tried so hard... We did try to save
you," she said, her lips quivering with emotion.
        "Yargus was trying to turn us into robots, to infiltrate the
Palace... She never gave up..." he said sobbing from the memory of her
torture. "She knew you were coming."
        Amber ignored his words and smoothed the hair lovingly out of
Rhetta's face. "I'm so sorry..."
        She turned suddenly to the man held captive behind her. He had
blond hair and green eyes. She knew him to be Luke, one of the Queen's
favorite guards. Amber began to tug at his metal bands holding him in
place. She used the power of her Jewel to break him free of his bonds
and held him upright until he regained his balance.
        "You have to help me get her out of here... at least I can do
that," she said in a shaky voice.
        They pulled the Rhetta's lifeless form out of her bonds. Amber
grabbed her under the arms and Luke picked her up by the feet.  They
solemnly carried the body of their fallen friend out of the laboratory.
        Eden was just waking up when the two came out, carrying their
burden. Hannah turned to see them and began to cry, knowing the outcome.
        "We were too late?" asked Eden in disbelief. "She's dead?" she
asked, hoping for an answer different from the reality before her.
        "She died a few hours ago," explained Luke. "She stayed alive as
long as she could, and then her ruby shattered..."
        Lyn suddenly appeared behind the battered guard and pushed him
roughly aside. "Where is she?" he asked angrily. He looked down, saw her
and fell to his knees. He gathered her gently into his arms, lovingly
cradling her like a baby. "Rhetta..." he sobbed, rocking her, "my
beautiful Rhetta." The three other Jewel Wielders gathered around them
crying for the loss of their friend...
*************************************************************************
*

        Yargus ran through the time portal. He cursed the pain in his
puny, human limbs. He felt felt the electricity flow through is cyborg
limbs and assumed that freedom would soon be his. Events were proceeding
exactly as he had planned. The Sailor Scouts would not be able to escape
the trap he had set for them. He laughed maniacally. "Soon," he whipsered
to himself, "I will return to claim what is mine!"  He laughed in awe of
the perfection fo his plan. He would retiree to his waiting ship and
await
his victory!
        The time portal flashed for a moment and he found himself in
front of the Door of Time. Before him stood Super Sailor Pluto and
someone else that he did not recognize. Both were armed with tall
staffs, pointed menacingly towards him.
        Pluto smiled in pleasure. <What fun!> "Hello Yargus! Going
somewhere?"
        Yargus growled and ranted against his error. He had calculated
that Pluto would join her comrades in the search for him. And who was
this tall man sneering at him?
        "Goodbye Yargus!" exclaimed Pluto in a soft, sweet voice. "Dead
Scream!" she whispered.
        Obisidian's smile was equally as brilliant as he said,
"Nightmare Eternal Onslaught!"
        Yargus found himself blasted painfully through the same time
portal and ended up in the inner most chamber of his ship. He heard a
noise and turned himself around. All of the Sailor Scouts stood in a
circle around him.
        "Hello Yargus," said Neo-King Endymion, advancing towards him.
Neo-Queen Serenity was close behind.
        "Finally we meet," she said with determination.
*************************************************************************
*

        A portal opened up behind them. Hannah jumped up and leveled her
staff in its direction.
        Tuxedo Mask stood in front of a strange, dark portal. "Hurry,
you have to leave. This ship is about to be destroyed."
        "Where the hell have you been?" asked Amber angrily. "And where
is Sailor Moon?"
        Miral looked down at Rhetta and nodded. "I understand your
emotions Jewel Wielders but there is no time."
        Skye floated out of the portal. She raised a pudgy hand. "COME
ON!" she beckoned her friends. She saw them lift Rhetta and wrapped her
arms around Miral's neck. He patted her back as she started to cry.
"Wha-happened to Rhetta?" she squeaked.
        "Don't worry, Skye," he soothed, following them into the
Dreamscape Portal. <It'll soon be all over...>
*************************************************************************
*

        He stood before them, and they were shocked. He looked absolutely
perfectly human..and weak. He was small for a man, barely more than five
feet tall. Yargus looked to have the strenth of a young boy, not of a man
bent on destroying humanity.  
                Yargus gloated silently at their shocked looks. <Go ahead
humans,
underestimate me. I look human don't I? Stupid humans!> He had once been
human... but as he had long ago realized thesuperiority of machines and
the dominance of robotics. Yargus had allowed most of his body to be
implanted with cybernetic technology. Then he had created his army and
had
vowed to take over the universe. First, he would destroy his home planet,
Earth, and convert all humans to his cause... But those damned Sailor
Scouts and then the puny Jewel Wielders stole his chance for victory...
        Neo-King Endymion was about to speak again, when Mercury pushed
him aside. She brought her fist back and let it meet the first part of
Yargus' body she could find. She punched him squarely in the nose. He
fell
backwards with a gasp. She jumped onto his chest, grabbed his metal
encased head, and began to pound it off the cold floor of his very own
ship. "Where is she?" she demanded, banging his head again and again with
both hands. "WHERE IS RHETTA?!" she growled.
        Endymion was about to stop her, but Serenity put a hand on his
arm and shook her head. 
        "No matter..." gasped Yargus. "She is already dead."
        Everyone in the room gasped in shock. Neo-Queen Serenity felt
the tears well up in her eyes...
        Mercury shouted in rage and began to punch Yargus, again and
again, changing hands when her fist became bloody. "You bastard, you
killed her! You bastard I'll kill you with my bare hands!" She wound her
fingers around his neck and began to squeeze with all her strength,
oblivious of the pain it caused her.
        Yargus wound powerful, steel reinforced fingers around Mercury's
neck.
"You will not defeat me so easily." he vowed. His fingers charged with
electricy that coursed through her body. He threw her away and smiled in
satisfaction as she fell to the ground like a rag doll he used to play
with as a child. 
        He lifted his arms and two sleek, miniature laser weapons
emerged.
"Now I will make sure none of you survive!" He began to fire at the crowd
of Sailor Scouts and the King and Queen, all the while laughing. 
        They all dodged the laser blasts. Jupiter grabbed Mercury and
pulled
her out of harm's way. Venus and Mars faced Yargus. "Your lousy shots
won't do a damn thing!" shouted Mars. "Mars Flame Sniper!"
        Neptune looked at Uranus and shook her head, despite the fighting
around them. "And what if it had been Skye? Or another of the children?"
Uranus nodded her agreement. "Let's take him down." 
        "World Shaking!"
        "Deep Submerge!"
        Venus smiled and joined in. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she
shouted
triumphantly. "You won't win this one Yargus." Their combined attack met
its target and Yargus fell in an explosion of light and fire. 
        Sailor Moon flew into the air and noticed openings appearing in
the
ceiling. "Oh no, Obsidian was right!" she exclaimed in fear. <I have to
stop this!> "Crystal Tokyo Princess Attack!" She pelted the openings with
her most formidable attack, but nothing happened. 
        A strange black metal domne began to lower from the opening in
the
ceiling. "Watch out everyone!" yelled Sailor Moon, "He's boxing us in!"
The metal was unlike anything seen before, made of dull, black spheres
that looked as if they were half melted together. "And when that's
finished, he plans on self destructing the ship!"
        Serenity gasped. "The blast will take out most of Crystal Tokyo!"
Neo
Queen Serenity looked at the dome that began to surround them. <I will
not
let anyone else die...I can't.> "I'll bring you all home safe.." she
whispered. Floating into the air, she called upon the power of the Silver
Crytal. "Silver Crystal," she called, lifting the brillian jewel high
into
the air, "give me the strength to save them all!"
        Saturn stood below the Neo Queen Serenity. She lifted the Silence
Glaive, aimed it at the domne that struggled to resist the power of the
Crystal and launched her powerful attack against it. The circular wall of
metal stopped its decent, groaning from the stress of the women's
powerful
obstruction. 
        Mercury huddled on the ground, oblivious to the conflict around
her.
Her mind was filled with the dreaded sight of her daughter's lifeless
form, the love and happiness in her eyes gone forever..She felt someone
shaking her and she looked up with red, tearful eyes. "Mercury, snap out
of it! I know you're devasted, but this isn't the time." Jupiter dragged
her friend onto her feet and held her forcefully by the shoulders. "The
self destruct sequence has started. You're the only one who can stop it!"
        A single tear slid down her cheek as Mercury looked at the chaos
all
around her. She nodded, wiped the wetness from her cheeks and whipered:
"I
won't let him destroy any more of us."  She ran to the computer console,
and began to frantically punch away at the keys. "I need two minutes!"
she
shouted. 
        Jupiter joined Venus and Mars as they relentlessly attacked
Yargus.
"Not so tough now are you Yargus?" she taunted as the enemy before her
fell to his knees.
        Yargus's cybernetic systems had been badly damaged when Pluto and
Obsidian had blasted him painfully back through the time portal. His
implants and cyborg systems could not repair themselves quickly enough.
For the first time Yargus considered defeat. "I will never give up!" he
spat to the three Sailor Suited women before them. "Stupid humans, I'll
destroy you all!" He began to fire at them with all of his remaining
energy.
        Endymion joined Mercury at the console, trying in vain to break
the
last of the code. She slammed a bruised fist onto the strange device
before her. "It's too advanced even for me!" she gasped in frustration,
"I
can't stop it." 
        "Then there's only one thing to do." responded Endymion. "Sailor
Scouts,"he shouted, "Serenity take this ship down!" He launched himself
towards the cause of all their misery. "You're mine Yargus!" he growled.
With one powerful swipe of his sword, the King of Crytal Tokyo sliced
clear through Yargus' lasers. 
        The Scouts quickly gathered into a circle and raised their hands.
        <This one's for you my sweet daughter.> "Mercury Crystal Power!"
        "Jupiter Crystal Power!"
        "Mars Crystal Power!"
        "Venus Crystal Power!"
        "Saturn Crystal Power!"
        "Neptune Crystal Power!"
        "Uranus Crystal Power!"
        "Eternal Moon Power!"
        "Cosmic Moon Power!"
        Endymion slammed a powerful fist into Yargus face and smiled as
his
enemy slumped to the ground, defeated. "Enjoy your last breaths!" he
sneered. He lifted his fist and called forth the power within him.
"SAILOR
PLANET ATTACK!"
        The unison of their planet power ripped through Yargus and his
ship in
a single blast.         
*************************************************************************
*

        They came out of the portal and watched solemnly as it
dissipated. Lyn knelt on the ground, still cradling Rhetta in his arms.
The ship above them suddenly exploded in a flash of multicolored light.
        "They did it," said Miral, clutching a sobbing little girl in
his arms.
        "It's finally over," said Eden, tears threatening to overcome
her.
        When the flash subsided nothing was left of Yargus or of his
ship. The Scouts and the Monarchs floated effortlessly in the air, hand
in hand, the power or their respective planets coursing around them.
        "Yargus is gone," said Amber.
        "I hope his death was painful and torturous," added Hannah.
        "He will never be able to hurt anyone ever again," concluded
Eden.
        "I will never forgive him," said Lyn laying his dead girlfriend
carefully on the ground before him.
*************************************************************************
*

        They buried Rhetta on a soft hill, surrounded by flowers, every
kind of flower imaginable. Her funeral was private and intimate, with
only close friends and family attending. They each spoke a few words
about Rhetta giving tribute to her brief life.
        Her parents were the first to speak. Amy and her husband spoke
of the joy that she had brought to their lives. Lyn spoke of his love
for her and their plans for the future. Amber tried to tell a funny
story about her best friend, but broke down into uncontrollable tears
and had to be taken away.
        As the last bouquet of flowers was placed over her grave,
Neo-Princess Serenity revealed her tombstone, commemorating her.
Struggling against her tears, she read it aloud. "Rhetta Mizuno.
Beloved daughter, dear friend, and honored Jewel Wielder." She used a
handkerchief and wiped her eyes for a moment. Turning to the small
group, she finished. "May we never forget the sacrifice that she made
for us and always honor her memory with love and happiness."

THE END

Author's Note:

Just give me a second to stop crying... okay I'm better now. I have a few
people to thank and will do so now.

        First, I'd like to thank Tuxedo Will for all his help with my
fanfics. Not only is he a great editor (very great!), but he's always
been there with advice and ideas. Thanks Will!
        I'd also like to thank Cloud for putting up with me as I
agonized over the last seven or eight months on how to write my story!
He has been a great source of ideas, even when I drove him crazy about
Rhetta's fate. Thank-you Cloud!
        I'd like to thanks Douglas Helm for his willingness to debate
Rhetta's fate with me over and over again! He helped me write a
realistic, touching fanfic! Thanks Doug!
        I'd like to say big huge thank-yous to Nancy, Julie, and
Kathleen, my good friends and faithful fans who have put up with me
while I yapped away about my writing for the last year! Thanks a lot,
girls! I wouldn't never have written without your encouragement!
        Thank-you to all those of you who have read my fic! And to those
who have sent comments, I loved each and every one of them, thanks!
        Well now that I've written a speech worthy of the Academy
Awards. I'll stop now!

Rush