AWAKENING

     Gray stillness filled the large, circular hall, a tomb-like silence
that permeated the chamber's very essence. A light layer of gray dust
covered everything-- the cylindrical wall of black stone, the once-ornate
furnishings and tapestries, the circular carpet-- fading away any sign of
their former grandeur and color. Dim light filtered in through the room's
three windows, poor attempts at illumination that were barely reflected
back by the unpolished surface of the seven-foot mirror made of black
glass built into the wall opposite the chamber's sole doorway. High up, on
the wall, near where the dome of the fresco-covered ceiling began, a ring
of tarnished gold sconces encircled the hall, each one of their twin arms
holding a fist-sized clear crystal of lifeless luster. 
     Of all the contents of the room, only a solitary item remained
untouched by the depressive drabness that saturated the atmosphere. Lying
on the faded carpet before the dark mirror was a single gemstone, a
faceted sphere of glossy black whose deep-green highlights were the only
sparkle to be seen. 
     Suddenly the sepulchral stillness was shattered by a sound-- a low,
deep thrum of energy. The dark gem's glitter grew, intensifying into a
glow. From deep within its depths came a greenish-black light, pulsing in
a heartbeat-like rhythm. With each pulse, both the light and the sound
increased. As they did so, the entire room began to transform, shaking off
its oppressive atmosphere. 
   All around the pulsing gem, the gray dust disappeared, bringing back
the true color and luster of the carpet, the tapestries, the furniture and
the fresco of the solar system painted on the domed ceiling. Even the
black stone wall took on a glossiness previously lost, while each of the
sconce-mounted crystals high above began to gleam with an inner white
light. 
   The metamorphosis continued as the light and sound formed a slow
crescendo, building into an inexorable climax that filled the hall. The
gemstone's light, no longer pulsing but now a steady beam of
greenish-black brilliance, transformed into a vaguely human-shaped
silhouette. Both light and sound then quickly faded away, leaving behind a
six-foot-tall figure with long, wavy, dark-brown hair and draped in a
nearly floor-length cloak. 
   The reflection in the now unearthly polish of the transformed mirror
was that of a youthful adult, a human male of noble bearing and handsome
visage. Deep-brown eyes so dark they appeared black glanced over his own
image reflected in the smoky mirror, taking in the familiar look of his
dark clothes and athletic form. Like his knee-high boots and gold-buckled
belt, his tucked-in pants, mid-thigh-length tunic and long cloak appeared
black, but the bright illumination of the glowing crystals above betrayed
the truth. In their light, those three items were revealed to be actually
dark blackish-green in hue. Around his head, a golden circlet glimmered
from beneath his thick, dark hair, an oval-shaped black gemstone set in
the center of the metal band where it crossed the middle of his forehead.
Satisfied that he was truly conscious once more, the regal man turned
around to inspect his surroundings. 
   The metallic-gold trim at the neck, wrist and hem of his tunic, as well
as the metallic-gold lining of his cloak, glittered in the light as he
scanned the circular hall with his dark-brown gaze. Spying no evidence of
violence in the room-- everything was much the way he remembered it should
be other than the few small items lying scattered across the pictures of
the Zodiac woven into the circular carpet-- the tall lord nodded in
satisfaction. <So, the enemy never reached the sacred Hall,> he thought.
<At least our sacrifices weren't made in vain.> 
   Images suddenly flashed through his mind, memories from that last
fateful day. <No, not yet,> he chastised himself. Closing his eyes, he
ruthlessly pushed the pictures and their accompanying emotions away.<I
must find out what happened first.> 
     A determined frown crossed his handsome face, twisting its masculine
beauty into a sinister mask. With a fluid grace that betrayed his
quickness and strength, he strode over to the right-hand window and looked
out. 
     An utter wasteland greeted his sight, a desolation of sand, dust and
stone bathed in the dim light of a perpetual twilight. Looking down upon
the devastation from atop the tall, round, castle-like tower, the
dark-clad lord could see that nothing remained save the black marble wall
that encircled the tower a quarter-mile away. From just beyond that
somewhat distant wall, the uncomfortably close dome of what could only be
called the sky rose upward to a zenith merely a quarter-mile high. There
were no stars, no sun, no wind, no sound-- just muted light, powdery dust
and profound silence. 

     A scene from the past: The dark lord is leaning out of the open tower
window where he now stands, a gentle breeze stirring his
shoulder-blade-length hair, and is smiling as he watches other lords and
ladies stroll through a lush, green garden. The others, dressed in a
rainbow of colors, are making exclamations of delight as they discover
each new fascinating flower gathered from the four corners of the Universe
by the lord in the tower. Beyond the marble wall, emerald-green trees and
sapphire-blue skies are seen, a rival to any such beauty found on Earth.

     Another scene from times long ago: Wounded and obviously exhausted,
the dark lord is on his knees before the black mirror, which is glowing
with an eerie greenish-black light. Eyes closed and head thrown back, he's
apparently concentrating on the flow of the energy. 
     Outside, in a defensive posture before a gate made of wrought-iron
bars, a silver-haired, silver-eyed amazon stands ready, a formidable
crystal spear in her hands. She glares at the advancing hordes, daring
them to come closer. As a tall, demonic-appearing woman with long,
flaming-red hair urges the army on, seven humanoid shadows rush forward.
As they pummel the gate with their dark energy, the amazon braces the iron
with a force-field of sparkling silver light. Concentrating on both tasks
at once, the white-clad amazon telepaths to the dark lord in the tower
that the enemy was at the gate and that she would hold them off as long as
she could. 
     Up in the tower, the dark lord acknowledges his captain's message.
Desperation fueling his actions, he throws his arms out to either side of
his kneeling form. A sphere of blackish-green energy explodes outward,
engulfing everything in its path. 
     Down at the gate, the seven shadows combine in a massive attack that
shatters the amazon's shield. Before she recovers, two warriors on the
other side step forward. Both are male and wear simple gray uniforms; the
one to the left has short, golden hair and the other has long, dark,
reddish-brown locks. Together they raise an arm, combining their powers
into an intense emerald-green bolt that smashes the female warrior to the
ground. Both men smile in apparent satisfaction as the amazon's unmoving
figure vanishes in a glow of sparkling silver light. 
     Seconds later, the leading edge of the blackish-green sphere is seen
sweeping past the spot where the amazon disappeared. The enemy force
pauses, seemingly confused by the dome of energy as it stops just beyond
the black marble wall, then renews its attack. However, no matter how hard
they try, the now immobile shield appears invincible. 
     At the same time within the tower, the dark lord screams out in an
agonized voice, "NO!" His deep-brown eyes then open, despair and
determination written all over his handsome face. Focusing his gaze on the
glowing mirror, his own form begins to glow as well. When his
blackish-green aura becomes brighter than that of the dark-glassed mirror,
the entire tower begins to shake. As small items crash to the carpeted
floor, the quaking and the light become more intense. 
     Outside, the ground is shaking as well, creating panic within the
enemy ranks. As first fissures open up and then entire chunks of earth
begin to rise in the air, the red-haired demon-like woman calls a retreat.
Gathering together as best they could, the obviously frightened horde
impatiently waits as four gray-uniformed figures take up positions along
the outside at each of the major compass directions. To the north is the
man with long, reddish-brown hair who helped with the attack on the
amazon, while his partner in the deed now stands to the east. The figure
to the west is a slender woman with her golden-blond hair bound in a
ponytail and the figure to the south is a tall man with long, silver-blond
hair and a long, white cloak. As one, they raise their arms up to the
dirt-filled sky, swirling their energies together to create a sphere
massive enough to encircle the army and themselves. Dead center in the
sphere stands the demon-like woman, the seven shadows surrounding her tall
form. As they and the sphere fade away into nothingness, she glares in
enraged frustration at the black stone tower within the blackish-green
dome. Once the invaders leave, the other sphere abruptly disappears as
well while what remains of the trembling planet explodes apart.

     The dark lord slowly shook his head, the enormity of what he had done
sinking in. <Behold that which you have wrought, Lord Obsidian,> he
thought as he continued staring down at the eerie, barren landscape below.
<My poor, beloved Lithos, you who once rivaled any jewel in the solar
system, including that peerless sapphire known as Earth, I felt your agony
in those last few moments as the power of the Mirror tore you apart.
Driven by duty and desperation, I had no choice but to sacrifice
everything I held dear in order to safeguard the Vortex Mirror. As it has
always been since the Dawn of Time, when the Spirit of Cosmos appointed me
Guardian of the Gateways, so it shall always be that my duty comes before
all else.> 
     Obsidian started to turn away from the forsaken sight in guilt and
frustration when a momentary flash caught his eye. Startled, he paused,
carefully searching the gray wasteland that had once been his prized
Garden of Delights. Finding nothing, he dismissed the invisible barrier
serving as the window's glass with a wave of his hand and leaned out of
the three-foot-wide opening for a better look. 
     From his new vantage point, Obsidian could now see, off to his left,
the wrought-iron gate where the final confrontation had taken place. The
gate still showed signs of the past violence, for even from the Hall of
the Mirror high atop the Obsidian Tower, the Lord of Lithos could see
twisted, blasted bars within the gate's intricate structure. It was from
near there that the faint shimmer had come. Scanning the area
meticulously, he was about to abandon the search when a dim sparkle caught
his eye again. <There!> he thought, focusing on the distant object.
Reaching out an arm, he felt his power wrap itself around the item. <To
me!> he Called. 
     The object erupted from the barren ground, exploding the thin layer
of dust in a shower of fine gray particles. It streaked through the
oppressively still air and landed in the dark lord's outstretched hand.
Retreating back into the circular room, Obsidian restored the window's
invisible barrier with an absent-minded wave. 
     The moment he saw it, he knew what it was. It was a Gemlord's
soulstone and was all that remained of his advisor, friend and close
companion, Captain Diamond of the Tower Guard. 

     Another scene of the past: Obsidian is sitting at the high table in
the tower's Feast Hall, smiling in amusement, a golden goblet in his hand,
as the beautiful amazon with silver hair and silver eyes sitting next to
him tells a rather ribald joke. The couple about whom the joke is told
don't seem to appreciate Diamond's sense of humor and a confrontation
appears inevitable until Obsidian stands up and takes command. At his
insistence, Diamond apologizes. Apparently satisfied but still appearing
somewhat miffed, the insulted couple returns to their meal. The dark lord
then telepaths to his friend that in all reality, he enjoyed the joke.
Diamond's face breaks out into a sly, satisfied grin.

     A mere inch in diameter, the multi-faceted diamond sphere that had
once been the heart of a living being was now dull and dark, its facets
chipped, its luster and inner light gone. <Alas, my dear friend, such is
the fate of all Gemlords, to live eternally young but able to die, our
spirits locked away in cold, lifeless stone should our bodies be
destroyed. I alone am the exception, having been given the gift of true
immortality by the Spirit of Cosmos when I was chosen Guardian of the
Gateways. Yet even I doubted that gift that last, fateful day; when the
darkness overcame me, I was sure I would never awaken again. 
     <Yet here I am, whole once more, while you sleep for eternity within
the crystal of your power. And for what? For greed, for power, who knows.
I know only that five of our own turned on us, leading the forces of Chaos
against us to gain control of the Vortex Mirror. And where were those
warriors of justice, the Sailor Senshi, the allies whom Queen Serenity
promised would come to our aid should a major threat against the harmony
of the Cosmos ever appear? Nowhere! Outnumbered by the Chaotic horde,
facing leaders who knew our defenses and powers inside-out and overpowered
by the Seven Shadows, we were slaughtered to a man as we foolishly hoped
for reinforcements. When Ruby and Sapphire fell, leaving only you and me,
I knew then that the only way to fulfill my duty to the Spirit of Cosmos
was to rip the Mirror from the physical realm to a place where nothing
could reach it save that which is brought through the Mirror itself.> 
     Obsidian clenched his hand into a fist around the dead soulstone, his
face a mask of blistering rage. <I swear, by the spirits of each and every
one of you who fell defending the Obsidian Tower and the sacred Mirror,
that I will exact revenge on those responsible for your deaths and the
destruction of our beloved planet,> he vowed. After carefully placing the
chipped and lusterless diamond on a table nearby, Obsidian walked to the
center of the circular hall. 
     His handsome face was still grim as he looked down at the knotwork
mandala woven into the center of the carpet beneath his booted feet. His
eyes following the intricate loops of the pattern in what amounted to a
relaxation spell, the dark lord let his anger go and centered himself,
clearing his mind of all thoughts and emotions. Once that was achieved, he
looked up into the domed ceiling, his deep-brown eyes unfocused as he
stared through the fresco of the solar system painted there. For the first
time since his reawakening, his rich baritone voice filled the room,
breaking the silence that permeated the Hall of the Mirror, speaking a
phrase once taught to him by another Gemlord long ago. "The movement of
the stars rules everything."

     The past once again: Obsidian is standing in the center of the Hall,
looking up, while another man-- who has long, dark, reddish-brown hair and
wears an outfit of greenish-white and emerald green-- points upward and
speaks. "I've imbued the fresco with an essence of my power, my Lord.
Anytime you wish to observe the patterns of the past, present or future,
you will be able to do so without having me by your side. All you have to
do is speak the triggering phrase I told you and the Orrery will appear." 
     The dark lord replies, "Thank you, Lord Nephrite. A generous gift,
indeed." 
     The other Gemlord turns and faces his leader. The handsome man, who
would later be one of the invaders under the command of the demon-like
woman, salutes the Lord of Lithos by placing a fist over his heart and
bowing. "Think nothing of it, my Lord. Anything to help fulfill our sacred
duty of safeguarding the Mirror."

     The moment the trigger was spoken, the crystal sconces dimmed,
throwing the domed ceiling into deep shadows. Obsidian could feel the
slight tingle of old power as the planets of the fresco seemed to leap out
into the center of the darkness and begin their majestic orbits around
their miniature sun. Glittering sparks appeared in the shadows,
representations of the constellations within which each planet appeared to
move. He frowned in guilt when he noticed that the Orrery accurately
depicted the solar system as it now was-- an asteroid belt now filled his
beloved homeworld's orbit. 
     Composing himself once more, the dark lord spoke again. "I call upon
the planets of Saturn, who rules our limitations, Uranus, who rules sudden
and disruptive change, Neptune, who rules the land of dreams and spirit,
and Pluto, who rules our destruction and regeneration, show me the shadows
of the past from the time of the death of Lithos to now." 
     The darkness around the Orrery shimmered, pictures forming within its
depths. Obsidian's deep-brown eyes narrowed as he watched the destruction
of the Moon Kingdom, the return of the Chaotic power and the resurrection
of the Moon Princess, Earth Prince and the Inner Senshi, the deaths of the
four traitorous generals, the second deaths of the Inner Senshi and the
Earth Prince, the final showdown between the demoness and the Moon
Princess, and the second resurrection of the Senshi, Prince and Princess.
He also caught unclear images of other Senshi, but found himself still too
weak to pull the pictures into focus. 
     The patterns would have continued to dance among the moving
representations of the solar system, but the dark-haired lord had seen
enough. With a disgusted shake of his head, he dismissed the power of the
Orrery. Turning around to face the table on which Diamond's soulstone was
placed, the crystals high above brightening yet again as the vision of the
planets became once more merely a painting on the ceiling, Obsidian mused
out loud. "So, the ones truly responsible have met their fates at the
hands of the Princess and her Senshi. And though I was unable to discover
what role the other Senshi had in the fall of the Silver Millennium, there
is one thing I know: those Senshi directly under Queen Serenity's command
were enjoying themselves at a masquerade ball while I and my Gemlords were
under attack! How dare they ignore my pleas for help in defending the
Vortex Mirror in favor of something as frivolous as that? Queen Serenity
knew what would happen to the Cosmos should the forces of Chaos ever gain
control of the Gateway to the Worlds, yet she continued on with her
idiotic nightly party while my people were slaughtered and I destroyed my
world. 
     "I swear I will make them pay for abandoning us," he snarled,
addressing the cold, gray soulstone. "Somehow I will make them regret not
answering our call. For Lithos, you and all the others, I will have our
revenge against the Princess and her Senshi, as well as that simpleton
Prince Darien. 
     "Protector of the Earth indeed! Had he not been such a love-struck
fool, always sneaking off with the Princess, perhaps he would have noticed
the signs of approaching danger. Had he informed me that my generals were
beginning to act in a suspicious manner, I would have recalled them
immediately and found out what was going on. Instead, he had to spend his
time either hiding the Princess from the Senshi on Earth or hiding from
the Senshi on the Moon, never once paying attention to what was going on
under his nose."

     A scene from the past: Within a palatial courtyard, Lord Obsidian is
standing in front of a regal-appearing young man with short, black hair
who wears black and silver armor and a long, scarlet-lined, black cloak.
Light glints off the formidable sword strapped to the raven-haired man's
side. Behind the Lord of Lithos stands a bound and gagged, rather
angry-appearing woman with long, flaming-red hair who is surrounded by
four others. The person behind the bound prisoner is the green-clad Lord
Nephrite. To the prisoner's left stands a serious-looking man with short,
light blond hair who wears orangish-yellow clothes while to the tall
captive's right is a slender, androgynous-appearing, blue-clad man, his
long golden-blond hair bound into a thick ponytail and his arms crossed.
In front of the flame-haired criminal, his back to her, stands a tall man
with long, silver-blond hair, a nearly floor-length pinkish-lavender cloak
covering his lithe form. 
     "I don't care who gave you the authority, I still don't like it, Lord
Obsidian," the armored man says, his anger quite apparent. 
     "Forgive my frankness, Your Highness, but you don't have to like it,"
the dark-brown-haired man replies. "You need only obey your Sovereign, the
Queen. You know as well as I that Earth is the only place our Gemlord
powers are greatly inhibited. Therefore, it's the only place I can exile
the prisoner and be reasonably sure that she will cause no more trouble
for anyone." 
     The Prince slowly shakes his head, his expression stubborn. "Any
Gemlord, no matter how weak, is a source of potential disaster for the
mortals in my care. And had you kept a better watch on the Vortex Mirror,
none of this would be necessary." 
     Obsidian's expression becomes as enraged as that of the Prince.
"Never before in our long history has any Gemlord used the Vortex Mirror
without my authority. There was no need to be especially vigilant.
However, I will not repeat my mistake. Nothing happened this time, but I
won't give her another chance to complete whatever it was she was
attempting." 
     "I resent this intrusion into my domain, Lord Obsidian. I don't
appreciate my planet being used as a jail," the Prince insists. 
     "It's not a choice, Darien, it's a command from Queen Serenity
herself. Are you willing to shatter the peace of the Silver Millenium over
this?" the Lord of Lithos asks. 
     "No," Prince Darien quietly admits, his posture becoming one of
defeat. "But I want more than just your word that she'll cause no trouble
among my natives, Obsidian. She's one of yours, therefore she's your
responsibility." 
     The dark lord considers the Prince's demand for a moment. "A
reasonable request," he finally says. Snapping his fingers, he calls,
"Lord Kunzite!" 
     The tall, lavender-cloaked Gemlord steps forward. Placing his fist
over his heart and giving a slight bow, he inquires, "My Lord?" 
     "You, Lord Nephrite, Lord Zoisite and Lord Jadeite will remain here
on Earth as the criminal's jailers. I'm placing the four of you under
Prince Darien's personal command; you will obey him as you would obey me." 
     "My Lord, I must protest," the golden-blond-haired man in violet-blue
interrupts, his strident voice sounding full of contempt. "To be stationed
here on this backwater mudball among a horde of stinking primitives--" 
     Obsidian whirls around, obviously livid with rage. "You dare question
my authority and insult our host all in the same breath, Lord Zoisite?
Must I remind you of your proper place?" 
     "Please, my Lord, let me speak to him about it," Kunzite hastily
pleads. In the next instant, he bows in obeisance to Prince Darien. "Your
Highness, I beg your forgiveness on behalf of us all. Zoey's still
relatively young for a Gemlord and rather impulsive." 
     As Prince Darien nods his acceptance of the silver-haired Gemlord's
apology, Obsidian sighs. "Very well," the dark lord responds. "I shall
dismiss his outburst this time. However, Lord Kunzite, it shall be your
responsibility to see that he learns how to properly address his
superiors. I don't want him starting an interplanetary incident." Noticing
the expression of relief that crosses the lavender-clothed man's handsome
face, Obsidian telepaths to him to watch it where Lord Zoisite was
concerned, that he must not be allowed to cause unrest on Earth. Kunzite
bows again, telepathing his acknowledgment. 
     "So where do you plan on incarcerating her? I want as little contact
as possible with the mortals," the black-cloaked Prince asks, his
attention focusing on Obsidian once more. 
     "An underground cavern on an island near Earth's North Magnetic Pole
should work the best. There are few natives there and the intense magnetic
field will inhibit her powers the most. With my generals stationed here to
assist you in watching over her, I believe the prisoner can be locked up
safely," the Lord of Lithos responds. 
     Prince Darien stands there a moment, a thoughtful expression on his
noble face. "Fine. You may report back to our Queen that all shall be done
as commanded."

     Looking up from where he had been staring at the lusterless stone,
Obsidian's deep-brown gaze froze on the window through which he'd
retreived it. Recalling the oppressive barreness of the landscape beyond,
he spoke out loud once more. "If that which lies beyond the Tower cannot
be the blue skies and emerald fields of the Lithos I loved so well, then I
wish to never look outside these walls again. Obsidian Power Magnify!" 
     At the sound of the triggering phrase, the dark-glassed Mirror behind
the Lord of Lithos began to glow. In response, Obsidian's own
greenish-black aura began to shine as well, steadily becoming stronger.
Once the eerie deep-green light around the tall Gemlord was bright enough
to fill the Hall, the Mirror became dark, shining no more. 
     He stood there a moment, head bowed and eyes closed, delicately
balancing the energy from the Mirror with his own, fine-tuning his
control. Satisfied, he then flung his arms out to either side, letting the
power go. 
     Twin beams of dark-green light erupted from his palms, striking the
black wall. Absorbing the energy, the stone began to glow. As more power
poured into it, the deep-green glow began to spread until the entire
surface was covered with the light, including the areas where the windows
were. Then, abruptly, the beams were gone, all of the energy having been
transferred to the Tower itself. 
     Pale and shaken, Obsidian dropped his arms and fell to a knee. Taking
a few deep breaths to steady himself, he thought, <I seem to be a bit out
of practice.> By the time he had regained his composure, the radiance had
all but vanished from the obsidian wall. Looking around, a grim smile
crossed his handsome face. Where the windows had once been was now black
stone; all of the openings in the Tower to the world outside had been
sealed. <There,> he thought. <No more shall I see what you've become.
Instead, I shall always remember you as you were.> 
     Rising once more to his booted feet, he crossed the carpeted floor to
where the Vortex Mirror stood. Waving an arm in a graceful arc before the
dark glass, Obsidian's voice intoned a phrase well-known to him. "Great
Mirror of the Vortex, to whom all routes are open and no place unknown,
show me the area where Lithos would be if it still existed." 
     The Mirror began to shimmer again, a softer, more muted light. The
unearthly polish of the dark glass's eerily-smooth surface began to
ripple, like the wind-kissed water of a still lake. Obsidian's reflection
became distorted, then disappeared altogether, leaving behind a vision of
star-spangled space. After clearing his mind of all thought, the dark lord
stepped through the shimmering, liquid-like, black glass. 
     He reappeared out in space, his dark cloak and long, dark-brown hair
billowing in the solar wind. Made immortal by the Spirit of Cosmos itself,
the vacuum of space had no effect on him. In fact, there had been times in
his past where he'd gone out into the void in order to enjoy the peace,
silence and awesome grandeur that was Creation. Glancing around, he
noticed that he was floating in the midst of an asteroid field. A scowl
darkened his expression when he realized that they were probably the
pitiful remains of his homeworld. Looking outward beyond the asteroids, he
saw the shining red light of Mars, the sapphire star that was Earth and,
brighter than anything else, the golden glow of the Sun. 
     He closed his deep-brown eyes to the awe-inspiring sight,
concentrating instead on expanding his psychic awareness. With every
heartbeat, his mind reached further out, encompassing more and more of the
space within the solar system. Finally, inevitably, he achieved his goal;
from Pluto's majestic orbit all the way to the Sun and back out to Pluto's
orbit again, he could sense the patterns of matter and energy from which
the star and planets were made. With the music of the spheres singing in
heart, mind and soul, Obsidian raised a hand high and sent out a special
Call to all the Gemlords of Lithos, one they could not deny be they dead
or alive. 
     One by one they came, streaking through space like miniature comets
from wherever they'd been floating abandoned and forgotten in order to
orbit around their Lord. At first dozens-- then hundreds-- of cold,
lifeless stones, each one a smooth or faceted sphere an inch across,
circled the dark-clothed man as he continued his Call, determined to bring
them all home. A few more straggled in, joining the swirling kaleidoscope
of muted colors, but eventually there came no more. 
     Obsidian continued his Call a moment longer, an odd feeling deep
within that there was one left who resisted. But the sensation was
borderline at best. <Perhaps I'm mistaken,> he thought, dropping his arm
and pulling himself out of his trance. Opening his eyes, he saw the
whirling spheres that surrounded him. Holding his hands out in front of
himself, he formed a greenish-black orb of energy between his palms. One
at a time, the orbiting soulstones spiraled into the globe, nestling
against one another as the ball was filled. Once they were all collected,
the dark lord took a moment to silently address what remained of the
Gemlords of Lithos. <Forgive me, lords and ladies, my friends nearly one
and all. I never meant to abandon you to the cold nothingness of space,
but I myself have only just recovered from the disaster that overtook us.
Let me now honor your heroic sacrifices on my behalf by taking you home to
rest within the Obsidian Tower.> Bowing his head and closing his eyes in
order to concentrate on his power once more, he then silently cried the
trigger-phrase. <Obsidian Mirror Return!> 
     In response, the large oval-shaped obsidian on his golden belt buckle
began to shine, its mirror-like surface taking on a watery sheen identical
to that of the Vortex Mirror. His dark aura began to shine as well, the
shimmering light causing the outline of his form to ripple and flow. Then,
in a flash, he disappeared. 
     Back in the circular Hall atop the Tower, the dark liquid sheen
continued to dance across the Mirror's face. Without warning, a pair of
hands, between which floated a greenish-black ball of light, emerged from
the Mirror, sending waves across the sparkling surface. The hands were
quickly followed by the rest of Obsidian's tall form as he stepped back
through the Mirror into the Hall. While he walked forward into the center
of the circular carpet, behind him the Mirror became smooth and dark once
more, its highly-polished surface now reflecting the contents of the room. 
<p>Stopping in the middle of the knotwork pattern of the carpet and
letting his hands fall to either side, the dark lord watched as the energy
sphere rose upward on its own. Once it had reached a height level with the
crystal sconces, the orb began to spin. The soulstones left the globe in
the same manner they entered it, spiraling outward one at a time, then
floated gently downward, joining Diamond's soulstone on the table below. 
     The entire process only took a matter of minutes. When it was done,
the entire tabletop lay covered with round, lusterless stones loosely
grouped together by color. Obsidian stepped forward then, looking down at
what remained of his entire race. He felt the profound grief he'd been
suppressing well up from beneath his iron-willed control; for a moment, he
was sure he would break down beneath the weight of the emotional burden.
But then his deep-brown gaze locked on a pair of stones, and it was anger
that filled him instead. 
     The soulstones that had caught the dark lord's eye were unremarkable
compared to the others. Both of them were faceted stones and, like the
others, they were chipped and lifeless. Sitting side by side, looking
innocent enough, their dimmed colors complemented one another; one was
violet-pink, the other violet blue. But Obsidian could sense the flaws
deep inside that marred what little remained of their beauty. 
     A bitter smile flickered across Obsidian's face. "I suppose I
should've known that you would have had to answer my Call as well as the
others," he mused out loud. "So tell me, Kunzite, did you ever learn what
was happening around you before it was too late? Or did you willingly join
the traitor when offered the choice? 
     "And I suppose it was you, Zoisite, who first turned to Beryl's side.
After all, you were quite insulted by the last assignment I gave you. 
     "However, it matters not. Both of you have paid for your past
treachery. Just be thankful that I choose to do no more." 
     Seeing the soulstones of the pair of traitors, however, made the Lord
of Lithos curious. Scanning the tabletop carefully, he ticked off names in
his head, a momentary flash of that lord or lady appearing in his mind as
he thought their names. When he was through with his impromptu roll-call,
he realized that there were three still missing. 
     <Now where--?> he asked himself, walking away. Pacing back and forth
across the knotwork pattern, Obsidian reviewed the visions of the Orrery
in his mind. <Of course!> he thought, snapping his fingers. <At least two
of them will be there.> 
     With quick, graceful strides, he stood before the Mirror again.
Passing his hand over its surface, he intoned the trigger-phrase once
more. "Great Mirror of the Vortex, to whom all routes are open and no
place unknown, show me that area of the Negaverse where Beryl and Jadeite
sleep." 
     This time, the watery image in the glowing glass was one of
unrelenting darkness covered by a glittering gossamer curtain of silver
light. But when Obsidian placed his hand on the shimmering surface, it
stayed there instead of going through. "Huh? What's this?" he said out
loud, surprise evident in his rich baritone voice. He tried again, but no
matter how hard he pushed on the Mirror or concentrated on the image, his
hand remained flat on the rippling glass. 
     Stepping back, he glared at the image shown in the Mirror. With a
sudden intuitive flash, he knew what was wrong. <The seal put on the
Negaverse by the Imperium Silver Crystal,> he thought. <That's what that
curtain of light is I see.> 
     He took a couple more steps back. <No pathway lies closed to the
Vortex Mirror and its guardian,> Obsidian seethed. His jaw set in
determination, he continued his thoughts. <The Silver Crystal may be the
focus on the infinite energy of the Universe, but the Mirror rules
infinite Space. By the Law of Cosmos itself, no place is unreachable to
me. In this, my power is supreme; I shall not be denied!> Bracing his legs
apart, his arms raised in front of himself with his palms facing the
Mirror, the dark lord yelled a trigger-phrase, tapping further into the
power of the Mirror with each word. "Obsidian... Power... *Magnify*!" 
     Both the Mirror and the Gemlord began glowing at Obsidian's first
sound, each word after that causing the twin auras to brightened
significantly more. With the last shout still echoing through the Hall, a
thick, swirling beam of deep-green energy erupted from his outstretched
hands. Striking the dark glass and rippling its liquid surface, the power
disappeared. 
     Beyond the Mirror, however, Obsidian could feel his power continue to
be blocked by the Silver Crystal's barrier. Moment by moment, he steadily
increased the pressure, until deep-green light shone throughout the
circular room and Obsidian's cloak and hair were blown back by the force
of the beam. With a final explosive "Ha!", he threw everything he had left
at the barrier all at once. As he collapsed to the ground, the dark light
abruptly blinked out and the silver seal around the Negaverse shattered
into a million shimmering pieces. Then they too faded into nothingness.

     Far away, in another dimension, on a small, watery world known as
Earth, a teen-age girl lay stomach-down on her frilly pink-and-white bed.
With one foot on the bedspread and the other lazily waving in the air, her
head resting on slender hands, she was concentrating on the comic book
lying in front of her. Shiny blond hair, worn in a pair of ponytails so
long that she had to consistantly twist some of her hair up into spherical
buns on top of her head in order to keep them from dragging on the ground,
spilled from her head to lie all over the lace-trimmed cover. Near her
foot, curled up on a pink-covered pillow, a black cat with a remarkable
spot of white fur-- it looked just like a crescent moon with horns
pointing upward-- on its forehead lay watching as the teen flipped a page. 
     All around them, the girl's room showed signs of that transition from
child to adult all teen-agers underwent. Dolls and stuffed animals on
shelves shared the wall with unicorn posters and a school calendar. And
the pink-and-white frills of a young girl's bedroom were balanced by the
cosmetics that were lined up on top of the dresser in front of the mirror. 
     "Honestly, Serena," the black cat said in a very human-sounding,
female voice. "Shouldn't you be studying instead of reading that?" 
     The blond teen kept perusing the comic, unperturbed. For her, talking
cats were a part of everyday life. "Don't worry, Luna," she replied, blue
eyes still glued to the colorful pages. "I've got loads of time. There's
still three days before my next test. Besides, I've just gotta see how
Sailor V gets outta this mess." 
     Sighing deeply, the dark cat slowly shook her head. "I wish you were
as involved with real Sailor business as you are all this made-up stuff." 
     "Quiet, Luna. I'm trying to read. Ooooh! This is the good part... Get
him, Sailor V! Toast that slimeball! OWWW!" 
     At Serena's unexpected cry, Luna quickly jumped into a standing
position. Seeing the slender girl roll onto her right side, curling up and
clutching her stomach with both arms, the feline advisor became alarmed.
"Serena! What's wrong?" 
     "Oww! I don't know! It feels like someone's inside tryin' to make me
explode," the teen-ager moaned, rocking back and forth. 
     "Well, it couldn't have been those two ice cream cones and three
candy bars you had for an after-school snack," the midnight-furred cat
said, her voice puzzled, as she walked over to look at Serena's agonized
face. "You've eaten much worse and never had a problem before." 
     "Very... funny... Luna. I'll remember this... next time... you're
sick. Owwwww! Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop!" 
     "I wish I could, but I haven't got a clue," Luna replied. She was
still looking down at Serena's curled-up form, panic starting to fill her,
when her keen feline ears suddenly caught the distinctive sound of
breaking crystal. "Did you hear that?" 
     "Yeah. Sounded like somethin' broke," the slender blond answered. She
suddenly bolted upright on the bed. "Hey! The pain's gone!" 
     "It is?" 
     "Strange," Serena mused. "It went away so fast, it was almost like
someone flipped a switch and shut it off." 
     "I've got a bad feeling about this. Why did the pain go away when we
heard that sound?" 
     The teen-aged girl shrugged. "Ya got me." 
     "And that noise was most definitely the sound of shattering crystal." 
     "But that's impossible, Luna. The only thing I have in here that's
crystal is--" Serena stopped in mid-sentence, blue eyes going wide in
alarm. Bounding from the bed, her long ponytails flying, she rushed over
to her maple dresser. Pulling open drawers, she frantically searched
through stacks of neatly-folded clothes until she finally laid a hand on
what she was looking for. A look of triumph on her pretty face, Serena
pulled the object out. 
     It was an ordinary-appearing brooch, solid gold with a five-pointed
star etched on the surface. But what she wanted to see was inside. With a
practiced flip of her wrist, she flicked open the golden case. Nestled
inside was a colorless crystal. 
     A multi-faceted sphere of awe-inspiring beauty and unearthly clarity,
the silver-sheened stone caught the sunlight filtering in through the
bedroom window, turning the light into thousands of tiny, radiant,
shimmering rainbows. Inspecting the dazzling sight carefully, Serena was
about to put it away in relief when a chance turn of her hand caused the
crystal to lose much of its sparkle. <Huh?> she thought as she peered
closer at the suddenly visible shadow in the heart of the stone. "Oh, no.
How did this happen?" 
     "How did what happen?" Luna asked, nimbly leaping from the bed to the
top of the ransacked dresser. 
     The blond teen held up the locket so that her advisor could see the
crystal within. "It's broken, Luna. There's a crack deep inside that
wasn't there before. But I didn't think anything could harm the Imperium
Silver Crystal except for the wielder herself. And I've been so careful!"
she whined. 
     "I don't think it's anything you did," the black feline reassured.
Sitting down and thinking over the events of the last few minutes, her
tail whipping from side to side in slight agitation, Luna stared at the
deep-green shadow inside the Crystal. <For some reason, that color reminds
me of something.> Twitching her whiskers in annoyance at not having a
better memory, Luna added, "If you want my opinion, I'd say that somehow
the Imperium Silver Crystal was attacked by something and that the pain
you felt was that attack." 
     Serena's eyes grew wider. "Attacked? How? I thought the Crystal was
the most powerful thing in the Universe." 
     "In its own element of energy patterns and the flow of energy within
the Universe, the Imperium Silver Crystal is unmatched. But there are
other things that are just as powerful in their own way." 
     "Oh? Like what?" 
     "Never mind, Serena. Just take my word for it that there are other
items out there that represent various aspects of the Law of Cosmos. What
bothers me is that whatever cracked the Crystal is either something almost
as powerful as the Crystal itself-- or it's one of those other items.
Either way, I don't like this one bit." 
     "Do you think there's trouble ahead?" the slender girl asked. 
     "I wish I knew," the cat finally replied.

     Back in the pocket-sized dimension where the Obsidian Tower was now
located, the dark lord slowly rose to his feet. Still weary from the
enormous burden of power he'd channeled, Obsidian took the time to shake
off the worst effects before approaching the Vortex Mirror again. The
image in the Mirror's rippling surface was now clear; it showed a shadowy
cavern similar to that one on Earth in which he'd imprisoned the rebel
Gemlord Beryl long ago. Frowning at that realization, Obsidian stepped
into the Mirror. This time, he slipped through with ease. 
     Once in the Negaverse cavern, the Lord of Lithos drew his
blackish-green cloak closer around his tall form. Cold and forbidding, the
eerily-illuminated stone seemed to suck up his warmth. He could smell the
malignant scent of Chaos in the air. <How appropriate,> he thought to
himself as he started searching the cavern with his psychic powers. 
     Something registered on his heightened senses. Curious, he strode
over to where the sensation had come. Looking at the sight, Obsidian
couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction. 
     Up against a thick stalagmite leaned a transparent crystal, a lone
figure frozen inside. The person was a youthful-appearing man with short,
wavy, light-blond hair. Wearing a gray uniform, the imprisoned male
appeared frozen in an attitude of pleading horror, one arm upraised to
ward off a power he couldn't resist. Obsidian put a hand on the clear
crystal, sensing the energy patterns within. <So,> he silently said. <You
sleep within a construct only Beryl can remove. And if the construct's
destroyed by other
means, you'll instantly die. An interesting quandary indeed.> 
     He cast out with his mind again, searching for the other two
soulstones still unaccounted for. One of those two he knew would be here
somewhere, but the second one's location remained a mystery. Not finding
either one in the immediate area, the dark lord sent out his special Call. 
     Only a single soulstone came in response, a deep red sphere whose
facets were full of flashing fire. Startled, Obsidian realized that he was
looking upon not a dead Gemlord but one in a comatose state. Mind reeling,
he reached up and grabbed the floating stone-- then instantly let it go
with a shout of shock and disgust. 
     The spirit within the stone may have been that of Beryl once, but
nothing now remained of that rebellious, ambitious Gemlord. Instead, the
soulstone housed a spirit of pure Chaos, lying dormant and slowly
recovering strength, waiting for the time for it to reawaken and spread
destruction again. 
     As a guardian of the Cosmos, Chaos was Obsidian's mortal enemy. His
duty to the Universe was clear-- no matter what, he could not suffer an
agent of Chaos gaining a foothold within the Universe itself. So long as
Beryl's physical remains existed, the sleeping Chaotic spirit had a way to
become active and terrorize physical reality. Without another thought, the
Lord of Lithos grabbed the dark stone once more. Then, in a fluid move
strengthened by his greenish-black energy, he dashed the soulstone to the
ground, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. As the deep ruby shards
skidded across the cavern's stone floor, their color fading into dull
reddish-gray, Obsidian thought he saw a shadowy mist rise up from the
point of impact. But the vision was quickly gone, so the dark lord
dismissed it from his mind. 
     Nearby, another crash of shattering crystal echoed in the oppressive
cavern. Glancing over at the transparent prison, Obsidian dispassionately
watched as the colorless fragments melted away, letting the blond man's
body fall to the ground. Then that also disappeared, leaving behind a
smooth sphere of glowing orangish-yellow. As he picked up the soulstone
and cupped it in his hand, the dark lord caught a momentary flash from the
spirit within before the stone became lifeless yellowish-gray. Mildly
surprised, the Lord of Lithos commented out loud, "My forgiveness,
Jadeite? Perhaps one day. But for now, you can lie within the stillness of
death with both your victims and your conspirators." Clenching his fist
around the stone, Obsidian looked around the frigid, shadowy cave. 
     <Strange,> he thought, thinking back to the feeling of resistance
he'd felt during his first Call. <I didn't truly expect him here, since
the Orrery showed him dying on Earth, yet he shouldn't have been able to
ignore my summons.> Shrugging his worry aside, he continued, <Well, no
matter. It's a loose end I shall deal with in time. Obsidian Mirror
Return!> 
     Once back in the familiar, comfortable surroundings of the Obsidian
Tower, the dark lord walked over to the stone-covered table and set
Jadeite's soulstone down next to those of Kunzite and Zoisite. With
Beryl's stone destroyed, only one traitor remained at large. 
     Obsidian scowled, unwilling to let that fact distract him. <No,
forget about not finding him. Now is the time to concentrate on a way to
make the Senshi pay for abandoning us. I have only enough energy left to
resurrect one of you. Since the Mirror's ability to gather power is
severely hampered by being cut off from the rest of the Universe, it may
be a long time before I'm able to bring back another. Which one of you
should I recall to my side so that we may punish the Senshi?>

SECOND CHANCE

     As the frigid darkness closed in, the last sound he heard was a
teen-aged girl's heart-wrenching sobs. <Poor, brave, foolish soul,> he
cynically thought. <You should've known life's nothing but bitter
disappointment.> 
     He felt as if he was floating in nothingness, all sensation save that
of his own existence stripped from his awareness. <Is this, then, that
which lies beyond? Drifting for eternity with only one's thoughts? If
only...> 
     He then became aware of something new. Looking outward beyond
himself, he saw a single, brilliant star shining in the void. Unable to
look away, he watched as the light grew larger and brighter, a
gracefully-slender butterfly-winged form appearing in the heart of the
star. <Who are you?> he asked. 
     <I am the light of hope and love,> was the reply, the soft, feminine
voice sounding strangely familiar. 
     <Love and hope are for fools and weaklings,> he harshly responded. 
     <Then which are you?> the shining figure asked. 
     <Neither. I have little tolerance for such idiocy.> 
     <If that's true, then why do you yearn to return to Earth?> 
     <To avenge myself against that double-crossing witch,> he growled.
<How dare she turn on me!> 
     The winged figure of light laughed, a sound that reminded him of
tinkling bells. <How little you must know yourself if you believe that
that's what burns in your soul.> With a wave of her glittering hand, the
butterfly-winged angel caused a scene to appear. 
     A slender blond girl, long hair in twin ponytails that emerged from
spherical buns atop her head, became visible. Wearing a short-skirted
sailor suit that included knee-high red boots and elbow-long white gloves,
the pretty teen-ager stood holding another girl similar in age, trying to
comfort the sobbing red-head. Dressed in ripped pajamas and clutching a
strip apparently torn from her top, the weeping girl was saying, "If only
I'd been stronger. I know I could've saved him." 
     Overcome by odd, sickening sensations as he gazed at the angel's
vision of the heart-broken red-head, he forced himself to turn away.
<Enough!> he cried, unable to handle the unfamiliar emotions. 
     With another wave of her hand, the shimmering figure dismissed the
scene. 
     Defeated, he said, <All right! I admit it. I want to go back so she
can smile once more. I want to be able to keep her safe from harm. She's
been hurt enough, much of it at my own hands. But it's a futile desire at
best, nothing more than dreams and stardust. The stars have spoken-- the
thread of my life is at its end.> 
     <Ah, yes. That's right,> the gossamer angel replied. <You were
Nephrite, the Gemlord gifted with the power of the stars.> 
     <And if there's one thing I know, it's that destiny is destiny--
incapable of changing, incapable of caring. The movement of the stars
rules everything; all things must bow to their will,> he said. 
     <Is that then your excuse for the evil you've spread? That you were
fated to betray your duty as a Gemlord of Lithos and become Beryl's
minion?> 
     <I have done as fate has commanded, as have all who live,> he
asserted. 
     <There are forces that go beyond destiny, Nephrite. And of them all,
love is the most powerful. With love, all things are possible, all
destinies may be denied. Had you learned that, perhaps you could've
changed much of the weave of your life.> 
     The shining figure continued, <However, I am here now, called to you
by the spark within yourself, offering you a second chance. But before you
choose, I must warn you. There is much for which you must atone, many
lessons you have yet to learn. Accept your fate as it now stands, and you
will remain here, going on to wherever Gemlord souls go. Decide to
transcend that which was destined, then you will return with a long, hard
task ahead. Each day will be a struggle and each lesson must be learned.
Should you die again before your atonement has been completed, then your
soul will cease to exist.> 
     <So I'm offered a choice between an existence robbed of all
awareness, my soul sleeping perhaps forever within the stone of my power
unless Lord Obsidian decides to awaken me, or return to life in all its
pain and glory, under obligation to redeem myself from the evil I caused
and facing the extinction of all that I am should I fail,> Nephrite
thought. <A serious choice indeed.> 
     <Think well before you decide,> the angel of light admonished. <Once
made, it cannot be undone.> 
     However, Nephrite had already made up his mind, an image of the
weeping, red-haired girl floating through his thoughts. <No matter the
challenge, no matter the price, I wish to return.> 
     <Very well, return you shall. The first lessons you must learn are
empathy and humility. For centuries you have flaunted your powers,
oppressing those weaker than you and viewing your victims with cruelty and
contempt only because they had abilities that couldn't rival your own.
Therefore, when you return to Earth, you will be limited to those
strengths and weaknesses inherent in a human's body,> the angel sternly
informed him. 
     <But if my powers are gone, I won't be able to keep my promise to
Molly, nor will I be able to protect her from harm,> Nephrite protested. 
     The shimmering, butterfly-winged figure reached out, and the Gemlord
felt a sensation that seemed to be a warm hand on his forehead. <Had you
complained for your benefit alone, you would've begun with a perilous
start indeed. However, since it is true concern for another that motivated
your words, two concessions shall be made. Should danger ever threaten the
one for whom you care, call upon the power of your stone and your
abilities will be restored for as long as the danger remains.
     <Secondly, when you return, you shall be as you were before the final
day of your life, but for twelve Earth hours only. Use your time well, for
when it expires, you will become locked inside a human form.> 
     For a moment, Nephrite floated there, too overwhelmed by unfamiliar
emotions to form a coherent thought. Finally, however, he was able to put
words to the gratitude he felt. <Thank you, kind spirit, for all that
you've done.> 
     <Don't thank me, Gemlord,> the glowing angel replied, fading away.
<Thank Molly. Had she not had enough faith in you to awaken a spark within
your soul, you would never have been given this second chance. Remember,
your fate now lies within your own hands, not the realm of the stars.>
Just before she disappeared entirely, Nephrite thought he saw her true
form. For just a flash, he looked into Queen Serenity's grave face.

     With a sudden start, he awoke, jade-green eyes abruptly opening. Once
more he could feel a body around himself and hear the song of the stars
within his blood. Looking upward and seeing a familiar ceiling high above,
Nephrite realized that he was lying on the floor of his headquarters,
light streaming through the chapel's stained-glass windows. Sitting up, he
moved his right elbow around in a circular motion; no stiffness or pain
hindered the movement. There now were no signs of the injuries he'd
sustained before his death. 
     Rising to his booted feet, he automatically tugged his uniform's gray
coat back into place before he stopped himself, realizing that he still
wore the uniform of a Negaverse warrior. With a feeling of disgust, he
walked out of the chapel. 
     He strode through the huge, spooky mansion, never once halting until
he reached the library. Standing before the impressive stone fireplace and
noticing that he had set it for a fire before he'd left, he raised a hand
and pointed at the grate within. A thin, laser-like beam of
greenish-silver light shot out of his extended finger, kindling the paper
and wood. 
     The moment the fire appeared capable of sustaining itself, Nephrite
stripped down to his undergarments. Setting the boots aside and removing
the brooches-- whose stones had reverted to their original jade-green
color-- from the shoulders of his coat, the reddish-brown-haired man then
threw the gray uniform into the fire. Firelight danced off his handsome
face and long hair as he dispassionately watched the cloth go up in smoke. 
     Slipping on the knee-high black boots and glancing down at the golden
brooches in his hand, Nephrite's deep voice intoned, "I call upon the
powers of my stone. Restore to me the appearance I had as a Gemlord of
Lithos." 
     Greenish-silver light shone around Nephrite's athletic form,
momentarily distorting his outline. When it disappeared, he stood there,
dressed in the outfit he'd worn long ago. Emerald-green pants were tucked
into his tall boots and a greenish-white tunic trimmed in silver and
emerald-green covered his trunk. On his broad shoulders were the brooches,
holding in place a knee-length cape of emerald-green lined with silver. On
his brow-- beneath his wavy, reddish-brown locks-- was a silver circlet, a
single cabochon of deep green nephrite jade in its center. 
     <Twelve hours,> he thought as he walked back the way he'd come. <Not
much time.> Entering the chapel once more, which was the only room in the
old mansion with a high enough ceiling for what he planned to do, he
looked up toward the sparkling rose window. As he centered himself, the
atmosphere within the soaring chamber changed to gloom and shadow. An inky
darkness filled the air, sucking up most of the light streaming in through
the stained-glass windows. At Nephrite's trigger-phrase, "The movement of
the stars rules everything," a model of the solar system appeared within
the darkness, accurately showing the Gemlord the planets' movements around
the Sun. He opened his mouth to speak the next phrase, then paused--
unsure what to do-- when he realized that he could no longer feel the dark
energy of the Negaforce coursing through him. Instead, the only energy
that sparkled through his soul was that from his gemstone and the stars. 
     Falling back on memories from long ago, Nephrite continued, "I call
upon the mighty Zodiac, you twelve who oversee all the affairs of life,
show me what has transpired since the day of my death." He couldn't help
shuddering at his last two words. 
     A thin beam of silver light shot forth from the miniature Sun,
striking the jade on the Gemlord's forehead. His eyes momentarily glowing
with an eerie green light as the patterns of the past became clear,
Nephrite silently watched the events unfold. 
     The search for the Rainbow Crystals and the defeat of the Seven
Shadows. Zoisite's execution. The reawakening of the Moon Princess and the
reconstruction of the Imperium Silver Crystal. The corruption of Tuxedo
Mask, now known to be the reincarnation of the Earth Prince Darien. The
death of Kunzite at the hands of Sailor Moon. The deaths of the Inner
Senshi as they cleared the way for a final confrontation. The freeing and
death of Prince Darien. The defeat of Queen Beryl and the resealing of the
Negaverse by Princess Serena with the help of the spirits of her Senshi.
The resurrection and return to normal life of the Prince, Princess and
Senshi. The coming to Earth of a pair of aliens, searching for energy. The
reawakening of the Sailors as they dealt with the troubles caused by the
aliens. The coming of the Moonlight Knight. The defeat of the aliens,
their hope of a new and better life, and the reunion of Prince Darien's
soul. Then, just as the visions were fading away, Nephrite caught a
glimpse of a tall, dark-glassed mirror glowing with a blackish-green
light. 
     He stood there a moment longer, still looking upward, trying to let
the information he'd received sink in. High above, the model of the solar
system continued to mark out the planetary movements as he slowly shook
his head. <So much has happened. So much has changed. Too bad about
Zoisite,> he thought, a cold, wicked smile on his face. <I really wanted a
chance at that witch myself.> 
     His dark desire for revenge thwarted, Nephrite turned his thoughts to
the other matter he found pressing. "I call upon the planets Venus, who
rules partnerships, harmony and cooperation, and Mars, ruler of energy and
passion, show me the location of Molly Baker." 
     A new vision appeared within his mind. A sweet-looking teen-aged
girl, wearing a blue and white sailor-like school uniform, was sitting on
a park bench. A gentle breeze stirred her medium-length, bright red hair--
some of which was pulled back with a blue bow-- as she gazed out at the
trees and absently swung her legs back and forth. With a start, Nephrite
realized that he was looking at the same park-- nearly the exact same
spot-- where he'd been attacked. 
     With a long sigh, he let the vision of the stars fade away. <She
seems well enough,> he told himself as the chapel brightened considerably.
<Perhaps I should just leave her be.> But then a memory flashed through
his mind, of Molly saying that her dream was to go out and have a
chocolate parfait with him. He closed his eyes, an expression of pain on
his handsome face, as he fought back the torrent of strong, unfamiliar
emotions the memory provoked. <No, I can't let it be. I still want to do
that for her. I realize now that making her little dream come true was the
real reason I needed to come back. But I don't want to hurt her anymore,
either. If I show up now, all I can do is disappoint her again since I
won't be the same person she loved once the time limit expires.> 
     With a growl of irritation, Nephrite opened his jade-green eyes, his
jaw set in determination. <To hell with it,> he decided. <I have to see
her, come what may. Perhaps if I went as someone else...> Fixing an image
in his mind, he threw a hand up in the air. "Stardust Disguise." 
     A burst of greenish-silver light erupted from his hand, raining down
a shower of glittering sparkles over his athletic form and obscuring his
outline. When the twinkling sparks disappeared, another young man stood in
Nephrite's place. Dressed in sneakers, jeans and a loose-fitting T-shirt,
his hair now short, straight and blond, his eyes now colored golden-brown,
the Gemlord's disguised form looked nothing like his true self. With a nod
of satisfaction, he teleported.

     <I wonder what's keeping Serena so long?> the red-headed teen thought
as she continued to swing her feet. Another gust of wind blew across her,
rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. Scanning the park one more time
with her slate-blue eyes, she sighed. <I hope she didn't forget that we
were supposed to meet here today.> 
     Just then, a low, quiet voice interrupted the girl's thoughts.
"Excuse me, would you mind if I joined you?" 
     Startled, the red-head looked over at where the sound had come from.
Seeing a young blond man-- apparently in his early twenties-- standing
there at the end of the bench, the girl replied, "Sure, go ahead." She
then scooted down to the other end, making room. As she straightened out
her blue skirt, the newcomer gave her a slight nod of thanks and sat down. 
     For a long moment they sat there in silence, looking out into the
wooded greenery. Finally, the man spoke. "Nice weather we're having." 
     The teen-ager blinked in surprise. Glancing up through the trees at
the overcast sky, smelling the scent of possible rain in the wind, the
red-haired girl thought his comment was strange indeed. 
     Next to her, the blond stranger waited for her reply. Getting none,
he narrowed his golden-brown eyes in annoyance. "So, do you come here
often?" 
     The girl nervously swallowed. <Something about him just doesn't seem
right,> she thought. Deciding to go ahead and answer for civility's sake
alone, she said, "Actually, no. I try to stay away. But I'm supposed to
meet someone here today." 
     "Really? Who?" the man asked, an icy undercurrent creeping into his
voice. 
     Astonished at his tone, the teen-ager turned slate-blue eyes on him.
Despite his apparently annoyed voice, the expression on his good-looking
face was only one of mild curiosity. "My best friend Serena. She and I are
going to go shopping," she replied, carefully watching the stranger's
face. Seeing something flicker deep within his eyes, she asked, "Do you
know Serena?" 
     The blond man shook his head. Looking aside, an unreadable expression
on his face, he answered, "No, never had the pleasure of meeting her." 
     <Huh?> the red-head thought. For just a split-second, there seemed to
be something very familiar about him in the way he narrowed his eyes and
set his jaw. But then his expression changed, and with it disappeared the
feeling of familiarity. Confused, the girl began scanning the park grounds
again. 
     After another few moments of silence, the blond stranger spoke once
more. "You said that you tended to stay away from here. Why? It looks like
a beautiful place to me." 
     Something in the way he said those words caused the teen-ager to
stare at him yet again. He was still gazing out into the wooded land, a
far-away look in his eyes and a gorgeous smile on his face. 
     Only once before had she seen a smile as beautiful as that. <No. It
can't be. It's just not possible,> she thought, her heart leaping into her
throat. However, before she could stop herself, she blurted out,
"Nephrite?!" 
     At the sound of his name, the disguised Gemlord froze, stunned.
Recovering quickly, he stared back at the still-amazed red-head. He
started to protest that he wasn't who she thought he was, then recalled
his final words to her before his death. <And here I am, lying to her yet
again-- this time on purpose.> With a long sigh of defeat, he carefully
looked around. Finding no one else in sight, he let the disguise drop. 
     The girl's slate-blue eyes grew even wider as shimmering
greenish-silver light momentarily enveloped the stranger. When it
disappeared, she saw sitting on the bench next to her the man who still
sometimes haunted her dreams. "But how?" she gasped, her mind slower to
grasp the truth that her heart and eyes already knew, that it was really
him. 
     "Because of you, Molly," Nephrite replied. "Because of the love you
had for someone as corrupted by evil as I, I've been given a short time on
Earth to still make that little dream of yours come true." 
     Molly's angelic face went from astonishment to radiant joy to
confused sadness in a matter of seconds. "You mean you can't stay?" she
asked, her voice breaking. 
     He slowly shook his head, his dark reddish-brown bangs falling into
his left eye. "Please believe me when I say that I truly didn't wish to
cause you more pain, but I needed to see you again. That's why I came in
disguise, but you still recognized me. I realize now that I shouldn't have
come." 
     He started to stand, but Molly laid a hand on his arm. "Don't go.
Please." 
     "Why? All I'll do is make things worse." 
     "I'd rather have what little time you were given than to have no time
at all," the red-haired girl replied. "If all you can do is have that
parfait you promised, then I'll be happy enough. At least I'll have that
many more memories the next time you're gone." 
     "Are you sure?" Nephrite asked. 
     Molly thought it over, a serious look on her sweet face. "I've
already accepted your loss once. I can do so again, especially since I
know up front that this can't last." 
     Nephrite gave her a slight smile. "I seem to recall that you told me
that there's a cafe downtown that you'd like to go to for a parfait." 
     "Uh huh." 
     He stood up then and held out a hand. When Molly reached up and
placed her hand in his, he helped her up. Guiding her next to his athletic
form and wrapping an arm around her waist, he said, "Clear your mind of
all thought, then picture that place in your mind. Close your eyes and
concentrate." After watching her do as he asked, he shut his own eyes and
saw the image in his mind. Reaching out with his power, he teleported them
both there. 
     Moments later, a slender teen-ager with extremely long twin ponytails
walked over to the empty bench. Holding a double-scoop ice cream cone in
each hand and clutching a paper bag-- from the top of which a comic book
peeked out-- under her left arm, the blond girl called out, "Yoo-hoo!
Molly! Guess what I got. Chocolate-fudge ripple and cherry ice cream and
the new Sailor V comic." Realizing that there was no one there, she yelled
again, a worried tone in her voice, "Molly? Molly! Where are you?" 
     Frowning, the slender, ponytailed blond thought, <Wonder what
happened to her? She was supposed to meet me here.> She started to search
around for her missing friend, but was then distracted by melting ice
cream dripping onto her hands. <Oh well. Her loss. Gonna have to eat them
both before they make a mess.>

     Molly had forgotten just how weird of an experience teleporting could
be. One second she was standing there in the park-- eyes closed and
concentrating on her mental picture as Nephrite held her close-- and the
next there was nothing save a soul-numbing chill, the sound of her own
heart and a gut-wrenching feeling of vertigo. However, the nauseating
sensations lasted for only a split-second. In a flash, she was suddenly
aware that she could feel her own body, as well as his, again. Startled,
she opened her slate-blue eyes. 
     They were standing in front of the downtown restaurant. It was just
the way she'd pictured it, a small, family-run business that took up a
corner of the first floor of a three-storey building. Feeling Nephrite let
her go and step away, she turned her head to look at him-- then blinked in
surprise. Somehow, in the middle of the teleport, he'd managed to change
his appearance yet again. This time, he was wearing the yellow
dress-shirt, white slacks and brown loafers of his human alter-ego, the
eccentric millionaire Maxfield Stanton. "How do you do that?" she gasped. 
     "Lots of talent and a little practice," Nephrite replied. "I'll draw
less attention to us this way." 
     Molly nodded in comprehension, thinking that his former caped outfit
would have been a bit odd to those people who happened to be around. "How
can you stand teleporting? Does it always feel like that?" 
     The reddish-brown-haired man shrugged, then opened the door for her.
"You get used to it," he replied as he followed the teen-ager inside. 
     She stood quietly next to him, becoming suddenly shy and nervous, as
he gave the couple's order to the matronly woman behind the counter.
Watching him pay for the pair of parfaits, she couldn't help wondering
where he'd got the money from, and she was still musing on that when she
realized that he was waiting for her to take first pick. With a sheepish
look, she grabbed one of the tall dessert glasses and a long-handled
spoon, then followed him to a booth. 
     They sat down on opposite sides, facing one another, each one keeping
their gaze on the cherry-topped treat in front of them. Both Molly and
Nephrite waited for the other to start-- then, when it became apparent to
each of them that the other one was expecting them to go first, they both
picked up their spoon and dug in. The perfect synchronization of the
entire episode struck Nephrite as amusingly absurd and he couldn't keep
from laughing. 
     The red-haired teen went ahead and ate the bite of fudge-covered
vanilla ice cream on her spoon, smiling at his amusement. "I missed your
laugh," she said. "I only got to hear it that once." 
     The Gemlord ate his spoonful then, a thoughtful expression on his
handsome face. After a pause, he declared, "Actually, that's not too bad." 
     "They don't have ice cream where you're from?" 
     Recalling her query from what had to be months ago, Nephrite smiled.
"You ask the most innocent of questions, Molly. No, Sunday wasn't a day
off for me and no, we didn't have any ice cream. In fact, I really don't
have to eat to stay alive, but I do so when I'm on Earth so that I blend
in better with you natives." 
     They fell silent for a few minutes, concentrating on their desserts,
until Molly got enough courage to say, "Tell me about yourself, Nephrite." 
     Jade-green eyes stared straight into her slate-blue ones. "It's not a
nice story, Molly," he warned. 
     "I already know that you've done a lot of bad things, but that
doesn't matter. I want to know who the man is that I fell in love with,"
the teen-aged girl challenged. 
     "I wish I knew. If it was the person you see right now, then he's
just imaginary, an identity I created in order to carry out my plans among
you humans in secrecy. Yet even when I did tell you something about the
truth of myself, it didn't stop you. You willingly put yourself in danger
for my sake." 
     "But that's what love's about." 
     "So I've learned, I think," Nephrite admitted. A far-off look in his
eyes, he added, "When Zoisite's goons took you hostage, I was going to
abandon you, leaving you to her to do with as she willed-- until I began
to think about what she probably would do, and found that I couldn't let
you face that. Then, during that last fight, all I could think about was
keeping you from getting hurt." Focusing once again on Molly's angelic
face, he watched, amazed, as his confession caused her form to brighten
with an almost visible glow. Recognizing the brilliant light as the
fascinatingly pure energy of her love and remembering how he sensed it
crumbling into gray ashes while his own life-force was being sucked dry,
he scowled. "Don't get too happy. Remember, I can't stay." 
     Although obviously crestfallen at his harsh words, the light still
shone within the girl. "I know, but I can't help it. You love me." 
     He narrowed his eyes, about to angrily deny Molly's quiet statement,
but then stopped himself before he uttered a sound. Despite the feelings
of discomfort and irritation provoked by her words, he knew also that they
had the ring of truth. "I care about you, and what happens to you. But
love?" For just a few seconds, his face hardened into that cold, arrogant
expression the red-headed teen remembered from the times before. 
     "When I was in your room that night and told you what it was like
where I was from, I wasn't lying then even though my motives for telling
you so were a sham. You may be cute and sweet, full of innocence, a true
angel of starlight--" He quit in mid-sentence, suddenly realizing what
he'd said. Rolling jade-green eyes in exasperation, he mentally growled,
<Now I'm beginning to> sound <like a love-sick fool.> 
     Molly watched, amused by the play of emotions. "I kind of like that,"
she confessed. "Starlight angel." 
     The conversation lagged off, an atmosphere of uncertainty and
hesitation surrounding the couple. They finished up their desserts in
silence, Molly too shy to try to find out more and Nephrite too irritated
and perplexed to say anything else. However, the red-haired girl kept
glancing over at him, trying to build up the courage to speak again. 
     Nephrite sat there and stared at the empty, fudge-covered glass,
trying to sort out the jumble of feelings inside. Then, like a bolt out of
the blue, something hit his psychic awareness like a sledgehammer, shaking
him to his very core. Gasping in pain at the overwhelming intensity, it
took his astounded mind a moment to recognize it for what it was-- an
ancient, irrisistible Call. 
     At the unexpected sound, Molly looked up and caught the look of utter
astonishment on her companion's face. As she watched in sudden fright, his
outline became a bit blurred and his body slightly transparent. "No! Wait!
You can't go now." 
     "Not my doing," Nephrite hissed, fighting the summons. "I have...
more time... but this... is something else." <I can't go back and face him
now. It may jeopardize everything,> he silently raged. But it was a losing
battle, as he knew it must be. No Gemlord of Lithos, no matter his or her
past, could ignore that Call. Staring over at Molly's tear-blurred eyes
and seeing the light shining within her sad, scared soul, he heard a voice
speak from his memory: <With love, all things are possible, all destinies
may be denied. Could it be?> he asked himself. 
     It took nearly everything he had to hold out an increasingly
insubstantial hand to the girl. "Molly... hold me... keep me here... with
the power... of your love." 
     Faced with the man of her dreams fading away right before her eyes,
the teen-ager didn't need any more encouragement. With the blind trust of
true faith, she grabbed his ghost-like hand in her own. An almost electric
shock ran through them both at the contact. With the blinding light of
Molly's love shimmering within them both, she could feel Nephrite's hand
suddenly become solid again. But connected to him like that, she could see
and feel other things besides. 
     The world exploded into the darkness of space, thousands of
glimmering stars scattered about. She could hear the music they made as
the planets danced among them, but she could hear something else as well--
an irrisistable urge to return to somewhere out there. In that moment, she
knew that he had to stay behind, that he had things to do on Earth, and
she resolved to help him the best she could. Catching the impression of a
shadowy man with dark hair and dark eyes standing in the middle of space,
she drew together the shimmering light of the stars around them both.
Within the silver sphere, the summons could be heard no more. 
     She came back to her own awareness then, once more in the ice cream
parlor and still holding Nephrite's hand. Glancing over at his now-solid
form, she saw that he was smiling. 
     "Thank you. It wasn't time for me to go, yet." 
     "Who was that?" Molly asked. 
     The Gemlord remained silent for a long moment, then reluctantly
replied, "Someone I knew long ago." 
     "Please, I want to understand. Who are you really?" 
     "You shouldn't trust me so much." 
     "I can't help it. Love's funny that way," the red-head shrugged. 
     In reply, he reached over and took her other hand in his own. With a
second's concentration, he teleported them both again from the parlor's
booth.

     Having known a bit more what to expect, Molly found the second
teleport not as upsetting as the first. Looking around, she saw that she
was standing in some sort of chapel, a highly-vaulted ceiling soaring
upwards. All around were tall, thin, stained-glass windows, while at one
end of the rectangular room an intricate rose window overlooked the altar.
She swallowed, a bit apprehensive, as she took in the signs of decay and
gloom that filled the empty chamber and noticed the tall candlesticks that
ringed the raised dais beneath the rose window. Oddly enough, their glass
holders were different colors; blue, yellow, green and red, they stood at
the four corners of the marble altar. Not sure what was going to happen
next, she looked over at the man who still held her hands-- and wasn't too
surprised to find him back in his caped, green and white outfit. 
     He let her go, then turned to face the round window high above. "You
should be careful what you wish for, Molly, for it may come to you," his
rich baritone voice admonished. Before she could reply, he continued, "The
movement of the stars rules everything. I call upon the outer planets, you
who govern the destinies of generations, show this foolish girl the
shadows of my past." 
      At the sound of his words, Molly watched, uneasy, as the gloom
seemed to swallow up the entire room. Before her wide-open eyes, a vision
of the solar system appeared, putting a picture to the music she'd
recently heard. But then even the sparkling stars and majestic planets
faded somewhat as images began to form within the heart of the darkness. 
     "I come from another planet in this solar system," Nephrite began
explaining the visions, his words echoing slightly in the open room. A
picture of a white-swirled blue world, similar to Earth, appeared. "And
though this planet, Lithos by name, orbited between Mars and Jupiter, it
was as filled with water and life as this Earth of yours. But whereas your
world developed life because it was scientifically possible, Lithos
sustained life because it was mystically possible." 
     The scene changed to that of a large mirror made of black glass, a
tall man with dark hair dressed in dark clothes standing next to it. With
a start, Molly recognized the image as that of the man she'd seen out in
space. "Lithos was home to the Vortex Mirror, a mystic embodiment of the
bridge between all places that exist in the Universe. It was the energy of
that Symbol of the Cosmos that made life possible there. And guarding that
Symbol, keeping it from being misused, was Obsidian, Lord of Lithos." 
     Another picture appeared. This time the teen-ager could see a black
castle-like tower in the midst of a beautiful city, with many men and
women walking around enjoying the sights. "Obsidian wasn't alone, however.
As companions and assistants, the Gemlords of Lithos came into being. I
can't explain how it happened-- there are some things in the Universe that
remain mysterious-- but certain types of stones, generally recognized here
on Earth by you humans as gems, developed souls that personified the
mystic powers those stones contained. I am, you could say, the spirit of
nephrite jade." 
     Another change of the vision. Four warrior women stood at guard
before the black Tower, each one dressed in short-skirted battle gear. One
had long red hair and wore a costume of pinks and reds. One had long
silver-blond hair streaked with pastel shades of yellow, blue, green and
violet and was dressed in shades of blue. The third, with long deep-green
hair, was outfitted in shades of green while the fourth, who had long
silver-blond hair, had a uniform of white and silver. "We weren't all
awakened at once, nor were we all the same in power. Among the first to
appear, and the most powerful, were the Tower Guard. Ruby, Sapphire,
Emerald, and their captain, Diamond, were the Mirror's last line of
defense save Obsidian himself." 
     "But there was another group as well, one almost as powerful as the
Tower Guard. This group's job was to be the front line of defense,
overseeing the organization of the other Gemlords under their command
should the need ever arise." The scene changed, showing a tall man with
silver-blond hair, pale lavender eyes and dressed in clothes similar to
Nephrite's own-- only these were in shades of violet-pink and had a nearly
floor-length cloak. "Lord Kunzite, the leader, Commander of the Southern
Quarter," Nephrite explained. "It was rumored that he was nearly as old as
Obsidian and the Guard; he was certainly much older than I." 
     The image changed again, showing Molly a picture of Nephrite--
looking almost identical to how he appeared now-- with another man
standing next to him. The other Gemlord had short, light blond hair and
amber-colored eyes, his clothes colored in shades of orangish-yellow.
"Jadeite and I came into being at nearly the same moment. I don't recall a
childhood, I just suddenly was. Although we don't have families as such,
Jadeite and I were sort of considered fraternal twins. We did nearly
everything together-- and were discovered by Kunzite as the Commanders of
the Northern and Eastern Quarters he'd been searching for. 
     "For a long time, it was just the three of us, overseeing the
organization of the defense of Lithos under Obsidian's command. However,
we knew there would eventually be a fourth, for we needed someone to
command the Western Quarter in order to be complete." 
     Another shift, showing the girl a slender, boyish-looking man with
long golden-blond hair and violet-blue eyes wearing shades of violet-blue.
Startled, Molly blurted out, "But that looks like..." 
     "The woman who took the star crystal and taunted me? It is. One of
Zoisite's powers is the ability to change his or her form to whatever he
or she feels like. Back then, he usually remained male. And he was found
to be the Commander of the West Kunzite was looking for. Because Zoisite
was so much younger than the rest of us, Kunzite worked especially hard on
his training to get him up to speed. Finally, our group was complete." 
     The image then became one of peaceful existence within the beautiful
city. "Things remained blissfully quiet for a long time. Although we
continued to prepare, our plans for the defense of Lithos were never used.
No one ever threatened to conquer the Mirror, and the rest of the solar
system was united in peace under the gentle hand of Queen Serenity." 
     Molly then saw a picture of the Sailor Scouts standing at the ready.
As Nephrite continued to remark on the pictures, she recognized the
warrior girls as Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter. "Queen Serenity had her
own guard, whom you've met as the Sailor Scouts. Their job was to protect
the Silver Millenium-- Queen Serenity's peace-- but most of all, protect
the Moon Princess." Now the red-head could see a beautiful, graceful girl
with long blond hair dressed in a gossamer gown of moonlight white. 
     "However, things eventually fell apart." The picture swirled into
that of a tall, flame-haired woman wearing a long red gown. "Lady Beryl
was caught using the Vortex Mirror without Obsidian's knowledge. For the
first time ever, someone had used the Mirror's powers without the
guardian's authorization. Obsidian was livid, but not enough to execute
her. Instead, he banished her to Earth, the only place our gemstone powers
are weakened." Now Molly could see the woman bound and gagged, surrounded
by the four Commanders as Obsidian and a man with short black hair and
wearing black and silver armor talked. "Prince Darien, Earth's guardian,
didn't take kindly to being ordered to imprison an exiled Gemlord on his
planet. So in order to reassure the Prince that Beryl couldn't cause
anymore trouble, Obsidian ordered the four of us to stay behind as well as
Beryl's guards. We found a cave up near the North Magnetic Pole and used
it as her cell, each one of us taking shifts watching over her." 
     The vision changed. This time the awed girl saw another image of
Nephrite. He was sitting on what appeared to be a chair shaped out of the
living rock of a cavern and was reading something. Nearby, a opening in
the cave's wall was sealed up with a shimmering white light. "At first, we
carried out our orders as diligently as we always had, each one of us
dealing with a full twenty-four hours alone with the prisoner in that
cave. But the duty became rather unbearable with nothing to do, so we each
ended up staying at Prince Darien's court most of the time with whomever
had the job for the day making periodic teleports into the cell to see if
everything was as it should be." Another change. This time the picture
showed the four commanders wearing white uniforms with trim the color of
their gemstone-- the man identified as Kunzite having a long cloak instead
of a cape-- standing behind the black-clad Earth Prince. "We spent so much
time there, we became friends of Prince Darien and got caught up in the
middle of a potential scandal." 
     The picture now showed the Moon Princess and the Earth Prince holding
hands and staring into each other's eyes. "You see, although all of us
from the other planets were supposed to stay away from Earth-- and
Earthlings were banned from the other planets-- the Moon Princess was
fascinated with the blue planet she could see in her sky. So she snuck
down here, met Prince Darien-- and it was love at first sight. But the
Senshi found out about the Princess's trips and they continually foiled
her attempts to visit." 
     The image then became one of the four white-clad commanders, each one
talking to a Senshi one-on-one as the Prince and Princess were sneaking
off in the background. "At Prince Darien's command, for Obsidian had
placed us at the Prince's disposal, we used our teleporting powers and our
persuasion to keep the Sailors busy while the royal couple went off by
themselves. Whether it was here on Earth or up on the Moon, it became the
job of each one of us to occupy a Senshi. My target was Princess Jupiter."
In illustration, the vision turned to one of Nephrite in a large ballroom,
dancing with a girl Molly recognized as Sailor Jupiter. In the background
were the other commanders, each one dancing with a Senshi as well. 
     "It became an amusing game with the four of us, outwitting the Senshi
like that. I suppose we were looking for anything to relieve the boredom
of our true mission. Beryl remained safely imprisoned, out of harm's way,
and we enjoyed trying to keep the Sailors in the dark about just how many
times the Princess was here on Earth or the Prince was on the Moon. But
then we began to suspect that Queen Serenity had found out what was going
on, because there came a time that it felt like we were always being
watched. When we tried to tell Prince Darien about it, he shrugged it off
and said that if we were that worried about it, we should use our powers
to find out what was going on." 
     The image became that of the cavern prison again, the four commanders
standing together and arguing. "I can't tell you exactly what happened
next, Molly, because I really don't know myself. I remember Zoisite
yelling about being unappreciated by Obsidian and that it should've been
someone else pulling this duty. Kunzite was trying to calm him down when
suddenly Jadeite started agreeing, saying that he'd had enough of the
whole thing. I started to disagree, when Zoisite put a hand on my
shoulder. Just like that, I could see his point. Duty and honor suddenly
meant absolutely nothing. I wanted recognition and power. After all, we
four were the strongest of all the Gemlords outside of Obsidian and the
Tower Guard. When I sided with the others, arguing that we should dump
this backwater, go home and make Obsidian give us something more in
keeping with our high status, Kunzite stormed off, sure we were all
crazy." 
     A new scene appeared, with Zoisite, still dressed in the same uniform
but now quite noticeably female, holding Kunzite by the hand and walking
back to the other two. "It was after Kunzite decided to join us after all
that Zoisite kept to a feminine form; she used her male form only one last
time. And with us united again, we were standing there wondering just how
to do what we wanted when Beryl spoke and told us of a plan."  
     When the image finished shifting again, it showed the tall,
flame-haired woman-- now clad in a long, indigo-blue gown-- standing
before the four commanders, a globe of dark energy between them. "The more
she spoke, the more we realized that she was saying what we wanted to
hear. Obsidian had been wrong to exile her, she really hadn't done
anything wrong. And he shouldn't have ordered us to guard her; it seemed
so obvious that he didn't appreciate the hard work and loyalty we'd shown
on his behalf. All he cared about were the Vortex Mirror and the Tower
Guard. If we would only join Beryl, acknowledge her as our Queen, she
would give us all the power we needed to show Obsidian, Queen Serenity and
anyone else that they shouldn't have messed with us. The four of us, full
of resentment, bitterness and dissatisfaction, agreed." The picture
changed, showing Nephrite-- now dressed in the gray uniform that Molly had
known him in all those months ago-- on bended knee before the tall woman,
kissing her outstretched hand as an aura of dark energy surrounded him.
"One by one, we pledged our loyalty and ourselves to her as Queen, and in
return, we each received an energy like I'd never sensed before. I felt
like I could do anything, that I was invincible. We then began to put our
Queen's plan into action." 
     The vision this time showed Nephrite in disguise walking among the
humans of Earth, talking to them and finding excuses to lay a hand on
them. Molly saw that all of the people he touched suddenly developed a
barely-visible dark glow that quickly faded away. "With Jadeite taking
Asia, Zoisite in Europe, Kunzite in Africa and the Middle East and myself
in the Americas, the four of us went among the mortals of Earth. In order
to carry out our Queen's plan, we needed troops, and the new power we had
at our command needed a physical focus. So we used humans in order to set
the pattern the energy would take. When the time came, we could call upon
it and have it channeled through a human, thereby creating ourselves a
warrior. But in the midst of it all, we received a summons from the
Prince. Since we weren't ready, our Queen let us go, commanding us to fool
everyone into thinking that nothing was amiss." 
     The new scene focused on an angry Prince Darien confronting the
commanders-- dressed in their white uniforms and Zoisite in his male form
once more-- demanding an explanation. "He wasn't happy that we hadn't been
around in his court of late, especially since it had been a while since
he'd seen the Princess. Every time they'd tried, the Senshi had caught
them. We told him that we'd been busy trying to find out who was watching
us so closely, and he grudgingly understood. After all, he had told us to
do so the last time we'd seen him. We agreed to go with him to the Moon
again so that he could attend that night's ball without interruption." 
     Molly kept staring upwards into the darkness, mouth slightly open in
shock, as the images and Nephrite's low words continued. A vision of him
dancing with Princess Jupiter again took form, with the Senshi wearing a
long, gauzy gown of shimmering forest-green, her brown hair artfully
arranged in an intricate style adorned with emeralds. In the background,
the red-headed girl could see Jadeite dancing with Princess Mars, Kunzite
paired with Princess Venus and a most-decidedly male Zoisite leading
Princess Mercury. Each princess was dressed as elaborately as Jupiter, and
Molly caught the impression that that particular ball had been a special
event. "I kept her busy and distracted that entire night, my purpose
two-fold. As always, I was to keep her from watching the Moon Princess so
that she could safely meet with Prince Darien, but that night I had
another job as well. While we talked and danced, I carefully used my
powers to memorize her strengths and probe her weaknesses. By the time the
celebration had ended, I knew Jupiter's powers inside-out and had found a
way to bottle-up most of her energy inside her. Distracted fool that she
was, she never knew what I had done." 
     The scene shimmered, resolving itself into one of Nephrite pulling
Princess Jupiter close and giving her a deep kiss. Auras of dark energy
momentarily surrounded them both right before Nephrite let her go, a
coldly arrogant smile on his face. At the same time, the Gemlord standing
near the Earth girl continued his narrative. "I gave her that last kiss
knowing full well that as I did so, the power given to my by my Queen
would weaken Sailor Jupiter to her most basic attack and defense. I knew
then that the next time I would see her and the other Senshi, it would be
on the opposite side of a battlefield. The others having accomplished the
same mission with their respective princess, we returned triumphantly to
our Queen." 
     The picture changed. Molly saw another image of the Earth from space,
a noticeable darkness engulfing the blue planet. The vision then morphed
into a scene of Queen Beryl, her appearance suddenly twisted into
something demonic and surrounded by seven shadowy figures with glowing red
eyes, raising her black, globe-topped staff high in the air. From the four
corners of the Earth, shadows emerged from unsuspecting humans as the
quartet of commanders-- each one standing in the geographic center of
their region and sending out a special telepathic command-- Called the
dark power they'd spread into life. The shadows quickly solidified into
armed warriors as the humans from which they were patterned collapsed to
the ground, unconscious. 
     The scenes of a battle appeared next, each gray-clad general leading
his or her force toward a meeting place in what appeared to Molly to be
Greenland. Along the way, the generals' forces battled the warriors of the
Earth Prince, but the overwhelmed defenders could do little to hinder the
attackers' movements. As the red-head watched, wide-eyed, Molly thought it
odd that Prince Darien was suddenly nowhere to be found when it became a
given that the four armies would soon join forces. The image then became
one of the full army standing on a wind-swept plain, Queen Beryl and her
shadowy attendants in the center. At the four corners of the area, the
generals stood in their respective Quarters and linked their teleporting
abilities together in order to move the whole force to a new place. 
     Molly then saw the army appear on another planet, the beautiful city
with the tall black tower she'd seen earlier on the horizon. For the first
time in a few moments, Nephrite spoke. "After collecting our troops and
taking Earth, the first place we went was Lithos. All of us had a score to
settle with our former Lord, Obsidian, and the dark power which fueled our
actions and for which we worked promised us whatever we wished should we
prove able to wrest control of the Vortex Mirror from its Guardian." The
vision became that of another battle, with Queen Beryl, the Seven Shadows,
Nephrite and Jadeite leading the attack on the Gemlord defenders. High on
a mountain, overlooking the city, Kunzite and a female Zoisite stood
within a force-field of violet-pink energy. Within Zoisite's embrace, her
power augmenting his own, Kunzite had his silver-haired head bowed in
concentration. High above, a thin, sparkling violet-pink shield covered
the entire sky. "As the main force advanced on the city, we sustained
moderate losses for each Gemlord we killed. As Jadeite and I lead the army
over the territory we'd known so well, Kunzite and Zoisite set up a
barrier around Lithos that kept any call for reinforcements from reaching
the other planets. Then, on the outskirts of the city, we met the Tower
Guard." 
     The image became that of the four amazon warriors, battle ready, the
few remaining defenders preparing for another stand behind them. Although
the generals-- Kunzite and Zoisite having rejoined the main force-- did
their best to incapacitate the Guard, the amazons carved a path through
the relatively-weak footsoldiers toward Queen Beryl. Seeing the threat,
the demonic-appearing woman sent the Seven Shadows out to intercept them.
As the quartet of generals picked off those lesser Gemlords that remained,
the Shadow warriors pushed back the amazons' attack. Then a new form
joined the fray, his blackish-green cloak and dark-brown hair flying as he
took on the Shadows alone. 
     With the Shadows fighting tooth-and-nail with the Lord of Lithos,
keeping him from helping his Guard, the four generals linked powers and
used their combined energies to concentrate on one amazon at a time. "Our
Queen and her Shadows were more than a match for the Mirror's Guardian,
but to Obsidian's credit, he stopped their advance. Of the Tower Guard,
Emerald was the first to fall beneath our combined might. Ruby became our
next target as we sent the full force of what remained of our army against
Sapphire's multiple attacks. The twin amazons fell together, united in
death as they'd been in life. 
     "With them gone, there only remained Obsidian and Diamond, who both
knew that the battle was lost. They both teleported to the Tower and we
marched through the city in mass. Diamond made a final stand at the
Tower's gates but, weakened as she was, she was no match for us then.
Jadeite and I combined our energies once more and finished the Captain
off." 
     A new picture formed. With the Tower protected by a deep-green
force-field and the ground all around breaking up into huge pieces, the
generals surrounded what remained of their forces and, with their combined
teleport once more, moved the entire group back to Earth. "We'd failed,
but barely. And even though we'd all used huge amounts of power, we seemed
to increase in energy as the battles raged on, almost as if we'd been
feeding off the death and destruction caused by our actions." 
     The picture then became one of the quartet spread throughout the
Earth, sending out their Call to the dark power once more. All over the
world, the poor humans who were just beginning to recover from the last
summons fell to the ground, senseless again, as a new warrior of the dark
energy was formed through their bodies. The four newly-created armies met
up at the same place as before, but this time the frightened girl could
see a huge, overwhelming Shadow overlooking the plain with glowing red
eyes. Their ranks swollen once more, the army let out a war-cry that
filled the air. Riding a tidal wave of dark energy formed by the enormous
Shadow, the army charged toward the Kingdom of the Moon. "We'd lost many
of our troops to the Gemlords of Lithos," the reddish-brown-haired man
continued. "But with our powers increasing as they were, we used the
humans as templates once again, making more warriors for our cause. When
we gathered together in the far North again, we were joined by the
Negaforce itself. With it fully awakened and at our Queen's disposal, we
knew we were unstoppable. The Negaforce told us to not be overly
disappointed at losing the Mirror, for once we had gained the Imperium
Silver Crystal, we'd be able to use its power to locate where Obsidian
took it. Caught up in the bloodlust, we cheered. The Moon, and Queen
Serenity, became our next target." 
     The scene changed to one of wholesale destruction as the army and the
Negaforce overran the unprepared kingdom. Carnage and rubble were
everywhere as the army destroyed everything in sight. Molly saw the
planetary Princesses become the Sailors and try to stop the rampaging
Negaforce, but with their powers sabotaged by the four Commanders, they
never had a chance. With one blast, they fell together. 
     At one point among the chaos, the red-headed teen saw Queen Beryl
confront the Moon Princess, only to be stopped by Prince Darien. But when
the Negaforce tried to take the Prince at Queen Beryl's command, the
Princess chose to go as well-- and both ended up dead, struck by the same
beam of energy. Molly then saw a tall, ethereally-beautiful woman-- with
pale blond hair in twin, floor-length ponytails that emerged from spheres
of hair on her head-- run to the scene of the dead Prince and Princess in
horror. Collapsing to the ground in despair, the pale, graceful woman
pulled out a round, faceted gem that sparkled brighter than any diamond
Molly had ever seen. The woman placed the colorless stone in a socket in
her golden crescent-moon wand, stood up and raised it to the smoke-filled
sky. The visions, and the darkness within the chapel, faded away with a
brilliantly-pure, blindingly-white light. 
     Nephrite continued to stare up at the rose window. "Queen Serenity,
overcome by the destruction of her kingdom and the deaths of those she
loved, turned the power of the Imperium Silver Crystal against us all,
defenders and invaders alike, trapping us body and soul within the
Crystal's heart. She then sent the Crystal up into the sky and made it
shatter, each fragment containing a separate spirit. But whereas all those
who died defending her kingdom were sent ahead to another time on Earth,
another fate lay in store for those of us who were channels of the
Negaforce's dark power. Instead, we were exiled to the dimension from
which it had originally come." 
     He turned and looked at the awe-struck girl. "Be thankful that you've
spent your life in a place of warmth and sunlight, Molly. The Negaverse is
nothing like that," he began, a melancholy expression deep within his
jade-green eyes. "The best description I can give you is that it's like an
extensive maze of underground caverns, full of coldness, gloom and shadow.
For a thousand years we were there, the coldness and gloom slowly seeping
into our souls and freezing what was there as the Negaforce, weakened by
its encounter with the Crystal, lay comatose within the center of its home
dimension. 
     "During that time, the four of us went our separate ways, a unit no
longer. Jadeite and I, once as close as twin brothers, never did anything
together after our exile began; we both withdrew into our own worlds of
training and duties, awaiting the day when all of us could break free.
Kunzite also withdrew into himself, keeping everyone except Zoisite at
arm's length. And despite her obviously closer relationship with Kunzite,
Zoisite became more vindictive and vain as time went on; there were times
I was sure she'd stab even Kunzite in the back if it meant gaining greater
favor from Queen Beryl. Since I was second-in-command after Kunzite, I
naturally became a target of Zoisite's political games. It was that
rivalry that eventually meant my doom. 
     "However, the seal around the Negaverse Queen Serenity set in her
despair with the Crystal was flawed, and the gateway first opened up by
Beryl with the Vortex Mirror was never fully closed. After a millennium of
exile, we'd regained enough energy to reopen the way to Earth. Deciding to
pick up where she'd left off, determined as ever, Beryl conferred with the
four of us about ways to speed up the process of regaining our full
strength. When Jadeite said that he had a few plans that could work, Beryl
broke the weakened seal around the Negaverse, opened the gateway and put
Jadeite in control of the mission. 
     "He would have done quite well had it not been for Sailor Moon and
the two Senshi he'd accidentally awakened. When Beryl tired of his
failures, she permanently imprisoned him in a crystal, alive but asleep.
It then became my duty to round up energy in order to accelerate the
Negaforce's reawakening. The rest you pretty much already know." 
     For an agonizingly long moment, absolute silence filled the shadowy
chapel as the teen-aged girl and the centuries-old Gemlord stared at one
another. Finally, Molly was able to whisper, "I just don't know what to
say..." 
     "Then don't say anything," Nephrite replied, stepping forward and
placing a hand on her forehead. With practiced ease, he pulled the girl's
energy from her into himself, then carefully caught her before her
unconscious body could hit the floor. Gathering her slight form up into
his arms, the reddish-brown-haired man teleported again.

     He reappeared in the red-haired girl's bedroom, his psychic senses
telling him that no one was nearby. Nephrite glanced around for a moment,
taking in his surroundings. They were much the same as he remembered they
would be. Decorated in blues and greens, the obviously feminine room was
pretty much what the Gemlord expected from an adolescent human girl. With
a faint, almost whimsical smile, Nephrite carefully laid the unconscious
teen down on her bed. Reaching out with his power, he telepathed to her
sleeping mind. 
     **My time with you is nearly up. Thank you, Molly, for everything
you've done for me, and I'm truly sorry I used you yet again, but I had to
somehow ignore Obsidian's Call. Sleep now, go back to your life,
remembering this as only a dream. And though I don't know what tomorrow
will bring, I do know this: should danger ever threaten you again, I'll do
my best to use my powers to keep you from harm.** 
     He turned away then, preparing to teleport back, when another thought
crossed his mind. Telepathing again, he added, **Should our paths ever
cross again in life, please remember that I could probably use a friend.**
With that, he was gone, leaving Molly to sleep off the effects of his
energy drain.
 
     He teleported to the unkept lawn in front of the mansion he'd used as
his headquarters. With the blustery wind blowing back his long, dark hair
and silver-lined, green cape, making the trees around him dance, Nephrite
held his hands out in front of himself. Conjuring a small sphere of bright
white energy, he stared at it for a moment with jade-green eyes. <Once,
not long ago, this was my existence,> he thought as he gazed into the
heart of the energy he'd stolen from Molly. <Taking from others so that
the Negaforce could be reawakened. But with Beryl gone and my link to the
Negaforce broken, I have no need for this. I only took it from her in
order to render her unconscious.> 
     He looked up into the stormy sky and let the energy go. It rose into
the air, dissipating as it went, and disappeared in a shower of tiny
silver stars.

OPENING GAMBITS

     Obsidian stood in the center of the Zodiac-decorated carpet, staring
into the cold, lifeless depths of the soulstone he held. Closing his
deep-brown eyes and centering himself, he mentally reached into the
lusterless crystal. Slowly, carefully, he sought the pattern of the
stone's spirit frozen inside. There, deep within the crystal lattice,
Obsidian found what he sought-- the crystallized pattern that represented
the sum total of the personality and experiences of the Gemlord to whom
the stone belonged. A little at a time, he sent his energy into the
soulstone, thawing out each element he found, freeing it from its crystal
prison. As more of the pattern emerged, energized by the outside source of
power, the dark lord gradually increased the amount he sent into the
stone. Then, suddenly, he felt something new-- a flicker of life as the
energized pattern spontaneously sparked into its own.
     The dark-cloaked lord quickly opened his eyes and set the soulstone
down on the carpet beneath his booted feet. Retreating to his chair to the
right of the Mirror, he gave the Symbol of Cosmos under his protection a
quiet command, "Mirror Power Magnify."
     The black-glassed Mirror began to glow with its eerie blackish-green
light. As the dark radiance shone on the crystal in the center of the
Hall, Obsidian watched, his entire posture thoughtful and wary, as the
stone slowly came to life. Already he was having second thoughts, but it
was now too late. The deed was done.
     Little by little, in small degrees, the grayness faded away. The
chipped facets smoothed out, their lines becoming sharp once more, and the
dullness disappeared as light began to shine within the crystal. As the
glow within became steadily brighter, the aura around the Mirror began to
fade. It was completely gone by the time the soulstone's violet-tinged
pink-colored light shone throughout the Hall, taking on a human-like
shape. Then that too faded away, leaving behind the tall figure of a man.
     Still too weak to stand on his own, the resurrected Gemlord collapsed
to the floor as soon as his rose-colored aura disappeared. Catching
himself, his pastel-colored violet-pink cloak splayed around his lithe
form, he supported his upper body with his hands as he tried to regain his
bearings. <Where am I? I feel as if I've just awakened from a long, dismal
dream.> A memory momentarily flashed through his mind, one of searing
agony as a killing strike of his own power blasted through his protective
shield and buried itself into his chest. <And after that, nothing,> he
thought. <At least until now.>
     "Give me just one good reason why I shouldn't blast you back into
oblivion permanently."
     At the sound of the familiar but completely unexpected voice, the
reborn Gemlord looked up in shock, shaking his long, straight,
silver-blond hair out of his eyes. Seeing a dark-haired, dark-eyed man
sitting on a vaguely throne-like chair next to a huge mirror made of black
glass that was unusually reflective, the silver-haired Gemlord narrowed
his pale-lavender eyes in wariness as everything suddenly came flooding
back. From his youthful days on Lithos all the way up to his final battle
with the Senshi, he could now recall his entire sordid history. Realizing
that he was in the Hall of the Mirror within the Obsidian Tower and that
it was the Lord of that Tower who had spoken, the Gemlord defiantly met
the dark lord's challenging stare. "You need me, Obsidian," his low voice
replied. "Otherwise, why waste what energy you have bringing me back in
the first place?"
     Gritting his teeth in anger and frustration, Obsidian continued to
glare at the other man as the silver-haired Gemlord slowly rose to his
feet. "Out of all of us on Lithos, I expected the most from you, Kunzite.
Other than the Tower Guard, you were the first one to come into being.
From the beginning I considered you a trusted friend and advisor,
especially as your counsel increased in wisdom over the years.
     "Treachery I expected from Beryl; my only mistake was a naive belief
that she would somehow change, hence her exile instead of execution.
Zoisite's involvement certainly wasn't a shock; it's too bad his-- or
her-- destined duties were discovered when that one was still quite
temperamental and immature. Even Jadeite wasn't a huge surprise, for he
was always a calculating, restless soul. On the other hand, you and
Nephrite were another matter entirely."
     With cat-like grace, Obsidian stood and walked over to the other
Gemlord. Stopping just in front of Kunzite, the dark lord's deep-brown
eyes stared straight into the other's pale-lavender ones. "I see that you
remain as astute as ever. Yes, I need you. I need your experience and
advice. I'll even eventually need your three conspirators as well. But let
me get one thing straight between us right now. I'd rather the Universe be
swallowed by Chaos before I tolerate more treason from you."
     Kunzite continued to glare back, a scornful expression on his
handsome face despite his weak condition, until the Lord of Lithos's last
sentence. Seeing within Obsidian's eyes a black coldness he'd never
noticed before, the rebel Gemlord knew with certainty that the dark lord
wasn't lying. Gazing down at the symbol of Leo on the carpet below, his
silver head slightly bowed in submission, he quietly asked, "What do you
wish of me, my Lord?"
     But even as he stepped back into the familiar role of being a
highly-ranked underling, Kunzite heard a shadowy, whispered voice deep
within himself: <With Beryl gone, all power can be yours.> Although
startled-- and perhaps a touch frightened as well-- the tall Gemlord kept
his composure. Only a slight clenching of his right hand betrayed his
sudden unease as he continued to patiently await Obsidian's next words.
     The dark-brown-haired man didn't immediately respond. Instead, he
strode over to the table strewn with the remains of the population of
Lithos. "If there's one thing I've learned from our last encounter, it's
this: know your enemy well. Against you and that Chaotic horde you lead,
none of us had much of a chance. I suppose the centuries of preparing for
the defense of Lithos helped the four of you immensely in your attack.
With the Senshi abandoning us, we were overrun." 
     Kunzite silently walked over to the table as well, standing on the
opposite side from the dark lord. For a moment he thought about telling
Obsidian about the shield he'd used to keep Lithos incommunicado, then
thought better of it. Instead, he glanced down at the lifeless stones
below. His pale-lavender eyes immediately picked out one particular
crystal, one that was a rather unremarkable dark bluish-gray. It was a
familiar one, since it had been in his care ever since its owner's death.

     A flash from the past: Down in the earth, within a large underground
cavern, lit by various glowing patches on the cool, damp rock, Kunzite
storms off, obviously angry and bewildered. He doesn't get far before he's
joined by another figure. 
     The newcomer is a boyishly-handsome male Zoisite, his nearly
waist-length, loose, wavy hair flying as he almost runs to catch up.
"Kunzite! Wait! Please..." the golden-blond Commander pleads. 
     "Why?" the silver-haired Gemlord snarls back. However, he does stop
and turns to face the younger man, his cloak swirling around his tall
form. "Have all of you gone insane? What about our duties? Our
responsibility to our Lord as a Guardian of the Cosmos?" Kunzite then
shakes his head in disappointment, his expression one of cold rage. "You,
of all people, speaking treachery? I thought I'd taught you better than
that." He raises his hand and points back down the way the two of them had
come. "Go back and join the others, Zoisite. If this is what all of you
are set on doing, then I want nothing more to do with it-- or you." 
     During Kunzite's speech, the expression on Zoisite's youthful face
changes from one of panicked confusion to sly satisfaction. He reaches out
and grabs the older man's outstretched hand in his own, then drops to his
knees before the tall Commander's booted feet. As a deep, violet-blue aura
shimmers around the younger Gemlord's slender form-- long, loose hair
falling forward and obscuring Zoisite's face-- the Western Commander
kisses Kunzite's hand. 
     At first outraged, the silver-haired Gemlord begins to pull his
captured hand away-- then stops, an oddly-dazed look in his pale-lavender
eyes. Slowly, he stares down at the kneeling figure below. 
     The young, mercurial Commander then gazes up at Kunzite, shaking
long, golden-blond locks out of her now clearly feminine features. Still
holding onto the other's hand, she says, in a voice somewhat
higher-pitched than it was moments ago, "Please, Kunzite. We need you. *I*
need you. You're the unit's leader and my mentor. Without you, anything we
plan will be doomed to fail." A sensuously seductive smile graces the
Gemlord's now-feminine lips. "I'll do anything you want, *be* anything you
want, if only you'll stay with us-- with *me*." 
     For a long moment, the pair continue to stare at one another. Then,
finally, the dazed look in the silver-haired Commander's eyes clears up.
With a slow, cold smile, Kunzite tugs on Zoisite's slender, feminine hand
and helps her stand. "For you, Zoe, I'll stay," he says, his deep voice
low. He then pulls the thin Gemlord into his embrace, giving her a
blatantly passionate kiss.

     Still gazing down at what was left of Zoisite, Kunzite silently said,
<And from that moment on, we were closer than ever-- beyond teacher and
student, beyond even true friendship.> He closed his eyes then, pushing
aside the images that filled his mind, unwilling to go down that dismal
path again. 
     Meanwhile, Obsidian carefully watched the resurrected traitor.
Noticing where he was staring and catching the other's fleetingly desolate
expression, the dark-brown-haired Gemlord shook his head in contempt.
"You, of all people, should've known better. Fire and water usually leads
to mutual annihilation." 
     Kunzite's only response was to look up and give the Lord of Lithos an
icy stare. 
     Obsidian glared back. "Yes, I've seen it all. From Lithos's
destruction 'till now, the Orrery showed me everything. Jadeite's ill
luck, Nephrite's foolishness, Zoisite's ambition and your resentment, as
well as Beryl's defeat. As I said, I'm going to need the four of you. Do
as I command, and Zoisite'll be the next one I bring back as soon as I'm
able. 
     "However, should any of you get any brilliant ideas and decide to
turn on me again, keep this in mind." So saying, the dark lord reached
under his gold-lined cloak. 
     When Obsidian withdrew his hand, the silver-haired Commander could
see that the other Gemlord held something clenched in a fist. As he
watched, the dark-haired lord stretched his arm over the table and opened
his hand. Fragments of stone colored deep reddish-gray fell to the
table-top below, coming to rest among the collection of soulstones. With
an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Kunzite picked up a
triangular piece that had fallen next to Zoisite's crystal. 
     While the tall Gemlord carefully inspected the stone shard, Obsidian
spoke again, his rich baritone voice harsh. "*That* is all that remains of
your so-called Queen. Cross me again, and I'll see that you join her in
oblivion. No plan of mine, nor the balance of the Cosmos, is more
important than that." 
     Kunzite narrowed his pale-lavender eyes. <So, he actually found the
guts to destroy one of us after all, despite his concern to maintain
balance.> With an almost cavalier gesture, he tossed the fragment of
Beryl's soulstone over his shoulder. Glancing back down at the other
shards on the table, the lavender-pink-cloaked Commander realized that
that particular thought didn't sit well with him at all. "If I may, my
Lord," Kunzite quietly began, still looking down. "Two questions: You've
mentioned a plan-- what do you have in mind? Secondly, if you're going to
need the four of us, where's Nephrite?" 
     "Second question first," Obsidian replied with a sigh. "I don't know.
His crystal didn't answer my Call. In fact, I've got the feeling that he
somehow found a way to resist the summons." 
     Kunzite looked over at the dark-clothed lord, a silver eyebrow raised
in surprise. "A *dead* Gemlord didn't answer your Call?" 
     "Apparently so. At the time, I thought I'd felt some resistance, but
I wasn't sure and dismissed it as some sort of anomaly, perhaps brought on
by my long coma. That's one reason why I brought you back. Other than
Jadeite, you knew him the best." 
     "But Jadeite knew him much better than I ever did." 
     Obsidian gave the other Gemlord a cold smile. "However, Jadeite never
fought against Sailors Jupiter and Venus, nor was he around during the
last days of Nephrite's life. He'd managed to make Beryl rather upset at
him before then. Which leads me back to your first question; I mean to
reconstruct the Philosopher's Stone." 
     That statement left Kunzite speechless. An expression of complete
astonishment on his handsome face, the silver-haired Commander just stared
at Obsidian. 
     "With the Philosopher's Stone, I can track down the Zodiac Crystals
from their respective Senshi. Combine those thirteen stones with the power
of the Mirror, and I'll be able to undo what I've done. 
     "And that brings me to the reason why I chose to resurrect you over
any of my loyal followers. You've battled all of the Inner Senshi. Tell me
everything you know about them, their powers, their defenses and their
attacks," the Lord of Lithos commanded.

     With the ring of a bell, the stillness of the schoolyard was
shattered. Startled birds took to the sky as the double-door leading out
of the building flew open with a crash, a pack of laughing kids rushing
out to enjoy their lunches in the sunshine. Among those hurrying out,
lunch bags in hand, were Serena and Molly. 
     "Honestly, Serena, I'm really sorry," the red-headed teen said as the
ponytailed blond looked around for a place to sit. "I just don't know what
happened. I *meant* to meet you there, but I was so tired, I went home and
took a nap instead. You're not sore, are you?" 
     Thinking back on the fact that she'd ended up being able to eat two
ice cream cones instead of just one, the slender blond replied, "Naw, not
really. It's just that you had me a bit worried, that's all. Hey, here's a
good spot." 
     As Serena sat down on a low concrete barrier surrounding a beautiful
bush near the center of the yard and began pulling food out of her bag,
the red-head sat down next to her. "I'm glad. Besides, I had a dream
yesterday afternoon that I wouldn't wanted to have missed." 
     "Oh, really? What about?" Serena asked, taking a bite out of her
sandwich. 
     "Maxfield Stanton." 
     Blue eyes suddenly wide in shock, the blond teen nearly choked on her
food. "What? But that was months ago. I thought you were all over that." 
     Molly shrugged. "I am, but that doesn't mean that I have to stop
thinking about him." 
     An uneasy silence settled over the girls, one that wasn't broken
until a new voice spoke up. "Hey, mind if we join you?" 
     Looking up, the pair of teens saw another two girls standing there,
lunches in hand. The one on the left was a thin girl of average height
with intelligent, sapphire-blue eyes and straight, bluish-looking hair
cropped short, while the one on the right was a tall, almost muscular teen
with forest-green eyes and thick, medium-brown hair pulled up into a
ponytail high on her head. Unlike the other girls in the schoolyard--
whose sailor-like school uniforms were red, white and blue-- the second
teen's outfit was white and tan. 
     "Hi there, Amy," Serena said, a bright smile on her pretty face as
she replied to the blue-haired girl's question. "Sure, go right ahead."
Looking directly up at the tall brunette, she added, "What kind of goodies
did you make today, Lita?" 
     "Gee, I don't know. All kinds of stuff. I was kinda hungry this
morning," the tan-uniformed teenager answered, sitting down on the
concrete next to Molly. As Lita began to open her luch bag, Amy sat down
next to Serena on the concrete as well, her pleated skirt covering the
corner. 
     Leaning over to look past Molly, Serena carefully watched as the
taller girl brought out muffins, sandwiches with homemade bread, canapes
of various sorts speared on toothpicks and home-baked cookies. 
     While Amy rolled her sapphire-blue eyes heavenward and Molly leaned
back into the bush, a bit miffed as she tried to eat her lunch without
getting in Serena's way, the slender blond sighed, "Everything looks so
good, Lita. Think I could try some?" 
     Glancing over at the other girl, the brunette opened her mouth to
reply-- then stopped when another voice interrupted. 
     "Hi girls! How's everything this fine day?" 
     As one, the four teens looked at the source of the voice. Before them
stood a short teen-aged boy with shaggy brown hair and thick glasses, his
appearance fairly screaming *nerd*. 
     With a growl of frustration at being interrupted, the ponytailed
blond said, "Melvin!" 
     Undaunted, the brown-haired boy continued, "Have you heard the buzz?
A new ninth-grader transferred to our school from overseas today." 
     "Overseas? Really?" Molly asked, intrigued. 
     Taking the red-head's interest as encouragement, Melvin whipped out a
small memo pad whose color matched that of his dark-blue uniform. As the
four girls watched, a bit fascinated by the speed of his page-turning, the
bespectacled teen-ager flipped through the pad. Scratching his
shaggy-haired head, he said, "Ah, here we go. His name's Nathan Sanford
and he has dark brownish-auburn hair and green eyes. I haven't been able
to find out yet just where he's from, but he's apparently here to look
after an
uncle's property while the uncle's out of the country. And get this--
apparently both his uncle and his family are filthy rich." 
     "Oh, come on," Serena sighed. "If he's that rich, then why's he here?
He oughtta be going to some fancy, private academy instead of a public
junior high." 
     "Well, you could go ask him yourself," Melvin responded, a bit
ticked. "There he is." 
     As one, the four girls turned and looked off to their left in the
direction the teen-aged boy was pointing. There, standing in the
schoolyard with a slightly bewildered expression on his handsome face, was
one of the cutest boys they'd ever seen. As the girls watched-- and a
gentle breeze ruffled his shoulder-length, dark reddish-brown hair-- the
new teen scanned the yard with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Then, with
an almost imperceptible shrug of his shoulders, he strode off toward the
fence, his movements betraying an underlying athletic grace. 
     "What a hunk!" Serena breathed, her voice low so that it wouldn't
carry. 
     "Sure is," Molly chimed in. 
     "I agree. He is rather good-looking," Amy added. 
     Melvin just frowned in slight annoyance. 
     Lita, however, kept staring off in the direction the new student had
disappeared, a far-off look in her forest-green eyes. "Oh, wow!" she
finally said, her voice full of awe. "He's so dreamy. He looks just like
my old boyfriend." 
     "Not again!" the slender blond said, slapping a hand to her forehead
in disbelief. "This'll be the third crush in two months, Lita. Get a
grip!" 
     The brunette teen didn't respond. Instead, she stood up and walked
out into the yard a few paces, still staring at where the new boy had
gone, her lunch momentarily forgotten. As the expression on her pretty
face changed from one of bedazzlement to a thoughtful frown, she continued
gazing off into the distance. Then, determination suddenly in her eyes,
the tall girl walked back to where her lunch was lying around and began
packing it back up into her bag. 
     "What in the world are you doing?" Serena asked, startled. 
     "Doesn't look like he brought anything, and I've got more than enough
here," Lita replied. 
     "But I thought--" 
     "Sorry," the ponytailed brunette apologized, cutting the slender
blond's complaint short. "It's not like you'll have to go without. After
all, you *did* remember your own for once." With that, Lita finished
putting her food away. Saying a cheerful, "See ya!" she was gone, bounding
off toward the fence. 
     The new teen-ager was sitting on a large rock that decorated the
ground near a large, glossy green bush. With one leg stretched out to the
ground and the other foot resting up against the side of the rock, he had
his hands wrapped around his upraised knee. Lita noticed that he wasn't
doing anything other than stare straight up into the sky high above the
schoolyard fence. 
     With both hands clutching her lunch bag and a fluttery feeling in the
pit of her stomach, the athletic girl stood there a moment, the breeze
rippling her waist-length ponytail and knee-length tan skirt. Finally
overcoming her hesitation, she cleared her throat in the hopes of getting
his attention. 
     Startled, the reddish-brown-haired teen nearly fell off the rock.
With cat-like reflexes, he caught himself, then glared over at where the
voice had come from. 
     For just a second, Lita hesitated again, surprised by the nasty,
venomous look he'd given her. But his expression quickly changed to one of
mild curiosity, and Lita flashed him a big smile in return. "I'm sorry.
Didn't mean to startle you." 
     "That's all right," he replied, his mellow tenor low. "My fault. I'm
not used to people getting near me without me noticing their approach." 
     "May I join you?" 
     He gestured toward the grassy ground at the foot of the rock. "As you
wish." 
     Taking the invitation, the tall girl sat down on the grass, carefully
arranging her pleated skirt to cover her crossed legs. She then began
unpacking her lunch yet again. Glancing up, she saw that the teen-aged
boy was staring back up into the sky. "Uh, excuse me," she said, trying to
get his attention back. 
     This time, he just looked down at her. 
     Gazing up into his dreamy eyes, the color of which was a nearly
translucent emerald-green, Lita just sighed. However, when it became
obvious that he was getting bored with waiting for her to say something,
she quickly added, "I couldn't help noticing that you didn't seem to have
a lunch. If you'd like, I'll share mine. I've got plenty here." 
     For a moment, he just watched as the brunette teen pulled item after
item out of her bag. Then, with a vaguely embarrassed smile, he replied,
"I think I'll take you up on your generous offer. You're right, I did
forget to bring something to eat. Seems to be a detail I overlooked this
morning." As he got up from his stone perch and sat down cross-legged in
front of the tall brunette and her food, he continued, "Guess it's gonna
take me a bit to get used to my new situation." 
     "You mean like coming over here from overseas, looking after your
uncle's place and fitting into a new school?" Lita then picked up a
chocolate-chip muffin and held it out to him. 
     "So, you know all that already?" he asked, taking the offered sweet. 
     "Uh, huh," Lita answered, peeling the wrapper off a muffin for
herself. "Like I was told when I first transferred here myself, word gets
around fast in this place. So where're you from?" 
     "Europe." With that, he bit into the muffin. Quickly polishing it
off, he said, "That was rather good." 
     "Thanks. Have some more. Go ahead and help yourself," the tall
brunette suggested, gesturing toward her spread-out lunch with a sweep of
her hand. "I made it myself." 
     He reached forward and picked up a couple of toothpick-speared
canapes. "Really? Then you've got quite a talent there." 
     Lita's only response was to shyly duck her head, her cheeks blushing
from the complement. 
     Together, they ate the rest of the tall girl's lunch in silence, each
one politely making sure that the food was equally divided. When they were
finished, as Lita gathered up the garbage, the auburn-haired teen smiled.
"Thanks a lot... uh..." He paused, waiting for her to supply her name. 
     "Lita," she informed, grabbing her lunch bag. 
     "Lita, huh? Pretty name. I'm Nathan." 
     "So I've heard." 
     He gave her a sly, knowing smile. "Ah, yes. The grapevine." Shaking
his head, he continued, "Anyway, thank you, Lita. I appreciate it-- and so
does my stomach." 
     The ponytailed teen giggled. "Now promise me you won't forget your
food tomorrow, okay?" 
     For a fleeting moment, his handsome face took on a cold, serious
look. "I don't know. I'm afraid I haven't been good at keeping promises."
But then he smiled again, a genuinely warm one. "However, I'll do my best
to remember." 
     "Good enough for me," Lita replied. Standing up and smoothing out her
tan skirt, she said, "Come on, Nathan." 
     "Whatever for?" 
     It was Lita's turn to frown. A bit put off by the chilling
undercurrent in his mellow tenor, she growled, "Well, you don't have to if
you don't want. I just thought I'd introduce you to my friends. But if you
think you'll get adjusted to a new school better without knowing anyone, I
guess that's your business." She started to turn on her heel and go, but
paused when the auburn-haired boy raised a hand as if to touch her
shoulder. 
     "Wait, Lita. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, it's just that
I've got a lot on my mind. I've been quite the loner for a long time, and
I tend to view the world with a suspicious eye," Nathan said, his attitude
one of apology. 
     "Is that why you're here?" 
     Astonished, the athletic boy blurted, "What do you mean by *that*?"
     Lita blinked her large, forest-green eyes in surprise. "I meant, is
that why you're here in a public junior high instead of a private academy?
The buzz said that your family's well-off." 
     "Oh," Nathan replied, seemingly relieved. "Yeah, you could say that.
I've done most of my studies either completely on my own or with a tutor.
My uncle thought that it'd be a good idea if I went to a public school and
see how ordinary kids live as well as learn how to get along with others." 
     "You've never gone to school before?" the ponytailed brunette asked,
astounded. 
     "Actually, no, I haven't. Like I said, I've been tutored and I've
done extensive research on my own. And I've managed to pass most of the
tests thrown my way. However, I'm here now. I'd be honored to meet your
friends. I could probably use a few myself," he responded, a mysterious
smile gracing his handsome face. 
     "Well, then, come on," she encouraged, turning around and striding
off toward the bush where she'd first sat down. However, when she arrived
there, she was mildly surprised to see that the group of teens had been
joined by another girl. "Hi, Callie!" she called out, walking up to the
short brunette. "Didn't see ya earlier. Where've you been?" 
     The small, agile, brown-haired teenager replied, staring up at the
green-eyed girl, "I decided to eat lunch with Arena today. She looked like
she could use some company. I'm not sure she's having an easy time getting
used to a new school." Glancing beyond Lita to the auburn-haired guy
standing somewhat behind the tall teenager, Callie added, "Who's this?" 
     Lita stepped aside, giving the other girl a good view. As tall and
athletic as Lita, the newcomer had wavy, dark-reddish-brown hair that just
brushed the tops of his shoulders and almost translucent emerald-green
eyes. Although he appeared nice enough, there was something about him that
struck a chord of wariness in Callie. <But I'm positive I've never seen
him before... Have I?> 
     "Callie, meet Nathan. He just transferred here from Europe," the
tan-uniformed teen said by way of introduction. "Nathan, this is Callie.
She's been here for only a few weeks herself." 
     "Hi there," the shorter brunette replied, feeling a little shy. 
     The teen-aged boy curtly nodded in response. "Pleased to meet you." 
     Lita then gestured over at the prim girl with close-cropped,
blue-hued hair sitting on the concrete barrier. "This is Amy, one of my
best friends." 
     The studious girl looked up and smiled. "Pleased to make your
acquaintence, Nathan." 
     "You're Amy Anderson, aren't you? The girl genius I've heard about?" 
     Now it was the blue-haired girl's turn to become suddenly shy. "Yes,
that would be me," she acknowledged. 
     Nathan smiled back. "Perhaps we'll find the time sometime to discuss
astrophysics and debate the merits of the new information about the
Universe we've found out through the use of the Hubble telescope." 
     As everyone blinked in surprise at his comment, Lita went on with the
introductions. Pointing at the slender blond with the twin, knee-length
ponytails topped with spherical buns, she said, "This is another of my
best friends, Serena." 
     The girl just introduced didn't say anything. Instead, she just stood
there, transfixed, gazing at the handsome boy. <Whatta hunkmeister!> 
     "So this is Serena," Nathan replied, giving the blond teen a cold
smile that suddenly made Amy suspicious. "I finally get an introduction to
the person I've heard so much about." 
     "Huh? You've heard about me?" Serena asked, startled. 
     "Sure have. The grapevine, you know. You're pretty popular in certain
circles," Nathan responded. 
     "Wow! Imagine that! Me, popular!" 
     While Lita quickly went on before the ponytailed blond could really
get started, Amy continued to frown in thought, looking at Nathan in a
whole new light. "This is Molly, one of Serena's close friends," the tall
brunette hastily said, gesturing at the red-head sitting on the concrete
next to the slender blond. 
     The auburn-haired teen-ager stepped forward then, making his way
through the small crowd. Stopping in front of an astonished Molly, he
dropped to one blue-clad knee in order to be eye-level with her. "It's
always a pleasure meeting such sweet loveliness," he said, his low tenor
smooth. 
     During the entire round of introductions, Melvin's neutral expression
had slowly turned into one of annoyance as it became obvious just how
charming the new ninth-grader could be. But when Nathan took Molly's hand
in his and raised it to his lips for a quick, respectful kiss-- making the
red-head giggle nervously and look away in embarrassment-- the
shaggy-haired boy got fed up. "Hey!" he blurted. 
     The auburn-haired teen looked up, an eyebrow raised in a questioning
gesture. Rising to his feet once more, he asked, "And you are?" 
     "Oh, that's Melvin," Molly replied before the glasses-wearing boy
could speak on his own behalf, having recovered from her astonishment. 
     Fixing the slender red-haired girl with his emerald-green eyes,
Nathan inquired, his voice low, "Someone of importance to you?" 
     Taken by surprise, Molly's first reaction was to immediately reject
any feelings toward the nerdy-appearing boy. But she'd also glanced over
at Melvin at the same moment, and the hurt look on his face made her
pause. Swallowing hard, she looked back up into the transfer student's
fascinating eyes. "Yeah," she admitted to both of them. "He's been a
really good friend to me." 
     As all of the girls-- save Lita, whose thunderous expression looked
like she'd gladly throw lightning bolts at the auburn-haired teen-- looked
on in shock at the whole exchange, Nathan executed a bow that was as much
a gesture of mockery toward the shorter boy as it was one of polite
elegance. "I'm honored to meet such a good friend of Molly's," he said,
the icy tone in his voice making the words a lie. "Perhaps I'll be as good
a friend also some day." Straightening up, he glanced down at the watch on
his right wrist. "Time to go," he remarked. 
     The entire group of teen-agers stared at him, most of them at a loss
for words, as he started to walk away. But he'd only taken a couple of
steps before he stopped and looked back over his left shoulder at the
other boy. "You know, Molly once knew my uncle," he informed. "You may
have heard of him as well. He's Maxfield Stanton." With that, he was gone,
heading off toward the building. 
     As Serena and Molly looked at one another in astonishment and Amy
continued to thoughtfully frown, Callie just stood there and kept staring
at where he'd been, still not sure she'd witnessed what she had. Melvin
stood there as well, feeling like a complete fool. 
     Lita, however, was another story. With her hands on her hips and her
entire attitude one of anger, she spat, "What an arrogant--" Her last word
was drowned out by the ringing of the school bell, signaling the end of
the lunch period.

     The room was an odd shape, triangular in construction with the
hypotenuse formed from the graceful curve of the Tower's outer wall. On
this level of the black building, there were only four rooms, each one
taking up a full quarter of the circular area and accessed by a central
hall that ran from the northeast to the southwest. This particular
chamber, when its window still existed, looked out upon the area due south
of the Tower. 
     The door in the center of the left-hand wall opened and a tall figure
stepped through. As he shut the door behind himself, he glanced around the
chamber's contents. Pleasantly surprised to find everything pretty much
the way he'd left it over a millenium ago, Kunzite found the familiar
surroundings of his former life somehow comforting. With a weary sigh, his
face almost as pale as his hair from exhaustion, he began fumbling with
the pair of silver brooches-- each one sporting a large, faceted,
violet-pink gemstone-- that held his pastel cloak in place. Removing them,
he walked over to the desk just to the left of the entryway and set the
three items on the top. He then reached up and pulled off the silver
circlet, rubbing the spot with his other hand where the large,
oval-faceted kunzite had been resting against the middle of his forehead.
Setting the circlet down on top of his bunched-up cloak, he thought, <I
don't ever recall being this tired before in my life, nor ever having this
bad of a headache. However, I don't recall having been resurrected before
either, so I guess there's a first time for everything.> 
     With a wry smile on his handsome face, the silver-haired Gemlord
strode over to the bed against the right-hand wall and sat down on it.
Thinking back on his conversation with Obsidian-- or rather,
interrogation-- Kunzite slowly shook his head. <I don't recall him being
quite that persistant. I swear I went over every detail I knew about the
Inner Senshi's powers at least ten times, including the powers that are
still blocked by my and the others' efforts. 
     <The strangest thing is that there's something not quite right about
him. I can't put my finger on it, but he's not exactly the same Obsidian I
remember.> 
     With a sigh, Kunzite laid down. Lacing his fingers together and
resting his head on his hands, he closed his pale-lavender eyes. As he
began to slip into the medatative state that was the Gemlord equivalent of
sleeping, he continued his thoughts. <I may be wrong, though. From what I
could tell, Obsidian's been comatose from the time of our invasion until
just recently. He speaks about it as if it had happened just yesterday,
while it's ancient history to me. It could be an after-effect of the coma
or it could just be that he hasn't had time to deal with the consequences
of what transpired. 
     <As for me, I'm actually beginning to feel like myself for the first
time in a very long time.> 
     That thought was interrupted by a dark chuckle from deep within
Kunzite's mind. <You're mine, Gemlord. You always will be.> 
     <Not this time,> the silver-haired man shot back. <I know you for
what you truly are now. Amazing how being dead tends to clear one's mind.> 
     The dark laughter sounded again. <You chose to follow me of your own
free will. In return for being my servant, I gave you what you most
desired.> 
     <You gave me nothing but lies and obsessions, using me as a channel
for your power. You invaded my soul and twisted what you found there to
suit your own needs, fooling me into believing that what I felt came from
within myself and not from you. But I can sense the difference now, and I
won't fall into the same trap again.> 
     <True,> the dark voice continued. <With your death and my defeat, my
hold on you has become tenuous. But it's only a matter of time. You need
me and soon you'll submit to my will again.> 
     <Never,> Kunzite vowed. <I am the Commander of the Southern Quarter,
the Warrior of Elemental Fire. My duty is to serve the Guardian of the
Gateways and to keep trash like you from invading the Cosmos.> 
     That caused the dark voice to explode with laughter once more. <This
from the man who once told the moon brat "Never say never"? Wait and see,
Gemlord. No matter what you and the others do, I shall have you all under
my control again, including Nephrite.> 
     <What about him?> Kunzite asked, startled by the dark voice's mention
of the one missing Gemlord. 
     Nothing but silence answered his question. The dark voice was gone
for the moment. 
     <Try all you want,> the silver-haired Commander fumed, addressing the
stillness within. <I won't follow you this time. I know how you operate
and I know what really happened to us in that cavern on Earth long ago.
This time, I'm on my guard.> But even as he said it, he knew he was
convincing no one with his defiant thoughts-- not even himself.


PERSEUS DENIED

     A gentle breeze blew through the sacred precincts of the Shinto
temple, rustling the leaves of the bushy cherry trees that graced the
temple's grounds. High up on the top crossbar of the spirit gate, a pair
of sleek, glossy-black ravens peered down at the walkway below, their keen
eyes following the movements of the teen-aged girl below.
     She stood on the paving stones, broom in hand, as she watched in
frustration as the breeze scattered the debris she'd been sweeping back
over the area she'd just cleaned. <Isn't that just grand,> she growled to
herself as that same wind blew through her unbound, knee-length black hair
and ruffled her loose-fitting, red and white temple uniform. <They're
gonna be here any minute and I'm not done. Darn breeze.>
     Just then, the pair of ravens began to caw, making sounds that the
violet-eyed girl recognized as an enthusiastic greeting.
     The priestess frowned. <Well, they're here. Phobos and Deimos only
sound that happy when they show up. They know how important Sailor
business is to me.> Looking up, the raven-haired teen smiled as the group
of girls walked through the gateway that marked the entrance to the temple
grounds.
     She was about to call out a greeting when another voice sounded.
"Hello there, girls! Come on in. Good to see ya again!" From seemingly out
of nowhere, a new figure appeared, zooming past the young priestess.
Stopping in front of the crowd, the diminutive man sketched a quick,
respectful bow, then smiled up at the teens.
     All of the girls smiled back, including Lita, who was still a bit
miffed from the events of earlier that day. Callie, however, had to go the
extra step and keep herself from giggling. Having been to the Cherry Hill
Temple only a couple of other times, she still found the short,
squinty-eyed, bald-headed, gregarious priest rather amusing.
     "Are you here for my super-duper blessing with all the bells and
whistles? Or maybe a self-defense class? I'd love to be able to put the
moves on you," the short, elderly man continued.
     "Grandpa!" the raven-haired girl barked. "Really!"
     "Actually, we're here to see Raye," Amy replied.
     "Well, okay," the priest said, sounding a touch disappointed. "Just
remember to come see me if there's anything I can do for you."
     "We will," the short-haired teen-ager acknowledged as the spry old
man dashed off to somewhere else.
     Raye rolled her violet eyes heavenward a moment, then looked over at
the others. "You don't mind if I try finishing my sweeping while we wait
for Mina, Luna and Artemis, do you?"
     "Not at all," Amy said. "We'll go sit on the temple steps so that
we'll be out of the way."
     "Thanks." As the gang of girls found places on the stone stairs
leading up to the temple's main door, the young priestess went back to
sweeping up what the wind had scattered.
     It didn't take long, and she was just finishing up when Phobos and
Deimos cawed out another greeting. As one, the five teen-agers glanced
over at the gateway that lead to the road.
     The newcomer was another teen-aged girl, her willowy figure clad in a
blue-and-white, sailor-like school uniform. Sunshine-blond hair fell loose
to her knees, but the shiny locks around her pretty face were pulled back
with a large, bright-red bow. She gave the five girls a huge, sunny smile,
her nose crinkling upward in a cute gesture characteristic of her as she
did so. At her feet were a pair of cats-- one white, one black, and both
marked with a spot of fur on the forehead that looked just like an
upward-pointing crescent moon.
     "Hi everyone!" the new blond called out. "Hope we're not too late,
but I had a test today and the teacher wouldn't let anyone go until the
last one was turned in."
     "That's okay, Mina," the blue-haired girl reassured. "Raye had a job
to finish as well, so you haven't missed anything."
     "So what's up, Amy?" the sunny teen asked as she strode up to the
temple steps. "It must be somethin' important since you asked us all to
get together right after school."
     "Oh, Amy's goin' on some bugaboo about this new kid at school bein'
really weird," Serena sighed. "So what if he claims to be Maxfield
Stanton's nephew and kinda looks like him?"
     "*What*?" Raye exclaimed, staring at the ponytailed blond. "And you
don't find *that* the least bit suspicious?"
     The slender girl shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe there really *is* a
Maxfield Stanton and always has been? For all we know, Nephrite coulda
just stolen someone's identity instead of making it totally up."
     "I admit that that's a possibility since there's still the mansion up
on the hill and all of his companies checked out as legit, but I have some
serious doubts," the intellectual teen responded. "There was just
something about that guy that's convinced me it's him."
     "But that's not possible!" Serena shot back.
     "Uh, excuse me, but he who?" Mina asked, confusion all over her
pretty face. "I think I've missed something somewhere."
     The tall, ponytailed brunette growled, "Isn't Nephrite that Negaverse
warrior that you told us Molly fell for? The one Zoisite's creeps did in?"
     "That's correct," Amy confirmed. "And that's one reason why I'm so
suspicious. You saw what he did to Molly."
     "He *who*?" Mina asked again, frowning slightly.
     "Oh, sorry. You and Raye weren't there," Callie jumped in. "The new
kid at our school. He's a transfer student from Europe who calls himself
Nathan Sanford and says he's Stanton's nephew."
     "I don't care what he said," the athletic brunette groused, her
expression still as dark as a thundercloud. "He's a complete jerk."
     The sunny blond glanced over at the others, a questioning look on her
face.
     The shorter brunette gave Mina a strained smile. "Lita's got another
crush. She saw Nathan and flipped for him, but it looks like he's
interested in someone else."
     "She shared her lunch with him, but when she brought him over to
introduce him to us, he actually knelt down and kissed Molly's hand," the
ponytailed blond added. "It was so *romantic*, just like in the movies. He
even said that it was a pleasure meeting such sweet loveliness."
     The raven-haired teen fixed the other girl with her piercing violet
gaze. "He says he's related to Stanton and does *that* when he meets
Molly? And you *don't* think that's suspicious?"
     "Lay off, Raye," Serena growled. "I never said I didn't think it was
weird. I just said that it couldn't be Nephrite."
     "And the way he insulted poor Melvin," the blue-haired girl sighed.
"I really felt sorry for him. He's such a sweet guy deep inside and he's
been a loyal friend to Molly. Even if Nathan turns out to be just another
human, I'm afraid the new guy's going to mean trouble for Melvin."
     "If he's really Nephrite, then he may also mean trouble for Molly,"
Raye cut in. "Who knows what he's up to this time or what he's got in mind
for her."
     A worried look on her pretty face, the sunny blond asked, "Do you
really think so? I mean, it sounds like this Nathan guy cares about her.
Other than acting like a complete boor to everyone else, what else has he
done so far?"
     "Nothing that I know of," Amy replied. "Today was his first day at
our school. But I swear he was deliberately challenging us."
     "Come on, Amy," Serena sighed. "You're imagining things. Nephrite's
dead. We watched him die. The bad guys don't come back."
     "And just where's that written in stone?" Raye sniped.
     As the ponytailed blond and the raven-haired teen glared at one
another, Mina glanced down at the felines at her feet. "What do you guys
think we should do?"
     "That's a toughie," the white cat replied in a human-sounding, male
voice. Looking at the black cat, the feline asked, "What's your opinion,
Luna?"
     The black-furred cat sat down for a moment, her ears flattened in
thought. "I agree with Amy in that the whole thing sounds fishy, but I
think the most prudent course of action is to wait and see what happens.
If Nathan's just a normal human, then we wouldn't want to give ourselves
away to him. And if he's really Nephrite somehow back from the dead, then
we'll find out what he's up to soon enough."
     "But you girls'll need to keep an eye on both this Nathan guy and
Molly," the white cat added. "If Amy's misgivings are right, then Serena's
friend may end up in a lot of trouble again."
     "Raye?" Callie spoke up, getting the priestess's attention. "Would it
be possible for you to do a fire-reading? Maybe we can find out something
definite that way."
     The violet-eyed girl scowled. "I just can't snap my fingers and see a
vision, you know. A fire-reading takes time and preparation."
     Callie frowned back. "I know, but if there's any way we can get to
the truth of the matter, then we should." For just a second, the short
brunette's posture became one of someone used to having her orders
followed. "If we have a former Negaverse warrior back, then there may be
trouble ahead. We need to be prepared."
     "Well then, we should just march up to this Nathan guy and make him
tell us what's going on," Lita replied. She then added, muttering under
her breath, "I shoulda decked him in the schoolyard."
     "That's really using your head," Callie sarcastically said. "We'd
find out for sure what he's up to then."
     As the tall brown-haired girl stared at the shorter teen, the
raven-haired priestess sighed. "Okay, I'll do it. I had things ready to go
anyway." Looking at the five other teen-agers, she continued, "I had a bad
feeling all day yesterday, so I was planning on doing one until Amy called
on the communicator saying that we needed to get together. However, I'm
going to need total quiet from all of you." Raye then walked up the temple
steps toward the building's main doors.
     As the others followed the priestess, the white cat strode next to
the tall brunette. "Lita, I want you to promise me that you won't confront
Nathan by yourself."
     The ponytailed girl looked down, her expression crestfallen. "Aw,
Artemis! Don't make me promise that. I know I can get to the bottom of
what's going on--"
     "I want that promise, Lita! We don't know what we're getting into
just yet. We need to go easy," the light-furred feline interrupted.
     Lita gave Artemis a dark frown. "All right, I promise. I won't go
after him and ask him if he's really a Negaverse warrior by myself. But I
*am* going to keep an eye on him."
     Artemis smiled, his tail straight up in the air in satisfaction. "I
can live with that. Come on, let's see what the fire's got to say to
Raye."
     The dark-haired priestess waited by the doorway until the last person
strode through the huge double doors. Just as she was tugging them closed,
Phobos and Deimos flew through, winging their way across the room and into
the inner sanctum.
     One by one, the girls knelt down on the floor a respectful distance
from the sacred hearth, the pair of cats near their charges. Coming to a
landing, the glossy ravens each stood at a corner of the hearth, looking
over at Raye as she slowly walked past the kneeling teens. A serene
expression on her pretty face, the priestess was already centered and
beginning to slide into a meditative state as she bowed before the hearth
then knelt down in front of it. Her mind clear of all thought, she slipped
deeper into her trance as her body performed the intricate moves of the
lighting ceremony by rote, each precise movement drilled into her very
flesh through unending practice.
     Once the ceremony was complete and the sacred fire was burning
brightly, Raye set aside her props and began staring into the heart of the
flames. <Sacred fire, hear my call,> she thought, beginning a litany that
would hopefully gring her the visions she sought. <Someone from the past
may be here again and I'm worried about Molly and my friends. Show me the
truth behind this Nathan Sanford. Why is he here?> Concentrating on those
thoughts, the priestess continued to gaze within the flames.
     Around her, silence permeated the sanctuary as the small crowd of
girls watched. For a long time, no one moved, and the only sound to be
heard was the crackling of the fire. Finally, however, the black cat next
to Serena stood and stalked over to where Raye knelt before the hearth. As
the brace of ravens gave her the evil eye, Luna asked, her voice barely
above a whisper, "What do you see?"
     The black-haired priestess kept her violet eyes on the fire, the
eerie orangish glow reflecting off the sheen of persperation that covered
her face from her effort in concentration. "I can't quite pull the images
in," she said, her voice sounding far-off and distracted. "It's almost as
if there's something screening out my ability to see. All I'm getting are
symbols. I see a green square eclipsed by the symbol of the planet Earth
and a star shining in a heart of darkness. I can see the Wheel of Karma
spinning full circle and feel the winds of change. The Wheel keeps
spinning, getting bigger with each turn, and now I see more symbols within
it.
     "I see a double-armed spiral encased in ice, submerged within a pool
of dark water. Now there's a compass-star, a pair of symbols linked
together at each of the cardinal points and surrounded by three Zodiac
glyphs. To the East, the symbol of Mars lies within a circle and is
surrounded by Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. To the South, the symbol of
Venus lies within a diamond and is surrounded by Aries, Leo and
Sagittarius. To the West, the symbol of Mercury lies within a triangle and
is surrounded by Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. To the North, the symbol of
Jupiter lies within a square and is surrounded by Taurus, Virgo and
Capricorn. In the center, the crescent moon floats above while its
reflection shimmers in the dark water below. Yet throughout it all,
there's an undercurrent of frigid darkness, something clawing at the Wheel
of Karma, trying to make it stop..." The raven-haired girl's voice trailed
off.
     For a few moments more, Raye stared silently into the fire. Finally,
however, she took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh as she
bowed again to the sacred flames. Turning a bit and looking at the others,
she said, "That's it. I couldn't see anything more." Frowning slightly,
she added, "I'm sorry if it didn't help much, but it felt like something
was blocking my sight. I'm lucky to have gotten anything at all."
     "That's okay, Raye," the sunny blond reassured, smiling. "You did
your best. That's what counts."
     "I still think we should just take the direct approach," Lita
growled.
     "Remember your promise," Artemis admonished.
     The tall brunette gave the white cat a dirty look. "Don't worry. I'll
keep it. But six on one's good odds, even against a Negaverse warrior."
     "Hey, leave me outta this," Callie said. "I'm supposed to use my
powers only to back up yours, and that's after the situation's gotten
beyond your control."
     "Fine, then" Lita shot right back. "Five on one. We can still do it."
     "I don't know," Raye thoughtfully said. "I think Luna's right."
     Everyone stared at the fiery priestess in surprise. "You're usually
all hot to tackle the problem head-on," Serena pointed out.
     "I know, but I don't like what the fire showed me. I've got the sense
that there's a lot of karma tied up in this. And whenever there's karma
involved, we all need to watch our step."
     "Then it's agreed? We just watch and wait, keeping an eye on both
Molly and Nathan?" Amy asked.
     "Fine by me," Mina replied. Glancing around, the sunny blond saw all
of the others-- save Lita-- nodding their heads. The tall brunette just
continued to frown. "Lita?"
     Looking around and finding that the others were staring at her in
expectation, the athletic girl sighed. "Oh, all right. I suppose I
shouldn't have let that bother me. But I was so nice to him and he was
such a jerk." Lita sighed again, her forest-green eyes filled with a
far-off expression. "But what a *dreamy* jerk!"
     Serena giggled. "I suppose that means you won't mind keeping an eye
on him, huh?"
     "Uh,uh. Not at all..."
     That got everyone in the temple laughing.

     A lone figure walked rapidly along the city's sidewalk, her brisk
pace shielding her from the breeze of the blustery afternoon. Another gust
of wind was channeled down the street, ruffling the short girl's
shoulder-blade-length golden-brown hair and the knee-length dark-blue
pleated skirt of her school uniform. The teen-ager shivered slightly at
that one and frowned in annoyance, her green eyes taking on a bluish hue.
<Honestly, Callista Summers,> she thought to herself, <you can be a real
ditz sometimes. I just hope they'll let me back into school so I can get
my jacket.> Sighing, she shook her head, bouncing the small ponytail in
which the hair around her pretty face was caught. The rest of her hair--
including the pair of long, thin locks just in front of her ears-- danced
in the afternoon breeze. <Then again, who can blame me for forgetting my
jacket, what with Lita practically dragging me off to the temple right
after school to discuss what happened.>
     Callie smiled then, her eyes changing back to predominantly green.
<At least we got Lita to calm down. And the others aren't going to do
anything drastic just yet. I'd rather avoid a confrontation then fight any
day.>
     High above on a rooftop, a tall figure stared down at the brunette
teen walking along the street at a brisk pace. As the wind blew his long
silver hair into his face and made his lavender-pink cloak billow, he
narrowed his eyes in a wolfish manner as he gazed down at his prey. <She's
just a mere child,> he thought in mild disgust. Shrugging slightly, he
continued, <But it's not my place to question my orders.>
     Down below, Callie glanced at the watch on her wrist. <Oh man! Look
at the time! I've got so much stuff to do!> Eyes turning bluish again in
frustration, she picked up her pace even more. <Why couldn't they make
these uniforms with pockets?> she groused. <My keys, my money, my
everything's in my coat.> Looking off to the side, the short girl saw that
she was striding next to a park. <If I cut through here and go down that
alley on the other side, I'll come out just down the street from the
school.> With that, she left the sidewalk and plunged into the
grass-covered space.
     Up on the rooftop, the tall figure continued to watch his target with
pale-lavender eyes.
     Callie sprinted through the park-- skillfully and gracefully dodging
the skateboarders, bicyclists, kids and other people enjoying the brisk
yet sunny day-- using her haste in collecting her jacket as an excuse to
stretch her legs. The lithe teen-ager loved to run. It was the closest
thing she could do to actually flying.
     Emerging from the far side of the green space, her bluish-green eyes
having undertones of violet from the pure exhilaration of life, Callie
paused long enough to see if there was any traffic traveling along the
street. Seeing none, she dashed across the asphalt and into the alley. Had
she looked skyward as well, she would've seen a tall, cloaked figure on
the roof overlooking the narrow lane.
     She was jogging down the alley, still thrilling in the feel of the
speed, when a sudden, overwhelming sense of something *wrong* hit her.
Stopping dead in her tracks, her eyes instantly changing to grayish-green
in fright, she quickly glanced around. She didn't have long to wait.
Within seconds, a tall figure appeared out of thin air right in front of
her.
     With his arms stretched out to either side and his cloak billowing in
the wind that blew down between the buildings, the newcomer seemed to fill
up the entire space in front of the momentarily-terrified Callie. Despite
his new, vaguely medieval-appearing outfit, his face was the same
coldly-handsome one that sometimes haunted her nightmares. He was looking
at her now as he had then, an arrogantly confident look in his
pale-lavender eyes.
     Callie stood frozen-- staring up at the silver-haired man-- until he
reached out to grab the agile teen. Acting on pure instinct, the
golden-brown-haired girl danced back and to the side of his reach, then
spun on her heel and ran. Desperation adding to her speed, she fairly flew
back down the narrow street, fully expecting an energy blast or something
to be tossed her way. Much to her surprise, nothing happened as she turned
the corner and zipped through the nearest door she could find.
     Looking around as she leaned up against the door and tried to catch
her breath, the short brunette found herself in a small bookstore. Knowing
that she'd be safe as long as she stayed near other people, Callie made
her way to the back of the store, keeping a wary eye out just in case she
was wrong. Reaching up and randomly pulling a book off a shelf up against
the back wall, she opened it to no page in particular and pretended to
browse. However, her mind was on other things now that she could start
thinking again.
     <By all the powers of the Galaxy, what is *Kunzite* doing here? He's
supposed to be *dead*! I watched Sailor Moon turn his own weapon against
him before she and the Scouts took on Beryl herself.> Callie couldn't help
shuddering. <First that Nathan guy, and now this? What in the name of the
Silver Crystal is going on around here?> She closed her eyes, now
blue-gray with worry and stress. <For over a thousand years, his image has
haunted me, taunting me about that day when I saw friends turn traitor and
destroy nearly everything I held dear. My duty was to guard the
Princesses, to augment thair powers with mine, but because I was caught
off-guard, I failed. And ever since, I've been afraid to fight, fearing
that I would fail again.
     <But when I sensed that the Princesses might have returned and went
back home to find them reborn and fighting the Negaforce anew, I rejoiced
in getting a second chance. Yes, I held back and watched their battles,
not interfering like I was originally bidden to do, but then I wanted to
get involved. So when those other attacks began, I revealed myself to the
Scouts and fought with them. With every confrontation, my self-esteem
became repaired just that much more. But now-->
     She opened her eyes, now beginning to be tinged with violet, and
glanced down at the book she held. Startled to find that not only was it a
handbook on minerals and precious stones but that she had also somehow
unerringly turned it to the page featuring the beautiful purplish-pink
variety of spodumene called kunzite, she frowned. <It always seems to come
back to him, doesn't it?> she asked herself, thinking about the stern,
silver-haired warrior.
     Just then, a short, elderly man with thinning gray hair and cold,
ice-blue eyes walked up to the golden-brown-haired teen. "Either buy
something or go somewhere else," he growled.
     With a decisive *snap*, Callie shut the mineral book and replaced it
on the shelf. Smiling and giving the man a slight bow of apology, she
replied, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to annoy you. It's just that I didn't
find what I was looking for here." Her pretty face set in determination
and her eyes violet-aqua with confidence, she silently said, <I'm tired of
a millenium of running. If I'm truly going to be the Guardian of the
Princesses again, I must confront my fears.>
     She strode through the bookstore, the elderly proprietor glaring at
her as she went. The lithe girl hesitated a moment at the front door, her
hand on the doorknob, then she took the plunge and stepped back outside.
Carefully searching around, she saw no sign of the lavender-cloaked man;
however, she could sense that he was still around. She frowned. <Is he
after me or Andromeda? I need to be careful...>
     She stalked back down the alleyway, every nerve at the ready. Even
then, she was still caught by surprise. She had almost made it to the
other end of the lane when a cold wind stirred behind her and a heavy hand
grabbed her by her right shoulder. Worst of all, she could feel her energy
being sucked into that hand the moment it touched her.
     Biting back her shout of surprise, Callie escaped the energy-sapping
hold by nimbly twisting down and away. Jumping back and whirling around,
the agile teen stood in a ready stance, the wind rustling the sailor-like
collar and blue skirt of her school uniform.
     With the fluid gracefulness she remembered so well, Kunzite stepped
back into a fighting stance also, his pale eyes narrowing in contempt. His
deep voice harsh, he said, "You're no match for me, child, should you
choose to fight. And don't think you can get away should you choose to
flee."
     Callie's own expression became one of grim defiance, her eyes turning
violet-blue with her determination. <He's right. Like this, I don't have a
chance.> A snarl on her pretty face, she scornfully spat, "Just watch me!"
With a quick spin, she was gone, running down the alley as fast as she
could go.
     She sprinted down the sidewalk, her longish hair flying, heading for
the campus of the near-by junior high. <Somewhere in there I should find a
secluded enough spot.> Making it to her school with no further incidents,
she darted between a couple of buildings, then looked around the small
courtyard in which she'd ended up. This time, she glanced skyward as well,
remembering the silver-haired warrior's fondness for high places. Seeing
him nowhere in sight, she threw up a hand. "This time, he's gonna pay.
Andromeda *Power*!"
     The transformation was as swift as it was beautiful. A swirl of
glittering-yellow light enveloped her, obscuring her form and stripping
away the school uniform. In its place was a white, sailor-like suit with a
royal-purple pleated mini-skirt fastened in the back with a large
dark-blue bow, a royal-purple collar also with a dark-blue bow-- a golden,
star-shaped locket pinned to its center-- and a long dark-blue cape
fastened to the shoulders with golden, star-shaped brooches. Dark-blue
knee-high boots appeared on Callie's feet and legs while elbow-length
white gloves with dark-blue trim covered her arms and hands. Around her
slender neck appeared a dark-blue velvet choker with a glittering, golden
star and on her forehead formed a golden tiara, an oval-shaped deep-purple
cabochon stone shining in the center. When the swirl of glittering, golden
light faded away, Sailor Andromeda stood at the ready.
     A low chuckle filled the air. "Well, well. What do we have here? I
guess Obsidian knew what he was doing after all."
     Eyes now violet with courage and determination, Sailor Andromeda
glanced upward again. This time, the silver-haired warrior's form
silhouetted the sky.
     Slowly, carefully, hoping that he wouldn't notice what she was doing,
the sailor-suited Scout reached a hand up toward the star-locket on her
front bow. "We have a score to settle, traitor."
     In reply, Kunzite leaped off the roof, using his ability to levitate
to float gracefully down to the ground. Bracing himself in a battle-ready
stance, he stared past his upraised hands at the female warrior, cold
amusement in his pale-lavender eyes. "We must've hashed you Outer Senshi
pretty bad that day," he said.
     The brunette girl glared back, the fingers of her right hand subtly
unfastening the piece of golden jewelry from the bow's dark-blue fabric.
"Whatever gave you that idea, Kunzite?" she spat.
     The tall warrior gave his opponent a smirk that was as frosty as the
color of his hair. "This is the first time I've seen any of you since that
day we trashed the Moon Kingdom. The Inners have been active again for
quite a while now."
     They continued to stare at one another, each one ready for the
other's move.

     A scene from over a millenium ago: The infinite silence of space,
millions of stars glittering like jewels in the darkness. In the distance,
the white-swirled blue globe of the Earth can be seen, a strange, dark
shadow sucking up the planet's usually bright reflection. Five figures
float in the silence, each one a grim-faced, sailor-suited warrior of the
Silver Millenium. Arranged in a line-- their backs to the Moon-- the
mini-skirted girls stare down at the darkened Earth.
     Sailor Andromeda is among them, positioned just to the right of the
line's center between a stern Senshi with shoulder-length, straight, black
hair wielding a formidable pole-arm-style weapon and a
mysteriously-beautiful Scout with long, flowing, deep-green hair holding a
key-like staff. "What in the name of the Silver Crystal is going on down
there?" the golden-brown-haired warrior asks, frowning at the
shadow-shrouded planet.
     The Scout with the straight, black hair points to the darkened globe
with the double-bladed head of her pole-arm. "A force of great destruction
has been awakened. Even now, it gathers its minions."
     On the far left of the line of warriors, a tall, athletic Scout with
close-cropped, straight, dark-golden-blond hair swings a curved,
jewel-adorned sword in practice. "How in the Galaxy did it manage to get
here without us sensing it? That's what I'd like to know."
     The warrior on the opposite end of the line frowns, her deep-green
hair flowing in the solar wind. "I believe it may have had help. I sense
the powers of the Elements in this."
     Sailor Andromeda looks at the Scout to her right. "Are you sure about
that, Pluto?" When the Guardian of Time only gives her a mysterious smile
in response, the blue-and-purple-uniformed Senshi scowls. "But that would
mean--"
     "That may explain why we lost Lithos first, then," a new voice
speaks. Its source is the Scout between the glaive-wielding warrior in the
center and the sword-bearing Senshi on the left end. Her shoulder-length,
wavy, sea-green hair stirring in the solar wind, she continues, "I'd heard
rumors that they weren't happy with their latest assignment. Those poor
Gemlords on Lithos. Do you think any of them survived?"
     The stern Scout in the center gets an even colder expression on her
pretty face. "At least the Great Mirror remains free of the destruction's
influence. If nothing else, the Guardian of the Gateways did his job this
day." 
     "What in the moons of Uranus was Lord Obsidian thinking when he
assigned that job to them?" the short-haired, sword-bearing warrior
growls. "Like us, their duties are to patrol the far reaches of Space.
Ordering them to stay put on one little planet and guard a prisoner goes
contrary to every duty they're supposed to do." 
     Sailor Andromeda's dark expression becomes darker. "Ours is not the
place to question the choices of the Guardian of Space, Uranus," she
snarls back. "Besides, they always seemed so happy whenever they were with
the inner-planet Princesses." 
     "Behold!" the somber Scout in the center shouts, getting the
attention of the others. Pointing at the Earth again with her
wicked-looking glaive, she adds, "The destruction comes!"
     As one, the five Senshi watch, expressions of trepidation and
anticipation on their pretty faces, as the dark shadow peels itself from
the blue planet and leaps into space, forming a tidal wave of blackness
that blots out the stars. Thousands of armed warriors march within the
darkness, the Seven Shadows leading the way with the gray-clad Gemlords
escorting them. In the heart of the swirling blackness, the
demonic-appearing Queen Beryl urges her army on while the enormous
presence of the Negaforce itself looms over the rushing force.
     Noticing just how rapidly the dark army's advancing, Sailor Andromeda
turns to the somber Senshi in the center of their formation. "Now,
Saturn!" she shouts. "They're almost on us!"
     Without a sound or even an acknowledgement of Sailor Andromeda's
words, Sailor Saturn glides forward and brandishes her glaive. "Silence
Wall!" she commands. 
     The instant her words were out, however, the quartet of
gray-uniformed Gemlord warriors disappear, the Seven Shadows with them. As
a thick energy wall materializes in front of the oncoming army, Sailor
Uranus readies her sword and looks around. "Power up, Senshi!" she yells.
"The Elementals teleported past the Wall!" 
     Meanwhile, Sailor Saturn shudders as the dark army slams into her
energy barrier. Her face even more stern from her effort in concentration,
she pours more power into the Wall, attempting to completely surround the
force of darkness within the impenetrable barrier. 
     As the four remaining Scouts scan the area warily, the generals
reappear with the Seven Shadows right in front of Sailor Pluto. The
Shadows rush the deep-green-haired Guardian of Time while the gray-clad
generals disappear again. 
     "Cowards!" Sailor Uranus spits, watching the quartet blink out.
Facing towards Sailor Pluto, she takes aim with her sword. 
     Quickly moving to find a better angle of attack, the sea-green-haired
Scout also takes aim at the Shadows harrassing the Senshi of Time. 
     Soaring upwards out of the line of fire of the other two warriors,
Sailor Andromeda holds her hands outward, preparing an attack as well. 
     Just as the short-haired Senshi prepares to release the energy
humming within her sword, a gray-clad figure appears right in front of her
and just to the side, slamming down hard on the bejeweled blade with a
shimmering, nearly-invisible sword of his own. As the energy harmlessly
explodes outward between them, the Gemlord with the short, curly,
light-blond hair snarls, "Better watch your mouth, Uranus," his amber eyes
cold. 
     The athletic Scout narrows her eyes in anger. She moves forward and
swings back at Jadeite, only to have her blade crash up against the
Elemental warrior's semi-transparent shield. Startled, fully expecting her
Space Sword to cut through the Gemlord's defenses, Sailor Uranus barely
blocks Jadeite's next attack. 
     With a battle cry of "*Jei*!" the gray-clad warrior presses his
attacks. The sword fight is on. 
     Still aiming at a Shadow viciously attacking the Guardian of Time,
the sea-green-haired Scout shouts, "Deep Submerge!" As her power locks in
and a tunnel of swirling sea-water begins to form around her, a whirl of
cherry-blossom petals suddenly appears. From the center of the twirling
petals comes a strident, feminine voice, "Ice-Surround Crystalize!" The
Scout watches in mild horror as her attack of swirling water freezes into
a tunnel of solid ice that frames the gray-clad form of a slender,
golden-blond-haired woman. Floating before the Senshi, her left leg curled
up tight and her right leg straight down with pointed toes, Zoisite gives
the other warrior a catty look. 
     As the sailor-suited Scout glares and extends a hand, a hand-mirror
materializing out of nowhere, the slender Gemlord thrusts her own arm
forward. Shouting "*Zoi*!" she lets loose with a telekinetic blast that
shatters the ice, sending thousands of razor-sharp crystals hurtling
toward the sea-green-haired Senshi. 
     Acting on pure instinct, the pretty Scout holds up her mirror in
front of her face as a shield and looks away from the flying ice. The
sharp crystals rip through her hair and sailor-like suit, leaving her
tattered and bloodied. Before the Scout can recover, Zoisite materializes
a wicked-looking ice sword and zooms in, pressing her advantage. 
     Meanwhile, Sailor Saturn continues to grimly concentrate on holding
back the enemy with her Wall. With the full power of the Negaforce pushing
against it, trying to break its way through, the somber Scout has
virtually no attention to spare to focus on the gray-clad, dark-haired
warrior that appears nearby. 
     His long, auburn hair flowing in the solar wind, Nephrite looks up
toward the pinpoints of light that sparkle in the darkness. "I call upon
the full power of the stars!" he shouts, raising a hand. "Aries the Ram!
Taurus the Bull! Leo the Lion! Sagittarus the Archer! Aquila the Eagle!
Canis Major the Great Dog! Centaurus the Centaur! Corvus the Raven! Draco
the Dragon! Hydra the Water-Serpent! Lupus the Wolf! Lynx the Lynx!
Serpens the Serpent! Orion the Hunter! Ursa Major the Great Bear!
Constellation Energize!" As he calls their names, the star patterns begin
to glow with an eerie light, solidifying into fearsome spirit warriors
with the characteristics of the constellation from which they were formed. 
     The stern Senshi of Destruction gives the Elemental warrior a cold
smile. With her powers and her focus split between holding back the
Negaforce and its army from their advance to the Moon and defending
herself against the star-born creatures and Nephrite himself, she knows
she faces a losing battle. 
     On the far right of the Scouts' faltering line, Sailor Pluto
continues to gracefully dodge and block the continual assault of the Seven
Shadows, having time enough to only occasionally connect with a blow from
her key-shaped staff. To her consternation, her hits seem to have little
effect on the red-eyed Shadows. 
     "Andromeda Stars--" the fifth Senshi begins, determined to help
Sailor Pluto, only to stop as a tall form materializes right in front of
her. His silver hair and white cloak billowing in the solar wind, Kunzite
stands at the ready, giving Sailor Andromeda a cold, contemptuous stare.
The brunette Scout's expression of surprise and dismay quickly changes to
indignant rage. "Traitor!" she yells. "How could you? Why did you join
this scum against Queen Serenity? What about Princess Venus?" 
     The Elemental warrior laughs, frosty and harsh. "I've found someone
much better than that simpering wimp," he snaps. "As for Queen Serenity
and her Silver Millenium, they mean less than nothing to me. They're only
insignificant insects that'll be crushed by the might of the Negaforce.
After today, we will rule the Cosmos." 
     "You're insane," Sailor Andromeda gasps. The reality of the situation
settling in, she whispers to herself, "Forgive me, Princess Venus, but he
must be stopped." With that, the sailor-suited warrior finishes her
trigger-phrase, sending the energy of her attack at the gray-clad figure.
"Strike!" 
     With a fluid movement, Kunzite grabs a corner of his cloak and wraps
the white cloth around his tall form. The twin spheres of
glittering-yellow light slam into him but do nothing as their energy is
absorbed. Tossing aside the cloak, the silver-haired warrior then holds
his hands out to either side. "Fireblade Slice!" he intones, causing a
wicked-looking, boomerang-shaped blade of purplish-pink energy to form in
each hand. With a shout of "*Zai*! he flings the slicers at the Scout. 
     The blue-caped Senshi leaps aside in an attempt to dodge the whirling
blades, only to feel their sting as they swarm around her when Kunzite
telekinetically directs them to her new position. Despite the numerous
shallow slashes in her hair, uniform and skin, Sailor Andromeda grits her
teeth and keeps her concentration. Holding up a hand, she shouts,
"Starshield Protect!" Her slender form becomes enveloped in a soft glow of
glittering-yellow light, creating a barrier through which the slicers
could  no longer reach her. 
     With a snarl on his handsome face, the gray-clad warrior recalls the
slicers to his hands, realizing that their power was no longer effective.
At the same moment, Sailor Andromeda takes the opportunity to launch
another attack. "Star Power Destroy!" she shouts, throwing her hands
forward. 
     Kunzite, who had momentarily shut his eyes in order to concentrate
more power into his slicers, suddenly looks up at the Scout at the sound
of her voice-- and sees the brilliant beam of highly-concentrated energy
speeding his way. A look of pure shock forms on his face as his form
abruptly disappears, leaving the beam of energy to travel onward and
strike one of the Shadows fighting Sailor Pluto. 
     Although disappointed at missing her target, Sailor Andromeda smiles
in grim triumph as she watches the deep-green-haired Senshi follow through
on a vicious swing to the Shadow she'd just hit. Visibly weakened, the
Shadow pulls back, allowing the Guardian of Time room to escape the circle
of Shadows and retreat to a better position of attack. 
     However, it becomes Sailor Andromeda's turn to be surprised as she
hears Kunzite's deep voice snarl from *behind* her, "Dark Energy
Electrify!" Spinning around, her long blue cape flying, she sees the
silver-haired warrior floating there-- his hands outstretched and pointing
to either side with his slicers and a cold smirk on his face-- while a
sphere of black energy forms around her.
     Glaring through the dark barrier at the Elemental warrior, Sailor
Andromeda sets up her attack again. "Star Power Destroy!" To her dismay,
the intense beam of glittering-yellow light gets sucked into the dark
sphere, making the barrier a deeper shade of black. Suddenly frightened,
for she didn't remember any of the Elementals being quite *this* powerful,
the golden-brown-haired Sailor lets her Starshield fade away. For her next
attempt, she would need all her energy. 
     "Go ahead and try again," Kunzite taunts the trapped Scout. "I
promise you, you won't break the sphere." Still concentrating on the
globe, the silver-haired warrior casually tosses the slicer in his left
hand up in a graceful arc. Catching it in his right hand, the twin slicers
blend into a single, larger violet-pink blade. 
     Crossing her arms in front of her blue-bowed chest and pulling her
legs up tight, the sailor-suited warrior tapped into her full power.
"Andromeda Supernova--" she begins, her form glowing with a
steadily-increasing, bright, glittering-yellow light. When her slender
figure shines with the intensity of a small sun, she throws herself into a
spread-eagled position, shouting the end of her trigger, "*Explode*!" The
energy erupts outward in all directions, slamming hard against the dark
sphere. 
     Kunzite narrows his eyes and grits his teeth, fighting to maintain
the globe as Sailor Andromeda's power hits it. Beneath the pressure, the
black sphere expands outward and becomes semi-transparent, forcing the
silver-haired warrior to reach deep within his reserves to keep the
barrier intact. 
     When the light of her attack fades away, the Scout is horrified to
find that the dark sphere held. Quickly glancing at Kunzite, she notices
that maintaining the globe must have cost him dearly; his face is almost
as pale as his hair and glimmers with a sheen of sweat. Realizing that it
wouldn't take much more to break the barrier, the Senshi prepares another
assault.
     But the gray-clad warrior is quicker. "Dark Energy Shrink!" he snaps,
and the globe collapses in on the Scout. 
     Finding herself suddenly unable to move, the black energy of the
globe slowly crushing her slender form, Sailor Andromeda knows that she's
lost the battle. Looking around the best she can, she tries to see how the
others are doing. 
     Far in the distance, she could see Sailor Uranus and Jadeite battling
it out with swords. With slash and parry, thrust and dodge, the Scout and
the Gemlord appear equally matched, although to Sailor Andromeda it looks
as if Jadeite's been forced to take a more defensive stance in his
movements. However, she could also see that he had managed to push Sailor
Uranus back a fair distance, creating a huge gap between her and the other
Senshi. 
     Also in the distance, the sea-green-haired Scout and Zoisite are
still struggling as well, the slender Gemlord having pushed the
sailor-suited warrior back from the Wall and away from Sailor Uranus. The
gray-clad woman continues to viciously hack away, occasionally attempting
to blind the Senshi with a blast of cherry-blossom petals. To her credit,
the sea-green-haired Scout is able to gracefully dance away from the
other's attacks and close for a few retalitory hits of her own. As Sailor
Andromeda watches, the other Senshi connects, slapping Zoisite hard across
the face with the back of her hand-mirror. As the female Elemental is sent
flying, the sea-green-haired warrior pauses, looking first over at Sailor
Uranus and then Sailor Saturn, obviously at a loss as to whom she should
go help. 
     Following the other's gaze, the trapped Scout quickly glances over to
where Sailor Saturn still holds the Silence Wall against the power of the
Negaforce. With one hand held up as a focus for maintaining the Wall, the
grim, black-haired Scout swings her deadly glaive around single-handed,
trying her best to fend off the crowd of star-born monsters that encircle
her. Under Nephrite's command, the star-monsters charge in groups-- coming
in fast, slashing away and retreating before the Silence Glaive could
connect. 
     Although able to destroy about half of the constellations with the
wicked edge of her Glaive, Sailor Saturn can't keep all of the
star-monsters' attacks from hitting their mark. Mauled and bloody, her
energy fading fast from both holding back the dark army and her wounds,
the stern Scout bows her head, beginning to power up what energy she had
left into her weapon of last resort.
     The dark-haired Elemental quickly orders all of the remaining
star-monsters to the attack, then bows his own head and crosses his arms
over his chest. "Powers of the Negaforce, help me unleash the full fury of
the stars!" he yells as Sailor Saturn, her body beginning to glow with an
awesome violet aura, disappears beneath the pile of clawing, hacking,
slashing, biting and ripping star-monsters. Sailor Andromeda stares in
horror as the circling orbits of a pair of miniature planets appear before
the auburn-haired Gemlord's hands. With a war-cry of "*Nei*!" the
Elemental warrior throws his hands outward. The speeding miniature planets
spiral off together, forming a huge beam of intense, shimmering,
greenish-silver starlight that then crashes into the pile of star-born
creatures. When the blinding explosion fades away, all that remains is
Sailor Saturn's still body floating in space, the Silence Glaive slowly
spinning off into the darkness. 
     "Saturn!" the entrapped Scout shouts in shocked disbelief as the
weapon of the ringed planet vanishes and the Silence Wall crumbles before
the might of the Negaforce. The dark army begins its rush toward the Moon
once again and Sailor Andromeda hears a low chuckle. "You should worry
about yourself. You're going to join her very soon." Turning her attention
back to the silver-haired warrior, she just looks at Kunzite, tears
forming in her eyes now colored gray from sorrow. <Forgive me, my
Princesses, my Queen. We did the best we could,> she thinks as she watches
the traitorous Gemlord reach back with his right hand, preparing to throw
his violet-pink blade. 
     With another shout of "*Zai*!" Kunzite flings the slicer. The
spinning boomerang-shaped energy blade blasts through the dark sphere,
burying itself in Sailor Andromeda's chest deep enough that the far point
extends from her back. A single tear streaks down her pretty cheek as the
light dims in her grayish eyes. 
     Giving an imperious gesture to his slicer, which rips itself from the
body of its victim and returns to his hand, Kunzite looks down at the
fallen Senshi for a moment, a cold expression on his handsome face, before
he glances around to see what else was going on. 
     Gazing past the floating, broken body, he can see the Seven Shadows
pressing their attack against Sailor Pluto. Frowning as he realizes that
somehow the Guardian of Time had escaped the Shadows' deadly circle, he
watches as the deep-green-haired Scout blasts an impressive sphere of deep
red energy at the group of ruby-eyed monsters by swinging her staff around
in a graceful circle. The seven black figures scatter, but one gets caught
by the sphere. Although not destroyed, the Shadow appears severely
weakened to Kunzite. The frown on his face turns to a snarl. Readying his
violet-pink slicer, he yells, "Nephrite!" 
     In an instant, the auburn-haired warrior is at his side. "Sir?" he
queries. 
     But the Gemlord's call has another effect as well. Her attention
caught by the other's deep voice, the Senshi of Time scans the
battlefield, taking in the grim scene. The huge army of the Negaforce
continues its rush to the Moon. The Seven Shadows regroup for another
attack. A pair of the traitorous warriors are obviously joining the
struggle of the Shadows against her. The unmoving forms of her two fallen
comrades are floating in space. Sailor Uranus and another Gemlord traitor
slash away at one another with glowing blades. Sailor Neptune is streaking
to the rescue of her partner, the fourth Elemental in hot pursuit and
attempting to impale the sea-green-haired Scout with her thrown spears of
ice. Focusing once more on the enormous army dashing toward Queen
Serenity's capitol, Sailor Pluto whispers to herself, "The first duty of a
Senshi is the welfare of the Kingdom." Holding up her silver, key-shaped
staff, she intones words she was never meant to say. "Dark Dome Close!" 
     All at once, the weapon begins to glow with a deep-red light, a
shockwave of garnet-colored energy erupting outward in all directions. As
the energy passes over the participants of the conflict, everything stops,
becoming frozen in Time. 
     On the other side of the battlefield, Sailor Uranus hisses in pain as
another slash from Jadeite's sword connects. Although able to drive the
traitor back to nearly the same point in space where they'd begun their
duel, the short-haired Scout has to admit that the Gemlord's ability to
analyze her attacks and parries-- thereby finding a weakness to exploit--
is superior to her own. She's just about to strike back when she senses a
wave of energy wash over her-- and stares in astonishment as the
light-blond Elemental freezes in place. 
     "What in the name of Neptune is going on?" another voice asks,
equally surprised. Turning slightly, Sailor Uranus sees the
sea-green-haired Senshi rush up next to her. Glancing beyond the
newcomer's willowy form, the athletic Scout notices that the fourth
turncoat, who had been chasing Sailor Neptune, is frozen as well-- an ice
spear she'd just launched hanging in space.
     Concentrating once again on the sword-bearing Elemental, the Senshi
of the Sky growls, "I don't know, but I'm not going to miss this
opportunity to rid ourselves of a traitor." Raising her arm high above her
head, Sailor Uranus is about to launch an attack against the immobile
Jadeite when she hears Sailor Pluto's voice. 
     "The first duty of a warrior is the well-being of the Kingdom." 
     "What do you think I'm doing?" the dark-golden-haired Scout snarls.
"The Kingdom's better off if none of this traitorous scum survives." 
     "The army of destruction has a clear path to the Moon. Her Serene
Majesty and the rest must be warned. I cannot keep the Gate of Time closed
for long." 
     A frown crosses Sailor Neptune's pretty face. "I didn't know you
could stop Time, Pluto." 
     When the mysterious Senshi speaks again, her quiet voice is
melancholy. "It is a power forbidden to me, but the need is great. Go! Use
this opportunity to reach Her Serene Majesty before the invaders do."
     "But what about you?" the sea-green-haired Scout asks. 
     "Fear not for me. Go warn Her Serene Majesty! We will meet again, in
Time." 
     For a moment Sailor Uranus hesitates, the urge to blast her Space
Sword at the helpless renegade nearly overwhelming. Reluctantly, she turns
away and dematerializes her Sword as she faces Sailor Neptune. "Let's go." 
     But the Senshi of the Ocean just continues to stare at the carnage
around them. Her uniform tattered, her skin bloodied by numerous slashes
and cuts and her sea-green hair a complete wreck, Sailor Neptune's pretty,
still-unmarked face is filled with an expression of compassion. "We can't
just leave them out here in the coldness of space." 
     The athletic Scout isn't in any better shape. Also slashed and cut by
the various successful hits from the Gemlord's telekinetic blade, she
stands there with a frown on her good-looking face, wondering just what
was in her partner's mind. "Who?" 
     "Saturn and Andromeda. It just isn't right." 
     The short-haired Scout sighs, recognizing the sweetly-stubborn look
in the other Senshi's eyes. "Fine, but we've got to make it quick." She
then dashes over to where Sailor Saturn's mangled body lies and carefully
cradles it in her arms. "And we'll need to leave them the moment we reach
the Moon." 
     "I know," Sailor Neptune responds as she picks up Sailor Andromeda's
slender form. "At least they'll be on the ground with us instead of
floating forever into the infinity of the Universe." Noticing that the
boyish Scout is ready, the compassionate warrior gives her partner a nod. 
     Together they streak through the darkness, rushing to the surface of
Earth's single satellite as fast as their powers would allow. Touching
down on the lunar soil not too far from Queen Serenity's city, the pair of
tattered warriors take a quick moment to gently set their fallen comrades
on the planet of the ruler they had served. Without a word or any other
sign of sorrow, the two Senshi then begin running for all they were worth.
Grief would come later; for now, their duty must be carried out. 
     Meanwhile, back in space where the great army remains frozen, the
shimmering garnet light around Sailor Pluto's staff begins to fade.
"Farewell, my friends, my Queen. I have done what I can. May Fortune smile
on all your endeavors until we are able to meet again," the mysterious
beauty whispers to the stars as her graceful form fades out with the
deep-red light. The moment her tall figure disappears, the frozen
participants on the battlefield begin to move again. 
     Jadeite parries a now non-existant blow, then has to abruptly dive to
the right-- swearing all the way-- in order to avoid being impailed by a
sharp spear of ice. Glaring at his fellow gray-clad warrior, he hisses,
"Watch it, Zoe! Do I look like a Senshi to you?" 
     "I don't get it," the boyishly-slender, female Gemlord whines. "I was
aiming at that green-haired witch." Rubbing her cheek, which already has
the look of a bruise on it, Zoisite snarls, "I'm gonna make her pay for
that! Where'd they go anyway?" 
     The amber-eyed warrior merely shrugs in reply, then begins looking
around. 
     On the other side of the battle site, Nephrite watches in confusion
as Kunzite starts scanning the area, his pale-lavender eyes narrowed in
thought. "Sir?" the jade-green-eyed man tries again, still wondering why
he'd been called over. 
     "A moment," the silver-haired warrior replies, letting his slicer
fade away. Still searching, Kunzite frowns. "What's missing, Nephrite?" 
     Startled, the auburn-haired Gemlord begins staring at the battlefield
as well. For a moment, his gaze focuses on the rear of the advancing
army-- the Seven Shadows streaking off to join their Queen and the mighty
Negaforce-- and a twinge of *something* stirs in his heart. But the
emotion is quickly crushed, and Nephrite coldly analyzes the battle site.
"No Senshi, not even the ones we've killed," he responds. "Strange." 
     Kunzite shakes his head, his silver hair swirling. "No, not strange.
Seems like dear Sailor Pluto's kept one talent of hers a secret from
everyone else. Have you recovered from that blast you gave Saturn?"
     "Are you questioning my competency?" the dark-haired Gemlord snaps,
his handsome face in a snarl. 
     The tall Elemental fixes his underling with a frosty glare. "No, but
I will if you continue to challenge my authority. You know you can't fool
me, not with the bond we four share. That blast nearly drained you of
everything you had, just as containing Andromeda's power nearly consumed
mine. I merely asked to see if you can use your power right now." 
     Nephrite stares angrily at his leader for a second, then gives him a
barely-noticable bow. "I can. The might of the Negaforce has already
replaced what I've lost, just as it has done for you."
     "Then find those Outers!" Kunzite snaps. 
     The other gray-clad warrior shoots his commander an irate glare, then
bows his head and closes his eyes. Letting his ire seep away, Nephrite's
still becoming centered when two more gray-uniformed figures suddenly
appear behind Kunzite's tall form. 
     "It's not *fair*!" the female warrior complains. "I had that witch
and she somehow disappeared. Look at what she did to my face!" 
     The light-blond-haired Gemlord gives the ponytailed woman a dirty
look. "Stop your incessant whining, Zoisite! No one wants to hear it." 
     "*Enough*!" the silver-haired leader barks, spinning around to face
the newcomers. Noticing the expression of shock on Jadeite's face and the
wounded look on Zoisite's, the tall warrior takes a deep breath. In a
calmer voice, he adds, "We need to give Nephrite a chance to concentrate.
He'll find where they went." Holding out a hand and giving her a slight
smile, he gently commands, "Come here, Zoe. Let me see." 
     As Jadeite watches in mild disgust, his amber eyes narrowed in
disapproval, Kunzite inspects Zoisite's cheek, carefully rubbing a
white-gloved thumb over the bruising skin. Mindful of the fourth
Commander's attempt at concentration behind him, the white-cloaked Gemlord
telepaths to the golden-blond woman. **Hush, love. I fear that the only
thing truly outraged is your vanity. Wear your wound with pride; you've
proven yourself a true warrior this day. Should we both survive, I'll
think you even more beautiful with the bruise than not, for a warrior is
more dear to me than a coward.** He then slides his hand under her chin,
leans forward and gives her a gentle kiss on her wounded cheek. As Zoisite
sighs in pleasure and snuggles up against the silver-haired Elemental's
tall form, Jadeite turns his gaze to Nephrite, outrage at the pair's
behavior glowing in his amber eyes. 
     In the meantime, Nephrite continues to focus his power, a miniature
model of the solar system appearing between his upheld hands. <The stars
know everything; their movements are the heartbeat of the Universe. Help
me, you who control the destinies of everything. I seek the guidance of
your knowledge.> He opens his eyes, focusing on that part of the model
displaying the furthest orbits of the system. "Show me the glyphs of those
outer planets whose Senshi are still active," he orders. 
     Kunzite, an arm around Zoisite's slender waist, then turns them both
around so that they can see what the auburn-haired Gemlord is doing. While
the three gray-clad warriors watch, glowing symbols suddenly appear above
two of the four planets shown within the miniature Orrery that spins in
front of Nephrite. 
     With a nod, the dark-haired warrior acknowledges that Saturn and
Pluto are dark, then sweeps his hand through the vision, capturing the
dark-blue glyph of Uranus and the aquamarine glyph of Neptune. Opening his
white-gloved fist, he concentrates his energy on the symbols lying in the
palm of his hand. "By the power of the stars, show me the location of your
warriors," he commands the glittering glyphs. As his eyes glow with the
greenish-silver light of his energy, a scene forms within his mind. In a
flash, he knows where the missing Scouts are and what they're doing.
"They're on the Moon!" he shouts. "They're trying to warn the palace." 
     "Do you have a clear fix on them?" Kunzite sharply inquires. 
     With an affirmative nod, Nephrite telepaths what he sees to the
others. 
     In an instant, the quartet disappears, Zoisite in a whirl of petals. 
     On the lunar surface, the pair of sailor-suited warriors are
sprinting up the side of a crater, near the outskirts of the inhabited
area of the Moon. "Not much farther," Sailor Uranus encourages the other.
"Up over this rise, across the flats, and we'll be there." 
     Behind the athletic Scout, Sailor Neptune is beginning the ascent
when she glances up beyond her partner-- who is already halfway up the
rise-- and stops with a gasp as three energy auras and a whirl of cherry
petals suddenly appear at the top of the ridge. "Watch out!" 
     Hearing the warning and looking up, Sailor Uranus skids to a halt
when she sees the four gray-uniformed traitors lined up at the peak of the
crater. Absolutely furious, she raises a hand in the air. "Space Sword--"
she calls, materializing her dreaded blade. She's just about to sling the
energy at the center of the line of Gemlords when a hand on her shoulder
interrupts her.
     "Don't waste your power in anger," the sea-green-haired Scout
cautions. "I'll draw their fire and keep them busy. You're the faster of
the two of us; you go on and warn the Queen."
     "*No*! the short-haired Senshi snarls. "We stay together." 
     "But our duty!" Sailor Neptune protests. "One of us has to get
through with the warning. You've a better chance than I to make it." 
     Staring up at the traitors as they slowly stalk down the hillside,
the athletic Scout gives her partner a bitter laugh. "I may be as swift as
the wind, but I'm not as fast as one who can teleport. They won't all
fight just you; they'll send at least half their number after me as well.
No matter how fast I go, they'll be able to teleport in front of me and
keep me from my goal." Taking a step backwards so that her tall form was
up against the other's willowy body, she adds, "We've lost, dear one. But
we gave it our best. We've lived together, laughed together, and loved
together. Since I can't outrun the enemy, grant me this last wish. I want
to share this fate with you-- to fight this last battle together and
either live or die with you by my side." 
     Sailor Neptune turns so that the pair of sailor-suited warriors were
back-to-back. Materializing her hand-mirror, she smiles. "I wouldn't have
it any other way," she responds as she watches the quartet teleport once
more, this time reappearing in a ring that surrounds the two Senshi. 
     Taking up positions that correspond to the compass directions under
their respective commands, the four gray-clad Gemlords confront the
Scouts. Kunzite remains near the top of the ridge, with Zoisite to his
left and Jadeite to his right. Nephrite stands opposite the silver-haired
leader at the foot of the crater's rim. 
     Seeing the Senshi taking up defensive stances, Zoisite laughs. "I'm
gonna enjoy flaying you alive, Neptune," she gloats, an ice-sword
appearing in her right hand. "You're gonna pay for smacking my face!"
     "And I've still got a score to settle with you, Uranus," Jadeite
snarls. 
     The short-haired Scout gives the light-blond-haired traitor a
self-satisfied smile, running her eyes over his roughed-up form. Looking
as worked-over as the athletic Senshi, his once snappy-looking uniform is
now slashed in numerous places-- many of them stained with blood where
Uranus's Sword had cut his skin. "Grow up and get a life, Jadeite," she
taunts.
     "At least I'll still have one," the short-haired Gemlord growls back.
"That's more than I can say for you, Sailor trash, when I get done with
you." He creates a new telekinetic sword and shield and is about to rush
the boyish Scout when Kunzite's voice rips through the site.
     "*Hold*!" Realizing that he had everyone's attention, friend and foe
alike, he points at Zoisite. "Our orders were to eliminate the threat of
the Outer Senshi, not torture them. A warrior does his best to carry out
his orders in the most efficient manner possible. Don't let your pettiness
interfere with your job." He then glares at Jadeite, adding, "Teamwork!
How many times must I remind you that we work together as a unit?" 
     "Can the speech, slime!" Sailor Uranus barks. Slinging her Sword,
which still contains its charge of energy, she shouts, "Blaster!" and
flings the golden light at the tall, white-cloaked warrior.
     Kunzite teleports, causing the spinning energy to miss. 
     At the same instant, Zoisite shouts, "*Zoi*!" and unleashes a blast
of petal-laden wind that's strong enough to force the two Senshi to duck
and protect their faces. 
     "Fire Energy Electrify!" the tall Gemlord snarls as soon as he
reappears a few feet from where he'd been standing. A violet-pink force
field is already surrounding the Scouts by the time they recover from the
ponytailed blond's Petal Wind. 
     Jadeite steps forward and raises his sword. "Air Electrify!" he
calls. A ray of orangish-yellow light hits the globe, visibly fortifying
it. 
     "Water Electrify!" Zoisite responds, shooting the sphere with a beam
of violet-blue light from her ice-blade. 
     Nephrite raises a hand. "Earth Electrify!" he commands. His ray of
greenish-silver light finishes the Elemental Shield around the Senshi. 
     Still standing back-to-back, the pair of Scouts let their talismans
dematerialize, knowing in their hearts that they were now truly doomed. No
one had ever had the strength to break the Commanders' Elemental Shield.
With defiantly brave expressions on their pretty faces, each Senshi
reaches a hand back toward the other. Locking their fingers together in
one last gesture of unity and love, they courageously face their fate.
     Jadeite's weaponry vanishes as he holds his hands out to either side.
"By the intellect of Air," he chants, an orangish-yellow aura surrounding
him. 
     "By the passion of Fire," Kunzite intones, his tall form beginning to
glow with a violet-pink light. 
     Sailor Neptune swallows in fear, having an idea what the quartet of
turncoats were doing. "Thank you," she whispers to the other Scout. 
     "For what?" Sailor Uranus quietly asks, also somewhat nervous about
what would happen next. 
     "By the emotion of Water," Zoisite's strident voice calls as her
sword disappears and her slender body becomes wrapped in a violet-blue
aura. 
     "For sharing your life with me. If there's a way, I'll find you
again," the sea-green-haired Senshi replies. 
     "Not if I find you first," the dark-gold-haired Scout responds, a
grim smile on her face. "And thanks for sharing your life with me." 
     "By the foundation of Earth," Nephrite says while he starts to glow
with greenish-silver light. 
     As one, the quartet raises their hands to the sky, each one's aura
becoming brighter and sparkling silver in color. With every movement
synchronized through their telepathic bond, they swiftly point their
white-gloved hands at the Senshi, their four voices simultaneously
chanting, "Elemental Annihilation!" 
     When the blindingly brilliant silver light finally fades, the
gray-clad Gemlords teleport away, leaving behind the blasted bodies of the
sailor-suited warriors lying in the gray dust of the Moon, their hands
still intertwined in that last gesture of togetherness.
 
     "Well, I'm back, and this time I won't be so easily defeated," Sailor
Andromeda snarled. Grabbing her star-shaped locket, she quickly shouted
the trigger, "Space Locket Shatter!" and swung her arm in a sideways arc. 
     As the violet-eyed Scout had expected, the silver-haired warrior
disappeared. Still holding onto her locket, having pretended to throw it,
Sailor Andromeda used her momentum to spin around on one foot. She then
hurled the powered-up piece of jewelry in the opposite direction from
where she'd originally aimed. 
     Kunzite teleported back in behind the sailor-suited girl just in time
to catch the full force of the locket's blow square in the chest. The
resulting explosion of glittering-yellow energy blasted the
lavender-cloaked Gemlord off his feet, slamming him into the wall behind
him. 
     Raising an arm to grab her returning locket, the blue-caped Scout
couldn't help smiling in smug satisfaction as she watched her opponent
collapse into a crumpled heap at the foot of the school building. Knowing
that she'd have no better opportunity, the brunette Senshi hastily stabbed
the star-locket back onto the center of her dark-blue bow, then threw her
hands forward. "Star Power Destroy!" 
     Just as the intense beam of sparkling-yellow light streaked toward
him, Kunzite launched himself up into the air, reacting almost on pure
instinct. The golden energy skimmed the air right under his dark-brown
boot-- hitting the building near the ground-- and blew a fair-sized hole
in the wall. 
     While the tall Gemlord hovered in the air and started to shake off
the stunning effects of the Senshi's successful hit, the sailor-suited
warrior was momentarily distracted by the consequences of her second
strike. <Oh man! Miss Haruna isn't going to like that,> she thought, her
violet eyes staring at the smoking hole. Glancing skyward, she spotted
Kunzite levitating at least a couple of stories up, his
metallic-silver-lined cloak fanned out around him like wings and his hands
arranged in an attitude of attack. 
     With a cry of "*Zai*!" the Elemental warrior slung an arm in a
sideways arc, unleashing a concentrated burst of violet-pink energy, only
to growl in frustration as the golden-brown-haired Scout leaped out of the
way and soared into the air. 
     A quick glance down below showed Sailor Andromeda the crater blasted
into the schoolyard. <The groundskeeper's not going to be happy either,>
she sighed as she flew higher. 
     His pale-lavender eyes narrowed in both concentration and
determination, Kunzite glided higher as well, matching the
blue-and-purple-clad warrior's speed. "You're certainly full of surprises
today," he snarled. 
     "I told you it wouldn't be that easy," Sailor Andromeda shot back.
Deciding that they were high enough to keep their fight from endangering
innocent bystanders or destroying property down on the ground, the
blue-caped Senshi halted her ascent and hovered, warily watching as the
silver-haired Elemental floated up to her level. 
     The pair of warriors faced off again, their visages grim and their
hair blowing in the wind. As Kunzite raised his hands in a gesture Sailor
Andromeda recognized as one of his ways of silently preparing an attack,
the purple-skirted Scout decided to try to stop him by striking first.
"Space Locket Shatter!" she shouted, ripping the golden star from her
dark-blue bow and hurling it once more at the Elemental. 
     Carefully watching the miniature comet of glittering-yellow light as
it streaked toward him, the tall Gemlord calmly floated in the sky, his
cloak unfurled around him. In an almost bored tone, he said, "Energy
Absorption," raising a hand to intercept the glowing, spinning locket.
Just as it approached his waiting grasp, a shield of pinkish-violet light
flashed around him, sucking up the bright golden glow of the piece of
jewelry. He then caught the de-energized weapon. 
     Violet eyes wide and becoming tinged with gray in fright, Sailor
Andromeda stared in momentary shock as the silver-haired warrior gave her
a cold smirk. "You can't *do* that!" the blue-caped Senshi protested.
"It's mine! Give it back, you bleach-blond Negacreep!" 
     His pale-lavender eyes narrowed and his fist clenched around the
locket in anger, the Gemlord roared, "I don't serve the Negaforce
anymore!" While a bright, violet-pink aura began to glow around his hand,
he yelled, "You want it back? Fine! Here, take it!" and flung the
newly-charged locket at its owner. 
     With an involuntary shriek, Sailor Andromeda dove to the side,
feeling the heat of the locket's concentrated energy as it zinged past her
shoulder. Her grayish-violet eyes watching the rose-colored fireball as it
soared through the air and began its graceful arc back to the one who
threw it, she spun around to face her hijacked weapon. Flying toward it on
an intercept course and concentrating her control, the sailor-suited
warrior commanded, "Locket De-energize!" At first, she didn't think her
attempt had succeeded-- the fireball had continued to race back toward the
silver-haired Elemental right after she'd shouted her order-- but then the
violet-pink energy around the star-shaped piece of jewelry faded away,
leaving the locket quietly hovering. Heaving a sigh of relief, the
purple-skirted Senshi grabbed her weapon and turned to face her opponent--
just in time to have to dodge another bolt of rose-colored energy fired
from the Gemlord. 
     Her violet eyes now tinged blue with anger, Sailor Andromeda scowled
at her foe. As she flew closer in order to better her aim, she shouted,
"You're really starting to get on my nerves, Kunzite!" 
     "Not half as much as you're starting to annoy me, Sailor brat!" the
lavender-cloaked warrior shot back. 
     <I've had it!> the brunette Senshi thought as she prepared her next
attack. Throwing her hands forward, she started her trigger. "Star
Power--" 
     "Crystal Freeze!" interrupted a new voice, one which came from behind
the blue-caped Scout and wasn't quite as deep as the silver-haired
warrior's. 
     Astounded, Sailor Andromeda spun around. There before her floated a
tall man dressed all in black-- his long, dark-brown hair and gold-lined
black cloak fanned out around him-- and a rapidly-growing ball of
blackish-green energy was speeding her way. She had time enough to think,
<Not again!> before the sphere struck her slender form. 
     Kunzite watched dispassionately as the blackish-green globe engulfing
the purple-skirted Senshi solidified into a crystal of deep-green glass. A
shimmering aura of blackish-green light then surrounded the vitreous
prison, keeping it from falling to the ground below. Glancing over at the
newcomer, the Gemlord growled, "It's about time, my Lord." 
     Obsidian gave his warrior a cold smile. "You looked like you were
having too much fun to quit. Besides, I thought you could handle a single
Senshi, not the other way around." 
     Although angered by the dark lord's words, Kunzite lowered his head
and kept a respectful tone in his voice. "You should've informed me
better, my Lord. I should've known that I was to face--" 
     "A Senshi instead of a lowly human?" Obsidian cut in, his baritone
voice harsh. "I would've thought that after our first conversation you'd
have had the brains to figure that out on your own. I expected you to
perhaps be upset that it was Sailor Andromeda instead of one of the
Inner-planet Senshi, but to not have known at all?" The Guardian of Space
shook his dark-brown head. "At least your compassion and your sense of
fair play have returned if not your brains. Perhaps there's hope for you
yet." 
     Despite his ire at the other Gemlord's insulting tone, Kunzite kept
his composure. The only outward sign of his displeasure was a gradual
tightening of his jaw. 
     Obsidian stared at the lavender-cloaked man a moment longer, picking
up the other's indignation through his psychic senses. <Good, Kunzite's
passed the test. Maybe I will be able to trust him again.> Concentrating
instead on expanding the influence of his power to include both the glass
crystal encasing Sailor Andromeda and his fellow Gemlord, the dark
Guardian closed his deep-brown eyes and commanded, "Obsidian Mirror
Return!" As one, the three shimmering forms disappeared in a flash of
deep-green light, leaving behind an empty sky.

EXTINGUISHED FLAMES

     The tall teen-ager walked swiftly along the sidewalk, his long stride
eating up the concrete. Still dressed in his dark-blue school uniform, an
expensive-looking dark-green duffle bag slung over his right shoulder and
a frustrated look on his handsome face, the auburn-haired boy stormed
onward, oblivious to the world around him.
<I don't see how they manage,> he thought, his frown deepening. <What a
pathetic existence this is turning out to be. I feel half-deaf, half-blind
and half-alive.> Just then, a sharp twinge shot through his shoulder from
the weight of the bag. Annoyed, he stopped walking and switched his load
to the other side. <And the constant complaints from this stupid, weak
form are starting to drive me insane.>
     Behind him, a couple of blocks back or so, a tall girl dressed in a
sailor-like school uniform of white and tan halted as well, grateful for
the momentary pause. Healthy and fit, used to fast-paced walks, even she
was having a bit of trouble keeping up with the other teen. However,
determination glittered in her forest-green eyes. She'd told the others
she'd keep an eye on him, and she was a person of her word. Her temporary
stop having quieted her long legs' complaints, she ran forward before he
could get started again.
     His bag once more slung comfortably, this time on his left, the tall
teen was about to begin his fast-paced walk once more when a feminine
voice shouted from behind. "Hey, Nathan! Wait up!"
     Startled, the auburn-haired boy turned around to see the athletic
girl-- who'd shared her lunch with him the day before-- sprinting toward
him. "Uh... Hello, Lita."
     "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
     The boy called Nathan fixed the pretty brunette with a thoughtful
stare. Although his first instinct was to tell her to buzz off and mind
her own business, that impulse was quickly replaced by something... else.
There was something about her, something he'd caught a flash of the day
before as well. Irritated by his inability to sense things better,
drowning as he was in the silence within him, he sighed. "The tennis club.
I'm out of practice and I need to work on my serve."
     Lita frowned, the tone of his voice reminding her once again what a
jerk Nathan could be. Still, he was so dreamy, she was willing to make a
few allowances for personality flaws. "Mind if I tag along?" Before he
could reply, she grinned. "Thanks! Come on."
     As the long-legged girl started walking on ahead, the auburn-haired
teen sighed once more. "No, I don't mind at all..." he muttered, following
her.
     While the pair continued to stride down the sidewalk, the boy kept
staring at the ponytailed brunette with his jade-green eyes. <What is it
about her?> he asked himself. <I felt it yesterday as well, but I know I
haven't seen her before.> A wicked smile then crossed his face. <Serena,
however, is another story. So *that's* the infamous Sailor Moon.>
     He silently laughed. <She's a bit more pathetic than I imagined.
Combine that with the psychic distortion field that disguises the Senshi
and it's no wonder I didn't figure it out sooner. Granted, I'd caught
enough of her "normal" aura before that transformation to find her again--
I wasn't bluffing when I told her that-- but I never really thought just
how... human... the Senshi were these days.>
     Glancing back up at the tall girl walking just in front of himself,
frowning just a bit, his mind turned to the events of the day before.
<There was also something about those other girls... Amy and Callie, I
believe. A different something, but there nonetheless. And the way Amy
looked at me...>
     A sudden, intuitive flash-- an image of a blue-haired, sailor-suited
warrior standing tall and brave on the roof of a sleek red car, a
miniskirted girl with the audacity to challenge *him* of all people--
crossed the auburn-haired boy's mind. The look on the warrior's face had
been the same look Amy had given him yesterday. <By the Cosmos! Nephrite,
you can be such an idiot at times,> he admonished himself. <Serena may not
have been able to figure out who you really are by what you did, but you
can be sure Amy did. Sailor Mercury may be pathetic, but she's certainly
no fool.>
     Nephrite's frown grew darker as he continued to stare at Lita's back.
<She and Callie... Other Senshi? Possible... But which ones...?> He
abruptly broke off his thoughts as the ponytailed brunette suddenly
stopped and turned back to look at him, forcing him to halt as well.
     "You into any other sports besides tennis?" Lita asked, a curious
expression on her pretty face.
     Startled, Nephrite blurted, "A few."
     "Into ice skating at all?"
     <Ice skating.> The two words made a memory flash to the front of the
former Negaverse warrior's mind.

     In the past, on the Moon: The scene is one of the gray moonscape at
night, the brilliant stars as well as the Earthshine above glittering down
on the crater below. In the background, the Palace of the Moon Kingdom
lifts its domed towers to the star-spangled sky.
     One rather large crater, with a flat surface and well-formed rim, is
filled with a smooth sheet of ice, reflecting back the blue glow of the
Earth and the sparkling stars. The Gemlord Nephrite-- dressed in the white
coat and pants of Prince Darien's Court-- sits on the edge of the crater,
then looks down from the stars with a sigh. Below him, already on the ice,
stands the tall, graceful, athletic figure of Princess Jupiter clad in a
shimmering miniskirted skating outfit of deepest green. "Come on,
slowpoke," she laughingly chides.
     Nephrite smiles a bit as he laces up his remaining skate. "Sorry. I
was sort of lost in thought."
     Princess Jupiter giggles at his reply. "I noticed." Still smiling,
she turns and looks at the people on the rink.
     Among the couples gliding across the ice can be seen Princess Serena
and Prince Darien in one of the few times the young Royal from Earth was
actually invited to a social event. They make a stunning couple as they go
sailing by, graceful streaks of black and white. Also to be seen are
Princess Mars and the Gemlord Jadeite, both of whom appear to be having
fun despite their apparently mediocre talent on the ice.
     But on the end of the rink close to where Nephrite sits and Princess
Jupiter stands, the crowd of skaters have stopped to watch in wonder as a
lone figure dressed in white soars in the center of a patch of clear ice
made especially for the skater. Among those watching is Princess Mercury,
a pretty figure in her blue ensemble. Her sapphire eyes stare in wonder at
the performance she beholds.
     The lone skater continues to execute a stunning series of moves,
leaps and spins flawlessly. Blond ponytail flying, his slender body a
white blur and a poem of strength and grace, the Gemlord Zoisite nails a
high, spinning leap that Princess Jupiter admires. "Wow!" she breaths.
"He's really good."
     His boot now laced, Nephrite looks up in time to see his younger
compatriot execute another impressive series of manouvers. "Yes, he is." A
frown crosses the auburn-haired Gemlord's handsome face. "However, he's
not as good as either Her Royal Highness Serenity, His Royal Highness
Darien or you, dear Princess."
     The tall, ponytailed brunette smiles sweetly at the sharp tone of her
companion. "A bit jealous, Nephrite dear?"
     Off in the near distance, Zoisite flawlessly performes one last
graceful leap, then glides to a stop right in front of a shyly smiling
Princess Mercury. As the audience of other skaters applauds the blond
Gemlord's routine, the beautiful, androgynous-appearing warrior bows
gallantly to the blue-clad Princess. He then offers her his hand, and
skates off with her in his arms when she accepts.
     "Hardly," Nephrite growls in reply. "What a show off..."
     Laughing slightly, Princess Jupiter reaches up and takes one of the
auburn-haired man's hands in hers. With a tug, she pulls him from his
perch on the crater's wall and onto the ice. When he lands on his blades
with a somewhat startled shout, she giggles and then gives Nephrite a
light kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry, Nephrite. You're quite the good
skater as well. Not everyone can keep up with me." Smiling brilliantly,
Princess Jupiter then pulls the green-eyed warrior out to the center of
the rink.
     As for Nephrite, he appears to be in a mild state of shock from
Princess Jupiter's friendly kiss.

     "Nathan! Earth to Nathan!" Frowning, Lita waved a hand in front of
the other teen's unfocused, jade-green eyes. <What's with this guy?>
     Blinking, Nephrite shook his head, still a bit dazed. <Princess
Jupiter?> he thought, confused. Looking up at the sound of the insistent
voice, he was suddenly jolted back into the here-and-now, finding a
somewhat irritated Lita staring at him. "Huh?" was all he could come up
with to say.
     Crossing her arms, the breeze ruffling her waist-length ponytail, the
athletic girl repeated her question. "Do you ice skate?"
     He shook his head slowly in reply. "I did, but that was long ago."
     "Well then, why not join me sometime and brush up on that as well?
Like tomorrow afternoon?"
     Getting slightly irritated himself, Nephrite replied, his voice curt,
"I'm busy, Lita."
     Undeterred, a spark of determination lit the tall girl's forest-green
eyes. "How about the next day?"
     <How about buzzing off?> he wanted to scream, but for some reason,
the words just wouldn't come out. Instead, he heard himself saying, "I'm
busy then, too."
     For a moment, disappointment was etched on Lita's pretty face, but it
rapidly disappeared. "Sunday?" she asked, hopeful. <I just know it'd be
dreamy skating with him, no matter who he is.>
     Nephrite frowned in annoyance. "I really--" he started to say, only
to be interrupted by the athletic girl.
     "Good! Then it's settled. I'll go to your place and get you Sunday.
You live in that mansion on the wooded hill just outside downtown, right?"
When Nephrite can only nod in mild shock at the way Lita just sort of took
over, the tan-and-white-uniformed girl turned back around and strode up
the street once more, a satisfied grin on her face.
     <What have I just gotten myself into?> the now-human Gemlord wondered
with a sigh as he also continued his walk to the tennis club.
     They reached their destination minutes later, each teen-ager
continuing to stroll onwards in silence, but for differing reasons. For
the ponytailed brunette, it was a smug sense of accomplishment. <There.
Now I can skate with a hunk, keep an eye on Nathan and truthfully tell
Artemis that I've kept my promise.>
     For the auburn-haired boy, it was confusion and irritation. His mind
returning to that flash of memory, he mentally growled, <Where the hell
did that come from? I remember playing games with Princess Jupiter,
keeping her occupied so that Prince Darien could meet with Princess
Serena, but this?> He shook his head, refusing to dwell on it anymore now
that he was approaching the fenced-off grounds of the tennis club.
     When the two of them came up to the wide-open iron-barred gate, Lita
turned and faced her companion once more. "Well, seeing how you have to be
a member to get in, I guess I'll see you out back on the court."
     "You're going to hang around and watch?" the tall, athletic teen
asked, mild surprise in his jade-green eyes.
     The ponytailed girl shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She smiled just a bit.
"I was just curious as to how out of practice you are."
     Nephrite frowned slightly in return, but didn't say a word as he
readjusted the weight of his duffle bag and strode into the club. <Better
watch my step. If she is another Senshi, and Sailor Mercury... Amy...
figured out who I am, then I'd better assume she's watching me.>
     Lita stared after him, a dreamy look in her forest-green eyes. <He's
so cute...> With a slight shake of her head, the long-legged teen walked
on the sidewalk around the club's grounds. Scanning the small crowd of
people gathered along the chain-link fence that separated the three courts
from the rest of the world, the tall brunette suddenly lost her good mood
as her gaze froze on a certain red-headed girl. <No. Not Molly...>
     The girl in question was standing at the fence along the edge of the
middle court, her fingers curled around a few metal links as she stared
into the area beyond. Sunlight glimmered in her bright-red hair, a
startling contrast to the slate-blue bow that pulled back the locks around
her sweet-looking face.
     Lita frowned, a bit annoyed. She didn't know why, but something about
Serena's friend had always put her slightly on edge. However, she did her
best to tolerate the shorter girl for Serena's sake. After all, those two
had been friends long before Lita had met the ponytailed blond.
     With a sigh, the athletic brunette found a position along the nearer
court, a safe distance from the other teen. Looking past the chain-link
fence into the courts beyond, Lita noticed that the courts were full. The
pairs on the near and far ones appeared to be somewhat talented, but it
was the one girl on the center court that caught her attention.
     Tall and pretty, her dark-brown hair pulled back in a ponytail high
on her head in a style similar to Lita's own, the teen-aged girl made a
graceful figure standing there in her light-blue shirt and short, white
skirt. Around her brow was a dark-blue sweatband and concentration gleamed
in her dark-blue eyes. With a practiced flip of her wrist, the dark-haired
player tossed her bright-yellow ball in the air and whapped it hard at her
opponent.
     Nodding in admiration, the green-eyed girl watched the following
volley as the boy and the dark-haired player vied against one another for
the point. Finally, the girl hit a vicious spike that forced the boy to
leap forward to try to hit the ball back. He missed, and the ball bounced
off the court to land in the bushes beyond.
     "All right, Katie!" Molly shouted, jumping up and down in joy as her
close friend won that point.
     Lita couldn't help but shudder at the red-head's voice. Just then,
her gaze focused on a new figure stepping out onto the courts... and her
annoyance faded away.
     It was Nathan, his tall, athletic form accentuated by the white shirt
and dark-blue shorts he now wore, the duffle bag held in both hands in
front of him. She noticed that he scanned the area of both the courts and
the crowd beyond as he walked along the edge of the near court like he
owned the place. Unable to take her eyes off him, she just stared as he
set his bag down next to the bench near the fence, pulled out a racquet
from it and then sat down, his back to her.
     With a quick glance at Molly, Lita was relieved to see that the
red-headed girl had continued to watch her dark-haired friend as she and
her opponent rallied for another point. Remembering how interested Nathan
was in the freckle-faced teen the day before, Lita stifled an annoyed
sigh. <Not sure I could stand listening to her gush on about just how cute
he is,> she told herself.
     Meanwhile, Nephrite scanned the area once more as he sat on the
wooden bench, absently bouncing his racquet against the palm of his left
hand. For a moment, his jade-green eyes lingered over Molly's familiar
form. With a slight smile on his handsome face, he thought, <Strange how I
hardly noticed her when I was last here. Just another face in the crowd
watching people play. Who'd've known...>
     Sighing, he turned his attention back to the real reason why he'd
come to the club. <Katie Sandler,> he silently mused. <The first victim
chosen by the stars in my ill-fated attempt to gather energy for the
Negaforce.>
     Just then, the girl being scrutinized called out, "Match point!"
Another toss of the fuzzy, yellow ball, another agile leap and forceful
slam, and the next rally was on.
     <So young, so alive, so... full of energy,> he thought as he stared
at the dark-brown-haired girl. In those few hours he'd had left of his
former self, Nephrite had used his powers to locate and observe the
current situations of his former victims, driven by a still-unidentified
compulsion to do so. Katie, he'd learned, had just recently turned
professional after having won a couple of somewhat important amateur
tournaments. While he continued to watch her agile bounces and vibrant
dashes across the court during the energetic battle for the match, his own
words-- spoken before Queen Beryl herself-- came back to haunt him. <The
human race is ruled by the movement of the stars throughout the heavens,
and each person lives according to a unique and special rhythm that is
theirs alone. Everyone has a moment in their lives when their energy level
rises to its very highest point.>
     As he well knew, Katie had already reached that peak-- that one
moment in her life that she'd have the creative energy to do anything she
thought possible. And though there would be other times in her rhythm
where she'd come somewhat close to that one moment, never again would she
hit quite that intensity of energy in her life.
     His mind froze on the words *never again*, and a painful *something*
ripped through him as the enormity of what he'd done sank in. Dazed by the
unfamiliar feeling, Nephrite kept staring at Katie as she continued to
fight for the point. Her rhythm, determined by the stars. Her energy. And
he'd stolen it from her. <You had no right to it,> a quiet voice whispered
in his mind.
     <I was merely following my orders,> he responded, aggravated.
     <It was her moment-- her energy-- to do with as she willed.>
     <I needed that energy to carry out the mission entrusted to me by my
Queen.>
     <Because of you, she's missed her one chance to truly shine, to tap
into her full potential.>
     He started to protest the hushed voice yet again when suddenly
everything clicked with a clarity he'd never known before. Shame, remorse,
regret-- they washed over him with painful intensity, searing themselves
into his soul. Falling from abruptly numbed fingers, his racquet clattered
to the ground as he closed his eyes, put his hands to his dark-auburn head
and doubled over.
     The unexpected sound caught Lita's attention. A bit alarmed at seeing
the teen-aged boy in such obvious distress, the ponytailed brunette called
out, "Nathan? You okay?"
     The teen addressed didn't reply. Instead, Lita got a totally
different response. In a matter of moments, Molly was there next to her,
grabbing onto the chain-link fence and gazing at the hunched-over boy
sitting on the bench beyond. "What's wrong, Nathan?" the red-head asked, a
worried tone in her voice. "Are you gonna be all right?"
     <Am I going to be all right?> he asked himself, sitting up, Molly's
words sinking in as the emotional turmoil within him subsided. He turned
and looked out at the two girls standing there, concern on their pretty
faces, and heard himself say, "Yeah, I think so. Just a sudden headache.
It'll go away soon."
     Although the tall, brown-haired girl appeared skeptical, the
freckle-faced red-head smiled sweetly in acceptance of his words. "Gee, I
hope so," Molly replied. "That didn't look too good."
     Nephrite sighed as he turned back to gaze out across the tennis
courts. "I'll live." Focusing his jade-green eyes on Katie again, he
thought, his feelings absolutely sincere, <I wish there was something I
could do to somehow make it up to my victims for what I've done. If only I
could atone for my sins...>
     In response to his heart-felt wish, he felt *something* spark to life
within him, a momentary flash of the unearthly music of the Universe
itself accompanying the ember's awakening. Within heart, mind and soul
glowed a symbol colored at long last its proper silvery-green, no longer
the blood-red indicative of a Negaforce contamination. And it was once
more his to use again despite his now-human state.
     He sat there a moment longer, staring at Katie in surprise as the
young professional player finally slammed home the final point, winning
the match. <A poor substitute to what I'd stolen, but it's a way to make
amends.> He stood then as Katie and her opponent approached their
respective sides of the net, picked up his racquet from where it had
fallen, and stepped out onto the court after the pair of players shook
hands. "Ms. Sandler, Katie, may I please have the honor of a match with
you?"
     The short-skirted girl with dark-brown hair blinked at the
auburn-headed teen in mild surprise. "Excuse me? Do I know you?"
     "Let me introduce myself," the athletic boy quietly said, giving the
tennis player a slight, polite bow. "I'm Nathan Sanford, nephew to
Maxfield Stanton."
     "I remember your uncle," Katie responded. "He gave me a few tips on
my serve and did quite well at a tournament we both attended."
     Nephrite smiled, knowing that that would be all that she would
recall. "Before he left to go take care of some other business, he told me
about you and how impressed he was with your game. So I decided to come
here and satisfy my own curiosity."
     Meanwhile, on the other side of the chain-link fence at the end of
the center court, Lita and Molly stood nearly side-by-side, each one
watching the pair of teen-aged athletes standing there. The ponytailed
brunette remained silent, tightening her grip on the fence and narrowing
her forest-green eyes slightly in mild annoyance at Nathan's apparent
friendliness toward the dark-haired girl. <Wish I knew what they were
saying,> she thought. Though she could hear their quiet voices, Lita found
herself unable to make out a single word.
     Next to her, the short redhead also grabbed the fence, her whole
attitude one of almost bubbly excitement. "Gee! I just don't know who to
root for," Molly exclaimed.
     Lita winced.
     On the court, Katie sweetly smiled. "You mean to tell me that you
came here just to see me?"
     Nephrite returned the smile, absently twirling his racquet. "And to
play a match against you. I wanted to see if you played as well as my
uncle had said."
     The dark-brunette girl widened her smile into a grin. "Well then,
come on! Let's see if you're as good as I remember Mr. Stanton being."
With that, Katie retreated from the net, taking up a serving position.
     Nephrite walked over to his end and got into a ready stance.
Jade-green eyes focused on the ball, he watched as the other teen tossed
it up then smashed it at him. putting her weight into it like he'd told
her long ago. With an agile jump, he returned the serve, putting Katie on
the run.
     The rally for their first point was well-fought, with both athletes
struggling to outdo the other. Katie found herself hard-pressed to come up
with something that the auburn-haired boy couldn't counter, while Nephrite
himself was mildly surprised at just how much the blue-shirted girl had
improved. Outside the court, the audience became enraptured at the battle.
     As the rally continued, the former Negaverse warrior suddenly became
aware that he was getting a bit winded. Yet despite the abrupt complaints
of his new form, he also realized that-- with his pulse pounding, his
breathing rapid and his body suddenly exhausted-- he was feeling more
alive than he'd ever had in centuries. Distracted by the thrilling
sensation that filled his thoughts, he momentarily froze, utterly
astonished. The ball hit the court unanswered, then bounded off into the
brush up against the fence.
     "All right! Way to go! Yay, Katie!" Molly shouted, the sweet-faced
red-head jumping a bit in excitement. Turning to the tall girl standing
next to her, she grinned. "That was a really good rally, but I'm thrilled
Katie got the point. Even though I think Nathan's cool, and neat, and a
real hunk, I just have to wish my 'sister' well."
     In reply, Lita just stared at the shorter girl for a moment. Her
irritation hitting a boiling point, she thought, <That's it. I can't stand
any more.> Her voice colored with a slight growl, the brunette abruptly
said, "Excuse me, but I got to book it. I just remembered that there was
something I was supposed to do." With that, Lita turned on a heel and
strode off.
     Blinking her large, slate-blue eyes in surprise, Molly replied in a
quiet voice, having lost some of her enthusiasm, "Uh, okay. Guess I'll see
you around then."
     Lita just stormed off, not even responding to the redhead's farewell.
     The tall, athletic girl's departure was noticed by one other person.
Having come back to his senses and gone after the ball, Nephrite was
standing up from his search, fuzzy yellow object in hand, when his eye was
caught by the movement of Lita's retreat. Staring after the pretty
brunette's disappearing form, he felt a strange twinge of emotion flash
through his mind. Caught between the high of feeling so alive and the low
of pushing his body too far in his fight for the rally, the odd
aggravation of Lita's departure and mild relief at Molly continuing to
stay and watch just added to the chaotic jumble within Nephrite. With a
sigh, the auburn-haired boy tossed the ball back to Katie for the next
serve.

     Lita stormed along the well-maintained pathways through Fairview
Park, irritation still filling her mind. Although accompanied by guilt--
after all, it wasn't Molly's fault she was so annoying in the first
place-- the athletic brunette couldn't shake the angry emotion. <Bad
enough Nathan shows more interest in her than me, but knowing that she
might be just as interested back...> Breaking off the thought, she
clenched a hand into a fist and involuntarily growled. For some reason,
the whole thing just made her more upset, even though she really didn't
have a clue why. <I've been disappointed and jealous before, but this time
it's really bad.>
     "Oh! Hi there, Lita. I really didn't expect to see you here," came a
cheerful, female voice, her words as carefully enunciated as always. "I
thought you were going to keep an eye on Nathan."
     The familiar voice broke through the ponytailed brunette's dark
thoughts, and she stopped to stand next to the park bench where her friend
sat, a smile now on her pretty face. "I was, but he's off playing tennis.
Boring."
     Amy gave Lita a look of surprise, a stray breeze ruffling both her
short, dark-bluish hair and the taller girl's waist-length ponytail.
Sitting on a bench overlooking the rose garden that Fairview Park was so
well-known for, the studious teen had come to visit her long-time friend,
Mr. Baxter, the park's gardener. Once the victim of the Negaverse General
Nephrite's schemes, the sweet older man remembered nothing of the
incident. In fact, after the park had been mysteriously saved and he'd
been enthusiastically retained as the caretaker, Mr. Baxter had gone on
with life as if nothing had ever happened.
     Lita continued talking, ignoring the look of inquiry in the other
girl's sapphire-blue eyes. "Besides, Molly was there cheering on her
friend."
     Amy blinked, then frowned thoughtfully. The fact that the redhead was
there explained much of the the tall brunette's current mood, but the
mention of Katie Sandler sent a frizzion of alarm through the intellectual
teen's mind. "And you say Nathan went there? Where Katie was?"
     "Yeah." Lita fixed her companion with a startled stare. "Something
wrong, Amy?"
     The blue-haired genius slowly shook her head, sunlight glittering in
her close-cropped locks. "I'm not sure yet."
     Frowning slightly, the athletic girl gazed down at her friend. "Any
word on Callie yet?"
     "No. Serena and Mina haven't checked in." Carefully scrutenizing the
area and noticing that the only other person even remotely nearby-- Mr.
Baxter-- was too busy pulling weeds from around the beautiful rose bushes
to pay attention to his surroundings, Amy pulled out a small electronic
device that resembled either a calculator or an electronic day-planner.
Tapping a button, the soft-spoken teen-ager talked at the item. "Serena,
Mina, come in, please."
     For a moment, there was only static over both the miniature speaker
and the round, quarter-sized viewing screen up in the right-hand corner of
the communicator. During that time, Lita moved over to stand behind the
park bench so that she could look over Amy's shoulder.
     Then came a bubbly voice, accompanied by Serena's smiling face on the
small screen. "Yo, Amy! What's up?"
     "Nothing at the moment. Have you been by Callie's place yet?"
     "Yup, sure have! No answer, though. Guess she wasn't home."
     From the background came Mina's sunny voice, "No answer at Darien's
either." The two girls in Fairview Park could hear the sunshine-blond's
amused giggle as Serena's image turned and momentarily glared off-screen.
     A faint frown graced Amy's pretty face. "That's not like Callie.
Sure, being absent from school, but with no reason? And then no answer at
home as well?"
     The twin-ponytailed blond turned back to face the viewer and shrugged
slightly. "Anyway, Mina and I are hitting the mall. We'll keep an eye out
for Callie while we're there."
     "Sounds fine with me. See you." With that, the blue-haired genius
turned off the communicator and put it away. She then turned and looked up
at the ponytailed brunette standing behind her. "For some reason, I can't
shake the feeling that there's something strange going on."

     Nephrite watched the annoying yellow ball sail just over his racquet
as he dove to return the smash. Swearing under his breath, he braced
himself as well as he could for the impact. Both the ball and his
outstretched form hit the court at the same time. The landing knocked the
wind out of the auburn-haired teen and sent his racquet skittering across
the court. The fuzzy yellow orb zinged off into the bushes yet again.
     In response, just about everyone watching the thrilling match gasped,
including both Molly and Katie herself. As the sweet redhead thought,
<That had to hurt. Hope he's all right...> the dark-brown-haired girl
dashed up to the net.
     "Are you okay, Mr. Sanford?"
     Slowly, Nephrite stood. Ribs aching, muscles cramping slightly from
the overexertion forced upon them by an owner unused to his body's limits,
he found the mere sensation of trying to catch his breath alarming.
Hearing Katie's voice, he glanced over at her, answering in between gasps.
"Yes... Think so... Please... Call me Nathan." For the first time, he got
a sharp sense of just how vulnerable he was. Compared to his former
Lithosian body, this one was proving to be so very fragile.
     The professional player breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good...
Nathan. I was afraid you'd hurt yourself. It was a valiant try, and a
valiant match. I haven't had to fight so hard to win one here in a while."
     "Yeah... Well... I'm a bit rusty. Guess it shows." Taking a deep
breath, his gasping now under control, he walked over and picked up his
racquet. Pain still needling into his awareness, the athletic teen then
shuffled up to the net, aggravation at his predicament once more giving
his handsome face a slightly cold tone.
     Katie gave her opponent a good looking-over with her dark-blue eyes.
Catching his bitter, defeated expression, she cheerfully smiled. "If
that's you being rusty, then watch out when you're back on your game. You
sure gave me a bit of a challenge, so don't take it so hard." Still
smiling, the short-skirted teen held out her hand over the net. "A very
good match, Nathan. You should be proud."
     He stifled an impulse to growl, <Yeah, right,> and forced himself to
smile back. Recalling his whole reason for coming in the first place, he
pushed aside all of the negative feelings and concentrated instead on that
spark of power newly awakened within him. As the silvery-green symbol
appeared in his mind's eye, ready and quietly waiting, he gave Katie a
true smile as he held his own hand out. "Thanks. That means quite a bit
coming from you, Ms. Sandler."
     The unsuspecting girl warmly shook the handsome teen's hand. "You're
welcome."
     When the ponytailed player let go of his hand, Nephrite reached out
and placed a fingertip on the royal blue sweatband around Katie's slender
wrist. Time seemingly stood still as energy flared to life, transferring
from the human Gemlord to his former victim. <I endow this item with the
power of the stars. May their movements guide her path and may they
augment her energy with theirs in the times hers is low.> Beneath his
finger, the silvery-green symbol of his mark of power glowed on the
wristband, tapping her into the workings of the energy flows of Nature
itself.
     The timeless moment ended, and Nephrite looked at Katie, slight
nervousness in his jade-green eyes as his hand dropped back down to his
side. When the athlete just grinned and turned to walk away, seemingly
unaware of the exchange, the auburn-haired teen silently sighed in relief.
The deed was done, and she was none the wiser. <Now for Mr. Baxter, the
next one on my list...>

     "Great Mirror of the Vortex, to whom all ways are open and no place
unknown, hear my command." In response to the dark lord's words, the
ebony-glassed Symbol of Space embedded within the wall of the circular
Hall began to glow with a deep, blackish-green light. Obsidian stood
before the Mirror, deep golden-brown eyes cold as he concentrated on the
energies under his control.
     Behind him, slightly to the left, was a tall, silent figure, his
pale-lavender eyes fixed on the Mirror's shimmering surface as the
reflection of the Hall rippled away. Neither Gemlord spared even a
second's glance at the human-sized, deep-green glass crystal propped
against the wall just to the left of the Vortex Mirror itself, the mystic
glow of the Symbol reflecting off the deep-emerald surface of Sailor
Andromeda's prison.
     Closing his eyes, Obsidian made a graceful gesture with both hands as
he continued to fine-tune the flow of the Mirror's power. "Gaze beyond the
realms of shadow and illusion. Turn aside false reflections, cut through
magic and power. Show me the true image I seek."
     The Mirror shone brighter, the energy currents stirring through the
room high atop the Tower, ruffling through Obsidian's dark-brown hair and
Kunzite's silver locks, causing the floor-length cloaks of both Gemlords
to billow slightly. Feeling the energy swirling around the Hall while the
Symbol before him took on a glimmering, watery appearance as it powered
up, the silent Warrior of Elemental Fire kept his eyes on the Mirror.
     "Show me the Soldier of the planet Mars!" His rich baritone ringing
with the sound of command, the Lord of Lithos released the energies he'd
gathered to seek out his stated target. A blackish-green aura flaring
around his athletic form, Obsidian's awareness rode the river of power,
searching for the one person on Earth who radiated the energy of the red
planet.
     Hair and cloak rippling in the mystic wind, Kunzite continued to
stare at the watery surface of the Mirror. For a long moment, nothing
further happened. Then, at last, an image began to form.
     The grounds of a Shinto temple took shape within the
eerily-reflective black glass. Peaceful and orderly, the scene was
dominated by graceful buildings, a fair-sized pond surrounded by ginko
trees, an orchard of cherry trees in late spring, and a torii upon which
perched a pair of large, glossy ravens. The Mirror then focused on a
beautiful girl with long, unbound, ebony-colored hair dressed in a
comfortable, loose-fitting outfit of white and red. At the moment, she was
leaning over slightly and talking to a short, bald-headed, old,
squinty-eyed human in similar clothes of white and blue. Kunzite's eyes
narrowed wolfishly as he could see the symbol of Mars glimmering with a
red light on the raven-haired priestess's forehead, the energy of the
Mirror having slashed through her Senshi camoflauge power to reveal the
Scout within.
     With a start, the silver-haired warrior realized that he recognized
the place shown. Pale-lavender eyes narrowing more, the short priest, the
ravens, the temple grounds themselves and the cherry trees all combined to
bring a poignant image to his mind. For a moment, he could see her again,
a beautiful, sensuous and gracefully slender woman whose golden cloud of
soft, wavy hair shimmered in the light of the Negaverse, barely controlled
by her ponytail, and whose large, violet-blue eyes shone with gentle
passion solely for him, holding only cold, harsh contempt for the rest of
the world.

     From the past: Dim light from numerous eerily-luminescent patches on
the cavern's stone walls and ceiling illuminated the otherworldly chamber
of the Negaverse. "Crows! Icky, nasty creatures! Oooh! I *hate* them! And
that old geezer! How could he resist my power like that?" Agitatedly
pacing back and forth, Zoisite is a picture of pretty frustration. Though
the female general's perfectly-tailored uniform makes her graceful form
even more ambiguous to an observer, it also accentuates her sensuously
slender build. It's a sight that the shadowy figure sitting on a
naturally-formed bench-like ledge in the cavern wall apparently admires
from the look in his pale-lavender eyes as he watches her.
     Zoisite suddenly stops and spins on a foot to give her silver-haired
companion a very worried look. "Oh, Kunzite, what am I going to do?
'Grandpa' turned out to be stronger than I thought, I was attacked by some
horrid crows, and I was forced to retreat without Pox's Crystal because
the whole thing was becoming too huge of a ruckus." Her beautiful face
taking on an agitated pout, her strident voice continues, "I can't face
Queen Beryl emptyhanded. She's already upbraided me for not having all
five."
     A soft chuckle sounds in the cave. "Your success at gaining
Techniclon's Blue Crystal has made up for losing the other two." Holding
out a white-gloved hand, he beckons to the androgynous-appearing female.
"Come here, Zoe."
     She brightens immediately and strides up to the handsome,
silver-haired general sitting in the shadows. Putting her dainty hand in
his, she sits down next to him, leaning up against his comforting, solid
form with a contented sigh.
     Kunzite gently smiles, apparently rather amused by his lover's
antics. "Hush, love. Once again, you're letting emotion cloud your
judgement. If you'll just relax and gather your thoughts, I'm sure
something will spring to mind."
     "Hmmm." Zoisite purrs softly as she snuggles up against her
companion, slipping a white-gloved hand into the unbuttoned flap of his
violet-pink-lined jacket in order to absently caress the skin beneath. A
dreamy look in her long-lashed eyes, she murmurs, "With all the fuss, they
may not expect another attempt right away. I should go back now, see if I
can catch him off-guard once again."
     "See? That really wasn't all that difficult, now was it?" the
silver-haired warrior asks, his low voice still holding a tone of
amusement.
     "No," the ponytailed general sighs, a sunny smile on her pretty face.
"Oh, Kunzite, you're so wonderful."
     Another soft chuckle ripples through the cavern. "I know. You've told
me a million times." Still appearing rather entertained, he leans forward
and gently kisses the slender woman on the forehead. "Now steel your
resolve and try again. I have faith in you, my love, and I know you'll do
us both proud."
     With a wicked giggle, the golden-blond warrior takes to her dainty
feet and tugs her sharp-looking uniform back into place. Her stride
purposeful, her lithe body taking on a predatory air, the sweet and loving
light in her large, violet-blue eyes freezing into harsh, glittering ice,
Zoisite paces back to the middle of the eerie cavern's floor.
     Kunzite's pale-lavender eyes remain fixed on his sensuous lover as
she materializes the Dark Crystal in her gloved hand. Once again magic and
power swirl within the cave as the thin ebony-colored stone homes in on
the current Crystal Carrier, the mystic wind blowing back Zoisite's golden
ponytail and stirring even his own silver hair and white cape. The image
of a short, old, bald-headed, squinty-eyed Shinto priest appears in the
cone-shaped magical field once more.
     A cold, evil smile graces the slender Gemlord's slightly-masculine
face, giving her feminine features the look of a carnivore on the prowl.
Focused on the task at hand yet again, her stridant voice holds a note of
contempt. "The old guy won't be able to fight me off forever. No one's
*that* strong." Her deep, violet-blue eyes gaze in icy amusement at the
diminutive priest in the Dark Crystal's field. "Go ahead and resist, old
man, but it won't do you any good." A peal of feminine laughter rings
through the cave. "Like it or not, you're one of us."
     Zoisite raises the back of her curled-up hand near her mouth as she
laughs once again. Then, with a wave of that hand, she calls the slender
prism back to her and snatches it out of the air. The Dark Crystal
dematerializes as she mentally locks onto her intended target. A
determined, evil light shining in her long-lashed eyes, she spins on a
dainty boot to look one last time at the tall, white-caped figure sitting
in the shadows. "I'm gonna bring that Crystal home, love, just for you."
     A similarly wicked smile crosses the silver-haired warrior's handsome
face as he watches a swirl of pink cherry petals appear around the other
general's graceful form. The spinning cloud intensifies for a moment, then
fades away, the petals melting into thin air as the Gemlord's teleport
field makes the jump from the Negaverse to Earth. "Yes, I'm quite sure you
will, my love."

     For a moment, the Warrior of Elemental Fire gazed at the cherry trees
in the background of the scene within the Vortex Mirror. From now until
the end of time, he would always associate cherry petals with his dead
lover. <They were a tribute to me,> he quietly said to himself. <Ever
since that one time I saw her standing in the Spring under the cherry
trees and complemented her, she made her teleport field swirl with pink
petals. Everywhere she went, they were a testament to the love she bore
me; she always wanted to be beautiful in my eyes.> Shaking his head, he
broke his reverie.
     Meanwhile, Obsidian's athletic form remained still, his awareness
having traveled with the power of the Symbol under his control. The
raven-haired priestess upon whose brow the glowing red glyph of the planet
Mars shone filling his psychic senses, the Guardian of Space mentally
commanded, <Great Mirror of the Vortex, hold the image of she whom we
sought within your heart. Let nothing she does, nowhere she goes, keep you
from losing her true form.> Feeling the magic of the Mirror lock in on the
Senshi's psychic signature, knowing that he would be able to instantly
find her any time he wanted, the dark lord slowly came back to his
physical self.
     Opening his deep golden-brown eyes, the dark-cloaked Gemlord turned
and faced his silver-haired warrior. "There. Our next target's chosen." A
chilling smile crossed his handsome face, an expression that made Kunzite
blink in mild surprise. "Follow me. We have plans to make." With that,
Obsidian disappeared from the Hall of the Mirror in a shimmer of
blackish-green energy.
     The lavender-cloaked Commander frowned slightly, something about his
lord's demeanor not quite right. <In all my years of being his friend,
I've never seen that look in his eyes before. Strange...> Shrugging,
Kunzite dismissed his misgivings. Reaching out with his mind, he sensed
where Obsidian had gone. In a flash of violet-pink energy, the tall
Elemental teleported out of the Hall as well.

     Nephrite hiked up the duffle bag once more, his long-legged stride
carrying him through the mostly silent woods. Still in his tennis shirt
and shorts, which were more comfortable for the weather than his school
uniform, he sighed as he walked, still sore physically and emotionally.
Reaching the edge of the lightly-forested land, he stopped and leaned up
against the solid mass of a tree, taking in his surroundings with
jade-green eyes.
     The breeze blew gently around him, ruffling his shoulder-length
dark-auburn hair, rippling the surface of the small lake located in the
center of the park and making the leaves of the surrounding greenery dance
with its passing. He broadly smiled then, enjoying the sight. <Fairview
Park, slated for destruction in the name of 'progress'. Yet the very
thought of its demise bothered me, Negaverse warrior that I was, almost as
much as it bothered the gardener Baxter.> As he watched a couple
blissfully row out on the lake, a pair of white swans gliding in the
boat's wake, a warm sense of satisfaction filled his soul. <It was easy
convincing them to sell the property to me, especially with the
combination of the money offered and the stories of the park being haunted
by rabid squirrels attacking the crew. Now that I'm here again, I'm glad I
decided to save the park after all.> Scanning across the mirror-like
water, he noticed the beginnings of the fabled rose garden. Continuing to
smile broadly, he pushed off the tree and walked over in that direction.
     Lita closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the warm breeze on her
face. Sitting on the bench next to Amy, the athletic girl let her tensions
drain away. As for the other teen, her sapphire-blue eyes were glued to
the textbook she'd brought with her. Waiting for her friend Mr. Baxter to
get done with the weeding so that she could continue her conversation, she
was taking the opportunity to get further ahead in her school's required
reading.
     With a sigh, the park's gardener pulled up one last weed around a
well-foliaged Tropicana rosebush. Straightening up, knees cushioned by the
springy earth beneath them, the old man tossed the weed into a white,
nearly full five-gallon bucket, then wiped his brow with a gloved hand,
accidentally dislodging his floppy yellow hat.
     <What luck. He's right there.> Nephrite grinned as he peeked around a
tree-trunk and spied Mr. Baxter kneeling near a rose. Although a strong
twinge of regret for what he'd done mellowed his happy emotions, the
auburn-haired teen still smiled. Determined to make it up to all of the
people he'd wronged and given a way to do just that by the powers-that-be
affecting his now-human life, he couldn't help but feel pleased with the
world despite his aching body and smarting pride. Concentrating, he called
forth the mark of his power, then stepped out from behind the sturdy oak.
     Another timeless moment passed as energy leaped from his hand to the
gardener's battered headgear. Repeating the same invocation he'd used for
Katie Sandler, Nephrite felt his symbol lock onto the material of the hat,
linking his former victim to the ebb and flow of the power of the stars
themselves. Then the moment was over, the deed done. Nephrite dropped his
hand, smiling down at the old gardener. "Good afternoon, Mr. Baxter."
     Startled, the man addressed looked up, his yellow hat falling to the
ground. Finding himself blinking up at a young man who seemed vaguely
familiar, Mr. Baxter got a puzzled look on his slightly weather-worn face.
"Uh, hello. Do I know you?" Realizing that he'd lost his hat, the gardener
turned away, found it, and then put it back on.
     The handsome teen-ager shook his head, an amused-looking smile
dominating his visage. "Not me, but you've talked to my uncle." The kid
held out a hand. "I'm Nathan Sanford. I'm sorta keeping an eye on Uncle
Max's affairs while he's busy elsewhere, and I'd thought I'd drop by and
see how the park was doing."
     "Uncle Max? You mean Maxfield Stanton?" Catching the newcomer's nod,
Mr. Baxter smiled and warmly shook the teen's hand. "Well, then, pleased
to meet you. I thought you seemed familiar. You look like a younger
version of Mr. Stanton."
     "I do?" For some reason, that appeared to bother the bag-toting boy.
But before the gardener could reply, the kid shook his head and smiled
again. "I see Fairview Park's doing well."
     Mr. Baxter smiled as well, beaming brightly as he glanced around
first at the roses and then to the green spaces beyond. "Yes, it is. I
can't thank your uncle enough for buying the land from the developers and
setting up the maintainence fund."
     Nephrite grinned, thrilled at the old man's obvious joy. "He was
happy to do it, Mr. Baxter. The thought of all this getting torn up by
bulldozers for just another stupid building of cold glass and steel
rankled him as much as you. There are few enough spots in this city where
the green of Nature remains. 'Progress' didn't need to swallow up
another."
     The sound of voices on the wind caught Lita's attention, and she
opened her eyes. Focusing on Nathan-- of all people-- standing there
holding a conversation with the still-kneeling Mr. Baxter, the tall
brunette blinked in surprise, then gently elbowed her companion. "Hsst!
Amy!"
     Startled, the blue-haired genius looked up from her book, staring
wide-eyed at the other girl. "Lita, what's gotten--"
     "Look!" the ponytailed teen whispered. With a subtle gesture, she
pointed out the old gardener and the auburn-haired boy talking on the
other side of the roses.
     "That's Nathan," Amy said out loud to herself. Her eyes narrowed
slightly in thought. "First Molly, then Katie, and now Mr. Baxter? A
suspicious pattern indeed."
     The athletic girl frowned. "Don't tell me you're convinced he's
really that Negaverse warrior back from the dead. He sure doesn't *seem*
like one."
     Amy carefully set down her textbook, a finger still holding her
place. Fixing the teen-aged boy with her intelligent, sapphire-blue eyes,
she replied, "I'm certainly convinced that there's more to this than pure
coincidence."
     Lita just frowned, not liking that thought at all.
     Crossing his arms, Nephrite scanned the scenery with an appreciative
gaze as the park's caretaker stood up and brushed off the knees of his
pants. Focusing on the rose garden, a few plants already showing the first
gorgeous blooms of the season, another memory from long ago crossed the
now-human Gemlord's thoughts.

     From the past once again: Roses of many colors, both mundane and
exotic, fill the formal rose garden within the inner bailey walls of the
Jovian castle, their sweet perfume scenting the air. Resplendant in his
emerald-green-trimmed white uniform, Nephrite bends over to better
appreciate the smell of a particularily beautiful dark rose. "You're
right. For a black one, this bush has a very noticible scent."
     Amused laughter sounds from the elegant young woman walking through
the garden. Her shiny brunette hair done up in a topknot ponytail, dressed
practically for garden work in pants and a shirt, Princess Jupiter smiles
brightly at her companion. "I'm glad you appreciate it, Nephrite. Thank
you for escorting me home to Io Castle."
     He straightens up, running a hand through his mid-back-length hair in
order to get it back out of his face. "It was the least I could do, dear
Princess. After all, teleporting from place to place is no big deal to
me."
     She laughs again. "I know. That's why I asked. Besides, I wanted you
to see my home-- and I have something to show you."
     A look of surprise crosses his handsome face. "You do?"
     The tall brunette princess grins as she approaches. Taking him by the
hand, she starts dragging him off through her gorgeous rose garden. "Come
on! It's over here."
     The white-clad Commander quietly follows, a puzzled expression still
quite evident on his face. It was a look that grew deeper when he sees
that they walk up to an isolated flower bed next to where the steps up to
the castle keep itself ascend.
     Princess Jupiter stops, then spins around, still giving her companion
a mysterious smile. "Now close your eyes." Seeing the slightly-annoyed
look that lights up his jade-green eyes, she softly laughs. "Humor me,
dear Nephrite." Nodding her head as his eyes close, she wraps an arm
around his waist and guides him to the flower bed. Positioning him just so
in front of a particular rosebush, she leans over and whispers in his ear,
"Okay. Take a look."
     He opens his eyes, then blinks in surprise as he finds himself
looking down at a magnificent flower. The huge double-rose was nearly as
big as his palm, its silky petals a translucent white that appears to
almost glow with its own internal light. The most striking thing about the
bloom was the edging of each delicate petal. Bright emerald green lined
the flower, fading off into the shimmering white. Having never seen
anything quite like it before, Nephrite can only gaze at it speechlessly.
     Amusement dances in Princess Jupiter's forest-green eyes. "For a
number of years, my gardeners have been trying to develop a white rose in
honor of Her Serene Majesty. At first, they were going to get rid of this
sport-- after all, they knew they hadn't achieved their goal when the buds
remained greenish in color-- but I wanted to see how it bloomed. I
couldn't help but think of you when I realized what this rose would look
like."
     "It's absolutely stunning, Your Highness, but why think of me?"
     With a laugh, the ponytailed princess playfully tugs at Nephrite's
green-lined white jacket. "It reminded me of your uniform, plus I know how
much you love roses. So even though we're calling it the 'Jupiter Rose',
I'm dedicating it to you." As the Gemlord blinks in astonishment, the
athletic young woman hugs him, kissing his cheek. "I'm so glad Lord
Obsidian let Prince Darien borrow you, dear Nephrite. When the rose is
established enough, I'll send a cutting to Lithos as a thank-you to the
Guardian of Space. I hear that he's quite the gardener as well."
     The Commander of the North remains speechless for a moment, then
warmly smiles. "I'm sure my Lord will appreciate your token of thanks.
I'm... touched, dear Princess."
     She stares deep into his beautiful, jade-green eyes, lips slightly
parted, for a long moment. "No, dear, sweet Nephrite," she finally
whispers. "'Tis I who am touched." She then kisses him, softly,
longingly...

     With a violent shake of his head, the teen-aged human Nephrite now
was shoved the memory from his mind. <No, it couldn't have happened like
that. I was only playing games with her,> he growled at himself. Yet the
feelings stirred by the memory were just as real as everything else he'd
been feeling lately-- emotions similar, but stronger, than the ones evoked
by knowing he'd saved the park, stronger even than the feelings brought
about whenever he looked at Molly.
     "Mr. Sanford? Is everything all right?" The gardener's slightly
worried voice cut through his confused thoughts.
     "Huh?" Concentrating on Mr. Baxter, the auburn-haired boy faintly
smiles. "Oh, yeah, everything's fine."
     Lita glanced over at Amy. "That's it. I've had it." Before the
blue-haired girl could respond, the ponytailed teen leaped to her feet and
began striding through the roses to the pair of males at the garden's
edge.
     "Lita, wait," Amy called after her friend, hastily setting her
textbook down on the bench and getting to her feet as well.
     The other girl just ignored the sapphire-eyed genius. Topknot
ponytail bouncing with her movements, her long stride swiftly carrying her
along a narrow path through the roses, Lita continued her approach.
     As the park's caretaker slowly turned to face the source of the
footsteps along the gravel, the athletic boy noticed the two girls walking
toward him. Nephrite frowned slightly. <Coincidence? Or are they here
because they suspect me?> When the tall teen came close, he forced himself
to smile. "Hello again, Lita. Fancy meeting you here."
     "Hrmph. I could say the same." She easily met his gaze, determined to
get to the bottom of this once and for all. "I came to find my friend Amy.
What's your excuse?"
     The intellectual girl just named stopped behind her companion,
sapphire eyes slightly wide in apprehension.
     Nephrite gave the short-haired female a cursory glance, then stared
back at the brunette confronting him. "You left the tennis club in a
hurry."
     "Sorry, but I got bored." Lita's expression wasn't apologetic in the
least. "I could tell from the start that you needed to work on much more
than just your serve. However, you still haven't answered my question."
     The auburn-haired teen felt himself turn red in embarrassment as he
was reminded of his slightly humiliating loss. Annoyed, he growled, "If
you really want to know, I came to see Mr. Baxter."
     Amy couldn't help but glance at her long-time friend. Slightly
relieved to find the sweet old man apparently well at the moment, she
turned her focus back to the shady boy.
     "Now why in the world would you want to do that?" Lita asked, a
suspicious tone to her voice.
     "Excuse me, ladies, but he came to see how the park's doing." At the
gardener's quiet proclamation, the pair of females looked at Mr. Baxter in
surprise. "After all, his uncle was the one kind enough to save it. It's
only natural he'd come to see what's up."
     The blue-haired girl stared at Nathan, an astonished light in her
eyes. "Are you saying that it was Maxfield Stanton that bought Fairview
Park to preserve it?" Somehow, that concept just didn't seem possible.
     "That's precisely what he's saying, Amy," Nephrite replied, unable to
stifle his slight smile at the girl genius's puzzlement.
     Lita continued looking at the old gardener, light glimmering off her
pink, rose-shaped earrings. "Are you sure that's all, Mr. Baxter?"
     A rose-colored flash of sunlight caught Nephrite's eye. Focusing on
it, he realized that he was staring at an earring that looked like a
perfect pink bloom from a fairy-sized rosebush. For some reason, an
overwhelming sensation of familiarity hit him as he stared at the earring
Lita wore, and with it came another memory.

     Another flash from the past: The white-clad Northern Commander stands
on the balcony of the Moon palace, a nervous expression on his handsome
face. Beyond the entryway back into the palace, the sounds of merriment
and music can be heard. Nephrite turns from gazing down at Queen
Serenity's rose garden two stories below and looks through the door into
the ballroom, scanning for the tall, graceful form of Princess Jupiter.
"Where can she be?" he mutters to himself, glancing at a small box in his
hand. "She told me she'd be right out." Sighing, he opens the box once
again to see its precious contents.
     They sparkle in the gentle starlight, the pair of pink sapphire
earrings that Lieutenant Sapphire of the Tower Guard on Lithos had so
painstakingly shaped into delicate rose blooms. "I owe you one, Lady
Sapphire," he reminds himself, knowing from his own experiences how much
time and magical effort it took for a Gemlord to shape a piece of his or
her namesake stone with such fine precision. "They're gorgeous. I know
she'll like them."
     "Like what, dear Nephrite?" comes an amused feminine voice.
     With a start, the auburn-haired warrior glances at the source of the
sound, hiding the hand holding the small box within the folds of his white
cape. "Cosmos, you startled me, my Princess."
     The brunette laughs, the emeralds within her intricate hairstyle
glimmering softly. Dressed in a forest-green formal gown, Princess Jupiter
is a stunning sight. "My apologies for being so late, sweet Nephrite, but
I was waylaid by Princess Venus. She wanted me to hear yet again just how
wonderful Lord Kunzite is."
     "I see," He responds, smiling just a bit. "I bet my commander enjoyed
every minute of her recitation of all his positive points." The Gemlord's
tone is teasingly sarcastic; it's a well-known fact that Kunzite often
finds himself blushing in mild embarrassment whenever he's around to hear
the sunny-haired princess's glowing words.
     "To tell you the truth, Lord Kunzite was nowhere nearby, but Lord
Zoisite was." The elegantly-dressed brunette frowns slightly. "Strange.
Your Western Commander gave Princess Venus a very nasty look and stormed
off, leaving poor Princess Mercury standing there confused and
embarrassed. Wonder what got into him?"
     Though he has his suspicions, Nephrite keeps his peace, only
shrugging in reply. "Never mind about that, dear Princess." He smiles
again, this time a bit shyly. "I... have something for you. That's why I
asked you to come out here."
     Princess Jupiter doesn't say a word. Instead, she just gives her
companion a questioning look.
     Closing his eyes, almost dreading her reaction, he brings out the
hand hidden behind his athletic form and holds out the still-open box.
"Here. I had a Gemlord back home make these for you."
     The young brunette woman slowly takes the box from the auburn-haired
man, gazing at the glittering contents in happy astonishment. Finally, she
finds her voice. "Oh, Nephrite! They're gorgeous." Smiling broadly, she
puts the box back in the Northern Commander's hand. "Hang onto those while
I take these ones out."
     Ignoring her companion's slightly startled look, she reaches up and
removes the dangling emerald earrings she already wears. One by one,
Princess Jupiter drops her discarded jewelry into Nephrite's hand next to
the small container perched on his palm, then takes out a pink rose,
sliding the golden post through the piercing in her earlobe and then
fastening the back. Following that, she turns her head from side to side,
modelling the delicate pink-sapphire flowers for him.
     "They look wonderful on you, dear Princess." The white-clad man's
smile is now as bright as the one on her pretty face. "I remembered that
you like roses just as much as I-- pink roses most of all-- and I knew
these would do your beauty justice."
     Princess Jupiter merely continues to smile, unphased by her
companion's complement. "Thank you, sweet Nephrite. I'll cherish this gift
for all eternity."
     Blushing slightly, he reaches out with his free hand and takes one of
hers in it. Lightly caressing her slender fingers with his thumb, he opens
his mouth to say something...

     The memory abruptly ended, leaving the former Negaverse warrior
staring at Lita's rose-shaped earring in confusion. <I swear those are the
same ones. Could it possibly be?>
     "I'm positive, Lita," Mr. Baxter affirmed, giving the tall teen-ager
a puzzled look. "Was there supposed to be something else?"
     The ponytailed brunette shot her female companion a quick glance. At
the subtle, negative shake of Amy's short-haired head, Lita gave the old
gardener a slight smile. "No. Please, excuse me for barging in like that."
She then turned her gaze on the auburn-haired boy, only to discover him
looking at her, his jade-green eyes unreadable. Somewhat irritated, she
snapped, "And what are you staring at, Nathan?"
     Before Nephrite could snap back his own abrasive reply, the pretty
ponytailed girl's words dumping him soldily back to reality once again, a
small beeping filled the air. Though it sounded like the alarm on an
electronic watch, the reactions from the two girls seemed to make the
sound appear to be something more.
     "Lita, we really need to be going," the intellectual teen spoke up,
concern lighting up her sapphire-blue eyes. Smiling apologetically at the
park's caretaker, Amy continued, "I'm sorry, Mr. Baxter, but I just
remembered that the two of us have a very important appointment we must
attend."
     The athletic girl nodded in reply, echoing her companion's concern as
her aggravation faded away.
     "That's quite all right, Amy dear," the old gardener smiled. "I
understand. Rush off now. I wouldn't want you to be late on my account."
     As the girl genius turned and retreated down the gravel path at a
somewhat unusually fast pace, the other teen-ager fixed Nephrite with her
forest-green gaze. "I'll be seeing you again, Nathan," she said, her voice
carrying a tone of warning. The ponytailed brunette then spun on a heel
and rushed off after her friend.
     Nephrite watched the long-legged beauty depart, wondering if her
frosty promise was a good thing or a bad thing.

     As always, the grounds of Hikawa Jinja-- the Cherry Hill Temple--
were peaceful, the sunny, late spring weather highlighting the beauty of
the area. High up on the torii near the main building of the temple
complex, the pair of raven guardians kept a watchful eye. At the moment,
all was silent; no visitors walked through the well-maintained grounds,
and the staff themselves were busy with their various chores. As Phobos
scanned the area near the spirit gate with her sharp, black eyes, Deimos
shook herself, fluffing out her sleek, glossy feathers in order to get
more comfortable.
     A dark shadow suddenly appeared floating in the air, blackish-green
cloak swirling around his athletic form. His clear baritone ripped through
the breeze. "Crystal Freeze!"
     The pair of startled ravens looked at the source of the sound in time
to see the glowing globe of blackish-green energy right before it
swallowed them up. Solidifying around the birds and the section of the
torii upon which they were perched, the glass sphere imprisoning the
temple guardians made an unusual sight. With a cold smile on his handsome
face, Obsidian's tall form faded away.
     Raye knelt before the sacred fire in the heart of the temple, her
awareness in a light trance brought about by the everyday ritual of adding
more fuel to the perpetual flame. Thousands of years of grace and harmony
flowed through her movements as she instinctually followed the ritual
taught her long ago. Then came a sensation of something that shattered her
slightly altered state.
     <Huh?> she thought, her posture stiffening, violet eyes wide in
surprise. <I sense danger nearby. Not evil... just hostile.> Quickly
rising to her feet, the light of the fire reflecting off her loose-fitting
temple uniform, she turned around just as a psychic chill filled the air.
Before her disbelieving eyes stood a horribly familiar figure, his tall,
lean form seemingly filling up the entryway into the chamber of the sacred
flame. "You!" she gasped, her nearly frozen mind wondering where in the
world did he get *that* strange, lavender outfit. "You're supposed to be
dead!"
     The silver-haired Gemlord smirked, having expected his appearance to
create such a moment of confusion. Taking advantage of the situation,
Kunzite threw out his hands to either side and called a trigger-phrase,
"Fire Energy Electrify!" In response, a sphere of violet-pink energy
flared to life around the young priestess, trapping her within.
     Finding herself surrounded, Raye snapped out of her state of shock.
"Let me out of here, creep, or I'll make you regret ever coming back to
mess with me," she growled.
     "Go ahead and try, Sailor Mars," Kunzite chuckled, seemingly amused.
     The raven-haired teen's violet eyes grew wide in renewed
astonishment. <How did he know?> Recovering rapidly, Raye narrowed her
eyes. <I'll worry about that later...> "Very well, if you insist."
Reaching into her white top, she pulled out a red pen with an elaborate
gold cap and held it high. "*Mars---*"
     That was the moment for which the silver-haired warrior was waiting.
Barking out another trigger, "Fire Energy Shrink!" he coldly watched as
the force field collapsed in around the pretty priestess.
     With an involuntary groan forced out of her by the sudden pressure,
Raye found herself stuck in place, the violet-pink energy constricting her
so tightly, she couldn't move at all. Worse yet than the painful crushing
sensation was the realization that every time she breathed out, the
tightness grew worse. Eyes squeezed shut, teeth clenched in pain, the
raven-haired girl's frightened mind could only comprehend one thing. <Not
much longer, and I won't be able to breathe at all...>
     The tall Gemlord continued to dispassionately watch his captive,
concentrating on keeping the pressure on, yet simultaneously casting out
with his psychic senses to make sure the two of them remained alone. The
struggle, if it was even that, didn't last long at all; in a matter of
moments, the girl's agonized expression relaxed into the blank one
characteristic of unconsciousness. His orders to merely incapacitate
foremost in his thoughts-- even though he personally wasn't inclined to
kill the Senshi anyway despite their past enmity-- Kunzite dismissed the
force field with a cutting gesture of his hand. Without a sound, the
priestess's graceful form slumped to the floor, the red and gold pen
rolling from her unmoving hand.
     Just then, a mental aura stepped into the Elemental's expanded
awareness. Instantly on the alert, the lavender-cloaked warrior stepped
away from the entry, power tingling in a hand at the ready.
     The newcomer that walked into the chamber of the sacred fire was a
tall, lanky youth dressed in a white and blue temple uniform. Sporting
longish, shaggy brown hair and holding a mop and pail, he seemed quite at
home as he strode in, unaware of the silent figure lurking just to the
side. "Raye? Hey, Raye? I got--" Spying the unconscious priestess lying on
the floor through his long bangs, the young man dropped the cleaning
supplies. "Oh man! Raye, you all right?"
     As the mop and pail clattered to the wooden floor, the empty metal
container tipping onto its side and rolling just a bit, the silver-haired
Gemlord thrust his hand at the new arrival. With a cry of "Zai!", a
concentrated burst of rose-colored energy hit the shaggy-haired human,
sending the young man flying into one of the sturdy wooden beams that made
up the chamber's wall. The temple worker hit hard; with a groan, he
collapsed to the floor, out cold.
     Kunzite sensed the abrupt appearance of a new aura just before he
heard the familiar baritone voice. "A bit of interference?"
     Bowing slightly in acknowledgement of Lord Obsidian's arrival, the
Warrior of Elemental Fire shook his head. "Not quite, my Lord. Just an
innocent who wandered in at the wrong time."
     "Good," the dark lord acknowledged. Striding over to where the pen
Raye had brandished lay on the floor, Obsidian knelt down long enough to
retrieve it, his long cloak pooling around his athletic form. Standing
once more, he held the slender object up to inspect it, the orange glow of
the fire reflecting off the planet-like emblem at its top. "So herein lies
the key to the power of the planet Mars," he murmured to himself, coldly
smiling. Sparing a glance at the still-unconscious priestess, whose body
was beginning to stop gasping for breath, he fixed his warrior with a
stern gaze. "Keep her under until I return. And remain alert for any other
possible interference."
     "As you wish, my Lord," Kunzite responded. Maintaining his psychic
scan of the surrounding area, the silver-haired Gemlord bowed his head.
Pale-lavender eyes closing in concentration, he mentally reached out to
the unconscious girl and tapped into her body's energy. Quickly assessing
the pattern and flow of her natural power, the tall Elemental began
siphoning off energy at a rate that he knew would only keep his victim out
cold and nothing more.
     Nodding in approval, the Guardian of Space dematerialized in a gleam
of blackish-green light.
     Finding and maintaining the balance of the flow of power into
himself, Kunzite opened his eyes and stared down at the raven-haired teen,
a sense of unease at what he'd done and was continuing to do momentarily
stabbing his conscience. <So young, so vulnerable. And an ambush is not
honorable combat.>
     Once more, that contemptuous laughter that had become the bane of his
mental peace sounded deep within himself, bringing with it an overwhelming
*need* to feed on the dark power at its control. <How touching, dear
Kunzite. Your concern is most... pathetic.>
     <Leave me be!> the warrior thought with a snarl, shoving aside the
compulsion to send his victim's energy to the presence in exchange for the
dark, seductive strength of the Negaforce he craved.
     The shadowy voice laughed again. <What matters honor when you can
have power? With power, you can create whatever honor you desire. Once
more, I offer you anything you wish; open yourself to me, and everything
you dream of will become yours. You remember how it felt, the thrill of
the energy of your Element magnified to its utmost limits through my
might...>
     A shudder ran through Kunzite's tall form, one that was equal parts
of dread and desire. Breaking out into a cold sweat, he closed his eyes
and steeled his resolve. <Begone!> he silently raged, using nearly every
ounce of his iron will to suppress both the mocking voice and the gnawing
hunger that tore at his soul.
     The dark sound came one last time, an amused peal of feminine
laughter that slowly faded away. <You're still mine, Kunzite. You will
always belong to me,> it whispered. Then it was gone.
     Near the temple's sacred fire, Raye softly moaned, moving slightly.
The sound cut through the lavender-cloaked Gemlord's awareness, bringing
him back to reality. Realizing that he'd let his concentration slip, he
brutally quelled the craving that still clawed at him-- easily done now
that the presence of the Negaforce had left-- and re-established his
control over the teen-aged priestess. Casting outward with his psychic
awareness once again, keeping a vigilant watch for any more possible
witnesses, he suddenly sensed that the other young human was beginning to
come to as well. With a flicker of thought, Kunzite read and tapped the
shaggy-haired man's energy pattern also, adding him to the low-level
siphon.
     For a couple of minutes, nothing stirred in the chamber; only the
occasional *pop* of the sacred flame broke the stillness of the moment.
Then came the flare of a powerful aura. The Elemental looked up in time to
see Obsidian reappear in front of him, a frustrated look on the dark
lord's handsome face.
     Before Kunzite had a chance to ask what was wrong, a new voice cut
through the air, a feminine voice that held the ring of challenge in its
precisely-enunciated words. "Hold it right there!"
     Startled, the pair of Gemlords stared at the entryway to the room,
only to find a pair of sailor-suited Senshi standing there. One was a
pretty girl with short, bluish hair, her fuku composed of a white bodice
accented by sapphire-blue bows and a sapphire-blue miniskirt; the other
was a tall, ponytailed brunette outfitted in white and green, a determined
look in her forest-green eyes. Recognizing them instantly as Sailors
Mercury and Jupiter, the dark-brown-haired Guardian of Space snapped his
fingers and barked out a command. "Get the priestess, now!"
     Recovering, the silver-haired warrior quickly responded. Thrusting
out a hand, Raye's unmoving form suddenly rose into the air, held aloft by
his telekinetic power.
     "Leave her alone, megadweeb!" shouted the forceful, slightly deeper
voice of Jupiter. "You--- *huh*?" Suddenly realizing just *who* the tall,
silver-haired man in the odd, slightly medieval-looking violet-pink outfit
was, the green-skirted brunette broke off in complete astonishment.
     The bluish-haired Senshi recognized the former Negaverse general at
nearly the same moment. "*Kunzite*!" Mercury hissed in shock.
     However, neither Scout had much of a chance to recover from the
unexpected encounter. As the lavender-cloaked warrior quickly drew Raye's
floating body to him with an abrupt gesture, Obsidian took up an attack
stance, legs braced and feet wide apart, then thrust a hand in the
Senshi's direction. A powerful beam of concentrated blackish-green energy
raced towards the sailor-suited females as Kunzite called out, "I have
her, my Lord!"
     Seeing the burst from the dark-haired stranger speeding their way,
both Mercury and Jupiter lept to the side, each girl taking a different
direction to dodge the blast. The energy hit the temple floor with a small
explosion, the force of it strong enough to both blow a shallow crater in
the wooden planks and knock the Scouts to their knees.
     Shaking off the effects of the attack, the ponytailed Senshi shot her
fellow soldier a startled look. "That was close!"
     Mercury nodded in reply, light glittering off her golden tiara.
"Deliberately so. He didn't aim for us."
     "Who cares?" Jupiter snapped, getting back to her green-booted feet.
"They're after Raye! Time to knock some heads together." She was through
the door before the blue-skirted Senshi could get back up to give her
friend a hand.
     Dark golden-brown eyes narrowing slightly, Obsidian watched as the
taller miniskirted girl came thundering back. Glancing over at Kunzite and
noticing that his warrior had the still-unconscious priestess slung
unceremoniously across a shoulder, the dark lord telepathed a
crystal-clear picture to his fellow Gemlord. "Follow me!" he commanded,
then disappeared in a dark shimmer.
     Hastily readjusting the raven-haired girl's dead weight to a more
comfortable position, Kunzite noticed the eerie electric-blue flicker of
lightning beginning to glimmer in the sacred chamber as Jupiter began her
attack sequence, the antenna on her tiara extended. But before she could
actually shout the triggering words, the silver-haired Elemental
teleported, guided by Obsidian's lead.
     "No! Raye!" the brunette Scout shouted as Mercury dashed into the
flame's chamber. Powering down, the lightning fading away, Jupiter could
only stare blankly at where Kunzite and her unmoving friend had been.
     Just then, a low groan caught the girls' attention. Searching around
and discovering Chad's crumpled form against the wall, moving slightly,
the Senshi momentarily pushed aside their worries to see if the
shaggy-haired rock star was all right.

     <Oh my aching head and ribs,> Raye silently moaned. Though still
woozy, she suddenly became aware of the fact that she felt like she was
floating in the air. Carefully opening her violet eyes and fighting off
the sudden dizziness, she found herself looking down at a marble floor
from a position right around six feet up, a pastel lavender cloak foremost
in her view.
     The color brought back a memory, a flash of a former foe back from
the dead and on the attack again. With a start, the raven-haired teen
tried to come back to full awareness, only to discover herself unable to
do so. Instead, something was mentally inhibiting her, keeping her in a
twilight state reminiscent of a dream.
     Raising her head slightly and peering through her long, silken
tresses, she saw that she and her captor were located in what appeared to
be the heart of a palace of some sort. They were in a somewhat wide
corridor of black-veined reddish marble, the dull polish, dim light and
dust-powdered tapestries hanging on the stone-lined walls all testifying
to a long age of emptiness and neglect. Though she couldn't remember ever
being here before, the whole place had a very familiar feeling to it; for
some reason, the quiet atmosphere seemed to make the Shinto priestess feel
like she'd finally come home.
     "As I found on my first trip, it appears it will take more than just
the transformation pen to open the chamber."
     Raye blinked in muzzy surprise. <A second person? And it's a voice I
don't recognize.>
     "And you believe that it would take the princess herself, ne?"
quietly rumbled a deep voice the teen-ager knew was Kunzite's.
     "I'm fairly certain that it will," replied the first person. "If
you'd kindly set her down, we shall see what happens."
     In response, Raye felt herself being gently shifted then swung down
off the silver-haired man's shoulder. Though still locked in that
dream-like state, unable to shake the sensation of befuddlement that
clouded her mind no matter how much she fought it, she found herself able
to stand. Focusing on a pair of knee-high black boots into which were
tucked a pair of ebony pants, the young priestess slowly raised her gaze.
     Dressed in a tunic and nearly floor-length cloak as dark as his pants
and boots, both of which were accented with metallic gold and golden
brooches bearing glossy-black cabochon stones, the other man was tall,
though still half a head shorter than Kunzite. His hair was slightly wavy
and a brown so dark it was nearly black, a thick mane that fell midway
down his back, and a golden circlet with a black gem glimmered from
beneath his longish bangs. But the most captivating feature of the
handsome stranger was his eyes; a golden-brown so dark they appeared
pupil-less, their limitless depths seemed to fill Raye's dazed mind. The
stranger gestured to the girl's right. "Dear Princess Mars, if you would
be so kind?"
     Slowly the raven-haired teen turned and looked at where the dark-clad
man pointed, still feeling as if she were in a dream. There, in the
marble-chased wall, was a set of ornate double doors that looked as if
they were made of bronze. Cast in high-relief, the pair of doors were
decorated with scenes of war, victory and parades, the symbol of the
planet Mars filling the center of the metallic area. As she blinked in
confusion at the oddly-familiar scene, she felt something get placed in
her hand. Dropping her violet gaze, she saw that she once more held her
transformation pen.
     For a second, a thrill of defiant satisfaction cut through her
confusion, and Raye once more held the pen high. But then the dream-like
fog reasserted itself, detaching her will from her actions. Helplessly,
she felt herself change into someone other than Sailor Mars, a someone
unable to resist the gentle but insistent suggestion to open the doors.
     Kunzite stood in the silent hall, watching as a fiery-red shimmer
surrounded the young priestess. She became taller, more elegant, more
mature, her temple uniform transforming into a gown of shimmering red,
ruby jewelry glimmering at ears and throat. For the first time in a
millenium, Princess Mars stood before the silver-haired warrior, as
sophisticated and as beautiful as he remembered.
     Violet eyes looking far-off and dreamy, the young woman reached out
and touched the center of the circle that made up part of the Mars symbol
on the doors with the golden cap of the pen. "By the power and in the name
of Mars, I ask that you open to me, your mistress. Allow me passage to the
Sacred Flame beyond."
     In response, the symbol of Mars on the entryway flared bright red,
the same glyph glowing within the transformation pen in sympathy. Then the
bronze panels slowly swung inwards on their own, revealing the room
within. Still appearing entranced, the raven-haired princess gracefully
strode through the entry. Without a word, the pair of Gemlords followed.
     The room was plain, an unadorned chamber of well-polished
black-veined red marble, yet both Obsidian and Kunzite could sense the
overwhelming flow of energy filling the atmosphere. In the center of the
room was located a free-standing dais of three steps upon which rested a
large brass brazier within a wrought-iron tripod. Red and orange tongues
of flame leaped into the air from the metal bowl, its strong, flickering
light reflecting off the polish of the marble chamber. Princess Mars
walked up to the edge of the dais, then stopped, the still-glowing
transformation pen in hand.
     The dark lord glanced around, then focused on his companion. "If you
please, Kunzite."
     The silver-haired warrior nodded in acknowledgement, then strode up
the three-stepped platform to stand before the burning brazier. Closing
his eyes, he opened himself up to the energy that flowed around him and
filled the room. Fiery hot and intense, the prickly power was comforting;
born of the Element of Fire, it was, by its nature, sympathetic to the
Commander of the South. Revelling in the energetic sensation, Kunzite
reached into the heart of the flames. When he pulled out his unharmed
hand, he held a glittering, deep red jewel.
     The lavender-cloaked Elemental was about to step away when he heard
Obsidian's baritone voice give him an order to move the brazier from the
dais. "My Lord?" he inquired, blinking in surprise.
     "You heard me, Kunzite. Move it."
     "If I do that--"
     "Of course!" the dark-haired Gemlord snapped. "That's precisely why I
want it done. Now carry out my order, Commander."
     Eyes narrowing slightly in distaste, Kunzite raised a hand. Under his
telekinetic control, the brass and iron focus of the power of the planet
Mars floated into the air. With a gesture, the tripod gently glided over
and down, coming to rest on the floor right next to the three-stepped
platform.
     Deep inside her confused, dreamy state, Princess Mars silently
screamed in frustration and despair as she watched the Sacred Flame be
moved from its point of focus. Around her, she felt the delicate balance
of energy go askew, watched in befuddled horror as the Flame died out and
the chamber lost its unearthly polish. In her hand, the red-barreled pen
went dark, the Mars symbol disappearing. Then, with a sickening lurch, the
dissonance washed over her; the energy gone, Princess Mars slumped to the
floor, unconscious, shimmering deep red and reverting back to Raye as she
fell.
     Kunzite frowned darkly as he returned to his lord's side, a sad
feeling of emptiness filling him in the wake of the extinguishment of the
Sacred Flame. As the Warrior of Elemental Fire, his action bothered him
quite a bit, yet he said not a word. Instead, he merely gave Obsidian a
cool look as he handed the jewel to the Guardian of Space.
     Easily meeting the other's pale-lavender gaze with one just as cold,
Obsidian took the glittering stone, then held it up to look at it. "The
Ruby of Flames," he quietly stated, smiling. His eyes then flicked to the
young priestess lying on the marble floor. Handing the jewel back to his
warrior, the dark lord commanded, "Take the Ruby home. I'll return the
Senshi to her temple."
     With a bow and a salute, the deep-red gem in his fist as he placed it
over his heart, Kunzite mentally called the trigger to open the Vortex
Mirror, then disappeared in a gleam of rose-colored light.
     Obsidian first picked up the transformation pen, then knelt down next
to the unmoving girl and clipped it to the neckline of her white top.
Gently picking her up and cradling her in his arms, he closed his eyes and
concentrated, expanding his mental awareness across the miles of space
between the Shinto temple on Earth and where he stood in the middle of
Phobos Deimos Castle floating over the surface of Mars. In his mind's eye,
he could see the presence of all the other Inner Scouts gathered in the
main building as four distinctive auras-- pink, yellow, green and blue--
near the consecrated feel of the heart of the temple. Centering on the
residual sensation of his own power, which was a slight distance away from
the Senshis' auras, Obsidian made the teleportational jump.
     In a swirl of blackish-green energy, the dark lord rematerialized
next to the torii on the grounds of Hikawa Jinja. Taking a moment to scan
the area, confirming the fact that no one else was around, Obsidian then
knelt down and carefully laid the priestess on the grass at the foot of
the spirit gate. Staring upwards at the crossbar of the torii where the
black glass prison remained, the Guardian of Space made a sharp gesture
with his hand. The vitreous globe exploded, the dark shards dissipating as
so much ebony mist into nothingness. With a raucous caw, Phobos and Deimos
took wing, none the worse for wear.
     Continuing to screech and scold, the pair of avian guardians wheeled
in the air, intent on driving off the hostile intruder. Watching the
ravens dive in his direction with a less-than-amused expression on his
face, the Lord of Lithos gathered his focus and called his trigger,
"Obsidian Mirror Return." He teleported away in a dark shimmer, leaving
the ravens to circle and complain in frustrated confusion.
     The commotion caught the attention of the group of sailor-suited
Scouts gathered within the large common room of the main building.
Breaking off their discussion of the startling events of not long ago, the
young warriors dashed outside, Sailor Moon in the lead. Discovering the
raven-haired priestess lying on the ground, the Senshi gathered around
her, Sailor Mercury kneeling down to assess her friend's condition.
"Raye?"
     "Is she all right?" asked Moon, light glittering off her golden tiara
and the red and gold brooches on the round buns in her long blond hair.
     "Hope so," replied the white- and orange-suited Sailor Venus, her
sunshine-blond hair swirling around her in the slight breeze.
     "Look alive, Scouts. Those jerks might still be around," Sailor
Jupiter warned, forest-green eyes carefully scanning the area.
     The familiar voices of her friends cut through Raye's foggy
awareness, bringing her back to full consciousness. Slowly opening her
violet eyes and seeing a worried-looking Mercury next to her, three other
sailor-suited soldiers standing in the background, she smiled up at the
group. "Am I glad to see you."
     "Are you okay?" inquired the blue-haired Senshi as she helped the
priestess to her feet.
     "I think so," Raye answered.
     "What happened? I mean, I heard about what Kunzite and that other
Negasleeze did to you, but what happened after that?" Moon's lovely blue
eyes were full of curious concern.
     The brunette Scout scowled. "I'm gonna make Pretty Boy there regret
that he ever came back from the dead."
     A thoughtful frown crossed Venus's beautiful face. "If Kunzite's
back, and it sure looks like he is, then it just might mean that that guy
you were all worried about *is* Nephrite."
     Jupiter's scowl deepened. "He wasn't anywhere near the temple.
Mercury and I were there with him when we got the alarm. And that creep
that shot at us wasn't Nathan."
     Mercury mentally sighed at the green-uniformed girl's insistance.
Nodding her short-haired head, she confirmed, "The second aggressor wasn't
Nephrite. In fact, he was a complete stranger, someone I've never seen
before. However, it was quite obvious that Kunzite was taking orders from
him."
     The Scout with the knee-length blond ponytails continued to gaze in
worry at Raye as the teen-aged priestess unclipped the transformation pen
from her temple uniform and stared at it.
     "Wonder why Andromeda didn't show up?" the tall brunette growled.
"You'd think a direct attack on one of us would've brought her running."
     The sunny-blond soldier remained thoughtful. "Maybe they got her
first? After all, Callie *has* been missing today."
     Ignoring the conversation around her, Raye looked at her pen a moment
longer, recalling the dream-like encounter in the mysterious palace. <I
need to know for sure. Here goes nothing...> Holding the pen high, the
raven-haired teen's stern voice filled the air. "*Mars Power*!"
     Nothing.
     The other Inner Senshi all stared at Raye, wide-eyed in shock.
     "No!" Anger and determination glittering in her violet eyes, she
tried again, concentrating with all of her fiery will. "*MARS POWER*!"
     Still nothing, not even a spark.
     "Oh Raye! What did they do to you?" Moon gasped, her voice a hushed,
compassionate whisper as she looked like she might start crying right
there.
     The priestess slowly lowered her hand, gazing sadly at the gathering
of sailor-suited warriors. "Let's go inside and I'll tell you the whole
story."