SAILOR MOON REVISITED :THE DARK GAUNTLET A story by fanfiction writers extraordinaire Rush and Cloud DISCLAIMER : Even though we wished we could have, Cloud and Rush did not create the Sailor Scouts, or any of the characters who appear in the Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon Super, Sailor Moon Stars or Sailor Moon Super Stars T.V series. But hey, we did create our own characters too ! The Dark Gauntlet gang and their bosses, along with anyone working in the (name) corporation were created by us. We welcome comments at the following addresses : lama@videotron.ca "rbellamy@mnsi.net" PROLOGUE Crystal Tokyo, the far future... She ran in the long corridors of the palace, scared. Behind her followed her faithful little Luna P., which had been protecting her as long as she could remember. She ran as the floors, the walls, the ceiling, everything shook around her, hit by incessant waves of energy. Her small legs never seemed to go fast enough. She had to reach her father, who she knew was at her mother's side, in time. She had no idea what was happening.. All she knew was that she had to reach her father, before it was too late. She screamed in fear as a wall crumbled before her, nearly crushing her. Her dad would know what to do about this, as he always had before. Tears began flowing down her face as she ran down what was once called the Main Hall, but was now nothing but a pile of debris. "Daddy, where are you ? ", she called out loudly, forgetting everything she had learned about protocol. Still running, she turned a corner to reach her mother's sleeping room. The light of the crystal once again blinded her for a few seconds, as it always did, but she barely got the time to notice it. A voice called her behind her. "Small Lady, please, come with me." The voice was gentle, yet Reenie knew she had no choice in the matter. She turned to face the Guardian of time herself, Sailor Pluto. "I can't!", she complained, still crying. "I have to go help Mommy and Daddy." Pluto gave her a look that said it all. She wouldn't take no for an answer. When the two had first met, a few months ago, when Reenie had disobeyed an order from her mom, Neo Queen Serenity, and had discovered the Gate Of Time, Reenie also found a friend, in the form of Sailor Pluto. She had no idea what could make Pluto so... angry at her now. "You can help them even more by coming with me, Small Lady." Pluto's voice was even, not showing any kind of emotion. Yet it was strict, and left no room for argument. Reenie slowly nodded and accepted the hand extended to her. Pluto opened a portal behind her, and the two of them went in. **** In the throne room, waiting in front of his beloved wife, King Endymion had watched the scene and nodded. He trusted Reenie and had no choice but to trust Pluto. If she did her job well, Reenie would save them all. He looked at the sleeping form of his dear Serenity, enclosed in the crystal. "You will see... ", he told her softly. "Our daughter will make us proud." **** Reenie stared at Pluto as she stood between her and the Gate Of Time. "Why did you bring me here ?" Pluto lowered herself to be face to face with the Small Lady. She smiled at the little angelic face which looked at her with watery eyes, uncertain why she was here, or if she should trust Pluto. This was probably the scariest moment of her life... But there would be others. The 20th century wasn't the best of places for a young princess like the Small Lady. That's why Pluto had to prepare her as best as she could. "Listen to me, Small Lady. The King and I need your help. Your mother needs your help. Do you want to help us ? " Silently, Reenie nodded. More than anything she wanted to help her parents. Pluto once again smiled reassuringly at Reenie. "Then you will listen to me, Small Lady. I will send you to the past. There, you will seek out the girl who will become your mother, and convince her to give you the Silver Crystal. Do you know what that is ?" Reenie looked down, still silent. Then she looked at Pluto again. "I know what it is.", she simply said. She secretly hoped her eyes wouldn't betray her. Pluto noticed the strange look in the Small Lady's eyes, but dismissed it as fear, or awe at what she had just heard. "Good. Do you feel you can do this ?" This time the Small Lady smiled with assurance. "I can do it. I will help my Mommy and Daddy. I will go to the past and get the crystal." Pluto smiled at her once again. She rose then aimed her wand at the door. She started concentrating as the door of time slowly opened on her command. Reenie took a deep breath. **** You shouldn't be doing this ! ! ! screamed a voice in Pluto's head. It's against everything you believe in. "I know.", she silently replied. "But I have no choice. I must help this time." This is not part of your mission. You must protect the Gate of Time and the timeline itself. "I refuse to let another kingdom disappear like the last one. It was too great a sacrifice." As she debated this in her mind, the whole time gate seemed to shake, and she suddenly realized they were under attack. "What is this ? Who dares attack this place ? ", she shouted at her unseen attackers. Reenie looked at the gate before her. It seemed to waver for a few seconds. I have to go in before it disappears ! ! A dark laughter echoed in the Hall of Time. Pluto looked back at Reenie. She had to do something before it was too late. Reenie began to run for the gate. "Small Lady, don't! Not yet!", screamed Pluto at the small princess. A blast of energy erupted through the hall, screaming past her and aiming at the Small Lady. "Dead Scream!" The energy came out of her scepter and hit the other ray. The flash lasted a few seconds, but fear of the sound made Reenie run even faster. No time to stop her. I must make sure she makes it safely through, and that no one can follow her. "Guardian of Time, hide this portal from any unwanted eyes, and sol..." But before she had time to finish, a blast of energy hit her in the back and sent her to the floor. This time she recognized the energy signature. Rubeus. "I'll save you Mommy! ", said the Small Lady as she entered the portal. "No! I haven't solidified it yet!" Reenie entered the portal. It closed behind her, and disappeared. Pluto stared at the disappearing portal in shock. She hadn't had time to make sure the Small Lady was going to land at the right place. She might land as far as America, for all she knew. And the chances she landed at the right point in time were also slim. Now see what you've done!, screamed a small voice inside of her. She rose, ready to open another portal to find Reenie and bring her back properly, but a voice she'd forgotten about stopped her. "What have you done with the Small Lady?!!!" She twisted around to face Rubeus, surrounded by his four weird sisters, as he had begun calling them. This wasn't good. She raised her scepter in front of her, and planted it firmly in the ground. She looked up at her attackers. "How dare you come here? This is the realm of Time, and your petty wars have no place here. Leave immediately or die. " "Pretty confident, aren't we? What makes you think you have the chance?" He smiled an evil smile. She stood ready, and as she studied him, she knew he was preparing something. She'd better end this one fast. She suddenly raised her scepter. "Dead... " She never had time to finish. An energy bolt came from behind her and she fell to her knees. Rubeus laughed as she went down. "Never underestimate us.", said a voice behind her she knew too well. "The prince ordered us to take over this hallway, and we did. Who said Rubeus had come alone?" "Sa... Saffire... ", Pluto managed to say. "We are not the Black Moon Family for no reason. We stand by each other." At least... Small Lady... won't... be followed... She fell unconscious. **** The Wiseman looked pleased as he watched the scene. Everything was going as planned. They would force Sailor Pluto to tell them what she had done with the Rabbit, then they'd capture her. Then they'd get rid of this bothersome guardian of Time, and then all that would be left is the Crystal Palace. Perfect! The Death Phantom will be very pleased. A dark laughter erupted in the Hall of Time, scaring even Rubeus and Saffire. **** Present Day Tokyo: THE JOURNAL OF THE SAILOR SCOUTS DAY ONE-SAILOR MOON Luna suggested after Ann and Allan left that we start something she called a journal to write down what we do as Sailor Scouts. Amy really thought this was a cool idea, Mina thought it would be a real bummer. It's just too much like homework. So we took a vote, sigh, Luna won. The girls decided that since I am the Moon Princess, I should make the first entry, so here goes: The time after Ann and Allan left was one of blissful peace and quiet. We could finally just be normal teenagers. Really, I mean it. We finally didn't have to worry about what Negaverse scheme waited around the corner. We finally didn't have to spend our days wondering when the next monster would appear. I was finally free to just be myself. You know, me Serena. Yeah I know. I was still late for school, I still did bad on tests and Miss H still sent me for lots of detentions. But I could finally have fun. I went on picnics with Darien in the park. I went to movies with Amy and Lita. I borrowed comic books from Rei. Mina and I sang songs from the latest albums. Boy did we have fun for those few months. It feels like so long ago. I thought it was perfect at first. Luna hardly nagged at me any more about being responsible. I didn't have to worry about proving myself as Sailor Moon. But after a while, I started feeling like something was missing, like, I don't know, there was a whole inside of me that I couldn't fill... DAY ONE-MERCURY Serena is correct. The time after the departure of Ann and Allan was a calm one. I devoted myself once again to my dream of becoming a doctor. I enlisted myself in classes after school in computer science, mathematics, biochemistry. I also enrolled in a cram school that would help in my preparations for university. Unlike my time before I met Serena and became a Sailor Scout, I spent my weekends with my friends Serena, Mina, Lita and Rei. We went to movies, had wonderful dinners at Lita's apartment and I even went boy chasing with Mina and Lita sometimes. For the first time I could be a successful student and have fun. I thought that I had achieved a successful balance in my life, between my studies and my friends. But soon, I found myself unsatisfied, as if the life I was leading was incomplete. As much as I tried to diagnose the problem the solution became more unclear to me. What was it that I was missing? I did miss being Sailor Mercury, but that was finished now. There was no longer any evil to fight. But still, I wondered what else there could be. One day I received a letter in the mail. An upscale university in Germany had offered me a full scholarship to begin my training as a doctor. While I loved my friends and my life, this was the most important dream of my entire life. Thus, the next day, I accepted.... DAY TWO-VENUS I think I knew right from the start that my life would be incomplete. My time alone, with Artemis, as Sailor V had always provided me with a sense of purpose, a sense of self worth. Back then I didn't fight the Negaverse, I fought everyday crooks and robbers. I knew who I was, and who I wanted to be. After Ann and Allan left, life was supposed to resume to normal. But that wasn't normal for me. I could never become a "normal" teenager. Serena was good at that, not me. I wondered if that really was enough for the others too. When we talked about all the times we had as Sailor Scouts, there was a sense of melancholy about us. So I became restless. Yes, I know I should have told the others about my plans, but I figured I could handle it. I began patrolling the streets in secret, as I used to do as Sailor V. I was all very exciting at first. I foiled a couple of minor bank robberies, broke up a couple of gang fights. None of it was major league stuff. But at least I was doing something. I couldn't just sit around and watch people get hurt around me. WEEK TWO DAY ONE-JUPITER Two months after Ann and Allan left everything changed overnight. One night Rei came to my apartment and made me turn on the t.v. She was sobbing, her eyes were swollen and red, her lips trembled as she tried to tell me what she had seen in the Sacred Fire. There was a live newscast that told of a house that had been bombed. The house of a girl that went to her school. On the lawn of the bombed house, a letter had been left. The newscaster picked up the letter and started to read it. Rei broke down hearing this and was totally hysterical. The letter said that the bombing was by a group called the Dark Gauntlet. They had bombed Rei's friend's house because her father, who owned a local business, would not agree to pay for "protection". You know what kind of protection I mean, its extortion really. The note said that all those who didn't agree to this protection would be eliminated. That's when I picked up the phone and called Serena, Mina and Amy. That night, with Luna and Artemis there to help us we decided that we couldn't sit around and watch this happen in our city. Luna reminded us that we are Sailor Scouts, no matter how hard we tried to deny it. So we agreed to stop the Dark Gauntlet and free those defenseless people. WEEK TWO DAY TWO-MARS We were pretty confident with ourselves that first night we went out to stop the Gauntlet. Five teenage girls against a gang of people we had never met. We thought we'd seen it all, we'd fought against Beryl and the Negaverse, we had already died to save the world. This dread began to fill me as we went on our first patrol. A dread of the unknown, as if we had just gotten in over our heads. I was right. The Dark Gauntlet wasn't a gang of thugs looking to make a quick buck off of innocent people. No, it was something far worse. The Dark Gauntlet was a gang of bio-engineered people, who looked like normal humans until they transformed. When I saw the leader transform that first night, I didn't believe my well trained eyes. His skin seemed to rip and explode. He seemed to swell, as if infected. But he wasn't; he was only changing into what Amy later called a mutant humanoid capable of inhuman feats of violence, the likes of which I had only once seen in the Doom and Gloom Girls. That first battle, we barely made it back alive. We were bruised and battered and knew that the only reason he had let us go was because he thought we were harmless. We now know what we've gotten ourselves into: the most important and dangerous struggle we had ever undertaken. Gone were the days of peace and quiet and of fun. We were no longer just teenagers once again, we were Sailor Scouts on a mission to rid Tokyo of evil. Once again we had purpose and meaning. Once again we were a team. I only hope that we didn't make the wrong decision, that night, so long ago, when I learned that my friend had been killed. Chapter 1 Good-byes and Beginnings Week Three Day One... I'm leaving today. Yes, I can barely believe it myself. I'm going to Germany. I'm leaving to accomplish my dream. To become a doctor. I didn't tell my friends I was leaving today. I just hate good-byes. I couldn't bear to face this one. They will know soon enough I'm gone... Good-bye, my friends. I will miss you. I left a letter for each of them at Rei's. I'm sure they'll find it soon enough... Amy was standing on the doorstep of her home. It was windy that day. Signs of recent rain appeared here and there, such as wet pavement, shining leaves and grass, and other such things. In her right hand, she held the precious little baggage she was bringing with her. Mainly books, a few pieces of clothing, her replacement glasses, and the necessary things you brought with you on a trip. Except this one was a prolonged trip. She didn't know when she would be back. Probably during the next summer break. She took in a deep breath of nightly cold air, and let it out again, cleansing her blood, her body, her mind. She had thought a long time about this, ever since she had received her acceptation. At first, she had thought of refusing. But now, she had changed her mind around. She wanted to go. This was the best thing that could happen to her. Her dream come true. How could she let it go? Things were rather calm in the Sailor business. A small street gang wasn't anything the others couldn't deal with. She would miss her friends. She knew that. But they could send each other messages, or talk on the net. And besides, she was bringing her communicator watch and her computer with her, along with her transformation pen. If she was really needed, they could find a way to get to her easily enough. She was walking down the street now, heading for Rei's temple. She had to drop a few things there first. Letters she had written for them. Her personal good-byes. She smiled as she walked, remembering the words she had written in each of them. She hoped things would go easier for them all now that the evil was gone. It was a pretty optimistic point of view, but they had the right to it after all that fighting. She reached the temple. No one was there and, as always, the doors were unlocked. She quickly entered the room where they all met every afternoon to discuss. The small table was waiting, empty of anything. The five pillows they would sit on already in place. In the corner, a bunch of comics were already waiting for Serena. She smiled at the scene, but her heart was in sorrow. She probably was never going to go through one like that again. She took out the letters from her bag and put them on the table. And left the temple, not before giving it one last look. This was in a way her home away from home. The Sailor Scouts headquarters. She sighed, and blinked to keep the tears from flowing, rather unsuccessfully. She was turning a page from her past over. This was it. She was leaving. Amy was leaving her friends. Sailor Mercury was leaving the Scouts. **** Serena and Lita were early on the way to the temple that afternoon. They had nothing to do, so just decided to leave in advance. A decision helped by the fact Rei had received her newest batch of comics the day before. "Come on, Lita, we're going to be late!" Serena surprisingly said. Lita sighed. "We're twenty minutes early, Serena. You just want to get there because you want to have time to read more comics than you already do. This is Sailor business, and..." Serena cut her off. "Yadda yadda yadda, we're going to fight some gang. No monsters. Easy work if you ask me. We shouldn't be concerned. We've seen worse," Serena said, walking lightly in the street, obviously happy about something. "Why are you so happy, Serena?" Lita finally asked, unable to keep the happiness in their leader and Princess away from her. Serena's happy moods were contagious sometimes. "I've got a date with Darien, tomorrow afternoon! Isn't that great?" the twin pigtailed girl responded, smiling. "Yeah, it's cool!" Lita responded, with a semblance of enthusiasm, ignoring the fact that the two had being going on dates almost every day since they had all regained their memories and the fact that she was still without a boyfriend. She sighed. They were near the temple now... **** Mina was on her way to the temple, a bit earlier than usual. She didn't really know why she was on her way this early, she just felt like it. Recently her life had been rather dull. Lack of excitement, lack of Sailor business, lack of action, lack of love interest... All those factors had contributed to making her feel really bored. So she was kind of glad they were doing this. It would at least fill her long nights. Because she really couldn't sleep these days. She was too much used to the night shift to suddenly give it all away. And she hadn't totally either. She had gone out a few nights on her own, as Sailor V, and had busted a few crimes. Nothing major, just plain fun. Her way of dealing with everything. She smiled. She just could never live without Sailor V. She started picking up some speed. She was nearing the temple now. **** Rei was late. Really late. She was running through the streets, her hands full of bags. She had taken too long to go shopping. She always prepared tea and cookies for the girls before the Scouts' meeting. And now, with only twenty-five minutes left, she didn't know if she would make it. She really wasn't that far from the temple, but those cookies took quite a while to prepare. How could she have forgotten about this? Serena's influence, no doubt. Rei juggled with a few packages to stop them from falling as she finally began climbing the stairs to the temple. And stopped when she got to the top. She heard sobbing from the meeting room. Could they be already here? And why were they sobbing? She let her packages on the ground and headed for the room. The sight which welcomed her when she reached it wasn't good. Serena, Mina, and Lita were all there reading some letter with tears in their eyes. One letter was left unopened where she usually sat. "Hey, what's up everyone? What's happening?" she asked. Lita looked up from her letter, her eyes full of water. She pointed to the letter still waiting to be read. "Read that, Rei." She did so. **** Amy stood at the airport "departure" terminal. Alone, as she wanted. Her mother was working today. She had said her good-byes this morning. She was reading. She took a deep breath and started walking. "Amy!" came the sudden call, "WAIT!" She turned around to face Serena, alongside Darien. With them were the three girls, all there to say her good-bye. In their hands, Amy's letters. They had found them earlier than expected. Darien probably drove her friends here in a hurry. "How DARE you leave without saying good-bye!" Lita said, her eyes reddening with tears as she hugged her friend. Amy's eyes were also filling up. "I didn't want to suddenly back down because I wanted to stay with you..." "Nonsense, Amy, we would FORCE you on that plane if it was needed," Rei said, wiping her own tears with her hand. Amy smiled weakly at her friends, and bit her lip to stop herself from exploding in tears. They weren't going to see each other for a very long time. Serena stepped forward, tears flowing freely and hugged her friend. "You know that we'll always be here, huh? Write us..." she said, hugging her friend strongly. Darien smiled at the scene, and realized what parting is such a sweet sorrow really meant. "Take care, Amy," he said, smiling at her. She nodded and smiled back. The two hadn't had the occasion to talk much, but they still considered each other friends. Mina stepped forward and stood beside Serena, who was still hugging Amy fiercely. "I'll miss you, Amy... Maybe I'm the best fighter in this group, but you were the mind... and a really good friend..." she started saying, obviously making an effort not to cry like the others. Artemis and Luna came out from behind Mina, and Artemis approached Amy. "We'll miss you, Amy. You were the most reasonable one..." he said, obviously an attempt at lightening the mood. Amy smiled gently at the white cat. Luna jumped on Amy's shoulders, a bit like she had done that first time all those months ago, and Amy gently patted her on the head. Luna purred. "Good luck, Amy. If anyone can make it, it's you," Luna said, gently rubbing her head against Amy's neck, the way real cats usually do. "Thank you, Luna. I'll do my best. " The departure terminal was slowly emptying itself as more and more passengers got on the plane. The last call would be heard anytime now. Serena finally let go of Amy and wiped off her tears. "Good luck, Amy. You're the most intelligent person I've ever known. I'm sure you can make it." All the others agreed, and cheerfully wished her luck, wiping away their tears and putting on a smiling face so Amy could leave with the same face on hers. Amy smiled back, and, after a last group hug, walked away from her friends and embarked on the plane. And soon flew off to accomplish her destiny. **** In the pale moonlight of a cloudless night, the Sailor Scouts set out to patrol the city they called home. They set out with great optimism, certain they would maintain balance and order. Sailor Moon set off with Jupiter, Mars set off alone, certain that a night without Sailor Moon tagging along would be a breeze. All were oblivious to the dangers ahead except for one... Sailor Venus, with her years of vigilante work as Sailor V, made her way through the darkened city, savoring the taste of freedom once again. Sailor Venus leapt from one rooftop to the next, enjoying the feeling of gliding through the air. Perched on the rough, bricked edge, or a rooftop, she enjoyed the bright view of the city lights all around her. She wiped the rain dripping down her cheeks and suddenly sighed... The blond Sailor Scout heard voices below and decided to investigate. With a skill born of great experience, she landed in the small, cluttered alley. She crouched in the shadow of the dilapidated building and watched the scene as it unfolded before her. **** "AAHHH!" shrieked Sailor Moon as she landed in a puddle on the top of a tall apartment building and quickly slid off of the ornately designed edge. Her arms flailing desperately about her, she was about to land in a malodorous, soggy garbage dumpster when Sailor Jupiter leaned down and stopped her friend's klutzy decent. "Really, Sailor Moon, you need to watch those puddles. If you come home smelling like a garbage dump, we'd never hear the end of it from Rei." She pulled her friend up to safety, and they both leaned a little over the edge of the expensive building and looked down at the scene below. "How can so many people go out on a crummy night like tonight?" Sailor Moon scowled, ringing the rain from a dripping ponytail. "If most of them knew about the Dark Gauntlet, they would probably barricade their doors and refuse to come out again," reminded Jupiter. As if mirroring her thoughts, her blond friend giggled. "Maybe those nasty Gauntlet guys melt in rain so they won't come out," she snickered with a smile. Jupiter couldn't help but giggle in reply, "I wish. Hey let's get a move on... We have a lot of distance to cover tonight." "Yah, I know," replied Sailor Moon. She finished ringing out the other ponytail, flung it over her back and planted her hands firmly on her hips. "Let's do it." **** Sailor Mars cursed the rain as she splashed through yet another muddy puddle. She stopped suddenly, looked behind her, and froze. she scolded herself, resuming her hurried pace through the park. She ducked behind some bushes as she heard an angry shout. Under the dim light of a streetlamp, she could see two figures. One was female carrying an umbrella, the other wore a raincoat and big chunky rain boots. She was about to jump from her hiding place and intervene when she heard what was being said: "You could have called you know...there is such a thing as a payphone!" the woman shouted. "I tried but your line was busy!" he retorted angrily. "Next time leave a message!" the short woman answered. "Next time..." Mars shook her head and left the scene. "Just great, a city full of crime and what do I encounter, a domestic squabble..." **** Venus recognized the older man, cowering near a dilapidated wooden door. It was the owner of a small, quaint restaurant her parents loved to go to. He was a short man. No more than five and a half feet. His thinning hair had grayed. The light from a small light fixture hanging precariously above the door glinted off the lenses of his thick, outdated glasses. Her blue eyes widened at the man holding him firmly against the crumbling brick of the alleyway. He was a thin man of about twenty-five. His hair was slicked back to his head. Venus' face contorted in disgust. "No, no no! I promise!" the terrified man pleaded, sweat pouring down his worried face, "I'll pay! Tomorrow morning! Yes... Tomorrow morning!" His emaciated looking tormentor grabbed him by the collar of his faded shirt and lifted him off of his feet. "Too late, old man! You didn't want to pay! Now you pay the price!" He laughed, his voice resonating down the dark alley. Venus cringed at the sound. When she heard the older man scream, she decided that the wait was enough. She quickly set her communicator to automatically contact the other Scouts, thankful that Amy had taken the time to create program before she left and then shouted, "Hold it right there!" Her enemy dropped his prey, tossing him to the ground effortlessly as he spun to find the source of the voice. His beady eyes caught sight of her through his thick glasses. "Who the hell are you?" his squeaky voice asked. "I am Sailor Venus, the agent of Love and Beauty! How dare you harm that man?! In the name of Venus, you'll be sorry!" The little man looked from the terrified owner in his grasp to the Sailor Suited blond before him. "Listen kid, you want to play dress up, wait for Halloween, this is business!" Venus gasped, insulted at being treated like a child. "Oh yeah!" she said. "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" The orange colored crescent cut into her opponent's hand. Venus smiled in pleasure as the main shrieked in pain and dropped the restaurant owner. "Why you..." he began, clutching at his injured hand. "I'll make you pay, blondie!" He closed his eyes and tilted his head backwards. Groaning, he let his arms fall to his side. Venus watched in worried fascination as his skin began to bubble and swell. "Oh gross!" she exclaimed. To her disbelief, the skin grew fur. His body swelled until it was about six and a half feet tall. He was almost as wide as the alley itself. The mutating man roared like a beast, baring long, sharp looking fangs. Claws grew on huge, furred hands and burst from his shoes, curling grotesquely towards the ground. Evil eyes glared her way and Venus gulped. "Now who is going to pay?" the beast before her asked. **** Sailor Jupiter bit her lip in an effort not to laugh as she watched a klutzy blond Sailor Scout land face down in a muddy puddle on the sidewalk. As she leaned down to pull her wailing friend out of her bind, she heard her communicator begin to beep. Sailor Moon wiped the mud from her face and glared at her snickering companion. She scrunched up her face at the sound of the communicator's insistent signal. "What's with the wacko beeping?" Jupiter furiously punched at the buttons, trying to locate the source of the signal. "Did you forget already? Amy programmed the communicator to contact us automatically if one of us get in trouble." She stopped and gave the little contraption a shake. "I just wish I could work this thing." "Here, it's easy!" said Sailor Moon, quickly forgetting her most recent mishap. "I got it! Let's go!" The dark haired Scout shook her head. "Hey watch out! Don't land in another puddle!" **** Rei was at the edge of the park when her communicator went off. Wincing at its insistent shrill, she began to pound the buttons. she growled as the beeping continued. The rain began to pour furiously from the sky and Sailor Mars gave up. Wet and frustrated, she threw the communicator over her shoulder and into the awaiting subspace pocket. She began to run through the park, cursing the mud splashing against her legs. "Easy enough for Serena to use, my butt!" she complained. "We haven't been out that long... She can't be that far!" **** The snarling mass of claws and fur began to advance towards the astonished Sailor Scout. Venus quickly shut her mouth and backed off. she began and ducked, skidding into the mud and trash of the alley. A rusty metal garbage can nearly missed impacting with her head. The mutant in front of her growled in pleasure and began to throw anything in his path. "You want to play, girly? Sure! Catch!" He picked up a stack of wooden crates and began wiping them at his opponent. Venus dodged a few and then faced her opponent. "Venus Meteor Shower!" she shouted and began to use her attack of amber colored hearts to blast the objects out of her path. She missed a heavy wooden board and it slammed into her chest, throwing her backwards to the ground. The air rushed out of her lungs and she groaned in pain. She felt the impact of the beast's footsteps on the muddy ground and tried to get up. But the rain falling furiously upon them proved to be an obstacle and she slipped and landed on her backside again. "Whatsa matter, kiddie? You stuck? Ahh..." he goaded her sarcastically. He leaned his massive furred body forward and picked the fallen Sailor Scout up by an ankle. As she dangled before him, upside down, he laughed. "I warned you!" he laughed as he prepared to fling her away like toy. The thoughts of her splattered against the old brick wall caused him to laugh in glee. Venus shrieked in panic and began her free leg and after a short struggle, an orange pump connected with a hard, furred forehead. The mutant roared in pain as the sharp heel of her cute orange shoe made contact with his forehead and dropped her. As he clutched his injured face, Venus used her freed leg to push herself into the air and backwards, flipped and landed safely on her feet away from him. Placing her hands triumphantly on her hips, she smiled. "You won't get rid of me that easily!" "Why you!" the mutant roared. He stomped towards her, swinging huge, clawed hands towards her, trying hard to take her out. With a grace she hadn't known she possessed, the teenaged Agent of Love and Beauty dodged the first few attacks. She was shocked at how fast he was swinging, nearly missing her a few times. Backing away, she tried to attack, but had to avoid sharp claws that nearly gouged out her face. she asked, suddenly nervous. The mutant beast knocked his young opponent into the wall and laughed deliriously as she groaned in pain and tried to get up. He pushed her down with a furry foot and laughed. "Don't feel like playing anymore?" he taunted, "Too bad!" **** The man watched in fascination as a teenager in an orange Sailor suit battled the mutant hit man of the Gauntlet. He gasped as the girl was thrown against the wall. She was hurt and wasn't moving. And closed his eyes against the violence that he knew was sure to come. **** The mutant roared and was about to squash the annoying kid underfoot when he heard a shout. "Jupiter Thunder Clap Zap!" and then he was assaulted by neat attack of lightning that seared his foot and burned his fur. He looked up to see to figures standing on the rooftop above him, illuminated by the dismal lamplight. "What is this... kindergarten?" he roared, wiping the sparks from his singed fur. "How dare you hurt my friend?" accused Sailor Moon. "I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice. In the name of the Moon, I will fight wrongs and triumph over evil..." she paused for a moment and grimaced at the smell of rotting garbage and singed fur. "And you are the most repulsive form of evil.." A gloved hand pointed in his direction. "And I am Sailor Jupiter," commented her skirted companion dryly. "You'll pay for what you did to Venus." "A couple of kids in Sailor suits are going to stop me? Ya right!" he snorted, "And I'm Popeye the Sailor Man." "Fine!" growled Jupiter, she jumped from the roof, landed gracefully on her feet, and shouted, "Jupiter Thunder Crash!" A mass of thunder and lightening was launched the massive mutant, "Swallow that!" she shouted. "Sailor Moon, now! Get Venus out of here!" "Right!" agreed her companion. The klutzy teen jumped off the roof, but didn't judge the height of the drop correctly and landed painfully on her backside. "Ouch that hurts!" she wailed. Jupiter's attack hit its target squarely in the solid, muscled chest. Sailor Moon crawled over to Venus and began to drag the now unconscious teenager away from the fight. She pulled her friend into her arms and smoothed the hair out of her face. "Come on, Mina, wake up! Tell me you're all right!" As the thunder and lightening cleared, and the light faded, the animalistic mutant laughed. "Is that all you kids can do? You'll have to do better than that!" "Mars Fire Ignite!" shouted Mars as she ran into the alley. A large deadly ball of fire blazed towards the beast. "Jupiter! Do it now!" "I call upon the power of Jupiter, help us get rid of this monster!" Thunder and lightning gathered around her. "Jupiter ThunderDragon!" The ball of fire hit the mutant, igniting its fur. He roared in anger and pain as the fire seared his mutated flesh. Before he could put out the flames, the ThunderDragon hit with all its force. "Sailor Moon! Get off your butt and help!" yelled Mars. Sailor Moon helped a groggy Venus sit up. She jumped to her feet, slipping in the mud her boots had sank in. "Prepare to be moon dusted!" she shouted, producing the Moon Scepter. "Moon Princess Elimination!" In a flash of multicolored light, the monster was gone, replaced by a skinny, nerdy man. His clothes were in shreds and his body had a few burn marks. "I can't believe he's alive!" gasped Jupiter. "My fireball should have toasted him!" agreed Mars. "Ah, guys, don't you think we should get out of here?" asked Sailor Moon, as she helped Venus to her feet. "Don't forget about Mr. Smith. I came to help him." She pointed to the middle aged restaurant owner, still huddled against the back door of his restaurant. "I'll help him," said Mars. The mutant began to stir at her feet. She helped the man quickly into the safety of his restaurant kitchen, watched as he locked and bolted the door shut. The four Sailor Scouts quickly slipped away just at the emaciated, burned man began to wake up. "This isn't done, brats... not by a long shot..." he gasped. **** Mina sat down in her bed, wincing at the bruises on her back. She pulled out the journal that the Scouts had recently started and sighed, reading Amy's last entry. She turned the page and began to fill in the blank section there. Week Three Day Four: We won a battle tonight, barely, against a mutant I found about to attack poor Mr. Smith. He was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen, the cross between a werewolf and a brick wall. But before that, he looked like the average geek walking the streets. How are we going to find them? And how are we going to stop them... We threw everything we had at it and it didn't even die! I just don't know. I'm going to get some rest now... I was lucky tonight. I wasn't hurt badly. Then tomorrow morning, we'll meet at Rei's temple. Maybe we'll figure some of this out. But it'll be hard without Amy. To be continued... Edited by "Tuxedo" Will Chapter Two Serena leaned on her arm to support herself while trying to stiffle a yawn with the other hand. She smiled at the sight of the shocked expression her mother had worn at the sight of seeing her actually out of bed and mobile before 1 pm on a Sunday. She looked over to Mina and Lita and sighed. Both were awake and alert, quietly discussing the events of last night with amusement. She heard them giggle at the story of Rei's communicator. She shot them a dirty look as the started to snicker over her trip into the mud puddle. An insistant beeping became louder and louder until Rei entered the bedroom followed by two lunar cats. Lita poked Mina in the ribs with an elbow and nodded in the direction of the annoying sound. Being caught not paying attention would not be good for Rei's evil mood. "But Rei we must use our communicators. How else can we alert each other of an emergency?" Luna admonished in a firm tone of voice. "But what good is it if it won't shut off?" spat Rei, waving the beeping communicator in the air for reference. "But Amy said she programmed it so that it would be easy to use." said Artemis, "It can't be THAT hard." "Fine you try it then!" She said, and tried to hand him the noisy device. But he backed off, waving to white paws in the air. "It's not me that has to know how to use it!" Mina and Lita smiled at each other, obviously he didn't know how to shut off the automatic beacon either. Rei began to furiously punch at the keys on the communicator. High pitched beeps were heard as she obviously hit the wrong buttons. "WHY WON'T THIS THING SHUT OFF?" she shouted in her rage. "I'm going to go crazy if I don't hear some quiet!" Serena winked at Mina and Lita and meandered pleasantly over to the angry teenager, a wide grin on her face. She leaned over Rei's shoulder and asked: "Having a hard time Rei?" Rei glared at Serena. "Why don't you use your eyes Meatball Head? Do you think this thing would still be beeping if I could turn the damn thing off?" The pigtailed blond kept a blank expression and asked: "But I thought Amy programmed the communicator so even I could use it?" Mina began to giggle. Lita leaned over and covered her friend's mouth firmly with a hand. She didn't want Mina to spoil the fun of what was going to happen. After the battle, Lita had filled her in about the communicator and how hers was turned off. Rei became so angry, her face turned cherry red and her eyes almost spouted fire. "You think you're so smart?" she shouted to her smiling friend, "You can't even turn a computer on, never mind work this thing! You try!" Serena ignored the insult, what she was about to do would bring too much satisfaction. With an index finger ready, she leaned over and punched a lonely red button on the left side of the communicator. All of the sudden there was silence in the room as the communicator calculated the coordinates of the emergency. Serena pressed the button again, and the communicator reset itself to normal function. Rei stood speechless for a moment, shocked that her spacy, air-headed friend could turn of the automatic beacon. "Who did you know to do that?" The triumphant teenager before her smiled , "Amy showed me how to use it, I guess you weren't paying attention. You should really lay off the Sailor V comics Rei!" and blew a wet raspberry right at her. Mina and Lita burst out laughing, both clutching their sides. Both cats would have blushed if it was possible. They had tried during the night to shut off the beeping device but to no avail. Luna decided to change the subject before someone was killed, which probably would be Serena. "Enough!" she shouted. Mina and Lita quieted instantly, while Rei was snapped out of her shocked glared. "We are here for a reason." "Oh yeah," said Mina with a lingering hint of humour in her voice, "we have to talk about last night." Serena decided that it would be better for her health if she was quiet and sat down next to the two girls at the table. She yawned once again, her body starved of the extra sleep she usually indulged herself with on Sunday. "You had a very close call last night." began Luna, now perched primly on the table. Artemis curled up on the bed, hopping the females he was surrounded by wouldn't notice his little nap. "Yeah, if Mars, Sailor Moon and Jupiter hadn't shown up when they did, I'd be toast." admitted Mina. "He looked like such a nerd, I never imagined he's mutate into THAT!" "You should have waited for us." stated Rei indignantly, trying to gather up her lost pride, "You cold have been hurt." "I couldn't wait." Mina defended herself, "He would have hurt poor Mr. Smith." She crossed her arms in front of her. "He is a friend of my family. I didn't want to see him hurt." "But we don't even know what we're up against." said Lita, as her mind started to wake up. "How are we supposed to know how to spot one of the Gauntlet. We can't just wait for someone to get hurt or attacked." "I wish Amy were here," complained Serena, "then we'd be able to figure out when they're going to change.. or mutate.. or whatever they do.." waved her hands in a disgusted manner. "Where have you been Meatball Head? Amy's in Germany, we have to learn how to do things by ourselves." scolded Rei as she wagged a finger at her blond friend. "Yeah but if we knew how they changed then we could sorta figure out how to get rid of them.." Serena countered nervously. She was trying to pay attention, she knew this was serious. Luna was impressed. Not only was Serena awake on a Sunday morning, well before noon, she was trying to participate. "Rei, what Serena is getting at is correct. We will need to figure out how they transform to learn how to defeat them." "Or figure out a way to spot them before they transform." said Mina thoughtfully. "I mean, I figured that was a guy from the Gauntlet, but wasn't positive until he mutated." "Good idea Mina," started Artemis. "That way we would know to bring in reinforcements." Rei agreed immediately. "Well I think that we shouldn't solo patrol any more. What if Sailor Moon comes across an enemy, she'll get her butt kicked!" "Oh as if Rei, why do you always assume that I'll lose? I've improved you know!" Serena defended herself, her hands planted defiantly on her hips. "Oh ya right," countered Rei, "that's why you were covered in mud. What did you do, fall in a mud puddle?" Lita and Mina groaned, they both had wondered when Rei would bring that up. Serena began to sniffle, "That was an accident, it was rainy out and I slipped!" "Of course you slipped, you're the Queen of Klutz!" retorted Rei, blowing her a raspberry. "And you're the Queen of Mean!" spat Serena before blowing a rasperry of her own. Luna suddenly wished for a book to read, like Amy always did to ignore this type of childish behavior. "Now that's enough, Serena's lack of coordination is not the issue." "Thanks a bunch for your encouragement Luna." The pigtailed teenager said sarcastically as she sat down at the table once again. Lita waited until Rei reluctantly sat down to put in her two cents. "But Rei's right, we shouldn't patrol alone. " "And that means you too Mina." Admonished Luna. "But what if I bring Artemis?" She enjoyed the solo patrolling so much..it was just like the old days. "Oh and he's really going to back you up against a six foot tall werewolf?" asked the black Luna cat. "Well I guess you have a point." Mina agreed, remembering the scene from the night before. Artemis wasn't impressed. "Thanks a lot Mina." He added sarcastically. "I guess its the two of us then Mina." Said Rei in a stale tone of voice. Serena became concerned over Rei's darkening mood. "Don't look so impressed Rei, it'll be fun!" Rei jumped up and shouted: "Oh sure, fighting an unpredictable enemy with no way to stop them will be fun, yeah right!" "It was only a suggestion," Serena quickly sniffled. "You didn't have to bite my head off!" With tears streaking down her face she ran out of the room. Rei began to pace back and forth in the room. "It's just like that Meathball Head to leave in them middle of the meeting? How are we going to figure out what to do if she can't even sit still for five minutes?" Mina and Lita each scooped up a cat and headed quietly out of Rei's bedroom. Once outside Luna pronounced the meeting over. "We won't get much done with those two today." "I wish Rei would cool off, she's really stressed. I think things are getting out of hand." Said Mina. "Rei will be fine, she's just miserable because things are outside of her control." Artemis said pleasantly. "And Serena's just tired, she usually doesnt' get up on Sunday for a couple of hours." Luna added. "Serena did do pretty good last night, except for the puddle, she's trying hard to stay focused without Amy around." Lita defended her Serena. She chuckled in amusement. "Aw come on Luna, isn't she fine just the way she is?" asked Lita. "Yeah, we all love her." Mina agreed. Luna jumped out of Lita's arms and began to make her way home. "You don't get to see her in the morning, you certainly wouldn't be so accepting after that!" The others had no comment as the black Lunar cat left the shrine grounds. ************************************************************************ Two hours later, Serena sat quietly in her room, writing a letter to Amy. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and sighed. Luna padded quietly into the room and jumped up onto Serena's bed. "What's wrong Serena?" she asked. "What do you care?" pouted the blond teenager. "And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Luna. "You'll just call me clutzy and agree with something Rei said again?" When she heard Luna's surprised gasp she continued. "Or what was it you said, my lack of coordination?" Luna sighed. "Serena, you even admit that you are not well coordinated. So what's bothering you?" "Do you always have to agree with Rei? What's wrong with agreeing with me for once?" "I was just trying to get the meeting back on track. You can't keep fighting all the time like that, we'll never get anything done." "But she's been so mean lately, its like I can't do anything right." Sniffled Serena. "Rei is still upset about her friend being killed by the Gauntlet. Give her some time, she'll come around. What she really needs is a friend." Luna said this softly, hoping that this would brew some tolerance in the girls mind. Serena's irritation towards Rei softened a bit. "I know Luna, but I wish she'd see that I'm trying." "We all know you're trying Serena. But then so are all the girls. They all miss Amy too you know." "How are we going to stop the Gauntlet, Luna, none of us are as smart as her?" She leaned her face into her arms and sighed dramatically. She picked up the communicator resting next to her on the bedspread. "Why can't I just call her and ask her what to do? She'll know, she always has all the answer!" "You know you can't call Amy unless it's an emergency." Luna reminded the girl softly. "You know what would happen." Serena put the communicator down and nodded. "Yeah I know Luna," she reluctantly agreed. "Amy would drop everything again and come home. She'll never become a doctor if we don't give her some space." Luna nodded with pride. "Besides together the Scouts, with or without Amy, can do anything. You just have to work together." consoled the black cat. "Okay Luna, I'll try harder." Agreed Serena, but her usual good cheer did not return. "I'm going to take a nap, if we're going out to patrol again, I think its going to be a long night." *** Billy Looms stood in the middle of a crowd, and all eyes were on him. And it wasn't good. When he had agreed to join this gang, it was to be tough. To be a part of something. He had been so lonely for all his life, friends and family deserting, he had needed a place to call home. People to call family. And so he had joined the Dark Gauntlet. He had never expected this. He looked up to face his so-called dad, the leader of the Gauntlet. Skar. Probably not his real name, but attributed to him due to the scar which ornated his chest. Not many had seen it, but it was there. Skar turned to face the young man, and Billy knew fear. "Billy. You have failed your family.", Skar said, his tone even, his voice letting no emotions through. Billy was bright. He knew answering anything to try and defend himself would be useless. "Nothing to say? Good. We gave you a simple task, to collect the necessary money from Mr. Smith, a simple merchant, and you failed. Miserably.", Skar added, and around the room whispers rose. Billy looked down. It really wasn't his fault. How was he to expect the Sailor Scouts to show up? "What have you to say in your defense?", Skar invited the boy to speak, perhaps in pity. Billy looked up hopefully. He was being given a chance. "I... I was interrupted by the... the Sailor Scouts.", Billy answered, hopefully. The Sailor Scouts were not really known publicly. But the Underworld knew of them. Enough of their plans had been foiled by them. Skar raised an eyebrow and took a few steps toward Billy. "Still, you were given powers, Billy, powers which should have been enough to defeat them. Powers which you failed to use correctly." Hope flew from Billy's eyes like birds from a gunshot and he let his head drop again. Skar watched him silently for a few seconds, and Billy was certain his life was being decided in those few seconds. "Billy, my fine young Billy, do you know what the price for failure is?" Fear took the place of hope in the eyes of the accused failure, and he looked up, terrified and nodded. "But I'll be gentle with you, Billy. You were... are a favorite of mine. I'll send you to get... an upgrade, my boy." The crowd around Skar and Billy all looked at each other. This was the first they had heard of it. "Yes, a newer, stronger, body for you. But I'm afraid it might hurt... and diminish a bit of your... mind.", Skar said, turning around and walking away. Billy never really understood what it meant. He was going to live. He was happy of that. But when two men, dressed in black and incredibly strong, came for him and took him away, he wasn't certain he wouldn't live to regret it. *** There were days Darien Shields hated university. Days such as this one. He had been given an assignment to do over the weekend by one of his teachers that would probably prove to be one of the hardest he had been given yet. It took out pretty much all of his time and energy, and was all around boring. His only escape during those long hours of work were random thoughts of him and Serena on their latest date to the fair, and especially of those various moments she had klutzed out. That's how he had come to think of her klutz attacks. They came randomly and unexpectedly, but they were all part of her, and part of the reason she loved her, somehow. He smiled as he imagined the face she had done after she had fallen while throwing that ball into a basket in order to win a prize, and the face she did after he had won it for her. Gazing down on his computer screen, he sighed, shook the images out of his head for the moment being and tried to continue his work. He threw a look at the phone. He was surprised she hadn't called yet. He returned his gaze to his computer, when, as if on cue, the phone rang. He got up and answered it. "Hello?", he answered. "Muffin? It's me. Weren't you supposed to pick me up for our date this afternoon?", Serena asked, all set and ready to go. Darien's eyes grew large. He had completely forgotten about their date. "Oh Serena, I'm sorry, I got so involved in my homework this weekend I completely forgot about that!", Darien explain apologetically. Serena sighed at the other end of the line, and when she next spoke her voice sounded a incredibly disappointed. Darien silently cursed himself for forgetting such a thing. "Okay, I understand..." Normally she would freak about something like this, but with Amy gone and Rei on a rampage she was starting to feel very alone. "School is important for you...", she said, and Darien knew this was hurting her. Ever since he had regained his memories after the Ann and Alan crisis, she had insisted on them being together as often as they could. Making up for lost time, she had said. "Well, maybe...", he began to say. "Maybe I could go over there and be very quiet and watch you work?", she proposed, cutting in on what he was about to say. Darien smiled. She was compromising. He would still do his homework, and she got to see him. "Well, if that's all right by you, Serena, we could do that, yeah...", he told her. "I'll be right over!", she said a little more cheerfully. Darien agreed, and they both hung up. He frowned in concern. That wasn't a typical reaction for Serena. He shook his head and returned to his work, expecting his bell to ring any moment now. **** Raye was sitting before the Holy Flame in her temple, her eyes closed. She wasmeditating, letting her mind drift, her body rest. She took in long breaths, and expired them just as slowly. She had let her anger out on Serena too easily that morning. Something, an uneasy feeling, a dark emotion she couldn't pinpoint, was making her edgy, ready to shout in anger at any moment, and she didn't like it. She took in another deep breath, hoping this time she could get rid of that emotion. But nothing would work. It had been present ever since shehad seen her friend died. Ever since this fight had gotten a tad too close to home. She hid the truth from her thoughts, but she was afraid. Afraid that what she was feeling was an emotion she had seen all too often in enemies they had defeated in the past. Vengeance. The basest of feelings, and the one that was threatening to overwhelm her now. A shiver shook her body, despite the heat of the flame, and she was scared. Truly scared. **** Mina walked into the little restaurant, glad that it was still light outside. She inhaled the rich scents of Mr. Smith's wonderful cooking and sighed happily. This place would always bring back so many memories for her. She found the older man busily sweeping the floor in the corner of the cramped dining area. "Hello Mr. Smith!" she exclaimed brightly. The man jumped, obviously still startled from last night's events. Upon seeing his visitor, his entire face brightened with a cheerful smile. "Mina! Well if it isn't my favourite customer. I didn't know your family was back from England." "Well you know my Dad, he doesn't like to stay in one place for too long." The teenager replied. She was quickly escorted to a cozy table in the corner of the room. The two sat down. Mr. Smith motioned his staff to bring over some tea for his guest. "Well I'm glad to see you back in town." He said, trying to sound cheerful, a hint of anxiety showed on his face. "So what brings you here? Shouldn't you be spending the day with your family?" "Well Mom and Dad are off on another conference..." Mina began, wondering how she would bring the subject up. "To tell you the truth, I didn't come for a social visit, I came to see if you are okay." "Okay?" Mr. Smith asked innocently, suddenly finding a spot to wipe away on the table, "Why wouldn't I be?" "Come on Mr. Smith, I know the Gauntlet was here. It was on the news this morning. There have been serveral attacks in this area." "Oh Mina, it was nothing but a punk kid trying to intimidate me." he argued. This annoyed Mina. "As if! I'm not ten years old anymore, I know when someone is in trouble. Have you called the police, maybe there is some protection they could provide." "No Mina, I haven't. They said if the police became involved things would get worse.." he ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Then you need to get out of here." The girl sitting before him argued. "Who's going to buy a restaurant that's been targetted by the Gauntlet, I'd have to abandon everything. It may not be a lot, but I've put my whole life into this restaurant. How would I support my family? Where would I go?"Anxiety showed on his usually cheerful features. He had obviously considered that alternative. "I don't know.." Mina said quietly. "I just don't want to see anything happen to you, or to your family." Despite his fears, the man's eyes misted over. He squeezed Mina's hands comfortingly. "Don't worry Mina, I won't let anything happen to my family. " His face brightened suddenly, "Look at you all grown up! I'm supposed to be asking how you are!" Mina smiled despite the knowledge that he had effectively changed the subject. Surrenduring , Mina began to tell him all about her escapades in England, minus the Sailor V part. At least she could brighten a few moments of Mr. Smith's day, lighten his burden a bit... *** Week Three, Day Five: The situation is a grave one, leading me to wonder if the Scouts are strong enough to defeat the Gauntlet. Serena seems to be totally lost without Amy. I have to admit, that she is actually trying to fill the gap left by Amy's abscence, I know it surprises me myself, but she is struggling to find an answer to a dilemna that even Amy wouldn't be able to explain..how to stop our newest enemy. Rei truly worries me also. She has been in the most blackest of miserable moods that I have ever seen her in. I even think she was hard on Serena today. I think that she is struggling for control of a situation that is not beyond her control. To top that, I fear that she will defeat them in hopes of enacting revenge for her friend's death. She may become reckless and take unecessary risks. Artemis feels that this may endanger the other Scouts. Will she forget her duty and her destiny to fulfill her own vengeful needs? I am more worried than I have been in a long time. I do not want to see any of the Scouts hurt by the Gauntlet, but how do I train them to fight an unpredictable, powerful enemy? In my duty as Serena's guardian, how do I prepare her for a battle that I am not sure she can win? 8