PROLOGUE:

"Je ne sais pas...sais pas..." muttered the grimacing girl. She clutched her sides as if she to let go, she would fall apart. In a sense she was: emotionally and mentally. her small delicate screams were erased from the reach of ears by the thunderous roar of cars flying across the overpass. It was terrible... the only words that crossed the girl's mind. She was a teenager lost. Get yourself together...composure! She scolded herself. She scrambled her feet so her body was pinned to the wall. She lifted her head back and stared at the small pigeons nests and the water dripping down from the rain. Answers fled her mind, leaving behind questions of the inevitable and the phenomenal. Once again she hissed, "je ne sais pas...sais pas..." I don't know...don't know.... Above the shivering girl, a man stopped his car. He swung it expertly into the side walk, dodging a few cars and pedestrians. Parked, he hopped from the driver's seat and leaned over the railway. He whispered to himself, "here little kitty...here here..." He slung himself over the railing and landed, splashing a sheet of mud around himself. He walked through it with lightning speed, barely getting dirty. The girl shuddered and stood up. She was rather weak and dizzy from the onslaught of tears and emotions. The man lowered his face so only his gleaming eyes could be seen by the girl. "here kitty kitty..." "Don't call me that..." stuttered the girl. The man threw his head back in laughter, "Then should I call you by your real name? Catherine..." The girl's hands rushed to her head, "No...leave me alone..." Her finger's clawed at her red curls. Her blue eyes glared with hatred and pain. "I'm not Catherine anymore... I left that when I left that land." She paused and clenched her fists as she saw the man's amused grin, "I left that life when I killed you." "You honestly thought you killed me? Thats a laugh but you didn't kill me...You only thought you did, catherine. Come back and stand for trial." "Under what grounds!" Hissed the girl 'Catherine' as she slowly grew back her confidence. "Treason, attempted murder, aggravated assault, trespassing, destruction of government property, resisting arrest...to name a few." "Thats bullshit... You know that I am innocent. You attacked me, remember? What was I supposed to do... I didn't do anything wrong." The man sat himself down and picked at his nails. He laughed and stared up at Catherine. "You are a piece of work aren't you? That get up of yours! Red hair! You think disguises are going to fool me!?" "yeah, well, I was dieing to make a statement," Catherine said as she flipped her long red braids, "Anyway, the disguise has worked so far. You haven't gotten me yet." The DarkMan sighed and said calmly, "Do we have to do this-" "The hard way?" Catherine smirked, "Watch me." The man turned and the only thing he saw were the small pigeons nests. he swore to himself quietly. He should have known not to take his eyes off her. he clenched his fists and rushed from the underpass. He climbed back to his car and drove away, disguised perfectly with the normal citizens of the city. Catherine rushed down the street. She dodged people and suddenly flung herself into an alley way. She bent over and bit her lip. Catherine's chest heaved from exhaustion. She coughed a few times, cursing. As she stood up, her hair had turned into a wavy shoulder length blue. Her eyes were a deep maroon and she was tall and slim. Good, she thought, very good. Catherine pulled out a small machine. She typed in a few numbers, checking over her shoulder for any danger. A face came onto athe screen of the machine. It was a staticky trasnsmission, but it had to do for now until she got it fixed. Catherine whispered into the speaker of the communicator like machine. "It's Catherine... yeah... I look different. Call me Taiyo from now on, got it? Taiyo. T-A-I-Y-O. Taiyo. I'll keep in transmission with you. Find the girl, remember, we need to live." Taiyo choked softly on a sob. It was hard running like this, being lost forever unless that information was found, "Please...I'm just trying to get the darkman off my back, and yours too. See you soon, remember. I am Taiyo." Prologue end Tenchi walked down the hall. His Jacket flung over his shoulder, He gently rolled his eyes as a small group of girls oogled. He swiftly dodged into a wing of the school and leaned against the wall. Shaking his head, he cursed being transferred to this school. "give me loser any day." he hissed quietly to himself. Behind him her heard a quiet muttering. he turned to see a brunette girl kneeling on the floor. She was shoving papers apon papers into a small bag. There were folders floating...in midair... without the aid of the girl. Tenchi crept closer to her. Evidently she had slipped, and all of her things fell. But the folders... the were floating... how in the world... "Excuse me... but could you explain to me.." The girl turned around and yelped. the folders fell and crashed to the floor. Everything she had gathered together was back on the floor. "Shimatte! Look! Not again..." Tenchi stared at the angry and tired girl. She had a dark circle under her eye and some blood was trickling from her nose. She obviously didn't notice. "Your nose...and eye...let me.." The girl touched the blood and then turned abruptly. "Leave me alone ok? You didn't see a thing." The girl began to walk away when Tenchi grabbed her shoulder, "Not so fast. Talk to me. You're not leaving yet. Let me help you." The girl turned, tears almost streaming from her eyes. She sat down and bent her head, her brown hair falling over her eyes. "I am Ten'ou Noriko... Call me Nori." "Well?" Noriko bent into herself a bit more. She grimaced and muttered, "There's a group of people who think i'm this girl and her name's Catherine." "Catherine?!" gasped Tenchi. His eyes widened and he said, "So tell them you're not." "I do! They think I come from a... oh god... leave me alone ok, please Tenchi..." Noriko stood up and raced down the hall. Tenchi leaned back into the locker and sighed. "Noriko..." He whispered to himself, "How'd you know my name?"

Like clock work, Noriko found trouble once again. She was cornered with great speed. "Catherine," Her attacker yelled, "Admit it! I can tell your energy levels! You're a very, very ecstatic girl. Your energy is a dead give away." Noriko struggled but the hands of her adversaries kept her tight and still. The dark man knelt by Noriko. "Catherine," He sighed, "I know that I cannot physically take you back but I can try another way." Suddenly Noriko's eyes widened as the dark man's voice rang rich inside her own mind, speaking to her. Usagi was growling as Chibiusa bragged about how her craft was better than Usagi's! Chibiusa made a small bunny out of cloth and cotton swabs, while Usagi's was sortof falling apart. Chibiusa would walk over to Usagi's and point out all the errors in the bunny and how her own were perfect. The Inner Senshi had thought that if Chibiusa and Usagi did something together, it would make them better friends. The inner senshi were gravely mistaken. Never had they seen such bickering. Makoto had to seperate them twice. Usagi was crying and murmuring to herself again about how Mamoru would love her things, and how he'd hate Chibiusa's. The phone rang and Ami picked up, "Moshimoshi? oh, hello Michiru." Ami nodded and gasped. Minako turned and noticed her friend's seriousness. "C'mon Ami, why so sad? Today was supposed to be a fun day." "Girls... The dark moon shape shifters are back." "What?!" They all cried in unison. Ami nodded. "And they think Noriko is Catherine of the Alliance." The other girls looked confused, but Rei looked frightened. "Catherine?" She stuttered. Ami nodded. Rei sighed, "There is an ancient prophecy that a Kingdom will have a defect and she will come to Earth. Her name is Catherine of the Alliance. A man will follow her and try to return her for trial and great destruction will follow. But none the people of Earth can see." "How's that possible?" Asked Minako, "Destruction means destroyed and you can see things that are destroyed. Unless we're all blind." "They can't blind an entire planet, can they?" Makoto asked. Usagi shrieked, "You mean that the world will end and I can't stop it because I won't have my eyes!! AHHH!!" Chibiusa bit her lip in worry and grabbed the phone from Ami. "Listen here, Michiru. It's only a prophecy. It doesn't HAVE to be real! Maybe someone is playing a joke on Noriko. The world can't end!! I have to see my mom again!" The other scouts frowned. Crystal Tokyo would never be achieved if they all die. Luna paced as Artemis stood by and watched. "Maybe," Artemis said, "We won't be blind. The prophecy says that we will experience destruction without seeing it. Maybe it's emotional destruction." This statement caused Usagi to whine even more. Luna sweatdropped and yelled outloud. "We cannot possibly guess what the prophecy means so there's no use worrying over it. We should study Rei's scriptures and pray for the best and practice till then!" The scouts nodded. Makoto, with the reciever in hand, said determined, "We also must protect Noriko from the dark man. She's been beat up several times, says Michiru. The man's a psion and he thinks she's Catherine of the Alliance." Luna shook her head. Poor Noriko, first her mother dies and now she's being hunted. "Let's go find Noriko now. Talk to Michiru and Haruka."

Setsuna was walking around her time gate. She held Chibiusa's Luna-P. Chibiusa had left it the last time she visited. It would serve her purpose. There was a message already in it. Setsuna knew what was going to happen, if she didn't defend herself. She'd send the Luna-P only as a last resort. She couldn't be beaten, not today. The world's existance might just rely on her being at the time gates, protecting it. Setsuna sighed. She wanted to check the time gates to make sure if she'd pull through or not, but her morals stopped her. She would fight to the best of her ability. "Pu?" Setsuna turned to see Chibiusa running to her from the fog. "PU!" Chibiusa yelled, "The scouts are gonna be in trouble!! We need help!" "I know," Setsuna said, "But they'll have to fight for themselves. They must fight for thier lives in this one." "Pu... I'm scared. Take me back to Crystal Tokyo. I want to see mommy and daddy!" Setsuna looked down at the young child. She hugged the trembling pink haired girl and smiled, "It'll be ok. There, might not be a Crystal Tokyo. It depends on you helping the others and I doing my job correctly." "Which you'll screw up by the way." Setsuna's eyes widened. Chibiusa unsheathed a small knife and stabbed Setsuna in the stomach. Chibiusa laughed as Setsuna groaned. "Chibiusa... you...I've been tricked!" Chibiusa laughed and grabbed Setsuna's staff, which had fallen to the floor. "Well, well, well, I have a talisman and the key to all of time." Teetered the small youngster. "No...Chibiusa... you...can't..." Setsuna fell, grasping her stomach, the blood pouring, seemingly unstopping. Setsuna's fingers dug into the ground as she tried to steady herself to stand and fight. All she needed was to send off one death scream... Chibiusa stretched her arms far above her head and her skin seemed to swirl and crawl as if it were mere dough. Setsuna rolled onto her side to see Chibiusa morph into the dark man. The dark man threw back his hood to reveal his matted down bleach blonde hair. His eyes were large, with no color. They were totally white with the exception of a small dot in the middle. The dark man scanned the sky line of Tokyo. He had narrowed her home to this part of town. She was in essence a large homing beacon, set for his mind. The dark man laughed, He hopped down from the curb and stalked the streets, like a cat to it's prey. Catherine was hiding as this girl noriko. Gods, it was sickening how she tried so hard, never slipping once. Although, the odds of an Alliance member, on this earth, unknown were slim to none! It had to Catherine. There were only a few psions on this planet and all were checked out. the dark man stopped as a thought dawned on him. Could there be a possibility that his methods flawed? That somewhere he had miscalculated the psionic content of this insignificant planet? Impossible, his technique was the best. An elite among the gifted. A shiver suddenly ran throughout his body. He turned and there Catherine left a small convenient store. The dark man grinned and walked swiftly to her. He stopped and watched her from the street corner. He couldn't just grab her. That was an unthinkable act. Maybe if he tricked her into entering the time warp castle where he was keeping Setsuna. That would work. All he needed was to use some old fashion holograms from a mind force and she'd be easy. "HELP!!!" the dark man screamed, barely containing himself from laughing at the simple ploy. He leaned against the lamp post and waited for Catherine's arrival. Noriko chugged her pop. Tenchi was late. She was supposed to meet him around here. He said that he had a friend he wanted her to meet. A Taino...or Taiya.. maybe it was Taiyo...something like that. Anyway, they should have been here by now. Noriko tilted her head at the scream but paused slightly. She wasn't a Senshi, nor would she ever be one. What right did she have to fight? Then again, someone needed her help, and she could use her mind to throw something at the monster. Suddenly she heard Haruka's voice scream out about something like a world shaking. Noriko dropped the pop and ran towards the sound. She turned the corner to see the Dark man. Noriko almost screamed in fear. "What..what are you doing here?" "Catherine... Your little buddies, Uranus and Neptune, Pluto, moon, and whoever else, are in trouble! They were so easy to beat." Noriko tried desperately to read the Dark man's mind, to see if the truth was being told, but he was a strong psion. Stronger than she could ever defeat. The dark man laughed.

The dark man shook his head in disgust. His face hardened over and he hissed, "Come to trial!" "NO! how many times do I have to-" "SHUT UP!" Screamed the darkman. "If you don't come easily, then I'll just have to kill your friends! I'm out of here! Come to the castle if you value anything at all. I know how much you value the system!" the dark man flung his overcoat over his head, like a large dark wing. He seemed to implode into himself to dissapppear into a vortex like warp. Noriko paced as she stared at the hole. oh man...If she didn't follow, her friends would die. Of course, it could be a trap, as predictable as it may be, could she take the chance? What was better? Her own safety or her friends? easy enough of a choice. She'd follow. Her friends just may be in trouble. Noriko jumped from the ground and started to enter the vortex. The wind rippled through her brown hair. tenchi rounded the corner and screamed, "Noriko!! STOP!!!" Taiyo stared in horror, the poor girl, she thought. Noriko turned to see them. "Tenchi!! The dark man has my friends!! Goodbye! I gotta help them!!" "NO!! STOP!" Tenchi screamed again. Noriko shrugged, "Gotta fly!!" She dove into the vortex seconds before it sealed up. Tenchi's hands flew to his forehead as he cursed. "Taiyo!!!" "Tenchi, I don't know what to do... Maybe if we follow him, we'll get her back." "Then he'll have you." Taiyo kicked a pop can and sighed, "Well, she was just a mission. Now that he has the information, we'll have to kill both." "A mission?! she's not a mission!! She was a friend. I'm going into the castle and getting her. Then from there, I'll get the information and we'll win this!! We'll win the civil war and everything will be fine... right?" Taiyo looked down and refused to meet eyes with Tenchi. Taiyo tucked the hair behind her ear and sighed. Tenchi repeated, "right?!" Taiyo refused to respond as tenchi grew bit by bit restless. Panic set in and tenchi paced the empty street. "Taiyo, I'll kill you if you don't tell me everything!!" Taiyo sighed and whispered slightly, "Fine, I'll tell all, but there's nothing you can do about it." Tenchi sat down on a garbage can, while Taiyo spilled, "Noriko has a bit of information in her mind on how to disable the ultimate Alliance psion. She's in essence a weapon for us, or them. After the secret is out of her, she will be killed. The dark man is a servant to the Alliance committees. He tried to kill me when I defected. I almost killed him and in doingso have made myself an outlaw. The reason they so desperately want me back is because I also have the secret." "So why does Noriko have to die?!" "Because there is no way to get to my secert without killing me in the process." "So killing her is better." Taiyo sighed, "I knew you wouldn't understand. The worse part is when dark man figures out that Noriko isn't me, then he'll get the info easier. Don't you understand what will happen if he gets that weapon?" Tenchi shook his head. Noriko was so naive about all of this. "I don't care! I'm going after her. If neither of you people get the weapon then all is well." "Stupid! how stupid you talk! we need to beat the Alliance! They must die!" "Noriko isn't Alliance material. She shouldn't die." "I know, tenchi, that she's not from the Alliance, but she has the psionic abilities of being from there. She's too dangerous and powerful to keep around anyway!" "Damn you..." Hissed tenchi, "I will never forgive you if she dies. Remember, it's the way of our people to not force her!! You promised she'd stay alive!" "Ah..But Tenchi, we're not of our people anymore. Our people have seperated. We have new ways." Tenchi turned from Taiyo. She had changed too much since her running from the Alliance authorities, "I'm going to the castle." Taiyo paused as she watched Tenchi leave for where the vortex once stood. Tiayo cursed and followed. "Tenchi, what can you do? The vortex is closed!" "I may be half Alliance but do you think me totally powerless?" Tenchi lifted his arm and struck out in the air. A swirl of lightning and mist concocted into the vortex. Tenchi dove in. Taiyo yelled in anger and followed after.

Noriko ran down a warped corridor. The walls seemed to change with her movement. The colors faded over the land like a dense fog. "Haruka!? Michiru?! Makoto? Hello? Rei?" Noriko spun around quickly at the sound of a deep chuckling. The dark man stood behind her, inches from her face. His hot breath condensed on Noriko's face. Noriko tried to step back but the Dark man grabbed out with the speed of a hawk. He grabbed her wrists as Noriko struggled. Setsuna woke up. She felt her stomach and her tattered bloody clothes. she had healed, jsut not very well. She'd have to be careful. "I hope Chibiusa got the message... Crystal Tokyo depends on it... I gotta escape..." Setsuna eased herself from the weak cot. She collapsed into the wall, grimacing. Obviously she wasn't that well off. Setsuna walked to her cell and reached her hand out, feeling the lock. How primitive! Setsuna thought, these locks are so old. If I had made this castle, I'd have a better system. "But who am I to criticize?" She said aloud. Setsuna took her hair pins down, her long green hair falling to the ground. Setsuna played with the lock until it gave. She smiled and opened her cell. Setsuna huddled down the hall to find the dark man. The walls are smooth, Haruka noted as she ran her hand along the large cobblestones. She dropped her pace as she dwelled on the thought that her own father was of the shapeshifter Dark moon clan. Although he was not truly her mother and father, for her true parents were from the Uranus Kingdom, yet they still were special to her. Her father had left when she was three...go fig, she thought. The other scouts were behind her but she had no need to fight with them. It was her fight after all. They kidnapped _her_ sister and it was _her_ father she had to defeat by _herself_. She didn't need the bothersome senshi after her. "I wonder if he even knows that his love is dead? If his wife is dead..." Even if he was from another planet, how could he just leave her like that. God, her childhood was miserable. This did of course explain Noriko's abilities. She was half Alliance. As for herself...well, hopefully she was excluded from the honor of having Alliance powers. Where could Noriko be here? Perhaps he'd keep her near him? It would be more easy if he did, then she wouldn't have to search the whole castle for her sister. The poor girl, stuck somewhere, most likely scared... She should have tried harder to protect her... to make her feel better, to make her feel at home. She shouldn't have been so cold at times. If only... Haruka rounded the corner to see another large room. The walls were covered in shields and beautifully jeweled swords. Thye windows were covered in large tapestries of rich red and blue colors in intricate winding designs with gold edging. The extreme beauty and extravagant wealth in this mere room alone was breathtaking. "How could he do all of this in a matter of hours?" Haruka said to herself. Suddenly a tapestry flew down from the wall. Haruka leapt out of the way but the tapestry seemed to move on it's own. It floated in the air, trying to cover her. Haruka screamed and pulled out her henshin stick. In seconds, as Uranus, she pulled out her space sword. The tapestry flew over her. Uranus sliced the threads and leapt out to see who her Alliance opponent was. "Tiayo...Catherine..whoever the hell you are? What are you doing?" "I have to get back at The dark man." Catherine said as she left the shadows. She raised her hand in a lofty and vain way. "You are the Dark man's daughter so why not use you as ransom?" "Did you ever think of asking me?" Uranus seethed. Catherine paused and smiled sweetly, "No." Catherine thrust her hand out and Uranus screamed. the gold threads from the tapestry wrapped around uranus, binding her tightly. Uranus squirmed but to no avail. "Traitor," Hissed Haruka, "Why'd you have to come to Earth. This all could have been avoided." "If not you, it would have been someone else. Come." Catherine raised her hand and the wound body of Uranus lifted into the air. Neptune and the others walked in. "Uranus!" Neptune cried. Moon glared at Catherine, "How dare you betray us like this!" "Leave me alone, brat, we're on the same side!" Catherine retorted. Catherine ran from the room, uranus following against her own will. The two ran foreward through the halls. The other Senshi were hot on her trail. Uranus struggled against the tight binds, which sliced her skin with each struggle. They entered through two large golden doors, resembling the gates of time. They quickly hid in the shadows unnoticed by the dark man sitting in a large throne like chair. the dark man brushed his fingers through his hair and drank some of his wine. He raised his eyebrows as the Senshi burst through the door. "Where is she?" Hissed Neptune. "Who might you be talking about?" "Uranus, Pluto, Noriko, and Catherine the traitor." The dark man laughed and stood up, adjusting his coat hood. He smiled and answered, "Pluto and who you call 'Noriko' I have but Uranus? No, but nice try, tricking me..." Makoto clenched her fist, "You have them all! Take Catherine and leave here, just give us back our friends." "FOOLS!" screeched Catherine. The dark man turned quickly and gasped. Catherine walked from the shadows and waved tauntingly. The dark man backed up and pointed, "You..you escaped..Catherine.. never..." "I never escaped! I've always been free. I have just learned to hide a bit better. You have someone else in the cell." "Noriko..." The dark man said. "If no one minds, I'd like to get DOWN NOW!" Screamed Uranus in a dark threatening tone. "Oh yes," Catherine said, "I have your daughter. Grant me my freedom and Noriko and I'll return your only daughter." "She lies," Kamen warned, "there is another daughter." "What?!" Enraged the Dark man, "What foolery is this? You think you can trick me with such lies! Abominable!" "Noriko is my sister." Uranus said, "And she is innocent." "Take her then... I mean no harm to my daughters... I meant no harm to her..." The dark man almost looked like he would burst into tears. The guilt of hurting his creation was overbearing. Uranus struggled a bit more and Catherine rolled her eyes. "Come on, hand over Noriko and my freedom." Tenchi pushed himself past the Senshi and stood up to Catherine. "No, Catherine, you cannot do this. Noriko has nothing. Can't you sense it? She's scared...she's nothing." "No... She has the weapon." "So do you!" "Then shall I die?" Tenchi bent his head, afraid to say that his answer would be positive. Catherine backed up in pain. The shock of Tenchi's wish to her broke her mental control on Uranus. Uranus fell to the ground. Neptune rushed over and propped Uranus up. Catherine backed up and cursed. She had no leverage in this deal anymore. She was alone... there's only one thing to do. I must give the information to Tenchi, and in doing so, die. Catherine thought back into her deepest memories. She remembered to when she was born in the Alliance and how her mother would argue with her father over the unfair treatement of the Alliance. Of how she suddenly remembered the secret. The ultimate weapon to destroy the opposition, to ruin her adversaries. She had the secret in her hand. Catherine fell to the ground in weakness. Tenchi ran to her side and lifted her limping head. "Speak, Catherine... Please... the revolution needs you..." "The war... destruction...It's in our heads... the answer to everything is in our minds. No one can see it..." Uranus nodded and said calmly, "The prophecy: unseen destruction!" Catherine nodded and coughed, her energy leaving her from the reopening of the memory of the weapon, "Haruka, you're right... You can stop it with this weapon... It's...peace... I'm not going to live, I know this now. Take it!" Catherine reached out her hand and touched Uranus'. Uranus straightened her back as the information flowed into her mind. Uranus stumbled back as Catherine collapsed. Catherine's pure white eyes glossed over and small pupils formed, a rich color of blue. Uranus grabbed Neptune's arm for support. Tenchi tried to shake Catherine. "Catherine... no... you weren't supposed to die.. what of the Alliance and the revolts?" Tenchi paused and wiped his face, examining the tears, "I am too human, look at me, I'm crying... You'll be remembered, Catherine of the former Alliance, you'll be remembered..." Tenchi bent his head. The dark man had backed away, shaking from the pain he gave his own blood, his daughter, still dwelling on the fact. Uranus regained her strength and smiled. "The weapon, isn't defeat of the revolt or the Alliance, but a disintigration of both. They'll combine into one. With human elements of trust and faith. It all has to do with being kind. Go figure, such an easy answer." "Easy?!" hissed The dark man, "Far from! You try uniting a whole planet of people who despise each other! It'll never work! Look at myself! I have almost killed my own daughter! We can show no mercy to anyone, not even ourselves." "How can you say that," Uranus hissed back, with the same strength of her father, the darkman, "If you try, then it'll work. Go back and it'll work!You're nothing without faith in something." The dark man shook his head. "You're wrong, my dear-" "Don't call me that! You left a long time ago, you have no right." The dark man bent his head and sighed. He lifted his hand and threw off his hood. Uranus stepped foreward and detransformed. Haruka stared into her father's eyes. They were white and cold, incredibly empty. He shut his eyes and tears escaped the tightly sealed lids. Haruka placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing the leather over coat. Haruka's father opened his eyes. They now had pupils. They were a rich blue, like Haruka's. "You're like us, it can happen." The dark man shrugged his daughter's grasp and backed away. "No, Haruka, Catherine, tenchi, myself, noriko, we can't leave her today. No one can leave. I'm sorry... but this is the end." "Don't leave me like you did so many years ago, father!" yelled Haruka. The dark man backed up and walked to a table. He pressed a button and a computer flipped from the table top. Haruka raised an eyebrow in confusion. he typed in a few numbers and pressed return. screeched Haruka. She then gasped as she found she could communicate with her father. Had Catherine given her more then the weapon? Moon tilted her head, "What's going on?! We have to find Noriko and-" "Shhh!" Commanded Neptune, "They're talking through their minds. Haruka is half alliance, we shall wait for the outcome." The others nodded. Haruka began to pace, clenching her fists. Suddenly her eyes bulged and she shrieked, "You didn't!! Damn you!! leaving me again!" "Good bye, Haruka. She's in the cell." Haruka turned to the group. Chibiusa tilted her head up and said, "What's happening?" "He put the castle under self destruction. We have fifteen minutes. RUN!" The group ran from the room. Haruka paused and whispered quietly, "Father, please come..."

Haruka left the room,

Haruka tried to respond but her father had shut off, blocking her messages. Haruka raced down the hall. Moon stopped her, "you ok? Haruka?" "Listen, get everyone out of here, I'll Get Noriko and Setsuna." Moon nodded as Haruka ran down the opposite hall. Haruka watched her watch. She had thirteen minutes left. If Moon and the others didn't get out of here as fast as possible, Crystal Tokyo would be non existant and a dynasty of peace would die. haruka's heart beat hard against her chest as she sprinted down the halls, hoping one way would lead to her sister and friend. She had to hurry, for there must be time to get Her father. He was good, she swore to herself, he had to be... haruka passed a hall and then paused. she retraced her steps and stood infront of a large old door. This is it, she thought, they should be here. Haruka checked her watch again, eleven minutes... and closing... Haruka tried the door, it not budging. "Damn it! as if nothing ELSE could go wrong!!" Haruka kicked at it a few times until it flew open. Noriko let out a shriek of fear from her cell. Haruka raced in and yelled for her sister, "Noriko?! Where are you? We don't have much time?" "oh..God it's not you!! It's a trick... I'M NOT CATHERINE!" "Noriko?" Haruka followed the voice. All of the cells were empty except one. Haruka peered into the cell, "Noriko!?" Noriko was huddled against the corner. She had a food tray up in defense. Her silverware was floating, ready to fire. Noriko tremble, her tray rattling against the wall she huddled near. She seemed so dirty and bloody to Haruka. The dark man had beat her, or one of his cronies at the least. Haruka rattled the cage, her anger quite evident. "I'll get you out... One second..." Haruka stared at her watch..nine minutes... Noriko said through her communication

Haruka closed her eyes and the lock seemed to move on it's own. It flew off and the gate opened. Noriko cried and rushed into her sister's arms. "O god, Haruka...please...never leave me.. get me out of here...PLease...help me..." "I'm here." Haruka said. She lifted Noriko up and raced from the room. Haruka retraced her steps to the front gate. The Senshi were all outside, except Setsuna. Haruka rushed to them and placed Noriko on the ground, for she was very weak. Chibiusa walked to Haruka and whispered slightly, "Where's Pluto?" Haruka looked up in horror, "I thought she escaped... She wasn't in the cells...shimatte..." Haruka turned to run back when Chibiusa screamed for her to stop! "HARUKA! You can't!" "I have seven minutes, chibiusa," Haruka started, "I can go back, get Setsuna and my father." Chibiusa shook her head and pressed her Luna-P. It glittered and Setsuna's message came on: "Hello Chibiusa, I knew that eventually you'd see this. In a few minutes, a very dark man will try to kidnap me. I believe that he'll take me to a castle. In fact, if you're listening to this, I am already trapped. The dark man will come back for someone else. I can only see the future in a haze right now. it's all so very unclear! Chibiusa, just one thing to remember. No matter what you have to do, don't let Haruka return into the castle under any circumstances! I must go, and defend the time gates. Goodbye, Chibiusa, stay strong for your mommy and daddy." Haruka backed up and shuddered, "Even if it's at the expense of one of the most powerful Senshi of all time!?" Chibiusa nodded. Haruka shook her head and began to leave towards the castle. Chibiusa's eyes widened in horror, "Someone stop her!!" Kamen and Jupiter grabbed Haruka's arms. Haruka screamed obscenities and struggled. The two obviously could not hold her for long. Noriko propped herself up and shut her eyes. Suddenly Haruka was lifted into the air. Haruka glared, "Traitor!! Setsuna will die!!We have five minutes left really soon!!" "I'm stronger then you, no use fighting, we'll do as Setsuna said... Please..Haruka," Suddenly a loud harsh roar sounded from the castle. Haruka gasped. Noriko dropped her concentration. The castle seemed to shake and rumble. It began to fade away at it's edges, as if being burnt to dust. Within seconds, the castle haddeteriorated into nothing. Haruka screamed and ran towards the rubble. She walked among the trash lieing all over the ground. It soon flickered and faded out of existance. Haruka clenched her fist and screamed, "No!! This can't happen!! Setsuna..Father...damn it!! DAMN!" Neptune walked up to her love and detransformed. Neptune touched Haruka's shoulder and whispered quietly, "That could have been you...Come home...there's nothing to be done.." Neptune paused as tears took control of her body, "there's nothing to be done here." Haruka turned to the group. they all were sniffling and exchanging glances of sorrow. Haruka nodded and concentrated on home. The others followed her example and soon they all rested in their own time, trying desperately to forget the day the Senshi of time left this Earth, forever. Perhaps to be reincarnated or to be replaced. They wouldn't, no one would know, for a while, that is...

Fin Email: questiesrule@juno.com