by Johinsa
Raye left the arcade and started down the street, watching for Serena. "This is absolutely the last time!" Raye muttered under her breath. "If she can't even show up--Ouch! Watch where you're going, you sludge!" she snarled as she turned a corner and ran into someone.
"Hey, sorry, Raye," Darien answered. "Didn't know you were having a bad day."
Raye blushed. "I was just waiting for Serena, and she didn't show up."
"Yeah." Darien grinned, that adorable smile that just made Raye want to forget he was already taken. "Well, listen, why don't I walk you back to the temple? I'm heading that way anyhow."
"Sure." Raye smiled back at him. Then she remembered something. "Oh, rats! I left my backpack at the arcade. I'll have to go back and get it."
"I'll go," Darien answered. "Just wait here, I'll be back in a minute."
"Okay." Raye watched him, perplexed. He seemed to be in such a great mood today. She wondered why.
Darien pressed the little signal button on the crosswalk and started to walk across. Suddenly, without warning, a truck slewed around the corner, tires squealing.
"Darien! Look out!" Raye called. He turned, startled, freezing in place.
Raye screamed as Darien disappeared under the wheels of the truck. The driver slowed momentarily, then continued, apparently unaware of what had just happened.
Raye ran to Darien's side, trying frantically to remember everything Amy had told her about emergency first aid. She grasped Darien's wrist. No pulse. "Somebody call an ambulance!" she cried. "Does anyone know CPR? We've got to help him!"
Even as she spoke, though, Raye knew it was too late. "Oh, Darien," she whispered. "How could this happen? How could I let this happen?"
"Amy--There's something I have to tell you." Raye stood in the door of Amy's room, leaning heavily on the doorframe.
Amy turned, surprised. "Oh, hello, Raye. What is it?" She caught sight of Raye's face. "Raye, what's wrong? Has something happened?"
"It's Darien," Raye answered, shaking. "He's--he--oh, Amy!" She collapsed into Amy's arms, sobbing wildly.
Amy sat down on her bed, holding Raye awkwardly. "What is it? You can tell me. What happened?"
"Darien--" Raye had to force the words out. "He's dead, Amy." She burst into tears again.
"Oh, god." The color drained from Amy's face. "Raye--I'm sorry. How could this happen?"
"He was hit by a truck. Just a few minutes ago. I was there, I saw him. They rushed him to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do."
Then they were both crying, Amy holding Raye in her arms as tears streamed down both their faces.
"Mina?" Lita asked tentatively. "Did you--did Artemis tell you?" Mina nodded. Her eyes were still red and puffy, and Lita's were the same. "Good. I don't think I could say it right now."
"Lucky Artemis," Mina said, trying to smile. "Cats don't cry, do they?"
"I think crying helps. You should have heard Raye on the phone earlier. She's taking this really hard."
"She thought she could have done something," Mina agreed. "Poor girl. We should go see her and Amy. And Serena, too."
Lita paused for a moment. "Mina? Did you tell Serena?"
"No, I thought Luna--" Mina gasped. "Oh, no! Luna's been staying at Raye's, hasn't she?"
"We have to tell her," Lita decided. "It wouldn't be fair for her to hear it from some stranger."
"You're right. Call the others." Mina sighed. "How could this happen, Lita? I still can't believe he's gone."
"I know."
The four girls and two cats arrived at Serena's house a few minutes later. Serena answered the door, looking her usual cheerful self. "Hi, guys. What's up?" She looked at their expressions. "Uh-oh. What is it? Did I miss another meeting? Look, I'm sorry, but I just can't remember everything, okay?" It gradually dawned on her that that wasn't the problem. "What?"
"Serena, I don't know how to tell you this--" Lita began, but was interrupted by Raye.
"Let me handle this, Lita." Lita nodded gratefully, recognizing that Raye would know how Serena felt more than the rest of them. "Serena--I've got some bad news."
"Bad news? What?"
"Darien's been in--an accident. He--he's dead."
Serena stared at her. "You're lying! That can't be! The negaverse has been quiet for weeks. How could this happen?"
"It wasn't the negaverse, Serena. He was hit by a truck." Raye put her arm around Serena's shoulders. "I'm really sorry."
Serena nodded. "I understand. Thank you." She turned to the rest of them. "I'd like to be alone now, please." She turned and walked upstairs. Luna started to follow her. "You too, Luna. I just want to be by myself."
They stared after her in silence. "Wow," Lita whispered. "She's really taking this well."
"No, she isn't," Raye said. "Taking it well would be that ear-splitting wail she always makes whenever she gets in the slightest trouble. Whenever she doesn't even show anything, you can tell she's really upset." Raye sighed. "I know how she feels. I still loved Darien, even if I knew he didn't have any feelings for me. Imagine how much worse it must be for her."
"I'll try to talk to her," Luna said, "but for now we should just leave her alone. I'll talk to her tomorrow morning."
They didn't see her the next morning, though, or the morning after that. The police found her body three days later, washed up on the shore of the river. There was nothing to identify the corpse, except for a golden star-shaped locket, tarnished beyond recognition.
"I just don't understand it, Raye," Mina whispered. "I mean, we all knew it was dangerous, being a Sailor Scout. We accept that. We have to fight for what we believe in, right? But--this is all just so senseless! Darien didn't die for anything! He just died."
Raye didn't answer. "Raye? Are you all right?" Lita asked, concerned.
"It was my fault," Raye said. "I should have known what to do. Amy would have known what to do. I just panicked. I should have been able to help him."
"Raye," Amy interrupted, "from what I was told, his injuries were too severe for any kind of emergency first aid to have helped. There was nothing any of us could have done."
"Well, then, what about Serena?" Raye asked. "I should have been more sensitive. I should have been there for her. Maybe if I'd done something, she'd still be here."
"Raye!" Amy exclaimed. "Snap out of it! It wasn't your fault, and you can't blame yourself. There wasn't anything you could have done. Maybe they were just fated to die or something."
"You can't say that!" Raye answered sharply. "This was a horrible mistake. Serena and Darien weren't fated to die, and there has to be something we can do about it."
Lita grabbed Raye's shoulders and shook her. "Raye, you're getting hysterical! You can't change the past!"
"You're right," Raye said, suddenly calm. "I can't." She stood and marched out of the room.
"It's not allowed."
Raye stared at the other girl angrily. "Setsuna, it's Princess Serena we're talking about here! Don't you understand?"
"I understand perfectly," Setsuna answered. "Your mission is to guard the Moon Princess. My mission is to protect the passage of time. Just because you failed in your mission is no reason for me to compromise mine."
"What do you want me to do?" Raye cried. "Do you want me to beg? Tell me! Tell me what I can do to convince you!"
"Please, Raye--Raye, get up!" Setsuna snapped, hauling Raye to her feet. "Enough, already! There's nothing I can do. Believe me, I wish I could help Serena and Darien. But I'm only allowed to use my powers to fight the negaverse, not to prevent acts of fate."
"Fate, fate, everyone's telling me about fate!" Raye exclaimed. "I don't believe this! I thought you at least would care! Can't you take responsibility?"
Setsuna jumped to her feet, eyes blazing. "Don't you dare lecture me about responsibility! Do you have any idea what my life is like? You with your little fire powers and your tidy little black-and-white world, trying to lecture me?" She stalked out of the room.
"Wait--" Raye began, but Setsuna was gone. Raye slumped down on a chair. "Why do I always ruin things? I didn't mean it! This was my last chance!"
"Really?"
Raye whirled, startled. "What? Who said that?"
"Me." A hazy, indistinct figure appeared. It coalesced into a young woman wearing a simple grey dress, with a moon symbol on her forehead.
"Who are you?" Raye was shocked. She'd never seen this girl before. "Are you from the Moon Kingdom?"
The girl smiled obscurely. "In a manner of speaking. I'm Astris. You're Mars, aren't you?"
"Yes, I--how did you know that?" Raye gasped. "Are you another Sailor Scout?"
"No questions now." Astris gestured to the air in front of her, and an image appeared. It was Serena's body, floating, translucent, a few feet above the floor. "Your friend--she killed herself. Because of Darien."
"Yes, that's right," Raye answered.
"Tell me, Mars--how far would you go to save Serena's life?" Astris stared intently into Raye's eyes.
"I would do anything," Raye answered honestly. "Can you bring her back?"
"Would you die for her?"
"I did, once," Raye answered. "In the final battle against Queen Beryl. I'd do it again, if I had to."
"Would you give your soul for her?"
Raye nodded. "Yes, I would. She's the Moon Princess. It's my mission to protect her."
"Would you kill one of your friends, if it meant saving Serena's life?"
"Why are you asking me all these questions?" Raye flared. "Just tell me what you want from me, and I'll do it! I have to save Serena. I'll do whatever it takes."
Astris nodded. "Yes, I believe you would." She gestured, and the image disappeared. "It is simply this: I propose a trade. Serena's life for yours."
"What?"
"I'm from the negaverse, Mars. You must have realized that." Astris touched the moon symbol on her forehead. "I'm an exile from the Moon Kingdom, sent to wander the stars forever. The negaverse rescued me."
"But how can you restore Serena's life, then?" Raye asked. "And what do you mean, my life for hers?"
"There is one in the negaverse not unlike your Pluto, but without the ridiculous guidelines that yours is required to follow. That one will return a few days and prevent the accident, if you will swear temporary allegiance to the negaverse and assist us on a mission we have planned. Afterwards, you'll be free to return home, all debts paid."
"How can I do that?" Raye asked plaintively. "I can't just change sides."
"Not even for Serena?" Astris smiled. "You know I'm the only one who can change things. Without me, your friends will stay dead."
"I'll find some other way," Raye bluffed.
"There isn't one. I can see the future, Mars. Serena and Darien will stay dead. You can't change that without me. Would you like to know what else will happen, if you don't change things?"
"No," Raye answered angrily. "I won't let you manipulate me."
"The negaverse continues to advance. Mercury and Venus are killed by a creature that your princess's Moon Scepter could have destroyed easily, leaving you and Jupiter to fight alone. Jupiter decides to give up her powers, and you are killed shortly after in a suicidal assault on the negaverse base that you make out of desperation. Is this what you want, Mars?"
"How can I believe you?"
"How can you afford not to?"
Raye thought for a moment. "All right," she said at last. "I'll do it."
Astris nodded. "I thought so." She gestured open a dark portal and stepped through. "Follow me, Mars."
The tunnel opened out into a large, dimly lit room. A young man stood on a pedestal, apparently speaking to several people kneeling on the floor. Raye turned to Astris questioningly.
"This is Supreme Commander Kalcite," Astris whispered. "Go to him, and when he asks what you want, tell him you're here to enlist, under my responsibility." She pushed Raye toward the kneeling group.
Kalcite looked down at her. "Yes? What is it, child?" He was tall and sort of handsome, with blond hair and piercing green eyes. "Well? Say something!"
"Umm--I--my name is Raye," she whispered. "I'm here to--to--" Just say it, Raye, she told herself sternly. You can do it. For Serena. "To enlist. For a temporary mission."
He stared into her eyes. She felt drawn in, trapped, a bird hypnotised by the glare of a snake. Desperately she tried to resist, drawing on the innate power of Mars that always surrounded her.
"You're a Sailor Scout!" Kalcite gasped. "How did you get in here? What kind of idiot do you take me for?"
"Please, Supreme Commander, it's all right," Astris reassured him, stepping forward. "This one's word is trustworthy. She has agreed to serve us on the next mission in exchange for the life of her friend."
"Ah, that would be Sailor Moon," Kalcite answered. "Very well. I will make the arrangements. Astris, summon the Timewalker and have him go back and stop the accident that led to Darien's death." Raye blinked; how much did these people know?
"As for you, Sailor Scout," he continued, "which one are you?"
"Mars." She wanted to lie to him, but somehow she couldn't.
"All right, Mars. Your mission will be the retrieval of a certain item which is very precious to us. It has long been missing, and we have neither the resources nor the ability to retrieve it."
"Are you talking about the Silver Moon Crystal?" Raye asked suspiciously. "Because if that's what it is, I can tell you right now that I won't be able to get it for you. Serena guards it too well." She didn't, of course, but Mars wasn't willing to cooperate more than she absolutely had to.
"We're not interested in the crystal," Kalcite answered, his face unreadable. "Our objective is something else."
"What, then?"
Kalcite smiled. "Astris has told us of a powerful talisman that was once held in the Moon Kingdom. It was called the Ice Amulet. Astris herself carried it for a time, but was forced to relinquish it when she was exiled."
"But that was over a thousand years ago!" Raye protested. "There's no way to know where it would be now!"
"Not so," Astris answered. "When the Moon Kingdom was destroyed by the negaverse, the Ice Amulet was transmuted into its pure energy form. It was imprisoned inside the body of one of the Sailor Scouts."
Raye thought for a moment. "Do you mean me?"
"No, no," Astris laughed. "That wouldn't be possible. Your affinity is with Fire; you would never be able to carry the Ice Amulet. The one who carries it must have a strong affinity with either Water or Air. This would suggest Jupiter or Mercury, although Venus is a possibility as well." She leaned forward. "Whoever she is, the Amulet that she carries is bound to her power. Once you remove it, she will lose her Sailor powers and become an ordinary person."
This is awful! Raye thought. Can I honestly do that to one of my friends? She pictured how Lita would feel, or Amy, or Mina, to lose her power. I can't do it, she thought. The price is too high.
Then she remembered how Serena had looked when she had finally been found. No price is too high to bring her back, Raye told herself sternly. She's the Moon Princess. Our lives depend on her.
"I'll do it," Raye said firmly. "Where do I start?"
Three hours later, she was ready.
"Remember," Kalcite told her, "you must get each Scout alone, in her Scout form, to scan her. Once you find the Ice Amulet, use this." He handed Raye a tiny black octagon that seemed to glow with a faint red light in the center. "This octagon crystal will draw out the powers of the Amulet and imprison them for our use."
"I can do that," Raye answered. "But first, my part of the bargain."
Kalcite nodded impatiently. "Very well. Timewalker!"
The Timewalker appeared. It was a human figure, but Raye could never remember afterwards exactly what it looked like. Somehow it just seemed to blend in and be completely unnoticeable. "Reporting, sssir," it whispered. "The misssion iss accomplished, and the boy Darien and the girl Sserena are alive."
"Wait a minute," Raye interrupted. "Exactly what steps did you take? You didn't have to kill someone else, did you?"
"Of coursse not, Marss," the Timewalker hissed angrily. "I do not take unnecesssary meassuress."
"All right," Raye agreed.
"Now, the portal will return you to the exact time the accident occurred, and events will proceed as they have now been set. Remember, you must keep your end of the deal."
"I always keep my word!" Raye exclaimed indignantly. "Even to Nega-trash!"
Kalcite chuckled. "We understand each other, Sailor brat." He gestured with one hand, and a portal appeared. "Go now. Remember, you must find the Ice Amulet."
Raye disappeared into the tunnel. Astris and Kalcite watched her go.
"I'm concerned, Supreme Commander--" Astris began.
Kalcite waved his hand impatiently. "No need for that nonsense. It's just for show anyway."
"I know that, Kalcite," Astris answered. "I was just wondering--what if she discovers the truth about what we're doing?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Kalcite scoffed. "You picked the right one, Astris. You always do. This silly little girl won't ever figure it out, and if she does, it'll be too late."
"Still, I don't like leaving these things in the hands of mortals. Even if they have sworn to obey us for the duration." Astris grimaced. "You don't think she'll actually obey us, do you?"
"You'd be surprised. These humans seem to have a very odd code of honour. I think she'll keep her oath."
Astris nodded. "Good. Soon the Ice Amulet will be ours."
"And after that, the universe."
As Raye stepped through the portal, she felt a strange surge of energy, as if tiny bolts of lightning were striking her from all directions, and she was falling, falling forever and ever--
She was sitting in the arcade, the Sailor V "Game Over" screen flashing in front of her. For an instant, she couldn't remember anything. What's going on? she thought.
"Hey, Raye, great score!" Andrew exclaimed, coming up behind her. "Say, what are you doing here, anyway? I thought the arcade wasn't your thing."
Raye forced herself to remember. What was she doing here? "Oh--I'm waiting for Serena," she answered brightly. Serena--why did that name remind her of something? Raye looked at her watch. "I think I've waited long enough, though. Next time, maybe she'll remember to show up. If she comes later, tell her I've gone home." She stood up to leave.
"Hey, you forgot thiss." A boy grinned at her, lisping slightly, and held out her backpack. "Here you go."
"Oh, thanks." Raye sighed. On top of everything else, she had to be embarrassed in front of a cute guy. Well, he wasn't that cute; he had one of those forgettable faces. But still...
Raye left the arcade and started down the street, watching for Serena. "This is absolutely the last time!" Raye muttered under her breath. "If she can't even show up--Ouch! Watch where you're going, you sludge!" she snarled as she turned a corner and ran into someone.
"Hey, sorry, Raye," Darien answered. "Didn't know you were having a bad day."
Raye blushed. "I was just waiting for Serena, and she didn't show up."
"Yeah." Darien grinned, that adorable smile that just made Raye want to forget he was already taken. "Well, listen, why don't I walk you back to the temple? I'm heading that way anyhow."
"Sure." Raye smiled back at him. Then she remembered something. "Oh, rats! I--" She stopped, puzzled. Her backpack was over her shoulder. Why had she thought she'd left it in the arcade? "Never mind. I'd like that."
As they walked away from the arcade, a truck came slewing wildly around the corner ahead, tires squealing. "Crazy drivers," Darien muttered. "Those people ought to be locked up. Somebody could get hurt. I mean, ten seconds later and we would have been toast! Kind of makes you think, doesn't it?"
"Yeah--" Raye said uncertainly.
Darien walked her to the temple gate, and said goodbye. It was at times like this she wished they'd never heard of the Moon Princess, but what Darien and Serena had was special, and she'd do anything to protect it.
Raye opened the door to her room and slumped down on the bed. "What am I missing?" she asked herself angrily. "There's something I should remember--"
"What do you mean?" Luna asked, jumping up beside her. Serena had asked Raye to look after Luna for the week, since Serena's Aunt Ilda was visiting, and Ilda was allergic to cats.
"Huh? Oh, hi, Luna." Raye smiled. "It's silly, I know, but I just got this really weird feeling of deja vu when I was walking home this afternoon. I keep thinking there's something I should know--"
"Well, maybe I should talk to Artemis. He's the expert on this sort of thing." Luna gave a little kitty smile. "If you remember anything, tell me. It could be the negaverse, you know." She scampered out the door.
"Right." Raye opened her backpack and pulled out her homework. She didn't usually do homework on Saturdays, but she needed something to take her mind off of this.
She reached into her backpack, looking for a pencil. Her fingers closed around something cold and hard. She pulled it out and examined it. "The octagon crystal!"
Abruptly, the memories came flooding back to her. Darien--Serena--Astris--Kalcite--the Ice Amulet--
"Oh, no." Raye buried her face in her hands. "What have I done?"
Raye found Lita at the mall that afternoon. "Lita, I really need to talk to you." Lita turned around and stared at her.
"Raye, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned. "You look awful. Are you feeling okay?"
"I--" Raye fumbled. "Um, this is sort of hard to talk about. Can we go someplace private?"
Lita nodded. "Sure, Raye. Why don't we go to the park? I always like to go there when I'm upset."
They walked to the park in silence and sat down on one of the benches. "Look, Lita," Raye said. "You're the only person I can talk to about this. Serena wouldn't believe me, and Luna and Artemis wouldn't understand, and Mina and Amy would hate me forever. I think you might, too."
"I'd never hate you," Lita answered simply. "You should know that. You can tell me anything."
"Yeah. Umm, I--I--" Come on, do it! she told herself. It doesn't matter if she hates you. You have to do this. You promised. "I made a deal with the negaverse."
"You what?" Lita jumped to her feet, eyes wide. "Raye, why would you ever do something so stupid? Why would you betray the Scouts?"
"To save Serena's life!" Raye flared, standing as well, her face only inches from Lita's. "Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing!" Lita's words hurt, but they were no worse than the things Raye had already told herself. It doesn't matter if she hates you. You deserve it.
"Okay." Lita backed off. "Maybe you'd better explain this."
Briefly, Raye outlined her story, finishing by showing Lita the octagon crystal. "If I scan someone, and they have the Amulet, it'll be drawn into the crystal. I have to do this, Lita. I gave my word. If I don't, they could change things back, and Serena--"
Lita sighed. "You're right, Raye. I would have done the same thing. But I'm glad I wasn't the one who had to."
Raye nodded. "I'm really sorry. I mean, it could be you. I could have just jeopardized the whole thing just by talking to you, because now I won't get a chance to scan you. And you know I'll have to try."
Lita nodded. "Of course you do. I understand." She lifted her hand. "Jupiter Star Power!" Before Raye could protest, Lita was replaced by Sailor Jupiter. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
Raye gaped. "You'd do this for me?"
"No, not for you," Jupiter answered. "I think it was despicable, dealing with the negaverse, and I don't know if I could have. But in a way, I owe you. If it wasn't for you, Serena would be dead. So go ahead." She closed her eyes.
Raye hadn't the faintest idea what to do. She tentatively touched the crystal to Lita's forehead. "Octagon Dark Energy Scan!" Beams of black and red leapt from the crystal, bathing Lita in a sickly red light. The Jupiter symbol appeared on her forehead, and Lita screamed in pain. Raye tried frantically to shut off the beams, and realized she had no idea how.
Then, suddenly, it was over. Lita staggered, grabbing Raye's shoulder to steady herself. "Whew. That was way harsh."
Raye stared at her, unsure if anything had changed. "Do your powers still work?"
Lita shrugged. "Jupiter Thunder--Crash!" She blasted an inoffensive tree. "Yep."
"That means it must be either Venus or Mercury," Raye decided. "Do you think they'd let me?"
"No," Lita answered immediately. "Mina certainly wouldn't; she won't have anything to do with the negaverse. And I don't think Amy would either."
"Well, I'll have to find some way to trick them, then." Raye sighed. She wished she'd never gotten into this.
"I won't help you," Lita answered. "I don't want to get any more involved than I already am. But I won't say anything, either. Deal?"
"Thanks, Lita." Impulsively, Raye reached over and hugged her. "You're a great friend."
That evening, Raye went to sleep with the crystal on the table beside her bed. It still glowed red in the center, but now there was another light inside it as well; a flickering white light, as might be made by tiny lightning bolts...
"Anything new for us today, Luna?" Serena asked around a mouthful of chocolates. The five Sailor Scouts were sitting on the steps of Raye's temple, having their weekly Sailor Scout meeting.
"Nothing yet," Luna answered. "The negaverse seems to be awfully quiet. I keep picking up low-frequency bad vibes, but I can't tell where they're coming from."
Lita kept quiet. She knew all too well where they were coming from. Raye gave her a look of silent gratitude.
"What do you think, Raye?" Serena asked, startling her into dropping the comic book she was holding. "Have you sensed anything?"
Raye cast around for a way to avoid the question. "I've been really tired lately, haven't been concentrating much on my visions," she mumbled.
"You should try a fire reading," Amy suggested. "I did a scan with my computer, but I didn't pick up anything other than a sort of background noise. It seems to have increased, though, and not in any pattern I've seen before."
What if it's her? Raye thought. We need Amy. She's the smartest one of us. We can't work without her.
"That's a good idea," Mina agreed, grinning at Amy. "The negaverse has to be up to something. They're always up to something."
I can't do it to Mina. Being a Sailor Scout is her whole life, for her more than for any of us. What would she do? She's been a Scout longer than the rest of us put together. I don't think she could adjust to being a normal girl.
"Come on, let's go," Serena said. "I want to find out what's going on." She bounced up the steps into the temple, smacking Raye with one of her pigtails.
"Why, you--" Raye ran after her, the Ice Amulet temporarily forgotten.
Raye knelt on the wooden floor in front of the sacred fire. She tried to concentrate, but she kept thinking of what she had to do. Clear your mind, she told herself. If it turns out that our enemy now is Astris, the Scouts will destroy her, and then I won't have to deal with this.
"Sacred fire," she said, "show us the face of our enemy!"
The fire rippled, changing shape rapidly. An outline appeared in it, coming clear. The Scouts strained to see it.
It was Raye's face.
"What's going on?" Serena asked. "Raye? Is the fire going wacko or something? Raye?" She grasped her friend's shoulder and turned her around.
Raye had gone dead white, and she was trembling violently. "It's me--it's me--" she repeated over and over.
"It must be some kind of negaverse trick," Artemis said. "We'd better get her out of here."
"Right." Lita took Raye's arm and helped her stand up. "Raye? Can you walk?"
"I'm fine," Raye said slowly. "I just--I didn't think it was--"
"Everything's going to be all right," Luna told her soothingly. "There's nothing to be afraid of."
Serena was awakened the next morning by the beeping of her communicator. "Hmm? What?" she demanded, pressing the flashing Mercury button. "This had better be--"
"We've got trouble," Amy answered tersely. "The arcade's being attacked. Venus is already here. Get Mars and Jupiter as quickly as you can."
"Right. I'll be there in a few minutes."
When the three Scouts reached the arcade, Venus was engaged in battle with a three-headed creature. The creature held Mercury in its claws, ignoring her struggles to free herself.
"Mars Fire--Ignite!" The blast sheared off the arm holding Mercury, who dropped limply to the ground, unconscious. "You guys take care of this, I'll get Mercury out of here!" Mars called.
"Right!" Venus agreed. Mars dragged Mercury into a nearby alley, out of the line of fire.
When she was sure that they were out of sight, Mars pulled out the octagon crystal. "I'm sorry to have to do this," she said, "but there isn't any other way. Octagon Dark Energy Scan!"
The scan seemed to take longer this time, or maybe that was just her imagination. She was terrified that Mercury might wake up at any second and discover what was happening--
As quickly as it had begun, the crystal shut off, becoming dormant again. Mars thought she saw a tiny ripple cross the crystal's surface, streaking it with blue for an instant, but it was gone so quickly that she wasn't sure.
Mercury's eyes opened slowly. "Mars? What happened?"
"You were fighting that--thing, whatever it was, and it knocked you out somehow," Mars explained glibly. "Are you feeling all right?"
"My head hurts. And I can't see--everything's all blurry." Suddenly, Mercury's uniform flickered, changing back to her school clothes. "Mars, what's happening?"
She's the one! Mars thought. Oh, no. What have I done?
Then the Sailor outfit reappeared. "That was weird," Mercury said. "I felt almost as though I was losing control of my Scout self--I'm not sure how to explain it."
"Do your powers still work?" Mars asked. Now she was confused. It had looked as though the Ice Amulet was being revealed the way Astris had said, but now she wasn't sure what was going on.
"Mercury Bubbles--Blast! It seems to work all right." Mercury turned to her friend. "Mars, are you okay? You look upset."
Mars shook her head vehemently. "No, no, I'm fine. We'd better get back to the others, they might need us."
When they rejoined the other Scouts, the monster had already been dispatched. "Took you long enough," Venus said. "We were worried."
"She's all right," Mars said. "Come on, we're going to be late for school. We'd better go."
Astris chuckled, leaning against Kalcite's shoulder. "It's working perfectly," she laughed. "Amazing how gullible the humans can be. The Amulet will be ours in no time."
Raye stared at the octagon crystal in her hands. "There's something I'm missing," she said quietly. "It has to be Mina, there's no question about that now. But--something doesn't seem right about this somehow--"
The door of her room burst open and Serena bounded in, grinning. "Raye, I just had the greatest idea. Let's go shopping! There's a mega-huge sale at--" She stopped. "Hey, what's that?" Before Raye could stop her, Serena had taken the crystal from her.
A black nimbus flared into existence around her hands. Serena screamed and tried to drop it, but it clung to her. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" Raye grabbed the crystal from Serena and hurled it across the room. Serena collapsed onto the bed, shuddering. "Raye--what is that?"
"It's--a meditation aid," Raye lied smoothly. "Very ancient. It belongs to Grampa. It's very dangerous if you haven't studied how to use it properly. Don't touch it anymore."
Serena stared at the palms of her hands. The skin was red and starting to blister. "Raye--it seemed almost--evil. Are you sure it's safe for you to use it?"
"Oh, yeah, perfectly safe. See?" Raye picked up the crystal, half expecting it to hurt her as well, but it stayed dormant. "Nothing to worry about. Just don't you try to use it. In fact, don't even go near it."
"No problem." Serena grinned, her good mood restored. "Now, what about that sale?"
When Raye returned home that evening, she took the crystal out of her pocket and looked at it. It had turned a faint pinkish color. "I think there's a pattern here," Raye said to herself. "Every time it scans someone, it changes color. It was blue when it scanned Mercury, and white when it scanned Jupiter. Does that mean it scanned Serena when she touched it? Probably," she answered her own question. "I guess the words aren't necessary then."
She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind. Usually a hot shower helped her relax, but tonight she was too tense. She kept thinking there was something missing.
Then, suddenly, it came to her. "It was red! When Astris gave the crystal to me, it was red! That means they must have scanned me! But why would they do that, if there was no chance of my having the Amulet? Unless--that's not really what they're looking for at all. But then what could the purpose of all this be?" The crystal had scanned each Sailor Scout, and affected each of them differently; Raye hadn't been affected at all, and Lita only slightly, while Amy had nearly lost control of her powers and Serena had been physically hurt. It was as though the crystal was gaining strength each time. But where would it get power from? Unless--
A brilliant insight dawned on her. "The crystal is drawing out our powers! Copying them, maybe, or parts of them. And when they're all taken, and joined together--the negaverse would be invincible! I've got to warn the others!" She jumped out of the shower and ran to the front hall, taking the stairs three at a time.
"Raye!" Her grandfather's shout brought her up short. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I need to meet my friends, Grampa. I won't stay out late, I promise--"
"You're not leaving this house like that, young lady! Now, I know fashions may have changed since I was young, but there are certain things a girl simply does not show people!"
Raye suddenly realized that she was naked and dripping soapy water all over the floor. Mortified, she raced upstairs to put on some clothes.
"You what??"
"I didn't have any choice!" Raye protested. "Serena and Darien were dead!"
"And how do you know this Astris wasn't the one who killed them?" Mina demanded. "I can't believe this, Raye! You've betrayed the Sailor Scouts." She was staring at her friend as though the other girl was something three days dead. Amy looked nearly as horrified.
"Mina--" Lita put a hand on her shoulder. "Lay off, okay? What Raye did, she did for a good reason. You weren't there. You don't know what you might have done."
"I'd never have made a deal with them! I'd have left things they way they were supposed to be!"
"And left Serena dead?"
Serena nodded, conceding the point. "She's right, you know."
"Guys, it's not going to do any good to fight," Amy said softly. "What we have to do now is decide on a plan of action. Okay?"
"I say we destroy the crystal," Lita volunteered. "Bang! No more problem."
Mina shook her head. "Uh-uh. If this thing really has absorbed our powers like Raye thinks--"
"It has," Amy agreed. "I scanned it, and I'm reading definite power signatures of all of us except you."
"--then we can't use them to destroy it," Mina finished. "It would be immune to your powers, and mine would probably just be absorbed. And once they were, I guess Astris would show up, and then we'd have a real problem."
"No, wait!" Serena exclaimed. "That's a good idea. Astris expects that when Raye scans the final person--Venus--she'll be alone. And probably Raye on her own isn't any match for her. So--"
"An ambush!" Lita realized, liking the idea. "Yeah! That sounds like it'll work."
"I think I know how to do it," Amy said slowly. "But you guys are going to have to trust me--"
Sailor Mars looked around carefully to make sure she was alone. "Venus!" she called. "Over here! I think I've found something!"
Sailor Venus came up beside her. "What is it?"
"Over there," Mars said. As Venus turned her head, Mars pressed the crystal against the back of her neck. Venus fell soundlessly to the ground.
There was a shimmering in the air above. Mars pretended not to see it, staring instead at the crystal. "I wonder why the Ice Amulet hasn't appeared?" she asked loudly.
"Because there isn't any such thing, you fool," Astris answered, chuckling. "The Ice Amulet is the mixture of all your powers, confined together in the dark crystal. I'm not surprised you didn't figure it out, though; you humans are so gullible."
"Then this was all a trick!" Mars exclaimed. "How dare you!"
Astris flicked her wrist, and the crystal drifted upwards toward her. "Now!" Mars shouted.
"Mercury Bubbles--Blast!" The air was filled with a thick fog, shielding the Scouts from view. The crystal fell from Astris' control and dropped on the ground, rolling away out of sight.
"Jupiter Thunder--"
"Mars Fire--"
"Crash!"
"Ignite!"
The combined attack hurled Astris backwards against a tree. "You think you can defeat me so easily?" she snapped. "Hah!" She raised her hand, and the crystal flew toward her. "Fire!" she shouted, and a stream of flame burst from her hand, scattering the Sailor Scouts.
By this time the fog had vanished, and the Scouts could see Astris clearly. She floated a few meters above them, the crystal in her hand glowing brightly. "Thunder!" she ordered, and forks of white light flew from the cloudless sky to strike the ground near the bushes where the Sailor Scouts lay hidden. Only Sailor Moon still stood out in the open.
"You'll never defeat us!" Sailor Moon shouted back, taking refuge in the familiar words. "Because I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice! And in the name of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil! And that means you!"
Astris grinned evilly. "Sure it does, Sailor Moon. Witness the power of the Ice Amulet!" She raised the crystal high above her head. "Fire!" A wreath of flame encircled it. "Mist!" A grey fog filled the air around her hand.
"We've got to do something!" Mars whispered. "Now, before it's too late!"
Mercury shook her head. "No!" she hissed. "Not yet! Watch!"
"But she's too strong for us!" Jupiter protested. "We're going to die!"
"No!" Mercury said again. "We have to wait!"
Astris continued her chant. "Thunder!" A web of tiny lightning bolts appeared.
"That's it. I'm going out there. Jupiter Thunder--"
"You can't!" Mercury grasped Jupiter's wrists and held her. "Wait just a second."
Astris called on the final power. "Light!" Glowing sparkles rained down on her face and shoulders. A bright beam flew from the center of the crystal, charged with the power of all four Sailor Scouts. "Ice Amulet Energy--Attack!"
The crystal glowed brighter and brighter, but they energy didn't shoot out. Instead, it seemed to be trapped inside somehow. The pink glow Mars had seen earlier was spreading across the surface of the crystal, containing the rest of the energy. Everyone turned to look at Sailor Moon; the Imperium Silver Crystal was glowing with the same pink light.
"It's not working!" Astris realized. "What's happening?"
"I thought so," Mercury said with satisfaction, standing up from her hiding place. "They never intended for Mars to use the Octagon Crystal on Sailor Moon. Her powers are too strong; the crystal can't contain them! We have to attack now, while all this nega-scum's concentration is on controlling the crystal!"
"You got it, Mercury!" Jupiter exclaimed. "Jupiter Thunder--Crash!"
"Mars Fire--Ignite!"
"Mercury Bubbles--Blast!"
"Venus Crescent Beam--Smash!"
Astris fell to her knees, unable to fight off the force of the combined attack. She barely had strength left to hold the Octagon Crystal. The darkness in it was barely visible now, covered over by a wildly coruscating flood of light.
Instead of attacking, Sailor Moon simply raised the Imperium Silver Crystal above her head. The light from it tripled, quadrupled, grew beyond counting. It enveloped the Octagon Crystal, and the last shred of shadow disappeared. The Octagon Crystal brightened with the same light. Astris, suddenly fearful, tried to drop the crystal, but it clung to her hands, burning her. Smoke was rising from her skin. "Nooooo!" Her last scream was drowned out by the crystal exploding, and she was gone.
Sailor Jupiter looked around shakily, brushing crystal fragments from her arms. "What--what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I thought we were dead for sure."
"Sailor Moon's will was stronger than Astris'," Mercury explained. "With the essence of her power already in the Octagon Crystal, she was able to gain control of it. Only for a moment, but it was enough."
"What would have happened if I hadn't been able to get control of it?" Serena demanded. "We'd all have been dead! You could have warned me in advance, you know!"
"Like you'd have listened anyway, meatball head," Mars retorted. "Or understood what Amy was talking about, even."
"Yeah? I'm just as smart as you are!"
Venus rolled her eyes and sighed deeply as the two Scouts stuck out their tongues at each other. "Looks like everything's back to normal," she said. "At least, as normal as anything ever gets around here."
"Amen to that," Jupiter agreed. "Let's go home."
End.