"Mars Flame Sniper!" The yoma writhed in pain, clawing at the flaming arrow embedded in its shoulder. Sailor Mars looked to Sailor Moon, and watched as she finished the monster off.

"Good job everybody!" That was Mercury, always the team player.

"That was a really good shot Mars." Mars absently looked over at Venus.

"Thanks..." The yoma was gone, but she still sensed evil, and it was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" Mars smiled at Jupiter.

"Nothing, I was just... thinking." Jupiter got that smile that meant she was up to something, and that was never good.

"About a boy?" Mars mock-shoved Jupiter away, pretending to be angry.

"No! Why would I be thinking about a boy?!" Venus looked at Mars and tapped her foot.

"You have a guy and you didn't tell me?!" Mars rolled her eyes.

"Come ON Venus, Jupiter and I were just kidding around." Venus waved her hand dismissively.

"I knew that."

Raye got home soon after dark. Her combat boots clomped up the stairs as she climbed. She was tempted to take the stairs three at a time the way she usually did, but she and the girls had gone shopping that day and she'd been 'dressed up,' as Mina called it. Raye considered it closer to dressing down! She'd never shown so much skin in her life! She was wearing black mini-skirt that wouldn't make a decent hand-towel and a light blue tank top that showed almost every inch of cleavage she had. It even revealed the lacy black edge of her bra over the top! True, it had been kind of funny to see all the high school boys gape as she strutted through the mall. And it was even better when... Raye laughed involuntarily at the thought. Lita had been keeping her eye on an attractive boy, and HE had been checking out Raye for over an hour. Lita had purposely knocked Raye's shopping bags out of her hands so that Raye had to bend down. Naturally, her skirt had ridden up, revealing the black thong she'd been wearing underneath. The guy's eyes had gotten as large and round as saucers. Everyone had laughed as Raye turned red and straightened. That is, everyone laughed except the boy... his mouth had still been hanging open.

She trudged into her room and flopped on her bed, hiding her henshin wand under her pillow.

"What a day..." She rolled over and picked up her new book. She read for a few hours, then looked at the clock.

"Where is everybody? Grandpa would have bothered me by now..." She got up and looked through the house, but she was alone.

On the way back to her room, Raye saw a note on the fridge: "Grocery shopping. Be back later." Raye rubbed her forehead.

"Well that's great." She went back to her room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I guess we'll be eating late tonight." Raye lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, and it wouldn't hurt to nap until Grandpa got back...

Raye was balancing on the thin line between asleep and awake when she heard footsteps.

Must be grandpa... She ignored the sound, even when it stopped in front of her door. The door squeaked in protest as it was pushed open, but Raye didn't stir.

Leave me alone... She heard the footsteps walk over to her bed and then felt someone sit down on the edge. Raye waited for her grandpa to scream at her or something, but all was quiet. The only sound she heard was soft breathing.

Rubeus was surprised at how easy this assignment was turning out to be. Sailor Mars had been relatively easy to track down, and her house was totally deserted. Better yet, he found the girl asleep, and totally unaware of his presence. He sat down on the bed, gently stroking Raye's cheek. He had always thought that Sailor Mars was gorgeous, even when she got under his skin. That glossy black hair, beautiful white skin, the fiery temper, and those flashing purple eyes. And now, all he had to do was bring her back, just as Diamond had ordered. Easy as pie. Still, she was just so incredibly beautiful. Rubeus's reaction to this was only natural. He couldn't help kissing her.

The moment Raye felt lips against hers, a conscious thought flitted through her mind.

Not grandpa! She started wading though the bog, trying to wake up.

Come on Raye! Open your eyes! Now! Slowly, oh so slowly, Raye's heavy lids began to lose their weight. They fluttered open... and Raye gasped.

Rubeus was surprised when Raye's eyes opened, but he reacted quickly and grabbed her hair, jerking her head back so she couldn't hit him. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled tight, pinning her arms to her sides, while the hand that had caught her hair covered her mouth. Rubeus looked around cautiously, straining to keep Raye from breaking loose.

Good, no one heard anything... He pulled Raye off the bed and started dragging her through the house. She was thrashing and twisting like a wild animal, straining her muscles to their max. Slowly but surely, Rubeus finally succeeded in getting Raye outside. He shoved her to the ground and pinned her down with one arm while the other tied a gag around her head. Rubeus then took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and slapped them on her wrists. Raye's eyes were dark violet pools of pure hatred, glaring at him the way a cornered cat stares down a dog. Rubeus hoisted her off the ground and slung her over his shoulder, grunting as she pounded on his back. Rubeus walked into his ship and threw Raye on the floor angrily, then kicked her in the stomach.

"Quit squirming!"

Raye gasped for air. Rubeus had hit her right in the gut, and she'd gotten the wind knocked out of her. She groaned and rolled onto her back so she could see him. Rubeus was smirking like a cat that had a mouse dangling by its tail.

"That's better. How do you feel?" Rubeus smirked and knelt down, brushing Raye's bangs out of her eyes as she thrashed. Rubeus chuckled.

"That bad, hmm? Well, that's a pity..." He slowly untied the gag and, since the hormones were now flowing, buried his hands in her long, raven hair, then gently pressed his lips against hers. Raye's eyes went wide with shock, and then her fear caught up with her rage. She resumed her thrashing, trying to pull away. Rubeus only clutched her hair tighter and pressed his mouth against hers with more ferocity. As his lust started to get the better of him, Rubeus forced his tongue between Raye's lips and locked his tongue with hers. Raye gasped again and jerked her head to the side, finally breaking the kiss. But that didn't stop Rubeus. He started planting kisses down her neck, then nibbled down her collarbone. Raye moaned and then inhaled sharply as Rubeus tried to climb on top of her.

"Get away!!!" Rubeus smirked and leaned close, to whisper in her ear.

"Afraid, Sailor Mars?"

Raye glared at Rubeus and hissed, "You wish I was afraid..." Rubeus threw his head back and laughed.

"Always the little viper, eh Mars? Or should I call you Raye Hino?" Raye wished that she actually was a viper, then she could bite Rubeus and wipe that stupid smile off his face.

"I've got a question for YOU flame-head! How did you get out of that spaceship alive?!" Rubeus stroked his chin.

She's calling me flame-head? Heh, like she can talk.

"You really want to know?" Raye snorted.

"Call it curiosity." Rubeus smirked.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Rei snapped, "Do I have fur?!" Rubeus's eyes skimmed down Raye's figure to her wrinkled skirt. "I don't know… I could look…" Raye's leg snapped out and hit Rubeus' shin, making him wince.

"I'll take that as a no."

"You'd better! Now answer my question!!!" Rubeus chuckled and sat down by Raye's side, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Actually, I have you to thank for it." Raye's eyes narrowed and she jerked out of Rubeus's grip.

"Are you sure you weren't in there when that ship exploded, because I think you've hit your head pretty hard. There's obviously something wrong with your brain." Rubeus shook his head.

"As you and your friends were teleporting out, you thought of me." He smirked and stroked Raye's hair.

"You wondered what would happen to me... and for some reason I survived the explosion." He straightened and pinned Raye against the wall.

"You hoped that I would live, out of human sympathy you made a wish... You wished that I could get a second chance." He grabbed Raye's chin and made her look at him.

"Am I right?" Raye turned her head away and forced the words between her teeth.

"I was soft. But it won't happen again! This time, I'll kill you with my bare hands and I won't feel a single shred of regret."

"Will you now..." Rubeus grabbed Raye's chin again and stared into her eyes.

"Tell me the truth little firefly... do you really think you have the guts?" Raye tried to jerk her chin away, but Rubeus' grip was tight and their gazes locked.

"I..." Rubeus let go and stood up, smirking.

"I knew it, you're helpless."

Raye's anger flared up and she shouted, "I am not!!! I, unlike you, value human life and have no desire to take it!!!" Rubeus glared at her.

"That's not true. You don't know anything." Raye snorted.

"Oh yes I do. I know that you and that terrible Prince Diamond slaughtered everyone in Crystal Tokyo, just to get to the Silver Imperium Crystal. And I also know that you enjoyed every minute of it." Rubeus clenched his fists.

"First of all, I was following orders. Second of all, none of that's true. You claim to hate ignorant people, but you know nothing, just like everyone else." Apparently, that remark hit a nerve.

"Stop lying, you bastard! You deserve to die!!!" Raye sprang up and swung her cuffed wrists at Rubeus's head. He quickly ducked and pushed her backwards. Raye staggered and lost her balance, slamming into the wall. Rubeus was there in an instant, kissing her hard and wrapping his hands around her. His knuckles worked into that spot right at the base of her spine, making her shiver. Chad had always done that, but he wasn't nearly as good as Rubeus.

Rubeus felt Raye shudder against him.

Oh... you like that, don't you... He kissed her harder and let his hands glide over her curves. She was incredibly sensitive; the slightest touch would trigger a lively reaction. Rubeus felt Raye's feeble resistance start to crumble. She barely moved, letting his fingers roam where they would.

Raye felt like she was melting, the way he touched her. He seemed to know every sensitive spot on her body, brushing over them ever so lightly. Raye wanted so badly to fight back; he had, after all, insulted her honor and her morals. But the feeling was just so overwhelming... like trying to swim through Jell-O. Finally, Raye gave up. Her limbs were shaking so badly, she couldn't stand up as Rubeus let go. He watched Raye slump against the wall and smirked.

"Admit it firefly, you are helpless. You can't even fight back, even though I've insulted you. I know you hate me for it." He leaned against the wall and watched as Raye tried to catch her breath.

"So, when are you going to go through with that death threat, hmm?" Raye blinked dizzily as her chest heaved up and down. Rubeus had to struggle to keep from pouncing on her again. One of the straps of Raye's top had slipped off her shoulder, and her shirt was sliding down with it, revealing quite a bit of her breast. Her heavy breathing wasn't helping either, and she looked so stunning with her tousled hair and scanty clothing, it was all Rubeus could do to turn away and walk to the ship's controls.

This is a mission, he reminded himself.

A business trip. They were going back to the future. The Wiseman would be pleased to finally have one of the senshi at his disposal. There was an annoying whirring sound as a few millennia flew by in an instant, and then, in a loud thunder-clap, everything stopped.

Rubeus stepped out of the ship with Raye over his shoulder, pounding on his back harder than ever. Prince Diamond, Sapphire, Emerald, and the Wiseman all looked on as he dropped Raye on the ground.

"The senshi of fire, your highness." Raye clambered to her feet and glared around her.

"What is this?! Why am I here?!"

She looked at the Wiseman and hissed, "I thought you were all dead." The Wiseman laughed eerily.

"When you resurrect one of the Dark Moon Family, the rest follow. We are bound to each other in life and death." Raye's eyes flashed and she straightened to her full height. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and her eyes flashed angrily as she stared Prince Diamond square in the eye.

"I hope that binding works twice... for your sake." Prince Diamond snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

"She's yours Wiseman. Interrogate her, torture her, anything. You know what you have to do." Rubeus's eyes narrowed and he stepped in front of Raye.

"I thought you weren't going to hurt her!" Prince Diamond glanced over his shoulder indifferently.

"She's obviously not going to cooperate. I think force is going to be a necessity." Rubeus grabbed Diamond by the shoulder.

"But you can't do that!!!"

Diamond brushed Rubeus's hand away and snapped, "I can do anything I want. Now go do something productive! Maybe you could cook dinner..." Emerald laughed, that annoying, nasal, high- pitched shriek, and swept behind Diamond, followed by Sapphire. Rubeus turned around and clenched his fist. He walked back over to Raye and glared at Wiseman.

"I think I can take care of her." The Wiseman didn't move.

"I doubt that. Besides, I have this wildfire is under control." As he spoke, a hole opened up in the ground underneath Raye and she disappeared, screaming.

"WISEMAN!" Rubeus stalked up to the floating figure and pointed a finger in his face.

"You hurt a hair on her head and I swear I'll-" Wiseman interrupted him.

"Fool. You know that it's treason to have feelings for her. If I were you, I would forget all about all about the girl." Rubeus's eyes narrowed until they were barely even slits.

"Let's get one thing straight Wise-ass, the only thing about her that interests me is her power, but she needs to be alive if I'm gonna get it." The Wiseman laughed.

"Have it your way Rubeus!"

Raye fell in total darkness, she didn't know how far. There was a sudden thud as she hit the ground and a loud crack, then pain shot up her leg. She felt her injured leg give out and she put her hands out to stop her fall. Raye felt her elbow strike the floor and she gritted her teeth. She slowly sat up and blinked.

"I can't see a thing..." Wiseman's voice echoed from somewhere in front of Raye.

"Is the child afraid of the dark?"

Raye's temper flared and she shouted, "I'm not afraid of anything!!!" She started to stand up and then groaned as her leg gave out a second time. Wiseman's voice came again, from her right this time.

"Everyone's afraid of something..." Raye tried to follow the voice, but now it was bouncing all over.

"Why don't you just come out and fight me?!" Wiseman laughed maniacally.

"Fight you? In that condition, you can't even stand up!" Raye climbed up and leaned on her good leg.

"Oh really? Well, I'm standing now! I guess that shows how much you know!!!" There was a small spark in front of Raye, and then a sudden blast of fire, throwing her back several feet. "Insolent brat! You should know better than to defy me!!!" Raye groaned and touched her head where it hurt. There was a deep gash on her forehead, and the blood was beginning to drip down the side of her face. There was light now... very faint light, although anything Raye could see swirled in a sickening way. The dim glow was coming from the crystal ball that the Wiseman was always holding. The Wiseman waved his hand and shadows crept out of the cracks and corners of the room. They wound around Raye's wrists and neck and suddenly turned into cold, heavy, iron shackles. Wiseman chuckled as the last shadow formed into a chain that was attached to an iron band around Raye's neck.

"Ahh... finally on a leash where you belong." Raye was about to comment when Wiseman jerked the chain, making her gag.

"Animals don't talk..." Raye coughed and tried to loosen the collar, but it was strangely tight.

"Don't waste your time Sailor Mars. That collar will tighten whenever I want it to. And it will only loosen when I say the word." He was right. The harder Raye tried to pull it off, the tighter the iron got. It was starting to get hard to breathe.

"Of course, if you cooperated, I could probably take it off."

"I don't beleive you!!" The Wiseman jerked the chain again.

"You don't have a choice." Raye felt the band tighten to emphasize his point. She was starting to wheeze, her airway was so badly constricted.

"Now then, why don't you tell me about the Silver Crystal."

"Never!!!" Jerk. Tighten. Wheeze.

"I'm beginning to get impatient."

"I would rather die...." Another jerk.

"It will be hard to protect your princess if you're dead."

"She's strong... she can last without me..." The Wiseman jerked Raye forward and then picked her up by the chain, roaring in fury.

"Tell me now!!!" It was a struggle to breathe, but Raye still found the strength to shout.

"No!!!" The Wiseman shook his head.

"Too bad… Well, have it your way, Sailor Mars." The collar tightened again, closing off her airway completely. The Wiseman laughed as Raye began to choke.

No air! No air! No air no air NO AIR!!!!!! Everything started turning darker, and the laughter sounded farther off, like the Wiseman was a mile away.

Oh my god... he's really going to kill me...

The Wiseman's laughter peaked as Raye passed out. Reluctantly, he dropped her on floor. He was enjoying himself immensely. The sight of proud Sailor Mars on her knees and shackled was most amusing. The girl was arrogant to a fault, but her loyalty seemed to be unwavering. And she was strong, even the Wiseman would admit that. Even though she'd nearly been strangled, her breathing was already stabilizing, falling into the steady rhythm of a sound sleeper. Her skills as a warrior were also superior. Many an enemy had fallen in battle at the hands of the soldier of fire. But, as so many promising young people tended to be, she was on the wrong side.

"Pity..." Wiseman was about to leave, when a thought struck him.

"If she's unconscious, her mind will probably be easier to infiltrate." As he considered this new development, yet another notion occurred to him.

"Besides, if she gets sleep, she'll start to recover..."

He waved his hand over his crystal ball and muttered, "That will not do..."

Raye peeked around the corner, and sighed, relieved to find only her reflection. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the crystal maze, making Raye uncomfortable. For some strange reason, she was clutching only a towel around her naked body, which was one excellent reason not to make noise. Raye heard footsteps behind her, and whirled around suddenly. It was Chad. Shaggy haired, loud-mouthed, annoying Chad. Raye heaved a sigh of relief and ran to him. Chad was silent, but wrapped his arms around her.

"Chad, I was so scared..." Raye's words drifted into nothingness as she felt Chad's hands slide down her waist, toying with the corners of the towel.

"What are you doing?!" Raye looked up, into the smugly grinning face of Rubeus.

"You! Let go!" But Rubeus didn't let go. Instead, he untied the knot that had kept the towel from coming undone and pushed Raye to the floor.

"Hey!!!" Rubeus was on top of her instantly. He'd tossed his vest to the side, exposing his broad, strong chest, and he was starting to kiss his way down Raye's neck.

"No! Stop it!!!"

"Come on Raye... you know you want this..." Raye squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think rationally.

"But... but I can't... Even if you have changed, we're on opposite sides!" Raye would never admit it, but she wished that they were allies, rather than enemies. Despite that he had kidnapped her twice, handed her over to Diamond, and practically attacked her on multiple occasions, he made her feel better about herself. Even if it was just lust, the fact that Rubeus was so obviously interested in her eased her insecurities. After all, even the collected, confident soldier of fire had doubts. Especially when she was surrounded by her friends. They all had something special about them, whether it was intelligence, culinary skills, or artistic talent. She was nothing but a frigid priestess that stared at fires and socialized with crows. What was so special about that? Rubeus was the only person who didn't seem to be repulsed by her. Of course, it was no surprise that, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't be with him.

"Rubeus! Stop this! Stop this now!" Raye 's eyes opened to see the blank void where the Wiseman's face was supposed to be. She screamed and tried to pull away, but his icy hands were holding her there. She wasn't even sure they were hands; she felt like she was freezing. Raye looked down at where he was gripping her, and frost was starting to spread across her skin.

"No!" The frost turned to ice, engulfing her arms and then spreading down her body. Soon, she was frozen solid except for her neck and head.

"Please, let me go!!!" The Wiseman laughed and the ice grew twice as fast. Raye felt it creep up the back of her neck, up her cheeks. The last thing that froze was her eyes, wide open in terror. Then, as Raye watched from inside her chilly coffin, the Wiseman held his hand out and a black, crackling ball of energy formed in his palm. Raye tried to scream, but there was no air. Wiseman pulled his arm back and hurled the sphere at Raye's frozen heart. The last thing she saw was shattered ice flying in every direction.

Raye sat up suddenly, shivering and aching all over. Her neck and wrists where chafed, and her once glossy, black hair, was knotted and drenched with sweat. She felt a sticky sensation on one side of her face, gluing her hair to her skin. Blood, from her gash. Everything came back to her, like an adrenaline rush. Rubeus, the time machine, the Dark Moon Family, Wiseman… Raye slumped against the stone wall behind her, exhausted.

"Sailor Moon... I wish you were here..." Wiseman's laugh emerged from the shadows, and Raye instinctively leapt to her feet, despite the sharp pains that shot through her entire body.

"Enjoy your dream Sailor Mars? I used your darkest secrets to create it just for you!"

Raye glared in the voice's direction and hissed, "You were in my head?!" Wiseman snickered.

"Oh yes... very interesting. You have some very intriguing insecurities, not to mention feelings towards a certain sworn enemy." The dart hit home.

"How dare you!!! You... you sick bastard!!!" An icy cold hand slapped Raye across the face, with such force that she stumbled backwards.

"Don't you ever address me that way again! I can destroy you any time I want!!!" Raye slowly turned her face to meet him again, smirking. She knew the coppery taste in her mouth was her blood, but that only fueled her anger. Nobody hit her and got away with it.

"If you can destroy me any time you want, then why haven't you done it yet, hmm?" The crystal ball flashed, and emitted another burst of flame, almost twice as big as the last one. Raye felt herself hit the wall, there was a sickening crack as she struck the floor. The Wiseman floated over to pick her up by the hair. Her manacles slowly dissolved, but Raye's arms were still too heavy to move. The empty void that served as the Doom Phantom's face floated close to hers.

"An excellent question Sailor Mars... an excellent question indeed..." Darkness.

Diamond stared at his wineglass, almost as if he was inspecting the amber liquid within.

"Any progress with the senshi?" The Wiseman shook his head.

"She is a very stubborn girl... and very complicated... It is difficult to penetrate her mind." Diamond threw the wine down angrily and stood up, crunching the shattered glass under his feet.

"She's just a girl! A brat! A child! You're telling me that you can't just hypnotize her or something?!" Wiseman didn't seem to care that Diamond was angry.

"It's not that simple, your highness. All the senshi are endowed with incredible power. In addition, she has psychic talents that are protecting her, and she's completely devoted to her leader. Her mind simply will not relinquish any information regarding Princess Serenity. Her loyalty is so strong that she would turn down a lover to save her leader." Diamond stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Who are you referring to? Rubeus?" The Wiseman nodded.

"She is unwilling to admit it, but she is attracted to him. She thinks that he has the potential to be a normal, decent person. Also, his interest in her makes her feel more self-assured and desirable." Diamond nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you think that she would try to save him if he were in some sort of danger?" The Wiseman chuckled.

"She would be torn between her princess and her love; I cannot quite say which she would choose." He paused.

"However... she is a human. There is a small chance that she would give in to her selfishness... and divulge the secret of the Silver Crystal in exchange for him. Also, you may have noticed that Rubeus's loyalties seem to be wavering." Diamond nodded again, more vigorously.

"I thought he was acting strangely."

Wiseman continued, "Then, perhaps, if both their lives were in danger, he might try to convince her to cooperate, even if only for her sake, and not his own." Prince Diamond smirked, obviously in a much better mood.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Find Rubeus, now."

Rubeus threw his hands up in frustration. Raye was in a terrible situation now, because of him, and he felt obligated to help her out. He knew that Raye needed something to summon her senshi powers, but he had no clue what it looked like or where she'd hidden it. He angrily tore the covers off her bed, trying to let off steam. As a result, a red charm stick flew out from under the pillow and smacked Rubeus on the forehead.

"Ow!" Rubeus rubbed his forehead and stared at the projectile. It was a red wand, with an orb attached to the top that bore the sign of Mars. Rubeus scratched his head as he picked it up.

"Can I really be this lucky?"

"Hold it right it right there Rubeus!!" Rubeus spun around as Venus's chain of golden hearts wrapped around his arms. Sailor Moon crossed her arms and tapped her feet, with an infuriated-looking Jupiter standing behind her and cracking her knuckles.

"Alright you scumbag, where's Sailor Mars?!" Rubeus hung his head.

"Wiseman's got her." Sailor Moon exchanged a glance with Jupiter.

"I thought he was gone." Mercury shook her head.

"I doubt that. Rubeus is alive, so maybe Wiseman came with him." Venus folded her arms.

"Rubeus, you had better be telling the truth." Rubeus struggled against his bonds and his voice became louder as his temper rose.

"Of course I'm telling the truth!!! I want her out of there as much as any of you!!!" The love senshi's eyes widened and she looked at her leader.

"Sailor Moon... he's telling the truth." Sailor Moon blinked, stunned.

"How do you know?"

Venus tapped her tiara and responded, "I can feel it." Jupiter looked at Rubeus, with a little less anger showing on her face.

"Why do you want to help her? You're the one who kidnapped her in the first place." Rubeus sighed heavily.

"I know," he said after a moment.

"The Prince promised that she wouldn't be harmed... but he lied... This is all my fault..." Venus adjusted her grip on her Love-me-chain, then gasped as the golden hearts dissolved in her hands. Almost instantly, Rubeus noticed. He charged past Sailor Jupiter, dodging as she grabbed for him, and sprinted to his ship.

"I'll bring her back scouts, I promise!" Jupiter was about to run after him when Venus put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold it Lita.... he means it." Jupiter glared over her shoulder.

"You trust him?!" Venus sighed and smiled blissfully, her eyes sparkling.

"I know we can depend on him... He's in love with Raye..." Sailor Moon's jaw dropped to the floor.

"WHAAAT?!" Venus nodded.

"I can feel it. And, I think Raye feels the same way about him, although I don't know why. Think about it. If she'd wanted to, she could have toasted his butt a long time ago."

Jupiter nodded in agreement, then Mercury cut in, "Did any of you see his forehead?"

Sapphire walked up to Rubeus. He looked at Rubeus's forehead for a moment, then jerked his head down stiffly, staring at his shoes.

"Diamond wants you... now." Rubeus walked down the hall, hiding Raye's henshin wand in his boot before he entered the throne room. He approached Diamond's throne and made a sweeping bow.

"You requested me, your highness?" Diamond nodded calmly.

"Wiseman mentioned something very interesting about Sailor Mars." Rubeus felt the bottom drop out of his stomach, but he tried to hide it.

"Really? Like what?" Diamond smirked slightly.

"Wiseman told me that the girl has feelings toward you... and that you've returned the affection on several occasions." Rubeus stood up straight.

"That's not true! She's the enemy!!!" Diamond's smirk widened and he snapped his fingers.

"I'm glad you feel that way. You see, she hasn't been cooperating, and she's half dead as it is. Wiseman was just about to finish her off." As if on cue, Wiseman appeared, holding Raye in his arms. Her hair was a tangled mass that hung limply from her head, her body and limbs were slack. Rubeus looked closer and then felt his temper flare. There was a deep gash in her forehead that even now was still oozing blood. Wiseman dropped her gracelessly on the floor, chuckling softly.

"Would you care to do the honors Rubeus?" Rubeus glared at Diamond coldly.

"I'd be happy to." He jerked a dagger out from inside his vest and walked up to Raye. "Ooohh..."

Raye's eyelids fluttered and she murmured, "I need an aspirin..." Rubeus hesitated. She was waking up. Raye's vision slowly cleared, and her violet eyes rested on the dagger.

"You too huh?" Her cracked lips twisted into a cruel smile, but inside, she was hurt. Was he going to kill her after all?

"You're as spineless as the rest of them." Diamond jumped down from his throne, snarling.

"What was that supposed to mean?!" Raye looked over to Diamond as her smug grin widened.

"It means that, for all your tough talk, you're just a coward. You have other people do your dirty work, and you take cheap shots from a safe distance. Your attack on Crystal Tokyo was a good example. You're just an oversized baby." The room was filled with a resounding smack as Diamond's hand connected with Raye's cheek. Diamond's snarl melted into a satisfied smirk, then his jaw dropped as Raye started to laugh.

"Is that the best you can do Diamond?!" She snickered.

"The Four Sisters of Deception can punch harder than you!" The prince's eyes narrowed with fury.

"You insolent little brat!" There was a metallic grating sound as Diamond pulled a sword out of its sheath, resting the point against Raye's neck. Prince Diamond's hands shook slightly as he took a deep breath.

"You're no good to us. But, just so you know, Sailor Mars... Without you, Crystal Tokyo is missing one of its key defenses; the sacred barrier formed by the senshi. Your queen is as good as mine, with or without your help!"

He pulled his sword back for the killing blow and whispered, "I hope you burn in your own fire, little whore."

Rubeus didn't know what he was doing. In one swift movement, an open gash had appeared in Diamond's back, and the dagger in his hand was stained with blood. The Wiseman flew forward to stop him, but Rubeus fired a sphere of black energy at the crystal ball, shattering it. The figure shrieked and dissolved into nothingness as Prince Diamond collapsed to the ground. Rushing to Raye's side, Rubeus threw the dagger to the floor and dropped to his knees to take her in his arms.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to hurt you, but I didn't know what to do! They were already suspicious, and if I didn't follow orders, they'd have killed us both." Raye found the strength to break his hold on her and wrapped her arms around her waist, staring off to the side and refusing to meet his eyes.

"So, to save your own skin, you were going to kill me? Here I was, hoping you might think of me as a person!" Rubeus looked hurt.

"I do. Honestly. I just… well… I panicked. I was backed into a corner." Raye's face clouded in anger and she turned to give him a venomous glare.

"Oh, well that just makes everything perfectly fine! I understand! Don't worry about it! I'm used to being treated as an object!" Rubeus settled into a squatting position, staring at his hands as they dangled over his knees.

"That's not what I meant. It's just… I'm human too, Raye…" Raye felt a slight twinge of anger as he used her name, but she let him continue.

"I guess I'm not as honorable or courageous as you are, but… doesn't the fact that I'm concerned for you count for anything?" Raye refused to let her emotions show.

"I don't know. Are you talking about genuine concern, or more lies?" Rubeus let his anger overtake him and he grabbed Raye's chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Look at me! Look at what I've done! Do you think I would do or say any of these things just to keep up a charade?! If I had been lying, I would have let them kill you a long time ago!" Raye squeezed her eyes shut.

"I don't know! I don't understand you! I'm not sure if I can trust you!"

Opening her eyes and seeing the stung look on his face, Raye looked away from Rubeus again and murmured, "Then again, you have given me some pretty good reasons to trust you… I guess I'm obligated to give you another chance." Rubeus cocked an eyebrow.

"Obligated?" Raye smiled slightly and looked back to him.

"You know how I am. Honor is important to me. And… well, you're starting to become important to me too…" Raye's face flushed and she held her breath.

Please, Rubeus, don't reject me… Rubeus smiled back at her.

"You're important to me, too." Raye exhaled in relief as her smile widened a bit.

"That's good to know." They exchanged stares for a few more seconds, before Rubeus lunged forward and hugged her tightly.

"Ow!" Rubeus quickly pulled away, and for the first time noticed the bruises spread across Raye's skin, especially the ones around her neck.

"That bastard! What did he do to you?" Raye rolled her eyes.

"Just your routine torture. You know, chains, being thrown against walls, fireballs, suffocation, freaky dreams, stuff like that. No big deal, really." Rubeus shook his head. Despite numerous wounds and a traumatic experience, she was still as sarcastic as ever.

"Can you walk?"

Raye glanced at her battered legs momentarily, before replying cheerfully, "Nope. Looks like you'll have to carry me." Rubeus easily scooped her up, being careful not to hurt her injured leg.

"That doesn't sound too bad."

Rubeus gently set Raye down on the control panel of his ship.

"Can you hold on without help? This thing is usually pretty bumpy." Raye smiled. He was so cute all of a sudden, with his eyes full of concern and his mouth... his mouth... Raye leaned forward and kissed Rubeus on the lips, not with the demanding need of passion, but the slow, gentle affection of a lover. Rubeus leaned into her kiss and punched the necessary buttons from the corner of his eye. They ignored the whirring and the thunderclap, still embracing each other, until a voice rose from the front of the ship.

"Are we interrupting something, Raye?" Raye immediately pulled away from Rubeus and looked over his shoulder, turning crimson. The rest of the senshi were giggling in the doorway. Venus was the first to step forward.

"I know you probably wanted to keep on… ah, getting to know each other, but..." She giggled and then managed to compose herself.

"We want to say thank you, Rubeus, for bringing her back safely." Mercury elbowed Jupiter and Moon in the sides. They squealed in unison, and Mercury coughed. Reluctantly, Jupiter walked up.

"What Venus said..." She looked over her shoulder and sighed as Mercury glared at her.

"And... I'm sorry for trying to splatter your brains." Mercury nodded happily and pushed Sailor Moon forward.

"Look, Rubeus, we've had some tension in the past, and some recently as well." She paused and sighed.

"But, I've overlooked that, and we are deeply indebted to you." Another pause.

"But I'm warning you Rubeus, if you pull a fast one on Raye, you'll have five very angry senshi on your tail!" Sailor Moon smiled and held out her hand. Rubeus chuckled and shook it.

"I guess this means I'm part of the White Moon now, huh?" Raye smiled and hugged him. "Actually, you have been for a while now, if you didn't notice..." Venus produced a mirror and held it up for Rubeus. He took it and squinted, as if he thought he was hallucinating, then cried out in astonishment.

"What in the-" Rubeus touched his forehead in confusion. The upside-down black moon had reversed and turned gold.

"But... when... how..." Mercury smiled.

"I first noticed when we caught you looking for Raye's wand." Rubeus smacked his forehead.

"I almost forgot." He reached down and pulled the wand out of his boot, placing it in Raye's hand.

"Next time, keep this in your pocket." Raye smirked.

"Yeah, I'll try to remember that." The girls laughed, then everyone was thrown to the side as the ship shook. Rubeus climbed to his feet, fuming.

"Wiseman! I knew that was too easy! He's followed us!!!"

The other scouts ran to the door, followed closely by a limping Raye. She was about to reach the door when Rubeus grabbed her from behind.

"I can't let you go out there! You're hurt!" Raye thrashed and clutched her henshin wand to her chest.

"I have to! It's my duty! Please, you have to let me go!" Rubeus tightened his hold.

"No! You're weak from all this, and going into a battle with Wiseman is suicide!" Raye twisted in his arms so she could face him as a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Rubeus.... I know. I'm afraid too. But... the life of my Princess must come before my own. Please understand." She shuddered, almost painfully, as she heard an explosion and Venus let out an agonized cry.

"Rubeus! Please!!!" Rubeus's face softened and he gently kissed her forehead.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you!" Raye nodded and stepped back, holding her wand up to the air.

"Mars Crystal Power! Make-up!!!" Rubeus blinked away his own tears as he saw her engulfed by flames, only to reappear in her senshi fuku. The magic of the wand had healed her wounds, her hair was loose and glossy again, and her muscles flexed with renewed strength. Her eyes flashed and she smiled self-assuredly.

"Let's get that jerk!"

The sky was filled with fire. Raye and her friends had their backs to Princess Serenity, who brandished the Silver Crystal like a torch in the impending darkness. It turned out that not only Wiseman had followed them, but Diamond had come along for the ride. Not of his own free will, of course. The Wiseman had performed some kind of merger with the wounded prince, and the result was a grotesque parody of Diamond's pretty face. His back was still bleeding, and now it arched like that of a deformed cat, all three eyes were opened and were a nauseating green. But the Doom Phantom wasn't using Diamond's powers to hypnotize them; rather, he'd twisted it into some sort of psychic attack. Just when Serenity had nearly fallen, the senshi had formed the wall, protecting her and Rubeus from the force of the attacks, but the rest of the scouts were left unprotected. Serenity's hands were shaking and burned from the white heat of the crystal, and Rubeus was contributing what he could to the barrier, but the Death Phantom didn't seem phased at all.

"Yes, that's right scouts! Weaken, tire, yes! You beat me once, with two of your blasted crystals, but this time... yesss... this time you only have one!!!" Raye held her own against the waves of black energy pounding into her mind.

"Go to hell you fucking bastard!!!"

"Shame on you Mars... such language..." Behind her, Serenity wavered.

"I can't hold on much longer, I need help!!!"

Mercury's face was paper white and she whispered weakly, "Me too..." From the other side of Raye, Jupiter grimaced.

"I'm so tired..."

Raye looked at her and screamed, "Lita! Listen to yourself! We can't give up!!!" On the other side of the Princess, Venus fell to one knee.

"It's too much Raye... I can't..."

"No! Stand up! Be strong!" But it was too much. Venus's eyes rolled into the back of her skull, and the golden aura around her dissolved into nothingness as she flopped to the ground.

"Oh no! Mina!" The strain on the three remaining senshi increased, forcing Jupiter and Mercury to their knees. The pounding got louder, more insistent, like someone was banging a drum the size of the solar system itself just inside Raye's ear. She watched through hazy vision as the next two senshi fell and the blackness forced its way to Princess Serenity. Raye could see the pain on her leader's face, and watched in horror as the light from the crystal slowly dimmed.

"No..." Raye picked up one leaden foot then another, moving slowly towards that last glimmer of light. She reached out- her arms felt like they weighed a ton each- and cupped her hands around Serenity's... and around the crystal. Like an electric shock, a hot jolt spread through Raye's body. The light grew brighter, blinding, and the heat sizzled inside her, boiled in her veins, and lanced through her mind. A ragged cry escaped her lips, and then, the heat was gone. It was replaced by a pulsing warmth... energy... strength... power.

Rubeus's jaw dropped to the ground. Raye's fuku had caught on fire, burning away to reveal polished silver and dark red leather, like blood. Her hair had pulled itself back and lengthened, till it almost reached her knees, covering up the back of what was obviously a military uniform. Leather boots that reached her knees and laced up the front, a short, pleated dress covered by a breastplate and shoulder guards, and gloves that covered her elbows all the way down to her palms, revealing only her fingers. Shin and wrist guards, all ornate silver, and a shining white mark on her forehead: the sign of Mars. Raye's eyes opened and she drew a long, heavy sword from the scabbard at her side, pointing it at the Death Phantom.

"Creature of evil, you thought you could defeat the Olympians. You have mocked Mars, the god of war and bloodshed. You have threatened and even taken the lives of innocent people. You deserve to die." Her voice was clear and strong, carrying an authority that no one dared to contradict. The sword glittered in Raye's hand and she smirked ruthlessly.

"I shall teach you not to provoke the Gods." With a shrill, unearthly war-cry, Raye lunged forward, raising the sword over her head. The Death Phantom smirked and conjured a sword of his own, blocking Raye's attack. The two sprang back from each other, smirking. Raye took a step to the side as the Death Phantom did, her eyes never leaving his main two.

"Not bad, for a demon." The pair started circling faster, shifting their weapons from hand to hand.

"You're not so clumsy either, for a woman." Raye's expression darkened as she leapt forward, feigning an attack to the side. The Death Phantom reached to block it, then Raye's sword streaked inward, plunging sickeningly into mortal flesh. From the hilt of the sword, fire raced down the blade, charring Diamond's side. The light from the blade grew brighter, slowly forcing a shadow-like, black mass out of it.

"Nooo!!! You wretched child!!!" Raye twisted the blade in the thing's side, making the fire burn higher.

"I am no child! I am Mars! No one, mortal or demon, can best me!!!" The flame roared up in one final burst, throwing the black mass out of it. Raye jerked her sword out of Diamond's side, heedless of the blood that ran down the edge. She calmly walked up to the black figure, which raised off the ground and floated backwards.

"Your days end here demon, for the second and last time."

Rubeus felt it coming.

"Raye! Watch out!!!" Too late. A stream of black energy exploded from the Death Phantom's outstretched hand, enveloping Raye. A moment later, he caught a flash of silver, as Raye's sword hacked through the blast, only to be swallowed up again. Rubeus looked at Raye helplessly, then at the swaying Princess Serenity. And he chose.

Serenity felt herself pulled to her feet and looked up, startled. Rubeus looked down at her urgently.

"You have to use the crystal. I can protect you to an extent, and I'll help you keep your balance, but you have to try and kill him." The Princess bit her lip.

"But last time we had two crystals..." Rubeus pointed to the Death Phantom and Raye, still struggling through the energy blast.

"And this time we have her. Come on Princess, you have to do this, for us, for this planet, for your daughter." Serenity saw the desperation in his eyes and nodded.

"I'll do all that I can." Rubeus put a hand on her shoulder and summoned up his last energy.

"Thank you." Then, they both closed their eyes.

The Death Phantom felt his back burning, the way that Mar's sword had felt. His head turned, the blast wavered, and Raye's sword cut a deep gash in his demon form. That wretched Princess was using her little crystal, and this insane version of Sailor Mars was hacking at him with a bewitched sword. For the second time in millennia, the Death Phantom knew that he would lose this fight. Another gash opened in the Death Phantom's back, and it burned with the magic fire that was the war god's fury. As the shadows and evil that made up the Death Phantom's flesh slowly began to dissolve from the combined attacks, its gnarled hand stretched towards Serenity. With one last howl, the Death Phantom swiped its claws at the Princess, in a long arc that could easily tear her heart out. Serenity stepped back and closed her eyes as an agonized scream filled the air. Then, silence reclaimed the night. Blood splattered the ground, flowing freely from the gaping wound in Rubeus's chest the way water flows from a faucet. Raye's eyes flickered and a single tear trailed down her cheek, but then the cold, ruthless glare was back and her sword's tip pushed through the Death Phantom's chest. The black creature faded away like a bank of fog under a morning sun, defeated once again.

Raye fell to her knees, panting and shaking. She crawled over to Rubeus, who was lying on the ground, clutching his chest. Raye's lower lip trembled as she gently propped his head up in her lap.

"Rubeus... you saved Princess Serenity." Rubeus half-smiled and coughed weakly.

"Well, I was part of the white moon, wasn't I? I figured it was time to start acting like it." Raye's eyes welled up and she shook him gently.

"Don't say was! You ARE part of the white moon! You ARE! You can't go like this!!" Rubeus coughed again and stroked Raye's cheek with a blood- smeared hand.

"You know just as well as I do firefly, everybody dies sometime, somehow... This is my turn."

Raye shook her head and shouted, "No! I won't let you! You can't Rubeus, you can't!!!" Rubeus shook his head.

"Raye, you have a long, hard life ahead of you. Mine was long and hard, and now it ends. You get to keep on living after this."

Raye squeezed his hand tightly and whispered, "But you're the only one who makes me feel like life is worth living. If your life is over, mine will be too..." Rubeus shook his head and pulled her down, kissing her for the last time.

"No, Raye, yours is just beginning..." Raye stared into his dark brown eyes, watching as they slowly closed. Raye's vision blurred as a lump formed in her throat.

"No..." Rubeus's hand fell to the ground, cold and lifeless. Raye balled her hands into fists and pounded his chest.

"Wake up, damn you! Wake up!!!" Serenity, frozen in shock and grief, slowly extended her hand and rested it on Raye's shoulder.

"He's gone Raye... he won't wake up." She wouldn't listen. Raye slapped Rubeus across the face, again and again, sobbing and screaming. Serenity and the others grabbed Raye by the shoulders and dragged her away from Rubeus's body.

"No!!! Don't touch me!!! Rubeus!!! Come back!!!" Raye threw the others off of her and beat the ground until her fists were covered in her own blood as well as his.

"Please... come back..." Raye hung her head and wept until her eyes were devoid of tears.

"I love you..." Serenity placed a hand on Raye's shoulder again, and so did the rest of her friends. Above them, the stars glittered and twinkled coldly, almost as if they were laughing.