AN: Don't own Sailor Moon, happy yet? Anyway, another chapter. Even though I only started posting this today. Whatever.
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Mamoru desperately shoved his way through the crowd as best he could, at the same time trying not to drop Usagi's ice cream. Something was telling him that she was in danger, and he wanted to get there as soon as possible.
He burst back into the little picnic area where he'd left her, and was horrified to see that she was gone. He spotted something lying on the grass near her bench, and moved closer to investigate. His heart nearly stopped when he saw what it was.
He flipped his communicator button and called the Senshi. "Minna, we have a serious problem. What's the situation with the droid?"
"We don't know," Mercury replied. "It vanished about 7.04 seconds before you called. I believe it decided to escape. What's wrong?"
"Usako is missing. I think someone took her. Her new plushie and the star locket were lying on the ground near where I left her," he said tersely.
"Where are you?" Mars demanded. "We'll be there as fast as we can."
He gave them the coordinates quickly, hoping against all hope she'd left on her own and had just forgotten her things. He knew it was incredibly unlikely, but he had to believe it for the sake of his sanity.
The Senshi raced to his side, Mars gasping as she was hit with the negative energy, but no sooner than they arrived than an image formed in front of them.
"So sorry, Sailor Senshi, but your princess and I have some business to conduct. I think I'll keep her, Endymion, she really is quite appealing," Dimande smirked.
"Who are you and what have you done with her?" Mars screamed, ready to use her Burning Mandala.
"It won't work, Mars, so don't bother," Mercury cautioned. "It's a hologram, a moving picture."
"Very good, Mercury, but that won't help you. I don't think even you can find Serenity now. My name is Prince Dimande of Nemesis. You may remember me from the Silver Millennium, I don't really know, and since I don't care to tell you anymore, I think I'll go now. Have fun trying to find her. You'll fail, of course" With that, the projection vanished.
"What?! Iie! Come back here, you cowardly slime ball!" Jupiter yelled.
A second distortion rippled the air, and the group took a step back. The image of a tall woman wearing the fuku of a Senshi appeared.
"Don't be alarmed, Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen. My name is Sailor Pluto, the Senshi of Time, and I come bearing some news. I may be able to help you find our princess," she informed them.
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Usagi woke up in a strange room, feeling very dizzy. Once her head stopped spinning, she sat up and looked around. The entire area seemed to be made of some variety of dark-colored crystal, but she couldn't understand it. It just felt wrong, like there was something about it that she was allergic to.
"It's nice to see you awake, Serenity," said a voice from a doorway that hadn't been there a few seconds before.
It took her a few moments, but she recognized the man. "It's you… you're the one I saw at the fair. Why do you keep calling me Serenity? That's not my name. I think you have the wrong person," she informed him, desperately working to maintain some semblance of calm.
"I know exactly who you are, Tsukino Usagi, Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium, better than you do yourself. You were a fool to erase your memories, but it made my job much easier. Endymion must be quite mad at me," Dimande smirked.
"You mentioned Endymion before, too. Who is he, and who are you? You said your name, but I still don't know who you are."
"Like I said, my name is Prince Dimande. I'm the leader of the Black Moon Clan, and this is our Earth base in the thirtieth century. You don't remember Endymion because you didn't want to, although you currently know him under a different name. I'm sure you're familiar with Chiba Mamoru?" Dimande drawled as he seated himself next in a chair that had just appeared.
"Mamoru-san? Why would anyone call him Endymion? What is going on, and what do you want with me?" she demanded as she tried to stand up, only barely noticing the strange clothing she was wearing.
"Tsk, tsk, Serenity. You aren't strong enough to move around," Dimande laughed, forcing her to sit back down. "Endymion is unimportant now. You're here because you belong to me. You'll be queen after I finish conquering Earth in your future, my present."
"Why would you be conquering Earth? What did it ever do to you? And I'm no one's property," she said firmly, unconsciously drawing on the strength of will she'd developed as Sailor Moon.
"Says the girl that can't even stand up. I don't feel like sharing this planet, so I'm taking control. My clan doesn't want to stay on Nemesis."
"You know, I don't care who you are or who you think I am, but I won't stay here. I just want to go home and live my life."
"You still don't understand? You're never leaving. This is your home now, and your life." Dimande turned, chuckling lightly.
"Iie! Don't leave me in here! You have to let me out!" Usagi yelled as she hit the wall with her fists as the door vanished.
She crumpled to the floor, tears blinding her. "Where am I? I want to go home. I need you, Mamo-chan…"
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Mamo-chan…
Mamoru glanced up, shocked to hear Usagi's nickname for him.
"Sailor Pluto, do you know where Usako is?" he demanded. Their link was still there, but it felt tenuous, and he didn't think he could trace it back to her.
"She was taken through time to the thirtieth century, to Crystal Tokyo. That time and place is Small Lady's home as well. She couldn't hear me when I tried to call to her," Pluto responded.
"Small Lady's home? Who is that? Why would Usagi-chan be there?" Mars asked desperately. "She can't do anything without the Ginzuishou."
"You know Small Lady as Chibiusa in this time, I believe. My princess did not go willingly. She was taken through by someone who seems to have found a way to travel without my permission or one of my Time Keys. Small Lady carries one," she informed them.
"Who took her?" Mercury asked, trying to get all the facts.
"The leader of the Black Moon Clan. He calls himself Prince Dimande. I believe you've seen him today, Endymion. You were quite furious at him," she said, turning to face Mamoru.
"It's Mamoru when I'm not transformed," he said automatically, trying to understand who Pluto meant. "Wait… could it have been that man that made that ridiculous bet when I won Usako that plushie?"
"It was indeed. He was trying to keep an eye on the two of you, in order to see if his distraction could separate you long enough for him to take her."
Mamoru was growling softly, so Venus decided to ask a few more questions. "Can we get to her?"
"I'll send you through time myself, but beyond that point you'll have to do the rest. I'm not allowed to leave my post. I would suggest you leave Small Lady with me. She'd be safe until you rescue my princess."
"Will there be anyone in the future that can help us?" Jupiter asked.
"The King of Crystal Tokyo may assist you if he still can, but I don't know. You may have to find her on your own. Mars, I believe you carry my princess's Ginzuishou?"
"Hai, I do," she replied, "She made careful arrangements before she erased her memory. I assume you know about that?"
"I do indeed. My princess, depressed from when her prince broke her heart, decided that it was better to erase her memories and attempt to live a normal life again. She left her Scepter with Sailor Venus, and gave the Ginzuishou to you. The prince had been having terrible nightmares, but they stopped right after that, so he started to get close to her again. Does that about sum it up?"
They nodded grimly. "Is everyone ready to go now?" Mercury asked.
Mamoru shook his head. "One of us needs to get Chibiusa. Pluto said she would protect her, so we should take her up on that. If something happened to Chibiusa while we were gone, I don't know what we would have to do next."
"I'll get her," Jupiter volunteered. "I can run faster than the rest of you."
"Thanks, Jupiter-chan," Venus said. "Let's get ready to go."
All four girls turned and stared at Mamoru. He quickly understood that they wanted him to leave before he transformed, so he said, "Instead of Jupiter getting Chibiusa, why don't I? My henshin's fast enough."
Mars thought about it for a moment. "That's a good idea. Now go away."
He rolled his eyes, then sprinted up the path, transforming once he was out of sight.
"Pluto, can you tell us anything about where to find Usagi-chan?" Mars asked.
"She'll be at the Black Moon Clan's base, most likely, but beyond that I see little. Their powers hide them from my sight. Your powers may tell you more, Mars, once you get close enough. You'll be able to feel their base, I'm sure," Pluto replied.
Tuxedo Kamen skidded to a stop behind them, Chibiusa clutching his neck. She saw her friend and immediately jumped off.
"Puu! Can I go home now?"
"I'm sorry, Small Lady, but it's still not safe. Your friends are leaving you with me for safe-keeping while they go after the Black Moon Clan," she gently informed the child.
"That's not fair! I want to go too…" Chibiusa protested. "I want to see Mommy!"
"Pluto?" Jupiter asked, turning to face her. "Can you tell us what happened in the future? What happened that it brought Chibiusa-chan here?"
"That story is not mine to tell, and Small Lady had been instructed not to talk about the future. Time is fluid, and there is no guarantee that her future will come to pass. Normally I could not allow you to travel at all, but it is dire need that prompts me."
"You called Usagi-chan your princess," Mercury observed. "Does that mean that you're one of her guardians, the same as us?"
Pluto smiled slightly. "In a fashion, I am, but not one of her personal guard like you. I protect Princess Serenity from a distance, as best I can."
Venus raised her hand as if she were in class. "If there's us, and you're a Sailor Senshi as well, does that mean that the other planets have Senshi too?"
"I'm afraid I can't speak of such matters. Time is of the essence. My princess, our princess, is already in grave danger, and I fear that danger grows the longer she is outside your protection. Small Lady?"
"Hai, Puu?" the small child responded.
"Small Lady, would you be so kind as to use your Time Key to bring all of you to the Door? You're to stay with me, though," Pluto added firmly. "No wandering off this time."
Chibiusa nodded, a downcast expression on her face. "Hai, Puu. But, Puu, will the Key work now? It didn't work any other time I tried."
"I think you should know how to use it now. You may have known all along, but something prevented you from leaving until it was necessary. If you're ready?"
Chibiusa reached under her school uniform and pulled out a small golden key, a pink gem in the loop at the top, as she began to speak quietly. The Senshi couldn't hear what she said, but a strong wind picked, and a pink cloud formed a circle above them. Chibiusa was still speaking.
"I call out your secret name, Chronos, guardian of Time! Open the path of light! Guide me through time and space!" Chibiusa shouted, completing the spell.
The Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and Chibiusa rose, pulled through the pink cloud and into darkness.
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While her friends moved in the first step to attempt to rescue her, Usagi was slumped against the wall, tears still coursing down her face. The weakness she had felt after waking up hadn't faded, but instead seemed to continue to grow until she barely had the energy to move.
"Why? Why is this happening to me? What's going on?" she kept crying. Without realizing what she was saying, another sentence came unbidden. "Mamo-chan, I need you!"
"Oh, is the poor little princess sad?" taunted an unknown person as the doorway reappeared.
Usagi looked up to see a strange woman, dressed in a dark green outfit with a much lighter shade of green for hair. She stood up shakily, leaning on the wall.
"Who… who are you?" she asked, trying to disguise the trembling.
"Oh, don't look so petrified, baka. I'm not going to hurt you, as much as I'd like to. I was sent to give you some food. My name is Green Esmeraude. I serve under Dimande-sama," she announced arrogantly.
"Please, can't you just let me leave? Your prince has mistaken me for someone else," Usagi pleaded desperately. "I don't belong here; I just want to go home."
"If I did let you go, it would cost me my life. For whatever reason, Dimande-sama wants you here. What he wants, he gets. Do you want this food or not?" she demanded irritably.
Usagi bit her lip. "Is it safe?" she asked tentatively.
Esmeraude rolled her eyes. "Would it make you feel better if I ate a little? He's not going to poison you, you little twit. He wouldn't have gone to all this hassle if he just wanted you dead."
Usagi stared at her for a few more seconds, then tentatively began to approach, still leaning on the wall for support.
"I'll take that, Esmeraude," Dimande said as he walked in.
"Hai, Dimande-sama," she said, bowing as she handed him the tray.
He turned and stared at Usagi for a moment. "Help Serenity back to the bed," he ordered imperiously. "She's about to collapse."
Esmeraude walked over to the smaller girl and easily lifted her, despite Usagi's weak struggling, carrying her back to the bed.
"Iie, I don't want to," she cried, trying to break free.
"Do calm down, Serenity. You're not doing anything except stressing yourself out. You really aren't all that strong at the moment," Dimande lectured.
"I wonder whose fault that is. I wouldn't be under any stress if I wasn't here," she snapped. As Esmeraude set her back on the bed, she immediately tried to stand up again. All it resulted in was her falling, hitting her knees while leaning against the frame.
"You may as well get used to it," Esmeraude told her as she helped her back up. "Dimande-sama doesn't give in. You'll be here for the rest of your life."
Usagi's already fair skin drained of color entirely. "The rest… of my life? Iie, you can't do that to me!" she shrieked. "I have a life, family and friends! You have to let me go!"
Esmeraude turned to Prince Dimande for directions, who gestured for her to leave. She slipped out of the room as quietly as she could, leaving the Prince alone with the frightened teen.
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The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen were all standing in front of the great Door of Time-Space when Tuxedo Kamen paused.
"She's upset," he murmured when they turned to him inquisitively. "I don't think she realizes she's let me back in. I don't know what's causing it; I'm too far away to see."
The Senshi all looked worried at the news. Venus, trying to remain optimistic, offered, "Couldn't she just be upset about being a captive?"
Tuxedo Kamen thought about it, but shook his head. "She was upset ever since I've been feeling her again, but something made it spike. She seems awfully weak, too. I'm having to work to reach out to her. Normally, even if it's subconscious, she helps."
"Maybe some of her memories are coming back and they're distressing her," Mercury said. "She has some very painful memories, and that could make her more scared than she already was to begin with."
"Maybe," he acknowledged, " but I don't think so. She would reach out to me if she could remember. I think some outside source caused it. She's still very upset, but it feels like she's slipping away."
"She must be losing consciousness, then," Mars decided. "If she's as weak and upset as you say, it's not that unlikely. Stress on her mind or body could easily cause it."
"Do you think she's injured?" Jupiter asked worriedly.
"I don't know. Like I said, she seems weak. It could be the stress of time travel or being kidnapped, or she could have been injured. I'm inclined to think it's mental, though. Physical pain makes her reach out, but when she's hurting emotionally she can bottle up."
"That's not like Usagi-chan," Mars argued. "She always wears her heart on her sleeve."
"To an extent, you're right," Tuxedo Kamen countered, "but do you remember how she reacted after Beryl took me? According to all of you, she sort of pulled in and cut herself off from everyone else."
Mercury nodded thoughtfully. "It's true enough, but it takes a lot to elicit that kind of response from her. We need to reach her as quickly as possible."
"Minna?" Pluto called. "I have the gates calibrated to the right time. I didn't want to run the risk of losing you to a Time storm. You won't have to go through the Halls of Time; it will deposit you directly at the Queen's entrance to my domain."
"You mentioned the King of Crystal Tokyo before, Pluto," Jupiter said. "Can you give us any instructions on how to find him?"
"If the King is available to help, he'll come to you," she informed them. "There is an alert that will sound in the Crystal Tokyo control room when someone uses the Queen's door. If he hears it, he'll respond."
She raised her Time Staff and pointed it at the doors, unlocking them and flinging them open. "You must go quickly, before the clock strikes. I cannot hold such a direct time link for long. Small Lady will be safe with me; have no fear. Go!"
At Pluto's order, the five heroes raced forward, dashing through the gate into the future, desperate to find their missing princess. Both Pluto and Chibiusa waved as they ran.
"Good luck, minna," Chibiusa whispered. "I think you'll need it."
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"Just go away," Usagi sobbed. "I don't want to be here… where are you, Mamo-chan?"
Hearing his foe's name forced Dimande to jerk back as if he had been hit in the gut. "What did you just say?" he demanded as he grabbed her, shaking her fiercely.
She blinked for a moment, until her eyes focused on the man that had just grabbed her. "Let go of me!"
He ignored her, shaking her again. "What did you just say?" he demanded again.
She frowned, obviously confused. "Something along the lines of not wanting to be here. Now let me go!"
She stomped on his foot, forcing him to step away again. He tossed her onto the bed, disgust on his face. "You call for your prince to come save you, don't you? You remember, and yet you pretend."
"My prince? Remember?" Usagi was mystified. She really was beginning to think this strange man was insane, even beyond kidnapping someone he didn't know.
"Do you have any idea what you said?" he asked, starting to become confused himself. It had obviously been her nickname for the Terran prince that had come from her lips, yet she didn't seem to remember saying anything.
She shook her head, still confused and terrified. He had looked like he was about to slap her for a moment. "Can't you just let me go?" she tried again. "I'm obviously not the person you think I am."
He stared at her. "Why would you not be the person I think you are? You may force yourself to forget, Serenity, but you didn't take away everyone else's memory in the process."
"But that's just it!" she nearly exploded. "My name is not Serenity! I still don't know who you are or how you supposedly know me! You keep talking about this Endymion person, then you tell me he's Mamoru-san! You're making absolutely no sense!"
Dimande laughed. "Whatever you call yourself at the moment, I know who you are. I'm not going to let you leave. I hope you like this room, since you'll never go anywhere else again."
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Mist broke from the Queen's passage to Pluto's post as five travelers appeared. They walked forward until they stood on a ridge overlooking Crystal Tokyo.
"Oh, iie…" Mercury whispered. "What's happened here?"
"It's all frozen," Venus gasped. "I don't think there's anybody still alive down there."
Mars stood up as straight as she could. "Dead or not, we need to investigate. I don't like it either, but there may be some clues to help us in the ruins."
Tuxedo Kamen agreed with her. "We may find something to tell us more about the Black Moon Clan and why they're attacking this time as well as ours. According to Chibiusa, they're the reason she fled from here in the first place."
Jupiter scowled. "Anyone that messes with our princess has to answer to me. Mars? Do you think you'll be able to find her?"
Mars shrugged. "I can try to trace the evil energies back to their source, but they might muffle any of Usagi-chan's power. If she still had the Ginzuishou, it would be a different matter entirely."
Mercury tentatively asked, "Do you think you could use the Ginzuishou to find her? It's attuned to her naturally, so it may give us a better chance."
"Very clever, Sailor Mercury," a new voice said.
The group spun, turning to face the newcomer. He was standing in the shadows, so he was very difficult to see.
"Relax, minna. Pluto told you to look for me, I think," the man continued.
"You're the King of Crystal Tokyo, then?" Venus asked cautiously. "Let us see you."
"As you wish," he said as he took a few steps forward.
A collective gasp rose from the group. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!"
They turned and looked at Mamoru. "Another Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" Mars asked. "What's going on?"
"Will you let me explain?" the King asked patiently. He waited for the others to nod before continuing. "My name is King Endymion. You see, I'm your Tuxedo Kamen in the future."
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Dimande paced his throne room. Serenity claimed to have no idea what he was talking about, and yet she had called for the Terran prince as if she knew him. Before he could work to decipher what was going on, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Dimande called absently.
"Onii-san, a group of people just entered this era from the Queen's old doorway. It may be her child and whatever support she's gathered," Saphir informed him as he slipped through the door.
"I doubt Neo Queen Serenity's daughter would actually tell anyone who she was. Do you have any further information?" Dimande inquired.
"There are five, and they were met by someone, I think- they changed directions after pausing for a few minutes. The person that met them may have been the King's hologram."
"I really do hate Endymion; he's such a busybody. For now, go with the assumption that it is the Sailor Senshi from the twentieth century. It's probably Tuxedo Kamen as well. Send Esmeraude to kill them quickly," he ordered.
"Onii-san, is this a good idea? Holding the future queen here like this? She's terrified, and doesn't seem to have any idea at all of what's going on."
"The less she knows, the less likely it is that Serenity will be able to tell Endymion how to find her. They have a psychic bond, you know, and the Endymion of the past may already be discovering his telepathic ability," Dimande replied. "Make sure you tell Esmeraude that under no conditions is Endymion to be allowed to survive."
"Onii-san… I'll tell her, but I don't agree. Serenity isn't without powers of her own."
"Actually, in this situation, she mostly is. She gave the Ginzuishou to someone else for safekeeping, so she can't even draw on it enough to gain strength. The Evil Black Crystal is keeping her very weak. If she were allowed to get stronger, she may remember how to summon it."
"So the Ginzuishou is the source of her powers? Doesn't Neo Queen Serenity have powers she uses without the Ginzuishou?" Saphir questioned.
"She does, but her past self probably hasn't developed to that point yet. Like her mother before her, Serenity's power is nurtured by the Ginzuishou. Without it or one of her transforming tools, she has no power to resist us in her time."
Dimande waited a few seconds to see if his younger brother had any questions before saying, "Are you waiting to be told to leave, or is there something else you want to say?"
"Iie… that's all, onii-san. I'll go find Esmeraude right away," Saphir stated. He bowed, then left quietly.
Dimande resumed his pacing, trying to understand how exactly the Ginzuishou had dealt with Serenity's memories. 'It's unlikely that it would completely erase them. They're probably hidden, waiting for a trigger to bring them out. I need to figure out what that trigger is and make sure she never encounters it.'
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"Say what?! Usagi-chan is Neo Queen Serenity, and Chibiusa-chan's mother?" Mars screamed. "When exactly did this happen?"
Tuxedo Kamen glared at her. "Can it, Mars. I think Usako and I should know that before you do." He turned to face his future self. "Can you tell us where to find her?"
"I know where she is, but only because I found out for myself when it happened. I'm afraid you'll have to find her on your own," King Endymion replied calmly. "I would go with you and help, but this hologram would fail too far from the palace."
"You know, you don't act like you're overly worried," Venus observed. "Aren't you scared that the past won't play out the same way as it did for you?"
"It's always a possibility, but after so many years, Serenity has proven herself to have remarkable endurance. Somehow, she always manages to find trouble, hai, but she also ends up coming out okay," Endymion stated. "I'm sure in your time you've already seen some proof of this. Did any of you expect to come back from the fight with Queen Beryl alive?"
"Well… iie," Jupiter admitted. "But Usagi-chan had the Ginzuishou then. Without it, she's pretty much powerless, especially since she doesn't have her memories."
"The Ginzuishou always directs some of its power to protect its wielder. It may not work in obvious ways, but it shields her from general harm," Endymion informed them. "Even now, as Mars carries it, part of its energy is finding her and keeping her as safe as it can."
"Is there any way to track that power flow to find her?" Mercury asked, always practical.
"It probably is, but I don't think that anybody outside of the Royal Lunarians could find it. There are very few descendants left, and the majority of that power was concentrated in Serenity and Small Lady."
"Well, we'll just go back to plan A, then," Venus decided. "We'll have Mars look for the highest concentration of evil energy. She'll probably be in there."
"I hope she's not sick, though," Mars worried. "Usagi's powers are so opposite of the energy of the Black Moon Clan that it could react negatively with the leftover energy from the Ginzuishou. At the very least, surrounding her with so much negative energy could severely deplete her strength."
"Could that be what caused Mamoru-san to say that she felt weak earlier?" Jupiter asked, turning to face the two versions of him.
Each of them exchanged looks. "I think I probably understand the bond between us better at this time," King Endymion said. "Any number of things could have caused her to feel weak earlier, but it's highly likely that it's the negative energy. Serenity's body functions purely on positive energy, and she carries a high concentration of it with her from continual exposure to the Ginzuishou. In your time, she's carried the Ginzuishou for a shorter period of time, but it definitely would have created a large build-up of the positive charge."
Tuxedo Kamen nodded. "That's probably part of the reason she's so necessary in a fight. Her positive energy is stronger than the negative energy carried by the minor monsters we fight, so it weakens them instead of her while strengthening us."
"But we're right in assuming that we'll find her when we find a huge concentration of negative power?" Mars asked.
"It's the best guess we have," Mercury said. "King Endymion said he couldn't help us any more than he already has, and that's really the only sort of place that could contain Usagi-chan."
Before they could make any more solid plans or ask any more questions, an alarm sounded. The King turned and walked to a wall panel, activating a screen.
"There's a number of droids attempting to breach the palace defenses," he said. "The Senshi won't be able to maintain the shield if they push for too long."
The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen exchanged looks. "We'll take the fight to them, then," Jupiter said. "I'm tired of subterfuge anyway."
"Esmeraude is leading them," Mercury informed them while studying her own computer reading. "The King's computer is far more advanced, but mine recognized Esmeraude's energy signature."
"Go on the assumption that they're here to kill us," Venus ordered. "There's a strong chance this was set up to keep us from reaching Usagi-chan."
"Everyone ready?" Mars asked. The group nodded. "Good, let's go take down some droids."
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AN: I pick terrible places to cut off the chapters, don't I? Reviews always appreciated. Till later!