A blast of golden light shot past Sailor Chibi Moon, severing the Trickster's elongated fingers; he swallowed the arm in his mouth and howled in pain. The severed digits fell to the floor, along with the captive Senshi in his grasp, and shrivelled up as they crumbled to dust. Chibi Moon turned to find a familiar man in armour standing in the store's doorway; she recognised the Guardian Knight of Justice immediately.

Avan's cries of pain became a low cackle. "Bravo, good sir…bravo! What an entrance!" He held up his bleeding, fingerless hands. "I'd applaud you, if I could...but I seem to be missing the points!" The jester leapt back into the air and vanished.

Justice blinked over to Moon and Saturn and dropped into a crouch beside the blonde. "Sailor Moon!" He shook her shoulder gently. "Hey, come on. Wake up!"

She groaned and pushed him away. "Just five more minutes, mama..."

Chibi Moon watched as the Guardian Knight rose to his feet and pulled a small object from his belt; Chibi Moon recognised that, too. His compass...he's trying to find Avan. She took the opportunity to check on Saturn, but was unable to wake her, despite her best efforts.

"He's still here..." Justice murmured, "but I can't tell where. It's like he's all around us." He slipped the small, golden compass back into the pouch on his belt, and turned to face her. "It looks like we're on our own. These two are in no condition to fight."

Chibi Moon nodded. "I'm ready!"

"What's your name?"

She shot him a dirty look. "You forgot already?!"

His helmet moved from side to side slightly; he was shaking his head. "No. What's your Senshi name?"

"Oh!" She felt her cheeks growing hot. Duh. "I'm…Sailor Chibi Moon."

"Of course you are." His gauntlet-clad hand extended. "Nice to meet you, Chibi Moon. I'm-"

She shook his hand gently. This is the second time today. "Sir Justice. I know you already, remember?"

"Sir Justice?" She could hear the surprise in his voice. "Nobody calls me that."

Chibi Moon winked. "Not yet. You'll have to-"

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in tight to his chest as he spun around; there was a dull clank of metal on metal and a knife dropped to the ground behind him. That would have hit me! He saved my life! She peered out around him to see...it.

"Rumbo!"

The new arrival was tall and thin, dressed in a black, skin-tight bodysuit and masquerade mask; it juggled more knives and a flaming stick.

A familiar pair of hands appeared, fingers crawling up the creature's shoulders like spider legs. Avan peeked out from behind it and flashed them a wide, toothy grin. "This…is Rumbo! I thought you might find him…entertaining!"

Justice turned again, keeping himself between Chibi Moon and the enemy. "This is insane!"

The Trickster's head tipped backwards as he laughed. "You finally understand, Mister Shiny!"

"Rumbo!" The creature hurled another knife; Justice knocked it out of the air with his sword and tossed a fireball back in return. The creature opened its mouth and swallowed it.

"What the hell?" Justice swore. "Those are the Judicial Flames of Justice! That isn't possible!"

"Is that bad?" Chibi Moon asked, suddenly feeling the urge to hide behind him again.

"Rumbo!" It opened its mouth and spat the fireball right back at him; Justice raised his hand and caught it, letting the flames dissipate harmlessly.

"My, my! If you're in the mood to play catch, I'm game!" Avan tossed another purple balloon at them. "Here!"

"Don't touch it!" Chibi Moon cried.

Justice grabbed her shoulders and leapt back, pulling her along with him; the balloon burst when it hit the ground, sending another cloud of white powder into the air.

"Oh, fuss and bother!" Avan stomped his foot. "No fair warning him, girlie!"

Rumbo began to move in, hurling knife after knife even as more continued to appear in its hands. Justice brought his shield up; it was stopping the knives, but he couldn't attack in return. Chibi Moon glanced over her shoulder and saw his strategy; they were standing right in front of the unconscious Sailor Senshi. He's protecting them, too, she realised. But if he moves, they're exposed. What do we do?

"Rumbo!" The lanky creature raised the burning stick, and swallowed the tip.

"Uh-oh," Justice muttered.

It opened its mouth and breathed a torrent of fire at them; it washed over Justice's shield and around them, diverted by the shimmering energy disc. Chibi Moon glanced down and saw his boots slowly sliding on the floor; he was being pushed back by the force of the attack. At long last, the flames died out, leaving them unharmed; the knives began flying again almost immediately.

"This is no good!" Chibi Moon raised the Pink Moon Stick. "I'm gonna get you an opening!"

"No, don't-"

She leapt out from behind Justice and pointed her weapon towards their opponent. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" The hearts shot out...and fell to the floor about a foot too short.

Avan burst out laughing. "Oh, my! That's simply adorable! The baby Senshi thinks she's helping!"

Rumbo actually halted its attack and stared at her. "...Rumbo?"

"I am not a baby!" Chibi Moon took one big step forward. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" This time she was right on target; Rumbo's face.

"Rumbo?!" It began swinging its arms wildly as it retreated, her attack crashing into its face. "Rumbo! Rumbo! Rumbo?!"

There was a sudden flash of light, and Justice appeared in mid-air before it; he swung his sword and separated Rumbo's head from its shoulders in an instant. The creature dropped to the floor, the knives in its hands clattering as they fell beside it.

Avan's laughter stopped immediately; the little face on his sceptre was now angry. "You…you killed my Rumbo!"

Justice reappeared before her in a flash of light, staring the jester down. "Return the energy you've stolen, and leave this world in peace...or I'll end you."

"Oh, such idle threats." There was no trace of merriment in Avan's voice now. "I am far more powerful than you realise, Guardian Knight. You'll pay for your arrogance!" He raised his sceptre; the little mouth opened and a blast of negative energy fired out. It smashed through Justice's shield like it wasn't even there and hit him in the chest, knocking him back into a shelf. Chibi Moon spotted her tiara and dove for it, but found herself tackled.

"Let me go!"

Avan held her before him like a shield. "I like you, girlie…you've got spunk. You'll be a perfect fit for my Tragic Carnival!"

"Let her go!" Sailor Moon was back on her feet, however unsteadily.

"I don't think so," Avan said, sneering. "She's going to join me! Think of her as a replacement for my Rumbo!"

As Chibi Moon struggled, a rose lodged in the Trickster's cheek, provoking a pained howl from his lips; she slipped free of his grasp and leapt forward out of his reach.

Sailor Moon didn't hesitate. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" Several blasts of pink light lashed out, striking the jester repeatedly, and he vanished with another cry of pain. "That's for the flour, you jerk!"

"Chibi Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen rushed over from his position at the door.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" She met him halfway and hugged him tightly.

"When did you get here?" he asked.

"Just a little earlier. I was gonna come see you, I swear, but Usagi said you were at work!"

"Yes, I was. I'd just finished when I felt her transform." He smiled over at Moon. "Are you alright, Usako?"

She nodded faintly. "I will be." A sudden yawn followed. "Um…after some sleep."

Justice extended his hand and helped Saturn to her feet. She blushed again, but murmured a quick 'thank you'. Chibi Moon stifled a laugh; Hotaru was so shy.

The Guardian Knight headed for Rumbo's body. "Strange…" As he reached for the creature's head, it burst into blue flame and crumbled away. "It was like clay. No arteries, no oesophagus…not even any blood."

"What are you thinking?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

Justice glanced up. "I'm not sure yet…but something's off about this whole thing. Sailor Moon, what do you-"

"I'm still not talking to you," she said quickly. "Don't think I forgot what you said back in that jewellery store!"

Justice sighed. "This again? I just meant it would be weird because we're such good friends!"

Tuxedo Kamen looked back and forth between them both. "What did I miss?"

"The shop assistant mistook me for Corey's girlfriend," Moon said, glaring at the Guardian Knight, "and his reaction was 'god, no'!" She pressed against her boyfriend's chest. "You're thrilled to be dating me, right, Mamo-chan?"

Chibi Moon looked up at Tuxedo Kamen and saw fear in his eyes. Oops.


Ami looked on, quietly impressed, as Titus worked on his consultation with NASA; the command centre's screen was filled with dozens of lines of indecipherable code. I've seen Luna and Artemis type when they need to, but Titus seems to be in his element down here. Despite her initial enthusiasm, she found she couldn't focus entirely on what he was doing; her mind was elsewhere.

Ryo, she thought sadly. This is the longest stretch together that we've managed, and now I may be the one to tear us apart again. Ami looked down at her fingers; she was fidgeting nervously again, something she'd never done before. This really has me distracted. Focus on Titus, and what he's doing.

"Having any luck?" she asked quietly.

Titus' gaze remained on the screen; he didn't even miss a keystroke. "Luck? Luck has nothing to do with it, my dear. This is all about skill." There was a brief pause. "That sounded a touch arrogant, didn't it?"

Ami nodded mutely. Just a touch?

He managed the best shrug she'd ever seen a cat perform. "You know what? I'm okay with it."

It took all of Ami's effort not to roll her eyes. Titus is friendly enough, but I don't know how Corey put up with his overbearing personality for three years. Then again…he seems to handle Minako's crazy side well enough. Corey must have the patience of a saint. That just depressed her again. Like Ryo. He waited for me for years, and now...

"I'm curious, Ami..."

She looked back at him. "Yes?"

"Have you decided to accept that position in the German pre-medical program yet?"

What? How does...wait a minute. "How do you know about that?" She rose to her feet. "Have you been spying on me?"

"Not spying!" he protested. "Merely...observing. I keep an eye on things that could impact the rest of the team." His paws hadn't stopped typing. "I need to do something to keep my skills sharp, after all."

Ami crossed her arms over her chest. "So what you're saying is, yes, you've been spying on me…and the rest of the Senshi, too."

"Damn." He chuckled quietly. "I forgot who I was dealing with. Yes, fine, I keep an eye on all of you on occasion. I...it was my job for a very long time, and I only do it because..." He trailed off abruptly.

Ami gestured for him to continue. "Because?"

"Because, I worry..." He sighed heavily. "I'm beginning to feel somewhat redundant."

"Redundant?" His ability to hold a conversation while cracking one of the most secure databases on the planet is…impressive. "In what way?"

"Well, I'm not really needed anymore, am I?" He glanced at her for a brief moment. "My entire reason for being here was to help Corey prepare for the Revenant Knight's arrival. Now, he's regained his Silver Millennium strength, and he has Mina back in his life." His voice dropped to a mutter. "As much of Mina that actually exists in Minako, anyway." The cat sighed. "No…he doesn't need me anymore. None of you do. There's no place for a spy in this group."

Ami reached up tentatively to pat his back. "You're wrong, Titus. Corey still needs you…maybe just in a different way. You're his friend. That's not going to change."

Titus was silent for a few seconds. "I suppose you're right. Somehow, despite all my scheming and lies…we are still friends. Aren't we?"

"You certainly seem to be," she agreed.

"It's odd how our lives turn out so differently from the way we planned," he murmured. "I've been a spy...Serenity's Shadow...a guardian...a mentor...and now, it seems, a friend. That's not such a bad place to end up at all, I suppose." He managed the barest hint of a smile. "Thank you, Ami. That is…reassuring."

They dropped into silence as he refocused on the screen, and Ami thought over his words. If Titus can accept this change in his life, can't I do the same?

"By the way…you never answered my question, despite your most impressive little evasion."

Ami sighed. "I don't honestly know what I'm going to do yet, Titus. I haven't been this indecisive about something in years."

He kept his gaze on the screen. "Well, what would your friends want you to do?"

That, she knew. "They'd want me to take the opportunity."

"And Ryo?" Titus asked. "What would he want?"

I know the answer to that as well, she thought sadly. "He'd tell me to take it. He knows better than anybody how long I've wanted this."

The cat turned to her once more. "Then, forgive me, but…I fail to see the reason for your indecision?"

"The problem is me." Ami stared down at her hands. "Somehow, I can't bring myself to decide. I want this so much, Titus…but I don't want to lose Ryo or my friends in the process!"

A sudden beeping from the computer drew Titus' attention away. "My apologies, but I believe...I'm...in!" The NASA logo suddenly appeared on the screen, followed by lists of files and folders. "Hmmm…let's see." He typed furiously for several seconds, as data flashed over the screen. "It would seem they're already aware of the Revenant Knight's presence...but they have no idea what he truly is." His paws flew over the keys, and a full-screen image appeared; a cloud of black ash, barely visible against the backdrop of space. "They've categorised him as some sort of 'stellar drift'." The cat actually snorted. "How quaint."

Ami joined him at the computer, staring up at the image on the screen. "And how far away is he?"

Titus typed in a few more commands. "According to my calculations, at his current rate of approach, the Revenant Knight will reach Earth in..." He looked up slowly. "Six weeks."


Minako scrolled through another audition listing on her phone and sighed. She was still at the shrine, along with Rei and Makoto. There are so many ways to get started in music...but I've been away from that life for such a long time. Can I even do it anymore? She looked up at her friends as she contemplated the answer. Makoto was reading a cookbook; Minako wasn't quite sure how. In her mind, it was like reading a dictionary, or an encyclopaedia, but her friend seemed to be managing it nonetheless. And as for Rei… "Don't you ever stop sweeping?"

Rei paused and shrugged. "I find it peaceful."

"Sweeping is peaceful?" Minako made a face. "I hope I'm never bored enough for that to make sense!"

Rei just stuck her tongue out and resumed her work. Minako shook her head, and leaned forward to grab her handbag. She paused as a sudden burst of pain shot up her spine; it was less frequent, now, but annoying all the same. I hate this; I feel like an old woman!

Makoto must have noticed. "Hey, you okay?"

She forced a smile. "Fine. It's just a bit of a spasm."

"Alright. How about in general? I haven't seen much of you since…well, all of that." Makoto smiled gently. "It's been a hell of a week, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Minako sighed. "I'm…okay. The brace helps a lot, and my shoulder's already feeling better. The sooner I can stop wearing this stupid sling the better!"

Makoto shot her a knowing look. "What about the rest of it?"

An image of Sailor Fury flashed through Minako's mind, and she shuddered involuntarily. "It's been…rough. I still see her when I think about it, but…the nightmares have stopped, at least for the moment. I actually slept okay the last couple of nights." She glanced down at her hands; if she looked hard enough, she could almost see Fury's blood on them. "I know I didn't kill her, Mako, but…that doesn't help much, you know?"

The brunette nodded silently.

Minako glanced over at the Tokyo skyline. "I just wish I could have helped her. She was confused. Sick. It…it wasn't all her fault."

"After all that she put you through, you still can't hate her, can you?" Makoto sighed. "You're a better person than I, Minako."

Minako almost laughed. But it would just be bitter. "I don't know about that, Mako..."

Makoto changed the subject quickly, and she was grateful for it. "How has it been at home, with your parents knowing you're a Sailor Senshi?"

Minako smiled faintly. "It's not so bad. They had a lot of questions, at first...and I did have to model the uniform for them. They don't like the skirt, specifically its length."

Rei laughed quietly behind her. "I'm not surprised!"

"Still…it's nice not to have to lie anymore." Minako shifted uncomfortably as another flare of pain spread out from her lower back. "How about you, Mako? How are you doing after…well, you know?" She paused awkwardly, unsure of how to approach it. "You really liked him, huh?"

Makoto stared down at the ground and nodded. "I tried telling myself I didn't…that Garrett wasn't real, and never was. Not the way I thought, anyway. But…yeah. I liked him a lot." It was her turn to sigh. "I should have listened to your advice, Minako. You warned me not to fall for him, but I didn't listen…and I got my heart broken just like you said I would."

Rei sat beside her and shook her head. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Since when does anyone let themselves fall in love?"

Minako felt a light blush spreading across her cheeks. "Yeah...Mako, in hindsight, my advice was a little flawed. What makes love so exhilarating is the fact that we have no control over it. It's fun, and exciting, and even scary, all at the same time…because when it strikes, we're completely powerless to resist."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Wow…that was unusually poignant for you, Minako."

She managed a half shrug. "It all makes sense to me...now that I'm actually in love."

Makoto flipped her book shut and tossed it to the ground. "I just wish it hadn't happened. Watching Wrath turn on us, almost right away? That hurt even more than watching Corey kill him. In a way, knowing how bad he felt about having to kill him has helped me a lot. We've talked...and he told me a little about Garrod, the man he was before all of this, and-"

Rei glanced nervously at Minako. "You've been spending time with Corey?"

Makoto glanced up at her too, as if realising for the first time what she was saying. "Oh. Uh, that is, I mean-"

Minako waved her off. "Oh, relax, Mako. Corey already told me, and I'm not jealous. Maybe the younger me would have been…but she was kinda nuts anyway."

Rei smirked. "You're trying to tell us you're not?"

Minako rolled her eyes. "Oh, haha."

"Oh, good! You're all still here!" It was Usagi, and the others. They hurried over from the steps, and the blonde flopped down beside Makoto. "You would not believe the shopping trip we just had!"

Corey sat beside Minako, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Hey."

"Hey, you," she cooed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I got so snappy before."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. You dropped hints, and I…missed them, so it's totally my fault. Right?"

Minako felt a little guilty. He's normally so thoughtful. Was forgetting my birthday really such a big deal? Yes. Yes it was.On second thoughts, she didn't feel that guilty. A man should never forget his girlfriend's birthday! Or their anniversary! But…he did apologise. And he bought me something. Something in that little bag. Her curiosity had been piqued now, and she leaned towards him with a smile on her face. "Have I told you how cute you are lately? And how much I love you?"

Corey's looked back at her suspiciously. "Yeah?"

The little bag at his side was almost within sight. Just a little further. "I'll bet you bought me something super nice, because you're so thoughtful. Right?"

He casually placed his hand over the bag. "Absolutely."

Enough games, Minako decided. "Okay, seriously, what'd you get me?"

He shook his head. "Uh-uh. You'll have to wait for your birthday to find out."

"Aww." She winked mischievously. "Don't make me use…the pout."

He froze immediately. "I told you last time that's cheating!"

"The pout?" Chibiusa asked.

"This should be interesting," Makoto said.

Minako faux-coughed into her hand. "You see, Chibiusa, there will come a time, when you have a boyfriend, that you will need to convince him to do what you want. When that time comes, you will have cause to use…the pout."

Mamoru leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Could you not corrupt my future daughter, please?"

Usagi nodded. "Yeah, Minako...I'm not sure Chibiusa needs to know this stuff yet."

Mamoru's voice sounded pained. "Yet?!"

Minako flashed them a V-sign. "Don't worry about it! I'll demonstrate…the Sexy Pout of Doom!" She dropped her lips into a deep pout, and batted her eyelashes in Corey's direction. Ha! This is practically guaranteed to get me a look in that bag!

Rei shook her head. "He's done for."

"I don't know..." Makoto countered. "I think he can beat it!"

Usagi popped up behind Corey and gripped his shoulders. "Be strong, Corey! You must resist!"

He actually gulped. "That's easy for you to say, Usagi! You're not the one she's giving that to!"

Chibiusa seemed confused. "It's just a pout. How does it make Corey do what you want?"

Corey glanced down at her. "Oh, hell no! I'm not even trying to explain that one!"

Mamoru sighed. "Usako? Maybe we should tell everyone about the toy store?"

"Oh, right!" Usagi tapped Minako on the shoulder. "Worry about what's in the bag later. We have bigger problems!"

Minako nodded. "Gotcha, Usagi. Consider Operation Sneak Peek postponed!"

Usagi looked at her strangely for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay. So, trouble!"

"What happened?" Rei asked.

"There was an attack at the mall," she answered. "Some weird jester calling himself Avan-"

"Avan?" Minako looked up at the voice to see Luna and Artemis returning from wherever they'd been napping. The white cat seemed suspicious. "That was how he introduced himself?"

"Yes!" Chibiusa said quickly. "He said his name was Avan the Trickster."

Hotaru nodded. "He claimed to be from the moon. He was wearing a black and purple jester's costume."

"With the hat and sceptre and everything," Usagi agreed.

Artemis glanced at Luna. "But that's lunacy! Avan the Trickster is nothing but a scary story parents told their children. He isn't real!"

Luna nodded. "He was a sort of…bogeyman. Like a campfire story! Avan the Trickster will come and take you away to his Tragic Carnival...that sort of thing."

"He said that too!" Chibiusa glanced over at Hotaru. "He said…we were perfect for his Tragic Carnival!"

Artemis frowned. "Did this Trickster say anything else?"

"Not that I can recall. Nothing useful, anyway." Usagi turned to Corey. "Did he say much to you?"

He shook his head. "Not really...he just summoned that Rumbo thing to fight us. Though…that was strange in itself."

Luna turned to face him quickly. "How so?"

"I cut its head off…but there was no blood, or innards of any kind. It was like a lump of clay had been sliced in half." Corey glanced over at Usagi. "I thought, perhaps, it was a Construct…but it didn't collapse into dust the way they do."

Minako leaned over slowly, glancing down at the bag as he talked. It's definitely a small box of some sort. Jewellery, perhaps? Her eyes widened. A ring?! No, no, Minako, that would be crazy. Not that sort of ring. Cool it, will you? Stop acting crazy!Corey quickly lifted the bag away from her and moved it to his other side, and she pouted again. Damn it! So close!

"It had features, anyway," Usagi said. "It was way too detailed…Avan, too. No, I think we're dealing with something else."

"So…you guys were attacked by a fairy-tale character?" Makoto asked. "What the hell is going on?"

"This is strange, indeed," Luna agreed. "Avan the Trickster is an old story; it was old at the fall of the Moon Kingdom. It even predates your mother as queen, Usagi."

"So what do we do now?" Rei looked around. "What's the plan?"

"We'll have to see if Ami can find any trace of this 'Avan'," Artemis said quietly. "But we can't let him be our main focus; we have the Revenant Knight to worry about. We need a strategy for dealing with him…and quickly."


The spirit faded into existence slowly; it was still difficult to assume physical form. The Trickster had his back to him...juggling multi-coloured balls as he muttered to himself.

Report, my faithful servant...

Avan dropped the balls and span around quickly. "Master! It's so good to see you!"

Did you encounter the Sailor Senshi yet?

"I did...and it was splendid! They had no idea who or what I was!"

Excellent...just as I anticipated. They have grown used to fighting serious opponents...a more unorthodox enemy only confuses them...

"When might I attack again, master?" The Trickster clapped his hands excitedly. "It was ever so much fun!"

Give them a few days of peace...enough time for them to regain their sense of security. I want them distracted...do what you will with them.

A cold smile spread across Avan's face. "Of course, master, of course! I can't wait! The little ones will serve me, in time. I will have them for my Tragic Carnival...I swear!"


AN: It's been pretty hectic the last week or so, with New Year's Eve and all the other real-world stuff getting in the way, but I finally managed to get chapter three finished. The Trickster is a lot of fun to write, because he's kind of bonkers in an exuberant, silly kind of way - unlike writing Sailor Fury, who was also crazy, but in a much more depressing, 'I'll gut you and paint with your insides' manner :D I had heaps of fun with the Titus/Ami scene, too...I've wanted to give them a little more interaction since I wrote Ami's bad-ass scenes in Act Two, inside Wrath's sanctum; they're becoming unlikely pals. I'm hoping I'll be able to speed up the updates a little now that the craziness of Christmas/New Years is over. Thanks for bearing with me, and as always, I hope you enjoyed it.