"I KNOW A SECRET!"

Chapter 4

Oosaka Naru knows something about Tsukino Usagi that none of her Senshi know - yet! A gift for Hallowe'en. And - definitely AU!

DISCLAIMER: Sailormoon does not belong to me! Never has, and never will.

WARNING! There WILL be character-death in this story (by the end)!
I am rewriting the mythos, I know. But? It's called "Fan-Fiction" for a reason!

NOTE: Does aynoe need the Japanese-glosssary, yet? As for the main-terms:
"Ookami" is Japanese for "Wolf" (actual translation is "Laughing god").
in our tory, it will mean WEREWOLF.

"Kyongshi" (or "Dancing Corpse", from the Chinese) can either be thought of as a VAMPIRE or ZOMBIE! In this story, "Kyongshi" equals "Vampire".

As of Chap.3, I started dividing the Kyongshi into two groups: The "kyongshi-kuro" ("Vampires of Darkness"), and "kyongshi-shiro" ("Vampires of light").

I this Chapter, Naru uses a quote from a Kebin Kostner movie! As a game: IF anyone reviews this chapter, can you figure out the movie, and who the character was that said it? ;)

The night inside the cabin was cool and still. Everyone was sleeping, resting from the events of the past day. Everybody, save for Usagi and Naru. The young Watcher was keeping a close eye on her charge, having caught a couple of hours of rest earlier in the evening. Usagi, meanwhile, was sitting with her back wedged in a corner, whimpering:

Nightmares seemed on the prowl!

In her dreams, Usagi was trailing a familiar scent through the foggy mountain forests. It was a failiar excersize. But - this time - something was strangely different:

Usagi felt like, in some strange way - she was tracking herself!

The foggy forests, however, did their best to keep Usagi guessing as to who she was tracking!

Then, as she followed the elusive scent higher into the mountains, Usagi heard something! It was feint, but it was real! Or? It seemed to be.. the heart-broken sobs and sniffles of a young child.

As Usagi followed the sounds, she soon found herself in a ferny nest. And? In the middle of that nest, curled up tightly in a fetal-position, naked and shivering from her fear, was a girl that - except for her smaller-size - could have been Usagi's twin!

Usagi transformed from wolf to werewolf to human, and then knelt and spoke to the small child in a soft voice:

"Senerity-Hime?"

The small girl looked up, than - eyes wide with fear, backed away as if trying to vanish into the ferns!

"IIEDE! IIEDE! IIEDE!" The young child screamed. "GET AWAY FROM ME, KYONGSHI-KURO! GET AWAY! Let.. me die.. at peace? Onegai?"

Usagi instinctively reached out for the smaller-version of herself:

"Hush! Hush! Quiet." Usagi whispered and cooed. "You will be alright, Serenity! You are safe, with me!"

The small child wrapped her arms and legs around the larger girl for dear life and wailed:

"USAGIIIIIIiiiiii!"

"Serenity-musume goshinpainaku!" Usagi whispered low, petting the frightened-girl and licking away her tears. "You will be fine. Hai."

"Iyaa." Serenity sobbed into Usagi's breasts. "Will not be fine. Never be fine. Will be damned. Will be kyongshi-kuro. Kaasan kyongshi-kuro. Endymion-youma make kyongshi-kuro. Rei-no-Mars ano Minako-no-Venus will be kyongshi-kuro. Then? Will be my turn. I am damned."

Usagi softly caressed the grieving child.

"Am weak. Starving." Serenity whispered. "Kyongshi-shiro need good thoughts - kind thoughts, happy thoughts - to survive! None on moon. Not any more. Kyongshi-kuro destroy them. Protect me, Usagi-ane? Onegai?"

"Hai", Usagi promised Serenity, as she lowered her head over the child.. and bit and chewed her on the shoulder!

Serenity yelped and squirmed, then relaxed.

"Protect you with my life," Usaagi whispered an oath as Serenity whimpered, "protect you with my blood dano. Hai."

Whimpering, Usagi slowly awoke in the darkness of early morning, still caressing where the Hime had pressed against her belly. Then, as quietly as she could, Usagi arose and walked outside to think.

As Usagi pondered her dream, she seemed to fail to notice two shadows.

Seemed to.

"Gomennissai itouto, for waking you." Usagi whispered to Shingo.

"Goshinpainaku aneue!" Shingo replied. He sat and reclined against the outside wall. "Have trouble sleeping?"

"Iyaa. Not at first. Just wondering about Rei and Minako, I guess." Usagi stared off into the east, as if wishing the dawn to come faster."I talked to Serenity-Hime. Hai. Said that.. things were worse on moon than Naru remembered in her dreams. Hai. Much worse."

"Would not surprise me!" Naru softly spoke from the doorway, coffeecup in one hand and Enfield in the other. "Could not be everywhere at once, iyaa. Moon Palace fell too quickly demo. What did Hime tell you?"

"Queen Serenity was kyongshi-kuro, already, just not dead! Think she was alive demo. Said.." Usagi's voice quivered. "Endymion-kyongshi-kuro was also feeding.. on Rei and Minako!"

"So! That is why Rei and Minako acted like kyongshi!" Ami swore,
"Kyongshi, already."

"Ami-chan!?" Usagi jumped. "You are outside? I did not hear you leave the house!"

"I heard her get up." Naru spoke to calm Usagi. "It was a bit after 1:00am. Been up.. two hours."

"Gomennissai Usagi!" Ami bowed."Had to get up. Felt a .. presence? Around the house. Hai. Never come in the house! Patrolling demo."

"Patrolling?" Usagi asked. "When? Where?"

"Aneue?" Shingo voice whispered. "Off to our right, 2 o'clock!"

Usagi looked to her right - at four shimmering mists rising like a strange fog.

Ami and Shingo uttered a low growl, ready to protect their Alpha.

"Quiet!" Ussgi ordered. "Stand down minna! They mean us no harm! I welcome you home - Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Kunzite!"

Ami quickly caught her breath, as did Makoto!

"Mako-chan?" Usagi asked without turning her head, "Did I wake you up? Gomen."

"I'm a light sleeper," Makoto answered. "What are the Shittenoudoing here? Beryl order you to watch over us?"

"Beryl asked our aid." Kunzite said. "Since our deaths, no one rules the Shittenou! But? We do remember loyalty!"

"And, Beryl was loyal?" Makoto asked, trying not to choke on her coffee.

"In her way." Jadeite answered.

"What of.. Endymion.. dano?" Ami asked, trying hard not to growl out the kyongshi's name.

"What that kyongshi deserves," Zoisite said, "is the deepest pit in Tartarus!"

"Beryl broke us free of one kyongshi's curse." Nephrite explained. "Of course? she had to bite us, again, to free us of Endymion's control!"

"I have read," Naru pondered, "that kyongshi often use their kiss to control other kyongshi. Wars over territory and influence."

"That is true, Oosaka-chan!" Nephrite answered, then grinned. "Beryl thought you were acting like the pack-leader here, at times. She was able to free us from Endymion's control four moons before the attack on the Moon Palace. Unfortunately, by that time, the devil had already wormed his way deeply into the Lunar Kingdom. Too deep!
Moon had to be rendered lifeless. Gomennissai."

"Goshinpainaku." Usagi responded in a kind tone. "Serenity-musume feel the same way. You may be able to answer one thing demo! Naru-Sensei was reborn from the moon! Refugee from Earth. She remembers in dreams moon-palace falling too fast! Serenity-Hime, dano, says Endymion-
kyongshi-kuro fed on Rei and Minako! Did any of you sense this in the last battle?"

"The outer-parameters of the castle were strangely weak, Usagi!" Kunzite answered. "Venus.. did not seem to fight with her usual zeal dano! Now that you bring it up, it was like I was fighting a kyongshi-kuro.. newly-risen!"

"Too much like fighting kyongshi-koru!" Jadeite said, ruefully.

"Hai." Usagi looked down at the ground. "I want sisters back." She whispered fearfully. "Serenity-Hime NEEDS sisters back! Sisters may not be salvageable demo."

"Nephite-Sama? Zoisite-Sama?" Naru spoke up. "Kunzite has said that Beryl-kaasan asked you to stand guard? Watch for who? Endymion-kyonshi-kuro?"

"Iyaa!" Nephrite responded. "Beryl-Sama knows you are on watch for Endymion-kyongshi!"

"Who else is here?" Makoto asked. "Other than Mars and Venus?"

"Serenity-kyongshi-kuro." Usagi said softly.

"Hai." Zoisite answered. "Serenity-Kaasan wishes Serenity-Musume back with her! Plans to take musume back!"

"Serinity-Musume does not wish to go back demo!" Usagi chuckled softly. "Wishes to stay here. Hai. I guess.. I will have to tell Serenity-kaasan that.. myself!"

After Makoto, Ami and Shingo went back to bed - promising Usagi they would relieve her before sunrise, Usagi and Naru patrolled the mountainside. Usagi looked over at the moon, just dropping over the western mountains.

"How do you feel, Usagi-chan?" Naru asked. "About the moon?"

"Truthfully, Naru?" Usagi answered. "I hate it! Hai. When first sent to Moon.. by chance, by Kunzite, I feel strange, alone, even with Senshi! Moon seem dead. Deader than dead! Like in your writing. Then I see palace. Worse than any haunted-
house! And,then I see earth. Hai! Big. Bright. Blue. Green. Living. All I wanted to do was go home! Hai.

"Now, dano?" Usagi took a breath to reassure herself. "Knowing what I know? I never want to go back! Serenity-musume is scared of Moon! Hai! Never wishes to go back! Home is dead, no longer her home! Iyaa. Earth is home!"

"That is such a shame." A voice spoke from in back of the Watcher and Ookami. "Home is where musume belongs! With me."

The girls turned around. And, Naru grinned as Queen Serenity steped back,a bit paler:

"Why, Serenity!" Naru smiled. "You look like some one just stepped on your grave!"

"Natsumi-no-Beryl!" the Moon-Queen hissed, eyes turning red.

Usagi giggled. "Naru-Sensei! Still watching American cowboy-movies?"

Naru giggled.

Then usagi turned her attention back to Queen Serenity:

"I wondered when I would see you, Serenity-kaasan?" Usagi smiled. "Or, is that'Serenity-kyongshi-kuro'? As I have told my friend dano Serenity-musume does not wish to go back to Moon! Gomennissai. Prefer Ookami to Koyngshi. Hai."

"So? Serenity-gaki prefers the company of scavangers to the thrill of the hunt?" The Queen's eyes began to glow. "It does not matter! You. Will. Bring. GRRRRK!?"

"I do not think so." Usagi said as she slowly sliced the Queen with a silver dagger. "I am not Koinu to be ordered around, or played with! Iyaa. Not a 'scavanger' dano! just hated Moon, before. Now? I DETEST it! Never liked idea of hunting people. Like even less looking down on neighbors just because you think you are better! Kyongshi-kuro are bugs that live on misfortune and bad-
dreams! Dead, even when alive." She then pulled the knife out of the Queen's body. "Should STAY DEAD!"

"You.. attacked me .. with a knife.. foolish child?" Serenity struggled to stay on her feet. "Being.. stabbed.. holds no fear for me!"

"Even when blade is silver?" Usagi asked the kyongshi.

"You HURT me, damn you!" Serenity snarled. "Should have left blade in.. demo.. can.. recover."

"Then, maybe, I should add some more silver?" Naru chirped - and started firing the Enfield point-blank into the kyongshi's torso:

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

Serenity staggered backward, her eyes growing larger and bloody:

"I shall FEAST on your blood, Naru-no-Terra! You will join Beryl-kaasan in DEATH! As you should have 1000 years ago! Now, like a good little girl.. DIE!"

Mesmerized, Naru slowly, hesitently, lowered her rifle. And walked, shuffling, as if to yield herself to the Moon-Queen's kiss:

Usagi then growled low, at once threateningly and soothingly, and snapped Naru out of her trance!

Slowly waking up, the Watcher's eyes grew wide and she backed away.

"Domo.. arigatou, Usagi-Sama!" Naru whispered fearfully.

"Goshinpainaku Naru-Sensei!" Usagi answered. "Would never let pack-sister become snack for Kyongshi. Iyaa."

She then glared at Serenity, shattering the kyongshi's hypnotic stare:

"You will not hunt, tonight, Serenity! OR any other!" Usagi shouted! "For I am SAILOR MOON! Champion of LOVE AND JUSTICE! And, in place of The Moon Princess, you shall bow before me.. or be DESTROYED!"

"You? Destroy me?" Queen Serenity cackled. "With WHAT?"

"It is never good to ask questions you may not want answered, your majesty!" Naru lightly giggled, releasing her own tensions.

"And, what do you deem so funny, worm?" Serenity snapped at Naru!

Usagi, meanwhile, stood up straight as she held Ginzhuishou high above her in her hands, in her half-lupine form:

"In darkness she cries

Fears darkness in Okaasan

Hear her fear-filled cries

Cries out in darkness to me

Musume need cry no more.

"When Serenity-musume asked me to guard her, she gave me permission to yield Ginzhiushou! Hai! She is scared of you, Serenity-kaasan! Child should never be afraid of mother who bore her! Iyaa! Musume will be afraid of you.. NO LONGER!
Ginzhuishou! BURN the evil from this creature!"

As the rest of Usagi's pack joined the circle around the Moon-Queen, Ginzhuishou threw a blinding, penetrating light on Serenity! And, the last Moon-Queen screeched and wreathed in agony:

"ENDYMION! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I NEED YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII...!"

As Ginzhuishou's light penetrated Serenity-Okaasan, her body started to smolder, quickly catch fire. then turn to ashes! As the ear-piercinng shriek that was the Moon Queen died away, the ashes turned to dust, leaving nothing but bleached bones, and scurrying , vanishing, carrion-bettles! And..

A small pulsing light faded, as from a dying firefly.

Tsukino Ikuko bent down, slowly, to pick it up the pulsing light, and held it protectively.

"Ikuko-chan!" Oosaka Kana quickly moved as if to protect the woman! "Be careful! That may be..!"

"Cold.. starving..", Ikuko whispered. "No longer lonely demo. No longer afraid. Pain is gone. Hai. Not kyongshi-kuro. No longer Serenity-kuro! Smelled Serenity-kuro. Felt Serenity-Kuro. Felt sadness around her. Hai. Felt lifelessness, powerlessness. Not now. Iyaa. Wishes to die, to rest, from what she has endured. I am not powerless demo. Hai. Will help. Cannot let her die. Serenity-shiro must live. Live free. Hai." She then placed her hands between her breasts. "Rest. Serenity-shiro. Share my heart, imouto."

"Like musume!" Kenji hugged him wife protectly. "Come! Rest. I will make breakfast."

As the adults left to return to the cabin, Usagi sat down and watched as the eastern sky lightened, sillouetting the mountaintops:

"He will come." She sighed. "Not now. He will come demo. I heard Endymion luagh, harsh and cruel, in my mind. He had no more use for her. He let her die. He will come to 'avenge' her. Add to his slaves dano. We will have time to eat and train, and maybe rest. I suggest we use it."

"Hai!" Naru snapped out. "Shingo! When breakfast is over, you will train with Usagi and Ami! Hai. Now. GO! Back to cabin!"

After breakfast, as Naru commanded, Shingo joined in the training, first - as Ami before him - by dodging Naru-Sensei and his aneue, then, after lunch, by playing keep-away fom his aneue and Ami!

"Shingo-kun has very good senses and agility for koinu! Hai." Naru smiled as she reviewed and took down notes as Shingo was being chased by Usagi and Ami.

"He has found himself in one of two Senshi-operation, hai." Makoto grinned.
"That may have helped!" She then turned to the studious red-head. "How long have you been doing this? Watching over Usagi?"

"Usagi asked the same thing! Hai." Naru chuckled. "Almost since we first met.
Before she found out she was sailorsenshi! She always knew she was Ookami! Kaasan always knew."

"Oosaka Kana-Sama is Tsukino Ikuko-Sama's watcher?" Mokoto asked.

"Hai!" Naru chirped. "Kaasan always told me that for every Ookami, there is a Watcher. Figured I would be Usagi's! Hai."

"What about Shingo-kun?" Makoto smirked.

"Parents only inherit one youji..", Naru looked off into the distance. "I inherit two ookami!"

"Or.. three?" Makoto sudenly giggled as she thought of Ami..

"For now!" Naru laughed. "For now."

"Who was Tsukino Kenji-Sama's Watcher?" Makoto asked seriously. This started to sound to her like a family-affair.

"Otousan was Tsukino-Sama's Watcher," Naru looked down at her papers, "until he died! Left Tsukino-Sama's well-being to kaasan. Hai! Keep Tsukino-tachi in family."

"Did Tsukino Kenji even learn about Otousan?" Makoto asked.

"Tousan.. never thought so. Never hoped so!" Naru thought back. "Always said that ookami should never learn about Watchers! Iyaa! Would put ookami more at risk! Make them know they had other pack-members to worry about. Demo..."

"'Other pack-members to worry about'?" Makoto chuckled. "Sounds like Usagi!" Then, she remembered her companion's last word. "Hai. Ho-rudo! 'Demo'?"

Naru looked up. "The night after the funeral, I went for a walk. Wound up where we had placed tousan's ashes. There was still so much I thought I needed to know. Nanishiro? Some time later, I hear sound of ookami! Just one demo. As if saying 'sayonara!' Kenji-san did know moshikashitara?"

"Hai. My voice. I knew." Kenji answered softly from the doorway. "Oosaka Shiro was my friend! How could I not know? He would try to hide Enfield." Kenji chuckled at seeing the old rifle, again. "Never hid it that well. Was never scared of it demo! It was.. good.. knowing Shiro cared enough about me.. for me.. to kill me if I ever went amok!"

"Nani-yo?" Makoto jumped up. "Kukukukuku..! Usagi-chan and Ami-chan are running wildly! Where is Shingo demo?"

Naru scanned the scene:

"Ara.. attacking his attackers! Kukukukuku.."

Soon, the three ookami were in a mini-melee!

"Should.. we stop them?" Makoto asked between giggles.

"Usagi.. would not.. like that!" Naru laughed out.

Soon enough, Shingo could be seem wagging his tail, and snapping at Usagi's and Ami's tails!

And, Ami gave a loud "YIP!"

"I warned musume that may happen!" Saeko chuckled. "Has to learn to fight up-close! Hai." She sipped her tea as she watched the rough-house. "At least,no one tries to draw much blood. Iie."

Then, Ami challanged Shingo to a one-on-one fight, snarling and weaving, ears back!

"Ara.. I may have to revise the diagnosis!" Saeko sighed.

As soon as signs of an actual fight started to break-out, Usagi started to growl, and assert herslf as Alpha! Ami and Shingo started to whimper, and then whine, and bark defensively.

"This is not Diet, musume!" Saeko chuckled. "Usagi's word is your law!"

A final growl from Usagi sent Ami and Shingo into submissive-positions, with Usagi checking them both for any serious wounds. She finally left them with a warning growl and bark!

"VERY LIKE Kaasan, hai!" A pink-haired girl clapped from under the shade of a tree. "ALWAYS having to be police-dog! Hai."

Suddenly, the pending ookami-fight was forgotten, as said ookami stalked behind their Alpha. They sniffed they air around the new intruder, and looked into her aura, trying to ascertain the possibility of trouble!

Usagi, however, went up to the girl, licked her hand tentively, backed away, transformed, and ran straight to the little girl!

"CHIBIUSA!"

Usagi wrapped herself around the young girl, and cried and wailed as one who had just lost their soul!

"I thought.. I thought.. I lost you!" Usagi hyperventillated. "Bad thoughts! Sad Thoughts! Kowaii. No king. No Princess.. Kowaii..."

"Hush! Hush!" The girl named "Chibiusa" stroked Usagi, calming her down. "I understand, kaasan! It will be alright demo!"

"Usagi-aneue!" Shingo growled low. "Is this now the one you said is musume-no-Chiba?"

Ami started to growl, defensively.

"Iie minna! Stand down!" Usagi commanded. "I do not smell kyonshi-kuro in her! In fact.. I smell no kyongshi in her, at all! Doushite?"

"Endymion-no-baka is not otousan! Never was tousan. Will never be tousan!" Chibiusa softly smiled, then lost her smile. "I hear stories of Endymion-kyongshi-kuro demo. Meet him. Took all my will not to use Ginzhuishou on Baka! Would have killed me to use it alone demo. Do no now if Baka would have died dano."

"Chibiusa?" Usagi asked after she disentangled herself from her future-daughter. "How did you.. get here?"

"Time-Gate." Chibusa answered her mother. "In ruins, demo usable with right magics. Hai!"

"In ruins?" Usagi asked. "Since?"

"Since.." Chibiusa chewed her bottom lip, looking suddenly apologetic. "You.. had to kill Sailorpluto. Hai."

"Nani-yo?" Usagi gasped. "I.. killed.. a Sailorsenshi? Why would I kill a Sailorsenshi?" She started to hyperventillate.

"Kaasan? Hahaiue?" Chibiusa tried to shock her back to reality. "USAGI! You will do what you have to do! Hai! It cannot be helped!"

"Why must I kill Sailorpluto demo?" Usagi shook with tears in her eyes.

"Kyongshi-kuro!" Ami hissed.

"Kyongshi are beings trapped in, and by, the past," Naru said, "Time-Gate sounds like perfect nest!"

"How.. did you get here, then, Chibiusa?" Usagi asked, trying to clear her head.

"Friends.. helped me." The young girl replied."Hai!"

"'Friends'?" Usagi asked.

"Hai. Good friends." A male voice, silky-smoothe, seemed to floating from Usagi's left. "ones who do not wish to harm you anymore than he has."

Usagi, Ami, and Mokto turned toward a ghostly blonde figure, dressed in white:

"Dimonde?!"

"Hai, we are all here.. Usagi." A bluish figure spoke as his form coelesced.

"Saffiru?" Usagi squeaked.

"Rubeus dano?" Ami asked as she stared at the ghost.

"Esmerodo? dano?" Makoto asked, instinctly going into a battle-stance.

Usagi broke down and cried. "I am stupid girl! Stupid silly girl! Try to help! Only bring pain! Punish me! I do not deserve forgiveness!"

"Usagi!" Dimondo said in a firm voice as a ghostly hand touched the girl's chin. "There is nothing to forgive! For you did nothing wrong."

"I banished you demo! Serenity banished you!"

"Only because, like you, the Neo-Queen was sick from the bloodshed!" Saffiru knealt by Usagi. "We all were, and all agreed to the banishment."

"I sent you to Nemesis demo.." Usagi whimpered.

"Hai. We blamed you dano." Reubeus looked into Usagi's tear-streaked face. "Demo. Banishment or death was your choice! Not place-of-banishment demo!"

"Who.. chose.. Nemesis? How did you find out dano?"

"After.. we were killed," Esmerodo spoke softly, cradling Usagi. "The Death-Phantom explained it all. Hai. Nemesis is a world for the dead. Not for the living. Iie. So? When he explained to us, the first time, we could not hear him. Went mad trying to understand him dano. Living and dead cannot share the same world, all the time! Only ones to know that were Endymion and Pluto demo! It was they who made the decision of where to send us! Never tell you why dano."

Usagi let out a low and dangerous growl. "Mamoru-kyongshi will die. Hai."

"How did Black Moon no Chibiusa get here demo?" Makoto asked.

"We were able to use Ayakashi Sisters as anchors to get here!" Saffiru asnswered.

"Hai." Ami acknowledged. "Who accessed Time-Gate from Chibiusa's demo?"

"We.. had help. Hai." Rubeus grinned, trying not to snicker.

"'Help'?" Shingo asked. "Who?"

"Okaasan?" Chibiusa asked. "A friend from my time helped us? Judge her only by who she is, not what she is, onegai?"

"Nani-yo?" Usagi asked slowly. Then, she sniffed the air, and listened.

"I smell.." Ami growled.

"Kyongshi!" Shingo groused.

"Hotaru-neesan?" Chibiusa called out. "Come on out? You have been spotted!"

As Ami and Shingo went into alert-mode, a small, thin, pale girl with dark shoulder-length hair stepped out of the trees.

Ami and Shingo bristled as Usagi transformed and started sniffing the new-comer. Usagi then let out a small whine.

"Gomemnissai, Hotaru-Sama," Chibiusa told the new-comer. "I tried to warn Kaasannot to judge? Should have warned Obaa ano Haku demo."

"Goshinpainaku, Chibiusa!" The new-comer, now known as Hotaru, softly smiled as Usagi licked her wrist.

Usagi then transformed again, and turned to the rest of her pack. "She does not feel evil minna! Sad? Yes, but not evil! She is nazo demo? I smell kyongshi! No kyongshi-kuro? No kyongshi-shiro? Nani-yo?"

"I am both Kyongshi-Kuro and Kyongshi-shiro, and I am neither." Hotaru answered softly. "I am haafu! Hanyou."

"Rarity, indeed!" Naru spoke. "I have read of such. Watchers have written of such! Offspring of Kyongshi-shiro and Kyongshi-kuro, it has been written, do not live long. You are the first I know of to make it past infancy."

"Hai." Hotaru answered. "The dreams that are food to the one poison the other taitei."

"So..", Usagi pondered. "That is why Ginzhuishou burned Serenity-okaasan to -kuro drove too much of Kyongshi-shiro away." She then looked straight into Hotaru's eyes. "And, what of you, Hotaru? What feeds you?"

"I can sense nightmares like Kyongshi-kuro," the young vampire said, "poison to me demo."

"Interesting," Naru answered as she wrote down the information. "So? Any ideas as to how you lived this long? i have not read of even the parents of half-breeds living long after the birth of a haafu!"

"Iie. sexual-contact between the two species lead to the death of both taitei!" Hotaru softly giggled. "Good way to get rid of lustful Kyongshi-kuro! Hai." She then pulled forth her glaive. "Safe from having to use this, hai!"

Usagi, in her transitional-form, sniffed the glaive.. and gagged!

"Ara - cough!cough! - kyongshi-kuro hunter?" Usagi wheezed.

"Only when needed." Hotaru answered - with a feral-grin.

"You can open Time-Gate?" Ami asked.

"Hai." Hotaru answered. "Born in Time-Gate. Hai. Conceived in Time-Gate!"

"'Born'?" Usagi repeated. "'Conceived'? Okaasan was not Sailorpluto moshikashite?"

"Iiede!" Hotaru hissed in disgust. "Kaasan was Kyongshi-shiro! Not Kyongshi-kuro!" She spat out the last word in disgust. "Time-gate fed me. Kept me alive, hai. Parents died demo. I died sonouchi, as we all must. Always come back. Live a liitle longer each time. Hai. Always came back kyongshi drawn. Always drawn to what is dark, what can hurt. Never can feed off of it demo. Iiede. Just want to try to bring light to darkness. Make hurt less hurtful."

"So!" Usagi looked into Hotaru's eyes, again:

"Who has taken care of you, now? Ara.. when Chibiusa meets you?"

"Oosaka Naru is gibo!" Hotaru smiled towards Naru.

"It will be my honor dano!" Naru whispered back.

"Hai! Now?" Usagi breathed in slowly, if preparation for an answer she might not like.

"In learning to use the Time-Gate, did you ever notice Pluto and Endymion plotting to send Black-Moon family to Nemesis?"

"Hai." Hotaru answered. "Sousei plot many things! None good. Plot sending Blackmoon clan to Nemesis."

"Naze?" Ami asked.

"Nemesis considered 'Home-Planet' of Kyongshi nazenara!" Hotaru answered. "Farthest from sun!"

Usagi hung her head as teardrops fell:

"Shimatte!" She whispered through her tears "Mamoru - Endymion! Whatever he calls himself, now - will die for all the pain he caused and will cause. I swear: I will watch him turn to DUST! Same thing for Pluto.. when we meet."

"Come!" Usagi said, trying to calm herself down. "We must rest! Hai! Endymion-kyongshi-kuro will want to play, soon! Make sure we will give him good game."