...

Breathe deep the gathering gloom

Watch lights fade from every room

Bedsitter people look back and lament

Another day's useless energy spent.

...

Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,

Lonely man cries for love and has none.

New mother picks up and suckles her son,

Senior citizens wish they were young.

...

Cold hearted orb that rules the night,

Removes the colors from our sight.

Red is grey and yellow white,

But we decide which is right.

And which is an illusion?

The beeping of the pen by her bedside filled Minako with a swirl of conflicting emotions: dread, hope, fear, excitement, and a lot more that Minako could not name. Tonight she had a chance of establishing permanent contact with Sailor Moon, and potentially, Serenity. Yet, as Minako transformed into her charade as Sailor V, she felt the hum of the crescent compact flicker a little. She had not charged it well after her mad dash to the arcade the night before and now The Moon, the source of the compact's power, was nowhere to be seen. If the fighting got heavy tonight, Minako would not be able to keep her Sailor V heshin, and would be forced to activate her Sailor Venus form; something Minako was not prepared to do permanently yet. She had to keep the enemy's gaze away from Serenity's true identity and she could only do so as Sailor V, she could only do so if she kept the crescent moon emblem visible on her forehead and the mark of Venus hidden.

"Please, just let it be Tuxedo Kamen..." Sailor V sighed as she jumped to the tree branch next to her window. Then again, if it was just Tuxedo Kamen, that might be more dangerous for Sailor Moon than just an ordinary Youma. He was looking for Serenity, and if he made the same connection that Sailor V had, then she had to be careful. But Serenity had called to him as well, in a similar fashion as she had done with Minako. A pang went through Sailor V's heart: Serenity had called to him before even her Lead Guardian Senshi. "Tuxedo Kamen, who are you?" Who went looking for The Silver Crysal, but then begged Sailor V to help protect its bearer, if in truth that was who Sailor Moon turned out to be? Who was he? Why would Serenity call out to him before even her?

Sailor V followed Artemis' instructions to the alleged robbery, and she sighed in relief to see the darkened figure of Tuxedo Kamen hovering over the case of crystals.

"You know, this is getting really old." Sailor V said placing her hands on her hips and frowning down at him. "Can't you let a girl get some sleep on such a depressing, moonless night?" Tuxedo Kamen turned around and to her surprise he was smiling up at her.

"I thought Venus didn't have any moons?" He asked. "I thought it would remind you of home." Sailor V jumped down from her perch and walked forward. She hated moonless nights, she needed The Moon's soft glow, she couldn't live without it, and it wasn't just because she needed it to stay Sailor V.

"Can't you just quit?" She asked bitterly. "The Silver Crystal isn't going to be in any of the stores you look in, so why keep wasting both of our time?" Tuxedo Kamen looked back at the case of crystals.

"Where else am I supposed to look?" Sailor V couldn't answer him. She couldn't tell him that she already knew where The Crystal was. Tuxedo Kamen looked up at her expectantly. "Well?" Sailor V sighed.

"I don't know." She lied. "Just, can we call it a night?" She asked bitterly. "I'm really, really, not in the mood to fight, and I have a test tomorrow!" Tuxedo Kamen laughed. He seemed in a peculiar happy mood.

"Sure." He said finally. "I wasn't really trying to inconvenience you, V." Sailor V crossed her arms at his familiar tone. "In truth, I was just hoping for our mutual friend." Sailor V caught herself looking around for her as well, but Sailor Moon did not look like she was going to show up.

"So was I." Sailor V admitted. They lingered there for a moment longer with only the sound of their breathing. Somewhere a police car would be approaching silently, but Sailor V knew that when they got there, Tuxedo Kamen and herself would be long gone. She would not pursue him tonight, not with her power reserves so low.

Tuxedo Kamen stood up straighter and began to make his way out of the store, and Sailor V watched him go, and she allowed him to go. He turned back towards her with a smile on his face, but V would never know what he was smiling about because it vanished in an instant. Before V could even think, his cane was up above his head and crashing down towards her. A small gasp escaped her lungs from the surprise. Her finger shot up to defend herself, but his cane was already above her and now-

Now a screech came out from behind her as his cane struck to her left.

V's whole body was turned now and her compact pointed in the direction of the sound. Tuxedo Kamen took a step back in order to stand beside her as a large black figure rose up towards the ceiling, and it overshadowed the two.

Had that thing been there the whole time?! And right behind her? Sailor V paled at the thought of what it could have done to her if Tuxedo Kamen hadn't seen it before it had attacked.

It was huge, but then it was small again, changing its shape rapidly as it went. Its form was like a dark shadow, but it had a face as well and gnashing teeth. It was zig-zaging around the room like a large dragon and Sailor V stood back to back with Tuxedo Kamen as they watched it and waited for the attack.

"Where is The Silver Crystal?" Its voice rasped. The shadow figure disappeared behind the case and it seemed to spread across the floor; covering it completely with darkness. Its face appeared just a few feet in front of Sailor V's legs and she shoved Tuxedo Kamen back in order to get away from it. "Its within The Princess." Another voice, a familiar voice, rasped from within the same creature, and then the other voice was laughing. Sailor V's eyes opened wide. How did they know that?! "And who is The Princess?" The first voice asked. Sailor V jumped up into the air and landed on top of the glass jewel case. She had recognized the familiar voice, it had been her own, distorted, but clearly her own. Were the they taking the information out of her mind? From simply touching her? The creature followed after her and she jumped higher.

"Sailor V! It looks like a shadow but it's still physically there!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled. Sailor V lifted her her compact and aimed it at the creature's face. She had to make every shot count! The creature moved too quickly for Sailor V to stabilize her pointer finger and the creature collided with her at the waist, pushing her back against the wall.

"Moon Tiara Action!" The creature screeched loudly and Sailor V fell to the floor as it wreathed in pain, Tuxedo Kamen rushed towards the creature and swiped it away from V with his weapon. The lone figure at the front door of the store stepped into the dim light from the store's display. "Nobody hurts my V-chan!" Sailor Moon cried as she caught the tiara and placed it back onto her forehead. "In the name of The Moon, I will punish you!"

Tuxedo Kamen offered her a hand and Sailor V stood up. The three humans converged on the creature as it shot up towards the ceiling and casted its shadow over them, touching the tops of their heads and preventing Sailor V from jumping away from its knowing grasp.

"Who is the girl in the tiara?" The creature's voice asked. Sailor Moon stepped forward, but before she could begin her introduction from the very beginning, her voice was rasping out of the creature. "I am Sailor Moon." Sailor Moon's jaw dropped, and it confirmed Sailor V's harrowing suspicions. "I am Tsu-"

"Crescent Beam!" She could not have Sailor Moon's identity broadcasted for all to hear! Her attack struck the creature, but it did not fade away, it only gave out one more screech as it charged at them.

"Scatter!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled and the two girls jumped each way as the creature swept the man up into the air.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor V rushed to Sailor Moon's side as Sailor Moon called after him.

"Sailor Moon!" It was another voice coming from somewhere in the darkness, but Sailor V could not see who it was. "Use your tiara's central crystal to use a new attack!" The voice shouted. Sailor Moon put her fingers up the tiara and the two Sailor Senshi watched as the creature brought Tuxedo Kamen down to the ground quickly, slamming him into the floor.

"What do I say?!" Sailor Moon demanded frantically, her voice high and cracking.

"Shout: Moon Tiara Flash!" The voice ordered and Sailor Moon tilted the tiara's crystal up and down as she began to repeat the chant.

"Moon Tiara Flash!" A torrent of light emanated from Sailor Moon's tiara and struck the creature. Sailor V's eyes opened almost as wide as her mouth as the creature vanished easily like the fog in front of the rising sun.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon began to rush forward towards the downed man but Sailor V had already grabbed hold of her arm. She heard car doors opening and closing. It was the perfect time for the department to get here! Just perfect! She had to get Sailor Moon out of here.

"Come with me," Sailor V hissed as she dragged Sailor Moon towards the back of the store.

"But, Tuxedo-"

"We can't bother with him!" Sailor V warned.

"But-"

"No buts!" Sailor Moon still resisted, but they were already at the back door and Sailor V was pushing her out the door. "We have to keep moving!" Sailor Moon was looking past her and back towards the store, her eyes moving rapidly from side to side in a frantic search. Finally, she allowed Sailor V to lead her away and the two rushed into the night away from the store.

The nearby rooftop provided the two Sailor Senshi a good view of the store bellow without being seen themselves. Sailor Moon was leaning over the edge of the rooftop, her two streams of hair dangling over the edge, waiting for a glimpse of Tuxedo Kamen and possibly her unknown ally, but neither appeared, and the police seemed to have come up empty handed as well. Tuxedo Kamen apparently had not been too injured to get away, which did not surprise Sailor V entirely. He had taken harder hits than the one the Shadow Youma had given him. Sailor Moon's eyes continued to scan the ground below.

"He's fine." Sailor V spoke up behind her finally and Sailor Moon's eyes looked her way.

"You sure?" She asked and Sailor V nodded.

"He's good at making escapes like that, trust me, I know." She said allowing herself a small smile. Sailor Moon looked back down towards the ground, still with a worried expression. "Who was that voice?" Sailor V ventured and Sailor Moon stepped away from the ledge.

"I promised not to tell you." Sailor Moon said quietly. Sailor V's stomached turned uneasily. She needed to figure out who had awoken Sailor Moon and why, she needed to eliminate the possibility of there being an enemy in their midst. "I wanted to tell you everything," Sailor Moon spoke once more, "but she said... she said that we needed to wait."

"Sailor Moon," Sailor V stood up straight trying to make herself feel stronger and to seem more mature. "We need to establish a way to stay in contact." She spoke and Sailor Moon nodded. "My partner has come up with this." Sailor V brought up a pager-like object. "It will beep when there is a need and give you a location. Always come transformed." Sailor Moon took the object and stared down at it, a frown on her face. "What?" Sailor Moon looked back up at Sailor V.

"Nothing." Sailor Moon placed the object in the small pocket of her skirt. "I just... Its nothing." She repeated. The two Senshi remained standing in silence for a moment. "Its safer this way." Sailor Moon said out loud suddenly. "If we don't know each other's identities... then we can't give each other away." Sailor V nodded in agreement, but she could tell that Sailor Moon wasn't liking the plan, that she would rather be up front about everything, but the promises both of the Senshi had made to their respective partners prevented them from doing so. Sailor Moon's face suddenly brightened. "I can't believe I'm going to be working with my idol, V-chan!" She said excitedly clasping her hands together.

V-chan...

Sailor V froze as she found it harder to breathe. Sailor Moon was so bright, like the shinning moonlight, The Moon that she loved so much. A shadow crossed over the two and Sailor V looked up; a gasp escaping from her.

Tuxedo Kamen was jumping from roof to roof in his escape. She knew she should follow after him, but... she just couldn't leave Sailor Moon. Besides, he wasn't a threat. Then again, Ace was just like him: coming to the rescue when needed, and he had betrayed her in the very end.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon took a step forward as she called out to him.

"No, Sailor Moon!" Sailor V grabbed her hand, preventing her from going after him. Sailor Moon looked at her in surprise.

"Why, V-chan?" Sailor V paused.

"Just, don't trust him," She said as Sailor Moon's big blue eyes watched her, "at least not yet." Ace's face came to her and she closed her eyes in anger. "Don't trust masked men." Sailor V said to herself and to Sailor Moon. "Even if they come to your rescue." Sailor V opened her eyes and Sailor Moon was staring after him, but she was making no move to go after him. Sailor V reluctantly let go of her hand and began to walk away. If she stayed any longer she might break down and tell her everything. "Will you be okay?" Sailor V asked looking back at Sailor Moon.

The other Senshi nodded, her hands clutched over her heart, and then she smiled brightly once more at V.

"We're together again." Sailor Moon's voice was joyful, but also lined with sorrow and longing. It broke V where she stood and she rushed back towards Sailor Moon. Her arms wrapped around Sailor Moon and V buried her face on Sailor Moon's shoulder as she embraced her tightly. "V-chan..." Sailor Moon's whisper was soft as she wrapped her arms around Sailor V and relaxed her head beside Sailor V's ear. "Venus..." Sailor Moon whispered again in her ear, and Sailor V felt the tears building up. She was no longer alone, but the burden felt even heavier now that she had a physical person to protect.

"Serenity..." Sailor V allowed herself to think, but wouldn't dare to speak aloud. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She had to be strong and go back to the arcade where Artemis was waiting for her to make her report, but...

She just couldn't let Serenity go.

Yet she had to, and she had to let her slip back into the darkness; leaving Sailor V alone in the night.

"Sailor Moon is Serenity."

Artemis watched Minako as she stood there leaning against the main computer, her arms crossed and her eyes closed.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Artemis asked slowly. Minako's eyes opened and she nodded. "Positive? Without a doubt sure?"

"She is Serenity." Minako's voice was so dark, but he could see a few tears glistening at the back of her eyes refusing to release, and he backed off. He trusted Minako, and if she was certain he would follow her lead. "We have to have our main priority to be keeping Sailor Moon safe from now on." Minako said. "We have to keep her safe in battle." Minako stomped her foot against the floor of the arcade. "I hate having her out in the open, but as long as I can keep up as V... I can keep Sailor Moon's true identity a secret from the enemies."

"What about Tuxedo Kamen? You said he already knew you weren't Serenity." Minako sighed.

"I think it'll be safe as long as I keep Sailor Moon away from him." Minako said putting her hand to her chin as she planned. "If he tries anything foolish I'll be there to make him pay." The tears that had threatened to come were long vanished now and her eyes were completely darkened. "I'll crush him if he moves to hurt her." Her voice was a hard as her gaze and Artemis sat there scared for a moment. Minako was completely gone and Sailor Venus was standing in her place. She was too dark and serious to be the girl he had awoken three years before. The woman in front of him would not hesitate to kill.

"Maybe you should take tomorrow off, you won't have a charged compact, and-" Minako shook her head cutting him off. "Please, let the police take care of things, for just one night!"

"No," Her voice was still dark. "The creatures keep coming and with more frequency." She said. "I have to keep at my duty." Artemis walked closer to her.

"If you want, I think you should tell Sailor Moon your identity." But Minako shook her head again violently.

"No." She says. "She can't tell me." Minako closed her eyes. "There is something, someone, else at work." Artemis watched as Minako turned to leave the arcade and followed after her.

Luna was standing on the sill of Usagi's window when the girl climbed up the tree to her window.

"What did she say?" Luna demanded before Usagi even had time to complete her de-transformation. The girl sank into the soft covers of her bed and let out a long breath.

"She gave me a beeper to keep in contact." Usagi explained taking it out of her pocket and handing it over to Luna so she could look it over.

"You didn't tell her about me did you?" Luna asked in panic and Usagi shook her head. Luna closed her eyes in relief and she sat beside Usagi. That was the last thing Luna needed and she could not let that happen. Luna worried a bit about what she would do when the time to unite all of the Senshi came but she would come to that hurdle when it was needed. Then she would have to find a way to keep Artemis from knowing about her.

Where was her present day counter-part?! The more time that passed the more Luna worried, but she could not dwell on it for long. She had to move and awaken the others.

Luna looked up from the beeper and at Usagi who lay there sad-eyed looking up at the ceiling.

"I didn't get to talk to Tuxedo Kamen." Usagi said sorrowfully. Luna nodded.

"It will be okay." Luna said that but she was unsure about it. She needed them to get into contact as soon as possible. Their romance had to blossom, but if they continued to run into Sailor V it would be nearly impossible. "We need to focus on getting the others to awaken." Luna said cheerfully. "It will be easier this time since we know who they are."

"This time?"

"I mean, just... we don't have to go searching for them."

"Oh." Usagi turned over on her bed to face Luna and took the beeper back and placed it beside her alarm clock. "So how do we awaken them?" Luna smiled and she twirled into the air like she had done several nights before. When the bright light faded, three fountain pens were there on Usagi's bed. Usagi picked up the pretty blue one in the center and turned it over several times in her hands. "How is this going to help?"

"These are the Sailor Senshi's transformation pens." Luna explained. "Like your brooch, they will allow your friends to transform by shouting a special phrase." Usagi looked at the pen again. It looked just like an ordinary pen, but then again her brooch didn't seem special either. Minus the one fact that no one at school seemed to notice it and the teachers ignored the obvious break in the school uniform. "We must get these to the others so when the time comes; they can use them."

Mamoru collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion. His whole body ached from being slammed into the ground, but what was really hurting him was his lack of answers.

The woman of his dreams kept calling out to him, and recently he had been starting to feel her callings even when he was awake. Several times since the night before he had sworn he had heard her voice in his ear, but he knew that she was only in his mind. The callings were the loudest when he had been with Kimi. Her red eyes had watched him earnestly and the sight of them had turned his blood cold, but then the woman's voice would be there, calling out to him; making his blood heat up again and he would delve deeper into his books in search of answers.

But the voice of the woman from his dreams could not even calm him after the frightening visions. In fact, it only seemed to heighten them. Her sad voice would echo along with the vision and Mamoru could find no way to stop the hurt and pain found within the visions and her voice.

The images came at the most unexpected times and he could not explain any of them: a castle in ruins and a burning world around it, a darkened Earth, the anguished cries of someone over him as the world darkened. There had been other visions as well, more soft, bright, and calming: a world of crystal, unexplainable laughter as he sat there reading, a passionate kiss under the moonlight. These visions had come and gone like smoke before his eyes, while the horrible premonitions of destruction had lingered in his worried mind.

The answer to all the riddles around him refused to make themselves clear, but the harder Mamoru concentrated the more and more his mind left the woman from his dreams and wandered towards the unexplainable mystery that was Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon... Her appearance alone had stirred up too many emotions within him to ignore. The sight of her laying on the floor, hair wrapped all around her and unmoving, had made his heart stop and a fierce rage to come over him. He had struck out against the creature with all of his strength, but he had also known that without Sailor V there beside him to help he would have fallen beside Sailor Moon and died there with her. As Mamoru thought this his fist struck the bed under him in anger. He would not have been able to save her; he would not have been able to protect her. Where had this desire, no, this need to protect her come from? Mamoru couldn't explain it at all.

The only real good part of Mamoru's day had been his daily fight with Odango... he meant... Usagi.

She was so bright and warm despite her bitter words, and her presence made Mamoru feel something, but again, that was something he could not explain. It didn't matter though. He didn't have to explain it. If he didn't that wouldn't mean the end of everything, it would just mean that he had left something unexplored. His dreams and need to protect Sailor Moon on the other hand, that very well could be important. Mamoru's hands went to his face and he moaned as he turned over on his bed.

He was so tired and overwhelmed with the weight of the mysteries.

He wanted to leave Kimi, but felt trapped. He had given his word and that was something he valued. It would shame her to leave, but... Mamoru buried his head in his pillow.

"Where are you?" He whispered softly.

If he didn't find her soon, that woman in his dreams... he would have to marry Kimi. He wouldn't be able to pull away unless he had her waiting there for him; with arms open wide to embrace him.

Yet to find her he needed to find The Silver Crystal, but... it was not in the stores. Venus had been right about that from the very beginning. The Silver Crystal was within The Princess. At least, that was what the creature had said.

So, when he found The Princess he would find The Silver Crystal, but he couldn't find The Princess until he found The Silver Crystal.

Mamoru moaned again. His whole body ached and in the morning it would be even worse.

Tomorrow would be hell walking around...