Book Ten-For the Future

People devote themselves to may things, why not for the future. I believed that I could make of my future whatever I willed. I was sort of a control freak I guess. I loved Hotaru, almost as a daughter, but she had a real life that was taken away from her by the darkness. In the future humans would discover that the only thing necessary for survival is pure love. Rini was oblivious to her great surroundings. The inner city was made of crystal, the outer city was made of pure white concrete and marble. Darien had become the king of the Earth, only because of the lack of a real government. In truth Darien was only king as an honorary position. The world of the future was almost free of sickness, pain and suffering, but all this goodness wouldn't last forever, the city had already been through countless battles. The peace, only temporary, was a great time for anyone to be raised up in. Rini didn't care for the perfect world, she constantly wanted to be in the past. She didn't know why deep inside. Perhaps it was the danger that appealed to her young mind. That is what may have led her to ask her father to read to her in the first place. Neo Queen Serenity feared that the love of the past may lead to her child's demise. Rini was already partly to blame for the cities first destruction by the Nemesis. In the brief window of solace, Darien was reading of the past, every word filling Rini's mind full of wonder and romance, of treason and of pain. Pain was a word that Rini knew very little of. She lived in a world full of light, she only found the past interesting because she couldn't understand it. In this time, we all are looking for a special place, a utopia. We fail to realize that it is in ourselves. We can change this world if we would only come together.

Neo Queen Serenity came back into the room with a large pitcher of ice-cold water. She sat the pitcher on the table next to Darien. Darien had a glass there from earlier, he quickly picked the pitcher up and filled the glass to the brim. He then put the pitcher down, and then proceeded in downing the whole glass of water. Neo Queen Serenity then asked rather politely, "Does anyone want anything to drink while I'm up?" There was no answer, so she sat down and started getting comfortable.

As soon as she was ready for Darien to continue reading Raye burst out with a, "I would like a glass water come to think of it!"

Serena blurted, "Yeah and you know where you can shove it!"

Raye was furious, she jumped up and left the room for the kitchen. She mumbled under her breath while she grabbed a glass from the kitchen, "Immature witch, I'll show her one day. Yeah, she may be the queen and all but she has no right", Raye stopped and thought clearly, probably for the first time I her life. Raye realized that she started this fiasco, and she had done so many times before. Raye didn't know what to expect on return to the Study. For the first time in her life she didn't want to fight Serena, she said out loud, partially on accident, "Serena is growing up, she has become the queen. Oh I wish you were here to witness it. You had so much faith in her while I didn't. I wonder where you might be."

She dropped the glass on the floor as Sailor Venus walked into the room and asked, "So you miss him too?"

Mars stooped down and picked up the glass fragments. The Dark kitchen made the task harder. Sailor Venus tried to help but Mars refused help. Her hands began to bleed from the sharp glass that cut through the exterior like a knife through butter. Sailor Venus switched on the lights in the room. As she did she said, "Most people go their whole lives in the dark, they live off its cushioned falseness, and hide in its shame. Only when they see the light can they be truly happy, and truly free. I miss him because he was the one that taught us to be better than we ever could be. He showed us the light, he may have not been the light, but he was sure close to it. And yet he believes that he is the farthest from it, and exiles himself away. To protect us, but from what?"

Sailor Venus led Mars over to the sink, and ran water over the wounds. Mars' hands were bleeding pretty badly, but the bleeding had stopped, only excess blood was left behind. And it swirled down the drain leaving nothing but skin. Sailor Venus grabbed a towel and wrapped Sailor Mars' hand.

Mars stated abruptly as the pain grew while Venus was wrapping her hand up, "You know, this is the first time since he left that I've felt pain. I wonder if it is a sign!"

Venus answered, "After he finished the Story we will ask Darien, perhaps he would have some insight. For now, however, we must return before they suspect something is wrong."

Mars nodded, and as she did Venus gave her another glass. They walked out of the room and Venus shut out the light. In the Study Hotaru and Rini started playing cards and were waiting for Darien to begin again. Darien never answered her question, but it must have been for the better. Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars took their seats and Darien continued Reading the book…

Sailor Saturn stared at me with an intensity I had never known before, and perhaps would never have again. Her dark, cold eyes gleamed from the remainder of sunlight that, at times, peaked its way through the vast dark sky. The bus' smell had changed from the new car smell to a much vulgar almost rotten tastefulness. The smell was that of death, all around us hundreds of bodies lay. The other Sailor Scouts were busy looking at clothing shops not destroyed by the impalement from heaven. To the Sailor Scouts this city was the opposite of their own. Tokyo had its problems, but compared to Detroit it could be considered a heaven the polar opposite of Detroit's Hell. It wasn't always this way, Detroit was once the hub of business, music, and laughter, until the news media started the race riots. Detroit was the only city in history to have lost 1 million inhabitants. It was quite sad to be in the rubble, of rubble itself. While I was without food I pictured Detroit as the worst place a person could be born. I suppose there were others, but it didn't matter to me. It was kind of hard imagining the city in a worse condition than it was in before the disaster caused by me. A lower level of hell. I had to leave, this wasn't my home, I had no home. No where on the planet could be called my home. I guess home is where the heart is. Perhaps in time I could call Tokyo my home, but deep inside I knew that such was impossible. I believed the Sailor Scouts deserved normal lives, and I wanted to give it to them, if I could. But I was dreaming, nothing could be as it was. A person I knew said you can dream in one hand and shit in the other, which hand would fill up faster, we already knew the answer, but for me it wasn't shit but tears. I was the Earth's problem, I had done a terrible thing. I could have stopped it if I had willed it, I could have destroyed the darkness along with the world, but I was too weak. Queen Serenity told me I was weak in the heart, I cared too much for others, I was not worthy of such a task as the one I was CHOSEN for. I guess I was beginning to believe in destiny, but I wasn't going to be its slave!!!

Sailor Saturn became worried at me spacing out for so long, she took her hand and ran it across my face. Startled I lunged backward. She smiled when she saw that I was alright. Her voice was constantly changing, perhaps it was her accelerated growth that caused it. In a raspy voice she said, Why are you", she couldn't seem to come up with a substantial thesis, so she abandoned the idea and said, "You have a pure heart, way purer than mine! You love me because I am a tool? Or do you love me because you fear me?"

I was shocked by her questions, I said, "I do not fear death, nor do I fear you. I fear to be alone ad worthless just as I had been before. I want to be loved, not for who I pretend to be, but for who I really am."

Sailor Saturn's voice shifted to her normal tone, she said, "Then Who are you? You fail to realize that love must be earned!"

I answered, "I don't know who I am, because I try to make myself what I am not. I am not strong and powerful, all I do is lie. I am not smart or fast, or very funny, I can't even fight, I have to have all of these weapons, what kind of person am I? It seems I will never have love."

Saturn said, "I would gladly offer my life if you would take it to destroy the world!"

I said, "That would make me the worst person of all! You are a wonderful person, and you deserve to live, I on the other hand deserve to die!"

Sailor Saturn said sadly, "Everyone deserves to die because of sin, but you will not die, is that why you fear me? Or do you not fear me, but Sailor Chaos?"

I couldn't admit to her that I was afraid, but deep down she sensed it and said, "You once said that fear only comes from ignorance, Sailor Chaos is the embodiment of Darkness! Sailor Chaos caused a war that spanned throughout the life of the universe, but when she was put to rest in the hearts of man she became much more than just darkness, she was becoming the very thing you fear!"

I said, "Satan!"

Sailor Saturn gasped and said, "No, but Chaos is dark energy that comes from the multiple universes that surround this one, imagine infantine systems of planets with great enemies dwelling there! The Demons, are Sailor Scouts that fell from heaven. But the thing you fear is to make a choice! You want to be in control, yet you wish that you were not. You fear that you will have to face the enemy alone. I would be, Trillions of stars with billions of enemies on each planet. And then multiple spaces within spaces. A war unlike any other war that ever was or will be! You are strong enough to believe that there is good in every heart, and you believe that there is good in the heart of Sailor Chaos as well. You are right! The dark side doesn't need Sailor Chaos, they only wanted to subdue her so that you wouldn't get to change her first. But the only way to change her is to have her willing to change! Sailor Chaos is Sarah! You fear deeply that the news will be more than she can forgive you for. The enemy planned this from the beginning. You have been chosen whether you want to believe it or not, you are the last hope for mankind! Sailor Moon Sailor Galaxia, Sailor Chaos and Sailor Truth are the only ones who can stop the oncoming end. That is however a misstatement, you can't stop the end, it will come eventually, but we can make it so it isn't time."

I said, "But pushing back the enemy forever cannot be my destiny, I must fight them in the battle for truth, I must seal them within the Galaxy Cauldron! Who is Sailor Truth?"

Saturn said, "The Galaxy cauldron won't contain them for ever, it will be destroyed. The enemies attack power is growing, there is no time! We must go!"

She kissed my forehead. A great pain had endowed the area. I asked, "Sailor Saturn, who am I, I am nameless, worthless, what is my destiny? Who will I become? What is my name?"

Sailor Saturn drew her gloved finger over my lips and said quietly, "You have no name, therefore you can become whatever you want to become! You can become as you are meant to be, or you can run away, but eventually it will catch up to you! You alone govern yourself, Your destiny is yours only if you will to take it! But take and follow it you must, for once in your life you have something to follow, a purpose, please don't deny yourself the chance to belong. I am not as naive as I once was, but I am a cold shell. I love you because I believe in you the same way you believe in others. I can't", She tried to kiss me, but her face fell into a weeping position, "I Love you, just as I love Rini, but we are not destined to be together! Sarah, she will not take the news of her fiancé's death well. She will more than likely become one of them just as she started as. The Demon within King Brian will remain until he can see the light. Brian wants the Powers of Gold and Silver to bring Sarah to love him, but he also wants Sarah to be happy."

The fiberglass window shattered and a sinister voice screamed, "Wrong!"

Alexii jumped into the bus via the huge hole in the ceiling. The pieces of fiberglass covered me and Hotaru, but out of eagerness we moved to face our opponent. Alexii started to laugh maniacally, but then out of seriousness he proclaimed, "King Brian deserves Sarah, Andrew got what he deserved. No Sailor Saturn you have got your ideas backward. Sailor Chaos is that of a traitors soul. Her fame however had allowed us to use her to guide multiple star systems to our will."

Saturn asked, although she knew the answer, "What about those who wouldn't follow?"

Alexii bellowed for a bit and said, "We destroyed them and stole their Star seeds. We have conquered the lot of space, and now we have conquered all but the Earth System, and the pathetic planets that orbit your pathetic star. Since the beginning of time you humans have wasted your planet, you have become a disease that must be stopped! You were given the dominance over the entire universe, and thankfully you lost it, and it was given to a much better commander. Why not join us Death? Why not join us great one, why not fully realize your powers? We can make you invincible!"

I answered, "I am already invincible! You may destroy my body, but my soul will live on forever in defiance of your pathetic excuse for a ruler! I will resist and he shall flee!!"

Alexii said, "Resistance is futile! You are forever a part of the Chain, the cycle, why not become its ruler? We will give you power for as long as you will ad you can give it up whenever you see fit!"

I answered, "No one that seizes power does so in the pretense to relinquish it! Your words are worthless! All you offer is a world of lies! I will stop you even if I must do it alone! Even if I must die in doing so. I love this world, this Solar system this galaxy, this local group, this universe, the series of endless universes, and ill be damned if I would let you control the last free system. We will never stop fighting!"

Alexii bowed his head in shame then said, "Then you will all perish!"

I said, "No we won't, we have the truth, we have God in whatever manner you wish to accept him as. You will bow to him in the end! I will make it so, although I don't have to!"

Alexii said, "God is a lie!"

I answered, "God is the light within us all, he resides in the hearts of all men who wish to accept him. He is the light where there is none, and you will fall to its overwhelming presence! You and your Pathetic leaders. We will thwart you, your darkness is crystal clear in my eyes, ad soon it will be to all. You are weak so you use others to do your dirty work. You control nothing because you cannot control the heart, the innermost workings of a persons sentient being. You may win a few, but in the end you will fail."

Alexii sneered and said, "I will take great pleasure in killing you, ripping you limb for limb. You will experience pain as you have not experienced before. You will come to understand that Love is just an illusion cast by light. It is growing weak! Soon it will fail, the light of hope, the eternal force, and all light will fail. Then we will destroy this Earth, this Universe. You are worthless!" We will soon have the Powers, Chaos, and Truth. Then who will stop us? You? A weak earthling?"

A loud voice came from another point in time, it said, "Do not listen! You are! You will be! You can! I am Waiting for the true carrier of the purest heart since the son of pure love! You and You alone can wield me!"

Alexii cried out in anger, "He isn't the one, Brian will be the one! He must be the One! I will not accept this Powers, you cannot! He is an Earthling!"

Sailor Saturn covered her mouth in amazement, her shaky frame barely visible due to an amazingly bright light which seemed to be the Powers themselves, she said, "The Powers have chosen their next carrier, and it will be you! Sailor Eon knew this! Sailor Eon! Queen Serenity! You were right, he will be the one to free all planets from the tyranny of Darkness. The Shines will unite again in a time beyond time!"

Alexii said, "Brian is to be the ruler not Neo queen Serenity. Sailor Chaos and Sailor Bedlam. Together they shall have available every power of darkness. Pharaoh 90 and the black Mistress., Sailor Saturn you seem pale. Mistress 9 you know all to well. But Germatoid and Pharaoh 90 picked the wrong pod. Sarah Chaos herself, is the target, and Brian the her true counterpart. Together along with the power of the Mega fore, shall unleash the negative universe, and that of hell's fury!"

As he finished speaking an eerie pink aura surrounded us, and in an instant we were traveling into the infantine recesses of space!" We were probably headed to the King himself, back to the Rocky Mountains.

But as for the future, I would defend it, it must be, the future must be protected, I wouldn't let Rini not be born. She had to be. It was what was to be. So for the Future I would fight. For Love and For Destiny. The Future was scary and full of uncertainty but it must be!

Book Eleven-Eclipsing Grace

A lot of people are only concerned with the small space they consume. Most humans care less about others, but deep inside. I don't know where exactly, a flutter, as soft as a butterfly's wing, beats within all people, that small frailty, that small insignificance is significant enough to push the human race forward. That is the eternal force, it is pure as snow, and at the same time it can be as cold as outer space. It pushes us forever forward, pouring from its existence is the light of hope. The light of hope is the very essence of the human soul. In the beginning of time no matter what you may believe, the Universe was nothing more than a speck. An insignificant speck of space, worthless in all respects. Outside of it there was nothing. What then is the boundary between space and space? You may well know that the Universe contains minor particles, tiny building blocks. The Atom, even itself is broken down into two major parts. The Atom is made up of the nucleus and the electron cloud. There are Neutrons, Protons and Electrons. The three parts hold our pathetic Universe together. More importantly there are a set of Negative Atoms, with counterparts such as the: Negatrons, Positrons, and the Negative Neutrons. Perhaps we are building blocks to a much bigger reality. There may well be billions of Universes, perhaps trillions that may coincide with the Earth's greatest mysteries. The Powers of Gold and Silver are not made up with either of the two types of known atoms. They are nothing, but how can nothing be a material thing, perhaps there is no nothing. Dark matter, and Dark energy are key components to this theory. It is funny how we take for granted the processes by which our bodies function, by which our cells are bonded together, how we interact, and how we perceive the world around us. We know more now than we have ever known, but the more we know the less we think. We are only alone if we allow ourselves to believe so. The Mind creates things through thought, through dreams, another universe may well be dedicated to such. But in our dreams we think of ourselves. Some believe that the dream world is reality, and that when we are awake we are asleep. Think about thinking, When you lie, when you commit crimes inwardly you create a world of your own making to suit that purpose. Rationalization is the end of humankind, because the very thought process creates things that are manifested elsewhere, they are real, and they can be used against you! In the end all fear will be made reality, and the reality will cease to exist. We make this world what we will, every action committed is intentional, no matter how dark, or innocent it may seem, we will evil into existence, we are the darkness, the cancer of destruction, because we allow ourselves to be. The fall of the Universe falls on us, until we can beat ourselves we can't be free! It has been said that we are our on worst enemy, we doubt because we were taught to doubt, we lose because we allow ourselves to, we believe I bounds, in space there are no bounds, only infinite freedom. Freedom is cold and uncertain, but slavery to ones self is a hot torment. Will humankind ever release itself of its own stupidity? All things are possible, with freedom, true freedom from darkness we will rise higher than we could ever imagine! The light within us is grace, we deserve to die because we allow ourselves to be dark, only in light there is peace, inner peace, we must find it, that is our true purpose! But for now we are bound to ourselves because we find security in ignorance. Who doesn't?

I was asleep, I wanted to sleep forever, I wanted to outrun my quote destiny unquote. I was afraid that it would come to this. Me alone fighting the endless darkness! I always think of myself, that was the way I was taught. The world is a dog eat dog world only because we allow it to be so. I awoke suddenly, I wished I didn't. The dream I was having was the first true good dream I experienced in many years, but like the dream it was it faded into reality. A unique dampness covered my face, it was both cold, and hot at the same time. I perceived that I was sweating, but the liquid was not salty, as it ran into my mouth it tasted like iron. I came to the realization that it was blood. In a panic frenzy I flung myself upward. I had no idea where I was, all I knew was that the floor was filthy, and all the while I was there I had collected its disgusting rift on my clothing. I couldn't see very well, but sight came to me in small allotments. Near me someone was laying, I wondered who it could be. Sailor Saturn lay collapsed on the floor, along with her the Sailor Soldiers, they lay scattered throughout what seemed to be a cell. I rushed for the bars that held us in. On arrival, Brian opened the door suddenly, I flung out into the hall and crashed into a concrete column. Brian grinned vehemently, he wanted to see me suffer ad suffering I was.

Brian sneered at me and said, "You are weak, but your inside is strong. Your will is more powerful than that of any human I have ever come across. You have fears but you recess them, you seal them deep within your being, you could be a powerful ally, but you choose to lose. Come with me, see what you are up against."

The cell and the building passed away leaving emptiness. Brian smiled and said, "Welcome to Space! It is infinite, it has no bounds, how would you like to be free, I can make you free!"

I yelled, "No, no you can't, you are darkness, how can darkness make you free?"

Brian inhaled deeply and said, "Ignorance is bliss, Freedom is stupidity! You are all alone, I know how that feels, to have never touched a woman, to have never felt."

I stopped him, "I know there is light within you Brian, Pharaoh 90 you will come out in the name of all that is pure and holy, you are not welcome in that body, you must obey the light that commands you!"

Brian laughed in a maniacal rage, then in saturated bliss he spoke with great power, "You foolish human, I am legion, and you are naught but a frail mortal. What gives you power pathetic human? Your light has faded from your kind, you no longer care for others, you have become your own tools of demise. You have failed yourselves and yet you get grace. You don't deserve your planet, you deserve to be like us. We are homeless, we bounce from planet to planet, we have now arrived here, and we will take over this planet! We will win because you have failed! Even if the light defeats us we have won, because you destroy yourselves. You are just one person, you believe that you can stand up to the flood of Demons? You are lost, more than we are!"

I yelled, "Brian please, please come back, Sarah loves you, but you failed her from the beginning! Come to the light!"

Brian said, "Brian is no longer in control, and he will never be in control again. Soon you will become our vessel!"

I punched him, my fist passed through his body, as if the body wasn't truly there, just as the missile had passed through mine. He said, "Now, look around you, you are alone, now look", The emptiness past away and was replaced by a battlefield, on which trillions of soldiers stood. King Brian said, "Look around, no one is with you, you are alone, you were born into this world alone, and you will die alone!"

"What do you mean?", I said.

Brian said, "You were created, not born, your parents were not your parents. They were only your guardians! They were not from this planet, neither are you! They were evil just as I am, they were traitors, and I killed them."

I couldn't speak, but wanted to, finally in a burst of spite I yelled, "You killed them?"

Brian said, "I am Pharaoh 90, and you are my son, the darkness is within you why not accept it. You must stop running from it, after all it is the truth!"

I couldn't believe it, I was the son of a planet eating destruction? The very thought was appalling, and was sent to immediate rejection. I wasn't evil, was I? No, it just couldn't be! He may have killed my parents, but then how could he be my dad? The very thought was inconcievable, his words were nothing more than lies! I had to believe I was better than that, an Alien? I didn't have pale skin, well sort of, but I couldn't be an Alien. Well neither were the Sailor Scouts. In fact they were humans like me, perhaps aliens were not weird looking, but are just like you and me, or perhaps they could appear in any way they saw fit. Perhaps the countless colonies of humans from long ago die, and only the Scouts from the skies existed, or maybe they were angels, I fell into thought, the pause destroyed Brian's, or should I say Pharaoh 90's demeanor.

He said, "The Sailor Scouts thought they defeated me, they thought they defeated all the enemies, all they did was send them back to space. Now we are here, and we will fight. And we will defeat you!"

I couldn't stand it anymore so I shook myself into realty. I was back in the cell. Perhaps it was just a dream! I couldn't control my tongue, I screamed, "Light Ace!" My hands came together, then in an instant they flew apart, a blinding light obliterated the cell. I was free, the door was gone, as well as the wall. The blast woke the scouts!

Sailor Venus was half asleep and said, "What just happened?"

I answered, "I really don't know!"

In an instant, or so it seemed we were crossing a field, and jumping aboard the bus once more! We took flight from the base.

King Brian looked out of a window high up over the field, he was pleased at the very actions we were partaking of, he said, "Why do they always run away?"

Alongside him a ghostly figure said, "They run because they are afraid!"

Brian said, "No he isn't afraid, it is the lack of fear that will bring his end."

I am not full as I once was". the voice called out. It continued with fury, "Damn Sailor Scouts, when will we be rid of them and the shines? When will we defeat them? When will I become whole?"

Brian said, "Soon my Mistress 9 very soon!"

Alexii entered the room and said, "So they are off. Should I chase them?"

Brian smiled, "No, they will do more harm then good, well on second thought take a tank or two, and a legion, and follow them, it might be fun."

Alexii said, "Will do!"

Brian said, "Oh and take Mistress Nine along, it will be funny to see the look in their eyes."

Alexii and Mistress 9 left leaving Brian alone. A nice tone took over Brian's body, it was Brian himself, he said, "Please help me! I love her, Sarah, I love her too much, Make me whole!"

Just as his voice came, it went fleeting away, Brian was now Pharaoh 90, and no one else. Brian was very shady in appearance anyway, but now more than ever, his face seemed to lack features. It was as if someone had ripped off his lips, and eyebrows. Leaving only a tiny glimpse of emotion.

A thought crossed my mind, it was very harmful to my demeanor, I thrashed about as I thought. If I was the son of Pharaoh 90, then perhaps I myself may be evil. I couldn't accept the thought. After all no one thinks what they do is bad. Humans create vivid ways to make themselves out to be the hero. I never thought myself a hero, all I wanted was to have a normal life. I guess those who aren't special wish they were, and those who are wish they were not.

I realized for the first time that I might not be the good person I thought I was. I may or may not be human, but I knew that I loved being a part of something. Sailor Saturn was bleeding profusely from her forehead. The red blood trickled down to her cheek. I used my hand to wipe away the blood, it was kind of weird, I felt as if by saving her I had become her father, but at the same time I loved her, also she had grown to an age just over mine. A daughter older than her father? I placed a towel over her cut pressing firmly to stop the bleeding. She cringed in pain, but accepted it because she knew without it she may die.

She asked, "So what trickery did he lay on you?"

I said, "What do you mean?"

Sailor Jupiter was nursing a cut on her lower arm, as soon as she heard Sailor Saturn's voice she asked, "So how did you grow back so fast?"

Sailor Uranus spoke, "That is one of her powers, it means there will be trouble up ahead, and we may have to use her powers again."

Sailor Saturn Sighed in disgust, she then said, "Why does everyone treat me like I am a tool, a weapon?"

Uranus cleared her throat and said, "You are a weapon, a very powerful one at that."

A tear ran down Saturn's face, she began to say, "So what, before she could speak Sailor Neptune interrupted.

She said, "So what did the evil king tell you Hotaru?"

Saturn wiped the lone tear away from her face, then in a state of pompous sorrow she said, "Pharaoh 90 told me that I would…"

Sailor Moon asked very sweetly, "That you would what?"

Saturn turned away from the group that surrounded her and said, "I would fall in love, but in the end I wouldn't be with the person I care the most about, unless I rejected the one I love."

Sailor Pluto asked from the drivers seat, "Who is it that you love?"

She couldn't answer, her cheeks filled with redness, she was blushing fiercely.

Sailor Moon said, "You don't have to tell us! I was told that if I gave up Darien, I would be allowed to…"

A ballistic missile of some sort hit the ground beside the bus, the bus jerked and sputtered, its frame was jarred a bit but we continued. I quickly picked up the rpg launcher.

I said, "Pluto, we have company!"

Brian sat in the room waiting, it seemed that somehow he knew what was going on. The road we had managed to get onto winded around some rather high hills, around the next hill there was a bridge. The bridge hadn't been used in what seemed to be a few centuries. Its weak composite metal had rotted away in the unforgiving weather. The bridge couldn't hold the bus plus the oncoming tank. I knew that this may be the end of our journey if we didn't move faster. The race against time had become a race for life itself. Unfortunately we were losing this time.

I suppose this had been the idea all along, to confuse us, to destroy us psychologically, and to hinder us from carrying out our mission. What was our mission, I wasn't fully sure. I wanted peace now, when before I wanted war, perhaps all the death had awoke me from my fantasy. I felt upset that the sailor scouts couldn't remember their past, and the very idea haunted me. I wished I could forget all the pain and sorrow, but the very fibers of my soul seemed to latch on and disallow me to move forward. I was fighting a battle for a future world, of which I had no true belief of its existence. Why did Brian want to fight us now? Was it just to inflict fear? I couldn't understand his motives. Perhaps he couldn't either, deep down I believe that even after he was taken over his light refused to go out, and the light indirectly affects his motives. Sarah loved Brian, but loved Andrew more, I wonder who truly was the better man? Chaos, truly what was chaos. Sailor Chaos was the disembodiment of pure darkness, so how could she be right? Did Sarah betray me as well? Or was chaos truly willing to change? Too many questions and not enough time. All I knew was that we must get across the bridge, even if I had to sacrifice myself, anything for love. The enemy would get to them eventually, no matter if I sacrificed myself or not. All I could do was stand there waiting for them to catch up with us.

To my surprise, Mistress 9, and Alexii teleported into the bus. Right before my eyes they materialized. Their very presence halted the movement of the bus. Their presence drew out the fears of each of the sailor scouts, none more than Sailor Saturn.

Sailor Saturn shouted, No, it can't be!"

Mistress 9 sneered and said, "Yes, it's me, surprised to see the very one who possessed you in the past?"

Sailor Moon was at a loss for words, almost hyperventilating she said, "But, but how can it be, how can you be here? I defeated you!"

Alexii began to smile, when the awkwardness of his face reach the pinnacle, he said, "You think you can defeat us? You pathetic humanoids, you may send us back, but you can never defeat us. The war will continue forever, we return to our dimension, and are immersed into its negative energy, then we return ten times as powerful. Now we have returned, and soon we will return all at once, and finally rid this universe of the disease called earth. We will win this war, I was wrong, the war will win, we will be victorious!"

Mistress 9 spoke, "Pharaoh 90 speaks highly of him", her finger looming in my direction, "So he will turn the tide of this war?" She stopped and looked at the other Sailor Scouts, she then said, "A bunch of weaklings! Just as all humans are", she grabbed my throat and squeezed, I closed my eyes and her hand passed through my body, she was furious and pulled her hand back, she continued, "You, perhaps you could be a threat to us, you are the only threat to us now. We have no one to fear."

I answered quite harshly, "What about god, what about the flicker of light in every human, what about the light of hope?"

Mistress 9 just smiled and said, "The light of hope is failing, the force that drives us has temporarily stalled, and as for god, well you don't seem to understand",

Cutting her mid-sentence, I asked, "Understand what?"

She replied, "This isn't about winning or losing, we will win in some degree no matter what, this battle is for human souls, and power over the minds of men. Power, its what everyone wants, I know you want it as well, but you are afraid of what it brings, Come on join us, with us you can be invincible, oh, but you wouldn't, join us and you'll never have to be alone, think of it, how is what we do wrong? We allow the people of earth not to hurt, we give them peace in ignorance, we will put them to sleep forever. I may be confused about our plans sometimes, but so are you, perhaps together me and you could rule supreme. I see the way you stare at Hotaru, you love her, she is me, why not come with me, I will show you true happiness, you are afraid of being alone, with me you'll never be alone."

Sailor Uranus said, "Dude, is she asking you out?"

Sailor Neptune answered, "Perhaps in her own maniacal way!"

Sailor Pluto turned to me and said, "Trust in yourself, believe in love, don't let her trick you!"

Mistress nine grew furious, she said, "With them you will be alone, if you choose me I will give you what they cannot offer."

I answered, "The only thing you offer is true loneliness, a cold heart is the only love you would share, I would rather spend an eternity aloe, than to spend a second wallowing in your evil dream. I am free to decide for myself, like all people are, I chose to fight you, and every thing that stands in the way of truth, and justice, and the day we will fight, you shall learn, just as everyone else, that power comes from within, and that true happiness comes from truth, not lies. We may never form a perfect world, but at least we will know that the future will be based on the truth, and not lies. I admit I love Hotaru, I admit that I love every person in this universe, not by myself, but as I grow in the truth, and light, I hate what you and your masters have reduced this world to. You deserve what is coming, and even if I must die, I will destroy you, because there will be one person who stood to defy you, and like dominoes everyone will come to see the truth. You cannot defeat Earth because there is still love, and light here, and if we are the last battlefront, then I will stand to defy its attackers, alone if I must, but I can never be alone, because I finally have someone, I have many people that care for me, I will never be alone truly."

Mistress 9 said, "You are a foolish human, you don't know what is to be, I will only say that in the end you will have nobody, not even yourself. Even if you win, you will have lost yourself. You will never have anyone, you will live out your fear, alone you will be, you cannot outrun your destiny, ha! You see we will always win, we cannot lose because we will have defeated the soul of the last threat. You will come to realize this in the end, that we cannot lose."

In an instant they were gone, the tanks trailed behind for a few yards. I suppose Brian, Alexii, and Mistress 9 wanted the verbal letdown take hold of our souls, especially my own. The aftermath of what had been spoken had gripped the entire Sailor Scouts. It had shattered there dreams, well perhaps it bruised their egos. The fact that they couldn't destroy the darkness made them upset. Every enemy would be awaiting the opening of the black gate, and they would then commence to tear the earth apart. Sailor Saturn was blushing, perhaps she was just worried for my sake, but her growing up so fast had ruined her emotional state, so perhaps she didn't really love me, perhaps Mistress 9 was correct, maybe I was destined to be alone. I wanted to say something but I felt too embarrassed to say anything, so I stood there wondering if I was a good person, and if I was meant to be alone. I would be alone only if I willed it, I had the power to make myself who I wanted, but I feared that Alexii, Mistress 9 and Brian were correct. I could only rely on loves eclipsing grace. I waited for its shadow of kindness to pass over me in this ungodly heat caused by uncertainty.

I was about to cry when the silence was broken with a word, "Love", but who said it? Was it me out of subconscious reaction, or was it one of the Sailor Scouts?

Sailor Saturn said, "I love you, but I fear that love will never come my way, if I fall in love with you, I will never be with Rini. She is my closest friend."

I said, "I understand, and Sailor Moon, whatever happens stay true to Darien. If we have a set destiny, we have many different roads to take that will lead to it, we will make of our lives as we wish, but we must never fall apart, if we are to defeat this enemy we must stand together as one." But I fear that in the end they would turn against me, somehow I felt that this period wouldn't last, and that eventually they would destroy themselves through destroying me. They didn't love me, but I loved them, perhaps more than they would ever know, I loved them because they made me feel worth something. But to them I was just another tool to grant them freedom in the future. I agree with Sailor Saturn, to them we must be no more than tools to be used for other peoples plans, but I didn't care, We had to remain in the moment if we were to survive, I would have much rather forgotten the past and went my own way. That is why no one should know their future, it jinxes the entire story of ones life, to know the end before it happens. I hated knowing, I wish I hadn't been told of the future, but at least we would become better than we were. At least the story had a happy ending, even if I wasn't the main character in it. In a way everyone in the story of life is a main character, playing his or her own part, but who is the narrator? Or is the book collective and the narrator is in all of us, only if we choose to allow it to be? Perhaps the narrator is love itself.

All the Sailor Scouts huddled around me somehow semi-conscious of how I was feeling. I finally belonged, and I may not remain that way, but at least for now I belonged. The moment of supreme serenity was not to last. The Tank had fired a round that hit the ground not more than two feet from the bus.

I spoke out and said, "Back when I wanted to go home I realized that I have home, but with you perhaps I just might belong."

Sailor Jupiter said, "Home is where the heart is, so where is yours."

I answered, "Currently it is right here, right here with all of you, and even if it wasn't always that way It will be for now, and that is all I need. And I thank you for being there, ut now you must go, I will fight alone."

After a brief argument, they decided that I wouldn't change my mind and they continued past the bridge, and stopped. I turned away from them and faced the enemy.

Mistress 9 appeared with a gun and said, "We could have been great together, but your arrogance will cost you dearly, you will never have love and you will always be alone. No warmth shall ever come your way, you will be as cold as the jail cell you came from, and as cold as your heart. You are cruel to believe that you could ever love her, why not me, I am her. I am what you need, is my love not good enough for you? Or do you care? Do you believe Sailor Chaos will forgive you? You should have let her die, if you did I couldn't exist, now you will feel the same feeling you have made my heart feel you bastard!"

A cold sensation fell over me, but I spent little time by pushing the feeling away. As soon as it was gone a new feeling came over me. A loud shot rang in my ears, did she really shoot me? I looked down at my chest, sure enough a bullet hat pierced through my heart. Another shot rung like a bell, and another, and another. Blood dripped down my shirt in a velvet-like spittle array. My knees gave out and like a noodle my legs caved inward. I landed on my knees quite hard, but unfortunately pain continued to ravage my body. Bullet after bullet pierced my frail body, until I couldn't tell if I was alive or dead. My head hit the ground and with that I may have been dead.

A blinding light surrounded me, the terrain faded into a crisp white light, and with its soothing pool of energy it refreshed my soul, I took as much in as possible hoping this was just a dream of sorts. I looked up and saw the past, not just my own, but that of all humanity, every second flashed before my eyes, some of the Sailor Scouts, some of my past, some were sweet others were sour, but the main message was nothing more than love. Then when the light returned a figure emerged out of the light. She was darkly and right away I knew, it was Sailor Saturn, and she was ready to take me to eternity.

She smiled and said, "You have a choice!"

I quickly asked, "I do?"

She continued saying, "You can either quit and come with me, or get the hell up and fight. Unfortunately I cannot decide for you. Know this however! Know that I do love you, do not doubt the others, they are your only friends, they care for you as well, and now of all times, they need you more than you need them, now decide." I looked up and began to speak, but was cut off by, "You have made the right choice, now go!"

I lay in a pool of blood and shrapnel, the blood was warm, but its liquid state seemed to cool me somehow. My body refused to move no matter how hard I tried. The muscles wouldn't budge, and the pain was more than excruciating, in fact the pain was so bad it was kind of exhilarating. The pain gave me more strength, and from that the power cascaded into every muscle in my body. Slowly, but surely I rose to my feet.

Mistress 9 was speechless as I lifted myself slowly from the ground, she couldn't believe her eyes, and to this disbelief she asked, "How can you?"

I said, "You will no longer torment me, nor will you ever torment Sailor Saturn again!" I grabbed her throat, and she couldn't escape, even though she was phantom-like. I threw her down and said, "Tell Brian, Pharaoh 90, or whoever the hell he is that I will not, and cannot be defeated, no matter what happens, he will never defeat me."

She asked, "Why?"

I continued, "Because I have love, and even if I lose them at least I have had someone that cared for me, and that is all that really matters."

Mistress 9 screamed in fury, and in rapid succession, pulled the trigger of her gun. Bullet after bullet missed me, some flew off into the endless surrounding and others hit the ground displacing dirt that probably hadn't been disturbed in quite some time. When her clip was empty she pulled out knife and flung it in my direction. I quickly threw my hand up to protect my face, but much to my surprise I caught the blade and threw it to the ground. Mistress 9 moved backwards, seemingly helpless as I came towards her. A strong urge came over me, I wanted to pull out my gun and shoot her, but what good would it do? What would it prove? Would it prove that I was only a brute, or a common killer? I put the gun to her head, sweat began to drip down the side of my face. While I was staring into her face a thought came to me, perhaps we all could learn to live in peace, just maybe. For now however I knelled over her, and she began to cry, I don't know if she was truly sad, or just faking, but her tears fell and hit the ground beside her. The coarse sand absorbed the tear as if it were a sponge. All I could do was look deep within her eyes, In them I found nothing but pain and sorrow, and after a few seconds I couldn't bare to look into them for even a second, so I turned away and looked around. The Sand seemed to stretch for ever in any direction, it seemed as if the sky itself at the horizon, laid upon the sea of sand. In the distance the sun began to pop through the clouds, only for a second however. Mistress 9 stared at me with apprehension. In an instant she vanished leaving me alone on my knees. In the distance the convoy of enemy troops approached at frightening speeds. I started to walk away, somewhat running, by the time I stopped I was out of breath. My chest hurt, I don't know if it was because my heart was thumping at an interval of at least a thousand beats a second, or perhaps it was just the fact that I had been shot earlier and that my body finally realized it. I approached the bridge just as two cars sped towards me, closing in.

The bridge was a one lane bridge made of iron, unfortunately it had accumulated quite a bit of rust after the many years since its construction. I was beginning to panic, I wanted to move out of the way, I knew they were going to hit me but I stood still waiting, perhaps I wanted them to kill me. Sweat trickled down my forehead, the dampness mixed with the cool wind and made me cold. The bridge was sitting over a canyon, so the wind was twelve times as strong, but I could feel every beat of the wind against me. I could hear every piston in the cars ahead, each tiny explosion bringing them that much closer. Then in what seemed like an instant the cars neared me and funneled into a row. They were going 112mph, and at any speed, crossing a bridge that old would be suicide. To kill me they would destroy a humans life, and to them it meant nothing. To the demons it was just another shell to be cracked. What was I but a person to crack them metaphorically speaking. I couldn't think, all I could do was stare on ahead. Behind me, on a hill in the distance, the Sailor Scouts were waiting to see what I could do, or what I thought I could.

I grew very dizzy, almost faint, the engines purred in my ears, I could make a decision to move but I chose to stay. The Metal bridge creaked as the wind passed through, but the sound of the engines humming in the background blotted the metallic sound out. All I felt was cold, a deep cold, almost as if you had dropped me into a tub of ice. With every breath I inhaled, the cars drew closer. I took my foot and pretended to draw a line on the bridge. Almost as if I was subconsciously saying here I am, come get me. The Metal plating was non-existent in some places, while in others the bridge looked brand new. The Bridge was a symbol of leaving my past, and everything I knew behind me. How could I however, they did things to me that couldn't be blotted out of my mind. I was no exception, I watched as millions of people died, and it was my fault. Brian, or should I say P-90, knew we would destroy the Earth. The West coast might have fared better than the East, or at least I hoped.

The Cars came closer, and closer. The people inside, I could see their faces, helpless. I pushed forward and to my surprise the cars flew up, and over me. Moving apart they crashed into the sides that held the bridge up. The Bridge creaked with a spiteful rage, and began to give way. A huge tank sputtered closer in the distance, but it was out of firing range. The Cars exploded, and what was left of the bridge began to fall apart. As fate would have it I was in the middle of a bad choice I had made. Cause and effect. A true set of laws, that you decide, I chose to fight, but for what? Revenge? All it was, a lack of better judgment on my part, and now I was suffering the consequences.

On the hill Sailor Moon was fidgeting with her locket, she couldn't get it to fit on her suit. Her fingers couldn't grasp its coarse shell, and it slipped out of her hands and fell down the canyon wall. My arms flew up to grab a metal bar for survival, but I grabbed the locket instead, a feeling of pure energy came over me. It was a feeling I had felt before, but couldn't place it on a date or at a specific time. Almost like a sincere sense of dejavu, the power took me by complete surprise, but I welcomed the feeling. Even though I was falling it gave me a profound since of serenity. A bright light emanated from the locket, its energy engulfed me and arrested my fall. I was free-floating, it was a great feeling, but it was hard to convince myself what I was truly doing. I began to walk up the canyon wall. The wall stretched upward for what seemed like eternity. High above me the bridge finally gave way completely. The Huge scrap metal Bridge crashed with a mighty thud. The very impact sent a shockwave through the canyon walls, almost knocking me down.

Above me Sailor Moon began to cry, perhaps it was for her locket, at least that is what the others must had been thinking, due to their complexions of utter disgust. I continued walking up the behemoth-like cliff. Finally I attained Sea Level, I knew that because my ears popped. Brian appeared on the opposite side of the Bridge, he came in what could be described as a wisp of smoke. His voice crackled at first, but grew stronger with every passing second.

He said, "Pathetic human, you have served me well however. Now it was your time to die."

A voice rung out off the cliff walls, I came to realize that it was my own, "You are mistaken. Today grace suffers me long, I will destroy you and Alexii. I bounced off the walls of the canyon. Then in a fury so amazing I roundhouse kicked him in the face. It was as if I didn't graze him, he stood staring forward almost dumfounded by his mistake, but it scared me that he didn't even bat an eye. I continued to punch him repetitively, I was growing tired with every blow, and he seemed to be growing stronger with every punch I landed. I stood dumbfounded, just like Brian had, for the first time in a minute or so Brian began to move his lips as if to speak.

His lips came free and he spoke in a most horrid tone, "Do you fear me? You once asked what powers I possessed? I was the first of the super-human engineering projects. As you know I possessed this manufactured body, and what I once couldn't do, I will now perform, I will use you to destroy this world one way or another, and you will retrieve the powers for me. In the end you will learn to accept your past, no matter how you see it, you can't escape your future, and you can't stop the future, you will be alone, and we will win, no matter what, because there will always be darkness, without darkness light couldn't exist. The Universe has a unique balance, and currently we are in control, and if you do not accept your future as this universe's champion the balance will be non existence and the world will come to a tragic end."

I asked, "Super-human project?"

He said, "Yes, like you I was created, and I was considered a freak because of my strengths, and like you Sarah Betrayed me. Now you and me will fight, and the winner will take the prize."

I asked, "What prize?"

He answered, "This Universe, but most of all the lives of the Sailor Scouts, and the love of Sailor Saturn and Sarah."

I answered, "You wage a sick war, but I accept your challenge, you and me will now fight for this Universe."

I thought to myself, that Brian only loved Sarah and wanted her to be happy, that energy, that powerful and pure energy flowed through my body and I fell off the cliff and fell at an alarming pace. A second before impact I felt the love that Brian had for Sarah, I felt how much he cared and how upset he was for killing Sarah's true love. I felt the power that Sailor Moon felt when she transformed Sailor Galaxia, a warm-silver light flooded the canyon.

Sailor Uranus pointed to the canyon as the light exploded in a brilliant display. She was so shocked she let out a half-yelp, and then said, "Look at that!"

Sailor Moon asked, "How can this be? I thought only people that resided in the moon kingdom could use the crystal. Unless! No how could that be?"

Sailor Venus asked, "Could it be possible that the rumor was a lie?"

Sailor Pluto looked down, she said, "One with a pure heart can use the Crystal, a powerful pure heart, With it he may become the most powerful non-Sailor Scout we have ever seen, his powers may become greater than the lot of us."

Sailor Neptune inferred, "That's bad because!?"

Sailor Pluto added, "It only means that if he changes for the worse we cannot stop him, and if that happens we will be no longer needed. We will become rogue scouts."

Sailor Mercury stated, "We are being cynical, it is for the best that he is a powerful ally, we must work together. Even if he is unstoppable he is alone, and he needs us."

Sailor Uranus said dryly, "You may be right, but we need to watch him closely, he could become the very darkness he is trying to destroy."

I stood on the cliff wall, defying gravity, Brian asked, "How can you break the laws of nature?"

I said, "Like all laws, they are made to be broken."

He commented, "Well put!"

I said, "I know you are in there Brian, and I will make you clean before the end of your life, but you must want it."

I felt his answer, a part deep within him shouted, "I do want to be clean!" His shell however was so shrouded in darkness that the only answer he could truly give was, "Prepare for your end." I couldn't die, and I wouldn't kill him. Instead I teleported him far, far away, I teleported him to a place so far away he may never return, or so I thought. And so we had to press on, the bridge was gone, and so was my chance or returning to the life I once had, or the so-called life it was.