AN: Hello, my dear readers. Here comes the 25th chapter of Dreamers Awake and the last one for this year. We jump in right after the fight between Kato and Mercury. Enjoy.

Previously:

When the blades clashed, Kato's talisman cut right though her knife, as if it was just made out of butter. The severed tip of the blade sailed sideward.

Kato grinned manically. "You fool, did you really think, a mere kitchen knife could stand up to the talisman of Mercury?"

The next moment a loud clonk echoed throughout the room, followed by a dull thud, when his body slid to the floor. Mercury clutched onto the frying pan, she was holding in her other hand. It had smacked him right onto the temple, knocking him out cold.

Breathing heavily, she retorted disdainfully. „No. I was more counting on the frying pan being able to stand up to your overblown head."

She lowered the pan and a pile of onions in oil was already forming on the floor. With a strange expression of fierce determination on her face, Mercury briefly looked him over, before addressing the others. "Is everyone alright?"

Mars peaked at her from her spot behind the iced over table, still kneeling on the floor rather pathetically. Venus did not look any better lying on her stomach with her arms crossed over her head as if she was a hostage during a bank robbery. Uranus and Neptune were entangled in an awkward embrace and if you did not know better, you would think they just cuddled instead of fighting for the position of who sheltered whom.

"More or less." Uranus grumbled.

"I might have some additional gray hairs, but otherwise…" Venus squeaked and Mars dusted herself off snow and ice particles her only reply a displeased grunt, which could be interpreted either as 'yes' or 'no'.

"Now, we really need to buy new onions…" Michiru added completely off topic with a world-weary sigh, resulting in an assessing worried look from Haruka, who obviously had the impression her girlfriend got a severe blow to the head.

Mercury scowled at them. "Interfering in this fight was more than reckless, dangerous and most unwelcome…"

She halted her scolding for a second, before finally admitting grudgingly averting her gaze… "However, … Thanks for distracting him."

Venus, Mars, Uranus and Neptune blinked at her. Did she really just… kind of thank them?

Mercury was not focusing on them any longer nor did she choose to comment her own words further. She put the frying pan on the counter in passing and took Kato's swords from him. Three swords. He had three swords, each of them different, two longer ones, in which one was the talisman and a third shorter blade that had been fastened to his lower back.

Three swords, each of them different.

Three swords identical to Mercury's three swords.

Neptune's eyes wandered from the blades to his prone form. "He is Mercurian… and he is a Senshi." She suddenly whispered, as if understanding it for the very first time.

Mercury responded darkly. "He once was."

"And you? Are you truly the Senshi of Mercury?"

Mercury sighed, an exhausted undertone in her voice. "Yes and No. It is complicated. I am on your side. That has to suffice for now."

For once they did not argue with her for withholding information.

"Then what did you do to the others?" Haruka asked straight away demanding answers to the question that had plagued her most.

"They are fine. Just confined to the other side of the portal. The more of you I could keep out of this fight the better. You have seen how strong he is." She was tense and her shoulders were stiff as if she carried the whole world on her back.

Ami was like that during exams.

Rei feared to ask, because she knew there was an answer to that dreadful question, she might not be able to bear. She was visibly struggling with the words, when Venus squeezed out her own feeble attempt.

"And .. Ami?" Her hopeful undertone bordered on despair.

The Mercurian lowered her head until her bangs hid her face. "Keeping her out of this fight was impossible. I .. had no choice, but to take her place." There was no apology in her words, it was just phrased as an unremovable fact.

Rei puffed herself up in raw anger and it was a small miracle that she did throttle her right on the spot.

"But…but… that means… she is really…" Venus stuttered, tears filling her eyes.

Mercury just turned her back towards them. "… gone."

How could one word sound so terribly final? How could she just stand there without even looking them into the eye.

The following silence was only announcing the approaching storm.

"God damn!" Uranus finally burst out pointing an accusing finger at her. "What do you think this is? A macabre game with us as your pawns? You can't just…"

Mercury focused on her and interrupted her with a grave voice. "I most certainly know that this is not a game. On the contrary, this is deadly serious. I did not act frivolously. I just did what I needed to do in order to stop him."

Mars' temper flared. "And we had no say in this? You made us walk right into the danger without elaborating anything. You just decided on your own that Ami's life is dispensable. There might have been another way, if you just talked to us!"

"If there was, I would have found it." She answered categorically.

Mars snorted. "Of course, there is nothing the almighty you would not think of herself. We are just the dumb hosts, whose lives anyway do not matter."

"I was trying to protect you!" Mercury justified herself with an almost offended undertone.

"Tell that Ami!" Mars countered outraged.

For a moment silence reigned after the Fire Senshi's angry outburst.

Then Mercury insisted stubbornly her face a frustrated scowl. "For god's sake. You have seen what happened right now. He would have killed all of you. It had to be me. You are no match for him."

"If we worked together, we might have been." Neptune answered frostily. Years ago, she would have never uttered these words. Now, however she truly believed in them.

Mercury closed her eyes in suppressed fury and her angry outburst followed right after.

"You, have no clue, what you are talking about. He destroyed the Silver Millennium. He was the mastermind behind Metallia and Beryl. He just used the Negaverse as his pawns to ensure the demise of the Silver Millennium. He beat all of us. And if we have not been able to beat him back then, how can you be so arrogant to think you can do it now? How can you be so blind?"

It was Neptune, who answered her rhetorical question callously. "We are as blind as you made us."

The comment seemed to hit home, because the Ice Senshi flinched visibly. It did not stop her from arguing back, though.

"I wanted to keep you out of this. For good reason." She emphasized defending her route of action relentlessly.

Mars pointed an angry finger at her. "Don't treat us as if we are toddlers! We fought against dozens of foes: Nehelenia, the Deathbusters, Pharaoh, Galaxia… and we always won!"

Mercury just shook her head as if she couldn't believe how someone could be that ignorant. "And that's what makes you naïve. He is not one of them."

Mars refused to see reason. "Galaxia was a Senshi, too."

The Mercurian looked at her as if she had gone nuts. "You really want to use her as your prime example? Galaxia eradicated all of you without even breaking a sweat. If it weren't for your Serenity's charming innocence, the Starlights and a ridiculous amount of sheer dumb luck, you would have lost this fight royally. And I can tell you; Galaxia was nothing compared to him."

Her last words echoed in the following gloomy silence.

"You… you are afraid of him." Neptune finally stated flabbergasted.

Mercury huffed dryly and her expression turned sour. "I would be dumb not to be. You should be, too. He is a harbinger of death, a looming threat that cannot be stopped by either of you. There is no talking to him. He is just a bloodthirsty maniac, who cannot be allowed to live in this world. That's why I am going to end him now." She approached Kato's unconscious body slowly, her sword already drawn. Neptune noticed that she was limping slightly.

"Wait… you really want to kill him?" It was Venus, who almost stuttered what everyone was thinking.

"That's what I am trying to do all along. You might still trust in your naïve delusions of alluring even the darkest soul into the light. I … do not! Sometimes there are sacrifices necessary for the greater good. Sometimes there is only that one way if you want to prevent things far worse." She stated bleakly, her eyes glinting like hard chunks of ice.

Uranus categorically stepped in between her and Kato, efficiently blocking her path. "That's the same bullshit you made us believe with the talismans. At the end, no one had to die to obtain the Holy Grail."

"That .. was different. If you want to save your world, then he has to die. You have to trust me in this."

"Trust?! You are speaking of trust?! You made it impossible to trust you. All you have been telling us so far are lies." It was Mars, who spat those words at her.

Mercury frowned. "I did tell you what was necessary to keep you in line. To keep you out of harm's way."

As if… You knew we would have never went along with sacrificing Ami. So, you chose to act on your own executing your plan, while leaving us in the dark. They all suspected it, but no one spoke out loud, although the desire to turn this into a born-and-bred dispute was almost overwhelming.

However, they did not need to say it. It as an open secret what they were thinking and her next words made that apparent. "You might not believe me, but I tried to keep you safe with everything I have done."

"Oh, I am feeling completely safe. With that lunatic psychopath demolishing my living room I have never felt safer." Uranus hissed her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Methys' eyes narrowed, but she chose not to comment Uranus' acerbic outburst. "What I am telling you now is the bitter truth. He has to die. Now, move aside!" She insisted, her face a stony mask.

"And if I don't?" Uranus challenged her bluntly.

Mercury gauged her thoroughly, while sighing in an unnerved manner. "Why are you opposing me? You of all people should understand best. Why can't you see that some things just won't work like you want them to work. That there is always a price to pay for victory. It was you, who sacrificed your own comrades during the battle against Galaxia… You should know."

Uranus flinched as if she punched her in the stomach.

She balled her fists in anguish, stiff like a board. Michiru stepped to her side comfortingly, when Uranus finally growled. "I am not that person anymore. Even if that guy is evil, what's with the human soul of him? That police officer must be still in there. I won't commit the same mistake as with Hotaru back then. I won't sacrifice his soul, as you chose to do with Ami's. I might have failed her and I can't change that anymore, but I definitely won't stand by now and let you do it a second time. I am supposed to be a protector, not an executor. Bind him. Take him prisoner. Whatever… we will figure something out in due time, but I won't kill him. Killing is no solution."

"Yes, it is. A permanent one. And you don't have to do it… I WILL." Mercury objected resolutely. The unyielding death glare on Ami's face looked completely out of place and the fierce implicitness in those words, that promised nothing but death, put a chill to their very bones.

The Inners could not look at her anymore, but you could clearly see Venus' upper lip tremble and Mars' fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

Neptune, however, eyed Mercury thoroughly before answering, her voice disbelieving and much softer than anticipated. "You don't want to do that. I have seen the anguish in your eyes, when you had the opportunity to stab him before. The same anguish you now want to cover up with this emotionless mask you wear. Back then you hesitated and you are not as convinced about your pending actions as you want to make us believe. You are struggling as much as we do, probably even more. You just try to hide it. This whole fight, his taunts, they hurt you. That was no act. He means something to you and I am pretty sure you do not want to kill him."

Mercury averted her gaze, but for once, her hard mask seemed to crack a bit. Still, she answered stubbornly. "It does not matter, what I want. I will fulfill my duty. It has to be done and I will do it with or without your consent."

Mars snorted raising her hands in an offended gesture. She was not as understanding as Neptune was. Instead, she bristled with suppressed rage, glad for every provocation she got. It was the only outlet, she had for the crippling pain heaving in her chest. Raging against the one responsible for it.

"It has to be done? That's all there is to it? Did you tell yourself the same, when you sacrificed Ami's soul? And now you just sacrifice his human soul along with whatever else he is. You act as if it is your decision alone. We have a say in the matter as well. He is a police officer goddamn. If you kill him, they will hunt us down and everything about the Senshi might be uncovered."

"That risk is acceptable considering the alternative. And it's very likely his human soul is already dead."

"You don't know that." Mars glared everywhere but right at her face. Looking at her, while that bitch voiced such cold-hearted words, Ami would have never consented to, was just too much. Maybe, not seeing her friend in those stormy eyes anymore pained her even more. She honestly did not know what was worse.

Mercury was almost at the end of her tether. "It does not matter. His soul is a small prize for saving this planet. Everything else can be dealt with, when it becomes an actual problem."

Mars just shook her head in resolute denial. "Usagi would never agree to that!"

Mercury smiled bitterly. "No, Serenity would not either. That's why she is the heart and I am the architect."

Neptune furrowed her brows in confusion. What was she trying to say?

Mars, however, completely lost it and just yelled at her. "She is our princess. Your princess. You are her guardian and owe her your loyalty. You cannot go against her wishes."

Mercury's eyes narrowed dangerously glaring daggers at her. "I most certainly can. You do not remember nearly enough to spout such demands. I am not accountable to Serenity for everything I do. If you think so, that clearly tells how little you know. I have never been Serenity's servant. I am the Senshi of Mercury, the queen of my planet. If you want to go by rank then I am the one, who outranks her. Serenity was my friend, a person I cherished dearly. I chose to fight at her side for our shared goals. She has earned my absolute loyalty and that's why I abided to her wishes. I might have chosen to stand at her side, but I never owed her obedience. However, the girl you call Usagi Tsukino, is not Serenity. She earned nothing. I owe her nothing and I am not bound to her moral conceptions."

All of them tensed up and Venus squeezed out a pained whisper. "You don't mean that."

Mercury's hard stare fixed on her. "You forget I am not Ami. I am not a pushover. Now, step out of my way!"

You could see the flashes of anger in their faces when she called Ami a pushover. The fact that it was Ami's voice saying it, made it even more disturbing.

Uranus narrowed her eyes. "This is not your world. You can't just do what you want..."

Mercury was not impressed at all. "Watch me."

"If you think we just stand here…"

"I AM DONE WITH TALKING. MOVE!" The enraged shout stung as if it was a physical blow. Everyone jumped back, expressions of genuine hurt on their faces. Ami had never ever truly yelled at them. She normally did not even raise her voice.

She is not Ami. Stop thinking of her, as if she is.

It was probably a shattering thought all of them shared in this moment.

And that realization stung deeply. Just because they saw her face, they expected her to act like Ami. Their brains subconsciously connected that blue shock and the soft contours of her face with their shy, gentle and caring friend. It was an ingrained automatism that was impossible to suppress. One that none of them wanted to suppress, because it made the whole situation painfully more real.

That shout of her was an eyeopener.

Ami was gone.

It finally sunk in, that Mercury wouldn't just step back and let it be.

This Mercury wasn't their gentle and loyal friend.

This Mercury had yelled at them, this Mercury had lied to them and this Mercury was determined to kill Kato.

Haruka recuperated first from their shared shock and steeled herself for the only response, she could give her. "We won't move. If you want him, I am afraid you have to make us."

For the blink of an eye, nothing happened.

The Mercurian stared back dead-on, before she lowered her head briefly. When she opened her eyes again, the short glimmer of remorse appearing in them was immediately smothered by fierce determination followed by…stoic blankness.

Without further warning, she quickly dashed forward, grabbed Uranus' arm and yanked hard. The unexpected attack unbalanced the Wind Senshi and she stumbled sideward, while Mercury easily passed her, completely fixed on reaching her target: the unconscious Kato.

The others scurried into action. None of them would have pulled the first move, but Mercury had taken that decision out of their hands. She attacked. She decided to treat them as enemies. And now they only wanted to protect each other against the oncoming threat. She started it. They just reacted. There was no time to question anything, their bodies just moved on their own accord following survival reflexes drilled into them for years.

Mercury evaded their attempted lunges and swings and outmaneuvered their every move to stop her, circling around them like a graceful dancer, while they only grabbed thin air.

She said nothing.

No taunts. No warnings. No threats. No further arguments.

She just moved around them, her face still frozen in cold determination as if she had killed every shred of compassion in herself by just turning a switch.

None of them dared to use their planetary powers. Deep down, they still could not believe it. She was supposed to be one of them. A part of her was still Ami. They could not see her as an enemy. Part of her was still their friend. Even if that part was not her soul.

Uranus was not the only one going down.

Venus followed shortly after, her attempt on grabbing the Mercurian ended with her sprawled on the floor.

Mars did manage to touch her arm briefly, but she twisted and in the next moment, it was the other way around and the Mercurian shoved her out of her way into the remainders of the broken kitchen table.

She had almost reached her target.

Neptune did not attack and just stood there, the last obstacle in her way. She knew she could not overpower her. So, she tried it again with talking, direly hoping she would listen. "You don't want to do this. You don't want to fight us." She pleaded, holding her hands up in the general gesture of a peace offering.

Mercury frowned darkly. "No. I don't, but someone has to protect you from your own stupidity."

Neptune granted her a weak smile. "You might call it stupidity. We call it respect for life. If you want to put the blame on someone, Usagi would be an excellent choice or is it Serenity for you?" It was just on a whim that she mentioned the former Moon princess. Maybe Serenity was the key to get through to her.

Mercury's expression turned doleful. "Serenity would have done the same as you try right now and she never liked it, when we fought amongst each other. If she saw me now, I would be in for a serious lecturing."

Why was she telling her that? Why was she so adamant to kill him, if even Serenity would have disapproved? Why did she sound, as if she believed herself that she was in the wrong?

Whatever the reason is, keep her talking. Talking means, she is still listening.

"Usagi is the same. She hates violence." Neptune admitted with a wistful smile.

Mercury still eyed her warily, clearly trying to figure out a way past her. "I noticed. She and Serenity are very similar."

"Then, don't you think both of them are right?" Neptune again pleaded with her.

Mercury avoided her gaze growling without any real kind of malice. "They are. But not in this particular case. Serenity is dead, if nothing else thanks to him. He is my responsibility and this is my decision to take and I intend to put an end to all of this. Something I should have done a long time ago. You know nothing. You don't remember. You might consider me cruel and heartless, but I don't care what you think of me. In truth, this is meant as an act of mercy. I only intend to save him from himself. If he continues to live, the rest of this world will suffer for it. Why can't you understand that?"

"Death is no salvation." Neptune insisted.

Mercury just whispered in a tortured voice. "It's the only kind I can give him."

Mercury tried again to sidestep her, but Neptune adjusted her stance to not let her pass.

Mercury just shook her head disbelievingly and her voice turned doleful. In fact, it almost cracked. "You should not protect him. You … should not stand here in front of him as his shield. Not you…" The pain in her eyes was now almost palpable.

Neptune's expression softened and she held out her empty hand as a peace offer. "You are right. I don't know what is going on. You probably have your reasons and they are good ones for sure, but I can also see that you don't want to do it. You say you want to kill him, but at the end you look as if doing so would kill you as well. You might try to hide it, but I can see you suffer. Believe me; it does not have to end this way. Let us figure out an alternate approach. Together. Please…"

Mercury looked at her hand, as if it was a dangerous weapon meant to strike her down. Then she snorted softly. "And I thought it is just the Lunarian, who is a hopeless dreamer. You sound just like her." Her words lacked any hostility. There were just spoken as a bitter fact.

Neptune shrugged helplessly. "She tends to do that to people."

Mercury only snorted again, although it was more of a strangled croak this time. "Yes, she does…"

Neptune's hand stayed where it was, offering an alternative to bloodshed, a sincere path that differed from the one of the executor, a path that has been offered to her as well what seemed like ages ago. Back then, she had slapped away the outstretched hand again and again, although her desire to grasp it had been overwhelming.

I know you want to grasp it. I just know it. Please just give in, the alternative means only sorrow. For you. For all of us.

Mercury's eyes were still fixed on Michiru's hand; the inner fight was visible in her troubled eyes. Her body was tense, frozen in a rigid state of indecision, her mind torn between two drastic choices. Everything was possible. She could either attack or relent. She could either ignore Michiru's words or take them to heart. It was entirely in her hands and Michiru could only await her decision, remaining where she was, observing her closely. She looked for the telltale signs, knowing if the Mercurian chose to attack her there was probably no way to stop her.

Finally, Mercury closed her eyes shut and her whole posture seemed to sag as if a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders. A strangled puff of air left her deflating lungs and she shook her head in resignation.

"I know I am going to regret it." Her words were laced with a deep sadness and bone-deep exhaustion. Then, she hesitantly put forth her hand, grabbing Neptune's firmly.

For a moment, the Senshi of the Sea expected her to use the physical contact against her. To hurtle her sideways just like the others. To first give her a false sense of security first in order to use the opportunity to strike.

Mercury just held her hand, though and they stood there awkwardly.

Hers was cold. Almost unnaturally cold.

Then she let go of Neptune's hand and sighed wearily to the floor. "Find me something to bind him."

Neptune smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you."

The Mercurian Senshi tried her hardest not to look at her and grumbled instead. "Don't get me wrong. If he tries anything… If he by any means turns into an immediate threat… I will end him without any further discussion."

Neptune was not fazed by her harsh words. "I figured as much and I repeat: Thank you…"

She just nodded absent minded and turned around, walking some small steps into the other direction, as if she needed the physical distance and a moment of solitude to gather her thoughts. Somehow, she looked smaller and this time you could almost forget that it was Mercury standing there and not a disheartened Ami.

Uranus, Mars and Venus still eyed her warily, before Venus finally moved to fulfill her request. None of them voiced any objections after all they were glad that the Mercurian finally relented. Keeping her out of attacking mood had first priority right now.

Mercury's stormy eyes did not stray from Kato, who was still sprawled out against the kitchen counter. She stared at his prone form for a long time seemingly lost in a complete different world.

Venus returned with some strip ties, handing them over to Neptune, considering her now the best suited one out of them to deal with the unpredictable Mercurian.

The Sea Senshi then startled her awake from whatever she was thinking to offer the cuffs to her. "I am gonna help you with him."

"No. I rather want you far away from him. I'll do it." She responded resolutely. Her voice sounded scratchy.

Neptune gauged her carefully. Could she trust her? Was she really only going to bind him or was she planning to deceive them again?

Her recent words and actions appeared genuine and now she did look like it more than ever.

Lost. Forlorn. Broken. Distraught.

All of her snobbish and all-mighty attitude seemed to have evaporated from her as if a mask had fallen. Seeing this side of her made her even more insecure and confused, because it was something unexpected, something she had no clue how to deal with. She somehow became accustomed to her snarky and rude self, but this… This was completely new. How many faces could one person have? Was it even an honest display of her current state of mind or was it just another mask? Maybe she was just playing her like so many times before using the sympathy card to get past her…

The problem was: it worked.

In fact, Neptune had to restrain herself from taking a leap to hug her and soothe her out of that morbid state.

You still see Ami in her and maybe that's exactly what she wants you to see. You can't afford to do so.

She wanted to trust her. She truly did, but bitter experience had taught her to be wary of her. A significant part of her simply could not exclude the possibility that this was just a cunning ruse to get past her to kill Kato. That she just changed tactics from shoving them violently out of her way to the subtler approach of weaseling her way through.

I can't know. I need to be careful. I need to have an eye on her.

So, she stepped forward together with her, making sure that her swords were securely stashed away.

Watching her every step there was only one thought occupying her mind, one she repeated like a mantra to keep away evil spirits: Please, don't try…

Mercury dipped her head briefly upon her request to bind him together and her eyes turned more guarded.

She knows. She knows I suspect her.

The Mercurian moved slowly, almost deliberately, when she crouched down in front of Kato. Her bangs covered her eyes and her hands clutched onto the bindings tightly.

That's when suddenly a foot shot forward, hitting Neptune's back of the knees hard. Her leg immediately gave in and she collapsed, falling forward. An arm slung around her chest, hurtling her in the other direction until she landed ruggedly on her ass.

The sound of protesting shouts reached her ears.

Neptune immediately tried to get up again, tasting the bitter tang of another betrayal. Damn. I shouldn't have trusted her. I really fell for it. The cheapest trick ever.

Why dammit?! Why do you constantly deceive us?!

The pain of her sore behind only fueled the one flaring in her chest, a just penalty for her own stupid naivety.

That's when a muffled gasp caught her attention and she finally looked up from her undignified posture on the ground. Immediately, her eyes widened in horror upon the sight that greeted her.

Indeed, it had been Mercury, who pushed her away, but too late she realized it had not been her, who hit her in the first place. The initial jab against her leg was executed by no other than Kato. He was awake and she only avoided his impending second hit thanks to Mercury, who had placed her body between the both of them, while shoving her to safety.

The Mercurian Senshi was still standing, but Kato's second strike was not executed by his legs and fists alone. Lacking his swords, he had conjured up a shimmering blade made out of ice.

That very same blade was currently buried deeply in Mercury's left shoulder right below her protective shoulder gear. The tip stuck out of her chest, her blood trickling down the ice, turning it a shiny ruby color, while tainting the white of her uniform a dark crimson.

"Noo!" Neptune choked out a sob, still in her half-crouching awkward position on the floor.

That can't be…

Mercury's eyes were locked on hers, displaying obvious pain along with an eerie calm satisfaction that seemed entirely out of place in her current predicament. Neptune recognized with a pang of guilt, what it was: Relief to see her safe. Gratitude, that her pain indeed saved someone, she deeply cared for. Neptune must have looked the same way at Haruka, when Kato had chosen to shoot her instead of Haruka.

I don't understand.

Why? Why did you do that? That pleading question must be mirrored on her desperate face.

And for a split moment she thought she saw the answer in those azure eyes, which silently portrayed a hint of softness that had not been there before. However, the expression was gone in an instant as if it had never been there to begin with, overshadowed by pain and that familiar hardened mask of hers.

Kato meanwhile looked smugger than ever, holding Mercury in place from behind. He rested his head on her uninjured shoulder almost affectionately, wrapping a possessive arm firmly around her midsection, while still holding onto his ice sword lodged into her shoulder with the other hand. "As usual you talk too much, Methys. You should have just shoved them out of your way and killed me off instead of turning into a big softie. This is the second opportunity you waste. There won't be a third." He threatened vilely.

With a complacent sneer, he twisted the ice blade in her shoulder painfully slow and she inhaled a rattled breath, while her fist clenched tightly. Her nostrils flared shakily and she grit her teeth to refrain from making any sound that betrayed her agony.

Kato continued to whisper into her ear in a low alluring voice. "Have you forgotten what pain is, Methys? Well, I am here to remind you. You were foolish to underestimate me … Your strikes were sluggish and I was easy on you. You would have never lost all your swords if you had your real body at your disposal. You noticed, didn't you? That body severely lacks in everything. It has never endured the rigorous training you had back then. It lacks your muscle memory, your quick reflexes, your accurate sense in balance and your precise speed. It can't keep up with your fighting style. And then there is the transfer of your soul. It was too recent. You lost immense magical power during the takeover, believe me… I know. And the majority of what was left; you used to heal this body. That's why you didn't use any ice attacks on me till now. You can barely manage, am I right? You miscalculated, Methys. You can never beat me."

"No, leave her alone … Let her go!" Neptune protested weakly after hearing his vile taunts, while trying to stagger to her feet.

Kato cocked his head upon her ridiculous demand. "You know, this blade was meant for you. She protected you and took the blow instead. She will always try to protect you. Not that it ever helped much. Or will help, for that matter…" He grinned at Neptune unabashed, his whole face twisted into a manic sneer.

The Senshi flinched. This guy was a complete psychopath.

Uranus immediately darted forward to pull Neptune back to safety, wherever that safety was supposed to be. Neptune was sure now that their safety would go down with Mercury. Mars and Venus were rooted to the spot, shaken and clearly clueless what to do now that he held Mercury hostage. They just exchanged helpless glances.

Suddenly, Mercury wheezed and a trickle of blood dripped down her chin. "Run! Run, dammit! Run… you… fools!"

AN: That's it already for today and yes things have turned for the worst again. Rest assured the story will continue in January and I plan to post a double chapter to celebrate the two years Dreamers is already running here on ffnet. I want to thank everyone again for their support, PMs and Reviews and hope you continue reading in next year. Merry Christmas to all of you and a happy New Year.