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**DISCLAIMER: All characters from Sailor Moon are the property of Naoko
Takeuchi, Pioneer, Cloverway and any other companies holding rights.
All other characters are the property of the authors of this story and
may not be used or reproduced without consent.**
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Fallen Stars
by
Lady Archanna & Archmage

~~~~~~~~~~
Part 3
Chapter 1
~~~~~~~~~~


Chibi-Usa's head spun, waves of nausea washing over her as she tried to open her eyes.
At first her vision was blurry; the lack of light not helping. Finally, after a long
moment it cleared and a raw scream erupted from her throat as she found herself looking
into to the lifeless eyes of a little boy. Her limbs though heavy, moved quickly as she
tried to scurry back and her hands fell on something warm and slightly soft. Looking
down, she realized that she was lying atop others, some breathing and some moaning,
some obviously dead, all heaped together in a pile in the center of what could only be
described as a void. The blackness spanned outward to eternity, emptiness lit only by a
handful of glowing spheres that hung nearby and around her.

'What is this place?' Chibi-Usa asked herself, afraid to speak, afraid of what might
be lurking in the abyss waiting for her.

A dark laugh echoed from behind her, somehow blacker than even the void surrounding her.
"Ah, you're awake at last. Excellent."

Chibi-Usa's body tensed, and she had to stifle a cry when the voice rose behind her.
Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and then slowly turned toward the sound, feeling
her stomach tighten in a knot of mingled fear and anger. "You!"

The shadowed figure that stood before the throne gazed down at her, long black robes
swirling around him as red eyes gleamed from beneath the golden circlet around his
forehead. "Welcome to my home, Princess."

Chibi-Usa immediately felt vulnerable where she knelt, still balancing precariously
among the unconscious forms about her on the floor. Looking around, she carefully
inched off of them; spotting her scepter and grabbing it. Her eyes snapped back up
toward her captor as she struggled to her feet, stumbling on legs that trembled. When
she finally managed to stand she looked up at him, intent on meeting his gaze
but finding it scorched her like acid.

"You will let me go!" she proclaimed, her scepter clasped tightly in her hand.

Lord Reignfire laughed softly, eyes burning into hers. "Will I?"

Chibi-Usa blinked, at a loss for words, trying with all her might to fight back the
terror that threatened to bubble over if she didn't get out of here fast. "Yes, you
will!" she replied, wanting so badly to look away. "You will release me or in the
name of Crystal Tokyo I'll destroy you, monster!"

The eyes didn't waver, and a tinge of a smile colored that dark voice. "Will you indeed?"

Chibi-Usa suddenly felt her anger rise above her fear at the mocking laughter she
heard in Reignfire's voice; she would not be belittled by such a creature. "Yes, I
will," she whispered, raising her scepter; in an instant she launched an attack at
him, putting all the energy she could into that single blast.

The burning light hurtled toward Reignfire, blazing in the shadows, and then
vanished utterly into nothingness as a gloved hand rose to block it with casual
ease. The red eyes didn't change, but the voice was now harshly mocking. "Finished,
Princess?"

Chibi-Usa felt her head swimming and her knees go weak, and when she looked up to
see Reignfire still standing there she had to use all her willpower not to sink down
to the floor and cry. "I'll never be finished until you release me!"

Reignfire's eyes narrowed. "I will have your submission, Princess."

"I'll die before I submit to you," Chibi-Usa snapped back, her grasp tightening
around her scepter.

The black robes hissed as Reignfire raised a hand and made a beckoning gesture.
"If your own suffering will not move you, perhaps alternative persuasions will."
Out of the corner of her eye, Chibi caught a glimpse of a woman from the mass of
prisoners rising into the air and floating across the void until she hovered just
to Reignfire's left.

"Leave her be!" Chibi-Usa cried, her fear of what waited in the darkness between
her and Reignfire keeping her in place.

Reignfire's eyes gleamed for a moment, and then his hand closed. The woman screamed
in pain, beginning to writhe about in mid-air as agony engulfed her. The burning red
eyes bored into Chibi-Usa's. "Submit."

"Leave her alone!" Chibi-Usa screamed, the crescent moon on her forehead suddenly
blazing to life. "Let her go, now!" There was a flash of multi-colored lights from
the brooch upon her fuku, and a globe of energy hurled itself toward Reignfire.

The energy shimmered around Reignfire, lashing across a previously invisible shield
like a miniature storm, and then faded away to nothing. The lifted hand tightened,
and the woman's screams intensified to shrieks of unbearable agony. The red eyes
never wavered or even blinked, the voice soft as ever. "Submit."

Chibi-Usa finally lost the battle with herself and sank to her knees, feeling weaker
than she'd ever felt. The screams of the woman echoed through the blackness and
stabbed into her heart. Her head lowered and she tried to block out the screams,
but they kept coming. She could hear the woman begging for mercy, begging for the
pain to stop. Chibi-Usa felt her stomach twist into a knot and her hands begin to
shake. She couldn't let this go on, but how could she just give in like this?

'I can't be ... weak,' she told herself, the woman's cries slicing through her
thoughts. Then a sound cut over the screams, a soft sobbing.

Turning, her eyes landed on the face of a terrified little girl, her small hands
raised helplessly toward Reignfire's victim. "Mommy ... please..." Chibi-Usa heard
the girl's small voice plead, tears flowing from the child's eyes.

"Please stop." Chibi-Usa heard herself saying, unable to control herself. "Please,
stop hurting her and I will submit myself to you."

The screaming redoubled for a fraction of a second, then ceased. The woman sank to
the ground, still shuddering but obviously alive. Red eyes met red, and Reignfire's
voice came as soothingly as a serpent's hiss. "Excellent. Rise, servant, and I will
have someone see you to your quarters."

Almost on cue, a new figure entered the room, golden eyes taking in the shaking
figure of the Princess with interest as Reignfire casually took the scepter from
Chibi's hand and slid it into his robes.

"Have I missed all the fun?" Siren asked, eyeing the shaking form of the Princess
as she got back to her feet.

Reignfire waved. "Allow me to introduce the Lady Siren. She'll be showing you to
your quarters." Leaning forward, a gloved hand lifted Chibi-Usa's chin so his eyes
burned into hers. "Remember, Princess. You're mine now, and if you oppose me, you
will not be the only one to suffer. Clear?"

Chibi-Usa bit back the sob and simply nodded mutely, shivering slightly under
Siren's close inspection. She felt as if the woman was not simply looking at her,
but into her. Siren smiled slightly. "Oh, I don't think you're going to give us any
trouble, are you little one?" Siren purred, golden eyes piercing red ones.

"Just... just don't hurt them any more," Chibi-Usa croaked, her eyes dropping to the
floor, "and I'll do whatever you ask of me."

Reignfire's eyes met hers. "Be sure that you do." Turning to Siren, he caught her eye.
"Show her to her quarters, if you would."

"Of course, Lord." Siren smiled at him and then turned her eyes back to her. "Come,
little one, let me show you to your new home." Siren stopped, a glimmer of silver
around the Princess's neck catching her eyes. With quick fingers she reached down
and pulled the necklace out, so that both she and Reignfire could see the small stone
dangling on the end.

"That's mine!" Chibi-Usa gasped, her hand moving up to snatch the necklace from
Siren's fingers. Reignfire's hand beat hers to it, and a pained cry escaped her
lips as he ripped it from around her neck.

Reignfire's eyes gleamed within his hood. "Oh, and in case you were counting on
this?" Casually, he held up the rainbow necklace that Endymion had given Chibi for
her birthday. "I wouldn't." His hand clenched, and the stone shattered in his fist
before shimmering away into nothingness.

"No!" Chibi-Usa croaked, tears shimmering in her eyes and her hands shaking.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find you something much more suitable when the time
is right." Siren smiled, fingering the black amulet that hung around her neck
before stepping toward the girl. Her hand came down gently on Chibi-Usa's shoulder,
and she smiled to herself when she felt the girl tense beneath her touch. 'Oh, just
you wait, small one. Things will only get better.' Siren thought to herself as she
began leading the girl toward the doors that seemed to materialize out of the blackness.

Chibi-Usa's breath came in ragged gasps as the golden-eyed woman led her down nearly
pitch-black hallways. Out of fear of what lay within the seemingly solid shadow,
Chibi-Usa stayed close enough to Siren so that she could see the woman.

"You aren't afraid of the dark, are you?" Siren asked, coming to a stop and turning
to look at the Princess. Red eyes dropped to the ground and Chibi-Usa shook her head
mutely, Siren's gaze feeling like a physical weight upon her. The girl had to bite
back a gasp when she felt Siren's cool hand touching her face, lifting her chin so
that their eyes met.

"You're young. So young and so very fragile," Siren breathed, her fingers gently
stroking the girl's face. "You'll be so much fun to break."

"What?" Chibi-Usa gasped, pulling back and away from Siren's touch.

"Oh, nothing," Siren's eyes sparkled. "Come, this is your room."

Chibi-Usa shook her head, still backing away from the woman into the darkness of
the hallway. "I don't want to go in there."

"Princess, not to point out the obvious, but I've a feeling you'll be safer in
here than you would be out there." As if on cue there was a loud shrieking from
the darkness to their left, then another cry rose to answer it from directly behind
the girl. Siren's eyes narrowed as she saw the girl freeze in place, her body shaking
with fear.

"Please, Princess." Siren held out her hand. "Those creatures you're hearing are
rather hungry, excited by the scent of fresh meat; I don't want to leave you to
their claws and teeth, but I will if you will not cooperate."

Chibi-Usa's eyes darted back and forth, her arms wrapping around her small body
as she tried to decide which was the lesser of the two evils. Her decision was
quickly made as she felt something move behind her, fiery hot breath on her neck.

"Very good, my dear." Siren said, her arm snaking around Chibi-Usa's shoulders.
The doors before them opened, revealing something Chibi-Usa had not seen since
she'd been brought here: light.

It wasn't the dim light of the throne room, but bright light by which she could
actually see and what she saw surprised her. The colors of the room were a dark
burgundy, black and gold. There was a giant fireplace on the far wall, a mantel
of carved stone surrounding it. There were candelabras set throughout on table,
all holding black candles that had never been lit. The centerpiece of the room
was a large bed, covered in soft, velvet covered pillows, a thick black comforter
lined with shining fur, and black silk sheets.

Siren stood in the doorway as Chibi-Usa slowly walked into the room, each step
cautious and unsure. "This is where you will be staying."

Chibi-Usa turned to Siren only to see her moving toward the bed, where she sat
on its soft mattress and crossed her legs, golden eyes meeting red ones. "T-Thank
you..." Chibi-Usa whispered, unsure of what to say, Siren's gaze unnerving her
even more, something in the woman's eyes causing her to shift uncomfortably.

"Come and sit, Princess. You're in need of some time to rest," Siren smiled,
gently patting the mattress beside her.

Chibi-Usa opened her mouth to protest, but remembered what Reignfire had said
and decided that further disobedience would not be wise. Slowly she made her way
to the bed and sat stiffly on the end of the bed, her eyes focused on her hands
as they lay clasped in her lap.

"Are you afraid of me, small one?" Chibi-Usa's fingers tightened into fists as
she felt Siren's weight shift, her voice suddenly beside her ear.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Chibi-Usa replied, turning to look at Siren and
finding the woman's face only inches from hers. Her immediate reaction was to
turn away, but a strong hand held her head in place.

"Don't turn away from me, Usa," Siren whispered, her mouth beside the child's
ear. "Because you'll only find that I'm everywhere."

"P-Please stop..." Chibi-Usa cringed, fear rising within her.

"Stop? Small one, I haven't even begun." Siren's lips pressed gently against
Chibi-Usa's face.

'No ... please.' Chibi-Usa begged silently, closing her eyes, feeling as if
Siren's presence was embracing her, surrounding her. Then, all at once it was
gone. Chibi-Usa no longer felt Siren's body next to her or her hot breath on
her face. Red eyes snapped open, blinking a few times before a cry of surprise
and fear escaped her lips. The room, once beautifully illuminated, was now black
as a starless night. "H-Hello?" Chibi-Usa called out, her voice shaking.

"Don't worry, Princess, you're not alone," Siren's voice seemed to fill the entire
room. "My pets will keep you company."

"P-Pets?" Chibi-Usa croaked and then screamed out as something slid past her legs.
Quickly she drew them up to her chest, hugging her knees tightly.

"I suggest you try and get that rest. Otherwise, you might excite them," Siren's
voice was filled with evil laughter. "I don't think you could handle the way they
like to play."

"Please don't leave me here!" Chibi-Usa cried out, the sounds of slithering bodies
and nails clicking over the marble floor filling the darkness. "Gods, please..." she
sobbed, crawling blindly to the center of the bed.

There she sat, tears streaming down her face, curled defensively into a ball as the
blackness around her seemed to ooze with life. 'Mommy, daddy, where are you?' she
sobbed silently, until blissful unconsciousness finally claimed her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sol sagged into a chair with a curse, looking down at the deep score marks in his
armor dejectedly. "Dear Gods."

"The gods had nothing to do with what just happened," Saturn's voice was ragged,
tears staining her face. "What just happened..." she shook her head, unable to
continue as she felt fresh tears rising in her eyes.

"Was unthinkable." Venus muttered, leaning against the wall, her eyes closed. "We
just lost the Princess."

Nathan pivoted, slamming his fist into the wall. "Damn it!"

Alexis sagged against a table. "Nathan...."

The other man turned, eyes burning with pain. "I helped her go, hells curse it! It's
my fault!"

"Its no one's fault that she was fighting with the Senshi as a Senshi. That is her
duty." Setsuna replied flatly, magenta eyes focused on the floor before her so the
others couldn't see the tears that glistened in them.

Mark's voice from beside her was as gentle as his hands clasped around her waist.
"The question now is, what do we do about it?"

"We find her and bring her back," Uranus said tonelessly, her eyes turned to Hotaru
who sat on the couch beside her, Neptune's arms wrapped around the small senshi as
her body once again shook with sobs.

The Knights exchanged grim looks. "So far, none of us have been able to get anything."

Sol brightened a little. "Endymion's her father. Maybe he can sense something where
we can't."

"Perhaps, but I wouldn't count on it." Setsuna whispered, leaning against Mark as the
weight of her grief began to show on her face. Mark stroked her hair gently, eyes grim
as he held his wife close. He, more than nearly any of them, was all too aware of what
captivity could mean.

"We can't just not try, Setsuna. We have to at least attempt it!" Venus said, her voice
strained her eyes red from crying. "We have too!"

"I didn't say we wouldn't, Minako," Setsuna replied, looking at the blonde. "I know we
will, I know that I will, but I just don't know if we'll succeed."

Nathan looked up, eyes haunted. "But what if we don't?"

"That's not going to be an option." Jupiter growled, her hand balled into a tight fist
at her side. "We will get her back!"

"But what if we don't?" Hotaru asked quietly, looking up at them with tear filled eyes.

Silence fell across the room, each afraid to speak what all of them knew. What if their
Princess was truly lost?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Serenity lay on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, a pillow hugged tightly to
her body. Blue eyes were closed tightly but tears still seeped from beneath lowered
lashes. Her heart ached terribly, and all she wanted was to make the pain go away.

'I failed her, I allowed her be taken.' Serenity repeated once more in her mind, her
breathing coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes opened slightly and she could see Endymion
standing before the window. His eyes were on her, but for once in her life, that gaze
did not make the pain go away.

Endymion crossed the room, gently taking his wife in his arms. "Oh, love, there was
nothing else you could have done."

"But I was right there! I was so close to her and all I could do was watch her be
taken!" Serenity sobbed, for the first time her lover's embrace not soothing the
pain. "I just sat there!"

Slowly he stroked her long blonde hair, holding her close. "You did all you could
have done, Usako. It wasn't you're fault. We were all there."

"Did I?" Serenity looked up at him, her eyes filled with pain and grief. "If I had,
she'd still be here, not..." Serenity's words were lost as sobs once again over took
her and she buried her face against her husband's chest. He rocked her gently against
him, feeling his own torment building within him.

"Mamo-chan I-" Serenity's sob was cut off as her eyes met his. For a moment she was
able to see past her blinding pain and realized that she was not the only one that had
lost a daughter. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered, meeting his eyes.

His arms held her close as the storm in his soul finally broke, and he buried his face
in her hair as he began to cry softly. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry, Usako..."

"Mamo-chan." Serenity whispered, his tears ripping into her heart. "It's okay," she
said, though inside her heart was ready to shatter. 'I can't do this, I have to be
strong.' Serenity closed her eyes tightly, trying to banish the tears and calm her
sobs. "It's okay..."

Endymion felt her trying to remain strong, trying to hold back the pain, and his arms
tightened around her. Through their bond he opened his mind, giving her his strength
and trying to take her pain into himself. 'Usako.'

"Please don't." Serenity pulled away, her eyes meeting his. "One person cannot survive
all this pain, not alone; Chibi-Usa needs both of us to get her back. This once, instead
of trying to take away each other's pain, instead of trying to protect one another from
it, let's just help each other through it."

Endymion shuddered in her arms, bonding his strength to hers and letting their shared
grief flow around them. "Usako..." The two sat for a few moments in silence, allowing
their mind's and hearts to cope with the pain, drawing on each other's love. The held
each other tightly, as if the other were a lifeline, the only thing keeping them from
losing themselves to the flood of grief.

"We will get her back, won't we?" Serenity asked when the sobs had finally subsided
and she felt she could speak once again. Her head still lay against him, listening
to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.

His hands stroked her hair and gently tried to wipe the tear stains from her pale
face. "We'll get her back. I don't know how, or when, but we will. I swear it."

"I know." Serenity's voice trembled. "But that monster has her, that Reignfire, and
I just know that if we're going to get her back we have to do it soon. Otherwise..."
her voice trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.

His arms tightened around her. "We will."

"I just wish I knew how, because right now, it seems like the enemy is holding all
the cards." Serenity sighed, her eyes meeting his.

Blue eyes looked deep into hers. "He can't be strong everywhere. We'll find his
weakness. We've done it before, we can do it again."

"I know you're right." Serenity's eyes broke away from his. She wanted so badly
to believe what he said was the indisputable truth, but she couldn't. There was
this voice in the back of her mind that kept asking a single question. What if
they couldn't?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The door swung open onto the bedroom with a soft groan, the shimmering hearth-fire
casting cloying shadows about the room. A particularly dark shadow raised red eyes
to look at the woman as she entered. The voice that rose to greet her was soft,
lacking its usual edge. "Evening, my dear."

"Hello, Lord." Siren smiled as the doors closed behind her. She walked slowly
across the room, finally stopping in front of Reignfire, her eyes focused on
the blazing fire, a satisfied smile on her lips. "The Princess has been properly
shown to her new quarters, Lord."

A gloved hand waved her to sit, red eyes twinkling. "King's pawn to the fourth
rank."

Siren smiled, taking her place at the large stone table set before the fireplace.
Set into the top was a chessboard, hand carved black and white pieces positioned
strategically over it.

"What's the next step?" Siren asked, carefully considering her next move as her hand
hovering just above one of the finely crafted pieces.

Reignfire's eyes stroked over the elegant lines of her face, across the long tumble
of her hair. "How did she seem once she left? Still resistant?"

Siren's smile widened as she carefully moved her white knight, her eyes rising to
meet his. "Resistant? Oh yes. And quite terrified as well..."

A black bishop slid out, threatening her center. "True. How best to exploit it?"

"Well, you've already discovered a way to control her, through the suffering of
others. The next step should be to break through her barriers and get into that
sweet little mind of hers." Siren's eyes glimmered with anticipation as she shifted
a Rook to counter his move.

Red eyes caressed gold as an obsidian queen slid forward to endanger her Rook. "Indeed.
What can we do to speed her fall?"

Siren's eyes dropped to the board and she frowned slightly. "By allowing me to do what
I do best, Lord. She has many weaknesses on which I can prey, things I can use to twist
her young mind." Siren's eyes brightened as she moved a pawn to neutralize the threat
his queen posed, then they rose to meet his, her tongue slowly and deliberately running
over her red lips. "And that is something I believe I'll find a great deal of pleasure
in, my love."

Reignfire tapped the edge of the board, and a black Knight slipped back away from the
threat of a white Bishop. "Indeed. I think I'll be putting Dameon and Veros to work
in the city. Their talents should be well used."

"Yes..." Siren agreed, thoughtfully biting her lip. Concentrating as the seeds of
another plan began to form in her mind. "I do believe you're right. I'm sure the
people of Crystal Tokyo would make wonderful playmates for them." Siren smiled,
seeing an opening and taking it with a white rook moved into place to threaten
his black Queen. "I do believe the queen's position might be in jeopardy, my Lord."

Reignfire pointed slightly and the Queen slid forward to the most illogical place
on the board, one from which it could be taken by any of three pieces. "You left
your pets with orders not to hurt our guest, of course?"

"Of course, my Lord. I don't want her damaged before I've gotten the chance
to...get to know her," Siren replied, her eyes suddenly concentrating on the
board, seeing the opening he'd allowed her. She studied the board in silence
for a few moments, trying to uncover the trap he was sure to have laid. After
some time, a hesitant smile played on her lips as she moved her bishop and
captured his queen, holding the piece in her palm for a moment before setting
it down beside the board. "Your move."

Reignfire pointed, and a bishop slid out from in front of one of his rooks and
settled in a spot from which none of her pieces could take it. "Checkmate, my
love."

Siren's eyes flashed with anger as she snapped her gaze up to meet his. "So it
seems. Do you always win, my Lord?" Siren asked, meeting his eyes.

Red eyes glittered like dying suns. "What do you think, my lady?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A tall slim man with long blonde hair slipped through the crowded street of
Crystal Tokyo behind a guard detail, eyes fixed on his targets with burning
anticipation. As the moved through the archway, the sounds of voices and laughter
drifted through the small courtyard. At the far end, nestled among a scattering
of flowering trees, was a small restaurant. The entire front wall was made of
glass, sparkling in the sunlight. The name, Lunar Rose Café, was set into the
glass in gold metal; all around there was an air of calm. In this small corner
of the city, it seemed that things were still as they always had been.

Through the glass a mob of young men and women could be seen, gathered around
the small tables, laughing and talking, trying to ignore what was going on
beyond the courtyard for just a little while. Out front, there were a few small
tables set in the warm sun, a group of seven girls gathered around it with their
laughter greeting the guards. They politely stepped through the door, looking
around as they tried to locate the drink taps. The golden-haired man smiled, his
fingers twisting slightly as he reached out with his mind and grabbed hold of the
emotions in the air and wrenched.

One of the guards turned from looking for the drink stand and found himself
staring at one of the young women. "Hey, gorgeous. How's business?"

The red-haired girl, no more than seventeen, smiled and giggled at the guard's
comments. "Pretty good, sir," she replied, going back to getting the glasses
from behind the counter. When she turned back around, a chill went down her spine
when she saw the guard's eyes still focused on her. Smiling once again, she started
to move past him to get to her waiting customers.

The guard almost causally slipped up next to her, eyes raking up and down the
uniform she wore. "You always look this good, ma'am?"

As he spoke the other guards slid past him and settled down across from various
young women, all wearing similar expressions that seemed almost as sharp as the
weapons they wore. The tone as well as the look in the guard's eyes quickly ignited
a spark of worry in the waitress's mind. As carefully as she could, she slipped
passed him, barely noticing as the other guards spread themselves throughout the
cafe. To her left, three of the guards seated themselves in a semi-circle
around a particularly noticeable young woman with long red hair so immersed in a
translation of the Iliad that she didn't notice as they took the places around her.

Looking up from her book and meaning to call over the waitress, she let out a
surprised gasp to find three sets of eyes on her. "C-Can I help you gentlemen?"
she asked quietly, still holding her book.

One of the guards gave her a long, appraising look. "Oh, I'm sure you can."

The other two exchanged a look and a grin. The girl caught the silent communication
and a chill went through her. There was something in their eyes that scared her.
"I'm not sure what you mean." she replied, looking back at the dark-haired guard
that had spoken, finding it difficult to meet his jade-green gaze.

The man gave her a leering smile. "No, really? Here I was thinking that with a
body like that you must know exactly what you're doing."

The man on his left gave a mild guffaw. "Well, one can always teach them."

"Excuse me?" The girl gasped, suddenly pushing herself away from the table, only
to find her back up against the wall. Silently she cursed herself for seating
herself in the corner of the restaurant. "I really do need to be going." she
stuttered, getting up, hoping to slip by the men's seats.

One of the men reached up and casually slid an arm around her waist. "Oh? What's
the hurry, sweetheart? Too busy to take a little time for us?"

"No, she just has better things to do than waste her time on slime such as
yourself," A woman whose long white-blonde hair tumbled to her waist spoke up,
coming in behind the guards. Fierce amber eyes met his as she wrapped her fingers
around his arm and pulled it away from the frightened girl.

The man looked up at the woman with harsh contempt. "Oh? Is that so?" Almost
casually, the man stood up and looked down at the smaller woman. "You really
ought to learn some respect for your betters, woman."

"And you best learn to control yourself in public, sir." She replied, her gaze
unwavering. She took the girl's hand and turned, leading her toward the door to
safety.

"Th-thank you..." The redhead stuttered, her body shaking as she walked.

"Don't thank me yet," the golden-eyed woman replied, sensing the tension in the
air doubling. A small smile playing on her lips, a look of anticipation hidden
deep in her eyes.

The two seated guards rose, both glaring at the stick of a woman daring to challenge
their position. The black-haired man's lips curled. "Who do you think you are, lady?
And why shouldn't I teach you a lesson in respect?"

All activity in the cafe had come to a grinding halt, all eyes focused on the scene
unfolding in the middle of the room. The other guards watched carefully, and some
of the girls took the moment of distraction to slip away from their admirers, their
eyes fixed on the woman with the golden eyes and snow-white hair.

"I'm simply someone looking out for the well-being of the people of the crumbling
city, sir. I will not allow you, those who are supposed to be protecting these
girls, hurt them anymore than you already have with your second-rate protection."
The woman's voice rose, her words sure, her tone even and her eyes unflinching as
the men in the room shifted anxiously, wanting to descend on her like vultures. "You
can try to teach me any lesson's you want, you glorified security guard, but none of
you will lay a finger on any of these innocents."

The man flinched at the barn, the mocking echo of another thrown at the guard a
handful of days before. Anger rose in his eyes, and in the corner of the room a
golden-haired man gave the guard's mind just the extra fraction of a push needed
to snap control like a twig.

"You!" The guard's hand dropped to his dagger's hilt, lips pulling into a snarl.
"I'll show you just what mocking the Royal Guard means."

There were screams of terror from the girls as the man's dagger left his side,
heading for her throat. "I don't think so, little boy!" she hissed, her eyes
narrowing and a flash issuing from the pendant she wore around her neck. Without
raising a finger she brought the guard to his knees before her, tears forming in
the man's eyes as his head filled with excruciating pain. "You Royal Guards are
nothing more than little children handed weapons and told to go play with them."

"These people will not be forced to suffer your form of protection." Amber eyes
widened slightly, flashing with golden light as the man's dagger fell to the
floor, his hands clasping the sides of his head.

The other men flinched back, hands going for their spears and halberds as they
spun to face this suddenly dangerous threat.

"Oh look, more toys." The woman's tone was biting. "So, will you kill me for
attempting to protect these girls? For doing more than you and the Senshi have
done since all hell broke loose in the streets of this city?"

One of the men stepped forward, eyes ablaze. "I have no interest in killing you,
woman. But if you don't come along quietly, I'm afraid we'll be taking you with
us to the Palace by force."

"Leave her alone!" The girl with the red-hair cried, stepping boldly away from
the group of girls huddled near the counter. "She hasn't done anything wrong!"

The men looked back and forth between each other, startled by the sudden shift
in the atmosphere. One of the men cleared his throat, anger obviously more under
control. "Excuse me, ma'am, but you've assaulted a member of the guard. That's
cause for arrest under the new policies the palace has issued. If you'd come
quietly, that would simplify things considerably."

"Oh, and are there new policies dictating that the Royal Guard are allowed to
assault young women with no interference and no recourse?" The white-haired
woman asked, her arms crossing casually across her chest. "What you call assault,
I, as well as the others in this room, call self-defense. Unless that has been
outlawed, I see no reason I should be arrested for it."

One of the guards moved forward, eyes hard as he stepped up to the woman and pointed
his spear toward the door. "You'll be leaving with us, ma'am."

"I don't think so," she began, her eyes flickering. Just then the guard let out a
cry of pain as his hand shot up to the back of his head where a glass had just made
a direct hit. When he pulled his hand away it was covered in blood, and he turned
with a scowl toward his attacker.

"Leave her alone!" A blonde girl cried, another glass already in her hand and ready
to be thrown if necessary.

"Go back to playing in the palace!" A brunette taunted. Suddenly the restaurant was
filled with angry cries of brutality and injustice, all focused on the group of guards.

The group of tightened formation, eyeing the woman with grim anger. Weapons flashed
as they were made ready for a fight. What happened in the next instant was a blur to
all but two present. As the white-haired woman shifted a guard moved to counter her,
pivoting his spear to block her exit. A small girl with dark black hair moved,
thinking to try and save the woman who had saved them, and she was knocked to the
floor, landing hard.

Golden eyes flashed once more, and before the guard could react he was sent hurtling
across the room. His lower back smashed into the low counter with a sickening thud,
his breath rushing out with a gush as he hit. An instant later the others were
brought to their knees, their faces twisted in grimaces of pain and their weapons
falling to the ground.

The amber-eyed woman bent down and helped the small girl up, a smile of appreciation
meeting her. "Who are you?" The girl asked in a small voice.

The woman with the white hair leaned forward, her lips only inches from the girl's
ear. She whispered something, the girl's eyes sparkling with excitement as she pulled
away. Before anymore questions could be asked, the woman in white disappeared in a
flash of light.

As the last sparkles of the woman's exit faded, three new arrivals pushed through
the door and looked over the scene with dismay. Nathan grimaced, scanning the fallen
guards with a glance. "What a mess."

"What the hell is this?" Haruka growled, her eyes falling on the guard struggling to
his knees in front of the counter.

"I don't know." Makoto said, shaking her head and noting the looks of fear on the
faces of the patrons of the cafe.

Nathan paused as he knelt next to one of the guards, feeling an unfamiliar tingle
of emotion in his mind that faded almost immediately. 'What in the blazes?' The
man in the shadows smiled as he looked over his handiwork, then faded away into
the crowd forming around the door without anyone catching a glimpse of him.

"Does someone want to tell us what happened here?" Makoto's voice was a mixture
of frustration and concern, her eyes falling on the face of a guard with dark
brown hair who was getting to his feet in front of her. The guard looked up at
her, opened his mouth to speak and closed it again.

Nathan looked up, muttering a soft comment to Makoto. "Why do I get the feeling
I don't want to know?"

"We need to know what happened," Haruka said, kicking a fallen spear out of her way.

"I can tell you what happened," A girl long black hair said, stepping forward.
"I can tell you everything, from how your guards came in here and started harassing
us to how they were finally stopped by a woman who was willing to stand up to them."

Nathan took a long, measured look around as a slow sensation of unease sank its claws
into his gut and began coiling up his back. "I see." The guard met his eyes for a
moment, then looked away as he saw the grim distaste in the Knight of War's eyes.

"What's your name?" Makoto asked gently, her gaze meeting the girl's pale green gaze.

"I'm Arianna..." she answered quietly.

"Please, can you tell us exactly what happened?" Makoto pressed, knowing that they had
to find out.

Arianna nodded slowly and began to recount the events of the past half-hour, careful
not to leave out a single detail. Makoto noticed a strange look come into the girl's
eyes whenever she mentioned the mysterious woman in white.

Nathan leaned down to look into the girl's eyes. "Did she give a name?"

Arianna's lips spread in a smile. "She said to call her Seraphine." The girl fell
silent for a moment, her eyes flashing. "But no matter what her name, she's an
angel of mercy."

Nathan glanced around the room, leaning slightly over to comment in Haruka's ear.
"Her angel of mercy certainly made a mess of our guards, that's for sure."

"Apparently they deserved it, though," Haruka said, an uneasy feeling forming inside
as she looked at the girl. "All I know is that I don't like this one bit."

Nathan's eyes once again scanned the room, then he turned, getting Makoto's attention
as well. "Either of you feel anything when you came in? Something odd?"

Makoto and Haruka exchanged glances, both women shaking their heads. "All I felt was
the tension in here. It was so thick you could have drowned in it." Haruka replied,
solemnly.

Nathan's lips tightened. "Right."

"Nate, did you feel something that we missed?" Makoto asked, seeing the look on the
man's face.

He shook his head. "Don't know. I'll get back to you."

Makoto frowned, unsatisfied with the answer, but deciding not to push it. "So, think
we should work on rounding up this mess that used to be our guards and seeing if we
can get them straightened out?"

Nathan looked around the room at the guards in various states of unconsciousness. "I
think we may need a few extra hands."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sound of quick footsteps echoed through the empty hall, magenta eyes hard and
emotionless as they focused into the darkness toward the far end of the corridor.
Setsuna's mind was racing, but she did all she could to block it out, she couldn't
focus on that yet. Her steps slowed, but her breathing did not as she came to a stop
in front of her chamber door, slowly opening it.

Once inside, she closed it, leaning against it for a moment, her eyes adjusting to
the shadowy interior of her room. Closing her eyes, she forced the flood inside her
down for a moment longer, making her way to the bed on shaky legs.

As she lowered herself onto the soft mattress, her eyes fell upon a small frame
resting on the bedside table. As if by some cruel twist of fate, the small amount
of light that did make its way through the balcony doors fell upon it to reveal the
smiling face of a young woman with soft pink hair and loving red eyes.

"Small Lady..." Setsuna whispered, her voice cracking, feeling the tears welling
in her eyes. Her fingers dug themselves into the mattress, her mind telling her
heart that it had to be strong, that it could not allow itself to be shattered
just yet.

The shadows at the edge of the room parted, and a black-cloaked form sat gently
on the bed beside her with a creak. Arms encircled her, drawing her head up into
the man's chest as he stroked her hair. 'Oh, Sets.'

Setsuna allowed herself to be held, her eyes held tightly shut as she tried to
force back the tears. She cursed herself silently as she felt her body begin to
shake, silent sobs washing through her. 'Mark... Gods, how could I have let this
happen?' she asked pleadingly in his mind, even though she already knew the answer.
Her fingers rested against his chest and she tried to concentrate on the soft sounds
of his heartbeat, wanting to push out all the awful images and hateful thoughts that
surged through her mind. The Time Senshi flinched slightly at the remorse and sorrow
in her beloved's voice, knowing that she was the cause of most of it. "I wonder
sometimes if I'm not more of a curse than anything else to all those around me."
she whispered, delicate fingers reaching up and brushing green hair out of magenta
eyes. "Here I am with all this knowledge, and all I can do is watch them suffer.
Hell, I'm not even allowed a moment in which I'm not concerned with the past or
the future. I can never be involved just in the moment; I'm always looking forward
or back to make sure that things play out the way they should, no matter what."

Long, slim fingers worked through her hair, tilting her face back so gray eyes
could meet magenta. "I know, my love. I know."

"Just once. Just once I'd like to concentrate on nothing more than the here and
now, a single moment rather than a series of them." Her voice trembled slightly
as her eyes closed, crystal tears slipping past her lashes and down her pale face.
"Just once I'd like to be able to act out of love rather than duty."

His hands brushed her tears away, gently lifting her face and kissing her gently.
'I love you, Sets. Always have, always will, come eternity's end or anything before.'

Her eyes opened slowly, the warm softness of his lips still lingering on her own,
his words ringing in her mind from a voice filled with love and her heart broke.
"Mark, look at me! Those that dare to care about me end up traveling down a path
of uncertainty and ignorance; they all know I have knowledge that could save them,
that could prevent what is to come, but that I don't use it." Setsuna pulled away
slightly, wrapping her arms around herself. Her voice was quiet, trembling. "Mark,
look at what loving me has cost you! You've been condemned to walk a line between
life and death for all of eternity because of me." Setsuna's eyes fell to the bed
before her, unable to meet her lover's gaze as her body began to shudder with
suppressed grief.

Mark leaned forward, his arms wrapping around her to press her against him.
"Condemned, my love? If you can call being here with you and protecting you
condemnation, then I'd chose it over any other fate this weary world can offer."

Setsuna opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes only rose to met his, her words
dying on her lips. It was there in the gray depths that she saw the unadulterated
love he held for her, the utter and undying devotion, and in that gaze she found
strength. Her hand reached up to gently rest against the side of his face, magenta
eyes holding gray as her lips rose to meet his. 'Thank you, my love.'

His arms drew around her, lips holding hers with a tender passion that even untold
millennia and countless brushes with death had not marred. 'All part of the service,
my love.'

As Setsuna's fingers wound themselves into the black softness of his hair, her mind
flashed to a scene from long ago when he'd first used those familiar words. Though
the sentiment was the same, the players had changed; they'd both lost their innocence
and the blind faith that the future would turn out happily. All they still had was
each other, a constant she couldn't bear the thought of losing ever again. 'I wonder
sometimes if there's anything that's not part of the service, lord.' she countered as
her lips still pressed hungrily to his, unwilling to end the kiss just yet.

Mark leaned into the kiss with a mental smile, enjoying the feel of her in his arms
after so many millennia of separation. 'Not much.'

It still amazed her how every time Mark held her, it felt like the first night she'd
run to him. The intensity of their passion was still as strong, the chords that bound
them still tied as tightly. Many times she'd allowed herself to melt into that embrace,
to allow the sparks of desire they struck to grow into flames, ending up in his arms
soaring to realms of ecstasy many only dreamed about. Part of her hoped this could be
one of those times, but at the same time another part knew there were other things that
needed her attention. 'Why must what I want always come second,' she cursed silently in
her mind, the kiss breaking abruptly and her head moving to rest on Mark's shoulder.

He sighed, gently caressing her cheek as he leaned his head on hers. 'I wish I knew,
my love. I wish I knew.'

They sat in silence for long moments, holding each other and listening to the soft
sounds of their joined breathing. An aching need burned deep inside, but Setsuna
pushed it back. Duty and responsibility came before anything else.

"Mark, we've lost the Princess." Setsuna whispered, her arms tightening around
his neck.

Pale lips pinched "I know. Question is, how long until we see her again?"

Setsuna's eyes filled with fresh tears as she considered the answer to his
question. When she did finally speak, her voice trembled with emotion. "We'll
see her soon enough, love, but we've still lost her."

Mark's eyes closed in silent grief as his arms tightened around her. "I'm sorry,
Sets."

"Gods, Mark, what I wouldn't give right now for the wonderful bliss of ignorance,
to not know what was going to happen. To still have that hope." Tears began to
fall once more down pale cheeks as magenta eyes closed, trying to block out the
images of what was to come.

Mark took his wife's pain into his own soul, trying to engulf it in his love for
her as his arms wrapped around her. "I know, my love. Oh, but I know."

"Mark, I don't want to let her go." Setsuna cried, her body shaking from the sobs
that surged forth from deep inside her.

His hands stroked her hair, trying to soothe a pain beyond even his power to ease.
'I know, Sets.'

"I could have saved her!" she whispered, trying to catch her breath. "The Queen
couldn't have. The King couldn't have. Not even all the Senshi could have saved
Small Lady, but I could have." She pulled back, meeting his eyes. "I love her
with all my heart, yet I didn't do anything to save her, Mark! I knew what would
happen, what was to come." Her words trailed off as she lost herself in the wave
of loss and devastation that overtook her, and her arms tightened around Mark,
afraid that if she let go she'd be washed away.

Mark's eyes held hers, relentless even in their gentleness. "No, love. You couldn't
have saved her. Not you, not even you, can shift the wheels that far. You might
have changed the path of the gear, but it might have mangled her just as badly
any other way." He stroked her face, washing her wounds in his love. 'Let it go,
Sets. You can't hold it on your own shoulders.'

She leaned her hand into his hand, feeling the warmth of his feelings for her
spreading through her, wrapping her in a warm embrace that no other could ever
match. "I- I'm so sorry, Small Lady," she whispered, her eyes closing slightly.
'I want to let it go, all of it, even if only for one night, Mark, but I don't
know if I can."

The lights faded, leaving them in the shadows that were so much his element. The
shimmering candle flame above them was the only light, bathing them in its soft
glow. "Just try, my love. Just try."

The tears in Setsuna's eyes sparkled in the dim light. She pulled away a little,
and in the darkness her hands found his, their fingers intertwining and their
eyes once again locking. "Help me. Because I know I can't do it alone."

Mark's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he took her grief into him, filling
her with the love that was as much a part of him as the night from which he drew
solace. 'My strength, your strength. My heart, your heart. One and indivisible.'

"From now into eternity?" she whispered, the pain inside subsiding to a dull ache.
She knew it would not go away, and she knew that this one event, this one period in
time would forever leave a hole inside her, a scar that would never heal. One she
would not allow to heal.

"Yes." Mark's hands held hers, his eyes looking into her soul. 'You can't scar
yourself for things you can't change, my love.'

"Mark, you don't understand. Aside from the fact that other than you, Small Lady
is the only other person I've ever really allowed myself to love, is the fact that
it's not that I couldn't change what happened. It's knowing that even if I could
have, I wouldn't have." Her lips tightened. "All because of that stupid key and
a promise I made all those millennia ago."

'You are the Guardian.' The sadness and pride in Mark's voice were mingled so
deeply that it was impossible to tell which had been the original emotion. 'I
can't think of anyone I'd rather entrust my future to.'

"Even if in doing so you could be destroying any chance you have of seeing that
future?" Setsuna asked softly.

Mark's voice was gentle but firm as iron. "Even then."

Setsuna looked at him for a moment, her hands tightening on his before letting
them go. Long arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her face inches from his.
"Thank you, my love," she whispered. "I just hope your trust hasn't been misplaced."

Reaching up to snuff the candle, Mark gave her a wry smile before darkness
covered them. "Me, too." Setsuna blinked as the light went out, feeling his
arms encircle her and pull her close. As his lips met hers she could feel the
utter trust he had in her, and it helped to soothe the pain inside.

'I love you.' she sighed, and in the darkness she allowed each kiss, each
caress to further push the pain back, at least for a little while

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chibi-Usa didn't know when she'd slipped into the cold comfort of unconsciousness,
but she knew that there she was safe. There in the dreamless void she was shielded
from monsters, both real and illusionary. If she'd been given the choice she would
have gladly remained there. Unfortunately, that was not to be. All too soon she
became aware of her body once more, muscles throbbing with dull pain. As she
shifted and stretched stiff joints she winced, finding her limbs little more
than dead weight. Her face twisted as she felt a burning in her abdomen, and
she rolled to her side in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Blindly she reached
out for the blankets, trying to drive away the chills running through her; what
she found with her hand, however, was not the softness of a quilt.

Red eyes snapped open as her hand pulled back from the warm figure she'd touched.
As her vision cleared she found the room bathed in a soft golden glow, deep jade
green eyes gazing at her, appraising her. A shudder passed through her as she sat
up, becoming all too aware of the thin nightgown she wore. 'Where the hell did this
come from?' she cursed silently, trying to pull the blankets closer to her. "W-Who
are you?" she asked the man, her voice trembling.

When he spoke his voice was gentle, as soothing as a lover's touch. "I am Dameon,
Princess. At your service."

The tone of his voice set Chibi-Usa's nerves aflame, and she felt her breathing
quicken slightly. "What are you doing here?" she breathed, her eyes focused on
the blankets before her so they wouldn't have to meet his.

Dameon reached out, gently lifting her chin so that she could no longer avoid
his gaze. "I'm here to make your stay more comfortable, my lady."

The electric shock of his touch caused Chibi-Usa's eyes to go wide, her chance
to escape his magnetic stare lost. Her heart hammered rapidly in her chest as
she felt herself falling into the emerald depths of his eyes. 'Get away from me!'
she cried in her mind, fearing the worst. When she finally managed to speak,
however, she barely recognized the voice as her own. "And just how do you
propose to do that?"

Dameon leaned forward, close enough so she could feel his warm breath washing
over her face. "It is rather cool in these chambers, Princess. Perhaps I can
help you warm yourself?"

'No!' Chibi-Usa's mind screamed silently, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes
as she spoke once more in the alien tone that had somehow possessed her voice.
"I am rather cold."

Dameon's lips brushed across hers, almost as if the contact were unintentional.
"I am fully at your service, of course."

Chibi-Usa's mouth was on fire from his burning kiss. She felt herself leaning
forward, her lips blindly seeking his. "Please..." she breathed, her voice heavy
with desire she did not understand.

In an instant Dameon's mouth recaptured hers in a deep, breath-stealing kiss as
his arms moved around her hips and pulled her to him. Chibi-Usa cringed inwardly
even as she felt herself returning the kiss, her hands pinned against his hard
chest. 'Gods, no.' her mind sobbed as she felt one hand resting about her waist
while the other moved upward, gently caressing her through the thin fabric of
the nightdress.

'Yes, that's it.' Dameon's tongue caressed her mouth and lips in a way carefully
calculated to enflame passion as his hands worked their way to the fastener at
the back of the gown.

'Stop ... Please.' Chibi-Usa made one final silent plea as her body slowly
betrayed her, reacting to his every motion. Her hands moved of their own
accord to his neck, pulling her even closer to him, straining for his touch.
As she felt his hand touching bare skin, something inside her snapped, and
she was overcome with fear and grief. This was going to happen, and she couldn't
do anything to stop it. Even worse, something inside her didn't even want to stop it.

Dameon slid a hand over her shoulder to pull the nightgown away and was abruptly
thrown across the bed and into the opposite wall as the golden light around him
was swallowed up by the pulsing red glow that rose behind Chibi-Usa. Chibi-Usa
fell forward, catching herself on her hands so she didn't go sprawling across
the mattress. She remained there, frozen for a long moment as she felt Dameon's
hold on her releasing and she was once again able to control her own movements.
Raising her eyes to where Dameon lay against the far wall, the look of terror on
his face chilled her to the bone.

Slowly, not noticing the nightgown slip further down one of her shoulders, she
pushed herself into a kneeling position, taking a deep breath. Even more slowly
she turned her head, and her momentary relief was immediately replaced by fear
when found herself looking up at Reignfire himself. Reignfire's eyes glowed with
cold fire, burning into his lieutenant with a withering stare. "Dameon."

"My lord?" The other man's voice trembled as he managed to scramble to his knees.

The dark voice was soft, but filled with a power as deep and incomprehensible as
space itself. "I seem to recall telling you that this girl was my servant."

Blood drained from Dameon's face, his eyes widening with fear. "Yes, my lord."

The entire room seemed to ripple with Reignfire's anger, shadows writhing around
them. Reignfire's voice hissed out with deadly precision, poisonous as an adder's
bite. "Do I need to remind you what disobedience costs, Dameon?"

"No, master." Dameon flinched, eyes falling to the floor. Having served Reignfire
longer than most of the dark lord's servants had survived, he knew all too well
what the consequence of his liege's displeasure could entail.

A gloved hand reached out and rested lightly on Chibi's shoulder, the dark voice
seething with quiet fury. "Then I forbid you to touch her again, and for your
disobedience you will chose last in the selection of future prisoners."

"But my lord, Veros will take all the choice prisoners before me!" Dameon's voice
was hot with sudden indignation, overwhelming even his normal smooth charm. The
shadows seemed to crowd in around him instantly, blotting out what few shreds of
light still surrounded him.

"Would your prefer I allow the lady Siren to choose your punishment, Dameon?"

His face went ashen at the thought, voice shaking with sudden terror. "No, my lord."

"Then get out of my sight." Reignfire waved dismissively, his glowing red eyes still
burning with deadly anger. Dameon turned and fled the room without another word.

"T-Thank you, my Lord." Chibi-Usa croaked, the weight of his gloved hand holding
her in place despite the almost feather-light pressure of his grasp. She wanted so
badly to move, but found herself more frightened of his reaction than of staying.

Reignfire's eyes lowered to hers, gleaming from within his hood with acid intensity.
"Get dressed and then come with me."

"W-Where are we going?" Chibi-Usa asked without thinking, recoiling from the
harshness in his tone.

His voice shimmered with power, a whip-crack command. "You'll see. Now, dress."

Chibi-Usa nodded mutely, sliding from beneath his hand and edging slowly off
the bed. She stood there a moment, then turned back to Reignfire. "Where shall
I meet you when I'm dressed, Lord?" she asked quietly.

A gloved hand gestured to the door. "Is there a problem, servant?"

Chibi-Usa swallowed hard, shaking her head. "Of course not. I just didn't think
you'd want to have to wait for me to dress." She felt her face reddening as her
eyes dropped to the floor.

Soft laughter filled her mind, and a wall of shadow surrounded her. 'Private
enough, Princess?'

Chibi-Usa didn't respond, simply moving to the wardrobe that was on her left
and opening it in the hopes of finding something to wear. After much deliberation
she finally found a dress that would have to do, and quickly put it on. As she
stepped from behind the wall, she was still trying to tug the black skirt of the
dress down, toward her knees. 'Even my fuku covered more than this.' she thought
with frustration as the dress slid back up to her thighs. Making one more adjustment
of the thin straps that looked barely strong enough to hold the figure-hugging sheath
up, she lifted her eyes and looked around for Reignfire. "I'm ready, Lord."

The black-robed shadow stepped around the dissipating darkness and led her out into
the dark halls with a wave of his hand. "Come, then."

Chibi-Usa found herself following Reignfire down the darkened corridor, walking only
inches from him, afraid of what imaginary and real monsters awaited her in the
shadows. Glancing past him, she saw a portal situated on the far end of the hallway,
even its soft glow being swallowed by the endless darkness. Reignfire reached up to
touch the portal and opened a door to a smaller cell on the other side. Glancing
nervously at Reignfire, she hesitated for a long moment. He stepped aside smoothly,
motioning for her to move forward, and Chibi-Usa obediently stepped through the door.

Immediately she was overwhelmed by the smell of blood and sweat, the almost physical
force of the stench causing her to stagger back. She would have kept moving backward
had it not been for the ravenous growl that rose from far down the corridor behind her.
With her hand clasped to her mouth she stepped back up to the doorway, trying to steel
herself for what she might see.

"My gods!" Chibi-Usa gasped at the sight of a dozen people lying scattered in the room
beyond the door. Even from here she could hear the muffled sobs of those still strong
enough to cry. As red eyes moved across the dank room, they caught the lifeless hazel
eyes of a man propped directly across from the door. Although their eyes met, she
doubted he could see her, certain that the pain from the festering slashes on his
torso blocked out everything else. On his lap lay the head of a woman, short brown
hair matted across her forehead and bruises covering her face. Tears seeped from
beneath closed eyelashes, leaving muddy trails down her cheeks and over the shallow
cuts on her arms. Chibi-Usa's eyes moved from them toward the sound of sobs coming
from the corner of the room, and they fell upon the huddled form of a little girl.
Raven black hair hung around her, dirty and sticking to her body, and her small
knees were drawn up to her chest as her slim frame shook with her sobbing. Then,
as if feeling the weight of the Princess's stare, the little girl's head lifted
and deeply sunken brown eyes looked back at her. The dull stones stared back
from a bruised face, no longer possessing the youthful vigor they should have.

"No." Chibi-Usa cried, closing her eyes and turning away from the door, her stomach
twisting into a knot that threatened to suffocate her. The suffering she saw on the
faces of those captives in that room stabbed deeply into her heart, twisting about
like a jagged knife. Reignfire stepped into the room behind her, a living darkness
that seemed to swallow what little light there was. Those who had the strength to
move shied away from him. Those who didn't simply lay still and waited for death.

Burning eyes swept contemptuously across the room and then settled into Chibi-Usa's.
"Since your family is so renown for doing good, I thought I'd give you an opportunity."

"What do you mean?" Chibi-Usa asked cautiously, her eyes not leaving his; she
preferred their acidic gaze to the scene that lay around him in the cell.

Reignfire swept his hand across the scene, pointing to the various prisoners.
"If you pass this test, I will release these people and allow them to go free.
Back to Crystal Tokyo. Safely."

Chibi-Usa blinked, unsure she'd heard him correctly but unwilling to ask him to
repeat himself for fear that he would rethink his decision. "What kind of test
must I pass to gain these innocents their freedom?" she finally asked, trying to
push down the terror that grabbed hold of her insides.

Reignfire's eyes held hers, his gloved hand extending to point at the young girl
who sat in the corner. "Kill her."

"What?" Chibi-Usa gasped in disbelief, her eyes following his hand to fall on the
raven-haired girl. Brown eyes no longer sat dully within their sockets, but shone
brightly with terror as they moved from the monster in the cloak to the Princess.
"You can't be serious."

Reignfire shrugged, eyes still burning bright. "Of course I'm serious, my servant."

Chibi-Usa shook her head violently. "I will not kill anyone!"

"Then they all die. Every last one of them. Painfully and slowly." His voice moved
slowly over the words, casual as a man discussing a house's sale.

"What?" Chibi-Usa looked from him to the faces of those prisoners still conscious
enough to understand what was going on, and in their eyes she saw pleading. They
were silently begging her for salvation that only she could give them. Then her
eyes moved to the face of the child, the one to be the sacrificial lamb so that
all the others could go free. "No, please! There has to be some other way. I'll
do anything. You can do anything you want to me, but I can't do what you're asking!"

Reignfire's voice was soft, empty of feeling, ruthlessly precise. "You kill her
or they die. A simple choice. You act, they live. You fail, they die." A gloved
hand extended, offering her an ebony wand. "Take it and use it, or do not and let
them die. The choice is yours alone."

"But one life or a dozen, it's still innocent life! How can I choose one over
another? That's ... that's like asking me to choose who is more worthy of living!"
Chibi-Usa cried, stepping back and away from the offered object.

Reignfire's eyes gleamed mercilessly. "Either way, you choose. No matter what.
It's part of ruling, servant; their lives are yours, as are the choices. There
is no escaping it."

Chibi-Usa was about to step out of the room when she felt something push her
back in, and she found herself stumbling and nearly fell to the ground. When
she once again regained her footing, she found herself standing in front of a
woman, violet eyes meeting hers. 'Please save me, Princess.' she heard the
woman's voice in her mind, though she didn't see her cracked, bloody lips move.

Chibi-Usa staggered backward, whirling around, only to come face to face with
two young men, bound to the walls by shackles. 'Don't let us die here!'

'Don't abandon us!'

She heard their voices rise in her mind and she clutched at the sides of her
head, trying to shut them out. Then above the tearful pleas came another voice,
smaller, weaker.

'I want my mommy ... please, I want to leave...' Chibi-Usa's eyes snapped wide
as they fell upon the child, her small voice ringing in her head.

'Her mother's dead, Princess.' One final voice broke through the uproar, toneless
and cold. Chibi-Usa suddenly jolted upright, her eyes widening. "I- I... " She
turned to Reignfire, seeing nothing in the glow of his eyes but patient death.
The wand didn't waver. "Your choice, servant."

'Look at her, small one,' another voice instructed softly. 'She's dying; why
not end it for her?'

Chibi-Usa's mind felt like it was in the center of a great storm, and she
couldn't find which way was the right way. All she knew was that she wanted
to silence the cries of terror, the desperate pleading in her mind. She wanted
to bring them all peace. As if in slow motion she moved toward Reignfire, her
hand reaching out to the wand. "I can't let them die," she whispered, her hands
shaking. Reignfire's hand fell away as she touched the wand, leaving it resting
in her hand as he stepped aside.

Chibi-Usa's breathing was coming in gasps, her entire body trembling in fear of
what was to come. She forced her eyes to focus on the smooth ebony rod in her
hand, forced her mind to comprehend what it was she held. "This is going to be
someone's executioner," she said aloud.

'No. It's going to be the child's savior,' a voice in her mind corrected as she
turned stiffly to face the child. Chibi-Usa stood before the terrified girl,
seeing the tears flowing freely from the child's eyes but not hearing the sobs
and pleas that rose from her lips. It was if a wall had formed around the Princess,
blocking out all but the chaos of sound from the other prisoners, begging for life.
Life, even at the cost of this single, dying orphan. "I'm sorry." Chibi-Usa heard
herself whisper as she raised the wand, aiming it at the small child's chest.
"I'm so sorry...."

A flash of light lit the room , and Chibi-Usa watched through a haze as the small
child's form shuddered violently, her limbs flailing like those of a rag doll.
Then all at once it stopped, and the girl fell to the side as her eyes stared
lifelessly up at the ceiling. Chibi-Usa was only partially aware of the little
one's death throws, as something else occurring in tandem with the child's demise
monopolized her attention. She felt the wand drawing something from the child, toward
her, into her; she tried to release the wand, but it remained firmly in her grasp.
Then she felt it, a sensation that started as a soft, warm glow in her hand and slowly
traveled along her arm, engulfing her entire body. Chibi-Usa heard a moan of pleasure
escape her lips as her senses were lifted to a level never before experienced or even
imagined. The pure power running into her set every nerve on fire, bringing her to
heaven and back as she lost all sense of time in the ecstasy of absorbing the soul
energy the wand had stolen from the child.

The wand finally fell from Chibi-Usa's grasp, dropping to the floor with a muted
clatter. "My gods." she whispered, her senses still reeling from the experience.

Reignfire bent and plucked up the wand, returning it to his cloak. "Good work, my
servant. You may leave if you wish. I will see to these people as we have agreed."

Chibi-Usa's gaze turned to Reignfire, his words taking a moment to register in her
clouded mind. Her eyes went from his to the wand and back again, then toward the
doorway. Even through her cloud of euphoria, the idea of traversing that dark
corridor scared her, but it was no longer dark. Down the center there lay a
path of soft light, more than enough to illuminate her journey back to her room.
"Thank you, my Lord." Chibi-Usa said, smiling slightly at him. She took one last
look at those around the room, and a twisted sense of relief filled her. True,
one child had died, but the rest of them would live. She had made the right choice.

As if in a trance she moved out of the room, walking slowly and without fear
down the hall to her chambers. With a satisfied sigh she pushed the doors open
and headed straight for the softness of the bed. As she lay down her hand found
her transformation brooch, glimmering in the soft light of the room. As the warm
embrace of rest took her, the compact fell open in her palm to reveal the stones
within. The eight stones on the outer edge hung dull and lifeless, not even shimmering
slightly at her touch; some were cracked, and one was even shattered. In the center
sat the crystal, the shard of the ginzuishou her mother had given to her. It sat
proudly on its mount, still whole and unmarred, but it did not shine as brightly
as it should have; a faint mist clouded its once clear surface.

In the shadowed cell, Reignfire looked after his servant and fingered the wand
slowly. "Very good indeed."

"I think she liked it," a voice laughed from the shadows, golden eyes sparking
to life. Carefully Siren stepped toward the center of the room, twirling the
obsidian amulet suspended from around her neck loosely in her hand. "There's
certainly some potential within her."

Reignfire nodded, not turning to look at her but obviously aware of her presence.
"Yes, a good first lesson." He turned, red eyes sweeping the room. "I think we can
dispense with this now." As if in silent answer to his words the room seemed to
ripple, bodies and prisoners fading until only the little girl's body in the
corner of the room remained. Looking around the cell's bare obsidian walls, Reignfire
laughed softly. "Pretty little fool. Didn't even stop to wonder why I'd bother to
offer her real lives in exchange for trivialities."

"Pretty she may be," Siren remarked, a slight edge to her tone as she moved closer
to Reignfire. "But she's still young, an innocent, bound by ignorant morals and
ethics. Still willing to try and see the good around her. Even in this place,
even in you."

Black robes hissed like serpents as Reignfire turned to her, glowing red eyes
carrying just a hint of a smile. "Let her hold her delusions. The fall will be
all the more bitter for them."

Siren nodded, her hand reaching out and fingers gently running over the smooth
handle of the wand Reignfire still held. "It's a pity, really, how easily her
mind's already twisted. I was hoping for more of a challenge."

Robed shoulders shrugged. "The flaw is there, but exploiting it will be a
difficult process. We may have found the chink in her armor, but using that
to shatter her will be far more difficult. " A gloved hand brushed her cheek,
red eyes glittering fiercely. "Not that it will be beyond your skill, dearest."

Ruby lips curled into a smile, eyes gleaming with fiery passion. "Oh, I know
it's not, my lord. I've been observing our little Princess quite closely, and
there's more than one way to burrow into her mind, more than one way to twist
it and then ultimately shatter it into tiny bits."

Reignfire nodded, turning to walk toward the door. Almost as an afterthought,
he glanced back over his shoulder. "Do keep an eye on Dameon. He seems to have
had a bit of difficulty keeping his hands off the prize."

"Oh? Has he?" Siren's eyes darkened and her smile faltered slightly. "If he
dares to even look at her again, he'll have hell to pay." Siren smiled darkly.
"No one but I shall touch her, lord. I promise you that."

Red eyes gleamed, boring into hers. "Indeed." There was a swirl of darkness,
and he was gone. Alone in the chamber, Siren took on final glance at the body
hunched in the corner, and walked out, quick steps echoing through the empty
hall. The darkness appeared to part for her as she made her way to Chibi-Usa's
chambers, swirling slightly as she paused there. Opening the door, she slipped
into the darkened room and stood for a moment over the sleeping girl. "Rest well,
small one. There's much more to come." Siren laughed softly and then was gone,
leaving the Princess one final moment of peaceful rest.

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Special thanks goes out to all those that have made this possible, including
Soul for doing the first round of edits and helping with our sometimes horrendous
spelling and typing skills, and Liz for doing the final round, making sure everything
fits and correcting the little mistakes we'd never pick up.

Additional thanks to my wonderful beta readers - Lena and Mako. Your questions
and feedback helped me make this even better. And of course, thanks to all the
readers that have writen and commented on Fallen Stars. You're part of the reason
we do this. ^.~

Fallen Stars has been a year in the making, hopefully it lives up to all expectations.
Feel free to contact us with any praise, comments, moans, groans or suggestions.
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