:~*Erienne F. Sky*~:

:~*Chapter Four*~: The Guardians of All



"What would you like today?" Terra asked sweetly, looking down at the two girls. *That certainly is an odd color of hair,* she thought, looking at the pink-headed child.

"I'll have a chocolate shake with bannana. What do you want, Diana?" Rini looked over at her friend.

"I think I will have some milk and an order of chicken tenders, please," Diana said in her high pitched voice.

Terra smiled, "Certainly," she said, "I will be right back with that."

**********

"Hey! Rini!" Lita called over, waving at the small Princess. "Got room for two?"

"Sure, Lita. Hey Mina!" Rini replied, scooting over in her seat to make room, Diana doing the same.

"Hey Rini!" Mina said, walking over to sit next to Rini, Lita sitting next to Diana. "Hey Diana. I thought you weren't supposed to go in that form anymore since you tried to get a boyfriend?"

Diana blushed. "Well, mother said that I could as long as I didn't try to that anymore. And besides, I don't think I fancy the way that boy touched me."

"Yeah, that's how it always starts," Lita said, toying with a napkin, "Well, at least for most girls it does," she added, eyeing Mina.

Feigning innocence, Mina said, "What?"

Rini laughed. As did the rest of the group.

**********

"There you are," Terra said, placing the milk and shake on the table. "What can I get you two?" she asked to Mina and Lita.

"I'll have a Coke," Lita said, "With a twist of lime if you have it."

Terra looked at her oddly for a moment and then jotted the order down.

"A twist of lime? Eww...That is so gross!"

"Hey, don't rag on it until you've tried it!"

"Ok, ok. Whatever," Mina let go, not wanting a confrontation. "I'll have a diet Sprite, hold the lime."

Terra giggled, "Sure. I will be right back with that."

She walked to the counter, but turned when she felt a pair of eyes on her back. Her brother was watching her, in a way that made her extremely uneasy.

*********

*Whoa. Babe alert!* Tobius thought, watching the slender beauty in the white apron move from table to table. *That blond she was talking to was not that bad either.* She turned back to him, her black hair moving to glimmer in the light, and looked at him, as if she had felt his stare. He went to wink at her, but she turned around quickly. *Oh well, better off with nothing to preoccupy me. Have to get this done today, while everything is going good.*

Just then a very familiar voice was heard coming from the street just outside, and he looked to the front of the room to see a very clumsy blond trip and fall over a "Caution: Wet Floor" sign. His heart stopped, and he caught his breath. *She's here. After all this its up to now...* with these thoughts he stood up, ready to approach his mother.

**********

"Don't look now, but guess who just walked-excuse me. Did I say walked? I meant, tripped in." Mina said, looking behind Lita towards the front of the Crown.

"Odango Atama!" Lita cried, moving to help Serena up from her perch on the floor.

Her face flaming, Serena said, "Gomen, Lita. I didn't see the sign, I was looking for Darien. We were supposed to meet up, remember? Well, last time he had to cancel because he had a big meeting with that company his parents left him to run, so now we're gunna meet here. He should be here any minute- WHOA!"

She fell again, this time over her own foot. *She must be nervous,* Lita thought, using her body to support Serena and prevent any further damage to the blond, *She normally isn't this bad. Maybe she's worried about Darien.*

Lita walked Serena back to their booth, where they brought a chair over from a neighboring table. Lita gave up her seat to Serena and sat at the head of the table, talking with her friends.

**********

*How many friends to these girls have?* Terra thought as she dished out the two drinks to Lita and Mina. "Would you like anything?" she asked Serena, noting a vague familiarity about the girl.

"Um, yeah. I would like a large Pepsi and a Strawberry shake. Two orders of fries, one of onion rings, and one of chicken tenders."

:Blink: "Um, ok. Would that be all?"

"Yeah. No. Yeah. Wait! I think I will have-" before she could finish her sentence, Mina interrupted.

"No, that would be all, thank you. Hey, wait a second. You're the new girl right? Pardon our bad manners, we didn't inroduce ourselves. I'm Mina Aino. This is Serena Tsukino, her cousin Rini Chiba, Lita Kino, and Diana Maul. We come here all the time so you should be seeing us a lot. What's your name?" With a cordiality that was rarely used on a woman, Mina said all this.

"I am Terra. But my real name is Septerra. I like Terra better, so I use it more often. Nice to meet all of you." Terra walked back to the counter, made Serena's drink, thinking of how wonderful most people in Tokyo were. She brought the drink back to the girls and Andrew walked in.

"Hey, Terra!" he called, walking over to her.

"Yes?" she asked, a little warily.

"You can go home or whatever now. This was your preliminary shift, and it seems that you haven't let the place burn down as of yet, so you're on board. Be here Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, two through eight. Somedays I will be here to work the counters with you, and other times Rei will. You will meet her later, she should be done at the Shrine any minute. (AN: Rei is going out with Andrew and she got a job at the Crown to be closer to him. This all took place in another fic of mine, but it is irrelevant in this one, other than them being together.) Ok, well I will be working the tables if you guys need anything. See you, Terra!" he walked off, slapping hands with some of the people he knew as he went off.

"Ok, well, it was nice meeting you all. I will see you later!" Terra turned to go, but Serena called her back.

"Won't you stay and join us? Drinks on Mina!"

"Yeah, drinks on...MEATBALL HEAD! Hmm. For some reason because Rei's not here I feel as if I need to take her place and fight with Odango Atama. Oh well. Yeah, drinks on me. But only for Terra."

The table laughed. Terra grabbed a chair, but Mina gave up her seat for her, so she sat next to Rini.

"So, how old are you Terra?" Rini asked when everyone was sitting and situated.

"I'm almost twenty. How about you?"

"I'm fifteen. Diana is fifteen, too." Diana nodded her agreement, slurping her milk through a straw.

"DARIEN!!" Serena screetched, jumping up from her seat and rushing to the door, almost taking the lives of passersby as she did so.

"Well, clue her out of the conversation." Mina said, adjusting her Serena-trampled chair. "Please, some one get her back on the Prozac, my poor soul cannot take much more of this over-excited abuse."

"We know what your going through Mina, it's ok." Lita patted her on the back.

Terra, Rini and Diana laughed.

**********

Tobius sat back down. Now would definitely not be a good time of approach. She was surrounded by her court, and he didn't want any unnecessary confrontation. He would wait. Just then, he saw that pretty blond get up and leave the table. 'Maybe I should try to approach her,' he thought, 'I mean, it would be nice to have a date if everything pans out allright.'

That thought in mind, he got up again, this time following the blond to the video games in the opposite side of the arcade.

**********

"I think I will go play the new Sailor V game," Mina said, a few minutes after all the excitement about Darien had died down. Well, more like when Serena had pooped out. Darien and Serena were talking with Andrew, Rini and Diana playing Space Shooters with Hotaru, who had come in after Darien with Michiru, Haruka and Setsunna. Terra was having a deep conversation with Lita about fighting techniques, and Mina was feeling very left out. "Since no one is listening, I guess I will go now." She stood up and walked over to the game, Lita murmuring "Yeah, ok, see ya," behind her.

Digging in her pocket for some change, she came up with two quarters. She played what could have been the best round of her life, reaching a whole new high score for herself, and the game. After she had inserted her initials, she felt a presence behind her. Turning, she saw an ebon haired Prince. He was tall, lean, muscular, with a Roman sculpted face that only super models or movie stars possess. Wide shoulders, narrow waist, her favorite. Flashing him her best smile, she turned back to the game to finish the entering process.

"Pretty good score there," he said, leaning a bit closer.

"Yeah," she said, "It's not that bad. I could have done better." Lie! She told herself, but vanity was not bad in the eyes of a hottie. *Should I play coy or hard to get?* she asked herself. *Hmm...bashful and shy sounds good to me!*

"Really? Wish I could. I don't play video games that much," Tobius said, watching the blond closely. She had turned, and he could see how pretty, more like beautiful, she was. Wearing a short micro-skirt that showed a lot of leg, and a tight fitting tank, not much was left to the imagination. "Do you come here often. I'm new to Tokyo myself. Adjusting to the places and locations, that's why I came here today." Good addition, he thought.

"Well, I hope you like Tokyo so far," Mina said, batting her eyelashes delicately, biting her lip after the comment came out, as if she wasn't usually so forward with guys, "I've lived here for a long time, after London, and if you need any help getting around, me and my friends would be glad to help." There, she thought, not too forward, and not lacking. Just right.

"Thank you for the offer, I shall remember it if at any time I am in need of some assistence. Would you like to get something to drink?" he asked, smiling genuinly at the blond beauty before him. There was something about her to him, something that attracted his attention in all ways.

"Well," she said, glancing at her party, who had split into different groups and had completely ignored her, looking as if she didn't want to do anything without their agreement. "I guess I could get something to drink. Gomen; thank you very much."

Mina started to walk away from the game consel, leading the way, when her foot caught on something and she tripped, headfirst, to the floor below. She tried to steady herself, by grabbing anything that she could, and the nearest thing happened to be Tobius. He came down with her to the floor, in a sprawl, and somehow managed to touch her in several desgraceful places. When the uproar had died down, and Mina and Tobius were both on their feet, Mina had words to say.

"You sly, perverted, booty-grabbing, slime ball!" she yelled into his face, her eyes blazing, "You tripped me so you could look up my skirt! Then you fell too! And you touched me! You touched me!" she couldn't get anything else out. She walked away, her head high and back straight. As she walked over to meet Terra and Lita, she thought, *And I don't even know his name!*

**********

The fire shone brightly on Rei's face. She felt it's heat and was only comforted by its closeness. She had been doing a reading for more than an hour now, but nothing seemed to be working. She continued, concentrating harder, melding her spirit with the fire. She needed the fire for the strength it provided her and the solace it laced around her mind.

She felt herself slip into a semi-conscious state, her body relaxing, her mind ready for what the Gods may reveal.

***

She was walking in a long corridor. Long tapestries were hung from the wall on each side of her, all in differing shades of blue and silver. The corridor itself had blue carpeting, so shagged one felt that they could lie down and sleep for days on it in comfort. The walls were a deep silver color, archways sprouting from the sides about every ten feet. Between everyone of these arcs about two or three tapestries were placed. Every twenty feet or so a portrait would appear. Depicting either women with funnily styled hair, different sigils on their forheads, or men with ebon hair and canes.

Before her rose two doors made of the most pure diamond. The handles were comprised of gold, the doors themselves glittering and sparkling in the little light that filtered from the ceiling windows. She pushed on the door, forcing it open with the lightest touch.

The room that glistened (AN: yes, glistened. The room was made from pure gold) before her was in perfect formation. There was a single tapestry in this room, straight ahead from the doorway. On either side of the door, a chair of a mahogany coloring was placed, a pillow of blue spun silk framed in braided golden yarn placed with care on each. A carefully spun rug decorated the floor, depicting battle scenes and coronations from past decades. Two large windows gave the room just enough light, one placed on the East side, the other on the West.

Walking up to the large tapestry, Rei saw that a poem was written in a familiar, yet foreign script. She seemed to posses the power to read the writing, and began to transfer it to modern English:

"To seek Earth's Death,

With punishable price,

Will call upon the Life,

Who will pay for the strife;

Yet, call upon the Life,

For everlasting joy,

Demolish the Death,

For which love isn't meant;

Or, Defeat with love

The eternal Death,

And cherish the Life,

'Or a lifetime and hence.'

Perplexed, she walked over to the East facing window, looking down from what was apparantly a grand tower. Below her, streaming from work station to work station, what appeared to be a million worker ants moved over the lands, restoring parts of the large castle that had been destroyed by some great power force. Walking over to the West facing window, Rei gasped at what she saw. A large ball, seemingly on fire, was hurtling towards the tower, and the castle.

'They can't see it,' she thought, 'They can't see it coming because the castle is blocking their view. Surely they have someone posted on watch... but if they are all working over there, they may not notice until it's too late.'

Running back to the West window, she pushed against it with all her weight, trying to get it to budge in any way. With no success, she picked up a valuable looking vase and threw it at the window.

CRASH!!

Glass shards flew out from the window, but also inward from the harsh winds produced by a roaring sea that she had not noticed before. She felt the glass sticking in her skin, slicing away at her flesh. She wanted to scream, but the thought of the oncoming ball of fire made her push forward.

"GATHER YOUR FORCES!!" she yelled, in a voice and tongue that were both foreign to her. Her surprise was drowned by the severity of the situation. "A meteor approaches on the East side! Raise the power field! Save the Princess!" She didn't understand what she was saying, or why she was able to give orders, but it all left a sudden feeling of superiority within her. Rei had a distinct suspision that she was playing a major role in this vision, but she had no more control over what happened than an ant would against a raging river.

Suddenly torrents of men appeared, rushing to the East side of the palace, placing small crystals on the ground every ten feet or so. From these crystals lanced different rays of energy, all of assorted coloring. They formed great arches of power, that began to take shape as a giant semi- circular sheild against the oncoming enemy.

'The stones aren't working fast enough and those damned incompitent fools will never finish quickly,' Rei thought, hurrying back out into the long corridor. 'I have to protect the Princess myself.'

She turned down another hallway, this one much smaller, and raced down a flight of circular stairs. At the foot of these stairs she dashed down another corridor. Before her loomed a brilliant archway. The door that led into the Princess' chambers was more magnificent and grand than the one Rei had entered earlier. She was no longer spellbound. There was a sense of duty and strength within her soul. She knew she could do whatever was needed of her, and succeed.

Pushing throught the diamond sculpted doors, she charched into the Princess' chambers.

"Rhea," Princess Satialina said, "What are you doing here? I thought you were going with Leigh to check on the Northern Tower."

The Princess was seated on a plush silk couch, draped in a velvet dress with cold chorded trailings. The velvet was a dove white color, clashing with the deep purple of the setee. She looked as a Princess should, reading one of the old political scripts as she took her afternoon rest.

"I was in the tower, Princess, but not with Leigh. She went to the Southern Tower to be sure Amiri and Milan were doing well. Michiru, Haruka, Setsunna and Hotaru have traveled to their respected outer planets. There is no more time for this delicate chit-chat, however, Princess. We must leave immediately."

"Oh?" Princess Satialina asked, looking alert. "Why have the Outers left? Is there something wrong?"

"The Outers left earlier to defend their planets from a barrage of warriors. Come, Princess, I will tell you of our own troubles on the way to the Main Deck." Rei/Rhea grabbed the Princess and urged her through the magnificent doors. She followed a new corridor, semi-tripped down another sweeping staircase, almost crashing into a wall in her haste.

"What is happening in my Kingdom?" Satialina demanded, trying to stop Rhea's flee.

"A meteor is on a crash course with the palace, and the Star. We must get to the Moon, immediately."

A sob escaped Satialina's throat as she realized what Rhea's words meant. 'First duty to home and country,' she thought. 'I have to save my people.'

No, Satia. We must leave, Rhea's voice suddenly appeared in her mind, able to hear whatever she thought.

'I've told you before, Rhea, to stay out of my thoughts. It is imprudent to pry in someone else's mind, especially in that of a Princess.'

'Pardon me if I forget myself in a crisis, Satia. You will not sacrifice yourself for anyone. Your country needs you to live, to continue the Legacy. No one will benefit from your death.'

'You would. So would the other Senshi. My daughter would be your next Princess, your leader. My son would be an heir to the throne, and would rule in fairness and chivalry. Think about it...' They rounded a corner, then stopped.

'Press your hand, Princess. We must get to the docks and the shuttles. I will get the others once you are safely away. Now please, there is no time. Press your hand to the plate.'

Satia looked at Rhea, at the plate, then hugged her friend fiercely. "I call you, Mars, and your sisters, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, to do my bidding!" A blinding white light filled the corridor.

"NO!" Rhea screamed, but she had no power to undue what had all ready been sent into motion.

"I will see you again, my friend. Watch my children, please..." after these words, everything went dark...

***

Rei awoke from the trance, sweat pouring down her front. 'What did it mean?' she thought, gathering herself together and preparing to go to Serena's house. 'Why would I see that? Who were those people?' a name came to her through the fog of questions. 'Setsunna... She was mentioned. And Haruka, Michirua nd Hotaru. What if...? I must see her immediately.'

With a new plan, Rei set out to the apartment that the Outers had deemed their own.

**********

'This is good,' Apatran Medium thought as he hid behind a billboard on one of the tallest buildings around. 'I will watch the battle and then follow the Senshi. Perfect.'

He reviewed his orders. Send his most powerful youma to attack Downtown Tokyo, wait for the Senshi to kill it, then follow them to get their identities, and/or hope for either of the Guardians to show up and stop the youma from wreaking destruction and chaos. He scratched his temple. It sounded like a suicide mission. Either for himself, or certainly for his youma.

He lifted the small sphere of energy he had brought with him and whispered a few words ubove it in an obscene language. "Kill'ach dret-anti merteigt syus."

The energy began to contort, morphing into something beyond comprehension. When the change was complete, Medium looked at what stood before him, nodding his agreement. It was like a panther, with thick blue fur covering its human like breasts and groin area. A furry bikini, if you will. It's skin was a grey-blue color, the hair on the top of its head arranged in a wild animal style, dressed in dark blue. It had sharp yellow, cat-like eyes and long yellow nails, sharp as freshly carved knives. It had high, buckle up black boots on, with golden buckles and small etchings decorating it, seemingly in a script long forgotton by man.

"Go," Medium said, pointing to the central area of downtown Tokyo. "Destroy all that pleases you. Then destroy the Sailor Senshi when they come to defend their home. No mistakes shall be tolerated." 'That ought to get the job done.' He thought.

"Yes, sire," the youma said, then jumped down from the tower. Medium smiled at the sounds of the screams heard from passerbys on the street.

"Excellent."

**********

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

"What the...?" Lita looked down at her communicator, then gasped in surprise. "I will have to talk to you later, Terra. Bye!" She ran, bumping into Mina but grabbing her before she could say much, rushed to get the Outers then collected Ami, meeting up where Serena and Darien were talking; Andrew had vacated the area just a few minutes before. "Check...your...commu-...nicators..." She gasped out.

Luna's head appeared in all of their watches, the small cat looking quite frantic. "Get downtown immediately! A youma has attacked!" The screen went to static, and then connection was lost.

"Ok, guys! Let's go!" Lita said, her breathing back to normal.

"Wait!" Serena said, motioning toward the back of the arcade. "We need to get Rini, Hotaru, and Diana. I'll be right behind you guys. Go ahead, we'll catch up."

"Maybe one of us should stay behind with you..." Mina wondered aloud.

"No!" Haruka said, pushing the blond towards the door. "Sere will be fine. She always is. And we need man power to defeat the enemy. Let's get going!"

"Right!" they all said in unison. All the Senshi and Darien, excluding Serena, who walked back towards Rini, Diana, and Hotaru, and Rei, who wasn't with them, left the Arcade to fight the youma.

**********

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Rei's communicator went off, startling her from her run. "Whoa..." she said, slowing down and flipping her communicator open. "What's up, Luna?"

"What's up? There's a youma destroying downtown Tokyo as we know it and you say "what's up?" What's wrong with you child? Get your butt down here! NOW!"

The link closed and Rei stared at the blank screen, a bit bewildered. "Somebody ate some rotten cat-nip today..." she murmered as she began to run towards an empty looking alley.

"MARS," she intoned, holding up her transformaiton pen. "STAR," tiny motes of red energy could be seen appearing around her body, circling and clinging to her, "POWER!!" Her present dress dissapeared, and the energy clung to her nude form, turning into her Sailor fuku. She wore a white body suit with no sleeves that met with a red skirt. A red trim, much in the sailor type, etched the edges of the neckline of the suit; a red bow with trailings on her backside over the small of her back. A golden tiara dipped into a shining sapphire on her forehead. She wore a pair of red pumps on her feet.

'It must be part of the magic,' Rei thought, not for the first time, 'I will never understand how any of us is able to where these death shoes and fight youma's and such at the same time. It's amazing, it is.' That thought past, she ran towards downtown Tokyo, ready to kill a youma.

**********

Mahalika stood in his chambers, looking into a swirling mass of energy concealed in a crystal sphere. If anyone happened by, they would be shocked at this mans appearance. He was the epitomy of the perfect man. He was smooth, soft around the edges. His hair was long, a golden blue color, if that was possible. A ribbon of pure white silk held a small portion of his hair, the rest falling under it. His eyes were a mystic blue color, sparkling in the darkest of places. He had stoic features; a Roman statue nose, firm, set lips that were soft as rose petals. His skin was like satin, conditioned and tanned, firm. He was muscular, but not to the extent that he provoked fear. If anything about him was fearsome, it would be his air of power. The space around him was charged with power and energy. He dominated whatever room he entered, and his meer presence demanded attention. He was too large a man to be confined, yet too small to seem to be too large. He was a contradiction to himself and those around him. In this, he was perfect, as being perfect is an imperfection in itself. (AN: confusing, ne?)

"Aura," he said, his voice strong and quiet, forceful yet reserved. "Show me my wife."

"Yes, sire." The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. The orb of smokelike energy contorted, morphed. It pulsed in a blueish green color as it formed into a semblance to a womans figure.

"Ahh..." Mahalika said, pleasure and lust clouding his eyes, giving them an animalistic shine.

The cloud sharpened, came into better focus. His wife could be seen clearly now. She wore a silver gown, the trim around it a gold colored satin. The lacings were loose and it seemed she was in the middle of changing. The lacings came down the front of her dress, stopping just below her naval. The armsleeves were billowing clouds of transparant silk, coming down to a V shaped gauntlet that was lined in gold. Her face was that of an angel. Her almond shaped eyes were a light brown color, with chips of silver within. Her nose was a gentle slope that buttoned the center of her face. Her lips soft, yet firm in place. Her eyebrows arched over her irises and curved gently downward. Loose tendrils of ebon hair drifted over her smooth forehead. Her hair was intertwined with white silk ribbons, braided in an exotic style.

She began to loosen the lacings more, pulling them through the holes designed so delicately to be almost invisable. The upper body of the gown fell away, freeing Hanibelle's plump, rounded breasts. Mahalika groaned, moved forward, his arm outstretched, and tried to cup one of his wife's breasts. The vision dissapeared and the ball of circling energy was again seen, pulsing a deep orange color.

"DAMN HER!" He roared, a blast of energy shooting out from his enraged body, sending the ball of energy into a wall, smashing it's crystal casing. The energy slipped through the wall, and the room was completely quiet.

His face was no longer serene, the angelity of it lost. It was contorted in anger, lust, rage. He slammed his fist against the wall the energy had slipped through, causing a small crater to appear in it.

A few clicking sounds could be heard coming from behind him and her turned, perplexed for a moment. Then he smiled, relaxed, and made a few clicking sounds himself, moving over to lay on his bed. Undoing the lacings of his pants, he pulled off his shirt. Just as this was done, a young girl entered the room. She wore little more than black panties and bra and a black translucent robe. She smiled and gingerly sat on his bed next to him, pulling his pants down farther. He grinned into her youthful face, noting her ageless beauty.

A moan escaped his lips as she began her job, and her pulled her closer to him. It's her fault, he told himself. I wouldn't be in this position of stress if she would just let me have my bed with her. Oh well. This chic will do just fine for now. Just fine...

**********

"IIE!" Rini screeched as Serena neared them. "Only seven seconds left! I should have won! That asteroid came out of nowhere!"

"Rini," Serena said, coming up behind the three, "There's a youma attacking. We must go."

"Right," the three girls chorused, each with a nod. They followed Serena out the arcade, ran down an alley a little ways off, and climbed the fire escape of a tall building. Once on the roof, Serena lifted her transformation brooch and intoned, "Moon..." her outfit began to disappear as the morph took charge, "Cosmic..." tiny motes of energy began to wrap around her body, "Star... POWER!" Her hands rose above her head, making motions she could never seem to remember at any other time. Her hair lashed behind her, flowing madly yet gently, two circular cups forming over her odangos. Two dangling crescent moon earings appeared in her ears, golden and glinting. A white body suit with a blue necking as worn by sailors was fitted on her body, clinging snugly to her newly forming curved figure. It was sleeveless, and at the joint between her arm and shoulders were thin blue circular bubbles. A short blue skirt with light pink trim span around her waist, revealing a lot of leg. Her feet were decked out in tall blue boots that had a single red ruby at the upper portion of each's top.

Ending her transformation with a single motion, she waited for the other girls to finish their transformation.

"Midnight..." Rini, Diana and Hotaru started, "Star..." they all stood together, legs spread, hands moving around their bodies in different motions, "POWER!" a blinding light flared, and high energy levels could be detected easily. When the light pulsed away and Sailor Moon could see again, she saw the familiar sight of the Midnight Senshi standing before her.

She recalled how they had found out of their tri-powers. Trinity, another cat from Mau, had come to Earth to awaken Diana, thinking the girl knew of her destiny. When she had discovered that none of the senshi or the other cats knew of what she was speaking, excluding Setsunna who was not allowed to say anything, she told them the story of the Midnight Senshi. Hotaru, Rini, and Diana had been the Midnight Senshi during the Silver Millenium. It was their job to guard the Energy Crystals of the Palace, and assist the other Senshi in protecting their own. Many of their powers could only be used when the sky was dark, so they became known as the Midnight Senshi, because they were mostly seen transformed at night. Because Trinity was speaking of the future and not the past, she explained that the Senshi were not expected to know of this, but it was thought they would know. (AN: this is another of my fics, but its not important here. You need not worry about it!) Hotaru had been awakened in a dream, and Setsunna had helped Rini through her awakening. It had worked out in the end, but it was still on Serena's mind.

Rini was wearing a white body suit, trimmed in dark red. Her eyes were a darker shade of ruby than was usual. Her feet were fitted snugly in a pair of dark red low heeled pumps. The silver tiara she wore bore a single flaming ruby in it. She held in her hands a small quarter staff, that held a glittering ruby spear at its tip. It's body was a soft silver color, and around it's halfway point a crescent moon sigil was placed in glowing gold.

Hotaru also had on a white body suit, but it was trimmed out in black. Her eyes were ebon in the warm glow of the sun. She wore high heeled black boots. She also wore a silver tiara, but with an onyx embeded in it. Hotaru also had a weapon. She held a glaive, much like her Silence Glaive, but it was of a different making. The body of the staff was also a soft color, a black scythe blade jutting from its tip. A black pulsing crescent moon sigil was placed on it.

Diana had on a white body suit, with midnight blue trim. Her eyes flashed dangerously, their deep blue color magnetic and steely. She had on medium sized midnight blue boots. Her tiara bore a single deep blue jewel that seemed to glitter with no light at all. Diana's staff held no objects on either of its ends. It was a plain silver-blue staff with a white pulsing crescent moon sigil on it. She held it in a protective stance.

"This one is stronger..." Midnight Moon, or Rini, said. Sailor Midnight Star and Sailor Midnight gave one nod each.

"Closer to their destination. Their force is growing. Leaving us with less time..." this time it was Midnight Star, or Diana, who spoke.

"They want us scared. They want to win. They can taste the victory. They want... something. Some new power source they believe we posses. Some power sourece we do posses..." Midnight's eyes had been closed, consentrating. They opened suddenly, and she looked at her "sisters" in wonder. They all seemed to understand whatever she meant, and they all looked at Sailor Moon, who was slightly perplexed by the conversation. She thought again of how they had all changed when they learned of their destiny. They had become more secretive, more mature, and definitely more in tune with their surroundings. They seemed like Setsunna. They knew things before others, and they talked about things with each other. Sailor Moon was beginning to get angry with them.

"We should go now," she said, knowing it was the truth. "The other's are waiting for us."

The girls nodded and they began their ascent to the fight, jumping from roof to roof. Sailor Moon was glad she had taken the time to practice with Tux. It was much quicker to jump than to run.

**********

They had all transformed in the alley behind the Arcade. Jupiter was now running in the lead, Uranus close behind. They could all feel the energy coming from ahead. It was getting stronger. Lita wasn't sure if the energy was increasing because they were getting closer, or if it was just mounting as whatever was causing destruction grew stronger. She was apprehensive, but her pulse was racing in excitement. She was anxious. She wanted to be there, to fight. To win. To declare she had defeated whatever type youma was ahead and waiting. Waiting for her. For her challenge.

Her thoughts went back to the present, and her senses combined in a melee of different calculations. With her were six other Senshi, Tuxedo Mask included; Sailor Moon, the Midnight Senshi, and possibly Sailor Mars would meet them ahead. It would be a good battle. She could feel it. If she had known what would come in result of this battle, she might not have been so excited. In fact, she may have just let down town Tokyo be drestroyed that day.

**********

Mars was getting a large power reading. She had to be right on top of the youma. She looked down on her next jump and, sure enough, saw the destruction. She gasped. There was more damage done than she had ever seen. Large holes had been blasted into the sides of buildings, the metal and concrete melted from the heat of the power and the friction. Mars was in awe. There had to have been an aweful lot of power used to do this type of damage. The bodies of innocent's were strewn about the street, their carcases charred, dismembered, trampled. A fool would have sensed the danger this scene projected.

That was when she heard it. A high pitched roaring. It was deep and resonant, yet high and squeeling at the same time. A cross between a very large kitten's meow and a lion's roar. It pulled her heart into her throat, and she was suddenly very scared. She braced herself. She was Sailor Mars! Avatar of the might Ares, God of War! This was her calling, what she was meant for.

Jumping once more she saw her adversary, and her new found confidence wavered. It was a tall, lean youma, larger than most they had yet faced. It was muscular, definitely, even though it appeared to be female. Mars was reminded of a female body builder she had seen in a magazine and a girl she had seen on the cover of a some Tenshi manga. It had wild hair of a dark blue color, untamed and all over manly. It was clad except for two pieces/places where hair grew of shaggy dark blue hair. 'Mina-chan,' Mars thought, recalling the past, a grin separating her fears, 'It's the furry underwear you bought!' She giggled. Big mistake.

The youma apparantly didn't take too kindly to people who giggled around it, and it obviously didn't like any of the Senshi much. Another earsplitting screech came from it, but it seemed to come from the beasts entire body, not just it's mouth and vocal chords. It's claws were outstretched, raised to the sky, legs spread, head tilted back. It was a pulse, an energy wave. The buildings in it's path bowed, shattered.

Mars screamed. She couldn't hear her voice, could only hear the tearing, the screams of others, victims on the street. Her skin was leaving her body. She could feel it, slicing away, waving goodbye as it flapped on the energy wave away from her. She was dead, she was dying. Not like this, not like this... Nothing had happened, ten seconds into battle. Never this strong, never before... Never... Yes. Once. Once...

**********

"... Where am I?"

You're safe. How do you feel?

"Who are you? Where am I?"

All will be answered in time. Tell me, how do you feel?

"I'm dead..."

No. You are very much alive. Who are you?

"I am... I am... Who...?"

...Look...

"I... I am... I am Rhea Haerk. Princess of the Deep Planet Mars. Member of her Highness' Court. Protector of the Ruby Spiral Scepter. Guardian of Satialina, Queen of the Silver Star, Princess of the Moon, betrothed of his Highness Edward, King of the Golden Star, Prince of Earth. I am Sailor Mars. Protector of good, destroyer of evil."

Yes. You know. Look within yourself. All shall be revealed...

"Who are you?"

I am you. I am what guides you, what helps you. I am what leads you in the right direction, and occaisionaly pushes you off course. I test your resiliance, your power, your ability. I am you. I am everything.

"I do not understand..."

You are not meant to understand, avatar of Mars. You are here to expirience what you have forgotten again. Remember. Remember, then you will understand... Remember.....

**********

The doors were closed. Rhea was locked in. No problem. She was used to getting out. It was getting away that was hard. Well, not getting away. Getting back to where she was. Nephrael was waiting for her. Morely for his bride-to-be, but Fate works in mysterious ways. She had been chosen to escort the groom. She was now climbing over an impossible gate, and it was her life on the line. Oh well. It was for Leigh, so it was worth it. Even if she did die. Rhea laughed bitterly at the thought. She had died before. Nothing new there.

There weren't that many guards on the corridor. She thought about the safety precautions taken on the Silver Star. She would be dead if she were trying to escape from there. Of course, usually the Senshi protected the prisoners. The Golden Star had no Senshi. That was strange. Have to think about it more later. When there's time.

She would think about her mission now. It was the end of her Year, or the single year provided to each Senshi where they would take on double duties and extra tasks, proving themselves and their abilities. Satia had been first, then Amiri, then Rhea. Leigh was next, and finally Milan. The Outers would complete their Years on their own planets. They were not required to come to the Star or the Moon for their Years. 'Lucky Senshi,' Rhea thought.

Leigh was anxious to begin her Year. She wanted to start a family, and she wanted to prove herself more than anything. 'You will have your chance, Leigh,' Rhea thought, climbing some stairs she hadn't noticed before. Leigh would either have to be married before or after her Year, abiding by the Ancient Texts, which no one could not do, and Satia had permited Leigh to be wed on her coronation day. That was fine with everyone. There would be the usual ball afterwards, but with more pizazz because of the special circumstances. Rhea couldn't wait for the night to begin.

Naphrael couldn't be seen with Leigh, though. At least not on the Golden Star, his home. That would be considered a legal treason, and he could be prosecuted for it. Ever since the Silver Wars, where the two Stars had fought countless battles for power for over three hundered years, the two Kingdoms had been on bad terms. Naphrael would surely be killed if it was known he was to marry a girl from the enemy Star. Especially a Senshi of that Star, who had killed countless numbers of men in the heat of battle. So Rhea had to risk her life to escort Naphrael back to the Silver Star so he could be married to one of her best friends. 'You'd think,' she thought, turning onto Nappy's corridor, 'Because their Prince and our Princess are to be wed also, they might throw down the social barriers. But no! They had to increase all offenses against us. What immature fools!'

She paused in her step. Thinking. She had been caught at his room once, wouldn't they anticipate some sort of assassination call? She dashed behind a loose tapestry just as a pair of green clad warriors walked past, talking in whispers, stopping in front of Naphraels doors. 'Thank the Gods for last regretts,' she thought, sliding her body away from the door and into a dead end hallway. A window was placed at the end of the corridor, and she walked to it. Opening it, she slid her slender body through the gaping hole it provided and eased herself out onto a strong awning. 'Good thing these people aren't too smart. Back home I'd be dead already. And surely we have no such support mechanisms jutting from our palace! We'd be wide open for an attack!'

Rhea could see Naphrael's balcony. With a few quick calculations, she took a running step and jumped onto the beam of his balcony. Edging herself to his glass doors carefully, she opened one of the them and poked her head in. She didn't want to frighten Naphrael. If caught off guard he would either try to kill her or scream, and the guards would come and she would be killed or placed back in the "cell".

It was then that she heard it. When her head was full of thoughts that seemed so insignificant when compared to what she might be faced with. Moans could be heard from the clouded bed that marked the center of the room. The silk sheets that fell over it could only disturbe the bodies that were coming together behind them, and Rhea felt a coldness go through her at the sight. She could kill him!

Then something else caught her attention. She wasn't the only one in the room. Another man was in the room. He was dressed in all black, his long hair thick and ebon, cascading down his back. His eyes flashed with malignant pleasure at the sight before him. He didn't seem to notice Rhea there at all. Until she moved towards the bed.

Stop was all she heard, but in such a way that she knew only she was able to hear it. He was in her head.

Why? she answered back, and she could tell he was surprised. Very few people were alive in the universe that could speak telepathically, and the number was dwindling. Almost anyone could hear a telepath speaking to them, but only about ten to fifteen could answer back. Not good odds for the telepaths. So when one telepath meets another, it is a unique occasion.

Why not? he answered back, his eyes laughing and lustful, watching the curves in her body.

Do you toy with me, Sir? I am in no time. Lust is not a strong point, but a downfall. Let me be, and be on your way.

He laughed. You are strong, woman. But you do not see the beauty in what I have done here. I have just created what may very well decide the future of life as we know it. Stand back, woman. You do not know what you are messing with.

The door was still open. She hadn't closed it. A slight breeze blew in and ruffled one of the silk coverings, and Rhea gasped. It was not Naphrael in the bed, but Edward! And with him, on top of him, the lowly slut, was Setsunna! They were entwined, one, in a way that only lovers should be together. Rhea could have died. She could have killed. She wanted to. More than anything.

You cannot harm them. If it is any consolation, they are not together by will. I have forced this upon them. And they shall not remember it once it is finished. Although, I'm sure she will be curious later. Very curious...

What are you babbling about, Sir? Rhea asked, the heat rising in her. He had done this? Caused her best friends lover to know another? She could kill him...

You wouldn't get that far, woman. Though I am sure you could if you knew what you were capable of. I am not babbling, but speaking of things you should not yet know about. Naphrael is waiting for you by the lower water fountain. Go to him. He is eager to leave. Forget what you have seen here, and I shall spare your life for now.

Rhea didn't know what to do. She wanted to kill someone, rip apart this dark figure before her, stab Edward, burn the bitch on a stake. Something! Not walk away!

But she did. She turned, jumped from the balcony to the next, and the next, and the next. Her head hurt, she couldn't think. It was hard to breath.

There was Naphrael, where the black one had said he would be. He looked up when he saw her, his face lighting up with happiness and expectation. "Ready?" he asked, looping his arm through hers.

She nodded, trying to act as if everything was fine, and nothing had happened. "I'm ready."

"Good!" he said, "Cause I am about to die of anxiety!"

She laughed. It sounded hallow to her, but it pleased Naphrael.

'Mars give me the strength,' she thought, praying silently to herself. 'Please, help me through this...'

***

Three months had passed. Rhea had just gotten her daily letters from one of the servant girls. It had been a busy time for her. Tomorrow would be the day of the Silver Palace Ball. Rhea couldn't wait. She would meet this young man Satia had been telling her about. But first things first. She had to go to the East Wing, the Ballroom and the Entrance Hall. In making preparations, she was very busy. Now, everything should be done, and she had to make last adjustments, critiquing every room, nook, and cranny.

She left the room, remembering her earlier conversation with Leigh. To prepare for the ball, Leigh would go with Milan over to the Northern Tower. She had a selection of green/emerald dresses there to sort through. She needed three; a cocktail dress, a dinner dress, and a nice frock for dancing. Poor Leigh never really liked to get dressed up. Amiri was in the Southern Tower, governing the creation of her own deep blue gowns. Rhea had had hers made the day before, as had Milan and Satia.

Rhea lifted one of the letters from her pocket. It looked like it was from one of the other Planet's house. It was from Pluto, she deducted upon closer examination. She opened the letter. It was from Setsunna. She hadn't heard from Setsunna since the last Core meeting. The Core was a group of the most substantial persons from each Planet House. Rhea was her House Core Member, and proud of it. She had worked hard to get there, and she had been chosen in her twentieth year to start training in the ways of the Core. She began to read:

Dear Rhea,

I find I only seem to have time to talk to anyone from the Core when the time is most inopertune. I have a predicament, one that cannot be hidden or disregarded. I am not asking you for help, only letting you know the reason for my sudden disappearance from Alliance activities and Core discussions. I am with child. How, I do not know. You know more than anyone that I have been with no man for years now. I have Milan to thank for that, but now I do not know what to do. Could I have taken a man in a lustful dredge? What have I done, Rhea? I was tested by a trustworthy physician here on Pluto, and I discovered that I am to have twins. Not just one child, but two. I am no fit mother, for my job is my life. There is no way for me to rid myself of these two without causing harm to myself, and they are innocent. Not worthy of death. What am I to do? I seek your advice, friend. I am at a loss.

Sincerely,

1.1 Setsunna,

1.2 Princess of Pluto,

1.3 Official Core Member

Rhea dropped the letter. She was stunned. She turned to go back to her office room. No. She had a job to do. She had to keep up appearances so no one would suspect anything. She could help Setsunna later. But what would she tell her?

**********



2 Mina felt a pull behind her heart. It hurt, but it didn't stop her from her furious pace. 'What was that?' she thought. Looking over at Mercury, she saw the confusion and calculating shock on her friends face. 'She felt it too. What was that?'

Ahead of her she saw Neptune and Pluto stop.

"NO!" she heard someone ahead of her say, then figured it was Uranus. 'What's happened?' she asked herself. She stopped her run, and felt Tux stop next to her. Merc had congregated with Neptune and Pluto and they were talking fiercely.

"It couldn't have been Sailor Moon. We felt her transform, and the Midnights also. They would protect her. Nothing could have happened to her! We would have been able to feel her pass us, and we haven't."

Everyone walked over to the group. Venus didn't understand all that they were saying, but she pieced it together.

"I felt Mars transform," Jupiter said, coming up. "She was ahead of us. I felt her get closer, then she stopped, and the energy flared. That's when I felt the pull. Is it true?" She looked to Pluto for answers. They all did.

"I do not know. I felt what you say you felt, but also something different. I believe Mars crossed into a different dimension. But I am not certain. I would have to travel through time to find the answers you want."

"Can you do it?" Venus found herself asking. She wanted to know what happened, and if her friend was all right. She felt close to tears.

Pluto nodded. "I can."

Neptune sighed, "I will prepare for your return with a healing stone. I know you will need it."

Pluto nodded again. "Thank you," was all she said. She lifted her staff and balanced it on her left hand. It began to spin, slowly at first, then picking up speed. It began to form a large circle of energy, and the circle fell over her body. A bright white flash flared before the group, and when it pulsed down, Pluto was gone.

"We have to wait now," Uranus said, scowling. "Wait to find out what is going on."

And so they did.

**********

Sailor Moon stopped on a roof. She could feel the energy wave, and knew it was coming towards them. "DOWN!" she yelled, and the Midnights threw their bodies to the roof. The wave was hot. It scorched the tips of her skirt, burning the backs of her legs, singing her hair.

It passed rather quickly, moving upward towards the sky. Sailor Moon stood up carefully. She couldn't feel anything now, but there was something wrong. She looked back at her daughter. She was ok, as were her companions. Good. She began to move again.

They came upon a city street. Well, what was once a city street. Now it was only a jagged lane of rubble. Steaming bodies were strewn all around the street, lampposts fallen, cars smashed into store front windows, their drivers falling out of partially opened doors, smashed into the dashboards and windshields. A sob escaped her throat. She was aware of an unnatural stillness, a windy silence. It unnerved her greatly.

A beast came from behind one of the buildings. Moving swiftly in it's great size, it startled Sailor Moon, and she jumped back.

It was gray (AN: grey vs. gray here. Which do you use?) in eminence, with shaggy blue hair covering unnatural places. Wild hair, sharp yellow eyes with even sharper yellow claws. A punched in face, smashed in nose. Sharp silver teeth. Whipping razor tail. It frightened her, but she steeled her reserve. She needed to have all her senses cued in on defeating this monster. And she would. She always did.

The Midnights moved in front of her, each with their respective weapons bared across their bodies. They were protecting her. This made Sailor Moon worry. They understood things. They could feel things. Things the average Senshi couldn't. This youma was strong, stronger than the rest and she now knew it. She began to wonder how strong she really was.

"Midnight..." Hotaru started, apparantly forgetting about introductions. The element of surprise was her strong point. "Death..." she twirled her Midnight Scythe above her head, holding it still before her. "SLASH!" she yelled, completing the attack. She leaped from the building, high into the air, the scythe above her head, and landed with a downward slash on front of the youma. The youma let out a piercing cry, and it's arm fell limp to the ground. Sailor Moon jumped down from the building, landing closely behind Midnight. She heard the other two Midnights land next to her.

Star held up her hands, her staff held in her right. "Midnight..." she intoned, holding her staff before her, now in both hands. "Star..." tiny pearls of energy began to form around the staff and her body, embodied in a cloud of pale yellow energy. "Fire..." the energy began to lick the air, crackling, turning deep orange, then flaming red. "STORM!" she called, pointing her staff at the youma, the red energy/fire hitting it squarely. The youma screeched, but the sound was drowned by the sound of a lightning bolt crashing down on it.

Sailor Midnight Moon was standing, legs spread, behind the youma, her spear pointed downward, sticking in the ground. Her shoulders rose and fell sharply. The lightning bolt had taken a lot out of her, and she was out of breath.

The now smoking, armless, and severely burned youma was still standing, and seriously angry. "RAZOR TAIL!" the youma shouted, and it's whip like tail shot out at Midnight Moon. Just as the tail was a foot from Moon's body, it split into countless shards of a glass like substance, slicing cleanly through Moon's skin.

"NO!" Sailor Moon screamed as her daughter took the attack head on. Moon's body fell limply to the ground.

"Cinder SHOT!" The youma roared, lifting it's palms before it, fire gathering around them. It's nails elongated, then left their positions, wrapped in the fire energy, and shot at Midnight.

Sailor Moon ran to get the attack before Midnight did, but she was too late. Hotaru took the attack, just as Moon had, with only a little time to bring her Scythe before her. No help, though. She fell to the ground, her eyes open, still conscious, but in so much pain.

The youma lifted it's stubbed arm in the air. "Thunder..." it intoned, obviously not fazed by the girls attacks. A swirling orb of cackling bright yellow energy appeared above it's head. It moved it's nub in circular motions. Had it been any other time, Sailor Moon would have giggled from the humor of the sight. But she sensed danger, and she began to charge her own attack.

"Moon..." She began, lifting a thin, short staff from her Lunar Space Pocket. It was metalic, approximately the size of a transformation rod, and at it's end was a crescent moon, circled by a pale pink ring of metal. "Crystal..." Sharp blades of energy sprouted from the crescent on her wand, forming like double ended spears, pointing towards the youma, ready to attack.

"CRASH!" the youma shouted, and Sailor Moon was startled. She thought it would take more time for the youma to finish charging it's attack. The ball of energy above it's head moved forward from him a little, then closed in on itself. She watched the place where the energy had disappeared warily. Something wasn't right.

Midnight Star stood in front of Sailor Moon, lifting her spear in front of her. "Sheild." She said. A pearly white force-field formed around her and Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon didn't see the point in this. It seemed the youma's attack hadn't worked. And her own attack was still partially charged. She let her attack drop. But then she remembered. The Midnights knew things. Things others didn't know until later. She braced herself. Just in time.

"EXPLOSION!" the youma roared. It was the element of surprise. Then she felt it. It was tearing. Seething. Slicing through her. Midnight Star's shield was working, but the youma's attack was still strong. Sailor Moon thought about throwing her body to the ground, but decided to help Sailor Midnight Star. She let her energy flow from her, and felt her natural defenses go down. The heat tore at her more strongly, or she felt it more acutely. Whichever way, it hurt. She gritted her teeth, touched the inner side of the shield, added her energy to it, the shield strengthening. The pain decreased. The heated energy began to slide over the shield, around it.

Sailor Moon sighed, adding still more energy to the shield. In two seconds the energy stopped flowing, the waves had passed. Midnight Star dropped her weapon and Sailor Moon stopped adding energy. The youma panted, and Sailor Moon would have sworn its nub wasn't quite so nub-like anymore. In fact, she was sure it was growing. "Moon..." she intoned, picking up where she had left off. She again pulled out her wand, holding it above her head and moving in acrobatic circles. "Crystal..." The crystals appeared again, shining and sharp. They glinted, moved, pointed at the youma, which was holding it's arms before it. "DESTRUCTION!" Sailor Moon yelled, bringing down her wand, pointed at the youma. The crystals shot at it, piercing it's skin. Behind her, Sailor Moon was slightly aware that other voices were ringing out also.

"Midnight Star Fire STORM!"

"Midnight Moon Thunder DANCE!"

"Midnight Ice DESOLATION!"

Bright pearls of fire lit energy passed her and hit the youma in the chest, followed by sharp blades of ice and water energy. Two cracks of thunder came from behind her and a lightning bolt hit the youma square. More voices were heard from behind her, mixed with the screams of the slowly dying youma.

"Uranus World SHAKING!"

"Neptune Deep SUBMERGE!"

"Pluto Deadly SCREAM!"

"Venus Meteor SHOWER!"

"Jupiter Oak REVOLUTION!"

"Shine Aqua ILLUSION!"

Three planet shaped balls of energy shot at the youma, followed by countless balls of energy, yello, light green and deep blue. Finally a bushel of roses flashed past her. All of this hit the youma, and with a piercing cry it's body split in two, green gook shooting everywhere, then disappeared, faded into oblivion.

Sailor Moon looked behind her. There were her friends, her family, some bleeding, hurt. All except the Midnights, Uranus, Pluto and Tuxedo Mask were crying. Sailor Moon sighed. 'What now?'

**********

"Where am I?" Rei asked the black dressed person before her. "Who are you?"

"I am Benign. Or what is left of him. You are in a designated area created by powerful allies. A new dimension, say."

"You are that man. That man from my... vision."

"I am the man from your future. From your past. You do not remember. I did not expect you to. I once loved you deeply. And, as much you do not wish to believe it now, you loved me just as much. But I am letting you know about what has happened, what is to come."

Rei scoffed. "Love is a strong word, Benign," she said his name like it was poison on her tongue. "And such a creature as yourself I could never love."

Benign smiled. "Never in my true form could you love me, but in one that was more appealing to you. Yes, you loved me very much." He snapped his fingers and his black attire dissappeared. He was completely naked, yet blocked from Rei's view by a bright white energy. When the light died down and Rei's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she sucked in her breath at the sight before her. She remembered this man. She felt something for him that was unnatural to her. Something that made her heart quicken, a sudden buttery feeling weakening her knees. She reached out to him, not knowing why, but at the same time knowing it was the only thing right.

She recoiled quickly, though. Her mind recalled what she had just seen, and her soul gave out a terrible cry. Her body wracked with tears she didn't know needed to be shed. She couldn't remember, but her body could. Her soul could. This man had lied to her, cheated her of love. Of life. Yes. She could remember now. She had died for him. For him. Her eyes blazed with hatred as she glared at him.

Something about this man was softer than the one she had just seen. He seemed genuinely hurt, beaten, by her sudden anger. Her hate. Against her will, or maybe completely obeying it, her eyes softened a bit, and she felt herself relaxing in this mans company.

"My name is Jedeil Kathal. Prince of the Blue Star. Son of his Highness Bernard, King of the Blue Star, husband of her Highness Kristina, Queen of the Blue Star, Princess of the White Kingdom. Betrothed of Lady Rhea Haerk, Princess of the Deep Planet Mars."

Rei shook her head, all the memories coming back. The five months they had spent together. The wonderful five months. The nights, magical nights. Her happiness, her love. Her child... Her child! She was with child when she died! He didn't know... he didn't know... "You didn't know..." she muttered, looking away. She remember everything now. Their meeting at the ball for Leigh's beginning her Year. Falling in love with him in only one night. Bedding him the next. Discovering her pregnancy the same day her home was destroyed and her Princess died.

Rei began to cry. Tears from a thousand years of harsh, unknown realities. From a love forgotten, a love so pure. From wonderful days, and passionate nights. It all came back. So clearly. Too clearly...

***

"Rhea, I'd like you to meet Jedeil Kathal. He is the next in line for the throne of the Blue Star, a Prince of the White Kingdom," Princess Satialina watched as Rhea shook hands with a slightly surprised Jedeil. She was aware of Rhea's odd behavior. She was more business than lady, and Satia was proud of her, no matter how she acted. She enjoyed viewing Rhea's individuality. The seriousness she put into everyday things.

She also liked Jedeil. His liking of things that were out of the ordinary. His love of life, and the business that came with it. Satia was sure Jalil and Rhea would make a perfect couple. Feeling much like the accomplished matchmaker, she left the two by themselves, walking over to visit with the Queen of the Blue Star herself. 'Very fine woman,' Satia thought, hugging the woman warmly, 'Very refined with dignity. Wonderful personality and sense of humor. She would love Rhea as a daughter-in-law...'

***

"So, how do you like the Silver Star?" Rhea asked Jedeil. They were dancing now to a White Kingdom Waltz. It was one of her favorites, and she was dancing her best.

"I love it here," Jedeil responded in complete honesty. "The ocean especially. We do not have the luxiary of having one back home. But we have the best forests you will ever see! Especially when the weather is colder. Frost lines the tree tops, dew clinging to the grass... The air is so fresh you can taste the cleanliness of it. 'In airs as wond'rous as these, where your lips brush mine...'"

Rhea joined him in the quote. "'I know I am truly home, In the warmth of your arms, where we are untouchable, beneath the sea of stars, above the mountains peaks, where the lapping waters bid us farwell, and the Heavens open up in welcoming..'" Rhea stopped, looking at Jediel in wonder, "I thought I was the only person in the galaxy who knew that by heart." Rhea said, gazing with new eyes at an astonished Jedeil.

"I did, also," Jedeil slowed his waltz in thought, "Tell me, do you know any more by Kritz? I am quite fond of him, but I enjoy Rosenthrall more."

"Of course I know more by Kritz. I know his complete collections. And I love Rosenthrall! Where have you been hiding? Under a rock?" Rhea asked, playfully jabbing Jedeil in his arm, twirling in the seemingly never-ending waltz. She wanted time to sit and talk to this intriguing man.

"Well, Rhea," Jediel said, pretending to rub his sore arm, somehow still managing to keep up with the waltz, "If I had known someone as interesting as you were here, I would have crawled out from under my rock and grabbed you as soon as I could." He smiled, as if playing, but Rhea noted a seriousness behind his deep green eyes. It unerved her the emotions this man stirred within her. She blushed under his scrutiny.

"I'm sure you would have waited. Here you are, flattering me to death. Tell me, what is the Blue Star like? I only heard from you about it in the Winter. I would love to hear more." Rhea dodged the topic she didn't want to discuss with ease.

"Ah... My favorite topic. Like I said, we have no oceans there. Only ongoing wilderness. But the mountains are a wonderous sight, their peaks always dusted in cottony snow, their bodies spreading the expanse of the horizon, blocking all else from view. And sunrise is astonishing. Breathtaking, really. The clouds painted a silvery red, pale pink lining the sky. The mountains are a hazzy blue in the fog of morning, the nights wetness clinging to the air around you. You can smell the grass, the dirt. It's amazing. I'd like you to see it.

"Sunset is even better, though. The sun's last rays slashing across the sky, cutting through the darkness in a final good bye. The wind whispering in your ears, bringing the last chirps of the finches with them. The trees swinging in rhythm to the nights song..." He closed his eyes as the waltz ended.

Rhea was spellbound by Jedeil's descriptions. He was absolutely poetic. He led her over to an empty table, close to the veranda doors, yet for the most part secluded from all that was going on around them.

"What about you?" he asked, sitting down across from her on the small table. She had known him for about two hours, but she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. She felt like she could talk to him about anything. Anything and everything. And she wanted to. "How is life here on the Silver Star?" He smiled, and she melted in his company.

"I love it here. The ocean air, the cool breezes that carry the sound of the lapping waves to my room at night." Rhea closed her eyes, imagining all that she loved about her home, "The moon is the best part of it all. It cast's it's silvery reflection upon the surface of the almost still waters late at night, when everyone is asleep. I like to sit on my balcony, listening to the waves crash, a song all their own. The moon wraps it's beams around me, carries me off to a whole new place. It's a blanket. The gulls cry in the light, the night forcing them from their perches on the harbor board walk.

"The sky in it's blackened glory, lit with the brilliant stars of the universe, each clinging to its position in time and space." Rhea opened her eyes and smiled apologetically at Jediel's grinning face.

"I'm sorry," she said, fingering the laces of her deep red velvet frock. "I didn't mean to babble and go on like that."

"Oh, no!" Jedeil said, grabbing her hand into his own. It was a warm protective pocket around her own, and Rhea liked the feeling she got from the motion immensely. "I enjoyed listening to you. Your voice is soothing, calming. It's amazing. I haven't known you that long, but I feel like I could share the world and more with you..."

Rhea blushed. "I feel exactly the same, Jeddy."

Jediel grinned again, but with humor this time. "Jeddy, eh?" Rhea's blush deepened. She hadn't realized she had said that. It was a neat nickname and it had been plaguing her since the moment she met him. "I like it."

Rhea blushed. "Well, I'm glad you do." She looked at his face. Observing him as he did her. 'He has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen...'

Why thank you. Your's are not that bad either. Rhea gasped at the voice in her head. 'How?' she thought. She was reminded of the black clad figure she had met at Setsunna's conception... She forced the image away. With Jeddy in her head, she had to be careful what she thought about.

I didn't know you were telepathic, she said, noting how his grin turned into a gape of surprise and respect. It took years of strenuous training for anyone with a possible future in telepathics to develop their talents to use and perfection. Rhea knew that, and Jedeil did also. But now we have another way to talk to eachother. She smiled, and Jeddy returned it with more light.

Well, you're just full of surprises. You intrigue me, Princess. I must say that I am humbly taken with you.

That would make two of us, Jeddy. And please, call me Rhea. Rhea rubbed her thumb over Jeddy's knuckles, smiling softly to herself as he did the same to her other hand.

Whatever you say, Princess...

Rhea laughed. Her eyes glittered in the candle light from the chandelier above, her hair catching the light in gentle waves down her back. Her stays were tight, and she was held slimly and securely in her frock. Jeddy wanted to hold her in his arms, place his hands on her slim waist and kiss her gently.

Rhea picked up the image and blushed so deeply she resembled one of the reddest roses from the palace gardens. Jeddy saw her blush and blushed himself, realizing that she had picked up on his thoughts. 'Careful, man,' he warned himself, caressing Rhea's hands with his own, 'You don't want to scare this one away...'

***

The night had gone wonderfully. Rhea and Jeddy had talked for hours, long after the party had ended and a brief (not really brief. It just seemed so to the two lovebirds) congregation of all peoples present took place in the Fellowship Hall. Rhea and Jeddy had sat on one of the many private verandas and talked until dawn, when the ball was officially over. Jeddy had kissed Rhea's hand, then her palm, a sign of companionship in his land, and Rhea had kissed his cheeks and forehead, a sign of deep friendship on the Silver Star.

He waved good-bye to her anxiously, knowing of their plans for later that day. He would come to visit her and Satia, then go with her to her chambers, where they would get to know eachother even more. (Not that way you ecchi monster! They were respectful of eachother, and expected nothing but pleasant talk and chatter!)

Jeddy arrived later that day a good two hours before dusk. Rhea had informed Satia of his plans, and Satia smiled knowingly to herself. She was satisfied with what she had accomplished. Happy that she had helped her friend. She quickly devised how she would leave the two alone. 'Three's a crowd,' she thought, picking out her dress for the day. 'Silk is good, but in a mans company I would like something less revealing. Hm. Velvet today. Yes, white velvet with the blue tassels. That ought to work perfectly. Yes. Wonderful. I do hope the wedding isn't soon. I would have to find a dress and everything!'

****

Jeddy walked next to Rhea as she led him to her chambers. It had been about forty years since a man had entered her rooms, and then it was to announce an attack on the Princess. She had an odd feeling in her stomach. Like thousands of moon-flys had suddenly declared it their home, and she couldn't get rid of them. It was all right, though. There was a warm feeling surrounding her heart. When are you due back home, Jeddy? she asked him, telepathically.

Tomorrow afternoon, he smiled. But I could always be a little late. No one would question it. Save my mother, of course.

I see. When are you planning to go back?

He looked at her pointedly. When I am done with my business here, of course.

Rhea blushed deeply. Jeddy took her hand into his own and kissed her knuckles lightly. Rhea closed her hand over his, and they let their hands fall like that. Rhea smiled.

"I'm glad you came," she said, squeezing his hand.

"I'm glad I came, too," he squeezed her hand back.

They reached her rooms, and Rhea distractedly opened the door, trying to act as if she was used to letting men into her room. Jeddy entered before her, and she closed the door securely, locking it.

"Touble with gossipmongers, eh?" he asked, a smile twinkling in his deep eyes.

"Well, actually, no. Just nosey people who like to know what becomes of what they start," Rhea replied, thinking of Satia.

"Oh, I see."

"Would you like to sit?" she asked, motioning to a small table that was placed approximately at the center of the room. Jeddy nodded, examining his surroundings while moving towards the table. There were two main windows in the room, and four rather large ceiling windows. Two paintings were placed on the walls, opposite eachother, on the sides where the windows were not.

The first painting, which was close on his right, pictured a full moon overlooking a jutting cliff that rose over lapping ocean waves. It reminded him of the view of the cliff that was to the East of the Silver Palace. On the tip of the cliff a single figure, a woman, was placed. She wore a red silk gown, the captured wind freezing tendrils of the fine cloth behind her. Her hair was swept back in a chignon, which was in the midst of falling from place. She gazed at the moon, and from her expression and demeanor, longing and love were shown in her affection for the great glowing orb. Jeddy wwas stunned from the beauty and talent captured in this painting. He turned in his chair, almost unwillingly, to view the other piece.

This painting was different from the first. It still was placed in twilight, but the sky was licked by bright yellow and red flames. The flames originated from a giant fire that consumed a huge forest. There was pictured the destruction from the path of the fire, where the wood and grass was scorched black and the trees felled from the weakening effect of the fire. Where the fire had moved to and was now frozen in place, the trees were a deathly gray color, all consumed in the smoke and ash, unable to grasp any life. The soil around them burned mercilessly, the bark dropping, releasing the tender pulp of the trees, their cores. Before the flames, an area in apparent peace lay, where the lands were calm and green, only the horrid smoke drifting through their branches, the trees were serene and tall, unharmed and unaware of the impending danger. To Jeddy, the painting was one of unpredictable confusion and untamed chaos, yet behind it was the serenity of everything that is taken for granted in the midst of the melee.

He felt his eyes begin to sting, the memories of his childhood roaring like the ocean that surged boundless behind the very walls he was encompased by in his ears. He reached up lazily, acting smooth. He didn't want Rhea to see him crying. Not because of some manly bravado, but because she would be worried and curious, and he would feel compelled to explain himself.

"That one is my favorite," said the woman he had just been thinking about, coming up behind him. "Although, I am quite partial to Serenade of the Moon. I guess I love them both equally. That is why I decided to keep them, after all."

"Yes, I suppose that is the reason..."

With that said, Rhea turned, then felt Jeddy grab her arm in a firm yet tender grasp. "Wha-?" she asked, entirely confused, but not unwilling.

"I..." Jeddy began, but his words left him, defeated him. He kissed her...

***

Rhea's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "You changed my life forever... You... You..." She turned, unable to finish her sentence.

"Rhea," Jeddy said, reaching for her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and let out his trapped breath when she didn't turn away.

She turned instead, and smiled suddenly. "I missed you so much!" She threw her arms around him, hugged him fiercely.

"Oh, Rhea..." He said, patting her head, rubbing her back, hugging her, inhaling her smell, feeling her soft skin. It was all so surreal to him, completely wonderful, yet seemingly not true...

"Don't leave me again, Jedeil. I don't know what I would do..."

"Never again, my love, my angel, my life... Never again. Together forever, now and forever."

"Forever..." she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning into her lover, her refound love.

"Forever..." he repeated, kissing the crown of her head softly. Rhea smiled.

"Are you going to come back with me?" she asked, listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was rhythmic, mesmerizing, and she felt a total calming peace settle over her.

"Of course. If you want me too, that is." He whispered gently into her hair.

"Of course I want you to come back with me!" Rhea paused, looking into the deep blueish gray eyes of her love. 'Gray?' she thought, 'This is new...' "Love, how are we to get back?"

He looked puzzled, then smiled. "You will wish us back, Avatar of Mars."

"Oh, I see." Rhea smiled. She pulled out her transformation pen from her Lunar Space Pocket and intoned, "Mars Star Power!" Just like earlier, tiny motes of pale read energy laced in flame began to swirl around her, and she was in her Sailor fuku once more. Mars walked over to Jeddy and laced her fingers through his own. "Ready?" she asked.

"I was born ready," he said, imitating the American saying. Mars giggled a little, intoxicated by the days happenings.

"I hope you are ready," she said, suddenly sober, "For there will be many questions to be answered once we get home."

"Home..." he said, a saddened longing in his voice.

"Forever..." she said, then gained her infamous determined demeanor. "TELEPORT!" said Mars, and the white realm around them disappeared.

***

That's the end of Chapter 4!! Finally! Lol... Ok, Send any comments to Thunderheart1234511@yahoo.com!

You can send flames there too, and they are always accepted!

~Eri