OH MY GOD! I'm SO sorry, I just realized my chapters are loosing their formatting when I post them. I'm surprised you've managed to keep everything straight so far. I'll do my best to fix the problem, but if anyone could give me a hint, I'd love the info. (I'm rather computer illiterate.)

Thanks for the great reviews! (Humbly accepts award of Best Author) You think I'm evil? Just wait, You ain't seen nothing yet! (To use a very tired cliché)

Thanks to Saturn's Hikari, who read my very first fic, AND REVIEWED! (I hope you see this, this chapter is dedicated to you!)

GlaiveGirl, PLEASE SEND ME YOUR E-MAIL! If not in a review, then please E-mail me. I'd love to have a beta-reader online, do you think you'd want the job?

Major note. Song lyrics appear in this chapter. I have two soundtracks to this fic, the Yami no Matsuei soundtrack, and the Linkin Park CD, Hybrid Theory. My brother got it for Christmas and after I listened to it while typing, it kinda happened. The songs are so suited to this fic it's almost scary.

It should be noted that they don't sing, however. Lyrics in the center act much as a songfic, just setting the mood. Lyrics to the left are heard, in this case thought.

Same Disclaimers always. None of it belongs to me, save the plot. Sue me and get pocket lint. Oh, and my brother, should you want him….

Please R&R!

Peace, Love and Anarchy!

~The Elemental

Walk Through the Fire:

Chapter 14

Past of Shadows: Sacrifice

The reverse side also has a reverse side.

~Japanese proverb.

"Well, we've got to do something." Duo smacked his fist into his palm.

"And what do you suggest?" Hotaru wiped the mouthpiece of her water-skin off and emptied its contents in one swallow. "I'm out of ideas."

"Me too." Duo sighed, running his fingers through his bangs is defeat. "She was our only hope. What do we do now?"

Hotaru shrugged, then stood. "Cass said that there were others who could open portals, right? The Green Lady is just the most powerful. We could try to find someone else who can open a portal, maybe they could help us."

Duo rose. "If they don't try to kill us first." He paused and thought it over. "Hell, why not, it's not like I've got any better ideas. But which way do we go?"

Hotaru glanced around. They'd come in on the Northern trail….Jenn had said to keep away from the Eastern trails, so that left… "We'll take the South-Western trail, there. If we're lucky, we might find someone."

"Hopefully…" Duo cast one last look at the castle. "Man, I can't believe after all that, we're just walking away."

"We've checked that shield, you can't break through it. We haven't much choice. Come on, let's go."

Nodding, Duo let Hotaru lead the way.

******************

"Damn it! There's too many! Hotaru behind you!" Duo leapt forward, slashing with his sword at the monster that sprang up behind Hotaru. The creature screamed in pain, before collapsing to the ground. "What the hell are they?"

Hotaru shook her head, keeping the monsters away with her polearm. Short with huge hands and feet, and flat, oval-shaped heads, they were hideous. "I think they're goblins. Cass warned us about them."

"Well what do we do?"

"Fight!" Hotaru slashed at the leader who had pulled a large dagger from his belt and was attempting to knock the polearm from her grip. Her training came back to her in a flash, and in an instant she was slashing and spinning, never remaining still long enough for them to catch her. Duo joined the fray, watching Hotaru's back as she sent the hordes back again and again. But there were too many, and soon the two were being pushed back gradually. It wasn't until Duo noticed that a large, sheer cliff wall rose behind them that he realized what the goblins had planned. They had cut off their retreat.

"Hotaru! We've got a problem…" She glanced back and swore. "What are we going to do?" They were now almost back against the wall, in a stalemate of sorts. Duo and Hotaru couldn't move, but the Goblins couldn't advance.

We're out of options. I have no choice, I just hope I won't regret this…Hotaru stretched her hand into the air. "Saturn—"

"Hotaru! Look, a trail!" Duo pointed out a very faint animal trail that led up the side of the mountain, hidden by a small berry bush… It was narrow, but was their only hope. Hurriedly, the two sped up the trail, but were forced to slow down almost immediately; the trail was only a foot wide. Pressing their backs into the wall, the sidled up the slope, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the goblins. They didn't have to worry though, Hotaru glanced down to the beginning of the trail and laughed: The goblins couldn't agree on anything, and were fighting on who would follow them. Each time a single goblin started up the trail, six others would try to follow and everyone would fall. For the moment at least, they were safe.

"How close are they?" Duo couldn't see past Hotaru onto the trail.

"They're still at the beginning, they can't agree on who's following us."

"I guess that's good for us. I just hope this trail leads us somewhere."

They inched their way up, rising slowly. The trail was beginning to narrow and they had been climbing for over half an hour. Hotaru grimaced when Duo pointed the fact out.

"Let's rest for a moment. I know we don't seem to be getting anywhere, but we don't have any other option. We can't go back, we can't go straight down, and we can't move up without sticking to the trail. We'll just have to keep going." Hotaru leaned against the wall, sighing, then screamed as it collapsed away from her and Duo. They plummeted back into a gaping hole, before the darkness claimed them.

*******************

Choking on dust, Hotaru coughed and searched for her water-skin, then groaned when she found it empty. She spit several times to clear her throat, the looked around, fighting a strange sense of vertigo. Duo was nowhere in sight.

"Duo?"

You were separated, little one. Where are we?"

"Saturn? But how?" Her blocks were gone once again, and Hotaru found herself cursing this world for the first time. She hated loosing control of her mind like this, anything could happen.

I am your mind child, therefore you're not loosing anything. You must accept this.

That's not necessarily true. I am your mind as well child, though all but forgotten. But here….Here I am much stronger!

Hotaru knew that voice. Hadn't she heard it echo through her nightmares? It was the reason she created her blocks, so that she could never escape again. "Mistress Nine."

You guessed right. I wondered if you'd remember me, thanks to all those annoying blocks that pesky guardian of time helped you put up. But now there's no one here to help you…And I need to return the favor you gave me. After all, it's not everyday one can avenge their own death…

Hotaru covered her ears but still the voice rang through her mind. She looked at her hands to see them grow longer, thinner. Black nails on pale fingers, hovering over a white skirt….Hotaru gasped in horror as she watched her hands switch form Mistress Nine's to her own. She seemed to be fighting her own body, her tunic and leggings replaced by the white skirt and blue, beaded top, then shifting back to her borrowed clothes. She fought her arms as they moved on their own, clasping her hands around her throat, choking her. Hotaru gasped.

Now now dear, don't fight it. How can you fight yourself? Soon you'll be dead and I'll finally be free of your pesky little mind. Now DIE!

Her hands tightened and Hotaru fought the urge to pass out. Suddenly, for a brief second, her hands were her own to control again, but then they resumed their attack.

Child! Call upon your power! It's our only hope!

Power coursed through her, and in a single moment Hotaru found enough strength to wrench a hand free and call "Saturn Planet Power! Make UP!"

The power of Saturn surrounded her, wrapping her with ribbons of energy which soon changed into her fuku. Her hand extended and she pulled the Silence Glaive from its nether-space where it had waited for her summons. Her feet touching back down on the floor behind her, heels clicking against the surface. Glancing down at herself, she wondered why she had reverted to her original fuku, with its sculpted sleeves and shattered crystal for a broach. It didn't matter at the moment however, she could hear Mistress Nine screaming from the back of her mind, much less powerful now. Now Saturn had full control of herself.

No!!!! No! No! No! I can't lose! Not here! Why won't you die?

"I have too many people to live for."

Of course, that dratted princess and your so-called 'family'. Well, if I can't kill you one way, I still have others. My power is increasing here. You can't stop me completely. Die, pest!

Saturn shrieked and dropped her Glaive as a thousand memories flooded her mind.

I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head

Saturn felt herself fade away into Mistress Nine…Only she was Hotaru…She screamed in pain as she was hit with a beam of pure energy from the Tau system….She was strangling Uranus and Neptune…..

It's like a face that I hold inside

Her body writhed in pain as the fire surrounded her…Too hot, it was too hot… "Papa?"

"Hotaru? Where are you?"

"It's too hot papa, it burns…"

"Hotaru!"

A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face watches every time I lie

She lifted her Glaive, ready to destroy herself in order to save Usagi from Neherenia. The blast tore through the room, but a moment later Neherenia had returned the attack and Saturn was trapped inside a mirror, unable to help…

A face that laughs every time I fall
(And watches everything)

The world was going to be destroyed, but Sailor Moon had saved it. Still, the Tau system had to be stopped. She watched as Pluto closed the doors to the rip in time, and pain assaulted her senses….

So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is hearing me

Right underneath my skin

This was the end. The Silver Millennium had been reduced to rubble. Her last thought before her attack obliterated her was how long she could rest before being called upon again.

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head

She woke up on a bed feeling numb. Sitting up, she looked at her arms to see them badly burned and scarred. Wires ran across her joints and under her skin. What was she? A monster. Hotaru screamed….

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

Saturn gasped as memories of her deaths and pain attacked her, not only playing across her mind, but re-creating every ounce of pain she had ever felt. How could it hurt so much? It was too much, too much pain, too much death…

"Itai…."

The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me

Saturn de-henshined and Hotaru crawled into a ball and cried silently, Mistress Nine never letting up her attack, determined to see her die.

*******************************

Duo wiped dust from his eyes and sat up. "Damn that hurt. Hotaru?" Blinking, he looked around. Now here was one freaky place. "This is right of a horror movie. Complete with the swirling mists..." Wherever he was, and he was guessing an underground cave of some sort since they'd fallen, it was too dark to see much more than a few feet of swirling mists surrounding him. Hotaru was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it, where did she fall? Better yet, where am I? Boy, am I ever getting sick of saying that." Duo ignored the fact that he was talking to himself and set out, walking blindly. "Hotaru? Hotaru, can you hear me?"

"Of course she can't."

Duo spun to face the speaker, then recoiled in shock. "S-Solo? But, y-you're dead…"

Former partner on the streets, and once Duo's best friend, Solo stretched his arms upwards. "Yeah, so did I. But here your memories can become reality, so here I am, thanks to you."

"Memories?"

Solo smiled and Duo fought a shudder. Why did that smile look so cruel? "Yep. It'll kill most people who show up, maybe even you. Too bad, I think we could have had a lot of fun together down here."

Duo shook his head. Solo never spoke like that; this couldn't be Solo, could it? And what about…? "I created you from my memories, didn't I? Or did someone else? Something else?"

"Right on that last count. Just wait, others may just show up, your friend's gonna be dead in a few minutes I think. You're going to be much harder…Ah, here we are…" Two more figures stepped out of the mist, arm in arm.

"Sister Helen? Father Maxwell? But it's….NO! You're just my memories. Someone else is using my memories against me. I won't let you!" Duo took off, running blindly: the three followed, floating next to him, no matter where he ran. Exhausted, he tripped and fell, scraping his palms on the rough rock beneath him. As he tended his bleeding palms, he realized his pursuers had disappeared. Smiling, he jumped in shock when they suddenly re-appeared.

"You won't escape. Why bother trying?"

"Duo, you betrayed me and my teachings! How could you kill?"

Duo ignored them. They'd disappeared for a moment, until he remembered them. That was it! If he could occupy his mind…

The figures flickered and Father Maxwell and Sister Helen disappeared completely. Solo faded, then re-appeared.

"Don't bother. We're a part of you, you can't not think about us."

Duo bit his lip. "We'll see about that." Eventually he realized Solo was right, he couldn't think about anything without eventually coming back to something connected to him….Hell, he got his name from Solo…But if he could occupy his mind with something that wouldn't remind him about anything…

Duo stood and walked forward calmly, Solo still floating beside him. "Why do you keep trying? It's just going to take longer to kill you, but I don't mind. I kind of like a challenge, I haven't had one in years…."

It starts with one thing
I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
"What? What are you doing?" Solo began to flicker rapidly as Duo focused on the song, walking calmly in pace with it. Something rather old that Howard used to play constantly in the garage when repairing something.

Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It's so unreal

"Stop! What will you accomplish? You can't keep that in your head constantly!" Solo was almost completely gone, but Duo ignored him, lost in the song.

I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when
"I'll attack you as you sleep! You can't keep it up forever! You'll see, you haven't won this!" Solo dissolved completely as Duo continued, intent on finding Hotaru.

I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter

****************************
The figure stepped forward towards the strange new girl who was sobbing on the floor. She wasn't a fury, was she? No…. Kneeling, the figure picked up the girl's head and settled it in her lap, stroking her hair and trying to sooth her. Probably those damn furies again. Leave her alone! As is in answer to her silent command, the attack lessened and the girl's features relaxed slightly. Her lids lifted to show vibrant purple eyes.

Hotaru felt someone smoothing her hair, and the attacks on her mind lessened, then lifted completely.

No! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Mistress Nine left her mind completely, and Hotaru managed to open her eyes to stare into another face. Long blond hair done up in two braids that extended past her line of vision, a beautiful, heart-shaped face and caring, large sapphire-blue eyes.

"Usagi-Chan?"

The girl smiled. "Is that who you see me as? No matter, are you all right? The fury left your mind in quite a mess."

"Fury? Usagi, what are you talking about? How did you get here?" Hotaru struggled to sit up.

"The thing that attacked you, it was a fury. You must realize I am not who you see me as. My name is Mai, and I have always been here."

"Usagi no! It was Mistress Nine, she attacked me…I tried, but I couldn't stop her, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry….."

"Hush child, furies prey on your mind's weakness. Call me whatever you wish, but please child, calm down. There was nothing you could do. Nothing. Furies use your past to attack you, few can fight the past…What is your name?"

"Hotaru!"

Duo rushed forward and knelt down beside the two. His song forgotten, Solo immediately re-appeared. The strange girl holding Hotaru took one look at the floating Solo and frowned.

"Begone!" Solo disappeared instantly, and Duo gaped in shock as ever-strong, calm as Heero, never letting anything affect her Hotaru wept in the strange girl's arms.

"Usagi! We have to get out of here, she might return, and what would happen then? I might try to kill you again, I can't do that Usagi!" The girl shook her head towards Duo.

"I'm sorry, she was attacked by a fury like the one that was following you. She thinks I'm this 'Usagi' person. I'm Mai. Are you a friend of hers?"

"Yeah, we fell down here together. Do you know where—

"Princess! Please, we have to go!" Hotaru stood up, desperately trying to pull Mai with her. Mai complied, and Duo climbed to his feet as well.

"Well, we should go. Where's the exit?"

"Exit?" Mai looked confused and Duo began to feel the smallest amount of fear begin to claw at his stomach.

"Yeah, you know. The way out."

"There isn't any way out. I thought you'd figured that out by now." Solo re-appeared, this time followed by a tall woman.

Mai was enraged. "I told you to stay away! You won't kill them!"

"Of course not Mai. After all, it's so much more fun when you do our dirty work." Solo and the other woman grinned, then jumped into Mai. Mai staggered back, hands clenched, then her head snapped back and she changed.

Her long braided hair turned black and broke free of the plaits, flying around her head before coming to rest, reaching her feet. Her blue eyes turned a strange shade of green, glowing in the darkness. The pale dress she had worn was replaced with a tight-fitting tunic that reached her knees with slits up both sides. High boots replaced her sandals, the transformation complete.

She smiled. Hotaru recoiled and Duo turned to see her face contorted in terror. He watched in fascination as she seemed to fight with herself, and Hotaru's face set into a perfect mask, not unlike the ones he had seen so often on Trowa and Heero. Calm and cold, she seemed so much older…She ignored Duo and whispered into the mists. "Mistress Nine."

"Once again you're seeing me for another, but I don't care. It's so much more fun when you're terrified anyway." She gestured to Duo. "It's too bad you can't identify me as someone from your past, it would have been more painful. Oh well."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Mai. Or at least, her other half. It doesn't matter anyway, you'll be dead soon enough." She raised her hands and both Duo and Hotaru flew back, the wind knocked from them. Hotaru struggled to her feet first and lurched forward.

"I won't let you hurt the princess! Let Usagi go! Saturn Planet Power! Make up!"

Mai staggered back and Duo watched in wonder as Hotaru floated up in the air, her clothes disappearing and being replaced with ribbons that solidified into clothing. Her hand extended and in an instant she gripped her polearm…No, it was something different. It had two blades, and was larger, more cruel-looking. Her purple, knee-high boots clicked down on the rock floor and disturbed the mist floating there. She wore some sort of white bathing suit and a deep purple skirt, with a bow on her chest and a bow at her back. A shattered crystal shone at her chest as a broach and a smaller crystal sat at the center of a purple choker. She looked as she had when Duo had first seen her.

She extended her weapon towards Mai, then in a voice so cold all Duo could do was shiver, shouted in Japanese (and startling Duo in the process):

"I am the Soldier of Death and Destruction, protected by the Planet of Ruin, Sailor Saturn! And in the name of Saturn, I will destroy you!"

Mai scoffed, but blanched as Saturn leapt forward without waiting another moment. "Silence Glaive Surprise!"

The energy tore through the cave, sending Duo flying back from the recoil, though Saturn remained unaffected. Mai flew back, and seemed to shift for a moment, her turning blond and her eyes blue for a fraction of a second before shifting back to black and green. She chuckled, then prepared another attack, but Saturn never let her have the chance.

"Silence Ribbons!"

Ribbons of energy flew from her Glaive and wrapped around Mai, restraining her. Saturn leapt forward and brought the Silence Glaive crashing down, purple energy streaming from its blade. Saturn leapt back.

"What did you do?" Duo stepped forward, coming closer to Saturn as both watched Mai flicker and shift. It was if she was simply a projection, and its power line was being slowly cut. Finally in a flash of light, Mai screamed.

Duo blinked away light spots and stared where Mai had stood. Now there were two figures, the blond, blue-eyed figure that had helped Hotaru and the Black-haired, green-eyed one that had attacked them. They were separate, and stood staring at each other. Slowly, so slowly that Duo thought he was first imagining it, the black-haired smiled, then turned to face Duo and Hotaru.

"Thank you ever so much. You've finally gotten rid of that pesky Mai. And you know what they say, what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger…." She charged forward, grabbing both Duo and Saturn by the throats, pushing them back until they slammed into a wall, the first they had found. Slamming them both again and again, she then dropped Duo and threw Saturn over her head, causing her to release her Glaive. It flew across the floor and lay hidden in the mist. Summoning a red ball of pure energy, Mai paused only for a moment when the other Mai screamed.

"Mai please stop! Please! Don't hurt them!"

She scoffed. "I'm no longer Mai. You can have the name. I'm Tyra now. And you can't stop me!" She threw the ball of energy and it divided into two, one part smashing into Saturn and sending her flying, screaming, and the other hitting Duo, sending him crashing back into the wall.

Tyra continued her attacks, battering both Duo and Saturn. I don't think I can survive much more of this. At least Hotaru's doing better than I am. He struggled to sit up as Tyra was occupied with the advancing Saturn, trading blows almost inhumanly fast. Duo watched in amazement as one of Hotaru's blows landed and Tyra flew back. "You've tormented my mind long enough! Die!"

Tyra climbed to her feet and smiled. "I'm far from done yet. You're the one who'll die!" She summoned another ball of energy and rushed forward, smashing her palm, and the ball, into Saturn's ribcage. Saturn backflipped from the force, and managed to smash the heel of her boot into Tyra's chin as she flipped.

Duo stood shakily and reached for his sword. He wasn't letting Hotaru- no, Saturn- whoever. He wasn't going to let Tyra kill her. Hotaru was coughing up blood from Tyra's latest attack, and Tyra's chin was split open and bleeding profusely from Hotaru's kick. Running towards the two, he glanced at Mai for a moment and wondered how she managed to split her chin as well.

Duo joined the fight, but Saturn ignored him. Every part of her was focused on destroying Mistress Nine and saving the princess. Someone else was helping her. That was all that mattered. She had to keep Mistress Nine from Usagi, no matter what. Sending her back with a roundkick Minako taught her, Saturn paused to glance at Usagi. Her chin was cut and bleeding, and she was staggering back from an unseen blow. Saturn turned back just in time to see a huge sphere of red energy come flying towards her.

She'd landed almost ten feet back and grimaced as she tasted blood in her mouth. Rising to her feet she saw Duo land a blow with his sword against Mistress Nine's side before flying back from another attack. He's only human, he can't fight her… Saturn gasped in shock as she saw Usagi collapse, clutching her side. Everything snapped into place in an instant. "She's connected to Mistress Nine, whatever I do to one, the other feels too….Duo! Stop!" Saturn rushed towards him and pulled him back, both collapsing from her barrage. "Duo! If you hurt her, you'll hurt Usagi!"

She's still convinced she's someone else. If she doesn't snap out of this, we'll all die! He shook Hotaru, then slapped her across the face. Her eyes widened and locked onto his face.

"Hotaru, listen to me right now. That isn't Usagi. And that's not Mistress Nine. If you don't snap out of it we'll both be killed!" Hotaru looked at Duo, then turned to see Mai for the first time, not as Usagi, but as Mai. Mistress Nine was approaching slowly- No, she wasn't Mistress Nine, what had she called herself? Tyra? How could she have been so foolish? Mistress Nine was gone, the princess at home…

"So you've finally clued in. A shame, I'll have to kill you now, no more games." Tyra was standing over the two, bleeding from a dozen gashes, yet she still smiled.

"Games? What makes you think we were playing?" Duo stood enraged, Saturn at his side.

"What makes you think I wasn't?" Saturn and Duo stared shocked as Tyra grinned and held her hands out before her, a huge ball of red-black energy collecting between them, ten times larger than anything they'd seen from her before.

Both screamed as they went flying back, pressed into the wall and held there by the energy ball that didn't dissipate but continued to press forward, scorching them.

I can't move! If I only had my Glaive!

Are we going to die down here? After everything we've faced, I've faced, how could she win?

Solo re-appeared, grinning with another woman, tall with impossibly long black hair. "It's simple. You aren't willing to kill poor Mai so now Tyra's gonna win and kill you both."

The other woman nodded. "And thank you for separating them both, my dear Sailor Saturn. She's so much more fun like this. Now you'll both die. Please hurry up and do so, I want out of here, and I think that killing you both might cancel out the spell on this damn place." She cupped the trembling Saturn's chin then turned and walked up to Tyra, who was admiring her 'handiwork'.

"They won't kill you because it would kill me, but that means the same is true if I die." Everyone looked towards Mai, who gripped Saturn's Glaive with both hands.

"No Mai! You don't understand!" Tyra rushed towards her.

"No! I don't have to live with your crimes on my mind anymore! Now I'll finally be free!" She plunged the Glaive through her chest and collapsed through it. Tyra's face contorted in pain, then she too fell into a growing pool of blood.

"Mai!" The energy ball dissipated and Duo and Saturn rushed to her side. "Mai!" Saturn took the girl's head into her arms, not noticing as Duo removed the Glaive from her body. "Mai, hold on, I'll help you." Saturn concentrated on the healing but stopped when she felt a cold hand on her cheek.

"No, Hotaru. Let me rest. It's been so long, too long since I've been able to sleep with a clear conscience, without Tyra's deeds weighing on my mind. I must rest…" Her hand cupped Saturn's face, wiping away tears with her thumb. "Don't cry, please. I'm glad…I'm happy I could save someone…" Her breathing was ragged, voice thick she whispered "It will be good to rest, finally. Don't cry…" She shuddered and her eyes closed.

Duo took Hotaru's arms from the figure then held her as she leaned into his chest. He expected her to cry, to react, but she just clung there, quietly. Eventually he held her at arms length and looked at her face. Tear tracks ran from her eyes across her face but were dry. Her eyes were distant and when she didn't react to Duo's movement, he started to worry.

"Hotaru? Are you alright? Hotaru?" He shook her gently, to no avail. "Hotaru, come on, we have to go." He pulled her to her feet, grabbing her polearm-thing as he stood. Glancing at its length, he removed his cloak and used it to clean its blade of the remaining blood. Still she didn't react.

"Hotaru? What should I do with this?" He gestured to her weapon. Her hand extended and she took it from him. A moment later it disappeared.

"Hotaru…Do you think you could change back? I think that's the exit there…" He glanced at a shaft of light coming through a crack in the cave wall. When Tyra and Mia had died, whatever was causing the cave to look like it did ended. Now it appeared to be nothing more than a simple cave with stalagmites and stalactites, fairly well lit from the rather large hole in the ceiling where they'd fallen through.

"I think you might stick out a little looking like that." Hotaru moved her hand forward and touched the crystal at her chest. In a moment her tunic and leggings returned, but her eyes remained distant. "Um….Let's get going." He walked forward to the crack in the wall, then stopped when he realized Hotaru wasn't following. He turned and took her by the hand, leading her through and out of the cave.

****************************************

Wow, that's finally finished…..Man, that chapter took forever. I was constantly tweaking this or that, trying to make it better. I hope I pulled this off….It wasn't easy.

I mean, I know it might be a little confusing to you, but I was trying to keep it straight in my head, since Duo saw Saturn as Hotaru, and Saturn saw Mai as Usagi and Tyra as Mistress Nine, so their names keep switching back and forth depending on the POV. Whew…Not easy.

I hope it wasn't too confusing. Please let me know.

What did you think of this chapter anyway? PLEASE R&R! I'm really protective of this one, and need to know how I did….It's a MAJOR part of the story, you'll soon see.

Happy New Year!

I am the Breeze of Wisdom, I am the Wind of Insanity

~The Elemental