The Other Side of Paradise

Part…um…8?

Author: Nyneve, Lord of the Yogurt Cup!

See? I'm a good girl. Updating my stories like I should've been doing a long time ago. But I'm gonna do it more often now! I promise! Cross my heart and hope for something unpleasant although not painful to happen! Okay, anyways, I've gotten the idea that some of you don't like Hecate. Well why ever not? Hee hee. Well, I hope this chapter clears up some past issues and maybe might even give poor Hecate some fans. Wouldn't that be nice? Don't own the anime.

-Nyneve (Bring me the Yoplait! Now!)

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A fireball flew down the hallway.

"Raye, you're being unreasonable…"

Another fireball.

"Come on Raye. It's not like we're gonna hurt him."

Three fireballs flew out of the infirmary door. It was a miracle Neptune was able to put them out in midair before the palace burned down.

Amy, Lita, and Quatre watched as Raye continued to fight with Uranus and Neptune, who were having difficulty coming within twenty feet of the door. They had found out that Quatre was okay, and were going to put him under guard with Duo, and the unconscious Wufei. Amy had suggested giving him medical attention, but Lita felt he'd be fine once he woke up.

"Um Raye? Don't you think it'd be safer if I just went with them rather than throwing fireballs?" Quatre asked.

"But it's not fair! You're innocent Quatre, and I won't let them lock you up like some animal!" she yelled.

"Come off it Raye. You know Serenity isn't going to do anything bad to them. Hell, they're probably getting lobster and wine down there. Quatre will be just fine," Lita said, flipping through a magazine. After dragging Wufei into the palace, she handed him over to Haruka and Michiru who had orders from Endymion to lock up any of the pilots, save for Quatre. But now that he was almost fully healed, he was considered "a threat" again and was to be locked up.

"Raye, I know how you feel. I hate to think of Duo down there. But it's not going to do any good to turn against each other. Remember it's our duty to work together to protect the Royal Family. That means taking some unpleasant precautions," Amy explained.

Suddenly, Raye felt Quatre drape his arms around her shoulders. She let out a small gasp, and stopped firing.

"Quatre, what?" she trailed off. He gently took her hand and kissed it.

"Thank you so much Raye. You're willing to do almost anything for me, and I can't repay you. But I understand what needs to be done," he whispered. "If I'm still being controlled, I don't want to be around you so that you get hurt. I'm sorry."

Sighing, Raye turned around and lay her head on his shoulder. "I guess you're right. They won't let me visit you down there, but I swear to God I will do everything I can to get you out."

"Really?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

He gave her a quick hug, then stepped outside, where Amara and Michelle [AN: I know I keep changing the names between chapters. But I assume you know who I'm talking about, so if I change it, don't say anything] were waiting.

"Raye's letting you go?" Amara asked incredulously.

Quatre nodded. "I hope she didn't hurt you?"

"No damage done. Come on, your friend Duo's been asking about you," Michelle said, leading him down the hallway.

He glanced backwards momentarily, just in time to see Raye staring angrily off after him.

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Duo looked up as he heard the door open. To his surprise, Quatre stepped in.

"Q-man! What's up?" he asked cheerfully.

"You three can socialize for a while. We're supposed to meet with the king," Amara replied quickly, slamming the door behind him.

Things had slowly gotten better. Amara and Michelle had gotten slightly less hostile and had shown the decency to leave a light on. However, it was clear that they didn't trust any of the newly arrived boys.

"Nothing really. How have things down here been?" Quatre asked, looking around. The room didn't look much like a prison. There were a few folding chairs and a card table, as well as the fluorescent lights above.

"Just wonderful," Wufei muttered from the corner. Quatre smiled weakly.

"Well, Raye said she was trying to get us out, so we probably won't be stuck in here too long," he said, sitting down on one of the chairs.

Then a box of Twinkies fell from the ceiling.

"What the hell?" Duo looked up. The grate had been removed from the vent up above, and the sound of a giggling little girl echoed down through. Then, he was hit on the head by another box of Twinkies.

"Okay, who's up there?" he asked, setting them down.

"Back up, or we'll fall on you!" a small voice ordered.

Glancing amusedly at Quatre and Wufei, he stepped over to the wall. A few seconds later two girls fell out of the vent.

The first was short, with cotton candy pink hair and luminescent red eyes. She wore a dark blue sweater and skirt trimmed with a red bow. The second was older, and wore an all black dress. Her black hair was neatly cut to her shoulders, and her soft violet eyes held a look of kindness in them.

"If you don't like Twinkies, I think I can get Ho-Hos," the smaller girl said, opening a box and tossing a Twinkie to Duo and Quatre, then hitting Wufei on the head with one.

"Um thanks. Who are you?" Quatre asked, wondering how two girls could just jump out of the ceiling and start feeding them Little Debbies.

"My name's Rini, and this is Hotaru," Rini introduced. Duo paled at the mention of Hotaru's name.

"So you're that girl I almost…" he trailed off. However, Hotaru just smiled enigmatically at him.

"It's all right. I forgive you. From the way Amy talks about you, I know you weren't trying to hurt me," she replied.

"What are you two doing down here anyways? You could get in big trouble if you get caught," Wufei warned.

"Oh, I never get caught. My mom used to be able to catch me, but she's forgotten most of the good hiding places. So now I can go wherever I want without getting noticed," Rini explained, sitting down and eating a Twinkie.

"We came down here because we felt sorry for you. And because we know you're not the bad guys. So we're going to try and break you out," Hotaru explained.

The boys stopped and looked at each other.

"That may not be the best idea. Uranus and Neptune…" Rini waved a finger in Quatre's face.

"Wouldn't hurt a fly. They just like to scare guys. I mean…" she paused for a moment. Outside, footsteps were coming down the hall.

"Rini, we'd better go," Hotaru whispered. Rini nodded.

"Right. But before we do, we wanna know where your friends Heero and Trowa are," she ordered.

"Probably still being held captive by Hecate. But what…"

It was too late. The girls had gone.

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"Hecate? You're sure that's what they said?" Trista asked the girls later. It was she who had sent them down to talk to the boys, and find out who'd been keeping them prison.

Prisoner that is, before us. She felt extremely guilty about locking them up. But if Hecate was involved, it would be the best. Her power hadn't dulled over the years, and maybe she was even maintaining a little control over them.

"I see. Now, you two must listen very closely," Trista said seriously, standing up and grabbing her Time Staff. "I am going to go away for a bit, and you can't tell anyone, all right?"

"Where are you going Puu?" Rini asked worriedly.

"I'm going to see an old friend of mine. It's high time we have a conversation," Trista replied.

She suddenly felt Hotaru take her hand. "Please be careful Pluto. These are dangerous times now. We don't know who we can trust."

Trista flashed a half-smile at the younger girls. "I know. But I have faith in myself and in my loved ones. Everything will be all right."

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Hecate looked over at her sleeping son. He was in his "monstrous" form, and every few moments a pincer would open and close or one yellow eye would open suddenly.

"Ah, dear Janus. I fear our time is ending. At this rate, Serenity will destroy us…" she murmured, then remembered back to the first time she had heard Serenity's name…

"Lady Hecate! Lady Hecate!"

"Hermes? For what purpose am I graced with your prescience?"

"Hecate, I bring news from Hades."

"My master? What is it?"

"He has Faded, Hecate. As have all the other Olympians save for myself. You are now Queen of Tartarus and Erebus."

"Really? This is most interesting news."

"I'm afraid not my lady. Can't you see that we're all Fading?"

"What? What is this Fading you speak of?"

"Though Gods are immortal, if they are not worshipped they cease to exist. Fewer and fewer people believe in the Gods, and they are fading away."

"Why? We've been worshipped year after year. Why are the mortals abandoning us now?"

"I don't know. They say that faith is no longer necessary in this age. Hope is no longer drawn from the Gods, but from the people."

"That's madness. We give the people hope. What else could they possibly draw it from?"

"A woman."

"You mean a mortal woman?"

"Yes, she goes by the name of Serenity, sometimes called Sailor Moon. In her possession is a crystal that is said will bring peace to the universe."

"Rubbish. Where would this crystal come from?"

"Again, I don't know Hecate. However, you are safe for a while. Your son is as well."

"Safe how?"

"Though Serenity wishes to bring peace, there are those who relish in war. Their hearts are black, and they long for power. These are the people that worship you."

"The evil ones? Well, as long as there is good, there shall be evil, correct?"

"…"

"Hermes, did you hear me?"

"Hecate, Peace for the Mortals is a certain fate. Serenity and her warriors are strong, yet have pure hearts. They will stamp out evil."

"But they can't! If they do, I will cease to exist!"

"That is the tragedy I have come to share. I must go now."

"Hermes you coward! Where will you run to? Come back!"

She shivered, trying to shake off the memory of her desperate calls. That was her sole weakness.

It was said Hecate loved no one. However, she loved living her life more than even her own son.

"Hecate…" a calm, soft voice said.

She turned around quickly, then gasped. Stepping from the shadows was Sailor Pluto.

"My old friend…" she began.

"Pluto? What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Hecate asked frantically.

"You know very well how I got here and why I'm here," Pluto answered.

Hecate frowned, and her eyes darkened like rainclouds. "You will be wanting your man back?"

"I want Trowa and Heero set free," Pluto replied. "However, I don't want to fight you to do it."

"Ha. All those years have made you grow soft, haven't they Pluto? Driven to love by your own solitude. Such a shame," Hecate replied sharply.

Pluto winced for a moment at her friend's words. "I want them set free, Hecate. For my sake if not theirs."

Suddenly, Hecate was in front of her, her blood red eyes locked with Pluto's maroon ones. "I show pity to no one. You must learn that by now."

"But you did once Hecate. You were always in the shadows, but your heart was not always black," Pluto replied. Then, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest.

Hecate smiled as the other goddess crumpled, the black crystal dagger sticking out oddly. Then, she felt something slam her to the wall of the cavern.

Trista looked up to see Hecate pinned to the wall by none other than Trowa. His expression was cold and emotionless as ever, but he had Hecate held so tight she could barely breathe.

Which made it seem odd that she could laugh. In fact, she was laughing hysterically.

"Idiot. You shouldn't waste your time worrying about her. She's immortal, just like me," she giggled.

Trowa blinked and took glanced over at the bleeding Trista, but said nothing.

Hecate continued to laugh. "Fine then Pluto. I'll give you your man. You can spend your lives together. You can watch him grow old and die, while you remain ageless. Then I'll watch you be tormented by your memories and the black hole that was once your heart! I wish you a happy life!"

Then, with the force of twenty men she shoved Trowa backward right into the Vision Pool. Immediately, he began to sink.

"No!" Trista yelled. Summoning her remaining strength, she rose to her feet, ran to the pool and dived in. A moment later, she felt Trowa's hand, then grabbed on. The last thing she heard as she teleported was Hecate's cruel laughter.

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Trowa awoke to find himself on a large bed in a chamber. He was alone, but oddly, felt another presence.

Just then, Trista walked into the room. Thinking he was still asleep, she stood in front of the mirror and modeled the dress she had been working on.

"You look beautiful in that," he said softly.

She gasped and turned around, then smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired mostly. Did we escape?" he asked. She nodded, then sat down on the bed next to him.

"Yes. She won't bother us anymore," she murmured.

"Good," Trowa replied, then leaned over and took possession of her lips.

When he broke off, Trista stood up slowly. "I suggest you stay here. They'll lock you up if they find you."

"Who?" he asked.

"My best friends," she smiled, then walked out.

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Whew! Long one! Well, that should tide everyone over for a while! R+R!