Purging The World in the Blood of an Angel
Black Beyond
~---~
*giggles* Okay, you can lynch me! But I made it extra long this time.
I'll switch this over to crossover land when I hit the part where I cross
over, okay? It may not be for a couple of chapters.
~---~
The next morning, Kunzite appeared on his motorcycle in front of the Tsukino House, holding a bouquet of tulips for Ikuko. He hung his helmet on the handlebar and knocked on the door. To his expectations, the blue haired woman answered the door with a smile and he presented the pretty red flowers with a flourish.
"It's quite obvious where Usagi has come by her beauty. Is she awake yet?"
Ikuko giggled delightedly and accepted the gift. "Come in, Seitosei-kun. Usagi will be down in a couple of minutes. I've heard a lot about you! Here, let me find a vase... Kenji, look who's come to pick Usagi up for school."
Kenji looked up from his newspaper and coffee with an evaluating glare. Kunzite had decided that morning to use a bit of magic to make himself appear younger, maybe just old enough for a license. He was wearing dark clothing again, with his leather trench coat over all.
"Hmm. What's your family name again?"
"Dadddddddy!" Usagi came bouncing down the stairs. "Stop interrogating! That's mean. You'll scare him off." She hugged her father.
Kunzite grinned. "Never, Usagi-sama. Are you ready to go?"
She nodded. "Bye, Daddy. I'll be in late, tonight, probably." She said it meaningfully, and Kunzite was taken aback for the slightest second at the realization that her parents knew who she was-- he saw it in the worried glance they exchanged as Usagi took his arm and dragged him out the door.
He gave her a strange look but offered her a helmet. She tugged it on impatiently and hopped on. He climbed on, fastening his helmet before taking off with a quieter screech of tires than usual.
"Before you ask," Usagi shouted. "yeah, they do know about me being Sailormoon and going out on those raids. They've known that since about two months after I started being Sailormoon. Daddy caught me coming in and I had to explain who I was. I'm starting to get a grip on who I was in this world. I wasn't just Sailormoon, Zi-chan."
Kunzite nodded. "Her Bitchiness would die if she knew that the incompetent Sailormoon was also the little terrorist that have been depleting her ranks in the night." He laughed. "We all underestimated your other self."
Usagi nodded. "Yup. Of course, I am a delicate little Lunarian maiden. Anyone would." She laughed loudly as Kunzite came to a screeching stop in front of the gates of Juuban High. "Imagine me, holding a gun to your head. You'd laugh, too, wouldn't you?"
Kunzite helped her off. "Yeah, I would have. But no more, my lovely moon princess." He bowed and touched his lips to the top of her hand. Sighs were heard from the schoolyard, and Kunzite winked rather mischievously at her. Usagi was dismayed to feel a blush spread over her cheeks. She shook her finger at him.
"None of that, sir. I *am* betrothed, you know." She giggled and kissed his cheek. "Pick me up?" She pleaded, shooting him her best 'just look at me, I'm so pretty and helpless' look. He grinned.
"Always, Usagi-sama. Now you'd better scram. The bell's going to ring and your fan club is waiting."
Usagi took a playful swing and him, slow enough for him to dodge. He chuckled and took to his bike before she could connect a swing. Usagi watched him go, and the moment he was out of sight, Makoto, Minako, and Ami pounced on her with starry eyes and dreamy smiles.
"Oh, Usagi-chan, you're so lucky! He's so romantic! You saw him kiss her hand, didn't you? Didn't you?" Makoto prodded Minako, who grinned.
"And the way he bows and helps you off the motorcycle and calls you Usagi-sama-- dahling, if you ever tire of him, I'll take him!" Usagi tried not to giggle at the envious look in Minako's eyes. How ironic!
Ami leaned forward, bright red. "I'll fight you for him, Minako-chan."
Makoto fell over at the comment from AMI, of all people, when the bell rang.
"Arghhh! We're gonna be late!" Minako grabbed Usagi's wrist and dragged her along as fast as the golden child could run. She looked back at Usagi's shrieking face when thud! she ran straight into a brick wall. Oh, wait. No, that was a human. Sorry about the confusion...
-_-;;;
Usagi caught herself, just barely, but Minako, who was the one unfortunate enough to run into the human tank, flew back and landed on her tush, hard. Usagi sent a glance to Minako and made sure she was okay, but was distracted by the sick feeling in her stomach that almost made her go green. She looked up at the tall man, and her face fell as the pinkish flesh twisted into the scowling red and green smile of a youma.
"I've been waiting for you, Tsukino Usagi." She really, really didn't like the feel of that smirk. "You'll be pleased to know that I followed you last night. Her Majesty will be very pleased to know that I have found out the identity of our little terrorist. I will be rewarded greatly once I bring her your dead, ravaged body."
Minako's eyes clouded over with confusion and anger. Makoto and Ami slipped away to henshin, but Usagi scowled.
"Youma, I killed three hundred of your companions last night without breaking a sweat. Do you think you will be much of a challenge to me? Get real!"
Someone from the second story happened to look out the window. With a scream of, "A monster is attacking students!", pandemonium broke out as everyone crowded the windows.
Usagi cursed. There went transforming.
The youma scoffed. "But I am different. I have the strength of twenty humans in just one of my hands! You have met your downfall! You won't sneak into our kingdom to murder us in our sleep anymore!"
Minako looked at Usagi. "You've been WHAT?!" She shouted. Unfortunately, this drew the youma's attention back to her. With a growl of YOU FIRST!, the youma picked her up and tossed her into one of the large trees. Usagi's eyes flashed silver as the crack of bones snapping entered the air. Before she knew it, her sword was in her hand and glowing orange and purple fire.
"You'll not attack my friends in my presence, filthy beast!" She wasn't surprised when the youma made a sword of it's own and parried her blow. She lit up her aura enough to blind it from following her shape too closely and began a series of rapid-fire slashes, every other one getting through to make a scream of pain and outrage filled the air. Students screamed and clapped as their ditzy classmate battled the youma.
"Shabon Spray Freezing! Out of the way, Usagi-chan!"
"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" The two senshi leapt out from behind a corner of the school, and circled to release their attacks. Mercury's breath caught as Usagi actually executed and perfect double flip, up over the arch of the lightning. She seemed to hover in midair and when the beast was probably burnt and encased in ice, she fell back down at a dizzying speed to thrust the tip of her blade into the heart of the youma.
It disintegrated into a fine powder.
"Usagi-- behind--" Minako's weak yell was too late. Usagi was already turned around. She yelled and tackled the youma who had hidden and had tried to sneak up behind her, pinning it to the rough wall with the intense fire of her weapon burning into its neck.
"You listen-- don't scream, you listen to me! You tell your queen that I PROTECT the one she fears so much. You tell her that if she EVER tries to attack me or my family, I will come after her and I will make her suffer in ways you have never even dreamed of! If you think the bit of muscle it takes to destroy your dirty barracks is something, you piss me off and I swear to the gods I'll blow up her universe and everything in it! Do you UNDERSTAND ME?" She was screaming in the youma's face as it trembled. "I have killed three of her generals, and the last will die soon enough. And you will not deliver this message to Beryl. You must insist of speaking it to Metalia only! BERYL WILL NOT HEAR THIS!"
"Yes... yes... I will do this... do not kill me..." It whimpered. Usagi harshly opened a portal and shoved the youma into it. The fire of the sword died away and she glanced at it. Taking a handful of her skirt, she wiped the bluish green blood from the blade and let it vanish into her subspace pocket.
At that moment, Kunzite pulled to a stop in front of the school, leaping off his bike and was at Usagi's side in a moment, noting the bruises and scratches. "I felt the trouble. Are you okay?"
Usagi nodded. "I'll be fine. Minako won't. I need you to take her to the hospital. You know where it is? Good. Minako-chan..." She knelt by the side of her friend. "Zi-chan is going to take you to the hospital. Yes, you need to go. Your arm is broken. Here. Be gentle." Mercury's jaw made a clonk sound hitting the ground as Usagi picked Minako up like a baby and let Seitosei take her.
"You owe me an explanation, Usagi-chan. They didn't hear, but I did." Minako joked, before passing out from the pain.
"Take the shortcut as soon as you're out of sight." Usagi whispered. Kunzite nodded, and gingerly climbed on his bike. He was gone just as quickly as he came.
Usagi turned to two very pissed senshi.
"You-- Usagi-- WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Jupiter yelled. At the sound of her anger, windows slammed shut. Kino Makoto was intimidating-- Sailor Jupiter was downright SCARY.
Usagi sighed. "Well, since I'd like to get to class, I'll tell you the short version. I have been hiding things from you. Before I was a senshi, I secretly led a strange trio of fighters to raid Beryl's ranks. We have killed lots of youma and there's a bounty on my head. Of course, that's completely okay. Now, I want to go to class and turn in my homework so I can go check on Minako."
Mercury shook her head and laid a hand on Jupiter shoulder as Usagi scooped up her bag and marched inside the school. "Usagi-chan has always been an enigma to all of us. Just don't. We can call a senshi meeting, without her, and Minako, because she'll be in the hospital. Perhaps Luna or Artemis will know something, and Rei should be home today."
Jupiter was already pushing buttons on her communicator as Mercury led her down the streets at a pace almost too fast for any human. In between breaths and dodging innocent bystanders, she told Rei and Mamoru what had happened, unaware Uranus and Neptune were listening avidly. She told them to find Artemis and they'd get Luna, and to meet at the temple in a few minutes.
Mamoru looked agitated and was holding a needle and surgical thread, and agreed all too quickly to a meeting without Usagi.
It took the duo a moment to find Luna, who was stalking squirrels in the park-- just practicing her skills, of course-- and another few minutes to make it to the temple, where they met Tuxedo Kamen with a small bundle of white fur on his shoulder.
The three of them dehenshined at once, and Luna and Artemis leapt down.
"What exactly is going on? Where are Usagi and Minako? Aren't you three supposed to be in school? My GOD, Mamoru, what have you done with yourself?!" Luna forgot the rest. Mamoru was wearing a jacket and jeans, the same things he'd been wearing when he henshined. A long, fresh wound traveled from the center of his chest up over his right shoulder and disappeared beneath the lapel of his ugly green jacket. He had just been putting the last stitch in when Jupiter had called.
"I'll tell you when we get up there." He zipped up the jacket, dark anger in the back of his blue eyes.
"Ditto." Ami nodded. "Come on, Rei's waiting. I'm glad she was out this week." They walked up the stairs in silence, the two cats racing ahead to inform Rei of their arrival.
The priestess met them at the top of the stairs, a frown on her face. "Come on inside. Mamoru-san, what did you do to your-- nevermind. You'll tell me in a minute. I've got tea ready."
After a short while of sipping and mumbling, Rei sat her cup down. "Okay, this is what I got. Minako and Usagi crashed into a youma in the schoolyard. You two go off to henshin. When you get back, Usagi is kicking the youma's ass with a freaky sword. You shoot off your attacks, she kills the youma. And then she flies at the one sneaking up behind her, threatens it, lets it go back to Beryl, tells you she's been a terrorist against Beryl since before she was a senshi, and goes inside to turn in her HOMEWORK before going to check on Minako, who was thrown into a tree by said youma and injured and then entrusted into the care of Usagi's hunky boyfriend."
"WHAT?!!" Luna shrieked, but hung her head. "I always knew the girl was hiding something." She sighed. "With her the leader of the senshi.... she should have TOLD us..."
Mamoru reluctantly stopped scowling. "I followed her last night. She met up with this little girl and a boy about her age. I couldn't stay close enough to hear what they were saying. and when I did manage, she somehow knew I was there and threw something-- sharp and glowing-- at me." He unzipped the jacket part way to show off his wound. "But before she did, I managed to get that she's been working with someone from the Dark Kingdom. He's the one who showed her a new way into it."
Artemis nodded, a serious look that was very kawaii on his little cat face. "This could be serious. It is enough that our leader has been going behind our backs for two years. But attacking one of our own-- even if she didn't know-- is a serious crime. She's probably the only one in the universe who could get away with it, as our princess."
Luna shook her head. "I've known her longer. When I found her, I could tell she was faking her clumsiness for me, but I stopped noticing it. She got perfect at hiding it right about the time we found you, Ami."
Rei closed her eyes. "And I have never been able to sense her emotions. I can tell all of your emotions right now: betrayal, confusion, anger, hurt, et cetera, but never hers. That's why I'm usually so snappish with her. It's unnerving to go your entire life seeing other people's moods and finding one person who has this weird impermeable dome around them."
Makoto shrugged. "I'm... just a little hurt, I guess. I thought Usagi-chan trusted us. But when she fought today..." A little shiver went up her spine. "I was scared. She was like nothing else I'd seen before. And when she pinned that youma... I know what Zoisite must have been feeling. It was just creepy. I thought Uranus was frightening, that one time?... but... wow...."
Mamoru's face darkened. "I don't like it. She's making deals with Dark kingdom trash, has a new boyfriend who's always in the right place at the right time, and she has suddenly acquired fighting skills so good that she can beat Uranus with one swipe of her staff. I really, honestly don't like it. At all."
"That's beautiful, really, it is. Should I be crying?"
"Usagi!" Ami jumped about three feet in the air as Usagi walked into the room, Kunzite's black leather trench coat over her shoulders and her hair down from her odango in cascading waves of gold and silver. Like some sort of angel from hell.
"Yup. I checked on Minako, who will be out soon. Her broken arm was mysteriously not broken." Was that annoyance or mischievousness in her eyes? "So I decide to follow Jupiter and Mercury here, where you are having a conversation about me. Hehe, I thought it was you in the shadows!" Usagi's voice held a little too much glee as she looked at Mamoru. "The ONLY reason I didn't go for your face. I can heal the wound if you want."
He glared at her. "I wouldn't need healing if you hadn't had attacked me. What if I'd been a kid or something?" He demanded.
She shrugged. "Then that kid would never spy on me again. Genso was not pleased and Sasa was scared. I ought to kick you just for that. Scaring a half-baby..." Anger flashed across her face. "And spying on me! It's hard to be a traitor when you're the daughter of Etern! I could defect to the Dark Kingdom and you'd still have a hard time proving your case to the Ary Council."
"How do you know about those people?" Luna jumped up on the table. "I never told you about Etern!"
Artemis was staring at Usagi, and she looked at him sharply as he gasped. "One word, my truth-reading kitty, and you'll be considerably froggier."
Luna was positively pissed. "And just who do you know from the Dark Kingdom? That is very serous, Usagi Tsukino."
"Luna, my darling, if you had cared to inform us that the dark kings were once our allies, perhaps I wouldn't have gone behind your back about it!" Rei looked at Usagi funny. "And I'll have you know that whatever she did, it was justified! She's more sense in her hand than all of you have combined!" She checked herself. "Sorry." She muttered.
"I'm ignoring the sudden multiple personality disorder." Ami was starting to get angry herself. "Usagi-chan, you can trust us! We would never think less of you!"
'They would, too.'
*I don't know. I know that my senshi would stand behind me no matter what. But I am not so sure of these. Your life, your call.*
'Your life, too, if you hadn't noticed. I don't care. But I wish you'd aimed better when you went for Mamoru.'
*And KILL the crown prince of Earth? I'm Eternia, not suicidal! I won't tell them about Zi-chan. Or Genso. Or much of anything.*
'Grr...'
"Well?" Rei could feel a strange buzzing in the back of her head when Usagi got that look of concentration on her face.
Usagi sighed. "Yes, I've been secretly attacking the Dark Kingdom and hiding skills. Why shouldn't I? it means that I am underestimated, the greatest advantage ever given. How do you think we managed to off Jadeite and Nephrite so easily? Because at last moment Sailormoon got gung-ho and scared the shit out of them."
For once, everyone was silent. Even Mamoru had nothing to say.
"I might have been purposefully clumsy. It never got anyone hurt, and it usually helped, in fact, distract the youma so you guys could wear it down. I've always pulled through. And just in case any of you hadn't noticed, this is a war. If I'm talking to Beryl's traitors, then that's all the more to help us." She looked directly at Artemis.
The white cat flushed, but nodded. "You're absolutely right, Usagi. In the Silver Millennium we had several double agents." He paused, almost as though he expected her to stop him. "You among them, Princess."
Ami pulled out her palmtop and was busy hacking her own database. Makoto was numbly silent, trying to remember. Rei sighed.
"Maybe that's why I'm not surprised." She managed a small smile. "I trust you, Usagi. I know you're not telling us everything, but I trust you."
"It's fine that you do." Mamoru was absolutely furious.
Usagi turned to glare at him. "You have no right to be jealous of Seitosei. You're the one who broke this off, if you'd care to remember. Why don't you get a dog or something instead of stalking me? Has anyone ever told you no without you going all psychosomatic on them?"
"Low blow..." Makoto whispered to Ami, who didn't hear her. She was occupied in reading the small screen, her blue eyes growing wider and wider. Makoto turned for Mamoru's rebuttal, sighing.
Makoto was shocked. She had never, ever seen the man so furious as he was now. She realized that the stresses of his normal life, plus the extra from being his alter ego, along with Usagi and her escapades must be hitting about his 'enough!!!' point. He looked positively terrifying as he stood as to not have to look up at Usagi. For a second, he towered over her, but Usagi pushed out her chest in defiance and suddenly it was she who was taller, but this didn't daunt Mamoru.
"Just because you're the moon princess and the leader of the senshi you think you're hot shit. Well, let me tell you, Usagi, you're far from it. You're just a little girl who thinks because she's got some power she can bully her way around and live a charmed life. You're going to get hurt one day and you're going to die, and who's going to lead then, hmm?"
Usagi had the audacity to giggle, and Mamoru's purple face darkened another shade. Shaking her head, she drew out the sword that Makoto and Ami had spoke of earlier. Artemis took one look at it and his gasp made Luna look at it harder. She shrieked and fainted.
"Do you know what this is?" She thrust it to his face level so he could see it better. Even without the aura of fire accompanying it, it was so obviously not an ordinary weapon.
Ami's eyes went from her computer screen to the sword, and back again, twice. Her eyes could not possibly get any wider.
"No." Mamoru felt his blood pressure drop a little. For some reason the sword had a calming presence on him, and it was so beautiful. The engravings on the hilt were runes of a language he did not recognize, but he knew the words were comforting ones-- to him, anyway. Those same runes had been used to strike fear into the hearts of--
Ami shut her computer and closed her eyes and began to speak in a soft, twisting language that should have tongue tied her many times over. It was a pretty, almost lyrical speech that she recited, and Mamoru knew she was speaking what the runes spelled. Usagi turned, and nodded.
"Perfect. You need to work on the 'lls', though. You never told me you could speak Lunarian."
"What did she say?" Makoto asked, confusing. The speech had sent chills down her spine and raised gooseflesh on her arms, but she had no idea what it meant.
"I am the one that legend has spoke of. If you do evil, or cause harm to what I protect, fear me, for your end is near. I am the one of blind justice, the one of flawed beauty. See my hands weld this, for none other may. Eternal is my love, and my love shall be your end." Usagi grinned. "That's the closest you get to a translation.... Lunarian is one of those languages that can never be translated properly."
Artemis was awestruck. It didn't take an idiot to see that. He opened his mouth, but Ami beat him to it.
"That's IMPOSSIBLE! In order to weld that thing you'd have to be Etern himself! Only his pure blood could withstand the weight and power of that thing! And you're so many generations down that even if your great-grandmother touched that thing she'd die! It's IMPOSSIBLE!"
"No, it's not." Luna and Usagi spoke at the same time. Usagi continued. "I told you I went through a costume change? It was a little more than that. *I* am the daughter of Etern. And the prize came complete with blood work and every power I had or have had." She smiled triumphantly and pointed the sword at Mamoru. "So I AM hot shit, Tux."
There was a knock at the door. Rei started. For a moment she had been back in a marble palace, listening to Princess Serenity argue with the Queen about the disadvantages of keeping her identity as the moon warrior secret when there was a full-scale war going on...
She got up, waited until Usagi put the sword up, and slid open the door. She frowned to find Kunzite standing there.
"Usagi, it's your booooyfriend." She shook her head, trying to clear the uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu she felt around the tall man.
"Usagi-sama said she would only be a moment. I came to see if anything was wrong. We're going to be late."
Usagi blinked, and then nodded. "You're right. We are late. I only meant to tell them about Minako, but I got caught up in something. Come on." She took his arm, and turned to smile at the senshi. "Those two people that aren't really here can tell you everything they know." She laughed and led Kunzite out of the temple.
Rei stared after them. The way Kunzite had offered his arm and his elegant smile were so eerily familiar... especially the way he stared at Usagi... that intensity in silver eyes... she'd seen it before....
It wa son the tip of her tongue, but then a blankness came. She cursed as she recognized the same magic that kept her from Usagi's business and was now keeping her from remembering who her leader's companion was. She cursed again, this time so violently Luna gasped and even Makoto turned pink. Mamoru stared, and was about to ask where Rei had learned such a painful expression, but he never got the chance. The priestess spun on her heel and used every trick to make herself appear twenty feet tall and scarier than Beryl had ever been.
"THAT MAN IS NOT HUMAN!" She said in her most severe voice.
That was all it took for Mamoru. He felt something akin to elation at the statement and was Tuxedo Kamen before anyone could even blink. He had an excuse to kill the evil monster! Yay!
Makoto became Jupiter quickly, to follow him. Ami sighed and did the same.
They didn't have to go far. Tuxedo Kamen had frozen at the top of the steps, staring down. Jupiter and Mercury, and then Mars, walked up to stand beside him, curious to see what had made the hero pause.
They saw. Usagi and Kunzite stood on the sidewalk, and Usagi was speaking animatedly to Sailor Uranus and Neptune. Uranus had her sword slung over her shoulder and was nodding seriously, while Neptune was speaking to Kunzite in a lower tone of voice.
"There really isn't a lot of time." They could just barely make out Usagi's words. "I can feel that they almost have enough energy to release Metalia. If that happens, I can't even begin to think of what she could do before we managed to subdue her, let alone kill her!"
"I do understand. With Kunzite's information, can't we just barge right in and get this over with?" Uranus retorted. "You're the one protecting him. Hell, bring him along! I want to see the look on Beryl's face..."
Kunzite waved his arms wildly and hissed something at the both of them. Uranus's eyes shot up to the three senshi and Tuxedo Kamen and she immediately grabbed Neptune's arm and ran out of sight. Jupiter cursed loudly and bounded down the steps to follow, but the absolute fury in Usagi's eyes stopped her.
"You listen NOW!" Her voice was deeper, and commanding. "I may now know all of you as I did my own senshi--" Kunzite shook his head slightly, and Usagi sighed. "Nevermind. I have more important things to be doing." She let Kunzite steer her hand, one large hand on her slim shoulder.
"Usagi, he's not human! Stop!" Sailor Mars took the stairs in three bounds to land beside her friend. She glared at Kunzite.
Usagi shrugged. "Neither am I. Neither are you. He's my friend. I can trust him." The unspoken jibe hit Mars, but did not make her back down.
"Usagi, you're putting yourself in danger, don't you see?" Mars pleaded, turning her friend around to face her. She drew back as Usagi's aura flared up, an invisible wave of power only she and Kunzite could fell. Her gasp was very, very audible.
"You...."
Usagi put her finger to her lips. "They can't know yet, Rei. Because in a little while I'm going to have to go home. There is no one in my home to protect it."
Mars blinked, and looked at Kunzite. This time, his true identity was very clear to her, and she looked back to her friend. "I don't understand how you came to be in Usagi's body. But I won't tell the others." She stepped back and dehenshined, to the other senshi's shock.
"Thank you, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled. "Actually..." She looked thoughtful, but frowned. "Never mind. Come on, Z-chan. They'll be waiting for us."
"Artemis, wait." Rei said, as Usagi and Kunzite turned to go.
Usagi turned. "That's not my name."
Rei paused, confused. "It's not?"
Usagi shook her head, her face solemn. "The gods are my children. I am Eternia." She climbed on the back of Kunzite's bike, and he started it, the growl of the engine keeping Rei from exclaiming her shock.
With a swish of leather, they were gone.
Rei was left to pick her jaw off of the pavement, which she did just as the senshi made it down the stairs to stand beside her, looking after Kunzite and Usagi angrily.
"Why'd you let them go?" Jupiter demanded. "And why did you dehenshin in front of that man? He could be the enemy."
For a moment, Rei was unusually silent.
"He's not the enemy." Mercury said, unnerved by Rei's quiet and the way the miko was looking after the motorcycle. "I scanned him while we were up there. There's hardly any negative energy in him, which is actually quite strange. Of course, my computer could be malfunctioning. It wouldn't scan Usagi at all. It just kept saying that I needed to get subject's permission..."
She trailed away as Venus laid a tentative hand on Rei's shoulder. "Rei-chan? Are you okay?"
"Rei?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, when the girl didn't answer.
Rei sighed. "I... I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Don't worry about Usagi, either. She... She could not possibly be in better hands."
She closed her eyes. 'Eternia, for your sake and mine, I hope that you are as wise as the fire says.'
Back in the temple, the fire roared high, and a strange, tinkling laughter came form the very bowels of the red and orange flame. Laughter, because it knew what only one other person knew.
Black Beyond
~---~
*giggles* Okay, you can lynch me! But I made it extra long this time.
I'll switch this over to crossover land when I hit the part where I cross
over, okay? It may not be for a couple of chapters.
~---~
The next morning, Kunzite appeared on his motorcycle in front of the Tsukino House, holding a bouquet of tulips for Ikuko. He hung his helmet on the handlebar and knocked on the door. To his expectations, the blue haired woman answered the door with a smile and he presented the pretty red flowers with a flourish.
"It's quite obvious where Usagi has come by her beauty. Is she awake yet?"
Ikuko giggled delightedly and accepted the gift. "Come in, Seitosei-kun. Usagi will be down in a couple of minutes. I've heard a lot about you! Here, let me find a vase... Kenji, look who's come to pick Usagi up for school."
Kenji looked up from his newspaper and coffee with an evaluating glare. Kunzite had decided that morning to use a bit of magic to make himself appear younger, maybe just old enough for a license. He was wearing dark clothing again, with his leather trench coat over all.
"Hmm. What's your family name again?"
"Dadddddddy!" Usagi came bouncing down the stairs. "Stop interrogating! That's mean. You'll scare him off." She hugged her father.
Kunzite grinned. "Never, Usagi-sama. Are you ready to go?"
She nodded. "Bye, Daddy. I'll be in late, tonight, probably." She said it meaningfully, and Kunzite was taken aback for the slightest second at the realization that her parents knew who she was-- he saw it in the worried glance they exchanged as Usagi took his arm and dragged him out the door.
He gave her a strange look but offered her a helmet. She tugged it on impatiently and hopped on. He climbed on, fastening his helmet before taking off with a quieter screech of tires than usual.
"Before you ask," Usagi shouted. "yeah, they do know about me being Sailormoon and going out on those raids. They've known that since about two months after I started being Sailormoon. Daddy caught me coming in and I had to explain who I was. I'm starting to get a grip on who I was in this world. I wasn't just Sailormoon, Zi-chan."
Kunzite nodded. "Her Bitchiness would die if she knew that the incompetent Sailormoon was also the little terrorist that have been depleting her ranks in the night." He laughed. "We all underestimated your other self."
Usagi nodded. "Yup. Of course, I am a delicate little Lunarian maiden. Anyone would." She laughed loudly as Kunzite came to a screeching stop in front of the gates of Juuban High. "Imagine me, holding a gun to your head. You'd laugh, too, wouldn't you?"
Kunzite helped her off. "Yeah, I would have. But no more, my lovely moon princess." He bowed and touched his lips to the top of her hand. Sighs were heard from the schoolyard, and Kunzite winked rather mischievously at her. Usagi was dismayed to feel a blush spread over her cheeks. She shook her finger at him.
"None of that, sir. I *am* betrothed, you know." She giggled and kissed his cheek. "Pick me up?" She pleaded, shooting him her best 'just look at me, I'm so pretty and helpless' look. He grinned.
"Always, Usagi-sama. Now you'd better scram. The bell's going to ring and your fan club is waiting."
Usagi took a playful swing and him, slow enough for him to dodge. He chuckled and took to his bike before she could connect a swing. Usagi watched him go, and the moment he was out of sight, Makoto, Minako, and Ami pounced on her with starry eyes and dreamy smiles.
"Oh, Usagi-chan, you're so lucky! He's so romantic! You saw him kiss her hand, didn't you? Didn't you?" Makoto prodded Minako, who grinned.
"And the way he bows and helps you off the motorcycle and calls you Usagi-sama-- dahling, if you ever tire of him, I'll take him!" Usagi tried not to giggle at the envious look in Minako's eyes. How ironic!
Ami leaned forward, bright red. "I'll fight you for him, Minako-chan."
Makoto fell over at the comment from AMI, of all people, when the bell rang.
"Arghhh! We're gonna be late!" Minako grabbed Usagi's wrist and dragged her along as fast as the golden child could run. She looked back at Usagi's shrieking face when thud! she ran straight into a brick wall. Oh, wait. No, that was a human. Sorry about the confusion...
-_-;;;
Usagi caught herself, just barely, but Minako, who was the one unfortunate enough to run into the human tank, flew back and landed on her tush, hard. Usagi sent a glance to Minako and made sure she was okay, but was distracted by the sick feeling in her stomach that almost made her go green. She looked up at the tall man, and her face fell as the pinkish flesh twisted into the scowling red and green smile of a youma.
"I've been waiting for you, Tsukino Usagi." She really, really didn't like the feel of that smirk. "You'll be pleased to know that I followed you last night. Her Majesty will be very pleased to know that I have found out the identity of our little terrorist. I will be rewarded greatly once I bring her your dead, ravaged body."
Minako's eyes clouded over with confusion and anger. Makoto and Ami slipped away to henshin, but Usagi scowled.
"Youma, I killed three hundred of your companions last night without breaking a sweat. Do you think you will be much of a challenge to me? Get real!"
Someone from the second story happened to look out the window. With a scream of, "A monster is attacking students!", pandemonium broke out as everyone crowded the windows.
Usagi cursed. There went transforming.
The youma scoffed. "But I am different. I have the strength of twenty humans in just one of my hands! You have met your downfall! You won't sneak into our kingdom to murder us in our sleep anymore!"
Minako looked at Usagi. "You've been WHAT?!" She shouted. Unfortunately, this drew the youma's attention back to her. With a growl of YOU FIRST!, the youma picked her up and tossed her into one of the large trees. Usagi's eyes flashed silver as the crack of bones snapping entered the air. Before she knew it, her sword was in her hand and glowing orange and purple fire.
"You'll not attack my friends in my presence, filthy beast!" She wasn't surprised when the youma made a sword of it's own and parried her blow. She lit up her aura enough to blind it from following her shape too closely and began a series of rapid-fire slashes, every other one getting through to make a scream of pain and outrage filled the air. Students screamed and clapped as their ditzy classmate battled the youma.
"Shabon Spray Freezing! Out of the way, Usagi-chan!"
"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" The two senshi leapt out from behind a corner of the school, and circled to release their attacks. Mercury's breath caught as Usagi actually executed and perfect double flip, up over the arch of the lightning. She seemed to hover in midair and when the beast was probably burnt and encased in ice, she fell back down at a dizzying speed to thrust the tip of her blade into the heart of the youma.
It disintegrated into a fine powder.
"Usagi-- behind--" Minako's weak yell was too late. Usagi was already turned around. She yelled and tackled the youma who had hidden and had tried to sneak up behind her, pinning it to the rough wall with the intense fire of her weapon burning into its neck.
"You listen-- don't scream, you listen to me! You tell your queen that I PROTECT the one she fears so much. You tell her that if she EVER tries to attack me or my family, I will come after her and I will make her suffer in ways you have never even dreamed of! If you think the bit of muscle it takes to destroy your dirty barracks is something, you piss me off and I swear to the gods I'll blow up her universe and everything in it! Do you UNDERSTAND ME?" She was screaming in the youma's face as it trembled. "I have killed three of her generals, and the last will die soon enough. And you will not deliver this message to Beryl. You must insist of speaking it to Metalia only! BERYL WILL NOT HEAR THIS!"
"Yes... yes... I will do this... do not kill me..." It whimpered. Usagi harshly opened a portal and shoved the youma into it. The fire of the sword died away and she glanced at it. Taking a handful of her skirt, she wiped the bluish green blood from the blade and let it vanish into her subspace pocket.
At that moment, Kunzite pulled to a stop in front of the school, leaping off his bike and was at Usagi's side in a moment, noting the bruises and scratches. "I felt the trouble. Are you okay?"
Usagi nodded. "I'll be fine. Minako won't. I need you to take her to the hospital. You know where it is? Good. Minako-chan..." She knelt by the side of her friend. "Zi-chan is going to take you to the hospital. Yes, you need to go. Your arm is broken. Here. Be gentle." Mercury's jaw made a clonk sound hitting the ground as Usagi picked Minako up like a baby and let Seitosei take her.
"You owe me an explanation, Usagi-chan. They didn't hear, but I did." Minako joked, before passing out from the pain.
"Take the shortcut as soon as you're out of sight." Usagi whispered. Kunzite nodded, and gingerly climbed on his bike. He was gone just as quickly as he came.
Usagi turned to two very pissed senshi.
"You-- Usagi-- WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Jupiter yelled. At the sound of her anger, windows slammed shut. Kino Makoto was intimidating-- Sailor Jupiter was downright SCARY.
Usagi sighed. "Well, since I'd like to get to class, I'll tell you the short version. I have been hiding things from you. Before I was a senshi, I secretly led a strange trio of fighters to raid Beryl's ranks. We have killed lots of youma and there's a bounty on my head. Of course, that's completely okay. Now, I want to go to class and turn in my homework so I can go check on Minako."
Mercury shook her head and laid a hand on Jupiter shoulder as Usagi scooped up her bag and marched inside the school. "Usagi-chan has always been an enigma to all of us. Just don't. We can call a senshi meeting, without her, and Minako, because she'll be in the hospital. Perhaps Luna or Artemis will know something, and Rei should be home today."
Jupiter was already pushing buttons on her communicator as Mercury led her down the streets at a pace almost too fast for any human. In between breaths and dodging innocent bystanders, she told Rei and Mamoru what had happened, unaware Uranus and Neptune were listening avidly. She told them to find Artemis and they'd get Luna, and to meet at the temple in a few minutes.
Mamoru looked agitated and was holding a needle and surgical thread, and agreed all too quickly to a meeting without Usagi.
It took the duo a moment to find Luna, who was stalking squirrels in the park-- just practicing her skills, of course-- and another few minutes to make it to the temple, where they met Tuxedo Kamen with a small bundle of white fur on his shoulder.
The three of them dehenshined at once, and Luna and Artemis leapt down.
"What exactly is going on? Where are Usagi and Minako? Aren't you three supposed to be in school? My GOD, Mamoru, what have you done with yourself?!" Luna forgot the rest. Mamoru was wearing a jacket and jeans, the same things he'd been wearing when he henshined. A long, fresh wound traveled from the center of his chest up over his right shoulder and disappeared beneath the lapel of his ugly green jacket. He had just been putting the last stitch in when Jupiter had called.
"I'll tell you when we get up there." He zipped up the jacket, dark anger in the back of his blue eyes.
"Ditto." Ami nodded. "Come on, Rei's waiting. I'm glad she was out this week." They walked up the stairs in silence, the two cats racing ahead to inform Rei of their arrival.
The priestess met them at the top of the stairs, a frown on her face. "Come on inside. Mamoru-san, what did you do to your-- nevermind. You'll tell me in a minute. I've got tea ready."
After a short while of sipping and mumbling, Rei sat her cup down. "Okay, this is what I got. Minako and Usagi crashed into a youma in the schoolyard. You two go off to henshin. When you get back, Usagi is kicking the youma's ass with a freaky sword. You shoot off your attacks, she kills the youma. And then she flies at the one sneaking up behind her, threatens it, lets it go back to Beryl, tells you she's been a terrorist against Beryl since before she was a senshi, and goes inside to turn in her HOMEWORK before going to check on Minako, who was thrown into a tree by said youma and injured and then entrusted into the care of Usagi's hunky boyfriend."
"WHAT?!!" Luna shrieked, but hung her head. "I always knew the girl was hiding something." She sighed. "With her the leader of the senshi.... she should have TOLD us..."
Mamoru reluctantly stopped scowling. "I followed her last night. She met up with this little girl and a boy about her age. I couldn't stay close enough to hear what they were saying. and when I did manage, she somehow knew I was there and threw something-- sharp and glowing-- at me." He unzipped the jacket part way to show off his wound. "But before she did, I managed to get that she's been working with someone from the Dark Kingdom. He's the one who showed her a new way into it."
Artemis nodded, a serious look that was very kawaii on his little cat face. "This could be serious. It is enough that our leader has been going behind our backs for two years. But attacking one of our own-- even if she didn't know-- is a serious crime. She's probably the only one in the universe who could get away with it, as our princess."
Luna shook her head. "I've known her longer. When I found her, I could tell she was faking her clumsiness for me, but I stopped noticing it. She got perfect at hiding it right about the time we found you, Ami."
Rei closed her eyes. "And I have never been able to sense her emotions. I can tell all of your emotions right now: betrayal, confusion, anger, hurt, et cetera, but never hers. That's why I'm usually so snappish with her. It's unnerving to go your entire life seeing other people's moods and finding one person who has this weird impermeable dome around them."
Makoto shrugged. "I'm... just a little hurt, I guess. I thought Usagi-chan trusted us. But when she fought today..." A little shiver went up her spine. "I was scared. She was like nothing else I'd seen before. And when she pinned that youma... I know what Zoisite must have been feeling. It was just creepy. I thought Uranus was frightening, that one time?... but... wow...."
Mamoru's face darkened. "I don't like it. She's making deals with Dark kingdom trash, has a new boyfriend who's always in the right place at the right time, and she has suddenly acquired fighting skills so good that she can beat Uranus with one swipe of her staff. I really, honestly don't like it. At all."
"That's beautiful, really, it is. Should I be crying?"
"Usagi!" Ami jumped about three feet in the air as Usagi walked into the room, Kunzite's black leather trench coat over her shoulders and her hair down from her odango in cascading waves of gold and silver. Like some sort of angel from hell.
"Yup. I checked on Minako, who will be out soon. Her broken arm was mysteriously not broken." Was that annoyance or mischievousness in her eyes? "So I decide to follow Jupiter and Mercury here, where you are having a conversation about me. Hehe, I thought it was you in the shadows!" Usagi's voice held a little too much glee as she looked at Mamoru. "The ONLY reason I didn't go for your face. I can heal the wound if you want."
He glared at her. "I wouldn't need healing if you hadn't had attacked me. What if I'd been a kid or something?" He demanded.
She shrugged. "Then that kid would never spy on me again. Genso was not pleased and Sasa was scared. I ought to kick you just for that. Scaring a half-baby..." Anger flashed across her face. "And spying on me! It's hard to be a traitor when you're the daughter of Etern! I could defect to the Dark Kingdom and you'd still have a hard time proving your case to the Ary Council."
"How do you know about those people?" Luna jumped up on the table. "I never told you about Etern!"
Artemis was staring at Usagi, and she looked at him sharply as he gasped. "One word, my truth-reading kitty, and you'll be considerably froggier."
Luna was positively pissed. "And just who do you know from the Dark Kingdom? That is very serous, Usagi Tsukino."
"Luna, my darling, if you had cared to inform us that the dark kings were once our allies, perhaps I wouldn't have gone behind your back about it!" Rei looked at Usagi funny. "And I'll have you know that whatever she did, it was justified! She's more sense in her hand than all of you have combined!" She checked herself. "Sorry." She muttered.
"I'm ignoring the sudden multiple personality disorder." Ami was starting to get angry herself. "Usagi-chan, you can trust us! We would never think less of you!"
'They would, too.'
*I don't know. I know that my senshi would stand behind me no matter what. But I am not so sure of these. Your life, your call.*
'Your life, too, if you hadn't noticed. I don't care. But I wish you'd aimed better when you went for Mamoru.'
*And KILL the crown prince of Earth? I'm Eternia, not suicidal! I won't tell them about Zi-chan. Or Genso. Or much of anything.*
'Grr...'
"Well?" Rei could feel a strange buzzing in the back of her head when Usagi got that look of concentration on her face.
Usagi sighed. "Yes, I've been secretly attacking the Dark Kingdom and hiding skills. Why shouldn't I? it means that I am underestimated, the greatest advantage ever given. How do you think we managed to off Jadeite and Nephrite so easily? Because at last moment Sailormoon got gung-ho and scared the shit out of them."
For once, everyone was silent. Even Mamoru had nothing to say.
"I might have been purposefully clumsy. It never got anyone hurt, and it usually helped, in fact, distract the youma so you guys could wear it down. I've always pulled through. And just in case any of you hadn't noticed, this is a war. If I'm talking to Beryl's traitors, then that's all the more to help us." She looked directly at Artemis.
The white cat flushed, but nodded. "You're absolutely right, Usagi. In the Silver Millennium we had several double agents." He paused, almost as though he expected her to stop him. "You among them, Princess."
Ami pulled out her palmtop and was busy hacking her own database. Makoto was numbly silent, trying to remember. Rei sighed.
"Maybe that's why I'm not surprised." She managed a small smile. "I trust you, Usagi. I know you're not telling us everything, but I trust you."
"It's fine that you do." Mamoru was absolutely furious.
Usagi turned to glare at him. "You have no right to be jealous of Seitosei. You're the one who broke this off, if you'd care to remember. Why don't you get a dog or something instead of stalking me? Has anyone ever told you no without you going all psychosomatic on them?"
"Low blow..." Makoto whispered to Ami, who didn't hear her. She was occupied in reading the small screen, her blue eyes growing wider and wider. Makoto turned for Mamoru's rebuttal, sighing.
Makoto was shocked. She had never, ever seen the man so furious as he was now. She realized that the stresses of his normal life, plus the extra from being his alter ego, along with Usagi and her escapades must be hitting about his 'enough!!!' point. He looked positively terrifying as he stood as to not have to look up at Usagi. For a second, he towered over her, but Usagi pushed out her chest in defiance and suddenly it was she who was taller, but this didn't daunt Mamoru.
"Just because you're the moon princess and the leader of the senshi you think you're hot shit. Well, let me tell you, Usagi, you're far from it. You're just a little girl who thinks because she's got some power she can bully her way around and live a charmed life. You're going to get hurt one day and you're going to die, and who's going to lead then, hmm?"
Usagi had the audacity to giggle, and Mamoru's purple face darkened another shade. Shaking her head, she drew out the sword that Makoto and Ami had spoke of earlier. Artemis took one look at it and his gasp made Luna look at it harder. She shrieked and fainted.
"Do you know what this is?" She thrust it to his face level so he could see it better. Even without the aura of fire accompanying it, it was so obviously not an ordinary weapon.
Ami's eyes went from her computer screen to the sword, and back again, twice. Her eyes could not possibly get any wider.
"No." Mamoru felt his blood pressure drop a little. For some reason the sword had a calming presence on him, and it was so beautiful. The engravings on the hilt were runes of a language he did not recognize, but he knew the words were comforting ones-- to him, anyway. Those same runes had been used to strike fear into the hearts of--
Ami shut her computer and closed her eyes and began to speak in a soft, twisting language that should have tongue tied her many times over. It was a pretty, almost lyrical speech that she recited, and Mamoru knew she was speaking what the runes spelled. Usagi turned, and nodded.
"Perfect. You need to work on the 'lls', though. You never told me you could speak Lunarian."
"What did she say?" Makoto asked, confusing. The speech had sent chills down her spine and raised gooseflesh on her arms, but she had no idea what it meant.
"I am the one that legend has spoke of. If you do evil, or cause harm to what I protect, fear me, for your end is near. I am the one of blind justice, the one of flawed beauty. See my hands weld this, for none other may. Eternal is my love, and my love shall be your end." Usagi grinned. "That's the closest you get to a translation.... Lunarian is one of those languages that can never be translated properly."
Artemis was awestruck. It didn't take an idiot to see that. He opened his mouth, but Ami beat him to it.
"That's IMPOSSIBLE! In order to weld that thing you'd have to be Etern himself! Only his pure blood could withstand the weight and power of that thing! And you're so many generations down that even if your great-grandmother touched that thing she'd die! It's IMPOSSIBLE!"
"No, it's not." Luna and Usagi spoke at the same time. Usagi continued. "I told you I went through a costume change? It was a little more than that. *I* am the daughter of Etern. And the prize came complete with blood work and every power I had or have had." She smiled triumphantly and pointed the sword at Mamoru. "So I AM hot shit, Tux."
There was a knock at the door. Rei started. For a moment she had been back in a marble palace, listening to Princess Serenity argue with the Queen about the disadvantages of keeping her identity as the moon warrior secret when there was a full-scale war going on...
She got up, waited until Usagi put the sword up, and slid open the door. She frowned to find Kunzite standing there.
"Usagi, it's your booooyfriend." She shook her head, trying to clear the uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu she felt around the tall man.
"Usagi-sama said she would only be a moment. I came to see if anything was wrong. We're going to be late."
Usagi blinked, and then nodded. "You're right. We are late. I only meant to tell them about Minako, but I got caught up in something. Come on." She took his arm, and turned to smile at the senshi. "Those two people that aren't really here can tell you everything they know." She laughed and led Kunzite out of the temple.
Rei stared after them. The way Kunzite had offered his arm and his elegant smile were so eerily familiar... especially the way he stared at Usagi... that intensity in silver eyes... she'd seen it before....
It wa son the tip of her tongue, but then a blankness came. She cursed as she recognized the same magic that kept her from Usagi's business and was now keeping her from remembering who her leader's companion was. She cursed again, this time so violently Luna gasped and even Makoto turned pink. Mamoru stared, and was about to ask where Rei had learned such a painful expression, but he never got the chance. The priestess spun on her heel and used every trick to make herself appear twenty feet tall and scarier than Beryl had ever been.
"THAT MAN IS NOT HUMAN!" She said in her most severe voice.
That was all it took for Mamoru. He felt something akin to elation at the statement and was Tuxedo Kamen before anyone could even blink. He had an excuse to kill the evil monster! Yay!
Makoto became Jupiter quickly, to follow him. Ami sighed and did the same.
They didn't have to go far. Tuxedo Kamen had frozen at the top of the steps, staring down. Jupiter and Mercury, and then Mars, walked up to stand beside him, curious to see what had made the hero pause.
They saw. Usagi and Kunzite stood on the sidewalk, and Usagi was speaking animatedly to Sailor Uranus and Neptune. Uranus had her sword slung over her shoulder and was nodding seriously, while Neptune was speaking to Kunzite in a lower tone of voice.
"There really isn't a lot of time." They could just barely make out Usagi's words. "I can feel that they almost have enough energy to release Metalia. If that happens, I can't even begin to think of what she could do before we managed to subdue her, let alone kill her!"
"I do understand. With Kunzite's information, can't we just barge right in and get this over with?" Uranus retorted. "You're the one protecting him. Hell, bring him along! I want to see the look on Beryl's face..."
Kunzite waved his arms wildly and hissed something at the both of them. Uranus's eyes shot up to the three senshi and Tuxedo Kamen and she immediately grabbed Neptune's arm and ran out of sight. Jupiter cursed loudly and bounded down the steps to follow, but the absolute fury in Usagi's eyes stopped her.
"You listen NOW!" Her voice was deeper, and commanding. "I may now know all of you as I did my own senshi--" Kunzite shook his head slightly, and Usagi sighed. "Nevermind. I have more important things to be doing." She let Kunzite steer her hand, one large hand on her slim shoulder.
"Usagi, he's not human! Stop!" Sailor Mars took the stairs in three bounds to land beside her friend. She glared at Kunzite.
Usagi shrugged. "Neither am I. Neither are you. He's my friend. I can trust him." The unspoken jibe hit Mars, but did not make her back down.
"Usagi, you're putting yourself in danger, don't you see?" Mars pleaded, turning her friend around to face her. She drew back as Usagi's aura flared up, an invisible wave of power only she and Kunzite could fell. Her gasp was very, very audible.
"You...."
Usagi put her finger to her lips. "They can't know yet, Rei. Because in a little while I'm going to have to go home. There is no one in my home to protect it."
Mars blinked, and looked at Kunzite. This time, his true identity was very clear to her, and she looked back to her friend. "I don't understand how you came to be in Usagi's body. But I won't tell the others." She stepped back and dehenshined, to the other senshi's shock.
"Thank you, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled. "Actually..." She looked thoughtful, but frowned. "Never mind. Come on, Z-chan. They'll be waiting for us."
"Artemis, wait." Rei said, as Usagi and Kunzite turned to go.
Usagi turned. "That's not my name."
Rei paused, confused. "It's not?"
Usagi shook her head, her face solemn. "The gods are my children. I am Eternia." She climbed on the back of Kunzite's bike, and he started it, the growl of the engine keeping Rei from exclaiming her shock.
With a swish of leather, they were gone.
Rei was left to pick her jaw off of the pavement, which she did just as the senshi made it down the stairs to stand beside her, looking after Kunzite and Usagi angrily.
"Why'd you let them go?" Jupiter demanded. "And why did you dehenshin in front of that man? He could be the enemy."
For a moment, Rei was unusually silent.
"He's not the enemy." Mercury said, unnerved by Rei's quiet and the way the miko was looking after the motorcycle. "I scanned him while we were up there. There's hardly any negative energy in him, which is actually quite strange. Of course, my computer could be malfunctioning. It wouldn't scan Usagi at all. It just kept saying that I needed to get subject's permission..."
She trailed away as Venus laid a tentative hand on Rei's shoulder. "Rei-chan? Are you okay?"
"Rei?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, when the girl didn't answer.
Rei sighed. "I... I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Don't worry about Usagi, either. She... She could not possibly be in better hands."
She closed her eyes. 'Eternia, for your sake and mine, I hope that you are as wise as the fire says.'
Back in the temple, the fire roared high, and a strange, tinkling laughter came form the very bowels of the red and orange flame. Laughter, because it knew what only one other person knew.