Hey everyone! I changed my penname, as I'm sure you all noticed, and I'm now rosa lunae. I think it fits my style and personality a bit better than Moon Pie. Rose lunae is Latin for "the moon's rose" or "rose of the moon". I like it. How about you guys?
I started a C2, everyone! It's called "Usagi and Mamoru Romantic Suspense" and if you want info on the community and the stories in it, or you want to be on staff, go to . I had like 14 stories, then the stupid thing messed up and deleted them all, so I have to go back on my favorites list and re-add them. Everyone, please feel free to join, and contribute! We all love action and romance in the same stories!
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Anyways, back to the story. Here's the review thingies!
JadesRose: I love an honest review! Hands around neck—not a menacing gesture, lol! He's not strangling her, he's like, cupping hands around—oh, never mind. Tender, not murder! But that really made me laugh! I didn't think of it that way! And about Venus vs Kunzite? I think I was in such a writing frenzy I flew threw the scene, and I know what you're saying. However, later in the story, I hope you'll be pleased with their next interaction. (mysterious smile) I wanted the beam to be bigger, so it came from her palms. Hee! Thanks so much for reviewing! Yours are probably the most constructive and helpful! BTW, I added your story to my new C2!
WingsofaDream: Your reviews are by far the funniest, most entertaining I get! I LOVE them! I write chapters just so I can get a review from you, lol! I can be stressed about something, but reading your reviews cheer me right up, and get me back to work on the story. I hope you enjoyed the buffet; feel free to chow down on this new chapter!
omystars: You flatter me! Did it really give you chills? That was precisely what I was aiming for. And you say your heart ached with Usagi! That's the highest compliment you can give me about my character development: that you truly felt for them! Thank you so much for your wonderful compliments and your dedicated reviews. I hope this chapter clears up any confusion I left you with! Thanks again!
CatDemon1: The Sailor V/Serenity thing is a twist in the manga that the anime left completely out. You'll find out more about it in this chapter. I hope I didn't confuse you too much! (Minako is a… no. You'll find out. )
koldy: Gracias. Thanks for reviewing!
cardcaptor eternity: Thanks so much! Your review totally encouraged me! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!
insanechildfanfic: Thanks! So are you since you reviewed!
Small Lady19: I'm so glad you like this story! Thanks sooo much for reviewing! I hope the update didn't take too long…
Frozen Fire: All in one sitting?! Wow. I'm impressed, since I definitely didn't write it all in one sitting, lol. About the lines between character POV's: I totally understand what you're saying. In the first few chapters, I'd put in a row of stars, but they didn't come up. Hopefully now, my dashed lines are coming up. I'm sorry about the confusion in the first few chapters, but I hope from now on, it will be easier to understand. Thanks for the honesty, lol! And I'm glad you liked it so far! I hope the update didn't take too long, and thank you sooooo much for reviewing!
samsonite: Hey! I'm so glad you liked my story! Ah, the generals…who knows what will become of them… well, I do! You'll just have to wait and find out! . Oh! And thank you sooo much for reviewing my other story "The Unexpected"! I needed just one more review to get to 100! It was driving me crazy; now I can sleep peacefully! Thank you soo much!
Neonlights: Ah, my faithful harasser! Seriously, I'd never get anything done if I didn't have you. LOL! I was wondering where you were! Surprised by the double chapter? Hee Hee! Thanks for the thank you! LOL! It makes me feel loved. And you're welcome. And thanks right back for being so dedicated to keeping me straight. Yes, in this chapter, all heck breaks loose. It'll be fun! Where's your next update? I'm hanging off the cliff… Anyways, enjoy! And thanks again for reviewing!
Starlit Warrior: So wonderful to get your kind reviews! You're so thoughtful to thank me, and to wish me luck on the next chapter. I appreciate it! And I can't tell you how tickled I am to read your constant "God Bless!" That's perhaps the most comforting statement you can give me! Thanks so much for reviewing, and I'm so glad you're liking it! I hope you enjoy the update, and may God bless you right back!
There. Now! On to the chapter!
-rosa lunae
Chapter Seven: Ecclesiastes 3:4"There is a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance."
-Ecclesiastes 3:4
Zoisite passed the throne room quietly, not wishing to disturb his queen. He would be summoned shortly because of his failure. However, he had managed to discover some things, not to mention his youma had seriously injured Sailor Moon (an accomplishment about which he remained ambivalent).He definitely didn't consider it a wasted trip. But he knew he would pay for it eventually, though the way of this escaped him.
He wandered through the halls of the Dark Palace, taking the scenic route to the dungeon so he could think.
It wasn't a secret that he wasn't satisfied with the life he was living while serving Beryl. But he could not remember anything else, so he had nothing to compare it to. So he compared to what he could see in Sailor Moon.
She was surrounded by friends that cared about her, had her back, stood by her side. Well. The other generals formed this tight group, but there was something missing. Something subconscious that they knew had been stolen, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it, and so it wasn't mentioned.
Zoisite wasn't a fool, either. Sure, he hadn't interacted with another female besides Queen Beryl for… well, who knows how long. But even though he couldn't remember being exposed to such things, he recognized the affection between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. It was written in how their eyes darted first to the other when danger came, how they fought side-by-side, each predicting and then acting off of the other's moves, how they held each other close when the battle was won (and so far, it was always won).
This was something Zoisite yearned for. Something he felt he'd experienced once before, but… the senses behind the hidden memories were hazy. Something terrible had happened to sabotage it, and the Strategist wasn't sure if he wanted to know about it. But the desire made him certain.
Even before he reported back, he knew exactly what he was going to do, whether his brothers-in-arms joined him or not. In fact, he'd decided long before.
Zoisite finally found himself standing at the door of the dungeon. He took a deep breath, and went in.
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Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen sat on top of a skyscraper in downtown Tokyo at midnight. They weren't speaking, just holding hands and sitting closely. Sailor Moon's head rested on his shoulder.
If only they knew.
Finally, Mamoru spoke, his voice amused. "You complain that nightmares ruin your sleep, and yet you insist on roaming the city at ungodly hours? You are a wonderful mystery to me, Sailor Moon." His eyes sparkled with laughter, his hands light when he cupped her cheek.
She smiled. "I can't help it. I don't know why. Besides, the Senshi insisted that we take time out of the early morning to train." She fingered the new weapon, the Crescent Moon Wand, the weapon Queen Serenity had used, that she'd been given. She turned it slowly into her hand, feeling all the dormant power within it.
He chuckled, pulling her closer. "I don't suppose I'm invited?"
She tipped her head to look at him. He adored the way they danced. "Not officially."
Tuxedo Kamen tilted her head up to steal a kiss, then sobered. "What do you make of Sailor Venus's claim to the throne?"
For some reason, the very thought of it wiped out all the mirth in Sailor Moon's eyes. She felt threatened, offended, suspicious, but none of these emotions were directed at Sailor Venus, who asked to be called Minako, only at the idea of her being the princess.
"It feels wrong," she admitted. "I mean, I don't know why, but I don't like it. It goes against everything I've seen in my dreams. Sailor Venus was in love with Kunzite, not Endymion."
He tenderly noticed the way her voice dropped as she mentioned his past name. The concept of a past life was still foreign to him, but he couldn't imagine loving anyone but the young woman entwined in his arms. He traced her cheek, admiring how much the idea she was taking something from someone else disturbed her. He pulled her close and decided to change the subject since the current one caused her so much pain. Plus, he didn't understand it, so he couldn't ease her pain any.
"Usako, it wasn't an accident that you ran into me every day. I made sure I was always in your way, just so I could see you. Even from the very beginning, I was enthralled with you."
She smiled, her eyes falling heavily. "I still think the fates are against me. I live under the shadow of this princess. But I never expected one of the Senshi to claim the throne. But she had the birthmark, the symbol, the aura… but how could she be the Princess of Venus AND the Moon? Ugh. My head hurts. I usually don't think that hard for so long."
Mamoru laughed, pulling her into his lap, and wrapping her into his cape, noticing how her speech slurred slightly and eyelids drooped. "Well, then stop. Stop thinking and get some sleep. You need to show her who's who when you train in the morning."
She giggled softly, closing her eyes, and curling into his arms. "And here I thought you were supposed to balance out my crazy ideas, not encourage them."
Tuxedo Kamen chucked again, looking up at the moon. "Goodnight, Sailor Moon."
A few minutes passed, and her breathing became slow and steady. He studied her beautiful, innocent features, made child-like by the mask of sleep. It did crazy things to his heart, the way the moonlight folded over her face. He looked up at the moon, remorse he couldn't fathom overcoming him. And thought he didn't understand it, the former Prince of Earth, began to cry.
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"How long do I have to do this, Artemis?"
The white cat rolled his eyes at the constant question. "Listen, we don't know who the real Princess is, Minako, but we do know that we are very close to finding her. Therefore, we need you to be a decoy to distract the enemy once we do. Are you having second thoughts?"
Minako's blue eyes hardened at the suggestion. "No, Artemis. Anything to protect the princess." They softened again. "But I think Sailor Moon sees right through me."
Artemis sat on his haunches, pondering. "Luna doesn't quite understand Sailor Moon. Usagi is a carefree teenager—she's a bit of a flake, lazy, clumsy, not concerned with school… but like you saw, Sailor Moon is a fierce fighter, highly skilled in the martial arts, confident, courageous, and Luna tells me she puts the well-being of her Senshi before all."
He scratched an itch at his neck, thinking. "Well, Sailor Moon has always been a paradox. She didn't exist in the past…now she does. She is not meant to be understood."
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"What did you find out, Zoisite?" Nephrite asked eagerly, clutching the bars of his cell tightly.Zoisite leaned against the damp wall opposite the cell. "Many things."
Jadeite rolled his eyes. "Please. Out with it, man!"
Zoisite gave a small, stressed smile, and began. "Sailor Moon says that once, a thousand years ago, we were the four leading Generals of Earth. And we were the sworn protectors of the Earth's Crown Prince, Endymion. She says that Great Metallia brainwashed us to join the Dark Kingdom."
Silence. Utter and complete.
Zoisite took a deep breath and continued. "Sailor Moon says that she does not consider us traitors since according to her story we were misled and the things we did—she did not specify—weren't by our own will. The Queen of the Moon sent us all forward through time."
"How can we get our memories of the past back?" Nephrite wondered.
Zoisite began to speed up, the prospects exciting him. "Sailor Moon says that Prince Endymion was in love with Princess Serenity of Earth. She is the one with the power to return our memories to us. However, they haven't found her yet. She did say that she knew Endymion, who, according to her, has no ill feelings towards us. Finally, she said that she was making no effort to force us, only to give us information to make an informed decision."
Jadeite was less convinced. "But how are we to give up the only life we have known for years to go by the word of a Sailor Senshi, who we've only known to be treasonous?"
Nephrite answered him. "We must find out if this really IS all we've ever known. And perhaps what Beryl told us made us think the Senshi were traitorous, but has this ever been proved? Besides, Sailor Moon spared my life when she could have easily taken it. Why else would she have motives to do this than to set us free again?"
Before Zoisite could voice his agreement, an iron grip suddenly locked around him. With a feral roar, Kunzite summoned the bars to rise, threw Zoisite in, and then, they slammed shut again.
"You fools! It's a trap! Sailor Moon is trying to trick you into fighting on her side! You deserve to die a traitor's death, and I will PERSONALLY take care of that, after I take care of the wretched female who is bewitching you! Then, I'll see that the Queen learns of your treason!"
With scowl and a snarl, Kunzite threw open a portal, and turned back to glare at them. "And, if you'd paid attention, you'd have heard that the newest Senshi has just announced that she is the Princess you fools search for! I'll be sure to destroy her for you, and you can get this treasonous thoughts from your heads!" With that, the portal disappeared behind him, his cape flaring.
The other three Generals were shocked into silence. They were surprised to find that they were more worried about Sailor Moon's safety than their comrade's.
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Usagi trudged through the woods, dragging herself down the path Rei had shown her. What a pain to have to leave Mamoru's warm arms to train. She lifted a veil of vines and stepped into the clearing, muttering to herself. She looked up and discovered all of the other Senshi staring at her. Minako giggled quietly, startling Ami from her book. Lita studied the leaves on an oak tree, oblivious to the highly dangerous, fuming Rei only a few feet away from her.
Usagi groaned one more time, just to let it out. "Well. Let's begin shall we?"
"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!"
The other Senshi followed suit, donning their fukus in a flash of lights.
Sailor Moon was instantly serious. They'd never trained in a full group before, so she was unsure how to start. So, she decided to test the woman who called herself Serenity. The idea was offensive, but Sailor Moon simply had no idea why. So, she decided to take everyone by surprise, and launched a powered down tiara.
"Moon Tiara Action!"
The other Senshi leapt into action as the glowing disk flew at Sailor Venus. The young woman dove to the right, dodging, and fluidly rolled and got to her feet again, launching a "Crescent Beam!"
Sailor Moon jumped over the beam, and somersaulted towards the Venusian Senshi, executing a flawless turn-around kick. Though startled at the attack, Venus kept her head and easily blocked the blow, delivering a karate chop of her own. Out of the corner of her eye, Sailor Moon could see Mercury and Mars ganging up Jupiter, who easily handled them both. She could also feel the watchful eye of Tuxedo Kamen, providing his constant, silent support.
Their vicious fight continued until finally, Sailor Moon stepped it up a notch. She'd been holding back, trying to see what the new Senshi "Princess" could do. She was satisfied at this level, and so she raised the bar. Her kicks and chops were faster, her blocks, harder, and she made more effort to make contact than to test. Sailor Venus's eyes hardened instinctively as she sensed the passage, and she too, stepped up her fighting.
Finally, Sailor Venus whipped out her weapon, and cried, "Venus Love-Me Chain!"
Quickly, Sailor Moon saw she couldn't avoid the lightning fast chain, and snatched off her tiara.
They landed awkwardly, with Sailor Moon tangled in the Love-Me chain, but her tiara pressed dangerously against Sailor Venus's pale neck.
Sailor Moon stared her down for a moment, then a warm smile crossed her features. She rose, and untangled herself, replacing her tiara. "You fight well, Sailor Venus," she commended, kindly. "I see those years as Sailor V have paid off."
Sailor Venus blushed at the compliment for reasons Sailor Moon didn't understand. "Arigatou, Sailor Moon. You are not bad yourself."
"Did you love him?" Sailor Moon asked suddenly, her eyes boring a hole into Sailor Venus's face with their intensity.
"Who?" Venus asked, mentally panicking. Artemis didn't tell me all the history!
Sailor Moon tried not to appear as suspicious as she was. "Prince Endymion."
Venus was thoroughly unnerved by the intense look in Sailor Moon's eyes. She did not know how to answer, so she decided that Sailor Moon, the Moon's Protector, should at least know that she was a decoy. She chose to hint at it. "Serenity loved Endymion," she answered vaguely. "And Serenity is to be protected."
Just as Sailor Moon made the connection, she caught sight of an opening portal overhead Sailor Venus. "Incoming!" she yelled, diving towards her comrade, and tackling her to the ground. She rolled, taking the startled blonde with her, then helped her to stand, watching as half a dozen youmas dropped from the sky. The other Senshi immediately stopped they're drilling, and Tuxedo Kamen leapt from the trees, throwing dozens of roses as he fell through the air.
Just as each Senshi found herself faced with a youma, an ominous, furious voice bellowed through the night.
"Where is Sailor Venus, the one who calls herself Princess Serenity?!"
Sailor Moon launched her tiara at a youma, then whirled at the sound of her voice. "No… Not again…" she whispered, tortured. She was so distracted, Tuxedo Kamen had throw her out of the way of the next youma.
"History repeats itself," she hissed to him, watching as Sailor Venus began the fierce duel with a "Crescent Beam!"
"Sailor Venus is a decoy!" Sailor Moon whispered to Tuxedo Kamen, as she used his shoulders to throw herself over his head to throw a vicious kick to the youma's head. Again, she destroyed it with her tiara.
Tuxedo Kamen grinned at the news. However, Sailor Moon was VERY aware that her Senshi was now fighting the General she'd loved in her past life. She was VERY grateful that Venus didn't have that memory, but the repetition of history terrified her.
Meanwhile….
Kunzite wasted no time launching a wave of dark energy towards his adversary. Venus dodged, and as she rolled back to her feet, returned a "Crescent Beam!" of her own! The super fast beam nailed him in the shoulder. He grunted, staggering back a few steps as his hand flew to the wound.
Venus watched him warily, but yet, an overwhelming desire to weep closing her throat. What she was doing was very, very wrong, and she had no idea why.
"Stop this, General!" she ordered (more like pleaded), "I don't want to fight you!"
Kunzite sneered derisively. "Of course not! You want to me to turn from my 'evil ways,'" he said, mockingly, "so I can turn from all I have ever known to serve you like the slobbering pity you claim I used to be!"
Venus paled, terrified that the enemy knew so much more than she. "What are you talking about?!" she demanded furiously, her fear only fueling her anger.
Kunzite smiled evilly, and instead of reaching for the sword that hung at his side, he produced a whip and cracked it loudly, being sure to have everyone's attention.
"Denial. Always charming! Sailor Moon! Observe as I destroy your precious Princess!"
About fifty feet away, battling a youma with Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon set her jaw, eyes hard. "Not one of MY Senshi, Kunzite, brainwashed or not." She blasted the youma into oblivion, and took off running, ignoring the startled shouts of Tuxedo Kamen
Kunzite ran towards Sailor Venus, and snapped the whip. Venus gave a cry and threw herself into a backwards handspring, gasping as she felt the wind from the whip in her hair, and landed only to throw herself to the side to avoid the next crack.
"You, Princess Serenity, must be punished for deceiving my comrades and filling their head with fanatical ideas! It's because of you that they've turned on me! This cannot be forgiven!!!" Invigorated to the point of delirium by his own words, Kunzite cracked the whip once again, and the sound of lashing, tearing flesh pierced the air, but Venus, eyes clenched shut, never felt the blow.
"No!" Tuxedo Kamen breathed, urging his feet to move faster.
Kunzite laughed at the sight. Sailor Moon's eyes were clenched shut, and her shoulders trembled as she fought the cries. An angry red welt rose on her skin from the right corner of her forehead, across her face, and down her left arm. Blood began to seep through the deepest parts of the wound.
However, when Sailor Moon opened her eyes, they were dangerously dark, and her voice was strong. "Why do you bring the Princess into this, Kunzite?" She demanded, unwavering, and taking a step forward as Jupiter whisked a shocked Venus to safety. "I'm the one who convinced your men to join my side. Obviously, I am the one you want."
Kunzite's eyes lit with dark pleasure. "Indeed. Well, Sailor Moon, you spared Jadeite, you bested Nephrite, you allowed Zoisite to escape, but now you face me, and I desire none of your disgraceful mercy."
Although it pained her to smile, because of her bruised features, Sailor Moon gave a rueful one anyway. She slid into her fighting stance. "You shall have it nonetheless, my friend. In fact, you may find that you need it!"
With that, Sailor Moon whipped off her tiara and let it fly. It gave Kunzite a similar slice on the face, mimicking the one he'd given her.
"There. Now we're even." She hissed, snapping the tiara from the air when it boomeranged back to her.
The General growled, and dove at her, and a fierce battle of the martial arts began. Sailor Moon chose the defensive this time. She was lighting fast, and dodged every kick, blocked every blow.
"You fight well, Sailor Moon, but how are you at sword play?" he snarled, yanking the sword from his belt.
Sailor Moon reached behind her back, flicked her wrist, and summoned the Crescent Moon Want, and used it to block the blow from the Sword. It extended into a long staff, and every time the weapons clashed, silver energy spurted from the wand.
Sailor Moon was lighting fast, and managed to block every thrust and parry of Kunzite.
Kunzite became angrier by the second, but realized that her speed exceeded his own, so he resorted to energy. Tossing the sword to the side, he leapt backwards, and floated in the air. A bright sphere of energy surrounded him.
Mars, her heart racing from the adrenaline, saw this as an opportunity. "Fire Soul!" she screamed, and a huge mass of flames exploded from her fingertips and flew at Kunzite.
Sailor Moon watched as the energy was absorbed into the globe around the last General of Earth, and when it swelled, her blood ran cold. "NO!!" she shrieked, she flicked her wrist, brandishing the Crescent Moon Wand again. "He's going to reflect it!" She used the energy from her want to blow the Senshi gently to safety. They screamed all the way, but by the time they touched the ground again, they were much too far away to stop the newly magnified energy beam from hitting their leader. She instinctively threw up her hands to shield her already damaged face.
Time slowed for Mamoru. He could hear his cape rustling in the wind he created by running. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest; he could see Sailor Moon's delicious blonde tendrils waving in the air, moved by the narrow energy beam that was approaching her.
He understood that consequences would follow his next action, but he ignored that. He only knew that the woman he loved was in danger.
This has happened before, he realized, as he stepped in front of her thin frame, wishing he could have the chance the wound on her face.
Time resumed its normal flow. Tuxedo Kamen crumpled to the ground and Sailor Moon let out a bone-chilling scream.
"Well, then, die. Die with the knowledge that you failed her in the very end."
With that, the evil woman sent a deadly blast towards them. Instinctively, the prince shoved the princess out of the way. She screamed, and watched as he crumbled. She crawled over to him, oblivious to the war that surrounded her, and cradled his body.
Wordlessly, she began to weep.
Wordlessly, she began to weep. And he remembered her.
"Serenity…!" he whispered, amazed, oblivious to the pain. He traced her cheek, awed, then his eyes closed, and his body went limp.
All the pain, guilt, anger, sorrow of a thousand years in one anguished howl from the one no one understood: "NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Her tiara shattered, and the insignia of the White Moon Kingdom burned with passion on her forehead. And even as Sailor Venus ran to her, her own crescent faded, and a tiara appeared on her forehead.
But Serenity was oblivious to all, all but the man whose head she cradled in her lap.
"I understand now," she whispered to his ears, deaf with unconsciousness. "The dreams, the feelings, everything. Of course, we were meant to be. But all along, I knew… I knew that the Kingdom's destruction was my fault. The Senshi and the Generals… my fault. Because of me, the Silver Millennium fell. I should not be allowed to live, and yet you, Endymion, you are the one whose life is in danger!"
She cried in to his chest, still weakly moving up and down. "Finally, we find each other in this new life, this new time, but history chooses to repeat itself a final time!" Her frail body, now adorned with a white gown, the final clue to her identity "Is this our fate? Cruelty! Oh, Endymion! I love you…!"
A tear fell from her ocean blue eye, churning with grief. It slid slowly down her cheek, then, before it was halfway down, it burst into light.
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Sailor Mercury held enough sense in her mind to summon her visor, and tapped dazedly on an earring. The visor appeared, and she found she could see through the blinding light.
"Usagi's tear has crystallized!" she breathed, and Venus sucked in a deep breath.
"I remember now," Mars whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.
"We are the four guardian Senshi of the Princess of the White Moon, strongest warriors of the Silver Millennium!" Jupiter murmured to herself, gazing up at the suspended couple through the blinding light of the crystal.
"We were reborn in this timeline to protect her, and revive her kingdom!" Mercury whispered.
Venus smiled as the memories that had been blocked for so long washed over the wall that had caved them in. "Our real princess is…"
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Kunzite shielded his eyes with his cape, but the warm white light embraced him. Slowly, he felt the darkness in his mind slowly recede, and he looked down at the couple.
"Kuso…" he whispered, tortured. "Master Endymion! Lady Serenity! What have I DONE?!?!"
Suddenly, the sultry voice he now remembered loathing came to him. "Now Kunzite, capture the Princess and the Imperium Crystal for the Dark Kingdom!"
"No! Serenity!!!" Sailor Mars screeched.
A plan flashed into his mind, and he attempted to rush towards the couple, tears streaming down his face, but as he had predicted the Senshi tackled her out of the way. He snagged Prince Endymion and whisked him off.
Her haunting wail followed him through the portal.
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Wow. I had to end it somewhere, minna. I hope this chapter had the desired affect. Remember, the more reviews, the quicker I update! And don't forget to check out my C2! The URL is at the top of the page!
Please review!
Sarabada,
rosa luna