Once again, its quite a short chapter, becuase Im currently revising for all my mock exams, so yeah. I thought I may as well write the next chapter now, otherwise I may not get around to it for weeks. Anyway enjoy it, and just because I have had a couple of questions about this, I will not be following the exact episode structure of the series itself. It's quite a constraint if I do, so I'm just pretty much heading where I want and adding the setting in later, if that makes sense. Yeah.

So enjoy, and remember that little review button is there for your use!

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Mamoru's apartment was like an oven, Raye felt as though she couldn't breathe. There was a faint, but distinct smell of sick coming from the bedroom. She crossed the living room to pull open the balcony doors, and let the fresh air seep into the apartment. Mamoru was on the sofa, fast asleep. Raye sighed and knelt down beside him. He too smelt of sick and the smell of bed, and unrest. Grabbing hold of the sofa to get back up, Raye knocked her foot on something small and unmistakeably solid.

It was a locket, small and golden, in the shape of a 5 point star. Holding it, Raye tried to figure out where she had seen it before, but she couldn't remember. She put it down next to Mamoru on the sofa and set about cleaning out the bucket in his room and changing the bed in silence.

She took the can of soup from her bag and put it on the oven, filling up a tub to try and wipe that damn smell off him. Normally Raye might have put on some music, but she told herself that Mamoru would wake up, and it was inappropriate anyway. It was always inappropriate.

As Raye set down the soup on the coffee table and began to wring out the flannel she realised that this was hard. When she had been after Mamoru, she would have died for a moment like this: the sunlight was streaming in, and the smell of hot soup was quickly filling the apartment. Everything was simple then, but now that she knew his history, things were different. How could Raye compete with someone Mamoru had loved since before he'd been born?

Raye had been too preoccupied lately, but now she was beginning to wonder whether she would be able to handle it if Mamoru really did love Usagi, who after all was Princess Serenity. She picked up the locket to look at it once more. That was where she knew it from! She had seen it in Usagi's bag a few months ago. At that moment, Mamoru, making her drop the locket in shock. His voice was hoarse:

"Raye? What's going on? What time is it?"

"Its 4.25pm, I came after school because it's practically on my way home….they wanted me to come and check you were okay. I brought soup…" Raye felt the need to explain why she was in Mamoru's home, it seemed almost indecent for her to be here.

"Thank you, I don't know what to say."

"Don't mention it." Raye helped him sit up and began to help him eat the soup; she knew he was waiting for the right time to talk about what had happened. The soup was almost all gone before Raye's impatience got the better of her.

"Mamoru… can I ask you?"

"Ask me what?"

"What happened to you… you know when Usagi-" Raye didn't actually want to use the work 'attack'.
"Attacked me?" (Apparently, Mamoru had no such reservations.) Raye nodded.

"I don't know."

"At all?" Raye didn't mean to sound hopeful, but the senshei had met up at lunchtime to discuss it, and they all agreed that it must be something important: Usagi was so shocked after it had happened and had left straight away.

"No." Mamoru's tone was final.

"Okay," Raye sighed: the soup was gone and there was no need to stat "well, I suppose I should go. I mean if you're alright and everything…" she took the plate to the sink, and waited for Mamoru to stop her.

She looked to him searching the sofa: evidently for his locket.

"It's on the floor," she said, and left without another word.

Kunzite had never been in here before. He knew he was not meant to be here, nobody but Beryl-sama had been in this chamber. He waited for his eyes to adjust. He was standing on a huge platform, which looked as though it was deformed, splintering off into the darkness. Directly in front of him was something he simply couldn't describe. It looked like a huge acid-flesh coloured sphere and there were veins moving through it and it almost seemed to be bubbling: but it was moving and breathing, and the most awesome power was radiating from it.

Kunzite sank to his knees:

"Queen Metallia-sama." It was not a question or an address; but a statement. There was a silence aside from the bubbling coming from the thing. When noise came, it was accompanied by a deep purple movement in the bowels of it.

"Kunzite. You come here when you know it is forbidden. Surely you know the risks?" Kunzite involuntary took a step back, then realised this was too important.

"My Queen, I must ask of your wisdom, yours alone." Kunzite got the impression that he didn't need to tell this thing what he was thinking, but did anyway.

"…about the child?"

"Sailor Moon." The words alone were like poison in his mouth.

"I know all about what you want. You need not tell me. Were it up to you, she would be dead."

"But you misunderstand-"

"I do not. She is the Princess. She is the one whom we have been waiting to kill. And yet Queen Beryl brings her here? You want her dead. You fantasise about killing her in front of her lover, making her live the torments you have in your mind. Repaying the life of Zoicite…"

"But WHY? Why must I tolerate her?"

"Insolent boy! She holds the greatest weapon we have ever known, if we kill her then it dies with her. It was formed by her and so it is tied to her blood, her life and her very essence." Kunzite knew Metallia-sama was speaking sense, but he wasn't buying it.

"But she is not on her side! I watched her tonight. She feels compassion, she still longs to look at Tuxedo-kamen. She removed his mask rather than killing him there and then. She touched him and she stopped! Why did Zoiscite die, only to be replaced by… her?"

"Perhaps it does not occur to you that she wishes to see him as she kills him? Have you not done the very same; you know well the joy of watching the dying face of the enemy."

"But why did she not? Why did she stop? She looked as though she had been hit!"

"That may well be a problem. It is true with humans (and more so with Lunarians like the Princess) that their feelings live in their subconscious. We have controlled her mind, and even her will and spirit-"

"….but not yet that part of her?"

"Take care not to interrupt me. You will leave now."

"But-"

"You will follow your orders. You are useful to us Kunzite, but you know well we do not tolerate your interfering with things that do not concern you. You have another mission, and you will do as you are told."

Kunzite could not argue. He bowed low and left.

Makoto was considering whether or not she should go to finishing school. She flattered that someone had been kind enough to recommend her, after all this was Countess Rose, one of the most dignified women in the world. How often did the English aristocracy decide to hold seminars?

That wasn't really the problem, it just seemed at little selfish, what with the current situation and all. But Makoto did need some kind of escapism; even if it was just a chance to mess about with all the snobby girlsof the city.

Makoto laughed, she might as well try it. If it turned out that it was filled with delicate little flowers, she would just recommend some of her own friends to make things a little more interesting.

-

Thank you!