Author's note: Gomen! Gomen! I'd got so involved in work that I forgot about this fic and then lost it for a while. Don't worry though! It's coming! I'll try to update it more often.

Chapter 3

It was after eleven and the doors were locked. Serena pocketed her keys with a yawn. Secretly she hoped to sleep through the night, but that feeling was plaguing her again. Something was up.

"Got Everything?" Lita called from the kitchen. I sounded as if she had just finished mopping. Serena glanced at her office desk.

"Yeah. We ready to go?"

"Just drained the water. The pilot light on range two's out... Fix that tomarrow. I'm tired." Lita said with a yawn. She pushed the back door open and waited as Serena punched in the security code. The left, sealing the door behind them. "What are your plans for tomarrow?"

"Darien and I are going to catch a movie and maybe go to dinner. You?" Serena answered, unlocking the door to her pink Baja.

"Ad lib the whole day after lighting the pilot." Lita laughed. "Good night, Serena."

"See you Monday, if not sooner." Serena forced a smile and closed her car door. With a sigh, she started her car.

when in the darkness,
the lamented cries call to deaf skies,
there shall come into the world,
a hero who will bear the light!

The whispers sent shivers down her spine as she ran. She had to escape them, but every turn she took lead to a dead end. Was there any way out of this labrynth? Her legs were sore and she couldn't breathe, but she forced herself onwards. She had to get out of here; had to escape that haunting voice.

Finnaly, at the end of a long corridor, she saw a flood of light. Her hope rekindled, she forced her dead legs faster and prayed her breath would come.

She never reached the end.

In a flash of light, the labrynth disappeared and she found herself in a black void. Before her, a knarled dais stood in a wash of eerie light. In the clutches of the pulpit, a crystal ball whirled with dark colors.
A scene played out in the depths of the sphere.

She saw at first, a faceless Sailor Soldier in mystical black armor. Behind this unknown warrior, the skeletal remains of annother stood poised for battle. The scene shifted and now the sphere showed her two almost identical Sailor Soldiers on thrones set high atop a long flight of stairs. Once more, the scene shifted revieling a pair of bright green eyes and a glowing crecent moon-like symbol.

Serena woke with a start and reached for her communicator witha shaking hand. Something about those eyes... She could have sworn she'd seen them somewhere before. Breathing deep, she flipped open her communicator.

"What is it?" She asked, glancing at the clock; 5:37AM.

"There's a monster running around Ichi-no-Hashi Park! We need your help!" Venus said, ducking something. "Hurry!"

"I'm on my way!" Serena said with a nod and hung up. She stole her transformation brooch from the draw and ran out of her appartment.

The enemy had been revieled.

The time for Sailor Soldiers had returned.

"Take that, Senshi!" Was the only warning they had before the ugly monster hurled a chunk of earth at them. The monster, himself, looked like a living slab of rock; with huge boulders forming most of his body and mud compacting them together. It was almost like fighting a moving castle.

"Silent Wall!" Saturn quickly raised a defense against the incoming rock bomb. It crumbled on impact and fell harmlessly back to earth.

"Mars flame... Sniper!" Sailor Mars charged her flaming arrow and aimed for the beast's head. The arrow struck and dissipated leaving nothing more than a scorch mark. The beast roared with rage and tore annother chunk out of the earth.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!

Both attacks combined in mid-air and struck the monster hard enough to throw him off his feet. The chunk of rock intended for the Sailor Soldiers crumbled on top of him.

"That's it! You're all going to pay for hurting Dukont!" The beast bellowed as he got to his feet. He raised his fists above his head and started charging his attack.

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon shouted, finnaly making the scene. Dukont spared her a glance as the Moon Princess started her speech. "I am the champion of love and justice and in the name of the moon, I'll punish---"

"Oh shut-up!" Dukont shouted and slammed his fists into the ground. The earth under the Sailor Soldiers' feet exploded, sending them all flying in different directions. When the dust settled, they saw Dukont preparing another blast. He was about to unleash it when a finger snapping sound forced his hesitation. "Who's there? Show yourself, Sensh---!"

A sudden kick to the face sent the monster flying. The black leather-clad Sailor Soldier landed gracefully and stood to her full height. She tossed her ankle-long platinum ponytail behind her and smirked. Sailor Star Healer's elecrtic green eyes flashed as she glanced at the Earth Senshi.

"What are you doing here?" Uranus demanded. Healer did not respond; only looked back at Dukont.

"Obviously, she's helping us." Sailor Mercury answered, wincing as she tried to get to her feet.

"My God, she's beautiful." Venus whispered, never peeling her eyes from the Starlight before her. She head Healer sigh and watched as she made her way to the trees after Dukont.

The rock demon burst out of the trees, intending on running over Star Healer, but the lythe Starlight dodged ust in time. Not caring about which soldier he hit, Ducont continued to plow forward... Straight to the wounded Sailor Mercury.

"Death Beam!" A white hot beam exploded from the tree tops and pirced the rock demon's shoulder. He let loose an ear-splitting roar and stopped his charge to search for his assailant.

"Show yourself, Senshi, so I can kill you!"

"Looking for me, Dukont?" Sailor Star Fighter jeered as she stepped from the shadows. The Earth Soldiers gasped at her chang of appearance. Her long ponytail was gone and her once navy eyes were now blood red and half hidden by straitened, ebony bangs. She had two wide-bladed short swords strapped to her back and a weird crystal tied arround her waist.

"I... I killed you!" Dukont roared, taken aback by the presence of his foe. Fighter smirked almost evilly.

"Well, you managed to kill part of me." The Starlight said, patting her right thigh with her hand. "But as you can see, Automail has it's advantages."

( For all of you Fullmetal Alchemist fans out there that one's for you.)

"So they gave you an Automail leg, huh. They should have retired you!" Dukont snarled, watching Healer as she came within strikin distance.

"You're probably right about that one, but when all of the other Starlights begged me to stay on as their leader, I couldn't refuse." Fighter smirked.

"So why did you come here, Shadow Senshi?" Dukont grumbled and balled up his fists.

"Dukont, you are under arrest for violating peace code H0715F3: Attempted Murder of an Off-Duty Starlight. Will you comply?" Healer answered, a deadly, official tone in her cool voice.

"Go to Hell!" Dukont slammed the ground again and the earth exploded. Both Starlights managed to dodge to safety just in time.

"I own Hell!" Star Fighter yelled, charging her favorite attack. "Death Beam!"

"Bolt Disc!" Both attacks melded in the air and struck Dukont in the chest. The rock demon howled in pain as he was flung backwards by the combined attacks. Both Starlights bolted after their target in hopes of catching him off-gaurd.

"Wana ni kakeru!" Fighter shouted, tearing the crystal from her waist and throwing it at Dukont. An aura appeared arround the rock demon and in a flash, he was gone. Fighter picked the crystal up from the ground, examined it, and smirked.

( "Ensnare" in Japanese.)

"One down, two to go." Healer said before looking back at the Earth Senshi. "Should we tell them what's goin on?"

Fighter smiled. "We have to. They gaurd this planet, not us." Healer sighed and took the crystal from her partner.

"I hope Maker and Griever get their's..." Healer whispered before the Earth Senshi swarmed them. Sailor Moon knocked Fighter off her feet in her mad rush to hug her old friend.

"Serena... Can't breathe!" Fighter gasped. The Moon Princess relinquishes her hold on the Starlight, but remained on top of her.

"I'm so happy to see you again! But what are you doing here and where did the monster go?"

"And did you get the message I sent you?" Mas asked, helping Mercury over to everyone. Healer watched their approach.

"So it WAS you who sent it! We were wondering what in Havel Kakyuu was going on about." Fighter said, trying to get out from under Sailor Moon.

"Your ankle's twisted." Healer replied, knealing in front of Mercury.

"What are you going to do?" Mercury asked, watching as Healer tenderly wrapped a hand arround the sore ankle.

"I'm called Healer for a reason." After a moment, the Starlight stood. "It should be fine now."

Mercury slowly put weight on her foot. When it didn't hurt, she let go of Mars. "Thank you, Healer."

"Why did Kakyuu get it and what is Havel?" Uranus asked, eyeing Fighter and Healer suspiciously.

"We were almost here when Kakyuu beeped me on my comm saying that her fireplace just spoke to her." Fighter laughed at the thought.

"We thought she lost it without Fighter there." Healer said, crossing her arms. " She was in hysterics when she called."

"All she heard it say was 'Earth' but it scared her to no end. And Havel is sort of like Heaven in our religion." Fighter answered, looking up at Uranus. "Can you get off me, Bunny? I've got a rock digging into my ass."

Sailor Moon laughed and got off of Fighter. The Starlight jumped to her feet and rubbed the sore spot on her cheek. "What's Automail?"

When Fighter hesitated, Healer stepped forward; her electric green eyes meeting Sailor Moon's. "It's a metal, usually adamantium or gundanium, shaped to take the place of a body part."

( had to do it! sorry!)

"Wow..." Sailor Moon could barely catch her breath. Healer's eyes, meeting hers, had stolen it. Those eyes were the same ones from her dream. Healer's eyes narrowed and Sailor Moon looked away.

"What do you mean 'take the place of a body part'?" Neptune asked, looking Fighter in the eye.

"Not here." Fighter sighed. "Is there somewhere we can talk? There's too many ears here."

"Come to the Shrine. We can talk there." Mars said after a moment. Both Starlights nodded and started to go their own way. when Venus stopped them by running up and hugging Healer.

"I was wondering when you were going to do that." Healer smirked. Caught off-gaurd by the nice tone, Venus' grip loosened and the Starlight walked away.

Author's note: Again I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I've been really busy! I'll try to get the next one up before Thanksgiving.

Ja ne!