Raye put down her bow and wiped her sweaty forehead. She'd been practicing her archery for a few hours now, despite the fact that it was scorching hot. She picked up her water bottle and gulped down some of the cool liquid, then leaned back against the wall and looked over at Phobos and Deimos, who were perched on the temple's roof.

"What do you think guys? Should we call it a day?" The two crows fluttered down and settled by her bow, cawing loudly. Raye smiled and shook her head.

"I'll take that as a no." Satisfied, Phobos and Deimos returned to their respective perches. Raye walked over and picked the bow back up, strung an arrow, and was about to let the feathered shaft fly when the phone rang. Raye rolled her eyes and put the bow and arrow back on the ground. As she walked into the house, the phone rang one last time and the answering machine picked up.

"Raye? It's me. Serena." Raye froze in the doorway, suddenly unsure of what to do. It had been almost a month since the girls had fought. Although life was somewhat dull without her friends, Raye had endured it, as had all the others. This was the first time any of them had tried to contact her.

"Come on Raye, I know you're there! Pick up! Please!" Raye remained immobile, listening as Serena sighed.

"I guess you really aren't home then. I was just calling to… well, I wanted to apologize. I guess we've all been a little stressed out lately. But now that we've had a break, we can get together again! You should come over sometime! How does Saturday night sound? Call me back, okay?" There was a click as Serena hung up, and Raye still didn't move. She knew they shouldn't be fighting like this. Especially since there was an incredible enemy force somewhere out there. To make matters worse, Raye had been sensing yet another evil aura for some time now. It was faint, as if the force emitting it was far away, but Raye knew that it was actually quite close. She was sure of it. She couldn't gauge the enemy's power, though. All in all, it was making her nervous. But still, she honestly couldn't bear to face the other girls right then. Her feelings were still hurt, and she was still fighting off depression. She wanted to be strong by the next time the girls saw her. Weakness was something to be ashamed of in her mind. And she had been very weak lately. Raye shook her head, as if to clear her mind, then walked back outside and picked her bow back up. There was a twang as the arrow flew from the bow and buried itself dead center in the target.

That night, in the Crossroads Shopping District, a mysterious circus tent appeared, and posters popped up all over town proclaiming that the world renowned circus from the depths of the Amazon, the Dead Moon circus, had returned.

Raye was walking down the street, carrying a bag of groceries. The weather was starting to get unusually hot again. In an attempt to keep from frying, she'd decided to wear shorts and a tank top, and she'd pulled her long hair into a messy knot at the back of her head. But she still felt like she was in an oven. Raye stopped and set her groceries down, then shielded her eyes with one hand and squinted up at the glaring sun. Tokyo hadn't experienced a heat wave like this since the Dead Moon Circus had been defeated. Raye's eyes widened as a thought suddenly struck her. Could they have returned? After all, the members of the Black Moon had been resurrected. It was a distinct possibility. Besides, Raye had been feeling that second evil aura, the one that was nearby. Was it them? Raye jerked out of her daze and shook her head vigorously.

Great, just great. I'm becoming paranoid. She picked her bags back up and resumed walking, trying to reason with herself.

It's probably some low-class demon. We annihilated the Dead Moon. There's no way in hell that they could be- It was then that Raye froze, dead in her tracks, as the bags of groceries spilled open and dumped their contents on the sidewalk. She stared at the telephone pole in front of her, blinking in shock. Dead Moon Circus, the sign read. The greatest show on Earth! Returning from the depths of the Amazon for a special repeat performance!

Back… They really are back… But… how? Raye felt the strange urge to look across the street, and she did. There was Mina, standing completely still and staring at another poster, with the same horrified look on her face. Raye almost called out to her, but Mina turned around on her own and locked eyes with Raye. After a few seconds, the blonde girl turned away and sprinted down the street, leaving her friend far, far behind.

Raye stood by the phone, resting her hand lightly on the keypad. The other girls. She should call them. She had to call them. But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

I have to do something… But I can't do it alone… Raye's violet eyes narrowed and she picked up the receiver, punching at the number keys with savage force.

No… Raye couldn't do it alone… But I'm not that weak little girl anymore… After a few seconds, someone picked up and chirped a cheerful greeting.

Raye smiled sweetly and replied, "Hello, I'd like to purchase a ticket for the circus."

Raye strolled nonchalantly between the carnival booths, pretending to watch the little games and sideshows. But underneath the façade of the pretty, innocent schoolgirl lurked the razor sharp senses and keen intellect of a warrior. And this warrior was taking a little advice from the old adage, "Know thine enemy." Raye had long ago confirmed her worst fear- this was, indeed, the very same Dead Moon Circus that the scouts had defeated not too long ago. With her psychic talents stronger than ever, Raye could actually see the circus's evil aura without even focusing. Shadows, not cast by sunlight, crept along the ground, drifting and swirling like inky mist. Exactly how and why the Dead Moon was back, however, remained a mystery.

Mina picked up the phone and rested it against her shoulder, with her ear pressed to the receiver, as she dried a bowl with her hands.

"Hello?"

"Mina?" The blonde's eyes widened as the bowl slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.

"Serena!"

Her shocked expression was replaced by a scowl and she snapped, "What the hell do you want?!"

"I want you to get over yourself, that's what!" The tone in Serena's voice sounded like a mother scolding her child.

"Amy, Lita, and I are having a meeting at my house, and you're going to come, whether you like it or not!"

Mina shook off her surprise and grabbed the receiver, holding it in front of her and shouting, "And what makes you think I'm going to listen to you?!"

"Because," Serena replied calmly, "I am your princess, you are my guardian, and it is your duty to obey my every order. So quit throwing your little tantrum, grow up, and get over here." Mina was caught totally off guard. Only NeoQueen Serenity could sound so deadly without raising her voice. An uncontrollable shiver made its way down Mina's spine, but she managed to regain her composure.

"Well, what about Raye? Why doesn't she have to come?" Serena was silent for a few seconds.

"I'm assuming you know that the Dead Moon Circus is back."

Mina nodded and replied, "Yeah, so?"

A worried note wormed its way into Serena's voice as she asked, "Do you know that Raye has already gone to fight them on her own?" Mina's gut started twisting itself into knots.

"That's crazy! What is she thinking?!"

"She's thinking that she can't ask us for help anymore. She's thinking that we're all still mad at her. And because of that, she'll probably die unless we all put our petty arguments aside and work together like the team we're supposed to be."

Mina stared at the floor for a second before muttering, "I'm on my way."

Amy and Lita sat on opposite ends of Serena's bed, refusing to make eye contact, while Serena tapped her foot as she waited for Mina. The blonde stumbled in the door, breathless, making it obvious that she'd been running. The tension in the atmosphere increased drastically, and all four girls were silent until Amy broke the silence.

"Lita, Mina, I apologize for my behavior." The diminutive girl stared at her hands, which were clasped in her lap.

"What I said was uncalled for and rude. Please forgive me." Mina hung her head and traced circles on the floor with the toe of her shoe.

"I'm sorry too, guys. I don't know what came over me, but even if I did know, it still wouldn't be any excuse for the way I was acting."

Lita folded her arms across her chest and grumbled, "What you guys said…" Serena clapped her hands together cheerfully and smiled.

"Thank you, ladies. Now, we can get down to business." All argument forgotten, the girls clustered closer together around the bed, while Serena sat cross-legged at the top with a determined look on her face.

"You all saw the posters, didn't you?" The three other girls nodded grimly.

Serena took a breath and continued, "Then you know that Queen Nephrenia and her minions have returned." Again, the girls nodded in confirmation.

"I'd been trying to contact everybody for some time, but when I saw those posters, I knew that, as your leader, I had to take serious action. So I contacted all of you directly. The only person I couldn't get a hold of was Raye. So, I went to her house this morning to talk to her, and there was a note for her grandpa saying that she was out for the day." Lita frowned.

"She went to the circus alone, didn't she?" Serena nodded.

"Yes, she did. But we all know that she can't beat the Dead Moon on her own. I say we go after her, before it's too late." Amy and Mina nodded, but Lita jumped off the bed and ran to the door.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's hurry!" Serena, Amy, and Mina looked at each other, shrugged, and hurried to catch up with Lita.

Raye smirked. She was standing near the main tent, next to an entrance that said 'Performers Only.' She slipped in, the smirk never leaving her face. She technically was a performer, because she planned on putting on one hell of a show. The back section of the tent was filled with cages, the animals inside pacing back and forth and shifting restlessly. The shadows were even thicker here- both the natural shadows, and the evil ones. Raye crept forward, trying to keep close to the wall of the tent without coming too close to the cages. She heard a soft rustling noise behind her, and whirled around, fists raised in a fighting stance. There was nothing. Raye started to lower her guard, but then she heard the sound again. This time, it was coming from behind her. Raye suddenly realized that she'd made a mistake and cursed herself for her foolishness. She backed up against the wall of the tent; scanning around her and trying to anticipate the attack she knew was coming. The sound kept getting closer, and it was always coming from a different direction, but Raye didn't know how close her attacker actually was until a snake started coiling around her leg.

Serena and the others pushed back against the security guards that were holding them back.

"You don't understand! Our friend is in there, and she needs our help!" The guards exchanged a skeptical glance.

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"She's a diabetic," interjected Amy, "and she's forgotten to take her insulin!" One of the guards smirked triumphantly.

"Well, in that case, you might want to bring her insulin to her. You do have it, right?" Amy's face reddened. How could she have overlooked such a trivial detail?

"Well, seeing as you obviously don't have your friend's insulin, I suggest you go back and get it!" The guard's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm as he shoved the four girls out the door.

"Now get outta here and don't come back!!!" Mina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well, that didn't work," she commented dryly.

Lita looked over at Serena and asked, "So now what do we do?" Serena gritted her teeth.

"They knew we were coming… which means that they know about Raye, too. They're keeping us separated. If we can't find a way in there…" Serena's words faded into silence. The girls all knew what would happen if they didn't find Raye soon.

Raye stood perfectly still, all too aware that the slightest movement would probably startle the snake into biting her. She glanced down the bridge of her nose to look at the animal, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach as she realized that she was looking at a Black Mamba. The most venomous snake in the world. A single bite from a Black Mamba was practically guaranteed to kill, unless antivenin was administered immediately. Of course, Raye suspected that the Dead Moon didn't keep human medicines around, and, even if they did, they probably wouldn't give them to her.

Four female figures emerged from the darkness. One of them was giggling madly, while the other girls merely smirked.

"How nice of you to join us, Sailor Mars." Raye remained silent, but inside, she was fuming.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! I should have known they'd be ready for me!

The giggling one stopped and asked sweetly, "How do you like our friend?" Raye gritted her teeth and glared furiously at them.

"Who are you?" One of the girls wagged her finger.

"Now, now, you really shouldn't be talking. The snake will sense the vibrations, and it might feel threatened. It will attack if it feels threatened. But… to answer your question…" The four girls stepped forward, and Raye gasped.

"The Sailor Quartet?!" It was, indeed, the Sailor Quartet. Sailors Ceres, Juno, Pallas, and Vesta. The senshi guardians of Princess Lady Serenity, also known as Rini, the daughter of NeoQueen Serenity and the heir to the throne. Although, they seemed to have forgotten their true identities.

Palla Palla scoffed and retorted, "Well, you're the stupid one aren't you? We're not Sailor Scouts! We're the Amazoness Quartet!"

The snake coiled around Raye's leg hissed as she started yelling, "Wake up, girls! Nephrenia has brainwashed you again! You have to remember your true identities! Your true duty! You have t- aaah!!!" Raye, caught up in her passion, had moved. The snake was frightened by the sudden jolt and, sensing danger, had sunk its fangs deep into Raye's thigh. Raye grabbed her leg and collapsed to the ground as the snake fled to safety. The pain was excruciating. A burning sensation was making its way up her leg and spreading through her abdomen. Then, the burning began to fade. Raye's thrashing lessened as her leg became numb, and the feeling began making its way up her torso. The Amazoness Quartet made a circle around her and watched as Raye's eyes slipped out of focus. It was suddenly hard to breathe…

"That was a bad move, Sailor Mars," Cere Cere lectured.

"Two drops of venom from a Black Mamba is enough to kill a fully-grown human. Although, the way you scared the poor thing, I'll bet it pumped more than two drops into you." Palla Palla resumed her insane giggling, while Ves Ves walked over and picked up the snake, stroking it and cooing.

"Such a good boy… yes, you got that mean old Sailor Scout good, didn't you? You bit her nice and hard, just like we taught you. You deserve a treat! How does a couple of rats sound, hmm?" Cere Cere gently rubbed the snake's head before grinning evilly.

"You should be having trouble breathing by now. You see, Black Mamba venom is an incredibly effective neurotoxin. It's immediately absorbed into the bloodstream and travels directly to the movement section of your brain, where it starts to block certain muscle impulses. Respiratory impulses, to be exact. I'll give it about fifteen minutes before your lungs are completely paralyzed." Jun Jun sneered at Raye and pretended to choke.

"And then you're gonna suffocate! So, Sailor Mars, how does it feel to be dying?" Raye's chest was heaving wildly and her pulse was going a mile a minute, but her breathing was actually very weak. No matter how much she strained, she just couldn't get the precious oxygen that her body craved so badly. She was so weak that, even if she had wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to answer.