Chapter Six-The Emerging Cracks

It was dark as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the stars were just beginning to peek out in the deep purple sky, and the moon sleepily rose on the western horizon. Beneath the waving branches of the cherry trees, Rei sat on a park bench. Staring out at the lake, it's surface rippled as a cool breeze swept across it, lapping against the shore. Rei sighed. "Who was that Senshi?" She asked the sky. "What is her mission?" Unlike Serena and Lita, she couldn't squelch the idea that this new Soldier was a threat. She had been holding constant fire readings, but the fire could only tell her so much. 'Power…' This Scout had power, but that was something that Mars already knew. After all, she'd seen her destroy a Youma, and injure Catsie. 'Saving Rini's life.' But could that be a ploy? Was it a Negamoon trick to make them believe that this Soldier was the real thing? The impressions the fire had given her were power, fire and destruction. 'She's not alone.' Rei thought. 'That was clear.' Then who was her partner? Rei shivered as the cold breeze cut through her jacket. She stood, staring at the reflection of the rising moon on the lake. 'There's so much we don't know.' It wasn't clear. Rei walked to the railing, the cold metal bit into her palm, and she winced. Gripping the black iron, she stared up at the sky. "How do I protect Serena?" She asked.

"Mars? What are you doing out here?" Rei turned around, and there stood Amy. Her arms were laden with books, which she hugged to her chest. Her short blue hair curled around her face, framing her wide sea blue eyes. It was like looking into two bodies of water. Sometimes Rei felt like she was drowning, when she looked at Amy.

She said. "I was just thinking, Amy."

"Yes the Negamoon has gotten more aggressive lately. It's been worrying me too Rei." Amy said, checking her watch. "I made some calculations, and the results were disturbing."

"What did you find?" Rei asked.

"Well, I've been keeping track of the Youma appearances on my computer. I started when they began attacking a few months ago." Amy flipped open her pocket computer; it was a powder blue, with the symbol of mercury on the cover. She held it with her left hand, while the fingers of her right flew across the keyboard. "I've noticed a pattern developing, Rei. At first they seemed to only be attacking only certain points around the city." She turned the screen toward Rei. The dots formed a pentagon. "But when they failed to get those, they started attacking different places at random."

"We already knew that they were looking for Rini." Rei said. "They also want the Silver Crystal."

"Yes, I factored that into my equation. But they've begun attacking places where Rini's moonbeam hasn't appeared. Also, they've been steadily increasing the amount of attacks over these past few months. There have been an average of the four or five attacks in the past two weeks. If we compare that to the beginning of the month, when there were only one or two. We can easily come to the conclusion that…"

"They're getting help…" Rei finished. 'Oh my God…'

"Not necessarily Rei, they could be looking for something other than Rini. Or they're getting desperate." Amy continued, concerned by the sudden turn in Rei's attitude.

'I was right she was with the Negamoon. It was all a ploy to get us to lower our guard. How could we be so stupid.' "We'll have to fight them." She said. "We can't let these new Scouts destroy us."

"Rei, I don't know what you saw." Amy said. "But this data isn't proof that this Sailor Scout is our enemy."

"She's not a Sailor Scout, Amy." Rei said through clenched teeth. "It was all a ruse. We can't let her capture Rini, or the Silver Crystal."

"I think you need to rest Rei.' Amy said. "We have nothing to go on…no facts. Even if she wanted to capture Rini, she could have when she saved you. Why didn't she?"

"Because she tried to earn our trust." Rei snapped, her hands tightening on the iron railing. She stared up at the sky. 'I'll destroy her, for Serena's sake. I can't have her misleading everyone. I can't let her put my friends in danger.' "There was no reason for her to be there at that time."

"I agree Rei, there's a lot going on that doesn't add up." Amy said. "But that's no reason to believe that this new Scout is a spy. Let's proceed cautiously. I'll inform Mina and Lita. We'll let it develop. If she really is a spy, then she'll reveal herself to us soon." She looked over at Rei. "Hard facts are the only thing that will convince Serena." She added.

'The only thing that might convince her.' Rei mentally corrected. She knew that meatball head would never be able to accept that another soldier could be an enemy. She knew how she had to proceed. 'I'll have to track this Scout down.' She thought. 'And figure out her identity, and whoever it is she's working with.' The two girls continued walking along the riverside in silence. Each considered the new information, and each came to a different conclusion. Then they heard a scream from the far side of the lake. Rei looked over at Amy. "Let's go." She said, Amy nodded, and the two ran towards where they had heard the scream.

Meanwhile…

Darien, Serena, and Rini stared in awe at the high vaulted ceilings as they walked into the foyer. There were paintings filled with pictures of a tall marble palace, with tall pillars. It was protected by three warriors in sparkling golden armor, each standing on a white cloud, surrounded by little winged angels. In the middle was a woman with long flowing white hair, in an alabaster toga wielding a long white staff topped with an amber crystal. A golden circlet wrapped around her head, and she was encased in white light. She was gazing up towards the earth that was closer to the opposite wall. Then there was a man in sparkling roman armor, he wielded a short sword, and a crimson cape billowed out behind him. Beneath one arm, he carried a Romanesque helmet, leaving his curly sandy blonde hair free and wavy, a golden circlet sat on top of his head. He was staring longingly at the moon. Then in the third mural a man and a woman stood back to back. Between them was a cracked ruby crystal. The woman had sparkling golden hair that fell all the way to her waist. The man's was a bright almond brown. He wore an ancient golden breastplate, and dragons were circling up his legs. On his head was a laurel crown, and he held out a scimitar before him in one hand. The other held the hand of the woman; she was dressed in a flowing gown. She held a scepter to her breast. Behind them, were a palace and the flames of the sun. The murals on the walls were similar to the ones on the ceiling. Each had one of the four figures. Between them pillars of marble ran up the walls, and gold gilded laurels framed each image. The floor was made of bright granite, setting off the white of the marble walls. Sayuri was pointedly ignoring the craned heads of the visitors, and the way the bellhop stared at her in confusion. It wasn't surprising, since the last time she was here; she'd stomped out, saying she wanted no part of the family or this building. For good reason. Soren had designed all the images and paintings, along with a team of interior designers. He'd said it was their past lives. It was supposed to be a gift; this building had originally been his, along with the entire Maple Hotel chain. But he'd left them to her in his will. Her brother had never understood, not fully, he'd been the only one who could remember their past. Sayuri only dreamed about how they'd died. Due to the popularity of this theme, however, all Maple Hotel's had adopted the Sun Kingdom "theme". Still, she knew Katsu had his own reasons for bringing her back here. She knew one of those females was she, but Soren had never specified. He'd just said that they'd been more than ordinary soldiers. Sayuri closed her eyes. Her heart ached, it ached for Soren. She missed him. "So gifted…" She murmured.

"I know." Katsu said, staring at the ceiling. "It was always easy to tell which one was me." He mussed her hair. "Cheer up, at least he gave us this."

'He gave me this.' She replied silently. She'd been the only one curious about their pasts in the Sun Kingdom. But that had never been her gift. "Yes." She said, looking at her awed friends. They'd never guess, she sighed. Hopefully, they wouldn't ask to many questions. She looked up and saw the receptionists staring. Smiling, she continued to walk down the hall. They were already on the phone, probably calling her grandfather. She wasn't sure if he was even here. If not, they were telling the hotel manager that siblings, Ms. Tanaka and Mr. Tanaka were here. Of course, that meant opening the suite of rooms on very top floor. The ones reserved for family only.

"Look out, here come Mr. Yamatsu." Katsu whispered in her ear. Eyes flicking up, she saw the tall man approaching. He was rubbing his hands together in impatience. She knew what that was about. However, there was nothing he could really do. The entire hotel probably knew by now that the Tanaka's were visiting. They'd known from the minute her they'd pulled her car into the garage. The only thing Yamatsu could be upset about was the shabby state of their clothes in this grand hotel. Yamatsu hated anything that looked "normal". That's where she and Sojiro had always clashed.

"Ms. Tanaka." Yamatsu said, bowing. He was dressed in a sharp tweed suit, a little golden pin that read Yamatsu; Hotel Manager was attached to his breast. His balding black hair was cleanly clipped close to his skull. His face was warm, but stern. His black eyes darted to her brother, and then to the three people behind her. "We weren't expecting you." He began. "Or else we would have prepared your suit rooms." Sayuri kept walking, and Yamatsu fell in beside her, continuing. "Unfortunately your esteemed grandfather isn't here. However, we will give you anything you need to make your stay more comfortable. " He paused. "Will you be staying long?"

"That's under consideration." Katsu broke in. "We are thinking about it."

Behind them, Darien, Rini, and Serena listened to the exchange in awe. "He's practically groveling to her." Rini whispered, from between the two.

"Yes.' Darien nodded, thinking. 'Who are these guys?' He glanced at Serena, who was still staring at the murals on the ceiling. She didn't seem to notice that every maid, receptionist, dealer, and bellhop was watching as they walked past. 'They're trying to figure out who we are.' He realized suddenly. Apparently, they already knew Sayuri and Katsu, who were walking with the manager. Even though Darien had a trust fund, one that paid for his schooling, his living, and all his expenses, with a little left over, it would barely cover a week in the Maple Hotel. Yet the Manager was talking about a special suite of rooms and providing for their every convenience. Then Sayuri looked over her shoulder at him; she smiled reassuringly, and then turned back to the Manager.

Rini whispered. "Is Sayuri really rich, Darien?"

"I guess so, Rini." Darien said. "I guess so." He glanced around. The architecture of the building was amazing to say the least. Though the outside looked a little more like a normal office building, the inside seemed reminiscent of a Greek or roman palace. It was very similar to his memories of the Earth Castle in the Silver Millennium. However it was the figures in the murals that held his interest. As they walked down the halls, it seemed like each hall told a tale about an event that happened in this world, and each hall was a different story. They told the lives of the three warriors and the golden haired princess. Sometimes there were other characters like the hall they were walking down now. It took place completely on the earth; Darien could have sworn that it was about him and the golden haired princess…or maybe the prince. He couldn't tell. The four generals Kunzite, Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite were recurring, always around him. It seemed to be about a banquet. However, he wasn't sure.

"Something on your mind, sailor?" A warm voice asked. Darien looked away from the last mural, where the white haired warrior had taken the earth prince's hand. Above it glowed a diamond shaped crystal that glowed with golden light. The people around them were clapping, on the far side was a man with white hair holding a flying unicorn by the bridle, and there were the generals closest to the end. Then he met her eyes, Sayuri smiled up at him.

"The others went on ahead." She said. "Katsu convinced Serena and Rini that you were alright." Laughing, she patted his shoulder. Darien nearly jumped as the spark rushed through his body. "Besides, I think Rini is desperate for pancakes."

"That makes sense." Darien said, looking across the hall. "What is this place?"

"Every hall here is a story." Sayuri said, gently taking his hand. "You have to walk all of them to find your way to the end."

"But where do you start?" He asked. "Is there a set path?"

Sayuri shook her head. "No, every person who comes here finds a different story. For some," She pointed to the warrior and the prince. "This is the end." Then she shrugged. "For others, it ends in another hallway. For others the ending is in the restaurant, at the wedding feast of the moon princess and the earth prince."

Startled, Darien said. "I didn't see her."

"She's in another hall." Sayuri said. "Some people visit all the chains of our hotel, because they want to know the entire story."

"You mean this isn't the whole story?" Darien asked surprised.

"Oh, no." Sayuri said. "There are currently ten different hotels around the world. Each tells a different story. The lives of the people here are intermingled with the other hotels. Some of the visitors think this is the past." She added. "Other's think it's the future."

"Is there one about the present?" Darien looked down at her hand. It was warm in his.

She shook her head. "No." Sayuri said. "The person who designed the stories and paintings never got that far."

"Who was he?" Darien asked. 'Maybe I can ask him what it's about.'

"My brother, Soren." She said, with a sad smile. "But we should go. Everyone's waiting for us on the top floor. Don't you want to see how the story ends?"

"Maybe this is my ending." Darien said, looking down at her. 'Are you really in love with Katsu?' He wondered, suddenly feeling guilty. 'What about Serena?' He hated it; there were days when he wished Sayuri had never entered his life. He wished that those dreams about his union with Serena destroying the world had never come, though he and Serena were destined to be together. But if that were so, why did Sayuri's smile tug at his heart? Why did he love the feeling of holding her hand in his? Warmth surged between the two of them.

"Maybe." She laughed, and tugged his hand. "Come on, I'm hungry." Then they walked to the gilded elevator, Darien felt a sense of déjà vu as he stepped inside. Just as the door closed, he saw the last mural white-haired warrior and the earth prince sharing a passionate kiss on a deserted hilltop. Then the door shut, and the elevator surged upwards. Darien wondered what was on the next floor.

Meanwhile…

Mercury and Mars stared at the Youma. It's dark red eyes flashed; the Youma lifted its hairy arms. Brown fur bristled all over its body like needles. It had tall ears like a dog's. It bared its teeth in a cruel smile. "So you're the pesky Sailor Brats." It sneered. "My master told me about you." It glanced around. "Were are your little friends? That Sailor Moon?" It flicked away the woman it had been feeding on. "You can't defeat me without her." It laughed, voice rippling into the air around the two Scouts. "However, let's have some fun without her." It shot its hand out, and it's claws shot towards the two Scouts. Mercury and Mars dived out of the way.

"Mercury!" Mars shouted. "Call for back up!"

"I'm trying!" She said. "But the communicator is jammed. We'll have to find another frequency." As She took a few steps backwards, and squeezed her blue earring. A blue visor slid out across her eyes, and she began typing on her handheld computer. Analyzing the monster, she yelled. "It's weaker on its left side!"

"Got it!" Mars responded, yelling. "Mars Celestial Fire…" With her arm, she drew her arm in a circle around her body. Then she pointed at the Youma. "Surround!" The rings of fire hurled themselves at the Youma. The Youma saw the fire rings coming; suddenly its fur bristled out, knocking the rings away. The only traces of Mars' attack were the singed lines of fur on the Youma's left side. "What?" Mars yelled. "Mercury? What happened?"

"I'm sorry!" The other Scout yelled back. "I thought I had it. I did mange to get Jupiter, she's coming."

"What about Venus and Sailor Moon?" Mars asked, staring at the Youma.

"No luck." Mercury said. "I couldn't reach either of them, there was some kind of interference."

Mars said grimly. "Then we're doing this blind."

"Sorry girls." The Youma hissed. "It's my turn now." A storm of razor thin needles shot from the Youma's fur. Whizzing through the air, they dug deep into Mars' leg as she rolled sideways.

As Mercury yelled. "Mercury Ice Bubbles…" She crossed her arms across her chest and then released a storm of bubbles at the flying needles. "Blast!" The needles clattered to the ground, encased in an ice shell. Mercury ran to Mars' side. "Are you all right Mars?"

Mars nodded and attempted to stand, she winced as she put pressure on her left leg. "I am. Don't worry Mercury." Then she fell back the ground, pain seared up her calf. "What's happening?" She gasped.

"You like it, Sailor Mars?" The Youma laughed. "Their my special poison needles. Even a scratch will make you deathly ill." Crossing its arms across it's bristling chest. "It begins with paralysis. I'm sure you're feeling that right now." She sneered at the two Sailor Scouts. "How long will you last?"

Mars stared at the Youma. 'We're in big trouble.' She thought.

Meanwhile…

Darien followed Sayuri through the vaulted doors; he'd been surprised when the manager had led them past the restaurant. He'd seen the long line that led down the hall of people without reservations. It had surprised him that the manager had been waiting for them at the elevator. He had bowed and indicated that they come with him. Sayuri had smiled, as then the manager pulled her aside. Now she and Yamatsu were walking ahead of him, speaking in low tones. Every so often, the manager glanced back over his shoulder. Darien caught the distaste that flashed through his eyes as they landed on him. Darien sighed, thinking about the impatient people he'd seen. Tapping their brochures on their palm, checking their watch, arguing with the hostess. 'To think that could have been us.' He thought. 'But then, I doubt she would have brought us here if that were the case…' So, she and Katsu had known each other their entire lives. 'Katsu must have known all about this.' Darien thought. There was no disgust in the manager's eyes when he'd seen Katsu. No, but apparently Darien was…common. He hoped this vibe was only directed at him, and not the girls. 'Though Serena could be in trouble.' Rini too. They didn't have the world's best table manners. 'For all that Serena's a princess.' Darien wondered what Yamatsu and Sayuri were discussing. She was frowning a lot. As they walked, Yamatsu waved his hands and Sayuri shook her head. Darien walked a little closer, trying to hear what they were saying. But they were speaking rapidly in English. Though Darien had done well in his English classes in school, he could only catch one or two words like "live" and "here", "you" and "shouldn't". It wasn't enough to give him a clear idea, but he figured that Sayuri was in some serious trouble. 'Probably.' Looking down at the floor, Darien was surprised by how quickly it had changed. No longer granite tiling, as they walked through the arched doors, it became moss green carpet. Darien found himself in foyer to a suite of rooms, this part of the hotel was much more simple than the others. The walls were a deep orange that deepened to a dark red and then purple as the one walked down the hallway. The only gold was in the gilded frames of much smaller and happier scenes then Darien had seen in the murals. Most of these seemed to be from the present. These were family portraits, Darien decided. Stopping at the nearest one, he saw three young people playing on a field of grass. A little girl with chin length white-blonde hair was watching her brothers wrestle. One of the boys was about her age Darien guessed nine. The other boy was older, perhaps in his early to middle teens with dark almond brown hair. In the corner, two parents sat at a park bench beneath a shady oak tree. 'What is this place?' Darien wondered. The furniture here was by far simpler than the others. There were mossy green sofas arranged in a small circle around a sofa table at the far end of the hallway. The sofas looked out on the city through arched wall size windows. 'A perfect view of the sunset.' Darien thought, sitting there you could see all the way to the waterfront.

"Come on." Sayuri said. "The others are in the dining room."

"Sayuri?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

"What is this place?" Looking around at the simple oak and maple end tables and simple lamps, the mossy green carpet quietly supporting the fading colors of the room, Darien sighed. "It's…"

"Different from the rest of the hotel." Sayuri finished for him. "It should be." She said, absently tucking her hair back behind her left ear. "These are the family quarters."

"Family quarters?" He asked. Confused, he looked down at her. She climbed three steps and walked onto the little circular plateau. He watched her running her fingers over the green upholstery of the sofas, a faint smile on her lips. Stopping in front of the windows, she sighed. "What?" Darien asked.

"This is where the owners live." Sayuri said. "There's a place similar to this one in every Maple Hotel. It was the legacy my brother left."

"That means…" Darien wasn't sure this was a surprise. He'd suspected that she and Katsu were important people. He'd believed that they were at the least rich and valued visitors, due to the deferential treatment by the hotel's management. However the thought that Sayuri's family were financial tycoons hadn't crossed his mind. z. "Your family owns these hotels?"

"No." Sayuri shook her head. "I do." 'I might as well come clean.' "But I don't make any decisions until I'm 21. Even then, I'll probably leave the running of them to someone smarter than me…" She trailed off. "Anyway, let's go eat."

In the dining room, three people sat at a long table. The table itself was made of maple, and its red sheen glowed in soft light. A candelabrum hung from the arching ceiling, high above their heads. The walls were painted a dark green, and gilded at the edges. The floor was tiled. In the middle of each square was the earth, and around the earth circled the planets. Outside the planets were the stars and the galaxy. The ceiling was delicately painted with clouds and little angels, the three warriors stood around the golden haired princess as they stared down at the earth. The table was covered with plates piled high with pancakes, omelets, Belgian waffles, sausages, bacon, and all other kinds of breakfast. The two girls were busily stuffing their faces with the foods laid out for them. Their manners made Katsu cringe, as they talked to each other with mouths full of food. Leaning back against his wooden chair, Katsu sighed. Closing his eyes, arms crossed over his chest, he hoped that Sayuri would get here soon. Whether or not she left that ape Darien behind didn't really matter to him. The one thing he knew was that she had no business falling in love. 'Our marriages are going to be decided by our parents. He thought. 'Besides, from what I've guessed the meatball head is dating Darien.' The thought didn't sit well in his stomach. He smiled. They were cute, he decided, both Serena and Rini. Despite the food hanging off their mouths and chins, despite the way they stuffed themselves full of every morsel in sight, and despite the fact that they were both common folk; he liked them. In fact, he found it all very endearing. Everything, from the way they dressed like one another, to the way they spoke without thinking. Katsu loved it all. It made him laugh and it was refreshing. They didn't seem to care whom he was, the fact that he was rich, or that his parents were some of the biggest tycoons in the business industry. 'Maybe they don't realize it.' He thought. Either way, it was nice not being sucked up to or coerced. He'd always hated the way business leaders would try to use him to appeal to his father or grandfather. He hated that. But here, it was nice. 'They might be selfish…but they aren't superficial.' It was all-genuine. 'They aren't ashamed of who they are.' Sayuri could take a page from their book. It had been a long time since he'd seen her act like herself. Except around Soren and himself. 'She is…now.' Around these people, these trusting unquestioning people were the kindest Katsu had ever met. They, most noticeably Serena, had accepted and trusted them. Katsu didn't want to betray that trust. "Serena." He said.

"What?" She answered, her mouthful. Little bits of pancakes and frosting were hanging from her lips. Her baby blue eyes were questioning, as she looked at him. Unashamed. She didn't care how she looked. She was confident in herself.

Katsu laughed. 'Serena, thank you.' "You've got food all over your mouth."

"I do!" She squealed. Grabbing a napkin, she began hurriedly wiping it off. It wasn't delicate…more like scrubbing. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

'Or maybe not…' Katsu thought, laughter dancing in his blue eyes. "Well..." He began.

"Why are you bothering meatball head?" Rini asked, poking at Serena with her fork. "You'll just have food all over your mouth again once you start eating."

"How dare you say that Rini!" Serena snapped, glaring at the little girl. "I am a lady." Katsu, who was sipping his coffee, coughed. Serena turned to him. "And just what is so funny!" She snapped, her eyes fiery. "You don't think I'm a lady?"

"Don't drag me into this." He said, putting his cup down.

"He's agreeing with me." Rini said. "You eat like a pig."

He shook his head. "No…" He said, but was drowned out by Serena. Running his fingers through his curly blonde hair, he wondered how he'd gotten into this mess. 'Was this something Darien delt with on a daily basis?' This was the sort of thing that drove men to madness. 'Mother would kill both of them…' Still, he smiled. It was nice to have friends like them. Serena was beautiful…in her own klutzy way.

"I do not!" Serena yelled, glaring at Katsu. "It's not like you're any better! But, is that what you really think Katsu?"

"No…" Katsu said. "I don'…"

Rini cut him off, yelling at Serena. "Yes!" Rini was standing. "He's on my side, you're porky and stupid! You've got terrible eating habits!"

"You little brat!" Serena snarled, glaring at Rini. "I don't have to take this…from either of you!" She stood.

"Whoa…" Sayuri said from the door, Darien right behind her. "I leave you three alone for ten minutes, and the result…" She shook her head. "Utter chaos." Looking up at Darien, she added. "What do you think Darien?"

"Business as usual." He muttered, with a slight smile.

"Sayuri!" Serena whined. "Katsu was calling me porky and fat…"

Sayuri walked over and slapped him upside the head. "Why are you insulting our guests?" She growled.

"I didn't do anything." Katsu snapped, glancing from one girl to the other. "It was all them." He pointed to Serena and Rini. "They're terrors, 'Yuri." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head, he added. "And that hurt."

"It was supposed to." She said.

"Sayuri!" Serena whimpered. "You don't think I'm a pig…do you?"

"No." Sayuri said, glancing over her shoulder. "And…I don't think Darien does either." That happiness on Serena's face as she looked at Darien, stung Sayuri's heart. 'I thought so.' Those two had a lot of history between them. When Darien talked about Serena, she could hear the fondness in his voice. 'It's pointless to fall in love.' She thought. Her heart ached at the thought. 'My parents are picking my husband out as we speak.' The truth was, that neither she nor her brother were ever going to be able to freely fall in love. It was a dream, not the reality. 'My responsible brother…' She'd noticed the way he looked at Serena. 'He falls for anyone genuine.' Too many fakers had broken his heart. She sighed. 'She'd have been so good for him…' Sayuri couldn't help it, when she'd met Serena the thought had passed through her mind. 'She'd have done wonders for my brother.' But now? It was impossible. Serena and Darien, the thought shivered through her. Rattling her heart. Darien's hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up at him.

"Weren't you hungry?" He asked. 'I wonder…' He thought, and then looked at Serena. She smiled happily, and he sighed. 'It's not possible…'

"Starving." Sayuri said. Then a scream echoed through the building. 'Not now!' She thought angrily. 'Not here!' Her brother met her eyes, and they nodded. "But it looks like there isn't much food here. Why don't Katsu and I go talk to the Chef? We'll get some more." Grabbing Katsu by the arm, she dragged him off down the hall. Leaving Serena, Rini, and Darien standing there, confused.

"Serena." Darien said. "We need to find where that scream came from." 'Thank God those two decided to go get more food.' Though he didn't like the way they left together. It left a bad taste in his mouth. "Stay here, Rini." He yelled. Serena nodded, and the two ran off in the opposite direction. "It sounded like it came from the restaurant." Darien said.

"Well, yes." Serena snapped. "That's the only other thing on this floor." 'That means Sayuri and Katsu are in danger!' Her stomach sank to her boots. She really liked Katsu, even if he thought she ate like a pig. He was nice and sweet. He didn't tease her horribly, and he put up with Rini like Darien did. Serena wasn't sure about his relationship to Sayuri. 'They could be boyfriend and girlfriend.' That thought made her stomach sink further. She liked Katsu, and she knew that he and Sayuri weren't right for one another. 'What about Darien?' Her mind asked, as she ran down the long hallway. 'You and he are meant to be.' Serena shook her head. That was true. Maybe she could fix Katsu up with one of the Scouts. Still, thinking of him with Amy, Lita, Mina, or Rei made her heart ache. 'You can't have both of them.' That was very true. 'Why would I want Katsu?' She thought. 'I barely know him.' She'd seen few sides of him. Half the time it was like he was protecting himself. 'What's he scared of?' She wondered. The only thing she did know was that if any Youma did hurt him. They'd be moon dusted. People were screaming and running from the restaurant, the air shook around Serena and Darien. 'The Negamoon.' Serena thought. 'Rini should be okay in those rooms.' They were like a fortress. Stepping back into the shadows, she raised her hand. "Moon Crystal Power!"

Meanwhile…

Mars staggered to her feet. "Mercury!" She shouted, as the Youma held her friend high by the throat. Mercury's legs kicked futilely in the air. She struggled, yanking at the Youma's stronger hand. The monster was smiling, it's eyes narrowed as the air was being crushed out of Mercury's neck. Mars gasped, though she'd pulled the needles out of her leg, she could feel the toxin spreading up her leg. Even now, she put most of the pressure on her right foot. The other shook with the effort of holding her up. She winced, lifting her hands together close to her chest. "Mars Fire…" She began.

"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!" A disk of thunder and electricity shot through the air and struck the Youma in the back. It screamed, and dropped Mercury. Who landed on the soft grass, coughing. The Youma leapt backwards, landing it looked at the newcomer. "Mercury!" Sailor Jupiter yelled, running to her friend's side. Her oak brown hair bound back into a tall ponytail, her green gem gleaming in the florescent light, the tall scout knelt down beside Mercury. "Are you all right?" She asked hoarsely. The other scout nodded, coughing. "I'm sorry I'm so late." She said, and glanced at Mars. "How are you holding up?"

"Just glad you're here Jupiter." Mars said, relief washing over her face. Her leg shivered beneath her, putting her two forefingers together, she glared at the Youma. "Mars Fire…" She began again, and a fireball gathered on top of her two fingers. She pointed them towards the Youma. "Ignite!" The ball hurled itself at the Youma, striking her in the chest.

The surprised Youma took another step backwards. It's lips curling into a crueler smile. "Not much time left, Mars." It said. "My poison is already making its way towards your heart."

"If I die, I'll have the satisfaction of taking you with me." The red scout snarled, looking over at Jupiter. "Let's give her all we got!" She shouted.

"You got it Mars." Jupiter agreed. "Let's obliviate this thing." Her eyes worriedly darted to the purple lines spreading up Mars' leg. 'Where's Sailor Moon?' She wondered, it was like Serena to be late, but not like this. Jupiter knew Sailor Moon was a flake, but never when her friends were in trouble. 'What's going on?' Mercury looked up at her, eyes so tired that Jupiter was frightened. She knew that the other Scout must have been fighting alone. That meant Mars was badly injured. 'She said something about poison…' Jupiter thought.

"Jupiter…" Mercury said. "She shoots poison needles from her fur. Long range…left side…weakest." She attempted to stand. "Powerful attack…hit her there…"

"Okay Mercury." Jupiter said. "But you should rest a little more."

Mercury shook her head. "No rest…" She breathed. "We have to fight…no one…else…" Leaning on Jupiter's shoulder, she glared at the Youma.

"You're right." Jupiter agreed, looking across at Mars. On her weak legs, the other girl had lunged towards the Youma. Kicking it across the stomach with her weak leg, she knocked it backwards. She glanced back at Jupiter, and nodded. Jupiter smiled, she raised her hands over her head and yelled. "Jupiter Thunder…" Bolts of lightening descended down around her. "Crash!" The lightening fell on the Youma as it fell backwards. "Now Mercury!" She shouted.

Mercury nodded, lifting her hands, she began to spin. "Shine Aqua…" Water and ice swirled around her, as she turned like a ballerina. "Illusion!" She opened her hands, and the ice and water flew at the Youma. It struck its legs, casting them in ice and freezing them to the ground. Without a word, the Youma lifted it's hairy left arm bristling, red eyes narrowed, it snarled. A storm of darts shot towards both Jupiter and Mercury. Tiredly, the water scout crossed her arms across her chest. "Mercury Ice Bubbles…" She yelled. "Freeze!" She opened her arms, and the bubbles rushed towards the oncoming needles. They flashed through all of them, and the needles fell harmlessly to the ground. Smiling tiredly, Mercury wobbled, her eyes closing.

"Mercury!" Jupiter shouted, glaring at the Youma. Thunder gathered in her open hand. "Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!" She pitched the disk at the monster's left side. The swirling electric energy shot through the air. It hit the Youma on the mark, leaving a softball-sized hole in its side. Gooey black blood, dripped down the Youma's side. It smiled. "Now Mars!" Jupiter yelled.

Mars lifted her hand, drawing a fiery circle around her body. "Mars Celestial Fire…" Rings of flame glimmered around her body; she spread her hands, pointing at the hole in the Youma's left side. "Surround!" The rings flew together, leaving red trails in the night air. One after another they stabbed through the Youma.

Black blood spurted from the hole, and the Youma screamed, but its toothy smile remained. The ice containing it's legs shattered, and it fell to the ground. It's claws dug into the dirt, and it grinned up at the scouts. "Is that all you have Sailor Failures?" It said. "A few hits, drawing a little blood. It's hardly enough to beat me." The Youma stood crossing both arms across its chest, it spread them apart. Thousands of needles shot towards the Scouts. The beast snarled.

Pulling Mercury with her, Jupiter leaped into the air. She landed a few feet away, safely out of the attack's path. Looking back, she saw that Mars had no way to avoid the needles. "Mars!" She screamed.

Desperately, Mercury crossed her arms across her chest. "Mercury Ice Bubbles…" She yelled.

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!" A chain of hot yellow light shot through the Youma, and it fell back. The needles fell harmlessly to the ground at Mars' feet. Opening her eyes, Mars glanced up to see Venus standing on the small hill behind Mercury and Jupiter. Luna and Artemis were at her feet. Then Mars looked back at their enemy.

The Youma had pushed itself to its feet, it's body rapidly vanishing, and it raised its fist into the air and cried out. "Forgive me Sailor Sun! I've failed you!" Then it vanished leaving confused Scouts behind.

The purple lines vanished from Mars' ankle, and she fell to her knees. "No…" She whispered, her worst fear confirmed. The new Sailor Scout that Serena defended so vehemently was indeed their enemy. 'No…this can't be happening…'