Last Time: The girl's eyes slid open, then immediately went wide with horror. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and she slid away from the terror looming above her, scooting backwards on her hands with her feet kicking her onward, as fast as she could manage. Loud, panicked breaths escaped her lungs, as she once again pressed herself against the wall.

"Be quiet," the Dark Lord said softly, and Serenity felt her throat convulse, forcing her breathing to soften.

"How do you like my gifts?" her captor continued, gesturing toward the box. He met Serenity's terrified gaze, and smiled.

"Do the garments not... please you?" It took every ounce of strength Serenity had left to shake her head, barely shifting it to either side.

"N-n-no, there…not pleasing" she stammered softly, frozen with fear. That was truth. She hated the clothes, and all they suggested that her role here was to be. The Dark Lord chuckled, amused.

"Then I shall have to have more created. Eventually, you will come to accept them. And your fate." She gaze burned into her captive's.

"I've found my true mate. And you know it."

"Never!" Serenity managed to force through her trembling lips, barely above a whisper. She forced herself to meet that gaze with all the defiance she could muster.

"Beneath the skin," that silkily, dark voice continued,

"We are already one. Was it not your sin trapped the unicorn? Even now," he went on, with intense satisfaction,

"The evil seed of what you've done terminates within you."

"No!" Serenity gasped, and found her strength.

"No! You're wrong... you're-you're lying! It's not true, I know it! I love Haruka! I love her, and I hate you!" The smile faded, and Serenity felt hope.

"You're just... just... an evil animal!" Immediately, the smile was back, and with it, laughter.

"We are all animals, my young Princess," he remarked, amused, and continued to laugh, somehow emitting with that laughter tides of darkness that washed over Serenity and drowned her hope, forcing tears from her eyes and sobs from her throat. Her gaze fell to the floor, in despair.

Laughter, Haruka ran after Minako, trying to control this sense of dread within her. Serenity was in danger, she knew it, terrible danger -- and if something didn't happen soon to save her, then she would be lost to Haruka forever.

"Haruka!" Rei hissed, and she joined the two by the gateway, peering in through the crack between the two doors. The laughter, she found out soon enough, was coming from a tall, man like figure with the horns of a bull and a horrible sense of power around him. Haruka felt her irritation growing with every second she observed. She really didn't like that guy! (Hello that's the point here, he's the bag gu-erm…thing)

"That's the Dark Lord," Rei whispered, answering before Haruka even realized she wanted to ask a question.

"Minako, this is where Serenity went, is that right?" She let out a breath, slowly.

"That's not good..."

Something dark shifted at the other side of the room, and Haruka's gaze caught on it.

"Serenity!" she gasped, pushing at the doors. They refused to budge. The black-garbed girl rose to her feet with the unintentional scrambling motions that Haruka had always found so cute, and tried to edge away, her face even paler than usual with fear. Tears started to form in Haruka's eyes as she shoved helplessly at the doors. Serenity was so close... but byound her reach...if only she open the door…

"Haruka, you can't help her right now," Rei murmured, grabbing her arm.

"She's alive, that much is enough, isn't it?" It wasn't, it truly wasn't. Haruka glanced back at Serenity's clothes. Their cut, and the way they fit, spoke volumes about the purpose intended for the girl wearing them. Watching her was enough to make Haruka's blood burn... but her anger rose just as sharply.

The Dark Lord fixed his gaze on Serenity.

"The last unicorn dies tonight!" he announced fiercely, watching with a dark glee as the girl sank to her knees, eyes turning downward in despair.

"As her blood ebbs, the sun sets forever. There shall never be another dawn."

Never !" Rei hissed, more furious than Haruka had ever seen her.

Serenity seemed to be having similar thoughts; she glared up at the Dark Lord, face set with hatred.

"No!" she said vehemently, through clenched teeth.

"No!" The Dark Lord chucked, amused.

"My Princess," he answered, using the title mockingly,

"I require the solace of the shadows -- and the dark of the night. Sunshine is my destroyer!"

Rei's face lit with triumph, as if the battle was already won.

"Haruka," she breathed,

"As long as we still have sunlight, we can destroy him!" Haruka tore her eyes away from Serenity's face and glanced back up at Rei. The cord of her pendant twisted against her neck, and she glanced down at it. Serenity's pendant, the one she'd given to Haruka in that simple careless moment of warmth… When they had each other's love to take for granted. Haruka cupped the small silver moon in her hand, running her fingers over it as if it were a priceless treasure. The memories came back to her, just brief fragments of the whole picture. Serenity's smile, so brilliant and loving the warm sunlight illuminating her beautiful silver hair.

'' Memory ''

Light reflected off the silver crescent moon pendant hanging around her neck, and Haruka watched in fascination.

Serenity followed her gaze. "Do you like it?". Haruka nodded still watching the light play on the pendent. She pulled the object over her head and held it out. "It's yours"

'' End ''

"I-I think I know how we can do it," Haruka whispered, looking up from the pendant to Rei's face.

"All I wish," the Dark Lord said, swirling to face Serenity, who now stood to one end of a great banquet table,

"Is for you to sit and talk with me." Serenity's mind raced.

"You mean in this thing?" she gestured toward the chair beside her, a mass of black metal twisted into a demented parody of a throne. She frowned at it.

"Yes." The Dark Lord smiled.

"I'd rather sit on ten-inch spikes!" the girl shot back.

"SIT!" her captor roared, then seemed to gain control of herself when Serenity backed away from the chair even more.

"Or stand," he added smoothly.

"As you wish, it is enough that we are alone together." He stepped forward, smiling, and Serenity involuntarily fell back a pace.

"Some -- simple – conversation is all I ask." He chuckled, staring hungrily at his prisoner.

The girl's cheeks flushed. "I don't have anything to say to you!" she snapped angrily, defiantly.

"I had everything planned out before you came along! My whole life..."Haruka will take my away from the palace, and we'll live in a cabin, like Ami's. The forest and each other will be all we need, forever!' She cherished that dream... it had seemed so certain when she woke up this morning. Now it was so far beyond her reach that she may as well wish for the moon, or a star, or for the sun to be purple.

"All things change, Serenity," the Dark Lord's confident voice cut into her thoughts.

"The dreams of youth are the regrets of maturity." He waved a hand dismissively.

"Dreams are my specialty. Through them, I can influence mankind."

'I'll bet,' Serenity thought bitterly. 'Oh Ruka-chan, I don't even know if you're still alive..'. Sorrow washed over her, but she did not allow herself to cry. 'I hope you can forgive me for all of this, some day...'

"My dream," the Lord of Darkness continued,

"Is of eternity with you by my side, I offer you this -- Highness. My heart... my soul… My love..."

Serenity's head snapped up, her attention caught by that one word.

"Love?" she blurted foolishly, and her heart screamed, 'Haruka! Only her!' The Dark Lord stared back at him, gaze unfathomable.

"Is that all of them?" Haruka looked back at the pile they'd collected, of the gold plates that Makoto had noticed before. She raised her eyes to the nymph, who nodded earnestly.

"All we could find!" Makoto told her. Rei nodded.

"We pulled them all off the shelves. They're heavy, but not overly so. We shouldn't have a problem setting them up."

"Good." Haruka nodded.

"I found our source of light." She led them toward the small air hole, where a beam of sunlight shone down a high tunnel and into the dark cavern. Rei studied it critically.

"That's not the easiest climb I've seen," she commented, making a face.

"Not many hand holds, and the space is practically nonexistent. It would take someone really small..."

"I'll do it!" Screwball volunteered. The other three stared at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked defensively.

"Aren't I small enough for the job? Rei, please," he begged. "Let me do it. I won't let you down!"

"All right," Rei gave in.

"You can do it, if you want, but you have to hurry. Understand?"

"Yes sir, erm Ma'am!" the dwarf answered solemnly. Haruka brought over two plates -- one to go up with Screwball and the other to remain at the bottom of the tunnel, to reflect the light. Haruka and Rei gave Screwball a hand up, then when they managed to set the plate to their satisfaction. Rei grinned impishly.

"Two down, and about a four dozen to go," she remarked cheerfully, then gathered up her share of the plates.

"Sit," the Dark Lord said, leering in anticipation.

"I value your thoughts, Serenity. Share them with me."

"Just sit?" Serenity was staring to feel unsure. She moved up just in front of the chair, before the far end of the table.

"Sit," the Dark Lord repeated.

"Nothing else?" Serenity glanced up at her captor meaningfully.

"And talk with me," he amended, not even so much as blinking to show he'd been taken aback. Serenity's eyes dropped to the table. She was hungry, she realized. The last time she'd eaten had been at Setsuna's cabin... A strange black substance sat on the plate before her.

"Eat," the Dark Lord urged her. A thick, dark liquid now filled the wineglass beside her plate. Serenity watched in fascination, and her hands closed around the cold glass.

"Drink," the Dark Lord added -- one-word commands.

The girl's face twisted, and she tore her hands back.

"I'm not doing anything that would make you happy!" she retorted, defiantly.

"DO IT!" The Dark Lord exploded in fury, knocking a whole side of the table to the floor with a loud clatter.

"DAMNED MORTAL!" Serenity's anger reached the breaking point.

"NEVER!" she screamed back in rage, more furious than she'd ever been in her life.

"Never!" he hissed. The Lord of Darkness's face twisted in fury, and he advanced on Serenity threateningly, gaining speed as he came. Laughing mockingly, the girl spun about, swirling her cape flippantly, and kneeling before the Dark Lord in a gesture of mock surrender. The charge halted, anger seeming to seep from the captor's body as air would from a punctured balloon.

"Such harsh words..." Serenity grinned fiercely.

"When you speak... your throat sounds like it wants me to slice it open!"

"Are you so anxious to see blood flow?" The Dark Lord panted slightly, from his exertions. Serenity nodded.

"As anxious as you would be to drink it -- my Lord. Grant me just one desire, if you truly want me."

"You have but to ask," the Dark Lord replied.

"I'll stay here with you willingly, if that's what you want," Serenity promised, then looked up.

"But on one condition."

"Anything!" The Lord of Darkness offered. Serenity grinned, feeling triumph surge through him...

"The unicorn is mine," she stated maliciously.

" I get to kill it!"

AN: Comment, questions, suggestion, please review.