"So are they..?" Sailor Moon questioned.

"No, they are actually alive. We had better hurry back, though, before the Reaper gets to them. He's only holding them captive," Sailor Fate said. "Soon, he will fulfill his plans of destruction."

"I don't get it," Sailor Moon asked. "Why destroy the Sailor Scout team?"

"If you are gone, then there will be no one to stand up to the evils of this world," answered Karma. "You are a shining light, a beacon of hope that no one could ever hope to be."

Sailor Pluto looked concerned. "What about Hades?"

Again Fate closed her eyes. Her crystal ball glowed brightly. "He is currently battling demons with Cerebrus. There are slightly outnumbered, though."

"Slightly outnumbered?"

"By exactly 7,324 to 2."

Pluto put her hand over her mouth to stop from swearing. (Fate hated swear words.) Despite her prevention, however, Fate still shot her a dirty look, probably since her mind-reading skills had related these thoughts to her.

"So what do we do?" Sailor Moon asked.

"We have to let him keep distracting the enemy so we can free your friends. Then we attack back, full force. We'll even take on Hell itself, if that's what it takes," replied a determined Sailor Fate

"But Hades—" Pluto objected.

"Let him be, Pluto. He and Cerebrus can handle things long enough for us to prepare for a surprise attack."

Darien looked around at them, still obviously confused. Sailor Moon took his hand in hers. "It will be all right, my love. Will you battle with me to free our friends?"

Darien nodded. "Yes."

"Then let us return to the underworld," Sailor Fate said.

With that, the five of them turned and walked into the black portal.

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"Ugh," groaned Sailor Mars. "Where are we?"

The scouts awakened to find themselves in a dungeon, chained to the walls. It was very dark, but the scouts knew that all of them were in the same room together.

"No idea," said Sailor Mercury. "If I could just reach my computer, I would be able to tell you."

Sailor Jupiter replied, "What about your shades?"

"Oh, that's right! But…I can't reach it."

Sailor Uranus spoke up. "What about your mirror, Neptune?"

"It's attached to my side, but I can't reach it either. It won't tell you where we are, either, but it may give some clues as to what's going on. Can you see what's in it?" Neptune answered.

"No, it's too dark. If only you could hold it…" Uranus sighed. "It's so frustrating to not know where we are."

Sailor Venus declared, "Even more frustrating since we don't know what happened to Sailor Moon. I just remember seeing her fall."

"She was attacked by that dragon," remarked Sailor Mercury. "Other than that, I really don't know what happened. I just remember darkness…"

Sailor Mars said, "Well, it's obvious she's not in here—she'd complain and whine about something."

"Mars!" the other girls chorused.

"Well, it is true," Mars retorted.

"I'm worried about her," said Sailor Jupiter. "If only we had contacted Prince Darien…"

Sailor Mercury replied, "I am sure he knows something by now. He and Serena have a very deep connection—if something should happen to one of them, the other would know."

"Besides," remarked Sailor Neptune, "he could have ended up down here with the rest of us. It's a good thing he was not there at the time. We need somebody on the outside."

Sailor Saturn started to say, "What about Pl—"

A deep voice boomed from the shadows. "Well, well, what do we have here?"

"Who are you, and what do you want?" demanded Sailor Uranus.

"Ah, a feisty one. I think I'm going to like you," replied the voice.

"Geez, his voice gives me the creeps," whispered Venus.

Sailor Uranus gritted her teeth. "Tell us where we are, or I swear I'll—"

"Or you'll what?" taunted the voice. "It is a shame, really, that you all have no idea where you are. I shall tell you—you are in the underworld."

The scouts gasped.

The voice laughed. "That's right—you are far away from anyone who could possibly help you. I have captured all of you scouts—well, except for Sailor Moon, but that is just as well, considering she's dead."

Again, the scouts gasped. "No!" they cried.

"Oh yes. I personally took care of her. Such a shame, really—and before too long, I'll find that Prince too."

"Who are you?" shouted Sailor Uranus.

"What's with all these questions, sailor senshi? So demanding you are…I suppose I shall explain. I am the Grim Reaper." His scythe gleamed in the shadows. "And you…are my next victims."

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A/N: I love writing in suspense. Hope you'll keep reading! And thanks to everyone for the reviews!!