Ugh! I'm even later than usual. But I have a good reason this time, I really do – I've barely been home these last couple of months. In fact, everything I've posted up until this point has been pre-written or things I've written in my notebook while travelling.

Still, it wasn't meant to take this long for me to update. And really, it wouldn't have, if it wasn't for the fact that I was immensely unhappy with this chapter and decided to rewrite most of it. Well, at least I think it's okay now.

Anyway, as I said before – my story I Know Better has been nominated in the Annual Sailor Moon Fan Fiction Awards, so please, please, please support me. I've never been nominated for anything before, and I'm really excited. I still need my fic to be seconded, though...

Moving on, I'm sorry about the delay, I really am. But enjoy and please review.

-Cherry

Angels and Demons

Chapter five – The Dreams I Sacrificed

Ami sighed, pulling an aggravated hand through her short blue hair. "Rei-chan, if we don't hurry, we're going to be late. We promised Usagi to be there by eight," she stated, her voice sounding a lot calmer than she felt.

"Well, it would serve her right if we were late! She's the one always rushing in an hour after appointed time. She can be so immature," Rei huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Now you're the one being immature, Rei-chan."

Rei glared at the small feline. "Am not!"

Ami sighed again, shaking her head. "Rei-chan, please. I hate being late."

Rei rolled her eyes, exhaling sharply. "Fine, fine," she muttered, unfolding her arms. "But I still think we–" she trailed off, her mouth snapping shut as her head jerked up sharply.

Luna's eyes narrowed as she leaped off Ami's shoulder. "Rei-chan?" she paused, noticing how the both girls' eyes clouded over, seeming almost vacant. "Ami-chan?"

Neither of them replied. A strange, but yet oddly familiar, sensation had fallen over the both girls, tugging at their hearts with an intensity they couldn't explain. Then it stopped, as suddenly as it had started, leaving them with the feeling of something missing, as if half their soul had disappeared…

"Usagi!" the shriek left their lips unbidden, as if they didn't have control over their own mouths, but neither of them paused long enough to think about it. The both took off, running faster than they'd ever done before, transforming as they went.

Sailor Mars frowned deeply as they approached their friends house, her eyes locking at the dark figure hovering outside Usagi's, apparently shattered, bedroom windows. "Who is that?" she growled through her tightly clenched teeth.

Sailor Mercury tapped her left earring, both visor and computer appearing to her disposal, and immediately began analyzing the scene before her. She gasped. "That's the man Usagi bumped into in the park!"

The man chuckled, his eyes dancing with a dark, malicious light. "Allow me to introduce myself." The man smiled calmly, his hands crackling with unreleased energy. "I am Nephrite, one of the Dark Kingdom's four generals."

Tuxedo Kamen's head jerked up, staring at the man with unbridled hatred. "You…" He growled, a low sound coming from deep in his throat. "You hurt her. She's an innocent—"

Nephrite snorted. "Why should I care what happens to some girl?"

"She is not just some girl!" Tuxedo Kamen roared. "She's special!" His hand clenched into a first, a rose immediately appearing in it.

Nephrite's gaze flickered momentarily to the rose before traveling back to the masked man. He smiled coldly. "You truly are pathetic."

"Stop!"

Tuxedo Kamen whirled around, just in time to see Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury leap through the shattered windows. "What—?"

Sailor Mercury's gaze flickered towards him for a brief moment, her eyes looking even bluer than usual through her tinted goggles, before sending him a wary smile.

"Fire...Soul!"

Tuxedo Kamen leapt back in surprise, his eyes widening as the fire passed him, mere inches from his face. "Oi!" he grunted.

"Shabon...Spray!"

The room was immediately filled with a thick fog and, for once, he didn't know whether to be grateful of the fact or not. Sure, Nephrite couldn't see them now, but neither could they.

He ran forward, desperately searching for the man who'd had so carelessly hurt the most beautiful person in the world. It didn't matter how high the price – Nephrite's life would be his to take. "Nephrite! Show yourself, you coward!" he roared, fury burning inside of him – the sensation so strong it almost felt like he was going to burst.

Then the impossible happen – he started to glow, the golden light enveloping him in a matter of moments.

He raised his hand, attempting to stare at it in confusion, when the motion caused the fog around him to dissipate, revealing the arrogant general in front of him. His trademark dark energy crackled maliciously between his hands.

Nephrite laughed. The energy pulsated violently around him, successfully blinding everyone in the room.

Tuxedo Kamen raised his arm, desperately trying to shield his eyes with it. "What the hell is going on...?" he growled. To his right, he could hear the Senshi scream, their voices tainted with agony, and yet...and yet he felt nothing.

The golden aura around him flared, nearly humming with energy. Somehow, he knew it was because of it that he was still conscious. He walked forward, the golden hue never dulling. "You…" He glared before gripping the still pulsating general by his neck.

Nephrite coughed, his eyes widening as the dark energy around him suddenly died. "What—? What…are you?"

Tuxedo Kamen glared, his blue eyes nearly glowing with hatred. "I'm angry. What you did was unforgivable," he growled, the golden glow around him pulsating.

From somewhere on the floor, he could hear Sailor Mercury gasp.

He roared, the light around him brightened, shining – for a brief moment – even brighter than the sun.

A pained scream erupted from the General's throat, his eyes widening even more.

Tuxedo Kamen clenched his eyes shut tightly, only to let them snap open again as he felt his grip around the other man's neck to start loosen. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock. His grip hadn't loosened – the other man was decaying to dust.

Seconds later, only a small green stone remained, tightly clenched in his fists.

Tuxedo Kamen stared at the small, gleaming stone before tightening his grip around it. "Unforgivable," he whispered, giving the stone a last glare before hurling it out the window with all his might.

Sailor Mercury raised to her feet, her eyes filling with pained tears. "Usagi-chan…" she whispered, staggering forward. "Usagi-chan…" She slumped down beside her blonde friend, gently turning her over.

A startled gasp left her throat.

Tuxedo Kamen jerked. "What is it?" he demanded, his voice low. He rushed forward, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste.

Sailor Mercury raised her head, her eyes filled with endless despair. "She…"

Tuxedo Kamen stared at his angel, his breath nearly getting caught in his throat. Her eyes were open, staring at something unseen, never blinking and never moving, their usual bright spark gone.

A choked sob left his throat as he realized what Sailor Mercury was trying, and failing, at saying.

Ikuko pounded on her daughter's bedroom door, her heart beating harshly in her chest. She'd been downstairs, pouring a generous amount of cream on her slice of pie when the sound of shattering glass and screams had reached her ears. She had raced up, only to come across her daughter's locked bedroom door.

"Open the door! Usagi, open the door!" she cried, fear gripping her heart. "Open the door!"

The door opened with a soft click, revealing a pair of incredibly blue eyes. For a brief moment, Ikuko felt a surge of relief wash over her body, until she realized that the eyes didn't belong to her daughter. Far from it.

Instead, a small blue-haired girl stood before her, her blue eyes glistering with tears. The girl stepped aside, allowing her entrance.

Ikuko stared, barely taking in the girl's rather odd outfit as her mind numbly wondered where on earth she'd seen the girl before. Then, it suddenly clicked. She gasped. "Sailor Mercury?"

The girl nodded. "Tsukino-san…" she whispered, her voice wavering, "I'm sorry."

"'Sorry'? Wh-what…?" Ikuko looked up, for the first time taking the time to look around her daughter's room.

It was in complete disarray. The windows were shattered, shards covering most of the floor; the many bunnies her daughter had so proudly collected had been burned to ashes, or at least badly scorched…

Her eyes continued to travel around the room, soon locking on the Senshi of fire. Sailor Mars was crying, strangled sobs erupting from her throat as she stumbled forward, desperately trying to reach a small huddled form on the floor.

Ikuko gasped, her heart beating even faster, as she realized exactly what the huddled form on the floor was. "Usagi…"

Sailor Mars gripped the shoulders of the small blonde, shaking her roughly. "No, no, no… Wake up! It's not funny! Stop pretending, Usagi! Wake up! Wake up! I'll never forgive you if you don't wake up this instant, you baka! Wake up…" She crumpled to the floor with a sob. "Wake up… It's all my fault… Usagi…"

Ikuko could feel her knees go weak. "No… Please tell me it isn't true. Please," she sobbed, spinning around to meet the blue-haired girl's guilty gaze, "it can't be true… Please…"

Sailor Mercury sobbed, tears spilling from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Tsukino-san… I'm sorry…"

A pained cry left Ikuko's throat even before she could register it. "No…please…" She crumbled to the floor, her knees unable to support her weight anymore.

Sailor Mercury closed her eyes in anguish. "She's dead."

To be continued...

Japanese translations:

Baka – Idiot/Jerk