Thank you for choosing to go ahead to Chapter: 1. I hope
I don't disappoint you.
Sailor Moon ain't mine.
==============================================================
Fall From Grace
	By: Emporess
==============================================================


It has to start somewhere;
It has to start sometime;
What better place than here?
What better time than now?
		-Rage Against The Machine


Chapter 1:
End of Tranquillity

	"Almost done Mako-chan?" The raven tressed girl asked. In 
her hands she carried 2 boxes closed with masking tape. She wore a 
hip-hugging red mini-skirt and a white fitted blouse. She had her
trademark heels on her feet. 
	"This is the last one!" Her friend replied, picking up a 
rather large box effortlessly. Forest green orbs peaked out over 
the top of the container. Makoto headed towards the door, not 
even pausing to give her apartment one last look. 
	They burst forth from the building, laying their bundles
in the back of Makoto's truck. She had a 1000-watt smile on her
face. She drew the keys out of the pocket of her brown suede 
jacket. She wore skintight blue-jeans and a green silk shirt.
She twirled the keys around her finger once and winked at her
companion before opening the doors. "Thanks so much for helping
me move my stuff Rei-chan."
	Rei let herself in and sat down. "No problem Mako-chan. Its 
just to bad the others couldn't help out." Makoto was turning the 
key in the ignition. The truck grumbled to life. The radio belted
out the latest hit, which the driver sang along to off-key.
	Rei gripped the handrests, so tight her knuckles were turning
white. The truck flew down the road, cutting off drivers. Whenever
a car got in the way Makoto jammed the horn down, waving her fist
threateningly. Rei gave a silent prayer that she would arrive in
one piece.
	Makoto was blissfully unaware of the girl's discomfort. 
She was so absorbed in her "concert" she passed the apartment 
complex. Cursing she bypassed 3 lanes, executed a daring U-turn,
finally coming to a stop in her reserved parking place. She smiled
sweetly at Rei. "Here we are."
	Rei peaked up from where she had taken refuge on the floor.
Her hair was sticking straight up and her eyes were wide in 
disbelief. "Am I alive?"
	Makoto looked at her quizzically. "Nani?"
	But Rei was not there to hear it. She was outside the car, 
kissing the ground. A girl with long blonde hair tied up with a 
red ribbon and a white cat perched on her shoulder walked up to
Makoto. "Whats with Rei-chan?"
	Makoto shrugged. At this point Rei stood, throwing her
arms around the blonde so hard that the cat was knocked to the
ground. "I'm alive Minako-chan! Alive!" She babbled on 
incoherently for a few minutes as Minako made gasping expressions 
and pointed to her throat. 
	The cat with the crescent moon on his forehead jumped onto
Rei's head and swiped at her with his paws making frantic meows.
Makoto than grabbed Rei's arms pulling her off Minako, who 
collapsed to the ground and took many deep breaths. "Air! 
Wonderful air!"
	"Calm down!" Makoto cried, pointing at Rei. "You nearly 
killed Minako-chan!" Rei then regained a little control, smoothing 
out her hair with trembling fingers and glaring at the other girl 
hauntingly. "You almost killed ME with your so-called driving!"
	At the point it turned into an all out tongue-war. As the two
bickered and Minako heaved in the blessed air on the ground a blue
haired girl walked out of the apartment complex and took in the 
scene. "Minna? Whats going on?" They all froze in mid-screeching, 
and sweatdropped. How would they explain this one?
	
	A few blocks away, two figures were staring intently at their 
wrists. Around each was a blue leather band, symbols weaved into 
intricate designs. Attached to the top was a screen the size of a 
watch face. It emitted a tiny beep which was steadily getting louder 
as they moved forward.
	"Its very close now," one said, glancing at her companion.
	He nodded, staring anxiously at the screen. They both had 
brown hair, the man's resembling a shag, the woman's to 
her chin. Their features were very hawkish, lots of sharp edges.
They were dressed to the nines in Gucci gear. Italian shoes that
must of cost over a 1000$. "Do you think its the prophecy?" He 
asked.
	The woman was startled that he would break the oath of 
silence. "We shouldn't-" She began.
	"Don't lecture me on the laws." He sounded almost bitter. 
"Always its the same warnings, the same predictions. And for what?
Never a sign, never an inkling of what were looking for."
	"Patience is a virtue," She stated, in the same tone their
Elders used. His disgusted snort was the only reply. Suddenly the
electronic beep became more rapid.
	"We'll soon see," He said softly, and they sped up their pace.

	Mamoru parked his red sports car in the empty space next
to Makoto's truck. He smiled at the woman seated to his left. "We're
the last to arrive, as usual." He removed the key from the ignition.
	The blonde didn't notice his amusement. She was to busy looking
through her purse, which seemed to be bursting to the seams with 
miscellaneous junk. "Oh Mamo-chan, they've probably been to busy 
helping Mako-chan with her stuff to notice if were just a itsy-bit 
late."
	Mamoru shot her a glance. "2 hours late?"
	She looked up, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. She
waved the object from the bowels of her purse. "Ah-hah! Found it!"
The key glittered from the glow of the street lamps. "I knew I
brought it with me!" Steadfastly ignoring his comment, 
she grinned confidently. "Now we don't have to worry about the 
gate!" Before he could reply, she was out the door, running to the 
back of the complex.
	Watching her retreating figure, he couldn't help but look
back on the last few years. After Nephrenia's defeat, their lives 
had taken on a more normal routine. Or as normal as life could get
with Usagi around.
	He glanced at the gate as she fiddled with the lock. "Usako,
are you sure its not the other entrance?" The gate looked pretty
old. It was rusted up the sides, and the lock protested as she turned
the key. "I saw a door near the front that looked alot newer.."
	The gate seemed to groan as she pushed it open. "No, this is
the one Ami-chan told me to use. The management's very pushy about
not having 'large gatherings'. This way we can sneak past them."
She threaded her arm through his and dragged him along. "Lets hurry, 
I can't wait to see what Mako-chan has cooked!"
	"We stopped to eat before we came!" He looked at her 
bewildered.
	"Thats why I didn't eat very much!" She stated 
matter-of-factly.
	He decided against saying anything else. They were walking
through some narrow alleyways, tucked between buildings. The 
apartment complex was very new, but it was built on the foundation 
of older buildings. Obviously they hadn't spent on the parts of the 
building no one would see.
	The complex looked really ritzy from the front. Ami and 
Minako's parents had really shelled out for the girl's to afford it. 
Makoto couldn't have picked up the tab. It still shocked him to 
think of the girl's as moving out on their own. They had grown up 
so fast! He thought of the bunny on his arm. Well some of them had 
anyway.
	Though, in her defense, she too had matured. The relative
peace after defeating the Dead Moon Queen had done her alot of good. 
Despite her friend's misgivings, Usagi had taken well to high school.
She settled down in her studies. She wasn't Ami, but she graduated 
adequately enough. Mamoru liked to think he'd helped influence her. 
Truth be told however he could remember lots of their study 
sessions breaking up into more 'interesting' activities. He 
chuckled out loud.
	She looked up at him questioningly. "Whats so funny Mamo-chan?"
His eyes were sparkling with humor. She was disoriented staring at 
him for a second, a feeling of deja-vu stealing over her. She didn't 
know where she'd seen him like that before. More and more Usagi was 
hit with that same feeling of memory. She mentioned it to Mamoru once 
and he had mused it was because they were both looking so similar to 
the last days of the Moon Kingdom. 
	It scared her to think of it. Endymion and Serenity. Much of
their past lives were still a mystery to them. Anytime she noticed 
the more mature face gazing back in the mirror she began to shiver.
She was afraid she'd lose herself to Serenity, the Princess who would
later become Queen. The complications of being Sailor Moon had taught
her alot about power and responsibility, but it'd made her
treasure being just plain old Usagi Tskuino even more. Once the time
came for her to ascend to Queen there'd be no more alter-ego to fall
back on.
	Mamoru was startled by the seriousness in her face. He 
hoped she didn't think he was laughing at her. "Nothing Usako. 
Don't look so alarmed." They slowed to where they weren't really 
walking at all anymore. They were examining each other in the glow 
of the moon. Their features were burned into each other's memories, 
shining brighter then any artificial light. He lowered his lips to 
her forehead and placed a kiss above her brow. "C'mon, lets not keep 
them waiting."
	Usagi nodded, plastering a false smile on her lips as they 
moved ahead. For some reason, the thought of food didn't immediately 
erase the feeling of dread that had gripped her. 

	A figure watched the couple from a distance far away, as it
had many times before. It crouched in a crevice of the building,
an indistinct shadow among many. The couple would soon turn a 
corner, out of the person's sight. It would leave them be after that. 
Spending to much time near them was dangerous. In fact it shouldn't 
have been there in the first place. But the person couldn't stand not 
knowing how they were fairing. If they were content, and at peace.
	The figure smiled as the man gently kissed the woman.
	"Happy..." It whispered faintly.
	Time to go.

	Ami and Minako walked into the living room. Minako flopped 
down on an old recliner Makoto had retrieved from her former 
apartment and heaved a sigh. "Thank Kami-sama thats over with. I 
don't think I could lift another thing if my life depended on it."
	Ami nodded as she stretched her toes on the couch. "I don't 
know how I'm going to make it to class tomorrow. My feet are
screaming."
	Minako looked over at her in surprise. "I didn't know you were
starting your program this early. Break just started!"
	Ami smiled, getting that gleam in her eyes which meant she
was feeling challenged. "Yes, my accelerated study course starts way
before the fall quarter." Ami had graduated a year ahead of her 
class, beginning her freshman year of college while the other girls 
had still been working on their diplomas. She'd had the choice of 
several prestigious institutions, including many that were out of the 
country. Ami had surprised everyone by picking KO University, the 
same school Mamoru attended, even after her mother had announced she'd 
taken a position in Germany. The split with her mom had been difficult,
but Ami couldn't bare the thought of leaving her friends behind. "I 
hope I'm up for it."
	Makoto peaked her head in from the kitchen and grinned at her.
"Not to worry Ami-chan! I'm sure you'll knock all those other 
geniuses into the dirt! I have made the perfect brain-food to get 
you in gear!"
	Minako sniffed the aroma from the kitchen, making her mouth 
water. "Mmmm Mako-chan I don't know what we'd do without you. That 
smells heavenly. Unpacking stuff sure builds up an appetite!" She 
seated herself at the table, watching Makoto stir a pot. "Living 
with you is so much better then the normal TV dinners I used to 
nuke."
	Ami walked in the kitchen, then paused in the doorway. 
"Shouldn't we wait for Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san to get here?"
	Makoto rolled her eyes. "I would, but I don't think my food
will be fresh till the next millennia. You know how those two are." 
They all looked at each other and shook their heads, wistful smiles 
on their faces. 
	Ami remained in the entry. "What about Rei-chan? I thought
she was in here with you?"
	Makoto shook her head, puzzled. "No, she left the kitchen a 
half-hour ago. I thought she went back there to help you guys."
	Minako sighed. "I don't know whats with her. She seems
so distant lately. Its like pulling teeth to get her to come hang 
out with us."
	Makoto stuck a wooden spoon in one of the pots, then blew
air on to it, cooling the contents before tasting it. She wrinkled 
her nose, then smiled. "I know what you mean. She kept spacing out 
while we packed my gear. She seems very depressed. Every time I tried 
to get her to open up, she insisted she was fine."
	"I'll find her," Ami called, turning around and walking towards
the balcony doors. They were open. "Rei-chan? Dinners ready, are you 
here?"
	Rei's back was to the door. She was leaning against the 
railing, looking out at the night sky. She didn't acknowledge Ami's 
presence, she was so lost in her own thoughts. Helping Makoto move 
into this place and listening to the girls chatter had not helped 
her mood over the past few days.
	Minako had been all excited about her summer theater group.
Her dreams of becoming an idol had matured a little bit. She still 
wanted to be famous, but now as an actress. She was hoping to learn 
some serious acting skills, maybe appear on a soap opera sometime 
soon. In the fall she would join Ami at KO University, majoring in 
Drama.
	Makoto was taking culinary classes at a local school and
had a part-time job with a garden shop in the city. In between she
finally found a dojo she enjoyed training at, getting in a killer
workout even though the Senshi were technically on hiatus. She, 
Minako, and Ami seemed to be happy living in this cozy apartment 
and moving on with their dreams.
	Mamoru was entering his last year of study at KO before he 
began his pre-med training. The edges in the man had softened with 
the many happy years spent by his "Usako's" side. Usagi for her 
part seemed content with him and living with her parents. Her 
father's reluctant acceptance of Mamoru the 'cradle-robber' had 
been quite a feat. She wasn't ready to tell her Dad she was 
considering moving in with him. Usagi had been accepted at the 
respected KO Art Academy to everyone's surprise. Perhaps there 
was something good to be said about obsessive magna reading 
after all.
	Which of course left Rei all by herself. Her dreams to be a 
business woman and the best shrine priestess were still around, but 
they seemed to hover somewhere beyond her reach. She'd graduated 
well, and been accepted to some of the top schools in the country. 
With her father's influence it hadn't been hard at all. However 
she'd chosen KO even though the business program was not one of the 
school's fine points. It hadn't seemed to matter. Her friends were 
there, so she felt she should be as well.
	More specifically the two people she cared about the most
were there. She let out a long suffering sigh. Would it ever get any 
easier?
	
	Quietly a woman sat, separated from her surroundings. It was
difficult to imagine anyone being able to ignore the eccentric area
she was placed in. A circle of salt outlined the parameters of her 
space. Candles were placed all around her, though 4 long distinct 
ones were at the compass points. Electricity seemed to crackle in 
the air as she concentrated, unmoving, on the open gateway.
	Her long red hair was plated into tiny braids which flowed 
down her back almost to her feet. She was clothed in a blue shift, 
which made her a bit uncomfortable. She preferred to be skyclad, 
despite its vulnerability. 
	She reached out, feeling for them. Oh! There! She was 
surprised they were so close this time. Much closer than their 
lucky guesses had ever been before. This disturbed her deeply. Again 
she reached across the void, trying to touch the other's damaged 
consciousness, to warn it had spent far too long spying on the couple.
	A gasp escaped her even in the trance. The consciousness was
responding- and aware. It was coherent, speaking in a crystal clear 
tone. "*so happy*...*so warm*"
	She tried to get ahold of herself. It was communicating? She'd 
thought it impossible. She had to warn it at this crucial stage. 
"Their close...too close...Danger.."
	A surge of energy rushed at her. Her link was collapsing under
the strain. They were going to be caught. The energy was bruising,
familiar, yet almost reassuring. Like the moon power. Before the
link broke she felt the kindness "*So warm...*" and then it was 
gone.
	
	The woman and the man felt the alarms at their wrists go from 
beeps to frantic whining as they turned the corner. They raced 
ahead. "This is it-" He began, before he knocked into something, 
and fell to the ground.
	They had been so intent on following the tracker they hadn't
watched where they were going. He looked up from his position on the 
ground, to a woman with 2 blonde meatballs pinned to the sides of her
head apologizing profusely and helping his companion up. "Gomen 
nasai! I'm so clumsy!" More chattering going on.
	The black haired male at her side offered him a hand. "Sorry!
We were in a hurry. I hope we didn't ruin your watches." The watches
were shrilling insanely now, sounding like broken buzzers. The man 
smiled through his brown locks, glancing at his companion who nodded 
her head. They had to be the ones. He grasped the stranger's hand, 
as his eyes took on a reddish glow. Mamoru wasn't quick enough to 
pull away. The grip was very rough, then painful. Usagi let out a 
little squeal as the woman did the same to her.
	"Thats all right," they spoke in unison, their voices almost
a slither like a snake's. "You may be just what we need."

	Rei jumped as Ami's hand tenitivly touched her shoulder. "Oh! 
Ami-chan you scared me!"
	Ami smiled reassuringly at her. "Gomen. I just wanted to let 
you know Mako-chan has dinner ready. You didn't hear me the first 
few times, and I was worried."
	Rei grinned back. "Arigato. I can't wait to see what she 
cooked this time-" Suddenly Rei stopped and doubled over, her whole 
body nearly retching.
	Ami looked at her fearfully. "Rei-chan??"
	Rei glanced up, her eyes haunted and distant. "I sense evil 
nearby.." Her face seemed almost pained for a moment as she 
steadied herself on Ami. She looked over the railing, feeling out 
with her psychic senses into the distance. "The old gate...Usagi..."
	Ami let out the breath she'd been holding in. "Oh no! 
Mako-chan! Mina-chan!" They came rushing on to the balcony. Their 
eyes took in Rei questioningly until she pulled out the pen they 
hadn't used in battle for years. No more explanation was need as 
they reached for their own.
	"MARS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
	"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
	The shimmering lights of transformation began, leaving the
senshi where the girls had stood. They leaped off the balcony to
the ground, running towards their Princess.
	"Usagi..." Mars thought desperately.

	The man's brown hair had darkened almost to black, his skin 
taking on a sickly yellowish hue, as did his female companion. They 
held Mamoru and Usagi off the ground, flooding them with dark energy.
The couple screamed out their anguish, until they were 
unceremoniously dropped to the ground, stunned.
	The man took a pink crystal out of his pocket, running it
over the two of them and watching the rapid play of lights 
reflected off it. The woman glanced at the two for any signs of 
resistance. "Well?" She asked him.
	"Patience is a virtue.." He sneered at her in the same way she
lectured before as he contemplated the data. She didn't reply but she
shot him a deadly glance. "This is odd..." He murmured.
	Mamoru twitched and moaned, reaching one hand out to the 
blonde. "Usako..." He whispered.
	The woman raised her hand and Mamoru was shocked again, after a
groan he went limp. He couldn't even blink. 'This would be so 
much easier as Tuxedo Kamen,' he thought, befuddled.
	"It makes no sense," The man suddenly concluded.
	"Eh?" His companion asked. Her psychic senses were going nuts.
She wanted to get what they needed and leave. Even though it made 
no sense, she could literally FEEL time running out. "C'mon what'd
it say??"
	He glared at the two on the ground, as if the inconclusive data
was somehow their fault. "I don't know. Its picking up readings from 
them like I've never seen before, but only one of them is registering 
what were supposed to be looking for."
	The woman shrugged, agitated. "OK, so lets take that one and 
book it."
	The man looked back at the crystal. "But this other data is 
so odd-"
	"Screw it then. Lets take 'em both."
	The man smirked at her. "My aren't we jumpy. Afraid of the dark
Freya?"
	She glared at him, moving to pick up the girl. She knew she 
was being foolish. They were alone in the middle of an alley. 
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that the calvary was on the
way- but what calvary? It was all too weird. "Just shut up and 
get him-"
	"VENUS LOVELY CHAIN!" A loud female voice rang through the 
night.
	A long chain of gold hearts wrapped around Freya's wrist, and 
with a start she was flung back and away from the blonde and into 
the alley wall. "ACK!"
	The man whipped around to see a blonde in a really short orange
skirt pointing at them and the chain wrapped around her hand. Three 
other girls in assorted colors of really short skirts were behind her 
glaring angrily. He found them to be extremely appealing- except 
for the fact they could throw beams of yellow shit at high velocity.
That was NOT a welcome thing.
	"How dare you pick on a couple in love!" shouted the blonde.
	"How dare you ruin the peace of this fine complex!" called
the blue haired girl.
	"How dare you sabotage an evening meal!" yelled the one  
with rose earrings.
	"We the Sailor Team-" stated the one in the red heels.
	"WILL PUNISH YOU!" They all finished, posing. The blonde let
the chain down and Freya crawled up from the ground to join the 
man in confusion.
	"What the hell are they Valk?" She asked him with a little 
fear but mostly annoyance. She couldn't take anything that called 
itself "Sailor Team" too seriously. This was like coming face to
face with the pink Power Ranger. He was staring into the crystal 
and reading the patterns as fast as he could. 
	"They're like the other one-" he said shortly. They both looked
a little dumbfounded. The Senshi were still posed, though they were
being ignored for a hunk of rock. And they weren't happy about it 
either.
	"AHEM!" Venus tapped her foot, breaking her pose. "Hello? 
Bad Guys? Were waiting!"
	They glanced away from the crystal and at each other. Then back
at the crystal. Finally Valka looked up. He cleared his throat. He 
opened his mouth to say something villain like and evil...nothing 
came out. He tried again to start.. and nothing again. Finally after 
a poke in the ribs from Freya he hrumphed loudly, raised his hands 
in the air- and then glanced at the short skirts and lost it. 
"I am the handsome Valka. I have come searching for many things,
and you defiantly have some assets I'd be interested in-" 
	The Senshi and Freya face faulted. Valka shrugged. "Guess 
thats a no?"
	Mars was the first one up, and she was fuming. "Oh, the hell 
with it!" Mars cried angrily. "I am the pretty Sailor Senshi, 
Sailor Mars. Listen here GQ whipping boy, if you don't back away 
from them, I will chastise you! To a crisp! Got it?"
	Freya had picked herself off the floor and was gesturing 
silently at Valka. Suddenly he broke into a smile and took his eyes 
off the crystal. "OK!" He smiled at Mars. "Do your worst."
	"Uh.." Mars said. She glanced at the others. They shrugged, 
except Mercury who was tapping at her computer frantically. "OK! You 
asked for it! MARS FLAME SNIPER!" She called, forming the bow and 
pulling back the flaming arrow. 
	She let it sail just as Mercury screamed "WAIT!"
	Too late, the arrow sailed at the target. Freya dived for the
ground while Valka didn't move. The arrow hit him- and bounced back
doing a 180 and going to the Senshi, who barely jumped out of the 
way. "Nani?!" asked Mars in despair as she spit out the dirt she'd 
swallowed.
	"Hes set up some weird split of space-" Mercury began.
	"No sweat!" Called Jupiter. "I'll handle this. JUPITER
OAK EVOLUTION!" She began to twirl, spinning as the leaves of
energy zoomed at her targets.
	Freya once against tasted the pavement. She stared as the 
leaves headed straight for them-and passed. Right through. Valka 
gave off a deep belly laugh, raising the crystal high. The energy 
cackled and barreled into the Senshi, blowing them off their feet 
and into the ground with Mamoru and Usagi. He grinned at Freya, 
bending down to grab Mamoru. "Get the girl."
	
	The figure in the shadows saw what was happening. It shrank 
into a tight ball, unable to take it's eyes off the couple, on the 
ground in pain. Their friends, hurting. Tears, salty and bitter ran 
down it's face. Words came to its mind. "*Danger* *too close*" Should 
have listened, now it was too late.
	Too late..No...No...Couldn't be too late. Blue eyes, his 
indigo eyes on the blonde goddess. Looks like-
	*So Warm*
	The light show starts.

	The woman in the circle jerked up. The power was intense, mad
jerking her from a trance, blowing out all the candles in the room. 
She reached out through the rapidly deteriorating gate, trying to 
connect with the consciousness again. Instead she felt another 
woman staring in shock over the void. Her green hair fell down her 
back, clothed in black sailor fuku, a staff held in her hand. She 
was on her knees. She felt others react as well, in different parts 
of the globe. But she wanted to connect with this one.
	"So mote it be," She whispered to the Senshi of Time.
	Sailor Pluto pounded the ground with her fists.

	Usagi watched her friends on the ground in pain. She couldn't 
move. Couldn't blink. Barely breathing. If only she hadn't goofed 
off so much. She was to soft from being at peace. To complacent. And 
now she was paying for it. That woman was going to pick her up and 
take her away. Mamo-chan. Minna...
	Silver shimmering. A cloak?
	
	Mars watched in horror as they grabbed the couple. No. Not 
them. Anyone but them. Please Kami-sama, she'd gladly go for them. 
Either one. "Usagi," She whispered desperately.
	And then the ball of silver whooshed ahead of them, knocking 
the 2 black-haired baddies down. It was too fast for her to see. She 
saw the little entity pick up Mamoru and Usagi, or rather she saw 
the blur. One minute they're on the ground, the next their lying 
on their sides near the alley wall. 
	The blur stopped, and stood before the villains. Clothed 
from head to midthigh in silver cloth. Its head was covered by a 
hood, shadowed so no one could see the face. Long bell sleeves. The 
skirt was short but not as much as the senshi outfit was- Or atleast
it didn't seem to be. Hard to tell with the cloak draped over it. 
Something akin to silver ballet shoes were on the feet. The figure 
raised an arm. 
	Freya was on the ground for the 3rd time and was sick of it. 
She screeched, pulling at Valka's sleeve. "DO SOMETHING!"
	Valka held the crystal towards the being. It began to chime 
like before, only higher. He gazed at it startled. "You! Your- SHIT!" 
He dropped it as it began smoking, burning his flesh. The awful 
chiming had stopped. 
	"WHIRLING DERVISH!" The bell like voice chimed. The villains 
on the ground hadn't begun to recover. This attack didn't go through 
them like the Senshi's had. It slammed into them, carrying into the wall. 
Winds battered at their forms, chipping the concrete behind them.
	When the winds stopped they both staggered, nearly falling 
over. Freya glared at her oppressor. "Valka, what now?"
	Valka glanced at her. "Screw this!" He exclaimed, repeating 
Freya's earlier statement. He opened a blue portal and jumped in. 
	Freya looked on in shock. She glared at the senshi, waved 
her fist, and followed him in. "We'll be back damnit!"
	The silver entity glanced at Usagi. Its face was hidden 
by the hood, no light showing through. Just a black void. It took 
a step towards her, and Mars caught a clear feminine voice 
whisper, "Would you like the power, little one?" She saw Usagi's 
eyes meet the darkness of the hood and she caught the faint nod.
The figure bent down, and Mars saw the dim outline of lips touch
Usagi's cheek. Silver energy seemed to flood around the pair. The
hooded form then jerked back reeling, falling to the floor. "Too 
soon for it all," The head then began to lean backwards and it
gave a final cry in anguish, "Serenity..." and then disappeared. 
	No fan fare, just poof, gone. Usagi stirred, as did the 
others who had stayed unconscious through the little display. 
Mars took this opportunity to feel the relief of Usagi's safety- 
by passing out.
	
	Completely separated from the room her body was in, the 
woman's soul floated next to Sailor Pluto's kneeled form. It's 
ghostly whisper was barely audible. "The time for repentance has 
arrived."
	Sailor Pluto looked up sharply, glaring at the whimsy shape.
"And just what would you have me do?" The normally calm, almost
unnervingly serene voice was twisted up with malice.
	The figure seemed to be fading, lifting away like smoke.
"The only thing you can do- Pray."
	The Dead Scream was just a few seconds too late for its 
intended target.

	Arriving back in her body the woman saw all her candles 
gone out except for the one directly in front of her, which
stood for self. She gently lifted it to her lips, murmuring
a few ancient words before blowing it out. "I'm afraid." She 
whispered to the empty room.
	As expected, she received no reply.

	Far below the earth's crust, a being's rest was disturbed.
	The henchman came in hesitantly, staring in awe at the 
imposing solid shape before him. Nervously he began as he was trained
not pausing to be acknowledged. "They have failed."
	The shape seemed to bubble, boil over and turn red or orange
from the center of its dark mass. "Bring them here when they return."
The henchman bowed and left the room.
	The being turned back over, and rested once more.
			
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Angst88@aol.com

-Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.
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