I decided to take a break from writing my main story (Terrible Things to Waste), and did a collaboration effort with an artist friend of mine. Unfortunately, in order for me to survive as an aspiring engineer, it is going to be awhile before I complete the next part. Like May. Anyway, this story was inspired by character's originally conceived and drawn by Setsu-P, who has I given me her enthusiastic expressed permission to do this. And for (really good) art and background pertaining to this story, check out http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/9362/Rpg/DS.html And for other works by me please check out http://pweb.netcom.com/~bastion/index1.htm Comments&Critiques are very welcome. And I'd rate this story as PG-13, for those of you counting at home. Now, I'd like to dedicate this to all the infamous fan senshi writers, most especially the one who spurred me. Terry Ladan, eat your heart out. ++++++++++++++++ Sovereign of the Spirit Written by Bastion Original character design by Setsu-P ------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1: The Child that Revolted against the Stars ------------------------------------------------------------------- "Do you believe wishes come true, Miss Meiou?" His companion stared at her wine class and stated flippantly. "No." Her associate grinned. "Come on, Miss Meiou, you can't be that devoid of romance." Swirling her glass, she raised her scarlet eyes from the twisting crimson of her drink. These business meals usually deteriorated into philosophical debates after a dose or two of alcohol. "Time has not permitted me the opportunity to ponder whether or not I am." His laugh hummed smoothly within their booth as his wraith hand ruffled his blond hair. Only its echoes from the window revealed the embarrassment hidden within. "I'm sorry Miss Meiou, I had no idea running this corporation was that tedious. I know getting designers to commit and even getting the models to wear the clothes they make are a task upon themselves." The woman tossed her long green hair over her shoulder taking a moment to look out the window of the restaurant. The clear night sky could be seen unadulterated by the tall, cold structures that populated Tokyo. Studying the alignment of the stars, she noted their formation. It was almost time. And the stars never deceived her with their prophecies. "I mean every once in awhile, when you're awake in bed, you ponder about such things? Surely then, you have time to think, Miss Meiou?" "Sometimes I have." The night sky pervaded her memories of the times in darkness. Sometimes it was all she had when she wasn't in the real world. She stared at her reflection. Her own face seemed to be engulfed in darkness of her deep green hair and her black dress. "I wonder sometimes if I am nothing more than a shadow. Just a faceless, minuscule component of the universe." Reaching across the table, the blond man gently squeezed the woman's hand. "Don't be depressed Setsuna. You're not insignificant." She slid her hand away from her companion's and held her wine glass between their faces. "I am very insignificant in the workings of the universe." He retreated back into his chair. "So what, enjoy life for what it is then. Screw the universe!" "I'm afraid I can't. As long as I have a duty to fulfill, I cannot turn my back on my responsibilities." The blond man once again ruffled his curly hair, when a streak in the sky indulged his attention. "It's a shooting star." He paused a moment, before wistfully adding, "I take it you won't be making a wish?" Setsuna gazed at the streak as it vanished toward the sea in the horizon. It's brightness defied the traditional glow of its brethren that proceeded it, forging it's own way. The stars didn't lie in their prophecy, one of their own had finally revolted. It had began. The poor child had arrived to receive her ill-fated destiny. Resting her chin on her hand, she continued her leisure gaze of the cold world outside the window. "I'll be praying." --------------------------------------------------------- It always started out the same. She would be kneeling next to a dry lake, trying to fill it with her tears. Dirt tarnished her creamy emerald dress and the air smelled of blood. She could see cities in the distance crumble and burn. She heard no screaming, only the wind would speak to her. Then a man in deep green cloak appeared. He held a gnarled staff ordained with a living heart that flashed with every beat. He nodded to her and offered her his hand. She would always shake away her tears and take it. They flew high into the sparse, icy clouds until a door emerged before them. The cloaked stranger obliged her and opened it, inviting her through. Many smiling faces received her on the other side. The celebration was in full swing with lots of cheering and toasts in her honor. However, their glowing faces seldom changed in the darkness of the boundless room and their cheers sounded muffled in her ears. A merry pale faced individual threw a crown on her head that threatened to slip into her eyes. Another threw a party favor that resemble a specter into her hand. "What's happening?" She'd say while she wrung the soiled hem of her dress. From the dense mass of bodies, hands would latch onto her. They would pull and tug on her dress, tearing off her skirt and then her blouse. Fought to keep her chemise on, refusing to have her last sheer of dignity torn from her. Just when she felt it begin to tear away, she screamed. Without warning, her scream would silence the sounds and the crowd would part clearing her a path to a large round table. As she neared the table, a light at the other end of the table slowly intensified. The figures that flanked this light were obscured in its glare. She would finally reach the table and would try in vain to shade the blinding light from her eyes. "AS A TRAITOR TO OUR CAUSE, YOU SHALL BE BANISHED!" The light boomed. "But what did I-" She would protest. "YOUR RESISTANCE TO OUR QUESTIONS IS EVIDENCE ENOUGH OF YOUR TREACHERY!" All the figures had nodded in approval, and a blast from the light slammed her into the door. She could feel the ice as it crawled up her legs. In a fit of desperation, her eyes would search out for the cloaked stranger. Always he would stand by and watch her as the icy fingers reached further up her body. When whimpering pleads didn't coax him into action, she would resort to screaming insults at him. And always she would wake up when the ice reached into her open mouth and down her throat. She took another sip of her herbal tea and tried to decipher the meaning of these dreams. It had become a bit of a past time since she washed ashore on the beach of Tokyo Harbor one cold autumn night. She had no recollection of how she got there or where she'd been previously. The authorities told her she matched the description of a missing person named Isisu Saito, but they had a very little record of her existence in Japan except she had one surviving relative in Japan. This relative, named Setsuna Meiou, could tell her little because they had only just met before her disappearance. This all disappointed her somewhat. Without any memories, she felt like an empty vessel. However, if they never returned she could always get new ones. There were new ones each day she awoke. But these dreams would always haunt her, teasing her about a past she couldn't remember. She took another sip of her tea and gaze out of the cafe. A sea of pale faces greeted her from the street as they shuffled their way down the narrow sidewalk. Her tanned skin made her feel more like a shadow when she through the crowds in Tokyo. Something easily forgotten. Suddenly a particular pale face framed in golden curls poked out from the crowd and smiled at her. For a moment, the familiar face disappeared into the mass until those curls reappeared through the door of the cafe. "Hi-hi Isisu." His thin porcelain hand emerged from the soft black sleeve and waved to her. "How's my fashion model doing today?" Isisu set her cup down, contemplated a moment, and spoke. "I woke up this morning and took my shower. I put on the clothes I set next to dresser I had designated the night before-" "What I mean is Isisu," the blond smiled, "did you make it to the shoot with Ms. Itabashi Saki okay?" Isisu blinked. "Yes, I met with Ms. Saki at the appointed time and did the shoot." "That's good." Her friend winked before stopping a waitress to order himself some coffee. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." "Not too long." She drew out the last of her sentence as she glanced towards the crowd outside, and then back down at her companion tapping his fingers on the table and eyeing her expectantly. "Is there something troubling you, Ken?" Ken grinned and poked his hand out of his sleeve once again to run it through his blond curls. "Oh, nothing. Just, um, how's Miss Meiou?" "I do not know." Isisu tilted her head. "I have had very little contact with my cousin since she left me in your charge." Internally grimacing, the blond remembered his last fateful meeting with his employer. She had told him, with great severity, that he was responsible for getting Isisu modeling jobs. *Tasteful* ones, she had warned. The few times he had the pleasure of speaking with the mysterious Miss Meiou, he knew when she made a request, they were done within a heartbeat. Ideally they would be already done. "Er, well, I was just wondering." Ken gazed at the lavender-haired woman seated across from him. Unfortunately, Isisu presented several obstacles. First, though she fit the model figure to near perfection, thin, tall, and very leggy, she was very tan which made it hard to get a tasteful modeling job for her in Japan. Then they were her eyes. Isisu told him that she had some condition which made her eyes as black as her pupils. Combined with her aloft nature, made talking to her all that much more difficult, and it made his job that much more harder. If a model could freak out the clients as she was, no amount of airbrushing could help her to a cover of a magazine. Isisu took another sip of her tea as Ken looked at her downcast hazel eyes. Fortunately, most of these problems were taken care of easily enough. With a few pair of contact lenses and a little Meiou Corporation clout, he managed to get her a enough respectable jobs to help the poor girl get her back on her feet. In fact, her aloft nature made her very popular with the photographers since she complained little or at all. However, finding *respectable* jobs for Isisu still remained an effort. It amazed him how striking the strong family resemblance was between Miss Meiou and Isisu. Thinking further, Ken thought they'd be mistaken for twins, in a purely photo-negative sense of course. Isisu once again raised her cup and Ken observed her very purposeful movements. It was almost a ritual how Isisu would drink her tea. The way she formally grasped the handle and the calculated amounts of liquid she would partake with each sip. "Ya know," Ken fanned his fingers at Isisu, "you drink your tea just like Miss Meiou does." Before Isisu could put her cup down to adequately reply, Ken continued brimming with excitement at his new discovery. "Maybe it's a side effect to your amnesia. Maybe you're trying to emulate Miss Meiou since she's so close to you." Ken's mind began to reel. She could be easily molded into the next Setsuna Meiou. Maybe Miss Meiou was grooming Isisu to run the Meiou Corporation. The seed of endless possibilities for Isisu grew in Ken's mind. So ... fascinating. Suddenly a coffee cup landed in front of him. Blinking, Ken nodded and thanked the bowing waitress. "But I have never seen Setsuna drink her tea before. I have only met her on three occasions. The first time was when I was introduced to you at her office, I do not remember Setsuna drinking anything that day, but she did have a cup on her desk. The second time I had to discuss with her about my living arrangements and she had offered me to live with her, but I turned her down and told I was going to live in my own apartment and she-" "Okay, Isisu." Ken shook his hands loose of his sleeves to rub his temples. "I get the point." His eyes zeroed in on the face of his watch that clung loosely by its leather straps to his wrist. "Whoa, I had no idea I was that late," Ken flung his coffee cup to his mouth, finishing it in one swig before continuing, "I have an appointment early tomorrow morning." Ken jettisoned himself from the booth while his tall, tanned partner calmly set down her cup and lifted herself from her seat. "Do you want me to accompany back to your apartment?" "Er," Ken's cheeks began to warm. What brought this on, he wondered. Was it the new cologne? "I suppose. My apartment's a bit of a mess though, if you don't mind." The woman's long lavender hair swayed as she tilted her head, looking at her blond friend curiously. "Why would I be inside your apartment?" Ken slouched forward slightly and his black shirt billowed outwards, making him look like he just ate his fill of crow. Without another word, Ken placed a few yen on their table before preceding for the street. As he escorted Isisu out of Ben's Cafe, Ken looked back inside. The place had a very ambient atmosphere and American in style, a New York atmosphere, one person told him. Heck, they even had little mini English lessons every so often. And he loved it so very much because when he was there he wasn't in the crowded and busy Tokyo crammed in subway cars with total strangers. When he was in that cafe, he was free and he could spread his wings out and soar to places like the United States or even France. Hell, all of Europe. But he realized it was all just a fantasy when he returned to these crowded streets. Ken glanced over at the lavender-haired woman, walking with deliberate steps. Isisu, though, didn't seem to share the same kind of enthusiasm he had hoped when first suggested this place. He had wished she would share the same kind of longing to just get away from this damn city. But she just shrugged like it didn't matter one way or the other. He chalked up his disappointment to being naive. The blond slouched even more and pursed his lips and glanced again at Isisu. She still kept her steps in time with an unheard beat. She stared straight ahead looking at nothing in particular or even taking notice of Ken blatant gaze. Ken turned his head forward again and his eyes glazed over looking at nothing in particular. Both traveled in silence for several blocks until they reached Ken's apartment. The pair stopped in front of the building. As Ken approached the entrance, he noticed Isisu standing there. "What is it, Isisu?" Ken could barely make out Isisu in the waning sunlight. Only her hair stood out as her dark skin seemed to fade into the darkness. "Would you like me to escort you to your apartment?" Isisu stiffly motioned her hand towards the entrance as a mechanically polite gesture. Ken sighed to himself. "If you want to. It's fine by me." "Very well." Isisu nodded in affirmation and followed Ken inside. In his mind, Ken reeled. What was Isisu trying to pull here? Did he finally melt that frigid Isisu? Is she a fox in bed? Ken rattled the thoughts from his head. No, no, no. Hardly, he could only see Isisu as an acquaintance. Besides that, what would Miss Meiou do? Despite all this, Ken's cheeks grew hotter and hotter. His kettle was just about to whistle when they reached his apartment door. With a shaking hand, Ken whipped out his keys and unlocked his door. Ken stood at the threshold and slowly brought his eyes up towards' Isisu's and hoping to read what her next move would be. Then he waited. Finally, Ken slapped his thighs to break the silence. "Soooooo..." Isisu just tilted her head once again and returned Ken's stare. "Yes?" Immediately, Ken looked down at his wry fingers stitched together in front of his waist. "Er, thanks. For keeping me company." "I am glad to have fulfilled your request." Ken tried his best to hide the shy smile coming across his reddened cheeks. "Heh. Well, ya know, er, I was, uh," Ken stammered, "wondering if you wouldn't, um, joining me..." His voice trailed off once he became acutely aware of Isisu's absence. "Er.." Feeling the burden of yet another spurned opportunity, Ken leaned his heavy head against the door.. *THUD!* Without realizing he had just opened it. "Ahhh, hell." He grumbled. -------------------------------------------------------- What a dull place, she thought. Tall buildings with flat boring faces, even the waning sunlight with its dazzling mixes of red and orange couldn't bring some facetious personality to them. And the glittery signs that clung to them competing for her attention also failed to impress her with their messages aflame. Just mere illusions they all were. These buildings so blatantly lorded their size over her in hopes to belittle. Only the monolithic Palace back home with its smooth black surface achieved a greater level of intimidation. Yet these giants were not only cold, but unfeeling. She had this incredible urge to topple them over, in defiance of their arrogance. Show those unfeeling buildings pain. She scowled and wrapped her cloak around her tighter to conceal her fuku underneath. She knew when she came here she would probably be out-numbered, but that was the thrill of the battle. The moment she had arrived, she expected to be greeted by some brave fool to challenge her. However, no brave fool came and she had to be received by one and her craving continued unabated. She wanted to scream as the unbearable tingling spread all over her body, turning her disappoint into agitation. She loved the thrill of battle and her craving for it was boundless. The satisfaction she received from the smell of burning flesh and the screams of the suffering was only all too brief. Which probably made her ideal for this mission to find the Sovereign that Sets desired so much. Not even Sailor Hermes dared to challenge her for it, though she wouldn't hesitate one moment to kill her just to improve her standing with Sets. Nothing new there. Her eyes darted from one cheery face to another. These people offered her no challenge. Any of them could be the Sovereign of the Spirit. In fact, she didn't even have slightest clue what the wench looked like. She continued to walk along side of the paved road crammed with motor vehicles, whining to be free of their concrete trap. Everything was so organized. Lights turned green, the people moved herding themselves along according to the commands of some machine. 'This is what happens when there is no strife.' Her demeanor grew darker. 'Everyone takes for granted the value of their own individualism. They don't have to scrape out an existence day in and day out.' None of these people knew what tragedy was like. None of them had the fire within themselves like those of Canyon's Edge. Then her scowl slowly creased upwards. Perhaps she should give them a dose. Besides, how else was she suppose to get the Sovereign's attention if she didn't stir things up a little? Maneuvering through the crowded streets, she came to a fancy looking tavern. Yes, this would be a great place to start. She loosened her cloak and preceded inside. A barmaid approached her, at least a conservatively dressed one. "Hi hi! Welcome to Ben's Cafe. May I help you?" The woman smiled politely and pulled her jet black hair behind her ear. "Yes, you may." Her smiled faded and lashed out her hand, grabbing the barmaid's brown mane. She yanked the young girl's head back and growled at her. "You can scream for me." Dragging the girl with her, the woman paced around the front of the cafe to address her captive audience. "As for the rest of you-" Before she could finish, a hand gripped her wrist and squeezed, trying to make her relinquish the handful of hair. "That's enough, miss." The dark haired angel of death twisted her head. Finally a brave soul, she snorted to herself. "Things are just beginning and you've had enough." With the swift reply of her fist to the man's abdomen she jarred his grip loose and sent him flying. Her craving subsided, but she needed more. A lot more. Turning, she sized up her challenger. She quickly realized the fool didn't bother to wear any armor, he instead wore the same flimsy outfit as the whimpering barmaid. Even tied his long hair in a pony tail like the barmaid's. She never knew of such men of light masculinity being this brave. However her musings would have to wait until after she turned this group of disbelievers into martyrs. "As I was saying, the rest of you will learn a lesson about pain." The dark-haired woman paced in front of her congregation with the barmaid close behind, yelping at every jerk. "Strife." Jerk. "Death." Jerk. "And suffering." She turned once again toward her brave fool just now able to get to his feet. He froze as she zeroed him in her sites. "One that I shall teach to each of you personally." His limbs stiffened and his mouth dried when she leveled her finger at him. "And you shall be my first pupil." "STRAFE SPEAR!" Suddenly, a narrow stream of fire blazed forth from her finger tip. Flames roared and snaked around the cafe, scorching a path toward its prey. Finally, the waiter's instincts went to flight and he bolted for the exit. Unfortunately, the flame's tenacious pursuit could not be eluded and twisted wildly after its victim. Eventually, the speed of the waiter's legs couldn't overcome the streaking flame. The resulting impact hurl the man through the glass into the packed sidewalk. The woman smiled to herself as people began their melodic screams, while the glow of the burning corpse mesmerized her. The sparkle of the flame was much more satisfying than those flashing signs outside. She would have to show them all the beauty of a true inferno. The woman then waved her finger around the cafe, enveloping it with the cleansing flames. People made mad dashes for their lives, most of whom the woman obliged with a fiery good-bye. The woman breathed in deep and soaked in the luminance. The smoke, the intense heat, the smell of burning flesh, and the sparkling embers of the cafe excited her senses. Exhilarating to say the least. The colors of red, yellow, and orange contorting together. Soft sobs extinguished her reverie reminding her of the barmaid still in her clutches. The woman looked down at the girl kneeling next to her, covering her face and crying. With a hearty tug she leaned in close and whispered in the girl's ear. "And you my fine pupil," the woman's silhouetted smile contorted in the chaotic flickering of the flames, "have learned the last lesson." As pieces of the roof fell around them, the woman tugged the barmaid to her feet and her whispers barely audible over the roaring fires. "You have learned of the horror of witnessing the deaths of others, many of whom probably were you friends, or not. But never forget what you've seen today, and always remember that peace is but an illusion and that Chaos will always have its due." The barmaid's lips quivered and tears streamed from her brown eyes while the woman removed some of her jet black hair from her face and placed her finger on the girl's temple. "On second though, maybe you should just take that lesson with you into the afterlife." The woman observed the girl closing her eyes and perhaps praying silently. She remembered she did that once, long ago as well under the same circumstances, but she learned then that it was a futile practice. "Good-bye." The woman then prepared to put the girl out of her misery. However, she found herself staring at the end of a staff encasing a glowing red orb. The dark-haired woman tilted her head upwards to the scarlet eyes of the staff's owner. The stranger spoke evenly, fixing the other with a stern expression. "All things will end." Lowering her hand from the girl's temple and letting go of her hair, the woman smirked. "Perhaps Chaos will have to wait another day for you, child." Crawling back, the girl looked between the two for a moment and then scurried out of sight. The two remained still while the cafe crumbled. The woman quickly assessed her new rival, immediately taking notice of the stranger's white bodice and black bow, as well as her golden tiara. The stranger's long locks embraced her body like a cloak and glowed in the fire's light with a strange green sheen. "You must be one of the Sailor Senshi." The woman motioned to the stranger's outfit and then to her staff still positioned at her chin. "And more than likely you're Time Guardian, Sailor Pluto. It's nice to finally have a worthy challenger, these people could hardly keep me amused." "Who are you and what business do you have here, Dark Senshi." Sailor Pluto dry tone doused the other's fervor. The woman backed away in surprise from her taller compatriot and slipped her pitch black hair away from her face. "Ah, I see you know of us." The woman reached inside her cloak and continued to back away from the staff. "But I'm not ready to properly introduce myself yet." When Sailor Pluto attempted to follow, the woman took to the offensive. "CHAOS FLAME!" A wall of flames surrounded the woman and exploded outwards, sending Sailor Pluto and the remains of the cafe flying. Upon landing on her feet, the Time Guardian readied herself against her combatant emerging from the smoldering rumble. "I am the Goddess of War and a warrior of death. I bring about suffering and strife." The woman's mask flickered with the flame's light reflecting the exaggerated features of a wolf. "I am Sailor Ares." The whipping wind of the explosion's fallout loosened her black cloak revealing her dilapidated uniform. The woman cleaned her soot-soiled hands onto her grey bodice stained with blood. "Tell me where the Sovereign of the Spirit is." The Dark Senshi commanded while the fires ignited another explosion. The resulting shockwave billowed out the singed ends of Ares' skirt and teased the tattered edges of the red bow on her chest. Sailor Pluto stood strong against the stiff breeze. "Leave this realm, Sailor Ares. You will not find what you're questing for here." Ares smirked underneath her mask. "Playing dumb with me isn't going to work Sailor Pluto. We both know that she's here." Without warning the woman threw both of her hands outward at her green-haired combatant. "STRAFE SPEAR!" The Time Guardian leapt over the surge of flames, only to be knocked down by the impact of Ares' fist. Both women landed on the ground and propelled themselves at each other. Ares rolled under the swing of Pluto's staff and failed to connect with a leg sweep. Immediately regaining her footing, Ares charged at her, opponent flailing her limbs, enraptured in the thrill. "Where is She?!" She growled to the Sailor Senshi as she continued her wild attack. Fist met staff at every blow, frustrating the black haired aggressor who responded by charging with greater vigor. Patiently, Pluto observed her crazed opponent. Jab, punch, kick, jab, punch, kick. Very slowly she could see it, she just had to keep up a little longer. Jab, punch, kick, jab, kick. "Damn you!" Ares rage boiled hotter and she flailed her limbs harder and faster. She would get this Senshi. "Argghh!" Pluto moved swiftly with her staff matching her opponent's fervor, coming closer to unlocking the chaotic pattern with each deflection. Jab, punch, kick, punch. Now. Swinging her staff around, Pluto caught Ares in the knee. The dark haired woman's momentum sent her stumbling over and nearly falling to her knees. Her green-haired opponent leapt back and brought her staff around, unleashing her own attack. "Dead scream." The concentric ball of wind and air rushed toward Ares and smashed into her chest. Immediately, Ares jumped to her feet and tried to regain her breath. She couldn't let this Senshi win so easily, she thought while she fought to fill her lungs. Every intake of air brought on greater twinges. Then the Time Guardian landed softly in front of her, her staff ready for another attack. A moment of sobriety overtook the dark haired harlot. She became acutely aware that she couldn't take on Sailor Pluto with a few cracked ribs, and though she could probably kill the Senshi, she'd be killing herself in the process. And death presented an insurmountable obstacle in her search for the Sovereign. Ares sneered within the confines of her mask, just when she had a worthy rival. Oh well, it would give her time to plan. Her smirk returned. And she would be better prepared next time. "Till next time, Pluto." She rasped painfully. "CHAOS FLAME!" At her command, a wall of flames burst from the ground between the pair. The Time Guardian could only shield her face until the flames died anyway revealing that the Dark Senshi had already retreated. The green haired Sailor Senshi relaxed her posture and looked at the ruins surrounding her. This one proved to be more powerful than her expectations. There was no holding back with these Dark Senshi and they were the all the more dangerous for it. The screams of the sirens grew closer, calling her to leave. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to alleviate the sadness that weighed on her. More would have to suffer inevitably, but she couldn't stall any longer, the poor child would have to face her destiny. It was time. -End of Chapter 1- Thanks: I'd like to thank Setsu-P for letting me play around with her characters in this story and correcting every little detail I had gotten wrong. Then I'd like to thank Chris for providing me with bios and background on Sailor Ares and permitting me to let her terrorize Ben's Cafe. FYI, Ben's Cafe is an actual cafe in Tokyo. Next I'd like to thank David Johnston for helping me edit this sucker. I'd also like to thank Dark Master Jewelle for letting me know when I fell into fan senshi cliches. And last of all I'd like to thank all of the folks on the Pretty Soldier ML for supplying me with the SM information I needed. I especially appreciate all of your efforts. ************* Disclaimer: ************* Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and in America by CWi. All original characters are owned and copyrighted by Setsu-P (c) 2000. They are being used with owner's expressed permission. Till May comes again! Bastion bastion@ix.netcom.com http://pweb.netcom.com/~bastion/index1.htm