Konnichi' wa!! Chapter five - edited and ready for readin' YEAH!!! I want to give thanks to everyone who has emailed me about my story, you guys are great and very encouraging! *hugs* Also want to welcome my newest editors for this story, Heather! Heather is a great listener to all my (millions) of rantings, and is going to help me write my next part of stories for this series! Also, she is writing her own fanfic, and as the honored first reader of it, I have to tell you all, it's going to be good!! ^_^ HUGE THANK YOU to all of my editors, your time and grammar corrections, ect. really helps this story out alot *HUGS* Aimee got chapter 4 of the Coldest December out, GO READ IT!!! That story is sooo good, and I'm not sayin that cause I'm one of her editors ;) Really, this is a gooooood story! And and another thing, while I'm rambling, I'm writing a Christmas Fic with Serentiy Raye, and you gotta read it!! It's called Secret Santa; Serenity is a very good author that I'm proud to have as one of my editors as well as getting to write a fic with her - *hugs* (I'm a huggin' kinda person hehe) My web page: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9333 <--please visit if you are reading this on ASMR page. Usual disclaimers apply, we know all of this by heart, and my car tore up, AGAIN therefor I have little, if any money. If you want to sue, I got a cocker spaniel, but he hates everyone but me ;p This chapter is really LONG, and I'm bein' serious, but I'm hoping that it will clear up somethings, k? Arigato! Email me! ^_^ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Japanese Translations Gomen nasai - very sorry dameyo - don't ne - okay hai - yes matte - wait youma - monster minna - everyone mo - geez nani - what shimatta - shit daijobu? - are you okay daijobu - fine sou - right ano - excuse me arigato - thank you senshi - soldiers ganbare - do your best doushita no - what's wrong? doushite - why Kami-sama - God ************************** From the Beginning - Round Two Part V ~ Chibi-Usa Rating: PG 13 (language, some child abuse, ) Written by: Bethany ^_^ Editors: Meara, Lunas Meow, Jesse, Aimee, America, Heather '....' - indiactes thought Authors Email: Bethany212@aol.com ************************** "Where are we?" "I don't know Venus, but I can tell you that Usagi has been here," Mercury replied. The darkness stretched on for miles in all directions, nothing but blackness. Pluto pulled out the silver crystal and allowed it's soft light to give a glow over the senshi. "Is everyone here? Venus?" "Yeah." "Mercury, Mars, Jupiter?" "Yeah." "Saturn, Neptune, Uranus?" "Yep." In the shadows that surrounded the senshi, the Three Lights drew out their evelopes. Seiya meet Pluto's eyes for a brief second before nodding sadly. "Fighter Star Power...Make-UP!" Taiki looked around slowly, absorbing the conditions he found himself in, and reasoning there was no other place he'd rather be than helping the princess. "Maker Star Power...Make-UP!" Yaten closed his eyes, enjoying the last moments of the 'free life' that he thought he would enjoy. "Healer Star Power...Make-UP!" "Healer, Fighter, Maker?" Pluto asked, going back to role call. "Yes." "Good, now that we're all accounted for, let's move, standing here isn't helping a thing," Pluto instructed. All the senshi glanced at Mercury. "Forty-five degrees north," she instructed, starting in that direction, everyone close behind her. ***** "Well, well, well small rabbit, I see we're awake finally." Chibi-Usa lifted her head up to look at the woman hatefully. "Where are we?" she demanded. Beryl smiled. "Now, is that any way to talk to the person who could have your parents killed in an instant?" Chibi-Usa gasped slightly. "You don't have them, my mom and dad will be here any minute to rescue me and my mom will kill you!" "Sure she will," Beryl smirked, "You have a lot of confidence in that mother of yours. But she can't help you, she don't have the crystal and she's locked up." Chibi-Usa blinked away the tears that had filled her eyes, "You, you. . ." "Yes?" Beryl laughed at the child?s search for words. "YOU BITCH!" she screamed. Beryl drew back her hand and hit her, "Listen to ME you moon brat, you will never again insult me in my own home, do you understand?" she hissed. Chibi-Usa wanted to rub her face where the woman's hand had hit, but she found that her hands were tied to the wall. She held back her tears and glared at the woman with all the hate she could muster. "I see you have your father's spirit, but it did him no more good than it'll do you." Chibi-Usa smiled wickedly, "It must have got him somewhere. Your brainwashing didn't last all that long on him." "Oh you know about that do you? Then you must also know that he tried to kill your mother before she attacked him." Chibi-Usa tried to hide her shock, "He wouldn?t do that, my dad loves my mom very much. He would never hurt her!" "Oh but he did little rabbit," she said with a hint of pity, "to think you could have been born a follower to the Dark Kingdom." she laughed at the ironic situation. "Never," Chibi-Usa spit. "My dad is a good man, he would never allow you to rule him for long." But some of her earlier confidence had faded. "You know, you father insulted me once, and in turn I killed him. I could do the same again." Chibi-Usa couldn't hold back her tears this time, "You wouldn't! Damn you! Don?t you hurt my parents or I'll kill you will my bare hands!" Again the child reeled as Beryl hit her. Spots started flashing before her eyes, but she pushed with all her strength to stay awake. "You know, your a lot braver than your mother was at fourteen, and your not even that old yet. But it takes more than bravery to defeat the Negaverse. Remember that." After giving the child one last hateful glance, Beryl walked out a door, leaving her alone. ***** "Mamo-chan, I think we're lost." Usagi pulled on his hand to get him to stop. "I think this is the same tunnel we've been in three times." Mamoru thought back over the instructions the general had gave him. "Here, I'll put this rose down. If we come back to it again, then we'll stop and figure out what to do." Usagi nodded as he produced a rose out of thin air and pushed it's stem into a crack in the wall. A few minutes later they came back across a rose stuck in the wall. "Damn it," Mamoru mumbled, taking the rose out of the wall. "Now what Mamo-chan? I'm scared." Usagi whined, "I'm not as scared for myself as I am for Chibi-Usa. We have to find her." "I know, let's try something different. Each time we go down a hall I'll put a rose there, if we come across the same hall twice, then we'll go down a different one." Usagi thought for a moment. "But what if some one sees the roses, then they'll know which way we went." Defeat set it. "Then we'll just have to do the best with our memories," Mamoru said, looking at Usagi to see what her reaction was. Tears filled her eyes. "Mamo-chan, what if we don't find her in time? What if that witch kills her?" Mamoru pulled her into his embrace. "I won't let that happen. Neither will Chibi-Usa, you know. She got the best from both of us. She'll figure out a way to escape, I promise she'll be okay." Usagi nodded and held out Chibi-Usa's locket. "Mamo-chan, she can't transform, what if. . .what if she. . ." Mamoru placed his finger over her lips, "Dameyo. We'll find her, ne?" Again Usagi nodded sadly. "Hai." Placing his arm possively around her waist, they again started down the tunnel toward the unknown. ***** "I see something!" Saturn stated in a loud whisper. All the senshi looked up to see a large building. It was almost completely covered in darkness except for a small light on the front. "Kinda makes you wonder if they're expecting us, ne?" Jupiter mused, actually cracking a smile while looking at the single light that resembled at porch light. ***Here at Motel Negaverse, we?ll leave the light on for you ;) *** (this is Meara's comment, and I found it so funny that I thought everyone else might like to see it too ^^) "It doesn?t make any difference, we've got to get in there and find Usagi." Mars said, walking forward. "Matte!" Mercury warned, "Let me scan it for youmas first." Mars nodded and waited patiently as Mercury worked on her computer. "All clear," she announced and started forward. They all slowly made their way into the structure and huddled into a corner. "Now where to?" Venus asked, glancing down the four hallways that paired off in two directions. "There's something. . .a life force is up ahead. Minna get back." Mercury quickly ducked back into the shadows, everyone else following. "Get ready to attack," Venus whispered, sending everyone into a fighting stance. ***** Usagi stopped again. "Nani?" Mamoru asked, turning to see what had gotten her attention this time. "I don't know, I feel something. Like we're not alone in this tunnel," she whispered, moving cautiously forward. Mamoru pulled her back. "If there's something up there, I'm going first." He left no room for argument as he stepped out from the shadows. "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMAS---" "MATTE!" Mamoru screamed, placing himself on the floor, covering Usagi. Venus pulled her beam down and let the light shine on the two figures on the floor. "Mamoru-san? Usagi-chan?" she asked in disbelief. "Hai Venus, do you think you could *think* before you attack next time?" Mamoru asked sarcastically, helping Usagi to her feet. "Usagi-chan!" the group squelled, taking turns hugging her. "Daijobu?" "Well besides being a little lost, we're both fine." "What happened?" Mars inquired. Usagi shuffled her feet. "The note that I got, it wasn't from Mamo-chan, someone is trying to split us up." Healer shook his head. "See, I told you he still loved her," Fighter said proudly. "We all knew that," Uranus deadpanned, smirking quietly at her. Usagi looked back and forth between the arguing senshi. "Stop it minna! We need to find Chibi-Usa, Beryl has her." "Beryl?! She's dead!" Jupiter almost yelled. Usagi shook her head thoughtfully, "Well she's not anymore, and she has my daughter. We have to go find her!" The more she talked, the more urgent her voice became. "Sou, now let me pin point in on her energy and see what we can come up with." Mercury started opening new screens on her computer. ***** "Beryl!" Metallia screamed, "That moon brat and her prince are no longer in the prison." "Of course they are," Beryl stammered, looking into her crystal ball, only to gasp as the only sight she found in the cell was General Korntz, out cold. "Damn it, how do they do that?" she said with a hint of envy. "You had better find them!" Metallia demanded, dismissing Beryl. Beryl went back to the room where Chibi-Usa was being held. "Well it seems your parents are a little bit more wittier than I gave them credit for. I'm sure we will get an unwanted visit from them soon. We need to be ready to greet the royal family, ne?" she asked wickedly. Chibi-Usa continued to glare at her. Relief ran through her veins. Any minute they would be here to rescue her. Beryl grabbed the girls chin in her hand, "Answer me! Do you think we should be ready for them?" Chibi-Usa pulled her chin away from the woman?s nails. "Whatever," she spit. A few minutes later an army of youmas came in and hid in different parts of the room. Making sure that no one could see them, Beryl put a gag in the child's mouth. "Wouldn't want you warning them, so have a nice rest. Too bad you'll never wake up," she added with a laugh. Chibi-Usa's eyes widened in fear as Beryl hit her with a bolt of energy. She fought the darkness as long as she could, but in the end fell limp. Beryl watched as the girl stopped struggling and hung from the chains binding her hands to the wall. "Too bad rabbit. If you had been born mine and Endymion's child instead of that princess's, you wouldn't be in this situation right now." Beryl left the room as it was for her visitors to find. ***** "One more tunnel and we should be there," Mercury announced. Mamoru stopped. "Usako, I want you to stay out here." "Iie," she said defiantly. "I mean it Usa, you don't have any powers, you could get hurt - or worse in there. We don't know what will be waiting for us." Usagi removed her hands from his. "Mamo-chan, she's my daughter, I'm going in," she grumbled through gritted teeth. "NO!" He said harshly. Usagi looked at him through shocked eyes. "Don't you tell me ?no?, I'm going and that's final." "You can't transform Usako, I don't want you--" Pluto blushed her with embarrassment for not remembering she had Usagi's locket earlier. "Ano, but I have something for you Usagi-chan." Usagi smiled widely at the sight of her transformation locket. "Arigato Pluto!" she said, hugging the locket. "MOON ETERNAL MAKE-UP!" Within seconds Eternal Sailor Moon, wings and all, stood in front of the group. "Ok minna, the leader is back. Let's go teach these Nega-slimes not to mess with the sailor senshi!" Mars smiled. "It's good to have you back Sailor Moon." Venus took that as an insult. "Are you saying I'm a bad leader?" she whined at the senshi of Mars. Mars growled, "No, but Sailor Moon is our rightful leader, I like being under her rule slightly better." "Mars! I didn't know you cared!" Sailor Moon said, astonished. Mars smiled wanly. "Don't get used to it, it won't be long until I find something to nag you about." "Not now," Tuxedo Kamen said, grabbing Sailor Moon's arm, "We have got to find Chibi-Usa." Usagi blushed, then purpose set in and she straightened her spine. "Let's go senshi." "Ahem," Healer cleared his throat. "And Lights," Moon added with a grin. ***** Chibi-Usa was still unconcious and memories were drifting through her mind. Flashes of her life came and went. Suddenly she was streteched in a tight position, floating through thin air. She raised her head. "Where am I?" She looked around, but all that could be seen was nothingness. "Am I dead?" Suddenly a light flashed in front of her. When it dimmed, in it's place was a small gray kitten. "Diana!" she squeeled excitedly. "What are you doing here?" The kitten smiled. "I'm here for your mother, she wants me to lead you to her." "My mother? I don't understand. Where are we?" "We're in your mind. Come, the queen awaits." Diana turned to walk away, leaving Chibi-Usa to figure out how to follow on her own. The kitten disappeared and Chibi-Usa started to cry. "How do I follow? Diana! Matte!" She reached out to the place where Diana stood a moment before and suddenly she was standing on a balcony in her princess dress. In front of her stood two women, looking almost completely alike, except one had wings on the back of her dress and a crown of jewels on her head. "Mama!" she ran up and hugged one of the women. Then she stepped back to view the other woman who was watching with a smile. She eyed her curiously, forgetting that it was impolite for a princess to stare. "Small Lady," Neo-Queen Serenity reprimanded. Chibi-Usa blushed. "Gomen nasai." She turned to the woman, "I am Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity, daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity of the moon and King Endymion of Earth. It is a pleasure to make your aquaintence." She smiled charmingly. The woman smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you Small Lady, I am Queen Serenity, the first ruler of the Silver Millenium." Chibi-Usa stared, again forgetting her manners. "Your mama's mother?" "Small Lady, it is not nice to pry," Neo-Queen reprimanded gently. Queen Serenity smiled warmly, giving the child a wink, "Don't you say anything to her Serenity, I remember you never acted like a princess. Don't expect more from your daughter." "Mother, I expect more of her, because she knows better." "And you didn't?" Queen Serenity raised an eyebrow amusingly. Neo-Queen Serenity let out a light giggle then turned serious again. "Small Lady, you have disappointed me and your father, you have given up." "No mother, I haven't. I don't know what to do! Beryl is going to kill you and daddy, what can I do? I can't transform." Tears of self pity ran down her cheeks. "I do not like that Small Lady, you know better." Instantly Chibi-Usa straightened up her spine, pushed her tears back and meet her mother's beautiful gaze. "Gomen nasai mother, it will not happen again." Satisfied with Chibi-Usa's posture, the Neo-Queen smiled warmly at her. "Now you say you can't transform?" "Yes," Chibi-Usa replied. "Where is your locket?" Chibi-Usa thought for a moment. "When the woman came and took me, it fell off my shirt onto the bed." "You didn't just forget it?" she inquired. Queen Serenity smiled to herself at how well her daughter had grown up, and how well she was raising her own daughter. "No mother, I had it on," she insisted. ***** Mercury scanned the room, then ushered the senshi to go on. They entered a room that was completely empty except for a throne. Moon gasped. "Chibi-Usa?" she cried, starting to run in the adjoining room. Chibi-Usa's small body was hanging limp from chains on the far wall. She was unconcious and her face was bruised. Her pink hair fell around her face, making her seem even more pathetic. Tuxedo Kamen and Fighter both grabbed one of Usagi's arms to keep her from running to her. "It could be a trick," Tuxedo Kamen warned. "That. . .is. . .my. . .daughter!" she screamed between trying to over power both men to get to the child. "No, Usako, we don't know for sure yet, we could be walking into a trap," Tuxedo Kamen whispered, trying to reason with his struggling wife. Jupiter came up and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Remember the doom and gloom girls? Remember how you were so sure that was Mamoru, but it wasn't, and those girls killed everyone of us." Pain crossed over Eternal Moon's face as she remembered that fateful day when all the senshi had died, save the outer senshi who hadn't shown up yet. "Gomen ne Jupiter, but, but what if it is her? She don't look alive. . ." Moon stopped struggling and threw herself in Tuxedo Kamen's arms, crying. Tuxedo Kamen held her, trying to keep his own emotions in check. It was his daughter also, and if that really was her, someone was going to pay. ***** Beryl watched with a close eye as the sailor senshi entered the room, but didn't proceed toward the child. "Smarter than they seem. No matter, they will soon figure out that is indeed the small rabbit, and when they try to free her?ha ha ha!" ***** "Mother?" Chibi-Usa had been watching her mother and grandmother carefully, but neither showed any sign that they believed her or not. Neo-Queen Serenity sighed. "Small Lady, you must fight against this evil, I will be here in your mind if your truly need me. Please. . . ganbare." Slowly the two women faded away, leaving Chibi-Usa crying. "Mama, matte. I don't know what to do." A tall figure draped in a cape and tuxedo appeared before the small princess. "Daddy?" "Hai, Small Lady," the man answered. Chibi-Usa ran up and hugged him tightly. "Daddy, I don't know what to do, Mama won't tell me! I need help Daddy!" "Small Lady, I am disappointed. I thought I taught you better than this." His sad voice struck a cord in Chibi-Usa. "Daddy, are you mad at me? Do you still love me?" she asked worriedly. King Endymion smiled. "Of course I still love you, I always will. But you need to try harder. You are a warrior now, just like your mother was once. As that warrior, Sailor Moon and the princess of the Moon, Earth and Silver Millenium, you must figure out what to do on your own." Chibi-Usa made a face. "But Daddy, Mom always had help, she had the sailor senshi." The king chuckled lightly. "No princess, your mother didn't always have them around. There was a time when it was only she and I, and times when it was only her. You too shall have senshi one day, but right now is your solitary time. The only thing I can give you is a guardian." He smiled warmly, "Well I could give you more, but then your mother would skin me alive." Chibi-Usa smiled. There was a tickle on her left foot and she looked down to see Diana. "This, Small Lady, is your guardian, just like Luna is your mothers and Artemis is Lady Venus'." Chibi-Usa picked the kitten up. "Thank you Daddy. I will do my best and make you and Mom proud of me." King Endymion turned a very serious look to the kitten. ?Diana." "Yes your Majesty?" she replied. "You know what to do, I'm sure your parents taught you everything they know. Please watch over my daughter as well as Luna and Artemis has done before you." "Yes, your Majesty." The kitten meet his gaze with determination. King Endymion gave the kitten a small scratch under the chin before disappearing into thin air. Once again leaving Chibi-Usa and Diana alone. "Now what Diana?" Diana looked up at her mistress. "I'm not the warrior here, you have to decide." "MO! you sound more like Luna than Luna!" Diana giggled. "I take that as a compliment." Chibi-Usa closed her eyes, and holding on tightly to Diana, tried with all her might to ease back into her body. ***** Mamoru stroked Usagi's hair, trying to reassure her. It wasn't working. Venus and Jupiter kept a close eye on the room before them, making sure no youma's came out of the wood work. "Doushita no Mercury? Why are we not going in?" Moon asked in a small voice. Mercury glanced up, then looked back to her computer. "Something isn't right. I'm not sure, but as soon as it's clear, we can go in." "Personally, I am tired of waiting," Uranus moaned. Neptune, Saturn, and the Lights nodded their agreement. "Okay, I don't care if it's clear, we need to get in there before something happens to us out here," Tuxedo Kamen announced, much to the relief of Sailor Moon. Venus nodded her head. "I think that we need to go in a couple at a time, then if everything's clear Sailor Moon can go in." Moon opened her mouth to protest, but was cut short by Tuxedo Kamen. "Sou, that way if anything happens we still have a chance." Sailor Moon looked around, twelve sets of eyes stared at her, daring her to try and argue. "I see the ?Leader?" she put a lot of emphasis on the word, "has been over ruled." "In this case, yes, you have," Mars said, turning back. "Venus and I will go in first, we'll make our way across the room to Chibi-Usa. Uranus and Neptune, follow a few feet behind." Venus gave her a nasty look, and continued in a 'I'm-the-leader-and- don't-you-forget-it' look "If all is still clear by the time the four of us is in there, everyone except Sailor Moon, follow suit and find a place in opposite ends of the room. Then and ONLY THEN, if it is clear, Sailor Moon may come in." Sailor Moon stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms. "Okay, let's do this," Venus commanded, moving into the room cautiously with Mars beside her. They made it to where Chibi-Usa was hanging. Venus took her pulse and gave a very worried look to Mars, making sure Sailor Moon didn't see it. "Nani?" Mars whispered, keeping half an eye on Venus and half on the other senshi that had started coming in the room. "There's no pulse," Venus whispered back. "Oh no," Mars breathed, looking at the small child. When all the senshi except Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were in the room, Mercury pulled her visor over her eyes and started taking readings. "Shimatta! Minna watch out!" as the words left her mouth youmas started coming out of places that seconds before were merely walls. Eternal Moon gasped, "Oh iie, Mamo-chan, what do we do?" Tuxedo Kamen calmed her down. "Sailor Moon, what do we always do when facing the enemy?" Sailor Moon nodded. "We dust the slime balls." Tuxedo Kamen smiled at her, then pulled out a rose as he entered the room. ***** Chibi-Usa slowly opened her eyes. It took her a long time to get them opened and focused enough to see the room around her. Quickly her memories started returning to her. She was still locked up, hanging from the wall. But the earlier seemingly empty room was now filled with sailor senshi fighting dozens youmas. Directly in front of her was Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars, both having it out with some pretty ugly, though human looking, youmas. "CRESENT BEAM!" "MARS FLAME SNIPER!" Both youmas drew back, but was still alive. "Aku Ryo Tai San!" Rei roared, jumping into the air with an anti-evil charm in hand. The youma stopped in it's tracks, paralyzed. Mars took that opportunity to attack it. "BURNING MALADA!" She looked briefly over to Venus. "One down, forty nine to go," she huffed, before going off to attack another one. Venus was having some problems with her new best friend. She brought her fingers to her lips and kissed them softly, "VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!" Still it stood. Chibi-Usa gathered up all her strength to warn Venus of the youma trying to attack her from behind. "VENUS WATCH OUT!" she screamed. Venus turned just in time to dodge the thing behind her. She moved back over to where Chibi-Usa was hanging. "Hey muchkin, you alright?" she asked between kicking a youma down. "Sure," Chibi-Usa said sarcastically, "I've been kidnapped by the Negaverse, I almost died, I'm hanging from my arms on the wall. But other than that I'm peachy." Venus smiled at the good natured giggle that Chibi-Usa gave after that statement. "Well as long as your okay kid." -Two hours later- Tuxedo Kamen picked Sailor Moon up and moved her to a corner of the room. The fight with the seeming endless army of youmas was still going on, but Sailor Moon was out of energy. She fainted as Tuxedo Kamen caught her. Looking around frantically, he tried to pick out who would be the best to watch over her while he helped the other senshi. "Saturn, come here," he half said, half screamed. The small sailor of Saturn came over immediately. "Hai Tuxedo Kamen. What do you need?" "I need you to put up your silence wall, and protect Sailor Moon, while I fight." She nodded, happy to be some help to the princess. She sat down next to the fallen senshi. "Silence Wall!" A black wall of energy surrounded the two. Tuxedo Kamen gave one last worried look toward his wife before going to fight. "CRESCENT BEAM!" yet another youma went down at the mercy of a sailor senshi. Sailor Pluto went over to the wall where Chibi-Usa was still hanging. "Small Lady, let me help you down. Do you think you are strong enough to fight? The senshi are weakening by the minute and your mother is already down." Chibi-Usa nodded her head weakly. When Pluto started to undo the chains, however, the ceiling started crumbling. "Shimatta! It was rigged, everyone fall back!" Pluto screamed above the fights going on in the room. All at once all the youmas disappeared, leaving the senshi in a room that was going to collapse on them any minute. "How the hell do we get out of here?" Tuxedo Kamen asked anyone, as he took his daughter from Pluto and handed her a locket. "We could teleport, but without Sailor Moon, we may not have enough power." Mercury answered, typing in something on her visor., "Well, we have to try!" Venus ordered, gathering the senshi. They all formed a circle around Sailor Moon. After Chibi-Usa transformed, they all took hands. "MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!" "MARS CRYSTAL POWER!" "VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!" "JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!" "MOON PRISM POWER!" Tuxedo Kamen called apon his Earth powers and channeled his energy into the transportation. "URANUS PLANET POWER!" "NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!" "SATURN PLANET POWER!" "PLUTO PLANET POWER!" "STAR HEALER POWER!" "STAR FIGHTER POWER!" "STAR MAKER POWER!" "SAILOR TELEPORT!" ***** "Ohh, where are we?" Venus asked herself, or anyone who would answer, if there was anyone. It was pitch dark and she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. "My head hurts," someone groaned. After a minute of listening Venus could make out Jupiter, just to the left of her. "Is everyone here?" Mars called. "I'm here," Uranus said, "So is Neptune, Saturn, Pluto and the Lights." That much they had figured out when they landed almost completely on one another. "Eternal Sailor Moon? Sailor Moon? Tuxedo Kamen? Mercury? Are you all here?" No answer. The silence stretched on. "Sailor Moon?!!" Venus yelled, getting up and bumbling into someone. Jupiter growled, "Watch it Venus!" "I can't see a thing!" she retorted. A light started burning in the sky, causing everyone to cover their eyes. "Welcome Sailor Senshi. You are in the Negaverse time space; the space between the Negaverse and Earth will be your eternal home." "Beryl," Venus spit. "Didn't I kill you? Can't you just stay in hell, or did you drive the devil insane?" "A sense of humor I see, senshi Venus, but it will do you no good. You are trapped, if you can get out of here, then you are free to go. But I can promise you, there is NO way out." Beryl laughed, then disappeared. "Bitch," Venus said under her breath. "Did anyone see Sailor Moon when the light appeared?" Seiya asked. "No," everyone responded. "Damn it, how are we suppose to find anyone or anything in this darkness?" Mars mumbled. ***** A throbbing sounded in Usagi's head as she opened her eyes. Everything was pitch black. She shivered and rubbed her arms, only to find out that all she had on was a simple, thin summer dress and high heeled sandals. "I'm not transformed? What happened? Where am I?" she asked herself. Nothing. "Hello?" she called. Silence. She moved her hand back to her lunar space pocket to get her crystal. Her hand came back empty. "Iie," she whispered, repeating the same motion, again coming out empty handed. "No, the ginzuishou, it's gone?" One last time she searched her pocket. Nothing. "Now what? Where is everyone? Mamo-chan? Venus? Mercury? Mars? Chibi-Usa?" she called frantically. "Some one?" by now she was whispering, feeling tears threatening her. "Mo--mmm--yy?" someone groaned. "Chibi-Usa! Where are you? Talk to me so I can find you!" The child turned over and tried to sit up, but her body refused to listen. "Mom? Is that you? Mom, I'm scared!" she cried, then cried out again in shock. Usagi reached her hands in front of her until she felt familiar pink pointed buns. "Chibi-Usa?" The child threw herself in her mothers arms as best she could. "There, there Chibi-Usa, it will be all right. We'll find everyone," she assured her, then silently prayed she was telling the truth. "Where are we? How did we get here?" Chibi-Usa asked. "I don't know, the last thing I remember is Mamo-chan carrying me over to a corner of the room when all my energy was gone." Chibi-Usa started remembering how she had fainted and then herself, along with the rest of the senshi, teleported. "It didn't work. ." she mumbled. "Nani?" "We teleported, but it didn't work," Chibi-Usa explained. Usagi was in deep thought for a long time. Trying to figure out what to do. Finally a thought came to her. "Do you have your locket?" "Yeah, doushite?" "I don't have the ginzuishou, I don't know where it is. Can I use your locket?" Chibi-Usa knew her mother had told her not to let anyone else have the locket, but she figured it was okay since this technically *was* her mother. She took it off her chest and handed it to Usagi. Usagi stood up and held the locket high. "Moon Prism Power. . . Make-up!" Nothing. "Nani?" she said aloud, then held the locket up again. "MOOM PRISM POWER. . .MAKE UP!" Nothing again. "Come on, you have to work!" she said, holding it up once more. ***** Tuxedo Kamen studied his surrounds as best he could in the dark. "Usako?" He called. Empty silence greeted him. "Usako?" he said louder. A moan was heard not far from where he was standing. He went toward it. "Usako? Is that you?" "Noo," the voice moaned. "Damn, my head hurts, where are we?" Now he recognized the voice of Mercury. "I don't know, daijobu?" "Hai, daijobu," Mercury replied, shaking as she stood up. As soon as she could stand up right without wobbling, she took out her computer, turning on the light that shone from it. Mamoru covered his eyes for a second against to the light. After his pupils grew used to it, he walked over to where Mercury was standing, typing on her computer, then stopping to take readings with her visor. "Well?" "I don't know. Everything is negative space so I can't get readings worth a damn." Tuxedo Kamen looked around. "Negative space? You mean we're still in the Nega verse?" "Hai." "Where's everyone else, where is Usako?" Mercury typed faster on her computer. "Nothing. I can't get a reading on anyone." Tux growled under his breath then stopped as he felt something on the back of his neck. "Matte. Usako, she's transforming, but not quite. It's like she can't," he mumbled, not understanding exactly what was wrong and cursing to himself that he should have stayed in the middle with her. "What do you mean she can't? She has too!" At the urgency in Mercury's voice, Mamoru paniced slightly. "Okay, no time to stand here, we have to find her and the others." "Sou," Mercury agreed and followed Tuxedo Kamen. He always knew when Usagi was in danger, so he was there best luck right now. They walked forever it seemed. The blackness slowly parting in way of the light on Mercury's computer, only to close back up once they passed. The ground was black and rough, other than that there was nothing. No structures, nothing. Until now Mamoru had decided against screaming for Usagi, as it might attract youmas. But he was getting desperate. Every now and then he could feel her trying to transform, but she couldn't. Suddenly he got an overwhelming shot of fear in him. Coming from Usagi. "Oh no," he breathed. He stopped abruptly and turned to the right of where they were heading. Mercury looked up, and watched Tuxedo Kamen try to pin point which way Usagi was. "Hey, I've got an idea. You can feel her, sou?" "Hai, doushite?" "Stand still a minute and concentrate on where she is," Mercury commanded, opening her computer for what felt like the thousandth time in a week. She started using her computer to enhance Tuxedo Kamen?s connection to Usagi, hoping if she could pin point it, then they could get a reading on where Usagi was. ***** The inner and outer senshi hand managed to get together. Grasping hands, they started toward the darkness. "Wish we could see," Uranus said. Suddenly one end of the group stopped. "I'm such an idiot!" Pluto said outoud, then blushed heavily at her choice of words. Mars tried to see the situation as funny, but failed miserably. "Nani?" Suddenly a bright light shone over the group. Everyone rubbed their eyes to adjust them to the light. "Pluto. . ." Saturn whined, "Couldn't you have said something twenty minutes ago?" Pluto looked up at her time staff that was glowing brightly like a street lamp. "Gomen nasai, I forgot. For that matter, we could get out of here the same way." "NANI?!?!" came at least eight startled replies. "We could go to the time gate," Pluto explained. "But that won't help Sailor Moon and the others." Jupiter sighed. "Well then, let's go." Again the group started forward. An hour later they stopped. "Now what?" Mars growled. Saturn and Neptune looked up from where they were sitting on the hard ground. "I don't know about all of you, but our feet are killing us," Saturn replied in a piping, child-like voice that she didn't like. Mars walked over and shoved her foot in Saturn's view. "How do you think I feel? I have heels on!" Venus went over and pulled her back. "Stop it, we are all tired. But Saturn is smaller than the rest of us." "Yeah and think about Sailor Moon out there, and we don't even know if she's with anyone, or Chibi-Usa. She could be all alone out there. We have to keep moving" Fighter stated, picking Saturn up. "Your right Seiya, the princess and her daughter are in danger as long as we don't know where they are. We have to keep moving for them," Taiki agreed, helping Neptune up. Mars sighed heavily. "I know, I'm worried, that's all. Gomen Hotaru-chan." "It's alright Mars," Saturn replied, hugging the older girl from her position in Seiya's arms. ***** After five or six fruitless tries, Usagi gave up on transforming. "Come on Chibi-Usa, we have to start looking for everyone." Chibi-Usa tried getting up, but she couldn't. When she moved her left leg she screamed out in pain. Usagi felt her over and gasped when her hand ran over a large gash in her daughter's leg "Oh Kami-sama," she whispered, hoping she hadn't heard her. "Nani?" Chibi-Usa asked. Usagi gently removed the jacket that Chibi-Usa was wearing and wrapped it around the wound as best she could. "Honey, don't touch that okay, you've got a small injury and you don't want it to get infected." She struggled to keep her voice even, instead of crying out her fear. Chibi-Usa could tell that her mother was lying, but decided she would only do that if she had to. "Mom?" "Yes sweetie?" by the sound of her voice, Chibi-Usa knew that something was wrong. "How can we go look for the others when my leg won't move?" Usagi pushed the hair back away from her face, gathered her up in her arms and started humming a lullaby. "It's ok. We will be fine. Remember, I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise." Slowly the soft sound drew Chibi-Usa closer to sleep. "Mom?" she half said, on the edge of sleep. "Hmm?" "I want daddy." Usagi felt the tears threatening to over take her. "I know sweetie, I want him too." The silence that came as Chibi-Usa slipped into a dream world, scared Usagi even more. She started crying silently, praying that Chibi-Usa would be okay, and that Mamoru would find her soon. "Mother, if you can hear me, please help us. I can't let her die, I can't. She's my daughter. Please mother." She sighed and laid down next to Chibi-Usa. "Twinkle twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. . ." she sang the tune over and over, somehow comforted by the sound of her own voice. ***** Mamoru stood in one spot forever it seemed while Mercury worked on that damned computer of hers. "Mamoru-san, don't lose your concentration," she advised, never looking up. He blew out a frustrated breath when faintly he heard a lullabye. "Nani?" he whispered, struggling to hear it. Again he heard a soft voice, but couldn't make out the words. Mercury suddenly brightened. "I don't know what your thinking about, but it worked! I've got a lock on her position!" she squealed, truly happy for the first time since they found themselves in this endless battle. She started running in the direction of the signal, Tuxedo Kamen on her heels. When they came upon the scene, Tuxedo Kamen's first thoughts were that they were dead. Both Usagi and Chibi-Usa was laying on the ground, blood covering them. He fell to his knees and hit the ground. He couldn't bring himself to check them for life, too afraid that they weren't. He felt his head spinning. "Iie. . .Usako. . .Chibi-Usa," he whispered, literally crawling toward them. Mercury scanned both of their life forces. Chibi-Usa's was small, but there, as was Usagi's. "They're alive," she whispered hoarsely, emotion over running. "They're alive," she said louder. Mamoru gently removed Chibi-Usa from Usagi's arms and held her for a minute. Handing her off to Mercury, he turned toward Usagi. Her still form bathed in the light from the computer, was barely breathing. Gently he lifted her in his arms and buried his head in her upper chest and neck. "Usako? Please, wake up. You have to wake up," he begged. Nothing. He looked around, something was wrong. Something was very wrong. "The ginzuishou? Where is it?" Mercury looked up. "She don't have it," she stated flatly, knowing that Tux was going to explode on her any minute. Instead he turned his shocked eyes toward her. "Nani?" "The reason I couldn't get a lock on her earlier is because she don't have the crystal, I don't know where it is. That is also partly to blame for her shallow breathing. That and as long as she's asleep, negative energy is seeping into her body." Mamoru looked back down at his wife and thought about how many times he had almost lost her in the past couple of weeks. 'How much can we stand?' His mind thought wretchedly. He pushed the thought away harshly. Gently he pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Usako. . .come on, please wake up," a tear slid down his face to land on hers. However unlikely it was, as soon as his single salty tear touched her face, she groaned. "Mamo-chan. . .help. . .us. . ." she murmured. If he hadn't had his ear so close to her mouth, he wouldn't had heard it. His arms tighten around her. "Usako! Come on! You can wake up, I'm here, I wouldn't leave you again. Come on!" Haunted midnight blue eyes watched as her eye lids moved, ever so slowly, to open slightly. She was incoherent. He could feel her confusion. But the small speck of blue that had became visible under her lids, suddenly snapped completely open and filled with tears. "Mamo-chan? You?re here? Really?" "Hai Usako, I'm right here," he soothed himself and her, thinking he'd never been so happy to hear her sweet voice or that sweet nickname she had bestowed on him when they had started dating. She pulled painfully closer to him and touched her face to his shirt. "Mamo-chan, Chibi-Usa, where is she? She's hurt bad. . .I'm so scared that I'll lose her. . ." Tuxedo Kamen shifted a worried gaze to Mercury, who only nodded in response. "She'll be alright, your both going to be fine." The more aware Usagi became, the more upset she got at their situation. "Her leg. . .it was bleeding so much. . .I was so scared. . .and Chibi-Usa said that she wanted her daddy. . .she wanted you. . . I wanted you, but I couldn't see. . ." she cried brokenly. Mamoru felt like he too could cry, but held on. She needed him to be strong, not to show how scared he was. "It's okay Usa, you?re going to be okay, Chibi-Usa is going to be okay. . .I swear." At his last words, Mercury gave him a weird look that said, 'don't promise something you can't give.' But Mamoru knew he could swear it, or die trying. "What do we do now Mercury?" he asked, shifting Usagi's weight on his lap so he could pick her up. "I don't know," Mercury whispered, "Look for the others?" Mamoru gave a thoughtful glance at Usagi. "I'll have to carry her, can you carry Chibi-Usa and use your visor to help us find them?" She pulled her visor across her eyes once more. Locking in power signals, she nodded and picked Chibi-Usa up carefully. ***** "Seiya-chan?" "Hmm?" "I can walk now." "You sure?" "Yep." Slowly, rather painfully truth be known, Seiya placed Saturn back on her own two feet. He stretched and yawned, looking around to see if he could spot anything but worn out senshi. Other than that, all was deserted. "You know, this is worse than if there WAS youmas running around all over the place," Mars said out of the blue. "Huh?" the outer senshi said in unison. Venus nodded her head in agreement. "It makes you think that we're waiting for something to happen, like the calm before the rain." "The calm before the storm," Makoto corrected. "Whatever." Saturn scrunched her eyes for a minute, trying to focus on something she saw, or thought she had seen, in the distance. When she stopped, no one noticed. They kept going straight ahead, while she stayed back to survey the emptiness to the right of them. Pluto looked beside her where only a minute before, Saturn had been walking. When she was no longer there, she stopped, causing everyone else to do the same. "Hotaru-chan?" "Hai, Setsuna-mama, back here!" she called. Pluto walked toward where the child was standing. Saturn got an annoyed look on her face. "Turn your light off!" she ordered in a VERY unlike Hotaru way. Pluto, as well as the rest of the senshi and Lights, blinked at the sound of her voice. Healer laughed. "She's she senshi of silence. . .better listen," he kidded. 'Okkkkaaayyyy,' he thought at the looks on everyone's faces, 'just trying to cheer everyone up. . .mo!!' Pluto turned her staff off, but all the darkness did not cover them as she expected. "What is that?" Neptune asked, walking toward the light that was at least a mile or so off in the distance. ******* It was becoming increasingly harder for Mamoru to keep Usagi awake. She kept slipping into sleep, only to be reawaken by him. But the last couple of times it had been harder. "We need to get her out of here, this is too much for her already weakened body." Mercury looked at him helplessly. Not saying a word, she scanned Usagi over. Not liking what she was seeing, but knowing she didn't need Mamoru panicking. she simply stated in an even, emotionless voice. "Let her sleep." Again they started walking in silence. Diana was having trouble keeping up so Mamoru stopped and picked her up, placing her gently on his shoulder. For the first time since she had appeared in the room where Chibi-Usa was being held, she spoke up, "Thank you prince," but that was all she could say. Every now and then the emptiness was broken by Usagi or Chibi-Usa crying out, but other than that, nothing. Mamoru let his mind wander off to the past. The sweet not-so-long-ago past. The day he had married Usagi. The beautiful spring day when they had vowed before God and everyone they could think to invite, that they would love, honor and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. "Love, honor and cherish," he mumbled under his breath. "I've been doing that for years Usako. Why isn't it enough now?" For two years and three months life had been so perfect. After the Lights had left for their home and their princess had also left. Life had settled down. At first Mamoru couldn't really enjoy the peaceful atmosphere much. Always looking twice down alley ways to make sure their wasn't yet another evil being trying to take over Earth. But there hadn't been. That they had known of. And yet Beryl is alive, and even Mamoru knew that took time. The Negaverse wasn't born over night. What is the heart of it? What makes the damn thing keep coming back for more? And could they beat it this time? Obviously that bitch had learned from her mistakes. Were they strong enough to kill her again? Looking at the nearly lifeless body held close to him, he had his doubts. If only there was something to make him think otherwise. But who can be hopeful right now? Both his wife and daughter were barely alive, even though Mercury hadn't said so he could feel it. The ginzuishou was gone to God only knows were. And the darkness on all sides went on forever. 'Not in all directions' a voice came through his preoccupied mind. "Huh?" he accidentally said aloud. Mercury turned around, "What did you say?" "Uh, nothing." he mumbled, feeling stupid for saying his thoughts out loud. 'Look around you' the voice came again. What the hell was that? Mamoru thought as he looked around them. Something behind him caught his eye. He wasn't sure what it was. It resembled. . .a street lamp!?! "Ami-chan," he said suddenly, again shifting Usagi's weight. She turned, when she did Mamoru grabbed the computer and turned the light off. "What the hell did you do that for?" she demanded angrily, allowing rage to enter her worried mind. 'Hold it Ami,' she suddenly remembered, 'that's the future king and present prince, you should let him do what he wants.' Still she took the computer back a little harshly. "Look!" Mamoru whispered. She stepped out of her angry mind long enough to see a light about half a mile up head. She opened her communicator and toke a VERY deep breath. Praying all the time, she hit the 'all call' button. Please, please let this work. She silently thought over and over. ***** Neptune was tagging behind Uranus, using her as a support since everyone else seemed too tired to hold themselves and her up. "Have you tried to contact them?" she mumbled, stopping to massage her feet. Venus nodded. "It won't work. All I get is static. This negative energy must be interfering with the signal." "I'm impressed Minako-chan!" Makoto said happily. "You sounded almost like Ami-chan the way you said that." Minako smiled triumphantly. "Ta-da! Welcome the new, improved, smart leader of the sailor senshi, the goddess of love and beauty, Sailor Venus!" Something beeped on all the senshi except the Lights. "WHAT WAS THAT!?!" Venus shrieked. Yaten let out a stifled giggle. "That, oh new and smarter leader, would be your communicator." "I-I-I. . .k-new that!" she stuttered, feeling incredibly baka at the moment. Mars tried to hold it in, but couldn't and let out a fit of giggles. She was tired, making her a little more giddy than usual. Venus gave her a dirty look as Uranus pulled her back. "Someone answer that, please?" Saturn said, interrupting their argument. Neptune smiled wanly before opening her communicator. "Sailor Moon? Is that you?" she asked, her screen wouldn't come up, it was nothing but black. Hardly recognizable as a voice, but one never the less, came over. "Guyssss? I-i-ssss thaattt yoouuu??" was the static filled voice of Sailor Mercury. Neptune, despite her swollen feet, jumped up and down. "YES!! IT'S MERCURY!!" she screamed. Jupiter opened her own communicator. "Ami-chan, is that you, really?" "Yyyeessss" came the transaction. "YIPEE!" she screamed, before calming down to actually talk. "Where are you? Are you with Eternal Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen?" she asked frantically, afraid that they still had to do a search for them. "Hhhaaiii, ttthheeeeyyy aaarreeee hereee. BBBuuttt thhheeeyyy aaarrreee hhhhuuuurrrttt." "Hurt?" Jupiter whispered like she didn't know the meaning of the word. "Pppprrrreeetttttyyyy bbba---" the communicator went off. "Damn it!" Jupiter cursed, bringing her arm back to throw the useless piece of junk. Mars caught her hand. "It's okay, they must be near for it to have worked at all. Let's keeping trying." All the girls nodded, Pluto turned her light back on, and they started running (a very slow and painful run at that) toward where they had seen the light. ***** "Jupiter? Mako-chan? Anyone?" Mercury cried into the communicator. "Shimatta!!" Mamoru looked up from the place on the ground where he was holding an unconcious Usagi. "What happened?" he asked roughly. Mercury closed her communicator. "I lost it," she mumbled. "Not your fault, it's this air," Tux said, trying to ease her guilt for not being able to find out where the other senshi were. Mercury sat down next to where she had laid Chibi-Usa down. She reached in her space pocket (a little invisible place where the senshi keep their transformation sticks, ect.) and produced a role of bandages. She turned the light on her computer and started disinfecting and re-wrapping the wound on Chibi-Usa's leg. She tried not to let Mamoru see the cut, it went about half way up the child's thigh and was easily showing the bone. She knew for a fact that there had been major tissue damage, not to mention chance of infection. But Ami said not a word. For one, Mamoru didn't need that on top of worry over Usagi. Second, she definitely didn't want Usagi accidentally hearing. What she didn't know was that she didn't have to worry about Mamoru seeing the cut. He had his face buried in Usagi's chest, silently praying. She knew she'd never have to see such a pitiful sight. Mercury let out a breath and started scanning Usagi to see how she was. The computer screen revealed a computer image of Usagi's body. Carefully she measured each area. Then gasped. "Oh my God. . ." she whispered under her breath. But Mamoru still heard. "Nani?" he asked frantically. Mercury checked again. One thing she noticed is that Usagi was getting better the closer Mamoru held her. He was sharing his life force with her. The other thing she was not going to tell Mamoru, as it complicated matters greatly. Usagi is pregnant.