Here's part Number Three for you...if you like playing with 
Time, then this part's rather interesting.  It also answers some 
questions that haven't been answered in the series—at least, not to my 
satisfaction.  Happy reading, and let me know what you think at my 
address: gramarye@rochester.rr.com. 
	Standard disclaimers apply.  Sailormoon and all related products 
belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI animation, and other 
companies I'm sure I'm forgetting at the moment.  Will Stanton and The 
Dark Is Rising series are copyright of the wonderful Susan Cooper.  
Susan Cooper and Naoko Takeuchi—I need to build a shrine.

Translations for Oldest of the Old:

Miruna – Don't look
Oishii – tasty, delicious
Hai, onegai shimasu – Yes, please (very polite form)
Kono hito – this person

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dark Shall Fall: A Sailormoon/The Dark Is Rising Crossover
By: Gramarye

Part the Third – Oldest of the Old

----------------------------------------------------------------------

When I was young I thought of growing old 
Of what my life would mean to me 
Would I have followed down my chosen road 
Or only wished what I could be
 
Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel 
Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night 
Kyrie eleison, where I'm going will you follow 
Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light 

	--Mr. Mister, "Kyrie"

Music I heard with you was more than music,
And bread I broke with you was more than bread;
Now that I am without you, all is desolate;
All that was once so beautiful is dead.

	--Conrad Aiken, "Music I Heard"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

	Luna leapt lightly onto the balcony of Minako's apartment.  It 
was a dizzying drop to the street below, but she kept her balance as 
only a cat can.  She scraped impatiently at the glass door of the 
balcony.
	Artemis heard the faint scratching sound, and hurried toward the 
glass.  A quick jump and a twist of the body later, the balcony door 
was open far enough for him to squeeze through.
	"Luna?  What do you want?"
	"What do you think, baka?  I had to restore Sailor Moon's memory 
last night."
	His face fell.  "Oh, no," he said.
	"Hai.  There's a new enemy around, and I don't know what to do.  
The ginzuishou is missing, and all she has to work with is her tiara.  
That was barely enough to defeat the creature last night, and I doubt 
it will work better next time."
	"Luna, I know what you are going to say, but——"
	"There's no 'but' about it, Artemis.  We have to have all of the 
Senshi."
	"How can we do that to them?  They're living normal lives, and 
after what they went through...."
	"We don't have a choice."
	Artemis sighed.  "Minako's going to be home soon, and I can't 
talk here or long.  Let's go and see Usagi.  Maybe she has an idea."
	"Usagi?  An idea?"  Luna scoffed.
	"I would ask Stanton-san, but...."
	"Still no change?"
	"I'm really worried, Luna.  He hasn't moved in days.  He hasn't 
regained consciousness at all, and I've tried everything I can think 
of without success."
	"But Minako—"
	"She thinks he has pneumonia.  And I can't say anything, of 
course."
	"Let's go, then.  We'll think of something."
	Artemis pushed the door far enough for the latch to click into 
place.  The two cats vaulted off the balcony and onto the rooftops of 
Juuban.

			*			*			*
	
	The day after the Senshi were reawakened, Rei's shrine was the 
scene of an interesting discussion.
	Minako, while flipping through a magazine, had come across an 
article saying that the drama starring the idol Shiratori Mikan had 
been canceled due to the star's apparent nervous breakdown.  The five 
girls knew what the real reason was, but took the excuse in stride.
	"It's a pity, but it's good for me.  I want to concentrate on my 
studies," Ami remarked, looking over Minako's shoulder. 
	Rei ran a hand through her thick hair.  "I'm really unlucky——I 
have to hang around with Usagi again!"
	"Gomen nasai, minna," Usagi replied meekly.
	Ami frowned, then turned to Usagi.  "Rei's right.  If you were a 
better soldier, we would have a peaceful life."
	It was said in jest, but Ami's words held a different, darker 
meaning for Usagi.  She hung her head in shame, and hot tears began to 
gather at the corners of her eyes.
	"That's enough!" Makoto said loudly, ending the conversation 
before it could do further damage.  "It's all caused by the new 
enemies.  We must protect our planet from them."
	"You understand?" Usagi said in disbelief.  Makoto nodded.  
Usagi's cheerful smile returned.
	"You already forgot about the mistakes you made!" Luna snarled 
in exasperation.
	Usagi took no notice.  "Now I just need to get Mamoru's memory 
back!!"
	Luna groaned.  Rei was about to reply with a cutting remark, but 
Minako suddenly dropped her magazine.
	"Minako-chan?  What's wrong?" Ami asked.
	A thousand thoughts were whirling through Minako's head, but the 
one thing she needed to remember was stubbornly out of reach.  "Rei-
chan," she said, her voice low and shaken, "do you remember exactly 
what happened back at the D-Point?"
	"I don't think we need to talk about this now, Minako-chan," Rei 
answered, with an anxious and furtive glance at Usagi.
	"No!  You don't understand.  How did we return to help Usagi?  I 
just remember this bright light, warm and gentle, and then a deep 
voice asking me if I would aid Princess Serenity.  And I said—"
	"Of course," Makoto murmured.
	"Anything to save the future," Ami added.
	"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Minako said.
	"For my Princess, there is nothing too great," Rei finished 
wistfully.  She cleared her throat, and continued.  "But I still don't 
see what the problem is."
	Usagi opened her mouth, then shut it quickly and looked away.
	For a moment, no one knew what to say.
 	"Iie!" Minako suddenly gasped.  "Stanton-ojisama!"
	"What's the matter?  What's wrong?" Usagi asked.  Minako jumped 
to her feet and ran out the door, ignoring her completely.
	Usagi looked around, painfully bewildered.  "Nani yo?"
	The four girls stared at each other, then ran after Minako.

			*			*			*

	Minako burst into the apartment, tears stinging her eyes.  She 
threw open the door to Will's bedroom, and stifled a horrified scream.
	"STANTON-OJISAMA!" she shrieked.  With a moan, she grabbed the 
cold, grayish hands and pressed them to her flushed cheeks.
	The other girls hovered outside the door, afraid to enter the 
room.  Suddenly, Usagi flung her head back and marched into the 
bedroom.  She gently pushed the hysterical Minako into Ami's arms, and 
placed a warm hand on Will's forehead.
	"Stanton-san?" she whispered.  "Stanton-san?"
	"I-I-I-I didn't KNOW!" Minako hiccuped, sobbing for breath.  
	"Miruna, Minako-chan."  Ami hugged her close, but looked at her 
leader with a grim frown.
	"I don't have my computer, Usagi-chan.  I might be able to help 
him if I had it, but without it...."  Ami shook her head.  
	Minako wailed louder.
	"Usagi," Rei said, "he risked his life for us.  I can't 
believe...no, wait a minute.  I *can* believe that he would do such a 
thing."
	"But is he...is he...."  Makoto couldn't finish the sentence.
	Usagi closed her eyes tightly.
	"He brought Minako to us and reunited the Sailor Senshi.  He 
saved me from the demon at the lake.  And he brought the four of you 
back to help me.  He risked his life in doing so, and now...."  A 
gentle tear rolled down her face.
	She stood, and held one of Will's hands in her own.  The 
crescent moon shone on her forehead like a small star in the dim 
twilight of the room.  In a light, musical voice that came from so far 
out of the past that it made the girls shiver, she said:
	"Will Stanton, I thank you for your aid.  I, Princess Serenity, 
daughter of Serenity, owe you a debt that I cannot repay."  
	The light from the crescent moon died away, and Usagi was Usagi 
again.
	"Onegai, Stanton-san.  Come back to us.  We need you here," she 
said.
	All eyes were riveted on the still figure in the bed.  Minako 
sniffled, and choked back a sob that threatened to throw her over 
hysteria's cliff.
	"Minako-chan, I'm—" Usagi began, but stopped.  There was a 
slight movement on the pillow as Will turned his head to one side.
	"Stanton-ojisama...." Minako breathed.
	Will groaned, and carefully opened his eyes.  He looked at the 
happy faces ringing the bed, and smiled thinly.
	"I'm glad to see you, Your Highness."
	"I'm glad to see you, too, Stanton-san," Usagi replied, eyes 
glittering with her tears.
	In a flash, all five girls were hugging Will and crying, nearly 
smothering him.  A fit of violent coughing racked his body, and they 
quickly disentangled themselves from the bedclothes and moved away to 
give him room to breathe.
	When the coughing had subsided, Will reached for the dresser 
drawer of his nearby bedtable.  It was a little far for him to reach, 
and he gave up with an annoyed grunt.
	"Ami," he said, waving in the direction of the drawer, "look in 
there.  I think you were wondering where it was."
	Ami did as she was told, and with a happy cry pulled out her 
computer.  She pressed it to her chest.
	"You found it!  I thought I'd never see it again...arigatou.  
Arigatou, Stanton-san."
	"I think we need to let Stanton-san rest now," Artemis said.  
Minako ushered them out of the room, and their get-well-soon wishes 
and excited conversation drifted out with them.
	Artemis climbed onto the bed and nestled in the crook of Will's 
arm.
	"You're warm," Will said, stroking the soft white fur just above 
the crescent moon.
	"Nothing like having a cat on the bed to warm things up," 
Artemis countered sleepily.
	Minako returned, carrying a large bowl of thick soup on a tray.  
She set it on Will's lap and beamed proudly.
	"I made you some soup yesterday, but you wouldn't eat it.  I 
just had to heat it up."  She pulled a chair over to the bed and sat 
in it, watching Will like a hawk.
	"That's most kind of you, Minako, but I'm really——"
	"No arguments.  Eat up."
	Will carefully raised the spoon to his lips, and took a cautious 
sip.  Minako watched him eagerly, waiting for a reaction.
	He swallowed, coughed once, and wiped his mouth.
	"Oishii."
	"Sugoi!" Minako cried.  "Don't you want the rest of it?"
	"Minako, my dear, I haven't eaten anything for some time.  Too 
much of this rich soup would almost certainly do more harm than good.  
It would be best to start out with something easy to digest...tea and 
dry toast, perhaps.  But I appreciate the thoughtful gesture."
	Minako smiled.  "That's fine.  I don't want you to feel any 
worse.  I'll go put the kettle on."  She sashayed out of the room, 
humming to herself.
	Artemis stared at Will in awe.
	"You *ate* that?  Do you know what's *in* that soup?"
	"No, Artemis, I don't.  And I'd prefer not to know, if you would 
be so kind."  Will placed the tray on the floor, and leaned back on 
the pillows.  "One taste was enough to tell me that I'd had plenty."
	"But 'oishii'?"
	"It's best never to tell the cook the unvarnished truth about a 
meal, Artemis.  Otherwise, you run the risk of a liberal dose of 
arsenic in your tea."

			*			*			*

	The doorbell to the apartment rang once, then twice.  Will 
looked up in mild annoyance from his papers, then heaved a stack of 
folders off his knees and stood up.  He made his way slowly to the 
front door.
	"Stanton-san!" Makoto said.
	"Konnichiwa, Makoto."
	"Is...is Minako-chan here?"
	"No, I'm afraid not.  She's at Shiba Kindergarten, trying to 
tell children that there is really a Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus.  
What she's trying to prove, I have no idea.  But you know Minako——once 
she gets an idea in her head there's very little room for much else."
	Makoto giggled.  "That's not very nice."
	"I know.  I tease her sometimes, but she puts up with more from 
me than she would from Artemis."  Will stepped back from the door.  
"Would you like to come in, Makoto?  I don't want to keep you standing 
outside all day."
	"Well, I'm supposed to go to the jinja to talk about the cardian 
threat.  But I think I'll wait for a little while.  I don't really 
have to be there for another twenty minutes."  Will beckoned her in, 
and closed the door.
	"Would you like something to drink?" Will asked, heading for the 
kitchen.
	"Hai, onegai shimasu," Makoto said rather shyly, picking through 
the piles of papers in the living room on her way to the couch.
	"There's no reason to be so polite, Makoto.  We're not so 
different, you and I."  Will reappeared with two cups of tea.  He saw 
the state the living room was in and grimaced.  "It's not usually this 
hazardous in here, but Minako was using my study to work on schoolwork 
and even I can't get in there now."
	Makoto accepted the tea.
	"Stanton-san," she said, "what made you say that?  'We're not so 
different, you and I?'  I'd think that we wouldn't have that much in 
common."
	Will sipped his tea.  "Well, to begin, we're both orphans, 
Makoto."
	Makoto nearly dropped her cup.  "Nani?!"
	"My parents died when I was sixteen.  It's a story much like 
yours, now that I come to think of it.  My eldest brother Stephen was 
in the Royal Navy, serving in Jamaica at the time.  He invited my 
parents to come to Jamaica for a much-deserved vacation, and then 
planned to fly home with them for a long shore leave.  They hesitated 
at first, but since most of the family was either grown and out of the 
house or away at school, they decided to accept the offer.
	"They made it down there safely, and from the letters I received 
at school they had a wonderful time.  My father had been overseas when 
he was young, but my mother had never been out of the country.  The 
letters are full of chatty details and humorous stories.  I find it 
hard to picture them sunning themselves on a sandy Caribbean beach, 
but that's beside the point.
	"The flight home...to this day I'm not sure what happened.  I 
suppose any number of things can go wrong on an airplane over the 
ocean, most of which I'd care not to think about.  My parents and 
brother, along with the rest of the passengers and crew, never made it 
back to England."
	Makoto had been listening spellbound to Will's story.  She 
barely managed to whisper, in a choked voice, "What happened to you?"
	Will lifted his eyes, but didn't look at her.  Makoto had the 
feeling that he hadn't heard her at all, that he was somewhere else 
entirely.   
	"I received the message at school, just before the summer 
holidays.  I don't remember much of what happened after...it was like 
a wet watercolor painting where the colors run and blur into each 
other.  It wasn't that I didn't have anywhere to go.  I came from a 
family of nine——a proper tribe, as my father used to call it.  They, 
and their families, all offered to take me in since I had a year or 
two to go before university.
	"That wasn't what I wanted."
	Something seemed to click in his head, and his eyes focused on 
Makoto.
	"And I'm sure that wasn't what you wanted, either.  Why else 
would you be living alone?"
	Makoto blinked.  "I don't mind it," she said.
	"You may not mind it, but it can be unnerving, ne?"
	"Hai," she said reluctantly.  She stared into her empty cup, 
frowning at the tea-leaf residue in the bottom.
	"Makoto," Will said gently, "if you ever need a place to stay, 
even for the night, feel free to come here."  When she looked up, a 
polite refusal forming on her lips, he added, "I know that you must 
have heard this offer many times before, but don't think of it in that 
way.  Think of it...think of it as a gesture from someone who knows 
what it's like to feel alone."
	Makoto thought for a moment, then smiled.
	"I'd like that, Stanton-san," she said.
	"Good," he replied.  "Now, I don't want to make you late.  Rei 
isn't the kind of person who likes to be kept waiting."
	"Oh, I won't be the last one there," Makoto said airily.  
"Usagi-chan probably has detention again, so I'll have to listen to 
Rei-chan gripe for ten minutes, then when Usagi *does* show up, I'll 
have to listen to them bicker for another five minutes."
	"You have this down to a science," Will said with a chuckle.
	"They're my best friends."  Makoto looked up at Will.  "It's 
strange, but I don't mind listening to Usagi-chan and Rei-chan fight.  
It's usually forgotten by the time we leave, anyway."
	Makoto stood, handed her teacup to Will, and headed for the 
door.
	"Stanton-san, if you see Minako before I do, would you tell her 
that we're at Rei's?"
	"I think Usagi will see her first," Will said absently.
	"Nani?"
	Will shook his head slightly, like a dog coming out of the 
water.  "Never mind.  It doesn't matter."
	"Ja ne, Stanton-san," Makoto said.
	"Ja ne, Makoto.
	The door closed, latches clicking with a soft snick.

			*			*			* 
 
	"*Leaving*?  But you *can't* leave!" Minako cried.
	Will looked up from the bag he was packing.  Artemis sidled into 
the bedroom and leapt onto a chair.
	"I won't be gone long, Minako.  I don't plan to desert you and 
Artemis in the wilderness of Juubangai.  Your parents would never 
forgive me."
	"But where are you going?"
	Will fixed her with a look, the look that she knew meant an end 
to all questions.  "I've arranged with the bank to pay you an 
allowance each week for food and necessities——and *only* food and 
necessities.  I think you two will be fine on your own, but if you 
want to stay with someone, Makoto mentioned that you can go to her 
apartment."  He closed the bag.  "Her cooking is a thousand times 
better than mine, at any rate."
	"Stanton-san, I think we should tell the rest of the Senshi 
about this," Artemis said.
	"I'm leaving that up to you, Artemis.  I'm sure that the Senshi 
will be fine, with the aliens gone and Tuxedo Kamen in action once 
again."
	"But what if—" Minako protested.
	Will raised an eyebrow.  "No more suppositions.  It's not 
healthy."
	Minako flopped down on the bed, completely at a loss.
	Will pulled on his overcoat and turned to Minako.
	"There's no need to mope, Minako.  It's not that bad.  You'll 
see me soon enough."  He bent down and kissed her on the forehead.  
She stared at him with shining eyes, then sprang from the bed and 
wrapped him in a bear-hug.
	Will gently pried Minako off of him.  He gave her another kiss 
on the forehead, then left the apartment.
	Minako raced to the window and watched him walk down the street.  
The fog was rather thick that morning, and Will seemed to blend into 
the mist and vanish altogether. 
	The mist whirled and cleared, and a whistling thread of bell-
like music rang out into the air.  Will found himself walking over 
thick, spongy green grass, approaching a glowing and majestic palace 
with lofty spires made of sparkling crystal reaching like fingers to 
the milky-blue sky.
	"Stanton-san!" 
	Will lifted his eyes to the terrace above his head, like a 
troubador seeking a lovely lady who would listen to his ballads.  His 
normally expressionless face brightened as Neo-Queen Serenity 
descended the steps of the terrace to the garden below.  She smiled 
merrily as she glided forward to greet him.
	Will took her hand and bowed over it.  "Your Majesty," he said 
formally.  
	"I'm glad to see you again, Stanton-san.  It's been a long 
time."  Serenity took his arm, and they strolled across the terrace.
	"Is everything well?"
	"Oh, yes.  You haven't been here since Small Lady was a baby, 
have you?  I think you'll be amazed by how big she's grown.  Just the 
other day, she——"
	There was a loud crash, and the faint tinkle of broken 
porcelain.  Serenity looked up in alarm.
	"Small Lady!  You've broken something again!" shrilled a woman's 
scolding voice.  
	Another woman's voice, equally chastising, added, "You'll never 
become an elegant lady acting like this!"
	"Yes I will!" came a young girl's angry cry.  The sound of small 
feet running drifted out of the open doors. 
	"Oh, dear," Serenity sighed.  "I'd better go and see what's 
happened.  Please, Stanton-san, excuse me for a moment."
	"Your Majesty——" Will began, then stopped.
	"Yes?"
	"Never mind."
	Serenity hurried away down the corridor.
	Will looked up at the sky, a faint frown marking his face.  
	So this was how it began.  
	And here he was, a spectator as always, unable to do a thing to 
prevent it.  Because that was the way it must be.
	It would be best to go inside now.  Serenity's fate was sealed, 
but Endymion's forthcoming wounds would need treatment.  And Will 
certainly did not want to find himself on the wrong end of a Nemesian 
projectile.

			*			*			*

	"So he just...left?" Rei said, setting down her broom.
	"Hai," Minako nodded.
	"Without telling you why or where?" Ami asked.
	"Hai."
	"And without saying when he'd be back?" Makoto asked.
	"Hai."  Minako seemed ready to cry.
	"Well, this is a strange turn of events," Luna said, her tail 
twitching with a hint of agitation.
	"Where's Usagi-chan?" Artemis asked.  "She should be here——this 
news concerns all of us."
	Luna rolled her eyes.  "She and Mamoru-san were going to the 
park today.  That's all I heard about this morning, anyway."
	"Usagi-chan's been in a much better mood since Mamoru-san got 
his memories back," Ami said.
	"Better mood?  Non-stop babbling is more like it.  'Mamo-chan' 
this, 'Mamo-chan' that.  She's driving me up the wall."  Luna placed 
her head on her paws with a sigh of exaggerated martyrdom.
	"We should be happy that things are peaceful once again," Makoto 
said.  "And Usagi-chan finally gets to be with Mamoru-san again."
	The Senshi were quiet for a moment, thinking about what Makoto 
had said.
	"But where does that leave us?" Minako blurted out.  "I want a 
boyfriend, too!"

			*			*			*

	The air inside the immense crystal palace was stale and thick 
with lack of circulation.  The halls were eerily silent, except for a 
low hum that could not be pinpointed.  All of the magic and happiness 
that had once flowed like water through the palace, as well as the 
once-beautiful Crystal Tokyo, had vanished like a burst soap bubble.
	Still, the inside of the palace was better than the city 
outside.  Crystal Tokyo had been all but leveled, with jagged remnants 
of buildings poking out at the dull-gray sky.  It looked as if a giant 
had stomped through the city, crushing and uprooting and destroying 
everything in its path.  And yet, in the midst of the devastation, the 
palace stood, glowing with a faint and sickly light.
	Will pushed open a small bronze door in the very heart of the 
palace.  The room was filled with computer equipment, some busily 
humming, some out of order, some charred beyond recognition and 
shooting off random sparks.  A cursory glance around the room told 
Will that nothing had changed.  
	He pressed a small black button on one of the consoles, and a 
wall panel slid away to reveal a hidden door.  There was a tiny 
windowless room behind the wall, barely more than a dark alcove.  A 
tall man was lying on a bed in the center of the room.  Every so 
often, he would shift slightly, but the small movement would be 
labored and obviously painful.
	"Sire?" said Will, drawing closer to the bed.  The man's eyelids 
fluttered, then opened slowly.  He looked up at the shadowy figure 
standing in a pool of light.
	"Stanton-san?" he whispered.  "It can't be time already...you 
were just here."
	"I'm afraid so.  Come on, you know what must be done."
	King Endymion sighed, and extended a frail hand for Will to 
grasp.  Will stood perfectly still, concentrating on the mental 
wavelength of the sleeping Chiba Mamoru.  The aura of ancient power 
rose in a faint white glow around his body, and enveloped both himself 
and the king.  He tore open the mental conduits between Crystal Tokyo 
and the Tokyo of the late 20th century, and waited patiently for 
Endymion to channel the dream through the pathway that the Old One had 
created.
	Will flinched slightly as he monitored the dream passing through 
his mind.  If Endymion wanted to test his younger self, he couldn't 
have chosen a better means of doing so.  Will could feel the dreaming 
Mamoru cry out in anguish, and quickly closed the mental gate before 
the raw emotions flowing through his body did any damage to himself or 
Endymion.  The soft glow flickered, faded, and died.
	Will removed his slightly trembling hand, physically exhausted.
	The king let his hand fall, emotionally exhausted.
	"Is there any change?" he asked anxiously.
	"The Senshi are maintaining the barrier.  I have tried to help 
them as best I can, but their energy levels are steadily falling.  I 
give them two weeks at most before they are completely spent."
	"And...?"
	Will sighed.  "No change."
	"Can't you...*do* something?"
	The Old One stood, his face stern.  "Sire, anything I do might 
have serious repercussions in the past.  I am only here to supply the 
passage for your messages to your younger self, and to monitor the 
palace until you are fit to resume your duties.  And, I might add, the 
former command wreaks havoc upon the latter."
	"Please don't be angry, Stanton-san.  You've done so much for 
us, time and time again.  I...it's just that...Serenity...."  His 
voice died away, and Will softened as he saw a tear course down the 
king's haggard face.
	"As long as she is within the crystal, no harm can come to her.  
Now, I must go."  He turned to leave, but paused.  "Pluto sends her 
regards, and wishes you a speedy recovery.  Small Lady is safe in the 
20th century, but she misses her home."
	"And I miss her, Stanton-san."
	"You will see her soon.  The Senshi of that time will soon 
travel here, and you will have an opportunity to speak to them.  But 
only, mind you, if you rest, and do not waste valuable energy worrying 
over what cannot be changed."
	"Hai.  Arigatou."  The king closed his eyes.
	Will stood there for a time, silently watching Endymion.  When 
the king's breathing pattern had slowed into a steady, deep rhythm, he 
bowed and left the room.
	His footsteps were the only noise that cut through the deathly 
silence.  Brushing aside uneasy stirrings, Will approached the 
crystal-encased bier.
	Neo-Queen Serenity seemed to be the cause of the silence.  Her 
immobile, lifeless sleep, and the impenetrable barrier that surrounded 
her did more to stop the heart than any attack or poison the enemy 
could have invented.  And there was nothing he or anyone could do.
	And yet in her crystal, she was protected from the terror that 
haunted the palace.  The terror revealed in the fiercely concentrated 
faces of the weakening Senshi.  The terror painfully hidden in the 
heart of the bed-ridden king.  And the terror that whispered what if, 
what if something goes wrong, what if this time there will be no happy 
ending....
	"Ah, Serenity," he said ruefully, "you are the most fortunate of 
us all."

			*			*			*	

	"Sire," Will said several weeks later.  "Small Lady, the Senshi, 
and Tuxedo Kamen are here.  Are you ready to meet them?"
	"Stanton-san, I've used far too much of your energy—"
	Will lifted a hand to silence him.  "I've been working on one of 
the palace's computers, and have devised a program that will allow you 
to speak to the Senshi in the form of a hologram.  It isn't much, but 
at least you can get the necessary information to them."
	"You did all that?  Why?"
	"Well, I had two excellent reasons.  First, I think that seeing 
you would have more of a lasting effect on them than anything else— 
especially Tuxedo Kamen.  And second," the corners of Will's mouth 
lifted in a wry smile, "I was rather bored."
	Endymion chuckled.  "You have the oddest sense of humor, 
Stanton-san.  Still British, after all this time?"
	"Of course," Will replied.  He slipped into the computer room 
and pressed a few keys on the nearest console, and instantly a 
translucent Endymion appeared by his side.  "How is that?"
	"Odd," said the hologram of the king, looking back at the small 
alcove where his body lay in the darkness.  "I suppose I can't go in 
and have a look at myself?"
	"I doubt if you would like what you see.  Very few of us do," 
Will said cryptically.  "Now, I will monitor everything from here.  
But first...."  The Old One closed his eyes, and spoke softly and 
rapidly in the Old Speech.  When he opened them again, his voice was 
hushed.  "Small Lady is safe and asleep.  Go quickly, sire.  You 
haven't much time."
	Endymion's ghostly form vanished from his sight.

			*			*			*

	Will had programmed the hologram to provide him with a first-
hand view of the action.  He could actually see 'through' the 
hologram's eyes, much as Endymion could.
	His first glance of the Senshi made his heart leap into his 
throat.  It had been a long time since he had seen them.  He had 
carefully timed the mist to give a properly dramatic effect, and he 
was not disappointed with the reaction he produced.
	Mars started to move forward, but Tuxedo Kamen put a restraining 
hand on her arm.  "Wait! That's...."
	"Tuxedo Kamen-sama..." Sailor Moon whispered.  She turned 
around, and fearfully stared at the man behind her.  "Two Tuxedo 
Kamen-sama?"
	The hologram of Endymion stopped, and lifted his head slightly 
to look at his younger self.  "Congratulations on your safe arrival to 
the 30th century city of Crystal Tokyo.
	Sailor Moon gasped. "That voice...."
	Will's heart sank at the horror and sadness in her voice.  He 
could see her eyes glaze over as she remembered the horrible dream 
that had threatened her love for Mamoru, and cut her to the quick.
	She quickly snapped out of her thoughts.  "Yes! It was you who 
predicted misfortune for us!" she said angrily.
	"Who are you?"  Tuxedo Kamen darted forward, cane poised to 
strike down the intruder.  Will flinched involuntarily at the sight of 
the masked man barrelling toward him, and lifted his arm slightly to 
block the blow.  He checked himself, and lowered his arm sheepishly.
	The hologram turned to look at Tuxedo Kamen, who was lying on 
the ground and gazing at him with a look of utter disbelief. 
	"What's going on?" he half-heard one of the Senshi whisper.
	"Please don't be alarmed.  I am King Endymion."  The hologram 
smiled at the confused man.  "Yes. I am your future self."
	"What's that!?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.
	"The Tuxedo Kamen of the future?" Sailor Venus echoed.
	"Wait a minute!" Sailor Moon cried.  "If you're Mamo-chan in the 
future...why did you send us a nightmare to break us up?"
	Inside the darkened room, Endymion clenched his hands.  Her 
voice, that sad, trusting voice filled with hurt and fear...he shook 
himself out of the depressing thoughts.  Now wasn't the time.
	"Wait, Sailor Moon. He's not real."  Mercury laid a hand on her 
leader's arm.
	Endymion turned once again to face the Senshi. "As you say, 
Sailor Mercury.  My body is elsewhere."
	"Some kind of projection?"
	"It's time you heard everything.  Please come with me."  
Endymion started to walk away.
	"Matte!" Sailor Moon said.  "First, we have to find Chibi-Usa."
	"She is under my protection. Come."  Endymion continued, leaving 
the Senshi to follow him.
	"But——"
	"Let's go. We don't have time to hesitate," Jupiter said, 
decisive as always.
	"Right.  Let's go," Venus said.
	Sailor Moon hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded.
	Back in the control room, Will pushed his chair away from the 
monitor.  He stood, and walked over to the alcove where Endymion lay.
	"Sire," he said, "be careful what you tell them.  I know that 
you must give the Senshi certain information, but even an inadvertant 
slip of the tongue could have disastrous consequences."
	The king opened his mouth to speak, but Will shook his head.  
"From your lips to their ears, King Endymion.  Take care."
	The Old One returned to the control room.  The king sighed 
gently, and let his mind drift back to what had to be told.

			*			*			* 
	
	Will's strong sense of danger alerted him seconds before 
Demando's sudden entrance.  His head jerked up from the console, panic 
rising in his throat.  The screen fizzled with a burst of static, and 
went blank.  All audio and visual communication went dead.
	He stifled a curse as he frantically jabbed at the computer 
keys.  The machine stubbornly refused to respond, and Will knew it 
wasn't simple mechanical failure.  The only one who could have found 
the inner sanctum, the only one who had the power to affect the 
highly-complicated machinery that powered the hologram, and the only 
one who had the determination to do so was——
	Demando.
	The screen crackled again.  The interference was breaking up.
	When the image returned to the monitor, the sight was more 
reassuring than Will had dared hope.  Sailor Moon had disappeared, but 
at least Small Lady was still safe in the arms of her protector.  Will 
released his tightly held breath, and stood.
	"Leave this to me, sire," he called out to the agitated 
Endymion.  With his thumb, he pressed a small red button that would 
allow his voice to be projected through the hologram.
	"Do not panic, Tuxedo Kamen.  I know where the enemy has taken 
her."
	The masked man and the Senshi started.
	"Nani...?" asked Mars.
	"Stanton-ojisama?" Venus said in a small, wondering voice.
	The air before them shimmered slightly, like thin waves of heat 
rising of sun-baked sand, and Will materialized in the great chamber.  
Venus smiled happily, and started to run forward, but one look from 
Will froze her where she stood.
	"Guard Small Lady.  And if you value your lives, do not leave 
this room."  His voice was cold and authoritative——the Senshi merely 
nodded their assent.  "Now, Tuxedo Kamen," he said to the furious man, 
"come with me."
	They hurried through the silent palace, past walls sheathed in 
ice and cold, empty rooms.  Will pushed open a partially-blocked door, 
and drew the masked man inside a windowless chamber.  A hang-glider 
lay on the floor, half-covered with a dusty tarpaulin.
	"Primitive, yes.  Crude, most definitely.  But it will take you 
where you need to go."  Will raised a hand, and placed his thin 
fingers on the blank wall of the forgotten room.  Instantly, the wall 
vanished.
	"Do not underestimate your adversary, Tuxedo Kamen.  He has the 
advantage, and he also holds the Princess's life in his hands.  Take 
care, I beg of you.  Small Lady will need you and Sailor Moon more 
than ever, now."
	"Stanton-san——"
	A great gust of wind whirled into the room, and the glider rose 
and was carried aloft on the current.

			*			*			*

	When Will returned to the Senshi, the questions came thick and 
fast.
	"So this is where you've been!" Venus exclaimed.  "Why on earth 
have you been away all this time?" 
	"Did you know about Chibiusa?" Mercury asked.
	"What's happened to Sailor Moon?" Makoto said, arms folded 
across her chest.
	"Those dreams," Mars said thoughtfully.  "I suppose you had a 
hand in them, Stanton-san."
	"One at a time, please," Will replied.  "I hope I can answer all 
your questions thoroughly.
	"Venus, I came here because I knew that I would be needed more 
in this time than in yours.  Remember, I am only loosely planted 
within the flow of time, and all times co-exist to me.  Chibiusa, or 
Small Lady as she is properly known, would be forced to travel back in 
time to avoid the attack on Crystal Tokyo.  So to answer your 
question, Sailor Mercury, I did know that Small Lady would be 
traveling to your time.  I arrived here just before the attack on the 
city began."
	Will pulled his cloak closer around his body.  "Tuxedo Kamen is 
on his way back to the palace, with Sailor Moon.  They managed to 
escape from Prince Demando."  He paused briefly, and looked at the 
hope-filled faces surrounding him.  "She will be fine, Jupiter——you 
have no need to worry.
	"And Sailor Mars...yes, I did provide the means for the dreams 
to reach Mamoru.  I didn't doubt his devotion, or Usagi's strength, 
and even though things would be hard for them, I think that their love 
will be stronger than ever, now that they have seen a destiny that 
crosses the cold spans of time."
	The Senshi relaxed slightly.
	"I missed you, Stanton-ojisama," Venus suddenly said.
	"I didn't mean to worry you, Sailor Venus."  Will stepped 
forward, and took one of the blonde's gloved hands in his own.  "But I 
can't leave this time until everything has been resolved."
	Just then, Chibiusa stirred.
	"She's waking up!" Mars said.
	The Senshi crowded around the young girl.
	"Chibiusa-chan, are you all right?" Mercury asked.
	"Mama..." the young girl whispered.  She opened her eyes.  
"Minna!  But where's Sailor Moon?"
	Mars was about to reply, but the suddenly the ghostly form of 
King Endymion reappeared.
	"Follow me.  I will take you to them," the king said.
	Venus looked around.  "Where did Stanton...oh.  Never mind."  
	The Senshi and Chibiusa left the room, trailing behind the 
shadowy king of Crystal Tokyo.

			*			*			*

	The chamber where the Queen lay had the sepulchral stillness of 
a tomb.  Soft blue draperies surrounded the bier in a grim mockery of 
a canopied bed, and the little light that entered the room danced off 
the many facets of the crystal.
	The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen stared in near disbelief at the 
beautiful woman encased in her sparkling prison.  Sailor Moon looked 
upon her future self with an awe that bordered on fear.
	"Kono hito...." she whispered. 
	"The ruler of Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity," Endymion said 
softly.  Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "My wife."
	"Mama!"  Chibiusa darted toward the bier, and pressed as close 
as she could to her mother.  "I brought Sailor Moon and her friends 
from the past!"  Without a response, her fear grew.  Tears threatened 
to flow, and her voice quavered.  "Mama, please open your eyes!"
	"King, why won't the Queen awaken?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.
	"Is she still alive?" Venus added hesitantly.
	Endymion did not turn to look at them, but stared fixedly at 
Serenity and Chibiusa.  "I don't know. If we had the Silver Crystal, 
we'd still have hope, but...."
	Chibiusa suddenly flinched, and pressed even closer to her 
mother.
	"You mean the Silver Crystal was lost?"  Mercury asked.  
Endymion didn't look at her, but his silence was confirmation enough.  
"Why?" she contined.
	Once again, Endymion was without an explanation.  "That I don't 
know.  It vanished just before the Black Moon's attack."
	"But Sailor Moon has the Silver Crystal here," Mars said.
	Sailor Moon clutched her henshin brooch with uncertain hands, 
almost as if she were touching it for the first time.  "My Silver 
Crystal isn't the Queen's," she said doubtfully.  "Can it wake her up, 
I wonder?"
	"You have to try!" Luna ordered. 
	"Sailor Moon!" Artemis said forcefully.
	"Have faith, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Kamen echoed.
	The doubtful look left Sailor Moon's eyes.  "Yes," she said.
	Turning around to face her future self, she held the ginzuishou 
aloft.  "Moon...Crystal....POWER!"
	The bright light from the ginzuishou flooded the room.  Chibiusa 
and the Senshi waited hopefully, in painful anticipation.  
	Suddenly, the light weakened, and faded.  Sailor Moon let her 
hand fall to her side
	"There's no reaction," Mercury said sorrowfully.
	"It didn't work...."  Chibiusa's face crumbled, and the tears 
began to flow.  "Even Sailor Moon can't save my Mama!"
	Sailor Moon, on the other hand, was too busy trying to stay on 
her feet to hear what Chibiusa had to say.  She finally gave up her 
struggle, and started to collapse.  As the Senshi rushed forward to 
catch their leader, Chibiusa ran out of the room, with Luna-P bobbing 
forlornly after her.
	"Chibiusa!"  Sailor Moon had recovered quickly, and was ready to 
chase after the young girl.
	Tuxedo Kamen put a hand on her arm to stop her.  "Let's leave 
her alone.  She'll be safe inside the palace."
	Will, sitting in the monitor room, adjusted a camera angle.  It 
showed Chibiusa sitting alone on the ruins of a swing——outside the 
protective barrier.  He quickly turned the camera off.
	He didn't want to watch what would happen next, though he knew 
very well what it would be.

			*			*			*

	Sailor Pluto was agitated——a state very unlike her normally 
stoic personality.
	She had thought things over carefully.  The likelihood of Sailor 
Moon and the Senshi defeating the Death Phantom was slim to none, 
especially with Black Lady channeling the necessary dark power through 
her body.  And Black Lady was completely under the Death Phantom's 
spell, as he used her skewed memories and emotions to fuel her desire 
for vengeance.
	She knew that without outside help, the Senshi would almost 
certainly fail.
	In effect, Sailor Pluto would have to take measures into her own 
hands.
	She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do.  There was 
very little she *could* do, without breaking the rules that Neo-Queen 
Serenity had expressly stated for her.  In short, they were:

	Number One: Don't cross the stream of Time.
	Number Two: Don't leave your post at the Gates.
	Number Three: Don't stop Time.

	The only plan she could think of would involve breaking all 
three rules at the same time.  That would seal her fate immediately.  
	Unfortunately, she had no other options.
	There was a sudden gust of wind, and the mist surrounding her 
thickened and swirled.  She lifted her staff threateningly, poised to 
deter all intruders.
	"Put that thing down, Sailor Pluto.  You don't need to unleash a 
Dead Scream on me."
	The cool, ironic voice would have been welcome at any other 
time, but instead it infuriated her. 
	"What are you doing here, Sign-Seeker?" she hissed, not lowering 
her staff.
	"Preventing *you* from running off on a suicidal mission that 
isn't necessary."  The voice drifted out of the mist, defying Sailor 
Pluto to determine where it came from.
	"You can't stop me," she said pettishly.
	"If you insist on being obstinate, I doubt if I'd *want* to stop 
you." 
	She lowered her staff slightly, keeping it across her chest in a 
half-defensive gesture.
	"You don't understand, Sign-seeker.  The risk is too great—"
	"Since when was it any greater than previous battles?"  Will's 
voice was sharp.  "What is the difference this time?"
	"*I DON'T KNOW!*" Pluto exploded.
	There was an uneasy silence.
	"Welcome to humanity, Sailor Pluto," Will said.
	Pluto laughed, a short, barking scoff.  "Easy for you to say——
you're not human."
	"No, but I'm too close for comfort, I must admit."
	Pluto leaned on her staff, using it to support her weight.  She 
felt very tired.  The mist slowly dissipated, and Will approached her 
at a measured pace.
	"Shall we watch the events unfold together?" he asked.
	Pluto stared at him for a long moment, then nodded.

			*			*			*

	Chibiusa ran up the grassy hill as fast as her legs could carry 
her.  The fresh, new scent in the air, the beauty of the surrounding 
landscape, and the wonderful feeling of actually being home made the 
events of the last few months feel like a horrible nightmare that she 
had just awakened from.
	She skidded to a halt.  There, right in front of her, were the 
six people she had been waiting to see.  
	The four Senshi, guardians and friends, smiling at her.  Her 
father, tall and strong, standing like a welcoming fortress before 
her.  And her mother, the beautiful Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal 
Tokyo, gazing at her with love and pride. 
	She could barely contain her happiness.  But she knew that there 
was something she had to do.
	Taking a few steps forward, she lifted her head to look her 
parents in the eyes.  Then, with a graceful movement, she curtsied.
	She heard their startled gasps, and instantly knew that she had 
done the right thing.
	All of her feelings overwhelmed her, and she ran bliindly into 
her mother's arms.  Through her tears, she faintly heard her mother 
whisper the two words that she had longed to hear.
	"Welcome home."
	"Mama," Chibiusa said, clinging to her mother as if she never 
wanted to let go again.
	High on a hill above the city, two figures watched the happy 
family scene unfold.
	"Setsuna, are you crying?"
	"No."  A sniffle belied that statement.
	"Liar."
	"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
	"All right, all right, I'm leaving!  But I'll be seeing you 
soon, nevertheless."
	Endymion lifted his head, straining to catch the elusive sound 
of bells that breezed by on the wind.  He breathed a silent prayer of 
thanks before joining his wife and daughter in their embrace.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gramarye
gramarye@rochester.rr.com
December 29, 1999