Sailormoon Eternity
Book 1 - The Poison of Amaranth
Chapter 2: Cure
------------------------------
"She will die. I am giving you the chance to save her."
------------------------------


	Usagi shivered in the brisk wind, fidgeting nervously on the park
bench. Wistfully she thought about the warm interior of the ice cream
parlor, wishing the meeting place hadn't been changed. ~I could really
use some ice cream right now.~
	"Odango!" called a low voice nearby.
	With a shudder of fear Usagi looked up, dreading who might be
approaching this time. A relieved smile spread across her face when she
discovered Haruka and Michiru approaching, accompanied by Hotaru.
	"Haruka-san! Michiru-san! How are you?" Usagi inquired eagerly,
happy to see their friendly faces.
	"We're all right," Haruka replied as they reached the bench,
sweeping her short wind-blown hair out of her eyes with a casual hand.
"And you?"
	"Hello, Hotaru-chan," Usagi greeted the dark-haired girl
brightly, avoiding Haruka's question. "Still growing, I see."
	"Hai, Usagi-chan," Hotaru replied with a gentle smile. "I think
it's slowing down now, though. I should be able to go to school
soon." Michiru smiled and laid a hand on her ward's shoulder. Hotaru
now stood about chest-high to her caretakers, at least six inches
taller than she had been the last time Usagi had seen her.
	"How is Setsuna-san?" Usagi asked next.
	"You haven't been in touch with her either, then," Michiru
replied, letting her hand fall from Hotaru's arm. She shook her head
solemnly, waves of aquamarine swirling around her head. "Since she
returned to the Time Gate, we haven't seen her."
	"Well, odango, what have you been up to lately?" Haruka broke in,
adjusting her blazer. "How are the other girls?"
	At this, Usagi hung her head, the smile fading from her face.
Haruka's eyes narrowed and she swooped over to gracefully settle
herself on the bench. "What is it?"
	The odango-headed girl swallowed hard. When she raised her
head to meet Haruka's questioning gaze, the smile had returned to her
face. "We've been having some problems," she explained, a trace of
youthful energy brightening her voice. "It'll be okay, though, we're
meeting here soon to sort everything out."
	Michiru nodded with a gentle smile. "Good luck, Usagi-chan."	
	"Hai, we should be going," Haruka agreed, rising from the bench.
"Ganbatte."
	"Ja ne," Usagi replied with forced cheerfulness. Haruka wrapped
her arm around Michiru's waist, and the pair turned away, Hotaru
following after them. Usagi was left alone again, but with renewed
hope. ~I still have those three as my friends,~ she reminded herself 
cheerfully. ~Now, on to patching things up with the others.~ 
	"Princess," a sudden voice said softly into her ear.
	Usagi jumped, startled, and whipped her head toward the sound,
blonde streams of hair swinging around her face. "Hotaru-chan?"
	The dark-haired girl was standing at Usagi's elbow beside the
bench, her face solemn, all youthful light gone from her expression.
Her eyes were dark and cold.
	"The past and present will be united," Hotaru intoned, her face
filled with a blankness that made her seem as if she were merely a
shell for the voice within. "A new crisis is approaching to threaten
the future. The Sailor Senshi must act as one, or all will be lost."
	"Nani?" Usagi blinked - and Hotaru disappeared. Usagi whirled
around, her eyes searching. "Hotaru-chan? Where did you go?" Her gaze
fell upon the distant forms of Haruka and Michiru, who were leaving the
park through the gate on the far side. Hotaru was calmly walking beside
them, as if she had been there all along.
	Usagi shook her head to clear it. ~My imagination again. All this
stress must be getting to me.~ With this thought she returned to her
vigil of watching for her best friends.  
	Every person who walked by found the blonde-haired girl
staring eagerly in their direction, but each time she turned away with
a sigh, disappointed. It felt like she had been waiting for a long
time. ~Maybe they did go to the ice cream parlor after all,~ Usagi
thought. She almost left to look for them, but decided against it,
worried that her friends would arrive while she was gone.
	After an hour, the dreaded thought entered Usagi's head. ~Maybe
they're not coming.~ At this concept, Usagi's entire body quaked
violently, filled with a cold beyond that of the chilling wind. The sun
was beginning to set, the shadows of the trees were growing longer, and
Usagi began to feel as cold inside as the air in the world around her.
~Iie. I won't believe it. Rei-chan told me they would be here. I won't
give up.~ 

	"She's not coming."
	"Let's not give up yet. Let's just-"
	"Enough. I've had enough. It's over."
	"Demo-"
	"We'll still protect her. Nothing more."

	Usagi was going crazy. She walked around the park for hours,
shuddering with cold, her arms wrapped tightly around her chilled body.
As the sun began to set the wind grew stronger, its biting cold cutting
to the bone. Her teeth were chattering and her mind was racing, but she
wouldn't give up on her friends.
	When the last bit of sunlight vanished below the horizon, Usagi
sat down in the grass beneath a tree, tucked her knees up against her
chest, and cried. She crouched there for ages, her arms binding her
skirt and coat tightly around her shivering body as she sobbed into her
knees. The darkness came and shadows covered the city, the wind
catching her hair and tugging the blonde strands from side to side, but
Usagi still didn't move. Her last glimmer of hope had died. 
	Suddenly a bright beam of blinding light erupted only a few feet
from Usagi's face. She screamed, startled, uncurled from her position
and leaped to her feet. The blaring light began to condense into a
figure, a creature of light, flame and heat. 
	~Youma?~ Usagi thought wildly. ~Here? Now?~ Frantically Usagi
searched for her communicator as the flaming energy formed
distinguishable arms and legs. 
	The device was missing.
	"Where is it?" Usagi cried aloud, searching all of her pockets
desperately. The communicator had vanished.
	The creature was solid now, and yet liquid, as the blazing light
shifted and churned around its form like living flame. Bright yellow
eyes shone maliciously from its head. The newly-formed youma glared at
Usagi and pointed a flaming finger right at her face.
	Usagi ducked behind the tree just in time, which was more than
thick enough to conceal her entire body. White fire erupted from the
monster's fingertips, streaked toward Usagi's hiding place, and
completely vaporized the entire tree. Breathing rapidly, staring into
the flaming yellow eyes, Usagi found herself completely exposed.
	Darting behind another tree, Usagi raised her hand and pulled her
henshin locket off the bow of her school uniform. It snagged on the
fabric, having sat there so long unused, and a few threads pulled
loose. For a moment Usagi's heart sank; the time of peace was over and
once again she would be forced to fight. She only wasted an instant on
this thought, as experience had taught her that she had no choice. She
was a soldier, and this was her fate.
	"Moon Eternal, Make UP!" she cried, raising the locket into the
air. The familiar flurry of feathers was exhilarating, bringing with it
the adrenaline of power and battle, and yet at the same time Usagi
found it to be strangely warm and comforting. This was her destiny, her
special gift. No matter what was happening in her normal life, this
role would always be hers; to keep the world safe from evil.
	As the white wings burst from her back and she transformed into
Eternal Sailormoon, another blast of white fire struck the tree in
front of her and it evaporated to ashes just like the first. Landing
gracefully on her feet, Eternal Sailormoon dashed to the side and
summoned the Eternal Tier to her hands.
	~What sort of youma is this?~ she wondered, but she knew she
didn't have much time to think. ~I can't allow it to hurt any innocent
people. No need to worry...if there's a human inside, my power will
return them to normal.~ She lifted the Tier in her hands.
	"Silver Moon..." Moon called out, feeling the familiar rush of
energy flow from the Crystal hidden within her body. Her eyes narrowed
as she focused on channeling the raw power into the Eternal Tier.
	Her concentration was shattered as an enormous wave of white-hot
energy blasted into her. The power Eternal Sailormoon had been
gathering protected her body, but just barely. She was flung backwards,
crashing into a nearby bench, her twin streams of hair flying. Moon
cried out in pain as her back was wrenched into an sharp angle by the 
wooden bench. The flaming youma approached, more fireballs growing 
within its two large hands of liquid heat.
	"Iie," Moon whispered hoarsely, hauling her bruised body off the
bench. "I must win. I can't lose." Shaking with pain, Moon straightened
up again, her wings drooping slightly. "Silver Moon!" she began again,
holding the Tier out in front of her, once again drawing power from the
center of her being. Her arms tingled as the energy flowed freely into
the Eternal Tier, and she struggled to gather the strength necessary
for the attack.
	Her struggle was in vain. Another energy blast from the youma
shoved her backwards and her boots dug a deep trench in the grass
before she slammed into a tree. Without the other Senshi to defend her
and distract the youma, Moon's attacks took far too long to power up. 

	Dejana stood only a few inches from the Space Portal's shimmering
surface, both palms pressed flat against it. Eyes wide, she stared
unblinkingly at the scene taking place in the park on Earth. She didn't
notice how hard she was breathing until she began to feel lightheaded.
The crystal clear image deep within the depths of the portal rippled
beneath her hands with every breath she exhaled. Every hit that Eternal
Sailormoon took sent a sharp wave of pain through Dejana's body. Her
nose nearly touching the elastic surface, Dejana watched helplessly as
the Princess fought a losing battle. 
	"Come on, everyone," Dejana whispered aloud. "Come help her...
Someone must feel it, somebody must sense that she's in danger..." She
bit her lip nervously, tears starting to well up in her eyes as Moon
was once again thrown into the cold hard ground by a blast from the
firey youma. "Please...someone, help!"
	As she watched the battle Dejana became aware of a presence
behind her. She whirled around, her dress swirling, to discover the
cloaked master of Starlight Palace standing in his usual place in the
center of the room. Strangely he was not quite motionless, and he
swayed slightly as if uneasy.
	"Eternal Sailormoon needs the other Senshi to help her in
battle," Dejana said numbly. "Over time, her restorative powers have
become stronger and need more time to activate. She won't use her
destructive abilities if there's a chance the youma has possessed a
human." The indigo-haired young woman shuddered violently as the Space
Portal showed another energy blast striking Eternal Sailormoon. The
Senshi's shriek of pain echoed within the room, and the cloaked figure
himself turned his shadowed face away from the image. 
	"She will lose," Dejana said quietly. Two years of watching
battles had taught her that it would be useless to argue passionately;
no amount of desperate pleading would sway the wishes of her sensei.
All she could cling to was the truth.
	"Silver...Silver Moon..." Behind Dejana, Moon's feeble voice
disintegrated into another scream.
	~Transform.~ The command from her sensei issued itself directly
into Dejana's mind.
	"What?" Dejana whispered, not daring to believe it.
	~There is still a chance that help will arrive in time,~ the
echoing, deep tones added, ~but you may be needed at last. Transform!~ 

	Shuddering with every labored breath, Eternal Sailormoon pushed
herself up on her arms, raising her face from the fragrant grass that
had been crushed beneath her tumbling body. She felt a warm soft light
on her back, and when the battered soldier turned her weary head toward
the sky she saw that the full moon was shining down on her through a
break in the clouds. She smiled weakly, slightly comforted, and forced
herself to rise to her knees.
	Quaking with pain, her feathery wings trembling, Moon looked up
at the blazing youma standing about ten feet in front of her. "I can't
let you hurt the people of this planet," she said bravely, her voice
strong despite her injuries. Reaching to her right, Moon's white-gloved
fingers closed on the cool surface of the Eternal Tier.
	Once again she lifted the Tier in her hands. Once again she began
to say the words that would summon her power together. Once again the
youma released a blast of energy that sent her flying across the
ground. She did not even have enough energy remaining in her broken
body to scream.

	Her transformation complete, Sailor Infinity rotated slowly on
the dais until she faced the Space Portal again. Her gloved hands
tightened on the smooth surface of her staff as she watched the
terrible scene. Almost in a trance, the guardian Senshi stepped softly
toward the Portal's liquid face, raising a tentative hand to trace the
image of Eternal Sailormoon.
	"Now, will you let me through?" she whispered.
	~No.~
	Infinity whirled around, a wave of anger rising within her
stricken face, but her sensei had more to add.
	~It is likely that the enemy is watching this conflict, and they
must not learn of the existence of the Space Portal or Starlight
Palace,~ he explained. ~You have your own way to reach her,~ he
informed her. ~I will teach you how to use your teleportation
ability...but first, you must swear that you will return here when this
battle is over.~
	"No!" Infinity protested sharply, her voice crisp with barely
contained fury. "I've stayed here long enough! I can't taste freedom
and then come back to this prison!"
	~She will die,~ the voice intoned coldly. Through a haze of
boiling emotion, Infinity failed to notice the uncertain shake in her
sensei's leaden tones. ~I am giving you the chance to save her. Now,
swear it! Swear on your honor that you will return to Starlight Palace
once she is safe.~
	A weak moan of pain and suffering issued from the depths of the
Space Portal, and Sailor Infinity bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.
Breathing heavily, she glared at her sensei murderously. "I swear."
	The cloaked head bent in a crisp nod. ~Raise your staff and call
your power into your items,~ he instructed. ~The power of teleportation
is not held by your body; it lies within your tools.~
	"Infinite Power!" the guardian Senshi cried, holding her staff
upright and off the floor. The familiar rush of energy that she had
experience in training pooled within her body and flowed outward,
tingling through her arms and chest and gathering within the items she
possessed.
	~Focus on the light of Eternal Sailormoon's essence that shines
within you,~ her sensei continued. ~Now, holding on to her essence,
picture your target location within your mind.~
	Sailor Infinity closed her eyes and concentrated. A perfect image
of the battle scene in the park shimmered into existence within her
mind's eye. Thinking quickly, she decided exactly where she wanted to
appear.
	~Use the staff to draw your energy around you, and shout your
action command,~ the cloaked spectre concluded. ~Go! Now!~
	Spinning around, Infinity brought the staff down in a sweeping
arc, drawing a cloak of shimmering midnight energy around her entire
body in a spiral. "Teleport!"

	Eternal Sailormoon could not find the strength to rise from the
cold, hard ground. The moon had retreated behind a cloud, and she could
no longer feel its comforting light. Her body was bruised, burned, and
covered in cuts and scratches that had torn her Senshi fuku in several
places. She breathed weakly as she turned her weary head toward the
living inferno that was her enemy, dragging her golden hair through the
torn earth. Through clouded eyes Moon saw the youma raise its arm to
point a glowing finger at her nearly lifeless form.
	With a final burst of strength, Moon screamed and flung an arm
over her eyes so she would not have to witness her own end. An electric
snapping sound struck her ears as the youma released a a brilliant
lightning bolt, edged with fire. The entire park was filled with the
neon glow of energy. ~This is it!~ Moon thought wildly. ~Gomen,
minna...gomen nasai...~
	The bolt flew toward the defeated Senshi...and stopped abruptly.
Eternal Sailormoon could hear the crackling electricity right next to
her, sizzling and blazing a scorching heat extremely close to her head.
It was so close, and yet it had not struck her. ~Why am I still alive?~
her mind screamed in frustrated exhaustion. ~Don't toy with me any
more. Just end it!~
	After a moment of confusion Moon gathered the courage to remove
her gloved arm from her eyes. Turning toward the blazing energy bolt,
she was stunned to see a purple crystal globe blocking the deadly blast
and shielding her eyes from the brunt of the bright light. The
lightning streaming from the fire-creature's fingers was being absorbed
by the mysterious globe.
	Moon squinted and looked harder. As her eyes adjusted, she
noticed the black rod that seemed to sprout from the upper curve of the
purple crystal. Her eyes grew wide as her gaze followed the rod upward
at an angle, tracing its slender shape until it reached a gloved hand.
	Pushing herself up on her elbows, Eternal Sailormoon gasped in
disbelief as she beheld her rescuer: a Sailor Senshi. The stranger's 
uniform was completely black and white, with no other colors at all, even 
on the bows. She stood strong and firm between Moon and the youma, which
was beginning to growl in frustration as its continuous attack was
entrapped within the crystal globe at the top of the Senshi's staff. 
	The strange Senshi wore black knee-high boots on her spread legs,
and her body was angled toward Moon as she held out her staff to absorb
the firey attack. Her tiara's jewel shone a brilliant purple in the
light of the fire-creature's energy bolt. Another purple globe
identical to the one at the end of the staff hung from a silver chain
around the black-suited Senshi's neck. Her dark eyes were fixed on the
monster, and her waist-length indigo hair streamed out behind her like
ocean waves in a storm, rippling in the waves of energy that were
rolling through the park. She looked young to Moon's eyes, about
sixteen like Moon and the other younger Sailor Senshi, but her determined 
face showed a maturity beyond her physical appearance.
	The black-uniformed Sailor Senshi slowly raised the end of her 
staff, drawing the youma's barrage of energy into the air above Eternal 
Sailormoon's weakened body. With a loud cry, the newcomer whirled around 
and whipped the crystal-tipped staff forward, flinging the blast of firey
lightning that had gathered there back at the youma that had created
it. The fire-creature shrieked as the bolt hit it directly in the
chest, and it exploded in a burst of its own flame.
	Sudden darkness engulfed the area as the youma's light
dissipated, leaving the park drenched in evening gloom. For an instant,
there was silence and complete dark.
	A soft purple light began to glow. Eternal Sailormoon staggered
to her feet, her arms wrapped tightly around her battered body, and
stared at the two points of light that were glowing in the darkness.
The purple lights grew brighter, and soon Moon was able to discern
their source. 
	The soft glows shone from the two purple crystal globes, one on
top of the shadow Senshi's staff and the other on the chain around her
neck. As the glow brightened, Moon was able to make out the features of
the soldier's serene face, which was level with her own. When their eyes
met the black-suited Senshi dropped to one knee in front of Eternal
Sailormoon and gazed up at her pale face, her eyes glistening with
tears. The Senshi's gaze was filled with loneliness and sorrow, but
deep within a faint glimmer of hope was shining.
	"Who are you?" Eternal Sailormoon whispered.
	The glint of hope faded. The mysterious Senshi's tears spilled
over, running down her pale cheeks and dripping to the ground. Her mouth
moved silently, as if she were fighting an internal battle, searching for
the right words. After a moment, her eyes dulled and she shook her head
mournfully. The shadow Senshi rose to her feet and began to back away.
	"Wait! Please! Don't go!" Moon cried, desperate to know more
about the newcomer who had rescued her.
	With a last, wounded glance in Moon's direction, the black-suited
Sailor Senshi raised her staff over her head. 
	"Infinite Power Teleport!" 
	Her voice in Moon's ears was like a wind over the sea after a
storm, and it rang among the remaining trees, resonating with the
rustling of the leaves. The strange Senshi's staff moved, and a curtain
of dark energy swirled around her body. When it settled, she was gone.
	Eternal Sailormoon was alone in the dark. A gentle breeze began
to blow, and the bright moonlight pierced through the clouds again,
illuminating the desolate park that was now littered with debris from
the battle. Moon was alone with the trees, the stars, and the memory of
the dark Senshi's violet-sapphire eyes.

	~Congratulations on your first successful mission, Sailor
Infinity.~
	"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Infinity threw her staff to the ground,
and it clattered down the steps of the dais, rolling to a stop at the
base of her sensei's dark cloak. Letting her transformation slip away,
her Senshi fuku reverting to her white Moon Kingdom gown, Dejana pushed
past her sensei and ran from the room sobbing.
	~She didn't know me. Not even a hint of recognition. What could
I say to that?~

	Usagi limped wearily back to her house alone, consumed by her own
thoughts. Her parents were already asleep, and Usagi knew she would
have some explaining to do in the morning, but at that moment she was
too exhausted to care. When she reached her room, she discovered her
communicator lying on her bed.
	~I must have left it here this morning,~ Usagi rationalized,
picking up the small device. ~Wait...that's not right. I used it today,
during lunch...how did it get here?~

	Thin, pale fingertips drummed against the arm of the center seat.
	"Jameton," Amaranth summoned, her voice calm yet filled with ice.
	The general approached the Queen's chair, trying to hold his body
steady despite the quaking of his heart. Clenching his fist firmly, he
pressed it against his chest. "Queen Amaranth."
	"Who was that?" the Queen asked in the same chillingly calm tone.
"That other Sailor Senshi, I don't remember her being in your report. Who 
is she?"
	Jameton's fist quivered against his body and he swallowed hard.
"I have no data on her, my lady."
	The drumming fingertips ceased abruptly and an eerie silence fell
over the bridge. None of the other soldiers in attendance dared to
breathe.
	"WHO IS SHE!?" Amaranth screamed so suddenly that everyone in the
entire room jumped. Her hands gripped the arms of her chair until her
knuckles turned white, the crimson fingernails like blood against the
seat. Her face was filled with fury. "I want to know who she is!"
	The general trembled in spite of himself. "My lady-"
	Amaranth let loose a flood of curse words, her arms shaking as
her fingers dug into her chair. "We had her! We had Sailor Moon dead!
Alien Sunfire was weak, but more than a match for that girl! The plan
was flawless! How did that happen? All the Sailor Senshi were accounted 
for! WHO WAS THAT!?"

	"She looked about my age, with long purple hair...or was it blue? Purple, I think, a light shade, like lavender, but more blue. Her fuku was white and black."
	Usagi leaned forward earnestly on her chair, her forearms resting on her knees. "When I asked who she was, she yelled something and vanished," she concluded.
	Haruka and Michiru turned to each other on the sofa, and as their eyes met they narrowed in a pair of contemplative expressions. From her seat on the floor, Hotaru looked up at her surrogate parents and placed a pale hand on Michiru's knee. Usagi studied the group approvingly, recognizing the silent communication that was taking place among the Sailor Senshi of the outer planets.
	The soldiers of the inner planets, however, were behaving quite strangely. Ami was sitting quietly in a chair, staring at her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap. Minako was listening politely, but she seemed distracted. Rei was standing beside the front window of Usagi's living room, staring out at the street. She had not moved or spoken since she had arrived. Makoto was lounging nonchalantly on the love seat, an expression of distain on her face. Her green eyes were focused on Usagi, and they held the coldest gaze that the blonde-haired young woman had ever seen.
	"So, a new enemy has arrived," Michiru mused aloud. "And another person, whose motives are unknown. My mirror has not reflected any of this. I will study it further in my own time."
	Haruka turned to the strangely quiet quartet of younger girls. "Well, what do you guys think? You normally have plenty to say, ne?"
	A snort of disgust burst from Makoto's nostrils. "I think it's bullshit," she said curtly.
	In unison, the four Senshi of the outer planets turned toward the tall brunette with widened eyes. "Nani?" Haruka breathed sharply.
	"Come on, Usagi, drop the act," Makoto snapped, straightening up. "A Sailor Senshi we have never seen, in a black uniform, appears out of nowhere just to save you and leaves? Stop making up these stupid stories! We don't believe you!"
	Michiru's eyes narrowed. She looked around at the other girls who were supposed to be Usagi's closest friends, none of whom showed any reaction to Makoto's outburst. With a slender hand she reached out to grasp Haruka's arm, and her fingers tightened on the cloth of the blonde woman's blazer in alarm.
	A nervous smile quivered across Usagi's lips as she stared at Makoto, refusing to believe what she had heard. "I'm not making it up," she insisted cautiously. "That's what happened. Don't you believe me?"
	"Give it up, Usagi. I've had enough of this from you," Makoto replied coldly.
	"Mako-chan..." Usagi was shocked.
	"Don't you 'Mako-chan' me, Miss Priss. Since when do you care about anyone except yourself? We only agreed to meet with you because you invited us to your house. If the meeting had been anywhere else, we know you wouldn't have bothered to show up!"
	"Nani?" Usagi stammered, her voice rising into a wailing tone. "What about you guys? You don't even talk to me any more! Why didn't you meet me, all those times when we made plans?"
	"All what times?" Minako burst out suddenly, her expression unreadable. "We waited for you every day, and you always took your own sweet time getting there, too."
	"I hung around that corner every time we planned to meet, and you guys never showed up!" Usagi protested. "And I waited for your phone calls, and-"
	"NANI? You're so pathetic, Usagi!" Makoto returned, her voice growing louder and sharper. "Trying to pretend the last month never happened? Very funny! After all we've been through together, how could you treat us this way?" The brunette leaned forward abruptly, her hands gripping the edge of the love seat as if she were about to spring to her feet.
	Haruka was off the sofa in a flash, and before anyone else could blink she was standing between Usagi and Makoto. "Stop! This has gone too far! I want everyone to calm down and explain-"
	"What's going on?" Usagi wailed from behind Haruka's back, ignoring the older blonde's words. "I've been so lonely...and Luna, where is Luna? Have you taken her?"
	Ami shuddered, her blue hair quivering. "Luna?" she echoed quietly. "Did you really expect her to show her face around here after what you did, Usagi?"
	A puzzled look replaced all other emotion on Usagi's face. "I don't understand. Did something happen to her?" She pushed herself to her feet, rising from her chair. Desperately Usagi searched the room for a sign of hope from her oldest friends. "Rei-chan..." she tried, reaching a tentative hand toward the violet-haired girl at the window.
	"You leave her alone!" Makoto snapped, leaping to her feet. She started forward, intending to step between Usagi and Rei, but Haruka blocked her path. Michiru rose to stand beside her partner.
	"I don't know what's going on here, but you will not harm the Princess," Haruka said coldly, daggers hidden within her voice.
	Sensing the rise of deadly emotion within the room, Minako stood up as well, her blue eyes filled with a mix of anger, confusion, and fear. She moved to Makoto's side, unnerved by Haruka's hostility.
	"Is this where the Sailor Senshi will become divided?" Hotaru whispered from her place by the sofa, forgotten by all the other occupants of the room.

	~Dejana! STOP!~

	A brilliant flash of purple erupted in the room, a short distance from the confrontation that was taking place. Startled gasps and cries of alarm filled the space. As a tall, graceful figure materialized out of thin air, snaps of electric energy cracked around the group as every one of the Senshi summoned her henshin stick to her hand. In unison the women turned to face the abrupt newcomer.
	"Pluto??" Haruka whispered, her voice raspy. "Iie..." she added as the light subsided and the figure became more clear. It was not Sailor Pluto.
	The stranger was about Makoto's height, pale and slender, and her skin seemed to be nearly glowing with a luminescence from within. She wore a black and white Senshi fuku, and her long indigo hair was held back by a simple headband, her bangs framing the tiara on her forehead. Her gloved hands were curled around a tall, thin staff, with a crystal purple globe attached to the top. An identical globe hung around her neck on a chain.
	"It's her!" Usagi cried. "The Sailor Senshi who saved me!"
	The four inner planet Senshi stood frozen, momentarily trapped by disbelief, and Hotaru continued to watch calmly from her seat on the floor, but Haruka and Michiru lifted their henshin sticks.
	"Uranus-"
	"Neptune-"
	"Wait!" the newcomer exclaimed desperately, extending one hand as if to hold them back. "I am not an enemy. I will not harm you."
	Side by side, the warrior partners lowered their sticks and focused their suspicious eyes on the black-suited Sailor Senshi. "Prove it," Haruka demanded.
	The Senshi closed her eyes, concentrating. The two violet crystals glowed momentarily, and her fuku dissolved into sparkling energy. When the light faded, a young woman with indigo hair stood clutching the tall black staff. The crystal around her neck had evaporated, leaving a simple purple star on a thin chain, and she was dressed in a beautiful flowing gown with slightly puffed sleeves. The dress was light and elegant, long enough to brush the floor, yet the girls could see that in places it had been torn and mended with simple hand-stitches.
	"I will not harm you," Dejana repeated in an even tone, trying to calm her racing heart. "I beg you, hear me out." She stared around the room, her cerulean-violet eyes meeting a collection of wary faces. ~My dearest friends...and none of them remember me...~ Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Dejana took a deep breath.
	"Usagi did not lie, my dear friends," she began. Several pairs of eyes narrowed at her words, and Dejana's voice wavered. "I am the shadow Senshi, Sailor Infinity. My name is Talis Dejana," she continued. Her dark eyes began to fill with tears despite her efforts to remain calm. At last, she was in the presence of her friends again, yet her misery had not ended.  
	"Since the Silver Millennium, I've been living in Starlight Palace, being trained to act as your guardian. A new enemy has appeared on Earth, a strange being with the ability to change its shape." Dejana gained confidence as she continued to explain. This was important information that the Senshi needed to know, no matter what they thought of her. "From Starlight Palace I've been able to watch the creature's actions. The enemy has been impersonating the Princess, trying to entice all of you to turn away from her."
	For a moment, everyone assembled in the room simply stared at Dejana incredulously. Usagi was the first to react, taking a step toward the indigo-haired young woman. "Impersonating me...?" she whispered. 
	"Well, that would explain it," Ami broke in thoughtfully, one hand raised to her chin.
	Usagi whirled around, facing her four beloved friends. "What's been going on?" she demanded. "What has this...this creature been doing?"
	"Oh, terrible things, Usagi-chan!" Everyone in the room was startled by these words, as they came from the one person who had not yet spoken. Rei had turned from her place at the window and was taking a few tentative steps toward Usagi, her eyes beginning to shine with the first light of hope they had held in weeks. "I was so worried," Rei continued earnestly. "You...she...it said such awful things to us, acting like we were nothing, objects to be played with and thrown away..."
	Usagi's hands were pressed over her mouth. She was horrified. "Iie," she whispered. "How...how could you think I would do things like that?" Minako, confusion distorting her face, was unable to meet Usagi's eyes, but Ami and Rei were looking at their friend with a trace of hope.
 	"We had no reason not to believe it," Makoto broke in suddenly. Her friends had been hurt, and she was having a hard time letting go of the blame she had placed on Usagi. Afraid of the guilt that would be upon her for betraying the girl she had often risked her life to protect, Makoto resisted the truth. 
	"The last few weeks have been pure hell!" she exclaimed bitterly. "Why should we forget everything that happened, based on only your word and the testimony of a complete stranger?" She took another step toward Usagi, cold anger burning within her eyes.
	"Back off!" Haruka ordered sharply, wary of Makoto's volatile temper. Concerned for Usagi's safety, Haruka seized the blonde girl's shoulders rather roughly and tugged her behind her own back.
	"ITAI!" Usagi shrieked, clasping her arms against her chest as an expression of pain filled her youthful face and she sank to her knees on the carpet.
	"Haruka-san!" Rei cried in alarm, rushing to Usagi's side. "What have you done?"
	"Nani?" Haruka replied in disbelief. "I didn't grab her that hard..."
	Ami slid off her chair and knelt beside the odango-headed girl, her eyes narrowing. Carefully she reached out and grasped Usagi's wrist. "It's all right, Usagi-chan," Ami reassured her as the blonde's eyes widened with fear and pain. "Let me see." Ami gently pulled Usagi's sleeve up to her elbow, revealing an arm covered in cuts and deep purple bruises.
	"Oh, Usagi-chan," Minako breathed, covering her mouth with her hands. Hanging her head, Usagi slid her skirt up her thigh to reveal more bruises and scrapes, some of them hastily bandaged. A collective gasp burst from the throats of everyone present, including Makoto.
	"The wounds of last night's battle," Dejana murmured, leaning wearily against her staff. "The Princess was having a tough time when I reached her."
	Abruptly Makoto slammed her fist into the cushions of the nearby sofa. "Damn it!" she cursed. "This would never have happened if we had been there!"
	"Why didn't you contact us, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked quietly. "We were angry, but we would have come to help you if we had known you were in danger."
	"I didn't have my communicator," Usagi mumbled. "It disappeared somehow. I had it during school, but when the youma attacked, it was gone. I found it in my room last night."
	"The enemy," Dejana said. "It's been manipulating all of you this entire time."
	Ami touched one of Usagi's scrapes, feeling the heat of infection as a hiss of pain escaped her friend's lips. "Come upstairs so I can dress these properly, Usagi-chan," she said gently. Usagi nodded as she gingerly adjusted her skirt, and the two girls rose to their feet.
	"Let me help," Hotaru offered, following Ami and Usagi upstairs.
	Usagi's remaining three classmates looked at each other with stricken faces. Minako bit her lip, her eyes filled with pain. "How could we do this?" she murmured. "How could we be so blind?"
	"After all we've been through, how could we doubt Usagi-chan's love for us?" Rei agreed, hanging her head in shame. Makoto couldn't even speak, and she averted her eyes from the others, her arms folded loosely across her chest.
	Haruka and Michiru turned to face Dejana. "Who is the enemy?" Michiru demanded, her face stern.
	"I...I don't know," the indigo-haired young woman stammered, her violet-sapphire gaze falling to the floor. "I've only seen the creature...the ShapeShifter...I don't know who sends it." Dejana's lips pursed as she narrowed her eyes, thinking. "It's been communicating with someone. It speaks into some sort of device before it disappears."
	"A strange new technology?" Michiru wondered aloud, her eyes growing distant. "I will have more questions for my mirror tonight."
	Haruka's green eyes were sharp, like polished emeralds. "So, you're a Sailor Senshi, are you?" she scoffed with a snort. "Why should we trust you?"
	Dejana's pale hands tightened on the smooth surface of her staff. She knew she didn't have a good answer for her ancient friend. Swallowing hard, the long-lost Lunarian decided to try the truth. "Because you are my friends!" she cried desperately. "Or at least...you were, long ago..." A lump was rising within Dejana's throat. ~I've come this far, it can't fall apart now!~
	"We don't know you," Haruka replied, suspicion reigning in her voice. "There was a time when we would accept anyone in a Sailor fuku, but that time is no more. Since Galaxia came, we have learned that even Sailor Senshi can be enemies."
	"She did save Usagi-chan's life last night, Haruka-san," Minako cut in thoughtfully.
	"How can we be sure that she's not part of the enemy's plan?" Haruka challenged. "Look at her! Her skin practically glows! She's not human!"
	"You're right, I'm not," Dejana agreed quietly. "I'm Lunarian. I was born on the Moon, during the Silver Millennium. Like Sailor Pluto, I've been alive since before the destruction of Queen Serenity's kingdom."
	The three high-school girls stared at Dejana anew, their eyes wide with wonder. Once again Rei, Makoto, and Minako took in Dejana's luminescent skin and flowing white dress. Within their faces Dejana found a mix of curiosity and awe, neither one being any of the emotions that she longed to see there.
	"If you've been living since the Silver Millennium," Michiru began, her voice icy with suspicion, "where have you been these past few years?"
	Shame colored Dejana's pale cheeks and she hung her head. "I was supposed to be reborn with the rest of you," she replied quietly, "but I was abducted before the Queen's power could reach me. I've been a prisoner in Starlight Palace for millennia, learning to be your guardian, Sailor Infinity."
	A spark of anger burst alight within Haruka's jade eyes. "Our guardian?" she snapped. "Where were you when the Silence came? Where were you when Sailor Galaxia threatened us?"
	"I told you, I was a prisoner!" Dejana pleaded. "I begged my sensei to let me go so many times, but he wouldn't let me until last night!"
	Michiru looked at the indigo-haired girl with distain. "No Sailor Senshi can ignore her mission to protect the world. If you were really a soldier, you would have found a way to escape."
	"There was nothing I could do!" the long-absent child of the moon cried, her dark eyes filling with tears. "Believe me, I would have given anything to be by your side! Onegai...Haruka-chan..." 
	There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room, and as the blonde woman's face reddened with anger Dejana realized that she had made a mistake.
	"Do not address me with such familiarity, stranger," Haruka snapped coldly. "How dare you? Where we you when we suffered and died to protect this world and its future? Why should I respect you, when you waited until now to come here?" Dejana bit her lip and averted her eyes, quivering beneath Haruka's fierce glare. The blond woman's green stare swept the room, taking in the expressions of rapt wonder on the faces of the younger Senshi as they gazed at the living relic of the Moon Kingdom. Haruka's eyes narrowed at their reaction to Dejana's unproven tale. "These girls may be won over easily, but for me, respect must be earned," she declared with a disapproving glance at the others.
	Dejana's breath caught in her throat, and her face reddened. As an orphan and a mere Lady by birth, she knew of only one other way to address a Princess of the Solar System.
	~So it has come to this,~ the estranged Lunarian admitted to herself, choking back the tears that filled her throat so tightly that she could barely speak. Shaking with grief, the indigo-haired girl gathered her ancient dress in her hands and sank to one knee at Haruka's feet. 
	"Uranus-hime," she whispered, her eyes closed against the tears.
	"Ne, Haruka-san, isn't that going a bit too far?" Minako asked from her place a few feet away.
	Haruka looked momentarily startled by Dejana's gesture, and for an instant her eyes softened, but she regained her chilled look almost immediately. "If she's going to insist she's from the Moon, she should act the part," Haruka said crisply.
	"Neptune-hime," Dejana added, her voice catching in her throat as she bowed her head to the aqua-haired woman. A proud smile lit up Michiru's serene face.
	Inside, Dejana's soul was wailing. After centuries upon centuries she had finally escaped her prison and rejoined her friends, and all the emotion that had been between them was forever lost. She felt ill, as if the tears inside her were a poison devouring her essence. Dejana clenched her fists, twisting the cloth of her dress in her hands, fighting the sorrow that threatened to burst out of her heart.
	The tension in the room was broken by the doorbell. Minako pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for silence, while Makoto headed into the hall to see who it was. Everyone in the room held their breath as the door was opened. Then Dejana heard a voice that made her heart leap into her throat.
	"I felt a strange disturbance, as if the past and present were coming together," said the visitor from the hallway.
	"Come in, come in, before someone sees you," Makoto replied hurriedly. The door closed.
	Dejana climbed to her feet, gripping her staff so tightly that her knuckles turned white. A sickening bundle of nerves conjured itself within the pit of her stomach.
	"Is everyone else here?" the visitor's voice continued, growing closer as two pairs of footsteps approached in the hallway.
	"Setsuna-chan," Dejana breathed, her heart racing. Setsuna was the person that she had most longed to see throughout all the years she had endured in Starlight Palace, but after the reactions of the other Senshi, Dejana was seized with fear. 
	"Ah, Pluto," Michiru commented with a satisfied smile. "If this girl is really who she says she is, Sailor Pluto will know."
	In another moment, she was there. Sailor Pluto, in full Senshi uniform, with her Garnet Rod and her dark green hair tumbling down her back. Her crimson eyes focused on the indigo-haired figure in the white dress. For an instant, cerulean met maroon, and they stared at each other wordlessly. 
	"Setsuna-chan," Dejana greeted her eagerly, unable to resist the opportunity. "It's me, Dejana."
	There was a moment of silence. 
	"Iie." Sailor Pluto's eyes narrowed, and her hands tightened around the Garnet Rod. "IIE!" she yelled suddenly, startling everyone in the room, even Haruka and Michiru. "Who are you!?" Pluto demanded, her voice filled with an anger that none of the Senshi had ever heard from her before. The normally-reserved Senshi of Time was absolutely furious. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"
	All the color drained out of Dejana's face. Her eyes wide with horror, she struggled to speak. "S-Setsuna-chan, it's me!" Dejana stammered, backing away from the Time Guardian. Nearby, suspicion was returning to the faces of Haruka and Michiru.
	"It can't be!" Pluto snapped. "You're trying to trick us with that false appearance! Get out of here, and leave us in peace, evil spirit!" Wielding the Garnet Rod, Sailor Pluto charged forward across the Tsukinos' living room, a murderous glare in her eyes. She swung the Rod back and a battle cry burst from her throat.
	With a shriek of terror, Dejana gathered her skirts in her hands and ducked around the attacking Senshi. Panic filling her heart, indigo hair streaming behind her, Dejana dashed out of the room, through the hall, and out the door, her own black staff mercilessly battering her legs as she ran.

	Twilight was falling across the park, and a brisk wind was swirling through the leaves scattered on the ground. The nights were coming earlier now, a sign of winter approaching. A few late-afternoon visitors to the park wandered its paths, their footsteps crunching through the red and orange leaves.
	On a park bench, her feet pulled up on the seat and her face buried in her knees, huddled the shivering form of Talis Dejana. She rocked back and forth in the gathering chill, every breeze sending fresh chills up her spine. Her arms were tucked against her chest, the short off-the-shoulder sleeves offering little protection against the cold. The sobbing girl with alabaster skin and the tall black staff propped against the bench beside her attracted quite a few strange looks, but no one disturbed her as she sat enveloped in her own pain.
	~I have given up everything, left my sensei and the protection of Starlight Palace, to rejoin old friends who no longer want me,~ Dejana thought miserably. ~And Setsuna-chan...what happened? We were so close once. Is she angry with me for abandoning her? That anger...that terrible anger!~ Dejana shuddered violently, feeling frozen all the way to her core.
	"You'll catch a cold out here." 
	Someone placed something warm around Dejana's shoulders. She looked up, startled, and met the smiling face of Tsukino Usagi. The odango-haired girl's blue eyes were gentle and comforting, and her smile held a warmth that banished some of the chill from Dejana's skin. Usagi was standing there in her school uniform, having wrapped her coat around Dejana's shivering form. 
	"Princess..."
	The friendly smile twisted into a playful scowl, and Usagi folded her arms over her chest. "None of that, now," she teased. "If we're going to be friends, you should address me like everyone else does." 	
	"Serenity...?" Dejana tried cautiously.
	Usagi's blonde pigtails bounced as she plopped herself down on the bench beside Dejana. "Iie. Usagi-chan. U-sa-gi-chan," she emphasized, with a pointed glance at the indigo-haired young woman. 
	"U...Usagi-chan," Dejana replied nervously, watching the face of the reborn Princess Serenity.
	"There, now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Usagi teased, playfully elbowing Dejana in the arm. The two girls smiled at each other, and Usagi's face became more serious. "By the way, if you hadn't shown up last night...I don't know what would have happened," she said solemnly. "Arigato gozaimasu."
	"I was glad to help," Dejana replied quietly. "I've been trapped for so long, forced to merely watch while all of you fought and suffered...it hurt so much, not being able to join you..." Her cerulean-violet eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to go back there, ever!" she exclaimed passionately. "Even if everyone hates me, I don't want to go back to that prison!"
	"You don't have to go back," Usagi assured her. "Everyone is confused right now, but they'll come around, you'll see. Everything will be all right."
	Her thoughts racing, Dejana could not imagine how everything could possibly be all right again, ever...but as she looked into Usagi's eyes, she began to feel that it was true. A warm light surrounded the reincarnated Princess, a comforting, embracing warmth that lifted the heaviness of Dejana's soul. It was the same light that Princess Serenity had carried during the Silver Millennium, the same warmth as the ancient Queen. ~At least something is still the same,~ Dejana thought in relief.
	"It's been a long time, Prin...Usagi-chan," she said aloud. She focused on the smooth skin of Usagi's face, so youthful, and yet older than she remembered. "You're bigger than you used to be."
	A bright flush rushed into Usagi's cheeks. "What's that supposed to mean!?" she demanded, clenching her fists.
	"Oh, nothing like that!" Dejana replied hurriedly, blushing herself. "I mean, during the Silver Millennium, I was older than you. Now we look the same age."
	Usagi burst into laughter at this, jovially slapping Dejana on the back. "Well, it'll be easier for us to become great friends, then!" she announced.
	Dejana looked at her long-lost friend, and a genuine smile spread across her face for the first time in ages. "I've missed you all so much," she said softly. "I've been stuck in Starlight Palace for so long, with only a mysterious cloaked being who speaks in thoughts for company." She breathed deeply, tasting the flavor of the earth's atmosphere. "It's so nice to breathe real air..." Dejana closed her eyes as a fresh breeze sprang up, rippling through her long hair. "It's strange though, the air is so heavy on Earth. I grew tired very quickly when I was running."
	Her eyes snapped open again and focused on Usagi's curious face. "I don't want to go back to that place," Dejana said desperately. "I left without permission. If I go back, he might never let me leave again!"
	Usagi gave Dejana another warm smile, her blue eyes shining. "You're a Sailor Senshi. You belong with us. Don't worry, Dejana-chan, I'll find a place for you to stay..." The blonde-haired girl trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. 
	As Dejana waited, the pair was interrupted by the arrival of Setsuna, who stepped out from behind a tree in civilian clothes. Seeing the green-haired old friend who had recently tried to attack her, Dejana gasped in fear and cowered against the bench. Usagi jumped to her feet and stood in front of the quaking Lunarian.
	"Setsuna-san, wait," she burst out as the dark-skinned woman approached. "Dejana-chan's not evil. Onegai..."
	"It's all right, Princess," Setsuna replied gently. A strange look was on her face; a mix of emotions Usagi had never seen in her before. Beneath the fringe of dark green hair a tempest of sadness, longing, and guilt swirled in an endless storm.
	With soft steps the timeless woman moved to stand in front of Dejana's huddled form. The wind whisked her long hair off to the side as she began to speak, her skirt rippling around her legs.
	"From the Time Gate, I can see any period in history, although I am forbidden to physically enter the past and interfere with the timeline," Setsuna began. "After the fall of the Moon Kingdom, I could never bring myself to look upon those days again. I was afraid that I would not be able to resist the temptation to break the rules set upon me. I felt so guilty, that I had known of what was to befall the Silver Millennium and I could do nothing to change it..." She trailed off, momentarily lost in her own private battle against her emotions.
	"After seeing you, I gathered my courage and returned to the past to find out if you could possibly be the Dejana I once knew," Setsuna continued. "I saw the rift in the Moon open beneath your feet, and I followed you as you tumbled into the abyss..." The crimson-eyed woman focused her gaze on Dejana intently. "A portal opened beneath you, and you disappeared. If I hadn't seen it myself, I never would have believed it. You were not a Sailor Senshi during Queen Serenity's reign, so I believed you were lost forever, never to return. I could not even hope for a miracle."
	The time guardian's dark eyes began to sparkle as tears gathered there unbidden, and Usagi's eyes filled with tears as well while she listened to the story. "When I saw you standing there, I thought you had to be an imposter, sent to toy with our emotions. I had resigned myself to the fact that you were gone forever, and I did not dare believe that you could be alive. Forgive me, Dejana-chan. Onegai?"
	Dejana hardly dared to believe her ears, but a joyous expression spread across her face anyway. "Oh, Setsuna-chan, it is you who should forgive me," she replied. "I could see you suffering through all those years, all alone, but I couldn't be there to comfort you. I'm so glad we're together again!" Dejana exclaimed, jumping to her feet and extending her arms for an embrace.
	The older woman looked slightly uncomfortable, and she did not return the gesture. 
	"Gomen," Dejana muttered, dropping her arms to her sides. ~I forgot that her emotions have been buried over the years,~ she reminded herself.
	Setsuna looked at her old friend apologetically, and she thought for a moment before she spoke again. "With the peace of the future being threatened again, I'm returning to Tokyo for a while," she announced. "If anything threatens the safety of the Time Gate, I will know, and can return there instantly if need be," she added in response to Usagi's questioning look. I'll be moving back into the old property, where Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru live," Setsuna continued. "Dejana-chan, please come stay with us."
	At the mention of Haruka and Michiru, Dejana bit her lip nervously but she forced herself to smile. ~Living near to them will give me the chance to rekindle our friendships,~ she assured herself. "I'd love to," Dejana replied aloud.

	Queen Amaranth twisted a scrap of cloth between her hands, winding it so tightly among her fingers that it tore into pieces. General Jameton stood nervously facing the center seat, shaking in his boots. He had been unable to provide the Queen with the information she wanted. Now Amaranth had summoned outside help, and Jameton feared for his own future.
	"Rejoin the ShapeShifter, and get me Sailor Infinity!" Amaranth ordered the unusual minion that had entered the bridge. "I want her alive!" The strange alien, the ShapeShifter's long-time partner, bowed lightly to the Queen and departed on its mission.


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End of Book One, Part Two
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Sailormoon: Eternity copyright 2003 by dejanatalis@aol.com
Original version copyright 1997 by dejanatalis@aol.com
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. Sailor Infinity/Dejana Talis was created by dejanatalis@aol.com and is her exclusive property, and may not be used without permission.  Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! ^.^