Daniel Amsler
amslerd@globalserve.on.ca
Tuxedo Dan
NefCanuck on Undernet #sailormoon

Author's Notes:

Hello, this chapter will be a bit unique as I was able to sketch it out
in rough before  I spoke it.

Hope you enjoy it.
 
All comments to:

amslerd@globalserve.on.ca

Copyright Notice:

Sailor Moon is copyright Naoko Tenchi and is being used without 
permission (I hope that no one takes offense!) and I reserve all 
posting rights.

Note:

Sailor Pluto        =    Susan
Sailor Uranus       =    Erica
Sailor Neptune      =    Michelle

Whose Reality Is Right 
Chapter 11(The light grows dark)  

The Scouts stood in stunned silence to the scene they had just
witnessed. Suddenly Sailor Venus whirled on Sailor Moon and Sailor 
Mars her face twisted with anguish and anger. "Would eitherof you 
two care to explain what we just saw?" she said with a barely 
controlled fury.   Neither of the two Scouts in question spoke for 
what seemed like an eternity until Sailor Mars blurted out"He told 
us to come here, that the numbers would be needed here" This was 
the wrong thing to say as Sailor Venus leapt on Sailor Mars like a
starving dog on a T-bone steak. "Hold it! Sailor Moon I can 
understand because she is the only one who could have healed the
students but what in the world made you decide to let him go after
Malachite by himself?" Sailor Mars could offer no reply and merely
looked down on her shoes. Sailor Venus spoke again "You hate him
THAT much that you would let him walk all alone into a trap??" The 
other Scouts stared dumbstruck at Sailor Venus, hardly believing that
she had said something so hurtful. Sailor Jupiter tried to calm 
Sailor Venus down "Listen, Daniel knew what he was doing when he 
went after Malachite..." Sailor Venus shot back  "That's not the 
point, they knew that he shouldn't go after him alone but they let 
him anyway and now he's in Malachite's hands and who knows what will
happen to him..." and Sailor Venus broke down in tears. Sailor 
Mercury tried to lay a comforting hand on Sailor Venus' shoulder 
"We'll find him together" Sailor Venus pulled away "No! I trusted 
the other Scouts to look after the one man I care about more than 
anyone else in the world. I mean he practically PROPOSED to me! I'm 
going after him myself" and Venus pulled away and started to run from
the group. 

Sailor Moon ran after her and called out "Listen Venus, Mina, I know 
how it hurts, when I lost Darien to Queen Beryl the only thing I felt
was an emptiness, I didn't think about anything else but getting him
back, I was willing to give up my life remember?" Sailor Venus nodded
numbly. Sailor Moon offered a reassuring smile to Sailor Venus as the
pair slowed down and the other Scouts joined them "Venus, we did what
we thought was right, let us help you, we're your friends" and Sailor
Moon looked at her friend with pleading eyes.  Venus slowly nodded,
realizing that Moon was right and that she would need the others help 
if she was to have any chance to help Daniel. Sailor Moon spoke again
"Ok then, are we agreed that we go looking for Daniel as soon as we 
find out what the deal is with Sailor Pluto?" The other Scouts looked 
at Sailor Moon "What do you mean?" Sailor Jupiter asked with a puzzled
look. Sailor Mercury spoke "I understand, Sailor Moon thinks we might
need the Outer Scout's firepower to free Daniel. Sailor Moon smiled a
taut smile "Exactly, right now we need to rest but tommorow let's go 
see Sailor Uranus and Neptune" and with that the group detransformed 
and went their separate ways. Mina called to Rei "Rei, can I talk to 
you a minute?" The raven haired prestress turned towards the blond Yes?"
Mina spoke softly "Rei I'm... so sorry, I didn't mean to blame you, I
just wanted to blame someone for what has happened..." Rei spoke "Mina,
it's ok, you love Daniel and you're scared for him" Mina with tears in
her eyes hugged Rei and whispered hoarsely "Thank you" Rei hugged back
"It's ok Mina, I swear we'll get him back" and the two finally went
their separate ways friendship restored.  
 

Rei made her way back to the Cherry Hill Temple, normally it was a 
place of contentment where she took refuge from all of her worries, 
but with everything that had happened that day she felt none of the
calmness the temple offered.  As she approached the temple her
grandfather came out to meet her "Rei, your home early?" Rei spoke 
"Yes grandfather, I wasn't feeling that well so I asked permission to
leave school early" Rei's grandfather spoke again "You had a call 
from someone named Erica" Rei's ears perked up at the mention of an
Outer Scout "What did she say grandpa?" Rei's grandfather spoke again
"All she said was that you have to over to her house rightaway,
something about a horrible dream and someone named 'Holly'" Rei's 
face drained of all colour "What's wrong Rei? You look like you've 
seen a ghost?" Rei shook herself from the trance she had fallen into
upon hearing what her grandfather said "No, no everything's fine
grandpa, I must be getting tired, I'll be back as soon as I can" and
with that she darted off in the direction of the house where Erica &
Michelle lived.  Grandpa went back into the house muttering 
"Something's wrong, I wish Rei would tell me what it is..."


Rei made her way to the Outer Scouts home, she didn't know why, but 
she hadn't called the other Scouts on her communicator to join her,
something told her this was something she had to do alone.  She made 
to reach for the doorbell when the door was flung open unexpectedly. 
What Rei saw on the other side of the door shocked her, it was Susan!
The same Susan who yesterday was flinging the Outer Scouts around 
like so much dirty laundry.  Rei started at Susan and looked past her 
to find the other two Outer Scouts sitting with Holly, trying to 
comfort her. Susan looked at Rei "Come in, as you can see a lot has
happened that we need to discuss" Rei looked at the other two Outer
Scouts as she made her way into the living room "Ok, just WHAT is 
going on around here?"  Erica looked at Rei "It's a long story" Rei
simply said "I'll make time for it"

After Michelle had brought in some tea for Rei, Erica began 'You
remember that you, the other scouts and Daniel were going to join 
us today in going over to Susan's house to try and get an 
explanation as to what happened yesterday in the park?" Rei nodded
"Well, it was just after 10 o'clock this morning, we had just been
getting ready to call you and find out what was going on when we 
heard a knocking on the door and found Holly here" and at this she
glanced down at the sniffling little girl and continued "She was 
banging on our door crying.  I let her in and all at once she began
speaking, first about having a horrible dream where Daniel was 
captured, about Susan being in trouble and saying we had to do
something" Rei looked at Holly with a look of puzzlement, she knew 
Holly knew nothing about Daniel being captured (or who Daniel even
*was* unless the Outer Scouts had told her)  Erica started again "So 
we took Holly over to Susan's house and tried the doorbell.  Nothing
happened so while Michelle watched Holly, I climbed in through a 
window and tried to find a clue as to what happened.  I found Susan 
on the floor unconisous, with this stuck on her arm" Erica handed a
small black box over to Rei "What is this thing?" Rei asked. 

For the first time since Rei had gotten there Michelle spoke "As near 
as we've been able to piece together, it looks like some sort of 
device that suppressed muscles effectively immobilizing whoever it 
would be attached to" Rei was really confused now "Susan how in the
world did this happen?"  Susan sighed "I let my emotions get the better
of me" Rei looked at Susan uncomprehendingly.  Susan spoke again
"Yesterday morning I was cleaning around the house when I heard a 
knock at my door.  I answered it and there was Daniel."  Rei's eyes
bugged out because she knew that Daniel had been under the watch of 
Mina and Lita that entire day!  Susan saw the look but continued "I
asked him what he was doing here and he told me that he had come to 
see me, that after thinking about it he had come to realize that he
wasn't in love with Mina but rather with me.  I was so overjoyed I
failed to notice that as he made to kiss me he slipped that device 
Erica showed you on my arm and the next thing I knew I was completely
immobilized!  I watched helplessly as his face seem to melt and his 
body reformed into a duplicate of mine!" Rei looked aghast at Susan 
"Did that phony say anything to you?" Susan shuddered "It said it's 
name was Morpha and it told me that it was going to destroy Daniel 
and the rest of the Scouts!"


Rei sat back in stunned silence after having her this story, anyone 
else would have dismissed it as too fantastic to be realistic, but 
Rei knew that these sorts of things did tend to happen to Sailor 
Scouts. "But why is Holly here?" Rei asked softly, it was at this 
that Holly spoke, her voice a barely audible whisper "I came because
when I had that dream I felt a disturbance when this 'Daniel' person 
was taken, he is very powerful and if he is turned towards the forces 
of evil he must be destroyed!"  Rei gasped, hardly believing what she
had just heard "Destroyed? But you can't do that! He's not some soulless
monster that has no purpose in life other than to collect energy!"
(Besides Mina loves him she thought to herself) Holly spoke again, her
voice made stronger by her conviction "You don't understand! If he is
turned he could destroy this whole planet with barely a thought!  His
powers are far greater than the simple manipulation of energy, he can
both destroy and create energy in all its forms!"  Rei, while being
nowhere near the scholar that Ami was knew that Holly's statement 
didn't make sense, Rei spoke again "Wait a minute! Energy cannot be
created and destroyed, only the *form* of the energy can be changed! 
The amount of energy in the universe is fixed!" Rei congratulated
herself for having remember her science class lessons so well.  
Holly spoke again in a cold voice "He can do it!  He can do anything 
he wants to" he'd be too dangerous as a weapon in Metalla's hands!"  
Rei looked at the other outer Scouts.  For her part Susan merely 
looked away from Rei, tears visibly running down her cheeks. Erica spoke
"We don't like this any more than you do Rei, but if Holly is convinced
of this then we are too" and she looked meaningfully at Michelle who
only offered a sad smile to Rei's gaze. Rei sat dumbstruck for a 
moment "If you think the other Scouts and I are going to let you just
destroy Daniel without trying to stop you, your crazy!"  Erica gazed 
at Rei again and the look she gave the fiery scout made even Rei gulp
involuntarily "If you try to stop us we will destroy you as well! The
Earth is too important to risk over Mina's boyfriend"  Rei shot up to
leave but before she did she spoke hotly "Fine, try it and we'll just
see who destroys whom!" and she ran out of the house as fast as her 
feet would carry her.  Erica and Michelle made to follow Rei but 
Susan put a hand on their shoulders "I'll talk to her" and with that 
she disappeared.


Rei slowed down after having run nearly all the way back to the 
temple "Could they actually be right?  Could Daniel be that 
dangerous in the enemies hands that our only choice is to destroy
him?" she thought to herself sadly. Suddenly a figure appeared front 
of Rei and she pulled out one of her banishment charms "I'm afraid 
that won't work on me" a coldly familar voice said.  Rei looked
at the form of Sailor Pluto hovering before her.  "Care to risk 
that?" Rei growled at the Mistress of Time.  Sailor Pluto spoke 
again "Listen, I don't like this any more than you do, but the 
safety of the Earth comes before *any* of our own considerations" 
Rei looked at Pluto with a barely veiled look of contempt "Big talk 
from someone who still wants Daniel for her own" and at that Sailor
Pluto's confident posture sagged as she realized the truth of Rei's
words.  Rei saw her chance "Listen, give us at least the *CHANCE* to 
try and rescue him before you go after him with guns blazing. 
Please?" and Rei looked at Pluto with a look of pleading.  Sailor 
Pluto spoke again "Until he is actually turned against the Earth 
the others won't do anything to him.  So you have some time, I 
suggest you use it wisely" and with that she disappeared.  Rei 
looked at her communicator "No time like the present" and with 
that she pressed the all call button on her communicator even as 
she made her way inside the temple.


Somewhere in the Arctic. 


Daniel awoke to a throbbing pain in his arms and head "Ugh, what
happened?" He mumbled as he forced his eyes open. He wished he 
hadn't for his eyes took in a sight he could barely stomach. 
Malachite had set up what looked like a medieval dungeon, looking 
at his wrist he noticed the manacles and the fact that his arm was 
bare. Turning around he saw that his other arm was in the same
condition. He shuddered involuntary and looking down noticed that 
his chest was bare as well, in fact, he had been stripped to his 
briefs. "This is NOT good" Daniel muttered to himself in what was
probably the understatement of the year. Suddenly Daniel heard a 
cold laugh and Malachite appeared "Do I have you to thank for 
being turned into a model for underwear?" Daniel called out.  
Malachite sneered "Defiant to the last I see. I guess it would 
be useless to ask you to surrender?"  Malachite said in a neutral 
tone. "You have me chained to a wall and you're asking me to 
surrender? You must be losing it blondie" Daniel made his last 
statement with a smirk.  *CRACK* Daniels head snapped back hard as
Malachite belted him across the face "SHUT UP YOU FOOL!" Malachite
screamed.  
 
Daniel struggled to clear his vision after having  his bell rung
"Temper, temper Malachite" Malachite stared daggers at Daniel. 
"Your just lucky that Metalla wants you alive, otherwise you 
would see my temper" Daniel yanked at his chains. "Hey Peroxide Boy 
he how come I can't break these chains and whomp your butt?" 
Malachite felt his anger rising but at the mention of his enemies 
plight the cold sneer returned "Ah yes, you seem to be a little tied 
up, that's a result of the manacles you're wearing being made up of 
Dark Energy" and Malachite smiled another self satisfied grin. 
Daniel pulled again "That explains that, but who bushwhacked me, it
wasn't Sailor Venus " Malachite sneered. " Are you sure?" And 
suddenly Sailor Venus stepped out from behind him! Daniel was 
dumbstruck "Venus?" He asked in a shaky voice. Venus slowly made her 
way towards Daniel. " What do you think?" and she caressed his face 
and suddenly slapped him with her other hand! Daniel struggled to 
stay conscious. "Venus?" He mumbled. Suddenly Sailor Venus' 
features melted into an indistinct blob. Malachite laughed. "Meet
Morpha, thanks to her 'talents' your here all trussed up like a 
chain gang convict" Daniel winced  "So what's now, I'm sure I don't 
look all that good hung out to dry" Malachite seemed thoughtful 
"Until Metalla calls your all mine..." This sentence was said with 
such venom that Daniel gulped involuntarily and began wishing even
harder than ever that he was anywhere else. 

Back at the temple as the Scouts gathered they could feel the 
tension in the air.  All Rei had said on the communicators was 
that the Outer Scouts had called her regarding Daniel's 
dissapearance.  Mina sat waiting on Rei in frustration, Artemis who
normally sat in her lap instead chose Lita's for as he discreetly 
told Lita as he settled in "She's been rubbing my fur the wrong way 
ever since Daniel was captured" (and he wasn't just refering to her
stroking his fur in the wrong direction either) Rei suddenly 
appeared from behind the door and faced the Scouts.  Rei cleared her
suddenly dry throat and began "I've just come back from talking to 
the Outer Scouts, Holly was with them" the other Scouts looked at 
each other with eyes agog, they knew if Holly was around there was
trouble to come.  Mina spoke, she sounded hoarse as if she had been
doing a fair amount of crying "What about Sailor Pluto? Was she 
there as well?" and with that opening Rei told the story of what 
had happened to Sailor Pluto.  After she had finished the other 
Scouts nodded their heads in sympathy with Plutos' plight (even 
Mina) Just then Serena spoke up "What else did they say Rei?  
Holly's presence there means something is definately up!" at
this promptig Rei swallowed hard and explained just what Holly & 
the Outer Scouts had said.  

To a person the Scouts turned pale, hearing what the Outer Scouts 
had planned for Daniel should he succumb to Metalla's power.  
Suddenly Mina sat bolt upright "No way! They're not going to lay 
one finger on him! Not while I'm alive!"  The other Scouts nodded 
in grim agreement with Mina's sentiments.  Serena spoke up next 
"That means our first order of business is to try and find him! 
Ami any ideas?" The blue haired genius pulled out her pocket 
computer "I've been working on a program to try and track him, it 
isn't fully tested yet but I suppose it's better than nothing" and 
with that she typed a few commands into her machine.  It beeped 
softly to itself for a few minutes and the girls crowded around 
Ami expectantly.  Their expectations were dashed however when the
computer failed to locate him.  "Does this mean he's not even on 
this planet anymore?" a worried Mina managed.  "Not nessecarily, 
it just means that my computer can't find him" Ami sighed 
dejectedly   Suddenly all eyes turned to Rei and she flinched under
their gaze "I haven't tried asking the Sacred Flame, I could try 
that" she offered hopefully.  As one the girls nodded, where science 
had failed perhaps other means would prove sucessful.

Shortly the girls sat once again before the Great Fire, Rei swaying
gently, almosst in a trance like state "Oh Great Fire, tell us 
where our friend is so that we may rescue him" the fire crackled 
and spit for what seemed to the girls like hours when suddenly an 
image appeared.  It was Daniel! He appeared to be held in chains,
stripped down to his briefs and looking deathly pale, Mina gasped
softly at the sight of the one she loved in such a predicament. 
Suddenly the image clouded and Rei uttered a cry of pain and fell
backward!  Serena jumped to catch Rei before she hurt her head.  
Rei looked up at her saviour groggily "Thanks, meatballhead, 
wherever Malachite has Daniel, he has it guarded by some sort of 
magical shield, I can't pinpoint it's location, just a vague 
impression of somewhere blerak, cold & rocky" and at those words 
Minas face crumpled and she buried her face in her knees.  Lita put 
a hand on Mina's shoulder "We're not licked yet!" Lita offered with 
a smile that showed more confidence than she felt.  Mina looked at 
her friend "But where do we go from here? Neither Ami's computer or
Rei's attempt to ask the fire were sucessful.  What else is there?" 
and at that the group fell silent once more.  Suddenly the group 
heard the sound of a car screching to a halt at the base of the 
temple steps.  The Scouts looked at each other quizzically, having 
no idea who could be arriving at the temple.  Rei thought to 
herself "It had better not be the Outer Scouts, Mina might just 
try and go after them all alone." 

Serena, being the most curious of the group (Luna had commented more
than once on just how curious Serena was and how lucky she was that 
she wasn't a cat for her curiousity could according to the old 
saying prove fatal) had gone to peek out a window and once she
recognized who it was that had stepped out of the car at the bottom 
of the steps she raced out the door in a flurry of blonde pigtails.

"Darien" the group spoke aloud in unison and broke up in a fit of
laughter when they realized they had said that single word in exact
unison.  Darien (with Serena firmly attached to his side) greeted 
the group and sat down with a concerned look on his face "I went 
home to drop off my things and Daniel wasn't home and some of his 
things are gone.  What's happened?" and once again Minas' eyes 
began filling with tears.  Serena remembering why the group was 
gathred at the temple lost her happy glow and said with a heavy 
sigh "Malachite got him" Darien shakn with the news, looked at 
Serena "Malachite? I thought you destroyed him before you faced 
Beryl back at the North Pole?"  Serena shook her head glumly "It 
looks like I didn't get the job done and now he's gotten his slimy 
hands on Daniel!" and she leaned into Darien seeking support from 
him.  Darien looked down at Serena and offered a comforting smile
"Relax, besides I smell Metalla at work, when I was under Beryl's
control I heard Metalla say more than once that given enough power 
she could raise the dead.  Maybe that's how that creep managed to 
come back."  Serena's face suddenly lit up "Darien, do you know 
where Malachite used to stay while he was on Earth?"  Darien 
looked puzzled at the question but replied "Yes, he had a small 
area in the Negaverse base in the Arctic that was his alone, as 
far as I can remember only Zoicite was ever allowed there."  The 
rest of the Scouts sat with mouths agape "Serena, that's 
absolutely *BRILLIANT*" a jubulant Mina exclaimed. Darien was 
really confused now "What do you mean? What are you girls talking
about?"  Ami could barely contain her excitement "You remember 
where this 'base' was right?" Darien nodded, still unsure of where 
this was leading. Lita spoke next "Then why can't you tell us where 
this base is and we can go rescue Daniel?"  Darien caught the drift 
of where the girls were headed but was unsure "That was a long time
agao, who's to say the base isn't under tons of rubble? I mean you 
told me that Serena completely destroyed the place battling Beryl" 
the girls deflated a bit but Mina remained convinced "I'm sure 
that's where Daniel is! I mean given what we saw in the fire it 
makes sense, rocky, bleak, cold looking, it's just *GOT* to be the
place" and she started humming excitedly to herself.  The others 
looked at Mina with a collective stare before speaking. Ami spoke up
first "It's worth a shot, we've got nothing else to go on at this 
point"  Darien remained dubious "How do we get there though?"  The 
girls looked at each other before all five spoke again "Sailor
Teleport!"  Darien and the cats face faulted "Do you girls 
practice that?" a stunned Luna said.  The girls laughed as they 
realized what had just happened and made ready to teleport to
Malachite's lair. 

Metalla having wwatched the drama at the tewmple unfold came to a
decision "It's time I relieved Malachite of his prize, before the 
Scouts come calling" and with that she dissapeared from her throne.

Daniel felt like twenty miles of bad road, Malachite had taken 
great pleasure in torturing him with everything from a metal bar 
whacked across his knees to, horror of horrors, repeated singing 
by Morpha of a particularly vile children's show theme song!  
Daniel muttered to himself "I almost wish I was in Metalla's hands, 
this is inhumane!"  Suddenly Metalla appeared before Malachite! 
Daniel thought to himseelf "Damn, speak of the devil" and Metalla 
spoke  "I've come to claim what is mine Malachite" Malachite looked
crestfallen "But my Regent... " "SILENCE!" Metalla roared and with 
a burst of Dark Energy flung Malachite hard into the opposite wall 
"I will *NOT* have my orders questioned by the likes of you!"  Daniel
had veiwed the scene with a badly hidden look of amusement "Gee, I 
hope Malachite has a health plan" he snickered to himself softly.  
Not softly enough however for Malachite flew twoards him enraged 
with murder in his eyes!  Metalla stifled a yawn as she put up a
forceshield around Daniel "Malachite, do you wish to perish?" she 
said icily as she fixed Malachite with a cold stare.  Malachite's 
eyes were still blazing embers of fury but his calm facade snapped 
back into place "No my Regent" Metalla smiled "Fine then, you will 
help me turn Daniel to our cause. Daniel looked at Metalla "In your
dreams witch!"  Metalla luaghed a mirthless laugh "No, in your
*nightmares*!" and the three inhabitants of the cave dissapeared 
in a dark mist.


Stay tuned for Chapter 12 of "Whose reality is right? (Eclipse)
 

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